Chapter 15: Back with a Bang
Summer vacation evaporated like a fleeting dream, and by mid-August, Aldera Elementary buzzed back to life. Izuku Midoriya strode through the gates on the first day of the new term, his black cap tilted confidently, a sharper edge to his presence. Weeks of training had sculpted him, his shoulders broader, arms wiry with new muscle, legs steady from two-kilometer runs. The scrawny kid who'd left in July was a memory, replaced by a leaner, tougher Izuku, his confidence radiating like a quiet storm. Heads turned as he crossed the yard, whispers rippling in his wake. He's different, they seemed to murmur. What happened to Midoriya?
The classroom hummed as he dropped into his seat near the back, backpack thudding beside him. His usual crew Hana Tanaka, Kenji Mori, and Miki Yamada swarmed before the bell, eyes wide with intrigue. Hana leaned in first, twirling her pencil. "Izuku! You're back, finally!" she said, grinning. "You look… wow, different! What'd you do all summer?"
"Yeah, dude," Kenji cut in, nudging Miki aside to perch on a desk. "You're, like, buff now! Spill it out, what's the deal?"
Miki smirked, arms crossed. "Bet it's that New York trip came back all American and cool, huh? Tell us everything!"
Izuku leaned back, a small grin playing on his lips. They're hooked already, he thought, relishing the spotlight. "Two weeks in New York," he said, voice calm and steady. "Me and my mom visited my dad lives in Brooklyn. Crazy city big and loud, nothing like here."
"No way!" Hana gasped, edging closer. "Brooklyn? Like, with the bridge and stuff? What'd you see?"
"Everything," Izuku said, ticking off spots. "Times Square, lights everywhere, street food like pretzels and pizza. Central Park it's huge, I biked through it with mom and dad. At Statue of Liberty we took a ferry, got pics. At Empire State Building the view's insane, you can see the whole city." He paused for effect, then added, "Oh, and we saw a hero up close Queen T, flies around in this purple-and-gold suit. Caught her zooming over Times Square."
"Shut up!" Kenji said, smacking the desk. "A real hero? That's so cool, did she fight anybody?"
"Nah, just patrolling," Izuku said, shrugging. "But she's fast and strong too. Dad says she's big there." Flashy, he thought. That's what I'm gunning for.
Miki whistled, nudging Hana. "Queen T, huh? You're basically a hero tourist now. What else like food? Tell me you ate something wild."
"Hot dogs massive ones with mustard," Izuku said, grinning. "Pizza slices you fold it's greasy but awesome. Ice cream on the ferry too. Beat anything we've got here." Street food's the grind fuel, he thought. Keeps me sharp.
"You're killing me," Hana said, pouting playfully. "I just sat around reading Captain Thunder while you were living it up! Did you get taller too, or is it just me?"
"Nah, just training," Izuku said, flexing an arm small biceps bulging under his sleeve. "Ran every day, push-ups, sit-ups I gotta be ready for U.A., right?" Stronger every day, he thought. No more weakling. Let's power the game.
Kenji laughed, clapping his shoulder. "Dude, you're a beast now! Bakugo's gonna flip. you're not the same guy he used to mess with."
The bell cut their chatter short, but the buzz clung kids stealing glances, whispering about "Midoriya's glow-up." Izuku breezed through lessons, acing a math pop quiz with cool assurance, his sharper physique drawing eyes even in silence. But not all stares were kind. Across the room, Katsuki Bakugo simmered, fists clenched under his desk, pride still stinging from that pre-break humiliation, pants tugged down by invisible hands, laughter echoing in his skull. Now Izuku waltzed back stronger, bolder? Unacceptable.
Lunch break spilled the class into the yard, a mix of chatter and games. Izuku lingered near the back of the school, sipping water by a wall, when Bakugo stormed up flanked by Taro and Riku, though they hung back, uneasy. His red eyes burned, palms sparking faintly. "Oi, Deku," he snarled, voice slicing through the air. "Think you're hot stuff now, huh? Strutting around like you own this dump?"
Izuku set his bottle down, straightening, eyes narrowing. "Don't call me that," he said, tone flat but steel-edged. Deku's dead pathetic, useless Deku's gone, he thought. "I'm not here for your crap, Bakugo. What's your problem?"
"My problem?" Bakugo barked, stepping closer, small explosions popping in his hands sharp, controlled, but loud. "You come back all jacked up, acting like you're better than me? That stunt before break you think I forgot? I'm ending this here fight me, you freak!"
Izuku didn't blink, hands flexing at his sides. He's begging for it, he thought. Fine. let's play, but I'm not the punching bag anymore. "You wanna fight? Alright," he said, voice cool and steady. "But I'm not scared of you. bring it."
Bakugo grinned, wild and fierce, and lunged his palms flashing with a burst of sparks, a small explosion tearing the air. Izuku moved fast, telekinesis snapping out and grabbing a loose brick from the ground, slinging it up to block the blast. It shattered midair, dust flying, and Bakugo snarled, charging again. "What's that Quirk gonna do, huh?" he shouted, another pop cracking near Izuku's feet.
Izuku sidestepped, focus razor-sharp, and tugged Bakugo's shoe with his mind just a pull, enough to trip him forward. "More than you think," he shot back, smirking as Bakugo stumbled, catching himself with a roar. Keep it tight, he thought. Show him who's in control, no fire, just enough to sting. He lifted a handful of pebbles, sending them buzzing around Bakugo not striking, just darting like wasps mocking him.
"You little!" Bakugo growled, palms flaring brighter, a bigger blast aimed at Izuku's chest. Izuku countered, telekinesis shoving a trash can lid into the path boom muffled, metal crumpling. The air thickened with tension, kids peering from the yard, whispers rising, They're fighting! Midoriya's holding his own! but before Bakugo could ramp it up, a sharp voice sliced through.
"Bakugo! Midoriya! Stop this now!" Mr. Tanaka barreled around the corner, glasses flashing, face flushed with anger. He grabbed Bakugo's arm, yanking him back as sparks fizzled out. "What's this explosions on school grounds? And you, Midoriya Quirk use? Both of you, inside now!"
Izuku dropped his hands, pebbles clattering, breath even. Close one, he thought, locking eyes with Bakugo's glare. He's livid, perfect. Tension's thick, but I'm not folding. Bakugo jerked free of Tanaka, seething, his pride a festering wound humiliated before, defied now by a kid he'd once crushed without effort.