MHA: Bat to the Future: The Other Midoriya

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The week passed without much noise. I mostly kept my head down, training where I could and letting my body recover from the Entrance Exam chaos. Izuku, on the other hand, was buzzing like an overcharged battery. The guy couldn't sit still for five minutes without worrying about exam. 

When the results finally showed up in the mail, he practically tackled me on his way to the table. "It's here! Ryuu, it's here!"

"Yeah, no shit," I said, leaning back on the couch. "I only heard you say that, like, thirty times in the last two minutes. Open it already, Waterworks."

He tore into the envelope, pulling out a small hologram disc. The damn thing lit up like a projector, and who else but All Might popped up, grinning wide like we just won the lottery. I could already feel a headache coming on.

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" All Might's voice roared out of the hologram like a bomb going off in the living room. The windows didn't rattle, but it felt like they should have. The big guy was grinning ear to ear, clearly enjoying the theatrics as always. "I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY IN CONTACTING YOU! I HAVE BEEN… BUSY!"

Sure, "busy." Probably signing autographs and dodging paparazzi, but who was I to call him out?

"SURPRISE!" All Might continued, "I AM NOW A TEACHER AT U.A. HIGH! A ROLE I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY! AND I AM HERE TO DELIVER YOUR EXAM RESULTS, YOUNG MIDORIYA!"

Izuku had already gone stiff as a board, his hands clasping together so tightly I thought he might break his fingers. Mom was on the edge of her seat, staring at the hologram like it was the second coming of Jesus. Meanwhile, I grabbed a cracker from the table and leaned back.

"You performed WELL on the written test!" All Might said, his voice booming like he thought we were deaf. "HOWEVER…" His grin faltered, and his tone dipped into something more serious. "In the practical exam… you scored ZERO villain points."

Izuku froze like someone had pulled his plug. His eyes were wide, his jaw trembling, and the first sign of tears began pooling. I was about to roll my eyes when All Might struck his signature pose, throwing one arm out dramatically.

"DO NOT DESPAIR!" he barked, and the hologram behind him lit up, showing a video feed of none other than Uraraka. She was standing in front of some U.A. staff, looking troubled "Miss Uraraka personally appealed to have some of her points transferred to you, young Midoriya!"

But the way Uraraka described Izuku nearly had me choking on the cracker I was munching that Inko's glare nearly burned a hole through me. "What?" I asked, throwing my hands up. "It's funny!"

The Uraraka on the screen lit up, smiling brightly as she spoke. "Do you know the green brothers? The handsome one was named Ryuu, his brother, with freckles. He saved me!"

Izuku, who was too busy looking like his soul had been yanked out of his body, muttered "Is she blind?"

All Might's booming voice cut back in, mercifully steering things along before Izuku imploded. "Miss Uraraka's appeal was heard, and it has been noted! But young Midoriya, the practical exam wasn't solely about defeating villains. No! U.A. seeks those who prioritize saving others!" The hologram shifted to footage of Izuku's idiotic leap into the zero-pointer to save Uraraka. "You earned rescue points, young Midoriya! 60 points in total! With your written exam score, you passed!"

Mom gasped, clapping her hands together like Izuku just cured cancer. "Izuku, you did it!"

Izuku's face was frozen in shock. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. I kicked him lightly in the shin. "Earth to Waterworks. Say something before Mom faints."

He finally croaked out a shaky, "I-I passed?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing a handful of crackers. "That's the part you're supposed to celebrate, dumbass."

All Might's voice boomed on, oblivious to the chaos he was causing in our living room. "We await you at U.A., young Midoriya!" The hologram fizzled out, replaced by a glowing list of the top ten examinees.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see if my name was on the list just yet. Inko's gasp and the death grip she suddenly had on my arm told me it probably was.

"Mom, you're cutting off the blood flow. Mom, I can't feel my arm," I said, prying at her hands.

"Oh, sorry!" she said quickly, letting go, but the look on her face was screaming that she wanted to cry, hug me, and frame the results in a gold-plated shrine all at the same time.

The hologram disc in my hand lit up. My own message. Finally.

"Let's see who drew the short straw for delivering mine," I muttered, pressing the button to start it.

The image of Midnight appeared, and I was not ready. She was lounging back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, looking straight at the camera with a smile that could probably start wars. Her voice was just as dangerous. "Ryuu Midoriya, congratulations on passing the U.A. Entrance Exam!"

My nose immediately betrayed me, and I could feel the warm trickle starting. "System, emergency tissue. Now," I whispered under my breath.

[ERROR: EMERGENCY TISSUE NOT AVAILABLE. TRY NOT LOOKING, PERVERT.]

Midnight leaned forward slightly, her hair falling over one shoulder as she continued, "You showed remarkable tenacity during the practical exam. Scoring highly in both villain points and rescue points shows you're more than just muscle—you've got a heart, too."

Izuku's face, already a mess of awe and confusion from his own results, turned to me with wide eyes. "Midnight is your announcer?!"

"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious. I noticed."

Mom looked between us, clearly not sure what to make of the exchange. Meanwhile, I was trying not to wipe my face on my sleeve like a barbarian. Midnight continued speaking, oblivious to my current state.

"Your tactical approach during the exam caught the attention of multiple judges, and that final zero-pointer moment? Risky, but effective. A true hero doesn't just think about themselves; they think about everyone around them. That's what we saw in you, Ryuu. Well done."

She leaned back, her lips curving into a smirk. "I'll see you at U.A. Try not to get into too much trouble before then, hmm?" The hologram fizzled out.

As the list appeared, I scanned the top. My name stood there in bold letters at the very peak:

Name: Ryuu Midoriya

Villain Points: 35

Rescue Points: 45

Total Points: 80

Rank: 1st

Izuku leaned in, his eyes darting to the second name on the list: Katsuki Bakugo. He had 77 total points, just three shy of mine.

"He's going to lose his mind," Izuku mumbled, half to himself.

Mom glanced between us, clearly unsure if she should be proud or worried. "Ryuu, don't antagonize him too much. He's—"

"An asshole," I finished, still grinning. "It's not antagonizing, it's karma. He's been strutting around like he owns the world since pre-school. About time someone knocked him down a peg… and pegged him in the down."

Izuku choked on air. His entire body seized up like I had just hit him with a taser. His hands slammed onto the table, eyes wide with pure horror. "What the hell does that mean?!"

Mom froze mid-breath. The way she blinked at me was borderline existential crisis. "...Ryuu."

I kept my expression perfectly neutral. "What?"

Mom squinted. Hard. Like she was trying to process if she needed to wash my mouth out with soap or just ignore it and pretend I never said that.

Izuku, still recovering, rubbed his temples. "Please. For the love of everything. Think before you speak."

"Why? That was poetry," I said, stretching my arms behind my head. "Art, even."

Mom slowly exhaled, rubbing her temples the same way Izuku did. Synced mother-son suffering. "Ryuu, I'm begging you—stop saying things that sound like that."

"Like what?" I asked, keeping my tone as innocent as possible.

Izuku shot me the dirtiest look he had in his arsenal. "You know exactly what."

I just grinned. "Well, at least I know one thing for sure—" I tapped the results list, still sitting open in front of us. "Bakugo's losing his mind over this right now."

Izuku let out a long, pained sigh, already preparing for the explosion-filled hellstorm to come.

Mom just shook her head. "And you wonder why you keep getting hit."

Izuku fidgeted, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. "You don't think he'll, you know, come after you for this, do you?"

I snorted, leaning back in my chair. "Let him try. What's he gonna do? Explode harder than usual? I'll hit him with my bat and call it a day."

The mention of the bat made Mom's eyebrow twitch. "Ryuu, I told you to stop carrying that thing around! You're not a vigilante."

I raised my hands in mock surrender. "It's not like I go looking for trouble, Mom. Trouble just finds me. The bat's just… insurance."

She gave me a long, exasperated look, but before she could launch into a lecture, Izuku spoke up. "I-I still can't believe it. You got first place, Ryuu."

"Damn right I did," I said, smirking. "What, you thought I was just gonna coast through? I told you I was going all out."

Izuku nodded, but his expression was awe and disbelief. "Still… first place at U.A. That's…"

"Legendary? Unprecedented? Completely expected?" I offered, ticking off options on my fingers.

He shook his head quickly. "I was going to say incredible. It happens every year. It is, by definition, precedented."

Mom hugged us both, squeezing just enough to make Izuku wince and me roll my eyes.

"No matter what," she said, stepping back and giving us a look that was equal parts proud and worried. "I'm proud of both of you. But you need to be careful out there. U.A. isn't some playground."

"Okay, Mom," we both said in unison, like some synchronized puppets.

She smiled and kissed us both on the cheek before sitting back down with her glass of wine. "Good. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to enjoy this in peace. Try not to set anything on fire tonight."

"Don't look at me," I said, pointing at Izuku. "He's the one with the self-destruct quirk."

Izuku flinched. "I-It's not self-destruct! It's just… hard to control."

"Hard to control is an understatement, Waterworks," I shot back, grabbing a cracker. "You're lucky Recovery Girl doesn't bill for all the overtime you're going to cause."

He frowned, clearly trying to think of a response but coming up empty. Typical.

Mom sighed, waving a hand to shoo us away. "Enough, both of you. I don't want to referee tonight. Go celebrate or do whatever it is you two do. Just let me have a quiet evening for once."

"Fine by me," I said, standing up. "Let's go, Izuku. We'll do something productive. Maybe I'll teach you how not to break every bone in your body."

"I-I can manage on my own," he stammered, following me out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure. That's why you're a walking cast last time you used it," I muttered, heading toward the stairs.

I dragged Izuku to the beach he spent months cleaning for All Might's training program. The place actually looked decent—clean sand, no trash, and the kind of view that would make someone feel like their life wasn't a complete disaster. Not that I would ever admit it out loud. Instead, I planted myself on a piece of driftwood and gestured for him to sit. He hesitated, fidgeting like he was bracing for a lecture.

"Sit your ass down," I said. "This isn't a trap."

He sat, clutching his knees like a guilty kid about to get grounded. "What's this about, Ryuu?"

I tilted my head, watching him squirm. "You inherited your Quirk from All Might, didn't you?"

His face turned pale faster than milk left out in the sun. "W-What? No! That's ridiculous!"

"Don't bullshit me." I pointed at him. "You're the worst liar I've ever met. It's written all over your face."

He opened his mouth, probably to stammer out some excuse, but I cut him off. "Save it. I don't need you to admit it—I already know. I'm good at reading people, and you're basically a flashing neon sign that says, 'All Might's secret.'"

Izuku's mouth snapped shut. He glanced at the sand, then back at me, his hands twisting nervously. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, you don't." I leaned back, folding my arms. "Let me guess. He gave it to you because you're quirkless and desperate to be a hero. Sound familiar?"

His jaw dropped, and for a second, I thought he might fall off the driftwood. "H-How did you—?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out," I said, shrugging. "You've been acting weird since the Sludge Villain Incident. Then there's the fact that you keep blowing yourself up every time you use your 'quirk.' Add in All Might taking you under his wing? It doesn't take a genius."

Izuku froze like a deer in headlights, his face practically screaming guilt. Before he could deny it again, I heard a familiar, raspy voice behind us.

"He's right, young Midoriya."

Izuku and I turned at the same time. All Might stood there in his deflated form, hunched over like a beaten scarecrow. His sunken eyes and gaunt face looked even worse in the fading sunlight, but he still carried himself like he had some authority left.

"All Might?" Izuku squeaked, scrambling to his feet. "W-What are you doing here?"

All Might gave him a small smile and walked closer. "I was passing by when I overheard your conversation. Ryuu's assessment is… accurate."

Izuku gawked at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "B-But—!"

All Might raised a hand to stop him. "It's alright. Ryuu's sharp. Perhaps too sharp for his own good." He glanced at me, his tired eyes narrowing slightly. "But I trust him. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here in this form."

I looked at the scrawny figure standing in front of me. "Wait, wait! Who the hell is this? Why does he talk like he is All Might?"

All Might—if that was even him—sighed. "This is my true form. I can only maintain my muscle form for a limited time due to injuries I sustained years ago."

I raised a hand, pointing at him. "No way. I don't buy it. You're telling me the Symbol of Peace looks like he just crawled out of the ER? This has to be some weird scam. What, are you his deformed stunt double or something?"

Izuku shook his hands wildly. "N-No! It's him! Really! This is—this is All Might!"

I squinted at the guy. He did have that same voice, just weaker, raspier, like it had been through a blender. "If you're All Might, prove it. Do something only All Might could do."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small keychain—a little figurine of himself in his muscle form. "I signed this for a fan back in Mustafu five years ago," he said, flipping it over to show a faded signature. "I only made twenty of these."

I leaned closer, examining the keychain. "That's your proof? A keychain? Dude, I could buy this on eBay for 2,000 yen."

All Might exhaled, clearly done with my nonsense. "Young Midoriya, is this your brother's usual demeanor?"

Izuku scratched the back of his head nervously. "Y-Yeah… He's always like this."

"All the time," I added helpfully. "Gotta keep people on their toes. So, if you're the real All Might, what are you doing here, deflated and creeping around like a busted balloon?"

"I overheard your conversation," he said. "I felt it was time to be honest with you. Young Midoriya has inherited my quirk, One for All."

I clicked my tongue, leaning back against the driftwood. "Oh, so you admit it now? Why would you give it to him? Charity work?"

"Ryuu!" Izuku snapped, his voice cracking. "It's not like that!"

All Might raised a hand to calm Izuku, then turned back to me. "He earned it. His bravery and selflessness during the Sludge Villain Incident proved he was worthy. One for All is not just a quirk; it's a responsibility. It must be passed to someone with a strong heart and a clear desire to help others."

I tilted my head, feeling irritation bubbling in my chest, pretending to be deep in thought. "So, you picked Izuku because he cried a lot and jumped into danger without thinking. Got it. Solid reasoning."

"Ryuu!" Izuku's voice cracked again.

"What? I am just saying what everyone's thinking." I shrugged, leaning back against the driftwood, suppressing my anger. "Nah, jokes aside, you picked the perfect person. This foolish brother of mine jumps into danger headfirst without thinking about anything else. I am pretty sure Mom dropped him when he was a baby. And while she says I push him, I think she uses that to cover her bad parenting."

Izuku immediately turned toward me, his hands flailing like he was trying to swat away the words. "Ryuu! You can't say stuff like that about Mom! She's been nothing but supportive!"

"Exactly," I said, remembering how mom cried. "Supportive enough to let you throw yourself into a giant robot and turn your arms into pretzels. Real gold-star parenting right there."

I stared All Might dead in the eye. "Bro Might, you met Izuku, what, a year ago? I have known him for all of his life—and mine. I love my brother, and I support him, but he is reckless as hell. The exam was proof enough. Izuku will do anything to be the hero, even if it means risking himself and everyone around him, so long as, in his heart, he thinks he's doing the right thing. You and I both know how that can backfire."

All Might didn't say anything immediately. His expression shifted slightly, like he was actually considering what I just said. Before he could respond, I stood up, closed the distance, and grabbed him by the collar. Izuku's eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet. "Ryuu!" he yelped, looking like he might throw himself between us.

"Stay there, Izuku," I snapped without turning my head. "This doesn't concern you right now."

I stared at All Might, whose tired face didn't flinch despite my grip on his shirt. "Second thing. You knew damn well he wasn't ready to use that power, yet you cleared him to attend the exam? He could have killed himself because of the lies and that overblown power you pumped him full of. If you're going to pretend to be a mentor, act like one. Don't just throw him into the deep end and hope for the best."

All Might didn't pull away, didn't shove me back. He just stood there, letting me vent. His eyes flicked briefly toward Izuku, then back to me. "You're not wrong," he said finally. His voice was calm, but there was a weight to it, like he was acknowledging something heavy. "I made a gamble. I believed in him."

"A gamble?" I let go of his collar and stepped back, scoffing. "A gamble? He isn't a damn lottery ticket, All Might. This isn't some 'win big or go home' situation. You don't throw a kid into a life-threatening situation just because you 'believe' in them."

"I trusted his spirit," All Might said. "His heart. His determination to save others. Those qualities matter more than experience."

"Yeah? Tell that to his arms," I shot back, gesturing toward Izuku, who immediately clutched at his elbows like I reminded him his bones were made of Jenga blocks. "His 'spirit' isn't going to matter when his body gives out, and he ends up in the hospital—or worse."

All Might exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "I understand your frustration. Truly, I do. But the nature of being a hero often demands sacrifices."

"Then you make the sacrifices," I said, pointing at him. "Not him. You don't get to use him as a pawn just because you're on your way out."

Izuku stepped forward then, his hands balled into fists. "Ryuu, stop!" he said, his voice shaking but firm enough to make me look at him. "It wasn't All Might's fault. I wanted to do this. I wanted to prove I could be a hero."

"And look where that got you," I said, pointing a finger at him now. "You're lucky you didn't end up in a body bag, Izuku. You can't just throw yourself into danger and hope it works out."

Izuku's fists tightened, and he looked like he was about to argue, but All Might spoke first. "He's right, young Midoriya."

Izuku froze, his eyes snapping to All Might. "But—"

"He's right," All Might repeated, his tone softer now. "I pushed you too hard, too fast. I underestimated how much strain One for All would put on your body. That was my failure as a teacher."

I folded my arms, leaning back slightly. "Glad we're on the same page now."

"But," All Might continued, looking back at me, "he still succeeded. He saved someone. He proved his worth, not just as a user of One for All, but as a hero. That's something neither of us can ignore."

I snorted. "I don't care. I forbid you to use that power, Izuku."

He whipped his head toward me, eyes wide. "Y-You can't forbid me! You're not Dad, and you're not All Might!"

I smacked the back of his head hard enough to make him flinch. "I forbid you to worry Mom, idiot. Do you think she's asking for 'time to herself' because she wants peace and quiet? Well, maybe a little of that. But she's worried, you moron. Worried that every time you leave the house, you're going to come back with your bones looking like crushed soda cans. She's worried she's going to lose the son she loved, quirkless or not. You think she wouldn't rather have a quirkless son than a dead hero?"

Izuku opened his mouth, but no words came out. He just stared at me, processing what I said. All Might stayed quiet in the background, not even stepping in to defend his little protégé this time.

I leaned in, jabbing a finger into Izuku's chest. "Look at me. I'm not saying don't be a hero. I'm saying don't be stupid. That power isn't just yours. You throw your body away for some self-sacrificial bull, and you're throwing away everything Mom's done for us. You're throwing away everything I've done for you. So, yeah, I forbid you."

"You don't get it," Izuku finally said, his voice shaky. "I can't just stop! If I don't push myself—if I don't do what I can—what kind of hero does that make me?"

I barked out a laugh. "You think heroes are measured by how hard they throw themselves at death? You think being a hero means you've got to kill yourself to save someone else every single time?"

All Might finally spoke, "Young Midoriya just needs some practice. I already taught him the basics. He just needs to circulate One for All in his body, and he won't hurt himself."

Izuku groaned from the side, rubbing the back of his neck like he had just been assigned extra homework. "I tried, but I cannot grasp it, All Might. Microwaving the egg is not working."

I raised an eyebrow, looking between them like they had lost their damn minds. "The fuck are you talking about?"

"Language," All Might said immediately, looking like he rehearsed that line for years. Then, with the patience of a saint—or maybe a guy used to working with idiots—he added, "That is how I use One for All. I circulate the power akin to microwaving an egg."

I blinked at him. "You're seriously trying to teach him how to handle world-ending power with microwave metaphors? That's your big plan?"

Izuku nodded like this was a normal thing. "He said the power should flow evenly, like heat around an egg in the microwave."

"For fuck's sake," I muttered, dragging my hand down my face. "Izuku, do you imagine heat coming from all directions to the egg in the center?"

Izuku nodded again, looking confused at my reaction. "Yeah, like it's heating evenly—"

I cut him off with a groan. "Just because we're poor doesn't mean our technology is from the Dark Ages. Microwave trays spin, dumbass. That's how heat gets distributed evenly."

Izuku stared at me like I had just revealed the secrets of the universe. "Wait… the tray spins?"

"Oh my god." I crouched down in the sand, yanked a stick from the ground, and started drawing. "Look. This is you." I jabbed the stick into the sand, drawing a sad little egg shape. "This is the power." I made a circle around it. "And this," I spun the stick around the egg, "is the tray that moves to make sure the power flows evenly. You aren't the heat. You're the egg on the damn spinning tray."

Izuku tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowing. "So, I'm… not the microwave?"

"No, you're not the microwave!" I snapped. "You're just the thing sitting in the middle trying not to explode. The power is the heat. You don't force it all at once; you let it spin naturally. Got it?"

He frowned, staring at the sand like it held the answers to life. "But how do I make it spin?"

I groaned and jabbed the stick into the sand again. "You don't make it spin. You let it happen. You're overthinking it like you do with literally everything. You're not trying to outsmart the power; you're trying to work with it. Stop fighting it, and just let it do its thing."

All Might nodded from the side. "That's an interesting way to frame it, Ryuu. Perhaps I should've explained it more clearly."

"No shit," I said, standing up and tossing the stick aside. "You're out here giving him cooking analogies like he's Gordon Ramsay. The guy can barely boil water."

"Hey!" Izuku protested, finally snapping out of his egg-induced trance. "I can cook!"

"Burning toast doesn't count," I shot back. "Now, do you get it or not?"

Izuku rubbed his chin, glancing between the sand drawing and his hands. "I think so. I'm not forcing the power… I'm letting it flow naturally, like the tray spinning the egg."

"Yes," I said, clapping my hands like a sarcastic teacher. "Congratulations, you're now smarter than a microwave. Try it."

Izuku took a deep breath, holding his hands out in front of him. His fingers twitched slightly as he closed his eyes, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, faint sparks of energy started crackling around his arms, glowing faintly.

"See?" I said, crossing my arms. "Not that hard, was it?"

Izuku opened his eyes, staring at the faint glow around his hands. "It's… it's working?"

"Of course, it's working," I said. "It's not rocket science. It's basic common sense."

Izuku glanced at All Might, who gave him an approving nod. "Well done, young Midoriya. You're finally beginning to understand the essence of One for All."

Izuku grinned, the glow around his arms fading as he relaxed. "Thank you, All Might! And… thanks, Ryuu."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving him off. "Just don't blow yourself up again. Mom will kill me if you come home in pieces."

All Might stepped forward, his hands resting on his hips. "Ryuu, you've got an interesting way of explaining things. Have you considered teaching?"

I snorted. "Me? Teaching? Yeah, that's a disaster waiting to happen. You would have a class full of kids learning how to solve problems by hitting them with bats."

Izuku laughed nervously. "He's not wrong…"

"Exactly," I said. "I'm better off sticking to what I do best—keeping this idiot alive and making fun of people who deserve it."

All Might chuckled lightly. "Still, your perspective is unique. Don't underestimate its value."

"Cool. I'll put that on my resume," I said, already turning toward the water. "Now, if we're done with the egg talk, I'm going for a swim."

"Wait, what?" Izuku said, startled. "It's cold out!"

"Better than listening to you microwave yourself again," I said, tossing my hoodie onto the driftwood. "Try not to overthink it while I'm gone."

I jogged toward the water, leaving Izuku and All Might standing by the sand drawings. Hopefully, this "tray spinning" nonsense would stick in his head long enough to keep him from breaking himself again. If not, well… I would just have to hit him with a stick until he got it.

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