Chapter Text
While most people were enjoying the activities break, Izuku and Shinso had quickly gone back to their classmates to… panic.
“So you’ve got blasty boy,” Botan said calmly, but his voice cracked with, “it’s fine.”
“Oh you are so dead.” Fuwa patted Shinso’s shoulder.
Shinso grumbled into the palm of his hand, “I brainwashed his teammate in the last round. There’s no way he doesn’t know my quirk.”
“Midoriya, you got anything useful on Bakugo?” Kohei called out to Izuku, who was surrounded by others - telling him all they saw Uraraka do with her quirk in previous rounds. Komori was certain Uraraka’s quirk required five finger touch. But Takata said it was four fingers only, no thumb.
Izuku looked up, from where he sat. “Kacchan’s hot headed. If you say the wrong thing, he’ll either explode or yell.”
Kohei, Shinso, Botan and Fuwa stared at Izuku, expecting more.
“…That’s your grand analysis?” Botan asked weakly.
“I can’t do Kacchan dirty.” Izuku shrugged, but his eyes had humor. “We could flip a coin if you want.”
“Ha. Ha.” Shinso decided to lay down on the ground for the rest of the time left.
Well, he’s glad Midoriya’s feeling better.
Rina was just looking for the bathroom, honestly!
But the hallways just kept going on and on, she got lost pretty quickly. She’s pretty sure she’s walked past the same alumni poster four times now.
So when she sees Yagi walking ahead, she’s so glad! He might know the way.
She sneaks up on him, as one does, when they want to scare the living daylight out of their old friend.
But just as she was about to poke his shoulder…
He expanded?
Into a whole other man?
Into All Might?
Rina whispered, a little hysterical. “What the fuck, Yagi?”
All Might whipped around. (All Might!!)
“I’m sorry, Yagi? Who- Why, I see no Yagi?” All Might said eloquently.
“Save it.” Rina hushed, eyes wide, “Do you have no sense of reservation? Why would you- Why would you transform here?!”
It’s like two entirely different people. Rina smacked her cheeks to check she was awake.
“No need to hurt yourself…!” All Might looked around, “I could, ah, transform back?”
“So, now you look around??” Rina’s jaw was on the floor. “Yagi-”
“All Might.” He corrected, automatically, smile and all.
“Yagi.” She repeated, voice flat. “Please tell me half of Japan secretly knows and I’m just stupid.”
“...Um. No.” All Might sweated.
Rina began pacing, “Oh my god, I’m going to need to sign so many papers. You’re the Symbol of Peace! That NDA must be as thick as your neck!” She prattled on about contracts, in an attempt to hide her mental breakdown.
“Oh! A contract! That’s a good idea!” He said in pure amazement, like he’d never thought of it before. “I’ll get my team to prepare the paperwork as soon as possible.”
“Oh my god.” Rina needed to sit down. “You’ve never needed legal protection over this- this-”
“National secret?” All Might helpfully added.
“National secret! That- Oh my god.” Rina slowly lowered herself to a crouch on the floor, head in her hands.
Kibou was buddy buddy with the number one hero.
The man could crush Izuku with two fingers. And Izuku wouldn’t even mind. He might just say thanks!
All Might shifted awkwardly. “If it helps, I trust you.”
Rina wondered how Yagi got this far in life. “Just tell me where the bathrooms are.”
“And now, it’s time for our very first match of the tournament!” Present Mic announced in a shrilly voice. Cheers immediately followed suit, as Katsuki headed out.
“Here we have Bakugo Katsuki from the Hero Course! He narrowly missed first place in the obstacle race.” Katsuki’s eye twitched. “But tactically scored first place for his team, within the final moments of the cavalry battle!”
“On the other side, we have Shinso Hitoshi from the General Course! Our underdog, with a brainwashing quirk, as revealed in the last round!”
Katsuki huffed a sigh, as he rolled his shoulders. It was time to get this over with.
“Honestly, this feels kinda brutal for me.” Shinso gave a lazy smile, cutting in, while Mic went over final rules.
Katsuki stared straight at him, without a hint of emotion. He knows what Eyebags was trying to do. It wasn’t going to work.
He’s going on about some ‘woe is me’ shit, Katsuki couldn’t give a damn about. He took the moment to look around at all the extras in their seats. He spotted Kirishima and Kaminari cheering from his class’ area, Izuku was chummy with his classmates too, Katsuki looked away with an eye roll.
Shinso was still talking, something about how lucky Katsuki was to have a heroic quirk. Damn right his quirk was heroic. He gave a smug grin, and Shinso looked appalled.
Katsuki tuned back in, when Shinso muttered, “Maybe I should have flipped a coin like Midoriya said,” Unfortunately, Shinso raised a brow when he caught something, god knows what, in Katsuki's expression.
“Midoriya hm?” Shinso bit back a grimace as he asked, “Can I call you Kacchan too?”
On reflex, Katsuki gave the most disgusted expression ever.
“Oh thank goodness.” Shinso snorted. “You and me both.” He tried again, “He’s always going on about how cool you are-”
“Ready? Start!” Present Mic’s voice blared through the stadium. Shinso cursed.
“Don’t you think he’s cool too?” Shinso raised his voice, desperation growing.
Katsuki almost growled, but he carried on, explosions propelling him forward.
“Damn, what happened to childhood friends?”
A good question Katsuki had no fucking answer to.
“Then again, you call him Deku. I see why.”
Excuse his fucking ass?
Just as Katsuki raises a hand at Shinso, quirk at the ready- “He’s useless without a quirk, huh?” Shinso said with disgust.
It was whiplash. Like someone poured ice water all over him.
Did this douchebag know? Did Deku know he was friends with such an ass? No one should know- Deku didn’t want anyone to know- fuck fuck fucking damnit.
He drawled on, voice full of disapproval, “I didn’t know UA accepted quirkless people-”
Katsuki snapped. “Deku’s not quirk-!”
Besides UA got rid of that rule! Katsuki would know, he kept an eye on every change of rules for the quirkless.
Maybe because he knew Izuku would be an eyesore, stuck by his side for the rest of his life, no matter how hard he pushed him away.
So, sue his ass, for thinking Izuku would be in the hero course with him right now. That Izuku would mutter about every quirk in 1A, have the guts to fight Katsuki in hero training and make things a hell of a lot less worse at the USJ. That somehow, Izuku would defy all odds, and proved he could be hero without a quirk. Because that's just the kind of person he was.
He would have been the first quirkless hero student, proving all the things Katsuki feared. All of his insecurities and doubts, everything he lacked, layed in Izuku. Because if there was one person Katsuki could never be like, it was Izuku.
Izuku who was so selfless and righteous and had all of the good in the world in him- Of course Izuku looked down on Katsuki! How could he not?
As much as it bothered Katsuki, the nerd would answer honestly time and time again, not shying away from the fact he was quirkless, until every lousy extra rejected him. Until auntie belittled herself. Until Katsuki messed up- Fucking hell, that’s not the point- Izuku was anything but a coward damnit!
Sure, Izuku stopped telling people he was quirkless. He also stopped having a life.
Katsuki would have continued his petty ways till the end of middle school, and probably through high school, had Izuku not walked up to him and talked back. Or so, that's what Izuku probably believed.
It wasn't about standing up, Katsuki would have talked shit for the rest of their lives no matter what. It wasn't about quirks.
When Izuku stood up, he said he didn't want to be a hero anymore, that there were better things Katsuki should do with his time. Didn't matter how many times Katsuki brought it up, after that, Izuku said he wouldn't- he couldn't.
Katsuki only realised then how much of his dream was built around Izuku.
“I’m surprised that’s what it took.” Shinso spoke slowly. “You’re softer than you look, Bakugo.”
Ah, Katsuki realised, he got caught.
Bakugo Katsuki got caught, like some idiot. Izuku wouldn’t have gotten caught - always fucking better.
It was like there was a competition that only Katsuki could see, and yet he was the one always losing.
“Sorry, Bakugo.” He hated the tone of Shinso's voice. It made him want to rip his own ears off.
“Mere seconds into the match and Bakugo’s been frozen in place!” Mic’s voice echoed.
Pathetic.
“Walk out of bounds.”
And then Katsuki walked out of bounds.
Useless.
"And... Shinso wins!" Midnight declared.
A hand tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of the haze. “I thought mental quirks couldn't be compared to physical quirks, but Midoriya proved me wrong. Somehow, he can see the potential of any quirk.” Shinso sighed, looking almost apologetic. “Maybe that’s why the universe didn’t give him one.”
Katsuki clenched his fists, grasping for something to say. He sneered. “Tell Deku what happened, and you can fucking die, Eyebags.”
Shinso raised his hands in a placating gesture and took a step back. “I’m sorry. For saying all of that. I didn’t mean it. And I’m sorry this might have lost you some pros’ interest.”
“Save it. I don’t need them.” Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets, and already started walking off.
Katsuki ignored the suffocating wretch in his chest. His feet took him to waiting room two, without much thought.
He glared at the door's label for a moment, before kicking the door open. “Oi, Deku.”
“K-Kacchan!” Izuku yelped, pausing in the middle of his pacing.
“Don’t pull out weakly.” Katsuki glowered. “Give Cheeks hell.”
“Cheeks..?”
“Don’t be a shitty opponent.”
Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, Izuku nods with a determined look. “I’ll do my best!”
Katsuki stared at him for a moment, seeing the familiar face of a child who wanted to help. A hand that reached out to him over the river. It’s gone the moment he’s reminded Izuku doesn’t want to be a hero.
“Get out of my sight.” His palms itched.
Izuku blinked. “But you came to me?”
“Did I stutter? Get out.”
He couldn’t stand the sight of him any longer right now. Katsuki fell into the waiting room seat, now alone.
Sometimes Katsuki really hated himself. He didn’t know why.
He sat in silence, for all of two minutes, before the door burst open again. “Oh! Hey bro!”
Katsuki grunted, eyes never straying from the singular point he was dissociating at.
Kirishima sat in the opposite seat. “So... you good?”
It was quiet enough, they could hear the cheers of the next match outside.
“Right, yeah.” Kirishima continued, if he was weirded by Katsuki's silence he didn't show it, “But hey! It was a manly match!”
Katsuki snorted, “Just do what you came here for, Shitty Hair.”
“Cool, cool, cool!” Kirishima got out of his seat and started jogging around the room, like a dog with too much energy, as he hyped himself up. Katsuki quipped in occasionally with advice disguised as insults.
She felt like she needed to take several gulps of air, to stop the churning of her stomach. She had't even used her quirk yet.
Ochako felt sick. Sick of herself.
She, who was picked by the strongest boy in her class, was dragged through the first two rounds and then almost sabotaged him.
This wasn't what she promised her parents, who were probably watching her make a fool of herself right this moment.
Against the same boy she has accidentally made float. It felt like a mockery all over again.
Mina found the need to tell Uraraka he had an analysis quirk, which just soiled her mood even more.
She had to prove herself. She had to.
The moment Mic announced the start of the round, Ochako leapt forward. In turn, the boy stepped forward, at a similar pace.
She reached to touch him, only for him to swerve his shoulder out of the way.
Again, she reached, he ducked and rolled.
Again and again, she let out a frustrated noise.
Then ran at him, before skidding onto the floor to touch his ankles - he leapt out of the way.
Ochako rolled off the floor, quickly getting back up despite the ache in her chest, the feeling of defeat when it wasn’t even over yet.
She ran at him again. He said, “Kacchan told me to take this seriously,” and once again dodged.
“I’m sorry, who?” Ochako panted.
“Ka- Bakugo, in your class.” Midoriya scrunched his nose, “If you asked me what I would have done at the start of the festival, I would have just stepped out of bounds.”
Ochako frowned, trying to jump him, only for him to twist away. “So, you don’t care about this?”
“I care.” He said quickly, “It just took me a moment to find myself again. But Kacchan didn’t know that. He’s all bark.”
“He bites too.” Ochako said wryly.
The boy laughed with more understanding than she expected, “He said some things before the match, about you, Cheeks.” He made air quotation marks with the nickname.
She began slowly creeping up to him, under the guise of conversation. “That's what he calls me? He clearly doesn’t care about any of us ‘extras’.” She made similar air quotations.
Midoriya smiled softly, “Between you and me, I think he cares. In his own weird way.” He jumped back when she got too close. “I don’t think any ice breaker could beat what happened at USJ.”
“I don’t get where you’re going with this.”
He shrugged. “I guess I just want to say you’ve been holding on for a long time. That’s incredible, Uraraka.” His eyes were so earnest, it made her want to cry.
Because she has been holding on, from the moment Todoroki picked her as her partner for no other reason than, not getting in his way.
She overused her quirk and yet she did nothing for herself.
“I didn’t do anything special.” She gave a half smile, before faking a left touch only to tap his right shoulder.
He started floating up, and she touched herself to float with him. She didn’t waste a second to pounce at him, finally having the upper hand.
They started fighting in mid air, it was almost like sumo wrestling.
“We're literally fighting in the air because of you.” Midoriya laughed and manages to keep them both steady for a moment, shaking his head. “Your quirk is amazing, really! There’s so many uses for it!”
“I was thinking about rescue work.” She finds herself saying.
“Like Thirteen!”
“Yes!!” She giggled and then blinked, forgetting where they were. Her voice dulled out. “You.. can probably tell a lot about my quirk, with your analysis, huh.”
“Ah-”
Ochako didn’t waste time rolling them both closer to the edge of bounds, while still in the air.
“Hey, hey! Will it count if they’re out of bounds mid air?” Mic could be heard.
Midnight shook her head, “One must stand on out of bound grounds.”
They float together, taking in the teachers’ words. An idea formed in Ochako’s head.
Midoriya started talking again. “Can I tell you a secret?”
She didn’t get a chance to speak, he rambled on, voice lowest it had been all round. “I can’t analyse quirks. That’s not my quirk. Um, I’m- well. I don’t have a quirk. I’m quirkless.” He finished with jazz hands.
“What?” She said, hesitating as she pushed him out of bounds, mid air.
“There was a misunderstanding. But I think everyone will figure out eventually. I just wanted you to know. Because I’m not looking down at you. If anything, I’m looking up.” He smiled awkwardly at his own joke.
“Can we be friends?” Ochako said, just as she put her hands together, with a mutter of ‘release’.
She tumbled to the floor, still in bounds.
"Even though I’m quirkless?” He said in awe, despite still floating.
“Yeah!” She brought her hands together, with another ‘release’.
When nothing happened, she blinked.
“Release!”
Midoriya blinked. And then reached out to her, moving forward of his own will, back in bounds.
Ochako squinted, “Are you sure you’re quirkless.”
“I have the extra toe joint,” He wobbled mid-air, “I’m pretty sure.”
“Toe joint? That’s the difference?”
“Extra body parts too. I am not looking forward to wisdom teeth.” At her confused look, he grimaced. “Extra teeth. Probably need to get them pulled out.”
She gaped.
“Feeling better?” Midoriya grinned.
She couldn't fight the smile, “Kind of. At least I don’t get extra teeth.” Bringing her hands together and a deep breath, before she can say release, he falls back into bounds, right by the edge.
It’s immediately as he falls, he grabs her and flips her over him, lower half out of bounds.
“And Midoriya wins!”
They both laughed. She congratulated him.
Toshinori ignored the three miscalls from Gran Torino.
He needed to ask for the footage. Maybe his eyes just weren't working! Silly him.
Haha hah haaah.
“Deku.” Katsuki grumbled.
Izuku looked up from his phone, where Uraraka and him were exchanging contacts.
“Oh, Bakugo.” Uraraka smiled her thanks.
He clicked his tongue. “Wanna explain what happened back there?”
Izuku and Uraraka looked at each other, before Uraraka took a step back and raised her flip phone. “I’m going to call my dad.”
Izuku watched her run off, before turning back to Katsuki. “So…”
“So what the hell was that?” Katsuki raised a brow.
Izuku contemplated, “I don’t know. Wasn't me, though.”
“You... don't know.” Katsuki looked at him, incredulously.
“That is what I said, yes.”
“So you didn’t just float on your own.” Katsuki squinted. “Like there was a different quirk.”
Izuku politely looked at Katsuki like he was stupid. “No, it was Uraraka's quirk. It just looked like I floated on my own.”
“Don't think anyone knows that.” Katsuki pointed out.
Izuku gasped, “Exactly! They don’t know, that we know, that they don’t know I didn’t actually float!”
Katsuki stared at him for a moment before facepalming and walking off. Izuku would say that was a good talk. There were no explosions!
There’s a distant explosion and a shout of, “Oi! Half-and-half bastard! The hell are you sneaking around for!?”
Izuku figured it would be safer to take the long way around instead.
“Fuwa.”
She looked up at the call of her name, so familiar to orientation day, a year ago. She’s face to face with the man who said her dreams were foolish and unrealistic. That she had to work harder than she knew how.
“Aizawa sensei.” Fuwa said hesitantly. The man was wrapped in bandages, far worse than she had expected.
He’s standing in front of her now, in the hallway. It's a bit weird. Her old teacher seeing her come back to UA, and try, only to fail, at the Sports Festival.
Bitterness churned in her gut, feeling like she just wasted a year for nothing. She was a fool.
“You did well.”
Fuwa blinked slowly. “I’m sorry?”
“I owe you an apology, as your former teacher.” She couldn't make out the expression on his face. “My own experience blindsided me, and I thought what I did would be a valuable lesson. But, I failed to consider how re-enrolment would not change the feeling that you had been expelled. I'm sorry.”
“...Thank you. It's okay though, I know now where you were coming from. I just,” Her chest ached, and her throat felt tight. “I was more than ashamed of myself.” She suddenly felt like she didn’t belong.
How could she walk back into the same school that expelled her a week beforehand?
And yet everyone else did. That's the problem. Pride got in the way and she carried a grudge all through out her gap year.
But the moment she stepped back in UA, she felt small and out of place.
Too old around the first years, too inexperienced around the second years.
That first day made her skin crawl. Until lunch time, where she made unexpected friends and started to enjoy the little things.
“If you had planned to attend this year, why didn’t you speak to me- a member of staff?”
Fuwa looked at the floor. “I wanted to prove myself.” She scoffed at herself then. “I’m not sure if I was able to do that today.”
Aizawa stared at her for a moment, before repeating himself from earlier. “You did well.” He handed a folded paper. “Don't forget how far you've come.”
She unfolded the paper, to see it was a transfer to heroics course form.
She looked up fast. “Is this… It can't be?”
“I don’t joke,” Aizawa said dryly. “You still have a lot to learn. You’ll need to train your body, sharpen your decision-making, and figure out how to use your quirk without burning out so quickly.”
He continued, voice softer. “But you have potential. And resolve. That’s more than I can say for some students who never got expelled.”
A choked laugh broke out of her, halfway to a sob.
“We can figure the rest out together. Although, I can’t guarantee you’ll like my class, they're problem children, the lot of them.” Aizawa had already started heading off back to the speaking booth.
“Your class.” Fuwa repeated.
“The moment I found out you came back to UA and a seat opened up in 1-A, I couldn't help but put your name on it.” He smiled and turned away and started walking off. “We’re due for a do-over, Fuwa.”
Fuwa stared after her old teachers, eyes stinging.
It took her a few moments in the hallway, reeling herself in, before she slipped back into her seat next to Komori.
Fuwa held the paper tightly in one hand as she cheered for two of her favourite people. The third cheering beside her.
Izuku smiled at Shinso, as Mic announced their match. “Anndd start!”
As soon as the match began, Izuku was about to turn around, ready to step out of the match and accept defeat.
“Midoriya.”
Izuku paused, and turned back around with a raised brow. Shinso gave a lazy grin.
Ah! Izuku realised. He wanted to do it in style. Of course! “Yes! Shinso!” He answered, and spread his arms wide open. His mind then filled with fog, as expected.
Present Mic gasped, “Midoriya has been captured just that fast! He’s stopped moving! With his arms spread like a bird! How poetic.”
“I wanted to say sorry.” Shinso said, as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck.
Wait, what? Izuku almost wanted to smack his friend in the face. This wasn't the time to talk, just toss Izuku out of grounds! He begged Shinso mentally.
“I’m sorry for making assumptions. I’m sorry I didn’t see the signs.” He huffed with a sad smile. “I didn’t understand.”
Izuku did not understand either. Where was he going with this? Shinso was confessing his sins, like Izuku was a priest. He kind of regrets leaving his arms spread open like some greater person.
“That first week, you looked at everyone that smiled at you, waved at you, talked to you- you looked at them with awe. Like this couldn’t be real. Like this wasn’t normal.”
So what if Izuku teared up when someone offered him their eraser, when Izuku didn’t have one? That’s reasonable!
Never had someone heard his muttering of worries, understood and tried to help before.
“I told myself we were nothing alike. I didn’t want to like you, or anyone really.” Shinso scoffed, “I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve never had a friend as great as you before.”
Izuku has changed his mind. Shinso can confess all he wants, if he's telling Izuku he's glad they're friends!
“I’ve said things I didn’t mean today.” He looked at the crowds for a moment, “I’ve heard things I shouldn’t have. I guess I’m sorry for a lot of things.”
“But I don’t regret finding out you’re quirkless.” Shinso smiled brightly. “You’re really cool, Midorya.”
Izuku started to feel a pit in his stomach, but a warmth in his heart, as he finally understood. Shinso had overheard Izuku confessing to All Might.
Shinso started taking steps backwards. “Tell that ‘friend’ of yours, I think they’d make a great hero.”
He then tripped over his own feet, and fell backwards, halfway out of bounds. At the same moment, Shinso released his quirk, freeing Izuku.
Midnight announced the end of the match in confusion, “And Midoriya wins?”
Mic concluded, “That was anti-climactic.”
Izuku took a moment to breathe again before storming towards his friend.
Shinso took the hand offered to him, at this point not surprised to be pulled up so easily, “I didn't mean to trip, but I guess that works.”
Izuku didn’t let go of his hand, only pulling him closer to whisper, “Why did you just do that??”
Shinso snorted, “You got me this far, Midoriya. And I enjoyed every bit of the way.”
Izuku rubbed at his eyes, that would not stop tearing up, “Thank you. Thank you for everything you said.”
“This has to be some sort of record! A non-hero course student to get the furthest yet!” Botan shook Izuku’s shoulders. “You're going into the semi finals man!”
“Midoriya. You got this.” Shinso bumped shoulders with Izuku, after Botan stepped back, “Think about all the free pizza.”
“I don’t like pizza that much.” Izuku scratched his cheek.
“… Who are you?” Komori gaped.
“Traitor.” Kohei gasped scandalously.
“Don't say that word so carelessly.” Sora smacked his shoulder, “They're still looking for that person.”
Hayami raised a brow, “Isn't that just a silly rumour?”
Snipe looked up at the sound of the ‘A phone call is here!’ ringtone. “All Might, your phone is ringing again.”
Toshinori looked at the phone, saw it was another call from Torino, and unintentionally crushed the phone in his bony hand. “Ah.”
Ectoplasm huffed an airy laugh, “Are you alright?”
“Just fine…” He waved it off. “We’re almost at the end of the festival now.”
Thirteen chimed in, “I’m impressed by their spirits. 1A showed-”
Snipe coughed loudly.
“1A showed promising-”
Snipe coughed even more obnoxiously.
Thirteen stared at him for a minute. “Yes, Snipe?”
“You can’t forget 1C.” Snipe said proudly, “I thought they’d all drop out in the first round!”
“Ever the optimist, aren’t you?” Ectoplasm quipped.
“Hey, you can’t blame me. People watch the Sports Festival for the hero course.” Snipe shrugged. “I was worried they wouldn’t be motivated. But I guess All Might probably had more hopes than me.”
Toshinori raised a brow. “Me?”
“Darn right, I didn’t know you knew Midoriya personally! Well enough, he knew your name!”
“Oh, no, today was the first time we-” Toshinori paused, before laughing. “Oh but everyone knows my name!”
“Oh no, your real name.”
“I’m sorry?” Toshinori squinted.
“I offered all the kids something, if they tried their best.” Snipe shrugged. “Midoriya said he’d like a lesson with Yagi. I hope you don’t mind.”
While Toshinori’s lost in thought, Ectoplasm asked Snipe, “Isn’t that bribery?”
Thirteen laughed, “What did you promise the other students?”
The rest of the staff’s voice faded as Toshinori reeled over the facts.
He only met young Midoriya today but… he shared a similar story to his own life, has a quirk like Nana’s, and knew his real name?
Toshinori massaged his forehead, he was too old for this.
It was time for the semi finals.
The match had just started, and Kirishima was already pushing Midoriya back, the latter trying to dodge every hit.
Todoroki and Iida had gone to the waiting rooms. Everyone knew Todoroki was going to win at this rate. He showed the brutal strength of his ice quirk in his matches against Kaminari and Jiro.
Ochako spots Midoriya tuck and roll, before gaining enough distance between himself and Kirishima to… look up into the audience?
“Uraraka! I need you!” Midoriya yelled.
Feeling a lot of eyes on her, Ochako looked away. “I don’t know this guy.”
“I can’t float without you!” Midoriya yelled again. She begged him to shut up.
She heard Mina ask, “Is this a confession??”
Ochako fumbled before answering Midoriya, “I can’t even reach you!?”
“I think they’re re-enacting the Titanic.” Kaminari whispered.
“That is not the Titanic.” Jiro deadpanned.
“Our wavelengths are in sync!” Midoriya said, as he dodged another hit from Kirishima.
What did that even mean? Did even matter when Midoriya started floating on his own? Without any prompting from Ochako?
Next to her, Bakugo facepalmed loudly.
Toshinori spat his tea out, for the second time today.
Sooo maybe Izuku was in denial about having a quirk before.
But now that he was floating (quite ungracefully), dodging Kirishima’s hits, Izuku feels like he might have a shot at this.
Of course, that’s when things go south.
“I was thinking about this earlier, but you seem familiar.” Kirishima realised. “Have we met before?”
“You ask, mid punch.” Izuku narrowly evaded, only a few feet off the ground. “I had that feeling too, but I would have remembered meeting someone as striking as you!”
The red haired boy laughed, “I dyed my hair red! Wanted to be more like Crimson Riot.”
Izuku faltered, at the mention of the old hero, faintly remembering a middle school boy.
Kirishima took the opportunity to knock him back down to the ground.
Izuku rolled over the floor, away from the next punch, with a grunt. “Kirishima?” The guy Kibou met on a bench, talking about how he didn't protect a victim from bullying? That Kirishima? Who said he wanted to get into UA? Wait- This guy actually proved himself and got into UA. Holy crap.
“That's my name man!” Kirishima grinned after Izuku dodged again. “Man, you're pretty good! But I gotta prove myself!”
“Your parents?” Izuku guessed, remembering Uraraka.
“Oh no, they're pretty chill!” Kirishima lowered his voice, “Might be a bit taboo, but you know that vigilante Kibou?”
“I'm sorry who?” Izuku squeaked, faintly dodging a right arm.
“Oh, I thought he's more popular by now! Sure, he kinda sticks to smaller crimes - but we need more people taking the smaller things seriously too!”
Izuku could understand. He stuck to more minor events, to avoid any risk of running into police or other pros. And because Rina would throttle him if he tried anything larger.
“You, uh, ever met him?” Izuku finds himself asking, despite being slowly pushed back.
“Hell yeah.” Kirishima kept going. “He kinda shaped how I think about hero work now. They really change lives.”
“Kibou-” Izuku choked, “Kibou changed your life?”
A look of admiration graced Kirishima's face. “I used to think I needed to be fearless first. Turns out you just move anyway... He's done more than change my life. He saved my life.”
Izuku realised then, as he took further steps back from the punches, remembering the villain attack, “The USJ...”
“I was scared, man. So scared.” And yet Kirishima smiled brightly.
Izuku took another step back, from another punch, only for Kirishima to drop his fists.
“Midoriya has been pushed out of bounds.” Midnight declared. “Kirishima wins!”
Izuku looked down at his feet with little care.
He immediately ran towards Kirishima and shook his hand with both of his.
“Kirishima you're changing lives too. You're going to make an incredible hero.” He said, more earnestly than Kirishima could ever understand.
“So, I have a quirk.” Izuku repeated, a bronze medal sitting around his neck.
Katsuki facepalmed again. “I can't believe this shit.”
The fact that Izuku tied third with Iida? Or the fact Izuku now has a quirk? Oh, or is it the fact that Katsuki lost?
Might be all three, Izuku realised.
“Third time you’ve said that now, honey. Please get down from the ceiling.” His mom said kindly from the kitchen.
She got over her shock after the first two times. Cried the third time (Izuku joined her). And, by the time the Bakugos came over, she had a smile that would not leave her face.
Izuku immediately stopped floating, falling onto the floor with a thud. He didn’t have the best control of it yet.
“But where did it come from?” Izuku muttered, itching for his notebook.
Katsuki stopped plating the dinner table and grumbled, “Where the hell do you think? Did you forget what genetics are?” When Izuku says nothing, he continued. “You're clearly pulling yourself up into the air, like a mutation of auntie's quirk.”
Izuku said kindly, “Kacchan, I don’t think that’s how this works.” But all Katsuki heard was, 'That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.'
There's a crazed mutter of, “Un-fucking-believable.”
“Oi brat! Stop brooding in the corner!” Mitsuki barked, as she brought side dishes to the table.
Izuku lifted his head form the floor with a jolt of realisation. It had to be the bullet he took!
Toshinori breathed in the fresh air, taking in the sound of the shores moving in.
Lost in his thoughts, he kept thinking over everything he knew about that boy, Midoriya.
He starts spelling out the boys name in his head, as if that would give any new clues.
But something was at the tip of his tongue. Something.
Shame Kibou wasn’t here today.
When Compress drops by Rina’s apartment, it’s late in the evening. She's on the phone with Inko, who was gushing about Izuku's quirk finally manifesting.
“I had no idea it could manifest so late.” Rina said over the phone.
When she saw Izuku clearly float, on his own, at the Sports Festival she wasn't sure whether she was imagining it.
“Right? He even had the extra toe joint.”
Rina watched as Compress made himself at home, and search the kitchen for snacks. “Maybe the doctor mixed two patient's results. Happens more than you'd think.” She shrugged.
Inko moved on to talk about how they had dinner with the Bakugos; Rina was glad she and Bakugo's mom re-connected a while ago. Inko always seemed so lonely to her.
She can't imagine how it felt to suddenly be treated differently just because your child didn't have a quirk.
Compress comes back with a tub of ice cream and two spoons; he removes his hat and masks, then puts the tv on.
The TV channel was replaying the Sports Festival for third years, “Nejire came third with a promising-”
He raised a brow at her and switched the channel. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She gestured, as she continued to listen to
“I don't know, you're looking a bit grey.”
She dropped her face into the palm of her hands and silently groaned, before turning back to her phone.
She listened for a while, before realising, “Do you think, he wants to apply for the hero department? His quirk looks like your average hero quirk.” She played it off lightly, but in truth, it could be a really 'heroic' quirk. It brings her back to the biggest question in her mind.
What happens to Izuku's vigilantism?
Besides the fact that Izuku looked so happy when he received the bronze medal, there's Yagi. The Symbol of Peace. Rina's not religious, but Christ. Did he know? Was he waiting for Kibou to slip up? Was that the real reason why he stuck around Kibou?
She feels like they're slowly being backed into a corner, and if they don't stop before it's too late, things are going to end up for the worse.
“He hasn't said. He's too busy theorising his quirk.” Inko laughed. “I'm just happy that he's happy.”
They talk a bit more before they wish each other good night.
Rina sighed, as she leaned back into the couch. “Thanks for helping with the merch.”
He waved her off. “How much did you sell?”
She noticed, on screen, it showed a police taped alleyway from another hero’s experience with the Hero Killer. She shivered.
“A little over half.” She snorted, “Some people were judging way too much. There’s bigger world problems than a few jumpers about vigilantes. Most of them aren’t even active anymore!”
He huffed a laugh, “Let them judge. It is unfortunate they don’t understand yet, but they will in due time. Vigilantism is an art. It cannot be rushed.” She rolled her eyes, they didn't see eye to eye, but it was close enough.
When the TV shifted focus to the Iida Family heroes, Compress changed the channel again, with little care.
It’s another channel showing the Sports Festival, briefly recapping the first and second years, never as interesting as the third’s. But Endeavour's son came first, so that must have intrigued some people.
“I’m thinking about putting Kibou’s social accounts up for auction.” Rina muttered. “I stopped updating them, after the rumours started. Their posts spread the word better anyway.”
“Well, aren’t you kicking the bucket early?” He realised. “You think he’s reached the height of his… career?”
“People know him now, it made some heroes pickup their workload to not be compared to the vigilante.” She shrugged, “He made an impact. But I don't think it will get any further than this.”
“Truly, they hate when a vigilante can do a better job than them.” He chuckled, “You should let him do more. I haven’t had time to shine yet! Sometimes, you really act like a mother hen around the man.”
Oh, if only he knew. She stared at him wryly, but lets it go. “I don't think he'll being doing vigilantism for much longer.” Better to wrap things up early, than let things fall apart too late.
Toshinori woke up in the middle of the night with a hiss, “He’s the traitor!”
“My god, will you shut up?”
Toshinori screamed. “What are you doing in my room!?”
“You mean my living room.” Torino stared, unimpressed. “You busted in an hour ago, going on about some nonsense and fell straight to sleep on my couch, you fool.”
“He’s the traitor.” Toshinori repeated, like a parrot.