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“Hey, do you know where Midoriya got off to? I wanted to run some of these files past him, but he’s not in his office.”
“Dude. He’s off having tea with Yaoyorozu Momo.”
“…Yaoyorozu Momo? Like Creati Yaoyorozu Momo?”
“Yes.”
“Oh heck.”
--
Momo gently tapped her chin with the butt of her pen. “How about next week? That way, both our agencies can finish up the majority of the short-term internships before going ahead with the exchange.”
With a hum, Midoriya flipped through his calendar. “Not bad. The only problem is going to be villain activity, like always.” He huffed out a little laugh.
Momo liked Midoriya. He was smart, analytical, straightforward, and charming; a refreshing break from many of the physically strong but slightly less… intellectually inclined heroes in the field. But most importantly, he had slipped into their eccentric circle of Class 1-A graduates and become essential to them so quickly it was almost as if he’d been with them all along.
It didn’t hurt that he knew how to properly enjoy a good cup of tea, either.
“Is it Extinguisher again?” Momo sighed. “I suppose we should be grateful he’s not putting a quirk like that to much more use than petty theft and threats of violence, but still…”
“I know how you feel,” Midoriya said with a wry smile. “Of course, I haven’t personally faced him— thank goodness— but Shoto did just a few weeks ago and exhausted himself in a minute flat. He complained for days.”
“Draining people’s energy when they use their quirks…” She shook her head. “I guess that gives you an ironic advantage.”
Midoriya laughed. “It only really levels the playing field for me. But yes, if we can catch Extinguisher and the rest of the gang he’s working with, I’d feel a lot better about putting our heroes at a temporary disadvantage for the exchange.”
“We could just… go after him, I suppose,” Momo said thoughtfully. “I know Ochako-chan and Tokoyami are cleaning up after that bombing in the south, but I could spare a few people from my agency if you send backup.”
“Hmm… it’s almost not worth it, though. He’s slippery, but careless. I’d say give it four or five more days and we’ll just catch him in the act.”
Momo clicked her pen decisively. “Next month, then.”
“Absolutely,” Midoriya confirmed, scribbling into his schedule. After another sip of his tea, he returned bright, earnest eyes to Momo’s face. “How’s Jirou doing, by the way? I saw her boost on the hero rankings.”
Momo snorted. “Oh, she’s thrilled, but you know how she gets sometimes, trying to look cool.”
“I can see that,” Midoriya said with a grin. “I’ll make sure to buy some of her merch anyway. Maybe especially.”
“If she finds out, I’m not protecting you from the consequences,” Momo warned.
“I can handle myself just fine.”
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Should we get another tray of pastries? I know for sure you can eat more,” Midoriya asked through his giggles.
“I can, but should I really be stocking up on lipids in the form of chocolate-filled croissants?”
Midoriya blinked at her innocently.
Those puppy-dog eyes were really too powerful for this world. “Fine. One more tray.”
The look on Midoriya’s face as he ordered was somewhere between smug and genuinely pleased, and Momo found she couldn’t really be angry with him.
When the croissants arrived, she only had time to pick one up and put it on her tiny plate before the floor shook violently— and the storefront exploded inward.
She was on her feet in a second, squinting through the dust and lifting her shirt to breathe through it as a shield. Midoriya was doing much the same at her side, she noted with approval.
Cackling laughter rolled through the air and a cavalcade of heavy footsteps crunched over rubble as screaming customers and staff cowered under the tables or fled to the back exit.
“Your money or your lives!” A man’s voice said gleefully, and finally the dust was clear enough to see—
“Speak of the devil,” Midoryia murmured, and Momo stared with disdain into Extinguisher’s half-masked face.
“This was my favorite tea-shop,” she sighed, and Midoriya snorted.
“I’m telling Ochako it’s the pastries attracting villains, not me.” Slowly, he began to back away and to the side. “I’ll clear the place of civilians.”
“My thanks.” Momo nodded. “Now…”
Stepping forward and dropping the hem of her shirt, she drew the villains’ attention away from Midoriya’s relative stealth mission. “And what do you think you’re doing?” She called.
“Oho? You look familiar… a hero, perhaps? It’s your unlucky day.” Extinguisher sneered.
“Uh… boss?” One of his lackeys stepped up hesitantly, and Momo had to give the man credit for at least trying. “I’m pretty sure this is Creati—"
Extinguisher interrupted him with a scoff. “So she’s just another high-powered quirk user.” He rubbed his hands together. “My favorite.”
Momo’s mind was already racing, taking in every possible advantage available in their surroundings. She should be able to get one or two uses out of her quirk without completely wiping herself out, but it would be unwise to count on that. Midoriya, of course, was another asset, but only once he finished helping the civilians escape— never mind that he was technically a civilian himself.
Perhaps if she could use the tables there… and then, yes, there were the heavy velvet drapes… the cash register as bait… probably a stash of cleaning chemicals in one of the cupboards behind the counter…
Looking behind the villains and out through the massive hole they’d made in the wall, Momo struggled to control her expression when Midoriya’s torso popped into sight; a cellphone and a bundle of wires in his hand and a wicked grin on his face.
Ah yes. This would be no problem at all.
--
“Ay, we’ve got us a villain alert! Downtown Musutafu, at a place called, uh… Honeyrose Tea and Confectionary?”
“Oh, I know that place, they usually cater to the upper class. A robbery, I presume?”
“Eh, probably.”
“Um! No on-duty heroes in the immediate area, I just checked!”
“Relax, kid. I’ll call Stormfront and Ingenium, and you see if Creati Agency has anyone free.”
“…Hold on a hot second. Ain’t that the place Midoriya went to grab tea?”
“Hmm. Yes, I believe that’s correct.”
“So… that means he out there with Creati.”
“Oh dear god.”
“…”
“Go, go, go, we gotta get the other heroes out there, stat.”
“But ma’am, Midoriya-san has another hero with him, right? Are they still in danger?”
“Kid, Midoriya and Creati don’t need any help. The rescue is for the villains. Now hurry that call up before it’s too late!”
--
“Really, Izuku?” Shoto sighed as he took in the scorched, tied-up, and thoroughly traumatized villains scattered across the floor.
“Hah…” Izuku scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and Momo stood at his side, hands clasped apologetically around the handle of… Shouto was pretty sure it was a spork.
Police began to flood over the scene, handcuffing and dragging away the utterly unresistant criminals, while paramedics checked in with any remaining civilian victims.
“It’s a good thing we got here in time to stop you two. Remind me why anyone thought it was safe to let you plot anything together?”
“We weren’t plotting this,” Izuku said petulantly. “It’s not our fault villains keep interrupting our downtime.”
“Exactly. They got what they asked for,” Momo added with terrifying politeness.
Shouto pinched the bridge of his nose. “Momo, did you use your quirk at all? Do you need medical attention?”
“I only used it once, so I’m barely tired at all,” she said, briefly lifting the spork, “but I’ll go check with one of the paramedics anyway, since I know that’s what you’re going to tell me next.”
“Then get to it.” Shoto wished he could glare with all the force this situation deserved. This must be how Aizawa had felt about their entire class through all three years of high school.
…He would have to find a way to thank their teacher once again.
“Aww, no checkup for me?” Izuku asked, mouth twitching up at the corners.
“True. You could be bleeding out and you’d still probably be standing there like everything was fine,” Shoto deadpanned. “Go.”
Izuku trotted off to the ambulance, and, with a long sigh, Shouto turned back to find Iida.
“They are an admirable pair of minds!” Iida announced as he drew close. “However, the execution of their plans is…”
“Concerning,” Shouto finished.
“Indeed.”
They both stared as the last of the villains was carted from the half-wreck of the store.
“Todoroki, are we quite sure Midoriya does not have a quirk?”
Shoto didn’t even bother to acknowledge the question they’d never know the answer to, and once most of the other law enforcement and medical personnel had cleared out, they returned to the final ambulance.
Izuku and Momo were leaning into each other, planners improbably intact and open on their laps.
“…gone now, I think we can move the exchange up no problem,” Izuku was saying.
“Sure. And clearing the whole gang frees up some of my agency’s time as well. I’ll channel some personal funds into getting this shop rebuilt, so how about we get together again… oh, next weekend or so?”
“Works for me. If Tsu-chan has time off from her agency, do you think you could invite her as well? I have some new ideas.”
“I’ll check, but I’m sure she’d love that. Oh, and the 5th annual Ingenium Gala is coming up too. You have all the planning for that in hand?”
“I’m sure I can rope Shoto and Ochako into helping me if I need to,” Izuku laughed and turned to face him and Iida. “Hi, Shoto.”
“I can’t believe you’re already back to plotting.”
“Do you want the annual gala or not?” Izuku asked with a mock sniff. “I swear I don’t go looking for trouble. It’s the pastries. Next time, we’ll just get tea and avoid all this trouble.”
“Uh huh.”
“If the two of you are well, we must unfortunately be going,” Iida said. “The clean-up crews will need their space, and there is paperwork to be done.”
Izuku groaned. “Why did I sign up for secretary again?”
“You are skilled, and an irreplaceable asset to our agency!” Iida told him earnestly. “I’m also willing to give you a pay raise if you so desire.”
Flapping a hand in the air, Izuku laughed it off. “No need. Alright Momo, it was good to see you again. Let’s do something a bit more relaxing next time.”
“Of course,” she said with a serene smile. “I’ll call you later to confirm plans. Oh, and Tenya, if you ever get tired of running your agency, I’d be happy to snatch Izuku up, no questions asked.”
She pulled open the door of her agency car as it drove up. “See you soon!”
Iida watched after her, mouth half open in apparent reply. Then he turned to Izuku.
“You are planning to stay with us, right?”
Izuku shot an amused look at Shouto before patting Iida lightly on the back and heading to their own agency van. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”