(The next day...)
Classes at UA followed a similar pattern as all other high school core curricula with some slight differences. Homeroom under Mr. Aizawa. Mathematics under Ectoplasm. Modern Hero Art History under Midnight. Modern Literature under Cementoss. Now it was English under Present Mic.
The Voice Hero finished writing down the problem on the blackboard and turned to the class, "Now, which of these three sentences contain a mistake?"
1. The man whom I respect most is my father.
2. That is the house in which he lived.
3. I well remember that day on which we both met.
4. Please tell me that all you know.
Everyone in the class was silent as Haru and Yayorozu raised their hands.
"Haruko?"
Due to their being two Bakugos in the class and using the name Uzumaki was off-limits, the staff had decided to call Haru by his formal first name.
"Sensei, not to avoid the question, but isn't this English too formal for regular conversation?" Haru asked in fluent English.
Present Mic grinned as he replied in the same language, "Right you are, Haruko. It is formal. That makes it perfect for everyone to start on a similar page. After mastering this, turning the words into a less formal conversation will help implant the knowledge even more!"
Katsuki grunted, also speaking in English "Stop trying to avoid work, showoff."
Haru flipped him the bird, switching his English to an Irish accent, "Look at wee clover calling the grass green."
"Eh?"
"That's a cute little Celtic twist on a classic idiom, Katsuki."
***
(A/N) I can only do this as I have very strong Irish ties in my family. Please don't imitate accents in real life. Lol!
***
Yaoyorozu, who could understand everything being said, stifled a giggle.
Present Mic regained everyone's attention as he raised his voice, "HEY EVERYONE! LOOK ALIVE. GRAMMER RULES!"
Yaoyorozu raised her hand again, correctly stating that the relative pronoun in the last sentence was incorrect.
***
(After class...)
Haru quickly rose from his seat and headed for the door.
"See you guys at lunch," he called out as he waved at his friends as he disappeared around the door frame.
Iida stared after him in horror, "Haru! You cannot skip class! That is very disrespectful to the teachers!"
Haru leaned back so his head and shoulders were visible, "I'm exempt from morals counseling."
Kaminari sighed, "Lucky! How'd you do that!"
A loud bark made everyone jump as the Hound Hero: Hound Dog appeared behind Haru.
"Haruko! Head to Recovery Girls office now!" the doglike hero growled.
Haru straightened up, bowing apologetically, "Yes sir. Sorry."
Hound Dog handed Haru a file, "Recovery Girl will integrate any necessary counseling with her own tutoring. Take it seriously."
Haru bowed agian, "Yes sir."
***
(Afternoon...)
"I AM...!" the classroom door slammed open to reveal All Might, "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
'Normal?'
"I can't believe it's really All Might!" Kaminari claimed, bȧrėly containing his smile.
Kirishima grinned as he clenched his fist in anticipation, "So he really is a teacher! This year is gonna be totally awesome!"
Asui placed a finger to her chin as she watched the number one hero strut into the room, "Hey look! Is he wearing his silver age costume!"
Ojiro had an awed look on his face as his tail flicked unconsciously, "I'm getting goosebumps! It's so retro!"
All Might placed his fists on his hɨps in a herolike pose, "Welcome to the most important class at UA High! Think of it as Heroing 101! Here, you will learn the basic of being a pro, and what it means to fight in the name of good!" he struck another dramatic pose, "Let's get into it! Today's lesson will pull no punches!"
He pulled out a card, seemingly from the air, and held it up for them all the see.
Battle.
Several of the more hyperactive students looked excited.
"Fight training!" Katsuki said, his face twisting into a feral grin.
He looked over at Haru who turned to look back in turn. A look of fierce competition crackled between the two boys.
Haru gave his brother a closed-eyed smile, "I'm gonna kick your ȧss."
Katsuki cracked his knuckles, "I'm gonna beat you so badly, you'll feel it for the rest of the week."
Izuku paled a little, "This is not going to end well."
Everyone else sweatdropped in silent agreement. The Bakugos were getting way too intense.
All Might pulled out a small device, "But one of the keys of being a hero is..." he pressed a buŧŧon, "Looking good!"
Several metal racks containing rows of numbered cases slid out of the wall, earning several exclamations of excitement.
Their costumes.
All Might gave them a thumbs up, "These were designed for you based on your Quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started! Get yourselves suited up and then meet me at Training Ground Beta!"
Everyone cheered," YES SIR!"
***
Everyone grabbed their cases according to their desk number and headed for the dressing rooms.
Haru opened his and blinked, "I can't believe it... they included everything!"
Kirishima watched the amber-eyed boy excitedly pull out a small pouch and proceed to open it, "Whoa! What did you ask for! I had no idea you could ask for anything besides support items!"
Kaminari reached over and picked up a small packet of spherical-shaped pills, "What are these?"
Haru deftly took them back and returned them to the pouch, "Food pills. My Quirk is powered by my energy levels, so I asked for them to make these. They ought to boost my stamina for approximately an hour in emergencies."
He mentally frowned. 'Too bad they aren't as potent as the ones from my world. Even so, I can only take a couple at most during a fight. Definitely a last resort.'
Sero sidled up, already dressed in his costume, "What else have you got?"
Haru shrugged as he sorted through his gear, "Smoke bombs, steel thread, bandages, antiseptic, and these," he held up a pair of small weapons.
Kirishima peered at the last objects in curiosity, "What are those?"
Haru looped his pinky into the ring at the end of the handle of one of the weapons before firmly gripping it in a reverse hold, "This, my friend, is a kunai."
Sero chuckled nervously, "I can't believe they are letting you carry blades."
Haru performed a sleight of hand, making the kunai disappear, "I received training and was given a permit. They are mostly for if my Quirk doesn't work or I need to climb something. They're great for stabbing walls"
Kaminari ġrȯȧnėd, "Great, now we have to worry about you stabbing us."
Haru raised an eyebrow, "My origami is much more painful."
Kirishima grinned, pounding his hardened fists together, "I bet your Quirk won't even affect me."
Haru chuckled, "Yeah maybe not."
Katsuki, dressed in a black tank top, baggy pants, and a pair of large grenade-like gauntlets stormed up to the group, glaring through his jagged black and orange mask.
"Cut the crap and get ready, idiots!"
Haru closed his eyes and sighed, "Fine, fine. Just keep what's left of your shirt on already."
Katsuki sent him a death glare. "Don't test me," he growled before storming from the room.
Haru ignored him and pulled off his shirt, revealing his lean but well-defined muscles.
He noticed Kaminari staring and shot a warning look at him, "Whatever you're thinking, stop it now!"
Kaminari choked on his spit and coughed violently. Sero goodnaturedly began patting his back.
Kirishima looked at Kaminari in confusion, "Kaminari, I didn't know you leaned that way. You were always flirting with the girls, so I just ȧssumed... unless–"
"–IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!" Kaminari screamed, causing them all to flinch at the sudden rise in volume, "I WAS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE HECK YOU ARE STILL SINGLE! YOU'VE SERIOUSLY GOT EVERYTHING GOING FOR YOU!"
Haru blinked, "You're still worried about that?"
Sero looked confused, "Why should he have a girlfriend? As far as I know, everyone in the class is single."
Kaminari just motioned at Haru frantically, a 'c'mon, can't you see it?' look on his face. Kirishima and Sero looked at the blonde and then at Haru.
"Nope, don't get it."
"Yeah, me neither."
Kaminari visibly deflated.
Haru spoke, gaining their attention, "Are you, finished? If you don't mind, I'd prefer it if you'd stop bringing this conversation up, Kaminari. I will get a girlfriend when I meet the right person, and no sooner."
Kaminari wept fake tears, "Why did you have to be so pure!"
At that moment they all realized Haru had already changed. For his top, he wore a charcoal grey t-shirt over what appeared to be a light, silk-lined, mesh armor. Over it all, he wore a simple white belt. His pants were also charcoal grey as were his open-toed sandals. The bottoms of his pant legs were fastened by a pair of white kyahan[1] so they fit snugly around his ankles. His weapons pouch was firmly fastened to his upper thɨġh.
Kirishima looked over Haru's clothing, "Wow, nice costume! It's so manly!"
Haru smirked, "Oh, I've not even added to important parts, you guys go on ahead, I'll be out in a moment."
[1] The kyahan are ninja leg wraps used to fasten the bottom of the ninja's trousers. The kyahan were generally individual strips of cloth with pieces of string attached to each wrap allowing them to be securely fastened around the trousers.
***
(Ground Beta...)
All Might stood at the entrance of the tunnel leading into the training ground
***
(Play: Boku no Hero Academia OST 16 『HERO A』Training Theme youtu.be/SFiFZ7WK_Hg)
***
As if on cue, the members of Class 1A slowly exited the tunnel, each revealing their individual costumes.
All Might flashed them his signature grin, "They say that clothes make the pros, young ladies and gentlemen, and behold, you are the proof!" the blonde hero observed his students proudly as they entered into the sunlight, "Take this to heart, for now on, you are all heroes-in-training! This is getting me all ramped up! You all look so cool!"
Everyone had a look of confidence on their faces, each fully ready to take on the challenge.
"Now, shall we started you bunch of nubies?"
Jiro, dressed in a classy punk style, looked at Kaminari, who was similarly dressed, "Where's Haru?"
A sharp click of footsteps echoed from the hallway, causing several of the students to look towards the dark entrance.
A lone figure, his face hidden behind the high collar of a long, black cloak emblazoned with fiery red clouds, stepped into the light. On his shoulder stood a bright red spiral symbol and in his left hand he wore a white ring bearing the kanji ['white']
"What do you guys think?"
Uraraka squinted a moment before recognizing him, "Haru?"
Haru raised his dark leather, sugegasa style hat to reveal a headband with four vertical lines engraved on a piece of metal on his forehead, "I based it off my mom's costume."
Kaminari shot him finger guns, "Nice look. The ladies will love that mysterious vibe."
Jiro jabbed him with her earphone jack in irritation, "Not everything is about attracting girls," she looked at Haru, "Seriously though, it suits you."
Haru's blush was hidden behind his collar, "T-thanks."
He instantly cursed himself mentally for being so awkward. They were just complimenting him, can't he even handle that?
Haru turned as his sensory picked up on a familiar presence behind him.
Izuku exited the tunnel dressed in a teal green costume, complete with a full mask and respirator.
Haru's initial smile froze a little as he looked down, "Lookin good, Izu–"
He paused, giving the costume another rundown noting his friend's trademark red boots with a slight twinge of amusement. It seems like Izuku will still wear them, even here. Ever since Haru had gifted him a pair for his third birthday, Izuku had only worn the same brand of red boots ever since.
'Of course.'
Haru glanced Izuku to All Might, comparing the stiff, bunny ear extensions on his friend's hood and seeing the similarities between them and All Might's hair and the lined pattern on the respirator imitating All Might's smile.
Haru snorted and turned his face away, "You're so obvious."
His comment luckily went unheard as Uraraka approached the green-haired boy, "Hey Deku!"
Izuku stiffened nervously, his bunny ears seeming to straighten up even further, "Uraraka!"
The girl sent Izuku a happy smile, "I love your costume! Not too flashy, you know?"
Izuku's eye popped under his mask as he stared at the anti-gravity girls' skin-tight suit. Haru turned away, grinning as his friend blushed and covered his mouth with a low whimper.
'They're too cute!'
Uraraka stood a little awkwardly in her more or less revealing costume, "I should have been more specific about what I wanted. This bodysuit is skin tight. Not really my style."
"I love this school."
The creepy voice made Haru look around to see Mineta ogling all the girls one by one. First Yaoyorozu in her revealing outfit, then Hakakure's seemingly bȧrė figure (Haru's sensory made him realize she was just wearing a special suit that seemed to take on the traits of the girl's DNA. She must have decided to wear visible gloves and boot so people didn't step on her), Ochaco and Asui's tight-fitting suits, Ashido's partially revealed bust, and...
Haru's eyes narrowed as Mineta turned to look on at Jiro and for some reason, he felt his blood boil
'Hell no!'
Mineta felt a dark shadow of danger loom over him. Trembling he slowly turned around to see Haru, his face hidden by his cloak and hat, raise his hand to smite him down.
"Mercy..."
"Burn in hell."
A paper harasen fan manifested in Haru's hand just as he stuck down, smashing the pervert into the pavement.
He stood there, breathing heavily as everyone look at him oddly.
"Stick to your magazines, Mineta. It will save you a world of pain."
All Might cleared his throat awkwardly, "Ahem! Now that you're ready! It's time for combat training."
Iida, dressed in a white metal suit, raised his hand, "Sir, this is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean we will be conducting urban battles again?"
All Might flashed them a peace sign, "Not quite! I'm gonna move you two steps ahead! Most of the villain fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors. Backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. In this training exercise, you'll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two on two indoor battles."
Asui posed a question, "Isn't this a little advanced?"
All Might gestured around at the city behind him, "The best training is on the battlefield, but remember you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now."
Yaoyorozu raised a hand, "Sir, will you be the one who decides who wins?"
"How much can we hurt the other team?" Katsuki asked impatiently.
"Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like earlier?" Uraraka queried nervously.
Iida raised his hand again, "Will you be splitting us up by chance or comparative skill?"
Aoyama twirled his sparkling purple cape for everyone to see, "Isn't this cape dazzling?"
All Might gritted his teeth painfully, "I wasn't finished talking!"
Everyone quieted down.
All Might pulled out a booklet, "Listen up!"
Haru deadpanned when he realized All Might was reading a script.
"The situation is this: The villains have hidden a nuclear missal somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must try to foil their plans. To do that, the good guys have to catch the evildoers or recover the weapon. Likewise, the bad guys win if they protect their payload or capture the heroes."
'Sounds like a classic action movie set up.'
All Might whipped out a yellow box labeled 'lots' and held it out, "Times limited and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"
Iida sounded alarmed, "Isn't there a better way?"
Izuku raised a finger, "Think about it! Pro often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot. So maybe that's the reason we're seeing that here."
"Heroes need to learn to work with everyone, not just people they are familiar with," Haru added, "Each conflict will vary according to dangers and ȧssets, and most importantly, allies. Flexibility is crucial."
Iida nodded slowly, "Yes, I see. Life is a random series of events," he bowed towards All Might, "Excuse my rudeness."
The symbol of peace turned away with a laugh, "No sweat! Let's draw!"
Everyone took a ball, checking the letters labeled on them.
Haru drew an H.
'That must mean I am paired with G.'
He looked around, "Who is G?"
"Why the hell would you like to know?"
Haru turned to face Katsuki, holding up his ball with a grin, "Looks like we team up."
Katsuki looked a little disappointed, revealing how much he had wanted to test his strength against his brother, "Whatever."
Haru created a paper bird, giving it his ball, "Don't worry, Katsuki," he said reassuringly as he watched it flutter over to the lots box and drop it in, "You'll get a chance to fight me."
Katsuki sent him a challenging look, "I'm gonna win."
"You can try."
Soon everyone found their partners and teamed up.
Team A: Ochaco Uraraka and Izuku Midoryia
Team B: Mezo Shoji and Shoto Todoroki
Team C: Minoru Minteta and Momo Yaoyorozu
Team D: Katsuki Bakugo and Haruko Bakugo
Team E: Mina Ashido and Yuga Aoyama
Team F: Koji Koda and Teyna Iida
Team G: Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro
Team H: Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui
Team I: Mashiao Ojiro and Toru Hagakure
Team J: Hanta Sero and Eijiro Kirishima
"Wow, what are the chances!" Uraraka gushed at Izuku, "We're a team!"
Izuku nervously looked away. 'Oh my gosh! I've to make a good impression on her!'
Jiro looked over at Haru, who was standing near to her, "Lucky you, you got paired with your brother," there was a hint of good-natured sarcasm in her voice.
Haru felt a little heat run up his neck as he chuckled, "Yeah, we haven't teamed up for a lot of things before. This may be a problem."
Kaminari patted his shoulder, "That's rough, man."
Katsuki, who had overheard their conversation, popped a vein, "You've got something to say, dunce's face?"
The electric blonde took a step back, a nervous chuckle escaping his throat.
Haru smirked at his brother, "You guys shouldn't take his threats way too seriously. Katsuki may act angry, but he's actually very sėnsɨtɨvė underneath. You can say whatever you want about him," he was cut off as Katsuki threw a hand forward, blasting Haru's upper body. As usual, Haru scattered into several sheets of paper before reforming, "Of course the last only applies if you can negate his explosions or just happen to be a mȧsȯċhɨst."
Kaminari stared at him as if he were crazy while Jiro gave a low laugh.
Now that everyone had found their teammate, All Might riffled through a pair of boxes to see who would fight each other, "I declare that the first teams to fight will be these guys!" he pulled out a pair of balls for all to see.
Heroes: Team A
Villains: Team D
Haru glanced at Izuku's looked shocked face and Katsuki's angry one.
"Well, ****"
All Might replaced the balls, "Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch."
"Yes sir!"
Everyone, except All Might and the selected four, left the street.
"Izu."
Izuku jumped and looked at Haru who murmured at a volume that only his friend could hear, "I won't be holding back and you know that Katsuki won't either. If you wish to stand a chance against us, you need to let go of all your previous sentiments of us."
Izuku stared at his friend, unable to read the redhead's expression because of the cloak.
Haru turned a silently walked away.
Izuku took that moment to sneak a glance at Katsuki, only to see the ash-blond glaring daggers at him. He quickly looked away. 'He's right. I can't enter this battle believing that I will lose.'
Izuku clenched his fist and returned Katuski glared with a resolute look, caused the elder Bakugo to wince a little before gritting his teeth.
He was going to beat that nerd.
***
All Might led them all to the selected building, "Remember, Young Bakugo, Younger Bakugo, the key to being successful in this challenge is to embody villainy. Think from the perspective of an evildoer."
Haru nodded, "Got it."
Katuski remain silent.
"If things go too far, I'll step in."
Haru stepped a little closer, "See that you do, or I will."
The look he gave sent a chill down All Might's spine.
***
Haru and Bakugo entered a room near the top floor, placing the 'bomb' there.
Haru stretched out his hands sending out a stream of paper buŧŧerflies from his sleeves, "That should help for now. We should decide on how we will defend."
"Hey," Haru paused at the tone in his brother's voice, "You really think Deku has a Quirk."
Haru turned seeing that Katsuki facing away from him, "We both saw him throw that ball. I sensed the power surge. Izuku does have a Quirk now, but it seems to damage his body whenever he uses it."
Katsuki clicked his tongue, "Tch, was he seriously tricking me all these years?" his shoulders trembled from contained anger, "I'm gonna roast that damn nerd today!"
Haru stepped forward, reaching out a hand to grab Katsuki's arm, "Katsuki–"
The angry ash-blonde spun around, giving him an accusing look, "You knew didn't you? You kept it a secret too!"
Haru's eyes blazed in anger at the accusation, his cheerful demeanor instantly evaporating, "I was just as surprised as you were! Do you think Izuku would even keep something like this a secret? You saw how devastated he was when he was declared Quirkless. Even if he did keep it a secret, why would you have any right to know? You made his life a living hell since he was four, and I stood by and watched because I thought maybe you two could patch things up!" he gave a bitter laugh, "I can't believe was so naive. I actually believed his bruises were caused by falls. Instead, you bullied him behind my back. Even the other students beat him up when you were not looking."
Katsuki's eyes widened a little, "What? What kinda shit are you trying to pull?"
Haru agitation caused several folds of paper to start peeling off of the walls and ceiling, "I saw them. Last year, I caught them beating him up. Did you ever wonder why they were afraid of me?"
Katsuki's eyebrows furrowed as he realized it was true. One day, several of the boys in the class had been beaten within an inch of their lives. No one had ever discovered who did it. The victims were too frightened to say.
Gritting his teeth, Katsuki spun around and headed for the door, "Guard the damn bomb. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
"Katsuki," Haru deadly calm voice made the older teenager freeze, "If you try to hurt Izuku, so help me, I swear to everything I hold dear, I will never forgive you."
***
Izuku and Uraraka stood outside the building, studying their building's floorplan as they waited.
"You think they expect us to memorize this floorplan? It's so big!" the brunette looked up from the blueprint, "You know, All Mightis just as cool in person as he is on television," she smiled, "I'm glad he's not threatening us with expulsion like Mr. Aizawa. We can rela–AH! You're sweating through your costume!"
Izuku trembled as he stared at his copy of the blueprint, "I-it's j-just that we're up against Kacchan and Haru-chan. We should be on guard. Who knows what they'll pull."
A look of understanding appeared on the girl's face as her voice softened, "Oh, right. Bakugo. He's the one always making fun of you, and Haru is pretty strong."
Izuku ġrȯȧnėd, "Kacchan is really amazing. He can be a real pain, sure. But his strength and confidence... and his ambition. Not to mention his Quirk. They are so much greater than mine. As for Haru-chan, where can I begin to describe him?"
Uraraka nodded, "I know what you mean. He's just too wonderful to describe, huh."
"You're right," Izuku pushed himself off the rail on which he was leaning, a determined look on his face, "That just means I have to do better. I refuse to lose today."
Uraraka gave him a confident smile, "So it's a fated battle between rivals!"
Izuku suddenly started babbling from nerves, "Oh! it not like I'm trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!"
The girl giggled, "Are you kidding? We're a team, right? Let's win this!"
Izuku stared at her for a moment before a smile appeared on his face. He nodded in acknowledgment.
[ALRIGHT! LET'S BEGIN THE INDOOR COMBAT TRAINING! TEAM A AND TEAM B! YOUR TIME STARTS NOW!]
***
(Back in the monitoring room... a few minutes previously...)
The remaining sixteen students of class 1A stood around the multiple monitors of the hologram projection. They watched the 'villains' carrying their bomb to their room of choice.
Haru stood by it for a moment before saying something they could not hear.
"Darn it! We can't hear their conversation?" Hagakure complained.
Ashido pouted, "Don't we have mic's so we can listen in?"
All Might motioned at the earpiece he was wearing, "Both the villain and hero teams were given one of these so they can contact each other or me at any time. It also allows me to call fouls when necessary."
No one noticed as Jiro slowly stretched one of her jacks and plugged it into the floor. She was instantly aware of Haru's voice. Yet he sounded upset, angry even. It sounded like he was in pain.
[–secret, why would you have any right to know? You made his life a living hell since he was four, and I stood by and watched because I thought maybe you two could patch things up!] a bitter laugh made her unconsciously shudder, [I can't believe was so naive. I actually believed his bruises were caused by falls. Instead, you bullied him behind my back while refused to see it. Even the other students beat him up when you were not looking.]
Jiro's eyes widened at the same time as Katsuki's.
[What? What kinda shit are you trying to pull?]
Haru was clearly agitated as his Quirk seemed to go slightly out of control, [I saw them. Last year, I caught them beating him up. Did you ever wonder why they were afraid of me?]
Jiro covered her mouth, stifling a gasp. What did Haru do? From the look on his face, she was afraid to find out. She regretted eavesdropping now, but she was too scared to stop.
Katsuki spun around and headed for the door, [Guard the damn bomb. I'm going to get to the bottom of this.]
[Katsuki,] Jiro felt fear strike her cold, [You can do whatever you want to me but if you hurt Izuku, so help me, I swear to everything I hold dear, I will never forgive you.]
With a harsh growl, Katsuki left the room. Jiro breathed a short sigh as she watched Haru calm himself.
[You can stop listening now, Jiro.]
The dark-haired girl gaped as she stared at the monitor, to see Haru looking at it as if he could actually see her. Taking off his hat, the redhead, flashed her a reassuring smile.
'How?'
[It's okay. You can ask me about it later.]
She silently nodded and unplugged. Looking around to see if she was noticed, she saw Todoroki staring at her, his heterochromatic eyes cold and calculated.
All Might held a hand up to his earpiece, "ALRIGHT! LET'S BEGIN THE INDOOR COMBAT TRAINING! TEAM A AND TEAM B! YOUR TIME STARTS NOW!"
***
Izuku and Uraraka entered through one of the windows on a higher floor.
Uraraka flipped over the sill, "And like that, we're in."
Izuku slowly made his way down the hall, "Careful, there are a lot of blind spots. We can't sneak up on Haru-chan because of his sensory abilities."
Uraraka looked surprised. "He has another Quirk? I thought he said he only had one!" she whispered.
Izuku cautiously checked around a corner before proceeding, "He does. His origami is made from the paper he creates from his surroundings. He developed that skill further to sense when others are nearby through energy patterns. At least, that's what he told me."
The girl blew out a breath, "This is going to be difficult."
Izuku kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead as he pondered his next strategy.
'I don't have any control over One-for-All. I can't risk using it. If I did, I'd probably end up killing someone. We'll just have to win with Uraraka's zero gravity and whatever I can do without a quirk. Thanks to Haru-chan's advice, my fighting skills have improved a little. I took a lot of notes on indoor battles and fighting tight spaces. I can do this.'
Izuku saw the paper buŧŧerfly too late, with a gasp he lept back, narrowly avoiding the surprise attack Katsuki threw at him an instant later.
'That buŧŧerfly. It led Kacchan towards us!'
He dodged another explosion, this time losing half of his mask as he dragging Uraraka so his body shielded her. They both landed hard on the ground.
Izuku instantly sat up, glancing at the smoke when Katsuki more likely was, "Uraraka. Are you okay?"
The girl ġrȯȧnėd and sat up, "I'm fine. Thanks," she suddenly gasped, "Deku!"
"It's just my mask."
The smoke cleared to reveal Katsuki's intimidating figure.
"What's the matter Deku?" he taunted, "Afraid to stand up and fight me?"
Izuku sent a glare at the bully, "I knew you'd come at me first. I figured you'd try to catch me by surprise."
A rustle of paper made them all look up as Haru's silhouette slowly formed.
"I told you to guard the bomb!" Katsuki growled.
"I am," the figure stated, "I'm just a clone, a weak one at that," the clone faced Katsuki its hand resting on the edge of its sugegasa, "Katsuki, you just need to capture them. Don't prolong this more than necessary. If you let personal–"
"Shut up!" Katsuki grabbed the unresisting clone by the head and demolished it with an explosion.
Izuku and Uraraka could only watch in horror at the blonde's brutal behavior.
***
Elsewhere, Haru slowly opened his eyes, "Katsuki, you idiot."
***
(Observation room...)
"He almost got the jump on him!" Mineta exclaimed.
Kirishima clenched his fists, "What the heck Bakugo? What kind of man pull cheap crap like that?"
All Might watched the proceeding with absolute calmness, "It's a viable strategy. He is playing the part and acting as a true villain would."
Ashido was jumping with excitement, "It didn't work! Midoriya dodged him."
Kaminari clenched his jaw, "He destroyed Haru's copy. Why does Haru have to guard to bomb? It's not like him at all! He's wasting his potential!"
"That's where you're wrong," everyone paused as they looked at Jiro, the girl eyes hidden under her bangs, "Haru is merely biding his time. He's both kind and understanding, but he has another side. I felt it," she motioned at the screen, "Just watch."
Katsuki charged directly at Izuku, intent on pulverizing him, "I won't hurt you so bad they'd have to stop the fight. Just close!"
He swung and arm in a massive punch, only for Izuku to catch it and flip Katsuki over his shoulder, using a move Haru had taught him.
***
From where he knelt, monitoring the whole fight with his sensory, Haru gave a soft smile.
'You learned well, Izu.'
***
Izuku's ċhėst heaved as he suċkėd air into his lung, "Kacchan. You always use a big right hook to start a fight. I know because I watched you for years." Katsuki grunted as he sat up, feeling a large bruise starting to form on his back. Izuku looked up, locking his emerald eye with Katsuki's ruby ones, "For years I observed several amazing heroes including you. I wanted to learn everything I could about them. It was all in the notebook you burned and threw away," Izuku raised his fist defensively, "You can call me 'Deku' but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore. You hear me! I've changed! FROM NOW ON, DEKU IS THE NAME OF A HERO!"
The last words were yelled out in pure defiance.
Katsuki slowly stood up, crouching in an aggressive position, "Deku... You're shaking in your boots, you're so scared. Yet you wanna fight me anyway. Somehow my own brother sees something admirable in your weak ȧss," his angry expression turned practically demonic, "THAT'S WHY I HATE YOU!"
A crackle sounded in the infuriated teen's ear, *Katsuki. Uraraka's behind you. If you capture her now while her guard is down we can focus on Izuku and end this quickly.*
Katsuki pressed a finger to his earpiece, "Just shut up and defend the weapon! I've got more important things to worry about."
Angrily he turned his device off so Haru couldn't contact him anymore.
***
Haru lowered his hand, "Keep calm. Don't lose it," he told himself, taking deep breaths. Despite this paper proceeded to flutter around the room.
***
"Haru seems to be having a hard time with his Quirk," Yaoyorozu observed, "Strange, he seemed to have perfect control over it earlier."
All Might frowned slightly, "Young Haruko has impeccable control over his Quirk, except under one condition. When he is suppressing deep emotions."
Asui looked at their teacher, "All Might, should you be forcing him to fight under these conditions?"
All Might flashed her a smile, "Worry not young one! That boy has more willpower than you give him credit for. As long as he doesn't get angry, everything should be fine."
Kirishima felt curious, "What happens when he gets angry?"
All Might looked back at the screen, "Not so good things."
"You speak as if you know him," Todoroki said, speaking for the first time during the exercise.
All Might gave a hearty laugh to cover his confusion, "We met briefly," He quickly changed the subject, "Now we should all take this to heart, no matter what weakness be bear, as heroes we are to overcome them! Now all together!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Aoyama suddenly brought their attention back to the fight, "Monsieur, he's on the move."
Katsuki stretched his hands out behind him.
"Uraraka, now!" Izuku yelled.
Katsuki swung a roundhouse kick that Izuku blocked, "Ballsy move! Think you can take me alone?"
His face stiffened in shock as he realized that Izuku was preparing to wrap the capture tape All Might had given them around his leg. He sent out another explosion and Izuku dodged again.
Without another word, the green haired boy took off running down the hall.
Katsuki followed him, yelling angrily.
A few turns later, Izuku had lost his pursuer in the maze of hallways.
"Damnit! You were tricking me for years by acting weak. You've been laughing behind my back, huh? Where's that flashy power of yours now?" sparks flicked in the ash blonde males palms, "Let's see how it can compare to mine. Quirk or no, you'll never beat me, Deku."
He started blasting down doors to individual rooms. Causing the building to shake.
"Stop hiding! Come out and face me you coward!" he shouted angrily.
***
Uraraka cautiously entered the sunlit room. She was overjoyed to see the weapon sitting at the edge of the room with Haru standing near it. Just according to plan.
Found it! Now I just have to tell Deku and try my best to stay out of sight until he gets up here.
She reached up to her earpiece before glancing back at Haru.
He was gone...
Alarm bells went off in the girl's head.
'Where?'
A soft skitter made the girl look down at her hand. A large white spider was sitting directly on her wrist. With a squeal, she brushed it off and backed away.
"You seemed to have forgotten I can sense your presence Uraraka," the girl felt her blood turn cold at the sound of Haru's voice.
Her eyes flickered towards the ceiling. Haru was standing upside down, not one hair or fold of clothing out of place as it defied gravity. Rather ironic considering her Quirk. The boy had a chilly look in his eyes as he stared the girl down.
"Perhaps I should tell you I can 'see' everything in this building. I can already tell you that Izu is too far away. Even if he came right away without running into Katuski, he'd not make it in time before I'd capture you."
The girl spoke into her radio, "Um, Deku?"
[I'm here. How's it going?]
"Haru knows that I'm here. Sorry, I forgot he can sense people. He says he can see you too. I think he's waiting for me to finish talking so he can start a monologue."
[That's okay. He's more likely playing mind games with you. Don't let your guard down. Where are you?]
"Near the middle of the fifth floor."
[Okay.]
"Since you finished your little conversation, I think I need to leave," Haru's body dissipated into a swarm of buŧŧerflies that flew around in a circular pattern before the air around the girl became darker and she suddenly felt very vulnerable. Everything felt heavy.
'What's going on?'
Haru eyed the girl's wide unseeing eyes with a bored look before traping her in a paper cocoon.
"Genjutsu. I'm actually very weak in that field, but under the right conditions, it's a perfect trap. You made my job easier."
He raised his hand into a seal, creating a paper clone of himself.
"You want me to guard the weapon," it stated.
Haru nodded, "I've got to keep my brother in line."
***
Class 1A watched awestruck as they saw Haru quickly defeat Uraraka.
"W-what did he do?" Hagakure's voice trembled.
All Might looked at Uraraka's unusual expression thoughtfully, "I'm not sure."
"It was like he hypnotized her," Tokoyami observed.
Asui raised a finger, "That must be it. I noticed that she seemed fine until the buŧŧerflies moved in a circle. I thought it was strange. He used a simple hypnosis technique."
Sero frowned, "I don't know. There's seems to be more than meets the eye."
Kaminari watched as Haru left his clone and run down the hallways at incredible speed, "Who would have thought. Haru is playing the villain. There's no chance of Midoriya winning now."
Iida crossed his arms, "He embraced evil to become a hero."
Everyone deadpanned at the bespectacled student. 'He's taking this too seriously.'
***
Meanwhile, Izuku prepared to search for Katsuki with plans to capture him before helping Uraraka.
A sudden sound behind him made him whirl around. Standing at the end of the hallway stood Katsuki, a serious look on his face.
He slowly raised his hefty gauntlet, "I'm all loaded up."
Izuku eyed him cautiously, "What does that mean?"
Katsuki glanced from his gauntlet to Izuku, "Why aren't you using your fancy Quirk?"
A low hiss of helplessness escaped from between Izuku's teeth.
Katsuki leered at him, "Don't tell me you're underestimating me, Deku. Come over here and show me what you really made of."
Izuku mentally braced himself, "Kacchan, I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Katsuki face twisted in anger before a confident smirk lit up his face, "Since you're such a stalker, you probably know how my Quirk, Explosion, works. I secrete nitroglycerine like sweat from my hands, making it blow up. Imagine what I can do I I had a lot of it," a loud click filled the air as Katsuki ċȯċked one of his grenade-shaped arm pieces, "These gauntlets aren't just for show. They've been storing up sweat inside for one monster blast."
Katsuki placed a finger on the trigger ring.
***
Haru dashed down the hallways, annoyed that the maize was slowing him down. He raised a hand and pressed it to his ear.
"All Might! He's going too far! He needs to stop! Now!"
All Might's voice instantly echoes over the villain's com, [Young Bakugo! Don't do it!]
Haru slid around another corner, "I'm stepping in!"
All Might didn't answer him as he tried to reason with Katsuki again, [You'll kill him!]
***
A wild look appeared in Katsuki's eyes, "He'll be fine so long as he dodges!"
He pulled the pin.
A massive explosion ripped down the halls, shattering the concrete and scorching the air.
Izuku stood frozen as he saw the fiery inferno approaching, his life flashing before his eyes. A tall figure appeared in front of him.
"Shikigami Dance!"
Haru snatched off his sugegasa, placing it in front of him like a shield. As his command, a steady stream of paper flowed out of his sleeves to extend its edges, forming a large conical barrier in the face of the oncoming explosion. Bracing his feet on the ground, he met the impact with a loud warcry.
***
A massive tremor shook the building, shaking Uraraka out of the Genjutsu.
"Huh? What?"
Haru's clone suddenly clutched its head, "He's hurt."
The paper holding Uraraka in place fell to the ground.
***
In the observation room, several students cried out in fear as the floor shook beneath their feet. All Might frantically yelled into the radio.
"Come in! Come in! Midoriya! Bakugo!
Jiro knelt and stabbed both her earphone jacks into the floor, "I can't hear them! The aftershock is blurring out all noise!"
Shoji tried scanning the area with his Quirk, "I can't get anything either."
***
Izuku was on his back, pain wracking his body. He slowly sat up to sent a glare at Katsuki.
Katsuki, however, wasn't looking at him. The petrified blonde was staring in horror at Haru's battered figure. Haru was breathing hard, smoke rising from his ash-covered cloak. The only reason it was still existent was that he had ordered it to be made flame and heat resistant.
Blood poured from a wound just under his headband, his right arm was cradled to his ċhėst as if badly hurt.
But the most terrifying thing was Haru's eyes. They were radiating anger of a sort Katsuki had never seen before. If anger could be described as a color, most anger would be red. On a higher-level, there would be black anger, the anger of killing intent. Haru's anger was white, and that was what made it even more terrifying. White anger was righteous anger, anger of such purity and ferocity that even demons would fear it.
It was this look that shook Katsuki to his core.
A sharp crack shattered the silence, snapping Haru out of his mood. His senses were screaming danger, warning him that the surrounding walls were going to collapse.
Haru limped to the nearest standing structure and placed his less injured hand on it, "Shiki–" his voice trailed off and he collapsed to his knees.
Katsuki stepped forward, his hand outstretched, "Haru!"
Haru flashed him a glare, stopping his brother in his tracks, "Don't touch me!"
He turned and focused on the wall again. Slowly, but surely a wave of paper slid up the walls, holding them up with Haru's sheer willpower.
A look of hurt flashed in Katsuki's eyes until he caught sight of Izuku sprawled out on the floor, "You..."
Izuku slid backward, struggling to get up as Katsuki walked towards him.
Haru coughed violently as he yelled after his brother, "What the hell, Katsuki! Drop it already! Not everything is about you!"
Katsuki didn't seem to hear him as he eyed Izuku's trembling figure, a wild look still in his eyes, "Go ahead. Use your stupid Quirk on me, Deku. Even if you give me everything you've got, you'll never beat me."
***
Uraraka tried to take advantage of the clone's distraction to try and grab the weapon. As she ran forward, the clone instantly regains focus and ran at her.
"Not so fast!"
Uraraka touched her wrist and floated herself over the clone's head.
'I just need to touch it!'
She pressed her fingers together, releasing the anti-gravity on her body. Before she could grab the bomb, however, it was snatched away by the clone. With a cry, Uraraka ungracefully tumbled to the floor
"That's wont work."
The brunette clenched her fists.
'I won't let Deku down! This isn't over!"'
***
"What's the matter? You look scared? You hid behind my brother so you can still fight, didn't you?" Katsuki's taunting voice was on the verge of deranged, "Come and get me!"
Izuku felt trapped. 'This isn't good. We have to end this fast!'
He placed a hand to his ear, "Uraraka, come in. What's your situation?"
[It's not good!]
Katsuki's eyes twitched, "Are you ignoring me again? I'll get your attention!"
***
"Sir, isn't this getting out of hand?" Kirishima asked in concern, "Bakugo's really acting crazy. He's gonna kill him!"
Jiro looked up from where she knelt, "The building is unsteady. The force of the explosion has weakened the supporting walls enough that it may collapse if it receives any more damage. Haru's heartbeat is erratic. All Might, this has to stop."
Shoji sprouted an ear from one of his dupli-arms, listening intently, "She's right. They are all at risk."
All Might shook his head, "No."
Despite his fierce posture, Bakugo is not trying to kill Midoriya. The building seems to be holding up with Young Haru holding it up. I'd better check on him. He noticed Haru fishing in his pouch, pulling out a pill. He isn't.
"Haruko! Do not take that pill!"
Too late, Haru had already taken the food pill.
Kaminari looked scared, "What is it. Those are just energy pills, right?"
All Might visibly grimaced, "Those pills are only meant for life or death situations when Haruko's chakra reserves are dangerously low. They can help him enhance his Quirks power flow, but the side effect can be dangerous."
***
[Bakugo, if you use that stored power again, I'll stop this fight, your team will lose.]
Katsuki bristled in anger as he turned towards the camera, "HUH?"
[To have placed such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of a stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy whether you are a hero or a villain. The penalty will be a massive loss of points. The only reason the wall around you hasn't collapsed is that your brother is holding them up,] All Might then addressed Haru, [And Haruko, if you feel any symptoms from the pill, inform me at once. Failure to do so is instant disqualification.]
Katsuki shot a look at his brother's drooping figure, torn on what to do.
Izuku pushed himself to his feet, giving some last-minute instructions to Uraraka, "The pillar by the window, get there, now!"
With a sudden roar, Katsuki blasted himself towards him, "FINE THEN! WE'LL FIGHT HAND TO HAND!"
Izuku braced his feet. 'I can't dodge this. I have to counterattack!'
Katuski held a hand in front of him sending a small explosion into Izuku's face.
A flash of memory from Haru's lessons struck the moss haired teenager's brain. 'A smokescreen! He's coming from behind!'
Completly acting on instinct, Izuku pivoted on his heel and swung his leg into a 180-degree ax kick.
The heel of his boot slammed down on Katsuki's shoulder, surprising him, but only for a moment. With a yell, the blonde grabbed Izuku's leg in one hand and shoved him backward blasting at him with his other hand.
Izuku cried out in pain as he was sent spinning, leaving his back exposed.
"Here comes the famous right hook you were whining about!"
Haru raised a hand in their direction, "ENOUGH!"
Katsuki's gauntleted hand was intercepted by a wall of paper. It only managed to soften the blow as the punch landed against the small of Izuku's back. Without even pausing, Katsuki grabbed Izuku by the arm and swung him over his head, slamming him into the floor.
Haru coughed blood, revealing internal bleeding, "All Might! Stop the fight now! That last punch could have broken Izuku's back!"
***
Ashido looked like she was on the verge of tears, "This is hard to watch! All Bakugo has to do is wrap tape on him! Doesn't he even care that his brother is injured?"
"Bakugo is certainly acting like a villain," Tokoyami's deep voice held no emotion.
Kaminari almost looked frantic, "Midoriya seemed to be doing great at first, but Bakugo seems to be a natural at this stuff."
Jiro stood tight-lipped, not saying anything.
All Might's grip on his mic tightened.
'I should end this... but...'
***
Izuku staggered to his feet, stumbling away to the far end of the room.
He turned around just as Katsuki slowly walked towards him.
"Why don't you use your damn quirk against me? Still, think you can stop me without it."
A shadow passed over Izuku's eyes, "No that's not it."
"You've been hiding your true power for years! What's the deal, Deku? Did you think you were better than me this entire time?"
Izuku clenched his jaw, "That's what you think? You idiot!" he raised his head, "You've always been stronger Kacchan. Stronger than even Haru-chan. I know that you're better than me!"
Katsuki's glare hardened as he kept walking towards the object of his hatred.
Izuku clenched his fist tears forming in his eyes, "Can't you see? THAT'S WHY I WANT TO BEAT YOU! BECAUSE YOU'RE AMAZING!"
Katsuki sneered, "You're even more of an idiot than I realized!" a flame ignited in his palm, "COME AT ME!"
Both teens ran at each other, Katsuki's palms glowing with intense heat, Izuku's arm lighting up with veins of pure power.
Haru grunted as he felt another wall crumble. 'I can't stop them!'
"DETROIT..."
[BOTH OF YOU STOP!]
Too late.
"...SMASH!"
Instead of punching Katsuki, Izuku directed the force of his punch to the ceiling. There was a massive shockwave that blast through the floor, destroying everything in its path. All the windows of the building shattered.
Uraraka had followed Izuku's advice and latched onto a pillar just in time before the floor in front of her exploded in a burst of power and wind.
Haru's clone held an arm over its face, "What?"
Uraraka activated her Quirk on the now broken pillar, "Improvised special move: Comet Home Run!"
She slammed the pillar against the flying debris that now littered the room, sending a wave of concrete as the clone.
In a blur of movement, the clone created a naginata. With an expert series of spins and slices, it defended itself from the incoming attack.
"Release!"
The clone realized it had forgotten about brunette in that crucial moment just as the girl had floated her on top of the bomb.
"No!"
The girl smiled as she hugged the top of the weapon, "I got it!"
***
Katsuki stared at the sunlight that now flowed into the room from the massive hole that stood above him, trembling in anger, "This was your big plan. You were playing me this entire time, you bastard!"
"I wasn't going to use it," Izuku's voice was broken, "I can't control it," the smoke cleared to reveal Izuku still standing his arm upraised. Only now it was purple from all the broken bone and lacerated muscle, "My body just can't handle the backlash of my power yet. Mr. Aizwaw said I'd be useless, but this was all... that I... could think of," Katsuki's eyes widened as he saw the look of pain in Izuku's eyes, "This was the only way... I had any chance of winning..."
Izuku fell over, having fainted from the pain, leaving Katuksi completely stunned
[The hero team.... WINS!]