"Could it be green fire?"
"No, didn't look like fire and the color was purple. It was in an instant, but I saw it, it was purple."
"I thought Professor Denshou said a Dumuren's element is the same color as its coat?"
"Well, maybe with you it's different."
"Maybe, but what element was it?"
"I don't think it's fire; even though the attack was a quick one, I could feel how hot it was and it felt hotter than any flame I've felt."
"Okay, so we can cross fire off the list. But what could be hotter than fire?"
The two boys continued thinking while crossing off any heat-based elements that didn't match the intense heat from Izuku's attack, or elements that didn't make any sense. It wasn't until Hisashi came in, that they found their answer.
"You boys having fun with your elemental guessing game?"
"It's not a guessing game Daddy, we're trying to figure out what my Element is."
"Hehe, I'm sure you two will figure it out."
"Well, we just crossed fire off our list. All we have is plasma, electricity, or lava." Katsuki explained as he handed his uncle the list of elements he and Izuku compiled. Hisashi takes a look at it and then theorizes.
"You know, from the way you two described it, I think Izuku's element might be plasma."
"Why'd you say that?" Katsuki asked.
"You two said that it was hotter than any fire you've felt right?" After a few nods from both boys, he continued, "well, what's hotter than fire is plasma. In fact, they say plasma is the heat coming off from the sun and stars in space. And that's hotter than any fire we have here on Earth."
The two boys stared at Hisashi in awe as they took the theory into consideration. Izuku's fever, how hot he was after the incident, and now the attack's intensity and heat he unleashed in his little sneeze. It felt like it all made sense in a way. Izuku and Katsuki decided to write the Element down as Plasma as they go outside to put the idea to the test. Though, Hisashi tells them not to do anything too crazy when experimenting with the idea. Knowing the two boys who go crazy over either heroes or Quirks, they're bound to act like kids in a candy store.
Once Izuku's elemental power is now discovered to be Plasma, they continued training their powers pretty much daily whether together or not. Izuku was able to further his Element by making attacks and discovered the ability to heal himself by using Plasma energy. He was able to unleash the three basic breath attacks of the Dumuren: elemental breath, sonic boom clicks, and siren scream. He can shapeshift into his Dumuren form at will before trying to summon only small parts of the creature for simple tasks, like his claws or wings. Additionally, he was able to shrink himself to a small cat and enlarge himself to five feet in full form at the time. The only thing he had a tough time with was flying, as he can't seem to get the trick correctly despite taking notes of other winged heroes and watching real animals fly.
Katsuki tried to help as he was able to propel himself in the air with his explosions. Unfortunately, the results weren't what the two hoped for. At the time, they're at the river with Izuku trying to spread his wings and fly, but every time he failed he'd fall into the river. Landing in the water was better than landing on concrete, so it was a little bit safer, just wetter.
SPLASH!
Katsuki grimaced as he saw his best friend hit the watery surface before Izuku popped his head out of the water, his wings flapping wildly before shaking his head to get rid of the water. He immediately swam his way back to the shores as Katsuki gently landed on the ground. He ran to help Izuku out of the water as he sat on the floor dejectedly.
"Flying's a lot harder than I thought."
"I would say it's not, but then again I don't have wings."
"I don't get it, I took notes, I watched heroes with wings fly before. I don't know what I'm doing wrong!"
"That's because your wings are not spread out enough to catch the air." A third voice rang out as Izuku and Katsuki turned their heads towards the owner. Above them were three boys, one was chubby-looking and had a seemingly shaved head. The second boy's hair was pointed downwards and had a blank look on his eyes as the third boy has black hair. The chubby boy then grew a pair of red wings from behind his back and flew down to the two.
"You weren't having your wings completely spread out. This is the same for all flying creatures, not just birds and bats. When an animal doesn't spread their wings wide enough, they won't catch enough air to help them take off. I saw your last two attempts to fly and I can see what you're doing incorrectly. If you want, I can teach you how to fly." The boy explains and kindly offers as Izuku looks at him with hope.
"Really?"
"Yeah, you were getting the hang of the flapping part, it's just your wings aren't spread out enough." Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other before the latter smiled and encouraged the former.
"Okay, then can you teach me how to fly properly?"
"Sure, oh my name's Tsubasa, the boy with the straight hair is Yubi and the black hair is Inei. What are your's?"
"Izuku Midoriya."
"Katsuki Bakugo."
"Cool! Okay, Midoriya we're going to start off with gliding before flying. You need to spread your wings more and to do that, it's best to glide before going into the real thing. Watch how I do it and you follow. Remember, spread your wings out!" Tsubasa yells as he jumps into the air before spreading his wings wide enough that the air catches underneath him. The air keeps him afloat before he gently flaps his wings to land safely. He turns around and waves to Izuku to try.
Izuku was unsure before steeling his nerves and spreading his wings. As Izuku looks at his left wing, he realizes that Tsubasa was right about one thing. His wings weren't spread out enough, he always had them slightly folded and that's what's causing him not to get enough air in. To fix this, he spreads his wings out more until they were wide enough to actually lift him off the ground. After making sure both his wings were correctly spread out, he ran before taking off and making sure his wings were still spread out.
Though the flight was wobbly, Izuku was able to glide as he heard Katsuki cheering for him before he tried to land. When he glides near where Tsubasa is, he tries mimicking the same flapping movements Tsubasa did. However, his wings flapped unevenly as he began falling to the floor but Tsubasa caught him before that happened.
"That was awesome! You got it faster than I did when I was trained!" He helps Izuku on his feet as the boy beams at him.
"Really? Thanks!" Tsubasa motions that Izuku does it again as they both glide back. Izuku follows close behind him and as he saw Tsubasa making the same flapping patterns to stabilize himself before landing, he does the same. Once again it was wobbly, but it was a lot better than before as he landed.
"Woah, this dude's a fast learner Tsubasa. You two could make a team of flying pros one day." Inei states before Katsuki loudly scoffs.
"HA! The only team of pros around here are me and Izuku! We're going to be the new number one heroes in the future!" Katsuki proudly shouts as he walks up to Izuku and wraps an arm around him. Izuku had the wind knocked out of him before smiling, put his own arm around Katsuki, and nodded. The three boys looked at them before Yubi laughed.
"Well, that'll be something to look forward to! It'd like to be a hero too, but my Quirk only makes my fingers longer. It's… not a really useful Quirk." Yubi awkwardly states as he makes his fingers slightly longer and looks down in shame. Katsuki frowns before walking up to him and gently flicks his forehead.
"OW!"
"Hey, no Quirk is ever useless. If you want to be a hero, then be a hero, no matter what anyone says!" Katsuki states boldly before Izuku walks up to him.
"Yep, there are many possibilities with any kind of Quirk. For example, color-changing hair is the best for undercover missions. No one would be able to tell if that person's a spy for something else, and if they try to find the person, they can just switch hair colors and blend in with the population to avoid detection. And your Quirk, if you look at all the possibilities, you can either make it bend or be flexible if you trained hard enough!"
"Hehe, Izuku's a Quirk analyzing nerd. Give him a Quirk, and he'll give you ideas and different training regiments." Katsuki states as he crosses his arms. Izuku blushes but still looks at Yubi with awe and hope. The latter was happy that there were kids who gave him ideas, inspiration, and compliments about his Quirk. Yubi looks at his now shortened fingers and then looks back at the two with renewed hope.
"You're right! I don't care what anyone says, I'll be a hero in the future! You can count on it!" He shouts as he pumps his fist in the air before the other four do the same. "Oh, by the way, what are your Quirks, mine's already obvious, Tsubasa can fly, and Inei can make his black hair grow."
Katsuki and Izuku just shoot each other big smiles before the former lets out explosions from his palms and the latter transforms into his Dumuren form. The three boys recoil in awe and shock before cheering loudly.
"My Quirk's called Explosion! I sweat a nitroglycerin-like substance from my palms and I can detonate them whenever I want!"
"And mine is called Dumuren Shifter! I have all the abilities of the mythical creature: the Dumuren!"
The five continue rambling on about Quirks, their favorite heroes, what they want to be when they grow up, and other things before the day ends. And like that, Izuku and Katsuki got a band of friends that continue to meet up almost everyday. They all meet up to hang out at the river as Tsubasa continues teaching Izuku how to fly, as well as giving the boy useful tips like stabilizing, hovering in one place, redirecting himself midair, and that his tail can help with steering. It wasn't long until Izuku was finally able to fly correctly as he began soaring the skies while doing fancy tricks like loop-di-loops, dive bombs, and even diving into the water headfirst and popping out of it like a missile. The three boys cheered for him and Tsubasa as they continued flying like a madman, or Dumuren, before he finally landed and they all went out for ice cream to end the day.
"Man, what a day, Izuku finally learned how to fly thanks to Tsubasa." Yubi exclaimed while being careful not to drop his strawberry ice cream.
"Flying's always fun. It's too bad that Yubi and Inei can't do it though." Tsubasa laments as he licks his ice cream while pointing at his two friends.
"No worries, I can carry them on my back when we fly. Remember, I can grow five feet when transformed, so they can easily fit on my back." Izuku reminds him as Yubi and Inei flashes him smiles and thumbs ups for the suggestion.
"So, what do you guys think of the future. I know we already discussed what we want to do in the future, but it's a little scary honestly." Inei says as he looks up at the sky.
"Who knows, but all I know is that we'll all be heroes one day. It's also a blast that we're going to the same school. Maybe, we'll go to the same middle high school and high school!" Yubi states with a bright smile.
"Maybe… hey, if we're all going to be heroes, maybe we can develop nicknames for each other. You know, as practice for our actual hero names." An idea popped into Tsubasa's head and he announced it to the others, who perked up from their fears of the future.
"Hey, that sounds like fun." Izuku proclaims as he and the other boys began thinking of some nicknames for each other. It took some time to figure them out and after finishing their ice cream, they eventually got it.
Tsubasa: Gargoyle
Yubi: Fingernails
Inei: Shadowman
Katsuki: Kacchan
Izuku: Dekiru "Deku"
Despite the names, Yubi points out something about Izuku's with a wince.
"Uhhh, maybe we should change Izuku's." When the boys looked at him, he shyly replied, "Well, I realized that looking at Izuku's first name in a different light, Deku's actually another way to read his name. And why I think we should change it… it's because… Deku means… useless."
Izuku backtracked as he looked lost in thought as a downed expression clouds his face. He never realized that his name could be read in a different way, especially one that meant negative wording. Yubi and Katsuki take notice and immediately act accordingly.
"AHHH! Not that you're useless or anything like that Izuku, really, you're an awesome friend and are going to be an amazing hero one day! I was just worried if people might take it the wrong way and then-"
"If that's the case, then I'll remind them that Deku stands for Dekiru!" Yubi's shouting and constant arm waving was cut off by an angered Katsuki.
"We all agreed Izuku's name is Dekiru but will be shortened into Deku so it'd be easier to say or if people prefer the short version. But, if anyone dares look at it in a negative limelight, then we'll make them see why Izuku's name is Dekiru!" Katsuki shouts as he makes his right hand into a fist and he points it into the palm of his left hand for emphasis. The other boys took his words into consideration and agreed to defend Izuku's honor and name if anyone dared try to belittle him. Yubi relaxed and considered it before looking back at Izuku and apologized for any trouble he just caused. Izuku waves it off and states that Yubi was just looking out for him. The group of five then fist bumped each other before shouting loud into the sky before waving goodbye and going home. As Izuku and Katsuki were walking home, the former nudged the latter.
"Hey, thanks for making Deku a better meaning than the other one."
"No problem. We're going to be hero partners and a team in the future, so that means we gotta look out for each other you know."
"Yep, and once we go pro hero, nothing will stand in our way as the new number one heroes!"
"That's right! Any villains out there will rue the day they got in the way of Kaachan and Deku!" After a few moments of silence, Katsuki decided something and slumped his shoulders and arms. "Tsubasa was right about something, these are good nicknames for temporary hero names."
He muttered this as Izuku laughed out loud. Few more years went by as the group of friends would come over to either Izuku or Katsuki's house for play dates since the other three's families were too busy and away to have them at their own houses. It wasn't a problem for the two families as they think the more friends Izuku and Katsuki have, the better. Their families also got accustomed to the groups' decision of nicknaming each other and was pretty much the norm nowadays. With their Quirks growing, them learning things inside and outside of school, with cool friends to hang out with, and parents to support them, things were going to be fine, dandy, and happy for the pair of future heroes.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Hello, this is the Musutafu police. I'm sorry to say this… but… your husband died in a villain attack that occured few hours ago. I'm so sorry madam."
.
.
.
A green-haired woman fell to her knees in silence, her face full of tears and are buried in her hands.
Her nine-year-old son runs up to her and asks her if what the policemen said was true. He knows much of the world to know how life and death works, unfortunately.
She doesn't say anything as she wraps her arms around her child as he continues to ask her the same question over and over again. Then, he couldn't take it anymore and begins crying alongside his mother.
Few feet away are his best friend and parents who are in complete shock from the sudden news.
The mother of the ash blonde boy runs up to the policemen officers and shouts in their remorseful faces what they meant by the news. Her husband follows to comfort the distraught wife and child.
Their nine-year-old son, staring in disbelief as his eyes widened from the news. No… it couldn't be… Uncle Hisashi wasn't… wasn't… dead. He promised… promised… them that he'd come back… and they'll go on a big family dinner… just like always.
He wasn't dead!
He wasn't dead!
HE WASN'T DEAD!
And just like that, all the happiness that occurred throughout their entire lives, came to an absolutely depressing end. There was always that phrase: happiness often comes with a price, and this was that price. People also said that the future was unpredictable, and that everyone must be prepared to handle whatever it throws at them. They've always said that, yet some people didn't think that they'd actually have to be prepared for said moments.
But this was one of those moments… and they didn't prepare for it… or predict it.
Hisashi was called to be away on a business trip which was said to last a week and that he'll come back on the weekend. Then, he, wife and son, and the Bakugo family would all go out and eat together after either family would come back after a long day at work. It was their way of relaxing, and it was supposed to be like that. It was supposed to happen, but it didn't.
No one could've predicted a villain attack in the same place Hisashi was working at. No one could've predicted that Hisashi would be one of the people who were killed in said attack. No one could've predicted that that would be the last time Hisashi would ever see or speak to his family again. No one could've predicted that would be the last time Hisashi ever said, "I love you" to his wife and son.
No one could've predicted that the future would end up like this. And no one was prepared for it either. But sadly, they need to face reality: Uncle Hisashi was dead… he's not coming back… that was the last time he ever spoke to his wife Inko and his son Izuku… that was the last time he spoke to Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugo… and the last time he rubbed Katsuki's head goodbye. The very last time… he'd ever see them again… and the very last time… they'll see him again too.
Days passed as Hisashi's funeral was being planned and the days that passed and came were filled with nothing but sadness and depression. Inko couldn't stop crying, Mitsuki came over constantly to make sure she was okay and handling herself and Izuku properly, Masaru would take Izuku and take him to places in an effort to make him smile again. Katsuki tried to uplift his spirit too, but all attempts failed.
Just as Inko couldn't stop her sobbing, Izuku lost his light and stopped smiling. His eyes were rimmed red with eye bags forming, his bright emerald eyes are completely dimmed and the happiness and bright shine within them died out. He couldn't think of doing anything but sit silently and not move at all. Katsuki and Masaru tried everything but they knew Hisashi's passing hurt just as much to Izuku as much to Inko and everyone else.
Katsuki tried his best and would smile for his best friend/brother's sake, but deep down, he was feeling just as sad and depressed as his beloved Auntie Inko and his best friend Izuku. After Inko would pick up Izuku, Katsuki would wave him goodbye with a bright smile before retreating back to his room and fall onto his bed. Silently crying his emotions into his bed, hoping his parents wouldn't listen and pity him with their own sadness. It was tough putting up a facade for Izuku's sake and masking his own pain, but he had to be a hero. Because heroes always comfort people whenever things seem tough for them, so he couldn't cry in front of Inko or Izuku. He couldn't… not until things get better for everyone.
The day of Hisashi's funeral, Inko and Izuku wouldn't stop crying as they paid their respects to their deceased husband/father. The Bakugo family also paid their respects to Hisashi as a loving friend and uncle to Katsuki. Throughout the whole day, not once has Katsuki left Izuku's side ever, just like Mitsuki and Masaru would keep an eye on Inko whenever she needs a hug. Tsubasa, Yubi, and Inei were also there, and they tried to make things better and cheer Izuku up, but to no avail. The results were still the same: he couldn't smile.
And to make matters worse, Tsubasa got the unfortunate news that he and his family were moving to a different place. He wasn't able to explain why they're suddenly moving as they didn't have any job or financial problems, just that his family wanted to move. It was with extreme heavy hearts that the group of five boys now became a group of four as they watched Tsubasa's car and moving van leave. That was the last they ever saw or heard from him as he didn't have a phone despite his family having more than enough money to buy one for him. To bring more bad news, it was only a few weeks to a month later that they got sudden news that Tsubasa and his whole family died in a sudden accident. And it was right before he told them all that he had settled into his new home nicely and planned to arrange a video call with all five of them together. It was another reason that kept Izuku from smiling and being himself.
His depression began taking a toll on his mental behavior as he started developing bad habits, he started muttering to himself while writing or taking notes. Additionally, he would unintentionally sprout his tail and thump it against the ground along with his muttering. Even though everyone understood the reasoning behind his newfound habit, it was getting on their nerves but couldn't bring themselves to stop him. Unfortunately, Izuku began attracting bullies as they would make fun of his depression, which often led to Katsuki, Yubi, and Inei defending him and getting into fights. This also began to take a toll on Katsuki as he developed a short temper, was prone to anger, began insulting and giving people bad nicknames to be snarky at them, and snapped at anyone who would dare make fun of Izuku or his friends. It got particularly bad when Katsuki accidentally used his Quirk on one of Izuku's bullies in an attempt to scare them off. In the skirmish, he burned his opponent's eye badly and this brought his and Izuku's parents into the mix. Luckily, Katsuki got off with only detention and the bullies were reported thanks to Izuku, Yubi, and Inei. It was after getting home that Katsuki finally showed to his parents how much of the pain he was hiding after Hisashi's death.
"Katsuki! This is your first detention in all of your school years and your entire life! Why the heck would you use your Quirk on those boys!" Mitsuki screeched as she was careful not to use her usual bad language as Katsuki glared at her with a bandage on his right cheek.
"It's not my fault, they were bullying Izuku and it was wrong! Me and my friends had to teach them a lesson!"
"And fighting back is the best way to teach them that!"
"They were making fun of Izuku by using his nickname incorrectly and they dared to use Uncle Hisashi as an excuse to do so! I don't care if that jerk is now blind, he got what he deserved!"
"KATSUKI BAKUGO! No one deserves to have a SECOND-DEGREE burn mark on their face!" Masaru shouted as both his wife and son looked at him in immense shock. Masaru wasn't the type to scream at people, and certainly wasn't the type to get easily angered either. However, it seemed that this school fight and Katsuki's freudian excuses had cut the last straw. Mistuki even trembled at the sight of her usually calm husband now having an anger death glare on his face as Katsuki cowered before him and stared at him in fear.
"I get it that they were being mean to Izuku and stooped so low as to use Hisashi and the Deku/Dekiru nickname as an excuse to rile him up, but what you did is still inexcusable. You're not allowed to use your Quirk on anyone, even if there is a good reason to do so, it's still wrong! If Hisashi, Inko, or Izuku were here right now, do you think they'd be happy with what've you done? Do you think they'd be proud that you could've potentially blinded someone's eye? And do you think, if All Might were here, he'd praise you for what you've done? Would All Might do something like that to someone, even if he too had a good excuse?"
Katsuki stood in shock and terror as his father questioned him about what he'd done, and honestly he did feel guilty and was using his anger and protective behavior towards Izuku as an excuse for what he did. Even though it felt right to make the jerks back off, it did feel wrong and Katsuki was indeed horrified when he learned that his opponent's eye was burned badly. However, he pushed it aside in order to put up a front but as his father continued to scream at him, he felt his facade beginning to weaver as he nears his breaking point. Mentioning Uncle Hisashi didn't help as the more he's talked about, the more he felt his bravery ween and is close to shattering.
"And if Hisashi were here, he would-"
"UNCLE HISASHI ISN'T HERE! HE'S DEAD, HE'S GONE, HE'S NEVER COMING BACK! SO DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE HE IS!" Katsuki screeched. Masaru stops berating him as he and Mitsuki looks at the distraught boy. His angered face turns into one of pure sadness and despair, tears immediately fill his eyes as fat drops of water fall off his face, and his voice cracks the more he screams.
"I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS WRONG! BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE IZUKU WAS STILL SUFFERING AND THOSE JERKWADS DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN! THEY KEPT MAKING FUN OF UNCLE HISASHI, USING "DEKU" INCORRECTLY BY SAYING IT MEANT 'USELESS' OR 'WORTHLESS', AND USING THEM AS EXCUSES TO MAKE IZUKU ANGRY! THEY EVEN SAID HE WANTED TO DIE BECAUSE OF HIS "MONSTER SON", AND THAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW FOR ME! AUNTIE INKO AND IZUKU HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME SINCE THAT DAY, THEY NEVER SMILED AGAIN, NEVER LAUGHED AGAIN, AND NEVER HAD FUN AND DO ALL THE THINGS WE USED TO WHEN HE WAS STILL ALIVE! I'M TRYING SO HARD NOT TO BREAK FOR THEIR SAKE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO BREAK IF I CAN'T HELP OUT AT LEAST!... I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!" Katsuki stopped and inhaled as he exhaustingly collapsed on his knees. Mitsuki placed a hand on her heart as she and Masaru bent down and came face to face with Katsuki as he utters out, "Why… why did he have to go? Why couldn't he stay with us a little longer? Why him… why him and why;d he have to leave so early in Izuku's life. And mine, and Auntie Inko's and so many others? Just… just why?... why?"
Mitsuki can feel her throat tighten as her own eyes welled up with tears. Just like her boy, she was hiding how much pain she felt seeing her best friend in such a sorry state, as well as Izuku's. Neither of them deserved to have a wonderful man leave their lives so early, but she didn't take into account on how Katsuki felt. She didn't realize how much of an impact Hisashi had on her child's life growing up, and now she sees how much he meant to him. Sniffling, she wraps her arms around Katsuki as Masaru does the same to both of them. He too had tears but doesn't shed them yet. Not now when his wife and son needs at least one of the adults to be strong.
"Oh, Katsuki… I'm so sorry I never noticed how much you've been hurting. * Sniffle * I know how much it hurts, I was Inko's best maid at her wedding like she was with mine, so I've known Hisashi ever since they married. It hurts, but we never predicted something like that night would happen to anyone. And you know what, it's not just us, or Auntie Inko, or Izuku who feels and understands this. All the people who died that night, their loved ones are going through the same thing we are, so we're not hte only ones who understand what it's like to have someone they love get taken away from them." Mitsuki holds her child at arm length before giving him a small, hopeful smile. "But they're getting help from others, and I've been thinking of something that could help Auntie Inko and Izuku get better: therapy. Many people who have either depression or are suffering from losing a loved one get comfort from others or go to therapy to heal. They understand people's pain and recommend things to help them."
"But… I want… to help… too." Katsuki sniffled and wipes his eyes. Masaru smiled too before rubbing his head.
"We know, and it's wonderful that you want to help, but you're suffering too. I'm not sure if you noticed, but you've become angrier these past few months. You've also become hostile, temperamental, and rather rude towards others. If you want to be a hero, you need to treat others properly, and that means no fighting other people to "put them in their place". We understand that you want to help Auntie Inko and Izuku, but you need help too, and there's no shame in asking for it or needing it."
That line reminded Katsuki of his talk with Hisashi five years ago. Everyone needs help and there's no shame in asking it . He ponders this thought and he remembered all the times he needed help with things, even though it was simple tasks like making Katsudon with Izuku or asking his mother or Auntie Inko help with his homework or fix something he destroyed. It was a little embarrassing to ask for help, but it was better than doing something own your own sometimes. And thinking back on everything that happened the past few months, Katsuki thinks that it might be best to have help healing than do it alone, same with Inko and Izuku.
"Ok, and is it okay I have therapy too?" Mitsuki and Masaru smiled at their son's asking for help as they decided to call a close friend of Masaru who's a therapist. According to the brown-haired man, he was the top of his class after he graduated from a medical university that studies human emotions and the mind. Deciding it's best to bring this friend up to Inko and Izuku would be best as they're not getting any better, if anything like Katsuki, they were getting worse.
A day later, Katsuki's parents met up with Inko and Izuku to explain that they want to arrange therapy sessions for the kids and Inko. The Midoriya woman had gained weight and was much shorter and wider than her previous self, she stated that she was doing fine and that they can make it only for Izuku and Katsuki. Mitsuki frowned and got up from her seat, she can easily tell that she didn't want to trouble her best friend more than she is right now. However, Mitsuki refuses to take 'no' for an answer and instead of talking, she immediately shoved Inko into her arms. It didn't take the green-haired woman long for her to break down into tears as she wrapped her own arms around her blonde friend. Masaru stood up and just put his hand on Inko's shoulder and looks on as the two women hug each other and comfort one another.
Katsuki was in his best friend's room and knew that he and Izuku were listening. He looked at his friend and could see that he was thinking about it. Knowing talking wouldn't help, Katsuki did what his mother did for her best friend, and decided to do the same as he'll do anything to help the Midoriya family heal. He wrapped his arms around Izuku, but unlike his mother, he didn't shed tears. The ash blonde thinks it's because he's too tired or had already shed too many tears that he doesn't have anymore to cry. However, it doesn't deter the fact that Izuku was accepting the help he desperately needed as he wrapped his own arms around his best friend.
Decided it was settled to get therapy sessions, Masaru called up his friend Benjiro Kokoro to explain the situation with his son and close family friends. He agreed to help all three of them on different dates and times as he prepared to help the two boys first, as they were younger and cost less for Inko. She took up work more often after Hisashi died to make up for his passing, despite her and her son having enough money for them to live by and Izuku to continue school. As a result, she would return home much later in the day and at times, couldn't pick up Izuku from school. Not wanting the young boy to be alone, Mitsuki and Masaru would pick up Izuku to cover for Inko, despite Inko and Izuku's apologies, it was always a pleasure having Izuku around.
Weeks to months of therapy sessions went by, and luckily, things turned up better for the Midoriya family. Inko and Izuku began to slowly smile again, and they were starting to go out more with everyone else. Katsuki's anger and explosive, pun intended, issues began to die down as he was getting control of his newborn temper and learning new ways to properly handle situations where it doesn't involve Quirks or fighting. Benjiro would have the boys over every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons where he would spend an hour each to address them and give them advice whenever they would talk about their issues with him. Wednesday and Friday afternoons were for Inko as he gave her tips on not losing weight but to properly handle the loss of her husband instead of crying and eating to soothe the pain.
The therapy sessions were all the three needed to get better, from a month to a full year. Izuku was finally smiling, acting like his usual bright, happy self, he was able to properly handle himself, got rid of his muttering habit, and took care of his own bullies and business with a strong sense of confidence and refusal to back down. Inko was also herself too, being eager to interact with others, going out with her friends again, and was finally losing weight and slowly looking like herself before that tragic night. Compared to the Midoriyas, Katsuki was much slower on his recovery, but he was almost back to his calmer and nicer personality, wouldn't judge or glare at people at first glance, stopped reacting angrily and violently at any negative thing heard, kept his dry wit and snarky traits and nicknaming habit but it was more endearing than insulting. Unfortunately, his temper remained, but his ability to restrain his anger and hostility also grew as he would just warn bullies never to do something terrible again, or would report it after getting enough evidence to show it to a teacher or the principal.
Inko and Izuku still weren't completely over Hisashi's death, but they were definitely improving and are able to handle it much better, thanks to Dr. Benjiro. Things were finally going back to normal, the two families began hanging out like they usually did, go out for family dinners, and Izuku and Katsuki still kept their fun childhood nicknames the group made as a way of keeping their happy memories alive. They still do their play dates, but they called it hangouts as they grew older. Nonetheless, things were certainly looking up for the better.
The years quickly go by as Katsuki and Izuku continue to grow and begin training their Quirks. The two were determined to be the best heroes and team the world has yet to see, thus they decided to have backup styles and different ideas so they can adapt to different types of villains when they go out in the field. Additionally, they decided to learn martial arts in case they encounter a villain who can stop their powers from working, Katsuki studied karate and krav maga while Izuku studied muay thai and taekwondo. Luckily, Mitsuki had a friend named Joanna Naga who trains and tutors people in the various styles of martial arts.
Mitsuki talked to the boys about her and after calling and meeting her, Joanna agreed to take both Izuku and Katsuki in as students. Through intensive training and hard work, the two quickly rose the ranks in her classes and in a span of two years, Katsuki and Izuku had earned their black belts and deemed official masters. Despite no longer being under her tutelage, the two still go to her studio to train and learn more tricks as well as practice with the other students there. When training together, Izuku and Katsuki would do sparring and would often add in their Quirks to strengthen both superpower and hand to hand fighting. Though they weren't serious battles, they were still fun as it's Izuku and Katsuki's teenager way of roughhousing.
After a sparring session outside, the two boys headed inside as Inko managed to return from work early and was making dinner. Katsuki and Inko let his parents know that he was planning on staying over and was offered the shower before Izuku and made it a quick one so the latter could be fast as well. When he came out with a towel around his shoulders while wearing a usual black t-shirt with a skull on it and black shorts, Izuku and Inko were halfway in making katsudon and he didn't want to ruin the mother-son moment. Izuku was cutting up the pork while Inko made the rice, it reminded him of the times he would make katsudon with Uncle Hisashi. He smiled to himself until Inko noticed him.
"Oh, Katsuki! That was quick, I didn't even notice the shower head was turned off." She and Izuku smiled at him as Katsuki sheepishly rubbed his head with his towel.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't want to interrupt." He explained as Inko waved his apology off.
"None of that now. In fact, I was wondering when Izuku was going to take a shower because he looks like he needs one. Izuku, your turn." She ushers Izuku while pushing his back to make him go faster. She and Katsuki snickered as he jokingly complained that he "wasn't a kid anymore". As Izuku grabs some clothes and heads for the shower, Katsuki feels something tugging at his arm and looks to see Inko guiding him to the kitchen. Seeing that the Katsudon wasn't finished yet, he smiled gently and took his towel off his shoulders before putting it on a chair before walking to take Izuku's knife to resume cutting the pork. Once he finished, he saw Inko take out a pan, turned on the stove, and heated up both it and the oil that was poured on. Katsuki waited a while for the pan to heat up to a proper temperature to cook the pork. He slid it onto the pan and loud crackling noises as his nostrils were filled to the brim of the nice smell of cooked meat. He took some chopsticks from the utensil drawer to turn and swish the pork around.
"You know, I have you and your family to thank, Katsuki." Said boy turned to his aunt as she flashed him a loving smile. He swears that every time either Inko or Izuku smiled, he could see a bright background appearing with flowers floating around their heads. He turned his attention back to the pan as he blushed in embarrassment.
"It's nothing, a hero needs to look out for people. It's what All Might would do when a person needs help, and not just physically but mentally too."
"Still, you and your family have done a lot ever since Hisashi's passing." She puts aside the finished rice as she takes out another bowl, some eggs and milk from the fridge to make the scrambled eggs.
"Well, it's the least we could do. Glad you and Deku are feeling better."
"Yes, Mitsuki and Masaru made a wise decision on having us take therapy."
"Never knew the old man had a therapist for a friend." This earned him a light slap on the arm as he chuckled while Inko made a small pout.
"Be nice, Katsuki."
"I know, I know." He muttered as he finished cooking the pork and put it aside before wiping the pan clean. Inko then poured the egg and milk mixed liquid onto the pan and took over that part of making the katsudon. Katsuki took out the washed veggies and began chopping them up with fervor.
"You know, you've gotten better at cooking. You're so good with a knife, it's kinda scary if you think about it." Inko bluntly stated as he turned his head towards her.
"What do you mean scary? I'm hungry and I want to get the cooking over with!" He jokingly yelled as he continued cutting the veggies, and he did it with skill as he was able to chop them even while looking away. It wasn't long until he finally finished chopping the vegetables as Inko was down cooking the eggs.
A door was heard opening and closing as Izuku reappeared from the shower, another towel wrapped around his shoulders. He was wearing a pale blue shirt with the words 't-shirt' written in kanji and black shorts. He sees that everything was prepared and the only thing left to do was put all the katsudon together.
He grabbed three bowls before Katsuki scooped rice in each of them. Then, Inko separated the eggs into even portions and placed it gently on top of the rice before Izuku did the same thing with the pork. Katsuki did the finishing touches as he grabs pinches of veggies and sprinkled it over the food. The two boys grabbed the bowls and set them on the table before going back into the kitchen to help Inko clean up before eating, like the did when they were younger. The teamwork between the three allowed them to get the cleaning done around two minutes before they went to the table. They said their prayers and thanked the gods for the food before they dived in.
Inko stopped eating for a moment to look at Izuku and Katsuki, compared to when they were younger they would always stuff their mouths full to the brim with katsudon. Now, they would take a couple bites of katsudon before talking about something, either Quirks, heroes, or subjects and activities they had in either school or with their friends. She puts down her food and stared at it with both sadness and happiness. It reminded her greatly of old times when Hisashi was still alive, and the boys are all grown up, two beautiful, kind teenage boys. Her eyes almost welled up with tears before smiling and eating her food once again, happiness takes over as they all came a long way from her husband's passing. She was just happy that everything was fine right now, yeah things were going to be fine now and in the future.
After dinner, the three settled for movie night and the boys decided it was Inko's turn to watch, and they just finished Avengers Assemble when they noticed it was midnight. She tells the two to get ready for bed as she sets up a futon in Izuku's room for Katsuki, so the boys go outside for a little while before sleeping. They put their arms on the rail as they stared off into the night sky, every stretch of sky and corner was filled with bright stars, looking like mini white dots on a purple-ish blue background. They take in the sight as the fresh, cool air fluttered their hair and their clothes also sway to the wind.
"You know, kinda crazy time has flown by. It's going to be another two years before we graduate middle school and go off into high school." Izuku states as he's still staring into the sky. Katsuki smirks.
"Yeah, another two years of being in that dull school before going to the place where All Might attended and graduated from."
"U.A. High School." They both said as their eyes gleam with determination. U.A. was the best hero school in all of Japan, as they produced excellent heroes that the other countries can hope to have. The school was exceptionally difficult to get into, with only a 0.2 acceptance rate and the entrance exams being near difficult to get passed. But Izuku and Katsuki weren't scared at all, in their middle school though they were known for stopping school fights and often getting into people's affairs, they were extremely smart and strong, both physically and Quirk-wise. People, whether they'll admit it or not, look up to them and they've been a big inspiration on the school and its attendees as a result. To many people, it wasn't a surprise if they learned which high school they're planning on going to, thus it wasn't worth asking since it's obvious.
"Honestly, I can't wait for middle school to be over. I'm shaking with excitement to be able to attend U.A. High, well if you can get by the entrance exams."
"Hah! What are you talking about? Of course we'll get in, and once we do and graduate, we'll be the best hero team the world's ever seen. We'll be even greater than All Might!"
"Hehe, still holding onto the dream. Well, can't argue about that."
"Damn right." They turned to each other and did their usual fist bump they developed after agreeing or working together and achieving something. The two were going to hold onto their dreams and become the new number one heroes and be the best hero team. They then heard Inko call out to them that their beds were ready as they headed inside. They tell Inko good night before going into the green-head's room to sleep and await another day of middle school.