Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rei lied in the hospital bed, holding and looking at her newest children. Two healthy baby boys, whose names were already decided by her.

She would name the one who was nine minutes older, Shouto. He was relatively large for a newborn. His hair is perfectly split, red and white. He had one grey eye and one blue one.

Then the younger of the two, Izuku. He had bright pink hair that seemed almost radioactive. His eyes were exactly like Shouto's except one was crimson red and one was a bright blue. Unlike his twin, Izuku was relatively small for a newborn.

Both twins were swaddled in their blankets as they coo. She knew what she had done. These were the weapons that her "husband" always wanted. She was afraid of what would happen once they got their quirks.

Fortunately she had a plan. Her husband was not aware of the fact that she was giving birth to twins, nor was he there in the hospital to witness it.

When she found out she was going to have twins, she originally was going to inform her family but decided against it when she saw her eldest, Touya come out of the "training" room. He was shaking from the pain. His body was full of bruises and burns.

She had failed, failed not only him but all of her children. It never left her, the pain, the guilt. All she wanted was for all her children to live happily, but that was not possible so if she could have at least one be free, maybe that could atone for his failure as a mother.

One of her friends from her life before Enji, worked in an Adoption Agency. She had asked him for help. He had set up an adoption for one of the twins, a married couple by the name of Hisashi and Inko Midoriya. They were told it was a teen pregnancy and the mother wished to remain unknown, so they wouldn't be able to meet her. But despite that, they had agreed to it.

The paperwork made sure that the child couldn't be traced back to her. Now all that remained was for her to decide which child to give up.

This was the hardest thing she had to do. She didn't want to give up any of them, but she knew this was the only way they would have a chance of a happy life. She looked at both the boys, still sleeping. Tears started to come, she tried her best to remain silent so as to not wake them up. It broke her heart to know she was going to have to give one of them up, and possibly never see them again.

It was tough, but ultimately she decided to give up Izuku. His hair made him the most unique one of the family and decreased the chances of him being found out. It was gut-wrenching to see her friend take him away from her. Before he did, he took a picture of the three of them, which he would give to her later if she wanted it.

Her final request was for him to ask the adopters to let Izuku keep his name. What was the happiest day for the Midoriyas was the saddest day for Rei. Little did either side know that their destiny would have them cross paths again.

________________<this indicated a time skip>________________

Todoroki Residence

Shouto is 5 years old. His quirk was what Rei feared it was going to be, ice from right and fire from left. Enji was practically salivating when he first saw it. He started the boy's training as soon as his quirk was registered.

He was crying every day. All he wanted to do was go back to the safety of his mother. Each day he would walk out of the training room beaten, crying, vomiting, and begging for his mother. Completely unaware of how much pain she was in.

Rei had been in a bad place for years now. Ever since Shouto's birth, she seemed to be in a daze whenever none of her children are around. She had never gotten over giving up Izuku. She cried herself to sleep for months after Shouto was taken home from the hospital.

When her children were not near her, she was practically a zombie. She couldn't find the will to get up, clean up, or do anything. She would just lay there, unmoving until Fuyumi would come to her room.

Out of all the children, she was the only one who seemed to notice her mother's state. Shouto and Natsuo were too young to notice let alone understand and Touya was seen so rarely that you could have considered him a guest there.

Fuyumi despite being only 12 years old was able to see that her mother was going through a lot of pain and had to take up the role of caretaker for her brothers. Rei was only like her old self for 2-3 hours a day before going back to her state.

Enji assumed it was because having these many children in such a short span of time had taken a toll on her. At least his masterpiece was born before this happened.

Things were grim in the household. The hallways were always silent, not in an eerie way, but in a suffocating way. Family meals were the most nerve-racking. The room was filled with tension.

Rei herself was a bubble about to pop. She recently had started talking with her mother late at night when no one was awake. She told her mother about everything. About Enji's behavior, about her children, and finally about Izuku. Rei's mother wasn't going to tell Enji about the child but she wanted to meet her fifth grandson. Rei told her that she herself couldn't, even if she wanted to.

One night she was boiling some water when talking about Shouto. She told her mother that sometimes she felt disgusted seeing his left side.

"Mom?"

Splash

Midoriya Residence

Izuku was 5 years old. He was a smart and healthy child. Despite being raised on formula, he turned out fine without any permanent effects. He lived in a medium-sized apartment with his mom while his dad worked overseas but would visit them every month.

Izuku had a very kind and cheerful personality. He had loving parents, lots of friends, and a very powerful quirk.

His quirk, which is simply named "Fire and Ice", was just like how the name suggests, it allows him to produce both fire and ice from part of his body. This alone made Izuku skyrocket in popularity in his preschool.

Before getting his quirk, Izuku did have some trouble getting friends due to him being insecure about his hair color and his heterochromatic eyes, but did manage to make one, his best friend Kacchan, who was the first kid in class to develop his quirk "Explosions".

But while Izuku did gain many friends after developing his quirk, his best friend was still Kacchan. They both had powerful flashy quirks and were often compared with each other.

This led to them having a sort of rivalry.

This eventually led to the constant "sparring" between the two. Which would always end up the same way, they would get in trouble, forced to apologize to each other, and promptly forget everything and fight again.

Aside from fighting Katsuki, Izuku's had other hobbies as well. His most notable one was his obsession with heroes, he would run around the neighborhood pretending to be a hero, he would almost exclusively watch All Might's debut on his computer and he would draw any hero he saw on tv in his notebook.

All in all, Izuku's childhood was a very happy one.

Chapter Text

The meeting with Nezu, the principal of U.A was interesting, to say the least. The Chimera was both polite to the point of being cute and devious to a degree where it can be seen as psychotic.

He had offered All Might a teaching job at U.A, getting the number one hero as a teacher would have benefits for both sides. It would boost the school's already stellar reputation to a new level and it will help All Might look for a successor among the best hero students in all of Japan.

Right now, the prime candidate was a second-year student by the name of Mirio Togata. Nothing special in terms of grades, but he had the attitude the would be befitting as the next symbol of peace.

The boy's quirk, permeation was a very difficult quirk to use, yet the boy has made tremendous progress.

Right now, he has trouble against people with quick reflexes or more bulky opponents, though Sir Nighteye's training will ensure that the first one will no longer be an issue.

After interviewing the boy, it was clear. He was an excellent candidate. His style, his personality, and the general aura around him left no doubt in his mind that Young Togata was worthy.

So why didn't Toshinori make the offer. Simple, it's because Yagi was in no hurry. He still had a good 5-6 years before his body won't be able to use the quirk anymore.

He has time and he's going to use it. He's still going to teach at U.A to see if there was anyone else more worthy or not. If there is, great! If there isn't then Young Togata is always available. No harm in waiting.

After his call with Sir, explaining his decision. The man was although not pleased still respected and understood All Might's reasoning.

With that now done, All Might had to do the hard part. Finding a space to live in Mustafa. Since he had accepted the teaching position, he obviously has to undergo training for a teaching license. The principal thought it is best if Yagi learned from the chimera himself.

Even though the principal slightly terrified Yagi, there was no doubt, that learning from the best of best was the way to go.

Now came to the issue of getting to U.A every day.

Driving from Tokyo to U.A every day was simply out of the question, it would take too long. On the other hand, he could probably make it to U.A from Tokyo in 15 minutes using his quirk but that will ultimately alert the press about his presence too early and cause trouble for both the school and himself.

It took him a while, but he finally decided on a simple apartment. It was medium-sized, nothing special, and was near a train station so in the rare case his car stops working he could always use that.

The move to the new apartment was quick, it probably helped that he simply bought new furniture and not much else. Despite his wealth, he was never much for materialism. It was barebones but livable.

There were two apartments per floor so, he didn't have to worry about interacting with multiple neighbors in his true form.

All and all things looked fine.

And then the door bell rang.

He expected this. It's not that he dislikes the company of others, it's just that he knows his true form puts others at unease, and getting around that awkwardness is something he couldn't care for.

Sighing, he opens the door to see two Individuals.

One was a short (compared to him at least), slim and dark green-haired woman with bright green round eyes and a round face. Her hair was tied behind her head in a half-bun. It reminded him of Nana.

The other one was somewhat taller. A teenager with much sharper eyes and facial features. His eyes were heterochromatic, one being bright blue and the other being crimson red. His hair was bright pink and just as messy as Toshinori himself.

"Hi! My name is Inko Midoriya and this is my son, Izuku," said the woman in a sweet tone.

"Toshinori Yagi, a pleasure to meet you." replied the man.

"We saw you move earlier and decided to bring you a welcome gift," she said as extended the tray of cookies that she was holding that Yagi had failed to notice until now.

Yagi now realizes that he's been silent for too long.

"Thank you so much! Would you like to come in?" Yagi replied, trying his hardest not to make his introduction with the new neighbors awkward.

Which is exactly how it went down, awkward. While they talked inside about the typical stuff you ask if you're any new neighbor, even though it was awkward at first for Yagi he managed to at least not come off as a complete buffoon, he hopes so at least.

After the woman and the child left, Toshinori noticed the time and realized he was going to be late for his lesson with Nezu.

2 months later

Toshinori had properly settled into his new life. It was much tamer than it was in Tokyo. Villain activities while common were handled by the other pros so he didn't have to use his muscle form for more than an hour at most.

His lessons with Nezu were going well. He wasn't a natural when it comes to teaching, so it was difficult to apply the concepts he learned but he was pushing through.

His home life was something he had not expected to be so different.

His friendship with the Midoriyas was something he didn't expect. They were not scared or put off by his appearance. They were kind, polite, and friendly. He wants to learn more about them and they wanted to as well.

Inko works as a nurse while her husband works aboard to provide for his family.

She was a mother above all else that much was clear, her constant worry for son, her kind and caring nature screamed motherhood.

She was also very good at cooking, which sadly didn't mean much to Yagi due to his injury which he passed off as him being caught in a villain attack (half-true). He also passed off his job as a government agent to avoid questions.

Her son, Izuku, was somewhat similar in personality to his mother but different in every other way.

Toshinori was not surprised to learn that he was an adopted child as the differences in their appearance made it obvious.

The boy wanted to be a hero above all else. He becomes a different person entirely whenever talking about heroics. His dream was to be the number one hero, like All Might, and to save people like a smile. His dreams were set high but he had the brain and the power to back it up.

He had shown Toshinori his hero analysis notebooks that he made as a hobby. The notes were surprisingly detailed and contained a bunch of theories about quirks, their drawbacks, strengths, and new techniques of various pros.

Toshinori was somewhat amused to see the boy's room being essentially a shrine dedicated to heroes. He was even more amused when he found out the page that he signed (In his Muscle Form) was actually framed by the boy.

He was unusually humble for a teenager with a powerful quirk in this and age. Toshinori has heard many stories of promising heroes who took a dark turn later in life. Such praise at a young age almost always turns kids entitled but not Young Midoriya whether it be Inko's good parenting or some other miracle. The boy in his free time either roamed the city looking for villain incidents or followed a training plan made by his friend. Aside from the fact that it was named "Nerd's plan to not being a fucking stick-figure" it was very professionally made as it had a detailed plan for his meals, rest, and exercise. It was perfect for someone to trying to bulk up a little, obviously not as intense or hard as his own "American Dream Plan" but that was for people looking to bulk up significantly.

He'd sometimes see the boy doing menial tasks around the neighborhood such as lifting boxes, helping someone cross the street, or getting cats off the tress. Simple but noble none the less. The boy said he wanted to go to U.A, so if he gets in, Toshinori might be able to see him on the other side of the spectrum and determine what he's made off.

U.A

1-A classroom 7:00 AM

Shouto had arrived to U.A an hour early. Why? The answer is simple, he didn't want to ruin his morning by looking at Endeavour's face.

Since he had gotten there an hour earlier, he was able to see all the other students that would be in his class.

None piqued his interests so far, all seeming the same to him, but he knew to save his judgment for them until after he got to know their quirks.

Near the end, someone did catch his attention, it was their homeroom teacher. Each teacher at U.A was a pro, yet he didn't recognize the man emerging from the yellow sleeping bag.

All he said was for the students to change into their P.E uniform and meet him on the school grounds in 10 minutes. Simple and straightforward, something he was grateful for.

He didn't expect the teacher to make them take a quirk apprehension test, in which the punishment for the last place would've been expulsion. At least, this is a good excuse to scope out any potential competition.

Midoriya Residence 7:00 AM

Izuku's first day of U.A already started badly. He overslept. Of course, he did. If only he snoozed his alarm clock instead of freezing it, then it could've been prevented. But alas now's not the time to look back. No, now's the time to get up and RUN!

Picking up the last piece of toast with his mouth and attempting to tie his tie properly (keyword being attempting), he ran out of his door in a hurry to catch the train. It was a 45 minutes journey from his home to U.A using a train. Include the time it would take to actually reach the school from the station and finding his class and it's very easy to see why he's so stressed.

Thankfully, as he was waiting for the elevator he saw Mr. Yagi approach him. Before he could greet him, the tall man said "Ahh, young Midoriya, late for your first day I see."

"Y-yeah Mr.Yagi, I accidentally overslept you see" he replied sheepishly.

"Right, say do you want a ride to U.A, I have some business near there so it won't be an issue for me," Yagi said knowing full well the boy would refuse if he thought he was going out of his way to help him.

"Yes sir! Thank you!!" replied the boy immediately.

Yagi chuckles before replying "No problem young man" as they enter the elevator.

During the car ride, it had been 15 minutes since either of them spoke, so Toshinori decided to break the ice. "So, which class are you in?"

"I'm in 1-A!" he replied enthusiastically because even now he couldn't believe he made it U.A.

"I see, what about your friend?" asked the man. He didn't know much about Midoriya's friend, aside from the boy's quirk, explosion which from what he had seen in the entrance exam, was a powerful and versatile quirk for combat.

The boy had 82 villain points, the highest amount this year, he was placed second in this year's ranks, just after Midoriya, who only had about 58 villain points, but had gotten 45 recuse points when he froze the zero pointer that was about to run into some students caught in the rubble.

"Oh Kacchan, he's in 1-B. He was really mad that he won't get to "kick my ass" as much as before" spoke the teenager using air quotes.

'Typical teenager' thought Yagi, And just like that silence again. Toshinori was busy with the oncoming traffic and so Izuku was left to his own devices.

It's going to be hard to make friends again because since childhood Kacchan was the only real friend he had. The others were, for a lack of a better word 'leeches' that just wanted to be associated with him because of his quirk.

But now he's going to U.A, where he's going to meet amazing students from throughout the country. It's going to be fine. Hopefully. 'I wonder if the nice girl is going to be in my class, she did help in removing the debris off the other students, so she must've gotten in too, right?'

U.A

1-A classroom 7:50 AM

Finally he made it. Class 1-A.

His dream school, he finally made it. After all this time, he's finally here. His first thought?

 "Why's the door so massive? Maybe it's for people with mutant quirks that increase their size?"

 After answering the questions he himself asked. He opened the door and immediately saw the one person he didn't want to see in his class. The tall kid from the entrance exam. He left a bad impression coming off as incredibly uptight and unlikeable at first.

So when he introduced himself and apologized for his behavior at the exam, Izuku didn't really know what to do.

' He doesn't seem that bad anymore and he certainly doesn't look like the people in Aledera, maybe he was just nervous for the exam like everyone.'

Ultimately he decides it's water under the bridge. "You don't have to apologize, everyone gets nervous, right? Oh! My name is Izuku Midoriya by the way"

Before the blue teen can respond, a high voice interrupted them from behind Izuku.

"Oh, you made it too! That's so nice!! You were so co-" the girl said before being interrupted by a gruff voice behind her.

"If your here to socialize then leave." Now everyone's attention was on the man in the yellow sleeping bag drinking juice from a pouch.

"It took you all 8 seconds to calm down. Not rational enough. There's not much time to waste, so here wear these and meet me on the school grounds in 10 minutes," said the man and then proceeded to take out 20 gym uniforms for each student from his bag.

'Simple and straightforward, I'm glad' thought the boy before picking up his uniform.

U.A school grounds

3 hours later

"Oh, and I was lying about the expulsion thing. It was a logical ruse to force you to give it your all," he said with a grin.

And then the whining began. He didn't like it, he didn't like it one bit but he'll allow it for today.

"Enough, now this doesn't mean I won't expel you in the future. You all are at U.A, you all have high expectations to fulfill. If I feel anyone drops below the threshold I won't hesitate to expel them. Now that that's out of the way, pick up the syllabus from the notice board and then you can go home" he said in the same tone and left the dumbfounded students.

He's going to regret this, oh he's going to regret this so much. Mic and Midnight are going to be so obnoxious about this. But he can't help it. Shouta Aizawa was a man of logic and logic showed him that this class was full of potential.

Even in the last place, Toru Hagakure was only there because her quirk provided her no physical advantage, but still, there were definitely standouts. The ones that immediately came to mind were Izuku Midoriya and Shouto Todoroki who placed 2nd and 3rd on the test respectively. These two students had very powerful and very similar quirks, but that's not all, they both also have similar body structures and similar looks.

Despite their weird physical similarity, when it came to their personality and behavior, it was night and day.

Midoriya was more social albeit timid, he seemed to have an easier time conversing with others.

Todoroki was colder towards others. He didn't attempt to start a conversation with his peers nor did he humor anyone else when they tried to talk with him.

Both were intelligent students, that much was obvious simply by the way they used their quirks to their advantage.

Something very odd was that while Midoriya utilized both of his elements to their fullest, Todoroki only relied on his ice.

One move from Midoriya that caught the pro's attention was in the ball throw. Where at first Midoriya did the same as Todoroki and lightly froze the ball but then while pitching it, he immediately switched to his fire, not only using the element for propulsion but also the cold air around him that rapidly expanded due to being suddenly heated up at such a high temperature. The ball had traveled over 700 meters with that move. It was impressive, to say the least.

It seemed that Midoriya was smarter than Todoroki at first, but on closer inspection, it was clear that it's not that Todoroki couldn't think of a way to use his flame, it's that he actively avoided its use. But that's just the beginning.

He saw the look on Todoroki's face when Midoriya first showed the dual nature of his quirk. At first, it was of shock, which slowly turned into anger.

Definitely a future problem child.

'First day isn't even over and I already have my work cut out for me' he thought as he turned around the corner.

"All Might, isn't it a bit early to play favorites," he said, surprising the tall blonde.

Chapter Text

First day at U.A

Shouto was on his way back to the classroom. The quirk apprehension test left him pissed off. He didn't care much for his placement, although he was surprised he got 3rd in a test that really isn't built for his kind of quirk.

No he was pissed off because of one person. Izuku Midoriya. The kid just irked him in a bad way. First and most obvious was his quirk. It's exactly like his own. Fire and Ice. This shouldn't have angered him as much as it did. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the fire and ice counter each other's weaknesses in every way.

He should've known someone else would've tried the same. He's should've known yet he was still pissed. But that was not all, everything about the kid angered him. The way he looks, the way he acts, and the way his damn eyes got when he first saw the quirks of his classmates.

He was tempted to freeze him then and there but didn't because he was not a fucking idiot. While he's tried to suppress his anger it dawned on him, dual quirk users are extremely rare, but most have one thing in common, that being they generally don't have much raw power. So even if Midoriya has both elements there's hardly any chance his firepower is on par with Shouto's own.

He didn't expect to find his first obstacle in U.A this soon but what can you do? At least this way he can see Endeavour's pissed off face when he finds out about Midoriya's quirk during the Sports Festival.

1-A classroom

Izuku was having a conversation with Iida about Aizawa's "Logical Ruse". Honestly, he didn't expect to make friends this easily but almost everyone here was super nice and not in the fake way that people in Aldera were to him and Kacchan.

These people here were real. Of course they were, this is U.A after all. The best students throughout the country came here to study. All of them have amazing quirks so don't see him any different.

Oh! Speaking of quirks… He had two people in class with elemental quirks. The one with the electric quirk was chill, he was just as excited to converse with Izuku as Izuku was with him.

The other was an Ice quirk user who Izuku couldn't bring the courage to talk to. For some reason, he felt that the Ice dude didn't really like him all the much.

'I'm being ridiculous, it's probably nothing. ' As they were about to make their way towards the door, suddenly...

 "Oye!! DEKU !! Hurry the fuck up!!"

While the others look confused, he simply sighs as he keeps walking.

"You know it's won't kill you to be patient"

"You don't know that." he sarcastically replied before continuing"I am surprised you didn't get expelled."

Midoriya is shocked to hear that kaachan knows this. "Wait, how did you know someone was going to be expelled!?"

"When the teacher told the principal that 1-A won't be attending the orientation because the homeroom teacher was going to expel someone, it left very little to the imagination" Bakugo retorted.

Before anything else could be said Midoriya heard an "Ahem" from behind.

He saw Iida quickly walk towards Bakugo before extending his hand. "My name is Tenya Iida from Somei Private Academy"

"Katsuki Bakugo" replied Bakugo but before he could continue Todoroki interrupted him.

"You're in my way."

"Huh?!! And who the fu-" stopped immediately as he saw the boy.

He quietly shifted aside.

As Todoroki walked past him, Bakugo kept looking back and forth between him and Izuku.

"What the fuck?" was all he could say.

"You okay Kacchan?" asked Midoriya.

"Yeah, let's get out of here" he said in low tone.

Katsuki had seen weird shit (mostly thanks to Deku) but that was something else.

Deku being flustered enough around a girl to let her call him Deku was hilarious but didn't distract him from that kid.

That fucking kid, the half and half haired one, it was like looking at some weird version of Deku. The resemblance was uncanny.

And somehow Deku doesn't get the memo.

Next day at U.A

"I am coming through a door like a normal person!!"

Izuku was thinking about this as he made his way to the battleground gamma. He was surprised when he first heard this but now, he was fucking hyped. His teacher for heroics was All Might himself! The symbol of peace! The number one hero!

Oh, what would All Might make them do? Is it going to be basic training? Special? Is anyone going to be expelled if they don't do well enough?

All questions were racing through his mind as he made his way outside the tunnel. He was the last person to get exit from the changing room.

He saw everyone's hero costume. So many varieties of colors, shapes, sizes, and styles. The support department really went all out with the designs everyone submitted.

His own costume seemed a bit simple from afar but was anything but. It had him very excited.

He went for a black jumpsuit with thick red lines for design, giving it a cool coloring theme. He had a red utility belt and red combat boots. He had high collar with the same asthetic.

And finally he had a thin black vest with red highlights and two very thin oval exhaust that lay horizontally on his shoulder blades.

The exhausts were there to help him balance his body when he starts hovering with his fire. Plus the extra feature being they allowed him to expel fire in a manner that it could mimic a cape if he tried hard enough.

But Izuku would be the first to tell you that that just happened to be a lucky coincidence. Just like how Katsuki would be the first to tell you Izuku is full of shit.

".... so let's draw the teams!!"

"Huh?"

'I really need start paying attention' thought the pink haired teen

So the first match was... Interesting? It's hard to say as it ended so quickly. Todoroki simply froze the entire building trapping the enemies whose quirks were invisibility and a tail.

' He was simply too powerful for them. They couldn't have done anything. His quirk is sort of like mine. Although I can probably match him in firepower, it seems he has much better control over his ice as he only froze the surfaces and not the building in its entirety. His ability to melt his ice also helps him clean up, although it is a bit underwhelming that his right is so powerful, yet his left only heats the ice. Stran-'

"Midoriya! Your up next!" said Iida, breaking him from his thought process.

"R-Right!"

Midoriya's match gave Shouto valuable information about his opponent. He has great planning and tactical skills.

Midoriya was paired up with Minoru Mineta as the villains.

They were up against the kid with electric quirk and the red-haired one.

Midoriya had blocked all entrances except one with ice. He then had Mineta place his hairballs on the wall with the open door and made him hide outside. He then lowered the room temperature to well below zero.

As they other two walked in, Mineta closed the door behind them and Midoriya instantly heated the room, causing the cold air to expand violently and sent the other two flying towards the wall, getting trapped in Mineta's balls and losing.

 Quick, efficient, and no damage to the building. He's smart and he's aware of his power. Right now Shouto has seen much to be able to distinguish a weakness.

'Only if the enemy consisted of more competent opponents'

All Might was certainly impressed by Young Midoriya's thinking. He could've easily overpowered them both, but he chose to work with his team and made a plan that minimizes damage and time taken.

The only criticism that he could give was that maybe the fire cape was a bit much towards the end but aside from that, it was an almost flawless plan.

Young Midoriya mimics the air explosion like how his friend uses his explosions, this temperature change move was clearly inspired by how Young Bakugo. He used it during the test in a clever way to pitch a ball and here in an even better way. These air blasts lack the heat and the concussive force of an actual explosion but still are strong enough to move heavy objects, making them perfect for setting your enemies in traps. So as far as combat was of concern, it's safe to say that the boy was very capable.

Something that concerned him was Young Todoroki. It was obvious that he dislikes Young Midoriya. Just from the way, he stared at the screen and the tone in which he gave his criticism of the match was enough to indicate that he wasn't a fan of the boy. 'This might be troublesome in the future.'

Todoroki Residence : 7:30PM 

"Dinner's here!" said Fuyumi, the elder sister of Shouto and the only other Todoroki child living in the house besides Shouto."...", "Shouto?" Are you okay?", "...", "Shouto?!", "...", "Shouto!!"                   "Huh?!" Replied the heterochromatic teen, finally realizing his sister's been asking him a question. "Oh, I'm fine, just thinking about school" The elder sibling finally relaxed as she set the dinner plate down on the table, her younger brother seems to have returned to his senses. He had been like this a lot lately, distant and angry. "Something bothering you?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"It's nothing, just someone from my class." Internally she winces, she knows he has not attempted to make friends in U.A. It's something she desperately wishes for as Shouto for most of his life has been lonely. Their father didn't allow him to meet with his other siblings when he was younger, he was homeschooled for most of his life and mom also went away from his life when he was really young. She hoped that U.A could change that, that he could make friends there and live a normal school life but that just wasn't the case. "Is it a girl?" She asks playfully, hoping to get a slight reaction out of him. 

"No" a stern response, crushing all hope of a conversation. As the two sat there, eating their dinner in silence. After what seemed like an eternity to Fuyumi, Shouto finally breaks the ice. "There's this kid in class, he's exactly like me" he replies.  Fuyumi was unsure how to feel about that, on one hand, it may mean Shouto found someone he relates to and could be friends with, but on the other, he means someone like him in terms of power, someone who he would see as an enemy. She chooses the more optimistic route and asks "Oh, he has similar interests to yours?"

She really hoped the answer was a positive one.  "No," said again in a stern cold voice, shattering all the hope she had. "I meant his quirk, it's exactly like mine."  The slight hint of anger in his tone was not missed by her, growing more concerned by each passing second. She took a drink of water before mustering the courage to ask "Do you mean his quirk also has two powers?" "Yeah" "What is it?" "Fire and Ice" If it were not for the ceiling fan, you could've heard a pin drop from all the way from the other side of the house. This revelation was concerning beyond belief.

Not because it undermines Shouto's uniqueness, but because what would happen if Endeavor found out. What he'll do in his rage is something she doesn't even want to imagine.  "I don't know yet whether he is equal to me in strength or not, that's what I was thinking" he replied as got up and took his plate to the sink.  "Doesn't matter in the end, he just in the way that's all" he says as he walks out. The concern keeps piling on, the way Shouto said that in the last sentence, its tone was all too familiar. 

U.A Grounds 

Izuku stood with his classmates in his hero costume, waiting for the school bus to arrive. They were going to do special rescue training today, the people teaching were going to be Aizawa Sensei, All Might, and a special guest. Izuku was getting used to the antics of U.A, it was strange at first but he got used to it. Actually one weird thing about U.A that he realized was that it was both very normal and bizarre at the same time. Normal as in, once you got over the fact that all the teachers are pro heroes, most classes were standard, lunch while being cooked by the amazing chef Lunch-Rush was still in a pretty normal Cafeteria. It was only during the Hero classes that the 'Holy crap! That's U.A for you!' feeling back.

Without a doubt, that was the highlight of the day for everyone. Most still had a look of awe on their face whenever they had hero class as if they still couldn't believe they were in this school. The training helped them understand a lot about hero work like situational awareness, planning, creative quirk usage, etc. Speaking of quirks, Izuku now had a much better understanding of most of his classmate's quirks, each had a unique strength to it that was very useful under various circumstances, they were tons of possibilities with each of them, some combinations of these quirks were truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Everyone gets in the bus according to this seating arrangement" shouted Iida was waving his hands towards the paper with the arrangement on it, he was the class president, after all, something which originally went to Izuku only for him to quickly decline as he was class president in his first year at Aldera, and it was awful, tons of useless work that doesn't matter by the time the school year ends. NO THANK YOU! He decided to elect Iida for the role immediately after lunch because Iida showed his leadership skills by being able to calm down an entire school during the incident yesterday where a bunch of reporters somehow managed to trespass U.A and caused a ruckus outside, making the pros call the police to control the riot.

Everyone heard a slight chuckle from Yaoyorozu that left them confused. Until a minute later when they found out the school bus wasn't like a normal bus but more like a party bus, something that apparently caused Iida physical pain...for some reason?  The bus ride itself was nothing special, most of the students conversing with each other to get to know each other more. Izuku got to know more of his classmates during the ride, like Kirishima, a muscular boy with red spiky hair whose dream was to be a hero like Crimson Riot, or Asui, a short green-haired who was a very straightforward person and wanted him to call her Tsu.

Arriving at the facility in 30 minutes, he immediately realized just by the exterior that it was the famous Unforeseen Simulation Joint or USJ But before he could say anything Aizawa filled the other students in on what the facility was. Inside the facility, the special guest was revealed to be the pro hero that specializes in the rescue, Thirteen. He heard Uraraka squeal in excitement as the pro was giving a speech, during which Izuku first noticed the lack of All Might there, second he noticed a black mist in the middle of the facility. 'What was the last part again?' Before he could ask, Kirishima yelled "Woah, they even got fake villains here!" catching the attention of everyone.  As the pros turned to see, their eyes widened at the sight.

Immediately Aizawa told Kaminari to try to contact the school as the commlinks were jammed and told Thirteen to get the kids out of here as he was readying to charge ahead and hold the enemy back, despite Izuku's protest as he knew Erasure wasn't a quirk meant for combat against a large number of foes. Before they could make it to the door, the black mist appeared in front of them again. It introduced itself as Kurogiri of the 'League of Villains' who are here to kill All Might. This meant Todoroki's assumption was correct, they knew the schedule and planned this carefully. Sadly now's not the time to compliment him on his deductive skills. Thirteen tried to use her quirk on the villain but was interrupted when Kirishima and Sato both jumped blindly to attack the mist, and just as expected their attacks did not affect the gaseous villain.

This gave the villain just enough time to hover over all the students before putting them through a portal. And then blackness.  As the blackness faded Izuku found himself falling from the sky. Immediately he turned to see rocks and rubble on the ground, 'NOT GOOD!!'  but before he could do anything he heard a yell.  "Midoriya!" it was the voice of a girl, he shifted to see As-Tsu and the girl who sat in front of him in class, Yui Kodai near her. None of them had an aerial quirk so it was up to him to make the landing safe.  "Asui! Grab Kodai and wrap your tongue around me!" He says without a thought, when he feels it wrap around his waist he immediately emits fire in a concentrated manner from his feet and the exhausts on his back which slows their fall speed drastically and they land without a hitch. He currently can't release his fire with a high enough force to actually enable him to fly or even hover, all it can do for now is lower his decent speed drastically.  Once everyone is on their feet, he scans the area to see if anyone else was near them. After making sure the area was clear, he checked on Asui and Kodai, the ladder was being calmed by As-TSU! Izuku didn't know much about her but he could tell she was a shy person and needed to be handled with care. So he didn't intervene, instead taking the time to evaluate their surroundings. The sand and rubble combined with the dome in the sky made it clear there were still in the USJ, more specifically the landslide zone.

He turned back to see that the black-haired girl had finally calmed down, he went towards them and said "It seems we are still in the USJ, if we are here then that means the others were also warped within the facility itself. I thin-" but before he could finish he was pulled by Asui towards herself.  Immediately he saw other people surround them, but these weren't his classmates or his teachers. These were villains. "My, my the boss wasn't lying! These are going to be some fun bodies to break," said a female villain as she licked her lips before jumping in with her knife. Izuku instantly saw the villain get grabbed by the leg and tossed by Asui's tongue. Another was about to jump from her back before being hit by a massive boulder.

Confused as to its origin he turned to see Kodai pick up the rocks from the ground and increase their size mid-throw. He then turned to throw some fire at the villains behind Kodai. A villain came from his back with a metal rod, to which he simply grabbed it and froze the villain there. He saw the numbers around them and came to a realization. 'We can't keep taking them down one at a time, we'll get overwhelmed. I can't freeze the area without them getting caught in it,' he saw as he dodged another attack and launched fire at the attacker before turning to face the girls who were also being outnumbered. He yells "Asui! Grab Kodai and jump as high as you can!" to which the frog girl complied. Now both of them out of range he can go ham. Immediately he put his foot down and froze the area and all the villains with it.

He then saw both the girls starting to fall and created as smooth an ice slide he could create, to make their landing easier. Once they landed safely, he turned to the last of the villains who seemed to have an aerial quirk jump at him but before he could get close he was struck by another gigantic rock, thanks to Kodai. Finally taking a moment to breathe, he heats his body to bring his internal temperature back up to normal and then turns to see both of them shivering. As-Tsu more than Kodai, so he comes closer and provides a small amount of fire for both of them to use to warm up.

"Thanks.... I get sleepy in the cold environment because of my quirk," said the short girl before rubbing her hands together. 'Frog, should've guessed' thought the boy before saying "It's alright, now let's get out of here. Aizawa Sensei wanted us out of the facility so it's best if we make our way back to the entrance" to which he got a nod from Kodai and a verbal 'yes' from Tsu. While making their way to out of the zone, ignoring the comments from the now subdued villains, he was talking with Tsu about the villains and how even though they knew of the schedule they didn't seem to know about their quirks, otherwise they might’ve sent someone like Tsu to the Conflagration-zone instead.

They were interrupted by Kodai when she asked "To kill All Might.... they said....Do you think they can?" in a low tone. "I don't think they would have gone this far if they didn't have a way to do it" replied Tsu in a calm and clear voice This sent a clear shiver down the black-haired girl, so Izuku tried to provide comforting words "Hey, hey, don't let it get to you, let's just focus on getting back to the others, for now, then we ca-" but was interrupted when the green girl put a hand on his mouth and pointed towards Aizawa, standing in the center  of the facility, taking on hoards of villains by himself…..

Shouto could not believe the situation he was in, falling from the sky from such a height to a body of water was painful as he was not able to adjust his body and landed back first into it, then when he was being approached a villain with a shark-like quirk that he wasn't able to freeze him right away as he saw two others from his class near him and in water carelessly using ice could've accidentally frozen the two to death. That gave the villain enough time to bite into his right arm causing him to lose a fair amount of blood before he took care of the enemy.

He saw more approach but before he could do anything about it, he felt someone slap his back and then a huge burst of sound dragged him towards the surface and out of the water. He saw that it was Jirou and Uraraka who took him out of the water and used the purple girl's speakers to direct them to a ship while floating. Releasing both of them from her quirk, Uraraka immediately felt queasy.

Jirou was mostly unscathed, and Shouto was bleeding a lot from his right hand. His fire could be used to cauterize it but that was not an option for him. Instead he saw both his classmates look concerned before Jirou brought out a handkerchief from her pocket, twisted it to draw out the water, and then tightly wrap it around his arm. He took this time to survey his surroundings, noticing that they were still in the USJ and that no one else was in the water, he simply said "Stay back" And froze the entire artificial water body. He didn't notice the reaction of the other two as his eyes were drawn to the center where he saw the huge bird creature immediately appear behind Aizawa before grabbing his head.....  And smashing it to the ground.

Chapter Text

Izuku's eyes widened in shock as he saw his teacher get pinned by the monster. The thing that surprised him the most was the speed. He didn't even see it move. It's probably comparable to… Before he can move, his arm is grabbed by a smaller one. He turns to see Tsu is the one who stopped him, a simple shake of her head getting the point across for him. Their top priority still should be to get back to the entrance but none of them can muster the courage to move. All three kids are frozen in fear. Luckily before any of them can be spotted, the mist villain comes back and warns the blue-haired man who is now known as "Tomura Shigaraki", that one of the kids managed to escape.

The man has a childish temper tantrum about it, much to the surprise of the pro and the three hero students. "Fine. If we can't kill All Might, we'll at least hit em where it hurts," said Shigaraki and at surprisingly high speeds, made his way to the hero students, his hands extending to touch Asui's face. Izuku saw the whole thing happen and cursed at his own speed as he failed to do anything about it. The hand made contact but nothing happened.

"You know, you're really cool, aren't you? Eraser" The pro's head was again smashed into the ground. This time knocking him out cold. Izuku's body immediately went into action. With a look of not bravery, but desperation, he aimed his hand at Shigaraki and released fire. "Get the fuck away from them!" He heard a shriek that was too high for it to be the skinny man.

After stopping the barrage of fire, he saw that the man he intended to be the target was lying on the ground, about 25-30 feet to their right. He saw that the creature was in front of him, its skin was burnt off in its chest and showing its muscle fibers. Izuku jumped back to get some distance and saw Asui and Kodai also getaway. "Koff…. A fire-brat, a bad match-up for my Nomu....... If you weren't so slow, that is."Izuku suddenly felt his hand being grabbed by the Nomu. 

In a panic he used his ice to freeze the hand and break it off, causing the Nomu to shriek again. He again went for another barrage of flames but was quickly hit in the back by something large and heavy, throwing him a good distance past the Nomu. As he got back up he saw, it was the Nomu's fist that struck him. The warp villain opened a portal next to the Nomu and it hit him from there.

It's now that Izuku noticed that the Nomu's burnt skin had started to heal and it started to form a new hand. He launched his flames at the creature's hand, hoping to cauterize it so it doesn't heal. As the wave of fire was making its way to the creature, a portal was made in front of it. He saw from the corner of his eyes that another portal was made just in front of Asui and Kodai,And then the flames blocked his vision.

"Haha, trying to cauterize them to stop his regeneration, not a bad strat, but you forgot this is a multiplayer session!" The flames cleared and Izuku saw. He saw ice blocking the two girls. "You two leave," said the voice of Todoroki. The ice user coming from the now frozen shipwreck zone. Something was off about him though, instead of his usual stoic posture he was more bent down here.

Izuku's eyes then caught a glimpse of Todoroki's right hand, which was dripping blood and covered in frost. "Todoroki! The bird creature has regeneration,super-strength, and speed. The mist has a warp quirk that lets him make portals and the blue guy has some touch decay quirk." Shouto didn't respond as he just unleashed a barrage of ice towards the Nomu, trying to catch it.

The Nomu jumped but its leg got caught. Before Todoroki could spread the ice throughout its body, a portal opened next to him and outstretched the hand of Shigaraki, aiming for the boy's neck. Shouto felt something wet wrap around his torso and pull him back, just in the nick of time, but this created another problem, the Nomu wasn't completely frozen.

So it got free and already started to heal again. Izuku flared up his arm and aimed at the Nomu, only to suddenly drop and shift his feet towards Kurogiri. Launching a flurry of ice towards the villain, encasing him in it. ' The wild-card is out of the equation for now'.

"Man, these U.A kids are really something else, aren't they? He baited you out Kurogiri. I would love to keep playing, but the timer is going down." Shigaraki then turned to the Nomu and said "Nomu, kill him." And at speeds too high to be seen, Nomu was in front of Izuku, readying to deliver a blow. As the punch started to make its way, Izuku created as thick of an ice wall as he could before the blow connected.

It slowed it down for sure but didn't stop it. As the punch sent Izuku flying towards a wall. From which the boy didn't get up. "Midoriya!!" came the scream of every student there. All students had a look of horror on their faces, even Shouto. "Oh, now I see his weakness. Those eyes, whichever power he uses, the corresponding eyes start to glow. Oh well, he's dead now... so who's next?" Shigaraki concluded as he started having a sadistic smirk.

‘Midoriya's weakness? If what he said was true, that he was able to find a weakness of Midoriya's quirk in such a short amount of time, then that means... Even if he doesn't act like it, he is smart.' Shouto thought as he felt his body cool down drastically, he was nearing his limit, He has to end this quickly. Before he could even think of his next move, the Nomu looked at him and rushed him, but before it could make contact, it was tackled out of the way by something black.

"Dark Shadow! Retreat!" commanded Tokoyami. At the same time, Shouto saw Kirishima jump up and try to attack Shigaraki but miss, as Shigaraki was too fast. "Damn! I missed him. " Kirishima said while getting back into a fighting stance. Shouto turned to see that the girls were still there. Asui and Uraraka went to help Midoriya as they prioritized his safety.

Shouto then launched another wave of ice towards the Nomu while Tokoyami and Jirou kept it at bay with Dark Shadow and the speakers respectively. Kirishima and Kodai were focused on the Shigaraki. This....plan? Strategy? Whatever it was, it was working, but both Shigaraki and the students noticed the ice barrages were getting significantly weaker as time went on, Shouto was at his limit. Shigaraki told the Nomu to jump towards Shouto as he was now helpless. He heard a high pitch whistle noise before the creature jumped towards him, its claw hand nearing his face. He instinctively engulfed his left arm in flames and got in a defensive stance, when suddenly...... 

Asui and Uraraka were applying first aid to Izuku's head, luckily his injury wasn't severe. He probably had a concussion at best, but he was knocked out cold. They saw that even with these many students, the villains were overwhelming them. Asui saw that Todorki was slowing down. Watching him shiver made it clear that he was getting too cold. The only one who can help him now is Izuku.

"Get up Deku, you have too!" Uraraka said with tears starting to drip. "If Midoriya doesn't get up, Todoroki is going to die," Asui said bluntly. Uraraka had a look of horror on her face as she continued, trying to wake up Izuku. "Please! Please! You have to get up!" Asui saw that it was hopeless, then she heard Shigaraki give a command to the Nomu. She jumped back away from the two students and took out a whistle from her pocket and blew it as hard as she could, hoping to divert the beast's attention towards her, saving her classmate.

The Nomu didn't budge but something else happened. Glowing Crimson red and Bright blue eyes were now wide open. Shouto saw the hulking monster near him, instinctively he engulfed his left arm in flames and got in a defensive stance when suddenly a large barrage of ice pushed the Nomu away from him. He saw Midoriya there, with both his eyes glowing and a feral look on his face. The Nomu dashed towards Midoriya. Midoriya used his fire to jump and propel himself at just the right time to dodge the Nomu's swipe.

Shouto saw Midoirya had something on his hand that he smashed into the Nomu's head. It caused a small but thick dark green cloud to cover Nomu's face. Then Midoriya ignited his hand on the creature's brain and started firing off a concentrated blast of flames, which turned from bright orange to blue within a couple of seconds. Everyone's eyes turned towards Midoirya as his flames were still burning the creature's head, its screams stopping only a few seconds into the attack.

When he got off the Nomu and the smoke was cleared, it could be seen the Nomu head was burnt clean off. There was nothing there except the body of the creature, which slumped towards the ground. Midoriya was still panting, clearly exhausted. Blood was still dripping from his head as he turned to face Shigaraki. "My Nomu! You! You! Cheated! He was supposed to take down All Might! Not get his head burnt off by some wannabe!" Shigaraki said in a rage.

"His head wasn't just burnt off, it was cremated," Shouto spoke in disbelief. He couldn't believe this, blue flames like that are around at least 1500 °C hot, even Endeavor can barely use them, but here was Midoriya, a first-year student using them. Izuku looked at the villain and with a small smile on his face, replied "You may have your mutant monster, but I had these." as he held up a small circular object, it was small enough to be held with two fingers, it was dark green in color and had a red pin holding a silver button in place.

*Support item: Fuel Grenades

These are small grenades that detonate on impact but instead of an explosion, it releases a dense cloud of a gas that is a mixture of propane and a special compound. The gas stays where it was released for a while. The special compound gives the propane its smell and color so as to prevent accidents if unknowingly detonated. They also make sure it remains in the cloud and not spread out. The purpose was to grant easy access to propane, which can be used as a fuel source to temporarily increase the temperature of the flames. Achieving Blue Fire.*

No one noticed that the warp villain had finally escaped from the ice prison. While Shigaraki was fuming in rage, the other villains were starting to get back up. The students were now severely outnumbered, as hundreds of villains surrounded them. Then the door of the USJ suddenly burst open. "Worry not! Why? Because I am here!" screamed the pro, but not his normal reassuring tone, but one of anger. "Tomura! We must leave now!" Kurogiri spoke as he created a portal.

"Fine, our level is not high enough for this boss," he said as he started walking in but before completely going in, he turned to face Izuku again. "You! I might've failed this time, but the next time, I'll kill both All Might.... and you," and with that, he disappeared. The other villains tried to put up a fight, but All Might took care of all of them within seconds. Izuku collapsed back onto the ground, clearly exhausted.

Kirishima helped him up and then All Might grabbed both him and Aizawa and took them both to safety. For now, the day was saved. Everyone had a quick medical check-up by recovery girl. Shouto's injury was healed and he was allowed to go home. His thoughts ponder the moment of weakness he had today. Izuku's healing took a lot out of him and he collapsed.

Recovery Girl wanted to make sure he was fine, so she made him stay the night at the school's medical room. As Recovery Girl put her paperwork away, she saw the idiot looking over the boy. She sighed in annoyance and said "You're proud of his reckless behavior today, aren't you?" The man trying to hide his surprise at the question, "Ah! Wh-wha? No, I jus-"

"Don't lie! Despite the guilty look you had while we were reviewing the footage of the USJ, the moment the boy went after that creature, I saw the smile on your face!"

"Its, Its, Its....." She saw how the Buffoon tried to come up with an excuse before giving up and admitting the truth.

"Yes, I was proud of his bravery" admitted the pro in a defeated tone. "So what? Is he going to be the new Togata?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. But he's there, right alongside young Togata." 

She lets out a breath before saying "Whatever you decide, you better not make him live up to your impossible standards"

"They are not imposs- OW!" he screams as the old woman whacked him with her stick.

"Don't argue with me!"she said before hitting his head harder.

"Fine! Let's agree to disagre- OW!" She knows that there is no convincing this Buffoon once he sets his mind to something. She can only pray now.

Meanwhile at a bar

"So I see you failed huh?" said in a condescending tone by a man covered in shadows. "Don't give me that crap! You did nothing. Why did you even want to go there if you weren't gonna help?" Shigaraki talked back. "I just wanted to see my brother dearest in action, that's all." 

Todoroki residence

Darkness, that's all he recognizes. Standing in a void, he sees, hears, and feels nothing. In this empty space, all he can do is stand still and hope something happens. And then... a blinding light comes out of thin air. 'Too Bright' is all he thinks before closing his eyes. When he opens them again, he sees a small bubble, it has various colors in it. 'So pretty'.

He approaches it and suddenly things change, the black ground is now wooden, there are walls now made of wood and... paper? 'This place, it's...' He hears the kettle's whistleblowing behind him, he turns to see a woman boiling some water. 'Fuyumi?'. Wrong guess, he realizes. The hair was completely white, it didn't have the red streaks that his older sister had.

'Mom?'. He starts to approach her, without noticing that he is shrinking more and more the closer he gets to her. "Momma?" He asks, finally noticing his higher voice and his smaller stature. She turns, with a look of dread, anger, and hatred. She throws the boiling water at him, Pain, burning pain.

That's all he feels. His mother begging for forgiveness, his own cries, the noise of the sirens, it all is starting to overwhelm him. He feels sleepy, so... sleepy. "What a burden. At this important stage too, for fu-" he stops noticing shoto’s glare at him. "Where's Mommy?", "Hmm? Oh, she hurt you, so I put her in a hospital." the glare on shoto’s face intensifies.

"I-It's your fault! You made her like that! I-I'll never forgive you! I won't use it! I won't use your power ever again!" the boy screams in anger, knowing full well the rage that it will cause his father. "Fine, don't use it. I don't need you anymore." replied the hulking man, catching him off-guard.

"W-what do you mean? You're lying, aren't you! You always do!", "No, I'm not. Why would I need someone as weak as you, when he is already more powerful and more willing to do what needs to be done?"

"Who? T-Touya? He would never!"

"Who said anything about your brother?”

“T-then who!?”

"I don't have time to talk with you, I have to train him now." said the man as he stopped looking at the boy and looked behind him.

"Come on Izuku, it's time for your training!" A boy with pink hair, and eyes like Shouto's runs in.

"Yay! I can't wait, Endeavor!"

"Y-you?!"

"Of course Shouto, why not me? I am stronger than you after all!" as he smiles with his eyes closed.

"N-no you're not!"

"Umm.. yes I am! I can make ice and fire from anywhere! I am not weak like you! Someone like you can never become a hero." said the pink-haired boy as his smile got wider.

"N-no! Mom said that I-"

"Doesn't matter what she said. She was also weak, and since you only use her power you're just as weak!" his eyes opened to reveal one being red and the other being blue.

"Well said Izuku, now let's leave," said the man as he gestured for Pinkette to follow.

"You can't talk about Momma like that! " Shouto screams as he rushes to hit the other boy."

The pink boy just stops him by putting his hand over Shouto's face, his smile getting even wider "I can do what I want!" Shouto sees the boy's red eye is starting to glow.

"Izuku hurry!" scolds the man.

"I have to go train now, so bye!" he says in a cheerful tone before igniting his hand and firing in Shouto's face

BOOM

"NO!" screams the teenager springing from his bed. The door immediately rushes open, he turns to see a worried Fuyumi looking in fear. "Shouto! Are you okay?!" she asks, to which he silently nods before saying "Yeah, I am fine... just a bad dream." She walked towards him and sat down next to him.

"Is it about what happened at school today? D-do you want to talk about it?", "No, I'm fine. It's okay, you can go back to sleep now."

"Are you sure?" she asks, knowing full well that that was a lie. It was obvious. Firstly he is sweating profusely and secondly he is lowering the temperature of the room unknowingly, something she knows he does in moments of high stress. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Fine, but let me know if you want to talk okay?" she says because she knows he won't budge.

"I will. Goodnight Fuyumi." That's the most she's going to get out of him, she knows and decides to leave it for now. She then gets up and walks back to the door. "Goodnight Shouto" as she closes it. 

Now that Fuyumi has left, he can go back to thinking about that.. nightmare. Shouto was not someone who dreamed often, but this nightmare is one that continues to haunt him since that day. Even though its frequency has gone down in recent years, it still comes back nonetheless. But this time, for the first time it was different. It was way worse, not only relieving that tormenting memory but also having him in it made him so much more infuriated at the fact that he was helpless in these dreams, and those words that he said, the way he acted, it felt off and shocking for him, but expected and predictable at the same time. 

These confusing thoughts were a big reason that he was glad he never dreamed. He doesn't need this kind of junk in his brain. He'll figure out the meaning of this in the morning. Right now he is just too tired.

___________<several hours later in U.A infirmary>_____________

"My Nomu! You! You cheated!"

"While you may have had that monstrosity, I had these" as he holds up the fuel grenade only to see it being completely red and starting to drip.

"Huh".

'Why is it completely red? Why is it dripping?'

Suddenly the red starts to spread in his hands, dripping from it as the grenade turns fleshy and wet.

"What the-?"

"How could you do it?" an unknown voice asks, he turns to see the Nomu behind him.

"Huh?!"

"How could you just...kill me? You're a hero, are you not? Aren't they supposed to save everybody?"

"But you were about to kill my classma-"

"I was not in control. You saw that the state I was in. I was already suffering and you decided that the best course of action was to kill me. Some hero you're going to be."

"No, wait! I-"

"So you had to resort to killing to save the day. Disappointing," says a tone-dead voice, he turns to find out it was Aizawa Sensei speaking to them.

"Aizawa Sensei! But I-"

"How do you expect to be the next number one if you can't even take care of a situation without resorting to murder," said a giant shadowy figure as they stepped out, revealing itself to be All Might.

"A-All Might! I-I didn't mea-" Izuku tried to speak as tears started pouring from his eyes. "I-I am sorry! I didn't know what else to do!"

"Woah, look at Izuku's quirk. It's so cool! He is definitely gonna become a hero" a child spoke.

Izuku turns to see a plump child with draconic wings pointing towards him.

'Tsubasa?!'

"Oh yeah, look at Izuku! He is making Fire! And Ice!" another voice, this one belong to a lanky kid, with long fingers

"Unfair! He's got 2 quirks while we only get one!" the voice of a small girl as she starts to pout.

"That is an amazing quirk you got there little Izuku. Fire and Ice! A quirk made for a hero!" spoke his daycare teacher.

"Just you watch! Me and Izuku will be the two best heroes of all time!" said the 4-year-old version of Kacchan.

"Kacchan, I think you made a mistake. Izuku can't beat a hero. He's a murderer after all!" Tsubasa stated."

"No, I'm not! I had no choice!" he shouts back, trying to defend him. Not noticing his higher voice.

"Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" They all started chanting.

"No! Please stop!" he pleads.

"Izuku! Honey! How could you do that?!"

"I am disappointed in you son"

"Now we know why your actual mother gave you up. Can't say I blame her."

"Guess Deku really means useless after all"

"Maybe Dekiru isn't the right nickname for you"

"Maybe I made a mistake being friends with you, Midoriya."

"You should've never made it into the hero course"

"SHUT UP!" he screams, waking up.

He is sweating a lot. He is panting. His head feels like it's going to explode.

He takes deep breaths to lower his heart rate. After a couple of minutes, he calms down and looks around his surroundings. It's dark, too dark. He can't see shit. So he gets off the bed and ignites his palm for light. He searches for the light switch, finding it at the edge of the room, near a window. He flicks it on and turns off his fire. A white room, with hospital beds.

He feels suffocated, so he opens the window for fresh air. Finally basking in the smell of openness, he notices the moonlight falling on top of the flowers laid outside.

From behind, he hears the door opening, he turns to see someone small in front of the door.

"Hey! It's the small mammal that everyone loves, the principal!" spoke the chimera

"P-principal Nezu? What are you doing here?" spoke the confused and clearly tired teenager. Too tired to really grasp the fact that he is talking to the principal of U.A.

"Ahh yes, I will answer your question young man, but why don't you take a seat first!" spoke Nezu in his oh so ever cheery tone.

Izuku anxiously sits on the bed, something which the principal doesn't fail to notice."Relax, Mr.Midoriya, you're not in any trouble. Quite the contrary actually! I came here to check on you, but I guess I owe you an apology."

"An apology? But why?"

"For today's incident. Something like that should never have happened. As the principal of this school and a pro-hero I should've predicted the attack. I apologize for my shortcomings. "

"But what happened today wasn't your fault! The villains blindsided everyone with the atta-" Izuku tried to retort before stopping when the principals put his paw up, gesturing him to stop.

"We can discuss whose fault it was at a later date. Now to your original question. Since you showed no sign of regaining consciousness anytime soon and it was getting late, I offered myself to look after you for the night, as Recovery Girl had to be somewhere else. Now don't worry, I may not be as skilled in this profession as Mrs.Shuzenji herself, but I'm still more than capable of taking care of someone with a concussion."

"Oh.. ok. " he whispers back before immediately coming to a realization and asking" How is everyone else?! What about the teachers!? Are they okay?!"

"Yes, your classmates are fine. We canceled school for the day shortly after taking care of the situation. The school will also be off for the next two days and will begin back on Monday. So you all got an impromptu vacation on the plus side. As for your teachers, both are fine. Mr.Aizawa is still unconscious while Thirteen is recovering."

"Oh, thank god." he sighs in relief before continuing "T-thank you for clarifying my doubts p-principle Nezu!"

"You're welcome! Now I advise you to go back to sleep, today was an exhausting day after all. The school faculty will send you back to your home tomorrow after a brief checkup. So rest till then."

"Y-yes, sir!"

As Nezu got off his seat, he made his way to the door before turning and saying "Oh, I'd also like to thank you for what you did today, were it not for your actions, the situation would've been way worse. So thank you!"

"Y-yes!" replied the boy in a meek, high pitched voice, not expecting a compliment from the teacher.

 "Mother, I have to confess something. It's been driving me insane keeping it a secret."

"S-Shouto, that child... was not only born on that day"

"S-Shouto has a twin, I named him Izuku, after grandfather"

"I couldn't deal with having another one falling in his hands! Touya already gets beaten up by the man for the sake of "his future". I couldn't! I just couldn't have both of them fall into his hands. S-so I called Yamikumo, yes the one from high school. Anyways, he helped me find someone to take care of him, without them finding out about me or him. "

"It hurts every day, knowing he is somewhere, not even knowing about my or any of his sibling's existence."

"He was the sweetest little thing. He had eyes similar to Shouto's and had pink hair. His hair was just as much of a mess as Father's actually. He was just so cute, so tiny, so innocent, so... happy"

"M-meet him? Y-you can't, I don't know where he lives now if I did... Enji would sure find out. I am sorry, but I just can't. I can't!"

"Sometimes I wonder what his quirk is... if it's anything like Shouto's I don't know what I will..."

"I-I am losing my m-mind, sometimes when I see T-Touya, I see h-his hair, it makes me want to... hurt him. I-I can't live like this!"

"Shouto's left side, it disgusts me. I-I don't know what I will if I se-"

These conversations were the thing he remembered most about his childhood now, aside from the sessions with his father. He couldn't sleep those nights.. the nightmares didn't let him. So he would spend most of the nights just aimlessly wandering around until he got tired. But then, he heard her. He heard her talk. He found out, found out a lot. Izuku, his name. The one that got away. He should be happy, right? One of his siblings isn't dealing with living under the same roof as that man. So why isn't he?

Why does the existence of his youngest brother piss him off so much? Is it jealousy? Probably but he was never one to be like that. He didn't harbor any negative feelings against Fuyumi and Natsou because they didn't have the task of living up to that bastard's expectation. No, they were his siblings and he loved them. Even Shouto, someone who he was planning on killing today doesn't bother him, the only reason he decided to was so he can spite him by killing the trophy child.

But then he saw him, someone he never thought he'd ever see. Izuku.. the one that got away. The funny thing being, he was even more powerful than Shouto. Fucking fire and ice from everywhere and not just one side each! Are you fucking kidding? So the one that got away was also the one that the bastard dreamed of?! The irony was killing him. Incred-fucking-ible. 

This does change things though. Now he has so much more fuel to add to the burning storm that is going to be Endeavour's downfall. Oh, he can't wait!

"Yo Dabi! Kurogiri said you wanted to see me?" said a man as he walked into an abandoned alley.

"About time you showed up, Giran."

"Haha! Sorry, I had to buy some smokes. You want one?" asked the man as he put it in his mouth and turned on the lighter

"No. Listen, I need your help finding someone. He's some businessman. Runs an adoption agency actually."

"Got a name?"

"Mikumo Akatani or what those who are familiar with him call him... Yamikumo"

Chapter Text

"Oye, Nerd! You good?"

"Hmm?! Oh, Kacchan! Yeah, I am fine. W-why'd you ask?"

"We've been on this train for 15 minutes, and you haven't check you're phone for any hero news, and you've barely talked on the way here."

"Y-yeah, I guess my mind is a bit preoccupied."

"The attack still bothering you?"

"I-I guess"

"Well, it couldn't have been all that bad... but I guess I won't know until they give you permission to share that information."

"It's not that I don't have permission, it's just... they asked me not to tell until I give the report. That's all."

"Whatever." the blonde said before slumping back into the seat and closing his eyes.

No one aside from the people present in the conflict and the teachers knew what went down in the plaza. Izuku wanted to tell Kacchan, but he had to respect the wishes of the staff. Honestly, he felt exhausted beyond belief despite only waking up a few hours ago. He had just gotten a medical check-up by Recovery-girl, and once she gave him the green light, he was allowed to leave. He was surprised when he saw Kacchan waiting for him at the front gate. He had expected his mom to be there standing there, worried. Oh god, he hadn't even thought of mom's reaction towards this. Everyone knew she was a bit... emotional when it comes to his safety. It's a good thing that Kacchan had offered to come instead because he didn't want to deal with it in public.

All of his classmates were fine. The only ones who were close to being injured were Kaminari, because apparently, whenever he overuses his quirk, he fries his brain, and Todoroki, who had a wound on his arm. Aside from these guys, everyone else was physically fine, save for some bruises and light cuts.

His thoughts pounder over to Todoroki. Izuku swore he saw the boy's arm engulfed in flames before he attacked the Nomu. He is still only 30% sure of that because if it were true, then that would mean that Todoroki too had a fire and ice power, which.. what are the chances of that?! There is also the fact that he hadn't shown his fire in the slightest before that moment. ' Maybe he didn't get the chance to show it before. No one really talks to him since he is a bit.... scary. But still, even during the parts of the fight where I was conscious, he didn't use it. Personal preference maybe?'

He rubs his head, letting out a groan. All of this was so something he didn't wish to think about now. Clearing his eyes, he lets out a long sigh before turning to Kacchan and starting another conversation.

"So.. how's 1-B treating you?"

Bakugou's eyes shift towards Izuku before replying, "Oh, they are fine; there's are only a couple of annoying shits."

"Oh really? What did they do to get on your nerves?"

"It's a long list"

Izuku looks towards the map, pointing at the spot the represents their station."Oh, I think we have time."

"Are you sure you're not just trying to trick me into talking about their quirks?" he sarcastically retorts.

"N-no! Not at all!" Izuku replies, a bad attempt at covering his true motives.

Bakugou smirks at him before saying, "Fine, fine! First up is this annoying vine girl....."

_________<across town at the same time>___________________

"Shoutooooo!"

And there it was... that voice. The voice he didn't want to hear today. Of course, he was here. He should've expected this. Why wouldn't the bastard want to talk after his first encounter with villains.

"What do you want?"

"The police reports tell me that the "big gun" the villains had, his head was burnt to ash."

'Burnt to ash? That's cute compared to what actually happened'  he thinks before immediately clearing his throat. "It was, so what?"

A smug smile came on Endeavour's face as he replies, "So you finally decided to give up on your childish tantrums. It's about time, son"

That last part irked him the wrong way, the word "son"... he didn't say it endearingly or proudly... but a way that a breeder says it. He clenched his fist in anger before replying, "Who said I was the one to do it?"

"Please, you mean to tell me that there is someone else in your class capable of that kind of firepower. I checked the recommendations list. The only other person who can do such a thing is that Yaoyorozu girl, and I doubt she can create a device strong and fast enough to do that."

"And what if there was?"

"Really then? Fine, give me the name."

Shouto contemplated whether or not he should answer. He thought about the consequences, and then a smile crept on his face. The sports festival, if he finds Midoriya in there, his anger... "If the one who did it wishes to remain unknown, then I will respect it. Besides, you'll find out soon enough," he said and left.

Endeavour was unconvinced but decided to drop it there. He was getting late for work anyway.

After he left, Shouto was in his room, thinking of ways to beat Midoriya. Right now, the only weakness he knew of was the eye's glowing thing, and even then, it was yet to be actually proven as the only evidence he had was the villain's word. He was at a disadvantage, sure. Midoriya's firepower was greater than he expected and the boy's intelle....

Knock Knock Knock

"Come in," he says absent-mindedly before turning to see Fuyumi at the door.

The girl closes the door and looks at him worryingly " The villain... that was killed. I-it wasn't you.. was it?"

"No, it wasn't me," he said in a calming tone, hoping to ease her worries.

"O-oh, so that means.... it was him wasn't it." her tone was less of worry and more of panic.

Shouto, a bit taken back by this, only managed to whisper out "Y-yes."

Fuyumi was silent. Growing up in a household of fire users, she knew full well the implications of someone's fire being that hot. And if this Midoriya really was that strong... then Endeavor would... he would...

Seeing the obvious distress, he tried to comfort her. "Sis, relax. I know what's worrying you, don't worry. I can deal with it."

She nodded, despite being unconvinced. This was something out of their control, could Endeavor really be angry if that was the case? Before she could think any deeper about this, she hears Shouto's phone ringing.

"Hello... Oh, Ashido... How'd you get this number?.... Ok... No, I'm busy" he abruptly ended the call before she could say anything else.

"Who was that?"

"A classmate"

"What did they want?"

"She just wants to know whether or not I'd come to the gathering she's holding?"

"Sounds fun, you should go. Have fun with your friends"

"They're not my friends" quick and simple, destroying any hope she had. The past few days had been stressful, Midoriya's existence was already something that made her worries skyrocket, and then the villain attack happened.  And now, with Shouto's antisocial behavior towards his classmates. She honestly wanted to scream. There is nothing she can do. All she can do now is wait and hope that things work out. Nothing more.

__________<>____________

"Mom! I'm home!" Izuku announces, waiting for the storm that is about to come. He had prepared himself for this. Even during the ride when he was listing to Kacchan talk about 1-B (and leaving out their quirks that fucking asshole), he was readying himself for the conversation that he was about to have.

"I-Izuku?!" came the teary voice of his mother.

"Yeah, Mo-" interrupted when she rushed towards him and hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, too, before trying to comfort her. "H-hey! I'm fine. It's okay. The villains didn't even scratch me!"

"I was so scared! Once I got the call, I was so afraid. I came to the school yesterday to see if you're okay, b-but you passed out. Recovery-girl told me about y-you're injuries. They said I should pick you up in the morning, but then Katsuki offered t-to. I don't know wha-"

"Mom! I'm fine, trust me! I'm perfectly healthy. I got a bit careless during the fight with the villains t-that's all. I-I promise it won't happen again." he tries to reassure her, knowing it was a long shot.

"O-oh. A-are you okay?"

"I am fine. Look! No stitches or anything. Recovery girl did a great job!" he said as his mother started cupping his face, trying to examine it further. After a minute, he grabs her hands and takes them away from his face.

"Mom! I'm fine! Trust me!" he smiles as he says that. Inko reluctantly let's go. Still worried but keeps it to herself.

"I made Katsudon for lunch" she finally replies

"Oh, awesome! I'm starving! The breakfast at U.A without lunch-rush making it was.... subpar."

"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes, why don't you take a shower till then"

"Oh right! I probably stink!" Izuku then waved at his mother as he made his way to the bathroom. He knew that mom wasn't convinced and would want to talk about it more. Hopefully, it isn't until tomorrow because all he wants to do is relax for now.

He entered the bathroom and took off his dirty uniform. His mind wandered over to one question. What will he do? He's got four free days and nothing planned. Before U.A, it was preparing for the entrance exam, whether that was physical training or studying. After U.A there wasn't much free time as the teacher give a lot of homework for the weekends, but now it was just 4 days of... nothing. 'I wonder if Kacchan wants to go the arcade or something? Been a while. Or maybe... but I don't feel like I know them well enough for that. '

As he leaves the bathroom, he checks his phone and sees a missed call from an unknown number. Dialing it as he walks in the kitchen, it gets answered within a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey Midoriya! It's me! Ashido!"

"Oh hey Ashido... What's up?"

"Nothing much. Listen, since the USJ thing... most of the class was pretty bummed out, so I thought it be a good idea for all of us to go out somewhere y'know... try to clear our mind and have some fun"

"Oh.. that sounds cool. I had something similar in mind, actually. So w-when is it?"

"I was thinking sometime around 1.... tomorrow."

"Great. That works out for me. Umm.. where are we going?"

"Don't know yet but I'm sure we'll figure something out!"

Izuku thinks for a moment before asking, "So who else is coming?"

"I haven't been able to ask everyone yet, but so far, Iida, Hakagure, Jirou, Tsu, Kirishima, and Kaminari have confirmed."

"Nice. So... where do we meet up?"

"Probably at U.A. I mean it's the only common spot we all know so..."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Sure I'll come. See you tomorrow then"

"Awesome. See you then Midori!" Beep

 'Midori?' He signs as he puts down his phone and sit on the dining table. Honestly, he did wish to get to know his classmates better, which was the perfect opportunity for that. He could've never had the courage to do this. Sure he thought about it but actually calling people for a meet with no pre-existing plan. No, he wasn't that brave.

His mother started to set the table when she asked: "So who was that?"

"Huh? Oh, that! That was one of my classmates! She was asking whether or not I'd come to a class outing tomorrow."

"I see... so where will you all be going?"

"Nothing decided yet. If we can't find something.. I'll recommend the arcade to them."

"Oh, I remember that place. You and Katsuki used to go there all the time! It was quite a hassle for Mitsuki and me to get you both out of that place. "

"I'm sure we weren't that bad"

"You were! I remember the time you cried for so long when we had to leave early. I think I still have the photo of you pouting for the rest of the day."

"No you don't!"

"Uh-huh! Then what is this" she smugly stated and showed him the picture of his 6-year old self sitting in the back, teary-eyed and pouting.

Izuku then leaned "Oh yeah, wait, I can't see it properly lemme just..." and then swiped his hand. But Inko's reflexes were better than that, and she quickly retracted her hand.

"Too slow." she said as she put down the device, locking it. "But it's too embarrassing!" Izuku whined.

"There are plenty more, don't worry. Now eat your food before it gets cold. Otherwise, I might just send one of these to Katsuki... who knows what he'll do with~it," singing the last part to torment him more.

"Point made" he sighs in defeat and goes to eat. Honestly, Katsudon getting cold was enough of a punishment. The last part was just unnecessary.

During the meal, there was light-conversation here and there. Thankfully his mother did not bring up the USJ, and it was obvious he doesn't want to talk about it...yet. Despite his best efforts, he can't help but rethink that one thing. Right before he... attacked the person creature, he saw Todoroki engulfed in flames. It wasn't Izuku's, and not one else has a quirk that can do that. Well, maybe except for Yaoyorozu, but she wasn't near the fight, and he doesn't think a flamethrower is really her style.

Suddenly he remembered something. 'Todoroki, Todoroki... that's.... that's Endeavour's last name!'. He immediately searched 'Shouto Todoroki' and got the results. Todoroki is Endeavour's son. And his quirk is not just Ice. There was a video of him when he was young, like really young. He's in some hero meet that Endeavour went to. He was asked to showcase his quirk there. Ice for right and Fire from left. 'Just like mine'. So Todoroki has two elements as well, but he never showed his fire. He only used it to melt his Ice in training. But maybe that's the only time he could've used it. Yeah, that's probably it. Or is he smart and knows how dangerous fire truly is…..

____________<>____________

"Natsuo. Hey, it's me, F-Fuyumi. I wanted to know how you're doing."

"Sis? Oh, man, it's great to hear from you. I'm doing fine. Nan's place is so much better than.. y'know. So anyway, how are you?  How's Shouto doing?"

How can she reply to this? Shouto's high school, a place where she thought he could finally be free from the stress of living in this house, but it only served to increase it now. "I-I'm fine, and Shouto's doing well too. S-so anyways, what are you up to?" She lied.

Natsou was clearly unconvinced"Sis, I know you're lying. It's fine, you can tell me. Has he been at it again?" the younger Todoroki replied, hoping that that wasn't the case.

Fuyumi contemplated what to do, even though Natsou was her brother. Even though they haven't lived together for years now, they still often talked on the phone and met occasionally. He had gone off and lived with their grandmother when she offered her and Natsuo. He jumped on that opportunity while she had to refuse. Doing so would leave Shouto alone, something which she didn't have the heart to do. Finally, making up her mind, she decided to tell the truth. He deserved to know, as well. After all, he was their brother.

"There's this kid in Shouto's class. I think his name is Izuku Midoriya....."

Natsou listened carefully to what his sister was saying. He stayed silent and heard what was bothering her. He was alone in his room, so he put the phone on speaker and put it on his table. Listening to what they were going through. Anxiety, stress, anger, and fear. He couldn't say much. It is only until the call ends where he finally starts to process what's being told. "Izuku Midoirya," he said slowly. Deciding to go for a glass of water he opened that door only to see his Nan standing there, surprised and unusually quiet, unsure if she should say anything. ' How long has she been standing there?' This isn't the first time Nan has eavesdropped on him, it's mainly to find out whether he has a girlfriend or not so she can tease him. Never has it been about this serious of a topic and neither party knows what to say.

She opens her mouth but speaks nothing. Instead closing it immediately and then just walking away, like nothing ever happened.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

The school was closed for the four days and on friday I ended up hanging out with kacchan during it. I even took him out with Ashido and the rest of class 1-A to hang out. We went to a cat cafe and an arcade and it really did put my mind off the USJ incident as it has been nicknamed by the press. But when I got home I found my mom holding what looked like the disc the entrance exam scores were sent out in and so we sat at the table and played it. It went over new security features as well as instructions for me to meet at principal nezu’s office first thing monday as he would like to meet and discuss some things.

‘I wonder what he wants to talk about? I hope he's not trying to apologize again.’ I think to myself and apparently zone out because when I look at mom she's been trying to talk with me about something that I clearly didn't hear. “Izuku they said that they were gonna send a few homeroom teachers around to talk about moving into some type of dorm system, were you listening? Did you zone out again?” Inko said in her softest voice.

“We're gonna have to get the doctor to look into upping your meds again because this dose doesn't seem to keep you from spacing out, and don't give me that look! I know that you have ADHD and that the meds aren't a permanent fix but what if you zone out in a battle you could be killed?!” she spoke with tears welling in her eyes as she spoke. “dont cry mom the neighbors downstairs will think there's a leak again.” I rush to her side and hug her tightly to me as I rewind the holo-disc and play the dorm part back.

“Now parents, I know some of you have misgivings about the dorm system but I believe it to be beneficial to your children. As in the dorms they'll have access to the teacher and other students so they can get help for studying our various topics and have access to proper gyms allowing them to stay physically fit.

That being said, it'll also make the villains think twice before attempting another raid as our third years, who have provincial hero licenses, as well as more heroes patrolling will beef up the new security upgrades in and around the school. to help keep your children safe at all times, so please allow your kids' homeroom teachers to talk to you about it before you outright say no to them.

Please note that the dorms are not mandatory but will alway be available to any and all.” The holographic voices of nezu finishes with an almost eerily sweet laugh but to me sounds a bit too sadistic, thankfully mom didn't seem to notice.

 “See mom, the school is taking this seriously and not just bruising it off and we still have a month before the sports festival too!” I reassure her as best I can.

 “I know Izuku but I'm still worried, you have been having nightmares everyday since and you haven't told me what all went down at the USJ so i don't know the details.”

_____________<two days later>____________

the second I enter class both me and todoroki are called to head to nezu’s office and so we both walk all the way there, only to meet with Ryo Inui. “ ‘Hound dog is the Pro Hero, the Head of Student Discipline Committee and the Guidance Counselor of U.A. hes the close combat hero who usually works well at crowd control but if he gets agree he loses his ability to speakiwonderifthatsduetohisquirkorjusthowhisheropersonais?maybeitslikewhenAsuialwayssayskeroafterasentence?’ ” As I look up I see everyone staring at me and realize I was mumbling out loud, maybe mom was right. I haven't mumbled since before I was ten.

“welcome in mr. Midoriya and mr. Todoroki, i have brought you both here because out of all the students the two of you were the closest to actually dying during the USJ, so i am going to need both of you to begin seeing hound dog after school for at least an hour everyday” nezu says in a chipper tone that leaves no room for arguing…

or so i thought as while i nod todoroki looks at nezu before saying, well more like whisper screaming it… “The f**k you mean therapy… I don't need therapy.” he says in his usual cold monotone voice, though a little louder than he usually talks.

 “regardless of how you feel, you will….. ruff ruff ruff howl!!!!!!” Hound dog starts off strong only to end up barking and howling due to anger at the f bomb Todoroki dropped out of nowhere.

“I believe what he was gonna say was you will report to his office or you will not return to class until you do mr. todoroki.” nezu quickly translates so we understand. “Now which of you boys will be going first?” he quickly adds.

 “I can if Todoroki does not wish to go first sir.” I say trying to be cool headed about this as I kinda expected it anyway. After all it was both me and todoroki who fought the nomu head on and were nearly killed for it.

 “thank you mr. midoriya, i appreciate the calm tone, please follow Hound dog and he’ll start you with a session until lunch." Nezu says with an eerie chuckle that makes my skin crawl but I do as he asks and follow Hound dog to his office.

Shoto’s p.o.v

“shoto todoroki, stop right there and re enter my office, i dismissed midoriya not you!” Nezu commanded and I stopped moving as the hair on the back of my neck stood up in what I can only assume was fear for what the rat would do to me if I didn't. “Now listen here young man. I invited you to my office so we could talk about this person to stoat, however I will not tolerate such vulgar words and such anger from anyone who doesnt work here and or knows me personally, am i clear on this?!” Nezu’s voice rises by the time he finishes speaking.

“yes… sir.” I quickly reply, trying to level my anger back out but somewhat failing. 

“Shoto, I do not know what endeavor has done to make you so against therapy, but you will attend a minimum of twelve sessions either here with Hound Dog or with another therapist of my choosing outside of school until I say you may stop. The choice is yours but pick wisely because Hound dog is one of the best but for all you know the person I pick will be your worst nightmare. keep in mind that a hero is only good at the job if they are fit both physically and mentally." Nezu says in a sweet alluring voice that unnerves me, defying Nezu would not end well.

He could find a way to make my life at U.A. unbearable, potentially involving my family or my future career. The logical and safest course of action is to comply. “Fine, I'll go, sir.” I quickly respond and apon getting dismissed walk back to class to think about ways to complete this quickly, it's not like I need therapy. I'm fine.

_______________<two hours into Shoto’s session in hound dogs office>______________

I sit rigidly on the couch, staring at a motivational poster about emotional regulation that features a cartoon Labrador. Hound Dog paces nearby, tail flicking with the intensity of an investigative journalist who also happens to be a very large canine. Two hours in, they have covered the riveting topics of breakfast preferences, goal-setting, Heroics 101 stress, and whether it is normal to have frost accumulate on a couch cushion (answer: “GRRRF, yes, given the circumstances”).

I have shared exactly zero percent of the things that actually weigh on me. Hound Dog sniffs the air. “You’re holding something back.” His voice is a low growl, not unkind, just insistent. “I’m not,” I replied, which is exactly what someone who definitely is would say. Another pass of pacing. Claws click on tiles. “Your shoulders are up near your ears. You’re colder than usual. Something on your mind.” I exhaled, sending a tiny snowflake drifting free. I just hope Hound Dog won’t notice. Hound Dog notices everything.

“Talk,” he says. “Or I’ll fetch the stress balls again.” I grimace because the stress balls squeak and everyone can hear them through the walls. The words tumble out before I can stop them. “I’m never going to use my flames.” 

Hound Dog freezes mid-pace. One ear swivels. “Your left side? Why?”

“It’s…” My jaw tightens. “It’s his. If I use it, I will become him.” Silence falls. Heavy. Almost reverent. 

Hound Dog sits, head tilted, studying me with eyes that see too much and judge too little. “You think you can separate yourself into halves,” Hound Dog finally says. “As if the body you grew in didn't form those flames with your cells. As if they aren’t yours down to the core.”

I stare at the floor. my breath clouds the air. “He wanted me to be his perfect masterpiece, using his fire. So I’ll only use my ice.”

“That sounds like running,” Hound Dog replies, soft for a creature with fangs.

I bristled. “It's a strategy.”

A single huff escapes Hound Dog, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. “You don’t have to accept anything today. Or tomorrow. You don’t even have to tell me more than that sentence you just said. I just want you to consider something.”

I look up, wary curiosity flickering in mismatched eyes. Hound Dog leans forward. “Flame didn’t choose Endeavor first. Flame chose you. Then he twisted what was never his.”

The idea hits me like a warm draft sneaking under a frozen door. Strange. Disorienting. Unwelcome, yet… tempting. I look down at my left hand, pulses of heat nudging against the walls I built. “I… don’t know,” I admit.

“I didn’t ask you to know,” Hound Dog replies. “Only to chew on the thought awhile.”

I almost smiled at the choice of words. Almost. I did always like puns, not that anyone but Natsuo uses them…. Touya did too, at least according to Natsuo. I quickly stand to leave, that new idea curls itself into my mind like a spark landing in dry grass. Not a blaze. Not yet.

Izuku’s p.o.v

Okay… deep breath. This is me. Four hours. That’s how long I’ve been sitting in this chair while Hound Dog asks me things like what my favorite food is (katsudon), what hobbies calm me down (nothing, apparently), and whether I can please stop freezing and then melting the same pen. I keep nodding and smiling, trying to look normal. Totally fine. Just a kid whose hair looks like cotton candy got into a fight with a firecracker. 

A kid whose eyes don’t even match. A kid has a Quirk strong enough to vaporize a monster in seconds. A kid who did exactly that. Hound Dog stops pacing. His ears perk forward in that way that means my mask must be slipping. “You’re holding something back,” he says. No judgment. Just certainty. My hands clamp together, ice forming around the fingers while a tiny flame nips at the side of my palm. My body likes to broadcast my secrets whether I give it permission or not. “I…” My voice feels wobbly, like a bridge missing too many bolts. “I didn’t mean to kill him.” The words fall out before I can shove them back into the dark.

 “USJ. the Nomu. I don’t want to picture it, but my brain does anyway. The screams. The steam. The cheers afterward made me want to disappear. I panicked. I didn’t think. it was gonna kill Todoroki and then it headed for me and I just…. reacted.” I expect him to bark or snap or say something like “heroes make hard choices.” Instead, he just sits. Quiet. Present. “It was awful,” I whisper. “Everyone says I saved lives, but all I can think is that someone died because of me.” The couch cushion under me frosts solid. 

The armrest warms to the point of steaming. The usual tug-of-war inside my body cranks up until breathing feels like a skill I never mastered. “I keep imagining Mom looking at me differently.” My throat closes tight. “When she adopted me I was… harmless. What if she wakes up one morning and realizes she brought something dangerous into her home?” A tear slips loose. It freezes halfway down my cheek. Then it melts. Then it freezes again. My emotions need a user manual. “What if she doesn’t want me anymore?” Hound Dog leans forward, claws tapping gently on the floor. 

“You believe love will disappear the moment you mess up,” he says. “As if it’s a thing that can evaporate.” I bite my lip. More tears fall. My powers flicker around me, confused and scared. He softens. “Inko Midoriya chose you,” he tells me. “Not your Quirk. Not your potential. She chose you. She won’t stop now. She would take on the world for her son.” A tiny laugh bursts out of me. Wet and pathetic. “She’s really small…” He huffs a laugh too. “She wouldn’t need size. Just determination.” I breathe. One shaky inhale that doesn’t hurt quite as much. The frost retreats from the wall. 

The flame on my fingers dies down to a little ember. The guilt is still there. Heavy as a glacier. Hot as a wildfire. I don’t think one talk will make it vanish. Though maybe the fear that Mom will slam the door on me isn’t completely true. Maybe that door was never going to close at all. I wipe my face and stand. My shoes squeak against the floor from melted ice. 

Hound Dog says we’ll talk more next time. He doesn’t say I’m fine or fixed. Just… that he’s here. I walk out to find Kaachan and a tall boy with white hair and glasses standing next to Kaachan talking to him but the voice is very familiar and as he turns around it hits me…..

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

___________________<ten Years Ago: Aldera Elementary>_____________________

Kids used to call me a glitch. My ice quirk would freeze my left pant leg stiff while my right shoe left scorch marks in the grass. Even Kacchan hadn’t figured out if I was awesome or a disaster yet. Then there was a new kid on the playground. 

White-haired, sitting alone, staring at the mulch like he hoped it would talk back. I wiped frost off my palm and walked over before I chickened out. “H-hi! I’m Izuku!” The tiniest spark jumped off my fingers. 

“What’s your name?” The boy looked up. He blinked at me like I wasn’t what he expected. 

“James,” he said with a little American twang. “We just moved here.” 

Kacchan wandered over with an explosion crackling like a warning shot. “What kinda quirk you got?” James shrugged, calm like a quiet ocean. “Dunno yet.” 

That surprised both of us. He wasn’t embarrassed. He wasn’t defensive. He just… didn’t have an answer. 

Kacchan scoffed, but something in him sparked too. “You look strong anyway. You’re on my team.” 

James smirked at him, fearless. “Only if Izuku’s on it.” 

Kacchan blinked. Then grinned. Then all three of us were racing around the playground, saving imaginary citizens like we were already pros. We were friends. 

____________________________<two years later>_________________________________

 “Are you making… something?” James said shyly. 

“A hero base,” I declared. “For when we’re pro heroes!” 

Kacchan puffed his chest. “I’m already strong. My quirk is the best.” 

James nodded like he was analyzing a complex machine. “Nitroglycerin-like sweat. That’s… very interesting.” 

Kacchan blinked. “You… think so?” 

James smiled. “It means your explosions rely on stored fuel. You could weaponize that with the right containment tech.” 

Neither of us knew what half those words meant, but Kacchan was hooked instantly. James sat in the sand with us and showed drawings he had done in crayon and pencil. Super-detailed sketches of gadgets and support gear. Hero equipment. Design notes.

 Crazy ideas that somehow sounded possible. He didn’t have a quirk. We learned that when he explained his blueprints. “No quirk?” I gasped, worried he might be sad. 

James shrugged. “That’s just how I was born. Doesn’t mean I can’t help you guys be heroes.” 

Kacchan stared at him, sparks fading. “Yeah. You’re smart enough to make up for it.” 

I nodded hard. “Everyone can be a hero!” 

James blushed. His glasses fogged up. 

That afternoon, James asked us to meet him behind the school. He had a backpack stuffed full of papers. “My family’s moving again,” he said quietly. “mom’s job…” 

The world tilted. Kacchan scowled like he could make them stay out of sheer anger. 

I bit my lip so I wouldn’t cry frost. James pulled out two thick folders. One marked Katsuki. The other Izuku. 

“For you,” he said, handing them over. “I made these so you’ll… remember I believe you’ll be real heroes.” 

Kacchan opened his first. Blueprints for armored gauntlets. Large grenade-like chambers designed to store explosive sweat and amplify blasts safely. Kacchan stared like someone had handed him the key to his future. “This is… awesome,” he whispered. “I’m gonna make these real.” 

Then I opened mine. Smaller designs. Compact tanks strapped to my belt. Propane gas grenades to fuel the fire side of my quirk, and allow me to make higher temp flames. Controlled ignition tech. Notes about heat flow. Little doodles of me smiling while using them.

“You don’t have to pick between fire or ice,” James murmured. “You can use both. You can be everything.” 

I hugged him. 

Kacchan pretended he didn’t want one too before yanking James into his own awkward hug. 

“We’ll see you again,” I promised.

“You better,” James said, trying to smile. “Heroes never give up, right?” Right. He waved from the car window that day. His blueprints pressed to our chests like treasure. 

Kacchan and I stood shoulder-to-shoulder, fire, ice, and explosions simmering beside each other. Even quirkless, James gave us the tools to become ourselves. We never forgot.when James moved away and we had no chance for a final adventure. The swing he used to sit on stayed empty for a long time.

_____________________<back to the present>_____________________

“Took you long enough, nerd,” he grumbled. “You good or what?” I spotted Kacchan leaning against the wall outside. His arms were crossed like always, chin up, glare loaded with all the things he wouldn’t say out loud. He probably came to make sure I didn’t fall apart in the hallway. I took one step toward him. Someone else stood beside him. White long hair pulled into a ponytail. Smart eyes behind familiar glasses. 

A face I had not seen since the playground. Since blueprint drawings and promises. Since that day a car drove away with one of my best friends inside. My lungs forgot how to work. Eight years. Kacchan looked between us with a small, crooked smirk like he already knew this moment would break my brain. 

James smiled at me, and time folded in half. The near grown-up version of that genius kid stood right there, wearing the same brave expression he used the day he told us being quirkless did not make him less. I swallowed hard. The memory of how I used his design curled inside my stomach like a fist. 

My voice came out tiny. “I thought…I thought I’d never see you again.” His smile softened. No judgment. No fear. “You became a hero,” he said. “Told you that you could be everything.” 

My ice stopped trembling. My fire stopped burning out of control. I looked at Kacchan. He didn’t say a word, just nudged my shoulder and rolled his eyes like friendship was the most obvious thing in the universe. James took one step closer. “I'm staying this time,” he said. My heart flared. Not fire. Not frost. Warmth.“You are?” I asked. “I am.” he said with a fierce look…..

The Support Department smelled like metal and genius. Not the scary, villain-tech kind. The exciting kind where dreams get welded into reality. My breath puffed into little frost clouds from nerves while a thread of heat curled in my palms. My quirk always reacted when my emotions got loud. Kacchan swaggered at my side, explosions crackling like he was daring the machines to flinch. 

I was trying very hard not to. James led the way. Eight years disappeared fast when someone smiled at you like they always knew you’d make it. His white hair was a lot longer now and pulled into a ponytail longer than Yaoyorozu’s, his glasses sharper, his brain somehow even bigger. He walked through the lab like he belonged here. Because he did. “So Power Loader liked your application?” I asked. James grinned. “He said my designs made him feel like he needed to retire early. I’m taking that as a compliment. I mean I started a support item company at 13 and almost have steelworks beat out on the number of heroes coming to me instead.” 

Kacchan snorted. “Of course you did, steelworks are the ones who fucked my gaunlets up in the first place.” We passed robots in half-assembled poses and support items stacked neatly like sci-fi toys waiting for their turn to save the world. James pointed out upgrades he’d helped build, things he imagined as little kid blueprints that now existed for real. My chest swelled. Proud. a little overwhelmed. Mostly proud. 

“So,” James said, trying to sound casual. “Catch me up. Eight years. Go.” Kacchan exploded first, naturally. “I’m still the strongest. I’m going to be number one. My quirk is unmatched. Everyone else is background noise.” James nodded like this was the most comforting consistency he’d ever heard. “Yup. You haven’t changed.” Kacchan paused… then shrugged, satisfied. 

James glanced at me. “Izuku?” My voice stalled for a second. So much had happened. 1-A. USJ. Fear. Triumph. Tears. Fire and ice constantly testing each other. James returning. “I’m trying,” I said. James smiled like that was the best answer. We reached a desk cluttered with sketches and prototype parts. A nameplate rested beside a stack of gauntlet molds: James Smith – Support Course student teacher The student teacher part scratched out and in its place the word God was written in sharpy but not in james’ handwriting based on the note on the desk. I wonder who did that? 

He ruffled through a drawer and pulled out a case marked Bakugo – Final Prototype. “For you.” His grin sharpened. “Since you almost blew up Monoma’s entire torso during the class 1-B battle trials.” 

“That extra deserved it,” Kacchan muttered, grabbing the gauntlets like priceless treasure. “but even i know steelworks fucked up.”

James squinted at him. “Yeah, but next time let’s aim for victory, not homicide? These stabilize sweat pressure, so no more lethal detonations that turn the arena into a crater.” 

Kacchan grinned wider, which probably meant he heard exactly zero caution in that sentence. “These will make me unstoppable.” 

James rolled his eyes. “Please don’t prove me right too fast.” I laughed. Frost sprinkled across the floor while my heart burned warm. Three kids from Aldera elementary. Reunited in a hero school where dreams took shape in steel. James closed the case and pushed Kacchan’s shoulder affectionately. 

“We’re back,” he said. No pretending. No playground promises. No more goodbyes. I placed my hand over the propane grenade on my belt—the one designed by the quirkless boy who always saw potential before power. “Yeah,” I said. “We’re finally back.”

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

Power Loader’s support lab felt like standing inside a thunderstorm made of invention. Tools hummed. Metal clinked. Sparks fizzled in the distance like baby fireworks. My heart tried to match the pace, jittery with excitement and nerves.

James walked beside me, explaining a new hydraulic joint like it was just a cool doodle he came up with in a math notebook. Kacchan had already taken off somewhere to blo-test his new gauntlets, because of course he had.

Then a loud voice boomed over the sound of machinery. 

“Smith! You brought guests without clearance again!” Power Loader stomped toward us, helmet gleaming and coveralls dusted in grease. Even with his face mostly hidden, I could feel the disapproval radiating off of him like heat from my right palm. 

James shot me a look that translated to: “Act normal.” 

I tried. My powers immediately argued about which side wanted to panic more. 

“Sorry, sir!” James said, but he didn’t look sorry at all. “Just showing my oldest friends around.” 

Power Loader turned to me—and my breath stopped. He was holding something in his hands…. 

What used to be a black jumpsuit with thick red lines for design, giving it a cool coloring theme was replaced by the now Green fabric, with black support armor with red that fades to blue stripes around the arms and legs. It had a red utility belt and black combat boots with blue laces. The chest has a high collar with Cooling mesh and Heat-resistant plating stitched into the green fabric and finally a thin under layer consisting of a black vest with red highlights and two very thin oval exhausts that lay horizontally on the shoulder blades that go through the green upper layer.

My hero costume. 

“Our latest delivery,” Power Loader said, offering it to me. “Final touches just came in. Balance between temperature extremes is tricky, but Smith figured out a breakthrough.”

James rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly shy, glasses slipping a little down his nose. 

“Back then I only had rough sketches,” he said quietly. “Now I could really build what you need.” 

I stared at the costume like it was glowing. My fingers hovered over the stitching—perfectly reinforced so it wouldn't melt during fire surges like the last time. Vents near the right shoulder to help disperse flames into the cape I wanted since I was 4.

“You… made this?” My voice squeaked. 

James corrected gently, “We. Power Loader and the department handled the heavy work. I just… designed what you deserved, I designed the original too but you melted it at the USJ”

Fire flared warm under my skin. Ice glimmered along my sleeve. Neither fighting. Both agreed. though my heart sank knowing that James knew what I used his propane gas grenades for.

Power Loader chuckled under his helmet. “Kid talks about you a lot. Had blueprints waiting years before you even applied here.”

James turned bright red. 

“Well I knew he’d be great.”

I held the suit closer to my chest. Everything inside me softened. Melted. Solidified stronger.

Eight years vanished in the seams and armor. A friendship sewn into fabric.

“You believed in me before I had any reason to believe in myself,” I said, voice thick with gratitude.

James bumped his shoulder against mine. “Still do.”

Power Loader crossed his arms. “Well, Midoriya, try not to melt it immediately. Those materials aren’t cheap.” 

I laughed because crying in front of professional engineers felt embarrassing enough.

“I’ll protect it,” I promised.

James grinned. “You’ll protect people in it.”

My fire flickered bright. 

My ice held steady. 

A costume wasn’t just gear. It was proof that someone saw the hero in me long before I did.

“Look at the tag and you'll see my company name.” James says as he nods to me and so I look and see the tag that reads: Q.C.I. I try to hold back my tears but I cant and they fall to the ground as I see how much faith James had in me.

“You may not remember it but you once told me you thought I could start a support company. even gave me a good name for it, so that's what I did and I used the name you suggested: Quirkcraft industries. our main branch is on i-island but i have a workshop at U.A too, so if you break or melt that one stop by here and i've got a spare or two, and hey if you're still fearing over what you did at the USJ or how i feel about it, don't worry because i know you went through every last option before cremating that creature… no, that monster's head."

I cry harder because even if it's been eight years, I know James hasn't changed that much just from us talking. He is still the same kid I knew before, always to the point and straight forward no matter what….

Shoto’s p.o.v

The hallway outside the therapy office smelled like disinfectant and pity. My boots clicked too loud against the tile, every step echoing the irritation boiling behind my ribs. Nezu’s voice kept replaying in my head, cheerful and sharp like a mousetrap.

“It will be good for you to talk about your feelings, Todoroki-kun.”

As if feelings were something small enough to sort out in a one-hour appointment and a pamphlet about trauma.

USJ was still carved into the backs of my eyes. Villains everywhere. Ice too slow. Fire untouched. I thought I was done being afraid of my own Quirk, but therapy had a way of peeling open wounds I kept neatly stitched shut.

The moment I stepped through our front doors, my father’s voice struck like a slap.

“Suit up. Training room.”

No greeting. No question. Flames were already curling around him, proud and hungry.

My jaw locked until it hurt. Forced therapy. Forced training. Forced to be his intention, never my own.

The training room lights flickered to life. Father faced me as if I were another villain to conquer. His fire roared brighter.

“You hesitated at USJ.” His tone carried disappointment like it was heavy artillery. “We fix that before the Sports Festival.”

I could taste the air growing colder around me. Anger pushed it outward. My chest felt like thin ice ready to cave.

“You think this is about hesitating?” My voice slipped out sharp. “You think pushing harder fixes everything?”

His flames surged. “You must use both sides, boy. You have no excuse anymore.”

The word boy snapped something brittle.

Cold exploded outward. Too fast. Too intense. My breath frosted on my lips. Ice crept beneath my boots, skittering up Father’s legs before either of us registered the danger.

He lunged, fire roaring in defense, but the cold latched on first.

Frostbite.

His flames shrieked against the freeze, sputtering out in patches. The red on his skin turned pale under the frost spreading across his arm. He staggered, eyes widening as if this possibility had never once entered his perfect vision of me.

I stared at my own hands like they belonged to someone else. Fingertips numb. Heart pounding. Fury drained into horror.

“I… didn’t intend—”

“You lost control.” His voice cracked like thawing ice, low and dangerous.

No. I had too much control. Years of it. Enough to suffocate.

The silence between us felt colder than anything I’d created.

“If Nezu thinks therapy will fix that attitude of yours, then he is—”

“I don’t need to be fixed.” My voice came out quiet, flat, more lethal than shouting. “I just need to stop being your project.”

His eyes flashed with anger he had no right to.

The frost began to melt, dripping onto the polished floor like the room itself was crying for him.

I turned, pulse still roaring in my ears. The door hissed behind me as I left him clutching his burned-by-ice skin.

USJ had shown me what real villains looked like.

Some lived outside the house.

Some lived in it.

And some lived in the mirror.

________<over the next few days>____________

Lunch should not crunch like a glacier when you bite into it.

Yet here I was again, staring at a perfectly innocent katsudon locked inside a block of ice the size of my disappointment. The cafeteria buzzed with normal teenage concerns. Mine included making sure I didn’t accidentally deep-freeze the table, the chair, or the person sitting next to me.

“Woah, Todoroki, that’s… extra chilly,” Kirishima said the day before, teeth chattering while his tray slid a few centimeters closer to Antarctica, courtesy of my quirk gone rogue.

The USJ attack left everyone rattled. My nerves decided to express that by turning the room temperature into Siberia the second I felt irritated, anxious, cornered, or conscious of existing.

In class, my desk sported permanent frost patterns like delicate spiderwebs, except they crunched and occasionally stabbed me when I leaned too hard. Aizawa-sensei stopped mentioning it after the third time his sleeping bag got stuck to the floor near me.

“Control,” he muttered once, free hand tugging at the fabric, “or at least aim away from the furniture.”

I tried. I really did.

The more I focused on holding it together, the tighter my chest squeezed and the colder everything became. Like telling a storm to relax. Like asking a winter that never ends to please take a break.

Midoriya looked at me during math, concern knitting his eyebrows. Uraraka scooted a little further away once her pencil froze to her fingertips. Even Bakugo paused before yelling something explosive at me, likely calculating if frostbite was worth the insult.

Every breath came out misty. Every emotion triggered a blizzard.

Father pretended the burn marks under his new bandages were the real issue. He watched me train with a fire that burned hotter, louder, angrier. The message is always the same. Control through obedience. Strength through pain. Victory at the festival, no matter the cost.

The mouse principal had suggested therapy to help me “open up.”

Funny how opening up felt like letting everything freeze.

I didn’t mean to be dangerous. I didn’t want the fear in my classmates’ eyes every time the air temperature tanked.

The worst moments were the quiet ones, when I noticed the frost creeping across my own skin uninvited, like my body was turning into a monument for a version of me I never asked to be.

Heroics class loomed ahead. The Sports Festival drew closer, a spotlight I wished I could melt or burn or bury in snow.

Everyone else trained to showcase their power.

I trained to keep mine from swallowing the room.

USJ taught me real villains exist.

Maybe therapy was supposed to teach me that sometimes the battle is inside.

Right now, the enemy was cold, and it wore my face. I have another session with hound dog this afternoon. Maybe he’ll be of some help???

Hound Dog’s office always smelled faintly of fur, sofa cushions and the kind of scented candles meant to calm people who have forgotten how. I sat with my arms crossed, fingers digging crescents into my sleeves just to feel grounded. He paced more than any therapist I had ever seen. His claws tapped the floor like a metronome of barely restrained instinct.

“So. Your ice keeps… escalating?” His words rumbled, the growl tucked just beneath a professional tone.

I nodded once. “I freeze things. Accidentally. Frequently.”

His tail flicked like punctuation. “Stress response. Quirk-emotion feedback loop. Classic case.” The pen in his paw snapped clean in half under pressure. “Ahem. My apologies.”

Confusion pried at my focus. Therapy was supposed to untangle my thoughts, yet this session felt like a maze with snowdrifts thickening the walls.

He stopped pacing long enough to look right at me. Eyes sharp. Sincere.

“You manifested your quirk under trauma. Half-cold, half-hot, split by choice.” His ears twitched. “Since USJ, your body is treating danger differently. Your ice is no longer satisfied staying within limits you set as a child.”

My throat felt tight. “So I am losing control?”

“Possibly.” He crouched slightly, almost lupine in motion. “Possibly evolving.”

The word hung in the air like a visible breath. Evolving. It didn’t sound like an improvement. It sounded like metamorphosis without permission.

“Your cold grows because your fire remains chained,” he continued. “Opposites fight when one is starved. You mastered holding back, Todoroki. Maybe… maybe now your quirk demands balance.”

Flames. The word pulsed like a bruise.

I stared at the floor, as if the tile might offer a better alternative. Fire meant him. Fire meant surrendering ground in a war I wasn’t finished fighting. Fire meant his victory.

Hound Dog’s voice softened. “Balance does not mean acceptance of your father.” His gaze could slice through steel. “This decision belongs to you. Only you decide what your power becomes.”

My breathing slowed. The room felt smaller. The ice coiled under my skin like a restless river.

No orders. No commands. Just a door opening I had sworn I would never walk through again.

He tapped his clipboard lightly, claws clicking. “We can continue therapy. We work on control. Yet if the imbalance grows, the cold will keep spiking. The consequences may become dangerous.”

The consequences already were.

Using fire had always tasted like swallowing his expectations. Now it tasted like survival.

I stood to leave, chair legs scraping against the floor. “I need time.”

Hound Dog nodded. “Take all you need. The fire waits. The ice will not.”

The hallway outside felt too bright. Too loud. Too everything.

Nezu wanted me to open up. Hound Dog wanted me to ignite.

My quirk wanted balance.

I wanted peace.

Three different paths. One person caught in the crossfire.

I pressed my palm to the wall. Frost spread beneath it before I could stop it.

Maybe it was time to choose which part of me truly needed to thaw.

Chapter Text

From Nezu’s Point of View

The late afternoon light streamed through the wide windows of my office, painting everything in honey-gold. Papers lay neatly stacked, tea steaming quietly on my desk. It was the sort of day where the world seemed calm—deceptively so, as it often was.

Then came the knock. Light, hesitant, but with a rhythm that spoke of old habits. I hadn’t heard that knock in years.

“Come in,” I said, tail flicking once behind me.

The door creaked open, and there he was—Mikumo Akatani. Time had left its signature on him: the tired lines around his eyes, the careful tension in his shoulders, the way he scanned the room before stepping inside. Paranoia, or experience. Likely both.

“Nezu,” he greeted quietly, his voice a rasp of worn composure. “It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed it has, Mikumo.” I hopped down from my chair and approached, offering a cordial smile. “The last time I saw you, you were convincing a certain government official to sign off on a rather… delicate experiment. I take it that it didn't end as cleanly as you hoped?”

He exhaled, a humorless sound. “You could say that.”

He didn’t sit right away. That told me enough. The man was calculating exits, sightlines, listening for footsteps beyond the door. His eyes flicked briefly toward the window before landing back on me.

“I need a favor,” he said finally.

Ah. There it was. I sipped my tea and gestured for him to continue.

“There are people following me. They’ve been on me for weeks now—quiet, careful, but not careful enough.” His fingers drummed once on the arm of the chair before stilling. “They’re connected to something I walked away from years ago. Something that should’ve stayed buried.”

My ears perked at that. “And you’ve come to me because…?”

“Because once, I helped you keep your own work from being… buried.” His gaze met mine, level and sharp despite the fatigue. “You said I’d earned a favor. I’m cashing it in.”

I chuckled softly. “Ah, you do remember that, then. Most people try to forget debts involving me.”

“I’m not most people.”

“No, you never were.”

Silence lingered for a beat, filled only by the quiet hum of the clock on the wall. I studied him, watching the way he clenched his jaw, the faint tremor in his left hand—stress, or injury, I couldn’t tell. Beneath the calm, Mikumo Akatani was a man on the verge of collapse, running from something far more dangerous than he was willing to name.

Finally, I nodded. “Very well. You’ll stay here, within the dormitories. I’ll list you under a research initiative—temporary faculty status, perhaps. No one will question it.”

Relief flickered across his face, quickly masked. “Thank you, Nezu.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” I said, hopping back up onto my chair. “If someone truly powerful is tracking you, they’ll find this place eventually. And when they do…” My grin widened just slightly. “Well, U.A. has a way of making things… educational for unwanted guests.”

His lips twitched in what might’ve been amusement—or dread. “You haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you,” I replied softly. “That’s what worries me.”

He didn’t answer, and for a long time, neither did I. Outside, the sky darkened, and the shadows lengthened across my office floor. I couldn’t shake the feeling that his arrival was only the beginning of something—something big enough to rattle even this carefully controlled world.

And deep down, beneath the calm and the tea and the polite smiles… I was thrilled.

Because I knew: secrets never stay buried forever.

_________________<A few days later>__________________

The evening was quiet — too quiet for my liking. The sort of stillness that comes before something interesting happens. I’d barely finished cataloguing the latest reports from the Hero Public Safety Commission when there was a knock on my door — soft, deliberate, and familiar.

Ah. Him.

“Come in, Mikumo,” I called before he could announce himself.

The door creaked open, and the man who stepped through looked like he’d walked here carrying the ghosts of every bad decision he’d ever made. His coat was rumpled, eyes hollow, and yet his posture — careful, alert — told me he was still very much alive.

“Nezu,” he greeted quietly.

“Mikumo Akatani,” I replied, hopping down from my chair with my usual cheer. “It hasn't been too long since your last visit, I take it this isn’t a social visit?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “No. I think they’ve found out.”

My tail flicked once. “They? You’ll have to be a bit more specific. ‘They’ is a rather popular pronoun in my line of work.”

“The people following me,” he said, voice low. “It’s not about me — not really. It’s about Rei Todoroki.”

Now that caught my attention. Rei Todoroki. A woman I’d always found both brilliant and tragic — the sort of person whose quiet strength most people mistake for fragility.

“What about her?” I asked, pouring him a cup of tea.

He didn’t answer right away. His fingers tapped against his knee, a steady, anxious rhythm. “It’s… something she asked me to do. Something no one can ever know.”

“Come now,” I said lightly, ears twitching forward. “You know I’m quite adept at keeping secrets, Mikumo. But you wouldn’t have come to me if you didn’t already realize this one’s unraveling.”

His jaw tightened. “You won’t believe me.”

“I’ve seen enough of human nature to believe almost anything,” I said, taking a calm sip of my tea. “Try me.”

He sighed, defeated. And when he finally spoke, his voice trembled in a way that made the air itself feel heavier.

“On the day Shoto Todoroki was born… Rei gave birth to twins.”

I froze mid-sip.

“Twins?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he said, gaze distant. “Two boys. Both healthy. She was terrified about what her husband would do. Enji would see them as perfect vessels for his legacy — tools to surpass All Might. She saw something else. The future he’d destroy.”

The room went utterly still. Only the faint hum of the fluorescent lights filled the space between us.

“She begged me to help her,” Mikumo continued quietly. “To save at least one of them from him. So I took one of the newborns — the second boy — and arranged a secret adoption through the foster system. No records, no trace of the Todoroki name. Within weeks, he’d been placed with the Midoriyas.”

I leaned back in my chair, tail curling around one paw as my mind began connecting threads. “The Midoriyas,” I echoed. “You’re telling me—”

“Yes,” Mikumo interrupted. “Izuku Midoriya was born Izuku Todoroki. Shoto’s twin brother.”

For a long moment, I simply regarded him — the sharp scent of tea filling the silence.

“Well,” I said finally, “that certainly explains a few things.”

He blinked. “You… believe me?”

“I believe in patterns,” I replied smoothly. “And I’ve seen enough of them to know when the pieces fit. The boy’s analytical mind, his instincts, the way his quirk is too eerily similar. He and Shoto share more than temperament. Even some of their mannerisms echo one another.”

Mikumo ran a hand through his hair, eyes hollow. “He knows he’s adopted. Inko told him years ago. But she was told it was a teenage mother who couldn’t raise him. He has no idea who he really is.”

“Describe him,” I prompted.

Mikumo hesitated, then said quietly, “Pink hair. Heterochromatic eyes — one glacier blue, the other blood red. His quirk… it’s like Shoto’s, but stronger. The halves aren’t divided — they blend. Fire and ice working in balance instead of opposition.”

Fascinating. My mind spun faster now, possibilities branching like circuitry. A fusion of the Todoroki bloodline’s dual power — but harmonized? Nature corrected by nurture. Enji would lose his mind if he knew.

“Izuku’s power would have made him the perfect heir to Endeavor’s obsession,” I mused aloud. “And yet Rei spared him that fate. Remarkable.”

Mikumo looked up sharply. “If Endeavor ever finds out, or the people hunting me do—”

“Oh, I assure you, I’ll keep that from happening,” I interrupted. “For now.”

His brow furrowed. “For now?”

I smiled — polite, pleasant, and just a little too sharp. “Secrets, my dear Mikumo, are most valuable when revealed at the right moment. Until then… they make excellent leverage.”

He sighed, sinking back in his chair. “You’re still the same manipulative genius you’ve always been.”

“I prefer strategically resourceful,” I said. “And you’re still a man with terrible luck.”

Silence settled again. Heavy. Tense. Outside the window, the faint laughter of students drifted up from the courtyard. Among them, I caught sight of pink hair glinting in the light — Izuku Midoriya, walking beside Shoto Todoroki, the two chatting about training schedules, oblivious to the blood they shared.

I smiled faintly. “Rei’s choice was cruel… and kind. She saved them both in her own way.”

Mikumo stood slowly. “If this comes out, it’ll tear them apart.”

“Perhaps,” I said softly. “Or perhaps it’ll make them stronger. Time has a way of testing family bonds — especially the ones forged in secrecy.”

As he left, I turned back toward the window, watching the two boys disappear around the corner of the dorms.

Two sides of the same flame.

Two hearts born of frost and fire.

Neither aware that the other’s existence began with a mother’s desperate love.

I took another sip of my tea, savoring the quiet.

“Oh, Rei,” I murmured to the empty room. “You always did make fascinating choices.”

And then, tail flicking with interest, I began drafting a very careful report — one that no one but I would ever read.

_________<the next days during training>_________________

The late morning sun poured through the reinforced glass of the observation tower overlooking Ground Alpha, catching in the steam that rose from the training fields below. On the surface, today’s session looked ordinary — Class 1-A running paired drills, instructors monitoring from the perimeter, sensors humming quietly in the concrete.

Ordinary. Predictable. Controlled.

At least, that’s how it would appear to anyone who wasn’t me.

I had half a dozen screens active before me, each one displaying feeds from different vantage points — thermal, cryogenic, kinetic, biometric. My claws clicked lightly against the console as I adjusted the sensitivity.

And there he was.

Izuku Midoriya.

The boy stood at the center of the mock city, pink hair catching the sunlight, heterochromatic eyes focused — one glacial blue, one a deep crimson. His stance was textbook calm, but the air around him rippled with restrained energy.

He inhaled slowly, exhaled — and the world responded.

The street beneath him frosted over in an instant, then cracked with heat as tendrils of steam rose into the air. Flames and frost spiraled in perfect synchronization, neither side overwhelming the other. Temperature sensors spiked and fell in rapid succession, a pendulum of extremes balancing at a flawless median.

I leaned forward. There it is.

A clean, unified emission of thermal and cryogenic energy — no visible signs of stress, no cell degradation in the readings, no quirk recoil. Not two elements fighting for dominance, but a single, self-stabilizing system.

Shoto Todoroki’s quirk had always fascinated me because of its imbalance — half suppression, half overcompensation. But Izuku’s… Izuku’s was what Enji Todoroki had spent his entire career trying to force into existence.

“Fascinating,” I murmured, watching the readout smooth into a perfect waveform. “Two halves of nature merged by instinct.”

On one of the side monitors, Shoto was sparring several meters away. His ice bloomed along the ground, but his rhythm faltered when his gaze drifted toward Izuku. Even from this distance, I saw it — that flicker of familiarity, confusion, almost recognition but also resentment.

Interesting.

My focus returned to the readings. Izuku raised both hands, channeling energy outward — a controlled burst that created an expanding ring of fire laced with fine snow crystals. The opposing elements collided, neutralizing each other in a blinding flash before dispersing harmlessly.

When the dust settled, he stood unscathed. Not a burn. Not a shiver.

The telemetry data streamed in. His body temperature remained perfectly normal. Heart rate stable. Energy expenditure is minimal for the scale of the release. A quirk built to balance itself.

I tilted my head, ears twitching with quiet delight.

“Mikumo was right,” I said under my breath. “He’s the natural conclusion of Rei’s bloodline. The symmetry Enji sought — but born, not engineered.”

The faint hum of the monitors filled the silence that followed. I keyed in a note on my private terminal: Project Gemini — Subject B confirmed stable manifestation. Dual-element resonance: 100%. No visible side effects.

Then I muted the audio feed and simply watched.

Down below, Izuku smiled as his classmates clapped and shouted around him. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, bashful even in triumph. Shoto offered him a small nod. For a heartbeat, their gazes met, and I could almost see the connection spark between them, silent and wordless. almost, but i can see some tension between thee two

I shut down the displays one by one until only a single frame remained: Izuku, framed by melting frost and fading flame, his mismatched eyes reflecting the very contradiction that defined him.

Two sons of the same fire.

Two halves of one secret.

And only I — and a certain frightened scientist — knew how close they stood to discovering the truth.

I poured another cup of tea, the steam curling lazily into the air.

“Keep growing, young Midoriya,” I murmured. “Sooner or later, the past will find you. Let’s see if you can withstand the heat… and the cold.”

Outside, the sirens signaled the end of the training session, and the screens went dark.

But in the quiet hum of my office, I could still feel the tremor of power echoing from the ground below — a reminder that destiny had already begun to stir.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

Steam curled off my palms as I flexed my fingers, heat and frost flickering in a clumsy dance. The locker room buzzed with nervous energy, classmates hyping themselves up before the Sports Festival. My heartbeat tried to leap out of my chest. This was my chance. My moment to prove I wasn’t just the “other” dual-quirk kid.

The metal lockers clanged behind me. Quiet footsteps. A chill thicker than my own ice followed them.

Todoroki.

He stopped right in front of me, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, his usual calm replaced with something sharper. Rivalry packaged in a half-and-half glare.

“Midoriya,” he said. “Your power… it’s like mine.”

My throat tightened. Everyone has already compared us. He was Endeavor’s son. Perfection sculpted through flame and frost. I was just the kid Inko chose to raise. Power born from mystery instead of legacy.

“Yeah?” My voice squeaked. Perfect.

He leaned closer, voice low enough that only I could hear. “People will look at you and think you’re stronger than me.” His mismatched eyes sparked like opposing storms ready to collide. “I won’t let that stand.”

Flames flickered over his left shoulder. Ice crawled up his right arm. A declaration carved in fire and frost.

“I’m declaring war on you during the Festival,” he said. No humor. No hesitation.

A shiver raced through me, but heat surged too, battling in my chest. My own fire roared under my skin, frost whispering to rise and meet the challenge.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Then I’ll see you out there,” I said.…..

My breath came out in a nervous puff of vapor. Fire and ice do weird things when nerves get involved. The stadium looked like a hungry giant, every seat filled with eyes that expected greatness. First place in the entrance exam put me right in this spotlight, so here I stood, palms sweating… and slightly steaming.

Principal Nezu nodded to me with that mischievous smile of his. Time to talk. Time to not faint. Preferably.

I stepped up to the microphone.

“Um… hi,” I started, eloquent as a brick. The crowd waited. The sun practically tap-danced on my hair. My heart felt ready to punch a hole through my ribs.

“I know a lot of you are excited for what’s coming. Some of us trained our whole lives. Some of us struggled just to be seen.” The words wobbled at first, then found their footing. A slow burn under my skin told me to keep going.

“I grew up thinking that power decides who matters, that people like me need to shine brighter or melt into the background.” A little frost spiraled from my fingertips, catching the light in tiny glittering shards. “We all carry something heavy behind our quirks. Expectations. Fears. Scars no one else sees.”

The crowd leaned closer. Even heroes in the pro stands seemed to listen.

“I don’t care if your quirk is loud or quiet. You came here because you want to be better. Heroes aren’t born with perfection. Heroes rise from every stumble. Heroes fight even when the world underestimates them.”

Fire flared in my chest, blooming into a warm glow that reached my voice.

“So today, prove something to yourself. Show the world not what you were given, but what you choose to become. Win or lose, walk away proud… because you didn’t back down.” I raised my fist high. Flames wrapped around it while frost laced my wrist. “Let this be the moment we ignite our future!”

A beat of silence, then thunderous cheers rumbled through the stadium like a living thing. My pulse surged with them. For once, I didn’t feel like the scared kid hiding behind power.

I felt like a hero in the making.

The starting line felt like a battlefield disguised with confetti. My fingers tingled, fire warming my left arm while frost crept along the right. The Sports Festival obstacle race stretched ahead of us like a dare. Somewhere in the stands, Mom watched with a heart ten seconds away from escape velocity.

Bakugo cracked his knuckles beside me and grinned like he already owned first place. Ash on his fingertips. Explosions simmering under his skin. He jerked his head toward me.

“Don’t drag behind, half and half.”

I smirked. That was his love language.

“You wish, Kacchan.”

Todoroki stood on my other side, silent as a winter statue. Cold air surrounded him, sharp enough to make my lungs shiver. His eyes flicked toward me, then away. Rivalry ignited in a single glare.

Present Mic’s voice boomed. “READY… SET—”

Kacchan leaned forward, boots digging into the ground.

My fire surged.

Todoroki’s ice crept outward, frosting the dirt beneath our feet.

“GOOOOO!”

A blast of flame kicked off my heel as I bolted forward. Kacchan rocketed upward with a booming explosion, making the whole track tremble. Todoroki launched a glacier under himself, sliding forward on a frozen highway like the world’s deadliest surfboard.

We slammed into the first obstacle: the giant robots.

Todoroki didn’t slow down. Ice engulfed their legs, locking them in place. He slid past while they crashed to the ground behind him in a chorus of metal agony.

Kacchan cackled and soared over the mess, explosions firing with wild confidence only he could turn into a strategy.

I gathered cold in one palm and heat in the other. A wave of freezing wind burst outward, immobilizing the closest robot mid-strike. Flames shot from my feet as I leaped up and over its shoulder.

The crowd roared.

Kacchan flashed me a fierce grin as we landed neck and neck.

“Thought you were hot stuff now?” he yelled over the wind.

“Hot and cold stuff!” I shouted back.

His laugh cracked like gunfire.

Todoroki glanced over his shoulder, surprise flickering across his face. He hadn’t expected us to keep up. His aura sharpened, power rising like a storm front.

Kacchan growled. “He’s not taking first from us.”

“Right!” My chest lit up with heat and determination.

Three students.

Three rival fires.

Only one finish line.

Bakugo exploded ahead.

Todoroki iced the path behind him to slow us.

I shattered the ice with a fiery punch that steamed the air.

The race wasn’t just a race now.

It was a promise.

A challenge.

A declaration.

I wasn’t just chasing first place, I planned to claim it.

The next stretch of the obstacle course unraveled like UA wanted us to question every decision that led to this moment. Mines glittered ahead, buried under a thin dusting of dirt. Danger disguised as sprinkles. Kacchan’s grin widened. Minefields were practically his playground.

“I’m blowing past this whole stupid trap!” He rocketed into the air, every blast a fireworks display of fury and fun.

Todoroki slid across the ground, ice forming in precise lines that avoided the explosives. He moved with that same quiet confidence that said, I was born to win.

My heart thumped harder. Frost gathered on my right side until my breath turned to snow. Fire roared along my left arm, begging to break loose.

Time to combine them.

I punched the ground. Fire blasted backward, propelling me skyward while a shock of cold stabilized the lift. I soared over detonating mines that painted the battlefield in smoke and rubble. Kacchan zoomed beside me, sweat and ash streaking his face.

“Stay with me, Deku!” he shouted, excitement breaking through his usual bark. “We’re taking first together!”

My chest tightened with pride. We weren’t just rivals chasing the same goal. We were brothers charging straight at it.

Todoroki shot a wall of ice ahead to block our landing path. Flames flared instinctively at my feet, melting a narrow passage. Kacchan blasted through the remaining sheet in a spectacular explosion of glittering shards.

The final sprint.

The roaring crowd blurred into a vibrating sea of voices. My lungs burned. My feet hammered the ground like twin comets. Every ounce of power surged up my spine. Todoroki’s ice stormed behind us. Kacchan’s blasts rattled the air.

Three rockets. One finish line.

Kacchan and Todoroki pulled even with me, a perfect, terrifying tie.

Not enough. Push harder.

I inhaled until my bones creaked from cold, then exhaled fire fierce enough to scorch the wind itself. Heat launched from my back threw me forward while frost cooled my muscles to keep them from breaking. My body sang in perfect harmony. This was what my power wanted. To rise. To fight. To win.

The finish line rushed closer.

Kacchan screamed, “GO, DEKU!”

Todoroki’s flames burst for the first time, trying to close the distance.

I hurled everything forward in one final explosive leap. Heat flared like a sunrise. Ice sparkled like shooting stars.

My foot hit the ground a hair before theirs.

The buzzer went wild.

I won.

The world spun and tilted as cheers erupted like a tidal wave. Kacchan skidded to my side and punched my shoulder with a beaming, furious grin.

“You damn nerd. You actually beat us.”

My breath came in uneven bursts as pride and adrenaline tangled in my veins. Todoroki stared at me too, eyes narrowed, unreadable… yet burning with challenge.

First place.

Not because of luck.

Not because of potential.

Because I fought for it.

Fire flickered and Ice glimmered across my body

This was only the beginning.

The stadium floor transformed into a whirlwind of scrambling teams and flapping headbands. Ten million points tied to my forehead. Principal Nezu must have woken up and chosen chaos today.

Kacchan stomped up to me, explosions snapping from his palms like angry fireflies. “We’re teaming up. You’re not getting targeted alone, Deku.” His voice sounded sharp, but the loyalty underneath was impossible to miss.

I grinned. “Wouldn’t want to win without you, Kacchan.”

“It’s not winning if I’m not there,” he shot back, arms crossed. That was friendship. The Bakugo variety.

We filled our team fast: Iida for speed and Uraraka for a little gravity magic. A cavalry built like a rocket strapped to a dream. I stood up top, heart pounding, powers sparking quietly under my skin.

The whistle blew.

Chaos exploded.

Todoroki’s icy battalion came for us first, numbers cold and relentless. His eyes burned as if he’d already decided I was his obstacle, not his opponent.

“Drive!” I shouted.

Iida’s engines roared.

We dodged a frozen spike by a hair. Kacchan blasted away an incoming team, sweeping the field with his usual explosive charm. Uraraka tapped half the ice chunks that flew at us and sent them floating harmlessly skyward.

For every challenge, my quirks surged like twin storms ready to protect their sky.

An enemy team lunged for my headband. Frost shot from my fingertips, freezing the ground beneath their feet. Kacchan laughed like a supervillain and blasted them halfway across the arena.

“You think any of these extras are taking first from us?” he yelled.

Heat swelled inside my chest. Confidence tasted like fire and victory.

Todoroki’s team pushed harder. His ice rose like a tidal wave ready to crash down. Flames flickered from his left side, his secret weapon unveiled for a heartbeat.

He wanted me.

He wanted this.

I raised my arms, frost and flames cycling in a spiral around us, a barrier built from everything I was scared of showing the world. Ice shielded us from the frozen storm. Fire melted a gap straight through his offense.

Our team rocketed forward.

I reached out.

Snatched the headband from Todoroki’s grasp.

The buzzer screamed.

Final seconds ticked down.

We held the lead.

Then…

Times up.

Kacchan’s roar cracked through the air like a victory anthem. Iida stumbled and caught himself, engines smoking. Uraraka collapsed and wheezed out laughter.

We did it.

We won.

Todoroki glared, not with anger but with challenge sharpened into purpose. He looked at me like he refused to let this be the end of the story.

“We’re not done,” he mouthed.

Fire curled around my knuckles. Frost cooled my grin.

“I know.”

Top four: Todoroki. Bakugo. Me. The true collision course lay ahead in the one-on-one fights.

My heart hammered not from fear anymore, but from excitement.

A hero legend wasn’t waiting to be written.

It was sprinting straight toward us.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

The hallway outside the arena felt colder than usual. Maybe that was nerves. Maybe it was the guy standing silently in front of me like a walking blizzard.

Todoroki’s gaze pinned me to the spot. “Midoriya. I need to talk to you before our match.”

My heart did a tiny backflip. “Okay.”

His breath fogged the air. The cold from his right side spread like walls closing in. He hesitated, jaw tightening.

“My father wants me to surpass All Might using a quirk he manufactured. His quirk. His flames.” A pause, heavy enough to make the walls listen. “My mother hated his obsession so much she… hurt me trying to erase it.”

The scar over his eye seemed to burn with memory and pain.

“I refuse to give that man what he wants.” His voice sharpened. “During our fight, I will only use my ice side. That is my power. Not his.”

Flames flickered in his left eye even as frost coated the floor.

I could almost hear the anger he swallowed every day. No training prepares you for the weight of someone else’s sins.

“You think only his strength matters,” I said softly. “That using your fire makes you his puppet, not a hero.”

The words shook me. Fire and frost tangled in my bones just like his. Were we mirrors from different tragedies?

Fire crackled faintly behind a concrete pillar.

Kacchan.

He leaned there out of sight, pretending to be uninterested while actually listening to every detail. His silence screamed more loudly than his shouting ever did.

Todoroki frowned. “I am telling you this because you are the only one… who stands in my way.” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “I will beat you my way.”

Steam curled off my palms, the two halves of my quirk reacting to his ice and his resolve.

“You’re strong,” I said. “Stronger than anyone gives you credit for. This fight won’t be easy.”

His eyes widened a fraction. Maybe he expected pity. I offered only respect.

Kacchan shifted around the corner, fists clenching. His face wouldn’t show it, though I knew that deep down he hated hearing someone else’s story of suffering and strength. He wanted to fight us both at our absolute best.

Todoroki stepped away, ice clicking under his heel. “Midoriya. Prepare yourself.”

He walked off, leaving a chill in the air and a fire burning in his words.

Kacchan popped out from behind the pillar like he’d been waiting for the cue. He glared fiercely. “You better force him to use those flames, Deku. I want to crush him at full power.”

I smiled, nervous and determined at once. My quirks hummed through me like twin drums calling me into battle.

“I know, Kacchan.”

Our paths were set. Flames and frost were destined to collide. The arena awaited the storm inside both of us…….

My boots clicked against the arena floor like each step was a countdown. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. Kacchan leaned over the railing from Class 1A’s viewing area, grinning like I was about to blow up the world.

“You better win fast, Deku! Set the tone!”

“Yeah yeah,” I called back, a flutter of nerves melting into excitement. Fire warmed my left fingertips. Ice pricked cool along my right. Balance. Breath. Focus.

My opponent stepped forward.

Hitoshi Shinso.

His gaze held a quiet sharpness, no theatrics, no swagger. He had something to prove. People still whispered that his quirk felt villain-like. They dismissed him before he even moved.

That… felt familiar.

Present Mic shouted something dramatic over the speakers.

The match began.

Shinso spoke first. “Feeling confident after all your victories?”

His voice carried the bait. The trapdoor hidden under a polite question.

I smiled. “Very.”

A tiny twitch crossed his face. He realized I had not fallen for his quirk.

One instant of silence.

I stepped forward, closing the distance in a blur. A gentle gust of cold air swept his feet off balance, harmless but decisive. My palm tapped his chest with a pulse of soft heat, just enough force to guide him to the ground without a bruise.

A soft thud.

Gasps.

Present Mic screeched. “Midoriya wins! Before the audience even blinked!”

The crowd roared, but my focus stayed on the boy in purple hair, eyes wide with shock.

I knelt and offered him my hand. “You have improved a lot since the entrance exam. Your determination showed more power than any flashy quirk.”

He stared, searching for a lie.

There wasn’t one.

Shinso finally took my hand. “I will get stronger,” he muttered.

“I know you will,” I said.

His lips twitched into the barest hint of a smirk. Respect earned, not stolen.

As I walked back toward the tunnel, Kacchan was yelling victory chants that sounded kind of like insults. Pride smacked me in the spine like a friendly missile.

Round one for me.

Fire simmered.

Ice sparkled.

Next opponent is already waiting in the wings.

The real battles were just warming up.

The arena lights burned brighter than any flame. The roar of the crowd faded into a dull heartbeat inside my skull. Frost crawled along the ground as Todoroki stepped forward, eyes locked on me like I was an answer he refused to accept.

Kacchan hollered from the stands. “Kick his icy butt, Deku!”

I breathed deep. Fire warmed my left side. Ice kissed my right. Balance.

Present Mic’s voice became a countdown. My pulse raced faster than his words.

The match started.

Todoroki attacked instantly. Glaciers erupted beneath my feet, jagged and merciless. I blasted upward in a swirl of flame and frost. Heat scorched the air behind me. Todoroki’s ice chased me like a rising tide.

This wasn’t a dance.

This was war.

I landed in front of him, palm charged with both elements. His eyes widened. I struck. Not to end it. To wake him up.

He skidded backward. Steam hissed off his skin. His body shook from overuse of cold.

“You need to stop holding back,” I said.

His jaw clenched. “I told you I will win with my ice.”

Hail slammed into me. I crashed into the ground hard enough to rattle my teeth. Frost bit deep into my bones. My fire burst alive, melting the ice before it could freeze my muscles solid.

I surged forward again and punched the ground under him, heat exploding in a controlled burst that launched him skyward. I leaped after him, a comet of swirling blaze and crystal cold.

If I wanted to win early, I could. He knew it. I knew it. Everyone knew it.

Not yet.

I grabbed his collar before impact and broke his fall gently, letting him stand, forcing him to stay conscious.

His breath shook. His right side shivered violently.

“You cannot keep going like this,” I said. “Your fire is a part of you.”

His teeth grit. “I hate that part.”

“I hate seeing you hate yourself.

The words hit him harder than any blast would have. He staggered, eyes trembling like he stood on the edge of a choice he feared.

I stepped close enough that my fire warmed his cold skin.

“You are more than his expectations. More than his abuse. More than a scar.”

He froze. “Why push me?”

“Because I want to fight you. All of you. Not the piece your father left behind.”

His eyes widened with confusion and anger and something rawer. Something terrified.

“The fire is yours, Todoroki. Claim it.”

He screamed.

A pillar of flame erupted from his left side, roaring higher than any attack he had thrown all tournament. Heat flooded the stadium like a sunrise bent on burning away every shadow he ever hid in.

His power radiated freedom.

Relief.

Rebellion.

I smiled through the heat. My heart shook with pride for him, not fear.

He wiped smoke from his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, voice barely holding together.

“Bring it,” I answered.

Flame met flame.

Ice clashed with ice.

Fire and frost collided in violent harmony.

I pushed him to awaken his truth.

Now he pushed me to withstand it.

Our powers surged until the arena cracked. Steam engulfed everything. The world dissolved into blinding light.

When the smoke finally cleared, we both lay on shattered ground. I stared up at the sky, chest heaving. Todoroki’s flames flickered beside me. He grinned through exhaustion, a real grin, like he finally felt alive.

The referee declared the result, but I barely heard it over the pounding thrill in my chest.

Victory mattered.

Heroics mattered more.

Forcing him to see his worth?

That felt like something even greater.

Kacchan’s yell echoed from the stands, full of fire and fury and pride. “Hell yeah, Deku!”

Todoroki sat up slowly. “I used my flames.”

“Good,” I said, smiling small but real. “They suit you.”

We both knew our fight wasn’t just a match.

It was a liberation carved in fire and ice.

Shoto’s p.o.v

Recovery Girl’s office smelled faintly of antiseptic and peppermint. I sat on the edge of the bed, body aching like cracked ice, flames still humming under my skin as if they didn’t know whether to rejoice or recoil.

I used my left side.

For the first time in years… without loathing it.

Midoriya’s words still echoed in my skull. Claim it. The fire is yours. Those words hurt more than any injury, because they felt right.

Footsteps. Heavy. Familiar.

The air heated in the room even before he arrived.

Endeavor.

My father.

He towered in the doorway, flames curling around him like chains disguised as glory. His voice came rough, triumphant.

“You finally used it. That’s my power. You’re ready to be what you were meant to be.” Pride sharpened his tone instead of softening it. “You’re done with this meaningless rebellion.”

His expectations crashed into me like a blizzard colliding with a wildfire. Everything he thought my fire meant. Everything he claimed ownership of.

My chest tightened.

I lifted my gaze slowly.

“During the fight…” My voice felt like a blade slicing old scar tissue. “I wasn’t thinking of you at all.”

His flames sputtered.

“When the fire came out, I didn’t feel your presence,” I continued. “I didn’t remember your training. Or your orders.” A shaky breath escaped. “I forgot you existed.”

His eyes widened, just a fraction. Enough to show panic underneath the hero façade.

“That power isn’t yours.” My fingers curled into fists. “It never was.”

The floor creaked beneath my footsteps as I stood. His shadow tried to swallow me, but my flames glowed brighter in my peripheral vision. The left side of me no longer felt like a stranger.

“My life… is mine,” I whispered, heat swelling in my chest like a sunrise.

He reached out, as if trying to grab hold of whatever control he thought he still owned.

I stepped around him without a second glance.

His voice chased after me.

“Shoto!”

I didn’t stop.

Every step away from him felt like oxygen filling a collapsing lung.

For the first time since childhood, I walked forward without being pushed or guided.

Fire warmed my left shoulder.

Ice steadied my right.

My future belonged only to me now. 

The crowd barely had time to sit before the next scoreboard flashed a new pairing. Every match blurred by like pages tearing off too fast in a strong wind.

Uraraka stepped into the arena against Bakugo with fire in her eyes. She launched forward with a plan that could have toppled giants. Debris swirled like meteors under her control. Watching her rise felt like watching someone will gravity itself into obedience. Bakugo answered with his usual violent brilliance. The moment she faltered, even a fraction, his victory locked into place. She fell with pride, and he stared back with a respect he would never wrap into words.

Next came Iida. His engines shrieked, legs slicing the air like twin blades. He overwhelmed his opponent in seconds, stopping only when victory stood unquestionably his. Efficiency made into motion. Yet his disciplined precision wavered when he faced Momo.

Her strategy unfolded like a chessboard that had been set three moves before he even stepped on. Utility and intellect shaped every strike she executed. When she used his speed against him, pinning his momentum to her advantage, the crowd gasped at how quickly brilliance could look effortless. She earned her win, gracious even in triumph.

Which brought the bracket to its sharpest point.

Midoriya versus Bakugo.

The stadium settled into a collective stillness. Every hero in the stands leaned slightly forward. Every student breathed a little faster. Even my pulse felt caught between beats.

Two forces of nature prepared to collide. One a storm of explosions, loud and demanding. The other a rising blaze of fire and ice, steady and relentless. Their rivalry ran deeper than this arena, woven into years of pushing and pulling each other higher.

Bakugo cracked his hands, little pops of sweat and combustion. “You better not hold back on me, nerd.”

Midoriya answered with a small nod, shoulders square, power humming beneath his skin like two opposite worlds finally aligned.

I watched them step into position. The spotlight cut sharp around their silhouettes. Every instinct in my body knew this fight would shape something large, a future bursting to break its shell.

Present Mic shouted, voice climbing into a roar.

“Let the finals begin!”

A spark danced between the two of them.

The entire stadium leaned toward the inevitable explosion.

The entire arena held its breath. Two boys who had grown side-by-side, not as enemies, but as rivals sharpened by friendship. I could feel the anticipation crawling across my skin.

Bakugo launched forward first, palms bursting with angry light. Heat gusted through the stadium like a miniature sun had blinked awake. His roar seemed to shake the stadium seats, a declaration that he refused to be overshadowed by anyone.

Izuku answered with fire that glowed fierce and confident, but also with frost that shimmered calm beneath it. His balance felt almost unnatural, twin forces that should cancel each other instead moving like partners in a dance. Ice erupted to block the first blast, while flames coiled around his fists ready to strike.

They clashed again and again, sparks and shards spinning like a storm caught in a spotlight. Bakugo chased every opening with reckless hunger. Izuku countered with strategy and instinct, growing stronger right in front of us.

My eyes kept being pulled to Izuku’s smile. Not a mocking one. Something proud. He enjoyed this. The challenge, the push, the shared ambition with someone he trusted. Bakugo’s explosions only grew louder in response, frustration fusing with exhilaration.

A final exchange began. Bakugo soared upward, palms primed to create a blast that could carve through mountains. Izuku soared to meet him, fire blazing like a comet’s heart while ice spiraled into a gleaming trail behind him.

Two wills collided in a blinding flash.

When the smoke cleared, Bakugo lay on the ground with stubborn fire still in his eyes. Izuku stood, chest heaving, power thinning into steam.

The referee raised his hand high. The stadium erupted. Bakugo stared up at Izuku, and I caught something genuine there. Respect. Pride. A promise to keep chasing him forever.

I felt my pulse still racing. This was what it looked like when someone embraced every part of their power. When someone refused to let the past decide who they would become.

Izuku Midoriya.

He stepped forward today not just as his own hero, but as proof that no one’s destiny is written for them.

I tightened my fists, not in envy.

In determination.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

The classroom buzzed with energy — papers rustling, pens scratching, and voices overlapping as everyone threw around ideas for their hero names. For the first time in a while, 1-A felt relaxed. No training, no combat simulations, no pressure to push our quirks past their limits. Just a quiet — well, sort of quiet — moment to dream about the future.

Aizawa , half-wrapped in his capture scarf and looking like he hadn’t slept in a week, dragged his tired gaze across us all.

“Remember,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “Hero names are more than words. They represent what you stand for. Choose something that’ll still mean something years from now.”

Everyone nodded, and the sound of scribbling picked up again.

I stared down at my own blank name card. Just one line. One word that would define everything I hoped to become.

A name… for me.

I rested my pen against the edge of the desk and exhaled softly. The faintest wisp of frost curled from my right hand, while heat shimmered faintly off the left. My quirk — FrostFire— was always a delicate balance. Too much of one side, and the other reacted violently. Fire demanded focus; ice demanded calm. Both demanded control.

I ran my fingers through my hair, watching thin trails of mist drift upward from the contrasting temperatures.

“What kind of hero am I supposed to be…?” I muttered under my breath.

From across the room, Uraraka laughed as she held up her card. “Gravity Girl!” she announced cheerfully. Iida gave an approving thumbs-up, adjusting his glasses in that dramatic way of his. Kaminari and Mina were busy competing to come up with the most ridiculous names possible, while Todoroki quietly scribbled something on his card without saying a word. I could feel his gaze flicker toward me once or twice — a quiet curiosity that always seemed to hang between us.

Ever since the Sports Festival, people had compared our quirks nonstop. “Two sides of the same coin,” they’d say. “Todoroki and Midoriya — Ice and Fire.” But mine had always been different. Stronger in output, yes, but harder to tame. There were days where I still burned or froze my hands when my emotions spiked.

Even so… I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I looked down at the blank space again.

Bakugo’s voice echoed faintly in my mind — not angry this time, not taunting. Just his usual confident, explosive tone.

“Don’t overthink it, Deku. Just pick something that feels like you.”

I smiled. He’d said that yesterday when I told him about this assignment. We’d stayed after class in the training hall, running drills until our arms felt like lead. He’d thrown his usual cocky grin my way before heading off to his own classroom, yelling, “You better not choose something lame!”

Even when we were apart — him in 1-B, me in 1-A — Bakugo still managed to motivate me in his own loud, fiery way.

I tapped my pen against the desk, thinking.

Fire and ice. Balance and strength.

But more than that — I wanted to be a hero who brought hope. Someone who could protect without hesitation, someone who could burn away fear and freeze danger in its tracks. Someone who could keep people safe, no matter how hard it got.

My hand started moving before I even realized it.

When Aizawa called for us to present, I took a deep breath and stood up.

My heart was hammering. My palms were warm and cold at the same time — fire flickering faintly around one hand, frost forming on the other. The temperature shift drew a few curious glances, but I ignored them and held my card up high.

The name written across it in bold black ink read:

"Ignis Frost."

A few heads tilted. Kaminari blinked. “Whoa, dude, that sounds… cool. And kinda intimidating.”

Mina grinned. “It fits! You’ve got that whole elemental thing going on.”

Iida nodded seriously. “A name combining heat and ice — it perfectly reflects both your quirk and your balanced temperament, Midoriya!”

Uraraka gave a small cheer. “Yeah! It sounds strong, but also kinda hopeful!”

Even Aizawa  raised an eyebrow, which was about as close as he got to impressed. “Ignis Frost, huh? Not bad, Midoriya. It’s memorable.”

I exhaled, tension easing out of my shoulders. The name settled in my chest like a steady flame — not overwhelming, not frigid, but just right.

Ignis Frost.

It wasn’t about showing off. It wasn’t about power. It was about balance — the coexistence of fire and ice, strength and restraint, warmth and resolve.

And maybe, just maybe, it could remind me of what I wanted to be for others — a source of light, even when things felt cold and hopeless.

When class ended, I tucked the name card into my notebook, tracing the letters one last time.

“Thanks, Kacchan,” I whispered under my breath with a small smile.

Even if he wasn’t here to hear it, I knew he’d probably laugh, call it dramatic, and then tell me it suited me anyway.

Ignis Frost.

That was the name I’d carve into the world — one saved life at a time.

I could tell something was off with Iida.

At first, it was small things. The way he stopped joining in when we talked strategy after class. How his usual sharp, focused voice got quieter every day. He still smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes anymore. It was like there was a wall behind them — one that kept growing taller every time someone mentioned his brother.

Even though no one said it out loud, we all knew why. Ingenium — the pro hero who always smiled and encouraged others — had been critically injured by the Hero Killer, Stain. It hit Iida harder than anyone could admit. I wanted to say something, to help somehow, but every time I tried, he’d give me that polite smile and change the subject. It wasn’t just avoidance — it was pain. Real pain, heavy and quiet.

Around the same time, something else happened — something that caught me completely off guard.

I got an offer.

From Endeavor.

When I first read his message, I honestly thought it was a mistake. Me? Out of everyone, me? The No. 2 hero, who was famous for his flames — and infamous for everything else — wanted me to intern under him?

Part of me understood why. My quirk — Frostfire — was similar to his son’s, but different in ways that made it more… volatile. Stronger, maybe, but harder to balance. My flames could burn blue-white, intense enough to warp the air, while my ice could cover an entire training field in seconds. But the more I used one, the harder it was to control the other. I’d been trying to bridge that gap for months.

Endeavor’s message was straightforward: “You have potential. I can make you stronger. Accept my offer.”

I didn’t even need to think long.

I turned it down.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

Instead of the assholes offer, I asked to train under Aizawa.

It probably surprised a lot of people — including him. But after everything at the USJ, and after the Sports Festival, I realized something important: raw power wasn’t enough. Not for someone like me. My quirk could destroy a battlefield, but without control, it was just chaos.

Aizawa wasn’t flashy. He didn’t fight with overwhelming force — he fought smart. He understood how quirks worked on a level few others did. Watching him fight villains during USJ had shown me that sometimes, strategy could be stronger than strength, and he agreed to help.

Our training wasn’t like what the others were doing. There were no giant explosions, no roaring flames. Instead, it was quiet, methodical, and intense. He’d have me freeze one side of a field, then ignite the other — forcing me to regulate the temperatures until they balanced perfectly in the middle. “You need to think of your power like a living thing,” he said. “Two halves that want to fight each other. Your job is to make them cooperate.”

Some days, the heat made my head spin. Other days, the cold bit so deep it hurt to breathe. But slowly, something started to change. The flames didn’t roar out of control anymore. The ice didn’t spread without warning. I could feel both halves reacting — not in opposition, but in sync.

Still… even as my training progressed, I couldn’t stop worrying about Iida.

Aizawa noticed too, of course. He always noticed everything. But when I asked if we should do something, he just said, “You can’t make someone ask for help, Midoriya. All you can do is be there when they finally do.”

So I waited. Trained. Tried to be ready for whatever came next.

And when Iida’s smile finally disappeared completely…
when his eyes turned cold and determined…
I knew.

He wasn’t just going to an internship.
He was going to hunt the Hero Killer, and no amount of training could prepare me for what was about to happen next……

By the time Hosu City appeared on the radar, things had already started to spiral.

The Hero Killer — Stain — wasn’t just a rumor anymore. He was a ghost haunting every back alley and shadowed rooftop. Heroes were getting hospitalized across multiple districts. And for the first time since USJ, I saw something close to real fear in Aizawa’s eyes.

It wasn’t for himself.
It was for us.

I didn’t know all the details at first — only that the Hero Public Safety Commission had reached out to him directly. The request was confidential: they wanted Eraser Head’s help in a planned operation to neutralize Stain’s Quirk before they moved in for arrest.

They needed someone who could erase a Quirk on sight, and Aizawa was the only pro who could do it without escalating the fight.

He didn’t say much when he got the call — just that his “work study” with me was going to be temporarily suspended. But I could tell something was bothering him. His movements were tighter. His words were clipped, focused. He didn’t even bother to hide the capture weapon under his coat when we left the dorms that evening.

Then, not long after sunset, I heard the first explosion.

The night sky above Hosu burned orange and red, firelight flickering against glass and metal as Nomu — multiple of them — ripped through the streets like living nightmares.

They came out of nowhere. No warning, no pattern. Just chaos.

I’d seen them before. I knew what they could do. And the moment I felt the pressure in the air — that same heavy, distorted hum that only Nomu gave off — I realized the League of Villains had somehow found out about the operation. They were using the confusion to strike back.

Aizawa cursed under his breath. “They’re not after civilians — they’re hunting Stain.”

And then he was gone — disappearing into the smoke before I could stop him.

I should’ve stayed with the evacuation teams. That’s what any normal intern should’ve done. But I couldn’t.

Not when Iida was in this city.

Something inside me twisted hard at the thought. He hadn’t answered any of my messages since the start of the week. He’d been assigned to an agency nearby, one that patrolled Hosu’s southern sector. It couldn’t be coincidence. I knew where he’d gone.

And I knew why.

I didn’t even think. I ran.

Flames burst under my feet as I pushed forward, using fire to rocket across the rooftops and ice to slide across the next. Every muscle burned, but adrenaline drowned it out. The city was a war zone — heroes and Nomu clashing in the streets, civilians scattering into alleys.

I called out to Aizawa over comms, but static drowned him out. The last thing I heard before the signal cut completely was his voice — low and strained:

“Midoriya, stay out of the southern sector! Iida’s—”

Static.

That was all I needed to hear.

I jumped from the last building, slamming into the ground hard enough to crack the pavement. The air was hot, smoke mixing with cold mist as my Frostfire quirk reacted instinctively — flame and ice flaring together around me.

That’s when I heard it.
A metallic clang.
A ragged gasp.
Then a voice — sharp and deliberate — echoing off the walls of the alley.

“Ingenium… he was a false hero. I will cleanse this world of your kind.”

Stain.

I sprinted forward, turning the corner just in time to see Iida collapse against the wall — blood running down his arm, his leg trembling uselessly. Stain stood over him, sword drawn, mask reflecting the faint light of a burning streetlamp. Another pro hero — Native — was already down nearby.

And Stain’s eyes turned toward me.

For a second, I froze. His presence was suffocating — not because of his strength, but because of his conviction. Every move he made was deliberate, efficient. His killing intent was focused like a blade.

“Another fake,” he said. “Another hero born from ego. Why do you fight?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to.
I let my power speak for me.

The air exploded as fire ignited around my right side, heat distorting the smoke, while ice erupted from my left — coating the ground, walls, and even the fallen debris in jagged white frost. The two halves met in the middle, shimmering with steam.

Stain’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re the child Endeavor tried to create. Interesting.”

“No,” I said quietly, stepping forward. “I’m not his creation. I’m Inko Midoriya’s son.”

And then I charged.

Iida shouted for me to run, but I didn’t stop.

Stain was fast — inhumanly fast — but Aizawa’s training had taught me to think three moves ahead. I sent a wall of fire low, forcing him to leap upward — and when he did, I snapped a line of ice across the wall, locking his landing point midair.

He sliced through it easily, but that half-second was enough. My flames surged behind him, funneled through the alley like a compressed blast wave. It didn’t hit directly — I made sure of that — but it threw him off balance.

Then came the counter.

His knife grazed my cheek before I could block. I felt the sting, the warm trickle of blood — and panic surged. I remembered what his Quirk could do. Bloodcurdle. If he licked it—

He lunged forward, tongue out—

And his movement froze.

For a heartbeat, I thought I’d somehow stopped him — until I saw the capture weapon coil around his arm.
Aizawa  stood behind him, goggles down, scarf glowing faintly in the firelight.

“You talk too much,” he said flatly.

Stain’s Quirk flickered, nullified. The moment broke like a dam bursting.

I didn’t hesitate. I kicked off the wall, channeling both halves of my power at once — a spinning burst of flame and frost that collided into Stain’s chest. The explosion sent him crashing into the far wall, pinned under a thin shell of ice hardened by superheated vapor.

He didn’t move again.

For a long second, all I could hear was my own heartbeat. The heat of my fire clashed with the cold from my ice, turning the alley into a cloud of glowing mist.

Then Aizawa ’s voice cut through it.

“Midoriya… good work. But it’s not over.”

He was right.
Because even as sirens wailed in the distance and the Commission agents rushed toward our position…
the sky shook.

A shadow passed overhead — the flap of mutated wings, the deep, echoing growl of something unnatural.

Another Nomu.
Bigger than the last.
And it was headed straight for us.

Aizawa stepped forward, reactivating his Quirk. I steadied my stance beside him, flames roaring to life again as frost spiraled along the ground. Iida, still struggling to stand, looked up at me with wide eyes.

Chapter Text

Izuku’s p.o.v

The air went dead quiet for half a second before the roar hit.

It wasn’t just sound — it was pressure. The kind that made the ground shudder and glass crack in its frames. The Nomu landed in the middle of the street like a meteor, sending debris flying in every direction. Its skin shimmered with heat distortion, muscles bulging, veins pulsing black beneath translucent flesh.

This one was different. It wasn’t just a brute like the ones from USJ. It moved with precision — like it knew what it was doing.

Aizawa-sensei’s scarf snapped forward, wrapping around its arm, but the Nomu jerked, dragging him halfway across the asphalt like he weighed nothing. I barely had time to pull him back before it slammed a fist into the road, cracking it open.

The shockwave sent me tumbling. I caught myself with an ice spike to stop the slide, breath ragged. My ribs screamed.

Aizawa’s voice rasped over the comms. “Midoriya—! Don’t engage head-on!”

But it was already too late.

The Nomu turned toward me, head twitching, like it recognized something. Maybe my flames. Maybe just heat. Whatever it was, it bared its teeth and charged.

I reacted on instinct — right arm blazing with fire, left arm freezing the air solid. When the Nomu swung, I ducked low, igniting the pavement beneath me to launch backward. Its punch smashed into the wall where I’d been standing, the impact shaking my bones even from a distance.

I threw a line of frost to its feet, locking them down. It tore through like it was nothing.

Flame burst from my palm, a full-force arc meant to blast it back — but the creature absorbed it, skin blackening for a moment before regenerating instantly.

I’d seen that kind of resistance before — high-tier regeneration combined with thermal adaptation. The League wasn’t sending scraps anymore.

I switched tactics, trying to draw it toward a narrow street where it couldn’t move as freely. Aizawa was still recovering, eyes flickering as he tried to suppress its Quirk.

But then I felt it — that faint tingling burn under my skin — the limit. Using both elements this much back-to-back always had a cost. My body started to shake, the balance slipping.

The Nomu noticed.

It charged again.

I tried to sidestep, but it was faster. Its fist hit me square in the chest, and the world exploded.

The impact ripped the breath from my lungs. I felt myself hit the wall, then the ground, the edges of my vision going white with pain. Something cracked — ribs, maybe. I couldn’t tell.

Before I could move, its shadow fell over me. It grabbed my head, slamming me into the concrete once, twice, again. Stars burst behind my eyes. I tasted blood.

I heard Aizawa shouting, his voice breaking.

He couldn’t use Erasure — not fast enough — the Nomu’s body was blocking his line of sight.

I tried to raise my hand, but my fingers barely twitched. Fire sputtered uselessly from my palm. My quirk was slipping out of sync — heat flaring uncontrollably, ice forming along my arm in uneven shards.

The Nomu raised its claw again.

And for a split second, I thought — this is it.

Then a flash of white-blue light split the air.

Ice — thick, jagged, perfect — encased the Nomu’s arm mid-swing. The blow stopped inches from my face.

A second later, the entire street erupted in fire — but not mine. This was hotter, heavier, roaring from above with blinding intensity.

“That’s enough,” a familiar voice snapped, low and furious. “You’ve done enough damage.”

I blinked through the haze, vision blurring — and saw him.

Shoto.

He stood between me and the Nomu, frost still spreading across the ground, steam rolling from his left side where crimson fire burned to life. His expression was cold, but his eyes — they weren’t. They were furious.

And standing behind him, wreathed in flame like a living inferno, was Endeavor.

The Nomu screamed, breaking through the ice, but Shoto didn’t back down. His flames roared brighter, mingling with his father’s until the entire street shimmered in orange and blue.

Endeavor barked out orders — fast, precise. “Freeze its legs! I’ll take the top half!”

“Got it!” Shoto’s voice cracked with heat and anger.

I watched as they moved in perfect sync — the kind I could only dream of. Shoto’s ice surged upward, locking the Nomu’s lower body in a cage of jagged crystals, while Endeavor’s flames compressed into a vortex, spiraling into the creature’s chest.

The blast was deafening.

The Nomu shrieked once — a sound that shook the air — before the flames consumed it completely. When the light faded, all that remained was charred ground and steam rising into the night.

I tried to sit up, but pain stabbed through my side. I fell back, gasping.

Shoto was suddenly there, kneeling beside me, his hand hovering over my shoulder like he wasn’t sure if he should touch me. “You idiot,” he muttered, voice shaking slightly. “You shouldn’t have been here.”

I laughed weakly, or tried to. It came out more like a cough. “You’re one to talk.”

Endeavor approached then, his face shadowed by the flickering light of his own flames. For a moment, I thought he’d yell — but instead, his voice came out measured, almost… restrained.

“You held it off long enough for us to get here. That takes more than luck.”

“But next time,” he added, eyes narrowing slightly, “don’t fight something built to kill alone.”

Aizawa arrived moments later, supporting Iida on his shoulder. Relief flickered across his face when he saw me still breathing, though he masked it quickly.

“Midoriya,” he said quietly, crouching beside me. “You did good. But you’re done for tonight.”

I nodded weakly. The adrenaline was gone now, replaced by pain and exhaustion. My flames flickered out completely, and the ice on my skin melted into water.

The city around us still burned. The sirens still wailed. But for the first time that night, I felt something like calm.

As they loaded us into the emergency transport, I glanced at Shoto. His uniform was torn, his hair singed, but he stood tall beside his father — not in his shadow, but next to him.

Our eyes met for a second. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

Because in that one look, I knew —

We were both still learning what it meant to stand between fire and ice.

And tonight, neither of us stood alone.

____________<The Morning After Hosu>_____________

When I woke up, the world was quiet — too quiet.

No alarms, no fighting, no crackle of fire or ice. Just the faint hum of hospital machines and the sting in my ribs when I tried to breathe too deeply.

My right arm was wrapped in bandages from shoulder to wrist. My chest ached with every heartbeat. A nurse told me I’d been lucky — the Nomu’s blows had cracked a few ribs and bruised a lung, but nothing permanent.

I wasn’t sure if “lucky” was the right word.

Iida was in the next bed over, propped up but pale. His arm was in a sling, his leg braced. Shoto sat nearby, his uniform jacket draped over the chair, steam still faintly curling from his hair like his body hadn’t quite cooled down yet.

For a long time, none of us said anything.

Then Iida whispered, “…I’m sorry.”

I turned my head toward him. His eyes were red — not from pain, but from guilt.

“I went after Stain because I wanted revenge. And because of that… you almost died.”

I smiled weakly. “You think that’s new for me?”

That got a tiny, shaky laugh out of him.

Even Shoto’s lips twitched.

But the moment didn’t last long — because the door opened, and Aizawa-sensei stepped in, followed by him.

Chief Kenji Tsuragamae — the dog-headed chief of police himself.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Even Aizawa straightened a little.

Chief Kenji’s claws clicked softly against the tile as he stopped at the end of our beds. His expression was unreadable — or maybe that was just how hard it was to read an expression on a canine face. His tail didn’t wag once.

“Midoriya Izuku. Todoroki Shoto. Iida Tenya.”

“You three caused quite the mess last night.”

No one said a word. Shoto’s jaw clenched. Iida stared down at his lap. I just… waited.

The silence stretched.

Then the Chief continued.

“You engaged a high-level villain without authorization, entered a restricted combat zone, and interfered in an official Commission operation.”

“In the process, you sustained serious injuries, damaged public property, and nearly got yourselves — and several pros — killed.”

Each word hit like a hammer. I wanted to explain — to say that we didn’t have a choice, that Iida would’ve died, that the Nomu would’ve killed everyone — but Aizawa’s hand rested lightly on my shoulder, and I stayed quiet.

We waited.

Then, Kenji’s tone softened — just barely.

“However,” he said, “you also neutralized a Class-S threat before reinforcements could arrive.”

“You contained collateral damage, prevented civilian casualties, and captured the Hero Killer alive — which none of our pros had managed to do.”

He looked between us.

“You acted recklessly, yes… but also bravely.”

His ears twitched slightly — the dog version of a sigh.

“If we followed the rules to the letter, you’d all be charged for vigilantism.”

“But I think the circumstances — and your intentions — speak for themselves.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his muzzle.

“So instead of punishment… consider this an official commendation.”

“You have my respect — and the thanks of the Hero Public Safety Commission.”

For a second, none of us could process it. Then Iida sat up straighter, bowing as far as his injuries allowed. “Th-thank you, sir!”

Shoto nodded silently beside him, expression unreadable.

I just exhaled — the tension leaving me all at once. My chest still hurt, but this time, it was the kind that came from relief.

As Chief Kenji left, Aizawa lingered behind. He looked at us all — really looked at us — before speaking.

“You made mistakes,” he said quietly. “But you also made choices that saved lives. I can’t teach you to be perfect heroes. But I can teach you to survive being imperfect ones.”

He turned to leave, then paused by the door.

“Get some rest. Training starts again in three days.”

My stomach dropped. “Three days?! Sensei, I can barely move—”

He didn’t even turn around. “You’ll move faster when I tell you why.”

Shoto gave a small snort of laughter. I groaned. Iida tried to salute and immediately regretted it.

And for the first time since that awful night, the room felt lighter.

Later, when everyone else had fallen asleep, I lay awake staring at the ceiling. The memory of the Nomu’s blows still throbbed under my skin, and Stain’s words echoed faintly in my mind.

Only true heroes deserve to exist.

But if what we did — bruised, reckless, terrified — still counted as heroism… maybe that meant there was hope for us yet.

Because the heroes weren’t perfect.

They weren’t untouchable.

They were people who stood back up, again and again, even when it hurt to breathe.

Chapter Text

The following three days are a grueling hell that not even Izuku could have predicted. Aizawa drilled him non stop on maintaining control and balance.

Iida, Shoto, and Izuku were bombarded with questions about how they managed to stay alive against both a nomu and stain to which the three had been told not to divulge any information about the case as it wasnt wrapped up so the reassured the class but didn't say much else. 

The weeks following the Hosu incident passed with an uneasy calm.

U.A. High tried to return to its routine — classes resumed, training schedules returned to normal, and students filled the halls again with chatter and laughter. But beneath that familiar noise, there was a quiet edge that hadn’t been there before.

Everyone had felt the ripples from Hosu.

Even those who hadn’t been there.

The League of Villains’ involvement in the Hero Killer case had shaken the entire hero community. The Commission and U.A. staff doubled down on security, and new policies were introduced overnight. Patrol drills were increased, curfew was reinforced, and most notably — the once optional dorm system was reopened with heavy encouragement from the faculty.

For some, it was an inconvenience, for others, it was a relief.

For Izuku, the decision wasn’t hard. After Hosu, after Nomu, after everything, he wanted to be closer to the people he trusted — closer to where he could train, improve, and protect others without worrying about being too far away when it mattered.

Inko supported his decision wholeheartedly. She’d seen him return home bruised and exhausted too many times to argue. “Just promise me,” she’d said softly, holding his hand before he left for the move-in day, “that you’ll keep yourself safe — and that you’ll come home smiling, not just surviving.”

He promised..

Izuku’s body had mostly healed by the time classes resumed, though he still carried faint bruises along his ribs and the ghost of a scar where the Nomu’s claws had grazed his side. His control over his Frostfire Quirk — the dual balance of ice and flame — had improved since training under Aizawa, but the experience at Hosu had changed more than just his power.

Because of the League’s interference in the Stain case, the Hero Public Safety Commission issued a formal gag order on those directly involved.

That meant Izuku, Iida, and Shoto were forbidden from discussing anything related to Hosu — the Hero Killer, the League, or the Nomu. Even within their own class.

Officially, they’d been “rescued” by local pros and aided in evacuation.

Unofficially, everyone knew there was more to the story.

Their classmates respected the silence, though it didn’t stop the whispered questions when they thought no one was listening. Still, the three of them held their tongues — partly out of duty, partly out of lingering guilt.

When the dorms opened, Izuku didn’t hesitate to sign up.

The decision wasn’t just about safety — it was about focus.

Living on campus meant more access to training facilities, faster response to emergencies, and more time to strengthen himself and the people he trusted most. The memories of Hosu still haunted his sleep — Stain’s words, the Nomu’s roar, the look on Iida’s face when everything fell apart — and Izuku knew he couldn’t afford to be unprepared again.

He wasn’t alone in that decision.

Shoto Todoroki moved in quietly, bringing little more than a few books and spare uniforms. The experience in Hosu had left him more thoughtful, more distant at times — but also more grounded. He didn’t talk about his father or their brief teamwork during the battle, and no one asked.

Tenya Iida arrived next, still walking with a faint limp. He carried himself with his usual stiff composure, determined to move forward, to prove that his actions in Hosu were a mistake he’d already learned from.

Then came the others — classmates who hadn’t been in Hosu but still felt the weight of its aftermath.

Mina Ashido brought enough energy for the entire floor, insisting the move was going to ‘build class unity!’ and dragging boxes into the dorms with loud music blaring from her speakers.

Tsuyu Asui arrived soon after, calm and collected as ever, helping where she could with her usual quiet efficiency.

And Ochaco Uraraka, always smiling through her nerves, joined last — saying that living with friends ‘felt safer somehow.’

Each of them brought something different — laughter, warmth, balance.

Together, they filled the new dorm hall with life.

Izuku’s room was simple: a neatly made bed, a shelf stacked with notebooks, and a window that caught the sunset perfectly. Sometimes, he sat there after training, the orange light glinting off the faint frost that lingered at his fingertips. His power still scared him sometimes — the sheer scale of it — but now he understood that control wasn’t about suppressing strength. It was about balance.

And balance, he was learning, came from trust.

As the days turned into weeks, the dorms slowly became more than just a precaution. They became a home — filled with small arguments, shared meals, laughter, and late-night strategy talks.

Shoto thawed a little more each day, joining in quiet conversations in the common room.

Iida enforced curfew with exaggerated seriousness, earning good-natured teasing from Mina.

Uraraka often studied beside Izuku in silence, both too focused — or too shy — to say much.

And Tsuyu, ever observant, reminded them all to take breaks before they overworked themselves.

It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t peace.

But it was stable.

And for the first time in a long while, that was enough.

Outside, the world was changing — villains growing bolder, heroes under scrutiny, and the League waiting in the dark.

But inside the U.A. dorms, the future heroes of Class 1-A were building something stronger than fear: a bond that would carry them through whatever came next.

And among them, Izuku sat quietly by his window, watching the light fade and promising himself one simple thing: Next time, no one he cared about would have to face danger alone. Not while he still had the strength to stand.

Izuku’s POV

The air in the main hall was heavy with tension — the kind that came before big tests or fights. Everyone in Class 1-A was cramming or sparring somewhere on campus, but my head just… wasn’t in it.

I’d been training, pushing, burning myself out for weeks.

Ever since Hosu, it felt like something inside me had shifted. My quirk’s balance between fire and ice had grown sharper, cleaner — almost too natural. Like it had always been part of me, not two halves I was learning to manage.

And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

So, when the halls grew too loud and my thoughts too restless, I slipped away — toward the quieter wings of the main building.

That’s when I heard it.

At first, it was just the faint hum of Nezu’s voice through the half-open office door. He had a habit of talking softly — polite but precise — the kind of voice that carried just enough to make you lean in.

Then another voice joined him.

Lower. Steady. Tired.

“It’s been two months now, Nezu. Whoever’s tailing me… they’re getting bolder. I can’t risk them finding him.”

My body froze mid-step.

Him?

Something about the tone — protective, pained — pulled me closer before I even realized what I was doing. I edged toward the doorway, keeping to the shadow of the wall.

“I understand, Mikumo,” Nezu said gently. “You’ve done remarkably well, considering the circumstances. But you can’t keep running forever. Whoever’s after you… they’ve likely pieced things together by now.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Mikumo sighed. His voice trembled, just slightly. “Rei trusted me to keep him safe — to keep Izuku safe. She knew what Enji was capable of back then. The abuse, the obsession with power. She said if I didn’t take him and disappear, he’d grow up as another experiment in that house.”

My breath hitched so hard I thought I might choke on it.

Izuku.

They said my name.

My pulse pounded in my ears.

Nezu spoke again, softly — like he already knew I was listening.

“You did the right thing, Mikumo. You saved him from a life of control and fear. And Inko… she raised him well. She’s a remarkable woman.”

“She is,” Mikumo said. “I owe her everything. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to hide him. But… we both knew this day would come eventually. His quirk — it’s too distinctive. Ice and fire in perfect equilibrium. Stronger than even Shoto’s. It was only a matter of time before someone connected the dots.”

I pressed my back against the wall, staring blankly at the floor tiles.

My thoughts blurred into static.

Ice. Fire.

Perfect equilibrium.

No, no, that couldn’t be—

“Does Izuku know?” Mikumo asked.

“No,” Nezu replied. “And I’d prefer it stay that way until we can ensure his safety. If Endeavor learns he has another child… one hidden from him…”

“He’ll tear Japan apart to find him.” Mikumo’s voice cracked. “Rei made me promise. She said she’d take the blame, that she’d disappear if she had to — just so Enji would never know about Izuku. And then she—”

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating kind of silence.

I didn’t need to hear the rest.

I already knew what happened to Rei Todoroki. Everyone did.

But hearing her name like that — not as a tabloid headline, but as my mother’s —

that shattered something deep inside me.

My knees went weak. I stumbled backward, barely catching myself against the wall. The motion made the floor creak — just enough to draw attention.

“—did you hear that?” Mikumo’s voice sharpened.

“Ah,” Nezu hummed, amused but not surprised. “Yes. I believe our eavesdropper just realized the truth.”

I didn’t stay to find out what they’d do next. I bolted.

My legs carried me on instinct — down the hall, out the doors, through the courtyard. The cold air slapped my face, but I couldn’t breathe. My lungs burned like my flames did when I lost control.

Todoroki.

I was… a Todoroki.

Rei Todoroki — my mother.

Enji — my father.

And Shoto—

My stomach twisted. I thought about his eyes, the way he’d looked at me during training — not with rivalry, but quiet understanding. The fire and ice that mirrored mine so perfectly. I’d thought it was coincidence, or maybe fate.

Turns out it was blood.

I reached the edge of the training field and stopped, doubling over with my hands on my knees. My breath came in ragged bursts, clouds of frost mixing with faint wisps of steam. Both sides of my quirk flickered at once — unstable, confused, just like me.

All my life, I’d trained to be a hero.

To make Inko proud.

To protect people.

But how was I supposed to face that world now, knowing I’d been living a lie?

Rei… my mother had hidden me from Enji to save me.

Mikumo had spent years protecting me from the shadows.

And Nezu had known — this whole time.

I sank onto the cold grass, clutching my uniform at the chest where my heart pounded too hard.

I didn’t cry.

Not yet.

But the questions came — heavy and sharp, each one louder than the last.

Why me?

Why was I hidden?

And if Enji finds out… what happens next?

The announcement bell rang in the distance, signaling the end of afternoon classes. Students started filing back toward the dorms, laughing, chatting, alive.

And there I sat — trembling in the fading light, my hands flickering between frost and flame.

Somewhere in that building, Nezu and Mikumo were probably discussing what to do next. Whether to tell me the truth. Whether to move me somewhere safer.

But it was too late, I already knew and I couldn’t unhear it.

By the time I made it back to the dorms, the hallways were quiet — too quiet.

The usual chatter, the distant music, even Mina’s laughter echoing from someone’s room… all gone. Just the hum of the lights and the soft sound of my footsteps on the tile.

I didn’t realize how hard my hands were shaking until I reached for the door handle. My palms were still cold from the night air, a thin frost clinging to my fingertips even though I wasn’t trying to use my quirk. I took a deep breath, forced it down, and stepped inside.

The common room was empty. The couch lights were dim, casting long shadows across the floor. Someone had left a blanket draped over the armrest — probably Uraraka, always thinking ahead. I dropped into the seat and just… sat there.

Everything I’d overheard in Nezu’s office kept looping in my head.

The words “Rei Todoroki” and “hidden from Enji” burned themselves into my mind.

I didn’t even know what to feel — anger, confusion, fear. Mostly it just felt like the world had shifted under me, and I hadn’t caught my balance yet.

Son of Enji Todoroki.

Brother of Shoto.

That couldn’t be me. That couldn’t be real. I was just—

No. That’s not true anymore, is it?

I leaned forward, pressing my elbows to my knees, trying to breathe through the chaos in my head. I didn’t even notice when the dorm door opened again.

“Izuku,”

The voice made me flinch.

Nezu stood just inside the doorway, the low light catching in his fur. His expression wasn’t the cheerful, calculating one he usually wore — it was gentler. Behind him was a man I didn’t recognize at first, but when I did, my stomach twisted.

Mikumo. The man from Nezu’s office. The one Rei Todoroki had trusted to hide her child.

Me.

Nezu gave a small nod, as if to ask silently if he could come closer. I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t tell him to leave either, so they stepped in.

Mikumo looked… tired. The kind of tired that went deeper than lack of sleep. He held a worn folder tucked against his chest, and his eyes didn’t quite meet mine.

“You shouldn’t have had to hear what you did like that,” Nezu began softly, hopping up to sit on the arm of the couch across from me. “But now that you know, we felt it was only right to come to you directly.”

I swallowed hard.

“You mean to tell me it’s true?”

Nezu’s ears drooped slightly.

“Yes, it’s true. You were born Izuku Todoroki. Your mother— Rei— entrusted your care to Inko Midoriya through Mikumo here. He arranged everything to keep you safe from Endeavor’s reach. From Enji.”

The air went out of my lungs. I had known the answer before I asked, but hearing it spoken aloud still hit like a punch to the chest.

Mikumo stepped forward, kneeling slightly to be at eye level. His voice was quiet, heavy with guilt.

“Rei was terrified for you. After what happened with her other children, she couldn’t let Enji find out about you. She reached out to me— we’d been friends before everything fell apart. I was a social worker back then, and I used every contact I had to move you off record, to make you safe. Inko volunteered without hesitation.”

I stared at him, my throat dry. “And you both just… let me live my whole life not knowing?”

“It wasn’t about keeping you ignorant,” Nezu said carefully. “It was about keeping you alive.”

That stung. It wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

Mikumo’s hands clenched on the folder.

“I wanted to tell you sooner. But the Commission was still watching Rei’s case. If they suspected you existed— if Enji suspected— he would have come for you. And she couldn’t bear that.”

I didn’t know whether to scream or cry.

My voice came out cracked. “Does… Shoto know?”

Nezu shook his head.

“No. And for now, it would be best if he didn’t. Not until you decide you’re ready to tell him.”

That word — you — hit different.

For the first time since I’d overheard them, it felt like the choice was actually mine.

Mikumo finally met my eyes. His were full of sorrow and something else — pride, maybe? Hope?

“You’ve become everything Rei wanted for you, Izuku. Everything she couldn’t protect in her other children. You’re proof that she made the right choice.”

I didn’t have anything to say to that. The lump in my throat was too big.

Nezu stood, smoothing his paws.

“We won’t keep you up any longer. You’ve had a long night. But if you ever want to talk— really talk— my door will always be open. And so will his.”

They turned to go, and Mikumo hesitated at the doorway.

“You look so much like her,” he said softly before following Nezu out.

When the door closed behind them, I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I didn’t even realize I was running until my legs burned.

The words Nezu and Mikumo had said — “son of Enji Todoroki… hidden by Rei…” — echoed in my head like broken glass. My chest felt tight, every breath heavier than the last.

The hallways blurred.

The lights, the floor, the doors — all of it just melted together until I slammed open the main building entrance and kept going. My body moved on its own. I needed out. I needed air.

By the time I burst through the roof access door, I was shaking. The night wind hit me like a slap, cutting through the heat rising off my skin. Steam curled from my fingertips — fire and frost surging wild beneath my control.

Then I froze.

James was there.

His ruby red shoes on the ground next to him

Standing at the edge of the roof….

Chapter Text

Izuku’s POV

The world had felt like it stopped spinning when I heard the truth.

I wasn’t just Izuku Midoriya — I was a Todoroki. The name I’d heard whispered in the news, the family that stood at the center of Japan’s hero society… was mine. My mother had done everything to protect me from it, from him. And yet, even now, I could feel it in my blood — the heat and the cold swirling endlessly inside me like two storms fighting for control. Fire and ice… both mine. Stronger than even Shoto’s.

But I didn’t feel strong.

I ran. Out of the dorms, through the halls, up the stairs until my lungs burned. I didn’t even know where I was going — I just needed to breathe, to think.

By the time I reached the roof, the sun was sinking low, painting everything in orange and crimson. I froze when I saw someone already there.

James.

He was sitting right near the ledge, his back to me, shoulders trembling. The wind tugged at his hair and shirt, and at first, I thought he was just… looking at the sunset. But then I noticed the ruby-red shoes sitting beside him on the ground — the ones that only the quirkless wore. His feet dangled just over the edge.

And I realized. He wasn’t just sitting there.

My chest tightened.

“James…?” I called out softly.

He didn’t move. The only sound was the wind and the faint hitch of his breathing. When I got closer, I could see the tear streaks glinting on his cheeks, catching the last rays of sunlight.

“Izuku,” he said quietly, not looking at me. “You ever wonder why we even try? People like me… we’re born broken in their eyes. No matter what I do, they just—” His voice cracked. “They look at me like I don’t belong. Not even after I got into U.A. Not even after I saw you and Kacchan again.”

The fire inside me flared — not from anger, but fear.

“James, that’s not true,” I said, stepping closer, my breath turning cold from my ice quirk flaring with my emotions. “You do belong. You’ve always belonged. You— you helped me believe in myself when no one else did!”

He gave a bitter laugh, small and broken. “You’ve got power, Izuku. You’ve got everything. I just… have empty hands.” He turned his head slightly, eyes distant. “Maybe it’s better if I just… stop fighting.”

The words hit me harder than any villain’s punch.

I didn’t think. I moved — the ice cracked under my shoes as frost spread across the rooftop, and I grabbed his arm, holding on tight. “You’re not alone!” I shouted, my voice shaking. “You’re not broken! You’re my best friend — my brother!” I felt the heat of my other half burning through, melting the frost around us. Fire and ice, chaos and fear, all of it pouring out at once. “Please… don’t do this. Don’t leave me.”

He finally looked at me then — eyes red, not from his quirk, but from crying too long.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The sun dipped below the horizon, the last light fading between us.

Then James pulled his legs back from the edge. Slowly. Carefully.

When he turned, I could see his lips trembling — a broken smile trying to form. “You’re a real mess, you know that?” he said, voice small but alive.

I let out a shaky laugh, tears spilling freely. “Takes one to know one.”

We sat there together as the city lights flickered on below, the heat of my fire keeping us warm against the night wind.

And even though my world had just been turned upside down — even though I had no idea what being a “Todoroki” really meant — right then, all that mattered was that James was still here.

We didn’t move for a while after that. The silence was heavy, but it wasn’t as suffocating anymore. The rooftop breeze carried the faint sounds of the dorms below — laughter, chatter, life still going on.

James sat beside me now, knees pulled to his chest, eyes still swollen and red. I could tell he was drained, completely emptied out. The kind of exhaustion that comes from fighting yourself for too long.

I kept glancing at him, afraid that if I looked away, he’d slip back toward the edge. My fire side flickered softly in the dusk, the heat rising from my skin. The ice side stayed quiet — calm for once. Maybe because both halves knew how close I’d come to losing him.

“I don’t… I don’t think I can fix everything,” I said quietly, staring down at my hands. “But I’ll be here. No matter how bad it gets. You’re not going to fight this alone, James. I promise.”

He nodded weakly, wiping at his eyes. “You always make promises you can’t keep, you know that?” His voice cracked on the last word, but there was a faint smile — fragile but real.

I let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, maybe. But this one… I’ll find a way to keep.”

The rooftop door creaked open behind us.

For a second, I thought it was one of our classmates — but the sound of the boots, the quiet steady steps… no. That was Aizawa-sensei. And behind him, the metallic clank of a prosthetic arm brushing the door frame — Power Loader.

I froze. James tensed beside me.

Aizawa didn’t say anything right away. His scarf fluttered slightly in the wind, his expression unreadable — tired eyes taking in everything at once. I followed his gaze — and that’s when I realized what he saw.

James’s ruby-red shoes were still on the ground near the ledge.

And James himself… was still sitting just a little too close to the edge. His heels were barely on solid concrete.

Aizawa’s shoulders shifted, just enough to block Power Loader’s movement behind him. His tone stayed calm — soft, careful. “Midoriya. James.”

My heart pounded. I could hear the shift in his voice — not angry, not even scolding. Just… worried. Deeply.

“You two okay?” Power Loader asked, stepping up beside him, his visor hiding his expression, though his voice carried something heavy. “We’ve been looking everywhere since you ran out of the dorms, Midoriya. You scared the hell out of half the staff.”

“I… I just needed air,” I managed, voice trembling. “We both did.”

Aizawa’s gaze flicked between us again — to James’s trembling hands, to the shoes by the ledge. Then he sighed, long and quiet. He stepped closer but kept his distance, giving James space. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “You don’t have to explain everything right now. Just… step back from there, okay?”

James didn’t move at first. His body was stiff, like every instinct was still telling him to run, to fall, to end it. I reached out again, putting my hand gently on his shoulder.

“Come on,” I whispered. “Let’s go home.”

He looked at me — really looked — and then nodded slowly. He stood, shaky on his feet, and I didn’t let go until we were both several steps away from the ledge. Only then did Aizawa exhale, the tension easing just a little from his shoulders.

Power Loader quietly walked forward, crouching to pick up the ruby-red shoes. He turned them over in his metal hand for a moment, then held them carefully, like they were something fragile. “You won’t be needing to leave these behind,” he said, setting them next to James instead of handing them over. “Not tonight.”

Aizawa’s eyes softened, though his voice stayed steady. “You both need to come with us. We’ll talk downstairs — somewhere safe.”

James just nodded again, still silent. I kept close to him as we followed them back toward the door. The rooftop light flickered above us, the wind whispering one last breath across the open space.

Before stepping through the doorway, I looked back once — at the ledge, the sunset now faded into night, and those red shoes gleamed faintly under the stars.

The walk back down from the roof felt like the longest of my life. None of us spoke. The hallway lights buzzed faintly overhead, shadows stretching across the walls. Aizawa-sensei walked in front, quiet as always, Power Loader close behind us, still holding James’s red shoes.

I could feel the heat of my quirk flaring again—not out of anger, but worry. I’d never seen James like this. He wasn’t the calm, sharp, confident genius who’d been teaching in the support labs for over a year, who designed gear even pros lined up for. He looked like a storm barely holding itself together.

When we reached one of the empty lounges, Aizawa gestured for us to sit. The soft hum of the ventilation filled the silence until Power Loader finally broke it.

“James,” he said quietly, setting the shoes on the table. “You don’t have to explain everything right now. Just… talk to us.”

James stared at the shoes for a long time. His hands clenched. Then, something in him just… snapped.

“Talk?” he said softly. “You want me to talk? Fine.”

His voice cracked, low at first, then rising like a dam giving way.

“You have no idea what it’s like! To be treated like garbage every single day just because I was born without a quirk! You think being here at U.A. changed anything? It didn’t! I still get the looks, the whispers, the way people flinch when they realize I’m quirkless!”

He stood, pacing now, his hands shaking. “Do you know how many times I’ve been jumped on the street because people think I’m some kind of scammer or thief just for existing? Or how every store suddenly ‘raises their prices’ when I walk in? They say it’s coincidence, but it’s not. It never is.”

Power Loader tried to step in. “James—”

“No!” James snapped, tears spilling now. “You don’t get it! You think because I run a support company that I’m fine? That I’m lucky? My company only exists because I had to give up half of it to someone with a quirk so investors wouldn’t walk away. They don’t trust a quirkless inventor to lead anything—because apparently, without some flashy mutation, I’m not worth believing in!”

Aizawa’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes softened. His scarf loosened around his shoulders.

James took a breath, voice shaking but louder now, every word trembling with fury and pain. “And what’s worse? Even here, in the one place that’s supposed to train heroes to protect people, I still see it. Students looking down on anyone without powers. Teachers pretending it’s not happening. The system doesn’t fix it—it feeds it!”

He slammed his hand against the table, and the sound echoed through the room. I flinched. Not because I was scared of him—but because of how raw it all was.

“This whole society is broken,” he went on, voice breaking again. “Everything—from the government that ignores us, to the media that worships quirks like gods, to the people who think ‘quirkless’ means worthless. You know what it feels like to grow up knowing you’ll never be seen as human enough?”

He turned toward me suddenly. His eyes were red, desperate, searching. “Izuku, you were supposed to be like me once… but you got to be strong, to be a hero. You had something that made people see you. I don’t have that. None of us do. We just disappear.”

I felt my throat tighten. “James… I didn’t— I never stopped seeing you.”

He let out a small, broken laugh. “I know, Izuku. You never did. But everyone else did. And it’s killing people like me inside. There’s almost none of us left. We’re just… fading away.”

For a long moment, no one said anything. The room felt smaller somehow, the weight of his words pressing on all of us.

Then Power Loader moved—slow, careful—and set a hand on James’s shoulder. “Kid… I’ve seen you build miracles out of nothing. You are changing things. You just can’t see it yet.”

James stared at the floor. His breathing slowed, though his hands were still trembling.

Aizawa stepped forward then, voice quiet but firm. “You’ve been carrying this alone for too long.” He glanced between both of us. “Neither of you should’ve been up there alone tonight. You both need help—and that’s not weakness.”

He looked at James. “You’re not invisible here. Not to me. Not anymore.”

That… did it. James didn’t say anything more—he just sat back down, covering his face with his hands. Power Loader crouched beside him, steady and patient, like a wall holding against the storm.

I sat next to him, my fire side flickering faintly, casting a soft glow. I didn’t know what to say, but I stayed there anyway. Because that’s what he needed.

Aizawa stood watch, quiet as ever, eyes sharp and tired. Power Loader stayed beside James, still holding his shoulder.

The silence stretched for too long. Power Loader stayed crouched beside James, his metal hand still resting lightly on his shoulder.

For a second, I thought James was calming down — his breathing had slowed, his eyes glassy and tired. But then, something flickered behind them. Something sharp.

“Don’t,” he whispered.

Power Loader blinked. “Kid—”

“Don’t touch me!”

The words came out raw — almost a growl. He shoved Power Loader backward with both hands, hard enough that the metal armor clanked against the wall. The table rattled, and one of the empty mugs on it toppled and shattered. I jumped to my feet, ice crackling along the floor before I could stop it.

“James!”

He was shaking again, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles went white. His voice cracked, but this time it wasn’t just pain — it was rage.

“You think a pat on the shoulder fixes this?! You think saying ‘you’re not invisible’ makes it all okay?! You’ve all been standing right there watching it happen for years!”

Power Loader didn’t rise to meet him. He straightened slowly, hands open, his tone quiet but steady. “You’re right,” he said. “We have been watching. And that’s on us. But you need to breathe, kid. You’re safe here.”

James barked out a bitter laugh. “Safe? Safe?! Tell that to the people who spit on me for existing! To the ones who broke my ribs when I was thirteen and called it ‘correction!’ Tell that to the investors who smile to my face and laugh behind my back because I’ll never have a quirk to my name!”

He hit the side of the table with his fist — once, twice — until his hand started to bleed. I didn’t think. I moved, fire flaring around my wrist as I grabbed his arm to stop him. “James, stop! Please!”

He froze — trembling, chest heaving — and looked at me. For a long second, the fury in his eyes flickered, turning into something else. Pain. Guilt. Exhaustion.

“I… I didn’t mean to,” he murmured, staring at the blood on his knuckles. “I just… I can’t stand it anymore.”

Aizawa was already moving. He stepped in quietly, wrapping his capture scarf loosely around James’s forearm — not restraining him, but grounding him. His voice was calm, low, the kind that somehow cut through everything.

“Enough,” he said softly. “You’re allowed to be angry. You’re allowed to feel what you feel. But you’re not alone in this room, James. Not anymore.”

Power Loader exhaled slowly, rubbing his shoulder where he’d been shoved. “You hit harder than you look, kid,” he said quietly. “Guess all that lab work’s good for something.”

James gave a half-laugh, half-sob, shaking his head. “Sorry… I just—”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Power Loader said. “You just need to let us help you now.”

I felt my throat tighten again, the cold from my ice side seeping into the air while my fire side flickered with heat. “He’s right, James,” I said, my voice cracking. “You don’t have to hold this all in anymore. You don’t have to fight the whole world alone.”

James’s eyes glistened again, and this time he didn’t look away. The anger was still there — burning, sharp — but beneath it was something fragile. Something that looked a lot like hope trying to find its way back.

He slumped back into the chair, covering his face with his hands. Power Loader stood guard beside him, Aizawa keeping his distance but watching carefully, ready if things spiraled again.

I sat down next to James, just close enough that he could feel the warmth from my quirk. I didn’t say anything else. I just stayed there — because sometimes, silence says more than words ever could.

The room was still shaking — not from my quirk this time, but from everything that had just exploded out of James.

He sat slumped forward, shoulders hunched, blood drying on his knuckles, the echo of his outburst still hanging heavy in the air. Power Loader hadn’t moved from his spot, though I could tell the shove had rattled him. Aizawa stood a few feet away, eyes lowered, capture scarf loose around his neck — no threats, no judgment, just quiet concern.

For a long time, nobody said anything.

Then James stood. Slowly. Too slowly. His hands trembled as he wiped his face, smearing away tears he probably didn’t even realize were there. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet — hollow in a way that hurt to hear.

“…Just leave me alone.”

The words barely carried across the room, but they hit harder than any shout.

“James—” I started, but he shook his head.

“No. Don’t. Please.” He took a step toward the door, unsteady but determined. “I need to breathe. I need space. Just… don’t follow me.”

Power Loader straightened, his mechanical hand half-raised as if to stop him, but he froze when Aizawa lightly touched his arm.

“Let him go,” Aizawa said softly.

The older hero’s voice was calm, but there was something tight underneath it — worry he didn’t bother to hide. Power Loader’s jaw clenched under his helmet, but he stepped back. “He’s not in the right headspace,” he muttered.

“I know,” Aizawa replied. “But forcing him to stay will only make it worse. We’ll keep an eye on him.”

James moved past them without another word. His footsteps echoed against the tile, slow and uneven. He didn’t look at me as he passed, but… he didn’t flinch away either. Just kept moving — toward the hallway, toward somewhere quiet.

The door closed behind him with a soft click.

And then… nothing. Just silence again.

I stood there, staring at the empty doorway, my hands still shaking. “Sensei…” My voice came out small, uncertain. “Shouldn’t we—?”

Aizawa sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “We’ll give him a few minutes. Then I’ll find him.” His tone stayed steady, but his eyes were sharper than ever, already calculating. “He’s hurting, not dangerous. The best thing right now is to make sure he knows he still has people who care.”

Power Loader looked down at the bloodstained table and the broken mug on the floor. “Kid’s been holding that in for years,” he said quietly. “Guess I never really saw how bad it got.”

I swallowed hard, guilt twisting in my chest. “Neither did I.”

Aizawa’s gaze softened, landing on me. “Midoriya. None of this is your fault. What matters now is what we do next.”

I nodded slowly, though my chest still ached. “Then… I want to help.”

He didn’t say no. Just gave a tired nod. “We’ll handle it together.”

Outside, the hallway lights dimmed to evening mode. The dorms were quiet. Somewhere beyond the walls, I thought I could still hear James’s footsteps fading away — the sound of someone trying to hold himself together.

I clenched my fists, heat and cold flickering beneath my skin.

Please, I thought. Just come back. Don’t disappear again.

After James left, the room stayed silent for a long time. Power Loader quietly picked up the shattered mug, setting it aside on the counter, and Aizawa leaned against the wall, rubbing at the bridge of his nose like the weight of everything that had just happened was pressing down harder than usual.

Then he pulled out his phone.

“Nezu,” he said simply when the line connected. His tone was calm, but I could tell from the way his jaw tightened that this wasn’t a casual check-in. “We have a situation involving James Sato. I want access to any internal footage or reports tied to his time here—faculty areas, student interactions, anything we might’ve missed.”

There was a pause. Even from where I stood, I could hear the faint hum of Nezu’s voice on the other end — higher, thoughtful, serious.

“Yes,” Aizawa continued. “I know he’s technically staff, but he’s still a student in record for his teaching license. I have reason to believe something’s been happening under our noses.”

Another pause, longer this time. Then Aizawa nodded once. “Send it to my secure terminal.”

He hung up without another word and turned to Power Loader. “Keep an eye on Midoriya. I’ll be in my office.”

I wanted to follow him, to know what was going on, but one look from Aizawa told me to stay put.

Later that night, I found him in the faculty wing — the only light in his office coming from the glow of his monitor. The reflection of the screen made his eyes look colder than usual.

Nezu sat beside him, paws folded neatly on the desk, expression unreadable.

I stopped in the doorway. “Sensei?”

Aizawa didn’t answer at first. He just hit pause on the video. The screen froze on an image that made my stomach twist.

James — younger, thinner, wearing those same ruby-red shoes — was on the ground behind one of the workshop buildings. Three other students stood over him. His glasses were cracked. One of them looked right into the camera and smiled before walking away.

Power Loader stood in the corner, arms crossed tightly. “Those recordings are from over a year ago,” he muttered. “They must’ve waited until he was out of sight. He never said a word.”

“He wouldn’t,” Aizawa said quietly. “He’s the type to carry it until it breaks him.”

Nezu nodded slowly, his small voice calm but heavy. “He was proud. And proud people rarely ask for help when the world has convinced them they don’t deserve it.”

Aizawa sighed and clicked to another window on the screen. Lines of messages scrolled past — threats, insults, some of them anonymous, others traced to accounts outside the school. None of them kind. Most filled with the same poison James had been speaking about earlier.

Nezu’s ears lowered slightly. “We recovered these from his personal drive after an emergency security override. He wasn’t exaggerating. The hostility toward quirkless citizens online has been… increasing.”

I could feel my fire side flaring again, uncontrolled. “They knew,” I said quietly. “They all knew what they were doing to him.”

Aizawa looked up at me, his expression unreadable, but his voice was tight with emotion. “And we didn’t stop it.”

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the frozen image of James on the screen — broken glasses, bruised face, no one helping him.

Then, after a long moment, he said, “We’re fixing this. Starting now.”

Nezu nodded. “Agreed. I’ll contact the Board, and I’ll personally see to it that James receives proper protection and counseling. The system failed him. We won’t let it happen again.”

Aizawa closed his eyes briefly, the exhaustion in his voice carrying more than just fatigue. “He said the system was broken,” he murmured. “Maybe he’s right.”

The room was quiet except for the hum of Aizawa-sensei’s computer.

The paused frame of James — bruised, alone — glowed on the monitor like a wound that wouldn’t close.

None of us spoke. Not even Nezu.

Then, a knock came from the doorway.

Soft. Hesitant.

We all turned.

James stood there.

His hair was messy, eyes rimmed red but dry now. He’d changed into one of his old lab jackets, sleeves half-rolled, the faint smell of solder and machine oil clinging to him like a shield.

For a heartbeat, no one said anything. Then he exhaled sharply and gave a small, forced laugh.

“You really didn’t have to dig all that up.”

Aizawa’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You shouldn’t be walking around alone right now.”

James shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. “I wasn’t alone. Security bots followed me the whole way up here,” he muttered, glancing at Nezu. “Figures.”

Nezu tilted his head. “We were concerned, young man.”

“Yeah, well… don’t be.”

James’s voice cracked on the edges, but he tried to keep it steady. “I’m fine. Seriously. Whatever you think you’re doing to help—don’t. It’s just gonna make everything worse.”

He stepped into the room, gaze flicking to the monitor — and froze when he saw the image.

His smile dropped. “You went through my records.”

Nezu’s ears lowered a fraction. “We were worried for your safety, James.”

“Worried.” James let out a humorless laugh. “Right. Now you’re worried. Where was that concern when this actually happened? When I was lying there with my glasses broken and nobody cared?”

Power Loader stepped forward, careful, measured. “Kid, we’re not trying to corner you. We just—”

“Don’t.” James’s tone hardened. “You think pulling this up fixes anything? That I’ll suddenly feel better because someone finally noticed?” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been fine this long. I don’t need anyone’s pity now.”

Aizawa stood then, quiet but firm. “No one here pities you, James. We’re angry — because we should’ve seen this sooner.”

James blinked at that, thrown off for a moment.

Aizawa continued, voice calm but heavy. “You said earlier that trying to help you just makes things worse. But letting you drown in silence does worse damage than anything we could say. We’re not your enemies.”

James looked at him, jaw tight, eyes flicking away before he muttered, “You really don’t get it. Every time someone ‘helps,’ it backfires. More attention. More whispers. More people treating me like a broken case file instead of a person.”

His voice softened, worn thin. “I’m just tired, sensei. That’s all.”

Nezu spoke next, quiet and deliberate. “Then let us be the ones who take the weight for a while. No cameras. No reports. Just people who care.”

James stared at the floor for a long moment. His hands were buried in his pockets, shoulders shaking slightly.

“…You can’t fix this,” he said finally. “You can’t fix the world.”

Aizawa didn’t hesitate. “No. But we can make it stop hurting you, one step at a time.”

For the first time since he’d come in, James didn’t argue. He just stood there — breathing, quiet, looking smaller than I’d ever seen him.

I wanted to move closer, to say something, but Aizawa caught my eye and shook his head gently — not yet.

The silence settled again, but it wasn’t the sharp kind anymore. It was heavy, tired, almost fragile.

James finally muttered, “…I just want to work. That’s all. If I’m in the lab, I can think.”

Nezu nodded. “Then work you shall. But you’ll have company for a while. Someone to make sure you remember to eat.” His eyes flicked toward me.

I blinked. “Wait—me?”

James let out a small, tired huff that might’ve been a laugh. “Guess that means I don’t have a choice, huh?”

Aizawa folded his arms. “Not unless you want me instead.”

That got an actual snort out of James. “Alright, fine. Midoriya’s less scary.”

Nezu smiled faintly, and even Aizawa’s mouth twitched just a little.

It wasn’t much — but in that small crack of quiet, something started to shift. Not healed, not whole, but real.

And for the first time that night, I saw a glimpse of James again — not the broken version, not the angry one. Just the person I’d grown up with, still standing, still fighting, even if it hurt.

The night dragged on longer than any of us realized.

After Nezu’s quiet words and Aizawa’s calm insistence, James finally agreed to stay in the staff wing for the night — somewhere safe, somewhere not alone.

I volunteered to keep him company. Maybe it was selfish — part of me just couldn’t bear the thought of him walking back out into the dark.

We ended up in the support lab again. The room was dim except for the pale blue glow of the monitors, half-finished prototypes scattered across the worktables.

James sat at his usual bench, tools spread out like a familiar comfort zone. His hands trembled a little as he soldered a joint, but he kept his focus locked tight.

I didn’t say anything. I knew that look — the one that said if I stop working, I’ll start thinking.

Then the door hissed open behind us.

“James!”

Mei Hatsume’s voice cracked as she rushed in. She looked different — goggles pushed up, eyes red and puffy like she hadn’t slept.

I’d never seen her like that. Mei never looked fragile. She was a storm of ideas and explosions and caffeine. But right then… she looked like a person who’d been holding something in for too long.

James didn’t turn around. “Go home, Mei.”

“No.” She stopped right behind him, fists clenched at her sides. “Not this time.”

He sighed, setting down the soldering iron. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“And you shouldn’t have scared the life out of everyone!” she shot back, voice breaking halfway through. “Do you have any idea what it felt like hearing Aizawa-sensei say they found you on the roof?!”

James flinched at that. I saw his shoulders tighten. He didn’t look up.

Mei took a shaky breath and pressed on. “I tried to help, y’know. I tried. Every time people made fun of you, I stepped in. Every time someone called your designs flukes because you were quirkless, I wanted to blow their desks up! But you—” she cut herself off, swallowing hard, “you just kept saying it didn’t matter. That you were used to it.”

James finally turned to her. His eyes were dull, tired, but they softened when they met hers. “Because it didn’t help, Mei. Every time you spoke up, they just found new ways to go after me when no one was watching.”

Mei’s jaw trembled. “Then why didn’t you say something? You didn’t have to go through it alone!”

He stood up abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. “Because that’s what happens when you’re quirkless!” The words came out sharp, almost like a crack in his voice. “If you complain, you’re weak. If you fight back, you’re dangerous. If you stay quiet, you’re a coward. There’s no winning! There never was!”

The silence that followed hit like a shockwave. The air smelled faintly of burnt metal.

James ran a hand through his hair and turned away, muttering, “You can’t fix a world that’s already decided what you’re worth before you even open your mouth.”

Mei didn’t move for a long time. Then she stepped forward quietly — so unlike her usual reckless self — and placed one of her gloves beside him on the table.

“You made this,” she said softly. “You said it’d help me grip better for the smaller parts.”

He looked down at it, eyes flickering with recognition.

“I’m still using it,” Mei said. “Because you’re brilliant. And I don’t care what anyone says — I’m not giving up on you, even if you hate me for it.”

James’s shoulders slumped. He didn’t answer right away. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “…You shouldn’t waste your time.”

Mei crossed her arms. “Too bad. I already decided.”

A faint, unsteady laugh escaped him — one that wasn’t happy, but at least real. He looked between us, then muttered, “You two really don’t know when to quit, huh?”

“Nope,” I said quietly. “Guess it’s a bad habit.”

That earned me a faint smile. Just a flicker — but it was there.

The door opened again, and Power Loader stepped in, followed by Aizawa, who looked… calmer, but watchful. They didn’t say anything at first — just took in the scene: the half-lit lab, the three of us standing amid scattered tools and unfinished dreams.

Power Loader’s voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “You got a good team here, kid.”

James didn’t look up, but I could see the tension in his shoulders ease — just a little. Like for the first time in years, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to push everyone away anymore.

Aizawa crossed his arms and gave a small nod. “Then let’s keep it that way. No more late-night rooftops.”

James let out a slow breath. “…Deal.”

He turned back to his bench, flicking the switch on his welder. “Now, if everyone’s done worrying about me — we’ve got prototypes to finish.”

Mei grinned through her tears. “That’s the James I know.”

And as the sparks lit up the lab again, I realized that maybe — just maybe — this was the first step toward healing. Not fixing everything. But rebuilding. Together.

By the time the lab lights dimmed to their night setting, James had fallen into his rhythm again.

The soft hum of machines, the faint hiss of the welder, the rhythmic click of his tools — it was all strangely comforting.

Mei stayed close by, handing him parts, matching his quiet mood for once.

I stayed too — just listening. Watching the way his hands steadied again, even if his eyes still looked tired.

When the clock hit midnight, Aizawa-sensei motioned for me to step outside.

Power Loader followed, wiping grease from his gloves. The door slid shut behind us, muffling the lab sounds until it was just the quiet hallway and the hum of ceiling lights.

Aizawa leaned against the wall, his hair falling forward a little, tired eyes half-hidden.

Power Loader crossed his arms, helmet tucked under one elbow.

For a while, none of them said anything.

Then Power Loader sighed. “Kid’s still got that same stubborn streak he had as a student.”

Aizawa gave a small nod. “He’s alive because of it.”

Power Loader’s jaw tightened. “Barely. You saw that look earlier, right? He’s not just tired — he’s hollowed out. Like he’s been holding that wall up so long he forgot what’s behind it.”

Aizawa’s gaze flicked toward the lab door. “He has every reason to be. What Nezu found… no one should have to live with that kind of constant hate.”

His tone was low, but the edge in it was sharp — the kind of anger Aizawa only ever let slip when someone crossed a line too far.

Power Loader let out a heavy breath. “He never told me any of it. I was his mentor for two years, and he just… smiled through it. Worked harder. I thought he was fine. Guess I should’ve known better.”

Aizawa straightened a little. “You did your part. He’s still here. That counts for something.”

Power Loader grunted softly. “Doesn’t feel like enough.”

There was another pause — long, thoughtful.

Then Aizawa said quietly, “He needs structure. Not surveillance. If we start hovering, he’ll shut down again. But if we give him purpose… something to look toward, not away from…”

Power Loader nodded slowly. “Like putting him back in the classroom?”

“Eventually,” Aizawa said. “Not as a student this time. As staff. Officially. He’s already doing the work of an assistant engineer — and better than most pros out there. We could make it official. Give him recognition, stability, and access to resources without treating him like a project.”

Power Loader tilted his head. “You think he’d accept it?”

Aizawa smirked faintly. “Not if we call it a favor. But if we tell him we need him? He’ll have a hard time saying no.”

That earned a quiet chuckle from Power Loader. “You’re not wrong.”

Their tones softened, the weight of the night settling over both of them.

Then Power Loader spoke again, quieter this time. “What about the other stuff? The messages, the old footage… what happens to that?”

Aizawa’s expression darkened. “Nezu’s handling it. Quietly. The students responsible are long gone, but that doesn’t erase what happened. He’s compiling evidence — and he wants to start a formal review of how UA protects quirkless students.”

Power Loader blinked. “You think that’ll actually change anything?”

Aizawa looked through the glass window, into the lab — where James was hunched over a half-built prosthetic arm, Mei laughing softly at something he muttered, the glow of molten metal flickering between them.

“I think,” Aizawa said, his voice low but steady, “it already has.”

Power Loader followed his gaze, and for a long time, they just watched.

The sound of distant laughter — real laughter — echoed faintly through the hall.

After a while, Power Loader nodded. “I’ll draw up the paperwork in the morning. We’ll start small. Let him call his own pace.”

Aizawa pushed off the wall. “Good. I’ll talk to Nezu about his living arrangements. He’s not going back to that apartment alone.”

Power Loader smirked under his breath. “You’re really taking this one personal, huh?”

Aizawa’s reply was quiet. “He reminds me too much of a kid I used to know who thought the world didn’t need him.”

He paused, then added, almost to himself, “I was wrong then. I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy anymore — it was resolute.

When they turned back toward the lab, the sound of tinkering still filled the air — sharp, bright, alive.

And for the first time that night, I realized something:

James wasn’t just being saved.

He was being seen.

______________________<the next morning>_____________________________

Morning sunlight spilled through the workshop windows, cutting through the dust and glinting off the rows of half-finished support gear.

James walked beside me, tired but steadier than last night. His jacket was zipped, his ID clipped neatly to the pocket — every movement calm, controlled.

We didn’t talk much on the way; it wasn’t awkward silence, just… quiet understanding.

When we reached the lab doors, Mei was already inside, setting up her station. She turned, smiling the instant she saw us.

“Morning! You two look like you actually slept!”

James gave a faint snort. “Define ‘slept.’”

I laughed softly, pushing the door open wider — and then froze.

There, on James’s workbench, lay a small bouquet.

Bright red petals. Thin, curling like flames. Red spider lilies….

Chapter Text

Izuku’s POV

Finals week.

The words alone made everyone tense. For the written tests, I’d been fine — nervous, sure, but nothing compared to what was waiting for us now. The practical exams.

Real combat. Real pressure.

And our opponent this time… All Might.

Even now, standing in the corridor outside the testing ground, I could feel the air vibrating faintly. Not from the wind or machinery — from him.

Beside me, Hitoshi Shinsō adjusted his capture scarf, trying to look calm. He’d transferred into 1-A barely a month ago, and everyone was still getting used to him. I’d trained with him a few times under Aizawa’s supervision — enough to know he was smart, deliberate, and a lot stronger than he looked.

“You nervous?” I asked quietly.

Shinsō glanced at me, his eyes half-lidded. “Only an idiot wouldn’t be. We’re about to fight the Symbol of Peace.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“You got a plan?” I asked.

He smirked faintly. “Yeah. Don’t die.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fair.”

The speakers above us crackled, and All Might’s booming voice echoed across the grounds.

“YOUNG MIDORIYA! YOUNG SHINSŌ! COME FORTH!”

Even his voice carried weight.

We stepped out of the tunnel and into the arena. The training field looked like a half-destroyed city block — cracked pavement, toppled walls, smoke rising from wrecked cars. The air smelled like ozone and dust.

Across the field, All Might stood waiting — massive, unshaken, smiling as always. His cape fluttered in the wind.

Aizawa’s voice came through our earpieces.

“Your objective: either incapacitate All Might or escape through the designated gate. Time limit: ten minutes.”

Ten minutes against All Might. It might as well have been ten seconds.

“All right,” I whispered, glancing at Shinsō. “If we can distract him long enough, I can lock him down with ice. You use your capture scarf to slow him when he breaks free—”

“When, not if?”

“...It’s All Might.”

He grimaced. “Point taken.”

Before we could say anything else, the ground in front of us shattered.

All Might blurred forward in an instant — faster than I could track. The shockwave alone sent shards of concrete flying like shrapnel.

“MOVE!” I shouted.

We dove in opposite directions just as All Might’s fist came down where we’d been standing, leaving a crater ten feet wide.

I hit the ground rolling, my palms already glowing with heat. Steam hissed from my hands as I threw them out, releasing a wave of fire that cut through the dust. The flames washed over All Might’s form, lighting up the smoke like a flare — but when it cleared, he was smiling.

“Impressive! Your control’s improved, young Midoriya!”

And then he was gone again.

A blur — faster than my eyes could track — and suddenly he was behind me. I barely had time to throw up a wall of ice before his fist hit it, shattering it like glass and sending me flying backward.

My shoulder slammed into the pavement. Pain exploded through me.

Shinsō’s voice crackled in my earpiece.

“Midoriya! You still alive?”

“Barely!” I hissed. “He’s too fast— we’ll never get him head-on!”

“Then we don’t. We make him talk.”

For a second I didn’t understand — then it hit me. Shinsō’s quirk.

He wanted to bait All Might into responding.

I forced myself up, frost spiraling around my arms. “I’ll give you an opening!”

I slammed both palms to the ground, and frost exploded outward in a wave — thick, heavy ice tearing through the asphalt. The air froze in seconds, mist curling up around us. The temperature dropped so fast that my breath turned white instantly.

All Might’s boots crunched through the ice, his movements slowing for a heartbeat. That was enough.

“NOW, SHINSŌ!”

From behind the wreckage of a collapsed bus, Shinsō’s voice rang out — sharp and taunting.

“Hey, All Might! What kind of teacher brags about beating up teenagers?”

For half a second, All Might blinked. Then he barked a laugh — loud, booming.

“A RESPONSIBLE ONE!”

The second the words left his mouth, his eyes went blank. His body froze.

Shinsō’s quirk worked.

“Got him!” Shinsō shouted, running forward. “Let’s go!”

I launched another burst of fire, melting a path through the ice toward the escape gate. Every second counted — the brainwashing wouldn’t hold forever.

We sprinted side by side, my flames clearing the path, his scarf ready in case All Might broke free early.

The gate was in sight — thirty meters— twenty—

Then I felt it.

The air behind us shifted.

The temperature spiked, a gust of raw wind tearing past my ears.

“Oh no—”

All Might’s laugh returned, loud and full of pride.

“EXCELLENT TEAMWORK! BUT YOU’RE NOT DONE YET!”

He’d broken free.

The next punch cracked the ground open, sending both of us tumbling. I barely caught myself with a burst of frost, sliding backward across the pavement. My arms screamed in protest.

Shinsō landed beside me, panting. “That’s… that’s insane.”

“Yeah,” I breathed, wiping blood from my lip. “But so are we.”

All Might straightened, beaming down at us. “SHOW ME THAT DETERMINATION, YOUNG HEROES!”

I gritted my teeth and forced myself up. Fire flickered down my left arm, ice crawled up my right — both halves burning in harmony.

“Shinsō,” I said, glancing at him. “One last play. You ready?”

He nodded, already wrapping his scarf around his arm. “Let’s make him proud.”

We moved.

I sprinted forward, flames bursting at my feet to boost my speed. I ducked under All Might’s swing, using the shockwave to propel myself higher. My ice coated the air behind me, forming a ramp of frozen mist that shimmered under the light.

I launched off it — right toward him.

“All or nothing!” I shouted.

All Might raised his arm to block — and that’s when Shinsō’s scarf lashed out, looping around his wrist, the fabric glowing faintly from the tech built into it.

“Nice shot!” I yelled.

He grinned. “Go!”

I slammed both palms together — one blazing, one frozen. The blast of steam that erupted between them detonated outward in a flash of blue and red light, engulfing All Might’s upper body.

When the smoke cleared, he was still standing… but smiling wider than ever.

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!”

The buzzer sounded.

Ten minutes.

We hadn’t beaten him — but we’d lasted.

All Might straightened, brushing frost from his arm. “Splendid teamwork! You two would’ve escaped if that gate had been twenty meters closer!”

Shinsō dropped to the ground, breathing hard. “You’re… kidding, right?”

I just laughed — tired, bruised, shaking, but proud.

“Guess we’ll call that a win in spirit.”

All Might’s grin softened. “Indeed, young Midoriya. You fought with heart. Both of you did. Remember this feeling — not of loss, but of growth. That’s the true measure of a hero.”

And for the first time since I’d started at U.A., I believed it.

Third Person POV

After Midoriya and Shinsō’s intense match against All Might concluded, the rest of Class 1-A gathered around the monitors in the observation room, their nerves buzzing with energy.

The room was filled with murmurs and the occasional gasp as each pair faced their assigned teachers. Some of the teachers stood in the back, watching in silence, while Aizawa kept his arms folded, assessing his students’ every move.

Yaoyorozu Momo and Todoroki Shoto vs. Aizawa Shota

This match drew the most attention after Midoriya’s, for obvious reasons. Aizawa-sensei was a nightmare opponent for anyone, but for two recommendation students who relied on precision and strategy, the challenge was almost surgical.

From the start, Aizawa’s movements were unreadable. He erased their quirks the instant they tried to activate them.

Momo froze up, her earlier doubts creeping back in — until Shoto turned to her mid-battle.

“You have better ideas than I do,” he said flatly, eyes steady. “You lead.”

It was all she needed.

Her mind clicked into overdrive. Using the brief window while Aizawa dodged Shoto’s attacks, she created flash grenades, binding cloths, and even a decoy device to mask their escape.

When the match ended, both of them crossed the finish line battered but triumphant — their teamwork finally balanced between power and intellect.

Aizawa’s smirk was barely noticeable, but it was there.

“Well done. Both of you.”

Asui Tsuyu and Tokoyami Fumikage vs. Ectoplasm

In the next match, the quiet confidence of the two animalistic students was put to the test. The field resembled a maze of corridors and narrow streets, ideal terrain for Ectoplasm’s multiplication quirk.

Dark Shadow darted through the dimly lit alleys while Tsuyu leapt from wall to wall, her tongue flicking to grab supplies or distract clones.

The turning point came when Tokoyami lost control of Dark Shadow in the darkness — its power swelling too large. But Tsuyu used her quick thinking to lure it toward a flare, forcing light into the area and calming it down.

They reached the escape gate moments later, sliding under the closing barrier.

Aizawa noted quietly, “Good control. Good teamwork.”

Iida Tenya and Ojiro Mashirao vs. Power Loader

Their match was more technical than flashy. Power Loader’s underground traps made mobility nearly impossible — a direct nightmare for Iida.

But it was Iida’s analytical thinking, honed after the Stain incident, that saved them.

Instead of relying solely on his engines, he and Ojiro worked in tandem — Ojiro sensing vibrations through his tail while Iida mapped Power Loader’s movement patterns by timing the tremors.

They outmaneuvered him long enough to make a break for the exit, sliding out just as Power Loader’s claw snapped shut behind them.

Both were breathing hard, but smiling.

“A much smarter use of that speed,” Power Loader admitted, brushing dust from his helmet.

Mina Ashido and Denki Kaminari vs. Principal Nezu

Chaos.

That was the only word for it.

Nezu had turned the entire field into a death trap of cranes, wrecking balls, and conveyor belts. The mechanical chaos seemed to laugh at them as they tried to move.

Mina darted between obstacles, acid dripping from her hands as she tried to dissolve machinery parts, while Kaminari charged himself up — only to fry his own nerves again.

Eventually, Mina figured out that Nezu’s movements were predictable — based on emotional reactions. They baited him by acting reckless and frustrating him, forcing the cranes to move out of sync.

They escaped by pure luck and creativity. Nezu applauded them gleefully.

“Splendid improvisation! You’ve passed!”

Mina collapsed on the ground, panting.

“I… never want to fight him again.”

Kirishima Eijirō and Sero Hanta vs. Cementoss

It was all grit and sweat.

Cementoss filled the arena with walls and barriers, constantly shifting the layout. Kirishima kept charging through with brute force while Sero used his tape to slingshot himself around the battlefield.

They couldn’t beat Cementoss directly, but Sero used the changing terrain to launch them both upward. With one final coordinated burst, they sailed over the last wall and hit the escape buzzer with seconds to spare.

Kirishima punched the air, grinning. “Manly as hell!”

Jirō Kyōka and Kōda Kōji vs. Present Mic

The sound. It was unbearable.

Present Mic’s voice thundered across the test area, shaking the ground itself.

Jirō winced, her ears bleeding slightly from the volume, but she refused to quit. She jammed her jacks into the ground, mapping vibrations through the terrain — finding the quietest path forward.

Kōda, trembling, finally gathered the courage to summon a flock of birds, sending them ahead as distractions. Together, they found a narrow passage that dampened the sound waves long enough to slip by.

When they hit the buzzer, both fell to their knees, ears ringing but victorious.

Uraraka Ochako and Aoyama Yūga vs. Thirteen

A pairing that no one expected to succeed — and yet, it worked.

Thirteen’s black hole quirk left almost no room for mistakes. Uraraka used her zero gravity to leap from debris to debris, carrying Aoyama’s laser mirror as a shield.

When Aoyama’s belt gave out, she grabbed him and launched both of them toward the exit, spinning through the air as Thirteen’s pull nearly caught them.

They hit the ground rolling — shaken, but safe.

Thirteen gave a soft laugh through her helmet. “Excellent coordination.”

Mineta Minoru and Sato Rikidō vs. Midnight

Chaos, screaming, and questionable bravery.

Mineta’s panic was at an all-time high. Sato, fueled by sugar, had to physically drag him across the field while Mineta threw sticky balls behind them like breadcrumbs.

The turning point came when Sato finally passed out from exhaustion, and Mineta — shaking, terrified — used the trail of sticky orbs he’d thrown to block Midnight’s path just long enough to carry Sato across the finish line.

It was messy.

It was ridiculous.

But somehow… It worked.

When it was all over, Class 1-A gathered in the observation hall, battered, bruised, and proud.

Aizawa stood in front of them, his usual expression unreadable.

“You all passed,” he said finally. “Barely.”

A chorus of exhausted cheers erupted across the room.

Even Nezu chuckled from his perch on the console. “They’ve all come so far, haven’t they, Shota?”

Aizawa just sighed, hiding a faint smirk behind his scarf.

“Yeah… they really have.”

And through the glass above, the sun dipped lower behind the U.A. skyline — the light catching on the lingering frost marks where Midoriya had trained earlier, half-melted but still glimmering.

A quiet reminder that Class 1-A had grown.

Together.

____<that evening>____

The common room of Heights Alliance glowed softly in the warm light of evening. Plates from dinner were still stacked on the kitchen counter, and the faint scent of curry drifted through the air. Outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky over Mustafu in muted gold and violet streaks.

For the first time in days, there was no rush, no training schedule, and no assignments pressing against their minds. The finals were done. Every member of Class 1-A could finally breathe again.

Izuku sat on the couch with his notebook open across his lap, absently tapping a pencil against the page. His handwriting was already a maze of notes and arrows — sketches of combat stances, possible new frost-fire combinations, and small reminders to thank All Might for going easy on them. Across from him, Iida adjusted his glasses for what felt like the hundredth time as he meticulously re-read the exam feedback packet.

“Overall coordination satisfactory,” Iida read aloud, voice clipped and serious. “However, tendency toward tunnel vision under pressure remains a concern. Hmph. I’ll have to fix that immediately.”

Mina, who was lying upside down across the armchair, groaned.

“You’re seriously still studying your final exam results? It’s over, Iida. You passed. We all passed!”

“Just barely,” he countered, frowning.

Tsuyu sipped her tea quietly beside him, the steam curling upward. “Kero. We passed because we worked together. That’s the point, right?”

Izuku smiled faintly. “Yeah. Even All Might said teamwork was the real test. Not just beating the teachers.”

“Still,” Uraraka added from where she was sitting cross-legged on the rug, “you and Shinsō were amazing, Zuzu. I thought All Might was going to blow the whole arena apart at one point.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. “He almost did. If Shinsō hadn’t used his brainwashing when he did, I probably would’ve been out cold.”

From the far side of the room, Shoto looked up from his cup of hot tea. He’d been sitting quietly by the window, half-listening as the others talked. His expression was thoughtful — not cold, but distant, the way it often was when he was turning something over in his mind.

“You held your own,” he said simply. “Even without a power like his. That’s not easy.”

The room quieted a little at his words. Compliments from Todoroki Shoto were rare and never given lightly. Izuku ducked his head, flustered. “Th-thanks, Todoroki.”

Mina grinned, sitting up and pointing dramatically. “Whoa! Is that a compliment? Someone mark the calendar. Todoroki actually praised someone!”

Shoto sighed but didn’t deny it. “You all did well,” he said, glancing at her. “Even you, Ashido. I saw the footage from your match.”

“Ha! You bet! I outsmarted Nezu for like ten whole minutes before he dropped a literal crane on us. That’s a win in my book.”

Uraraka giggled. “You and Kaminari were so loud, though. We could hear you screaming from the observation room.”

“That was strategy!” Mina insisted, flipping her hair. “Loud confusion tactics.”

Tsuyu croaked a quiet laugh. “More like panic tactics, kero.”

Even Iida couldn’t help but smile at that, though he still stood stiffly, hands on his hips. “Regardless of tactics, this round of finals demonstrated progress across all categories. I believe we’ve all grown.”

“Yeah,” Izuku said softly, closing his notebook. “We really have.”

The room settled into a comfortable quiet. Outside, the crickets began to sing, and the last traces of daylight faded from the windows. The projector on the wall flickered to life — Mina had started a small slideshow she’d made from clips of their training sessions, patched together from security footage and phone recordings.

The group watched in silence for a while.

They saw themselves — clumsy, determined, sweating, laughing.

The early days of awkwardness had melted away, replaced by a rhythm that only came from trust.

When the slideshow ended, Uraraka stretched her arms above her head. “You know… I think we’re starting to look like real heroes.”

Tsuyu nodded slowly. “Kero. We’re still learning, but we’re getting there.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Iida said, clearing his throat. “We’ve faced villains, survived our internships, and now completed our first finals. U.A. certainly doesn’t ease students in gently.”

Mina smirked. “Yeah, but would you really want it any other way?”

That earned a small chorus of laughter — the kind that came easily now.

As the night wore on, one by one they drifted to their rooms. Shoto stayed behind a moment longer, gazing out the window. Izuku lingered beside him, both of them looking out at the dark sky and the city lights flickering far below.

“It’s weird,” Izuku said quietly. “A month ago, the dorms felt… temporary. Like we were hiding. But now, it feels like—”

“Home,” Shoto finished for him.

Izuku smiled. “Yeah.”

Behind them, Mina’s voice called out from down the hall, “Okay, dorm family meeting tomorrow! We’re redecorating the common room! And no excuses, even from you, Todoroki!”

Shoto exhaled through his nose, amused despite himself. “She’s never going to stop, is she?”

Izuku chuckled softly. “Not unless you move out.”

“I’m not moving out.”

“Then you’d better get used to it.”

They both stood there a little longer, watching the lights of U.A. flicker against the quiet night sky — proof that, for once, they could rest.

For the first time in a long time, the world felt steady.