All The Power

11: Training

"Come in." A growl from the other side came when Izuku knocked on the door.

The room held a reclining sofa with a swivel chair across from it, and a coffee table in between. A window cast light on multiple fidget toys laying on the coffee table with a plant beneath the window. There was an office desk against the far wall with Hound Dog seated behind it. It was exactly as he thought a therapy room would look like.

"Nezu sent me for a psychological evaluation." Izuku met eyes with the intimidating-looking hero.

Izuku read about all of the UA faculties' hero profiles and had an in-depth analysis of their quirks and personalities. While the hero appeared angry and aggressive, Hound Dog was usually a very soft-spoken person in interviews.

"Yes, Nezu told me. Please sit, would you like something to drink? Tea, water, soda?" The hero growled between sentences as he offered refreshments.

"No, thank you." Izuku sat on the sofa and tried to make himself comfortable.

Hound Dog sat across from Izuku at the chair with a clipboard. "You did not hesitate when knocking on my door, may I ask why?"

Izuku raised an eyebrow at the question. "Why would I?"

Hound Dog watched him for a moment and answered. "Most are wary of both the idea of therapy and of my appearance."

"I like quirks and yours is just like any other. And this isn't therapy, it's a psych eval to prove I'm not unstable." Izuku scanned the canine face of the hero trying to figure out what kind of dog he is.

"Do you wish it to be therapy?" He snarled and wrote something on his clipboard.

So it begins. "No." Izuku knew what was wrong with him and knew how to work on his problems.

"Very well, I know this must be difficult to come to terms with." Hound Dog switched topics to the matter at hand. "It's never easy to take the life of another. But in the hero business, there will come a time when you must decide whether or not it's necessary to take another life. I was three years into my career when I had to do so. A villain with a telekinetic quirk was drugged up to high heavens and was on a rampage. He did not stop after getting several severe injuries and he was beginning to pick up civilians from the near area. I was alone and had no backup before it would have been too late for the family. After getting battered, I got close and broke his neck."

He finished his story and Izuku stared confused at the hero. "There's a... misunderstanding. I don't..." Izuku searched for words but stuck to blunt. "Feel regret for killing that thing. I haven't lost any sleep over it and haven't thought about it unless it's brought up."

Hound Dog looked taken aback and then composed himself. "Why do you feel that way?" He was writing furiously.

"It was necessary, from what Shigiraki said. It was bioengineering with multiple quirks to counter All Might. If I ever had to fight All Might with what I have, it would have to be lethal or very close to it. The speed of its regeneration was high tier, I overloaded its kinetic negation and its leg exploded. The limb regrew in seconds, with the speed and strength compatible with All Might, there was no other option. I didn't want to die anytime soon and once I was dead, it would have gone after my friends." He explained logically.

Hound Dog didn't respond right away as he continued to write. "Do you think you could have stopped the nomu without killing it?"

Izuku thought for a minute and shook his head. "Not with what I had on me. Todoroki tried to immobilize it by freezing it but it broke free after a few seconds. Sero's tape is versatile but not strong enough, Mineta's quirk would only have concrete stuck to its body after it ripped it free. Yayoruzo couldn't have made enough chains to tie it up. With not knowing when heroes would arrive if they ever did, I choose to end it." Izuku rambled on but Hound Dog listened with rapt attention while still writing.