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Izuku was absolutely crushed by the news.
He was quirkless. He would never get a quirk.
Kacchan came over right after Izuku arrived home. The blonde grinned in anticipation, "So, what is it?" As soon as Izuku heard those words, the dam broke. Izuku could no longer hold back the tears. Kacchan's excitement shifted into worry. "What? That bad?"
"I-" Izuku sobbed, "I don't have one…"
"... what?"
"I'm quirkless, Kacchan," saying it out loud felt more painful than hearing it. Like the final nail in the coffin. "I'll never get one."
Kacchan’s eyes went wide at the news. He stared at Izuku wordlessly, while the greenette continued crying. Izuku couldn’t read his expression. Was he indifferent? Sad? Angry?
Eventually, the blonde broke the tense silence, "Then how are we going to be heroes together?" He sounded defeated. Kacchan wasn't supposed to sound like that. He was supposed to be confident. And it's all Izuku's fault.
"I-I'm sure you can still be a hero…" Izuku tried, "Your explosion quirk is perfect…"
"But we were supposed to be heroes together! " Kacchan shouted. Izuku winced at the raised voice. He was no stranger to Kacchan’s yelling, yet it was usually laced with anger. Now, there were traces of disappointment. Kacchan was disappointed in Izuku… "We promised each other!"
Izuku clutched onto the hem of his shirt, fiddling with it as he stuttered out, "I… maybe I can still be a hero without a quirk…" he didn't even sound like he believed in himself, "I might not be strong, but at least I can be there with you." At least I won't lose you.
Kacchan didn't look convinced either.
…
Being quirkless was hell. All of a sudden, Izuku lost every right he had. People avoided him like he was the plague. If they didn't, they were hostile, bullying him every chance they got.
Kacchan was the only one of their friends who stayed by his side. However, he noticed that Kacchan also treated him differently. He took extra care of Izuku, as if Izuku was glass that would shatter anytime. Izuku was grateful for Kacchan's concern, yet sometimes he felt like Kacchan went overboard.
In the end, fate decided he didn't deserve all that cruelty. A few months after his diagnosis, Izuku reached for a pen he had dropped. His fingers had not made any contact with it at all, but it moved right into his palm.
They went to the quirk doctor later that day, who declared that Izuku had a quirk - Telekinesis, an upgraded version of his mum's.
After that, he immediately went to Kacchan's house, ecstatic to tell him the good news. Kacchan didn't seem as surprised as Izuku expected, but was happy for him. Izuku had never seen a more joyful smile on the blonde’s face. They spent the rest of the day replanning their future, including Izuku’s new hero name and how they could utilise his quirk.
Having a quirk was great. Despite that, seeing Katsuki’s eyes suddenly light up with hope was what made it the best day of his life. They could now become heroes together.
Toru's breathing quickened. She had noticed Bakugou leave the dorms into the forest. At first, she thought her classmate just wanted to get some fresh air. They could all use it, with everything that has happened lately.
So when Aoyama claimed he had something important to tell them all, Toru offered to go find Bakugou.
What she wasn't expecting was to overhear him on a phone call.
"There's no way I can get away with that," Bakugou told the person on the other end. A beat passed before he continued, "Hell no. I'm not dying for you. How am I supposed to know you won't lay a finger on him then?"
She probably shouldn't be eavesdropping like this, but curiosity got the better of her. Toru wondered who Bakugou was talking to. Dying for them? What was that supposed to mean?
"... fine, I'll bait him out. So when am I supposed to do that, Sensei?"
Sensei?
Was that Aizawa on the other line? No, probably not. Aizawa would never think of sending one of them to die for him. It didn't match up. Then who could it-
…
Didn't those villains call All for One 'Sensei'?
Was Bakugou talking with All for One?
"... got it."
Was Bakugou the traitor?
The blonde hung up. He let out a tired sigh.
Toru panicked. She had to get out of there and inform someone as soon as possible. However, in her haste to dart back to the dorms, she failed to notice the branch beneath her feet. She only realised too late when a loud, audible snap sounded.
Shit.
"Who's there?!" Bakugou shouted out. There was no denying the shake in his voice. The fear and panic were odd coming from Bakugou out of all people, but Toru couldn't dwell on that now. Forgetting stealth, she sprinted towards the dorms as fast as her feet could take her.
Alas, she could not outrun Bakugou.
It took less than a second for the blonde to catch up to her. His hands grabbed onto the collar of her shirt, stopping her. Toru couldn't even react before she was harshly shoved to the ground.
Bakugou held out one of his palms to her face, sparking in warning. "How much did you hear?" he growled.
Toru couldn't even bring herself to answer. She was paralysed.
"Answer me!" Bakugou pressured, summoning a small explosion.
It burnt. Pain spread all over her skin. "EVERYTHING!" Toru blurted out.
Bakugou stilled above her.
Toru awaited her inevitable demise at the hands of a classmate. Someone she had shared many moments, both happy and sad, with. Someone she thought she could trust.
What she wasn't expecting was for him to say, "Don't tell anyone. Please."
Toru never thought she'd see the day when Bakugou begged her.
"If he finds out I've blown my cover, he'll go after Izuku. I can't let that happen. Please. You won't let Izuku die, right?"
How was Toru supposed to respond to that? The thought of Midoriya being hurt pained her, but what Bakugou was doing would hurt so many more people. What was she supposed to do in this situation?
"Please. I don't want this. I don't want to kill you."
There was the threat. Shut up, or be silenced right here.
Unless she tricked him. Made him think she would keep quiet, but as soon as the chance came, tell someone.
"Kacchan…?"
When Toru heard that voice, she wasn't sure if it filled her with relief or dread. It was definitely the latter for Bakugou, whose head snapped up to meet wide viridian green eyes.
Everyone was gathered in the common room, ready to hear what Yuga had to say. Izuku already knew his friend was going to reveal One for All to the rest of Class 1-A, yet it didn’t make him any less anxious. He kept pacing around the room, falling into his muttering habit as he went through every possible scenario in his head.
“Relax, mon ami,” Izuku startled when Yuga placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “You’re shaking even more than me.”
Izuku laughed nervously, “Sorry, just… scared, I guess.” After all, he had experienced first-hand how it felt to be quirkless. Izuku was afraid of how their classmates would react. Would they admire Yuga for his determination? Or scowl at him in disgust?
“Hagakure still isn’t back with Bakugou…” Kirishima spoke up, “Anyone saw where they went?”
“Kacchan?” Izuku perked up at the mention of his best friend.
“You wanna go find him?” Yuga suggested, “Distract yourself from feeling the nerves?”
“I mean…” Izuku stuttered, “You sure you don’t want me to stay here with you? It’s your secret. I bet you’re even more terrified than I am.”
“Truthfully speaking, I am very much shaking on my knees,” Yuga made a face. Izuku snorted. “But I can make do without the emotional support.”
“If you’re so sure,” Izuku gave in.
Ashido mentioned seeing Hagakure go into the forest behind the dorms, so that’s where Izuku went looking. Izuku was a little worried for both his classmates. They were all on edge recently from the clashing with the Paranormal Liberation Front. He really hoped Katsuki wasn’t taking it out on the invisible girl.
Izuku froze when a blood-curling shriek sounded ahead of him, “EVERYTHING!” That was Hagakure’s voice. Quickening his pace, Izuku darted in the direction of the sound.
He came across Katsuki on top of Hagakure. Shocked, he whipped his head away. He hadn’t meant to walk in on them like that!
"Please. I don't want this. I don't want to kill you."
The surprise morphed into confusion. Kill her? What was he talking about? Izuku risked a peek, and realised it wasn’t what he had assumed. Katsuki had his palm to Hagakure’s face, ready to use his explosions. What was...
“Kacchan…?” Izuku didn't even realise the word had slipped out until crimson red eyes snapped up to meet his. Izuku’s breath hitched. He had never seen those confident eyes filled with so much fear. What was happening?
"Deku…" Katsuki started, "It's not what you think, I swear-"
He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Hagakure scrambled away. She ran into Izuku's arms, tears running uncontrollably down her face, “Bakugou’s the UA traitor!” Izuku felt like he had been slapped. Kacchan was…? "He said something about baiting someone-"
"Yuga…" Izuku realised. Katsuki was going to sell their classmate out? Izuku looked towards him in disbelief, "Is that true…?"
"I didn't have a choice!" Katsuki protested.
He didn’t deny it. Izuku felt his heart shatter from betrayal. This whole time, his best friend had been plotting against them. Everything they had been through together…
"What is going on here?" As soon as they heard Aizawa's voice, Katsuki turned tail to escape into the forest.
Before he even registered doing it, Izuku had ripped a tree out of the soil, using it to block Katsuki's way. Even so, Katsuki was agile enough to dodge it. He used his quirk to propel himself upward. Only his explosions never came. His legs were bound with a capture scarf, causing Katsuki to be brought back to the ground.
Aizawa was glaring at them. His quirk was now much weaker after losing an eye, yet still effective.
“I…” Hagakure stammered, “I heard Bakugou calling All for One.” That was all their teacher needed to hear.
Izuku didn’t know how to feel. Now that Aizawa was involved, there was no way Katsuki could get away with this. Should Izuku have let him go instead? Or did he make the right decision? Did he just doom his best friend to a life in prison?
"...why?" Aizawa asked. There was no hint of anger in his tone, just pure disappointment, "What did that monster offer that made you betray us?"
"I didn't know what I was getting into, okay?!" Katsuki yelled, "I was a dumb and naive kid who couldn't accept reality!"
"What did he offer?" Aizawa demanded again. Katsuki was hesitant to tell him. Whatever it was he was promised, it had to be ugly. "Bakugou," Aizawa prodded.
"...a quirk," Katsuki eventually caved in.
Hagakure couldn't believe what she just heard, "Your explosion quirk isn't…?"
"No, not for me," Katsuki glanced away from Aizawa, crimson gaze falling on Izuku.
"For who?"
Katsuki didn't answer. And he didn’t need to. Izuku already knew.
"... I wasn't a late bloomer, was I?"
He didn’t want it to be true. But Katsuki reluctantly nodded, making it very much real. Izuku's heart stopped at the confession, "You did it… all for me…?"
"... I promised we would be heroes together, didn't I…?" Katsuki said, forcing his signature grin. It was hollow. Katsuki looked so crushed. Like he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders.
And wasn’t that true? This whole time, he had been bearing the burden of hurting people he cared about. All so he could keep the flame that was their promise burning. Even when it had been smothered years ago, even when Izuku had given up on himself, Katsuki powered through the storm, desperately trying to reignite it.
In the end, he succeeded, but at what cost?
"I know you insisted on making it quirkless, but I… I didn't want you to get hurt. Then I heard of someone who could give quirks…” Katsuki clenched his fists, “I didn't realise I sold our souls to the devil."
"Why didn't you reach out?" Izuku questioned through choked sobs, "You could've told me-!"
"If I told anyone, he would've taken your quirk back," the blonde admitted, "And we had just passed the U.A. entrance exam. We were so close to achieving our dreams. I couldn't just rob you of that."
Him.
All of this… it had been done for him. Because Izuku wasn’t born normal, because Katsuki couldn’t let go, because the two of them happened to meet.
Everything that happened was all Izuku’s fault. He ruined his best friend’s chances of being a hero.
But… he still had a chance-!
"... we can defeat him."
Katsuki looked up at Izuku, startled.
"We haven't lost yet, Kacchan!" Izuku raised his voice, "The Kacchan I knew would never give up! He'd find a way to stop All for One and keep me safe at the same time! Because Kacchan is the best!"
Katsuki gritted his teeth, "How can you still have so much fucking faith in me even after you know what I've done?! My actions got our friends hurt! I'm part of the reason Japan is at war right now! I’m nothing but a despicable villain!"
It pained Izuku to see Katsuki so utterly broken like this. He knew his best friend never meant to harm them. He had just been dealt a bad hand of cards, and was forced to play them.
Katsuki spent so long keeping Izuku’s flame alive…
"... because I trust Kacchan," Izuku held out his hand to the blonde.
…now it was Izuku’s turn to do the same.
"You can still be a hero."
…
Katsuki stared at the hand tentatively. Then he slowly reached out his own, as if worried Izuku’s hand would burn him (or was it the other way round?). It took what felt like years before their fingers brushed against each other. It was after that skin contact, he finally made his choice, firmly intertwining their fingers.
Izuku smiled. It was like the sun, shining down on Katsuki. As if it was a light guiding Katsuki back to the right path after he'd strayed so far.
It was beautiful.
It was also the last thing Katsuki saw before he exploded.
All Might was dead. He barely won with One for All. Quirkless, even with U.A.’s tech, he didn’t stand a chance against the boogeyman of Japan.
There was now nothing standing in between All for One and Shigaraki.
…
Or at least that’s what everyone thought.
…
“There’s a signal coming from Midoriya! He’s right in front of All for One!”
Tsukauchi stilled at the news. He knew Aoyama’s friend was self-sacrificial, but this was downright suicidal! “Midoriya! Stand down!” the detective yelled into the comms.
…
Izuku was supposed to be fighting Shigaraki with him, but Toga had dragged him off to who knows where during the portals. Yuga’s blood ran cold when he heard that his friend was going to face All for One. “Izuku! Get out of there!”
“Oi, oi, oi!” Yuga barely dodged another one of Shigaraki’s hands, “Shouldn’t be getting distracted now, Nine!”
‘...we gotta win… right?’ a tight knot formed in his gut as he heard Izuku’s voice, ‘Yuga…?’
…
Right up ahead, was All for One. The person who gave Izuku his quirk. The person who blessed Izuku's life yet cursed it at the same time. The one who forced Katsuki to do horrible things.
The one who killed his best friend.
He wasn’t delusional. Izuku knew he could never beat the villain.
Part of him even hoped to die in this battle.
But… “Ha,” Izuku let out a short laugh. It sounded borderline hysterical, “Kacchan would never back down.”
All for One would reach him soon. If Izuku wanted to pull it off, he had to do it now.
Telekenesis, Ultimate Move…
The ground cracked below his feet, glowing with the emerald green of his quirk as it shook. It was like an earthquake just hit Japan. Izuku could feel the drawback of his quirk kicking in. His brain felt like it was being fried with all the mental energy he was using, and his nose was bleeding so much his face was covered in blood.
Two new mountains were raised. Just as All for One flew in between, Izuku clapped his hands together, the earth following his movement.
… Ground Zero.