The halls of Aldera Junior High were nearly empty, the faint echoes of laughter and chatter fading as most students filed into their classrooms. But in one dimly lit corridor, tension hung thick in the air.

"Deku!"

Bakugo's voice cut through the silence like a sharp knife. Izuku froze in his tracks, the strap of his school bag slipping a little off his shoulder. Bakugo's usual scowl twisted into a smug grin. His cronies, two classmates who always hovered around him, followed a step behind, sneering and laughing under their breath.

"Still carrying that stupid notebook around, huh?"

Bakugo sneered, snatching Izuku’s hero analysis notebook from his hands before he could react.

"W-wait, Kacchan! Please- I-"

Izuku stammered, reaching out before Bakugo's palm burst into a faint crackle of orange sparks as Bakugo held the notebook aloft, burning the notebook, causing Izuku's eyes to widen.