Auhtor's Note - Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.
PLEASE READ! - Since FF is really acting up all over the place, I just wanted to remind everyone that I'm cross posting on AO3 (Archive of our Own) and Wattpad. Please use those sites as well if you're having issues reading my story.
Thanks and here's the next chapter for you! Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 024 – CHANGES PART 2
Conflicted.
Ever since he left UA and got home, that was all he was feeling for the whole weekend. After everything that happened just that day, from what he's seen to what others have told him, Eijiro had become conflicted. That conflicted feeling ended up causing him grief over the weekend thanks to thinking about what he should believe, who he should support and what he should do.
Eijiro wanted to believe everyone. From his childhood friend to his newly made friend. But he knew that wasn't possible due to all the contradictions and things just not adding up. Especially with everything that happened at the USJ that brought up some new information. He tried to talk things out with his other newly made friend, Tetsu, over the weekend about it all but that didn't help him figure things out either. And he couldn't contact Mina because he still hadn't replaced his phone yet. He thought about dropping by her house to talk to her but he couldn't muster up the courage to do so.
As a result, Eijiro's weekend was agonizingly long thanks to his nonstop thinking about everything. He thought about Mina and how he wanted to apologize to her, get back on the same page with her and hopefully pursue something more with her since they both cracked open that door. He also thought about the one who saved them all. How Izuku Midoriya seemed like an actual decent guy after what he did for them all and how he should not believe everything said about him from Katsuki.
That led Eijiro to think about how he was upset with Katsuki due to his words and behavior. How the blonde bombardier might have exaggerated things or quite possibly lied to him. He needed to find out for sure. And if it was true, he didn't know what he'd do afterwards. He wondered if he'd end up wanting to give up on Katsuki or not. He realized that he had some issues that he needed help with, such as his quick fuse, his harsh language and how he behaved with everyone. How his behavior would worsen whenever it pertained to that one individual. But even with all that evidence in front of him, he still didn't want to give up on him because he believed that he was a good person since he wanted to be a hero and was pursuing it in his own way.
All in all, Eijiro wasn't able to relax at all during the entire weekend. And when he attended UA at the start of the week, he was still lost. He was hoping for an opportunity or a sign that would've helped him broach the subjects he was thinking about with the people that were involved.
Unfortunately for him, he never got the chance. Mina was with the girls almost all of the time. And when he entered the classroom, she had barely glanced at him before looking away without a word. He had noticed the slight expression of pain on her face since he knew her so well. That made him feel even more awful and instead of trying to talk to her, he just shuffled to his desk with a gloomy expression and sat down.
Katsuki did talk with him. But it was mostly with short phrases to reply back to him and he was behaving even brasher and ruder to him. Eijiro wondered why, even while a small part in the back of his mind had an idea about the cause of it.
After the assembly where Principal Nezu gave everyone information about what happened and what UA did as a result, Eijiro had even more things to think about. The new teacher hired to cover for Midnight until she came back. Upgraded security. The dorms and the new things about them. How Izuku had a request for them all. All that and more kept Eijiro busy thinking. So much so that he just went on auto pilot and followed Katsuki to the cafeteria. They grabbed their meals and ate in the cafeteria.
When Katsuki finished his meal rather quickly, he left the cafeteria and Eijiro decided to go with him even though he wasn't finished eating. He thought it might be a good time to talk to his new friend about the things he was thinking about. But even then, he was unable to do so because Katsuki kept up his brash attitude with him.
When Eijiro finally stopped trying, he waited for lunch to finish while sitting at his desk and thinking about everything again. As time passed, his classmates had joined them. And one of the last ones to enter was the one who saved them all. Within a couple seconds of his entering, Eijiro became frozen still from shock over how Katsuki immediately targeted him…
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To say that Katsuki was pissed was an understatement. Ever since he went home after the USJ incident, it was just one thing after another that just kept piling onto the amount of shit that was bothering him. His parents' incessant questions about the USJ. His mother's sudden sadness and his father's worry over her behavior thanks to being unable to contact Deku's mother. Remembering how that annoying piece of shit went toe to toe with that Nomu somehow and how the other extras in his class cheered him on.
All of that infuriated him. Even when he went back to UA at the start of the new week, he still felt angry. And as the day went on, his anger only increased thanks to more annoyances and frustrations. Shitty Hair trying to talk to him when he clearly knew he was agitated. Overhearing several of the extras talking about the USJ and that quirkless loser. The stuff at the assembly regarding extra security, the new teacher who should still be rotting in jail but somehow got a one in a million chance to start over, sharing of the dorms with the second rate class and how Deku received recognition!
All of that just kept adding fuel onto the fire that was his anger and frustrations. He also felt a third thing that was overshadowed by the first two. And that was his jealousy. He'd squashed it down over the weekend and forced himself to not feel it completely but it was still there. Hiding way down inside him but it would pop up every now and then. Yet it was immediately and vehemently repressed every time. Why? Because he doesn't get jealous and others should be jealous of him!
Katsuki, after dealing with Shitty Hair, the other extras and the assembly, tried to focus on his lunch instead. Getting his favorite food, which was spicy curry with steak and some greens at the cafeteria, began eating his lunch. But even that wasn't allowed to happen peacefully because he kept overhearing everyone's talks and conversations. And they were almost all about the USJ, the assembly, the new teacher and that damn piece of shit.
Growling in annoyance, he sped up his eating and quickly finished his meal. Leaving the cafeteria, he headed back to homeroom. He noticed Shitty Hair following him again and he even tried talking to him again. He barely answered him but with even harsher snaps that finally made him stop. Finally able to just sit down for a while and not be bothered by others, Katsuki wanted to do just that. But it wasn't to be because his brain seemed to completely disagree as it kept bringing up everything. As a result, he was winding himself up to explode at the first thing that completely pushed him over the edge.
It didn't take long for that to happen either. One of the last people to enter the classroom was none other than the one he absolutely loathed. Katsuki spotted him within the first second he entered the room and the next second, he reacted. He got off his seat and stomped towards him with his hands already letting out miniature explosions while yelling…
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Izuku noticed how quiet the room was as well as how everyone's attention was on them with various expressions on their faces through his peripheral vision while facing the incoming blonde bombardier. Though he didn't want to deal with this right now, and there was a little bit of nervousness and anxiety filling him thanks to past trauma, Izuku stood his ground with composure and confidence. I'm actually surprised this didn't happen sooner. "Hello Kacchan…"
"DEKU!" screamed Katsuki again as he got closer to Izuku. "YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ IN HERE AND ACT LIKE YOU BELONG HERE?!" Stopping right in front of the one he despised, he continued screaming into his face. "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A CHEATING, QUIRKLESS LOSER WHO CAN'T MEASURE UP TO ME! YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE AT ALL!"
Izuku's eyes narrowed a little. Anger started filling him that pushed his nervousness aside somewhat but he responded back as calmly as he could. "Think what you want, Kacchan, but I do belong here. I passed the entrance exams just like everyone else here. And in case you forgot, I was the one who fought that Nomu and bought enough time for All Might to come back. Even if I did cheat at the entrance exams, how would I have cheated that? How could a 'quirkless loser' be capable of doing something like that?"
Reaching forward quickly, Katsuki grabbed Izuku's blazer and tightened his grip while several in the classroom let out shocked sounds or yelps. Some of them even took some steps towards the two while telling them to stop.
"FUCK OFF! THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSSINESS!" roared Katsuki while letting off more explosions, making the ones who got closer to stop in their tracks but it didn't stop them from clenching their hands into fists and glaring at him. Katsuki turned his furious gaze back onto Izuku. "I don't have to answer shit!" he snarled with fury. "And I'm the one asking the questions! Not you! And so what?! You couldn't even win that fight! You lost! So hurry up and tell the truth! That you're nothing but a cheating, quirkless loser who did something illegal to be able to catch up to me and you still couldn't cut it!"
Izuku's anger rose higher and he barely controlled himself. Raising his left hand, he grabbed Katsuki's wrist in an iron grip much like he did earlier with Shoto. Prying his hand off his shirt, Izuku glared right back at Katsuki who was stunned over his actions. "You know what? I don't need to answer to you or explain anything to you. So I'm only gonna tell you this once; the world doesn't revolve around you, I don't owe you anything and don't ever try something like this again!"
Momentarily frozen over how he was being talked back to since it never before happened like this, Katsuki didn't move for a second. Until he snapped back into focus and he growled. "FUCK YOU DEKU!" And with that declaration, Katsuki used his other hand to deliver a close ranged explosion right towards Izuku's chest.
Expecting that to happen, Izuku shifted his body to the side, evading the strike but the explosion was still too close. The blast radius affected him, making him let out a cry of pain while letting go of Katsuki's wrist. Izuku stumbled back a few steps away from the blonde bombardier while holding onto his chest as a grimace formed on his face.
"THAT'S RIGHT, SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A WEAK, SCARED PIECE OF SHIT THAT TRICKED EVERYONE BUT ME!" yelled Katsuki before getting ready to throw another explosion.
"DUDE! CALM DOWN!"
"ENOUGH OF THIS!"
"STOP BEING SO MEAN!"
"MIDORIYA!"
It was at that moment that their classmates snapped out of their shock over what was happening, as well as pushing aside their fear of the hotheaded bombardier and finally reacted to what was going on. Eijiro and Rikido had taken hold of Katsuki and pulled him away from Izuku while the blonde roared at them to let him go. Mezo, Tenya, Kyoka, Tsuyu, Mina and Toru had gone up to Izuku and checked on him to make sure he was alright while shielding him from Katsuki. Most of the others in the class were standing closer and readied themselves if they were needed. A couple hung back, who were Minoru and Koji due to being afraid of what was going on.
Shoto was also another who hung back but not because he was afraid. If anything, he was agitated over their ruckus. Izuku for meddling in his personal affairs and Katsuki for being annoying. And part of him was hoping that the both of them would just knock each other out.
"Dude! Seriously! Just calm down! There's no need to do this!" reasoned Eijiro as he struggled to hold Katsuki back after they stopped when they reached the other side of the classroom.
"How is he this strong?!" remarked Rikido through gritted teeth while mentally chastising himself that he forgot to eat some sugar to increase his strength for this.
"LET ME GO YOU DAMN EXTRAS!" roared Katsuki but he was ignored. As he struggled to get free so he could pummel that damn loser into the ground and get the truth out, he kept his gaze locked onto Deku. He saw how some of the extras had gathered around Deku and were checking on him. And yet that piece of shit acted like nothing was wrong and that he was fine. His blood boiled and his rage intensified. He thinks he can just brush me off?! Who the fuck does he think he is?! I'll show him! I'll show them all that you don't fuck with ME!
Using his quirk, Katsuki let out several quick, small explosions from his hands that startled the ones holding him into loosening their grip on him. Using that, he wrenched free from them and immediately shot forward. "DEKUUU!"
Izuku and the ones near him turned in time to see the livid expression on Katsuki's face as he shot through the air towards them. Several screamed and yelled from fright over his actions while unable to do anything else since they didn't have any time to react. Without thinking and with his body moving on its own, Izuku pushed away the ones near him at the last possible moment but wasn't able to defend himself in time. As a result, he received an up close and personal, large explosion directly against his chest.
"ARGH!" Yelling in pain while being sent back, Izuku slammed against the wall behind him with his back and his head bounced off the wall too as smoke filled the room.
A few seconds passed with an eerie silence filling the room along with the smoke. The door opened at that moment and two girls stepped inside. Ochaco and Momo had heard a commotion from outside the room before coming in with worry and wondering what happened. They got their answer when some of the windows were opened and the smoke cleared from the room. And what it revealed made the two girls, along with several others in the class, to become filled with concern and fear along with some cries of shock and fear were let out.
Izuku was barely standing while hunched over a little and panting. His upper clothes were singed and there were some holes in it while some noticeable burn marks were on his arms and torso. Unknown to most of the ones in the classroom, but his head really hurt from the impact but thankfully it wasn't bleeding.
"MIDORIYA!" cried Ochaco and Momo as they moved to him and so did several others.
"Are you okay?!" asked Ochaco as she held him up from one side, steadying his stance.
"I'll make some first aid so please wait for it!" said Momo as she started undoing a few of the lower buttons on her uniform so she could expose her stomach while keeping her worried gaze on her hero.
"Midoriya, I'm here! What do you need?!" asked Toru as she took up his other side.
"Can you see me properly, Midoriya?" asked Kyoka as she stood right in front of him while holding onto his shoulders. She was worried he might have a concussion having seen his head hit the wall before smoke filled the room.
While the four girls attended to Izuku, the other two girls in the class stood in front of them facing Katsuki. Beside them were Mezo, Eijiro, Rikido, Tenya and even Hanta.
"How could you do that?!" asked Tsuyu with disgust evident on her face.
"What the hell is your problem, you asshole?!" asked Mina with rage with her hands clenched into fists and barely holding herself back from using her acid on him.
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! PINKY! FROG LEGS! GET OUTTA MY WAY BEFORE YOU GET SOME TOO!" roared Katsuki with more explosions let off in his hands.
"BAKUBRO! STOP THIS!" yelled Eijiro angrily. "You can't be this way, man! Why are you so angry?!"
"This isn't right! You need to stop!" advised Mezo.
"You act like you're the best yet you behave like a spoiled child!" remarked Hanta.
"A true hero doesn't act this way, so just chill out!" stated Rikido.
"You ruffian! Stop this villainous behavior at once!" ordered Tenya.
Snarling over what they said, Katsuki was shaking with rage. How dare these extras talk back to him like this?! Don't they know who they're dealing with?! He's the best and the top dog! They should know that the strong make the rules and he was in charge! They dare stand up to him and prevent him from doing what he wants to do? And for what? To protect that worthless, cheating loser?! If that's the case, then they don't deserve any mercy!
"IF YOU WON'T GET OUTTA OF MY WAY, THEN YOU'LL ALL FACE MY WRATH!" screamed Katsuki. Raising his hands and pointing his palms towards them. They could all see multiple pops go off in his hands as he readied to blast them with a mad expression on his face. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU FUCKIN-"
Katsuki was prevented from continuing when black tendrils made of pure energy suddenly appeared and wrapped around him tightly while raising him into the air, causing many to shout and yelp from being startled. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" He struggled to get free but it was ultimately pointless since he couldn't move an inch. And his explosions wouldn't help either since his palms were up against his legs. "WHERE THE HELL DID THIS SHIT COME FROM?!" As soon as he asked that question, his gaze landed onto the perpetrator. "YOU?!"
At Katsuki's shouted word, everyone traced the tendrils to their origin. And seeing who it came from made them become even more surprised.
Izuku's left arm was raised with his palm facing towards Katsuki. When the girls were checking on him, he felt a little dizzy thanks to his head injury and he felt the burning pain on his body. He wasn't fully healed yet and the injuries he just received didn't help matters. But he was able to keep aware of what was going on. He was touched by what his classmates did. It was the first time something of the sort had ever happened, with others standing up for him against another. And when he saw his old childhood friend turned bully target the others as well in order to get to him, Izuku felt his anger tip over due to rage erupting from within. Without even thinking about it, Izuku went with his instinct and aimed at the blonde bombardier before Blackwhip manifested.
With his gaze locked onto Katsuki and his arm still raised, Izuku took a few steps towards Katsuki, moving away from his stunned peers. He was barely able to keep Blackwhip under control so it wouldn't go haywire and possibly strike others. He could feel his body trembling from using his quirk yet he kept it up. Izuku stopped a short distance away from his captive and started speaking with anger coating his words. "What the hell's your problem?! I knew you were hotheaded, arrogant and disrespectful but this is completely ridiculous! I hoped that you'd change as we got older but I guess I was a fool! So many years of your crap and I'm sick of it! I'm not gonna let it go anymore! So you better stop! Don't make me completely lose all respect for you because there's still a little bit left! If that day ever comes, you'll know and it'll be the worst day of your life! Understand?!"
Katsuki growled in pain as Blackwhip tightened around him a bit. Yet he kept his furious gaze on Izuku and not once did he look away. "FUCK! YOU! DEKU! YOU THINK I'M SCARED OF YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?! I'M GONNA…"
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"
Angry shouting was heard all of a sudden that cut off Katsuki from continuing. Every single person turned towards the area the voice came from and found their homeroom teacher to be the one. He was standing in the doorway to the classroom and his expression was twisted in fury.
"I will not ask again. But before that; Midoriya, put him down right now!" commanded Shota with narrowed eyes while reaching up to his scarf with his right hand.
Heeding his homeroom teacher, he did as was asked. Lowering Katsuki down, Izuku recalled the tendrils, which regressed back into his arm. He staggered a bit before dropping to one knee and started panting heavily while his body noticeably shook.
"Midoriya!"
"Are you okay?!"
Several people made to move closer to Izuku to check on him and Katsuki started moving towards him too while glaring at him.
"NOBODY MOVE!" snapped Shota loudly as he swiftly moved forwards while deploying his capture scarf, making his students freeze in their spots.
"NOT AGAIN!" screamed Katsuki as he was tied up once more. "What is this made from?!"
"Silence!" barked Shota, glaring right at Katsuki who stopped struggling against the capture device. "I saw the look in your eyes. You will not attack another student or else you're expelled. Understand?" Katuski didn't say anything but kept up his glare. "UNDERSTAND?!" Katsuki looked to the side before he barely nodded and Shota released him from his scarf. "Now, with that settled, someone explain what's going on before I make assumptions."
"IT'S ALL THAT PIECE OF SHIT DEKU'S FAULT!" shouted Katsuki angrily as he pointed.
"Stop screaming, Bakugo or else you're expelled. No one's deaf here but if you keep that up, there will be soon enough," responded back Shota annoyingly.
Katsuki growled and was about to say more when someone else cut him off. "Aizawa Sensei, it wasn't Midoriya's fault!" spoke up Toru in a high pitched voice while moving her arms up and down rapidly.
"Yeah! Midori had barely entered the room when that asshole started yelling at him and even attacked him!" elaborated Mina as she pointed at the blonde bombardier, making Katsuki growl at her.
But he wasn't able to snap back at her insult because someone else started speaking. "They're telling the truth Sensei. Myself and some of our classmates got involved to try and stop things," added Mezo.
"But Bakugo wasn't listening and he was about to attack again when Midoriya-san stopped him with his quirk!" finished Tenya as he added his two cents worth while chopping his arm down over and over.
"Shut up and stop calling me an asshole, you stupid, walking highlighter! And you're all brainwashed idiots! I didn't do anything wrong! Deku's the one who's at fault! That piece of shit was quirkless all his life and he just suddenly has a quirk?! It's not possible! He's hiding something and I bet it's something illegal!" snapped Katsuki with absolute fury in his tone while clenching and unclenching his fists.
Already feeling a migraine forming, Shota rubbed his temples with his hands after telling them all to be silent. I hate my life…I just want to sleep… Taking in a long breath, he faced the pink girl. "Ashido, no more insults." Without waiting for a response, he turned towards the blonde bombardier. "Same to you, Bakugo. Also, attacking another student outside of proper training time and heroics classes, no matter the reason, are grounds for severe consequences. Even without anyone's testimony, I already see evidence of your inappropriate actions."
Everyone shifted their sight onto Izuku. His gaze was on them but he was still kneeling on one knee while taking in slow breaths but thankfully his shaking had stopped. The burns on him as well as his upper clothes being torn up were fairly obvious.
When Shota continued, they faced him again. "But I will still confirm things with the school's camera system to find out all the details. You should've known that there'll be cameras with audio and video recording everywhere in this school. Even in the classrooms and especially after the USJ." He turned his gaze towards Izuku and unable to help himself, a look of concern formed on his face. "Midoriya, you don't look so good and I'm not just talking about the burns. Do you need help to get to Recovery Girl?"
"Y-Yeah," agreed Izuku in a low tone of voice. "I wasn't supposed to use my quirk for a while and the burns aren't helping much either."
Remembering what Recovery Girl told him about Izuku not using his quirk for a time, Shota let out a sigh as he understood. "Alright. You two!" Ochaco and Kyoka were startled at suddenly being pointed at and being called upon. "Help Midoriya to Recovery Girl's office."
"Yes, Sensei," replied both girls as they assisted Izuku back to his feet. He thanked them for their help with the two telling him it wasn't a problem as they made their way out of the classroom with several giving Izuku concerned looks.
After they left, Shota faced the rest of his class. "Alright, all of you besides Bakugo, get back to your seats. Stay in them until I return." His students took their seats and Shota faced his blonde student. "Follow me, Bakugo." Without waiting for a reply but knowing his student was obeying, Shota led the way towards Nezu's office.
Unable to not do as he was told, Katsuki reluctantly following from behind with his arms crossed while feeling annoyed, angry and frustrated. And he kept thinking about how he was going to make Deku pay for this while being oblivious to all the glares being sent his way…
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"Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Quit trying to be macho. These burns look pretty bad."
"I'm not."
"She has a point. You don't have to hide that you're in pain."
A sigh was let out by Izuku. "They do hurt a bit. But, really, I'm okay. I've had worse."
Both Ochaco and Kyoka remembered how he collapsed after his fight with the Nomu. Unable to control themselves, they both shivered a bit over that memory.
"Even so, you can tell us when you're hurting, okay?" said Ochaco gently.
"Yeah, what she said. Don't try to hide it, you big lug," added Kyoka with a small glare.
Izuku couldn't help it. He chuckled a bit before groaning a bit from pain. "That hurt. And alright. I promise if it hurts a lot, I'll let you know. And thank you both for caring."
Ochaco and Kyoka both reddened slightly after he said those words and smiled at him. Shifting their gazes forward, the two girls continued escorting him. "You better!" they both said at the same time.
When they reached the doctor's office, the elderly pro took one look at Izuku and groaned. "Damn it, Midoriya! Why is it always you?! Why can't you go just a few days without getting yourself hurt?!" She gestured towards one of the beds and the girls helped him to it.
"I'm sorry Recovery Girl but it was out of my hands," replied Izuku as he sat on the medical bed.
"Yeah, right! I know you too well! Just as reckless as that buffoon!" snapped Chiyo annoyingly, making Izuku blush from embarrassment as he looked down.
"He's telling the truth," spoke up Ochaco, annoyed that her hero was being blamed for something that wasn't his fault.
"Yeah, it was Bakugo who attacked him out of nowhere!" explained Kyoka angrily as she crossed her arms. "And he was gonna attack us for trying to stop things when Midoriya stopped him."
Chiyo raised an eyebrow over their words before glancing at Izuku who remained quiet. Understanding dawned on the elderly woman. "I see. I guess I owe you an apology young man."
"Apology accepted and it's okay Recovery Girl. I get why you'd think it was my fault again," remarked Izuku.
"Wait, what?" Ochaco turned her gaze towards Izuku.
"What do you mean by 'again'?" Kyoka narrowed her eyes at Izuku this time.
Izuku's eyes widened a bit at how both girls were giving him slightly annoyed looks. "Ah, n-nothing! Really!" answered Izuku hurriedly but they didn't look like they believed him.
Chiyo chuckled over their interaction and a smirk formed on her face. "Finally! I thought I'd be the only one to try and reign in his self-destructive tendencies," commented the elderly doctor.
"Hey! I don't have self-destructive tendencies!" shot Izuku indignantly.
"Oh, really? Then what's this?" asked Chiyo as she pointed at his left arm and the three UA students looked at what she was pointing. At first they didn't see anything. But when they focused, they saw slightly irritated looking red skin. "You used your quirk when you weren't supposed to."
Izuku audibly gulped over her statement and looked away to the side. "Well, like I said, I didn't really have a choice."
Chiyo's smirk turned into a frown. She let out a sigh before talking. "I understand but you need to know your limits, Midoriya and heed them when you should. I get it that you did what you had to do in order to protect others but that doesn't mean you break yourself every time you do so. I'm not always gonna be around to heal you and you still have a lot of work to do to get better. Understand?"
Unable to refute her, Izuku could only nod. "I understand. I'll do better. Thank you Recovery Girl," he said with a small smile.
Chiyo let out a huff before getting ready to heal him. "I swear, you're gonna be the death of me one day, Midoriya. Either you, or that buffoon."
"Ah, don't say that Recovery Girl," said Izuku with sadness coating his words.
Chiyo huffed. "Well, at least I won't be the only one annoyed by your antics."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Izuku, tilting his head in curiosity.
Chiyo subtlety glanced at the two girls, whose attention was on Izuku before focusing back onto the green haired young man. "You'll figure it out. Sooner or later," replied back Chiyo. Right afterwards, she used her quirk on Izuku. Her lips stretched out and kissed her patient on his left arm. A second later and her lips retracted.
That was when her quirk went into effect. A light green glow appeared around almost his entire body for several seconds as his body began to rapidly heal. When it finished healing, the glow faded away, leaving behind a worn out but recovered Izuku. Well, almost recovered.
"How come his right arm didn't heal?" asked Ochaco.
Chiyo turned towards the brunette. "Because I chose not to heal it."
"What?! Why?! That's so messed up!" stated Kyoka with anger while Ochaco nodded in agreement.
"Youngsters these days. No respect for their elders." Chiyo glared right back at the two, who fidgeted in place. She let out a huff before explaining. "It's his punishment for going overboard at the USJ missy! Now, stop annoying me or next time you get injured, I might just not heal you either!" finished Chiyo, making both girls had their eyes widen in fear over her words.
"It's okay," spoke up Izuku, drawing attention to him. Even though he felt tired because of being healed, he still got off the bed and stood up. "Recovery Girl's right. I went far beyond my limits at the USJ. And I was told not to use my quirk so my body can properly heal. I messed that up already, even though it was for a good reason. She's helped me out a lot and I need to do better. So, don't be mad at her. Okay?"
"Okay, fine, whatever."
"I understand."
Izuku smiled at the two. "Thanks for understanding." He faced Chiyo, missing how the two girls' cheeks reddening again over his smile. "Thanks for healing me. We'll let you get back to what you were doing."
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Huh?"
Chiyo let out a sigh. "Your clothes are ruined. You need to replace them. I have some spares in that cabinet. Go grab one and you can use this curtain to get some privacy as you change."
"Oh, right. Thanks!" Moving to the mentioned cabinet, Izuku rummaged through it for a moment before finding his size. Grabbing it, he went to a corner of the room. "Let me get changed and we can head back," he told the two. Reaching the area, he pulled the curtains around the area to get some privacy and started talking off his ruined upper clothes.
Ochaco and Kyoka looked at Recovery Girl while Izuku started changing. "Thanks for everything," said Kyoka.
"And sorry for our behavior," apologized Ochaco as she rubbed the back of her head.
Kyoka figured she too should apologize. "Yeah, same here. My bad."
Chiyo nodded and spoke in a low tone of voice so Izuku wouldn't hear her. "It's alright, I understand. People do or say things without thinking when it comes to the ones they care about."
Ochaco and Kyoka turned crimson red at once. But while the brunette held her face within her hands with her pinkies extended, the purple haired girl began sputtering out denials.
Rolling her eyes, Chiyo smacked both girls against their legs once that made them stop.
"Ow! Hey!" whispered Ochaco angrily.
"Why'd you do that?!" hissed Kyoka through gritted teeth
"Cause you're both annoying me. Grow up and stop hiding," replied back Chiyo without pause.
Before either one of them could reply back, they heard Izuku speaking. "Um, Recovery Girl?"
"What is it?"
"Um…I need some help…"
"Alright." Looking at the two girls in front of her, Chiyo gave them an expected look. When they didn't move, she rolled her eyes and started ushering them towards the curtain. "C'mon, move it! I'm too short to reach high enough to help him. Now get to it," she told them in a low tone of voice.
"Hey, don't be so pushy!"
"Okay, okay, we get it!"
Reaching the curtains, Kyoka and Ochaco exchanged looks before facing forward. Grabbing hold of one side of the curtains before pulling it open, Ochaco froze with her hand still gripping it while Kyoka went rigid. And it was thanks to what they saw.
The green haired young man that they had developed interest in was standing right in front of them with his upper body bare. They saw how built his body is with noticeable muscles consisting of toned abs, chest, biceps and more but they weren't to the point of being overly big. Both girls blushed heavily at the sight.
Izuku also reddened over how they just stood there and he was about to freak out as his mind went into overdrive as if it was searching for a solution to this problem. And right when he was about to shut down that would've possibly resulted in him fainting, his mind did find something.
He remembered how Nemuri told him something during his training with her to develop his social skills. That he had worked hard and he had grown tremendously in body, spirit and mind. That he should be proud of how far he's gotten and his accomplishments. That when someone complimented him or admired his results, such as his physique, he should take it in stride and not shy away from it. How he should also, if given the chance, show off what he's got since he's earned the right to.
Controlling himself the best he could, even though he was on right on the edge of losing it from being so embarrassed, Izuku cleared his throat and began speaking. "S-So, um, I take it that Re-Recovery Girl told you to come h-help me? If so, I really appreciate it. Thank you."
Izuku's words seemed to reach the two girls who got out of their stunned states and reacted.
"Y-Yeah, that's r-right," replied Ochaco as calmly as she could.
"Be happy t-that we're d-doing this for you," remarked Kyoka, doing her best to sound indifferent.
Heart beating rather quickly, Izuku gave them a small smile along with a nod. As they helped the green haired young man put on the top half of his uniform, they couldn't help but notice a few things. How firm his muscles felt when they happened to briefly touch it. How his body seemed to radiate warmth. And they also noticed some other things. But these caused the two to feel negatively over it instead…
Izuku, as embarrassed as he was, couldn't help but feel thankful over what they were doing for him. It was just like what Yui did for him back in the cafeteria. He could tell, just like the black haired girl, that Ochaco and Kyoka were also embarrassed over what was happening. But they were dealing with it. For him. And he was very appreciative of it.
"You two are a life saver," said Izuku with noticeable gratitude in his tone of voice when they finished helping him get dressed. "I thought I could get dressed by myself but I guess I still need help."
"No p-problem Midoriya. And...if you n-need help again, just let me know," offered Ochaco while doing her best to keep things nonchalant.
"Y-Yeah, sure, whatever. I g-guess I can help you out again too," shrugged Kyoka. She wasn't blushing anymore either but multiple feelings were whirling around inside her that she was trying hard to ignore.
Izuku had a beaming smile form on his face. "Thanks! I'll make it up to you. Both of you. I promise."
Seeing him smile like that made both girls' hearts skip a beat as their blush returned and intensified. Turning around at the same time, both girls headed for the door.
"You better!" snapped Kyoka but without any real heat in her words.
"C'mon! We need to get back to class!" advised Ochaco, trying to change the conversation already since she was feeling very warm at the moment.
Izuku realized something at that moment but didn't say anything. He did redden himself as he thought something. Damn it All Might…you really had to say that, didn't you? But, I guess you were right. I just hope I don't mess things up if I get a chance. But what would I do? I don't know anything about girls, dating or any of that…but, is this the right time for all that? Man, I gotta think about all this and I'm gonna need help… Izuku turned towards the elderly doctor. "Thanks for everything Recovery Girl. See ya!" After he said that, Izuku followed after the girls.
Chiyo watched as the three first years left her office. When she was finally alone, a smile spread on her face. "Ah, to see young love in its initial stages…I hope things work out for you all in the best way possible…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nezu had his paws up with the tips of them touching each other while his elbows rested on his desk. He peered over them towards the two inside his office. One had an exhausted expression on his face that seemed to say that he was just done with everything. The other had a look of being completely indifferent to everything as if he had no care in the world.
After a few more seconds of silence in the office, Nezu began speaking. "Bakugo, I hope you realize the severity of your situation. Why would you do such atrocious things?"
"What the hell are you talking about?! I did nothing wrong! All I did was put a cheating piece of shit in his place! And I would've gotten answers as to how he got a quirk all of sudden when he was quirkless all his life if no one intervened! He's nothing but a 'Deku', a worthless loser who doesn't belong at UA!"
Shota let out a tired sigh while Nezu's eyes narrowed. "Is that what you believe?" asked the white hybrid animal but Katsuki didn't answer with words. Instead, his behavior did as he crossed his arms and glared back at the hybrid. "I see."
Silence for a few seconds before Nezu spoke again. "Bakugo…I apologize. It seems that there's been some mistakes made here at UA."
Katsuki's glare disappeared as a feral grin formed on his face. "Finally, someone gets it! So when is that loser getting the boot?"
"I'm afraid you misunderstood me, Bakugo."
"Huh?"
"What I meant to say is that UA made some mistakes. And to be completely honest with you, I'm very much outraged at myself for allowing so many mistakes to happen in such a short amount of time."
"What are you talking about?" asked Katsuki with noticeable confusion.
"Besides the obvious ones being the USJ incident and being complacent with our status and security…the other mistake I'm talking about is allowing someone like you to attend UA, Bakugo."
Katsuki's eyes widened in shock as a tremor went through him. A moment later, he recovered and he snarled while uncrossing his arms and gripping the couch's armrests tightly. "What the hell are you saying?!" he asked through gritted teeth as anger and fear filled him.
"What I'm saying is this; UA does not condone such behavior as you've just displayed recently. The kind of actions you've taken, whether spurred on by noble actions or not, which I can honestly say is not the case after viewing the recording from our systems before you even got here thanks to Aizawa's tip off, is not becoming of a future hero. The fact that you believed to be completely justified in your actions in targeting another, even others who just wanted you to stop, is also another factor. Not only that, but you seem to have absolutely no remorse for what you've done. This is completely unacceptable. If we had known you'd behave this way, I would've never even allowed you to attend UA even with passing the entrance exams with such high scores."
Katsuki felt as if he was dunked into freezing water after the principal's words washed over him. Dumbfounded over what was happening, he couldn't believe it. He'd never gotten in trouble in school before. He was almost always allowed to do as he pleased with no one telling him otherwise. He was praised for his actions. Supported in his actions. He was always told that he was doing the right thing by almost everyone whenever he did anything. Especially when it came to putting Deku in his place.
But now? He was being told that he was wrong? That his behavior was not befitting that of a hero? No, no, it couldn't be possible…
Noticing how his student was going through some inner turmoil, Nezu let it go on for a couple of seconds more before he decided that was enough for the moment. "Bakugo…" Nezu waited until he had his attention. "Any school in their right mind would expel someone and ban them for life after they did such actions with zero hesitation as you've just done."
Katsuki felt his heart drop into his stomach at that but he couldn't say or do anything while shaking in his seat.
"Normally. However, UA did not become the best hero school in the nation and one of, if not the top, hero school in the world by doing things normally," said Nezu calmly while keeping his eyes locked onto Katsuki. "With that said, this is what's going to happen. You will apologize to your peers after you come back next week since you'll be suspended for the rest of this week and…
"WHAT?!" shouted Katsuki in anger and shock, jumping to his feet.
"Be quiet and sit down, problem child!" snapped Shota while glaring at his student with his quirk activated.
Nezu remained calm the entire time that happened and continued after Katsuki sat back down who felt as if a part of him was locked away. "As I was saying, you'll be suspended for the rest of the week and when you come back next week, you'll apologize to your classmates and no heroics class for one month for you. During those times, while your classmates do that, you'll assist one of the UA staff with their daily duties instead. Also, besides your mandatory session with Hound Dog regarding the USJ, you'll attend therapy and anger management classes with him. Or someone else he recommends and you'll continue those classes until they say you no longer require them. You'll adhere to all school policies, rules and regulations from now on. You will not, directly or indirectly, hinder, attack, sabotage or do anything at all to other students for any reason. You'll only interact with them as what's allowed by UA. And finally, even though you are of age, your parents will be notified of this immediately since they'll need to come pick you up and all of this will be noted in your permanent record."
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" roared Katsuki while jumping to his feet again. "THIS ISN'T FAIR! WHY AM I GETTING SO MUCH BACKLASH JUST BECAUSE I TRIED TO MAKE THAT DAMN DEKU KNOW HIS PLACE AND ADMIT THE TRUTH?!"
"I said, SIT DOWN and BE SILENT!" stated Shota angrily, using his quirk to prevent Katsuki from using his while at the same time using his scarf to force his student back onto his seat and kept it on him.
"Bakugo." The icy tone that coated Nezu's words instantly caught Katsuki's attention, making him freeze with a shiver traveling down his spine because of it. "This is your one and only chance. A last chance…to prove that you belong at UA and that you want to become a true hero. As I said before, UA is different from others as we do our best to guide our students onto the proper paths. However, we won't shy away from dealing out punishments and having our students face the consequences of their actions. You have potential to be a great hero but not if you continue like this. Do you want to be a hero? Then prove it. Rise above your childish ways and be who you were born to be. Just remember, that you're on thin ice and if you make even a single mistake for the rest of your time here, small or not, you can say goodbye to UA. And possibly any chance of becoming a hero in the future. Is that understood?"
Katsuki was rocked to his core. Never before had he been in such a situation. A short time passed in the office with only silence filling it. During that time, Katsuki realized that he had to go along with what was said. It was the only move available for him to take right now. Looking down at his lap, Katsuki finally replied back. *Tch* "Fine."
"Good. Aizawa will escort you to a waiting room while I notify your parents immediately. I wish that this is an eye opener for you and that you'll change for the better. Good day, Bakugo," said Nezu.
Shota stood up, gave a curt nod to Nezu and turned towards the door. "Let's go."
Katsuki got up and followed after his homeroom teacher while remaining silent. But as they left the office and Katsuki was led into a waiting room, he made a vow. He swore that he'd find a way to make his most hated person reveal the truth, one way or another. Because he, Katsuki, was trying to be a hero and a hero always finds a way to win against the villains. And Deku…he was his own personal villain since they were young who never stopped being a Deku. But Katsuki would be the one to stop him and expose him for his devious ways…
Once he was left alone in his office, Nezu closed his eyes and took in a breath. Exhaling it out, he shifted his gaze towards his computer. Opening up a file that was about his student who just left, Nezu looked for his family's contact information. "Ah, there it is." He was about to call Katsuki's parents when his attention was drawn to something else.
There were some notes put on his profile by none other than Nemuri. He could tell since she had initialed them with her own, unique way. Reading the notes, Nezu's brow rose. "Huh…that's pretty interesting." He chuckled a little. "Even when you're not here, you're still finding a way to help me out. Thank you Midnight. I promise to repay the favor. But for now, let's contact Bakugo's parents. And then, I'll start making plans to look into this as well."
Nezu called the Bakugo's residence and ended up speaking with Katsuki's mother. He informed her that her son had done something and would like to speak to her in person about it. All the while, the computer screen stayed on the last thing Nezu looked over. And that was Nemuri's notes about how Katsuki seemed to have a perfectly clean record with nothing but high praise for him from all of his previous schools…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I wonder what's going on…"
"You and me both man."
"Dude, did you see how scary Bakugo looked?"
"Yeah…"
"I thought I was gonna get exploded…"
"Forget that! Midoriya was pissed too!"
"That's right, he did look angry. But, what was that move he did with those black…things?"
"I don't know. Did anyone see him do something like that at the USJ?"
Everyone involved in the conversation either shook their heads or commented that they didn't.
"I thought he only had enhanced strength and speed?"
"Don't forget, he looks like he has some sort of electricity too…"
"That's right! But it looks like he's got Sero's quirk too."
"It looks similar but I doubt it's like mine."
"Do you think he has multiple quirks?"
"Isn't it rare for someone to have more than one quirk? Especially that many?"
"Maybe but who knows? Quirks have been around for a long time."
"Maybe he was keeping it a secret? Like an ultimate move or something?"
"Or maybe he's part of some secret government experiment!"
"Really?"
"What? It'll explain a lot actually."
"Hmm…"
"We'll probably find out sooner or later. We could try asking him when he comes back."
"Really? We're just gonna ask our classmate something like that?"
"I mean, maybe not exactly? We can just ask him what that was and let him explain it however he does."
A chorus of agreements was made between everyone before a short silence followed.
"Does anyone know why Bakugo hates Midoriya so much?" asked Hanta after a moment.
"Doesn't matter why," spoke up Mina. They turned to her in time to see her cross her arms and glare towards no one in particular. "Because I highly doubt any of his reasons would matter. I bet he's just a jealous asshole."
Eijiro's head lowered while in his seat. He couldn't look Mina in the face. Not now and especially not after what just happened. She had warned him. She even gave him actual proof of the type of person that Izuku was and how Katsuki was lying. But he didn't listen and he even insulted her. And now, he was so ashamed of how he behaved with her…
"You have a point," said Tsuyu. "I still think that if we knew why, then we'd be better prepared to stop things if they get bad again, kero. Or at least be able to notice the signs of things getting to that point."
No one could argue that as most of them agreed it could help.
"Do…do you guys…" Koji stopped, not knowing if he should continue or not. Until he was encouraged to do so by Yuga and Mezo. "Do…do you think that Bakugo…might've…bullied Midoriya in the past?"
"It would make sense based on what Midoriya said," replied Mezo, the first to say something about that.
"I don't remember much of what happened to be honest since I was too in shock. What did he say?" asked Tenya and several others remarked the same.
"I'm kinda surprised you guys didn't catch it," commented Mezo before he elaborated. "Midoriya did mention how he was tired of Bakugo's behavior and how he hoped he'd change over the years."
"That's right, I remember now," said Mashirao and so did the rest of his classmates. "If what he said is true…then that means that they knew each other for a long time…and that could very well mean that Bakugo could have behaved like he did just now with Midoriya in the past too."
"But that doesn't make sense!" snapped Minoru all of a sudden. Everyone turned their sight onto the shortest member of their class before he went on. "How could Bakugo bully someone like Midoriya when Midoriya fought that Nomu and knocked him out when Bakugo couldn't even do anything against that monster?!"
"There's probably something else going on," said Denki. "None of us know either of them all that well. Plus, Bakugo said that he was quirkless and that he had cheated or did something illegal. For all we know, he could be telling the truth about Midoriya…"
"Hell no!" snapped Mina angrily towards Denki, making the electric user jump in his seat. "Don't be an idiot! There's no way that asshole's telling the truth!"
Denki, after getting over his shock, became angry over her insult and countered back. "And how would you know?! You didn't grow up with them and you definitely don't know them either! Stop trying to protect someone you don't even know like some damn groupie that goes crazy for the first strong guy she meets!"
Mina's cheeks turned a noticeable purple from embarrassment. Before she could argue back however, someone else spoke up for her.
"Hey, watch it Kaminari!" said Eijiro with barely restrained anger in his tone, catching Denki's attention and making him become surprised over the sudden aggression. "Ashido's not like that! And we might not know them all that well, but we've seen how both of them behave. And…Ashido and I actually ran into Midoriya the day before UA started. I…I can't really get into the details cause it's kinda personal but he…he saved our lives back then too…"
Silence filled the room after Eijiro's words. Besides the girls in the room and Eijiro, no one else knew that. They were astonished to hear that Izuku had done that.
Mina was also surprised but more due to Eijiro standing up for her and revealing that to everyone. They were on rocky grounds but he still didn't hesitate to defend her when it came to it. She couldn't believe it. Her mouth was left slightly open while her gaze became fixed onto Eijiro while blushing a bit that was barely noticeable.
"Is that true?" asked Mashirao.
"It's true." Instead of Eijiro answering, Tsuyu did. "Mina told us about that and Midoriya even helped my sister find me when she got lost in the mall."
"He even helped out Momo, Ochaco and Kyoka too!" revealed Toru in a rather excited tone of voice while moving her arms up and down.
"Really?" asked Rikido before he and many others turned to look at the number one student in the class.
Momo's cheeks reddened thanks to the collective gaze on her. Looking at her desk, a smile formed on her face as she remembered the first time she saw him. "It's true. He saved me from some villains a month before UA started."
"No way!" exclaimed Hanta in disbelief.
"He's an even better person than I thought! A true hero and he's not even a pro yet!" remarked Tenya with obvious admiration.
"So cool …" whispered Koji in admiration.
Minoru growled in frustration and jealousy over how Midoriya had already left an impression on almost all the girls in the class. And that was before UA even started! It just wasn't fair! That lucky bastard! No wonder the girls are all over him already!
Shoto's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched tightly, making his lips form a thin line from his anger and annoyance over what he was hearing. Not only was he shocked over Izuku displaying another ability but now more of his classmates seemed to be in awe of him. He didn't care about them but he still didn't like what he was seeing and hearing. He had a feeling that this would just complicate matters for his goals to finally become free...
"Well, with all of this new information, I guess we can say that Midoriya seems like a good guy," stated Rikido after everyone calmed down a bit.
"I guess…" Fuck, how am I supposed to hate this guy now? He saved everyone at the USJ and even helped out Jirou and the rest before UA even started? Damn it...how the hell am I supposed to get her to notice me now? Well, either way, I should probably try to get on her good side and get closer to her. Might be good to apologize too… Denki let out a sigh before he turned towards Mina. "Hey, ah, Ashido…sorry for snapping at you."
Mina looked at Denki before letting out a sigh and she nodded as well. "It's okay. And I'm sorry too for insulting you."
Eijiro felt some relief fill him that the two apologized to one another. He didn't want more fights to happen but he wouldn't stand around anymore and do nothing. Especially if it involved the girl he has feelings for. Glancing at her, Eijiro was about to look away when Mina turned her gaze towards his. Catching each other's attention, both of them smiled slightly at one another. When they paid attention to the others when they started talking again, Eijiro felt so much better and believed that he had a chance to fix things.
"We still don't know why Bakugo's being so…so…" Rikido trailed off, not knowing what to use to describe his behavior.
"Don't worry, we got what you mean," stated Mashirao.
Before anyone else could say anything else, the classroom door opened. They all turned their attention to it in time to see their homeroom teacher walk in.
Shota stood at the front of the class before he spoke. "Alright. As soon as the others return, we'll be heading to your dorms. Once we get there, you'll receive information about them along with what's allowed and not allowed."
A few hands were raised into the air after he finished speaking.
"No questions about the dorms until we get there and you get the information. If it's about what happened here, wait until the others return."
At that moment, the door opened again the ones they were waiting for walked in. Seeing Izuku in better condition allowed most to feel better themselves that their classmate was alright. Especially the girls. While Ochaco and Kyoka headed to their seats, Izuku walked up to Shota.
"Midoriya, you look better. Good. That's your seat there." Shota pointed towards the only open seat which was the middle seat in the middle row.
"Okay and thanks Aizawa sensei." Izuku went to his seat and sat down with many of his classmates either smiling a bit at him or nodding with him returning it.
Once Izuku was seated, Shota continued. "Normally, I'd have him introduce himself but we're running late as it is. You already know his name but here's the very late, official introduction. This is Izuku Midoriya. Now, as for what happened here, Nezu and I have already come to a decision after what was said by some of you and what was recorded in the cameras. Bakugo will be facing severe consequences from his actions. He's been suspended for the rest of the week…" That statement made a few of his students react over it but he kept going. "…and will have other things that he'll have to do. He'll be on watch from now on. Let this be a lesson for you all and your only warning. UA will not tolerate such behavior and will dish out punishment without hesitation up to expulsion and notate it in their permanent record. Understood?"
"Yes, Sensei!"
"Good." Shota took in a breath before moving on. "Now, we need to head to the dorms already since we're late. 1B is already over there. Follow me but do so quietly. I don't want to hear a single sound until we reach the dorms otherwise you'll be in trouble." Without waiting for a reply, Shota headed towards the door and exited the classroom. Class 1A quickly and quietly followed after him since none of them wanted to get on the bad side of their homeroom teacher.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Thank you for taking time out of your day to come in on such short notice."
"It's no problem. I create my own work schedule and I'd given myself the day off anyways. So what's going on with my son that's so important I had to come in on short notice?"
Nezu rested his arms on top of his desk and interlaced his paws. "Right to the point. Very well. Mrs. Bakugo, are you aware of your son's rather aggressive behavior?"
Mitsuki's eyes narrowed a little. Shit, what did he do? Gotta do some damage control. "Some might say aggressive. I'd say he's being assertive."
Nezu's lips spread into a small smile. Oh, so that's how this is gonna go? Very well. "Well, there's a fine line between that, wouldn't you say?"
"Perhaps. But what happened and what are you trying to say?"
"Well, Bakugo had a rather concerning altercation with his classmates. He was very…vulgar…in his choice of vocabulary to them as well as not hesitating to get physical with them. And most of his rage was directed towards one particular person."
"Katsuki's always been…passionate…about his beliefs and actions. He might be brash about it but people should develop thicker skin especially if they're trying to be a hero in the real world. And he'd never just attack someone for no reason. He'd only fight if someone tried to hurt him or others."
"Hmm, I see. I can't argue against people needing to get thicker skin. But, Mrs. Bakugo, would you mind watching a short video with me?"
"A video?" Mitsuki's eyes narrowed again. "Of what?"
"After the USJ incident, we decided to upgrade our surveillance systems and even added cameras that record video and audio in classrooms and other public places. The video is a recording of what happened in class 1A earlier today and it's the class that your son's a part of." Nezu had the large screen lower from the ceiling and played the recording of what happened earlier on in the classroom.
Mitsuki watched the video and right from the beginning, an uneasy feeling filled her. That feeling only intensified as she kept her attention on it. A couple times she wanted to cry out in shock or let out a gasp but forced herself not to react because it'd make things worse. Even so, she couldn't believe what her son did. She knew he was hotheaded, stubborn and aggressive. But never would she have thought he'd be like this. Actually attacking another just because he wanted to know the truth? Even threatening to use his explosions against others? And against her own friend's son when she specifically told Katsuki to watch over him as a favor to Inko? She had a hard time believing any of it.
But even witnessing her son doing and saying all that, what made her become absolutely dumbfounded was seeing her friend's son's actions too in the recording. She could tell, even from the video, that he had changed greatly. And it looked like he had a quirk! But how? Sure, there were some conversations about Izuku and him possibly having a quirk now over the weekend due to what Katsuki told them…but to see it for herself and confirm it for herself? Mitsuki didn't know where to even start from that.
But even with all that, what made Mitsuki feel absolutely disgusted with her stomach churning as if poisoned, was hearing what Izuku said. How he was sick of Katsuki's behavior after so many years. How he was a fool for hoping he'd change as they got older. How he wouldn't let it go anymore. And how he barely has a small amount of respect left for him but if that ever went away, then it'd be the worst day of her son's life.
Hearing those kinds of words come out of Izuku's mouth of all people made Mitsuki realize some things. That Katsuki had been lying to them all these years. That more than likely he's been the one bullying Izuku. And how Katsuki's actions were probably the cause of her deteriorating relationship with her closest friend of so many years because Inko must've found out.
It was because of those realizations that Mitsuki decided that she'd have to inform Masaru about it all and that they'd have a lot of work to do in the future. And that involved doing their best to fix many things. From her son's behavior to her friendship with Inko…
When the video ended, Nezu had the screen disappear back into the ceiling. He allowed a short time of silence between them before he spoke again. "So, after seeing what had happened, would you say that was aggressive behavior or assertive behavior?"
Mitsuki's eyes shifted onto Nezu's but didn't reply. After a short pause, she let out a resigned sigh and her gaze lowered a little towards the floor. "I get it. No more games and beating around the bush. What's gonna happen to my brat of a son?"
Huh, she gave up rather quickly. I'm honestly surprised. "His homeroom teacher, Aizawa and myself have already spoken with Bakugo and laid out our terms if he wished to continue attending UA."
Mitsuki felt a little better that her son wasn't outright expelled. "I…see," said Mitsuki quietly.
"In all honesty though, he should be expelled."
Mitsuki's gaze snapped up towards Nezu's with a shiver going down her spine. "W-What?!"
"Mrs. Bakugo…what your son did is the very opposite of what a hero does. If this was any other school, he'd be expelled by now without question. However, UA is different as we believe in second chances. And, I believe that if we were to expel him right now, with this incident in his permanent record, other hero schools wouldn't even look at him and for good reason. And from how he is now, he'd either resort to vigilantism or he might even become a villain."
"Katsuki would never become a villain! He's got a short fuse and aggressive, sure! But he'll never go down that path! He wants to be a hero!" snapped Mitsuki with rage and narrowed eyes.
Nezu however wasn't fazed by her outburst. "That may be. But his actions, which you just witnessed, say otherwise. Only villains behave in such a way. And if his behavior is left unchecked or heavens forbid, kept on being encouraged that I'm pretty sure his previous schools have done since he's like this at this age, he may very well turn into one. And the sort of damage one could do with his quirk and temperament, I don't even want to speculate."
As quickly as it came, Mitsuki's fire died at Nezu's retort. "I…I understand." Hanging her head slightly again, she let out a sigh. "What…what are the terms?"
Nezu began explaining the conditions they've placed. The suspension. Apology he'd have to give. No heroics classes for a month. Helping the staff instead. Anger management and therapy. Abide all rules and policies. Never do anything against others. And if he makes even the tiniest mistake, he'd be expelled.
"Any questions?" asked Nezu after explaining.
Mitsuki was quiet for a moment. "N-No, I understand."
"I hope you do, Mrs. Bakugo. Because this is, quite frankly, your son's only and last chance. He may be an adult now at eighteen and you can't protect him or speak on his behalf anymore, but having family there for someone and remind them of what's truly important may help one in this kind of situation. If I may say so, he's very lucky."
"Yeah, I know," replied Mitsuki quietly. "He's not expelled and…"
"That's not the only reason," interrupted Nezu, making Mitsuki look at him with a look that plainly asked for him to explain. "As you saw in the video, Bakugo was hell bent on going after Midoriya. You've probably heard this from your son, but I'll confirm it. Midoriya was the one who protected everyone from the villains that invaded at the USJ and even went toe to toe with a bioengineered beast that was made to fight All Might and knocked it out. Even if it was for a little bit."
Hearing Nezu say that made Mitsuki realize that Katsuki wasn't exaggerating when he talked about it at home. Izuku really did fight against a monster that was All Might's level. And her dumbass, arrogant brat of a son was hell bent on antagonizing him?! What the hell's wrong with him?!
Nezu noticed the slight changes in the Bakugo matriarch's body. He knew that she understood what he was trying to say but he decided to hammer it home. "Your son's lucky that Midoriya is someone with a kind heart and that he's more concerned with helping and protecting others than to seek revenge. If Midoriya wanted to, he could've seriously hurt Bakugo and he wouldn't be held liable at all since it would've been in self defense of himself and others."
"I-I know. I-I've known how kind he is since he was a child," replied Mitsuki in a low voice.
Nezu raised an eyebrow. Interesting…so both families knew each other since then? I wonder what else they haven't told me or Toshinori… "I see. But, that's not the only thing you should be cautious of right now. Midoriya can still press charges at any time and if he were to do so, your son would be expelled without hesitation at that point and could easily face imprisonment for his actions. Honestly, any one of the students involved in this incident could step forward and press charges."
Mitsuki's eyes widened with her heart dropping into her stomach. She didn't even think of that but it was true. What the hell was Katsuki thinking?! He knows that he's an adult now and can actually face legal consequences from his actions! How stupidly arrogant and ignorant was her son?! This wasn't just a problem but a complete cluster fuck!
Taking in a breath and slowly exhaling it out, Mitsuki did her best to remain calm and in control. "Alright. I get it. Katsuki's on very thin ice. I'll make sure he understands and that he's on his best behavior from now on. I…I just have one thing to ask."
"And that is?"
"Is there any way to speak with Midoriya and maybe the others about all this?"
Nezu kept his usual smile on his face even while he felt amused over her question. "I know what you're trying to do but I wouldn't advise it." Mitsuki could only nod her head. "Anything else?"
"No," replied Mitsuki as she shook her head. "I take it Katsuki is ready to leave since he's suspended?" she asked as she stood up.
"Yes," answered Nezu as he pressed a button on his desk. His office door opened and Hizashi walked in while introducing himself. "Present Mic will escort you to the waiting room where your son is waiting before escorting the both of you out of UA."
Unable to say anything that could've helped changed the situation for the better, Mitsuki just nodded her head and faced Present Mic before following after him.
After they left, Nezu's smile disappeared. "I hope things get better for you and your family, Mrs. Bakugo. But if things don't change for the better, rough roads lie ahead. Especially for your son."
Nezu let out a sigh before he returned his attention onto his computer screen. Now, let's see what these schools had to say about Bakugo. I bet there's more to it than just blatantly kissing his ass…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sitting at her dining table inside her living quarters, Kaina was eating her late lunch by herself while thinking and feeling several different emotions whirling around inside her. She could've asked Anan to join her for lunch since she knew that she was free but decided against it. She still felt off when spending time with others and she actually wanted to spend some time alone without anyone bothering her. For she had to sort through her thoughts and feelings that was caused by how the students of UA behaved around her as well as how her first encounter with the green haired young man went that the HPSC had set their sights on.
Kaina remembered how the students, didn't matter their year or class, acted when they saw her. Most of the study body did their best to give her a wide berth. Some froze up like a deer in headlights. They didn't move or say a word until she moved a good distance away from them. Others whispered to one another with their gazes on her and even pointed at her. Some even commented, rather loudly that is, that she doesn't belong at UA because of what she's done and that she doesn't deserve a second chance. She even heard a handful of them comment on her looks that made her become self-conscious.
A few, very few, had actually greeted her with no noticeable ill will behind it. One was a very curious girl with long blue hair along with her friend who was the buff blonde guy that spoke up in the assembly. The former kept asking question after question while the later decided to pull her away and apologized for bothering her. Another was a short, mature looking girl with pink hair that seemed to not care about her past but was rather incessant about seeing her rifle arm that Kaina refused to show due to several reasons.
She thought that she didn't care about any of that. But Kaina did feel some things because of all of their reactions and behaviors towards her. She did feel a little glad that there were people who weren't afraid of her or didn't care about her past. But unfortunately it was quickly overshadowed thanks to all the others. Fortunately for her, Kaina knew how to ignore all of that and forced herself to focus onto something else thanks to all the practice she had in her life.
And that something else was her first interaction with the latest target of the HPSC. The young green haired man whose name is Izuku Midoriya. After speaking with him for a bit and their conversation ending rather abruptly, mostly because of her, Kaina wasn't sure what to make of him. She had made a few assumptions about him already but wasn't too sure about some of them just yet. He didn't seem like some sort of prodigy destined to become a great hero. If anything, he looked rather plain except for his greenish black hair and diamond shaped freckles on his cheeks if you were to connect the dots.
Kaina couldn't believe that he was what the HPSC was targeting. Why All Might would be training him personally. Even with learning of what he's done and noticing a bit of his personality, she still didn't see anything special about him. If anything, she thought that he was just another young man who believed himself to be greater than he was. Especially after how he tried to sweet talk her in the end.
But one thing she was sure about was that Izuku definitely had some secrets. Kaina was certain of it since she could feel it. And as much as she believed that everyone was entitled to keep their secrets private and to themselves, she also believed in looking out for herself.
Because after everything she had gone through in her life, all the things she'd done for others and for society while sacrificing so much and then getting betrayed over it all, Kaina believed that she was owed. She was owed her freedom. She was owed a fresh start. She was owed so much. And as much as she hated that she had to help the HPSC again, as much as she didn't trust them, it was the only path that she could see that led to her freedom. Especially since they literally held her life in their hands.
After taking another bite of her food, Kaina placed her utensils onto the plate and grabbed the pen nearby. Shifting her gaze towards a notepad while she chewed on her food, she added some more things onto the list of notes she had already written down. Notes that pertained to what she saw as she walked around the campus regarding the students, staff members and of course Izuku.
When she finished, Kaina leaned back in her chair and swallowed the food in her mouth. This is gonna be harder than I thought. But I have to do this. It's the only way. An image of a smiling Izuku during their interaction suddenly appeared in her mind's eye. She shook her head to clear the image in her mind.
Succeeding in doing so, Kaina let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, he reminds me of my stupid, past self. I got it. Please stop already," she said to herself in a low tone of voice. Deciding she had enough to eat at the moment, Kaina packed up her leftovers to put in the fridge and rinsed out her dishes before placing them into the dishwasher.
While finishing that up, she decided that she should probably start making a list of extra clothes along with some other necessities that she'd need to buy since she barely had anything. Once done, Kaina headed to the computer that was set up in the corner of the living room. Turning it on, Kaina soon began researching the items she needed and wanted on the internet with her list becoming longer and longer as time went on.
And all the while, Kaina had her thoughts drift all over the place. From which items were better for her to buy, to the students of UA, to the HPSC, to Nezu, to her past, to Izuku and many other thoughts. Yet, the ones that made her feel uneasy along with several other feelings, was when she thought about the HPSC and Izuku…
Author's Notes - So, what'd you guys think?
Also, the next chapter, chapter 25, is already up for pa tre on members! I'd really appreciate it if you can become a member as I'm trying to become a full time writer. I'm not asking for much either so if you can, that'll be awesome and I'll be very appreciative of it. If not, that's fine. You'll just have to wait longer to read.
However, it's gonna be the only way to read my all original story that's gonna be posted up there soon along with some member exclusive goodies. I know I've mentioned it before a few times, but I've made some progress on it and some stuff is gonna be posted up soon. To become a member, just add /silentplayermc03 to the end of pa tre on's website!
Hope all is well, that I hear from you all so leave a review, fav and follow! Thanks in advance and take care!
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