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Chapter Text

Izuku ran back to the plaza in a panic. This was not how he expected this day to go at all. Granted, that's a sentence that could be applied to any day in the past ten months. He never expected to have his dream crushed by the number one hero, nor did he expect the same man to reignite it. He didn't expect to be offered his Quirk (and wasn't that something? A transferable Quirk!), or to spend months training his body so it didn't literally explode upon receiving it. He didn't expect to shatter the bones in his arm during the UA entrance exam, and he definitely didn't expect to still get into the school after. Almost getting expelled, fighting Kacchan, somehow almost becoming class representative, and even making some new friends when he's only ever had two!

"I don't know if I'd call Bakugou a friend." A voice that sounded suspiciously like his other friend said in his head. He shook it off, now definitely wasn't the time.

Anyway, where was he? Oh right, whatever the hell was going on here. His class had been taken for rescue training at the USJ (and what's copyright to the Rat God of UA) and got to meet the Space Hero, Thirteen. That's when things went wrong. A warp gate had opened up in the plaza and out of it came a hoard of villains. Though even at a glance he could tell only four of them had more to them than the rest. The man made of mist who'd most likely brought them there in the first place, the man with hands all over his body, the hulking creature with an exposed brain, and the girl with a mask, hood and goggles. His teacher, Aizawa (he was getting taught by Eraserhead!), had ordered Thirteen to get the students out of there while he fought them off, though that plan fell apart when the warp villain managed to escape the man. Kurogiri, as he'd introduced, said they were here to kill All Might before warping him and his classmates away to their probable demise.

Izuku had found himself in the Flood Zone with Tsuyu (call her Tsu) and Mineta, stranded on a boat surrounded by aquatic villains. Fortunately through their combined efforts, and the sacrifice of a few fingers so he could use his Quirk, they managed to escape that situation. Which is where he was currently, running to the plaza. The situation he arrived at was grim. Thirteen was down, and it looked like her own Quirk was used against her. Aizawa-sensei was caved into the ground, bleeding and missing part of his arm. He couldn't locate most of his classmates that had been warped, though a hole in the wall gave him some hope. He was looking for someway to help when the hand villain noticed them. Faster than he was prepared, the man was in front of him and his classmates, hand outstretched so probably a five point activation Quirk, which when considering the state of his teacher didn't fill him with anything other than dread. Only for him to stop before he could touch one of them.

"You're so cool, Eraserhead." His raspy voice chuckled.

Izuku looked to see his teacher glaring with his Quirk active, fighting through the pain just to make sure they didn't get hurt, only to get slammed into the ground by the muscular villain. The greenette couldn't waste this chance, not with his friends at risk, so he charged up One For All in his arm and threw a punch. Only for it to be intercepted by the villain with the exposed brain, seemingly doing nothing.

"What?" Izuku asked in shock. All Might's power and it didn't even budge. He was too stunned to acknowledge that he hadn't broken his arm for some reason.

"Attacking while my back is turned? Are you sure you're a hero student?" The villain taunted.

The other villain, the girl, spoke, freezing All Might's successor to his very core. "Tomura, stop playing around." She said, not really paying attention to them and voice painfully familiar.

He knew her. It shouldn't be possible, but he knew her. "Michan?" He asked in shock.

Shock that was mirrored when Mirabel, because who else could it be, turned to him. "Izu?" She asked.

Tsu and Mineta looked at him in shock, with even the hand villain looking at him wide eyed. It was then that All Might arrived.

"Worry not students, because I Am Here!" The man said, signature smile missing.

Any other moment he'd be ecstatic about his idol and mentor coming to save them, but right now he was too stunned to focus on that, even when the man moved at high speed to save them and take down some remaining villains.

His arrival had brought Mirabel's attention though. "There you are All Might. I was worried you'd miss your own show." She said.

"Stand down Young lady." Yagi said, hoping to end this quickly before he ran out of time.

"And why would we do that? The guest of honor has just arrived. And just in time to see the fall of the Symbol of Peace." She responded.

"You're not the first to try to kill me, and you won't be the last." Toshinori said.

Mirabel laughed, and Izuku had never heard a sound so sinister come out of her. "Kill you? We're not here to kill you." She said.

"I am." The hand villain grumbled, getting an eye roll from the girl.

"He is. And while it would be a nice addition, it's not the main goal." She amended.

"Then what is?" All Might asked.

The girl grinned. "Nomu." She said.

The hulking creature suddenly moved far faster than he could keep up with to attack the number one hero, with the man countering. The impact from their blows creating shockwaves, pushing everyone back from the titanic clash. They also blew the hood off the villainess's head, exposing the familiar curly hair, and crushing any hope the greenette had that this wasn't really his friend. He forced his gaze back to his mentor and noticed he was having more trouble than he should be. Even with how strong and fast the Nomu was, All Might should still be doing some damage but it wasn't enough. He then noticed the hand villain looking smug and opening his mouth, only for Mirabel to nudge him with a shake of her head. So they were hiding something, but what?

The boy thought back to his own punch. It had been blocked yes, but something he didn't notice before was how it's skin rippled, as if dispersing the impact away from the point of contact to nullify or at least weaken it. That's it!

"All Might, I think it has some kind of Shock Absorption Quirk!" The boy yelled.

The villain's eyes snapped to him, both shocked, before one melted into anger and the other melted into resignation and a hint of amusement.

"What?! I'm calling hacks!" The man yelled.

"That's Izu for you, Quirk nerd through and through." She shook her head with a chuckle.

Yagi took his student's advice, which added with the villain's reactions basically confirming it, and moved around a punch to instead slam the monster into the ground to at least hold him temporarily. Alas it was not to be, as he found himself suplexing it into a warp gate. He felt like screaming as a hand dug into his injured side, a result of the warp gate opening in a position to allow the Nomu to hold him from both sides and attempt to pull him in. The kids stared at him, fear in their eyes.

Mirabel chuckled. "This, All Might, is what we want. To show the world that you're as much a man as anyone else. That even the number one hero bleeds." She grinned.

Izuku was frozen. His mentor was in trouble, his friend was a villain, and he didn't know how to help. Fortunately others didn't have this issue. A massive ice attack from Todoroki froze the Nomu, allowing All Might to escape it's grasp. At the same time, familiar explosions sounded and an ash blond Pomeranian impacted Kurogiri.

"Gotcha you shitty villain! Couldn't hit you before through the mist, but I figured that brace meant you had a body in there. Don't move unless you want me to blow your ugly ass back to hell!" He threatened, palms facing the villain in warning.

Mirabel scoffed. "Why am I not surprised they let an asshole like you in?" She asked.

Katsuki looked at her wide eyed. "Madrigal?!" He asked.

Her gaze darkened. "It's Shigaraki to you, Bakugou." She hissed.

"Since when?!" Izuku got over his shock to ask.

Her gaze softened when she looked at him. "Since I realized heroes are a lie." She said.

What? His thoughts were interrupted when the Nomu escaped the ice, losing an arm in the process and having it grow back immediately!

"I thought it had Shock Absorption?!" All Might exclaimed.

She looked him in the eye with deliberate intensity. "Izu said that, and while he wasn't wrong, he had no way to know that wasn't it's only Quirk. Perfectly bioengineered to give you a real fight." She said.

Multiple Quirks? But that was impossible!

"As impossible as a transferable Quirk?" He asked himself.

"Nomu, get that brat off our transport." Tomura said.

Bakugou was saved from having his head caved in by All Might moving him out of the way, Kurogiri using the opportunity to escape.

"You kids have done well, but I think it's time to show you how a real Pro Hero operates." He said with a smile.

Then he moved, hitting the Nomu repeatedly with even more force than before.

"Didn't you hear my sister and your brat? It has Shock Absorption, that won't work." Tomura said. Wait a second, sister?!

The shock of that quickly turned into awe as All Might began to actually push the monster back.

"I did hear them. They said Absorption, not Nullification. Which means there's a limit to how much it can take. One that I just have to push past." Yagi declared.

He somehow became faster than before, hits blurring as the Nomu reached its limit.

" This is what it means to go beyond Plus Ultra!" He declared, landing a final hit and launching the Nomu out of the building.

There was stunned silence.

"I gotta admit, that was impressive. But it definitely cost you." Mirabel said.

She was right, which meant she somehow knew about his time limit. The steam signaling a return to normal was wafting off the man. They needed to do something fast.

"Madrigal!" Katsuki yelled, taking his chance to hit her with Explosion.

Izuku should have learned by now not to have expectations. He expected Kurogiri to do something. He expected Tomura to do something. What he didn't expect was for a wall of water to take the attack, before he was sprayed back. Both him and Bakugou looked on in disbelief. Because that was a Quirk. That was Mirabel's Quirk. She was supposed to be Quirkless.

"You...have a Quirk." He said.

"And it looks like I'm not the only one." She responded. Something in her gaze told him she knew exactly what that implied.

A bullet through Tomura's hand was indication that backup had finally arrived.

"Hermano!" Mirabel exclaimed as she checked on him.

"Ugh, hurts like a bitch." He hissed.

"Kurogiri, get us out of here!" She said.

"Of course Young Mistress." The mist villain said.

The greenette's legs moved on their own, he couldn't lose her so easily. He ran after her, arms outstretched to pull her closer, to hug his best friend, to stop whatever was going on, but he couldn't make it. With a final sad look, the warp gate closed, and they were gone. Leaving Izuku to wonder what exactly happened to her.

Chapter Text

The villains exited the warp gate in a bar far away from UA.

"Kurogiri, get the first aid kit!" Mirabel ordered.

The mist villain nodded as he went to do just that, while Mirabel used her Quirk to wash Tomura's wound.

"Mirabel, calm down. It's not that bad." The man said.

"Not that bad! You got shot!" She exclaimed.

Kurogiri returned, kit in hand, to tend to the Decay user, while the villain in question was calming down his sister.

"It was just my hand. It didn't do too much damage and I'm sure Sensei or Garaki could fix it if it did." He said.

She was still looking at him sadly and he sighed internally. He's supposed to be a ruthless villain but her genuine care and distress make it hard. With an external sigh, Tomura pulled out a glove that was missing some fingers, put it on his uninjured hand, and gestured for her to get it over with. She complied, pulling him into a hug while he pet her hair, glove protecting her from Decay.

"I'm glad you're ok. And I'm drowning Snipe next time I see him." She said.

Tomura laughed. "Don't forget to invite me to that." He said.

When his hand was patched up, they decided it was the best time to give Sensei a report on what happened.

"Welcome back. How did your endeavor go?" All For One asked.

"Good/Bad." The two said at the same time before looking at each other.

"Oh?" Sensei asked.

"Come on Tomura, you know we weren't going to actually succeed at killing him." Mirabel said.

"We could have if that Nomu wasn't worthless. We didn't even kill any hero brats." He complained. He also neglected to mention the fact he wasn't actually going to, Mirabel would have been pouty about it and he didn't want to deal with that. It's one of the reasons they brought fodder with them to distract the kids.

"What did you say about my Nomu?!" The annoying voice of Garaki asked.

Mirabel shrugged. "All Might beat it. It was honestly impressive. Launched it who knows where so Kurogiri won't be able to retrieve it." She said.

"You insolent child! Do you know the time and resources that went into making a creature that could contend with All Might?!" He yelled.

"Silence." AFO said, causing the doctor to do so immediately. "Though it is quite the loss, you did say it went good. In what way?" He asked.

Mirabel grinned. "Because we got in to try in the first place. The headlines aren't going to read "UA stops villain attack", they're going to read "Villains managed to attack UA and badly injure two teachers". We'll see how much easily the public turns against it's heroes the moment they aren't untouchable. And with the Nomu forcing All Might to push beyond his limits, I see this as a win." The girl said.

The Symbol of Evil laughed. "Well done. You've learned well. But what will your next move be?" He asked.

"We're about to get a reputation and we should capitalize on it. Gather allies and strike while the iron's hot." She said.

"Very well. You're both growing wonderfully. Soon hero society will pay for how it treated you." AFO said before the call was cut.

"You didn't say anything about the green twerp." Tomura said.

"There's only two ways he could have a Quirk, and Sensei would have said something if he gave one to Midoriya. That means he has One For All, and though it will come out eventually, I want Izu off of the radar for now." She told him.

Back at the USJ, the immediate aftermath with heroes gathering the villains and checking on the students was white noise to Izuku as he tried to process what just happened.

"What the fuck was that, Deku?" Katsuki asked him.

"Kacchan?" He said confused.

"Don't "Kacchan " me nerd. I never bought your bullshit late Quirk manifestation story and now the other Quirkless loser has a Quirk too. That can't be a coincidence, so I'm asking again. What. The fuck. Was that, Deku?" The ash blond growled.

Izuku was silent because Bakugou was right. His Quirk manifestation was bullshit. But it's impossible for that to have to do with Mirabel. "I don't know. I just don't know." He responded.

Whether Katsuki could tell he was telling the truth or just didn't care enough about him to continue a conversation, the boy just scoffed before walking away.

Soon a detective walked up to him. "Hello young man. My name is Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, and I have a couple questions for you." He said.

"Ok." The greenette said.

"Now, before we start, I'm legally obligated to tell you about my Quirk, Polygraph, which means I can tell if you're lying. Are you comfortable with the questions being asked?" He asked.

A lie detector Quirk! That was so cool! Wait, what if he asks about OFA!? He can't lie to the police but he can't reveal All Might's secret!

"Young man." Naomasa said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I can tell you're worried about one secret in particular, but I can tell you that All Might is a good friend of mine, and he's told me all about you Midoriya. Including your Quirk." He told him.

That was a massive weight off his chest. When he stated he was ok with the questioning, the detective began.

"I was told by your classmates that you apparently knew one of the villains. What can you tell me about that."

"Her name is, or was, Mirabel Madrigal." He said.

"Madrigal? Like from the Encanto agency? And what did you mean was?" The man asked.

"That's them." Izuku said. The family Madrigal of the Encanto agency had the unique distinction of being heroes Izuku didn't like. Their Quirks were cool, all Quirks were, but the way they treated his friend soured his opinion on them. "And as for the was? She said her name was Shigaraki now. She even called the other villain her brother."

The detective hummed in interest. "True. Anything else?" He asked.

"She...she had a Quirk." The greenette said.

"Yes, some kind of hydrokinetic Quirk according to your classmates." Tsukauchi said.

"She shouldn't have one. Last I saw her, she was Quirkless." He said.

The man paused, eyes widening. "Are you certain?" He asked cautiously.

The boy looked confused at his reaction. "I'm sure. We were friends for years, because of our mutual Quirkless status." He said.

The detective muttered something under his breath before turning back to Midoriya. "True. Thank you for your cooperation." He said, turning to walk away. This was bad. Between the confirmation of the Nomu having multiple Quirks and now this? It could only mean one thing. That bastard was still alive.

When the kids were allowed back home, Inko nearly flooded the apartment with her tears. Izuku was able to comfort her enough that he was free to head back to his room, but he was on a mission. When he got there, he immediately began to call a number. When it didn't go through, he sent a message, also failing to go through.

"Something must have happened to her phone. She probably got rid of it." He said.

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Mirabel is the only person other than him and Kacchan he knew wanted to be a hero more than anything, and now she's a villain with a Quirk.

"I don't know what happened to you Michan, but I'm going to save you either way." He promised himself.

Chapter Text

Detective Naomasa walked up to the building with mild trepidation. It's not everyday he had to walk up to a family and interrogate them about a teenage member going off to be a villain. But this had to be done. He approached the house and was only mildly surprised when the windows waved at him. Alma Madrigal, or Matriarch, had a fascinating Quirk, the ability to make her residence sentient. She called it Casita, and it was one of the reasons that despite not having all that much actual security, the Encanto agency was easily one of the most protected one's in Japan. Hard to cause trouble when the house itself is out to get you. He shook his head, he was getting sidetracked.

"Hello Casita. I would like to speak to Matriarch. It's a matter of utmost importance." He said.

The house seemed to nod, door opening and allowing the detective to walk in. The building was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. The tiles guiding him to the old hero being a large part of the reason he didn't get lost. Following the house's instructions, he was quickly led to a room containing the Madrigal family.

"Ah, detective. Good to see you." Alma greeted.

Tsukauchi tilted his hat in greeting. "You as well, Matriarch. But I'm afraid this isn't a social visit." He said.

The woman's eyes narrowed. "I see. Is there a case you require help with?" She asked.

Naomasa grimaced. "Something along those lines. I need to preface this by saying that UA was recently attacked." He said.

"What?!" Someone exclaimed, accompanied by the sound of thunder. This was Pepa Madrigal, or Tempest, who's mood could create localized weather phenomenon.

"But UA is one of the most secure places in Japan." Another woman said. This was Julieta Madrigal, or Panacea, who's healing food made her second only to Recovery Girl in terms of healing Quirks.

"And you'd be right, but the villains possessed a powerful warp Quirk that allowed them access." He said.

"As worrying as that is, why do you need us?" Dolores Madrigal, or Resonance, asked.

Oh boy, this was the part he was dreading. "Because of someone involved in the attack." He started.

"Was it a villain we fought before?" Isabela Madrigal, or Florist, asked.

"Not quite. The individual I'm referring to, is Mirabel Madrigal." He dropped the bomb.

There was dead silence. They looked at Tsukauchi with varying levels of disbelief. Then someone snorted.

"Ok, that was an alright joke, but what's really going on?" Camilo Madrigal, still clad in his Shiketsu High School uniform, asked with a chuckle.

But Naomasa kept a straight face, causing the laugh to die down. "You are joking, right?" The boy asked.

"I'm afraid not." The man said.

"But that's not possible." Luisa Madrigal, or the newly debuted Fortress, said.

"She's right. There has to be some kind of mistake." Julieta said, almost pleading.

"She was identified by two students and didn't bother denying her identity when they confronted her." Naomasa explained.

"Then they got it wrong!" Pepa yelled, wind growing in fury.

"Pepa, calm down!" Her mother yelled back.

Her husband, Felix, or Mirth, used his ability to calm emotions to help her relax.

Alma took a breath before turning to the detective. "Despite her outburst, my daughter is correct. There has to have been some sort of mistake." She said firmly.

"She's right. Maybe it was someone who looked similar." Augustin, or Fortune, who's Quirk allowed him to give someone extra luck at the cost of being more unlucky himself, suggested, comforting his wife.

They were grasping at straws and Tsukauchi understood it. "The ones that identified her were Katsuki Bakugou and Izuku Midoriya." He told them.

The air left the room again. They all knew Midoriya. He and Mirabel were practically attached at the hip. The shock of the Quirkless boy getting into UA was overshadowed by the simple fact that he would be able to recognize her anywhere.

"How?" Julieta asked in disbelief.

"That's what I was hoping you'd tell me. Have you noticed anything odd about her behavior?" Anything that could have led her to the Boogeyman?

"No. Nothing. At least, nothing I noticed." Pepa said.

"Are you certain?" Naomasa asked again. "She was very close to another villain and that's not the kind of relationship that's built up fast."

"How close?" Isabela asked aggressively. She was probably assuming the worst.

"She called him her brother and claimed her name to be Shigaraki." The detective said.

It was like a physical blow to her actual siblings. "Brother?!" Isabela yelled. "That's not....that doesn't....he must be manipulating her somehow! It has to be his Quirk!"

"His Quirk let's him destroy anything he touches with five fingers, not any kind of mental Quirk." Tsukauchi explained.

"Then he's threatening her!" The plant user responded.

"We're getting off topic." The man sighed. "Are you sure you noticed nothing?"

"Um, I think I did." Dolores squeaked. Eyes snapping to her didn't help. "She hasn't been around Casita for a long while." She said.

"And you didn't find that suspicious?" Naomasa asked, brow raised.

"I thought she was with Tio Bruno. He tends to disappear every once in a while. When I told Abuela that's what she suggested at least." The woman said.

Bruno Madrigal, or Forewarn. A man with one of the few future telling Quirks. No one is quite sure how it works but him.

Eyes now turned to the woman who had been silent for a while. "Mama?" Julieta said, threat clear in her tone.

"It was a reasonable assumption. You know how your brother is." She defended.

"You could have at least told me Mirabel wasn't around!" The healer said.

Wait, hold on. "You didn't know?" Tsukauchi asked incredulously. How did they not know their teenage daughter hadn't been around?

"I mean, Antonio had been more uncooperative than usual, which could be explained by that, but I thought it was just him growing older." Pepa said.

Antonio Madrigal, recently got the power to turn into animals if he knew enough about them.

"And besides, hero work is busy. Constantly paying attention to one Quirkless girl isn't exactly worth all our time." Isabela said flippantly, as if she wasn't talking about her own sister.

The detective's eye twitched imperceptibly. It was getting easier to see how All For One got to her. He had probable months without her being home, with a family that disparaged her Quirkless status, that on top of that didn't notice she was missing.

"I think I have enough." The detective said, deceptively calm. "We'll keep looking into this." He said, though as he started to follow the tiles out, he paused. "Oh, and by the way, she's not Quirkless." He added, leaving before they could process that.

He stood outside and took a deep breath. "Casita?" He said suddenly, getting the house's attention. "Were they a good family to her?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

The sentient Quirk seemed saddened, shutters shaking in what was definitely a no.

"I figured." He muttered, walking away.

When the reveal of the attack and it's perpetrators was aired, the Encanto agency had to release a statement.

"We at the Encanto agency deny any connection to the girl called Mirabel Shigaraki. If that girl is choosing to be a villain, then she is choosing to no longer be a member of la familia Madrigal. She will be hunted down as any other villain, and made to pay for her crimes." Matriarch had said.

In a house in Musutafu, a green haired woman hugged her son in tears at his best friend being a villain, while the son in question glared at the screen, anger in the viridian orbs as he looked at the woman who would so readily abandon her granddaughter. But he's not going to give up on her so easily.

In a bar elsewhere, the glares were much more murderous. Tomura's red eyes were the epitome of "if looks could kill", because Alma would have been long dead. Even Kurogiri was glaring daggers from his bar. Mirabel, however, chuckled despite her glare.

"Looks like Mirabel Madrigal is officially dead." She said, twirling her drink.

"That old bitch is going to be dust by the time I'm done with her." Tomura said.

"Patience hermano. She'll get what's coming to her. Her and the rest of the Madrigals." She hissed, glass in hand break-in as the liquid gree more agitated.

Chapter Text

Eventually, Class 1-A had to return to school. Izuku was honestly glad to see all his classmates were still here. He wouldn't blame anyone for leaving UA after the USJ incident, but he was just starting to think they were actually friends and didn't want to lose them already. They were currently waiting for class to start when Asui called out to him.

"Midoriya, I've been meaning to ask you something." The frog girl said.

"Oh? What's up Tsuyu?" The greenette responded a bit nervously. Last time she said that she was comparing his Quirk to All Might's, and while she wasn't wrong, it was exactly that reason that he was freaking out.

"That villain, the girl, how did you know her?" She asked.

That drew attention to them. Even Katsuki, though he'd never admit it.

"What do you mean how'd Deku know her?" Ochako asked.

Mineta spoke up. "Yeah dude. You knew her name and she knew yours. How? Are you holding out on villain babes?" He asked.

Izuku's eye twitched imperceptibly at that last part but knew otherwise it was a good question.

"I knew her because she's my best friend." He admitted.

Gasps sounded in the room. "Midoriya, I must say I'm most surprised you of all people would be friends with a villain." Iida said.

"You don't really seem like the type dude." Denki added.

"It seems even the brightest of us have inner darkness." Fumikage muttered.

"I didn't even know she was a villain until the incident. She'd always just been Mirabel Madrigal." Midoriya said.

Izuku fell to the ground tears forming. Katsuki stood over him, arrogance radiating off the eight year old.

"I told you couldn't be a hero Deku." The ash blond said.

His "friends" laughed at the interaction, only fueling the boy's ego. Until he got hit by a rock.

"Hey! Who did that?!" Bakugou yelled.

"I did!" A young girl said, moving to stand protectively in front of Izuku. "Now leave him alone!"

The greenette was shocked. No one had ever stood up for him like this.

"Who do you think you are?" Katsuki asked angrily, small pops sounding from his hands.

The girl was undeterred. "I'm Mirabel Madrigal, and I'm not going to let a bully like you get away with this!" She declared.

The name clicked to Izuku. The Madrigal family, a family of heroes. Pedro Madrigal, or Mister Miracle, came to Japan to attend UA before going to be a hero in Columbia. When he died, his wife, Alma Madrigal, moved the family to Japan in part to honor his memory and many assume because staying would have been too painful. He stared at the girl in mild awe.

"Why are you protecting useless Deku? He's Quirkless after all." One of Katsuki's lackeys asked, making the greenette flinch. This is usually where people stop caring what happened to him.

But Mirabel didn't. "And? Just because he doesn't have a Quirk doesn't mean he shouldn't be protected. I don't have a Quirk either but that won't stop me from being a hero." She told them.

She was Quirkless too? Bakugou's temper rose at another Quirkless loser thinking they were on his level, but before he could react, a man walked up.

"Walk away kid." The man, who he'd later learn was Bruno Madrigal, told Katsuki.

Far less willing to risk dealing with him, the ash blond scoffed and left, glaring as he did so, with the young Madrigal returning it in kind. She then turned to Izuku.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine." The boy answered.

"Are you sure?" She asked again.

"Yeah. It was just Kacchan. He'd never really hurt me too bad." He told her.

She looked like she didn't believe him at all but he brushed past the subject. "You were so cool! I've never met another Quirkless person, and you stood up to Kacchan!" He exclaimed.

She blushed at the praise. "Well I had to. I want to be a hero, and that means helping people." Madrigal said.

"Do.....do you really think you can be a hero without a Quirk? Everyone's always telling me I can't." The boy asked quietly.

"Then let's prove them wrong and be the best heroes around." Mirabel said determined.

Izuku smiled at her. "Right. I'm Izuku Midoriya." He introduced.

She smiled widely at him. "Nice to meet a new friend." She said.

"No one wanted to be a hero more than anyone. I don't know what changed, but I'm going to find out and save my friend." The greenette told them.

"That's so manly Midoriya." Kirishima said. Then he turned to Katsuki. "Hey Bakubro, you knew Midoriya, did you know her too?"

"Don't call me that Shitty Hair. Yeah I knew Madrigal. She was annoying." Was all the boy said.

Tsuyu looked at him for a bit longer before humming. "Alright. And I told you to call me Tsu." She said.

"Oh just imagine the drama. Friends to Enemies to maybe lovers." Mina teased.

Izuku blinked. Definitely not that last one. The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the teacher.

"Settle down." Aizawa-sensei said.

"Mr Aizawa!? Shouldn't you be resting?!" Hagakure asked. It was a valid question considering the state the Nomu left him in, especially taking into account the man was still wrapped in bandage.

"I've rested enough. Delaying your lessons any longer would be illogical. Now I know you all just went through something harrowing, but know your next challenge is almost here." The man said.

The class tensed. Was it more villains?!

"The Sports Festival is coming up." Shouta said, like the dramatic bastard he was.

The tension immediately left the room before being replaced by excitement, then trepidation.

"It's still happening?" Kyoka asked.

"Wouldn't it be a better idea to just cancel it? What if villains attack again?" Ojiro asked.

"That's a valid concern. Unfortunately we can't afford to. The UA Sports Festival is one of the most watched programs there is, bigger than even the Olympics. It's also supposed to be your first real chance to market yourselves to Pros for internships, so you can't afford to miss it. For your safety however, we'll be increasing security so nothing like the USJ ever happens again." Eraserhead said.

At that, the excitement built up again. This was their chance to really show off their skills. A part of Izuku wondered if Mirabel was going to be watching too, and if that was a good thing or not.

With the girl in question, her brother was definitely not sulking (he was so sulking) when she said they were going to be watching the Sports Festival.

"Why would I want to watch a bunch of hero brats showing off?" He asked.

"Because, it's an easy way to learn about our enemies." She answered.

Tomura scoffed. "You just want to watch the green twerp." He said.

She deflated a bit. "Maybe I do." She admitted.

The elder Shigaraki looked at his sister before groaning and pulling her into a side hug, which she definitely appreciated.

"Thanks hermano." She said.

"Yeah yeah. I swear you're making me soft." He grumbled.

She very maturely stuck her tongue out at him before he shoved her and went back to his game, causing her to chuckle. She then sighed. "I hope you're happy, Izu." She said.

Chapter Text

The day continued after Aizawa's announcement and Izuku was honestly wondering if they'd have a normal day at school. Those hopes were dashed when Iida opened the door to reveal a crowd of students blocking their way.

"Excuse me! May you please cease blocking our path?!" The boy said sternly.

"What are they all doing here?" Hagakure asked.

Katsuki scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? They're scouting out the class that survived a villain attack." He responded, before addressing the crowd. "Beat it extras. You're in my way."

That didn't go over well with the gathered students.

"So this is Class 1-A?"

"So rude."

A boy then walked to the front. He had purple hair and eye bags so big it looked like he hadn't even heard of the concept of sleep. "Is everyone in the hero course so arrogant or is it just you?" He said dryly.

"We don't share his opinion!" Izuku said hastily.

The boy looked at him in disinterest before continuing on. "Don't let it get to your head just because you survived some villains. You might just get knocked off your pedestal sooner than you'd think." He said.

"What does that mean?" Denki asked.

The class's resident green bean spoke up. "He probably means the Sports Festival. If someone does well enough or a hero student is found lacking then the former can be transferred to the hero course while the latter is dropped." He explained.

"What!" Mina exclaimed. "After dealing with Aizawa-sensei we can still be dropped?!"

The purple boy looked mildly surprised Izuku knew that but otherwise didn't react. "Exactly. And I'm gunning for a spot. So don't get comfortable." He threw over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Is everyone at this school intense?" Mineta asked.

But Izuku didn't hear him, too caught up in his thoughts. He couldn't lose his spot. All Might was counting on him and he wouldn't let him down.

Speaking of All Might, he was meeting with Naomasa. The skeletal looking man had a deep frown on his face. "So it's true? He's alive? There's no other option?" He asked.

His friend sighed. "I wish there was. A late manifestation on it's own I could probably brush off, but combining that with her becoming a villain aided by a monster with multiple Quirks and what I know about her family life leaves us with little else to work with."

Her family life, another thing leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He saw Matriarch essentially disown the girl, and hearing how they treated her for being Quirkless, it sent him back to his first meeting with Young Midoriya. How he crushed his dreams so callously. The boy had spoken well about his mother and their relationship, but his mind can't help conjuring up the image of Inko Midoriya being the one on the news denouncing her son, all because his words sent that boy in the boogeyman's direction.

"Are you going to tell the boy? About him?" Tsukauchi asked.

"I must. I gave him One For All while neglecting to mention him because I truly believed that monster to be dead. But knowing he's not and has involved Young Midoriya's friend, I feel I owe it to the lad." Yagi said.

Which brings us to now, on Dagobah Beach, where Toshinori had texted Izuku to meet him. The greenette saw the skeletal blond and hurried over to the bench he was sitting on.

"You wanted to see me?" Izuku asked nervously. The text was super vague. Did he want to talk about OFA? Did he want the Quirk back? It would make sense. Izuku couldn't even control the power, so how could he possibly be the next symbol of peace if he kept breaking his bones. Not to mention his best friend is apparently a villain, so All Might probably doesn't trust him with the Quirk anymore and he's going to go back to being a Quirkless loser.

His mutterings were stopped by a soft chop to the head from Yagi. "Kid, quit it with the muttering. And I'm not taking the Quirk back." He told him.

"You're not?" The young Midoriya asked.

"No. I'm not. Young Midoriya, you are the best choice of successor I could have asked for and I know you're going to get a handle on this power. And even if you didn't, I have no doubt you would still become an amazing hero. I'm sorry about what I said on that rooftop, especially because I was wrong. Because if anyone could have become a hero without a Quirk, I have complete confidence that it would be you, my boy." Toshinori told him.

Izuku started crying long before the speech finished. Yagi only chuckled and pulled the boy into a side hug until he could get it together.

"Thank you for believing in me." Midoriya sniffed. "But then why'd you call me here if it wasn't about your Quirk?"

The mood dropped instantly. "It's not not about One For All. I already told you the power was transferable, but I never told you the whole story. That it had an intended purpose." The blond man said.

"Purpose?" Izuku asked.

"Let me tell you a story. Back during the Dawn of Quirks, the world was in chaos. The fantasy became the reality almost over night and you know how people are with sudden change. People with Quirks, or Meta Abilities as they were called, were treated very differently from how they are today. They were ostracized, turned away by society and treated as monsters. They craved an escape from the abilities that cursed them. And that's where he came in. All For One." Toshinori explained.

Izuku felt a shiver up his spine at the last bit, not helped by the venom All Might said the name with.

"No one knows his true name, but they knew about his Quirk. The ability to give and take the Quirks of others." He continued.

The greenette went slack jawed. That was an incredible and impossible Quirk. The possibilities were nearly endless.

"All For One used this power to gain strength and influence, taking Quirks from those who didn't want them and giving them to those who did. He became the most dangerous man in the world." Yagi told him.

"All For One." Izuku whispered in terrified awe. "Like One For All?"

His mentor nodded. "Knew you'd catch on. AFO had a brother, a sickly man, he lacked a Quirk though he had a profound sense of justice. He tried to stand against his brother and failed. Whether it was out of some misguided attempt at brotherly love or an attempt at control is unknown, but All For One decided to give his brother a Quirk that stockpiled power. But it turned out the brother wasn't Quirkless. He had the power to pass his Quirk to others. Useless on its own, but when combined with the stockpiling Quirk he was given, it fused to create a new Quirk. Our Quirk. One For All. And ever since then, it's been the holders' duty to one day gather enough power to stop that monster once and for all. Until we finally succeeded, with me."

The greenette was reeling. No wonder it took multiple generations to stop the man. Just imagine the sheer strength and versatility of someone with....multiple....Quirks. His eyes widened in realization. "Nomu. He's behind it." He said. And if he was behind the Nomu, then. "And Mirabel. That's how she got a Quirk."

Toshinori sighed. "Too smart for your own good. But you're right. Our fight was intense, and while I definitely didn't come out unscathed, the damage I did to him should have been more than enough to kill him. But he somehow survived, and is well enough to keep making monstrosities and recruiting new people. Young Midoriya, if I had known he was still alive I would have waited to give you the Quirk, not because of you, but because I was hoping the next generation wouldn't have to deal with him." He said somberly.

All Might's injury suddenly made a lot more sense. Only someone like All For One could have hoped to cause it. And now a centuries old supervillain has his best friend.

"Can.....can Mirabel be saved?" He asked.

"I'm honestly not sure. But rest assured Young Midoriya, as long as I draw breath and even a single ember of One For All burns inside my body, I will not stop until All For One is stopped for good and you get your friend back. Why? Because I Am Here." Yagi proclaimed.

And even while knowing of his injury, knowing of his lowered time limit and knowing just how dangerous his enemy was, Izuku still relaxed a bit at that.

"Thank you." He said genuinely.

"You're welcome my boy." Toshinori smiled at him.

Chapter Text

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

The sound of explosions could be heard coming from a training room in the Bakugou home. The source of course being the explosive Pomeranian of Class 1-A working out. The boy was blowing up targets around the room with his trademark levels of aggression. He'd been going for long enough that his palms were starting to seriously hurt but he grit his teeth and pushed through. The Sports Festival was his big chance to show all those extras that he was going to be number one and he couldn't blow it. Not with how nothing else has been going to plan.

From a young age, Katsuki had been told how amazing him and his Quirk were, and how it was perfect for heroics. And they were right. Explosion was fantastic. As he got older and his power and control grew, it became obvious to everyone at his backwater school that he was going to be the number one hero. So when he got into UA, the ash blond expected to be top of the class as usual. But he wasn't. Icy Hot and Ponytail beat him during the assessment test, but those fuckers were recommended students who probably never had to work as hard as him a day in their lives so he'd pass them eventually. But it kept going downhill from there, all because of Deku.

Katsuki let out a huge explosion in anger at the thought of the greenette. The Quirkless loser who was supposed to remain in his shadow was now showing him up. He even beat him in the battle trial! Deku suddenly having a Quirk is what really pissed him off. All this time the nerd had been hiding that power. Why? Just to mess with him? Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. He'd crush the nerd anyway.

Though even he's starting to see a flaw in that theory, and that's because of Madrigal, or rather Shigaraki now. Where Deku was always a whiny little bitch who spent more time writing in his dumb notebooks about wanting to be a hero rather than actually doing something about it, Madrigal had more bite. She never let anyone talk down about her because she was Quirkless and extended that to Deku, even standing up to Katsuki whenever she could. It's not like she was ever a threat to him, she was still a Quirkless loser after all, but the fact she had to gall to try in the first place still makes him mad. Much like the nerd, Shigaraki had a Quirk as well and had used it to take him down. While he could somewhat think of a reason Midoriya would hide a Quirk, Madrigal was always so determined to be like her family that he can't think of any reason she'd do the same. One late Quirk manifestation (still a bullshit story) he could buy, but two? That was way too unlikely. So how did they get them? He then remembered what Deku had said after the battle trial.

"Someone else gave me this Quirk."

At the time the ash blond had scoffed. Giving someone a Quirk? Impossible. The nerd was mocking him. But now, with Shigaraki and that multi Quirked freak called Nomu, maybe it wasn't out of the picture.

Katsuki shook his head. Now he was thinking crazy. Quirks just didn't work like that. And even if they did, Midoriya would have never gotten a Quirk from the same place as Shigaraki considering the girl was a villain. The nerd may piss him off but he knows he's too good of a person to accept power from anyone who would ask him to be a villain in return. As for her, he'd seen the broadcast, how quick Matriarch had been to disregard her. Shitty villain or not, the fact she went directly to disowning her so fast told him all he needed to know.

(Part of him buried so deep he couldn't even acknowledge it wondered if his actions could be a partial catalyst for her descent into villainy. The rest of him blew that thought up before it could be processed.)

Like he said earlier though, the reasons didn't matter. He would still crush them. First the Sports Festival, where he'd show everyone once and for all that he was at the top. Not Icy Hot, not Shigaraki, definitely not Deku, him. (Because if he wasn't, he wouldn't know who he was).

Chapter Text

It was time for the Sports Festival, and Izuku had to take a breath to steady himself. This was it, his time to show the world what he was made of. Though given he couldn't properly use his Quirk without breaking his bones, he wasn't that confident what he was made of was enough. His classmates were waiting for them to be called out, buzzing with the same nervous energy as himself, when Todoroki walked up to him.

"Midoriya." He said.

"Yeah?" The greenette responded.

"In terms of ability it's obvious that I'm stronger than you. Yet for some reason All Might has his eye on you." He said, continuing before the other boy could deny any relation to the number one hero. "I'm going to beat you, Midoriya."

"Wait are we declaring war now?" Sero asked.

The greenette was stunned by the sudden challenge. Is it because Todoroki was Endeavor's son that he believed challenging someone he presumed had a relationship with All Might necessary. As concerning as it was the bi colored boy was suspecting any relation between the two, he couldn't just leave the challenge unanswered.

"You're right that you're strong. Probably the strongest person in class. And that's why I'm going to try my hardest to beat you. We all want to be heroes here, so you better not underestimate us Todoroki." He declared.

"That was so manly." Kirishima said.

Shoto kept his gaze before walking away. Katsuki meanwhile growled about that icy hot bastard challenging Deku of all people.

"I'll show him." He said to himself.

Soon it was time for the students to head out into the arena, and as they walked they could hear Present Mic commentating.

"Welcome ladies, gentlemen and anything in-between and outside, to the first year Sports Festival! I'll be your announcer, giving you the play by play of all the hot action! And you bet it's gonna be intense, just look at that crowd! What do you think pal?" He asked his cohort.

"How did you talk me into this?" Aizawa grumbled.

Izuku gulped at the size of the crowd.

"Wow. There's a lot more people out there than I was expecting." Denki said nervously.

"Usually the first years get the least interest, people caring more about the more experienced students. But I guess people really want to get a look at the class that survived a villain attack." Izuku said.

He was right, and the stadium wasn't event everyone watching. People all over watched from their TVs, eager to see the new crop of students who already made a name for themselves. Including but not limited to the villains that gave them that name in the first place. Mirabel and Tomura Shigaraki, one vastly more invested than the other, sat together as they prepared to watch the action.

"And now the moment you've been waiting for, let's bring out the kiddos! They already took on villains and survived, now they get the chance to show off their skills to the world! You know em, you love em, Class 1-A!" Hizashi introduced them.

Walking out to deafening cheers was certainly nerve wracking.

"I've never had so many eyes on me." Ochako said.

"If we're going to be pros we'll have to be able to handle the spotlight." Iida said.

Mic continued. "And next for the hero course, while they haven't had much time to shine yet, I wouldn't count them out. Here's Class 1-B!"

The cheers being quieter than for their sister class didn't help any budding resentment. Though compared to the General Studies students it was clearly better, making Shinsou scoff. Even support got louder cheers than General.

"And now to host this wonderful event, it's the one, the only," Present Mic started.

"Me!" Midnight finished.

The R-Rated Hero grinned at the crowd. "And I can't wait to see all your youthful spirit in action." She said, licking her lips.

Once more some people wondered how this woman was allowed around kids.

"And now to give the opening speech, the one who scored the points in the entrance exam, Bakugou!" She announced.

"Oh no. There goes our chance of anyone not hating us." Mina bemoaned.

Mirabel scoffed. Of course it would be him.

The extra heroes on security recognized him as well.

"Hey, isn't that the kid from the Sludge Villain incident?" Mount Lady asked.

"Looks like." Death Arms said.

Other extra security heroes recognized him for a different reason.

"That name sounds familiar." Fortress said.

"I think Mirabel might have mentioned him." Resonance said.

Florist however was focused on someone else she saw on camera. "No way. Midoriya?!" She explained. How did her sister's Quirkless friend get in.

The ash blond walked onto the stage casually. Or well, as casually as he could do anything. "I'm going to win." He said.

Immediately there was outcry at that.

"Don't look down on us you arrogant bastard!" Tetsutetsu screamed.

Shinsou rolled his eyes. The ego on that guy.

Mirabel was thoroughly unsurprised. If Katsuki was anything it was predictable.

Izuku sighed. Oh Kacchan.

"Will you extras shut it?!" He yelled, causing surprised silence. "If you losers don't go into this expecting to win, then you might as well give up now! Don't whine just cause I'm the only one with the guts to say it!"

That was surprisingly not the worst thing to say. The students quieted down at that.

"But I am better than you, so maybe quitting would be your best bet to save some dignity." He finished before walking off.

Nevermind, he ruined it. The outcry was sparked again.

"Gonna be honest, he did better than I expected." Kaminari said. It was sad how true that was.

Midnight announced the first event to be an obstacle course race. As the kids moved to the starting line, Izuku knew he couldn't use OFA yet and risk incapacitation, so he had to make it through this with skill alone.

"3, 2, 1, Go!" Nemuri called.

And they were off! Or they would be, if they weren't bottlenecked into the starting hall. The greenette realized that this was the first challenge, shoving them so close together to see how they'd react.

Shoto immediately took the lead, before freezing the entrance to stall the others. It didn't work, those with strength Quirks breaking through, same as those with aerial movement. Others were more stalled but did make it through.

"And we're coming up to our first obstacle, the Robo Inferno!" Present Mic announced.

The greenette looked in shock at the various Zero Pointers and other robots from the exam. What was the rat's budget!?

"Oh crap, not those things." Jirou said, jacks taking out a two pointer.

"You had to face those in the regular exam?" Momo asked in shock. It was a bit extreme. The heiress then creating a cannon of all things to shoot them was irony that she missed.

Todoroki glared at the giants before using a massive ice attack, freezing them in place and running past.

"Look, nows our chance!" Someone said.

"I wouldn't. I froze them off balance, they could fall any second now." The Half cold Half Hot user said.

He did what?! That was so unsafe. The telltale sound of explosions told Izuku who was coming up. Katsuki blasted past, flying over the bots after Todoroki.

"Don't look down on me you icy hot bastard!" He yelled.

Crap, he needed to speed up. He was about to run when he noticed some broken metal from a robot. He didn't know why but he felt like it would be helpful.

As Class 1-A tore through the robots, Mic couldn't help but bring it up. "And Class 1-A is taking the lead. What have you been teaching these kids?" He asked Eraserhead.

"They learned not to hesitate. The USJ showed them the dangers of that." He said. While he hated they had to go through that at all, he couldn't help but be proud of those hellions.

One of the Zero Pointers finally succumbed to gravity and fell, causing the audience to gasp. Then Kirishima burst out.

"Holy crap! If that had been anyone but me they'd be toast." He said.

Then Tetsutetsu burst out.

"Holy crap! If that had been anyone but me they'd be toast." He said.

The two looked at each other in shock.

By this point, Todoroki had a sizable lead coming up to the next obstacle, The Fall. He looked down into the pit, noting he couldn't afford to fall, especially as he heard Bakugou getting closer. He created and melted bridges to the columns scattered around, determined to keep his lead.

Katsuki was hot on his heels. Tsuyu easily jumped from platform to platform. Tokoyami had Dark Shadow pull him across the gaps. Ojiro used his tail to give himself a boost. Uraraka floated herself over the gaps. A pink haired girl from the support course used her inventions to get across. Izuku had to move across a rope, part of the robot still on his back, hoping he would make it.

"Come on Izu. You got this." Mirabel said.

Shoto made it to the final obstacle, The Minefield.

"For legal reasons we have to inform you that these were specially designed by the support course. They won't hurt too much, but stepping on one is time wasted they can't afford." Eraser said.

The son of Endeavor realized this was made to slow down whoever was in the lead. He could make a path, but that would invite others to follow it and risk his victory. The sound of Katsuki getting close, however, made up his mind. He quickly used his ice, making a path and sprinting for the win.

"I'll show you challenging Deku instead of me was a mistake!" The explosive Pomeranian said when he caught up, a fight ensuing that had the added effect of slowing them both down.

As he made it to the mines, Midoriya wondered how he could win this. Then he noticed someone stepping on a mine and came up with a really bad idea.

"Michan is going to kill me." He said to himself. And it has nothing to do with her being a villain.

Tomura raised a brow. "What's the green twerp doing now?" He asked, watching Izuku use his robot part to dig.

Mirabel narrowed her eyes. "Knowing him, something stupid or dangerous." If it's what she's thinking, she's going to kill him.

The two leaders were neck and neck, fighting for dominance, until they heard a massive explosion that had nothing to do with Katsuki. They turned around to see Midoriya, the mad man, had gathered a pile of mines, the small blasts increasing exponentially when piled like that, and used the robot part as a shield to use them as a springboard. Fight abandoned, the duo picked up the pace, unwilling to lose.

Unfortunately for them, neither was he. As he started to descend, he knew if he didn't do something he wouldn't win. So in a move that had the former Madrigal cackling and considering taking back the threat on her friend's life, he literally used Shoto and Katsuki as springboards, before detonating another mine to give himself a boost and slow them down.

Taking the opportunity, Izuku ran towards the finish line. He could hear them recover, and hear how mad Kacchan was, but it was too late. The greenette crossed the finish line first. Winning the first round.

"Yes!" Mirabel cheered.

"He's insane." Her brother laughed.

Inko, who was watching from home, almost flooded the apartment, again, with tears of pride.

Izuku took a deep breath. He'd done it, he won an event. But this was just the beginning.

Chapter Text

"Midoriya.........won?" Isabela asked herself. That shouldn't have been possible. He was Quirkless. Wasn't he? She narrowed her eyes at the greenette on screen. Something wasn't right.

Izuku meanwhile was breathless. He actually got past Kacchan and Todoroki. And without having to use One For All.

"Deku!" Katsuki yelled, startling him.

This ash blond was seeing red. How dare that damn nerd use him as a literal stepping stone. He had half a mind to kick his ass right now, but he wasn't an idiot. While he didn't give a shit about what these extras thought of him, he knew that he'd get in trouble for attacking the nerd, especially after the battle trial, and he couldn't risk getting disqualified from the Sports Festival. So Deku got to live. For now.

"You got lucky Deku. But if you ever do something like that again, I'm going to kill you." He growled.

Izuku nodded nervously.

Shoto couldn't believe he'd lost. And Midoriya hadn't even used his Quirk. He clenched his fist and glared at the other boy. It was a fluke. His victory was inevitable.

The rest of the racers crossed the finish line, unsurprisingly the hero course taking up almost all the slots, with two exceptions. The first being Shinsou, making Izuku wonder what he was capable of. The second being the pink haired support student.

"There you have it folks! Our top 42 have made it to the next round, with an extra impressive display from our top placement!" Present Mic exclaimed.

"That boy is going to give me a heart attack one of these days." Shota muttered.

"And now it's time for the next event. The Cavalry Battle!" Midnight announced.

So it was a team event. The first event showed how they worked as individuals, this would show how they worked with others. Midnight was explaining the rules.

"You will be given headbands with points assigned based on your placement in the obstacle race." She said, explaining which placements were worth how many points.

So he'd have just over 200 points. He could handle that.

"Except for first place." She smirked.

Huh? His head snapped to her.

"That'll be worth 10 million points!" Nemuri announced.

Well, shit.

Mirabel snorted. He wanted to be number one hero, he's gonna have to deal with this.

The greenette felt all the eyes turn to him. It didn't matter how poorly they did in the first round, if any of them manage to take his headband then it was an automatic trip to the next round. Which meant he had a massive target on his back.

As soon as Midnight told them to start picking teams, almost everyone immediately scattered away from him. And he understood. He was used to the isolation. Even if they didn't care if he was Quirkless, massive if by the way, they wouldn't want to have Bakugou's ire directed at them. Which was something no one but Mirabel was ever willing to risk. With the amount of available students and team sizes he was guaranteed at least one teammate. He just had to find people willing to put themselves in the line of fire.

"Hey Deku. Wanna team up with me?" Ochako asked.

Oh thank All Might. "Really? Even though I have a massive target?" He asked.

"Yeah. What kind of friend or hero would I be if I let that stop me?" She asked.

And there go the water works. "Thank you Uraraka." Izuku said genuinely. Now his odds were way better. He should still definitely look for other teammates.

"10 million! Team up with me!" The pink haired inventor said, making him blink in shock.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Mei Hatsume. Future CEO of Hatsume Industries." She introduced. "All eyes are going to be on you as people try to get your points, including the investors. Which means it'll be the perfect opportunity to show off my babies!" She said.

"I'm sorry, babies?" Ochako asked, more than a little concerned.

"Do you wanna see them?!" The pinkette asked, pulling items out of her bag, fortunately revealing she was talking about support equipment.

"So whaddya think?" Mei asked.

"Support equipment would be really helpful in this situation." The boy thought, plan coming to mind. "Alright, I accept." He said.

"Great choice Ten Million." Hatsume said.

Now he just needed one more teammate. And he knew just who to ask.

"I'm sorry Midoriya, but I can't join your team." Iida said.

"Why not?" The greenette asked.

"Midoriya, you are my friend and I respect you, but I have to prove myself as well. I want to show I'm capable without having to rely on you. I didn't make the top five in a race, the one thing I should be good at, while you won. You inspire me, which is why Todoroki won't be the only one challenging you. I wish you luck." Tenya told him, walking away.

Well, Izuku could understand that, but still it left him with just a team of three.

"What'll we do now, Deku?" His brunette companion asked.

What indeed. Iida would have been the speed and power they needed for his plan, so he'd have to improvise. Fortunately, he was adept at that, already spotting the perfect choice.

Which was how him, Uraraka, Hatsume and Tokoyami readied themselves for the next round. Though they weren't the only ones planning something.

Back in the villain's bar, while the students were readying themselves, Mirabel spoke to Kurogiri.

"Any signs of him?" She asked the warper.

"There have been rumors of him being spotted in Hosu, but none outright confirmed. I can return to scouting for him shortly." He answered.

"Make sure you find him, Kurogiri. Someone with his reputation will certainly bring legitimacy to the League." She told him.

She personally thought he was insane, but sometimes a little insanity is required.

Chapter Text

The Cavalry Battle was, for lack of a better word, absolutely insane. And Mirabel could only partially blame Izuku for it. Oh sure, his team and headband were definitely the cause of some of it, considering he somehow had the bright idea to have them fly over the competition, probably with the help of the brunette and pinkette on his team. With the main target out of reach for many, it became more of a free for all, everyone doing everything in their power to stay in the game. Her respect for that 1-B blond that was antagonizing Bakugou grew. It was a shame that the explosive Pomeranian still made it to the next round, him failing entirely would have been oh so sweet, but even she had to admit he was strong enough to get by.

Back to Izuku, him and his team were doing well, the bird headed boy and his Quirk (seemingly sentient which was fascinating but of little use, Sentient Quirks not playing nicely with All For One) keeping off the pressure until the hover boots and jetpack provided by the support girl were damaged, forcing them to land. That was where they were met with the son of Endeavor. Even through the camera, Mirabel could see something dark in his gaze. Something that became even more pronounced when after Izuku almost got one of the headbands, Todoroki lit his left side on fire, a previously unseen aspect of his Quirk. The look in his eyes was one of horror and disbelief, though he covered it fast.

"An aversion to fire? To the point he's not using half of a powerful Quirk? Why would the son of Endeavor have that? Maybe the number two hero has more to hide than I thought." She mused to herself. She wouldn't be surprised.

In the end, even after the Iida boy managed an impressive display of speed to steal the 10 million point band, the greenette still managed to get through. Though that left her with a question.

"He didn't use his Quirk in either round. Why? He has All Might's power, I figured he'd be using it any chance he got. Can he not control it? He seemed fine when he tried to hit the Nomu." She thought. Then again, she couldn't help but be proud he didn't use it at all. Everyone said being a Quirkless hero was impossible, but here he was, going to the third round of the UA Sports Festival, without having used his Quirk once.

Though while Mirabel was feeling pride, Isabela was feeling confused frustration. Midoriya shouldn't have been able to get this far. He shouldn't have been able to get into this school at all. She'd been told her whole life how being Quirkless meant you were incapable, that wanting to be a hero without a Quirk was ridiculous. When Detective Naomasa told them that Midoriya was one of the students that identified Mirabel, the shock of her being a villain quickly pushed that information to the wayside, leaving it forgotten. Which is why seeing him at the start was such a surprise. She figured he'd lose spectacularly in the obstacle race, but he won. She figured it was a fluke and he'd lose in the Cavalry Battle, but he made it through anyway. Nothing made sense. If he was doing so well not having used a Quirk, was what she was taught wrong? Was how they treated Mirabel wrong?

She shook her head. Of course not. Abuela was never wrong, and everyone else agreed with her. There must be something she's missing. Some trick to explain whatever was going on. In the meantime, she'd keep an eye on him.

Unaware of the former sister's thoughts about him, Izuku was ecstatic and relieved he'd actually made it to the third round.

"We did it Deku!" Ochako exclaimed.

"We did." He said breathlessly. "I couldn't have done this without you. Without all of you."

"Oh yeah, we're the best." Dark Shadow bragged, Fumikage sighing at her.

"Of course Ten Million. Thanks to you, everyone say how adorable my babies are. And that won't be the last time." The manic pinkette said with a dark chuckle as she walked away.

"Should we be worried about that?" The brunette asked.

"I'm not entirely sure." Izuku said.

The moment was interrupted by the arrival of Shoto Todoroki.

"Midoriya, I need to talk to you." He said.

Oh dear.

Chapter Text

Shoto led him to an empty hallway in the school 

"What do you want to talk about?" The greenette asked nervously.

The bi colored boy continued to gaze at him intently, only worsening the boy's nerves. Until he spoke. "Midoriya, you made me break my oath." He said, much to Izuku's confusion.

"What oath?" Izuku asked.

"When you almost took my headband, something about you, it pushed me to using my fire. Something I swore I'd never do." Shoto answered.

He's refusing to use half his Quirk? Izuku couldn't comprehend that. His Quirk was absolutely amazing. His thoughts were interrupted when Todoroki continued.

"Midoriya, I have one question for you? Are you All Might's secret love child?" He asked.

............What? Did.......did he hear that right?

"It would make sense. You have a similar presence to him, and your Quirks are similar. You're not very good at hiding it either. It's obvious you have some sort of relationship." Todoroki continued.

Was it really that obvious there was something going on?

"I'm not All Might's son!" He said hurriedly. "That's not our relationship at all?!"

"So you admit there's a relationship." The bi colored boy said.

Dang it. "Um, don't we all? He's our teacher after all?" Midoriya tried.

Todoroki clearly didn't believe him but moved on. "Tell me, have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?"

The greenette froze. No way.

"I take it from your reaction that you do." Shoto said.

Midoriya nodded slowly. "Earlier in the age of Quirks, people would seek out partners with complimentary Quirks to make stronger kids. It got to the point people were getting bought and sold just for their Quirks." He said.

"My father. When he realized he wasn't going to beat All Might, he decided to pass that mission onto his children. So he essentially bought my mother. With her ice Quirk, he sought to circumvent his own Quirk's limitation of overheating, while simultaneously dealing with her Quirk's limitation of freezing. My siblings didn't get the right combination of Quirks, until me. I was his masterpiece." He explained. "I was trained everyday, never getting to have a proper childhood. My mother got worse as well, the more I was trained to use his power. Until one day, it was too much. I was a child who didn't realize I was part of the issue, so I tried to comfort her. But the sight of my left side must have been too much, because she ended up pouring boiling water on my face. I don't blame her, I never have. No, I blame Endeavor for putting her in that situation in the first place. So I vowed to become a hero using only my mother's Quirk."

That was......intense. He couldn't believe the number two hero would do something like that. He knew for all his idolization that heroes weren't perfect, but still. Wait a minute.

"You asked if I was his secret love child. You thought All Might did the same thing as Endeavor?" He asked.

Todoroki looked him in the eye. "If the number two hero could do that, why couldn't the number one hero?"

He hated how much that made sense. But he knew All Might. The man who gave him a chance, gave him a Quirk, one that probably couldn't be passed to his children biologically even if he wanted to. But Todoroki didn't know about One For All, didn't know about any of that. Then Shoto continued once more.

"Maybe not with you, or so you claim, but what about that villain, Shigaraki? He asked.

Izuku froze again. He doubted he was talking about the Decay villain.

"A late bloomer, much like yourself, who went out of her way to try to kill All Might. You're already close to her, much like how I assume siblings would be. The hydrokinetic abilities could be a result of her mother, or even just the wildly varied Quirks of the Madrigal family. It would make sense." Todoroki said.

Ok, that was way too much to process right now. "Michan is not All Might's daughter. She's my best friend but she's not my sister. And again, I'm not All Might's son." Izuku said.

The Half Cold Half Hot user still didn't seem to believe him. "Either way, whatever relationship you may or may not have with All Might, I'm going to beat you only using my mother's ice." He told him, walking away.

"Todoroki, wait!" He called, making the boy stop. "I can't begin to understand what you've been through, but everyone out there is trying their best to win. I'm going to do the same. Watch your back Todoroki, cause I'm going to win this thing."

The boy simply nodded and continued on his way. Izuku moved to return to his friends, trying to process everything. Unbeknownst to him, someone was listening in.

Katsuki growled. What kind of coward pushes something like that onto their kid? Was he so obsessed with being the best? Like he was? And what was that shit about Madrigal?

He shook his head. It didn't matter. He was going to win anyway, and he wasn't gonna let icy hot half ass it.

Chapter Text

Izuku kept Shoto's story in his head all the way through their lunch break. How the number two hero could do something like that to his own family he honestly couldn't understand. He got why Todoroki refused to use his fire side. However, just because he got it, didn't mean it didn't piss him off. That thought made him feel terrible, his classmate was clearly traumatized, but he couldn't help it. He was intentionally limiting himself in a way that could only cause pain later on. His Quirk was Half Cold Half Hot, Endeavor intentionally wanted it to circumvent the weaknesses of the parent's Quirks, so by using only one half of his power, Todoroki was at risk of seriously hurting himself. And that wasn't even mentioning how it would impact his actual hero work. He thought his ice would be enough, and it was definitely powerful, but what would he do in a situation where it wouldn't be enough, or one where his fire would work better? Would he still refuse, even at the cost of innocent lives? The greenette wouldn't let that stand. He had to do something, for Todoroki's own sake.

It wasn't long before they were called out to announce the next event. While the first two events changed, the third was always the same.

"Alright, it's time for the final event! Which will be, a tournament!" Midnight announced.

That. A chance to show off what they could do in a combat scenario.

"Finally something more my speed." Tomura said, getting more interested.

Mirabel was finally going to get a good look at how Izu fought. At the USJ, she only knew about his failed attack on the Nomu.

"It will be in the form of one on one fights against your fellow students, so don't hesitate to go all out and show what you got." Nemuri continued.

Anything else she was going to say was cut off by a raised hand. "Excuse me, but I want to step out of the Festival." Ojiro said.

Midoriya's head snapped to him. What?! Why?!

"Are you sure? That's a big decision." Midnight asked. "After everything you put in to get here, are you really willing to throw it away?"

"I must. Because I don't even remember how I got here in the first place. The entire second event is a blur. My fellow students put everything into making it this far, while I was just someone else's puppet." He explained.

"Yeah, I gotta drop out to." Shoda said. "Same deal as him."

Nemuri, because this was their teacher and not the R-Rated Hero, smiled at them. "It's nice to see future heroes have principles. Very well, I accept your resignation from the tournament."

They ended up taking replacements from the fifth place team, that being Kendou's, meaning Ibara Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu were now in the final event. The woman then announced the matchups. Izuku would be going first, because of course, and his opponent would be the kid from General Studies, Hitoshi Shinsou.

He looked at the purplette. The dark horse of the Sports Festival, the General Studies student who made it to the final event without exposing his Quirk or how it worked. Which meant he had no idea what to prepare for. The other boy noticed him looking and walked over.

"So, you're gonna be my opponent?" He asked.

Izuku was about to answer, only for Mashirao to cover his mouth with his tail. Shinsou only smirked and walked away.

"What was that for?" Midoriya asked.

"The last thing I remember before the Cavalry Battle was talking to him. I don't want to risk anything." He answered.

The greenette's eyes widened. Was his Quirk triggered by talking to him? That was so interesting!

"Thanks for the heads up." He smiled genuinely, making Ojiro blink at the sudden increase in brightness.

It was soon time for the fight.

"And now it's the moment you've been waiting for! The final event of the UA Sports Festival!" Mic said, the crowd going wild.

"Your first fighter, he's been leading the pack all day, don't let the plain face fool you, he's in it to win it! From Class 1-A, Izuku Midoriya!" The Voice Hero introduced.

The boy walked onto the ring nervously.

"Finally," Isabela thought, "he's done. Even if the Quirkless twerp managed to fluke his way this far, he obviously didn't stand a chance in a straight fight."

"He's really gotta get better at hiding his nerves." Mirabel thought bemused.

"And his opponent, he's shocked everyone by making it this far, but will his run come to an end?! The dark horse of the Festival, from Class 1-C, Hitoshi Shinsou!" The blond man said.

The purplette walked up, seemingly calm.

"I want a good clean fight. Aim for incapacitation or ring out." Midnight said, as she then counted them down, starting the fight.

"Hey, Midoriya was it? We didn't finish our conversation." He said.

Izuku kept his mouth shut.

"Not talking huh? Cause of what that blond monkey said?" Hitoshi asked.

Izuku grit his teeth and glared.

"Yeah, I figured. How do you think someone like that got into this school anyway?" He questioned.

"Someone like that?" Izuku wondered.

"It's unsightly. Walking around with that thing hanging out. Would be better for him to be hanging around a zoo, don't you think?" The other boy said.

"How dare you?!" Midoriya yelled, running at him, only to suddenly pause.

Hitoshi smirked. "I win."

"What's this?! Midoriya has stopped in his tracks?!" Hizashi said.

"Damn it. I warned him." Mashirao lamented.

Mirabel narrowed her eyes.

"What's going on? Why can't I move? I can barely think." The dazed greenette wondered.

"I heard about you, Midoriya. The kid who destroyed a Zero Pointer during the exam. You must be so lucky, having such a powerful Quirk. A heroic Quirk. I didn't get that luxury. But I'm going to win this, and move to the hero course. Now be a good little hero and walk out of the ring." He said.

Without his permission, Izuku's body began to do just that. "What am I doing? It must be his Quirk. I can't believe I messed up like this. I'm sorry All Might, I failed you." He thought.

"Now he's walking out of the ring?! What's this kid thinking?!" As a teacher, he knew exactly what was going on, but he had to hype up the audience.

"Some kind of mind control Quirk. Interesting." The Shigaraki girl mused. Will Izuku be able to get out of this one?

He was wondering that too. He tried to force his body to move, but he was getting nowhere fast. "It can't end like this. It won't end like this!" He thought.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. Multiple somethings. Eight shadowed figures, standing there, watching him. He didn't know who they were, but he recognized one looked like All Might, so it was a safe bet that the others were the previous holders of One For All. Seeing them fueled his determination. All of them, his predecessors, managed to find the strength to fight the greatest evil in the world. If he wanted to stand among them, and he was going to, he couldn't allow himself to fall now. As if responding to his thoughts, the shadows seemed to nod in what he hoped was approval, before he felt his hand move. Oh, this was going to hurt.

One moment, Shinsou was confidently watching his victory. The next, there was a huge burst of wind that blew him back.

"And Midoriya stops just before the end!" Present Mic exclaimed.

He what?! Hitoshi's head snapped to him, and sure enough, just barely and with broken fingers, the other boy was still in the fight.

"What?!" Florist screamed. He had a Quirk!? How?! She was confused, then she was suspicious. Her sister and her friend both suddenly getting Quirks. It was a little too convenient. She glared at him, before walking off.

"Florist? Where are you going?" Her sister asked.

"To get answers. And I know where I'm getting them." She said, looking at the boy on screen.

"Did he seriously break his fingers?!" Mirabel asked.

"Kinda hardcore." Her brother unhelpfully added.

He raised his hangs in false surrender when she glared at him, before refocusing. If she wouldn't kill him for the mine stunt, she would absolutely kill him for this. After she killed All Might for giving him the Quirk in the first place.

Izuku grit his teeth. It did, in fact, hurt, but he was still in it.

"What did you do?! You shouldn't have been able to use your Quirk?!" Shinsou screamed.

Having learned his lesson, he kept his mouth firmly shut, walking up to his foe.

"I'm not losing this!" The other boy exclaimed, rushing him, trying to push him out.

Izuku stood firm, kneeing his opponent in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Now dazed, the greenette used the same straight that let him clean Dagobah Beach, he flipped Hitoshi over his shoulder and out of bounds.

"Ring out! Your winner is, Izuku Midoriya!" Midnight announced.

The crowd exploded into cheers. Talk about dramatic. Inko flooded her apartment with tears, but that was a relatively common experience.

Hitoshi groaned. He lost. Then he saw the other boy standing over him, offering him a hand. "What's the point? You beat me." He wasn't expecting an answer now that he knew his Quirk.

He got one anyway. "It's the right thing to do. What you said earlier, I wasn't lucky. I was a late bloomer, Quirkless my whole life. I had to work hard just to get this far and I still can't use my Quirk without hurting myself." He explained.

The purplette blinked. Even on the worst days he could at least say he wasn't Quirkless with how they were treated. He took the hand and stood up.

"You're weird you know?" He said.

The boy smiled awkwardly. "I get that a lot." He answered, only to get caught in his Quirk.

"You should keep your guard up." Shinsou smirked, letting him go and walking away. "And try to win this. Losing to the winner wouldn't be so bad." He told him.

As he walked, he heard cheering. For him. His classmates and even some Pros talking about how good he did and how useful his power could be. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.