Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Protein shake?”

Reigen glared at the Symbol Of Peace with as much animosity as he could muster.
“Has anyone ever said yes to that?”
All Might (or Yagi, as he insisted Reigen call him) laughed boisterously. Reigen could feel a headache coming on. 

For some reason, the teachers that stayed in UA’s dormitory had an insufferable “morning-person” mindset that permeated through every aspect of their quarters. Whether it was the ten alarms going off at five AM or the rather obnoxious egg smell making him feel more gloomy was a question he was still pondering. 

All Might clapped him on the back with so much force Reigen could feel his bones rattle. 

“You’re a good man,” All Might said warmly, as if he had any iota of experience with Reigen to decide so. Reigen supposed it was just one of those intuition things that fake psychics (him not included) and alpha males claimed to have. The thought of fake psychics shook him out of his haze. He slapped himself internally. 

This was All Might, standing in front of him. 

I’m sure his autographs still go for a good amount. 

He shook out his sleeves and cleared his throat, his mind whirling with business ventures. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m just a little grumpy in the mornings. Hey, what do you say we get a picture together?”
All Might tilted his head. “Ah, of course young man! Why?”
Reigen cast his gaze towards his palms. “Ah…it’s just an esper thing…a tradition. Part of our culture.”
All Might paused and waved his hands around a few times.
“I apologize, I had no idea! Usually people ask me because they’re fans.”
Reigen slumped into himself more. “I apologize. It’s a key part of our way of living, you see. Ghosts show up on photos, you see, so taking one assures me that there are no ghosts in our area to eradicate and that UA is a safe place. Although I don’t suppose pro-heroes would know of the traditions of us lowly espers…”
All Might’s hand came down on his back again and it was all Reigen could do not to yelp. 

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said seriously, searching Reigen’s face intently. “Of course I’ll take a picture! UA is a safe place for everyone.”
Reigen straightened immediately, the grin returning to his face. “Great! Already, thumb up…uh, actually…hold on.”
He scrolled through Mobgle quickly, looking for inspiration.
“Uh, how about you put your fist up like this?” He mimicked the famous pose for All Might to do and he did it without question. Reigen snapped a few selfies of them together, twisting his face into his signature smirk. He viewed his work with pride.
I’ll photoshop Mob in later. Maybe Ritsu and Teru too, if they keep up the good work. He could imagine it now. Bright pink background, a sparkly green header: Reigen Arataka and All Might: An Alliance For The Decades. 

“Thank you for allowing me to partake in your tradition,” All Might said sincerely. He bowed at the waist and Reigen stumbled back a step. “I love representing all cultures!”

This might just be the easiest mark in existence. 

Reigen cleared his throat again, pulling the edges of his lips into a grimace. 

All Might glanced up at him.

“We don’t really call it a culture…” Reigen said, even though he had just called it that a minute ago. He let his voice trail off, shifting from foot to foot. “We’re all countrymen, you know, I don’t see it as a defining trait...But I wouldn’t expect the Symbol of Peace to acknowledge people like us as equals.”

“No!” All Might squawked in distress, planting two massive hands on Reigen’s shoulders. 

Jackpot.

Reigen grinned. “It’s okay. I know exactly how you can make it up to me.”
There was a sigh behind them. 

Reigen felt his happiness fizzle out in an instant. He recognized that sigh. He had spent most of his college days making fun of that sigh.

“That sounds like a terrible pick up line,” Shouta drawled, leaning back against the counter as he observed the scene with a cup of black coffee in hand. “Really, Taka?”
“Pick up?” All Might repeated, his brow furrowing before his eyes widened. “Oh. Young man, I apologize, but I have dedicated my life to the safety of society.”

Is All Might rejecting me right now? 

“I didn’t mean it that way, honestly—”
“It’s perfectly alright,” All Might said kindly, the grip on his shoulders turning into more of an embrace. “We at UA accept everyone. Here. I believe we have some flyers about this…”

He patted Reigen’s shoulders again, like an owner telling his dog to stay, and bolted down the hallway. Reigen watched him go with growing dread.
“Congratulations.”
Reigen whipped around and scowled at Shouta. He was trying (and failing) to hide his smile behind the plumes of steam from his coffee.

“Give me that,” he growled, snatching the cup from his hands and plonking it on the countertop. “God, you’ve got an ego.”
Shouta raised an eyebrow. “That’s rich coming from you.”

Reigen gritted his teeth and picked up the coffee, taking a defiant sip. It immediately burned his tongue and he choked it out. Shouta darted back a step, barely avoiding the spillage. He grimaced.

“This is absolutely foul,” Reigen gasped for breath, slamming the cup down again.
“Better than cancer sticks,” Shouta commented. He picked up the cup gingerly and closed his eyes.
“I don’t smoke anymore,” Reigen growled, fixing his sleeves. 

Shouta sighed. “Lying was never a good look on you.”

“I’m not lying,” Reigen said, words sharper than he intended. Shouta’s eyebrows raised. “Whatever. I don’t have to prove shit to you.”
“You’re not lying?” Shouta barked out a laugh. “Alright, Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century.”
Reigen puffed himself up. “That’s right.”
Shouta hummed, putting a finger on his chin. “And if I remember correctly, you were also the Greatest Telemarketer of the 21st Century, the Greatest Botanist of the 21st Century, the Greatest Fry Cook of the 21st Century, and the Greatest Salaryman of the 21st Century…”
Reigen rolled his eyes. “I found my vocation. Is that enough for you?”
“Yes, as a psychic, with psychic powers. Must have been very latent.”
“Maybe I just didn’t like you enough to show them to you.”
Shouta’s mouth twitched and Reigen blinked a few times. 

He’s actually getting under my skin. Huh.

“Seriously, Taka. What happened?”

Reigen's smile stiffened.

“What do you mean?”

“You disappear for years, then Nezu drops you on our doorstep with three psychic middle schoolers and tells me you're supposed to teach my class. Why are you here?” He took another sip. 

“I’m on a job. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“A job. Just like you wanted to start that bakery back in the day, or the detective service, or…”
“No,” Reigen emphasized. His hands were shaking, he realized belatedly. “I’ve been doing this for four years. This is serious, Shouta.”

Shouta hummed and Reigen suddenly felt indescribably small. 

“Quirkless? Well, if you’re Quirkless, Taka, you’re best set for a normal job. Stop chasing all those silly prospects of yours. Just live a happy life.”

I want to be somebody. I wanted to be somebody. 

Shouta paused, studying his expression.

“You've kept a job for four years? I doubt it.”

Reigen's head snapped up and he clenched his fists, forcing himself to inhale. Shouta actually looked somewhat apologetic. Before he could say anything, Reigen spoke.
“Look. You don’t have to like me. But…this job is important to me.”

He thought of a little kid with bangs stumbling into his office with eyes twinkling like miniature supernovas. He thought of quitting smoking for the first time and having little hands pat his back as he coughed his lungs out. He thought of shitty ramen after long nights and snowball fights and snoring against his shoulder.

More than I want to be something…I want Mob to be something. 

“You’ve changed,” Shouta said quietly. Reigen looked up.
“Huh?”
“I remember the little Taka that couldn’t keep a houseplant alive and who went out partying every weekend and didn’t care about anybody but himself," Shouta said contemplatively. His red eyes were gentle. “Now you’re soft, huh?”
“What—what are you even talking about,” Reigen spluttered. “You’re—”
“Ah, can it,” Shouta smiled a little. “The kids have made you soft. That makes two of us.”
They stewed in the comfortable silence for a moment. Reigen stared out into the massive UA grounds and wondered distantly where the time had gone.

Shouta leaned against the counter, and Reigen turned to look at him. He was taller, older, but that same spark of fondness for the world still shone in everything he did. Hope. Cruel, apathetic, biting hope was his fatal flaw. Reigen couldn’t judge. He knew now it was his too.
“Arataka?” Shouta murmured questioningly.

Reigen took a deep breath and decided internally that sentimental time was over. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“So. How’s Hizashi?”
Any fondness in Shouta’s gaze was immediately wiped away with murderous intent. “Taka.”

“Great catching up!”

Reigen bolted.

──────────────────

“It was crazy,” Uraraka whispered to Izuku. “You should have seen that Teruki kid. He wrapped Bakugou up with his powers in this little bubble thing, and Uncle Reigen and him went to go talk to Aizawa. Uncle Reigen was all flapping his hands and chewing Bakugou out. Teruki looked pissed and Bakugou looked like an angry hamster.”

Izuku blanched as Kacchan twitched slightly, almost dropping his pencil. 

“We shouldn’t gossip,” Iida said nervously. “Class is about to start.”
Izuku’s fingers drummed against the table with nervous energy. He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Reigen since yesterday. 

Power Isn’t Everything. Know When Not to Fight. 

They were decidedly unheroic principles, yet very human ones. Maybe my instinct was right.

His train of thought was interrupted by a hush falling over the class. The door swung open and Reigen strolled in with his typical swagger, his gaze darting around until it landed on Shigeo.
“Mob! Hey, for this lesson, you three stay in the back. I want you to learn this too.”
Ritsu raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Izuku eyed him with interest. His show of power with the spirit had truly been impressive, and had garnered him a fair amount of popularity (however temporary) to boot. He could easily be a Hero student. 

“Okay, Master,” Shigeo acquiesced. His voice was impassive as always, but it was almost strained, like he was forcing the words out. Reigen opened his mouth, as if to say something, but the weight of twenty gazes seemed to be enough to snap him back to attention.

“Alright,” Reigen said decisively. He clapped his hands and Izuku startled. “It’s come to my attention that you all have some individuals in your class with truly horrific social skills.”
Kacchan growled, moving out of his seat. Izuku’s hand shot out and stopped him.
“So, I’ve put together a little lesson today!”
He twirled around and wrote on the board. 

Lesson Three: Make A Good Impression

“Make a good impression?” Uraraka asked, tilting her head. “Isn’t that, like, a people skills thing?”
“This is more like Bullshit 101,” Sero whispered to Mina, making her giggle.

Reigen dropped the chalk. “I heard that! And you're wrong. Bullshitting is an entirely separate skill. Advanced course. Leave a good review and maybe I’ll come back for more.”

“Arataka,” Aizawa groaned. He looked even more tired than usual.

“Right. Making a good impression is one of the most important skills an exorcist can have. Who here can tell me why?”

Momo’s hand shot up a second before Izuku’s.

“Um…spirits retain aspects of their personalities from when they were alive. Would establishing trust make communication easier and decrease the likelihood of a hostile encounter?”

Reigen studied her carefully. “Hmm. Sounds right to me. Kids?”
Shigeo nodded dutifully, Teruki shrugged, and Ritsu rolled his eyes. Reigen raised his hands.
“Ah! Winner. You’re correct. Oh. Wait, I had a different point!”
Ritsu looked annoyed. “Make it then.”

“Who pays an exorcist?” Reigen said, drawing a large circle on the board. Now that they could see Dimple, it was pretty obvious he was the one trying to draw the crude drawings. Reigen batted him away. 

“The spirit?” Kaminari guessed.

Reigen slowly lowered the chalk.

“How would a ghost pay me?”

Kaminari scratched his head. “Ghost money?”

“The client pays me,” Reigen said, writing and underlining the word three times. “And before I can deal with their spirit problem, I have to convince them that I'm someone they can trust with their spirit problem.”

Reigen drew another circle.

“Clients. Spirits. Coworkers. Employers. Police. Other agencies. Doesn't matter. If you're going into a profession where you deal with people, then you need to know how to make people want to deal with you.”

Iida raised his hand. “Surely our professional conduct courses already cover this.”

Reigen sighed. “If your professional conduct courses covered this, I wouldn’t be teaching this. I’m smarter than I look, you know. Are you trying to make me out as the dumb blonde type?”
Iida’s face went red. “Uh…no? Not at all, sir!”
Reigen turned around, his gaze cutting into Iida’s trembling form. “And now you’re calling me sir. So you’re implying that the dumb blonde stereotype is only attributed to women?”
Iida’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What? Not at all! I would never imply that females are inherently less intelligent than men!”

Reigen gasped in horror, pointing at Iida and stumbling back a few steps. “Did you just say females? Oh, I can’t believe the amount of misogyny charged in that simple statement. I suppose you think females aren’t dumb inherently, but because they make stupid mistakes there’s no need to differentiate, huh?”
Iida covered his ears, growing progressively redder. “Please stop,” he squeaked.

Reigen dusted off his hands, rounding the edge of his desk to lean against the front of it. 

“That’s it! Interview over. Client gone. Maybe you're trending online. Congratulations.”

“You deliberately misrepresented everything I said!” Iida sputtered. Uraraka patted his back sympathetically.

“People do that,” Reigen said with a shrug. “And if you’re going to be an adult, you gotta learn. You don't get to control what people think about you.”

He tapped his temple.

“You only control what you give them to work with.”

Izuku’s heart soared. He scribbled notes frantically in his book as Reigen continued the lecture, the spirit occasionally chiming in whenever he went off track. When his voice finally petered out and he stopped to drink from the water the spirit had somehow fetched for him, Todoroki raised his hand politely.

“Candy-cane,” Reigen called.

“Aren’t you just lying to people?” 

Izuku froze. Todoroki’s voice was as pleasant as always, but the undercurrent of steel made his words sharp. His classmates turned to glance at him, but he didn’t shift his gaze away from Reigen. 

Reigen set the cup down with a gentle clink. He took a moment to think.

When he spoke, he was looking at Shigeo. 

“There's a difference between lying about who you are and deciding how to present who you are. Everyone wears masks. The problem is when the person underneath stops being you.”

Todoroki’s fists clenched on the table. 

“You can wear a million masks,” Reigen continued. “But if you’re the same person underneath, who cares? Kindness is what matters.”

Kacchan scoffed, breaking the silence.  

“That’s some fucking bullshit.”
Reigen’s gaze turned scorching.
“Flipping BS,” Kacchan amended with a quick glance in Shigeo’s direction.
“Look at that!” Reigen crowed. “Exhibit A of learning how to present yourself. Good job, Spiky. You’re learning! Now it’s time for some practical application.”
A collective groan rolled through the classroom.

“Oh, don't give me that. Yesterday you got to run around a mall and shoot things. Today you're going to learn something useful.”

Reigen turned and wrote three enormous words across the board.

GET YOURSELF HIRED

Izuku immediately flipped to a fresh page. 

“You have thirty seconds,” Reigen announced, turning back around. “I want you to pitch yourselves to me in different scenarios. Hmm…”
“Maybe where one of us is a scared civilian we have to calm down,” Uraraka suggested, her pencil floating above her head, bobbing to the sound of her voice. “Or maybe it’s a rescue mission!”
Reigen chuckled. “Please, be realistic. I meant, like, getting hired or something.”
They stared, dumbfounded at him. Reigen stared right back.
“What? People experience is important, you know. Not just for people, but for spirits! And this is a great opportunity to get to know my students more! Disciples, up here.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Ritsu came up to the front. Shigeo followed him blankly while Teru walked up with the confidence Izuku was beginning to associate with him. 

He put one hand on Shigeo’s shoulder and the other on Teru’s, smushing Ritsu in the middle like a grumpy sandwich filling. “These are your clients. They all have spirit problems. You have thirty seconds each to convince them that you are the only psychic they should hire.”

“We’re not psychics, though,” Tsuyu pointed out. 

“You don’t have to be! You don’t even have to mention your services. The number one thing you have to do is be likable.”

He hummed to himself, scanning the crowd. “Aha! You!”

He pointed at Tokoyami, who stiffened.

“Bird boy! Pick a client.”

Tokoyami regarded the three with the gravity of a man selecting his executioner. Finally, he stepped toward Teru. Teru’s eyebrows rose but he didn’t speak. He folded his arms over each other and leaned forward in interest. 

Reigen snapped his fingers. “30 seconds. Go!”

Tokoyami folded his arms behind his back. “Hanazawa. I understand your home has become host to a creature of darkness.”

Teru smiled, cleaning his nails. “Sure.”

“Then fate smiled upon you in our meeting. I have spent years cultivating an intimate relationship with the shadows.”

Dark Shadow burst from his chest and cracked open its maw, displaying its insides to Teru. He winced.

“We know their hunger. Their fury. The terrible depths to which they may drag the unsuspecting soul unprepared for the depravity of society.”

Teru shrugged. 

“I can offer you salvation.”

“Time!” Reigen called. He looked at Teru. “Well?”

“Where did you get your shirt?” Teru asked, eyes gleaming. “I like it.”

Reigen’s face fell. “What?”

Teru shrugged, reaching out for Dark Shadow like he was a Chihuahua. “He seems cool. But a little scary.”

Dark Shadow pumped a fist. “YES!”

Teru shivered. “Offering me salvation sounds like you want me in your cult or something. Otherwise, you’re pretty awesome.”

“No, no, no.” Reigen waved his hands frantically. “You’re a frightened client! You’re supposed to be concerned that the person you hired apparently communes with the same dark forces currently infesting your house!”

Ritsu snickered into his hand and Reigen’s head snapped toward him.  “Alright, little brother. Would you hire him?”

Ritsu looked Tokoyami up and down. His eyes caught on Dark Shadow with something akin to jealousy.

“Ritsu,” Reigen said. Ritsu shook his head a few times. “Sorry.” He looked immediately furious with himself for daring to apologize to Reigen, and scowled at him to cancel it out. “I wouldn’t hire you.”

Tokoyami’s shoulders dropped. “Why?”

“Sorry. You spent half your time talking about yourself, you never explained what you would actually do, and you sound a bit like a supervillain...”

Reigen pointed triumphantly at him. “See!”

Tokoyami frowned. “But Hanazawa would employ me.”

Reigen turned toward the board with a dramatic huff and underlined the lesson title again.  “You can give the exact same pitch to ten different people and get ten different reactions,” Reigen explained. “Some people want confidence. Some people want credentials. Some people want you to hold their hand and tell them everything’s going to be okay. You can’t control that.”

His chalk tapped against the board. “What you can do is pay attention. You’re out, Tokoyami.”

“But Hanzawa—-“

“All of them have to hire you. And like you. Next!”

Mina’s hand shot into the air as she wiggled in her seat with excitement. “Me!”

“Great. Pick your client.”

Mina hopped out of her chair and made a beeline for Shigeo. Shigeo straightened and Reigen’s smile slipped into something fond. 

“Hi!” Mina chirped. Reigen started counting. “I’m Mina Ashido. You can call me Mina.”

“Okay,” Shigeo nodded politely.

“You have a ghost problem, right?”

Mina hesitated. “…Are you scared?”

Shigeo shrugged noncommittally.

“Don’t be! I’ve dealt with tons of dangerous stuff before. Villains, robots, explosions, whatever. I’m really good under pressure, I’m super mobile, and my acid can melt through basically anything! I could even melt through your skin and leave you a pile of bones!”

Mina paused, reconsidering her words with a glance to the other two “clients”. 

“Not that I’d melt you! I wouldn’t melt anything! If you didn’t want me to, of course.” Mina was beginning to work herself into a sweat. She tucked her palms underneath her thighs. 

Shigeo nodded.

“Time,” Reigen called.

Mina whirled around. “That was thirty seconds?!”

“Fortunately, yes. Mob, hire or no? 

Shigeo rubbed his chin like he was pretending to think. “Sure. She seems nice.”

Mina threw both fists into the air. “YES!”

Reigen stared at him. He looked resigned. “Mob, she threatened to melt you with her mystery acid—alright new rule. Mob can’t hire or fire anybody.”

Shigeo looked mildly distressed. “But—”

“Don’t look sad! It’s not real!”

Shigeo looked at his feet despondently and Reigen sighed heavily. “If I take you out somewhere after this, will you cheer up?” 

Mob considered it and nodded shyly. Reigen sighed, but ruffled his hair good naturedly. Todoroki’s eyes tracked the movement and Midoriya side-eyed him. Todoroki had been acting weird ever since Reigen. Hanging out with Kacchan, being more unobtrusive than usual…

“Next. Someone try little brother.”

Ritsu smiled with all his teeth in promise.

Over the next hour, the rest of the students got a turn. Kirishima made it through Teru and Shigeo easily before Ritsu rejected him for describing himself as manly six times in thirty seconds. Momo nearly swept all three until Teru complained that talking to her felt like arguing with his landlord. Todoroki got surprisingly far by saying almost nothing at all.

“You seem trustworthy,” Shigeo told him. 

“I like you,” Teru added, eyes shining. “Ice and fire. You’re really cool.”

“Thank you.”

Ritsu stared at him suspiciously. Todoroki stared back. “Are you being abused?”

Bakugou made a spluttering noise in the back and Izuku blinked. Ritsu’s face screwed up. “No.”

“Okay,” Todoroki said calmly. 

Reigen stopped counting abruptly. “Uh. Let’s just say that’s thirty seconds.”

Reigen turned back toward the board and tapped MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION with his chalk.

“None of these three wanted the same thing from you. Hanazawa likes confidence. Little brother wants you to prove you know what you’re doing. Mob…likes everyone, but that’s Mob. The point is, there isn’t some magical combination of words that’ll make everybody like you. You have to pay attention. Listen. Figure out who you’re actually talking to instead of waiting for your turn to speak.”

His eyes swept across the room.

“And sometimes, they still won’t like you. That’s life. You don’t need everybody to like you.”

He paused.

“You just need enough people to give you five stars on Mobgle. Here, Dimple, write the link to our site up here.”

Aizawa groaned. “Arataka.”

“What? Reviews are important!”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Anyway!” Reigen clapped loudly. “Please grab your devices when you can and feel free to visit our website to give a review. In the meantime, we’re done here—”

Ritsu’s head snapped towards the door. Mob and Teru followed. Dimple’s aura flared bright. 

Reigen pursed his lips. “Uh, you guys okay?”
Aizawa’s hair flared out to no effect. 

“Stop,” Reigen ordered, holding up a hand. “Mob?”
Like a clock winding backwards, Teru’s hands flew out. A burst of yellow energy exploded free, shooting through the room like an uncaged bird, shoots of pink and purple chasing after it. Their pencils and erasers flew up like projectiles, slamming into the walls as their desks and chairs toppled backwards. A quick swath of ice was the only thing preventing everyone from falling out of their seats.
“Woah!” Reigen gasped, stumbling back a few steps. “Hey, calm down!”
“There’s another spirit,” Dimple informed them quickly, whizzing towards the door. “A big one.”

“Where?” Izuku blurted out, hurrying forward. “How do you know?”
“Question time later,” Teru said tightly. “Kageyamas, let’s go.”
“Right,” Shigeo panted. Reigen’s hands whirled in front of his face.

“Woah. Woah woah woah. Everyone slow down.”

“This is the result of letting things go, Reigen,” Ritsu snarled, trying to shove past him. “Move.”
To Izuku’s surprise, Todoroki stood up, heading to Shigeo’s side. He crouched, examining him.
“You okay?”

“They’re fine,” Reigen said dismissively. Todoroki stiffened. “They’ll be even more fine if they calm down for one second. Where is it?”
The edges of Shigeo’s bangs floated up slightly. 

“It’s in the school somewhere…in the corner.”
“Oh!” Kirishima said. “The gymnasium, maybe?”
Shigeo nodded in confirmation.

Ah. So his powers manifest mostly in tracking. 

“I got this one,” Ritsu said strongly. Reigen’s eyes widened.

“Ritsu,” he said slowly. “Mob, gonna do something?”
Mob’s eyes scrunched closed again. He shrugged.
“Ritsu can do it. I believe in my brother.”
Reigen pinched his nose but didn’t respond. “Alright. I guess we’re going on a field trip.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes. “How about you guys do your job and my students stay put?”
“It’s only the gym, Aizawa-sensei,” Jirou pleaded, tugging at her hair.

“We’ll be real good,” Kaminari promised, with a smile that assured exactly the opposite.

──────────────────

“Shigeo,” Dimple said, sounding like a kicked puppy. “Please?”
Mob shook his head fervently. “No.”
“Just one student,” he beseeched. “I could do that purple ball bastard. Nobody would miss him.”
Mob couldn’t deny it, yet he doubted Reigen would be happy with him if he allowed it. He shook his head again, more sadly this time. He kept pace with Teru, even though it was difficult. Teru walked really fast. He was already sweaty.

Fight on, he encouraged himself. It was all he could do not to groan as he caught sight of another flight of stairs. Thankfully, his Master seemed equally put out by the long walk, flopping over like a deflated balloon and murmuring about sadistic architects. He could feel the aura stronger. His brows furrowed. It didn’t feel necessarily dangerous. More…watchful.

With a skip that took too much exertion, he caught Teru’s arm.
“Hanzawa,” he said quietly. “It’s not very aggressive but it is powerful. We need to exorcise it without angering it, if possible.”
“We have you with us,” Teru murmured back. “If it gets too aggressive—”
Master Reigen jogged up to the both of them. “If it gets too aggressive, I’ll take care of it. Mob, don’t use your powers unless its life or death here. I’m serious.”
He tapped Mob on the nose and darted past both of them. Mob sighed softly.

Teru looked at him knowingly. “Do you get how it feels now?”

“Huh?”

“To not use your powers? To not be special? Or seen as special?”

Mob looked down at his shoes. 

“It sucks, right?”

“Master Reigen is usually right about these things,” Mob replied with more confidence than he had. 

“I’m not saying he’s wrong. I’m just saying that if psychic powers are another characteristic as he says, you’ve got to embrace how it makes you special. You don’t follow that piece of his advice well.”

Blood underneath his shoes. The soft breaths of a boy, fluttering in and out. The soft breaths of a cat, silenced with a thump.

“Kageyama-kun?” 

Mob’s fists clenched and he walked faster.

“I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“I’m sorry,” Mob replied. “I…”

His voice trailed off as he felt the aura of the spirit flare above him. Teruki winced, feeling it too. 

“Ritsu wants to see you happy, too,” Teruki pushed, meeting his eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with showing off once in a while.”
Mob frowned this time. “I’m fine, Hanzawa.”
Teruki looked him up and down but didn’t press him. They finally stepped into the massive training hall. The others filtered in behind them, their voices echoing against the cavernous ceiling. Thin exercise mats covered most of the floor, with training equipment stacked neatly against the walls. High above them, metal rafters crisscrossed beneath the ceiling, delicate ropes connecting massive swinging lights to them. Sitting cross-legged on one of the lights was a rather lanky spirit, covered in curly fur and with piercing green eyes. Tear trails of ectoplasm dripped down its jagged remains of a face. It was massive and curled around the light like a tiger around its prey. It tilted its head, cracking open its maw to reveal rows of glittering teeth.

Bakugou made a strangled sound. Ritsu pointed at it. 

“Shige,” he muttered, and Mob stepped into line with him. 

“Wait,” Mob ordered. “You’ll be able to feel when you’ll be able to exorcise it painlessly.”

The spirit dropped and half the class recoiled as it landed soundlessly in the center of the mats. It stretched its haunches, the face rearranging into a structure that was vaguely human. Ritsu stood across from it, never wavering.

My baby brother is exorcising a spirit for the second time. He felt terribly proud.

Its eyes locked onto Mob and it growled, a low buzzing that filled the room like the swarming of locusts. Reigen stepped in front of him slightly. 

“Mob,” he hissed. “Can we talk to this one?”
Mob gave him a thumbs up. Reigen turned back to the class. 

“Lets put those interpersonal skills to use.”
The spirit made a confused sound as it tilted its head. The class stared at Reigen in horror.

“You want us to get a job from the thing?” Kaminari asked incredulously. 

“Not a job, Sparky, gosh. Just. Try to talk to it. Instead of blasting,” he added, eyes glued to Bakugou’s sparking palms. “Talk to it, and if all else fails, little Ritsu here will show you how it’s done.”
“I’m not sure about this, Shige,” Ritsu murmured into his ear, voice painfully hesitant. 

“You did it before, Ritsu,” Mob said encouragingly. “You can do it again.”

“It’s staring at you, Kageyama-kun,” Teruki warned as the spirit shifted closer. Its massive eyes trained on Mob and he stared back impassively. 

It’s scared of me. 

“It’s okay,” he started haltingly. “I won’t hurt you.”
He backed up a few steps, almost colliding with Todoroki’s middle. Todoroki’s hands came down to his shoulders on reflex. 

“Alright,” Reigen said, forcing bravado into his thin voice. “Ochako! You’re up!”
“If you’re sure, Uncle,” Uraraka said nervously, padding forward. Her feet squeaked in the silence. The spirit turned at the sound and glared at her.
“Hi,” she began tremulously. “My name is Ochako Uraraka! My hero name is Uravity…and I want to be a hero. But I guess you already know that because I said my hero name first. Ugh.”

She buried her face in her knees and Tsuyu stepped up, wringing her hands.
“You’ve got ugly eyes,” she told it. Reigen dragged her back with a worried bark of laughter. 

“She didn’t mean that! Come on guys…uh, Candy Cane. You’re up. Don’t ask it if it’s being abused, please.”
Todoroki studied it for a moment. “Hi. What is your name?”
The spirit moved its maw again as it reassembled into lips. “Name?”
“My name is Shouto Todoroki,” Todoroki continued, unblinking. 

The spirit considered. “I don’t have a name any more.”

Midoriya’s pencil appeared instantly as if out of thin air. 

“It can speak,” he breathed.

“Most spirits can,” Dimple grumbled. “They just don’t usually have anything worth saying.”

“Dimple,” Reigen warned. Dimple cast his gaze towards the shivering spirit.

“Sorry, big guy.”

“It must be hard,” Mina chimed in, easing forward on a slip of acid. “I like having a name.”
“Me too,” Todoroki agreed.
“Me too,” Mob said for the sake of it, wincing as the spirit curled away. 

“How are you damn extras so bad at everything? I can’t believe I’m the one doing this,” Bakugou grumbled. He stepped forward, knees trembling. “Hey, bastard. Why are you here?”
The spirit growled a little at the tone and Bakugou made another strangled sound, smushing Kirishima’s shoulder with excessive force. 

“That’s okay!” Kaminari said, his voice high and reedy. “Uh, that’s just fine. We’re just asking, because, uh, you seem really down. We want to be your friends!”
The spirit cocked its head in interest. “Friends?”
“Yeah!” Midoriya said, stepping towards it bravely. “Hey, all you gotta do is come over here. We just wanna talk.”
The spirit rose up onto its hind legs. “I am here on orders to eradicate you.”
Orders? Mob glanced at Reigen, who looked just as confused. Meanwhile, energy was building around Teru.

“Claw,” he said sharply. “Are you one of the Claw's?”
Ritsu put a hand on his shoulder. “Hanzawa.”

“No,” it responded. “I do not know of this. I am simply following my Master. He told me of the three sparks that would come. Three living flames wearing human skin, sent to burn us away.”

There have been spirits in UA since we came. They know we’re here. 

Is this a trap?

Reigen slipped back a step, hand in front of Mob. Dimple floated forward, looking suddenly serious.
“Who sent you?” he asked, voice cold. “Tell us.”
“We can help you,” Iida added. “We are capable hero students!”

The rest of the class puffed up in determined unison.

Its shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Fine.”

Reigen grinned at them proudly.

“See? Interpersonal skills.”

It looked at Mob again.
“Banish the monster and perhaps we may speak.”
Mob felt like he had been shoved underneath a freezing waterfall.
“Monster?”
Reigen’s voice was low and dangerous.
“The abomination,” the spirit said, its voice twisted with emotion. Disgust. “Then I may tell you why I am here.”
“Why you’re here…” Izuku made a humming noise. “This could be the answer to our spirit problem! Come on, let’s ask it!”

Reigen didn’t move. Mob didn’t think he could. 

His hands felt numb, like the first tinges of frostbite on a snowy day. As if the spirit had injected ice into his veins, nerves, mind, whirling snowflakes inscribed with a pattern only Mob knew. 

His hands trembled. 

“Hey, kids,” Reigen said. His voice was flat.

“I’m about to teach you a new skill.”

“We already talked it down, what more can you—-” Bakugou was in the process of grumbling just as Reigen lunged forward, table salt flowing from his curled fists as he slammed the spirit into the ground with a screeching war cry. 

The spirit recoiled, its aura multiplying. 

“Master—” Mob’s voice was cut off by the spirit’s scream. Green flashed around it and Reigen kicked upwards, nailing it in the chin as he dropped back down, skittering away from its flashes of power. Mob threw a barrier around him as another bolt arced towards his heart and dragged Reigen backwards with a surge of panic. Dimple sped forward and grabbed one of its arms as Teru threw a halo of psychic power towards it, the yellow cutting deep into the blobs of its tail. It whirled around, growing five times in size, and both Dimple and Teru were thrown back.
“Ritsu!” Reigen screamed. Ritsu stood frozen in front of it as it roared in his face.

A glittering sheet of ice sliced through its side and it turned around, swiping at Todoroki. Jirou yanked him backwards just in time. Bakugou exploded upwards, landing on one of the lights with a grunt. It creaked ominously.

“No property damage!” Reigen pleaded as Ojiro and Shoji swung upwards in unison, slamming into where it had been. Mob reached Ritsu’s side, shaking him.
“I’m sorry,” Ritsu said, his voice coming out between gasps. “Shige, I—”
“Ritsu,” Mob said sharply. 

“It called you…” Ritsu’s fists clenched and Mob felt Ritsu’s power grow along with its aura. “It…”

“It’s okay, Ritsu—”
Ritsu dashed forward as Mob’s grip slipped. He slid towards the spirit on a beam of blue, his powers coming up like two hacksaws. Teru snatched its thick wrists down. 

Reigen splashed a bout of salt in its face and it wheezed.
Ritsu raised his hands and stared at it in contempt.

It thrashed. “Please, I was just—”

His power came down with the force of a hydraulic press and it exploded into ectoplasm.

Someone slid in front of him as Mob squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, Kirishima was there, his skin scaly and rough, red eyes trained on him.

“You okay, little man?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m okay,” Mob responded shakily. 

Dimple whizzed over to him and settled affectionately in his hair for a moment before bolting back up.
“Reigen! What the hell! We had it!”
Reigen stood, panting, over its remains.
“Reigen!”
“Shut up, Dimple.”

Dimple’s mouth snapped shut in surprise and a little hurt. Mob felt something terrible worm its way up his throat. Hot, burning shame.

Because of me. It’s because of me that…

Reigen took a shuddering breath before folding himself up. His hands moved jerkily, robotically.
“Why did you kill it?” Iida asked curiously.

Reigen clasped his hands together. His smile stretched.  “Well, you see, it was gearing up to attack. As the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, sometimes there are things I see that you don’t…well, anyways, just be happy we were here to save you. Especially Ritsu. Great job, kid.”
Ritsu looked uncomfortable under the rare praise. 

“Anywaysss,” Reigen said, drawing it out. “Class over! Uh…look, I know this sort of undermines what I told you, but…”
“But it doesn’t,” Ritsu interrupted, his harsh gaze a clear indicator to shut up. It swept over the crowd. “Part of knowing your audience is also knowing when they’re not listening. That was a moment where we had to fight and we did it.”

Reigen’s mouth snapped shut. Aizawa looked almost pleased.
“Got that?” Ritsu asked. His tone brooked no argument.

Nobody spoke.
Mob startled as a warm weight slid into his palm. Ritsu looked at him.
“Let’s go back, Shige.”
“Okay,” Mob said, his voice thin. Ritsu led them carefully from the remnants of the gym.

“Hey, Mob? Hold on a sec.”
He paused as Reigen’s voice froze him. Ritsu looked him up and down and nodded before heading back with the rest of the class. Mob stood still as Reigen caught up to him.
“Hey, Mob,” Reigen’s voice was impossibly soft. Dimple hung on his shoulder.
“Master,” he said. He couldn’t meet his eyes.
Reigen put his hands on his shoulders and studied his expression the way he always did, as if he could look right through him. Mob wondered if he could see the monster inside him, the monster that did nothing but kill and hurt and bloody.

“How’s the drawing coming?”
Mob blinked, utterly thrown. “What?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot, Mob,” Reigen’s voice was airy. “You’re supposed to make it for the office! You said you’d have it done by the end of the trip.”
Mob looked up at him. His eyes were painfully kind. 

“Sorry,” his voice was barely audible. “I’ll work on it.”
His hands squeezed on Mob’s shoulders. “I want to see the best rendition of me there is. And you, of course. Right next to me. Like always, right?”
“Right.”

Reigen kneeled down, just as he had all those years ago. 

“And I’ll put it up on the bulletin,” he said, voice slipping into a familiar cadence. “And when all the customers come in, they’ll see the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century standing next to his assistant.”

Warmth blossomed up in his chest. He looked up at Reigen, sweaty, slightly askew. His lopsided smile was thick and blinding. 

“Like always,” Mob repeated. Reigen tousled his hair.
“That’s right,” Reigen said, and all was right for a bit. 

──────────────────

The second they were back to the dorms, Bakugou grabbed Todoroki’s arm and blasted out the front door. 

Todoroki watched the silhouette of the dorms wink into the fading evening sky. His sigh was whipped away by the night wind.

Another blast echoed above them and they crashed down to the ground with a thud. Todoroki grunted, barely managing to ice his feet over in time. Bakugou hauled him upright. 

“I’m assuming this is important,” he said dryly, dusting off his pants.

“Yeah the fuck it is, Icyhot,” Bakugou snarled, stomping forward. “What the hell was that today? You didn’t do shit for the investigation.”

“I did,” Todoroki protested. He crossed his arms.

“Yeah, asking the kid if he was getting abused to his face? Not the best move,” Bakugou sneered. 

Todoroki backed away petulantly as Bakugou got closer, feeling oddly hurt. “Well, I didn’t see you doing much of anything.”

“While you were doing random bullshit, I found some information on the blonde kid,” Bakugou said triumphantly. “The Kageyamas both don’t have much of a digital footprint, but Teruki Hanazawa? He’s got crazy connections to parents that, get this, are off in America. And have been for four years.”

He widened his eyes like Todoroki was supposed to draw some magnificent conclusion. Instead, he felt oddly hollow.

“Oh.”

“Oh,” Bakugou mimicked him, pitching his voice higher. “Look, this is basically proof that Reigen doesn’t have powers. When has he ever demonstrated a drop of it?”

“He’s had Hanazawa do most of the psychic feats,” Todoroki agreed, running a hand through his hair. He shivered slightly. He hadn’t brought his jacket with him. Bakugou frowned, as if his discomfort was personally inconveniencing him. “It could be because Hanazawa’s indebted to him. He’s usually the one in the face of danger.”
Something in Bakugou’s gaze shifted to analytical.

“Do you really think the kids are in danger, Icyhot?”
Todoroki shivered again and Bakugou made a low noise in the back of his throat.
“Of course,” he said readily. “Even if they haven’t gotten hurt yet, they will. Reigen-san displayed no fear for them when they first sensed the spirit, and it would have killed Ritsu today if I didn’t step in.”
Bakugou hummed a little. He was shrugging off his jacket as he did so.

“Figures you wouldn’t see this shit, Icyhot. The kids obviously care about the guy. When I went to try to blast his fucking face off, they all protected him without thinking.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Todoroki said, fear welling up in his chest. Bakugou didn’t meet his gaze. He was freezing, but something hot and awful had lodged beneath his ribs. I can’t do this alone.

“If someone attacked my father,” he said, his voice carefully even. “I would have protected them. Without thinking. It didn’t mean…it doesn’t mean anything changed.”
Bakugou’s red eyes cut over to him. Todoroki was familiar with anger. The way it curled around his father’s shoulders like a cloak, obscuring his vision with heat. His own, nestled deep within his ribs, cold as frozen crystals and spiking to the surface. But Bakugou’s anger had always been explosive, outwards, singed hands and dried grass and cutting, blazing words. Now, that anger seemed to be burning up within him, leaving him almost shriveled. Resigned.

Todoroki wanted it back.

He stepped forward on instinct, grabbing Bakugou’s shoulders and shaking them.

“Please,” he said, his voice breaking a little.
Instead of exploding him to bits, Bakugou extricated himself with less force than he usually would have and gave him a searching look. 

“Look, Halfie. There really isn’t much of an issue I see. Remember what I said? No projecting.”
“I’m not projecting,” he growled. “I just…”
His voice trailed off. What am I doing? 

“Trying to do your due diligence,” Bakugou finished. He sounded more proud of his vocabulary than anything, but the words lodged themselves in Todoroki’s spine. Due diligence.

It might be too late for me, but never for them.

Bakugou came closer now, his jacket balled up under his bicep. “Look. Next exercise or whenever Reigen and the kids are alone, we’ll both fuck off and go spy on em. Then we’ll see what he’s like when we’re not around, and go to Sensei if anything happens. That good for you?”
Todoroki swallowed around the strange warmth in his throat. He hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted Bakugou to believe him. 

“Okay?” Bakugou said, his voice rising.

“Okay,” Todoroki agreed. A heavy weight settled around his shoulders and he looked up. Bakugou lifted his chin in contempt, as if daring him to challenge the action.

“Your jacket?” Todoroki drew the material around himself with a shiver. It smelled like gunpowder and caramel. It was largely ineffective. “You realize I can use my fire side, right?”
Bakugou’s hesitant frown transformed into a deep scowl. He crossed his now bare arms.

 “Well, you weren’t fucking doing it, were you Halfie?”
“Why?” he asked again. If it’s largely inefficient, what’s the point? 

Bakugou grumbled and stomped around a bit. “I’m going to be the best fucking hero this world will ever see, and if I’m gonna surpass All Might, I gotta kill the competition!”
The words seemed largely contradictory to Todoroki’s question and Bakugou’s behavior, but he shelved this under “Unexplicable Things” and moved on. 

Bakugou’s teeth began to chatter.

“We can share the jacket?” Todoroki offered.
“Fuck you, Icyhot!”

Bakugou’s arm slipped around his waist and they blasted upwards so fast Todoroki’s ears popped. He slipped his arms through the sleeves and waited patiently for them to hit the ground again. He allowed a small flicker of flame to come through to warm up Bakugou when they finally reached the outside of the dorms. The grass was still wet from the rain they had missed and smelled faintly like burnt plant matter.

“Not a fucking word about this,” Bakugou emphasized, jabbing his finger into Todoroki’s chest.
“Okay,” Todoroki shrugged.
“Okay,” Bakugou parrotted, and he shoved through the doors. 

Uraraka was the one they saw first, next to both Midoriya and Iida like usual. Her gaze flicked knowingly to the other side of the common room as they entered. Ritsu was surrounded by a gaggle of UA students. He seemed to be a natural charmer, his practiced voice and poise prompting all the girls to aww at his professionalism and all the guys to ruffle his hair like he was a little brother to them. Teruki was next to him, both of them lifting into the air what seemed to be pieces of silverware.

“They’re both very strong,” Midoriya said, an analytical gleam entering his eyes. “I wonder who’s stronger.”
Todoroki sidled up to both of them, Bakugou going the opposite direction. Midoriya caught sight of his jacket and stilled, a strange sound escaping his throat. Iida and Uraraka exchanged glances.
“Hi,” he said, unsure. 

“Hi,” Iida squeaked. He coughed into his palm. “Sorry. We’re just talking about who’s most powerful.”

“Ritsu exorcised the spirit.” Todoroki pointed out. He watched Ritsu’s hands fold behind his back as he addressed Momo. Something about his formality made ice slide down his spine. 

“He might be the strongest. Smart as a whip, too,” Uraraka agreed. Her gaze hadn’t left his shoulders. He looked back at his shoulders as if he would find something. “But Teruki’s a close second. He held up Bakugou like he was nothing.”

Midoriya nodded in acknowledgment, chewing on his bottom lip as he thought, his attention thankfully diverted. “What about Shigeo? You spent time with him, right Todoroki?”
Todoroki looked away. Sharing his theories on Reigen seemed…wrong, almost. Not to mention Bakugou had made it clear it was only between them. However, there was no denying that something had happened to all of them. He saw it in Ritsu’s practiced words, Teruki’s larger-than-life confidence, and Shigeo’s fear of himself. 

If that wasn’t Reigen’s fault, it was someone’s. 

“Todoroki?” Midoriya repeated hesitantly. Todoroki blinked out of his haze. 

“...Sorry,” he said quietly. 

Midoriya glanced at him. “I was asking about Shigeo.”
Todoroki watched the silverware float in concentric circles around Ritsu’s finger.
“He’s a bit quiet,” he said. “He didn’t really do anything. But when Reigen was in trouble, he seemed very mad.”
“Hmm,” Midoriya mused. “Maybe he’s still unlocking his psychic powers. Or maybe his powers are slow-growing? I should ask Reigen if powers are things that come out with full potential and power, or they have to be trained and honed, like quirks, or if there’s a limit, or—”
“I’m going to bed,” Uraraka announced with a grin, twirling around. “Night, Deku.”

She paused, eyes meeting Todoroki’s with a knowing smile. Todoroki, unfortunately, didn’t know. “Night, Todoroki!”
Midoriya continued muttering and Todoroki settled in for the long haul. After about twenty minutes, the conversations around the hall began to peter out and the children all retired upstairs for their nightly routines. Bakugou had returned from wherever he had stomped off to, sweaty and flushed, but had ignored Todoroki’s prodding. Once he returned, he found Class 1-A waiting for him, sprawled in the common room expectantly.

“What do you damn extras want?” Bakugou gritted out, sounding more exhausted than usual.
Sero raised an eyebrow in Todoroki’s direction. When there was no reaction, he folded his hands and exchanged glances with Kaminari. 

Bakugou growled and headed to the kitchen. Iida and Momo had tried their hands at mapo tofu. Bakugou headed back with a steaming bowl of it, jabbing his chopsticks into it with force and slumping into the couch.

There was a beat of silence, giving him the opportunity to share. When it was clear Bakugou had no intention of doing so, Kaminari spoke up. He was charging at least seven phones, chewing the power cords in his mouth, and his legs were kicked into Sero’s lap. 

“I still don’t get what we’re supposed to be learning.”

Tsuyu didn’t look up from her careful brushing of her hair. “Yesterday was ‘power isn’t everything.’ Then it was ‘don’t fight unless you have to.’ Then whatever today was. We’re literally training to be heroes.”

“I thought it was useful,” Iida protested, setting his book down. “Knowing how to minimize property damage is an important aspect of hero work! And social skills helped us talk down the spirit!”

“Yeah, but we already know all of that,” Jirou said, flipping a jack in her hands with boredom. “Aizawa teaches restraint and people skills all the time. Reigen just made us chase a ghost around a mall.”

“And then yelled at us for chasing the ghost around the mall,” Mina added with a snicker.

Kirishima snorted. “Okay, when you put it like that…”

“I think he just doesn’t understand hero work,” Kaminari mused. “I mean, he’s an esper or whatever, but he’s not a hero. Of course he thinks fighting is the last resort.”

“It’s often the only option,” Tokoyami added. Dark Shadow curled around his shoulders. “What are we supposed to do when a heinous villain attacks? Ask them to leave? That didn’t work this time.”

“He didn’t say that,” Midoriya said, his voice unusually tense. Todoroki glanced at him. His fingers were curled tight around his pencil. 

Bakugou rolled his eyes, cracking his jaw with a yawn. His eyes flicked over to Todoroki knowingly. Testing the waters. 

“Going on and on about how ‘power isn’t everything’ is fucking easy to say when you don’t have to fight villains. Why Nezu thought this guy would be anything worthwhile is beyond me.”

They all held their breaths at the inflammatory statement, looking upstairs where the children and Uraraka were sleeping. 

Iida cringed. “Perhaps we should stop talking about this.”

“Nah, I’m tired of listening to this guy’s bullshit,” Bakugou spat.
“Power is sorta everything,” Kaminari agreed. “Didn’t he say it was okay to run away? What sorta heroes would we be if we ran away?”

Midoriya’s pencil made a crunching noise and Todoroki leaned a little closer to him.
“Midoriya?” he asked quietly. Midoriya didn’t move. 

“Power’s not everything,” Kirishima corrected. “But you need it. You can’t exactly be a hero if you can’t do anything.”

“You can do things without a Quirk,” Midoriya said sharply. 

Kirishima blinked. “Well, yeah, obviously.”

“Then why did you say that?”

“Say what?”

Midoriya closed his notebook hard and stood up. His eyes were blazing with a fire Todoroki hadn’t seen before. “That you can’t be anything if you can’t fight.”

“Woah. I didn’t say that. I meant you can’t be a hero if you can’t fight,” Kirishima said quickly.

“So what? Is life all about being a hero? What makes us heroes, anyway?” Midoriya shot back, his voice growing. “Because we do good things? Our powers don’t make us good or bad. Quirkless people aren’t useless.”

Tsuyu sat up. “Nobody said anything about Quirkless people.”

Midoriya’s fingers tightened around the edge of his notebook.

“Reigen-san said power isn’t everything and everyone laughed at him. He told us not to fight when we don’t need to, and now we’re saying that doesn’t apply to us because we’re heroes. He taught us how to actually interact with people, and we dismissed that too. Because we're heroes. But we’re not even heroes yet.” 

His voice was getting faster. 

“And some people don’t have combat Quirks. Some people don’t have Quirks. Are those people supposed to kick and shove their way through the world like us? What makes us any better?”

“Midoriya,” Iida said carefully.

“We have quirks, dumbass,” Bakugou shot back. The room went silent. 

“So that makes us better?” Midoriya’s voice was dangerously cold. His fists clenched. “Because we were born with the right Quirks? That makes us different?”

“Of course not,” Momo said, waving her hands frantically. “You just misunderstood—”
“Nah, he didn’t misunderstand,” Bakugou said, his voice even. “Having a quirk does make you better, shitty nerd. You can’t ignore it and pretend like you’re normal.”
The pencil snapped in Midoriya’s hands.

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed.

“Deku.”

“Don’t call me that,” Midoriya spat out, and stormed upstairs.