Bakugo was pissed.
Not that it was unusual—his explosive temper rarely left room for the emotional peace most people would call happiness—but lately, it had been worse than usual. And it was all Deku's fault.
Three days had passed since he'd saved that nerd from a raging, hormonal bear woman. While Bakugo had gotten off scot-free for using his quirk, so had that freak. That still didn't sit right with him.
And it was all thanks to that weird old guy—the living skeleton with blonde hair.
Bakugo scowled at the memory. Shishido, the mutant hero, was always a media-hungry brown-noser, desperate for positive attention. Bakugo had no doubt he'd struck some kind of deal to keep the incident out of the news. But the real question was how much sway that blonde skeleton had to force Shishido into accepting a neutral outcome instead of spinning it in his favor.
And why the hell had he been with Deku?
The more Bakugo thought about it, the more questions piled up.
How had Deku been strong enough to rip a metal pipe off a wall and knock a trained hero on her ass with one hit? That wasn't adrenaline. Bakugo had looked it up. Even with an insane adrenaline surge, a quirkless teen couldn't put out that much force without tearing every muscle in their body. Sure, it looked like he'd pulled a hamstring, but he'd been limping slightly the whole day, and there was no way he'd pull a muscle in his leg while swinging a pipe.
And that wall... Deku had left a crater in it. A crater. By all logic, his body should have gone splat long before the wall caved in. But the nerd had been fine. Winded, sure, but fine enough to run to the train afterward.
And now, Deku was walking around with that stupid smile plastered on his face like nothing had happened. The Deku Bakugo knew—the one who cried over spilled milk—should still be sulking about what happened. But no, he was all smiles.
Something was up. And Bakugo was going to get to the bottom of it.
That's why he was waiting for Deku after school.
"Kacchan?" The nerd finally appeared, strolling out of the gates, completely ignoring the crowd of students pouring out around him. He walked straight toward Bakugo with a confidence that felt way too out of place. Bakugo didn't like it. "You said you wanted to talk?"
"Where are we going?" Deku asked, falling into step beside him.
Bakugo clenched his jaw, fighting back a sneer. "I said follow me, dumbass. Obviously, we're going where I'm going."
"Cool." Deku took it in stride, and silence settled between them.
They eventually reached the old playground they used to play in as kids. Bakugo stopped in the middle of the empty field, tossing his bag by a nearby tree and rolling up his sleeves.
"We're here." His voice was flat.
Deku stayed by the sidewalk, gripping his backpack straps. He seemed wary. "Why here?"
Bakugo scoffed. "What? I just want to talk. I'm not gonna pull anything after what happened on Friday."
Deku raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"That freakishly tall guy who showed up. He was there for you. He got me off a villainy charge. I wanna know why."
Deku averted his eyes. Bakugo's narrowed in suspicion. There was definitely something going on.
"Where have you been going after school?" Bakugo demanded, his tone hard and unyielding. "My mom keeps saying she's so happy we're hanging out every day. I haven't said a damn thing about you and me, so clearly, you're feeding Auntie Inko lies."
"Why do you care?" Deku shot back, his voice unusually steady as he locked eyes with Bakugo. "You never cared before."
"Because shit doesn't make sense, and it's pissing me off." Bakugo's voice sharpened like a knife. "It's almost like you're still trying to become a hero."
"I am."
Bakugo snapped.
"ARE YOU STUPID?!" he roared, his voice echoing down the empty street. Deku flinched, but didn't look away. "You've got no quirk! You can't be a hero! I'm not even gonna explain why, 'cause I know you know! Why the hell are you so stubborn?!"
"Why do you care?" Deku fired back, green eyes blazing. "You never cared about my life before—that was Tsubasa. Half the time, you act like I don't even exist."
"Because it's annoying!" Bakugo growled, the words tumbling out like a reflex. His hands curled into tight fists, trembling with pent-up frustration. "Everyone we know keeps yapping about how worried they are about you! My parents, your mom, the teachers—even strangers that don't even know you personally keep mumbling about your stupid dream!
"And I can't stand it!" He took a step closer, his crimson eyes tinged with anger. "No one gives a damn about what I can do when you're around. I bust my ass every day, and I don't even get a lick of recognition because you're always the damn center of attention!"
Deku didn't move, his calm only stoking Bakugo's fury further.
"You're not applying to UA," Bakugo snapped, his voice low but cutting. He stormed forward, closing the distance between them in a few quick strides until their faces were inches apart. "Not even for general studies. I don't care if you've got some special training or if someone else besides Tsubasa is messed up in the head enough to believe in you."
"You're not stealing any more of my spotlight with your damn pity show."
Their eyes locked—green clashing with red, tension boiling in the air between them. Finally, Bakugo had enough. He clicked his tongue in disgust and stomped back toward his bag. Just as he bent to pick it up, Deku's voice cut through the silence.
"And what if I have a quirk? What then?"
Bakugo froze, his hand hovering over the strap. Slowly, he turned back, his glare filled with disbelief and fury, like Deku had just suggested the world was flat.
It unnerved him when Deku looked absolutely confident in his hypothetical question.
"Then do whatever the hell you want!" Bakugo snapped, voice dripping with venomous sarcasm, before slinging his bag over his shoulder and storming off down the street.
That fool was going to get himself killed. Though, in his head, he already knew what he could do to put Deku on the bench until exams rolled around. Hopefully that would stop him.
"I'm home!" Izuku called out, though he wasn't sure anyone would respond.
"Izuku Midoriya, come here."
The tone of his mother's voice froze him in place. His heart pounded as he dropped his backpack onto the couch. Something was wrong.
"Yes, mom!" He hurried past the living room, turning left down the hallway to her room.
In the doorway, he stopped. His mother sat on the edge of her bed, gripping her phone tightly with both hands. She didn't look up.
"Where were you just now?" Her voice was small.
"I was with Kacchan," Izuku replied. For the first time in months that sentence wasn't a complete lie.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Her eyes, already wet with tears, looked vulnerable—hurt in a way that sent a wave of guilt through him.
"I just got off the phone with Mitsuki," she began quietly, gently placing the phone besides her. "Katsuki told her about the deal you two have."
Izuku's heart sank. He opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out. Anything he said would only make things worse.
"Is it true?" Her voice cracked as she began to sob, she groped at her one arm with the other hand as if to stabilize herself with a self hug. "Have you been lying to me for years? Just to because you wanted me to stop watching out for you, because you wanted me out of your hair?"
"No!" Izuku blurted, panic rising in his chest. "It wasn't like that!"
"And now you're lying more!" she responded, her voice strained with betrayal.
"I'm not!" he protested, though he knew his defense was weak. "It hasn't been going on that long—"
"You still did it! Why?" Her voice was thick with emotion. "I've been sitting at work every afternoon, thinking you were safe, and all this time you were sneaking off to do... who knows what. Why?"
"Because you don't trust me!" The words escaped before Izuku could stop them, and the moment they did, he regretted it.
Inko's face fell, her eyes wide with hurt. Her sorrow quickly morphed into anger.
"What do you mean I don't trust you!?" she snapped, standing up now, her voice trembling. "I've always trusted you! I gave you so much freedom because I knew you needed space, now that you were growing up. What makes you think I don't trust you?"
"But you don't!" Izuku's frustration surged. "Even Kacchan knew how frail you thought I was! That's why the deal worked. If I didn't say I was with him, you'd pester me about being safe. You wouldn't let me hang out alone with anyone but him! Not even Tsubasa—and he was my only real friend, and he's gone now!"
The longer he spoke the more angry he got, he hadn't even noticed his mother take a step back as he yelled.
"You were convinced that the only way I would be safe was if I was with him. Because I was quirkless, and weak and needed protection 24/7. But guess what, I have been spending months without that self important asshole and I have been fine!
"You weren't fine!" Inko's voice broke as she screamed, her whole body shaking in frustration. The tears running down her face beginning to wet the carpet. "You were attacked—twice! You could have died, Izuku! You would have been hurt or worse if someone else wasn't there to save you! But you didn't even tell me. Why?"
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. Izuku's anger faded, leaving only shame. He looked away, choosing not to look at his mom. He couldn't stand seeing her this hurt by him.
"How... how did you know?" he asked softly.
"Katsuki told his mom everything," Inko replied, her voice weary now. She sat down on the bed again, putting her hands on her knees as she tried her best to reign in her emotions "He saw the first attack on the news. You were on the news, and you didn't think to tell me? Why?"
Izuku hung his head, trying to find an explanation that didn't blow everything.
"I couldn't tell you," he whispered, hating how flimsy it sounded.
"You couldn't?" Inko's expression shifted from anger to worry as she let forward towards him, her voice cracking again. "Izuku... what are you involved in? After being assaulted twice, you didn't think to tell your own mother?"
She paused, her face twisting as she attempted to shove down the tears.
"I'm scared. For you." She admitted. "I don't know what's happening in your life. I find out from other people that you're hurt. And... and who was that man at the precinct? The one Katsuki saw you with? Izuku what have you gotten yourself into?"
"It's not anything bad, I promise," Izuku said quickly, though he could see from her face that his promise wasn't enough. Not anymore. He needs to come clean.
"I... have been training to be a hero, mom." He could see she had some thoughts about that so he quickly held up his hands. "Wait, wait, I'm not done. After I was saved from the villain who attacked me the day of the athletics event, the man Kacchan saw, Mr. Yagi, he offered me a chance to train to be a hero. He said he saw potential in me."
Inko looked at the floor, Izuku couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling. Then she sighed heavily and rubbed the tears out of her eyes.
"Izuku." She sounded like she was ready to give up. "I don't know what to do anymore. Even ignoring the fact that you're quirkless. You know that I can't afford to send you to a hero course."
"Mr. Toshinori said he'd pay." Izuku supplied, but Inko wasn't receptive.
"No. I don't like that." She declared. "Izuku he's a stranger. Who knows what he's thinking to do you with you?"
"To do with me?" Izuku asked, confused.
"He approached a young boy just moments after being a victim of a villain attack and offered him everything he wants in life. Izuku, how could you not see what I mean? He's manipulating you. I don't want you near him anymore."
"But-"
"No!" Inko stopped his rebuttal, standing up. "I am your mother, and you will listen to me Izuku. I don't want you interacting with that man anymore!"
She walked forward, gesturing to his pocket. "In fact, give me your phone." She demanded.
Izuku reached tentatively into his pocket, unsure of what her goal was, but he realized the only way out of this was to accept whatever punishment she had in mind. A few days without his phone wasn't the end of the world.
Handing his phone, his mother opened it. And immediately went to the contacts section.
"Wait Mom, what are you doing?"
"I'm blocking that man's number."
In an instant, dread filled Izuku's being. The thought of losing contact with All Might—his mentor, his inspiration, his only chance to achieve his dream—pressed upon like a heavy weight. His body was paralyzed, unable to stop what was about to happen. His mind screamed at him to act, to grab the phone before his mother ruined everything. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move, his body wouldn't listen.
But something else did.
Without warning, a surge of black mass erupted from his hand. Two thick, shadowy tendrils glowing with faint green light shot forward, faster than Izuku could even process. The tendrils lashed out violently, mirroring the panic and desperation that flooded his mind.
Before either of them could comprehend what was happening, one of the dark tentacles smacked the phone from his mother's hands, sending it crashing into the floor. Another slammed into Inko's chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending her tumbling back.
Her feet caught on the edge of the bed, and she fell hard, crashing headfirst into the far wall with a loud snap as her head put a crack in the cement wall of the apartment.
Silence filled the room.
Izuku stood frozen, his heart hammering in his chest as he stared at his trembling hand. The black energy—those tendrils—were already gone, as if they had never been there at all.
Inko groaned in pain, trying to pick herself up.
"Mom?" He snapped out of his shock and rushed over to her, kneeling by her side. "Mom, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"
Inko blinked through the pain, disoriented but conscious. Slowly, she managed to stand, her eyes locking onto Izuku's. Shock, disbelief, and hurt were all mixed in her wide green eyes.
"Izuku," she said softly, still catching her breath, "you have a quirk?"
Izuku opened his mouth to answer, but no words came. He was too overwhelmed to respond, his mind spinning in a thousand directions. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He was planning for it to be a normal conversation where he worked up to it, not...this. He hadn't even known he could do that.
Inko scanned him up and down, her eyes full of worry. The shock in her expression having shifted to motherly concern.
Seemingly deciding he was fine, she stood to her full height and touched her head wincing as she did so.
"I'm fine," she said at last, her voice calm but strained. "Just a bruise."
Izuku stared at her, guilt and confusion swirling in his chest. He had just attacked his mother. Even if it wasn't on purpose, he had hurt her.
"Go to your room," she said, but there was no anger in her voice. Only weariness. "We'll talk later, okay? I just... I need some time to process this."
Izuku hesitated, feeling the weight of everything that had just happened. "Mom, I'm really—"
"You can take your phone," she added, her voice soft but resolute. "Just... go. We'll talk later."
Izuku's throat tightened as he nodded, retrieving his phone from where it had fallen. He slowly made his way to his room, the weight of guilt pressing down on him as he closed the door and collapsed onto his bed.
Lying there, he stared at his hand, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. That... thing—the dark tendrils—didn't match anything he'd expected from One for All. Was it really part of the quirk All Might had passed down to him? Or was it something else entirely?
Maybe... he had always had a quirk? Could One for All have enhanced it somehow?
The thought swirled in his head, and he decided to file it away for now. He'd ask All Might when he saw him next. Shifting his focus, he grabbed his phone. The protective casing was completely busted, but at least it took all the damage and the hardware still worked, even if the screen a thin crack running across it.
Izuku let out a small breath of relief when he saw that Mr. Yagi's-no, All Might's contact was still there. As he scrolled down to check the rest of his list, another name caught his eye: Tsubasa.
Without much thought, Izuku clicked the name and initiated the call. It was time to spin the lottery on whether his friend would answer or not.
The ringtone dragged on, and he was just about to give up when the line clicked.
"Iz...uku? Hi... Sorry, I'm... really out of breath," Tsubasa's voice came through, breathless and strained.
"Tsubasa? Are you okay? It feels like every time I hear from you, you're not doing well." Izuku frowned, the concern clear in his voice.
"I'm fine," Tsubasa gasped, the sound of water gulping in the background. "Just finished training. My grandfather's been brutal lately."
"You're training? Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt—I can call back if you want."
"No worries. Training's over for the day." Tsubasa let out a short laugh. "Grandpa's been going a bit easier on me recently. Says I'm almost ready."
"Ready for what? You're sure he's not secretly prepping you to be a hero?" Izuku asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Nah, I don't think so," Tsubasa chuckled. "But honestly? I have no idea."
Izuku smiled, but the concern lingered in his chest. "You're sure you're okay? That sounds... really tough."
"It's fine." Tsubasa's voice grew clipped. "Anyway, let's talk about you. How have things been? Still training with that geezer you told me about?"
"Yup!" Izuku replied, his tone brightening. "Though I overdid it, pulled a muscle and now he's forcing me to take a break for a while."
"Man, I'm jealous. My grandpa just tells me to 'walk it off.' Healed by my quirk or not, it still sucks."
Izuku's smile faded slightly. "That sounds... kind of abusive. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"It's fine, really." Tsubasa's tone became firmer, a clear sign he didn't want to linger on the topic. "Anyway, tell me more. Anything big happen recently?"
Izuku hesitated. He felt uncomfortable leaving that topic as it was, but took the hint.
Should he tell Tsubasa about everything? About the quirk? He didn't want to dwell on the negative, especially the attack, he didn't want to burden his friend but at the same time...
"I have a quirk now," he blurted, his heart racing as the words left his mouth.
Tsubasa's gasp was followed by a shout of pure joy. "I knew it!"
"You knew?" Izuku blinked in confusion. "How could you have known?"
"Well, I suspected," Tsubasa corrected himself. "I've been learning a lot about quirk theory from my grandfather. One of the things we studied made me think you might have had a quirk all along."
"What? Really?" Izuku's disbelief was evident.
"Yeah! Your hair—its color isn't natural for humans. It's a mutation, and that's often a sign of having a quirk factor. So, you should've had a quirk."
Izuku blinked, processing this information. "But... aren't there sometimes people with mutations that don't have quirks?"
"Not really, it just looks like it." Tsubasa replied. "It's called a dormant quirk, and there could be lots of reasons for it not showing itself earlier. Like maybe your quirk needed a specific trigger. Imagine someone whose quirk only activates when they're in knee-deep water, but they've never been to the beach. They'd never even know they had one!"
That explanation made more sense than Izuku had expected. Could it be that his quirk—the tendrils—had always been there, just waiting for something like One for All to come along and activate it?
Before he could ask more, Tsubasa's voice cut in, speaking to someone in the background. "Sir? Yes, sir. Right away."
"Sorry, man, I've gotta go," Tsubasa said, sounding rushed. "But I'm so happy for you. We'll catch up more later, okay?"
"Sure—" But before Izuku could finish his goodbye, the line went dead.
Lying on his bed, Izuku sighed, unsure of what to do next. His mind was spinning, torn between guilt and confusion. He still felt terrible for hurting his mom, even if it had been an accident, but he couldn't tell if she was truly upset or just shaken. The damage to the wall wouldn't be cheap to repair either, so she probably wasn't happy about that.
Leaving his room to grab a snack maybe? Nah, he probably didn't need one.
grumble
Okay, maybe he was hungrier than he thought, but was her "go to your room" meant as "go to your room and wait until I come talk to you." or not?
His phone buzzed, breaking his train of thought.
THE RUMORS ARE TRUE! UA ANNOUNCES SEPARATION FROM HPSC. WHAT ARE THEY PLANNING? – Press Interview (LIVE STREAM)
Curious, he clicked on the notification, the screen switching to a livestream. A reporter was setting the stage, recapping the events that had led up to this press conference. Izuku had missed most of the chatter about it during his recent training and recovery, but he'd caught enough rumors over the past few days to know it was a big deal.
A soft knock at the door drew his attention away from the stream. He muted it and sat up.
"Come in," Izuku called, his voice tentative.
The door creaked open, and his mom peeked in, her expression much calmer than before, though there was still a trace of worry in her eyes. She stepped into the room, wringing her hands nervously.
"Izuku," she began softly, her voice a little shaky. "About earlier..."
"I'm sorry," Izuku and Inko both blurted out.
They both froze, realizing they'd spoken at the same time. Inko let out a small laugh, but Izuku only looked more confused.
"But, I hurt you," he said, eyes wide. "I lied about where I was, and I... hurt you with my quirk."
Inko shook her head, giving him a gentle smile. "I know you didn't mean to, and I'm fine, really, it's just a bruise. If it was worse I'd know." She assured him as she patted her head.
"I'm still hurt about some things, especially about you lying to me, but..." She paused, her gaze softening. "I've been thinking. Maybe you were right. I've been a little too protective, and I'm sorry for that."
Izuku's heart lifted slightly, though the guilt still weighed heavily on him. He nodded, his smile small but grateful. "Thanks, Mom."
"All I ask is that you're honest with me from now on, okay?" she added, her tone hopeful.
Izuku hesitated. He wanted to be honest, but the situation with his quirk and All Might made things complicated. "About my quirk, I—"
Inko raised a hand to stop him. "You don't need to explain. If he gave you a quirk, then it's already done. Just... promise me you'll use it wisely."
Izuku stared at her, dumbfounded. "You... know about him?"
She chuckled, her laughter catching him completely off guard. "I know more than you think, Izuku. A lot more."
Before Izuku could even begin to process that revelation, and it's many implications, she pointed to his phone. "What are you watching?"
"Oh, uh..." Izuku fumbled for words, suddenly remembering the livestream. "It's about UA. There's been a lot of rumors lately, and they're holding a press interview."
Inko nodded, though he could tell she wasn't deeply interested. "Why don't you put it on the TV in the living room while I make us some katsudon?"
Izuku's stomach growled again, louder this time, making both of them laugh.
"Guess that's a yes," she said with a giggle, heading for the door.
"Yeah, I guess so," Izuku agreed, chuckling as he got up to follow her, feeling much lighter than before.
"Mom! It's starting!"
"Hold on, honey. I'm just grabbing some trays so we don't spill on the couch or the carpet. I'll be there in a second."
The TV flashed to life, showing the familiar intro for Hero News Japan before fading to reveal the anchor, Mr. Miyagi. He greeted the audience and gave a brief rundown of the event, in case anyone had tuned in late.
Inko walked in with their food, handing a tray to Izuku and placing her own on her lap as they settled on the couch.
"Oh! It's Mr. Miyagi!" she said, smiling. "I remember him. He was a popular journalist back in the day. What happened to his horn?"
She gestured to the screen, where Mr. Miyagi's two horns were clearly visible—one filed down to a stump, while the other curved elegantly above his head.
Izuku was more surprised she recognized him than by the question itself. "He cut one off when he became an anchor. It caused a bit of controversy because some people thought it was quirkist, like he was changing himself to fit in. They said it was like... someone cutting off an arm just to appeal to others."
"Hmm, sounds like people were overreacting a bit. I miss the horn, but like you said—it's just a horn."
As Mr. Miyagi wrapped up his introduction, the screen shifted to the main event—the UA press conference. The camera panned over a large table set up beneath the archway of UA's main office building. Reporters swarmed in front of the panel, their cameras flashing.
The view zoomed in on a man standing to the left of the panel, dressed in spiked leather and black skinny jeans, his towering neon-yellow hair unmistakable.
"HELLO EVERYBODY!" Present Mic's voice boomed as he grinned at the crowd. "I'm Present Mic, hero and UA staff member! I'll be hosting this interview, since no one else has the lungs to out-shout me!" His joke earned some chuckles from the reporters.
"How is he talking so loud without a microphone?" Inko asked. "I thought they didn't use those tiny ones anymore."
"His quirk amplifies his voice," Izuku explained. "He actually uses support gear to tone it down, or else it'd be way louder."
"Ahh," Inko nodded, settling back.
"First off," Present Mic continued, "I'll explain tonight's format. We'll make a statement on each topic, followed by questions. I'll decide when we've covered enough ground before moving on. Got it? Great! Now, let's get started. Principal Nezu, the floor is yours."
The rodent, comically seated upon the very table holding the microphone he was talking into, began his statement.
"Good evening, City of Musutafu, Prefecture of Shiozaka, people of the Nation of Japan and people across the planet. Tonight I am not here to defend my school's decision to leave our governments control. Tonight I am not here to placate the opinions of those critical about what my decision might bring. Because tonight..."
As Nezu spoke, soft music began playing in the background, gradually building in intensity. Suddenly, the music exploded into full volume, and the surrounding area was illuminated in red, yellow, and blue—colors that everyone recognized instantly.
"I AM HERE!" All Might's thunderous voice echoed through the plaza as he crashed down onto the pavement. Flashbulbs went off in rapid succession, reporters scrambling to capture the moment. A few tried to shout questions, but they were quickly drowned out as All Might continued.
"TONIGHT! I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE MY RETIREMENT!" His words seemed to freeze the entire crowd. Even the most seasoned reporters stopped in their tracks, momentarily stunned.
"BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!" All Might's voice swelled again. "TONIGHT, I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WILL BE JOINING UA, NOT JUST AS A BUSINESS PARTNER, BUT AS A TEACHER! BECAUSE, FOLKS, TONIGHT MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR HEROICS! UA IS PREPARING TO HAND-PICK THE BEST HERO CANDIDATES THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN—AND AMONG THEM, WILL BE YOU!"
With a wide grin, All Might pointed directly at the camera, as though he could see every viewer on the other side of the screen.
"AS I STEP DOWN FROM HEROICS, YOU. ARE. NEXT." He paused for a moment, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "YOU, MY SUCCESSOR, WILL BE AMONG THESE PROMISING CANDIDATES, LEADING THE WAY. BECAUSE THEY WILL BE THE NEW HERO GENERATION!"
Izuku, still reeling from the announcement of All Might's retirement, felt the rest of the words sink in. The tears came quickly, spilling over his face and onto his tray, startling his mother.
"Izuku, are you alright?!" Inko asked, placing her food aside and quickly grabbing his tray before anything spilled.
"YES!" Izuku shouted, his joy overflowing, causing his mother's heart to swell.
He turned to her, eyes bright with determination. "Mom! I'm going to be a hero!"
And for the first time, she believed him completely.