And the lights they get stronger the longer that you have to wait (for the honor to be great)

Summary: Of course, just because Katsuki wanted him to become as strong as him didn't mean the rest of the world did. Time was always moving onward, and people were changing to match the times, but there were always hard-headed stragglers who insisted their way of viewing the world was right, and the rest of them had all gone crazy.

The third time Izuku had been told to give up the idea of going to U.A by a teacher and settle for finding himself a nice wife and dedicating himself to her, he'd realized that not all obstacles wore the same face. It wasn't just the teachers that were against him - it was the heroes that told him he couldn't stand on the same level as them because he was Quirkless, it was in the adults that looked at him with pity, and it was in his classmates that treated him like he was stupid.

Regardless, he'd promised Kacchan they'd go to U.A together, and that's what he's going to do.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Orudera Middle School is a cesspit of weak-willed extras. Katsuki had known coming into this that the chances of him finding another Izuku were slim pickings, but he'd been optimistic that there would be someone here that would fit into the tiny two-man cluster he and Deku had going. Someone that, maybe while weak, had that same thing Deku had that made him want to drag the other boy up to his level instead of shoving him away. That fighting spark, that refusal to go away.

But no, there's no one like that in these halls. Just a bunch of limp-dicked pussies that don't know the first fucking thing about what it means to be a Hero. What it means to be an Alpha. Even the fucking teachers are incompetent. It makes him want to kill things, and so far the only thing stopping him is Deku's repeated glances at him, the ones that say please don't make trouble. He'd be more tempted to ignore Deku and do just that if the knowledge that any trouble he makes inevitably falls back on Deku wasn't buzzing in his mind at all hours like a swarm of hornets.

Because apparently everyone here is living back in the fucking caveman era instead of the 21st century, they're all under the belief that Deku is his Omega, and that if Katsuki does something wrong, it's automatically because Deku isn't being a proper, obedient little Omega, so it's all his fault. Murder isn't good enough for this pack of dodo-brained fuckfaces, as far as Katsuki's concerned. Even the teachers are of the opinion that Katsuki's rebellious streak is nothing more than because he has a stubborn, willful Omega instead of some subservient little bitch that's out of one of those disgusting smut books he's seen in the romance sections of the library.

And since he doesn't speak Dumbass, and words don't do shit for either him or Deku, he's moved straight to his old tricks of kicking the living shit out of anyone who so much as looks at him wrong. He's tried to encourage Deku to do the same - hell, the guy's got even more of a reason to hate this place than he does - but Deku's pacifistic spirit is winning out against Katsuki's aggressive nature.

One day though, he's gonna see Deku lose his shit and punch someone in the face. He needs to see that, because that right there would be his fucking validation for all the training they've been doing over the last six years. All that time he's spent pushing for Deku to be better, as good as him, all the sweat and the tears and the fucking effort he's put into their bond. Just one punch would be enough to tell Katsuki that he's done good, that Deku can stand on his own just fine.

(Granted he already knows that. He knows if they got separated, Deku could kick ass and take names by himself, Quirkless or not. No matter what the extras in this place think, Deku's been managing them both fine for a while. Katsuki's satisfied with their cluster-bond, he's proud as shit of Deku for fucking crawling all the way up as far as he's gotten, and if society thinks they're gonna fucking stick him in a shoebox and shove him under the bed they've got another thing coming.

So what if he's Quirkless? Quirks are just extensions of the body - you can still get tired from using your Quirk and overdo it, so it's just as fallible as the rest of the human body. If anything, Deku's even stronger than all the rest of them because he's gotten this far on nothing but sheer fucking willpower and with the odds stacked against him.)

Still. They've been here two shitting years and nothing is getting better. They've got one year left, and then they can graduate and put in their applications to the next stages of their life, which for him and Deku is U.A. Deku might not make it in the Hero Course, but General Education, from the countless nights of fucking reading they've done, will accept anyone that meets the criteria for basic school entry, Quirk or no.

Its as good a place as any for Deku to go, because while he might be surrounded by people with Quirks, he'll be surrounded by hard working people who value the kind of tenacity and will that Deku exhibits. After all, Gen. Ed is where those with Quirks unsuited to the heroing business go, so nobody's gonna look down on him - at least they shouldn't, but if they do, Katsuki will gladly go down there and break fucking faces. And with any luck, Deku will pick up some tricks that can be used for his own good, so when Katsuki starts up their hero business he won't be defenseless against villains.

Of course, they have to get through this last shitting year first, and with every pitying look and sneer these fuckers direct at Deku he wants to let his Quirk go off "accidentally" and blow up a few desks and maybe a window or two. Maybe during lunch he can convince Deku to let him do it. Just once. Without any witnesses. After all, there's quite a few people in this class with destructive Quirks - hard to tell who did it without any witnesses.

Deku catches his eye as if he knows exactly what Katsuki's thinking and directs another pleading look to him. Scowling, he shoves his fist under his chin and glares at the teacher. No dice. But one day. One day.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Mr. Midoriya, please be realistic-"

"I am being realistic," Izuku interrupts, clinging to his patience with teeth and toes. Don't get upset, you knew they were going to pull this, they always pull this, just take in a deep breath and remember not to act like Katsuki. One of you has to stay calm in this relationship. Deep breaths. "I can still get into U.A. Not the Heroics Department certainly, but the General Education course will accept me so long as I meet the criteria, which I do. So with all respect sir, kindly stop telling me to be 'realistic', because I am. I have read through their history and their current ruleset, and there is nothing stopping me from applying, and very little that would have them turn me away."

Across from him, the school's guidance counselor Mr. Miyano presses his lips into a thin line. It's clear he, like everyone else at this school, has something to say about Izuku's dreams of going to U.A with Kacchan. Over the last two years he's been here he's been accused of leeching off Katsuki, dragging him down, attempting to exploit his gains for his own use, and much much more. Every time he's ignored the accusations or used his own words to put the accusations down. But he now knows that even the teachers are of the opinion that Quirkless people aren't worth much, and goes into every interaction expecting to have his dreams or desires dragged through the mud.

He doesn't let it affect him. He knows what he wants, what Katsuki wants, and what's achievable. If anything, getting into U.A's General Ed course is easier than any of the other available schooling options.

"I don't care if we have to turn you into a fucking mechanic overnight," Katsuki had snarled at him one particularly long night, when Izuku's old self-esteem issues and fears had come back to bite him, "We are getting you into U.A even if I have to fucking smuggle you in. You're coming with me all the way to the end of this, you stupid Deku, so stop whining and start looking!"

"But what if they do turn you down? What's your backup plan?" Miyano asks in that simpering I only care about your future voice. Izuku grinds his teeth and tells himself you're doing good, Kacchan would be proud of you, just hold on a little longer. He knows Kacchan's waiting right outside, impatient and upset and probably glaring at everyone who walks past. By now most of the school knows that where there is one, there will inevitably be the other. Kacchan leads and Izuku follows, and sometimes if Kacchan's in Rut and wants to pick a fight with everything that breathes Izuku leads and Kacchan follows. The knowledge fills him with fire, and he settles back in his chair.

"Then I apply for a different school, obviously. But it won't happen."

"You can't know that."

"I do know it. I'm better than almost every student here - my grades are flawless, and my athleticism is nothing to sneer at. Even in General Ed, I would excel. I have no debilitating diseases, sicknesses, or a Quirk that would cause harm to others. There is nothing they could turn me away for, and I don't have to worry about them running out of room in the classes given the General Ed usually has extra seats left over at the end of every year. Last year they had over 200 spots left unfilled."

He raises his chin, letting some of the defiance Kacchan's beat into him these last six years seep into his gaze. "Just because you and the rest of the staff want me to fail because of something I have no control over doesn't mean I will. I am not like you and the students at this school, and I refused to be dragged down to your level."

"That's not true, Mr. Midoriya," Miyano hastily assures. "We're merely concerned that perhaps you've allowed this unhealthy codependency with Mr. Bakugou to blind you to the reality of the world. You Quirkless don't have the luxury of pretending the world is anything other than what it is. Our job is to prepare our students for that."

Izuku stands, the jab at his relationship to Katsuki the final straw. "I have things well in hand on that matter. Thank you for your advice, but we're done here. I'll see myself out."

"Mr. Midoriya!" Miyano calls just as his hand touches the knob. He's standing up at his desk when Izuku glances back. "I strongly urge you to look into therapy - this clinginess you're exhibiting with Mr. Bakugou and your solid refusal to believe that you won't be able to stay with him isn't healthy. Please, for your own good-"

The door under Izuku's hand opens before his temper can snap and he can say something he'll regret. Katsuki stands in the doorway, his expression one of utter distaste. Miyano flinches violently at the sight of him. "I believe," Katsuki says in his I am so utterly fucking pissed at you right now but I'm not going to show it because that's beneath me tone of voice, "That my friend just told you he was done. So kindly take your advice and shove it up your ass, sir."

He grabs Izuku by the shoulder and pulls him out the door before slamming it shut. Izuku's already heading for the exit, feeling the simmering waves of rage inside him burn hotter at the sight of Katsuki's own temper.

"I hate that man," he spits once they're clear of the school gates. There's no one else around, but even if there were Izuku wouldn't care for once. "Implying I'm sick in the head or being delusional..." He's shaking with anger, wanting to scream and go back in there and tell Miyano what he really thinks of this school and its methods of teaching.

Katsuki's hand closes over the nape of his neck, thumb rubbing along the muscle. "Home. Then we can talk. Or spar, if you'd prefer."

...Or he could be much more productive with his anger and go with Katsuki to the mats. Yeah, that actually sounds better. "Thank you, Kacchan." He relaxes into the Alpha's hold, trusting him to get them home without any more drama. He doesn't have the energy to spare for anymore arguments or fights today. Dealing with the toxic leeches at that school always leaves him drained.

A couple classmates call out to Katsuki as they make their way through the streets, but he ignores them and keeps walking. He does pull Izuku closer to him as the crowds get thicker, the warmth of him a pleasant distraction for Izuku's aching temper. He almost feels like he could fall asleep by the time they actually make it to his house.

"Hungry?" Kacchan asks, heading straight for the kitchen.

"Not really," Izuku tells him. "Thirsty."

"We need a jug of water out with us on the mats anyhow. Unless you don't want to?"

Izuku shakes his head. "No, I really do. I need it, after today."

Kacchan nods. "Then I'll handle the set up - you go get changed. Grab my workout clothes when you come down if you would."

"Sure thing." He heads to his room – well, their room. It might be his mom's house, but the truth of the matter is since Katsuki decided to start a cluster with him, they've spent so much time in each other's lives that they've kind of... moved in without actually moving in. Kacchan has clothes, an extra toothbrush, hairbrush and several other small personal effects in Izuku's room, and Izuku has the same in Katsuki's room.

It just makes it easier on days like today, when they're so worn down from the mats or from school's petty dramas that its easier just to stay at each other's homes than go to their own. It's not like either of their parents mind - Mitsuki was the one to explain the concept of cluster-bonds to his mom, and she's been nothing but supportive since then.

He gets changed into the old, worn shorts and shirt he wears for their spars, and grabs Kacchan's set of clothes - which smell like today might be the last day they can go without being washed. He needs to do his own anyhow - he'll do them after the spar, and possibly a nap, depending on how things pan out tonight. He heads for the basement, where Kacchan's already unrolled the sparring mats and set the jug of water on the table, pulling the chairs and other furnishings out of the way to make room in case one of them gets thrown out of bounds. The couch is the only thing that remains, because its spot by the door has saved Izuku from a concussion three or four times since they started doing this.

He tosses Kacchan his clothes, and starts doing warm-up stretches while he waits. After a couple of minutes they're meeting in the middle of the mat.

"Quirk or no Quirk?" Katsuki asks.

Izuku thinks it over. On days where he's feeling particularly broken, sometimes he needs the reminder that he's stronger than what people see, and those are usually the days he asks for Kacchan to use his Quirk - because the pain reminds him he's strong, that he can endure this the same as anything. Perhaps not the healthiest coping method, but Kacchan always pulls his punches and the worst he's gotten over the years is a single burn scar on the back of his right arm.

On the other hand, he kind of just wants a good fight today. No complications, no needing to hold back. He still wants the reminder that he's not helpless, but not the sharp sting of the burns. "No Quirk," he decides.

Kacchan nods, and holds out his fist."Three strikes, and we start. We go until one calls out or we can't fight anymore for whatever reason."

Izuku nods. He's familiar with the rules, given they've kept the same set for six years. Still, its comforting to hear the words spoke aloud. He reaches his fist out and taps it to Kacchan's three times.

And then they're moving, and there's nothing but the thrill of the fight running through him. It's a race of movement, a struggle of strength as they clash again and again, Kacchan swinging and him lashing back, giants seeking to topple the other. There are strikes and dodges and several times they lock together and it becomes a wild grappling match, Izuku digging his toes into the mats and telling himself keep standing, push damn you! as Kacchan attempts to throw him down and pin him.

It lasts for what feels like hours, but in reality is maybe only thirty or forty minutes. At last Izuku slips up, or Kacchan gets lucky - he can never tell which - and in the next instant he's down and Kacchan's on him, pinning his legs with his own and holding his arms away to stop him retaliating. Even if Izuku struggles, he won't budge; Kacchan never lets him slip away from his holds unless that's what he wants.

"Yield," he orders. He's panting, though not as hard as Izuku is. Izuku feels like he can't get enough air into his lungs, and it's making him dizzy.

He takes a couple of minutes to steady himself, to get his lungs to stop burning. Kacchan waits him out, and when he finally croaks out, "Yield," gets up to cross the room for the jug of water.

"Idiot," he tells Izuku as he hands it over. "Don't fucking guzzle this time. I'd rather not have to resuscitate you."

So as much as Izuku wants to guzzle it - because wow, he is suddenly reminded of his thirst from earlier and the fact that he didn't drink anything beforehand - he listens to Kacchan's orders and takes quick sips from the bottle, passing it over once it no longer feels like he's dying. Kacchan looks pleased at the fact that he took over half of it himself.

"I need a nap," Izuku tells him, once the bottle's empty for a second time and the mats have been rolled up again. "You wanna stay?"

"We still have homework."

"Later? Please Kacchan?"

His childhood friend stares at him, and then sighs. "Fine. But you better not whine when I get you up in a couple hours from now."

"I won't."

"You will. I know it, because you always say you won't, and yet you always whine. Idiot."

"What can I say, I'm a creature of habit."

"You're a creature of laziness is what you are," Kacchan grumbles, but it's fond. "Can you imagine what you'd be like without me around to deal with you?"

He'd rather not, to be honest. Mainly because he has, and it's a nightmare. "Wow, look at you being so utterly humble. I don't know how you get out of bed in the mornings with a head that large. Were you born with it, or can I get something to inflate mi-ahck!"

Katsuki wraps an arm around his neck like a steel band, dragging him back with a murderous smile on his face. "You cheeky little shit. It's almost like you're asking for another round! In fact, maybe I should just take you back down right now so I can remind you which one of us is Alpha around here."

Izuku can't help it; at this point it's harder not to sass back than it is to let loose. "Of course mighty Alpha, right away mighty Alpha-"

Kacchan tightens his hold and drives the knuckles of his other hand down on top of Izuku's head, grinding them into his scalp hard enough to burn. "You. Little. Shit."

"Whatever the mighty Alpha—aie! Yield Kacchan, I yield, c'mon now, just a joke, we're all friends here-"

Katsuki bullies him a bit more before throwing him on the bed and letting him bounce. Izuku's attempt to put space between them when he climbs into bed is thwarted by the fact that the bed was only made for one person, and Katsuki's never been one to be denied post-battle cuddles. At least not by him. So he finds himself getting dragged back over to the circle of Kacchan's arms, not entirely unwillingly, and effectively laid on.

He tends to sleep on his back when Katsuki's around, since the older boy likes to lay between his legs with his head on Izuku's chest and listen to his heartbeat while he sleeps. It's an intimate position, but nothing else feels quite right when they do sleep over together. The only time they usually don't wind up in this position are if guests are over, and that's because both of them are aware of the implications of the position to outsiders. To them however, it's simply comfortable.

He yawns as the last few hours of drama finally catch up to him, the heat of Katsuki's body lulling him into relaxing. "Two hours?"

"Two hours," Katsuki confirms. "And no complaining."

"Got it." Another yawn, and he settles down, closing his eyes.

(He lies. There is much complaining, mainly in the form of whining, when Katsuki attempts to wake him. He retaliates against Kacchan's loud screeches of you damned nerd! by kicking him out of bed, and then dashing for the door. It doesn't do much good when Kacchan has explosive force behind his running. Needless to say, he gets comeuppance for both the whining, and the kicking, and has the bruises to show for it afterwards.)

0-0-0-0-0-0

Life continues on in much the same vein as before. As much as Katsuki would like to blow the whole school up and drag Deku on to U.A he can't, at least not yet. He hates it, but this disgusting pit of slime with its many pitiful, fuckface extras are a necessity - an evil one to be sure, of that he is absolutely certain, but a necessity nonetheless. So he does his best to grit his teeth and do what he can to mitigate some of the damage the teachers and students insist on heaping on them day in and day fucking out.

And they do heap. So. Much. Shit. On Deku and him. Deku for 'failing his Omega' duties and 'leeching off Katsuki's energy' and 'trying to bring Katsuki down to his level' - which Deku hasn't been able to fucking do since Katsuki started a cluster with him. Once the truth about the bond was out in the open between them, Deku pulled his weight and more trying to get this bond to work and hold. There's never been a day where he's leeched or brought him down to his level. But of course nobody in this fucking school sees anything except secondary genders and Quirks, so of course they wouldn't see something like that.

Which brings him to another point. If he has one more student - mostly girls, but he does get a smattering of the younger boys who clearly don't know him yet - walk up to him and try to coax him into having sex with them in an effort to shove Izuku out of the picture, he is going to kill someone, and that's not an exaggeration for once. Yes, he's a teenage boy with hormones and disgusting Alpha feelings and all that shit. Yes when Izuku goes into his heat, he smells really fucking good and if he were an actual food item like everyone likes to compare Omegas to Katsuki would be shoving that shit in the best vault money could buy and safeguarding the shit out of it.

But Izuku's not food. He's a fucking person with emotions and dreams and nothing drives Katsuki into a killing rage faster than hearing about how his childhood friend evidently is a prude and not putting out enough, so Katsuki must be frustrated. Because the last time he checked, even if he and Izuku were in that kind of relationship (which even the thought of that kind of power imbalance makes him want to vomit a little. Okay a lot, it makes him want to vomit a lot.) he's still got two hands. He still has the internet. Porn exists for a reason.

At no point is he being denied anything he absolutely can't go without for a period of time, or, if he absolutely can't go without getting his rocks off, can't find readily enough through the creative use of a couple internet searches. But no, they make it sound like Izuku's his only legitimate means of getting off, and evidently he's not, which means it's all Izuku's fault. Somehow. And the teachers have the unmitigated gall to look away while Katsuki's getting sexually harassed by his peers, like that's all it's gonna take for him to go off and give in.

He will say it again; murder is not good enough for these dodo-brained fuckfaces.

He shoves away every offer thrown at him, and for those that refuse his first 'no', he offers them the consolation prize of an explosion to the face and him bellowing in their faces about what he thinks of them. Needless to say, it scares a lot of people, and the distance between them and him only grows, while the distance between himself and Izuku shortens. Mostly because Izuku's the only one at this god-forsaken school he can tolerate for longer than five seconds, but also because Katsuki's making sure those disgusting pricks can't come back at Izuku - because if they're willing to attempt to coerce an unwilling Alpha into doing what they want, there's no fucking telling what they'll do the Omega they're pinning all the blame on.

Izuku's strong, but he's not God. That's Katsuki's job - to be God, to clear the path so Izuku can stand strong and be the pillar he wants to be, to be the Hero he wants to be, even without his Quirk. No matter who says what, so long as they're in this school, he's going to wrap himself firmly around Izuku and guard the spark he's spent so much time carefully cultivating. He's not gonna have his hard work ruined by these tunnel-visioned twats.

Mercifully, between the drama and the continuous drive to be better, most of that second year goes quick. And then they're on the final stretch, and as if they were waiting for a signal, the fucking avalanche of petty bullshit and drama seems to just come down. He would almost accuse his schoolmates of banding together for the sole purpose of making the last year of school as miserable as fucking possible, if he thought any of them had more than a single brain cell between their ears.

As it is, they don't, so he can only accuse them of being particularly stupid in this instance.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"You're settling for less, Katsuki. Like, so much less. Don't you care about that at all?"

The first to strike is Miyo. Who has been in and out of classes they've shared together for two years, and who apparently believes that she has some kind of emotional stake in Katsuki's life, or at least the part about who all he hangs around with.

"Fuck off," he tells her. Which only prompts her to lean forward, her breasts practically falling out of the small, scrunched-up shirt she's tried to catch his attention with these past few months.

"Katsuki," she whispers, while trying to look as pouty and flirtatious as possible. It gives her a look like she's constipated. "I'm just worried."

"No," he tells her, heavily insulted by that. Deku worries. That fucking nerd could earn himself a platinum trophy in the Worrywart Olympics if he tried. "You're not worried. You and everyone else around me just seem to be on this fucking kick where you think you run my life and your wants somehow overturn my own. I don't want any of you fuckfaces because you're all low-quality, no-effort extras. I've known Deku since we were four, and I would take him every time over any one of you extras. Now, get those piles of fat you call cleavage out of my face and fuck off."

She looks legitimately insulted. "You don't understand. He's Quirkless, Katsuki. He's nothing!"

"Did you not hear me when I said 'fuck off'? Let me say it louder for you then - FUCK OFF!"

She scampers off, but she isn't the last. Not by a long shot. People come to him, whining and begging into his ear for him to reconsider, because apparently the choices he's making now could affect him for the rest of his life!

"Good," he tells them. "Then let's hope we hit that point soon so I don't have to listen to you idiots whining in my ears anymore. You're worst than bugs."

He's not the only one dealing with this shit. Deku comes into class nine times out of ten looking tired, rumpled, angry, bloody, or some combination therein. Sometimes he manages to hit all of them, and that's when Katsuki employs his Quirk for good, shoves his and Izuku's desk as far back in the corner as he can get them, and bares his teeth at anyone that comes near. The fact that he has to go this far in the first place is ridiculous, but the inmates have been running the asylum for years; this is just another show of their absolute bugfuckery.

And of course the teacher has to get his fucking licks in, because it's not like he's meant to be an adult in this situation and control the swarming masses of children or anything. "Didn't Midoriya want to enroll in U.A as well?"

That comes on a day when they've already got their desks shoved together, which is good because Izuku reaches under the table and has to restrain him from leaping up out of his seat and putting his Quirk up against his teacher's head. The class jeers, and Katsuki has to take in a few deep breaths to stop seeing red.

"Of course I am," Deku's voice rings out, unwavering. "Katsuki's going, so I'm going."

"Like they'd ever let a Quirkless nobody like you in," Miyo sneers. Deku doesn't flinch, instead pulling a leaf from Katsuki's book.

"Better me than a worthless nobody like you," he sneers right back. Deku's eyes are hard, the color in them from his anger reminding Katsuki of emeralds in that moment. He's not backing down - neither of them are.

"What could you even do?" Someone else mocks, and Deku doesn't even stumble.

"Whatever I want. The General course offers different branches to explore depending what you're best at. I could take several courses in three years, ace them, and come out of there with the best recommendations in the business. Unlike you, who could only dream of such a chance."

"Midoriya, that's enough," the teacher orders, and Katsuki simmers again. Of course the bastard only stops it when Izuku has the upper hand. "We've gotten off track. Your futures-"

And so it goes. The last year makes Katsuki feel like Atlus, carrying the world on his shoulders. The fuckers go after Deku and him like wolves starving for flesh, Deku physically and him emotionally, pushing all his buttons and trying to get him angry enough to do something stupid. He can feel the victory line within reach, so instead of doing that he clenches his teeth, hauls the burden up higher and keeps fucking going.

Deku gets scolded repeatedly for fighting. It happens a lot more, especially from the bigger kids with Quirks. Miyo and her band of school harpies started it that one semester all those years ago and haven't let up since. But because Deku's always defending himself, never laying out a punch or kick until he's harassed into it and has no other options, all they can do is scold him.

At the end of the day Katsuki drags him onto the mats and they work it all out, push every last drop of poison out of their veins the only way they know how. He'd be concerned with the amount of times Deku's been asking for his Quirk lately if he didn't know just how well the nerd could take it and use the pain to push himself onwards. Still, they should probably break the habit before they go into U.A, so they won't have any weird thoughts about what him and Deku get up to in their spare time.

One month drags by, and then another, and another beyond that. Always he tells himself just one more month, just one more, and keeps going.

It takes up to the very last week of school before it seems to ring collectively through the school that Katsuki's not gonna change his mind about Deku being part of his pack, that Izuku's not going to be driven off by a bunch of mindless apes throwing their shit around, and that neither of them is going anywhere without the other. Miyo and her crowd keep up til the very last day, determined to somehow break Deku's spirit before he walks out the door, but the rest fall back to lick their wounds.

Even the teachers seem to just... lose interest. They either pretend like neither Katsuki or Izuku are part of their class and move around them, or they simply treat them like the rest. It's a change that should have been coming for years, but chooses only to manifest when the ending is right before them. Still, Katsuki's not gonna complain.

When the day finally comes that they walk out the door one last time, Katsuki lets himself move closer to Izuku than normal on their way out. "Good hustle."

Izuku, sporting a still-healing split lip, smiles at him. "You weren't so bad yourself, Kacchan."

Katsuki lets himself smirk, but doesn't launch into his usual well of course, its me speech that Deku teases him about. Instead he leans over and bumps his shoulder Izuku's, and lets himself soak in the feeling of the future opening up to them.

We did it.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The following week finds Katsuki and Izuku wandering the streets outside the shopping mall, each boy carrying a small bag of goodies in hand. The initial idea had been to go get breakfast and enjoy it in the park across the way, but the park was closed due to a tree falling on a power line from a recent storm, and so they'd decided to simply head home and enjoy their spoils instead.

On the way home however, Izuku catches sight of something that had his entire body lightening up with joy.

"The fuck are yo-" That's as far as Katsuki gets before his smaller friend quite literally drags him across the street to join the throng of people currently watching a group of heroes take down a villain. Katsuki finds his hands full of a second bag in the next instant, as Izuku whips out a notebook from inside his jacket and a pen, and flips to a new page before furiously scribbling. When he looks up again, it's just in time to see the heroes come into better view - Kamui Woods is the star of the show today, with Desutegoro and Backdraft providing help and protection to the civilians.

"Kacchan! Look, look Kacchan, there they are! Kacchan, are you loo-"

"I'm looking, you damned nerd, so stop bouncing around and screaming like a banshee. Fuck's sake, you're worse than a little kid."

Izuku pays exactly zero attention to his words, instead seeming to hunch down on himself as a look of fierce concentration crosses his face. in the next moment the air around him is filled with muttering. Katsuki rubs a hand across his face as people glance at them.

One of the things Izuku had picked up as a hobby back when he'd been a kid was hero analysis. Specifically, the analysis of their Quirks and their various uses, the attacks they had and the different way their powers could be either a boon or a shackle on them in their line of work. As he'd aged, Katsuki had done his level best to wean him off the journals and the "hero hunts" as he called them, to no avail. After a point, he'd stopped trying to pull Izuku away from the hero fights and had simply gone with him to make sure he wasn't going to get killed by an overeager villain or a lackluster hero.

It's been awhile since they've seen their last hero fight, so Katsuki had somewhat been expecting this to happen. Just not today, the one time he and Izuku had actually bothered to get up early and try to get shit done. It's going to kill their plans for the day, because while some hero fights only last a short moment, some drag on for hours, and Katsuki really isn't in the mood for that today. Mainly because, unlike Sir Dweeb-A-Lot over here, he actually has things he wants to get done.

"We don't have time for this, Deku," he grumbles. "Let's go." He hooks his arm through Izuku's and attempts to drag him back the way they were going. He gets about halfway away from the crowd before he realizes his arm is empty; Izuku is back among the crowd like he never left, still muttering over his notes as he furiously pens down everything he can think of.

Katsuki's eye twitches. There's another reason he hates going to these stupid fights anymore, and it's because getting Deku away from them before they've finished is like prying teeth. He stomps back over.

"Deku," he grits out in his most pleasant voice, not wanting to cause a scene. "We have shit that needs to get done at home. We don't have time to stand here for two hours and watch a bunch of idiots babble at each other. Let's. Go." He hooks his arm again and attempts to drag him off, except this time, he doesn't even get a single step away. Izuku pulls against him, and now he's the one not moving.

"Sure Kacchan," Izuku says in a distracted manner, eyes still on his book. "Let me just write down my theory on Woods' technique-"

"You little shi-"

"CANYON CANNON!"

With a loud burst of noise, a fourth hero appears onto the scene, slamming her foot into the chin of the enemy, and putting him down for the count. Katsuki stares up at the mini-giant that appears to be a woman with horns in spandex, and feels his eye twitch again.

She kneels over the villain, taking him by the arm and then turning to look over her shoulder at the cameras. "Hi everyone, I'm Mount Lady! I just started working today. It's lovely to meet you all." She flashes them a flirtatious smile and cameras go off. In the background, Kamui Woods quietly lets go of his "Lacquered Chains" technique and sinks to his knees as the despair hits. Katsuki almost feels sorry for the sucker - still, that's what you get for standing around monologuing when shit needs getting done.

"Okay," he snaps, as the crowd begins to disperse. "Fight's over now, can we please go home?"

Izuku mercifully snaps his notebook shut, flashing him a wide smile. "Sure Kacchan." Finally.

Katsuki goes to say something, only for a hand to catch his shoulder and the smell of Izuku to suddenly get a lot closer. He pauses what he's about to say as Izuku presses their cheeks together. His temper dies down somewhat at the gesture, and he returns it as best he can before Izuku steps back, taking the second bag from him. "What was that for?" he asks as they're walking away.

"For being you."

"Hah?"

Izuku laughs to himself, shaking his head. "It's nothing, Kacchan. I'm just... I'm really happy you're the one I got to start a cluster with. That's all."

Katsuki's not an idiot. He can read between the lines. "You're a sap, nerd."

"Says the guy who lets me get away with doing that in public."

He scoffs. "It's not like these dodos know what it means. Anyone who sees us assumes we're either a couple, or I'm your Alpha friend protecting your virtue in the big bad world."

Izuku's smile fades a little. "Yeah," he says. It's clear he's thinking about what happened at the school. Katsuki knocks their shoulders together to catch his attention.

"Knock it off, damned nerd." Lately the touches shared between them have been less about greeting or reassurance, and simply because one or the other feels like doing it. The fact that it's come to feel natural is a good thing, as far as Katsuki's concerned. But moments like this make him glad he can still use it as a reassurance method if need be.

So he lets himself lean down and pull Izuku closer to him, lets the anger inside him by soothed by the knowledge that his cluster mate might be unhappy, but it won't last. Not with Katsuki here, because Katsuki makes him happy. Izuku leans into it like he always does, trusting him and enjoying the contact in equal parts. When he pulls back, Izuku almost looks like he wants to pull him back down and continue.

"Those pricks aren't here anymore, Deku. Quit thinkin' about 'em and live your life the way you want to." He ruffles a hand through Izuku's ridiculously fluffy hair, unwilling to give up touching him just yet. "You're happy with me?"

"Yes." Not even a moment's hesitation, and full eye contact when he says it. "Are you-"

"If you have to ask, you haven't been paying attention, idiot."

And Izuku's smile finally comes back, shy but undoubtedly there, like the sun peeking through heavy clouds. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Quit apologizing. C'mon, let's take the shortcut."

Izuku waits until they're at the face of the tunnel before reaching out to take his hand, fingers sliding together. They've done this a million and one times, and now its to the point where these touches that society would deem intimate are common and frequent. It worries Katsuki on some level, because U.A has a strict policy about PDA.

But at the same time, this isn't him backing Izuku up to a wall and kissing him - this is him offering his cluster reassurance the only way he knows how, the only way he's sure will get through to him. Maybe once there's more than a single person, it'll get easier. He'll want to touch less, or spread it around. Izuku will probably want the same. Or maybe whoever ends up joining them will end up as touchy as they are, and they're all going to get in frequent trouble for it.

He shakes the thought out of his head. Worry about it later, he tells himself. He can try to explain it, but if the teachers don't want to hear or see it, he'll simply have to find another way to manage things with Izuku, or with the cluster at large. He needs to take another look at the book; it probably has something in there that can help.

A hand on his shoulder suddenly stops him. He realizes that Izuku's gone oddly silent next to him, tense. "Wait, Kacchan," he says in a low voice after a moment. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean–"

"Quiet!"

Katsuki strains his ears, desperately trying to pick up whatever it is Izuku's hearing - but the only thing he hears is the wind blowing through the tunnel. Still. Izuku's so intensely focused, strung tight beside him, there's no way this is a joke.

…Right?

"Oi, what the hell's wrong? I don't hear anything. This better not be a joke, Deku."

"It's not– we need to go, Kacchan." He tugs Katsuki along, back the way they came, and Katsuki feels his temper rear its head.

"What the fuck are you–"

And in that second, he hears it. A sound like viscous liquid, like the sound of something wet hitting concrete, the gurgle of bubbling water.

Something is in this tunnel with them.

A blast of hot, rancid air hits his face. His thoughts fall into white static, only a single one remaining as Izuku screams.

Protect the cluster.

He shoves Izuku back as hard as he can, putting some of his blasting power into it, just as the thing behind him reaches out and envelopes him.

"Hahah, I caught one! Finally, that bastard will leave me alone! Sorry kid, nothing personal, wasn't stalking you or nothin', but All Might's on my tail, and I don't have time to be picky about bodies!"

All Might?

Liquid fills his nose and mouth before he can ask, a mass of sludge surrounding him, pressing down and preventing him from activating his Quirk. He tries, but the explosion fizzles out in seconds, and only seems to make the villain more eager to consume him.

"Oho, an explosion Quirk huh? I struck lucky with you, kid! Now just relax, and I'll make this nice and painless- well, as painless as asphyxiation can be, anyhow…"

His limbs feel heavy and numb, his head woozy; the darkness feels colder and more alone than before. Every breath aches to escape his lungs only to be mercilessly driven back on itself. Panic erupts, but that too is strangled beneath the villain's grip. There's no way out, no hero coming to save him.

He's dying, and yet he can't bring himself to care about the stark realization. Only one thought revolves again and again through his fading consciousness, the only thought that matters.

Let Deku be safe.

"That's it," the villain soothes. "You're almost there. Go to your happy place."

Sorry Mom. Keep Deku safe for me, please. You're all he's got left.

In the static, he thinks he hears a far-off yell. It's probably just his imagination though. He thinks he hears Deku screaming, "Let Kacchan GO, you bastard!" But that can't be–

The sludge vanishes suddenly, and he breathes. The world bursts into vivid realness again, and he's aware that Deku is here, he is screaming, but so is the villain. One is screaming in rage, the other in genuine pain. He yanks an arm out of the sludge, and lets his Quirk burn.

The light shows him a scene that mimics something out of a horror movie. Deku; a broken handle in his white-knuckled grip, the pointed end tainted red by the villain's blood, and the villain, howling and writhing, one eye now a bloody mess of busted tissue and fluid. Deku's got a crazed look in his eye like he's ready to go again, and Katsuki knows in that instant this will be the only chance they get. Deku seems to get the message too, because in an instant he's grabbing Katsuki under the arms and yanking him out of the slime, tossing him over his shoulder, and then booking it for the end of the tunnel as fast as his legs will carry him.

Katsuki is the one that gets the front-row seat to the way the villain twists and spirals himself, and then fucking bolts after them. It's the most horrifying moment in his young life, and if he weren't the badass he is, he would probably piss himself because holy hell they're being fucking chased and if they get caught they're going to die.

Deku runs like a jackrabbit on speed, never once pausing or acting like he's running with a boy roughly the same weight as his own body on his shoulder. When they burst out into the light, it feels like safety, but they both know it isn't, and so Deku turns and makes to bolt down the next street, only he never gets the chance. Behind them, the manhole cover blows off, and a figure climbs out into the tunnel. Katsuki can't see who it is, but they're big whoever they are. Fear wraps itself around his insides, icy and heavy.

"Don't stop, don't you dare fucking stop Deku-"

One is bad enough, but two of the fuckers? No, not even Katsuki's pride is enough to make him take these bastards on. They need to keep running, find a safe place to hide or somewhere to climb where they can't be reached, or fucking burrow underground until the fuckers leave them the hell alone and find someone else to-

"TEXAS SMASH!"

...What?

As if reading his mind, Deku skids to a stop and turns around. Katsuki wiggles his way off Deku's shoulder, collapsing on the ground and shoving himself to his feet, legs trembling. His adrenaline is still pumping, which puts him at a disadvantage in a fight right now - it's one thing to go up against Deku when his heart's pounding and he feels like the ground beneath his feet is shaking. It's another thing to take on a villain with intentions of killing him and whoever he's got with him.

But from the sounds of it, they don't have to worry about that villain anymore.

There's nothing but silence from the tunnel for a time, but neither of them make any effort to approach it. They wait, wary, ready to run at the slightest hint of wrongness. The person that emerges at last however isn't an enemy, but a very good friend.

"Are you alright there, boys? I apologize for the delay, but I had to wrap our friend up!" He holds up two bottles of what was previously soda, now filled to the brim with green goo. Katsuki shudders at the sight, but feels his body finally relax from its flight-or-fight instinct.

"We're fine, sir," Izuku says, and the stick drops from his hand. "Kacchan?"

"Fine," Kacchan says. He looks at the stick. "Where'd you even get that from?"

"Uh, a construction site. Nobody was around, so I uh, um, improvised? You couldn't use your Quirk, and I panicked."

Katsuki kisses his teeth but says nothing. Better a jagged stick than his death.

"Young man! Based on your words just now, I gather you don't have a Quirk to call your own?" All Might asks, walking up to them.

"Uh, no sir. I was born Quirkless."

All Might nods. "Then in the future, please don't do that again. It was incredibly reckless."

Katsuki feels Izuku lock up beside him. "...Excuse me, sir?"

All Might leans down, and waggles a finger in Izuku's direction. "While it was very brave of you not to leave your friend alone, we Pro Heroes exist for a reason. The next time there's a situation, come find someone, or call for help! Don't try to tackle such things on your own!"

The stick in Izuku's hands begins to crack. Katsuki can't bring himself to look away from this oncoming train wreck, despite the fact that it's All Might, his idol, the person whose drive pushed him to want to be a hero.

"Taking action against an enemy, especially using the method you did today, will only result in the courts looking down on you harshly. So please, for your own safety-"

"Fuck my safety!"

All Might's jaw drops.

Izuku is a seething mass of fury, trembling where he stands, and looking up at All Might like he's one of the teachers. "Do you understand just what would have happened today if I had taken your advice, sir? Kacchan would be dead right now, and I'd be to blame one way or another."

His voice is low, furious, every word tight and mean enough to give even a villain pause. "So kindly don't start your self-righteous spiel about heroes and Quirks. Because quite frankly sir, I've been called worthless every day of my fucking life up to this point because Mother Nature decided not to give me some special power like everyone else. And you know what I've learned from that? That people are pricks, and if they have something you don't, they will lord it over you. I am not worthless or less because I lack a Quirk. A true hero is prepared to lay down their life for anyone at anytime. I am prepared, and will always be prepared to do that, because I have wanted to be a hero since I was four years old."

His glare burns. "So don't come over here, and tell me that stabbing some body-snatching bastard in the eye was the incorrect choice to make, and I should have relied on someone else to save my friend, that I should have run off and tried to get help while my best friend asphyxiated to death."

"That's... that's impossible, my boy. Quirkless individuals can't be heroes. Not like us."

Izuku bares his teeth in a threat. "No, you're right, I won't be like you. I won't cast judgment on others or make them feel inferior. I won't tell them they can't because they don't have the same power as the rest of you. A power, might I add, that is still an extension of your body, and just as fallible as those without Quirks, except you get to last a little longer in a fight than the rest of us. No, I won't do any of those things. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm already a hell of a lot better than all of you so-called Pros."

All Might swallows. It's clear he wasn't expecting this level of hostility, and isn't sure what to do about it.

"Kacchan, we're going. Goodbye, sir."

He grabs Katsuki's arm and hauls him away, not even giving All Might a chance to speak again. Katsuki keeps his mouth shut, recognizing that for once, Izuku doesn't need any help being angry at the world.

It's only once they're far enough away that the anger gives way to tears, and that's when Katsuki carefully loops an arm around Izuku's shoulder and drags him in to hide his crying face in his shoulder. There are no words necessary, because there are no words he can give that would make All Might crushing Izuku's dream okay. So he holds Izuku close and lets him cry, and levels a threatening glare at anyone that watches them too long.

Plans for the day thoroughly derailed, Katsuki accepts that their applications for U.A will have to wait until Izuku isn't feeling like complete and utter shit, and hauls him inside, nagging him towards the direction of the couch while he goes and breaks out the heavy artillery; Izuku's favorite childhood blankets, worn soft with age, two containers of their favorite ice cream, and a crate full of all their favorite movies as kids.

Fuck adulthood. They can wait one more day to be heroes. Right now though, all Izuku needs is a chance to think on better times, when the phrase "You can't" didn't exist for him.

Izuku gives him a watery smile when he wraps the blanket around them (its smaller than it was back then, when it seemed endless and could wrap them in its warm embrace countless times) and thrusts the containers at him. "Thanks, Kacchan."

He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't have to. The way he wraps himself around Izuku during the movies says it all.

They end up falling asleep; Katsuki wakes up to Inko gently shaking his shoulder, smiling down at him. Izuku's lying tucked against his chest, using one of Katsuki's arms as a pillow, and drooling on him.

"What time is it?" he asks Inko.

"It's just a little past five in the morning. Do you want to move to a bed?"

He yawns; he's comfortable and loathe to move, but a bed sounds wonderful enough to tempt him. "Sure." He carefully shifts so he's sitting up, and then moves to his knees and scoops Deku up as he stands. The nerd's leg twitches, but apart from that, he gives no reaction. He's dead to the world, and hopefully dreaming of better things than today has been.

"You two looked so comfortable I couldn't bring myself to wake you earlier," Inko whispers. "But its getting chilly out, and I don't want either of you catching colds."

He nods, stopping short of the door and reaching a foot up to monkey-foot the knob open. With a short bit of effort he manages it, and gets Deku to bed before another massive yawn escapes him. He's seriously tired.

"You boys take as long as you need today, alright? And let me know if you need anything." She deposits a kiss on both of their foreheads, and leaves, shutting the door quietly behind her. He yawns one more time as he lays down, and drags Izuku back over to his side. Within moments he's asleep once more, but his dreams are unpleasant this time, the phantom sensation of choking rushing through him. In his dreams he sees Izuku look at him, eyes wide and teary, fear on every feature of his face, and All Might's voice echoing in the space around them, "The next time there's a situation, come find someone, or call for help! Don't try to tackle such things on your own!"

Izuku runs. Katsuki screams against the slime filling his lungs, reaching out with a hand, desperately trying to beg Izuku to come back, to pick up the stick and save him, but the green-haired boy vanishes into the light, and doesn't come back, and Katsuki is left to drown in a sea of green slime and cold, mocking laughter while All Might leans over him, waggling his finger and telling him, "Quirkless people can't be heroes!"

He wakes up flat on his back gasping, feeling like his heart's going a million miles a minute. It takes him a second to hear Deku's voice calling him. "-chan? Kacchan, are you okay?"

No, part of him wants to say, the part still trapped in the dream. You left me. Why did you leave me? Didn't you hear me screaming for you to come back? Didn't you care if I died?

The rest of him however, shakes his head. "Bad dream. I'm fine." He reaches up to scrub at his eyes with the palms of his hands, hoping the touch will help ground him. It doesn't.

"Do you want-"

"No." He doesn't mean to snap, but it comes out harsher than he means it to. He practically feels Izuku flinch.

"...Oh. Okay. I'll just, um-" He moves to leave, but the thought of being by himself in this empty room right now makes bile rise in the back of Katsuki's throat. He reaches out and grabs Izuku before the boy can get more than a couple inches away, and pulls him back, wrapping arms around him and burying his face in Izuku's neck. "Kacchan?"

"Don't go. I'm not angry, okay? Just... don't go."

"Okay."

He doesn't understand why such a dream would shake him so badly, but it has, and he hates it. Hates that he feels like any moment he'll fly away back to that tunnel, with All Might telling him Quirkless people can't be heroes, so Izuku needs to run away and leave him alone in that darkness to find help. Despite what he wants, his body shudders at the thought.

Izuku's arms wrap around him, one hand smoothing up and down his back while the other touches his shoulder. "I don't know what you dreamed about, but it's okay now Kacchan. Nothing's gonna happen, and if something does happen, we can deal with it, yeah?"

He sucks in a deep breath. That's true - there hasn't been anything until yesterday that they couldn't conquer. And yesterday was just... a really shitty day. Yeah. That's all. He's overthinking this, lingering when he doesn't need to. He's fine. Izuku's fine. It's fine.

He takes another deep breathe. "I...I was back in the tunnel. Except this time you left. All Might was there, but he just kept saying that you needed to go get help, and Quirkless people couldn't be heroes. I kept screaming, but you didn't come back." He grits his teeth. "I woke up because I died. That's why I woke up the way I did. I thought I was still being smothered."

Izuku squeezes him gently. "Well you aren't. The only way I'd ever run away if you were in trouble would be if I were dead, and even then I'd probably still find a way to get to you."

He pulls back, and this time Katsuki lets him. He takes Katsuki's face between his hands, and looks him straight in the eye. "Even All Might can't force me to leave you if you're in trouble, okay? So you don't have to be afraid I'm going to run off and try to find a Pro Hero to save you. We're a cluster, which means we take care of each other, and raise each other up. After all we've been through, there's no way I'd just throw that away."

"It's a stupid dream to have, and it's stupid of me to get all worked up over it."

"It's not stupid. All Might… I'll admit even now I respect him. He's a strong hero, but he's human. He's allowed to be wrong about stuff."

Once, Katsuki might have sneered at such a suggestion. But its as Izuku says; All Might is human. Impressive, most certainly. But undoubtedly human, and at the end of the day he's entitled to his own opinions just as Katsuki and Izuku are entitled to theirs. Just because he thinks they can't doesn't mean they can't.

He runs hands over his face. God, with Izuku talking it all out so rationally, he really feels stupid for getting worked up over that goddamn dream.

"Better?" Izuku asks.

In answer, he turns his grip into more of a cuddle, pressing their cheeks together in the only form of thanks he'll ever allow himself to give. Izuku laughs brightly against chest, and accepts his silent words.

"C'mon, it's time for breakfast."

0-0-0-0-0-0

After breakfast, its time to tackle some of the stuff they put off yesterday. Namely, their applications to U.A. It's been a couple weeks, and the deadline is at the end of the month. They've got at least two more weeks before they start getting into that area of must absolutely fill it out today, but sooner is better, at least in Bakugou's eyes, because it means one less thing to worry about.

Finding the files for application are easy enough; U.A's website has them for download and print. He prints out two, one for the Hero Department, one for the General Education department, and together they sit down and begin to fill them out.

At first it's simple stuff. Name, birth date, age, Quirk, etc. Things one might reasonably expect to be on paperwork like this. But then it gets… strange.

"If two different heroes take on the same case, and both encounter the villain at the same time, which hero should get the glory for beating the villain? The rookie who joined an agency with at least twenty years seniority, or a veteran who joined a fresh-faced agency?"

"Assume you are on a case, and a civilian intervenes and defeats the villain. What is the proper response? Give notice as to who you must notify in this situation and what the proper procedures are."

"You are one of four heroes in a crowded area. There are seven villains, each with powerful detonation Quirks of varying shapes and sizes, each stationed in key areas within the crowded area. Give the order in which you must defeat the villains in order to prevent the most deaths of civilian lives. Please show your work on the map below, and give reasons for your choices."

"What the ever-loving fuck?"

"Kacchan?"

He shoves the paper at Izuku. "The hell's up with the questions?"

Izuku takes the paper, frowning as he reads. "I… I think they want you to take it all seriously. As if you were actually in these situations. I mean, they seem like jokes at first, but if you really look at them, they do come across as things that might happen."

"Still, I haven't even fucking gotten in to U.A yet, and these bastards want me to be able to answer these? I'd be one thing if this was on a cock-sucking test or something, but at enrollment?"

Izuku shrugs. "If it's any consolation, mine aren't much better."

"Lemme see." He takes Izuku's paper, and reads down the list. Fucking shit, these questions make even less sense!

"You have gotten lost in a wooded area you are not familiar with. There are several villains in your area, and you are outmatched and outnumbered, and without gear. You must leave the wooded area without being seen. You may not call for help or use any method of light to find your way. Please describe how you would escape your situation."

"You are facing a dual threat of Quirk bombs. One bomb requires you cut the red wire, the other bomb demands you enter in the right code. You cannot tell one bomb from the other. Please describe how you would determine which bomb belongs to which villain."

"You are in a facility known for human trafficking, and have gone undercover. Please describe the correct, legal way to bust the ring without having any deaths result, or using your Quirk. A map of the facility is shown below. Please show your work."

Katsuki's eye twitches. "Sadistic assholes. They're screwing with us." He shoves the paper back in Izuku's face.

Izuku shrugs as he takes the paper back. "Treat it like it's real? The worst that comes out of it is we get docked points for being too logical about the whole thing. But I mean, if they're being honest about testing us, this would be the way to do it."

Katsuki grumbles, but grudgingly settles in to be here a while. So much for "taking ten minutes to fill out the application". Bah! Fuckers are gonna regret this. I'll show 'em.

Two hours later, he's regretting his decisions. Because there are so many questions that all sound exactly the same - you're in this scenario, tell us what you would do - and it makes him want to set the paper on fire, but on the other hand he doesn't want to undo all the work he's spent all this time doing, and so he's persisting on raging spite and nothing else.

It doesn't help that fucking Deku's application is shorter than his, owing to whoever created these fucking pieces believing that General Ed kids would never ever be in combat, so all they need are a few questions about this or that and they're fine. They get to play twenty fucking questions with the Hero Department kids though, and that grates like nothing else.

But Katsuki keeps going, and is eventually rewarded with the blissful sight of no more questions. "Oh thank fuck, finally!"

"Got it?" Izuku asks, looking up from his phone, where he's spent the last few hours playing word games.

"Fuck yes. We'd better get into U.A this time because I am not doing this fucking monstrosity again."

"Well, at least now we know why getting into U.A is so difficult. The paperwork is murder."

"I'll murder you, you little shit!" But he's too tired to properly get up and chase his asshole friend around the room, so Katsuki settles for glaring at him instead. "Here, take these nasty-ass fucking papers away. Mail 'em off and let's get on with our lives, please."

"You realize we're going to have to wait–"

"Yes. I don't care. Get. Them. Away. From. Me."

Izuku shrugs, and goes to get another envelope for Katsuki, writing U.A's Registration Department address on it, and taking them outside to the mailbox. Why they haven't updated their registration services to the 21st fucking century is beyond Katsuki, but snail mail fucking blows. Still, at least it's in the mailbox, and all they've got to do is wait now. Which is probably infinitely better than filling out paperwork.

Izuku returns, and settles on the bed next to him. "So, how do you think you did?"

"Nailed it, of course. You?"

He nods. "I…tried to take every factor I could think of into consideration."

"Which means you rambled. Damn nerd. When we get to U.A, I don't know you."

"Harsh, Kacchan. What happened to all the love I was feeling earlier?"

"It fucking died, like my patience for your mouthy attitude."

"Yikes. Paperwork is not your strong suit."

"It's not anyone's strong suit, you fuckass!"

"Now, now Kacchan, let's not be bringing out the Quirks–"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

The room dissolves into a cacophony of explosions and loud, vitriolic swearing, punctuated by Izuku's shrieks and laughter. In the kitchen, Inko sighs and smiles, grateful that her son has a friend to enjoy life with, but honestly exasperated with the both of them.

"I guess it really is just like mother said," she muses as she stirs the soup. "You end up with one just like you." She thinks of the photo of her and Mitsuki lying in her bedroom back when they were girls, and chuckles to herself. Hell raisers, all four of them. Fitting.

"Mercy Kacchan! Mercy!"

"You're not getting any mercy! Sitting over there snickering like you're so much better than me just because you didn't have to fill in sixty million questions. Come here, Deku!"

Inko shakes her head. Her silly, ridiculous, hell raising sons.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The weeks following that are filled with training and preparation. Katsuki ruthlessly beats the stuffing out of him on the mats, always demanding more, never fully satisfied even when Izuku's made him work for his win. Once, he actually loses his temper at Kacchan for the act, and manages to land a blow hard enough to draw blood. He freezes, horrified, only to go sailing across the room and onto the couch a second later as Kacchan retaliates with a punch that makes him bite his tongue.

He grins at Izuku with a near-feral glint in his eye from across the room, bloody nose leaving a trail down his chin. "Do that again," he orders. So Izuku swallows down the blood in his own mouth, and shoves his screaming, tired muscles into action once more.

He doesn't manage to win that one either, but he does better. Katsuki gives him two days to recover instead of just one, and Mitsuki scolds them both for overdoing it. As ever, Kacchan is completely stubborn about his decisions concerning their cluster, and it dissolves into a screaming match between mother and son, with Izuku sitting next to Masaru until it stops.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" the man who has pretty much become a second father to him asks.

"Yes please."

It's not just physical training they're doing though; it's the mental prep work to back it up. Katsuki all but shoves him out the door most morning and they go hunt down hero fights. Finding them is the easy part, recording them the difficult bit. Katsuki's dad has a recorder he never uses (it was a wedding gift) so he gives it to them. Katsuki records the fights while Izuku writes down as fast and furiously as he can, and when they get back home at the end of the day they watch the recordings and talk about what they saw.

It helps Izuku fill out his Hero Analysis books a lot more, but more than that it helps him and Katsuki get a good look at the hero world in a way they might not have before.

"Do you think this will be enough?" Izuku asks one day, as they're heading back from recording a confrontation between Mt. Lady and a particularly stubborn flying-Quirk villain. "All this stuff we're doing?"

"It'll have to be. We don't know what they'll want us to do for the opening exam, assuming there's a secondary one. They might have us do written, or they might have us to physical. I've heard they've swapped it back and forth over the years, to make it more challenging. But they might not."

Searching the website tells them nothing, and even looking online only gives them tests done in the past - there's no distinct pattern, either, despite what Katsuki says. Sometimes they do written two years in a row, other times they'll skip back and forth for a few years before suddenly going physical exams all the way. They're really going in blind to this exam, and Katsuki's doing his damnedest to capitalize on both.

The third week finds them down on the beach, in a section dubbed The Trash Heap. It's exactly as its name implies, messy and disgusting. The sight of it makes something in Izuku cringe, because this used to be a gorgeous section of beach, if the pictures online are any indication.

"We might not be able to get the whole beach before the exams start," Katsuki says. "But we can damn well try. Haul ass, Deku!"

"Right!"

'Hauling ass' isn't an adequate phrase to describe what they do. It's everything about exercising and training Izuku hates, all boiled down to their filthiest, nastiest parts. He's certain after this they're both going to need multiple tetanus shots, not just because of the junk, but because there are signs of druggies using this beach as well, and it only makes their job that much more cringe-worthy. Going home filthy, sweaty and exhausted for a solid month isn't exactly how Izuku planned to spend the time before the U.A exam, but it's the better choice between this and lazing around waiting for the day to come.

And surprisingly, it gets a little better every time they go down there. The first few days are full of sore muscles and tired, drained minds, but as they go about cleaning the beach here and there, filling bags with bottles, bits of trash, and whatever else is small enough to fit, it feels less like a struggle and more like actual work. The good kind that burns away fat and leaves the muscles aching in a pleasant way. The kind that speaks of growth.

Katsuki uses the time to both strengthen his muscles and hone his Quirk. High-powered, wide-range blasts grow smaller, more concentrated. Izuku gets used to carrying burn balm and bandages with him, because inevitably Kacchan overdoes it and ends up with burned palms for his troubles. He claims it's no big deal, but Izuku knows otherwise. His first real Hero Analysis was done on Kacchan himself, because his Quirk was so raw and powerful and amazing to five-year-old Izuku. There are days where Izuku feels like he knows Kacchan's Quirk better than the boy himself - and that's a scary thought.

In what feels like a matter of days, the period for applications into U.A is gone. They continue going to the beach, continue pushing onward, but now every day coming back is filled with unspoken tension. Will today be the day they send out the dates for the exam? Will tomorrow? What about next week? What about next month? And of course, nobody has any news, or any idea of when it'll happen. The months vary just as much as the exam itself does - sometimes it takes up to ten months, sometimes it only takes one or two.

But they keep going, keep pushing, keep urging themselves onward. A small section of the beach ends up cleared by the end of the month, just big enough for a picnic blanket. It might not seem like much, but to them it feels like a victory. It urges them on, and so they push harder, begin to adjust not simply the schedules and the workouts, but what they're eating, drinking and how much sleep they're getting. By the time the second month ends, Izuku feels like he's been put through the wringer.

But Kacchan is determined. "We'll get this whole fucking beach cleared before U.A's exam happens! I don't care if we have to stay here twenty-four fucking seven! It's gonna happen! I'm not gonna go away to U.A and have a bunch of chucklefucks ruin our hard work in a week! So get going!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

"Don't you sass me! I will fucking come over there!"

Two months rolls into three. Kacchan's explosive power is now high enough for him to completely destroy the fridges littered in the area - although it leaves him with singed palms for his trouble. Not burnt, merely singed, which speaks of a growing resistance to his own blasts. A good sign. Izuku can now easily carry three tires on one arm, although he can only do so for a short time. An even better sign.

"C'mon Deku! Don't you dare fucking fall behind! Whatever I can do, you better be able to do too if you don't want my boot up your ass!"

And of course, Kacchan provides his own… unique brand of encouragement. Good old Kacchan.

It's not all sunshine and daisies though. Izuku's Heat hits him shortly before the four month mark, and he's left bed bound. Except unlike his usual Heats which leave him bed bound, this one feels distinctly nasty, and proves itself to be one hell of a ride when he's forced into keeping a clean trash bag by his bed that he ends up sicking into several times over the course of the day.

A day later Kacchan climbs in through his window in the middle of the night, snarling and growling at shadows, smelling muskier than usual, and proceeds to aggressively cuddle him to sleep. Their shared misery makes the suffering a little easier to bear, though Kacchan's Rut ends a good four days before Izuku's Heat does, because Mother Nature hates him.

The older boy doesn't leave his side though, instead bringing his phone out and allowing Izuku to use him as a pillow while he scrolls through fluffy animal videos and outdated comedy shows that he likes. He also ends up sharing the kitchen with Inko and whipping up a soup recipe that finally settles Izuku's stomach.

The last day of his Heat, he's able to stagger down to the beach with Kacchan and lift some of the smaller items under Katsuki's watchful gaze. He goes home feeling less sore and more just tired, but wakes up the next morning with his Heat done and over with, feeling more refreshed than usual. He's the first down to the beach that morning, and by the time Kacchan shows up he's cleared another portion of trash away by himself.

"Deku you fuck, don't get started without me! Cheater!"

At last though, through all their hard work and their struggles, their patience is rewarded. They come home from that adventure around mid-day, and find what they've been waiting for - the exam dates, posted in notices sent by U.A to them.

They're set in the same month, although one is a week ahead of the other. Given that General Ed students are expected to see less action than Hero Studies students, their exam takes place the first week of the month, while Katsuki's test takes place the week immediately following that. Both of them are on a Tuesday, both set for the morning times.

Izuku quivers with excitement. "Four months away," he tells Kacchan, waving the notice under his nose. "Look, Kacchan! We still have time to clear the beach!"

Katsuki snatches the paper out of his hand, scans it with a scowl. "Good. That means we've got another four months to toughen you the fuck up some more. Get ready Deku, because these last four months are going to be your absolute worst fucking nightmare."

They are. They absolutely are. Izuku regrets this decision. Immensely.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Fo-four m-m-months," Izuku wheezes, sweat dripping off his skin. He feels ready to pass out. "D-did it…"

"Barely," Kacchan scoffs, from where he's leaning against the railing, holding his coffee. Izuku kind of wants to strangle him. "You barely managed to finish cleaning it all out in time, shitty Deku. The fuck kinda lackluster shit is that?"

"Kacchan?"

"What?"

"Shut your face before I put these new muscles to use and break it."

Katsuki grins at him. It's exactly one week before the exam is set to begin, but Izuku's done it. He's cleaned the beach - even beyond the area they had originally set up for. It's all gone, every last speck of trash. The beach looks gorgeous once more, especially now that they can see the sunrise.

"Here. I guess you earned this."

Izuku blinks, looks down. Kacchan's holding a second cup of coffee. It takes his brain a second to figure out how, and then he smiles, feeling the urge to tear up. "T-thank you Kacchan."

"Yeah well, don't get used to it." He thumbs his nose, but his eyes are warm and full of pride. It's enough to make Izuku want to blush. He settles for enjoying his hot drink, and waiting for the breeze to cool his sweaty skin.

It's the sound of a garbled wheeze behind him that tells him they're no longer alone. He turns around, and blinks at the sight of a blond-haired, rather gaunt-looking individual dressed in warm clothing, eyes wide and mouth gaping as he stares at the scene in front of him.

"D-did you two do this?" He finally demands.

"Yeah. Got a problem, old man?" Kacchan asks, eyes narrowing.

"How…how did you do it? I-I mean, the beach was–"

"Utterly filthy, from here to there," Izuku points. "Eight months of hard work, sir. That's all."

"We want to get into U.A, so shit like this is good practice. Now if shitty Deku here would have just moved his ass a little faster–"

"I distinctly recall you doing a lot of standing around, Kacchan. Maybe you should consider your part in all this?"

"That's because I'm not the one without a Quirk, idiot. I'm not the one who needs the exercise."

"Did you just call me fat?"

"So what if I did?"

"I know where you sleep."

"I know where you sleep too, idiot, which isn't much considering we share a bed almost all the time. The fuck's that got to do with anything?"

The man moves closer, blue eyes taking in the wide expanse of clean, open sand. "I never thought I'd see the day," he murmurs. Then he fixes a sharp gaze on Izuku. "You did this without a Quirk?"

Izuku sighs, feeling his temper itch, but willing to give this stranger the benefit of the doubt. "Yes, I did. And my muscles regret every second of it."

"…You did very well, young man. Thank you for your hard work."

"Eh?"

But the stranger's already turned his back once more and is walking off, leaving Izuku to stare after him and wonder if he didn't just hallucinate the entire thing.

"What a weirdo," Kacchan mutters. "Still, better than most of our encounters have gone. You alright over there, Deku?"

"Uh? Um, yeah. Just… didn't expect that. At all." It's… kind of nice to hear that, though. To be reminded that not all the world might hate him for not having a Quirk. Or treat him like he's lesser, at least.

"We've still got a week before your exam, Deku. What do you want to do with it?"

He blinks. "You're letting me pick?"

Kacchan shrugs. "You've done all you can physically. I think if we pushed it at this point, we'd break something. Can't afford that, so, its your choice."

He considers it. Kacchan isn't wrong - they've been pushing themselves pretty hard, and it's nothing less than a minor miracle that the only real issue they've had have been the Heats and the Ruts. It would make sense to call it for the last week, to relax, but at the same time they can't relax too much, or they'll undo all the progress and potentially risk losing in the exam.

"How about we just do some last-minute Hero Analysis? Maybe not to the degree we've been doing - just go and watch the fights? Try to get a feel for what we might encounter?"

Kacchan nods. "If that's what you want, fine. That's what we'll do."

And so the last week passes quietly, and all too soon Izuku is dressed and heading for the exam center, feeling his heart hammering in his chest the whole walk over.

Kacchan's last minute, ah, encouragement probably isn't helping.

"You better kick ass over there Deku. I hear you do anything less than fucking perfect and I swear to god you'll regret it. Ace it, or don't come home!"

Bless Kacchan's explosive little heart, but did he really have to add in the threat of not being allowed to come home to the mix? Granted it's a good ninety-five percent bogus, but right now Izuku's mind isn't thinking with logic, its thinking with anxiety, which is a surefire way of killing any potential logic dead in its tracks.

He gets to the site of the test, and mercifully finds other people lingering around, waiting. Some of them look pretty intimidating, and others look ready to shank the ones around them in the back.

And then the proctor of the exam, General Psyren arrives. An intimidating fish man with powerful psychic abilities, he positively towers over them. "Alright guppies, listen up! You're all gonna have ten minutes to show me you're not just a bucket of chum to be thrown away! You'll do this by using your Quirks, gadgets, whatever you can fit into your outfits, to save dummies scattered throughout the arena, stop panic and disasters, and either keep your fellow swarm safe or swim off and do your own thing! But at the end of these ten minutes, you will be graded, and your grades will determine whether you join us Pros in the wider ocean blue, or–"

He grins, long, narrow teeth making his smile that much more terrifying. Izuku feels chills cascade down his spine. "–you'll be fish food! So show me some spine out there! Prove to me that out of all you guppies, you have the necessary guts to climb the ranks and advance! That is all. The starting arena is behind the doors to my left. I'd say good luck, but luck won't save you."

Izuku gulps as people begin to move towards the doors on the left. He thinks of Kacchan, of all the effort he's spent these last eight months exerting, and grits his teeth. I can do this, he thinks, straightens his back, and walks through the doors.

0-0-0-0-0-0

And then like that, it's all over. Izuku goes home soaking wet, shaking, yet feeling completely calm internally, General Psyren's voice still echoing around in his head, "And the exam is over, guppies! Time to swim back to civilization and await your judgment."

He'd saved three dummies total, all of them in the hardest zone - the Water Grave zone. Mainly for those with water-based Quirks, yet he'd been one of the few brave enough to enter that zone. He'd… he'd just watched as everyone swarmed towards the other areas, and his eyes had automatically drawn themselves to the shipwrecked, pitch-black waters. There, his instinct had urged him, and so he'd gone.

Only time would tell if he'd been good enough, though. If his last eight months had been for naught, or if he'd managed to hook Psyren and the others with his hard work.

Katsuki evidently knows he's in the mood for fifty questions, because gone is the aggressive best friend when he shows up, replaced by the softer, more worried face of the Alpha of the cluster.

"C'mon idiot, into the shower. Give me those clothes, I'll toss 'em in the washer."

The water is just short of scorching when he gets in, but it feels good. It takes actual effort to wash his hair, now that the adrenaline and anxiety of the major event is finally gone, it leaves him feeling tired. He washes his hair as best as he can, half-heartedly scrubs himself, and then climbs out. There's a pile of warm, clean clothes belonging to Kacchan sitting out, and Izuku recognizes his best friend's Alpha tendencies in action. They smell nice, and the made bed feels even nicer, but Kacchan climbing in with him and pressing up against his back feels the best. Izuku's out like a light in seconds.

The next week rolls around without pause, and it's Izuku's turn to take care of Kacchan when the older boy stumbles home covered in soot, dirt, cuts and looking as tired as Izuku felt. He does the same thing Kacchan did for him, giving him clothes to wear and snuggling down with him in bed, reassuring him as best he can. Katsuki falls asleep even before he's fully laid down, and only wakes up hours later, when Izuku's making dinner - Kacchan's favorites. Inko looks on and beams proudly, praising Katsuki when he comes in through the door and bidding them good night as she heads up to her own room.

"Thanks," Kacchan mumbles around his chopsticks. He looks like he could use another few hours, but that can be solved as soon as he's done eating.

"Was it hard?" Izuku asks. It's the only question he'll allow himself to ask.

Katsuki grunts, shrugs. "About as hard as yours was, maybe a little more. We fought robots for points. There was a zero-pointer stomping around, fucking the whole thing up."

"Yikes. Well, hopefully we'll get our results soon."

Kacchan nods, chews a bit more rice. Dinner is quiet, and as soon as the table is clear and everything put away Izuku finds himself grabbed and hauled back to bed to be Kacchan's pillow. Not that he minds.

Then all that's left is to wait - and what a wait it is. It feels like it lasts forever, although Izuku's calendar tells him it's not more than four weeks max. He and Katsuki take walks and watch hero fights and talk about simpler things. Sometimes they'll go the whole day without saying a word - but still talking to each other. It's back to basics, their final days as teenagers before the verdict comes down.

When it happens, they're both at their respective homes. Inko rushes into the room, breathless, an envelope in her hand. "I-Izuku! It's he-here!"

The world seems to narrow down to a pinprick, everything centered on his envelope. Feeling like his fingers weigh a million pounds and are moving at the speed of a glacier, he opens the envelope. Here at last is his judgment.

I have to get in, he thinks, as he unfolds the paper inside. I promised Kacchan. I told him we'd go together. I have to get in. Please, let it be enough. Let me be enough.

The paper unfolds. He reads it. His brain registers the words, but all he feels is a spreading numbness inside of him. He doesn't even recognize he's crying until the tears begin to splatter the page. Then he's pressing a hand to his mouth, letting the paper drop as he cries, unable to hold it back.

And that's how Kacchan finds him, not five minutes later, as he rushes into the room, a wide grin on his face and an envelope in his hand.

0-0-0-0-0-0

In his time as a teacher for the General Ed course within U.A, Psyren has seen a lot of hopefuls pass through these doors. He's seen talent, raw and unfettered, he's seen passion, burning bright throughout chaos. He's watched some of the finest doctors, policemen, firemen and more come out of his students, and he's been fiercely proud of them all. His guppies are thriving, and they're making the most out of their lives, and that's the best kind of thing a man like him can witness.

But lately, there's been a trend of increasingly… how should he put it… lazy heroes emerging from the ranks. Those who believe that now that they've made it into the Pro circuit (or even just U.A), they can coast through the rest of their life on nothing but good fortune and their name. That no effort is needed in order to be a true hero. It's a mindset that makes Psyren spit.

And the other teachers aren't kind about it either. Aizawa Shouta, an underground hero known as Eraserhead, expelled an entire class and then some in his last year alone. All of them were by-the-book expulsions, rather than done simply because he didn't like them. The student records told a somber story - a story of immature, lazy children who wanted everything handed to them because they believed that telling people they went to U.A would make them the best automatically. A story that is sadly becoming more common in this day and age.

To General Psyren, who grew up dirt poor, in an area where flooding was common and death even more so, who clawed his way through the Navy Rescue Squad training and became a General - no, the name isn't just for show - it's the ultimate show of disrespect. Because here are children who have a chance at a genuinely good future, and all they have to do is reach for it. But they refuse, because somehow the mere act of reaching is too difficult for them.

Which is why watching Midoriya Izuku's test video is so thrilling.

It's clear to him right off the bat that the boy is nervous, and that's a good thing. The kids don't know it, but the front of the stage is recorded as well, so the teachers can get a sense of just what kind of personalities the kids have by the way they approach the stage. Izuku Midoriya walks up to the stage in the same way a cautious cat might come to inspect something new in their territory. He looks around at the other candidates from under his hair, keeping his eyes moving. He's ready to move without even being aware of it.

When Psyren emerges onto the stage, the boy shifts from being defensive into a neutral stance. He listens, and takes stock of the way the other candidates are listening and watching. He's not one of the first few to go rushing for the doors, but one of the last, taking that same cautious pace as before. The difference being that before, he is purely cautious. After, as he walks towards the doors, he straightens his back and raises his chin. Here now is a boy willing to fight.

It chills Psyren to the bone in all the best ways.

And the way the boy tackles his test! It's almost impossible to believe he's Quirkless. While the others charge off in a rush towards the easier zones, Midoriya watches, waits, and then flings himself into the Graveyard with the fire of a man on a mission. And while he only rescues three dummies, he performs each rescue with the careful precision of a surgeon removing a tumor from the body. The three dummies he rescues are all within "cove traps" Psyren himself designed - one false move, and the whole zone will come down on top of him. He sees that - and Psyren watches as he scouts the room, taking in the whole picture before beginning to zero on on the specific details.

Add on to that the weight of the dummies - normally only twenty-five pounds each, but soaked with the water of the zone, they're easily fifty - and his careful management of the situation speaks volumes about his potential as a hero, Quirk or no Quirk. Psyren doesn't doubt that, if given more time, the boy could have easily cleared the zone of all dummies long before the other brats even thought to come back. He doesn't even haul himself out of the water until Psyren calls it in - each dummy is laid carefully on the dock, and he ensures they're entirely out of the water before swimming off again.

"Magnificent," he whispers.

Over his time here, he's taken a few guppies under his fins; those that have that zest of life in them that simply won't be stopped by the rules of everyday life. Those guppies that he's hand-raised here in U.A have always come out as truly exceptional among their peers. His last one was nearly five years ago, and here now is looking to be his next young fry to guard and guide.

He can't wait to meet the boy in person.

"You're thinking foolish things again," a female voice drawls. "That boy is Quirkless, and an Omega besides. He shouldn't even be at this event."

Psyren turns, scaly lips pulling back into a firm line. As always, Abyss must ruin his good mood with her sour notes. "Neither of those have any standing in his right to an education, Abyss. You know this. Besides that, he's one of the best candidates we've had in a very long time. I'm going to meet him, no matter what you say."

Abyss - natural name Oe Ritsuko - is a tall, conservatively-dressed woman, her hair in a bun, and tinted glasses to hide her eyes. She's one of the counselors within the school, and one with a record of sticking to her guns as far as her opinions go. Most of the younger teachers within U.A refer to her as 'The Heartless' due to her utter refusal to deal with Omegas, Quirkless, and her solid belief that anyone who is not an Alpha is automatically inferior, and destined to remain at home catering to the Alphas.

Abyss' lips pull up into a soft sneer. "He is entitled to nothing. Mark my words, that boy will drag the rest of your class down if you allow him in. He is a leech looking for an easy way in, and you will provide him one with that soft heart of yours."

Psyren narrows his eyes Abyss has earned her name - she drags all who speak with her into a spiral of depression and dark thoughts where it's very hard to think rationally. A good tactic to use on villains, not so much on students who require confidence or someone to tell them it's going to be okay. He's never understood why Nedzu keeps her on. If rumors are to be believed, its because the Alphas she tutors always come out better than they went in, even if the rest of the populace doesn't.

"Say what you want," he states, turning from her, fixing his eyes back on the screen. "I've made my decision. You're free to have your opinions, so long as you spout them elsewhere." He's never hidden his distaste for her, or her attempts to convince the rest of the world that "the old way is the right way". Honestly, her constant belief that Omegas are only meant to be broodmares is disgusting on a level he can no longer put to words.

She shakes her head. "You will regret this, Psyren."

"No," he retorts, voice firm. "I won't."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Yagi Toshinori has been around in the heroing business for a while, perhaps not as his true self, but honestly at this point it doesn't matter. A good portion of the teachers at U.A know who he is in one form or another, and they know his desire to teach kids is earnest. Which is why, when Cementoss reports about a young candidate that is showing exceptional skill to him, he's intrigued.

It's only once he sets eyes on him that he winces, because that boy is–

"Yagi-san? Is something amiss?" Cementoss asks, having seen his wince.

"Ah, that boy is… erm, he and I and another friend of his had a rather unfriendly encounter a couple months back, that's all. I doubt he'd be interested in having me mentor him."

Even now, the memory makes him flush hot with shame, because the green-haired boy - who this young man (apparently his name is Bakugou Katsuki) had referred to as "Deku" - had been correct in every sense of the word. All Might had been coming at that from the wrong angle, choosing to focus on the boy's Quirklessness, and his choices, rather than the safety of them both. But he'd gone and put his foot in his mouth, and the boy had rightfully ripped him apart for it. His only regret was that he hadn't seen the boy again until the beach, when the realization of what he'd done, and the gargantuan mistake he'd made had hit him.

Well, the boy did say he was going to try to get into U.A. Which meant for him he'd likely be in 1-B with the others. He could always pop over there one day and properly apologize, given that he would be a teacher here anyhow. Surely it couldn't be that hard.

Cementoss smiles, evidently recognizing a blunder when he sees one. "I'm certain it will all work out. This boy, for all his thirst for victory, showed very good observation skills. If you apologize, I doubt he will hold a grudge for very long."

It's not him I'm worried about, but thank you for saying so. "Yes, I will do my best."

"You know, rumors say Psyren also found a candidate in his test that he wants to take under his wing." He peers down at the notes. "One 'Midoriya Izuku', apparently did exceptionally well in the Water Grave course, despite being Quirkless."

Yagi's heart leapt into his throat. "S-sorry, what did you say his name was?"

"Midoriya Izuku. Do you know him?"

"Yes. He was the other boy I mentioned just now. The one I upset. I need to apologize to them both, but that boy most of all. I misjudged him very badly."

Cementoss shakes his head. "We all make mistakes. Make your apology, and ensure that it is earnest. Even if you're in separate classes, if you work on being a good teacher to all those who reside here, I'm certain you will and he will mend bridges eventually."

"I hope so," Yagi murmurs, feeling anxiety climb into the hollow of his chest. "I truly do."

0-0-0-0-0-0

All too soon, it's over. The first day of U.A classes finally starts, and with it Bakugou finds himself standing inside the front gates, staring up at the building that so many have entered before him - entered as nothing, and emerged as heroes. The thought makes his heart beat triple time in his chest, excitement burning beneath his skin like his Quirk. It's a heady sensation, one he hopes he'll get plenty of in the future.

It's still early, so there's not many people around. Even the students aren't really here yet, but Katsuki isn't about to ruin his first day by being late.

"Kacchan!"

He turns. Deku, rushing towards him, uniform askew and face pale. "I-I overslept! Did I- Am I late?"

Katsuki snorts. "The ever-loving fuck you call that thing around your neck? Did you pick up a snake and strangle it with its own body?"

"Huh?" He looks down. Around his neck, the U.A tie is a giant knot. It looks fucking ridiculous, and Katsuki isn't about to be seen with someone wearing that shit inside. Doesn't matter if they're in different classes or not. "Um, my tie?"

"Do you seriously not know how to- you know what, never mind, come here, you idiot." He tugs Izuku off the path and over by one of the statues. He's gained a bit of height on top of the muscle thanks to their training sessions, just enough to be able to hook his chin over Izuku's shoulder and see in front. "Okay nerd, pay attention, 'cause I'm not gonna start dressing you like I'm your nanny. This. This is how you tie a tie."

It's weird doing it on someone else, but Katsuki's got practice - his parents are very much of the idea of Dressing To Impress, and Katsuki's been doing it for years. Even Deku's shitty tie-tying skills are no match for him.

"Got it?" he demands. He waits until Deku nods, and then undoes it in a single movement. "Show me."

Izuku slowly repeats his earlier movements, brow furrowed in concentration. It comes out slightly crooked, but looking a lot better than before. The crookedness will come out with practice. "Good. You look less like a hobo and more like a proper student. If I ever see you tie that shit like that again, I'm gonna rip your arm off and beat you with it, got it?"

"Kacchan," Izuku chides in exasperation, but the idiot looks near tears.

Oh for fuck's sake. He can't let the nerd go in looking like he's gonna break down. He looks around quickly, to make sure nobody's going to give him hell for what he's about to do, and then growls, "C'mere nerd," and yanks Izuku forward.

He usually keeps his reassurances gentle, since the idiot's more into that, but this time he's not gonna let Izuku have any doubts that he damn well deserves to fucking be here, and now that he is here, the only thing he needs to worry about is working his damn ass off to show the world that Quirkless or not, he's not fucking worthless. So he ruthlessly kicks the urge to be gentle aside and smothers Izuku in reassurance, growling praise into his ear until the fool's trying to pull away, squealing and grinning and turning pink.

"Kacchan! Enough!"

"No."

"Kacchan!" Izuku laughs, and he finally pulls back, smug. There. Bitches can't say shit about him being a bad Alpha when he's able to put that kind of look on his Omega's face, now can they?

"You get it now, you damned nerd?"

Izuku swipes the tears out of his eyes. "Yeah," he says, and the anxiety from earlier is gone. "I do. Thank you, Kacchan."

"You got your class number?"

"1-C. You're in 1-A, right?"

He nods. They should be right down the hall from one another, which is good. It means they can get together during break, lunch and at the end of the day. Likely it also means someone's going to complain, but fuck 'em. Katsuki does what he wants, and has since he was four, and Izuku's much the same. At least where the cluster is concerned.

And speaking of the cluster. "You'll tell me if you meet anyone you think can run with us."

Izuku nods. "I will. Same for you, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then. I'll see you at the end of the day, if not sooner."

"Lunch, or break. Try not to get yourself killed in there."

"That's my line, Kacchan!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

He's the only one in the classroom when he arrives - and he double checks and triple checks out of nerves, but it is the correct classroom - and that in itself is a small mercy. He chooses a seat in the back out of habit, putting himself in the corner to avoid anyone coming up behind him. Only once he's done that does he finally stare around him and feel the realization hit him anew.

He's made it.

For a second, tears threaten. Then the look of Kacchan's face, outraged and coldly furious before Izuku, hiccuping, had shoved the letter in his face.

"What the actual fuck, Deku, why the hell are you crying like you just fucking got rejected? This is a goddamned acceptance letter- do you not know how to read you over-dramatic nerd, what the fuck?!"

In truth, he'd just... been surprised. Yeah sure, it was one thing to claim all the rules and regulations were behind him on this one, that the field was clear for his entry. But it was another thing to hold an acceptance letter bearing his name in his hands and be told you are good enough. The shock had been enough to dislodge the rougher emotions lurking in his chest, and no matter what Kacchan says, he needed those tears. Needed that validation from someone that wasn't just his cluster mate.

He's pretty sure Kacchan gets that.

"You ever pull that kinda shit with me again and you'll wish you hadn't, you hear me? Fuck, I thought for sure I was going to have to go kill someone there for a second."

And that was before his mother had peeked in, heard them bickering, and broken down into tears herself. The only reason Kacchan had stopped berating him had been because he'd been too busy calling his mother to near-hysterically ask how to calm down a crying woman. Mitsuki had laughed at him, and then come over and calmed Inko down. She'd also taken the time to praise him, and tease him about "putting up with son at school" with a wink. As usual with his mother's antics, Kacchan hadn't been the least bit impressed.

"Hm?"

Izuku jerks upright, and then beams nervously. There's a purple-haired, tired looking boy standing in the doorway looking at him. "Oh, h-hello! Or, um, good morning?" Good job, you're messing it up already.

The boy grimaces. "Oh god, you're one of those morning people. Ugh."

Izuku snorts. "I'm really not, honest." When the boy looks at him in disbelief, he holds his hands up. "Really! It's just for today. First day and all."

"It's just like any other school. Not like there's much to be nervous about."

"Well... there kind of is for me? This is kind of like my lucky strike in life, if you get what I mean." He smiles. "So I guess it's more nerves born of hard work and a determination to get in, and not wanting to let myself down now."

"Makes sense I suppose." He turns, and instead of heading for one of the front desks, tosses his bag next to the desk in front of Izuku's. "Hitoshi Shinso."

"Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you!"

"Ugh, please tone it down with the cheeriness. It's still too early."

Other kids begin to file in shortly after that. Izuku glances around him from time to time, but focuses mainly on Hitoshi. Who, for his part, seems fine with having someone to talk with to help pass the time away.

Once the bell rings, Izuku feels his nerves kick up another notch, and does his best to relax into his chair and wait for the teacher's entrance with the others.

But the teacher never shows up.

It takes the class fifteen minutes past the bell before they start getting up from their seats and talking like before. Nobody seems concerned with the fact that their teacher is apparently missing. Izuku ponders whether they're simply late - they needed to go back and grab something or am perhaps preoccupied with talking to someone. But then he sees Hitoshi's expression, the faint furrow to his brow as he looks at the clock, and he knows this isn't the case.

"Who's the homeroom teacher?" he asks quietly. Hitoshi leans over.

"It's General Psyren, the guy who did the exams. He's normally early by five minutes, but he stands outside and welcomes in new students. The only reason he's ever late is if he forgets something, and it usually doesn't take him more than a couple minutes to get it and come back."

"So this is odd?"

"Very odd."

Izuku bites his lip. On one hand, it could be nothing, and going out to look for the teacher might be more trouble than it's worth. But on the other hand, if something is truly wrong, they won't know unless they ask.

"Do you wanna go to the teacher's lounge and maybe ask them if everything's okay?"

Hitoshi looks at him. "You'd be willing to do that?"

Izuku nods. "I trust you."

"You've only just met me."

Izuku shrugs. "I don't get the feeling you're trying to manipulate or lie to me, and I've gotten pretty good at telling when people are doing either of those things, so. Yeah."

Hitoshi stares at him a bit more, and then smiles. It's faint, but it's there. "Alright. Let's go ask, then."

Nobody pays them any attention as they leave the room, making sure to leave their bags behind. The teacher's lounge isn't too far away from Class 1-A, and as much as Izuku dearly wishes he could pop in and say hello to Kacchan, he knows now isn't the time. Besides, from the sound of talking the class has already started - best not to interrupt.

"You're a first-year, right?"

Izuku focuses on Hitoshi again. "Yes. Aren't you?"

That gets him a snicker. "Third-year, actually."

"EH?!"

"What, couldn't you tell?" Okay, he's being laughed at. "Ah, I always love pulling that. General Ed does mixed classes of first and third years, at least at the beginning. The teachers found out a couple years back that at least where we're concerned, it makes things a little easier for the first years if they've got older classmates willing to help them out with stuff they don't understand. So they keep us in the same room as you guys for the first couple of months, and then we wander back to 3-C. Gives us time to help you newbies learn the ropes and prevent anyone from pulling stupid shit."

"D-do we do that a lot?" Izuku asks.

Hitoshi's grin speaks of fond memories. "More than you'd imagine."

"You'll have to tell me about it, sometime."

"Hmm, maybe I will. Or maybe I'll just let you wonder."

"Mean!"

"Oh yes. Very."

The teacher's lounge is silent when they approach, which raises the hairs on the back of Izuku's neck. He pauses in front of the door. Hitoshi looks back at him.

"What? Are we doing this or not?"

There's something... off about this. He can't put his finger on it, but there's a kind of... tension to this whole thing he didn't notice earlier. Which in hindsight was incredibly stupid of him. It feels like the tunnel all over again, where he just knew something wasn't right.

"Stay close to me," he orders Hitoshi, and wraps a hand around his wrist for good measure. Then, before Hitoshi can argue, flings the door open and comes face-to-chest with none other than Psyren himself. As soon as Izuku sees his to-be teacher, he knows Psyren's been waiting for him. Or anyone, really. But this? This was a ruse meant to lure, and it worked.

Fuck.

Psyren's grin is wild, and utterly terrifying. "So, the guppies did have the balls to show up this year. What do you know."

Snap. The trap closes, and Midoriya knows that this is the tunnel again, just with a teacher instead of a villain. The adrenaline still hums through his blood, regardless.

Hitoshi gives him a smirk. "Hard to lie when there's no question that requires one."

"I would like it to be stated for the record that you will regret this," Izuku states calmly, even though nothing about him feels calm.

"Noted," Hitoshi says.

"So little guppy," Psyren growls. "You're outmatched - one of your own a spy for me. What will you do?"

Ah, a test then. Probably graded too. He blinks doe eyes up at his teacher, even as the hand not touching Hitoshi is non discreetly slipping into a back pocket. "Why, this of course."

He throws the smoke grenade as he pulls Hitoshi up and over his shoulder the same way he did to Bakugou, and then books it back for the classroom. Because if this simulation is correct, the classroom is the "exit" - unfortunately, it's one straight hallway, and Psyren will undoubtedly be faster. So he has to make the most of this.

He forces himself to think back to that moment in the tunnel, that knowledge that if he stopped for even an instant, Kacchan would die. Except here, it's not Kacchan he's carrying, but Hitoshi. Still, the visceral knowledge of death hanging over his head propels him, and he runs with the nauseating sensation driving him.

The roar of outrage that comes from behind him helps. Immensely.

Five feet, closing.

Four.

Three.

Two!

On-

Psyren is suddenly right behind him.

"Game over, guppy."

Izuku makes a choice.

He's not even aware of Psyren in the moment he lunges for the classroom; he's not thinking about saving himself. Instead he's rolling his shoulder to force Hitoshi down and throwing him as hard as he can back inside the classroom. He can feel Psyren bearing down on him, knows in a second it'll be over.

He doesn't expect Hitoshi to snag him and yank him in with him.

They hit the ground hard, breath exploding from both of their chests. Izuku coughs, even as third years are rising to their feet, shock painted on their features, and Psyren enters the room, a calmer, happier smile on his face.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful!" he booms. "Izuku Midoriya, Hitoshi Shinsou, congrats, you've both passed for the day!"

"Wait a second," someone asks, "Did they just win General's test?"

"Holy fuck," someone else says.

"Hitoshi, did that firsty seriously just throw you in here like a sack of flour?!"

"Yes," Hitoshi groans. He looks down at Izuku's sprawled on top of him, trying to catch his breath. "He did. Ow, by the way. You've got bony shoulders."

"Fine," Izuku wheezes, "Ne-next time I'll leave you to the fishes."

Psyren laughs, picking them both up and gently depositing them back in their seats. Izuku immediately slumps over his desk. This was not supposed to happen! This was the kind of stuff Kacchan was supposed to be dealing with, not him!

"Exemplary teamwork, you two. And Midoriya, good job on catching me by surprise. Even if smoke grenades technically are considered against the rules of the school. I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate the rest of those later if you bring them again."

Midoriya gives him a thumbs up to show he's listening, and then lowers his arm again.

"A firsty with a smoke grenade?"

"Wait, doesn't that technically mean he cheated?"

"No," Psyren says. "Because the only objective of the test is to get back to the classroom with your teammate - there isn't a rule on using what you have to your advantage." He claps his hands together, and the first years collectively jump. "So! For those of you unaware of what just happened, that was your first test! It is a rather famous one, and next year when you all become second years, you'll get to watch the next class go through it. Very few pass, because they don't expect it to be a test, so it's easy for me to catch them."

"Wait, so that's why you were late?"

"Indeed! Every year I have one of my third years nudge a student or two in my direction, and start the test. Those that pass, like Midoriya and Hitoshi, get a gold star for the day."

"S-so did we fail? Because we didn't take part?" Someone else asks.

"No, not at all. Actually, today's test reflected on all of you - so because they passed, you are all safe from any extra training I may or may not have had up my sleeve."

"Seriously?!"

"Oh wow."

"Hey, thanks kid!"

Izuku simply waves a hand. Psyren chuckles.

"It's been awhile since I've seen anyone able to move that fast. Then again, I should have known by your performance in the Water Grave that you weren't a slacker. That's the most fun I've had in a while. Now!" he claps his hands again, and again the first years jump. Izuku doesn't blame them. His claps sound like thunder. "Introductions! For those of you who do not know me, I am General Psyren, and I will be your homeroom teacher for the mornings. I'm looking forward to teaching you all. Third years, stand if you aren't already. First years, sit."

They do so, and General gestures. "These are your third year seniors! They know all my tricks, traps, and the various kinds of tests I will throw at you throughout the year! If you have questions or concerns that you'd rather not bring to my door, please feel free to grab one of them and ask. I promise you, they're all discreet and will use no information you bring to their ear against you. The only exception is if they believe one of you is being harmed, or coerced into something nefarious, in which case please understand that they absolutely must bring it to my attention. However, I like them will remain discreet on the subject."

That lowers a few guards that Izuku can see. It's good to know there's a kind of wall of support at their back - even if it is a rather loud one.

"Alright. So let's get started with student introductions. Names, age, and hobbies if you have any! We'll go in order of seating, so think fast! You!"

And so it begins. Izuku sits up, grimacing as his shoulder twinges painfully. Hitoshi was surprisingly heavy - even heavier than Kacchan. He'll probably be feeling that come tomorrow, but for now it's all right. First day jitters and strange tests aside, its looking bright for him.

He just hopes Kacchan's having as much fun.

0-0-0-0-0-0

In 1-A, Katsuki's teacher, in his opinion, isn't much better.

Like Izuku, he's shown up early, and is the only one in the classroom. The quiet's good for his nerves; despite the way he'd acted with Deku, he's still excited to be here, to know that he's gotten in, and that Deku is only a couple doors away. After all it was one thing to dream big, but reality could be a cold bitch at times. So it's nice that one of their dreams at least hasn't fallen through.

He leans back in the seat, puts his feet up on the desk and closes his eyes for the moment, taking in the smell of the place that he's going to be learning in for the next three years. Unlike the backwater little cesspool at Orudera, this place smells clean. Worn in, definitely well-loved, but clean. In a day or two everyone's scents will cover the walls and floor, and the clean smell will be a distant memory. But for now, its nice.

He hears footsteps coming, assumes it's the teacher, and slips his feet off the desk without opening his eyes. Best not to start off antagonizing anyone - burning bridges before he's even built them would do him no good. When the door opens, Katsuki cracks open an eye.

It's not the teacher.

"Oh!" It's the four-eyes from the test, the one who'd glared at him when he'd scoffed at the test. "If this is such a game to you, why don't you just leave? Some of us don't have the luxury of acting as you do."

"Ah." Katsuki replies.

"It's you," they both say at the same time.

"I didn't expect you- well no, that's not quite correct. After all, you divined the true nature of that test. It's only natural you should be here." He walks over and sticks out a hand. "My name is Tenya Iida! I come from Somei Private Academy. And yourself?"

"Bakugou Katsuki." He grips Tenya's hand in greeting. "Orudera Middle, unfortunately."

"Truly? They're very fortunate then. I imagine they're proud to have one of their own emerge into someplace as prestigious as U.A."

Katsuki feels his mouth twitch into the starts of snarl, and forces it down. He doesn't need Tenya thinking he's threatening him. Just... the memory of that place still fucking burns. Yeah, something like that. What about you? Somei crowing about your achievements?"

Tenya smiles. "Naturally. Several high-quality heroes have emerged from their school over the last year, so any new additions to continue the line is most welcome, as you'd imagine."

"Hm. You gonna stand all day? Grab a seat."

"Oh, yes!"

Well, this is a... he wouldn't exactly call it 'pleasant', but it's a decent surprise. He'd expected to be butting heads with that four-eyes, the way he'd acted during the test. But then again, that had been a cutthroat entry test meant to bring out the finest qualities in all of them. So maybe less of a surprise, and more of a decent resolution. "What's your secondary?"

"Beta. You're similar?"

"Alpha, actually."

Tenya seems surprised. "Truly? A-ah wait, I didn't mean that as an insult! I just... you're very calm for an Alpha. And the first words out of your mouth weren't, 'Haven't you heard how great I am?'"

Katsuki snorts. "Oh god, how many of those have you met?"

Tenya gives him a tired look. "Dozens."

He can't keep the laughter away. "Wow, I actually feel sorry for you! Meeting so many low-quality extras like that! But hey, good for you for not blowing them away like I would have. Ain't got patience for that shit."

Tenya winces at his language, but doesn't attempt to correct it. "Yes, the... what did you call it? 'Low-quality extra' seems to be the automatic setting for Alphas these days. I'm hoping any teachers we have are different. I find it hard to stay in the same room as regular Alphas most days, but if we have a teacher that is like that, I may need help to hold my tongue."

Katsuki nods in agreement. Yeah, he can definitely see why a guy like Tenya might not enjoy the 'automatic setting' for Alpha personality. Katsuki doesn't enjoy them either, but he's learned that when you can out-dominate them in their own game, they become a lot less bravado and bluster and a lot more cower and avoidance. He doesn't want to revert to such tactics here, but he will if he has to.

The door opens again, and the students begin to come in groups and singles, talking to friends or simply finding seats and sitting down. One of these is a round-faced girl that, upon seeing Katsuki, immediately goes, "HEY! It's you!"

Well, and now everyone's staring. Fantastic.

"Me?" He cocks an eyebrow. "Do I know you?" He doesn't. At least, not that he can recall. She was probably one of the fighters in the test, like Tenya.

"Yeah! You're the one who saved me from that robot!"

...wait, what?

He frowns. "I didn't save anyone. I was too busy keelhauling any of those fucking robots that came my way."

"Yeah you did! That's how you saved me! That Zero Pointer-"

Oh, that fucking thing. Of course that would have been the spot.

"-trapped under the Two-Pointer you knocked out before, and you knocked the Zero Pointer out before it got to me! You gave me time to get out!" She slams her hands on his desk in an aggressive fashion and leans forward. "You saved me!"

He blinks at her. "Okay."

She continues to stare.

"...you want a fucking medal or something?" he asks, because the silence is beginning to bother him.

Then, to his everlasting horror, she pulls a Deku, and starts to tear up. He jerks back like her tears are the plague. "The fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Bakugou!" Tenya scolds, already reaching for a handkerchief. "Here miss, really, he's just overwhelmed, he didn't mean it-"

"I-I'm happy, you jerk!" she sobs, and oh fuck is she ever pulling a Deku. Didn't he just deal with the whole 'happy tears' bullshit yesterday? He's pretty sure he did, and he's just as repulsed by it now as he was then. "Do you know how rare it is to meet someone who cares about other people enough to do something like that? Do you?"

Except I didn't do it on purpose! I didn't even see you there!

"Stop crying," he snaps. He's aware this girl is a stranger to him, but he won't tolerate this kind of shit going on while she's still breathing. "You're alive, aren't you? The fuck you crying for? You wanna show me you're happy? Then fucking smile Round-Face."

"R-round-face?!"

"What? It fits." He crosses his eyes and glares at her. "I didn't do shit. You saved yourself. You probably would have pulled it off, even if that robot had gotten near you. It's feet weren't close enough to be any legitimate threat to you - I just went after it because it pissed me off. So stop crying, and wailing like you're fuckin' dying, because you're not, and thanks to your own dumb luck, you won't be anytime soon."

She sniffles, glaring at him. "You're an asshole."

"Yes I am. You gonna bitch about that too?"

"I should." But she's already wiping the tears away, and there's a smile coming out - a genuine one. Katsuki relaxes. And that's probably his biggest mistake.

"If you two are done acting out your little dramatics, it's time for class to start," a voice says. Katsuki looks around, but doesn't see a teacher standing. It isn't until he spots movement out of the corner of his eye that he realizes that their teacher is here, albeit wrapped in an obnoxious yellow sleeping bag, sucking on a juice box for a quick burst of energy. He looks like a fucking hobo, and when he unfurls his sleeping bag and steps up, it doesn't look any better.

"It took you eight seconds to quiet down. Time is a precious resource in the hero industry. If you're just here to make social butterfly attempts, kindly leave the class." His eyes roam the classroom, landing on Katsuki. There's something about this guy that makes Katsuki bristle, a kind of quiet, underlying threat that sends his Alpha instincts reeling. He resists the urge to bare his teeth and instead curls them tighter, contenting himself with trying to find the man's scent. It's a bust though - the guy's either taking blockers, or his smell is too subtle to track in a crowd of hormonal teenagers.

"I'm your Homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta." He digs into his sleeping bag, several students making confused noises until they see what he pulls out. "Quickly now, all of you. Get into your gym clothes and head out to the grounds. We'll begin with a test of your abilities. By the time we're done here today, hopefully you'll all understand just where you are - and why that happy go lucky attitude you're carrying around won't help you."

That's a fucking threat! Katsuki bites down hard on the inside of his lip as he feels that familiar sensation of his adrenaline kicking in. This guy - hobo appearances aside, it's clear immediately this isn't a joke. He's looking to thin the ranks, and Katsuki isn't about to be the unlucky one left holding the short straw.

He and Izuku have twisted their fate, made their path through hard work, blood, and determination. Now they have to keep forging the path, pulling the rug out from the feet of others if they have to. It's a cutthroat industry that won't wait for them. Katsuki grimaces. Even while we're learning, we're going to have to keep pushing ourselves to be better than the rest of them, to stand out!

He can do that easy. But Deku? Deku's gonna need equipment. He's gonna need something to draw the eye - fortunately, Katsuki's good at thinking of things like that. But right now the only thing he needs to focus on is what their teacher is gonna throw at them.

As it turns out, he's not just throwing the gauntlet at them. He's throwing the whole damn suit of armor. "The last one in the rankings will be expelled."

It won't be me, Katsuki vows, and grits his teeth. I didn't come here just to get kicked out again! They'll pull this place from my cold, dead fingers!

"Bakugou Katsuki, you'll start us off. Come, show me what you can do."

With pleasure.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The day is over quicker than either boy realizes - it feels like they've only just arrived, but suddenly it's time to leave. Katsuki passes Aizawa's tests, pushing himself to the brink of what he can tolerate as far as his Quirk goes. It helps somewhat that he's been pushing his body just as much as Deku's been pushing his, so he's not relying entirely on his Quirk. His palms are still throbbing and sore by the end of the whole thing, but they're not bleeding or raw, so he counts it as a win.

The only real loss of the day as far as he's concerned is that Aizawa didn't go through on his threat of expulsion - some little toad named Mineta Minoru ends up in last place, which by itself is enough to bump him down to 'extra' in Katsuki's mind. Except then, as if to challenge that status, Mineta leers at one of the girls as they're heading inside.

Katsuki gets a whiff of the little fucker as they're undressing. He's a fucking Alpha.

Now there's one pussy bitch I wouldn't mind putting in his fucking place.

The girls shy away from him, which pretty much tells Katsuki how they feel on the subject. So he gives in to some of the aggression he's been riding all morning and snarls at Mineta when the fucker gets too close to one of the girls, shoving himself between them like he was going to walk by. The bitch squeals and jumps back.

"You call yourself an Alpha?" Katsuki sneers. "My fuckin' Omega has got more balls than you."

"Thank you," the girl murmurs, barely moving her lips. Smart girl. She makes tracks while Katsuki's sneering down at Mineta. Once she's gone, Minoru appears to briefly regain some balls. Briefly.

"What the hell dude? A bro's not 'spose to cockblock another bro!"

"That's only when the advances are welcome, fuckface. I'll walk around and do whatever the fuck I want. Get in my way and I'll punt you into fucking orbit." He snaps his teeth and takes a step closer. "Now fuck off."

"Bakugou." Fucking hell, what is it with the teachers in this place? Aizawa's leaning against the wall, watching him through narrowed eyes. "A word."

Mineta smirks at him and scurries off before Katsuki can make good on his promise, leaving him alone with Aizawa.

"I'm not apologizing."

"Apologizing for what?" Aizawa asks in a deceptively light tone. He reaches inside his coat pocket and holds a piece of paper out to him. It's an excuse slip for him to visit the nurse. "Go get your hands checked out. You pushed yourself today. Don't make it a habit."

Katsuki scowls. "Don't need it." He's done worse to himself before - Deku's seen that much and yelled at him for it.

"Regardless. Either you take it, or I'll knock you unconscious and carry you there myself."

Katsuki kisses his teeth and snatches the paper. "Fucking fine."

"Watch the language. Midnight loathes people who swear, as does Cementoss. I don't care one way or another, but I'd advise you to tone it down. Part of a hero's image are their words - if you're swearing, you'll be viewed differently than the others in the community."

He grits his teeth again. "Fine."

It isn't until Aizawa leaves and he's stomping towards the nurse's office that he realizes the man didn't reprimand him for his actions with Mineta.

After a quick visit to Recovery Girl's office (where she urges him not to push himself that far unless he has absolutely no choice, since it damages his body and may end up causing complications for him in the future), he heads home. He meets Deku at the gate, and feels himself do a double take at how tired he looks.

"The fuck?"

Deku's smile is faint. "Psyren decided a test of nerve involving the third years was good. Also, those smoke grenades you gave me work."

"You'd better be ready to cough up all the fucking details, Deku."

"Yeah. But um. A nap first?"

That... yeah okay. They deserve that.

"Fine. But you're telling me over dinner!"

"Deal."

All in all, not a bad first day. Only time will tell if the rest goes as smoothly.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"I want to offer him additional training," Psyren says, "Please, Nedzu!"

The tiny principal smiles behind his cup of tea. "He's impressed you. I haven't seen you this excited in a long while. It's a good change."

"He's literally perfect," Psyren gushes. "The boy's a physical fighter, smart, protective of his teammates. He'd known Hitoshi less than an hour, but he was willing to trust him and even rescue him despite knowing he was a spy."

"I saw the video feed. I do hope you confiscated the rest of those smoke grenades."

"Got 'em in the drawer. But c'mon Nedzu, throw me a bone here! I may never get another opportunity like this for the next several years!"

The principal remains silent for a long moment, aware of how Psyren's vibrating in place in his eagerness. "I'll think about it. Unfortunately the media has discovered All Might will be teaching here, so they're sniffing around for any bit of information they can get. This includes harassing the teachers and students."

"It's only the first day! Those kids haven't even met him yet, have they?"

"No, they will tomorrow though. And I expect the press will be pounding on our doors when that happens. Do your best to keep them out and keep the children calm while I and the others deal with them."

"Of course."

0-0-0-0-0-0

The next couple of weeks are an absolute nightmare as the teachers take the time to thoroughly break the students into the reality of what the U.A curriculum offers. Even though they aren't slated for action, that doesn't stop Psyren from brutally pulling them all out of the classroom five minutes after they get there and putting them out on the track for laps and exercise.

"No effort, no worth!" he shouts as they run, his voice booming over the area. "Work hard if you want to be worth something out there!"

Izuku feels like he's dying, but keeps pushing himself. He's done this much with Kacchan, pushing himself past his circle of comfort, and extending it out, he can certainly do it again. The other students that can use their Quirks do so at their leisure - although Psyren doesn't always allow it. Sometimes he orders them to knuckle down and use their own strengths to go where they want, and on those days Izuku finds it a little easier to cope, because it feels more like an even playing field.

Hitoshi keeps him company most days. "Don't worry," he jokes as Izuku wheezes and pants down the track, "You'll get used to it soon. Give it a month and this won't be anything. Of course, that'll be about the time he raises the bar, so... yeah. Enjoy it while it lasts, fresh meat!"

And he... does. In his own sort of weird way, the push, the drive to do better, to be better, makes him feel like he's back on the beach with Kacchan. It's a good memory for him, and so he strives to keep up with the various challenges Psyren throws at them, even as the rest of the class begins to flounder.

"Do you enjoy this or something?" Hitoshi asks him one morning as they're stretching. "You always seem to thrive out here. The third years have got bets going on who's gonna crack first, you, or Psyren."

"Huh? I'm not that good."

Hitoshi snorts. "Dude, out of all of the first years, you're the only one routinely left standing at the end of Psyren's crazy maze of exercise. And I say that from the position of someone who has gone through this three years in a row. It doesn't get any easier the higher you go. But you almost seem to take it like a personal challenge, so I was curious." He rubs the back of his neck. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"I do. Take it as a personal challenge. Because I'm Quirkless."

Hitoshi stares at him.

Izuku, refusing to be intimidated by the sudden silence of his brain's little whisper of he might think you're weak now, barrels on. "I was born Quirkless, and my best friend and I have worked incredibly hard to get here. We cleaned up that section of trash on the beach and watched hero fights. We came in here expecting hard work, and we're both prepared to do our all to prove to the world that we deserve to be here."

"He's in the Hero Course, right?"

Izuku nods. "Bakugou Katsuki. We've known each other since we were four."

"This is going to sound incredibly bitchy, but how are you not bitter as all get out?"

Izuku lifts his head and meets Hitoshi's eyes. There's no genuine hate in those eyes, just a bewilderment he rarely sees. "Because being bitter changes nothing. But angry changes nothing. Being productive changes everything."

The older boy nods. "Yeah," he agrees slowly. "Still. Quirkless. I...didn't expect that. I mean, I figured you and that kid were in a cluster-"

Panic strikes through Izuku's chest. "I-Is it that obvious?" Shit, have they been too overly affectionate with each other? When was the last time they touched? Oh hell, was it because they walked home together they other day?

"Calm down," Hitoshi says. "It's just because I read the books. I know what clusters - actual, true healthy clusters look like. You two are practically the textbook definition. Congrats on that, by the way."

"Oh thank y- wait. Did you say books? As in there's more than one?"

"You didn't know? It's a whole series."

Kacchan is going to lose his shit. "Um, do you happen to have the books, and would you be willing to let me borrow them?"

Hitoshi looks far too amused. "You can have them. I don't read them anymore - not really a point, given clusters are so rare. 'Sides, I'm not exactly cluster material."

Izuku pauses in his stretches, looking at Hitoshi. Takes in everything, not just what he's seeing. In his mind, a tally and balance begins to build.

"What?" Hitoshi asks, misinterpreting his stare. "It's true. I mean, my Quirk isn't exactly-"

"Join my cluster, Hitoshi."

"...are you joking with me? Because that's not funny."

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?"

Hitoshi takes in his expression. Something vaguely like panic flits across his own. "No," he croaks at last. "No, you don't."

"Then?"

"I-I... you can't just ask- I would-" He falls off into silence, face contorted into something that almost looks hurt. But Izuku's been with Katsuki long enough to recognize its not just hurt. It's fear, worry, anxiety, and bundled up in the heart of it all, a sliver of hope.

He has to be careful with Hitoshi. So very careful.

"Let me think on it," Hitoshi finally says. He's not looking at Izuku, but he's not bolting either. Still quivering though. "I won't make such a decision lightly."

Izuku nods. "Take as much time as you need."

The rest of the class between them is quiet. It's almost unnerving to see Hitoshi so quiet, and several third years ask him if he's alright as they pass laps.

"Fine," he says. "Just thinking."

Izuku hopes his answer will be a positive one. Because if he's being honest with himself, being with Hitoshi feels just like being with Kacchan, and its becoming hard not to just... pull him close and offer comfort on some days when the lines under Hitoshi's eyes seem extra dark or his exhaustion is a little more palpable. He just hopes Hitoshi doesn't think he's offering this out of pity because of his off-hand comment. They've gotten to know each other a lot in these last two weeks, but there's still a lot of unknown territory between them.

The point remains though, he won't know the right way to steer things between them until he has an answer. For better or worse, Izuku resolves to keep treating Hitoshi as a friend until he knows what he wants. To do anything else would be a disrespect to the boy.

The rest of the day seems to drag by. The clock seems determined to stay in one place for far longer than it should, and by the time it's over and everyone's heading home, Izuku's lost himself in his thoughts. He startles badly when Katsuki loops an arm around him, and it's only Kacchan's strength that stops him from accidentally head-butting him in panic. "What crawled up your ass?" the blond demands.

"Sorry, sorry. Just... thinking. We might have a third soon."

"Yeah?" he arches an eyebrow. "You got a name?"

Izuku presses his lips together. "I would... prefer to wait on giving it until he's given me an answer, Kacchan. In case he declines."

"Who the hell would decline a cluster with us? We're awesome."

He smiles. "Not everyone wants to be in a cluster, Kacchan. Give him a chance to think it over, and we'll see. In the meantime, he's going to give me the rest of the books in that series we apparently didn't know was a series. The one you have about Alphas and clusters?"

"You're shitting me."

"That's what I said."

"Fucking hell, do you mean to tell me there's shit I'm missing? Are you actually fucking serious? Where is this fucker? How dare he-"

"Kacchan no!"

"Kacchan yes!"

They bicker back and forth as they walk, but none of it is real. It isn't until they're nearly home that Katsuki stops long enough to remember something.

"Oh yeah. All Might met with me today after class. Said he wanted to apologize to the both of us for his attitude that first time we met. He realized after we left that you were right – he was being a blowhard and a hypocrite, and he feels bad for upsetting you."

"Did he, now."

"Mmhm. I told him to take the apology to you, but he said Psyren won't let him in due to all the reporters poking their noses around. So he's hoping I could pass his words on."

Izuku's lips press thin. "I won't accept it. Not unless he comes to me himself."

Katsuki nods. "S'what I told him too. Guy looked like I kicked his puppy, but told me he'd certainly try. Asked me to do the same. You want to send a message back?"

"Tell him what I just told you."

"Alright."

He doubts Psyren will let All Might in any time soon, but that's the man's problem, not his. He did his part - he delivered the message. Katsuki leans back. He actually kind of hopes All Might is able to get through - watching the apology go down would provide some interesting amusement for the day.

A lot more than having to snap and snarl at Mineta and play the role of "big bad Alpha hoarding all the girls" that Sero and Denki like to accuse him of. It doesn't help that the girls play into it so well - Yaoyorozu apparently spread news of him taking Mineta down several pegs around, and now all the girls tend to make loud fluttering movements when they need "rescuing".

He's pretty sure Aizawa knows and is getting a kick out of it, the absolute bastard. Mineta's tried several times to plea in his own defense when Katsuki rips him a new one, only for Aizawa to tell him, "If you don't want to be dominated, don't start a posturing contest."

Oh who is he kidding. The fucker's probably laughing himself stupid over watching Katsuki's attempt at kindness blow up in his stupid fucking face. And Deku isn't any help; the idiot wants him to play nice. Well, this is what it gets him. One thing is certain though. When this is all said and done and they graduate, he's going to kick Mineta's ass all the way to fucking Pluto.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Excuse me, you there! You're a student of U.A, right? Can you tell us about All Might?"

"What's he like as a teacher?"

"What's he like in front of the class?"

"What's it like learning from All Might?"

Katsuki bites back on the ten million ugly phrases he'd like to use to those questions, and instead shoves Izuku through the gate, spitting, "No comment," behind him as he goes. Aizawa's already heading his way, looking like a man prepared to have his ankles gnawed on by angry honey badgers.

"Excuse me, you're facul–oh geez, why are you dressed so sloppy?"

Katsuki smacks a hand over his mouth and nose before his laughter can give him away, and hurries inside. The bastard probably heard him laughing, but fuck it, he's due a good laugh after dealing with Mineta's bullshit. As far as Katsuki's concerned, this makes them even.

Of course Deku sees the bastard, and immediately goes starry-eyed and starts gushing statistics. "Kacchan, was that your teacher?! Oh my god, that was Eraserhead! Eraserhead, Kacchan! He can erase anyone's Quirk, and he's one of those neat underground heroes that do good but never really get their name put in the paper because of whatever reasons–"

Eraserhead, huh? Fits the bastard. He lets Izuku continue to babble and mutter until they get to class, when he slaps a hand over his mouth. He comes out of it in an instant, a smile curving against Katsuki's palm. He drops his hand.

"Have a good day, Kacchan! I'll see you at lunch!"

Once Izuku's inside, Katsuki heads back to his own classroom. Aizawa hasn't shown up yet, which means he's probably still dealing with the press. Something catches his ear as he's fixing to enter the classroom.

"–be wearing that if she didn't want the attention! She's playing coy!"

"Dude, quit being disgusting, honestly–"

"Katsuki's gonna kick your ass–"

A snort from Mineta. "That wimp? He's not even here. Probably got locked out by security. Serves him right, the big bully! It's not like I'm doing anything wrong! I'm not the one wearing revealing clothes and expecting my classmates not to say anything!"

"It's her hero uniform, you asshole!" That's Jiro's voice, furious and on the verge of tears. "What the actual hell is wrong with you?! Katsuki's an Alpha and he doesn't act like this!"

"Yeah, that's because he's whipped. You heard him earlier, didn't you? He's got some Omega on the side, I bet. That's probably why he's so ornery too, because I'm getting some and he isn't! He's not a true Alpha, just a bully that likes to act like one."

I take it back. I'm not going to punt him to Pluto. I'm going to kick him out of the Milky Way altogether.

He slams the door open, letting his pheromones flare the way they would if he were warning another Alpha out of his territory. "Yo, bitch, what's that I just heard you call me?"

He stalks forward, aware of how terrifyingly quiet the classroom has become. Mineta's doing his best to back up his words with the necessary bravado, but they both know which is the superior fighter in a situation like this. Mineta's pitiful pheromones aren't even making a dent - Katsuki can barely smell them over the woody musk of his own.

Unfortunately, before he can do more than warn, Aizawa comes back. Immediately his brow furrows, and he looks pissed. A second later his pheromones swamp them all, stomping Katsuki's out like they had never been there. "Bakugou, if you can't control yourself I'll send you to the nurse's office. If you're entering Rut, you should already be there."

Omega. Son of a bitch. It's rare for Omegas to be able to exude their pheromones like Alphas can, not to mention control them to a degree that he can. That speaks of finely honed control and strength in spades. Bakugou clicks his tongue, pulling his challenge back.

"Sorry sensei," he says, accepting he's not going to win in Aizawa's own territory. He'll have to deal with Mineta outside if anything's going to get done, because the girls won't talk to the teacher. "I got a little too upset there. It won't happen again."

Aizawa gives him a narrow-eyed look, but nods sharply. "Sit then, so we can get started."

Once everyone is seated and Aizawa has pulled his own pheromones back, the class officially begins. "Good job on yesterday's battle training. I've gone over your grades and evaluations. Bakugou."

"Sir?"

"You went overboard with the explosions again." He'd been up against Mineta, of course he had. His palms had been smoking, the skin between his fingers cracked and bleeding but it had been worth it. "This time you pushed yourself very nearly off that ledge I've warned you all about before. Reckless behavior like that makes you a liability, which is not what you're here for. I suggest you re-learn the meaning of the word restraint, since you've apparently forgotten it since the last time we talked."

"I will." And he will. He knows he went overboard - it was only meant to be a simulation, and even if hunting Mineta through the halls like a rabbit had been fun, even exciting, he knows it cost him more than it won him.

Aizawa nods. "Mineta."

"Y-yes?"

"If you have that much time to make lewd comments about the girls and what they wear, you have time to learn how to behave like a proper hero and Alpha. That goes for all of you. I don't give a damn what you have or don't have, or what rank you think is superior to the rest. I can and will show you the error of your mistake if you cross any line under my supervision." His eyes flare red, his hair floats, and the feeling of threat swamps the room. "Take this as your first and only warning. Understand?"

"Yes sensei!" The class yells.

"Good." The red eyes fade and the hair falls back down. Bakugou's muscles relax. "Now, onto homeroom business. You'll pick a class president today. Get started."

There's a hot debate between the class over who deserves the coveted spot. Katsuki waits as the kids swarm and argue, and then quietly slips around front and adds a vote. Nobody notices him, too caught up in the drama. Not until it finally quiets down and they tally the votes.

"Iida is our new president! Momo will act as stand-in for the days Iida can't come to class!"

Tenya's eyes are wide, and his mouth is gaping. He regains his composure after a few seconds, but it's long enough for Katsuki to quickly snap a photo and send it to Deku with the caption this idiot is our new class prez, do you see what i have to deal with yet? off.

He gets a quick stop whining kacchan i know you like him! in reply before the feed goes silent. He pockets his phone with a snort and watches as Tenya happily grabs onto the reigns.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Lunchtime rolls around without much fanfare, and at long last Deku meets the idiots, and Bakugou meets Hitoshi.

Katsuki knows immediately why he picked Hitoshi - the boy's got a kind of non-offensive, almost soothing aura around him that speaks of being either Beta or Omega. He cocks an eyebrow at Deku in question, and Deku smiles and nods. Katsuki walks over to Hitoshi while Deku makes nice with the idiots. "Yo. Hitoshi Shinsou, right?"

"Hm. Bakugou Katsuki. You're the Alpha."

"An Alpha. Not the Alpha."

"Not with the way he talks about you."

Katsuki smirks. "Deku talks about a lot of people. Ask him about his hero analysis notes and be prepared to nod and say 'yes' a lot."

That startles a snort out of Hitoshi. Good. "You're both completely different than what I was expecting. Weird." He digs into his backpack and pulls out a series of three books. Katsuki has to work not to yank them out of his hand and shuffle off to a corner to immediately read them. "Here. Izuku mentioned you didn't realize it was a series."

"I was four when I read that damned book."

"Ah. Mistake forgiven then. Period sexism aside, it's a good series."

"Thanks." He tucks the books carefully into his bag. "You gonna sit down and eat?"

Hitoshi stares like he wasn't expecting that. "You do know I'm class 3-C, right?"

He mimics Hitoshi's confused tone. "You do know I don't care, right?" He jerks his head over to Izuku, who's happily conversing with Iida about his new responsibilities and gushing about the Iida family. Iida's alternating between thanking him and turning cherry red. "If that idiot can sit down and make friends, so can you. Besides, Izuku's decided you're his, which means by proxy you're mine. I don't let my idiots stand off in corners feeling sorry for themselves while the rest of us have fun." He grabs Hitoshi by his arm and pulls him in, shoving him into a seat beside Izuku.

The rest of the lunch is relatively peaceful; Hitoshi is slow to come out of his shell, but once he's out it's clear he's navigating blind. Both Katsuki and Izuku keep him from pulling away too much, working in tandem to keep the conversation flowing. It's looking good for a time, and Katsuki's got a feeling that if they keep it like this, it won't be long before Hitoshi says 'yes' to the idea of joining their cluster.

It's then that the alarm sounds, and breaks the peace they had going.

"SECURITY LEVEL THREE HAS BEEN BROKEN. ALL STUDENTS, PLEASE EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION."

"Fuck!" Hitoshi hisses, and that's the first indication that something has gone truly south. "We've got to go, now!"

Katsuki doesn't question him. If a fucking third year is telling them to haul ass, then it's time to haul ass and not ask questions.

Being the first ones out the door does nothing to help them against the tide of students that overtakes them in moments. He loses Deku in the confusion, and then Hitoshi, as well as Tenya and Ochako. Going backwards is nearly impossible, and standing still is asking to get run over.

"DEKU!" he roars, but above the din his voice barely makes a dent. "HITOSHI!"

"-cchan!" A faint voice off to his left calls. He grits his teeth and plunges into the stampede, snarling and spitting. The noise is the worst, and he can't make out heads or tails of where Deku is as he's moving left.

A hand snags his, and he looks up just in time for Hitoshi to pull him close to the window. Deku's there as well, panting and looking like he's been mauled, minus the blood. "Kacchan, thank goodness!"

"False alarm," Hitoshi says, and points out the window. "The press made it through."

Sure as shit, they're eight or nine layers deep. He can barely make out Present Mic and Aizawa if he cranes his neck, the duo standing in front of the doors, the last defenders against an invasion of cameras. Katsuki doesn't doubt for a second if those fuckers get inside the building, they won't be happy until they find All Might. And given that the fucker isn't here today, that's just worse.

First thing's first though. They've got to get the crowd under control, or they won't make it back to class. The kids will go out, and the reporters will come in, and that'll be the end of the day.

"OI FUCKFACES, ITS JUST THE PRESS! CALM YOUR SHIT!" he roars, but once more his voice is useless. God, what he wouldn't give for someone like Present Mic - with a fucking voice Qui–

Oh!

His catch sight of dark hair and headphone jack ears in the crowd, and without thinking he plunges his hand into the crowd and yanks Jirou out.

"Hey, what's the big id– oh, Katsuki. The hell's going on?" she demands.

"We need your help." In as short as he can manage, he tells her what's actually going on, and what he needs her to do.

She grimaces. "I'd be able to help if I had my speakers- I'm not Present Mic, but I could try doing something to distract them. But without those, I can't do much. I'm sorry."

He scowls. "Not your fault. Damn it." The only other option is to break the windows and try to go warn the teachers, but that'd draw the attention of the press, and that's the last fucking thing they need. Shit.

Before he can decide on what to do however, Tenya Iida steps up to the plate, and cuts the problem down in one fell movement. He's evidentally gotten close enough for Ochako to help him, because the mad spiral of lift speaks of her gravity powers. He's going for a controlled lift, but utilizing his own abilities on top of Ochako's puts that in a literal tailspin, and so when he slams into the wall its almost a blessing.

Almost. He still looks like an idiot, hung above the exit sign. But that's forgivable, because his appearance does what Katsuki's voice couldn't - it gets the attention of everyone. More to the point, it quells them long enough for Iida's voice to ring out, clear as a bell. "EVERYONE! EVERYTHING'S FINE! It's just the press! There's no reason to panic, everything's fine! This is U.A! Behave in a way befitting this great institution!"

"Ah," Hitoshi sighs. "That did it. Look, they're calming down." The mad stampede has slowed to a crawl, and some are beginning to turn back the other way, realizing the perceived threat is now over. "But uh, who's gonna get your friend down?"

"Looks like Ochako's on it," Katsuki says, pointing. She's bouncing up and down under Iida's position, trying to snag him. For his part, he's managed to lower himself enough to where a drop won't hurt him as much, and when she taps his leg his weight re-asserts itself and he drops down harmlessly. "Well, that was interesting there for a hot second."

Izuku smiles, but there's no amusement behind it. More strain than anything. "You've got a funny idea of 'interesting' Kacchan. U.A's been doing things to your head–Oof!" He grunts as Katsuki punches him on the arm. "Kacchan!"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who thinks his crazy teacher's idea of exercise is fun."

"Hitoshi, you told him?!"

Hitoshi smiles. "What? How was I supposed to know he'd use it against you?"

"You lying liar, you knew! Kacchan, you big meanie!"

"The hell? Did you regress back to four years old in the last three seconds?"

Before they can truly start a bickering match to round off the last few minutes of lunch, Iida and Ochako find them again. "Everyone, there you are!" Iida calls. "I'm happy to see you're all safe."

"Good moves up there, running man," Katsuki remarks. "Maybe tone it down with the jet fuel next time though?" he nods towards Iida's legs.

"Oh! Yes, I confess I didn't fully think that one through… still, it all worked out this time. I just hope the police show up quickly - those press corps are rather irritating to look at."

"Amen," they all chorus.

The police do arrive relatively quickly, and they shoo the reporters off. Those who refuse to leave with gentle shooing get treated to the police's harsher shoves, but its a small price to pay for violating the boundary lines and setting all the students off in a panic.

Psyren's as amused about the whole thing as Izuku is when he returns to the classroom. "Damn leeches. Puh! I wish Nedzu let us use our Quirks on those bloodsuckers. Would have saved us time and effort instead of having to wait on the police."

Despite the appearance of the cameras however, the rest of the day goes smoothly. It isn't until the next morning that things get… nasty.

Namely, it begins with Katsuki's class, and Aizawa's instructions on their next assignment.

"Now, for today's basic hero training. Today, All Might, myself and one other teacher will supervise. We need to prepare you for disaster relief, from fires to floods. So this training will be–" he rifles around his bag and emerges with an index card with the word rescue printed on it in big bolded letters. "Rescue training."

The class cheers. Katsuki grins, eager to get started.

"Rescue, huh," Denki mutters. "Sounds like another rough day. Yikes."

"Hey, what's with that attitude?" Kirishima demands. "It's all part of being a hero! I'm ready!"

"Oi," Aizawa interrupts sharply, eyes flickering red for a few seconds. "I'm not done."

The class quiets. Katsuki barely resists the urge to snort. Of course the bastard has a trick or two up his sleeve.

"It's up to each of you whether or not you will wear your costumes today," Aizawa says, pulling out a remote from his pocket and activating the slides hidden in the walls. "As some of them are unsuited for this kind of thing. The location we'll be entering is remote, so we'll be going by bus. That's all. Get ready, and meet me outside. If you're not on board in ten minutes I'm leaving without you, so don't dawdle." He walks out, leaving the kids to get up and fetch their costumes or immediately head for the door.

Katsuki clicks his tongue. "Fucking bastard," he mutters, reaching for his costume. He looks it over, deciding what from it he needs and what he can leave without. The giant grenade-shaped sweat containers can stay, as can the mask. He'll take a couple grenades in case things get sketchy - better to be over-prepared than under-prepared at any rate - leave the armor on his body.

In under five minutes he's dressed and heading for the door. He's halfway down the hallway when he catches sight of a familiar back heading towards the restrooms. "Oi, Deku!"

Izuku turns, and beams. "Kacchan! Oh wow, is that your costume? You look so cool! Lemme see–"

"Not now," he says, and regrets the way Izuku's face falls. "We're leaving in five. I gotta be out there if I want a decent seat. But later, alright? I just wanted to let you know we're heading out of the school - I don't know where because the bastard didn't say, but we're doing rescue training. So if you need anything, you'll have to either get it yourself, get Hitoshi to help you handle it, or text me if it's a question or some shit. Got it?"

"Of course Kacchan! I hope your training goes well! Be safe, okay?" He wraps his arms around Katsuki in a hug and brings him down for a quick cheek rub. It's been a little bit since they last got the chance to do so, and it feels nice. It's actually a little difficult to stop, because his nose catches the faintest whiff of impending Heat. On Deku it almost smells faintly of jasmine, citrus and cooking spice.

"You'll go into Heat in the next coupla days, Deku," he mutters. "Be careful. Don't let any of those bastards touch you while I'm gone. If you start without me, go to the nurse and let her give you suppressants. Or fuck, have Hitoshi hang with you until I get back if he's trustworthy."

"Mkay," Izuku murmurs. He presses his nose against Katsuki's shoulder. "You too. You're a bit further off than I am, but its there. Please don't do anything rash. Stick close to Aizawa-san if you're getting a little too upset. I'm sure the teachers have procedures to help students out without breaking regulation."

The idea of spending his next Rut with the bastard makes him grimace, but he knows Deku's being truthful. "Fine. I won't like it, but I'll do it."

"Thank you, Kacchan. Have fun!"

"See ya, dork." He watches Deku run off, and turns to head outside, only to find a particular trio watching him. Mina, Denki and Kirishima of all people gaping after Izuku in shock.

"That's your Omega?" Mina squeals. "Oh my god, he's so cute! What's his name? What's his Quirk? Which class is he in?"

"Wow man, didn't know you actually– I mean, I thought you were just bluffing with Mineta the other day, but wow. He's kinda cute!"

"Saying goodbye to your loved ones is manly as hell!" Kirishima gives him a thumbs-up. "And letting him know to take care like that - you're alright, Bakugou!"

To his own horror, Katsuki feels a growl rumbling in his chest, feels his pheromones beginning to kick up. Shit, am I going into Rut already? No, I'd feel hotter. Fucking hormones! "You fuckers touch him, and you will die, you hear me? I don't give a fuck if you think he's cute or not. You touch him without his consent and I will gladly break every bone in your body."

"Whoa dude, calm down!" Kirishima raises his hands in a sign of peace. "We weren't gonna do anything of the sort! We wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, what's your deal? Can't we just admire him?" Mina demands, hands on her hips.

"No," Katsuki snarls, and storms off.

"Jealousy's not a good look on you, man!" Denki yells after him.

I'm not fucking jealous, Katsuki thinks, and he's not. Stupid pre-Rut hormones! Fuck, he's gonna wanna pick a fight with every Alpha on the block for the next several days. He's already missing Izuku, and he hasn't even left the fucking building yet. He scrubs a hand down his face and does his best to get it under control. If Aizawa sees him, there's no way in hell he's not going to know Katsuki's entering Rut – but then again, this one is Katsuki's own fault. He and Izuku have always synched up, and if he knew Izuku was going to enter his Heat soon, he should have predicted this.

And the fucking absolute worst part of all this is that just this morning he'd held the bottle of prescription pills in his hand and wondered if tucking one or two into his costume belt wouldn't be a good idea. But no, he'd thought, let's not do that! Ugh, his own stupidity amazes him sometimes.

Next time, he thinks as he climbs onto the bus, lips pressed tight. I am going to buy a miniature bottle and shove it into my belt. I don't care if it fits or not. I will fucking make it fit!

Aizawa thankfully says nothing of his aggressive movements, too busy telling the driver where to take them. But Katsuki sees his nostrils flare as he passes by, which means he knows his pheromones are kicking in. In one or two days, he'll want to fight with every bastard that looks at him cross-eyed, and no amount of pills will do him any good. The only thing that will help will be climbing in someplace that feels like a den with Izuku and burying himself in that purely Omega scent until he's tranquilized by it.

By the time everyone actually gets on the bus and they take off, Katsuki feels like he's going to vibrate out of his own skin from pure temper. He tucks himself up against the wall to give himself some stability and does the breathing exercises his parents drilled into him to help him on months when his pre-Rut was especially hard. It's worked in the past, and it thankfully works now, though he still feels out of sorts.

The ride, while loud and filled with the smell of hormone-filled teens, is relatively short. The location, once he steps off the bus, is one he recognizes as still being on-campus of the school, although he doesn't know the exact location. But if he squints he can see that old ice cream parlor his mom used to take him to before it got shut down when he was a kid, the one where he and Izuku had challenged each other to eat as much as they could, and they'd both wound up sick from the sugar. The memory brings up a hint of amusement in the depths of the fury riding in his breastbone.

Inside, it feels less like someplace familiar, and more like a foreign location - probably exactly what they're aiming for. There's a hero in a white spacesuit standing near the stairs, and this one Katsuki actually recognizes. Thirteen, famous for near-flawless rescues out on the field, and most often seen in the wake of disasters helping people recover.

Deku would probably be gushing about him, if he could see this now. Then again, I doubt he'd be able to speak if he could see all this. Idiot would probably be too busy drooling over everyone's powers and costumes. The mental image of his cluster mate bouncing around like a sugar-laden bunny has his lips twitching into a smile, one that even the anger inside him can't quell. Maybe he'll snap a couple of pictures before he leaves - give the nerd something to flip out over during their upcoming days in bed.

"Well, you certainly look happier. Thinking about that baby cluster of yours?"

Ice runs through his veins; in a second he understands why he's always perceived Aizawa as a threat - because from the very beginning, the man knew he had a cluster. Knew he had a weakness, a hidden heart squirreled away two classrooms over.

"Don't you dare fucking touch him," he snarls, low and guttural, just quiet enough not to draw attention. "I'll kill you."

"Wasn't planning on it. I suggest you put your fangs away before Thirteen thinks you're a threat." Aizawa cocks an eyebrow at him, looking as coolly unimpressed as ever. "Contrary to popular belief, knowledge of something doesn't always mean power over it. I'm a teacher. I don't harm students. Now stop acting like a lunkhead Alpha before I'm forced to assume you're going into Rut, and stick suppressants down your throat."

It takes real effort this time, but he barely manages to sheath his fangs behind pale lips before Thirteen turns in their direction. It's clearly not quite as convincing as he'd hope, by the quick burst of controlled panic he gets as Thirteen glances to Aizawa, but the man waves him off.

"Let me tell you something," Aizawa drops his voice and takes a step closer. Bakugou bristles but doesn't move. "You aren't the only cluster in the world. It might not be a widely taught subject anymore, but there are more." He eyes Katsuki. "What's the first rule, boy?"

"Protect the cluster."

"Exactly. And do you know what happens when several generational clusters overlap each other in a single space?"

This time, Katsuki has to shake his head. Aizawa's lips shift into the faintest of smiles.

"Eldest protects youngest. U.A is a wide space. There's plenty of room for more than one baby cluster. There's a reason you and Midoriya don't get called on that PDA of yours, and it's not because we find it too cute to break up."

The ice in his chest begins to melt. "You're in a cluster. All of you."

"Not all. But a good portion. Eldest to youngest, Bakugou. And you? You're at the bottom of the pile. Now. Are you calm?"

He is. It's weird. He was ready to kill a second ago, but now it's like Aizawa's hit a reset button on his temper - he's not angry. Over anything. He's just... here.

In fact, he's suspiciously too calm.

"Did you just use your pheromones on me?" he demands.

Aizawa's grin is positively sneaky. "Who knows."

Katsuki clicks his tongue, but its halfhearted at best. "Knew you were a bastard."

"Rude. I have a father, thank you very much." He finally walks up to the front of the class, where Thirteen is done talking. "Where's All Might?"

"It seemed he just about reached his limit during his morning commute," Thirteen says, the faintest edge of exasperation in his voice. "So he's sitting this one out."

Aizawa sighs. "Of course. Well then, I guess it's just us today."

It was he'd thrown a challenge to the gods or something. In the next moment, a black hole opened up over the fountain down below, and as Katsuki watched, someone walked out of it. He didn't recognize them, but he didn't need to - the aura of pure malice they exuded was more than enough to tell him what he was looking at.

The look of shock, followed by an almost Alpha-like rage on Aizawa's face filled in the blanks. "Everyone! Stay where you are and huddle together!"

"Sir?" Ochako's panicked voice pierces the bubble of silence. "What's going on?"

"Villains," he snarls. "Thirteen, protect the kids!"

"Got it!"

It's ironic, Katsuki thinks in that brilliant, blinding moment as Aizawa puts his visor down and yanks his capture weapon into place, ready to kill to keep them safe. Appearing when they're doing rescue training, of all days.

"Thirteen and Eraserhead?" the portal - who Katsuki now sees is an actual person - asks. "My my, I recall on the schedule I received the other day that All Might to be here as well. Where is he, I wonder?"

"Quiet, Kurogiri," the man who had been the first to step out of the portal hisses. He's got hands all over his body - literal, disembodied hands. He stares up at Aizawa with an almost crazed look in his eyes. "Where is he? We came all this way, and we brought so many friends for him to play with..."

To Katsuki's chilling horror, a stream of villains begins to emerge from the portal villain. So many, such a constant stream-! He glances at Aizawa, who remains ready to plunge in headfirst. can't take them all! He'll just end up getting himself killed if he tries. I have to-

"Sensei!" he yells.

"Don't," Aizawa snaps. "Stay out of this, Bakugou. You're not on their level."

"So you're going to-"

"Bakugou. What is the first rule?"

Katsuki grits his teeth. "It shouldn't just be you!"

"But it is. Life isn't fair, get used to that. Now. Stay here. I mean it! I see you down there, and you'll wish you hadn't been born with a Quirk!" And he rushes down before Katsuki can get another word in.

Fine. Fucking fine. Plan B it is. He turns to Iida. "Go get the teachers, fuckface!"

"Wha-"

"He can't fucking fight them all himself!" Katsuki roars, fury finally reigniting itself. "Thirteen has to stay and protect us, but if you think that bastard can get rid of all those villains by himself, you're fucking delusional! We're still on campus, now go get the fucking teachers, Tenya!"

And finally Tenya listens.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The warp villain asks, suddenly appearing before them. Katsuki doesn't think; he still hears Aizawa's voice ringing in his head.

"Protect the kids!"

So, that's what he does. He whirls, and in a single movement born of panic, fury and explosions, knocks the warp villain aside. "GO!"

Iida takes off running, his Quirk activated. Behind them, Katsuki screams his defiance at the villains rushing them, and does his best to accept the fact that things have irreversibly, unequivocally gone to shit.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Something has gone wrong.

It's not with him though, Izuku knows that much. He knows his own body well; has had ten years to get used to all its various little tricks and traps. So this isn't him going into Heat unexpectedly early or him suddenly coming down with something or needing to go to the bathroom. Something has genuinely gone wrong.

Just not with him. Whatever it is, it's with Bakugou. With the cluster.

He's felt this before in that tunnel. This paralyzing, maddening infection of fear, the sickening premonition of death. He's never understood it, but as the years have gone by, him and Katsuki have been more aware of each other, of the fragility of their lives. When he was nine, and he had been climbing a tree, Katsuki had torn out of his room despite being laid up with a fever because he'd felt something was wrong - he'd managed to catch Izuku when the branch broke, and sent him plummeting towards his death.

The doctor Mitsuki had brought them to had waved it off as 'a budding mating bond' born of their closeness. "It happens sometimes in young couples. It's a good sign of the strength of their bond."

But that wasn't it at all. No mating bond should make him feel so terrified, so certain in his knowledge that if he doesn't move now, Katsuki would die. The cluster needs him. He needs to leave.

He looks at the clock. Over an hour of class left. He raises a hand.

"Midoriya?" Psyren asks, sounding surprised. It's rare for him to interrupt. "Do you have a question about the material?"

"Ah, no sir. That is um... I kind of forgot to run by the bathroom on my way back to class. S-sorry..."

Psyren smiles. "It happens. Just don't make it a habit." He hands over a pass, and Izuku makes to hurry out of the room.

Once he's down by the bathrooms, he glances back. The halls are empty. Here now is his chance.

But where did Kacchan go? He didn't tell me - he just said they were going somewhere for rescue training!

He can't help his cluster if he doesn't know where his cluster is. He needs to find someone with the knowledge of where they went. The problem comes in that most teachers who see a random 1-C kid walking around asking about the 1-A students would find that suspicious as all hell. So he has to ask someone without bias.

Izuku rubs his temples. Damn it, he's wasting time. Next time he's asking Katsuki where he's going so he can track him if need be. While something like this was bound to happen eventually, he didn't think it'd be so soon. Damn it!

Fate must be smiling on him. Or maybe he's just overdue for a break. Either way, Izuku is more grateful than words can say.

"My boy! Whatever are you doing over there?"

All Might. The older man's smiling, and for once Izuku finds himself doing the same. His catchphrase has never seemed quite so perfect for a time like this.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Toshinori's heart drops into his stomach when he sees young Midoriya walking the halls. There's a tenseness to his movements, a sharp jerkiness that speaks of internal panic. Despite their bad beginnings, Toshinori wouldn't be able to call himself any kind of teacher if he didn't offer assistance. If the boy rejects his offer, then he'll back off, but right now he looks like he needs someone to talk to.

"My boy! Whatever are you doing over there?"

His words have a profound effect. Izuku straightens, turning and looking at him with green eyes that burn with fire. It makes him look less a child, more a fighter. It's the same look he directed at Toshinori months ago, and that alone has him tampering down on the urge to do something overly flamboyant and over-the-top. Now is not the time for dramatics, but action.

"Sir," Midoriya begins. "This will seem an odd question, but can you tell me where Class 1-A went?"

That... is an odd question, especially coming from someone two classes over. Still, he and young Bakugou are friends, so it's possibly just curiosity driving him. Maybe he wanted to pop in and say hello. "Ah, Aizawa took them on a training mission over to the USJ! They're due back later today! Missing your friend?"

Then Toshinori sees it.

He hasn't been All Might as long as he has without learning the ins and outs of the nastier side of the hero business. PTSD, trauma, depression, anxiety, all these things are unfortunately familiar to him. So when he sees the shadows lurking behind Midoriya's eyes, that strangled, panicked fear that worms its way across his green gaze like a snake preparing its chokehold, he feels the breath leave him.

Be gentle.

Midoriya sucks in a sharp, shaky breath. "This is going to sound very odd sir, and I'll understand if you won't believe me, but I don't have time to wait around. Something has gone wrong. I-I know... whatever Kacchan's doing now, down at the USJ, something isn't right. I can't explain how or why I know, I just-"

"Do," All Might finishes quietly. Yes, he knows that particular side-effect of war as well. Granted this boy hasn't been in a war, but with the way he and young Bakugou are, it leaves little doubt in his mind that they're able to sense when something is wrong with the other, much the teachers can with each other. Midnight herself has come out of class multiple times because she's 'felt' like something in the school was off - and the number of times a student has been hurt or sick or in the need of help has been too many to count.

So yes, All Might and Toshinori Yagi are both well-versed in that particular 'sense'. And looking at Midoriya, he finds it hard to believe it's a lie - the boy looks ready to bolt out of his own skin.

"Well then my boy, I suppose a trip down there is in order! Leave it to me-"

"I'm coming with you."

Once more, All Might finds himself stunned to silence before the boy. He wants to argue, wants to open his mouth and say but my boy, I can't put you in danger, but nothing comes out. Because Midoriya Izuku is looking at him with such resolve in that green gaze of his, such an iron will that it's clear there is no room for negotiation. That is a look that screams 'I will take you and everyone who gets in my way down if I have to'.

He remembers at the very beginning, how saddened he'd been to hear the boy was Quirkless. Before he went and made that stupid mistake, he'd been impressed by the duo, by Midoriya's bravery in going back for his friend. Even now, knowing what he knows, hearing Psyren's repeated reports about his strength and his will power, his drive to become better than the role society wants him to play, he is still impressed.

But he can't endanger a student. And that's what he would be doing, if he chose to bring Midoriya along.

"I can't let you get hurt, my boy," he says, as gently as he can. If you get hurt, I'd never forgive myself.

And Izuku Midoriya hears those unspoken words, lifts his chin, and says in voice that reminds Yagi of the calm right before the storm, "Then don't."

He's not backing down. Not saying 'I won't go'. He's saying don't let me get hurt.

"I'm going to the USJ, with or without you, sir," Izuku says. "And if I get hurt, it'll be my own damned fault. However, if you claim that I ran off, and that you came after me, that you did your best to keep me safe from whatever demons I dreamed up, then it wouldn't be an issue."

Nedzu will know. Because Nedzu always knows. He runs this school, knows its people and places like the back of his paws.

"It's not that simple," he tries.

"No," Izuku agrees wryly. "I imagine not. But I also have the law on my side, sir. Cluster law. You know what a cluster is?"

And just like that, everything quietly clicks together for him. And he realizes Midoriya is absolutely correct - he's going to the USJ one way or another. And All Might is going with him, because if his feelings are real, if his cluster-mate is in danger, and All Might is holding him up-

His hand is out in an offer before he realizes it. "We'd best hurry, my boy."

This time, Izuku's smile is genuine, and full of warmth. "Thank you, sir."

Reaching the USJ is a small matter for someone like him; its a couple bounds away really. His student hangs onto his arm, unfazed by the height of the speed of their travels. And when they arrive, and All Might opens the door, he feels his heart falter, even as Izuku launches himself out of his arms, howling bloody vengeance.

His students, scattered across the plaza, fighting for their lives against villains. Tears and blood and fear. Katsuki Bakugou in the heart of it all, bloodier than most, fearsome even with one knee on the ground, and a serious wound on his side. Aizawa down below, unconscious, looking fragile and broken. Thirteen is nowhere to be seen.

His students have been hurt, and are fighting for their friends have been possibly killed.

Rage obscures his vision.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH KATSUKI, YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!"

For once, he and his student are in agreement. Whether the first villain goes flying from Izuku's attack, his own, or a combination is anyone's guess, but All Might doesn't care. It's one less villain that will be hurting any of his students again. Any of his friends.

"Fear not," he rumbles, and the students see him, and their eyes go wide, smiles erupting across faces. Hope is here at last. "I am here!"

0-0-0-0-0-0

Izuku bares his teeth, hand latching onto a broken piece of rebar sticking out of the ground. He yanks, and it gives, and now he is armed and dangerous, and that is a heady feeling indeed for a fourteen year old Quirkless boy.

"Izu, don't," Katsuki groans, shoving himself to his feet. He doubles over before he can make it, and the rough, hacking coughs shake his body. When he pulls his hand away, there's blood on his palm. "Idiot."

"Not now Katsuki," Izuku hisses. "I'll break every last one of them for hurting you, I swear it."

All Might would reprimand him, if he weren't so busy beating bodies to the floor. As it is, the man's occupied right now, which means Izuku is free to mete out justice as he sees fit. He knows cluster law; old as the damned things are, he can use them to keep himself from being expelled over this. Or Katsuki, for that matter.

"Aww," one of the villains coos. "How cute. Making a stand for your friend. Well then, allow us to send you to the afterlife together!"

"Hey," a familiar voice calls. "Duck."

"Huh?"

Izuku does, out of self preservation, but the villain isn't so lucky. A second later he's falling down the stairs as a rock about half his body weight gets chucked at him.

"Hitoshi!"

The purple-haired third year scowls as he walks over. "You are in so much trouble. Psyren's gonna make lunch meat out of you when he finds out about this little stunt. Which he's doing as we speak, so I suggest you start making a will."

"Why are you here?" Izuku demands.

Hitoshi walks over to them, eyes still on the villains. He nonchalantly puts himself in front of Katsuki. "Because I heard what you told All Might back there in the hallways. I was going to tell you earlier, but I lost my nerve." He looks at them both. "You said it best - a cluster protects their own, right?" His smile is nervous. "Well, I can't protect you from back at U.A."

Katsuki gives a particularly vehement wheeze. "This. This is not fucking fair. I can't-"

"You've been doing all the work this whole time," Izuku says, and his smile is genuine, and warm. "Let Hitoshi and I take care of the rest. You take care of that wound."

"The teachers probably won't be far behind us," Hitoshi warns as they turn to face the villains again. "I saw that Iida kid running for the lounge while I was heading out after you. If All Might had stayed about a moment more, you guys would have run into him."

Fuck. "We'll deal with that later. For now, protect the kids of 1-A, and try to give them some breathing room if we can until the teachers show up."

"Got it." Hitoshi cracks his neck. "Damn. I am not ready for this level of activity."

"Tough shit," Katsuki says, but his grin is too wide to be anything other than happy. "Deku, you recruited him, which means you break him. Take some fucking responsibility, asshole."

"Are you saying I'm stronger than you now, Kacchan?"

Hitoshi focuses on the closest villain. "Oy, you."

"What?" A second later, the villain is blind, deaf, and completely under Hitoshi's control.

He smiles. "Those people behind you aren't very nice. Why don't you be a good boy and go pick a fight with them? Don't get hurt."

As his first minion shuffles off, Hitoshi focuses on the rest, and cracks his knuckles.

"Nothing like a good brawl to get the blood flowing."

"You bra-!" The second villain goes flying as Hitoshi's fist sinks into his face.

"Whoops, my hand slipped. Sorry." His smile is mocking. "And for the record? I haven't been a brat since I was a first year."

"Did you just imply Katsuki and I are brats?"

"Whatever would give you that idea?" Hitoshi asks, eyes widening in an attempt at faux innocence as the rest finally figure out this isn't a game, and decide to try an ambush approach.

Izuku snorts as his piece of rebar smashes into someone's nose. "Yeah, you're gonna fit right in with us."

Explosions rock the next wave. "Less talking, more beating!" Katsuki yells, wincing, his arms shaking. His hands are destroyed, his palms a crimson sear of burns and blood. He's reached past his limit, and is still pushing himself even further, all for the sake of ensuring his classmates' survival.

Eldest protects youngest Aizawa had said. Well, the fucking eldest is down, and the next in line as far as Bakugou was aware is them. Which means it's their jobs to keep the idiots alive and breathing until help arrives. Unfortunately, that's a tall order - the fucking villains feel never-ending. And it's not like they're all powerhouses or anything. Deku's got his jaw set and his hands wrapped around any and all weapons he can find, but pieces of rebar and shrapnel are nothing against 200+ pound villains with a grudge to settle. Hitoshi's a third year, stronger, better off, but his Quirk doesn't do them shit against more than one person.

Well, he thinks bitterly. At least if we die we go together.

At last though, they get an opening. Hitoshi's still on his feet, although he's beginning to look as battered and bruised as Katsuki is. Izuku isn't much better, but they're both still standing without any major injuries.

"Hey, you kids! Over here!" Hitoshi yells towards the nearest group. Katsuki can recognize Shouto, Kirishima, Tsuyu and Mineta. They've done pretty well; they're scraped up, and both Shouto and Kirishima look pale and glassy-eyed from pushing their Quirks, but they're alive.

"What?" Shouto asks.

"Hey! You're in Class 3-C! What're you doing here?!" Mineta wails. "Where are the teachers?!"

"On their way. But in the meantime, if you guys could go ahead and leave, we can get to the others and start evacuating them. The more of you we can get to safety, the better it'll be." He stares at both Shouto and Kirishima. "Can you two make it?"

Kirishima starts to open his mouth, only to turn an alarming shade of green and clap a hand over his mouth. He struggles, and after a few moments appears to get himself under control. "S-sorry, I think I'm tapped out."

Shouto's shaking hard, even though he's stubbornly trying to walk forward. "I'll be fine, I'm sure. Moving helps." And then his body betrays him as he tilts left, left and more left. Izuku catches him, gently lowering him to the ground.

"Stubborn idiot," he says softly. "Don't abuse yourself so much. You've done enough."

"Why are you even here?" Shouto demands in a tone that makes Katsuki want to bristle. "You're not even in our class."

Izuku smiles. "Because there are more important things than class rank in this world, and because I've never allowed logic to hold me back."

"How the hell did you even make it into U.A with that kind of attitude?"

Hitoshi snorts. "Wouldn't we all like to know." He reaches for Kirishima. "If I hoist you up, will you promise not to vomit on me?"

Kirishima gives a shaky nod. "I'll do my best, bro."

Hitoshi puts one of Kirishima's arms around the back of his neck, and the other around his hip. "I'll take them back towards U.A. If the teachers are on their way, I'll run into them. If not, I'll damn well bring them back."

"We might not be alive by that point," Katsuki snaps. "Iida better not have gotten hit by a fucking car or some shit."

"I doubt he did. The Principal is probably rallying the forces. In the meantime, if you two could start unearthing some of the other kids, it'd probably be a good thing. Midoriya, for the love of god be careful. You're at a higher disadvantage than most of us with that limited power of yours."

It's a discreet way of telling him you're Quirkless and if anyone finds out you're a dead man. Izuku gives him a thumbs up.

"Don't worry. I've got a couple more tricks up my sleeve before I'm ready to tap out. I'll do what I can, but won't push."

Hitoshi nods. "Fine. I'll see you all back at school." He takes Shouto and has him lean on his other side, and then begins to guide both boys out, the other two following him.

"Thanks for coming to help, ribbit," Tsuyu says as she passes them. "Be careful, okay?"

"We will," Katsuki says gruffly. He hasn't interacted with her much, but Tsuyu doesn't dance on his nerves like the others do.

"I'll live to see another set of boobs," Mineta cries. "Oh thank god!"

Izuku arches an eyebrow, and Katsuki grins. "Is he for real? Or is that the pain talking?"

"That's for real."

"Oh good lord Kacchan, how have you not murdered him yet?"

His nails grind into his palm. The pain is almost starting to feel good. "Because the bastard won't let me."

"Ah, we should have them take Aizawa-sensei back as well. You two, one moment please. Could you take your teacher back as well?"

It takes a bit of effort, because the bastard is heavy, but the duo manage to drag him out after Hitoshi. Then it's just the two of them once more, staring out into the fights, silently pondering the next move to take.

Their choice is made for them. Hand-man gestures, and says something - Katsuki doesn't catch it - but that black monster with the brain is suddenly lunging for All Might, and All Might charges right back to meet him. The collision of the two powerhouses creates a windstorm that knocks them both down, and shatters the ground around them.

"FUCK!" Katsuki bellows as the winds howl over them like a tornado. He grips Izuku tight to keep him from flying away and becoming paste on a wall, and doesn't dare open his eyes until the winds pass.

When he does look again, the black creature is gone, and All Might is, for lack of a better word, steaming. "Fucking hell, how much power did he use?" Katsuki demands, staring up at the hole in the glass ceiling.

"He doesn't look so good," Izuku murmurs. And indeed, All Might doesn't. While the creature is gone, it's clear it gave one hell of a fight before going down. "Kacchan, we might need to run interference for him."

Katsuki grits his teeth. Fuck, he can't push it much further. He's already sure he's damaged something in his hands and arms, if not certainly his shoulders. They're kids, and they've done good so far, but now would probably be a very good time to retreat and let the adults handle it.

But at the same time, this is All Might. Their hero from childhood, and if Katsuki is reading the signs right, someone Izuku is willing to forgive and lay his life down for. Whatever apology All Might wanted to give has been made, heard, and cleared. This is Izuku reaching back, putting All Might in the same category as Hitoshi or the class of 1-A. Someone worth protecting.

Damn it all, he thinks, and hisses out, "Okay. Tell me when."

"Aaaah, they lied to me!" Hand-man seethes, sounding thoroughly pissed. "He's not weak at all!"

"Well?" All Might demands, and Katsuki can hear the strength in his voice, the challenge ringing out. But he can also see the way the man's arms are starting to faintly tremble. "Are you coming to get me or not, villains? What happened to your supposed goal of clearing the game?" His eyes gleam with fury. "So long as I am here, I will allow no more children to be harmed. So come, villains, if you dare!"

The man's aura and pheromones bear down on them all, giving the sensation of a killing intent. Hand-man begins to stumble back, clearly recognizing at last he's been outmatched, and for a second Katsuki thinks oh thank god, they're leaving, go, let them leave, get the fuck out of here you assholes.

"Nnnngh! If only we had Noumu here- nnngh, it's not fair, I was so close!" Hand-man begins to furiously claw at his own neck, tiny red welts appearing on his skin and darkening as blood begins to flow.

And then the void user speaks, and throws all Katsuki's hopes out the window with the Noumu. "Calm yourself Tomura Shigaraki. We can still win this! Look now - the children are paralyzed with fear, and All Might is but one man. We can take him down together before backup arrives, and we can take advantage of the damage the Noumo gave him."

"...yes. Yes you're right. The final boss is right here - t-there's no reason to hold back, is there? Yes, let's do it."

"Fuck!" Izuku hisses, and runs forward. "Katsuki!"

He grits his teeth, feels everything in his arms scream as he lifts them. C'mon, just one more, one more, endure it! Endure, endure, endure-

"This is for Noumu!"

Shit, this is bad. This is bad, he has to- fuck, no he can't go to Izuku, he won't have time, this is all he can do, he has to get his arms up, c'mon you pieces of shit work dammit I'm not losing my best friend because you won't work!

Sparks begin to pop against his palm, and the pain burns rips shreds through him with molten fingers, and even as his vision blurs with tears and his jaw aches from how hard he's clenching it he's still trying to lift his hands, because Izuku's rushing forward to protect All Might with nothing but a skinny metal stick, and he needs to protect the cluster.

The void opens wide, and Shigaraki cackles as he dives forward, hands outstretched for All Might. All Might remains frozen, muscles trembling, and then Izuku is there between them, rebar pulled back, and in one solid movement he throws it like a spear-

Katsuki screams in agony as he gets one final explosion out. Just one - not big or booming, but it's all he has. His eyes roll up into his head, and he's unconscious before he even hits the floor. So he misses his explosion hitting the rebar, rocketing it forward even as the smoke blinds the villains for a brief second.

The scream that erupts from Shigaraki as the rebar spears him is no illusion though. Neither is the second scream that comes a moment later as gunshots ring out.

"Sorry we're late everyone!"

"K-Kurogiri, you liar!"

Izuku lets out a silent breath, the panic in his breast finally dying down. Safe, at last. And the teachers are already moving to grab up the downed villains from earlier, get the injured to safety, and oh look its Psyren.

His teacher looks like fury incarnate, scaled face drawn up in snarl of absolute rage. He meets Izuku's eyes, and Midoriya can't suppress a flinch. But apart from the low growl, his teacher says nothing, and instead heads straight for the water. There's no doubt in Izuku's mind that they're a discussion in the near future, as well as several scoldings from the teachers. For now though, they're okay. He needs to make sure Kacchan's okay, but before that he needs to see if All Might is alright.

He turns to look behind him.

"Sir, how are you holding-"

The up dies in his throat as his eyes register what he's seeing. It's only a handful of seconds, although it feels much longer than that, as he and All Might stare at one another across the expanse, vivid blue meeting green in wide shock.

And then Cementoss is throwing up a wall, and the vision of the gaunt blond man from the beach vanishes. "Young Midoriya, go on ahead and start back towards the school. I will take care of the injured."

There's a million and one questions floating in his head, but Izuku knows now is not the time. So even as part of him begins to zoom in on the mystery, the rest of him is nodding and saying, "Yes sir," to Cementoss. He doesn't look back as he walks towards the entrance, where he finds an unconscious Katsuki on a stretcher, being loaded up to go to the infirmary. Midnight ushers him along, and he goes without complaint.

At some point Psyren is there, scowling furiously down at him but keeping him upright as the adrenaline wears off. It's only once he's in the infirmary proper, watching as Katsuki is treated that he lets himself fall asleep in one of the chairs, exhaustion taking its toll. In the morning, he can worry about strangers that aren't truly strangers on the beach and apologies given twice over, but for now sleep is all he needs.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"They should be expelled!"

For once, Psyren finds himself agreeing with Abyss' assessment of the situation. Because like her, he is royally pissed - he's proud too, although that pride is buried beneath the miles of unyielding rage simmering quietly inside him. Midoriya is unconscious, and has been, and likely will be for another three days.

Katsuki Bakugou is much the same. They've both got breaks in bones, fractures, and Bakugou has nerve damage and third-degree burns in his arms and hands. According to Recovery Girl, the stress of the fight will likely push both Bakugou and Midoriya into an early Rut/Heat, which means they'll be out of commission even longer.

Hitoshi Shinsou they met on the road down there, and while he's got some bruising, broken knuckles, broken nose and some signs of over-stressing his Quirk, he was still able to guide the other, younger children to safety.

And yet despite this, despite being madly outmatched, despite being Quirkless, his guppies came back to him alive. Psyren doesn't know if he wants to kill both of them or wrap them up in hugs and tell them how proud he is. For now he settles for quietly simmering in the corner, listening intently as the teachers discuss what to do next.

Aizawa and Thirteen are both in the ICU - there's a chance Aizawa will lose his eyesight, and Thirteen has lacerations all across his back. All Might himself is in less critical condition, but there's word from Cementoss that a student saw his true self. It was only for a handful of seconds, but still.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Nedzu says cheerfully. "Cluster law prevents us punishing any of them because of their actions."

Protect the cluster. It's a phrase he's heard spoken many times, a phrase he understands the meaning of. He knows what clusters are - but cluster law? That's new.

Abyss evidently thinks so too, if her scoff is anything to go by. "So we're simply supposed to allow them to get away with recklessly endangering their lives and the lives of their classmates with their foolish acts?!"

"I didn't say that," Nedzu chides. "I said that under cluster law, we could not expel them for their actions. Because like it or not, Midoriya Izuku followed the law by the book - he informed an older member of the cluster of what was occurring, and was escorted by faculty. In this light, he was well within his rights. But that doesn't mean the teachers cannot punish the students for breaking U.A rules."

He looks to Psyren, who nods. He already has ideas for how to punish his misbehaving guppies. Brave they might have been, but they were also stupid to not come get the rest of the faculty while they had the chance. Midoriya might have been running high on emotions, but All Might and Shinsou were both better than that. Granted, even All Might could be partially excused due to his desire to see his students safe. But even that is a flawed excuse.

"So, Psyren will see to Midoriya and Hitoshi's punishment. Aizawa will see to Bakugou's when they're all back on their feet. In the meantime, we do what we can to strengthen the school protections, and prepare the students for war."

None of the teachers look happy. Not because of the lack of punishment, but because they all know what its like fighting villains. Hell, their generation grew up fighting them. But the kids are still just kids, barely out of their teens. Babies compared to them. But now they're expected to fight like adults, to survive in a world that refuses to slow down for them.

It's not going to be pretty, but it will be done.

So Psyren goes back to his class, and makes excuses for Midoriya and Shinsou, and then announces a change in their lessons. "From now on, we'll be increasing physical and Quirk training from one hour a day to two. Some of you might be wondering why - and I'll tell you this much. The villains have decided to go on the offensive, and they don't care if you're a kid or not. From now on, you're all fighting to survive. You think they'll wait until you're my age before coming to kill you or everyone you love? Think again. As of now, you're no longer merely students, but soldiers. And I will see to it that before you leave at the end of today, you all know at least three different ways to protect yourselves, with or without your Quirk."

The kids look scared. Good. He doesn't like doing this, making adults out of kids, but someone has to. To put it in Aizawa's words, they'll all have to be broken.

He just hopes at the end of all this he has enough students left to teach a class with.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Well, it looks like you overdid it again," Chiyo sighs as she unwraps Toshinori's bandages. He's been cleared for light duty - both Aizawa and Thirteen are still in critical condition, although Aizawa's eyes have been healed the best they're ever going to get. Thirteen is still unconscious. "I really don't like this. If it weren't for that boy, you'd likely be dead right now. You know that, don't you?"

He does. It's a fact that hasn't left him once - that if Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless, outrageously brave boy that he is, hadn't chosen to dive in front of him and skewer Shigaraki on that rebar, he would likely have lost his life to Shigaraki's own Quirk. It still baffles him, and amazes him, and terrifies him all at the same time, that a boy so utterly powerless would do what he did and not be afraid.

But didn't Midoriya already tell him the secret to that? "A hero is prepared to give up their life for the sake of others at any point. I've been wanting to be a hero since I was four years old."

It makes him wonder if maybe he's been thinking about this all wrong. If he's somehow forgotten the true meaning of being a hero somewhere along the way to fame, and this is his wake-up call.

"How are they? The boys?" he asks, to distract himself.

"They're fine. They've both gone into their cycles early - Midoriya woke up late yesterday and climbed into bed with Bakugou. As far as I've observed, nothing untoward has happened - they've been wrapped around each other on the bed and haven't moved much unless its for water or the bathroom, and Bakugou usually brings Midoriya what he needs."

Even with his arms as they are, the boy insists on being a good Alpha. "I wish I could have done more for them. I swore I wouldn't let Izuku get hurt."

"And you didn't. That boy did all that damage to himself. I'm still amazed he's even alive. A piece of rebar against a group of villains isn't exactly something you see done very often."

"No," he agrees, leaning back. "It isn't." He thinks back to those green eyes, the iron will hidden behind them. Time and again, Fate has attempted to knock the boy down, and time and again Izuku Midoriya has ruthlessly said I will not be stopped and shoved the obstacles down. It's the kind of drive, the will to protect that makes Toshinori want to sit up and take notice because-

He came here looking for a successor. Nighteye told him Mirio would be his best option - and honestly he is. Mirio is hard working, charming, cheerful and radiates the same protective aura that he himself spent so much time cultivating. If he were to pass the role of Symbol of Peace onto Mirio, he could pass away knowing his role would be in safe hands. That One For All would continue on.

But there's something about Midoriya Izuku that makes him hesitate. It's not just because the kid is Quirkless. Despite his status as Quirkless himself, Yagi Toshinori has never felt pity for those who end up like himself. They all have their struggles in life, after all. No, what stops Toshinori from fully giving One For All over to Mirio is Izuku's single-minded will. He looks at his lot in life and declares I deserve better and am willing to work to get it. He looks at his role in society and screams I will not be held back by these chains.

Time and again, he ignores what the world is expecting, and does what he believes is best - and often, what is the best. He ran to save his cluster despite knowing it might cost him his life. Despite being Quirkless. He ran to save All Might despite being up against two villains ready to kill to get their way.

Midoriya Izuku is no mere Quirkless boy. He is a creature drive by goals, by determination, by raw fury and a drive to succeed, and in his hands, One For All would be safe as well. He would be so much more than just a simple symbol - he would be the figurehead of a generation, showing the world this is how you live.

He's caught on the fence, uncertain which way to fall. He needs time to think. But before that, he has an apology long overdue. He has enough in him for an hour at the most - that should be more than enough time to apologize properly, and to thank Midoriya for saving his life. He just hopes Midoriya doesn't attempt to pry into yesterday's little... surprise.

He's a teenage boy. Of course he's going to have questions.

Still, even as nerves churn in his stomach and he sends someone to fetch young Midoriya while he himself heads for the meeting room, he can't help but desperately hope. He's been safeguarding the secret for a long time, and to be found out now would be... very bad.

So he takes a deep breath, tells himself it'll be fine, and settles in to wait.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Izuku wakes up feeling like death warmed over, despite the fact that his Heat is ending. He's been curled up with Katsuki and Hitoshi - who was a pleasant surprise, albeit a noisy one until Katsuki had flopped onto him and started the reassurances - for the better part of four days, basking in the new balance of their cluster and trying to heal up. Katsuki's arms have slowly been healing, and between Izuku and Recovery Girl's regular reminders not to overdo it, he should be allowed back in class within the next day.

Izuku, meanwhile, has a meeting with All Might he needs to get to. Which means escaping from Katsuki's tight grip, gulping down an energy bar, a cup of tea, and the suppressant pills and then making his way to the meeting room where he's waiting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting sir," he says as he opens the door. All Might startles just a bit, but smiles cheerfully at him.

"Not a problem, my boy. I expected you to still be recovering. How are you and your comrades doing?"

"Alright. Tired, sore, stuff to be expected, but we should be back in class soon."

"Good! I look forward to seeing your cheerful faces in the hallways once more. Class 1-A has been far too quiet without young Bakugou around, and I fear Psyren is growing bored without someone to challenge him on the training fields."

The small talk is helping to wake him up a little more, but Izuku wants to get to the heart of the matter so he can get back to sleep. "What did you want to see me for, sir?"

"Ah, that. Two things, actually, and they shouldn't take long. First, I wanted to apologize to you. I should have done so earlier, but I didn't, and I apologize for that as well. You were right, earlier when you said I had no idea what I was talking about in regards to you being Quirkless. I spoke from the point of ignorance, insulted you by doing so, and I had no right. For that, I'm very sorry." He bows his head.

Izuku smiles. If this had been a few days ago, he probably would have drawn the issue out. But things have changed. "Sir, you don't have to apologize. I forgave you the instant you chose to help me get to my cluster in time. So consider it water under the bridge."

"You're too kind, my boy," All Might murmurs, rising after a moment. "The second thing. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help with the villains. Despite being outmatched and out-maneuvered, you and your young friends showed your bravery in helping us drive them back, and in saving my life in the process. You have my gratitude for that."

"Thank you very much, but I would be a liar if I said I wasn't terrified at the time. I just... did what I thought was best, that's all."

All Might shakes his head. "The important thing is that you did it despite being afraid."

"Maybe. Is that all you needed me for, sir? I apologize for the abruptness, but I'm still not feeling at my full strength."

"Oh, of course my boy, of course! I apologize for keeping you." But there's something wrong. All Might's expression tells him he's tense, waiting for something. If it's a trap, it's a good one.

He pushes himself up. If he doesn't say anything by the time I get to the door, its nothing. I'll forget it and go back to bed. He shuffles over to the door. He's just laid his hand on it when All Might speaks.

"You're not going to ask?"

Izuku sighs quietly. "About yesterday? No. Because it's not my business, sir. We're all entitled to our secrets. I have my theories, my suspicions, but I'm not about to go around shrieking them for the whole world to hear. And if Cementoss' actions were anything to go by, your secret is a secret for a good reason."

He looks back. All Might is staring at him with wide eyes - for once, he can actually see beyond the black to the blue underneath. "If you choose to tell me, it will be your choice, not mine, sir. All I ask is that, whatever secret you hold, you don't put it before your students. Because Katsuki and I won't always be around to protect them if one of the teachers gets hurt. And if they can't stand on their own when our backs are to a wall, then we won't be able to help much. That's all. Have a good day, sir."

He slides open the door.

"...Wait. Please."

Izuku closes the door, and turns. All Might has never sounded so quiet, so intense. Whatever this is, it's important. He didn't come here to pry his teacher's secrets out in the open, but it seems that's what he's inadvertently done. Well, he'll take responsibility, as Katsuki would say.

All Might takes in a deep breath. "You were right. My secret is a secret for a very good reason. I haven't told anyone the truth in a long time. But I think, given what I know of you, this time would be acceptable." He gestures. "Sit. I won't keep you long."

"I suspect that's a lie." He sits. "Take your time."

Another deep breath. "Where to begin... Well. I guess blunt is usually best. To put it into simple words, I believe you're worthy to inherit my power. My Quirk."

"...pull the other one sir, it's got bells on it."

All Might nods. "I suspected you might say something like that. So, let's try a different approach. Even blunter."

And there's the steam again, this time fading away in a matter of seconds, and leaving behind the gaunt blond from before. The same man from the beach. The frail man that was once a giant stretches out his hand.

"My name is Toshinori Yagi, but you know me as All Might. I came here looking for a successor - and I've found one. You, Midoriya Izuku, are the one I want to pass my Quirk onto."

Through the heartbeat thundering in his ears, Izuku feels himself reach out a hand and grasp Toshinori's. It's warm, and despite the frail appearance, his grip is firm.

"Tell me everything."