Deku

"And remember-"

"To be careful, yes Mom, I know", he finished buttoning up his collar, before mumbling under his breath, "you remind me often enough".

"What was that, Sweetie?"

"Nothing Mom".

"That's what I thought", she said dryly, as she stepped around the corner, already wearing her pale blue nurse's scrubs, "are you ready?"

He nodded, "I'm ready".

His mom wore plain white orthopaedic trainers for work, allowing her to walk and run comfortably as needed, while his choice was a bit more fun. Aldera Junior High School mandated its gakuran uniform, but it had no strict guidelines on its student's choice of footwear, which meant that Izuku was allowed to wear his classic Air Might Series XX trainers, in bright red with white lining, without any issues.

"Then let's go".

They both put on their shoes, his mother doubly making sure that she had tightened her laces, knowing that they could become a safety hazard, as they stepped outside and she locked the door behind them, before they headed down the apartment's stairs and towards the car.

It was part of their routine now.

Every morning, they left their small apartment together and piled into his mom's even smaller car, which served to make him feel more and more cramped, the older and taller he got. Mom would drop him off at Aldera Junior High School for his day before she continued onto the hospital. Once school was out, Izuku would take the train up to the hospital and spend a few hours of his time volunteering. They'd eat dinner together in the hospital cafeteria, which thankfully had nice food, before her twelve-hour shift was over and they'd drive home.

It was a nice routine.

There was only a single blight in it, as far as Izuku was concerned.

Aldera Junior High School.

Izuku really didn't like that place.

He'd said he hated it once, but his mother had been insistent that he didn't. Hatred was a 'real emotion', she'd told him, a raw one that ate at you, leaving only pain and anger behind, and if you didn't actually feel it, then you shouldn't say that you did.

Now that he was thirteen, he knew his mom had a point. Hatred and anger could be dangerous, and when you were as strong as Izuku was, you had to be careful.

He'd used his powers against someone angrily once before.

He promised his mom and his Grandmima, (and himself), that he'd never let it happen again.

=== === === === ===

"Good morning Izuku".

"Good morning".

"Hey man!"

"Hey".

"Hi Izuku".

"Hi Sen".

Izuku smiled as he took his seat in his homeroom class, setting out his notebook and pencils, and setting them down neatly. Homura-sensei gave him a nod in greeting as he sat down, from where he was enjoying his morning coffee at the front of the room.

A few of their other classmates joined them, as the time for morning bell grew closer and closer. Some of them were content to ignore him, while a few others waved in greeting or simply nodded. Izuku liked most of his classmates well enough but given that he spent all of his free time volunteering at the hospital, he couldn't really say that any of them were good friends.

He just didn't know them well enough.

Or rather, he only really knew one of them at all.

With all of the casual force his arms were capable of, Bakugo threw open the door, letting it slam against the adjacent wall, before he wheeled himself inside, with all of the anger his body could muster.

Years ago, he had used to call Bakugo 'Kacchan'. Back then, they'd been friends, best friends, before one day when they had gotten into a children's spat, and after Bakugo had damaged his favourite toy, Izuku had lost his temper. He'd shoved Bakugo with all of the force he could muster, which for him, was quite a lot to consider, and the result had thrown him clear across the park they'd been in. Bakugo had collided with a cherry blossom tree, and as the trunk had shattered on impact, so too had Bakugo's spine.

He'd lost consciousness and blood, (and three of his milk teeth), but the doctor's had managed to stabilise him. They'd done everything they could to save him, and they'd succeeded, but after weeks of rest, recuperation and recovery, it had become clear that while most of Bakugo would be just fine, he would never regain the full use of his legs.

And it was his fault.

Mom had warned him about using his strength.

Grandmima had warned him about using his strength.

Koharu-sensei had warned him about using his strength.

Doctor Tsubasa had warned him against using his strength.

And he hadn't listened.

He'd gotten angry, he'd used his strength, and Bakugo had been the one to pay the price for it.

The police had been called, naturally, after a child was traumatically injured, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The age of criminality in Japan was fourteen, and Izuku had only been four at the time. Even if it hadn't been an accident, he simply wasn't old enough to be charged with a crime, so there was no legal punishment for it.

There'd been a lawsuit, he remembered being mentioned, but he was old enough now to know that it had been a civil lawsuit, and not a criminal one, between the Bakugo Family and his mom, who was legally responsible for him and any actions he took. He didn't know what the outcome was, (his mom had never actually told him about the lawsuit), but he assumed that it hadn't ended well, because what he did know was that they hadn't spoken since.

Before he'd hurt Bakugo that day, their moms had been friends, and good friends at that. He could remember calling Mitsuki and Masaru, 'Auntie' and 'Uncle', and he knew that Bakugo had done the same for his mom, calling her 'Auntie Inko'. He'd spent his time at their house, instead of at the hospital's daycare, during the times when his mom had been looking to picking up extra shifts.

Naturally, that had all changed on the day he'd crippled their son.

Understandably, in his mind, they had no desire to see him or to look after him following the incident, so he'd spent his free time either sitting in the hospital daycare, helping with the daycare as he got older, and then, when he'd gotten old enough to properly assist the staff, earning himself community service hours, which would look good on his application to U.A. in a few years, and which he desperately needed, given that he had no extra-curricular activities that he could list on his forms.

U.A. wasn't just one of the few national hero schools in the world - and only one of two that could be found in Japan - it was considered to be the school to go to. Their entrance requirements were the strictest in all of Japan, and that was just to be given permission to take the exam. They produced internationally ranked Pro Heroes and were responsible for the training of more the one national Number One Pro Hero.

They were considered to have the finest heroics course in the world for a reason.

Their exams were held under secrecy agreements, changing their layout once every four years, and the few people that had attempted to circumvent their agreements had found themselves quickly silenced and prosecuted, as U.A. sought to prevent future leaks by coming down extremely hard on those that spoke out.

Each of the standard subjects required for U.A. had their own individual paper-based exams: Japanese Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English and Ethics. Those exams lasted an hour each, and then, if you scored well enough on those, you would be invited back for the second set of exams a few weeks later.

As a prospective heroics course student, Izuku would have to be invited back to take the heroics exam, which was a practical exam, and only if he managed to score high enough on the exam to score within the top thirty-six standard applicants, would he be offered a place at U.A. in the next year alongside the four students that were admitted on recommendation.

The processes for the students that had been recommended to U.A. by past alumni were supposedly different than U.A.'s usual admissions process, but there was next to no information available about them online. All he could find was a single note in U.A.'s academic policies that stated that their alumni were only permitted to make a single recommendation, with no exceptions, for the duration of their career.

The additional exam for the support courses was also a practical exam, he knew, while the exams for any of U.A.'s standard education courses were additional paper-based exams. The business courses was more in-depth and harder to get into again, as the prospective students had to submit a portfolio of work, and if the competition was particularly fierce, could be called in to defend it.

And he only had two years to prepare himself for it.

If he was serious about gaining admittance into U.A., then he needed to start preparing this year. His school marks were top tier, (he and his mom had both noticed that he seemed to have perfect recall when he focused, which made school a lot easier), and he had his work at the hospital to supplement his application, but if he wanted to pass the practical exam, then he probably needed to find a way to safely train his Quirk too.

There were a few registered Quirk gyms in the city, (seven in total, he knew, he'd checked), but they were expensive, (ridiculously so), and he already knew without asking that his mother couldn't afford to pay for one. Izuku didn't consider himself to have ever been lacking for anything, but he couldn't say that, growing up, money had ever been something that they'd had plenty of.

He'd heard about the cheaper, underground options, but they were not only inherently more dangerous, but they were also illegal, and if he was caught in one, then he could kiss his U.A. dream goodbye before it ever got started.

There were probably a few public places that he could get away with practicing control over his strength, but if he was seen doing so by the police, then they'd put unlicenced public Quirk use of his record and, again, he could say goodbye to U.A. before ever he stepped foot in there.

No… he needed to find some other way of doing things, in a manner that wouldn't get him arrested with a juvenile record.

Besides his potential admission into U.A., if he ever got in trouble with the police, his mother would flip out.

She already worried about him too much as it was.

"-riya… is anyone in there? Midoriya?!"

He blinked and realised that Homura-sensei was calling his name, "I'm sorry Homura-sensei, I must've drifted off for a moment".

"It's rollcall, Midoriya, I know it's probably not the most exciting part of your day but do try and pay attention".

He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, "Yes sir, sorry sir, and err… present".

"Thank you. Muna?"

"Present".

"Thank you. Nori?"

=== === === === ===

With his thanks, Izuku took his lunch tray and looked around for a place to sit. There was a mostly empty table towards the front of the room, so he made his way over and sat on the edge, nodding briefly at his two upperclassmen, who ignored him.

He drank his miso soup down quickly, savouring the taste, before moving onto his salad with shredded chicken. He had just finished the last of it, leaving himself only with an apple and what remained of his bottled milk, when he felt him behind him.

"Move. You're in my spot".

He took a breath, "Hello, Bakugo".

"I said move".

"You're welcome to sit down, wherever you like".

"I like it here. Move".

He bit back the urge to sigh, and simply slid himself over a seat, moving his tray with him, "There you go, Kacchan".

He smiled brightly, knowing how much it would irritate him, while Bakugo's two lackeys, ever present behind him, snickered at the sound of his childhood kenning, which only served to bother him more. Growling, Bakugo's hand snapped out towards the glass bottle of his milk, but Izuku's reaction was faster, and he clamped his hand around the other boy's wrist.

The moment he did, he felt his hands begin to heat up in his grip, while Freaky Fingers and Wings both took a step forwards, looming over his shoulders. The boys had names, but ever since they'd started hanging around with Bakugo, nobody bothered to use them anymore, instead using the same nicknames he did for his lackeys.

He eyed the duo, but neither made to move any further than they already had, while Bakugo wrenched his arm free of his grip, and Izuku moved his tray further from the boy's reach.

"When I said, move", Bakugo leant in, using the admittedly rather impressive strength of his arms to push himself up from his chair, "I meant get off the table, bastard".

He chuckled, "I'm sorry, but is that meant to be an insult. So, I don't have a father, who cares?"

"Apparently your slut of a mother doesn't".

Izuku didn't remember standing up, but a moment later, he was stood over Bakugo, with the collar of his jacket firmly in his grip and the pointed knuckles of his fingers pressing against his windpipe. Freaky Fingers and Wings both took a step backwards, startled by his movement, as the lunchroom fell silent, until you could hear the creaking of Izuku's fist, as his grip tightened.

"Go on then, do it", Bakugo whispered, his amused anger lacing every word he spoke, "if you think you've finally got the balls, take a fucking swing… Deku".

He took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling slowly, audibly, though his mouth, before he loosened his grip, letting Bakugo drop the six inches back into his chair.

"Yeah", Bakugo smirked, "that's what I thought", he scoffed, "wants to be a hero, doesn't even have the balls to throw a fucking punch. Defensive Izuku… all you're good for is standing there and taking a beating", he pushed himself up, trying to draw himself up so that they were eye-to-eye, but scowling when he failed, as Izuku refused to lower himself down to speak to him, "now get off my fucking table".

Gritting his teeth, Izuku moved.

=== === === === ===

"Where is he?!"

"Bastard can't have gotten far!"

"Come on boys… it's time for Quirk practice!"

"De-ku-uuu… where are you-uuu?!"

Izuku ducked into the nearest classroom, as Bakugo and his usual gang of lackeys passed him by. Freaky Fingers and Wings had apparently been joined by Stretchy Eyes and Beaky, and the fivesome were looking to use him to practice their Quirks on.

Between his durability and his inability to hit them back without potentially killing them, they felt he made for the ideal target, but the desire burned within him, to just strike back.

Just once.

That's all it would take. One solid blow from him to just one of them, and he knew that none of them would ever bother him again.

And yet…

And yet, if he did, he didn't know if he would be able to stop himself from hurting them.

So, instead, he sat down against the empty classroom's wall and waited.

He counted to ten in the comfort of his own mind, taking a breath in between each number, and once he hit ten, he poked his head outside, making sure that the coast was, temporarily, clear.

He'd tried asking the faculty for help before, but none of them wanted to be seen disciplining the kid in the wheelchair, especially with such a powerful Quirk, who had already stated his desire to enter U.A., and smart as he was, Izuku had to admit that Bakugo had a good chance of making it too.

All of which meant that Izuku was on his own.

Thankfully, he just needed to make it outside, to one of the spots that didn't have a camera, without being seen, and then he could be off to meet his mother at the hospital without anyone being any the wiser.

It had been a day just like this one, when he had first discovered his power.

Freaky Fingers and Wings had managed to find him out near the kitchens, and Bakugo had followed, lighting up his palms in anticipation, when Izuku had managed to get away.

He slipped out that same set of doors now, and after checking that none of the school's staff were nearby, tightened the straps of his bag, and tucked his jacket into his trousers.

"Deku!"

"There he is!"

"Hey Deku! Just wait up a minute!"

"Yeah… we just wanna talk!"

He'd fallen for that one before, (more than once, actually), but now? Now he knew better, and simply didn't bother turning back around.

"See you later boys", he called out, before focusing, taking one step forwards, and then… he ran.

Around him, people seemed to slow down, moving at less than a quarter of their normal speed, as Izuku ran past them. Some of them were able to make him out, as he ran towards the train station, but others simply didn't notice, too consumed by their phones and tablets, missing his presence entirely, as he raced past them at a superhuman speed.

Weaving in and out of people, he checked the traffic at the crossings before he raced across the road, double-checking that no one had accidentally stepped out into it, before he crossed through the children's park and ducked in at the side of the station.

He gave himself a quick pat down, making sure that the friction hadn't set fire to his bag, jacket or trousers (again), before slipping his train pass out of his pocket.

"Hi Suro".

"Good afternoon Midoriya", the laid-back operator checked as Izuku scanned his pass, the screen lighting up green, "alright, go on".

He smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow".

"Yeah, yeah, same time, same place, now go on, before you miss your train".

He looked down and saw that his train was pulling into a stop, and immediately took off running at a normal place, down the stairs, "Bye Suro!"

He shook his head, as he turned his attention back to the phone he had hidden beneath his desk, "Crazy kids".

=== === === === ===

His mom had been a nurse at Shizuoka Medical Centre for as long as Izuku could remember. He'd grown up in the hospital, and in that time, he'd seen his mom go from being a standard apprentice nurse, to a registered nurse, who was helping to supervise her department, to being the Deputy Chief Nurse, helping to coordinate all of the hospital nurses.

He was really proud of her.

He knew that it wasn't easy, being a single mother and working a full-time job, working in twelve hour shifts with barely enough time for a nap squeezed in. He did everything he could to make it easier for her, but he also knew that she worried about him, especially when she couldn't see him. The accident with his Quirk had been nearly eight years ago, but he knew that like him, she remained worried that something like it would happen again.

And that wasn't something he could wave off.

There was no obvious solution.

"Hi Izuku", Mari, the ever-cheerful receptionist greeted him with a happy wave of her orange-skinned hand, "where are you working today?"

"I'm on meal deliveries", he told her, as he signed himself in, "so I'll be up and about for the rest of the afternoon. Busy day?"

She shrugged, "No more so than usual".

"That's good news".

"Yep", she replied cheerfully, popping the 'p' as she spoke, "now get up there. Hungry folks won't feed themselves, you know".

"You just want me to sneak you down some coffee and cake", he teased, and was rewarded with her orange cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of red.

"You're so mean!"

"Even when I bring you down free dessert?"

"Love you!"

=== === === === ===

Making his way into the changing rooms, he nodded in greeting at the nurses he recognised, while he headed towards his mother's locker. Stowing his backpack inside, he slipped off his school jacket, leaving him only in his white shirt, black trousers and bright red Air Might sneakers. He pulled out the hospital coat that his mom's co-workers had gotten for him as a gag gift, slipping it over his shoulders, before pinning his ID card to his belt and giving him the look of a hospital worker.

He made his way to the hospital kitchen, where he found a cart already waiting for him, with the last meals being piled on top. With a brief thanks, he stepped up behind it and began his day's rounds.

Making his way through the wards, he delivered the meals one tray at a time, always doing his best to take a moment to chat with the children, especially if they weren't with their parents at the time, not wanting any of them to feel lonely. His mother had told him once, that it was the children without regular visitors that she worried about the most. Teenagers were the most likely to tell their parents not to come and visit, but his mom said that it was the ones with parents that showed up every day that seemed to healer better.

And if the parents weren't there, then it was up to the nurses to look after them, and as far as Izuku was concerned, if he was there to help the nurses, then it was up to him as well. In between delivering trays, he asked the kids about their recovery, made sure that they were comfortable, looked over the schoolwork they'd been provided and helped some of the younger ones with their drawings.

He made sure that everyone had at least one drawing pinned to the wall.

When his deliveries were done, he circled back around, this time taking away the trays and leftovers, before he returned them to the kitchens and then went to meet up with his mother for dinner.

She was waiting for him in the cafeteria, nursing a cup of coffee in her hands, but smiled tiredly when she saw him. She rose to meet him, letting him greet her with a kiss to her cheek, before they joined the queue for food.

Izuku had read a lot about enhancement Quirks over the years. It turned out that a lot of them needed rather significant caloric intakes to function properly, and as his own strength had always seemed to come and go randomly, Izuku had once thought he had the same issue, and had spent one long weekend indulging in as many calories as he could physically manage.

It turned out that his Quirk simply needed to grow with his body, and all he had succeeded in doing was making himself feel sick, much to his mother's exasperated amusement.

She'd had a lot of fun telling Grandmima the story too.

It had been a long time since he'd seen her laugh so much.

"Are you okay Sweetie?"

"I'm fine Mom".

"Izuku", she warned, "I know when something's bothering you. Now, come on… spill".

He didn't know why he bothered trying to hide anything from his mother. Not only did she know him better than anyone else, but she also spent most of her time around children, almost all of whom tried to hide something from her at some point.

In short, she could read him like a book.

"I'm just thinking about school", he told her.

"School, huh", she took a sip of her coffee, "did something happen with Katsuki?"

"Nope".

"Uh huh", she said, in a tone that indicated just how little she believed him, "what happened?"

"Nothing", he sighed, "I was just thinking about high school", when she raised an eyebrow, he rushed to add, "I'm serious, I was just thinking about my application to U.A. and my lack of extra-curriculars… spending some of my free time working here helps fill a gap in my application, but I don't really do much", he shrugged, "I was just trying to figure out what else I could do to pad things out".

Hidden behind the rim of her cup, Inko bit her lip, watching Izuku as he tucked into his rice bowl. The discussion about her not wanting Izuku to apply to a heroics course had come up only once before, when Izuku had been younger, and seemingly been ignored by him since.

The closer they got to the time for Izuku to start making his high school applications, the more worried she became. Izuku taking any entrance exam meant exposing himself to the scrutiny of Pro Heroes and the government. Scrutiny meant that there was a risk of his origins being discovered, and if that happened…

She knew that she wouldn't be enough to protect him.

"Well, imagine you had to go and get a normal job", Izuku frowned, "what would you want to be doing?"

"I don't know", he mused, slowly chewing on a piece of his pork, "I like talking with the kids about their Quirks", he began, talking out his reasoning outside of his own head, "it's… fun, making up scenarios about how they could be used, or what you could do with them. I just don't see how to turn that into something though".

"What about something to do with the news?"

He blinked, "What?"

Inko smiled, "You're always reading one of your hero news sites - and I know you read more than one", she told, not bothering to let him contest it, "they must have all sorts of writers and researchers working for them, not to mention the press agents that work at agencies and for major outlets", she watched, as he blinked rapidly, catching up to her understanding, "you could work for one of those".

"We do have a school news site", Izuku mused, "I mean, some of it's just the actual school news: the lunch menu, staff updates, exam dates, but they do run features on local heroes and Quirk exams. I could try volunteering for it".

Her smile grew wider, "That's the spirit".

=== === === === ===

"Excuse me, Juden-san?"

"Just Juden's fine", he responded, without looking up from his computer screen, "who's asking?"

"Er, it's me - Midoriya, I mean, from class. I wanted to talk to you?"

"Oh", he span around on his chair, "what's up?"

"I want to volunteer".

"Volunteer?"

"For the school news site? The office said I should speak to you?"

"Oh… oh! Sorry, I can't remember the last time someone wanted to volunteer here", he reached up, scratching behind his head, which was topped with shockingly orange hair, "it's not exactly glamourous".

Izuku smiled, "That's okay. To be honest, this was kinda my mom's idea".

"What? Why?"

"Well, I'm going to apply for U.A. at the end of the year and sign up for their entrance exams".

"Cool".

"Yeah, but I was worried about my extra-curriculars. I volunteer at the hospital, but I was worried about it not being enough, so she asked me what kind of thing I'd want to do for a living, if I don't get in. I told her that I like talking about Quirks and how they can be used, and the different Pro Heroes, and then we got to the idea of the press".

Juden nodded, "And the school news site".

"Yep".

"Well, great", he tapped his desk, and Izuku realised that there was a camera set down atop it, and it wasn't the cheap disposable kind. It was one of the really expensive ones, which came with all kinds of different lenses and were usually only ever used by real, serious press photographers, "I could really use the help".

"Is there a lot to do?"

"I mean, not really, but it's not really my thing".

Izuku blinked, "You're on the school news team - you are the school news team - but you don't like doing it?"

"I like the press stuff", he admitted, "but I'm in it for the photography. That's my dream, to be a real Pro Hero News Photographer. To go where the action is and see it all first hand. To help document history. I figured being on the school news team would be a good start, but turns out, it's now just me. Once the others realised that I actually wanted to do this for a career and wouldn't quit, they realised that they could".

"That's awful".

"Yeah, and the worst part is that I hate the writing. I really just want to take the photographs".

"Sounds like you could use a hand".

He grinned, "You any good at the whole writing thing?"

"Top of my class with a near-perfect score".

"You're in!"

"Great", he held out his hand, "Izuku Midoriya. You can use either name", he shrugged, "I don't mind".

He took the hand, "Jimu Juden, but my friends can call me JJ".

"Alright then JJ, where do we need to start?"

=== === === === ===

ALL MIGHT'S ALDERA RESCUE

Symbol of Peace Saves Student

Written by Izuku Midoriya

Photographs by Jimu Juden

Wednesday 18th April 2225

In a breathtaking display of heroism, the World's Symbol of Peace and Justice, All Might, (Rank: #1, Peak: #1), arrived in our fair city yesterday afternoon, just in time to thwart a villain's desperate attempt to evade justice, and proceeded to not only capture the villain, but also rescue a young boy in distress.

The incident unfolded yesterday afternoon in the bustling streets of Musutafu, as fear threatened to take hold of those nearby. Eyewitnesses reported a terrifying encounter between a formidable villain, referred to as 'the Sludge Villain', (real name unknown), and a young student, who had been caught in his vile grip, (the underage student cannot be named for legal reasons).

But just when hope seemed dim, the resounding cry of "I am here!" shattered the tension and All Might, our Symbol of Peace, descended upon the scene. With his unmatched power and unwavering determination, All Might swiftly sprang into action, unleashing a powerful blow that shattered the villain's grip and saved the young boy.

In the aftermath of the confrontation, Musutafu residents breathed a collective sigh of relief as the villain was quick to surrender, and upon his detainment, All Might was quick to leave the scene, no doubt vanishing in search of the next crisis that required his attention.

Also on scene were the Pro Heroes, Backdraft, (Rank: #161, Peak: #84) and Death Arms, (Rank: #177, Peak: #91), as well as newcomers, Kamui Woods and Mount Lady (Previously Unranked), as well as several sidekicks belonging to the Strongarm Agency.

Reports from the local paediatric trauma centre have informed us that, though they were visibly shaken by the ordeal, the young student in question was able to emerge unharmed thanks to the timely intervention of the world's greatest hero.

Authorities were quick to commend All Might for his swift and decisive action in neutralising the threat posed by the Sludge Villain and preventing the loss of civilian life.

As the sun sets on yet another day in Musutafu, citizens should rest easy, knowing that our beloved Symbol of Peace stands by, ever vigilant, ready to defend our homes against all those who would threaten to do us harm.

=== === === === ===

"I think this is some of our best work yet".

"Yeah, when I showed it to my mom, she printed out a copy. She sent the link to my grandma and had the printed copy of it framed for me".

"My mom did that too".

"She sent a copy of our article it to my grandma? Huh, I didn't even know they knew each other".

Juden chuckled, knocking their shoulders together, "She had it put in a frame for me, idiot. I told her that I thought it was the best article we've done together, and definitely my favourite one", he shrugged, "so she printed it and had it put in a frame for me, mounted it on card and everything".

"Hey, that's what my mom did!"

"They probably did it together", he let out a content sigh as he looked down at the article again, enjoying seeing his photographs alongside every word Izuku had written, "I don't suppose you know how Bakugo and his pets liked being featured on our school's news site?"

"Well, I haven't spoken to any of them, but I did see them scowling at anyone who so much as looked at them while holding a phone in their hands", he sighed, but unlike Juden's, it lacked any of his contentment, and was instead filled with an annoyed exasperation, "I think they were all just lucky that it was in a hallway with teachers".

Juden grinned, "You obviously missed all of the concern that Yuhi-sensei had for them, when she showed up for Chem. I swear, the effort of not laughing was killing me".

Izuku smiled, but he found it lacked anything. The article was definitely something that belonged on their new site, and it was always good to try and deflate Bakugo's ego a little, but he struggled to see the humour in the situation.

There had been at least six different Pro Heroes on the scene, while three schoolchildren had been held hostage, visibly drowning in sludge and not one of them had made a move to help. Death Arms, two of his sidekicks, Kamui Woods and Mount Lady had done nothing but stand around, while Backdraft had busied himself with crowd control, but even that could have been handled by the police and the fire department.

The group had stood by and watched, unwilling to get themselves involved, until All Might had appeared.

Leaping out of a nearby sewer grate, All Might had swooped in and defeated the Sludge Villain in a single blow, dispersing the excess of his body away, and allowing the police to cuff the body that remained and collect the rest of him in bags for transport.

He'd been at the hospital while it happened, having gotten the last train through before the excitement, but Juden had been quick to relay everything to him over the phone, while his mom drove them home that night.

Juden had found the involvement of Bakugo and two members of his goon squad hilarious, and Izuku would be lying if he didn't admit to the odd chuckle or two at his descriptions, but the very thought of people, whose job it was to save lives, refusing to do so because it was too challenging, bothered him in a way that he didn't know it could.

He couldn't imagine his mom, or any of her colleagues, refusing to treat a child because they found the task too difficult, but just the idea that the heroes could, and would get away with it, without any repercussions, just burned something fierce in his gut.

And he didn't know what to do about it.

Izuku knew that his mom didn't like heroes.

Well, actually, saying that wasn't fair.

It wasn't that his mom didn't like them, it was that she didn't like the celebrity culture that came along with Pro Heroes.

Every day, his mom dealt with sick and injured kids, and having been volunteering at the hospital for years, Izuku knew that a lot of those injuries came from kids fighting and playing pretend at being Pro Heroes. The younger kids followed the older ones, and the older ones took bigger and bigger risks, hitting each other harder, doing more dangerous stunts and gaining more and more serious injuries.

The higher ranked and more popular the Pro Hero was, the more they were emulated, and that was all his mom saw. The more someone acted like All Might on a playground, the more likely they were to jump off something too high or get into a fight against someone, and in the end, they'd break something and end up lying on a bed in the hospital's Emergency Department.

Izuku didn't know he felt about all of it.

He knew that, to a point, his mom was correct. Pro Heroes did cause kids to behave in ways that put them at risk, but at the same time, Izuku couldn't imagine what the world would be like, or even who he'd be, if he hadn't grown up watching the likes of All Might on TV.

He'd grown up seeing All Might pull people out of burning buildings, rushing in to save not just complete strangers, but people who needed his help. He'd seen him catch people who were falling, outrun bullets and even rescue the occasional cat out of a tree.

He'd also seen the many, many articles, news reports, round table discussions and podcasts discussing All Might's power, and the dangers that came with it, including what would happen if All Might had ever lost control. He'd not only seen them debate the pros and cons of All Might's presence, but he'd also seen the way All Might had always refused to answer the question of just how powerful he was.

When he was just three years old, Izuku had been strong enough to lift his grandfather's old truck above his head, and he knew that his body had only grown stronger since. He ate well, being the son of a nurse meant that he was very aware of his daily nutritional requirements, but even with that, he rarely ever set aside dedicated time to exercise, at least, not in any meaningful way, and he spent far more time in front of a computer screen than was advised, yet despite that, he remained in peak health.

He was tall, broad shouldered, and despite his relative lack of exercise, extremely well-toned. His muscles were noticeable, but not bulky and no matter what he did during the day before, or however late he stayed up past his bedtime, whenever he woke up, he did so feeling refreshed.

Unlike his mom, who he'd seen with bags under her eyes as she inhaled her morning coffee, or Juden, who kept a solid supply of Endeavor Energy in both, his bedroom and their school office, Izuku had never felt the need to 'pep' himself up first thing in the morning, or late at night.

All he needed was to feel the sun on his face, and he knew that that felt better to him than any amount of caffeine ever would.

"You okay, pal? That's a lot of words you're saying".

He blinked, not realising that he'd drifted off in his own head and started mumbling, "Oh, sorry".

"No problem", he shrugged, "so there's a huge gaping problem with society as a whole. What else is new?"

"It just feels like we should be doing something about it. You saw the entire thing, so did a street full of people, but all the news is talking about, is how All Might showed up to save the day".

"You could post your article".

"I… already did?"

Juden rolled his eyes, "Not that one. The one you wrote before the principal made you post the All Might one".

"I don't know what you're talking about".

"Please", he scoffed, "I know you, Izuku. You don't yell, you don't lose your temper and you don't complain, but you do use your articles to help work through your feelings", he turned to raise him fully, one eyebrow raised in amusement, "and are you seriously going to look me in the eye and tell me that you didn't write something that's a lot harsher about the Pros involved?"

"I might've… done a rough draft of something", he admitted.

"Then let's post it".

He sighed, "You just want something for Flamebird, don't you?"

"Izuku, my friend, it never hurts to try and reach out to a wider audience when you have a truth to share, and you have a truth to share. One worth hearing, so", he flung and arm around his shoulders, pulling him down until they were face-to-face, "get to giving me the honesty already".

"JJ, has anyone ever told you that you're kind of needy".

"No, but if they did, they'd probably still love me anyway".

"Probably".

=== === === === ===

DESTRUCTION & DISREGARD

Pro Heroes Fail to Save and Protect

Written by Mr. Justice

Photographs by Mr. Truth

Wednesday 18th April 2225

The city of Musutafu was thrust into chaos yesterday afternoon when a group of Pro Heroes engaged a local D-Rank villain, referred to only as 'the Sludge Villain' (real name unknown). While the villain was ultimately subdued, the incident has only served to cast a light on the Pro Heroes for their handling of the situation.

The confrontation began when the Sludge Villain attacked a group of young boys, including a wheelchair user, taking them as a hostages, and utilising his Quirk to gain some slight control over their movements. Despite an initial rapid response from several Pro Heroes, including Backdraft, (Rank: #161, Peak: #84) and Death Arms, (Rank: #177, Peak: #91), as well as newcomers Kamui Woods and Mount Lady, (currently unranked), their efforts to rescue proved futile and led to significant property damage and civilian panic.

Local eyewitnesses reported seeing multiple heroes failing to restrain the villain with brute force, before largely abandoning their attempts at rescue, in favour of waiting for a more suitable Quirk to arrive, with the delays reportedly responsible for causing millions of Yen in collateral damage to nearby structures, as well as sending many bystanders to the hospital, having sustained injuries as a result of the heroes' lack of action.

The situation reached a critical point when the All Might, (Rank: #1, Peak: #1), arrived on the scene. Using his immense strength, All Might was able to finally disperse the Sludge Villain in moments and rescue the trapped children.

Local resident Haruto Nakamura, a baker whose storefront was damaged during the skirmish, expressed his frustration: "We expect our heroes to protect us, not put us in more danger. The way they handled things was dangerous and could have been avoided with better coordination".

Mister Nakamura's sentiments have been echoed online by many Musutafu residents, who are now calling for a re-evaluation of the strategies employed by Pro Heroes in similar high-stakes situations. Questions have arisen about the preparedness and judgment of the heroes involved, with many asking if their licences should be suspended.

As the dust settles, Musutafu's citizens are left to pick up the pieces, both literally and figuratively, while the Pro Heroes on scene have walked away with seemingly no repercussion. The defeat of the Sludge Villain may be seen as a victory for some, but it has also served as a stark reminder of the critical need for heroes to balance their formidable powers with responsibility and precision

Initial reports out of a local medical centre report that the children were all later released, with only minor injuries and are expected to make a full recovery.

All Might, the Mighty Agency and the Hero Public Safety Commission could not be reached for comment.

=== === === === ===

"I mean, it's a little less scorched earth than I was expecting, but not too shabby, not too shabby at all".

"To be honest, it was a lot harsher to begin with, but the more I wrote, the more I toned it down".

"Okay… but why?"

"Because I realised that I wasn't being completely fair to them".

"Seriously?"

Izuku nodded, "Seriously. It's easy to cast judgement on people from a distance, or after the fact, but until you've stood where they are and had to make the calls that they needed to make, you can't honestly say what you would've done, let alone what they should've done".

"Izuku, has anyone ever told you that you have a bleeding heart?"

"No, but if they did, they'd probably still love me anyway".

"Probably".

There was a comfortable pause, as the two of them watched, as JJ's fingers clicked 'UPLOAD', and sent Izuku's latest non-high school approved article to the Flamebird homepage, where their two dozen followers might choose to bother reading it.

"You know, it's almost a shame that you didn't include this one on your U.A. application. It might be nice watching them try and defend their alumni".

"To do that, we'd have to take Flamebird public", he glanced at his friend, "are you thinking of doing that?"

"Nah, it'd take half the fun out of it. Besides, if I did that, it might cost me a place at Seijin-"

"You know, U.A. has-"

"-a solid journalism course, but you know as well as I do that it's not as good as the one at Seijin. U.A. spends more time focusing on the hero and support courses than everything else, and that's not what I'm interested in".

"I know".

"You don't need to sound so glum, Mister Justice. They're on the opposite side of the same city. I won't be a million miles away, and besides, I still expect a Flamebird article from you, from time to time".

"Fine, Mister Truth, but I expect a really nice letter from you, to go in with my U.A. application".

"Well, as your boss-"

"Oh, don't even go there".

"-I'll have you know that I've already written one. I just need you to proofread it, print it and give it to me to sign".

Izuku found himself involuntarily raising one of his eyebrows, "Proofread it?"

"Yeah, proofread it", JJ waved him off, "check for any spelling mistakes, add anything you want me to include, take out anything you don't-"

"You want me to write my own letter of recommendation, don't you?"

"Could you do mine while you're at it?"

"You're unbelievable".

"But you love me anyway?"

"Unbelievable".

=== === === === ===

It had been two years since he'd walked into the miniscule office set aside for the Aldera School News, and in that time, he'd written thirty-nine independent articles for the school's news page, nineteen which had either been turned away, or written independently and uploaded to JJ's Flamebird blog, and he'd contributed to the writing for seventy-six of their weekly school news updates.

He'd also written two letters of recommendation on behalf of the Aldera School News, one to Seijin High School for JJ, and one to the Ultra Academy of Heroics for himself.

And that was where he found himself.

A large blue arch hung above him, framing the entry way, as he looked up at the golden gates of the greatest hero school in the world.

Taking a breath to steady himself, he stepped forwards, crossing the threshold and moved towards the future.

=== === === === ===

Author's Notes:

For those of you who are curious, and I'm aware that there are many, we're starting Izuku off with just superstrength and superspeed, and these will be the only powers that Izuku has for the moment. No, they're nowhere near comic book levels. Yes, there is an in-universe reason for this. Yes, he is a true to blood Kryptonian and will therefore have all of the abilities that implies, but just like they did in the TV show Smallville, we're going to take our time getting there, and not just throw everything at him off the bat.

In this universe, actions have consequences. While humans in this new era have sturdier, more resilient bodies, we've seen in canon that they are far from immune to serious damage, and sadly in Bakugo's case, the spinal trauma he suffered as a child remains a serious problem, and now, he'll spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

What does that mean for Bakugo's role in the larger story? You'll have to wait to find out.

His injuries certainly won't stop him from being a major asshole though, after all, Bakugo's gotta Bakugo.

Truthfully, while I was undergoing a last review of my story outline before I started writing chapters properly, I came to realise that Bakugo didn't have much of a place in it. He existed as Izuku's childhood friend turned rival and a member of Class 1-A, but otherwise, he added nothing to the story, and I feel that if you're not going to write out such a major character, you need to find them something of their own. Now, as Superman, Izuku will (one day in the future) be in a different league to everyone on the planet, power-wise, and so, he has no need of your typical shonen rival to force growth, so that meant Bakugo needed something relatively independent if I was going to keep him around.

Permanently injuring Bakugo was one of the last decisions I made in planning his story, and it came when I realised not just where I could start it, but where we could end up. Not only does this now leave Izuku with mental trauma to overcome in relation to his powers, but the physical trauma also provides us with a catalyst for Bakugo's journey. While I freely admit that I'm not a fan of Bakugo as a character, I will say that I enjoyed planning out his story arc, and I'm excited for you all to see where it is we'll be taking him.

Fingers crossed, you'll have just as much fun reading it, as I did planning it.

Jimu Juden, (JJ to his friends), the editor (and only member) of the Aldera School News (ASN), can be considered a pseudo-original character, as we'll be using the character design of an existing, unnamed character without a single line, who appears in the few class shots we got of Izuku's homeroom at Aldera Junior High School. You'll find him in the far-right corner of the classroom, a row behind Izuku, with bright red hair.

His name 'Jimu' (ジム) is one of the nipponized versions of the name, 'Jimmy', in homage to Superman's Best Friend, Jimmy Olsen. His surname 'Juden' (充電) means 'Charge', as in to charge a device, which refers to his Quirk, Charge, which allows him to charge any electronic device, so long as he can place both of his hands upon it. As a photographer, he most often uses it on his camera.

The final addition to this chapter is the Flamebird blog. This is where JJ posts his thoughts, feeling and articles that he doesn't want to slap his real name on, and on occasion, it's where Izuku also posts his unpublished works. The idea for the blog was taken from the TV show, 'My Adventures with Superman'. It's a nice take on a modern Superman update and season two is currently being broadcast now on Adult Swim.

Izuku and JJ's pen names for use on the Flamebird blog, Mr. Truth and Mr. Justice irrespectively, come from the old Superman saying, "I'm here to fight for truth, justice and the American way". Izuku's not American, (nor am I), but I thought the sentiment fit.

As they've long since left their kindergarten behind, including Koharu-sensei, Izuku and Bakugo (and Jimu), now have a new homeroom teacher while at Aldera, who has no canonical name that I could find, so I've named him Homura-sensei. In the Naruto manga and anime, Koharu and Homura were the given names for the advisors and teammates of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. The name of their Chemistry teacher, Yuhi-sensei, is also a reference to Kurenai Yuhi, who appears in the series.