A/n: Soooooo…. The BIG CHAPTER! In a lot of ways! *shows of buff arms* I mean, I've been writing nonstop for DAYS! - editing and editing and EDITING - before I could post it, so I had to get buff, right? *flexes* Hmmm, not quite Katsuki/Izuku-buff, but at least as good as Uraraka! XD

All jokes aside, intense stuff in this one. From one thing to the next. Oh, yeah!

WARNING: A smutty scene starts us off, so if you don't like, skip to the second section.

Also, I just wanna warn you that this chapter got so ENORMOUS because there were a lot more speeches than I anticipated. So be prepared for that. Hopefully it's not annoying and you're not going BLAH BLAH BLAH in your head when you read it. *cringes* I hate when that happens.

ALSO! I was going to cut the chapter in half…. *breaks out in a cold sweat*…. but I got really afraid for my life. I'm pretty sure at least one of you guys would have killed me for a cliffhanger.

So. *flexes buff arms again* Without further ado…

Shit's about to go DOWN!

…

Things Get Real

Day Nine Morning:

Katsuki woke to Izuku's alarm and was instantly alert. It was pitch-black outside, still a few hours from dawn, but that's exactly what he needed. He hadn't been able to claim his prize yesterday because of all the extras hanging about, but they were the only ones up this early. They could finally be fucking alone.

Katsuki grabbed his aching dick and squeezed painfully tight as he watched Izuku's silhouette move through the dark room. Katsuki waited until his breathing steadied and his dick calmed the fuck down before stalking silently after his boyfriend.

He ambushed Izuku in the bathroom. Izu had already brushed his teeth, so when Katsuki yanked him into a deep kiss, his mouth was flooded with the sharp taste of mint. Izuku made a little yip sound, and Katsuki pressed him even harder against the sink.

"K-Kacchan…" Izuku stuttered, face red.

Katsuki gave him a slow smile. "I'm taking my prize." He pressed up against Izuku again. His mouth just barely touching Izuku's lips as he taunted, "I thought you wouldn't deny me, Izu."

Izuku shivered, his pupils expanding. "But… what about the others? We could get caught."

Katsuki snorted and pulled Izuku out of the bathroom by his wrist."No one's up, Deku. It's four in the fucking morning."

His blood was pumping and his cock was rock hard. He didn't give a flying fuck about anyone else. He wanted his fucking prize, and Izuku was going to give it to him. And as much as Izuku complained, he wasn't resisting. He let Katsuki pull him into the locker room and strip him.

Katsuki hummed his approval as he chased Izuku's blush down his boyfriend's throat and collarbones with his tongue. Then he pulled Izu into the hot spring. "If someone walks in, I'll fucking pretend to be giving you a fucking massage. How's that?" he asked, breathless.

He turned Izuku around so the teen had his back to Katsuki's chest and pushed him forward so he was kneeling on the seat. Heart thundering, practically fucking aching for this shit, Katsuki put his mouth right by Izuku's ear. "Hold on tight, Izu."

"Kacchan!" Izuku yelped as Katsuki slid his dick between Izuku's thighs. He scrambled to grab the edge of the pool.

"Close your legs, nerd," Katsuki ordered, heart pounding in his throat.

Trembling, eyes blown wide in shock, Izuku obeyed and closed his thighs tight around Katsuki's cock.

Katsuki hissed, his hips flexing in pleasure. The water was slick and hot, rising halfway up their chests. Izuku's thighs were deliciously hard. Plastering his chest to Izuku's back, Katsuki looked over the shorter teen's shoulder and could just see the tip of his cock head pressing out between the crack in Izuku's muscled thighs. He could also see Izuku's dick stiff against the teen's six-pack abs.

"Fuck, yeah. Look at that," Katsuki gasped, excited. "Shit. I should fucking take a picture."

"Kacchan!" Izuku squeaked, shocked.

"So fucking hot, Deku. Keep crying my name." Katsuki growled and bit softly along the slope of Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku fucking gasped and flung his head back to rest on Katsuki's shoulder, exposing his throat and flushed face, dewy with sweat from the heat of the water.

Katsuki pulled his hips back and thrust forward. It wasn't the same as the lube Izuku bought, not as slippery, but it was good enough to drag his dick in and out, pleasure singing along his nerves. The water made him move slower than he wanted. He wanted to slam forward. Instead he had to roll his hips more than thrust them, but, fuck, the frustration added a surprisingly delicious edge to the tension.

"Wanna slam into you. Wanna pink your ass with my hips. Wanna make you work to hold yourself upright," Katsuki growled into Izuku's ear.

His breathing sped up as he felt Izuku twitch, felt him pushing back against his hips, felt him extend his head even further in submission. Fuck, he loved how fucking easy Izuku was.

"Bet I could make you cum like this. Without even touching your cock. Fuck, look at it. Bouncing. Turning all pink in the water. Fucking love your cock all flushed like that. So fucking pretty. Makes me think of your fucking mouth after you suck me off. Swollen and wet and such a fucking pretty pink. Fuck, Izu," Katsuki growled and ran his teeth up Izuku's throat before nipping at his jaw. "I'm fucking close."

"K-Kacchan…" Izuku gasped. "Kacchan…"

"Fuuuuck," Katsuki moaned, eyes rolling.

He was so close his balls fucking ached with it, but he couldn't get there. There wasn't enough friction. His thighs flexed and he heaved Izuku up over the lip of the pool, his ass lifted out of the water but thighs still submerged. Izuku gave a cry, before shoving his fingers in his mouth to muffle any noise he made. His cheek was pressed flat to the floor, his hair splayed around his head and sticking to his forehead. He was fucking gorgeous!

Katsuki held him in place with a hand in the center of his back. His hips snapped forward hardinto the heat of the water and tightness of Izuku's thighs. SLAP!Izuku gasped, his ass lifting higher as Katsuki rocked his body forward. Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

"Fuck yeah. Fuck, Izuku. Look so pretty. Feel so fucking good." Katsuki was right there, right on the fucking edge. His hips beat at Izuku's ass. Already the skin was turning pink. "Pink as your fucking cock," he babbled. SLAP!SLAP!SLAP!"Let's make em blush. Blush fucking red. Oh fuck yeah Izu fuck you're so good to me so fucking perfect."

And Izuku agave a low, wrecked cry. His body undulated under Katsuki's as the fucking nerd blew his load in less than five minutes. Without Katsuki touching his dick once. Grinning wildly, triumph and victory practically howling in his chest, Katsuki completely lost it.

"So… Fucking… Easy! KNEES!" he barked as Izuku's body went limp and loose.

Whining, shuddering, Izuku pressed his knees together, closing his thighs tight around Katsuki's throbbing cock once more. Tears drenched his face. A sob slipped free. Helplessly, Izuku canted his hips up, trying to get his dick off the stone floor, oversensitive and raw. "K-Kacch-chan…" he sobbed, clawing at the ground.

Katsuki fucking growled, completely out of control and so fucking turned on it HURT! He pressed Izuku down harder and slammed his hips against Izuku's limp body. SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP! Izuku gave a choked cry, sobbing as he lay splayed out on the stone floor. Katsuki growled, panting hard, sweat dripping off his face and down his chest.

"Fucking feel it, Izu? Fucking feel me?" SlapSlapSlapSlapSlap!

"Yes!" Izuku sobbed helplessly, eyes wide and soft and fucking GONE. "Katsuki!"

At the broken cry of his given name, Katsuki's back arched sharply. The orgasm hit him hard! Stole his breath, shorted out his vision, rang in his ears like fucking bells. He jerked and spasmed as lightning surging beneath his skin, burning him alive, until he fucking melted, vibrating down to his bones.

He slid off Izuku's shaking body into the warm embrace of the spring. "Fuck, so good," he groaned, grinning stupidly, eyes lidded, body languid. Sparks and heat curled and stretched through his nerves as he slowly came down.

Izuku, still crying softly, began to slide back into the pool, but Katsuki surged forward and put a hand on his heated ass. "Not yet," he said softly. He ran his thumb over the tender, red skin. Fuck, he could feel the heat against his palms.

"Kacchan," Izuku whimpered, but he stayed still, limp and pliant, trembling, and fuck Katsuki loved him like this.

Katsuki stroked the heated skin tenderly. "I really do wanna take a picture."

"Kacchan, noooo," Izuku whined, wiggling. He looked over his shoulder, face flushed from orgasm and tear-streaked. He was a beautiful fucking mess.

"I know, I know," Katsuki panted breathlessly, palming Izu's red ass. "I won't," he promised. "Just want to."

Izuku pressed back against his palms. "Kacchan…" he mewled, and fuck if that sound didn't make Katsuki's dick throb.

Katsuki bent forward to lick a path up Izuku's red ass cheek, enjoying the heat against his tongue. "Maybe next time," he said with a teasing nip and finally let Izuku go.

Izuku sank into the water with a breathy gasp, tears still falling from dazed emerald eyes. "Ka-chan," he called, needy, breath hitching.

Katsuki grinned, flashing his teeth, and pulled Izuku sideways into his lap, wrapping him in his strong arms. "Keep saying my name, Deku," he purred and kissed him, thrusting his tongue into Izuku's willing mouth. When they broke apart, Izuku whispered a soft, breathless little, "Katsuki."

Izuku said his name like a prayer, like the way he said, 'I love you', and a sudden sting of tears burned Katsuki's eyes. He answered with his own brand of 'I love you', his lips drawing Izuku's into a slow, sweet kiss as he cradled Izuku to his chest.

…

Day Nine Evening:

"Fuck. It almost makes me wish I'd been assigned to Tiger," Awase said as he eyed Shishida. "You and Midoriya are ripped. And even Shinso's getting a six-pack!"

They were in the locker room after another brutal day of training. Ragdoll had scanned them with her eyes and ordered them to relax in the hot spring until dinner. Izuku pulled his towel higher around his waist, but it was undeniable that his body had become all hard lines and rounded muscle. He didn't look like a bodybuilder like Sato or Shoji, but there wasn't an ounce of fat left on him. Well, except for his face. He still had a round baby face.

"Trust me," he groaned as he sank into the hot water. "You don't wish you were assigned to Tiger."

"How many times have you passed out now?" Hitoshi asked quietly as he sat next to him.

"Lost count," Izuku admitted. "You?"

"Four," Hitoshi admitted, his purple hair hanging heavy around his head, damp with sweat.

Kacchan snorted. He purposefully jostled Izuku as he sat next to him, making Izuku groan in pain. "The trick will be keeping the muscle once we leave," he said with a grin. "We'll have to hit the gym fucking hard once we're home."

"Your arms are badass, Bakugo. Especially your shoulders," Kirishima complimented from the showers. "Let's arm wrestle later!"

"Anytime you feel like losing, bring it on, Red," Kacchan called back.

Izuku chuckled and closed his eyes, letting the conversation of the boys drift around him.

Sero: "Looking pretty buff there, yourself, Iida. Look at those legs!" A laugh. "All that running's paying off."

Iida: "Our bodies are instruments. It is our responsibility to hone and train them as much as we are able."

Tetsutetsu: "We're going to ace that exam!"

Kirishima: "We'll get an A+ for manliness!"

Tokoyami, tone dry: "I do not believe manliness is a qualification."

A gasp of horror that was totally Kirishima: "It's the most important qualification there is to being a hero!"

Todoroki: "I think the girls would disagree."

Kirishima: "Girls can be manly, too!"

Awase: "I like the ones who aren't. Like Yaoyorozu. Mmm, those boobs."

Izuku cracked his eyes open again, nervous with the direction the conversation had turned. By this point, most of the boy were in the hot spring. There were twenty-eight of them in all, so they had to sit practically shoulder-to-shoulder to fit, and that was with Kaminari and Honenuki floating in the center.

"Those are our colleagues!" Iida exclaimed, and Izuku wanted to hug him.

"Come on," Awase groaned. "I'm not being disrespectful. They're fucking badass, but that doesn't mean I can't admire their bodies in the presence of my friends, right?"

"I notice you never bring up the girls in your class," Iida retorted. "I would ask that you afford our female classmates the same respect."

Awase rolled his eyes. "You're never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"It's not a good idea to date another hero," Hitoshi offered, and Izuku shot him a questioning look. Hitoshi still held himself back from the others a lot, so choosing to enter this conversation out of all of them was surprising. "A hero's work is never done, so you wouldn't have a lot of time to spend together."

Tsuburaba grinned. "Which is why most heroes don't do serious relationships and just hook up casually with other heroes."

"Which is also why you should be paying attention to the hot babes in your class," Awase agreed and high-fived Tsuburaba.

"If you have this much energy to be fucking stupid, go run around or something," Kacchan growled. "I'm trying to relax here."

"Come on. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it," Awase jeered. "Who'd you want to mess around with if you could?"

Izuku's eyes went wide as ruby red eyes slid over to him. Izuku's heart stuttered in his chest as Kacchan gave a slow, wicked smile. Just five feet away was the spot Kacchan had totally destroyed him that morning.

Izuku stood up so fast he created a small wave, and everyone cried out complaints. "Sorry! I'm feeling dizzy! I'm getting out," he squeaked.

"Your face is red," Iida informed him. "You are overheated. Take a cool shower."

"Y-Yeah," Izuku stammered and forced his sore limbs to climb out of the hot water. "I'll do that."

"Man, if I had a dollar for every time your class president fainted, I could buy a new phone!" someone said behind him and several laughs rang out.

Izuku sat on the low stool placed in the shower stall and bit his lip as he turned on the water. Movement out of the corner of his eye had him turning to see Kacchan leaning against the partition. The stalls didn't have doors, so Kacchan was able to walk in easily. Izuku's eyes went wide in panic. Anyone could walk by! The other boys were less than twenty feet away, sitting in the hot spring!

"Shhh," Kacchan said so softly it almost blended in with the hiss of the falling water. "I'm not gonna do anything." He reached forward and slid his hand along Izuku's jaw to the back of his neck, applying a gentle pressure. "This really bothers you, huh?"

Izuku couldn't deny it. His heart was still racing and he felt jumpy as hell. His eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not gonna do anything you don't want, Izu," Kacchan promised, staring into Izuku's eyes seriously. "I don't care about those fucks. You want this secret, I'll keep it secret." He stepped closer. "But I'm not ashamed of this. You're fucking sexy as hell, and you make me feel fucking fantastic. I'd make out with you in front of all those extras and be proud to do it." A sharp, fearless grin. "Show them how it's fucking done right."

Tears rolled down Izuku's cheeks. He pulled Kacchan in and pressed his face against the blond's hard stomach. "I'm not ashamed. I just… I don't want anyone to treat us differently, and I don't want you to get any more heat, you know?" He felt Kacchan tense in his arms, and Izuku looked up quickly, eyes wet and imploring. "I know you don't care what anyone thinks. I know that, but I do care, Kacchan. They're just starting to see how incredible you really are. I don't want to ruin that. I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm not ready, Kacchan. But it's not because I'm ashamed or I don't love you! I love you so, so much. There's never a moment when I'm not grateful to have you as my boyfriend! You're the most amazing, the most incredible…"

"Shut up, Deku," Kacchan growled, a fond smile softening his expression. "You're fucking rambling again. I'm not mad at you, nerd." He crouched down so they were eye level and held Izuku's face in his hands. "I told you. I won't do anything you don't want. I don't care one way or another if people know. I really don't. I just wanted you to know I'll fucking own this shit proudly once you're ready for it to come out."

Izuku closed his eyes, his chest painfully tight. "I don't deserve you."

"No one fucking deserves me. I'm the best," Kacchan said seriously. He tapped Izuku's cheek to make him open his eyes. "Don't worry about this shit, Izu. Seriously. Okay?"

Izuku gave him a smile and agreed, "Okay," but the guilt would weigh on him.

…

Day Ten Midmorning:

Katsuki was pissed at himself. He lifted his hands from the boiling water and let off a huge explosion that rocked the ground. BAAAH - BOOOOOM! A huge fireball the size of a small house punched into the air.

He hadn't meant to pressure the nerd or anything, but apparently he had. Izuku had been withdrawn and quiet since Katsuki had confronted him in the shower. Even during yoga that morning, Izuku had looked at him with these sad, green eyes. Keeping their shit secret really wasn't a big fucking deal, but it bothered Katsuki because it obviously bothered Izuku! And Katsuki didn't get it! He lifted his hands in the air, snarled, and triggered his explosive sweat. BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Maybe that's what bothered him the most. The fact he didn't understand. Izuku insisted he didn't want people to know because he was worried about Katsuki, but Katsuki had told Deku over and over that he didn't care!So what was the fucking problem? What was Katsuki missing? BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Was this about hero ratings and popularity? Because people knowing Katsuki was with Izuku wasn't going to stop him from being Number One. Nothingwas going to stop him. He was going to tear through the hero rankings like wet fucking paper! So he didn't understand Izuku's hang up about this relationship bullshit. BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Or was this because he'd lost his fucking mind yesterday? He'd hurt Izuku, made him break down into sobs, and fuck if Katsuki hadn't gotten off on it. And what the hell was that?! What the FUCK was WRONG with him?! Maybe Izuku was fucking disturbed now or some shit? Maybe he couldn't trust Katsuki anymore? Maybe Katsuki couldn't trust himself? BAAAH - BOOOOOM!

Katsuki stood panting, drenched in sweat from the summer sun, and stared at his bleeding palms. "Fuck. Shit. Motherfucker. Goddamnit!" Stomping over to where Todoroki was freezing and melting himself in turns, he called out angrily, "Half n'Half, I need some ice for my fucking hands!"

Todoroki's eyes widened and he climbed out of his barrel to come and see the damage. He made a face when he saw the bleeding blisters and made a brick-sized block of ice. Katsuki yanked his tank top off, wrapped the ice with it, and then held the block in both hands. He sat heavily on his ass, legs spread and knees bent, and glared at the ground.

"You want to talk about it?" Todoroki asked, sitting next to him.

Katsuki scowled. "Fuck. I don't know."

"Talk to me," Todoroki said softly, catching his eyes and holding his gaze evenly.

Katsuki glared. "Do you think the rest of the class should know about me and Izuku?"

Todoroki blinked and titled his head thoughtfully. "I think it's up to you."

"I don't care!" Katsuki exploded. "They can know or not know! I. Don't. Care! But Izuku is just so fucking weird about it. He wants to keep it secret, but I can tell he's fucking upset that it is. He gets so fucking petrified when everyone talks about relationships and girls, and I don't. Fucking. Get it!" he spat, teeth gritted and growling in frustration.

Todoroki looked up into the cloudless sky. "If I told my dad I was gay, he would have beat the shit out me, and that would have just been the warm up."

Katsuki stared at him with wide eyes. "The hell, Shoto?"

Todoroki lowered his head and looked at him solemnly. One eye was grey under a shock of pure white hair, the other a bright teal blue under vivid red bangs. "It's just an example of how some people will react. My dad definitely wouldn't have accepted you as an intern if he knew you were with a boy, which means you might not get offers to work as a sidekick at an agency after graduation. And without family money, you won't be able to start up your own agency because there's a chance banks won't loan to you. Coming out could potentially end your career before it even starts."

"That's fucking bullshit," Katsuki said flatly. "None of that stuff, even if it did happen - And I'm not saying it would because it's a fucking paranoid delusion - would stop me and Izuku from becoming heroes."

Todoroki ignored his denial. "It's even possible the boys in class wouldn't feel comfortable changing with you or Midoriya in the same room or sleeping in the same room. The school might not be able to accommodate separate quarters, so you might be asked not to attend things like this summer camp."

Katsuki couldn't believe what he was hearing. "The hell are you talking about? They can be as uncomfortable as they fucking want! They can't kick me out of camp or anything else!"

Todoroki looked away and stared out over the mountain-scape. "It might not happen that way," he agreed. "I'm just saying it could. I'm sure that's what Midoriya's worried about."

Katsuki stared at his friend, completely surprised. He knew people didn't like same-sex pairings, but they didn't like a bunch of shit and it didn't matter. It was frowned upon for those with physical mutations like Tokoyami with his bird head to be with non-mutant types, but it happened. Or an older person with a younger. Or a doctor with a patient. Or any number of stupid taboos, and yet shit happened and people fell in love. It didn't fucking ruin their lives!

Katsuki had seen his and Izuku's relationship as just one of those fucking taboos. That it would piss people off, but who the fuck cared what they thought? He sure as fuck didn't, but apparently he'd been wrong. If it could give the fucking extras in class the power to keep them from fucking class trips, or give a bank the power to deny them fucking loans and shit, then it wasn't just a fucking taboo.

"I have to talk to Aizawa," he muttered, upset and angry.

Todoroki stood and grabbed Katsuki by the arm, hauling him to his feet. "Just so you know…" He met Katsuki's eyes seriously. "I've got your back no matter what you decide to do."

Katsuki frowned. "Yeah. Thanks," he muttered and stomped off.

…

"Eraser." Ragdoll's voice came over his ear piece. "The explody one went too far. Hurt his hands."

Aizawa immediately headed for the tents where they stored the food and first-aid kits. He opened a kit on the table and sat, waiting. He didn't have to wait long. Katsuki came stomping up, sweaty and disheveled, his hands held away from his body. He was scowling, clearly pissed off. Aizawa sighed and gestured for Katsuki to sit next to him.

"Ragdoll told me you hurt your hands," he explained and reached for Katsuki's wrists, turning the teen's palms up to see them clearly. They were blistered and bleeding, but with the proper care, they should be healed in a day or two. "What happened?"

"If people found out about Izuku and me," Katsuki demanded, watching Aizawa's expressions intently. "Would it completely prevent us from having a hero career?"

Aizawa blinked, completely blindsided, but Katsuki was serious. The teen was staring at him, intensely focused. Aizawa thought about the question for a minute, and he wished with all his heart he had a better one to give. Sighing, he got out the antiseptic and a cotton ball and began cleaning Katsuki's hands as he spoke.

"There will be people who will say being gay makes you a bad role model for their children and that will turn them against you. A good percentage of a hero's rating is based on their popularity with the general populace, so, yes, Katsuki, it will be an obstacle to you becoming the Number One Hero."

Katsuki stared at him unblinking. "But it's not impossible to be gay and the Number One Hero?"

Aizawa sighed again. As much as he respected Katsuki's single-minded determination, it also exhausted him at times. He set aside the cotton and reached for the gauze bandages. "Not impossible, but extremely improbable. The highest a gay hero has gotten in the hero ranks was seventy-two, and that was twenty years ago. Cherry Bomb was extremely charismatic and personable. People absolutely adored him, but he never broke the top fifty. To give you some perspective, the Pussycats are ranked four hundred and eleventh."

"Because of Tiger?" Katsuki demanded, eyes narrowing into slits.

"Because of Tiger," Aizawa confirmed sadly.

Suddenly it seemed all the energy washed out of the teen sitting before him. "I don't understand," Katsuki said quietly. Red eyes peered up into his own, a lost look in them that made Aizawa's heart ache to see. "What does it matter?"

Aizawa reached forward to put a steady hand on Katsuki's slumped shoulders. "People are stupid," he said bluntly. "There's still a fear that homosexuality is contagious. That children's sexuality can be influenced, and people don't want to risk their kids getting turned gay by a popular gay hero."

Katsuki opened his mouth, a glare of outrage on his face, but Aizawa held up his hands in a peace gesture.

"I know that's not how it works, but that's what people fear. Population rates dropped when quirks started to appear. The economy all over the world ground to a halt. It was really bad, Katsuki. Women had a hard time birthing babies with quirks and a lot of them died. Between that, and the execution policies for those with quirks, and the appearance of superhuman villains going on rampages, human extinction was a real possibility. Then the Hero Public Safety Commission was founded, and order was slowly reestablished. With that came birthing incentives and intense propaganda against same-sex couples. We're still suffering the fallout of that as a society even though we've long since recovered from the World Depression."

"That was fucking eight generations ago!" Katsuki protested furiously.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing it wasn't enough. That it would never be enough.

Katsuki scowled, arms crossed as he glared out at the world. Suddenly he snapped his eyes around to Aizawa once more. "Cherry Bomb. He was fucking amazing."

"Yes," Aizawa agreed, lifting an eyebrow.

"More amazing than me?" Katsuki demanded seriously.

Aizawa stared at his ward in silence for a long moment before his lips twitched into a smile. He reached forward to ruffle the teen's ash blond hair, and for the first time, he could admit to himself that somewhere along the line he'd come to love this kid. "No. Not as amazing as you."

A grin split Katsuki's face. "That's what I fucking thought!" Cocky, the teen asked, "More amazing than Izuku?"

Aizawa sighed. All Might had shattered the ceiling when it came to popularity. No hero in the history of heroes had ever held the Number One spot for so many years or so one-sidedly. Endeavor had fluctuated between second and third before settling into second place for the last five years, but he'd never even come close to All Might's first place position. Midoriya was All Might's successor, and as much as Aizawa hated flashy heroes, he knew Midoriya had all the makings of becoming just as enormous as the previous Symbol of Peace. That is, if he didn't break under the pressure along the way.

Rolling his eyes with a grimace, Aizawa painfully said, "No. Not as amazing as Midoriya."

The admission was worth it to see the grin that lit up Katsuki's face, but then Katsuki's smile faded and he tilted his head. "If the extras did find out," the teen pressed, eyes calculating. "Could we be prevented from attending events like this camp because they're fucking uncomfortable or some shit?"

Aizawa held his eyes and promised, "Over my dead body."

Katsuki's grin returned as bright and sharp as ever, and then with a rare verbal gesture of respect, he said sincerely, "Thanks, sensei."

Aizawa nodded awkwardly, his cheeks feeling warm.

Katsuki stood, rolling his shoulders. "I'm gonna go train with Tiger."

"Don't use your hands!" Aizawa called after him and got an annoyed wave in return.

Aizawa slumped tiredly and wondered what Katsuki would decide to do. Whatever he decided, whether to keep his relationship secret or not, Aizawa would have his back. Come hell or high water, he would make sure his kid got a fair chance at his dream, no matter what strings he had to pull behind the scenes.

…

Day Eleven Evening:

Izuku sat with Kota on the mountain ledge. He'd brought the boy a bowl of stir-fry, not having seen him at dinner. He was also avoiding Kacchan. Had been for the last two days. He couldn't help it! Kacchan had given him so much. Love and care and patience and support and strength. In return, Izuku had given him so little. He felt like a disgusting worm for insisting they had to keep their relationship secret. He was just so afraid! Afraid it would ruin Kacchan's life!

Kacchan wanted to be Number One! He deservedto be Number One! Look at what he was doing with their classes! It had only been eleven days and Kacchan was pulling them together without even realizing it or trying. Kacchan was so amazing!Izuku didn't want to be the reason people turned on him or looked at him with disgust.

But at the same time, Izuku knew the discrimination was wrong. Wrong at a deep fundamental level that set Izuku's soul ablaze with rage. People had the right to love who they wanted! Izuku wanted to show the world that it was okay to be gay, but he loved Kacchan so much! Even though other kids and people out there needed a hero to stand up for them, Izuku couldn't risk Kacchan.

So that made him a bad hero anda bad boyfriend, and Izuku was left hating himself. He was pathetic and weak and a horrible person, and he couldn't face Kacchan! A small fist hit him in the shoulder. Izuku blinked rapidly and looked over to see Kota scowling at him.

"I'm sorry!" he said reflexively.

"For what? For crying?" Kota snorted. "I guess even wanna-be heroes cry."

Izuku touched his face and was surprised to feel his cheeks were wet. "Sorry," he said again.

"I used to cry," the little boy offered, hugging his knees to his chest. "About my parents. Didn't change anything, though."

"No, it doesn't," Izuku agreed sadly.

"Why are you crying?" Kota asked quietly.

"I guess because I feel bad." Izuku sighed. "I want to help people more than anything, but sometimes I feel like all I do is hurt them." Kota said nothing to that and Izuku blushed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that."

"You say sorry too much." Kota rolled his eyes. "I think… You know…" The little boy scowled cutely. "You don't hurt everyone!" he declared and ran into the cave.

Izuku stared after him, a smile softening his expression. He gathered their dishes and made his way down the mountain path only to freeze when he caught sight of Kacchan's blond hair glowing in the moonlight. Feeling defeated, he started forward again. There was no point in avoiding this if Kacchan was intent on hunting him down.

"Done running, Deku?" Kacchan growled, annoyance sharp in his voice.

Izuku winced. "I guess so." He stared at the white bandages wrapped around Kacchan's hands. He knew it was his fault Kacchan had made a mistake and got hurt, which made him suddenly angry because he hadn't meant to hurt him! He only ever wanted to protect him!

"Good." Kacchan pushed off the wall and limped forward. He'd spent all day with Tiger doing sprints up the mountain and other exercises that didn't require the use of his hands, and he was definitely still feeling it. "Because we're going to clear the fucking air."

"Fine, Kacchan!" he snapped. "What do you want to hear? That I'm a failure? That I can't do anything right? That I'm a sucky boyfriend? I'm sorry, okay?!"

"I wanted you to tell me how hard it was!" Kacchan yelled back with a scorching glare. "I wanted you to tell me that it wasn't fucking fair to put the burden of deciding everything all on you! I wanted you to tell me I didn't fucking understand how bad it was going to get if people knew we were together! I wanted you to talk to me, Izuku!"

Eyes wide, Izuku stared at the blond. That had totally not been what he'd expected Kacchan to say.

Kacchan spun around, putting distance between them as he yelled, "Fuck!" Then he spun around and marched back over. "I'm still not ashamed of us, but now's not the fucking time to mess around with the consequences of coming out." He grabbed Izuku by his shirt, putting their faces even closer together. "This is my fucking decision and my fucking career. You don't get to decide this shit all on your own, and I'm telling you right now that I don't give a flying fuck what it does to my hero rankings! Because we're not keeping this shit secret forever, Deku. It may slow me down, but it's not going to fucking stop me from being Number One, you hear me?" he demanded and shook him.

"Kacchan," Izuku gasped, pulling away. "Your hands. You shouldn't."

"And you're going to tell me right fucking now if your pissed or scared or whatever because of what happened in the hot spring!" Kacchan growled, his whole body tense. "I fucking hurt you and got off on it. Fucking tell me to my face I'm fucked up already!"

Izuku dropped the dishes and flung his arms around Kacchan's neck, catching his angry mouth in a desperate kiss. Kacchan growled and sputtered, but Izuku chased his lips until Kacchan was kissing him back, his arms coming up to wrap around him.

"You're amazing, Kacchan," he said in complete and utter awe.

"The fuck, Deku?" Kacchan glared, but he wasn't pulling away.

"I just… I love you so much!" Izuku burst into tears as everything he'd been feeling exploded out of him. "I couldn't stand the thought of ruining your hero career! You're so amazing, Kacchan! So, so amazing, and I didn't want to get in the way of that, but I hate the prejudice against gay relationships! I hateit! Even if I wasn't with you, I'd hate it! I felt so bad because I could potentially help so many people, but I couldn't risk you! You're the one thing I can't ever sacrifice, and I just felt so helpless, and you just come swooping in and yell at me and fix everything like you always do." Izuku laughed tearfully. "I just… You're just… So amazing! I don't know how anyone can be as amazing as you, Kacchan!"

"Alright. I get it. I'm fucking amazing," Kacchan grumbled. Even in the dark Izuku could see he was blushing. "But you haven't said shit about what happened in the hot spring."

"Kacchan, in the hot spring…" Izuku bent forward, putting his forehead against Kacchan's sternum. He could feel the steady beat of Kacchan's heart and it soothed his nerves. "I… I always feel anxious. I feel like I have to help people, that a lot of stuff depends on me. There's nothing else I want more than to be a hero and stand at your side, but sometimes… Sometimes, I feel trapped by this huge responsibility. I feel smothered. In the hot spring… I felt free in a way I never feel…"

Izuku stood and looked into Kacchan's eyes. His cheeks were on fire, but he needed Kacchan to understand. "I felt like… I could just… I could let go… I felt like you had me in this really intense way… Like you had complete control over me and the world, and it was so overwhelming but really amazing at the same time… Like nothing could ever go wrong or be wrong because you're everything in that moment, and all I have to do is let go, and it felt so good to be able to let go, Kacchan."

Kacchan was frowning at him, his eyebrows beetled down

"It's like I can't do anything wrong," Izuku babbled, desperate for his love to understand. "There's no pressure. It's just you and me. And it hurts, I guess. I mean, I have bruises on my hips and everything, but… But it's so much more real, and it only makes it feel even better." He smiled nervously. "I don't want it like that all the time or anything, but sometimes… Sometimes it's really, really good, and I really, really loved what we did in the hot spring. It was really, really amazing, which is why I got so upset because I thought you wanted to tell everyone, and I was being a bad boyfriend by keeping it secret, but I was scared about your career, and I just…"

"Okay, enough." Kacchan grabbed his flailing hands. "I get that you liked it." His hands tightened around Izuku's and Izuku stilled, knowing whatever Kacchan was going to say next was important. "I'm… I'm not sure I liked what came out of me in the hot spring. It felt really good to… to make you cry like that. I don't ever want to hurt you. Or like hurting you."

Izuku pulled his hands away and wrapped Kacchan in a tight hug. "I'm sorry. We don't have to do anything you don't like, Kacchan, but you didn't hurt me. Not like what you're implying. I was just overwhelmed. I was letting go. It felt good to cry. To be made to cry like that. I felt so much lighter afterwards. And maybe that's what you liked."

Kacchan pulled away and shook his head. "I'll think about it."

Izuku caught his wrist, being careful not to grab his injured hand. "I know what it feels like to be raped," he said firmly. Kacchan's head whipped around to stare at him, eyes wide. "I know what it feels like to be beaten and tortured." He stared into Kacchan's eyes fiercely. "What happened in the hot spring was so far from that as to not be on the same fucking planet. You didn'thurt me. You would neverhurt me. Don't for a second think you have something evil inside you because you don't. If I told you to stop or I didn't like it, you would have flung yourself out of the hot spring as if I were on fucking fire and you know it."

"Damn, Deku," Kacchan breathed, impressed.

Izuku hugged him again. "We don't have to do anything like again if you don't want, but you're not allowed to think you did something wrong because you enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, too, and it wasn't bad!"

"Alright, alright," Kacchan grumbled. "Enough, geez."

Izuku smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Kacchan."

Kacchan pushed him away, growling. "Love you, too," he muttered, clearly embarrassed. "Now get your fucking dishes before a hungry bear comes or some shit."

Izuku grinned at him, feeling suddenly playful. "Are you scared of bears, Kacchan?" he teased.

The blond immediately scowled. "I'd fucking kill any bear that comes at me, Deku."

Izuku laughed. "It's okay to be scared. I'll protect you."

"I WOULD FUCKING KILL A FUCKING BEAR!" Kacchan screamed, which only made Izuku laugh harder.

…

Katsuki was sore as fuck and still a little angry that Izuku had been ignoring him, but mostly he just felt relieved they weren't fighting and Izuku wasn't scared of him or some shit. Hearing Izuku laugh, even if it was at him, made the tension strung through his core finally unravel. But then the nerd's laugh cut off abruptly and Izuku went still. Katsuki reflexively mirrored him, whole body tensing, which fucking hurt like hell!

"What?" he hissed, and if Izuku was messing with him, Katsuki really would punch him in the face.

"I thought I heard a scream."

Katsuki relaxed with a pained groan. "It's just the fucking extras," he said irritably and rolled his shoulders. "They're doing some stupid fucking test of courage or some shit. Pixie-Bob suggested it since we have a rest day tomorrow and can sleep in." But then Katsuki heard it, too, just barely. High-pitched and above them?

Izuku's eyes widened. "Kota!"

"Shit!" Katsuki spat as Izuku disappeared in a streak of green energy. He charged up the path after the idiot, his legs screaming in protest.

…

Izuku sprinted around the curve of the mountain and saw Kota hanging by his arm from a cloaked man's hand. The little boy's face was twisted with terror and pain, his tiny arm clearly broken.

Izuku leapt into the air and came down hard with his elbow on the man's wrist. The massive hand spasmed open, and Izuku caught Kota as the boy dropped, all before the man had a chance to react. Kota was shaking, face pale and eyes wide, clearly in shock. He practically clung to Izuku's leg with his good arm.

"I've got you," he promised. "I won't let him hurt you again."

The villain stared at his hand. He opened and closed it a few times and laughed. "You're fast," he rumbled, amused. "I'll give you that."

As the villain walked slowly forward, Izuku gently pushed Kota toward the cave. He knew there had to be a secret exit inside. Izuku just had to keep the villain busy long enough to let the him escape. "Go, Kota."

"Hey!" the man said with a low, creepy laugh. "I recognize you! You're on my To Kill list!"

The villain flung off his cloak. He had a weird metal piece around one eye and was grinning manically. Izuku shuddered. He'd seen that look on a hundred faces in his visions. The look of a killer who was going to enjoy their kill.

"I'll make sure to torment you thoroughly, so… SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"

Izuku barely had time to widen his eyes as suddenly the villain was in his face. One For All was still running through him in Full Cowling, and that was the only thing that saved his life as a massive fist slammed into his gut and flung him twenty feet into the side of the mountain. Kota screamed, and Izuku dragged his head up to see if the villain was hurting him, but the boy was just scared.

The villain came toward him, laughing he was so happy. "I almost forgot. Do you know where I can find Explosion and Brainwash? The little brat was just about to tell me. I still have a job to do, after all."

But before Izuku could even answer, the villain was flying at him almost faster than the eye could see. Izuku leapt to the right, even further from Kota. There was a huge crack as the side of the mountain crumbled and broke under the villain's massive fist.

"Are you supposed to kill them, too?" Izuku demanded furiously.

"No. Those two I'm supposed to bring back," and the villain rushed forward with a massive kick.

Izuku ran forward and slid right under the man's leg. He came back up on his feet, hands raised to defend himself.

"Since you're not talking, does that mean you don't know?" the villain asked with a grin as he slowly walked toward him. "You don't, right?" he asked eagerly, eyes wide and manic. "So I can kill you, right?" A bunch of muscle fibers exploded out of his skin, tripling the size of his body. Not good. Really not good. "Let's play, Strongest Man. SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"

He rushed Izuku again, even faster than before. Izuku hadn't expected it and was clipped in the side with a kick. He hit the mountain hard enough to bounce. The wind got knocked from his lungs, but he didn't even pause before rolling sideways.

The stone cracked underneath the massive boot that stomped down where Izuku had been. It would have broken his back easy had it landed! Izuku faced the villain, panting and bruised, his eyes hard with determination. The villain was laughing, like he was having the best time in the world.

"What'd you say earlier? That you'd definitely save him?" he demanded, words coming quick with his excitement. "Well, I'm going to smash his head in like a watermelon, all that juicy pink pulp." He licked his lips like a dog. "Unless you stop me, hero! So why are you running away, huh, hero?" he spread his bulky arms wide "I'm right here! PLAY WITH ME OR I'LL KILL HIM RIGHT NOW!"

"Kota! Get inside the cave!" Izuku screamed as he shot forward.

He faked a punch. The villain blocked with his muscled arms, but at the last minute, Izuku twisted his body hard, flipping backward and sending his foot flying up under the block, right into the villain's exposed chin! The villain's head snapped back, his feet lifting off the ground as he went flying.

Izuku landed, one hand pressed to the ground in front of him for balance, and watched as the villain went flying right toward a waiting Kacchan. Kacchan lifted his hand, a snarl twisting his features, and… BAAAH - BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Izuku went tumbling and almost slid right off the ledge! Light blinded him as the world shook around him. Rocks and dirt rained down the mountain. Smoke and dust choked him. Izuku lifted his head from where he lay on his stomach. His legs up to the knees were actually dangling off the edge! He looked for Kota and saw the boy huddled against the wall of the cave as huge chunks of rocks rained down on the ledge. Kota was covered in dust, but he looked okay. The cave was protecting him from the falling rocks.

Izuku's eyes snapped over to the villain, heart pounding, but the man was down and out in a crumpled heap against the side of the mountain. Above him was a scorched crater of spiderwebs almost a foot deep.

The villain had been flung so hard into the mountain, he'd left a splatter of blood from where his head had cracked open against the stone. His exposed muscle fibers had been torn brutally away, leaving bleeding, smoking ends and burnt skin underneath. He wasn't moving. In fact, from the amount of blood gushing from his head wound, Izuku suspected he was in critical condition.

Kacchan? Izuku looked, but he couldn't see him! The blast must have knocked him back down the path! Izuku scrambled to his feet. "Kota! Kota, come on!" he yelled, desperate to get to Kacchan.

"I-Is he d-dead?" came a soft, broken whisper as the boy walked unsteadily toward him. His arm was horrifically broken, hanging at strange angles and already turning a dark purple.

"No, he's alive," Izuku answered honestly, hoping the little boy hadn't realized he was actually watching the villain die.

"I w-wish you k-killed him!" Kota wailed. "He k-kiled my p-parents! He's th-the one! He k-killed th-them!"

Izuku felt chilled to the bone at hearing that, and he lifted him into his arms, holding his head against his shoulder. "It's okay, Kota. It's over. He's never going to hurt anyone again," he promised, soothing the boy as he ran quickly down the path.

There! Kacchan's hand! Izuku set Kota down and ran forward, grabbing Kacchan by the arm to haul him up. Kacchan was coughing and cursing, his right hand red and cracked, black around the edges.Shit!

"Is…" Kacchan coughed as he knelt on his knees, trying to get his breath back. "Is he dead?" he rasped, eyes wide, and Izuku knew that Kacchan had forgotten about his bandage. The bandage that had been absorbing his sweat for hours.

"Alive," Izuku told him, heart aching. What would happen if the villain died? Tsukauchi made it clear Kacchan would be in trouble if he were caught up in violent acts again, even against villains.

Izuku looked up and his eyes went wide. There was a blue glow in the forest! He could see sparks and smoke, and to the other side there was some kind of pink haze? Izuku felt his heart begin to race. This wasn't over! There were other villains out there! His stomach clenched in fear. Hitoshi was in danger!

"We need to move fast. Look!" He bumped Kacchan's shoulder to get the blond to look behind him. "There are other villains, and if all the villains are as strong as that one, then everyone is in serious danger! That guy said they're here to capture you and Hitoshi, but he was really eager to kill anyone else in his way. We have to warn everyone!"

"Pixie-Bob and the others are in the clearing where we train," Kacchan rasped. "Aizawa took the extras who failed the exam to the cabin to study or some shit. He didn't think they'd earned the right to play."

Izuku's stomach dropped, but he knew what he had to do. "Take Kota back to the cabin. I'm going to sprint to the clearing and get the word out." He glared at Kacchan when his boyfriend opened his mouth to furiously protest. "You're hurt, Kacchan! You're not supposed to use your hands yet! Kota needs to get somewhere safe. I'm trusting that you'll make that happen."

Izuku grabbed the back of Kacchan's coarse blond hair in a desperate grip as he pressed their foreheads together. "They're after you as well as Hitoshi," he said roughly, terror making his voice thick. "Promise me you'll be okay if we split up. Promise, Kacchan!"

Kacchan pushed Izuku away with fierce scowl. "I'd like to see them fucking try to capture me! You're the one who needs to be fucking careful, idiot!"

"I will be," Izuku promised seriously. "I swear it."

"Then fucking go already," Kacchan snarled.

Izuku nodded and gently touched Kota's head. "Kacchan won't let anything bad happen to you. You're safe now," he said softly. Then he looked into Kacchan's glaring eyes one last time before sprinting away.

…

As soon as Aizawa stepped outside the cabin to go after his students, a hand appeared right by his head. A rush of blue, searingly hot flames. Aizawa pulled himself out of the path of the deadly attack by his capture scarf. He landed on the first-floor roof. Thin, tall, early twenties, male; the villain lifted his hand again, but it was too late, Aizawa had his sights on him.

"Nothing's going to come out," he said grimly as he lashed his capture scarf forward, wrapping the villain up. He leapt down, landing on the villain and pinning him face first to the ground. He had one hand planted on the back of the villain's head, the other hand tight around the villain's forearm. "Tell me your purpose, numbers, and positions!" he barked.

"Why?" the raspy voice of the villain asked calmly.

"Because otherwise thiswill happen," Aizawa said mercilessly. With a twist, the villain's wrist bones snapped under his hand. The villain arched in pain, but he didn't scream. "I'll break your other arm next," Aizawa promised coldly. "Then your legs. Eventually you'll tell me what I want to know, so you might as well save yourself some pain and tell me now."

"Are you in a hurry, Eraser?" the villain asked, a smile in his voice.

Aizawa grabbed the villains other arm and snapped that wrist, too.

The villain tensed and gasped under him.

A rumble from a huge explosion sounded in the distance. Aizawa looked up, heart in his throat, but before he could take off after the source of that sound, Iida, Ojiro, and Koda came running out the woods, clearly terrified.

While he was distracted by his students, the hero swung his broken arm trailing deadly blue fire and knocked him off his back before scrambling to his feet. Aizawa kept his eyes on him, making sure he couldn't activate his devastating fire quirk.

"As expected of a UA teacher," the villain said with a lazy smile, broken arms dangling loosely at his side. Aizawa lashed his capture scarf forward to capture him, but the villain's body went liquid, dissolving into mud. As he disappeared, the villain's mocking voice asked, "Hey, hero, are your students important to you?"

"Sensei!" Iida yelled, running up to him. "What's going on?"

"Get inside and don't come out until you get the all clear! I'll be right back!" Aizawa barked at them and took off in the direction of the explosion from earlier.

…

Katsuki ran with the brat clinging to his back like a koala. The forest was dark, the smell of smoke thick in the air making his lungs burn. Twigs and branches hit him in the face, but he couldn't slow. The brat was crying softly, wetting his shoulder with snot and tears.

Fuck! Had he killed that villain?! Shit, fuck, damn it all to hell! He'd forgotten about his fucking bandage! Hadn't took into consideration the fucking sweat that had been accumulating over the last several hours in the cotton! FUCK! And now his right hand was fucking toast, the pain incredible! And Izuku had run off on his fucking own!

"Katsuki!"

He came to a skidding stop as Aizawa sprinted out of the gloom. "I have Kota!"

Aizawa grabbed his shoulder, breathing hard. "Where's Midoriya?"

"The clearing," Katsuki reported quickly. "We took out a villain on the mountain. He tried to kill Deku and Kota. He said they're after me and Braindead."

Aizawa looked grim at the news. "Take Kota back to the cabin. Help Vlad defend it! I'll be back as soon as I gather everyone else!"

Katsuki bit back a scream of frustration. He didn't have time to argue! The faster Aizawa got to Izuku, the safer Izu would be. "Fucking fine," he snarled and took off. "YOU BETTER NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THAT STUPID DEKU!" he screamed.

…

Izuku gave a grunt of effort as he leapt up and came down on top of an alligator-humanoid villain. With both feet extended before him, he stomped down on the ridiculous sword, which was made up of a bunch of swords all tied together. The leather bindings snapped and the swords went flying to the ground.

Izuku landed and rolled, coming up with his hands raised in a boxing style. "Mandalay! You have to warn everyone! They're after Primus and Socrates!" he yelled at the woman as she stared at him in surprise. "The students are the targets! You have to tell them they can defend themselves and not just run away!"

Tiger was faced off with a guy dressed as if he were going to the mall: white t-shirt, orange button down shirt left open, shorts, sunglasses. It was bizarre. Tiger leapt away from the villain to scream at his partner. "Do it, Mandalay!"

Mandalay nodded and put her fingers to her temple. The alligator villain rushed her, but Izuku slid between them and delivered a round-house kick that knocked the villain hard into a tree. That's when Izuku noticed Pixie-Bob, looking small and fragile, collapsed on the ground, blood pooling under her head.

"ATTENTION STUDENTS! THE PRO-HEROES ARE GRANTING YOU PERMISSION TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT! BE ADVISED, ONE OF THEIR OBJECTIVES IS TO CAPTURE PRIMUS AND SOCRATES! PROTECT EACH OTHER AND RETURN TO THE CABIN AS SOON AS YOU CAN! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

"Kota?" she yelled as soon as she was finished.

"Primus is taking him to the cabin!" Izuku answered, panting. "Where's Socrates?"

"He was paired with IcyHot!" she answered. "He should be around the halfway point of the course! Ragdoll is there!"

Izuku took off running. The villain in the mall clothes got in his way, but strangely the alligator villain shoved him to the side.

"No, Big Sis Mag!"

"Spinner, what are you doing?! He's on the Kill List!"

"Shigaraki's list!" Spinner snapped. "Stain deemed him worthy! We can't hurt him!"

Then Izuku was past them. "Shigaraki?! Stain? The League of Villains! What do they want with Kachhan and Hitoshi?" he babbled nervously, heart racing.

Gut tight with fear, he blurred through the woods, streaking toward the furthest point of the course. He had to find his friend, fast! Please be safe, Kacchan, he thought fervently as he sprinted through the dark. Please…

…

Katsuki slammed through the cabin door and marched into the cafeteria. Vlad immediately took Kota from him and laid the crying boy on one of the tables.

"Oh my god, he's hurt!" Pinky cried and hurried to get the first aid kit.

There were only nine students in the room, ten counting Katsuki. There were forty fucking students at camp. Holy shit, that meant only a quarter of the students had made it back so far. Deku was right as fucking usual. There must be really fucking badass villains out there if they were keeping 1-A pinned, and Katsuki was fucking hiding inside the cabin! But, fuck, it looked like he was fucking needed here! These idiots were just standing around!

"Bakugo!" Kirishima and Kaminari cried, almost at the same time. They rushed up to him. Kirishima actually grabbed his wrist and yanked up his hand. "Your hand!"

Katsuki yanked his hand away and snarled. "You losers know what's happening right? We're under attack! Where the hell are your defenses?"

Vlad King walked up. He was in his hero costume. Mostly a blood red with some black accents. He also wore a metal belt, gauntlets, and boots and had some kind of tank on his back. "Do not fear. I'll protect us."

"I stormed right in here!" Katsuki argued, completely unimpressed. "Red! Pikachu! Help me barricade the entrance to the cafeteria! Any of you losers with surveillance ability, keep an eye out. It's not just the fucking extras who are heading this way!" But of course, just his fucking luck, there was no Ears, or Ponytail, or Arms, or any of the ones with the ability to fucking monitor a situation.

"That is unnecessary," Vlad drawled, but he was distracted as Glasses started giving him a speech about safety and harmless precautions or some shit.

Katsuki didn't care what Glasses was saying, only that it was allowing him to do what he had to do.

Kirishima and Kaminari grabbed one of the tables and tipped it over in the doorway. That asshole Monoma was useful for once and carried over heavy crates filled with canned goods with Sugar boy or whatever the hell the body builder in class called himself. Tape-boy helped, too, by taping everything together to make it more solid. When they were finished, Pinky and Tail were still fussing over the brat, wrapping the boy's arm and giving him some water and painkillers.

"Come on, man," Kirishima said and tugged him toward the first aid table. "Let me clean that up at least. You never know when we're going to fight again."

Katsuki made a "tch" sound, but he allowed himself to be pulled forward.

The sound of the cabin door opening and shutting on the other side of the barrier sounded.

"Did someone else make it back?" Kaminari asked excitedly.

Katsuki grabbed the back of his shirt protectively just as blue flames exploded inward. The heat was intense. As hot or hotter than any blast he'd made. The table and crates fucking turned to ash in seconds. The cans turned black and warped into half melted puddles. The smell was horrible as the room filled with smoke. The extras were screaming. Vlad and Glasses who'd been standing closest to the doorway were knocked on their asses, their fucking clothes on fire!

A villain with fucking burn scars on the lower half of his face and under his eyes stepped into the room. He had dark hair and vivid teal-colored eyes. He gave a smile as he locked eyes with Katsuki. Katsuki snarled, his good hand popping warningly. "Look what I found," the man drawled.

"You're too slow!" Vlad grabbed the villain by the head and slammed him into the reinforced wall of the cafeteria so hard it left a fucking crater! Blood poured out of his gauntlets, covered the villain's torso, and hardened into something that resembled stone. He'd used his blood to put out the fires on his uniform and Glasses's shirt, but they'd been left with nasty burns.

"Blood Control… It's so strong," Kirishima said, awed.

"As expected of our Vlad-sensei!" the copy asshole said excitedly.

"You're pushing hard into a place like this without thinking?" Vlad said in a completely different voice. It was hard and unrelenting. It was the voice of a hero. "You're really underestimating us."

The villain smirked. "And why wouldn't we? You've already lost. The pinnacle of hero education, UA. And the Symbol of Peace, All Might. The two most trusted figures of hero society, gathered together. If multiple incidents keep putting that trust into question, then don't you think that will shake society as a whole? No one's going to believe in you when you were so weak as to allow two students to be stolen away by a criminal group."

As Katsuki's mind raced through the implications of what this bastard was saying, and they were really bad implications, Kirishima, Kaminari, and fucking Glasses suddenly stepped in front of him.

"Bastard," Kirishima said, voice low and angry. "Are you saying we're going to let…"

"Bakugo be kidnapped by you?" Glasses demanded sharply, his legs rumbling with his quirk on idle.

"Stop messing around!" Kaminari yelled, electricity arching dangerously between his hands. "You'll have to go through us!"

"Hey!" Katsuki yelled, completely shocked. "The hell are you extras doing?!"

The villain grinned. "Okay," he said with an evil smirk.

Fire exploded from his body. He fucking immolated himself! Burning to ash in an instant. A fucking suicide run! The solidified blood that had been holding him in place evaporated in a flash. Kirishima tackled him, shielding him with his own body from the agonizing flames. He'd activated his quirk, so he was as heavy as a human-sized boulder. Katsuki's breath came fast and thin as the oxygen in the room was devoured by the fire. Vlad was screaming in pain. So were others.

Katsuki flailed in panic, shoving Kirishima off him. The fire was too hot! Too fast! It came from everywhere! Between the blindingly bright blue flames and the dark, black smoke, he couldn't see shit except for what was right next to him. Kaminari was coughing and rolling, trying to put out his shirt sleeve. Glasses was getting back on his feet. Kirishima was fine, his fucking rock skin protecting from the heat.

"Get out! GET EVERYONE OUT!" Katsuki roared and dove for Kaminari. He slapped his hands over the fire. It burned like hell, but he got the flames out. He shoved the teen to his hands and knees and pushed him toward the nearest window. "Break the fucking window! We need to clear the smoke!" he ordered.

Glasses and the copy asshole were helping Vlad. Kirishima appeared with Kota in his arms and a coughing Pinky holding onto his shoulder. Fire was everywhere. The room was going up, the walls groaning. Katsuki directed them toward the window and Kaminari, but as he did, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A figure was stepping through the flames filling the fucking doorway! No, two figures! It was the fire villain and a new one! How the hell was the villain still alive?! What the hell was going on? Didn't matter. He had to save everyone! These villains weren't fucking around! The extras needed time to get out! They couldn't fight like this! They were going to die!

Katsuki took off running. The bodysuit villain took a metal ribbon from an item on his wrist, but the fire villain grabbed his arm, stopping him. Because they wanted Katsuki alive. Couldn't risk hurting him. Katsuki grinned wolfishly, lifted his good hand that was still wrapped in bandages and rushed the doorway. He had to protect everyone! He had to keep the villains away! Even if that meant killing the motherfuckers and throwing his career away.

The fire villain's eyes widened and he dove backward, away from Katsuki. Katsuki triggered his quirk, and the sweat-stained bandage ignited! BAAAAH - BOOOOOOOM! The whole front of the cabin was blown off the building. The explosion was deafening. Katsuki's ears rang as he was flung off his feet from the recoil, but he'd made it through the doorway, most of the force went forward, the cafeteria behind him was still standing!

Something slapped around his wrist and snaked up his forearm. The metal ribbon? It cut him. He tried to grab it, but he was yanked brutally forward in the opposite direction he'd been thrown. Katsuki screamed as his shoulder was nearly ripped out of the socket. He hit the ground hard and was dragged over burning rubble. Something hard hit the back of his neck and everything went black.

…

Izuku had to slow down to dodge trees, but he pushed himself to go as fast as he could. A terrible premonition sent his heart rocketing against his ribs. Something awful was going to happen. He had to do something! He had to stop it!

Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground. Before he could lash out, he recognized the skin-like webbing holding him captive. He lifted his head and saw he was on Shoji's back, the teen crouched behind a tree.

"Stay still and quiet," Shoji whispered.

"What's going on?" Izuku whispered back.

"Tokoyami has lost control of Dark Shadow."

Izuku's eyes widened.

"We were attacked by a villain. I pushed him out of the way and lost a duplicated hand on one of my tentacles. It bled a lot, and Tokoyami lost control. Dark Shadow is reacting to any sound or movement."

"STAY AWAY!" Tokoyami's tortured voice echoed out of the darkness. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"You're going after Shinso," Shoji guessed. He very carefully released Izuku and set him on the ground. "I'll draw Dark Shadow's attention so you can get past."

"What about you?" Izuku demanded.

Shoji met Izuku's eyes with determination. "Midoriya, no matter the circumstance, I don't want to become a person who leaves a suffering friend behind. I have to help him. Once you're gone, I'll try to lead him back to camp. Dark Shadow's weakness is light. That should help."

Izuku understood, but still… "Camp is so far away! And he could hurt you on the way!"

A massive black arm completely snapped the tree they were hiding behind. Malevolent yellow eyes glowed in the dark, and a piercing roar shook the ground. Izuku and Shoji sprinted further away as Tokoyami screamed in pain.

"The act of saving people comes with risks! You're not the only one who wants to be a hero!"

"I know that," Izuku hissed in frustration. "But everyone tells me that being a hero isn't the same thing as sacrificing myself. That heroes can be smart, too!" His mind raced. What would Kacchan do? He'd create explosions and the light would… Izuku's eyes widened. "The camp's far away, but you said Shinso was close, right? Mandalay said he was with Todoroki! Todoroki can create a fire that will help Tokoyami regain control, and it's much closer than the camp, so it's a smaller risk!"

"We'd be leading a rampaging Dark Shadow closer to our classmates," Shoji argued.

"You might run into classmates on the way to camp, too!" Izuku pointed out. "It's up to you, Shoji. I'll follow your lead. You know Tokoyami better. You're close friends. What do you think is the best call?"

Dark Shadow gave another roar and Tokoyami another scream, but it was weaker this time.

"We'll head for Todoroki," Shoji decided.

Izuku smiled, relieved. "Let's go."

…

Todoroki slammed his foot down to bolster his wall of ice. The villain's blades were sharp and kept piercing through. They moved at sharp, zigzag angles. A cut on his shoulder and leg were bleeding steadily from just grazing one of them. There were dozens, all spearing out of the villain's mouth like extensions of the man's teeth.

They lifted the villain high in the air like a dozen stilts, swung him sideways and around trees. Todoroki couldn't get a lock on him, and when he did, the blades would shatter the ice he used to try and capture him. Fire was out. The forest was already burning. If he added any more…

"You think you can beat us? You're just a lunatic in a straight jacket!" Shinso yelled and laughed defiantly. "What do you think you can do? You're useless!"

"Flesh… I want to see your flesh…" the villain said, but it must not have been in reaction to Shinso's taunt because the teen had yet to be able to brainwash him.

"What do you like about meat so much?" Shinso tried. "Is it the color? The flavor?"

"So much flesh…"

Five sword-like blades pierced through Todoroki's ice, one catching his side. Todoroki slapped his hand over the wound, feeling warm blood well under his palm. Shinso shook his head hard, his hands tugging roughly at his purple hair, making it stand wildly around his head.

"I can't get through to him."

"Keep trying," Todoroki said through gritted teeth. His right side was starting to freeze. His arm becoming heavy and numb. They were going to die at this rate.

He frowned, confused. Was the ground… shaking? Then the sound of trees snapping cracked through the air, echoing, but definitely coming closer. The villain stopped his relentless attacks and looked to the side. Todoroki used this opportunity to send a spear of ice up toward the villain, but the villain shot out a blade that moved him to the side and out of range.

"… todoroki… Todoroki…" It was the call of his name, growing louder. "Todoroki!" A flesh-colored tentacle shot out of the dark with a mouth on its end. "Todoroki! Light! We need light!"

Todoroki was knocked to a knee as the ground jumped under his feet. The trees around them cracked and toppled under a wave of black. Another wave in the shape of a clawed hand slammed down on his ice wall and shattered it. Ice went flying in all directions. A chunk hit Shinso in the shoulder, spinning the teen around and knocking him off his feet. An enormous monster made out of inky black shadow and sinister red eyes rose up above them and roared in rage.

"Dark Shadow?" Shinso gasped from his stomach, his head lifted as he stared upward.

Todoroki's eyes widened. Dark shadow? As in Tokoyami'sDark Shadow? In the moonlight, he was able to make out Tokoyami in the center of the black monster. Tears were streaming down his face as a scream of pain tore free from his beak.

"Hurry up!" Shoji yelled, running out of the forest. "Make a light! Quick!"

The black shadow swung at Shoji. The teen just barely managed to dive away. A tree snapped and fell with a crash, some of the branches landing on Shoji's back, pinning him to the ground.

"Over here!" Midoriya called from the opposite side of them. He was standing on a branch of a tree at least twenty feet in the air. "Come and get me!"

Dark Shadow turned that way and swung wildly, shattering the tree Midoriya had been standing in. Shinso used the distraction to scramble to his feet and run to Shoji, trying to drag the heavy branches off him. Midoriya appeared next to him in a green blur and easily lifted the limbs. Shinso quickly helped pull Shoji out from under them. Todoroki primed his fire, but he waited, his eyes on the villain who was rising up off the ground from where he'd been tossed when Dark Shadow had demolished the ice wall.

"It's no good… I can't allow it… I'm the only one who's allowed to look at a cross-section of those kids… DON'T STEAL THEM FROM ME!"

As Todoroki had hoped, the villain attacked Dark Shadow.

"Todoroki!" Shoji and Midoriya cried. "Fire! We need fire!"' and "Make a light!"

"Wait!" Todoroki yelled back, poised.

A massive hand slammed the villain back to the ground. Todoroki ducked as the villain's blades shattered in Dark Shadow's grip! The dangerous shrapnel rained on the surrounding forest, many broken shards getting lodged deep in the trunks of the trees. Then the monstrous claws lifted the villain off the ground and hurled him through a tree so hard the tree trunk snapped and fell with a mighty crash. The villain was not getting up from that!

Todoroki ran, picked up speed, and leapt. Fire flared bright along the left side of his body from his waist to his hair. He landed on Dark Shadow's back, and he let the fire roar free until he was awash in a column of bright flames, his ice side protecting his body and core from the heat.

Dark Shadow shrank immediately, his deep voice rising in pitch until it was a high squeak before disappearing inside Tokoyami's body. Todoroki pulled back his flames and dropped to the ground as Tokoyami collapsed to his knees.

"Tokoyami!" Shoji yelled and ran up to his shaking friend.

"Where's Bakugo?" Todoroki demanded of Midoriya, knowing he would know.

Midoriya had a grip on Shinso's wrist, as if he were afraid to let go. "He's at the cabin. We have to get back there as fast as we can. They're after him and Shinso!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tokoyami kept repeating.

"You did what we asked," Shoji assured him.

"You did a great job," Midoriya agreed.

Shinso sighed and pointed out, "You saved us." Todoroki noticed he'd made no move to pull his wrist out of Midoriya's grasp. "We were barely able to defend against that villain and you were able to take him out in an instant."

Tokoyami shook his head hard. "I didn't do anything. I was weak and I couldn't hold Dark Shadow back, and because of that, Shoji got hurt. I failed."

"We can leave that for later," Shoji said gently, a smile in his voice. "That's what you would say if it had been me who lost control, right?" He reached out and lifted Tokoyami onto his back, securing him with this webbed tentacles. "Rest, Tokoyami. We're not outta the woods yet."

"That's a terrible pun," Tokoyami complained, tears in his eyes. He laid his head against Shoji's shoulder, clearly exhausted.

"We have to get Shinso safely back to camp and reunite with the others," Midoriya insisted.

He was practically bouncing from foot to foot with anxiety. Todoroki could only imagine how badly he wanted to return to Bakugo's side. In fact, Todoroki felt the same exact way. He wouldn't be able to relax until he saw Bakugo safe with his own eyes.

"We should cut through the woods. It'll be much faster," Midoriya continued. "Shoji, go first and be on the look out for traps or obstacles. I'll protect Shinso from the middle. Todoroki, you're rear guard."

They all nodded and began their run through the woods.

…

Aizawa watched the nomu from the branches of a tree. Killing tools like chainsaws and horrific drills rose from its arms and back unending. They shredded through his scarf, and his erasure didn't seem to be stopping the quirk. That meant there was more than one quirk in effect, and he was erasing some quirk he hadn't seen evidence of yet.

Like the nomu at the USJ, it was superhumanly strong and seemed unaffected by any blow Aizawa landed. At least he'd arrived before it had killed Yaoyorzu or Awase. They'd gotten away bloody but alive and were heading to the cabin. Still, the broken, yellow cat ears in one of its blood-covered hands did not bode well for Ragdoll.

Hissing in frustration, Aizawa leapt to another tree. He taunted the monster, and when it lashed out, he yanked it against the tree with the remaining tatters of his scarf. With a horrific metallic scream, the chainsaw went right through the thick trunk and the tree began to fall.

The nomu screamed and flailed its limbs as the massive tree fell right on top of it, shaking the earth and pinning it to the ground. The chainsaws and drills hacked into the tree trunk wildly. Soon it would be free. What could he do?! He had to stop it somehow! He was wasting time! His students were in danger!

Suddenly, the nomu went still. The metallic weapons were sucked back into its skin. It calmly put its hands on the tree trunk and lifted. Slowly, the tree rose into the air. The nome tossed it aside then got up. It completely ignored Aizawa when he attacked it. It was as if it had powered down. Aizawa felt a chill. Had the villains gotten what they wanted? Were they now retreating?

"Damn it, Vlad," he hissed furiously as he followed in the nomu's wake. "You better not have let them take Katsuki."

…

"Uraraka and Tsu are up ahead. It sounds like they're fighting a villain. Female. Small," Shoji announced.

Izuku felt his heart skip a beat in fear. They broke into a sprint and burst out the woods on the path.

"Shoji! Everyone!" Tsu cried out, distressed.

She was pinned to the tree by her hair. Uraraka was on top of a teenaged girl, but the look of pain on Uraraka's face told Izuku that even though she was on top, she was the one being attacked. He didn't hesitate. He blurred forward, but before he could get there, the girl had shoved Uraraka off and ran away, pulling the weird wire-like contraption that had pinned Tsu to the tree with her.

Tsu rushed to Uraraka's side, and Izuku noticed both girls were bleeding from thin slices.

"Are you okay?" he demanded, helping Uraraka get to her feet.

"I'm fine. I can still totally walk," she insisted.

Izuku felt instinct prickle at the back of his neck. He turned his head and saw a man in a brown trench coat drop from the trees behind Hitoshi. Izuku's eyes widened, his body moving before his brain fully understood what was happening. He shot forward, reaching for his friend.

The man dropped silently, holding onto his top hat, his face mask a huge grin. A black, gloved hand landed on Hitoshi's head, almost gently, like a head pat from a parent. Izuku's reaching hand was maybe a foot away. Hitoshi was staring at him, his eyes widening as if in slow motion, and he was gone in a flash of light. He just vanished.

The trench coat villain leapt up, grabbed a low hanging branch of a tree, and swung around it before landing on top. Izuku stared up at him, his grasping hand holding nothing but empty air. The villain bowed, tipping his hat at him.

"This talent isn't someone who should be on the hero's side," the villain said cheerfully. He had something in his hand. Something that shimmered in the moonlight. Something small. A marble?

Izuku leapt, One For All singing in his veins, but the villain jumped to an adjacent tree. Izuku landed on the branch the villain had been standing on and turned to face him with a furious glare worthy of Kacchan.

"We'll take him and Explosion to a stage where they can shine more," the villain taunted him.

Izuku felt a dark hole open up in his core. Kacchan? They had Kacchan? "GIVE HIM BACK!" he roared, crazed, and leapt again.

The tree branch snapped as he pushed off and he flew toward the villain, a glowing punch aimed right at the man's head. The villain leapt into the air, performed a graceful flip and landed impossibly on another tree branch.

"That's a rude thing to say. We don't want Explosion to be lonely, and they have a right to know what their options are. This oppressive existence isn't the only life they can choose."

Izuku screamed in rage, but before he could attack again, Todoroki's ice speared up in a flash. It was bigger than a glacier, bigger than the huge attack at the Sport's Festival. It froze everything in it's path, but somehow the villain managed to dodge it!

"Sorry, sorry," the villain called down with a laugh, flipping through the air. "Tricks and running away are my only redeeming features!"

Izuku gave chase as the villain ran for real. The man leapt from tree to tree with superhuman agility and speed, racing toward the burning line of fire that cut through the forest. No matter what Izuku tried, he couldn't catch up. He always landed right when the bastard leapt again, his fingers just brushing the tail of the man's trench coat.

Izuku gave a yell of frustration and kept jumping. He wouldn't let him get away! Kacchan! Hitoshi! I'm coming!

… "Uraraka!" Todoroki yelled, heart racing. "Use your quirk to make us float! Tsu! Throw us with your tongue! Shoji, use your arms to control our trajectory! Uraraka, release your quirk when we hit him!"

"A human bullet?" Tsu asked, tilting her head. She gave a firm nod. "It might work."

"If you're sure," Uraraka said and slapped both Shoji and Todoroki on the shoulder. "Go get Bakugo and Shinso back!"

… Izuku's eyes widened as Todoroki and Shoji went flying past him and tackled the villain right out of the air. Izuku followed them down. They landed hard, dirt billowing up around them. The trench coat villain made a choked sound and started to glow. Izuku tried to grab hold, but his hand passed through his body as if the villain were suddenly made of light.

And then blue flames were barreling toward him. He grabbed Todoroki's arm, couldn't reach Shoji, and leapt to the side. The fire licked at his arm, the pain white hot and searing. Shoji screamed as he rolled in the opposite direction, half of his body already a dark red. Izuku looked in the direction of the fire and saw a dark-haired villain with horrible scars.

At his feet…

At his feet…

KACCHAN!

Izuku sprinted forward, heedless of the blue flames that licked out of the villain's scared flesh, but a man in a bodysuit leapt between them, a metal ribbon flashing. Izuku flinched to the side, but it licked his face near his eye and blood instantly poured down his cheek and dripped from his jaw. Izuku roared and punched the air. The bodysuit guy was blown backward, tumbling head over heels. Izuku closed the distance between him and Kacchan.

… Todoroki slammed his foot down and another spear of ice shot up from the ground and raced toward the villain and Bakugo, but the ice didn't even make it halfway before a small portal opened and a hand pushed through. Blue flames spewed from the hand. They were so hot they evaporated the ice so quickly that air pressure knocked on his ass from the backlash and sent him tumbling.

… Aizawa ran into a scene from hell. Hot, choking blue flames burned everywhere. An injured Shoji was fighting a manically laughing high school girl. Portals stood open scattered across the clearing. The fire villain stood in front of one with his hand wrapped around an unconscious Katsuki's throat. Midoriya was rushing headlong toward the two.

Two villains with unknown quirks stood between him and Midoriya! And his scarf had been torn to ribbons from the fight with the nomu. The nomu! It was rushing toward Midoriya's back! Chainsaws and drills and knives thrusting out of its skin, aimed at the obvious boy, and Aizawa realized in gut-wrenching horror that he wouldn't make it in time. For either of the boys. Out of sheer desperation, Aizawa activated his quirk. He pushed it harder than he ever had, targeting the nomu, staring at the weapons thrusting out of its skin.

Go away go away DISAPPEAR!he mentally screamed.

The chainsaw drew back, ready to swing forward and cut Midoriya in two! ... And suddenly they were all gone. Aizawa staggered. It felt as if his eyes were being plucked out of his head, but he refused to fall, refused to blink, and the nomu simply tackled Midoriya instead of slicing him to ribbons.

… Something heavy landed on Izuku. It slammed him into the ground and knocked the wind out of his lungs, but he pushed up with green sparks and glowing skin. With a heave, he tossed the weight aside. He was almost there!

Kacchan hung limp and battered, both hands dark and dripping blood, unconscious. With a smile, the villain stepped backward into a swirling, dark purple portal and pulled Kacchan in with him by his throat.

"NOOOOOO!" Izuku roared.

He reached for Kacchan, reached deep inside, refused to give up, refused to let it end like this, refused to let Kacchan slip through his fingers, and something answered him.

The skin of his forearms peeled back as tar-black tendrils shot out and wrapped themselves around Kacchan's arms just as Kacchan was being pulled backward into the portal. Kacchan's arms were yanked up as the whip-like tendrils went taunt, as if he were reaching for Izuku, but he was still being pulled backward. This meant Izuku was suddenly yanked forward instead. He hit the portal and slammed into Kacchan, knocking both him and the fire villain down.

The black tendrils were still coiled tightly around Kacchan, locking them together, but Izuku's legs were free! He twisted on top of the pile, lifted a leg, and brought it down on the villain's chest. The villain screamed as his ribs broke, and then something slapped the top of his head.

The room suddenly twisted and slammed closed around him. The walls pressed inward until Izuku was curled in a tight ball. He screamed and triggered One For All at 100%, but he couldn't move an inch! Nothing happened. He was stuck in some kind of ball!

Those marbles?

Was he shrunk? He didn't feel shrunk, but what would being shrunk feel like?

He tried to thrash, to wiggle a finger! A toe! But he was held tight and still.

Kacchan! Hitoshi!

Izuku couldn't stop screaming.

He was trapped.

Chapter end

A/n: *bites lip nervously* Well? What do you think? *stares at you with huge hopeful eyes*

Writing this chapter felt like running a marathon, let me tell you!

Sooooooo… How does it rank compared to canon? I kept a lot because it was just so awesome, but I changed things, too. And now we have Izuku, Katsuki, and Hitoshi captured by villains! Oops? *sheepish smile*