Scorpions and Chains

SevenRenny

5

"…And you're… Deku Midoriya, right?"

"Deku?"

"Yeah, wasn't that what that Bakugo kid called you?"

"Oh, well… err, it's Izuku, actually... Deku is what Kacchan calls me… to… it means good for nothing, so…"

"Oh! It's an insult? I'm so sorry! But you know… I like Deku. It sounds like 'you can do it'!"

"Ah – It's Deku, then!"

She'd always seen that adorable side of him. Even back then, when she barely knew Deku, she knew he had a heart of gold. That smile of his always brightened her days. Sure, he was slightly on the timid side as well, and he tended to easily panic by minor things, but she'd brushed those aside, assuming that was just how Deku was. However, after the Battle Trial, where he had faced Bakugo head on, something changed within him. He had become braver. Something had happened during his fight with his childhood bully, whatever it had been, it had triggered something.

"I'm not gonna be 'Deku' the worthless punching bag anymore, Kacchan! I'm... I'm the 'Deku' who does his best!"

Back then… it had been a victim standing up to his tormentor. It had been the turning point between the two. To her, Izuku was that brave boy who encouraged her to do her best, to try her hardest. But, seeing his past self, it was clear he hadn't always been brave.

Ochaco admitted she loved this boy, and it was very hard to not get angry at the moment. Her emotions turned into one big ball of anger, and she directed it at one person who she felt deserved it.

That loud slap to Bakugo's face was strangely satisfying.

His face turned to the side from the force, and he stayed that way, staring blankly at nothing. The whole class stood in shock. They still hadn't gotten over what the old Bakugo had told Izuku to do, and now, seeing one of their sweetest classmates bitch-slap Bakugo of all people… it was all too much to take in. It took minutes of silence for their minds to fully digest the situation.

Bakugo slowly, ever so slow, turn to stare at her, his cheek turning red. Her cheeks puffed and were wet, her eyes red-rimmed from crying so many times in one day. She jabbed him in the chest with her finger, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again before a sob could escape.

She remembered Izuku had risked his life to go after Bakugo during and after the Forest Lodge attack.

"He…" her voice was barely heard. "He saved you… he… he still saved you… e – even after… even after all you did to – to him… he still…" It was easy to target all of her anxieties at him. She had felt this tightness in her chest for a week, since Izuku's injury and hospitalization, and now, it all came pouring out in waves of anger and tears and hate and grief.

Something changed in Bakugo's red eyes. He touched his reddening cheek and they all saw sharp rage flash through his pupils. Kirishima was the first to move, hardening his arms and hooking them under Bakugo's, trapping him before the blond exploded, in more ways than one.

"I didn't ASK for that SHITRAG'S help!" Bakugo barked. His throat muscles visibly tightened and fire cracked in his fists.

"Easy, man!" Kirishima tried to calm him down. He hardened most of his body as the other boy almost dragged him forward with him.

"Let – the fuck – go! I'll pulverize that bitch!"

"Why are you so mean to him?" Ochaco cried and Iida held his arm out to gently push her back. She was ready to full on attack Bakugo if she had to.

"Uraraka, while I'm angry as well, we can't let this turn into a fight," Iida advised her.

"If a fight's what you want then let's have it!" Bakugo continued, but Kirishima held him back.

"Man… you have to admit, that was kinda rough, even for you, Bakugo," Denki commented. He was used to Bakugo's asshole-like personality by now, but watching how the past Bakugo had interacted with Midoriya… it didn't settle well with him.

"Okay, okay, I know this looks bad but… that was a long time ago guys," Kirishima tried to fix this somehow. "I'm sure he didn't mean it like that, right?"

"Of course I did!"

"… You're not helping yourself right now, just sayin'…"

"I don't NEED your help! I don't need anyone's help!"

Yaoyorozu walked in between the two students being held away. "Alright. Calm down. All of you," she commanded sternly.

"She started it, and I'll finish it!" Bakugo growled, still being held back.

"Bully!" Ochaco accused, ignoring Iida's shushing hand gestures. "You're just a big bully!"

"Come here, I'll end you!"

"C'mon, guys…" Kirishima begged.

"Ahhh… guys?" Mina called out nervously. Her voice only reached a few of the students.

"You're still a bully to him!" Ochaco continued, tears shining her face.

"Uraraka, please, take deep breaths," Iida instructed.

"And the shitnerd still deserves it!" Bakugo barked back.

"Guys!" Jiro called out, too, after realizing why Mina had first. "Guys, Midoriya's –"

"Deku's a good person!"

"He's a useless shit!"

Denki finally screamed, "Guys, he's going for the window!"

All at once, the argument was tossed aside and all eyes were on Izuku. He looked miserable as he glanced out the open window. There was no light in his eyes, and when he grabbed the edge and leaned over, everyone panicked, their thoughts heading for the worst case scenario.

They all scrambled to grab him. Kirishima released Bakugo and both boys ran over hastily. Was Izuku about to...?

"Is he seriously gonna jump!" Denki panicked when his hands went through him, forgetting he couldn't touch him. He panicked even more. "Wait, dude – stop! Shit! Stop!"

"Midoriya!" Iida shouted as his heart sped up. "Midoriya, don't! This isn't the answer! Please, I beg of you, don't do this!" He knew Izuku must have had depression at some point from the way the young Izuku looked in the previous flash back; and when Bakugo had suicide baited him… Iida couldn't think straight anymore. This was too much to take in.

"Deku, no!" Ochaco screeched. She tried to hold him, to stop him, to let him know they were here, but everything she did was useless. "Deku, no – don't listen to him, Deku!"

"Midoriya, this isn't worth it. Please, think rationally," Todoroki tried.

Jiro's earjacks came to rope around him, only to catch nothing because, apparently, she had forgotten she was practically a ghost.

"Fuck – grab him!" Bakugo suddenly roared. "Just fucking grab him, damnit!"

"We're trying!" Sero yelled.

"Everyone, hold on," Momo ordered. Izuku pulled back from the window, sighed, and slowly made his way back to his desk to take his backpack. Everyone released breaths they were holding in. Kirishima put his hand over his heart and sighed in relief. That had felt like a heart attack.

Some of the students looked out the window to see. Izuku hadn't been preparing to jump. He had been checking where his notebook had landed; right in a pond. They had assumed the worst when he'd approached the window right after being told to jump and kill himself.

"That was scary," Mina admitted, and they all agreed.

And the look on Bakugo's face was frightening. They remembered that look. It had been the same defeated expression he had worn after the Battle Trail. Kirishima felt like the blond was close to having that mental breakdown again. The boy was breathing too erratically and his body was like a coiled spring.

They watched as Izuku strapped on his backpack and looked up to blink away the moisture from his eyes. Bakugo snapped. He rushed to the green-haired boy.

"The fuck 'er you crying for, you shit? Are you that fucking weak? Huh?" He yelled at him and slapped a hand on his shoulder to turn him around.

His hand made contact, and the boy in front of him shattered like glass. A few seconds passed as everyone watched the boy crumble into tiny shards and slowly drift up like sand in an hourglass, slipping in between Bakugo's outstretched fingers.

Denki snapped out of it first. "What… What did you just….?"

His half-question lingered. Cracks started forming around the room as the whole classroom started breaking apart like dry wallpaper. Shocked, Bakugo backed away slowly. The rest of the students gathered closer together.

"What's happening?" Ojiro's tail muscles tightened in anticipation.

The walls and floor fell apart. The desks and chairs crumbled and blew away, leaving the students standing in pitch darkness.

Iida couldn't believe it. "We… We made it."

The students turned to him.

"What?" Momo asked.

"It's here!" Ochaco insisted. "It's – we found Deku here!"

"Yes, Midoriya has to be nearby," Iida confirmed.

"Wait, what did we do right to get here?" Denki scratched his head.

"We don't have time for that right now," Momo reminded them. She turned to Iida and Ochaco, hope shining in her eyes. "How do we find him?"

"We…" Ochaco remembered. "We heard him… he was screaming…" She remembered it clearly, his voice so worn and dry.

They all quieted and waited for a noise, a sign… anything that could lead them out of this darkness and to their long lost friend.

"I don't hear anything," Sero said, looking over his friends to check if they had better luck.

Jiro's plug-like earlobes stretched upward and twisted around, scanning the environment like radars. "There." She began running, and they all followed behind. They could only hear the sounds of their shoes clapping the glass-like floor beneath. Jiro, however, heard more. She heard him, chocking and panting and grunting in pain, and that only made her run faster, her speed powered by adrenaline pumping through her.

She kept her jacks outstretched. She would not lose him. They'd come this far, they couldn't lose him now.

"We're coming, Midoriya!" Kirishima shouted into the darkness. They still couldn't see anything, but he hoped Midoriya could hear him somehow. They had to give him hope. They had to let him know they hadn't forgotten about him. "We're coming for ya, buddy!"

While still running, Jiro's eyes widened at what her jacks picked up.

"Kiri…shima…?" It was far away, and very weak, but she knew his voice all too well.

"It's him!" Jiro panted. "He heard you!"

All at once, everyone started called for him.

"Midoriya!"

"Deku!"

"Hold on, Midoriya!"

"You better be alive, you shit!"

In front of them, the darkness slowly turned into grey, and they managed to make out the silhouette of a structure that resembled s spider's web. Lines were held from the sky and stretched down to attach to something. As they came closer, some felt like throwing up. Those weren't lines, but thick chain, and about twenty of those chains were tangled around a poor figure.

"What the hell is that?" Kirishima yelled in shock. The web of chains secured that tiny creature in place. And that tiny creature was a person. He had been told by Iida and Ochaco Izuku had been chained up, but it was heartbreaking to see just how messed up this scene looked.

"Midoriya!" he called for him again.

Izuku shivered on the ground, but couldn't do much of anything else. There was a buzzing sound and blue light run down the chains. They gasped and watched with clinching hearts as blue electricity zapped the poor boy. It only lasted a few seconds, and he released a throaty scream right after, pressing his forehead against the glass floor.

"Deku!" Ochaco ran to him and quickly gathered his head off the ground. She saw a thick string of saliva from his open mouth and to the ground. His face felt wet under her fingertips and she raised his head just enough to see his wet, red face. He had been crying.

She hugged his head to her chest, whispering calming words to him. "It's okay… it's okay, Deku…"

Everyone surrounded him, crouching low to his level. Comforting hands were all over him.

Iida grabbed his cuffed hands. "I'm sorry we were late, Midoriya."

"We'll get you out," Kirishima promised, ruffling the boy's green hair in an attempt to ease his pain.

"Guys, this can't be right," Ojiro said, examining the chains. There weren't any keyholes or marks of any kind. The cuffs on Izuku's hands seemed as though the metal hand melted over his hands and cooled over them. The tiniest movements yanked at his flesh, threatening to tear his skin off. The chains attached to his legs, ankles, thighs, midsection and upper arms were like that as well. The only chain that seemed different was the one around his neck. The chains there were attached to a metal collar dangling around his neck, and the other end of the chain was stuck to the ground beneath him, preventing him from getting up. A red spot had formed on his forehead, indicating how long he had been in this position; kneeling with his head pressed to the ground.

"I got ya covered." Ashido squirted a line of acid over one of the many chains. Steams lowly rose as the liquid at away at the metal.

Todoroki froze another chain, and Ojiro's strong tail came down at full force, shuttering it. The second the two chains were cut, a flash of light blinded everyone.

…

"All Might… is… is it possible for someone like me…is it possible for someone like me to become a hero? I… I know I'm Quirkless but… I think it's really cool to be able to save people and…it's always been my dream to be a hero… I just need to know, can I ever hope to be someone like you?"

They had no idea how or when had they gotten transported into another flashback, or where their real Izuku had gone, but they all stood in confused silenced at what was in front of them. They were on a roof of a building, watching as the younger Izuku spoke to All Might. They had met before UA. That probably explained why Izuku always seemed to be All Might's favorite student.

All Might suddenly deflated, turning into the skinny man they were still getting used to seeing at UA. Izuku had seen him like this before, weak and skinny and deteriorating, and he hadn't told anyone for All Might's sake.

They weren't ready to hear All Might's next words.

"This is a risky job. Pro Heroes put their lives at risk every day. And some Villain just can't be beaten without powers. So no, I don't think you can become a hero without a Quirk."

An arrow struck their hearts. They couldn't imagine how Izuku must've felt at that moment. The look on his face was tragic. The thing he strived for, the thing that kept him going, that kept him from breaking down under life's cruelty, his dream of becoming a hero, had been denied by the person Izuku admired the most.

"I… I see…"

"If you want to save people, there are always other things you can do. You can become a police officer, it is a fine profession."

And All Might was leaving him like that.

"It's not bad to have a dream, young man, just make sure to keep things realistic."

…

And they were back to where they were, huddled around a chained up Izuku in a dark room. That flashback had come out of nowhere. It left them holding still for a while as their minds slowly started to catch up to them. Why had that happened?

There was a loud thump from behind, followed by another, and Iida and Ochaco paled. The loud footsteps shook the glass ground beneath their feet as the giant scorpion crawled to them with his tail raised over its head, showing off its weapon of choice.

They could think of those flashbacks later. They had other things to worry about now.

Kirishima hardened his arms. "You guys get Midoriya out of that!"

"Roger!" Mina attacked another chain.

Todoroki stepped on the ground and ice spread out and climbed over the scorpion's legs. The thick ice broke when the monster lifted its legs; chunks of ice still clung to it.

Bakugo was suddenly at its face. He jumped and, with an evil grin on his face, slapped a hand over the creature's many eyes and fired one big explosion. The scorpion shrieked and stumbled back while Bakugo landed gracefully, grinning like a maniac.

"Uhhh… Bakugo?" Sero pointed at the monster.

Its eyes melted into sludge and the slime ran down its face, detaching from the monster and landing on the glass floor. The goop seemed to come to life, molding and shaping into three, much smaller scorpions. The original scorpion slowly regenerated its eyes.

It had multiplied.

Bakugo blinked. That… wasn't supposed to happen. "The fuck?"

"Ooookay, that's not good," Sero commented.

One of the little scorpions ran at them. A hockey stick hit it, sending it flying back. Yaoyorozu held the hockey stick ready, pulling out one more and throwing it to Jiro before lifting up her shirt and making another one for whoever else needed one.

"We shouldn't try to wound them. We have to keep them at bay," she instructed. "Scatter. Try and distract them."

They did so, going in different directions. A pink tongue caught one of the small scorpions by the tail just behind the head of the stinger. Tsuyu lifted it off the ground with her tongue and tossed the creature as far as she could. Jiro did the same to another cat-sized scorpion using her earlobes.

The original scorpion, the biggest one of them all, spotted Ochaco, Iida, Kirishima, Denki, Mina, Todoroki and Ojiro trying to free Izuku. Todoroki continued to freeze the chains, allowing Ojiro to smash them with his tail while Ashido melted another chain and Kirishima chopped at a chain repeatedly, chipping away at it. The others merely tried to comfort Izuku as he remained limp on the ground.

Light flashed as soon as some of the chains broke, sending them into another memory.

…

"You should just give up," said a man in a white lab coat. It was a doctor, and they were all present as he explained how the child in front of him probably wouldn't gain a Quirk. They knew those green eyes and curly hair. That child was their classmate; a much, much younger vision of him, anyway. A woman sat by him, speaking to the doctor and gently rubbing the child's back. It was only when the doctor addressed her name did they realize this was Izuku's mother. She looked very different, taller and not as chubby, but that was Inko for sure.

They were all shown another short flashback, with the child Izuku watching a video of All Might, fat tears rolling down his face. "Mom, look… heroes… heroes are so cool."

They couldn't blame Inko for dropping to her knees and engulfing her child in a much needed hug. If they could hug this child, too, they would.

…

"What is happening?" Denki finally yelled when they were transported back to where they were, holding on to a chained up Izuku.

"The chain!" Todoroki figured out. "It's happening whenever we break a chain!"

That wouldn't stop them from their mission, so they kept going, for Izuku's sake.

The monster charged at the group in anger, only to have giant black claws grab it by the legs. Dark Shadow stared it down, daring it to fight him. Due to the lack of light here, he was much bigger, and much stronger. The dark bird pushed the scorpion back. The creature's pointed legs scrapped and screeched against the glass ground.

With the group of friends messing with the chains, they froze when they heard a buzz from above. The blue light traveled down the chains and zapped Izuku and everyone holding him. Some lost strength of their bodies. Their hands automatically released the chains, their fingers shaking and their hearts ramming into their chests, waiting for the aftershock to pass.

One person was still holding on to Izuku.

"I've – I've got ya, buddy!" Denki managed, holding the smaller boy into a tight hug. Izuku was shivering in his grasp, panting and breathing too fast. He coughed as he choked on his own spit. Denki felt him slump in his grasp. His friend had no energy left in him.

There was another buzz, and Denki tightened his hold on Izuku, bringing him to his chest. He wasn't about to let go. They both gritted their teeth when they got electrocuted again. It was over quickly. Izuku let out a pained grunt. He didn't have the strength to scream anymore.

"I know, I know, just breathe, Midoriya." Denki rubbed and patted Izuku's shoulder, encouraging him to hold on.

As soon as Kirishima regained his strength, he latched on to the chain he'd been working on and, giving it his all, he chopped at it with his arm. He bit down on his tongue when his arm failed to harden. Looking down at it, he tried to activate his quirk, but nothing happened.

"It's not working," Todoroki said, releasing the chain from his grasp and staring at his hand after his quirk failed to freeze the chains.

"My Quirk's not working!" Kirishima yelled. Both he and Todoroki had been electrocuted, and both couldn't activate their Quirks right after.

"It's the shock," Todoroki figured out. "It cancels out Quirks!"

That also explained why Izuku hadn't been able to activate Full Cowl. They remembered when he had been trying to activate it while still in his deep sleep. He had been trying. He had been trying – both physically and mentally – to break himself out, but exhaustion had eventually took over. He couldn't lift his head up, turn, or talk to them. He looked too dazed to figure out what was going on around him anymore.

Someone grabbed Kirishima by the shoulder and shoved him aside. "Out of the way!" Bakugo growled, reaching out for the already damaged chain Kirishima had been chipping away at. Clamping his hands around it firmly, he yanked at it with all his strength, and the cracked metal ring snapped. The chain broke and chimed loudly when it hit the ground, the other half dangled from the sky.

…

"S- Stop it," a five year old Izuku whimpered, standing up for a kid who had been getting bullied. "Stop it, I – I won't let you hurt him, Kacchan!"

Izuku, however, did not stand a chance in that playground that day. The child version of Bakugo, along with two of his friends, tackled the green-haired boy, leaving him battered and bruised on the ground.

…

Bakugo gritted his teeth after that flashback ended. He roared, fury rolling out of his throat, and switched to pull on another chain. Ochaco gently grabbed Izuku's face and held it up, giving Mina enough room to start melting the chain attached to his neck, being extremely careful not to go overboard and hurt him in the process. Ochaco and a few others were still shaken from the pieces of Deku's past. Each one was a slap to the face. It hurt, seeing that child hurt and not be able to do anything for him.

Another cat-sized scorpion ran at them as the team worked on the chains, only to be engulfed in a net. Momo threw another one at it as it kept trying to stick its claws through the holes and crawl its way to the group helping Izuku. Tape wrapped around its clumsy legs and Sero heaved his arm back, dragging the small monster with him. With a victorious shout, he swung his arm up and over, tossing the scorpion into the air and sending it flying off into the darkness.

Dark Shadow grappled with the biggest monster, bird claws and scorpion pincers clamping together, one dark monster pushed the other.

Like whips, Jiro's earphone jacks wrapped around three of the scorpion's legs, bringing them together and the monster toppled to the side. Tokoyami ran forward and Dark Shadow took the opportunity to push the scorpion on its side and as far away from Izuku as possible. They needed time, and he could do that.

The chain securing Izuku's neck was mostly melted, attached only to a thin bridge of metal. Bakugo, being impatient, grabbed the weakened chained and, with a mighty roar, pulled it to the side, hearing it crack under his power.

…

"Him? UA? He must be outta his mind!"

"When's he gonna let it go, man?"

Izuku just poked at his cafeteria food. Ha was sitting at the end of the table, as far as he could from anyone else, but Bakugo's friends – err… acquaintances, who sat at the other table, made sure to keep their voices loud and clear for him. Feeling multiple eyes on him, Izuku pulled up the collar of his school uniform in an attempt to hide himself.

"You hear that, loser? Yeah, we're talking about ya. Wanna join in?" the kid laughed and his partner snorted.

Blushing in embarrassment, Izuku lowered his head to the table, grabbing at his hair miserably.

"I kinda feel bad for him. He's so lost in his head he can't think real anymore."

"Let' m keep dreaming. Just wait 'til reality hits him on the head later."

…

Denki and Ochaco helped Izuku sit back. A line of saliva dangled from his chin. He grunted from the movement and his head fell back to rest on Denki's shoulder, Ochaco holding him by the shoulder to keep him still. He looked in complete agony. His face was red and wet with tears and sweat and spit, and his eyes were half-lidded. He could barely keep them open.

Kirishima gently placed his hand over Izuku's head. "Hang in there, buddy. Just hang in there." You're not alone anymore. We're here for you!

"Incoming, guys!" Kaminari warned when he saw the blue light run down the chains. He grabbed on to Izuku tightly, refusing to abandon his friend, when they were both engulfed by an insulator sheet. Momo quickly stepped back as electricity hit the two. Izuku still got electrocuted due to still being connected to a few chains.

When it was over, Denki pulled the sheet aside to see what was going on. Ice covered a few of the chains.

"I can use ice again," Todoroki informed them.

Kirishima looked down at his hands and activated his Quirk, grinning when he realized the quirk cancellation had worn off. He quickly got to work, slashing at the few remaining chains.

They went through the chains so quickly the flashes of memories went by rather fast.

"It's impossible for you–"

"What can you do? Nothing!"

"–useless!"

"Get it through your thick skull already, nerd – you can't be a hero!"

"It's that quickness boy again…"

"The one who wants to go to UA? He's actually gonna try? For real? Is he that stupid?"

"Apparently."

"You? A hero? Keep dreaming, man."

"– Says he doesn't have a Quirk–"

"Kid's a crackhead, I tell ya. Somethin' ain't right with 'm."

"Do yourself a favor and just give up. Better now than later."

"–can't say anything back? That's just sad."

"He can't do it–"

"You can't do anything!"

The more they heard, the harder they tried, and the tighter they held on to him.

"Don't believe that, buddy." Denki squeezed him to his chest.

"We're here for you, Deku!" Ochaco cried, holding his wet face in her hands. "We're all here for you!"

"Don't give up, Midoriya!" Iida joined in.

"He won't give up!" Kirishima yelled back. "He's strong. If there's one thing I know about him, it's that Midoriya never gives up!" he made sure to yell the last part, because he needed to be sure Izuku heard it. He needed to hear it.

"No matter how dark life gets," Tokoyami said. "Keep shining, like the hero you dream to be."

"No matter how many times others put you down," Yaoyorozu continued. "You stand back up."

"No matter you alone you feel," Ojiro said. "You've got people waiting for you!"

"No matter how much it hurts," Todoroki added. "You breathe through it and keep going."

"Because we need you, Deku!" Ochaco pressed her forehead against his. His eyes seemed so lifeless, so full of pain and despair. No. They couldn't lose him now.

"We're all your friends, Midoriya!" Mina pitched in quickly.

"We all love you, Deku!" Ochaco screamed in desperation. "You're… You're Deku… You're not the Deku who can't do anything, you're the Deku–"

"…the Deku who does his best," Izuku finished for her, his voice tired and dry, but enough to let her know he heard her. He heard them.

The giant scorpion screeched as the other students continued breaking the chains one by one. They were trying to steal away the little grasshopper. The monster, in a disparate attempt to free itself from Dark Shadow's hold, used its pincer to snip off one of its legs. The leg melted and molded into a horse-sized scorpion. This one ran for the group helping Izuku.

There was only one chain holding him now. The scorpion raised a claw to strike. Ochaco and Denki held on to Izuku and Todoroki, Ojiro and Kirishima held their ground. Bakugo threw himself in between the group and the striking claw, using himself as a human shield.

And the world went white.

They all stood in a different area. No monster and no Izuku. The students looked around in confusion as the world transformed to how another flashback of their friend.

"What…" Kirishima looked around as fire cracked and orange flames obscured their vision. "What… where is this? Guys? Guys!"

"Right here, man!" Denki waved him over. Ochaco, Iida, Sero, Jiro and everyone else was there, except for Izuku.

Buildings around them continued to burn. A crowed was being held back by… was that Backdraft? And Kamui was there, too!

"What's going on?" Mina panicked. The sudden changes in environment had jumbled up their focus.

"What happened to Deku?" Ochaco asked fearfully, looking around for him.

The fire went through their bodies harmlessly, which meant this was indeed a flashback, which also meant the younger Izuku had to be nearby.

In the middle of the chaos and fire, a greenish blob swirled. Giant, evil eyeballs swam in that liquid muck that seemed to be alive. A human hand reached out of it, only to be sucked back in. Someone was inside that thing.

"I've hit the jackpot!" the greenish, blob monster chuckled.

It was a Villain, and someone was being held hostage. Someone in the crowd yelled for help, and someone else begged for a hero to do something.

The UA kids all sucked in a breath when the hostage inside the slime monster tried to fight back by releasing familiar explosions from his palm.

They knew that person.

"Bakugo!"

All at once, throwing aside all forms of logic, the students swarmed their captured comrade–

Only to realize he wasn't the real Bakugo. Kirishima reached his hand out and watched it ghost through the slime and where the younger Bakugo's chest should've been. He couldn't touch him. He was a flashback. The real Bakugo was a few steps away and was as still as a stone, eyes wide in disbelief.

They watched as the past Bakugo struggled. He was getting suffocated by the greenish blob monster. Kirishima could only watch in horror, none of the heroes where doing anything to help. He knew this was the past, and that Bakugo must've gotten out somehow, because how else would he be alive and attending UA?

Their hearts clinched at the helpless look on Bakugo's face.

"This can't be real…" Denki couldn't believe what he was seeing. His legs felt wobbly and ready to give out.

They'd never seen Bakugo like that before. Bakugo was vicious, destructive, violent, and loud. Seeing him like this, eyes pleading for help, just reminded them that no matter how much of a monster he showed to be, he was still human. There were so many people and heroes around, yet, no one was helping him…. until they heard screams of: "Get back here, kid!" from Death-Arms.

A boy had flung himself out of the crowd and was running full speed. He looked scared – terrified, even, but he kept running straight for the slime monster.

They knew that skinny boy.

"Midoriya!" the students screamed in unison.

Some of the heroes called for him, warning him that he was going to get himself killed, but he kept going. Kirishima gasped when Izuku ran through him. They watched as the monster was ready to strike at the boy, when Izuku slipped off his backpack and suddenly flung it at the monster's eye. Stunned, the slime creature flinched back, unintentionally releasing Bakugo's head.

"What the hell?" Denki exclaimed, clutching his head. "That… That actually worked?"

Of course Midoriya would pull something like that out of the blue. But seriously, a fucking backpack? Did Midoriya actually have a plan when he decided to run?

Throwing all caution to the wind, Izuku threw himself at the Villain and started to desperately try and dig his childhood bully out.

"Kacchan!"

"What – Why are you here?"

"I – I don't – My legs moved on their own!"

The group of friends stared in amazement as a scared, teary eyed Deku risked his life for someone who had made his life a living hell.

"You looked like you were calling for help!"

His voice cracked over a million times as he poured out his emotions into those words. The students stared in astonishment, and something in their minds clicked. Izuku Midoriya was the definition of a hero – a real hero. He wasn't looking for fame or glory or social status. He didn't care who he was saving, as long as he was saving somebody. He didn't care that Bakugo was the one who had tormented him for all his years. He didn't care that the person he was trying to save was the same person who had told him to jump off the roof. He didn't think of taking revenge by just not stepping in and just letting Bakugo suffocate.

Izuku just wanted to save people.

The slime Villain grabbed hold of his hostage tightly. A muscular hand intervened. All Might latched on to the kid's hand and, with a powerful punch, splattered the monster into tiny bits.

There was a flash of light, and they were back in the scorpion's dark room, each student exactly where they had been before, with Denki, Iida and Ochaco holding on to a worn out Izuku. Just in front of the green-haired boy was Bakugo, his back to them and arms stretched out protectively to prevent the scorpion in front of him from getting past. The scorpion's tail had stopped only inches away from Bakugo's face, almost stabbing him between the eyes. He had used himself as a human shield.

No one moved. The monster stayed still while Bakugo glared daggers at it, daring it to get closer. There was the sound of metal hitting glass as the last of the chains hit the ground, its broken end hissing and steaming as Mina's acid finished eating away at it.

A chunk from the tip of the scorpion's tail broke off, crumbling into tiny, dust-sized pieces and flying away as if picked up by wind. The rest of the beast's tail broke apart, then the whole monster, until there was nothing left of it. The scorpion blew away, and the same happened to its duplicates.

A green strand of grass popped out from the glass ground, where the monster had been standing.

"Thank you…" Izuku managed to gather what was left of his remaining strength to speak. The metal clumps around his joints crumbled like dry clay.

The tiny piece of grass grew, and more green strands surrounded it, before everyone closed their eyes from the explosion of greenery spreading across the dark word. Like a flick of a light switch, darkness turned into light, and the students were left in a brightly lit meadow.

The dreaded atmosphere turned into a cool breeze and tiny white flowers swayed, scattered all over the blanket of green land. The black sky had turned blue. Izuku sighed and slumped back against Denki's chest. He closed his eyes to rest for a moment, and opened them to see everyone surrounding him, concern and worry in their eyes.

He gave them a tired, but gentle smile. "I'm okay, guys…"

That was enough to have them all sighing in relief. He was suddenly engulfed in a gentle hug by Ochaco, before Denki, Iida and Kirishima joined in as well. Others pushed themselves through to get to him.

"Deku!"

"We missed ya, man!"

"Move over – I wanna hug, too!"

Izuku just stuttered in confusion in this huge mess of arms and faces and voices all around him.

"Don't smother him, give him space," Momo scolded, though she had a thoughtful smile on.

They backed away a little. Iida patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's take you home, Midoriya," he said confidently.

Izuku's smiled tiredly and gave a weak nod. "Yeah…"

A few feet away, a string of clear water squirted from the grassy ground, forming a puddle, and then growing into a blue lake. Something tall and thin emerged from the center: a door. It stood there innocently in the middle of the lake, its bottom half submerged in water.

The students blinked at it.

Izuku's finger hooked onto Kirishima's sleeve, getting the other boy's attention back to him. "A little help?" Izuku asked him embarrassingly. He gave a weak laugh. "I… can't get up."

Kirishima ruffled his green hair playfully. "Yeah, can't say I blame ya. Hey, Bakugo!" He called for the blond who just glared back at him. "Wanna do the honors?" Kirishima offered, stepping to the side.

Bakugo's sharp eyes narrowed. He could see the unspoken statement in Kirishima's face. Do it for Midoriya.

He had to admit. He owed the little rant.

With an unhappy grumble, Bakugo turned his back to Izuku and squatted. Todoroki and Iida helped lift Izuku up and onto Bakugo's back.

"Sorry for making you do this, Kacchan," Izuku apologized meekly. Bakugo just stood up and jostled him to adjust him on his back. Izuku lifted his hand weakly and gestured for the door. "There. The way out."

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"I just do," Izuku insisted, chuckling a bit to himself at his own words.

"The hell? That's not an answer, you idiot."

"It's my head, Kacchan."

"And it's fucked up beyond hell!"

The other students sweat dropped. Todoroki cleared his throat loudly, reminding Bakugo that he was still here and that he still wasn't too happy with him at the moment, not after seeing what the blond teen had done to the smaller one in the past. Kirishima chuckled and placed his hand on Izuku's back to push the two forward. "C'mon, Bakugo. Let's just listen to him."

Bakugo clicked his tongue in irritation and began marching. "Not like there's anywhere else to go," he grumbled. They all followed, stepping into the cool lake. The water slowed them down, but they continued with Bakugo and Izuku at front. By the time the blond reached the door, the water was up to his knees. Izuku reached up and turned the handle.

The path was a long, echoey tunnel, still filled with water up to their knees. The walls kept changing color; swirling purples and blues and galaxies.

"If we get stuck in here, I'm drowning you," Bakugo warned.

Following him in, they heard the sounds of swishing water and felt the shifting of pebbles beneath their shoes. The shine of the water reflected lines of light onto the tunnel walls. They could see pictures moving on the walls, like a movie projector at a theater, the pictures moved to display short clips of someone's life.

"Happy birthday, sweetie!"

It was Izuku and his mother in what appeared to be their home. A cake with a 12 shaped candle was in front of him. He didn't have friends or anyone else, but from the way he smiled brightly, it was clear his mother was enough to him. She gave him a peck on the cheek, and he captured her in a tight hug.

The scene melted their hearts. With everything he'd had to deal with, they were glad he had at least one person dear to his heart. There was a possibility he wouldn't have kept holding on to his life if his mother hadn't been there for him.

As they continued walking through the tunnel, the scene on the walls changed. It was Izuku – their Izuku – with his mother again. This time, she was holding out an envelope to him.

"Izuku, it's here! It's here, honey!"

Even after handing it over to him, she paced back and forth in front of his room. It took them a while to realize it was a letter regarding the test results. He had gotten zero Villain points, but had made it in thanks to the Rescue points he'd managed to get without realizing.

Things got more interesting when they were shown Ochaco – who had thought Izuku hadn't passed – begging to share her points with him.

Ochaco stopped walking and blinked at the walls. So that's how he knew she tried to talk to Present Mic. But then…

"Please! He saved my life!"

She blushed when Mina elbowed her teasingly. "That's when it started, eh?"

Ochaco steeled herself and began speed walking away, slushing the water around her legs wildly and hearing her pink friend chuckling behind her.

The scene on the walls changed again, and there was Izuku in his UA uniform, bending down to put on his shoes.

"Do you have everything, sweetie?" his mother was right behind him.

"Yeah, mom!"

"Did you pack tissues?"

"Ah-huh!"

"Izuku!"

"What?"

"You're… you're really cool, Izuku."

The scene changed again, to where Iida, Ochaco and Izuku accompanied each other to walk home. This was probably his first time ever having real friends. He had that smile they usually saw on his face, that cute, innocent smile that lighten up their day. It was hard to believe this boy had a hard start.

The next scene was of Izuku going through his notes involving hero costume.

"Hey, mom!"

"Izuku, I've got something for you." His mother held out a green jumpsuit. "I know it might not look cool, but you fell asleep from studying so hard and you left your notebook open. I… tried following your design as best as I could."

"Mom…"

"I… back then… I'm sorry for giving up on you so easily, Izuku. Even after that, you still chased after your dream. I'm sorry, baby. From now on, I'll always cheer you on!"

It was hard not to shed a few tears. Some students, like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, had soft smiles on. Ochaco and Mina blinked away tears, and Kirishima was beaming proudly. It was no wonder Izuku didn't want to change his costume's design. His mother had made it for him. It was such a simple detail in his life, yet, it had a powerful impact on everyone watching.

On Bakugo's back, Izuku's tired eyes closed as he heard his own voice echo through the walls. It was bizarre, hearing himself and seeing the events that had long passed him by. He still had questions of his own, but, honestly, he was too disoriented and just too tired to think or do anything else. It felt like all the strength in him had been sucked out, and now it took way too much effort to move.

He heard All Might's voice in the tunnels, and judging by the man's words, he knew which day in his life they were watching.

"Back then, you were the only one to act. You, the shy, Quirkless fan-boy, were the only one to jump in to save someone."

"But… All Might… I… I still couldn't do anything."

"No. You interfered and risked your life. For most heroes, they always have something in common when it comes to rescuing others: their bodies move before they could think."

They all suddenly remembered how Izuku had flung himself at the slime monster, to save Bakugo, of all people.

"That was what happened to you, wasn't it?"

The Izuku reflected on the walls was crying at this point. "…yes…"

"Izuku Midoriya, you can become a hero."

They couldn't blame Izuku for crying. After being told he couldn't do it by pretty much everyone, hearing such words from his number one hero was probably the best thing that had happened to him that day. After so many rejections and insults to his dreams, all he needed was one simple 'yes, you can' to lift him up.

The next scene was familiar. They had been there to witness it; his 16th birthday party. It wasn't just him and his mother anymore. The common room was decorated with bright, shiny colors and the cake was half gone as each person took a slice. They were all there, surrounding him, and it was probably the first birthday party he had with actual friends around. He looked so happy, so blessed to have so many people around.

Watching their past selves on the walls, no one said a thing. Nothing needed to be said. As they neared the exit – a light at the end of the tunnel – they briefly saw how Izuku tucked his face in Bakugo's neck to cry. The red-eyed teen, surprisingly, didn't react to that, but continued walking into the light as if nothing happened. Bakugo, deep in his own mind, had the realization that maybe; just maybe, he had ruined someone's childhood, and scarred them mentally for life.

…

His eyelids cracked open with too much effort. He shut them tightly after a shine of light stabbed at his eyes, but tried again, blinking at the many familiar faces that surrounded his hospital bed. They were all gazing at him, waiting in anticipation.

His eyes scanned them one by one. They were all here, for him, and he couldn't hold back a tired smile.

"Hey, guys," Izuku finally greeted them, his voice cracking and strained from being unused for so long.

They all exploded into cheers, throwing themselves at him. Ochaco hugged his neck, Iida gripped his hand tightly, Kirishima managed to squeezed himself against Ochaco to hug Izuku as well, and Mina practically jumped on them all for a hug.

"Midoriya!"

"He's awake!"

"Move over!"

"I wanna cuddle, too!"

"You had your turn!"

"Hey, let me love him!"

"Our cinnamon roll is back!"

"Welcome home, Midoriya."

"You had us all worried–"

"Come here, you little bastard – you almost gave us a heart attack, you know."

"We missed you, man."

All the while, Izuku had tears of joy. He was getting smothered by hugs and playful pats and noisy laughter, but he wouldn't have it any other way. A giggle bubbled out of his chest as he absorbed all the positive attention he so desperately craved for all these years. He was physically and mentally drained, but still giggled and laughed as Kaminari ruffled his hair and Ochaco's teary cheek rubbed against his own wet cheek.

It took forever for the doctor to get them to let him go. He needed to check on the boy. If it weren't for their homeroom teacher, he was sure none of them would've listened to him.

After getting a call from the hospital, Inko Midoriya wasted no time getting there. Even before seeing her boy awake, she was already crying. The doctor wasn't sure if she actually heard a word he said to her. The second Izuku saw her by the door he was already struggling to heave himself up to greet her.

She drew him into her arms, crying her eyes out. "Izuku… Izuku baby!"

"Mom…" He was crying as well. He missed her. Her familiar scent always put him at ease.

She cupped his face and planted many kisses on his cheeks and head and over his eye, before hugging him again, rocking them gently.

The students watched in awe. Someone in the group sniffed. Everyone looked at Kirishima first, but he was looking over at–

"Sero? Are you crying, man?"

"No… Yes!" Sero admitted, tears falling like waterfalls from his eyes.

Kirishima let him cry on his shoulder, patting his back. "I know, man. I know. Let out those manly tears!" Kirishima's eyes started watering, too.

They weren't the only ones crying. Yaoyorozu made herself a handkerchief to dry her tears, a gentle smile on her face.

Denki had pretty much let the dam break. "I love you guys, I really do!" He sobbed loudly. Without thinking, he hugged Jiro and started crying on her shoulder without her permission.

"Hey – ah, you idiot, get off!" Jiro slapped him on the back of the head. It wasn't effective. After seeing what his green-haired friend had gone through, he felt like he had taken his friends for granted.

Bakugo had been quiet through it all.

For the next few days, Izuku had to stay in the hospital to get his strength back, undergoing a few tests and physical therapy to get his body used to moving again after staying still for so long. The class visited him often, and Ochaco and Iida, worried over his mental health, informed Inko of some of the things they had seen. They were nervous, of course. They were pretty much telling her things Izuku hadn't wanted her to know, and they felt like they had betrayed him, in some ways.

But later on, they were glad they had told her.

His new psychiatrist hooked him on antidepressants. While he hadn't been as stressed as before, it hadn't all gone away. Those flashbacks had also triggered some of his insecurities back. He couldn't hide this from his mother anymore. He had admitted to having panic attacks in the morning, waking up with his heart ramming his chest, feeling like he was dying, and he would end up hitting his own chest because he'd feel like his heart was about to stop.

He had been advised to keep exercising, as physical and mental work tired him out and calmed him down for the rest of the day.

He didn't need to keep his condition a secret. All of his friends knew, and understood he needed their support. They'd seen his past, and seen him at his weakest moments, but they didn't think less of him. He was still their nerdy hero fan boy.

The day he returned to his room in the dorms, he was greeted with boxes of neatly wrapped presents.

"Happy late birthday, bro!" Kirishima cheered, throwing his arm around Izuku's neck.

"I… wait… what? But…" Izuku fumbled with his words.

"We told you!" Mina shouted from behind him, surprising him. "Everyone should get presents on their birthday!"

"We didn't get you anything on your birthday, but that doesn't mean we can't get you anything now," Todoroki explained.

Izuku finally managed to turn around, only to find the whole class had gathered behind him, in front of his bedroom.

"Yeah, Uraraka had to keep you busy at the mall so we could buy you a few things from there," Denki told him.

Oh. Oh! So that's why they went to that mall!

Izuku's eyes started watering.

"Aaaand he turned on the waterworks." Sero laughed.

"That's our Midoriya!"

Izuku wiped at his eyes with his arm. "I… I'm sorry… I'm just so happy…" fat tears obscured his vision. He got plenty of pats on the back and a few more hugs. Turned out Ochaco had bought him a jacket while she had been accompanying him at the mall. He hadn't figured it was for him. He got a few more presents from everyone else; a cap and shirts, a few electronic devices, new headphones and new gloves.

There was one present that didn't have a name. It was clumsily gift wrapped, like the person either had been in a hurry or just didn't know how to wrap it up. From the slight burn mark on the edge of the blue wrapping, Izuku had a feeling he knew who it had to be from.

Bakugo hadn't laid a finger on him so far. It was as if he was doing everything he can to keep his distance. Izuku really hoped the class hadn't turned on Bakugo. While Izuku was the kind to forgive but not forget, it didn't mean his classmates were the same. He knew Bakugo wasn't a bad person. He wanted to be a hero just as much as Izuku did. Sure, he had this superiority complex that made him seem like a jackass, but he wasn't evil; not on purpose, anyways.

He couldn't help how he was raised to be. Bakugo had always thought of himself as perfect, as an individual above others. He had believed that, because that was how everyone treated him as a child, special and powerful and capable of anything. Bakugo didn't have any competition at the time, and – like Izuku – he had been a child with big dreams. Just like how everyone made Izuku feel insecure and incomplete, they also helped shape Bakugo's ego.

They told him he was the best, so he believed them, and having someone tell him otherwise was like having someone tell him his parents weren't his parents.

Bakugo was angry, angry at his own insecurities, angry that everything he believed in might be wrong, angry that he sometimes felt scared, too; angry that he might not be as perfect as everyone had made him believe.

Izuku understood that. And he understood Bakugo needed help, just like how Izuku was getting help now. He was glad his mother got to call Bakugo's and tell her about the situation, and he was glad to hear Mitsuki Bakugo had finally agreed to get her son into therapy. He wasn't sure how it'll go about with Kacchan, though. For now, he could hope for the best.

Un-wrapping the gift, he held the new notebook in his hands. He couldn't help the wobbly smile on his face. "Thanks, Kacchan."

…

"Easy with the ball this time, Bakugo!" Ashido reminded him.

Most of them weren't used to baseball, but the opportunity was there, so they took it nonetheless. A little team bonding wouldn't hurt. Getting their energy out on simple games helped them not only connect, but also keep their spirits up for the rest of the week of hero training.

The game could continue, if only Bakugo could stop using his quirk when pitching the baseballs.

With a growl, Bakugo got ready to throw. Izuku prepared the bat and Ochaco cheered him on by the bench.

"Do your best, Deku!"

He'd do his best, for sure. He wasn't the Deku who couldn't do anything. He was the Deku how did his best, and his friends made sure to remind him of that.

"Die!" Bakugo used his Quirk on the poor ball again, propelling it in a smoky line forward like a rocket, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Deku swung the bat, and hit the incoming comet. It flew up, and he stared at it in disbelief. Some of the students cheered as they saw it go.

"Go, man! Run!"

Oh, right. He was supposed to start running! They laughed as he sprinted in a hurry. He'd keep doing his best, and this time, he had people ready to catch him in their safety net if he ever fell. With every breath, with every step over the dirt, he moved forward, because that's what life's all about; moving forward. He couldn't let the chains of the past bring him down. He'd had a rough start, but that didn't mean he couldn't cherish what he had now. He could make new memories, better ones, and he'd make sure to remember them as well.

Somewhere in his dorm room, just by his window, sat two picture frames. The curtain brushed over the top of them as wind blew from the open window. The photo of class 1-A huddled together for the group picture sat next to the photo taken at his 16th birthday. He's start collecting good memories, good seeds of hope, in his green meadow. He had a long way to go, but he'd do his best.

"Actually, it's Izuku Midoriya–"

"–I like Deku. It sounds like 'you can do it'!"

"I'm Deku, then!"

He'd do his best, because he was Deku, the Deku who does his best.

END

Note: For those asking why I didn't include the parts involving All Might's secret and the parts involving Izuku's training, the chains symbolized bad memories. The story focuses on depression, not All Might. I will not disturb the flow of the story just because some of you wanted to see the class react to the secret being unraveled. I will not risk disturbing the flow, and I will not write an additional 2-3 chapters just to plan the aftermath and figure out how to go back to that flow, then have people order "I want to see this" of me later on.

Note: I might do a few side stories later, because I feel like there are a few things that need to be addressed. And because I like to use symbolism from time to time, a lot of things are left for the reader to figure out. Have fun connecting the dots. This was written mostly for my own entertainment. I had this idea stuck in my head and I couldn't focus on anything else, so I just decided to write it down. Depression doesn't go away that easily. Bullying is a serious matter. I've dealt with it throughout my childhood. I'm in my 20's and I still can't function like a normal adult. It's also hard to find support for this kind of issue, and it doesn't help when most of the population in the country I live don't recognize mental health as a problem. I'm open about my problems with my friends, because I want them to understand that there is an explanation to my weird behaviors. So far, they have been helpful and supportive of me. My own parents and siblings, not so much. I might do other stories regarding this, because I feel like this needs to be addressed. Give me time, and I'll think of something.