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Never meet your heroes, isn't that what they say?
Well, Izuku’d not doubted what All Might was gonna say, he’d only asked for confirmation.
He’d gotten it, cause the man said no.
Of course he did, everyone said no.
Quirkless could not become heroes, it was an unwritten law of his world!
Watching the hero spring away with the villain that'd tried to drown him stuffed into soda bottles, Izuku turned and made his way to the canal's edge, then fell head first into it.
Cold, clean, fresh, it was exactly what he needed right then, probably saved his life too as he scrubbed cuts and abrasions clean, finally simply floated for a bit as he kept giving thumbs up to anyone who called out if he was okay.
No, but so what.
*
Home again home again jiggity jig, he hummed, dropping soaked clothes in the hamper, scrubbing himself again only now with hot soapy water, three scrubbings of his hair and then, once he got out of the shower he cut it all off, short, because for some reason bits of the villain still clumped and matted it, giving him the ick feeling times a million.
He burned the cut off hair too, just in case, and then as he continued to hack and cough, breathing tighter now rather than getting better, he gagged a few times with the strength of his coughing and left the apartment again.
The free clinic down the road was his favorite, they didn't care who you were, just wanted you well, and once again they took him in, checked him out, used several amazing quirks on him and let him go home, now breathing just fine.
Quirks really were amazing.
Shame about him not having one.
*
Three hundred of the clock, no sleep in sight, ten months to go until the entrance exams, he sighed and got up again, dragging a notebook to his lap and letting his fingers form words without involving his brain, a stream of consciousness just to get the pain out, to let it go, to maybe find a path.
I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
Looking at the scrawled words he huffed, Without being a hero, what use am I?
Striking enough lines through the word hero to obliterate it he lay back on his pillow, a slumped hunch and let go, just closed his eyes and let the pencil fly across the page, hoping to find an answer, eventually managing, between one word and the next, to fall asleep.
*
“Huh, well, I guess that’d work.”
His nights word vomit boiled down to a short term goal, spite.
Easy enough to achieve, well, in a way, cause for reasons linked he guessed to guilt, but mama gave him an insane allowance, so much, he kept it mostly hidden under his bed but it’d work for this.
Rubbing the ache in his chest away, the dream of being a hero was bloody dead so it needed to stop hurting any time now!
He already took one free class a week at the Free Dojo, knew he’d get nothing better cause of background checks everyone had to have done to join up to any kind of group activities, but, tugging his computer to himself now, he launched into research, because Plan Spite Them All was a go!
*
He was gonna die!
His new plan required running, cause it was free to all.
The plan also required him to scream at Bakugou that he didn't fucking want to be a hero anymore because any industry that took a fucking bully like him didn't deserve Izuku in it!
Surprisingly, insulting his main bully led to quite a bit more running!
He upped his free self defense classes to three a week, and as he wasn't aiming for heroics anymore and loudly said so any chance he got, people started leaving him alone, especially as he didn’t fight back against the abuse at school but as soon as he got off school grounds he’d pick up a big stick and go hunting.
They learned, finally even Bakugou left him alone, and Izuku could bury himself into his plan.
Gen ed, then the sports festival, but with a twist all his own.
*
He’d toughened up, giving up on a dream seemed to cut him loose of a lot of give-a-damns, he worked ahead now on his school work, not to learn it but to get it the hell out of the way.
Going for runs all hours of the night and day, slipping out of the smothering apartment, no curfew cause the city never slept.
He did, still, a bit of sleep anyway, but he also learned to use makeup to cover the bags, he needed nothing attracting notice now and month by month he got better, stronger, faster, fitter.
Mama was thrilled he was aiming for gen ed but now relentlessly tried to get him to go into business instead, he’d finally come up with a lie, well, not a total lie, that he didn't know what he wanted, gen ed’d give him a break, let him figure it out, to please mama leave me alone for a bit!
She’d cried, but finally did give him some space.
And now here he was, watching Bakugou stride in like he owned the place already.
“Shit for brains.” he muttered, and took his intro pack to the welcome desk when it was his turn and got his testing room number.
An hour early, he sat and looked out the window, wondering when the dead dream would stop thrusting shards of ice through his guts, cause it could give up any time now.
*
It was easy, the test, although bits of it were at least a fun challenge, he’d enjoyed it really.
He enjoyed testing anyway, pitting himself against the test makers, seeing who was best, and he’d gone for lunch, finding the food was every bit as good as they’d all said it was.
Leaning for a bit against the wall he’d finally given up on it not hurting and headed home.
*
“Oh IZUKU you did it I always knew you would!”
She’d known he could do gen ed, great, “Thanks mama.” he said as he held the welcome letter in numb fingers, breaking away from her joy as soon as he could to run.
He liked running, no one ever told him he was too useless to run.
*
First day of class, meet and greet and orientation, Izuku paid attention, asked questions, got the handbook, had it read during lunch, believed the teacher's threat of dire consequences if he failed the pop quiz….
Why people thought Present Mic was a happy go lucky push-over was a mystery to Izuku, and his own private assessment was proved to be the correct one when no fewer than five of his class of twenty were taken down to the nearest discipline room and given their reward for failing the hand book quiz.
Yeah, no thanks to pissing Mic-sensei off!
*
Gen ed finished at two, heroics classes ended at six, the four hours they got of dedicated instructions was good for them but all students had access to the facilities of UA during that time.
They were all expected to put in at least four hours per week of physical effort towards making a good showing in the sports festival, and Izuku carefully studied his options and smiled, nodding in excitement.
Day one, he ran.
The hero course stats were posted, not with names but with results, so he had something to test himself against now, and class 1A had already done an assessment, so he began to do his own, not the ball throw and shit but the long distance running, he was pretty good, so he set off strong, feet pounding.
Four hours.
Pushing harder than he’d ever done before, he had to know, letting the rage off its leash, letting it drive him, digging deep, he simply ran.
*
“Anyone worried about the green haired kid trying to run themselves to death?”
Snipe watched them go, lap by lap on the huge track, easily passing the less determined, and Shouta leaned on the window, mug in hand as he waited to head into a meeting, “Huh, could have done with some of that in class today.”
Belting for training grounds gama as the life alert went off, it was all hands on deck as they tried to keep students from being crushed to death under a building when fucking All Might pit them against each other, no holds barred.
They saved the kids but it was only three other teachers holding Shouta back that saved the bloody teacher!
*
Izuku might have passed out a tiny bit at the end, well, greyed out anyway, but he had his results and could compare them against the heroes' classes and was pleased, because he’d blown most of them out of the water, coming in well above most of the A and B first year classes, even above some of the second and third years as well.
Every day after school his plan was to use the spar-bots three times a week, one day running the obstacle course from hell, and one just, running, because it made him feel good and upped his stamina.
The weekend was split, Saturday at the free dojo taking every class offered during the day, all eight hours of it, then Sunday he’d hike, or go to the beach, or just run the city looking for hero fights to help him destress a bit.
A full course indeed, and he had to fit the school work in as well, because in this school his grades mattered. Sparing a thought to the handbook test results, yeah, it mattered!
Looking at the wall calendar where the sports festival was marked in bright red, Izuku smiled, four more months.
*
Bakugou did him the world's biggest favor when he attacked him at lunch in the middle of week three.
Usually Izuku sat to the side, against the wall, but today he'd been late and had to sit in full view, his one time bully had seen him and gone mental!
Not only had he outed him to the entire place as quirkless, but he’d exploded the table and Izuku's lunch, had been grabbed and hauled away before he could do any actual damage to Izuku, past a few burns and shrapnel that is, yet Izuku’d let them drag him to the clinic, let himself be healed, and then gone to the principal's office when Mic-sensei’d come to get him.
Nezu was just as freaky scary dangerous vibes kinda person Izuku’d always suspected he might be, and long habit kept his eyes to the side, easily tracking but not letting any gaze-based quirk catch him, shoulders, ears, collar bones, all safe, not any closer to the eyes though, so he nodded and stayed calm and then, like an offer from the gods themselves…..
“Is there anything we as UA might give you to help overcome this trauma that you in no way deserved?”
It took three tries to get the words out, but he’d realized his first attempt on getting through the obstacle course that he needed something extra, something so utterly important to the plan and now he might get it.
“Gymnastics lessons?”
“I beg your pardon.”
“I want to show well in the Sports Festival. I take free dojo classes but no one will let me sign up for actual paid classes, I need gymnastics, just until the festival is over, please, if you really want to give me something, may I have that?”
A few pages flipped and a few considering hummmmms and the frightening person said, “Indeed, four hours after school, Monday and Wednesday and six hours on Saturday, is that acceptable to you?”
Ignoring the protesting sound from his homeroom teacher, Izuku bowed and said, “Thank you, that would be perfect.”
Present Mic trying to insist he was too young to do that many hours Izuku let fade away behind him as he left the room, his first class already booked for that very afternoon, he’d have to redo his entire schedule around it but his research showed, mass elimination round, team round, fights the final round.
He had to be fit fast agile.
*
Spar-bots were the most amazing thing he’d ever gotten to play with, and for his first time using one he’d let it test his entire skill set, such as it was, and now for the first time he’d been aiming at not defense but offense.
Fighting.
He’d let running go, only once per week and at home, Sunday was his only running time now.
Saturday afternoon he now took just to recover from his six hours in the morning of hard damned physical work, starting with learning to fall down.
He loved it, loved it all, threw his heart and soul into it because this was a limited time offer, expiring soon, and he had to get the most out of it!
*
“Nezu’s trying to kill another student.”
“Yep.”
“Shouta, that matters!”
“Is the kid in active danger?”
A very sulky “No.”
“You think you can stop Nezu?”
“…..no…..”
“Yeah, me neither.”
*
Weeks blurred past, with frozen moments of terror to punctuate the whizzing of his life.
“Midoriya, remain behind please.”
Easy going his ass, a lightening glance at Mic-sensei had Izuku frozen, every nerve alight in panic, he’d not broken any rule, was obsessively careful, oh gods, he must have broken an unwritten one.
Unwritten rules were nightmare fuel, he often woke in a sweat from just that very nightmare, this very nightmare as the rest of the class galloped home, escaping the airless void Izuku was trapped in, almost but not quite looking at the pissed teacher, because he had to know which way they’d move…..
‘No, bad Izuku, he’s a hero!’
Never meet your heroes.
His own stuff put away, not able to sit for how bad this could be, Izuku slowly stood, looking at the teacher now leaning against the edge of his desk, the teacher who said, “Every day this week I asked you a few questions.”
Confusion now, because Izuku NEVER volunteered anything, never asked questions, yet always answered them, “Yes sensei?”
“Every question I asked, you answered correctly.”
Oh fuck, was that wrong, was he in trouble for getting it right, he’d thought Mic was a good one, and Izuku hid his heart break and said again, “Yes sensei.”
“Can you tell me why then, you got them all wrong on your written work?”
Relief filled him, mixing sickeningly with the fear. “Have I broken a rule Mic-sensei?”
He had to know to answer this disaster properly, “No, not an actual stated rule, as such.”
Running the hand book though his mind Izuku could easily see at least five instances where the not stated part of that sentence could come bite him in the fucking ass so Izuku said, carefully, “In previous educational establishments it was taken…. Amiss….. If I did well.”
“When did that start?”
Always, Izuku wanted to yell, to scream, to rage yet he said, “Almost as soon as I started proper grade school, but I figured it out in third grade, if I only got a C average I was alright, it took years to work my way up to a low b, thought a low A might be acceptable here.
Refusing to let it hurt Izuku said, "I’m sorry sensei, is there a grade you’d like me to rest at?”
*
Looking at his hardest working student Hizashi wanted to scream, but didn’t, because he was a grown up.
“A grade? No.” He answered, “I expect you to always do your best, to answer and do your work to the fullest of your abilities and let your grades reflect your hard work.”
He’d been prepared to make his displeasure fully known, because grade sabotage was one of his bugbears, but the kid had a reason, an understandable and heartbreaking reason.
Years to be allowed to get a low b, when he should have been topping the charts all along.
“From now on, do your best, am I clear?”
The kid never looked at anyone, not in the face.
Oh, they looked like they were, but the kid looking at Hizashi’s ear was not looking at him, Izuku got nowhere near any adults, skittered away if it looked like even a possibility of getting cornered, had as much trust in his teachers as Shouta’d had at this age.
So, absolute zero trust!
“Right then Little listener, glad we got that cleared up, got any rockin’ questions for me a’for you head on home?”
“Ummm, no thank you sensei, but I’m going to the obstacle course first, is that still okay?”
Wanting to yell no, because this kid was working too hard, too much, but by this age kids were supposed to know their own limits, teachers only stepped in when something was clearly wrong, and other than a feral wildness to them, and a clear fear of adults, the kid looked fine.
They’d already done a home check, and now Nezu was going to check out their past school district, no matter it was something else heaping upon an already full to bursting schedule, because grade fixing only happened in this direction because of discrimination, and the kid was quirkless!
____________________________________________
Standing in the pack of kids waiting for the starting gun to go off, already aware of the bottleneck aspect of the first obstacle, Izuku lept high, shoulder dancing across the yelling students, and hit full speed before most of them even started.
*
Nineteenth across the finish line, not bad.
He’d managed to get onto a team who’d not listened to him at all, but despite that he’d leaned the right way, kicked the other, gotten them along in a swiping stumble as Bakugou’s team rocketed past, not even noticing Izuku grabbing his band.
A million points, and no one even noticed, because he’d not just grabbed it, but replaced it with a band he’d swiped earlier.
There’d been some kind of kerfuffle when a mental quirk was complained about, but Izuku didn't care, they were all hero students, even the purple haired one everyone was bitching about.
Now they’d all started yelling about who had the million, but Izuku was through the doors and hiding in a ready room by then.
*
One versus one, Izuku’d been given a hero course student he knew by reputation, Ida, and didn't laugh when the kid blasted full speed at him, simply stepped smartly to the side, stuck a leg out, and watched them sail over the line head and hands first.
Of course he’d gotten his fucking leg broken but whey hey, thank gods for Recovery Girl.
He missed watching the matches, instead had a nap after healing and then taken his place against a kid that smelt of ozone.
Ozone and hot insulation, a nice smell really but Izuku knew what it meant, and knew the hero course students from watching them any chance he got, electric user, Kaminari Denki.
Known for going over his limit, and his expression of determination, his muttered “So not fair on you man, sorry.” and all Izuku had to do was jump free of the ground when Midnight sensei yelled "BEGIN!”
Burns, but only superficial.
He’d led the kid out of the ring, taken the win, and then sighed in defeat because, he was up against Todoroki next.
*
Encased in ice Izuku was right back to how it felt to be drowning in sludge, caught and helpless and about to die!
He kept his reaction hidden though, long enough to be let go, hiding in a ready room again to let the shakes ease, his breathing to settle.
*
Third.
He’d placed third, and Bakugou lost to Todoroki in the second rounds and not even gotten close to the podium, and the mind-quirk won the top place.
Wow, people were gonna hate this line up.
Taking his place Izuku didn't bother looking at All Might, it didn't matter if the man remembered him or not, just ducked his head, let the bronze be placed around his neck.
Shying backwards he almost fell off the podium when the man tried to hug him for some reason, and Izuku only breathed again when he left to give the others their medals.
Third, quirkless, gen ed student, he’d gotten third.
*
Fleeing the crowds he’d headed deeper into UA grounds, heading for water, diving in fully clothed, floating amongst the weeds until he was fully calm again.
Then he headed home.
*
The shit first hit the fan on Monday, when he was headline news and mama lost her ever loving shit but he calmed her down, reminded her that participation in the Sports Festival was mandatory, and he’d gone to school as usual.
He already never wore the uniform on his commutes, dressing at school so he managed to get in, get to class, keep his head down as much as possible.
The day passed.
It passed with him in class, not called to the office, the way his plan needed to come true.
Three days, he kept to his routine, not gymnastics of course. He’d tried to pay to keep his place but been told no, it was a favor for UA, his time was done.
Taking it a bit easy as he recovered from the festival he ran, sparred with the bots, rested a bit more, three days passed, and how, HOW could he still be so stupid.
Of course he wasn't going to be moved up, of course his plan was an epic fail, he’d not been offered a hero course placement, not gotten to refuse, not gotten to do the dramatic flinging it in their faces.
And only now did he realize he’d actually still had hope.
Hope to transfer.
Gods, it hurt.
*
Watching Midoriya disappear in class, head down, grimly do his work, yet still training as if -
As if.
Hizashi remembered Shouta, remembered it took three years for him to get his place, third in the Sports Festival was amazing.
“Wow Midoriya, you did great for someone quirkless!”
It wasn't bullying, but it was fucked up all the same, and the kid had raised his head, a flicker of expression, “Thanks, you didn't, for someone quirked.”
Wow, did that kick a hornet's nest, Hizashi broke it up, lectured the entire class on word choices, assigned an essay on sexual discrimination from a few hundred years ago, and couldn't do a damned thing to help the kid, because the heroics classes were full, and he’d only placed third.
*
Five days, Izuku’d almost relaxed, was at home, resting before hitting the free dojo, the slamming of something huge against his door had him almost levitating to his feet, mama at work, he’d long ago added reinforcements to their door, it should hold for a bit.
Sixth floor, two choices, hide, or out the window.
Hitting call as he gripped the phone in a white knuckled fist he said, voice resolutely level, “Mic-sensei, my apartment is under attack, my mama’s at work, send someone to save her, hurry.”
Squawking, all the expected things, help was on the way for him to just hold on and yeah right, raising his voice to be heard over the thundering he said, “I’m okay, safe enough,” - tugging his rope free of its hidden loop, he’d rigged it a year ago, never practiced, hoped it was still good, would hold - “get someone to where mama works now, fucking SAVE HER!”
Turning it off as the door smashed in Izuku swung out, the far end of the rope was attached across the lane, to the fire escape of the apartments there, he was wearing socks, no gloves, as he swung he slid, screaming pain in his hands, skin burning off as his feet took the impact, getting one foot looped properly around the rope to stop the slide, bless the gymnastics, he was down with no further injury, six floors, not looking back at the yells from above, he simply ran.
*
Targeted.
They were on his heels fast, he’d known it could happen, quirkless trying to rise above their station.
Known his bullies statistically could become villains, had family that could already be that.
He was flying off the bridge as they rounded the corner behind him, a flat arching dive and as he hit the water he knifed back, aiming for the bridge itself.
His imagination was his friend, he’d run this in his mind time and again, this bridge had a second bridge under it, historic, protected by the newer one, supports sandwiched within larger supports, he easily slid between them, hiding soundlessly now.
Only when darkness fell did he move again.
Spending as much time underwater as possible, hugging the edges hardest to overlook, he swam, slow and steady, it was only a few miles and in the darkness he’d easily escape any new notice.
*
The sun was coming up again when he made it to UA, slipping up to the gates from where he was using the bushes to hide his movement, gasping in relief as the gates opened, Mic sensei meeting him
“MAMA, did you get her, is she safe!”
It was the only thing he was worried about, and he nodded, assuring the man he was alright and then he was in the infirmary yet again, his hands being tended to, rope burns, cuts and scrapes across the soles of his feet, only when the pain eased did he realize how much it hurt, only when they told him she was safe did he sigh in relief.
He was alive, mama was safe, nothing else mattered.
*
“IZUKU oh my gods baby what happened are you alright I told you this school was the wrong idea I’m taking you out of it right now I can’t believe this I told you not to compete I told you this would happen the whole world knows you're quirkless baby just look what happened!”
Dark cold eyes in a white furred face as Nezu said, “Midoriya-san, UA does not release your son from his student contract, and participation in the sports festival is mandatory.”
Seeing mama swelling up to begin properly yelling he said, “Just listen mama.” because the principal had a plan, it was clear.
“I am sorry Midoriya, we seem to have failed you yet again, however, you, Midoriya-san are also now in danger, so I propose to place you down south, an accountancy position, pay thirty percent above your current salary.”
“It comes with housing set at fifty percent below base rate for employees.”
“You may of course communicate with your son via all the online resources available, keeping in touch that way rather than in person, a simple name change and a few cosmetic shifts and you, Midoriya-san, will be safe indeed as Izuku here finishes his education.”
Now Izuku had hope, proper hope because there was his mama, hard headed money number cruncher, her eyes now calculating, and he almost breathed a sigh of relief, almost, because he too was in the principal’s eye, and it spelled nothing good to meet and speak with your heroes.
“For our student I propose he move immediately into the ward dorms, as did our first place winner, he too has been attacked over his fully and utterly well earned win, but his safety too is our concern.”
“Will my baby be kept on campus, will he be safe?”
“He will indeed be kept on campus until such times as the danger to him has been reduced, or removed.”
Great, a prisoner, and he’d not even gotten his spite filled goal achieved.
Standing beside his mama Izuku agreed to it all though, because it kept her safe.
She really was all that mattered, certainly at this point.
*
Watching Hizashi leading the exhausted victim of a murder attempt away to what was essentially incarceration on campus, Shouta opened his mouth and then closed it when Nezu snarled, “My hands are tied!”
“You know this!”
Shouta did indeed know it, and hated it.
“How long until we - ”
“Three more years.”
It is a certainty now that we will win but it will take three full years, if he wins first place in the sports festival then we can transfer him, if it is not a first place win we can not, and even a win might not be enough now.”
“Three years, and UA and the Commission will both be in my full and total control and we can deal with making his life goal something he actually can achieve.”
“Great, so his reward for third place is imprisonment at UA and separation from his mother.”
“Yes.”
The bleak tone matched the emotions perfectly, and they both watched as down below, tiny with the distance, Hizashi led the way to the ward dorms.
*
Sitting in the generic space he now lived in, Izuku had the world's quietest panic attack, finally passing out only to claw himself from nightmares not much after dawn.
Everything they’d owned was destroyed, he’d been given clean clothes, fresh uniforms, and new school supplies.
Even his money was gone, the apartment was a gutted, blasted ruin.
He needed a new hobby, like, yesterday, something to focus on, “Dance, can the spar bots dance?”
Tugging on his new shoes he headed out to see, because if he didn't move he’d die.
*
They could indeed dance, and Izuku spent a few hours learning to waltz.
He enjoyed it.
Breakfast wasn't too bad, he met his fellow inmate, “Call me Hitoshi, seems we’re gonna be stuck here for a bit.”
“Yeah, call me Midoriya, no point in getting close, you’re gonna be a hero, associating with me will just bring you down.”
*
The kid looked rough.
Hitoshi knew the bones of the story, the same group that had gone after him went after the gen ed student too, and he’d offered his name in a gesture of maybe friendship but had it resoundingly smacked down.
Fair enough, Midoriya’d gotten third in the fucking festival and his sum total gain was locked in at school after not even getting into the hero course.
He wasn't surprised really, but he was disappointed.
At least Hitoshi got out of an indifferent foster placement, now had all of UAs campus at his fingertips all day every day, and was already a hero student.
The third place winner just got his life smashed into pieces and got to stay in Gen ed, wow, like, no wonder he looked one second away from killing someone.
*
Izuku’d called mama, gotten all the news about her place, the new job, new people, the new town and palm trees and sand and how pretty it all was.
He’d smiled and chatted and been glad, she could start again now, safe with her new name, her quirk changed hair, such a pretty rose color, and she asked about his new room and if he liked the other ward students and he’d given all the right answers.
They’d agreed to call every three days, he’d talked her down from every day, but weaning her off of him totally would take time.
This way though he could recover from each one cause he missed her so much but she’d had him really young, not an accident really but certainly not planned, so with her new life she could find someone new, have more kids, better kids, be a brand new person filled with fun and joy and it was good, good!
Filling out his list of required items as he ignored the shards of ice ripping into his chest at the thought of her having a new life without him, she’d sent money to his account, at least he still had that, and he’d ordered some stuff online, and settled in to more research, dance wasn't enough now, but disguises now…..
He needed to understand disguises like, yesterday!
*
The kid was acting as if nothing had happened, but they’d all watched the footage of him holding his medal, stroking it, clenching a fist around it, and then hurling it into the lake.
“Oh damn, oh fucking hell.”
“Before any of you do a single thing, remember we are almost at the end of a very long plan of attack, we can not jeopardize it over one child.”
“Ryou, he is booked in with you for an assessment after the attack and his escape, see to it he had a therapist for weekly meetings, no getting out of it on his end.”
“Agreed,” the big masc grumbled, “he badly needs it.”
“Yeah,” Shouta said as they watched the child in question stare across the water, dry eyed, “he really does.”
*
His dresses had arrived, as well as his wigs.
Once again cutting his hair off, he’d bought a green one to match his own appearance perfectly, but now he also had long black, short red, curly pink, and long waved orange.
He planned to specialize in looking fem, he even had, blushing as he looked at them, three sizes of jelly bresties.
Leggings, high top sneakers, a frilled skirt top kind of a thing, long sleeves with finger loops to keep them in place, he put the black hair on, tied it back, foundation took care of his freckles, makeup did the rest, glittering clip on earrings and he looked at a total stranger in the mirror.
“Damn, Eraserhead’s love child, anyone?”
Snorting a hysterical gaffaw Izuku twirled to spread his skirt, took a book and apple as he ignored Hitoshi totally now he was done giggling at the very idea of being that heroes anything-at-all relation, and headed out to the open area beside the lunch room.
Kids were there all the time, he sat and munched his apple and read his book and no one even batted an eye at him.
Step one in disguises, resounding success!
*
“So, disguises huh? Wonder how long until he tries to sneak out?”
“I bet you three weeks.”
“Six.”
“Ten.”
“No way, ten days not weeks.”
They all threw numbers into the pot but only Hizashi said, “End of school year, at the soonest, and probably not even then, he’ll ask to be let out, but not until summer.”
Because the kid was so smart, and played a long game well, would make a fantastic undergrounder, or a frightening villain.
Villain, the kid really could go that way.
“Hey Shouta, what’s your bet?”
His fool of a best friend pointed at Hizashi and raised his coffee in solute, and Nemuri said, “You’re both nuts, looking like that, that kid’ll be breaking out of here next week.”
But she was wrong, and the kid stayed put, even if it was actively painful to watch him do it.
*
Watched, all the time.
It was part and parcel of life on campus, he’d lived with it as a student, gotten relief when off campus….
No off campus now.
He had the rules memorized, had asked if there were special rules for the ward students, or special rules for himself even so as to not get caught out, but not gotten much more than the usual, so he’d breathed a tiny sigh of relief because nothing said he couldn't teach himself new things, in his off time.
And this way he could do it and not get caught by mama, cause she’d go mental if he turned into a girl on the regular cause of how girls still had dangers boys never had to face, he already faced enough as quirkless so why add to that, and she hated him working too hard, loved him to just sit with her for movies and some gentle baking, he’d had to sneak out or come up with clever little lies to get round her fear of his living out in the big wide dangerous world.
Weeks now, he’d begun to have fun with it, boy girl other neither both, come up with back stories for them all, when Denki of all people tried to chat him up at lunch.
No rule said he had to look like himself on campus, so half the time he didn't, but catching a hero course student’s eye was a laugh and a half.
He still ran because no such thing as too much stamina, had gotten permission to run at night even because it was a lit track, and his insomnia was now listed as a medical condition, and tiring himself out running was supposed to be good for him, had even started dragging Shinsou out with him, because listening to someone pant and complain was lovely.
And he still sparred, still danced, still ran the obstacle course, still managed to do rope work, added in tree climbing and cross country scrambling, straight lining it, pick any spot and head in a straight line until he hit the boundary wall.
No rule against swimming in the lake or streams or the little river or the ponds or the swamp either, he hit them all.
People got used to seeing him covered in mud, used to him floating in icy cold water, yelling if he was okay, yelling if he needed help, thumbs up to one, thumbs down to the other.
Hitoshi was funny now, a few weeks into the new locked in life, somehow they’d started sparring together as well as run, had even agreed to given names, it was nice, because Izuku didn't know anyone well, had no friends and now no mama.
He refused to cling to his new dorm mate, shared nothing but school work ideas, although they did start teaming the disguises, because Hitoshi’d caught sight of him in not only in a dress but dancing with the spar bot and laughed until he fell down, demanding, “You have gotta let me do this too!”
*
“Friends? Any friends at all?”
“No, well, maybe one but it's early days yet.”
“How goes his counseling?”
“Oh wow,” Ryou barked, “can that kid stone wall, he makes Nezu’s firewalls look like paper!”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, shit indeed.”
*
“Heeeeey little listeners, I have two words for you all, Cultural Festival!”
Izuku gave no ideas in the class wide discussion that followed those same two words, and was okay with the coffee stand, A Flavor Of Portugal of all things but why not, he helped with the work, and started enjoying the bitter black brew.
He was annoyed, yet not surprised, when he was taken aside and given a lecture on safe consumption of caffeine shortly afterwards, and limited to two cups of coffee per day.
But perhaps the ten he’d had that day might actually have earned him that lecture, and he got to complain with Hitoshi about over bearing interfering teachers and it wasn't the worst thing to have happen, so he enjoyed what he was allowed, and got on with things.
*
Class one A was doing an ice rink, it was the hit of the entire festival, and it was only late in the evening, once the rest had all gone home that Izuku got a chance to try it, strapping blades to his feet stepping delicately onto the ice.
He fell as fast, rolled back up, replayed his break-scrolling from earlier, how to's on skating, and began.
It was like flying!
Falling over and over again, ignoring Hitoshi as he yelled about black and blue, gaining speed, ease, Izuku skated until the ice melted too much, only just getting in for dorm check on time.
The next day he ordered himself rollerblades, because he needed new things to learn all the time.
It was that or go insane.
*
“Anyone see Midoriya using the skating rink?”
“Yeah, kids got ballance I’d kill for in most of my classes.”
“Could we make a permanent rink, do you think?”
“Yeah, as if we need something else to supervise right now!"
“Yeah.” Knowing the time constraints all of them were struggling under, Hizashi sighed, “Yeah.”
*
“So, you what, head in a straight line till you hit the boundary wall?”
“Yep.”
“Toshi, that sounds stupid!”
Looking at his friends Hitoshi gave an evil smile, “Do it then, let's see how you get on with it.”
Tooru, Denki, Tsu, and himself, Hitoshi’d watched Izuku do it, was glad to finally be able to call him Izuku, he’d begun to believe he’d never get inside that guarded person, knew how hard this was, how easy Izuku made it look.”
Setting off at the same time, almost the same line, only Tsu managed to make it all the way, and Hitoshi laughed as they all headed back to his dorm building, because maybe he’d be able to get Izuku to be friends with his class?
Epic fail, the kid’d taken one look at them all and bolted.
“What’s his problem?” Denki’d asked, and Hitoshi shrugged, it wasn't his place to explain the trials and tribulations of being Midoriya.
He’d keep trying but damn, it’d taken him three months just to get to call him by given name, and they lived together now!
*
The end of year meeting was rough, long and complicated, and the final item, “What do we do with Shinsou and Midoriya this summer?”
It was deemed less disruptive to have them remain safe on campus than try and find a safe place to put them, although Hitoshi would be spending a fair bit of time with the hell class out on summer training, leaving Midoriya alone.
It sucked, but life did sometimes.
He could have spent a few days here and there with teachers but the logistics were crap, the plan running all their lives so full on simply finding a spare hour was damned near impossible, never mind a day or two but they’d all agreed to try and the kid nodded and said how nice they all were when it was offered but followed with, “No thank you, I’m alright in the dorms, I’ll spend time doing my usual.”
As his usual was working like he was a hero student, hours and hours a day, every day, at least he would be occupied.
*
An empty UA was a bit spookie, but Izuku was enjoying it.
He had food in the kitchen, things to do, money to play with, he needed to order new clothes soon cause he had grown a bit, and other than having to wear a life alert cuff in case he got hurt, he was left to his own devices.
They’d said he could get a pet but he'd said no thanks to that as well, he needed no ties in his life.
He’d train for the next sports festival, see if he could win the damned thing this time, but it was mostly out of habit.
They’d never offer him a heroic placement now, win or no win, he’d only ever get grief for winning, or even placing, and this time he bet he’d have to deal with students teaming up against him.
Still, as he lunged out of the way, sweeping a kick at the spar bot, flipping up and over when they caught and threw him, at least it kept him fit.
And if he was locked in anyway, why not aim to fight his hardest, it didn't matter if he won or not but shoving his quirklessness into the worlds face from behind big safe walls was pretty awesome.
*
“May I go off campus tomorrow, I will wear my life alert cuff and go in disguise.”
Looking at the calm face, Hizashi frowned, and reluctantly agreed when Nezu said a flat “NO.”
The kid didn't argue, just nodded and left the office.
“For fucks sake, can we not take him somewhere?”
“Yes, next week, you will be free for six hours and can take him out for a brief excursion, until then however remember, he is one student, one.”
“And once we have our school in our control and the commission under my full power, he will be assured of getting into the hero course, even if he has to start at year one again, it will be done!”
“We will not tell him any of this because we could still fail, so focus Hizashi, he is healthy, safe, and occupied.”
Looking down at the tiny figure trudging across the green, seeing them fall into the lake without even pausing on the edge, only the fact the kid did it all the time stopped Hizashi from bolting down to save them.
Turning back to the work at hand, Nezu was right, the kid was safe enough, and the plan was for the entirety of the educational system of the country, as well as heroics in general.
One kid really did not weigh up against that, especially as they were safe, and occupied.
*
Nice try, Izuku gave himself a gold star on the trying bit, he’d used some of what they’d covered in counseling to do it, so gold star indeed.
Floating, he let it go, he was safe enough, busy, his mama was loving her new life, had started dating again, what was he compared to her happiness.
A lot, said his councilor, but Izuku disagreed.
Deciding to see if he could order a rebreather, he let the water hold him, and sighed, he didn't want to go far, just a coffee house, but he could make his own coffee, and, rolling over he opened his eyes and looked at the gloom of the lake floor, diving might be fun.
*
Diving was indeed fun.
The gear was idiot proof, easy to use, made no sound and weighed very little, he had it on and was in the lake less than ten minutes after unpacking it.
He was out of the lake almost as fast when he was hauled out by his ear once his life alert bracelet gave a silent alarm to the powers that be.
And wow, the lecture was bad enough, he really should have thought to tell someone, but his relief at escaping anything worse than a lecture was immense because it was Eraserhead who’d gotten him out of the lake, and his hands were clearly itching to make sure Izuku didn't do it again!
Only his usual good behavior got him off the hook, and he diligently applied himself to the essay he’d been assigned and to his training course in how to use the equipment safely, and keep himself safe as he used it.
Because a spanking from a hero might just kill Izuku!
*
On a whim Izuku called Hitoshi, because he was busy, very busy, but….
And he was curious as to what the hero students were getting up to so it was logical, just logic, not friendship.
And the rant was awesome!
"So get this, fucking Monoma decided to throw a full on strop about how I’m just a villain in disguise and my quirk is evil and yeah, Sensei taking a switch to his bare ass for all of us to see was good, not gonna lie, that brat is a thorn in all our sides, he is just a fucking wanker but hey, get this!"
Amazed delight radiated off his friend and Izuku gave a soundless laugh, "Sensei made him copy MY QUIRK!!!"
"Not just copy it but use it, all fucking week, mine was the only one he was allowed to use, and he had to use it on all his classmates, repeatedly, fuck you should have seen him by the end, he was crying with how hard it is, how much it hurts…"
"Well, not now with me, or not much, it’s like a muscle, I’m used to it by now but he got it all, migraines, nose bleeds, double vision, emotional bleed through and his friends looking at him like he’s sick for having it!"
"So, proper vengeance and a side order of heaping learning better?"
"Oh, so much, so MUCH!”
Chatting a bit more, Izuku blinked in frustration, and Hitoshi the perceptive fucker asked immediately, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," the look had him shaking his head, "nothing really wrong, I was just hoping for some ideas, cause if I know how y’all 'r training then I can match it but if your just focused on getting stronger quirk wise then I got nothing new."
"Oh, yeah, sorry that sucks."
“Never mind, hey, let me tell you about getting caught by your sensei, no idea why he was on campus but I got this rebreather and - ”
*
Izuku’d already done all his summer work, read ahead in all his classes, and mastered not just his good quality aquatic equipment but also the hero grade almost invisible gear he’d been gifted by person or persons unknown for his birthday, which he spent alone, as usual.
Mama’d spent a few hours on the computer with him, but that was it, one package from her, one from stranger-san, and like the very good boy he was, or rather the not wanting to get his ass in trouble from taking gifts from strangers and trusting his life to untested gear he called Mic-sensei and told him about it.
"On my way." Was his reply, and the man smiled in approval that Izuku absolutely did not bask in, and said, "I’m proud of you kiddo, I know the source, good call asking, and tomorrow you have six hours of instruction with its use."
"Little listener, we know this isn't fair on you, just, hold on, yeah? Enjoy your time at UA, keep working hard, use all the facilities available to you, work that brain of yours really hard, oh, and happy birthday."
A hug and the man had gone, looking so tired, so sad.
But he’d been right, Izuku’d come to that realization across the summer, life sucked, it wasn't fair, take advantage of where he was now, find the fun, and maybe even try this year to make a few friends.
And not get himself in trouble, cause he’d seen kids after DR trips with his sensei, and no fucking thanks!
____________________________________
The older students in the ward dorms had graduated, it was just him, well, just him and Hitoshi, and mindful of his new resolve to make friends Izuku didn't bolt from the room when Hitoshi got back, bringing half his class with him.
“Sorry, damn, Izuku I’m sorry, they just - ”
"It's okay, you live here too, and this is the common room, it’s okay, really.”
Of course he was talking more to himself than his dorm mate, because he was starting to panic a bit, he’d seen about three people all summer long, this was a lot!
But he took the glass Hitoshi gave him, did his breathing exercises, and managed to stay in the room, even if it was beside the open window so he could escape at need.
And bit by bit he relaxed, and they stayed quiet, and it was okay.
Not good, but okay.
*
Watching Izuku striding away to plunge into the lake and not come up again, if Hitoshi’d not known about his hero grade scuba equipment he’d have panicked, but he did, so he didn't.
“Damn, ummmm, were we too much?”
“No, just, well, it's hard, you know?”
“Yeah,” Tsu said softly, “we don’t know how to help, he should be one of us, and instead he’s not just still in gen ed but locked in here like prison, all for something he doesn't even have any control over.”
Breaking the mood totally, Dark asked in excitement, “FUMI, can I go underwater?”
And when they went to try it, they all wound up muddy, soaked through, and somehow Izuku had joined them.
*
“So, quirks are the bait used to get him past his boundaries huh?”
Watching Izuku talking to Dark, engaging with someone most people didn't even see as a person, watching her delight at making a friend, Hizashi hummmmm, “How do we use this?”
Whacking him across the back of his head Shouta said, “We don't, come on, meeting.”
“Fucks sake, we need a break!” but knowing the plan, Hizashi gave one final glance at the kids and then away, if it worked they’d save this kid, and until then, maybe he’d save himself first.
*
“Do me.”
“Huh?”
“Me, use your quirk on me, and tell me to go to sleep, to sleep deeply and restfully, to awaken in two hours refreshed and ready for a full day of hard work.”
“My quirk doesn't work like that.”
“Have you ever tried it like that?”
“No.”
“Go on then, do it.”
“Do it do it do it do it do it do it do it - ” “IZUKU!”
“Yeah? Wh…….”
Watching his friend, Hitoshi noticed how nice he looked, relaxed and sleeping on the couch, and he waved Dark to be quiet, whispering that it was a quirk experiment and not to be loud.
They all know she was young in her emotions, and while it’d been a surprise when she’d started joining them in the ward dorms without Tokoyami, it seemed to be good for her too.
No one had known she could even leave her host, had in many ways discounted her, even when they knew she was a person, but now….
Now she was coming into her own, and they’d established she could go at least a mile from base, as it were, and during Heroics she was being given extra training, and during class she was being made to work on actual classwork, because up til now she’d been let off scot free.
It was a work in progress, and Hitoshi set her down with a learning video, a fun one with round amorphous blobs that told stupid jokes and counted and well, she loved it anyway.
*
Right on the dot Izuku woke up, filled with piss and vinegar, and not much after that they were facing Mic sensei AND Aizawa-sensei, because
“Quirk use is handled how?”
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck Hitoshi knew this, had had it drummed into the classes heads even if not just his own and he was about to speak when
“Its my fault Sensei’s, I asked him to do it, I don’t have one, never thought of the logical safeties in place, we’re comfortable here, I relaxed, let my guard down, I am so terribly sorry, any punishment you believe we have earned give it to me, Hitoshi was just doing it to assuage my idle curiosity and meant no harm.”
“Soooooo, do you think being a manipulative little shit is gonna help you both right now?”
Aizawa-sensei’s tone was bland, his you’re about to dig yourself a nice deep grave, go on, keep digging expression one Hitoshi knew so well, yet Izuku impossibly gave a tiny tiny smile, “What use is counseling if it doesn't save me, especially when it was an honest mistake.”
“Honest mistake?” Mic sensei had the rep of easy going, but as Hitoshi’d had the extreme misfortune to be spanked by the man, he knew better, and the tone alone curled his toes but again Izuku was made of sterner stuff, “It really was.”
“I’m not trying to manipulate you cause I know if we break a rule then we get punished for it, but…. I don't have that rule, and we were relaxed, like…. This really is home, kinda anyway, and quirks are allowed at home…..”
“Sorry, I’m just making it worse, go on, let's get it over with.”
Watching the two heroes exchange glances, clearly long time friends, Hitoshi prayed it'd work, because the honest truth was, he’d felt like he was at home too, and just forgotten this was a dorm, not…..
“Home huh?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
“Kid, I have never seen luck like yours, bad or good, your luck is huge!” Glaring at them both Shouta said, “I agree, in this instance alone in dealing with this issue, this is your home, and quirks are allowed at home, so….”
“You both get a pass, but just you two, no one else, not in this space or any other, you wanna play with quirks you get supervision, understand?”
Nodding frantically they agreed on eternal best behavior and then Mic-sensei asked, “What was the goal?”
“Oh,” Izuku said in almost giddy relief, “I sleep like crap, and I suddenly wondered if his quirk could make me sleep, and if it could, how much else could be linked to that, could he make me sleep well, or restless, awake refreshed or tired, and heroes don’t have very long careers, sleep specialist is a great follow on job, but that was just me thinking shit like normal, so this first time I just wanted to see if I could be refreshed.”
“Were you?”
“Oh yeah, awesome, feel like I’ve had six cups of coffee NOT THAT I know, ummm, what that…. feels like…. or anything…. ummmm.”
“Kid?”
“Yes Aizawa-sensei?”
“The ice under your feet is very thin.”
Watching them stride out, tired to the bones from the look of them, Hitoshi gave a whoooosh of breath, “Fucks sake I thought we’d be over their knee for sure!”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Did you mean it, about this feeling like home?”
“Yeah, well, by now it bloody well should, we’ve been here long enough.”
“We really have.”
“Does it feel like that to you too?”
Nodding in surprise, “It kinda does.”
“Good, now, how do you feel about diving?”
“Why?”
“Well, I have a second full set of gear, the instructor is booked already for tomorrow cause we both have it off, and I wanna show you the bottom of the lake?”
*
Tsu almost gave them both a heart attack at the bottom of the lake, but other than that Hitoshi’s first dive went pretty great!
*
Both of them were called into the principal's office, and while trepidation filled them, the notice for the meeting was clear, it was just a formality, a checking in on the wards, and a refresher of the rules and expectation, now that they were growing older there would be a brief talk about things not allowed in the dorms.
More adult things, and as they’d both been subjected to the school sanctioned sex education talk, the very thorough sex ed talk, that stretched ten fucking days long and everyone wanted to die as they sat through it, they both knew exactly what they were not supposed to be getting up to in their rooms.
And the visit went well, Izuku had even begun relaxing a bit around the adults he now knew fairly well, Mic-sensei there for him, Aizawa-sensei for Hitoshi, Nezu and Ryou as well and while it was long, and covered all sorts of things, food and clothing and money and hobbies and expectations for the coming year, Izuku thought he was finally going to be let go when Nezu asked, “Midoriya, when were you subject to a vision based quirk?”
“Huh?”
The dead unimpressed expression from the white furred master of all their fates had Izuku freezing, trying not to think about it, but it was too late, all the adults were looking now, and Mic-sensei said, “Oooooh, so thats why.”
A brief moment to contemplate escape, but he’d spent months with a councilor, even if he didn't engage the way he probably should he’d learned things, had grown too, he was sixteen now, felt so much more grown up than last year, and while he did grip his hands together, he finally managed to say, “Third grade.”
“Teacher, quirk called Black Out.”
“Should have been called puppetteer, cause once he blanked your brain he could pilot you, liked to leave me weird places, get me in trouble.”
“On stairs, not at the top, just one or two, three at most, he liked to hurt kids but too much damage might have gotten him caught.”
“Only targeted kids no one would believe, so me, and a few others, I did try….”
Shaking his head at the memory, “Yeah, didn't go well.”
“I need a name, and the record of a series of targeted quirk attacks will be added to your records, sealed for medical personnel only.”
Nezu sounded as he always did, yet Mic-sensei’s voice shook ever so slightly, “How long Little listener?”
“How long for what? Oh, oh how long until I learned better to look him in the eyes? I was just little, took me stupidly long, half a year before he stopped getting me any time he wanted, full year before he had to work for it, another one before he never got me again, he’s retired now, think so anyway.”
“He never did sexual shit, just, a bit fucked in the head really oh no, not, ummmm, sorry for the swear.”
“I think,” Aizawa-sensei said carefully, “what you went through gets you a pass for a few swears.”
“Oh, good, thanks.”
*
Once again watching the tiny figures passing out of sight way down below, this time jostling and shoving each other the way kids were supposed to do, others joining them, Dark looping in crazy spirals, Hizashi said, “I should have known.”
“No, sweetheart, you will not take this on, it is not your fault, many children dislike meeting adults' eyes, even well adjusted and much loved children often have that dislike.”
“I am passing it off now to a trusted colleague,” - fingers a rattling blur as he sent the pertinent information along - “and retired or not they will be paying for their actions.”
“And the child's councilor now knows as well, and other than thinking himself at fault for falling to an adult's quirk, he has adjusted well to the systemic attacks, and will be receiving help for that now as well.”
“Sadly, we now need to speak of - "
Point by point the meeting continued, because so much still had to be done!
*
Looking at the big, huge, golden crisp skin, mouth watering smell, mountains of mashed potatoes, fresh bread stuffing, little round green things he thought were called brussel sprouts, and green beans and pickles and enough food to feel a veritable army, Hitoshi asked the pertinent question.
“Izuku, what's that?”
Slightly crazed eyes met his, “It's a turkey.”
“A whole turkey?”
“Yeah,” now the crazed eyes were defensive as well, “I like turkey.”
“Izuku, how’re you gonna eat an entire turkey?”
His friend drew himself up and said with haughty disdain, "One bite at a time!”
“Izuku what the fuck is wrong?”
“This,” a frantic hand waved around, “it’s home and we never had a home warming party. I didn't do anything for your birthday either, never got any presents to make this place nicer, didn't do any any anything f f for, sorry I’m such a crap friend!”
Easing up onto the sobbing melting down clearly overwhelmed person, it was a bad time for the rest of the friend group to crash in, but the tipping back head and wailing like a siren clued them in that yeah, something was wrong, and they froze as he finally got hands on Izuku, pulling him carefully into a hug.
Thwarting the attempt to bolt he said, softly, “How about we do it now?”
A long moment of sobs and then a very hiccups watery “Huh?”
Looking into bloodshot and puffy eyes, “We can do it now, joint birthday and house warming feast, for all of us, and this time next year I’ll cook the back to school starting it all again super blowout feast cause you did this year, okay?”
“Yeah,” sniffles and a blush, "Sorry.”
“Don’t be, let's just eat, and Denki, go get the online games set up, we can gorge as we play that fairy game, the one with all sparkles and stuff, I know you haven't played it yet Izuku but you watch us sometimes, so play or watch, it's all good.”
“Come on, where do we start?”
A tired mumble, “We don’t have a sweet.” and Hitoshi kept a hold on him, Tsu plating up, fussy little complaints still dribbling out of the wilting figure, “No gravy, forgot. Sour cream's in the fridge, ssss’for the sprouts, you’ll hate them, everyone hates sprouts.”
“Do you like em, dude?”
Denki was being so careful, Hitoshi loved him, and Izuku nodded, “Then I’ll love em too, sure to love em they look like baby cabbages so cute how could anyone not love em!”
Watching Izuku get half a plate into him before falling asleep, Hitoshi said, “Damn, this is a bad one.”
“He do this often?”
“No, usually he’s really got a handle on himself, but any time he gets in any kind of trouble, like, at all, or a big unexpected shock-by-teachers kinda thing, he goes off the rails a bit, and we did just get a telling off and the big back to school lecture where some shit came up, so I should have expected something really.”
“The food is new though.”
“The food is fucking awesome!” Tooru and Tsu chimed together and Hitoshi nodded, cause it really was!
*
“Izuku, will you train with us for the sports festival?”
Izuku looked over from his lists with a glazed expression and asked with consummate grace and conversational skills, “Huh?”
“Smooth Izuku, really on it tonight.”
“Fuck off Toshi, and what do you mean train with you?”
Tooru, who was usually loud and bright and active in class was, in a small group like this, quiet, not just vocally but in her body language as well, said softly, “You made it to third.”
Flipping her sleeves at him she said, “Shut up, you did that. You. Just you and skill and awesomeness, and while Hitoshi won the damn thing none of the rest of us even placed. And while I have no illusions of placing this year either, I want to do at least as good as I did last year, don’t want to….”
“Disappoint Sensei?” Denki asked, eyes nailed to his hands, shoulders slumped.
“Yeah, cause something's going on, and unlike my old man,” Kyoka said, “Sensei doesn't take it out on us, being tired and stressed just makes him more careful, so I’d like….”
“To do well.” Tsu said softly.
“Yeah.” They all whispered and they were so sad, so down, Izuku couldn't help it when he nodded, “Yeah.”
“But but but - ”
When he stalled Hitoshi asked,” But what Izuku?”
“You gotta mean it.”
Being hit by the laser stares from all of them he laughed, “Okay!” Waving hands in a warding gesture, “Okay you mean it, I get it, but this is my schedule, see if it’s one you want to join me in before saying anything else.”
A long moment of silence and then Denki said it for all of them, “Damn dude, intense, I’m in.”
“Yeah, me too.” Fumi said, “You are the heart of darkness, Shadow and I shall follow your light.”
“You know that makes no sense, don’t you?” Tooru said with a laugh but as usual, the twins ignored her.
“If you all agree then the first thing all of you need to do, you as well Tsu and Ky, is get hero grade underwater gear added to your hero costumes.”
“And before you argue, our city, if you take account of the rivers, the lake, ponds, canals, and streams, is almost thirty percent water, within the city itself I mean, and it is bounded on one side by the ocean, this gear weighs less than half a kilo, packs into a space about the size of an orange, is deployable in less than fifteen seconds with practice and should be standard equipment for all heroes.”
"And Tsu," he gave her a dead level glare, "frogs can and do drown!"
Letting that sink in he finally said, “Next, for the love of my sanity get some under armour added, look,” snatching a notebook Izuku began with strong strokes to outline what he was talking about, “Denki, fucking hell, your costume is a ruddy nightmare, just, utterly useless and Tsu, your’s is even worse and don’t get me started on capes or we’ll be here all night!”
One by one he redid them all, and Hitoshi said it for all of them, "Even if we don’t win, we’re gonna rock some shit!”
*
They did indeed rock some shit in the Festival.
For some reason an underwater maze portion was the elimination round, and it played to their strengths perfectly.
And the team event called for teams of seven rather than the usual five, so this time they got to work together, the way they’d been working all along.
It was like someone had looked at them and said, “Yeah, let's not make it easy on anyone but play to their strengths, let the luck fall to them for a change.”
And in the final one on one rounds, Izuku again made the podium, underestimated by his opponents because he faced none of his friends, and everyone knew he was quirkless.
Hitoshi made first again, Izuku third, and Bakugou second.
Wondering how this was his life, once again Izuku wasn't transferred to the heroics department, but unlike last year he didn't throw his medal away, and his first one showed up, somehow, dirty and stained of ribbon but the medal itself was polished bright and shining.
This time, he hung them both where he could see them easily each morning, sun glinting across them, and would smile, because he’d done good, and.... it didn’t hurt so much anymore.
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In the end, Izuku transferred into heroics when he was eighteen.
That was the year they all discovered what their teachers had been doing, “Holy FUCK, you mean Principal Nezu took over Japan!”
Watching the program, the breaking news and what-it-all-means shows and talking heads and all of it…
“So that’s why.”
“Why what, Izuku.”
“Why I never got out of gen ed, if they were all working for this, then I really didn’t matter, not enough to try and force the issue anyway.”
He’d come to terms with not getting into the hero course, even gotten third place again in his third year festival, they’d all done well, although Hitoshi didn't place, that year he had a deeply problematic infection in his lungs and missed the entire thing.
Hitoshi’d later told Izuku it was faked so he could stop showing at all, going underground he didn't need the fame, didn't want it even, and Izuku’d agreed, pleased his friend was getting some help in that direction at last.
They all, their friend group - even Shadow had come along enough in the past year to focus that long on something serious - watched the new world being explained and then talked about it, and finally Tsu cocked her head, “Izuku, if the principal has taken over Japan, and UA now belongs to him outright, which you all know it will, then do you think you're going to be moved to our class for the final five months of school, do you think?”
Looking at the smiling enigmatic face still talking on the screen, Izuku shook his head, “No, well, probably, but it won't be our last five months.”
Seeing them all staring at him like stunned birds, Izuku laughed. “Have none of you listened to Aizawa and Mic-sensei when they get going on how much they hate the three year course?”
“No,” he shook his head, “you all have at least two more years ahead of you, and probably three extra in a teaching agency, bet you cash money.”
“No way,” Denki moaned, unable to sit from a visit to a discipline room earlier that day, “please, I thought I was escaping them all this year!”
But Izuku wasn't wrong, he was right on the money!
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And this is where I leave our kiddos. Izuku did indeed transfer that very Monday to the hero course which indeed was extended by a further two years, and they did indeed spend three in a training agency after graduation.
Denki did indeed rue the extended education, especially the day he snuck sake into the dorms, as did everyone caught with him, and Izuku and Hitoshi laughed at them all for being so bloody stupid!
Katsuki finally apologized, but Izuku had grown up enough by then to know how badly Katsuki’d been treated in that school when they were little, and knew how hard he’d worked to get better. They never became close, but did indeed become friends again.
And Hizashi finally could spend time with the ward dorm students, and with Shouta, in and out of the school, going places for fun as well as education, and despite Nezu ruling Japan with a velvet and iron paw, giving them all odd jobs at strange hours, life got so much better for them all that Izuku later said, “I never realized how bad it was until it got good again.”
“Thank Nezu!”
And his friends all held up drinks - totally alcohol free because Denki'd learned that lesson for all of them - to toast their overlord, because life was good.
Life was indeed very good.