8-9

Chapter 8: The Fated Battle

"Kacchan…" Izuku paused for a moment, Uraraka and everyone from the monitor room were looking at him in awe. "FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS!"

Bakugo started to stand up again, his stomach was aching from the pain of that punch. "…YOU NEVER STOPPED GOING AFTER ME, TRYING TO CATCH UP TO ME, EVEN AFTER ALL THE TRAUMA I'VE PUT YOU THROUGH… YOU JUST KEPT STANDING UP AND MOVING AGAIN, ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN ON ME… AND NOW LOOK AT YOU, YOU'RE DECLARING THAT WE'RE EQUALS TO MY FACE. AND THAT YOU'LL BEAT ME! ME! YOU'RE JUST A PEBBLE, YOU DAMN NERD!"

Bakugo's hands ignited with small explosions, as his whole body and mind were consumed by his rage.

"THAT'S WHAT I HATE ABOUT YOU DEKU!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Because Kacchan and I lived in the same neighborhood, we've known each other since we were little. Izuku said in his mind, before some old memories came flashing through his head.

Flashback 11 Years Ago:

"Let's go kill the enemy!" Kid Bakugo said as he pointed towards a gate to a forest that read No Trespassing.

"Okay!" Bakugo's lackeys yelled as they were willing to follow the blonde Explosion Quirk user wherever he went.

"O-Okay…!" Kid Izuku added a little more hesitant than the others.

Kacchan was the type who could do anything he tried his hand at, a rascal who led the group of neighborhood kids. Good or bad, Kacchan was full of confidence, and I thought he was so cool. But… after his Quirk manifested, it accelerated him down the wrong path.

Back To The Present:

All men are not created equal. This was the harsh reality that I learned about society at the young age of four.

"Hey, Bakugo! Give me your status! What happened?" Tenya said through Kacchan's earpiece.

"JUST SHUT UP AND DEFEND. I'M REALLY ANGRY RIGHT NOW!" Bakugo replied.

"I'm not asking about how you feel! Hey!" But right before Tenya could say anything further, the connection was cut off. "He hung up… Going off on his own like that… What is wrong with him?! Jeez!"

The Monitor Room: 

"What was Bakugo saying? Can't tell with just the cameras in a fixed position and no sound." Kirishima said, curious about what Izuku and Bakugo were saying.

"He's talking to his partner over the small wireless radio. You can bring that plus the building's floor plan, and this capture tape! Once you wrap this around your opponent, it shows that you've captured them." All Might replied.

"The time limit is 15 minutes, and the Heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" Mina asked.

"Yes!" All Might answered his student.

"The Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here!" Mina pointed out, thinking that the situation was unfair for the heroes.

"Heroes should be able to turn the tables on whatever predicament they're in. Besides, didn't Aizawa-sensei tell you, too? You know- Here we go-"

"Plus Ultra!" The students of Class 1-A shouted their school's motto, with enthusiasm.

"Next time you forget that I'll expel you all." Aizawa added, which made the whole class flinch.

"Monsieur, Bakugo is-" Aoyama began.

All Might looked towards the monitors, at Aoyama's comment.

Back To The Battle:

Bakugo put his left hand behind his back as he began to ignite an explosion. Izuku saw what he was doing and yelled at Ochaco. "Uraraka, go!"

"Right!" Ochaco replied as she made her way towards the upper floors.

Bakugo fired an explosion to propel himself towards Izuku at high speeds. He aimed a roundhouse kick towards Izuku with his left leg, but Izuku managed to block the attack with his forearm just in time.

"LOOKING AWAY DURING A FIGHT? YOU MUST BE SURE OF YOURSELF!"

"Damn right I am!" Izuku shouted back. He then grabbed Bakugo's leg and began swinging him around before he threw him away. However, Bakugo managed to safely land on his feet by using his explosions.

He's being cautious now. I won't win against him in a small room like this. His Explosion Quirk is far too powerful in a small area, and I won't be able to dodge. I'm going to have to fight him in a larger room, but I need to make him come to me! Izuku thought as he carefully planned his next moves.

Bakugo stood up after Izuku's swing and placed both of his hands behind him, but then he noticed Izuku running around the corner.

"DAMN IT! DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY FROM ME, COME BACK HERE, DEKU!" Bakugo yelled as he chased after him.

After a few minutes of searching, Bakugo was growing impatient. "HEY! YOU TRICKED ME, DIDN'T YOU?! WAS IT FUN TRICKING ME ALL THIS TIME?! HUH?! YOU'VE GOT A FLASHY QUIRK THERE, DON'T YOU?! AWAKENED IT A YEAR AGO?! YEAH RIGHT, YOU THINK I'M A FOOL TO BELIEVE THIS BULLSHIT! COME OUT AND FACE ME! I'LL PROVE TO YOU THAT I'M BETTER THAN YOU!"

"Over here!" Bakugo turned his head around at Izuku's voice.

"Reverse Sweeping Kick!" Izuku shouted as he was spinning around. He then delivered a devastating kick in a wide arc to Bakugo's head. The kick sent Bakugo twirling around as he got knocked off his feet again.

"YOU DAMN NERD! I'LL KILL YOU!" Bakugo growled.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you something Kacchan. Right now, I'm not even using my full. This is my base physical strength and not the enhanced one." Izuku exclaimed, in an attempt to taunt Bakugo. Something that was part of his plan. He was going to use Bakugo's anger against him.

In The Monitor Room:

"Damn, Midoriya's Quirk is broken. Bakugo can't even land a single hit on him, despite being second to him in the Practical Exam." Kaminari commented.

"Man, He's so OP." Sero added.

"If you think that his strength is the result of his Quirk, you're dead wrong." Aizawa pointed out.

"What do you mean sensei? Can't you see how he's dominating this match?" Kirishima asked.

"When his Quirk first awakened a year ago, it was so unique that Recovery Girl was studying it and even called me and All Might for help. She asked me to fight him and honestly back then all what he was capable of, was dodging my attacks and copying them. Still, with the restriction of being able to keep up with my movements. If I moved faster, it was impossible for him to dodge my attacks at all. Not to mention that he sucked at fighting. But after 10 months of hellish training his physical strength went to a whole new level, he got better at using his Quirk, and he even learned two different fighting styles, as well as how to use weapons. So, don't say that his strength is the result of his Quirk because his strength is the result of his training." Aizawa explained.

Upon hearing this the whole Class 1-A were amazed at Izuku's achievements. Their respect for their classmate only grew more and more.

"I can vouch for that." Ojiro murmured to himself as he saw Izuku's growth with his own eyes. However, he was surprised to hear that Izuku met All Might and Aizawa-sensei before, and the fact that they were studying his Quirk.

Why did he never mention that? Ojiro thought, wondering why Izuku hid something like that from him.

I'm not going lie, when I heard he was the Number One freshman for this year, I thought he was just your usual arrogant kid who's blessed with a strong Quirk. However, it seems like he's entirely different. Momo thought as she couldn't help but admire the Sharingan user.

While I have to agree with you, Aizawa, I'm afraid that's not why Young Midoriya has the advantage. He was always good at reacting quickly in a crisis. He spent years writing his notes and internalizing them and his fanboy knowledge is helping him now… It's not that Young Bakugo is weak or anything, but Young Midoriya knows much more about Young Bakugo's Quirk than his own Quirks. He knows everything about Young Bakugo's movements. He's just reading him like a book, and his using Young Bakugo's anger issues against him. All Might thought as he stared at his successor through the monitor.

All Might's eyes then drifted to Bakugo. Meanwhile, Young Bakugo here has little to no info about Izuku's Quirks and abilities. And his judgement is clouded by his anger. He's in denial and can't accept the fact that someone might be stronger than him, especially if that someone was the same person who was considered the weakest of the weakest.

Back To The Battle:

"YOU'RE JUST A PEBBLE… " Bakugo said, before memories of him and Izuku as kids came back to his head.

"Wow, Kacchan!" Kid Izuku said as he was impressed by Kid Bakugo's display of skill of kicking a ball up and down.

"This is easy!"

But when Kid Izuku tried to emulate Kid Bakugo, he failed and busted his behind.

"Ow!"

"Izuku, you really can't do anything, can you? You can read the characters for Izuku as Deku, you know." Kid Bakugo pointed out.

"Kacchan, you can read?" One of Bakugo's lackeys asked.

"You can't? And Deku means someone who can't do anything! Someone who is useless!" Kid Bakugo said as this was the origin of the name Deku.

"Really?" Bakugo's lackeys began to make fun of Izuku for the new nickname that Bakugo came up with.

"Stop that… "Kid Izuku said as he did not like the way that Kid Bakugo and his lackeys were treating him. It made him feel sad and he didn't like that feeling at all… 

'Why don't you know?' Kid Bakugo thought.

Kid Bakugo threw a stone across the river and made it skip a bunch of times. His lackeys and Kid Izuku were really impressed by his performance and wanted to be just like him.

"Kacchan, how many times did yours skip?" One of the lackeys asked

"Seven times!" Kid Bakugo said proudly.

"Wow!"

"That's Kacchan for ya!"

"What about you, Deku?" Kid Bakugo asked as he looked towards Kid Izuku.

Kid Izuku put his head down in shame and embarrassment, "Z-Zero times… " Kid Bakugo and his lackeys proceeded to laugh at Kid Izuku.

'Why can't you do it?' Kid Bakugo thought again.

Kid Bakugo was in the middle of the classroom as every student plus the teachers were watching intently as small explosive sparks lit up his hands. His Quirk has just manifested.

"Wow!"

"That's so cool!"

"Lucky!" Kid Izuku said.

"Wow, that's an amazing Quirk!" The male teacher of the class said.

"It really is! It is a flashy Quirk just right for a Pro Hero. Right, Katsuki? The female teacher replied.

'Oh, I see! I'm Amazing! No one is as Amazing as I am!' Kid Bakugo thought, as this was only the beginning of how his ego got bigger and bigger, which made him the arrogant person he is today.

"You're so lucky, your Quirk is so cool! I hope I get mine soon, too." Kid Izuku said as he and Kid Bakugo were walking through a forest, while Kid Bakugo had a fishing net in his hands.

"No matter what Quirk you get, you'll never beat me!"

"HE'S JUST A PEBBLE… " Bakugo said, as he was still lying on the floor.

"Hey, did you hear? Deku doesn't have a Quirk."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, it's called being Quirkless."

"That's so lame."

"Too bad for him."

"He's so weird."

'Don't worry about it Izuku.' Kid Izuku remembered the words of his mother, telling him not to worry. But that was thrown out the window as soon as the news spread about him not having a Quirk. That is when the isolation for Izuku Midoriya began, and he was officially deemed a social outcast by his peers.

'You're the LEAST amazing, Deku.' Kid Bakugo thought.

"Forward march, members of the Bakugo Hero Agency!" Kid Bakugo sang as he, his lackeys and Izuku went across a huge log that acted as a bridge since it was above the river. However, as Kid Bakugo was singing, he tripped and fell off the log and went straight towards the river.

"Kacchan!" Izuku shouted, genuinely concerned about his friend's safety.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"He's fine. Kacchan's really strong! See?"

Kid Bakugo emerged from the water, completely unscathed.

"I WAS FINE!" Bakugo angrily said.

"Hurry up and get back up here!"

"Okay, no problem!" Kid Bakugo responded, as he put his hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. 

"NOTHING WAS WRONG!"

Kid Bakugo heard footsteps coming towards him. He turned his head to see Kid Izuku with his hand outstretched for Kid Bakugo to hold and use as support.

"Are you all right? Can you stand?" Kid Izuku asked sincerely as he was truly worried about his friend and wanted to help him in any way he can.

Kid Bakugo was speechless as his whole world was shaking upside down.

"It would've been bad if you hit your head."

As soon as those words left Kid Izuku's mouth, something snapped within Kid Bakugo. 

"DON'T LOOK AT ME WITH THAT FACE!"

"You looked like you were asking for help…" Bakugo remembered Izuku's words from when he saved him from the Sludge Villain, even though he was losing consciousness.

"STOP IT… !"

"I'M… I'M BETTER THAN YOU DEKU!" Bakugo yelled with all his might as his voice could be heard throughout the entire building. He immediately got up, ignored whatever pain he was feeling, and used his explosions to propel himself forward to where Izuku was.

Found it. Ochaco said in her head as she peeked around and saw Tenya guarding the nuclear weapon. Now I just have to tell Deku and hide until he gets here.

Right before she was about to communicate to Izuku, she heard Tenya beginning to say something. "Bakugo is a natural at being bad, but that fits this training perfectly. Then, I must also devote myself to being a Villain. That's right. This is another trial to turn me into a man who will not bring shame to the Iida family. Become a Villain! Be dyed with evil in order to become a Hero! I am… extremely evil!"

Ochaco couldn't contain her laughter as she saw the scene unfolding in front of her. He's taking this so seriously!

However, that slip up cost her dearly as it announced to Tenya that she was hiding in the room. "Have you arrived, Uraraka?"

Oh no, my cover has been blown! Ochaco thought. Knowing that she has been caught, she came out of hiding and revealed herself.

"I knew you would come here alone the instant Bakugo ran off by himself. Your Quirk allows you to make the objects you touch float. That is why I put away all the things on this floor before you arrived! Now you cannot play your little tricks! You have blundered, Hero!" Tenya then laughed like an evil maniac, knowing that he managed to corner her.

"He's starting to look… like a Villain!" Uraraka said as she decided to communicate with Izuku. "Deku!"

Deku heard his name through his earpiece as he touched it to respond. "Uraraka! How's it going?"

"Iida found me. Sorry!"

"I'm evil!" Izuku heard someone talking dramatically through his earpiece, which confused him for a moment.

"Right now, he's…"

"Where are you?"

"The middle of the fifth floor."

"Almost directly above us! We probably don't have much time left, either. If we run out of time, our opponents win!" Izuku gripped the capture tape tightly. "I'll have to finish this fight now!"

Just then Bakugo made it to where Izuku was, blinded by rage and heavily panting. His right gauntlet glowed red.

Bakugo smirked. "THEY'RE LOADED."

"Kacchan… " Izuku said as he got into a fighting stance.

"WHY AREN'T YOU USING YOUR FULL POWER DEKU?!" Bakugo asked. He continued "ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU CAN BEAT ME WITHOUT USING YOUR FULL POWER?! ARE YOU UNDERESTIMATING ME, DEKU?!"

"Yes, I can beat Kacchan, I will!" Izuku shot back with confidence.

FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS! Bakugo widened his eyes as he remembered the words that sprouted from Izuku's mouth. Equals? Like hell, we are! You are beneath me damn it! Bakugo thought, but then he calmed down a bit and raised his right arm.

"WITH ALL YOUR STALKING, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, BUT MY QUIRK, EXPLOSION, LET ME SECRETE NITROGLYCERIN-LIKE SWEAT FROM THE SWEAT GLANDS ON THE PALM OF MY HAND AND MAKE IT EXPLODE. IF THEY MADE THIS THE WAY I ASKED, THEN THESE GAUNTLETS WILL STORE THE NITROGLYCERIN INSIDE THEM, AND… " Bakugo began to pull the firing pin on his grenade like gauntlet.

"Don't tell me that's… Young Bakugo, stop! Are you trying to kill him?!" All Might yelled through the earpiece.

"IF I DON'T HIT HIM, HE WON'T DIE!"

"You have to be kidding me!" Izuku shouted as he knew what was Bakugo was going to do. But he also knew that he couldn't stop him. His eyes widened in fear, he had no idea if he was going to survive this explosion.

At that moment, Bakugo pulled the firing pin as an explosion bigger than anything Izuku has ever seen Bakugo produce fired directly at him. Its attack potency was so strong that it rocked and made the entire building shake as Ochaco and Tenya were knocked off their feet in the top floor. The explosion was even so strong that everyone else in the monitor room could feel it.

"This is supposed to be a class!" Kirishima yelled, as the rest of Class 1-A were in complete shock of Bakugo's violent and brutal attack that could actually kill someone.

"Young man! Young Midoriya!" All Might yelled as he was worried about his Successor's safety.

The smoke cleared as Izuku could be seen under a pile of debris. He was lucky that he jumped and avoided the blast, but the power of the explosion's shockwave threw him into a wall with a crashing force.

"Is that even… even allowed!? This is insane!" Izuku exclaimed and blood could be seen dripping from his head and covering most of his face. He couldn't believe that Bakugo just pulled an attack like this. Luckily for him, his eye mask worked correctly and went back to his earpieces.

Bakugo made his way through the smoke. "WOW… THE MORE THAT'S STORED IN THESE GAUNTLETS, THE STRONGER THE BLAST!" Bakugo said, as his left gauntlet glowed red, signally that it was completely loaded up. "COME ON, SHOW ME YOUR FULL POWER, DEKU… I'LL FORCE YOU TO SURRENDER EVEN IF YOU'RE AT FULL STRENGTH!" Bakugo said as he made a smiling face that resembled that of a psychopath.

"You're fucking crazy!" Izuku replied. He usually wasn't the type to swear, but right now he couldn't help it.

"Bakugo, answer me! Did you do that? What in the world did you do? Explain yourself!" Tenya shouted through his earpiece, clearly curious about what the hell happened down there.

This is my chance, if we retrieve the weapon, we'll win!Ochaco thought as she decided to take advantage of the situation and reach the nuclear weapon.

Tenya saw what Ochaco was doing and was immediately on the defensive. "I won't let you, Hero!"

Ochaco used Zero Gravity on herself and jumped over Tenya as she floated above the air.

"Can she make herself float now, too?"

We need to touch the weapon itself for it to count as being retrieved. "Release!"

But before she even got a chance to reach the weapon, Tenya used his engine Quirk to dash towards the weapon and snatch it as then Ochaco landed hard on the ground.

"Your Quirk is not a threat if you cannot touch anything. I'll hold out until time runs out!" Tenya then did his evil laugh as he was really adapting the Villain persona.

Deku is trying so hard, though! Ochaco thought as she got back up to her feet.

Back To Izuku:

"HEY, HEY, WHAT'S WRONG DEKU! I DIDN'T HIT YOU, SO YOU CAN STILL MOVE, CAN'T YOU? DO YOU STILL THINK THAT YOU'LL BEAT ME!? COME AT ME WITH YOUR FULL POWER, YOU DAMN NERD!"

However, Izuku reached for his earpiece. "Uraraka, what's the situation?"

"Deku!" Ochaco responded as she was relieved to find out that he was alright.

Bakugo had an angry look on his face. "IGNORING ME AGAIN? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS DAMN FUCKING NERD!

Meanwhile back in the monitor room, all of the spectators were watching the scene unfold.

"Sir, you should stop them! That Bakugo's really crazy! He's gonna kill him!" Kirishima pleaded to All Might, worried about Izuku's safety.

"Yes! All Might, I don't approve of this at all!" Ojiro added. He was genuinely concerned about Izuku being out there with a maniac like Bakugo.

"I agree with the kids. This has gone too far." Aizawa added.

"No… " All Might said as he looked at the monitor's screens. "Strangely enough, part of him is still sane. I don't know if its small-minded or what, but anyway…" All Might replied as he spoke through his microphone.

"Young Bakugo, the next time you use that, I'll stop the fight, and your team will lose."

"HUH?" Bakugo dumbly questioned, as if what he did was completely normal.

"To attack on such a large scale inside is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That is a foolish plan for both Heroes and Villains! You will lose a lot of points for it!" 

As a teacher, I should stop this. However… 

"No!"

All Might gained a puzzled look on his face, once he heard Izuku's voice. He was surprised by Izuku's response.

"Don't you dare to stop this fight All Might! No matter what don't stop it! I'm going to finish this battle right now!" Izuku yelled as he stood up, taking his fighting stance.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY DEKU?!" Bakugo yelled, as he couldn't believe Izuku's words.

"I said that I'm going to win and surpass you! You bastard!"

All Might and Aizawa were speechless as they were surprised by Izuku's words. Young Midoriya… I believe in you. He knew that these were the first emotions Izuku showed, besides wanting to become a Hero.

At that moment, everyone could feel the rising tension, making them anxious as they had no idea what was going to happen now.

"FINE THEN! LET'S FIGHT IT OUT WITH OUR FISTS!" Bakugo angrily yelled, as he propelled himself with his explosions towards Izuku.

Izuku tried to land a solid punch to Bakugo's face, but the latter used an explosion to dodge and move around Izuku. Bakugo then caught Izuku's arm tightly.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE NOW, DEKU!" Bakugo shouted as his other arm ignited with explosions, showing that he was going to blast Izuku with it.

However, before he could, Izuku quickly slapped his wrist, causing the explosion to fire at the roof. Unfortunately for the two of them, the explosion was strong enough to make a small part of the roof come down on them.

Bakugo quickly let go of Izuku's arm and both teens managed to dodge the incoming debris. Dust filled the room they were in and no one was able to clearly see what's happening, including those who were in the monitor room.

Once the smoke somewhat cleared, Bakugo tried to look for Izuku but was surprised to see Izuku coming out of the smoke. Unfortunately for Bakugo, he had no time to dodge. Izuku managed to land a devastating roundhouse kick, slamming Bakugo in a nearby wall.

Izuku then tried to continue his assault, having no intention to show Bakugo any mercy. But unluckily for him, Bakugo shot an explosion from point-blank range at him. It was weaker than his previous explosions, but enough to knock him away.

"Deku… Hurry up and show me… show me your full strength, you bastard!" Bakugo exclaimed while heavily panting. He was near his limits.

"I don't need… to use my full power… to beat YOU!" Izuku shot back, causing Bakugo to become even more furious.

Both teens then stood up, covered in blood and bruises and stared at each other. Shortly after, Bakugo dashed over Izuku again with his explosions. He tried to punch Izuku using the built-up momentum he got. However, his fist was caught by Izuku. Bakugo then tried to kick Izuku in his head, but Izuku caught his leg too.

"I GOT YOU NOW, DEKU!" He said as he aimed to fire an explosion at Izuku with his free hand.

Seeing this, Izuku had to quickly think of something. He pulled Bakugo towards him and kneed him in the stomach. Unfortunately for Izuku, not using his Full Cowl costed him dearly as his attack wasn't powerful enough to stun Bakugo, who seized the opportunity to fire an explosion at Izuku.

"DIE DEKU!" Bakugo shouted.

"Oh, no…" Izuku murmured. His back slammed to the ground with a loud thud.

Bakugo then got on top of him and began to relentlessly punch his face.

He's not giving me the chance to take my breath, let alone think. I-I… Did I fail? After all that training, did I really fail…? Izuku questioned in his mind, as his face received one punch after the other without a moment to spare.

Monitor Room:

Everyone in the monitor room cringed at this sight. How is this supposed to be a Hero Course school, let alone the best? Allowing a student to injure another helpless student to this extent was so wrong.

"This is a lynching! He can capture him for this exercise by just wrapping the tape around him!" Mina cried out, unable to watch the match anymore.

"Those are not the actions of a Hero." The raven head kid, Tokoyami added.

"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing, too, but in terms of combat power, Bakugo is definitely a ball of natural instincts." Denki commented.

"All Might, Aizawa-sensei! Please, stop this match… I-I… I CAME HERE TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT OTHER PEOPLE, NOT MASSACRE THEM!" Ojiro shouted, unable to contain his anger. He was so angry over the fact that his friend was getting beaten and he couldn't help him. He was useless. Shortly after, other kids followed the previous kids' example and demanded the teachers to stop the match.

"That's it, the kids are right, All Might. I'm stopping this match, and I'm going to give Bakugo a serious talk about this." Aizawa pointed out, but All Might stopped him by putting his arm in front of him. Aizawa's eyes widened in surprised, this has to be the most irrational and stupid thing he ever saw. "What's the meaning of this, All Might?" Aizawa questioned.

I know I should stop them, but I don't want to stop them, for his sake! All Might thought, before looking at Izuku again. Seeing him taking hit after hit, he finally decided that this was the enough. I'm sorry Young Midoriya, you didn't use your Full Cowl and it costed you the match, please forgive me.

"I'll stop them myself, Aizawa." All Might pointed out. "Both of you st-" All Might began but was interrupted by Tsuyu.

"All Might, look, Midoriya-"

Meanwhile With Izuku:

With each punch coming down his face, Izuku began to remember some of his past childhood memories.

Flashback:

The situation wasn't any different. Kid Bakugo was on top of Kid Izuku relentlessly punching his face left and right. He was surrounded by his classmates who had formed a circle around them to make sure that Kid Izuku doesn't escape. It wasn't anything new to Kid Izuku though as this happened countless times before.

"OI, DEKU! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME A HERO WHEN YOU'RE SO WEAK, HUH?! YOU QUIRKLESS PIECE OF SHIT! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN ANY EXTRA HERE!" Kid Bakugo continued his assault and the other children were cheering for him.

"TELL ME DEKU! DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN BECOME THE GREATEST HERO?! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SURPASS ME?!" Teen Bakugo asked.

Normally, Kid Izuku would've protected his face with his hands, but they were pinned down by Tsubasa and Kid Bakugo's other lackey.

"I… will… become a… Hero!" Kid Izuku weakly said, before his face was met by another punch.

"I… will… become the… Greatest Hero and surpass YOU!" Teen Izuku replied.

"Sorry, I think I didn't hear you well. Can you repeat what you just said?" Kid Bakugo exclaimed with a cocky smirk.

Teen Bakugo growled in anger. Why can't this nerd ever give up?!

"…" Both versions of Bakugo were met with silence.

Kid Bakugo's hand ignited with an explosion, threatening Kid Izuku, before he got closer to his face to hear his answer.

Teen Bakugo pulled his fist back and shouted, "DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT, YOU DAMN NERD!"

*Music: My Hero Academia OST -You Say Run*

Izuku's Sharingan were now intensely spinning, he was filled with so many emotions. Disappointment, sadness, anger, fury and hatred, all caused by the memories he just saw. He then carefully observed Bakugo's incoming punch, reading his movements.

Bakugo's fist was so close to hitting Izuku's face now. However, he was surprised to see that Izuku managed to catch it with his hand.

Then the next scene showed both versions of Kid and Teen Izuku pulling their head back and giving both versions of Kid and Teen Bakugo one hell of a headbutt.

Bakugo shrieked and was pushed back a couple of feet. He put his hands on his forehead. It was aching so much from the pain.

"FUCK!" Bakugo yelled, both from the physical and mental damage. He, too, was just reminded by that day and how Izuku gave him that hellish headbutt. It was back at the time when Izuku still had some fight in him.

Izuku slowly stood up again, although with some effort. He was silent, watching Bakugo recovering from that last attack.

Bakugo then looked at Izuku with a very furious expression. His entire focus was on Izuku. To hell with this match, he was going to put Izuku through a whole world of pain.

"YOU'RE BELOW ME, DEKU!"

Bakugo jumped in the air and was ready to fire an explosion to go behind Izuku's back, but before he could Izuku jumped towards him and punched him in the face. Upon making contact, Izuku's fist knocked Bakugo a couple of feet away from him.

"DIE YOU DAMN NERD!" Bakugo yelled, as he fired more explosions towards Izuku.

Izuku just kept dodging the explosions quickly, jumping over the first one, then going to the right as he jumped on a wall and propelled himself, dodging the second explosion. Finally, as the distance between him and Bakugo grew shorter, he dodged the last explosion, by sliding underneath Bakugo's legs, going behind his back.

Bakugo turned around, but it was too late as Izuku was done preparing his next attack.

"Twin Strike!" 

Izuku clenched both of his fists, pulled them back and punched Bakugo, with equal force and at the same time, disturbing the latter's balance. But before he could go flying away from the attack's force, Izuku grabbed the capture tape and used it the same way Aizawa showed him last year to capture Bakugo.

"Young Bakugo, you're out!" All Might spoke through his microphone, as Class 1-A cheered for Izuku's victory. Many students let out a breath they didn't know they were even holding, as this match was nerve wracking.

Izuku just stood there, dumbfounded. He just defeated Bakugo, and he was having a hard time believing it. However, he quickly snapped out of his gaze. There was almost no time left, and they still didn't seize the nuclear bomb. He gave Bakugo a quick look, and that latter looked shocked and… broken. Izuku couldn't help but sympathize with him and decided to give him a few words.

"It's true that I was a pebble compared to you a year ago, but now this pebble became a strong big rock. However even this strong rock knows that somewhere in this world there's a strong mountain, but that said rock won't stop becoming stronger." Izuku looked at Bakugo, who was still in shock from what had just happened. Izuku hoped that Bakugo finally learns his lesson. Yes, Izuku wanted to teach Bakugo a lesson, and that lesson was: Humility.

Izuku then knew that there was no time left, he powered up and activated his Full Cowl at 8%. The scent of ozone filled the air as he powered up.

One for All, Full Cowl: 8%! He said in his mind as green lighting surrounded his body.

Monitor Room:

"What's this, Midoriya looks different!" Kirishima voiced everyone's thoughts, as he and everyone present were gawking at Izuku's new form, except for All Might.

"He looks magnifique!" Aoyama commented, happy to have found a sparkling buddy.

So, this is what he meant by finding a new way to control his Quirk. Aizawa thought, clearly surprised by Izuku new form.

Hurry up, Young Midoriya. There's not much time left… All Might thought as only one minute was left.

Back To Izuku:

Izuku decided to stop wasting any more time. He had to go help Ochaco. So, without any delay, Izuku sprinted off towards the top floor.

Seeing his new form, Bakugo was even more shell shocked to see how much stronger did Izuku get. He lowered his head and gritted his teeth. Deku was in a whole different league than him, and he knew it was the truth.

Izuku quickly arrived to the fifth floor, thanks to his super speed. Tenya was about to attack Ochaco, but Izuku immediately dashed over Tenya and pulled his fist back.

"DETROIT SMASH!" 

Izuku punched Tenya right in his guts, sending him flying and crashing into a wall.

Tenya was surprised, his mind couldn't even comprehend what just happened. He had no idea what just hit him, that is until he saw Izuku's new majestic form.

"I'm sorry Iida, but… I'M HERE!" Izuku said as he finally touched the nuclear weapon, getting the win for his team.

For a moment, everyone was silent. They were all in awe at Izuku Midoriya's extraordinary power. All Might then grabbed the microphone and shouted, "Hero team… Wins!" And shortly after, everyone began cheering, clearly hyped up by the conclusion of this epic battle.

Chapter 9: Izuku and Katsuki, A New Start?

"Hero team… Wins!" All Might announced in the microphone, as everyone began cheering, clearly hyped up by the conclusion of this epic battle.

"What did Midoriya do at the end? What was that form?" Kaminari questioned, as he and the others were still shell shocked by what just happened during the last minute of the match.

"He was so much faster than Iida, yet maybe stronger than even Shoji. He took him out with one punch! He's so manly!" Kirishima replied with a lot of enthusiasm. It wasn't every day that you had the chance to see an exciting match as this one.

"He was so cool and shiny!" Mina commented.

"Maybe a limited time boost. He only used it at the end of the match, Ribbit." Tsuyu tried to make an assumption while putting a finger on her chin.

"It seems like Midoriya found a new way to control his Quirk without injuring himself." Aizawa pointed out, as the students were impressed at how quick was Izuku able to negate the drawbacks of his Quirk. After all, it only took him a day and that was thanks to the Sharingan.

This kid is really something else. There's no doubt that Bakugo is pretty strong and talented in combat, but it appears that Midoriya is what you can call a prodigy… However, I wonder why Midoriya wasn't using his full power from the start? Aizawa thought as he graded Izuku on the Battle Trial exercise. Izuku may have won the match and overall performed well, but Aizawa was definitely going to deduct some points for holding back. If this was a real life situation, it wouldn't be wise to waste time like that, especially when the Villains had a bomb. That is unless it was really a limited time boost.

Meanwhile, a white and red haired boy was staring at Izuku through the monitor in utter silence. I thought that I could easily be the best with only my right side, but Midoriya proved to be a much bigger threat than I initially thought. He said in his mind as he truly thought that Izuku was the only one who can match his power. Ever since the ball throw test, the bicolor haired teen knew that Izuku wasn't your average student.

Back At Ground Beta:

"Hey Uraraka, are you alright? Are you hurt or anything?" Izuku asked his teammate, making sure she was fine.

"I'm all right, but what about you? You look like you had a trip in a minefield or something." Ochaco assured him and chuckled, as she already knew why Izuku looked so bad right now.

Izuku took a quick look at himself. Aside from the few burn marks on his arm and the bruises he got here and there and notably on his face, judging from the stinging pain. He noticed that his new costume was really damaged. The right sleeve of his costume was torn off, the costume had a few holes and one of his earpieces broke, probably after that big explosion Bakugo fired at him.

"Always count on Bakugo when it comes to explosions." He replied in a deadpan voice. He was a bit annoyed by the fact that his new costume got damaged. Heck this was the first time he tried his Hero Costume, so it definitely sucked.

"But you were really amazing back there Deku. You just came out with lightning sparkling around you, and next thing I saw, you were in front of Iida and were like Detroit Smash!" Ochaco mimicked Izuku's punch with a giggle. "After that you touched the weapon, securing the win for us and were like I'M HERE!" She added.

Izuku now finally out of battle mode, began to realize that he was holding a conversation with a cute girl. And on top of that, that said girl was now praising him and giving him compliments, causing his face to turn red.

"That… t-that was a new idea I came up with to… t-to control my Quirk." Izuku replied, trying his best not to stutter or embarrass himself.

"Hehe, if only I can get rid of my Quirk's drawbacks too." Ochaco responded with a sheepish smile.

"I-I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out. Maybe the support department has something to fight nausea." Izuku pointed out as he regained his composure.

"Maybe, I'll make sure to check it out later." Ochaco replied, as she and Izuku made their way out of the building. "Are you sure you don't need to go to Recovery Girl with these injuries?"

"I-I'm fine, I can go after the class ends." Izuku replied. He wanted to stick around and study his classmates' Quirks and technically, he was used to getting these types of injuries from Bakugo. It wasn't the first time after all. Izuku's had a hint of sadness in them as the last thought crossed his mind.

Speaking of Bakugo, the explosion teen was still where Izuku left him, utterly silent. His eyes were still wide open in shock. It was obvious that he wasn't taking this loss so well.

"Deku defeated… me." Bakugo murmured to himself and finally broke the silence. He was still sitting on the ground and shaking. He never imagined in his life, that he would ever hear himself saying those three words. "I-I didn't stand a chance against him, and he wasn't even using his fu-full power… Th-Then does that mean that if Deku fights me using his full power… I'll be completely destroyed? Does that mean… I'm not even in his league?" Bakugo rhetorically asked himself. Despite how much he wanted to deny this, to say it was a fluke or that this was all possibly a bad dream and that he'll soon wake up. Bakugo knew it wasn't. Deku, the Quirkless kid who despite how much he tried to put him down, always got up, finally did what Bakugo always feared. He rose above him and bested him. "When… when did Deku even get this strong? How did I not notice this?" Bakugo added, as tons of questions were popping in his head right now. His panic was becoming more and more evident the more he questioned Izuku's strength. That is until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come back, Young Bakugo. It's time to review the results. Whether you win or lose, looking back and learning from your experiences is a part of life." All Might said from behind Bakugo, finally able to snap him out of his shock. Bakugo then somewhat regained his composure before he followed the Pro Hero.

The Monitor Room:

As the participants returned to the monitor room, the teachers finished grading each one of them and decided on who was getting the MVP.

"Well, even if I say that the MVP for this battle was Young Midoriya! I want to hear all of your opinions on this match."

"Midoriya rocks!" Mina shouted.

"Young Ashido, we're talking about detailed comments for the four of them here." All Might sternly replied as this is supposed to be a serious discussion.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Anyone wants to share his opinions about the match." All Might then noticed Momo Yaoyorozu raising her hand and naturally, gave her the permission to speak.

"Yes, All Might-sensei." Momo replied. "Midoriya is the MVP because he adapted the most to the context of the training. He managed to capitalize on Bakugo's weakness and got his attention, in order for Uraraka to locate the weapon. He defeated Bakugo with minimal damage to the building, and finally secured his team's victory. However, it is also to be noted that it was a mistake from him to hold back during his fight with Bakugo. After all, as we all saw, he could've finished the battle much earlier if he had used that special form from the start. But if it was for the purpose to conserve some stamina to fight Iida later, then I believe we can ignore this mistake." Momo gave her input on Izuku before turning towards Bakugo.

"From watching the match, it was evident to me that Bakugo acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge, which is a critical mistake that as I said before, Midoriya was able to capitalize. Not only that, but as All Might-sensei said, it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors. As for Uraraka… She let her guard down in mid-battle, which could have cost her dearly if this was a real battle. On the other hand, Iida did pretty well. He had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon, which made him late in responding to the final attack. Honestly speaking, Iida wasn't too far from being the MVP either." Momo finished, as everyone was clearly awestruck at her analytic skills. That is except for Bakugo, who was just upset and looking down, and Iida who was now happy with his overall performance.

Sh-She said more than I expected. Both All Might and Aizawa thought in unison.

"That was correct!" All Might said with a thumbs up.

"I'm sorry for holding back until the last minute of the match." Izuku apologized. His personal feelings got in the way of the exercise and he knew that what he did was unnecessary. After all, his objective today was to test the full extent of his Full Cowl.

"While I'm going to deduct some marks over the fact you held back, I'll give you a bonus since you managed to figure out a way to control your Quirk in just one day." Aizawa commented making Izuku smile. "However, hold back again and I'll expel you. The exercises you're doing this week are a way for us teachers to gauge your full strength, so that we can then plan on how to make you improve and such." Aizawa added and Izuku flinched at the threat.

Name: Momo Yaoyorozu

Quirk: Creation- She can create anything from the lipids in her body, as long as she knows its molecular composition.

Momo is a fairly tall teenage girl with a rather mature physique, considering her age. She has long black hair that is normally tied into a spiky ponytail with a large strand hanging on the right side of her face and onyx eyes that point slightly inwards, which seem to resemble a cat. She is also one of the four students admitted to the Hero Course based on recommendations.

"All right everyone, let's change locations and start the second match. Tackle this training after thinking about what we just talked about."

"Yes Sir!" The students responded. They were really excited to give it their all after watching the previous match.

Battle Building B:

"Match two! Team B are the heroes, and Team I are the villains!"

The Villain team was Toru Hagakure, with a Quirk that makes her invisible, and Hanta Sero with a Quirk that makes him shoot tapes from his elbows.

The Hero team was Mezo Shoji, Quirk: Dupli-Arms. He can create replicas of his own body parts on the tips of his tentacles. And Shoto Todoroki, Quirk: Half-Cold, Half Hot. He's another one of the four admitted to the Hero course based on recommendations. He freezes with his right and burns with his left. The range and temperature of his ability is unknown, as he froze the whole building along with the Villain team, winning the match in an instant.

Everyone in the monitor room was freezing as his power was so strong, it managed to drop the temperature in the monitor room as well. Everyone was in gobsmacked at his power while Bakugo grew more frustrated. He clenched his fists as he realized that Izuku wasn't the only student who is stronger than him.

Speaking of Izuku, the Sharingan user already had his Hero Analysis notebook number 14 in his hands and began writing some information about his classmates' Quirks.

It seems like Hagakure's Quirk is just plain invisibility, which could work well in espionage missions and such. Sero's Quirk lets him shoot tape from what I saw but I don't have any more info since the match ended quickly. I got a good look at Shoji's Quirk but Todoroki is a different story. His ice alone makes him a powerful foe, and we didn't even get to see his fire. Izuku thought as he added more things to his notebook.

When the participants returned, Shoto passed by Izuku, but not before giving him a glance over his shoulder, and the latter just glanced back at him.

Shoto Todoroki, huh? I'll have to be careful if I ever fight him. Izuku said in his mind.

Battle Building C:

The Villain team was Ojiro and Ejiro Kirishima, who his Quirk makes him able to harden any part of his body, becoming a great offense and defense in one body.

The Hero team was Fumikage Tokoyami, Quirk: Dark Shadow. A dark shadow of him comes out from his body with a mind of its own, and Tsuyu Asui.

Ojiro's team was able to win, thanks to Kirishima taking the blows and distracting Dark Shadow, while Ojiro managed to sneak on Tokoyami with a surprise attack. Asui had no chance of winning once it came to a two vs one match.

The competitors returned once the match ended and MVP was given to Ojiro for the outstanding plan he came up with.

"Nice match, Ojiro." Izuku complimented his friend. "I expected nothing less and your plan was well executed."

"Thanks. As much as I hate to admit it, there is no way in hell we could've defeated them in a two against two match. I figured out that letting them come to us and taking down whoever comes first should give us the advantage and luckily that person was Tokoyami. He excels at long range but short range combat isn't his thing." Ojiro explained his plan. "It seems like your analysis skills rubbed off on me." Ojiro chuckled.

Izuku laughed back as he remembered how he made the both of them analyze Quirks in their free time before UA. Both teens may be rivals, but they make sure to share any valuable skill they have with each other, that is in order to reach the Top like they promised each other. Izuku had also noticed before UA that Ojiro is pretty clever when it comes to battle strategies, and he was sure that combined with the Quirk Analysis skill, Ojiro could prove to be a deadly strategist.

"Yeah! Ojiro is so manly!" Kirishima came in out of nowhere surprising both teens.

The matches continued till everyone was able to show their abilities, and the teachers were content with their students' performance. Izuku was also happy with the information he got on his classmates' Quirks and was definitely going to expand on them, once he returns home.

Recovery Girl's Office:

"The school year has just begun, and he's already been in here three times! Why didn't you stop him, All Might?" Recovery Girl scolded the Pro Hero.

"I apologize, Recovery Girl." All Might apologized.

"What are you apologizing to me for? Jeez, I know he's your favorite and that you passed on your powers to him, but doesn't mean you should spoil him!" Recovery Girl sternly added.

"There is nothing I can say to that. Because I wanted to consider his feelings, I hesitated to stop the training match. Even so… Will you please not talk about One for All so loudly?" All Might responded, fearing that his secret might be uncovered.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Natural-Born Hero. Mr. Symbol of Peace." Recovery Girl sarcastically replied.

"My injury and this form of mine are common knowledge among the UA teachers and a certain group of Pros, but the secret of my Quirk, One for All, is known only to you, the principal, my close friends, and Young Midoriya." All Might exclaimed, reminding her how his secret is important.

"Don't forget the Elders." She added, but All Might gave her a glare, showing that she shouldn't have mentioned them in front of Izuku. However, Recovery Girl just scoffed at his reaction.

"I know it's not like you want to rest on your laurels at the top, but is being a natural-born Hero or the Symbol of Peace really that important?" She asked, which snapped Izuku out of his earlier gaze and grabbed his attention.

"If I no longer am, then the superhuman society will be seized by evil. This is the responsibility of those of us with this power. One for All was created to save people and defeat the Villains, it's not your just average Quirk." All Might replied with a very serious tone, which contrasts his usual personality.

Hearing this, Izuku was once again reminded by the heavy responsibility he shoulders now. However, Izuku couldn't help but feel guilty.

"All Might, Recovery Girl. I'm so sorry for holding back during the Battle Trials. I-I didn't use One for All when I fought Kacchan because of a personal grudge. I only used it to show him how much stronger I am… I was so stupid… I don't deserve that power…" Izuku said as the guilt sank in.

All Might sighed before he put a hand on his shoulder. "You wanted to show yourself that you can beat him even without your borrowed power. That's why I let the match continue. It was something I believed you needed. It's true, you went too far and using your full power from the very start to show him the difference in your powers, should've been enough to teach him his lesson. After all, I do believe that he needed this too. However, we all make mistakes and you're still a Hero in training. Not so long ago, you were just a Quirkless kid with no power, but things changed now. You don't have one Quirk, but two. In a Hero comic before the Quirk era, there was this famous quote that said; with great power comes great responsibility. I chose you because I knew that you were selfless, and because I know that you're going to use it to save people. I know -no, I'm sure you're up to the responsibility. Now don't feel bad, even I did let my emotions influence my actions in my younger days. Just remember, learn from your mistakes before moving on." All Might gave a few words of advice to the young Hero.

"You can become a Hero."

"So, I'm giving you this offer… Izuku Midoriya, I want you to be my successor."

"Come, Young Midoriya. This is your Hero Academia!"

Izuku remembered what he's fighting for again, he remembered his responsibilities, and he remembered why he's here.

"I promise to use this power for the greater good and I promise you that I'll become the next Symbol of Peace." Izuku said with conviction, he wasn't going to fail.

All Might and Recovery Girl just smiled, before Izuku went back to his class and spend a normal school day. Eventually, the school day ended, and everyone started to pack their stuff to go back home.

"Midoriya! I really have to say you were so manly back then." Kirishima said while Izuku noticed that a lot of his classmates were approaching him. "Man, I don't know what you were saying during the match, but you were fired up!" He added.

"I can't believe how you dominated the fight with Bakugo, who was second only to you in the Practical Exam!" Sero exclaimed.

"You did a good job dodging!" Mina shouted with enthusiasm.

"You guys did that in the first match, so the rest of us had to give it our all, too." Rikido Sato, a giant guy added.

"You weren't as elegant as me but-" Aoyama wanted to say something but was cut off.

"You did a good job dodging!" Mina shouted again.

"H-Huh?" Midoriya was overwhelmed right now, he wasn't used to all of that attention at once.

"I'm Ejiro Kirishima. We're all going over the training together right now."

"I'm Hanta Sero."

"I'm Yuga Aoya-" Aoyama was cut off again.

"I'm Mina Ashido, though you already know my name!" Mina said as she winked at Izuku, who immediately blushed and got nervous, knowing what she was referring to.

"I'm Tsuyu Asui. Call me Tsu."

"I'm Sato!"

"I'm Mineta! Midoriya if I stick with you, I'm sure I'll be able to get a lot of girls!" A short pervert boy yelled, as he jumped in the air, but was smacked on the back of his head by Tsuyu's tongue.

"I'm Yuga Aoyama." Aoyama was finally able to say something without being cut off.

The various students of Class 1-A introduced themselves and Izuku tried his best to give them his attention, but couldn't help himself and looked over Bakugo's empty desk. He immediately realized that he already left the classroom. So, he decided to go after him and ran off, much to the students' surprise.

"HEY! YOU TRICKED ME, DIDN'T YOU?! WAS IT FUN TRICKING ME ALL THIS TIME?! HUH?! YOU'VE GOT A FLASHY QUIRK THERE, DON'T YOU?! AWAKENED IT A YEAR AGO?! YEAH RIGHT, YOU THINK I'M A FOOL TO BELIEVE THIS BULLSHIT! COME OUT AND FACE ME!" Izuku remembered Bakugo's words during the battle as he was running through the hallways, heading to the school building's exit.

"Kacchan!" Izuku called his ex-best friend, who was a few feet away.

Bakugo stopped for a moment, before turning back to look at Izuku with an angry glare.

"WHAT! ARE YOU HERE TO BOAST YOUR VICTORY IN MY FACE?! HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU INTEND TO HUMILIATE ME?! YOU'RE GETTING BACK AT ME FOR ALL THE TRAUMA I PUT YOU THROUGH, ISN'T IT?!" Bakugo violently answered.

"No! That's not it Kacchan. I just want you to know that I didn't trick you at all. I-I really did get my Quirk last year. A-And what I did today, during the battle wasn't to get back at you for bullying me. I did this for the both of us. I-I really wanted to surpass you, and prove to you that I'm not that weak and frail boy who you used to bully! And that I don't see myself beneath you anymore!" Izuku shot back explaining his motives for holding back.

Hearing this, Bakugo gritted his teeth in anger. "AND TO SHOW ME THAT I'M NOT THE BEST LIKE I THOUGHT. I ALREADY KNOW THAT, YOU DAMN NERD! WHETHER YOUR QUIRK MANIFESTED LAST YEAR OR NOT, I LOST TO YOU TODAY… THAT'S ALL IT WAS… THAT'S ALL…" Bakugo said, with frustration, as he started to remember Todoroki's performance. "AS I WATCHED THE ICE GUY, I THOUGHT, I CAN'T BEAT HIM!"

"It is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors." Bakugo remembered Momo's comment.

"DAMN IT! I ENDED UP AGREEING WITH WHAT THAT PONYTAIL GIRL SAID! DAMN IT! DAMN IT, DAMN IT! HEY, YOU TOO DEKU!"

"FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS!" Bakugo remembered Izuku's words, the words that were forever engraved in his mind.

"I'M JUST GETTING STARTED! YOU HEAR ME! FROM NOW ON, YO-YOU'RE…" He trailed off as his next words felt bitter on his tongue. "Y-YOU'RE MY RIVAL AND I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU, YOU HEAR ME?! Here, I WILL BECOME NUMBER ONE, I'LL EVEN SURPASS ALL MIGHT! YOU WON'T BEAT ME AGAIN, BASTARD!" Bakugo yelled, his eyes were teary as his pride took a huge blow. It was the first time that Bakugo had to admit that he's not the best, and he learned it the hard way. Not wanting to waste his time here anymore, he decided to leave.

Izuku was shocked as every word registered in his mind. Kacchan acknowledged me… He's really changing… He finally acknowledged ME, the DEKU…

"And I won't lose either! Kacchan!" Izuku shouted back. He was happy that Bakugo was starting to change a bit, and finally see him as his equal. He was happy that Bakugo can really become the amazing Hero and person he always believed he could be. It meant that Izuku never wasted his time chasing him, it meant that he truly had the power to save people even from themselves and inspire them, just like All Might said.

Izuku then went back to the school building, where he found All Might, waiting for him at the entrance.

"I was worried that you were going to tell Young Bakugo the secret of One for All. Here I thought that maybe you saw as having One for All gave you an unfair advantage given that you have an inferiority complex. But it appears to me that I was worried about nothing."

"Of course not, All Might. I know that it's a big secret, not to mention I defeated him without using One for All, so technically I won with my own power." Izuku responded.

"I thought that he needed me to counsel him, but it seems like he's all better now. And yes, you did, but I believe we both agreed not to do that again." 

"Yes, I didn't forget. I was just saying that there was no reason to tell him about the secret of One for All. I also agree that fighting him and winning without using my full power was pretty harsh too, but in the end, he took it very well…, I think. Not to mention, he's finally seeing me as an equal…" Izuku replied. I mean his main plan after all was to knock Bakugo off his ego and help him become a better person. Normally, any person would have used this opportunity to take revenge or something, but Izuku was different, he always wished the best for everyone. His kind heart is one of the main reasons why All Might chose him as his successor.

"It's a good thing that you're rivals now, Young Bakugo's fuses has been lit… I'm confident that both of you will push each other to the top." All Might said with a smile and Izuku couldn't help but sweat drop at how optimistic his mentor was. After all, Bakugo only recognized Izuku as a bigger obstacle in his way to reach the top. But who knows? Maybe he'll change one day. We'll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Mina, Momo, Ochako and Tsuyu watched the heated discussion between their classmates, from their homeroom's window.

"What was that?" Mina asked.

"The fated battle between men." Ochako replied

"It seems like we won't see the end of their battle soon enough." Momo added.

"The fated battle between men!" Ochako repeated.

The Next Day:

Izuku was going to UA as this was his third day. However, he was blocked by a mass of media, standing in front of the gates.

"Hey you! How are All Might's classes?"

"I-I'm from the General Studies course." Izuku quickly replied, to avoid the mass.

"Eh?! We don't need that one let's find another student." The news reporter said, before she saw Ochaco walking up to the school's entrance.

Phew, that was easy. Izuku thought as he passed the front entrance.

The entire news report media immediately ran towards Ochaco to ask her questions. "Will you tell us what the Symbol of Peace is like as a teacher?"

Ochaco was a little taken aback by the question. "Wh-What he's like? Um… He's very muscular!" Ochaco exclaimed as she flexed both her arms doing her best imitation of All Might.

They then saw Tenya walking to the school's entrance and they immediately ran up to him to ask some questions.

"What do you think of All Might as a teacher?"

"He made me recognize anew that I attend an educational institution that is the best of the best. Of course, his dignity, and character go without saying, but we students are constantly able to see his humorous side. It is a unique opportunity to learn about being a Top Hero directly from one!" Tenya said with his usual serious and dramatic fashion. This caused the reporters to get bored as they didn't expect a teenager to be so earnest about having All Might as a teacher. They thought he would be more typical about but they were dead wrong as there is nothing typical about Tenya Iida.

"Excuse me! Can you tell me about All Migh- Oh? You're the one who was caught by the Sludge Villain… " The reporter said when they recognized Bakugo, which made Bakugo angry, since he always gets irritated by this subject.

"Fuck off!" Bakugo growled, as he walked past the front entrance.

"Um, about All Might… Wow, you're scruffy… What's your deal?" The female news reporter asked Aizawa.

"He's not on duty today. You are disturbing the classes. Please leave." Aizawa said as he turned around and went through the front entrance.

"Wait! I would like to speak directly with All Might!"

Aizawa sighed and shook his head as he kept walking. "I can't believe All Might was able to work as a Hero with all this." The man said in deadpanned voice.

The news reporter began to get a little frustrated. "Hey! Just a little time is fine!" she said before she began to attempt to walk past the front entrance but abruptly stopped when a buzzer went off and metal gates were activated as they came down to block the front entrance.

"Wh-What the…?!"

"It's the UA Barrier. If someone tries to get in without a Student ID or a pass to enter, the security system kicks in. Apparently, there are sensors all over the school."

"What the heck? They think they're so high and mighty. They could at least give a brief comment."

"Seriously, we've been here for two days, and they still won't say anything!"

The news that All might had been hired as a teacher at UA surprised the nation, and the media descended on the school and caused a commotion for days. Everyone knew about it.

Far behind the media and news reporters, a mysterious figure could be seen standing ominously, but that man wasn't a random bystander.

"Good work on yesterday's combat training." Aizawa stated as Class 1-A was seated and ready to begin class. He looked towards Bakugo and said, "Bakugo, you're talented, so don't act like a kid."

"I know." Bakugo responded.

"And Midoriya."

Izuku looked up at Aizawa and paid close attention as he heard his name.

"Good job on finding a way to control your Quirk, but don't hold back again. I don't like to repeat myself, but this is just a reminder."

Izuku smiled as he understood what his teacher was saying. "Yes, sir!"

Aizawa then turned his attention towards the whole class. "Now let's get down to homeroom business. Sorry about the late notice, but today, I'll have you… "

The students began anticipating on what their teacher was about to say next…

… take another special test?! The whole class thought.

"…decide on a class representative."

It's actually a normal school activity! The class thought in relief.

However, everyone in the class quickly started to raise their hands and shout, as they wanted the position.

"Silence, please!"

Everybody immediately calmed down as soon as they heard Tenya yell so that he could have their attention.

"It's a job with the serious responsibility of leading others. It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it. It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you. If we want to use democracy to decide on a true leader, then we should hold an election to choose one."

"YOUR HAND IS RAISED THE HIGHEST!" Class 1-A responded as Tenya stood there with his hand raised up high showing that he too wanted to be class rep.

"Why did you suggest that?" Kaminari asked in confusion.

"We have not known each other for that long, so how can we have trust or anything?" Tsuyu asked.

"If that's the case, and everyone votes for themselves…" Kirishima began to say.

"Don't you think that is precisely why whoever receives multiple votes here can be truly considered the most suitable person? What do you think, Aizawa-sensei?" Tenya asked.

"I don't care, as long as you decide before homeroom is over." Aizawa responded as he fell down to the floor in his yellow sleeping bag to prepare for a nap.

That man is such a mood. Izuku said in his head, with a chuckle.

"Thank you very much!" Tenya responded.

A couple of minutes later:

Election Results:

Izuku Midoriya- 4 Votes

Momo Yaoyorozu- 3 Votes

"What?! I got four votes?! Where the hell did those come from?!" Izuku yelled out in shock, as he didn't expect to get so many votes.

"WHY DEKU?! WHO VOTED FOR THE DAMN NERD?!" Bakugo yelled in rage as he jumped out of his seat.

"Well, it's better than voting for you." Sero commented with a grin.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Meanwhile Ochaco was whistling innocently and nonchalantly as she looked the other way trying to look as normal as possible.

"I give up! I give up! Zero votes… I knew that would happen… That is only to be expected of a person's calling." Tenya said as he was filled with an aura of misery.

"You voted for someone else, huh?" Momo said in a sympathetic tone.

"But you wanted to do it, too. What are you trying to do, Iida?" Sato asked as he couldn't get why Iida didn't vote for himself.

"Then, the class rep is Midoriya, and the deputy class rep will be Yaoyorozu." Aizawa stated in his bored and monotone voice as the two stood in front of the class.

"Everyone, thank you for choosing me. I-I promise you all that I'll do my best!" Izuku said as he smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. He was a little nervous about fitting the criteria for class rep.

"Hey you know what, this might not be too bad." Tsuyu commented.

"After all's said and done, Midoriya can be pretty fired up, anyway. And Yaoyorozu was cool when we were going over the battle results!" Kirishima stated as he also liked the idea of having Izuku as their class rep.

Lunch Time:

"Wow! There are a lot of people today too!" Ochaco said as the entire cafeteria was packed full of students as there was a lot of noise and activity going on.

"That's because everyone in the Hero Course, Support Course, and Management Course meets in the same place." Tenya replied.

"I wonder who voted for me?" Izuku questioned himself.

"I did. Your courage and judgment at critical moments make you worth following. Out of all of us, you're the one who probably has the most Heroic spirit. That's why I voted for you." Tenya said before he took another spoonful of his food.

"It was you?" Izuku asked in shock.

"Me too." Ochaco stated.

"Me three." Ojiro said, as sat down next to Izuku.

"Wait a second?! So, you all voted for me!? Who else did?" Izuku asked. He was surprised that so many people voted for him.

"I did!" Kirishima replied as he sat on the same table with them.

Kirishima also voted for Midoriya? Then that just means that Izuku also didn't vote for himself. Tenya thought, before attempting to ask Izuku about the matter, only to be interrupted by Ochaco.

"But didn't you want to be class rep, too, Iida? I mean, you've got glasses and everything." Ochaco said bluntly and outright.

Uraraka just talks without thinking… Izuku thought with a sweat drop.

Tenya took a sip of his orange juice. "Wanting to do it and being suitable for it are different issues. I merely did what I judged to be correct."

"Merely? You don't usually use that word…" Izuku said in confusion.

"Oh that's…" Tenya mumbled.

"I've been thinking… Are you a rich boy, Iida?" Ochaco asked in curiosity.

"Rich… I tried to change how I talk because I didn't want to be called that." Tenya said, he was taken aback as his little secret was exposed.

Izuku, Ochaco, Ojiro and Kirishima stared at him, urging and pleading for him to go on and explain.

Tenya sighed before saying, "Yes, my family has been Heroes for generations. I'm the second son."

"What?! Wow!" The four of them exclaimed.

"Do you know the Turbo Hero, Ingenium?" Iida asked.

"Of course! He's a really popular Hero who has 65 sidekicks working at his Tokyo agency!" Izuku stated going into fanboy mode. "Wait, don't tell me…"

Tenya smirked as he stood. "He is my elder brother!" Tenya said with pride.

"He's telling us straight out!"

"That's amazing!" Izuku shouted, still in his fanboy mode.

"He is a likable Hero who honors the rules and leads people. I set my sights on being a Hero because I want to be like my brother. However, I think it is still too soon for me to lead others. Unlike me, Midoriya realized the point of the practical portion of the Entrance Exam, so he's more suitable for the job." Tenya pointed out.

"This might be the first time I've seen you smile, Iida." Ochaco said.

"What, really? I smile!" Tenya said as he was surprised that Ochaco would even say something like that.

Izuku smiled and thought to himself. Ingenium is to Iida what All Might is to me. But I should tell him…

"By the way Ojiro, what did you mean when you said that Midoriya is your rival?" Kirishima asked, and both Ochako and Tenya got interested in the topic too.

"Oh that! Well, you see, before the Entrance Exam, Midoriya and I trained together at a Muay Thai dojo and we would spar almost every day. Our sensei also put us through a lot of training, in order to show us the spirit of youth!" Ojiro excitedly said as he reminisced the past.

"That's why Deku fights like a martial artist!" Ochako shouted excitedly, as she finally figured out why Izuku was so good at hand-to-hand combat.

"That's so manly and your sensei sounds even manlier!" Kirishima added as he though how cool his two classmates were.

"I see… As expected of both of you. I'm sure that you two went through rigorous training to reach your current level." Tenya commented.

Izuku then felt two hands going over his eyes, hiding them before a familiar voice said, "Yes, he's also a master in Taekwondo. And I believe I told you before Ojiro, stop imitating grandpa."

Izuku immediately turned around as he and Ojiro yelled in shock, "It-Itsuka!" Both teens were gobsmacked. They never imagined seeing her in UA.

"Hello Izuku, it's been a long time." She greeted the Sharingan user.

"What are you doing here?" Izuku asked.

"What do you mean? I'm here to become a Hero just like you." Itsuka replied, stating the obvious.

"But you never told us." Ojiro commented, voicing Izuku thought.

"I wanted to surprise you guys." She replied.

"I still can't believe this. We all made it to UA!" Izuku exclaimed as he was happy to know that his two best friends were in UA with him.

"You're him, the one who defeated the Zero Pointer with one punch." A black hair girl calmly said. That young girl had shoulder-length, bob-shaped hair, side-swept to her right with some shorter strands hanging above her eyes. She had fair skin, an athletic build, cerulean eyes, and wearing a neutral expression on her face.

"Wait a second. Izuku is the one you told us about, the one who destroyed the Zero Pointer with one punch!" Itsuka cried out in shock. She never thought that her shy and timid friend would be the same person who accomplished such a feat. Not to mention, the last time she saw him, he was just a cinnamon roll. She had no idea how much Izuku changed, both physically and mentally.

"Yes!" Ochaco began. "He did it to save me. He was so cool! You should've seen him! He appeared out of nowhere and jumped 25 meters in the air and then punched the robot, completely destroying his head!" Ochaco mimicked Izuku, while the black hair girl nodded, confirming her story.

"Guys…" Izuku blushed, he usually got embarrassed when people praised his achievements.

"So, that's how you got first place." Itsuka nodded, happy with her deduction. "I was so surprised when I got a glimpse of your name at the top of the leaderboards."

"Yes, Midoriya is truly a model example to what a Pro Hero should be. After all, he realized the secret component to the exam." Tenya added.

"He's so manly!" Kirishima shouted and Itsuka noticed that they had their own Tetsutetsu.

"Guys…" Izuku repeated.

"But where were you guys since the start of year? I didn't see you during the orientations." Itsuka asked.

"We skipped it. Aizawa-sensei made us do a Quirk Apprehension Test." Ojiro responded.

"Really?" Itsuka questioned, wanting to know more about Class 1-A's teacher.

"Yes, and he threatened to expel anyone who came in last place. But Midoriya was so manly!" Kirishima commented, and Izuku sweatdropped as he knew what was coming next.

Tenya adjusted his glasses before he began to speak. "Yes, you see. Aizawa-sensei thought that Izuku may be holding back or something, so Midoriya decided to show him his true power in the ball throw test. His throw literally broke the sound barrier and knocked us all off our feet. He threw the ball over 1Km." Tenya explained while Ochaco mimicked everything Izuku did at the time.

"Over 1Km?!" Both Itsuka and the other girl were awestruck to hear this. Their eyes widened before drifting to Izuku, who had hidden his head between his arms not so long ago. "Is that true?" Itsuka asked.

"I think that this is what happened. But can we umm get to know each other first?" He asked as he looked at the black hair girl.

"Oh, right. Who are you guys?" Tenya asked, now curious by the identity of the two girls.

You're asking now, Iida? Izuku sarcastically thought with a flat expression.

"Iida, Uraraka, Kirishima. This is Itsuka Kendo, she's my friend. She's also the granddaughter of my Muay Thai sensei, and she used to spar with Ojiro and me." Izuku introduced the orange hair teen girl. "Itsuka, this is Ochaco Uraraka, Tenya Iida and Eijiro Kirishima, they're my classmates."

"That's manly! You guys must have trained a lot together." Kirishima added as he thought how cool it was for the three martial artists to have trained together.

"This is Yui Kodai, she's my classmate. We're both in Class 1-B." Itsuka finally introduced the other girl.

"Nice to meet you, Kodai." They all said. Itsuka noted throughout the conversation how Yui's usual neutral expression changed when she heard about Izuku's achievements.

I guess even she can show emotions and different expressions too… Itsuka thought.

"So, who did your sensei expel?" Itsuka asked, feeling sorry for whoever who got expelled.

"No one." They all replied.

"Wait what?"

"He said it was a logical ruse to make us draw out the upper limits of our Quirks." Tenya replied.

Feeling that lunchtime was almost over, Itsuka decided to say goodbye to Izuku and Ojiro. "Congratulations on getting the number one spot Izuku. You really did what you said you would do."

"Thank you-" Izuku began but was cut off by the sound of an alarm.

"-There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."

"What's a Level 3 security?" Tenya asked an upperclassman.

"It means someone is trespassing on school grounds! I've never seen anything like this in the three years I've been here! You should hurry, too!" He said before he ran out of his chair to evacuate.

What happened afterwards was pure havoc as everyone tried to evacuate at the same time in a rush in complete disorder. Everybody was squished up together and there was barely any breathing room. It was quite the uncomfortable predicament.

"Ow!" Ochaco and Itsuka both shouted as they got squeezed in the crowd.

"Itsuka! Uraraka! Th-They're so quick that it's causing a panic!" Izuku said in a strained voice as he too was in an uncomfortable position. He was also worried about his friends. "I'll have to activate my Sharingan to find them."

Izuku activated his Sharingan, trying to locate his friends, but then saw from the window, that it was just the press and trespassing media.

"It seems like no one else knows who's trespassing." Izuku said, before locating Ochaco and trying to reach her, as he had a plan.

"Uraraka make me float!" Izuku shouted as he was squeezing himself to get to Ochaco, until the latter activated her Quirk on him, and Izuku started to float in the air.

"Everyone! Calm down! It is just the media and press! There is nothing to worry about! The teachers got the situation under control! There is nothing to fear! This is UA for crying out loud!" Izuku yelled.

Every student quieted down and sighed in relief, as they heard police sirens which signified that the media would be gone in a few minutes.

Meanwhile At UA's Front Entrance:

Four figures could be seen standing near the front entrance, one of them being Recovery Girl and 2 other teachers at UA. The one in front of the three of them resembled a mouse as he saw what was in front of him which confused him greatly.

"How were the ordinary members of the press able to do something like this? Someone instigated this. Did someone evil slip in, or was it intended to be a declaration of war?"

The reason that he said this was because the metal gate that once stood in front of the entrance as a form of security was completely destroyed and reduced to dust. Only bits and pieces remained.

They had no idea who did this, and they had no idea what was their motive. Unfortunately, they were about to find out pretty soon, and not in the way they hoped they would.

The Next Day:

All Might was saving people as he was heading to UA, he couldn't help saving people when he knew they were in danger.

"It'll be bad if I'm late, but… !" All Might jumped high in the air in pursuit of a car.

I've gotten slower…? After I gave Young Midoriya One for All, my powers have been weakening. On top of that, after forcing myself that time, the time I can spend in this form has gotten shorter than before. All Might thought as he caught the car that committed the hit-and-run and smashed the engine to prevent it from going anywhere else.

Young Midoriya… please think carefully about what it means to have this power. If word gets out, it's clear that the world would be teaming with those trying to steal the power from you. This secret should be kept both to prevent chaos in society and for your sake. All Might said in his head as he thought about the safety of his Successor and what dangers bearing One for All would bring to him.

Even if he is a suitable vessel, he is still only a 15-year-old boy. I have to pull myself together.

"Someone's barricaded themselves in the neighboring town!"

As soon as he heard that, All Might blasted off once again to go resolve the issue.

At UA High School:

"For today's Hero Basic Training, it's turned into a class with three instructors, All Might and me, and one more person." Aizawa revealed to the class as they wondered who the third teacher could be.

Turned into? I wonder if it is a special case? Izuku thought.

"Excuse me! What will we be doing?" Sero asked.

Aizawa held out a card that the word RESCUE in blue letters printed on it. "Disasters, shipwrecks, and everything in between. It's rescue training!"

"Rescue… Looks like it'll be a lot of work this time, too." Kaminari said.

"Right?" Mina agreed with him.

"Idiot, this is the duty of a Hero! My arms are ready to rumble!" Kirishima said as he was fired up.

"No one can beat me in water. Kero." Tsuyu said as she too anticipated the rescue training.

"Hey, I'm not done. You can decide if you want to wear your costumes or not this time. Because there are probably costumes that limit your abilities, too." Aizawa said as he used a remote to make the numbered boxes that contain the students' costumes come out of the wall.

"The training will take place off-campus, so we're taking a bus. That is all. Start getting ready."

And with that, the students got up from their chairs and began to prepare to head to rescue training.

Rescue training… What I've admired… Izuku thought as he remembered the video of All Might's debut. The one he watched countless times as a kid. He then clenched his right fist.

It's training to get another step closer to being the Greatest Hero. I'll do my best!