#i spent 20 years of my life agonizing over the course dark hair on my body

[barebevil]

my mother used to say that women should shave their legs because nobody wants to see leg hair poking out through stockings and first of all girl what the fuck are you talking about you havent worn Stockings since last century and second of all girl what the FUCK are you talking about i want to see leg hair poke out thru stockings so much that oh oop there we go drool on the keyboard now i cant finish the post because i thought about leghair sticking out thru semi transparent tights and my mouth started watering and now im passing out ohh nooooo

[buffyversefanfiction]

Slayer of Slayers

Warnings:I do not own, nor do I claim to own any of the copyright or characters within the Buffyverse which includes but not limited to the television shows Buffy and Angel, as well as the Darkhorse comics series’ continuation.

15+ Strong to moderate violence, Graphic to mild descriptions of gore, and torture, sexually charged scenes, sexual innuendos, mild to strong language, and practices of witchcraft.

M/M, F/F, M/F, GEN, OTHER +

PART SIX LINK HERE

Part Seven - Rogues

1928

Spike found himself running through woods in the middle of the night in search of his beloved Drusilla only to find his sire dancing on a field, which had been scorched by fire, as the raven-haired vampire continued swaying from side to side, laughing away at herself in the process making Spike curious to what she was up to now. “Dru, what are you doing out here?” Spike asked the woman he loved as he walked towards her, pulled her body into his arms, and began dancing with Drusilla. “Here on these very grounds lies a future of torment, torture, and agonizing pain…it’s so delicious it makes me giddy!” Drusilla replied as she continued to slow dance with her immortal lover. “One day I’m going to raise a family right here, and will almost be worth all that I’ll have to lose before then…” “I was worried you got yourself killed babe; you know you’re not at your full strength,” Spike confessed admitting his fears for her. “Oh, my dear William, I will be the only one who will not die, not once, even at times when I’m so lonely I wish I would die…” Drusilla sighed with a profound sense of sadness, wanting to stay in that moment but knowing the future was coming. “You’ll always have me!” Spike protested, meaning what he said with all his heart but not knowing what the future would hold for him and the woman he loved more than he could ever imagine loving someone…at the time.

1977

Following Angelus leaving her after regaining his soul and Darla returning to The Master, Drusilla knew her time with Spike was nearing an end, that the quest for her to become strong again would be the beginning of the end for them both and despite how much sadness the thought of losing her beloved Spike one day, she knew her and Spike’s trip to New York would bring some happiness to them both as Spike set out to kill his second vampire slayer, Nikki Wood, while Drusilla set her sights on siring a new vampire, the first child of her new family. Drusilla had spent most of the night watching Tobias from a distance, she followed him as he walked home from his work at a diner nearby to his rundown studio apartment, watched him as he got strung up on drugs, and noticed that this man was far from the one she had seen in her visions. At first glance, this man was no more than a depressed junkie who without her input would die a nobody within a matter of years, but as she watched him further, she began to see the potential hidden deep within him and decided to make her move. “How sad a life you must live to need to block it out with every toxin available to you.” Drusilla greeted Tobias after he opened his apartment door to her, the vampire waiting in the hallway, ready to claim him as her own. “I can feel your pain as if it was my own and I know you are so lost you think you cannot find a way out of your despair, but mummy can make everything all better.” “Did Mick send you? He always did like his girls crazy as hell, just hand me the drugs already and tell Mick I’ll pay him when I get my wages from the diner.” Tobias replied to her, having no clue who she really was nor what she had planned for him. “I do not know this Mick, but I do know you, Tobias, I know who you are now, but I also know who you can be. I can give you meaning in this world, a purpose, and a love that will consume you…you will never be alone!” Drusilla said in a rather convincing tone, acting if she was the answer to his many troubles. “Whatever you are on lady…I want some.” Tobias responded in a mocking tone, confused by who this woman was and what she wanted from him. “I can you make you stronger than you ever imagined, give to you a family you have always longed for, make you part of something truly incredible and even lead you to the love of your life…once I make you worthy of him of course,” Drusilla promised the young man, knowing this time that her words were somewhat resonating with him, tempting him to give her a chance to prove she was telling him the truth, a chance which she would use to turn him into a vampire-like her…

The 2000s

Drusilla stood in the same field she had once stood in the late 20s, but what was now standing there was the abandoned building of an insane asylum, a building which had been built, used, and abandoned within the years since she had last visited this field. and the vampire could not prepare her eyes, for the place was even more beautiful, to her at least, than she found it in her many visions, and now that she had lost her beloved Spike, she could at least find some salvage in claiming the home she had dreamed off for many decades now. “It’s been a long time my darling boy, mummy would be so mad at you if you were not the only family, I had left…for now,” Drusilla told Tobias as he began walking up towards his sire until he was stood next to her. “I really did love that man just like I loved Angelus and grandmother, but they are all gone now…” “I still do not understand why you wasted so much time on that peroxide prick but then I’ve never been in love, if it were not for you, I’d have found it impossible for any vampire,” Tobias replied to the vampire who had created him. “You’ve certainly had your fair share of conquests though; you’ve been a very naughty boy but the time for you to settle down with your forever love is coming soon and mummy could not be more excited,” Drusilla revealed to him, knowing she was going closer to forming a new family, one she believed would be even better than the ones that came before.

Modern Day…

Buffy and Spike’s on/off relationship had reached its inevitable end almost two years ago, when their last split led to Buffy’s one night stand with Angel resulting in a baby which led to Buffy going M.I.A. after losing that baby, and in her absence, Spike had taken over the duties of protecting the city of San Francisco, a city which included Buffy’s sister Dawn Summers, Dawn’s daughter Joyce Harris, and Spike’s on/off roommate Xander Harris in its population. And it was during his patrolling duties within a local cemetery in the city of San Francisco that he was reunited with an old friend, one who would lead him into joining a mission to kill the first woman he ever loved… “Sneaking up on a vampire is a rather foolish move considering the heightened bloody hearing and everything,” Spike shouted into the dark night as he turned around looking for a face to come out of the shadows. “Calm down Spike I was merely trying to surprise an old friend.” Ruby Moon stated as she appeared from out of the shadows. “Someone who I owe my life to and yet have the audacity to ask another favor of.” “Well, if it isn’t the little witch, I helped break free from my ex-Dru’s crazy cult,” Spike said with a smile on his face, happy to see the witch in question. “I heard you were all suburban wife again living the normal life or as close to it as one can get married to one of Riley Finn’s G.I. blows.” “It’s good to see you again too!” Ruby responded with a chuckle as she walked towards the vampire, whom she considered being a good friend, one who she knew she could rely on. “So, go on and tell me what you need saving from this time? Please do not tell me your back being the ex’s magical minion again because you only get one save from that, the second time is on you!” Spike told her with a level of sarcasm, knowing he was about to help her again no matter what situation she had now found herself in. “Remember the friend we left behind? The one crazy enough to consider Drusilla as family. Well, he’s forming a team to kill that ex of yours, and something tells me you will want to be part of that team.” Ruby revealed to the vampire. “I’ve put Dru in my past and if you are smart you would too, let this friend of yours go it alone if he’s so determined serves him right for not getting out when you gave him the option anyway.” Spike rejected her offer, not loving Drusilla anymore but not wanting to be part of her death either. “This friend of mine is Theo Frey, and it just so turns out his mother happens to be your latest ex Buffy Summers’ son, I figured telling you that would help change your mind and everything considering you do not want to be the one telling the slayer that you had a chance to save her son and said no.” Ruby continued with her revelations, shocking Spike by the latest, knowing with certainty he would not reject her offer a second time.

Elsewhere, back in the city of Los Angeles, Theo Frey was once again stood behind his now run-down dive bar, the one he shared with his now-dead again lover Tobias, frozen in thought, with tears in his eyes, as he began to wonder whether Tobias was as guilty as Drusilla for killing his parents, wondering if his entire relationship with Tobias was just a lie and he had been nothing more than a fool to both him and his sire Drusilla. Suddenly, the very place he returned to for comfort, the place he lived with Tobias, and the place they have both called home, had become nothing more than a place of ruins holding memories of a past that the vampire/slayer hybrid could no longer believe to be true after Ruby’s recent revelations. “I did not think I would be seeing you again especially in the place you almost burned to the ground.” Theo declared after drying his eyes, as Faith Lehane, the vampire slayer determined on pestering him forever, walked into what remained of his demonic little dive bar. “Well, it’s not like you can be picky with your customers considering you only have half a bar these days.” Faith joked with the vampire as she walked over to the counter cautiously. “Your little friend Ruby left me this really sketchy video about you and her going to take out Drusilla and now Spike seems to be in on this little mission so I threw my hat in the ring considering you could do with another super strength in the ring, and something tells me you’re not exactly going to be hitting up B or Angel anytime soon…” “Ruby said something of getting some vamp help, but she never said anything about Spike and as for you no thanks, the last time I played with you, you turned my lover into ashes, well your blue-haired pet did anyway.” Theo snapped at the slayer, refusing to team up with her after their complicated history. “I get that you do not trust me, and I do not trust you but here’s the thing Dru’s a big player and she’s made an enemy of everyone not just you so, swallow your pride dude, and take the help I mean it’s better taking too much firepower to the vengeance party than winding up losing her…she’s survived this long for a reason kiddo.” Faith advised the slayer of slayers, trying to convince him to accept her help. “If B hears I’m not going you know she’s going to get herself involved, I mean it was hard enough telling her to sit this one out like it and I will not even get you started on Angel…” “Killing Drusilla…it does not mean I’m suddenly team slayer or anything, it just means, for now, she’s number one on my hitlist…” Theo explained to her. “I will not protect you; I will not save you, and I most certainly will not thank you.” “Well, that sure as hell seems like a yes to me.” Faith smirked, knowing Theo would rather chance to trust her, than giving Drusilla too much of an opportunity to escape his vengeance. Once Theo reluctantly agreed to work alongside Faith, and Ruby returned to Los Angeles with Spike in tow, the team consisting of a vampire slayer turned vampire, a rogue slayer turned good, a vampire with a soul, and a powerful witch began planning to strike Drusilla where she’s least expected to be attacked, at the one place she called home…

Faith, Theo, Ruby, and Spike found themselves deep within the woods, the same woods that Spike had once visited many years ago, and the same woods Theo and Ruby knew all too well thanks to their time with Drusilla, and before long the group of rogues had found themselves standing outside of the abandoned insane asylum, boarded up with planks of wood that themselves had been broken, with smashed windows, and a general sense of abandonment, abandoned in the middle of nowhere, the road to it long gone, hidden in shame of its own secrets A truly horrifying, and haunted place filled with misery from its past, and the perfect home for an insane vampire-like Drusilla. “I get you’re on mission vengeance and everything here Theo but what are the chances you are going to turn us all and lead us into some kind of slaughter?” Faith asked Theo, as the four remained hidden within the trees, beginning to question Theo’s loyalty towards this team of rogues. “The only person I hate more than you and the blue haired bitch is Drusilla so as long as she is alive you are safe but the minute, she’s dead we’re back to being enemies,” Theo answered honestly, making it clear he had no intention of seeking redemption. “He looks like Angel speaks like Angelus and smells like Buffy,” Spike stated, referring to Theo’s similarities with his biological parents. “Got to say it’s as hot as it is annoying!” “Listen up do not let your past get in the way of dusting Drusilla once and for all or else you’ll be joining your ex in the afterlife!” Theo quickly threatened Spike, proving he distrusted them as much as they distrusted him. “You were her minion just days ago I was her equal, if we have to worry about anyone getting second thoughts then it's you, not me!” Spike responded, making it clear he was down to do what needed to be done. “She killed my parents, there’s no going back for me even if it kills me, you better know it's going to kill her too!” Theo declared defiantly as he prepared for the fight of his undead life.

Instead of just charging into the abandoned asylum, Theo decided to get his poker face on, going in first and playing nice with his former mentor Drusilla, as he got a layout of where her minions had placed themselves, knowing the vampire was always ready for an attack, ready to strike before anyone else, as her asylum had become her armed kingdom. Despite the disgust over having to pretend not to entirely loathe the woman that had killed the parents who had raised him since birth, Theo knew it would be worth the cost once he ended the night plunging a wooden stake into Drusilla’s chest if he could convince her that he was still an ally of hers, the problem, of course, being Drusilla was always one step ahead. “My first family was taken by Angelus before he decided to take me too…” Drusilla told Theo as they walked down one of the many hallways found within the abandoned asylum that Drusilla used as her headquarters. “But then I found a new one with him and Darla, then my Spike but your mother took that all from me which is why I found it so fitting that I was the one to take you from her…but you were never really mine were you?” “What are you talking about? I believed your every word, did every demand and loved you like a son, I have been loyal to you since the first time I met you and I continue to be.” Theo argued with her, fearing she already knew of his intentions to kill her. “I took you into my home and loved you like a son, I even loved you when you took Tobias from me because I knew that was the way things had to be but now you’re too far gone for me to save…” Drusilla said with a great sense of sadness as the two stopped walking, and Theo noticed vampires appearing from both ends of the hallway, as he realized she was the one ambushing him. “The only thing I can do for you now is killing you and hope you are reunited with Tobias in whatever hellish dimension you are sent to.” “You really do see everything coming, don’t you?” Theo asked as he pulled out a wooden stake from his jacket pocket. “You killed my parents, pretended to save me, and had me fooled to think you as my savior all this time! I trusted you…I fought for you…I loved you!” “Everything I did I did to make you who you are today, the slayer of slayers, the world’s first self-sired vampire and you repay me with siding with the very same people who abandoned you without a second thought,” Drusilla replied, as she pulled out a wooden stake of her own from out of the side of her dress, as her minions cautiously walked closer to them both, ready to help their master if Theo got the upper hand. “I don’t give a shit about them! I gave a shit about my parents, the ones who raised me, who loved me, and you took them from me!” Theo shouted at her furiously. “My whole life has been one big lie and you’re the one telling the twisted tale.” “I loved you as much as someone like me could ever love anybody…you were more my son than perhaps even Tobias, I had such high hopes for you and now you’re letting something as mortal as dead humans affect your emotions making you dumb, dumb, dumb,” Drusilla responded before going on to reveal. “My vision had two endings you know…one where you were her ending and another where she was yours, I guess we both know now what ending you have chosen.” Suddenly, the two vampires who had once considered themselves to be like mother and son were now ready to fight to the death against each other, both feeling equal as betrayed as the other, Theo having perfectly reasonable reasons to feel betrayed by her, and Drusilla in her mind only having reasons of her own.

Meanwhile, just outside of the abandoned insane asylum, where Drusilla and Theo were beginning to battle each other, Faith, Spike, and Ruby remained to hide behind the same trees where Theo had left the three of them as they awaited a signal from the vampire slayer/vampire hybrid to know when to come into the fight, not realizing that Drusilla already had the upper hand on them all. “I know he’s Buffy’s kid, Angel’s too, but at what point do we just bail on this and let the two vamps fight it out between themselves?” Spike asked the vampire slayer, and witch, who he was stood next to. “I mean this guy is just as evil as everything else we tend to kill so why don’t we leave it to Drusilla to kill him instead of one of us killing the kid?” “I am not going anywhere!” Ruby said defiantly, refusing to give up on her former best friend. “I have known Theo my whole life, you two only know the evil side to him but I’ve seen the best and worst of him and I was there when he lost everything…despite that there’s still good in him.” “Well, I do not bloody see it,” Spike replied to the brown-haired witch. “But I am not leaving you to die out here!” “I saw it…in the way he loved that vamp Toby or whatever, they loved each other as I’ve never seen anyone love each other, except maybe Buffy and Angel.” Faith confessed, once again standing up for the slayer of slayers, feeling now more than ever before that his redemption was drawing nearer. Suddenly, the sound of a window-smashing grabbed their attention, as they turned to see a vampire falling from the top floor window before hitting the ground with force, before getting back onto his feet and running back into the asylum via a side door, and although this was not the signal they agreed on, it was clear to Faith, Spike, and Ruby that Theo was in trouble and now was the time to act.

Theo’s fight against Drusilla was unfair in every way as each time he gained the upper hand against his former undead mentor, her vampire army would attack him, and before long he was down on the floor, bloody, bruised, and beaten, while being pinned down by several vampires as Drusilla stood above him, ready to plunge the wooden stake she held into his chest and end him once and for all. “You have been such a naughty boy Theodore,” Drusilla stated with a look of struggle in her eyes as she kneeled over Theo’s body, clearly finding great difficulty with the fact she was about to kill someone she once loved like a son. “All I ever wanted was to be your mother…but she gets her claws into everyone I love.” “Get it over with already!” Theo shouted at her, ready to admit his defeat, accept his fate, and let his miserable life come to an end. And Drusilla did just what she was told, as tears formed in her eyes, she plunged the stake into Theo’s death while letting out a frantic scream at the same time, before falling backward and beginning to sob manically for a moment, only to be left just as stunned as Theo himself as he did not turn to dust, but instead, pulled the stake out of his chest, and rose back onto his feet. Before Theo or Drusilla could even usher a single word to display their joined shock at the fact that Theo was somehow still alive, the surrounding vampires, very recently loyal to Drusilla, began to kneel for Theo, displaying the change in loyalty, now towards the slayer of slayers, as Drusilla quickly rose to her feet and made her way out of the exit located nearest to her, as a shocked Theo continued to look at the vampires kneeling before him, still in shock, as the stake he was holding, which was just plunged into his chest, fell to the ground. “You are our new master now!” One of the vampires declared as Theo continued to just stand there in shock. “A vampire that cannot die, the true immortal, the true heir to the undead kingdom!” Another declared, followed by cheers from fellow vampires, just as Faith, Spike, and Ruby rushed into the hallway from the exit farthest away from them all, only to stop in their tracks by the shocking sight in front of them. “Theo…” Ruby shouted towards her former friend, having no idea what all this meant, or what would follow, as the slayer of slayers was declared king among the vampires…

[redrobin-detective]

The Long Way Around 2

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I hope everyone has a good holiday! I've decided to go with once a week posting and I'm kinda liking Sundays so I'll stick with that for now. Now that the obligatory introduction is out of the way, we can move into the plot which takes a bit (a lot) of preparation and build-up. I hope you enjoy and thank you so much for all the comments!

Chapter One <-- --> Chapter Three

Chapter Two: Toned Muscles

If Izuku was going to get into Yuuei, he needed to toughen up, physically and mentally. Right now, there was hardly anything heroic about him. If he wanted to get anywhere, he needed to start getting serious. The night following the sludge incident, Izuku pledged that he would put everything he had in order to pass Yuuei's entrance exam.

And just like that, his ten months of hell had begun.

Every morning Izuku woke up early for runs and did push-ups and crunches and lifted weights every evening. It was absolutely exhausting but he couldn't slow down. He needed to build himself and he needed to do it fast. But he had to be smart about it; to compete with the hero kids' quirks, he'd need to fight smarter not harder. Exercising was all well and good but Izuku knew he needed a proper teacher if he wanted to get anywhere.

In the end, it wasn't all that hard to convince his mother to let him sign up for martial arts classes. He'd fought down the guilt clawing at the back of his throat when he explained that he was only interested in self-defense. It's better this way, he told himself as he looked into all the martial arts styles that would best serve his purposes.

Izuku spent a week researching his options and coming up with a plan before he takes his first step. He decided to start simple. His middle school had an after-school Aikido club that was offered for free. He'd always skipped out on afterschool activities in favor of hero chasing but, if he wants to become Japan's first quirkless hero, then he needed step up.

However, just getting into the class ended up being more trouble than he'd initially thought. The instructor kept telling him he couldn't join for increasingly more ridiculous reasons. It didn't take him long to realize that he probably didn't want the hassle of 'accommodating' for the school's only quirkless kid. This, of course, only made him more determined. Only once Izuku got his mother involved and threatened to go to the school board did they finally decide it was easier to just let him join. It was a hollow victory but, when you're quirkless, you take what you can get.

The club itself wasn't too bad, most people were happy enough to ignore him. Izuku learned and soaked up every bit of knowledge he could, pushing himself every meeting and practicing before and after school. It was exhausting, starting from the bottom to build up his strength and stamina but he progressed, bit by agonizing bit.

But Aikido, a strong defensive art, wasn't going to be enough. If he really wanted to go pro, he had to learn more offensive moves as well. In his research, Izuku had found a small academy almost an hour out of his way that was exactly what he was looking for. So he told his mom he was going to be late one afternoon and hopped on the train after school, trembling with nervous anticipation all the way.

This was his starting line, now he just had to reach it.

The academy was small, but well kept, tucked neatly out of the way. Izuku entered quietly, explained his situation to the receptionist and was shown back to the dojo where he waited five, then ten minutes. Finally, the door slid open and a tall, lean man came in. He had a few days worth of growth on his thin face and stern eyes; his black hair with a receding hairline was pulled back into a messy bun.

"I'm not taking any more students," the man stated gruffly as his dark eyes flicked up and down Izuku's body with disinterest. "Especially undisciplined children who think they can walk in off the streets and learn a martial art like it's some sort of game," he folded his arms over his chest. "The door is that way, I hope the rest of your afternoon is spent doing something more productive." With a brusque nod, he turned to go.

"Your name is Rikimaru Daiki, you're 39 years old and your quirk is Rooting which allows you to stick yourself to any surface you touch and not be moved." Izuku shouted desperately, he clenched his fingers into his pants, balling up the material and forcing himself to make eye contact when Rikimaru turned back with a bored expression.

"You're something of a local celebrity in the martial arts world. You came onto the scene 20 years ago with no official training and no sponsors to support you. You lost more than you won at first but as you learned the rules of organized martial arts, you began taking in victory after victory. In interviews, you said you learned to fight on your own when, in fact, you probably learned during your time living on the streets and the 3 years you spent in reform school. You officially retired from professional fighting 2 years ago and you opened this academy. They say you're notoriously picky with your students, taking only those you consider worthy regardless of how much they can pay you." Izuku grit his teeth, tearing his eyes away from the man to glare angrily at the floor as he could feel hot tears burning in the corner of his eyes. He tried to stop them but he was too full of want and desperation that he couldn't stop them. Izuku spared a second to wipe at his eyes before making eye contact again.

"I want to learn Jeet Kune Do and I came here, out of all the academies in the city, because you know what it means to have to fight for something, to sweat and bleed for a drop of respect from the people who'd much rather kick you down and see you fail." Izuku's throat felt dry from the intensity of Rikimaru's stare but he persevered.

"I've had to fight every day of my life just to stay afloat. I need to learn to channel the drive I feel inside and I believe you are the only one who can help me. I understand that I'm untrained but I still beg of you to consider taking me as your student." Izuku took a deep long breath and bowed his head, hoping that he managed to say something right in that mess.

"That's quite the introduction young man. You've got spunk, I'll give you that, but tell me," Rikimaru closed the distance between them and squatted down so they're more level. Izuku sniffled slightly and looked up to meet the man's hard but curious eyes. "What exactly is your drive? Why do you need to learn Jeet Kune Do so bad? This isn't a fun fighting style, it's meant to be strong and aggressive. A boy like you shouldn't need that."

"I-I," Izuku stuttered as he swallowed thickly, trying to loosen up his tongue. He thought back to that day not long ago: the unmoving crowd of civilians and heroes, the rancid smell of heated sludge and Kaachan's desperate, fearful gaze that had him running without a second thought. And just like that, Izuku finds his voice.

"I'm going to go to Yuuei and I'm going to become the first quirkless hero. I won't be the strongest, or the fastest, of your students. But if you agree to train me, I can promise you that I will work twice as hard as anyone you have ever taken on before. I'll have to if I want to reach my goal." Izuku put on his fiercest look and dared the older man to laugh at him. Predictably, he did anyway.

Rikimaru pulled back and laughed heartily as if Izuku's lifelong dream was just a joke which it probably is in all honesty. Izuku took a deep breath and tried to steady himself; it's not like he wasn't used to that sort of reaction. He'd been so focused on trying not to appear upset that he was startled when Rikimaru's large hand landed on his head. The older man squatted down again with a wry smile on his face.

"A quirkless hero, huh? and here I thought I'd heard everything. What's your name, son?"

"M-M-Midoriya Izuku," he stammered out, "does this mean you'll take me on, Sir?" The hand on his head began to roughly ruffle his hair.

"First of all, that's Shishou to you," Rikimaru answered gruffly, but not unkindly, as he stood back up and began to stretch out his limbs. "Second, I think you're crazy, Midoriya but I've seen your kind before. I know all too well that you're going to keep searching until you find someone just as crazy as you are to teach you. Might as well make sure you do it safely and smartly."

Izuku was so used to disappointment that it took him a few seconds to process just what the man, his new master, had told him. He immediately stood up and dipped into a low bow out of respect and also to hide the fact that he'd started to cry yet again.

"Thank you Rikimaru-shishou! I won't let you down I promise, I'll give it everything I have and then some."

"Don't thank me yet boy. You promised me you'd work twice as hard and I'm going to hold you to that and, believe me, if I think for one instant that you aren't worth my time, you're out. You got that?" Izuku nodded vigorously. "Alright, I'll expect you here every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 1600 to 1900 where I'll make you sweat, bleed and cry and maybe turn you into a real martial artist."

"Alright! I'm also taking Aikido at my school so I'll just skip on Mondays and Wednesdays and come right here. Um in my research it said you usually negotiated your fee depending on the student. It's just me and my mom so we don't have a lot of extra money. I can talk with my mom about what we can afford and we can work something out for my first lesson." Izuku muttered quietly under his breath only to stop when he saw Rikimaru-shishou finish his stretches and remove his shirt.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much, kid?" Rikimaru-shishou said as he slipped into a casual fighting stance. "We can work out all that stuff while you show me what you've got. Do you happen to know what day it is, Midoriya?" Shinshou grinned in a way that was slightly menacing. "It's Wednesday, your first lesson begins now. Let your mother know you're going to be late. There are some spare uniforms in the back, find something in your size and change into it. I'm sure your mother doesn't want to clean blood out of your school clothes."

Izuku ended up getting home very late that night having spent hours with Rikimaru-shishou planning his new training regimen. He was tired and aching and probably going to be even more so tomorrow but he felt happier than he'd felt in a long while. Finally, he was on his way. He eagerly spoke with his mother over their dinner about Rikimaru-shishou and the quite reasonable fee the man asked for when his mom set down her bowl with a quiet, hesitant clink.

"Izuku, why are you doing this?" Mom asked quietly, keeping her eyes downwards while she anxiously played with her fingers.

"Self-defense Mom, you know, we talked about this, remember?" Izuku answered weakly, the lie heavy and uncomfortable.

Mom frowned unhappily and looked up at him sternly but the effect is lessened by the obvious worry in her eyes. "I'm not stupid Izuku, the Aikido I understand but this, this is basically street fighting propped up to be a martial art. I just," she sighed and rubbed at her temple. "I'm worried for you. I don't know what you're thinking right now and that scares me. You've been so different since you met that sludge villain and I don't know what to do." Izuku set down his dinner and reached across the table for her hand.

"Mom," Izuku said, feeling her adjust her hand so she was holding his. "You know my dream, the same one I've had my whole life. I've waited and waited for a quirk to come for so long and it's just… not." He looked up and saw tears gathering in her eyes. "But it's not your fault, or mine, probably isn't dad's either. It just is, only now, I've decided that I'm not going to wait for my dream anymore. I'm going to work for it," he said as he gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"Rikimaru-shishou is going to teach me offensive fighting, and I'll learn defense and stamina from the school's Aikido. I'm going to study up and learn the best tools and strategies to counter all kinds of quirks. I'm going to apply to Yuuei in February and I'm going to become the first quirkless hero." This time his mom can't be bothered to hide her tears and Izuku felt himself start to get emotional too.

"Baby," Mom said quietly as she brought his hand up to her face.

"I know it's stupid and crazy and impossible but, Mom, I just can't… turn this part of me off. I need to try Mom, I need to or I'll never be happy," Izuku steeled himself and continued. "A-A long time ago, you told me that you were sorry, when we found out I was quirkless," he said thickly, drudging up those old, painful memories.

"Well right now, I don't need you to say you're sorry again or tell me I can't do this. I'm-I'm tired of being put down before I even get started. I just need someone to believe in me for once, to say 'hey Izuku, you might just be crazy enough to pull this off!'" Losing steam, he lowered his head and muttered quietly to himself. "I just want the chance to prove I'm not completely useless."

"Hey Izuku," Mom blubbered from the other end of the table. He looked up and saw that she's barely keeping it together as she continues to cup his hand to her face. "I believe you just might be crazy enough to pull this off." She closed her eyes and blinked back those heavy tears. "Just not too crazy, you hear me young man? You have to keep your dear old mother's poor heart in mind," he bit his lip and nodded enthusiastically.

"I will I promise, I'll work hard and make you proud, Mom," Izuku said. His mom sighed and gave his hand a quick kiss before letting it go.

"Oh Izuku, I've always been proud of you. Never forget that, no matter what anyone else tells you; I've always known you were going to be something special. Follow your dreams honey, I'll support you wherever you go."

Now that he had a proper teacher, his training drastically increased in intensity and Izuku eagerly met the challenge.

Now it wasn't just his body that needed training but his mind too. There was no way Izuku was going to come close to bridging the physical gap so Izuku had to learn to think his way out of situations. He no longer had the time to chase after hero battles but he still kept up to date via his various news apps. Every hero and villain clashes were meticulously analyzed late at night when he should be sleeping, looking for weakness and how he would have fought had he been there.

Izuku had promised Rikimaru-shishou that he'd work twice as hard and he absolutely did. It seems he spent just as much time dry heaving on the floor of the dojo as he did training. But no matter how sore he felt, no matter how heavy exhaustion made his eyelids, Izuku got up dutifully every morning. It was a demanding, rigorous schedule but little by little, he began to see himself improve.

His runs became longer as he covered distances faster. The moves that once seemed impossible came to him easier until they became instinctual. Rikimaru-shishou beat out his awkwardness, his hesitation and replaced it with strength and diligence. Izuku never won any of their matches, probably never would, but he stopped losing as badly. He trained day and night until he became as skilled with a bō as he was with his fists.

Even the school run Aikido program gave him a standard to build off of, a way to blend the ferocity of Jeet Kune Do with the elegance of a traditional martial art. A welcome side effect of his training was that the bullying dropped down to practically nothing. Kaachan hadn't really bothered him since the sludge incident and, between that and Izuku's now obvious muscle tone, potential bullies steered clear of him.

This progress only spurned him on and made him train himself even harder. Izuku actually burnt himself out by going above what Shishou had laid out for him. His master sure tore into him that day, going on about how overwork would only hurt him in the end. But sitting on the floor of the dojo, his muscles trembling from the simple strain of sitting upright, Izuku thought only think of his goals and he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Yes, the last 10 months had been brutal but Izuku is pleased by how far he's come in such a short time. But of course, it would all be for nothing if he didn't make it into Yuuei.

Izuku sighs for what must be the hundredth time and rolls over in his bed and tries to force sleep to come. The entrance exam is tomorrow and he needs to be in tip top shape. Well, it's not like he's actually going to doing any fighting or anything but he still needs to be well-rested. Izuku frowns and rolls over again until he's facing a large All Might poster on his wall which really doesn't help his mood right now. Maybe that's part of his insomnia, the frustration that he's not even bothering to apply for Heroics.

Part of him, the part that has been slowly built up over the last 10 months, is screaming that he has earned the right to compete with all the other prospective hero students. But the larger, more practical side counters that they probably wouldn't even let him in the door without a quirk.

So he's aiming for the General Education department, still considered to be one of the finest, most competitive high school programs in Japan. Besides, several pro heroes started in General and were able to transfer over to Heroics. Izuku tells himself he's being cowardly for not going all the way. He also tells himself he's already being optimistic about his chances. In the end, he's left feeling nauseous and a bit sweaty but eventually manages to fall into a fitful sleep.

In his dreams, he dreams of heroes.

While Izuku tries and eventually succeeds in falling asleep, across town in a small, unremarkable apartment, a living legend is pacing in his kitchen. Toshinori, more famously known as All Might, is still in his costume which hangs uncomfortably off his thin and battered frame. He pinches his nose in frustration as he adjusts the phone on his shoulder.

"Please, can't we do this at a more reasonable hour? I need to be at Yuuei for the entrance exams first thing in the morning and I'm not exactly as young as I used to be." Toshinori yawns as he catches a glimpse at the time and wonders if it'd just be easier to stay up and then head to the school.

"First of all, I knew you were awake because I saw on the news that you stopped a bus collision not more than 30 minutes ago, good work on that by the way," Nighteye says drolly. "And second, you won't talk to me any time during the day so I figured I'd try the middle of the night," the man continues, sounding stressed and exhausted.

Toshinori rubs at his face with bony fingers. He'd be more concerned for his former sidekick's wellbeing if the man was wasn't such a pain in his- "All Might please, just look at the file I sent you. This young man is perfect, you couldn't ask for a better successor to take your place as the Symbol of Peace."

Toshinori snorts dismissively as he avoids getting tangled in the phone cord. He really wishes Nighteye had called his cell phone. But, again, he probably wouldn't have picked up once he saw who popped up on the caller ID. "You make it sound like a job interview," he spits out feeling bitter and fragile and everything All Might is not. But it's late and he's not All Might right now. "This isn't-" Toshinori snaps before stopping and taking a calming breath "this isn't something I can decide from a file, Nighteye. This is, personal, and important, probably the most important thing I will ever do."

"I know, which is why I'm trying to help you. You're sick, All Might, you need to start training a successor now or you-you might not be able to." Toshinori finds himself morbidly amused that his former sidekick seems more choked up about his predicted death than he himself was. "I've had him at my agency since the last Sports Festival and he's everything you could possibly want, he's just like you." Toshinori rolls his eyes, like me or like All Might, he wants to say but of course he doesn't. As much resentment and frustration has been built up in his chest, he can't take that out on Nighteye who's a friend, who's a fan.

"Just look at the file, if you look at it and you still don't like him then I promise I'll let it go. But I will keep searching, the perfect successor isn't just going to drop into your lap." Toshinori is tense and unhappy as he stands in his kitchen, hunched over an old corded phone, feeling more tired than he has any right to be. "If you're interested, I can let you meet him. See the boy up close, as a person and not just a job applicant. You can decide for yourself if he's worthy or not." Toshinori doesn't answer, instead he trails back over to where the phone is hooked up to the wall before he trips over the cord and breaks his hip or something. "All Might?"

"Fine, fine," Toshinori sighs. "If it will get you off my back, I'll look at your file and we'll see if I'm up for meeting him. I just-" I just don't like how impersonal this feels. My Master picked me up and trained me from nothing and now I get to analyze and judge a kid based on statistics and calculations. "I just guess I'm nervous is all, tired too. You do realize midnight passed quite some time ago."

"Of course, I'll let you get your rest; I know how much you need it," Nighteye replies gently, relief evident in his tone. "Let me know what you think of the boy, alright? I have a few other candidates in mind but I really believe this is the one."

"Yeah, okay. You try and sleep sometime today too, I'll talk to you later." Toshinori says, hanging up the phone before the other man can nag any more. Honestly, who needs a spouse when he has Nighteye? He sets the phone back in its cradle; a loud click in the silence of the apartment.

Rubbing at his eyes again, Toshinori trudges over to his bedroom, holding his costume to avoid tripping. He passes by his desk and his eyes fall on the manila folder lying innocently off to the side, buried under a few meaningless papers. Before he can second guess himself, he grabs it and gives the file a droll look. Togata Mirio huh? Well, Nighteye is right, time is running out and he needs to choose someone eventually. Toshinori enters his bedroom with the folder tucked haphazardly under his arm.

XxX

Izuku wakes up in a panic the next morning, shaking and sweating and certain that he's missed the Yuuei entrance exam. It's only after he's climbed out of bed and was hurriedly trying to put on pants that he looks outside and realizes it's still dark out. A glance at his phone tells him that his alarm isn't set to go off for another hour. Despite being exhausted, Izuku knows he's too anxious to fall back asleep so he decides he might as well go through his normal exercises.

As always, his feet pounding on the pavement and the pleasant burn in his muscles as he works through his stances helps him find his equilibrium. By the time he's showered, eaten breakfast and ready to go, Izuku is twice as tired but miraculously his anxiety has died down to a dull buzz. His mom runs her hand through his hair as he prepares to leave.

"I'll be thinking about you Izuku, be safe and don't let anyone get you down."

"It's just a written exam for the General Education kids, Mom," Izuku answers with a smile even though a part of him wants to scream.

"There's no one path in life, Izuku. I know you're upset but I think this is the right decision for right now; you'll get there, honey. Don't think of this as a roadblock but as the first step in your journey." His mom says gently and Izuku smiles for real this time before beginning his trip to Yuuei.

By the time he reaches the school, his nervousness was back with a vengeance, threatening to make him spew right on the steps of one of the greatest schools in Japan. Instead, Izuku puts one foot in front of the other and forces himself to keep walking. He's so busy trying to keep himself from being sick that he almost misses the entrance to the Heroics exam. It almost would have been better if he hadn't.

Izuku watches the crowd of students who were heading into the hero entrance with nervous but proud expressions on their faces. His fists clenched, all of them had probably been told that their quirks would get them into Yuuei. They'd probably never had the same feeling of desperate, futile wanting that Izuku lived with everyday. For a second, Izuku entertains the thought that he might hate them for their confidence and quirks before he shakes himself out of that negative thinking.

That wasn't the attitude for a future hero, or at least, for a kid about to sit for one of the hardest tests he'd ever take.

With one last longing look at the hero entrance, Izuku turns and starts to head towards his actual exam location when he spots him. Kaachan is making his way through the crowd looking focused and surprisingly calm. His old friend may have backed off on the bullying since the sludge incident but that didn't mean he would be happy to see Izuku here. Using the stealth skills he'd cultivated over the last year, Izuku was able to ensure Kaachan never saw him. A sigh of relief and a glance at his watch tells him that he really needs to head out. He turns and runs smack into someone.

"Oh!" The girl says, starting to teeter backwards but Izuku reaches out and steadies her before she falls.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Izuku blushes, about to stammer about a few more apologies when his feet leave the ground. He yelps as he starts to float upwards. The girl he'd almost knocked over grabs ahold of his arm before he can go any higher.

"Sorry about that! You startled me and I just activated my quirk without thinking," the girl says, looking a bit flustered herself. She lowers Izuku back to the ground and brings her hands together where gravity reasserts its hold on him.

"It's fine," the brown haired girl says cheerily. She's got rosy red cheeks and a warm smile that gives Izuku vertigo. "Thanks for not letting me fall, that seems like a bad omen for me to fall on my face right before the exam. You have good reflexes, I'm sure you'll pass for sure."

Her open expression was so bright and clear it short circuited his brain a little bit. A girl was talking to him! And there wasn't a trace of mockery in her voice! "Ugh, I'm so nervous I bet you are too," she says with a friendly expression. All he could do was look at her with a gaping mouth. "Well, good luck, maybe I'll see you later!" She waves as she runs off towards the hero entrance.

The realization that she probably figured he also was taking the Heroics exam startles him out of his hazy thoughts. It reminds Izuku that he really, really needs to get to his own exam before he did something stupid like actually attempt to take the Heroics exam without a quirk.

Izuku jogs towards the General Education entrance which was on the other end of the large campus. Along the way, he finds himself thinking about the brown haired girl. She was kind and had a pretty amazing quirk, he finds himself hoping she makes it. Maybe if luck was in his favor for once, he'd get to fight alongside her one day.

He slows down as he arrives at the exam entrance. Well, no matter what the future held, this was his starting line.

The test ends up being incredibly difficult and he's reminded that while he views Gen Ed as something of a stepping stone, that this still a highly sought after program for students of all backgrounds. Izuku leaves the testing facility feeling shaky and unsure if he even had what it took to get through this smaller obstacle.

While Izuku waits for the results, he can almost pretend everything is normal. He'd put all his hopes and dreams into Yuuei. In the agonizing days waiting for the results, he wonders what he'd even do if he didn't get in. Izuku exists in a perpetual state of numbness and anxiety until he comes home from training one day to find a sealed envelope waiting for him on the counter. He opens it with shaking fingers and finds information on what he'll need for the spring term.

He was in; Izuku was going to attend Yuuei's General Education department. Despite the fact that this was good news, he can't help but feel disappointed. He could have been opening a letter to from the hero course; this could have been his hero academia. Instead he shakes his head and scrubs roughly at his eyes.

He'll never know if he chose right or wrong but either way, the decision was made and he had to live with it. So shoving all those negative emotions deep down, he puts on his brightest smile for his mother who was anxiously pacing behind him. He holds up the acceptance letter and her delighted shriek almost makes him forgot that he still has a long way to go before he reaches his ultimate goal. But he'll never stop working for it.