A/N: Okay friends... Let's multichapter...

Disclaimer: I do not own Boku No Hero Academia. This is a work of fiction that I am not making a profit off of...

Chapter 1: "What else is there?"

"Young Bakugo!"

The blonde teen shoved his hands inside his pockets as he leaned his head into the small office. "You wanted to see me?" Even though All Might had been on the faculty since he started at U.A., he still had moments of awe knowing that the man he held a life long admiration for was his teacher.

All Might nodded, gesturing toward the chair in front of his desk. "We've been meeting with all of the second year students to check how you all are doing." The former pro grinned wildly as he settled back in his chair. "So," All Might started, planting his hands against the desk. "How are you doing?"

Bakugo shrugged, slouching into the chair as an ankle crossed over his knee. "Fine." He really wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to answer the question in the first place.

It was the end of the year. He'd finished all of his exams a week ago and was almost finished packing for the short break.

"Well, your exam scores are excellent, and from what I can tell-" All Might paused shuffling some papers around his desk. "You're going to keep your rank in the top five of your class. Very impressive."

Bakugo expected nothing less of himself.

"Have you given thought to what you're going to do after you finish your last year?" All Might questioned with a small smile. "I know it seems like a long way, but…" He shook his head to stop himself from rambling. "Are you considering going to university?"

"For what?" Bakugo frowned, reeling back a little at the question.

Why would any of them be going to university? U.A.'s hero course was the best program in Japan for being a pro hero. Students were provided with their high school diplomas and acquired licensure to become pros in three years. There were some pros who went to a normal high school and did their hero studies in college, but the point of attending U.A. was to fast track your hero career.

University wasn't necessary.

"Some students decide they are more interested in the judicial aspects of being a hero-"

No. The law classes U.A. had required him to take his second year had been enough for Bakugo to last a lifetime. He never thought he'd miss the grueling quirk training from Aizawa during his first year, but Bakugo would take that a thousand times over before another year of law classes. It was was bad enough he had to fulfill one more law credit for his license.

"Other students take business courses because they have future goals of opening agencies of their own-"

Bakugo had already decided he could learn the ins and outs of the business by watching.

"Some just want something to fall back on just in case," All Might shrugged with a long sigh. "We've been encouraging students to think about what they'd do, if heaven forbid, they had a career ending injury." He didn't need to tell him that he was speaking from experience. Though his career as a pro was over, All Might had enough money to live well beyond his years.

However, not every hero could say the same…

"I just wanted to see what you're thinking," All Might pushed a large grin back to his face, trying to chase away the weight from his last comment.

"I planned on trying to start out as a sidekick." It wasn't what Bakugo wanted, but it was the first step to obtaining a number one ranking and better than another unpaid internship.

All Might nodded, "I expected as much. I'm not worried about you keeping up your grades, however-"

Bakugo's eyebrows raised and eyes widened a bit at the drop in his mentor's voice.

"You need to continue to work on being more personable." All Might pressed his palms together as he focused intently on the teen. "You've grown leaps and bounds in your willingness to work with others, we've all seen it in class, on practicals, and your evaluations from internships have shown that progression, but," he paused. Truthfully, Bakugo had nowhere to go but up in that area, considering how he'd started. "This career is as much public image and approval as it is skill and bravado, so really make it a priority to keep your image in mind."

Two years ago Bakugo would have scowled and taken that comment with offense. It was hard not to hear a comment like that and not interpret it as 'be more like Deku'. "Yeah," the teen nodded, jaw a little tight as he absorbed the criticism.

All Might nodded, satisfied, "Good. Third year students won't register for their classes until we return for the new school year. We want you all to really think about your future." He passed a small stack of papers to Bakugo.

"What's to think about?" They were in school to become heroes. Their future was set when they started their course at U.A.

"Being a hero is going to affect just about every aspect of your lives."

Bakugo stared, brows raised as if he were missing a bigger piece of the puzzle.

"Where you'll live, for example," All Might explained. "Some graduates chose to take jobs or other opportunities outside of Japan which means leaving your family and friends."

"If I have to leave for a bit or forever, then I have to leave." Bakugo's lips twisted into indifference as he leaned back into his chair. "You do what you have to to make it to the top."

"Yes, well," All Might's shoulders shrugged as a serious smile crossed his face. "Sometimes the things you're told you have to do become the things you regret the most."

Red eyes stared at his instructor with his usual determined scowl.

"We're asking a lot of you kids." They had to. All Might knew more than anyone that hero work was time consuming and more than a career.

Being a hero was a lifestyle.

"You all will be making decisions as children that will determine the rest of your lives. It's not fair, but-" They'd done everything they could to prepare their students for being heroes, but the real test would start outside of U.A. "This is the reality of the hero career."

"I just want to be number one," Bakugo nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "That's the only thing I'm worried about."

"Yes, but-" All Might didn't doubt the fierceness in the boy's eyes, but he knew those words were foolish. "Will that be enough for you?"

"What?"

"Being a hero," All Might explained, staring at him seriously. "Will that be enough for you?"

The question had taken the air out of his lungs. "What else is there?"

"Life." All Might folded his hands in front of him, giving a little shrug. "Family, friends, relatio-"

"This is my life." This was the only thing that mattered. "I already said it, you do what you have to do to make it to the top. End of story."

A small smirk wove on All Might's lips as he gave the boy an unconvincing nod. "If you say so, but," he nodded, pulling his lips into a tight professional line. "I urge you- and we're asking everyone else to do this-"

Unlike his classmates, Bakugo had decided long ago there was nothing else.

"Just think about it."

Bakugo didn't need to.

"We'll talk about it again later."

The moment those sparks ignited from his palms, Bakugo felt the universe confirming what he had already believed.

He was destined to be a hero.

Before his quirk appeared, he'd run around the house dressed in his cherished All Might onesie. A blanket tied around his neck for his cape as he zipped through an imaginary town rescuing citizens. Little fists at his side as he stood tall against any foe, shouting that he, the symbol of peace, was there. And needless to say, the day was saved each time.

Once his power developed, he'd been so excited to test out his quirk. A rescue mission ended when he'd accidentally scorched holes in his fleece suit and spattered embers all over the living room. His mother had been furious. His father had scooped him up, dried his tears, and promised to make him a new suit to save the citizens of the living room in.

A suit that could withstand his quirk.

The black and orange jumpsuit he'd helped his father make had given him a new identity.

Bakugo didn't just want to be All Might anymore.

The moment his father secured the little black mask over his face, Bakugo was determined to surpass All Might.

There were countless nights he stayed up huddled against the wall, little hands in front of him watching the sparks he emitted. He watched as those sparks turned to fireworks and one day, he'd pushed those fireworks into an explosion that cracked his wall and set his bed ablaze.

He'd been grounded for months, but Bakugo hadn't been able to hide his pride.

So he kept practicing, to the displeasure of his parents.

By the time he was eleven, he'd had more trips to the emergency room for burns than he could count. The quirk specialist had assured his parents that eventually his body, particularly his hands, would grow accustomed to his blasts and cautioned him not to overextend his power. They were assured this situation was normal for parents of children with fire quirks, especially those with stubborn children.

One night after a trip to the ER for a burn on his cheek, Bakugo had figured out how to use his explosion to propel himself, shattering his collarbone as he slammed into the ceiling. He grinned all the way to the emergency room. The obnoxious cast and the lectures he'd received couldn't take away his achievement. He'd flown.

By the time he'd gotten to junior high, his parents had given up trying to stop him. His mother told him he could do whatever he wanted as long he didn't burn her house down or come crying to him at three in the morning cause he was injured. His father lined a small section of the basement with flame resistant material and extra ventilation so he could practice his quirk in small doses.

He didn't with friends after school or attend dances and parties. Bakugo ran miles, practiced combat, and worked on controlling his sweat output.

He'd chosen to go to the best school in Japan for hero training, and excelled against staggering obstacles.

Everything he did served as another step toward his goal of becoming a pro hero.

So, why had All Might thought to question his intentions before his last year?

"Will that be enough for you?"

Bakugo had been so shocked by the question, he couldn't respond fast enough. "What else is there?"

"Life."

That had to be the biggest bunch of bullshit he'd ever heard.

"Bro!"

Bakugo's jaw clenched, feeling a sudden hit to his shoulder. "The fuck!" he growled. His hands tightened around the barbell as his vision focused. "I asked you to spot me! Not fucking try to kill me."

"Whoa! Easy…" Kirishima took a small step back, holding his hands up in surrender. "You spaced out mid rep, calm down." He flashed an unapologetic smile as he resumed his position.

"You didn't have to hit me!" That jerk had definitely used his quirk in that hit. Bakugo pushed through his reps, ignoring the throb in his shoulder. Red eyes focused on the ceiling, grunting out numbers between his teeth.

Kirishima decided to ignore the incorrect count, considering he was already on thin ice. "How else was I supposed to get your attention?"

They both knew Bakugo didn't have a better suggestion.

"Anyway," Kirishima's tone lightened. "How did your meeting with All Might go?"

Bakugo pushed through his bench press, heels digging into the floor. "Why do you care?" He placed the bar back on the stand. Palms pressed over his eyes, Bakugo ignored the burn of the glycerin in his eyes.

"Just curious," Kirishima shrugged, stepping back. "I have my meeting tomorrow."

Moving off the bench, Bakugo wiped his face before taking his place to spot. "They just wanna know what we're thinking about next year and after that."

Kirishima took his place on the bench. "Cool."

No, it was annoying. "Tch." Bakugo let his eyes drift to the gray cinder blocks as All Might's words kept echoing in his head. He'd never had any doubt about the direction he chose until All Might asked him that stupid question.

Will that be enough for you?

"Dude!"

Bakugo jerked, head shaking as he looked down at his red-haired friend. "What?!"

"Should I be trusting you to not let this heavy thing fall on my face?"

"If you let this thing fall on your face, then you get what you deserve!" Bakugo moved his palms back in position, scowling at his friend.

"The point-" Kirishima shook his head, fingers tightening as he adjusted his grip. "Of having someone spot you is to make sure accidents don't happen. I spotted you!"

The only reason he'd asked Kirishima to spot him was so that he wasn't in the mood for another lecture about weight room safety. Bakugo had already been given several verbal warnings. "Sounds like an excuse to be careless."

"Sounds like an excuse for you to ignore me."

The joke on was him. "I don't need an excuse to ignore you," Bakugo scoffed, "And I was listening, for your information." He wasn't.

Kirishima paused, keeping the bar pushed away from him. "Then what did I say?" he asked, giving his friend a sharp, shit eating grin.

Bakugo growled, "You know damn well what you said!"

"Yes," Kirishima nodded with a satisfied grin, "I am well aware of what I said, but I was asking if you knew."

Not a clue. Bakugo growled, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.

"As I was saying," Kirishima grinned proudly as he kept going, "we're meeting everyone at the club at seven, so we have a couple hours there before curfew-"

What the hell? "We? Who the fuck is we?!" And since when had he agreed to this?

"Me, You-"

No.

"Mina," the redhead smirked cheekily. "Kaminari, Jiro, Sero. I think-"

"You idiots aren't even old enough to get in a club!" Bakugo shouted, leaning down a bit.

"Kaminari's brother works as a bartender at a club in Tokyo-"

No way. "Are you hearing yourself? You're going to trust Kaminari not to fuck up?!"

"We have before. What's the difference?" The difference was this time they weren't helpless meatballs. Not to mention Bakugo had failed his provisional exam anyway, but they were facing a long list of consequences if they were caught sneaking into a club.

Legal trouble.

Getting thrown out of school.

Their careers ending before they'd even gotten started.

Bakugo deciding to murder his idiot friends because he'd gone along with their stupid idea, so more legal trouble.

"It's not like we haven't gone before. They don't card anyway," Kirishima said as he placed the bar back into place. "Look, it's not like we're going on a Friday night. It's Wednesday. Slow night, they'll be grateful for the business."

Bakugo sighed.

"And we don't have class tomorrow."

"You guys are so fucking stupid it's astounding." Bakugo pressed his palm to his forehead, shaking his head.

Kirishima looked at him with a toothy grin, "So that means you're coming?"

"Whatever," Bakugo huffed, rolling his eyes. "I guess."

"Wow, really?"

"I said yes. What the hell else do you want?"

"I don't know," Kirishima shrugged. "I'm just shocked you're going. I didn't expect you to say yes."

Was it that surprising he was going out with them? "Just don't expect me to carry your stupid drunk asses home!" Bakugo barked at his friend.

"Yes, mom," Kirishima stood, slapping his friend's shoulder. "We're gonna have fun! Which you need..."

First All Might asks him to think about his family, friends, and his "feelings" or whatever, and now this. "You know you get on my damn nerves, right?" Bakugo shook his head, looking at his friend tolerantly.

"I love you too."

The night hadn't even started and he could already tell he was going to regret this.

"Wanna hug?"

To be Continued...