Chapter 30

When Izuku came to he was in his room. He sat up and looked around, not really noticing much had changed. Getting out of bed he didn't feel all too different, he made his way out and into the living room. For the most part, it sounded like his mother was still asleep.

"Mama," Izuku repeated. It wasn't how he addressed her yet at the same time it didn't necessarily feel wrong when the words rolled off his tongue. He made his way over to the pantry. He was going to make a nice breakfast for him and his mom.

As he looked around for the ingredients, Izuku stopped by the cup noodle stash. He spared it a glance, noticing that the note was missing but that the number of cup noodles remained the same. He assumed Void had gotten the note but whether she read it or not was a different story. He had hoped she did, but if she didn't he'd just have to write another one.

A few minutes later he was making pancakes when his mom came out of her bedroom. "What smells so good?" Inko wondered. She was immediately pulled into a hug by her son. "Huh, Izuku," Inko noted as she felt her son wrap his arms around her. "What's gotten into you?" Inko questioned.

"Nothing…I was just really grateful to still have you in my life." Izuku smiled at her as he wiped his tears. "Come on, I made us breakfast. Let's eat." He told her.

"Are you still worried about yesterday? I told you I'm fine." Inko told Izuku.

"Yeah…I know…but still. That scare yesterday…it put a lot of stuff into perspective for me." Izuku told her. "Not just about you, but about myself…and well and Sirin," Izuku added.

"She still hasn't talked to you." Inko wondered.

"I left her a letter, but I think it's too soon," Izuku explained. "I think I need more than just words to fix what I did," he said somberly.

"Like what?" Inko wondered.

"I don't know. The first thing that comes to mind is bettering myself." Izuku said.

"Bettering yourself for someone else isn't the answer Izuku," Inko noted.

"No…this one isn't for her. I want to better myself for me. When we…fought. She made it clear what she thought of me and in all honestly….she was right." Izuku said softly.

"Wait…what did she say?" Inko asked curiously. Did Sirin say something to hurt her baby?

"It was nothing bad," Izuku assured her. "She's told me before of many things. Like how I simply dreamed of being a hero instead of working towards it by learning to fight or exercise. Or she called me out for being naïve in thinking heroism is only about quirks and what the media says." Izuku pointed out.

"I see." Inko pondered. "She seems to have a very mature approach to the topic," Inko noted.

"She's had bad experiences with people who were supposed to be heroes," Inko mentioned. "That's all I can say, but it's helped me realize that the idea I had for what a hero should be…wasn't what they needed to be."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Inko said.

"I just wished I understood her sooner," Izuku said. "She's been through so much…and I didn't mean to make it worse." He somberly said.

"Give it time, Izuku," Inko said. "Time heals all wounds." She smiled. "It will get better."

"Yeah," Izuku answered. He then went to take a nice sip of the cool and refreshing, freshly squeezed orange juice he made.

"Oh…by the way, Mitsuki and Katsuki are going to be visiting later," Inko added. "I talked to them earlier before I came out." She smiled.

Izuku then immediately spit out all his orange juice.

"How dare you!" Void screamed as she launched the lances at Drifter. The other girl scurried back, dodging the lances as the Herrscher kept throwing them at her one after the other.

Drifter summoned a flaming sword in her hand as she managed to land upright. She used the blade to deflect or destroy any remaining lances. "Now Void…I can explain," She said in defense as she tried to calm the Herrscher down. It was not working.

"JUST DIE!" Void told her as she went with a good old fashion lunge attack. The Herrscher wrestled the sword out of her hand, throwing it to the side as they went tumbling down.

"Come on," Drifter said as she managed to right herself on top of the Herrscher. "Why are you so mad? You already told him about your past." She reasoned. The Herrscher grabbed her hair and pulled her to the side. The duo once more rolled down the hill.

"You had no right," Void told her. "If I wanted to show him, I would have done so weeks ago." She spat as she punched Drifter in the face.

"Hmph," Drifter grunted as she managed to catch the punch. "I don't see what's the problem. You wanted him to understand. You wanted him to see just how messed up humanity is." She argued. "Now that he has, you're angry about it." Drifter scowled.

Void threw another punch but Drifter caught this one as well. The Herrscher wasn't done though and headbutted her other half. Drfiter staggered back rubbing her head in surprise at the Herrscher's actions. She then glanced at the Herrscher who was still seething. That's when Drifter had a realization.

"Wait a second…you're not mad because he knows." She realized. "You're mad because of how he learned it," she noted. Void's eyes widened slightly and that was all the confirmation Drifter needed.

"Haha…that's unbelievable." Drifter laughed. Void clocked her in the head once more but Drifter didn't bother. "To think that's why you're angry now."

"I'm not angry about that." Void dismissed. "I could care less about what he knows or doesn't know."

"Really…then what are you mad about?" Drifter asked, doubtful of the answers Void might give.

"I'm mad because even after Sirin killed them, you're still letting them hurt other people," Void told her. "Those monsters are dead. They are gone. They can't hurt anyone else. Yet you still managed to use them, they still somehow were able to hurt someone else." Void growled as she glared at Kopiana.

"Hey…I did it to help you….I did it…for…"

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Void told her. Drifter closed her mouth. She decided it was best not to continue antagonizing the Herrscher. After a while, Void seemed to ease up as she didn't try to waste Kiana anymore. Instead, she opted to insult her and resort to name-calling.

"Honestly, you're just as idiotic as the real one. Always trying to be 'good and helpful' yet always playing into Schiskal's lies and traps." Void scowled.

"So, you do admit your care," Drifter said smugly. Void glared at her, but Drifter merely held up her hands in defense. "Well, what do you call wanting to stop him from experiencing the same pain you felt?" She asked.

"Whether I care about Izuku or not is irrelevant," Void told her. "All I know is that what happened in Babylon, should never happen again. Even if I despise my enemies, there are very few who deserve that fate," Void told her.

"Last I check you shoved a lance up a guy's…"

"I make it quick and painless, if people want to struggle to fight me and keep going then that's on them. I'll prolong it if I hate them, but I won't go as far as Babylon did. I'm better than them." Void told her.

"And Izuku?" Drifter asked.

"What about him?" Void responded.

Drifter sighed. "Do you really believe you don't care about him?" Drifter asked. "I'm telling you right now. That punch to the face…definitely felt like it was more out of protective instinct than it was pure hate for using your past." Drifter explained.

"You can believe what you want." Void scowled. "Izuku betrayed us…he betrayed me." She told Drifter. "I don't think I have much else to say to that." She added as she turned to walk away.

"Why are you always so stubborn," Drifter sighed.

"Wait…really?" Nezu gaped in disbelief. He was also joined by David Shield who was appearing on a video call with the Principal of UA and the World's Symbol of Peace. "She really said that."

"I'm skeptical about it as well." All Might clarified. "But I can't think of anyone else who might have more concrete information. The Herrscher has been intrinsically linked to the Honkai with most of it being assumed to be a byproduct of her powers. That said the fact she outright admits that it's actually the other way around and even scoffs at the notion makes me want to reconsider that idea."

"Are you sure she wouldn't be lying?" David inquired. "I mean it wouldn't be the first time someone lied about their powers or misunderstood them." He noted. All Might tense at the statement knowing all too well that he fell into that category. Nezu luckily noticed this and eased the conversation in a different direction.

"Regardless of whether or not the chicken or the egg came first, the point still stands that Herrscher and the Honkai are linked. If this Honkai is a force of nature…and eldritch being or a God of sorts then that could be problematic of its own." Nezu noted.

"Wait…you can't actually believe this," David questioned. "I mean it sounds like it's a plot out of a video game." He noted. "A wicked God who seeks to end humanity because of our sins."

"Might I remind you, Mr. Shield, it was only a little over 200 years ago that people assumed the same about superheroes, super villains, and superpowers as a whole, and we still don't even have an answer for why quirks exist let alone how they came to be and how they work? Perhaps it's just time to admit that as humans there are forces beyond us." Nezu suggested.

"Still…as a scientist, I don't think I can just accept that answer like this. The Honkai God has declared humanity a problem and seeks to destroy us for our sins." David repeated.

"Perhaps it's not the whole answer." Nezu pondered. "Yagi, did you get any other info from the Herrscher?" Nezu questioned.

"She said the Honkai chose her." All Might explained. "Either it was going to destroy humanity slowly, via the infection…or it would use those who understood the mistake of humanity." He added.

"Hmm…well that could bring an alternative." Nezu rationalized. "Perhaps the Honkai is a cult, an extremist group of individuals dissatisfied with their lot in life." Nezu wondered.

"Now that actually makes sense," David said.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, Mr. Shield." Nezu interrupted. "The Honkai is still a threat posing as a very corruptive substance that affects the health and mental welfare of an individual. Whether it's an actual deity or symptom of the sickness where people hallucinate its voice is still up for debate." Nezu said.

"Which do you believe it is?" All Might questioned.

"Optimistically, I'd like to assume it's the latter…because I have no idea how to even handle the former." He explained. "Still this is a potential lead, so I'd suggest we try to 'meet' the Herrscher to get more answers," Nezu suggested.

"You mean like a trap." David wondered.

"No, a trap implies we can contain her," Nezu said. "Unless you've figured out a way to contain a person who has the ability to just warp out of our restraints and turn intangible, we will do no such thing. By all accounts, if we make her angry at us, it could make our situation worse." Nezu said.

"So then what do you propose?" All Might questioned.

"A simple meeting would suffice. If we can find her and talk to her as normal." Nezu noted.

"Um…Principal you know we don't exactly have much leads on locating her."

"I wouldn't say that. She ate at the diner. I'm sure there must be a camera feed that could give us a clear shot of her in her disguise, and considering she's made that area her 'territory' I'm sure she must have been around town. There is bound to be a local or two who might have seen her disguised form." Nezu noted.

"Looks like I'll be heading back to Musutafu." All Might sighed. "I'll check with Truman and see if he has any leads. He's working the area for the time being."

"Good…" Nezu answered.

Izuku was tense. How could he not be? Kachaan….no…Katsuki was coming over. He still remembered what happened last time. He remembered how Katsuki had beaten him, and how Void had defended him. "Void," Izuku whispered to himself. She had yet to return.

"No," He shouldn't be thinking that. He needed to stick up for himself. He had recalled just how pathetic he had been before her. He didn't even try to fight back, to stand his ground against Katsuki's bullying, instead he…just stood there and took it.

It was going to be different now. He was going to show Bakugo he wasn't going to be his punching bag. Yes…today was the day.

"HEY OPEN THE DOOR DEKU!" Katsuki screamed.

"YOU DAMN BRAT! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE A SCENE!" Mitsuki scolded her son.

"It sounds like they are here." Inko smiled as she walked over and opened the door before they stood Mitsuki and Katsuki, the latter rubbing his ears, no doubt from the former's scolding. "Welcome to our home." Inko greeted.

Izuku sighed. They hadn't finished preparing dinner. Fortunately, or unfortunately from Izuku's perspective, Mitsuki didn't mind, so she offered to help Inko finish while Katsuki and Izuku just relaxed in Izuku's room. Yeah…sure. So now Izuku was inside his room, with his bully.

"You know I got an All Might autograph on." Bakugo bragged. He had gotten it from when the pro had visited him in the hospital. Not that the latter detail needed to be known.

"Huh," Izuku said as he sat by his computer. He was trying his best to tune out Bakugo.

"Hey are you listening to me you dumb Deku," Bakugo grumbled as he tossed a crumple paper ball at him. He had gotten the page from one of Deku's notebooks…so it was probably trash either way.

"Sorry, I was distracted," Izuku told him as he glanced at the screen. Call it a bad habit but he was rewatching the fight between Endeavor and Void, he had wanted to see just how it ended. Sure, he knew Void won but he knew it didn't come without a cost.

Bakugo made his way over to the side of Izuku's desk. He looked over his shoulder watching the video. "Tch…that's a stupid fight anyway. That dumb girl just got lucky." He scoffed.

"She beat the number 2 hero; I doubt it was all luck," Izuku spoke under his breath.

"Whatever…Endeavor's still only number 2. I'm sure if there were more actual heroes around, she wouldn't even stand a chance." Katsuki said. "Still…that fight had one of the most moments I ever saw." He told Izuku as he pushed his hands forward and grabbed the keyboard and mouse.

"Hey, what are you…." Izuku tried to stop him but he had already finished.

"Here…the best part of the video." Katsuki smiled as he played the video.

Izuku looked at the screen. He had brushed over it before not wanting to relive it but it looked like Bakugo had the opposite idea. Izuku watched as Void was incinerated by Endeavor, not once but twice. The first time while less fiery was in no way any less painful…but the second time.

"AHHHH!" Her screams echoed in the video, much to Bakugo's delight.

"Serves her right." He told Izuku as he laughed at the clip. Izuku glared at Bakugo, gritting his teeth. "Here let's watch it again," Katsuki said. Izuku would have none of it.

"No," Izuku said as he shoved Bakugo. He wasn't going to watch his only friend suffer again, much less due to his bully's desire to delight in it.

"The hell," Bakugo swore. "What's your problem Deku?" He growled as his palms shook, small sparks flickered in them.

"You are…" Izuku answered his body shaky, but he held strong. "You're my problem, you've always been my problem," Izuku told him. "Always bullying me, and mocking me for it and I won't let you laugh and mock anyone else."

"Laugh and mock anyone else," Katsuki said in disbelief. "I was mocking a villain." He told Izuku.

"Doesn't matter if she was a villain or not. She's still a person." Izuku told him. "Besides…that never stopped you from mocking me or anyone else." He stared at his bully.

"Heh…really…in case you forgot. I deserve to mock her. After all, she attacked me. She deserved whatever pain she got from fighting Endeavor." Bakugo told him. "I'd argue she deserves even more than that." He told Izuku.

That was it. Izuku tried to throw a punch but Katsuki caught it, twisting Izuku's wrist and slamming him down on the table. "Seriously, you're fighting me because I insulted that whore." Bakugo said. "What is wrong with you?" He questioned.

"She attacked a hero like Endeavor, but more importantly she attacked a would-be hero like me. She damaged my quirk, Izuku." Katsuki hissed. "Don't you get it, because of her it's now going to be even harder for me to become a hero. She messed up my chances." He told Deku. "But what would a quirkless deku know about that," Bakugo said as he pushed Izuku onto the floor.

Izuku picked himself up, looking at Bakugo's angered expression. He looked at him dead in the eyes.

"I know you deserved it," Izuku said.

"What did you say?" Katsuki growled. "What did you say you quirkless nobody?"

"You heard me," Izuku responded. "You deserved it." He lifted his fists up. Bakugo lunged at him, ready to throw a right hook but Izuku caught it and flipped him over, slamming him on the ground. "You always abused your power. Always used it to bully me and others." Izuku yelled at him. "That's not what a hero does, a hero doesn't abuse their powers like that," Izuku told him.

"It's my power Deku," Bakugo said. "I can use it how I want." He stood up. "Who are you to judge if I'm a hero or not."

"A nobody, but even a nobody can see you're nothing more than a bully," Izuku responded. This time Bakugo didn't rely on his quirk. He punched Izuku right in the face. Izuku staggered back, knocking over his box with baseball bats.

"You really feel you can talk down to me. My power's weaker but it's not gonna, I'm still 100 times the person you'll ever be." Bakugo said as he struck Izuku again. Izuku stumbled to the floor as Bakugo hit him again. He slipped on the bat and fell on his knees before Bakugo. "You're nothing but a worthless Deku, always have been and you always will be," Bakugo growled.

Izuku looked up to see Katsuki's eyes staring at him. He felt terrified, but he wasn't going to let up here.

"No…I'm not." Izuku said as his fingers gripped one of the bats. He swung it up with all his might. Katsuki couldn't react as the bat struck him. "I may not have a quirk but that doesn't mean you can just do what you want with me," Izuku said as he brandished the bat. "You're not a hero Katsuki. You never were. You know what you are..." Izuku told him. "A bully," Izuku said.

"Why you," Bakugo lunged once more as Izuku readied his bat, both of them ready to fight once more.

"WHAT'S THAT RACKET?" Mitsuki's voice echoed outside. Instinctively Bakugo moved his hands behind his back. Izuku meanwhile wasn't so quick. He froze. The door opened to show Inko and Mitsuki looking inside, one looking concerned while the other looked ready to explode. "What the?" Mitsuki gasped.

"What happened to you two?" Inko asked as she noticed the bruises on the two boys.

"Nothing." Izuku and Katsuki said as they looked away.

"We were just…" Izuku trailed off as he fidgeted with his hands, waiting for his hands. Izuku's eyes widened as he realized the bat had disappeared from his hands.

"Sparring." Bakugo finished.

"Sparring?" Both moms asked.

"Yeah…the little dweeb wanted to spar so I said we can go a few rounds," Katsuki said as he cast a side glance at Izuku. Izuku forgot about the disappearing bat as he glanced back at Katsuki.

"Of course, as if he would actually admit I could fight back." Izuku thought. "Still, I only have issues with him…not Mitsuki…no sense ruining mom's friendship with her over this." Izuku thought. He'd play along with Bakugo…but this would be the last time.

"Well, if you two are done roughhousing, dinner is ready," Mitsuki told them. "Go and get cleaned up."

"Yes, ma'am." Both boys said. Not sensing anything that might warrant further discussion, both parents left. Leaving the two boys in the room once more. Izuku felt a weight in his hands as the bat reappeared, almost immediately he turned to see Katsuki squaring him up with his palms open ready to fight.

Izuku gripped the bat once more, however a smile formed as he pieced two and two together. He felt even more assured now as he tightened his hold and held it towards Katsuki.

"Tch…" Katsuki scoffed as he closed his palms. He then turned and walked towards the door. "Don't get a big head Deku, next time you won't be so lucky, Mom won't be able to save you," He told Izuku as he walked out. "Loser,"

Izuku watched as Katsuki left. Once he was sure the door was closed and Katsuki had left, he dropped the bat almost immediately. He rushed to the door, locking it as he turned and leaned back against it, sliding down to the floor. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding.

He had done it. He stood up to Bakugo. Izuku couldn't believe it. He smiled as he looked up. "I did it Void." He whispered. He hoped she would respond.

She didn't.

Well…he would still take this win for now. He glanced at the bat in his hand. The bat that had disappeared and then reappeared. He hugged it, silly as it may sound, before putting it in the box with all the others and placing it back on the desk.

"Well, would you look at that?" Drifter smiled. "Seems someone isn't a total pushover after all." She smirked as she looked at Void. She noticed the small smile tugging on the Herrscher's lips. "And it seems someone is happy about it too."

Void quickly scowled as she turned her face away. "So what?" Void dismissed.

"That was really sweet of you," Drifter said.

"I just wanted to ensure no issues with my vessel." Void dismissed.

"Yeah sure, you did," Drifter smirked. "Sure, you did. Just admit it…you care."

"No, I don't," Void said vehemently. "I don't care about that traitor. He still hurt me;" She said adamantly.

"Really?" Drifter deadpanned. "Don't you think you're being ridiculous?"

"You don't believe me?" Void growled at her.

"I believe Izuku screwed up. I believe he did so royally. That said…I know you…and I'm sure you ought to have given him a good reason." Drifter said.

"Fine then…let's go," Void told her. "I'll prove to you why I can't forgive him."