Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Quirkless.” The doctor’s voice still rang in Izuku’s little ears as he clutched his All-Might plush. All because he had a stupid extra toe joint, he wasn’t allowed to be a hero - to be anything but monotone. He was doomed to fade into the background of a colorful and fantastical world. He could already feel the tears starting to roll down his freckled cheeks as he buried his face, the radio in the car being the only thing to mingle with his tiny sobbed hiccups. At least until his mom started talking.

“Izu...It’s okay. You can...you can still be a hero.” Her voice was unnaturally quiet though, as if she didn’t even believe the words.

“N-N-Nu-uh,” he sniffled. “I can’t.”

“Nonsense. Anyone can be a hero, isn’t that what All-Might always says?” She was smiling now.

“M-Mhm. He’s the bestest.” He picked his head up from his plush, offering his mom a wobbly smile. He found her looking back at him - familiar, comforting - as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. 

“That’s right. You can be a hero with your kindness. You can save people with your heart.”

Izuku sees tears forming in her eyes, and his heart tugs. There’s no hesitation when he gives up his prized All-Might plush in that moment, leaning as far over as he can to place it squarely in his mother’s lap. “I will,” he promises, the most solemn a five-year old can possibly sound.

When she laughs, the sound is incredibly happy, and woefully sad all at once. She turns her eyes back to the road as the light turns green, the car accelerating into the intersection with a jerk. 

Izuku is watching her, a grin tugging his chubby cheeks as her sadness begins to dissipate, just slightly. “You will, Izu-kun,” she says, “You will - “

The screech of tires cuts through the air.

A scream.

Silence.

“Izuku…”

Izuku…

“Hundshi.” 

The boy picked his head up from the mattress on the floor as he let out a tiny growl, hand raising to scratch at his metallic collar. The sharp sting digging into the soft parts of his neck distracted him only momentarily from the fact he was starving. The nearby scent of food was the only reminder he needed. As his eyes adjusted to his dim room, he saw a pair of eyes disappear from the door’s delivery slot; moments later, a dog dish replaced them. Must be time for breakfast...or something. Honestly, he may have some form of monster dwelling within him but they were really overdoing it today, even if he was starving. Some newbie probably wanted to get a laugh out. 

He’d definitely bite them later, watch them squirm. At least his ‘master’ would get a kick out of that, sadistic bastard he was. Maybe if he was lucky, he would get some ‘outside time’ and visit the construction zone again, the only place people would look at a kid like Izuku and not ask questions. Plus Tenko was there and...well, Tenko was honestly the closest thing to normalcy he could manage.

Normalcy...now that was a word he hadn’t thought about in a long time. But what really was normal anyways? Izuku wondered as he picked up his bowl and began to eat its contents - picky at first, but then too hungry to differentiate between varying qualities. Different people lived different ways, after all. Americans stuffed their faces to the point of comatose. People with flashy quirks got to be heroes. So why was his life any different? Oh yeah, he had no parents. Instead, he has a quirk that keeps him in the weekly news cycle, and thus the eyes of the public - and not in a positive way.

Hundshi. He was really growing to hate that name. It was the name of a monster, a human eating one at that. It was a name feared by all, a name parents told to their little children like a living, walking bogeyman that would take them in the night if they misbehaved. How he wished it could all be different.  

So absorbed in his thoughts, Izuku’s sharp nose only alerted him to his so-called ‘master’s approach moments before he decided to show his face. Well, lack of face would be more precise. As the scent became clear to Izuku, his gaze darted up to the door, and his shoulders hunched defensively. The man strolled in, much like a man checking on a pet they decided to keep for the sake of company, not because they loved it: his visit stank of obligation. His scarred face managed a smile as he bent down to pet the boy’s long, curled hair.

“Now, how is my little pet?” The man’s tone was almost condescending.

“Bark Bark. Woof. Now fuck off.” There was a growl with it.

“That’s no way to talk to the one who owns you.” The man’s voice grew dark and Izuku’s eyes quickly darted to the nearest wall. “Try again.”

“I’m...fine.” He let the words out without too much of a growl, resisting the urge to scratch at his neck where the collar was again.

“Be glad I’m allowing you an hour outside.” The man grabbed Izuku’s hair and forced him to look into where his eyes probably should have been.

“Yes...sir. Thank you, sir.” Izuku surrendered the words as if they were prized possessions being pried away from him under threat of death.

“Good boy.” The man’s voice was satisfied, but the next words had a note of warning, of finalty. “You have work tonight.”

“Maybe I'll have the sweet release of death,” Izuku whispered.

The man released Izuku, and with that, he was gone as soon as he arrived. His presence seemed to disrupt the air, leaving an icy chill in Izuku’s veins and the vague sense of fear of what was to come. If he had to work tonight, it could only mean one thing - someone would die. Someone would be hurt and it would be his fault. 

Izuku took a shaky breath, low and quiet, as his master’s footsteps retreated down the hall. He forced himself to take those shaky breaths a few more times, until he could think clearly: he needed to keep the panic at bay. Panic only worsened his transformations, and his already weak control. Though he had already known where he wanted to go during his free hour, the decision was now cemented - he needed every bit of calm he could get before tonight.

---

The construction site.  

The construction site lived a short trek from Izuku’s underground existence. It was a project that had been several years in the running - while from day to day, the tangle of concrete and wires never seemed to change, it was noticeable year to year. But what was going on at the site was not important; the person who could be found there, most days if not all hours was - Tenko.

Izuku approached, having used a loose fence board to squeeze into the area and take his usual spot to watch and wait for the only person he could consider a friend - it was a secluded spot, near the back of the construction area. Tucked away here, Izuku could see the workers moving about, as busy as ants, without being noticed. The scents and sounds of the familiar location were already working to calm his racing heart and snuffing his anxieties about tonight’s job, even before Tenko’s arrival. 

Closing his eyes and inhaling, Izuku could almost make out each and every person moving around the site. Izuku did this at times, as a form of meditation; if he knew what was going on around him, he felt more prepared for whatever the next treacherous moments could bring. A deeper breath, and he could extend the awareness even further, and further - but the further away he attempted to extend his sense of smell, the easier nearby things could slip through.

“Walking around a construction site barefoot is dangerous, you know. We really should get you shoes one of these days.” The light voice filtered through his mind as Izuku looked over to the older boy.

Silver-white hair tied back against pale and slightly chapped skin came to his eyes, a construction uniform offsetting the almost calm aura of the other. Compared to how much Izuku, who looked like a child straight out of a jungle and forced to wear pants, Tenko was the picture of civilization.

“You know I can’t bring home anything like that,” Izuku murmured in reply. “ He’d want to know where I got them.” Or worse yet, he would already know where Izuku had gotten them. 

“Hm.” Tenko looked away with a reply. “I get it. Foster parents ask a lot of questions?” 

“Mm.” Izuku hummed, noticing that, for once, Tenko had all five fingers resting on his folded arms, a pair of thin gloves encasing his hands. As soon as Izuku pointed to them, Tenko seemed to turn back to him from whatever thought had occupied his head.

“Support gear. They let me touch any surface without disintegrating it. And these buttons to retract the fingertips if I’m needed.” He extended his hand to let Izuku study the technology. “Neat, right?”

Izuku gave a small nod once his inspection was done, and pulled at his collar a bit, a subconscious motion that made Tenko’s eyes linger on it before shrugging it off. At least that’s what Izuku assumed it was at least.

Tenko crouched down in front of Izuku then, both of them now encased in the shadows. A moment of silence stretched between them, but for Izuku, it was a comfortable silence; after all, it was hardly quiet at the construction site.

“Haru...are your foster parents hurting you?” Tenko reached out to touch the collar, which made Izuku shrink away, trying to push the hair from his eyes. He had almost forgotten that’s the name he gave Tenko, to protect the man from the real evils of the world.

“No. I just fell in a dumpster trying to do parkour.”

“Hm.” Tenko looked away for a second with a complicated expression. “Well, you know you can come to me if you ever need something.” He speared Izuku with a serious look, but it dissipated into a smile moments later. “Want another book?”

With a safer topic at hand once more, Izuku asked, tentative, “Do you have the next one about the mouse detective?” 

Immediately Izuku’s head shook a bit, hair back in his eyes once more which caused Tenko to let out a little laugh. “Alright, I have it in my backpack with a gift.”

Tenko reached into his bag and pulled out some weird stretchy thing, along with a brush and the book. It took a few moments for Izuku’s brain to register this was a safe thing - and Tenko was not his master; he wouldn’t force a brush through his hair when it got matted to the point Izuku would cry. He forced any shaking down and his eyes went to the ground as soon as Tenko moved.

Stay still. It won’t be bad. He kept repeating it in his head and he almost didn’t notice his hair was being brushed at all except for the movement of it from off the back of his neck. Sure, it did hurt a little after he noticed but it wasn’t the tear inducing pain he was accustomed to.

For the first time in years, Izuku didn’t have to move his hair out of the way. He could feel the sun on his cheeks and his neck didn’t feel sweat inducing hot. He liked this feeling and wanted Tenko to make him feel this all the time.

“Better, right?” Tenko asked softly, laughing as Izuku met his eyes - now that Izuku could without a mess of hair in the way.

“Yes,” Izuku replied. Then, after a moment, with a shy smile on his face, said, “Thank you.” 

“I could teach you how to do this yourself, you know,” Tenko offered, settling down to sit beside Izuku. “You could definitely learn.”

“Alright,” Izuku said, tentative.

“Here, watch me.” Tenko pulled a new hairband from his bag and turned slightly so that Izuku could see the back of his head. He gathered his hair into a tiny tail, and twisted the new tie around it - a few times to make sure it was tight enough to hold. He turned back to Izuku, “Of course, your hair is a lot longer than mine.”

“Yeah,” Izuku reached up to touch his hair as Tenko shook his own back out to its original place, framing his face.

Tenko gave an encouraging nod in response. “I think I can teach you some math, if you want. Next time I see you, I mean. So you don’t have to count with your fingers.”

Izuku pulled a face and Tenko laughed, making a small smile tug back the corners of Izuku’s mouth. Tenko’s laugh, while familiar, was still always a bit of a surprise to Izuku, especially when it was deep and genuine.

“Okay,” Izuku agreed, softly, eyes finding the ground. “Next time is math.”

Tenko reached over and ruffled up Izuku’s dark bangs with his gloved fingers. “Next time,” Tenko agreed, a note of fondness in his voice.

---

After Tenko left, Izuku still had a bit of free time, staring at nothing as he tried not to lock eyes with anyone he passed on the street. After all, most kids that looked like they went dumpster diving weren’t out in the open until after dark, and that look could earn him some unwanted attention. If a police officer started worrying about him...well, he really didn’t want that sort of taste in his mouth.

He stopped when a familiar voice from his childhood blasted through a speaker system to his left, his head whipping so fast he almost hit someone with his ponytail. All-Might. That bright smile and calm aura still made Izuku vibrate, child-like, with glee.

“No matter how dark things may seem, no matter how hopeless you are, know that I am here! There is always a reason to smile!” The hero’s voice resounded through Izuku, words that went straight to his core.

Despite it all, All-Might was a beacon of hope, a light in his darkness. When those words were spoken, he reached out and put his hand to the glass with a tiny smile, for a moment, seeing his reflection over All Might’s face. That could have been him...but it wasn’t.

On the screen, a microphone wavered in front of All-Might, held out and aloft by an interviewer off screen. Izuku didn’t hear what question was asked next, but he heard every word from the Number One Hero.

“Ah, yes. As of the situation in Tokyo with the mysterious beast...We are all handling it with the utmost caution. It does not seem to have any sort of pattern.”

This time, the interviewer’s voice made it through to Izuku. “--remarks about the death of Pro Hero, number thirty-three, Persephone?”

“What happened was a tragedy. Plain and simple.” Did All-Might just...frown? “Rest assured, it will not happen again. Most especially because I and my team will be working with the Pro Hero community across Japan, from here on out, to ensure the safety of the public.” 

And just like that, Izuku’s hope was destroyed. Like all the warmth of the sun was blacked out, leaving a cold and bitter expanse in its wake. Even All-Might wanted him dead, the man he had looked up to since he was a child. One of the people who was keeping him going...wanted to erase him from existence. He called him a beast. He forced himself to look away and hugged himself, noticing the time on the edge of the television. Time to meet the master.

The walk back to base was quick, which was born of necessity; punctuality was expected of him. But All-Might’s words clung to him like a depressing mist, heavy with dreadful implications for his job tonight.

At the base he was greeted with curt acknowledgement; after passing through his security check - nothing more than a sharp, visual dressing-down by a woman with a metal detection quirk - he made his way through the long, winding corridors and passages that would lead him to his master’s chambers. He knew the path by instinct; it was carved into his body and brain. 

He announced his arrival with a short, soft knock.

“Come in, Hundshi-kun,” came the reply.

Izuku swallowed down his nerves, his despair, his anger, and stepped inside with a shallow bow.

The room was lavishly decorated, as if designed for pure comfort: from the seats to the walls, the room was like a king’s retreat. And amid it all, his master reclined, knowing he owned whatever he could sense in his presence. Nearby stood a crate - just as menacing as the man, but for a different reason. Izuku swallowed bile.

“Take a seat.” His master phrased it as an offer, even gesturing with his hand, but Izuku obeyed the words as if they were a command. 

“Yes, sir,” he said, softly.

“Speak up,” was the curt response. “I’m not here to play.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. My, you’ve done a funny thing with your hair, haven’t you?”

One of Izuku’s hands moves in a startled motion to the back of his head; in his haste, he hadn’t thought to undo Tenko’s loving handiwork. “I have,” he replied, with as much confidence he could muster. “It - stays out of my eyes like this.”

“Hmm.” His master’s head lolled to the side, supported by one hand. He considered Izuku for a long moment, during which Izuku’s heart rate doubled, and then quadrupled. Finally, his master made a sound of amusement. “So it does. How quaint.”

“Y - yes,” Izuku stammered over his relief, and then quickly corrected himself with a much stronger statement, “Yes.”

“Enough of this idle chatter. Tonight’s job is a very important one - we have a statement to make. We’ll be going back to Tokyo. I have a certain...hunch, shall we say, about a top hero who will be in that area starting this evening.”

Izuku bit his tongue, ignoring the metallic tang of blood that accompanied the nervous habit. He just barely managed to withhold a small whimper of fear.

“As you know, you will have to transform before we leave. And we will do the usual procedure.”

“Yes...sir.” He looked away, his eyes landing on the crate, The one thing that could hold the thing that dwelled in him by the sheer lack of space. You couldn’t eat your handler if you couldn’t even move.

“In. Now.”

Izuku immediately obeyed and walked to the crate, crawling inside as the door was shut behind him.

---

The scents of Tokyo greeted Izuku first - the familiar smells of a crowded city, filled with bustling people, street vendors, and expertly paved streets in neat rows and columns. It wasn’t a bad scent, but they carried revolting memories for Izuku.

The air also carried the damp promise of rain - or at least the threat of it. All the jostling around and whatever they pumped into his system was barely letting him contain the beast, unable to speak as he was carried through the city like some sort of pet.

The more he was jostled, the less and less he could control his transformation, already halfway there. The beast’s mind was already salivating at all the delicious morsels streaming past them and he was starting to throw himself against the cage a bit.

As soon as the cage door opened, Izuku Midoriya was gone - at least in the physical sense. The Hundshi was here, and it was hungry.  

He barreled out of the cage, hesitating momentarily to scent the air of the dark alley he’d been released in. In an instant, he was moving again, his nose locked onto the overpowering presence of humans crowding nearby - teeming out of restaurants, milling around shops, moving in and out of vehicles. As little as Izuku wanted to head towards this populated area, and as much as he resisted the movement of his four feet, with his nose leading the way, he moved regardless. He was driven only by instinct and hunger - and a populated area meant a guaranteed meal.

The moment he emerged from the shadows, in pursuit of his meal, the screaming began; but there wasn’t the time for a single person to spring into action before Izuku’s eyes and nose chose an easy target - a small, young boy, whose purple hair resembled large orbs. In that moment, the last small bits of internal fighting Izuku was doing were smothered by the Hundshi. Had Izuku been normal, he’d probably be contemplating the properties of the young boy’s quirk. Instead, the Hundshi bit into its victim like a steak, blood streaking out of the screaming boy and soaking the Hundshi’s already-rotting coat. 

He barely noticed as the screaming bystanders scattered; the Hundshi devouring its meal in three swift, savage bites, before its head whipped upwards to target his next victim. There - an innocent girl with ringlets of amber hue, clinging to the hand of a panicked adult.

It never reached the girl, instead a wall of fire blocked its’ path and sent it skittering to a stop. Fire is bad. Fire hurts.  

He growled and lowered himself to the ground, backing away from the source of heat and pain. For a minute it looked like he was backing down, but no...he was smelling for the source. Quickly, he found the man of flames, and all care went out the window. The man...no wait, he knew this hero. Endeavor, the flame hero. Endeavor had denied his meal, and that meant attack, especially since Izuku kind of hated the guy to begin with - because, despite his title as the Number Two Pro Hero, Endeavor had never once acted heroically, from what Izuku could tell.

CRUNCH

The Hundshi managed to land a bite, breaking bone and tearing flesh before his fur was signed by flames, forcing him to let go and run off into the night. At least he got his meal and left a nice present for Endeavor.

A night well used.

--

Izuku drew a shaky breath, but only a few moments after stumbling back into his room - in his human form - those shaky breathes turned to sobs; full, body-wracking sobs that pushed him near the point of sickness, forehead and nose pushed against the hard floor with his arms shuddering around his head. 

His hair still clung to the basic shape that the original ponytail had given it, but it smelled of blood; he couldn’t get the rank smell of burned flesh to leave his sinuses, either. 

Hours may have passed, but minutes were just as likely, by the time Izuku wrangled himself back into a calmer state. His breathing was still unsteady, laced with hiccups and wet sniffles.

He couldn’t bring himself to pull himself from where he had collapsed on the floor upon his arrival, staying there while the silence - previous filled with noisy sobs - stretched ahead of him.

 
A sudden clang of metal made him flinch violently.

“Your master wants you,” came a gruff voice from the other side of his door’s rectangular delivery slot, “at once.”

The rectangle of metal swung shut with a heavy sound, Izuku’s heart following suit as he swayed onto his feet and made his way to his Master’s chambers - his feet were numb after his transformation, making walking painful. His head felt stuffy, and his heart - and stomach - roiled sickly. 

He wasn’t strong enough to disobey his master. 

He wasn’t strong enough to overcome his quirk.

He wasn’t strong enough, and yet, he was too strong all the same.

He raised his swollen eyes to his Master upon his arrival.

“Sit.” His master spoke curt, seemingly lost in thought.

“Yes, sir.” He moved much like a demure little girl, sitting in the chair.

As soon as he made contact with the chair he knew something was very wrong, Restraints clamped down hard on his wrists and ankles, holding him in place as he felt a faint tingle spread through his body.

“And now that your quirk is disabled...you’re going to answer a few questions.”

Izuku’s heart stopped, blood going cold as his master got up and yanked hard on what was left of his ponytail, causing a hiss of pain to pass from his lips. What had he done? What did his master want. Was this another ‘lesson’?

“Who do you keep visiting?”

“N-Nobody. Just a stranger.”

“Liar.” The voice came out like venom and he saw a bottle pass by his peripheral vision.

“H-He’s just a construction worker!”

“Quirk? Oh, do we have to do this the hard way?”

“D-Disintegration. But he’s well known.”

“Huh.” His master paused. “That can be fixed.”

Maybe...Maybe he’d get away from this without any punishment? His muscles started to relax before he felt burning. It wasn’t the burn of fire, having felt that on more than one occasion from the patterns of scars across his back and torso. This was a burning that sank lower and lower with a smell like a saw blade on a harp string across his shoulders.

His vision swirled and distorted as the Hundshi fought to get out, Izuku’s eyes a faint golden for a second before he felt the all to familiar burning of flames on his neck, a deterrent for when he wasn’t allowed to release the beast.

“You messed up. Only one dead and a pro hero injured. You need to do better. Right my little pet?”

“R...Right.” The words choked in his throat, the smell of destroyed flesh bringing the taste of stomach acid and blood to his lips. Another burn soon started, rolling down his left arm and settling deep in his muscles. Tears rolled down his face in rivers.

“Such a good boy. You better not mess up again or I’ll take away your little collar and set you loose in the town you love.”

“Y...Yes sir.”

“Now sit here and think about what you’ve done.”

With no other option, that’s exactly what Izuku did.

Chapter Text

You’re so brave.

I’m so sorry for your tragedy. 

We have lost a great number two hero.

Shoto had had enough of everyone giving him well wishes for the bastard. Even his teachers were letting up on his work so he could ‘recover’ whilst his dad was in the hospital. Who needed to think about a monster when you were the one in its jaws anyways? He shifted his gaze from the teacher to the window of the classroom, a thought occurred to him.

If his father died...would his older siblings take care of him? Or his mother? His face gained the ghost of a frown at the thought. Maybe he could just disappear like Touya did. But everyone would miss the ‘chosen child’ so it was impossible.

He felt a tap on his shoulder as his gaze drifted back to the classroom and his mind to the present. “Hm?”

“Uhm...Class is over. Do you want to…” The kid made a vague hand motion. “Get some ice cream?”

“Are you pitying me, Kyo?” Shoto’s face remained level but his eyes held everything he was thinking.

“No? I uh...well...you just seemed down, and I have some extra money from my mom and…” The boy paused. “You don’t have to. You’re pretty busy as is right?”

“Well...” Shoto paused a moment, hesitant to respond before letting out a small sigh. “I’m not too busy for ice cream.” 

Kyo’s answering smile got a slight smile in response from Shoto as he calmly packed up his things and followed Kyo out of the classroom and out of the school. As usual they were the last ones to leave as quiet fell over the gardens of the front entrance and did not let up until they were well past the gates and off into the city.

They always had to hunt for the shop since it was so easy to miss to all the rich kids in the area, kids of ‘important’ pro heroes and the likes. Their walk was nearly as quiet as the school grounds, Kyo interjecting a thought here and there.

The shop itself was a small place, nobody quite knowing who started it or if pro heroes visited or not. You had to really look to see the building wedged between a flower shop and a martial arts dojo and the interior was muted colors and soft music. At least three people an hour mistook it for a cafe or something of the like since there was no actual sign it was an ice cream place except the owner always smelling of the flavors.

“Kyo and Shoto. Vanilla three scoops and raspberry supreme as usual?” The man was wiping his hands on a rag with a sweet smile as the two boys nodded and took their usual table away from the window.

As soon as they had their treat Kyo’s smile faltered. “I know you’re not okay...I mean. Look, can I be real with you for a second?”

“I...guess?” Shoto quietly dug into his ice cream.

“I’m worried about things. Like the monster eating heroes and civilians. And your dad, even though he is kind of an ass…” He trailed off, so many things unsaid. “Just...if you need to get away from it, I know my dad wouldn’t mind you staying over. Like when we were kids.”

An uneasy silence passed over the duo and Shoto’s spoon had frozen to his hand, his eyes looking away. He...couldn’t. Not ever. There would be questions, people would know and then...no he wasn’t going to do that. He was a good son, a good child. He didn’t want everything to come crashing down and destroying the walls he so carefully built.

“I’m fine. Really. I just want to not think about it.”

“Sure. Yeah.” Kyo sighed and went back to his ice cream. “Offer will stay open.”

Shoto would have responded when his phone went off, the name causing him to immediately answer it. Fuyumi.

“Shoto? Where are you?”

“Ice cream shop. With Kyo.”

“We’re coming to get you. We’re going to get mom.”

Shoto’s whole world stopped at that moment. She said get mom, not visit. Sure, he didn’t even know where their father had sent her, but...he was going to see her again. He was going to go with Natsuo and Fuyumi to get their mother and...what? Go back home? Would his mother even be able to handle going back there?

“Shoto?” His sister’s voice cut through the static in his mind.

“Sorry. Yeah. I’ll be out in a second.” He hung up and gave a weak smile to Kyo who just waved him off.

“Do what you need to. I have to visit my grandmother anyways.”

And with that Shoto ran out of the ice cream shop and into the awaiting car.

---

Standing outside the door to his mother’s room, Shoto began to fully realize just how long it had been since he had last seen her, or even spoken to her. A chasm that stretched between him and his mother all this time - impassable - had suddenly snapped shut, in a movement so fast that Shoto could almost feel an ache in his neck from whiplash.

He barely had time to take a deep, steadying breath before his sister was opening the door, and his older siblings went inside. Shoto on the other hand was frozen on the spot, eyes betraying his mind that was still processing the information coming in.

His heart was racing, his mind like static and he couldn’t understand why. He was going to see his mom again but even thinking about seeing her face to face made his scar burn. He didn’t even register his brother had come out with a couple boxes with Fuyumi right behind until he felt her hand on his shoulder, making him jump like a frightened cat.

“Hey...I know you’re nervous, but I swear...it’s okay.” Fuyumi smiled and Shoto managed a tiny nod before his mother quietly walked out.

She looked...so much smaller than he remembered, more drawn into herself with a sad smile placed on her lips. Her eyes seemed dull until they landed on Shoto...and then it was like watching the snowfall, bright and peaceful.

“Shoto,” she said. 

Shoto closed his eyes briefly; her voice was familiar and strange all at once. When he opened them again, her smile was still there; she was still there. An island of calm amid turbulent waters, his siblings moving boxes, watching them both from their corners of their eyes as if neither Shoto nor their mom would notice.

Finally, when the silence had stretched for more than a moment, Shoto replied, with the only word he could think to: “Mom.”

“You’ve grown,” she replied, softly, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Unconsciously, Shoto’s hand moved towards his face, towards his scar, which still felt hot beneath the surface, begging to be soothed. He caught himself before his fingers could brush the discolored skin, but here - standing face to face with his mother - the aborted gesture could not be missed. Shoto watched as her peaceful smile morphed into something more remorseful, more regretful. He averted his eyes.

Instead of his mother’s face, what he saw were her hands - reaching out to him, an offer - both of them, palms up. When he looked back up, he saw that her remorseful expression had a serious set to it, her mouth held in a tight line.

“Shoto,” she said his name again, still speaking softly. “I’m so sorry.”

Tentatively, he placed his hand in her offered ones, rather than trying to soothe his burning scar. She squeezed his hand in hers. Distantly, Shoto realized that their hands were about the same size. When he was a child, he’d never thought about the size of his mother’s steady hands - not even when they had surrendered to trembled delusions. And now, here they were - hands nearly the same size, fingers nearly the same length.

“I’m going to do everything I can,” Rei continued softly, “to make up for my mistakes, and move on. I don’t know if you’ve forgiven me, and you don’t have to - but Shoto, I will earn whatever you’re willing to give me.” She squeezed his hand again, a determined, small squeeze. “I promise.”

The tension between their hands was gone; Shoto could pull his hand back if he wanted. After a moment, he did, and Rei let her hands fall as well.

“I…” He didn’t know what to say to all of this.

“You don’t have to respond. Just know I’m here, my little hero.”

And there went any fears he had, sliding off him like water after a nice bath. He felt...relieved? Relaxed? He wasn’t really sure but her being here, getting this closure was the thing he needed most in that moment which set into motion where he really wanted to go for high school. He wanted to become a hero to protect people like his mom from things like this even happening. He wanted to go to UA.

With that, he managed a small smile for his mom. Her answering smile was radiant.

---

As they pulled up to the big house, a nervous calm fell over the four in the back seat. Nobody moved, nobody even dared to leave the car and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Shoto stared out the window away from the hell house he once called a home years ago and heard a soft sigh from the other end of the back seat.

“Yeah no, can we just go to a hotel?” Natsuo let it out with a huff and there was a quiet agreement.

“Driver, please take us to the nearest five star hotel.” Rei’s voice was calm and quiet but Shoto could practically feel the temperature in the back seat dropping.

The driver didn’t even flinch from what Shoto could see in his peripheral and the car moved onwards, pulling away from the hell house as the temperature rose. To be blessed without fire...lucky. He didn’t say it out loud though, warming the back up subtly with his left side. It was the only thing he used his dad’s stupid power for.

As they drove on his mom spoke up again, soft. “Would you three...like to move?” It was nervous, unsure but a flicker of confident.

“Fuck yes.” Natsuo said and untensed. “I don’t want to live anywhere near that prison.”

“I...yes. I’d like to move.” Fuyumi looked away.

“Shoto?” Rei placed a gentle hand on his leg and he looked over fast.

Moving...that would mean leaving everything behind. His past, his father. Everything he hated and everything he wished he could have changed. But he could now...couldn’t he? He could run away like Touya did without actually running away. He took a calming breath and nodded.

---

The next day was unfortunately Shoto’s turn to visit his dad. Sure, it had only been three days since the attack but his dad’s PR team wanted everyone to visit at least once a week. Sadly this also meant Shoto would be alone with the bastard. Would it be too bad if he pulled the plug? No, that’d cause all sorts of problems.

As he walked down the hallway he thought of what he would do, what he would say. Would he even need to say anything? Well, the bastard couldn’t hear him so why the hell not. He’d be able to get a lot off his chest.

As he entered the room he realized a few things. One was how...less terrifying his father was unconscious. Like the shell of a man he once was. He couldn’t even feel the flames licking at his memories. The room was actually colder than he would have expected and the space where one of his arms should have been was nothing but flat sheet, taken by the infection the monster had inflicted.

He didn’t dare approach the bed, preferring to stand in the doorway, isolated in a world he never expected to be part of. Somehow he found his thoughts vocalized to himself, eyes staring away at the wall.

“Well...I guess this is fitting. The man so bent on destroying All Might’s place in the world reduced to a hospital bed. You...You shouldn’t be called a hero you know. For what you did to mom, to Natsuo and Fuyumi and me and...and Touya. For the harm you caused us all, the anxiety and fear.” He took a calming breath, feeling tears in his eyes. 

“Who do you think you are anyways, destroying everyone’s lives for a petty fucking grudge! You are supposed to be my dad, to protect and keep us all safe. You were supposed to love us, to love me but you only loved the idea of me. A perfect ‘competitor’ to All Might!”

The tears were rolling down his face now as he tried to rub them away with the back of his hand. “Do you even care about all the harm you’ve caused? How messed up everything is because of you? I hope you never wake up.”

He was shaking now, all the years of pent up emotion spilling over and overflowing. It took him a good while of standing there before he managed to calm down enough to be presentable. Then the mask of indifference rose to consume his emotions and he left, having looked like he had only been crying a little over his father’s condition.

---

When he returned to the hotel he realized one simple fact, it was quiet. Not in the sense of fear but contentment. He quietly entered and found everything still in its’ place, nothing broken or fallen over. Nobody cowering in fear with glazed over eyes. There was a cartoon on though that Natsuo was spaced out on.

It felt...wrong after so many years. Wrong and awkward and it was apparent everyone noticed by the look on Shoto’s face. Thankfully his phone cut him off of his train of thought as he picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Shoto hey! So I heard your mom got out.” Kyo’s voice was chipper as always and Shoto ducked out into the hallway to be unheard.

“It…” Shoto sighed. “It feels weird.”

“Well yeah, your mom hurt you and now she’s thrust back into your life. That’d be awkward as hell.”

“No not that. I...it’s different. Than living with my dad.”

“Oooh. Okay. Well, i’m just staring at Shivers trying to eat a bug right now.”

“...Your dog is weird.”

“Don’t change the subject.” Kyo sighed and it sounded like he flopped on his bed. “I swear I can feel your stress through the phone.”

“We’re moving.”

“WHAT?!” There was a thud. “Fuck! You’re moving? That’s...well it’s great! I mean you’ll get to see more of the country.”

“But what about you.” Shoto paused.

“Well I mean high school is just around the corner. I’ll probably go somewhere normal. You want to go to UA right?”

“Well…” He did, he really did. He wanted to be a better hero than his father is...was...whatever. “Yeah. I am going to apply after we move.”

“Well make sure to invite me over when you move, I want to see your siblings again.”

“Sure Kyo.”

“Yeah, oh I gotta go my gram’s over.” Kyo hung up which left Shoto to his thoughts.

He was going to move, apply to UA and do...so many things. He would save the world and even save people like himself from people like his dad. What kind of hero would that make him? Did he want to go into rescue? Underground? He definitely didn’t want to be in the top 10 because of his status or flashy quirk, that was for sure. Well, he had years to decide something like that.

For now it was better to focus on the present. Sure, the present involved a huge dog-like monster that could eat an entire child in 10 seconds flat and a hero in under a minute but it also meant not being around his father. The world was a dangerous place but it was worse to be afraid of the unknown than focus on the known. He was with his mom, Endeavor couldn’t hurt him for a good while. He decided it was the best he could have right now and headed back inside to see what Natsuo was so engrossed in.

---

Night had fallen and a man in a hoodie was quietly climbing the side of the hospital with the help of a rope. He had managed to get the bastard’s room from a very reliable hacker and it was finally time to end the horror once and for all. After all, he had heard that the infection was clearing and he couldn't have that. No, he would rather burn the bastard to dust than let him walk out of that hospital.

Carefully he made a small blue fire in his hand and set it to the bars on the window, melting the welding that held them in place, one by one. Honestly, did they think hiding the fact he was here and putting bars on the window would stop anyone? He rolled his eyes and caught the bars with his free hand, pushing open the window and sliding in as he placed the bars inside the bag at his side.

“Well, this is a sight I was hoping to see in a coffin before a hospital room.” He rolled his shoulders and pulled his hood off, his black hair shining a bit in the moonlight.

“And now here we are, your unconscious and at my mercy. Seems so long ago when we were in opposite positions dad but I like this arrangement better.”

He calmly stalked over to the bed and opened the bag, pulling out a folder, evidence to incriminate the bastard in every account of abuse and harm he had caused to not only his own family but everyone around him. Next he pulled out gloves, slipping them on and removing the plastic covering on the folder. He was going to make sure he was never going to be caught for this, even if it was justified. He cleaned the window thoroughly and made sure there wouldn’t even be a speck of evidence before cracking his knuckles.

“You know what? I’m glad I get to be the one to end your life. God knows any villain would make a mess of it. But no, not me. I want a little bit of honor, ending your pathetic life. After all, it makes me a hero to end the reign of a true villain. Enjoy hell.”

With one swift movement he unplugged Endeavor’s life support, burning the metal end of the plug so it couldn’t be reused. He then strode to the door and took a glove off, melting the door handle so nobody could get in. As he watched the bastard’s heart stop he felt relieved for the first time in years, ever since he ran away.

Pulling the glove back on, he walked calmly to the window and grabbed the rope, sliding back down to the ground and releasing the knot he made to hold it when he climbed. As he walked away from the hospital, he couldn’t help but smile.

Chapter Text

According to the news, nobody went to the funeral. Not a soul saw the coffin lowered in a pauper’s grave as rain softly pelted the earth. After the files got out, everything shifted in the world and in hero society. After all, the number two hero being a spousal and child abuser to the point his eldest son ran away was a big deal. Heroes tried to pick up the pieces of what remained, trying to build the trust of civilians and the trust of their fellow heroes. Some heroes came under scrutiny and it officially became known as ‘The Endeavor Incident’. 

However, what the world didn’t know though was that two figures stood under an umbrella as the rain pelted down, covering the ground in the sky’s tears. Shoto just stared ahead, a silent sentinel as the coffin was covered, his best friend silent by his side. He didn’t cry, all his tears had long enough time to dry from any thought of his father.

When the last shovelful of dirt was placed on the hole, Shoto finally looked to his best friend and noticed something odd in his eyes. They seemed angry, cold. Like he was seen to other people. Shoto gently touched his friend’s arm who jumped with a blush.

“S-”

“Don’t apologize...I feel the same way.” He turned back to the ground his father’s corpse laid.

“How could someone...a hero...how could someone hurt someone like you! Like your siblings! Like your mom!” There was that anger again.

“I don’t think he even knew.” Shoto gave a soft shrug. “But at least it’s over.”

“Yeah...Next year we’ll be in highschool. We’ll be living different lives…” Kyo sighed. “At least we still have each other to talk to.”

“You also have your weird empathic neighbor that leaves you chocolate.” Shoto quirked a brow which made Kyo blush.

“Well, uhm. You see...he’s just worried about me.” He looked away. “You should go meet your siblings at your new house.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I have to go work on studying anyways.” He saluted and pulled a small umbrella from his bag, opening it and heading off.

Still, for a long few moments Shoto didn’t move. He wanted...he wanted to scream, to dig his father up and burn his corpse to a crisp. He wanted...he wanted to never have to think about this again. His thoughts would have kept racing if he didn’t see in his peripheral another umbrella, the occupant under it hiding their face in a hoodie. Yet...they looked at peace, as if the world was lifted from their shoulders. A weird itch hit the back of his mind as he felt his muscles relax unconsciously. He could have sworn he’d seen that smile before. The figure gave him the push he needed to walk away, heading for the car parked nearby, the last time he would be driven around.

As he got into the car, he could have sworn he saw blue fire engulfing his father’s grave.

---

When he arrived at the place they would now call home, Shoto thanked the driver for his years of service and told him to live a happy life. What else could he do anyways? The driver was out of a job, so were Endeavor’s sidekicks who had to be moved around to other agencies to survive, the only ones who didn’t go under fire for the incident since they had never even met the former hero’s kids or wife.

Walking through the front door, he felt an odd sort of calm wash over him, cool air touching his skin as he slipped his shoes off and placed the umbrella next to the door. “I’m home.” His voice was quiet but it didn’t carry like it did at his old home. Instead it drifted for a second before fading off, like a voice in the snow.

He felt...he wasn’t sure if it was happiness or just a vulnerability he didn’t know he could have anymore. Walking a little further, he saw Natsuo draped over the couch with a controller in his hands, playing a video game on their modest sized television. He could smell food being cooked from the kitchen and soft music was playing from somewhere else in the small two story house.

It was like he was walking in a parallel world where everything was okay. But he knew his siblings still flinched at raised voices, raised hands. Any sign of aggression was taken as a sign to submit, to become small, to obey. He was still having nightmares that none of this was real --that Endeavor would slam his door open and take him away forever. Or worse, his corpse was coming to drag him into the grave with him.

He had to see a therapist now too, all of them did. It was part of the terms of their mom’s release...and the terms of being left alone by the press. It was at least starting to help with the nightmares, and it meant that he was less reserved. He was even managing conversations with people and smiling. Plus, his mother was thinking of changing their last names back to her maiden name: Yukimura. Yukimura Shoto. It had a nice ring to it.

“Hey Sho, ‘mere.” Natsuo’s voice brought him out of his thoughts as he turned and walked into the living room.

“Yes?” He responded softly.

“Pick up a controller, I’ve been stuck on this level for an hour now and I could use the help.” Natsuo smiled and held up the other controller.

Shoto went to the couch and sat down, settling in as Natsuo unpaused the game. The Binding of Isaac. Figures. He connected into the game and relaxed, playing more for fun than to help his brother.

He was really starting to enjoy moments like these. Moments he felt completely at peace with himself and the world around him. Games with Natsuo, cooking with his mom, studying with Fuyumi. Just...being instead of surviving.

Maybe he could get used to this life after all.

---

Izuku sighed, pulling the hood of his hoodie further over his face. He really didn’t want to be spotted right now, especially with where he was sneaking off to. He looked up as he saw the gate of the famous school he only dreamed about nowadays. He had only came because this was where Tenko wanted to meet him, to watch prospective students go by and have lunch.

He stopped right next to Tenko, pulling on the sleeves of the hoodie a bit as kids his age streamed past them both, chatting and making friends. Tenko gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrunk a bit but it was barely visible.

“You know kiddo...I almost went here when I was your age.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I chickened out though in the last second and turned back. Still, I have some good friends from that day.” Tenko paused. “If you want to walk through that gate...I’ll cover for you. I’ll even say I’m your older brother.”

Instantly Izuku moved away, shaking his head as the hood fell down. “N-No! I can’t!” He covered his mouth, eyes wide as he noticed people had stopped and stared. He visibly shrank at the looks and whispers.

“Oh my god look at all those scars on his face.”

“Is he okay?”

“Is that guy his relative? Why are they together?”

His panic was forcing his sensitive hearing into overdrive as he covered his ears and sank to his knees. Instantly he felt hands on his shoulders and Tenko’s voice cut through the static of the other voices.

“Shit kid, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you panic.” Tenko gently started smoothing down his hair and hiding Izuku’s face and eyes from the crowd. They probably looked gold colored based on how Tenko was reacting.

“S...Sorry. But I can’t.” He squeaked it out, a bit of a whine accompanying it.

“It’s alright. Wanna go have lunch?”

“Y...Yeah.” Izuku let himself be helped up, not even that someone was staring at his back for the first time in a long time.

He didn’t even hear the very familiar voice, a question of ‘Deku?’ being left hanging in the air as he left the entrance of UA.

---

During lunch, Tenko was showing him a math problem, something more fit for an elementary school kid rather than a teenager. Still, the softness of Tenko’s hands as he guided Izuku kept him calm, kept him grounded.

“And then you carry the three...and see? It’s not that hard.” Tenko smiled and ruffled Izuku’s hair, which was again tied back.

“Thanks...I should be heading back now though.” Izuku got up and rubbed his arm, quickly taking his hair out of its ponytail. “Thanks Tenko. For today.”

“It’s no problem! And if you ever decide to go to UA. I can get you in under recommendation.” He winked and Izuku smiled softly, heading home.

---

Time passed, and the Hundshi grew more and more infamous. Apparently the monster was being blamed for a break in at UA. that caused the media to get in. Totally wasn’t him, master had sent someone else for that. That was another thing, his master started keeping the news on just so Izuku would always have to hear he was the monster behind the fur. Who would even save a monster like him anyways? All Might probably would send him to a maximum security prison...and then he’d never see Tenko again.

“Hundshi.” The voice was calm and level but Izuku knew it meant something bad.

“Y...Yes sir.” He bowed his head lightly.

“In three days we shall need you to...take out some prospective heroes. You’ll be assigned a handler we picked up recently. Don’t try to kill this one too.”

“Yes sir.” He heard the door open behind him and nervously pulled at his collar.

“Dabi, this is Hundshi, your assignment. He will be your initiation. If you live, you will become his permanent handler.”

“Of course.” The voice was calm and even but it didn’t have the bite of his master.

“Good, now both of you. Go.”

Izuku nodded softly and turned to his new handler. He was a bit taller than Izuku was, black hair that looked like it had been dyed and purple scarring over his face, neck and arms. He wore a calm and even expression, just like his vocal tone but his eyes...they looked sad when they saw Izuku.

He didn’t think too much of it as he walked to Dabi’s side and then followed him back to his ‘room’. He didn’t even speak when he felt a small tug on the back of his head and then...a lightness.

That got a reaction as he turned fast, eyes wide with flecks of gold as he stared at a small blue flame on Dabi’s fingers. His eyes then slowly moved to the ground where a large chunk of green hair was singed at one end, a heap of what Izuku knew was half of his hair.

“Sorry, you really needed a haircut and I doubt you would have let me do it otherwise.” Dabi shrugged and walked around the room. “This is a cell.”

“Yes sir.” Izuku tore his eyes away from what was his hair at one point and let his eyes follow Dabi around the room.

“Don’t call me sir. Call me Dabi.”

“Yes Dabi.”

Finally Dabi nodded and walked over, his voice and expression softening. “You’re just a kid...and it’s obvious you never chose this life either.” Dabi frowned and looked away. “One day, all of this will be over. Promise me when that day comes you will get out of here.”

“Wha-”

“Promise me.”

“I...promise...Dabi.”

“Good, now get some rest, And don’t tell anyone what I said.” Dabi ruffled his hair and headed to the ‘handler’ room across the hall.

For a moment, Dabi’s hair ruffle felt so much like Tenko’s.

Chapter Text

Shoto walked into class, sitting down with a sigh. He had gone to therapy this morning and honestly he felt so drained from it all. He barely set his face into his arms before he heard his classmates arguing. Automatically he felt his left side heating up, trying to smother the flames before he ruined another uniform. Who knew therapy would get his quirk kickstarted into high gear. Though they said his emotions could trigger quirk backfire.

“Hey, Shoto. You okay?” A feminine voice called to him, causing him to pick up his head.

“Tired.” Was his only response as he looked over to Uraraka.

She was such a kind soul, managing to bring him out of his shell on the first day, even if it meant twenty questions after class. Her brunette hair framed her face perfectly. She was also a lot stronger than he would have expected of a girl with her quirk. Stop over judging, she already told you she worked in her family’s company doing construction. She had a noble cause to be a hero.

“Oh, do you need some coffee? I can go ask-”

“No...no. I’m okay. I’m not physically tired.” Shoto cut her off with a hint of a smile.

“Yukimura. Shut up.” Bakugo barked the words but it didn’t seem to have the usual bite.

“Sorry, sorry.” He sighed and barely managed to see what was about to go down as Uraraka walked over.

“Bakugo do you even care? All you do is insult and bark at people! Geez!” She folded her arms and everyone held their collective breath as Kirishima bolted between the two, arms out at the exact moment Bakugo got out of his seat.

“Okay, let’s all calm down. Not manly to pick fights!” He grinned.

“Fine...sorry.” Bakugo rolled his eyes and settled back down.

“We’re all just really stressed out.” Kirishima started placating the room, reading the mood. “I mean the Hundshi attacks keep happening and the heroes don’t need us getting riled up.”

“He is right…” Sero commented. “I mean, we’re not even heroes yet. We’d get in a lot of trouble.”

“Or die.” Kaminari supplied which got him a smack from Mina.

“Alright, let’s calm down, class is starting.” Kirishima steered Uraraka back to her seat before returning to his own, making it just in time for Aizawa to enter the classroom.

“Get your gym uniforms on, we’re doing an exercise.”

---

Shoto sighed as he finished getting his uniform on, running an arm over the long sleeved shirt underneath. Well, he couldn’t hurt himself with the support gear. He was the last to exit the locker room as well, preferring the others not to see any remaining scars from when his dad liked to ‘train’ him.

He was about to leave when he saw something on the ground, picking it up and studying the folded object. Well, if he looked he would know who it belonged to. He gently unfolded the object, definitely not expecting it to be a photograph. It seemed faded, the parts where it had been folded over and over again worn.

Was...was that Bakugo as a kid? Who was the green haired kid? He realized it was a childhood photo of Bakugo with what looked like a friend. They were both doing peace signs and sticking their tongues out. They looked about three years old and the green haired kid had an All Might figurine in his hand. It looked so happy...but then why was Bakugo so angry all the time?

He realized he was probably taking too long and raced out to join the class, trying to catch Bakugo’s attention. He barely managed it before they were heading out to one of the grounds. How to approach this...he was terrible with social interactions but this needed to be done.

It seemed he didn’t need to initiate as Bakugo stalked over to him. “What do you want Half N Half.”

“You dropped this in the locker room.” He held up the photograph which Bakugo took quickly, though not fast enough to rip it.

“Don’t touch my shit.” He growled a bit which made Shoto put his hands up. “You could have ripped it.”

“Sorry.” He responded, trying to find his words. “Who...Who is the other boy? In the photo.”

He saw Bakugo’s face soften with...sadness? Regret? He wasn’t quite sure honestly but it looked like whatever the memory was, it was painful at the least. It seemed like forever for Bakugo to respond but when he did it seemed like his mind was a million miles away in nostalgia.

“Izuku...Izuku Midoriya. He is...was...my best friend.” Bakugo paused. “When we were four his quirk hadn’t come in yet and so his mom took him to a specialist.” He trailed off.

“Sorry, it’s painful. I should not have pressed.” He went to walk off but Bakugo grabbed his wrist which sent alarm bells ringing as he tried not to panic.

“No..no. I want to talk about it.” Bakugo quickly let go of his wrist. “They got into a car accident and Izuku went missing. His mom died soon after she was pulled from the wreckage. Everyone thought it was villains cause her throat was slit.” Bakugo was...shaking? “If a hero had gotten there sooner she would have survived. And then I found out he was quirkless and...he’s probably dead.” Oh, those were tears. “I have to be a hero. Because I’m the only one who knows he’s still alive. I have to. I have to make sure nobody cries ever again.” There was determination in his eyes now with those tears. “I’m going to be the hero he never got to be.”

“That’s…” Shoto chose his words carefully. “Very bold...and just. You’ll be an amazing hero.”

“You too. Don’t think this makes us friends though. It doesn’t.”

Shoto nodded and turned to their teacher, ready to hear out whatever they were doing with a newfound determination. If Bakugo could find a reason to be a hero in finding a lost friend, then his reasonings weren’t bad either. All he needed to do now was get through UA and become a hero his family could be proud of.

---

“Today you will be in teams of three doing an ambush exercise. Bots are placed throughout the training ground, some villains, some civilians and some with intel you must collect. Heroes sometimes are forced to team up with others who aren’t compatible, and sometimes luck is on your side and you have compatibility. This will test your teamwork in a stressful situation” Aizawa spoke.

Shoto nodded softly, hearing he was teamed with Bakugo and Shinso. Another person he barely talked to. Great. Was Aizawa trying to make him work on social skills? He went over what he knew of Hitoshi Shinso. He was a recommendation student but nobody knew who his sponsor was. His quirk was a vocal one, a type of mind control that only worked if you responded to him. Terrible matchup for robots, definitely.

He walked to his group and gave a nod to Bakugo, not sure if it was best to talk to Shinso or if he would use his quirk. Bakugo had no such reservations on speaking to him though, apparently having already started strategizing on how to beat this exercise.

“Yukimura. You are best for our offense. You have two quirks after all and ice can freeze their circuits. Your fire is...short range right?” Shoto barely managed to get a nod in before he continued. “Good, then use it if they get too close. Shinso, you okay with grabbing the intel?”

“Yeah, though I’m not completely defenseless you know.” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, but you’re the quietest of the three of us. I’m loud as shit, Yukimura’s quirk has heat which will draw bots as soon as he’s in the area. Unless he can drop his core temperature long enough without injury, you are our best bet.”

“That’s...really smart.” Shoto didn’t realize he said it out loud at first.

“Well yeah, I’m not an idiot.” There was something behind those words. Maybe his missing friend, Izuku, was really smart too? It would make sense.

“Okay, we have a solid strategy then.” Shinso actually smirked. “Let’s do this.”

Shoto for once felt like the world was on his side.

---

Shoto took a calming breath as he put his ear piece in, nodding to his partners. He could do this, he was with Bakugo to distract the villain bots. They were heat activated. How to tell civilians from the villains. He knew Aizawa was patched into their comms. He was working as their ground zero of sorts, giving them intelligence when needed much like underground heroes would do in the real world.

“How do we tell civilians from villains.” He commented as they got into their positions.

“Civilians have a circle on their backs.” Aizawa responded.

“Bakugo, Shinso, you got that?” He was focusing right now at a bot nearby, seeing a circle as he ducked away.

“Got three villains on my end.” Bakugo responded before he cut his comm to send off what Shoto assumed was a blast before coming back. “No intel here.”

“I got one.” Shinso called in and Shoto heard a beeping behind him.

Shit. He turned fast and put up a wall of ice, hearing it’s laser go off. “I got one, maybe more.”

“You good?” Shinso came in as Shoto climbed up the ice and landed on a building. There were six below, probably brought by the temperature drop.

“Six. Damn…” They all looked up at his voice. “Yolo.”

He cut his comm as he leapt off the building, sending shards of ice into the robots below before letting his fire bloom from his side to take out their tires, running off as two tried to chase after him. He ducked into an alley and turned his comm back on to Bakugo yelling orders. Well fuck.

“Do you have visual on Shoto!” Bakugo barked.

“I’m alive.” He responded. “Didn’t want to fry the comm.”

“F-Ar-Fine!” Bakugo growled. “Shinso has the last intel, meet at the tower, we gotta survive till the clock runs out.”

He turned to the center of the training grounds, seeing the tower a ways off. Well, time to go skating. He kicked out as a pathway of ice formed, jumping on and taking off with a small blast of fire to quicken his pace as he raced to the tower. Any bots that got too close were frozen in place.

Right by the tower he found Shinso dangling Bakugo by a scarf, Bakugo working like a destructive, explosive pendulum. Wait, could Shinso see the bots climbing the tower to them? He didn’t even think twice, shooting shards of ice into the closest bot, getting Shinso’s attention.

“Fuck, thanks.” Shinso commented and Shoto circled the tower like the world’s weirdest turret system until the time ran out and the bots deactivated.

Well, hopefully they didn’t fuck up too bad.

---

“Who here can tell me where their group went wrong?” Aizawa commented.

“They kept turning their comms off which caused the leader to panic.” Momo supplied. “And Shinso was on his own, which could have ended badly. Also Shoto froze some civilians.”

Aizawa shook his head. “Shinso’s strengths were utilized correctly but your other points are completely correct. They worked well under the pressure and earned their passing grade. Take their teamwork as an example.”

Shoto wouldn’t admit he felt proud at how little criticisms were given to their group as he joined the others with his group to watch the other teams go up against the same exercise, relaxing a bit. That was until he felt a hand on his shoulder and he flared up, hearing swearing behind him.

“Sorry.” He managed to choke out before turning, seeing Bakugo holding his hand.

“S’okay.” He shook his hand a bit. “Wanted to say something.” He paused. “Good job, you’re gonna be a good hero too. Still gotta beat me for the top spot.”

“You can have it.” He smiled softly. “I don’t want to be a top hero.”

“Well, then at least put up a good fight.” With that Bakugo walked away.

Did...did he just get Bakugo’s respect? Was this how normal friendships were made? He needed to ask Natsuo about that after school today. He also needed to ask Fuyumi some stuff too. Well, at least he didn’t have anything important to do later.

He’d deal with it later.

---

Bakugo ran a hand through his hair as he took a calming breath. He lost his cool there. Definitely. Maybe he really did need therapy or something with how aggressive people told him he was. But if he wasn’t, the local police would have dropped Izuku’s case after a week. After all, none of those bastards cared about a ‘quirkless’ kid. And then there was that person at the entrance exam who looked like him. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a voice.

“Hey Bakubro!” Kirishima waved him over to a wall.

“What.” He raised a brow.

“Well bro...ya see…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So. I can hold the whole world in my hands ya know?”

“What?” Bakugo said as Kirishima put his hands on his face, blushing.

“Bro, you’re my world.”

“Is...are you fucking flirting with me?!”

“Eh...ya bro. We’re two bros chilling in a hot tub, no feet apart cause I’m so gay for you….Wait shit I never asked if you were gay bro I just assumed cause you ignored the girls and…”

“Shut up.” He knew his own cheeks were bright red and he was pretty sure he could see Mina dying in the corner of his vision. He’d give them a show then.

So he grabbed Kirishima by the shoulders before pulling the guy into a hug. Part of him thought of trying for a kiss, but decided against it since this was the first time anyone has ever tried to flirt with him and he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with kissing someone he hasn't known for too long.

But one thing he did know was that Kirshima did seem like a pretty cool guy and he was pretty cute too with that sunshine smile.

Not that he would ever say that out loud though.

But as he pulls Kirishima into a hug, he looks over Kirshima's shoulder with a grin as he looks Mina in the eye.

"Full homo." He says, bringing Mina to drop to the floor with a wheeze as he pulls away from Kirishima, whose cheeks were flushed a bright red, with a smirk.

Chapter Text

Izuku was still trying to get used to Dabi being around him all the time. The man would just sit around with him, bring him food and pet him as if trying to train him to be his pet or something. Maybe his master’s real plan was to see if Izuku was loyal after a decade of this shit. He pushed Dabi away when he tried to hand him some beef jerky, growling a bit with his elongated canines bared.

“Sorry kid, got lost in my own thing.” Dabi says as he takes a step back.

“Well stop.” His eyes glowed a bit golden but he was trying not to go off on him, curling up on the mattress. “It’s really annoying.”

“I should get you a blanket…” Dabi’s voice trailed off before a dish was slid under the door and Dabi looked it over. “Some of this shit is raw.”

“Who cares.” Izuku responded, going for the food but backing up fast when Dabi lit it up, essentially cooking it.

Why did he keep doing that anyways. It was basically dog food set to more human specifications...and probably old as shit. And besides, it's not like he's a perfect picture of health either with all those scars and wounds. He sighed when Dabi finally handed the food over, eating without discrimination.

Who cared if he slept on a mattress or if his collar was too tight. Who cared if he was covered in scars instead of skin. Who cared if he was a monster domesticated. Not him. He only cared about dying, escaping life itself so he could finally be free of the pain and hurt he suffered daily and the pain he caused at an even faster rate.

So then why was this villain so fucking nice to him. It wasn’t normal, he had to have an angle or something he was playing. Obviously. Still...he hadn’t seen Tenko in three days now. He was banned from leaving the facility at all after the little stunt with his hair being sliced off. Master didn’t even take Dabi cutting it as fact, punishing him as usual for ‘lying’. It didn’t help when Dabi explained either, getting punished for letting it happen.

Not his fucking fault he isn’t a vicious monster when he’s normal. He shut his eyes and rubbed his temples at the swimming thoughts, feeling Dabi’s hand on his shoulder again. He actually snapped at him that time with another growl, not wanting to be touched. He had a mission today which meant people would die . He’d hurt someone without the ability to stop himself and there was nothing he could do about it.

Said alarm to set up blared at that moment and he winced, feeling whatever they always pumped into his body fill his system once more, managing a whimper as he felt his grip on reality slipping away like the waves of the ocean he once visited as a child. He had to be strong, for Kacchan, Uncle Masaru and Auntie Mitsuki. He couldn’t let himself disobey and be released on Musutafu. He couldn’t bear knowing he would hurt the ones he loved.

As reality faded to the prison of his mind, he felt the Hundshi take over, being led through a portal.

---

“What the ever loving fuck.” Bakugo managed to speak as villains started pouring from the portal below, apparently giving a wide berth for something else to come through.

“Stay back kids!” Thirteen yelled and blocked them from being attacked as their teacher leapt into the fray.

What were they supposed to do! There was some white haired freak doubled over like some anime antagonist laughing and talking about killing All Might! Shoto felt his heart racing and his breathing get tight. Now wasn’t the time for a panic attack. He made a film of ice and pressed it to the left side of his face to ground himself before looking to Bakugo and Shinso.

“We need a plan.” Shinso started to say before everyone froze on the spot, seeing the last thing to exit the portal.

“Ah, there’s our puppy~ A monster to rival All Might!” The villain grinned madly, barely stepping out of the way of the Hundshi’s bite.

Shoto’s eyes went wide when he saw the beast, even if it was a good ways away. That was the thing that killed his father? It looked positively crazed! No wonder all those villains were staying as far away as possible! He didn’t even register the cold that hit his skin until everything went black, dropping him off into the fire zone with Bakugo. Shit, he should have been paying attention!

“Yukimura, look sharp.” Bakugo rushed over so they were back to back. “I got your blind spot.”

“Left side.” He commented. “That’s my big blind spot.”

“Noted. Let’s kick some ass!”

It was that moment villains started coming out of every crevice, laughing and attacking as the duo linked arms and fired off attacks left and right. With every one villain down, two would take their place, a never ending wave of chaos until Shoto had enough.

“Jump!” He felt Bakugo brace against him as they jumped and Shoto completely froze the area, putting out the flames in the fire zone in the process.

“Damn. You went off.” Bakugo let go of him and nodded. “We need to make sure everyone else is okay.” He ran off with Shoto close behind.

He really hoped everyone else was okay.

---

Aizawa was barely holding it together right now. Villain after villain was attacking with no end in sight. Then there was the monster, always barely out of his reach and the villain’s singing was making him see things. He couldn’t manage to erase the singing villain’s quirk fast enough whilst also fighting the creature, one slip up could mean death.

He barely managed to finally catch the siren villain when a scream ripped through the USJ, causing him to turn and his eyes were blown wide. The Hundshi had one of his students. NOT HIS STUDENTS. He let go of the villain and rushed over to the student, Kaminari, being dropped like a sack of potatoes with a huge bleeding bite wound halfway up his arm.

Not good, not good at all. He needed immediate medical attention or he’d lose that arm for good. He needed to stop the bleeding, and quickly, which meant losing a sleeve so he could wrap the wound and turn back to the Hundshi.

It had to have a quirk...right? But also its’ tongue...It was black. Trigger? Did it normally not look like this? It would explain the mania. He took a chance, activating his erasure as the monster tried to back up. He immediately used his scarf to restrain what he could as it...started to shrink.

Smaller...smaller until what looked like a thin teenager with golden eyes and scars were left before him, tears in unfocused eyes. He quickly made a mental list about this child. Greenish-black hair, freckles, golden eyes. Had a collar on him and baggy but destroyed clothes. Scars littered the skin he could see including burns and chemical marks. There were also dog ears and elongated canines but it might be the effects of the trigger.

“Stop...can’t...control…” The boy’s voice was so broken, trying to see Eraserhead before he screamed and he started growing again, Aizawa jumping back and grabbing his student.

It only took a second for his hold to drop and portals to open everywhere, taking the child trapped in a monster, the song villain and any other villains still conscious. It took a moment for that crying child to mouth ‘Help me’ before he was gone. The person behind the monster was nothing more than a victim...or was he. Villains could lie all the time but Trigger and the scars...it made him wonder.

Who was the child behind the monster?

---

The attack had finally ended and Kaminari was being wheeled off to the hospital for emergency surgery. Meanwhile two heroes were restraining Bakugo who was...crying? Aizawa walked over to find out the situation.

“He keeps going on about a photograph he dropped. We sent in a hero to find it.”

Said hero, apparently Snipe, came out at that moment holding a slightly charred photo from what he assumed was the fire zone. Aizawa gently took it to make sure it wasn’t important. Probably just a photo of his parents. Heroes had them on them all the time.

He instead froze at the image in front of him. A four year old boy with freckles and greenish-black hair. Smiling next to what seemed to be Bakugo at the same age as they do peace signs. There was no collar or scars, no golden eyes. No elongated canines or dog-like features. No...the child’s eyes were green.

He handed the photo to Bakugo who was then let go by the heroes...but Aizawa put a hand on his shoulder instead as he felt the boy tense up. He had to be careful about this. Bakugo’s tendency to explode at the slightest provocation could end badly if he worded this wrong.

“Bakugo...Who is the boy in the photo.”

“Friend from a long time ago.” He responded, still tense.

“I see...Could you come with me a moment?” He gently steered Bakugo to a policeman, Tsukauchi.

“Tsukauchi. This young boy has information about a cold case.” Was all he said before making the sign for a phone as the policeman nodded, gently taking Bakugo away.

Now to send him what he saw, file reports and reopen a cold case he never assumed was going to have a living body.

---

“So, Katsuki Bakugo. Are you okay with this interview being recorded?” Tsukauchi asked.

“It’s fine.” Bakugo responded, playing with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Good. Your teacher alerted me to a photo you carry on you of one missing person, Izuku Midoriya. Is this true?”

“Yes.” He responded. “From when we were kids.”

“Do you know what happened to Izuku?” Tsukauchi asked.

“Yeah, car crash.” He responded.

“Let it be known, Katsuki Bakugo has lied on record.”

Wait what? WHAT? How could he tell! “How the fuck do you know if I lie or not!” He spat out.

“My quirk allows me to tell when a person lies.” He responded calmly. “So what really happened.”

“You don’t care. Nobody cared back then.” That was the truth.

“Because Izuku was labeled Quirkless an hour before.” Tsukauchi frowned.

“Yes because he was fucking labeled quirkless! And I was a child!” He growled. “Nobody cared except me.” Another truth.

“Well, know that I am reopening this case as new info has come to light.”

“What...what do you mean by that?” Bakugo calmed down.

“We have reason to believe Izuku Midoriya is a victim of Quirk Trafficking.” He paused. “So tell me what really happened that night.”

Bakugo took a calming breath and nodded, trying to keep his hands steady as he asked for a piece of cloth to wipe his hands off on.

“Mooooooooooom. MOOOOOOOOOOOOM! OLD HAG!” Katsuki pouted as he pulled on his mom’s skirt.

“What is it you little pomeranian.” His mother responded.

“Deku is s’posed to be back from the doctor and I wanna welcome him back!” He grinned.

“Okay, okay.” His mother smiled and they left the house, walking to the entrance of the neighborhood as they waited.

Bakugo munched on a piece of fruit, swinging his legs on a tree branch he had climbed up to when he heard it. The screech of tires cuts through the air. A scream. Silence. He falls from the tree branch and grabs onto his mom, pulling her towards what he saw. Auntie Inko’s car got hit.

As soon as they are on the scene, so is a water hero who was putting the flames out as he notices Auntie Inko move. She’s going to drown, they need to get her out before she chokes on the water quirk! He runs to the hero and grabs his leg, trying to warn him as the hero stops long enough to call another over to rip the car open.

He’s the only one close to hear it, the only one who hears Auntie Inko’s words.

Ta...ke...n.

His whole body freezes as Auntie is loaded into an ambulance and taken away. She passed away after that and still nobody would listen. They all said he was quirkless and to drop it because it would hurt his parents. But Auntie said he was taken so he had to have a quirk! He had to save Izuchan…

“That’s all I needed.” Tsukauchi pauses. “With this information, we can finally open the case and investigate that night. Thank you Bakugo...you can return home now.”

---

“How did it go.” Aizawa asked as he cradled his cell between his shoulder and face.

“He didn’t see the kidnapping but he did tell us more about the crash.” Tsukauchi sighed. “But kidnapped by villains and turned into a monster...we can never tell them the truth.”

“No. Better to deal with this quietly. The boy still has a semblance of sanity within him after all, or is a really good manipulator. Based on the information we can manage, it seems the Hundshi...is Izuku Midoriya involuntarily pumped full of Trigger. Also, the ‘handler’.”

“You told me about that. A fire quirk...it seems to be the same one that was seen at Endeavor’s gravesite and the temperature of the flames match the melted doorknob and plug at Endeavor’s hospital room. Should we label them a villain?”

“No. They seemed...sad from what I could see during the fight. Label them a vigilante. They may be our only lead to getting Izuku Midoriya home.”

With that the call ended and Aizawa went back to petting Fluffers.

---

“I’m home.” Katsuki walked in and placed his bag in the hallway as he went to check on his dad.

There he was, working on some paperwork at the kitchen table. He also noticed a half eaten breakfast abandoned next to him. Did he forget to eat lunch?  He sighed and cleaned up, making something and setting it on the papers.

“Oh! Katsuki!” He smiled sweetly. “How was school today?”

Best to lie. “Exciting.” He smiled and made himself a sandwich before heading to his room to deal with his emotions in private.

After all, it was best to let this little knowledge lie for the moment in case he started to cry again. And he really didn’t need that.

---

A long figure stood in a dark alley watching a hero fight going on, not that he cared about the fighting itself. He turns when a second figure enters the alleyway. “You had a report?”

“Yes.” The voice responded. “Eraserhead erased his quirk. I only have a minute to relay this but with his skills we’ll be out within a month...I hope.”

“Thank you...Dabi.” The first figure smiled sadly.

Chapter Text

Izuku pounded on the door, tears in his eyes as he choked on a scream. They were going to kill Dabi. They would kill him and give him back the scraps of what remained and it hurt! IT HURT ! He could feel the flames licking the back of his neck, quirk suppressants flooded through his system as his pounding on the door weakened.

Every time he started to care it was ripped from his grasp to turn him into a numb shell. He wanted to scream and shout and tear the whole damn place apart but he couldn’t, couldn’t. He just wanted OUT .

He only gave up the pounding when his hands hurt too much and blood dripped on the floor, instead opting to hit his head against the door once before falling back and staring at the ceiling. Maybe they’d just let him go. He didn’t know anything important, not even Izuku’s real name. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh, letting the world leave him until he was completely into his sense of smell.

The world was gone now, letting him smell the fading scent of campfires that he attributed to Dabi growing weaker and weaker. That meant he was free to leave. He managed half a smile as he returned to the real world around him, wiping his face and trying to be strong. He had to be, if what Dabi told him that one time was true.

When you get out of here, you will change the world.

---

Bakugo stared out the window, not really focused on the idle chatter around them. 

They had almost died a few days ago. Kaminari was fucking thrown into an ambulance and nobody was saying a damn word about it.

Maybe it was better to assume everyone was just trying to cope instead.

It made sense if he analyzed the situation. Mina was accidentally popping off acid and melting pencils. He was sure Dark Shadow normally didn’t whine and...was that cake? Definitely cake being passed around. Better to ask one of the others what was going on.

“Kiri.” He poked his boyfriend in the side as he squeaked.

Boyfriend...never thought I would ever have one.

“B-Babe! Don’t startle me!” He blushed.

“What’s the cake for?”

“Oh! They released Kaminari today so we’re all prepping to throw him a party!”

“Don’t you usually cut the cake after…” He sighed. “Nevermind, pass me a piece.”

Kiri handed him a piece of cake as the boy of the hour finally arrived, looking...sheepish? 

Oh, probably because of the limp sleeve...where he got bitten. Did they take his arm off? He decided not to even ask, grabbing a piece of cake and handing it to Kaminari.

“Welcome back Sparky.” He commented calmly and went back to his seat as festivities started.

He noticed Kaminari stayed to the edge of the crowd though, giving fake smiles and trying not to cry. 

Damn, he really didn’t need this. He locked eyes with him and waved him over, keeping his body posture calm and relaxed.

“What’s up.” He set down Kaminari’s plate of untouched cake and pulled a chair over.

“I just...Everyone’s acting like some junkie didn’t fucking dissolve my arm off! I can’t even use my quirk till the support gear comes in!” He had tears in his eyes.

“You know how they are, they are trying to hide their pain. You can see it on their faces. They threw the party to sorta apologize for not saving you before it happened. Complicated emotion stuff.” He shrugged. “I bet you’ll be a badass cyborg when you get the arm though.”

“Hah...you really think so?” There was a genuine smile now.

“Yeah, but get it in Pikachu colors.” He responded and handed Kaminari back his cake which he took back to his desk as class began.

Well, he managed to at least get him to smile, and that was a small win in his books.

---

By the time lunch rolled around, Denki and a few others from class 1-A gathered around a lunch table to eat lunch together. Denki just watched with a smile as he sees Bakugo dump loads of hot sauce onto the food Kirishima had packed for him while Uraraka brought up the sports festival.

Denki couldn't help but feel a little quiet after everything, he did feel a little bit better after his talk with Bakugo who was...oddly good at being a therapist. Not that Denki was going to question it.

Despite that though, Denki still felt a sense of numbness as he struggled to get used to eating with only one arm. Even if the doctors had told him that it was normal to feel a bit empty or even a little numb after losing a limb,it was still not the best. And while the idea of having a robot arm sounded cool, he still got these shooting pains where his arm used to be.

It still wasn't the same.

His arm was there...and then it was just…gone.

Maybe I should look into visiting a therapist or the school's therapist like the doctor advised...

“I’m not going easy on you if we get matched up.” Bakugo commented. “Just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you aren’t terrifying when you're angry.”

Bakugo's voice brought Denki back as he blinked, realizing then that he had zoned out. His eyes dart around as he looks between his friends. But none of their eyes were on him and were instead focused on Bakugo and Uraraka.

It was also then Bakugo's words finally registered in his head. "Wait, I thought it was a known fact that you should never underestimate women though, right?" Denki asked, only for him to hear Mina let out a snort while Kirishima reached over and pats Kaminari's hand.

"Don't worry bro, only manly men like us know that you should never underestimate angry women." Kirishima says, not at all relieving Denki from his confused state.

I could just ask my sisters if they understood what they meant by this when I get home, or I could just ask Bakugo about it later...

Though, seeing that Urarka seemed a little puzzled herself was comforting as she tilted her head to the side with a raised eyebrow. “Uhm...thanks? That was a compliment right?”

“Of course. You literally punched the copy cat shit in the face. You are scary when mad.” Bakugo responded with a wide grin before looking back towards the other.  “What’s your guys’ take.”

"On the Sports Festival?" Denki asked, bringing Bakugo to nod. Denki paused for a moment at that before shrugging. He wasn't sure if he could participate in the Sports Festival with him missing an arm and all and he was about to say that, only to get cut off.

"Hey! Your Kaminari Denki right?" Denki paused with his mouth to open, ready to speak. He turns his head at the sound of a soft but clear voice.

Only for him to freeze when his eyes meet that of a pretty girl. She had really pretty hair that was an ombre of shades of pink, going from light at the top while it got darker and darker shades of pink as it went down in waves, stopping at around chin while some of it seemed to have been tied back into a messy bun with a pencil tucked in to it and a bandana tied around her forehead which appeared to have gears all over it. Keeping any and all hair out of her face, with an exception to a couple strands that was somehow able to rebel and escape.

Was she a student from the Support course?

He then remembered that she had asked him if he was Kaminari Denki, bringing him to nod numbly. The pretty girl smiled brightly at this. A full on Hollywood smile and if Denki had been standing, then his knees probably would have buckled as he was already feeling weak and a little dizzy from how pretty and pure the girl seemed to be, bringing him to give her a small awkward smile.

Damn, he doesn't even know her name yet and has already fallen head over heels for her.

"Awesome! I’m Higari Momoko and I'm from the support course. Can I steal you for a second?” All Denki could do was nod before Higari had yanked him out of his seat and begin dragging him away from his table, leaving his friends behind to sit in shock as they watched him get dragged away.

His shock changes to a small smile though when he hears Mina yell, “Oh shit, Team Rocket’s blasting off again!" Causing the rest of his friends to burst out laughing while he rolls his eyes.

Denki stays silent as he lets this Higari girl drag him across the cafeteria. Ignoring the strange looks he was getting for letting a girl that was a head shorter than him drag him away.

It wasn't until they were outside of the cafeteria did the girl finally let go of his wrist. Denki rubs his wrist over his clothes after she let it go while she turns around to face him with a bright grin and once again, he felt his knees could buckle at any moment but was surprisingly still able to keep himself up pretty well and put together as he gave Higari a weak smile.

“So uh...sorry for yoinking you away from your friends like that.” Higari says as she rubs her hands together. “I just...I figured it’d be awkward for me to spout off about support stuff in front of your friends.”

“Uh...no problem?” Denki rubbed the back of his neck. Feeling a bit awkward. “So...what are we here for?”

“A proposition.” She grinned. “My work is going to be medical support gear. I want to make you a new arm.” She laughed a bit nervously. “I mean...if that’s okay.”

“You’d…make me an arm? Wait, you can do that?” You could see the gears turning in his head. "My friends have brought up that idea but I didn't think it was actually possible!"

“Of course!” She gave a small grin with a bit of mischief laced in it. "But if you don’t want it…”

“No!” He yelled louder then he meant to, bringing him to cringe as he lowered his voice, while Higari just smiled in amusement. “No, I do want it.”

"Awesome! Then could you come after school today and stop by Class 1-F so I can get your measurements? I'm also going to need your quirk stats too, just so you know."

Denki nods. "Ya! Sure! I need to text my mom and sisters first to let them know that I'll be home late but I should totally be able to stop by after school today! That would be awesome!"

Maybe he will be able to participate in the Sports Festival this year.

----

As soon as school ended, with mom's permission, Denki made a beeline to class 1-F after he had asked Aizawa-sensei where it was.

When he came upon the classroom, the door was completely open as Power Loader seemed to be leaving the classroom as he showed up.

"U-uh hi!" Denki lets go of his backpack's strap and gives a small wave with a grin as Power Loader looks at him. His expression was hard to read with his hero suit's hat covering his eyes. "Is Higari there?"

Power loader smiles. "Yes! I guess you must be Kaminari Denki then, right?"

Denki nods with a grin. "Yep! That's me!" Denki says as he points to himself with his left arm, but not without hesitating slightly as he forgets momentarily that he didn't have his right arm any more but he doesn't let that break his smile though.

Power Loader's smile falters though as his head turns slightly towards Denki's right. "I'm sorry we weren't able to keep you and your classmates safe from those villains. As heroes we should have been more prepared-"

Denki waves a hand in Power Loader's face. "No! No! We're not having any of that! Already had enough heroes apologizing to me while I was in the hospital! I don't need any more! Besides, I don't blame you guys for what happened. It's not like you’re fortune tellers or whatever. Can't be ready for everything that happens. I'm just glad you guys were able to make it there at all. You guys didn't take my arm away, the villains did." Denki tells him with a smile, not at all upset with the heroes but at the villains and the situations he has to deal with because of it.

Power Loader was silent as he seemed to stare at Denki for a moment with a thoughtful frown before smiling at him and ruffling his hair with one of his huge hands. "Thanks, you're a good kid Kaminari. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He then turns to look into the doorway. "Hey! I'm gonna head to the car and wait for you there, alright Momoko? I'm gotta give Eraserhead his new pair of goggles on the way there, just don't forget to lock up, okay?"

Denki blinks as he hears Higari yell, "Okay!"

Those two act pretty familiar with each...maybe they're related or something?

Power Loader then turns to face Denki. "See you around Kaminari." And with a final wave and a grin. Power Loader turns around and walks away.

Denki stood there for a moment as he watched Power Loader walk away before shrugging and stepping into the open doorway, he immediately spotted Higari sitting, bent over her desk as she seemed to be pouring all her being into studying something.

Denki smiles as he gives the door beside him a light knock. Bringing Higari to jump and blink in surprise as she looks up from whatever she was staring at and smiles at him. "Hey, I don't know if you've been told this but I've heard that it's bad for your back to be bent over your desk like that all the time." Denki says with a cheeky grin while Higari lets out a laugh.

Denki grins becomes even wider at the sound of her laughter. It was light but at the same time it was still loud. He still felt a little weak around her but he felt more like himself then he did at lunchtime. It was probably because of the hope of not having to worry about falling behind his classmates and not having to worry about seeming like he was just some amputee that was a wannabe hero.

"Ya, my uncle tells me that all the time." Higari says as she waves for him to come and sit in the stool that was beside her which he does. "Hold out your left arm for me."

"Uncle?" Denki asked as he held his left arm out in front of him, letting Higari to measure it before turning away to write something down in a notebook that was laid out in front of her.

"Ya, but he's a hypocrite because he does the same as me. What's your quirk?"

"Electrification. I can basically produce, absorb, and manipulate electricity. But I don't have any natural way of directing it. But if I absorb or release too high of a voltage then I could end up short-circuiting my brain temporarily." Denki explains while Higari stares at him for a moment with a frown as she tilts her head, causing Denki to wonder what he said that would cause the frown on her face.

"You do have support gear to stop it from short circuiting the brain, right?" Higari asked, bringing Denki to raise an eyebrow.

"Wait, support gear could be made to help stop that? The only support gear I have would be the headset that goes with my hero outfit." Denki says which brings Higari to sigh.

"Of course, you do realize that letting that go uncheck could end up potentially damaging your brain, right?" Higari asked with a raised eyebrow while Denki shakes his and waves his hand dismissively.

"Wha? No! It's no different than when one of my classmates gets stomach aches and feels like she's about to throw up when she over uses her quirk." Higari rolls her eyes.

"That can also be potentially harmful if it goes unchecked. Ugh, honestly, I don't get you heroes sometimes." Higari mutters as she turns away and begins scribbling away in her notebook again. "Though, I think I could figure out a way where this arm could help with the short circuiting and maybe your aim too...you’re right handed right? But I would like to see your quirk in action first before I make that decision..."

"Uh, ya." Denki replies as he shrugs. "You don't have too though if it's too much trouble. I-"

Higari cuts him off when she waves her hand in his face. "Nope, no trouble at all! I love building and creating stuff so it's cool." Higari says as she drops her pencil and cracks her knuckles as she stretches out her back, bringing him to notice how small her chest was.

Denki mentally slapped himself as he averts his eyes to the side as he blushes slightly.

Damn it Denki! Stop being such a pervert! She's so pretty though...but there's no way she'll be interested in an amputee...

"But there are some cons to having an automail arm though." Higari says bringing Denki to frown while Higari sighs. "To be able to have automail you will have to go through surgery for it."

That caused Denki's eyes to widen as his frown deepened. That changes things. Denki thinks to himself as he swallows.

"Because of that, it would be best to wait until summer break to do the surgery and we also need your parents permission too for this so I've compiled all the information about the surgery and everything about the arm and a plan for what will happen after the surgery if you decide to do it for you and your parents to look through together." Higari says as she shuffles through her messy desk before grabbing a small stack of papers that was stapled together and hands them over to Denki with a smile that falters when she sees the frown on his face as he takes the papers.

"I-I'm sorry that you can't have the arm during the Sports Festival." Higari tells him softly, bringing Denki to look up at her from the papers that rested heavily in his hands.

Denki just gives her a small smile. "It's alright. I can just not do the Sports Festival this year. There's always next year and the year after that." Denki tells her while she frowns at him.

"Maybe so but just because you're missing an arm doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try. One arm or no arms. You can still use your quirk and I can see about making something temporary for you that could help you aim and keep you from short circuiting your brain." Higari says while crossing her arms over her chest and leans back against her chair, appearing to be in thought as her fingers tap against her arms.

Denki blinks in surprise at Higari's response before looking down at the paper again. Having an automail arm would be useful in the long run. But the idea of doing the surgery made his stomach twist.

But he looks back at Higari with a smile who was studying him closely with a thoughtful frown. "Thank you for doing this Higari. It means a lot and it's really outstanding that you were able to gather all of this information in a week."

Higari cheeks turn red as her eyes widen in surprise before shifting her eyes to the side. "Oh! It's no problem and it's not a big deal. I do a lot of research in my free time because of the career I'm working towards." Denki nods while Higari stands up from her chair. "Alright, well I think that's all that needs to be covered. Just don't forget to show those papers to your parents and talk to them about it. You can give it back to me whenever you can. You know where to find me." Higari says as she tidy up her desk before grabbing a pair of keys off of it and her backpack off of the floor.

Denki bites back a frown that threatens to show up on his face. Not quite ready for their meeting to end so soon. So without much thought he blurts the first thing that comes to mind. "W-what's your quirk?" Denki asked as he stood up and walked with her to the workshop's entrance, mentally facepalming at his stutter.

Higari’s eyes dart over him to him as her lips parted in surprise at the sudden question before opening her mouth to answer, only for her to pause as they come to a stop outside of the workshop's doorway so then Higari could close the doors and lock them while a wide grin appears on her face.

"Guess." Higari stated simply as she turned to face him while twirling her keys around her finger.

Denki blinks at this as he tilts his head. "Wha? But why? That's not fair! I told you my quirk!" Denki whines as his shoulders slump while she laughs, once again filling his stomach with butterflies as he fights the smile that threatens to appear on his face.

"Alright, here, here's a hint. It's something you wouldn't expect." Higari stated simply. "So you gotta think outside of the box for this one."

"Awww, fine. But if I can't figure it out until summer break then you have to tell me yourself!" Denki stated as he pointed at her, causing her to snort. Which he finds to be a really cute sound.

He really needed to get control over his racing heart before it jumped out of his chest.

Chapter Text

Shoto sighed as he left the school campus, walking his way back home. It was kind of nice, just taking in the scenery without a driver always on your tail. Maybe he could bring home something from the local bakery for his mom. He stopped with a smile and bought some fresh treats, making sure they had little snowflake designs added to them.

As soon as he reached the house though, a chill went down his spine. Something was wrong. His brain immediately switched to panic mode as he raced in, about to blast a hero or someone who was an Endeavor fanatic to find blood drops from the front hall into the living room and Fuyumi looking terrified but not in the sense of a body. It looked...he couldn’t really tell.

He let his quirk fade as he let Fuyumi grab his wrist and pull him to the living room to an actual blood bath. But the blood was coming from some black haired guy. It wasn’t until the man opened his eyes that he realized that said person had blue eyes. The color was the exact of the dead bastard and his brain searched for any memories of a bastard brother. Thankfully his mother cleared it up.

“Touya...Stop moving.” His mother had a cloth pressed to a chest wound.

Touya. His older brother who he was told was long dead. This...honestly made a lot of sense. He immediately rushed forward to help where he could, grabbing another rag to help stop the bleeding even a fraction. He needed a hospital, where were the damn ambulances!

“What...what happened!” Shoto managed to choke out.

“The idiot apparently has been a vigilante and got thrown out of a bulletproof glass window by a supervillain.” Natsuo responded right as the paramedics arrived and hauled off Touya, leaving the family to try and clean the blood.

Clothes were stripped in favor of unstained garments and carpets and upholstery were scrubbed until fresh. The hardwood was steam cleaned and silence held over them like a dark cloud, as if they were all back in that horrible house cleaning up Shoto’s blood instead. Honestly, Shoto didn’t even know where to start with questions.

Instead he went, sat in his room and checked his phone, scrolling through idle conversations until his mother knocked. She only entered when he gave permission, which at least helped him break from the fear of things being the same as before. She pulled him into a hug and he felt his body finally relax.

The questions could wait.

----

Touya felt like absolute shit...and it wasn’t just because of the fact that he still had a huge ass piece of glass in his leg and who even knew where else. At least he got some pain medicine to take the edge off of it all, but it didn’t help the swirling thoughts running through his head.

He left Izuku alone with that bastard. The poor kid probably had a panic attack thinking he died or something. For all he knew that kid was being pumped full of drugs against his will and used as a killing machine and he was stuck in a damn hospital bed because he wanted to see his family before he bled out. Man, he really needed some friends to get like...comfort or something since he was still alive after all that. Maybe a dog or something too...they had shit for that right?

But now wasn’t the time for a pity party...he had to have surgery after his supposed ‘roommate’ got out for some sort of broken limb. He had overheard the nurses talking about a construction accident whilst they assumed he was unconscious and were trying to bathe him...He wondered how his hair looked without the black dye in it. Did it still look like his mother’s or has it changed over the years.

He was brought out of those thoughts when another bed was wheeled into the room, obviously still unconscious from their surgery but wearing a cast on their arm and gloves on both hands. Was it quirk related? They would have taken them off otherwise.

It wasn’t long until he was wheeled out of the room for his own surgery, only barely registering he didn’t have a familiar weight on his wrist.

---

Shoto...didn’t know how to process what was going on right now. Apparently his brother, who everyone had assumed died a long time ago to villains, was alive this whole time and had been a vigilante. How did normal people process something like that anyways? Was there a normal way to handle this?

He sighed and saw his sister jump a bit at the noise, causing him to wince in return. He really hadn’t meant to do that, he was just...not good with his emotions in high stress situations. He finally looked up and met his mother’s eyes, which were full of tears.

“I can’t believe he turned up right as he was dying…” Natsuo groaned. “Why did he have to pull such a dad move.”

“Natsuo...You’re upsetting mom.” Fuyumi said quietly, nearly broken. “Please…”

“What, we gotta address the elephant in the room here! He disappeared soon after Shoto was born and now he looks like a patchwork doll of burns because he couldn’t let things be!”

“Nat-” Fuyumi started again.

“No! He doesn’t get this second chance no matter what he was doing! He is HURT because of his own stupid mistakes! Why should we let him back into our lives when all he’s done is hurt us, probably even worse than dad did!”

“STOP IT!” Fuyumi finally raised her voice, a choked sob coming with her words that rendered the whole waiting room silent. “He left because of dad , not because of Shoto. Get your anger under control.”

Shoto didn’t know how to react to this all. He’d never heard Fuyumi scream before but he had also never heard Natsuo speak so angrily like their father used to. He could barely process his mother’s face in her hands as she cried. It was all too much. He got up fast and ran from the room, not stopping until he was outside against the wall, sliding down to a sitting position where he could hug his knees.

The other shoe had finally dropped and things were starting to feel like they had before all over again. He couldn’t handle it like he used to, now so vulnerable and raw to angry words. Maybe this was why Touya ran away. He didn’t know his brother after all...it could have been all the fault of his birth. Everything seemed to have gone bad when he was born.

He rubbed at his eyes, feeling the hot tears rolling down his face like rivers. It wasn’t fair. Why did all this unsaid pressure have to surface now. They had all been doing so good, handling things so well until this whole thing happened.

It almost made him wish Touya had never come back. But that would be too cruel, even for the situation. He would just have to...wait and see what this would all come to. What would cool everyone’s anger so they could go back to being a family.

He only looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, being brought into a hug just like before...but this time it was Fuyumi instead of his mother.

He really was bad at emotions.

---

Touya woke back up...feeling so damn high. He wasn’t going to deny it, he was completely high off pain meds and everything felt tight in his arms and chest. Reminds him back when he accidentally burnt most of his upper body skin off and it turned purple...wait would they even try to fix that? It would explain why his face hurt for no reason. Didn’t they have healing quirks for that?

This sadly left him thinking about if he still had nipples or not. If he wasn’t so zoned out on the meds he probably would have had some self control...and wouldn’t be hearing a wheezy laugh from the room right now. Fuck, the other one was up...and he said that out loud. Welp maybe he really should have died when he got thrown from the window after all to save himself the embarrassment.

“Holy shit…” The voice said with a snort. “You’re uh...you’re nipples are still there.”

“Don’t...laugh.” He huffed. “I can’t open my eyes and check you know.”

“It’s fine. I’m Tenko by the way. Tenko Shimura.”

“Touya Todoroki.”

“You mean the ex-hero that got hurt and died Todoroki? I heard his family all changed to Yumikura.”

“Shit. Then Touya Yumikura I guess. I don’t fucking know I feel like I have three brains.”

“You look like a mummy.” Tenko snorted. “Pain medicine truly is great for this stuff. I hear they’re gonna heal us soon so we won’t need it much longer.”

“Good. I hate feeling like a sausage.”

“A... sausage ?” There was the laughter again.

“I don’t fucking know!” He groaned as he heard someone come in and a warmth spread over his body.

He then felt the movement of bandages on his body being removed as he opened his eyes. Ow, too bright. He blinked a few times as everything came into focus again and he sat up. He could really take the other in now, realizing it had been bandages and not a cast on their arm. They also seemed to be wearing a vest more common with construction workers and tying their hair back with a white hair tie.

Wait...white hair tie. He realized it was missing off his wrist and searched for it as soon as the nurse had left, finding it under the bed. What he wasn’t expecting, was that Tenko was staring at it. More specifically, the green hair tied to it.

“Where...did you get that hair tie?” Tenko spoke slowly.

“Uhm...from a mission. Undercover. I’m ah...I was a vigilante.”

“Did it happen to belong to a boy with green hair...with a collar?” The tone in the room had shifted dramatically.

“Yeah?” Touya tensed. “Why?”

“I...gave Haru...I gave him that. Is he okay?” Tenko’s voice was full of worry.

“Haru? His...His name is Izuku. Izuku Midoriya.” Touya realized the other probably had critical information. “You need to talk to the police about this.”

“I...I will.” Tenko rubbed his arm nervously. “Uhm...we could also discuss it...over coffee?”

Wait did this man just ask him out? He paused, his facial expression showing how he was trying to take in the change in subject. “Uh...sure?”

“Cool...cool. It’s a date.”

---

“Cool...cool. It’s a date.”

Natsuo heard that from the other side of the door with his family following behind him. Seriously? He opened the door and walked in, ready to beat down his older brother for deciding to get a date with some crusty construction worker after the literal bullshit he had pulled since disappearing.

“Really Touya? Flirting with death AND your hospital roommate?”

“He asked me out!” Touya actually blushed.

It was that moment Fuyumi pushed past him and hugged Touya, followed by their mom. He could take in a lot in that moment about his older brother. How his hair had a slight pink tone like when they were kids. How his eyes had a dullness to them but were shiny with tears.

There were also the scars. So many of them littering his body. He knew most of them came from their father. He knew the ‘training’ Touya suffered to look like that, not to mention the new ones he’d have. He had heard what those nurses had said, how he heeded so many skin grafts to fix his body.

He tore his eyes away to stare at the wall for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. What could he say honestly, he had gotten his words out long ago to what he assumed was nothing but a ghost only for said ghost to return covered in blood and muttering about a child.

Did Touya have a kid? What was he supposed to think after that, all he could feel was all this anger. All of it made him feel like his father and god he didn’t want to be his father. He only turned back when he heard Shoto move and grab his sleeve, pulling Natsuo over to the family group hug going on.

He’d have to ask his questions later...when his head wasn’t full of anger.

Chapter Text

Denki’s teeth tear into his bottom lip as he chews on it, tapping on the table nervously as he watches his mother read through the paperwork that Momoko had given to him. He felt like it had gone on forever, just sitting there trying not to interrupt her concentration.

After what felt like agonizing hours, but was really only ten minutes, his mother looks up at him with tired eyes and a frown as she takes her reading glasses off. A pang of guilt ran through Denki at the sight of his mother’s tired eyes, knowing that he was the cause of it.

“I will allow this.” His mother says with a sigh as Denki lights up and opens his mouth. But he stops when his mother holds up a finger. “But under one condition.”

Denki swallows at that but nods for his mother to continue as she folds her hands together, steeling herself for what she was going to say. “That condition is that you do not participate in this year’s Sports Festival.” Denki’s eyes widen as his eyebrows shoot up his forehead but his mother continues. “Please understand that I’m not saying this because I don’t think you can’t handle it with a missing arm. I know you can Denki but I…”

His mother swallows as she looks down at her hands for a moment before shaking her head, causing her short blonde hair to fly around her. She then looks back up at Denki with determination set in her eyes. “We were all so scared when we saw you unconscious in that bed and I’m worried that you're going to push yourself too hard too soon and I just want you to take some more time to heal before you go rushing back in.”

Denki is silent at that as he blinks at his mother before his gaze drops onto his hand. He can see where his mother was coming from, he remembers waking up to see his sisters and his mother crowding around him. Memories of seeing his baby sisters’ tear-stained faces and his big sisters’ worried gazes paired with his mother’s gaze cause guilt to tear at his heart.

Maybe taking some more time to heal wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if it’s what they need to feel better about everything that has happened. He’s not the only one that’s been affected by all this after all.

But a dark voice in the back of his mind whispers back. You're just giving in cause you're weak, your mother and sisters don’t really think you can do it.

Denki shakes his head at that before mustering up a small smile for his mom. “Alright, you got yourself a deal then mom.”

The relief that blooms across his mother’s face is worth giving up the sports festival for.

---

Denki sat in the stands, wedged between his sisters. He didn’t mind this of course, as he was more interested in watching the Support Class come out of their waiting room. Sure, he cared about his friends in 1-A but he wanted to see how good Momoko did. Thinking about it made him blush a little, which he tried to hide from his sisters and mom.

Honestly, he would never hear the end of it if they found out about his little crush. His older sisters would never stop teasing him, and worse, try to give him advice on how to pick up girls. That was the curse of being the middle child and only boy it seemed.

“The first event will be...an obstacle course!” Midnight called out which made Denki wonder how everyone, specifically Momoko, would do in the event.

As soon as the start buzzer hit, everyone was off like a shot. He could barely keep track of everyone moving in a solid mass of people. Well, that was until Shoto turned the place into a skating rink. He watched intently from his seat as the first obstacle was approached, barely catching sight of Momoko’s hair before she went...flying?

Oh, it was a jetpack. He sighed in relief as she sailed over the robots and over most of the ropes of obstacle two, shorting out of nowhere right over a rope. Down, down she fell until she grabbed onto a rope at the last second.

Denki felt like he was having a heart attack in those few seconds, almost forgetting there was cushioning at the bottom of the ravines. He totally forgot, who was he kidding. He gave a sigh of relief as she managed to climb back up and run through to the third obstacle. By that point a few people had made it through, giving her a clear path to the finish line and getting through to the second event.

Denki couldn’t be happier.

---

Natsuo sat, contemplating what he witnessed during the first event so far. Shoto was so sure of himself, so confident in all of his moves. Probably because dad trained him. He winced at his own thoughts. He was doing it again, letting his anger fester and freezing his blood. He was becoming more like dad with every thought.

He looked to his sister, a hand to her mouth and a smile on her face as she cheered their brother on. Even his mom was getting into it, giving little cheers of her own. He just couldn’t do it though. Every time he looked at Shoto all he saw was their father’s perfect tool. He didn’t even know why and it just made him angrier.

Why should he care anyways, the man was deader than dirt and his corpse was charred to bits. It shouldn’t be his problem anymore, but he was still so angry. He knew he should probably see the therapist about this but how was he supposed to tell them he somehow hated his little brother? How was he supposed to explain all this hurt that he always felt. How was he supposed to explain that he wanted their father’s attention more than anything in the world? To have a normal family where he and his sister weren’t just treated as staff instead of their father’s actual children.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Shoto crossing the finish line in fourth. He had barely even realized the event had ended before that moment and it made him sick to his stomach. He had been so caught up in it all he didn’t even pay attention. He quickly excused himself to the bathroom and splashed his face with water.

Why did these emotions feel so familiar to him? Did it remind him of when Touya was getting the shit beat out of him by dad whilst he cowered in a corner. Was it when Shoto was being beaten? Was it all related to dad? Why did he even call the man dad anyways. He was never a dad to begin with.

He really needed to work through this before he caused more problems than he already had.

---

“The second event is...a scavenger hunt!”

Denki watched as the grounds turned into a whole ass maze. From what he was understanding the people still participating were divided into teams and told to find certain items and escape the maze. But there were items that were the same on multiple lists to take out people in preparation for the final event.

Denki was at the edge of his seat as he watched Momoko sprint in with her team, dodging attacks from another team using a shield as her group worked with her seamlessly. Well, except for Monoma, who kept trying to copy everyone’s quirks. Though that would also mean he would learn Momoko’s quirk.

No...that would be a cheater’s way to finally win that little bet. Instead he focused on the fighting, the way everyone seemed to try and work together to get to their common goal. Hell, he wasn’t even really watching his class most of the time but he got some glimpses of Shoto’s fire on the rare occasion.

It all ended with Momoko making it out with her team, causing Denki to cheer at the top of his lungs. He knew she might not win it all but he was hoping that she would put up an amazing fight.

And that’s all he could ask for.

---

Touya was sure this was originally supposed to be a date, he could have sworn it. But as soon as their coffees arrived it had settled into an awkward silence. Was he really just this shitty at communicating like a normal human being? No, that couldn’t be it. He looked up when he heard Tenko clear his throat.

“We need to talk about Haru...fuck, I mean Izuku.” Tenko sighed. “I’m so used to calling him Haru, sorry.”

“No, no it’s okay.” Touya rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know that much except the abuse he was suffering. I don’t even know much about his family honestly, or his past. He never spoke about it.”

“He never did with me either...I should have seen the signs. But instead I taught him elementary grade level stuff.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know he was being controlled by a supervillain.” He placed his hand on Tenko’s. “He will be rescued. I swear.”

“I...want to help.” Tenko paused. “I mean, with the investigation the police are doing. I know the general path he took to the construction site. It was towards Kamino Ward. Not sure what part though...I told the police that already.”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about it though. We’re both civilians. We can’t do anything without being arrested.”

“Did the police actually threaten you?” Tenko seemed surprised.

“I was told if I tried to continue being a vigilante, they would send Eraserhead after me...and Hades.”

“Who’s Hades?” Tenko tilted his head.

“An underground hero who is on leave...because his wife was eaten...by Izuku.” He paused. “She was the hero Persephone. I know it wasn’t his fault...he threw up every time he had to hurt someone.”

“I really hope the police find him...I want him to be in a safe home.”

“Me too.”

----

“Finally we have the one-on-ones! First is Momoko versus Monoma!”

Denki visibly winced when he saw Monoma use his classmate’s vine quirk and throw Momoko out of bounds as he shouted something at her. Dammit, was she crying? She was crying. He ran from his seat to meet her in the hallway.

The way her hair fell into her face made her look like an angel who had fallen. That wouldn’t do, not at all. He ran over and took her hand with a bright grin, causing her to look up at him in surprise as they stood in the middle of a hallway together.

“Hey there, peach, you totally rocked this festival!”

“Wha...did you call me peach?” Her tears were still falling but his dumb comment definitely helped distract her as she stares up at him, dumbfounded.

“Well yeah, your name means peach, so you’re my peach!” He yelled with a grin only for a blush to spread across his face as he realized what he just said. “Ah, sorry, that is dumb isn’t it.”

“No...it’s not.” She wiped her eyes with her free hand. “I’m the dumb one. I thought I could get farther.”

“Monoma’s a dick,” he stated quietly. “Whatever he said to make you cry is dumb, petty stuff. Cause you’re super strong.”

Momoko seemed to get a bit of color to her cheeks before she finally cracked a smile. Success! He let go of her hand and tilted his head to the stands as if to offer to sit with her. She gave the tiniest nod in response and he walked next to her.

The entire time their hands brushed softly against each other.

----

Ever since Dabi was taken from him...everything had just gotten worse. His ‘master’ had used a quirk to make his hair so long it fell to the floor and refused to even care for it. He even took Izuku’s hairbrush away so nobody could fix it for him.

He wasn’t even let out of his room unless it involved ‘missions’ now. He was constantly at the edge of insanity, so pumped full of whatever they had in him that it was hard to distinguish reality from the illusions of the Hundshi.

He wanted out. He wanted his heart to just give out so he could finally escape to his mom. He felt hot tears roll down his face as he hugged his knees to his chest in the corner of his room. They didn’t even clean it anymore. He shut his eyes and tried to sleep off the pain in his whole body.

“Hundshi. Sensei wants you,” a voice spoke out and Izuku choked out a scared sob.

He didn’t want to hurt any more. He didn’t want acid to kiss his skin anymore. Still, he was dragged to the room he hated by his hair and deposited on the ground without a care. He had to keep his eyes shut, he didn’t want to even look at the man. He didn’t want to cry again.

“Well now, since all these years haven’t perfected you...I’ll have to do the same to you as the Siren,” the man stated before Izuku felt white fire course through every part of his body.

It HURT. It hurt so bad! He couldn’t even think, it was just CONSTANT PAIN. His head felt like it was swimming before he felt...nothing. He couldn’t even feel his body anymore. Had he died? No he could still see and hear, he just couldn’t move his body anymore.

“There. Mind Break truly works wonders. Now you can stay trapped in your head and I have my perfect monster. At last.”

In that moment, Izuku knew true terror.

Chapter Text

Katsuki stared at his bag, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything. He was pretty sure he hadn’t, besides, Miruko told him to only pack what was essential. He sighed and grabbed it, heading towards the train station without another thought.

The past few months had been rough for him, to say the least. It wasn’t just the fact the police kept asking him about the incident with Izuku...they had suggested he attend sessions with Hound Dog. Ironic, the dog hero was a counselor. The hero was literally a service animal. He shoved the thought from his mind as he remembered what Hound Dog had told him.

“You have an aversion to public transportation and vehicles in general, yes?”

“The fuck is it to you!” Katsuki spat back.

“Simple, seeing someone you considered your aunt dying, especially that young, would cause that effect. I can help you with that if you desire. Nothing too serious, just things to help distract you from it.”

“Like...what. Make me wear a special bracelet or some shit? I don’t do accessories.”

“No, no. I was thinking maybe carrying something important to you, so you’ll feel less stressed. Like a keychain.”

He had grabbed the keychain without even realizing it as he sat on the train. It wasn’t anything serious, just an All Might keychain, but it was actually making him feel more secure. All Might was Izuku’s favorite hero. Oh...that might have been why he chose it.

He decided to put his music in and try to drown out the world...after all, this Miruko person had stated he was in for the fight of his life.

---

Denki didn’t expect to even get an internship, better yet, one from a retired hero. Did heroes even retire? He was pretty sure there were some, at least. It was the only real offer he got other than the ‘spare’ offers some of his other classmates got. At least when he talked to Mr. Aizawa about it, he said it would be good for Denki to work under a hero who wasn’t in the limelight, even in his prime.

Did that mean they were an underground hero, like Mr. Aizawa is? It would make sense, but then why would they want to intern Denki of all people, he wasn’t even someone who looked like they would belong in the underground. But he really should not complain, he was at least getting an offered internship.

As he approached the home, he was a bit skeptical of if this was where he needed to be. After all, even a retired underground hero would have a bigger place to live...right? Sighing, he walked to the door and raised his hand to knock. Instead, he felt a chill go through his body and the door creak open instead.

Spooky.

He called out for the hero who apparently was called Hades, getting the sound of a squeaky wheel in response. Holy fuck HAUNTED HOUSE! He was about to bolt before a figure turned a corner from a hallway in the house and he saw the actual source of the squeaking.

A wheelchair.

Now in the living room was a man who looked younger than his teacher, white hair tied back in a bun and tired grey eyes on a pale face. The man looked almost completely normal, save for the fact the man was missing a leg and was in a wheelchair.

“Denki Kaminari, I presume,” the man spoke softly. “I’m Hades. I’d come and shake your hand, but...well, my wife misplaced my prosthetic.”

Wife? He was about to speak before he felt that cold breeze move through his body again, causing him to shiver.

“Honey, no need to scare the poor boy. He has been through enough.” Hades waved a hand lightly. “Apologies. I should explain my quirk. It’s called Dead Air. I can basically communicate with those who have died and remain as spirits.”

Wait...that meant his wife was... was dead? He felt a different kind of chill go through him. “I uhm...I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright...she refuses to pass onto the afterlife without me. Sweet in a way.” He paused. “Yes, honey, I do still think it is better if I’m not dead first. I do not care how many flowers you weave.” The comment sounded harsh but there was nothing but love in his eyes.

“Uhm...I hate to ask. But why did you choose me? I thought retired heroes didn’t take interns,” Denki started.

“Ah...it was partially because of your...condition, but also to help you in a different way. Quirk control.” He smiled softly. “You ran into the monster as well...which helps heroes in a different way.”

“You mean...that kid?” Denki blinked, having some vague memories from the bite. “They were a kid, right? I swear they were my height.”

Hades seemed to pause, looking towards his right with a nod before turning back. “Yes. His name is apparently Izuku Midoriya and…” he paused. “His mother is very adamant on getting him safe. So we are going to go over the events of that day...and then go from there.”

Denki took a calming breath before he started telling his story of his run-in with the Hundshi.

---

Denki had been so excited for their field trip, sparking off a little bit just to make sure his quirk wouldn’t malfunction. He knew he needed to talk to the support course for a better headpiece to keep him from going dumb from his own quirk, but he really didn’t want to worry his mom more than he already did.

You’re not meant for hero work, honey. You could hurt yourself trying to help others.

He shook his head and tried not to think about it too much as they were let off the bus and filed into the huge building. The USJ...made him want to go to the amusement park instead, honestly, but he also knew rescue work could happen to every hero. He had to be prepared.

He was getting ready to ask a question when villains started pouring through some weird vortex in the plaza...were they supposed to be fighting villains? By the look on his teacher’s face, it was a solid no. And that huge one on a chain...the weird dog. It looked like the monster from the news!

“Ah, there’s our puppy~ A monster to rival All Might!” The villain grinned madly, barely stepping out of the way of the Hundshi’s bite.

Oh no, it was that monster from the news! He felt his skin grow cold as he tried to backpedal towards the door. Everything went dark and when he felt light in his eyes again, he had tumbled into a completely different part of the facility. 

It was the side of a mountain, and honestly he almost thought they were outside until the villains appeared. He tried his best not to panic but...these were villains ! He didn’t even have full control of his quirk yet and they were being attacked!

At least he wasn’t alone, though, he had Momo and Jirou by his side and the three of them were handling the villains as best they could. As soon as they could get out of there, they ran for the stairs to be safe near Thirteen.

But Thirteen was on the ground and their teacher was fighting so many villains. He had to think fast, telling Momo to make an electric blanket and took off running. If he could cover his teacher, he could do a million volts and save the day. This was probably his dumbest idea ever, but he’d rather die than see his teacher die instead.

He had barely made it into the fray when he felt it, the sharp pain and ripping of skin and muscle off bone. He screamed, white entering his vision and unending PAIN entering every synapse of his brain. It only lasted for a moment but it felt like an eternity as he fell into his teacher’s arms.

As black danced across his vision, he saw the monster growing smaller and smaller…until a boy who looked his age was standing there and crying. He had...green hair and...freckles. That was all he could manage to think of as the frightened kid spoke.

“Stop...can’t...control…” The boy’s voice was so broken, before he screamed and he started growing again.

After that...everything went black.

---

Shoto had been skeptical of his choices of heroes. Sure, he had gotten far with his quirks but he was still being shadowed by his father, even in death. Was sensei serious when he said most heroes would not take him because of his lineage? How cruel could people be? He sighed and headed to the train towards Hosu, his hoodie over his hair to hide himself from the other passengers. He took a moment to think on how his life had changed once more since his missing older brother had shown up, bleeding out.

He had noticed that Dabi... Touya . How Touya had the same expressions as dad when he was ticked off on something. But instead, he saw his mother’s tears along with that expression, the only proof now of their suffering back then. After all, Touya was the only one who had gotten out and changed long before escape even entered their minds.

On the other hand, Touya had such interesting stories of vigilantism that almost felt like tall tales, especially when he described some of the people he had met. Like the lizard man who just seemed too angry to die, and had an obsession with the Hero Killer. Touya had managed to get the man help since apparently the guy’s issues dealt with the fact his quirk was mutant type.

To think that was even a stigma...though, his classmate Shoji had that same exact problem and wanted to change the stigma. Then there was the girl who sounded like some manga yandere. He apparently tried to get the girl help since she had some...issues, but she got away in the end. There was also the trans woman who couldn’t afford transition and instead had settled to villainy to survive. He had helped her as well, and last he had heard, she was happy in her own skin and was sending him ‘sister baskets’.

What even was a sister basket. He didn’t have the time to try and figure it out as his stop came and he got off, heading for the agency. Everyone there was so kind to him and led him to a room with his mentor hero. Chakra, the Crystallization hero. The man seemed very calm for a man who could turn his entire body to crystals. Shoto cleared his throat lightly to catch the man’s attention.

“Ah. Yukimura, welcome to my agency. I hope your stay is pleasant...You are probably wondering why I chose you.”

“A...little,” Shoto responded politely.

“When I saw you at the Sports Festival, I noticed the power you held...but no restraint and control of your fire. I want to help you grow stronger, to become better.” Chakra smiled. “Nothing more.”

Shoto already knew...this was going to be really weird for him with how Chakra stared at him like one of those geodes he always cracked. He just hoped this internship would be an easy one.

It couldn’t be too hard to hope for that right?

Chapter Text

Katsuki was currently nursing the remainder of his wounds from his first day of internships, trying to figure out how the fuck he got his ass kicked so thoroughly. He had been sure he could handle the rabbit bitch but instead he couldn’t feel, like...half his face for a few hours. It was probably the bruises, honestly, if he actually thought about it.

Well, at least they were going to be patrolling today, which meant some more exercise for him and the possibility of fighting villains! He’d made the best choice in his internship, honestly. After all, you couldn’t think when in the heat of the battle.

There was no time for doubt, to worry over Izuku’s probable torture and the whole giant-ass evil dog monster. Either way, he was learning a lot about non-quirk fighting in case he was ever caught without being able to use it due to water or a lack of air. Doubtful, since his quirk covered a lot of explosions first, worry about everything else later.

At least he was already well-prepared for what lay ahead for himself.

---

Denki had been avoiding his mentor for hours now. He’d admit that readily. After all, the man had such a...well, he didn’t know what kind of expression he had after hearing about what happened at the USJ. How was he supposed to approach that, anyways? ‘Hey, you looked like you thought I was a weakling who shouldn’t be a hero’?

Still, he had no other choice now, he had to learn more control of his electricity and the whole ghost business was too hard not to ignore. So here he was, on the couch and staring at the floor, as if it would open up and swallow him to avoid the conversation.

“Denki,” Hades spoke, causing him to yelp and jump a bit.

“S-Sorry!”

“It’s alright.” Hades paused. “I must have scared you if you reacted that badly to my voice...this is about the USJ, isn’t it.”

“You don’t...think I can be a hero. Do you.” It came tumbling from his mouth before he could even stop it.

“Not be a hero? What would make you think…” He paused as if listening to something. “Did my face really look like that? I apologize. I was shocked that you had to suffer such a traumatic event so young…”

Denki’s head snapped up at those words, eyes wide. “Wait-what?!”

“I mean it. I was well into my career when I had to fight the Hundshi. You’re still young. You can still be a hero, even with a prosthetic. Hell, even I could.”

“But then...wait...why aren’t you?” He was honestly trying to wrap his head around this.

“Because I realized at this point in my life...it wasn’t good for me. My health was not just bad physically. I don’t work in the underground anymore, sure. But I am still able to help the police with murder investigations. That was my choice.”

“So...I can still be a hero if I want to?” He was shocked at this revelation.

“Of course, there are many heroes who work with prosthetics, they just remain hidden with things like synthetic skin. To uphold the appearance of being invincible. Before we work on your quirk...what kind of hero do you want to be.”

Well...that was a loaded question, wasn’t it. He had thought this internship was about showing him he couldn’t be a hero and to pick a different profession. But it wasn’t at all, it was about helping him...work through a bunch of stuff. But that still led him to ask himself what kind of hero he wanted to be. Did he want to appear invincible like the tops, work underground where he could try and deal with things privately...it took him a bit to reach his decision.

“I want...I want to be in the limelight. With my prosthetic on display. I want to show people that...even if your body or quirk isn’t suited to be a hero, they still can be one. Like how All Might fights with a smile to show people everything is okay...in my own way.”

“That’s a very good philosophy...now let’s get to work.”

---

Shoto was very wrong about this being an easy internship. Sure, he had expected to do paperwork, but he was basically getting a full taste of essentially running an agency plus the training with his fire. Okay, he was expecting the fire training but did the hero have to keep hosing him down when his fire got out of control? He really hated that and he felt like the hero was getting some sort of excitement out of it. Or maybe he was projecting how Endeavor would get excited about beating the shit out of him.

He really needed to stop comparing everything to his shitty dad’s training methods.

Still, he could admit it was working in some weird way. His flames were much more controlled than they had ever been under his dad’s beatings. He didn’t feel like a bomb about to explode at the wrong moment, more like a smouldering campfire bringing warmth to all around him.

This was what led him to his most recent revelation of him not being like his father at all, nobody in his family was like his father. He had the quirk but it was nothing like his father’s raging infernos...it was softer, stronger and, above all else, had a different kind of heat. His wasn’t even like Touya’s, which was a burning blue that turned everything to ash...which led to a lot of fireproofing, honestly, but that was a different matter entirely.

He didn’t even have his father’s rage, his most known feature. He was like...how did Chakra put it. A snowfall after a raging forest fire, coating the land in a peaceful tranquility, a calm after the most potent blaze. That was it, he was the calm after the storm, a time of reconstruction and renewal. Endeavor was the blazing inferno that destroyed everything and he was the snowfall to cover the land and bring new life. He liked that analogy.

As he got his hero costume on, he thought about what they would be doing today. It was a night of patrolling, something that would be simple so he could show he was not his father. He wasn’t a tainted legacy.

He could handle that.

---

He was NOT handling this! It was like everything had gone to hell at once. Giant monsters he had never seen before were everywhere, attacking civilians left and right and Shoto could barely keep a handle on it all before he saw Iida rush past. That wasn’t good. But he couldn’t leave now.

“HALF-N’-HALF, LET’S GO!”

Bakugo?! He didn’t have time to react before he was being basically dragged by the other, managing to only stumble a little before he started skating on ice. Why was Bakugo here, why was Iida running, why...oh no, he was pretty sure what this meant. Iida was planning to take on the Hero Killer Stain.

Now he understood Bakugo’s urgency. Their classmate was going to get himself killed and they had to keep him from doing something he’d regret. But once they caught up to Iida...they came upon a different sight entirely.

Iida was stopped at the alley’s entrance, seemingly having thrown up on the ground and looking away from the interior of the alley entirely. He knew already what he would find...still, he steeled himself as he went to look into the alleyway.

Blood was splattered across the walls, weapons strewn across the alleyway and even embedded into walls and...parts. There were body parts everywhere. What he could make out was partly...dissolved and paste-like. As if whatever came in tore two people apart and threw them back up in one sitting. There were also footprints...or paw prints, more like, leading further into the alleyway.

Best not to include Iida in this...but who would want to walk through that...oh, he did. He sighed and went to move into the alley, only to be stopped by Bakugo.

“Are you fucking insane? Whatever did this could still be here.”

“Maybe...I want to make sure. In case someone is injured further in. If it’s the Hundshi and all.”

“Fine, I’ll guard the alley. Scream if you get eaten.”

Well, better than nothing. He sighed and slowly walked through...well, he didn’t want to focus on what he was walking through but he was going to follow the tracks and maybe find some answers on what happened here. Maybe there was a civilian to bear witness or something.

As he walked further into the alleyway, he noted a few things. One was how the tracks seemed to get smaller and...more human. Was the monster truly a villain who could transform to hide their crimes? He saved the thought for when he reached the trail end.

But he didn’t expect what the trail led to...at all. It wasn’t a villain at all, it wasn’t even an adult. It was someone his age or younger. Their clothes were tattered and they were covered in blood. Their green hair was offset by golden eyes, full of tears but also completely...devoid of life. It was like there was a consciousness there but it wasn’t in control. The only sense of humanity was those tears.

This also meant he wasn’t guarded when the other jumped him, acting more like an aggressive dog than a human. The person was trying to bite him, to rip his flesh apart. He needed help, a way to get them off...HIS FIRE! He let his left side be consumed in fire, causing the other to let him go and back away.

Now was his chance! He moved his foot, letting ice basically overtake the entire end of the alley and, as such, encase the other in ice. He felt bad...sure, but he was also terrified. If this was Bakugo’s childhood friend, what had happened to make him a mindless monster. Why did this person look like they hadn’t slept in a very long time. He waited until the other finally passed out before he sighed in relief and let the ice melt. He then did what he thought was best and restrained them...taking them from the alleyway.

How would he explain this to Bakugo.

---

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

That was all that was going through Katsuki’s head right now. Just a cycle of ‘what the fuck’. He didn’t understand why Izuku was covered in blood and scars. Why was Izuku COVERED IN BLOOD ! He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even think and everything felt like it was crushing him. He didn’t understand what was happening and was barely even registering people talking to him. Someone was talking right? He wasn’t going insane?

He barely even noticed something slip over his face before he felt darkness consume him completely and relax him.

His only thought in those last moments was ‘ why ’.

Chapter Text

Floating...it felt like everything was floating and he couldn’t get on/reach/touch solid ground. He was in a sea of blackness, unable to breathe. Unable to get control. Still he drifted, eyes closed and unable to handle the horrors his body had committed. He had killed...no, he had decimated the body of Native and the Hero Killer. He had murdered civilians without a single care.

But it wasn’t him...just his body. He was just a puppet for his ‘master’ now and nothing more. He wanted it to stop to end his suffering...but not like this. He didn’t want to be this. He did not want to be the monster everyone wanted. But that didn’t matter anymore, did it. A hero would come along and kill him eventually.

That was his hope, at least until he felt that weird warmth. It was like...it was like a campfire over his skin, melting the darkness enough to open his eyes. For a moment, It allowed him to see his body attacking...another person his age. He was wearing a hero costume...were they a hero student?

He saw the flames again and tried to lift his arm, to reach toward the image before ice coated everything . He felt the chill even in his mind, but it soothed his pains instead of making him hurt more...and then all was in darkness once more...his body must have passed out. That must be good...because he wouldn’t be in here if he was dead.

He pondered for a moment the quirk of ice and fire...but he couldn’t remember who had that kind of quirk...he could have sworn there was a hero with a child that had those exact powers. But he couldn’t remember.

It felt like an eternity before everything suddenly shifted, the darkness falling off of him in waves until he could sit up, looking around at an empty landscape with a few decimated items. An All Might figure, melted and twisted as if in a fire. A hair tie that had been snapped...a small blue fire.

These were his happy memories...weren’t they. It hurt him to know he had so...few. There weren’t even any of his mother...but he couldn’t even remember her. He knew she had green hair...a kind smile. But that was all his mind could offer, nothing more, and it made him tear up at the thought.

“Shit...he’s crying.”

Where did that voice come from?! He turned fast, seeing a small light in the color of swirling grays just out of reach. He ran towards it, grasping onto the light as things shifted again to have a cracked sidewalk under him.

He honestly didn’t understand but the voice was...familiar. As if he’d heard it before but he couldn’t remember where. It didn’t take long before the ground opened up beneath him and he disappeared into the darkness once more.

He didn’t know what had happened after that, just the unending darkness and snippets of voices talking over him. He couldn’t understand them though...just their tones. He could distinguish four of them though from their tonality.

The first was tired, more of an adult male voice than anything else. He usually came when the other voices were gone. They often seemed to speak in a casual tone, as if he was relating his day or something. He also heard occasional meowing but muffled...maybe a video?

The second voice was gruff but...hurt. It was like they knew Izuku or something but...the only people who knew him were dead. Long dead. Tenko was dead, Dabi was dead. His mother was dead...they were all dead by that man’s hands.

This brought him to the final two voices, the ones he could have sworn he knew. They were always together, always soft spoken and barely restrained from tears. It reminded him...of his mother when she thought he was quirkless. He felt safest around those voices, like he didn’t have to hear what they said as long as he just listened.

And that was okay with him.

---

It took a long time for him to realize he was in a coma in a hospital bed. He also learned what a coma was as he was able to get further into what he knew as consciousness. He had learned a few things in that time, like the fact that his former master had been brutalized after a summer training camp. That he was called All For One...that people he thought were dead were in fact not.

Tenko was alive...Dabi was alive...They were both alive and possibly dating but that wasn’t the important part. They were alive and worried about him. They stayed at his bedside as often as they could, reading him stories and telling him about hero fights like he was their kid. He definitely felt like he was being read bedtime stories.

Then there was that tired voice, which turned out to be the same man who brought him to sanity for a few moments in that huge building...the man with the erasing quirk. He was a pro hero and a teacher at UA and was talking about dorm placements...and a lot about bad grades. He did a lot of grading around Izuku. But he was also a pro hero...weren’t pros supposed to kill monsters like himself? Maybe he was waiting for Izuku to wake up.

Finally...there was the mystery voice. It never told him its name but it did swear an awful lot. It also knew his actual name...It called him Izuku and Zuku all the time and he felt like that should be familiar. It should pertain to a good memory or something but he always came up with a blank. Nothing more or less. It always sounded so pained though, like it wanted him to wake up.

He wished he could.

---

Waking up wasn’t like Izuku had imagined it to be. It wasn’t sudden, no sitting up out of nowhere. It was slow, painfully slow trying to get his body to work again and even longer to open his eyes. When he finally did, he was alone in the room. There were white walls, a white bed, a white floor. The only hint of any personality was the fact the bedside table was covered in All Might merchandise.

Looking at it, though, it only made him feel sick. All Might would never smile at a monster like him. All Might would lock him up so that he never saw the light of day ever again. He would kill him if it meant keeping Japan safe...he remembered that interview clear as day. He knew damn well what his existence was to the number one hero.

He forced his head to turn away before he threw up from the sight. He’d probably upset a nurse if he did that...he didn’t want to burden a nurse with that at all. Instead, he stared at a blank wall until a nurse came in and spoke to him. Still, he barely listened, hearing pro hero and ‘wardship’. He didn’t know what that entailed but it was probably a form of prison for someone like him.

After that, he was left alone once more with his thoughts about everything that happened. Everything felt extremely fuzzy...he felt really itchy all over and he could have sworn his hair had been shorter the last time he had been awake. There was also the fact he couldn’t feel his quirk...and all of Japan probably knew who he was now. He could already hear the headlines coming. He knew what they would say.

Murderer Child To Be Brought To Jail.

Murderer Child Cause of Nightmare Monster.

Murderer Child.

That was all he would be, just a murderer who killed pro heroes and civilians alike in an endless bloodbath. A creature that did not deserve pity or kindness, just a public takedown and execution. He kind of wished he had died in that alleyway now, then he wouldn’t have to face the truth.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the door to his room opening again, a startled gasp reaching his ears. Sounded like the mystery voice again. He moved slightly to look at them and...paused. They looked really familiar.

Blonde spiky hair was offset by red eyes and...a UA uniform? Why was a hero student visiting a creature like him...to find out why he did what he did? Tough luck there, he didn’t even know why. But no, instead this person was crying. Why were they crying?

“Zuku...fuck. I...I knew you weren’t dead. I TOLD them! And this is what them ignoring me led to.” The other wiped their eyes and for a second, an ounce of recognition hit Izuku’s brain.

“Stupid Deku!”

“Ka...ch...an…?” His voice sounded hoarse and he winced. Ow, that hurt.

“You remember me...Fucking hell you remembered me!” The voice...Kacchan spoke.

The problem was...he didn’t remember him, not really. He knew the name attached to the small energetic child with small firecrackers for a quirk but...it was hard to see Kacchan as his age, no matter the similarities. Still, it was the undeniable truth.

He would just have to find what he lost in this person he remembers being close to.

Chapter Text

When he woke up next, the world seemed a bit clearer than before. He could see someone next to his bed that was kind of familiar but...he couldn’t place where he knew them from. Everything still felt a bit fuzzy since... that whole thing happened. The more he tried to think on it though...the cloudier it got.

He decided it was better not to think about it and instead took in the other. They had shaggy black hair and a huge scarf around their neck. They also had dark eyes and they were completely asleep in the nearby chair.

Well...at least he didn’t have to have a confrontation. He gave a little sigh and tried to get at least some bearings since he felt...less weak? Less like gelatin in human form? He couldn’t really put it into words.

Sitting up on the bed, he didn’t feel any pain...which was really weird. He was so used to pain that the lack of it made his skin feel...weird. Like it wasn’t his own. Still, he forced himself to get up, to at least take care of one thing that bothered him in his every waking moment.

He slowly dragged over the trash can...and dumped every single All Might item into it. Every plush, every photo and piece of merchandise. He didn’t want it anywhere near him now. He wanted it gone and this was the easiest way to do it. He didn’t want to be reminded of how much he was hated by said hero, how much that man thought he was a monster .

He at least felt relief at not seeing that smile all the time as he went to the window and looked out. Where was he...why did it look like his vague memories of home? Of Musutafu? He let his mind wander to exactly what he could remember before he was a ‘pet’. He could vaguely remember his mother...a car accident. But that was it.

He didn’t know who Kacchan was, who anyone from his past was. He couldn’t remember what his home looked like, where he used to play. It was just nothingness and white noise in his skull. He rubbed his temple as he felt a headache coming on, completely unaware of the man who had woken up.

“I see you’re awake.”

Izuku froze, his whole body tensing up as he heard the voice. No, nononono. They were awake. They were awake and he was up. What was he supposed to do! He turned around slowly, trying not to show any sign of being absolutely terrified. This unfortunately meant he had absolutely no facial expression to speak of.

“Your friend brought that for you, are you sure you want to just throw it away like that?”

He tried to make sure his voice was calm as he spoke. “Yes...I…” He tried to find the words. “I don’t want it. Because it hurts.”

He was carefully measuring his words, testing a boundary of what he could and couldn't say. He wanted to know how far he could go before the punishments started. He had to know where that line was drawn.

“Alright then.” That was all the other said.

Izuku still wasn’t quite...sure of the other. He felt something important he couldn’t reach at the back of his mind, though, something that was very specific to this person...and it wasn’t cats. He knew it had nothing to do with cats, but he could still remember the faint meowing.

“Who are you? And why are you here?” More importantly, were they here to arrest or kill him.

“My name is Shota Aizawa...I’m a pro hero called Eraserhead...and currently your guardian.”

Shit. That meant...a new master didn't it? Someone else who would control his every moment of every day. He didn’t want to go back to that. Not again. A small whimper left his lips and he quickly covered his mouth to try and hide it.

“By guardian do you mean...” He didn’t want to say it out loud.

“I mean you will be living with me until we can find a permanent space for you. This will probably be the dormitories UA is currently building.”

That...didn’t make sense. He was a monster, a murderer. Why would this new master want him at a school for HEROES. He tried to think of every possible reason for this but all he got was confusion instead. Unless they wanted him there to practice on? That made more sense. Give them a real villain to beat on.

“Why do you want me at a school for heroes when I’m a known villain?”

The hero’s face seemed to harden at that and Izuku felt...well, not like wetting himself but a similar emotion. He felt terrified. That was it, full on terror at the hero’s next words. What if it would be like his last master...the one everyone called All For One. What if this was just some weird nightmare and he’d wake up back in that cage again, covered in acid and screaming in pain.

“Did you kill of your own free will?” Izuku gave a tiny shake of his head in response.

“Then you aren’t a villain. You are a victim . You were forced to do something against your will. A villain is someone who harms by choice. You had none.”

“I know I met you once and I did something bad then…so how can you be sure that your heroes won’t want to hurt me?” They could even kill him.

“Simple. They won’t know you are the monster. To them, you are simply Izuku Midoriya, a victim of villains.”

The way he stated it so plainly... bluntly even , it still made Izuku nervous. Just being called a monster made his body give an unconscious flinch. Like one wrong movement of his body would cause him to be killed. He wanted to curl up in a small dark place right now, somewhere he could protect himself.

“So even you see me as the monster they made me be…Someone who shouldn't be here.” He couldn’t help the words that tumbled from his mouth, eyes watering just a bit. He was starting to feel all fuzzy again, like the world had a filter over it.

“No, kid, I see you as the victim you are and I want to help you regain what you should have had…A safe place to call home.”

This was all too much for him right now. He felt like the room was spinning and he didn’t want to be here, in the same room as the pro hero who kept saying all these nice things when he knew he didn’t deserve them. 

“What do you mean by ‘home’? What is a home?”

He couldn’t really see the hero’s expression anymore with how his head was swimming but he could hear a sort of noise escape their mouth. He was sort of aware of his next few moments, having moved under the bed with the blankets off it. But after that...there was nothing.

A blissful nothingness.

---

Shota was pissed beyond belief right now, not at the kid currently hiding under the bed wrapped in a blanket like some kind of cute burrito, but at the monsters that had brought the child to this point. To think someone could traumatize a child so much their only comfort was going into some sort of dog-like emotional state...it made his stomach churn. The kid was completely broken by being told he could have a home . The notion of being innocent in his actions had broken him in a way that he never could have imagined.

He had no idea how to help...and that was what hurt the most. He knew how to help cats, sure. He and Hizashi had three currently since that was the limit his husband had stated from the moment they moved in together...but dogs were beyond him. How did one handle a dog...why was he treating this child’s state like a dog anyways!

He sighed, knowing exactly why. The boy had been pumped up on Trigger for...probably a decade was his most vague guess. From what he had seen of photos after All For One had been defeated...the ‘room’ Izuku lived in...it made sense. The boy had been treated like nothing more than a dog, a pet to be done with as his ‘master’ pleased.

He takes out his phone and calls his husband. 

“Sho? Is everything ok?” 

“Everything is fine ‘Zashi… I know you said only 3 cat limit… but how do you feel about a dog?”

“A dog? Shota, what are you talking about?”

“It’s the kid, ‘Zashi, the one that All For One kept like a fucking pet…I can’t reach him like you could.”

“Sho, you are both making sense and not making sense...does this mean I need to redesign his room?”

“Yeah...and get me a book on how to care for traumatized...dogs. Because this kid doesn’t regress into little space. He regresses into a dog space.”

“Okay Sho...okay. And you have to give this time.”

“I know...I love you.”

“I love you too. I’ll see you at home.”

The call ended and he let out a soft sigh. This was probably going to be a difficult case, more difficult than he had originally expected. He left the room quietly after that, knowing he had a lot of work to do before the kid even made an attempt to open up to him.

But things like this took time.

Chapter Text

Izuku still wasn’t...sure about this. He had been released from the hospital with these weird bracelets and basically handed over to a hero of all things. Quirk suppressants. That’s what they were. Still, things didn’t feel right, like it could crash around him at the wrong word. That he would be thrown into a jail cell instead of let into an apartment.

Maybe it was how bare his neck felt without the collar. Or the fact he hadn’t even had someone hit him in what felt like...a long time. Sure, he hated those being the things he considered normal, but it was such a constant in his life...the lack of weight on his neck made him ansty. The lack of pain, the lack of the monster was driving him up the wall. But he didn’t want to mention that, to show he had a weakness in case it could be exploited. Of all the things that asshole gave him, he actually remembered that.

Sighing, he tried to take in the room he had been given as his ‘bedroom’. It had an odd...green color to it. Not quite leaves, but it made him...comfortable. That was the best way to describe it. There was also this other weird color...like blood but all washed out. There was soft carpet under his feet and the...what was it called again? Right, a bed. The bed had some sort of thing on it that looked like it could close and create a completely isolated space.

There was also an empty bookshelf...a bunch of soft things as well. Plushies. There was the word from his memory. They were plushies of cats and other various things. Honestly, the whole room screamed this weird softness that had Izuku feeling comfortable...but not too much. After all, this was only temporary.

Tentatively, he reached out and touched one of the plushies, feeling it squish beneath his fingers. Soft. He blinked at the thought before slowly bringing it to his chest, taking in just...everything. Ever since he woke up he’d had all this time to think, to let things move slowly at his own pace.

He hadn’t had time to think like this since...he couldn’t remember. Maybe before he had a master? That had to be it. That meant it had been...ten years? Eleven? How old even was he? That was a better question. As he took it all in he did notice a few things missing he would have expected.

For one, there were no hard floors or surfaces. Everything had a rounded edge to it...at least that was what it felt like. There was also not a single reflective surface in the room and he was thankful for that. He didn’t know what he looked like ...and he really didn’t want to know either. There also wasn’t a food or water dish...were they planning on starving him? Was the room just a ploy to weaken his defenses?

Suddenly, he heard a soft knock on the open door and turned around to see the other man standing there.

“Hey there green bean, how do you like the room?” The man started and Izuku got this odd sense of...he didn’t know what.

This man, the one the hero lived with, was so familiar. But it wasn’t in the ‘actually a monster who murdered people’ way. He just hid his face in the plushie instead, moving to the corner. The corner was the safest spot right now.

“You don’t have to sit on the floor, green bean, you can use the bed if you want,” the blonde said. 

“Are you sure? I’m allowed to?” Izuku asked the questions tentatively while touching his neck nervously, afraid to lose it for second guessing the man in front of him. 

“Does your neck hurt?” Izuku looks up in shock that he actually sounds concerned about him.

“It doesn’t...hurt but something was always there. It almost feels…Uncomfortable? Is that the right word? It feels like something is missing.” Izuku looks up at him confused.

“Come with me, green bean, and we can see if we can find something you feel comfortable with,” Hizashi says comfortingly.

Izuku rises from the floor slowly, still apprehensive to follow this man but does so because so far, he hasn’t given him a reason to be scared. He wasn’t a hero as far as Izuku knew...but was still slightly familiar. It sure didn’t mean he openly trusted this man like Tenko and Dabi...but he wasn’t terrified to speak to him.

“Can I ask you a question?” Izuku asks shyly and Hizashi looks at him and nods at him to go ahead.

“Why do you keep calling me a green bean? Is that my name now? I am a monster after all, my name is whatever my master wants it to be.”

Izuku barely had a moment to speak after that before the man turned around and gave him the biggest hug imaginable. Instantly, he flinched from being touched, going completely still as if the man was going to actually crush him. Still, with a few moments of getting used to it...he melted a bit, untensing his body.

“Izuku, you aren’t a monster or a killer. You didn’t want to do those things but they made you do it.”

For the first time in what felt like a very, very long time...Izuku cried.

---

Hizashi hadn’t expected the bean to get...so easily attached to him. Sure, he wanted to take this slow, get the child used to being called a person but now he had a whole crying child with his hands in his horrible merch shirt Nemuri got made of Shota.

He didn’t mind the snot on the Delete Face shirt but it was still...concerning. This kid cried like he had the world holding him down...probably was in the kid’s mind. He had to think this through, he had found an inch and he didn’t want to take the whole mile if Izuku wasn’t mentally okay with it.

Hell, this was probably what most people considered a breakthrough , the boy actually latching onto him like a life raft...but that conversation was weighing on him a bit. The kid wanted something on his neck because of how long he wore that collar of all things. Sure, it made sense but it also showed how deeply and emotionally scarred the poor boy was.

Okay, he needed to think about this like a hero...not a man who was currently trying not to tear up over their low key adopted son. What, he was already attached and if Sho could try to sneak cats in, he could sneak adoption papers. Not that he needs to sneak them in, Shota is probably on the way home with them anyways. Still, he really needed to think hard about this. The kid needed a security item, something around his neck that was not a dog collar. His eyes travel to the chain around his neck and an idea hits him like one of Cementoss’ walls. 

“Come with me, I have an idea.” 

They head into another room with a much bigger bed that looks like it can fit more than one person. He notices Izuku trying not to focus on it too much as he shows the boy some small necklaces with charms on them. The boy immediately looks up at him for confirmation that he was allowed to touch them.

“Go ahead, green bean, pick one. These are essential oil diffusers. You put a few drops of any of these oils on it and wear it like a necklace. It’s super soothing!” Too much enthusiasm Hizashi the kid might flinch.  

“Are you sure I can have one? And what oils are you talking about?” Izuku asked apprehensively.

He notices Izuku’s eyes catching on the necklace that had a paw print charm on it but doesn’t say anything as he reaches on the dresser to grab a few small vials of different scents. He figured the boy might call them smelly liquids. 

“These are the oils you would use in the charms.” Hizashi picked up the one Izuku was looking at and picked up one of the viles and handed it to Izuku to smell.

“What do you think of this scent? This is Eucalyptus and Mint oil.”

He noticed something cross the boy’s face before there was...it wasn’t a smile. More like the ghost of a smile if he had to fully phrase it. Like the boy knew the emotion but was having a bit of trouble expressing it.

“Go on, try it on.” He knew he had to encourage the boy.

The moment the boy put it on though, it was like a wall had broken in him. He looked so much calmer...well as calm as a boy with greenish-gold eyes, large canines and enough scars to make a hero reconsider their livelihood could show. He wondered for a moment if he should offer to braid Izuku’s hair...when he trusted him more of course. He didn’t want to push the boundary.

For now...this was enough.

---

Shoto...still was coming to grips with the events since Hosu. Sure, he was taking it the best out of those who were there, but now they were going to be in dorms. He was going to miss his mom, he’d admit that readily. Though with this new housing arrangement...also came the group text chat. He was still trying to get a hold on that without asking his siblings what certain memes meant. Currently he was idly scrolling through one of Bakugo’s conspiracy rants. Who knew the other had so much...weirdness to him?

Boomtastic: i’m just saying, aliens could have been the reason for the first quirks. a glowing baby is totally aliens.

Liquid Death: guys...i think Bakugo’s broken. he’s been at this for three hours.

Pikachoo: i mean at least he isn’t staring at WALLS or screaming again?

RockNRoller: dude. not manly to mention someone’s issues.

MrRoboto: As students of UA we should use more tact when talking about the mental health of our fellow classmates.

MuppetBrain: ...he’s been quiet. too quiet. also change my name back already. i'm tired of the Kermit memes.

Shoto paused, a smile coming to his lips when the chat was instantly bombarded by Kermit memes from Kaminari.

MuppetBrain: I hate you.

Pikachoo: Awww nah you love me!

-MuppetBrain changed Pikachoo’s name to PortableCharger-

PortableCharger: RUDE!

-PortableCharger changed PortableCharger’s name to PikaPika-

Liquid Death: Omfg send help I am DECEASED. The boyfriends are fighting! KIRISHIMA COME HELP YOU’RE THE TOP GAY!

RockNRoller: Wha? It’s not manly to interfere with a couple's fight.

PikaPika: IT’S PLATONIC!

Liquid Death: Suuuuuuure it is.

Boomtastic: Fuck you all.

IcyHot: He speaks.

He watched the chat go absolutely wild over the fact he actually spoke in it before thinking over how Bakugo must be feeling right now. First there was Hosu and him watching his childhood best friend being dragged out of an alley covered in blood. Then there was the whole incident with the training camp...he didn’t even know how to approach the whole kidnapping honestly.

Maybe it was better left to whoever Bakugo talked to on the phone in hushed tones.

Chapter Text

Izuku was...starting to get used to his new routine. He got up in the morning, worked on cleaning himself up and not staring at his body before moving back to his room for breakfast. Then it was free time because the pro hero went to the ‘dorms’ to watch his students and teach them. Hizashi also left during this time as he was apparently a teacher at UA as well. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant...maybe he worked for a hero like the skeletal man he saw sometimes when he looked out the windows.

Apparently, he was supposed to get a surprise today, though...and Hizashi had promised it was a good surprise when he had gotten scared by it. Hizashi was always calming him down when he got like that, letting him hole up in his bed when the world got too much. He would admit he was appreciative of it, being allowed to...do things. To figure out this period of...healing is what Hizashi called it. It was...comforting at the very least.

So, lost in his thoughts, he barely registered the door opening, running to his bed and shutting the flap to put him into ‘pod’ mode. He was fully concealed and covered in this state, feeling safe and less panicked. He stayed low in his bed, and clutched the pendant at his neck, listening to the voices filtering through the apartment.

“Oh shit, they have the good toast. Tenko, why can’t we have the good toast?!”

“Because you burn it, Touya,” the voice responded with a laugh.

Wait...Tenko. THAT WAS TENKO! He undid his pod and ran from the room, not even thinking as he was basically toppling the man who yelped in surprise. He didn’t care, he was sobbing and clutching to Tenko like he was going to disappear. He could also smell Dabi’s weird smoky smell and was also grabbing for him. He didn’t know where he was since there was this ‘Touya’ man with Tenko.

“Woah there kiddo.” Tenko laughed. “You have definitely gotten heavier. Ow.” Tenko started laughing. “I missed you too.”

“Told you they were keeping him safe.” Touya...no that sounded like Dabi. Were they the same person?

“Teeeeenko,” he whined it out and tried to stop crying. “Daaaabi.”

“Hey kid…” Dabi spoke and rubbed his back.

“Missed...missed you,” Izuku croaked out between his tears, unable to stop them as he felt himself scooped up by Dabi and held close, even as he was still partly clinging to Tenko.

“Have the heroes been treating our favorite boy well?” There was a hint of laughter in Dabi’s words.

“Heroes still...scare me, but these two seem okay,” he managed to say between tears. “I’m still scared they’re gonna kill me like All Might promised they would after my capture.” He didn’t care about speaking plainly with them, they were safe people.

There was a long pause after that as Izuku started to grow tired, mostly from all the crying he had been doing. Well...sleeping in the arms of his safest people wasn’t a problem for him at all. They would keep him safe from heroes and from his former master and he could finally relax completely.

He was out in minutes.

---

“That was…” Touya started, finally able to peel Izuku off Tenko and set his boyfriend down.

“Worrying? Yeah.” Tenko sighed. “Poor kid...He really isn’t comfortable here yet, is he?”

“Probably not,” Touya sighed. “But we can’t take guardianship of him. You heard how the courts ruled. He has to be a ward of the heroes until he can control his quirk safely. Until he isn’t a ‘menace to society’.” He nearly spit at those words. “But at least he seems safe here.”

He hated how they had treated Izuku like another one of All For One’s ‘experiments’. He was a child , an innocent victim of that bastard and the courts had seen him as nothing more than another future villain. Just like him when he had disappeared from Endeavor’s house. He had to calm himself, already feeling his fire/like fire was trying to break free from his skin.

“Let’s put him to bed. He’s going to want to wake up to something...familiar.” Tenko paused. “I’m glad we are allowed to watch him during the day. At least one of us will always be here for him.”

“You mean me, because only one of us has an actual job.” Touya smirked a bit as he went to Izuku’s room and set him in bed, tucking him in.

They had also come for another reason, which was still sitting in the hallway. They had spent weeks trying to gather everything, every book and piece of information they could to fill those empty bookshelves. Things that would make Izuku happier in his room, like a night light shaped like a moon. Or the fact they had made photos and gotten them framed so Izuku had a picture when he felt stressed.

Anything to make their kid happier, to make him feel safer. Honestly, Touya still wasn’t sure when they started calling him ‘their kid’, it was probably between all the worried words when he was unconscious. He looked so small in the hospital bed, restraints on his wrists and ankles and hooked up to a constant flow of Quirk Suppressants. How the heroes had to bring in someone with a quirk that altered mental states because apparently All For One had broken Izuku in a way that shattered his mind. And even that didn’t fully fix him, it didn’t bring back the Izuku they used to know.

It was hard not to physically fight a police officer during those weeks, to kidnap Izuku and keep him somewhere he would actually be understood. But Eraserhead...Aizawa. Right, had to call him by his actual name. Aizawa had said he would do everything in his power to make Izuku feel safe and have the space to heal. It did seem to be working...slightly. But he was pretty sure that the hero didn’t know about how he thought heroes were going to kill him...specifically All Might.

But that was a problem to talk to Aizawa about later. They needed to work on heating up lunch since neither of the heroes had a chance to get back and do it. He was so glad he was able to keep his kid safe again, and bother his little brother at his dorms if he had a break.

And he knew damn well he would be doing so.

---

Shoto sneezed as he felt like someone was thinking about him. Weird, but it happened. He finished adjusting a cork board with family photos on it with a smile. He was starting to enjoy taking photos, it was something to keep his family close to him and take pieces of life with him wherever he went.

Sure, it wasn’t a ‘heroic’ pursuit but he was learning at UA that not everything was about heroics. He could have hobbies and do things other than training and playing video games with his brothers as they screamed over the snacks about who was cheating more. Shoto was the one with the cheats memorized though but they never suspected him.

He laughed a tiny bit and thought about what his eldest brother was doing right now. Apparently, he was only a few floors up in the teachers’ hallway for the class, watching over the...Hundshi. He still wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about that whole situation. He was one of the three students briefed on the whole story, the rest of the class only knowing their homeroom teacher took in a victim of a villain raid.

The Hundshi was named Izuku Midoriya, formerly a child diagnosed as quirkless who was stolen from a car crash when he was four years old. From there, he had a quirk thrust onto him by force and turned into...a monster. He had only seen the boy once, in the hospital bed when he was going to get his brother.

Shoto walked the hallways quietly, feeling a slight tenseness in his body. He really didn’t like hospitals, honestly, they had always brought pain to his family in the worst ways. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, not caring if it got messed up as he stopped at the door to the monster kid’s room, hearing his brother speaking.

“He’s so small...Tenko, did he always look this small?”

“Not as much but...I wish we could just hold him…”

“We'll probably get assaulted if we move him. Heroes are calling for the kid to be put in Tartarus. He didn’t do anything ! He never had control of that monster.”

“C’mon...your brother is probably looking for you.”

Shoto froze and waited for his brother and his boyfriend to leave the room, giving a nervous smile in response. As he moved, he got just the slightest glimpse of the monster he had fought just a week ago.

The boy looked so much smaller now...they were right. His hair was like a halo around his head, wrists and ankles restrained to the bed and a blanket placed over him. His breathing was slow, steady and his eyes were softly closed. He could see the faintest image of scars where he could see skin...so many scars.

He felt...something, standing there and staring. He wasn’t sure what it was...pity, maybe? He wasn’t really sure what it was before his brother put a hand to his back and led him away from the door. He felt like he may visit again...to understand the thing that attacked him and his class more.

He had visited three more times, each time just made him more confused. He didn’t know what to think of this...person...monster. He wasn’t even sure they were a monster anymore, a monster was Stain who killed to ‘cleanse’ hero society. A monster was the blind man who kidnapped Bakugo and turned people into creatures called Noumu, who corrupted people to pure evil.

Maybe he needed to discuss this more with Bakugo… Maybe he needed to know who Izuku Midoriya used to be in order to understand who he was now.

---

Katsuki was currently hanging out with Kaminari, sitting on the couch and playing on his game system when he heard Aizawa come in. He looked off today for some reason, but honestly, who wouldn’t if Zuku was as traumatized as he was told. Dog space, literally what the fuck. He paused when he noticed Aizawa was talking and tried to tune into the conversation.

“That’s why I came to you two first to discuss this. It would mean he would heal around others his age.”

Wait, were they talking about Zuku? Shit, he really should have been paying attention. He paused to gauge Kaminari’s reaction, knowing damn well he was the main reason Aizawa would have come to talk to them to begin with.

“I don’t care,” he said casually to break the tension. “He’s still my best friend, fucked up brain or not. But Winter Soldier here has the final say.”

“Huh...why me,” Kaminari started.

“Because Zuku bit off your fucking arm when he wasn’t in control. Your whole trauma is more fucking important than my friendship with him.”

“Uhm...I don’t know. I might avoid him at first...if that’s okay? I just…” Kaminari paused. “I want to get used to it first, see how he reacts to things?”

“Very well. It won’t be till after your surgery this week so you can use your healing time for it.”

Katsuki gave a nod once Kaminari spoke again, confirming it. This meant he could see Zuku again, to rebuild their friendship from where it left off. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew the other probably didn’t remember him at all. So he would start from scratch, figure out what they used to have in common. Not All Might for sure...he heard about the merch becoming garbage. That one was on him, that interview was so long ago he had forgotten about it.

Was heroes a good topic? Probably not... Think Katsuki, think! He paused as he finally remembered the one thing Zuku loved more than anything in the world.

Zuku loved talking about quirks.

Chapter Text

Maybe he really was starting to pick up on what it meant to be normal.When Shouta finally got back to the teachers dorm after his last class with his students, he saw Touya and Tenko on the living room couch visibly upset about something. They had

seemed so excited to see Izuku again, talking about the things they bought him. What had changed in the few hours he was gone?

“What’s wrong? Is Izuku ok? Where is he?” He couldn’t help the small note of panic in his voice.

Touya looked up at that. “He’s resting in his bed, he had a bit of a meltdown after we got here and said some concerning things about heroes.”

“Like what?”

He noticed the tone in the room change visibly, as if the tension was building to an ungodly thickness. He gave pause as he waited for the answer that was sure to come. He never could have guessed it was something so troublesome.

“He thinks you are being nice to gain his trust and going to kill him when he does.” Tenko said suddenly. “He thinks All Might has convinced every hero in Japan that he needs to be slaughtered.”

What the FUCK ?

Words could not even comprehend what he had heard for a few minutes. His mouth was definitely hanging open too. The reason the kid had been so scared was because he thought they were going to kill him? And even worse, this all came from All Might...he barely even remembered that interview, he had been on a Trigger case during the time.

Well...if he didn’t despise All Might already, he definitely hated him even more now. In one interview most people had completely forgotten, the man had rocked the poor kid’s entire mental state to its core enough to fear heroes . From what the kid’s file had said, he used to be obsessed with heroes to the point of trying to drag his mother to watch hero fights at four.

Suddenly, he realized the perfect thing to help the poor kid. He and Hizashi had a cat of their own already, Cloud Chaser. He was technically Hizashi’s, a service animal for his deafness that had inserted himself into Aizawa’s life as an emotional support animal. Can’t have a nightmare when fifteen pounds of cat is purring into your chest.

“I have an idea...how is Izuku with animals?”

“Well, when he used to hang around the construction site, he had a cat tailing him. He named it Nugget for some reason. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was the site’s cat Nikola.”
“Okay...I’m going to petition the courts to allow him a service animal. It might help when he gets overwhelmed around other people.”

He noticed Touya nod quietly. “I’ll take him, I promised to take Shoto to the shelter to look at animals for mom for her birthday.”

“Alright, make sure to follow the rules.”

With that, the plans were set.

---

Shoto still wasn’t certain about this. Sure, he really wanted to find a dog or bird to keep his mother company, maybe even a cat. But to bring the monster... he needed to stop thinking that ...with them was giving him all sorts of mixed emotions. 

For one, they never spoke, not even uttering a sound. They stared at the ground and held onto Touya’s hand like a terrified child. Maybe they were? He filed the thought away for later as they walked into the shelter. Touya took them to look around while he looked for something his mother might like. For some reason, Touya thought he might have a better idea since he was gone all those years.

As if that could happen, he was still working on ‘normal human interactions’. But he figured it was better to try. He ended up in the dog section, witnessing something he had never expected in all his life. Bakugo covered in puppies. 

“What are you doing here Bakugo?”

“Shit!” He saw Bakugo sit up fast, barely catching the two puppies that had been on his torso. “The fuck are you doing here Icyhot!”

“Looking for a pet for my mother. You?”

“Volunteer work. Puppies need to be cared for.”

“Whatever, there’s probably a pet somewhere.”

Shoto sighed and shook his head, feeling like once again he missed something. Did it really matter though? Bakugo was honestly like this with basically everyone, all abrasive and rageful. He decided to continue the conversation anyways.

“Touya thought the creature needed a pet too. So it’s here.”

He saw Bakugo’s entire body shift. He’d never seen that expression before, did he mess up? He instinctively backed up to a wall as Bakugo got within centimeters of his face, lifting him up by the shirt. Definitely messed up.

“Don’t you ever call Zuku a creature again. Or a monster or any other bullshit, got it?! He is a victim and my best fucking friend and I will rip you a new asshole if you ever say that to his face.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You fucking better be! Now get out of my sight!”

He walked away, knowing he might get a lot of injuries if he stayed anywhere near the explosive boy.

---

Izuku didn’t want to look at the other, knowing well enough who he was now. Shoto Todoroki...son of Endeavor. He had killed their father. He killed Touya’s father. Why weren’t they upset about that? Why didn’t they hurt him for hurting their family?

He let out a slight whimper at the thought as Touya led him to the cats. Touya looked over at him concerned.

 “Are you alright Izuku?” 

“It’s nothing...Sorry for worrying you”

He noticed the cats mostly were trying to get as far as possible from him. Figures, the cats knew the monster he was. He felt himself tear up a bit until something that equated to a screech cut through the silence along with a thud.

What?

He looked up to see a beautiful black and tan short haired cat with one strikingly blue eye. The other was a deep green...it reminded him almost of...he couldn’t remember. It felt like the memory was right there, but also just out of his grasp and shrouded in mists. Maybe his mother had green eyes?

He slowly reached his hand up towards the glass that separated himself and this cat, the cat basically pressing its entire body to the glass and...vibrating? Was it vibrating or was he actually losing his mind?

He felt Touya gently guide him to a door nearby, his eyes never leaving the cat. It only seemed to move when they opened the door to the room full of cats, the cat came running full speed to him and climbing up his sweatpant leg, vibrating the whole time.

As soon as his hand touched the cat...everything felt different.

---

Touya was still not sure how a cat could throw itself at glass until he realized it wanted Izuku. The thing was purring and trying to turn the poor kid’s shoulder into biscuit dough and... huh. Izuku had fallen to his knees, holding the cat gently and crying.

That was new. Guess cats really do choose their owners.

He smiled softly to himself and waved a hand gently at the nearest volunteer to file whatever paperwork was needed. Izuku was getting this cat even if Touya had to smuggle the thing out of the shelter. He was sure that this cat would make Izuku heal.

The worker came over and looked at the cat in Izuku’s arms. “What did he do to that cat?”

Touya was very confused over that comment. “What do you mean by that?”

“That cat is the most aggressive thing we have ever had. Last chance was today...I’ve never seen her purr , much less let someone hold her!”

“Izuku is a special kid...what can I say.”

“If you say so. Cat’s all yours.”

“What about the adoption fee?”

“Forget it. That cat is too much trouble for us and was scheduled for euthanization if she didn’t find a home today”

Touya reached for his phone and took a few pictures to send to Aizawa. He only had to wait a few seconds for a quick response about getting everything set up for the cat. Well, at least it would be easy to take care of it.

More importantly, Izuku would finally have a pet to keep him safe.

---

Shoto had ended up in the cat section somehow. He had not found a single animal that felt...right for his mother anywhere else. He honestly wasn’t sure what makes a perfect pet. Maybe he was doing it wrong? He paused though when he saw his brother and the...boy in the room, making sure to be quiet as he entered and went to a corner.

He just...didn’t want to interrupt. It seemed like the boy was having a moment and it felt...intrusive? That was the word, it felt intrusive to interrupt it. He wondered what made a good cat before the fluffiest white cat with green eyes approached him and encircled his legs, rubbing against him.

Oh, that’s what makes a good cat. It made sense in reality...a dog or bird would have been too energetic for his mother, and most other furry animals would mean not being able to hold and sleep with them.

He gently and slowly sat down, the cat sitting in his lap as soon as his butt was on the floor. It was like he was the perfect cushion for the fluffy cat, said animal deciding his lap was the perfect place for a cat nap.

He smiled to himself, about to speak up before a second cat, slightly smaller, joined the nap in the lap fest. The bigger of the two went to his right side and the smaller one went to his left. They looked almost exactly identical except for their size. It was like a cloud of white fur and Shoto felt instantly calm.

He found out they were twins, Yukina and Hiei. Well...Aizawa couldn’t get too mad if he brought a cat to the dorms...right? They were already here to get a cat for the teacher’s dorm anyways. Well, if he got mad...he would totally use the other getting a cat to his advantage.

Chapter Text

When Touya returns to the teachers’ dorm with Izuku in tow, Hizashi and Shota are there waiting with Cloud Chaser to meet the new addition. Cloud Chaser immediately makes a fluffy grey cloud to ride on to see the new kitten in Izuku’s arms.

“Did you have any trouble at the shelter?” Aizawa asks as they walk into the living room. He puts down the bag of toys they picked up for the cat on the way back and looks over to the heroes.

“None...Apparently, she was scheduled to be euthanized today so they just gave her to us free of charge.”

“What?! Why was she going to be euthanized?” Hizashi exclaims.

“She wouldn’t let anyone there touch or hold her but as soon as Izuku walked in the room she all but jumped in his arms and started purring. The workers were shocked and thought Izuku did something to her.”

“Do you know her name? Did the workers ever tell you?” Aizawa asks. Touya looks at the kitten sadly. 

“The workers never named her because she was so aggressive they never thought she would get adopted.”

Hizashi kneels in front of Izuku and makes eye contact with him.

“Izuku, she doesn’t have a name. What do you want her name to be?”

Izuku looks at all of the adults in front of him confused. “ I don’t know what to call her.” As he looks at all of them clearly getting upset a blast of cold wafts through the room calming him down.

Aizawa looks around confused. “...Was that the cat that made it cold?”

“Icy…Her name is Icy.” Izuku says in the smallest whisper and a hint of a smile.

Nobody’s going to argue with the name, after all, Icy fits the cat perfectly since she apparently has a quirk. Well, it makes sense, given that most of humanity has them already. He smiles to himself and lets Izuku be before broaching another subject.

“Also my brother...may have gotten a pet. Is that okay?”

“I don’t see why not.” Aizawa replies. “It’s not like I can argue since another student has a pet rabbit in the dorms already.”

“Yeah…about that...” Touya starts. “Shoto came with us to the shelter to pick out a pet for our mother while we are all out of the house and came across twin cats and mom’s apartment has a one pet limit and he didn’t want to separate the siblings so…”

“So? He has one in the dorms now?” 

“...Yes… But he’s never actually cared for a pet before so I was wondering if he can come by and learn with Izuku together.”

Well...this is more Nedzu’s problem than his.

---

Damn...he forgot how much his arm could hurt.

As Denki lay in his dorm room he contemplated this. He was only a few hours post-surgery and it hurt so much right now . He figured the whole surgery part would have hurt after, but not this much. Though the worst part of it all was being alone with his thoughts, honestly. His mind was always racing when he was left alone with his brain.

First, there was the whole thing about the mons- the boy learning to become ‘normal’ again. What was his name again? Izuku Midoriya. Yeah, that was it. They were, apparently, a victim the whole time, not having any control over his own quirk. Denki could feel a bit of sympathy over that.

All his life, he’d been told his quirk was hard to manage, how it would fry his brain one day if he tried to become a hero. Did they want to be a hero when they were a kid too? There went another tangent on him, always looping back to “the victim who took his arm.”

That’s what they really were, in the end. They were both victims of a hellish circumstance. But it still hurt in the end, knowing his hero career was almost taken out by someone who had no control, who couldn’t stop their own body.

He sighed, trying to get his mind off of the other who was probably somewhere in the building right now. Somewhere trying to learn their new normal. Just like him. He groaned as the thought came to him once again. That was always where he ended up, it seemed.

He decided to go down to the common room to try and get his mind off of the whole situation with his arm and the boy who took it. When he got there, he saw Shoto on one of the couches with his new kitten. Wait, when did he get a kitten? Well, it was probably a good idea not to stare so he plopped down on the couch next to him.

Immediately he saw the kitten perk up, letting out a little noise that honestly warmed his heart. He couldn’t really reach to pet the kitten, since he had to have the prosthetic in a sling to take some weight off of it till the surgery healed, but he didn’t really mind.

Now that he thought about it, wasn’t Shoto also dealing with the whole thing too? Maybe he could ask his opinion on it since Bakugo wasn’t really up to tackling this sort of conversation. He almost got his head bitten off verbally the last time he tried to work through his feelings with Bakugo since the explosive boy kept looping back to it being ‘his decision’.

“So uhm...Shoto. You met the uh...the monster boy right?”

“Yes.” Shoto paused and looked over. “He was crying over a cat and holding it like it was the last good thing on Earth.”

“Oh uh...okay.” Denki paused at this newest development.

He sat in silence for a bit thinking that over. He knew that Izuku was a victim and probably was dealing with a lot of stuff but...he was not expecting to hear that from his classmate. Maybe he really needed to work on his own prejudices and have that session with Hound Dog after all, like Aizawa sensei suggested. It had been suggested to him so many times now, going to therapy for the issues he had, but...heroes never did therapy right?

No, he was just thinking like an idiot. Of course they did, he knew Bakugo went to therapy and Shoto did too. Why was he excluding himself from the list? Oh right...he still didn’t think of himself as a hero, did he.

Well...he guessed he had a lot to think about then, like his future and how he was going to proceed...especially since he would have to see Momoko again soon and the thought of that just made his heart race.

He couldn’t wait to show her how he could finally be her hero.

---

Izuku was struggling a bit when it came to meal times now. Sure, he was starting to get...well, better was the best word for it. Ever since he got Icy, he was able to calm down from his panic better and actually try to ask for things.

But this was something that always made his stomach turn when he thought about even asking for such a thing. After all, he was a dog and dogs ate meat. He was sure that the blonde...Hizashi...had begun to notice he wouldn’t touch anything meat related unless he was being watched. It wasn’t that it wasn’t good food...it just made his stomach hurt whenever he tried to eat it. He wasn’t even sure why it was like this, just that it was.

He was currently sitting in the living room, having felt comfortable enough to occupy the space with Icy when the hero...Aizawa walked into the room. He was still struggling a bit with calling them their actual names.

“Kid…” He started, but Izuku didn’t dare respond. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Mmm…” He managed to get out, hugging Icy a little closer...just in case.

“Me and Hizashi have noticed you don’t really eat much when we prepare a meal with meat.” He started. “And we wanted to know if you wanted to try vegetarian options.”

“Ve...ge…” He paused, trying to sound the word out. “Vege...tarian? What’s that?”

“Vegetarian means that you don’t eat any meat at all and instead eat vegetable alternatives and such.” He stated it calmly, which did make Izuku relax some.

“I...don’t have to eat meat? Ever again?” He heard his own voice crack as his eyes got blurry. Oh, he was crying.

“Never again.”

That was all he needed to hear before he ended up sobbing into Icy’s fur. But for once...they were happy tears.

---

Momoko was starting to get a little frustrated. Every time, every single time Denki came in to get a check up on the support gear with her uncle, he would shamelessly flirt with her. He was obviously still in excruciating pain from the surgeries for the anchor points and the arm itself but he was relentless , he had started guessing her supposed quirk again, too, during the physical therapy session.

“It’s cuteness!” he exclaimed with a pained grin. “Ow.”

“You did that to yourself,” she huffed with a small smile. “Idiot.”

“But I’m your idiot!” he winked and she groaned.

“Oh my god, focus, you literally have to use your quirk today!”

“Okay, my little Tsundere peach,” he chuckled but it was obvious he was trying to hide his nervousness.

“If you behave…” She paused. “Maybe I'll let you take me for ice cream.”

“Hell yeah!” He grinned and seemed to become intensely focused on using his quirk in short bursts to check on how it worked with his prosthesis.

Huh...maybe he could be serious for once...and the face he was making was just. Well, it was cute. She felt a small blush coming to her cheeks and turned away quickly so he couldn’t even catch a glimpse as she realized something important. She asked him ON A DATE.

Well, at least he was actually doing what he was supposed to so he could heal...ice cream wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Chapter Text

Izuku was...nervous couldn’t even begin to scratch the surface of his emotions. First, there was the fact that Tenko and Touya couldn’t watch him today because Tenko had to go somewhere for an important meeting with the police. That had already set him on edge, then there was the fact Aizawa had to watch his class and that meant hero students, so many hero students .

Sure, he had finally started to trust Aizawa and use his proper name, but he was still adjusting to the fact he would be around kids his own age. Kids like Kacchan and the kid he had apparently hurt when he wasn’t in control. Would they think he was a monster? He shuddered at the thought as they reached the supposed classroom for 1A.

When was the last time he was in a classroom anyways...must have been when Kacchan got his quirk with the tiny explosions. Yeah, that had to be it...he was so behind now wasn’t he. Would they make fun of him for not understanding things?

He let out a tiny whimper as Aizawa placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Never his head...he’d noticed that ever since he came to live with them. They never placed a hand on his head. Did they see his master do that a lot and wanted to make him feel safe? It definitely worked.

He managed to calm down and hugged his plushie tighter, Icy following behind slightly with her new vest. She looked pleased with herself at the very least as they entered the classroom, the entire room going silent, which made Izuku shrink a bit since they were all staring.

“This is Izuku Midoriya. He’s a ward of UA and will be sitting in on class today. Treat him with respect and give him space.” He listened to Aizawa pause. “You can sit next to Bakugo okay?”

He gave a tiny nod and kept his head down, walking over to an empty desk and sitting down. He could already hear the whispers and people moving to talk to him, letting out another puppy-like whimper in response.

“Extras. Back off. Sensei said space!” He heard Kacchan’s voice pick up.

“You’re no fun Bakugo. I just wanted to ask about his teeth, they're super cool.” It was a female voice.

“I just wanted to know what his quirk was,” said another female. “It’s probably animal related, like mine.”

“Lay off. Zuku needs his space and doesn’t need you all giving him a panic attack.” Kacchan spoke again and he finally looked up to look at the scene around him.

There was a pink girl and another with...a frog quirk? Or maybe a toad, it was definitely different. There was also a blonde with a prosthetic arm who was nervously looking at him and a boy with split hair giving off a calm energy. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn’t realize the pink girl had moved closer and was basically in his face till she spoke again, causing him to yelp and fall out of his chair, eyes going blurry.

“What the actual FUCK Mina! I said give him space!” He could barely make out Kacchan moving in front of the girl with his arms spread out and some red head moving next to Kacchan to also make a blockade.

“I didn’t think he’d freak out geez!”

“He has fucking PTSD! No wonder you failed midterms if you can’t even remember the Civilians lessons!”

“Fine, fine, sorry! I’ll back off!”

The voices of the class started to blend together as he put his hands over his ears. So loud, it was all too loud and too much! He felt Icy on him in that moment, lowering her temperature and calming him down as something was draped over his shoulders.

He didn’t even realize it was Kacchan’s school jacket until everything felt less intense, wiping at his eyes to make them stop watering. He also realized he couldn’t actually hear the classroom or anything for that matter anymore. It was quiet.

His eyes finally cleared up and he reached up, feeling something over his ears. That must be what was cancelling all the noise...he liked them. He also noticed a note on his desk as he slowly managed to sit back down in it.

Hey,

I hope it’s okay but I gave Bakugo a pair of my noise cancelling headphones since you looked like you were having audio sensitivities. My quirk sometimes makes sounds too much for me too. You can keep them since I have plenty.

~Jiro, the girl with audio jacks on my earlobes

Well, he would have to find the ability to thank her...somehow.

---

Katsuki had made sure Zuku was calm after his panic attack, smacking Mina for being such a complete fuckwad for crowding his childhood friend. She really was an idiot if she couldn’t see the symptoms of a panic attack, though Jiro giving over the headphones had helped a lot apparently and Zuku wasn’t even wearing them now. That was good, but it also meant he had made a note about it in his own personal notebook. Sure, quirks were what Zuku loved as a kid but maybe giving him a notebook with observations that he’d made probably wouldn’t go over well.

Hell, he didn’t even know if Zuku even liked his quirk enough to take the notes to begin with. So instead, he kept it in his bag as he stretched in preparation for their lesson in Gym Gamma. It was something about special moves in preparation for the license exam right?

He already had a few in mind like his Howitzer Impact along with something for precision. After all, large explosions could bring down rubble in a rescue situation. He was calling that one his Speed Drill move to get civilians air as quickly as possible since he knew damn well rubble can cause tiny air pockets at best for breathing, and no air at all at the worst.

He thought about what Zuku would have thought of for his quirk and incorporated it as best he could, deciding to shed his shoes as he gained an idea. The skin on his palms was a lot like the one on the soles of his feet...right? So theoretically he could...HOLY SHIT HE COULD USE EXPLOSIONS FROM HIS FEET!

His delight was short-lived as he heard All Might arrive and puff up...before a scream that shook him to his very core.

Wait...ZUKU!

He didn’t even think, running back to the entrance of the gym as a crowd was gathering and All Might was approaching Zuku. Zuku was shaking, he was sweating and his pupils were blown. He was growling like a dog, this was very bad. He needed to diffuse the situation and NOW.

“ALL MIGHT BACK THE FUCK OFF!” He shouted as he tripped and threw his arms out, separating Izuku from All Might as best he could.

“Young Bakugo I was just-”

“You were just nothing .” That was Sensei’s voice. “Get the fuck away from my kid. Now. ”

Bakugo couldn’t even think, his own breathing heavy as everything felt fuzzy, his ears were ringing and he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe and Izuku was dog spaced and he couldn’t handle this.

“Katsuki...Bakubro…” He lashed out without thinking, his explosion hitting hard rock.

Hard rock...Eijiro... He felt his whole body untense as his boyfriend wrapped him in a gentle hug, making sure not to hold too tight. No, he needed a tighter hug. He wrapped his arms around Eijiro and held him tight, burying his face into his shoulder which thankfully was no longer hardened.

He wanted to check on Zuku, but...he needed his own help first.

---

Izuku hadn’t meant to slip up, he hadn’t meant to growl but he had been so terrified until Kacchan had blocked his view of the hero and Aizawa had dragged him away. They wouldn’t let All Might kill him, they had kept him safe from All Might.

As his mind cleared some, he noticed the red head holding Kacchan as he...cried? Kacchan never cried...but Kacchan also never stood between him and people that would hurt him either. They had both changed so much.

It was that moment he heard Kacchan speak.

“Sorry Eiji. I...I just…”

“It’s okay. I get it. I’ve got the world in my arms now and I’m not letting go.”

What did that mean...the world in his arms...Kacchan was in his arms.

Oh.

Was that what it was like to be loved?

He paused and wiped at his eyes, still not wanting to be touched yet as he watched the two boys slowly leave their embrace. The next moment Kacchan was standing a bit away, giving him space as he offered...was that a blanket?

“Here Zuku. Sensei got it after I nearly beat the shit out of All Might.”

“You...but he...gonna kill me…” Yeah, words weren’t working yet.

“Nope, I’ll make sure he never even steps in the same room as you. And I won’t get any closer unless you tell me to.”

He managed a soft nod and took the blanket, wrapping it around himself and pulling it over his hair, completely encased in it as he finally felt like his heart was calming down.

Maybe Kacchan was still the same in some ways after all. He just wished Tenko and Touya had been here too...to tell him if this was what it was like to be loved...truly loved.

---

Tenko felt sick to his stomach. The villain, the Siren...it was his big sister. Someone he thought he had accidentally killed when his quirk activated along with their parents and their family dog. He felt another wave of nausea hit as Touya steadied him.

“Don’t overdo it. You need to sit down and process this shit.”

He felt his body be guided to a bench but...he didn’t feel like his body was his own right now. Ah yes, disassociation from spicy trauma. His adoptive parents were going to have a field day with this one.

“Mmm.”

“Ah hell, you are gone right now…”

He felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and instinctively leaned into the cooler boy’s shoulder. Anything to ground himself right now.

“Just come back to me, dusty, okay? I’ll be right here when you feel okay enough to talk and I’ll text your therapist. We’ll get through this together.”

Ah yes, this was what it was like to truly be loved wholly and completely. Tenko would not give this up for the world.

Chapter Text

Denki sat on the bus, nervously fiddling with the edge of his top. Honestly, the fact that he was allowed to wear a tank top instead of his school uniform top was already helping a lot with the issues he had with trying to get clothes on. Who knew having a prosthetic would cause so many problems with clothes and the fact it always itched. He hated the itching.

He really shouldn’t be complaining though...he was allowed to take the license exam after all. He had to be confident, he had to be cool and he had to keep his head. After all, people would see the prosthetic and think he was an easy target.

Jokes on them, he was better with his quirk now than he had even been. His limits had increased a lot with the support gear of Momoko keeping his quirk spread through his body instead of using the electric signals of his brain as an anchor.

He let his mind stop racing as the bus stopped and he got off with his class. He was keeping his breathing calm as he saw other schools staring at his class. Oh no, they were staring at him. He decided to diffuse the situation with finger guns and a wink which...yeah that didn’t work.

Worth a shot. He at least saw some really chaotically peppy dude start chatting up his class until the other’s eyes landed on Todoroki. Oh no...that was a look of hatred wasn’t it. He went to intervene but instead Bakugo was butting in.

“Got an issue, baldie?”

“Well, I never knew that such a great school would let in the Son of Endeavor. ”

“Nope, stopping you there!”

Denki watched as Bakugo actually forced the guy from the other school back a few steps. Damn, he forgot how protective Bakugo was over their class sometimes, especially after the USJ.

“Yukimura is not his father. He’s his own person. I don’t know what beef you have with the shit stain since he’s six feet under but he is more like his mother. Call him similar to that villain again and I will turn your teeth into a necklace!”

Denki decided then and there he was never going to get on Bakugo’s bad side again.

---

Izuku was quietly watching in the stands as the hero kids below were fighting each other to get their licenses. That was what Aizawa had told him was going on as Icy laid in his lap. They didn’t seem to be hurting each other at lea- oh god why was that kid turning other people into balls of meat it was making his stomach hurt.

He quickly looked away and hid his face in the nearest object, that being Aizawa’s shirt. He barely even recognized someone speaking until he could calm his breathing enough to come back to normalcy for a moment.

“And who’s this little cutie Sho? Finally got us a kid? Guess you really do want to marry me!”

“Enough, Emi. This is Izuku, my ward.”

Izuku managed to turn his head and his eyes...that met green eyes. Deep green eyes. He didn’t understand at first, just lost in those familiar colored eyes. Was it because his eyes were a similar color? No...couldn’t be.

Then for a moment he remembered something, something he had never expected to remember.

“Izu, honey! I made breakfast!”

“BREAKFAAAST!” He heard his own voice in his head, much younger and saw a woman with dark green hair tied back and those deep green eyes. “Mama! Mama! Did you see how All Might went ZOOM and BOOM and he totally beat up the bad guy into a building. There was lots of other cool heroes too but ALL MIGHT BEAT UP THE BAD GUY and-”

“Breathe, sweetheart. You’re going to pass out.” The woman...his mother laughed as she covered her mouth with one hand. “My sweet little birdie singing all about heroes!”

“Because that is what I’m gonna be! Me and Kacchan are gonna be better heroes than ALL MIGHT!”

Tears filled his eyes as he grabbed onto the woman without thinking, a choked out ‘Mom’ the only word he could form.

How could he forget his own mother until someone with similar eyes came around him?

---

For once, Aizawa was actually laughing a bit and it had nothing to do with Joke’s quirk. Well, that was until he heard Izuku call Joke ‘Mom’, which was really concerning, honestly. Maybe it was their eyes...he’d seen a photo of Inko Midoriya and Joke’s eyes were almost a copy of the boy’s mother’s.

“Shoooooooo. What did I dooooooo!” Joke is totally freaking out...he should probably explain. He switched to sign language to not disturb his ward.

‘Your eyes are the same color as his dead mother’s. He must be finally remembering her. That’s a good sign.’

He watched Joke’s eyes widen in understanding and nodded, gently placing her hand on his ward’s back and gently rubbing it. Comforting him...good. The poor kid definitely needed it right now. He wasn’t going to say anything at least.

He waited for his ward to calm down and let go of Joke before he made any move to comfort his ward. Maybe the boy was finally healing...maybe this meant he wouldn’t have to be a ward much longer, the kid could learn how to handle his quirk without suppressants or anything else.

Maybe this was the first true step to recovery...Hopefully his students would succeed just as much.

---

He did it! He got his hero license!

He practically skipped to the support department with the little card, earning him a smack to the face as soon as the door blew open. Well, he deserved that for not looking, didn’t he. He managed to laugh a bit and pick himself off the floor, rubbing his cheek as he sidestepped the blown apart door and ducked inside.

“Ooooh Mooomooookooooo!~” He practically sang it as he rushed across the workshop to her station.

“Oh, hello, casanova,” she snickered. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Well, I am a newly minted hero after all!”

“It’s only a license, spark plug.” She poked his forehead.

“Well, we should go celebrate. Maybe a date with my sparkle-quirked cutie.” He winked and noticed her mood sour instantly. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Stop. It’s not funny anymore…Why do you keep doing this, flirting and guessing when really…”

“You don’t have a quirk?” He paused and shrugged. “Because it made you laugh.”

“You knew?! And didn’t say anything?!” He ducked as she went to smack him.

“I didn’t know how to bring it up without making you upset!” He winced. “I just...every time I went to tell you I remembered the sports festival and how much you cried. I didn’t want you to be upset, so I just...well I…”

He was caught off guard as he felt a soft pressure to his cheek, registering she kissed it a few seconds later as both of their cheeks went beet red.

“Sorry, I just...well. Nobody’s ever said such nice things and...you really don’t care?”

He chuckled softly at that. Of course he didn’t care, he knew damn well a quirk doesn’t make a person. His was volatile until she came along. Hell, he was even okay with Izuku being around now, which was what led to this little revelation.

“I don’t. So...about that date?”

“Sure...I’d love to.”

This was the best day of his life.

Chapter Text

Izuku definitely had so many good days after that. Watching the heroes grow, finding a sort of peace come to him, it was all he could have asked. Sure, he would never be who he once was. He could never be that little kid who would drag his mother to hero fights, never be a hero like he and Kacchan had planned all that time ago. But did that really matter now?

No, no it did not.

That was due to one simple fact, he was not that kid anymore. That kid had long ago died away and been buried. That kid had lost his life the same day he lost his mother, nothing more or less to that. And that was okay, because he had gotten so much more in its’ stead.

He had Tenko, who would braid his hair and taught him how to handle the quirk he had been ‘given’. He had Touya, who was basically like an older brother or dad figure to him now, who would juggle tiny flames to make him laugh when he was having bad days.

He had Shoto, who he could consider a confidant, who helped him start looking into therapy and gaining control of his life. He had Aizawa and Yamada, who he still was unsure about calling ‘dad’ or anything due to still feeling a bit uncomfortable around pro heroes.

He had even managed a conversation with the boy who he had bitten when he had no control. His name was Denki and he liked these things called ‘memes’. He wasn’t sure what those were, but he was starting to hope they were a good thing.

Currently, he was holding a bouquet of white roses, standing in front of a carved rock. Touya had told him it was called a ‘grave’. They said his momma was buried here after she lost her life. Well, he was sure he saw a movie once about talking to the dead so...he would try it too.

“Hi momma. I’m sorry I didn’t come see you.” He started, trying to find the words.

“I was gone a really long time and...I made a lot of friends. I didn’t become a hero but...I want to still make you proud. So I’m going to become the best me I can be. Oh and I got a quirk after all! It’s kind of scary but I decided to call it Lycanthrope.”

He paused for a moment, just standing there before he laid the flowers down.

“I don’t remember your favorite flower...or what you look like completely. But I know you really really loved me. And I promise, I will never let anyone call me anything but Izuku.”

He would finally reclaim the name he had lost over a decade ago. He would become Izuku once again, no matter what that meant.