Prologue 4: Spring is the Season of Heroes (this is the last prologue, I promise)
Another day, another beginning for every soul on Earth.
A morning routine could look like a lot of things. Most people would probably spend five minutes trying to get out of bed, get into their shower, munch down their bread and finally head for school or work. Some were diligent and punctual, others more lethargic and slower. Typical as things could be, and more than good enough.
Izuku's went more or less the same, though he always made sure to get up at six. The cold floor would be more than enough to jolt his systems into rousing wakefulness, and then he'd put himself through pre-exercise warmups for five minutes, maybe ten if he was feeling sluggish, before getting into the bath to cool himself off. And then, he'd get dressed and join his mother at the dining table, whereupon he was treated to the sight of omelettes alongside orange juice.
"Whoa! This looks good, mom."
"Thanks, Izuku. I've been practising, and I thought about trying something different."
"Well, knowing you, it was always going to turn out great. Thanks for the meal!"
After breakfast, he'd help put the dishes in the sink before kissing his mom on the cheek and leaving the house first, her lovely 'Take care!' chasing him into the streets. He took a deep whiff of the air, and not for the first time, he could always appreciate spring being the best weather out of the four, even if he saw the charm of the other three. But in his opinion, nothing beats spring.
Nevertheless, with a pep in his step, the Quirkless boy made his way towards Aldera Junior High, a school he was undoubtedly looking forward to saying goodbye. Not like he'd made the best of memories there, but it would also signify the end of his life here, and the beginning of a brand new one. And he was more excited on keeping his focus on the brighter side of things, rather than the alternative.
Before, he would have used the train, as school was pretty far from his home. But with motivation to use the trip as an exercise, he'd forgone it completely ever since, more than happy to make the whole distance on foot.
By the time he arrived, it was seven-thirty, giving him just around fifteen minutes before classes started. Tens of students were gathered at the gate, bottlenecked as they were slowly checked by the prefects for any poor dress code. Groans aplenty could be heard, but the prefects barely cared, more intent on keeping true to the school rules than bend to the whims of their peers.
Speaking of peers, he saw a head of blonde hair near the gate, the girl in question leaning against the wall outside a fair distance away. She had her eyes on her phone, but something must have clued her on his presence, for red orbs lifted to meet his in a moment, widening for a short moment before a grin flitted on her face.
"Yo. Definitely took your sweet time, huh?"
"Hey now, this is my normal speed! Way better than when I first started, am I right?"
"Uh-huh, sure," she kicked away from the wall, joining him as they walked into the school compounds. A prefect looked ready to stop the blonde to correct her dress code, but after a moment of hesitation, made the decision to just look away, not wanting to stir the hornet's nest that is Katsumi Bakugou. "Seriously, though, I'm impressed that you're willing to walk the whole distance. Your place is freaking far from here!"
"Well, I got used to it."
"You definitely did. Plus, you don't even look worse for wear. Talk about a reservoir of stamina."
Perks of both training and community work. Hours of hours of rigorous workouts or physical tasks outdoors would do that to a person. And when one is subjected to such things almost on a daily basis for a year (his volunteerism, on the other hand, had taken root much longer than he could remember), results were to be expected.
They entered their classroom and took their places, chatting about the heroes Mount Lady and Kamui Woods to pass the time. Izuku in particular was curious to know how their Quirks worked, while Katsumi was quick to dismiss them as clout chasers, and boasted about her power being much cooler. You know. Typical Katsumi behaviour.
When their homeroom teacher finally arrived, it was business like always. The lessons were a bit of a bore, even though they were about to graduate from this place sometime soon. Still, he wasn't going to make a fuss about it. Katsumi was doing plenty of that already.
The rest of the day went by like a routine; classes, lunch, more classes, another reminder from their homeroom teacher to carefully consider their future careers, and then dismissal. Since it wasn't their turn for class duties, they were free to pack their bags and take their leave, planning an excursion downtown to look for cats. And maybe get food.
At least, that was the plan until some guy from their class stepped right in front of them, blocking their path to the exit. Flanking him on either side were two other guys, both smirking while their de facto leader gave a gallant smile—at least, that was what Izuku thought his image was meant to be. He looked more threatening than charming.
"Hello, Katsumi-san," he greeted. Yaka was his name, Izuku recalled. "Heading home?"
Both teenagers exchanged glances before they looked back at him. "Obviously," scoffed the blonde. "So move out of the way. I don't got time for nobodies."
"Now, now, what's the rush? Surely you've got some time you could spare for a friend, right?"
"Friend?" A snort escaped her, making both Yaka and his buddies frown. "Like I'd ever associate myself with a loser like you. Now move! I'm tired of your voice already."
Katsumi pushed forwards, but Yaka simply moved backwards to keep the distance, still blocking the doorway. His friends fanned out a little wider, all three of them generally displeased.
"Now, Katsumi-san, I know this might seem like we're tying to pick a fight with you, but I assure you that it isn't our intention to do so. We just want to invite you out," his smile came back, plastic. "For a bit of fun, yeah?"
"Your definition of fun probably involves karaoke and cigarettes. Not interested."
"Ouch. You're playing hard to get."
"And you're being a fucking dickhead! Get out of my way!"
Without warning, she finally shoved him out of the way, stomping out into the halls. Izuku hastened to follow her, rubbing her back while a slew of curses slipped from her lips.
And that would have been the end of it if it weren't for Yaka's muttered words, barely a whisper. "Tch. What a bitch…"
One of them was first to stop moving. And then they were the first to turn around and walk back towards Yaka, who was just about to head back inside the classroom until they gripped him by the shoulder, prompting him to turn around in surprise.
Izuku frowned, his free hand clenched in a tight fist that he could feel his nails digging into his palm. "Take that back."
"Huh? What do you want, freak? I don't got time for—"
"I told you to take that back!" His outburst had definitely shocked him and the others, and Izuku was not entirely sure where that flare of rage had come from. All that he knew was that his body and mind were working against logic, and he let them do so. "Don't call Kacchan a bitch! She's a great person, and I won't have you insulting her!"
Surprise eventually eroded into anger, the taller boy fisting his shirt as he growled back. "Buzz off, Deku! You're nothing! You're even worse than a piece of horse sh—"
If Izuku had been any less patient of a man, he might have just decked him in the face. Someone else had beaten him to the punch—literally, though to call it an explosion was far more fitting.
Because the next thing he knew, there was a flash of light before fire erupted before their very eyes, the force carrying through and sending Yaka flying out of his grip and down the corridor to his right, doing a poor imitation of a bouncy ball as he flipped and turned in the air before skidding against the cement floor. His landing position was like a warped pretzel, and his body twitched as his mouth foamed, effectively knocked out.
Silence. And then, a series of tinier explosions as all eyes snapped towards the perpetrator, whose scarlet eyes burnt with murder, teeth gnashing in a way that would have grinded stone.
"So, anyone else wants to fuck with Izuku? Huh?"
She looked around as she asked that, and not for the time in his life, he had to wonder if Katsumi had been joking when she considered putting murder in her future hero name.
"That was easily the scariest thing I had ever seen of you. And I've seen plenty."
"Oh, buzz off! If I didn't do that, I'm pretty sure he would have put his fist in your face! The twat deserved it!"
He couldn't but flinch at her slur, both impressed and concerned by how diverse her cursing vocabulary was getting by the day. Even her mom swore half as much as she did. Nevertheless, what was done was done, and the fact that they got away with it without detention spoke of utter miracles.
That, and the fact that the other students were more than eager to back her up by calling Yaka the initiator, even if Izuku had technically been the first person to touch him. He felt bad about that, but at the same time, the satisfaction of seeing him getting his just desserts was immeasurable, and he hadn't bothered playing saint when Katsumi asked him if she shouldn't have done that.
"Good that we're on the same wavelength, but I've gotta' ask why you did that. What happened?"
"He called you a bitch."
His friend paused, either caught off-guard by his swearing, or that he heard him at all. "Seriously? The hallway was noisy as heck! I didn't hear anything!"
"He did say it, though. I heard him whisper under his breath when you left the classroom," he frowned, hands clenching bag straps tightly. "I didn't like it when he called you that. That was just… so wrong! You're nothing like that."
Her surprise lasted for a little longer, before eventually she smiled at him. "Jeez. Feels like you're even more insulted than I am by that… But, thanks, Izu. Appreciate that."
"A-Ah. Yeah, no, it's okay."
Honestly, who was he to just call Katsumi names? If he'd been the target of Yaka's insult, then he would have taken it on the chin. Name calling was nothing new to him, and he'd experienced worse. That he'd instead chosen to spew such a word at Katsumi was…
He shook his head. It was a rage he'd never felt before, and he recognized how ugly it was. But it felt right, if only because he really couldn't tolerate such disrespect towards the girl he… he…
'Gah, damn it, man! Stop thinking like that!' He shook his head, chancing a discreet look towards Katsumi, who was already walking ahead of him with her arms folded behind her back. 'You've already made your decision. There's no point in even entertaining that thought anymore. She's too far out of your reach.'
The sooner he accepted that, the better it would be for the both of them. He knew his role; Izuku, her childhood friend who shared her dreams, and who would become a hero alongside her. That was who he was. That… That was enough…
"Eh? Wait, is that you, Midoriya-kun?"
"…Ah, whah?"
Blinking out of his stupor, his head turned to the source of the voice, which sounded strangely familiar to his ears. Confusion broke into surprise at the sight of rosy cheeks and brown hair, the girl dressed in a school uniform he was unfamiliar with.
But that face was not one he would be forgetting anytime soon. "Uraraka-san?"
"It is you!" Her smile came right as she jogged over to him, bringing a smile to his face as well. "Thank goodness I got the right person! It would have been awkward otherwise."
"Hah, what gave it away? I'd bet it was the hair."
"Definitely!" She giggled. "Your green hair really stands out in a crowd. And you don't often see this colour of hair 'round these parts, so I was pretty confident that it was you. And turns out, I was right! How've you been?"
"Great! And you?"
"Mm, just peachy. Nothing crazy has happened, so there's nothing to share. Guess you got done with school."
"Yep. How 'bout you? Just finished?"
"Nah. School finished earlier than usual, so I'd just been walking around town, getting my steps in. It was honestly pure coincidence that I ended up here, of all places. And meeting you here, too!"
"Hah, yeah. Guess the world works in mysterious ways."
"Exactly!"
"Hol'up, what's going on here?" Their conversation was cut short by the blonde, who had a suspicious look aimed at the brunette. "And who're you, for the matter?"
"Oh, right! Sorry, I suppose I should introduce the both of you to each other," first, he gestured towards the blonde. "Uraraka-san, this is Katsumi Bakugou, my childhood friend. And Kacchan, this," he then gestured to the brunette. "Is Ochaco Uraraka. I met her a couple days ago while I was out on a walk, and we just talked about stuff."
"Uh-huh… You actually talked to a girl on your own, and actually befriended her?"
"H-Hey now, I know I'm a massive introvert, but I…" He paused, then sighed. "No, you're right. That's sort of crazy when you think about it."
Even he had been impressed with himself that night. Years of being so socially awkward that his only friend was just one person, to somehow making a new friend on his own—that was an achievement unlike any other, and he'll be taking that win to the grave.
"In any case, you said you were just walking around town, Uraraka-san? Want to join us? We'd be happy for the extra company."
"Wait, really? I wouldn't be intruding?"
"Sure you wouldn't! In fact, we were thinking about getting lunch—and maybe see some cats, we'll see how that goes—so it'd be nice to eat together. The more the merrier!"
"You're inviting her to join us?" Katsumi asked, sounding oddly irritated.
"Yeah. This'll be a good chance for us to get to know each other better. Plus, she told me that she's also planning to go to U.A. High. That's another familiar face!"
"Pfft. So what?" She rolled her eyes. "We don't need any extras."
Before he could get his word in, Uraraka bumped her shoulder against his, smiling sweetly. "Actually, I'd be interested to know more about you two! I think I'll take you up on that offer, Midoriya-kun!" Her gaze then moved to his best friend, her smile widening. "And I hope we can get along, Bakugo-san!"
"Bitch, don't go acting all friendly with me! It's gross!"
"Oh, don't be like that! This is a great opportunity to know my future classmates!"
"Buzz off!"
Okay, something was definitely going wrong, and he was the only out of the loop.
Not like it was presented in that way whatsoever. Uraraka was being her friendly self and Katsumi was being standoffish as usual. Nothing so out of place, as he knew his childhood friend could be pretty brutish towards other people, but the fact that Uraraka was tanking her scorn without falter was honestly impressive.
Still, there was this… tension in the air. And he had to wonder if it was between Uraraka and Katsumi, one smiling with eyes closed and the other glaring openly at her as if trying to burn her with heat vision. He wouldn't even be surprised if sparks went flying between them.
'Is there something I'm missing here? Oh, who am I kidding. There probably is, and I'm an idiot for not knowing what it is.'
Still, as he dug into his chocolate mint ice-cream, humming at the lovely blend of sweetness and refreshing air, he couldn't help but appreciate the place they were in. It was an ice-cream parlour that he'd looked up the night before. Pastel colours decorated the walls in the form of paintings, and little decorations in the shape of animals hung from the ceiling. No trash could be seen whatsoever, the workers diligent in keeping the place clean and serving their customers their scoops.
Overall, he made the right choice. Uraraka had been excited, stating her desire to come here someday with her parents, and Katsumi simply shrugged back, acting nonchalant about the whole thing. She wasn't a fan of sweets to begin with.
Her tune immediately changed when he told her this place sold spicy ice-cream, which, when one thought about it, sounded like a really impossible thing. But nope, it was a thing, and he recalled reading somewhere that there was an ice-cream so hot, so spicy, that someone actually had to sign a death waiver for it. And by God, he will do his best to make sure Katsumi doesn't find out about it. They would be doomed otherwise.
Thankfully, this was nothing as bad as Respiro Del Diavolo, or Devil's Breath, though Katsumi was definitely surprised by the kick it had. So that was a win!
Deciding to break the ice (heh. Ice. In an ice-cream parlour) first, he cleared his throat before speaking to his new friend. "So, Uraraka-san. You said you were planning to head to U.A., right? Will you be with a friend?"
"Oh, no, it's just me. Which is such a relief that you two are going too," she beamed his way. "I was afraid that I'd be all on my own, so having some familiar faces will definitely make me feel less terrified to go to school!"
"A-Ah," he smiled back, feeling his heart do a somersault. Not the time! "Yeah, that's good to hear!"
"Pfft. So you're going to U.A. too. Big deal," Katsumi waved her off. "Unless you've got an awesome Quirk like me or the brains like Izuku, then you'll probably just get rejected. You don't even look all that impressive to me, so good luck trying to impress the staff there."
His head snapped towards Katsumi, mouth agape in shock, then back towards Uraraka, of whom he could imagine a bright red tick mark on her forehead. Even her smile had become tense. "Oho? I don't think that's how heroes work, you know. You're not supposed to be good at only fighting bad guys."
" 'Course you have to be! Otherwise, you're just going to have your ass kicked, and that makes you useless!"
"Being only good at fighting… If that's the case, you wouldn't even need to be a hero. Pretty sure that's more of a guard dog's work."
"Huuuuh?" Ruby eyes burnt as they focused on her, her hand close to shattering her cone. In fact, Izuku could make out the faint scent of ozone coming from her hands. "You wanna' say that again, bitch?"
"A hero has to be skilled in a lot of things. Combat is one of them, but if that's all you're ever good for, then you won't get far as a hero. In fact, you'd be so much better relegated to thug work," Uraraka shot back. "Bitch."
An explosion bloomed within the store. Well, that was what his panicking brain had just helpfully envisioned for him when he saw the smoke hissing from his friend's other palm, her teeth grating back and forth as she glared at Uraraka, who was only staring back undaunted. If looks could kill, theirs would have eradicated mankind as they knew it.
"O-Okay! Whoo! You guys are sure getting friendly!" His laughter was nervous. He knew he had to intervene before someone here was getting murdered. And he was shocked that he couldn't tell whether it was Katsumi or Uraraka who would be getting their heads done in. "A-Anyways, how about we tell a bit of ourselves? You know, learn a bit of our backgrounds and the like," thankfully, he managed to catch Uraraka's attention, quickly looking to him with interest. Katsumi let her go with a grunt. "I'll go first. I come from a family of three, and…"
His life wasn't anything to write home, bar the Quirkless part which he chose to keep quiet about. A part of him wasn't ready to spill that part to everyone outside of his family and Katsumi's, and an even bigger part of him feared the response he would get from Uraraka. She was his first genuine friend in a long time, and if he could hold onto that for a little longer, he'd be happy.
Nevertheless, he talked about his mum who worked as housewife to keep him fed and clothed every single day without fail. He talked about his fire-breathing dad who travelled the world, honing his culinary arts and served various kitchens across the globe.
He talked of his dreams and Katsumi's of becoming heroes, long inspired by All Might, their idol. He talked of his interest in studying Quirks of all kinds of people, something that Katsumi interjected with a mention of his intellect, something that had him blushing up a storm.
"What? It's true! You're the smartest guy I know. There's no one I know who can pick apart a Quirk just from seeing it. You even come up with ideas for techniques and support gear to complement them, which isn't something most people can pull off."
"Ahh, Kacchan..! Stop, it's embarrassing..!"
"But it's nothing to be embarrassed about!" The brunette said firmly, pumping her fists. "With a skill like that, I'd bet that you'd have no trouble figuring out which Quirk is best for which situation! That's incredible!"
"Damned right you are that he's amazing. Also, shut up."
"What? But you just agreed with me!"
"Exactly. That I agreed with you at all makes me want to gag," the blonde rolled her eyes, while Uraraka stuck her tongue out at her. "Guess it's my turn. I've just got my pops and the hag—"
"Katsumi calls her mom that, but she's really sweet."
"A pain in my ass, more like. Anyways, Izuku practically summed it up best; we've been dreaming of becoming heroes since we were kids, and now we're a few weeks away from seeing it happen!" She slapped her hands against the table, grinning viciously. "And all the losers are gonna' get caught with their pants down once they realize just how incredible the two of us are! Our entire year's gonna' get smoked!"
"Ahh, I see. That's nice. Having a dream to share together…"
"Yeah. And what 'bout you? What's your lame backstory?"
"Kacchan…" He sighed.
"What? I'm letting her talk!"
"I know you are, but be a little nicer to Uraraka-san."
"No, it's okay. Even if she's a prick, she's not wrong," she bravely ignored the blonde's curse. "My childhood isn't anything special, and I grew up in the Mie Prefecture. I have no siblings, so it's just me and my parents. My mom and dad own a business in construction, and it's… it's not exactly in the best of places. Plenty of competition and people just not looking to them for work. So our financial isn't the best."
Even when her expression had been unchanging all throughout, he could make out the flash of guilt across her expression, which had his heart clenching in sympathy. Even Katsumi was quiet, showing a rare moment of respect towards the other girl.
"I wanted to get into the family business, because my Quirk's absolutely suitable for the job. It lets me levitate things when I touch them, you see? But they told me that they wanted me to be happy. To chase after my dreams instead," her laughter was weak, almost sad despite the smile on her face. "So, that's why I'm here! To be a student at U.A. High, and become a great hero!"
"Uraraka-san…"
"Plus, a hero's salary is said to be one of the highest of any existing jobs. So if I become a hero, I can rake in the dough and help out my mom and dad," her gaze moved towards them, smile weak. "Kind of lame, huh? You two want to be heroes to help people, and here I am, wanting to make money…"
"That's…"
"Damn. You're a fucking idiot."
If Izuku had been drinking something, he would have definitely been spewing that all over the table. Both he and the brunette stared at Katsumi in shock, the girl looking unapologetic whatsoever.
"First off, you got us wrong. Izuku wants to be a hero to help people. I'm in it for the fame!" She punched a thumb into her chest. "I will immortalize my name in the history books for years to come, and if that means becoming a hero, then I sure as hell will become one! And then all the villains will fear my name, and they'll think twice before considering something stupid!"
"K-Kacchan, that's…"
"And two, so what if you're in it for the money?" The words caught them both off-guard once more. "You make it sound like a bad thing, but it's a fact that heroes make significantly more than most occupations. It's because it's one of the most dangerous jobs there is. Granted, it ain't so bad nowadays, but there's always opportunity for something really dangerous to happen, which would then make heroes and the police force pivotal in taking charge. Plus, a hero's schedule isn't a three hours' thing. It's a whole fucking day, and that might extend to the entire week if a dumbass thinks he could start some trouble on the streets—"
"—Plus, you're not in it for the money for yourself. It's for your parents. You wouldn't have gone through the hassle of telling us your whole sob story if you weren't sincere in your intent in becoming a hero. So I say fuck the haters," she jabbed a finger towards Uraraka. "Do what you want. Be selfish. Though even you're not selfish enough since you want to help your family. That makes you ten times better than all the pretenders. Remember that."
"K-Kacchan…"
"Bakugou-san…"
"D-Don't get me wrong! That's just my opinion!" And there was the defensive Katsumi, suddenly flustered at the amazed look in the other girl's eyes. "Just don't cry to me if things go wrong for you or anything! I'll just laugh in your face if it does!"
"…Hah. I see. So, as long as my intentions are right, then…" Uraraka paused, then beamed, the weight on her shoulders lifted. "Thank you, Bakugou-san! That means a lot to me!"
"S-Shut up! I wasn't saying all that to help ya'! Gaah, now you're just annoying! Izuku, help me out here!"
Izuku did not, in fact, help her out. Instead, he was content with watching the two bicker (well, Uraraka was thanking the blonde, while Katsumi was spewing expletives back at her) with a smile, genuine joy and relief pooling in his chest at their exchange.
Katsumi was many things, but she wasn't a bad person, as much as some people may think otherwise. She had mocked Uraraka not for her intentions, recognizing how noble it was of her to want to help her parents, and had instead encouraged her in her own way; a lot of insulting, cursing, and barely recognizable yet genuine encouragement.
At some point, as their conversation grew lighter and the girls were even throwing teases at one another, Izuku laughing all the while, he could feel nothing but absolute joy. Everything around him had disappeared, and all that he could focus on were the two girls he was listening to, feeling almost soothed by their presences.
His childhood friend, and the first person he'd befriended in so long. It was so incredible, and he couldn't believe that he was so lucky to have known the two of them. Now, he wanted to see that future of the three of them making it into U.A. together; going to classes, sharing a table at the cafeteria, training, going on outings like today, laughing over a stupid movie…
And Izuku, for the first time in his life, was shocked by how strongly he wanted such a thing. And the emotions he'd thought he would shelf forever came brimming at the fore yet again.
He glanced towards Katsumi, clicking her tongue. Her blonde hair was done back in a messy bun, the rest falling down her back and shoulders like a river. Her black jacket went so well with her complexion, and he couldn't help but focus on her sharp eyes and the glean of her lips, watching as they moved as she said something. He had lost himself in looking at her more times than he could count, and he wanted to stare at her all day even now.
And then, he stared across the table, to where Uraraka was laughing at something her fellow girl said. Her rosy cheeks gave her such an adorable look, helped by her round, cute eyes and those eyelashes that fluttered with every blink. Her shoulder-length hair framed her face nicely, a faint scent of lavender shampoo wafting from her being that drew him in. Even in her uniform, she looked cute, and he couldn't look away even if he wanted to.
After a while, he buried his arms, groaning. 'Bro, you are down bad… What's with you..?'
Looking at them wasn't helping. In fact, the more he did, the harder his heart throbbed in his chest. Was he suffering a heart attack or something? And what were these treacherous ideas in his head? Texting one another on Sunday nights? Going out on trips? Holding hands?!
Damn it… It wasn't supposed to be like this… He'd promised himself that he wasn't… that he—
The wall in front of him exploded, and his entire body lurched out of his seat. He struck the floor, the side of his head striking the tiles, and the world went black.
The first thing he felt upon waking up was the tightness in his chest, and a burning pain that lanced across his entire body. A headache rampaged his skull, unapologetic. He felt heavy like lead, the taste of copper on his tongue.
Afterwards, his consciousness constantly swam, as if he was hopping between being awake and not. The world made sense, and it didn't, and darkness danced around the corners of his vision, like thorny vines that were threatening to entangle him in blindness forever.
He felt sick. He wanted to throw up.
Against strain and the throbbing headache, he twisted his body and forced his palms against cracked tiles, pushing himself up so that he was on his hands and knees. And then, with one foot affirming purchase, he slowly rose, breathing heavily all the while.
"K-Kacchan..?" He called out weakly, eyes squinted as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. "Uraraka-san..?"
Neither girls responded. They'd just been there, sitting at their spots and talking with one another. Now, the table was completely flipped on its head, the chairs haphazardly scattered with a massive, gaping hole in the wall they'd sat close by. Some were even shattered to pieces. Debris pooled on the floor, and as the ringing in his ears slowly died away, he could make out dampened screaming from his surroundings.
Groaning, Izuku slowly stepped out through the hole in the wall, clutching his left arm and feeling how dull it was. Still, it couldn't possibly be a dislocation, but it certainly hurt quite a bit. Maybe he'd gotten it scratched on something, or he'd been lying on it for too long.
Even so, none of that mattered. What mattered was finding his friends. Something wrong had happened, and he needed to make sure they were safe. Their lives took precedence above all else.
A rumbling explosion in the distance caught his attention, spotting fire and smoke from an alley. Was something going on over there? There were so many people over there, and curiosity drew him in like a moth to the flame, though the flames in this scenario were entirely real and not metaphorical.
There was a crowd at the mouth of an alley, held back by tape. And by tape, he realized that it was water mimicking tape blocking a cordoned section, and he found a hero that looked like a fire extinguisher—Backdraft, if he recalled—warning them to stay away. The shadow over his head shifted, and he looked up to find an enlarged Mount Lady staring down at the scene in dismay, with Kamui Woods standing on her shoulder uncertain. Other heroes were there as well, all hesitant, staring down a massive body of sludge…
And then he saw her. And his heart properly froze for the first time.
It was as if a person was trying to tear themselves out of tar. Her arms were flailing about, explosions popping out of her palms as she forcefully tried wrenching herself free. The mass of murky sewage filth had cruel eyes and a wide smirk, looking completely unaffected by the chaos rampaging inside of it, but was instead mocking the heroes with a loud, hoarse voice.
"Kehahaha! You heroes really are useless when there're hostages involved! Key word here is hostages, with an 's'! That's right, I've got myself two cute little girls—"
A massive explosion interrupted him, and his body ballooned outwards from the force of Katsumi's attack. He gulped it down, sighing in annoyance.
"Make that one cute girl and one volatile little brat, but whatever! I've got me two hostages, and none of you will be messing with me! Kehahaha!"
Ice crept in his veins at the declaration, Izuku staring in horror as Katsumi struggled vainly in the mud's clutches. Scarlet eyes, though fierce, held an underlying tone of desperation. She searched left and right for something to help her, her voice hoarse as she continued to curse at the villain, her hands releasing explosions periodically.
But Izuku knew her best. He'd known her since the day he was born. And right now, she was screaming for help.
"Sometime in the near future, something life-threatening will happen to a girl that you will fall in love with. You will not be ready for it, but it will be up to you to rise to the challenge if you seek to save her… and begin your journey as a hero."
Izuku's chest felt tight now. He was breathing heavily now, he realized, Ai's damning words ringing in his head like a raucous bell. He couldn't see nor hear anything but the horrid scene before him, and the more he stared at the villain, the worse the sight became, especially when he could make out another blurry silhouette in his body, writhing about, her brown hair visible within the inky darkness. Uraraka was drowning..!
His eyes darted behind him, hoping that a hero would take action to save the both of them. And just as a scream for help was about to leave his lips—
"Damn it… None of our Quirks are suitable for this situation. Are there any other heroes on the way?"
"We called for backup, but we haven't gotten any responses yet."
"Damn it! Seriously? This is bad…"
'What do you mean your Quirks aren't suitable?' He thought hotly, gritting his teeth. 'You're heroes! You're supposed to be able to save people in need, no matter the circumstances!'
But none of them were moving. They were more focused on keeping the civilians away from the scene, and to prevent the villain from making a sudden escape. Everyone was at a standstill, not a single one doing anything to break the pause.
And with every second that ticked by, Uraraka and Katsumi were dying, trapped in the villain's clouded body. Every second gone, the less oxygen they were getting, the more they were getting crushed…
No. This couldn't be happening. All of this was just some bad dream. He… He'd fallen asleep in the ice-cream parlour, and his two friends were still talking with one another. They were safe. They were happy..!
"Sometime in the near future, something life-threatening will happen to a girl that you will fall in love with. You will not be ready for it, but it will be up to you to rise to the challenge if you seek to save her… and begin your journey as a hero."
And Ai looked him in his eyes, almost challenging him.
"The only question that remains is… are you ready?"
He wasn't. And he ran.
Izuku didn't know how it happened. Fear had him frozen to his spot as he witnessed his two friends slowly die out right in front of him, almost like a horror movie reel. Everything was stiff, locked, kept in check. Dread thicker than pools of oil clogged his throat and left him struggling to breathe.
And then he was running. His legs were pumping their hardest as heat blasted at him from either side, smoke in his lungs and the fires hot. His eyes watered, but his body moved regardless of the consequences, his mind focused on only one thing.
And that was saving his friends, no matter what.
Adrenaline surged in his system as he leapt at the villain, the distant shouts of the heroes becoming white noise. One second, he was in the air, and the next his hands sunk into thick sludge, reaching deep inside.
"Yo, what? What's this scrawny-looking kid doing? You want to be my hostage too?!" He cackled. "By all means!"
"That's… not what I'm doing..!" He screamed back, trying to find purchase with his feet as his arms were suddenly being pulled into the villain's body. "I'm trying… to save… my friends!"
This was worse. So much worse. It felt like he was moving his hands in water, but the resistance he met was even greater, almost as if he was moving eight times slower than he would normally. And yet, he focused on Katsumi's eyes, which were now wide in disbelief as she stared at him.
And Izuku, in turn, smiled back as best as he could. "Don't worry!" He half-laughed, half-cried out, vision blurring with tears. "I'm getting you out of here! Hang on!"
"Don't try to play hero, brat! You ain't getting nothing!"
There was a sudden pull on his body. Izuku gasped as his face slammed against his body, and the surface membrane threatened to break apart to let him through. Izuku strained his neck to keep his head out of the filth, and instead focused on manoeuvring his hands to reach for his friend, desperate to pull her out.
When he felt something soft, something much more tangible than the fluids, he grabbed onto it tightly and pulled. His grip slackened, and he promptly dug himself deeper into his body, clenching hard onto Katsumi's arms.
"I-I won't let you die here! Not like this, Kacchan! Uraraka-san!"
Was the filth getting to his head now? Had he accidentally ingested some of the slop? Was he now in a state of delirium? He wasn't sure, as his head grew light and his exhausted consciousness was threatening to slip once more.
But he held on, and pulled. And pulled. And pulled.
He couldn't let her die. Not until he told her… Not until he told the both of them..!
"Aargh..! RhhhrRHAAAAA!"
And with one strong tug, it snapped the confines apart, dragging Katsumi out in a single motion. She took in a lungful gulp of air, and that was more than enough for her, even with his body latching around her legs and attempting to pull her back in.
Katsumi turned, eyes burning with hatred, and aimed her palm at the villain. "You really thought you could get away with messing with us? Wrong move, you son of a bitch!"
Nitro-glycerine formed at her palm, and a spark set it ablaze.
"FUCK OFF! AND DIE!"
And that one, mighty blast was more than enough to cut him off once more.
Another black-out, this time from his earlier exhaustion after his sudden spurt of adrenaline. Despite having worked out extensively, there was nothing that could have prepared him for the emotional stress that he had to deal with, which was apparently more than even his body could tolerate.
He stayed unconscious much longer this time, though he wasn't even sure if that was the case. All that came to him was feeling, inch by inch, as his fingers twitched first before the heat graced his skin.
At some point, he realized that he was lying down. The odd part was that his head wasn't on hard concrete as he'd expected, but was instead on something soft. Whatever it was, he wasn't complaining, though it would suck if he'd apparently bled out from hitting something that he was now having perceptual delusions…
"…ey… hey… Izuku!"
Someone's voice pulled him back from slipping back into unconsciousness. Focusing, he looked straight forwards—or up, technically—finding a shadow cast over him. He'd expected to see the darkening sky or piling smoke. Instead, there were eyes staring down at him, duplicating into fours or eights as they danced about, staring down at him.
It took longer than he would have liked to ground himself in reality once more, and the eyes became two. They were of a chocolate shade that he'd come to love, along with her rosy cheeks and short hair. Her expression was of abject relief, and he saw tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.
"Y-You're okay..!" She choked out a sob. "Thank goodness..!"
"U-Uraraka-san..?"
"Y-Yeah. It's me…"
Someone took ahold of his hand. His head slowly gazed in the direction of the source, finding misty red eyes staring at him. Hard as they were, they were also gentle in a way only he had ever been blessed enough to see, and her hair was completely undone, spilling down her back in a beautiful way.
"Damned idiot!" She barked, hoarse. There was no mistaking the fear in her voice. "Don't ever do that again! You almost got yourself killed, y-you..!"
Her heartbreak got to him, and without thinking, his body was already moving. He slowly pushed himself up to sit, groaning, and the two girls hastily tried to help him, the brunette warning him to take it slowly. He couldn't do that, however.
Whatever else they wanted to say were cut off when he suddenly turned around and pulled the both of them into his arms.
"W-W-Wha..!"
"I-Izuku?!"
"I-I'm so glad..!" He wept, his hug desperate and tight. Now more aware and awake, he was free to cry like the cry baby that he was, unwilling to let go. "If something had happened to you both… I would have never forgiven myself..!"
It was like a dam broken. His spilling emotions prompted Uraraka to break into tears, clutching at him tightly as she sobbed loudly, crying his name over and over again. Even Katsumi, as strong as she was, was not immune and buried her face into his shirt, soaking his collar as she tried desperately not to appear fragile despite him able to feel the shudders of her wracking cries.
God… He'd been so lucky. So, so lucky that he was able to stop something so terrible from happening to the girls he loved. He almost stood there, watching them die a slow death by asphyxiation while the heroes argued over nothings and the villain uncaring of them.
And now, feeling them here, smelling their fragrances and tasting the subtle warmth of their bodies flush against his, the relief was incomprehensible. And he simply surrendered himself to it, hugging the girls and not willing to let them go, as if they would break the moment he did.
…Huh. So that was what she meant…
Eventually, it was Katsumi who pulled away first, her eyes puffy and dried tear trails on her cheeks. "Damn it… You just… Argh, I can't believe you," she hissed. "You put yourself in unnecessary danger, you know. You're lucky nothing bad happened."
"Y-Yeah. Bakugou-san is right," sniffled Uraraka, wiping her eye. "Why did you do that, Midoriya-kun?"
"What do you mean? Would you have rather I just stand back and do nothing?"
"Of course not! It's just… It was reckless, alright? You would have died if you did something wrong."
"Maybe. But I would have never forgiven myself if I let that fortune teller's words come true. I had to stop it," his words prompted confused looks from the two girls, to which a gentle smile crept onto his face. "It's funny. I had thought that that fortune teller I met all those weeks ago was just saying something to intimidate me without having any legs to stand on. And today, I almost saw the two people I love die right in front of me."
Green orbs dropped to their hands. He took Katsumi's in his left, Uraraka's in his right, and clutched them tightly.
"But now, I'm utterly grateful because I've actually done it. I made sure to prevent such a terrible fate from happening. I'm happy," he laughed breathily. "So happy that you two are okay."
Perhaps his sincerity had reached them, for both girls turned a beautiful shade of red in the face of his words. "M-Midoriya-kun!" The brunette squeaked. "T-That's..!"
"And today has made it very clear just where I stand in all of this. My feelings on this entire situation, my feelings for you two, what I really want in my life…"
He took a deep breath, remembering his father's words—Someday, you might meet the girl of your life. And at that point in time, you need to take the leap, or else you'll regret it forever—and thinking on how unlikely it was that the advice would ever be applied for him.
Today, he would be relying on his advice, though in a way that would likely surpass the older Midoriya's expectations by leaps and bounds.
His head fell in a bow. "Katsumi! Uraraka-san! I love the both of you! Will you two go out with me?"
A moment of silence.
And then, the world around him shifted. A sudden Ka-Zing! shook him to the core when he met their gaze once more, akin to having electricity coursing through him from head to toe. His soul ignited with newfound power, information and knowledge flooding his brain like a torrential wave and his emotions dialled up all the way to eleven. It was so sudden; like a gunshot straight into his chest that gave him no room for thought.
And then, a bell sounded off in his head, followed by messages that could not be perceived with his eyes whatsoever, yet the message was seared directly into his brain that he immediately understood just what was going on.
[Congratulations! Lady Ai's blessing has activated, and you have now become 'The Lover'! May your love save the world!]
[You have captured the hearts of Katsumi Bakugou and Ochako Uraraka! You can now assess their profiles!]
And then, as if materializing from thin air, white words popped into existence above his girlfriends' heads in simple font. One above the blonde's head…
[Katsumi Bakugou: Explosive Tsundere]
And another above the brunette's head.
[Ochako Uraraka: Affectionate Best Friend]
And, in unison, the three screamed the same thing for completely different reasons: "What the fu—"
Author's Notes:
Aw yeah, boy. Bet you didn't see this kind of story coming, did you? A harem story with our green bean protagonist. How very original.
Obviously, it isn't. And in case you can't tell, this story is heavily inspired by The 100 Girlfriends who Really Love You (GOATed manga, by the way. I cannot get over it whatsoever. Been re-reading it over and over again) and The 100 Girlfriends who Really Love Deku by Brypops on this website. Go give them both a read! It's pretty fun.
And yes, fellow readers. This is a gamer fic. I apologize if this is going to turn plenty of you off, but this was my intention from the beginning. I'd wanted to try writing a gamer fic for a long time, and this was an opportunity to play with the trope in a way that's different from the norm. I recognize that it can get repetitive, so I want to try something with it that will come off as comedic and fun to see. I was inspired to try after reading SAO: The Eroge by SaintInfernalNeos. My all-time favourite SAO story. Go check this one out as well.
Nevertheless, it's just nice to return to my roots to write a BNHA fic. Haven't done that in a looong time. Here, it'll be nothing but absolutely silly romance, and with all the ideas I want to play around with, I assure you that I will do my best to deliver a fun read for you.
Also, I'm sure many of you will realize that Izuku will be somewhat out-of-character. Introverted, but certainly not as stutter-heavy or socially inept as canon Izuku is. Just in case anyone asks this question down the line, I attribute it to one reason:
Izuku is actually friends with Katsumi. While that may seem too simple of a reason that may not be enough to subvert a great amount of social awkwardness, his lack of bullying by Katsumi (who would technically be making his life a living hell otherwise) and their good relationship would certainly be a good factor for his upbringing to be a positive one. And since she would technically ward off any potential bullying from their classmates, it's just another bonus. Therefore, that one thing should help in his social skills, albeit not to the point where he'd just be completely comfortable from the get-go. That's for him to grow into down the line.
For 2025, I'll try and focus on this story as well as a couple of old ones that I've left in the dust for a bit. This story will hopefully be updated every Sunday.
Oh. And by the way, the last time I watched this anime was back in season three. So, uh, yeah. I'm missing a lot of context. Yay.