When it Rains: A My Hero Academia Fanfiction

[Dunkeeni]

Introduction

Name: Noikari

Age: 12

Gender: Male

Appearance: uhhhhhhhh. . .

Timeline Placement: The story begins in between the 'Pro Hero' and the 'Joint Training' Arcs.

Quirk: Conversion Furnace

Description: Can absorb various forms of molecules in the air and convert it into raw energy by fusing the molecules with protons and electrons in his blood. The stored energy can not only grant a temporary burst of strength and speed but can also be used to create various constructs for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Weaknesses: Using too much stored energy at once can prove catastrophic and may result in heavy physical damage. At first, the quirk can only be activated subconsciously in moments of extreme duress. Although the automatic defensive mode allows users to predict movements, it will not dodge attacks, and certain individuals can get past their movements being read by rapidly switching between movements. Constructs made can only be objects that the user has held in the past 24 hours.

Now it's time for the story to commence!

[Dunkeeni]

Chapter 1: Creation

Darkness.

It was a feeling all too familiar, one that it had known for practically its whole life. It could not see, but it could feel the cool liquids and amniotic fluids that kept it alive. Occasionally, it would hear the voices of those who created him. Some were of apprehension, some of anger, but others were of praise, saying that the creation would solve all of their problems. It didn't know what they meant, nor did it truly care. It only wanted to be free.

Eventually, that wish was granted.

Watching the boy float inside of a life support chamber were two scientists. One of the scientists was shorter, while the other towered over his partner, a strange garment concealing his face. The former couldn't help but express his concern over what was about to transpire. Letting a gulp escape his throat, the pudgy scientist turned to his colleague.

"W-w-with all due respect Mr. Hedotah" he stammered, "are you sure we should release him now? He hasn't been properly tested yet. His motor functions might not even be fully applicable yet."

An unseen smile decorated the taller scientist's face as he gently patted his assistant's shoulder. "Garo, my friend, can we truly be men of science if we are not willing to take risks?" Turning back to the containment tube, the man continued. "Although I would prefer to wait until proper tests can be run, we simply don't have the time for that. So, this is my final choice."

The smaller scientist felt the gaze of his superior burn into his skull, forcing the assistant to nervously sweat. Then, a final order was given.

"Initiate Release Sequence O73-FR2."

A deep breath escaped the scientist's lips as he reluctantly answered, "yes, sir!". Putting his hands on the machine in front of him, Garo began typing the necessary codes to begin the sequence, flipping switches and pressing buttons. Red warning lights flicked on in the dark room as the fluids in the chamber were drained, allowing life to finally flow into the being's system.

For the first time in its life, light assaulted its vision. Sight: the one thing it had craved for so long, and now he had achieved it. The boy's eyes slowly opened for the first time as liquid flooded out of the tube. A fist clenched and unclenched as its form slowly descended from floating in the tube, the boy briefly stumbling as his feet touched the cold, hard metal. He saw his own reflection on the surface of the glass that held him, holding a hand up and touching the mirror of himself before the containment doors slowly opened, steam being forcefully ejected.

Not knowing what else to do, the boy slowly walked towards the still-opening doors, before all of the sudden, they stopped. The mechanisms that the doors used had gotten jammed. Thinking nothing of it, the boy put one hand on each side of the opening, intending to merely push it open gently. Instead, he accidentally pulled too hard, his hands effortlessly tearing and ripping the gateway of metal. The boy stumbled back in confusion. Was. . . was that him? Implanted memories rushed through his consciousness.

As the child took in his surroundings, he saw the two scientists looking down on him with looks of intrigue and concern, respectively. His gaze looked back with neither good or harmful intentions. It was a gaze of simple indifference. As Garo nervously breathed a sigh of relief, Hedotah couldn't help but take off the garment that had covered his face, revealing a scarred, yet refined face underneath, flashing a dark grin as he chuckled. Now his plans would finally all come together. Those who had defied him in the past would fall before the might of his creation. The scientist uttered one simple statement as he stared at the macabre of science and nature.

"Arise, my Prometheus, and destroy the Heroes. . ."

*****

2 Weeks Later.

The tests were never-ending. No matter the time of day, the boy was always subject to some form of inhumane "trials". To find out how his quirk exactly worked, they exposed him to various forms of energy, the levels of which were most certainly lethal. At least, to anyone else they would be.

Noikari screamed as more electricity was transferred into his body, generating the only source of light into the pitch-black room. Above in an observatory, two scientists watched. One scientist was taller than the other, also wearing a strange garment that covered his face. The screams of his creation brought joy to his ears. Turning to his colleague, the scientist issued an order. "That will do. Disable the wattage. We don't want to kill our little man now, do we?" Nodding, the other scientist flipped a switch which cut the power to the machine that was shocking Noikari. Burnt and scarred, the boy dropped to the ground, unable to even cry as they had been evaporated by the sheer heat of the volts.

In the room he was in, a voice echoed through a loudspeaker. "That will be all for today. Rest and prepare for tomorrow. "With that, Noikari was left alone once again, with nothing to comfort him except the Moon. In near-complete darkness, the boy silently wept. Why? Why did he have to do this? He had done nothing wrong. But what right had he done? Although not a robot or cyborg, he felt like one simply due to the circumstances. He was a creation, a thing just made in a lab. Despite the horrible and brutal tortures that he underwent, Noikari was still very kind and respectful to the scientists. But an elephant could only take so many stones before turning on its handler.

While he sat alone and cold, warning lights blared in the containment chamber, briefly disorienting Noikari, them being the first lights he had seen since the earlier tests. An automated voice shouted into the loudspeaker, "WARNING: INTRUDER! WARNING: INTRUDER!" As the voice repeated, Noikari heard various sounds from outside. Shouts, sounds of fighting and tearing metal all assaulted the boy's ears before it all went silent. Noikari backed away as the steel wall in front of him dented inward, being hit by an incredible force. Two more hits busted it further, pieces of the wall flying outward before a final smash tore a massive hole in the wall, assaulting Noikari with the first real lights he had seen ever.

Taking a moment to allow his vision to focus, the boy's mouth hung agape as he saw three people in front of him, three people who he had only heard stories about. In the center of the trio was a tall, sturdily built man with a very muscular physique. His costume was comprised of a tight, navy turquoise bodysuit, with lines of flames streaming across his chest, upper torso, arms, and most prominently his shoulders This was Endeavor, the now-number one hero following All-Might's retirement.

To his left was one of his allies, also a former hero. Although now he was a teacher at U.A. High School, where he helps new students master their quirks. Slender and pale, his black hair messily traveled down to his shoulders, while two cold, seemingly tired eyes slowly looked around in silent fury. Shouta Aizawa, known to the world as the hero Eraserhead, was not happy.

Finally, to the right of Endeavor stood an athletic yet curvaceous woman. Her dark skin contrasted nicely with her white leotard. Her silver hair majestically flowed on her head as two fluffy, white bunny ears twitched in anticipation, along with her small round tail. Of the three, she was the most shocked about what she was seeing, looking around in awe at what was around. Needless to say, the rabbit hero Mirko was horrified. As the three pro-heroes gradually looked around, they eventually locked their gazes on Noikari. The boy was physically shaking, unsure of how to proceed. No, no, the boy thought. This wasn't freedom. This was another test; he was sure of it. "So, this is what the doctor was making," Endeavor said. "It appears the scientists had no idea what they were creating." "He's cute though," said Mirko, earning confused glances from Endeavor and Aizawa. "What?" the rabbit hero questioned, "I'm just saying." Deciding to ignore it, Endeavor turned to face the trembling Noikari. He slowly began to march up to the young boy, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.

As the Flame Hero approached, Noikari felt something inside of him, telling him to attack. Why, he did not know, but if this was another test by the doctor, he would succeed. Before the hero had even reached him, Noikari launched forward and swung both fists toward the hero. Both of them met Endeavor's chest as he easily blocked the assault. The boy then tried to punch him again, but the crimson haired man effortlessly dodged the attack, leaving the child to awkwardly fall to the ground. Turning around, Noikari prepared to lunge once more, only to be stopped as Aizawa used his scarf to bind the child.

Noikari struggled, screaming in anger, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't break free of the cloth. Eventually, his struggles lessened until he was completely still, panting in exhaustion and defeat. Tears started to form in the child's eyes.

"Well, aren't you going to punish me?" Noikari croaked, his voice straining.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I failed the doctor's test, like always, so just. . get it over with."

Aizawa's eyes widened in a rare showing of emotion. This child. . truly believed they wanted to hurt him. His heart felt tainted as he stared at the child. How could anyone place such a destructive burden on a mere kid? He thought of Eri. She was the same as this child, originally meant to help destroy heroes. But she had been saved. Now, hopefully the same could be done with Noikari.

Noikari was surprised when the scarf coiling around him suddenly released its hold. Noikari backed away from Aizawa, still not trusting him or the other two heroes with him.

Kneeling in front of him, Endeavor gently extended a hand outward. "It is alright young child; you are safe now." As his hand neared Noikari, the child smacked it away, surprising the hero. "You're lying!", shouted Noikari. Endeavor's jaw dropped in surprise, Aizawa and Mirko both also reacted in astonishment. Staring at the boy, the three pro-heroes noticed something different about him. Although he was burnt, scarred, and dented, the three noticed a child-like innocence about him, a purity that they felt was being tainted. "You're just going to take me to a new place and run experiments on me there!" Deciding to try her luck, Mirko also knelt in front of the boy, a sense of warmness emanating from her face. "Listen kid" she began, "I understand you're not willing to trust us, and that's okay. But we only wish to save you from this. So please, let us help you."

Like Endeavor before her, she slowly reached a hand outward, hoping the boy would take it. Noikari couldn't explain it, but Mirko's voice felt soothing and reassuring. It was time for him to decide. Much to the surprise of the three pro-heroes, Noikari buried his face into Mirko's chest, crying as he let all of his sorrow and anger fly away. The rabbit hero nearly cried as well, but recomposed herself, instead embracing the sobbing child. "It's all alright now", she whispered, "It's over". Whether from his emotions running high or from sheer exhaustion, Noikari felt his body become lighter as he fell into unconsciousness.

Seeing this, Mirko gently took the boy in her grasp and softly lifted him. Turning to Endeavor and Shouta, Mirko simply stated, "I'm going to take him back. You two make sure the authorities take everyone here in." Her fellow heroes nodded as the bunny girl left with a resting Noikari in her hands. Endeavor and Shouta watched as Mirko left with the tired Noikari, glancing at each other.

"So, what now?" asked Eraserhead.

"We take the scientists to the authorities", Endeavor answered. "I can't believe people would do such horrible things to a mere child."

The hero's face grimaced as his fists slowly clenched in anger. Although also angered, Shouta did better in hiding it than his partner. Gently patting him on the shoulder, Shouta told Endeavor, "We'll get answers and make sure the kid is safe." After a moment, Endeavor nodded in agreement, though he didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as usual.

"Were there any other experiments?" asked Shouta." Judging by the files I read, no" answered Endeavor. "They only created two, one boy and one girl. Both with potential to be the greatest threats the world has ever seen."

"So that's it?" asked Eraserhead. "They only created two?"

"That's it"

Aizawa was confused by this information. "They were only willing to create two, why?"

"Of the two, it seems Noikari was the one with more potential." Endeavor's voice strained as he recalled the information he had heard. "He had a sister at one point, and..." The hero stopped for a moment to gather himself, breathing in before stating the horrible fact. "And they killed her."

Shouta's eyes darkened as he only imagined Eri in that same situation. It was enough to make him nearly scream." So, no wonder he listened to Mirko" Eraserhead exclaimed. "Perhaps he sees her as a role model". Endeavor sighed, trying to regain his focus. "We need to go to the authorities and let them do their jobs." Shouta nodded as the two heroes each picked up one of the scientists, who were knocked unconscious.

Together, Endeavor and Eraserhead began their march to the police station, leaving the destroyed remnants of a child's past behind.

*****

Making her way back to U.A. High School, Mirko silently entered the building, the sleeping Norikai still in her hands. She smiled as she saw his sleeping face. He looked so. . peaceful, like a normal kid. But the bunny hero couldn't help but nearly cry when she saw the boy's tortured body. There wasn't a single part of his body that wasn't scarred or burned. when she had heard about what the scientists had been doing the poor boy, and immediately joined Endeavor and Eraserhead in saving Noikari. After thinking heavily about it, Mirko decided to find the one person that might be able to help.

Making her way to the dormitories, she saw all of the dorms had their lights off, save for one. Mirko grinned; that's the one she was looking for. Making sure not to drop the sleeping Noikari, Mirko softly knocked on the door. After a few seconds, she heard movement from the other side as the door slowly opened, a small figure opening the door. A little girl with long, off-white hair opened the door, rubbing her eyes before smiling as she saw who was there.

"Mirko-chan!" Eri cheered.

"Hey there, kid." Mirko said, ruffling the girl's hair. The little girl's smile quickly turned to a look of concern as she saw the brutalized Noikari in Mirko's hands.

"Mirko-chan, is he. . alright?" Eri asked, moving back to make room for Mirko."Yeah, he's fine", Mirko lied. She didn't want to tell the young girl the reason the boy was so injured.

"He fell asleep while I was carrying him. "Eri's eyes widened. "You carried him?"

"Sure I did. It was a cinch!"

Eri's eyes sparkled in awe. "But. . why did you need to bring him here."

Mirko stopped for a moment, considering the best way to word what came out of her mouth next.

"Do you see all of those marks on him, Eri?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, I was wondering if maybe you could use your quirk to try and make him all better."

Eri's face became worried. "Are you sure? What if. . what if I mess up. I don't want him to disappear."

The girl's eyes became watery as she remembered how she had erased Kai Chisaki from existence with 'Rewind'. Mirko kneeled down in front of the little girl, placing the limp Noikari on the floor so that the girl could sit in front of him. The girl moved closer to the sleeping Noikari as Mirko placed her hands on Eri's tiny cheeks.

"I know it's scary," said Mirko. "but there's a reason I came to you instead of anyone else. It's because I believe in you. So, will you help, Eri?"

Eri gave the hero a small nod, determination clear on her face. Smiling, Mirko grabbed Eri's arms tightly and closed her eyes. Eri concentrated as the tiny horn protruding from her head began to grow and glow. The same glow surrounded the unconscious Noikari as his whole body began going through the process of rewinding. The scars and bruised which covered his form began to be sucked back into the boy's body, almost as if they were never even there. After roughly a minute, the process was complete. Save for the massive scar which ran down his collarbone, Noikari looked to be completely fine.

Looking at Mirko again, Eri nodded once, signalling that she was done.Smiling, Mirko released her grip on Eri's arms. "Thank you." The girl stood up, walking over to Noikari's bedside. Looking back at Mirko, the girl asked her, "Is he gonna be ok?"

"Yes, he should wake up soon", replied Mirko. "Now, I think we should leave him alone for the night."

"Now, I think we should give him time to rest. We'll come back later and check on him. In the meantime, I'll take you to Mr. Aizawa. I'm sure he's back by now."

"Ok!" said Eri, running towards the exit of the room.

"Oh, and Eri?" called Mirko.

"What is it, Mirko?" asked Eri.

"Thank you, again."

Eri gave the bunny hero one last smile, waving to her in happiness as she exited the room, heading off in search of Eraserhead, Mirko following behind her. As Mirko headed out the door, she took one last look at the sleeping Noikari. His expression looked so peaceful, yet his eyes held pain and fear, even when sleeping. She hated seeing that look on a person's face, especially if it was someone who didn't deserve any of it. Mirko's gaze hardened. She made a promise to herself that if anyone ever tried to hurt him again, she would make them suffer.

With that last thought in mind, Mirko closed the door behind her, leaving the resting Noikari.

Added in 2 hours 57 minutes :
Chapter 2: Unleashed from Within

Noikari woke up with a start, noticing that now the light of the sun had retreated to allow nighttime to arrive. Scratching his weary eyes, the child noticed that the room was. . . empty. Eri wasn't there, nor was Mirko. As he slowly rose out of bed, he noticed something odd. Looking down at his arms, the boy was shocked to see that the majority of his scars were. . gone! The only one that remained was a large scar that ran down his collarbone, but even that was now closed up. Had he regenerated? No, that wasn't it. There was something else. But he didn't dwell on that thought for long as he realized something else.

'I can't believe it' Noikari thought to himself. 'I'm finally free. .'

He looked outside through the open window, seeing that the sky was clear, allowing the Moon to illuminate the landscape. Noikari was mesmerized. He had never seen such beauty. Deciding to get some fresh air, the boy quickly started rummaging through various drawers. Eventually, he found numerous sets of clothes. Unfortunately, as they were Eri's clothes, they were all much too small for him. Noikari sighed in annoyance before eventually conceding and grabbing a pink shirt with flowers on it from the drawer. 'Better than nothing, I guess', he told himself. After taking a moment to squeeze into the tiny shirt, which barely covered half of his chest, Noikari silently exited the dorm room, taking extra precaution not to wake any heroes up, knowing that they would most likely find it suspicious that an unknown person was roaming the dormitory at night.

After a few minutes of sneaking, he found a door which led outside. The boy sighed contentedly as he felt a breeze of wind gently blow across his body. Gazing at the star filled sky, he saw the full Moon in all its glory.

The Moon had always enamored Noikari. When he was all alone in his containment, it was the Moon that provided him light, gave him hope, however small it might have been.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Noikari brought his hands up to the sky, as if he was praising the Moon itself. And then, he danced. But it wasn't any normal dance. Every movement had not the slightest wasted movement. His body spun and twisted with fluidity and grace that would make even the most skilled choreographer's blush.

For almost half an hour, Noikari worshipped the natural satellite of the Earth, ending the beautiful performance by bringing himself downwards, allowing his body to sit on the grass. A single tear left Noikari's eye as he smiled.

For the first time in his life, he was truly happy.

After getting his fill of peace and quiet, Noikari decided to return to the dormitory so that he could continue sleeping. However, when he opened the door to his bedroom, a figure appeared in the corner and Noikari immediately began to panic. Was someone here to hurt him again? Or was this another hallucination caused by his exhaustion? Whatever it was, it certainly did not look friendly, considering that it was wearing a black mask, with a red scarf covering its face. A hooded cape was draped over its shoulders, hiding its form. Noikari took a step back. Suddenly, the hooded figure raised its arm, a knife materializing from within its sleeve. Noikari was too petrified by fear to move. Closing his eyes, he prepared for the pain, only to hear a loud crack.

Opening his eyes, Noikari gawked as his attacker was sent to the ground with a kick to the head, forcing the man to drop the knife.

Standing between Noikari and the attacker was Mirko, who had just returned with Eri. Without taking her eyes off of the mysterious assailant, Mirko ordered "Noikari, you and Eri stay back. This freak is mine."

Noikari was confused. How did she know his name? He had never told her it back at the lab. It wasn't until Eri tugged at his arm that Noikari was brought back to reality. Knowing that she was right, the two children stepped back to allow Mirko to fight.

Still gazing at the attacker as he slowly pulled himself off of the ground. The villain cursed his luck. He had meant to take Noikari and leave, but now he had to fight a pro hero.

Or did he?

Gears turned in the man's head as he concocted a plan, grinning to himself. In a fight with a pro hero like Mirko, he didn't stand a chance, but if could get some leverage. . . That was it! Stealing a glance at Mirko, the villain put his hands up, pretending to surrender. She marched over to him, unafraid of getting a little cocky.

"You must be pretty dumb breaking into a place like this."

The villain merely shrugged. "On the contrary", he began. "Did you really think I wouldn't come here unprepared?"

In a surprising move, the man smashed a fist into Mirko's gut. Although it didn't hurt too much, the punch was enough to make the rabbit hero stagger back, allowing the villain to execute his plan. Turning to the two children, the man charged at them. Noikari instinctively put himself in front of Eri, only to be smashed into the wall by the attacker, granting the villain the chance to grab Eri. The little girl cried out as she was held in the villain's grasp, but Eri's voice became quiet as aggressor generated another knife from his hands, holding it up to the girl's throat. Seeing both Norikai and Mirko recovered, the villain held out a single hand.

"Ah, ah, ah," he mocked. "Either of you make a move and I kill her. We don't want that to happen now, do we?" He chuckled darkly.

Mirko was furious. "How can you hold a child hostage? You're not just a villain, you're a monster!"

The kidnapper laughed. "My, my, such a bold claim. I'm sure my little 'friend' here wouldn't like those words, right?" He pressed the knife close enough to where it nearly touched Eri's throat, the girl whimpering as tears flowed from her eyes.

Noikari stood silently as emotions and thoughts swirled around in his head. Flashbacks of his past overwhelmed him. The torture, the pain, he wouldn't allow anyone to feel that way ever again, especially someone who had saved him before.

And then, something snapped inside. Mirko, Eri, and even the villain holding the latter hostage all turned to the young child as a sound similar to hissing steam hit their ears, Noikari being the cause. His flesh began to change. Screaming in pain, the boy fell to the ground as the skin on his arms started to pulsate and morph, becoming more muscular and changing to a deep purple color. Lavender-hued blood dripped from his hands as his body briefly was unable to contain the raw power. Howling in agony, Noikari stayed this way for roughly two minutes, feeling more like two hours for him.

And then, the pain stopped.

All of the sudden, Noikari's screams lessened, before muting entirely. The boy straightened up, his eyes no longer holding any fear within them.

In fear for Eri's life, Noikari's quirk had awoken.

Conversion Furnace

Faster than anyone could see, Noikari lunged forward. The villain had no time to react as a powerful fist smashed into his face, nearly breaking his nose from the hit. The attack not only sent the evil man flying back, but it also forced him to release his grip on Eri. Grabbing her in his arms, Noikari briefly looked at her shocked face, a warm smile shining from his visage as his face then hardened once more. Gently placing the girl down, Noikari pointed at a shocked Mirko and said one word.

"Go."

Eri briefly stared at him in awe before nodding, running over to Mirko and allowing the bunny hero to take her.

Now with that taken care of, Noikari turned back to his enemy. The villain was on his feet and charging towards Noikari, his face full of rage. With inhuman speed, Noikari grabbed the man's legs, throwing him to the floor. The villain rolled away as Noikari continued to advance on him, kicking and punching at the villains' weak areas repeatedly. Finally reaching the man's neck, he attempted to grab his head, only to jump backwards as the villain materialized two knives in his hands, slashing them across Noikari's robust hands. The child yelped as violet-colored ichor was expelled, before grabbing the weapons and tossing them aside, allowing him to land a devastating punch to the villain's cheek, blood being forcibly ejected from his mouth as he was once more sent flying backwards.

Jumping at the villain with inhumane speed, Noikari prepared to bring his powerful fists down on his chest, only to shriek in pain as the purple skin across his hands began to flake off, revealing the original white color of his normal skin. His quirk had worn off. It was the first time he had ever used it, and it had exhausted him completely. Noikari stumbled backwards before falling flat on his back, utterly drained of strength.

The villain rubbed his bruised cheek and chuckled. "That is quite the power you wield, boy. Know that this isn't over. I will be seeing you again soon. ." With that, he left in a burst of smoke, concealing his escape.

"Damn it, he got away! exclaimed Mirko. Shooting a worried glance to Noikari, Mirko picked him up and helped the child to his feet.

"What. . what happened?"

Mirko was shocked. "You don't remember what you did?" Noikari shook his head no. Before she could question it further, Eri walked up to the boy. "Um. . excuse me?"

Kneeling down in front of her, Noikari waited for the little girl to speak, only to be stunned as she softly wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him in a hug. "Thank you for saving me." she said in gratitude. Noikari's eyes widened, tears starting to form in his pupils before he returned her embrace with his own, trying his best not to cry as his heart was touched by the gesture.

The two children, each previously facing tragedy of their own, formed a silent bond.

At this point, several heroes from Class 1A had emerged from their dorms, the commotion of the battle waking them up. Upon seeing the situation, they all rushed towards Noikari, helping the boy stand. As everyone tried to calm the crying child, Noikari thanked them all, though he was still dazed from using his quirk.

Staying back was Katsuki, who simply watched in confusion and a little bit of anger. Whatever happened had just woken him up from a good night's sleep.

"What the hell did you guys do out here? I'm trying to sleep!"

Although they were busy helping Noikari gain his bearings, they also thought the same thing. Just 𝘸𝘩𝘰 exactly was this kid? Turning to Mirko, Todoroki asked her "Mrs Rumi, who is this?"

Turning to the group, Mirko responded, "Mr. Aizawa will explain it to you all in the morning. Just go back to your dorms."

With that, she gave Noikari a small pat on the shoulder, which prompted the child to follow suit. However, Noikari paused for a moment to look back at the group, giving everyone there a quick wave. All in response, he received a few waves and a glare from Bakugou. Turning away, Noikari heard Mirko say, "Come on, kid." Taking her hand, Noikari followed Mirko alongside Eri back to the little girl's room to sleep.

Once inside, the two children climbed under the covers of the bed. Well, Eri did at least. Noikari, exhausted from the previous events, fell asleep almost the moment he got on the bed. Eri took part of the blanket and gently placed it on top of the sleeping boy. Mirko turned her attention to Eri. Looking at her, Eri gazed at the woman, who smiled gently at her.

The kid's been through a lot today so just try to be quiet while he's sleeping. But if you need anything, just come find me, okay?"

Eri nodded.

"Goodnight, Eri."

"Night, Mrs Rumi."

With that, Mirko left the room and closed the door behind her.

[Dunkeeni]

Chapter 3: Recovery

The next morning, Noikari awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside his window. Opening his eyes slowly, Noikari stretched and yawned, feeling a slight ache in his muscles thanks to the fight the day before. Sitting up in his bed, the boy saw Eri sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, playfully doodling on a piece of paper. Hearing Noikari stretch, Eri turned around and happily exclaimed "Oh, you're awake!"

Noikari rubbed his temple with his hand as he groaned. "Morning", he said. He was still getting used to being in this new place, and he didn't really know how to react to. . anything, really. As he got dressed into a set of clothes that actually fit him, courtesy of Mirko, there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, that must be Mr. Aizawa!" Eri happily pronounced. She stood up from her seat and ran towards the door, opening it to reveal a tired teacher. Upon seeing Noikari standing in the doorway, Aizawa's eye twitched slightly.

"I see that we are finally awake," the pro hero sighed in relief. "Are you alright after last night, Noikari?"

Noikari nodded, a smile returning to his face.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I never got to thank you before so. . . thank you for saving me, sir, and for everything else too."

Aizawa smiled faintly, glancing at his watch. "Well, fortunately, it looks like we have a couple minutes till homeroom starts. Come with me, I want to ask you about something.

Eri's voice came from behind Noikari. "Can I come too, Mr. Aizawa?"

The pro hero knelt in front of the little girl, lightly ruffling her hair. "Sorry Eri", he replied. "This is something a little serious. I'll come back when I'm done talking to Noikari. It won't be long." Eri was sad, but she also knew that it wasn't nice to be a part of other people's business, and so she waved as Noikari walked with Shouta, the teacher giving off an aura that made Noikari both impressed and intimidated. After a minute of walking in silence, Shouta finally spoke up.

"Mirko told me about last night."

He stated bluntly.

Noikari blinked a couple times before responding. "She did? I'm sorry for causing trouble."

A sigh escaped the teacher. "You didn't cause trouble. In fact, it was quite the opposite. You protected Eri from danger, protecting her from a villain, even before your quirk activated. Doing such a thing was extremely brave of you." Although his voice was monotone, Aizawa's remarks were genuine. For someone who had seemed so emotionless when he had rescued him, he now seemed rather emotional, much like a parent would be when speaking with their child about something sensitive or difficult.

Noikari was surprised to hear those words. He had always thought that he was nothing. Only a tool to be used for destruction. But now that these heroes had saved him, he finally found something. Saving Eri last night had opened his eyes.

Aizawa turned his eyes to glance at Noikari, contemplating his next words. "I. . . have a proposition for you, Noikari." The child turned to look at his face, slightly worried.

"Even without that quirk of yours, you have skill, talent that can be made into something great. Mirko sees great potential in you, as do I."

Noikari paused as his eyes wandered until they reached the pro heroes face.

"What are you saying?"

Aizawa went silent for a moment before answering "I want you to become a hero." He then took a deep breath before adding "and I would very much like you to join Class 1A."

Noikari simply stood, contemplating his choices. Could he be a hero? Why would he make a good hero? He was literally created to kill them!

But then he remembered how Eri looked when he had saved her. How she had embraced him and thanked him for his actions. He enjoyed that feeling, the feeling of happiness. He wanted to feel that not just for himself, but for others.

Noticing the child's conflicted face, Aizawa reassured him, "I'm not forcing you to become a hero. Whatever path you take is alright, but if you wish to-"

He was abruptly cut off by Noikari. "I'll do it."

The teacher was shocked at his quick response. "Are you sure?" he questioned. With everything you've been through, perhaps it would be wise to think about it for just a little bit."

Noikari nodded, a determined expression taking over his features.

"Yes, I am sure."

Seeing the child's conviction, the pro hero nodded in understanding. Without another word, Aizawa pulled out some documents from within his pocket, handing them to Noikari.

"Hold onto these. In the meantime, follow me to Class 1A."

The boy nodded as he walked alongside Aizawa, noting that a slight smile was escaping the seemingly cold teacher's face.

Eventually, the two reached Class 1A, Noikari looking in awe. Glancing at the boy, Aizawa turned to him and said "Wait out here for just a moment. I'll tell you when to come in."

Noikari nodded as Shouta Aizawa walked into his homeroom. Upon entering, he noticed several of his students discussing the events of last night. While some students such as Deku had slept through it, others had not. Katsuki, Mina, and Todoroki were busy discussing what had happened the night before. Noticing their teacher had entered, the students went to their desks and sat down, their voices becoming quiet as Aizawa began to speak.

"Good morning, students. As some of you know, there was an incident last night. A villain broke into the school and tried to attack someone. Needless to say, no one was hurt, and the villain is now gone. But last night, I saw an extraordinary act, from a complete stranger risking his life to protect someone. My students, I would like to introduce you to your newest peer."

Turning his head towards the door, Aizawa exclaimed, "You can come in now."

All eyes were on the classroom's entrance as a figure walked through. Noikari nervously entered as he stopped for a moment before bowing. "N-nice to meet you all."

The first person to formerly greet the child was Izuku Midoriya. The green haired boy stood up from his chair, making his way towards the boy, offering his hand.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we can get along." he greeted.

As Noikari took Izuku's hand, a small smile crept onto his face as he glanced up at him and replied with "T-thank you". Then he moved his gaze to the rest of the class. His ginger eyes landed on Bakugo, who stared back unblinkingly. With a frown on his face, the blond growled something incomprehensible as he crossed his arms, looking away with a grunt. Noikari was slightly intimidated, but Todoroki reassured him, "don't worry about Katsuki there, kid. He's always like that."

"I can still here you, asshole!" Katsuki snapped back in annoyance, causing Todoroki to nervously laugh.

"Silly Bakugou", Yaoyorozu giggled. "Just ignore him." Then another girl raised her voice, directing it at Noikari, who was awkwardly staring at the ground with a blush on his face. "Um... I'm Uraraka Ochaco. Nice to meet you."

Noikari nodded, smiling at the girl. "I'm Noikari. It's a pleasure to meet you." Uraraka nodded, returning his smile with a bright one of her own.

Momo hung back for the time being, standing next to Kyoka as they watched the others talk to Noikari. Momo sighed, catching the attention of her friend. Grinning, the earphone hero knew what that noise meant.


Having someone as young as him here, it's kinda like having a younger brother," Momo commented, occasionally glancing at Noikari, who was laughing at something the red-headed Eijiro was telling him.




Eventually Noikari spotted the two girls looking at him. The child waved happily at them, his smile never faltering. As his friends returned their greetings, Noikari felt warmth fill his chest. He couldn't believe that he finally had friends.

Something deep in his gut told him that he had made the right decision.




*****

After their conversation with the new student, the day went fairly smoothly, which did not surprise Noikari in the slightest. It was only after lunch, however, that things began to get complicated.

"Hey! You bastard!" Bakugo shouted in anger towards a tall male dressed in white.

"What do you mean bastard? You're the one calling me names!" The man in question responded.

The two had been practically at each other's throat for a few minutes, hurling insults and obscenities at each other. Todoroki tried to get Bakugo to back down, considering he was one of the few people Bakugo actually held a smidge of respect for.

"Hey, come on, you two. Let's just calm down."

"Shut the hell up, Todoroki!"

He raised his hands in defense before backing away, not wanting to get hurt.

The tall student then spoke next. "Listen asshole, I don't think you want any of this."

Bakugo snapped back "Oh believe me, I do!"

"Well then by all means, make my day!"

Bakugo and the taller student walked up to each other before both reared a fist back. Although they couldn't use their quirks in the school, that didn't stop them from wanting to fight. As their fists launched forward, a few of the students ducked down, Midoriya preparing to activate his quirk to stop them.

But someone else did it for him.

Bakugo, the taller student, and everyone from Class 1A collectively gasped as they saw what had happened.

In between the two, Noikari stood, each of his hands holding back one fist. He groaned in pain as he felt his wrists nearly dislocate, but he still persisted, even when the two tried to apply more pressure.

It was a standoff.

Using his position to his advantage, Noikari shoved his hands back, forcing both Bakugo and the larger student to be pushed backwards. Still standing in between them, the child shouted "Enough!"

Bakugo was furious. "Get the hell out of the way, brat!"

"No! You two can resolve this peacefully." Noikari yelled back. After a short pause, he added: "Please just stop fighting."

Bakugo and the taller student both glared at Noikari, then at each other. Although it angered them, they also both knew that he was right. Reluctantly, they calmed down, but not before shooting a quick glance of frustration at each other before going to other sides of the lunchroom.

Noikari sighed in relief before going back to finish his lunch in peace, being utterly silent as if nothing had happened.

"Hey kid."

Turning his head, Noikari saw Todoroki approaching, the hero in training taking a seat next to him.

Noikari asked him, "When you said Bakugo's always like that, I didn't think you meant like that."

Todoroki shrugged before saying, "Yeah, it happens quite often when he's angry. Usually when he gets mad, he says stupid shit or yells."

"So he's like that every day?" Noikari replied, genuinely curious.

When Todoroki simply nodded, Noikari continued to eat his food in silence.

Once the food finished, Todoroki stood and began walking off. Before he could leave, however, Noikari called after him.

"Um, Mr. Todoroki?"

Todoroki turned back to the kid, a warm smile forming. "Hey, no need to be so formal, kid. Just call me Todoroki." he offered kindly.

Smiling shyly, Noikari answered quietly, "Thanks, Todoroki."

As the young U.A student walked away, he heard a low chuckle beside him. Turning his attention to the source of the sound, he found Momo standing next to him with an amused expression plastered across her face.

"Oh, um. . did you want to ask me something Momo-chan?" Noikari inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Momo laughed softly before answering with a sly smile, "I just happen to agree with Mirko when she said that you seem like such a sweet kid." she paused for a moment, her grin fading slightly as she continued. "And that you are rather cute too."

Blushing slightly at Momo's compliment, Noikari looked down and mumbled under his breath. "That's kind of you, Momo."

"Hey, I know! How about we walk back to class together? It's about to start anyways." she suggested, grinning at the boy.

"Uh. Sure."

With that, the two made their way back to Class 1A while chatting. Noikari was happy that everyone was so accepting of him despite his age, especially Momo. However, he was very confused as to why the girl seemed so interested in him.

Noticing his confusion, Momo stopped to face the small boy, causing him to halt as well.

"Noikari." Momo stated calmly, giving him a sincere smile.

"Yea, Momo?" he questioned, blushing slightly at her sudden closeness.

She smiled brightly before continuing. "If you ever need anything, tell me alright? Or anyone."

"Okay."

Smiling, Momo took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers as they walked.

[Dunkeeni]

Chapter 4: Unveiling the Past

******

After lunch, everyone in Class 1A had returned to class, save for Uraraka. Momo and Noikari were the last to arrive, with the latter going off to a far desk while Momo went to talk with Shoto.

"Oi! Shithead! Get over here!"

Momo glanced around for where Bakugo's voice was coming from before looking at Shoto. Giving the older boy a nod, the two walked over to Bakugo, who was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Shoto looked at the boy curiously. "Is everything okay, Bakugo?"

Bakugo scoffed in annoyance before yelling, "You're asking me?! Are you crazy?!"

Shoto frowned, "Sorry, but I'm clueless when it comes to your mood swings."

Bakugo scowled before asking Shoto. "So, what do you think 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 happened?"

Shoto and Momo were both confused at his question, giving him perplexed looks.

"I'm. . . not sure what you're talking about."

Bakugo rubbed his fingers across his forehead in irritation before continuing, "I mean with that little runt, Noikari. Aizawa told that there was some incident with a villain last night, but that doesn't explain why that kid's here. I feel like we haven't gotten the whole story yet."

Momo looked over at Noikari, noticing the look of discomfort on the child's face as he stared blankly ahead. He was staring straight past them, as if he wasn't aware of the two boys. His eyes were red and puffy, tears silently rolling down his cheeks.

"Maybe we should give him some space,"

Katsuki simply shrugged and sat down in his desk.

He then leaned back against his chair and crossed his arms as he rested his gaze on the floor, watching as the black and grey patterns danced together in the pattern of the tiles below his feet.

Noikari continued to stare at the ground silently. After a few moments passed, he finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry." he murmured, still staring at the floor.

No, wait, that can't be right. Why would he apologize for something like this?

Looking at Momo's puzzled expression, Shoto turned towards Noikari's direction and asked him. "What exactly does 'sorry' mean, kid?"

At first, Noikari remained quiet, but eventually he lifted his head and looked at Shoto.

"I'm sorry for making you guys worry."

Shoto blinked in surprise. "Worry? About what?"

Noikari looked down again, his eyes now focused on the floor. "About me."

Everyone was still confused. The voices of Minoru Mineta and Fumikage Tokoyomi rang out.

"Come on kid, you haven't done anything wrong."

"Yeah, what is there to worry about?"

Noikari slowly got up and spoke. "You guys remember what happened last night, right?"

Collectively, the class nodded.

"Well, there's a reason I was here in the first place."

"And what was that reason?" questioned Mina.

Sighing in defeat, Noikari began to explain, everyone perking up their ears to hear his story.

"I am not like you guys. I may look like a normal person with a quirk, but I'm not even really a person. I wasn't born, I was. . . created, in a lab. I was tortured beyond belief." The child pulled his shirt up and turned around, showing everyone the gaping scar that still ran down his collarbone. Several students including Momo covered their mouths in horror, and even Bakugo couldn't help but clench his fists in anger. Not at the boy, but at whoever did this. Sure, he didn't really like the kid yet, but no one should be made to suffer like that.

"Wh-why would someone do this?" Deku stammered.

Glancing down in sadness, Noikari finished his tale. "Because I was made for a single purpose, one that they hoped I would see till the end. It was my goal, my prime directive, my mission."

Slowly sitting back in his chair while tears formed in his eyes, he finally was able to finish his speech.

"My mission. . . was to kill all heroes."

It only took one look at the child to realize how much it tore him apart to have had such an evil purpose. The entire class fell silent, each trying to comprehend what they just heard.

Finally breaking out of shock, Yaoyorozu stepped forward.

"No, no, this isn't true, you can't-"

She was promptly cut off by Katsuki, who lightly pushed her out of the way before grabbing Noikari by the neck with a single hand, hoisting the child upwards.

"So you were just gonna kill us all. You bastard!" Noikari tried to object, but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a choking wheeze.

Todoroki grabbed his friend by the shoulder, harshly pulling him back. "Hold on Bakugo, just let him explain!" Bakugo looked at his friend in rage, then looked at the struggling child in his grasp, before taking a deep breath and sighing, releasing Noikari from his grasp.

"You better have a damn good explanation, brat."

Taking a moment to recover, Noikari coughed harshly before continuing. "As a child, there was always this dark feeling inside of me. There is a reason that those scientists wanted to use me; they wanted to create the perfect weapon to eliminate All Might's successor and restore 'peace'."

Noikari sighed before continuing on. "But then, they showed up. Endeavor, Rumi, and Eraserhead. They apprehended them, and I was free. I thought they would hurt me, but they didn't. It was Rumi who brought me here to rest, and when I woke up, most of my scars were gone."

Hearing that, Kirishima quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "You don't have to explain yourself more than you already have, dude."

"Thanks, Kiri." Noikari replied quietly. He was thankful that the people surrounding him cared enough to make him feel more comfortable.

Suddenly, Todoroki noticed something. Looking closer, the group saw Bakugo staring daggers into the younger boy's chest. The explosive male was clenching his fists tightly, and it wouldn't take much to know that the other was itching to beat the living crap out of Noikari right then and there.

But then, his fists unclenched, his eyes closed, and a sigh of defeat escaped his lips. When he opened his eyes once more, they were no longer filled with a boiling fury, but they were now showing signs of remorse.

"I can't hold your own past against you, kid. No one can. I know you are innocent, but I just wanted something to knock you down a peg, and I'm... " Bakugo paused, turning his head away as his cheeks turned red at the thought of what he was about to say. "I'm sorry."

The others watched as Noikari gave Bakugo an almost pitying look. Then he suddenly smiled.

The smile surprised them all.

"Thank you. For apologizing to me."

A small smile appeared on Bakugo's face, if only for a moment, before he turned away.

"Whatever." he muttered.

Momo and Shoto glanced at each other, wondering what just happened between the two.

"Hey, kid." said Shoto with slight hesitation as he approached the boy.

Noikari looked up from the ground as he glanced at Shoto, waiting for him to continue.

"That was brave of you. You didn't have to tell us all that, but you did because you were worried for us. Thanks."

Noikari gave Shoto another soft smile before speaking up once again.

"Thank you too."

With that said, Noikari walked towards his desk and plopped himself down on one of them, letting out a huge yawn. The exhaustion and tiredness evident on his face.

Momo and the others watched as Noikari slumped further into his seat until his head hit his desk.

Bakugo chuckled softly before walking away, mumbling under his breath as he went.

"Idiot..."

[Dunkeeni]

Battle of Ground Beta

A week came and went as Noikari's hero training began. Although his quirk would help him, Eraserhead reminded him that a hero's quirk is merely an extension of themselves, and that a true hero can work without them. Thus, Noikari started to receive physical training in order to learn how to fight properly. Although his showing against the villain on that night in the dorms was impressive, it was unrefined and sloppy. With this training, his technique would not only become more refined, but it would allow him to better his quirk.

With Aizawa and several students from Class 1A watching, Noikari sat silently, alone. His body was in a meditative state as he began to clear his mind. The advice of Aizawa hit his ears. "Remember Noikari, let everything go and make yourself utterly still."

Taking a final deep breath, Noikari breathed out before a familiar purple glow slowly adorned his hands. Bone snapped and shifted loudly as his arms began to shift. The muscles within split before being engulfed in lavender flesh. With his new training, Noikari had learned to activate his quirk 'Conversion Furnace' at will. While it still left him drained, the time he spent focusing on the process and getting better control over it allowed him to get stronger and faster. As for his skin, though, it was becoming more resilient. With each session, the skin began to harden and strengthen as he used more and more of the power stored within his body.

Noikari's quirk was a most interesting one. His quirk allows him to absorb various forms of molecules in the air and convert it into raw energy by fusing the molecules with protons and electrons in his blood. The stored energy can not only grant a temporary burst of strength and speed but can also be used to create various types of constructs.

Opening his eyes, Noikari stood, examining his now-muscular hands. No abnormalities to be found, which was good. He would need to be in top shape for what was to come. .

Looking on, Aizawa motioned for all of his students to come forward. They got into a group in front of their teacher, allowing him to speak.

"I'd like to thank you all for being so accepting of Noikari, given what you have learned about him. His training has been going well, but I want to see the results firsthand." Pointing a finger at the group, he then declared "I want four of you students to test his abilities in a simple spar."

Everyone was shocked as they quickly started talking amongst themselves. Despite how capable they knew he was, they still felt uncomfortable fighting a kid.

"I'll do it."

All eyes turned to find the identity of the speaker. It was Todoroki who had stepped up.

"I've been wanting to see this kid in action, as well as test myself against an opponent that I know nothing about." The red and silver-haired student inquired, his gaze hardening.

Aizawa nodded. "So, we need two more. Any other volunteers.

A hand nervously rose. "Um... I'll do it." Momo said, her hand raising ever so slightly. Maybe it was because of her friendliness towards him, or an actual interest in his abilities, but Momo came forth regardless.

"Count me in too!" A third voice roared. Eijiro Kirishima strolled in, feeling confident that his quirk 'Hardening' would be able to match the child.

"Okay. We only need one more." Aizawa pronounced. "Any other volunteers?"

The class fell silent once more, shooting worried glances at each other. Which one of them would break the silence and come forward.

"Oh, for god's sake, I'll do it."

Everyone turned in shock as Bakugo walked forward, shoving Todoroki so he could speak. "You idiots were taking too long to decide, so I'll be the last one, got it?"

Aizawa nodded to his student before turning towards Noikari, who had long since deactivated his quirk to allow himself to rest.

"Noikari!" Hearing Aizawa's voice, the child quickly ran over, standing to attention.

"Yes sir?"

Eraserhead briefly grinned before continuing. "Your training has been for the most part successful, but now you'll have a true test. You will face off against these four students." His hand motioned to his side where each of them was standing.

Noikari briefly gulped in fear, but he pushed those feelings aside. Deep down, he knew that he had been itching for a fight.

"Yes sir, I promise I'll do my best!"

"Good, now come with me", Aizawa ordered. Noikari and the rest of Class 1A followed closely behind him. The teacher led them to a special building designed specifically for exercises such as this.

Ground Beta.

Aizawa led his students inside, the doors shutting as the last of them entered. Pointing to his left, Aizawa said, "Anyone who isn't participating in the test, use the monitoring rooms in the basement." With that, Midoriya, Uraraka, and the others split off to spectate, leaving only Noikari, Todoroki, Momo, Eijiro, and Bakugo.

His eyes viewing the five heroes in training, Aizawa motioned for them to follow him. Eventually, the group found themselves in a large room which heavily resembled a standard urban area. While the others had become more than acquainted with this place, Noikari was stunned.

"It's. . It's a whole city in here!"

"Not quite." uttered Aizawa. "This is a simulated training area, designed so heroes can train in a normal environment. This is where you will fight."

Turning his back to the group, Aizawa reminded them of one more thing. "Oh, and try not to cause as much destruction as last time. It's not cheap to repair this place." He then promptly left, leaving only the five students behind.

"So, uh... guess we gotta test you kid." Todoroki stated, scratching his head.

Although the odds were stacked against him, Noikari couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. He could tell this was going to be a fun battle.

"Fine by me. I've been looking forward to this, so come at me."

Each of the four heroes leapt in different directions, surrounding him in a square. Noikari's eyes darted in every direction as he activated his quirk once more. His arms once again became adorned with dark purple light as the insides of his hands bulged and morphed to accommodate the changes. His eyes also briefly turned a shade of orange as he took a moment to use the energy absorption part of his quirk to get some fresh power for the upcoming battle, storing it inside his body for later. Taking a fighting pose as he was surrounded on all four quadrants, the child simply uttered one statement.

"Bring it on."

With that, the fight began.

Todoroki brought his right arm forward, a veil of ice surrounding the fist. Charging forward, the son of Endeavor launched his fist at Noikari, only for it to be blocked by the child's bulky hand. Noikari briefly cringed as he felt the near subzero temperature freeze his hand, but he ignored it the best he could, instead charging forward and attempting to attack Todoroki's right leg. The result was almost comical as Noikari was blasted back by a large wave of freezing cold wind. He quickly tried to recover his balance and turn around only for him to suddenly be attacked from behind.

While he had been dealing with Todoroki's initial attacks, Momo had rushed in for a high kick that caught Noikari completely off guard. The impact sent the child flying back yet again only for Bakugo to rush in, firing his explosion at the child. As the powerful blast of fire approached the boy, he decided to improvise. Lashing his hands out, the boy caught it in his palms. What happened next shocked everyone.

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, Noikari with significant effort ripped the blast in two, leaving the halves to explode behind him. Bakugo was too stunned to react as the boy rushed forward and smashed him to the ground with a powerful punch, barely having time to avoid a retaliatory strike from Eijiro, who was eager for a challenge. Noikari leapt back before launching forward, hitting the hero in the face with all of his might. . .

Only to shriek and stagger back as he felt the bones in his fingers crack. 'Damn, he didn't think he had activated his 'Hardening' quirk yet.

'I can't keep playing defensive like this' Noikari thought to himself. 'It's time I turn this fight around.'

Noticing Bakugo preparing another explosion behind him, Noikari waited until the moment it was fired. Just as the blast approached him, the child spun around and shoved Eijiro into it, sending the hero in training flying back, groaning as he hit the dirt. Although the fire hadn't done any major damage thanks to his quirk, it did still leave some minor burns.

Bakugo swore to himself as Noikari put distance between them, hunching forward to prepare his next move. His palms began to morph and change, becoming adorned with metal. The fingers contorted to allow metal spikes to adorn their tips, gauntlets covering them. Momo helped Eijiro back to his feet as Bakugo and Todoroki watched on in complete awe.

In the observatory, everyone else was equally shocked. No one could believe it.

Noikari had just made brass knuckles out of nothing!

Shaking his head to regain his composure, Bakugo turned to Todoroki and nodded, his friend nodding back as the two silently formed a plan.

Meanwhile, Momo was still astonished. His quirk, it was like her own. Her quirk also allowed her to create numerous objects out of thin air, provided she understood said object's atomic configuration. But Noikari, his didn't seem to have that weakness.

Momo couldn't help but blush. She was liking him more and more. She wondered if Noikari had a limit to what he could create. How large or small could he make something. . . ? No, no, now was not the time to be thinking about that.

Not when the test continued.

Noikari engaged in a heated struggle with Eijiro, now being able to fight the Hardening hero without worrying about breaking his hands just from punching him. The two combatants smashed their heads together as they continued trying to overpower the other. For several seconds it was a stalemate.

The contest of strength then turned in Eijiro's favor as twin blasts of flame struck Noikari in the back, causing the boy to shout in pain as he lost focus. This allowed Eijiro to strike him across the face, causing Noikari to crash to the ground, his head impacting the dirt.

"Had enough?"

Slowly, Noikari's body rose, his mouth briefly in a circular motion before he spat out a small wad of blood. "Not even close."

Getting a little annoyed with his confidence, Bakugo fired a number of powerful shots at Noikari. Ditching the brass knuckles while dodging the best he could, the child briefly focused and forged a new construct. A bow and arrow formed in his hands as he pulled it back, firing a series of three arrows. Bakugo dodged the first two, but a third pierced into his shoulder, forcing a shriek of pain out of the Explosion hero. Grimacing, he ripped it out of his shoulder, blood briefly spilling from the wound before he placed his hand on it, using his heat to cauterize the wound.

Unfortunately, this allowed Noikari to leap forward and grab Bakugo by the head with one hand, smashing him into the ground before proceeding to violently drag him across the dirt, ending when Noikari threw him into a tree, the immense plant falling to the ground with a resounding 𝘛𝘏𝘜𝘋!

Kirishima and Uraraka watched on, both in awe. With that single move, Noikari had sent one of Class 1A's strongest flying as if he weighed nothing! Just what else could this child do?

As Bakugo recovered, he was shocked to see Noikari once more charging at him. The hero prepared to defend himself, only to be shocked when a cannonball smashed directly into Noikari's chest, knocking all of the air out of him, a horrible wheeze being forced out of his mouth as he was sent careening backwards.

Noikari shakily recovered as he looked to see where that had come from, only to jump back in shock at what he saw.

Momo, with a cannon that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere! And with incredible speed, she had moved towards him, aiming a kick straight at his chest. He raised his arms up to block, the kick coming in contact with his arms and sending sparks exploding everywhere as he took a step back, his hands burning and smoking.

"Gah!" He shouted, clutching his arm.

In return, Noikari swung one of his mammoth hands at Momo. Although she had dodged the actual impact, the sheer force of the blow created a gust of wind which slammed into the heroine, forcing her to the ground as she grunted in discomfort.

Sensing a presence behind him Noikari ducked under a blow from Eijiro, countering with an elbow strike to his gut which forced him to give ground.

As soon as Noikari landed back on the ground however, a barrage of explosions came from behind him.

Quickly turning around to face the incoming explosions, he let out a small yell of surprise, before jumping over the incoming attack.

He could hear Bakugo shouting from behind him.

"I can't hold him down!"

"No need, this will get him!"

Todoroki concentrated as his body temperature decreased significantly. Then, with a shout, he slammed his foot into the ground, a massive ridge of ice rapidly approaching Noikari. His ultimate move, Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall, forced the child to flee, dodging the attack the best he could before turning around. He then saw Todoroki leap over his creation, preparing to strike. Noticing the telegraphed attack, Noikari easily grabbed him and tossed him to the ground, a huge crater forming beneath his feet.

Seeing Noikari's strategy unfold, Kirishima smirked before rushing over and joining his classmates as well, ready to launch a counterattack. With a loud roar, Momo charged forward, shooting a newly created pillar of rock at the child, which Noikari redirected at a nearby building, destroying the structure in its path. However, before Noikari could do anything else, Eijiro arrived alongside his friends, bringing him crashing to the ground.

Eijiro punched Noikari in the stomach, sending him sailing through the air, his back hitting the ground hard. Kicking Noikari in the ribs, the boy cried in pain as he staggered back. He was barely able to stay conscious though because of the intense pain.

In retaliation, Noikari reared his head back as far as he could before smashing Eijiro with a powerful headbutt, sending the hero skidding across the dirt. Eijiro managed to dodge the second attack as it passed over him, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge the third as it crashed into him again, knocking him off his feet. As Eijiro fell, Noikari stood back upright before leaping high above him, kicking him in the head and dropping to earth before sprinting away.

Noikari could hardly get a moment of breathing room before Todoroki and Bakugo rushed in from both sides.

A punch to the left from Todoroki was blocked, the same being done to a fist from the right courtesy of Bakugo. Noikari grimaced as he felt his hands being assaulted by both burning heat and freezing ice. The three students strained, each putting all of their might into attacking and defending respectively. Finally, with a shout, Noikari forced their hands away before grabbing their heads and smashing them together. As the two heroes stumbled back, disoriented, Noikari knew what to do next.

'Bakugo seems to be the strongest physically' Noikari mentally inquired. 'I need to take him out fast.'

Still recovering, Bakugo had little time to react as Noikari landed a series of blows to his stomach before the boy grabbed a counterattack and threw the Explosion hero over his shoulder and onto the ground, quickly landing a kick on the side of his ribcage that caused him to cry out in pain yet again. Before he could react, Momo stepped in front of him and created several stun grenades, each one blinding the boy.

Noikari's eyes widened in horror as he tried to get rid of the stinging pain in his eyes.

"Gah, how the hell did you even make those?" he demanded, wiping away the spots.

"Well," Momo replied as she lowered her hands, "it's my Quirk after all. Plus I've seen your attacks, they're not exactly subtle and predictable, I thought it would be better if I used something else."

"So basically, you've been holding back, huh? Bad idea."

Just before Noikari could reply, Bakugo leapt up into the air and unleashed a burst of flames, causing Momo to flinch in slight annoyance. Once Bakugo was closer, he delivered two punches to Noikari's face and knocked him back a few steps before running up and delivering a swift kick to the boy's chest. With no time to brace himself, Noikari stumbled backward and fell onto the ground once more, unable to recover.

"You okay?" Todoroki asked concerned.

Nodding, Noikari pushed himself back up and began to walk back towards them. "Yeah". Noikari got back up once more and ran at Bakugo, throwing a punch to his face and sending the explosive hero flying away.

The fight went on and on like this until there was very little left of either side. Noikari, despite having generated several weapons by now, including a spear, still struggled with the use of his quirk. He was running low on energy, the stored amount he had quickly being used up. The boy put a hand to his chest, panting in exhaustion.

The other heroes weren't doing much better, although thanks to their teamwork they were able to put Noikari on the ropes, they were just as exhausted as him. Bakugo was getting frustrated. He needed to end this now.

"Step back you three."

Shocked, everyone turned to Bakugo.

"Are you insane? This is a team fight, dude!" Todoroki reminded him.

"Well then consider the rules changed." responded Bakugo. "I want to take him one on one."

Eijiro was going to object, but knowing how their friend operated, he merely turned to Todoroki and nodded, the two jumping back to allow Noikari and Bakugo to battle.

Momo was worried. She didn't want to see Noikari end up seriously injured. She knew Bakugo could sometimes get carried away when it came to sparring matches. She could only hope that the child could take Bakugo. Turning to join Todoroki and Eijiro, Momo glanced back in concern before requesting, "Please be careful." She then leapt away.

With all distractions out of the way, Bakugo remarked, "No more holding back. One of us is going down and it's gonna be you!"

Noikari's gaze was filled with rage as he brought his hands together, channeling the last of his quirk's energy into one final construct. From his hands, light burst out as a shape took form. When the light dissipated, it was revealed to be a metallic battle axe, the helm glowing with amethyst energy.

At the same time, Bakugo stretched out one hand before using his other hand to create a circle on the palm of the outstretched hand. Dangerously high levels of heat permeated off of his fist, the air around both heroes warping. Noikari started sweating immensely, large beads falling into his eyes. Despite this, he still kept his eyes open, while clenching his axe in a vice-grip.

The two students both knew that one of them would fall.

His ultimate technique prepared, Bakugo shouted as he felt the raw power within boiling up, his hand visibly trembling as he prepared to fire.

At the same time, Noikari, axe in hand, furiously rushed forward as fast as he can before leaping upward, ready to bring his weapon into play.

Bakugo's voice echoed throughout Ground Beta as he uttered a single phrase.

"FULL POWER AP SHOT, FIIIIRREEE!"

The blast was launched with devastating effect, the blast literally melting the ground around Bakugo, turning it to molten slag. He grinned as he prepared to see his opponent defeated, but a look of horror replaced it.

No. . .

As the blast reached mere inches from Noikari's face, it instead smashed into the edge of his axe, the purple glow slowly morphing into a fiery orange. Bakugo couldn't believe it; Noikari's weapon was absorbing the blast!

Growling, Bakugo still refused to stop the blast, instead putting more power into it. All of his power in fact. But it didn't stop Noikari.

The distance between the two heroes rapidly closing as Noikari descended closer, the child let out one final, primal scream, channeling whatever energy he had left into his axe. And then, he swung downwards.

The results were predictable.

With all of the kinetic and thermal energy absorbed by the axe, combined with whatever remaining power Bakugo and Noikari both had, it all combined to create a shockwave of unthinkable proportions. The entire area shuddered, with even those of Class 1A in the observatory feeling the shockwaves. The dome visibly shook, cracks running along the glass roof. Trees were blown away effortlessly, their roots being torn from the earth like leaves in a storm. A crater at least a mile-wide was etched in the area, forever marking the training that had occurred.

Remarkably, both heroes were still alive, but they certainly didn't look the part.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two stumbled to their feet, each horrid breath feeling like needles impaling their windpipes. Bakugo was littered with numerous cuts and bruises which oozed blood. Noikari was even worse for wear. With his quirk having worn off due to using the last of his energy, the purple muscles surrounding his arms had disappeared, revealing the vulnerable flesh underneath, which was horribly burned from the last exchange. Most disturbing however, was that one side of his face was practically nonexistent, burned tendons and nerves being visible from the horrible wound. For a minute, the two students stood there, silent.

And then, Noikari fell.

Before his body could hit the ground, Bakugo limped over and grabbed the child, hoisting him over his shoulder. Despite the agonizing pain that ran through his system, the Explosion hero felt something inside of him change.

He no longer felt that loathing feeling he had for the boy before. Instead, it was replaced by a new feeling; respect.

Noikari became one of the few people to earn Bakugo's full respect.

*****

With the fight now over, Momo, Eijiro, and Todoroki rushed over to their fallen classmates and began to walk them to the nurse's office. Bakugo would be fine for the most part, but Noikari would require the help of Recovery Girl.

Seeing them walk into the nurse's office, Recovery Girl turned to greet them, only to nearly jump out of her chair when she saw Noikari's condition.

"Ah, the students of Class 1A. Who needs my care this t-AAAAAH!"

Momo gently placed Noikari on the hospital bed as Recovery Girl examined the child's injuries.

"What the hell were you people doing?"

The group rubbed the back of their heads, embarrassed.

"Training just got a little out of hand" Tororoki replied.

"I'll say!" Recovery Girl fumed. "Now just give me a minute here."

Taking a moment to focus, Recovery Girl briefly put a hand on Noikari's head before gently kissing his forehead. Following this, a few of the smaller cuts on his body rapidly began closing. Her quirk 'Heal' was allowing the injuries to rapidly heal, at the cost of using the receiver's stamina.

The side of Noikari's face which was scarred slowly started to heal, strands of sinew forming and connecting with each other to repair his mangled face.

The others sighed in relief as the process began. Recovery Girl turned back to the group. "He'll be fine, but his face will take a few hours to fully heal, so you can leave now."

"Hey, I'm kinda banged up too. You wanna help me out here?" Bakugo asked, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"Here, take this." Recovery Girl threw him a simple ice pack.

Momo and the others could hardly contain their laughter as Bakugo's fury exploded.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"