"That kid gets around," Toshinori sighed. He and his colleagues had just finished watching the video regarding the latest trouble with Webjack in a private quarter in UA.
"That dumb bitch has it bad for him. I almost can't wait to see her reaction when she sees his face. I bet she'll vomit her guts out," Nemuri Kayama chuckled.
"You're never going to let go of how badly your first interaction went, are you?" Hizashi Yamada snickered.
"Nope,"
"But wait, if he's as old as our freshmen, then she and he would only be five years apart. It wouldn't be creepy if they somehow started dating, would it?" Hizashi asked.
"I'm still counting on her puking her guts out!" Nemuri grinned.
"I'm more interested in figuring out what she was thinking, taking a swan dive like that just to catch him. I mean, what was she thinking?" Aizawa commented, unimpressed in every category with Yu Takeyama's performance.
"She's a sturdy young woman. Shrugging off a fall from seven stories high isn't too much of a struggle," Toshinori said, having seen Mount Lady in action, and if nothing else, her fighting style is one thing she has right as a Hero. "Does anyone else think that the kid is just faking his attitude?"
"How do you figure?" Hizashi asked curiously.
"Well… according to every report throughout his first month in action, everyone from civilians to Pro to Villains described him as a nervous wreck who knew how to do what he was doing but lacked the drive to get it right. Everyone only saw him as foolish and in over his head," Toshinori explained. "It's a given that he'd grow more confident the longer he lasted, but then he started acting like a wisecracker just to aggravate the bad guys, and soon everyone who bugged him. Maybe he figured that hiding behind a mask wasn't good enough and drew a further wedge between the real him and who he wants Webjack to be."
"Well, we've already established that he's too smart for his own good, so I wouldn't put it past him," Aizawa replied, intrigued. "It's clever so long as the real him remains as meek and insecure, displaying none of the courage his masked persona possesses. Hound Dog would argue that this is an extreme step that might damage one's psyche, like if someone with a Cloning Quirk started abusing his copies and, in an act of revolt, started killing each other, and in the process, the real one loses his perception of reality and questions if he's the real one or not."
"Wow, you just love making things go WAY too dark, don't you?" Nemuri sneered.
"It's happened before regarding both scenarios, I'm afraid. I've seen them for myself, and let me tell you, that ain't no way to live," Toshinori frowned deeply. "That begs the real question: how far did the Spider really go to bury the real him deep beneath his web of lies?"
"His webs aren't the problem, but his actions. As Nezu said, he's been doing pretty well for himself. It's almost comical how good, but for every success he makes, the more the fires light up, putting the rest of us in more trouble," Aizawa muttered as the past few days have not been easy for UA and Hero Society in general.
To their immense chagrin, a video was leaked the day after the USJ Incident, one or some of the Villains recorded a large part of the events, mainly focusing on how a bunch of students, unprepared and inexperienced for such an invasion were on the verge of death and UA only afforded two pros to protect them, followed by Webjack arriving at the scene and ''visually'' saving the day by himself and the parts about All Might's superior performance being skipped out.
The Hero Public Safety Commission had the leaks removed at first, but enough people have made copies of it, and soon enough, all of Japan saw the incident unfold.
UA was going to suffer backlash regardless of whether the details of the incident were kept under wraps, but now that the public has seen it, things are not looking good for them. The only silver lining is that only the staff and 1-A students know that All Might was supposed to be there from the beginning, but arrived almost too late. If it got out that even the Symbol of Peace also failed the students, UA might as well be shut down, and they don't consider it mercy that the villains chose to exclude that part in the video.
It was a wordless declaration that the League still had the upper hand and may be more dangerous than they realized, and that to Toshinori was worse than being humiliated for his declining Hero activities. Whoever the true leader of the League of Villains is, he knows how to truly hurt All Might, and that damaging his reputation is a waste of time and resources. To hurt the Symbol, you have to aim for his heart. Those he is protecting, and right now, all of UA, are easy prey.
"His actions, I can forgive. What I can't forgive is that he may not be aware of what the consequences of his actions will bring."
"And in conclusion, while you've scored enough points to be accepted into UA, I'm afraid they simply weren't enough to be allowed into the Hero Course."
The words of Dean Nezu as she received the devastating news of her failure still rang in her head, and even days after they came still haunted her like a specter. A ghost that cannot find peace and so remains clinging to her neck.
The last couple of days have not been awful to her; she still feels motivated to press forward and do something with her life.
"But do not despair, Ms. Uraraka. You are still accepted to join UA in our General Course. And it is possible to be transferred to the Hero Course if you start to show promise further down the line, so please continue to look to the future."
Nezu was sincere, but it still mattered little to Ochaco Uraraka.
She stepped out of her apartment, the weight of her disappointment hanging heavy in the air. The afternoon sunlight spilled across the streets, but it failed to lift the shadows that clung to her. She adjusted the strap of her bag, the grocery list crumpled in her hand.
She was on her own for the day again, but this did not bother her. She's more than able to look after herself when it comes to mundane tasks.
The bustling city around her seemed to move in a different rhythm, a beat that didn't match the heaviness in her heart. Each step echoed the silent struggle within her, the battle against a fate that seemed to conspire against her dreams.
As she walked through the crowded streets, her thoughts drifted back to that fateful day, the day the entrance exam results were announced. The memory stung like an open wound. She had dared to dream of being a Hero, of lifting the financial burden from her parents' shoulders. Yet, reality had dealt her a cruel hand, relegating her to the General Course.
A construction site loomed ahead, and thoughts of machines and workers escaped from the surface of her mind, a painful reminder of her family's struggles. Ochaco's mind lingered on the heavy lifting equipment, a stark contrast to the lightness she once felt when imagining a future where she could use her Quirk to help them.
Her steps became a silent march, a journey through a city that held both dreams and shattered aspirations. The grocery store stood as a waypoint, a mundane task in a life that had suddenly become more complicated than she could have imagined.
Inside the store, the aisles stretched endlessly, each item a reminder of the uncertainties that clouded her future. Ochaco mechanically gathered the essentials, her mind a swirl of emotions. The mundane act of selecting produce became a metaphor for the choices she had to make. While walking, she glanced at the headline of a Hero-focused magazine that caught her eye. Heroes are celebrated for their feats, and their Heroic journeys are highlighted for the world to see. The contrast between their triumphs and her struggles was stark.
Ochaco's fingers brushed against the cool surface of the sauce bottle, the final piece to complete her dinner. Her hand moved with purpose, fingers closing around the glass when suddenly, another hand collided with hers.
Startled, Ochaco's gaze lifted, only to find a familiar mop of green hair and a pair of wide, apologetic eyes. It was Izuku Midoriya.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Izuku stammered, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to—"
Their eyes met, and a moment of awkward silence hung in the air, and one look was all it took, but cracks in the will of the vigilante that had taken Japan by storm. He somehow could not look away from the girl before him.
A short girl with a slender yet curvy figure, fair skin, auburn hair, and eyes that match in color. She has a perpetual pink blush on her cheeks, and her eyes are large and round with thick upper lashes, two more extended and more prominent ones on either side, and fewer but more individually pronounced lower lashes. Her hair is shoulder-length with short bangs, and the style is bobbed with two long strands framing her face.
Ochaco blinked, registering the situation. A gentle smile graced her lips, breaking the tension.
"No worries," She said, her tone light. "Looks like we both had our eyes on the same sauce."
Izuku's nervousness melted into a sheepish smile. "Y-Yeah… it s-s-seems so. Sorry again."
"Um, you can have it," Ochaco offered, deciding to break the ice. "I can always grab another one."
Izuku's eyes widened, surprise and gratitude evident in his expression. "Oh, no! I couldn't. You were here first."
A playful glint appeared in Ochaco's eyes. "Well, there is plenty of sauce here, and now that I took the time to give it another look, this one just might be too much for just myself."
Although Izuku's face didn't transform into a vivid shade of red, it was impossible for Ochaco not to notice how increasingly nervous he was getting. "I see… you're very kind."
Their hands released the sauce bottle, but the vigilante still felt like shaking.
'What is wrong with me? I've spoken with women before. Well, Webjack has… Wait! I'm Webjack! So I should be just as confident when talking to girls, except she's staring at my damned face, so of course I can't talk to her without feeling scrutinized,' Izuku thought, his mind transforming into a raging storm. 'Just calm down, don't make things harder for yourself. She's not mad, so there is no reason to make things worse.'
They both started walking toward the checkout before leaving, Ochaco feeling calm and serene again, somehow the minor encounter with the stuttering boy lifting her spirit, while said stuttering boy remained nervous, his movements now robotic.
'No good! I can't stay calm,'
Luckily for Izuku, Ochaco was not weirded out by his attitude like the other people they passed by. She felt no reason to be threatened by his behavior. She's encountered boys who don't know how to socialize before, not that she ever spoke to one of these boys, but she has seen them as a bystander, and they usually cause no trouble. Plus, she is sure that he noticed the security cameras all over the store. Because of the crime rate in Musutafu, the store owner was thoughtful about how to protect his store, and luckily, no villain, let alone someone with awful thoughts, has ever gotten any bright ideas inside.
Until now…
Izuku is snapped out of his nervousness when his Spider-Sense kicks in again.
'Now of all times!' He cursed inwardly, adopting a more serious look with his vigilante persona taking over, and began to scout the store with his omnidirectional senses. One of the first things he notices is that the cameras in the store have begun to power down, ceasing to function, and that is when the cause reveals itself from the back door of the store, five men wearing black ski masks and armed with guns arrive.
"Everybody on your knees!" The Head Thug shouted, firing a warning shot at the ceiling, getting the desired reaction as everyone in the store was taken by fear. One or two had the urge to run away from the entrance, but the guns pointing directly at them forced them to think wisely, and everyone got onto their knees.
"Never a dull moment in Musutafu," Izuku whined, maintaining his composure, unlike Ochaco, who was now the one stuttering, her mind now going back to the day when she failed the Entrance Exam.
Both scenarios are completely different, but they both have the same effect on her feeling powerless and unable to save herself.
Izuku noticed this fear and placed a hand on her shoulder to subtly remind her that she was not alone, and gently got her to get on her knees like him to avoid getting the attention of the thugs.
'The cameras have been disabled, meaning that one of these guys either has a Quirk that affects machines or is a skilled hacker. Either way, I can't be reckless. I doubt I can get away and suit up in time. There's no way these guys aren't prepared to fight against C-Level Heroes like the three that patrol this district, so this will either be a fast cash and grab or things may turn ugly,' Izuku thought, examining his options and contemplating how to proceed.
Does he lie down and wait for help, or does he risk it all by taking them down himself?
'My Psi-Webs can be made invisible as well, but not when I use them for more complex tasks, and they become visible every time a trap of mine is sprung,' Izuku thought. 'If I decide to act, I have to get the timing right.'
"Will any Hero come to help us?" Ochaco whimpered, trying her best to stay composed, but like the other customers, it was an insurmountable task.
"Three of them patrol this side of Musutafu. Low-level but very diligent, and most thugs wouldn't normally slip past their radar," Izuku replied quietly to only her while making sure the criminals didn't hear them. "The special cameras installed here are programmed to recognize any criminal activity and send a signal to nearby Hero Agencies, but they were shut down before they came here, meaning that they planned this out thoroughly enough; all they have to do is act quickly. Any slip-ups could put them in jeopardy."
"What does that mean for us?" Ochaco muttered.
Before answering, Izuku looked past his corner, as best as he could see while on the ground, one of the thugs was guarding the entrance, in a position where no one who came in through the entrance would be able to notice him, and he could grab them before they could run or garner attention by screaming. A white substance like glue poured out of his exposed forearms. That gives Izuku an idea of the Quirks of one of them.
"Put the yen in the bag and no one gets hurt, old man," The Leader Thug threatened, pointing a gun at the owner's weeping face. The rest of the thugs started rounding up the other customers and putting them in the back of the store, near the exit that was being sealed tight, making it harder for any of them to do anything remotely close to vigilantism.
"Hurry it up, lovebirds," A Thug with jagged teeth like thorns said, pointing a gun at Izuku and Ochaco to get up, they being the last to be rounded up. They did as instructed, not bothering to bring the ingredients they were going to buy with them, and left them on the floor.
There are eight, plus the two teens being kept as hostages, with two of the thugs keeping watch; the rest stay close to the boss and watch out for trouble.
"Make this easy for yourselves, people. Hand over your wallets and nobody gets hurt," One of them instructed, and to prove his point, he raised his right hand and removed his glove, revealing a hidden mouth with a maw of dozens of jagged, needle-like teeth. Closer observation of this extra orifice shows a secondary set of jaws located near the throat, akin to that of a moray eel.
The sight of it made the hostages fear more for their lives.
"Don't feel too bad. I'm sure the Heroes will compensate you all for their tardiness, pay for your groceries in other stores, and help you back to your homes peacefully," The same Thug sneered with a hint of sarcasm as though he didn't believe what he was saying.
"Well, maybe two or three of them, but ten in total, plus that grumpy old grump. They'll just give you some pep talk over how "brave" and smart you were for not acting like vigilantes and becoming more targets for them to bother with," The more crooked among them joked with a detestable chuckle that it felt like glass shattered right next to their ears.
They could do nothing but comply and give them their money, but despite how things were going well for them, they were mostly bothered by Izuku. He was the only one not showing an ounce of fear. His eyes showed no signs of defiance, and yet they couldn't help but feel challenged somehow, and keeping Ochaco behind him as though they couldn't just get closer and take her by force did not make this any better.
This sparked irritation, with the middle one glaring at the teen with his eyes glowing blue. He possesses an Optic Laser Quirk.
"GREEN SPIDERWEB! And a big one!" One of the other thugs shouted in a panic, noticing a large cobweb of green energy in the part of the store that keeps its refrigerators, two of them wrapped in a cobweb in the front.
Izuku shot a web while he and Ochaco were being escorted, right in the nick at the right time when the thug holding their backs at gunpoint turned his head around to make sure he didn't miss anyone, and the rest of them were preoccupied, hoping to leave a distraction.
"Are you kidding me!" The Optic Thug shouted in shock. Now it was their turn to panic.
"Is Webjack here?"
"No other "Hero" in this hellhole town shoots freaky webs from their body,"
"Don't panic, you idiots! As long as we have the hostages, neither the Spider nor the real Heroes can do anything," The Leader sneered, refusing to let anyone ruin this for him, let alone his men.
"But where is he? There's nowhere to hide."
"Can he camouflage as some spiders can?"
"That would explain why the Pros haven't been able to catch him."
So focused on finding an unseen Vigilante, Izuku got the chance to move back and move Ochaco further behind the other hostages, blocking them from their sight, and since Ochaco was so focused on the thugs, she also didn't notice Izuku activating his powers, green web patterns from within his body briefly glowing. His body started to vibrate, causing a refraction of visible light, turning the already hidden Vigilante invisible.
Carefully, he walks to the exit door undetected.
The door is locked tight, but nothing Spider Strength can't deal with, as all it took was one kick to force the door open, and he didn't send it flying with the hinges ripped off. That's a plus for him, unlike all the other times he's had to kick open a door.
"How did—" The one with the extra mouth was silenced after receiving an invisible uppercut, his head next hitting the ceiling, hard enough to knock him out.
"You have got to be kidding me!" The Optic Thug muttered, watching as an invisible foe held his partner's gun before ripping it in two with his barehands.
Realizing the trouble they are in, the Thug fights back by turning his attention back to the hostages and uses them, shooting his light-blue optic laser at them.
Izuku reacted quickly, getting in front of them and blocking the laser with his open palm, his durability holding on long enough for him to march forward and sucker punch the vile villain in his stomach so hard that he also passed out.
That was the last straw for the hostages who ran for the exit undeterred.
The other thugs didn't last much longer, being taken down one by one before they could even use their Quirks and saving the store owner along the way. The last one, the Leader, was kicked out of the store, left in plain sight for all to see, and with the way he was dressed, it was obvious what he was.
"A VILLAIN!" A Lady cried in shock.
"SOMEONE CALL A HERO!"
With all the commotion, no one notices the hostages escaping from the alleyway near the store.
With the threat seemingly over, Ochaco finally took the time to check and see if any of them were left behind. There are ten of them in total, counting herself, she is the ninth, and that leaves—
"Uraraka," She turned around to see Izuku behind her, looking unharmed like the rest of them, but he was more of a nervous wreck than before, all the valor he displayed gone.
"Midoriya," She began, but was cut short when he presented her with her wallet that was dropped by the thugs.
"I stayed back just a bit to get back my wallet, and yours," He said weakly. "I know, I know. It's unbelievably stupid to prioritize something like this over my life, but… I'm Quirkless, so I don't have much about myself to value, and I would rather hold on tightly to what I can call my own."
Ochaco didn't know how to respond to such an obscene declaration. She has never met a Quirkless before, but she heard from her parents that they have unfair lives, being looked at as the scums of the Earth with rumors of Police and Heroes not lifting a finger to help them when they are in need, so if that is true, Izuku's silent defiance against the thugs could be misinterpreted as an attempt at suicide.
That left a sour taste in the UA Student's mouth, but she did not know how to reprimand him. She just accepted her wallet and waited as the Police and Pro-Heroes swarmed the place.
The criminals were rounded up, the hostages were questioned about everything that happened, and how an invisible person took down the villain and that it might have been Webjack but there was no way to prove that he was any of the Hostages since the Police went through the records and confirmed each of their Quirks, including that Izuku was indeed Quirkless, and as the Vigilante in question predicted, the police and pros completely ignored him after that.
If there was any silver lining to this was that the store owner, thankful to be alive, insisted that his customers take what they needed from his store for free as compensation for what they went through.
"That old man is a Hero in his own right," Izuku muttered with relief, glad that he won't be returning home empty-handed. It was going to be hard enough to hide this latest disaster from his mother since the news these days would jump at the chance to make any comments about Webjack's activities. He'll just have to suck it up and try to talk her down when the inevitable waterworks start.
He examined his right palm for the third time in a row. Not a single scratch on it. Either the optic blast was a weak one, or his durability has improved. He didn't even feel it, so it could be the latter, but he doesn't want to get too cocky.
He saved those people, and no one was hurt, but he can't deny that it was reckless of him. A lapse in judgment that he is not proud of, that could've gone bad if the thugs had been slightly more competent.
Even still, he regrets nothing. He's learned that thinking about what could've happened was a waste of energy, best spent trying to make the outcome you wanted become reality. He won't hesitate to save someone in need if he has the power to do so. That's what makes Webjack a Hero.
Getting his mind off his troubled mind, Izuku spared a glance at his new companion, Ochaco, who had been silent ever since they left the scene of the crime.
"But, you didn't take anything for yourself," He said, now noticing the lack of anything in her arms.
"I don't like accepting charity, and I pretty much lost my appetite because of all this," She said softly, a sad look plastered on her otherwise adorable face.
Now it was Izuku who was bothered by her behavior. He didn't need his super hearing to hear the low grumbling in her stomach to know she was not all right. He did not expect her to consider how bad that all was, but if she carried on like this, she would end up doing herself more harm.
"I don't mean to pry, but have you let your parents know about this? It would be better for them to learn this from you than on the news, like it inevitably always does," Izuku said hypocritically since he hadn't called his mother yet.
"News about Musutafu rarely reaches Mei Prefecture these days since they have their own Villain problems, and I'd rather not worry them too much if I can avoid it," Ochaco confessed, surprising Izuku.
"So far away. You live in Musutafu by yourself?"
"Yep. I wanted to attend UA, and they couldn't afford to be away from work, so my dad made arrangements to ensure I would be alright by myself," She explained, further shocking the Vigilante.
"You're a UA Student? Wow, that's… that's spectacular. Congratulations," Izuku said a bit more chipperly since he was glad to get the chance to talk to someone from the university he used to dream of attending.
"Thanks. I worked hard to get there," She smiled back at him, but it was painfully easy to tell that the smile was insincere. Izuku knows a struck nerve when he sees one, given how it used to be a common sight with people he would "associate" with. Mentioning UA may not be the best thing to bring up with her right now.
The silence between them would've become exceedingly more awkward if not for Izuku receiving a phone call that he was desperate to answer without taking the chance to see who was calling him.
"IZUKU, MY BABY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" He instantly came to regret it the nanosecond his mother's voice burst out of the phone, his enhanced ear suffering as a result, Ochaco herself hearing it as well, and startled as a result.
'This is why I'm scared to use headphones ever again,'Izuku cursed his misfortune. If another thing happens today, he's taking tomorrow off. No, even if nothing else happens, the costume stays in his suitcase.
"It's all over the news. That vigilante stopped a robbery at Old Man Morino's. Why didn't you call me as soon as the threat was over?!" Inko demanded, her weeping so great that Izuku was sure she flooded their apartment again.
"I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast that I got caught up in preoccupying with everything happening," He apologized guiltily. None of it was his fault, but he couldn't avoid the pit in his stomach when he heard his mother's despair.
"This is all my fault. I should've gone over there myself and kept you home where it's safe," She lamented, wishing she were the one in that dire situation instead.
"Don't ever say that, Mom." Izuku's voice became cold, but not out of anger exactly, but trepidation of what could have been if he hadn't volunteered to get groceries.
She might've reached the store sooner and avoided the situation, but the negative outcome is always at the top of his mind when it comes to things like this.
"Look, I'll be swinging home as fast as possible, and I've got the groceries, so we won't have to leave for the rest of the day. Everything is fine," He tried to assure her, but it is a daunting task when not doing so in person. He next spares a glance at Ochaco and comes up with an idea.
"And if I can't stop you from feeling guilty, you can make it up to me by letting me invite someone for dinner,"
"Huh?" Ochaco uttered in confusion.
"Huh?" Inko was on a similar boat.
"You'll see if I can make it work," Izuku said before hastily hanging up the phone and awkwardly turning back to meet Ochaco.
"H-Hey, so… listen. I know we just met and things are crazy enough as is… b-b-b-buuuuuut…"
"Buuuuuut…" Ochaco repeated, not sure where this was going. Now that she stops to think about it, this is the longest she's gone without talking to a boy. She only ever had lady friends. Why was she walking with him, to begin with?
She may be grateful for the moral support he gave her, but is that enough to be so casual to someone she just met?
"Please, make yourself at home. I promise dinner will be done very shortly," Inko Midoriya said sweetly once Izuku returned home with Ochaco and explained the situation. On impulse, Inko reacted by motion, slow to truly grasp anything.
"Thank you!" Ochaco blurted out, again in a similar boat.
'It finally happened, Hisashi! Izuku brought home a GIRL!'Inko screamed in her head, walking to the kitchen without saying anything else, her mind feeling like she was struck by a lightning bolt.
'AND THIS ENDED UP HAPPENING!' Ochaco screamed, also feeling like she was struck by lightning, now being invited to have dinner with the mother of the boy she had just met. She's not even sure how Izuku talked her into this, other than her stomach taking control of the wheels in her head.
'I want to take off my suit, but I can't risk leaving these two alone for a second,' Izuku lamented, not thinking this through either, and this just might be his worst decision yet.
'You'd think my presence here would have caused this town to be more peaceful, but it had the opposite effect, like Aizawa kept pestering me over,' Toshinori wondered, perplexed as he was working on a computer in the Administration Office, where the staff members go to work when not attending the students.
He's been trying to do the assignments Nezu gave him ever since he started working in UA. He has two jobs while at the University, the main one being a teacher as All Might, and as Toshinori Yagi, his assignments are less stressful. He's never had trouble living a double life since he is adamant about no one discovering his true visage.
Ever since he came back to Japan after so long in America, the world has only ever known him as All Might. No one but his inner circle knows his true name, which has led to many debates and speculations that, for the most part, are innocent and kind of fun to review, but they can get quite toxic at times.
Things are different in UA. He almost got caught by some students more than once while switching between forms, not that it was difficult to lead the youngbloods astray. No one would ever believe that All Might was actually an ugly, frail, skeletal man. A fact that he's made peace with, so no harm done.
That said, it is troublesome how sloppy he's getting, and the limit of three hours where he can use his Quirk before being forced back into Toshinori hasn't dropped yet, so he assumes that it's because plenty of the students are stubborn about getting to know him better, which he normally indulges, though not by much, but things are different now.
Still, the main problem he's having right now is the conflict against his Hero complex. He learns about any crime happening in his vicinity, his first instinct is to rush in and stop it, regardless of how many other Heroes are there to do it instead.
A problem that has caused some of the other Pros, especially the upcoming stars, to resent him for interfering with their careers. He does feel bad about it, but he can't help it, and here he is, slacking off on his actual work by searching the internet for any news on recent crimes happening in Musutafu.
Twelve villains attack in one afternoon. He's heard about more morbid incidents happening in the city where Endeavor operates, but this is too much. Two of them were stopped by Webjack, one while being chased by Mount Lady.
'What is going on? Villains are bold by nature, but they are now acting like it's the end of the world,' Toshiro wondered grimly. 'This can't be because of that boy. Successful Vigilantes have always invited challenges against the criminal underworld, but not even Knuckleduster stirred up this much trouble.'
As he scrolled through, he found information about the latest and hopefully last crime of the day. A failed robbery in a grocery store, one which Toshinori had frequented ever since coming to Musutafu. The owner is a man who's been around since the reign of All For One and has seen it all, made all the wiser for it.
He and the ten customers at the time were unharmed in the attack by six thugs, all of whom were taken down by an invisible individual, but there is evidence that suggests Webjack was there. The thugs were convinced it was him.
'Spider Camouflage or actual Invisibility. Either way, we may have an answer on how he's been able to elude us so thoroughly, especially if he is so careful to avoid vanishing in plain sight. Still, does he have more than one Quirk or just one with multiple factors?'
Solving one mystery still leaves everyone with more questions. The reasons why the Web-Slinger is taking Japan by storm seem insurmountable.
Toshinori's troubled mood only worsens when he looks up at the rescued hostages and recognizes one of their faces. Actually, he recognizes two of them, but the latter of the two had the most impact.
The Symbol of Peace felt frozen in his seat with trepidation, looking like he had seen a ghost, and he has enough of those already, but this latest ghost just might be the worst yet.
"It's him again," He barely whispered as he stared at the face of Izuku Midoriya. Someone who has been on his mind for almost a year, and for better or worse, has been trying to forget.
"Is it possible to become a Hero even without a Quirk?" A young and timid boy with zero confidence in himself blurted out to him with fleeting hope and maddening desperation. "I'm a normal kid without any powers. COULD I EVER HOPE TO BE SOMEONE LIKE YOU?!"
That was not Toshinori's fondest memory. He did not handle that situation wisely. It was carried out so abysmally that he sounded like Lockdown, and that made the Symbol of Peace feel dirty.
"I'm supposed to be the guy who always smiles, right? I'm the Symbol of Peace. People everywhere have to think I'm never afraid. But honestly, I smile to keep the fear inside. Just a brave face I put on when the pressure is high. This job isn't easy. Pro-Heroes are always having to risk their lives. Some villains can't be beaten without powers, so no, I honestly don't think you can be a Hero without a Quirk."
His own words that day also came back to haunt him, and he slammed his right palm into his forehead to force them back inside the deeper layers of his mind.
"You damn hypocrite. Did you forget what your life was like when you were his age? Before you met your Master?" He reprimanded himself, recalling the dark days of his youth and the one who gave him his one and only chance to become a Hero. "He saw what you really look like. The least you could've done was encourage him to join the Support Gear Industry and be the kind of Hero David is instead."
That wasn't even the final nail in the coffin.
"It's been almost a year, and yet no one has stepped in to tell everyone about the real me, so the young man is doing his part to keep the peace despite what I did," He muttered before turning back to his screen. "Got yourself in big trouble again, not that citizens are expected to control when a Villain will attack."
Trying to regain more of his composure, he refocused on the other one caught in that horrible situation, Ochaco Uraraka. He also remembers her. One of the young aspiring Heroes who took UA's Entrance Exam but failed.
A lot of students failed, but hers was the hardest to watch. She was going to be crushed by the Zero Pointer Villain-Bot while she was stuck in debris, and none of the other applicants tried to save her. Nezu had to call off the exam early to stop the robot.
Another memory that left All Might with a sour taste in his mouth. He shouldn't be mad since they are all still young, and plenty among them helped each other out for what he can only hope were for good intentions, but plenty of them saw that she was in danger, and they just ran.
Aizawa had a point when he argued that the physical test and the Sports Festival are nonsensical and damaging to a young person's perception of Heroism. It's every Hero in training for themselves, and that makes for bad Heroes.
At least the poor girl still made it to UA, so she's not out just yet.
"So many lost souls with wasted potential, and yet there never seems to be enough Heroes to help them all. What am I doing wrong?"
"You mean apart from being incapable of doing actual work," Replied a spiteful Aizawa, standing next to the Symbol of Peace, startling him enough to spill blood from his mouth and into his computer screen. Toshinori spewing blood from his mouth isn't uncommon because of his grievous wound, so plenty of the university is used to that sight.
"That's still disgusting to see," The Erasure Hero sneered.
"Aizawa! You know it's villainous to sneak up on people like that," Toshinori cried while he desperately cleaned up his computer with a napkin and paper towel he kept with him for such an occasion.
"Well, we Underground Heroes are expected to be nefarious when the situation calls for it, and making sure lazy vermin quit slacking off also comes with the territory."
"I understand that you're not the kind of guy to mince words, and I respect that, but there's a time and place, you know," Toshinori mumbled.
"And I see you picked up a habit of stalking young adults," Aizawa added, noticing what's on the screen when he finished cleaning.
"You know, Endeavor doesn't like me either, but at least conversations with him can be pleasant once in a while." Now Toshinori was feeling truly depressed. Aizawa was against him joining the UA Faculty from the start, but he only got worse after the USJ.
"So one of our students from the General Course got in trouble. At least she was smart enough not to do anything stupid like being a Hero without a license," Aizawa commented on Ochaco's previous situation.
"Yeah, it seemed she held her ground for the most part until help arrived. If it was Webjack, I guess we owe him again for helping our students," Toshinori said, feeling a tiny bit better.
"Speaking of owing someone for helping students, it's nice to see that Midoriya kid is also fine." Those next words from the insomniac man brought some more light into the depressed Symbol.
"You know this young man?" He was startled, but he hoped his expression didn't give out that he also knew Izuku.
"Not personally, but he is a somewhat popular student in Kogane Academy," Aizawa answered.
"The other pretty big deal of a University in Musutafu? That place offers opportunities mainly for those striving for Support Industries," Toshinori said.
"Yep, while UA is the better choice to learn how to make Support Gear, Kogane is where the leftovers go when they fail Power Loader's Entrance Exam," Shota explained.
"Shota, you can't just call those who failed the Entrance Exam "leftovers." They still did their best," Toshinori frowned in disapproval.
"I see it how it is. Anyway, while UA and Kogane are rivals, we once in a while exchange ideas for Support Items, just a way Nezu came up with to encourage camaraderie. For the past seven months, the majority of the designs Power Loader has been accepting to work on personally, while giving full credit to the original designer, Izuku Midoriya."
"R-Really? It takes a lot of intelligence and creativity for someone outside of UA to impress Maijima," Toshinori was now flabbergasted.
"No kidding, and I'll give it to the kid; his ideas are very rational and well thought out. The kind of schematics you'd expect to be made by an expert in Quirk Analysis. The one that earned my attention is what he calls Chameleon Tech. If Maijima follows the instructions thoroughly, we will have a brand new stealth technology that will not only grant the user decent camouflage but might help with negating the invisibility of those with the capability with their Quirks," Aizawa explained, even looking amazed for a change. "I actually requested Maijima to make this Chameleon Tech a reality to fashion a suit right away."
"For what reason? You'd never been one to rely on any kind of fancy Support Gear," Toshinori asked.
"It's not for me but for one of my students who can't turn her Invisibility off and so will be an easy target with any other costume we can currently offer her," Aizawa corrected. "You've interacted with her plenty of times. Toru Hagakure."
Toshinori immediately recalled who he was talking about. The girl whose "costume" consists only of a pair of simple light blue gloves decorated by pale pink lines and light brownish-gray lace-up shoes.
He always wondered why those were the only parts of her costume that she bothered to reveal—
A colder chill suddenly struck the Symbol of Peace with a terrible revelation invading his thoughts.
"Please don't tell me. That one of our students—"
"—Has been making a fool of herself running around naked while out on Hero training because she can't turn her Quirk off. Yes. Yes, she has."
"This generation is a real mess. And I was sure young Bakugo would be our only problem child,"
"Not even by a long shot," Aizawa deadpanned under his breath. He can handle Bakugo because of how used he was with hot-headed students; it's the rest of Class 1-A that he has a problem with.
Almost zero potential in his eyes, including Endeavor's son, since he is clearly holding himself back for some bizarre reason. If he had known in advance that Shoto refused to use the left side of his Quirk, he would've declined to accept him into the Hero Course.
That said, none of them were nearly as abysmal as the two students he expelled on the first day of the semester. He had only intended to expel one of the twenty students of Class 1-A when he made them do his Quirk Apprehension Test, and whoever ended up in last place got the boot, but the one who scored nineteenth place was just as bad, so he too was kicked out, to the shock of the rest of the class.
Some of them were hoping that he was just bluffing.
The look on Momo Yaoyorozu's face when she realized she was wrong about his threat being a "logical deception" to force them to give it their all was priceless. It's always a pleasure to make know-it-alls feel stupid and out of their element, which is always his goal when taking on new students.
He also wanted to expel Minoru Mineta, but he figured that his colleagues would give him heat for expelling more than two students. He got off scot-free, expelling his entire class last year, but he is sure that Nezu is reaching his patience with his methods, so Mineta lucked out.
Now that Shota thinks about it, Minoru has been getting a bit too lucky for his liking.
Because Class 1-A was down to just eighteen students, two of the Hero Vs Villain teams for the Battle Trials had to be a three-on-three fight, unlike the rest, and to his shock, it was thanks to Mineta being in the same team as Bakugo that they and Kirishima managed to beat the team that had Todoroki.
That was a weird day, and a despairing one for his insomnia, because Bakugo's ego reached new heights that kept him awake for the rest of the day.
"With someone of his technical gifts, it's a wonder why he never applied to join UA's Support Course. He might've been one of Power Loader's star pupils," Toshinori said, visibly impressed but also nervous, wondering if perhaps he might be responsible for Izuku's disinterest in UA.
"Nezu thought the same and did a background check. Putting aside the fact that he's Quirkless, he did apply to join this university, but he wanted to join the Hero Course. So he used to be irrational and foolish before he got the wakeup call he needed," Aizawa said. "Giving up on UA is admittedly crazy, but he's not the first to develop cold feet about joining the big leagues, and he certainly won't be the last."
"And… when exactly did he develop this change of heart?" Toshinori asked, dreading the answer.
"Roughly ten months ago. Maybe a day or two after you reported about arresting a Villain made of sludge that you locked up in two bottles of all things,"
Toshinori suspected as much. Izuku likely wanted to enter UA because that's where Toshinori attended as a student, and Izuku claimed to be his #1 Fan. Something that can only be contested against by his former Sidekick, Mirai Sasaki. Him calling it quits before the chance to enroll started was probably because of the utter disappointment he felt when he basically shunned him.
He really hopes that this decision doesn't affect the boy's future negatively.
"That's interesting, all things considered. Maybe he can reconsider joining UA next semester," Toshinori said, trying to seem composed and unaffected by this conversation.
"I doubt that would happen. Kogane's Dean is pretty greedy, and the more Support Gear ideas from his students that get accepted, the more his university profits out of so he'll poke and milk the kid for whatever he's worth for however long he can," Aizawa stated. "Unless Nezu gets bored and decides to take the boy by force."
Again, the Symbol of Peace gets a chill in his spine. Nezu can be more terrifying than any villain when provoked. Only four individuals have ever managed to scare the #1 Hero, and the Dean is one of them. God have mercy on Kogane if such an outcome does happen.
"Well, I've wasted enough of my life indulging you. I'm off to get some much-needed sleep," Aizawa said, departing abruptly. "Try not to attract any more villains into this university."
"Yeah… I'll do that," Toshinori muttered, waving him goodbye, glad that the uncomfortable conversation ended but also feeling a little enlightened by the revelations.
'So you haven't given up on being a Hero quite yet, and are focusing on what gifts you do have for something productive, Young Midoriya. Well, as long as you're safe, I can have fewer regrets,' Toshinori thought. 'Still, maybe I should try something for you. Just because I don't use Support Gears doesn't mean I have no appreciation for the Industry. My brother in all but blood is THE David Shield, after all.'
'So there's a boy out there that knows the real you and you haven't done anything about it,' Aizawa thought, recalling vividly how Toshinori was behaving throughout their conversation, including before they started to converse as he was watching the Symbol of Peace a bit longer than Yagi realized, paying close attention to the reaction he made when he laid eyes on Izuku.
'That guy is a bigger idiot than I feared, letting a possible leak out on the loose because he feels bad about hurting some kid's feelings when he's already an adult. If this doesn't come back to bite us all, I just might accept dating Fukukado.' He hissed with further irritation. 'I can't ignore this. I have to tell Nezu.'
"So tell me, Uraraka. How are things with you?" Inko almost blurted out. The air of awkwardness was less dominant once dinner was quickly finished, and Ochaco sat with the Midoriyas to eat.
"All things considered, Musutafu isn't so bad. Being surrounded by flashy Heroes like Kamui Woods, Mount Lady, and now All Might is certainly a day brightener," Ochaco said, now more chipper once she took a bite from Inko's cooking. She hates to admit it, but this is better than her mother's.
"I'll bet. The city could be a little more peaceful, though," Izuku said, also feeling a little at ease.
"It's okay. Just because everyone would be better off without villains doesn't mean we should whine about it. Like my dad loves to say. Nowhere to go but up," Ochaco boasted, refusing to let the close call with death get to her now that it was done and over.
"My, what an adorable thing you are," Inko said teasingly, making Ochaco blush. "So, Mei Prefecture, I haven't been there in so long. I hope it's still as beautiful as I remember."
"It is. I was sad to leave, but I couldn't help myself and chose to apply for UA, and my folks were eager to see me aim higher."
"S-So… UA. That… t-that's great. It takes real talent to get there," Izuku blurted out. His words were genuine, but there was still a lingering bit of sadness that Ochaco couldn't pick up on. "Still, why UA? You'd be better off attending Shiketsu Academy since it is close to home and is UA's Hero University archrival in terms of education and training regimen for future Heroes."
"I'm aware, but unlike Shiketsu, UA's Entrance Exam for the Hero Course is free, so that's why I came here instead."
'Shiketsu's Hero Course isn't that expensive, and if you somehow fail the test, you'll get your money back,' Izuku thought.
That's when he put two and two together and realized the real reason for Ochaco's decision to move to Musutafu.
"That's a smart move, Uraraka!" Izuku grinned, quickly deciding to steer the conversation into safer waters. "UA's got the best education in the country, and hey, it's free! Can't beat that."
"Yeah. My dad was over the moon when I mentioned this little tidbit. Not that it would've stopped him from bringing me here in the first place," Ochaco said softly, inwardly glad that this conversation didn't go where she feared it might have.
Seeing her son's good mood, Inko could not help but seize the opportunity to bring a playful twist to the conversation and chimed in, "Seeing you like this reminds me of your previous escapades when you were little. Like how you used to have this fascination with, well, collecting bugs. Our home was like a little insect sanctuary for a while."
"Mooom!" Izuku protested. "You promised never to mention the bug phase!"
Ochaco laughed, genuinely enjoying the banter between mother and son. "Sounds like you were a curious kid, Midoriya."
"You have no idea," Inko chuckled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, tell me, Uraraka, any funny stories from your childhood? Embarrassing secrets? We're all friends here!"
Ochaco, relieved at the change in tone, shared a light-hearted story about her early days, creating a pleasant atmosphere that steered the conversation away from any potential discomfort.
Dinner turned out better than she thought. Ochaco's head raced through a multitude of scenarios, and pretty much all of them had a bad outcome. Still, it was difficult to look at Izuku and his mother and consider them bad people with ignoble intentions.
She knew from an early age that it was unwise to take things at face value, but she couldn't help but believe that she lucked out on this day and scored herself a new trustworthy friend.
Now all that's left is to go to her apartment, hope nothing else happens, and call it a night.
Inko was uncomfortable about letting her walk alone so close to nighttime, even less so when Izuku offered to help her again, but she couldn't deny that it was better this way.
All she needed was a quick train ride, and she'd be there in no time. And for Izuku, it would be a short walk before returning home, but to Inko's dismay, when she realized that he was taking too long, the Vigilante chose to hitch a ride with Ochaco in the train with her.
"You know you didn't have to go this far," She said as they sat next to each other in the train car that wasn't full, and it was just them and a man in a hood sitting on the far side who probably didn't know they were there.
"Call me paranoid, but Musutafu is not a place you want to take any chances with. I don't even feel safe at my own house most of the time," Izuku said, pleading his case. "And yes, I would rather stay close to my mom, but it is my fault that it's taken you this long to go home."
"My Hero," She teased, her cheeks getting red after saying so.
She may never know what it means to him to hear her say that. Saying so just to mess with him did not matter.
"But seriously, I don't fault you for anything, and as bad as things get, we still have plenty of Heroes around, so not everything is all gloom and doom," She said confidently, even though it was a Vigilante who saved her, not a Pro.
Izuku understood why she held on to hope and agreed with her to an extent, but regardless, he could not fully share the sentiment, having seen for himself just how flawed the overreliance on Heroes can be and the danger that could come about if you don't have a more proactive approach.
"I know that. But better safe than sorry, you know. I know the best I can do is to be like a living shield, but…"
"Don't start demeaning yourself. I'm grateful for everything you've done. It's… more than anyone has ever done for me. Besides my parents, that is," She said more softly. "For whatever it's worth, this day is the best I've had since coming to Musutafu."
Hearing her say such a thing caught Izuku off guard, not sure how to process such a claim. It was hard to digest because it makes no sense for someone attending UA to say it.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand. I mean, with you attending UA. I'd imagine that you would be having one exciting day after another. Sure, it is a university at the end of the day, so it must have plenty of boring stuff, but I mean… It's UA!" Izuku tried his best not to stutter about this.
"Sure, I imagine there would be lots of exciting things in the university. For those who made it to the Hero Course, instead of being dumped into the General Course," She confessed, sadness now plainly visible on her face, and the mood got further dampened.
"Oh?" Izuku uttered, lost for words. He did well to avoid Ochaco's poverty, but this was something he didn't consider. She mentioned that her Quirk lets her remove the gravity of whatever she touches, meaning that offensively, she could inflict some real punishment when used correctly, and last time he checked, the physical test of the Entrance Exam was against robots, so she had little reason to hold back.
But then again, he assumes that it takes more than prowess to join the Hero Course. But then why would it be the only way to enter the most important course at all?
"Yeah, sorry for making things gloom and doom, but that's the truth. I left home to train to become a Hero, but instead, I was labeled as not good enough," Ochaco uttered, almost sounding like she might cry, but she showed no signs that she would. "It wasn't entirely my fault. Anything can happen on a battlefield, after all, and the teachers sure made it feel that way."
"I see," He said more neutrally before getting nervous again. "And… what was it that happened?" Upon asking, he immediately got startled, chastising himself for saying so. "No! Never mind. It's none of my business!"
"It's not that personal. My leg was just stuck on debris when the biggest robot showed up, and everyone ran for it," She revealed.
"Everyone ran?" His blustering was instantly replaced with a cold feeling directed at no one. Yet. "None of the other Heroes in training tried to help you?"
"No. I don't want to hold it against them since we were told to avoid the biggest robot, and honestly, I might have done the same. That big robot was pretty scary, you know," She said, trying to return the mood to be more lighthearted, but failed as Izuku became somber, almost angry by this revelation.
He stared at the window in front of him, looking upon the city he calls home as the sun finally left, welcoming the night.
"So that's what the future Heroes we have to look forward to next protect us are like. More glory hounds, just like the older ones," His tone was almost lifeless. He really expected UA to focus more on morals rather than strength, but perhaps he was wrong. "Bet he feels right at home there."
"Midoriya?" Ochaco whispered, confused by the sweet boy's sudden change.
Recomposing himself, Izuku met her gaze with a sincere smile. "Sorry to hear that, but even still, you made it to the best Hero academy there is, and everything I've read about the place speaks volumes of their education as well as their Hero training regimen, so ultimately, being accepted into UA makes you a winner."
"That's sweet of you to say," Ochaco said, feeling more flustered but admitting her biggest turmoil brought back the negative feelings she felt since leaving her apartment and throughout her time in Musutafu. "But… isn't the whole point of joining a Hero Academy to become a Hero? If you're unable to become one by joining, then what was the point in joining at all? They might as well kick all the losers out instead."
"You're not… entirely wrong for thinking that," Izuku scrambled his thoughts to find the right words. He got himself in a sticky situation, and he is still not sure if he has the mental capacity to speak with women in general without his masked persona pulling the strings.
"Someone from the General Course can join the Hero Course; it's not set in stone where you're being put in, so you have the rest of the three years of the university's curriculum to prove your mantle. So, maybe… yesterday's failure is another stepping stone for a better tomorrow. If that makes any sense,"
"That's true, but it's hard not to feel like I'll keep failing when I could not pull it off the first time."
"If that's what you're feeling, then perhaps instead of pondering on what you failed at the first time, you should focus on the reason why you have to keep trying until you reach your goal," He suggested, hoping to be more uplifting. "Keep reminding yourself why you want to be a Hero?"
"For my parents," Her response was quick and firm, possessing a lot more strength than he had seen her display until now.
'That was easy,' He mused, preferring to see her more like this.
"You see, my parents own a construction business that hasn't gotten a particularly significant amount of business in years, which has affected our lifestyle. Neither of their Quirks is compatible with their jobs, but mine is. Even as a small child, I desired to help my family out in any way I could, wanting to work for them and use my Quirk to help them make money. That way, they could reduce labor costs and sell their heavy lifting equipment," She revealed.
"And the only way to use your Quirk freely without the Law barging at your door for being a good daughter is to get the license. Only Pros have the luxury of using their Quirks freely," Izuku finished.
"I know it's selfish. For a Hero to have avaricious intentions, but I can't fight what I desire most,"
"No. I think that's a good reason for wanting to be a Hero," Izuku sounded almost cheerful, catching Ochaco off guard by his sudden spunk. "Being a Hero is supposed to be a noble occupation, and the whole point of becoming one is to help others, not just yourself. And, putting aside crime families and the like, what's more noble than helping one's family?"
"Midoriya…"
"There are so many people in this day and age who only want to be Pros for the fortune and prestige that comes with the title of being a Hero. I'm not saying they're all fakes and glory hounds, but when you start to see them with clear eyes, you start to realize that maybe we're not as safe as we were led to believe," Izuku said, his months of experience as Webjack leaking out, recalling the corruption in Hero Society that he has gazed upon. The side that those like the Commission want to keep buried in the shadows. How dishonorable many Pros truly are.
If not for his faith in All Might remaining strong still, he would have disowned the world entirely.
"There was a time when being a Hero was a thankless existence. The countries were in a state of chaos and at the mercy of Villains, so it didn't matter if you were with the Law or against it; if you had the strength and the heart to make a difference, then you had a moral obligation to make that change a reality because it was not about choice but responsibility. And if you don't take responsibility, then bad things will keep happening, and they'll happen because of you."
It's not a stretch to say that Ochaco is feeling overwhelmed by the info dump she's receiving. This day is one bombshell after another, and she's not sure she will remember everything when she wakes up tomorrow.
"I know that I, being Quirkless, have no right to have an opinion on what makes a Hero, but… I'm just blurting out what I think All Might would say if he were here. I mean, that does sound like something he would say, right?" He now has a silly smile, subconsciously enough not to try mimicking All Might's facial expression like he used to do when he was alone in his room. "So if you're in UA because you want to be your parents' Hero, then go for it."
"Midoriya…" She repeated, now truly lost for words.
The two stayed silent after that, not sure where to go from there, and remained silent long after the train reached its destination and they walked to Uraraka's apartment on the southwest side of Musutafu. The place where the apartment is located is a small, white, three-story building with open hallways.
The place pales in comparison to the residents of the Midoriyas, a clear sign that Ochaco's living struggles, but all things considered, it's a good enough place to live if you're by yourself.
"I guess this is it, eh?" Ochaco finally spoke up, unlocking the door to her apartment, and once she was inside, she turned around to face Izuku one last time.
"Yeah," Izuku said nervously again. "I would say see you later, but I have a pretty busy schedule, so…"
"So… see you when I see you," She compromised.
"See you when I see you," He smiled. They locked eyes with each other for a bit before wordlessly deciding that it was time to leave. "Take care of yourself, Uraraka."
"Take care, Midoriya," She said before closing her door.
Once all was said and done, Izuku exited the building, and once outside, he made sure that no one was around to see him. He clapped his hands over his mouth and let out a suppressed scream. At the same time, Ochaco was doing the same once she felt she was truly safe and alone.
'I CAN'T BELIEVE ALL OF THAT HAPPENED!' Their minds exploded with unclear excitement, almost euphoric.
'I talked to a cute girl and wasn't wearing the Mask this time!'
'I talked to a cute boy and met his mother. This was practically my first date! And it was AMAZING!'
"Hope my mom doesn't go ballistic because of this," Izuku sighed as he started walking home, or rather running super-fast once he found a good place to hide to turn invisible.
"My dad can never know what transpired," Ochaco swore to herself to protect Izuku. Her dad is not a violent man, but she remembers the one time she saw him angry at someone who spooked his wife, and she would rather he not show that anger at Izuku.