Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

i.

Izuku had one hand massaging his temple, trying to lessen the ache blooming there as he frantically converted sentences from simple present to past perfect continuous and honestly, fuck English — 

"You are my fire — " 

Izuku's head snapped up and he glanced towards where Kaminari sat. 

He was chewing the end of his pencil and leisurely converting tenses like it was nothing; as much as that frustrated Izuku, he definitely wasn't singing. 

" The one desire — " 

Next Izuku turned to Jirou, her earjack tapping her desk but her lips pressed together as she wrote.

And the singing was more of a baritone, a low masculine voice. 

"Believe when I say — " 

As Izuku paid attention, he realised that different people were singing. 

He shoved his hands into his hair, messing it up even more as he leaned his elbows against the desk. 

Was he going insane? Had he finally hit his head enough that he had started hallucinating someone singing a song he had never even heard? 

"I want it that way — " 

His eye twitched. What way? What way did they want it? And why couldn't they have waited till his test was over? 

"Tell me why — " 

Izuku frowned. That one sounded remarkably off-pitch, why had they suddenly changed— 

"Ain't nothing but a heartache — " 

Why were there several people singing at once? 

"Tell me why—" 

Izuku groaned, flopping forward onto his desk and covering his ears. 

"Ain't nothing but a mistake—" 

"Please shut up," said Izuku, and his frustrated tears caused his preciously written roman script to bleed. 

"Now, number five—" 

Wait a minute. 

"I never want to hear you say—" sang Banjo, and Izuku wanted to strangle the vestige with his own overpowered quirk. 

"I want it that way!" 

Izuku slammed his palms against the wood and screamed, "Shut the fuck up!"

Through the haze, he briefly registered First saying, " It was all of us! All of us tried to kill my brother!" and a hand was on his forearm and shaking him violently. 

"Deku, what the fuck, " said Kacchan, and Izuku forced his eyes open. 

" Oh," he said and thrust out a leg. It swung through the air but Izuku was still left hovering six feet above the ground. 

Sero had grabbed onto his floating desk with tape and Kacchan had a firm grip on his forearm,  his feet touching the ceiling. 

"Release!" yelled Ochako, and then turned towards Present Mic. "It isn't working!" she screeched, slamming her palms together again and again. "Sensei, I don't know why, I'm nowhere near him — " 

Present Mic dug his phone out of his pocket and hit speed dial. "Hey Shou," he said, his voice an octave higher. "Midoriya's floating on the ceiling and it's not Uraraka causing it."

Aizawa Sensei sighed. "Coming — " 

"Deku, what the fuck," said Kacchan, his voice lower and grip like a vice around Izuku's wrist.

"Quirk manifested," said Izuku softly, feeling like he was swimming in the air.

Kacchan clicked his tongue derisively. "I can see that nerd, but what caused it?"

"Problem child," said Aizawa from the doorway, eyes rimmed red. "What did you do this time?"

"Uh," said Izuku, because he really wasn't sure how to say 'I was trying to make the dead people in my head shut up and accidentally activated one of said dead people's quirks because my quirk is a generational torch — ' 

Kacchan's hand tightened slightly, breaking him out of his mental tangent. "My quirk manifested late," said Izuku calmly, like he was not floating mid-air. "So I think this is an impact of that: like black whip!" 

Kacchan smacked his forehead with his free hand. 

"How is super-strength related to floating?" asked Kirishima, test forgotten. Present Mic was slightly curled into Aizawa Sensei's side — Izuku wondered if he realised that was even doing it. 

"It's from his Mom's side," said Kacchan flatly, which was honestly not a bad answer. His mom had a similar quirk to float after all, and it was much better than 'I have a weird quirk', which Izuku was about to say. 

"I'm going to use my quirk now," said Aizawa Sensei, which was all the warning Izuku got before he dropped to the ground like a dead weight. 

He heard the crash of his desk but surprisingly, he didn't hit the floor as he expected. Instead, he was held up by — 

"Kacchan?" said Izuku, completely disoriented. 

He was dumped unceremoniously onto his chair, which was all that was left in his spot. "Want to explain what that was?" asked Aizawa Sensei.

"Can I go to Recovery Girl first?" asked Izuku, black spots dancing in front of his eyes. There was utter silence. 

"Bakugou — " 

"Yeah I'll go," said Kacchan with a grumble as he yanked Izuku out of his place and dragged him out of the classroom. 

"Kacchan?" said Izuku, stumbling over his feet. 

"Yeah, nerd?" 

"Is there a way I can murder an already deceased person who now resides in my quirk?" he asked innocently and Kacchan almost ran into a wall. 

"What the hell?" he said, and there was pink dusting the back of his neck. Must be the heat, reasoned Izuku. 

"They kept singing during the test," he said, leaning a little into Kacchan, his legs still a little wobbly. 

"Singing..." 

"It was very annoying," said Izuku seriously. "They would not stop." 

"Deku, their singing is what caused you to yell 'Shut the fuck up!' and then cause a dormant quirk to become activated?" said Kacchan with the quirk of his eyebrow. 

"I regret nothing," said Izuku as he stopped at the familiar sign of the infirmary. 

"Honestly, that's pretty valid," said Kacchan, almost like an afterthought as he led Izuku to the designated 'Deku' bed in the room. 

"I may have some regrets," said Izuku as soon as he spotted Recovery Girl and her menacing needle. 

"Too late for that nerd!" cackled Kacchan, almost bending over wheezing as he watched Izuku,  the ninth successor of One For All with at least three different quirks cower in front of a wizened old lady. 

Izuku glared at him half-heartedly as Recovery Girl poked his arm. 

ii.

"So her quirk allows her to manipulate metal into any state or form — " mumbled Izuku, scribbling the information into his notebook. 

The news channel was on, and an exclusive interview was going on with the debuting Metal Hero: Battlestar. 

Izuku had to leave for training with All Might in a few minutes, and he really should have some breakfast, but Battlestar's quirk was so fascinating! 

"She manipulated the beams in the crumbling building to hold it up while the rest of the heroes  evacuated the civilians — so her range and effectiveness is high as she was able to hold the entire building from the foundation level — "

There was a sudden ringing in his ears, one that he almost ignored over the television and talking of his classmates but he gave in and held up his hand. 

He looked up as foil crinkled in his palm and saw that everyone had stopped to stare at him. "What?" asked Izuku self-consciously, setting down the granola bar and curling into himself.

"How did you know to catch that?" asked Shoji, shocked, the spoon in his hand dripping honey all over the counter. 

"You had lifted your hand before Bakubro even threw it," said Kirishima, hair still wilting from lack of gel. 

"Thank you Kacchan!" said Izuku, peeling apart the wrapper. "I had to leave for training right now." 

He expected some snipe or comeback but Kacchan was still staring at Izuku with a contemplative expression. 

"I just got lucky! Your reflexes are still better — " 

"Damn right they are, nerd!" said Kacchan, familiar frown back in place. 

Izuku bit into the bar — chocolate and sea salt, his favourite; and laced up his red sneakers. "Are you coming to train?" he asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Like I'm going to let you get a headstart on me," said Kacchan, heading towards the door.

On the way, Izuku heard the ringing again, and hopped randomly, holding out his hands to stabilise himself. 

"What are you doing?!" said Ochako, throwing up her hands. "You could have made Deku fall if he wasn't paying attention!" 

Izuku looked back and sure enough, one of the several pairs of shoes had been pushed into his path. 

Izuku wasn't paying attention, he should have fallen — he hadn't even noticed the shoes —

"Was testing something, Round Face," scoffed Kacchan, eyes narrowing. "I know what I'm doing." The door slammed shut behind them. 

"Congratulations on yet another quirk, Deku," said Kacchan, hands in his pockets.

"What — " began Izuku but then remembered the notebook All Might had given him. "The Fourth quirk: Danger Sense." 

Kacchan scoffed. "Fancy word for reflexes — you need them if you even want to think of becoming the Number One." 

"I'm still going to surpass you," said Izuku, wiping an errant streak of chocolate off his lip and dumping the wrapper in the trash bin. "With or without these quirks." 

Kacchan was oddly silent for when a challenge had been issued, his brow furrowed and eyes glossed over. "Kacchan?" said Izuku, waving his hand in front of Kacchan's face. "Some spatial  awareness you have there." 

"Fuck you, I have perfect spatial awareness," said Kacchan with a snarl, back to normal.

Izuku frowned. Kacchan kept spacing out in the middle from time to time — and it was becoming even more frequent as the weeks passed. Was he falling sick—? 

"Oi, Deku," said Kacchan, grabbing his arm. Izuku flailed, regaining his balance before looking at Kacchan questioningly. 

"You missed a stair," said Kacchan and indeed, there was a stair at the entrance that he hadn't noticed and probably would have fallen face-first over. "I can't believe you didn't even notice with an actual fucking quirk for it—some shitty quirk you have there." 

"Hey!" began Izuku, ready to defend his predecessor's honour. 

But then he noticed that Kacchan's warm hand was still at his elbow, just at the junction of his sleeve. They were close—so close that Izuku could probably count his eyelashes; he had a strange urge to memorise the number and store it in his notebook. 

"Ka —" 

"Control your heart, Ninth," whispered someone in his ear and Izuku startled with a scream, scrambling backwards with his eyes screwed shut. 

"Deku!" shouted Kacchan, there were hands on his shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Deku, open your fucking eyes, dammit!" 

Izuku opened his eyes and they stung from the smoke surrounding them. It was so thick that the only thing he could really see were red eyes. 

"I—" 

"You triggered another fucking quirk!" said Kacchan, hands still on Izuku's shoulders. "You need  to breathe and reign it back in." 

Izuku tried, but his breath was stuck in his throat. "I can't!" he wheezed, and it burned. "I can't breathe!" 

"Deku," said Kacchan, and there was something in his voice that Izuku couldn't ignore. "Look at me." 

I always am, Izuku wanted to say but the words were stuck with his breath. "Take a breath," said Kacchan. "And exhale." 

Izuku followed the instructions, and when he let out another shaky exhale, the smoke had dissipated. 

Kacchan's hands were still on his shoulders. 

"Fuck," hissed Izuku, rubbing his palms over his tear slick cheeks. 

"You can say that again, nerd," said Kacchan, giving Izuku space that he didn't want or need. "I feel like I got hit by a car," said Izuku, flopping down on the step, loosening the collar of his shirt. 

"Tell me that isn't something that has fucking happened to you," said Kacchan, hands tucked inside his jacket. 

Izuku shrugged. It wasn't, but he still felt off and teasing Kacchan was a guilty pleasure.

"Come on," said Kacchan, shoving his shoulder. "Let's see if you can catch me today."

Izuku grinned, dusting the back of his tracksuit as he got up. "I'm going to try my absolute best."

"You better," said Kacchan with a sharp smirk. "I won't accept anything less."

Izuku felt lighter as he smiled as he walked into the gym with Kacchan. "You won't have to."

 iii. 

Izuku woke up to knocking that was attempting to blow his door off its hinges. "Let me sleep!" he said, fully knowing who was attempting to batter down his door at—he squinted at the bedside clock—five o'clock on the dot. 

Kacchan was nothing if not punctual. 

"Wake up, Deku," screamed Kacchan predictably, and Izuku mentally apologised to Shinsou who had probably just fallen asleep. 

He padded to the door and used less than a percent of One for All to wrench the door open, trying to make a point. 

He faltered moments later because Kacchan was not alone. 

Next to him stood Second. 

Other than the ropy scar over the bridge of Second's nose and the different colour schemes they had going on—they were identical: down to the spiky hair, crossed forearms and perpetual scowls. 

Izuku slammed the door shut and climbed back into his bed as explosions went off in the  hallway. 

It was way too early to deal with that. 

iv.

Aizawa Sensei had a meeting going on, leaving Iida and Yaomomo in charge as the class descended into chaos. 

Iida was bent over his desk (with perfect posture, as he would insist later, even though everyone had seen the slump of his spine) half asleep from the morning's practice as Shouto told him about the latest instalment in the manga that they both read. 

Yaomomo was too busy blushing as Jirou sat on her desk and held out an earbud so that they could both listen to a new album. 

"You'll love them," said Jirou, tucking the earbud into Yaomomo's ear for her—seeing that she was rigid as a statue carved out of rose quartz if the flush of her skin had any say in it. "There's this meaning to the songs that I think you'll like." 

"I'm sure I will," said Yaomomo, flustered. 

"She'll like anything you give her; put us all out of our misery and just ask her out, Ears," muttered Kacchan, leaning back his chair against Izuku's desk.

"Are you sure they like each other?" said Izuku, flipping through Hero Analysis 15, trying to find  the section on Void Hero: Black Hole; one of Tokoyami's personal idols. 

Kacchan flicked his forehead. "Deku, you're the last person to ever notice these fucking things." Izuku rubbed his skin and forehead and scrunched his nose a bit. "Rude." 

"Deku, just look at them." 

Izuku did. Jirou's hand was pushing back a strand of Yaomomo's dark hair off her cheek and  behind her ear. Yaomomo was looking towards the floor put one of her hands brushed over one  of Jirou's earjacks— 

"Oh All Might," said Izuku, putting his head in his hands. "She's touching Jirou's earjack." 

"See, now you get it, nerd." 

"They're in love," said Izuku sagely and Kacchan choked on air. 

"Holy fuck Deku," rasped Kacchan, snatching the proffered bottle of water out of Izuku's hand.  "We're like, sixteen." 

"I told you Kacchan," said Izuku slowly, in that condescending tone that he knew Kacchan hated. Izuku'd begun taking a lot of joy in getting a rise out of him lately — the sight of his red cheeks and sharp teeth— 

"Deku," said Kacchan. "Continue before I explode you." 

"Right. So, Jirou's earjacks are the most precious part of her quirk—they're probably worth their weight in solid gold— " 

"How the fuck would you even— " 

"She doesn't let anyone touch them, ever. They're sensitive, they have to be for her quirk to work. It's the utmost sign of vulnerability to let anyone touch them—her entire quirk depends on it and they could destroy it with a single move." 

Kacchan's eyes widened. "And she's letting Ponytail near them." 

"She's not letting her, Kacchan," said Izuku. "Look at them." 

Jirou's earlobe was arched towards Yaomomo, almost as if she was— 

"She's offering it to her," said Kacchan flatly. 

"They're in love," said Izuku dopily. "Good for them." 

"I agree, Ninth," said First, materialising in front of Izuku and plopping down on his desk.

"Deku— " 

"Vestige," said Izuku, tugging his ear. 

Kacchan nodded and pulled out his calculus textbook. 

Izuku appreciated it so much — he could have gone over to any one of his friends (even if he would vehemently deny having them) desks and enjoyed the free period. Instead, he chose to make sure that Izuku could continue the conversation without worrying about anyone overhearing. 

"Giving someone power over your quirk is the pinnacle of romance," said First with a sappy grin.

"Why do I have a feeling— " 

"That I am speaking of this from personal experience? It's because I am." 

Izuku settled back into his chair. 

"Did you ever wonder, young Ninth, how the first transfer of One for All occurred if I was unaware that I had a quirk in the first place?" 

"I mean it does have a very specific transfer mechanism," said Izuku, rubbing his chin.

" It does! You have to give your own DNA to the person and have the intention of transfer."

Second appeared next to First, looking immensely long-suffering. " Are you telling the transfer story again? You've told this story many times—"

"And you'll hear it again!" said First, wrapping his arms around Second's middle, who softened perceptibly at the touch. 

"So this idiot decides that he's unworthy of his quirk and how much better I would be with it," said Second with a frown. "Which is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." 

"But you do deserve it more!" 

"You're the First of us for a reason, Yoichi," said Second, like he'd said it a thousand times and meant it at every single time. 

" Well—" 

"As I said, this idiot decided that I deserved it more, which is a complete and utter lie. And then he kissed me." 

"He did what?! " 

"Deku— " 

Izuku waved his hand. He needed answers. 

"And apparently the thing he thought of while kissing me was his quirk, which I still take offence to," said Second with a glare. 

First shrugged sheepishly. "If it helps, that was my second thought." 

"And what was the primary one?" said Second with a sharp grin. 

"Holy shit, I'm finally kissing him," said First with a small smile. 

Second leaned forward and Izuku put his hands over his eyes. He did not need to see that. "Are you done now Deku?" hissed Kacchan, shaking his desk. 

"I need to be sure that they're gone," said Izuku, peeking out through his fingers. When he realised they were, he sighed and slumped forward onto his desk. 

"Did anyone notice?" said Izuku, not bothering to untangle the strange bundle of emotions in his chest. 

"It's fine, Pikachu does more embarrassing things daily to the point that all of them  have the memory span of fucking goldfish." 

"Do you remember Nabu Island?" asked Izuku, blurting out the question suddenly, without thinking it through.

"That nine quirk fucker?" said Kacchan, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "There's a gap in my memory but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened." 

He turned, looking into Izuku's eyes. "I don't want your quirk," he snarled. "I will become number  one without it and I expect you to put up a fight—there's no meaning to victory if I don't earn it."

Stay alive to fight me for it, Izuku heard. 

"Okay Kacchan," he said with a watery smile. "I'll make sure you'll always have to get through me if you want to be the number one." 

"Glad to hear it, nerd," said Kacchan, and the tentative something between them broke when Aizawa Sensei entered the room. 

Izuku held onto the shards of it for the rest of the day, unsure of what they meant and not brave enough to decode them. 

v.

"Do you know," said Shimura Nana, sitting in Izuku's windowsill with her legs propped up. "That Toshinori failed calculus tests a grand total of eleven times one year?" 

Izuku spat out his orange juice (the Iida special—freshly squeezed with a hint of lemon) all over his desk. Thankfully, all his books were safe within his bag. 

"But he's All Might!" sputtered Izuku, using his long sleeve to mop up the table. 

"He is," said Nana fondly. "But he's also a person, young Izuku. Don't forget that."

Nana was Izuku's favourite vestige. She didn't sing during his classes, tell him strange stories or look like his childhood friend. 

Izuku wasn't going to touch the last one with a ten-foot pole.

Instead, she told him about All Might as a teenager—she had all that insider knowledge goodness and was more than willing to share it with Izuku. 

Izuku could see a lot of his mentor in her (or perhaps her shadows lived on within All Might): the width of their smiles, the way everything seemed like it would be alright if they were around.

So yes, Shimura Nana was Izuku's favourite vestige. 

She told him what flavour of ice cream was All Might's favourite, and asked Izuku to leave it at All Might's door one day with a card that said: ' From Nana, I'll always love you.'

Izuku had cried real snotty tears when he wrote that. 

She insisted that he sleep on time and proofread all his history essays. "It's not cheating,"  she said, hands on her hips. "Technically I am you." 

That wasn't confusing at all. 

He'd scored extra credit for historical accuracy on those. 

"How the fuck did you know that the legislature for the modern quirk laws was presented on six separate occasions before it was finally introduced?" snarled Kacchan when they got back their essays, narrowing his eyes. "It wasn't mentioned anywhere."

"Well, maybe if you studied more— " 

Kacchan scoffed. 'I know what you're doing,'  his expression screamed and Izuku smiled innocently.

He'd enjoyed those extra three hours of sleep. 

+1 

"Problem children," said Aizawa Sensei, wriggling out of his sleeping bag cocoon. "Today we have a mandated class therapy exercise." 

The class, surprisingly, just collectively sighed. 

"No screaming, yelling or general ruckus?" said Aizawa, impressed but also a little suspicious.

"Sensei," said Iida, and he sounded very tired. "I think it's a little too late to pretend that we don't  know everything about each other." 

"Or that we're not all ridiculously codependent," said Tsu bluntly. 

"Fair," said Aizawa, and opened the door. 

A tall woman with her bright blue hair coiled in a chignon at the back of her head walked in,  wearing a white overcoat over formal attire. 

"Good morning," she said brightly and the more well-mannered students returned her greeting,  albeit with less enthusiasm. "My name is Nakamura Yuka, and my quirk is 'Inner Voice'."

Izuku straightened up immediately, pen already in his hand. "It can condense your thoughts into a single coherent wavelength," she said, and Izuku jotted it down. "It helps remove confusion and reveal your 'true' thoughts. However, if you are uncomfortable with sharing something you can simply write it down to review later, or we can have a one on one session after." 

"Will we be doing it together?" asked Hagakure, her shirt sleeve high in the air. "Yes," said Nakamura-san, "I can control my quirk for up to thirty people at once so it should be fine." 

"Is it based on touch?" asked Izuku and he heard half the class snicker—and it didn't feel mean, more like an inside joke that he was a part of. 

"It requires at least a fingertip's worth of direct contact with my skin," she said, before turning towards Aizawa Sensei. "I presume you'll be going first?" 

"Everyone else, push the tables to the edges of the room and arrange the chairs in a semicircle," he said as he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "And come forward in order of your seat numbers for the quirk activation." 

"I'm so glad Mineta got expelled," said Mina as she shoved a table into the corner. "I don't even want to think about what that pervert's inner thoughts were." 

"Nothing good, that's for sure," said Yaomomo, neatly arranging the chairs into a perfect arc.

"I cannot wait for my inner sparkle to shine even brighter!" said Aoyoma with a wide flourish.

"Is that glitter?" said Tokoyami as the sparkles rained down over him. His eyes had gone wide and blurry and Dark Shadow had dropped the table and was staring at the shiny glitter.

"Oy bird brain," said Kacchan, nudging him with his elbow. "Focus on the shiny once you're done picking up tables." 

Izuku wrote down, 'bird characteristics—likes shiny things' in jet black ink in the classmates' section of his notebook. 

"You too, nerd! Tables first, hyper fixation about quirks later." 

"Okay, Kacchan!" said Izuku, not even bothering with One for All and hauling a desk with each hand. 

"Midoriya Izuku," called out Nakamura-san, and Izuku turned towards Shinsou. "You and Yaomomo go first," he said, picking up a stack of chairs. "I have some questions about her quirk so I'll go last." 

"Sure," said Shinsou sleepily, his default mode most of the time. Honestly, Izuku thought Shouto's theory of him being Aizawa's secret love child might have some basis. 

Once the classroom was organised, Izuku went up front to Aizawa Sensei and Nakamura-san. 

"Midoriya Izuku?" she asked as he held out his hand. Izuku nodded. 

"This might feel a bit strange," she said before placing her fingertips against his wrist. Izuku gasped, feeling like a live wire. 

" Deku!" 

"What the fuck is happening—"  

"This has never happened before!" 

He felt like he was underwater. 

"Problem child," said Aizawa Sensei, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I need you to breathe." Izuku breathed—inhaling and exhaling till the pain ebbed away. 

Then, he felt them before he saw them. "Oh fuck," he said with feeling, knowing that the entire class was staring at him and the cluster of not-quite ghosts surrounding him.

"Deku, you had one fucking job— " 

"You knew about this!" screeched Kaminari, waving his hands wildly. "You knew that he was haunted, and you didn't tell us!" 

"We're not ghosts," protested Fourth quietly. 

First sighed. "I guess the cat's out of the bag," he said, hands in his pockets. Second glared. "Yoichi — " 

Shimura Nana held up her hands. "Can someone call Toshi?" 

The entire class stared at her blankly, and more than a few of them sported flaming red cheeks.

"Who...?" stuttered Mina, unsure of what to say in the presence of a goddess.

"I'll do it," said Kacchan, pulling out his phone.

He glared at Second, who glared right back. "Oh," said Shouto, conspiracy already forming and Yaomomo slapped a hand over his mouth.

"All Might," said Kacchan gruffly, and Kirishima gasped.

"How did you even know that!?" 

"What —" said Nakamura-san, staring at her hands with a mixture of horror and fascination.

Third yawned, throwing an arm over Second's shoulder. "Get off," he hissed. "I don't care that I've known you for over a century, I will murder you." 

"Is that any way to treat your best friend?" said Third with a teasing grin, yanking a strand of his hair. 

Second shoved him off, every movement of his body promising bloody murder. First curled a hand around his wrist. 

"Yoichi—" said Second, his voice softer. 

First widened his green eyes and Second visibly faltered. 

"The Midoriya Effect," said Ochako, shaking Tsu's arm. "How is he— " 

Shouto opened his mouth and this time Sero was the one who sealed it with tape. Shouto stared blankly at him, using his limited knowledge of JSL to sign, Rude.

"The Midoriya Effect?" said Izuku, tips of his ears burning; fully knowing that he would come to regret asking. 

"You're very powerful, kero," said Tsu, placing her hand against his forearm.

"You can just make anyone do anything by widening your eyes," said Ochako, splaying her hands out in front of her. 

Izuku blushed, tucking his chin into his neck like a socially anxious turtle. 

"It's true, Midoriya," said Iida. "Were you not aware of this?"

Kacchan scoffed. "Deku's the least self-aware person ever; did you honestly think he would have realised?" 

"Bakubro, you know you're the one who's affected—" began Kaminari and screeched when Kirishima and Mina jumped on top of him. 

"Do you want Blasty to kill you?!" shrieked Mina, as Kirishima hardened himself so that Kaminari would stay on the floor. 

"Denki, it's like you have a death wish," agreed Kirishima, flopping down. 

First was staring at Izuku. "Huh—" 

"Oh my god," said Banjo, squinting his eyes. "How did we never notice?" 

"Hindsight," said Sixth sadly. "What a bitch." 

Shouto ripped the tape off his mouth. "Ouch," he said, with a bit more inflexion than usual as he rubbed the irritated skin around his lips. 

"Do you have something to share with the class Todoroki?" said Aizawa, not looking away from the vestiges. "And what is taking All Might so long?" 

"He said he was teaching some of the second year fuckers," said Kacchan and Izuku elbowed him in the ribs.

"He's too busy to see his own mother ?" said Nana with a gasp, wiping away a tear. Izuku was impressed by how easily she'd managed to conjure it. 

"You're being haunted by All Might's mother!?" squawked Kaminari, shoving an accusing finger towards Izuku while Mina wailed. 

"You're All Might's mother?! " 

"I have something to share with the class," said Shouto, ignoring the wails of despair coming from the rest of them. Coincidentally, this was also the demographic of the class attracted to women. 

"Continue Todoroki," said Aizawa Sensei, pulling out a jelly pouch and looking Fifth in the eye as he chugged it down. 

"Thank you Sensei," said Shouto, holding out a hand. 

Yaomomo sighed but produced a set of multi-coloured chalks. 

"Thank you," he said, handing over a bar of chocolate, covered with what looked like actual gold foil. 

"Did you steal your father's credit card again?" asked Yaomomo with absolutely no condonement as she delicately peeled the wrapper.

"Of course, only the best for my classmates," said Shouto as he headed over to the board.

Ochako slammed her palms against her thighs, making sure that all five fingers did not touch. "You're the one who left that huge packet of mochi in the kitchen the other day!"

"Was I not supposed to?" said Shouto, shading a figure on the board. 

"If you want to spend money to piss off your father Icy Hot, can you get some actual saucepans for the kitchen?" said Kacchan, leaning back in his chair. "The ones we have are shit."

"Kacchan!" said Izuku, retreating from himself to use blackwhip, the dark tendrils pulling down Kacchan's chair to the front. 

"The fuck nerd," said Kacchan, momentarily flailing before regaining control and glaring at Izuku. "He wants to spend his shitty sperm donor's money and we are more than willing to drain the number one hero's account like leeches." 

"Respect," said Third and Kacchan sneered at him. 

Third looked at him and then at Second, frowning. "Are you sure—?" 

"One more word," snarled Second, and First once again curled at his side.

"You are not helping your point," said Third, but held up his hands in defeat.

"I'll get you that vintage Silver Age All Might journal you've been eyeing," said Shouto using a  scale and red chalk to draw a perfect line. 

Izuku's eyes shone with lust. "Sold." 

Nana shook her head. "Come on kid," she said. "We've talked about this. Negotiate a bit, get a better deal. Don't sell yourself for so little." 

Izuku looked down at his shoes, chastised. "Sorry, Obāsan."

Mina wailed even louder. "Midoriya's grandmother?! " 

Shouto added another line. 

"I am here!" said All Might, bursting through the door. 

"Twenty minutes after you were supposed to be," muttered Aizawa. 

All Might didn't notice; he was staring at the vestiges — one vestige in particular. "Sensei?" he said, voice trembling. 

Nana smiled and it was brighter than the sun. "Hello, Toshinori." 

"Oh, " he said, pressing his lips together, unsure of what to say. 

Nana placed an incorporeal hand on his shoulder but All Might leaned into her touch just the same. 

"Let's go outside for a while," she said, giving the rest of the vestiges a look that clearly said 'Behave.' 

Every single one of them nodded and said, "Yes ma'am," in the most demure tone Izuku had ever heard. 

"Deku," said Kacchan, kicking the leg of his chair. "Stop crying." 

"I can't help it Kacchan!" said Izuku, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm just so happy that All Might got to see his mom again." 

"Wasn't she his mentor?" said Tsu, cocking her head to the side. 

"Sensei, parent, same thing," said Kaminari with the wave of his hand. 

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "Why do I have a feeling that this has something to do with me." Izuku grinned and knew what he had to do. 

"Because we love you, Dad," they chorused. Every single one of them: from Kacchan with a surly frown to Kouda who signed it out. 

Aizawa drew his binding cloth around his face, but it was too late; they saw his small smile and flushed face. 

"I hate you, problem children," he grumbled. "I'm going to expel every single one of you."

"I'm done now," said Shouto, gesturing towards the board with unenthusiastic jazz hands. Nakamura-san had long left the room and no one had even noticed. 

"I'm curious," said First, propping himself up against Sixth. All the vestiges had gathered in one of the abandoned corners and were looking at the proceedings with morbid fascination.

Shouto pulled out a laser pointer from his pockets and focused on the first image, a stick with green hair and it was the central point of the entire flowchart. 

"Midoriya Izuku got a quirk the day before the UA entrance exam," said Shouto with his usual flair — which was to say none at all.

"His quirk was super strength, and eerily similar to All Might's." The laser shifted to an even scrawnier stick with a mop of yellow hair.

"At first I thought he was All Might's secret love child," admitted Shouto and Jirou, who was unfortunately drinking water, did a literal spit-take all over poor Kaminari. 

"I'm going to short-circuit!" shrieked Kaminari as Jirou rasped, Yaomomo rubbing her back.

"Put him in rice," she wheezed, torn between laughs and coughs. 

"Shinsou," wailed Kaminari, hanging off Shinsou's elbow like a barnacle. "Jirou's being mean to me, make her stop." 

"Figure out your problems with your best friend by yourself," grumbled Shinsou, pulling the binding cloth around his face. 

"I'm not your best friend?!" gasped Sero, draping his arms around Kaminari like a cape.

Izuku waggled his eyebrows at Shinsou, knowing he was blushing like a tomato. "I will end you and your entire lineage, Midoriya," warned Shinsou, and all that was visible of him was his purple hair. It wasn't very effective. 

"Good luck fighting All Might, mon ami," said Aoyoma, patting Shinsou's shoulder consolingly.

"I was talking," said Shouto, gesturing at his red-chalk conspiracy board, looking at the chaos unfolding before him with the vaguest air of annoyance. 

"Please continue," said Third, most of his weight supported by an exasperated Fourth.

"Thank you, ghost," said Shouto, ignoring the 'I'm not a ghost'  from Third. 

"But considering that All Might had only one quirk and it was not haunted, there must be something else to it," said Shouto, shifting the laser. "Who else do we know that has more than one quirk?" 

Izuku's eyes widened at where the conversation was headed. "Please make him stop," he said, widening his eyes as he shook Iida's arm like a bottle with the last drops of sauce.

"We should have never told him," muttered Ochako into her hands. "He's even more powerful  now." 

"Sorry Midoriya," said Iida, staunchly looking away from Izuku. "The quirk amplified our Inner Voice and apparently Todoroki's core trait is coming up with conspiracy theories." 

"Can't argue with that," said Yaomomo, her arm over Jirou's shoulder. Apparently, her Inner Voice was just loving her girlfriend. 

"The Villain of Kamino," said Shouto, pointing to one of the final sketches. "He has several quirks, no one really knows what he looks like because All Might ruined his face— "

"Good riddance," said First loudly, flicking his hair. "He used to be such a peacock—stole so many  youth and beauty quirks that I've lost count." 

"Yes, and there is absolutely no familial resemblance there," said Sixth, and was immediately jabbed in the ribs by Second. 

"Anyway," said Shouto, moving ahead as he ignored the ghost cat fight happening in the corner.  "Has anyone ever even heard Midoriya mention his father?"

"So, what?" drawled Kacchan, paying no heed to Izuku's pleading look. "He doesn't talk to his old man. What's that got to do with all of this, Daddy Issues?" 

Izuku buried his head in his hands. 

"From all of this," said Shouto, gesturing towards the all-encompassing chaos of his red chalk conspiracy theory. "I have connected the dots—" 

"You didn't connect shit—" 

"I have connected them," said Shouto sagely. "The Villain of Kamino—All for One, is Midoriya  Izuku's father. 

Everything screeched to a stop. 

" What?!" he shrieked, jumping out of his chair as it fell back with a clatter. "Shouto, you can't be serious— " 

"Oh I am," said Shouto blankly. "The conspiracy board does not lie." 

"Have either of you seen a picture of All for One before All Might—" began Kaminari.

"Smashed his fucking face in?" snarled Kacchan. 

"Yeah, that." 

"Uh, no—" said Izuku, not liking where this was going. 

"Sensei?" said Shouto, holding out a hand. 

"I swear to god problem children," said Aizawa, pulling out his phone. "I will expel you all." A ding from the phone and Sensei sighed. "Apparently," he said, handing over the phone to Shouto. "Nedzu is an agent of chaos who has become increasingly fond of Todoroki's conspiracies." 

"Does this person look familiar to you?" 

" Fuck," hissed Izuku, because the person looking up with him had green eyes familiar as his own — because they were his own. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" sneered Kacchan, hands crackling. 

"I can see the family resemblance there," said Shinsou, taking his revenge. "Something in the jaw." 

"Good job kid," said First, giving Shouto a thumbs up. "You helped me find my nephew."

Izuku flopped down on a chair. "My father is All For One," he said disbelievingly, the photo glaring back condemningly at him. 

"Who's going to tell Nana about this?" said Sixth with faked nonchalance. 

"Oh fuck," said First, and the vestiges dissipated in a flash.

"So," said Kaminari, over the chaos, sidling up next to Izuku and ignoring his existential crisis.

"Why didn't you tell us you were haunted?"

Chapter Text

i. Uraraka Ochako | Uravity

Quirk: Anti-Gravity

Ochako's day was going fine. 

There was nothing really exciting that had happened other than being four minutes and seventeen seconds late for class; Aizawa Sensei had just sighed as she took her place.

The English test was tough, but she'd sat all night with Iida and Izuku so she wasn't that worried. It wasn't her strongest subject and she could make up for it with the physics essay that was due in a few days.

As she was going through the comprehension passage (honestly, what was Yamada Sensei thinking when he gave them Shakespeare, Ochako already had her hands full and he just had to add medieval literature) when she heard Izuku shouting.

Had Deku, the epitome of 'language!' yelled ' shut the fuck up' in the middle of a test? 

Ochako turned so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. 

"What the fuck—"

Izuku was floating up in the air, hands cupped over his ears. The only tether that kept him from reaching the ceiling was Bakugou's hand on his wrist.

At the beginning of her first year, the sight would have been impossible but now the only thing she thought was, "typical."

"Release," she said, slapping her hands together, and nothing happened. 

"It isn't working!" she screeched, slamming her palms together again and again. "Sensei, I don't know why, I'm nowhere near him— "

"Hey Shou," said Present Mic, his voice an octave higher. "Midoriya's floating on the ceiling and it's not Uraraka causing it."

Aizawa Sensei sighed. "Coming—"

Ochako watched the drama unfold in front of her, from Izuku and Bakugou's hushed conversation to their flimsy explanation and the real highlight: Bakugou catching Izuku in a bridal carry before freaking out and dumping him in the closest available chair.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked, concerned and Mina snorted.

"He'll be fine with Blasty fussing over him. The real thing he has to worry about is Recovery Girl."

Ochako huffed a soft laugh at that. "I can imagine."

She looked at the door once again before turning back towards her dreaded Shakespeare.

Izuku would be just fine but this test was really going to kill her.

ii. Bakugou Katsuki | Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight

Quirk: Explosion

Katsuki dreamed of hallways.

Dull, endless grey and linoleum tiles.

Aldera Middle School was a place he frequented often in his nightmares; just below Kamino.

He scraped his nails against the wall and his nails were coated with whitewash and flaked paint.

He'd never particularly cared about the place—it was a means to the end to the goal he'd had for years.

I want to surpass even All Might.

I want to become the Number One Hero

I want—

"Kacchan!"

Katsuki looked up.

Deku stood at the classroom doorway: skinny as a stick and his skin far too pale against his black uniform.

But his eyes were the same, determined and shining and so fucking green—

In his hand was a familiar notebook—waterlogged and burnt to a crisp.

Katsuki felt sick.

He woke up.

"Fuck," he hissed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he leaned back into his chair.

The radio was still blathering in the background and he picked it up, throwing it against the wall. 

It cracked apart and fell into pieces on his bed - whatever, he could fix it later.

"Bro, is everything alright?" asked Shitty Hair sleepily.

"None of your fucking business!" screeched Katsuki, rolling his stiff shoulder. "Also get the fuck up, we have class."

"Aw, I knew you cared—"

"I'm not tutoring you again!" he shouted back. It had taken Katsuki nine hours to teach Tweedledee and Tweedledum how to calculate motions of a projectile.

"I'll fail, bro," wailed Kirishima, banging his fist against the headboard.

"Then get up, Crimson Riot cosplayer—"

"Bro, can you call me that instead of—"

"Shitty Hair, I will explode you so hard that—"

"You're so mean—"

Katsuki stopped, clenching his hands into fists.

"Bro?" called out Shitty Hair when Katsuki didn't snark back. "You're scaring me Katsuki."

He didn't reply.

Shitty Hair came into his room within seconds, a broken doorknob in his hand.

Katsuki was staring blankly at his front wall.

"Bro," said Shark Teeth carefully. "Were you asleep at your desk?" 

Silence.

"Katsuki—"

"It's nothing," said Katsuki, clearing his throat. "Leave it alone."

Kirishima narrowed his eyes. "Okay."

Good.

Shitty Hair had always known how to push him, and when to do it. He knew that he was in for a conversation later with the entire swarm but that was future Katsuki's problem.

Katsuki got up, yanking open his wardrobe and pulling out clothes so he could go for pre-class training.

"Bro," said Shark Teeth with awe, flipping through the notes on his desk. "I didn't know you liked to do this."

"I don't," lied Katsuki.

"You fell asleep at your desk making elaborate quirk notes—"

"Whatever," muttered Katsuki, draping his clothes over his arm before heading to the bathrooms in the hallway. "Touch them and you die."

"Okay bro, whatever you say," said Kirishima, inching away from the desk like it held a live bomb, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Hate you," muttered Katsuki, without vitriol.

He expected Kirishima to yell back, 'Love you too bro.'

(It wasn't like he liked to hear it, it was just tradition at this point.)

"Katsuki," said Kirishima instead, tackling him from behind in a bear hug. "You're my best friend and I love you. You know that, right?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck. It was too early to deal with so many emotions.

That being said, Katsuki leaned over and did the mandatory bro shoulder thump—the only way to get a clingy Kirishima off a person.

That was the only reason that he did it—he didn't want to spend an entire day with a nonflammable limpet clung to his side—not that he wanted to or something.

That would have been insane.

"I know, Shitty Teeth," said Katsuki as Kirishima let go.

He closed the door behind him and heard Shitty Hair wail, "Not my teeth!"

Katsuki smirked a bit at that—served Kirishima right for giving him fucking feelings early in the morning.

He headed downstairs to grab something to eat before he left and found Deku sitting at the table, watching a newbie hero.

Katsuki's feet rooted themselves to the spot.

"So her quirk allows her to manipulate metal into any state or form—"

Deku bit his lip as he scribbled down even more notes into his already stuffed notebook and Katsuki could feel the tangle of emotions twist in his chest.

Fucking feelings.

Deku had to leave for training in a couple of minutes but instead of having breakfast, he was watching the shitty news.

Of fucking course.

Katsuki yanked out a breakfast bar from the cabinets.

(If he checked the label to make sure it was the one that Deku had always liked that was no one else's fucking business.)

It wasn't great to skip a whole meal for a fucking stick but it was better than nothing.

He chucked it towards Deku, hoping that the sudden projectile would break him out of his blindered horse focus.

It didn't.

Instead, held up his hand and caught it without even looking up. 

What the fuck.

"What?" asked Deku self-consciously, when he noticed the extras stares, setting down the granola bar and curling into himself.

While the morons kept peppering him with questions, Katsuki could only think of how unnatural that movement had been. 

Could it be—

"I just got lucky! Your reflexes are still better—" 

"Damn right they are, nerd!" shot back Katsuki with a scowl.

That wasn't even in fucking question!

"Are you coming to train?" asked Deku, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Like I'm going to let you get a headstart on me," said Katsuki, heading towards the door.

He needed to be sure if he was right.

Katsuki nudged a pair of shoes right into the nerd's path.

He wasn't paying attention, should have tripped and face-planted into the carpet.

Instead, he hopped randomly, holding out his hands to stabilise himself.

Fucking called it.

"What are you doing?!" said Round Face, throwing up her hands. She'd always been gutsy. "You could have made Deku fall if he wasn't paying attention!" 

"Was testing something, Round Face," scoffed Katsuki, eyes narrowing. "I know what I'm doing."

He slammed the door shut, and when they were out of even Ears and Limbs' hearing range he said, "Congratulations on yet another quirk, Deku."

"What—" began Deku like a confused puppy before his lips parted in understanding. "The Fourth quirk: Danger Sense."

"Fancy words for reflexes—you need them if you even want to think of becoming the Number One." 

"I'm still going to surpass you," said Deku, wiping an errant streak of chocolate off his lip.

That's when Katsuki's brain decided to stop cooperating.

Fucking hell, this was getting fucking pathetic.

"Kacchan?" said Izuku, waving his hand in front of Katsuki's face. "Some spatial awareness you have there." 

That snapped him back, vague dissociation fading and replaced with familiar anger. 

"Fuck you, I have perfect spatial awareness," said Katsuki, snarling.

Deku looked deep in thought, completely ignoring the annoying as fuck single step before the gym. Katsuki thought his shiny new quirk would act up but Deku just kept moving.

"Oi, Deku," said Katsuki, grabbing his arm before Deku could lose his teeth. "You missed a stair. I can't believe you didn't even notice with an actual fucking quirk for it—some shitty quirk you have there." 

"Hey!" said Deku, ready to fight for some shitty ghost's honour.

But then he stopped mid-sentence, looking at Katsuki with a strangely dreamy expression. 

What the genuine fuck.

Which fucking deity was in charge of his fucking terrible luck today that they had to not only torture him with Deku being Deku, which consequently made Katsuki act like a goddamn fool but also tempt him?

Then Deku screamed, loud and startled, scrambling backwards with his eyes screwed shut. 

And every other thought left Katsuki's brain.

"Deku!" He scrambled to grab onto Deku, but the sudden influx of fucking smoke made him miss.

God fucking dammit: he was fucking Dynamight, smoke was practically a calling card of his.

He wasn't going to let a few wisps of Deku's newest quirk keep him away from the nerd.

Especially not now, when Katsuki remembered the panic in his voice.

His hands found Deku's shoulders, the cotton under his palms warm from Deku's skin, and shook him, trying to snap him out of the weird funk.

"Deku, open your fucking eyes, dammit!" 

Deku reacted instantly, and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"I—" 

"You triggered another fucking quirk!" said Katsuki, hands still on Deku's shoulders. "You need to breathe and reign it back in." 

"I can't!" shouted Deku, his voice breaking with each syllable and it stabbed at Katsuki viciously. "I can't breathe!" 

"Deku," he said firmly, pushing down the guilt, shame , fear—

"Look at me." Don't look away.

Deku did, tears pooling in the corner of his eyes.

"Take a breath and exhale."

Katsuki kept repeating the same words like a mantra till the last bits of smoke had fucked off.

" Fuck ," hissed Deku, rubbing his palms over his tear slick cheeks. 

Katsuki wanted to wipe them away but he had lost all fucking right to that a long time ago.

He stepped back.

"You can say that again, nerd," he said instead.

"I feel like I got hit by a car," said Deku, flopping down on the step, loosening the collar of his shirt. 

Katsuki wondered if somehow he'd been possessed by the ghost of a fucking victorian damsel to be so affected by the tiniest sliver of skin: the tendons at Deku's throat pulled taut, the curve of his collarbone.

And then he processed what the fuck Deku had said.

"Tell me that isn't something that has fucking happened to you."

Deku shrugged, which Katsuki knew meant he was being a little shit.

"Come on," said Katsuki, shoving his shoulder. "Let's see if you can catch me today."

Deku grinned, and Katsuki felt like he'd been blinded by the fucking sun. "I'm going to try my absolute best."

"You better, I won't accept anything less."

Deku smiled again, walking into the gym by Katsuki's side. "You won't have to."

Things were never going to turn the way—Katsuki would never admit—he wanted them to.

That was okay.

He had this, and that was far more than he fucking deserved.

iii. Shinsou Hitoshi | ?

Quirk: Brainwashing

Hitoshi woke up to Bakugou yelling.

"Seriously?" he said, pulling the door open to do his best Eraserhead glare at Bakugou. 

It did not work.

"He—closed the door in my face!?"

Bakugou's expression of complete bewilderment and total rage would have been hilarious if it wasn't so early.

"Are you going into anaphylactic shock?" 

Bakugou looked incredulously. "What the hell, Mindfuck? We literally covered this in class yesterday."

Hitoshi shrugged.

Bakugou pinched his nose with a long-suffering sigh. "Listen carefully, discount Espeon, because I'm only going to say this once. Anaphylactic shock is for fucking allergies— how the fuck are you going to pass the mandatory first aid test if you don't know even that much?!"

Hitoshi lazily blinked.

Bakugou's eye twitched.

"Maybe you're just allergic to Midoriya not paying attention to you?" suggested Hitoshi casually. "Would you like me to ask Recovery Girl for an Epipen?"

The resulting explosion permanently scorched the hallway carpet and Aizawa had to take Hitoshi for a haircut to get rid of the hideous singed bangs.

Worth it.

iv. Jirou Kyouka | Earphone Jack

Quirk: Earphone Jack

Every single day, Kyouka thanked Sappho for being able to be in Yaomomo's presence.

"I'm so blessed," she said under her breath as Momo pushed a stray bang out of her eyes.

"Gay," said Denki, grabbing a bowl of rice and Kyouka jabbed him with her elbow.

"Like you have any room to talk."

Right on cue, Shinsou walked into the kitchen raising his arms over his head in a lazy stretch, exposing a sliver of skin at his waist.

Next to her, Denki had lost all sense of higher brain function and turned into a tomato.

Called it: Denki had even thought the singed hair made him look good—'They look like he heroically jumped into a fire, what don't you understand Kyouka?'

'He was moronic when he poked Blasty, you gotta know how far to push.'

"Kyouka?" asked Momo, effectively putting an end to her recollection.

All thoughts left her mind when Momo's piercing gaze was directed at her.

Kyouka always felt like a specimen in a museum: there to be analysed and broken down under her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Eat your food," she said kindly, placing her hand on Kyouka's.

"Okay," squeaked out Kyouka, intensely aware of Momo's skin against hers.

Her palm was calloused but her fingertips were soft as they traced the veins on the inside of Kyouka's wrist.

"What perfume do you use?" blurted out Kyouka, embarrassed how often the scent haunted her.

"Gardenias, I think," said Momo, her teeth biting into her lower lip.

"That's hot," thought Kyouka as Momo said something else that sounded vaguely french with utmost elegance. "So hot."

"It's really nice," said Kyouka, reaching out with her non-dominant hand (like she was going to blaspheme by removing her other hand from Momo's grasp) to grab some kimchi.

"Thank you!" said Yaomomo with a blinding grin that made Kyouka's heart flutter in her chest.

"Yaomomo," whined Kyouka, plopping onto Momo's desk. 

"Yes, Kyouka?"

She bracketed Kyouka's ankles with her knees so they fit together like parentheses.

"I'm bored."

Momo laughed softly and Kyouka felt drunk on the sound.

"You can always do your Japanese Literature homework," she pointed out and Kyouka pouted.

"No."

Yaomomo reached out and delicately pinched Kyouka's cheek.

Kyouka was fairly sure she'd ascended to a different plane of existence.

She'd always hated old, nosy aunties pinching her cheeks but with Momo, apparently, it made her melt into a gooey puddle.

To be fair, most of what Momo did had that reaction on Kyouka.

As Denki had so eloquently put it, "You're fucking whipped."

Momo let go and once Kyouka had astral projected back into her body, she held out an earphone.

"There's this new album that one of my favourite bands released," said Kyouka, tucking the earbud into Momo's ear. "You'll love them."

"I'm sure I will," Momo said sincerely and Kyouka wanted to coo.

She heard Bakugou yapping what he considered as 'encouragement' behind her and resisted the urge to glare.

"Oh," said Yaomomo, bopping her head with the beat. It was adorable. "This is really good."

"Yeah?" said Kyouka, pushing a strand of hair out of Momo's eyes.

"Yeah," said Momo, her hand brushing against Kyouka's ear jack

Kyouka shivered and leaned into the touch.

(Later, Kyouka would buy tickets for a show by the same band and ask Momo out.

They would stay out the whole night, drunk on music, laughter and each other.

In the early morning dawn, Kyouka would muster the courage to lean forward.

Momo would meet her halfway.

They would come back to Alliance Heights holding hands and calling each other girlfriend in disbelieving giggles.)

For now, Kyouka curved into Momo's space as they listened to the last notes of music fade away, completely ignoring whatever the fuck was going on with Blasty and Midoriya.

Seriously, what the fuck was up with that?

v. Yagi Toshinori | All Might

Quirk: None; Eighth Holder of One for All

Toshinori never regretted giving his quirk to Izuku—it was in fact the best decision he had ever made.

It had been a pleasure to watch Young Midoriya grow, and his ever-increasing prowess would serve him well as a pro.

He still cried ever so often, as expected of someone who wore his heart on his sleeve, but recently, he seemed to burst into tears whenever he saw All Might.

"Did something happen with Young Midoriya?" he asked Aizawa who shrugged.

"He seems fine to me. Did something happen?"

"He starts tearing up whenever he sees me."

Aizawa pulled up his binding scarf in a way that All Might knew meant he was laughing at him.

"If you're—"

"Just give him some time," said Aizawa and All Might nodded.

That seemed like the only thing that he should do: wait till Izuku was comfortable telling him.

He made his way back to the teachers' housing complex and there was a massive box of Neopolitan ice cream with a sticky note attached to the lid.

He recognised the handwriting as Izuku's and plucked it off.

From Nana, I'll always love you.

"Oh," said All Might, blinking back his tears.

So that's what it had been about.

It had been decades since it had happened, but the shadow of Nana's passing had always haunted him; especially on the day.

Young Midoriya had mentioned that he could interact with the vestiges within One for All.

In a way, Shimura Nana was still with him.

"Thank you, Sensei."

He picked up the box and went in to look for a serving spoon.

(If he hugged Izuku extra tight the next time he saw him, it was well deserved.)

+1 Todoroki Shouto | Shouto

Quirk: Half Hot-Half Cold

Many people often said that Shouto was fairly oblivious to whatever was happening around him.

He just as often pointed out that even he could see that Bakugou was—as Kaminari would say— whipped for Izuku while the Izuku himself was unaware.

Both of Bakugou's emotions and somehow, his own.

At least he wasn't that dense.

And then it was never brought up again because he had been correct, and they were just glad he wasn't quite that bad in comparison.

Thus, it left Shouto to his own devices.

Which was why Shouto was very confused as to why there was a woman with bright blue hair standing next to Aizawa Sensei and calling out his name.

"What's happening?"

Yaomomo sighed. "Honestly Shouto, what were you doing?"

He had borrowed a page from Izuku's book (quite literally; he'd asked Izuku for a page from one of his analysis books so he could better understand the format) and was working on his newest theory in his Conspiracy Theory™ notebook.

His latest concoction was that Dark Shadow was just Tokoyami's twin whom he'd ingested in the womb.

"Uh—"

"Nevermind. We have group therapy. That's Nakamura-san, the therapist. She's calling you so that she can use her quirk on you," Momo summarised.

She had become used to giving Shouto breakdowns of whatever he had missed when he wasn't paying attention. Which was often.

"Okay," said Shouto, pulling up his jacket sleeve like the rest of his classmates and walking towards the front of the classroom.

"Hello," greeted Nakamura-san and he politely nodded back.

She placed her fingertips against his wrist and activated her quirk.

It felt like he'd dived into a cold lake, leaving him gasping for breath. (He'd done that a few times, just before dawn. It had been part of Endeavour's training.)

Then his thoughts cleared.

All the distractions buzzing around his brain simply stopped.

It was oddly freeing.

"Do you feel okay?" asked Nakamura-san and Shouto nodded again.

He had a conspiracy theory to write.

He had just gotten to the part about how could a sentient creature like Dark Shadow exist outside Tokoyami's own consciousness when he heard the ruckus:

"This has never happened before!" 

"You knew about this!" screeched Kaminari, waving his hands wildly. "You knew that he was haunted, and you didn't tell us!"

Shouto looked up.

Clustered around Izuku were what looked like ghosts.

Shouto began to take notes.

Then Bakugou glared at the ghost who looked like his mirror image, glaring back at him.

" Oh ," said Shouto, a conspiracy already forming in his head, while Yaomomo slapped a hand over his mouth.

The white-haired ghost widened his eyes at Bakugou's doppelganger, who visibly faltered.

It looked like they were warped mirror images of Izuku and Bakugou: right down to the shining green eyes and hitched breath.

"The Midoriya Effect," said Ochako, shaking Tsu's arm. "How is he— "

Shouto opened his mouth and this time Sero was the one who sealed it with tape.

Shouto stared blankly at him, using his limited knowledge of JSL to sign, Rude .

Amidst the ensuing chaos, Shouto ripped the tape off his mouth.

" Ouch ," he said, rubbing the irritated skin around his lips. 

"Do you have something to share with the class Todoroki?" said Aizawa Sensei.

"You're All Might's mother?!"

Now that was interesting. Would fit right in with his theory too.

"I have something to share with the class," said Shouto. He could hear some of his classmates yelling and complaining, but that was normal so he just ignored them.

"Continue Todoroki."

"Thank you Sensei," said Shouto, holding out a hand.

Momo sighed but produced a set of chalks.

Shouto took them and found out that they were coloured. She knew him so well.

"Thank you," he said, handing over a bar of chocolate. It was Momo's favourite and it had charged a truly exorbitant amount when he ordered two dozen bars of imported, artisanal chocolate and charged them to Endeavour's credit card.

"Did you steal your father's credit card again?"

"Of course, only the best for my classmates," he said, heading towards the board.

He didn't even have to take his notebook with him.

It was one of the theories he'd obsessed over most: whose love child was Midoriya Izuku?

He started at the centre with Izuku, connecting a solid line to Midoriya Inko.

"You're the one who left that huge packet of mochi in the kitchen the other day!" said Ochako, and Shouto frowned as he neatly wrote down muscular ghost lady and connected it to All Might with Mother scrawled on top.

"Was I not supposed to?"

Then he overheard Izuku feeling bad about them using money from Endeavour's account. That wouldn't do.

"I'll get you that vintage Silver Age All Might journal you've been eyeing."

"Sold," said Izuku immediately, just like Shouto knew he would.

"Midoriya's grandmother ?!" said Mina, and wow this quirk was great, its focus only allowed him to hear the things he needed to know.

He added another line.

"Sensei, parent, same thing," said Kaminari with the wave of his hand.

Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "Why do I have a feeling that this has something to do with me?"

Shouto knew what he had to say, even with most of his focus occupied with the increasingly convoluted web he was creating.

"Because we love you, Dad."

"I hate you, problem children," grumbled Sensei, not at all serious. "I'm going to expel every single one of you."

 "I'm done now," said Shouto, dropping the chalk on the table and gesturing towards the board with unenthusiastic jazz hands.

He pulled out the laser pointer he always kept in his pocket in case he needed to urgently explain one of his theories. (Who's laughing now, Sero?)

"Midoriya Izuku got a quirk the day before the UA entrance exam. His quirk was super strength, and eerily similar to All Might's."

He took a deep breath. It was okay, everyone made mistakes that made them cringe.

It was his first theory! He's come up with so many more.

"At first, I thought he was All Might's secret love child," he admitted and remained silent in the chaos that followed, silently stewing in mortification. What had he been thinking when he'd come up with that?

"I was talking," said Shouto finally, when it looked like the ruckus wasn't going to die down on its own. He'd put a lot of effort into this.

"Please continue," said the polite ghost with the headband. With how much he enjoyed making fun of Bakugou’s look-alike, it reminded Shouto of Kaminari.

"Thank you, ghost," said Shouto, ignoring the 'I'm not a ghost' from Kaminari's spiritual predecessor.

"But considering that All Might had only one quirk and it was not haunted, there must be something else to it," he continued, shifting the laser. "Who else do we know that has more than one quirk?" 

Izuku began to protest but there was no way Shouto was going to back down. This was his masterpiece, his magnum opus! 

He would be remembered as the person who solved one of the most perplexing mysteries of all time: who was Midoriya Izuku's father?

"The Villain of Kamino," said Shouto, pointing to one of the final sketches. "He has several quirks, no one really knows what he looks like because All Might ruined his face— "

Midoriya's spiritual predecessor had something to say to that.

"Anyway," said Shouto, moving ahead as he ignored the ghost cat fight happening in the corner.  "Has anyone ever even heard Midoriya mention his father?"

He was poking a sleeping dragon but Shouto needed answers.

"So, what?" said Bakugou and Shouto should have really expected this. Whenever Izuku was in any situation he didn't want to be in, too polite and kind to reprimand anyone, Bakugou would brush them away with brashness and if that failed, then explosions. "He doesn't talk to his old man. What's that got to do with all of this, Daddy Issues?" 

"From all of this," said Shouto, gesturing towards the all-encompassing chaos of his red chalk conspiracy theory. "I have connected the dots—" 

"You didn't connect shit—"

"I have connected them," insisted Shouto, preparing for the final dramatic reveal. "The Villain of Kamino—All for One, is Midoriya Izuku's father."

As expected, complete silence.

He'd done well.

"What?!" shrieked Izuku, the first to react, jumping out of his chair as it fell back with a clatter. "Shouto, you can't be serious—" 

Then they wanted proof so Shouto had to rely on a tenuous ally that he'd made—both of them bound by their wild theories and need to prove others wrong.

"Nedzu is an agent of chaos who has become increasingly fond of Todoroki's conspiracies," said Sensei, handing over the picture.

" Fuck, " hissed Izuku, and Shouto knew he'd done it.

"Good job kid," said Midoriya's spiritual predecessor, giving Shouto a thumbs up. "You helped me find my nephew."

Oh, he was actually his predecessor.

Shouto added another two lines to the web.

He'd done it.

He'd figured out whose love child Izuku was.

His careless remark at the sports festival, brought on by rage and thoughtlessness; a statement that was so foolish that it used to make Shouto cringe every time he thought of it.

He had finally avenged himself.

He had finally become worthy of being a Conspiracy Theorist™.