Leave Him Alone

The next morning, Tora woke up and got out of bed. She got dressed and finished getting ready for Kindergarten. When she was all set to go, she went over to Izuku's apartment to get him so they could walk to school together. The school day went by as normal, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Then both Izuku's and Tora's parents picked them up and took them to their doctor's appointments.

~Time Skip~

Tora just got home with her parents from the local clinic. She was there for her yearly checkup and to get x-rays done of her foot in order to find out if she'd develop a quirk or not because she was still quirkless. Most of hers and Izuku's classmates and neighborhood peers had already gotten their quirks. Both of Tora's parents had impressive quirks and had careers that were in the hero work line. They both had their hero licenses so they could use their quirks for their jobs. Kitora, her father, was a pro hero. His quirk was called Animal Summoning. Akira, Tora's mother, was the corporate manager of the design department at a hero costume support company exclusively hired by Japan's prestigious high school for heroes: U.A. High School. Her quirk was called Inanimate Transformation. Anyways, during her doctor's appointment, Tora found out that she had one joint in her pinky toe. This meant that she had a strong possibility of developing a quirk. Izuku's appointment was at the same clinic for the same reason as Tora. He was still there, or so Tora thought until he came running up to her from behind as she walked down the hallway of the apartment complex with her mother and father. Tora stopped and turned around to face Izuku. He looked like he was about to cry and it worried her.

"Mom, Dad, you can go on ahead. I'll meet you inside." Tora told her parents who nodded in understanding and left the two of them alone to chat.

"Hey Izuku. I thought you were still at the clinic with your mom. Are you okay?" Tora asked her best friend whose facial expression saddened.

"My mom is parking the car. Anyways, Tora... there's something important I need to tell you." Izuku said as his eyes welled up with tears and he began to sniffle. Tora approached him, giving him a look of concern.

"I... I... I'm not going to develop a quirk. Th-the doctor said so." Izuku revealed as he started to cry, tears streaming down from his eyes like a river. Honestly it relieved her a bit that it was just a quirkless diagnosis instead of some horrible disease that would end up killing him. But it still hurt knowing that her best friend's dream of fighting alongside the pro heroes with her appeared to be pulled out from under him. But even though the circumstances seemed grim, Tora genuinely believed that Izuku would find a way to achieve their shared dream. She reached out and gently pulled Izuku into a hug to comfort him.

"Aww Izuku... It'll be okay. You'll find a way to fight along side the pro heroes. I know you will." Tora said reassuringly, running her hand through his soft fluffy green hair.

"B-but I'm officially quirkless. I'll n-never develop a quirk." Izuku voice hitched as he buried his face in her shoulder, his tears soaking into her shirt. Tora rested her chin on Izuku's shoulder and tightened her hold on him which pulled him in closer against her as she continued to stroke his hair in a comforting manner.

"Then you'll be the first quirkless person to become a pro hero. Quirk or no quirk, you'll become a pro hero someday." She said as she released him from the hug, placing one hand on his shoulder while giving him a thumbs up with the other. Izuku seemed to calm down after hearing those words. His sniffling slowed down until he was breathing normally again.

"Hey if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one without a quirk. I'm still quirkless too." Tora said, trying to lift up his spirit by letting him know she could relate. He managed to form a small smile, knowing that he wasn't alone in this quirkless struggle. His best friend was right alongside him, sharing the burden together with him.

~Time Skip (About 9.5 Years)~

It was Thursday, April 24. Tora was now 15 years old and Izuku was 14 years old. She was a few months older than her childhood best friend, her birthday being March 14th and his July 15th. Both of them were still quirkless at this point. Over the years, Tora and Izuku always looked out for one another, Tora being the braver one of the two. Both of them endured the degrading and teasing that Bakugo and his lackeys dished out. They stayed by each other's sides in school when they could and almost all the time at home, taking turns holding study sessions at their apartments. They were now third year middle school students attending Aldera Junior High. It was the last class of the day and the teacher had a stack of papers on his desk.

"So, as third year students it's time to start thinking seriously about your futures and what you want to do with your lives. I could pass out some career aptitude tests but... why bother? Ha! I know you all want to go to the hero track!" The teacher said, snatching the stack of papers and throwing them into the air. All the students in the classroom started to cheer and show off their quirks.

"Yes, yes, you have some very impressive quirks. But no power usage allowed in school! Get a hold of yourselves." The teacher continued.

"Hey Teach, don't lump me in with this bunch of losers. I'm the real deal, but these guys will be lucky to end up as sidekicks to some busted D-lister, ha!" Bakugo scoffed, his feet kicked up on his desk as he leaned back with his head resting on his arms.

"You think you're better than us Katsuki?!" A male student shouted angrily. The rest of the class, except for Tora and Izuku, also joined in. All of them yelled defensively at the egotistical spiky-haired blonde.

"Let's go! I'll take you all on!" Bakugo said with a mocking expression on his face. Meanwhile, the teacher looked over Bakugo's student evaluation form.

"Huh, you've got impressive test results. Maybe you will get into U.A. High." The teacher mentioned as the students quieted down. The classroom filled with murmurs about Bakugo applying for the famous national hero high school and how hard it is to get accepted. U.A. High was a prestigious hero high school in Japan at the national level. It had a very low acceptance rate, but it was still Tora's and Izuku's dream high school... and obviously Bakugo's. After all, among the alumni is the world's number one hero, the one Tora, Izuku and Bakugo looked up to the most: All Might. The school was famous for producing other top heroes as well.

"That's exactly why it's the only place worthy of me. I aced all the mock tests. I'm the only one at this school that stands a chance of getting in. I'll end up more popular than All Might himself and be the richest hero of all time! People all across the world will know who I am! And it starts with U.A. High!" Bakugo boastfully announced as he jumped up and stood on top of his desk.

"Oh yeah, Hinode, Midoriya, don't you guys want to go to U.A. too?" The teacher asked as he looked over both Izuku's and Tora's student evaluation forms. The classroom went silent for a brief moment before it erupted in a fit of mocking laughter. The entire class was laughing hysterically except for Bakugo who was too angrily dumbfounded to laugh along with them.

"Hinode and Midoriya? You're kidding, right?! There's no way they'll get into the hero course without quirks!" A male student scoffed as the rest of the class continued to laugh at Tora and Izuku.

"Wha-? Actually, they got rid of that rule! We could be the first ones!" Izuku said frantically, standing up in the heat of the moment. Tora just stayed silent, not wanting to possibly humiliate herself any further. She may have appeared to be sulking, but in actuality she was trying to hold her emotions inside. Her blood was starting to boil with rage. She absolutely hated it when people picked on Izuku and it made her very mad. It was a rage trigger, but she was very good at keeping it under control. Just then, Bakugo roared angrily and lunged at Izuku, using his explosion quirk on the desk which broke it. Izuku fell back on his ass on the floor from the impact. Tora flinched from the loud startling noise.

"Listen up Tor-aho, Deku! You guys are even worst than the rest of these damn rejects, you quirkless wanna-be's! You really think they'd let people like you in when they could have me?!" Bakugo declared aggressively as he glared and at Tora, then Izuku as he loomed over him ominously.

"Huh? No wait! You've got it all wrong! Really! I'm not trying to compete against you! You've gotta believe me! It's just that... I've wanted to be a hero since I was little. I may not have a quirk, but I can still try my hardest, can I?" Izuku said timidly.

"Yeah! It's not against the law to work towards our dreams. If we work hard, we may have a chance! We won't know if we never try! So we're gonna apply, like it or not Katsu!" Tora quickly rose from her seat and spoke up against Bakugo, her eyes burning with tenacity. But it seemed like it just went in one ear and out the other. Izuku, on the other hand, absorbed every word she said.

"Tora..." Izuku said quietly, inspired and deeply moved by her words. Tora was his motivational speaker and the one who picked him up when he was down, sometimes literally. There were times when she wasn't even aware that she was helping him. But of course, as always, Bakugo had to try and shoot them both down.

"You'd never be able to hang with the best of the best! You'd both die in the exams! This school's already crappy. You guys really wanna embarrass it more by failing so hard?!" Bakugo mocked Tora and Izuku as their classmates started to laugh at them again.

~Short Time Skip~

Tora was still in the classroom after the school day was over, waiting for Izuku to finish packing up his stuff. She saw Bakugo walk up to Izuku with two of his lackeys. He had already humiliated him and Tora in front of the whole class, but it seemed that it just wasn't enough for him. She couldn't stand it when people bullied her best friend, especially since he was also her crush. Ever since Bakugo's quirk manifested, he started bullying both Tora and Izuku for being quirkless. He was more brutal with Izuku though, but that didn't make her any less wary of him. She would still try to protect Izuku against Bakugo whenever she was with him. She would talk back at the spiky-haired blonde whenever he insulted her best friend in front of her. The bullying was only verbal up until one day when Bakugo and his buddies got physical. It was her worst and darkest memory by far, but it held an importance that motivated her to progress towards her dream of becoming a pro hero.

~Flashback (Nearly 10 Years Ago)~

It was a pleasant summer day on Monday, July 26. Four-year-old Tora and Izuku were playing together at the local park playground. There was also a neighborhood boy there about the same age happily playing alone nearby who hadn't gotten his quirk yet. Bakugo and two of his friends marched onto the park grounds straight up to the boy. They started off by insulting him, then Bakugo escalated it to punching his arm and while using his explosion quirk while his friends laughed at the poor kid. Izuku ran over to the boy and intervened, stepping between him and Bakugo.

"Why're you being so mean? You're making him cry Kacchan. If you keep on hurting him, uh... I'll uh... I'll stop you myself!" Izuku said, his entire body trembling in fear as he balled his fists and stood in a defensive stance.

"Heh! You wanna pretend to be a hero? You don't stand a chance without a quirk, Deku." Bakugo said as he pounded his fist into his hand, making a small explosion. His two friends activated their quirks and the three of them lunged at Izuku. Tora ran as fast as she could and stepped in front of Izuku, blocking their path to him.

"Leave him alone!" She screamed at Bakugo and the other two boys as she stretched out her arms protectively. They slowed down to a halt so they wouldn't hit her.

"Don't butt into someone else's fight Tor-aho. Only an idiot would do that. Hold her back while I show Deku just how weak he is without a quirk." Bakugo said as his two friends grabbed Tora by her arms and dragged her away from Izuku. The skinny kid used his stretchy fingers to get a better hold on Tora's arm, while the chubby kid flapped his red dragon-like wings to pull her back every time she managed to advance a step forward.

"Let go of me you jerks!" She yelled as she tried her best to get to Izuku, but it was futile. Bakugo's friends were too strong with their quirks and teamwork combined. She could only watch helplessly as Izuku got pummeled by Bakugo, his friends laughing and cheering him on as they held Tora captive. She squirmed ruthlessly, crying out and screaming at the top of her lungs begging for them to stop. But they just ignored her pleas. The boy Izuku was trying to stand up for just sat there frozen in fear. Bakugo eventually stopped hitting Izuku and turned to his accomplices.

"You can let her go now. I think they've learned their lesson." Bakugo said as he dusted off the palms of his hands. The two boys loosened their grip on Tora who was still struggling regardless of not being able to break free earlier. She ended up elbowing them both hard in the face, one immediately after the other. She did it hard enough so that blood began to drip consistently from their noses. It was actually a complete accident, but it's not like they didn't deserve it. Tora ran full speed straight to Izuku who was in a daze, laying sprawled out on his back on the ground. The boy Izuku defended peered over him, with a worried facial expression. And Bakugo just stood there eyes closed with a smug and satisfied smile on his face, failing to sense the threat barreling towards him. Tora's eyes were burning with rage and filled with tears as adrenaline surged through her blood.

"Move Katsu!" Tora shouted at Bakugo, warning him to get out of the way. The instant she got to him, she forcefully rammed into him at an angle with her shoulder. The impact was so strong, it sent him crashing sideways into the ground hard and even managed to make him skid a short distance across the coarse gravel. He ended up scraping a good portion of left his arm and a bit of his left cheek and jawline near the chin on the rough ground. After seeing what a quirkless girl did to the three bullies, the neighborhood boy backed away to give Tora some room. She knelt down beside her best friend and pulled him into her lap and protectively held him in her arms. The kid thanked and apologized to both her and Izuku then took off. Bakugo's little buddies ran over to him to see if he was okay even though they were injured as well.

"Katsuki! Are you okay?" One of Bakugo's bloody-nosed friends asked him. He winced slightly as he wiped some of the blood off from the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah don't worry, I'm fine. Tor-aho only got me because she caught me off guard. She's still no threat without a quirk." Bakugo said as he got up on his own and dusted himself off.

"I don't know dude. She got us all pretty good." The skinny kid said as he wiped off the trail of blood trickling from his nose, getting it all over his hand. The chubby kid nodded in agreement. The three of them glanced at Tora and Izuku. She was still coddling him in her arms. She suddenly whipped her head up and fixated her tear-stained gaze on Bakugo and his gang so fast, it startled them and they jumped. She gave them an intense death glare overflowing with hatred, blazing with intensity equivalent to a thousand suns. Her deep crystal blue and golden eyes seemed to burn right through their very souls. If looks could kill, all three of them would have died at least ten times over.

"Why can't you just leave him alone Katsu?! One of these days, I'll knock you down a peg or two! And you will regret this. That's a promise!" Tora shouted angrily at the spiky-haired blonde.

"Ha! Knock me down? Don't make me laugh! There's no way you'll be able to do that without a quirk. You just got lucky this time. I don't get why you're always trying protect someone as pathetic as Deku. Oh wait, yes I do. You're just like him: a quirkless loser! I guess it really is like they say: birds of a feather flock together. Here's a little advice Tor-aho: don't make empty promises, it's not heroic. A hero that can't keep their word doesn't deserve to be considered one. But it's not like you'll become a pro hero anyways." Bakugo scoffed as his friends laughed and the three of them walked away. Tora gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so tight, both of her hands went entirely white.

~End of Flashback~

That happened nearly ten years ago, but Tora's quirk still hadn't manifested yet. Which was weird because based on her foot x-rays, she should've developed a quirk by now. Kids typically get their quirks when they're around four years old. As years passed, she began to worry that she would never get her quirk and therefore wouldn't be able to keep her promise to take Bakugo down a few notches. After that day, Tora started working out and taking gymnastics and mixed martial arts classes. Izuku would often come along to watch and jot down his observations in a notebook exclusively on her. Of course, he asked for Tora's consent first so he wouldn't come off as a creep. She joined gymnastics and martial arts clubs at school throughout elementary school and middle school. She entered competitions and tournaments, climbing all the way up to the top as the national champion for both gymnastics and mixed martial arts for her grade level multiple times. Tora was always among the top three competitors if not in 1st place. Despite all her achievements, she only got this far because quirk usage was not allowed in order to keep things fair. Tora was well known among classmates and strangers alike because of her status as the national champion in gymnastics and mixed martial arts. So it goes without saying, Bakugo was aware of all her training and fighting capability. But despite knowing that, he was still unfazed by it. Fighting techniques and acrobatics alone wouldn't be enough to face off against Bakugo. In order to truly knock Bakugo off his pedestal, she needed a quirk. Both he and Tora knew that.

"I don't know what you think you're doing Deku, but we're not done." Bakugo threatened as he snatched the 13th volume of Izuku's "Hero Analysis for the Future" notebook. His two buddies started joining in, mocking and laughing at Izuku for taking notes on how to be a hero. They completely ignored Tora's presence while messing with her best friend. Her anger was building up again, but she restrained herself from intervening. The reason she wasn't standing up for Izuku was that she didn't want to start a physical fight on the school grounds. Recently, Bakugo had been getting more aggressive with her during his bullying sprees. The last couple times she yelled at him to leave Izuku alone, he actually got physical and laid his hands on her, shoving her back harshly before berating her. Tora never got seriously hurt from being pushed back, but the fact that Bakugo even touched her was concerning. He never used to lay a hand on her and would only hurl insults at her.

"Yeah real funny guys. Just give it back." Izuku said as he reached for the notebook. But Bakugo used his explosion quirk to burn it and then tossed it out the window. Tora was fuming mad now. Both she and Izuku worked hard together to gather all the information written in that notebook. The gang of three started walking away, laughing at Izuku's expense. But before they left the classroom, Bakugo said something that REALLY pissed Tora off.

"You know if you really wanna be a hero that badly, there actually might be another way. Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of a building!" Bakugo scoffed with a smug look on his face. Izuku turned around, upset at Bakugo for saying something like that. But he quickly lost his fighting spirit when Bakugo threateningly asked him if there was something wrong, raising his hand up while making mini explosions. And at that point, something inside Tora snapped.

"Would you just shut up already?" Tora said through clenched teeth. Bakugo stopped in his tracks and whipped his head around and gave Tora a death glare. His lackeys turned around and looked at Tora with surprised looks on their faces which turned into smirks.

"What did you say to me, you quirkless loser?" Bakugo asked Tora threateningly.

"I said SHUT THE FUCK UP! You have absolutely no right to tell someone to commit suicide because they don't have a quirk! Just leave him alone already! Instead of harassing others weaker than you, do something that's actually productive for once! With the way you're acting, you're no hero. You're a God damn villain!" Tora shouted, giving Bakugo a death glare at least ten times more potent than the one he just gave her. Tora's breathing was heavy with rage and her different color eyes were seething with hatred. Izuku just stared at his best friend in total shock. Not once had he witnessed Tora lose it like this and it was terrifying. He was glad she was his best friend, on his side defending him.

"I've got to admit, Hinode's got guts talking back to Katsuki like that." One of his friends whispered to the other.

"Well she is the top gymnast and fighter in mixed martial arts nationwide. But Bakugo's quirk is ridiculously OP. She can only get so far with acrobatics and fighting skills alone." The other friend responded.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh? Tor-aho, is trying to stand up for her fellow quirkless loser friend again. Looks like you'll never learn unless I beat it into you. I'm gonna burn you like I did Deku's notebook!" Bakugo said as he made miniature explosions above his open hand.

"Oh boy, she's screwed." Both Bakugo's buddies said in unison.

"No! Kacchan don't hurt her!" Izuku yelled as he instinctively ran towards them. Tora got onto all fours like an Olympic sprinter readying herself for a race. Her fighting and acrobatic skills were gonna be put to the test. God, she wished she was a Bengal tiger right now. Bakugo drew back his fist, about to strike and use his quirk against her. She thought it was probably pointless but she closed her eyes and visualized herself transforming into a tiger then opened them. Izuku had stopped in his tracks, staring at her in shock. Bakugo and his friends were frozen in place out of fear which she found a bit odd. Tora looked down and saw her school uniform all ripped up on the floor like they had been stretched beyond their limit. She also noticed her arms and hands had been replaced by big orange furry forelegs and paws with black stripes. Tora then tried growling and a low snarl emitted from deep within her throat.

'Huh, well what do you know. It actually worked! I really turned into a tiger!' Tora thought to herself. In her human form, even with all her training, Bakugo could still easily overpower her. But now she had taken the form of one of the most powerful land dwelling apex predators. So she was stronger, faster and more agile. She now had the power and speed to kill him before he could even react. Obviously she never planning on killing the guy, even though he was a super jerk. Bakugo and his gang stepped back in terror. Then she set one paw forward and roared ear piercingly loud. The three males turned around and started to run away as Tora lunged at them. She pounced on Bakugo, his body slamming hard against the wood floor. His buddies stopped and looked back when they heard the loud thud and Bakugo screaming out in pain from the impact. They saw him struggling under the weight of Tora in her Bengal tiger form, being held down firmly by her furry forelegs. They activated their quirks and were about to try and save their buddy, but Tora flashed them a death glare and they deactivated their quirks and just stood there while watching in horror. She then lowered her head and snarled right by Bakugo's ear, close enough for him to see her huge canines out of the corner of his eye. His lackeys thought that Tora was going to kill him by biting his neck. Not wanting to see any blood or gore, they scurried out of the classroom.

"I told you that you would regret what you did that one day nearly ten years back. I promised that I'd knock you down a peg or two! You just scoffed and told me I couldn't do that without a quirk and that I shouldn't make empty promises. Well guess what, Katsu. I've got that quirk now. I can finally fulfill that promise I made to you!" Tora roared as she partially extended her claws so that they didn't pierce Bakugo's skin or clothing, but just enough so that he could feel how sharp they were. She also increased the amount of force she was exerting on his body, pushing him down with her forelegs and paws. Tora applied just enough pressure to not break any bones, while also making Bakugo feel like he was being crushed to death. His life was flashing before his eyes. He was about to use his quirk in a desperate attempt to escape. But being a tiger, Tora had excellent senses of hearing and smell and detected what he was going to do before he did it. She quickly jumped off of him and he scrambled to his feet. But before he could use his quirk to subdue her, she swiped him across the back with her large paw. She kept her claws retracted so that she didn't leave any gashes. But the force was enough to send him flying to the other side of the classroom. His back slammed against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped for air as Tora snarled and approached him in a prowling manner, her deep crystal blue and golden eyes blazing with fury. This was the first time Bakugo had ever felt scared and helpless against someone. And of all people it had to be Tora, someone who was quirkless... well up until a moment ago anyways. But now, she had a frighteningly strong quirk and was slowly closing in on Bakugo. For once, he was terrified.

"The dread you're experiencing is the resulting emotion of facing someone much stronger than you that may have harmful intent. What you're feeling right now is exactly what Izuku and I felt every time we saw you ever since that day almost ten years ago. You're getting a taste of your own medicine now. Honestly, I really really hate stooping down to such a low level as a bully like you. But it seems like nothing else will get through your thick skull. If this doesn't teach you a lesson, I don't know what will. Start getting a big head and hurt Izuku again, and I won't hesitate to knock you off your pedestal once more! Are we clear Katsu?" Tora warned Bakugo who couldn't even manage to form any words. So he just nodded his head and scrambled out of the classroom. Izuku stared at you awestruck.

"Tora... you... you finally got your quirk. Congratulations! You were amazing! Although, I think you may have gone a little overboard with Kacchan. But thanks for sticking up for me. I mean, you always have, but this time you actually scared him off. I really owe you now." Izuku said as he came up to her and hugged her.

"Aww thanks Izuku. And you're welcome. I've always wanted to protect people, especially the ones I love. And now I have the quirk that will allow me to do so. Besides, Katsu had it coming to him for a while now. They only injury he should have, if any, is a bruise on his back from when he was slammed against the wall. I think I let him off easy for all the torment he's put us through over the years." Tora laughed and put a big paw over Izuku's shoulder as he chuckled with her.

"Hehe, you're probably right... You know, I was really worried when Kacchan was about to strike you. Thank goodness you got your quirk in time to defend yourself. I'm so glad you're not hurt." Izuku said as he continued to embrace Tora for a while, savoring the softness and warmth of her fur.

"Umm Izuku?" She said as he continued to cling to her, rubbing his face against her fur.

"Mmm so soft... Huh? What? Oh, sorry. Yeah Tora?" Izuku said as he quickly and awkwardly let go of her.

"I'm not quite sure how to turn back into a human again." Tora said as she sat back upon her haunches.