Sanemi stood there, jaw tight, veins pulsing in his neck as if the paper in All Might's hand had personally insulted him. Koji made a small noise beside him and shrank so far back it looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"You would make me fight my own... "
Sanemi twisted his head in anger, fist clenched, somehow keeping himself reasonably calm. Now was not the time, especially in front of his brother.
"Just change it around. I doubt Genya would want to fight against me too."
All Might looked over to Genya nervously. If things were going to be this strained, he might HAVE to change the order around, but it would be up to the young man.
"I see. Well, Genya, if you wish to change opponents as well, then I would move both of you to different teams, if not, then I would have to continue this match."
Sanemi looked over and saw the fear laced in Genya's eyes. He would not be the cause of such a thing again, but just as that boy from so many nights ago stared back at him, another replaced it,
Resolve...
Resolve replaced the fear once trapped within Genya as he spoke.
"I... I, I wish to stay on this team."
Genya's leg shook violently, but when he set eyes on Sanemi, he still saw him as that weak little kid, too afraid to do anything but run.
Locking eyes, Sanemi grimaced, and Genya smirked, thinking to himself.
'I'll show you, even if that's the last thing I do.'
All Might put a hand on Sanemi's shoulder, which was practically the size of his head.
"Ah, you heard the young man. The battle will continue."
Slapping his hand away to the gall of the other students, he just joined the rest of the pack, offering nothing but a silent glance to Genya once more.
All Might coughed, clearly deciding not to address the situation.
"MOVING ON!"
His voice boomed through the silence like he had not just dropped a bomb into the classroom.
"The first battle will begin shortly. Students not participating, head to the observation room."
The class stirred back to life.
Chairs scraped across the floor. People started talking again, though a little quieter now. Less excited. More so nervous, knowing they were also set to fight soon some more afraid than others.
Sanemi still didn't look happy.
'Stupid, why would he?'
He didn't even know what made him angrier.
The fact that he had to fight on the villain team? Or the fact that his brother was on the other side of it?
Maybe both, maybe neither, maybe it was just the whole damn thing.
Denki looked over, his expression playful.
"Sanemi..."
Sanemi waved him off before he could say anything.
"Don't."
That was enough.
Denki shut his mouth and looked away, the tension sitting between them like a blade laid flat across a table.
All Might pretended not to notice the growing unease in the room.
Which, honestly, the class was thankful for.
"Ahem!"
The hero clapped his hands once.
"Hero Team will now head toward the specified sector. Villain Team, you will have a short time to prepare your defense and hide the bomb."
Bakugo cracked his neck immediately.
"Finally."
Iida straightened like a machine being turned on.
"I shall not allow the heroes to pass!"
Bakugo looked Iida up and down, reassessing his original outlook of him.
"You know what. I kinda like you more as a villain."
Iida was alright sprinting to set the bomb, but Bakugo decided to give "Deku" some words of encouragement.
"Oui, Deku."
Turning, Bakugo pushed Izuku out of his way, sitting him on his ass,
"Don't quit on me this time, useless Deku"
Ochaco looked back toward Midoriya as they started walking.
He already looked like he was trying to fight off a panic attack.
She leaned closer.
"Midoriya, hey... are you okay?"
Izuku swallowed.
His mind was racing, he knew he could do it. It's just... He remembered how defenseless he used to be, and how badly Bakugo beat him when Genya wasn't there to help, some things just can't be reprogrammed.
"No. I don't know if we can do this. He to-"
Ochaco hadn't known Izuku for long, but he was crumbling, he needed to stand up... For, himself.
"Izuku, we can do this. You know we can. Do you know what deku sounds like?"
Izuku blinked at her, his mind drawing a blank.
"... "
Tapping his heart, she looked into his eyes,
"It's similar to 'Dekiru, ' which means... You can do it."
Izuku's eyes widened as Ochaco continued,
"You can do it, Izuku. I'm sure Genya knows you can, I know you can."
She took a step back, smiling, her full costume coming into view, words resounding with his soul one syllable at a time,
"YOU can do it, Izuku."
Wiping tears that threatened to fall, he looked at the looming building, renewed both inside and out, he was more ready than ever.
The observation room looked on with excitement as All Might spoke in front of them and into the speakers.
"ON 1, 2, AND 3 TIME WILL BEGIN AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER."
Bakugo looked back to Iida as he made his way out of the bomb room,
"Remember, DON'T interfere with me and Izuku, alright?
Iida raised his hand and straightened his posture, hands chopping in odd ways.
"Very well. I shall secure the objective."
Bakugo just chuckled as All Might continued,
"1!!!!"
Ochaco peered into the building they had already made a plan. She was confident in Izuku's analytical skills.
Izuku wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. His plan could go terribly, but Ochaco was right, he just had to make an opening, not beat Bakugo but beat the villain team... All Might continued,
"2!!!!"
Genya held onto his pants tightly, he had not seen Izuku fight, and to say his first opponent was Bakugo was nerve-racking. He knew how hard Bakugo trained after they "fought," his brother just needed to come in level-headed, is all. All Might continued,
As the class locked into the match.
"BEGIN!!!!"
Entering from the second floor, Bakugo wouldn't be a problem currently, so they would have an easier time locating the bomb
"Ochaco, once we reac-, AHH!!"
An explosion blasted Izuku to the side as Bakugo revealed himself,
"Hey there DEKU!"
Bakugo was smirking wildly as Izuku stood, half his sleeve burnt
"Here already, huh."
-
In the Observation room, they discussed,
Mina leaned forward against the railing.
"He was waiting for him?"
Kirishima frowned.
"He didn't even bother guarding the bomb..."
Momo folded her arms thoughtfully.
"Because he predicted Izuku's route."
Todoroki's eyes never left the monitor.
"No..."
Everyone looked toward him.
"He's ignoring the objective."
"...He only wants Midoriya."
-
Bakugo lit a couple of sparks in his hand and, with the other, cleared away the smoke from the previous explosion,
"I figured you would try and sneak around, not so cocky now, huh, DEKU!"
As the time clicked, he blistered forward, widening his stance to throw the right hook.
"... EHH!"
Time slowed for everyone present as Bakugo was lifted in the air, Izuku grunting under the weight of Bakugo,
'HOW... COULD HE-'
The slam made a loud thud as it resonated through the floor, Bakugo sat up slowly, wheezing violently. Izuku went into his fighting stance, more confident than ever, he just needed proof of concept... Proof that he was his equal, that he could be...
-
Denki nearly jumped.
"WAS THAT A JUDO THROW?!"
Kirishima blinked.
"...Didn't see that coming."
Genya couldn't stop himself from smiling.
"There you go..."
Quiet.
Almost to himself.
"...That's it."
-
"...You... Actually hurt me."
Izuku raised his fist higher,
"BAKUGO! I am going to show you that I am not the Deku you wanted me to be, no, no longer, I am."
Bakugo lowered his eyes dangerously, his breath still hitching as Izuku continued,
"I am the 'Deku' that means YOU CAN DO IT!!!"
Pushing Ochaco forward, he blocked a massive kick as he spoke,
"OCHACO NOW!"
Sprinting past them, Ochaco knew the bomb had to be on the higher floors, and going outside the window would allow her to locate the position of the bomb for Izuku easily.
'Just stay in there, Izuku, just for a couple of minutes'
Returning to the scene was a heaving Izuku, Bakugo's explosion was powerful enough to send him straight through the wall, onto a more open space still relatively narrow.
'This is bad, there are roughly 5 more minutes, and Ochaco still hasn't found the bomb.'
He held his shoulder burn marks, clearly visible, worry was now evident on his visage, with Bakugo's looming figure, clearly enjoying the circumstances.
"Nowhere to run, 'Deku',"
A manic expression could be seen on Bakugo's face, his hand moving towards his gauntlets
"I'm sure you already know what my quirk is, but..."
His hand was firmly on his gauntlets as he spoke once more.
"My quirk is 'EXPLOSION'. I can secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from the sweat glands on the palm of my hand and make it explode"
Raising his hand, grin widening, Izuku had a good clue on what Bakugo was alluding to.
"If they made these the way I asked,"
Settle his stance, cocking the stump of the gauntlet, it revealed a pulli
"then these gauntlets will store the nitroglycerin inside them, and..."
Izuku's eyes went wide as All Might's voice spoke through the speakers
"YOUNG BAKUGO STOP!!!"
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM?!!"
Pulling on the pulley, Bakugo responded,
"If I don't hit him, he won't die..."
Ochaco spoke on the intercom as Izuku was seconds away from getting blasted,
"Izuku, I found the bomb, it's on the fi-"
The building shook to its foundation, revealing Ochaco to Iida and a Laughing Bakugo voice echoing manically,
Izuku lay sprawled out, Ochaco's voice ringing in his ear.
"Izuku, Izuku, are you okay?"
Izuku's eyes opened to the dust and smoke everywhere, coughing spiratically, as he heard both Ochaco's voice and Bakugo's laughter and an extreme pain from his right leg likely caught within the blast radius, but his first priority
"Yes, I'm alright. What floor did you say?"
He stammered out weakly, Ochaco chose to ignore it,
"I am on the fifth floor. I have been found out by Iida, Izuku, we need to hurry. We only have 3 minutes left. You gotta hurry."
Bakugo swiped the dust away as he came into Izuku's view, still cackling. Seeing Izuku's pathetic form, Izuku spoke again to Ochaco, steeling his nerves and suppressing the immense pain he was in.
"Yeah, just give me uhh..."
Looking around, he sighed,
"Just give me the tell, and I'll be ready."
Ochaco just nodded, they could still win. Iida was quite difficult to get a hold of.
"We got this, Izuku."
Bakugo walked forward,
"Come on, 'Deku', use your quirk."
Izuku stood shakily on his feet as he held his stance; now fire replaced his vision. Determined, he had to win.
Bakugo was slightly dumbfounded at the will Izuku was showing, but his face went completely psycho as he lowered his form, appearing feral.
"I'LL WILL JUST FORCE YOU TO SURRENDER EVEN IF YOU'RE AT FULL STRENGTH!!!"
All Might's voice boomed, reprimanding Bakugo and the extensiveness, but Bakugo shot forward anyway, slightly more bitter than before.
Trying to slip the left-hand explosion of Bakugo, he was left open as it was a feint,
"Huh!"
Izuku's back exploded. Not having time to breathe, Bakugo landed on the ground, attempting to land another right hand to spite Deku, yet Deku dodged.
"Still got a little fight, OUI DEKU!"
Using his explosions, he pivoted to Deku's new position, grabbing hold of his arm as Deku tried to fight the grip, but Bakugo was too strong, as he cackled.
"EVEN AS YOU ARE!"
He lifted Izuku with one arm, guiding his movement with his explosions, crushing Izuku's arm.
"YOU ARE...!"
Slamming Deku with all the strength he had, he finished,
"BELOW ME!!!!!"
Izuku's vision went blurry, having cracked his head hard enough for him to bleed, but with a burst of energy, he quickly maneuvered out of the way of a punishing explosion from Bakugo, crawling away to the wall. Feeling the pain from all his wounds, he wondered what was holding Ochaco up.
-
Todoroki's eyes narrowed.
"...Impressive."
Mina blinked.
"What?"
Todoroki answered calmly.
"Most people only think of Explosion as an offensive quirk."
Bakugo's image twisted across the monitor as another blast redirected his entire body.
"...He's using every explosion for movement."
Asui nodded.
"He moves well, Ribbit."
Momo's eyes followed every adjustment.
"Each blast changes his center of gravity almost instantly."
"He's predicting Midoriya's evasive movements before they happen."
Togaru followed,
"His trust in his gut instincts is clear, he is extremely confident, never second-guesses any action."
Kirishima looked at the monitor deeply,
"He's... A natural talent"
-
He looked towards Bakugo and then the cameras, and the time was ticking down, with only about 1 minute left in the battle. Ochaco likely couldn't get a touch on Iida yet.
"You know, I always thought you would be awesome, Bakugo."
Bakugo stood abashed, not sure where Deku was going with this.
"You've always been like this ever since we were kids. HAVE YOU BEEN UNDERESTIMATING ME THIS WHOLE TIME, YOU BASTARD?!!!"
Izuku, woozy, steadied himself, his vision slightly distorted.
"I always thought you were better than anyone else, that you were meant to be the number 1 hero. That you would surpass All Might."
Bakugo's eyes softened, not at the words, but at the memories they brought up, times where things were simpler,
"I still think so highly of you, Bakugo. I still admire you just like back then, but..."
Izuku settled. Both Bakugo's and Izuku's eyes met, a shared connection, whether good or bad, the chemistry was there, it's always been.
"Kacchan, this time I'm going to use all my power, not because I'm better than you..."
Stomping on his bad foot, he shouted,
"BUT BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN WIN!!!"
Bakugo's teeth scraped together, his hand crushing the nonexistent rumble in his hand.
"Don't look at me like that... YOU DAMN NERD!!!!"
A rush of movement stirred as they rushed at each other, Bakugo looking madly at Izuku and Izuku winding up One For All,
"DETROIT!!"
All Might began to stop the contest.
"Both of yo-"
But Ochaco had finally been able to touch Iida, floating him, yet only 8 seconds were left on the clock.
"IZUKU NOW!!!"
With all the strength he could muster in his left hand, he raised it to block, and with the other, he unleashed the full power of One For All... Yet it wasn't on Bakugo.
"SMASH!!!!!!!!!!"
Wind and debris flew in torrents, flinging Iida away as well as keeping him airborne so Ochaco could actually get to the bomb.
'Cmon...'
Ochaco leapt with only 4 seconds on the clock,
'CMON!'
Landing on the weapon, Ochaco spoke Relieved
"RETRIEVED!"
The time stopped as Iida, still floating, spoke exasperatedly,
"THE WEAPON, THE WEAPON, THE WEAPON!!!!"
Bakugo looked up at the sheer destruction and power Izuku held, something he had never seen so... close,
'It could've....'
He brained was malfunctioning, thinking on how close he had been to death, so close he had been to losing all to... Izuku.
"That's what, at the start you were..."
Looking dead in Izuku's eyes,
"You ARE underestimating me, aren't you?!!!"
But as the smoke cleared, Izuku spoke, voice shaky, seconds from passing out,
"I wasn't going to use it..."
His hand was revealed to be purple as more of his visage was seen,
"Because I can't use it..."
Izuku choked out as he still stood paralyzed in pain.
"Because my body can't handle the impact... Mr Aizawa said so too,"
Bakugo could just look in shock horror, the amount of damage on Izuku's body was...
"But..."
Izuku took one deep breath, lowering his hand,
"This was... All I could think of..."
Izuku's eyes dimmed as he began to collapse.
All Might's voice came in low.
"Hero...."
Voice far lower than normal before speaking again,
"Hero Team...."
Then it rose as well with most of the class, as Izuku collapsed, with a smile on his face.
"WINS!!!!"
Bakugo stood analyzing every word said, every action made, every mistake made, every hit landed, and yet all that was on his mind was,
'I lost to... Deku...'
It all fell back on those words, on the result of the battle, on the boy who beat him.
It ate him alive.
-
As the dust settled, Genya was already on his feet.
"He did it..."
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Then louder.
"He actually did it!"
A grin spread across his face before he could stop it.
"I knew you could do it, Izuku!"
His fist shot into the air without a second thought, pride written across every inch of his face.
The observation room buzzed around him, but Sanemi wasn't listening anymore. His eyes stayed on Genya.
That smile...
He hadn't seen it in years, not directed at him.
For just a moment... The room disappeared.
---
A younger Genya stood in its place, covered in dirt.
Looking up at him with those same bright eyes.
"You did it, big brother!"
"You beat it!"
"You were awesome!"
---
The memory was so clear it almost hurt, the vision vanished.
Reality rushed back in, and yet Genya was still smiling... Just not at him.
He was cheering for Midoriya now, not because Midoriya was stronger, and not because he was famous.
Because he actually believed in him.
Because... he'd found someone worth believing in again.
Sanemi's jaw tightened, despite the circumstances, Genya was still...
"... Good."
The thought came out before he could stop it.
'At least he found somebody.'
Someone who could stand beside him.
A sharp smack landed between his shoulder blades.
WHACK...
"There you go!"
Mina laughed.
"I know you wanted to cheer too!"
Sanemi shot her an irritated glare.
"...Tch."
She only grinned wider, already clapping again.
"C'mon, don't pretend you weren't impressed!"
He looked back toward Genya one last time.
" ..."
A breath escaped through Sanemi's nose.
Almost a scoff.
His hands came together once.
Then again.
Slow.
Measured.
"... Yeah."
His eyes never left Genya.
"He... He did well."
Mina jumped up and down.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Next chap is going to have a bit quicker pace. But i understand yall want more chapter so imma try and keep it simple from now on no 6000-word chapters bruh
I know we already went over izuku vs bakugo in the show and i honestly didnt add much but i kinda had to go over it again as Izuku is a fundemental part of genyas story and izuku in this au has been training for far longer, bakugo also improved just not as much so to show that, i made bakugo much more agressive then in canon as in canon he was beating or bullying bakugo alot more then her so it was his real first time really putting a beating on him and he wasnt going to let izuku unscaved hence why izuku is alot more damaged this time around.