Izuku sat down at an empty lunch table, content to sit alone during his first lunch break as a student of UA High School. He had so much to think about after the very informative Homeroom session, and his introductory classes into his regular subjects. Things like Math, English and History were taught in the mornings, and then the rest of the day after lunch was reserved for hero training, which meant that Izuku was less than an hour away from donning his costume and starting in earnest his training to be a hero. In a word, he was excited. In a lot more words, he was frightened, ecstatic, embarrassed, nervous and satisfied. He didn't know he could feel so much at once, but here he was, feeling that many things at one time.
A clattering sound, like plastic on plastic, alerted Izuku to the people that were sitting down beside and across from him. He saw Shinso sitting across from him, as well as Uraraka. Asui sat beside him, looking at him with her non-expressive face and wide, all-seeing eyes. She could be creepy if she wanted to.
"Um, hello?" Izuku asked.
"Hey, Midoriya. Shinso told us what you said this morning, about Bakugo," Uraraka said, strangely flat for her usually bubbly, happy-go-lucky attitude.
"What? Why?" Izuku asked, snapping his eyes to Shinso, who just stared at him the way he had been the whole time.
"Because, the way you admire and look up to Bakugo is wack and you know it," Shinso explained.
"I know that. I … I took into account what you said on the train. I've started to look at the way I view Kacchan and I've realized that our relationship has been one-sided for a long time, a longer time than we were even friends in the first place. I've pinpointed the exact moment that Kacchan stopped being my friend, and started being my tormentor," Izuku said, having had a few hours to think about this.
"When was that?" Uraraka asked, a touch more sensitive about the situation now that she knew that Izuku had agreed.
"When he manifested his Quirk, and I didn't," Izuku said, deciding it was time.
The others looked at each other skeptically. They didn't know what he was talking about, clearly, because they had already seen him use Blackwhip and One for All multiple times. Well, he had only really used One for All once, in the entrance exam, but he was sure he would figure out the key to using the enhancement aspect of his power.
"Is this about how out of control your Blackwhip was during the entrance exam, but then completely fine yesterday?" Shinso asked.
"Yes. It's kind of a secret, but until a few months ago, I hadn't manifested a Quirk yet. I was believed to be Quirkless my whole life. That's what led to Kacchan treating me so poorly; beating me, burning me and making every moment I spent at school a waking nightmare. I think that, because I was so desperate for any kind of power, any kind of purpose, that's why I latched onto him and ignored his negative qualities and over blew his positive ones. I warped myself into thinking he was this great guy, but he was slowly chipping away at me. I've realized now that I need to distance myself from him. Thank you, Shinso, and you, too, Uraraka, for opening my eyes for me," Izuku thought out loud.
The others just listened, following his story with interest. When Izuku finished talking, he looked up to see that Shinso, Uraraka and Asui were looking at him with a mix of feelings. Shinso looked like he regretted being born, but was living only out of spite for the Grim Reaper. Uraraka looked like she was on the verge of tears, and Asui's face hadn't changed much, but she was definitely frowning in Katsuki's direction.
"Uh, guys?" Izuku asked, and all three of his friends snapped out of their moments.
"Midoriya, we had no idea you'd gone through that. How could he have treated you so differently after you failed to manifest a Quirk? Does he … discriminate against anyone else?" Asui asked.
"I don't think he's like that. I think he was just confused about his feelings and decided to take that out on me, as the only person who he knew would take it and not complain or that people didn't care about," Izuku said.
"People must have cared that you were being tormented," Shinso said, disbelieving that absolutely nobody could be evil enough to see a kid being beaten by another and just walk away.
"You're both underestimating my willingness to preserve the friendship I thought I had, and the school's desire to keep Kacchan's record clean so he could get into UA like he always said he would," Izuku said, wanting to end this discussion.
Shinso was disgusted. He had been a victim of prejudice, but even this went beyond what he had ever experienced. Uraraka lived in poverty, but had never been left in the dirt to cry by someone she thought was her best friend. Asui faced a lot of bullying because of her appearance in the past, and she knew that this was extreme. All three had faced the issues of being outsiders, even in a society where individuality was encouraged and rewarded, but all of them had never experienced anything like this, because they had had Quirks. They had powers that they could use to claim normalcy or defend themselves if necessary. Izuku had none of that, and simply bore the pain. They had to commend that, but on the other hand, that changed a person, and not for the better.
"You don't believe all that stuff that Bakugo says, do you? About you being worthless and weak?" Uraraka asked.
"Uh …" Izuku blanked.
"I knew it. I told you he'd been brainwashed," Shinso declared.
"I've seen your Quirk, Midoriya. It's truly great, and you managed to get one up on Bakugo during Aizawa's tests yesterday, so don't discount that. Okay?" Asui said, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Okay," Izuku said, tearing up.
"Oh, Jesus H. Christ. If you start singing like some Disney schmuck, I'll Brainwash you and never let you go," Shinso said, only half-joking.
"Thanks, you guys. I needed this, and I'm glad that you were the ones that helped me get it. I hope we can all be good friends in the next few years," Izuku said, chuckling at Shinso's threat.
"Agreed!" Uraraka cheered.
"I'd like that," Asui said, her tone even.
"Yeah, whatever," Shinso droned, but even that was like a love confession from the guy.
Suddenly, a bell sounded out, letting the students know that their lunch period had ended. Izuku suddenly remembered what was coming next, Foundational Heroics; All Might's class. He looked back at his friends and saw that they all had the same excitement, even Asui who, even though she couldn't properly express it, obviously had that same light in her eyes that the rest of them had.
The group rushed out of the lunch hall and ran over to their Homeroom. As they arrived, they saw that nobody else was here yet, not even Aizawa, who usually accompanied them in case their teachers for the specific subjects were running late. So, deciding to ignore the seating plan until people arrived, the four sat in a clump and talked about what they were most excited about today's lesson.
"Do you really think All Might is the teacher?" Uraraka asked.
Izuku and Shinso shared a knowing look.
"I think he is. I hope so. I really want to meet him, because he's saved my younger sister, Satsuki. I want to thank him for all that he's done for so many people," Asui said, smiling as best she could.
"That's really great, Asui," Izuku said, giving her his brightest smile.
"I told everyone to call me Tsu, so that extends to you, too, Midoriya. I think that friends are only worth something if you make them worth something, so I like to tell people I really trust to call me Tsu. So do it, please," As- Tsu explained.
"That's a really nice way of looking at it, Tsu," Izuku said, finally getting it right.
The four stayed silent after that, simply enjoying the company they had, which worked for Shinso. He wasn't really a conversationalist, so just sitting and relaxing before their first heroics lesson was the best thing he could've asked for.
Once everyone had arrived, Aizawa walked in and immediately took up his spot behind his desk on the floor, telling them that their teacher will be there soon. The class began to buzz with excitement at hearing that their teacher, who they technically hadn't been told the identity of, was going to arrive soon. Izuku was excited to see which costume All Might would wear, since he had said he wanted to go old school for his first day, and one of his most recognizable costumes was his 'golden age' suit, the costume he wore when he debuted in Japan.
Just as Izuku finished that thought, All Might came blasting through the door, his cape billowing behind him. He was indeed wearing his 'golden age' costume, and it looked as good as it had back then, even better with some more up to date fabrics implemented in the design. The man himself marched to the front podium as the students cheered, all except for Izuku, Iida and Shinso, who knew he was coming. They were still excited, though, and were grinning like a kid in a candy store.
"Hello, children! I'm glad to have the chance to teach you. Just from seeing your performances on the entrance exam and on Aizawa's tests yesterday, I can see the innate spark of heroism in each and every one of you, and I can't wait to cultivate that spark. Now, let's get to the lesson; Foundational Heroics! First, though, you'll need these!" All Might bellowed, extravagantly aiming the remote control he had in his hand toward the wall to his left, making it open up to reveal the students' costumes in their travel cases.
The students swarmed. Everyone rushed to get a look at their finished costumes, and All Might hurried them along to the changing rooms, hyping every one of them up for the lesson to come. Izuku ran, along with Kirishima and Kaminari, to the changing room and got dressed into his costume as fast as he possibly could. While changing, a casual conversation had broken out.
"Hey, we kinda match," Kaminari noted.
"What?" Kirishima asked, fastening his belt, fashioned into a large circle with the letter 'R' emblazoned on it.
"Our hair. You, me and Midoriya," Kaminari clarified. At the mention of his name, Izuku tuned in, looking over at the two.
"I still don't follow," Kirishima said, looking between the other two boys.
"I mean that Midoriya's hair is green, mine is yellow and yours is red. Like traffic lights. We're a trio," Kaminari said, sighing disappointedly.
Izuku had only just noticed as well. As he pulled on a white, fingerless glove with small gateways on the knuckles for Blackwhip to pass through without damaging the glove, he hummed in agreement.
"That's weird. Do you think other people think so?" Izuku asked, not sure how he should feel about it.
"Oh, definitely. Mina called us the 'Traffic Light Trio' just before. That's how I figured it out," Kaminari revealed.
"Oh, great. Another genius Mina Ashido invention. I swear, she'll never change," Kirishima said, muttering the last part to himself with a small smile as he pulled on a boot.
As Izuku put on his other glove, he remembered that Ashido and Kirishima acted like they knew each other well during their Homeroom class, but decided to leave it alone. Their business was theirs, and he had no right to stick his nose where it didn't belong. He pulled his utility belt around his waist and fastened it tightly.
"The name's kinda cool, though," Sero added from a stall.
"Right? Kaminari asked, nodding his head approvingly.
"Well, Mina's always had a thing for names," Kirishima said, chuckling fondly.
"Oh, do I smell a crush?" Sero asked, his toothy grin on display once more.
"Nah, I just admire her creativity, y'know? She's always been unafraid to be herself, and I just wish I could be like that, too," Kirishima said, grinning widely as he finished dressing himself.
"Nah, I ship it," Kaminari said, intentionally avoiding meeting Kirishima's eyes.
"Oh? Well, what about you and Jiro?" Kirishima asked, raising his eyebrow playfully.
"What about me and Jiro? We talked for the first time today. You've known Mina for years. It's different," Kaminari deflected, but didn't deny.
"How's it different? You didn't say you didn't like her," Sero said, coming out from the stall he had occupied, now in full costume.
"Well, I'm not gonna say she isn't pretty, because she is, and she's cool and funny and smart, but we just haven't really known each other long enough to form that sort of connection, y'know?" Kaminari said.
"Whoa," Kirishima gaped.
"What?" Kaminari shrieked.
"Nothing. We just didn't expect you to be so … emotionally mature," Sero said, winking. "It's nothing against you, it just isn't how you come off," he added.
"I'm smart! It's just in a different way," Kaminari said, kind of proud of himself.
Kaminari's smile brightened the atmosphere of the room, and as Izuku pulled his cowl over his head, he wondered if this was what the famed 'guy talk' was. Was this what it was like to have friends who just … talked? Did they expect him to talk? Did he want to talk? Did they want to talk? It was all so confusing. Luckily, he was saved by Shinso exploding out of the stall in his full costume, clearly an homage to Eraserhead with the same general aesthetic, just in shades of purple, as well as a metallic face mask loosely hanging around his neck.
"Well, this has been torture to listen to. Come on, we'll hold up the class if we waste any more time," Shinso said, walking out of the changing room before he could get a response.
As the group of boys walked, with Shinso ahead of them, Sero asked Izuku what Shinso's deal was. Izuku was confused by the question, as he didn't see anything that necessarily indicated that Shinso had a 'deal' as he had come to understand the word. To Izuku, 'deal' was negative, like there was something wrong with the person that needed to be fixed.
"He's just excited in his own way. He's been waiting a long time for this, as we all have been," Izuku said, smiling after Shinso.
"That makes sense," Krishima said, thoughtfully.
After a few moments, the dreaded question came up, courtesy of Sero.
"So, Midoriya, have you got your eye on anyone?" Sero asked.
"Uh, in what way?" Izuku asked back.
"Y'know, any girls you think you'd like?" Kaminari corrected.
"Oh, I don't know. How would I know?" Izuku asked, genuinely not sure.
"Oh, you'll know. You can't stop looking at them, even out of the corner of your eye. You talk to them just cause you wanna hear them talk. You think about them more often than you notice, at first. Stuff like that," Sero explained, causing Kaminari to spin and raise his eyebrow questioningly.
"Speaking from experience?" he asked, grinning.
"Nah, I've never been into anybody like that. I don't know why, but I know the signs pretty well from having friends who have," Sero said.
"Um, I guess not, then," Izuku said, kind of disappointed, like he had failed at something so integral to being a teenage boy, liking a girl.
The problem was, he had never been allowed to experience that. Every time he thought he liked a girl, she pushed him into the dirt in the playground. Every time a girl expressed an interest in him, they were either bullied into leaving the school, ending up hating him, or were playing a cruel prank which ended up with Izuku's body and pride bruised. He didn't even know what non-familial love felt like, and he didn't know if he could feel it after what he'd been through.
"That's fine. You just haven't found the right girl yet …" Kirishima trailed off.
"What about guys?" Kaminari asked, completely unprompted.
"Huh?" Izuku asked, caught off guard.
"Well, a lot of the time, boys realize that they don't like girls, but they don't really realize that they like boys in the way that they're told they're supposed to like girls. Do you get what I'm saying?" Kaminari tried to dumb it down for the clueless Izuku.
"Not really," Izuku said, still kind of lost.
"Jesus, Midoriya! Didn't your Dad ever give you 'the talk'?!" Kaminari shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"No. My Dad left when I was four," Izuku said without hesitation.
Everybody froze, even Shinso, who had been secretly listening to the boys bicker behind him. Kirishima and Kaminari looked to each other, as well as Sero, and the three then went quiet, seemingly speaking with each other telepathically, though Izuku knew that was impossible for all of them.
"It's not really a sensitive subject for me, it's just something that happened. I'm past it," Izuku said, trying to ease their worries.
"Still, I'm sorry that I brought it up," Kaminari said, resting a hand on Izuku's shoulder comfortingly.
Once the group started moving again, Kirishima finally put together what the hell Kaminari was trying to ask.
"Midoriya, Kaminari was trying to ask if you're gay," he told the smaller boy.
"Yeah, but with a lot more tact than that!" Kaminari shouted.
"Oh. I don't think so? I really haven't had any experience with … romance that much, let alone explore those kinds of things," Izuku said, blushing deeply at the question.
"Alright, dude. That's fine," Kirishima said, giving the others a look that told that to back off.
The rest of the walk was spent talking about which heroes were their favorites. Obviously, Izuku talked about All Might, which was echoed by Kaminari, who loved him because of the smiles he was able to give whenever he was near, saying that he wanted to be a super cool hero like that. Izuku admired that, because that was one of his goals as well. Seeing that someone else admired All Might for the same reasons made Izuku think that maybe the two of them could be good friends, and Izuku grinned knowing that he was making so many new friends, all in one day.
"Well, he's kinda old school, but I really admire Crimson Riot. He's just … he always did the right thing, so that he never regretted having done nothing when he could've done something. I wanna live like that, so I'm gonna be a hero, because I know that my Quirk could be used to help people," Kirishima said.
Izuku remembered Crimson Riot. He had been a battle and rescue hero with the power to harden his hair so that he could smash right through defenses and protect those behind him. He was kind of the 'ultimate spear and shield' thing that Kirishima had mentioned in Homeroom, but on another level. He had also died in battle fifteen years ago, his body mysteriously disappearing. His corpse had never been recovered, so technically he could still be alive, just retired, but it was very likely, given the villain he was up against, that the man was dead.
"Damn, that's cool," Kaminari said, echoing Izuku's thoughts.
"Thanks," Kirishima said, the two fist bumping.
The boys finally reached the rest of the class, and the two groups linked up, with Izuku choosing to stand next to Uraraka, Shinso and Tsu, who had all linked up with each other when they had arrived. He saw all the costumes that everyone had on and almost reached into his backpack for his notebook, but realized that he didn't have it on him, so Izuku had to settle for asking questions for now. That was, until he saw Uraraka's costume.
"Hey! Nice costume, Midoriya! Are you taking inspiration from a bunny?" Uraraka asked, seemingly unaware of how tight her costume was.
Izuku felt a little embarrassed for her. Her costume was skintight, and showed everything. Izuku tried his best to ignore it, but found him blushing and staring intently at her nose in an attempt to normalize her appearance in his mind. He told himself he wasn't going to look at the rest of her body, though the costume certainly wasn't making it hard.
"My, uh, my Mom said the same thing! I didn't see it at first, but I leaned into it after a while. At first, the earpieces were jagged, but now, they're smooth. I kinda like it," Izuku explained.
"Yeah! I think it's cute," Uraraka cheered, making Izuku blush harder.
"Uh, where'd you get your design from? It looks like a spacesuit," Izuku asked.
"Yeah! I wanted to model it after Thirteen, my favorite hero's costume!" she answered.
"Oh. Thirteen is a rescue hero with a space theme, right?" Izuku asked again.
"Yeah. She's my favorite, because she manages to use a Quirk that would normally be used to hurt and kill and turn it into something that helps and rescues!" Uraraka revealed.
"That's a really admirable thing, Uraraka," Izuku said, and the two smiled brightly.
"Hello, you bunch of newbies! Let's get this lesson started! Today, in your first Foundational Heroics lesson, we'll be conducting indoor anti-personnel combat trials!" All Might boomed, speeding to the front of the class from the exit of the training grounds in an instant.
"Fuck yes!" Katsuki roared.
"Wait, what?" Izuku muttered.
"You mean that we're fighting each other? For a first class?" Tsu asked, putting a finger to his mouth in a way that made Uraraka giggle.
"Yes. I've found that, in my years of being a hero, the best lessons are taught through experience. It helps the lessons sink in properly, as you understand the consequences of your mistakes while you learn, because they are more pronounced than they would be in a classroom," All Might explained, making a surprising amount of sense.
"Alright. I guess that makes sense," Kaminari said, still clearly not too excited about hurting his new friends.
"How this will work is that you all will be split up into pairs; heroes and villains pitted against each other in two versus two battles. The villain team will go into the building beside us, locate a fake bomb, and hide it in a place they can booby trap or prepare how they will. After five minutes, the hero team will go in and either try to locate and make physical contact with the bomb, or take down the villains. The matches will have a fifteen minutes time limit. Any questions so far?" All Might explained, causing an arm to shoot up.
The arm looked like it belonged to a knight, and Izuku looked over to see it belonged to Iida. He looked strangely familiar, and it took him a moment to figure out that he had seen a very similar design on Ingenium's costume. Now that Izuku was thinking about it, Iida and Ingenium had very similar Quirks as well. He'd have to talk to Iida after class about it. He realized that he wanted to follow up with so many people, and he thought that this was probably the effect not having his notebook was having on him.
"How will the teams be chosen?" Iida asked.
"Ah, that's simple. You'll all draw lots," All Might said, explaining the box beside him.
"Don't you think that's a bit unprofessional?" Iida asked back.
"Well, not when you think about it. In reality, heroes often have to team up on the fly while on patrol. You don't really get to choose who you work with, even during inter-agency team-ups," Izuku explained, but flinched when he realized he had cut All Might off.
"Very well said, Midoriya. That's precisely the reason we'll be picking randomly, today," All Might said, picking up the box. "All right, let's get to picking!" he roared.
Katsuki immediately barged through the crowd and shoved his hand into the box. His costume looked like it had when he and Izuku had sketched it out when they were four. It was exactly the same, from the red cross over the chest, to the grenade gauntlets, to the spiky head-guard. Izuku's was largely the same as well, only with the addition of his signature red sneakers. Katsuki rummaged around for a while before yanking out a black ball with the letter 'D' on it.
Izuku, feeling like Katsuki was most eager to see which letter he'd draw so that he could fight the smaller boy, walked up to All Might right after, plunging his hand into the box with no hesitation.
"I like your costume, my boy," All Might whispered, just low enough so that only Izuku heard him.
With a big smile, Izuku pulled his ball out of the box, and read that it had a big 'A' painted on its white surface. Hero. Good. Bakugo was a villain, so that already put their chances of facing each other up. As the other students drew their lots, Katsuki approached Izuku and pushed the smaller boy back. The two looked each other in the eye, determination to win burning in both their souls. The two had the same look on their faces, Izuku could tell; passion. Katsuki's was for victory, but Izuku had a softer, quieter passion that burned just as brightly, but slower.
"I'm gonna beat you and your shitty Blackwhip," Katsuki finally said.
"I don't care," Izuku said, not looking away from Katuski's burning gaze.
"Of course you care! You've done nothing but care since we were four years old," Katsuki said.
"No. I've realized something, Kacchan. I've realized that I don't need you," Izuku said, and turned to leave.
Izuku walked away, ready to begin the training exercise. As the rest of the students continued to draw lots, Uraraka bounced her way over to him and showed Izuku her draw, 'A' painted on a white ball. On one hand, he was glad he got to work with someone he knew he liked and got along with. On the other hand, Izuku knew he'd have to keep looking at her, and he just wasn't sure that he could take that kind of mental strain for fifteen to twenty minutes. He sighed and smiled, trying not to make Uraraka feel like she was making him uncomfortable.
"This is great! It's always good to get partnered up with someone you like!" Uraraka cheered, making Izuku's smile widen, a bit more genuine.
"What? That's bullcrap!" Shinso could be heard saying.
Izuku and Uraraka looked over to see that Shinso had been paired with Katsuki, who was even less enthusiastic about the team. The two glared at each other, knowing that they didn't like one another. After a moment, Shinso caved and put his hands up in a placating gesture.
"Look, you don't like me because I'm Midoriya's friend. I don't like you because you're an asshole who tortured him for years. I'm willing to ignore that for the sake of the class, are you?" Shinso asked.
Katsuki stayed quiet. He had a look that could only be described as hellish on his face, probably at having to work with 'stupid Deku's friend', but he didn't say a word, which told Shinso everything he needed to know. He already knew that Katsuki was good in combat, but this told him that, outside of fighting, Katsuki was truly intelligent. He probably figured out that Shinso had been trying to Brainwash him just then, and wisely kept his mouth shut. Shinso smirked, knowing he had been caught. He probably couldn't even make Katsuki do what he wanted under Brainwashing anyway; apologize, because that required higher thought, and he couldn't force that.
Tsu had been paired with Tokoyami, and she made her ay over to him quickly. She saw that he was having a conversation with Dark Shadow, and for a moment felt envious. Always having a friend around, even if he embarrassed you and was kind of a mean one, had to be comforting. Always having that support if you needed it, that just wasn't something that Tsu had ever had. After a momnet, she realized how stupid that was, being envious of someone because they had a friend, and made her way over, croaking to alert Tokoyami to her presence.
"Oh, hello, Asui!" Tokoyami said.
"Please, call me Tsu. I insist all my friends do," she said, shaking the bird boy's hand.
"Alright, then. I look forward to working with you," Tokoyami said.
"And I, with you. I liked your introduction. Dark Shadow is very funny," Tsu said, wringing her hands together. She wasn't the best at these kinds of things.
Tokoyami didn't respond to that much, apart from the slight rising of the corners of his mouth, but Tsu knew that he took it well. The two got to talking after that, and Izuku tuned out, realizing that he had been listening to them. Going without his notebook for so long had made him go into a sort of overanalysis mode, where he was just begging to pick apart any and all interactions and details in his environment. He'd get his chance to pour all that energy in the battle trials, soon enough, though, so he took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
"Alright, let's see who'll be fighting who!" All Might roared, reaching into the box. "Team …" he pulled out a ball, "A, will be fighting …" and another, "D!" he finished.
Izuku knew that Katsuki was grinning like a madman, staring daggers into the back of his head, but he had to resist the urge to look at him. He had to pay him no mind, because he didn't need him to know he was good enough, now. He didn't. He kept telling himself that as Uraraka cheered and bounced up and down in front of him, distracting him for a moment with her enthusiasm.
Team A started to make their way to the starting point, the door at the bottom of the building, as Team D went inside to prepare. Izuku knew this was going to be momentous, no matter the outcome. He felt Blackwhip stir inside him, ready for use.
He had this.