Chapter 1

Saturday, June 24th, 2154

Musutafu, Japan

Muzan Children's Park

1:26 pm

Izuku couldn't stop the tears from sliding down his cheeks as smoke filled the air. Green eyes were trained on the back in front of him, the black shirt and blue shorts hard to pinpoint through the smoke blocking his view. The heels of his hands were scraped and stinging, and his ears were still ringing.

"You really think you're something else, huh, Kat-kun?" Katsuki growled, his fingers curling closer to his palms, tiny sparks flaring. Izuku waved away some of the smoke, crawling a little closer to get a better view.

A boy was standing a few feet away from the two of them, a wide smirk on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. Parts of him were still glitching in and out of sight, as if he was struggling to come back to a stand-still.

The blonde took a step forward and Izu reached for his hand, ignoring the near-burning warmth of his palms. "Kacchan, don't! You can't win!" Katsuki turned towards his friend, crimson eyes locking on green ones. Izu watched him slowly calming down, his shoulders releasing the tension he'd had before. The blonde opened his mouth to speak when the other boy barked a laugh, drawing both of their attention to him.

"Aw, look at little Deku! He's trying to protect Kat-kun! How pathetic," the boy snarled, his smirk widening. "I can't believe you're listening to a Quirkless loser, Kat-kun! He's useless! He'll only drag you down! Why can't you come to your senses?"

"Deku's not useless!" Katsuki yelled, taking another step forward and half dragging Izuki with him. The small boy yelped and Katsuki paused to help him stand before turning his attention back to the other boy. "And he's not a loser! He's my friend, and I'm always gonna be there for him! And he's not protecting me, I'm protecting him! Because that's what Heroes do!" Small explosions sparked from his hands, briefly startling Izuku next to him. He turned to make sure he was alright before fixing his glare, once again, on the boy across the street.

The boy looked ready to explode himself when one of the two other boys standing behind him tapped his shoulder. "C-Come on, Ak-ke-k-kun…If K-Kat-k-kun doesn't wanna listen, we c-can let him rot with Dek-ku," he muttered in a quiet voice, his lisp apparent even to the two boys across the way. Ake growled under his breath before turning and marching off, yelling over his shoulder. "This isn't over, you two! I will prove I'm stronger than you!"

Once the trio was out of sight, the blonde turned toward Izuki, clapping his hands on both of the smaller boy's cheeks. "Wah-chan! Your hands!" the smaller boy cried, patting his own hands over the blonde's. Katsuki's frown deepened, but Izuki felt his palms cooling down. Once it was a bearable heat, he lowered his hands and stared at the crimson eyes boring holes into him.

"What the hell were you thinking, Deku?" the blonde growled, his voice menacing even in the low tones. Izuki kept his gaze even with his friend's and his voice even as he answered. "I was helping someone. Like a Hero!"

"But Akeshi?" Slowly the smaller boy lowered his gaze to the ground, but Katsuki's hands kept his head in place. "I-I thought I could do it…"

Katsuki sighed and Izuku looked up carefully. Katsuki was looking away, the tips of his ears and nose pink. "Tch. Stupid Deku. Always getting hurt. Always getting into trouble." Katsuki removed his hands from his friend's cheeks and ruffled his hair. Izuki scrunched his face up and made a weird noise in the back of his throat.

Katsuki looked back at his friend and lowered his hand, this time taking the smaller boy's hand in his. He looked at Izuku, who was staring at him with wide, admiring eyes. Katsuki snorted and turned, marching off with his friend in tow. "Now, come on! Mama's making katsudon!"

"Katsudon?!" Izuki gasped, his smile widening. Katsuki laughed and nodded, giving a smile over his shoulder. "Yeah! Katsudon!"

"Katsudon!" Izuki exclaimed, pumping his free wrist into the air as his friend pulled him along, and soon the two broke down into laughter.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

XX Highway

6:49 am

"Wow, Kacchan, look! There's a villain fight!" Midoriya Izuku cried, tugging on the hand of his childhood friend. Bakugou Katsuki turned with a confused "Ha?". Izuku pointed at the fight he'd spotted; a monstrous villain had stopped traffic on the highway and was yelling at the heroes around him. Katsuki looked back down at Izuku, noticing the stars in his eyes. "Nerd, we're gonna be late-"

"No we won't! Now come on!" Without waiting for a response, Izuku ducked into the crowd of people that had started forming. Many people had been stopped on their morning commute and others had gathered once they realized what was going on. Izuku lost his grip on Katsuki's hand shortly after ducking into the crowd, and he casually ignored Katsuki's yell of "DEKU!"

Izuku managed to work his way all the way through the crowd, popping out right in front. He smiled as he turned his face up to the fight above him, mentally cursing his height. He was only 5'4", and he often hoped for another growth spurt to make him taller.

The villain stood on the raised highway above the street Izuku was currently standing in, roaring at the heroes that attempted to come close to him. A stocky and muscular man caught a falling metal ladder, preventing it from crushing the civilians around him. Izuku had his eyes on the villain and subconsciously took a step forward.

"Woah, kid, stay back!" Izuku jumped back as a jet of water sprayed right in front of him, blocking his way forward. He turned towards the source of the water. A hero stood with his arms out, two identical jets of water blocking civilians from getting too close to the fight. It took Izuku a moment to recognize him as a popular Rescue Hero, Backdraft. "Don't want you getting hurt, now!"

"R-Right, Backdraft!" Izuku said with a nod. Backdraft gave him a nod and turned back to other civilians he was trying to protect. Izuku turned his attention back to the fight above him.

A young man with skin similar to tree bark stood in front of the villain. His eyes were sunken into his face and he seemed to have no discernable mouth, yet he still spoke. "Thievery and illegal use of a quirk during rush hour traffic! You are the clear manifestation of evil!" he yelled at the villain. The villain roared back, "Go away, you meddlesome heroes!" Izuki watched on as the villain suddenly took a swipe at the hero, who managed to dodge just in time and head farther up the buildings. With the villain's focus intently on Kamui Woods, Backdraft and the other rescue heroes on the scene could focus on damage control below. "And destruction of private property! How far humanity has fallen!"

"Man, there sure is a lot of action this morning!" Izuku glanced at the man standing next to him, who was also watching the fight with rapt eyes. Three star-like antennas stuck up from different places along his bald head, but that seemed to be the only abnormality about him. When Izuku realized the man wasn't necessarily talking to him, he turned back to the fight, running over the hero's stats in his mind.

Kamui Woods; a new and upcoming hero! His quirk is Arbor, which essentially has turned him into a tree! He's able to extend his limbs and grow multiple branches, often using them to trap villains and rescue civilians! He's certainly someone who is good in large-crowd scenarios where there are many victims or villains-

"Ah, you must be a fan-boy!" Izuku blinked and turned back to the man next to him. The man was now staring right at him, a wide smile on his face. It takes Izuku a moment to recollect his thoughts after being snapped out of his train. "Uh, I guess you could say that. I'm just a huge fan of all heroes, so I do my best to learn what I can!" He beamed before turning his attention back to the fight above him.

"It's time you are taken into custody, evil-doer!" Kamui exclaimed, holding one arm out as the other held him in place above the highway. "Here it comes…" Izuku mutters as the man next to him starts cheering the hero on. "His pre-emptive…"

"Binding-"

"Lacquered Chain Pris-"

"Canyon Canon!" A voice cut through Kamui's call (which may or may not have been synchronized with Izuku) as a massively tall woman launched herself at the villain, kicking him straight in the face. Izuku froze, his eyes locked onto the scene before him. The woman, who seemed nearly 70 feet tall, knelt over the unconscious body of the villain and picked him up by an arm. She was wearing a tight mostly-skin colored bodysuit with a purple crop-top, glove, and thigh-high boot design and an orange stripe along the edge of the purple. She had a thin purple mask circling her eyes and large purple horns connected to the mask. Her light blonde hair was straight down her back, with two sections of bangs framing her face with a gentle curl on the end. Izuki could only stare in shock as his brain struggled to comprehend what had just happened. He hadn't seen her approaching before, so where had she come from? Izu was sure he wouldn't miss a 70 ft tall woman running towards the scene. Maybe he'd been too focused on Kamui Woods…?

She looked over her shoulder, smiling at the gathered civilians. "Hi, everyone! My name's Mt. Lady!" Izuku was dragged out of his stupor as a bunch of men came out of apparently nowhere, taking photos of the hero. Izuku frowned and shifted a tiny bit away from them. Disgusting.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he jumped, feeling an unsettling heat radiating through his shoulder as the faint whiff of smoke reached his nose. "Deku…" a menacing voice whispered behind him. Izuku slowly turned his head, his nervous eyes locking onto pissed-off crimson. "Y-Yes, K-Kacchan?"

Katsuki grabbed Izuku's shoulders and harshly turned him around before starting to shake him back and forth. "What the actual fuck were you thinking?! You can't just fucking run off like that! What if you'd gotten hurt?! What if the villain became too much for the heroes to handle?! What if he'd managed to run off and hurt you?! By fucking God, Deku you can be so fucking stupid sometimes, I swear to fucking god-"

Izuku grabbed Katsuki's jacket collar and pulled him closer, cutting off his pissed-off rambling with a light kiss. Katsuki jerked, not used to Izuku being bold, and froze. It was short, and once Izuku was sure Katsuki wouldn't start yelling at him again, he pulled away. "I'm sorry, Kacchan. I wanted to watch…"

Katsuki stared at him for a moment more before he came back to his senses. "I know, Izu, but you can't just run off like that! You scared me! I couldn't get to you, and you know how I worry about you!" Katsuki cupped Izuku's cheeks, his hands radiating a gentle warmth. Izuku leaned into his palm, cushioning his cheek as he looked up at Kacchan. "I'm sorry…But I'm okay, I promise!"

Katsuki sighed and kissed Izuku's forehead, short and sweet, which was how they usually kept things in public. "Please don't do something like that again…I can't bear the thought of losing you…" Katsuki let go of Izuku's cheeks and Izu wriggled around to get into his backpack without taking it off. Katsuki sighed as he watched his friend struggle with the bag. "Let me get it. It's Journal 13, right?"

"Yup!" Izuku cried as he turned so his bag faced Katsuki. Katsuki unzipped it and did a little search before pulling out the notebook and handing it to Izu, along with a pencil. He zipped the backpack shut as Izuku opened to an empty page and started writing. He made a little sketch of Mt. Lady, who had shrunk down to roughly 5 feet and was interacting with the civilians and media (as Kamui Woods pouted on the highway above), writing about her quirk. 'Some form of Giantification, clearly. I wonder how well she has control over it…Can she grow to sizes in between or is it just her regular height and giant height? Wouldn't that make it a pain in the city? How does she avoid causing unnecessary damage to the buildings around her-'

"Oi, nerd." Katsuki flicked Izuku's forehead, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You're muttering again." Izuku squeaked and covered his mouth, his face heating up. "I-I'm sorry!" Katsuki chuckled and pinched Izuku's cheek. "Don't worry about it, nerd. Just work on it."

"You're taking notes?" Izuku and Katsuki turned to the man who had been standing next to Izuku. His entire attention was focused on the two boys next to him, and Izuku wondered how long he'd been watching them. Izuku slowly nodded, nervous. The man smiled. "I bet you want to be a hero! Good luck!" He gave them a large thumbs up and Izuku smiled widely, nodding. "Thanks!"

"Sorry to rush off," Katsuki cut in, placing his hands on Izuku's shoulders. "But we've really got to get to class. We're going to be late enough as it is." He gave Izuku a small glare before steering him out of the crowd and towards the school.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

Aldera Junior High School

8:43 am

"Alright, you're all third years now," the teacher drawled, flipping through the stack of papers on his desk. Izuku looked up from his notebook, his pencil poised, ready to take notes whenever he needed to. The teacher looked up from the stack of papers, tapping the stack onto his desk to straighten them out. "I should pass these papers out for you all to fill out, but…" The teacher smiled and tossed the papers up into the air. "I know you all want to take the hero course!"

Cheers erupted all throughout the classroom, startling Izuku as students threw their hands into the air and started activating their quirks. Izuku lowered his head, lacing his fingers through his hair to keep his head down as he gently raised his hand.

"Yes, yes, I know you are all excited and have great quirks. But remember you aren't allowed to use your quirk during school hours on school property," the teacher said as he tried to regain control of his class. Izuku glanced over at Katsuki, who was leaning back in his chair. His eyes caught Izuku's and he stuck his tongue out, causing the smaller boy to snicker into his hand.

"Sensei! You really can't be serious?! You're lumping me in with these losers?!" Izuku turned towards the other side of the room, where Tsubaki Akeshi was leaning over his desk, one of his hands draping forward and pulling on the back of the jacket of the boy sitting in front of him. The boy didn't say anything as Akeshi glared at the teacher, his other hand raised. "I've got one of the best quirks in this class, probably the entire school!" Akeshi let go of the boy's jacket and hopped onto his desk, placing his hands on his hips. "And I dare anyone to disprove me!"

"Anyone?" The entire class snapped their heads around to stare at Katsuki, who was still leaning back in his chair. Even though he'd spoken to Akeshi, his eyes were still locked onto Izuku's. Asking. Izuku swallowed and gave the tiniest nod.

"Oh, come on, Bakugou-san! You really can't be serious! You think you can beat me?! I aced the UA Mock Exams! My quirk is better than yours! And I'm not being dragged down by a quirkless fag!"

Izuku flinched, his hand tightening his grip in his hair. He looked back at Katsuki, who'd torn his gaze from the other boy and had now turned the full force of his glare onto Akeshi. To his credit, the other boy didn't back down, even as Izuku could feel the rage radiating off Katsuki.

"You wanna say that again?" Katsuki growled, his crimson eyes flashing blood red. He sat up, his hands pressing onto his desk with so much force, Izuku thought it would break. Smoke rose from his palms, and a faint sizzling sound rang through the otherwise silent classroom. Some of the students around Katsuki were already sliding out of their seats and as far away from the explosive boy as they could.

But Akeshi kept his gaze level, glaring right down at Katsuki as he stood on top of his desk. "You heard me. I aced the mock exam. I'll ace the written and the practical. And I'm not wasting my time screwing some useless hermaph-"

Akeshi didn't even get a chance to finish. Katsuki vaulted himself off the chair and aimed a blast right at Akeshi's face, knocking the other boy right off his desk. Akeshi hit the ground, groaning as he gently touched his face. Izuku shot up from his desk, watching as some of the braver (or stupider) students rushed forward and grabbed Katsuki by the arms to try and pull him away from Akeshi. But Katsuki, who trained every day for as long as Izuku could remember, only grunted and easily shook them off. Izuku bolted from his desk, running across the room as fast as his legs could carry him, until he ran smack right into Katsuki, wrapping his arms around the older boy. He squeezed tightly, scrunching his face up.

"Kacchan…Don't get into any more trouble…Please…Not for me…" Izuku whispered, making sure Katsuki was the only one who heard him. He could feel the tension and rage fading from Katsuki's body as Izuku held him, listening to the labored breathing of Akeshi below him, the bated breath of the class, and the racing of Katsuki's heart. Izuku felt Katsuki's breath slow to match his, and he could hear how the blonde forced himself to breathe through his nose.

"Ah-" the teacher cleared his throat, drawing attention back to him. Izuku looked at him through wayward curls of hair, refusing to pull away from Katsuki's back. Not because the blonde boy smelled like cinnamon and caramel, nope! Not at all (Though Katsuki did smell really good, to Izuku's chagrin).

"Bakugou, that was…uncalled for-"

"You didn't hear him?! He was insulting Deku!" Katsuki snapped, turning towards the teacher. Izuku gripped him tighter, feeling Katsuki's muscles tense under him as he prepared another blast. Izuku kept his grip tight until he felt Katsuki relax.

"That doesn't excuse an attack on another student, especially one with illegal quirk use. That's an after-school detention." The teacher leveled his gaze with Katsuki's, who went "Tch" before unwrapping Izuku's arms from around his waist and marching over to throw himself into his seat. Izuku stood where he was for a moment before heading into his own. As he did, he swore he heard Akeshi chuckle behind him.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

Aldera Junior High School

2:47 pm

"Are you sure, Kacchan?" Izuku asked, placing his hands on the blonde's desk. Katsuki looked up from his bag, hand pausing in mid-air. "Huh?" he asked, blinking at the other boy. Izuku's frown deepened. "Are you sure about this?"

"What on earth do you mean?"

"Detention!" Izuku cried. Katsuki sighed and finished zipping his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and stood, placing a hand over Izuku's. It was warm, but nowhere near unbearable. "Izuku. I'm not skipping on detention. Yes, it's stupid that I'm the only one who got into trouble when Tsubaki-san was very clearly harrassing and bullying you, but I'm not going to risk getting into even worse trouble. I take responsibility for my actions." Katsuki pressed a kiss to Izuku's forehead, gently cupping his cheek. Izuku closed his eyes and tilted his head, feeling a gentle smile curving the corners of his lips.

"Stop worrying. Nothing's going to happen. It's just detention," Katsuki said when he pulled away. He squeezed Izuku's hand before letting go. Izuku could still feel its warmth. "I'll meet you at the library." He waved as he headed out the door, leaving Izuku alone in the classroom.

Izuku sighed and headed back over to his desk, starting to pack his things up. He was about to slide his notebook into the bag when it suddenly disappeared from his hand. He stared at his empty hand for a moment before looking up.

Akeshi had appeared in front of him, the notebook open in his hands as he read through it. Izuku stared at him, blinking a couple of times. "Uh, Tsubaki-san? Can I…have my notebook back?" he asked, wincing as he heard his voice crack.

Akeshi glanced at him before turning his attention back to the notebook. "Why? It's just a notebook, right?"

"It's…It's still mine."

"So? It's not like it's your diary or anything." Akeshi looked back at him, smirking. Izuku felt his face heat up. "Not that that would stop you either…"

Akeshi barked a laugh and crossed his arms, smirking at Izuku. "Oh, you should be thanking me. I'm sure your Kacchan would never have started dating you if I hadn't stepped in." Akeshi leaned against the desk behind him, his smirk turning malicious. "I wonder how much longer until he gets bored with you."

"Excuse me?" Izuku could only stand there, blinking, as he tried to piece through what Akeshi was saying. Akeshi smirked at him. "It can take people a lifetime to get bored of people when they're simply friends. But when you're intimate with someone…People can get bored. Quickly."

Izuku felt his face heat up, but not from embarrassment. Izuku was usually calm, much calmer than Katsuki, but even he had a limit. "Tsubaki-san-"

"Do you really think you'll make it into UA?" Akeshi cut him off, going back to reading his journal. Izuku was caught off guard for a moment. He was able to gather his thoughts before Akeshi could come back at him. "Yes. Even if I don't make it into the Hero Course, there's still General Studies, Support Course, Business Course-"

"You don't get it, do you?" Akeshi said harshly, taking a step forward and shoving his face into Izuku's. Izuku took a step back to create more space between them. "Get what?"

"They'll never let you in. And you wanna know why? Because you're quirkless. You're an hermaphrodite. You would be lucky to get into General Studies. No one would want a freak like you running a business, and there's no way UA would let someone who's quirkless near the support items for their precious heroes." Akeshi closed the distance between him and Izuku, leaving barely an inch between the two boys' faces. "So give. It. Up."

Izuku kept his gaze level, refusing to break eye contact with the other boy. "You won't intimidate me, Tsubaki-san. I will make it into UA, just watch me." Akeshi narrowed his eyes before smirking and pulling away. He held up Izuku's journal, waving it gently back and forth. "Oh yeah? And what if you didn't have your precious notes?" Izuku watched the notebook, feeling his stomach start to sink. "What do you me-"

Izuku heard the splash before he saw Akeshi move. He turned and ran towards the window, holding onto the sill as he leaned out. His notebook was floating in the school's poorly maintained pond, where a couple of curious koi were already starting to nibble at it.

Izuku stared at it for a good minute, unable to fully comprehend. He knew Akeshi's quirk allowed him to move faster than the speed of light, and often used it to move before people realized what he was doing. But it still was hard to comprehend what happened sometimes.

"Tsubaki-Senpai?" Izuku jumped and turned towards the door, where a first year girl was standing, looking at the two boys in confusion. "Don't we have tutoring today?"

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry, I got a little sidetracked!" Akeshi said cheerfully. Izuku noticed how close he had gotten, almost within arm's reach of the greenette. In fact, it almost seemed as if his arms had been outstretched. Akeshi grabbed his bag and led the girl out, talking about his day and the lessons he had planned for her.

Izuku could only stand there, staring after him. 'Was Akeshi going to…push me? Why?! We're two stories above ground! If I landed wrong, I could've broken my neck! He'd be charged with murder!' Izuku's heart started racing and his breathing started to pick up as he stood there. Slowly, he forced himself to shake his head and clear his thoughts. "Let's just get to the library…" he muttered to himself as he went back to his bag.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

XXX Street

3:29 pm

"Stupid Akeshi," Izuku muttered to himself as he kicked at a stray rock in his path. Since he was out of school, he didn't have to force himself to be cordial and "polite" around Akeshi. "Would he really have pushed me? Doesn't he know I could've died?" Izuku already knew the answer to that, of course. Akeshi would have no qualms if Izuku died. He'd blame it on the extra hormones (even though everyone produces some levels of both) and the fact that he was quirkless. Hell, he'd probably try to turn it around and say Izuku jumped out the window and he had tried to stop him.

"How many people would buy that?" Izuku muttered to himself as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He paused and pulled it out, opening it to read the text.

❤ Kacchan 💥: Are you at the library yet?

Izuku stared at the screen, unsure if he read the name correctly. Nope, it was Katsuki.

💚 Izuku 💚: Why are you texting me?

💚 Izuku 💚: Aren't you in detention?

❤️ Kacchan 💥: Yeah

❤️ Kacchan 💥: But the idiot teacher didn't make me give him my phone

❤️ Kacchan 💥: He's too busy flirting with the TA to pay attention

💚 Izuku 💚: Kacchan, you shouldn't be texting during detention

💚 Izuku 💚: You could getin more trouble

💚 Izuku 💚: *get in

❤️ Kacchan 💥: Like hell I care

❤️ Kacchan 💥: You know UA doesn't look at that shit

❤️ Kacchan 💥: All that matters is I get good enough grades and I pass the entrance exams

❤️ Kacchan 💥: They don't really care if I'm labeled a "delinquent" by whatever shitty junior high I went to

❤️ Kacchan 💥: If it persists there, sure, they'd pay attention

❤️ Kacchan 💥: But as long as Akeshi doesn't get in, everything will be fine

❤️ Kacchan 💥: You didn't answer my question

❤️ Kacchan 💥: Are you at the library yet?

💚 Izuku 💚: No, not yet

💚 Izuku 💚: I got…

💚 Izuku 💚: Held up

Izuku lowered his head as he started walking again, wondering if he should tell the other boy about what Akeshi almost did.

❤️ Kacchan 💥: Fucking...

❤️ Kacchan 💥: Was it Akeshi?

❤️ Kacchan 💥: I swear, one day I'm gonna fucking destroy his ass

💚 Izuku 💚: He was just messing with my notebook

💚 Izuku 💚: I'm fine

💚 Izuku 💚: I promise

Izuku heard something move behind him and he turned, his eyes widening.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

Aldera Junior High School

3:47 pm

Katsuki stared at his phone for a moment, waiting for the nerd's reply. He was getting a little worried, since Izuku usually responded within a couple of seconds. Unless he was typing something. But the little typing bubble hadn't even popped up.

It says he read it, Katsuki thought, bouncing his leg up and down. His pencil rested in his right hand, which was absentmindedly writing the same five characters over and over again: 'Tatakawanaide - Don't fight.' When he'd read the assignment, he'd snorted to himself. He could hear Izuku saying that, and it was one of the only things that kept him going through the menial assignment. Katsuki didn't understand why the assignment was still used, but Aldera was a little behind on certain things. Like their discriminatory policy, Katsuki thought with a growl.

In Aldera, quirk discrimination was frowned upon - with the exception of the quirkless, because teachers would always look the other way if someone who was completely powerless was literally being beaten half to death - but apparently discrimination based on sex, gender identity, and sexuality was A-OK! Not that cis females were discriminated against that much; it was really those who were outside the gender binary. The trans kids, the non-binaries, the genderfluids, genderqueers…the singular intersex student.

I swear, if these teachers don't start doing something about Akeshi's bullying, I might literally attack one of them. Katsuki had had enough of the teachers completely ignoring when one of their students was being bullied right in front of their eyes, and yet only said anything once Katsuki stepped in to defend his friend. He was still quite bitter about last year, when he essentially saved Izuku's life, yet he ended up with a one month suspension for hospitalizing another student - and let's face it, no one would've been upset if Akeshi had died - yet Akeshi got off scott-fucking-free. Not even so much as a slap on the wrist for doing the same fucking thing Katsuki did - albeit unprovoked. The only difference: Katsuki did it to someone who was equal standing with him - a straight, cis, powerful boy - whereas Akeshi did it to someone who was far "below" him - in terms of the straight, cis, and powerful patriarchy.

'I wonder what the school would do if I tried to goad Akeshi into attacking me first,' Katsuki thought with a smirk. Katsuki was the same as Akeshi in almost every aspect - Katsuki wasn't straight, never was, and never would be - and he sometimes wondered if that tiny difference would be enough to have the school look the other way or if they would overlook it for the "perfect" student.

Katsuki shook his head and turned back to his phone, frowning when he realized Izu still hadn't responded. 'Is he in the Dead Tunnel?' Katsuki thought as he started bouncing his leg up and down nervously. He was still writing with his right hand, forcing his hand to stay stable and keep from shaking.

"Bakugou!" Katsuki jumped, looking up from his phone. The teacher that was residing over his detention had turned his attention to the blonde, his arms crossed as he glared at the boy. "You better not be on your phone! This is detention, not a free period!"

"Yes, Sensei," Katsuki said dutifully as he turned off his phone and tucked it into his pocket. He'd have to be more careful when Izuku managed to respond.

. . .

Monday, April 9th, 2164

Musutafu, Japan

XXX Street

4:04 pm

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you okay, young man?" Izuku slowly forced his eyes open, taking a moment to adjust and come back to reality. Once his eyes adjusted, the first thing he saw was an older man's face filling his entire view. Even in his half-conscious state, Izuku was able to recognize him.

"A-All Might?!" he cried, sitting up in record speed. He misjudged the distance between them and ended up slamming his forehead against All Might's, causing both of them to go reeling back: All Might stumbling backwards as he gingerly placed a hand to his forehead while Izuku fell back, almost clutching his forehead as pain racked through his body.

"My, you have one strong head there, young man!" All Might said as he rubbed at his temple, as if rubbing away any lingering discomfort from Izuku's unintentional headbutt. 'You're one to talk,' Izuku thought to himself as the headache started to fade. He continued to rub at his forehead until the headache was just a deal ache. He looked back up at All Might, who was standing over him with his trademark wide smile.

"It's good to see that you're unharmed!" All Might said as he gave Izuku a thumbs up. Izuku could only continue to stare at him. "I do recommend getting a double check with a doctor, though! You've experienced something traumatic!" Izuku blinked slowly, his mind still struggling to make connections. He could feel the slime residue covering the sides and corners of his mouth, and there was still some stuck on his uniform.

"But do not worry, young man! For I have caught the villain!" All Might exclaimed as he pulled out two large soda bottles filled with a green sludge. Izuku felt his stomach churn at the sight of the villain. Just looking at the villain, even trapped and helpless, reminded Izuku of its touch. Of what it wanted.

"Now I must get this guy to the police station!" All Might said, turning away from Izuku. Izuku started to panic, having so many questions he needed to ask. "Wait-"

"Stay safe out there, young man! And as always, thank you for your support!" All Might cried as he bent down and pushed off, shooting into the air.

Izuku had no idea when he moved. He remembered watching as All Might pushed off, but next thing he knew, he was gripping onto All Might's leg for dear life as the hero practically soared through the air.

"Huh? Woah, woah, what?!" Izuku kept his face down, having ridden on Katsuki's back enough times to know he didn't want to be looking up. "Kid, I appreciate the support, but this is too far!" All Might cried, gently pushing on Izuku. The greenette shook his head. "I-If I let go now, I-I'll fall!" Izuku cried, hoping All Might could hear him over the rushing wind. There was a pause and he heard All Might mutter under his breath.

They were in the air for about fifteen minutes. Since Izuku didn't have anything to occupy his mind, it drifted back to what happened.

. . .

The sludge villain grabbed him as he was texting Katsuki. Izuku felt his arms be pulled back and held in place, making it impossible for him to fight the villain off, as his legs were trapped in the main "body" of the villain as more sludge wrapped around his waist. Just as quickly, it began to cover his face, blocking his air and preventing him from calling for help.

"Calm down, kid, stop struggling," the villain hissed into his ear. "It won't hurt for long. Maybe forty-five seconds." Izuku pulled at his arms, trying to loosen the villain's grip. The villain simply chuckled at his futile attempt. "That won't work. My liquid body has a strong suction." The villain turned his face away, grumbling to himself. "I didn't think he'd be here. Hopefully I lost him in the sewers…" He turned his attention back to Izuku, who felt a sinking feeling deep in his stomach. "Thank you, kid. You're a hero."

'Mom, Katsuki, help,' Izuku thought as he screwed his eyes shut. They snapped back open when he felt the sludge press against the join of his legs and he felt his face heat up. 'Wha-wha-what?! Wh-What is this guy doing?!'

"Man, you've got a nice body," the villain whispered into his ear. "You'll be a perfect disguise. Small, slim, forgettable-" The villain stopped mid sentence as he continued to rub against Izuku. Izuku's face was bright red and he was trying to get away, but the villain's grip was too tight.

"Hold on…" the villain muttered to himself, and Izuku felt the sludge messing with his pants. 'No, no, no, nonononononononononono' Izuku's mind was racing, repeating that word over and over with increasing speed. He tried shifting away, trying to get the sludge to leave him alone. But it didn't stop, and soon he felt it sliding over his skin. The slimy cold shocked him into freezing, a chill shooting up his spine.

"Well, now, what's this?" the villain muttered into his ear, literally right there. The sludge kept running over his skin, slowly heating up. Izuku felt his body responding, despite how much he fought it.

"You know…maybe it won't be so bad…having a little fun," the villain practically purred into Izuku's ear. Izuku's heart almost stopped right there. Blood was pounding in his head, and the edges of his vision were going blurry as he started running out of oxygen. 'Is he going to…violate me…i-if I…die…?' Izuku thought as he started slipping into unconsciousness.

He was just about to pass out when the sludge pulled away from part of his face, freeing his nose. Automatically, Izuku started taking as deep of breaths as he could, greedily pulling air into his lungs. He still couldn't cry for help, and he now knew the villain would do whatever he needed to keep Izuku awake. He wanted him to feel it.

But he didn't get anywhere before the manhole cover nearby, the same one the villain had popped out of, shot off the sewer entrance as a voice yelled out "TEXAS SMASH!" There was a massive shockwave, sending both Izuku and the villain flying back. The villain's sludge body was forced apart, and Izuku finally slipped into the blissful confines of unconsciousness.

. . .

"You can let go now, young man." All Might's voice snapped Izuku out of his thoughts. He glanced around, realizing they were now standing on a roof. Izuku hurriedly let go of All Might's leg and backed away, standing up. "I-I'm sorry, All Might! I-I'm not entirely sure wh-what came over m-me!" he cried as he started dusting himself off.

All Might gave a deep chuckle and a gentle thumbs up. "It's alright, young man! Just be more careful from now on! Now, I really must be going-"

"Wait! Please! B-Before you go…I-I need to ask you something," Izuku said, wringing his hands nervously. All Might paused and kept his gaze on Izuku, who looked down at his feet. "I-I was wondering i-if…I-If someone w-without a quirk…s-someone w-with a…a 'birth defect'," Izuku cringed; he hated saying it like that, "c-could become a h-hero…"

There was a moment of silence that hung heavy between them. In a panic, Izuku started rattling off to fill it. "Y-You s-see, I-I'm quirkless a-and I-I was w-wondering if i-it's possible f-for me to b-be a hero a-and my f-friend has a-always s-stood by m-my side a-and I w-wanna know i-if he's w-wasting his t-time o-or if I sh-should just t-tell him to f-focus on himself a-and to forget m-me or s-something- AHHHHHH!" Izuku cut himself off with a scream as he finally looked up.

All Might was gone. In his place stood a skeletal man who looked similar to All Might: same tall frame (despite the muscle difference), same blonde hair (even though the skeleton's hair was falling in his face), same piercing blue eyes (though it was incredibly hard to see All Might's eyes normally). He was even wearing the same white shirt and cargo pants, only these clothes seemed ten times larger on him.

"Wh-Where's A-All Might? A-Are you an i-imposter?" Izuku muttered, his face paling. He took a few nervous steps back, his mind still hyperactive from what he'd just gone through. Did I jump out of the frying pan and into the fire?

"I am All Might," the skeleton said, a large spurt of blood gushing from his mouth. Izuku gave another scream, his heart trying to climb out of his throat. The skeleton coughed into a handkerchief, cleaning the blood around his mouth, and sat down with his back against the railing.

"You've seen me, kid. This is me, the true me. The one the media and civilians don't get to see," he said, his voice sounding more defeated than All Might. But Izuku could hear the similarities in their voices. "You have to promise not to say anything about this. To anyone. No posting it online, no telling your friends, not even your parents." Izuku was about to ask if partners counted when the skeleton - All Might's true form - lifted his shirt and Izuku's question died in his throat.

On All Might's left side was a huge crater - a singular point in the center pushed in further than the rest, and countless stitchings all along his body. "I got this in a fight, about five years back. The countless surgeries drained me, and I lost half my respiratory system, along with most of my stomach." All Might let go of his shirt and lowered his arm. "Because of this, I can only do hero work for about three hours a day."

"Three hours a day…?" Izuku whispered to himself, unable to believe it. All Might nodded, his gaze locking onto Izuku's. "So can someone be a hero without a quirk? I should think not." Izuku's heart sank but All Might kept going. "There's many villains a hero will face, along with natural disasters. There will be times when someone will need a quirk to help someone." All Might stood, pushing himself up while holding onto the railing. "The police department and the firefighters could always use some help. They don't get as much recognition these days, but they're respectable jobs in their own right." All Might gently ruffled Izuku's hair as he walked over towards the door to let them into the building. "It's okay to have dreams. You just have to make sure those dreams are attainable." He opened the door and all Izuku could hear was it slam shut as he felt his heart shatter into pieces.