Chapter 8 – Veins of Power, Faces of Normal
Rain slicked the streets the morning Sozo Midoriya arrived at his aunt's doorstep. Not heavy—just that steady drizzle that blurred reflections on the pavement. He stood there, duffel bag slung over one shoulder, the smell of ozone clinging faintly to him.
Inko Midoriya's smile was as soft as he remembered. "You've gotten taller," she said, voice bright despite the hour. "Come in, come in—oh, you're soaked."
Sozo bowed slightly. "Sorry for the trouble."
"Nonsense." She ushered him inside. "It'll be good for Izuku to have family around."
He glanced at the photos lining the hallway—baby Izuku covered in cake, tiny fists raised like a hero already posing for cameras. It made something in Sozo's chest ache.
This world felt real in ways his last never had.
---
Dinner Table Secrets
Dinner that night was full of warmth Sozo didn't quite know how to sit in. The TV hummed with news about the latest pro hero skirmish. Izuku leaned across the table, eyes shining. "Sozo, what's your quirk? Auntie said your registration said 'none,' but that can't be right—right?"
Sozo stirred his rice. "Still figuring it out."
"Really? Maybe it's like a delayed activation type!"
Inko frowned. "Izuku, don't pressure him."
"I'm not! Just curious."
Sozo's mouth curved faintly. "Curiosity's fine. Just… don't dig too deep yet."
That silenced the table for a beat. The air seemed to tighten. Then Inko clapped once. "Dessert!"
The tension broke, but the thought lingered—don't dig too deep yet.
---
Night Whispers
Later, lying in the small guest room, Sozo watched the ceiling breathe. Not literally—but his mind made everything feel alive now. The Dungeon pulsed faintly in his chest, like a second heartbeat.
"Containment holding," the hydra's voice murmured. "But your vessel strains. The second finger yearns for release."
He closed his eyes. "Not here. Not in her house."
"Then the energy will find its own exit."
He sat up, breath sharp. Outside, rain still fell—but slower, like it too was waiting.
Sozo slipped out of bed, moving silently to the backyard. The air was cold, sharp against his skin. He drew a circle in the dirt with one finger, the sigil of embodiment glowing faintly blue.
The hydra coiled behind his thoughts. "You play at silence. But power never stays hidden."
"Then I'll make it learn," Sozo whispered.
Light flickered across his skin—silver threads crawling up his arms. For a second, the second finger burned awake: frost forming across his hand, creeping veins of crystal.
He clenched his fist, forcing it down. The frost cracked, fell away. His breath fogged the air.
"Not yet," he said again.
---
A Knock at Midnight
He turned—and froze.
Bakugo Katsuki stood at the edge of the yard, umbrella tilted, eyes narrowed.
"I knew it," the blond muttered. "You're not quirkless."
Sozo's pulse spiked. "What are you doing here?"
"My mom's friends with Aunt Inko. We dropped off soup. I saw the light." Bakugo stepped closer, grin sharp. "So? What was that—some fancy light show?"
Sozo straightened. "Just… training reflexes."
Bakugo scoffed. "You really think you can lie to me? I can smell power when it's leaking out."
There it was—that feral pride that radiated off Bakugo like gunpowder. Sozo didn't rise to it, but something inside him coiled.
"Does it matter?" Sozo asked quietly.
Bakugo's smirk widened. "It will. I don't like secrets. Especially not from people pretending to be weak."
The hydra stirred again. "A threat. Small, but alive."
Sozo forced his voice calm. "Then I'll make sure you forget what you saw."
Bakugo's expression flickered. "You wanna try that?"
They stood there, rain tapping on the umbrella between them, air thick with challenge.
Finally, Sozo sighed. "Tomorrow. After class. Gym lot."
Bakugo's grin turned real. "Fine. Don't cry when you lose, cousin-boy."
He turned and walked off into the rain.
Sozo stood there long after he was gone, frost forming tiny flowers on the ground around his feet.
---
The Next Morning
Breakfast was cheerful again. Inko hummed as she cooked. Izuku talked nonstop about the latest hero analysis videos.
Sozo ate quietly, pretending not to notice the faint tremor under his skin.
He'd spent half the night forcing his energy back into its cage. The second finger still ached—a pressure that wanted to become something.
Izuku nudged him. "You okay, Sozo? You look tired."
"Just thinking," he said.
"About what?"
He hesitated. "Keeping balance."
Izuku tilted his head. "That sounds… heavy."
"It's supposed to."
Izuku blinked, then smiled anyway. "You'll figure it out. You always do."
That unguarded faith hit harder than Sozo expected.
He nodded once. "Yeah. I will."
---
The Edge of Control
After school, Sozo slipped away early. The hydra's whisper was constant now, like wind through iron.
"He provokes the storm. Are you ready to show it?"
He closed his eyes. "No storms. Just clarity."
"You can't lie to yourself forever."
He opened his hand. Frost crept up his wrist again—slower, steadier this time. Not wild. Not rebellion. Control.
The second finger pulsed in response, energy settling into balance with the first. Fire and frost, twin threads weaving quietly together.
He smiled, barely. "Better."
---
Evening Shadows
That night, when he returned home, Aunt Inko was out, visiting a neighbor. Izuku had fallen asleep at the table over his notebooks.
Sozo carried him to bed, tucked the blanket in, and lingered a moment, watching the peaceful expression.
The hydra spoke softly. "You guard others but hide from them. You cannot do both forever."
"I can try."
"You're not built for half-truths."
"Then I'll learn."
The hydra chuckled in his mind—low, distant thunder. "You always say that. Until something breaks."
He didn't answer.
Outside, thunder rolled again—not from storm clouds, but from somewhere closer.
Tomorrow, the duel with Bakugo.
For now, silence.
Sozo sat by the window until dawn, frost slowly melting from his fingertips, watching the first light of morning blur against the rain-slick streets of Musutafu.
The world looked calm again. He didn't trust it.
End of Chapter 8 – Veins of Power, Faces of Normal