Angel: Got a question wondering why the villains want Izuka's power. It's not just the power they want, but it gets revealed later in the season so I won't spoil it.
Also HOLY SHIT, we reached 500 reviews, y'all! Big number for the story! Thank you so very much for leaving comments. Especially to the guests and fanfiction accounts that comment on every single chapter. I can't wait to read more of them as the season progresses. And I will upload 6 chapters instead of 4 for the occasion!
Beneath our flashy superhero society lurks a dark underworld. Every time we've driven the villains back...they've retreated to the safety of the shadows, regaining their strength. Waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Considering what Shigaraki did the last time either of us laid eyes on him...it was only a matter of time before they launched another big attack. It's honestly a terrifying thought to look back to, knowing that they'll make another move to harm others.
Shigaraki was currently making a tower of cards in front of him. "The Master is good," He gave a small chuckle. "I tried so hard to find out where those idiots were going, and he figured it out in an instant," He moved a card to another. "Guess he really showed me up."
"It was worth having a team on standby then, wasn't it? Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri spoke up as he just watched.
The card tower then fell in a heap and Shigaraki huffed a little. "I guess."
The door opened, and they turned to see smoke coming in from outside. "I heard back from the union today," Giran announced to the two, but he didn't step inside. "You can expect a delivery tomorrow. It was thrown together quickly, so it might not look like much. But quality is guaranteed."
"I must apologize for making such an unreasonable request," Kurogiri told the man behind the door. He then fully stepped inside, putting a cigarette to his mouth.
"Tell me, Shigaraki. Do you know why the union accepted this outlandish order of yours?" He didn't wait for an answer as he inhaled smoke. "Cause everyone's got high expectations of you. If the League of Villains steps into the light, then the scum hiding on the sidelines will follow suit. And if that happens, it means brokers like me win big," He gave a big toothy grin at what this meant for them. "We'll be rolling in new customers. Crime pays."
"Oh, yes," Shigaraki agreed, turning away. "You're gonna be so busy, you won't be able to keep up."
Grian let out a chuckle at him. "I'm looking forward to that. Anyway, thanks," He waved as he left, closing the door behind him.
"The board is set with my pawns and their prey," Shigaraki stated while looking at the pile of cards. He grinned behind the large hand over his face. "Finally. Time for the real game to begin."
Mr. Aizawa spoke to his class outside of the school. "Now that you've finished up your first semester at UA High, it's time for summer vacation to officially begin," He then stared the whole class down. "However...don't think these will be months of rest for you heroes-in-the-making. At this camp, we'll push you to go beyond your limits. You're aiming to become Plus Ultra!"
"Yes, sir!" Most of them stated in unison as Mr. Aizawa was standing in front of the bus.
"I'm so psyched!" Ochaco ran up to the twins in excitement with a big smile on her face. "I've been looking forward to this camp all semester, Deku and Mido!"
"Oh, yeah!" Izuku looked away from her, blushing hard as he waved his hands. Izuka tilted her head in confusion up at him, wondering if he was sick again. That was what she chalked it up to when she saw him like this. "It's definitely close, huh?"
So close...! He internally panicked, though his face was definitely noticeable.
"Hey, what's the matter?" Ochaco eyed him, as did Izuka.
"I hope you're not getting sick right before camp even starts," She put a hand on his forehead.
"I'm just a little hot!" He assured the both of them, moving away from his sister's hand. Both of them blinked up at the boy, and it was then that Ochaco remembered her practical with Yuga. More specifically, the question that he asked her.
"Is it because you like him?"
She gave a nervous sound while her whole face was red now, sweating a lot. "Uh!" She then backed up far away from the twins, causing everyone around her to stare. "Let's hear it for camp!" The girl announced, clapping her hands and bouncing around.
"Camp! Camp! Camp! Camp!" Mina and Denki joined in with her, though Ochaco's face was still red.
Wow. Uraraka and the others sure are excited.
Izuka blinked rapidly at her friend's red face. "Ochaco's catching it too...?" She murmured in confusion, and her brother turned to her.
"Catching what?"
Before she could ask him, Neito from Class 1-B arrived, and he looked as condescending as ever. "I heard some of Class A is taking extra courses. Does that mean they actually failed the final exams?" He then gave a dramatic gasp, though he could care less. "That must be so embarrassing! Especially since you're supposed to be so much better than my class and with an extra student! All of you must be wallowing in shame!"
Izuka looked annoyed, and then grateful as Itsuka slapped Neito in the neck. He fell to the ground seconds later and bent down to grab his collar. She waved a hand at the twins.
"Don't mind him!"
"Uh...heh..." The twins gave nervous laughs as they watched the Class B rep take her classmate away.
"Monoma's scary," A silver-haired girl in Class B commented as they watched.
"Oh!" Izuku blinked as he saw the other members of their rival class. "The rest of Class B!"
"Eek!" Izuka hid behind her brother and he laughed awkwardly at the girls.
"Sorry, my sister's really shy," He rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's cool," A green-haired girl grinned at the two. "It's nice to see you outside of the Sports Festival. I guess now we're not technically rivals." Another girl nodded in agreement and the green-haired girl took a closer look at the two. "Hang on, you guys are twins? That's cool!" She gave them a thumbs up.
"Heh, yeah, we are," Izuku gave her a small smile. "And maybe if we meet up more, you'll see how great of a big sister she is."
"She's older...?" The girls murmured in shock and Izuka whined in embarrassment over her height.
"Time to get on the bus," Itsuka called out to her class, dragging Neito inside.
"Okay!"
The Class 1-B girls then ran off towards the bus. "The girls of Class A and Class B," Minoru stared at their skirts, drooling. "It's like a buffet of bombshells!"
"Dude, get yourself together," Eijiro stared down at him, a little weirded out. "For real."
"Attention, Class A, our bus is here!" Tenya announced, standing in front of the bus and waving his hands. "Everyone line up in seating order!"
"Here's the deal," Mr. Aizawa spoke up as they headed for camp. "We'll be on this bus about an hour before our first stop. Make sure you stay focused," He looked over his shoulder at all of his students.
"Why aren't we blastin' some music?!" Denki hollered while everyone ignored the teacher. Most of them were talking or stayed silent. Izuku looked up at Tenya in a panic as he was yelling at everyone. Yuga was striking a pose while Mashirao and Hanta looked out the window. Which did not sit well with Tenya.
"No one should be standing! That is a safety hazard! Please stay seated!" He yelled at the offenders. Izuka was all the way in the back, blasting her music through headphones while sketching.
Mr. Aizawa let out a defeated sigh. "Why do I bother?" He then looked up ahead. "Well, I guess this is the only time they'll have to fool around..."
"Do not open that window!" Tenya screamed at someone in the bus, probably Hanta since he was looking out. He then glanced towards Izuka hard at work and looked up ahead to Katsuki in front of him. He had been staying silent sitting next to Fumikage, because he knew that his classmate wouldn't annoy him the whole ride.
"Hey, Bakugo, why don't you sit next to Mido? She probably wants some company," He gave a small wink.
"Hah?" Katsuki glanced up at him in annoyance. "Where'd you get that idea from?"
"Oh, I thought you two were close," Hanta rubbed his chin with a smirk. "Then again, I guess I could get Todoroki-"
Katsuki flinched upon hearing his name and stood up immediately. "Bakugo-" Tenya faltered as he saw the boy walking up to Izuka. He stopped right in front of her, getting her attention as she looked up in confusion.
"Oi, make room," He grunted and she blinked.
"Okay...?" She scooted to the right and he took a seat next to her, hands in his pockets. "Why did you change seats?" She glanced up at him curiously, removing an earbud.
"I'm bored," He replied casually while looking away.
"And I'm your entertainment? I'm drawing, not really much excitement back here," She remarked, and he looked over her shoulder casually. She was drawing a picture of I-Island.
"So? What, I'm not good enough to see them?"
"Not what-" She then sighed slowly in defeat. "Never mind...you might as well listen to some music too while you're at it," She offered him an earbud and he took it. She was listening to some Skrillex, and he blinked in surprise. Turning his head, he saw her continuing to sketch, not even noticing his eye on her. He had no idea she even liked this type of music, he thought she'd listen to something more quieter or calming.
"Since when do you like hardcore music?" He smirked a little.
"I don't really have a particular taste when I'm doing any art," She shrugged it off. "Almost any type will do, I tend to listen to just whatever is on anyway."
"Hah! Well, if it's any music, I can recommend some you might like," Katsuki laughed a little, impressed by her music choice. He peeked at her sketches once again; thankfully she had too many photos from Melissa to start drawing Katsuki again at the moment. "You ain't half bad with your drawings, either. Then again, you've been doing it for as long as I can remember. Why art, anyway? I thought you wanted to become a pro hero, even if it's still sometimes impossible."
"You had to add that, didn't you?" She gave a sheepish smile, and then shook it off. "Anyway, art was more so a hobby than anything growing up. But when my brother didn't get a Quirk, and I had to hide mine, I started to embrace it more. Because...I wanted to contribute something if I couldn't become a hero. The fact that I worked hard and made something to my liking...that's just part of the fun," She gave a small smile towards her sketch.
"That...sounds so stupid," Katsuki commented after a few seconds.
"It's not to me, I can just put it away if you really don't wanna look," She scoffed at his remark.
"I didn't say put it away, idiot! I don't give a crap what you do as long as it doesn't annoy me," He retorted in a bit of irritation and she shook her head silently, switching to another page to start drawing. And Katsuki was pretending not to look as he glanced at the sketch every now and again.
Tenya was surprised by their interactions while Izuku glanced back at the two, smiling happily. It seems like after the practical exam, they've made more of an effort to understand each other. I'm so glad for them.
The bus eventually made a stop and once everyone was out, Izuku stretched a bit. "Finally. I needed off that bus," Denki commented in a bit of relief.
"Let me get through, I gotta pee!" Minoru cried out, but the area they were in was just a small cliff, surrounded by the forest.
"Huh. This isn't much of a rest area," Eijiro pointed out while Minoru ran away to find a good place to piss.
"No. And where's Class B?" Kyoka wondered, since they were heading in the same direction. Yet, there was no sign of the rival class anywhere. Katsuki gave Izuka her earbud back and she placed them in her skirt pocket. Her sketchbook was on the bus still.
"You don't really think we stopped here just so you could stretch your legs, do you?" Mr. Aizawa asked, his hands in his pockets. The class then turned to him in confusion, Minoru looking up at him in a bit of panic.
"Please, sir, the toilet...!"
A car was nearby, and the doors opened. "Heya, Eraser!" A voice spoke up from inside, and he bowed to the person.
"Long time no see." Two people stepped out, wearing hero costumes that paid homage to kittens.
"Your feline fantasies are here! Say meow!"
"Purrfectly cute and catlike girls!" The one in blue stated next.
"You can call us the...Wild, Wild Pussycats!" They struck a pose, and there was a boy standing right next to them who was not part of their group. Everyone just stared up ahead in mostly bewilderment, wondering who they were and why they were here of all places.
"These are the pro heroes you'll be working with at the summer training camp," Mr. Aizawa informed his class.
Izuku stood in front of his class, blushing as he fanboyed. "They're a four-person hero team who specialize in mountain rescues!" He gushed, because of course he knew them, they were in his notebooks. "The Pussycats were founded when we were kids, like forever ago!" The two Pussycats gasped sharply at this and he turned around to them, smiling widely. "This marks their 12th year working as a-"
One of them covered his face with her entire glove, looking pissed off. "I'm pretty sure your math must be off! I'm 18 at heart."
"Understood!" Izuku muffled and Izuka laughed awkwardly.
"S-Sorry about that…he's a big fan," She then grabbed her brother's shoulder to pull him backwards, leaning into his ear to whisper. "Quick tip for your notebook, if you're gonna meet heroes that have been around since we were kids, not every single one wants to be reminded of it..."
That's so sad Eijiro and Denki thought in unison that Izuku had to be saved by his sister, and that the hero thought she was still young...
"Everyone, say hello," Mr. Aizawa instructed while the boy with the heroes stood by in silence.
"Hello! Nice to meet you!"
The little boy just turned away with disdain, and it looked like he did not want to be here.
"We own this whole stretch of land out here," The one in red gestured to the forested area. "Everything you can see. The summer camp you're staying at is there at the base of the mountain," She pointed to somewhere relatively in the middle of the forest.
"That's far!" Most of the students exclaimed in alarm.
"Uh. Then why did we stop all the way up here instead?" Ochaco couldn't help but wonder.
"I'm afraid we both know the answer to that," Tsuyu gave a knowing look. Considering their teacher, he wouldn't make anything about this trip easy for them.
"That can't be right," Rikido shook his head, fearing the worst.
"Heh heh...um. Back on the bus," Hanta gave a nervous expression. "Quick, let's go."
"Good idea. Load up!" Denki smiled anxiously, Koji and Mina nodding in agreement with him.
"The current time is 9:30 in the morning," The Pussycat in red smirked mischievously, wagging her tail. "If you're fast about it, you might make it there by noon."
"No way," Eijiro's eyes widened in disbelief. "Guys!"
"Holy crap!" Mina yelled as she was the first to turn around and start running.
"Save yourselves!" Eijiro cried out as he followed, Denki close behind.
"Kitties who don't make it there by 12:30 won't get any lunch!" The Pussycat called out playfully as everyone beelined for the bus.
"You should have guessed, students," Mr. Aizawa didn't seem fazed by the running at all. "The training camp..." The Pussycat in blue landed in front of the group with a big grin, causing them to gasp sharply. "Has already begun." She touched the ground, a blue glow coming from it. This caused the ground to react as it shook, sending all of them flying.
"What the heck?!" Ochaco shouted as they went flying off the cliff.
"She must be controlling the ground!" Izuku shouted to his classmates, all of them screaming as they fell.
The Pussycat in red looked over the edge. "Good news! Since this is private land, you can use your Quirks as much as you want to! You've got three full hours!" She could barely see them down there. "You should be able to make it to the facility in that time. That is, if you can get through The Beast's Forest."
They all gasped while turning around, seeing a dreary forest up ahead and fog. "The Beast's Forest?!" Izuku yelped as it didn't imply a safe journey to camp.
"That sounds like a name right out of a fantasy game," Denki remarked and was not too pleased about it either.
"Why do we keep falling for Aizawa's little tricks?" Kyoka couldn't help but ask.
"I guess there's no use complaining," Eijiro dusted himself off. "Might as well get going."
Minoru zipped right past them as he still had yet to use the bathroom. I held it! Didn't spring a single leak! Now to find a secluded spot! He immediately dashed over to the trees, only to find a huge tree beast moving in front of him. It growled down at the boy, as it was way taller than him and likely more powerful.
Hanta and Denki both screeched at the sight of it. "We're all gonna die!"
Minoru then realized something as he looked up, and the tree beast roared at him. "Please calm yourself, my giant friend!" Koji shouted while running over. "You don't wanna hurt them!"
Izuku swooped in to catch Minoru before he could get hurt while Izuka landed on the arm of the tree beast. She then ran up it, flames appearing from her right arm. "Comet Punch!" She punched it right in the face, knocking it down and flying backwards. Shoto moved his right foot so that ice appeared to catch her from behind.
"You okay?" He called out as she sat up, looking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks!" She then looked back up as the tree beast had smoke coming from where she hit it, but otherwise, there was barely a scratch on it.
Izuku landed while glancing back at the tree beast. Koda's power lets him control animals, but is this one immune? Izuku then gasped in realization on why Koji's commands wouldn't work here. A dirt clod. I get it. It's Pixie-Bob's Quirk. Koji then gave an alarmed look as two shadows jumped right past him.
Pixie-Bob hummed to herself, a hand to her ear as she waved her tail.
"Don't you think you've got them on a pretty crazy schedule, Eraser?" The Pussycat in red asked him, both of them still standing in front of the bus.
"Yeah," He admitted to the woman. "We're hoping to get an entire second semester's worth of knowledge in them here. That's going to take an intense amount of work. But the rewards'll be worth it. They'll get permits to use their Quirks if there's ever an emergency. And provisional licenses that will allow them to work as heroes. Most importantly, with all the villainous activity we've been tracking..." As he was speaking, Pixie-Bob noticed some high levels of energy and gasped. "They need to be able to defend themselves."
Izuku activated his power while Izuka jumped up to the sky, heading towards the dirt clod. One for All...Full Cowling! His energy then sparked right off him. Shoto used his ice to trap the clod by the legs.
"Recipro Burst!" Tenya cried out as Izuka held out her hands. His pant leg tore off to reveal his engine.
"Mercury Blast!" She screamed as fire and ice came in a combined attack, both her and the class rep blasting the monster.
"I'll kill you!" Katsuki shouted while holding out his hand and exploding the monster's arm to pieces. He, Tenya, and Izuka landed just as lzuku appeared.
Smash! He punched the monster into even more pieces.
The two Pussycats, Mr. Aizawa, and the little boy all looked towards the smoke in the distance. "I trust that I can count on you, Pixie-Bob," He called out to the woman in blue.
"Leave it to me!" She cried out in excitement as she saw what happened. "Oh, wow, my fur's standing on end!" She grinned widely, her hands twitching.
"You guys took that beast down in seconds!" Rikido grinned as he and Hanta approached Shoto.
"It was awesome!" Hanta complimented as Izuka walked up to them, dusting herself off.
"Thank you," She smiled bashfully at the boys.
"They're relieved..." Minoru was nearby, hugging a tree. "And I relieved all over myself..."
"You showed that thing who's boss," Eijiro grinned towards Katsuki.
"We're not done," He growled while looking up ahead. His friend gave a look of confusion, and noticed what Katsuki was looking at. In the distance, there was fog, and another beast. It then jumped up to the sky, using the trees to move.
"Hey, come on," Denki complained as they couldn't sense where it is. "Don't you think this is a little unfair?"
"What now? Do we run?" Mina frowned a little; although that probably wouldn't be the best solution. The beasts could be able to track them, and then they'd be cornered if they tried to flee.
"Not good," Rikido sweated a little as he looked up. "If we don't make it to the camp fast enough, then we won't get anything to eat!"
"He's right!" Momo stepped up in determination. "We have no choice but to cut through these woods using the shortest possible route."
"Ribbit," Tsuyu nodded in agreement with her, as did Koji.
"Alright!" Tenya also agreed with the girl as he looked back up ahead. "Let's go, Class A!"
"YEAH!" Most of them exclaimed in unison.
Mezo used his Quirk to search the area. "I spot three up ahead," He informed his classmates. "And two flanking each side."
Kyoka was nearby, using her earphone jack against a tree. "So seven total. They're coming!"
"Alright," Hanta looked up ahead towards a flying one, activating his tape. "I've got this one!" He then jumped up into the sky, flinging his tape to capture one by the wing. He then headed for the ground, taking the monster with him. "Sato! Kirishima!"
Rikido threw some sugar into his mouth to consume it. He let out a yell as his muscles got bigger, causing him to rip off his shirt. Eijiro activated his hardening, lunging forward with a battle cry as he punched at the legs repeatedly. Rikido grunted as he jumped up to punch the monster hard in the chin.
"Dark Shadow!" Fumikage activated his Quirk, and Dark Shadow flew towards the other leg.
"Got it!" He got in a few hits, Mashirao using his tail to attack.
"Aoyama! You're up!" He flew backwards as the monster was falling.
"Bonjour!" Yuga gave a wink, using his Navel Laser from up above. It hit the monster from behind.
"Damn it!" Minoru shouted while throwing his sticky balls. "If it weren't for you monsters, my pants wouldn't be wet right now!" His sticky balls touched the trees, trapping the monster between them.
Denki then ran up the monster's back. "Mineta, get outta here!" He warned as he touched the top of the monster's head. Izuka swooped in from the left, grabbing Minoru while summoning a flying star. He gave a look of awe as she flew him out of there by going up.
"You're good, Kaminari-San!" She looked down at Denki.
"I've been saved by an angel…!" Minoru's eyes shined as he reached out to grope her. Izuka saw this coming though, and created another flying star. She placed him on it and he went flying away from her. "Take me back…!" He cried out while reaching out a hand to her.
"1.3 million volts!" Denki gave the monster a big shock, causing it to get scorched. But this also ended up with him reaching his limit already.
"Lovely birds of the forest!" Koji cried out to the sky. "Remove this evil beast and restore peace to this wood!" He watched the birds distracting the monster long enough for Mina to strike.
"Take that!" She touched a leg with her acid. Smoke came from it as the head fell down.
"Oh, no!" Toru cried out while running from one. "I'm completely helpless! It's gonna eat me!"
"Good, Hagakure. Perfect distraction," Momo complimented her classmate. Mina high-fived Toru while running past.
"And you!" She tossed more acid at the leg, causing the monster to fall to the ground.
"Everyone, quick. Take cover now!" Momo warned everyone as the monsters were hit with ammo. This was because she used her Quirk to make a cannon and ammo.
"That was amazing, Momo!" Mina cried out to the girl.
Ochaco touched one with her gravity. "Tsu, Mido. He's all yours!"
"Leave it to us!" Tsuyu captured it with her tongue, soaring on a vine to send it flying.
"And now, release!" Ochaco pressed her fingers together, taking cover behind a tree. Tsuyu watched as Izuka came in flying from above, holding up an arm.
"Take this!" She swung an arm to fire a shooting star, causing the monster to slide backwards once it touched the ground. She landed in front of the smoke, smiling towards her friends. They looked back in relief at the girl.
"I've spotted more of them closing in," Mezo reported, causing Katsuki to use his explosions to take off. Ice covered its right side and then Katsuki jumped in, hitting it with an explosion. After he landed, he gave an irritated look towards Shoto.
"You're in my way there, icy hot!"
"Then pick another route," Shoto retorted as he didn't even look at Katsuki.
And the monsters just kept on coming. "Midoriya, now!" Tenya shouted, running up ahead.
"Right!" Izuku used the trees to jump around, readying his fist to punch.
"Hi-ya!" Pixie-Bob was enjoying the show, mimicking some punches. "So you're ganging up on me now? Well, I can fight dirty, too!"
"Kota! We're leaving!" The Pussycat in red called out.
"Scratch! Ha ha!" Pixie-Bob was having too much fun, while Kota was glaring towards the forest.
"Idiots," He then narrowed his eyes with an intense look on his face. How pointless. To wanna be a hero. He turned around to leave, hoping this week would go by quick.
The day was almost over as it was now 5:20 PM, and still no sign of the students from Class 1-A. Pixie-Bob was waiting up front at the building. The Pussycat in red was waiting with Mr. Aizawa near the entrance. Pixie-Bob then gave a small laugh.
"The litter is almost here~!" She sung a little.
"That took a lot longer than expected," Her comrade commented as they looked up ahead to the forest. Finally, they could see in the shadows the arriving students. All of them were exhausted as they dragged their feet, looking beat up. Some of them had also reached their limit, such as Katsuki or Tenya. The twins looked like they were gonna pass out, along with everyone else. They then sighed as they came to a stop in front of the camp, Rikido falling to the ground.
"You said it would only be, like, three hours!" Hanta complained to the three heroes.
"I guess we timed it based on how long it'd take us. Sorry!" The Pussycat in red said sheepishly, to their dismay.
"Now you're braggin' about how much better you are?" Rikido asked her tiredly. "That's so mean!"
"I'm starving!" Eijiro whined in agony, lifting up his head. "This is hell."
"Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!" Pixie-Bob giggled a little. "I thought it would take you kids even longer. But you did much better against my dirt monsters than I thought you would," She then gave a big smile. "You guys were seriously great. Especially...the five of you!" She pointed specifically at the twins, Katsuki, Shoto, and Tenya. "It seems like you've had quite a bit of experience." She then licked her lip, jumping towards the five. "I call dibs on these kittens! I'll groom them myself!"
They all covered themselves, protesting as she jumped around in excitement. The rest of the class was baffled by this.
"Mandalay," Mr. Aizawa pointed towards the six. "Has she always been like this?"
"It's gotten worse lately," Mandalay admitted to him. "She's at the age to take a mate..."
"Uh. Speaking of people's ages-" Izuku's face was once again covered by Pixie-Bob's hand. He looked terrified by the look on her face, daring him to ask again like he did before.
"Choose your words carefully, boy."
"I've just been wondering since we got here earlier..." He then pointed to Kota, who was standing near Mandalay. He had been following the rescue team for years, and he had never once heard of a boy staying with them. "Who is that kid? What's he doing here?"
"Oh, this little guy?" Mandalay turned to him, gesturing to the boy. "He's my cousin's son. He lives with us now. Don't be shy, Kota." Kota just kept his glare up ahead, as he didn't seem to care about any of the class. "Say hi to everyone. You're gonna be around them for the next week."
"Hey there," Izuku smiled while walking up to him. "My name's Midoriya. I'm from the UA High School hero course. It's nice to meet you!" He reached out his hand to the boy. Who reacted by recoiling back his fist...and punching Izuku in the balls. Izuka gasped while covering her mouth in shock, her brother yelping in pain. Kota walked away in silence.
"What a low blow!" Tenya rushed over to his friend. Mandalay was appalled by this reaction. "You fiend of a child!" He helped support Izuku, who couldn't move. "A punch to the scrotum is unforgiveable!"
Kota gritted his teeth, looking over his shoulder. "The last thing I want is to hang with some wannabe heroes," He declared bitterly and Izuka blinked in confusion. It was almost as if this was personal, even though they had never met him. She wondered what exactly caused him to act out like this.
"Wannabe?! How old are you, kid?" Tenya screeched at the little boy.
Katsuki gave an amused smile at the whole thing. "That brat's got spunk."
"He's almost like a mini version of you," Shoto remarked and then suddenly both of them heard a small snicker. Both of them turned around to Izuka, who turned away while covering her mouth. Considering her slight shaking, they instantly knew the source of laughter. Katsuki flinched and a small blush appeared on his face as he whipped around to Shoto.
"What are you talking about?!" He then stormed up to his red/white-haired rival. "You can just shut your mouth before I blast you all the way to hell!"
"Yeah, sure," Shoto didn't seem fazed, but Izuka was.
"Bakugo, Todoroki, please stop," She walked up to the two, arms crossed. "Can't you sort this out later?"
"Thank you for your concern, but I can handle Bakugo," Shoto turned to her. Katsuki growled at the two in anger.
"Enough playing around," Mr. Aizawa called out to the three. "Get your stuff off the bus. Once your bags are in your rooms, we'll have dinner in the cafeteria. After that, you can bathe and sleep. Tomorrow your training starts in earnest. You'd better get a move on. Oh, that reminds me. Mido," He held up her sketchbook and she winced, her hair standing up. "Keep this out of class and outside of training...but keep drawing. It's not as bad as I thought it was gonna be," He tossed the book into her hands and she blinked incredibly at her teacher. He actually seemed sincere for once, since most of the time, he was usually berating her.
"Thank you, si-" She then gave a nervous sound as she realized that she had some sketches of Katsuki in here. Oh no! Don't tell me he knows I've been drawing Bakugo...! If he's seen the whole thing, he must know. But he doesn't seem to be broadcasting it either...maybe he didn't see them? Her hope was dashed a few seconds later as Mr. Aizawa gave her a big knowing grin. She then gave a wide-eyed horrified look. AAAAAAH! He knows...!
Some of her classmates surrounded the girl. "Hey, maybe during camp, we can see some of your art?" Denki smiled as she hugged the book, glancing around at them nervously.
"If Mr. Aizawa is praising them, they have to be good, right?" Tsuyu wondered, tapping her chin.
"I wanna see, I wanna see!" Mina tried to grab the book.
"Ahhh, maybe when we get back from camp? This one's not too exciting, trust me," Izuka scratched her cheek nervously, and Izuku could guess why. Katsuki glanced at the way she was hugging the sketchbook, almost as if she didn't want anyone to see that one. Though he couldn't fathom why, he just thought it would be more or less the same as what she was doing before.
As the sun set, Izuku clapped his hands together happily at the mountain of food that awaited them. "It looks so good!"
They all started gathering what they wanted. "So, you girls got stuck in a tiny little bunk room, didn't ya?" Hanta looked to Kyoka curiously.
"Why? Is the guys' room really big?" She asked while Mezo stuffed his face.
"Oh yeah?" Mina smiled while looking over her shoulder. "So like, can I come check it out later or what?"
"Sure! Whenever you want," Hanta answered and grinned playfully as he saw Izuka sitting between Katsuki and her brother. Izuku had a feeling it had to do with the fact that he didn't want her to sit next to Shoto.
It's so good! Eijiro moved heaps of rice into his mouth, along with Denki. I can't get enough!
My stomach is so happy right now! It's as good as Lunch Rush's food! Although it could also be the fact that they hadn't eaten for hours. I think I might eat until I burst! Denki then gasped as something caught his scent. I smell beef.
Eijiro whipped around as he smelled it too. "Hey, wait, you got meat over there?!"
"Yeah!" Pixie-Bob answered him sheepishly. "Jeez, it's like you guys haven't eaten in a week or something. Anyway, today's the only time we'll be doing this for you. So make sure you kids enjoy it!"
"Thank you!" Eijiro and Denki cried out happily as she left.
"Hey, Kota!" Mandalay called to him, as he was standing near a box of veggies. "Can you bring me those vegetables?" She ran past him, carrying a plate. He walked over to grab the box, huffing to himself as he walked away. Izuku glanced up at the boy leaving, wondering what exactly turned him this way. He tapped Izuka a little and she glanced up to see Kota as well. She gave a small hum out of curiosity, but unlike Shoto, it wasn't going to be easy getting to the root of the problem. He definitely seemed more like Katsuki in that regard...
Later, it was now nighttime as the stars were out. Everyone was now bathing, obviously separated by gender. However, for a certain student...
"The food and stuff is fine, but to be honest...I'm hungry for somethin' else," Minoru looked up at the wooden wall that separated them. "Just one little wall. A few pieces of wood. And heaven's waiting on the other side. A bath full of boobs and babes ready to be seen by yours truly!"
Denki for once wasn't on his side, because he was just enjoying the warm water. "Are you over there talking to yourself again, Mineta?" Izuku called out to his classmate.
"This feels amazing!" Mina said in relief, Minoru smiling as he listened in on them.
"I'm so glad they've got a hot springs here!" Kyoka replied happily and Izuka let out a sigh.
"It feels like I'm in a spa, I almost don't wanna come out..." She confessed to the girls.
"Bathe, my angels," Minoru murmured, some of the boys blushing. "How stupid of them not to stagger the times that we'd be naked next to each other. Oh, I hope they never learn from their mistakes...Especially Mido. Those curves, that hair, that smile..."
"Mineta, that's my sister you're talking about!" Izuku shouted at him angrily. He knew Minoru was girl-crazy, but any time he talked about his sister, it just made things weird sometimes. Katsuki opened up an eye while staring at them, looking away with a scoff.
I don't care how she looks. The only thing I give a crap about is her fighting ability. Although he would admit, during the I-Island reception, she did look good... He turned away while clearing his throat, blushing a bit. Damn it.
"It's too much for him," Denki teased while Tenya stood up with a growl.
"You're to stop this at once, Mineta!" He scolded the shorter boy. "What you're doing is demeaning," He then stormed up to the edge. "For both the girls and yourself! It's shameful behavior!"
Minoru didn't seem to care as he was drooling at the thought of seeing the girls nude... "Now I know why I have this Quirk." It's because walls are meant to be climbed! He took off one of his sticky balls and then started climbing as fast as he could to the top. I'm coming for you, ladies, Plus Ultra! Tenya shouted at him, but he didn't listen. Katsuki opened up a second eye as he stood up, growling. His hand sparked as he stood up, ready to knock Minoru off the fence. All that Quirk training. All the times I almost died. It was to prepare for this shining momen-
Kota suddenly appeared over the fence, glaring down at him. "Before you become a hero, you should learn how to be a good human," He simply responded before smacking Minoru off the fence. Katsuki gave a small smirk as he sat back down, since he didn't have to do anything after all.
"I'll get you for this!" Minoru declared as his towel came off...and he fell right onto poor Tenya's face. The two then crashed into the water. Kota just gave a small huff.
"Mineta really is the worst, isn't he?" Tsuyu called out from the other side.
"Thanks so much, Kota, babe!" Mina sung a little as he glanced over. He unfortunately saw more than he needed to, since the girls were naked. Ochaco and Izuka were the only ones to cover up, while the others mostly hid their bodies in the water. "We owe you one!"
He yelped as he blushed a little, causing the boys to gasp. He then screamed as he fell backwards, and off the fence.
"Look out!" Izuku cried out while his sister jumped towards the girls' clothing. She grabbed a robe and quickly put it on, squeezing her eyes shut. She then used a shooting star to fly herself into the air, appearing at the top of the fence. The girl then swung an arm to send a star platform towards Kota. Izuku dove out of the pool to catch the boy, both of them landing on the star platform Izuka laid out. "Thanks, sis! We're all good here!"
She sighed in relief, covering her eyes with one hand so she wouldn't peek at the boys. "Meet me in the office, Izuku," She called out to him before jumping backwards, landing safely at the girls' side. Katsuki blinked in awe of her fast reaction time, almost similar to his actually. She turned around to the girls, who all nodded in agreement with small smiles that they were okay with her leaving. She smiled back and ran off.
"The rush from the fall likely caused him to faint. Thank you," Mandalay told the twins gratefully once they told her what had happened. Kota was now laying on the couch unconscious. "Eraser warned me one of you boys was a little girl crazy, so I stationed Kota up there to keep watch. I suppose that's the danger of teaching kids your age," She placed a towel on Kota's forehead.
Izuka stood next to her brother, her hair dripping wet as she still had on the bathrobe. "Remind me to tell Mr. Aizawa about Mineta-San being a creep again," She huffed, crossing her arms. "I should've known he'd do something like that..."
"Well, anyway, I'm just glad he's all right," Izuku stared down at Kota, wearing only a towel.
"You two must've moved pretty fast to catch him," Mandalay smiled up at the two. Izuka rubbed the back of her neck bashfully.
"Well, we've both had a lot of practice with speed during our first semester, let's just leave it at that..." She admitted to the hero; reaction time was one of the things Katsuki did train her on for the practical, after all...
Izuku then remembered the only thing Kota had said to him. "The last thing I want is to hang with some wannabe heroes!" The boy had sounded so...bitter. And it made Izuku sad, since heroes were something he loved since he was a kid. Naturally, he thought that a kid like Kota would have the same passion as he did, but...it was the exact opposite.
"Um...he doesn't like heroes very much, does he?" He couldn't help but ask, Mandalay and Izuka glancing up at him. "I admit, that's weird to me. Most everyone I know wants to be one. It's...my dream. Even my sister here had a smaller love for heroes because of how we grew up. So, it's just wild to think that a kid his age is against heroes. Hates them, even."
Izuka gave a small frown towards Kota. She herself never hated heroes, but she felt like she couldn't see herself as one for a long time. And she always encouraged Izuku despite all odds. Her admiration for All Might as a child wasn't always apparent, but it was still there. Kota just had...none of that at all.
Mandalay leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. So far, they were the only two that had asked her this. "How observant. Of course, he isn't alone. There are many in our society who don't approve of us," She then looked down at Kota. "If he'd had a normal childhood, maybe he would've admired heroes like you two did growing up."
The two gasped at the word normal. "What happened?"
"It was Mandalay's cousins," Pixie-Bob suddenly came in, a small frown on her face. "Kota's parents, that is. They were heroes, too. But they were murdered."
The two gasped sharply at the last word. Now it just made more sense...but if their mother had became a hero and died...they couldn't imagine going through the same process as Kota was.
"It was a villain," Mandalay murmured, as even though it wasn't a long time ago, it still had an effect on her... "Two years back. Kota was still so small." Their blood splattered on the ground after being killed by the villain. "They were killed while protecting citizens. Perhaps the most respectable way for any hero to die. But..."
Their bodies were in the morgue, their faces covered so that...their son wouldn't have to see their unmoving, emotionless faces. "Papa. Mama..." Kota murmured while standing between their dead bodies.
"How do you even begin to explain to a child that his parents died honorable deaths?"
Mandalay ran up from behind, hugging the boy. She couldn't see his face, but he had tears in his eyes. "They were his entire world. Everything. But to him, his parents had left him behind."
Izuka was shaking a little from the story, her mouth covered. "And all the while, they were being praised. Because...their sacrifice was such a noble one." Pixie-Bob frowned while listening to Mandalay, holding her arm while leaning against the wall. "Honestly, he doesn't seem to like us that much either. We're heroes, like they were. I'm sure he feels like he's stuck here because he has nowhere else to go. Heroes just don't make any sense to Kota. After all, if his parents hadn't been heroes, they would still be here."
Izuka bit her lip sadly, wondering if Kota's parents were the only ones who had died...and left behind a family. How many other children had lost their heroic parents...and ended up the same as Kota? It was honestly a horrifying thought that heroes could do so much...but also cause problems for those around them, especially since it wasn't intentional. They chose to be heroes with the risks involved, even if people didn't like them...
"He's why these morons are able to smile thoughtlessly!" Shigaraki smiled while talking to Izuku at the mall. He had a crazed look in his eyes. "Because that garbage pro is smiling thoughtlessly too!"
Izuku clamped his mouth shut. Heroes couldn't exist without villains for the most part, and villains didn't want them around...
I'd heard so many different people talking about heroes over the last few months. Had listened to so many different viewpoints. It would be irresponsible to shrug them off. And yet, in that moment, I had no reply.
Stain had brought about a lot of different opinions himself thanks to his backstory and decisions in life. For once in my life, even though family is very important to me...there was nothing I could say to them that would change anything.
The next day, it was 5:30 in the morning. Class 1-A had been woken up by Mr. Aizawa and the Pussycats. Some of them were still exhausted. Kyoka yawned as Ochaco stretched, her hair a mess. All of them were dressed in their gym uniforms.
"Good morning, class," Mr. Aizawa greeted the 21 students. "Today, we begin a training camp that will increase your strength. Our goal is to increase your skills exponentially, so that each of you earns a provisional license. This will allow you to face the dangers that continue to fester in the darkness. Proceed carefully. Look alive, Bakugo," He tossed a ball at the boy, who caught it easily. "Try throwing that for me."
"Yeah, sure. Like in the fitness test," Katsuki didn't seem to mind.
"That's right. When you first started school, your record was 705.2 meters. Let's see if you've improved," The teacher explained as they watched Katsuki walk off to the side.
"Oh, I get it! We're checking our progress!" Mina guessed, pumping a fist in encouragement for her classmate.
"A lot's happened to us the last three months. Maybe he can throw it a whole mile now!" Hanta commented while Katsuki swung his arm around to prepare himself.
"Come on, get it, Bakugo!" Eijiro called out to encourage his friend. Izuka stared at him curiously, wondering how far he could get it this time. Izuku glanced at his sister with a small smile, seeing how she had changed. From the first semester, she couldn't care less how Bakugo did, but now, she was actively interested in his skills.
"I've got this," He gave a small smirk. "No one blink, that goes for you too, short stack."
"Why are you specifically telling me?" She gave a sheepish expression as Denki grinned, elbowing her a bit.
"Go to hell!" Katsuki screamed at the top of his lungs, firing off a big explosion to throw the ball. Some of them braced themselves due to the powerful wind from the throw. Izuku wasn't so much stuck on the throw, more so what he just heard.
Go to hell...?
It's just a ball, he doesn't need to be so aggressive doing that Izuka shook her head silently, though was in awe of the throw. He was like this during the fitness test too, now that she was thinking about it. Katsuki slid to a stop, waiting for the results as the ball went so far they couldn't even see it anymore.
"That was 709.6 meters," Mr. Aizawa informed, to Katsuki's shock. And one look at the phone showed that he wasn't bluffing.
"That's it? Kinda disappointing," Hanta commented while Katsuki wasn't happy with this at all.
"You've had a single semester at UA, and due to your various experiences, all of you have definitely improved. But those improvements have mostly been limited to mental prowess and technical skill. With a slight increase in stamina thrown in along the way," Mr. Aizawa revealed as he stood in front of his class, glancing up at them. "Your Quirks really haven't grown that much stronger. Not on a fundamental level." Izuku then gasped sharply at this; just because they fought some villains didn't mean suddenly they were stronger. It just meant that they had enough to survive those situations. "That's why we're now going to focus on improving your powers." He then gave a big grin. "This'll be so hard, you'll feel like you're dying. Let's hope you all survive..."
"Hey, hey! Special delivery from Tomura!" Himiko announced in an abandoned warehouse. "He wants us to bring these along when we go, so I'm guessing there's enough for everyone."
"Come on," A villain in a hooded cloak complained a little. "I'm ready. Let's hurry up and do this."
"It's still too early," Another one in shadow reminded him. "Besides, don't forget, he said we shouldn't do anything flashy."
"Yeah," Dabi spoke up to them. "He acted like a spoiled little brat when we first met. But suddenly, he's begun to take charge," He got onto his feet. "This is gonna be nothing more than a warning shot. We'll pull those false heroes down from their shining pedestals," He then gave an evil grin at their plans. "And in doing so, we'll create a bright new future for this world..."