Chapter Text
Hitoshi has been pushing around his food for the past couple of minutes in contemplative silence, and Izuku knows he has about two more seconds of that before Aizawa tells him to knock it off.
One more second, he mentally counts.
Hitoshi puts down his chopsticks and stares down at the table. Izuku and Aizawa are watching him closely, knowing that he's about to reveal whatever it is that he's been thinking so hard about at the table.
"We had a class today," Hitoshi says. And then he does not elaborate, even though it's clear that this is not all he has to say about what's bothering him.
"Congratulations?" Izuku offers after a couple more moments of silence.
Aizawa snorts. Hitoshi swats at Izuku, and Izuku sticks out his tongue in retaliation.
"Yeah yeah, we get it, Mr-got-kicked-out-of-school," Hitoshi huffs.
Izuku purposely pouts his lips, giving Hitoshi a wide-eyed innocent stare. "It was traumatising, you know?"
Hitoshi does know, and he doesn't minimise Izuku for it — he understands the days when Izuku is struggling with these kinds of things, but today is not one of those days, because he's too excited about the fact he's been accepted into U.A, and he's about to join them in the coming term. So Hitoshi knows it's a safe topic to tease about, and Izuku is glad for it, because it makes everything seem a little bit easier, a little less hard to carry alone.
He expects Hitoshi to retaliate with a response like 'yeah, and then you got given All Might's Quirk, and now you're about to join U.A' or similar, but instead Hitoshi's mouth twists and he hesitates in his reply.
Izuku's expression shifts, and he lets it fall away. "Um... I wasn't being serious."
"I know," Hitoshi sighs. "Sorry. I guess it's just in line with what I was about to talk about."
"Trauma?" Izuku guesses.
Hitoshi raises a shoulder in a half-shrug. Not quite right, not quite wrong. "About those who are Quirkless, actually."
"Ah," Izuku says in reply, somewhat surprised. His gaze flickers over to Aizawa, who's been silently but attentively watching the two of them. Even now, he still doesn't say anything about the conversation — not yet.
"Was it... bad?" Izuku hedges carefully.
Hitoshi almost pales, and his eyes go wide as he shakes his head. "What? No! No, jeez, do you think I'd encourage you to go to a place that was like that?"
"All places are kind of like that," Izuku says, brows furrowing in his confusion. It's not ever something he'd hold against Hitoshi — not when it's just the way things are. He hopes to change it, but he knows it's something that will take a whole lot of time and support.
"Not all of them," Aizawa chimes in for the first time, voice firm.
Izuku blinks at him. "The hero courses have a Quirkless admission, across the country, of 0.3%. I'm not saying it's malicious, but it's just... it's the way the world is now, with fewer people statistically having Quirks with each generation. It's easy to create ignorance when there isn't exposure to those kinds of things."
Shouta leans across the table, intent on keeping Izuku's attention on him. "I'm not dismissing your own experiences, but I'm saying that there's a whole lot more out there. Do not go to U.A with the expectation that you should just... be used to that kind of behaviour. It'll leave you open to normalising it when it's unacceptable. You hear me?"
Izuku, already aware that he does normalise it, shrugs. "Well... I mean, Kacchan is there, right?" How different can things really be?
"Actually," Hitoshi cuts in, "that's what I wanted to talk about. I was watching him really closely, but he was the most demure I've ever seen in my life. He didn't argue with anyone in that debate — though, granted, it wasn't much of one. Actually, the only time he spoke up the whole time was to tell Denki to shut up after he had a foot-in-mouth moment and said something dumb about Quirkless students. Or, I guess he wasn't really saying it, he was just mimicking something in the textbook we had, but Bakugou told him to 'shut the hell up' anyway. It got tense."
Not for the first time, Izuku wonders if Kacchan has ever found out about the fact he is no longer living with his mum. He didn't think Kacchan would care, really — he'd never made a move to try and reach out to them once Izuku had been expelled from school, and he simply figured that Kacchan had probably forgotten all about him. Or tried to, at least. He's not sure if he's surprised by hearing about Kacchan's reaction.
"I see," Izuku says, tapping his fingers down on his thigh as he thinks.
Hitoshi gives him a moment, and then he leans over the table, raising his eyebrows. "That's it? No fifty questions?"
"I don't... I don't know what to think," Izuku admits.
Hitoshi leans back with a nod. "Fair enough."
"It's just that, I mean, we don't really know what he was thinking, right? I can't speculate on what he thinks of me or— or Quirkless people now," Izuku stammers, trying to get some of his own thoughts out into the open so that they know where his head is at. The problem is, Izuku doesn't know where it's at himself.
"Well, I guess you're going to make him confront his thoughts soon enough," Hitoshi says with a small shrug, as well as a pull to the corner of his lips that he usually gets whenever he thinks about something amusing.
"I could be in 3-B," Izuku reminds weakly, though it's an argument none of them really believe in. 3-A has an open spot now, and it's been heavily implied by Nedzu that that's where Izuku shall go.
"Sure," Hitoshi replies, mostly sarcastically. "But even then, you won't be able to hide from him for very long."
"I'm not hiding," Izuku immediately argues. At Hitoshi's disbelieving stare, he sighs and explains. "I'm not, really. I'm not scared of him or anything. I just... I don't know how he's going to react. He sounds different from the Kacchan I used to know, and it's been— it's been at least two years. We've both changed a lot. I don't know what's going to happen."
"Ah," Hitoshi nods, acting like it all makes sense to him now. "You do hate not knowing things."
"Hey," Izuku pouts.
Hitoshi shrugs. "Sorry, but true."
Aizawa nods his head once in a short, sharp concession. Izuku barely resists the urge to stick his tongue out at both of them.
"Alright, let's say he regresses and goes back to middle school tendencies. Your appearance will likely stir some complicated feelings inside of him. He might want to fight you, in that case. How are you going to react?" Aizawa asks, raising his eyebrows at Izuku.
Mentally, Izuku puts down another mark next to his theory that Aizawa would, in fact, make a great teacher.
"By pummelling him into the ground," Hitoshi mutters. Izuku can't help but snort.
"Let's try and avoid getting in trouble on the first day," Aizawa sighs.
Hitoshi looks at Aizawa in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, have you met your other kid? Like, at all?"
The reminder of Izuku's freshly-approved adoption papers sends a rush of warmth through him, and though he kicks out his foot slightly with the feeling, he's able to focus back on the conversation.
"Unfortunately, I've met you both," Aizawa replies, "and I know it's likely a pipe dream between both of you, in fact."
"How am I getting thrown into this?" Hitoshi asks, throwing his hands up. "I'm the definition of good behaviour!"
"God," Aizawa breathes out, running a hand down his face, not even bothering to try and argue. It's a lost cause. Instead, he switches his attention back to Izuku. "Let's try again. Your reaction?"
"I... fight him?" Izuku answers. This time, Hitoshi snorts.
"What did I just say about getting into trouble?" Aizawa asks.
"But if fighting will help him sort out his feelings, then... I think that makes sense? I'm sure my presence is going to cause a lot of confusing feelings, and I'm not sure if he's talked to my mu- to... to Inko, but he probably has a few questions about that? Or if not him, then his own mum, because they were kind of friends I guess, but I guess only through us when we actually got along, you know, before Quirks and all that-"
"Hey," Hitoshi bumps against him gently, pulling him out of his tangent. "I think fighting would be funny, but you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just because he might want to doesn't mean you have to do it, y'know? Like you said, things are different now."
"Yeah, thanks, but...maybe a fight would be nice, actually," Izuku replies with a small shrug.
"Please just go get a teacher if you decide to do that," Aizawa sighs.
"That is the worst advice to give a traumatised expelled Quirkless kid," Hitoshi argues, cutting in. "That's like... any goddamn bullying campaign that didn't do jack shit. Tell them to stop. Go get a teacher. And where did that get us?"
"Expelled," Izuku mutters, though he's hunching his shoulders, not quite as enthusiastic to argue against Aizawa.
"You didn't let me finish," Aizawa says blankly, though there's a tone of warning in his voice. "You know what teachers are at U.A? Pro Heroes. And people with access to all the gyms fit for emotionally repressed teenagers to have combat in."
"I don't think teachers are allowed to just do that," Hitoshi says.
"They're about to find out that this kid is my kid if they haven't already," Aizawa replies, jerking his thumb at Izuku while talking to Hitoshi. "And I assume they know what this Bakugou kid is like. I'm sure you'll find there's a level of persuasion there."
"Huh," Hitoshi says, eyes widening slightly in thought. "Yeah, that might just be enough."
"Maybe I won't fight Kacchan?" Izuku mutters, though it's mostly to himself now. He knows he should avoid it, especially with the reminder that Pro Heroes will likely be aware of the fact he's been taken under Eraserhead's wing, and he's somehow made his way into 3-A with no prior high school records. He's going to have a lot of eyes on him, and his actions will easily be echoes that come back to people's thoughts about Eraserhead — and Hitoshi, too.
"Do whatever you want," Aizawa says.
Hitoshi and Izuku butt in before he can finish his usual sentence. "-Just make sure you're ready for the consequences."
Aizawa smirks. "Exactly."
Izuku drops his head into his hands. "I don't know what's going to happen."
Hitoshi leans over to ruffle his hair. "Well, we don't know until we get there, right? And you've got another couple of weeks before your transfer actually gets finalised. Do you want me to maybe.... test out the waters with it? About you?"
"If you start, he might not stop asking," Izuku says. "No, it's okay. Let's just... let's just wait. I'll— we'll deal with it then."
"Alright," Hitoshi says. "But if he does anything you're not cool with, I'm making him walk into a tree."
Izuku can't help but laugh. "Please don't."
"Sorry, but I am," Hitoshi insists. "You don't understand, he's so goddamn difficult. If this is what creates an opening, I'm taking it."
"Oh god," Izuku laughs.
The conversation finishes lightly like that, with Hitoshi and Aizawa's support as a reassurance, but soon enough, two weeks go by.
And then Izuku hugs Aizawa goodbye as they head to the train station, waving off Shirakumo and Yamada as well, and then it's just Hitoshi and Izuku heading to U.A.
It still feels so impossibly unreal. Izuku has been a bundle of nerves and excitement, basically jumping around the apartment in the morning, but now he's so nervous that he's swung right into being frozen stiff. Hitoshi pokes at his side on the train, both of them standing and holding the handrails in the morning commute, and Izuku stiffly turns his head to glare.
Hitoshi raises his eyebrows, and they have a silent discussion between themselves with facial expressions, and then— oh, god. They're at the stop for U.A.
Hitoshi basically has to pull him off and through the crowd of people. Hitoshi warned him there might be reporters at the front of the school, usually trying to take photos of fresh-faced first-years, but Izuku knows some cameras might just capture him as well. He's noticeably bulkier, older, than the first years that are also pouring out from the train along with them.
Izuku, at least, blends in by the way his knees are almost shaking with nerves. Some of the first years are confident, striding up the path with long steps, but Izuku is currently clutching his chest and trying to remember to breathe. Hitoshi has a hand on his back and is patting him right between the shoulder blades, entirely unphased by this reaction.
He's been completing extra coursework, has been drilling Hitoshi on how every day might go for this term, and still, he feels entirely unprepared. He's nervous enough about heading to U.A, and he's also all too aware of the fact he's going to see Kacchan, and everything just feels like a whole lot. Like a lot.
"Oh god," he says, breathing heavily.
"We're going to be late," Hitoshi reminds him, giving him a firm pat on the back again. "And you do not want to be late."
That, at least, gets Izuku moving. He's heard plenty enough about Tenya Iida. He hauls himself up with a deep breath, straightens his shoulders back, and marches forward on very stiff legs. Hitoshi snickers, but doesn't stray from his side. He keeps a hand on Izuku's back as they start to see the golden arches of the entry, and it remains there as cameras start to flash.
"Smile, dude," Hitoshi turns his head to mutter. Izuku thinks he follows the order, but he can also hear his cheeks basically creak from the tension he's holding in his jaw, so he probably just looks more terrified than anything. Hitoshi disregards the cameras, giving them a lazy wave, and Izuku is so glad to have him by his side, as Hitoshi basically pulls him through the crowd of reporters and cameras and first-years that are crowded near the gates, staring at the school in awe.
He's especially glad to have Hitoshi by his side, because he feels already incredibly lost on the big campus, and he's basically stumbling over his feet as he looks up at the big buildings in disbelief. Hitoshi leads him through it all with familiar ease, pulling Izuku into the main building. Right as they enter, a group of people crowd around them.
Izuku immediately goes to take a step back, but Hitoshi's fingers press into his back to stop him.
"Hey guys," Hitoshi says, signalling to Izuku that he's familiar with the group. Izuku blinks, and he starts to see them beyond just a swarm of people — he starts to place faces, remembering the way he's watched them on the television, some of them battling against and with Hitoshi in battles for the sports festival. And he's heard stories from Hitoshi's own lips, stories about his friends in the class.
"Hey man!" Kaminari Denki says with a bright smile, wrapping his arm around Hitoshi's neck. Izuku goes to step aside to give them some space, but Hitoshi's fingers then grip Izuku's clothing, not letting him slip away unseen.
There are a couple of others that he recognises, such as Monoma Neito, Sero Hanta, and Todoroki Shouto.
It's then that Kaminari seems to realise Izuku is there, as he lifts up his hand from Hitoshi's shoulder. "Oh, hey to you too!"
Izuku feels himself blink. He glances at Hitoshi, and sees that he's relaxed, calm, the edge of a smile on his lips even though he's trying to act like it's reluctant. Izuku feels himself relax as well.
Right, these are Hitoshi's friends. Izuku doesn't need to be worried about them.
"Hi," Izuku replies, though his voice is soft. "I'm Midoriya Izuku."
"Midoriya-Aizawa Izuku," Hitoshi corrects.
"Ohh, right, of course!" Kaminari says, leaning in closer now to look at Izuku. "You're the new brother, huh? That's cool, that's cool! Welcome to U.A!"
With Izuku's permission, Hitoshi has shared with his close friends about the fact that Eraserhead has someone else under his custody, and that he'll be joining the class.
"Unfortunately for you, you're in the less superior class," Monoma says, and he's also regarding Izuku with curiosity, but also something more along the lines of simply sizing Izuku up completely.
Izuku blinks again, staring blankly. "Um."
"Don't mind him," Hitoshi snorts. "He's excited to have fresh meat to tease about being in 3-A."
"Fresh... meat?" Izuku repeats, almost with a squeak.
"Neito, remember what I told you," Hitoshi says, looking at Monoma again. Monoma throws up his hands. Hitoshi shakes his head, and gives Izuku a roll of his eyes. "He's harmless, really. He just likes to play up the class rivalry."
"And for that, I greatly apologise," Monoma says, his voice taking on a strange edge even though he's smiling at Izuku. He does seem harmless, not genuinely malicious, but he still makes Izuku a little uneasy. Monoma reaches out his hand for Izuku to take in greeting, which is strange, but Izuku reaches for his hand.
"Neito, don't—"
"Ah," Monoma says, flexing his fingers. "A blank."
Hitoshi sighs out in relief. It's at this moment that Izuku, suddenly actually coming back to himself, remembers what Monoma's Quirk is.
"You just tried to copy my Quirk," Izuku says.
"I did," Monoma grins. "Sorry. Curiosity killed the cat and all that, it's just that dear Hitoshi here wouldn't tell us anything about you. So... some kind of stockpiling Quirk, then?"
"Um. Yeah," Izuku replies, endlessly relieved that Monoma can't seem to copy those kinds of Quirks. He does not need a student breaking all their limbs upon moments of meeting him.
"What is it?" Todoroki says, his first words in the conversation.
Izuku startles, surprised. He's been told by Hitoshi that Todoroki means well, he's just awkward with people and making friends, and he probably won't know what to do with Izuku's own personality at first. Still, Izuku feels entirely unprepared for this conversation.
Even though they have prepared for this — all of them; Aizawa, Hitoshi, All Might, and Izuku. Figuring out how to explain his Quirks without making it sound like he has seven different ones, while also not sacrificing Izuku's ability to practice with them and gain experience at U.A.
"My Quirk? Oh, um! It lets me enhance my abilities — like, uh, speed, and strength. It kind of evolves in different ways, I guess, like-"
"Let's not spoil it all just yet, hm?" Hitoshi laughs, nudging him in the side. After all, he's been telling Izuku how excited he is for Izuku's first demonstration with his Quirk. Midnight, 3-A's homeroom teacher, knows about his abilities already, as she's friends with Aizawa, Shirakumo, and Yamada. She has also been warned that there's a turbulent history between Izuku and Katsuki, so she is somewhat prepared for whatever this reunion brings.
They all start to move through the hallway, to what Izuku assumes is the homeroom class. Kaminari slides up to his other side while the others talk to Hitoshi.
"So! Getting adopted by a Pro Hero, huh?' He asks.
Immediately, despite being in another conversation, Hitoshi leans over to smack the back of his head. "Don't ask invasive questions, Sparky."
"Yeesh, right, sorry," Kaminari says, throwing up his hands. He gives Izuku an apologetic smile. "Really. Sorry."
"Um— that's okay," Izuku replies. "It's kind of unbelievable, I guess. It doesn't feel real to me."
"I bet!" Kaminari replies, but he doesn't press any further even though he's clearly curious.
Izuku's so distracted by the new group of people that he doesn't think about Kacchan until they're standing before the doorway listed for 3-A. Monoma splits off from them with a lazy wave, declaring he'll kick their asses in training, and then heads off into the other class.
Kaminari and Todoroki head into the class, though Izuku is frozen outside of the door. Hitoshi slips back so he can stand with Izuku.
With the door open, Izuku can hear the various conversations happening. Most of it, he recognises, is about him — questions about the new student, some of them wondering where he's transferred from, some of them throwing out theories of different schools, of coming from another course, or coming up a year early.
"They really don't know anything?" Izuku asks.
"Beyond my close friend circle you just got introduced to? No," Hitoshi replies.
"They kept it a secret?" Izuku asks, surprised.
Hitoshi shrugs. "They're good friends. Really."
"So... so Kacchan won't know," Izuku says. He'd gone in expecting that, but— but he's still trying to come to terms with that realisation.
"He won't," Hitoshi confirms. "You ready?"
"No," Izuku breathes out.
"Well, Tenya's about to come around that corner, so you better step through that door anyway," Hitoshi says.
Izuku doesn't really step. He's kind of just pushed forward by Hitoshi, who follows in right after.
Immediately, everything goes silent. Izuku's eyes quickly scan over the classroom, taking everything in. In the back of his mind, he registers that he's activated Danger Sense. But it's not spiking — it's not going off. Midnight is giving him a smile as she stands behind the teacher's desk, and most of the people in the class are staring at him. He's going over their names — Aoyama Yuga, Ashido Mina, Asui Tsuyu, Ojiro Mashirao — but he's looking for one person in particular.
Bakugou Katsuki is sitting at his desk, his chin on his fist, and he's staring out the window, uncaring as someone with red hair — Eijirou Kirishima — talks to him animatedly. No, not uncaring. He's listening. Izuku can tell by the small incline of his head.
Kacchan hasn't turned to look. He hasn't seen Izuku yet.
It feels like all the breath has left Izuku's lungs. He's been trying to get himself prepared for this feeling, for all the emotions he knows will arise, all the memories and all the reminders of his past, but there's nothing he could have done to prepare for this very moment.
He could walk back out of this classroom right now. He could go home. Maybe he should attend Shiketsu.
"There he is!" Midnight suddenly coos out. "Everybody, say hi to your new number 19 seat! Why don't you introduce yourself?"
"Come on," Hitoshi mutters, pushing him forward again. There's no escape now.
At this very moment, Kacchan turns.
Their eyes meet.
Kacchan's fist drops from his chin and lands on the desk.
Izuku swallows.
"Deku?" Kacchan shouts, startled.
Izuku feels his fingers curl up, nails pressing into his thighs.
"Hi, Kacchan," he replies, though his voice is hardly more than a whisper.
Kacchan stands from his desk, the chair almost falling behind him. "What— what the fuck?"
"Language, Bakugou," Midnight sighs, like she's said it all too much in her life. At the very same time, someone comes through the door shouting the exact same words while hauling in another student behind him. Iida, carrying in a floating uniform — Hagakure Toru, Izuku distantly realises after a few confusing seconds.
Iida lets go of her the moment he realises there's someone new standing at the front of the room, and he immediately stops and bows down in greeting.
"I'm Iida Tenya, a class president of 3-A! You must be our new transfer," he greets.
"You-you're the new— what the fu— what," Kacchan spits out from his desk.
It's surprising to hear how off-guard Kacchan is right now. Izuku is only holding his ground because he's too nervous to move right now.
"Okay, yes, how about you give him a chance to introduce himself?" Midnight cuts in. "Go on, everyone else to your seats."
Kacchan looks like he wants to move from his, but one look from Midnight has him slowly lowering down to sit. He hardly blinks as he stares at Izuku. Hitoshi gives Izuku a pat on the back before he moves to sit down at his own seat, and then suddenly it is Izuku all alone up at the front of the classroom, looking back at people who are looking at him with curiosity, confusion, and challenge.
"Um," Izuku says, bowing in greeting, swallowing down his nerves as best as he can, trying to push past the way he's panicking about everything right now and trying to ignore Kacchan's stare. His words are coming out rushed, so fast he's not sure anyone can understand him. "I'm Midoriya-Aizawa Izuku. I hope— um, I hope we'll look after each other."
"Okay!" Midnight claps her hands together, clearly stopping any further conversation or questions being asked. "Nice to see you, kiddo. Go take a seat on the right-most side, second from the back."
Izuku figured as much, as it's the only seat available. It's also right behind Hitoshi — though Hitoshi is right behind Kacchan. Izuku stiffly nods, though it takes him a second to actually get his feet moving. He keeps his gaze down, walking through the path between the desks to get to his new seat. Kacchan sticks out his foot, catching Izuku's notice, though he withdraws it the second Izuku actually gets close.
Izuku looks to him, because he figures it's just Kacchan trying to get his attention. Kacchan looks like he's about to reach for him, and Izuku's body moves back on instinct. Kacchan sucks in a sharp breath.
"Jesus, fu- Oi. Let's just—"
"Bakugou. I'll let you both have a moment at the end of homeroom if you behave, got it?" Midnight's voice cuts in. Kacchan straightens up, glancing at the front of the room, before he nods and settles back in his chair, folding his arms. Izuku lets out a deep breath and keeps walking, sitting down at his seat with all the strength leaving his legs.
Kacchan actually just listened to a teacher telling him to behave. He doesn't quite know what to do with that information.
Hitoshi turns around to give him a quick thumbs-up, and Izuku just blows out his cheeks in response to signify how he feels. Midnight takes to the centre of the class and welcomes them all to their third year, and starts to summarise how the year will go for them. Izuku's head is spinning, and he can't even think to pull out his notebook and write down anything. Thankfully, it seems like no one else is, so he lets himself try and recover from the fact that he's really in the classroom, he's seen Kacchan, and everything is different now. He never would have dreamed he'd be here just a year ago.
Just as it's approaching the final five minutes of homeroom, Midnight waves her hand around.
"No surprises for this homeroom, as you're all used to them now on the first day anyway," she laughs, and then her gaze turns to Kacchan and Izuku. "You two. You can go outside for these five minutes, but if you think about destroying any school property, I'll make you suffer. Got that?"
Kacchan just gives a curt nod and then immediately stands, turning around to stare at Izuku. The rest of the class is silent again, and Izuku is all too aware of the fact that they're staring at both of them — mostly him — trying to gauge just what the hell is happening here.
Izuku stands somehow, following Kacchan out the door. Hitoshi grabs his wrist in a loose hold as he passes by his desk, giving Izuku a worried look. Silently, he's asking if Izuku wants him to come. Izuku gives his best reassuring smile, though he knows it's shaky, and shakes his head.
"It'll be okay," he says quietly.
Hitoshi nods and lets go of his wrist, trusting Izuku to handle it, though there's still a worried pull to his brows. Izuku is determined for this to go as smoothly as possible because he doesn't want Hitoshi or Aizawa to be concerned about him.
Kacchan leads the way out of the classroom, and it's only once the door shuts behind Izuku that he whirls around and faces Izuku, jabbing a finger into his chest.
"Where the hell have you been?" Kacchan demands.
Izuku's heart is beating wild and fast. So Kacchan did notice his absence, then.
"What... what do you know?" Izuku hesitantly asks, not quite sure how to explain everything about his mother.
"Nothing!" Kacchan replies with barely-contained anger, which rises quickly and explodes. "Fucking nothing! Auntie told the hag she's moving away, and when the hag asked about you, she said you were gone. So you ran away and left her, and just— what, ended up here? What the fuck, Deku?"
Izuku clenches his fists. "I didn't leave her."
Kacchan freezes. Then, after a silent moment of pause, he speaks, voice low and dangerous. "What?"
"She left first," Izuku whispers.
Kacchan jabs him in the chest again. "Fuckin'— try again. Auntie wouldn't do that. Why the fuck are you lyin'?"
Izuku is biting down on the inside of his cheek, trying to keep down his irritation and his anger and his loneliness. He's been better, with Aizawa and Hitoshi and All Might by his side, but he still wonders what the hell is so wrong with him that his own mother couldn't handle him.
"I'm not! Kac— I swear I'm not. She... " He trails off, his voice weak and thready, barely holding together. He raises a hand to swipe at his eyes roughly. He's not crying yet, but he's trying to starve it off. "She thought I'd been— I don't know. I don't know. But she... she kicked me out, and I... I didn't have a home to return. She booked one single one-way ticket. Do you understand? She left me."
"Fucking. No," Kacchan cuts in. "She wouldn't do that. What the fuck, Deku? She loved you."
"No," Izuku whispers. "I don't think she did. Not enough."
"When?" Kacchan demands.
Izuku swallows. "About... a little under a year ago, I guess? A few months."
"What the hell?" Kacchan asks, and it's a genuine question.
Izuku takes in a deep breath, but it does little to stifle his nerves. "I... Kacchan, please, please, you— I swear I didn't— this— oh, god."
"Breathe, fuck," Kacchan swears, his hand flattening on Izuku's chest and pushing into his sternum like he's trying to force a breath. Izuku flinches, which startles both of them, and Kacchan goes to pull away but Izuku reaches for his wrist and holds his hand there, letting him know it's okay as long as it doesn't hurt. Kacchan sucks in a sharp breath, but doesn't try and pull away again.
"I developed a Quirk," Izuku whispers out in a rush.
"What."
"I— it was too much for my body at first, so it never— it never developed until later. Last year. And— and when mum found out, she just... she thought I'd lied to her all that time. And I hadn't, I hadn't, I never meant for it to happen, and I meant to tell her, but-"
"Okay, fuckin' breathe," Kacchan cuts in. "Fuck. Seriously. You— fuck. But you got scans."
"They must've gotten them mixed up," Izuku whispers, almost stumbling over his lie, but he's so shaken up by everything he thinks he actually manages to get away with it. And Izuku's not the only one reeling from all the differences, so he knows Kacchan isn't able to quite pick up on it either like he might have been able to a long time ago.
"They— no. What the fuck. Show me."
Izuku lifts up his palm and lets Blackwhip bounce from his fingertips without thinking about it. Kacchan withdraws like he's been burned, staring at the Quirk that then lowers and tangles around Izuku's fingers. Kacchan's staring at him with complete shock, fingers curling like he's currently contemplating punching Izuku if out of fear.
"I caught a mug that was falling," Izuku explains, letting Blackwhip fade away. "And she just... she just screamed at me. Thought I'd been lying the whole time, hiding it from her just to... I don't know. I don't know. But— it was clear I wasn't welcome there anymore."
"What the fuck, Deku," Kacchan hisses.
Izuku's shoulders hunch over, and he curls his arms over his stomach. "I don't know. She had enough, I guess. It was too much."
It was my fault, he wants to say, but he has a feeling that Hitoshi has a sixth sense developed for when Izuku starts to think like that, so he bites it back for now.
"You— you have a fucking Quirk?" Kacchan is still reeling from the display, still staring at Izuku's fingers like he's waiting for the black tendrils to appear again.
I have a few, Izuku thinks quietly in amusement, because he's trying to hold onto some kind of train of thought that isn't going to make him burst into tears.
"Quirks don't develop like that," Kacchan declares, folding his arms. "That shit just doesn't happen. They don't develop that late."
Izuku shrugs. "Yeah, well, it happened. And I lost my mum for it. So."
He says it mostly to try and stop Kacchan from prying any further about the timeline, and from pressing any further about how Quirks develop. He doesn't want to be questioned about this, because he's always been such a terrible liar, and Kacchan knows that.
Thankfully, Kacchan seems to take the bait, if just to focus on more important things with their dwindling time. He's sure that Kacchan will continue to press about this at a later time, but hopefully Izuku will have some more time to brace himself and be prepared for Kacchan's surprising new attitude.
"Where did you go?" Kacchan asks.
"I had a contact. I, um. Do you know who Hitoshi's guardian is?" Izuku asks.
As he watches the realisation dawn in Kacchan's eyes, he gets his answer. Kacchan would have undoubtedly taken an interest in knowing where Hitoshi picked up his skills from, and he'd be paying attention to his background. Judging by his reaction, he knows that Eraserhead is his guardian. Izuku isn't sure if that means Kacchan knows about him being the adopted father as well, but it's not quite something he's going to ask right now either.
"Yeah," Izuku says. "I got, um, caught up in some kind of villain attack, and I ran into Eraserhead. Before mum kicked me out. And then... yeah. He took me in. So."
Kacchan is silent for a few seconds, taking in all the information. His palms spark with explosions, but they aren't aimed at Izuku, and they don't look like they're going to be either, so Izuku holds down his flinch.
"You could've told the fuckin' hag, you know?" Kacchan grits out, fists curling again. "She was fucking worried. Pissed me off."
"Sorry, Kacchan," Izuku whispers.
"Don't," Kacchan snarls. "Just— fucking don't. Fuck. This is— what the fuck, Deku?"
"Yeah," Izuku laughs, though the sound is hardly bright. "It's a lot. Um. Yeah."
Kacchan's fists uncurl, and he stares down the hallway, refusing to look at Izuku. Izuku doesn't mind that, though he knows he's no less under Kacchan's scrutiny.
"Is it temporary?" Kacchan asks.
"What?"
"With fuckin' Eyebags and shit. Is it temporary?"
"Oh," Izuku realises. "No. No, it's not. I got adopted, so..."
"You said Midoriya-Aizawa," Kacchan realises, narrowing his eyes back at Izuku. "Said it so fast couldn't understand you then, but... that's what you said, right?"
"Yeah," Izuku confirms. "Yeah. It's, um, Midoriya-Aizawa now."
"Ridiculous ass name," Kacchan snorts, shoving his hands in his pockets. And then his head tilts and his eyes narrow. "That's fast for an adoption to go through."
Izuku takes a second to realise Kacchan's not questioning Aizawa's motives, or Izuku's own. He's literally just questioning the actual legal timing of it all.
"Underground Heroes get certain licenses for guardianship," Izuku explains — it's not public knowledge, but he figures these kinds of details are safe enough to share with someone literally aspiring to be a hero. "And Mum didn't... didn't fight it. She rescinded guardianship, so. It wasn't much of a battle."
He half-shrugs, trying to hide just how much it all still hurts.
Kacchan scoffs, and his feet scuff on the ground. Izuku shifts his weight back and forth, thinking that homeroom must be seconds away from being over, and he's kind of an emotional whirlwind and it's — it's better, now, after actually managing to talk with Kacchan, but there's still so much energy brimming under his skin.
Izuku bites down on his lip, because there's another secret he's carrying. The fact that All Might is now the one teaching him, guiding him as well. But he supposes he's said enough, and Kacchan looks like he's still reeling despite the way he's trying to keep an indifferent demeanour — perhaps Izuku hasn't forgotten him as much as he thought. Perhaps Kacchan hasn't changed much — not in the small things, at least.
"Guess we'll find out how well he trained you, then," Kacchan eventually challenges, and doesn't give Izuku a chance to reply as he steps past him and into the classroom, leaving Izuku alone in the hallway. He's still standing there as the bell signals for the end of the period, rushing inside the moment it pierces through his ears, basically stumbling into his seat as the first period begins.
Hitoshi turns around, brows furrowing in the unspoken question of everything good? and Izuku gives a quick nod. Nothing exploded. Kacchan didn't raise a palm to him. And for the first time, he can really start to understand just how much Kacchan is the same in so many ways, but he's grown and changed in so many other important ways too. Their first interaction went decently, and that's a whole lot better than Izuku ever could have expected to happen.
It's almost hard to focus with Kacchan just two seats in front, but eventually, Izuku is swept up in the fact that he's at U.A, currently listening to Pro Heroes speak at the front of the classroom. When the bell for lunch signals out, Hitoshi snickers as he walks over to Izuku's side.
"One would've thought your hero worship would've run out considering, you know, everything, and yet..." Hitoshi laughs, elbowing him good-naturedly in the side. He can feel Kacchan's eyes on him, but then he's suddenly surrounded by Hitoshi's friend group as they drag everyone to the cafeteria.
Izuku's not exactly... great at making friends. Not ones his own age. Hitoshi is pretty much the only one he's been able to make in years. But he trusts Hitoshi, and he trusts that Hitoshi trusts these people, and so Izuku does his best to calm his racing heart as he's urged to join the line and then join the big table that everyone seems to sit around.
Kacchan isn't far either, but he's got his own small group that he's currently surrounded by. Izuku is certain their conversation revolves around them, and he's not going to fault Kacchan for revealing his side of things, even while he remains silent himself. Thankfully, the people around Izuku don't seem to mind, though Hitoshi does give him a couple of worried glances.
"You alright?" Hitoshi eventually asks, once the conversation isn't focused on either of them.
"Hm? Oh. Yeah. Just overwhelmed I think," Izuku laughs. "Sorry. Not in a bad way. It's just... it's a lot."
"I get it," Hitoshi hums. "It's cool. You'll start to settle, but it's fine to be overwhelmed right now."
"I just feel... behind," Izuku admits quietly, looking around at all the confident students around him, all of them seem so settled, so ready for the world, confident in who they are and how they can help. Izuku's been gaining his own level of confidence, and he knows he can more than hold his own when it comes to a villain fight with all his training, but he suddenly just feels so lost sitting among peers with so many established friend groups.
Hitoshi huffs, and throws his arm casually over Izuku's shoulders and then ruffles his hair. "Trust me, you're doing just fine. Just give yourself time, dumbass."
The easy affection has caught the attention of a few people, and they stare in surprise, but they're quick to duck their heads and give them privacy. They share small smiles amongst each other — genuine ones, like they're truly happy about the easy display right in front of them, like they're relieved.
Lunch ends soon enough, too quickly really, and then Izuku is being dragged along by Hitoshi to their next class.
Heroics.
He's got even more energy brimming under his skin now, and he has to shake out his hands multiple times to try and get rid of some of it that's basically burning at his fingertips. Hitoshi seems amused by his energy, but Izuku can tell he's excited too.
Hitoshi grabs a case, and then shoves it into Izuku's chest. "Here."
Izuku's fingers clumsily manage to take hold of the case before it falls to the ground, and it's only once he's made sure that it isn't going to fall that he realises what he's holding. "Wait... wait... is this-"
"Sure is," Hitoshi smirks. "Go on, put it on."
Izuku pulls out his brand new hero costume, the result of all his scribblings that he sent in to U.A after he found out he passed the exam. It's finally in his hands, tangible pieces of fabric and materials and support items. Items that mean he's done it. He's actually made it.
He might be crying as he pulls the suit on, honestly. He's not too sure anymore, as everything feels like an absolute dream. The suit fits perfectly, all the support items made with even more adjustments than Izuku's own ridiculously long list had managed.
"Looks like Mei had some fun," Hitoshi remarks, also looking over Izuku's new suit. He gives Izuku a thumbs-up. "Looks ridiculous."
"Thanks," Izuku laughs, because he knows that Hitoshi likes it.
They're instructed to meet at Ground Beta, and Midnight is grinning at all of them as they approach.
"I say we have some fun this lesson," she declares, clapping her hands together with a smile. And then her gaze flickers to Hitoshi and Izuku, standing side by side, and Izuku feels himself gulp. "Who here knows what Midoriya's Quirk is?"
Hitoshi is the only one to raise his hand. Kacchan folds his arms with a huff and looks away.
"Great," Midnight grins, and then looks over the rest of the class. "Looks like we have our teams."
Izuku's mouth drops. Surely, surely, Midnight does not mean for Izuku and Hitoshi to fight against eighteen other classmates? He doesn't doubt his own abilities, or Hitoshi's, but— but surely there is just. No way.
"I'd rather fight alone," Hitoshi declares loudly.
Izuku whirls on him in shock. "You what?"
Hitoshi resolutely ignores him and stares at Midnight. "Permission?"
Midnight grins at him. "Granted."
"What?" Izuku whispers harshly, wanting to absolutely tackle Hitoshi to the ground. "You won't even team up with me?"
Hitoshi, finally, turns to look at him. And he grins. "Find me when you're done with everyone else. Let's give them a show."
Hitoshi's eyes are alight with a challenge. The same kind of way Aizawa gets when they're all in the training room, fighting with each other, with or without Quirks. It's dirty and ruthless and fun. Izuku, despite the situation he's now found himself in, finds himself grinning back.
"Alright," he agrees. Hitoshi holds out his fist, and Izuku bumps it.
Hitoshi is at an advantage with a bigger team, at least. The more voices he'll be able to mimic, the more confusion he'll be able to cause, and the more breakdowns in communication he'll be able to create. But Izuku has a feeling that Hitoshi is going to let Izuku deal with most of the class.
"Midoriya, seeing as you're undoubtedly the number one target," Midnight says, "you'll get a five-minute head-start. There's a perimeter set-up, so we're not using all of Ground Beta, but it should be enough."
Some ground rules are laid out: they all have to wear a button on themselves that, once hit, signifies the fact that they're out. No serious injuries are allowed, and they all have to be mindful of the destruction of property. Other than that, most things are on the table.
There's a large screen being projected up above all the buildings, like it's curved along an invisible ceiling, with square images of faces of everyone in 3-A. Izuku figures faces will start getting crossed off once people are tapped out. Izuku only gets a quick glance at it before Midnight counts down, and Izuku starts running — only at a standard human pace, with no Quirks in use just yet. The projection flickers a big 05:00 countdown, which is quick to start counting down.
He figures that the projector is more for him than anything, with everyone's faces up on the screen, which he's glad for as he's still trying to learn names. He's muttering things to himself about their Quirks as he runs further into Ground Beta, trying to compile what he knows about them so far. He's seen some of their fighting at the U.A Sports Festival, but considering the difference between their first year to their second, he knows that their abilities and combat senses will have greatly improved since then.
But, at least, he has the advantage here. Hitoshi won't strike as he waits for Izuku to deal with everyone, and Izuku doesn't have a reason to respond to anyone anyway. Everyone else doesn't know Izuku's Quirk ability, and that's going to make them a little more cautious about striking first.
Todoroki might strike first, a powerhouse move to get this over with quickly, perhaps ice most of the ground in an attempt to pin down Izuku, and he decides it's going to be better to get the higher advantage while he has a head start. He heads for a tall building, ducking and weaving just in case he's got eyes on him. The five minutes are almost up once he starts making his way up the stairs, and he fires up some of One for All to make it a little quicker before the timer finishes.
He'll have to watch people like Hagakure, who might be able to sneak up on him. He's managed to develop Danger Sense to a point he can faintly pick up on beyond just harmful intentions, but he's certainly not going to rely on it. Rooftops are out of the question, even though he'd prefer to have a view up top. There are too many people in 3-A with surveillance kind of Quirks, and they'll be able to find him too quickly. So he heads high, but not too far up. He's got a floor with a few openings — parts of the windows and walls destroyed, really, but it'll do the trick if he needs an escape.
They might try and seek out Hitoshi first, Izuku muses to himself, though he has a good feeling that it's not going to be the case for the majority. Hitoshi is damn good at hiding, almost on level with Aizawa now, and he's sure that the class are aware of it. So Izuku is the one to catch today.
But he's good at stealth too, and he's able to hide back in the corner of the shadows and still get a decent angle.
Unfortunately, most of 3-A are moving as two big groups. Definitely Izuku's biggest disadvantage, and he'd been hoping they'd all be working singularly to make them easier to pick off. Kacchan is in the front of both of the groups, and though he's peering around and regarding his surroundings with caution, it's clear that he's relying on someone else to pick up on Izuku.
And that means Kacchan has just become incredibly more dangerous. He's enough of a challenge on his own, and it looks like he's overcome his greatest weakness as a hero.
This is going to be one hell of a fight, he thinks, shaking out his hands, trying to calm down some of his anticipation — and admittedly, his nerves too.
"Well, shit," he mouths out in English, knowing that if he dares to make a sound it might just catch Jirou's attention. And she's the one Izuku would bet that Kacchan is relying on. And then he puts his hand over his mouth and hopes that there aren't cameras capturing his lips — he's been around Hitoshi too much lately, probably. And Toshinori. And Hizashi. Definitely Hizashi, actually.
He remains up high, waiting, watching from the window. He doesn't want to sit up here for long. While Midnight has warned them about not destroying buildings, it's going to be way too easy for many of them to gain the advantage of him this high and enclosed.
Well, that's because he's not really allowed to use Float. Or anything that's going to be visible other than One for All's strength and speed. He flexes his fingers, not used to suppressing Blackwhip which has become his usual Quirk to defer to.
He knows he'll probably win this. He's practised too hard, too long, and he knows exactly what kind of power he wields. Still, it's exciting getting to practice like this.
He keeps Danger Sense as a low thrum, but it's hard to maintain trying to find their presence when they're not actively setting out to actually hurt him.
The groups split up. The second group, a little behind, led by Todoroki and Yaoyorozou, head out down another street. That's good. Much better for Izuku's plan.
And then, right as he thinks it, Jirou looks up. Right at him.
"Oh, shit," he says, unable to quite help himself. That's impressive. He'd been purposely keeping his breaths as silent as possible, his heart as steady as can be. But she'd picked him right out from all the other students anyway.
There's an immediate ruckus as she relays his position. Kacchan looks up. They meet eyes.
Izuku backs away from the window. Nope. Nope. He'll deal with the other group first, actually. He's not as ready for this confrontation as he wished he was.
He turns away from the window and runs down the stairs, out of there before they can even head around and get inside the building. He's sure Jirou will follow his movement, but he's going to have to work faster than she's able to relay back to everyone.
It's just going to have to be quick and fast. Like Aizawa teaches him — don't draw out the fight, he hears, ringing in his head. There's no time for hesitation, no time to let them figure out just how fast and powerful he is. Go brutal and hard as quickly as possible, catch as many of them off guard as possible when there's a large group like this.
Give them no time to strategise. No time to recollect their thoughts and gather together. Give none of them a chance, if he can help it.
One for All buzzes beneath his skin. He sees Todoroki's group, and he charges in on his targets. In one quick, fell swoop, he's able to hit the buttons of Hagakure, Aoyama, Koda, and Sato before they even realise he's there.
And then, suddenly, there's a rush of ice roaring towards him. It's fast and threatening, and it gives Izuku no chance to think. He flicks his finger at it, blasting it into pieces of small, tiny shards of ice that go flying. He quickly bounces back on his feet, then rushes forward again. Hits Ojirou and Shoji.
Jeez, he thinks, bouncing back again when Todoroki sends another incredibly fast wave of ice towards him. This time it's bigger, taking up more space, rushing down the street like the fastest-moving tidal way Izuku has ever seen.
Still, he notices, Todoroki is able to control his ice. It moves around lamp posts and benches, avoiding windows and doors of buildings, not getting them caught up in the blast of ice.
"That kind of speed..." he hears Yaoyorozou say in something akin to awe.
"Mhm," Todoroki replies. His eyes narrow on Izuku, able to keep up with him as he jumps forward again. He's only using about 60% right now — not going too hard, not just yet. Windows tend to shatter when he goes any higher than that.
Tokoyami's Quirk comes flying at him. Dark Shadow, he recalls.
"Hey," he says, and then apologises as he swiftly punches Dark Shadow in the face. Dark Shadow wails, but then he's roaring forward again, eyes narrowed. Oops, Izuku thinks.
Todoroki, he notes, isn't using his flames. Probably because of Dark Shadow. Once Izuku takes down Dark Shadow, he's going to have to deal with flames in the mix of this whole fight.
So he switches targets. Dodges around Dark Shadow — destroying a little too much of the pavement when he springs up on his foot, using more power to get more speed to get around Dark Shadow without interacting with him.
Yaoyorozou becomes his focus. He knows she's strong, a tactical thinker, but even she's been on the backfoot the moment that Izuku first touched Hagakure's button. He swiftly strikes out Yaoyzorou, then pivots on his heels and swings back around to spring towards Todoroki. It's going to be better to strike him out sooner. Izuku's left him standing too long already, and he knows it's a mistake that might just cost him.
He's lucky — Todoroki is too considerate. Doesn't switch to his flames until it's too late. Izuku strikes him out, and is left with the impression of Todoroki's wide, surprised eyes.
Tokoyami isn't hard to strike from that point, either. Dark Shadow is fast, but Izuku is faster, and he gets around him once more to get to Tokoyami.
One group down. He's taken a little too long. The other group is already circling back to him.
A spit of acid hurls towards him. He ducks back just in time.
"What the hell," he hears someone say.
"I'll catch him," someone declares, and Izuku can tell by the commanding tone of voice that it's Iida. He'd love to talk about speed and control to him, and it's definitely interesting seeing it up close now, watching the way Iida kicks himself into gear and speeds up.
He is fast. Definitely the fastest person Izuku has ever encountered, at least.
But Izuku wants to be caught. Iida realises this too late.
"I am really so sorry about this," Izuku says, able to twist his body in a way to spring off the lamppost beside him, and tackles down Iida. They go tumbling, and in the chaos of it, Izuku strikes him out.
Sero arrives next, swinging between buildings, and oh. Izuku really wants to talk to him about that kind of movement. He thinks Sero is a lot smoother than him when it comes to swinging, and he wants to learn that when it comes to Blackwhip, even if he can't demonstrate it to the class. Not now, at least. Maybe they'll come up with some kind of better excuse that can cover him.
He sees Kaminari pointing at him. And he thinks oh, no. In the next blink, mostly moving out of fear because he does not want to be struck with the kind of raw power he knows Kaminari holds, he strikes him out too. Then Ashido. Asui.
Kirishima withholds his stance when Izuku barrels into him, but this kind of fight isn't quite fair to him. He's not able to do much against Izuku striking the button attached to his hero costume.
"Aw, man," he hears Kirishima mutter, sitting down on the ground with Kaminari in defeat.
Uraraka, just as Izuku is about to reach her, suddenly floats up.
Oh, he thinks with absolute delight. He's been so excited to see her Quirk in action. He watches her for a moment, a little awe-struck, kind of forgetting where he is.
And then she presses her fingertips together, and Izuku, very suddenly, has a daunting sensation. He hasn't been watching her. He doesn't know what she's releasing — and it's clearly not going to be herself. In that moment, he quickly leaps forward before she can even blink, using 80% again in an attempt to cover for his mistake, and strikes her out.
But it doesn't stop her Quirk from being in use now that she's activated it.
He looks up. Sees it just a split second before he hears it — Kacchan throwing himself down into a spiral of pure power, surrounded by plenty of debris that's coming down right on top of him.
Oh, god. Aizawa is going to have his head for not paying attention to his surroundings.
He leaps back, but has to blast through some of the debris with One For All so that nothing actually strikes him. His vision is obscured, the debris becomes smokey and hazy, hard to see through properly.
He blasts through it all, but then there's Kacchan, heading right for him.
Nope. Still not ready for this.
But he has no choice now.
He'd love to jump up and meet Kacchan in the air. He's more comfortable there now, after spending so much time working on Float with Oboro, but he's still only allowed to show strength and speed. But he can't. He shouldn't.
Instead, he winds up a kick, foot dragging across the ground as he gains momentum before he strikes it upwards. The blast of air knocks Kacchan back, but he's quick to correct himself in the air, coming down faster now. Izuku leaps back, trying to get some distance, but Kacchan closes it quickly.
His explosions look different. He's moving faster than Izuku has ever seen before.
"This isn't what you fucking showed me," Kacchan grits out when he's close enough, both of them engaging in something more like brutalised hand-to-hand with their Quirks in play.
"Oops," Izuku says, winding a punch back. Kacchan swings at his arm, stopping a lot of the momentum, but it still gives Izuku a bit more distance.
He panicked, when he showed Kacchan. He definitely panicked. Blackwhip is just easier to demonstrate. And easier with the story about his mum, too. But he's an idiot.
God. Aizawa's definitely going to groan when he hears about Izuku's first day. And then, hopefully, he'll decide that Izuku may as well just use Blackwhip at U.A and help him come up with some kind of cover story.
"Where's the other one, then?" Kacchan asks. But it's strange, because it doesn't sound... it doesn't sound mean. It doesn't sound like he's goading Izuku, trying to make him reveal something he doesn't want to. He's just curious — a little demanding, sure, a little gruff, but Kacchan's always been like that. Wanting all the answers to things he doesn't know.
"Uh, not in play?" Izuku meekly tries, landing a kick, finally, on Kacchan. Only to remember he's meant to hit the damn button.
Okay. This is not going as well or as easy as Izuku hoped. He's going to be out of breath by the time he finally gets to Hitoshi.
"The fuck does that even mean?" Kacchan complains. "Fucking— what the hell is this, Deku?"
"Uh. I'll explain later," Izuku says, grimacing when one of Kacchan's explosions gets a little too close.
It's gritty and dirty, but finally, finally, Izuku has a moment to think. Gets a moment to reorientate himself. Finally pries open a hole and a chance and strikes out Kacchan.
"What the fuck," Kacchan says, stunned, taking a seat on his ass in shock.
"Um. Okay. I'm off to find Hitoshi," Izuku says.
Everyone in the class, sitting on the sidelines and out of danger of the fight, suddenly stands up. They're meant to head off the field and back to Midnight, if he remembers the rules correctly, but instead they all announce that they're following him to watch. Even Kacchan puts his hands in his pockets and follows along with a scoff.
They give Izuku a bit of a wide berth, and he hears them whispering, but he has to roll back his shoulders and try and focus. He has to tell himself he knows why they're whispering — it's because he's just demonstrated that level of power, and they're obviously curious about his connection to Hitoshi and Eraserhead. They're not whispering mean things about him. They're just curious.
He clenches his fists and walks forward.
Hitoshi said to come and find him, but Izuku realises that's probably going to be the hardest part of this fight yet. Or, at least, he assumes so, but then he turns a corner and suddenly Hitoshi is right there, standing in the middle of the street.
"Hey," Hitoshi says with a grin. He points up, showing that they're the only two faces on the holographic screen. "Congrats on the, you know, total decimation of our class. I hope it was recorded."
Izuku shrugs. He isn't sure. A few of them groan behind him at the mention of their defeat, but Hitoshi's eyes don't flicker away from Izuku. Hitoshi tilts his head. Considers him.
"Did you get it out of your system?" Hitoshi asks, referring to Kacchan.
Izuku raises his hand in a so-so motion, still refusing to verbally answer. He's probably going to have a lot to talk about with Kacchan, but, admittedly, the fighting had been something like cathartic. It was nice to finally be on Kacchan's level.
And it was fun, too.
Hitoshi grins. "Well, looks like it wasn't too easy for you. Want a minute?"
Izuku glares. Hitoshi's smile remains, and he interlocks his fingers and stretches his arms up lazily.
"No Quirks?" Hitoshi offers. Izuku's energy is still burning, and he doesn't want to quite let go of the excitement of One for All just yet, he finds. Hitoshi lowers his arms, staring at him. Seeing right through him. He then raises his hands and starts to sign.
Let's give them a show, Midoriya. You don't seem too talkative, and it'll be no fun for anyone if you wipe the floor with me as well.
Izuku goes to laugh, but he manages to slap a hand over his mouth to stop the noise before it can escape.
Fine, he signs back. No Quirks.
Hitoshi nods in agreement, shifting his weight back, and then drops his capture scarf on the ground. No Quirks — no items, either. Just a proper hand-to-hand fight. Izuku shakes out his hands, rolls his neck to either side, and then walks forward. The class behind him are silent, and Izuku forgets that they're there now.
Hitoshi and Izuku walk towards each other, and then, when they're a few steps away, begin to circle each other. Watching each other, waiting for a misstep, waiting for an opening.
Neither of them gives it. Hitoshi decides to take the first dive, closing the distance between them.
Izuku would prefer to keep distance, but Hitoshi presses forward and isn't giving him that kind of leverage. They both know how each other fights, all too well, and they're trying to cover their own weakness while exploiting each other's.
Izuku swings, and Hitoshi swiftly ducks and dodges, sending back his own. Izuku blocks it, going lower, but Hitoshi is right there to meet him. Forces his focus higher. They're both breathing heavily in moments, and Izuku's starting to realise that fucking ow, Kacchan has actually managed to get him in a few places.
When Hitoshi finds a weak point, he aims right for it. Sharp, fast, and vicious. Izuku, for just a moment, compares him to a snake.
He's barely able to cover for himself. He still can't get distance — Hitoshi doesn't let him.
It starts to get brutal. Desperate. They're both used to fighting like this. Gritty, even bloody. Their arms and legs aching, sides hurting, bruises already forming from the force they're striking with.
Hitoshi wants the fight to remain high, but Izuku wants it low. He manages to finally sweep out Hitoshi's legs, but Hitoshi is surprisingly quick to grapple on top of him. They wrestle on the ground, both trying to hit each other's buttons to knock each other out of the fight, but neither of them is successful.
"Come on, Midoriya," Hitoshi grunts out, but he's grinning as he grabs Izuku's shirt and goes for a swing. "Not tired yet, are you?"
"You wish," Izuku heaves through breaths. Immediately, he thinks whoops, realising he's just spoken. But Hitoshi sticks to his word, and he doesn't pull him under his control.
Izuku scrambles back, but Hitoshi presses forward, following him. Izuku manages to flip Hitoshi for a moment, but then Hitoshi slips through his grasp.
"Have I ever told you," Izuku pants, "that you remind me of a snake?"
Hitoshi laughs — more of a sharp bark than anything. "No. Should I be offended?"
"No," Izuku laughs as well. He can taste blood on his tongue. He wonders if Midnight is going to end the fight before they're able to. "Snakes are cool."
"They're terrifying, but alright, sure," Hitoshi manages to say. "Hey. Did you at least get a solid punch right into Bakugou's face?"
"Hitoshi!" Izuku says, appalled at the utter delight Hitoshi seems to take from the prospect.
"What! I think he deserves a good punch in the face after, you know, everything!" Hitoshi argues back. "I'm sure he'd probably do the same to his middle school self!"
"Hitoshi, oh my god," Izuku chokes, kind of in a laugh.
And then he trips. Right over his own feet.
Hitoshi wastes no time. He pounces before Izuku can cover himself.
Izuku's button is hit. He's looking up at the sky, and he's able to see the way his face disappears from the dome projected above them. Hitoshi's face moves to the centre, declared as the winner.
"That," Izuku pants out, deciding he can just stay on the ground for a while, "was so embarrassing."
He kind of hopes the ground rises up and swallows him, actually. Hitoshi laughs. Doesn't even hold out a hand to help him up — just collapses right beside Izuku and lets his head fall back, looking up at the ceiling, grinning as he sees his own declared winner status.
"For the class? Yeah, I mean, kind of embarrassing for them to get absolutely wiped," Hitoshi says.
Izuku swats at him. Manages to accidentally hit a tender spot which makes Hitoshi groan in complaint, and then attempt to whack Izuku right back. They tussle like that, lazily and half-hearted and entirely with laughter, until they remember they aren't alone.
Izuku looks around and realises the entire class has gotten closer to them. They've surrounded them in a circle, all of them looking at the two of them on the ground with a mix of emotions.
Kaminari starts clapping. Kirishima starts laughing, too. Iida and Uraraka come over and extend out their hands and help Hitoshi and Izuku to their feet.
"That was crazy," one of their classmates say. Izuku's back is hit — in the same kind of way that Hizashi and Oboro hit him when they're laughing, or when they're trying to congratulate him for something. He's surrounded with that kind of encouragement from the class. They're not whispering about him, talking behind his back. They're talking to him, all of their excited voices tumbling over each other. They're smiling. Friendly.
He sees Kacchan, just a little outside the circle — not far. He, too, has people around him. He dips his head at Izuku in acknowledgment.
They'll talk about it later, Izuku knows.
But for now, Izuku is able to soak up the feeling of his classmates surrounding him with their support and excitement, and he thinks that he's going to be just fine, here at U.A.