Chapter 2: Meeting the Number One Hero (Rewrite)
Yeah things were going to be fine now and in the future
Fourteen-year-old best friend/brothers in all but blood Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo were on their way to school when they heard a villain attack near where they were. Excited as he was, Izuku grabbed the ash blonde's hand and pulled him along while dodging pedestrians, but was still careful of his surroundings like obeying the traffic lights. The greenhead was staring at his phone that was constantly being updated with news about the incident as the Explosion user merely smirked.
As always, the two are stoked about anything involving heroes though Katsuki likes to admit he's more reserved about it than Izuku, though he can't ignore the bubbling excitement bursting in his stomach. He just hopes it's not one of those heroes that were heroes purely for the sake of fame, glory, and money. He hates those types with a passion.
Luckily, he gets his answer on who's there when the two boys rounded the corner and see a huge villain on top of a train track bridge while fighting a hero whose skin was practically made of wood while wearing a dark blue outfit with pink flowers around his belt. The new rookie and upcoming hero: Kamui Woods.
Welp, so far, he's good on Katsuki's list even though it was rather recent that Kamui debuted as a hero. He looked around him to see heroes Backdraft and Death Arms around, keeping people away from the action while catching debris here and there. Right next to him, Izuku was eagerly writing down everything that was going on with the fight, jotting down every action that the heroes were making. It's just like Izuku to be analytical and observant.
"Hehe, we got ourselves a fanboy over here." A man with… starfishes(?) coming out of his head gently teased as he nudged Izuku with his elbow. That got the greenette to blush and look away before he smacked a smirking Katsuki in the shoulder.
Suddenly, people started screaming when they saw Kamui pulling back his arm and was about to make multiple branches grow. Izuku, and even Katsuki, couldn't resist screaming along with the hero as he unleashes his Ultimate Move:
"PREEMPTIVE BINDING LACERCHAIN PRISON!"
It would've been an awesome move to watch in-person… if it wasn't for another hero literally kicking the villain in the face.
"CANYON CANNON!" Screamed a lady heroine in a white, purple, and orange outlined hero costume as she lands just as the villain falls to the floor below the railway. Another rookie hero in the making: Mt. Lady.
Izuku and Katsuki's excitement gets cut off by the sudden arrival as well as multiple male photographers snapping pictures of Mt. Lady posing seductively and winking at the cameras. Yep, the hype went away as the two boys walked off with the former slapping his forehead at the perverted men while Katsuki cursed them out.
"Oh well, better luck next time for Kamui Woods. Doesn't mean he wasn't any less impressive though and what about you two boys, planning on becoming heroes?" The starfish man asked as he turned to them. Izuku and Katsuki looked up before turning to each other as they glanced back at the man with determined smiles.
"Yeah, more than anything!"
The jog from the railway to Aldera Junior High, their middle school, wasn't that far and the two easily made it in time. They entered their classroom and blended in with the rest of their classmates as they silently made their way over to where Yubi and Inei were, by the windows. They waved at them quietly as Izuku waved back before his bright smile dimmed.
Immediately, the four males talked about the fight with Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, and the villain though Katsuki scoffed the moment the heroine's name was mentioned. Izuku doesn't blame his hatred for heroes like her, the ones who were purely heroes for the fame, but he doesn't let it stop him from talking about the fight that occurred.
"Kaachan! Deku!" a girl who had a "crush" on the two saw them and shouted their names. Said two flinched and hunched their shoulders, they and their friends trying to pretend they didn't hear her but it was all for naught. Like moths to a light, the two boys were swarmed by their classmates, all of them asking to hang out, do study sessions, ask for a date, give them gifts, etc. to show their "kindness".
Izuku's face quickly morphed into a scowl that rivaled Katsuki's but was thankful that Yubi and Inei looked just as annoyed and disgusted as they were as they tried to get rid of the crowd. True and only friends, Izuku was grateful they're trying before a deep seated feeling of anger and disappointment welled inside him.
That's right… true and only friends.
Throughout their whole lives, Izuku and Katsuki were bonafide aces in just about anything you throw at them. Grades, tests, mock battles, Quirk evaluations, socializing, leadership, cooking, games, you name it, they'll ace it. Problem that comes with being good at everything combined with having "flashy and strong heroic Quirks" is the so-called "popularity" that comes with it.
Izuku grits his teeth as his hands threaten to turn into claws. It's so frustrating! Being looked at and the only things people seem to know about him was his Quirk, and Katsuki felt the same way too. Over the years as they grew up, students and teachers alike showered them with praise and compliments galore, but thanks to Katsuki seeing the truth behind it, Izuku did too. It was all false… just trying to butter them up to get on their good side and leech off their success once the two go pro. Izuku can only thank his best friend for steering him away and having his back, especially during the one year where he was bullied for grieving his deceased father. Even though he's recovered from both, it didn't leave him as he's marked with feelings of distrust and wariness of strangers. Especially if said strangers were classmates he knew he couldn't count on for anything.
It's times like this that Izuku really hates how society is so centered around Quirks these days, especially towards those with "flashy, strong, and heroic Quirks because people with those powers are destined for greatness". In Japan, there's a hierarchy of sorts with Quirks with those deemed strong are placed on the top while those with "weak" Quirks, "villainous" Quirks, or no Quirks at all were at the bottom and treated like trash. There's also no escaping that people with Mutant-type Quirks are seen as less human or "abominations" as Izuku hates to use the word. He wasn't blind that they were better treated in city areas compared to the distant countryside but that doesn't mean the discrimination is gone or any less disgusting. Heck, there weren't many Mutant-type Quirked people in their school either. Izuku blames their biased ass school for it.
Unfortunately, it's not just schools that are biased and view powerful Quirks above all else. Most heroes these days were people with flashy Quirks and glory hound personalities, heroes with Mutant Quirks and so-called "trash" Quirks were either rarely heard of or people actively ignore them. Doesn't escape the fact that there were plenty of heroes practically lord their status over "misfortuned" people. So-called Heroes like Knight Light and Scarlet Flight for example where they played the "bitch in sheep's clothing" through and through. On the surface, everyone believed they were like All Might, all heroic and pure hearts of gold, Izuku even got their autographs at one point when he first met them. However, he and Katsuki practically incinerated to ashes when they were killed by a crusading villain at different points in time and location. In the end, it was revealed the former was involved in a human trafficking ring selling young Japanese girls to perverted rich foreigners while the latter was very bigoted against people with Mutant-type Quirks where she participated in hate crimes and even left plenty of them to die during catastrophes.
When the news reached everyone, Izuku wouldn't deny it rocked their world when they found out. It put a dent in the greenette's admiration for heroes while planting a deep-seated anger and hatred for "heroes" for using the name to do evil deeds in the ash blonde. Izuku's never seen Katsuki hate heroes as much as those two as well as Mt. Lady if his expression when she appeared was to go by anything. But alas, even though their government made promises of performing background checks on ideals and morals, Izuku highly doubts that's the end of heroes parading the name around.
Same with their classmates here, even though they all want to go onto the hero track like him and his best friend, he knows they're doing it so they can look down on people and gain money. But with those personalities, Izuku highly doubts they'd actually make it through one day in any hero school. He almost smirked at his harsh thoughts but he suppressed it, can't give his classmates a reaction making them think he's either listening or interested.
"Come on Izu, I hear there's a new karaoke club downtown, we should go see."
"Bakugo, can you help me with this question here, I'm a little stuck."
"Come on Midoriya, let's spar, I'd like some pointers for my Quirk. I know you're good at that."
"Hey hey, Baku Baku, there's a new recipe on spicy lasagna I know you'll like. We can try to make it at my house if you'd like."
"Midoriya, here's some chocolates I think you'll like. Come on and open up, ahhh."
"Bakugo, how about we try to hit the arcade later, I'd like to see you smash some of the games. Literally!"
If Izuku and Katsuki were tea kettles, they'd be steaming and hissing right now. Quite clearly, Yubi and Inei are able to tell as they increase their struggling to depart the crowd but are still proving futile.
Even though it was their incredibly biased teacher coming in and closing the door, it finally put an end to their classmates' nonsense as the two could finally breathe a little.
Exhausting. Utterly exhausting. Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other in annoyance and their energy was now drained out of them. Like plenty of other kids, middle school sucked ass. Izuku could only hope that their new classmates at U.A. aren't going to anything like this. Katsuki just sat in his chair while learning back as Izuku just took out his notebook and began writing down more notes from today's fight as he listened.
"So, as third years, it's time to think about your futures and what you want to do with your lives." He began as Izuku stopped writing for a moment to glance up, "I could pass out your career aptitude test, but why bother? We all know you all want to go to the hero track!"
He threw the papers with the students' names and Quirks on them with their high school choices listed on them into the air. And with that, everyone in the classroom, including Yubi and Inei began using their Quirks in the room. Everyone except Izuku and Katsuki who were still disinterested, their mood still in the dumps. The teacher stated that everyone does have nice Quirks but that they need to restrain themselves, he then turned his attention to the two aces of their school.
"Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo, our two fabulous aces of our school." He side eyed them as everyone turned to them with adoring smiles and suggestive looks. Izuku and Katsuki looked up to pretend they were paying attention as their teacher continued. "With very impressive test scores in all mock battles and subjects, no doubt about it that you two will definitely go into U.A. High."
"They're going to try for the national school?"
"That school has a 0.2% acceptance rate!"
"It's impossible to get into!"
"Meh, I'm not concerned. I mean it's Midoriya and Bakugo for crying out loud, with those Quirks I'm sure they'll make it in!"
" *Sigh* I can't wait to see them after they graduate. Such big strong hunks, and the magazines and posters that will come out once they go pro."
"Hehe! Wonder if they'll make a monster poster of Midoriya with Bakugo riding on top of him."
"Dude, don't make it sound like a dirty joke!"
Said boys grimaced as everyone's comments were getting on their nerves. The only thing that brought their mood up was that Inei and Yubi weren't joining in the conversation and the two were just downright awkward. Yep, middle school really was suffocating.
Back in the city, people would think that things would go back to normal after the Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods battle with the villain, but then again, we're in a superhuman society where villains are running around. Screams and people trying to find places to hide fill the air as a large slimy villain runs around the streets with pockets of money flying out of his jeans as people dodge to the sides and the store clerk yells for someone to apprehend him.
People who were watching the scene were complaining about where the heroes were or if people were even watching the scene. On the sidewalk, two teenage males complained about villains still running amuck as the slimy man continued running away, laughing and believing that he made a clean getaway. However, unknown to everyone and the two boys still talking, a very skinny man with shabby yellow hair with two long strands covering his shrunken eyes, wearing baggy clothing consisting of a white t-shirt, green jeans, and large brown shoes came out of the store behind them. He takes in the scene and listens to the two boys commenting on no one arriving on the scene already, before transforming into a very tall, muscular man. His former shabby hair slicked backwards as his two long strands straightened and became a "V" shaped sign. The baggy clothing began to properly suit his form as the fabric clung to his skin like a hug.
"Yes, there is. You know why?" A deep voice exited his mouth as the two boys and everyone near them turned around. There wouldn't be a single person in the world who wouldn't know who's voice belonged to as the now tall, strong, blonde man steps out into the light. Even the villain who was pretty far away was able to hear the voice and turned to look. Despite being covered in slime, his entire body was filled with fear, his eyes widened, and began to sweat in terror as he recognized the man in both appearance, voice, and his signature catchphrase.
"Because I am here!"
"Move it, weakling." Scoffed a tall ginger-haired boy, leader in a gang of six as they glared haughtily at a fallen underclassmen as he landed into his friend's arms. The girl then scowls at them which catches one of the three girls as she marches up to her.
"Huh? You dare glare at your betters, you little slut? Well then come here and I'll-" She screeches like a banshee as she draws back her left hand, about to slap the younger girl when her wrist is caught. She turns, a whole slew of swears she plans to throw out, before she pales when she sees Izuku.
He glares venomously at her with Katsuki behind him while Yubi and Inei help the distressed freshman.
"O-oh, Izu baby. I'm glad to see you have taste." She tries her best at flirting and sways her body to tempt the greentte, but is pushed back by him.
"Yeah sorry, but at least I have taste." Behind the scowling blonde were her two other female friends laughing at her. A boy from their group then saunters his way to Katsuki, his face scrunching up as though trying to imitate a gangster.
"Hey Bakugo, don't get off your high horse yet, I have a new move that I'm dying to test out on you. We'll see you'll be best."
"Yeah, sure, like the last three times you tried to fight me and failed?" Now it's the boy's turn to scowl.
"Yeah but come on, surely we'd be better company than those two losers you guys always hang out with."
"For real, like what's so interesting about some pathetic freaks with weak pathetic Quir-" Another boy and girl tried to insult Yubi and Inei but all words die in their throats when they take in Izuku and Katsuki's faces. While they were glaring themselves, this glare was terrifying. Shadows casted over their eyes while their pupils flared with anger and a promise to bring pain.
All around them, students of all ages and grades alike froze as though ice stuck them to the ground and all the air got sucked out of the hallway. The group of six took some steps back at their ferocity as some of them were close to wetting themselves.
"Excuse me? Who are you to call our friends pathetic when you all stay aren't off your high horses?"
"So some extras think they have the right to talk shit, huh? Don't forget all the times you failed your shit and all you got are some fancy words but with no weight to them."
"Fine then, you all want to have a round. Then, I hope you all are volunteering to test out Katsuki's new move he was testing out a few weeks ago."
"Yeah, I'm dying to see how it'll hold up against a villain or a weakling… although I definitely don't want to end up behind bars because a bunch of talkers can't even hold up their banter."
Izuku's eyes flared purple while a few sparks let loose in Katsuki's hands. Bluff or not, they were serious with their threats as the group of six then scampered off, only to run into a teacher. Said teacher immediately starts yelling at them and hitting them with a ruler for "disturbing their two aces on a good day". The two then leave with their two friends, knowing the only thing their teacher was going to do was let those six idiots off with a slap on the wrist.
The greenette sighed. This was their daily routine at middle school, being hampered with praises by their classmates, fed compliments by their biased teachers, and having to deal with a bunch of morons with their heads so far up their asses that they think they can see Neptune. Izuku ran a hand through his hair, already feeling a headache coming on from having to endure another hellish day of middle school. And it seems Yubi notices his sour mood.
"Hey, if you and Kacchan are free, want to go to the arcade for some time before going home?" Yubi asked.
"Sure, both my parents are at work. Deku, you coming?" Katsuki turned to Izuku and saw he shook his head.
"Sorry, my mom asked me to get groceries once school was done and look after our home, so not today."
"Ah, that sucks, but it's cool man. See ya tomorrow then!" Inei complained before he and the other two waved Izuku goodbye as they went in the opposite directions.
Izuku walked off before he sighed once more. He subconsciously hugs his midsection as a feeling of loneliness eclipses him, already missing the company of his friends. An unsettling feeling of despair fills him as he's suddenly bombarded by memories of his childhood, when his dad and Tsubasa were alive and with him everyday. A time where his childhood was filled with smiles every second and a new adventure to begin with his group… all gone when they died.
Eyes began to well up with tears, with the shapeshifter wondering why his memories just now surfaced but he guesses that's what happens when you're very lonely. You want to be with people, especially the ones you love. Izuku then stopped and stared at the sky, suddenly envisioning what his future at UA and then as a pro will be like. He can already imagine himself and Katsuki getting a large amount of fans while easily beating up a bad guy because of their awesome teamwork and set of moves. A small smile graces his lips before it disappears just as quickly as it came. In that future though, with the exception of his best friend, his mother, Katsuki's parents, Yubi, and Inei, those are the only people he ever sees in his life. No one else other than those six.
As much as he shares Katsuki's distrustfulness because it helped them realize who they can truly depend on, he can't help but desire another friend to add into their mini band of misfits. Don't get him wrong, he loves his friends and family, truly he does but he really wants someone else to talk to. Someone who can just look beyond the surface of the water and see him for who he is. Katsuki wouldn't be as trusting or nice about letting someone else in his life, but Izuku is just holding out on hope that they'll get to meet that someone soon. It's just with every single school year that they get new classmates and the moment either boy sense a single intention of exploitation, Izuku has to squash his wish down while enduring another year of false "friends" and biased teachers. He also wouldn't mind a non-biased teacher as well.
He walks again while begging to the skies above to please let him and Katsuki have new friends at U.A. High!
But he'll have to wait another ten months to see if his prayer will come true as he decides to take a shortcut and walks under an underpass. To take his mind off depressing thoughts, he takes out his phone to check the news on the fight just a few hours ago.
"Ok, the fight is still over the news. Man, wished Kacchan and I could've seen Kamui Woods' new move. Ah well, there's always next time." Izuku mutters as he switches from the News app to the Notes app for the list of groceries his mother made for him. As he begins reading the list, he doesn't realize that the manhole behind him began to leak slime from the holes. By the time he finally noticed something going on behind him, a large amount of slime towers over him.
"What the-" He doesn't have a moment to exclaim as the slime villain violently tackles him to the floor. His phone, bag, and its contents are dropped from his shoulders and onto the floor as slimy tentacles wrap around his body. Izuku tries to scream but sludge immediately enters through his mouth and nostrils as he struggles from the villain.
"You'll make the perfect skin suit for hiding, boy. Don't worry, I'm just taking over your body, it'll be easier for both of us if you don't fight back. It will only hurt for a minute, you'll feel better soon." The villain laughs as Izuku calms down and addresses the situation before him. "Hehe, finally agreeing to help me out huh? Thanks for the help, you're a real hero to me boy. I didn't know he was in the city, I gotta get out of here fast before he tracks me down!"
The green head quickly takes note of the fact that he's alone, no one is around where he is as everyone is most likely in their homes, and he's underneath a bridge, thus no one will even notice he's in danger. That doesn't scare him though as he made multiple counter strategies against liquid-based heroes and villains. And he has just the one that'll save his butt in this situation, but first things first, he needs to get out of this villain's grip. He immediately shifts into Dumuren form as the sludge monster takes notice and exclaims.
"What the-! What are you, kid?"
Izuku's body shifts as he drops to all fours, his wings tear through his school uniform and his tail pops out of his pants (Mitsuki and Inko asked the school to modify Izuku's uniform with the former's cloth in case he needs to transform for safety measures). The villain tries to grow in order to further engulf the boy, but just as Izuku finishes transforming he begins summoning Plasma to heat his body up to the point that people get burned if they touch him. The sludge villain shouts in pain as he reacts to the heat from Izuku's body and releases him.
"AHHH! Damn you kid, when I get my hands on you, I'll-! Wait, what are you?!"
The villain doubles back in fear as the shadows underneath the bridge cause Izuku's Dumuren form to look more menacing than it already does. He bares his sharp teeth, growls loudly, claws extended, and his eyes glowing bright purple from his Element. His large bat wings flared which made him look much bigger than he is. Despite his terror of the Dumuren shifter in front of him, the villain refuses to back down and lunges at him.
"No matter! I don't care if you are a monster, I will escape this city and you're going to be my way out of here!" Izuku's not deterred as he bows his head and releases a loud Sonic Boom Click . The sound impacts the villain completely and the vibrations resonate through his entire body. He's paralyzed in an instant, it felt like his ears were ringing intensely, his brain hitting every part of his skull, and his body was shaking as though he struck a gong with his very own two hands.
He collapses to the floor as he puts his hands on his ears to stop the ringing before looking up and seeing Izuku standing tall with murder written on his face. The villain trembles in fear as the Dumuren Shifter lowers his head once more and continues spreading his wings out, blocking out the light from the other end of the bridge. The villain sees a face full of teeth and glowing purple eyes before fainting in utter terror.
Upon seeing him faint, Izuku calms down and turns off his "intimidation tactic" as he slowly turns back into human. He picks up his bag, notebook, and phone before attempting to call 9-1-1 until he hears the manhole shoot up and wind blows in his face. Izuku jumps back and clutches his phone tightly before trying to morph back into his creature form until he hears a familiar voice and a familiar catchphrase. Upon realizing who it was, he froze in shock.
"I AM HERE! NOW SURRENDER VILLA-!"
A very bulky man pops out of the manhole before turning around and about to unleash a punch to stop the villain before freezing. He sees that the evildoer he was chasing before collapsed on the floor, and in front of him was a boy wearing black clothing that looked like a school uniform. He stands still for some time before repositioning himself and taking an awkward stance as he waves to the boy.
"OH… HEY THERE KID! I WAS TRACKING DOWN THIS VILLAIN, BUT IT APPEARS I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYMORE SEARCHING! I WOULD'VE GOTTEN HERE SOONER BUT I GUESS THE CITY SEWER SYSTEM WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE! ANYWAY, YOU WERE A BIG HELP IN CAPTURING THIS EVILDOER AND-! You alright, kid?"
All Might was so busy monogluging that he didn't notice that Izuku fell to his knees. He dropped his phone as he continued staring in shock. It's All Might, the world's strongest hero, his and Kaachan's idol was standing right in front of him, he's literally a few feet away from him, he just couldn't believe that the All Might is standing right before him. However, his awe of his most favorite hero is cut off when he finally returns to reality and stammers in his answer.
"O-Oh, yeah… uhhh… I-I'm f-fine, All Might!" Izuku shakingly grabs his phone as All Might grabs a soda bottle before drinking its contents and begins collecting the villain inside it. His body was made of slime, thus a liquid and in that line of thinking, he should fit in the bottle despite looking so big.
It took some time and needed help from Izuku that allowed All Might to successfully collect all of the slime and put him inside the plastic container. After screwing the bottle cap back on, Izuku took the perfect time to ask All Might for an autograph for him and Katsuki to share. He scrambled around his pockets, trying to find something to get his signature before remembering his notebook and one that belonged to Katsuki. He forgot it the last time he visited his and Inko's house and meant to return it to him, but he kept getting caught up in stuff and forgot until he returned home and tried to do the same thing the next day, only to forget again. Izuku takes them out of his backpack with a pen and bows respectively before All Might.
"Ahhh! Before you leave All Might, do you think I can get your autograph for myself and a very close friend of mine. It's just we've always looked up to you, and you've been our big inspiration, so it'd be really nice if you cou-"
Izuku is cut off when he feels the three objects get taken out of his hands as All Might quickly writes his name and draws his face in the two books with the black pen. He gives them back to the green head as he checks to see the signatures of the Number One Hero. No doubt about it, there were big autographs written on two pages of each notebook as Izuku takes the sight of them with pride and happiness. He couldn't wait to tell the guys and Inko about this special meeting.
"Thank you so much!" Izuku bows once more in thanks to All Might as he salutes to him politely.
"NO THANK YOU, YOUNG HERO! AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU HELPED ME CATCH THIS EVILDOER! NOW I'M OFF TO TAKE THIS CRIMINAL TO JAIL! SO LONG, BELOVED FAN!"
And with that, All Might takes off into the air with fervor as wind flies around him as he becomes a very small object in the sky, very quickly. Izuku is nearly blown back as the objects are nearly ripped out of his hands by the wind pressure from All Might's jump. Once it calms down enough for Izuku to see properly, he lowers his arms and sees his idol long gone before he opened his eyes. With a bright smile, Izuku quickly stuffs his items back in his bag before he once again takes out his phone and begins to dial Katsuki's number to tell him of his spectacular encounter.
"You know, Kaachan, it wouldn't hurt to make a new friend every once and a while." Inei said.
"Hah?!" At that, Katsuki whirled around to glare at his friend for suggesting something so bizarre to him but felt his heart pound at the suggestion. "What do you mean 'it wouldn't hurt to make new friends'? Like I need any potential leechers double crossing me and Deku just because we won't meet up to a single of their damn standards!"
"Yeah yeah yeah, we know. I mean, the only reason we haven't been played was because you're surprisingly good at reading people." Yubi said. Katsuki raised an eyebrow at that. 'Surprisingly' good?
"But don't you get bored hanging out with us all the time. I mean those jerks weren't wrong with you and Izuku spending 24/7 with us all the time. It wouldn't hurt trying to talk to someone who isn't us two, Deku, Auntie Inko, Aunt Mitsuki, and Uncle Masaru." Inei added.
"Don't be ridiculous. Those jerkwads only said that because they're jealous they ain't true friends like you two, and like I said, I don't need any backstabbers leeching off of us." Katsuki tsked and turned his back.
"Okay, but you can't seriously state that you're fine with just six people in your life! I mean, bad stuff happens all the time and people lose their loved ones regardless. Death has no due date and you don't know if any of us will get caught up. Look at Uncle Hisashi, we never expected he'd die but-" Inei should've known it was a bad idea to bring up Uncle Hisashi as he's still a sensitive topic for the two but he had to get his point across. It's a miracle he didn't flinch when Katsuki practically turned 180 on him.
"Don't you dare use Uncle Hisashi like that, EVER! And don't think anything bad will happen to anyone, not when me and Deku become the Number 1. Hero Duo! We're going to save more lives than All Might can and make sure villains pay for trying to mess up people's lives. That you can count on… and we'll make sure no one loses anyone else or feels alone again." Katsuki shouted before he whispered the last few words to himself. He turns around again and lowers his head with his shoulders hunched, still ignoring his gut gnawing at his words.
As the ash blonde skulks off, Yubi and Inei look at each other worryingly. It was true that Katsuki is good at reading people, he's the sole reason why they and Izuku have become good at spotting intentions behind kind words or acts. However, like Izuku, they also wouldn't mind having another friend around if they had better luck at meeting people who will actually become their friend for friends and not just for popularity points. They also weren't blind to the bad sides of hero society and heroes themselves. People leeching off of the two will come time and time again, but they wished it didn't happen so many times to the point Katsuki is so distrustful of everyone he meets.
They really hate seeing the light die out in both of them.
Suddenly, the Explosion user felt his jean pocket vibrate as he reached in and pulled out his phone. The screen showed Izuku's phone number as he wondered why he'd be calling him, nonetheless he answered.
"Deku?"
"Hey, Kacchan? Are Inei and Yubi there with you?" Upon hearing Izuku's nickname, said boys stopped their conversation and ran close behind Katsuki to listen in on the conversation. Deciding to share it, Katsuki put the caller on Speaker mode.
"Hey man, we're here? Why you calling? I thought you were getting groceries." Yubi answered.
"Oh shoot I forgot, I'm actually coming over to wherever you guys are right now. I had a little skirmish with a villain."
"WHAT? Where are you Izuku, I'm heading there right now!" Katsuki screeched as Yubi and Inei paled at the thought of Izuku being harmed by a bad guy. Izuku's strong without a doubt, but it didn't mean they can't worry. Katsuki nearly hung up the phone until he heard his best friend's voice answer.
"I'm fine you guys. The villain's already taken care of, in fact, he was taken care of… by All Might himself!" Hearing the Number One Hero's name, the three boys widened their eyes and screamed into Izuku's ear. On the other end, Izuku pulled his arm back as the screams echoed and he winced in pain. Bystanders around him looked and sent him looks of pity as they've had that happen to them once a while with their friends. "Yeah, he came in and took care of the guy. He even signed our notebooks, mine and Kacchan's!"
"Seriously, you got his autograph! Deku, you bastard! Wait, you have my notebook?" Katsuki's jealous, enraged look turned into a curious one so fast that made his friends hold back their laughter. However, as they continued walking towards the streets from the alleyway, they didn't notice a particular soda bottle containing weird green liquid ahead of them. In fact, Katsuki didn't notice as he gently pushed it aside and the loose bottle cap sprang open.
"Oh yeah, I have your notebook. You accidentally left it the last time you visited, I was going to give it back to you during school but I forgot."
"Deku, you're such a nerd sometimes you know that?" Katsuki facepalmed as he smirked and stopped walking. Yubi and Inei also stopped and looked at each other thoughtfully, smirking while shaking their heads. Group dynamics all the way. "Anyway, if you're coming here we're almost at the arcade, just a few blocks from there. If there's time, you can play a few games before going to the grocery store and getting Auntie Inko's things for her."
"Sure, but only a few. The store where I'm going to is going to close in a few hours." Inei was about to talk before something caught his eye and he paled for the second time, but looked much whiter than before. Yubi was about to ask what was wrong until he followed his line of sight and he too became as white as a sheet, not uttering a single sound.
"Alright, we can help you get the things for her if you want. That alright with you two?" Katsuki looked at his friends but became tense when he noticed their fear. Izuku was asking him what was going on when he or the others didn't respond. Katsuki pushed his own fear aside and hung up on Izuku as he prepared for anything until Yubi pointed behind him, and saw the light being blocked by something. He turned around and jumped back to protect his friends as he felt something slimy touch his face.
"Perfect. I like a skin suit with fire."
Few minutes earlier
All Might was flying through the air while looking back at the ground that was shrinking more and more by the second. The sight of the city as he's flying will never get tiresome for him, it was always a sight to see, and it reminded him of his time in America. He spent several years there training for something that he wished would always stay secret for as long as he lived, and remained the Number One Hero until he either retired or died.
Just as he was beginning to reminisce his thoughts and memories of the United States, he felt his chest beginning to tighten and his left side hurting. Steam began to pour from his body as he put his hand on his mouth as blood slowly trickled out of his mouth. He was glad that he managed to sign the boys' notebooks and give him a little hello and goodbye to not upset him, but he wished he could've held back his charisma. Don't get him wrong, he loved interacting with his fans, all the things that make a good hero is to socialize with the people one protects, but it takes more time out of his hero form.
Deciding to hop onto a few more buildings before it was safe for him to transform back to his normal self, All Might hid behind a staircase opening on top of a six-story building. After panting a few more times, he turned back to normal as he collapsed to his knees. His bulky frame turned back into the tired, weak build earlier as his hair drooped like dead flowers. His clothing became baggy and he put his hand on his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Doing hero work for three hours is tiring, especially with the intense injury to his abdomen on the left side.
One of the secrets he wished to hold onto is his weak form and said injury. He didn't want to discourage the public and give villains hope that the Symbol of Peace was weakening. All Might knew that he's the sole reason for keeping crime rates below 3%, but that also meant keeping his image as the strongest hero to keep said crime rates so low. Trying to keep up his hero image and maintain a smile on his face was taking a toll on him. He just wants the day to end and he can go home to bed. Smiling just to keep the fear inside him down was what made him feel like smiling in general, to be too sad and pathetic to even try. The second part is the injury he had, from the fight he had five years ago and was the 'something' mentioned above that he wants to keep secret.
Said five years ago, he was training for the biggest fight that was not just for Japan, but for his life. The battle was difficult, tiring, bloody, gory, and the end result was the Symbol of Peace barely surviving as he had a hole through his stomach and lost most of it too, his respiratory system was destroyed, and the surgeries he took to get it fixed wore him out. As a result, he could only do hero work for a small amount of time and compared to what it used to be when he wasn't injured, it's a very short time frame.
All Might leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky, just admiring the fluffy white clouds on the blue sky painting. It looked so peaceful to just be flowing slowly along with the wind while looking down and admiring the view from up there. Deciding to shake off the negative thoughts, All Might stood up and opened the door to the staircase. As he walked down to prepare a report to the police, he took out his phone to call his detective best friend. However, just as he was about to press the call button, he put his hand on his jean pocket for the bottle with the villain contained in it.
It wasn't there.
All Might tried to feel for the bottle in his pocket, but couldn't find it at all. Concerned, he looked down and saw that the button to keep it inside his pants was opened. Fear began to take over as the villain he was chasing is now back on the streets, without a doubt, going to attack someone or try to get out of the city. Anger and guilt swarmed him as he heard an explosion just outside the building he was in. Deciding to investigate he opened the doors and ran outside, praying that it was a fight that the local heroes can take care of, and that the villain attacking wasn't the slime one.
Izuku pulled his phone away as he stared at his screen in confusion. Kaachan… hanged up on him? That's weird, he doesn't do that so suddenly in the middle of a conversation unless… there's trouble involved. An unsettling feeling erupts in his stomach as he speedwalks down the sidewalk, he really hopes his friends are alright and he's just overthinking things. That thought is put to bed as a random explosion sounds in the air. It was loud enough to shake the ground and he looked up to see a large cloud of smoke rise not too far from where he was.
Fear takes over his entire being as he sprints his way there. Years of honing both his Quirk and body made him fast enough to the point he didn't need the infamous cheetah speed to get where he's going. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he can avoid everyone or anything as he made a quick left turn and ran into someone. The collision knocked him back so hard that he fell on his back along with the stranger. He held his head in pain until he noticed the other person was still on the floor, hastily getting up he offered the person a hand.
"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" However, the person angrily rejected it as his face had nothing but anger and annoyance written all over it.
"Watch where you're going next time, will you?" He shouted and Izuku got a good, long look at his face. His voice was deep, mature, and husky, but full of anger. His facial features were smooth and youthful, he had a pretty look that screamed beauty and handsomeness. His eyes were unique as he had two different eye colors, his left was a bright turquoise blue while his right was a dark stormy grey. His left eye was surrounded by what looked like a burn scar. His hair was also unique as it consists of two different colors, evenly split with white on the left and red on the right. He was wearing a school uniform that looked identical to his own, only with silver buttons instead of yellow.
He stood up angrily after rejecting Izuku's hand, grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He glared intensely at the boy as he bumped shoulders with him on purpose and began walking off from the scene. Izuku glared at his back before hearing another explosion, deciding not to bother with the two-toned boy anymore, he ran back to the direction of the crisis ahead of him. He continued onwards until he was behind a large crowd of civilians who were being blocked by heroes, and the sight before him was horrific.
Fire was spread all over the area, eating away at buildings, streets, and anything with fabric material. People who were screaming were running, trying to dodge falling debris, trapped in flaming buildings, or begging someone to help them as they were injured. Heroes like Death Arms, Backdraft, and Kamui Woods were there, but Izuku couldn't see Kacchan, Yubi, or Inei anywhere. Fear continued spreading through his entire being as he gripped his uniform shirt tightly, continuing to watch and pray that his friends were safe.
Some of his prayers are diminished when he sees that the villain is the same one that attacked him underneath the bridge, and before he met All Might. He was confused, he thought All Might had him, so how did he escape? And more importantly, how did he get out of the bottle that he was held inside of? Even more of his prayers were destroyed when he hears that the monster has taken someone hostage. Death Arms immediately runs towards the villain as he tries to punch the villain. Unfortunately, his attack does nothing as the slimy body completely nullifies the punch and he retaliates by sending the hero flying into a wall. As Kamui checks up on him, he and Backdraft both dodge as the villain unleashes a slimy tentacle at them.
"HA! Stay back or I'll snap his neck!" The villain laughed and threatened as Katsuki struggled getting out of his grip. He realized that making explosions before didn't do anything except make more fire and problems for the heroes, so he settled with using just his physical strength to get loose. Unfortunately, it's not doing as much effect as he thought it would, the villain's grip getting tighter and tighter as he grows bigger as well. He then tries to force his slime into his mouth and nostrils as Katsuki continues struggling, desperately trying to get free while thinking of a way to do so.
People become worried as even Mt. Lady who ran in on the scene, was slowed down as she can't get through a single-road lane with her large size. She outright stated that she needed two lanes for her to perform her duties as a hero. Izuku takes in all the disasters happening until he hears two cries that he recognized in a heartbeat. He turns to his right and sees Yubi and Inei amongst the rubble surrounded by fire, their clothes burned and some scratches and bruises but they seemed alright. He calms down when Kamui Woods swoops in and catches the two with some other civilians in his arms. But that was only Yubi and Inei, where's Katsuki?
"Fire and wood don't exactly make a good combination. I'll let someone else stop this guy!" He shouted as he looked at Backdraft in hopes he could. However, he was preoccupied.
"Don't look at me, I've got my hands full here. Where are those fire trucks? Can you guys get to him?" True to his words, he was busy putting away the fires Katsuki accidentally created earlier and as the villain continued slamming his tentacles into the buildings and anything that makes explosions. It was clear that the villain was trying to keep the heroes preoccupied with not just rescue, but having to put out the fires and staying away so the villain doesn't kill his captive.
The heroes complained that none of them have the right Quirk to handle the monster's slimy body, needing to rescue people, put out the fires, or are essentially put on damage control. Kamui Woods puts Yubi and Ineidown before turning his attention to Death Arms.
He reassures himself that there will be a more suitable hero coming to rescue the ash blonde boy as the muscular hero mentally laments and apologizes. Damn it, if only he had a little more power like All Might, he'd be able to defeat the villain and save the hero.
People all around him were either worrying about the boy, complaining about why the heroes are just standing around, or are cheering them on. Izuku tries to see if he should step in and help, but remembers it would be against the law. He knows this but every fiber and muscle in his body was begging him to go and at least help the hostage out, but he forbade it and fought against it with everything he had. That is… until he saw the hostage's face.
Ash Blonde hair…
Ruby red eyes…
Fear resonates in them as he slowly suffocates…
The villain laughing as he nears victory…
And suddenly, all the rationality and thinking Izuku had to prevent himself from rushing in to help the hostage, completely flew straight out the window…
"KATSUKI!"
"NO, you idiot, stop! You're going to get yourself killed!"
Izuku burst through the crowd of people, ran straight past the heroes, and headed straight towards the villain. Death Arm's warning doesn't register in his brain as he continues running. Fear turned into anger, anger turned into determination, determination turned into resolve, and Izuku lost control.
With a fierce roar, the green haired ran from the crowd and jumped in the sky, instantly turning into a Dumuren in the blink of an eye. Everyone who sees him shrieks in either terror or awe as they take out their phones to document the moment. The cocky villain looks up and immediately pales, recognizing the creature that fought him at the underpass. Katsuki opened his eyes slowly before they widened when he saw a green Dumuren: Izuku. The villain cowers and panics before he shoots out gooey tentacles at the middle school student. Without hesitation, he dives forward all the while dodging his attacks.
Izuku breathed in and out in surprisingly steady beats as he felt his body move on autopilot. The action was going on so fast that he's impressed that his body was reacting just as quickly because it feels like his mind is taking a backseat. Actually, he didn't even comprehend that he transformed or that he was flying and getting real close to the villain. He just wanted to save Katsuki. It was only after dodging a near hit from one of the tentacles that it snapped Izuku's mind back into place.
Seeing that he was about to get in close in just a few seconds, Izuku tucks his wings in until he is face-to-face with the villain and spreads them out wide. The shadows from his wings practically engulfed the criminal as he screeched and covered himself, unknowingly and unintentionally releasing Katsuki. He takes in a big gulp of air before falling into his best friend's arms. From there, the shapeshifter flaps his leathery limbs hard while the ash blonde explodes his captor square in the face. The combination of both attacks manages to launch Izuku back into the sky.
The two then fly far away enough that by the time the villain recovered, he saw the Dumuren flying far away with his prize.
"Oh no you don't! Get back here with my skin suit!" He screamed before trying to go after them. The heroes try to stop him before he grabs the Dumuren boy, but they weren't fast enough, he was going to grab the two of them. And again, the key word is 'was'.
Just as the tentacles were about to grab Izuku, All Might appeared, grabbing all the tentacles from reaching Izuku and Katsuki. Everyone is shocked to see the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace all of a sudden, but worries and fears turned into happiness, joy, and cheers. Izuku and Katsuki stopped long enough to take in the scene before them, their favorite hero was right there in front of them, and he was about to kick ass!
All Might saw everything. It was the same sludge villain that he was chasing that was attacking the place. How could he have been so careless and foolish, he let the criminal slip through his grasp and it was destroying everything in sight. He even heard it took a hostage… everything was his fault, he was pathetic and weak and disgraceful. To make matters worse, he doesn't have any energy left to transform and be All Might to take care of the criminal. Even more bad news, the heroes in the common areas can't handle the villain as none of them have the right Quirks to fight him. He was so angry at himself for letting all of this happen until he saw the same green-haired boy he met back when he first detained the criminal burst from the crowd.
The boy was reckless! What was he thinking going in like that, until he saw him transform into a mighty creature that looked like a cheetah, bat, and siren all combined together. He felt the anger he resonated, the determination was clear on his face, the bravery he showed. His eyes trace the boy as he took off high in the sky before dive bombing straight towards the villain, dodging his attacks until he got close enough that he flared his wings so wide, he stopped his descent. The villain got terrified from seeing the creature up close and personal, that he loosened his grip on the hostage. The boy grabbed the captive and took off, leaving the villain with nothing. All Might was stunned by what happened, a boy that was around thirteen or fourteen-years-old went in and rescued the boy. Not even the heroes around the area that were fighting the villain were able to do that, but this kid did it.
Shame filled him that a mere boy was able to do what the heroes couldn't, what All Might couldn't because of his time limit and weakened state. However, shame was pushed aside as he felt something that was long since dead reawaken and rise like a phoenix. Fear turning to anger, anger turning to determination, determination turning into resolve, and All Might immediately went in and protected the two as the green-colored animal was almost grabbed by the slime villain.
"I really am pathetic! To let a boy do what we heroes couldn't! Pros are always risking their lives and that's the true test of a hero!" Blood poured out of his mouth once again as the villain tried to attack him. But his attempt failed when All Might pulled his right fist backwards and punched the air before it was able to connect with the villain.
"DELAWARE SMASH!"
A large blast of wind bursted forward as the villain tried to stay in one piece, but was ripped apart from the wind pressure as the air flew all over the place. Izuku stopped flying and fell to the floor with one arm holding Katsuki as he used the other, his hind legs, and wing thumbs to claw at the floor. Heroes like Mt. Lady were protecting civilians from the air and any debris flying towards them as powerful forces of wind slap at their faces.
And this wasn't the end of the attack's force, the blast was so powerful that it created a tornado that spiraled upwards. The tornado cleared the smoke from the fires and the clouds were also blown away as a circular shape took form in the sky. Everyone is stunned by what happened, a boy turning into a mysterious creature, managed to save the hostage, All Might appeared and defeated the villain, and now, it was raining. People began to shift their focus to the sky as raindrops poured downwards and began dousing out the flames on the buildings and streets.
"Holy crap. He… changed the weather." Death Arms spoke as his eyes widened in awe and disbelief. Everyone also comments on it before one person from the crowd directed their attention onto All Might. Him saving the day once again as he did his signature victory pose: punching his left fist into the air as the crowd began cheering once again. Izuku and Katsuki recovered from everything as the former turned back into his human self, and the two stared at their idol in awe and admiration. It's just like All Might to defeat the bad guys and save the day. The two slumped on the floor and closed their eyes, just thankful that it was all over.
Once things were settled, the heroes began collecting the scattered amounts of sludge and the police took care of things after he was molded back together in one piece. He was then placed in a large container before being transferred to the police station. Those who were injured were being looked after as Katsuki, Yubi, and Inei were inspected by the medics. Luckily, none of them had any serious injuries and were allowed to leave, but the three stopped when they saw Kamui Woods and Death Arms berating Izuku harshly. The green-head doesn't do or say anything, just standing there with a blank face.
"You're crazy, do you have a death wish?"
"There was absolutely no reason for you to put yourself in danger like that!"
Deciding enough was enough, Katsuki stormed over and pushed the two aside as Yubi and Inei stood beside Izuku.
"Hey, back off! At least he was able to save my ass! What were you guys even doing while I was being suffocated?" The two heroes flinch at the criticism before trying to defend their actions for seemingly standing around.
"None of us had the right Quirks for the job, if I had more power I could-"
"None of the right Quirks? Oh and Izuku's Quirk was best for the situation? At least heroes like Backdraft had a good reason for not helping when he had others things to do like rescuing civilians. Then again, you could've had Backdraft cover either of you in water, that way you'd be able to get past the slime and grab me! And Mt. Lady could've just shrunk a little bit and yanked me out of there, or helped save people even if she was a little bit smaller! There could've been a number of things either of you heroes could've done to help out, and not just saving me but save the other civilians as well! What the hell were all of you doing just standing around gawking like idiots waiting for All Might to show up?"
Katsuki's rant causes the heroes to rethink their actions and had the decency to look ashamed that none of them had thought of that. Everyone took note of the scene before them but most shrugged it off, but not the heroes, the four boys, or the Symbol of Peace who was being swarmed by interviewers. Even though he was busy, he was still staring at the green-head intently as the ash blonde wrapped an arm around him as he led him and the other boys away. Maybe he could be the one…
The red and white haired boy stared in shock. His day was one of his worst as he had been bombarded by his classmates when asked what he wants to do in the future. There was no doubt that it was to be a hero, but what irked him was being asked if he's going to be one like his monster of a father. Brushing off his annoying classmates was easy when you have a strong Quirk and are intimidating enough to get them to leave, but his day was still tiresome and irritating. Made even more so after getting knocked over by a clumsy green-haired brat, he should've watched where he was going!
He had heard of the event that was going on but decided not to watch as it will be dealt with soon, no need for him to get involved even if it meant his father yelling at him for not doing something that would've boosted his own status. However, something was begging him to stay and watch at least, he didn't know what it was that was egging him to do so but he did it anyway. He only stood across the street, just watching annoyingly that the heroes weren't doing anything as the villain laid waste to destruction while holding a hostage. He supposed that he couldn't blame them for not doing more than rescue since they didn't want any harm to come to whoever's being held in its grip.
But his annoyance and bad day turned into something he'll never forget. The same green-haired pest that bumped and knocked him over emerged from the crowd. People and heroes were screaming at him to come back but he didn't listen, only moving forward before the most memorable thing happened. He turned into a Dumuren, most of his body was covered by his school uniform but he could see his fur was a silky emerald green with his large wings and back fin tearing through the fabric. His black and white tail was thin and had a scaly green leaf-like design at the end. He could feel the creature's roar as he flew up in the sky before dive bombing and intimidated the villain enough to grab the hostage.
He flew away from the scene and that's when his most favorite hero All Might appeared and took care of things as usual. Even more amazing was that he changed the weather with just one hit and made it rain. It was so fantastic that he couldn't believe he witnessed everything that just transpired. He stood there for several more minutes until the heroes began collecting the villain to arrest him, but he didn't care about them, he was searching for the Dumuren. While he didn't see the Dumuren, he did see the boy who turned into one, only this time, he was being yelled at by the heroes until three other boys came in and defended his actions.
He didn't care what the conversation was about but it got the heroes to back off at least before the three checked up on their friend. Deciding to take his leave, the two-toned boy walked away without anyone noticing.
He couldn't believe it!
He saw a Dumuren!
An actual Dumuren! Although, he knew it was only the boy's Quirk that allowed him to turn into one, but still! He saw the one thing that made his life a little easier besides All Might! And like that, his worst day turned into one of the very few days that he'd like to stay remembered.