(I am kinda sad. I wrote, like, 3000 words worth of wholesome content but didn't like how far off-topic it was from the plot so I deleted it all. 3000 words... pointless. meaningless. Still, I wouldn't say I like it, but man... all that wasted effort. And it took me ages to even think of what to write.

The chapter was so cute too. Asriel, Izuku, and Kouta all went snail hunting and made pancakes. Kouta had a convo with Izuku, which could have been his character arc, but it was in the wrong location. It was so wholesome and cute and now it's gone cuz I didn't like it. I still don't, but it was so cute and hard to say goodbye to.

Anyway, here ya go.)

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Training had just ended and they were cooking curry tonight. Izuku wasn't accustomed to spicy foods, but when given the recipe it was pretty easy. The main ingredients were easy to find, but there were other things he had to grab. A nice collection of different ingredients sat on his cooking station. Carrots, potatoes, and a handful of snails (that earned some odd looks from everyone around, aside from Asriel and Tsu) were the stars of the dish. It was supposed to be chicken, but snails were more appealing to Izuku. Not that they tasted very different, plus they went down easier.

Asriel and Tsu were given looks of shock and exasperation when they followed in his footsteps. There were about twenty snails left, so plenty for all of them. And despite their curiosity, Kaminari and Todoroki had chosen to stick to pork for their dinner.

                                         ~ ~ ~

"Japanese Curry"

Fill the bottom of a small cup with 1/4 cup of water, add a pinch of salt and baking soda, and mix thoroughly. Add vegetable oil and bring to a simmer. Throw in the chicken and fry them until they are golden brown and then flip them and do the same for the other side. When the chicken is done cooking, remove them from the pot and place them in a small bowl. Add grated ginger and garlic and saute until the mixture is fully caramelized.

Then, the vegetables join in the fun. Throw in the diced carrots and baking soda mixture. Cover the pot and lower the heat. When the onions are fully steamed, remove the lid and increase the heat. Continue to cook it until most of the water has boiled away. Once the mixture is dry, add the spices and stir until the scent becomes very fragrant. Then fill the bottom of the pan with vegetable stock and whisk until it becomes a smooth puree. Now you return the chicken, onions, potatoes, and carrots to the pot, along with a few dashes of soy sauce and a spoonful of tomato paste. The rest of the ingredients were listed as optional.

Finally, allow the pot to simmer until the vegetables and meat are tender and the sauce is thick. (Adjust spices as desired.)

                                         ~ ~ ~

Izuku read through the instructions, doing his best to follow them to a T, with the exception of using snails instead of chicken. His fellow snail lovers saw this and followed in his footsteps. There were about twenty to thirty extra snails left over from the pie, so they had enough. Due to making snail recipes so many times, he knew exactly what consistency a fried snail was supposed to have. Unlike chicken which turns golden-brown when seared, snails turn brown and soften into a squishy chunk of meat. When boiled they become gamey and easy to chew, so they ended up being both of those things, which made them twice as juicy as the ones in the pie.

Izuku made note of that for future recipes.

Speaking of notes, he should probably share his advice on everyone's quirks. Shinsou and Hagakure have lived their entire lives under the assumption that their quirk was something it wasn't, and Kaminari has been electrocuting himself on a daily because of a lack of understanding of how his quirk actually works. They have been suffering for way too long and it's high time they got what they deserved.

"Hey Kaminari, can I talk to you later about your quirk? I have a theory that I think might help you control it better, or at the very least stop overusing it," Izuku requested. Kaminari lit up, almost literally, and nodded his head ferociously. "Yes! If you have anything that can help stop me from going stupid every time I use it, I would so appreciate it," Kaminari smiled, practically bouncing in his seat. Izuku had also offered a quirk analysis to anyone else who needed it as well, which was greatly appreciated by those who accepted.

Everyone sat down for dinner, but once again, Kouta did not join them. Izuku decided that this was not healthy and had enough. He got an extra plate of chicken curry- unsure if Kouta had a taste for snails or not- and walked to where he last saw the boy, only to find that the child wasn't there. Some rustling ahead had alerted Izuku that the child was wandering into the thick foliage. Naturally, Izuku followed behind making sure to take mental notes of each branch and stone so he could find his way back.

(Izuku POV)

As we walked, I realized something. Despite being on a completely separate mountain... this all felt very familiar. And to top it all off, watching Kouta be the one climbing this mountain... I could feel the ghost of my past come back to haunt me. I felt like I was watching myself climb this mountain, the only difference being... I was running that day.

~ ~ ~ Flashback ~ ~ ~

"Kachan, stop it! Why are you being so mean?" I cried. I was shielding a poor kid with a weak vision quirk that Kachan was bullying. He was crying in fear, covered in burns, bruises, and cuts from Kachan's explosions and the two other kids that stood behind him. The three in question were grinning back at me, daring me to fight. "And what are you gonna do about it, useless Deku?" he sneered. I knew that look, he had worn it many times before. "I-I-I'll f-fight you! I'll s-stand up to you!" I whimpered in fear, knowing that those words were bald-faced lies.

'Izuku, you idiot! What are you thinking?! You can't stand up to him!' I cursed at myself for provoking the pain I knew would come. He laughed darkly at my pitiful attempt at standing up to him. "Heh, you wanna be a 'hero'? You don't stand a chance without a quirk, Deku," he told me, placing his fist against his palm and letting off a small but very effective explosion. "You remember our favorite game, don't you Deku? Heroes and Villains, right?" he growled. Tears pricked at my eyes as I took a step back, knowing very well what the "game" was.

"Then let's play." And so the pain ensued. Kachan blasted me into the air and one of his "friends", Tsubasa, used his quirk- "bat wings", red bat-like wings that sprout from his back- to catch me mid-air, fly me up really high and drop me. My screams meant nothing as the other one grabbed me with his quirk- "elongation" he could stretch his fingers really long- to grab me and slap me with his fingers like a whip, hurling me faster into the dirt floor where Kachan would blast me again. After the third round of this, I tried to stand up, but Kachan interrupted my attempts with an explosion I barely dodged.

That small moment of surprise that dodging got me was all I needed to escape. With fear in my heart and tears in my eyes, I ran as fast as I could. I heard Kachan and his 'friends' chasing after me, but I knew I had to escape, no matter what. I can't run home, mom would ask questions. I can't run to a teacher, they'll make it worse. I can't turn back, or else they'll catch me. So that leaves one option now... I need to run to a place where they can't find me.

What about those woods we used to play in? Sure it's a restricted area, but that hasn't stopped us before has it? Maybe if I run deep enough into the forest, not even Kachan will want to follow me. A turn here, duck down, jump and roll- ah, the roll was stupid. Now my leg is bleeding. 'Ignore the pain, Izuku! You need to run! C'mon, there's the fence with all the warning signs. You can make it!' I told myself. Even if a quirkless nobody like me can't fight back against Kachan, I can at least try to run away. It's probably the only thing I'm good for at this point.

Crybaby. Coward. Weak. Useless. Deku.

The voices echoed and screamed, but I ignored them. I need to run. I need to keep going.

I need to stay determined.

~ ~ ~ Present ~ ~ ~

We walked along a dirt path, so similar to the one I had found. Its light brown had been paved by the many hikes and trails it probably got over the years. He walked along the path as I watched, seeing an echo of a memory play in place of his small form. A small green-haired child ran in fear, tears falling faster with every step. Further up the trail, they went. Kouta ducked under a branch that younger Izuku had tripped on. Cuts and bruises lined their exposed skin. Dirt, leaves, thorns, and holes tore at their green shirt. Kouta approached a dark cave. The crying child panted and heaved, out of breath and in pain. They walked into the cave, hoping for safety in the dark. Kouta's footsteps echoed through the cavern walls. They wandered into the empty space, searching for a comfortable place to rest. An unseen vine tripped them and they fell into the pit below. Kouta stood at the mouth of what looked like an exit from the cold nothingness. A voice broke through the darkness, small and meek. Concern in their voice as they called out to the child. Kouta stared out from a stone ledge onto the forest below. A warm embrace. A soft glow. A new family.

I stood on that same ledge, basking in the bittersweet nostalgia of the long-forgotten memory. I almost wanted to forget it all over again, but how could I? That was the day I met Asriel, why would I want to forget such a precious thing? I looked over the ledge and yet another memory was brought to the front of my mind. Standing over the trees below, eight years after the fall. I looked up at the stars once again and watched the bright space clouds of blue and purple that were dusted with white dots float through the night sky. The hypnotizing sight brings me back to the memory of my little brother, smiling in wonder and delight at the beautiful display of shifting colors. I stared and stared until I forgot what I was doing- just standing there with a lukewarm plate of curry in my hands, watching the sky move and shift, the stars winking at me every few seconds.

"What are you doing here? This is my secret spot! Get out of here!" Kouta screamed at me, pulling me from my thoughts. I realized that the food was beginning to get cold and handed it over to him. "I noticed you skipped dinner yesterday. I didn't want you doing it again today. It's not good for someone your age, you know," I advised him. "I don't want anything from you," he huffed. "You need to eat." He growled at me as I stood unmoving, refusing to back down. A deep sigh escaped my lips. "Kouta, you're still a child. You are still growing, so you can't afford to skip meals as I can." A mixture of emotions swirled through his mind, surprise, confusion, anger, and a hint of concern. "Why are you telling me to eat when you aren't doing it either? You heroes are such hypocrites," he growled, venom lacing his tone as he tried to cover up his true feelings. Not that it worked, considering how often I, myself, did the same quite often. "That's because I have other duties that aren't entirely focused on being a hero that often tends to get in my way," I said while gently placing the plate of curry beside him and sitting down.

"Seriously? Being a hero isn't good enough for you? What other duties could you possibly have to make you stupid enough to get yourself killed for a bit of fame?" he snarkily remarked. I almost chuckled when he started stuffing the curry in his mouth out of what looked to be spite. "Is that what you think? That I'm doing this for the fame and money? Well.. you aren't entirely wrong, but you aren't right either," I grinned. I put down his plate and walked towards the cave before sparing him one final glance. "Whatever your reason is for hating heroes, I won't judge you for it. But hero or not, everyone is their own person. Not every hero is capable of abandoning everything for the sake of freedom or justice, just as not every hero is able to save the day or even come home alive." That sentence seemed to strike a chord within him, the quick swivel of his head giving it away. "I am sorry for whatever it is that is hurting you, but I'm willing to listen if you need to talk," I finished, walking into the darkness.

. . .

I returned to find that the class had already finished eating and was now cleaning up. Looks like I missed dinner again. Oh well, I'm sure it's fine. It's not like we'll be doing anything too draining today aside from that "test of courage" that Kaminari told me about. Though, for some strange reason, I just couldn't shake this sinking feeling. I had felt it before, so I knew something was up and to not shrug it off. "Always trust your gut," as the saying goes. But nothing seemed amiss, so I decided to pretend everything was fine while keeping an eye out.

It wasn't much longer before all of Class A and B were gathered in the clearing for the late-night game. The students who failed the finals were dragged off to study, preventing them from participating. Izuku supposed that was punishing for slacking. Kaminari gave them a sympathetic wave of encouragement. Pity was evident in the awkward smile that Izuku had only seen when he was admitting defeat or weakness, but there was also a feeling of slight relief. Kaminari was sad for his friends, but couldn't help but be glad that he passed. Thank Kami for Izuku.

The group of four was dragged back to the campsite study hall

Mandalay announced the rules of the game, which were rather simple. Both classes would take turns trying to scare the other class. Class B would go into the forest first and prepare their jumpscares and pranks along the designated path laid out for them, then Class A would walk through the said path in pairs every three minutes, and there were tags at the halfway point for each pair to bring back with them. The scarers weren't allowed to make physical contact, only told to use their quirks creatively, and whoever scared the most people won.

The pairs would be determined through a lottery. Izuku internally sighed at the casual lottery draw. If his luck with lotteries was anything like last time, most of them would probably get paired in some unlucky way. However, much to his surprise, it turned out better than expected. Izuku was paired with his partner in politics, Momo Yaoyorozu. Asriel got paired with Tsuyu again, Kyoka was with Denki, Todoroki was with Bakugou (the latter throwing a tantrum about it, much to Izuku's amusement), Tokoyami was with Shouji, Hagakure was with Aoyama (the poor girl), Ojirou was paired with Uraraka, and Ilda was with Kouda. So overall, the only one complaining was Bakugou, which was normal for him. So not a bad draw this time!

Meanwhile, Kirishima, Mina, Sato, and Sero were in the study hall with- ironically enough- Monoma, of all people. It was a bit ironic that the Vice-rep of Class B- who constantly bragged about Class B superiority- was taking remedial classes after failing the exams. And the cherry on top was his maniacal laughter that echoed through the nearly empty room as he laughed at the squadron of students who failed their exams despite also failing on his exams.

The four Class A students couldn't help but worry about this guy's mental state...

Back with the contestants, Izuku waited with his partner as the screams of squeamish children echoed through the trees. Izuku watched the seventh group (Tsuyu and Asriel) go into the darkness of the forest. It was only about five minutes before he smelled something off. It was at this time that the sickening feeling slammed into his gut, reminding him of the uneasiness he felt before. Not a second later, two villains stalked out of the tree line. A lizard man with bright purple hair. He wore two katanas and a white-ish-tan bandana with holes in it wrapped around his face like a mask. It looked like he was wearing a cosplay of Stain. The second villain was a man(?) with long hair and large lips holding a long rectangular object wrapped in fabric. Mandalay's quirk invaded everyone's minds as she warned them of the two villains. Unfortunately, her warning came a bit too late as the second villain took incapacitated Pixie-Bob before anyone had time to blink.

The lizard villain stood in front of the large-lipped villain and opened his arms as if to perform a magic trick. "How are you this evening, UA High School? We are the Vanguard Action Squad of the League of Villains!" he announced. The few students in the clearing who heard his introduction whispered their shock and despair. "Hey, should I crush her head? What d'ya think? Should I?" the large-lipped villain said. His classmates were now scared beyond belief, and it was once again up to Izuku to quench their fear. Tiger had attempted to threaten the villain when the lizard-man spoke up, interrupting him mid-sentence. "Woah, Big Sis Magne! Don't be hasty. You too Tiger, calm down," he reasoned. "It all depends on whether having power over life and death follows Stain's tenets or not."

Izuku wasn't very surprised, but Ilda was. "So you're the ones his ideology brought?!" Ilda shouted. The villain turned back to his audience with a crazy-yet-triumphant-looking grin, "That's right! I'm- Oh, you with the glasses! You were the one who brought Stain's end in Hosu. Sorry for the late introduction," he said, pulling out the clothed item on his back. At first glance, the item looked like a giant club wrapped in bandages, but when he held it out in front of him, it was revealed to be a ridiculous number of various different types of knives tied to a handle with belts. It didn't look like a very safe weapon, more so for the wielder than the victim. It looked like they would disperse with one swing. Izuku didn't know who to be concerned for and whether he should tell the villain about the self-inflicting danger of the most-likely unstable "longsword". But at least the knives were well taken care of, unlike Stain's sword.

"I'm Spinner, the one who will spin his dreams into reality!" the green lizard announced. Tiger didn't seem to care for his introduction and was more worried for his beloved comrade. "That woman, Pixie-Bob, has started worried about getting married recently. She was doing her best to find happiness as a woman, despite her age," Tiger said, the metal claws in his gloves unsheathing like brandished knives. "You can't damage that woman's face and then just stand there laughing thoughtlessly about it!" he screamed. Spinner grinned maliciously, "What's a hero doing trying to be happy in the first place?" he mocked. Those words struck a chord with me, and I was about to give this scale-faced bastard a piece of his mind when Mandalay told them she broadcast the instructions to everyone and to leave the safety of the other students to Ragdoll. Mandalay told us all to go back to camp and not to fight, but suddenly, I remembered something important.

Where was Kota?

. . .

(Kota POV)

I took a step back, my eyes locked onto the cloaked villain in front of me. His mask had holes all over it, in a grid-like structure. He looked like Death itself, and for a moment I stopped breathing. He tried to talk to me about something, but I didn't care to listen as I ran away. Run, run, run, I need to run run runrunrunrunr- he was in front of me. I turned around and he was right there, I didn't even see him move. He was just a black blur, and as he stood over me, I saw his face... that face... I know that face...

~ ~ ~ Flashback ~ ~ ~

I sat in front of the living room TV. I was surrounded by boxes upon boxes that we were using to pack our things. Mom and Dad finally got enough money to move us into a big house and not an apartment. I secretly heard them planning to buy a puppy last night... I thought about all of this as I watched the news. The lady on the television said they died fighting a villain. I didn't care about that stupid camera-loving bimbo. What I cared about was my dead mama and papa! And the one that killed them was on the screen, with short blond hair, a broad face, bulky muscles, and bright blue eyes.

~ ~ ~ Present ~ ~ ~

He pulled back his arm and opened his hand. "The suspect is still on the run and police and heroes are still on his trail." He raised his arm as his muscles protruded from his skin and wrapped around his arm. The muscles kept growing."The suspect's quirk is a simple power-up type, and he is very dangerous." A twisted grin settled on his face, looking less and less human by the second. "If you see this face, contact the police or a hero immediately..." His hood fell back revealing a glimpse of short, blonde hair and a crazed expression. His pupils, a soul-piercing blue, were shrunken and focused. "In addition, the suspect is thought to have sustained an injury on his left eye from his fight with Water Hose earlier." The hood dropped, a prosthetic eye- if you could even call it that- merged into his eye socket, his flesh wrapping around it. It still looked fresh.

At that moment, for the first time in years, I called out for help. "Papa... Mama..."

And right as his fist was an inch from my face, a blur of green saved me from what could have been my death. The sound of the stone cracking under his fist sounded through the air and shook my very soul. Fear, nothing but fear. I looked to who saved me... it was him. That green-haired kid from earlier that I couldn't stop from trying to decrypt. He saved me. He pulled a weird-looking phone out of his pocket and triple-clicked a red button on the bottom before shoving it back into his pocket and facing the villain. He stood strong, his form not showing even a hint of fear or hesitation. "I'll save you, Kota-kun!" He looked so strong... where was this before?

(Izuku POV)

His bellowing laughter was almost enough to shake me. Almost. No one could ever be scarier than that demon child. No laugh could ever match theirs. "You'll save him? Ah hahahaha! That sounds just like something someone who wants to be a hero would say. Your kind show up everywhere talking about justice," he smirked, the muscles around his arm retracting into his arm once more. Part of me wanted to know if that hurt or if it felt like absorbing nutrients, while the other half was telling me that 'now isn't the time!'.

"You're the one called Dreemur, right? This is perfect. We were told to take initiative and capture you. Though, I don't really care about what the boss wants. I just want to kill! TO KILL YOU!" He grinned as he tore off his cloak and dashed forward. I saw the hit coming and braced his arm with Bravery while raising a shield. I didn't have time to do it properly, but it did the job and the wind that came from the hit pushed a bunch of dirt and dust into the air. I saw a two-second window that I did not plan on wasting. I doubt that I could get out of Muscular's sight, now that the focus was on me, but the least I could do is give Kota the chance to escape. And that's exactly what I did.

With the last of the dirt cloud fading away, I stealthily threw Kota into the small cavern and jumped to dodge the next hit with no arising suspicion. "Whoops, I almost forgot. If you know, tell me... where is Bakugou Katsuki?" he asked menacingly. Over and over, hit after shift, I dodged with great speed and grace. I just had to stall a little bit longer until he started showing signs of weakness. That was when I noticed it. At this point, his entire body was covered in muscle, all but his right eye, the one he wasn't blind in. This would be a bit dirty, but it's better than killing him.

With one swift move, I threw a blue knife at his eye. I figured he would dodge it, but that's why it was blue. Suddenly, he sank to the floor as his quirk was forced to deactivate. "As tempting as it is to leave you like this, we both know this can't last forever. So you'll be coming with me. Do us all a favor and try not to scream," I whispered the last part into his ear before knocking him unconscious with a hard super-powered punch. It was then that I noticed just how weak he was without his quirk. To be honest, I didn't know I could stun quirks. Though, if I had to guess, it was most likely due to how much he used his quirk. He looked like a bodybuilder before my attack, so he had probably relied on it to the point that he embedded it into his very soul... probably on accident.

I tied him up with Perseverance strings and dragged him behind me. But just before I could reach the cliff, a small body wrapped itself around my left leg, the other being blocked by the unconscious body. I looked down to see a crying Kota latching onto me. "... thank you..." he softly cried into my pant leg. I pat his head gently and pulled him onto my back to carry him easier. I would lecture him later about not running when he had the chance. Now I just had to get back to camp and try not to run into any more villains. I also needed to let everyone know about what Muscular said.

But I just I couldn't help but wonder... why Bakugou of all people?

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(Okay, people! I am back and I have scrolled through Tumblr for days looking at ways to beat writer's block. As you can see, Tumblr has been very helpful in reigniting my need to write.

On another note that is completely unrelated. I did a bit of petsitting for some family and oh my stars the fur, the dirt, the pawprints. As soon as I get up tomorrow, I am going to start cleaning this house. I hate dirty floors. And thinking back on it, I somehow despise dust more than I thought I did. I didn't realize it until my dad pointed it out. But yeah, I am a total clean freak when I'm allowed to be. So yeah... I'm gonna need more than just the vacuum for this.

OH! Also, for those who don't know, I am making a second book. I adopted it from another author and have been working diligently on it. A few hiccups here and there, but that's why it's fanfiction and not a real book. Practice makes perfect, so stay determined everyone!

Anyway, thank you all for being so patient and I'll see you all soon.)