Chapter 54

This is another backstory there will be another I think...maybe...I dont know but this is when anos is in middle/highschool the aftermath.

The stale air of Aldera Junior High clung to me like a shroud. It was my last year, and honestly, I couldn't wait to be done. School had lost its luster after Touya… well, after he was gone. He was more than a friend; he was… a brother in a way. Now, the halls just echoed with a hollowness I couldn't shake.

Most days bled into one another, punctuated only by the occasional awkward nod from a classmate. Diamond, thankfully, was the exception. She was a constant, a bright spark in the drab landscape of my existence. With her black hair streaked with a vibrant blue lightning bolt, she always seemed to be buzzing with energy, a stark contrast to my own… subdued demeanor.

She found me slumped against a locker one afternoon, my white hair falling into my eyes, obscuring my vision. Damn these freckles, making me look young as hell. I was 5'6 at the time, for god sake!

"Anos! Earth to Anos!" Diamond chirped, waving a hand in front of my face. "Teen club tonight. You in?"

I sighed, already formulating my polite rejection. Teen clubs weren't really my thing, especially not since Touya… "I don't know, Diamond…"

She leveled me with her "puppy dog eyes" – a weapon she knew I was defenseless against. I groaned inwardly. Dammit! Her and Izuku.

"Please? It'll be fun! Just for a little while?" she pleaded, her voice laced with genuine concern.

I relented. "Fine. But don't expect me to suddenly become a social butterfly."

She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. "Deal! I'll pick you up at seven."

That night turned out to be… surprisingly okay. The teen club was loud, flashing with neon lights and pulsating with music. Diamond, as usual, dragged me into everything. We played arcade games (I may have accidentally broken one with my strength), devoured greasy pizza, and even attempted karaoke (my singing voice is, shall we say, not my Forte).

It was there, amidst the cacophony and the laughter, that I met them: Alex, with his dark hair and quiet demeanor; Marcus, radiating confidence with his bright pink hair and acid jokes; Anix, with his calm presence and surprisingly hilarious frog impersonations; Hannah, her smile strangely captivating; Katsume, a brooding guy with brown hair, radiating heat like his kid brother; Eliza, cool and collected; Riley and Ryan Himura, ice and sun as everyone calls them; twins with striking white and grey hair, radiating an aura of coldness I was quite familiar with.

We clicked. It was… weird. I hadn't really felt a sense of belonging since… well, since my previous life. These people were interesting. They were flawed. They were real. And for the first time in a long time, I felt… relaxed.

"Thanks, Diamond," I mumbled later that night as she dropped me off at home.

She just grinned. "No worries, Anos. We're all in this together."

Weeks turned into months, and that initial awkwardness faded. We studied together, hung out at arcades, and even started planning for our future. We all applied to U.A., the top hero academy in the country. The entrance exam was brutal, testing our quirks and our resolve. But we pushed each other, encouraged each other, and celebrated together when every single one of us passed.

Our groupchat went off the rails when we found out we all made it, spamming with all might pics.

U.A. was a dream come true. I felt a sense of purpose, a direction I hadn't had before. I excelled in combat training, my Superman-given abilities giving me a clear edge.

But a gnawing unease started to creep in. Katsume, usually boisterous, became withdrawn around me. He seemed… agitated. He started avoiding my gaze, mumbling excuses whenever I tried to talk to him. I saw Izuku trying to be around me, to make me happy but I was so lost, so torn I couldn't even make him the same.

Finally, one afternoon, I cornered him. "Katsume, what's going on? You've been acting weird for weeks."

He sighed, running a hand through his blonde-faded brown hair. He looked everywhere but at me. "It's… it's about Izuku."

My stomach clenched. "Izuku? What about him?"

"I… I think he's getting bullied."

I scoffed. "That's ridiculous. Izuku's strong." Even as I said it, a seed of doubt took root. Izuku was determined, but he was also…guileless. Too trusting.

"I've seen bruises, Anos. On his arms, his legs… Burn marks, too."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Bruises? Burn marks? My eyes narrowed, a cold fury rising within me.

"Who…?" I growled, my voice dangerously low.

Katsume hesitated. "I… I don't know for sure. But I've seen him talking to… well, you know Katsuki."

Katsuki. My blood ran cold. That little shit.

I nodded curtly. "Thanks, Katsume."

I went home, my mind racing. I found Izuku in his room, meticulously studying All Might videos. He looked up, his green eyes shining with admiration. I tried to smile, but it felt forced.

"Izuku," I said, my voice carefully controlled. "Are you getting bullied?"

He froze, his eyes widening. He stammered, unable to meet my gaze.

"Izuku… tell me the truth."

He finally looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and shame. He nodded slowly.

Rage, raw and untamed, exploded within me. I lifted his sleeves, and there they were: the telltale marks of abuse. Bruises blooming like ugly flowers on his pale skin. Scars from what looked like… explosions.

I said nothing. I simply walked out of the room, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles turned white. The world seemed to spin, colors blurring. Purple flickered at the edges of my vision.

The next morning, I made sure Izuku got to school safely. I watched him from across the street, my eyes scanning the crowd. After he walked inside, I marched into the school and demanded a meeting with his teacher.

"Sensei, I need to talk to you about Izuku," I said, my voice clipped.

She looked surprised. "Is everything alright, Anos?"

"No. He's being bullied. And I want to know why you haven't done anything about it."

She stammered, denying any knowledge of the situation. "I… I haven't seen anything, Anos. I assure you, if I had, I would have intervened."

I didn't believe her for a second. The system was failing him. I was a failure to him. I groaned and decided to keep an eye out, watching from afar, my eyes narrowed, I spotted them. Three kids: one with red wings, the other with spiky black hair, and the last… Katsuki.

That little shit.

My vision went red. I moved before I could think, grabbing Katsuki before he could strike Izuku. I slammed him against the nearest wall, the impact echoing through the silent courtyard.

The teacher screamed and ran. Students scattered, their faces etched with fear. Izuku gasped, trying to pull me off Katsuki.

"Anos! Stop it!" he cried, his voice filled with terror.

But I was lost in a haze of fury. I didn't hear him. All I saw was red.

It was Diamond and Katsume who finally pulled me off of him. Diamond, her face pale with shock, grabbed my arm, while Katsume helped his brother up and took him somewhere.

"Anos! What the hell was that?!" Diamond demanded, her voice laced with anger and concern.

"He was hurting Izuku!" I roared, my voice trembling with rage. "He was bullying my brother!"

Diamond shook her head, her eyes filled with disbelief. "I know Katsuki is an ass but come on!"

Izuku ran out, tears streaming down his face. "Anos… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to cause any trouble…" He was apologizing for getting hurt.

I sighed, the anger slowly ebbing away, replaced by guilt and exhaustion. I pulled Izuku into a hug. "It's okay, Izuku. It's not your fault."

Katsume came out, his face filled with shame and regret. "I… I'm sorry, Anos. I didn't know he was doing that. I'll… I'll deal with him. I promise."

Looking back, I can see how naive I was. How short-sighted. I thought that was it. I thought Katsume would handle it. I thought everything would be okay.

But everything wasn't okay. It never is, is it?

Because the scars on Izuku's body were nothing compared to the scars that were about to be etched onto our hearts. And I, in my blind rage, had set everything in motion.