Payback (Hiatus)

Chapter 21 (EDITED)

Izuku reluctantly turned his attention to the person seated beside him with a rather disinterested expression – Bakugo Katsuki. He had forgotten that, coming from the same school, they would naturally end up sitting next to each other. Katsuki appeared visibly annoyed by Izuku's presence.

Katsuki had not seen Izuku since the day he gave birth. That night after they left the hospital, Katsuki had thrown a massive fit and caused quite a commotion in his room, arguing angrily with his mother. The following day, the Bakugo couple didn't bring their son to the hospital to offer their blessings to Izuku. If Mitsuki had to guess, she believed Katsuki's rage stemmed from the fact that her son had feelings for Izuku but was too oblivious to realize it. Katsuki vehemently refused to admit such emotions, which only fueled his anger.

Even though it was uncomfortable to have Izuku sitting next to him, Katsuki didn't outwardly show it. He stole a brief glance at Izuku and noticed the change in him. His aura was different now. Before, Izuku had been extremely shy and insecure, perhaps even struggling with social anxiety.

Katsuki couldn't help but notice the newfound confidence in Izuku. It frustrated him, not because Izuku had changed, but because he had grown stronger. While he couldn't be certain, his intuition told him that Izuku had become a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, Izuku was lost in thought and paying little attention to what Present Mic was saying. He recalled that Kai had informed the Bakugo family that he had manifested his quirk. While he wasn't entirely sure which quirk he should use, it was reassuring to have a simple, straightforward name for it like "Elemental Quirk." This way, it would be less likely for the pros to suspect that he possessed multiple different quirks like his father.

The presentation continued as he remembered it, with Iida asking the question about the zero point robot. However, this time, Iida didn't call him out, and Izuku's face flushed as he recalled that embarrassing moment.

Before he knew it, he found himself standing outside of Ground Beta. Glancing around, he saw some familiar faces. Ayoyama was as dazzling as ever (in this alternate universe where he wasn't the traitor), Iida was stretching his legs, and Uraraka was taking a deep breath.

Izuku tapped Uraraka on the shoulder, startling her.

"You seem tense," Izuku smiled sweetly.

"Oh, I'm just so nervous," Uraraka replied with an awkward smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine," Izuku said, offering words of encouragement. "Have confidence in yourself."

"You're right! I'm going to be a hero, so I can't be nervous all the time!" Uraraka clenched her fist, her expression turning determined.

"That's the spirit!" Izuku smiled.

"I'll see you around," Uraraka waved and headed toward the gate.

As Izuku waved back, he heard footsteps approaching him.

"That's very admirable of you," Izuku glanced at the person who spoke to him. "Very hero-like."

"It was nothing," Izuku chuckled.

"What do you mean it's nothing?!" Iida exclaimed, looking confused. "You gave the girl the confidence to do her best. This is the moment where we will evaluate whether we're qualified enough to be in this glorious school."

Izuku sweatdropped for a moment, momentarily forgetting that Iida could be quite dramatic. He then noticed Present Mic standing on top and couldn't help but smirk.

"Get ready. It's about to start," Izuku patted Iida's back and walked toward the gate.

"Hm?" Iida pushed his glasses back up, feeling a bit uneasy after the pat. He couldn't shake the ominous feeling but decided to brush it off and get ready.

"READY, GO!"

On cue, Izuku sprinted as fast as he could, with his fire quirk acting as a booster. The other wondered if he was an idiot for going right in.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THERE ARE NO REAL COUNTDOWNS IN REAL BATTLES!" Mic yelled from the top.

Realizing this, the others began to run toward the entrance. However, as they arrived at the fake city, they found a multitude of robots scattered all over the road. Some appeared to have exploded, while others seemed crushed. There were also some that had been cleanly cut. The other participants couldn't help but wonder just how strong the seemingly meek guy was.

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"We have a lot of talented individuals this year," Snipe remarked.

"I agree," Midnight purred.

"That Bakugo kid has such a powerful quirk," Cementos added.

"Yeah, but that green-haired boy is no slouch either. He doesn't seem to rely on his quirk much, but his combat skills are impressive," Vlad pointed out.

Aizawa watched with amusement. The green-haired boy's fighting skills seemed as if he had experience in battle.

"Well, All Might, do you see any potential successors among the students here?" Nezu inquired.

"I need more time to observe," All Might replied, his gaze fixed on Midoriya.

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Um... I took a quick break from reading so I took the chance to continue writing. I'm barely half way through reading Trash Of The Count Family. My eyes were starting to hurt.

Well anyway...hope this would entertain you guys

I appreciate you guys for reading my story. Thanks for voting. Made me happy 😊