A/N: HELLO EVERYONE I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY STILL CHRISTMAS SO HA! Anyway, I'm sorry if this is going a little weird. I've been kinda exhausted lately since I've been rewriting the chapters coming up to this, and I guess it kinda slipped my mind that this is kinda weird? Nevermind, you'll see what I mean.

"Stop laughing, Izuku."

The boy's smile faded off his face as he looked up at his father. "W-why?"

"Smiling makes you weak," the man told him, his voice stern and low. "That's how your mother died. She was trying to keep you calm, smiling and such. She wasted too much time."

The boy's eyes turned misty as he glanced down at the carpet. "I-is it my f-f-fault sh-she d-d-died?" he asked quietly.

"Idiot boy, of course it was your damn fault!" the man yelled, grabbing onto his son's hair, prompting a squeak from the boy. "Now control your face and your damned stuttering or no dinner."

Needless to say, he didn't get dinner for a long time. But it wasn't because of his face, more so his speech.

The stuttering was hard to control. That time was also when the boy earned his bad tongue-biting habit.

"And, from this point on, you will refer to me as 'Father'. Understood?"

The boy bit his tongue, his teary gaze trained on the floor until the man pulled on his hair to make eye contact again. "U-unders-stood, F-Father," he sobbed, throat tight.

"Say it again."

"U-unders-s-stood—"

"Say it again, Izuku. This time, let's make it a game. Maybe then you'll finally listen." The man yanked on his hair once more before grabbing the boy's wrists. "For every stutter, I bend your wrists father back. The game ends either when I break your wrists, or your stuttering is rectified. Understood?"

The boy licked his lips, blood staining his teeth. His tongue had been bitten again. "U-under—" He froze as the man forced the boy's wrists back, almost to the point where they couldn't naturally go any farther.

"Try again."

"Unders-stood—" He had to hold back a whimper as it started to hurt.

"Say it again, boy."

"U-u-understood, F-Fath-ther."

"Idiot."

Two hollow cracks.

—

Izuku was lounging on the couch, though his form was tense and rigid.

"You need to stop worrying the fuck over it," Kacchan stated. "You did your best and there's nothing you can do now."

"That's the thing," Izuku sighed, "I don't know if I did my best. I don't know if there was anything else I could've done to get a higher score."

Kacchan leaned back into the couch, scoffing. "Just quit stressing. You'll get sick like that one time in third grade."

"That was one time!" Izuku hissed, his cheeks flushing a light pink.

Mitsuki came in through the front door, shutting it behind her. She was grinning like mad. "Guess what came in the mail!"

The boys shot up straight as Mitsuki walked over, handing them each their own letter. They were crisp and white with a wax stamp concealing whatever was inside. Dread and excitement rushed through Izuku's body, and though he feared what could be inside, he knew that this was another step closer to his dream.

Without even consulting Kacchan, Izuku got up and rushed into the former's room, shutting the door and sitting at his desk. He took just a second to run a thumb over the wax seal before another thought came to him.

Would they fail him just for Hisashi?

It seemed like a dumb question, considering U.A. was more about character than heritage, but the longer he contemplated, the harder it seemed to believe that he'd gotten a letter at all. U.A. was, after all, the most prestigious Hero school in Japan, and had been known to pump out all the greatest Pro Heroes like Present Mic and Endeavor. Despite All Might having been taught there, U.A. highschool was still the very best in Izuku's eyes.

He ripped open the letter, letting it be split straight down the middle. A little disk clattered down onto the desk, releasing a hologram of light up right in front of the boy's eyes.

He saw All Might's grinning form, an air of confidence and pride surrounding his being. "This is a projection!" he announced. Izuku had to force himself to stay in his seat, though his fingernails did manage to get buried in his palms. "Young Midoriya! You passed the written exam with flying colors—the whole test was just amazing; You have a nice bit of knowledge in that head of yours. With a meager three points on the practical, however, I'm sorry to say that scores like that usually result in failure."

Though it wasn't quite rational, something about it just made Izuku angry. His gaze flickered down to his hands, where he gripped his pants to try and relieve himself of the building weight in his heart. It made him want to go run off and cry, but scream and kick things at the same time. How carefree and happy All Might seemed was just so irritating.

"But fear not, for that's not the end of your run. Watch the screen!"

Izuku glanced back up at the hologram, and there he saw the girl from before, standing in front of Present Mic with an almost anxious look on her face.

"She came to us right after the test!" All Might supplied. "She had informed us of the heroic act of yours."

Izuku stared, hands tightened to fists, but not out of anger. It was out of the pure absurdity of it. All Might crossed his arms. "You see, we weren't just watching for villain points! A hero course that rejects those who do the right thing, and act in such a selfless and independent way, then it's no hero course at all! Think this is all for the cameras? Think what you want! In this job, you risk your life and put your money where your mouth is!" All Might's grin, if possible, seemed to grow wider. "Rescue points," he began, "They were another factor and another way for U.A. to evaluate you."

"Sixty points for Izuku Midoriya. And while we're at it, 45 points for Ochako Uraraka, for her quick thinking and rational decision-making after you went down!"

Izuku found himself standing up, leaning forward despite looking at the hero that betrayed him. His heart was beating against his rib cage, his blood pumping in his ears.

All Might thrust out a hand."Now come, Midoriya. This will be your hero academy."

He didn't know when the tears started, but they were definitely there, dripping down his cheeks and onto the desk. The hologram faded away, the room dark once more, and although Izuku still saw the infuriating image of All Might burned into his eyes, the words he said meant everything. His future, his dream, his whole life had been depending on hearing those words. His quiet sobbing made his shoulders shake, and for only a passing second, he felt like cheering.

He'd passed. Just barely, but he'd passed. His gaze went down to the disk on the desk. He picked it up, slipping it into his pocket before going back to the envelope, in which there was a piece of folded paper.

He unfolded it, reading over the words. It was just a transcript of the hologram, though at the very bottom in black ink, were a few words. They weren't typed. And they weren't neat. They were messily and hastily scrawled out.

Be the hero your father wasn't.

Izuku dragged a sleeve across his eyes, crumbling the paper in his hand. He got up, shoving it in his pocket with the disk, and collected the envelope pieces to recycle. Before he dropped the piece in the recycling, he carefully peeled the wax stamp off the paper, sticking that in his pocket as well. Izuku left the dark room, finding Kacchan reading his own letter at the dining room table. Mitsuki was laying on the couch, watching the news.

There was a woman, neat brown hair done up in a bun. Her form was straight and proper as she faced the camera, her expression almost grim.

"U.A. has opened its doors for another year, and with new Heroes out in the world comes new spots for students looking to get into their career," the woman began, clasping her hands on the table. "Only, along with thousands of examinees looking to get into the best Hero school in Japan, there's another boy looking to become a Hero." The picture of a green-haired, freckle-faced, angry kid showed up beside the woman, most likely on a green screen.

It seemed they had taken the picture during his freakout right before the exam, and purposely used that exact one. They were actively trying to paint him in a negative light."Izuku Midoriya, 15, is the son of Hisashi Midoriya, a big-time villain that has killed over forty civilians over only the past two years. Though Hisashi Midoriya has been caught and put to trial, it's guaranteed that he will be spending the rest of his life in jail.

"Izuku Midoriya, however, is still free to roam, and there are many civilians and Heroes that are worried how he might have been raised. The boy had been accepted into U.A. and will be learning from the best of the best, causing the community to become ever wary of U.A.'s judgment. Nezu, the school's principal, had decided this was the best course of action. What do you have to say about this, Mr. Principal?"

The screen flickered to where the principal sat in his office, teacup off to the side and his attention at the camera. Nezu straightened in his seat, paws clasped and tuxedo neat and crisp. "I believe that Young Midoriya has amazing potential," he began. "Though Hisashi had no doubt physically harmed the boy, I believe that in accepting Young Midoriya, we will have another amazing Pro Hero at our hands in just a few years, but I will say that he could use some refining for his Quirk.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about," Nezu continued. "I've watched the boy during the entrance exam, and the way he'd acted during Young Uraraka's peril was the ideal action for a future Hero."

Izuku's eyes narrowed slightly. "When did they start talking about me?" he questioned idly, causing Mitsuki to jerk up in her seat.

"A month or two ago," she stated, blinking. "You didn't know?"

Izuku gave a shrug. "I don't watch the news. What have they been saying?"

Kacchan looked at him from the kitchen, "Just the usual shit; you being related to some villain and them making a big fucking deal about it." He scoffed. "They're all fucking idiots, that's the problem."

The boy sighed, running a hand through his hair. He went to the kitchen to make a glass of water. "Did you get accepted, Kacchan?" he asked, sitting across from his friend.

Kacchan sneered, folding up his paper. "Obviously. What, you'd think I'd flunk? I got seventy-seven points, mother fucker!"

Izuku's gaze went to the table. "I got three points."

Kacchan froze, sneer leaving his face. "Oh, don't tell me—"

"No no no, I passed!" Izuku rushed out, waving his hands about, "But it was only because of luck. I saved that one girl from getting crushed by the zero-pointer. You know, the girl that kept you from breaking your nose?"

Kacchan crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "You're starting to make me hope you get expelled."

Izuku shuddered, shaking his head. "No way am I getting expelled. I just got accepted, and I'm not screwing this up," he stated. "I think that, for once, I get to do what I want. I get to chase after something that I've been wanting to do for years." He tightened his bleached-white fist. "My chance is right now. It's happening, and it's in reach." Izuku stared Kacchan in the eye, almost daring him to say anything different. "I'm being a hero, Kacchan. And for once, Hisashi's not going to stop me."

Kacchan waved a dismissive hand. "Alright, whatever floats your damned boat with your dumb monologuing. I'm going running." He got up, went to the front door, pulled on his shoes, and left the house. Izuku stared after him for a second before he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, opening up his messages.

Hisashi
I see you're not giving up.

Izuku almost felt his throat closing up. How did Hisashi even get a phone to contact him with? Who let him? Is he still locked away? Did he escape? How did he do it? So many possibilities ran through the boy's head. His fingers went to his throat.

Hisashi
I suppose that's admirable.
You only scored three villain points, and yet you manage to woo the judges into letting you in.
But at least you passed. Good job.

Izuku swallowed, getting up, leaving his water, forgotten on the table as he went straight to Kacchan's room, ignoring Mitsuki's gaze trained on his back.

Izuku
Are you free?
Why are you texting me?

Hisashi
Why, wouldn't you like to know?
For your information, Izuku, I've changed bosses.
Not saying who, but I will say that he's much worthier than that Hero Killer.
The new boss may be a bit childish, but his reasons are just.

Izuku
Why are you texting me?

Hisashi
I just wanted to let you know that your old man got out of jail.
Of course, I thought it would be the ideal time right after you got into U.A.
I hope you don't mind me using your old journal to my advantage.

Izuku
Wait, you have them? What the hell are you doing?

Hisashi
You never know when one might want to kill All Might.
I know you, Izuku.
I know what happened to you, and I know what your flaws are.
You're a villain, son. You're just like me.

Izuku
I'm not a villain, and I'm not like you.
I'm never turning to your side.
I thought I drilled it into your head eleven years ago.

Hisashi
Even though you chose your friend Bakugo over me, I'd still welcome you if you came back to me.
I'd still love you, despite your disgusting flaws.

Izuku
Stuttering isn't a "disgusting flaw."
It's what happens when you're a scary dick to a little kid for their whole life.

Hisashi
Izuku, you're my son. Anything that isn't perfect is a flaw.
Come to your senses, boy. Give up on your fruitless, hopeless dream.

Izuku didn't text him back, merely shoving his phone into his pocket, trying to ignore the cacophony of voices starting to whisper at him again. He wasn't even sure what Hisashi was trying to do. Win him over? That was hopeless. The man himself knew Izuku was far gone. Let him know of his escape? Hisashi wasn't that stupid. Allow Izuku access to his new job? Highly unlikely. Izuku wouldn't even bat an eye before refusing. So what was that man's plan?

Izuku rubbed his neck, heaving a sigh. Another thing he didn't understand, and another thing Hisashi had managed to get under his skin about.

The boy got up from the desk and left the room. He paid no mind to Mituski's concerned look as he grabbed a hoodie out of his bag and pulled it over his head, heading toward the front door. "I'm gonna walk to the beach," he announced, as loud as his throat would allow, and turned the knob.

"Izuku." The boy froze, glancing over his shoulder at Mitsuki. Her expression was one of worry and care.

"Whatever you're going to go do, please stay out of trouble," she said, her voice low and sincere. "After the months you've been living here, I've learned a bit about you, and I think I know you well enough to see that you're struggling. Just..." She paused for a second, pursing her lips. "If you need someone to talk to, just know that you can talk to me or even Masaru."

Izuku stared at her, searching her gaze, her eyes. She seemed truthful. He gave a slight nod of the head. "I understand. Thank you."

He opened the door and left, walking down the cold, foggy street. The humid grogginess of the morning was almost disgusting. But it was slow and calming at the same time, what with the low temperature of the air.

But even though the calmness of the early morning was soothing, Izuku couldn't help but feel his neck burn with a strange feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he flicked his hood over his head, willing himself to walk faster. Not one person was awake yet.

"You're growing stronger, Izuku."

The boy whipped his head around. Not a single person in sight. Then something dragged his hood off his head, cold fingers wrapping one of his wrists in a firm grasp. The other encircled his throat. Both caused the boy's heart rate to climb, but not because of the immediate danger.

"It-it's t-too soon," Izuku gasped out, his eyes blown wide. "You-you c-c-can't d-do it n-n-now, it-it's too s-soon, the-they'll kn-know. I-it's t-t-too s-soon, it's too s-soon—"

"Silence, boy," Hisashi hissed, letting his neck go in favor of wrapping an arm around the boy's trembling shoulders. Izuku tried to ignore the way the man's fingers stroked up and down his forearm. "Let us walk. To the beach."

Izuku felt a metallic taste bloom in his mouth as he forced himself to stay quiet. They walked for a long time, the boy still shaking. Their whole walk, he hadn't once seen Hisashi's face. Just that fact made his shudders more obvious.

Once they started stepping on yellow sand, Hisashi moved his hands to Izuku's shoulders.

"Izuku," he purred. He stroked the name with care, and Izuku was sure he'd end up biting his own tongue off. Hisashi's hand went to the boy's cheek, thumbing over his skin in a way that sent shudders of disgust down his spine. "My son, you're growing stronger. Despite your flaws."

Izuku wanted to look away. He was forced to stare straight up into Hisashi's eyes, both almost completely milky white, a nauseating amount of thick scar tissue coating his face. The boy had to clamp a hand over his own mouth to keep from making a noise.

"Your Quirk is strengthening," Hisashi observed. "And it seems you've gotten a new family." The man seemed to almost struggle at that last word. When was the last time he'd said it? "A shame, really. You've almost forgotten me. I'm glad that I'd managed to get out when I did, or else you'd be far gone." Izuku swallowed, the taste of iron staining his mouth.

"But that's not why I'm here," Hisashi continued. "I'm here to plant the seed." At Izuku's incredulous look, he elaborated. "The seed of what could have been. A happy little boy with his father, romping around with equal parts peace and happiness."

The boy hated himself. It appealed to him. "Imagine it; you and I, palling around and having those family times that we'd never gotten. Joking around, having fun, enjoying the company that comes with father and son." He leaned closer, and Izuku could almost smell the desperation in the man's breath. "Just join us. Join me. We'll be together, and I'll love you. I'll accept you, and I'll love you."

Izuku's heart was thundering in his chest, his eyes wide and misty.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM, BITCH!"

Their heads whipped toward Katsuki, who was sprinting across the sand, using his Quirk to blast himself forward before he landed a hard blow to Hisashi's face. Izuku's hands turned clammy and he grappled for his phone to call the police.

"Izuku—"

"SHUT IT!"

"This is the 911 line, what's your emergency?"

"A-a v-v-villain e-escaped," Izuku stuttered, unable to straighten himself out. His cheeks flushed with frustration. "H-H-Hisashi."

"Okay, stay calm. Deep breaths, the police are on their way. Could you tell us your name, son?"

Izuku almost flinched at their word usage but managed to keep the phone almost still in his trembling hands. "I-I-Izu-Izuku M-M-Midoriya." There was an obvious hesitation on the other line.

"Okay, Midoriya, is anyone there hurt?"

Though Kacchan was sitting on Hisashi, his hands around the man's throat, Izuku's knees almost gave out from him shaking so much. "N-n-no."

The police came a few minutes later. They were interrogated by an officer, who seemed to be considerably uncomfortable as he spoke with Izuku, who was still freaking out. Kacchan ended up taking over and demanded that despite Izuku not having to do anything, he remains there.

Izuku didn't argue, merely clinging wordlessly to Kacchan's arm as he watched Hisashi get shoved in the back of a police car, a muzzle-like contraption over his mouth. But his eyes were no different. They almost held a deep longing beyond his half-blind gaze.

I'll accept you, and I'll love you.

Was that really where he was going? Izuku swallowed, already knowing the answer. Of course it was. His idea of "planting the seed" had definitely worked, and Izuku hated himself for letting the man get ahead of him. For letting him take advantage of the little familial contact boy's had. It was sickening.

Izuku rubbed at his stinging eyes, the weight in his heart returning to drag him down. His head snapped up when he felt something grab his wrist, only to find Kacchan, starting to pull him forward.

"Deku. We're going home."

Izuku didn't argue, merely nodded and kept his gaze trained on the ground.

It seemed that Mitsuki had been alerted by the police about what had happened. She didn't seem angry, nor sad, just worried. And to Izuku's appreciation, she had been much quieter for the rest of the day.

She'd hugged him once or twice, ask him if he was okay, watch him give a halfhearted nod, and then go off again to do whatever she did.

Kacchan seemed to try and keep his distance, but Izuku insisted that Kacchan is to be near him almost constantly. Though Kacchan himself seemed suspicious of Izuku's reasoning, the latter simply said: "It's for a study thing."

That was a lie. Izuku was scared. Scared of being left alone. He was afraid that Hisashi would escape again, and try once more to "plant the seed." And Izuku was afraid that, after fifteen years of rejecting Hisashi, he'd finally accept.

—

"You sure he just...?"

Tasaki crossed his arms, heaving a sigh. "Yes, he disappeared. The man's supposed to be dead, and yet here he was, torturing the same kid. I swear he has it out for him."

"I actually feel kind of bad for the kid." Uki's face contorted to a scowl, placing her hands on her hips, "I don't know why, but I do. He's disgusting."

"You don't need to be so harsh on the boy. He's, what, fifteen? What harm could he do?" The corner of Tasaki's mouth curled up in a smirk.

"Killing his own mother," Uki snapped. "The house went up in flames, and whose Quirk was it? The child's, you animal!"

"I take literal offense to that. How dare you?"

"Don't change the subject. That boy's a monster in our society. If it were up to me, I'd have him executed on the count of first-degree murder."

Tasaki sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Well, there's no point, now. You heard what Nezu said. That kid is going to be a future hero and a good one at that. I just hope he stays in that mindset; that Quirk of his can be easily exploited using the right choice of words."

"You seem to know a lot about this," Uki muttered, raising an eyebrow.

The officer offered a sly grin. "Ah, it's whatever. Just me going off on a tangent."

But there was an unspoken suspicion from Uki. Tasaki wasn't acting right.

A/N: Hm, yeah, sorry I had to include some OCs. But to be fair, they're from my own universe, so I was just borrowing them for stuff. They won't be playing any important parts later on, don't worry. But yeah, sorry this went a little weird, and please excuse my ignorance concerning the Japanese police force—I've never been to Japan, and I couldn't find any credible sources (still looking, though). So, like I said before, I'm rewriting the first six chapters, including this one, and I probably won't update until those are finished. I'm sorry and Merry Christmas!