Chapter Text
"It's a boy," the doctor said, cradling the pile of flesh. Midoriya Inko watched as he passed her son to a nurse standing nearby. Too exhausted to say anything, she rested her head against the cool pillow underneath her head. Inko was on fire, every part of her being raging, the pain almost unbearable. Almost, she thought, only half-watching as the nurse wrapped her newborn child in a blanket. The nurse was cooing the baby, who barely responded. Despite everything, the baby hadn't begun to cry for his mother. It was unusual, but nothing to worry about, the doctor had reassured Inko. The nurse stopped waggling his fingers at the baby for a second, his face contorting in fear. He let out a cry of alarm, and roughly handed the baby into the arms of the nearest person, and fled the room.
That person happened to be Inko, whose attention was still on the fleeing nurse before she looked down at her baby boy. Her jaw dropped, but she was still too tired to do anything else. The baby's eyes were open, revealing bright green eyes, and his mouth was covered in red liquid. She immediately knew what had caused the nurse to leave. Her baby had bitten his finger so hard that he bled. There was a tiny smile on the boy's face, but Inko knew it was because he was seeing his mother for the first time. She tore her attention away from her child to apologize to the doctor, who brushed it off, claiming the nurse would be fine.
Since her baby had been overdue, he already had his teeth poking through, which allowed him to bite the nurse. Inko was ever thankful for the nurses and doctors who had been there through his birth and wouldn't let them forget it. The hospital staff saw how the mother handled her child, with such love and care, and they knew. They knew what kind of mother this one would turn out to be, but they remained silent. After all, they weren't paid enough to care which patients would be back, or which ones would eventually end up on their last legs in a short amount of time.
If Inko had known what her child would do when he got older, she would have never taken him home. She would have killed him herself if she had known. The child was a destructive force, and she knew it, the moment her eyes had settled on the baby boy. But she'd ignored the feeling in her gut, as this was her child. How could Inko possibly doubt her newborn child? He'd done nothing wrong! Looking into the forest green eyes made her forget all about the incident with the nurse. The staff quickly followed her example, but they kept a wary eye on the child as he stayed within their walls. For they never mentioned it to the mother, but the child was unsettling. The doctors and nurses knew which children would grow up to be bad people, and this child was one of them. It was his very existence that set off the staff.
Inko knew none of that, so instead, she and her husband prepared for the growth of a baby boy. The birth certificate came around, and she signed the document; Midoriya Izuku without a second thought. He was her son, and she loved him. She would do anything to protect him. Inko could gaze down into that little tiny face and know; know that her baby was going to grow to be a good kid; that he was going to be the fruit of her labor. She knew that her baby was going to be a hero.
~
Not even a month later, Inko's best friend, Bakugo Mitsuki gave birth to her own son, Bakugo Katsuki. Since the two mothers were best friends, they decided that their children would be close friends as well, so the two were constantly together. As such, Izuku and Katsuki were currently climbing over each other. The two hadn't figured out where one's limbs began, and where the other's ended. They were at that age where if they were split up, they began to cry. The two mothers would leave them together, knowing that there was no possible way they could get hurt. The two had baby-proofed both houses, with the help of their husbands. The four of them had baby-proofed both houses in a day, making sure all dangerous objects were safe from the little boys.
"I swear those two are going to be the best of friends," Inko said, smiling at the two babies. Mitsuki laughed, loud and clear, and Inko's smile widened. She'd always loved her friend, as together, they'd been there for each other through thick and thin. Although brash, she was loyal and bubbly. "But, I also believe that they will be a nuisance when they grow." She shook her head at the way Izuku wiggled his way out from underneath Katsuki and began giggling. The other boy followed suit, and soon they were giggling with the bubbly laughter of babies.
Mitsuki watched the way the two interacted. Inko seemed oblivious to the way Katsuki was always trying to be on top of Izuku, but she picked up on it. It seemed like instinct to the baby, and she was worried. How could this baby already want to be on top? Izuku, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content with letting the other boy climb all over him. A doormat. Inko's raising a doormat, Mitsuki thought privately, cracking a grin to herself. She'd always known the woman was gentle, and it seemed to run in Izuku's veins. The Midoriyas' were a gentle family. Even Hisashi was gentle, for all the times she had seen him. The father wasn't around much, and Inko never seemed worried about it, but Mitsuki worried. Worried about her closest friend, for if Mitsuki didn't worry, who would? She knew that the green-haired woman was quite forgettable, and many people who knew her often forgot that she existed.
She worried that once Hisashi left the house, he forgot he was married. Of course, Inko never let on that there were issues within the marriage, but the woman never wanted others to worry about her. Mitsuki shook her head roughly, clearing her mind of the dark thoughts. She knew that Hisashi was a faithful man because Inko had told her so. She had no reason to doubt her friend, so she left the thoughts in her head. She sipped the beer she held in her grasp, and she saw Inko check her watch, and gasp. She watched the woman quickly put down her own beer, and swooped Izuku off the ground.
On cue, the two boys began crying for each other. Mitsuki saw pain flash in Inko's eyes, and she felt the same ache in her heart. If the two boys didn't want to be separated, who were their mothers to stop them? But, Inko had work, and she had to take Izuku with her. After all, she'd never once left the boy alone with the Bakugo family. Mitsuki had offered, but each time, Inko had turned her down. She eventually stopped asking. Inko knew what was best for her child, and Mitsuki respected it. With hasty goodbyes, Inko left the Bakugo household, Izuku sobbing in her arms.
Mitsuki turned to her own son, who was crying for his friend. "Oh sweetheart," she whispered, kneeling down beside him. She swooped him up in her arms and began to hold him firmly. "They'll be back. They always are. You'll get to see Izuku again." As she said this, she was rubbing under Katsuki's shirt, and she felt a dent in his shoulder. Startled, she removed the baby's shirt, and her eyes widened at the sight.
On Katsuki's shoulder was a small bite mark, which had drawn little droplets of blood. They were slowly dripping down the front of his chest, but he didn't seem to mind it. In fact, he seemed used to the bite mark. That's when she noticed all the other little dents on her child's body. The realization dawned on her, as horror filled her chest. The reason Inko never left the two boys alone wasn't that she was overprotective of the children, it was because she was afraid. She was afraid that little Izuku would do irreversible damage to Katsuki. It seemed like Katsuki was already used to being bitten by the other baby. The horror turned to anger. Inko hadn't told her that her Katsuki was in danger! But the anger soon turned to a great sadness that made Mitsuki feel as though she had gained many years in only a few moments. The sadness was for Inko, who would have to deal with Izuku growing up. With his tendency to lash out at anything around him, causing pain.
She didn't realize she was crying until Katsuki had wiped them away with his tiny hands. He shook his head, making baby noises. Kneeling on the floor, Mitsuki wept for the life her best friend would have to lead from now on. She swore to herself never to tell the woman what she had learned that day. However, the Bakugo household would always be open for the green-haired woman and her family. It was a great burden that had been placed on her shoulders, Mitsuki thought. The most gentle woman she knew was going to have to fight an unrelenting war with her son. Inko would ultimately lose the war with her son, Mitsuki knew.
Mitsuki also knew that there was no possible way that Izuku would be a hero.
~
At age three, Midoriya Izuku stuck a fork through Katsuki's hand. He was fascinated by the way the other boy quickly retracted his hand, clenching it to his chest, tears filling his eyes. He whimpered, and Izuku smiled at him, unaware of the sharp pain coursing through his veins. Blood welled at the entrance to the wound before spilling out into the open. Izuku tracked the liquid with his eyes, before furrowing his brow. Whenever someone made the pain sound, it was followed by the red liquid that was flowing down Katsuki's hand. He looked at the fork, with its four prongs, and looked back at the bleeding wound on Katsuki's hand, counting the number of tiny wounds on his hand. There were only two open wounds on the boy's hand, but four prongs.
"Hand." Izuku stuck out his hand for Katsuki to place his hand in the waiting hand. Cautiously, the boy placed his injured hand on top of Izuku's hand. Katsuki knew that there was a high probability that he would stab him again, and he was bracing himself for the impact. Pain exploded in his hand as Izuku stuck the fork back inside his hand. He made to retract his hand, but Izuku's grip tightened, as he shifted the weight of the fork. He'd stuck it directly into the already open wounds, and he was creating more. He was going to make it even, Katsuki knew. It was the way the green-haired boy was wired.
Out of the corner of his eye, Katsuki spotted his aunt, Aunt Inko, poke her head in the kitchen. She gasped, and quickly walked over to the two boys, removing the fork from his hand. She took the care to pry every single of Izuku's fingers off him, so Katsuki could cradle the injured hand to his chest. Through his blurry eyes, he spotted the way Aunt Inko was scolding the green-haired boy. He was already sobbing, ugly tears streaming down his face. He knew what he was doing. Katsuki's eyes flickered towards Aunt Inko, whose face flashed with pain. Thoughts were formulating in his mind. He knows how to get his mom to stop, the three-year-old pieced together. Izuku was good at tricking his mother into believing he was sorry. Anger wiggled its way into Katsuki's heart. He didn't have anything wrong with him, and he could never get his mom to do what he wants!
He tilted his head for a moment, a movement that went unnoticed by Inko and Izuku. What if Izuku was able to teach Katsuki how to trick people? The duo would be unstoppable! They could spend their days tricking people into giving them what they wanted! Katsuki smiled brightly, despite the throbbing pain in his hand. Izuku spotted him, and without his mother noticing, he smiled. He thought that the green-haired boy had read his thoughts, and was agreeing with him.
Sensing that Aunt Inko was done attempting to scold her son, Katsuki frowned, masking his delight. She had brought the bandages to her using her Quirk. With the practice of someone who had done this before, Aunt Inko wrapped the open wound in a bandage, with the blond boy watching her. He knew in his heart that it wouldn't be the last time he was injured because of Izuku. He would have to learn how to take care of himself if the two of them were going to rule the world.
Katsuki met Izuku's eyes over his mother's back. Respect was reflected in both their gazes, with the tears slowly stopping on Izuku's face. A smile spread across Izuku's face, and Katsuki matched it with equal vigor. They nodded, and Aunt Inko leaned back, breaking their eye contact. Ignoring Katsuki's face, she turned and picked Izuku up. His face poked out from over her shoulder, his mouth a frown. The blond boy matched it, as understanding ran between them. The Midoriyas were leaving, and there was nothing the two boys could do to stop it.
The two were in agreement. They were going to rule the world; together. And they were going to do it by deceiving everyone in their path.
That was their pact.
~
Despite being younger, Katsuki received his Quirk first. It was the middle of kindergarten when he was yelling at the teacher. Suddenly, explosions had gone off in his hands, startling everyone into silence. The first one to recover had been his best friend, Izuku. He'd congratulated him on having his Quirk, and what it was like. He said nothing about the way it was structured, but Izuku had thought it logical that it would be a combination of his parents' Quirks. From then on, the green-haired followed the blond everywhere, spewing nonsense about his Quirk, praising the boy behind it.
Soon, others picked up on complimenting the young tot, and it was quickly the only thing people said to Katsuki. He enjoyed it; he liked the way his chest swelled when someone said he was great. The only person to not compliment him all the time was Izuku; the person who'd started it. He made suggestions on how to make Katsuki stronger.
"Kacchan, Kacchan! How 'bout this one?" He was holding a book in his tiny hands, eyes scanning the page for pictures. They were looking over hero costumes from the past ages. Katsuki leaned over to the boy and scoffed.
"Nawh, too fuckin' borin'," he said proudly. Izuku gasped at his language. His eyes glittered with awe, watching the way Katsuki moved amongst the other children, as though he were a lion, and everyone else was his prey. And that proud lion was best friends with Izuku! He was so overjoyed that the boy with the explosive Quirk was his friend. "I need somethin' that will match my Quirk. Stron' and powerful!" Unaware that he'd used synonyms, the boy boasted with all his might. Another thing that made Izuku proud of his best friend was the way he displayed his scars.
The scars that Izuku had put on his body were shown to the world with pride. He secretly feared the day when Kacchan decided that the scars were something to be ashamed of, and hid them away from the rest of the world. Well, from everyone but Izuku. No matter what, whenever Izuku wanted to, the blond boy let him run his hands all over the scars crisscrossing his body. Both Kacchan and Izuku knew exactly how each scar had gotten on the blond's body.
A toddler made their way over to the two of them, huddled around the picture book. "I know that the book was made for crybabies and losers like you, Deku and Katsuki!" She said, and the other little kids laughed at them. Upon seeing their confused faces, she rolled her eyes. "Deku stands for useless, ya know? Kids like Katsuki are too cool for useless Dekus! But he's a loser because he hangs out with you, Deku!" She explained, and Izuku's mind imploded with thoughts.
He barely felt Kacchan's hand on his arm as he launched himself at the girl, sinking his teeth into her skin, his hands clawing at anything he could reach. His mind contained nothing but the thought of putting the girl through immense pain. She'd branded him with a false name, and he was only trying to correct it. Izuku wasn't a crybaby, nor was he a Deku! The familiar red liquid spilled into Izuku's mouth as he bit down harder, driving all thoughts from his mind. He let his instinct run wild, his nails dragging down the girl's arms, the nails slicing through flesh like butter, and she howled with pain as though she'd just turned into a wolf. The sound pleased Izuku greatly, and he felt hands on him, ripping him away from the other. He knew he only had one shot; with one final burst of energy, he tore his way out of his captive's arms-
and jabbed his fingers straight into the tearful eyes of the girl.
The reaction was immediate. She reared back, her wails sounding like a banshee, blood mixing with her uncontrollable sobs. The teacher, who had left the children alone for a few moments, not knowing his students well enough, came running into the room. He took one look at the scene before him, and turned to the nearest trashcan, and vomited. Once he'd done that, he took a closer look at the situation.
Midoriya Izuku was being held in Bakugo Katsuki's arms, thrashing, his face a veil of rage. The intensity of the expression caused the teacher to take a step back, scared. He'd known that Izuku could be a little... unruly, but he would have never suspected that behind that sweet face was such a ferocious animal. The girl, Jaakuna Kireina, was howling in pain, her cries reaching higher and higher pitches. She was clenching her face, covering her eyes. He saw the blood dripping from in between her fingers, and when he looked closer, he spotted blood on Izuku's nails.
With shaking fingers and a pale face, the teacher called the police on a three-year-old. He also called an ambulance for a three-year-old. The authorities saved the day, swooping in to take the green-haired boy from his only friend. Katsuki had burst into tears, spewing story after story about how sweet Izuku was. He said that Kireina had started it; she'd attacked the boy first. The commanding police officer had taken one look around the room, to all the guilty faces and kids who wouldn't look her in the eyes, and decided to take Katsuki's word for it.
The teacher knew it was a lie. He knew deep in his bones; Katsuki would do anything to protect his friend. Between the two of them, the teacher had gotten so used to believing them that they got away with anything. Even when there was tangible evidence proving they were the culprit, Katsuki or Izuku would burst into tears and convince the teacher that there was no possible way that they could have done it. But, as he remembered the look on Izuku's face, the teacher knew that everything had led up to this one moment. The outburst of emotion; Izuku was an unstable boy. He knew exactly where to strike to make his opponent feel the most pain.
If the teacher had looked any closer at the two boys he would have seen the hatred burning inside them. The hatred that was directed at everyone who had stepped into the classroom, and especially the authorities.
Izuku and Katsuki were better than them; they knew that.
Inko wept when she heard the phone call. The principal of the kindergarten had called her, explaining to her in great detail what her son had done to another student. She heard the usual; "We're sorry, but your son is no longer allowed here," spiel, but her heart still broke every time she heard it. Her little Izuku was a good kid. Every school she went to took one look at his past and decided that "it wasn't a good fit", but Inko knew if they had given him a chance, he would have proved them wrong! The Izuku she knew was a sweet, kind, caring, and controlled child. Her heart swelled with a negative emotion, which left a sour taste in her mouth.
After a few moments of contemplation, she placed the emotion. She was bitter. Bitter because the world wasn't giving her son a chance. A chance that he deserved. If Izuku wanted to be a hero; why shouldn't he? He was perfectly capable of saving people. Although Inko begrudging admitted, he would be better fighting villains. It made no difference to her how her baby was going to enter the world as an adult, but she knew he was going to be magnificent, no matter where he shined.
That was the last kindergarten that Midoriya Izuku was kicked out of before his mother decided to tag-team with Mitsuki, and home-school him.
With frequent playdates with his best friend, Izuku was happier, his outbursts becoming less common, but his knowledge of pain grew immensely, despite the Midoriyas' and Bakugos' attempts. His first tragic pain came when his father, Hisashi, decided that the child was a demon, and left, never to be seen or heard from again by either family. Both mother and son had cried for days before their tears dried, and they picked up their broken hearts and mended them.
Unknown to anyone but Kacchan, Izuku's desire to cause pain was growing with each passing day.
He knew through thick and thin that Kacchan would be there beside him, ready to aid him in any way possible. They were the best of friends, and they had their whole life in front of them. Slowly, but surely, Katsuki was learning the craft of deceit, although he wasn't as good as Izuku. He was getting better, and he subtly tried it with his own family, and it began to work.
~
"What our families don't know won't hurt them," Izuku said, gripping the knife in his hand. Kacchan was always unsure of things like this, but Izuku was certain that it was the only way to make sure their pact would last.
The idea was to create matching wounds. It would serve as a physical representation of their bond. As long as Izuku and Kacchan had their bond, nothing in the world would be able to stop them. The two had finally decided on a spot, one that wouldn't be easily seen by their families. Or, if the scars were seen, they wouldn't be questioned. The back of Izuku's right shoulder, and the back of Kacchan's left shoulder. If the greenette sat to the left of his brother, their scars would be pressed against each other.
It would be a secret way to remind one another that the other was there for them. A way for the bond to stay strong.
"Alright," the boy grumbled and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain. The tip of the knife pierced his skin, causing him to let out a soft whimper. It hurt. While dragging the knife over the boy's skin, Izuku whispered sweet nothings, hoping to ease the agony his soon-to-be-brother was going through. As much as the freckled boy loved seeing people hurt, sometimes, he didn't want his best friend experiencing that same hurt.
As soon as he was finished, Izuku leaned back and inspected his work. The line was relatively straight, and it was oozing blood. They had prepared for this, and Izuku pressed the warm towel against the wound as Kacchan hissed in pain. "Don't worry, Kacchan, the worst of it's over. Now, the only thing you'll have to go through is the unrelenting pain as the wound heals. Shouldn't be too bad, right?" He cheerfully whispered the words in the ears of his best friend. Technically, Kacchan was now Izuku's brother, but Izuku wasn't Kacchan's brother yet, so he would wait to call him a brother, if only for a little while longer.
Izuku passed the knife to Kacchan, who stared at it. The blood was dripping off the tip, and the handle was sweaty from where Izuku had palmed it. The knife wasn't very special, an ordinary kitchen knife, stolen from the Bakugo's kitchen. Inko had learned long ago to keep the knives out of Izuku's reach. The Bakugo's were a little slower on the uptake, but it worked out for the two troublemakers. As the freckled boy turned away from the boy, his shirt pulled down to reveal his shoulder, the blond tightened his grip on the knife.
He'd never had a problem with Zuku scarring him, but for Katsuki to scar his best friend? It was almost unthinkable, but look where they were now. He glanced between knife and shoulder and decided.
When the knife cut Zuku's skin open, he immediately began to bawl. The tears caused him to hesitate, wondering if this really was a good idea, but he jerked his hand right, finishing his work. It was a shoddy line, almost a little jagged where Zuku had began to shake his shoulders. Katsuki winced at the sight of blood pouring from his brother's shoulder. He cleaned the wound and pressed the towel against it.
Zuku turned and looked at Katsuki's face. A warm grin spread over his face. "We're brothers, Kacchan," he said, his breath catching on the one word that bound them.
An equally bright, and rare smile was on the blond's own face. "Brothers forever," he whispered softly.
A gentle nudge from Zuku caused pain to flare in his shoulder. He inhaled sharply, but the other ignored it. "Together forever." Zuku reached over and gripped his hand. "Right, Kacchan?"
The blond laughed softly and entwined their hands together. "Right, Zuku."
Katsuki said nothing as he watched his new brother observe the blood that stained the floor, the knife, and their bodies. He only pursed his lips in a tight smile as he helped clean up, helped to leave no evidence behind.
They were brothers now, and being brothers mean a sworn promise to defend each other, and to love each other, for what they were.
For Katsuki, it meant loving every part of Zuku's sadism.
For Izuku, it meant embracing the constant mood swings and outbursts Kacchan went through.
They would handle it. They always did.
~
The day Izuku learned about his Quirk, he told no one. He was almost five years old, but he was so happy the day it came. At first, it was overwhelming, all the new information, but he got used to it. He called it "Information", due to it telling him things. Sometimes, it let him read the emotions of the people around him, but only if he focused. Other times, it processed possible dangerous things and reported back to his brain, where Izuku would avoid them. He was walking home, and his brain told him not to take his usual route home, without doubting it, he took a longer way home and discovered later that night a villain had been caught on his usual route. His mother had remained blissfully unaware of the entire situation, but Katsuki picked up on it.
He began to refer to Izuku as "Lucky", as he always seemed to avoid bad situations. After he'd said that, Izuku told him about his Quirk, reading his emotions while he did. Katsuki had been overjoyed for him, without a hint of anything negative. Izuku knew he'd made the right choice when he was younger to become brothers with Katsuki, and he knew the blond felt the exact same way.
As he grew, he remained quiet on the subject of his Quirk. His mother had suspected that perhaps he knew more than he let on, but never pressured him into telling the truth about his Quirk. So, on his official papers, Izuku was labeled "Quirkless", and that was the end of it. Inko had asked him on several occasions if he wanted to visit the doctor, to know if his Quirk was there or not, but he never took her up on the offer.
Izuku was content with leaving her in the dark about his Quirk. He knew it wounded her that there was a secret he kept from her. There was a constant smile on his face because of it; he couldn't help it. Pain made him happy. Positive emotions bubbled in his chest whenever he caused someone pain, causing him to laugh until he could barely feel the nerves in his body.
He'd never given up his dream to be a hero. He wanted to be a hero that could wreak havoc on villains, putting them through more pain than they could possibly imagine. He'd made it his life goal to become a hero, and if anything, Izuku was determined.
~
Inko noticed strange things about her son. She noticed the way he never seemed to completely there, even when you were speaking to him. He would make conversation, speaking thoughtfully, but it unnerved her because her gut feeling was telling her that he wasn't paying attention. Sometimes, his eyes would gloss over, and she knew better than to disturb him during those moments. He was prone to lash out at whoever touched him, or spoke to him when his eyes glossed over. Katsuki had learned it the hard way; everyone else had quickly learned from the blond's mistakes. Even when he stopped responding, becoming aggressive and explosive if someone touched him, the Explosion-Quirked boy never stopped trying to bring his friend back.
Before any of the adults in their lives could stop them, Katsuki had become the only way Izuku calmed down. To make sure the green-haired boy knew it was him, Katsuki would unleash small explosions directly on Izuku's flesh. The first couple times, Izuku would immediately come back, with tears streaming down his face, whimpering in pain. Inko would scold the blond boy for hurting her son, in front of her, but Katsuki was unapologetic. He'd stuck out his chin at her, hands on his hips, eyes blazing with barely contained rage.
"He's back now, ain't he? You should be thankin' me, 'stead of runnin' your mouth at me," he said, and Inko stepped back in surprise. She knew that Mitsuki had been the one to blame for his temper. The woman wasn't gentle with her love. The way she loved was the same as her personality, loud and brash. Back when they were girls, once the woman had seen Masaru, her now husband, she'd hit on him hard. She was brutal, but she loved her family with all her heart, and Inko knew that she wouldn't change her best friend for the world. "Bitch," Katsuki added as an afterthought, resulting in a gasp from Inko herself.
She didn't realize that Izuku had been listening to their conversation until he appeared next to Katsuki, his face filled with annoyance. "Don't talk 'bout my mama like that, Kacchan. It's rude," he said, stretching the words out longer than they had to be. The blond turned on him and released explosions in his hands, mock anger on his face.
"I do what I want, 'Zuku! You can't stop me!" The ten-year-old said and began to chase his best friend around their house. Inko smiled, worry clenching her heart. Even if the two boys were inseparable, there would be a time in their lives when the world wrenched them apart, and she feared that day. Izuku would stop at nothing to remain with his best friend, and if that meant harming someone, he would to it with great pleasure. As the boys wrestled, their long sleeves were pushed up. They didn't seem to notice but as Inko looked closer, she saw scars littered along their arms. Katsuki had more, generally because he didn't care if the green haired boy hurt him. His pain tolerance was incredibly high because of it.
A tear slipped down Inko's face before she could stop it. Masaru, Mitsuki, Hisashi, Katsuki, herself, they all had scars. Caused by the bright-eyed, freckled, sweet child who was currently laughing, a high-pitched sound, which rang clear like a bell. If she could hear one sound the rest of her life, Inko decided, it would be her little boy's laugh. So few things made him laugh these days. She cherished every happy moment she had with her son because she never knew when the next one would be. It was a constant storm of pain, and sorrow as he raged his way through life.
Dull-eyed, Inko turned to the kitchen counter to check the knives, just in case. She'd found that on more than one occasion, Izuku had taken a knife or two, delicately playing with the sharp edge, careful not to slice it across his own skin. He had no qualms about cutting open someone else's flesh, and anybody would do, as long as it wasn't his own. As slow as she was, Inko learned. She learned not to leave the knives out in the open where Izuku could easily nab one, and wait for her to approach him before sticking it between her ribs. They'd both been sobbing on the way to the hospital. She'd lied to the police that she'd done it to herself, which explained the way Izuku rarely left her side. They had assumed he was fearful of her trying to find another way to die. The same staff that had served at her son's birth had helped her again; although Inko was sure they didn't remember her.
They did.
The doctors, nurses, and PA's never breathed a word about it to her, of course. They also suspected that she had been lying to the police about the cause of her injury, but they weren't paid enough to question the mentality of their patients. The police seemed satisfied with her answer, she seemed satisfied with her answer, and everyone seemed satisfied with her answer. Everyone but her green-haired, freckled son, but out of respect for his mother, he went along with her story. He made up stories about how sad his mother had been on certain days, or how she would walk around the house like a zombie, with bags under her eyes. He described the way her shoulders sagged when he asked her about her day. Anyone close to him would have been able to see that the boy was lying; from the way, his eyes lit up like Christmas lights, to the way he smirked when he created stories about all the scars that littered her body.
Out of fear of losing Izuku, the entire Bakugo family said nothing. They let the child run wild, spinning a tale that the police bought, word for word, drinking up the way the boy talked; solemn and subdued, as though talking about a great loss. If he had nothing else going for him, Izuku was an amazing actor. If he put his mind to act a certain way, he could pull it off, and everyone around him would believe the act until he would drop it.
It scared the Bakugo parents, and it terrified his mother. With that ability, he could act a certain way for days, and she would believe in him entirely.
The adults in Izuku's life were scared of him.
Everyone but his brother, Kacchan, was scared of him, even if they refused to admit it.
Through it all, Izuku remained steadfast in his goal. He would be a hero, and Kacchan would be his partner in crime, and they would be the best heroes the world had ever seen. They would be better than All Might, the current number one hero.
Kacchan and Izuku; Ground Zero and Lucky. They would dominate the hero world, side by side.
It was their destiny.
~
When they were of age, Katsuki and Izuku took the U.A. entrance exam. They would have to separate, so they briefly knocked their shoulders together. It meant whatever they needed, whenever they needed, so, at that moment, to the two of them, it meant "Good luck". With wistful looks in their eyes, the two brothers left each other's sides for the first time in their lives.
Katsuki was nervous. He didn't want to be separated from his brother for so long, but if they wanted to get in, the had too. It was their lifelong dream, and if Zuku could put up it for a few hours, then so could he. A feeling writhed within his gut, and he looked back at the green-haired boy who was twidling his thumbs, walking slowly onto a bus. His heart shriveled inside his chest. He knew that Zuku hated being alone more than anything in the world, but Katsuki willed him to be alright. Thoughts arose in his mind, and he shoved them out. It would do nothing to think about if the freckled boy fell into one of his episodes. He shuddered, imagining it. He yelled at a few kids in his way, and they made room for him.
He would pass, because Zuku and himself had spent their entire lives preparing for this moment, and nothing would stop them from achieving their dreams. On top of that, Zuku had spent many hours with him to help him with his Quirk. What he could work on; what he was great at; that kind of thing. He would keep the advice in mind, as the green-haired boy rarely used his Information Quirk to other's advantages.
Katsuki cleared his mind and focused on what was to come.
Crazy thoughts were sprinting through Izuku's mind. He paid no mind to them, wrestling with them, and shoving them out of his head. He sat on the bus, waiting to arrive at the entrance exam, as he went over what he knew about the exam. From Present Mic's explanation, he was facing robots, which wouldn't appeal to his Quirk at all. Since he'd been focusing on the blond man so much, he learned that the points earned by destroying robots weren't the only way to gain points. He could save someone, and be awarded points.
So, Izuku decided, he had to wait for someone to be in trouble, and then he could save them. Perhaps he should wait for the zero-pointer, and watch for anyone unlucky enough to be trapped in its path. He knew that his Quirk was best suited for rescue work, so he wanted to make the most of it; showing off to the people judging him, to prove that he could be a good hero. Since his papers reminded that he was "Quirkless", he knew that the heroes would most likely discard his application, but if he saved enough people, they would have to accept him into their school. What kind of hero school didn't accept those who acted out in pure heroism?
As soon as Present Mic yelled "Go!", Izuku found himself in trouble. A two-pointer robot had cornered him, and there was one way out, which was to run straight at it. A moment later, someone punched their way through the robot, black hair flashing. The boy looked at Izuku, cowering in the corner. His heart beat loudly in his chest, as he knew what the kid was feeling.
"Hey," he said gently, and Izuku looked up, taking in his savior. He had shoulder-length black hair and a tiny scar above his right eye. "You'll be alright. You're safe, and you can still move. Which I believe means that you still have a chance to get in this school. I'm rooting for you, buddy," he said and stuck out a hand to help Izuku up. Hearing the praise, Izuku smiled widely and allowed himself to be pulled up by the black-haired boy.
"Thanks, and same to you," Izuku said as he shook off the fear. The boy grinned, revealing shark teeth. He waved as he left the green-haired boy, who returned the favor. Izuku quickly ran, his Quirk picking up trapped participants. They were incredibly clumsy, Izuku thought as he reached someone.
He held the rubble up as the girl climbed her way out of the rubble, thanking him, and leaving. Izuku moved on, rescuing everyone that was trapped, and almost completely ignoring the robots. He knew that there was no way he could take one down. A one-pointer had its sights on him and moved to attack him with his back turned, when someone who he'd rescued saved him, destroying the metal object before it hit him. A smile from the green-haired boy was their thanks, and the two split apart again.
The robots continued to attack the one boy who ignored them, and every single time, someone who he had saved helped him out. The teachers watching over the exam picked up on the boy, and one of them held his file in their hand. "Midoriya Izuku," they read aloud to the gathered group. "Listed as Quirkless." Gasps were heard. A Quirkless hero, it was unheard of! But as the teachers watched, watched the way the boy's face scrunched up in determination, saving everyone he came across, their hearts won out against their minds.
"It's about time to create some havoc," Principal Nedzu said and slammed his paw on the button that unleashed the zero-pointer. He was absolutely right, as so many possible students ran away from the hunkering beast. They saw one girl get caught in the rubble of the zero-pointer's destructive path. As they expected, Midoriya ran out, and with a struggle, lifted up the rubble for the girl to escape. The robot swung its fist close to the pair of students, but neither flinched.
Izuku watched, helpless as the girl he was saving slowly crawled out of the rubble. Her ankle was destroyed, his Quirk told him, and she was about to pass out from nausea, exhaustion, and pain. As soon as she was out of the rubble's crash zone, Izuku dropped it and quickly scooped her up, bridal style, running away. The escaped kids waited for their savior to return from the zone. Once he appeared, carrying one more saved person, they cheered and picked him up on their shoulders.
He smiled and laughed all the way back to the main building, as they never put him down.
Katsuki saw how happy Zuku was, resting on the shoulders of his future classmates. The kids from the other zones had no idea what was going on, but from the way they all thanked him, the blond assumed it was because the freckled boy had saved them all. His sunshine personality was contagious, as the other students had giant smiles on their faces. He spoke to the people carrying him, who put him down. Everyone but a shaggy-haired boy left his brother standing there. The two began talking animatedly, and Zuku subtly watched the crowd, as he was prone to do when the two brothers weren't together. The students from other zones looked on in confusion, but Katsuki understood. Pride swelled in his chest, and he smiled, scaring the kids nearest to him. He'd been nothing but mean to them. He saw Zuku's eyes land on him, because of the way they lit up.
"Kacchan!" He screamed and sprinted towards him. When he was close enough, he launched himself at the blond boy, taking him down. Landing roughly on his back, Katsuki playfully shoved his brother off him, laughing with the green-haired boy. It astounded him that such a cheerful boy like Zuku chose him, of all people to be his brother. It would never amaze him how joyful the green-haired boy could be. Katsuki smiled widely at his brother. The shaggy-haired brunette followed them, and he saw that the boy's mouth contained shark teeth. Since Zuku had chatted with him, the blond knew he was alright.
The boy quirked an eyebrow at their antics but sat down next to the two boys. "Kirishima," he said, and Zuku sat up sharply. The emerald eyes twinkled, watching the newcomer's reaction. "My name, if you'll have it." Such a dork line coming from the serious-faced boy caused Katsuki and his brother to giggle. The sheepish grin of Kirishima's wasn't enough to stop them, but soon he was laughing too. "I never got yours-" He indicated Zuku. Serene red eyes met Katsuki's own squinty eyes. The boy tilted his head. "I'm not sure I should call you 'Kacchan', either." The eyes of the brunette were laughing, and Katsuki responded with explosions and death threats. Kirishima shook his head, his eyes still laughing, his mouth smiling, but no laughter. "I'm telling you, man, this guy's dangerous." He elbowed Zuku gently, who turned his unreadable gaze on his brother.
Although friendly banter, the two knew the words applied to the both of them. Katsuki could read the subtle things, like the way Zuku tensed when Kirishima had nudged him, or how the shadows danced in his eyes. The shadows were almost always tell-tale for when Zuku "let go", and gave in to the need to cause pain. If Kirishima was going to be their friend, he would have to be told at one point or another, about Zuku's ways. However, being stabbed by the freckled boy wasn't the best way to be introduced to it. The blond shifted, knowing they had to leave before his brother exploded. Ironic that the one who would explode wasn't the one with an Explosion Quirk.
Keeping his eyes on Zuku, the blond stood up. With Kirishima watching his every move, Katsuki knew he would have to be careful with his brother. "C'mon, Zuku," he said softly, his words directly for the freckled boy. He put his hands out, and the boy pulled himself up, using the extended hands. His eyes on the ground, Zuku began walking away, leaving Kirishima and Katsuki standing alone, watching the boy leave. When he'd turned a corner, and they couldn't see him anymore, the blond turned to the brunette. "I'm Bakugo Katsuki, and that was Midoriya Izuku. We're brothers," he said, exercising his bragging rights over one of the only things that made him proud.
Kirishima's eyes flickered, taking in his tone of voice, and his word choice. Subtle confusion turned to understanding, but he said nothing. His grin had turned into a wary smile. "Well, now that I've gotten your names, tell him that I hope to see him at U.A., and now that I know you-" A lie, Katsuki's mind supplied. Which was the truth; the brunette didn't know a single thing about the two of them. "I hope to see you there too. Later," he said, and with a little wave, walked away. Not quickly, but not slowly either. Katsuki's mouth almost dropped in surprise. Here's someone who had almost met the dangerous side of Zuku, and wasn't unaccepting about it.
Once he rounded the corner, Katsuki shook his head at the sight, a small smile on his face. Zuku was curled up on the ground, asleep. With little effort, the blond scooped his brother up, taking note of how light he was. He would confront the boy later, and keep track of his diet. If his brother wasn't feeling well, Katsuki didn't know what he would do. If the boy was in his arms, he would have to walk his way home. Sighing, Katsuki began the journey to his house. It was a quiet walk, but a quick one. If Zuku had been awake, he would have learned why everyone was so eager to carry the green-haired male, but he wasn't. Nearly everytime Zuku had a run-in with his dangerous side, he ended up asleep.
Katsuki crept inside his house, knowing his parents were out. He walked to his room, and gently placed his brother down on the bed. He tucked his brother under the quilt that was on his bed. He settled in next to the freckled boy. They'd been doing it since they were little, and it still felt right to Katsuki. Zuku snuggled into his warm body, and his gaze rested on the scar on his shoulder.
Katsuki smiled fondly at the memory. As young as they were, the two had known how deep their bond went. He would gladly go back and do it all over again; for their combined future. The two were going to be the best heroes the world ever dreamed of.
But first, they had to be accepted into U.A.
~
Every time the mail came, Katsuki and Izuku searched through it, together, hoping for their results. Since the usual mail time was on Wednesday, they never checked it any other time. Of course, their letters arrived on Thursday, three weeks after they'd taken the test. Katsuki had immediately sprinted to the other's house. It was all so they could open their letters together. The two had no doubts that they would be accepted. The two poked each other, sitting inside Izuku's room. "Alright, Kacchan, I'll go first." Izuku placed his letter in front of them. He stuck his finger under the seal of the letter, ripping it open with a jerk of his hands. A hologram of All Might appeared, startling the two boys.
"Midoriya Izuku! You have accumulated zero villain points!" He began, and Izuku frowned, tilting his head. Kacchan, sitting next to him, whirled his head towards the freckled boy. "However! There is another way of scoring. Rescue points, and as you demonstrated the ability to be an excellent hero! You too can be a hero!" The number one hero explained in short sentences, as though the boy was a first grader. The green-haired boy snorted with laughter at the stupidity of his idol. "We know that you are Quirkless." His yelling changed to a somber tone. "We know that," he repeated. "But we're a hero school. How could we possibly turn away someone who acted so heroically? Watch young Midoriya. You have inspired many to act heroically as well." The hologram flickered and began showing all the students that he saved.
They were all lined up, waiting to be talked to, as they were standing under a sign that read Faculty. Soon, a shaggy-haired man came out. Eraserhead, Izuku's mind supplied. The man looked out at the gathered group. "You're all here for Midoriya Izuku, aren't you? The one who saved you?" He clarified after brows furrowed in confusion. "Go away, and don't worry about it. He's fine." The hero chased them off.
The hologram shifted back to All Might. "See that, young Midoriya? You have been accepted into the hero course! Welcome to U.A.!" He yelled and the hologram shut down. A grin ghosted Izuku's face as his brother hugged him. A smile was present on Kacchan's face as well. There was no giant yell from either of them; this is what they had expected.
With a nod from Zuku, Katsuki opened his. All Might appeared in hologram form, again. He looked quite worried but spoke with an upbeat tone. "Bakugo Katsuki! You have accumulated 77 villain points! You placed first place! Welcome to U.A., we hope to see you there, young hero!" He screeched and disappeared. Katsuki frowned, grumpy that his welcome speech hadn't been as long as Zuku's.
"We did it, Kacchan," Izuku said, and clenched the other's hands. They smiled at each other, basking in the pride and joy they felt. "We're going to be the best hero duo ever!" He said.
Katsuki nodded in agreement.
They were going to be the best heroes ever.