Chapter 30: (The First Step Forward)
Stretching his body as he stood up, Katsuki happened to glance to his right, and took notice of Shigaraki's stature. And how he looked like he was sleeping. Maybe he was actually asleep, that wouldn't surprise the blond.
"Don't worry about Shigaraki, Bakugo."
"I fucking wasn't anyway." Katsuki hissed back at Shota, infuriated that the man would think he would care about a villain's well being. He just happened to look in that direction for a second, and now everyone thinks he's gonna join his side? Like hell he is, that criminal's going down, and he's going to be the one to kill him.
Katsuki stomped away from Shota, who sighed at the blond's antics as he watched him walk away. He thought about how he might need to have another conversation with the kid, but he wasn't sure how to go about it where his words would stick. He could always try later in the night, if the teen doesn't go to his room soon, like Tenya did.
'I still have to find a way to talk with Iida…' Shota looked back at the collection of doors, where the blue-haired boy's was. The pro hero had seen early how Izuku and Ochaco had moved to talk with Tenya, only for him to immediately go to his room.
He knew he would have to wait until morning - well, the next time they exit their doors - to talk with the earnest student, but perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to speak with Ochaco and Izuku as well. Maybe see if they could all have a word together with Tenya.
"Hey Shoto, do you want to sit with me and my friends for dinner…?"
"Um…"
"It's okay if you don't want to. I just wanted to ask to let you know that we're here for each other and so that you don't have to eat alone; like yesterday."
Glancing down, he saw how Denki was standing beside Shoto, who appeared to be on guard as his hands were up against his chest. Planning to go down and help the boy, Shota turned around and was about to walk toward the two until he was stopped. Casting his eyes back, his hands clenched at his side to keep himself from performing a judo throw on Enji.
"What do you want, Endeavor?"
"There is something that needs to be discussed regarding that villain." Enji flicked his eyes somewhere behind him, Shota assuming he was referring to Tomura, with the number two hero continuing to say, "Regarding All for One and what he knows."
Shota remembered his conversation with Toshinori from earlier when they broke for lunch, thinning his lip at what the older hero had said.
"Have you questioned this villain on what he knows?"
"We have not, as he refuses to say anything else other than mentioning that name and calling All Might a murderer-"
"Is he not? All Might was the one to defeat and kill this supervillain." Enji, even though it should be a relief that a villain like that is no longer alive, sounded annoyed, which Shota obviously knew why.
"If that's so, then you would know that All Might would have more of the answers, not me." Shota hated how he needed to tell a grown man to get over himself and go talk to his rival. He's a school teacher for teenagers, not adults.
"That oaf is too busy chatting it up with grade-schoolers-"
"Endeavor, I am sure if you asked All Might to step away from the kids and talk to you for five minutes,he would have no problem giving you his time." Shota realized that he too needed to have a conversation with Toshinori, away from the students. Making a mental note, he came back to his senses, dipped his head to Enji as he dismissed himself, "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to get something to eat."
Glancing to the other side of the room, his eyes focused on the sleeping villain as he passed, Shota felt that it was becoming more dangerous to have Tomura here. He wasn't a known criminal before, but he sure made his mark the night before, and with each interaction he had with the students, the worse it got.
Not only did this villain have eyes on Katsuki, voicing this several times and even making an attempt to capture the blond, it also was no secret that the man-child wanted Shoto and Hitoshi to join his little League as well. While it wasn't as obvious, Shota knew when the purplenet first got here, and when his quirk was revealed, Tomura had made a gleeful comment about it. Also going as far as to say that the traumatized teens' made the perfect 'villain backstory'. Perhaps this could also trace back to something in Tomura's past, but Shota wasn't worried about that. He was going to protect these kids even if it meant dying for one of them.
Reaching the kitchen, Shota grabbed a mug from one of the cabinets, before putting in his drink request, "Black coffee. Medium heat."
As the liquid filled up in the cup, which still left the pro hero confused, and taking his first couple sips, Shota heard one of the kid's exclaim behind him, "Woah, that's a large cup you got there, Aizawa Sensei."
"Aren't we going to sleep soon? That much caffeine will surely have the opposite effect."
"Once we're all behind our doors, I have all the time in the world to drain my energy and sleep." Shota sighed, walking over to the table where they were seated, as he stated, "While it isn't logical, nothing here makes any logical sense. And I could use some energy after what was shown from today."
"What about something to eat…?" Eijiro softly suggested, with his other two friends nodding along, as the black-haired boy offered, "I could go grab you a plate and whatever you want so you can rest-"
"Thank you, Kirishima, but that won't be necessary." Shota politely declined, holding his hand out towards the kid, as he explained to Eijiro, "I understand your concerns, and I appreciate them. So don't worry, I'll eat a proper meal soon."
"O-Okay…"
Taking another long sip of his beverage, Shota's eyes flickered to the final student at the table, silent and lost in his thoughts, as he poked at his food. It was obvious in the way Shoto's chair was distanced from the others that he had no intentions of speaking to any one of them. He wanted to be alone, and the dark-haired hero could respect his wishes. While he wanted nothing more than to get the student to speak to him, professionally, he knew he had to wait until the boy wished to speak with him first. Which is probably why he let Tenya go to Hosu City for his internship without any further questions.
Shota should have asked questions.
Knowing there was nothing he could do about the situation now, futurely, Shota could be patient enough to wait till the next viewing session to speak with these kids. They needed the time to themselves to reflect, and think about the words that were said, and the actions they took.
Looking to where the top two heroes stood, Shota wondered how long the conversation between them would last, as he wanted to discuss a few things with the Symbol of Peace. He knew Enji had no concerns for any of the children besides his own, but the underground pro was worried about Katsuki, and he knew Toshinori was as well. It was very suspicious how Tomura had grown accustomed to the blond, and he needed to talk with the student as soon as possible; to help ease his worries.
Downing his cup of coffee, Shota exhaled, finishing off the drink and planning to grab another, until his eyes happened to fall onto Ochaco and Izuku. Both teens were sitting nonchalantly at the table over, their chairs close together, as they talked in hushed tones. That was another thing that worried him, he didn't want these two trying to talk with Tenya on their own, at least not without him and Toshinori there with them.
'Guess that's something else I need to get to…' Shota slowly realized his list of people to interact with was increasing by the second, which caused him to feel the life drain out of him, as he pondered on this. Snatching the mug, he went back over to the cabinet, before pulling out another cup, grumbling, "Two cups. Make it strong."
"Where'd you even get a cup that size?!"
As Hanta and Denki feared for the man's mental state, the rest of the students ate, ignoring their yelling, as they continued their conversations. Izuku and Ochaco looked up for a moment to see what was going on, before ducking their heads back down, as they resumed what they were discussing.
"I know we've only known each other for just two days, but I already see Iida-kun as a dear friend of mine… And I hate to see a friend hurting, Deku-kun…"
Izuku stayed silent after hearing that, causing his stomach to ache, and his appetite to deplete, as he pondered on what Ochaco said.
Friendship wasn't a one-sided concept, a friendship was formed when two or more people came together, and showed enjoyment in their company. At least, that was what Izuku was learning from being around them. But because Tenya was suddenly acting hostile and distancing himself from everyone, it didn't seem he wanted to stay friends anymore. He understood that the boy wasn't angry at them, but he couldn't stop blaming himself for being the reason his brother was in that state. Because he agreed to this stupid future showing, and brought all these people here.
Tenya was right to be angry at him. Izuku should have never agreed to this.
"What if Iida-kun… doesn't want to be friends… anymore?" Izuku gulped when he spoke his thoughts aloud, not seeing the way Ochaco whipped her head around with a look of betrayal on her expression, while he continued to question, "Iida-Iida-kun has a right to be angry… at me-"
"NO- No, that's not the reason he's angry, Deku-kun…! It's that villain- Iida-kun's just angry at that villain, not you- Never you!"
"It's my fault Ingenium is injured…"
"Deku-kun, look me in the eye and tell me how any of this situation is your fault?" Ochaco lightly shook her friend's shoulder, just until his teary emerald eyes could see hers.
Izuku sniffed, before he answered wetly, "I… Iida-kun wouldn't have to see that if I didn't bring him here…"
"But because he's here, when we get back home, he'll know what to do so that his brother won't have to end up like that…" Ochaco pointed out the good in what Izuku did when he could only see the negative, smiling, as she cupped his cheeks, sighing, "Deku-kun, I know it's hard not to put the blame on you when you see someone you care about suffering, but that won't help them. Or anyone. I know you're trying to help. It's sweet, but there's better ways that don't involve taking the fault. Trust me, Iida-kun won't want to hear this."
Taking her hands back, Ochaco tried to think of an example that could help her cause, "Let's see… Deku-kun, if I hit Shinso-kun, and he retaliated back, whose fault would it be for making Shinso-kun angry?"
"Huh?"
"Um…" Izuku glanced over to the purplenet, who had no idea what was going on after randomly being included in the discussion. He didn't want to say it was Ochaco's fault because that would be rude, and it wasn't Hitoshi's either, so he went with the safest choice, as he answered, "Mine?"
"What…?! How?!" Ochaco exclaimed, because she honestly couldn't see how that would, in any way, be his fault.
Flinching at her volume, Izuku shrunk away from the brunette, feeling overwhelmed and stressed by all the questions being thrown his way. Until he caught sight of Toshinori coming back to the kitchen.
Sliding out of his chair, Izuku sprinted over to where his mentor was, leaving Ochaco and Hitoshi by themselves, as the former wondered why he left.
"Deku-kun…?"
"You were probably too hard on him…"
"What?" Ochaco turned back around, confused as she looked to Hitoshi for an explanation on what he said.
Swallowing the rice he had been chewing, Hitoshi placed his chopsticks down, before saying, "I think you overwhelmed Midoriya. I get you were trying to help him, and it wasn't a bad example, but you didn't take everything into account."
"What do you mean by that…?"
"Well, you didn't say what Midoriya's part was in this situation, where he was, what he was doing, if he saw what happened-"
"Why would I need to list all that…?! It's unnecessary!"
"You might think so, but it might have been necessary for him to know. Some people just need a visual example instead to help them learn, that's all." Hitoshi rubbed the back of his neck, before going back to his food, leaving Ochaco to herself, as the brunette thought about what he said.
While she had thought her example was pretty straight forward, not everyone thinks like she does. And thanks to the show, they have been able to get a glimpse at how strategic Izuku's mind is. How he analyzes the situation, and is able to come up with multiple different outcomes depending on the next move he takes. How much he can truly doubt himself, and believe that he really is someone who is worth less than nothing. How he tends to overthink everything.
"Overthinking…" Ochaco realized, gasping, as she reached out to shake Hitoshi while gaping, "Deku-kun is an overthinker…!"
'You're just now realizing this…?'
"That means that no matter what I say, a voice in the back of his head will tell him otherwise…! That's why he doesn't believe Iida-kun and I when we say we're his friends! I got to go convince him that we're friends and that nothing-"
"Woah- Wait- Slow down-" Hitoshi stretched his arm out in order to stop Ochaco, before she could start walking away, her brown eyes blinking down to him, as he sighed, explaining, "Everything doesn't have to be said in words… Judging from his past, he's had a lot of horrible words thrown his way. I can't believe I'm quoting my teachers, but 'Actions speak louder than words'... Yeah? Try showing that you want to be friends with Midoriya instead of just voicing them."
"Because the little voices in his head will try to convince him I'm lying…"
"Uh, If… that's how you want to see it, sure."
"Okay…!" Ochaco pumped herself up, clenching her fists, as she squeezed them together and brought her hands up to her chest, encouraging herself, "Show that I want to be Deku-kun's friend…! And show him visual examples…!"
Smiling down to her new friend, Ochaco brightly proclaimed, "Thanks, Shinso-kun!"
She was about to set off, leaving Hitoshi to his meal, as she caught sight of the freckled greenet, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw where Izuku was going. He was with Toshinori still, but the older man was leading her friend into his room, cracking the door behind them. She had no idea why, but she wasn't going to wait until they came out.
"Come on, Shinso-kun!"
"HUH…?! What are we doing?!"
Marching her way toward the other side of the room, dragging Hitoshi along with her, Ochaco skidded to a halt in front of the door, politely knocking against the wood. They waited there for a few seconds, before Toshinori appeared, smiling when he saw it was them.
"Greetings, Young Uraraka, Young Shinso. Is there something you need from Young Midoriya?"
"Yes, actually…!"
"And I need something from you if you don't mind, All Might."
The three of them slightly jumped at the gravelly voice from behind them, looking back to see Shota suddenly standing there. That sure checks out on him being an underground hero.
"Aizawa-kun…! I will be right with you in one moment." Toshinori spoke, gesturing for the two teenagers to come inside. Once Ochaco and Hitoshi came into the hero's room, he turned to them shortly after, saying with eagerance, "If you wouldn't mind, young heroes, while you are talking with your friend, would you mind looking after Young Midoriya while I speak with Aizawa-kun? He came to me wanting to start his training sooner rather than later, and it is not a good idea to leave him alone with all that equipment."
"You're not wrong there… But I don't know if we're the best people for the job-"
"We can always get someone else to help us…! Right after we've talked with Deku-kun." Ochaco bumped elbows with Hitoshi, who slightly flinched at the action. She didn't notice this, however, as she turned back to Toshinori, dipping her head with agreement, "We'll look after him for you, All Might. And I hope it's okay to bring someone else in here… I know you offered yesterday that we could train-"
"Oh, that offer goes to every one of you young children, Young Uraraka, it is not a problem. The only problem would be if I have enough equipment for all twenty-one of you…" Toshinori rubbed his chin for a second, then shrugged, as he smiled again with a nod, "Right then. The second door to the right will be where you'll find Young Midoriya. Now, I shouldn't keep Aizawa-kun waiting, should I?"
"Definitely not…! Thank you, All Might!" Ochaco bounced on the balls of her feet, waving, as he left, before grabbing her friend by his arm, and dragging him toward the room.
"H-Hey…!" Hitoshi exclaimed just as she threw open the door, scaring the unsuspecting greenet inside.
"Deku-kun!" Ochaco shouted, causing him to jump away from the dumbbell display, his scared green eyes on them, as the brunette called, softly this time, "Can we talk for a sec…?"
Shakily, Izuku nodded, shuffling over to where they were, before stopping, and putting a bit of a distance between them, which they both noticed. It only caused Ochaco's guilt to grow, seeing her friend so reluctant to approach them, and avoid eye contact after one miscommunication. If they were going to help Tenya, this wouldn't do.
"Deku-kun, I'm really sorry for pressuring you like that!" Ochaco exclaimed, bowing toward Izuku, who jumped at her volume, slowly beginning to panic, before she spoke up again, "Shinso-kun made me realize that I was making you uncomfortable, and I feel like an awful friend for not noticing-"
"WAIT- No, no, no, no, no- That's- That, um, that's…! You don't…! I…" Izuku cut her off, his mind running wild for an excuse that his mouth couldn't convey, but he knew this wasn't her fault, and that she shouldn't be apologizing to him.
"Deku-kun-" Ochaco tried to interrupt, worried that she might have overwhelmed him yet again, but an arm stopped her from moving toward Izuku, looking up to Hitoshi.
"Give him a minute…" he told her, with Ochaco wondering why he would say such a thing, but Hitoshi understood Izuku the most between the two of them.
Even though he only knew the other for a short time, Hitoshi felt a connection with Izuku once he got to open up a bit more with the greenet. He understood that they both had been ridiculed for what they dreamed to become, either by what they lacked, or what everyone thought they should be. Either way, no one believed they could be heroes, until they met each other, and found someone who actually believed in them. Of course, he didn't understand nor know this before, because he was scared, and had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he hadn't made it into the hero course, and that someone quirkless had. He was jealous, anyone would be if they were in his position.
And this fact continued to eat at him, despite already apologizing to Izuku and moving past it, as they deemed one another friends. Hitoshi squeezed Ochaco's shoulder, by accident, as his thoughts began to spiral again, telling him that he didn't deserve this, and they would turn on him eventually. Just like everyone else had once they learned his quirk and its abilities.
'Despite never even using it on anyone before or bragging about it…' Hitoshi really hated society sometimes.
Ochaco wasn't sure why she had to 'give him a minute', but this was taking too long, so, quietly, she started again, "Deku-kun, I know you don't believe I have anything to apologize for, or you think that you should be the one apologizing, but just hear me out for a second, okay?"
Shrugging off Hitoshi's hand, and gaining Izuku's full attention, Ochaco began to restart her apology.
"Deku-kun, I'm not the most observant person in the world, if you didn't already know, and I didn't know that I was making you uncomfortable. So that's why I'm apologizing. I should have noticed that you were uncomfortable, but I didn't." Ochaco took in a quick breath, noticing how Izuku had parted his lips, which she cut him off immediately, as she gestured for him to wait, continuing, "And I know you're going to say that 'It's fine' or 'It wasn't my fault', but it is. And there's nothing wrong with it being my fault. What would be wrong is if I didn't apologize, which would not only be wrong, but rude. And mean. Like Bakugo-kun…"
"I can agree with that…"
"Um…" Izuku tried to speak up, to defend both Ochaco and Katsuki, but he suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Regardless, in the end, I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Shinso-kun told me actions speak louder than words, which I forgot about, so from this point on, I'll show you how you are my friend and that not everything is your fault…!" Ochaco felt pretty proud of herself, almost going to give herself a pat on the back, before she remembered where she was, doing so mentally.
Glancing back over to Izuku, the brunette wondered what his response would be to what she said, hoping that she would be able to follow through with it as time went on. Ochaco knew she could do it, but she'd probably keep trying to tell the greenet that they would always, and forever, be friends. She also knew that it couldn't be helped, as she could be very affectionate in her friendships, both physically and verbally. It was just the kind of charm she had, but she was getting kind of nervous that Izuku wasn't saying anything. She hoped she didn't go too far in her apology, or in what she said, to make him feel uncomfortable again.
Izuku really didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something, he'd never been apologized to, and a 'thank you' didn't seem appropriate. But saying that he forgave her didn't seem right either, Ochaco spilled her feelings out to her, and it would be rude of him just to say that it was okay.
'The tension in this room is starting to become too much…' Hitoshi wondered if changing the subject would do any good, "So, Midoriya, All Might said you wanted to start that training sooner rather than later…?"
"Uh…"
"Oh yeah! All Might told us to look after you, but Shinso-kun said we weren't the best people to look after you, so then I offered to go get someone to help…! I should go get someone to help you, Deku-kun- Be right back!"
Before either of them could stop her, Ochaco dashed out of the room, leaving Hitoshi alone with Izuku for the first time. He'd never been alone with the greenet before.
'Shit- This isn't what I thought would happen…' Hitoshi cringed when he looked back over to Izuku, and found the boy quiet again, staring at the floor, almost frozen. He needed to think of something to say, but nothing really came to mind, until he recalled what Toshinori told him and Ochaco, coughing into his hand to gain his friend's attention, as he asked, "So, um, why did you come in here to… train?"
"Oh, well, um, to-to possess One for- One for All, All Might said you need a… proper, um… physique."
"Huh, no wonder you're so different on screen." Hitoshi mumbled, which made the other boy flinch, until he wondered next to Izuku, "But why do you want to start now? You don't want to wait until we get back to start properly?"
"Um, well…" Izuku's mouth quivered, thinking about what he told All Might, causing him to cast his eyes down to the set of dumbbells, running his finger along the cool metal. Taking in a breath, the boy told himself that why he was here wasn't embarrassing, and that Hitoshi was his friend, so he would understand, maybe even help him. Clenching his fist, he sheepishly looked back up, and began to stutter out, "I, uh… I ca-came here to… to, uh, train… to train my, uh… I told… I told All Might that if… if I was gonna be able to help people… Then I… Then I couldn't wait… around, and that I… That I… needed to start training…"
Recalling his performance in the Sports Festival, and thinking about Shoto, Izuku teared up a little, before wiping at his eyes, while he went on to say, "I want to help people… And I… I can't do that if I wait until we get home… I can't… help… Todoroki-kun, or Iida-kun, or you, Shinso-kun- or Kacchan if I stay how I am… Kacchan was right, too… about how we can't get into the hero course as we a-are…"
Hitoshi wasn't expecting to be addressed, widening his eyes, until he recalled the moment that the other was referring to. And while he strongly disliked Katsuki for the things he said, he couldn't argue with what the blond had said that time. If he and Izuku were going to be heroes, and make it for U.A. High's entrance exam in less than a year, then they would need to get to training as soon as possible.
"Well, can't argue with that. Guess I'll have to roll my sleeves up, too." Hitoshi smirked, and while it at first frightened him, Izuku soon realized he was just getting excited, soon expressing his own determination when Ochaco returned.
"What did you need to talk about, Aizawa-kun?"
"It's about Bakugo. Again." Shota didn't like adding that word, but it at least told Toshinori that this had to do with Tomura once more, explaining, "Shigaraki Tomura is getting too comfortable here, and I am worried for my future student."
"Look, Aizawa-kun, I completely understand your concerns for Young Bakugo. But it is as you said before, there is nothing we can do about this situation, with the invisible barrier keeping us away."
"I think this room was designed that way for a reason…" Shota really didn't want to say this out loud, having thought about it ever since Tomura tried to kidnap Katsuki, but he gave in, narrowing his eyes, as he wondered, "Don't you find it suspicious that only the students can go between the barriers? As if they were asked to choose which side they would rather be on…"
"Aizawa-kun, you… you don't think-"
"I don't- I really don't think any of these students would become villains… Or even be persuaded by Shigaraki to join his League…"
"But it still worries you, yes…?" Toshinori already knew the answer, as his own fears of this scenario sent shivers up his spine. But he also remembered something else the voice said about the border, widening his eyes in hope, as he shared this information with Shota, "Aizawa-kun, there is also a positive. Villains who have not taken the life of another are also able to cross this boundary, which means that there could be a possibility of redemption…!"
"Just because a villain hasn't killed anyone doesn't mean that the crimes they committed weren't just as heinous. And truthfully, I would much rather Shigaraki be the only villain that enters this place." Shota spoke with a flick of his tongue, closing his eyes at the thought of any other criminals coming here. However, the underground hero couldn't argue because he felt the same, saying so to Toshinori, as he sighed, "But, I will admit, that would be nice…"
One less criminal on the street meant less people in danger and a safer town.
"Perhaps we should also discuss this with Young Bakugo? Or simply tell the boy our thoughts so that our minds can be assured." Toshinori offered, for the both of them, before placing a hand on his heart, as he pronounced, "Because believe me, Aizawa-kun, despite only knowing the young lad for a mere two days, I know Young Bakugo wouldn't dare become a villain."
"I believe you, and I can see that in him as well… Despite his actions toward the other students…" Shota wanted to have another talk with the pair of teens about their issues.
A part of him knew he shouldn't intrude, but in his head, he told himself to wait until Katsuki was ready to talk. Maybe then, they might make some progress on helping the two and get along better. Overall, though, he knew nothing would help unless someone gave them a shove in the right direction.
'And this also isn't the right time to be thinking about that…' Shota scolded himself, closing his eyes to focus on the situation at hand, before nodding to Toshinori, agreeing, "Let's. We should speak with him before he goes to his room."
"Well, we're in luck, then, Aizawa-kun…" Toshinori grinned when he looked past Shota, who slightly turned around to see what the older man was referring to, catching sight of Katsuki.
The young blond was walking away from the kitchen, in the direction of his room, but the pro heroes waited until Katsuki was closer to his door to stop him.
Once they started walking over, just as Katsuki went to slide his door open, Toshinori stopped the teen, and asked him with a gentle smile, "Young Bakugo, may we speak with you for a moment?"
"Huh?" Katsuki, having not expected them, was caught off guard for a moment, before he composed himself, as he huffed in response, "Sure."
"We just wished to speak with you - briefly - about an issue that we noticed had arisen." Toshinori started, vague and unclear, which Shota would not have begun this conversation with. However, he let him keep going, as the vibrant blond told Katsuki, "It is within Aizawa-kun and I- In our best interest that we bring this to your attention, just to put our minds at ease."
"Okay. What is it?"
"To keep you and the other students safe, we do not want any of you crossing the boundary." Shota went straight to the point, which Toshinori would not have done. However, since he had initiated the conversation, he allowed him to continue, as the underground hero looked to Katsuki, who had his full attention on the dark-haired man, when he stated, "Especially you, Bakugo. As I'm sure you're aware, Shigaraki has taken an interest in you and has blatantly tried to kidnap you as well. In order to protect you, and the rest of the students, I ask that you refrain from crossing that border again. Understood?"
Katsuki didn't verbally reply, but he did nod once, before asking afterwards, "That all? I already knew that."
"Yes, that's all." Shota took a step back for good measures to signal that the kid could go back to what he was doing, Katsuki reaching for his door again, slowly sliding it open, before disappearing inside.
"Young Bakugo took that better than I thought he would… But, do you believe it was wise to single him out like that, Aizawa-kun?"
"We should inform the other students once they assemble back in the room…" Shota began walking back toward the kitchen area, planning to get a proper meal this time, while thinking to himself about Toshinori's question.
Singling him out like that was good for the boy himself, Shota knew that much, as it provided a safe space for the kid to say anything he wanted to say without judgment. However, he knew that once he told the other students about the new rule, and if one of them were to question why he didn't tell Katsuki or where he was, there could potentially be a problem. Finding out what the ash blond had said to Izuku had caused a divide between them, picking sides, and creating unnecessary tension.
He knew Izuku wasn't someone to purposefully make someone look bad, especially when it came to Katsuki, even though the boy had been nothing but relentless to the other. However, Shota was notgoing to continue to pry into their issues when neither of them wanted his help. He would wait until one of them came to him, unless it eventually got too far, which he would interfere then.
'Still, it wouldn't hurt to figure out how Kaminari got that information out of Midoriya…' Shota thought to himself, and luckily, Denki was still in the area, sitting quietly with Shoto. Which was surprising, wondering where the rest of the students ventured to, as he approached the pair, gaining their attention when he asked, "Do either of you know where the others went?"
"Oh-" Denki perked up, while Shoto slightly flinched at his volume, as the blond explained, "They went to All Might's room to train. Or they went to their rooms to sleep. Or maybe even the bathroom. I stayed so Shoto wouldn't be left alone with the bastard."
"Language, Kaminari. He is still the number two hero, but… thank you." Shota sighed, grateful that the bright-haired teen was thoughtful enough to stay with his friend. Standing up straight, he paid his sights to Shoto, who was silently poking at his meal, until he gently asked the boy, "Shoto, did you not want to train with the others?"
The hero's question caught him by surprise, not showing it, as he thought about what Shota asked. However, when he was about to answer the man, Enji abruptly stood up, his chair creaking against the tile, and causing Shoto to flinch, while the three others glanced in his direction.
"Shoto has a strict training regime that he must follow-"
"SHUT UP-"
"Kaminari…!" Shota hissed, before stepping between them and Enji, who scowled down at him.
"Step away from my son, Eraser."
"Show him who's boss, Aizawa Sensei…!" Kaminari quietly cheered on their future homeroom teacher, which caused Shota to sigh at the boy's antics.
"Shoto is able to train on his own. Without parentalsupervision." Shota was being very polite, wishing he could insult the man if he wasn't such an admirable hero.
"You may be used to being in a position of power, Eraser, with your teachings, but I-"
"'-am the number two hero'. I don't care about who you are or what hero ranking you have. You are nottaking another step toward this boy. Ever…! You have shown us how you treat Shoto, and I will not stay quiet! You will lose custody of your children and be stripped of your license…! I will make sure of it!"
While Denki was grinning at what he heard, Enji was glaring back at Shota, who was leading his son away from him. He wouldn't care if Natsu or Fuyumi left his custody, it was only his youngest that would stay under his roof. He didn't need those failures, he didn't care if they died, it would be one less disappointment on this earth.
Toya had already failed him, Shoto wouldn't.
'But if these people wouldn't get out of my way-'Enji grumbled, about to tear his son away from their hands, when he was suddenly stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.
Whipping his head around, he was furious to find Toshinori, in his hero form, giving him a look, as Enji had to listen to his rival say, "Endeavor, it has been a long day for all of us. The last thing Young Shoto wants to do right now is train- Just allow him to rest for the evening-"
"I don't care what Shoto wants." Enj wasn't going to have this conversation with Toshinori, of all people, shoving the man's hand away, as he headed toward his bedroom.
Watching the spiky-haired hero slam his door shut, Toshinori coughed, transforming back into his true form, as he wiped his mouth, before sighing at the lack of blood. He didn't think his time limit was being affected each time he transformed here, but it was clear that he couldn't hold it for long. It wasn't a big deal, however, he couldn't fight the villain that was here nor was there any need for him to transform. He trusted the students and heroes, mostly, that had come here.
'But that isn't important right now.' Toshinori reminded himself, glancing over to where Shota was, looking for Shoto after he saw Denki was beside the man. When he couldn't find the other, he made his way over to where they were heading back to him, wondering, as he stopped in front of them, "A-Aizawa-kun, where's Young Shoto?"
"He wanted to go to his room. Said he was tired, and I don't blame the kid."
"Yeah… After everything that was shown, I would want to stay in bed all day, too… I mean, Midoriya went through that yesterday, and it was Shoto today… Who's next for tomorrow…?!"
"Hopefully it will be a quiet day for tomorrow's viewing session…" Toshinori doubted it would be anything but that if Izuku's internship would be with Sorahiko, and that haunting message about Tenya at the end of the episode. But he couldn't say that out loud.
"Kaminari, could you head into All Might's room and tell the other students about what I told you?" Shota asked the boy, causing the student to blink up at the man, before nodding, as he saluted.
"Yes, sir!"
While Denki ran off to enter his open door, with Toshinori watching him disappear behind the door, he turned back to Shota, who spoke before he could, "He found out about the suicide baiting by accident."
"Pardon?"
"He and Iida had asked Midoriya if he was suicidal, and thinking they knew something about Bakugo, accidentally revealed that Bakugo had said as such…" Shota rubbed the back of his neck, admitting next, "I knew Midoriya wasn't one to spread gossip, so this makes more sense… Midoriya's a terrible liar."
Toshinori wanted to disagree, but he honestly couldn't, and that hurt to know, though, he pushed that away, as he asked Shota, "Why did you question Young Kaminari about this information?"
"I was thinking about Bakugo and Midoriya, and about their issues, and how the students finding out Bakugo 'said' that to Midoriya had caused a divide among them. I wanted to figure out how it happened."
"Ah, that makes sense." Toshinori didn't know how it happened, but now that he thought about it, he didn't even think about how it could have happened.
"I'm going to get something to eat… And then sleep for a month."
"Please don't do that, Aizawa-kun."
Watching them walk over to the kitchen, Denki thought about what the two had said. Which they probably didn't want him to hear, but it's hard to not listen in when the room is so quiet. And he wanted to sharply disagree with what Shota said about them being divided, because no one would be on the side of someone who wished death on another.
Shaking his head, Denki remembered he had a message to deliver, so forgetting what the two heroes had talked about, he headed inside. Walking in, the sparked blond observed how big Toshinori's room was, not expecting it to be so big. Then again, he is the number one hero, so it made sense, but he never imagined there to be so much room.
Knocking against the door, Denki called everyone to attention, as he cleared his throat to announce, "Aizawa Sensei wanted me to pass on a message about a new rule…!"
"Okay, what is it?"
"And can you follow it…?!" Hanta teased back, with Denki shooting him a glare at his chuckle.
"Aizawa Sensei doesn't want us going to the other side…! So don't do it!" Denki finished, bringing his hands back down to his side, as he stood by the doorframe. Awkwardly going back to what they were doing, the teens were faintly startled when he called out again, "That was all! As you were!"
Walking over to where Hanta and Eijiro were testing some weights on the leg press machine, Denki stood by, as he watched them for a second, before saying, "Bakugo probably can't follow it…"
"What?"
"The rule." Denki explained, gesturing to himself, as he reminded Hanta, "You said I couldn't follow the rule that Aizawa Sensei instated, but I think it'll be Bakugo who breaks it first."
"What makes… you say that…?" Mashirao huffed, performing sit ups nearby, with Koji holding his feet down.
"Well, because he's Bakugo."
"That's not… a good reason… in my book…"
"Okay, and…? Were you not there when we all found out that Bakugo fucking told Midoriya to kill himself…?! Only a villain would say that."
"Okay, woah, woah, woah! Too far, Kaminari." Hanta stopped his friend right where he was, quickly glancing to where Izuku was, making sure the greenet hadn't heard. Focusing back on Denki, he grabbed his shoulder, as he pulled him closer so he could whisper through his teeth, "What the fuck are you so pissy for…?!"
"What? You seriously don't agree…?"
"No, of course not. Do you remember anything I told you at lunch?" Hanta got to thinking about what he said during their break, which then got him thinking further about what else was said, which prompted him to say, "Actually, do you remember anything that was said at lunch…?"
"Uh, YEAH?! Bakugo telling sweet, pure Midoriya to kill himself…!"
"Aside from that, dumbass." Hanta bonked him on the head, Denki wincing at the light tap, as the dark-haired boy reminded him, "Shoji said this wasn't our business. That's what I was trying to get you to remember. And that we inferred Bakugo didn't actually say this, it was just futurized. So fucking drop it, Kaminari."
"I can't drop this…! This is serious!"
"Yeah, I know- I get that, but how can we help, Kaminari? All that we can do is be there for Midoriya as support, right? We don't have to make Bakugo the bad guy because honestly, that just seems to make it worse." Hanta sighed, as he thought about how scared Izuku was when trying to keep them from knowing. It probably would have been better if Denki had kept his mouth shut, but suicide is a serious matter, he could admit, repeating to his friend so that he hopefully listened to him this time, "This isn't our place. Not Midoriya's situation, not Shoto's, none of it. The best we can do is be there for the both of them and show them that we care. You can say all the insults you want toward Bakugo and Endeavor, but think to yourself if that would help or not first."
"It would help me feel better…"
"Remember, this isn't for you." Hanta stated, him and Eijiro switched places on the machine.
As he began his sets, it gave the other a chance to talk to Denki, causing Eijiro to fiddle with his thumbs, before he mustered up the courage to say, "You know, I talked with Bakugo a little bit during that break… I, uh… said things like how he was… a cool person…?"
Hearing Denki scoff, it caused him to shrink and stay quiet, until Hanta called out, "Really…? You actually said that to him? Wish I could have seen his face when hearing that… What else did you say, Kirishima?"
"Um…" Eijiro didn't think they wanted to know, but swallowing the lump in his throat, he continued, "I told him that I thought he wasn't as he seemed… That- That he… actually cared-"
"About what? Himself?"
"Kaminari, shut it…!" Hanta scolded, which had Denki rolling his eyes, as he turned back to their friend, trying to encourage Eijiro again, "Ignore him, Kirishima."
"I… I think Bakugo actually does… care… in his… in his own way… you know? I asked why he saved Midoriya at the USJ, and, uh… he kind of… Well, it would make sense if he didn't have an answer since he didn't actually save Midoriya, but… he was… he called me 'stupid' for asking that, which was… fair… But he…" Eijiro wasn't sure how to say this because even he wasn't sure why he said it.
"He…?" Hanta was still trying to get it all out of his friend, however.
"I'm not sure how to say this, but I just… I don't know, as soon as I got talking about it, I-I just couldn't stop…!"
"You basically gave him a free therapy session. You should start charging for those…" Kyoka suddenly butted in, surprising the three, until she went to retell what had happened, "Kirishima said that it wasn't fair how everyone was treating him, and that the way he was raised wasn't his fault, nor how he acted toward others, even though he should be held responsible for some things. Then went to say that in his own way, Bakugo was trying to stop Midoriya from pursuing heroics, which was why he said the suicide threat, but he didn't mean it in that way. Which is messed up, Kirishima."
"Yeah…"
"Oh, and let's not forget you calling Bakugo a 'good person' and that you kind of called him useless if he didn't show his worth to everyone around him." Kyoka finished up, bringing her hand to her hip, as she tapped her foot against the tile, humming, "Huh, you'd probably make a pretty fine therapist actually, Kirishima."
"I'd say! What the fuck was all that…?! YOU said that…?! To Bakugo?! Of all people?! AND you didn't die!"
"Uh…" Eijiro could feel his face starting to heat up, his heart began to pound in his chest from how loud Hanta was talking. Everyone was beginning to glance in their direction, realizing, as he made eye contact with a certain greenet that Izuku had been listening to them the whole time, signaling this to his friend, as he hissed, "Maybe we should talk about this another time…?"
Getting his cue, and also stealing a look for himself, Hanta backed up, while he sighed, "You really are something, Kirishima… I guess that's why Bakugo suddenly dragged you out of nowhere…"
As Hanta went back to his sets, Kyoka leaving the trio alone to go back to what she was doing, Izuku was taking in everything that Eijiro had apparently said to the ash blond. If that were true, if that was truly what Katsuki thought of him, what could that possibly mean for him? For both of them?
Someone nudged him out of his thoughts, startling Izuku, as he whipped around to blink at large brown eyes, with Ochaco stating, "Try not to think about it too hard, Deku-kun. We don't know for sure if that's how Bakugo-kun really feels, it's only Kirishima-kun's interpretation."
"Yeah…" Hitoshi huffed, lifting a ten-pound dumbbell, having been doing so for a while, as he groaned out, "Bakugo's a… really… hard guy… to read…!"
Grunting, he dropped the weight, letting it slip from his hands, as Hitoshi grumbled out, hanging his head, "Shit, I need a break…"
"Taking breaks while working out is a necessity…! You won't have a six pack in just a day, you gotta work for it!" Ochaco, who had been lifting twenty pounds, her pinkies raised, encouraged the purplenet with a grin, as she continued her sets. Turning back to Izuku, she picked up from where Hitoshi left off, "Like Shinso-kun said, we can't know for sure that that's what Bakugo-kun's thinking, but… you might know him better?"
"No, I, um… Kacchan…" Izuku didn't know how to answer that.
While they didn't really talk to each other the previous night, they still listened to what the other had to say. How Katsuki didn't mean what he said to him about taking his own life, even though he hadn't said it, and how Izuku still looked up to the blond, despite everything. But even though they knew each other their whole lives, neither of them actually knew the other, or what one of them could be thinking about. In the grand scheme of things, they were like strangers.
Izuku didn't like that one bit. But he didn't know how he could change that.
With the room back to a quiet hum, a few beginning to exit, Fumikage set down his barbell, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Dark Shadow, his spotter, retracted back into his body, as he allowed himself to take a moment of rest, breathing in slowly to not overexert his physique. Taking this minute to think as well, he was reminded of Toshinori's words during the award ceremony, talking about how he needed to not rely on his quirk so much. Which was why he had taken up the offer to train his body and strength.
However, as he got deeper into his thoughts, Fumikage wondered if the others would want to help him arrange a sparring match somewhere. Everyone had improvements they needed to work on, so there could at least be someone else here that was thinking the same thing. Though, he didn't want to make that assumption, and there was also the problem of where they could even spar with enough room. This one was being occupied by others doing their own sets and exercise, and while the theater room was an adequate size, there was the trouble of the couches being in the way.
"Why not ask, Fumikage?"
"Impractical, Dark Shadow. It is not humane to concern those who are ignorant. My troubles are mine to overcome, and I will not stand for endangering-"
"Hey, Fumikage wants to host a sparring match! Is anyone interested?"
"DARK SHADOW…!"
"A sparring match…?" Rikido raised a brow to that, placing down his own barbell, before asking his peer, "I'm interested, but where would we have room for one, Tokoyami?"
"That was my own dilemma when the idea came to me." Fumikage dipped his head, closing his eyes, as he placed a hand to his beak, speaking once more, "While this room would be a decent size, there is one glaring problem that arises. I pondered if the outside quarters would be suitable, however, yet another issue occurs."
"I bet it wouldn't hurt to ask the voice if it can be moved…" Mashirao sat up, gaining their attention, while the blond took a moment to catch his breath, before reminding them, "I mean, we did convince them to set up a game for us to play on that TV. It probably wouldn't be hard to ask if the couches could be removed for more room."
"This place will continue to confuse me if that ends up being possible…" Kyoka grumbled under her breath, before going back to her stretches.
"Oh yeah, definitely, but I'd totally be interested…!" Mina jumped to her feet, stopping beside Fumikage, before she informed them, "I'm not really interested in sparring, but I'd totally love to watch."
"If we're doing this in the theater, I wouldn't be able to participate without my tail getting in the way. Though, I'd be fine with being the gyōji." Mashirao chuckled at his little joke, however, what he said only further confused Rikido.
"Wait, are we sumo wrestling…? Also, if we're doing this out there, that means we'd be doing quirkless sparring, right?"
"Indeed. That is what I originally planned."
"Oh, you're going off of All Might's advice…?" Mezo remembered how his friend had taken the number one hero's advice to heart. Fumikage nodded as confirmation toward his question, and in turn, he looked to where Mashirao was, before agreeing with the tail-quirked boy, "Then the theater room would be the best option so that we don't accidentally call on our quirks. I would also agree with Ojiro that getting the seats moved wouldn't be too much of an issue."
"Then what are we waiting for…?!" Mina softly exclaimed, grabbing for their hands, as she began to drag Mezo and Fumikage toward the door, while calling back, "Does anyone else wanna join us?!"
"I'm good, go ahead." Kyoka answered back, yet went to follow them out anyway.
"Midori-kun, Uraraka, Shinso?"
"Uh…"
"We're okay, thanks Ashido-san…! Tell me who wins!"
With his friends choosing not to go, Izuku shook his head in the pink-skinned student's direction as well. He had already decided not to head out just yet anyway, but if Ochaco or Hitoshi had wanted to go, he would have followed. He wanted to make the most of what was available to him, before they had to eventually leave this place.
"I should probably stay, then…" Mezo hummed under his breath, before gently shifting his wrist out of Mina's grip, informing them, as she stopped, "I'll stay in here and help them. I'll come back out when they're done."
"If you're sure, Shoji."
"It would probably be cheating anyway…!" Mina chuckled out, which got the six-armed teen thinking for a moment.
"Not really, my quirk may be called Dupli-Arms, but it's what I can do with my six arms that actually makes it a quirk. If Dupli-Arms was all I had to my quirk, I probably wouldn't be able to use my other four arms out there…"
"I think she was joking, but that's kind of horrifying to think about when you put it that way…" Mashirao hissed through his teeth, while Mina's jaw dropped, the other students among them widening their eyes onto Mezo.
Exiting the room, and making sure they cracked Toshinori's door, the five walked back out into the open, just as Toru made her way out of the bathroom. When Mina spotted the girl, she immediately broke away from the other guys, skipping down toward her invisible friend.
"Hagakure…!"
"Ashido-chan, what's going on?"
"Tokoyami wanted to do sparring without our quirks, so we came outside where it was better."
"Ah, okay…!" Toru beamed, the two girls watching when the couches suddenly disappeared into thin air, before it was replaced with a boxing ring display. Getting over the shock of what just happened, she followed Mina over to the kitchen, while she asked, "Where's Midoriya-kun?"
"He wanted to stay in All Might's room with Uraraka and Shinso. Shoji also stayed to help them."
"He didn't want to spar with them?"
"Nah, besides, he'd be crushed by them- I mean, he's just so tiny and adorable…! He couldn't hurt a fly." Mina squealed, skipping, as Toru giggled, agreeing with that statement. Reaching the kitchen area, they waltzed over to where the troublesome trio were, as she called out to them, "Hey, guys…! Whatcha doing…?!"
"We're coming up with hero names…!" Denki and Hanta answered immediately, while Eijiro shrunk a bit into his seat, slowly continuing to eat his noodles.
"Wait, why?" Mina first asked, before gasping, as she bounced on the balls of her feet, pleading, "Can you tell me…?!"
"Okay, so for Shinso-"
"Wait, they aren't for you?" Toru interrupted, her shirt tilting slightly to one side, as she asked next, "Why are you coming up with hero names that aren't for you guys?"
"Well, Kirishima started going on a ramble that he liked his hero name, but didn't think he deserved-"
"That's a lie, Sero. You asked Kirishima what he thought of his hero name, said you liked it, which then made him say that he did too, just didn't think he deserved it. Like Iida felt about the name 'Ingenium'."
"Well, I just tried to say back that he deserved that hero name and then some, and you got onto the topic of coming up with a hero name for him, which Kirishima luckily said no to, because God knows how bad it would have turned out to be."
"Hey, just because I thought Jiro's name of 'Jamming-Yay' was good, doesn't mean I'm terrible at names…! I literally came up with ChargeBolt andexplained how I came up with it! You're the one who wanted to come up with a hero name for Shoto shortly after-"
"Okay, okay, okay…!" Mina raised her voice in order to shut the argument down, bringing the three boys' attention to her again, as she sighed, Toru watching her friend calm herself down, before she questioned them again, "As Hagakure asked before, why are you coming up with hero names that aren't for you? And as I asked before, can we hear them?"
"Shinso deserves a hero name, no? Even if he's not in the hero course, we should hear him out or help give him suggestions, right?"
"What'd you say about me…?!"
Spinning around in the direction of where the voice came from, the five students saw Hitoshi standing outside Toshinori's room. While Izuku, Ochaco, and Mezo slipped around the purplenet, he was staring over to them, as if waiting for them to answer his question.
"Shinso, buddy, pal! We promise it was all good-"
"Shinso, Shinso, Shinso!" Denki dashed across the room to reach the wavy-haired boy, soon followed by Mina and Toru, as they approached Hitoshi, who took a few steps back, until his back hit the wall.
"Um, yes…?"
"I came up with an excellent hero name for you, and I wanted your thoughts…!" Denki exclaimed to him excitedly, inching closer to him, as Hitoshi moved away from him, before the blond eventually revealed his splendid suggestion, "What do you think about 'Mystery'...?! Eh?!"
"As… a hero name…?" Hitoshi hoped he was joking.
"Yeah, doesn't it sound cool…?!" Denki was very much not joking, if his bright smile had anything to say about that.
"That was what the big reveal was about?"
"Wow… Maybe you should leave the naming to Jiro instead."
Quietly slipping away from their argument, Hitoshi headed down toward the kitchen where Izuku and Ochaco were sitting with Toshinori. However, as the purplenet got closer to them, he suddenly paused when he got sight of what was laying in Shota's lap, confused, as he looked from the man himself, then to his cat. A pure white cat, sitting on black clothing, that the other wore. From experience, he knew how difficult it was to get cat fur off of clothing; his uniforms for school were never free from it.
"Um… Do you want me to get rid of her, or…?"
"If you're talking about your cat, she doesn't have to move, no. She's perfectly fine." Shota replied back, before bringing his spoon to his lips, sipping his hot soup slowly, and giving Hitoshi time to process his words. Choosing to sit down and being careful not to disturb his sleeping feline, the boy was a little surprised when he was suddenly asked, "What is your cat's name again?"
"Uh… Yuki…" Hitoshi felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him at Shota's raised brow, before he forced out an explanation, "The- The cat was named by my little sister, so… That's why it sounds so… simple."
"What did you originally want to name her?"
"Uh…" Hitoshi was now feeling ever more hesitant to answer that question, knowing that there was a likely chance he wouldn't understand the reference, as he uttered in response, "Y-Yuumi… Af… After a character in a… g-game I… play…"
'I don't think I've seen Shinso-kun embarrassed like this before…!' Ochaco hadn't noticed how the purplenet had acted before they became friends, when Hitoshi was very much reluctant to accept their praise for him.
"It's not a bad name, both of them." Shota nodded, glancing down to the blissfully sleeping cat, gently reaching down to gently stroke her fur, as Yuki began to softly purr in approval.
Squealing with sealed lips, Ochaco melted at the sound, until she was eventually able to ask, "Do you have a cat, Aizawa Sensei?"
"Not currently. My job as an underground hero doesn't give me the luxury to take care of a cat."
"Aww, don't be like that, Aizawa Sensei…! I'm sure you could find room out of your busy schedule to play with a cat!"
Shota thought of Sushi hearing that, sighing, as he countered, "I think it would be better for the cat to have someone else to take care of them for now."
"What about once you retire, Aizawa-kun? A little companion such as a kitten would make your retirement days feel more tolerable. I hear stories of heroes being restless after retirement."
"You would totally fall into that category…!" Ochaco chuckled lightly after the number one hero's suggestion, while Shota only stared the two of them down to the point where Izuku thought the dark-haired hero was mad.
With his stomach growling from the calories that were burned, and his throat suddenly becoming parched, Hitoshi stood up to get a plate, until he heard Shota call out, "Where are you heading to?"
"Oh, um… I just, uh, wanted to get something…"
Seeing him gesture to the assortment of food behind him, Shota nodded back to the light-haired teen, before he said next, "That's fine. Go ahead, but come back here. I have to talk to you about something, along with you two."
"What about us?" Ochaco blinked, while Hitoshi went to quickly get himself something to eat.
"It's about Iida." Shota simply replied, which immediately caught both of their attention, and also hurriedly brought Hitoshi back to the table. Taking a deep breath, he carefully exhaled, making sure not to startle Yuki, as he gently spoke, "Look, I completely understand that you want to help Iida with his grief. I find that very admirable of you all to do. However, giving him room and waiting for him to come to you first to talk is also a way to help him. When tomorrow comes, I want you to give him some space first. Let him have his meal first, and afterwards, we can talk to him, together."
"Okay… Yeah, I think that makes sense…" Ochaco hummed, pressing her back into her chair, as she sighed out, "It just makes me feel worse to know he's going through this alone… I really want to help him sort out his feelings…"
"I understand. I know this is difficult to process and you want to be there for him. I'm just saying that I don't want you kids trying to do this on your own."
The three of them nodded in agreement, until Izuku softly spoke, with tears forming in his eyes, "I'm just scared… I don't want to lose I-Iida-kun…"
Those ominous words that he spoke at the end of the last episode came back to mind, fear striking deep into their heart, as Hitoshi almost choked on his food at the thought of death. While the two heroes also became frightened by the implications of the greenet's words, Ochaco reached out, and gently intertwined their fingers together. Slightly surprised by her action, Izuku jolted faintly, before he caught sight of her comforting brown gaze on him, squeezing his hand softly, as she smiled. Seeing that kind expression on her face, and a look that told me everything was going to be okay, made the tears he was holding back fall silently, shutting his eyes, as he tightly gripped her hand.
The moment came to an end at the echoing of cheers coming from the open room. Interested to see what was going on, Hitoshi headed toward the direction, with Shota simply standing up after Yuki left his lap, the teacher prepared in case he needed to diffuse a commotion. With her curiosity piqued as well, Ochaco took her attention off Izuku to look over as well, and see what was going on.
"Go ahead and see what's happening, Young Uraraka." Toshinori insisted, as the brunette turned back around to catch his gentle smile, telling her, "I'll look after Young Midoriya for you…"
Slowly nodding to the hero before glancing back down to her dear friend, Ochaco stood up, and carefully weaved her hand from his. Once the brown-haired girl left, along with finding that the other two were gone as well, Izuku straightened up, before looking over to Toshinori, who went back to his food.
"If it is my understanding, you have a few questions for me, correct, Young Midoriya?"
While yes, there were things the greenet wanted to ask his mentor before, Izuku was faintly surprised to know that Toshinori was already expecting it. Then again, it was probably inevitable for anyone to ask questions in this kind of situation.
Hearing the kid begin to mutter quietly about his thoughts and theories, Toshinori chuckled softly, which then startled Izuku out of what he was saying. Luckily though, the blond didn't speak about it, only waited for his successor to talk to him, or tell me he wasn't ready, which he understood. One for All was a power that came with a lot of questions and information.
"How many other users were there before you…? I remember it being… something mentioned about there being, um… nine, I think, people when I was under Shinso-kun's quirk… I was curious about the previous holders, too… I-If you know more, uh… about them…"
Unfortunately, this was a question Toshinori would have to save that answer for another day. His information was limited, as he didn't have the insight to ask Nana about her mentor, and he really didn't want to tell Izuku about the horror this power held.
"There were seven other holders than us, you being the ninth." Toshinori replied, watching how the small child sat up just a bit taller, while he went on to say, "However, I am afraid I don't know much about the other holders other than my predecessor."
"Oh, that's… that's okay, then… I…"
"Did you have any other questions on your mind, Young Midoriya?"
"No, um, that was… mostly it, I was… I was just curious about what you meant by what you said with Recovery Girl, but that's not really important…" Izuku uttered out, with Toshinori faintly widening his eyes, until the greenet stood up, avoiding his gaze, as he said, "I'm gonna head to my room now…"
"Tired?"
"Ve-"
A yawn interrupted his words, earning another chuckle from Toshinori, as he told Izuku, "You rest well, Young Midoriya. It has been quite a long day."
"Okay, um, but I was curious if I could maybe… do some more training tomorrow…? Ei-Either break is fine… with me…"
"Yes, that would be quite all right with me." Toshinori liked the young teen's compassionate spirit, remembering how Izuku wanted to start his training early in order to get a head start, so he could help his friends sooner. It was just the sort of heart that he was looking for in a successor.
With Izuku heading off to the bathroom, and Toshinori following behind shortly after, the other students noticed, and came to realize how tired they were becoming themselves. Once they had bathed, brushed their teeth, and wished them a goodnight, they headed for the rooms to go to sleep, and awaited the next day. Knowing what they did now, they all tried to use the bathroom so that their sleep wouldn't be disturbed, and they would be well rested for the next day.
However, while the students and heroes had all the time in the world to sleep, a certain villain was still out in the open, snoozing away. Eventually, Tomura soon woke up, and realized he was all alone, as he blinked his drowsiness away.
"Huh…? Where'd the brats go?"
"The other attendees have removed themselves from this room."
"Ain't it time to eat or some shit?"
"There is no time set for your provided meals, you may eat whenever you request it."
"Then get me some damn food…"
After eating his fill and making it to his door, Tomura also carried a water bottle with him so he wouldn't have to leave his room early. In order to play his video games and get some sleep, before dealing with the stupid heroes, and their worshiping, brainwashed children.
Sleep wouldn't come to Shoto, he felt like he was laying in his bed for hours. The clock could only tell him the time of midnight, so it was his guess how long he'd been staring at the ceiling in thought.
He didn't think it was possibly for someone to think this much, this fast. His mind would think about one thing, before it would suddenly jump to the next thought, only for something to remind him of something else. Shoto's head began to hurt by how much he was thinking, squeezing his eyes shut, and turning in his bed to hide under the covers.
But when he closed his eyes, it only caused his thoughts to become vivid, with one bob of green hair appearing for him to gasp, startling back awake. Shoto sat up in his bed, throwing his sheets off him, as he clutched his racing heart.
How could one sentence change everything?
'Midoriya…'
All kinds of different emotions came to mind when he thought of the greenet's name; anger, annoyance, frustration, scared, guilt, relief, confusion.
Shoto was angry at him for meddling in his life. He was annoyed with himself for telling Izuku all that. He was frustrated with his father being here. He was scared of what would happen when he opened his door again. He felt guilty seeing his mother again. But he was also relieved that she seemed okay.
Shoto was just confused.
Why did Izuku do everything in his power to help him? Even though he had also wanted to win, he tried to do both. Shoto was confused by this. He didn't get the other boy.
Taking a deep breath in, then out, he tried to calm his body, trying to cool down his body, before he laid back down, with the covers back over him. Though, sleep still wouldn't come to him, tossing and turning every which way to find a comfortable position.
He stopped when his left hand came into sight. Staring down at his palm, his fingers slightly curled where they relaxed, Shoto blinked at the small fire that he produced, careful not to burn his sheets. It was a little bright, illuminating his bed like a nightlight he used to have when he was younger. His father immediately got rid of it when he noticed it, saying that heroes weren't afraid of the dark. His mother would sneak it back in every single time he would ask for it back. The last time he cried was when he had to sleep without the light after she was moved into a hospital.
A tear slid down his cheeks.
Shoto snuffed out the flame, wiping at his eyes, before turning to lay on his back, as he sighed into the darkness. Nothing made sense right now, he was just confused about everything.
'Midoriya… Mom…'
"It's okay for you to be one."
"Is it, though…?" Shoto's breath hitched, wondering if he even wanted to still be a hero.
Sleep wouldn't come to Tenya, but he was fine with that. He had all the time in the world to think and sleep afterwards, narrowing his eyes, as he plotted ways to avenge his brother.
'The Hero Killer: Stain… He is a villain that should not be left alive…'
These internships would be his only way to find Chizome, and bring him down once and for all. If his brother couldn't do it, Tenya would have to be the one to do it in his place. To avenge his brother. To help his fellow heroes. To protect hero society. To killthis villain.
Chizome was someone that shouldn't be left alive. So Tenya would be the one to bring him down.