What Is A Hero?

Part 1 : Chapter 13

"Huh!?" The class - somehow - simultaneously responded to the new information. This villain was quirkless? Yet he remained to be a dangerous villain and still had a chance to attend U.A. The class burst into chatter, forgetting about a certain teacher that was due any minute.

While the class made a fuss, Uraraka had been quiet the entire time. The rosy cheeked teen could only say one thing: "Oh."

Izuku's eyes went between Uraraka Ochako and Katsuki Bakugou. The said female was in a daze yet again. He settled on looking at the violent blond, who was looking away with a scowl. Izuku could guess why he was an angry Pomeranian, but he knew it could very well just be his go-to expression. He had to admit, that wasn't how Izuku remembered Katsuki Bakugou.

He remembered Bakugou being equally as explosive, but there were no boasting smirks. There were no vicious grins that Izuku long since stopped being tremulous over. He was somewhat calmer than the green haired teen remembered. Although, Izuku wasn't the same either. Change was always a factor in people's lives.

Nonetheless, 'Deku' saw this as a chance and he sure would take it. He smiled wryly and leaned back on his chair, "Sure is nice to know you can at least remember that about me, Kacchan."

Bakugou's shoulders noticeably twitched. Yet, there was no overly loud response from Katsuki. Even so, the atmosphere became anything but comforting. Something was happening between the two and everyone could see it.

Izuku didn't seem to hide it nor announce it. Verbally, at least. A message was interpreted by the way he acted and with the way he mockingly said that nickname. The smug expression with something hidden behind it too.

It all added up to something. A clear history between the two that only a few were aware of, since Bakugou was never one to speak about his childhood days. In fact, he never spoke much about anything other than yelling out curses and other hero related stuff. The only one to get a conversation out of him was Kirishima and sometimes a teasing Kaminari, but they were short-lived.

The class stopped their chatter, deciding it was better to stay away from whatever was brewing. It wasn't the time nor place to be questioning Izuku's lack of quirk. Iida jumped in and suggested everyone sat in their place, which was something they all done gladly if it meant letting things cool off. Other than Iida, a certain rosy cheeked teen managed to say something.

"You know," she said, Midoriya looking up at her curiously from his seat, "you're pretty cool."

"Huh?" His lips parted. Both eyebrows had lifted from the unexpected praise. Izuku laughed shortly, feeling weird about not having a response this time like he always had. Albeit, he couldn't quite reply either.

She left to her seat before he could say a word.

What... was that about?

On cue, and almost coincidentally, Aizawa walked into the class. He started explaining what the agenda for the day was. None of the total of twenty-one learners noticed, but Eraserhead arrived earlier than everyone thought. He had stood near the door outside, listening to the commotion.

He had to admit he had to keep himself from intervening, but he was partly curious as to how the class of heroes-in-training would respond to a quirkless classmate. Aizawa would be lying if he said he wasn't expecting any negative responses. There was an ounce of a doubt deep down under all his trust for his students.

And on the topic of students, Bakugou was the one to tell everyone he was quirkless, which was an eyebrow-raising worthy moment. No out-of-line comments and no shouting. Shota guessed he really was Izuku Midoriya's childhood friend.

In any case, the pro-hero was glad to see that no-one had any negative responses, but they were a little too chirpy for his liking. Iida Tenya seemed to be calm and stopped their loitering around, thankfully.

Aizawa waited a bit longer and listened to the very end. He couldn't quite hear everything, but he managed to hear Izuku provoking Katsuki. An odd turn of events. Usually, and he guessed in the past, it was the other way around. All Might mentioned that Bakugou said the troublesome boy used to be timid.

For the rest of the day, Aizawa could've sworn Midoriya was targeting Katsuki. What is the point of this? The brunet wondered. If he had to guess, taking into account the boy's personality, he was doing it for the fun of it. Izuku done it a lot with the few pro-heroes he met and Hitoshi - poor kid. That was number one.

Number two, he was mocking him to get a certain reaction. A plot for a long-term goal. In other words, he could be planning something. That said, Shota wouldn't know exactly why Bakugou all of a sudden. Maybe it was as simple as getting his attention from earlier. His actions from the very start were all-over-the-place and unpredictable.

He couldn't be mad that Bakugou revealed he was quirkless? No, that's not it. If anything, he would use that fact as an advantage.

If Aizawa had to guess which of the two was Izuku's motive: he wouldn't. First, it was an effort and he already spent too much of his naptime thinking about this - whatever it was.

And second, both are correct.