Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the middle of a playground, a group of bullies were attacking a younger kid. Their fun, however, would soon be stopped by two youths about their age. They were well-known in the district, with one having viridian hair, and the other pure white hair.

"Oh snap!," one of the bullies said, his tongue turning out to be forked, "It's Midoriya and Bakugo!"

Izuku Midoriya was the viridian head, and Katsuki Bakugo the blonde head.

"Big deal," the leader of the bullies said dismissively, "They won't be so tough against my Quirk."

His nerves started popping out of his arms and sparking with electricity.

"My Shock System can make anyone paralyzed!"

He ran forward and struck the Midoriya, but nothing happened. The blonde boy smirked.

"Idiot. Don't you know Deku's Quirk? It's probably the strongest Quirk of them all."

Sure enough, Midoriya had been paralyzed, but only for one second, due to his muscles quickly recovering from the shock. Now he was smirking.

"When me and Kacchan work together, we're an unstoppable tank. My Quirk is Regeneration, and Kacchan..."

Bakugo demonstrated by slamming his fist into his palm, causing a small explosion to go off.

"My Quirk is Explosion. We're the perfect offense and defense. So leave that kid alone. I don't care if his Quirk is nothing special. We're future heroes, and heroes never let the innocent suffer."

The bully leader tried to rally his minions, but Midoriya and Bakugo were already rushing at them like a steamroller. Or a freight train. Either way, the bullies were reeling by the end of it, as Midoriya helped their would-be victim to his feet.

"You guys were so awesome," he said, "I wish I had my own Quirk, so I could fight back against those bullies..."

"So that's the problem," Midoriya said, "It's hard in this world for a person to not have a Quirk."

"Maybe when you're old enough you could try obtaining an Object of Power," Bakugo suggested, "Anomalous items like them have helped otherwise Quirkless people become great heroes."

Midoriya nodded.

"Yeah. You don't need to have powers like we do to be a hero. Sometimes, just being able to help others makes one a hero."

The world in which the two boys lived in was full of strange and anomalous powers. Some were bizarre world events, such as a televised game show that interacted directly with the viewer, and produced instant prizes for those that won. Others were altered items, like a movie that could spontaneously manifest on a turned-off TV thousands of miles from the film reel. Still others were locations that defied logic, such as an underground city that perfectly resembled the one directly above it. Then there were anomalies that manifested as something normally only seen in comic books. Superpowers. There were two kinds of such powers in existence.

The first were Quirks, anomalies that manifested in an individual, granting them amazing powers. These people often became real-life superheroes, or supervillains. Even if someone wasn't born with such an anomaly, they could still gain one, through Objects of Power. These were a type of altered item with a special power that would transfer to a bonded owner. They typically only responded to, and bonded with, individuals that had not been born with a Quirk. Heroes and villains with both Quirks and Objects of Power tended to battle each other, the heroes protecting the people while the villains fought for their own self-interests.

A Quirk would tend to manifest at around age 4, and most could be picked up with a standard medical examination. Aiding in this process was a global foundation called SCP, the Superhero Central Protectorate. They sought out youths with Quirks and tried to steer them on the path to becoming superheroes, or scouted notable individuals and offered them an Object of Power to become a hero. Right now, Midoriya and Bakugo, currently in junior high, were watching as a giant villain was rampaging through the city. Already, heroes were on the scene.

The first one to arrive was Death Arms, who possessed an Object of Power called the Coat of Many Arms, a trench coat which could manifest numerous arms from any opening. The arms had incredible strength, letting Death Arms catch a falling radio tower the giant villain had knocked over. Helping to keep civilians out of the line of fire was Backdraft, a fire rescue hero whose Quirk, Water Pump, could create an endless supply of water from the spigots growing from his hands, and manipulate that water at will. Some of the people noted that the giant villain was just an amateur purse thief who got cornered, and it wasn't long before they found out by whom.

Two heroes leapt down, one looking something like a horror-movie monster, with gray skin, long sharp claws, and a mouthful of pointed teeth, and the other looking like he was wearing wood for armor. The former was Vigorshy, and he had the Quirk Personal Radar. This let him zero in on any villain that saw his face, even if it was just a photograph. Pictures of him were often posted along his normal patrol route to facilitate this. From there he could corral the villain using his mutated physiology. The latter was Kamui Woods, with his Quirk Arbor. This was a simpler Quirk that let him generate and control wood.

The two leapt at the giant villain, who spouted the usual threats and swatted at them.

"How thick do you think his skin is at this size?," Vigorshy asked.

"Thick enough that anti-tank rifles would be hard-pressed to pierce it," Kamui Woods suggested, "But he'd still feel the pain."

Vigorshy smirked.

"All I need to know..."

He leapt at the giant, claws fully extended.

"Frenzy Rush!"

With great speed, he slashed at the villain over and over, the giant barely managing to put up a guard as he winced from the nails scraping against his skin, forcing him back.

"Nice work, Vigorshy!," Kamui Woods called out as he ran along the train bridge, "Just keep him busy a little longer! Lacquered Chain Prison!"

He extended wooden tendril that wrapped around the villain's limbs.

"You're charged with assault, robbery, and illegal use of superpowers!"

Vigorshy landed next to him.

"Looks like we're not the only ones coming. Over there."

He pointed, and Kamui Woods sighed, seeing a large young woman in a skin-tight leotard, a few feet taller than the giant villain, leaping in Kamen Rider style.

"Canyon Cannon!"

She immediately dropkicked the villain, knocking him off the bridge. Cameramen suddenly appeared in droves, trying to get a picture as the attractive woman was bent over while tying up the villain.

"Piece of cake for the world's hottest new superhero. Hello there, everyone. Name's Mount Lady, and my Quirk is Gigantification."

As Mount Lady began to shrink to normal size, Midoriya thought on how this was their world now. Every street looked like a scene from a comic book. As superpowers became available, villains started rising. And while world governments had their hands tied trying to rework laws with superpowers in mind, courageous men and women stepped up to contain the chaos. Bakugo noticed Midoriya muttering to himself about Mount Lady's appearance while writing in his notebook.

"Again, Deku?"

But he could see why Midoriya would be taking notes. After all, Mount Lady's entrance had caused a giant dent in the pavement, showing that her power did have its drawbacks.

The two friends were third-years students as Aldera Middle School.

"Right about now you all should be considering your future careers," said the homeroom teacher, "And I know many of you would be eager to use your Quirks to become heroes. However... Midoriya, what would you say the two most important attributes of a hero are?"

"A willingness to do what is right," Midoriya said, "And the ability to use your power in a way that can help people."

The teacher nodded.

"Indeed. Most of you only want to be heroes for the money or fame, and not necessarily for altruistic reasons. Not to mention most of you have Quirks that are gimmicky at best."

"Yeah, not gonna lie," Bakugo said, "I can't see the ability to stretch your fingers or the ability to safely remove your eyes while still attached to the ocular nerve as anything but a hindrance. I'm sure our old friend with the bat wings might have some potential, but..."

"But we haven't seen him since he disappeared during elementary," Midoriya finished.

The teacher cleared his throat.

"The point is, right now our class only has two students, Midoriya and Bakugo, with all the qualifications to enter any high school specializing in training heroes. Especially since both of them recently aced the mock exam for UA High School."

"Hell yeah, we did," Bakugo said, "Every one knows Midoriya knows everything about heroes, and I'm pretty damn smart in my own right. I'm betting one of us will be the next All Might."

The two friends smiled as the slammed their hands together, one of Bakugo's explosions going off. There was a grizzly sight of Midoriya's bony hand before the flesh instantly grew back, good as new.

"I wish they wouldn't show off like that," one of the students said, "It was cool at first, but now it makes me nauseous to look at."

Meanwhile, a sludge villain was running from a store, cash stuffed into his body. Quickly running him was another amorphous being, the superhero Elle-Ate. Elle-Ate's Quirk was called Jubilation, which allowed her amorphous body to release dopamine in any living being she touched. The mutation that came with her Quirk also came in handy for chasing villains like this one. As the chase occurred, another figure, a stick of a man, came out of a convenience store and spotted the chase.

"Might want to help her out," he noted.

He focused, and his body instantly grew into a more muscled form.

"Man," one guy on the street said, "It's like there's no stopping these villains."

"Yes, there is," the now enlarged man said.

The people turned and gasped in delight, the man smiling.

"Because I am here!"

As Midoriya put the finishing touches on his thirteenth analysis journal for heroes, he thought back to when his Quirk first manifested. He was just about to turn four, watching his favorite hero All Might save a hundred people from a bus crash. He was running around with his All Might action figure when he accidentally slammed his head into a wall. However, while there was pain, there was no skull fracture detected in spite of the high impact. He was quickly transferred to an SCP doctor, who explained everything.

"We've finished our analysis, Missus Midoriya," Doctor Amelia Buck said, "And we've confirmed your son's Quirk. It's a high-level regenerator, capable of restoring your son to perfect health within a few seconds. Not just injuries, but illnesses, temporary ailments, anything that would cause harm to the body. I can say with no exaggeration that Izuku is, essentially, invincible."

"So why did Izuku's skull not get a fracture?," Inko Midoriya asked, "Was that healed as well?"

"Actually, from what we've determined," Doctor Buck said, "It was never damaged to begin with. Our studies have shown that Izuku's regeneration stems from his brain and spinal cord, which are still very vulnerable. To compensate, his skull and spinal column are perfectly indestructible. He could be hit by a nuclear blast, and still be able to recover completely."

Later that day, Midoriya was excited. He had a Quirk that made him invincible, able to recover from anything villains could throw at him. All he needed was to improve his physical capabilities. That night, he watched a television interview, where All Might was declaring that anyone could be a hero.

"Isn't this amazing, Mom?," Izuku asked, "If I train my hardest, I know I can be a hero just like All Might!"

Inko smiled happily, grateful that her son would never have to worry about being hurt physically, and could pursue his dream to his fullest. She hugged Midoriya tightly, saying how proud she was of him. Ever since that day, Midoriya and Bakugo trained their Quirks together. Bakugo learned how to use his Explosion for more than just blasting things, and Midoriya learned that he could stockpile strength overtime as he took damage and healed from it. Best of all, the increase in strength stuck. Midoriya was snapped out of his flashback as he entered an alleyway and heard a gurgling sound. It was the sludge villain Elle-Ate had been tracking.

"Hey there, kid," he said, "I need to borrow your body for a moment."

He tried to force his way down Midoriya's throat, but got a shock when something started forcing him out.

"Hey, what gives!? Why can't I enter your body!?"

What he didn't know was that Midoriya's esophagus and windpipe were contracting and pushing, keeping the foreign body out of his lungs and stomach. Already his instincts were letting his Quirk react to the invader, preventing him from body-snatching Midoriya. Just as the sludge villain was about to try something else, he heard the sound of a nearby manhole cover fly off.

"Have no fear, young man," came a deep, booming voice, equal parts friendly and angry, "You are safe... For I am here!"

Midoriya's eyes got stars in them. Even without the costume, he recognized the blonde muscleman.

"Holy moly, it's All Might! Wait, why is he holding a convenience store grocery bag?"

"I was making a lunch run when I spotted this villain running past," All Might explained, "We kinda lost Elle-Ate on the way, though. Slippery bastard managed to evade her at the last minute. But no evil can get away once I catch whiff of it!"

"I knew I should have risked taking a shower this morning...," the sludge villain muttered.

He tried to attack All Might with his amorphous body, but the mighty hero was as fast as he was strong. He launched a powerful shockwave with his right arm.

"Texas Smash!"

The sludge villain found himself blown apart by the resulting tornado.

"Can't... Hold... Together...!"

Midoriya also felt himself blown back, right into the concrete wall.

"Oh, shit!," All Might said.

He quickly ran over to Midoriya's unconscious form and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. He doesn't seem injured."

He started patting Midoriya's cheek.

"Hey, are you alright, young man?"

Midoriya woke up, then freaked out.

"No way! Did I just get blown away by one of All Might's signature smashes!? That was a rush! It's a good thing I don't get damaged easily."

"Ah, yes, sorry about that," All Might said, "I didn't realize you were right behind him. It's good to see you're unhurt and able to move around. Anyway, good work keeping that villain at bay. I was able to capture him as a result."

He showed the sludge villain, now sealed in an empty soda bottle. Midoriya was practically speechless. By the time he realized he had to get an autograph, scrambling to find something to write with, he found that All Might had already signed his notebook.

"Thank you so much for this!," Midoriya said, bowing in gratitude.

All Might gave a thumbs up in response.

"Well, I should get this evil-doer over to the proper authorities. You stay out of trouble now."

He leapt off, but was a bit shocked when Midoriya wound up grabbing onto his leg for some reason.

"If you wanted a day to hang out, you could have just asked!"

"There's something important I need to ask you first!," Midoriya explained.

All Might could sense the boy was serious, and decided to land on a nearby rooftop. Once he did, he shocked Midoriya by shrinking back into the stick man he had been before.

"Sorry about that," he said, his voice now a much more normal tone, "So what did you want to ask me?"

Chapter Text

Bakugo was walking through the Tatooin Shopping District, which had quieted down after the giant villain the other day. He had already sent in his and Midoriya's applications for UA High School, arguably the best hero academy in all of Japan, and one of the primary hero schools funded by the SCP Foundation.

"Excuse me!," called out a young woman's voice.

He turned around to see Elle-Ate running over.

"What's with the sudden rush?," he asked.

"Did you happen to see a villain with a sludge Quirk run through this area?," Elle-Ate asked in response, "I was chasing him down, and I think All Might was running after us as well, but I lost both of them when the villain hit the sewer system."

Neither of them noticed the bottle with said villain had fallen into a nearby alley, a sinister, elderly hand coming out of the wall through an inky black portal. The sludge villain's eyes widened when he saw it.

"It... It's you!"

The hand grabbed the bottle and unscrewed it, letting the villain free as he cackled.

Meanwhile, Midoriya was freaking out, again, at the sight of All Might suddenly becoming frail.

"What in the world!? How did you...? What the...? I have so many questions!"

"Suppose I should start with the obvious," All Might said, "What you're seeing is the effect of my Quirk, Maximize. It increases muscle mass, and subsequently physical ability. I can hold it for about seven hours at a time. It would have been three hours per day, but luckily a friend of mine was able to heal a few injuries I got battling a dangerous villain."

"That's... Kind of a let down," Midoriya admitted, "But I guess not all superpowers are turned on twenty-four seven. And this is probably the first time I've seen you without a smile on your face."

"I put on the smile for the sake of the people," All Might explained, "There's a lot more fear behind it than you might think. And please, don't go spreading it around. Only the SCP Foundation knows how my Quirk works, and I'd rather keep it that way. Oh yeah, and while I'm like this, call me Yagi. Toshinori Yagi."

"Okay, Yagi," Midoriya said, "But what did you mean earlier?"

Yagi lifted up part of his shirt, showing a round scar.

"Five years ago, this had my guts spilling out of it. I was in a fight with the villain to end all villains. I still won, but it nearly cost me my life. Luckily I was teamed up with the hero Depestilous. With his powerful healing abilities he replaced my missing organs. Without him I'd be running on fumes by now."

"Wait," Midoriya said, "Five years ago... Wasn't that the fight with Toxic Chainsaw?"

Yagi blinked.

"Huh, you really know your stuff, kid. But no, it wasn't him. While me and Depestilous were fighting together on that, he was actually defeated without much incident. Sure, he got some hits in, but I've faced far tougher. This was actually a fight most of the world never even heard of. A villain known only to me, and a select few individuals. Even among Foundation personnel it's a closely guarded secret, and they're normally quite open with anomalies and how they work."

Midoriya nodded.

"I guess even the Symbol of Peace can feel fear, huh?"

"That's the mark of being a hero," Yagi said, "Smiling even through the tough times. This job isn't easy, and I have seen heroes fall, either dying to a lucky villain, or even becoming villains themselves when the pressure got too much. It's the lucky ones, or the ones that keep a gray line, that make it to retirement with their careers, lives, and reputations intact. It's a job where you always put your life on the line."

"From the way you say it," Midoriya said, "It sounds like Quirkless people couldn't even become heroes without Objects of Power."

"Heroes can come from anywhere," Yagi clarified, "It's not just about fighting villains. But fighting villains does require the power of an anomaly, since they tend to have their own Quirks, or even an Object of Power. So while a Quirkless person could become a hero without powers, they would mostly be limited to rescue and evacuation. When Thomas Jefferson penned that all men are created equal, what he meant was that all men, and women, are equally entitled to the same rights. They aren't necessarily born equally capable."

"What about a Quirk like mine?," Midoriya asked.

He explained how his Regeneration worked, and Yagi's eyes widened.

"That certainly does sound like you're genuinely invincible," he noted, "And you'd certainly make a great hero with a Quirk like that. But you'll still need training. After all, invincible and unstoppable are two very different things. Speaking of which, I should get this guy back... To..."

He realized the bottle with the sludge villain was gone.

"That's not good..."

He quickly checked his pockets, and Midoriya got a bad feeling.

"Uh-oh... I think I may have caused him to drop out of your pocket..."

They both heard a sudden explosion going off from the other side of the district.

"That must have been Kacchan!," Midoriya realized.

"I gotta bad feeling about this," Yagi said.

He quickly used Maximize again.

"Don't worry, Young Midoriya. I don't blame you for this. Accidents happen all the time, and the only course of action we have is to clean it up."

He quickly leapt off. Midoriya clenched his fist, and decided to follow.

Elle-Ate was currently expanding her body to its maximum potential, trying to hold off the now released sludge villain. Mostly she was trying to keep him off Bakugo, since the villain couldn't invade her own body.

"There's no way you could have gotten out on your own...," she muttered, "Who freed you...?"

The sludge villain cackled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Other heroes got to the scene, including Death Arms and Foresight, a female hero with the Quirk Double Vision, which let her see the future alongside the present. She normally couldn't turn it off, but could block it by using lenses or covering one of her eyes.

"We need to do something," Foresight said.

She was looking right at Bakugo.

"Elle-Ate can't hold the villain off forever, and when she falters, that poor boy will suffocate."

"You sure?," Death Arms asked, "The villain was only marked as a robber. I was under the impression that this was a hostage situation."

"I'm seeing the boy's skin turning blue, sludge coming out of his mouth," Foresight explained, "That villain wants to try body-snatching him in order to get away!"

Death Arms grimaced and considered his options.

"I can try getting him out of there. With enough arms I should be able to overwhelm the villain's senses and grab the kid."

Foresight looked around.

"There's too many flames. I'm already seeing the inside of your coat getting charred. If you lose your Object of Power, you lose your hero ability. I'm faster, I can try to risk it and charge through."

Her image in a mirror only showed minor charring on her super suit. She'd be able to make it through.

"Where did these flames even come from?," Death Arms wondered.

Backdraft was already on sight to combat the flames.

"It's the kid," he explained, "He has an explosive Quirk. He tried helping Elle-Ate fight off the villain."

"Not good," Death Arms said, "Elle-Ate doesn't do well in heat. It loosens up her amorphous body too much."

Indeed, Elle-Ate almost looked like she was starting to melt back into her normal shape. Midoriya had shown up, already checking out the situation. He knew enough about Elle-Ate to know she only had minutes before the heat and pressure made her too tired to keep the villain at bay. And when she gave out, Bakugo might die. Midoriya remembered how the sludge villain had tried to enter his body, and Bakugo didn't have the benefit of a body that could repel outside invaders. His mind went into overdrive as he quickly started analyzing the situation.

'His eyes!,' he realized.

The eyes were big and obvious, and always remained solid no matter what form the villain took, unlike Elle-Ate who could morph any part of her body. Midoriya quickly improvised a slingshot and started running into the flames. Death Arms noticed this.

"Kid, that's too dangerous!"

"That's weird," Foresight said.

Death Arms looked at her in confusion.

"He started running into the flames, but I'm not seeing any injuries he'll incur."

"But he's already started to...," Death Arms started, then noticed that injuries he was seeing were quickly vanishing, Midoriya's Quirk quickly healing the first and second degree burns he got from the flames.

He leapt at the surprised villain, slingshot ready.

"Choke on this, you bastard!"

He fired off the slingshot with perfect accuracy, nailing the sludge villain and managing to get him off Elle-Ate, who breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to her normal state.

"Great timing as always, Deku," Bakugo said, "Guy can't walk two steps without helping someone in need."

The sludge villain started to get up.

"Damn brat! I'll teach you to--"

But he got cut off from a sudden impact, slamming into the ground.

"You certainly have what it takes to become a hero, Young Midoriya," came the familiar voice of All Might, "Not just anyone would rush headlong into danger with a reassuring smile on their face, regenerative powers or not."

Bakugo was flabbergasted, not only at seeing his idol in the flesh, but that he knew Midoriya's name. He looked at his longtime friend with his jaw dropped.

"Yeah, long story," Midoriya said.

By now the sludge villain was enraged, creating a large volume of himself.

"Damn you... ALL MIGHT!"

All Might just pulled his arm back.

"Detroit Smash!"

With a massive punch, he created a shockwave tornado that reduced the sludge villain to pieces of himself. Elle-Ate quickly leapt into the air to collect the pieces.

"Tendril Onslaught!"

Her arms and back manifested numerous tendrils, grabbing the sludge villain and the bottle, recapturing the creep and sealing the bottle once more. A sudden rainfall occurred, created by the tornado when it caused the clouds to move.

"Whoa," Bakugo muttered, "I had no idea All Might was strong enough to change the weather."

Midoriya's mind was racing. Not even improving one's muscle mass and physical strength could account for what All Might had just done. There was another force at work here. Still, with a smile on his face and his fist raised to the heavens, All Might was able to reassure the people that the danger had passed, as the onlookers cheered.

The two boys' mothers arrived, Inko crying rivers and Mitsuki showing where Bakugo's temper came from as she berated her son. Other heroes were coming over and congratulating the boys on their bravery and actions, Elle-Ate especially thanking Bakugo for hanging in there. It turned out she had suggested he try using his explosions to beat back the sludge villain, despite knowing it would weaken her. She also demonstrated her Quirk by placing her hands on the boys' shoulders, letting their anxiety wash away. Afterward, Yagi wanted to speak with Midoriya about something.

"By now I'm sure you've realized... Maximize alone cannot accomplish what I did today. I normally wouldn't be saying this, but there's a reason I'm explaining everything. You see... Five years ago, I decided to contemplate retirement."

Midoriya was shocked.

"Retirement? The Symbol of Peace?"

"The villain who nearly ended my career, and life, is one that has been fought before," Yagi explained, "And only I have ever come close to truly ending his threat. But Depestilous warned that he may not be gone for good. And I only barely survived against him the first time... Which means I need to pass the torch, so that my successor might have greater success."

He pointed to Midoriya.

"And that is why I have chosen you, Young Midoriya, to inherit my true power."

Midoriya's eyes widened.

"True power..."

"There are stories behind every hero," Yagi said, "How they become great. Rising up from adversity, or just finding a reason to fight evil. But most have one thing in common... Their bodies moved before they could have a chance to think. Tell me something... Did you have your Quirk in mind when you raced to save your friend?"

Midoriya shook his head.

"No, it was just instinct. I only really think about my Quirk when I'm training. The only thing I thought, the only thing on my mind, was how I was going to get that villain off of Kacchan and Elle-Ate."

"I thought so," Yagi said, giving a genuine smile, "Foresight mentioned how she saw no injuries on you in her future vision, despite the fact that the flames were causing burns. I saw your eyes only seeing forward, towards your intended path. I need someone to take up my mantle when I retire, and I think you'd make the perfect hero to do so."

"You mean...?," Midoriya asked.

"Maximize is the Quirk I was born with," Yagi explained, "But in truth, I have another. One that stockpiles power with each successive user. The strength I have is my own power, alongside the power of seven predecessors."

He held out his palm, a glowing energy coming from it.

"The name of this power... This ultimate Quirk... Is... One For All!"

That was the day that would mark Midoriya's path. His path to becoming the world's greatest hero, and lead the world's greatest team. A future where not just one person was the Symbol of Peace, but an entire alliance.

Chapter Text

Midoriya was still wondering if he was dreaming. After all, he'd never heard of a power that could be passed from one person to another. But it was clear that whatever the energy in Yagi's hand was, it had nothing to do with increasing muscle mass. Yagi couldn't help but laugh.

"You should see your face! Wow... I've become Sensei... Don't worry, I won't force this on you. It's your choice to do it or not. But if you accept, both a great honor and heavy burden will be passed on to you."

He soon regretted his words, since Midoriya started into one of his normal muttering rants. The kid eventually shook himself out of it.

"And you're saying not even the SCP Foundation knows about it?"

"Actually, some of the upper echelon do," Yagi clarified, "The O5 Council, for example, know all about it. So does Doctor Amelia Buck, and several of the site directors. A few junior researchers who work with my agency also know the secret. In total, I'd say at least 1% of the Foundation knows about One For All."

Midoriya then realized something.

"Wait... Doctor Buck was the one who studied my Quirk. Did she...?"

Yagi nodded.

"She and a handful of other scientists who work for the Foundation have been on the lookout for promising youths like yourself, both Quirked and Quirkless, who could potentially succeed me. And yes, your name was added to the list when Doctor Buck understood the full capability of your Regeneration Quirk. But of course I had to look through each of them individually to evaluate them, and out of all them, you're the one I feel deserves to inherit this sacred torch the most."

"Just from my actions earlier?," Midoriya asked.

"Yes," Yagi said, "You jumped into action while the rest of us stood idly by. While one of the world's best heroes was helpless to do anything but hold the enemy off. You acted like a true hero out there, a rare attribute in our current society."

Midoriya considered everything.

"To be honest, I always knew just being able to recover from any damage wasn't going to make me a hero. I knew I had to get tougher, stronger. That's why me and Kacchan trained so hard since our Quirks manifested. If this power can take me further... If it can help me save more people... Then I'll accept it!"

Yagi smiled.

"No reluctance... Heh, you remind me of myself when I was your age. Before we begin, you should know that One For All could tear apart whoever inherits it. Luckily, from what I'm seeing, we shouldn't have to worry about that. You already have the right sort of body to handle the power."

Years of training had given Midoriya a swimmer's build, his muscles looking like steel cables beneath his skin, thin yet strong. Add in his regenerative powers and the strength he had built up from years of taking damage during training, and he was strong enough to puncture a sheet of solid steel with a single punch.

With this in mind, Yagi brought Midoriya to Dagoba Municipal Beach Park, which was completely filthy and covered in trash. Yagi had decided to allow Bakugo in on the secret as well, since he was a trusted friend of Midoriya. Bakugo was only slightly miffed that he got passed over for such a powerful Quirk, but did admit it would be better suited in Midoriya's hands.

"But how are you gonna explain this to your mom? She already knows what your Quirk is."

"One For All stockpiles power much in the same way as Young Midoriya's recovery boost," All Might clarified, "And we are about to get into some serious training so you both can be ready for the UA High entrance exams."

He plucked out a hair and offered it to Midoriya.

"Here, eat this!"

Both Midoriya and Bakugo got a grossed out look on their faces.

"Uh, why?," Midoriya asked.

"Oh, right, I forgot to explain," All Might realized, "See, there are two important factors in passing on One For All. First is that the current holder must want to pass it on. That's already covered, of course. The second is that the one inheriting the Quirk must swallow a sample of the holder's DNA. I just thought a strand of hair would be the least gross way to go about it."

Midoriya sighed, but took the hair and swallowed it. He shivered as he felt it go down.

"So glad I don't have to do this more than once..."

However, he soon felt the effect, energy flowing through his body. He could feel his muscles hardening as steam started to come off him.

"I think it's working," Bakugo said.

"And from the looks of it," All Might said, "It's agreeing with him."

Midoriya's body finally calmed down.

"Wow... That's a rush. I didn't know get I could get this strong."

He tried out a punch, only to blow his arm out, the muscles quickly healing their torn ligaments.

"I think something may still be wrong," All Might noted.

"What were you trying to do?," Bakugo asked.

Midoriya flexed his fingers.

"I thought if I used One For All throughout my whole body it might be too much at first. So I tried focusing it in one arm."

Bakugo facepalmed.

"You dumbass Deku. If One For All were strong enough to tear your whole body apart while using it, you wouldn't be regrowing ligaments. You'd be regrowing your whole arm."

"You'll need to learn how to control One For All throughout your whole body," All Might noted, "But I'm not the right person to be teaching you that. After all, I was something of a prodigy when using it for the first time. It worked well with my Maximize Quirk. Fortunately, I have a friend who knows One For All's secret, and can help you understand how to use it best. And thankfully I won't have to contact Gran Torino for this..."

He immediately called someone on his smartphone. The woman who showed up was completely blind, but seemed to navigate the cluttered beach as if she was seeing in broad daylight, a briefcase held in her right hand.

"Toshi," she called out, looking right at All Might, "So you finally picked a successor. So which of these two boys is it?"

She was standing between Midoriya and Bakugo, with Midoriya to her left. She turned her head left, and smiled.

"I take it you can see the energy inside Young Midoriya?," All Might asked.

"Yeah," the woman replied, "So this is the kid, huh?"

"So who are you?," Bakugo asked.

"Ah, sorry for not introducing myself," the woman said, turning her head to Bakugo, "Name's Junko Asahi. But you can call me by my hero name... Endo Hound."

Bakugo and Midoriya looked shocked. They knew that name. Asahi unlocked the briefcase, which spat out a red armor suit with helmet and battle claws, immediately attaching to Asahi.

"No way!," Midoriya said, "Endo Hound, the Blind Tracker Hero! Not only is she an amazing fighter and tracker, but her Quirk, Amnestic Breath, can trick criminals who manage to escape into returning to the scene of a crime by erasing part of their memory."

"Not to mention her senses are sharper than normal to compensate for her blindness," Bakugo added, "She's a badass on the battlefield who can target a villain's weak spots by sensing their endothermic energy."

"And that's how I'll be helping you control One For All, Midoriya," Endo Hound said.

"During this training," All Might added, "You two will be cleaning up this beach. It's needed it for some time anyway, so might as well kill two birds with one stone. The entrance exam for UA is in ten months, which should give us plenty of time to train you for what's to come."

Dagoba Beach was right at the edge of local ocean currents, picking up anything that got washed out to sea. Plenty of illegal dumpers took advantage of this. During one point in their training, Midoriya and Bakugo saw a hero that didn't take kindly to that, due to feeling most at home in the ocean. Serpenshia was an aquatic hero and part-time prison warden. His Quirk, Black Gunk, was a secretion from his body that he used to tag villains, sending them into a temporary state of confusion. So long as the effect lasted, typically several days, a tagged villain couldn't even think of doing any sort of crime or villainous act without seeing Serpenshia's leering eyes in their minds.

If they didn't quickly suppress those thoughts, they'd be driven insane and would likely turn themselves over to the police. Serpenshia was already swimming for a boat of illegal dumpers. The hero rarely ever spoke, and when he did, he made sure he got his point across. So needless to say, he was silent while taking out the dumpers, largely villains hired by factories who were using less than scrupulous methods.

"There's a good lesson right there," Endo Hound said, "Not all evil-doers are supervillains. They come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a quick question... What's the difference between a criminal and villain?"

"A villain will always act in their own self-interest," Midoriya said, "Especially if it inconveniences others."

"But criminals typically try to break the law without hurting others in the process," Bakugo added.

"Right on both counts," All Might said, impressed, "Expect questions such as these on the written portion of the exam. A hero has to know when a crime is considered justifiable, and lessen the amount of force used to bring them in. This is important to know, because sometimes criminals will be desperate enough to attack, rather than surrender, while a villain will sometimes know when they're beaten and surrender outright."

This was part of the lesson plan, coaching the duo on possible questions that would be on the written exam, while using the various bits of trash to train different muscle groups. Additionally, Endo Hound would sometimes ambush them in order to teach them how to react to unexpected situations. Naturally, there were breaks for meals, sleep, and classes. Bakugo was especially grateful for the training, since compared to Midoriya he was practically a glass cannon. Sure he would never go down easy, but any damage he took stuck. Both Inko and Mitsuki were a bit shocked as the boys increased their metabolism with each workout, including what they added on the side.

Midoriya already needed a good amount of food since Regeneration tended to take a lot out of him, especially if he was regrowing whole limbs or organs. Now Inko was worried they might run out of their food budget.

Ten months passed slowly, but surely, and before long Dagoba Beach was quickly becoming resort-worthy again. At one point Midoriya had brought up the possibility of hidden bodies, prompting Yagi to contact a detective friend of his just in case, but it seemed corpses were one thing no one was desperate enough to dump on the beach. So the training passed without incident. The ten months of training also helped Midoriya get more used to One For All. At first he started using just 5% when moving the junk. Now he could consistently hit 12% without his body getting overtaxed. Bakugo had also improved considerably, now able to generate his nitroglycerin sweat on command.

"I gotta say, I'm amazed," Yagi said, looking over the beach, "I only set aside a small area to clean, but you both cleaned up the entire beach."

"Now I wish I actually had sight," Asahi agreed, "The view must be amazing. But I can still feel the ocean breeze, and there's fresh salt water hitting my nostrils instead of smog and rust. You boys did good."

Yagi nodded in agreement.

"We've already sent in your application papers for UA. The rest is up to you. Remember this as you take your exam... There is a difference between being lucky and being deserving. Don't get the two confused. You should get going. It'll look bad if you're late."

The boys nodded, and headed off.

"Hey, Deku," Bakugo said as the approached the exam hall, "What do you think All Might was talking about back there?"

"Well, when you think about it," Midoriya noted, "We were both lucky to be blessed with powerful Quirks in a district that otherwise doesn't have strong anomalous forces. But at the same time we mastered our Quirks through hard work and determination, so us being here... We earned this ourselves. In that way we could be considered deserving."

Suddenly, Midoriya tripped over a crack in the pavement. Before he could hit the ground, he got stopped in mid-air. He and Bakugo looked and noticed a cute girl with a bob cut, her hand on Midoriya's backpack.

"Are you okay?," she asked, "That could have been a nasty fall."

"How am I hanging like this?," Midoriya asked, blushing a little.

Bakugo giggled into his hand. For all his confidence, Midoriya did have one weakness. Cute girls. It was nearly impossible for him to talk to one. The girl helped Midoriya back to his feet.

"I stopped you with my Quirk," she explained, "Sorry I didn't ask first. I thought it would be a bad omen if you actually fell."

"No, you were just helping," Midoriya muttered, "Though truth be told I would have been fine. It looked like I was gonna land on my head, and my skull is indestructible, so..."

"Oh, is your Quirk like a metal skeleton?," the girl asked.

"No, I'm actually a regenerator," Midoriya clarified, "Who can grow stronger the more damage I take. But my skull and spinal column are indestructible to protect my central nervous system."

"Wow, that sounds super useful," the girl said, "Are you nervous about the exam? Cuz I sure am. Anyway, guess I'll see you inside."

She walked off. Bakugo finally let out a chuckle.

"Call me crazy, but I think you finally managed to talk to a cute girl. Definitely an improvement."

The exam orientation was being overseen by Hizashi Yamada, also known as the Voice Hero, Present Mic.

"What's up, UA candidates? Thanks for tuning in, so let me give you the lowdown on this throw down. The practical exam will consist of ten-minute mock battles in simulated urban settings. There are seven battle zones, labeled A through G. Once I drop the mic you'll head to your designated battle zone."

Bakugo looked at Midoriya's card and noticed they got two different battle zones. Midoriya had Zone B while Bakugo had Zone A.

"So they split us up so we can't work with friends. Must be why Asahi suggested we train individually as well as together."

"Guess we'll have to save the freight train for another simulation," Midoriya decided.

"Now you'll have three types of villains in every battle setting," Present Mic said, "Each is worth a different number of points based on their difficulty. Shred those villains using either your Quirks, Objects of Power, or other combat capabilities like a rad guitar solo. But remember to keep things heroic. Attacking other examinees is a major no-no and grounds for immediate disqualification."

A young man with glasses stood up and raised his hand.

"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question. The printout lists four types of villains. If this is an error on official UA materials it is shameful. As exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan's most notable school."

He then pointed to Midoriya.

"And you. You've been muttering this entire, so stop that. If you can't take this seriously, leave."

"Shut your damn trap, suck-up!," Bakugo called out, "If you were really paying attention as much as you say, then you'd realize that my friend here was analyzing everything Present Mic was saying. He just has a habit of doing so out loud. And there was no error on the handout. The fourth type of villain ain't worth jack for points."

The young man was aghast at Bakugo's bluntness, but Present Mic took it in stride.

"He's absolutely right. The fourth villain type is worth zero points, and is just there to be an obstacle. You'll find one in every battle center. You could certainly beat it if you have to, but unless it's in your way to a higher scoring villain, you're better off just avoiding it. That's all I got for you today. And remember, as Napoleon Bonaparte once said, a true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes. So with all that said... Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"

Midoriya had slipped into a tracksuit and was now standing with several dozen other candidates outside Zone B, one of them being the girl from before as well as the young man with the glasses.

'This is it,' he thought, 'Time to go beyond. It's time to show what years of training can really do. Wait for me, Kacchan. We're getting into UA together!'

Chapter Text

While there were other hero academies in the world, none were as prestigious, or as successful, as UA High School. Its alumni was a regular who's who of legendary heroes, such as All Might, Endeavor, Regenizard, Present Mic, Endo Hound, Agent of J, and Foresight. While there was no official rule regarding such, it was generally accepted that becoming a top hero in the world required graduation from UA. Right now, Midoriya was waiting to be let into Battle Zone B for his practical exam. The written portion had actually been easy, and he wouldn't have been surprised if he was given top marks. He and Bakugo always scored high on their tests up until the end of junior high.

Many of the other students were talking among themselves about how the urban environment looked like a whole city. Midoriya then noticed the girl who had helped back outside the exam center. She looked nervous, so Midoriya decided to go over and give her some encouragement. But he was stopped by the glasses-wearing young man.

"She looks like she's trying to focus," the man said, "What are you intending to do? Distract her?"

Midoriya sighed.

"I'm intending to encourage her. She helped me out before the entrance exams started when I wound up tripping. Do you always expect the worst in everyone? Why are you even trying to become a hero?"

The young man looked taken aback.

"I am here to carry on the noble legacy of heroes that has been in my family for generations!"

"Legacy doesn't mean anything in UA," Midoriya pointed out, "You need to become a hero on your own merit, or you won't get very far."

He didn't know that he was being observed by a blonde-haired young man with a large belt around his waist, the buckle centered around his navel.

"Seems at least someone understands what this school is looking for, n'est pas?"

"Alright, it's time to get moving!," Present Mic called out from a nearby tower, "There are no countdowns in real battles, so your exam begins now!"

Midoriya was off like a shot, surprising the young man with his incredible speed.

"He caught me off-guard for a moment."

He adjusted his glasses.

"But I won't lose for speed!"

He unleashed his own Quirk, Engine, which was basically turbine engines growing out of his legs that he could activate on a whim, increasing his speed. Midoriya had already encountered his first target, a one-point robot. As he dodged the first attack, he noticed a switch on the robot's back.

'So they make sure the robots can be disabled even if a examinee doesn't have a Quirk capable of outright demolishing them. But why aren't there simulations of people to rescue? That's a big part of being a hero too. Oh well... Time to put my training with One For All to use!'

He flipped in midair, bringing the heel of his right foot down on the robot's head.

"Osaka Smash!"

Another robot came up behind Midoriya, only for it to be blasted apart by the blonde man, a laser blasting out of the belt.

"Thanks for the save," Midoriya said.

He then spotted a three-pointer barreling down on them and grabbed the man to get him out of the way.

"Merci," the young man said, "Seems we're even now."

"Real heroes don't need to be even," Midoriya pointed out, "They just save whoever is in danger. Like you did with that other robot."

He then faced the three-pointer and pulled back his arm.

"Sendai Smash!"

With a massive left hook and resulting shockwave, Midoriya wrecked the robot. As the two of them continued to search out more targets, they both helped out a number of other examinees. This caught the attention of the man with the glasses.

"I'm sure the others are grateful for your help," he admitted, "But shouldn't you focus on trying to score as many points as possible?"

"Heroes are meant to save people," Midoriya pointed out, "That should be ingrained in anyone learning to be a hero. In fact, I'm surprised there aren't any people or dummies to simulate that."

"Yes, that is a peculiarity," the glasses man admitted, "But perhaps the school has its reasons, like how they didn't mention the zero-pointer until it was brought up during orientation."

By now Midoriya calculated that he had gotten a good seventy points. Though knowing Bakugo, he likely had even more by now. And they had made a bet before coming to the exam.

"Hey, Deku," Bakugo said, "How about whichever of us gets the higher score buys the other lunch?"

Midoriya smiled.

"You're on, Kacchan!"

As Midoriya helped a few examinees trapped by robot remains, it seemed some were exploiting a loophole around the rule that they couldn't attack each other, he took out his twenty-fifth robot.

Meanwhile, the teachers were watching the students in the various battle zones on a large bank of monitors. Principle Nezu, a rodent-like animal with the Quirk High Spec, which gave him an unparalleled amount of intelligence, observed the exam.

"They don't know how many villains there are or where they are," he noted, "So they use everything they have at their disposal to find targets. Some use overwhelming power, others use intelligence gathering, and still others unbridled speed. Some simply remain cool under pressure as they search. The best use a combination of all of these."

"But of course," said Noriaki Tanaka, the hero Serpenshia, "Fighting villains is only half the exam. We didn't tell the students about the other half. After all... Their actions in that regard must be genuine. Fortunately, we do have a few promising students in that regard as well. But the real test is still to come."

He opened a glass case guarding a red button, then hit said button.

Sudden explosions caught everyone's attention. Midoriya was the first to notice the giant robot.

"Holy crap, it's the zero-pointer," he realized, "They didn't mention it would be so huge."

The zero-pointer's attacks were already causing the students to scatter, and those that got trapped were helped by a few others.

"There's only two minutes left," Midoriya noted, "They must have unleashed this villain to really test the candidates."

"Ow!," he heard a familiar voice call out.

He looked and saw the girl from before, her leg trapped under some rubble. And she was uncomfortably close the zero-pointer, in danger of being crushed under its treads. As Midoriya leapt into action, he pushed One For All harder then he had before. As he did, he felt something. His muscles seemed to be growing, not really larger, but harder. He barely had time to think about what was happening.

'Is this... Maximize? Did I somehow get a copy of All Might's birth Quirk when I received One For All?'

From his seat, Serpenshia smiled.

"The zero-pointer may not give any points to the villain score, but that doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be fought, contrary to what the proctors say to the examinees. For that mighty beast can provide opportunity. A chance for a young up-and-comer to show what he's really made of. Isn't that right... All Might?"

He looked next to him, and it turned out All Might was sitting there as well.

"Indeed. Young Midoriya is showing the true character of a hero. Not running when another is in danger, but facing that danger head on."

"So that's your chosen successor," Nezu noted, "He's certainly been proving he deserves the honor. And now it looks like he's fighting the zero-pointer to rescue that trapped girl. And he's not the only one. That boy Bakugo... He just seems to want to stop the zero-pointer in his zone from rampaging as it pleases. Both seem to understand the true spirit of a hero."

Midoriya pulled back for a right straight, unleashing a tornado with his most devastating move.

"Shibuya Smash!"

The girl looked on in awe as the powerful punch smashed the zero-pointer right in the face, its head getting blown clean off. However, that had been more power than Midoriya was used to, and he wound up falling uncontrollably. Luckily, the girl was able to tag him as he neared the ground, letting him fall more gently. He noticed that she had reached a piece of debris, likely when she saw he was falling, and was using it to levitate. As she released her power, she wound up heaving in a rainbow color. Midoriya got up and walked over to her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine...," she muttered, "Overusing my Quirk tends to make me nauseous. I have a high tolerance for motion sickness, but not an immunity."

Midoriya smiled.

"That's the second time you stopped my fall. Even knowing I would come out alright, you still tried to help me."

The girl smiled back.

"That's what a hero does, after all. You said so yourself."

By now the exam was over.

"I think we'll both be okay," Midoriya said, "I overheard you saying you got twenty-eight points. I have about seventy-five myself."

A short old lady approached.

"Nice work, everyone," she said, "Anyone who has any injuries, I'll be sure to get to each of you."

"I know that mademoiselle," the blonde boy noted, "She's Recovery Girl, the heart of UA."

Recovery Girl looked Midoriya over.

"I'm not seeing any signs of physical injury on you, young man. Some sort of self-healing Quirk, no doubt, since you were seen in the thick of it."

She then walked over to the girl.

"You, on the other hand... I'll need to take a look at your leg, make sure there aren't any fractures."

Recovery Girl was the school nurse, and her Quirk, Heal, worked by applying her lips to an injured patient, using their body's natural energy to repair damage. As Recovery Girl used her power on the girl, Midoriya was approached by the glasses-wearing boy.

"I don't think I introduced myself. Tenya Ida. I'm sure you've heard of my older brother, Tensei."

"Yeah, the hero Ingenium," Midoriya noted, "So that's what you were referring to earlier."

Ida nodded.

"I must admit, I'm embarrassed at being reminded on how a real hero should act. That said, you were quick to rush in to save that girl. I don't know if you were aware of any other hidden factors regarding the exam, but either way I'm beginning to suspect there was a hidden parameter we weren't told about. Like you said earlier, it's strange that they had no simulations for rescue scenarios."

That was true, but Midoriya had something else on his mind.

A week later, Midoriya was waiting for his exam results. He had contacted Asahi about how he had somehow manifested Maximize during the exam.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Asahi said, "Like Toshi said, One For All stockpiles power. But that isn't limited to physical power. With enough training, it's possible to manifest stockpiled copies of the Quirks your predecessors had. For example, Toshi was able to manifest a Quirk called Danger Sense, which can detect nearby threats. It's the secret to how he's always able to arrive at the scene of danger just in time."

"So how come I didn't turn giant?," Midoriya asked.

"Likely the reason is because your muscles are already well-developed," Asahi suggested, "So instead Maximize focuses on muscle density."

"Is something the matter, Izuku?," Inko asked.

They were both having dinner, Midoriya having several plates of food in front of him.

"Nothing, just curious about something that happened during the exam is all."

After dinner, the test results came in the mail. To Midoriya's surprise, the letter included a hologram projector.

'Booyah, I am here!,' All Might said, appearing on the projector, 'Sorry I wasn't able to contact you at all this week, but Junko spoke to me about what had happened during the exam. I was caught up in paperwork, since I'm actually going to be a heroics teacher at UA starting this year. And what does that mean for you, you might be wondering? I think you'll be quite pleased, Young Midoriya. You officially earned seventy-five combat points, the second highest after your friend, Young Bakugo.'

Midoriya pumped his fist.

"Awesome. Looks like I made it."

'That number alone would get you into UA without issue,' All Might continued, 'And as a top student, no less. But the practical exam is not graded on combat alone. You must have noticed it, yes? The fact that there were no rescue simulations, despite this being an exam to get into a hero academy. Well there's a reason for that. We can't just offer simulations for rescues, otherwise we can't be sure the rescue was for selfless reasons.'

He showed images of Midoriya's actions, saving people and encouraging others to do the same. It was honestly mind-blowing.

"I did all that...?"

'You not only acted selflessly to save others,' All Might said, 'But you inspired your fellow examinees to act as real heroes. The UA faculty was practically begging you to be a student here! Altogether, you earned a grand total of eighty rescue points, the highest out of all the examinees! This puts you in the number one spot for this year's exam! Oh, and in case you were curious... The girl you helped, Ochaco Uraraka. She also earned a substantial amount of rescue points, forty-five in total. What really clinched it for her was when she saved you.'

Midoriya checked the scoreboard next to All Might. He was in first place, Bakugo in second, and Uraraka in third.

"I did it... I DID IT!"

All Might held out his hand.

'Welcome, Izuku Midoriya. This is your Hero Academia!'

Chapter Text

The judging panel for the practical exam consisted of Nezu, Serpenshia, All Might, Cementoss, Ectoplasm, Present Mic, Midnight and Eraser Head.

"It was a close match-up between the first and second place," Midnight noted, "Both took down our faux villains with almost surgical precision, though Midoriya also focused on helping anyone that got into trouble."

"The rescue points certainly clinched it for him," Cementoss noted, "Though Bakugo was no slouch there, earning a good 60 rescue points for stopping the zero-pointer in order to keep it from causing too much collateral damage."

"The kid's powerful, that much is certain," Ectoplasm noted, "It's not the first time a UA hopeful has taken out the zero-pointer. But to see him do so with such ease. Among us, only All Might and Serpenshia have thoroughly wrecked that robot."

"Midoriya is seeking to follow in All Might's footsteps," Serpenshia noted, "And from what I've seen he does have the potential to be the next Symbol of Peace."

Eraser Head looked at the footage.

"Though his Quirk seems to have unusual facets to it. I was told he only possessed a high-grade regenerative power that stockpiled his strength as he took damage. Yet just before he walloped the zero-pointer, he showed a sudden increase in muscle density, despite never having taken a single hit during the exam."

"Don't read too much into it," All Might said, "I handpicked that boy to be my successor. I'm sure you know what that means."

'So that little whippersnapper is taking up All Might's mantle,' Gran Torino said.

Asahi had called him after learning from Yagi that Midoriya had passed the entrance exam with flying colors.

"You should have seen him out there," Asahi said, "Wish I could have. But hearing Toshi describe it painted a clear picture in my mind. The boy is powerful. He's already learned how to unlock one of the additional Quirks that piggybacked on One For All."

'That quickly?,' Gran Torino asked, 'It took Toshi until the end of high school just to unlock Danger Sense. But from what you've told me, Midoriya's only had One For All less than a year. With such a quick advancement, he might wind up unlocking all of them.'

"Only so many of us knew Toshi's secret," Asahi said, "I only found out when I started dating him. We never expected to get ambushed by that man. I'm honestly surprised we both made it out okay. And even then..."

'It'll work out,' Gran Torino said, 'Even if he is still around. He may be crafty, but he still pulls his punches out of pride, believing himself unbeatable. To him All Might's victory would be nothing more than a setback. And in spite of all his efforts to remove heroes from his path... Quirks have only gotten stronger.'

As one might suspect, the acceptance rate for UA High School was only 1 in 300. Four people had gotten in due to recommendation, with another thirty-six through the regular exam. Midoriya and Bakugo had been placed in Class 1-A, one of only two hero classes for that year. Most of the other students were with general studies, basically a regular high school. There were also business classes and support course classes. When the two friends finally got to the class, they looked up.

"Man, that is a huge door," Midoriya noted.

"Probably to let someone of All Might's size in," Bakugo figured.

They both got inside and headed for their seats, Bakugo kicking up his legs. Soon enough, a familiar young man approached.

"You there. Take your feet off that desk now. It's the first day of school and you're already disrespecting it by scuffing school property."

Midoriya was surprised to see Ida. Well, he wasn't surprised Ida had gotten in, having scored sixth in the practical exam, just that they were in the same class. Ida noticed Midoriya next.

"Midoriya, good to see you again. I'm not surprised we're in the same class. You managed to score highest on the practical exam. I actually wanted to ask you about something. Did you know anything about the rescue point system in the practical?"

"I wasn't told about it," Midoriya said, "I did receive some training from Endo Hound and All Might prior to the practical."

"He got their attention during the sludge villain incident," Bakugo clarified, "And I was allowed to train with him. We were only told the zero-pointer could provide a unique opportunity."

"Oh my gosh, it's you!," came another voice.

Midoriya turned around to see Uraraka standing there.

"I'm so glad we're in the same class! I'm Ochaco Uraraka!"

"Uh, yeah," Midoriya said, "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

Bakugo couldn't help but chuckle as his best friend, normally solid as a mountain and confident enough to stand up to anyone, became a blushing pile of shyness as a cute girl started conversing with him.

"I hope you came here for more than making friends," came a gruff voice, shocking the class.

It turned out to come from a scruffy man on the ground, wrapped up in a yellow sleeping bag like a caterpillar and lying on his left side. He unzipped the sleeping bag and got out some nutrient juice.

"Welcome to UA's hero course."

He finished his drink, then stood up and got out of the sleeping bag.

"I'm guessing that's our homeroom teacher," Uraraka said.

"Name's Shota Aizawa," the man said, "And yes, I'll be your homeroom teacher for your time here at UA. Head for your lockers and put on your gym uniforms. We're starting with a Quirk Assessment Test to see what we have to work with."

The students were completely confused.

"UA doesn't follow normal course curriculum," Aizawa explained, "After all, you're not just here to further your education... You're here to train to become heroes. Let's start with a quick role call, make sure everyone is here. I'll go in order of student seating."

He pulled out his course book.

"Seat 1, Yuga Aoyama."

"Here, merci," called out the blonde-haired boy from the practical exam.

"Seat 2, Mina Ashido."

"Here!," called a pink-skinned, alien-looking girl.

"Seat 3, Tsuyu Asui."

"Here, ribbit," called a girl with long black hair and a frog-like face.

"Seat 4, Tenya Ida."

"Here!," Ida called out, hand raised.

"Seat 5, Ochaco Uraraka."

"Here," Uraraka called out.

"Seat 6, Mashirao Ojiro."

"Here," called a blonde boy with a long, muscular tail.

"Seat 7, Denki Kaminari."

"Here," called another blonde young man with black lightning bolts marking it, likely due to hair dye.

"Seat 8, Eijiro Kirishima."

"Here," called out a red-headed boy, his body looked rather angular for a teenager.

"Seat 9, Koji Koda."

"Here...," muttered a boy who almost looked like a living mountain.

"Seat 10, Rikido Sato."

"Here," called out a large young man with thick lips.

"Seat 11, Mezo Shoji."

"Here," called a man wearing a face mask, speaking through the shape-shifting arms that spread from his normal ones.

"Seat 12, Kyoka Jiro."

"Here," called a girl with dark blue hair, her earlobes extending into plug jacks.

"Seat 13, Hanta Sero."

"Here," called out a boy with tape dispensers on his elbows, as well as short black hair.

"Seat 14, Fumikage Tokoyami."

"Here," called a young man with a black bird's head, but with regular teeth.

"Seat 15, Shoto Todoroki."

"Here," said a young man with the left side of his face was scared around the eye, with red hair on that side and white hair on the right side.

"Seat 16, Toru Hagakure."

"Here," called a girl who with wavy, light-green hair and bright blue eyes.

"Seat 17, Katsuki Bakugo."

"Here," Bakugo called out.

"Seat 18, Izuku Midoriya."

"Here," Midoriya answered.

"Seat 19, Minoru Mineta."

"Here," called out a really short kid, his purple hair seeming to have spheres growing out of it.

"Seat 20, Momo Yaoyorozu."

"Here!," called a young woman who had long, black hair tied back in a large ponytail.

"Okay, that's everyone," Aizawa said, "From here on out, your lessons will be much different than the standardized tests you're used to. You'll be receiving practical lessons that will allow you to practice your Quirks and understand their strengths and limitations. The Ministry of Education likes to pretend that 'all men created equal' means that everyone is supposed to be born the same, so they hold the strongest students back. But that's not rational. From this point onward, you will be pushed to your limits."

He turned to Midoriya.

"Midoriya, you got the highest score on the practical exam. What's the farthest you've ever thrown a softball in junior high?"

"I think it was about seventy meters," Midoriya said.

"And were you holding back at all?," Aizawa asked.

"I was told to hold back somewhat to avoid hurting other students," Midoriya admitted.

Aizawa nodded.

"Okay, this time don't hold back when you throw. Put every ounce of your Quirk into it. Anything goes, but stay in the white circle."

Midoriya nodded and got in the circle. He took a deep breath, then a windup. The force of the throw created a powerful shockwave as the softball quickly left everyone's sight. It eventually landed, just over seven-hundred meters away.

"You all need to know your maximum limit," Aizawa said, "It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a hero. But keep in mind you're not here to have fun. You'll be participating in eight physical exercises to determine your potential. Whoever comes in last will be immediately expelled."

Mineta freaked at that thought. It was likely he was the least physically fit of the entire class. Some of the other students felt more confident, especially Bakugo.

"How can you just expel one of us on the first day?," Uraraka pointed out, "That's not fair."

"Neither is a natural disaster," Aizawa retorted, "Or power-hungry villains, or catastrophic accidents. If you're going to be heroes, you need to learn how to fight back against that unfairness, and you can't do that by just complaining. UA will be pitching one test after another in an effort to break you. You'll only survive by becoming unbreakable. You'll need to be more than strong... You'll need to be Plus Ultra."

Aizawa's words really hit the students hard. It finally sunk in for them, just how much they'd have to go through in order to become heroes.

"It's looking like Midoriya will be the one to beat," Aizawa admitted, "I wasn't sure if he really had what it takes, but I've been surprised before. So then... Let the games begin."

The first test was a 50-Meter Dash. Ida's Engine Quirk and Asui's own Quirk, Frog, helped greatly in this regard. Uraraka used Zero-Gravity, her Quirk, to lighten her clothes in order to run faster. Ojiro's Quirk was just called Tail, but said tail proved to be a powerful and versatile fifth limb. Aoyama went fast using his Quirk, Navel Laser, to blast himself backward. Two good shots got him through the 50-meter mark, just behind Ashido, who skated ahead using her Quirk, Acid, an acidic secretion that she could control the pH and viscosity of. Midoriya and Bakugo were quickly proving the stars of the test.

One For All, combined with both Maximize and his natural Regeneration, insured Midoriya could push his speed to the peak of human strength, while Bakugo just blasted himself off like a rocket.

The second test was Grip Strength. Midoriya easily aced this one, with a total grip of 560 kilograms. Just behind him was Shoji, whose use of his Dupli-Arms Quirk let him reach 540.

Next was the Standing Long Jump. While most students only landed inside the box, several, including Bakugo, Midoriya, and Aoyama, actually flew past the box.

Test four was Repeated Side Steps. Mineta actually managed to ace this one, making good use of his Pop Off Quirk to bounce back and forth along the lines at high speed.

Then the test returned to the Ball Throw. Since Midoriya had already done this for an example, he was exempt, with his distance of 705.3 meters being used as his final score. Uraraka was the only one who exceeded him, but that wasn't a surprise when she could literally send her ball out of the stratosphere.

"I'll just mark that down as infinity," Aizawa decided, "And be grateful I had extra balls on hand."

"Gotta give him credit," Bakugo said, "He's tough but fair. But just who is he? He's obviously a pro, but I can't place the name or face."

"Actually, I recognize the name," Midoriya admitted, "But he doesn't show himself in the media very often, considering them an interference to hero work. Shota Aizawa, hero name Eraser Head. His Quirk is called Erasure, which can temporarily shut down other Quirks so long as he keeps eye contact. I noticed he had eye drops in his coat, and that's what sparked my memory. He's actually known for expelling students from his class that he thinks has no potential."

He folded his arms.

"But he's been under fire recently from parents who think his actions only limit their children's future. Especially when some of them still become heroes at other academies, which the parents think means he's short-sighted. Though a recent interview shows that several of these heroes actually took Aizawa's words to heart, and tried to do better at their new school."

Bakugo nodded.

"Which means if the one at the bottom of the pack doesn't show at least some room for growth... Aizawa will follow through with his threat."

Chapter Text

As Midoriya and Bakugo were talking, Todoroki approached them.

"Midoriya, was it?," he asked, "How is it someone as strong as you wasn't considered for recommendation?"

Bakugo scoffed.

"You can't prove your chops by just getting in on recommendation. Everyone knows that."

"You really think it's that easy?," Todoroki retorted, "Do you know how many promising students are offered recommendation each year? Ida was also offered recommendation due to his family history, but wound up falling just short, so he took the entrance exam instead. Those who are offered recommendation still have to prove they deserve it. And even if they fail, that doesn't prevent them from entering UA."

His gaze returned to Midoriya.

"But I don't remember seeing you at the recommendation exam, and I'm pretty sure you would stand out. And yet you're easily blowing the rest of us out the water. That much natural talent, and yet..."

"You got something to say?," Bakugo said, his hands already blazing, "Yeah, me and Deku are talented, but we worked our asses off to get this strong! I don't take kindly to those who think they can only skate by without putting in the work!"

Todoroki narrowed his eyes, grabbing Bakugo's wrist with right hand, causing it to frost over.

"Half of my Quirk is not truly mine," he said, "I will never use it, except to counter the part that is."

Bakugo growled, and Midoriya facepalmed, knowing his friend's temper was flaring up again.

"You think you can become a hero with only half a Quirk, you bastard!?," Bakugo called out, moving to strike with his other fist.

Just then, both of them felt their Quirks disappearing, and Bakugo got wrapped up in Aizawa's scarf.

'Well that confirms it,' Midoriya thought, seeing Aizawa's pupils go red, 'Aizawa is Eraser Head.'

"How is your scarf so strong?," Bakugo asked.

"It's a carbon nanofiber capture scarf," Aizawa explained, "Knock each other about in mock battles all you like, but there will be no violence against other students during normal school hours. I'd prefer not to use my Quirk too much, since it gives me a serious case of dry eye."

The two boys stood down, and the tests continued as normal, going through sit-ups, seated toe-touches, and a long distance run. Once that was done, Aizawa gave the students their rankings.

"First thing I should mention... I was partially bluffing. Sorry for the lie, but I had to make sure each of you took these tests seriously."

"What does he mean?," Uraraka asked.

"Obviously he wasn't really going to expel the person in last place," Yaoyorozu pointed out.

"That would have been the case if the one at the bottom scored less than zero," Aizawa clarified, "But the one with the lowest score, Mineta, actually scored pretty decently. As in, not zero, so no one will be expelled just yet."

"Thank you!," Mineta called out, crying in gratitude as he dropped to his knees.

Aizawa showed the rest of the scores. Midoriya had gotten in first, Yaoyorozu second, Todoroki third, Bakugo fourth, Ida fifth, Tokoyami sixth, Shoji seventh, Ojiro eighth, Kirishima ninth, Ashido tenth, Uraraka eleventh, Koda twelfth, Sato thirteenth, Asui fourteenth, Aoyama fifteenth, Sero sixteenth, Kaminari seventeenth, Jiro eighteenth, and Hagakure nineteenth.

'Looks like I still have a way to go,' Bakugo thought, 'Especially if I want to show up that ice cold bastard, and catch up to Deku.'

"Your real training starts tomorrow," Aizawa said, "And most likely these initial standings will change several times over the course of your next three years."

He walked off, eventually finding All Might.

"Your new protege shows great promise, Yagi. He practically demolished all the physical tests. You really trained him well."

"It's not like you to be so light-hearted," All Might said, "I remember last year you caught flak from parents for expelling an entire class of students."

"None of them had real potential," Aizawa reminded him, "That's why we tweaked the entrance exam this year to make it harder. But this class... They definitely show promise. They keep this up, and we'll likely have ourselves a strong new generation of heroes."

He walked off.

"It seems you're still kind in the end," All Might noted, "Even if you don't show it normally."

As Midoriya and Bakugo left school, they were approached by Ida.

"That was exemplary work on the tests today. It really showed how far I have to go."

"Yeah, I'm actually still learning how to master my Quirk," Midoriya said, "Let's just say I recently learned how multi-faceted it really is."

"Hey, Ida," Bakugo said, "Is it true what Icy Cold said earlier?"

"Sadly, it is," Ida admitted, "Only four students who receive a recommendation can follow through on it. To determine who deserves that right, a special test is set up. I was just behind the fourth place finisher, so I had to make due with the entrance exam. And things certainly didn't get any easier once we were successfully enrolled. I was surprised by Mister Aizawa's judgement."

"It's not like he doesn't have precedent," Midoriya noted, "Even if you're Quirkless and relying on an Object of Power, if you don't have any physical capability you'd be creamed by the first villain you fought."

"Most villains are weaksauce in the body department," Bakugo added, "So they tend to rely on their power, whether it's a Quirk or an Object of Power. Pretty strange our class doesn't have any such objects."

"I believe Class 1-B has at least one student with an Object of Power," Ida noted, "And there are several in the Support Class who use them. Still, I find lying to be just downright immoral."

"I've seen plenty of cases where heroes had to be deceptive to beat villains," Midoriya pointed out, "I'm sure even your family's had to resort to such tactics."

"Admittedly they have," Ida said, "I suppose I'll need to learn how to lie in order to be a more effective hero."

"HEY!," Uraraka called out, running up to the group, "Wait up you guys! Are you going to the station? I'll join you."

"Hey, it's the girl who can throw farther than you, Deku," Bakugo said with a smirk.

It was clear he wasn't going to let the fact that Midoriya got flustered around her go so easily.

"Why do you constantly call Midoriya a name that means 'useless'?," Ida asked, "Is it meant to be ironic?"

"Actually," Midoriya clarified, "When we were kids Kacchan's idea was that it combined my first name with 'dekiru', meaning 'I can do it'. But he still calls me 'useless Deku' if I screw up somehow, like when I was first getting used to my Quirk's mutations."

"He nearly blew his arm off the first time he tried to throw a punch," Bakugo said, "Luckily we were able to figure out what he was doing wrong. Best part, he's only using 12% of his full potential."

"That's amazing!," Uraraka said, "With enough training, you could be as strong as All Might!"

Midoriya blushed at the compliment.

"You think so? Well, me and Kacchan did get trained by All Might and Endo Hound."

Ida was impressed.

"Not just the Number One Hero, but the Blind Tracker Hero? Endo Hound is famous for her ability to run down criminals due to sensing endothermic energy to make up for her lack of sight. And even if a villain does escape her, she can lure them back to her patrol route using Amnestic Breath."

As Bakugo and Midoriya went over the training they did at Dagoba beach, the growing group of friends headed off for the station. They were soon joined by Kirishima, who quickly hit it off with Bakugo, and Tokoyami, who was pleased that the others indulged his chuunibyou nature.

"So what do you think they'll have us do tomorrow?," Kirishima asked, "That's when the real battle begins."

"Knowing UA it will likely be a mock battle," Tokoyami suggested, "But with live targets instead of the robots we had to face in the entrance exam."

"Which would likely mean fighting against each other," Midoriya noted, "Asahi mentioned it, that part of the curriculum involves getting into the mindset of villains, in order to more effectively fight them."

Naturally, UA still offered general education courses, though for the hero course these class were done during the morning. Serpenshia noticed Midnight as she walked to her class.

"I thought you had a young villain to track down," he noted.

"When Foresight checked the file she got a vision of the villain in question," Midnight explained, "She said the villain was female and had a blood-based Quirk. So I took myself off the capture team since my Quirk isn't as effective against women, and suggested Vlad King go instead due to his Blood Control Quirk. So I hear Aizawa hasn't expelled anyone in his class yet. He usually gets at least one expulsion on the first day."

"Apparently he sees a lot of potential in his class this year," Serpenshia explained, "But I hope those kids are ready for the real deal. All Might may be a gentler teacher, but even he won't pull any punches if it means bringing out the best in them."

"I am here!," All Might announced, "Coming through the door like a hero!"

He was already dressed in his hero uniform, specifically his silver age costume, getting the class excited.

"Welcome to the most important class at UA High, Hero 101. This is where you learn the basics of being a hero, and what it means to fight in the name of good. Now while this class will be a serious one, there is one fun aspect of it that I know you're all looking forward to..."

"OUR HERO COSTUMES!," the class as one, now cheering in excitement.

"That's right!," All Might said, "While not the most important aspect of a hero, looking good for the crowd is not something that should be underestimated. Recognition is important, because when you stick out in the minds of the people, you give them hope every time you appear on the scene. Now you all submitted your early costume designs along with your Quirk registration prior to your enrollment here, and the Support Class has worked to make those designs a reality."

Several lockers popped out from the nearby wall, each with a number and name on them.

"Get suited up, because our first lesson is fight training! After all, with how dangerous villains are, more often than not the only way to stop them is to knock them out."

"Ah, hell yeah!," Bakugo called out, "I've been waiting for this!"

The students got into their costumes. Midoriya had a mouth guard over his face to avoid his muttering being heard. Bakugo had applied for a special license to use grenade-based gauntlets. Hagakure was wearing a silver top and shorts made from her DNA, so that it could turn transparent when she used her Quirk, Invisibility. All Might looked on with approval.

"They say clothes make the hero, and you're certainly proving it today. From this point on you are all heroes in training."

The class started talking with each other about cool each other's costumes were.

"I see you decided to ditch the bunny ear hood, Deku," Bakugo noted.

"Junko mentioned that a hood would get destroyed too easily," Midoriya said, "My costume uses the special genetic fiber developed by the SCP Foundation, so it can regenerate when damaged, but a hood it just a loose end. Instead Junko suggested I do something about my analysis muttering, hence the mask. Ida did prove how noticeable it can be. I see you managed to get that grenade license."

"Yeah, Dad was able to call in a few favors," Bakugo said, rolling his shoulder, "I'm not allowed to throw them and can only use them in conjunction with my Quirk, but other than that the Ministry of Defense saw no problem since I was able to prove I had the training for it. The only downside is Mom embarrassing me by gushing how her 'baby boy' was growing up."

Midoriya chuckled.

"Yeah, my mom was the same way. She was so proud of me finally being able to pursue my dream."

"Tre chic, mes amis," Aoyama said as he approached, "You certainly put a lot of thought into it. Everyone seems to have gone with a style that suits them. No clashing whatsoever."

"You sure you're gonna be okay using a cape?," Bakugo said.

"I made sure to design it to be removable if it gets snagged," Aoyama said, "I knew a cape would compliment my sparkling style so well, but I've read far too many horror stories of heroes who got their capes caught on the wrong thing to just throw one on without thinking."

Midoriya then caught sight of Uraraka in her costume, and was suddenly glad his mouth guard covered his nose cuz he was pretty sure it was bleeding slightly. Her body suit really showed off her curves. Mineta's eyes were looking at the other girls, some also wearing body suits, some with costumes a bit more revealing. He gave a thumbs up of approval.

"Love this school..."

"Now then," All Might said, "Here's how the battle training will commence. Right now we're in the urban simulation, which you should be familiar with. However, this environment is two-fold. While the villain fights you see on the news take place outdoors, statistically speaking it's more common to have fights with villains indoors. Abandoned buildings, home invasions, backroom deals, banks or other robbery scenes, and even supervillain lairs. The truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows."

"So all of these buildings are not merely facsimiles," Ida noted, "But actual building simulations both inside and outside."

"That's correct, Young Ida," All Might said, "Now for this exercise you'll be separated into good guys and bad guys, fighting in two-on-two simulations."

"Question," Bakugo said, "How far can we go with physical violence before the fight has to stop?"

"You'll be allowed to cause injury with full-contact," All Might said, "But under no circumstances are you allowed to deliberately kill your opponent, no matter which side you're placed on. For the good guy team the reason should be obvious, but in the case of the bad guy team... While it is true that in real life villains can and will try to kill their opponent regardless of age, allowing that sort of thing here would be a travesty on multiple levels."

"Sir," Yaoyorozu asked, "Is the bad guy team required to lose in this simulation?"

"Not at all," All Might said, "The point of being placed on the bad guy team is to get into the mindset of a villain. If you understand how they would conduct an operation, then you can more easily outmaneuver them when facing the real deal. So both sides should strive for victory. Now then..."

He pulled out a script.

"Here's how the scenario goes. The villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere, and it's up to the heroes to foil their plans. For the good guy team, you must either capture the bad guy team or secure and recover the weapon. The bad guy team wins by either protecting the payload or capturing the heroes. This may sound like a classic action move setup, and admittedly it is, but this sort of scenario is also common in our current society."

He brought out a yellow lottery box.

"Now many times you won't have the luxury of picking your teammates out in the field, so for this first exercise you'll be paired up randomly."

Midoriya found himself flustered again when he was placed on the same team as Uraraka for Team A.

Team B: Todoroki and Soji

Team C: Yaoyorozu and Mineta

Team D: Bakugo and Ida

Team E: Aoyama and Ashido

Team F: Sato and Koda

Team G: Kaminari and Jiro

Team H: Tokoyami and Asui

Team I: Ojiro and Hagakure

Team J: Kirishima and Sero

All Might then placed five lettered balls randomly into two more boxes for heroes and villains, then blindly picked one from each.

"And our first fight is... Team A for the heroes versus Team D for the villains."

That was a shock for Midoriya and Bakugo. Sure they had fought while training, but in real fights they had always worked together. This would be the first time they'd be legitimately against each other.

"We might as well give it everything," Bakugo said, "If we half-ass it, then there's no point to us being heroes."

Midoriya nodded in agreement.

"I never imagined I'd have to think about things from the other end," Ida said, tapping on the weapon, "Fake, of course. There's no way they'd let a real nuclear weapon in this school, especially since only Midoriya would survive the blast."

"Don't forget to take this seriously," Bakugo said, "There's one other element to this simulation... Both sides are working with known variables. Sometimes villains can see the heroes coming, and plenty of times the heroes will know which villains they're going up against. That's why the fights were set up like this."

"I saw a little of Uraraka's Quirk during the entrance exam," Ida noted, "How far does Midoriya's Regeneration go?"

"His skull's physically denser than tungsten," Bakugo said, "I could blast him with one-hundred percent of my power and only be looking at his facial bones for two seconds at worst. And his pain threshold is high thanks to our years of training together. And Uraraka can use her powers to make clothes, or maybe even herself, lighter. We need to keep watching the windows."

He started for the door as the match began.

"I'll take Deku head-on and hold him on the lower floors. You're no match for him, so keep near the weapon in case Uraraka comes flying in."

Down below, Midoriya and Uraraka had slipped inside.

"We'll case the first floor," Midoriya said, "Then you check the windows above on each floor. I'll move up as you give the all clear."

"Got it," Uraraka said.

"If Kacchan shows up make for the nearest window and head for the weapon," Midoriya ordered, "You'll have a better chance of getting past Ida."

Uraraka nodded.

"The hallways are kinda narrow."

"Not to worry," Midoriya said, "I took a lot of notes on indoor battles and tight-spaces."

He then got a premonition and pushed Uraraka out of the way as Bakugo suddenly came flying in, his explosive fist hitting the wall where Midoriya had been seconds earlier.

All Might noticed from the monitoring room.

'That level of premonition... Knowing where the threat came from mere seconds before the attack... There's no doubt about it... Young Midoriya has unlocked Danger Sense!'

Chapter Text

Bakugo tried another jab, only for Midoriya to grab him by the wrist and use a judo throw to fling Bakugo to the ground.

'How'd he know what I was gonna do? Deku's good, but he's not that good! Is this another evolution of One For All? Has he unlocked another Quirk from a previous holder?'

Midoriya had a better idea of what was going on.

'I can see Kacchan's moves before he makes them. Sense how he's going to attack. This is what Asahi was telling me about, the Quirk Danger Sense. I must have unlocked it by instinct, the same way I did Maximize.'

Bakugo managed to get up.

"This is more intense than when we were training as boys. I still remember the day Deku unlocked his Quirk."

The two friends had grown up in the same neighborhood, knowing each other since childhood. One day, Bakugo had brought Midoriya into a restricted part of the forest. He and some of their others schoolmates had wanted to go and pretend to fight bad guys. Back then Midoriya didn't have the confidence he was showing as a young adult, and followed Bakugo around because he thought the blonde was cool. Bakugo was briefly taken out of his thoughts when Ida contacted him.

'Bakugo, where are you?'

"Second floor," Bakugo replied, "I'm tied up with Deku. Uraraka broke off, so keep an eye out and defend the weapon. I'll try to hold Deku down here. If I get a chance I'll hurry back up."

"Who's Bakugo talking to?," Kirishima asked, "I'm not hearing anything. Isn't there any sound with this video?"

"Bakugo and Ida were giving radio earpieces before the mission," All Might explained, "As well as a map of the building and a roll of capture tape. They either have to maintain control of the weapon for fifteen minutes, or wrap up the heroes in the capture tape."

"And the heroes don't even know what floor the weapon is on?," Ashido said, "Doesn't that put them at a disadvantage?"

"Real heroes are frequently at a disadvantage going up against villains," All Might pointed out, "So they have to learn how to outwit their opponents. Take a look at how things played out so far. Bakugo played it smart. He knew Ida would be no match for Midoriya, so he headed down first to try and intercept the heroes, using confusion in an effort to throw off what direction he might have come from. But Midoriya also made an intelligent decision, making an opening for Uraraka to use her Quirk to scan the outside of the building."

"And now Bakugo and Midoriya are caught in a fight together," Aoyama noted, "It's the ultimate battle of an unstoppable force... And an immovable object."

"Take a look at how Midoriya's moving," Mineta said, "It's like he can sense what move Bakugo is going to make as he makes it."

Bakugo aimed a blast-powered kick to strike Midoriya, who simply blocked before wrapping up the leg in the capture tape. This gave him the leverage he needed to get out the way as Bakugo tried punching again, blasting the wall.

"Something's different with him," Bakugo muttered, "Normally Deku tanks any hits since he'll just recover from it. But now he's actually dodging me. That settles it, he had to have unlocked a new power. He's taking all the notes he took on heroes... And integrating it alongside his power in a unique fighting style. That knowledge is internalized, part of his very being."

He grinned.

"Okay then. Looks like I'll have to use my new trump card."

The other students watched the two friends dodged each other all over the floor.

"It's a game of cat and mouse at this point," Sato noted, "But if Bakugo can't find a chance to break away, Ida will be on his own defending the weapon."

All Might thought back to his talks with Bakugo and Midoriya.

'They've trained together for so long that they know each other's moves. Which is why they're trying to become more unpredictable now.'

Midoriya kept running and gunning, dodging Bakugo before ducking a hall, only to blindside him when Bakugo gave chase.

'I've got to keep this up long enough for Uraraka to find the weapon. Bakugo's temper may be longer than we were kids, but it still has a limit. If I get him mad enough, I can use that against him.'

Bakugo felt himself go through one of the walls, which were hardened steel. He picked himself up.

'Damn, gotta keep calm. If I let him wear me down too much I'll get too angry to see straight. I may have power but he has endurance. Maybe I should try to wait out the clock. Keep him on me until the fifteen minutes is up. No, that wouldn't work. Uraraka is still searching outside. Which means I can't get help from Ida either.'

He quickly ducked into a nearby room.

"Ida, any sign of Uraraka?"

'Nothing yet,' Ida said, 'Do you need my help down there?'

"Not a good idea," Bakugo said, "Deku's been throwing me for a loop and I can't remember where I am in the building. You'd never find us in time. How many windows are in the room you're in?"

'Only two,' Ida said, 'With one door.'

"Okay, check out the windows periodically," Bakugo said, "If you spot Uraraka, toss something to try and knock her to the ground, then rush down for the capture. I'll try to hurry up to you."

He looked down at his gauntlets.

'The explosions I create come from my sweat, which has the same chemical composition as nitro. My new gauntlets are designed to collect that sweat, allowing for a massive explosive when I pull the pin. I only get one good shot at it though. If I don't blast Deku out the building with it, then I'm as good as captured.'

His mind went back to their childhoods, to the day when he and Midoriya awakened their Quirks. Bakugo had never been the nicest kid growing up, and obtaining his Quirk only drove his ego further. It was only fireworks to start with, but the teachers in their elementary school all thought it was the perfect Quirk for a hero. It wasn't until one day, when he had led his posse of kids into the restricted area. At first Bakugo had been dismissive of Midoriya. In fact, back then "Deku" really had meant "useless" in his mind. He was confident that no power Midoriya could unlock would be enough to match his own.

But then he had fallen into a deep ravine. Luckily there was water at the bottom, so he was mostly alright. But then something happened. He heard a splash behind him, and something snapping. It hadn't even hit him until moments later when he realized it was someone's bones. In fact, it had been Midoriya's. He had jumped into the river to help Bakugo, breaking his leg in the process. And yet, right before Bakugo's eyes, the leg healed itself, rapidly. Midoriya still looked like he was in pain, tremendous pain, but he still held his hand out to help Bakugo up.

"Are you okay?," Midoriya asked, "I was worried you might have hit your head."

"Forget about that," Bakugo said, "What about your leg?"

Midoriya winced from the pain.

"It hurts a lot, but it's just a sprain. See, it's already all better."

Bakugo was in shock.

"But... I thought I heard bones snapping when you landed."

'It was shortly after that when Inko took Deku to the SCP Foundation,' Bakugo thought, 'And we learned about his Regeneration Quirk. And now he's even more powerful. It just proves that I have a long way to go if I want to be the best I can be.'

Meanwhile, Uraraka had been sneaking back inside the building to check the floors manually, having guessed that Ida might peer out the windows. She was able to find the weapon, and was right behind Ida, using a support pillar for cover.

'Okay, now what's my next move? Ida might be too fast to try capturing, so maybe I should focus on securing the weapon. With Deku keeping Bakugo tied up downstairs, I shouldn't have any distractions. Wait... Did I just call Izuku by his nickname?'

She got flustered.

'And then by his FIRST name!?'

She shook her head.

'Gotta stay focused. It looks like Ida tried removing anything loose in the room in an effort to limit my Quirk. But I've got an idea...'

She quickly hopped out.

"Hey, Ida! Running on fumes, are we!?"

Ida got shocked.

"Shoot, she must have come up from the stairs. No matter, I made sure there's nothing in this room for her to use her Quirk on."

He took a running stance, not noticing the smirk on Uraraka's face.

Midoriya looked around, then suddenly sensed something in the nearby hall. It was Bakugo, his gauntlets glowing.

"This is gonna be all or nothing, Deku," he declared, "I'm all loaded up and ready to blow you away!"

"So enough time passed for your gauntlets to fill up," Midoriya realized, "You know that even at your most powerful it won't damage me enough to render me unconscious."

"Probably not," Bakugo admitted, "But I figure the blast wave might be enough to send you sailing right out of this building, buying me time to backup Ida."

"I thought Bakugo was just a dumb bruiser," Jiro said, "But he actually knows his stuff."

"Hey, isn't this kinda dangerous?," Yaoyorozu asked, "What if that blast damages Midoriya's brain? Can he even regenerate that?"

"Thankfully he won't have to," All Might assured her, "As part of his Quirk, Young Midoriya's skull is perfectly indestructible, and his brain is encased in a special fluid that insures it won't bounce around due to hard impact. But I would recommend you all avert your eyes. If Young Bakugo's planned attack hits, the results are likely to be grizzly."

As Midoriya saw the pin get pulled, he looked over to the nearby wall.

'This is my best chance! The volume of flame will obscure Kacchan's vision! Just like with him... This is all or nothing!'

He launched a right straight right at the wall.

"Shibuya Smash!"

He dodged through the hole he made in the wall just the blast blew out the exterior wall.

'Come in, Midoriya!,' All Might called, 'Are you still intact?'

Midoriya smirked.

"Never even touched me. And now I have a better idea of where I am."

He looked up. He knew by now Uraraka had likely found the weapon, and with how much that blast shook the building, some debris had to have fallen somewhere. Even if it didn't, Ida likely forgot that Uraraka could use her Quirk on her own body. Bakugo ran over to check the damage.

"I can't waste too much time looking. Uraraka had to have gotten up the weapon by now."

As soon as he got to the hole he made, he got surprised as the capture tape started wrapping around him.

"Nice try, Kacchan," Midoriya said, "But your ultimate move has a glaring weakness in close quarters."

He successfully bound Bakugo's arms behind him, making him unable to reach the pins on his gauntlets.

Meanwhile, Ida had been distracted enough by the explosion that Uraraka was able to activate her Quirk, removing her own gravity and leaping over Ida. Knowing he'd never reach her, he tried to race over and grab the weapon instead. He managed to grab it.

"Your Quirk's useless if you can't even touch anything," he declared, "And I made sure there's nothing in this room to touch."

Uraraka landed on the wall.

"Too bad you missed a spot. The second I set foot in this room..."

She took off her helmet.

"There was one thing I was able to grab hold of to use against you!"

She threw the helmet, affected by her Quirk, forcing Ida to dodge around as Uraraka played pinball with her helmet as the ball and herself as the flipper.

"Now she's playing it in reverse," Todoroki noticed, "She knows that Midoriya likely took Bakugo out of the picture, freeing him up to help her."

"Yeah, but time's starting to run down," Kaminari said, "Can he make it in time?"

'I think he can,' All Might thought to himself, 'Young Midoriya, you're proving yourself not only mighty, but intelligent as well. I knew I was right to name you as my successor.'

"Hey, it looks like Midoriya's about to jump up the building," Asui said, "I'll have to remember his stance when it comes my turn. It looks more efficient than what I normally do."

"I can't keep this up forever," Ida realized as he moved the weapon for what felt like the twentieth time, "Her attacks keep coming from everywhere. One wrong step and I could twist my ankle."

Just then, he felt another impact, one that caused one of the pillars to topple.

"Now's my chance!," Uraraka said, making one final kick before leaping over to the pillar.

She picked it up.

"You were clever in trying to limit my Quirk, Ida, but you forgot that I'm not working alone!"

Ida looked out the window, and spotted Midoriya just coming in.

"Unbelievable! He must have struck the wall in such a way that it knocked loose one of the support pillars!"

Uraraka swung the pillar like a baseball bat.

"Home Run Scatter!"

The force of the swing sent debris flying at Ida. He put up his arms for defense, but that only let Uraraka leap past him and grab the weapon.

"Sorry, Ida, but it looks like we win."

The students watched in awe as time ran out.

"And that's that," All Might said, "Hero Team wins via capturing and securing of the weapon. Well done to both teams. You have performed quite well. Return to the monitoring room for debriefing."

He put down his mic.

'That was an outstanding strategy, Young Midoriya. I couldn't have done better myself. The future will be in great hands with you... When it finally comes times for me to retire.'

Chapter Text

"That was so intense," Ojiro said, "It was like that trope, the Mook Horror Show. Midoriya looked like he had Bakugo on the ropes the whole time. Not even that last-ditch desperation attack could stop him. And Uraraka was so all over the place, all Ida could do was play keep-away."

"It was by no means one-sided, though," Tokoyami noted, "Bakugo had a sound strategy the entire time, and even when he and Ida were forced to improvise they did so intelligently."

"But man, Midoriya's Quirk is so overpowered," Sero said, "He took his share of knocks during the fight, but he looks untouched. That Regeneration is uber-tier."

"The fight looked like it could go either way," Hagakure said, "For a moment, I was certain Bakugo and Ida would be able to just run out the clock."

On the vid, the two teams were shown shaking hands. The students saw Bakugo and Midoriya using their normal secret handshake, feeling sweat drops forming when the explosion briefly left Midoriya's hand skeletal. All Might looked over the footage.

"It was difficult grading this particular match-up. For the most part, the title of MVP swung between Uraraka and Ida. Ultimately, the MVP award goes to Uraraka for the clever use of her costume to take full advantage of her Quirk when all other options were removed from her. That sort of critical thinking on the fly is crucial to becoming a hero."

"Why not Midoriya or Bakugo?," Ida said, "Both of them seemed equally suited to the title. They both took their assigned roles seriously. Bakugo had a sound plan to keep Midoriya away from the weapon while making sure I could defend it from Uraraka. Meanwhile Midoriya was equally capable of outmaneuvering both of us by anticipating what our plans might be."

"That's true," All Might said, "However, I did have to dock some points for a crucial factor. Can anyone take a guess what that was?"

"I believe I know," Yaoyorozu said, "It's because of the damage done to the testing site. Heroes should always try to minimize collateral damage during a raid, and for villains it's impractical to do anything that might comprise their hideout, especially if they're holding a nuclear weapon. Comparatively both Ida and Uraraka planned their battle out much better. I noticed that Uraraka deliberately aimed her final attack so that it would only target Ida, while minimizing the risk of prematurely setting off the weapon, under the hypothetical that it could go off if struck."

Ida was surprised.

"Uraraka, is that true?"

Uraraka nodded.

"This may have been training, but Midoriya discussed it with me before the match started."

"Remember that this is supposed to simulate real life-or-death stakes," Midoriya said, "When you go for the weapon, treat it like it's an actual nuke that could go off at any time. Don't aim attacks with too wide an arc, and always aim straight at Ida unless the weapon is in front of him."

'I didn't catch that part,' All Might realized, 'Midoriya really planned this well. And Yaoyorozu is quite intelligent to have noticed all that.'

He cleared his throat.

"Yes, excellent observation, Young Yaoyorozu."

"One should always start with the basics," Yaoyorozu recited, "And devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only real way to become a top hero."

"That's how you can become a hero," Bakugo said, "But you become a top hero by going beyond the basics, gaining the trust of the people, and showing victory overall even when you yourself lose. That's what the motto of this school means... Go beyond, Plus Ultra. Keep to just the basics, rec girl, and you'll only be a second-rate hero."

Yaoyorozu was flabbergasted.

"Second-rate!?"

"Young Bakugo is right," All Might said, "The basics will certainly take you far, but if you hope to become a top hero, you must strive for far more. That's what UA's teaching is all about. With that said, let's move on the next confrontation. And remember, just like with Bakugo and Ida, you can always learn something even if you lose in these fights."

For the next fight, Team B, Shoji and Todoroki, were fighting as the heroes. Team I, Ojiro and Hagakure, were fighting as the villains. Hagakure immediately used her Quirk, Invisibility, turning completely transparent, her costume reacting and doing the same.

Down below, Shoji used his Quirk, Dupli-Arms, to form extra ears and take a listen through the halls. It wasn't just extra arms, his tentacles could form different exterior body parts, especially sensory organs. It was also how he normally talked, his tentacles forming additional mouths. He relayed what he sensed to Todoroki.

"One's in the hall on the fourth floor. The other should be in a room on the same level."

"Are either of them barefoot?," Todoroki asked.

"I sense one with their bare feet touching the ground," Shoji said, "A man from what I can tell."

Todoroki nodded.

"Okay, I'll handle that one. Track down the other target and capture them. I'll move to secure the weapon. Climb up on the exterior, it'll be safer that way."

He touched the wall and started icing over the entire inside of the building. Shoji formed extra hands and started climbing the building, his extra eyes letting him spot Hagakure even while she was invisible. Ojiro found himself trapped by the icing, pinning his feet to the floor.

"I wouldn't recommend prying yourself up," Todoroki said as he came in, "It'll rip off the bottoms of your feet."

"I can still move around a little," Hagakure reminded him, "I'd only lose the soles on my costume, and right now you can't see me."

"True," Todoroki admitted, "But he can."

Hagakure whirled around and realized Shoji had already secured the weapon.

"Okay, so rec boy can back up his place here," Bakugo said.

"He incapacitated one of the targets without comprising the weapon," Midoriya noted, "And made use of his teammate's skills to handle the other opponent. But using that much ice is bound to leave him vulnerable to hypothermia."

He started muttering again as he went over the strengths and weaknesses of an ice Quirk.

"I don't think he has to worry about hypothermia," Ida said, "Take a look."

Todoroki had just placed his left hand on the walls, and created a surge of heat to melt all the ice naturally. Todoroki's Quirk was called Half-Cold Half-Hot. He could generate cold from the right side of his body, and heat from the left side. Balancing the two insured he wouldn't freeze up or overheat.

"Why wouldn't he use his heat side more?," Midoriya wondered, "He seems to focus purely on ice."

All Might turned his head to look at his protege.

'If you were ever to spend a few minutes with his father, Young Midoriya, you would understand all too well.'

And so the matches continued throughout the day. Sero and Kirishima on Team J were the villains against Tokoyami and Asui on Team H. Sero's Tape Quirk, which manifested from his elbows, set up a defense perimeter with with Kirishima readying a defensive position using his own Quirk, Hardening. Meanwhile, the darkness allowed Tokoyami full access to his Quirk, Dark Shadow, a sentient Quirk that acted almost like a second body and could grow stronger in dark places. Asui scaled the interior of the building using her Frog Quirk, which as the name implied gave her all the abilities of a natural frog.

After that was Team C, Yaoyorozu and Mineta, as the villains. Yaoyorozu started making use of her Creation Quirk, which allowed her to make various objects from her body by transmuting her lipids. She was already creating a barricade on the door, and warning Mineta not to stare at her behind as she bent over. He wisely agreed to look the other way. Down below, Jiro and Kaminari from Team G were on the hero team. Jiro's Quirk was Earphone Jack, her specially shaped earlobes. They could be safely inserted into solid objects to let her hear things long-distance, and could generate canceling sound waves. Kaminari's Quirk was Electrification, which made him a living Tesla coil.

Finally was Sato and Koda on Team F for the villains, and Aoyama and Ashido on Team E for the heroes. Aoyama got annoyed when Ashido wound up accidentally splashing some of her acid on his cape.

"And that's a wrap," All Might said when the final debriefing concluded, "Super work today. And we didn't have any major injuries. That's what all heroes should strive for. You should be proud of your work today."

"It's nice to hear encouraging words after Mister Aizawa," Asui noted, "He was kind of a buzzkill."

"Preaching to the choir on that one," All Might muttered to himself.

He then widened his smile.

"I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater! Well, that's all for now. But remember, this is only the beginning. The trials will only be getting harder from here on out, and even I can't pull any punches when it comes to your training as heroes. Just keep a positive attitude, and remember to smile in the face of danger!"

Meanwhile, Tanaka met with Aizawa in the teachers' lounge.

"So I hear All Might went all out with the initial hero training," Aizawa said.

"You and he may have different ideas on how to coach the students," Tanaka said, "But he does realize that they need to be pushed to their limits. It was the same with his teacher, Zero-G."

Aizawa nodded.

"Yeah, Nana Shimura. No one knows what happened to her. One day they just found her dead from fighting an unknown villain."

Tanaka looked solemn.

'I know what happened to her. She lost to the same villain All Might would eventually triumph over. A villain so dangerous, so evil, that the world would rather forget all about him. Which is odd, considering how infamous his father is. How powerful must he be, that his evil would overshadow the legendary villain Crimson Death? To become so feared, that he and he alone among his family would be relegated to obscurity for the sake of peace?'

"You look like you're thinking about something," Aizawa noted, "Something to do with your old friend? We did all go to the same class together."

Tanaka took a seat.

"I am privy to secrets that you are not, due to how close I am with All Might. In case you forget, it was Depestilous and I who convinced Yagi and Asahi to hook up. Honestly, what we had then reminds me of Midoriya, Bakugo, Ida, and Uraraka now."

The four friends wound up sneezing.

"You ever get the feeling someone's talking about us?," Bakugo asked.

"You mean besides the entire class of fans crowding around us?," Ida quipped.

Indeed, the four of them were pretty much the stars of the class after the battle training. Even Todoroki had offered some praise, noting how skilled they were. Though Midoriya felt that he still had some envy for them due to being so strong and yet not needing a recommendation.

"When we saw how you conducted your own battle," Tokoyami said, "The rest of us decided we couldn't hold back. We made sure to take the lessons you showed to heart during our own training."

"Yes, it was inspiring," Yaoyorozu said, "Just like real heroes."

Bakugo, meanwhile, had been contemplating something.

"What's up, Kacchan?," Midoriya asked.

"Deku," Bakugo said, "You think we can trust them? Uraraka and Ida, I mean. You know, with that secret?"

Midoriya gave it some thought.

"Yeah... I think we can."

"YOU WERE GIVEN A SECOND QUIRK!"

That was Ida and Uraraka's reaction when Midoriya and Bakugo told them about One For All.

"And All Might's no less," Ida said, visibly shaking, "He must have absolute faith in your potential."

"Apparently this Quirk has passed hands several times," Midoriya said, "And picked up several additional Quirks along the way. During the practical exam, I unlocked All Might's birth Quirk, Maximize."

"You did it again during our battle training, didn't you?," Bakugo noted, "I realized it when you were dodging me instead of tanking the explosions."

Midoriya nodded.

"Yeah, Danger Sense. All Might unlocked that one too, according to Asahi. And apparently there's six more where that came from."

"How has no one learned of this?," Ida asked, "Does anyone else know?"

"A secret like that?," Uraraka noted, "I think the number of people who know would be very small indeed."

"Yeah," Bakugo said, "Even among the Foundation, only the O5 Council and a handful of high-ranking doctors know the secret, as do some of All Might's closest friends."

"One For All is meant to be kept secret from the world at large for their protection for some reason," Midoriya said, "But at the same time All Might did suggest telling close friends, since there are dangers they can only protect themselves from... If they know One For All's history, and the villains its holders have fought."

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit bar, a young man with wrinkled skin and preserved hands all over his body set down a newspaper.

"Can you believe this joke? It says he's a teacher now."

He looked up to a figure that seemed to be made of purple smoke, though still with a humanoid shape.

"Hey, here's a question. What do you think would happen when the mighty Symbol of Peace... Is finally killed by the villains?"

A sinister laugh came from nearby, and the man turned to see an elderly man with gray skin and inky gunk dripping from his fingers.

"You are so naive, child. I don't know why my brother spent so much investment in you. When the Symbol of Peace is killed... Another rises to take his place. Father taught this to us, that good will never stop fighting... Because otherwise evil would have already won."

He gave a large laugh.

"But my fool of a brother, your precious sensei... He has yet to truly understand this fundamental fact of our society! For us to be evil..."

He gave a final grin.

"Good must exist."

Chapter Text

Due to her Double Vision Quirk, Foresight was often given photos of secure buildings and locations to see if anyone would successfully infiltrate them. This has prevented numerous break-in attempts from two villain organizations, the Serpent's Hand and the Chaos Insurgency. Foresight looked at a photo of UA High School.

"Has it been leaked that All Might is now a teacher at the academy?"

With her was Agent of J, a teacher at UA's general studies course as well as her wife.

"Yeah, I think so," she said, "I was really surprised when he decided to become a teacher this year."

"Someone's going to break into UA using the cover of the media debacle," Foresight said, "They're goal is to try and kill All Might. There won't be any way to stop him from going, not if he learns his students are in danger. But we might be able to catch these villains off-guard if he's not there when they first show up."

Agent of J nodded, then turned on her special hologram disc reader.

"Miss Joyce, I need a new lesson plan."

The hologram showed a very old-school graphical female teacher.

'Happy to help, Xenia. What would you like to learn this time?'

Agent of J smiled.

"Advanced security and counter-espionage. Oh, and infiltration tactics."

The students of Class 1-A were learning really quick why Aizawa hated the media. Paparazzi tended to be pushy when there was something they really wanted to know. Only Ida seemed to be able to handle them, his long-winded speeches tiring them out and giving the rest of the class some much-needed peace. One female reporter tried to pursue Aizawa to get an interview with him, only to be blocked off by the security gate at the school's entrance, which kept out those who didn't have a school ID.

"How does All Might get anything done with reporters hounding him all the time?," Aizawa wondered.

"It's even worse now that the nation knows Yagi's teaching here at UA," Tanaka noted, "Now everyone wants to get their hands on All Might."

He got a call on his smartphone. After a few minutes of talking, he hung up.

"And I do mean everyone... We need to call in an emergency teachers' meeting."

Prior to the meeting, Aizawa spoke with his class.

"I reviewed the footage of your combat training yesterday. You won't hear me say this often, but I was very impressed. All of you performed decently. And you listened to instructions from your teammates without issue."

His eyes landed on Mineta, who grumbled into his desk.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm gonna get singled out for harassment charges?," he asked.

"Keep a 'look but don't touch' policy," Jiro said, "And you shouldn't have a problem."

"Now for the next item," Aizawa cut in, "This next task will decide your future. It's time... To pick your class representative."

The class breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that it was just normal school stuff. However, that's when the class broke out into chaos, as each student wanted to be picked. In a normal school being the class rep simply means having extra work. But in UA's hero course, being class rep could get a student noticed by the various hero agencies. After all, it was proof that a hero-in-training could lead a team like a real pro. Ida immediately cut through the chaos.

"Silence please! The class rep must be capable of leading others. That's not something just anyone can do. It's first important to have the trust of every student in the classroom."

"That leaves me out then," Mineta said, slumping back into his seat.

"Don't count yourself out yet, Mineta," Ida said, "The best way to determine who has the greatest trust of the class is democratically. We'll hold an election. I realize we've only known each other for a few days now, but keep in mind we did get to know each other's personalities during the combat training."

"I guess that makes sense," Asui agreed.

"Yeah, but wouldn't everyone just vote for themselves?," Kirishima asked.

"There are some that will," Ida admitted, "And yes, that would include myself. But that just means that those who receive multiple votes must truly hold the respect and trust of their fellow students."

"Since you seem to have a system in place," Aizawa in place, "I have a teachers' meeting to get to. Let me know when I get back who you settled on."

He headed out the door, leaving some of the students wondering why the sudden meeting.

By the end of it, Midoriya had gotten five votes, while Yaoyorozu had gotten two. Most of the others only had one, save those who voted for either of the two leaders. Interestingly, only Ida and Todoroki had one vote without voting for themselves. Ida and Midoriya had voted for each other, as had Yaoyorozu and Todoroki.

"I'm amazed I even got any votes at all," Ida admitted, "I know most of the class only sees me as being too uptight."

"I honestly thought you would have made a great class rep," Midoriya said, "Though it was tough choosing between you and Kacchan to vote for. In the end, I thought most people wouldn't vote for him due to his temper issues."

"Which is the second reason I didn't vote for myself," Bakugo added.

"So where did my second vote come from?," Yaoyorozu wondered.

She then saw Mineta giving her a wink and thumbs up.

"Should have figured...," she grumbled.

Aizawa came back and saw the results.

"Alright, so the class rep is Midoriya, with Yaoyorozu as his deputy."

The two of them nodded.

'All Might made it clear that being the Symbol of Peace means being able to lead others,' Midoriya thought, 'I'll need that practice for when it's my time.'

Later the class was in Lunch Rush's Eatery, basically the school cafeteria. Lunch Rush was another hero working at the school, possessing an Object of Power called Good Home Cooking. This was a cookbook that could make anyone an expert chef when bonded to them, providing them with a number of recipes designed around the bonded user's favorite food, rice in Lunch Rush's case, and catered to the tastes of those in the region where the bonded holder lived. This made Lunch Rush very popular with the students, and hardly any student from either the hero, support, general studies, or business courses sought lunch elsewhere.

"I thought it would be just us voting for you, Deku," Uraraka said, as she and the other friends sat down for their food.

"Seems Kirishima and Tokoyami voted for you as well," Ida noted.

"I didn't realize so many in this class trusted me," Midoriya said.

"I was kinda expecting it," Bakugo admitted, "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't get more votes. You're already kinda the leader of our friend group. Our unbreakable center."

"I'm surprised you didn't vote for yourself," Uraraka said to Ida, "You seemed like you wanted the job."

"Wanting a job and being suited to it are two different things," Ida pointed out, "I may look the stereotypical part of a class rep, but pretty much everyone tells me to chill out whenever I demand they respect the various school paraphernalia in our classroom. Besides, in terms of leading others, I still have much to learn compared to my brother Tensei."

"Yeah, Ingenium has 65 sidekicks working under him," Uraraka said, "The Ida family is practically a hero business. Wait..."

She smirked.

"Does that mean you're rich, Ida?"

Ida slumped.

"Another reason I didn't vote for myself. I was afraid people would treat me different if they knew I came from money."

"So you're rich, big deal," Bakugo said, "So are Icy Cold and Yaoyorozu."

Ida smiled. He was grateful that his friends, at least, weren't going to treat him any differently. He started into detail regarding his family, and how he wanted to follow in his older brother's footsteps. Midoriya realized just how much Ida was like him. Just then, he felt Danger Sense go off. Seconds later, an alarm rang throughout the school.

'Warning! Level 3 security breach! All students please evacuate the building in an orderly fashion!'

"Someone got past the school's barriers?," a random student asked, "That hasn't happened in the three years I've been here!"

"Damn it," Bakugo said, "Now the exits are gonna be congested. Anytime someone says 'evacuate in an orderly fashion' everyone just hears 'evacuate' and runs for it, usually in the same direction."

"Who would even trespass on school grounds?," Ida wondered.

He managed to get to a window and his jaw dropped.

"The press from outside!?"

Midoriya took a look.

"Looks like Mister Aizawa and Present Mic are trying to keep the press away from Yagi. It's his day off and he's taking the chance to have a date with Asahi."

He jumped into the air, landing just above the exit.

"Everyone! There's no need to panic! It's just the press trying to get an unsanctioned interview!"

That got everyone stopped in their tracks. Midoriya knew he had their attention.

"This school is protected by some of the top heroes in the nation, and we're supposed to be following their example! So we shouldn't just be rushing out all once in a mob! Most likely someone on the press pool used a Quirk to bypass the walls, so there's nothing dangerous going on!"

The police started showing up, causing the crowd to disperse as Midoriya dropped down.

"I'm relieved," Uraraka said, "It was nothing really dangerous."

But Bakugo noticed Midoriya's concerned face.

"What's up?"

"My new Danger Sense went off just before the alarm," Midoriya explained, "While I'm sure this security breach really is just what it appears, I somehow wonder if some villain wasn't behind it, trying to cause a scene."

"Whatever the case," Ida said, "You vindicated our choice just now. I'm sure our class will be in good hands with you as our leader."

"So our first item is to determine who the other class officers will be," Midoriya said.

Yaoyorozu looked on as Midoriya carefully chose each individual officer based on their abilities.

'With just one action he proved how much he deserves this role,' she thought, 'Only two people believe in me... And one's a pervert! I wonder if I should have just taken the entrance exam instead...'

Meanwhile, Nezu was examining the corroded barrier at the school gate alongside Midnight and Serpenshia.

"No ordinary member of the press could have done this," Midnight noted, "If they had that kind of Quirk, they would have become a hero, villain, or criminal."

That's when Agent of J rode up on her bike.

"Xenia," Serpenshia said, "You're back from the lesson already?"

"Miss Joyce and I have worked together so long that her lessons seem faster," Xenia said as she removed her visor.

Xenia Chau was born Quirkless, but she was still able to become a hero when she bonded with an Object of Power called Miss J's Whiz Kids' Schoolhouse. The Object in question was a simple CD-ROM containing the titular edutainment game, but the lead character, Miss J herself, was actually alive, a sentient and benevolent AI with a passion for teaching. Anyone bonded with her could learn at an accelerated rate, and she was able to teach any subject. Those that learned from her became experts in any field, and she always made sure they knew the basics first. For longer lessons, she made sure they took regular breaks for meals, sleep, bathroom, and recreation.

Additionally, despite being based on outdated software, the CD-ROM could be played on any computing system with a disk drive. Xenia had bonded with the Object when she a little girl, and Miss J had been her only companion due to her parents working two jobs each and being largely shunned for being Quirkless. Thanks to Miss J, whom Xenia called Miss Joyce, she become an expert in mechanical engineering, computer software, and was now fluent in multiple languages. Then one day, Xenia had an idea, and with Miss J's help, she learned law, various martial arts, and numerous gymnastics skills.

This allowed her to apply for UA High School in her third year at junior high, and she passed the entrance exam easily, much to the shock of all her old elementary schoolmates, some of whom had also taken the entrance exam and failed. Xenia was now the Teaching Hero, Agent of J, passing on the learning Miss J had given her for so many years. She knelt down to the remains of the barrier, rubbing some of it between her fingers.

"Someone used an acceleration of natural decomposition to break down the barrier. Considering the barrier is made from a combination of tungsten and telekill alloy, it must be incredibly powerful."

"Could this be related to what Foresight was warning us about?," Nezu asked.

"Possibly," Xenia said, "It could be that this... Was a declaration of war."

"Who do you think we're dealing with?," Midnight asked, "The Chaos Insurgency? The Church of the Broken God?"

"The Church of the Broken God was rendered defunct after the incarceration of Scrapyard, the 'god' they worshipped," Serpenshia pointed out, "The Chaos Insurgency is a possibility. But it could also be Marshall, Carter, and Dark Limited, being paid off by the press in order to get their prized interview."

"Or it could be someone new," Nezu added, "Making a show of power to showcase themselves to the world."

Meanwhile, Mount Lady, Kamui Woods, and the Cyborg Hero, Mechacain were taking on a hulking villain named Habit Headgear. The brute was large and had used his Quirk Trap Flex to hold a family hostage, threatening to kill them if he was chased. However, he only had one arm to work with, the other having been damaged when he tried to attack Mechacain. This was because of Mechacain's Quirk Pain Return, which caused any damage to him to be nullified, and to instead have it rebounded on whoever attacked him. And Habit Headgear had just tried to punch Mechacain in one of his cybernetic limbs. Habit backed up a little, then gasped as mist started to pour around him.

"Huh... What was I doing?"

He got a sharp pain in his arm, and the kids he was holding soon found themselves free. The eldest smiled when he saw their rescuer.

"It's Endo Hound!"

The blind woman smiled.

"Good to see you're okay," she said, "And I'm not the only one who showed up."

"Missouri Smash!"

All Might came flying it, delivering a hard chop to the back of Habit Headgear's large head, knocking him to the ground.

"Fear not, I am here!"

The duo made sure everyone was safe, then hurried off.

"Not how I wanted to spend our date together," All Might admitted.

"We both know you could never ignore someone in need," Endo Hound assured him, "But is it just me, or are you slowing down?"

"It's not just you," All Might admitted, "Now that I've passed on One For All to Young Midoriya, I'm starting to run on fumes. In a few years I'll only be able to maintain my full power for a few hours. Luckily I still have Maximize to make up the difference. That hasn't lost its power. Speaking of which, I hope you're ready for tomorrow."

Endo Hound nodded.

The next day, Aizawa was instructing the class.

"For today's training, you'll be having four teachers. There's me, your gym teacher Serpenshia, rescue trainer Thirteen, and general course teacher Agent of J. In addition, you'll get your first chance to work with a pro hero. We'll be having Endo Hound here to help with the training."

Midoriya and Bakugo were stunned to hear this.

"Sir," Sero called out, "What kind of training are we doing?"

"This will be rescue training," Aizawa explained, "You'll be learning how to react to various natural disasters, and things like shipwrecks or building fires. Now, you are allowed to wear whatever you want during this training, so feel free to use your costumes if you so choose. But keep in mind that what you wear could effect your performance. Additionally, this will be your first off-campus training. We'll be taking a bus to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Get yourselves ready and meet me out at the bus stop."

"This is where things get real," Bakugo noted, "Rescue work is the most important part of being a hero."

Midoriya nodded.

"But I'm a little concerned as to why so many heroes are looking after us in this training. Especially since Agent of J doesn't even teach at our course."

The mysterious decayed villain arrived outside the Unforeseen Simulation Joint's defense perimeter.

"This place was created by Thirteen to train younger heroes in the ways of rescue."

He chuckled.

"It's the perfect series of levels for our new party!"

He suddenly found his neck wrapped up in a cloth.

"This is no video game," came a female voice, "This is reality. Must I remind you of your own mortality?"

The man turned around to spot a woman with light gray skin. The elderly villain appeared next to her in a portal of inky substance.

"Now, now, sister. Remember what we're here for."

A large villain that looked like a humanoid crocodile fuse with a banana also appeared, as well as a large man with a scorpion tail and thorny whips coming out of his wrists. The elderly villain chuckled.

"We're here to evaluate our dear brother's protege on behalf of our beloved father."

The smoky villain looked to each of them in turn.

"Banananasher, Sliming Sadist, Stranglehold, Heart Piercer. Four of the children of the infamous Crimson Death."

"Aw, you're not gonna be in our party?," the decayed villain asked, "Well, with what we have planned we should be able to kill All Might without you."

He nodded to his partner, who created a wormhole. Various villains hurried inside it as the decayed villain laughed.

"This is gonna be the best boss raid ever!"

Chapter Text

Midoriya had gotten his class onto the bus, heading off to rescue training.

"Say, Midoriya," Asui said, "I've noticed something. Doesn't it seem like your Quirk has some similarities to All Might?"

"It's not uncommon for Quirks to have similar features," Midoriya pointed out, "For example, the hero Infablaze has a Quirk that's been compared to Endeavor. My Quirk regenerates my body while stockpiling power, but All Might has suffered injuries during his own actions."

Asui thought about it.

"Yeah, that's true."

"But man, your Quirk seems so versatile and flashy," Kirishima said, "All I can do is harden my body."

"You don't need a flashy Quirk to be a hero," Midoriya assured him, "Some of us don't have the most fantastic of Quirks, but we were still chosen for UA."

Once as the USJ, the teachers passed out earpieces for communication while Thirteen explained how the rescue training would be proceeding. However, she was interrupted by the sudden black portal, several villains coming out.

"I get the feeling this isn't part of the training," Ida said, "This was supposed to be rescue training, but those people don't look like they need rescuing."

"Everyone stay back!," Aizawa warned, "Those are actual villains!"

He placed his special goggles over his eyes. Serpenshia and Endo Hound took a defensive stance. A voice suddenly came from the portal.

"I see Agent of J, Thirteen, Serpenshia, Eraser Heard, and Endo Hound. But no sign of All Might. The schedule we obtained said he was supposed to be teaching here."

The portal turned into a humanoid being.

"You guys forgot about Foresight," Agent of J said, "She was able to predict how you'd use the press to sneak inside."

Endo Hound sniffed.

"That one with the severed hands all over his body. His scent was at the gate. I don't think I've heard of you. Who are you?"

"I just go by the name my sensei gave me," the decayed villain said, "Tomura Shigaraki. Who I was before no longer matters. What does is that we came here specifically to kill the great Symbol of Peace."

Endo Hound growled at the large, humanoid creature, its head having a pointed muzzle, eyes forced open, brain exposed, and skin jet black.

"What is that abomination next to you? Its heat... It feels wrong."

Agent of J checked it with her wrist scanner.

"Its genetic code is all scrambled up. It used to be human, but there's nothing human about it anymore."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about this big guy," Shigaraki assured them, "We're saving him for the final boss. It's the rest of our friends you have to worry about. They came all this way to see the Symbol of Piece of die, and they're not afraid to kill a few students to bring him running."

Aizawa stepped forward.

"You've got five pro heroes standing in the way of that. And most of your friends look like low-level fodder."

Midoriya never thought he would see pure evil staring at him until he had graduated. And most of the villains looked like common street thugs. But Shigaraki, the portal villain, and whatever the creature was. Midoriya's Danger Sense was going into overdrive with those three.

"Something's wrong," Yaoyorozu said, "The alarms aren't going off."

"It must be a masking Quirk," Todoroki realized, "One of the villains is making the whole group unseen to the security network. They deliberately chose this isolated facility at a time when a class was being taught. They may be fools for trespassing here, but they thought this through, so they're still intelligent fools."

"How's the signal working?," Thirteen asked.

"We only have internal communications," Agent of J said, "We need to find a way to send help to the outside. Kaminari, try boosting the signal."

Kaminari nodded, channeling his Quirk through his radio headset.

"We need to buy time until help can arrive," Aizawa said.

He and Serpenshia leapt down the stairs, Endo Hound running after them. One villain with gun barrels for fingers smirked.

"Okay, Shooting Squad! Get ready!"

He was joined by a heavyset patchwork villain with a bull helmet, and a female villain with metal rope for hair. They were quickly dispatched as Aizawa nullified their Quirks, grabbing the first in his capture scarf while Endo Hound knocked out the big guy. The girl was hit by Serpenshia's Black Gunk, leaving her a jabbering wreck.

"Damn it!," one of the other villains said, "They're covering too many bases! Eraser Head can nullify Quirks, Endo Hound can cause amnesia, and Serpenshia can instill fear and confusion!"

Shigaraki observed the trio's fight as they took out villain after villain.

"Well, that's the sad part about PvP. Numbers don't matter if your smaller party can cover a wide range of weaknesses. But what are Thirteen and Agent of J doing? Hey, Kurogiri."

The portal villain turned to him.

"What is it?"

"Can you see those kids from here?," Shigaraki asked.

Kurogiri looked up to the starting platform.

"It looks like Agent of J and Thirteen are starting to evacuate them. Time for the Plan B."

He warped in front of the class and the two teachers.

"There is no escape for you. Allow me to introduce our organization. We are the League of Villains."

"Never heard of you," Agent of J said.

"Forgive the impoliteness," Kurogiri said, "But we decided to invite ourselves into your little haven of justice. A fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to die, don't you think?"

"You really think you can kill the Symbol of Peace so easily?," Midoriya asked, "Do you even realize what the Symbol of Peace truly is? I don't think you do, since you're only talking about killing All Might."

"Such a naive boy," Kurogiri said, "Speaking of which, I believe he was supposed to be here."

Agent of J smirked.

"You're working off an outdated schedule. All Might was selected as a general hero course teacher, not rescue training."

"Strange," Kurogiri said, "You're not part of rescue training, either. In fact, aren't you supposed to be part of the general studies course? Why would you be here unless you..."

His eyes widened in realization.

"Knew we were coming! Damn! Foresight's prediction went that far!?"

"Should we rush him?," Bakugo whispered to Midoriya.

Midoriya shook his head.

"He doesn't look like he has a physical form right now. Unless we can find a tangible core we'd only be getting ourselves sent who knows where. Besides, I think Thirteen has this."

Sure enough, Thirteen had popped open one of the lids on her gloves, allowing her to use her Black Hole Quirk. However, Kurogiri was faster.

"I'll scatter you all across this arena to meet my friends, and your death!"

His body expanded to encompass the class. As he did, Midoriya noticed a solid neck brace just under Kurogiri's eyes.

"Ida!," Midoriya called out, "Run for the exit! Let the other teachers know what's going on!"

"Right!," Ida said.

Kurogiri tried to tag him too, but his body was overextended warping the other students and Ida was too fast for his tendrils.

Midoriya soon found himself in the water of the Shipwreck Zone. Oxygen deprivation was his only real weakness, since his brain did still need oxygen to function. But even then he wouldn't lose consciousness for about an hour, and wouldn't actually drown or suffocate for at least fifteen hours, due to his body adapting to the lack of oxygen and staving off necrosis. But from what Kurogiri had said, there were likely to be other dangers in the water, so Midoriya quickly headed to the surface. He soon spotted a shark-themed villain rushing at him.

"First catch of the day!," the villain boasted, "Nothing personal, kid, but you gotta die!"

He managed to rip Midoriya's arm off, but then got a shock. The arm instantly disintegrated in his mouth. Meanwhile, he was shocked at Midoriya growing a new arm, as well as his costume regenerating its fibers.

"What the hell!?"

Before the shark villain could process what had just happened, Asui slammed into his head with her legs.

"Hang on, Midoriya!," she said, launching her long tongue to wrap around Midoriya's torso and pull him out of the water.

She also had Mineta under her arm. They soon reached the actual ship, Midoriya jumping onto the deck.

"Nice save, Asui," Midoriya said.

"Call me Tsu," Asui insisted, "And it was my pleasure. Frogs may not be fish, but the water is still our natural habitat."

"For a frog, you've got some natural life preservers...," Mineta mumbled.

Asui smacked him with her tongue before dropping him onto the deck, then climbed up the side of the ship herself.

"Note to self," Mineta said, "Look up comments on a woman's figure that won't cause her to smack me."

"That would be for the best," Asui said, "If you're not careful, you'll get expelled for sexual harassment and blacklisted from hero work. But man, this is turning into a terrible day of class. Was that villain serious about killing All Might?"

"Considering he wasn't afraid to send us to our supposed deaths," Midoriya said, "I think he was very serious. They knew our whole schedule, and had an idea of who was supposed to be here. While we were stuck in the cafeteria, they snuck in and stole school files. The teachers were too busy trying to keep the media off school grounds. But apparently, Foresight's Double Vision wasn't taken into account. She's been known to help in preempting infiltration schemes."

"But if the school anticipated this," Asui said, "Why not just cancel the training today?"

"Because then the enemy would remain unknown," Midoriya explained, "They took any and all steps they could to try and lure in these guys while still keeping us safe. We weren't the bait, All Might was. So long as this League of Villains thought All Might was here, they'd come looking for him. And if they didn't find him, they'd try and make chaos to draw him in."

"But it's not like they can really kill All Might," Mineta pointed out.

"I dunno," Asui said, "If the villains thought out their plan this much, then they had to have researched a method to try and kill All Might. Otherwise they'd be throwing fodder at a brick wall and getting nothing done. That creepy-looking giant next to the one calling himself Shigaraki? He said the big guy was there specifically for All Might, only sending his rank and file to deal with the other heroes. We should let the others know. I think that's the reason Agent of J gave us these earpieces. Just in case we got separated."

"Yeah, that smoke guy made it pretty clear we're just collateral," Mineta agreed, "Damn it... We weren't supposed to be putting our lives on the line until at least our second year."

Midoriya quickly relayed everything they discussed over the earpieces to the rest of the class. Asui then noticed something.

"Ribbit! I don't think sharky was alone in that water!"

Midoriya knelt over the railing as he saw all the water-themed villains rushing at them.

"Uh, Midoriya?," Mineta said, "Your hands are emitting smoke. Is that normal?"

Midoriya looked at his hands. Sure enough, white smoke was being emitted from his palms.

'This must be another facet of One For All. The Quirk Smokescreen. All Might mentioned how his own teacher was able to unlock it.'

One villain's spear hit his shoulder, but he just pulled it out and threw it back, scattering the villains.

"Don't aim for the boy!," the shark villain called out, "His wounds can heal at an accelerated rate! I already bit off his arm and it just grew back! Go for the frog girl and the shrimp instead!"

"He bit off your arm!?," Mineta called out, freaking out.

"It's a facet of my Quirk," Midoriya explained, "If a part of my body is torn loose, or if I lose a large amount of blood, whatever was lost will disintegrate as my body regrows what was lost. Listen, we have to try and stop whatever it is that they're planning. And our first step is getting off this boat and over to shore."

"That won't be easy," Asui said, "There must be at least a dozen villains in the water."

"Yeah, and there's bound to be more elsewhere," Mineta said.

"Honestly, they're probably spread all over the place," Midoriya agreed, "But don't forget... We were chosen to be trained as heroes. And most of these guys are just street thugs. It's not ideal, and they have the advantage of numbers. But we're not outclassed, either. And the others can easily fight against them."

Sure enough, Todoroki was in the Landslide Zone, trapping a villain in ice. Bakugo and Kirishima were taking out dozens in the Collapse Zone. Yaoyorozu handed a created weapon to Jiro as the two of them, alongside Kaminari, faced down against a group in the Mountain Zone. Ojiro was facing down foes in the Fire Zone, while Tokoyami and Koda were in the Squall Zone. The rest of the class, save for Ida, were still at the entrance with Thirteen and Agent of J facing Kurogiri. Meanwhile, Shigaraki was watching the bulk of the villains get taken down by Aizawa, Asahi, and Tanaka.

"At this rate All Might won't even need to show up. Looks like I'll have to step in."

Yagi was getting worried. They had a plan outlined based on Foresight's vision and Xenia's lesson from Miss J. But as the old adage goes, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

"Then again," he realized, "That works both ways. And Foresight assured us that none of the students would be killed or even suffer serious injuries. I suppose Young Midoriya could wind up getting injured at some point but..."

"But that's moot when he can heal from any injury," Nezu finished for him as he entered the room, "So if anything, he's the safest one at the USJ. Really, I'd be more concerned about any villain that tries to attack him. When I heard about his skill with analysis I showed him footage of a potential serial killer. He was able to make an accurate profile of the killer, including their Quirk, with only fifteen seconds of footage, supplemented with local news reports and online posts."

"We already had a strategy prepped," Yagi noted, "And if what you're saying about Young Midoriya is accurate, tactics are accounted for too. Young Bakugo's no slouch in the brains department either, if his grades are anything to go by. I was afraid Aldera Middle School might have been inflating them in order to groom him for hero work."

"That would be unrealistic," Nezu said as he sipped his tea, "Especially with Bakugo's enrollment here at UA. We would have picked up on the discrepancy in his intelligence level as early as the entrance exam, and the faculty at Aldera knows it."

He placed the cup down.

"Toshi, I should tell you... A lipid panel of Midoriya's blood was performed. It seems Regeneration is multi-faceted."

Yagi looked up in interest.

"How do you mean? Are you saying it does more than heal Young Midoriya's wounds or regrow parts of his body?"

"The regeneration goes all the way down to the genetic level," Nezu explained, "His very DNA is being repaired faster than the free radicals can damage it. His immune system is supercharged, creating antibodies for any pathogen the second a new one enters his bloodstream. Cancer cells die off before they can fully gestate. His aging will likely slow once he reaches adulthood. To be frank, Toshi... You couldn't have picked a more perfect vessel for One For All. His Quirk is designed to maintain a perfect state of health."

"Which means he could handle any other Quirk if he ever got a new one," Yagi said.

His eyes widened in realization.

"He could unlock all of them! All the various Quirks attached to One For All!"

Nezu nodded.

"At first I thought he would only unlock the physical Quirks. But I think it's clear... Izuku Midoriya has the potential to fully master One For All."

"So how in the heck are we supposed to fight these guys?," Mineta asked.

"None of the rank and file here would be a match for All Might," Midoriya noted, "So we can reasonably assume they're not very powerful to begin with, only here as a distraction, or to hold students hostage in various zones. They likely learned what to expect in the USJ before coming. Look, all the villains around us here are water-themed, perfect for the Shipwreck Zone. But then again, Tsu is also well-suited to the water. Which means the villains likely don't have any idea what our Quirks are."

"That's true," Asui said, "That shark guy was caught off-guard when you regrew your arm, meaning he didn't know you could do that. If they knew what our Quirks could do, they would have sent you out of the USJ altogether so you wouldn't be an issue. And they would have sent me into the Fire Zone. That warp villain was just tossing us around randomly, hoping whatever villains we ran into would finish us off."

"You mean to tell me that they only made this plan for the sole purpose of killing All Might?," Mineta realized, "Only treating us like an afterthought? How sloppy can you get? They went to all that trouble of figuring out our schedule, and nothing else?"

He looked over the railing.

"That explains why they haven't tried to attack yet. For all they know we're the most powerful students in this class."

Midoriya nodded.

"Yeah, but that also means they won't underestimate us just because we're kids. We need to come with a solid plan. My own regenerative powers stockpile energy as I take damage, and I've taken plenty of knocks training with Kacchan, so right now I'm incredibly strong. Tsu, what other frog abilities do you have besides jumping, sticking to walls or throwing out your tongue?"

"I can throw up my stomach and store things in it," Asui explained, "And I can secret a toxic mucus that can cause paralysis or sting an enemy's eyes. I can even change my skin pigmentation or body heat for stealth if necessary."

Mineta pulled one of the orbs off his head.

"I can regrow these at a rapid rate, and they can stick to pretty much anything. With enough of them I can keep an enemy pinned to another object. Their stickiness can last for a whole day, and I don't stick to them, bouncing off them instead. Of course, if I use too many I start to bleed."

Midoriya nodded.

"Okay. I think I know how we can beat these guys. Here's my plan..."

Down in the water, one of the villains was ready to make his move, sending a claw made of water to slice the boat in half.

"I started to get bored!," the villain said, "Let's get this show on the road!"

From the remains of the ship, a massive amount of white smoke suddenly poured out, clouding everyone's view.

"What the hell?," one of the villains called out, "Does one of them have a smoke screen Quirk?"

Suddenly, Midoriya was racing through the water faster than a bullet.

'They may have the advantage in the water,' he thought, 'But this is an ocean simulation. And the ocean has plenty of dangerous currents.'

"Oh, crap!," the shark villain realized, "He's trying to make a whirlpool!"

The water claw villain tried to stop him, but he couldn't see very well. Asui took advantage and leapt off the boat, disgorging many of Mineta's orbs from her stomach. As the villains tried to get the orbs that stuck to them off, Mineta started tossing more orbs at them from Asui's back. Asui then stuck the villains to each other by grabbing and dragging them with her tongue. Midoriya gave a great leap, his arm poised for an uppercut.

"Sapporo Smash!"

The surge of wind created a vacuum, sending the villains up a waterspout which was quickly getting filled with more sticky orbs. As Asui leapt away, she grabbed Midoriya out the air with her tongue.

"If a strong force pushes away the water's surface," Midoriya noted, "Then that water will come rushing back, right into the middle."

The waterspout came down into a second whirlpool, causing all the villains in the water to be stuck to each other.

"Yeah!," Mineta cheered, "Suck on that! You guys may be scary, but we're willing to face our own fears!"

"That about wraps that up," Asui said, "You guys are pretty amazing."

"Hey, you were a big help too," Midoriya said, "It took all three of us to pull this off. Come on, let's see if we can regroup with the others."

Chapter Text

Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta looked over their work from the shore of the Shipwreck Zone. The aquatic villains were now stuck in a pile of themselves and Mineta's spheres.

"Those guys aren't going anywhere," Mineta said, "It takes a good twenty-four hours for my spheres to lose adhesion, and by that time Ida should be back with more of the teachers."

"We got them all at once," Asui noted, "This is everyone I saw down in the water. And anyone I might have missed was likely caught up in Midoriya's giant water fountain."

"Looks like I'm starting to master more of my Quirk," Midoriya noted, "That was a good 15% of my full strength. Before I could only muster up 12%. Not to mention what just happened earlier."

"That was bizarre," Asui said, "The sudden muscle density and combat instinct I could buy as just part of training, but where did that sudden smoke come from?"

"I guess I learned how to vaporize my sweat into a sort of mist using precise muscle contractions," Midoriya suggested.

It was the only physical excuse he could think of that still fit in with how Regeneration worked. He just hoped One For All wouldn't throw him any more surprises.

"It was a stressful situation, ribbit," Asui agreed, "I know I wasn't showing it, but I was nervous about all those villains. Mineta was shaking like a leaf, and I saw your fist shaking when observing those guys."

"So what now?," Mineta asked, "Maybe we should find our way to the exit. See if we can't find the villain who's jamming the alarms."

"It would be a good idea to prioritize getting help," Midoriya agreed, "We should also deal with that mist warping villain at some point. He was able to spread his body out quite a distance, so if he's able to reach Ida it'll be harder to find help. Right now though, his attention should be on Thirteen, Agent of J, and those members of our class he didn't send out randomly. We should also try to avoid the center, where all the real action is."

"Most of those villains are likely all cleaned up," Asui noted, "Between Mister Aizawa, Serpenshia, and Endo Hound, I'd be surprised if they aren't dealing with the ringleader right about now. That creepy guy with all the severed hands on his costume."

Midoriya nodded.

"Aizawa on his own would be at a disadvantage in numbers. His Quirk needs constant eye contact to function. One blink and his opponent can get the drop on him, so he's vulnerable to being worn down in a crowd. But Serpenshia and Endo Hound have no such weakness. Serpenshia has his physical power and can generate his Black Gunk in large quantities before he wears down since it's a byproduct of his body's natural fluids. Meanwhile Endo Hound can produce Amnestic Gas as a byproduct of carbon dioxide."

"So unless one of those villains can cut off her air, she's good," Mineta realized, "Most of those villains were spread out to attack our classmates, though. While there might be enough in the center to handle one of those three on their own, they're fighting together."

"The one that worries me is the large villain that was brought in," Midoriya noted, "The leader, Shigaraki, suggested it was being saved for All Might. But with the other villains being used to lure him here, what's to stop him from unleashing it early if they no longer have value as a lure? Most of them are like us. They haven't had any real training with their Quirks."

"Some of them did look like they were college age," Asui realized, "Think they're hero course rejects from various high schools?"

That was certainly Todoroki's opinion as he finished freezing the remaining villains in the Landslide Zone.

"This is why the hero course system has been refined, to keep out those who are untrained in the use of their Quirks, or are unable to handle an Object of Power. But rather than choose a more suitable path, you let yourselves be drawn in by the allure of a villain's life."

He sighed.

'I thought this was a case of simply bringing in a force of elite villains to overwhelm All Might in order to kill him, but these low-level trash aren't even a match for a UA first-year. Or at least not one from the hero course. The one who called himself Shigaraki... He must have a different plan in mind. We need more information.'

"Listen well," he said, "If you stay frozen like that your cells will slowly die. You'll soon succumb to frostbite and hypothermia. Now as a young man striving to become a hero, I'd prefer that not happen. I'd like to avoid unnecessary cruelty."

He approached one villain who was now whimpering in fear.

"So tell me... How does your boss intend to kill All Might?"

'Listen up,' Todoroki called in over the earpieces, 'None of these villains are elite threats. They're just high school dropouts and street-level villains recruited as fodder. That large black monster they came with is the one who's supposed to kill All Might.'

Kaminari heard that loud and clear and shocked one of the villains attacking him in the Mountain Zone. Sure enough, the big guy proved more easy to take out than his size would suggest.

"So we just gotta avoid the ringleaders in the center, right? So long as we do that, we should come out of this alive."

Yaoyorozu was disabling most of the villains with capture weapons such as bolas and nets, while Jiro plugged her earlobes into various speakers along her costume to unleash a stunning sound wave from her own heartbeat, paralyzing several more villains.

"Why bother recruiting from the gutter?," Jiro asked, "They have a villain with a warp Quirk, wouldn't it be more efficient to break into Tartarus prison for stronger villains?"

"Tartarus has walls made of telekill alloy," Yaoyorozu pointed out, "Maybe his Quirk isn't strong enough to bypass it."

She undid magnetic clamps on the back of her costume, creating a large insulating blanket for her and Jiro. Kaminari smirked.

"The thing about my Quirk is, it makes me a human taser. But I can only control where the electricity comes from, not where it goes. If I went all out, I might accidentally hit my classmates. But it still works like normal electricity, so things like rubber or other insulators are immune. And from what I'm seeing..."

He charged up his power to full.

"None of you even have wood for an armor coating!"

The entire group was completely paralyzed at the electrical energy hit them at full charge. Jiro smirked as she peeked out from under the blanket.

"They didn't even have rubber soles on their boots. Bunch of edgelords thinking it was cool to have metal-studded ones."

Yaoyorozu's Quirk let her make anything non-living by expending her body's lipids, but for more complex items she needed to understand the composition. Also, she needed more skin area for larger items, hence why the back part of her costume was designed to separate. Kaminari shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Since his Electrification Quirk relied on his nervous system to fully function, using too much of it temporarily shorted out his brain, leaving him momentarily idiotic. It usually only lasted for a few seconds.

Meanwhile back in the center, Aizawa, Asahi, and Tanaka were cleaning up what was left of the villains in that region. Tanaka spotted Shigaraki rushing in.

'I need to focus on Eraser Head. By now his Quirk should be worn down enough. With him out of the enemy party, I can let the Nomu run wild on the other two.'

But Endo Hound had already sensed him running.

"Tanaka! Aizawa! Hold your breaths!"

She breathed in deep, then unleashed her Amnestic Breath across the entire central area. The shot hit Shigaraki full impact.

"Oh, crap!," he called out, "Status ailments are the worst! Especially forgetfulness!"

He tried to turn back, but the gas was already catching up to him. He wound up stumbling back.

"What's going on? Why do I feel bigger?"

He tried to stand, only find part of the ground giving way. He noticed that a small pit had been created through decay.

"Wait... Since when do I have a Quirk?"

Nearby, Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta had approached in order to see how things were going. Midoriya noticed Shigaraki's confusion.

"Looks like a five-point contact Quirk, but he can't turn it off the way Uraraka can. And since he was afflicted with Asahi's Quirk, I'd say it's not a natural one, and that the lack of control isn't because he can't remember how. I wonder..."

He looked over to Shigaraki's shoes.

"Do those shoes look familiar to you guys?"

"I think they're from a brand that caters to Quirkless people," Mineta said, "Those without Quirks have an extra toe joint, meaning normal shoes are too tight for them. So one shoe company made a particular brand of shoe designed for such people to walk around more comfortably."

"This guy seemed more dangerous than the others," Asui said, "But against three pros he was outmatched. I don't think he even expected Endo Hound to get in the way. It looked like he was making a beeline for Aizawa."

"In a few seconds Shigaraki's memories are going to come back," Midoriya noted, "But that will include everything he was muttering about while in a state of confusion. Which is going to leave him even more confused."

Sure enough, Shigaraki was able to return to normal as the three heroes dealt with the remaining villains in the center. But in the process, he had dusted some of the severed hands, having tried to get rid of them due to disgust.

"That was stupid of me. Rushing in like some noob. I'd forgotten the genre. This isn't a turn-based RPG, this is an MMO raid. Of course one of the others was going to rush in to help. What was I thinking? And now I've wound up losing a few family members in the process."

He got up, and motioned for the Nomu to approached.

"I was hoping to save our heavy hitter for the final boss, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to give him a little more XP before taking on All Might."

Meanwhile, Kurogiri was having to face down Thirteen and Agent of J. Much like Shigaraki, he was having trouble due to being hit from two different angles. He was getting sucked in by Black Hole, drawing off much of his mist. And when he tried to use Warp Gate, his own Quirk, Agent of J launched some sort of distraction technique to prevent him from focusing properly.

"I have no choice but to break off," he decided, "My concern should be chasing down the one that rushed out the exit. Otherwise he could attract the attention of far more than just All Might."

He tried to rush off, only for Shoji to wrap his Dupli-Arms around his form.

"Midoriya noted that you still have a physical form under all the mist. Knowing that, it's a simple matter of containing you."

Kurogiri's eyes widened.

'I never heard them even discuss anything before I separated them. When could they possibly have...?'

He then noticed Shoji's earpiece and it all made sense. The villain they had hired to jam communications was only meant to jam outgoing signals, not suspecting that the heroes would provide the students with means of keeping contact with each other long-distance.

From the cameras in his lair, Crimson Death, the horned-villain, surveyed the USJ.

"Pure evil is that which cannot accept that it is evil, or that good exists. I am certainly evil and do not deny such, nor do I deny that good can exist. But my son... All For One. He does not seem to understand this simple fact. From the moment his brother turned against him, he has been gobsmacked by the idea that anyone would deny his vision."

He turned on a monitor.

"Teruteru, how is the young boy doing?"

The form of the Sliming Sadist, real name Teruteru Kamoshida, appeared.

'Not terribly, Father. The heroes were able to predict some of his schemes, even if they don't yet know how All For One intends to kill All Might. Still, to Shigaraki's credit, he knows how to adapt under pressure. Right now he's using the Nomu early to counter the combined forces of Eraser Head, Endo Hound, and Serpenshia.'

"We shall see how All For One's little experiment handles itself," Crimson Death said, "What of the gutter trash that were hired?"

'Most have been contained by the students,' Teruteru replied, 'A few stragglers are still fighting, mostly due to being well-suited to the environments they were dropped on. But it seems the class is able to communicate thanks to short range earpieces that escaped notice. It won't be long before they start to regroup. Even Kurogiri is struggling.'

"Of course he is," Crimson Death said, "After all... He is the least natural of the League of Villains."

In the Collapse Zone, Bakugo and Kirishima had knocked out most of the villains. Bakugo took down one last villain who had a camouflage Quirk.

"That should be it in this area," he said, "Deku noted that mist bastard's neck brace, which is probably protecting his physical form. By now Ida should have reached the school, so backup should be coming."

"Most of our classmates are taking down the other villains," Kirishima noted, "A lot of them seem pretty weak. Like they haven't been villains for very long."

"Most new villain organizations recruit from the lowest parts of society," Bakugo explained, "The hero washouts, the ostracized, the homeless, you get the idea. It's easy for a big shot villain to bring these losers into the fold with promises of home, family, and anything else society may have been unable to provide for them."

"You seem a lot more calm and rational when you're not fighting," Kirishima noted.

"When I get in a fight, I'm able to channel my Quirk toward an enemy," Bakugo explained, "But it didn't get this powerful overnight. In fact, when it first manifested all I could make were small fireworks. I had to study every facet of explosions and train my ass off in order to master it. Not just making the explosions as big and powerful as possible, but also controlling the size and power of the explosion for different functions. Take this punk here."

He held up the villain he had just taken out by the head.

"See how his head's still intact and he's still alive? If I didn't have any control over my Quirk you'd be looking at a bloody stump of a neck right now. Thirteen mentioned it during orientation prior to those villains interrupting our training. Our Quirks are deadly weapons, and there's a reason why they're regulated. Even someone like Mineta or Hagakure could murder someone if they used their Quirks in the wrong way."

"Yeah, like in the early days of anomalies," Kirishima said thoughtfully, "Back then the SCP Foundation was a Secure and Containment Procedural, preventing dangerous anomalies from raising body counts. It wasn't until enough humans appeared that could master their Quirks that the Foundation become the Superhero Central Protectorate it is today. So what's our plan?"

"We help take down that mist bastard," Bakugo said, "Not only will that give Ida time to reach the school, we can stop the rest of these losers from escaping, leaving them sitting ducks for when the other pros show up. Our classmates can handle the rest of the small fry."

Kirishima smiled as his arms hardened into gauntlets.

"Awesome! That's thinking like a man!"

Ojiro was using his agility and martial arts training to take out villains in the Fire Zone. Tokoyami showcased Dark Shadow's incredible power to handle things in the Squall Zone's darkness. Kurogiri had just managed to warp himself out of Shoji's grip, only for his armor to get tagged by Uraraka's Zero Gravity, sending him helplessly into the air. From there he could see Ida prying the door open and tried to extend himself to warp him away, only to yanked off by Sero's Tape, pulled down by Sato using his Sugar Rush Quirk, which increased his strength based on his glucose intake.

"Damn! These brats are too strong! Master should have had us study their Quirks while we were grabbing files! The one with the engines is getting away!"

As he thought this, he found himself flung far away from the exit, just as Ida managed to pry the door open and race off for the school.

"Engine Boost!"

Kurogiri sighed.

"I'll just have to trust that only All Might will come. At least we can continue our plan, barring any further unforeseen complications."

Shigaraki watched as the three heroes struggled against the Nomu. It seemed unaffected by Endo Hound's Quirk, but Serpenshia's was able to keep it off-balance. Shigaraki started to get stressed, carefully scratching his neck his three fingers, a habit he had developed to insure he wouldn't kill himself with his own Quirk, Decay. Kurogiri arrived.

"I wasn't able to kill Thirteen or Agent of J, and one of the students escaped to get backup."

"That could pose a problem," Shigaraki said, "Granted he'll likely bring All Might, but that might not be the only one he brings. At this rate it's Game Over, back to title screen. We don't stand a chance against dozens of pros. Sadist and his siblings are going to be so disappointed. This was my chance to prove myself as Sensei's protege."

"Should we retreat?," Kurogiri asked.

"Hmm, not just yet," Shigaraki said, "After this they'll beef up security, making the level that much harder. We won't get a second chance. How's the rest of the party?"

"I don't know," Kurogiri admitted, "But probably not doing as well as we'd hoped. It turns out the class was given short-range earpieces. Our jammer is only good for external communication. They knew we were planning an attack. This is Foresight's doing."

Shigaraki nodded.

"Okay, we may still be able to accomplish a side quest at the very least. We can still wreck the Symbol of Peace's pride. Nomu! Get away from the pros! Stalk down the students and kill every last one of them!"

He noticed Midoriya and his group.

"I'll start with these ones!"

He tried to grab Asui, only for Midoriya to get in the way, Shigaraki grabbing his head. The decaying villain laughed.

"A noble effort, hero! But now you've just sealed your own-- What the...?"

His eyes widened in confusion. Yes, Midoriya's face was decaying, but his skull didn't seem to even lose any molecules.

"Not the best way to find out my skull doesn't even decay," Midoriya noted, looking rather creepy as his jaw moved without any cheek.

Even as it did, the cheek started regrowing, causing Shigaraki to freak out. He turned around.

"Kurogiri! This one's got serious self-rez! Forget the side quest, we need to--"

He then realized that in his panic, he had let go of Midoriya. Who was now leaping over Shigaraki to face him.

"At first I thought you were too tough to take on," Midoriya admitted, "But now that I've gotten a better idea of how your Quirk works, you're surprisingly easy to beat. Since you need all five fingers to use your Quirk..."

Shigaraki's eyes went wide as Midoriya grabbed both his pinkies.

"You wouldn't!"

Midoriya pulled down hard, and Shigaraki let out a massive wail of pain and agony.

"Let that be a lesson to you," came a familiar voice, slamming down right in front of the Nomu, "Life is nothing like a video game."

"And NOW the final boss show's up!?," Shigaraki said, holding his hands in pain, "Right as our party is depleted!?"

The teachers and students smiled in relief as the familiar form of All Might stood up.

"Fear not... For I am here!"

Chapter Text

"I was starting to get concerned when we couldn't get through to the USJ," All Might said, "So me and a bunch of other teachers decided to see if anything was wrong. Imagine our surprise to see Young Ida rushing out with a look of abject terror on his face. I must admit, even though we expected this attack, we never could have anticipated it would have such a large scope. And all for the sake of killing me? I don't know whether to feel honored or insulted."

He looked around at the number of villains already captured or knocked out.

"But it seems you went for too many numbers and not enough quality in your villains. My students are only just starting to learn how to use their Quirks, and yet they mopped the floor with your organization."

He then noticed Shigaraki's hands and his smile widened with genuine pride.

"Especially my young protege, Midoriya. As intelligent as he is strong. Once he got a good idea of what your Quirk is, you never stood a chance."

He quickly removed his blazer and tie before staring down the Nomu.

"Which would leave this big guy as your trump card against me then."

"Whatever it is, it's not human," Endo Hound said, "Not anymore at least. I tried my Amnestic Breath but it didn't budge, meaning it never had any memories to begin with. Can't erase what isn't there."

"It does seem to have rudimentary consciousness and at least one Quirk, however," Aizawa said, "Both me and Serpenshia were able to stagger it using our own Quirks. Major thing we thing we noticed is that it can absorb impacts."

Serpenshia nodded.

"I gave it one of my strongest punches, but it didn't even flinch."

All Might nodded.

"Right. First thing's first."

With blinding speed, he took out the remaining villains in the center area before they could even think to gang up on him. During the brief melee, the severed hand covering Shigaraki's face came loose.

"This is all wrong, Father," he said as he picked up the hand and replaced it, wincing since his pinkies were still broken.

He had made a habit of not using his ring finger to pick up things in order to avoid dusting them. He'd have to change that habit, assuming he was able to escape.

"He's even stronger and faster than he should be. Of course a government hero relies on violence. He's only a little slower than he used to be."

He looked back at the Symbol of Peace.

"Sensei thought you might be getting weaker. But from what I saw, that's only tangibly true."

"What's he talking about?," Midoriya asked.

"I'll tell you when we get out of this," Endo Hound assured him, "But what concerns me is how this kid was able to learn this in the first place."

All Might readied himself, crossing his arms and racing at Shigaraki.

"Nomu!," Shigaraki called out, and the big creature stood in the way.

"Carolina Smash!"

All Might launched a powerful cross attack on the Nomu. Shigaraki's eyes widened as the Nomu was actually pushed back a few feet, a fact that confused the creature.

"Shock Absorption can only nullify so much kinetic force," Shigaraki noted, "And it's useless against slashing attacks."

Endo Hound was confused.

"Wait... I must have slashed that thing dozens of times with my battle claws..."

"But to think All Might would still be strong enough to overpower it after five years," Shigaraki said, ignoring her, "How could your wound have healed so thoroughly?"

"I don't know where you're getting your information," All Might replied, "But I've been hale and hearty these last five years. Try watching the news sometime. I've been very proactive in the media."

He got around behind the Nomu and started to suplex him.

"If this guy was your big plan to kill me, then you'll need far more than endurance!"

"Actually, he was just the distraction," Shigaraki said, "Kurogiri! Do it now!"

To All Might's surprise, the Nomu grabbed his abdomen, and he found himself sinking into a warp gate. All Might winced at the Nomu's fingers were able to pierce into his flesh on the left side, drawing blood.

"A good effort," Shigaraki said, "But Nomu was designed to be as strong as you are. And it looks like he found your weak spot, too."

'Only because even after five years that wound still stings,' All Might thought, 'But from the feel of it, this creature can't even get past my skin. Still hurts, of course, but not as bad as on that day.'

"Doesn't it look like far too little blood is being shed?," Kurogiri asked, "I was certain he had taken a hard injury to that location five years ago."

"Yeah," Shigaraki agreed, "And the Nomu can't even get a good grip on him. It's only barely breaking skin. We'll have to finish this before All Might breaks its grip."

"I normally dislike having blood or viscera in my Warp Gate," Kurogiri said, "But for this one time, I'll make an exception."

The Nomu managed to pull All Might into the warp, stopping halfway.

"You're too fast for the human eye to see," Kurogiri noted, "So the Nomu had to have you restrained. Once you're halfway through, I'll squeeze the gate shut, cutting you in half! I'm going to enjoy being the one to end you once and for all!"

"That's all fine and dandy," All Might said, "But do you really think my fellow heroes and students will just stand by and let you kill me?"

Kurogiri laughed.

"That's what the other villains were for. To keep them out of the way."

Shigaraki turned to Kurogiri, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Didn't we just lose the rest of our party to said students and teachers before All Might even showed up?"

Kurogiri's eyes went wide, just as a massive explosion hit his metal collar. It was Bakugo, who grabbed the collar and pinned Kurogiri to the ground.

"Nice collar, asshole! So I guess this is where your real body is being protected!"

A sudden sheet of ice hit the Nomu, freezing two of its limbs and forcing it to let go of All Might.

"We came here as part of rescue training," Todoroki noted as he approached, "I guess helping to rescue the Number One Hero makes for a good start. One of your poorly-trained thugs told me the whole plan."

All Might used the chance to break free of the Nomu's grip, landing before checking the damage.

"Good, the pain's only transient. The way that thing was squeezing me I was almost afraid I'd lose my spleen."

He turned to face Shigaraki.

"I couldn't help but overhear your comment earlier, about government heroes turning to violence? Maybe if more of you were like criminals we'd try a little more diplomacy. After all..."

He motioned to where Thirteen and Agent of J were having the other students round up the remaining villains, using the time to make up the lesson plan.

"A hero isn't just about punching a villain's lights out and calling it a day. We also have to be there to keep civilians safe, and remove them from danger. That's why people cheer for us when we're forced to use violence against villains."

Shigaraki sighed.

"Well, you've got me on that one. I had this whole speech planned out about the nature of how heroes operate versus how villains operate. Complete bullshit of course, and we can both admit to that, but part of the plan for killing you off was demoralizing you. After all, you can't just kill off the Symbol of Peace and expect the world to destabilize. Killing a man's easy. Killing an icon? Now there's the real trick. Cuz when you kill one Symbol of Peace, another one eventually rises up to take their place."

He scratched his temple, which Kurogiri realized wasn't a sign of stress, but of contemplation.

"Yeah, I get it now. What Sadist was trying to tell me. I thought Sensei's plan was bizarre, but when I voice it out loud, I can understand it."

"Sliming Sadist?," All Might asked, "What does he have to do with this? Unless... Your sensei is who I think it is."

"I've given all the hints I'm willing to divulge," Shigaraki said, "But man... Kurogiri's so weak. I can't believe he let a brat trap him so easily."

Bakugo smirked.

"Your friend here just got careless."

"Kurogiri only turned certain parts of his body into mist," Midoriya explained, "Mostly his limbs and head. But he expanded them to keep his real body hidden. Yet no matter how far he expanded, that metal collar was always visible."

"UA certainly lives up to its reputation," Shigaraki admitted, "You were not only able to escape uninjured, you captured my two strongest men."

"You spent all that time checking our school's schedule," Aizawa noted, "Why didn't you grab any student files? You might have been able to win like that."

"That is a good question," Shigaraki admitted, "I even suggested it to Sensei so we could more effectively kill off the students. But he insisted that first year high school students were no threat, and that the villains we enlisted were already proven killers. As much as I like the idea of killing the Number One Hero, I get the feeling Sensei is a bit too obsessed with pulling it off."

"Shigaraki," Kurogiri said, "What about how your Sensei saved you from off the streets?"

"I'm still grateful for that, don't worry," Shigaraki said, "But I'm just saying that maybe Sensei's age is finally catching up to him. Besides, we haven't failed the quest yet. Nomu."

The Nomu pulled itself out of the warp gate, its limbs breaking off from the ice, much to Todoroki's shock.

"Does this thing even feel pain?"

"It's likely in extreme agony right now," Shigaraki said, "But it's able to ignore the pain."

The Nomu quickly started regrowing muscle tissue, bone and skin.

"Not as strong as your own regeneration," Shigaraki admitted, looking at Midoriya, "But effective enough to maintain endurance. It's called Cellular Reconstitution. Along with Shock Absorption, this makes the Nomu strong enough to even take on All Might at 100% of his power. Think of him as a highly efficient punching bag... That can punch right back."

"So that's how he healed from my slashes," Endo Hound realized.

"Start by freeing Kurogiri, Nomu," Shigaraki said, "We'll need to secure our escape before anything else."

The Nomu rushed at Bakugo, faster than anyone could track. But it would never even touch its target. All Might raced at even faster speeds, getting Bakugo out of the way and tanking the hit himself. The force of it blew him backwards and tore apart his undershirt, but other than that he stayed on his feet and didn't even looked remotely injured.

"Looks like straight up force with you isn't enough to take me on," All Might noted, "Strong as me at a 100%, you say? Maybe so, but unlike me... It's strength isn't variable."

"Better keep watch, Midorang," Endo Hound said, catching Midoriya's attention, "This is a taste of the sort of power you can unlock when you fully master it."

All Might took a deep breath.

"This high school has had one saying. Go beyond, Plus Ultra. Did you know that it was started when I graduated from this very alma mater? It's a saying I used all the time, to push myself forward. To forever move past my limits. And in time, the school used that very idea as a means to improve its students body. Now let me show you... Just what it means to go beyond! Plus Ultra!"

Pure energy seemed to radiate off All Might as the Nomu dashed forward. All Might's fist met the creature, causing the Nomu significant damage. Another blow was aimed right at its midsection, causing internal damage. Another blow went to the head, following by another gut punch, and finally a sharp blow right between the Nomu's legs.

"He completely overwhelmed Shock Absorption!," Kurogiri said in shock, "And that power! It's far beyond what we were told!"

"Has his power even dropped a little in five years!?," Shigaraki asked, "Sensei's clearly working off of outdated information!"

The Nomu dropped to the ground, far too damaged to keep going.

"My speed may have dropped a little," All Might noted, "But not my strength. Only five blows to bring this behemoth down. That's right around what I would have needed in my prime."

Shigaraki gulped.

"Down to two party members, one of whom was hit with a silence status ailment. Our ace player taken out, and all of our weaknesses exposed. If we don't hit the retreat option here and now... It really is Game Over."

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Shigaraki wasn't quite accurate in his assessment. One final villain, Tesla, had managed to get the drop on Kaminari, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu. But Agent of J was already on the scene, having been able to slip away and confront the villain before he could take any hostages. Tesla tried to use his Quirk, Electric Charge, to hit her at mid-range, but she was prepared for that.

"You really think I wouldn't put any thought into my costume?," she asked, "I'm genetically Quirkless. The only reason I have powers at all is thanks to Miss Joyce teaching me. My costume is designed to resist all kinds of hazards, such as acid or electricity."

Tesla scoffed.

"I'm still bigger and stronger than you! If I can't kill you with an electric surge, then I'll just pound you to a pulp!"

He tried to launch a punch, only for Xenia to throw him over her shoulder in a classic judo move.

"I'm also a black belt in multiple martial arts," she pointed out, "While you're far too used to your Quirk doing all the fighting. Come to think of it, you're the one who's been shorting out external communications, aren't you?"

Tesla picked himself up.

"I could have also done the same to those earpieces if I'd known about them prior to the job. Damn it, this should have been an easy gig. Just get in, wreck the place, maybe kill some of the students, and kill off All Might. Though I gotta admit..."

He looked over to Kaminari.

"I don't think I could have killed sparky over there. I've got a soft spot for fellow electric Quirk users. But all this... Are there any other members of the League even conscious at this point?"

"What do we do now?," Kurogiri asked, "All Might only looks slightly injured, and our Nomu's not getting up any time soon."

"Yeah, and I'm not seeing any sign that All Might's slowing down," Shigaraki admitted, scratching his neck out of stress, "Damn it. Our walkthrough turned out to be useless and we blundered right into a hopeless boss fight. I can't even take satisfaction in killing anyone since my Quirk is disabled until I can get to an inn."

"What's with all the video game references?," Bakugo wondered.

"He might be suffering from some sort of mental disorder," Midoriya suggested, "Which would also explain the self-harm. Look, he's scratching himself so much that it's drawing blood."

"Some of our allies are starting to recover," Kurogiri said, "Perhaps we can still succeed."

"No, not at this rate," Shigaraki admitted, "My pinkies are too damaged to properly grasp anything, and without them my Quirk is useless. Sensei's procedures did make me stronger, but not enough to match All Might. Only Nomu was tough enough to take him on. Not to mention we're likely to be running into more pro heroes any second. And then there's these kids..."

He watched as one villain who tried to get up was slammed back into the ground by Kirishima.

"They take their role as heroes-in-training seriously. They won't hesitate, and will only hold back to avoid killing."

Sure enough, gunshots rang out, one hitting Tesla over in the Mountain Zone, another nailing Shigaraki through the leg.

"That accuracy!," Kurogiri said, "It's Snipe!"

Snipe was one of the heroics teachers at UA, managing the third-year students. His Quirk, Homing, let him target opponents up to six hundred meters away, so long as he could see them. Among the other teachers that had arrived were Nezu, Cementoss, Midnight, Vlad King, Hound Dog, Ectoplasm, Power Loader, and Present Mic. Present Mic hit the first wave of recovering villains with his Voice Quirk, a massive sonic attack from his vocal chords. Ectoplasm confronted a few more with his own Quirk, Clones, which were created from a special substance ejected from his mouth. The clones could share knowledge and information with each other and the original.

"There's no winning this level now," Shigaraki decided, "Damn it... Someone changed the game code on us. Kurogiri, we need to get out of here!"

Kurogiri quickly extended his body to protect Shigaraki from more of Snipe's shots. He tried to warp them both out, only to get caught when Thirteen activated her Black Hole. He still managed to slowly get both himself and Shigaraki out of danger.

"I'll need more XP in order to kill you, All Might," Shigaraki admitted, "But perhaps my real nemesis..."

He looked over to Midoriya.

"Should be allowed to gain more XP himself..."

And with that, the warp gate vanished.

While it wasn't the lesson the students had been looking forward to, the incident had been a real eye-opener. Class 1-A learned first-hand just how dangerous villains could be, and just what heroes have to go through to keep people safe. Despite it all, the teachers were proud of one thing. The students were able to hold their own, and even took out quite a number of villains in the process. Midoriya was even congratulated for disabling Shigaraki, almost insuring there would be no casualties. As the villains were getting rounded up, Midoriya approached Endo Hound.

"Hey, Asahi, why did you call me Midorang earlier?"

"Oh, that?," Endo Hound said, "Well, green seems to be a color theme with you, from what Toshi tells me. Though I can really only see green due to my sight working like a thermal imager. And no matter what hits you, you bounce back like a boomerang."

All Might placed a hand on Midoriya's shoulder.

"That was excellent use of your Quirk, Young Midoriya. You analyzed the situation, targeted the villain's weakness, and only used just enough power to disable him without killing or critically injuring him."

His familiar smile felt more genuine then it ever had before, causing Midoriya to smile in turn. Todoroki noticed something.

"All the teachers are here, so the villains only attacked the USJ. They didn't even target the school."

"They didn't know that All Might would be there," Cementoss said as he approached, "For now we need everyone to return to the entrance and check in with Recovery Girl in case of injury. We've already called the police, and they'll be here shortly to round up the villains."

He looked over to Midoriya.

"I heard that villain with the disintegration Quirk hit you, but you look alright."

"It was more like accelerated decay than disintegration," Midoriya noted, "Luckily my skull was resistant to it. If he had managed to get through to my brain, that would have been it for me."

Teruteru met with Shigaraki inside the bar.

"Well, that could have gone worse."

"I don't see how," Shigaraki said, Stranglehold patching him up, "I was critically injured. It'll be weeks before my Quirk is back up to full capacity. We lost all of our underlings. The students were far stronger than Sensei expected. And worse, All Might wasn't weak in the slightest. He completely took out the Nomu. We failed."

"Only in your Sensei's goals," Teruteru said, "But you did succeed in impressing us. Didn't he, Sister?"

Stranglehold nodded in agreement.

"You really underestimated your old foe... Brother."

A nearby TV was turned on, with the display reading "Sound Only".

'Indeed,' came the voice of All For One, 'Clearly I was working with outdated information. I had assumed the injury I dealt All Might five years ago would weaken him to the point were he could be worn down. But he was as strong as when we fought. Gustav, your next Nomu will have to be made differently.'

'I only have so much material to work with,' came a male voice, the Japanese having a distinct American accent, 'And you only have so many Quirks to go around.'

'We both know I am in no position to go out and find more on my own,' All For One said, 'But, Brother... How did you find my student?'

"He has potential," Teruteru said, "But not while he continues to learn under you and you alone. Father was already planning this, you see."

'What?,' All For One asked in shock, 'You mean to steal my student from me?'

"Shigaraki could have easily come way with greater success if he hadn't followed you instructions exclusively," Stranglehold explained, "He also needs to fully understand his Quirk."

"Don't worry about your adopted son's health and safety," Teruteru assured him, "I may be called the Sliming Sadist, but I'm only sadistic when I'm acting as a villain. As a teacher, I can be quite the grandfather figure."

'Shigaraki will need more training if he's to succeed you,' Gustav pointed out, 'And they're not as obsessed with the power of One For All. Kurogiri, why is the Nomu not with you?'

"I was too focused on evacuating Shigaraki," Kurogiri said, "Snipe was shooting at us, and the students and teachers knew my weakness."

'An unfortunate loss,' All For One said, 'But one we'll have to accept. We worked so hard to make the Nomu as strong as All Might, but it fell surprisingly short.'

'I swear, this sort of mistake would never have happened were I still with the Chaos Insurgency,' Gustav declared, 'I could have given it greater power.'

"That reminds me," Shigaraki said, "There was a green-haired boy among the students. I think his name was Midoriya. He seemed to have the same power as All Might."

'Strange,' All For One said, 'If you're referring to Izuku Midoriya, his Quirk is registered as Regeneration, a high-end healing factor.'

"He was able to heal away the damage from my Decay Quirk," Shigaraki admitted, "But he also showed incredible strength, and he seemed to be a personal student of All Might."

'Interesting,' All For One said, 'So the torch is passed once more.'

"Sensei, I know your history with One For All," Shigaraki said, "But I feel as though Midoriya is meant to be my own nemesis. As grateful as I am for you taking me in, I feel I can learn more from Sadist and his siblings."

All For One sighed.

'If you prefer. I won't be like your birth father and deny you what truly makes you happy or betters your life. Make him a villain like no other, Teruteru, or else I will regret this decision. And in the meantime... Gather more elite soldiers. It's time we make a true League of Villains.'

Inspector Naomasa Tsukauchi was checking out the students as the various villains were being hauled away.

"Just like Foresight's vision, no major injuries on any of the students."

He looked over to Foresight, who was hugging Agent of J with tears gushing out of her eyes.

"Oh, Xenia! I'm so glad my vision wasn't a lie! You're alright!"

Xenia sheepishly patted her wife's head.

"Yes, yes, Chisa, I'm fine."

Tsukauchi chuckled.

"Anyway, I heard that the students actually took out most of the villains. Considering the circumstances, we can write this off as being under supervision and self-defense."

"Excuse me, Inspector," Asui said, "How's All Might doing?"

"He only suffered a minor flesh wound to his left abdomen," Tsukauchi assured her, "Recovery Girl is already patching him up. Aizawa, Asahi, and Tanaka didn't suffer too many serious injuries themselves. With that said, we should get you back to class."

Midoriya helped file the students onto the bus. It looked like their rescue training would have to be rescheduled for the following day, but at least all of them were still alive and mostly uninjured.

"We've got what looks to be a bright new generation of heroes," Tsukauchi noted, "Especially Toshi's new protege. Kid played it smart and took out a major villain threat without risking his own life."

Nezu approached with Midnight and Snipe.

"Inspector," Nezu said, "I trust you'll want to thoroughly investigate the campus. I'll make sure you're given full access. We need to completely overhaul the security system regardless. Warp Quirks are very rare, and they weren't considered when making the original system. If not for Miss J having knowledge of such in her data banks, we would have been completely caught off-guard. What about the creature known as Nomu?"

Tsukauchi looked to where the Nomu was caught and bound. It wasn't struggling against its bonds.

"So far he's complied with police requests, but he's not saying anything. Truth be told we're not sure if he can even speak. Endo Hound noted that he doesn't seem to have any memories, but he clearly has cognitive functions. I'll have my team investigate the campus. In the meantime, I should check in with All Might."

"You certainly got lucky with this one," Recovery Girl said as she finished healing Yagi, "If not for Jotaro completely reversing the damage from five years ago, this could have been a whole lot worse."

"I'm just glad my strength is still up to par," Yagi said, "And that no one got seriously injured. Only Midoriya had any real damage, and that was healed almost immediately."

Asahi smiled, then sensed the door open.

"Tsukauchi! It's been a while."

"Hey, Asahi, Yagi," Tsukauchi said as he came in, "Glad to see you back in shape."

Yagi nodded.

"Yeah. That Nomu took my absolute best, but I was able to bring him down. Though I'm betting by now all his injuries are gone. His regeneration isn't as strong as Young Midoriya, but I really had to dig deep in order to bypass it."

"Luckily he seems to be docile right now," Tsukauchi said, "It's possible his brain was wired to obey instructions from anyone who gave them. But your class is truly amazing. Midoriya, Bakugo, the entire class. They risked their lives making sure those villains wouldn't cause harm. Not like Aizawa's last class, who were a bunch of suck-ups who thought they could coast by on strong Quirks alone."

"It's not the lesson we were expecting to teach them," Yagi noted, "But those villains may have inadvertently galvanized the students' resolve. They now know what it means to be a hero, and they'll be working harder than ever to achieve that goal."

The Day with English lyrics by Jonathan Young

*Music hits as All Might is seen, his back to the camera.*

My breath has stopped at 5 in the morning, a calm that spreads before the storming

*Midoriya approaches as All Might turns around, holding his hand out.*

Biting my nails at emergency exits tell me where is tomorrow?

*Energy passes between the two.*

The day has come!

*Midoriya changes into his Midorang costume. The music continues as Uraraka, Ida, Bakugo, Asui, Kirishima, Mineta, Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Jiro, Sero, Tokoyami, Aoyama, Ojiro, Ashido, Sato, Shoji, Koda, Hagakure, and Todoroki are all shown in costume one by one. The scene shifts to Dagoba Beach with Midoriya cleaning.*

The night won't let us see the sun, the rain will last till the next millennium

*Bakugo helps Midoriya with a large piece of trash as Midoriya's scratches start to heal.*

I hate to say both are here to stay in this world we share

*Yagi and Asahi are looking on as the boys continue.*

Still it's not odd in the slightest, you're walking half-asleep and you're tripping like this

*Midoriya's various hero notebooks can be seen along the screen as the two friends keep walking.*

I'm not one to criticize it, even if I care

*They both are shown throwing a punch at the screen as the notebooks fly upward.*

Play alone in your fantasy

*A flashback is shown of Midoriya and Bakugo as kids facing each other.*

Ashamed to show the things that you're imagining, what do you see?

*They're shown now as teenagers, throwing punches at each other for the fight training. The scene shifts to Shigaraki as he is approached by the children of Crimson Death.*

The maze is twisting, ever twisting do you plan to see what you're missing

*All Might blows away several villains, punching at the Nomu with ease.*

The sound of a bell from a tiny adventurer signals a new beginning

*Eraser Head, Endo Hound, and Serpenshia are seen taking out more villains as they attack.*

Are you sure that you're not shaking?

*Kirishima, Asui, Kaminari, and Mineta show their own skills as they leap into the air.*

Such uncertain roads you're taking

*Todoroki skids by on a sheet of ice, Yaoyorozu right behind him with a staff in hand.*

Every step that you take it is changing you, where is tomorrow?

*Uraraka, Ida, and Bakugo are the last to show their skills.*

The day has come!

*Midoriya runs forward, One For All charging in his body as he throws a punch forward. The other students are shown pairing up for combat before the entire team is shown in a group shot, All Might right behind them as they stand with UA High in the background.*

Chapter Text

After Class 1-A was able to resume and complete their rescue training, Serpenshia had a new class for PE.

"By now you've learned how to fight alongside random heroes in a scenario were you have no control over your teams. But there are times when heroes have ample time to prepare, select their allies, analyze a situation, and carry out an operation. So for this exercise, you will be working as a single hero team in order to capture a crazed gunman holding a bank hostage. I'll be playing the role of gunman in this scenario."

"Sir," Ida asked, "Will there be any need to have proxies for the hostages?"

"Not for this scenario," Serpenshia said, "During hero work, we've seen cases where a crazed gunman is more focused on keeping the heroes at bay than threatening the lives of his or her hostages, and this exercise will assume as such. For this scenario, the idea is that the hostages are kept in a separate supply closet, or even the bank vault itself, out of harm's way."

"So we're dealing with a confused and desperate criminal," Midoriya noted, "One who likely tried robbery to get cash needed for something important and got in over his head."

"Excellent observation, Midoriya," Serpenshia said, "Because of that, harming the gunman is out of the question. You must work to remove the gun and contain the criminal without causing him any harm. Here's where your rescue training can be put to use."

He brought out the gun in question.

"Now as you'll notice this gun is real, but the ammo it will fire is not live for safety purposes."

He aimed at a nearby target and fired, causing a splotch of red to hit.

"Instead it will fire paint balls. The material is designed to be easy to feel. If you get hit, you're considered too injured to continue and must be taken out of the exercise. The only exceptions are Kirishima and Midoriya who will instead get three shots, Kirishima for his stronger defense and Midoriya for his healing factor."

He went out of the gym into a soundproof room so that the class could come up with their strategy. Midoriya came up with a brilliant plan, actually. With him and Kirishima staying in the open to try and talk down the gunman, Hagakure snuck in from behind with some gear made by Yaoyorozu. Once the first tear gas bomb was dropped, Midoriya unleashed Smokescreen. Serpenshia felt himself get trapped in at least nine different ways as the gun dropped from his hand, only for it to get nailed by Bakugo with a quick explosion. Once Serpenshia was let up, he smiled.

"Excellent work, all of you. You took advantage of the allowances I made, played to your strengths, and did so in a way that made sure you wouldn't trip over each other."

He picked up the useless gun.

"And Bakugo, excellent control with your Quirk. This gun is still intact, but it won't be firing anymore. You've rendered it completely harmless. That's exactly the sort of result heroes hope to achieve in real-life scenarios."

Torino read the letter Yagi had sent him. Even though both he and Asahi had his phone number, Torino still scared the bejeezus out of Yagi it seemed. Hearing about Midoriya's exploits at the USJ, Torino looked at an old picture of himself and Nana Shimura, the late Zero-G.

"And so the ninth generation comes to pass, Nana. I wonder what you'd think of this kid. Well, he seems to fully understand One For All, so there should be no need for me to teach him. Not that I couldn't knock the stuffing out of him if I had to."

He smiled.

"But right now it's not my place. I'm sure the young lad will find another hero from whom he can learn. After all... With the UA Sport Festival coming up, he'll have plenty of chances to impress other pro heroes."

He dug into one of his taiyaki.

"I certainly hope we don't get anything like that one kid whose Quirk caused him to drop his pants and embarrass himself in front of the whole stadium."

That night, the teachers were sitting in council as an investigator gave a report.

"So far our investigation into the League of Villains has turned up with no leads. A search of Shigaraki or Kurogiri has not shown anything, nor do we have anyone with a registered Quirk matching theirs."

Vlad King sighed.

"Most likely they're using aliases. Meaning they aren't citizens."

"That attack on the USJ was too bold," All Might noted, "The ringleader, Shigaraki, he acted far too much like a stereotypical villain from a comic book. But he only bragged about the Nomu's powers. And when things didn't go his way, he got visibly upset. Then there's what happened when Junko hit him with her Quirk. He acted like he shouldn't even have a Quirk to begin with. Everything he said while relatively sane, he did so with a straight face. He also talked about Nomu like he was a pet or something."

"Like the sort of person who had never been told 'no' in their life," Aizawa added, "A completely spoiled brat."

"What about the rest of the League of Villains?," Midnight asked.

"In total, we arrested 72 villains," the investigator said, "All of them small-time thugs who usually lurked around back alleys. Almost none of them had worked together before, yet this crazed manchild was able to get them all to follow his crazy plan."

"It's not too surprising," Serpenshia said, "One of the reasons I became a teacher is because the prisons I was warden of were starting to get full. More heroes are showing up on the streets, and stronger ones at that. Plenty of villains are starting to feel the pressure. They're desperate for any cause to rally around, anything that would give them what they think is a better life. But one's things for sure... The next time we hear from the League of Villains, they're bound to have stronger team members."

"Shigaraki is in some ways much like our students," Nezu noted, "He has much potential in him, but requires guidance. It's likely that someone is teaching him."

All Might looked concerned.

"And I fear I know who that teacher might be..."

Midoriya was looking at a video showcasing All Might's hero debut.

"I wonder what people will think of a hero that can prove himself invincible..."

He was looking at a trickle of blood going down All Might's forehead, yet he still had that same smile he always had, several civilians on his back and under his arms as he exited a crashed and burning bus. While Midoriya was getting to a point that he could replicate that feat, any injury he sustained while saving others would vanish almost instantly.

'We're still far from being ready to be pro heroes,' Midoriya thought as he started some weight training, 'But the attack on the USJ showed just how much potential we really have. That villain attack was impromptu, yet we still managed to take out a large number of villains, and got out alive and without serious injury. I was the only one who took anything resembling damage, and even then...'

He remembered feeling terrified when Shigaraki touched him. If he hadn't he would be seriously considering the state of his mental health. While his skull and spinal column had proven strong enough to withstand kinetic force of any magnitude, something like Decay was another matter. Yet his skull didn't even seem to thin. Shigaraki had left with a grudging respect for Midoriya, that much was clear, but he wouldn't be surprised if the withered villain was also a little terrified himself. After all, Midoriya had snapped two of Shigaraki's fingers like they were matchsticks.

As scary as it was that Midoriya knew he could do that, it also showed that he had enough control to not rip the fingers off altogether.

"Izuku," Inko said as she came in, "Dinner's ready."

Midoriya had been requiring more and more food as his mastery of One For All increased.

"So I heard you were able to stop the ringleader of that new villain team," Inko said, "It's kind of scary how you had to go through that."

"It was scary experiencing it," Midoriya admitted, "I wasn't sure if even I could make it out alive with that villain's Quirk. But it turned out I had nothing to fear."

Inko breathed a sigh of relief. In spite of everything, her baby boy was still human in the end.

The next day Class 1-A was buzzing with excitement over the news feed.

"I heard Class 1-B was stupid enough to think the whole thing was a publicity stunt," Bakugo said, "Vlad King spoke with the SCP Foundation and they had their top operatives Lawrence and Carson set up a realistic villain attack, with competent villains. Those losers got their asses handed to them!"

"It was foolish of them to think they could handle a real attack," Tokoyami said, "Had the villains not been low-tier, or had the target not been All Might, some of us might have lost their lives."

Midoriya had the class at attention as homeroom started and Aizawa came in.

"You've been doing good so far in your training. Honestly, this is the longest I've gone without expelling at least one student. As scary as that is, what's coming up next should excite you. The UA Sports Festival is coming up."

That got the class cheering in excitement.

"Mister Aizawa," Ida said, "Is it a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon after a villain attack?"

"Personally I think it's irrational," Aizawa admitted, "But the school administration wanted the people to understand that the school was safer than ever and that the threat had been handled. Just to be safe, multiple pro heroes have been called in for security purposes. So while I don't think it's a good idea personally, it's not like the school didn't allow this without considerable thought put into it. Besides, the Sports Festival is important for all students in UA. It's the most watched event in the entire world, even more so than the Olympics."

"Ever since anomalies became a way of life the Olympics started to drop in scale," Midoriya noted, "Now everyone looks to the UA Sports Festival for the best in competition. It's a great way for young heroes-in-training to get the attention of pros and learn from the best."

"Yeah," Kaminari said, "Those who do well enough can get scouted by top hero agencies as a sidekick. And from there some go indy and get the chance to become real heroes."

"Which is exactly why, in spite of my personal feelings, I agree with the decision on a practical level," Aizawa said, "This is an important event, and more heroes than ever are going to have their eyes on the festival. You get one chance a year, and three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring hero can afford to miss this event. So no slacking off. Your training is more important than ever."

"This is a great chance to show how far we've come," Midoriya said, "I gotta admit, I'm excited. Maybe I'll even unlock a new ability from the competition."

"How far along are you?," Ida asked.

"Just about 25%," Midoriya said, "So far I'm able to handle any of the new facets thrown out."

"Hey, guys," Bakugo said, "I think Uraraka turned into a female me."

Sure enough, Uraraka had a serious face that was quite reminiscent of Bakugo.

"Deku. Ida. Kacchan. Let's do our best and win the Sports Festival."

Bakugo shrugged.

"Not like I wasn't planning that from the beginning. But what's up with you right now? You're normally so laid back."

"There's a three-letter acronym I could blame this on," Mineta said, "But I'm sitting next to Tsu right now, and her tongue is harder than it looks."

"Wise choice," Asui said.

Midoriya wondered about something.

'I know why me and Kacchan want to become heroes. He likes the idea of putting bad guys in their place, and I want to help people. Ida explained that he wants to live up to his family's legacy. But why does Uraraka want to become a hero?'

He got the chance to ask during lunchtime.

"You're gonna think it's stupid," Uraraka said, "But... I mostly want to be a hero for the money. I know it sounds like I'm being greedy, but my family's been poor for as long as I can remember. I know you guys have such admirable reasons for wanting to be heroes."

"Personally I think your reason's admirable too," Midoriya said, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to support your family and well-being. So what does your family do?"

"They run a construction company," Uraraka explained, "But we haven't gotten any work lately. When I was little I said I wanted to use my Quirk to help them at work. Since I can float all the materials needed, Mom and Dad could sell off all their heavy lifting equipment. But Dad said he'd be happier if I was able to achieve my own dream. So I decided... I'll become a pro hero, sign on with a major agency, and make enough money that my parents can live an easy life."

Midoriya smiled.

"You know, that makes you more grounded than any of us. A lot of us are here because we have our own fantasies about being a hero."

Uraraka beamed.

"You really think so?"

That's when they both heard All Might's familiar laugh as he arrived in the hall.

"Young Midoriya... Is here!"

He pointed to Midoriya.

"Hey, Midorang," Asahi said as she walked over as well, "Thought I'd stop in to check on things. Normally I'd say, 'I see everything is going well.' But I'd need to be able to see, period."

'Now Asahi's making blind jokes,' Midoriya said, feeling a sweat drop forming, 'Well, you know what they say about being able to laugh at yourself.'

"We were hoping to run into you," All Might said.

He got out a small lunch box.

"Perhaps you two could join us for lunch."

It was so adorable Uraraka couldn't help but squeal.

"So is this anything to do with the League of Villains?," Midoriya asked.

"If it was I'd be inviting Young Ida and Bakugo as well," Yagi said.

"This has more to do with the Sports Festival," Asahi explained, "More than likely there's going to be some major competition, more so than normal. Since your class survived a major villain attack, many students might try and use this to their advantage. Some might try and force someone from the hero course out through their performance, especially Class 1-A."

"If a student from general studies proves themselves in the Sports Festival," Yagi explained, "Then they can be promoted to the hero course. To facilitate this, the hero course student who performed the most poorly is bumped down to general studies in their place. Someone planning on this might try to discredit the toughest students in the hero course in order to get an advantage. That said, I don't think either of you have anything to worry about."

"Occhan," Asahi said, "If you can prove yourself during the Sports Festival, and if you feel you need it, then I'd like to personally take you under my wing."

Uraraka was shocked.

"Wait... Really?"

"You don't have to win the whole thing, of course," Asahi assured her, "If you can at least make it to the tournament at the end and put on a good showing, I'll send you a personal recommendation."

"As for you, Midoriya," Yagi said, "This is your chance to showcase yourself as my new protege. Again, you don't have to win the whole festival. But see if you can at least make the top three. That should get you noticed easily."

The two friends nodded. This would be their chance, their first step towards becoming heroes.

Chapter Text

Uraraka was still surprised by Asahi's offer.

"Getting to train with Endo Hound..."

"She might be considering you for her own successor," Midoriya suggested, "Much like All Might's been doing for me."

He clenched his fist.

"This is going to be big. We have our chance to introduce ourselves to the world here. While the incident with USJ got us on the media, we only got a passing mention and an acknowledgement that we took down many of the villains attacking. But now we get to shine in the spotlight."

He remembered what All Might had said to him.

"Remember that just as I'm different from my predecessor, you are different from me. We may both share the bond of One For All, but you're a completely different hero. You will be the new Symbol of Peace, but on your own terms. So show them the sort of hero you want to be, and make sure they understand it."

"So what sort of events do you think will turn up?," Uraraka asked.

"They're supposed to be random except for the final tournament," Midoriya noted, "So they could be anything. Our best bet is to just work with what we got, and aim for the top."

Uraraka nodded.

"Yeah. We've both got a good reason to be heroes. We just have to go out there and do it!"

She jumped up a little, and seemed to hang there for a bit, as if she were floating using her Quirk.

Since the Sports Festival included students from all four courses, divided by year, it was no surprise that Class 1-A was getting scouted for competition by the other first-year students.

"I know you guys think you can handle us," Bakugo said as he started to leave, "But Class 1-B was already shown how dangerous a real villain fight is supposed to be. We only got lucky handling a group of extras that could barely threaten the average civilian."

"So this is Class 1-A," came a bored sounding voice.

A young man with spiky purple hair and dark circles under his eyes came out of the crowd.

"I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass."

"So I'm a bit abrasive," Bakugo said, "What, you gonna judge my whole class based on my demeanor?"

The young man shrugged.

"I'm just disappointed to come here and find a bunch of ego-maniacs. You know, I wanted to be in the hero course. But like many of us here, I got forced to choose a different track. Such is life."

"Just proves you were stupid enough not to notice the off switch on the robot villains," Bakugo said, "Take a look at our class. You think someone like Mineta over there..."

He pointed to said student.

"Could crush a robot with a single blow? Or how about Jiro? These guys aren't here cuz they can kick everyone's ass. They're here because they know what it takes to be a real hero. How about you? I know what your game is. You hope to use the Sports Festival to take someone's spot in the hero course."

The young man smirked.

"Guess I misjudged you. Name's Hitoshi Shinso. By the way... Shouldn't Class 1-B also be making any declarations of war?"

Bakugo got the crowd to disperse long enough to check on said class. From the looks of it, most of them were still reeling from the lesson on how dangerous villain fights can get.

"Nah. I think they understand that we just got lucky with our impromptu villain fight."

Shinso's eyes widened.

"Just what did they do?"

"The school called in the Sisters of Fate," Midoriya explained, "The heroes Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis. They used their shared Quirk, Threads of Fate, to trap Class 1-B in a illusory fight with the Chaos Insurgency."

Shinso nodded.

"So how long did they last?"

Bakugo grinned.

"It was only ten minutes for them to get their asses handed to them. Which, if the League of Villains was smart enough to bring top-level villains against us, is about as long as we would last before you'd be looking at an entirely different class. Anyway, we've gotta get going. Lots of training to do before the festival."

The class spent the next two weeks honing their physical abilities and Quirks, the teachers allowing them use of the simulation domes for this purpose. Jiro threw darts with her Earphone Jack, Mineta used Pop Off to practice wall climbing, Yaoyorozu studied various chemical compositions, and so on. With how much training they did, the Sports Festival arrived in no time. Already various booths were out with all kinds of foods and merch. Mount Lady tried to use her sexiness to get free takoyaki, only to get walloped in the back of the head by Vigorshy.

"What kind of hero uses exploitation on a regular vendor?," he asked.

"I'm just trying to get a leg up on Midnight," she complained, "I need the practice."

"Just pay attention to the actual competition," Vigorshy said, "All eyes are gonna be on Class 1-A after the attack on the USJ, after all. This is their chance to prove their success wasn't just a fluke. We should be keeping an eye out for any potential heroes to let intern with us so they can learn to become real heroes."

To keep things as fair as possible, all participants had to wear their gym uniforms, and every student was allowed whatever support items they needed to make full use of their Quirk. As Midoriya got the class to the stadium, he noticed Todoroki staying behind.

"Did you want to talk?"

Todoroki nodded.

"From an objective standpoint, I'm likely stronger than you. But you've got not only All Might, but Endo Hound in your corner helping you."

"To be fair," Midoriya said, "I think Endo Hound's shifted her focus to Uraraka. Besides, aren't you the son of Endeavor? I'd say that gives you some impressive connections of your own."

Todoroki clenched his fist, but remained stoic.

"I intend to beat you, and I won't need my father's help to do it."

Midoriya nodded.

"If that's what you think, then fine. But I don't intend to lose either. Especially to someone who refuses to use half their Quirk. I'm training everyday to improve how much control I have over mine. You hold yourself back for reasons I can't even fathom. Every student in the other courses is gunning for a chance at our spot in the hero course. If you don't give it everything you have... Then you might as well have never come to UA."

The words seemed to hit hard for Todoroki, who closed his eyes.

'No... I don't need it... I don't need to use his Quirk to win...'

Present Mic showed up on the jumbotron.

'Welcome, sports fans! Can I get a Plus Ultra!?'

The crows roared in reply and excitement.

'We're tuned in live to what may be the biggest UA Sports Festival ever!,' Present Mic announced, 'Our students are coming out to the big stage, so everybody show them your support!'

Class 1-A were the first ones out of the gate, led by Midoriya.

"I didn't think there would be so many people out today."

"It does feel a bit daunting," Ida admitted, "Hopefully we can still give it our all before this large crowd."

Once all the students from all four courses arrived on the field, Midnight showed up on the podium as the umpire for the first-year students.

"Now it's time for the introductory speech!," she called out, waving around her cat-o-nine-tails.

"That's way too much woman even for me," Mineta admitted, "If I get the chance to impress a pro, I hope it's one that can help me handle any sort of woman."

"Silence, everyone!," Midnight called out, "And for the student pledge, we have... Izuku Midoriya!"

Class 1-A let out a sigh of relief. The first year valedictorian was the one who scored highest in the entrance exam, which was Midoriya. Midoriya picked up the mic and started speaking.

"To all students, remember this... Being a hero is not an easy task. It's about more than a flashy Quirk, a cool costume, a strong personality, or an amazing name. It's about being there for the people, inspiring them, and giving them courage. Some of you are here hoping to move up to the hero course, and that's fine... So long as you understand what being a hero truly means. We all came here to impress the pro heroes, and to do that, we need to push ourselves and strive for the very top! In the words of All Might, go beyond! Plus Ultra!"

The other classes looked at Midoriya dumbfounded, while Class 1-A smiled at each other, waiting for the big payoff. In an instant, the whole crowd of students was cheering in excitement. Shinso smiled.

'I was expecting some sort of condescending remark. But this kid's got me thinking... About why I really want to be a hero...'

Midoriya returned to his class as the first event was announced.

"We'll be having two events to start," Midnight explained, "Both chosen at random. The first event will start right away. Event 1 is..."

The slot started rolling, landing on "Obstacle Race".

"This is a full participation race," Midnight explained, "The course is treacherous and stretches four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. The only rule in this race is that you are forbidden from leaving the race track. Beyond that, do whatever you feel you have to to reach the end. Contestants, take your places!"

The red starting gate had lights turn on, the students all standing at the ready.

'Right now I can use 25% of One For All's full power,' Midoriya noted, 'This is where I start putting that to use. Here and now... This is where I make my debut. I've come a long way from the Invincible Boy of the playground. Now, I'll show them an invincible hero.'

The lights counted down until they all went out.

"Begin!," Midnight called out.

As the students raced through the gate, Present Mic was up in the announcer box with Aizawa.

"And they're off to a racing start!," Present Mic said, "Aizawa, can you give any predictions as to who might win?"

"How did you rope me into this?," Aizawa wondered.

"Come on, man, we're old classmates and friends," Present Mic pointed out.

Aizawa shrugged.

"Fair enough. Right now I couldn't give any sort of rational answer off the top of my head. Even general studies students can find new uses for their Quirks that they didn't think of during the entrance exam. It was designed to be as impartial as possible, but sometimes a promising student slips through the cracks because they didn't fully understand how the exam works. It'll be interesting to see if any of them can prove they have more potential than a student from the hero course."

He then noticed that gate was getting crowded.

"Of course, the doorway is often cited as the first unofficial obstacle."

Already, many of Class 1-A were finding their own way through. Mineta launched his spheres to bounce off people. Midoriya leapt above everyone's heads and ran along one of the walls. The biggest lead came when Todoroki launched an ice wave to trap most of the students and skate on ahead. He then noticed Bakugo, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Aoyama, and Kirishima using their own tricks to bypass the ice. In fact, all of Class 1-A was taking an early lead over the others. Midoriya used great leaps to stomp on the ice, cracking it to make it easier to navigate, combining Maximize with Regeneration to cushion the impact. Uraraka floated her way over.

Mineta tossed sticky balls and bounced off them. Todoroki noticed that most of Class 1-B was doing well at dodging his ice too, save for one blonde that seemed to focus too much on hanging back and asking other students about their Quirks. Shinso was making it far as well, riding atop several other students that seemed to be out of it. Suddenly, the robots from the entrance exam appeared. Mineta barely dodged one attack before landing.

"Looks like we hit the first obstacle," Bakugo realized.

"Holy shit!," Kaminari called out, "I think those are the zero-pointers!"

Bakugo and Midoriya just smirked, having both smashed the zero-pointers in their own entrance exam. They both launched themselves at two of the zero-pointers. Bakugo slammed one with a massive explosion. Midoriya aimed his right straight at the other.

"Shibuya Smash!"

The robot's head caved in from the blow, falling limp to the ground.

"They certainly make it look easy," Todoroki admitted, conjuring up an ice wall, "But I wish these robots were a bit more challenging. My dad's watching, after all."

The ice hit another zero-pointer, completely wiping it out. He deliberately timed it so that it was frozen while off-balance. Too late to stop Bakugo and Midoriya, who had pulled ahead, but perhaps enough to give himself more of a lead and hurry to catch up.

'And just like that, we have three member of Class 1-A out in first, second, and third!,' Present Mic called out, 'Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo are neck and neck, but Shoto Todoroki is right on their heels!'

'Both Midoriya and Bakugo have taken on and beaten the giant zero-pointers before,' Aizawa added, 'But Todoroki got in on recommendation, so this was literally his first time fighting those robots. Yet he pulled off a perfect move that was both offensive and defensive. The other students will have to think fast if they hope to catch up. This race is just getting started.'

Chapter Text

Inko and Mitsuki were both in the stands cheering on their sons as they raced to the head of the pack. The two women had been friends since junior high. Mitsuki had actually been bullied herself due to having a weak Quirk, Glycerin, that only allowed her to secret lotion from her skin. In fact, it was because of this Quirk, combined with her husband Masaru's Quirk Oxidizing Sweat, that allowed Bakugo to be born with Explosion. Mitsuki's days of being bullied ended when her tormentors encountered Inko, whose Quirk was Aports, which allowed her to draw small objects into her hand. Including teeth, much to the terror of the bullies.

"I can't believe Little Zuku's Quirk ramped up so much," Mitsuki said, "Baku's gonna need to work harder if he hopes to surpass him."

"That's my baby boy," Inko said, beaming, "Keep it going, Izuku!"

"Don't slow down now, Katsuki!," Mitsuki called out.

All Might was surprised to see the two mothers there.

"I thought Inko didn't have a car."

Asahi smiled.

"I offered her a ride. Since I can see the world in a thermal image to make up for my blindness, I'm probably the only sightless person in the world to have a driver's license. World we live in, right?"

"They aren't the only parents here," Serpenshia noted, nodding up to where Endeavor, the Flame Hero, was shouting words of encouragement to Todoroki.

Granted most of it was family posturing.

"Don't hold back, son! Show them the true power of the Todoroki line!"

Kirishima had been trapped under the robot, but was able to smash his way through using Hardening and break free.

"Damn you, Todoroki! Anyone but me would have been killed if this fell on them!"

"Damn that jerk!," called out another voice from under the robot.

Smashing through was another student, his body seemingly made out of pure metal. This was Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and no I am not even kidding. He was part of Class 1-B.

"I'm gonna smash that ice guy when I get my hands on him! Anyone but me would have been killed if this fell on them!"

Tetsutetsu's Quirk was Steel, which turned his skin into a steel-like substance using the iron in his blood.

"You gotta be kidding me!," Kirishima said as he ran forward, "Our Quirk's are basically the same! How am I supposed to stand out with someone like you around?"

Sero and Tokoyami flew over the robots using Tape and Dark Shadow. Most of the other students were getting stymied and working together, with only the hero course students from Classes 1-A and 1-B leading the pack.

"Class 1-A has really learned not to hesitate," Vlad King noted, "My own class is doing everything they can to keep up. However..."

He looked at the blonde kid.

"Neito Monoma thinks he's clever by hanging back and observing the other students. He forgets this isn't about the competition, it's about standing out from the crowd. Even in the early matches, going hard and doing well, even if you don't make it to the next round, can get you noticed."

"Did he not learn anything from your earlier lesson?," Serpenshia asked.

"I fear he took away the wrong lesson from it," Vlad King said, "Most of Class 1-B has come to understand that what happened at the USJ was a harrowing experience. But Monoma only took the fact that the lesson was staged as proof that the USJ was staged."

Hagakure noticed some of the debris from one of the robots, a flat piece of metal. She grinned and took out some genetic fibers that she was allowed to use in order to turn an object she touched invisible. Her gym outfit was also specially designed with this material so that she could take full advantage of her Quirk. With the debris in hand she smashed through some of the robots, using the metal as both weapon and shield. Meanwhile Yaoyorozu had undone part of her top in order to create a large cannon to take down the robots. Sojiro smashed through with his tail.

"Normally we recommend avoiding the zero-pointers," Snipe noted as he watched the hero course decimate said robots, "But if you have to fight them, they're just big, slow, dumb pieces of metal. Easy to hit. You just gotta do it smart."

All Might nodded, eagerly watching Midoriya as he continued to dominate the top spots in the race.

'You're doing well, in spite of the pressure. The world has its eyes on you right now, and you're not disappointing them.'

'The students have started to pass the Robo-Inferno!,' Present Mic said excitedly, 'But next up is a high-rise obstacle that we like to call... The Fall!'

The Fall turned out to be a deep pit, with numerous columns inside connected by tightropes.

"When did they have time to build something like this?," Uraraka wondered.

"This is where I get to shine, ribbit," Asui said.

She made a great leap and effortlessly landed on one of the tightropes, clinging to it with ease.

"Ribbit."

Another female chuckle came up behind Ashido and Uraraka. It was a girl with bright pink hair wearing technological goggles.

"This is my chance to show what my super cute babies can do. My support items will steal the spotlight."

"Who's this?," Ashido asked.

"I think her name is Mei Hatsume," Uraraka said, "She's part of the support course. Her Quirk, Zoom, let's her see things from far away."

Hatsume fired off grapple lines attached to her waist, and flew across the pit using a set of hover soles.

"My super cute babies are sure to make a splash! I hope all those companies out there are watching!"

Up ahead, the race was still neck and neck with Midoriya and Bakugo, who were making giant leaps with their own Quirks and not even using the tightropes. Todoroki simply skated across said tightropes using his ice, only using his left side to heat himself up when necessary.

"Man, check out the guys up in first."

"They not only have strong Quirks, but natural athletic ability."

"I heard the kid with the green hair is being trained by All Might himself."

"Yeah, and the kid with half-red hair is the son of Endeavor."

Up in the stands, a hero with lizard-like armored skin and a hood covering most of his head looked at Midoriya and grinned.

"So that's All Might's protege, huh? Yeah, I can see that. The kid has real potential."

"Only the 42 top finishers get to move on to the next round," Thirteen noted, "But most of Class 1-A is at least in the top twenty."

"Doesn't look like we have to worry about Midorang," Asahi said.

She was using a special audio track created for blind people that gave a play-by-play of how the event was going. Since most of the race was only shown on a jumbotron, she'd be needing this. Once they got to the events in the actual stadium she'd be able to ditch it and rely on her thermal vision.

Midoriya noticed the sign as the race continued.

"Heads up, Kacchan! Minefield ahead!"

"Big deal, we're both blast-proof!," Bakugo said, "Let's just barrel through and reach the finish line! Come on, Deku! Let's give those pros a taste of the freight train!"

The mines were designed for pomp and flash, not damage, and the places where they were buried was designed to be easy to spot if one paid attention. The blast wave proved enough to slow the duo down, however.

'This is the where the big upsets can happen, folks!,' Present Mic called out, 'The minefield is the equalizer of our obstacle race! Those in the lead are at a big disadvantage, and those that fell behind have a chance to catch up!'

Midoriya spotted Todoroki catching up, trying to avoid the mines while propelling himself with quick ice shots. Midoriya spotted one of the mines near his own foot and nodded. He made a quick flip in mid-air, coming down with his heel.

"Osaka Smash!"

The shockwave caused a massive detonation, propelling Midoriya forward as he leapt into it. Todoroki quickly threw caution to the wind and skated forward in an effort to catch up. The others noticed the ice path and quickly raced forward. Mineta flung himself forward, his spheres poised to grab someone. Yaoyorozu yelped when she felt the weight.

"Mineta, you had better not be grabbing my butt!"

"No," Mineta assured her, "Just your shoulders. I'm not that perverted or stupid."

He quickly leapt off Yaoyorozu in order to move ahead. Hagakure copied Midoriya's idea, gathering together a bunch of mines in order to propel herself ahead of the pack. Midoriya spotted Todoroki catching up.

'You're still not giving it your all, Todoroki! At this rate... There's no way I can let you beat me!'

He came down with a flying kick right at the ground.

"Chuo Smash!"

The resulting shockwave from the mine detonation blasted Todoroki back a bit, while propelling Midoriya even further ahead.

'These students are so amazing!,' Present Mic called out, 'Eraser Head, just what are you teaching them?'

'This has nothing to do with me,' Aizawa said, 'Each of them is powered by their own drive. Midoriya especially has developed his own battle style, based off All Might, and yet completely original to himself.'

'Right now it's up in the air who's gonna come out of that gate!,' Present Mic said, 'Midoriya's just raced in first, but Todoroki and Bakugo are right on his heels! And the first place finish goes to...'

A familiar mop of green came out of the gate.

'It's Izuku Midoriya!'

The crowd went wild, Inko nearly dehydrating herself from tears of joy as she grabbed Mitsuki in a big bear hug.

"Hey, it's that kid who helped Elle-Ate beat that sludge villain," Mount Lady said.

Vigorshy gave an impressed whistle.

"Kid really knows how to take full advantage of his Quirk. No wonder he caught All Might's eye."

Shigaraki was with Teruteru and his siblings, also watching the Sports Festival.

"I honestly would have been disappointed if he couldn't clear the obstacle race," Shigaraki admitted, "Anyone who can practically beat me on first go yet lose to a bunch of NPCs can't be worth my time."

"We really need to work that video game mentality out of you," Teruteru said.

Midoriya took a few seconds to catch his breath as the scrapes and bruises from the mines going off quickly healed, leaving only the dust from the track. He looked around at the cheering crowd and spotted All Might applauding him. He also found his mother, holding up a giant poster praising him. Smiling, Midoriya raised his fist to the sky, giving a cheer of victory.

"I was almost worried Midoriya's selflessness could be a weakness," All Might said, "But while deep in his core his goal is to help people, it seems he understands that even a Symbol of Peace can afford to be a little selfish."

Already the students of the business course were talking about how Midoriya and his Regeneration would be easy to market, and how his fighting style could be billed in a manner not unlike the Kamen Rider series that existed in the early 21st century. Since the business course had no interest in truly participating in the events, none of them had any desire to be actual pro heroes, they instead performed market simulations on the other participants and ran vendors around the festival grounds. Bakugo came out of the gate completely sore, and in third place, but still satisfied with the result.

"Way to beat that rec boy, Deku. I knew at least one of us had to."

Todoroki, however, was not as satisfied. Endeavor was the number two hero, and right now Todoroki was feeling far too much like this was a Xerox generation, with him just behind Midoriya. Uraraka came out in sixteenth place.

"Deku!," she said, running over, tired but excited, "That was amazing! I can't believe you got first place!"

Without thinking, she wound up hugging Midoriya, causing him to go red. Ida cleared his throat to get their attention, and Uraraka quickly let Midoriya go out of embarrassment.

"That was outstanding work, Midoriya," Ida said, "Even with my speed I was only able to get sixth place. Still respectable, though. I just hope my brother was watching."

"You hoping to intern with him when this is over?," Midoriya asked.

"Our family has had a long history of learning from each other," Ida said, "Though sometimes we branch out and improve what we already have by learning from other agencies. While I would like to show Tensei how much I've improved, I feel I could learn better from someone outside my family's agencies."

Mineta came in just ahead of Yaoyorozu.

"Had to sacrifice hanging off those curves," Mineta muttered, "But it was worth it to place this high."

"The obstacle race is officially settled," Midnight called out, "Let's take a look at the final standings."

1st: Izuku Midoriya, Class 1-A

2nd: Shoto Todoroki, Class 1-A

3rd: Katsuki Bakugo, Class 1-A

4th: Ibara Shiozaki, Class 1-B

5th: Juzo Honenuki, Class 1-B

6th: Tenya Ida, Class 1-A

7th: Fumikage Tokoyami, Class 1-A

8th: Hanta Sero, Class 1-A

9th: Eijiro Kirishima, Class 1-A

10th: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Class 1-B

11th: Mashirao Ojiro, Class 1-A

12th: Yosetsu Awase, Class 1-B

13th: Tsuyu Asui, Class 1-A

14th: Mezo Shoji, Class 1-A

15th: Rikido Sato, Class 1-A

16th: Ochaco Uraraka, Class 1-A

17th: Minoru Mineta, Class 1-A

18th: Momo Yaoyorozu, Class 1-A

19th: Mina Ashido, Class 1-A

20th: Yuga Aoyama, Class 1-A

21st: Toru Hagakure, Class 1-A

22nd: Koji Koda, Class 1-A

23rd: Kyoka Jiro, Class 1-A

24th: Sen Kaibara, Class 1-B

25th: Kosei Tsuburaba, Class 1-B

26th: Denki Kaminari, Class 1-A

27th: Kojiro Bondo, Class 1-B

28th: Reiko Yanagi, Class 1-B

29th: Hitoshi Shinso, Class 1-C

30th: Itsuka Kendo, Class 1-B

31st: Jurota Shishida, Class 1-B

32nd: Shihai Kuroiro, Class 1-B

33rd: Yui Kodai, Class 1-B

34th: Hiryu Rin, Class 1-B

35th: Nirengeki Shoda, Class 1-B

36th: Kinoko Komori, Class 1-B

37th: Togaru Kamakiri, Class 1-B

38th: Mayumi Goto, Class 1-H

39th: Pony Tsunotori, Class 1-B

40th: Setsuna Tokage, Class 1-B

41th: Manga Fukidashi, Class 1-B

42st: Mei Hatsume, Class 1-H

"Ah man, bottom of the pack," Hatsume said, "I'll need to improve my super cute babies if I hope to get the attention of the big corporations."

"Only the top 42 get to move to the next round," Midnight said, "But don't worry if you didn't make the cut. We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine. But right now is where the real fun begins. This next round will provide you with the chance to really thrust yourself into the limelight."

"I'm starting to get why she's the R-Rated Hero," Bakugo muttered.

"And our next competition is...," Midnight called out.

The roulette stopped on one of the events.

"The Cavalry Battle!"

"Ah, man," Kaminari said, "I'm terrible at those kinds of battles."

"All participants will form teams of two to four, with one person riding on top," Midnight said, "No different from your typical playground game, but with one difference. Each of you has been assigned a different point value based on your position in the Obstacle Race. Depending on who is teamed up, they will have a different point value. The points go up in increments of five, with the person in 42nd only being worth five points and so on up. However, the person in first will be worth a whopping ten million points!"

"Oh, great," Midoriya said, "Now everyone will be gunning for me. This would be a chance for anyone to go from zero to sixty going into the final round. I'll need to make sure I pick a good team for this..."

He looked over to Todoroki.

"Especially if I'm going to push him to finally stop holding back."

Chapter Text

Right now, it seemed the whole world was watching Midoriya, and for good reason. With his fantastic showing in the Obstacle Race, it felt like he was the one to beat.

'So this is the burden of being the best,' he noted, 'But if that's the price to pay for keeping the world at peace... If All Might can pay it, then I can too.'

"Each team will have a combined total of points based the individual point value of its team members," Midnight explained, "That total will be the sum of each of member. Everyone will know how much each team is worth by the number on their headband. Swipe as many headbands as you can to raise your team's score. Remember, if you lose your own headband that does not immediately disqualify you. You can still remain in the competition by swiping other teams' headbands to make up the loss in points."

She waved her whip at the students.

"All stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up, so the more you have the harder it will be to manage them. Once time is up, the four teams with the highest score will move on to the final round. You may use your Quirks as much as you like, however there are still rules. Make a team fall on purpose and I'll slap you with a red card, disqualifying you from the competition. You have fifteen minutes to build your team."

"RIGHT HERE!," Midoriya, Bakugo, Uraraka, and Ida called out as one.

"Wait, that fast!?," Kirishima called out in shock.

"The team that's the most mobile will have an advantage," Bakugo explained, "And with Deku having the highest point value, we can get another advantage teaming up with him right from the start."

"And with him as the rider," Ida added, "The three of us can play an effective game of keep-away."

Vigorshy and Mount Lady joined Death Arms and Kamui Woods in the staff break room.

"The Sports Festival isn't really about how prepared the students are to be heroes," Death Arms noted, "It's more about simulating the competition they face if they go pro. This country's overrun with agencies. If you want to put food on the table, you need to be able to stand out from the other agencies."

"That's such a sad way of looking at our jobs," Mount Lady said.

"Says the woman who's never had a problem stealing the spotlight," Kamui Woods pointed out.

"It's not like heroes never work together," Vigorshy noted, "Or combine agencies. The first round was all about the competitive side of the hero business. The second round is more about the cooperative side."

Death Arms nodded.

"Yeah. Every point you score counts for your whole team. Which means finding a good combination of Quirks and physical ability is vital."

Most of the students in Class 1-A were trying to team up with Todoroki. He ultimately decided on a team with Hatsume, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari. Tokoyami managed to get a team of his own, with Kirishima, Ashido, and Sero. Mineta managed to convince Shoji to help, along with Asui.

"Looks like everyone's sticking to their homeroom class," Midoriya noted.

"They're trying to find the best combination to work with," Ida said, "Especially those that can either only act as horse or rider. It's best to work with someone you know, and whose Quirk or Object of Power you can compliment."

"Or who can work with support items," Bakugo noted, "Little Miss 'I want to join a corporation' can only zoom in with her eyesight. But since her support is useful, Todoroki decided to join up with her."

He then noticed Goto talking with some of the students.

"So what can she do?"

"I think she's actually Quirkless," Uraraka said, "But she wears an Object of Power called Gyrfalcon, a set of cybernetic enhancements. She's also capable of replicating the Gyrfalcon to help those who need prosthetics. Explains why she's in the support class."

Monoma was sulking.

"Everyone's foaming at the mouth for what Class 1-A will do. Why are they stars? They only difference between us and them is that they fought a couple of villains. Just because we're Class 1-B doesn't mean we're second-rate. Or that we can't win this whole thing."

"You say that," Itsuka said as she walked by with her own team, "But you're the only one of us who didn't pass the Obstacle Race. In fact, you were dead last."

Monoma freaked out, and wound up sulking some more. The buzzer sounded that time was up.

"And it looks like everyone has their teams," Present Mic said, "There's a total of twelve, and by now they've had time to talk strategy. Let's introduce the teams in order from lowest value to highest, and what Quirks or OoPs they're packing!"

Team 1: 50 Points

Pony Tsunotori (Horn Cannon): 20 Points

Togaru Kamakiri (Razor Sharp): 30 Points

Team 2: 105 Points

Hiryu Rin (Scales): 45 Points

Jurota Shishida (Beast): 60 Points

Team 3: 140 Points

Yui Kodai (Size): 50 Points

Kojiro Bondo (Cemedine): 80 Points

Manga Fukidashi (Comic): 10 Points

Team 4: 190 Points

Itsuka Kendo (Big Fist): 65 Points

Reiko Yanagi (Poltergeist): 75 Points

Setsuna Tokage (Lizard Tail Splitter): 15 Points

Kinoko Komori (Mushroom): 35 Points

Team 5: 265 Points

Mayumi Goto (Gyrfalcon): 25 Points

Kosei Tsuburaba (Solid Air): 90 Points

Sen Kaibara (Gyrate): 95 Points

Shihai Kuroiro (Black): 55 Points

Team 6: 385 Points

Hitoshi Shinso (Brainwashing): 70 Points

Nirengeki Shoda (Twin Impact): 40 Points

Yuga Aoyama (Navel Laser): 115 Points

Mashirao Ojiro (Tail): 160 Points

Team 7: 420 Points

Shoto Todoroki (Half-Cold Half-Hot): 205 Points

Mei Hatsume (Zoom): 5 Points

Momo Yaoyorozu (Creation): 125 Points

Denki Kaminari (Electrification): 85 Points

Team 8: 425 Points

Minoru Mineta (Pop Off): 130 Points

Mezo Shoji (Dupli-Arms): 145 Points

Tsuyu Asui (Frog): 150 Points

Team 9: 455 Points

Toru Hagakure (Invisibility): 110 Points

Kyoka Jiro (Earphone Jack): 100 Points

Rikido Sato (Sugar Rush): 140 Points

Koji Koda (Anivoice): 105 Points

Team 10: 645 Points

Fumikage Tokoyami (Dark Shadow): 180 Points

Eijiro Kirishima (Hardening): 170 Points

Mina Ashido (Acid): 120 Points

Hanta Sero (Tape): 175 Points

Team 11: 705

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Steel): 165 Points

Juzo Honenuki (Softening): 190 Points

Yosetsu Awase (Weld): 155 Points

Ibara Shiozaki (Vines): 195 Points

Team 12: 10,000,520 Points

Izuku Midoriya (Regeneration): 10,000,000 Points

Katsuki Bakugo (Explosion): 200 Points

Tenya Ida (Engine): 185 Points

Ochaco Uraraka (Zero Gravity): 135 Points

"Hope you're all happy with your teams!," Present Mic called out, "And with one final countdown, let's get this party started! Three! Two! One! Begin!"

All at once, most of the teams started rushing at Team 12. Honenuki was the first to make his move, hitting the ground to make it softer and cause Team 12 to sink.

"Uraraka, Ida!," Midoriya called out.

"RIGHT!"

The two combined their Quirks to essentially turn their cavalry into a small space rocket. Shiozaki tried to trap then with vines, only for Midoriya to launch a smokescreen to cover their escape.

"So long as we keep our headband we're guaranteed a spot in the finals," he said, "So we just need to stay ahead of the other teams."

"Sooner or later they'll start attacking each other for the chance to fight us," Bakugo noted, "And in the process they'll start grabbing each other's headbands to lower the competition. A predator always goes for the easiest meal, so we just have to make ourselves too much of a hassle."

Sure enough, Goto was leading her team to grab some of the headbands from the other teams.

"Everyone's trying to take out Midoriya cuz he's at the top," Goto noted, "But they forget that there are sixteen slots in the finals. Why go for the top right now when we can fight for it when it really counts?"

She grinned.

"And with my team empowered by the Gyrfalcon, they'll have all they need to blow by everyone else."

Shoji was running at Team 12, his Dupli-Arms covering both Mineta and Asui.

"Keep those hands near the shoulders," Asui warned.

"Don't worry," Mineta said, "They're too full of my own spheres to be grabbing anyone else's."

Tetsutetsu's team was also running in.

"Damn it, we're surrounded," Bakugo said, "I can launch us up but... Huh? Deku, can you stop throwing us curve balls already?"

Midoriya was confused, until he realized that strange black strands were coming out of his arms.

"This is... Blackwhip. The Quirk of the late hero Lariat. He was a One For All user?"

All Might looked at the scene in interest.

"Lariat was the one of the few One For All users besides me to face our greatest threat and win."

"I believe this new power can cover our blind spots, Midoriya," Ida said, "See if you can use it. We'll pass it off as precise blood manipulation from your veins once this is over."

"Yeah, alright," Midoriya said, "I said no more surprises, One For All..."

He launched the black whips to deflect Mineta's spheres and Asui's tongue, redirecting them to Tetsutetsu. He quickly dodged aside.

"What the hell!?," Tetsutetsu called out, "Since when can he do that!? I thought his power was just healing!"

"Midoriya's just full of surprises!," Present Mic said, "The judges are calling this legal, so it looks like Team 12 has full coverage to protect themselves! Maybe even steal a few headbands!"

"I doubt they'll be taking any," Aizawa said, "So long as they keep their own headband they stay at the top. It'd be irrational to steal anyone else's headband when the point gain is minimal."

Midoriya kept blocking shots, but with the other teams closing in they needed to get out of there.

"Kacchan! Launch us now!"

"Everyone hold on to your asses!," Bakugo called out, pointing both his palms at the ground as he let loose a big explosion to launch the team to the other side of the arena.

"Wish I could have played Midoriya online during a gaming session," Shigaraki said, "I could have used some tips for party building and team management. But that new ability..."

Teruteru rubbed his chin.

"Could it be...? Yes, I remember Lariat using a similar Quirk to bind me multiple times. So he was a One For All user as well, was he? I remember he fought my brother, who tried to steal One For All. That's how we learned that it is immune to All For One's power, so long as the user of One For All has a higher will. All For One was growing beyond Brother at the time, as was One For all."

Goto looked over at Monoma and smirked.

'His plan was to have his class throw the first round, only coming up towards the end. Everyone loves an underdog, right? Maybe in other schools, but this is UA High. We're supposed to be Plus Ultra, no matter what class we're a part of. Me and Hatsume get that, and apparently so does Shinso.'

She smirked.

'That's why I passed out copies of the Gyrfalcon to everyone in Class 1-B but him. I reminded them that Class 1-A is not infallible, and that they could be beaten. I handed 1-B spreadsheets before the festival that put them in the same scenario 1-A had to go through. I also made a point of asking why Monoma wants to be a hero. He had this glorious ideal of what heroism is all about, taken from comics and cartoons. The man carries too much envy to be a hero.'

She noted Todoroki rushing to confront Midoriya and his team.

"At the end of the day, heroism is about inspiring others to do the right thing. Even if I'm only a support, a sidekick, that's fine. I'll do my part to raise up those that deserve to be heroes."

As the halfway mark of the cavalry battle was called, Midoriya noticed Todoroki and his team racing in, Hatsume using her hover boots equipped to the horses to carry them.

'You're starting to learn, Todoroki. But I notice you're still only using your right side. I swear, I will make you understand what it means to fight to the best of your ability.'

Chapter Text

It was just halfway through the competition, and while most of the teams had lost their headbands due to Goto's actions, Teams Midoriya, Todoroki, Shinso, and Tokoyami still had theirs. However, this left a lot of people scrambling to make up the loss in points. Monoma was off to the side grimacing.

"Damn it... This wouldn't be happening if they had just gone along with my plan. So what if I misjudged how many people would get disqualified in the first round?"

He didn't know that Vlad King, his own homeroom teacher, was up in the stands and sighing in exasperation.

"I can't believe he managed to pass the entrance exam. We should consider altering it for next year to filter out anyone who would look down on others or hold a longtime grudge for perceived insults."

"Recommended students do have to go through an interview," Serpenshia noted, "Perhaps we should make that mandatory for the normal entrance exam as well."

Todoroki was having a tough time getting close to Midoriya. The plan had seemed simple. It didn't matter to him how few or how many points his teammates were worth. All he had to do was grab Midoriya's headband and all that was moot. So he made his team choices based on their skills and how they could compliment his own. Hatsume was more than eager to join up to show off her "super cute babies". Especially since Midoriya had already picked his team, leaving her out in a lurch. But teaming up with the son of the Number Two hero was just as good, especially since Todoroki wanted her as the lead horse, meaning she'd be front and center.

Yaoyorozu would be using Creation to protect the right flank, creating armor and shields to block any attacks from that side. Meanwhile Kaminari would be defending the left flank was his taser-like body, unleashing his special move when they got close. Todoroki would act as the rider, warding off other teams and aiming for their targets using his ice. The others had suggested his fire as well, but he still had that stigma about his left side. Things seemed to be straightforward, even with that one girl using her team to target everyone else. And then Midoriya sprouted tentacles from his arms.

As if suddenly being able to conjure a smoke screen was weird enough for someone who's only power was supposed to be advanced healing, now Midoriya's team had an effective means of defense and offense.

"What's the plan here, Todoroki?," Kaminari said, "I can use my special move here and now and still hit them. But if we're not close enough, we'll never snatch that headband before Midoriya's team recovers."

Todoroki looked at the score board, then spotted Goto's team not far away. Their team had wracked up some points and could easily make it through if they kept what they had.

'I can always settle things with Midoriya during the final tournament. Right now it's more important that I stay in this.'

"We're switching targets," Todoroki said, "Goto's team is closer, so we'll aim for them. The plan itself is unchanged."

"Got it," Yaoyorozu said.

She quickly created another insulted blanket as Kaminari charged to full.

"One Million Volt Firing!"

Most of the other teams were hit immediately, since they were closing in while trying to attack Midoriya's team.

"Get us in the air!," Midoriya called out, "Max speed!"

Bakugo blasted the team airborne, Uraraka reducing their gravity. Ida then charged his Engine to full.

"Recipro Burst!"

Taking off like a rocket engine, the team sailed over the electrical current. Midoriya then noticed Todoroki icing over the field.

"He's adapting to what happened at the obstacle race," he noted, "Good effort, but it's still not foolproof."

He then sensed something coming and threw up Blackwhip, creating a web barrier just as Dark Shadow slammed into it.

"Ow! That barrier's hard as concrete, Boss!"

"You never cease to impress, Midoriya," Tokoyami admitted, "A brand new facet to your Quirk and you're already showing skill. Dark Shadow is at its strongest in darkness, but that makes it harder to control. With this much light out, my offensive options are limited."

Kirishima then noticed Goto's team racing in. The horse members were skating on the ice using modified Gyrfalcons.

"Damn it, we're vulnerable right now."

"Never fear," Tokoyami said, "Ice is potent, but has weaknesses. It doesn't take heat to melt. Ashido?"

Ashido smirked.

"Leave it to me!"

She started building up an acid stream along their feet, weak enough to not melt their shoes off, but strong enough to glide along the ice.

"Time to play icebreaker, Kacchan," Midoriya said.

"Hell yeah!," Bakugo called out, "Let's ace this battle!"

"Right now it's turning into a free-for-all!," Present Mic called out, "So far Team Midoriya is still sitting pretty with ten million and change in points! And it looks like Team Todoroki has switched targets to Team Goto!"

"That was a smart judgement call on Todoroki's part," Aizawa noted, "He saw how versatile Midoriya's new Quirk mutation was and decided he was better off going after more viable targets. Problem is, Goto's Object of Power is just as versatile, and the copies can be altered for any situation."

"Doesn't Gyrfalcon have any weaknesses?," Kaminari asked, "Hatsume, she's in your class, right? Do you know anything about it?"

"The prime Gyrfalcon used by Goto is pretty much perfect," Hatsume admitted, "Even my super cute babies can't hold a candle to it, at least not yet. But the copies do have one weakness. See, Goto lost her limbs, her hearing, and her sight in a villain attack. Downsides of being Quirkless, right? Luckily her father works for Anderson Robotics, and they had recently finished the prime Gyrfalcon Object of Power. It's perfectly bonded to her, but only because they're essentially replacing what she lost."

"So what you're saying is," Yaoyorozu surmised, "The copy Gyrfalcons can't properly bond with those that still have intact bodies."

"Yep," Hatsume said, "If they go too long while using the copies..."

Goto's team cried out in shock as the copy Gyrfalcons popped off.

"They eventually get rejected."

This would be their chance, but there was a problem. Team Goto was on Todoroki's left side. He couldn't launch a proper ice attack without hitting Hatsume by accident. In fact, Goto had been keeping her team to Todoroki's left whenever possible. Right now Team Midoriya, Team Tokoyami, Team Goto, and Team Shinso seemed to be in the lead.

"We've only got one minute left," Todoroki said, "Kaminari, I'm going to rely on you. Hatsume, that Gyrfalcon is like any other machine, right? Vulnerable to electricity?"

"Yeah, but it would take an overwhelming electrical force," Hatsume said.

"I can pull it off!," Kaminari decided, "Though it'll probably leave me out of it until the tournament!"

Yaoyorozu quickly threw the insulating blanket over the team while Goto got her team back up. Todoroki directed Hatsume into a tight swerve to create and ice barrier to prevent anyone else from getting hit.

"Do it now!," he called out to Kaminari.

"Ten Million Volt Firing!"

Kaminari practically lit up the arena. Goto freaked out as the Gyrfalcon temporarily shut down, leaving her blind, deaf, and nearly falling off her own team. Just as Todoroki reached out for Goto's headband, he saw Midoriya's team leap over the ice wall, Midoriya's hand lit up with energy. Without even thinking, Todoroki instinctively put up a fire barrier from his left side, just as Midoriya grabbed his headband with one of the whips.

'And Team Midoriya snatches a last minute headband!,' Present Mic called out, 'But is it enough to take out Team Todoroki?'

Todoroki was out of it as the final buzzer hit.

"Did... Did we lose?"

"No," Yaoyorozu said.

She held up a grapple gun she had made, with Team Goto's headbands in the claw. She smiled.

"I saw what had happened, so instead of going for defense I decided to make up the difference by finishing our original plan."

Todoroki sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Momo. I couldn't have done this without you."

He ignored everything else, including teasing from Kaminari and Hatsume. Right now he was just thinking how cute Yaoyorozu looked when she blushed.

'Let's take a look at the final scores!,' Present Mic called out, 'In first place, Team Midoriya!'

The four friends cheered in excitement.

"That was some killer move you did, Ida," Bakugo said.

"I'd been hoping to save it for the tournament," Ida said, "It overclocks my RPM, but leaves my Engine worn down for a while afterward. I prefer to save it for emergencies."

'In second place,' Present Mic continued, 'Team Todoroki!'

"Now that's how you climb the pack!," Hatsume said, "Yaoyorozu, you need to give me some pointers. I need to learn how to improve my super cute babies."

Kaminari was just babbling like a goofball while his brain reset as Present Mic announced the next winner.

'Third place is Team Shinso!'

Shinso smiled, but his teammates were stunned as to how they managed to win.

"Thanks for all your help," Shinso said.

'And in fourth place is Team Tokoyami!,' Present Mic finished

"We did it, Boss," Dark Shadow mumbled, several headbands still in his mouth, which had been snatched last second so there were no rules broken.

Tokoyami nodded.

"I thank you all for your support. With my offensive options limited I needed the extra aid."

"Hey, I'm just psyched we're moving on," Sero said, "Now we get to show off our skills in the final tournament."

Meanwhile, Todoroki was looking over at Midoriya, then at his left hand.

'I said I'd never use it to attack, but Midoriya overwhelmed me and forced me to break my own promise.'

He clenched his fist.

"At this rate... I'll end up exactly who he wants me to be..."

Endeavor watched from the stadium. It was only for a moment, but Midoriya had managed to push his son into using his flames.

'I wish I could make Shoto understand that I don't want him to be like me. But perhaps that's the problem. I pushed too hard, too fast, to make up for my mistakes raising Toya.'

He had come forward after the incident that caused Todoroki's facial scarring, citing the reason being his own abusive behavior towards his children in light of his eldest son's apparent death when he couldn't handle his own Quirk, and that his own wife Rei had simply snapped under pressure and needed psychiatric help to recover. He had been slowly rebuilding his reputation since, but some scars ran deeper than others.

"What that boy needs is a reality check from someone other than me," he decided as he got up for lunch, "And perhaps All Might's new protege is exactly the sort of hammer needed to drive in this nail."

Shiozaki sulked at the sudden loss of their points during the match.

"Perhaps this is divine punishment for stealing the tiny one's points in such an underhanded way..."

Shinso smirked, having used his Quirk on their team shortly after said incident. It had been hard controlling three people at once for so long, not to mention he had to carefully choose those with physical Quirks, but it was worth it.

"I can't believe you were holding out on us," Uraraka said to Ida, the group heading for lunch during the break.

"I needed to find some way to prove I could hold my own without Midoriya," Ida said, "Even when I'm on the same team as him."

The trio then stopped.

"Hey," Bakugo said, "Shouldn't Deku be responding with some sort of remark on how he didn't plan that to happen?"

The looked around, and realized that Midoriya was nowhere to be found.

In fact, he had been taken aside by Todoroki to speak in the halls outside the bathroom.

"So," Midoriya said, "Did you want to talk or something?"

"Endeavor," All Might said as he caught up to the Flame Hero, "It's been a while. I don't think we've spoken since we both left Gran Torino's agency."

"We certainly haven't," Endeavor said, "I see no harm in catching up after so long. Especially since your new student impressed even me. In fact... He may be able to help my son understand how much he's been holding himself back."

He was suddenly drenched by a crying Inko, still tearing up over Midoriya making it the finals.

"Sorry about that," Mitsuki said, "We're just heading off for lunch."

"It's fine," All Might said, "Enjoy yourselves. And make sure to pick up a towel. Or ten..."

Chapter Text

Todoroki was silent for a bit, Midoriya not sure what was on his mind. He knew Todoroki could feel emotions, that much was clear from his body language. But his tone of voice and facial expressions were so deadpan that anyone who didn't know him would think so. Finally, Todoroki gave a sigh.

"I was overwhelmed by your last attack. It made me break the promise I made to myself... A long time ago."

"It was a stupid promise to begin with," Midoriya pointed out, "Not just because of how useful your fire ability is, but because that promise is overworking the ice side of your powers. Sooner or later you're going to overextend, and send yourself into severe hypothermia that can't be treated with just some extra heat."

Todoroki looked at his left hand.

"I thought I knew the full scope of your true power... From what I observed in footage of the entrance exam, the Quirk Assessment Test, our combat training, and later during the villain attack on the USJ. But now I realize... You're still learning. You've only just begun to master your Quirk. I thought I was objectively more powerful... But you've shown me just how weak I really am. That power reminded me of something..."

He thought back to how easily All Might brought down the Nomu. It had only taken five punches, with All Might pushing beyond what everyone thought he was capable of.

"When I saw All Might's Quirk for the first time, I realized how similar it is to your own."

"Yeah," Midoriya said, "But All Might can't emit smoke using his sweat or create tentacles from his own blood. And he certainly can't regenerate damage done to him on his own."

"It may not be exactly the same," Todoroki admitted, "But it does feel the same. Midoriya, tell me..."

He looked up.

"Are you All Might and Endo Hound's secret love child or something?"

The question was so frank, and so very off the mark, that Midoriya blanched for a second. He then laughed so hard he was rolling on the ground.

"Do... Do I look like I have any physical traits from All Might or Endo Hound? Sure my Quirk is a bit similar to All Might's, but that's still a bit of leap in logic. Especially since my actual mom, Inko, was watching from the stands. And I'm pretty my dad, Hisashi, is watching from overseas."

Todoroki watched Midoriya laugh so hard that tears were streaming from eyes, a look of surprise on his face. He thought for a moment.

"Yeah, you're right. I was overthinking it. Sorry for the sudden accusation."

"Truth is I just caught All Might's attention during the sludge villain incident," Midoriya explained, "He saw how useful my Quirk is and offered to train me personally. Kacchan was also allowed to train with us since we both were aiming for UA High. But All Might... Wasn't the best teacher back then. So to help him, he called in Endo Hound so he could learn how to handle multiple students at once."

Todoroki nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"What brought on the idea that I could be All Might's son in the first place?," Midoriya asked.

"Personal experience," Todoroki explained, "My father is the hero Endeavor. I've seen all the notebooks you have on various heroes, so I'll assume you've heard of him."

"Even without those notebooks," Midoriya said, "I'm sure everyone's heard of the Number Two hero. So wait... Is this why you're so eager to try and beat me? Because you're not Endeavor, and I'm not All Might. The next generation should not copy the previous, but merely learn from them."

Meanwhile, All Might was handing Endeavor another towel.

"That woman had so many tears coming out of her eyes it doused my flames," Endeavor complained, "Is that her Quirk or something?"

"No, I think it's just a family trait," All Might said, "I've seen Young Midoriya do the same on occasion."

"The boy's impressive," Endeavor admitted, "He's already surpassed Shoto in two different events. Shoto will need to learn to use the other half of his power if hopes to beat Midoriya."

"I did notice that Young Midoriya was able to push Young Todoroki into using his flames," All Might noted, "If only for a brief moment. Seems your ambition to simply aim for the top has finally caught up with you."

"Wait, he's trying to surpass All Might?," Midoriya asked.

Todoroki nodded.

"He used his power to aim for the top and make a name for himself, but he was never able to best All Might. So the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure."

"Yeah, failure to inspire the people," Midoriya said, "All Might's not the top hero because he's the strongest, or because he's won the most fights. He's the Number One Hero, because people believe in him. Sure Endeavor's only real problem is that he tends to cause collateral damage, but he's never caused a civilian to die from his actions, and he's never gone so far as to kill a villain. Yet once the job's done, that's it. He just heads off. The only time he interacts with the media is during press conferences."

"Maybe," Todoroki said, "But he's still trying. And if he can't do it himself... He thinks maybe he can do it with the next generation. Tell me... Have you ever heard of Quirk marriages?"

Midoriya was surprised.

"There haven't been any recorded Quirk marriages since the first few generations of anomalies started showing up in humans."

"It was a real problem," Todoroki said, "Many people were forced into relationships in order to make stronger children. My parents' marriage... Well, it wasn't quite the same, but it certainly felt like it while I was growing up. He only sought out my mother in a effort to counter the weaknesses of his own Quirk. From what my older sister said, their marriage started out happy. Father has a rich history of accomplishments, and a lot of money to throw at problems. So he paid off my mother's relatives so they would agree to a marriage."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Midoriya said, "It's not like he raped your mom or anything."

"Of course not," Todoroki said, "He knew that would make him less of a hero, or even a villain. He made sure Mother was alright with the idea of having a child before consummating. But still... Once he saw that I was exactly the kind of child he wanted, he started grooming me to replace All Might."

"Again, very stupid idea," Midoriya said, "All Might's been contemplating retirement for five years now."

"Either way, it's annoying," Todoroki said, "I refuse to be a tool just for his ambitions. In every memory of have of my mother... I only see her crying. She loves us, each of us. So seeing the harsh training father put me through broke her heart. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. I remember her calling my left side unbearable... And she poured boiling water on my face..."

Midoriya gasped in shock, realizing that was where Todoroki's scar came from.

"I wanted to show my old man what I was capable of doing," Todoroki said, "Without having to rely on his fire. I'll reject his power, and take first place without his help."

Midoriya sighed.

"Your story is certainly heartrending. And I've no doubt that all of it is true. But at the same time... It's a stupid reason."

Todoroki growled and grabbed Midoriya's shoulders.

"Are you mocking my pain?"

"You already did that when you accepted your father's recommendation into UA!," Midoriya pointed out, shocking Todoroki and causing him to let Midoriya go.

Midoriya watched Todoroki reel back in shock.

"If you really wanted to show up your father," Midoriya said, "Then you should have just taken the entrance exam like me and Kacchan. Even Ida was able to make use of the entrance exam to stand out when his recommendation didn't pan out. As for training..."

He detailed his cleanup of Dagoba Beach, and Todoroki's eyes went wide.

'That's way rougher than everything Father put me through... And yet he accepted it, and got stronger for it?'

"I've always tried to help my son rise above his weaknesses," Endeavor said, "But I fear that in doing so, I actually made him weaker. I forgot to take into account how delicate my wife is. By contrast, your own protege had a grueling training session of his own, and only came out stronger."

"I made sure to spread my lesson carefully," All Might said, "Young Midoriya's Quirk may make him invincible on a physical level, but that doesn't make him unbreakable. He's had years to prepare himself for the life of a hero. Hours spent studying heroes and villains and sending analyses of crime scenes to underground heroes, helping them catch drug dealers and serial murderers. Half the cells in Tartarus are full because of him. Did you know it was his research on Scrapyard that helped bring down the Church of the Broken God?"

Endeavor was a little surprised, but only because of how young Midoriya would have had to be.

'That settles it... Midoriya's the only one who can snap Shoto out of his funk...'

"I'm here because I had so many people helping me," Midoriya said, "I had support from my mom and Kacchan, I had training from All Might and Endo Hound, I have the friends I made when I got into UA, and I have the lessons I learned from Aizawa and the other UA teachers. Todoroki, if you're only trying to do this on your own... You won't make it far as a hero."

He started to walk off.

"I was inspired by All Might, but I'm not aiming to be the next version of him. You should aim to be your own self, and remember... That fire isn't your father's. It's yours. He only gave it to you, just like how he gave you your place in UA. So unless you're planning on dropping out, you'll need to learn to take what he gave you... And make it your own. You declared war on me earlier, but it sounded hollow. So now I'll make a declaration of war at you..."

He turned back and pointed at Todoroki.

"I'll make sure to beat you, and make you understand how useless your promise is for being a hero!"

Todoroki looked down, tears stinging his eyes. Neither of them knew it, but Bakugo was watching the whole thing from around a corner.

'You tell 'em, Deku. It's about time rec boy understood how hard it is to be a true hero.'

"We're about to showcase the final round of the Sports Festival!," Present Mic called out, "But all of you who couldn't make the cut, there's no need to feel worried. You can still get some attention in the super-fun side games we've prepared! After all, what kind of sports festival only has three events!?"

"A lame one," Aizawa quipped.

Present Mic gasped in shock.

"And let it be known that Eraser Head has a sense of humor after all!"

Aizawa turned off his mic, and Yamada, taking the hint, did the same.

"You clearly haven't met my girlfriend," Aizawa said.

"Wait, the only girl I know who could get you to crack jokes is...," Yamada stared.

He then realized something, then gasped again.

"No! You finally broke down!?"

"There was this amateur analyst on the underground forum," Aizawa explained, "Well, I say amateur, but his skills were anything but. During our chats, he said Miss Joke and I might make a good couple. Not only did this bring the revelation that he was able to figure out all our chat names, despite them being random numbers, but that he had plenty of information on each of us. The only reason he never publicized it was to prevent villains from getting the drop on us, though he did send it to us personally. It's been a big help."

"It was totally Midoriya, wasn't it?," Yamada asked.

Aizawa nodded.

"And he noted how much chemistry me and Joke seem to have. So I decided to give it a shot and actually asked her out. It was... Enjoyable."

Yamada then noticed the girls of Class 1-A were competing in the Cheerleading competition.

"Did Mineta trick those girls somehow?"

Actually, Mineta didn't trick them, he had straight up asked them.

"Is this another perverted fantasy of yours?," Hagakure asked.

"Okay first, yes it is," Mineta admitted, "And second, even if it is, don't you think this would get you noticed by some strong female heroes?"

Yaoyorozu thought about it.

"I have been wanting to get the attention of a hero like Uwabami or Foresight..."

Monoma noticed that even the students who had gotten into the finals were participating in the side games.

"What's the point? They've already got a golden ticket."

"Not everyone's gonna be able to make it through the last battle," Kendo reminded him, "Some of them might want to showcase skills not related to fighting."

Monoma scoffed.

"What a bunch of brats... Ugh!"

Kendo had smacked him with her Quirk, Big Fist, which let her enlarge her upper arms. Bakugo grinned at the sight of Kendo beating up Monoma.

"Damn... Deku, I think I'm love."

Kendo saw Bakugo smiling at her and waved cheerily.

"Maybe she feels the same," Midoriya suggests, "You should try asking her out after the tournament."

"The final tournament is about to proceed!," Midnight called out, "We have a total of sixteen students going into this. This year we'll be having one-on-one fights, full contact allowed. You'll be drawing lots to see who you're up against. We'll start with the first-place team."

"Excuse me," Ojiro said, raising his hand, "I intend to withdraw from the competition."

His class was in shock.

"Ojiro, are you sure?," Ida asked, "This is a rare chance for you to get scouted."

"It wouldn't feel right," Ojiro said, "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle. One minute I was talking with Shinso, the next I hear the battle's already over and our team had taken third place."

Midoriya looked over to Shinso.

'I remember the roster saying that his Quirk is called Brainwashing. Does that have something to do with it?'

"I've already thought it through," Ojiro said, "Everyone else gave it their all while I was just someone's puppet. I don't want to advance if I don't even know how I got here. It'd feel too cheap, even if I proved myself in the final round."

Shoda approached as well.

"I think it would be best if I dropped out as well. This isn't how I wanted to get here. It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot."

Midnight sighed.

"That sort of talk is incredibly naive... But I can see your minds are made up. That does mean we'll have to move up two students from the other teams based on performance."

The judges made a call, and decided on Goto and Tetsutetsu to move forward, since their teams were the most proactive during the cavalry battle and they were the two team leaders.

"This is a divine gift for you," Shiozaki said, holding her classmates hands, "Make good use of it."

With that decided, the first bracket was announced by lottery.

Izuku Midoriya vs Hitoshi Shinso

Shoto Todoroki vs Hanta Sero

Denki Kaminari vs Mayumi Goto

Tenya Ida vs Mei Hatsume

Yuga Aoyama vs Mina Ashido

Fumikage Tokoyami vs Momo Yaoyorozu

Eijiro Kirishima vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Katsuki Bakugo vs Ochaco Uraraka

"SERIOUSLY!," Kirishima and Tetsutetsu called out, "HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING!?"

"We're on opposite ends of the bracket," Bakugo said to Midoriya, "You'd better climb your way to the top, Deku. Cuz I'll be waiting for you there."

Midoriya nodded with a smile.

"You too, Kacchan."

"You're the first match going in," Bakugo noted, "Against Shinso. Better give the crowd a good show. And hey... Looks like you might be fighting Todoroki next."

"Izuku Midoriya," Shinso said.

"Shinso, right?," Midoriya said, not even flinching.

His Danger Sense had already picked up Shinso's presence. Not menacing, but certainly hostile.

"Looks like you might get your chance to enter the hero course even if you can't beat any of us. Monoma from Class 1-B had a poor showing and is displaying poor sportsmanship."

"Well, that's that goal handled if you're right," Shinso said, "But I still need to prove myself a little more. What Bakugo mentioned before the festival really rattled me. Now I need to prove to myself just how useful my Quirk can be in combat. And holding my own against the class valedictorian should get the right kind of attention."

Midoriya noted something.

"Your Quirk is turned off. I can sense it. Ojiro said he was talking to you before he blacked out. So your Quirk activates when someone responds to you, but you can control when it activates."

"You figured it out from just one conversation?," Shinso realized, "I'd heard you were top of your class, but that's just amazing."

He looked up at the bracket.

"While I think I might be able to beat you... I don't like my chances if I have to go up against Todoroki. I've seen how powerful he is."

"We'll see," Midoriya said, "I've never tried my Quirk against mental anomalies before, so I don't know how my brain will respond."

Once the side games finished and the final competitors had been given time to prep, Cementoss used his Cement Quirk to create an arena for the competitors to battle in.

"Alright, sports fans!," Present Mic called out, "Are you ready? Cuz the final tournament is about to begin!"

The crowd cheered as Midoriya and Shinso waited in opposite wings.

"Let's introduce our first two fighters!," Present Mic called out, "First, our class valedictorian! He's arguably one of the strongest heroes-in-training the world's ever seen, and the smartest too! He can heal from any injury and he embodies the phrase 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'! Give it up for... Izuku Midoriya!"

Midoriya walked out to uproaring applause, giving some time to wave to his mom and his teachers.

"Next we have a student from general studies!," Present Mic called out, "But given his amazing performance so far there's talk that he might be bumped up to the hero course! Keep your mouth shut around him, or you might wake up in a cell! Introducing... Hitoshi Shinso!"

Shinso walked out, a look of determination on his face.

"The rules are simple," Present Mic said, "Full use of Quirks or Objects of Power is authorized, so long as it doesn't endanger your opponent's life. To win you must either immobilize your opponent, take them out of the ring, or force them to cry uncle. And for anyone who's not Midoriya, we have Recovery Girl on standby for any injuries."

"It's a strange world we live in where a problem child is the only one who we don't have to worry about," Aizawa noted.

"Hey, in our current world," Present Mic said, "'Strange' takes on a new meaning."

Shinso smirked.

"So you can just give up, huh? That makes it a test of spirit. That monkey was going on about his pride earlier, but I just think he's an idiot for throwing away his chance like that."

Midoriya got so angry about a classmate of his being insulted that he ignored his Danger Sense going off.

"Don't you talk about him like that!"

He started forward, but suddenly felt his body go stiff. He could still move, but it was like he was moving through molasses. Shinso's eyes went wide.

"Well I'll be damned... He can even recover from brainwashing..."

Chapter Text

Endeavor breathed a sigh of relief.

'When I saw the match-up I was concerned. Someone with a mental Quirk must surely have an advantage over a regenerator like Midoriya. Especially since his unbreakable skull implies his brain is a weak point. But it seems even his brain has defenses should anything bypass that skull.'

"He's certainly full of surprises," came the voice of the hero next to him.

Endeavor looked over to the see the lizard-skinned hero.

"Regenizard. I see you've been eyeing that boy from that beginning."

"His Quirk is similar to my own in many ways," Regenizard noted, "My sister Elle-Ate has been keeping her eye out as well. The entrance exam needs to be refined, though. Shinso is clearly far stronger than he appears."

"The entrance exam caters only to those with physical Quirks," Endeavor said, "It's foolish, and leaves many notable individuals unable to excel simply because they can't bash around villains. That's why they added the idea of hidden rescue points, and remodeled the robots so they could be manually shut down. Even so... Some students fall through the cracks, simply because the way their Quirk works leaves it difficult to grade them."

"How is Young Midoriya able to resist the brainwashing?," All Might wondered, "I knew he was vulnerable to oxygen deprivation, but..."

"His brain may still need oxygen to function," Nezu said, "But beyond that it can still regenerate itself if need be. The fluid cushioning it's encased in can be overcome with a strong enough force, after all. And for times when someone possesses a mental Quirk, his brain can compensate for getting scrambled by creating new neural pathways. It takes a while to kick in, though."

Midoriya felt sluggish, fighting against the Brainwashing. He had to admit, learning that not even mental powers could stop him was shocking.

'I guess this means I only have one real weakness after all. But still... I have to find some way to break free, or Shinso will just keep away from me until he can find a chance to attack.'

He remembered something Ojiro had told him.

"Just before the end of the cavalry battle, I bumped in Shiozaki while Shinso was taking her team's headband. That seemed to break me out of the stupor I was in. I don't know how much of a shock it would take break his spell, though. And you can't count on that in a one-on-one match."

'Maybe most people can't,' Midoriya thought, 'But I can...'

He thought back to when he first got One For All on Dagoba beach. The first time he tried to throw a punch, it had critically injured his arm. He still had limited movement, so he just might have a chance.

'I'll focus all my power into my arm again. I can snap out of it, and showcase how my Quirk works at the same time.'

With a mighty roar, he thrust his arm to the ground, his gym uniform tearing apart at the sleeve as the full force of One For All ripped through it. His arm was in intense pain, but the damage was already healed and he felt his mind clear up instantly.

'Whoa!,' Present Mic called out, 'Midoriya just focused a crap ton of power into his arm to break out of the mind control! It looks like he's firing on all cylinders again!'

'A smart move,' Aizawa noted, 'He took advantage of his rapid healing and broke his own arm with every ounce of strength he had.'

"Check that out," Asahi said, "I was thinking this was when Midoriya unlocked Ancestor Speak, but it looks like he won't need it."

All Might nodded.

"He was able to break free of the brainwashing all on his own. And look at Young Shinso. He's completely flummoxed. Let's hope he's able to bounce back from this."

"How on earth where you able to even resist my Quirk?," Shinso asked.

But this time Midoriya knew not to answer. His Danger Sense was able to clue him in on when Shinso's Quirk was active.

'I have to get him talking again,' Shinso said, 'Or I'm never gonna win this.'

"I didn't know you had so much power in just your arm," he said, "I'm kinda jealous."

Midoriya didn't answer until he was already close up, and readying his attack.

"Kyoto Smash!"

"Ah, shit...," Shinso said.

An answer was still an answer, but while he could stop movement with it, he couldn't stop inertia. And Midoriya had been launching an open palm strike with his left hand, only shouting his attack once it was already too late for him to freeze. The shockwave from the attack rippled through the air, knocking Shinso right out of the arena. He landed hard on his back, his sudden dazed state canceling his Quirk and letting Midoriya take a breath of relief. Midnight brought up her hand.

"And by way of ring out, the winner is... Izuku Midoriya!"

Shinso got up and rubbed his stomach.

"Nice shot. If you had timed it differently, I might have been able to stop your breathing."

"Your Quirk is certainly something else," Midoriya said.

"Yeah, well, a lot of my teachers didn't think so," Shinso said, "While my classmates thought my Quirk was cool, my teachers thought it was better suited as a villain's Quirk."

"That's stupid," Midoriya said, "There's no such thing as a 'villain's Quirk'. Sure, things like super strength can be seen as heroic... Until it's used to murder people or tear down buildings. On the flip side, something like brainwashing could be used to contain villains. Say you were bursting into a villain lair. What's the first thing you say with your Quirk active?"

Shinso blinked.

"Uh... Pizza delivery?"

"And the second every villain yells 'get him'," Midoriya said, "You've suddenly beaten them all at once and can walk them to the nearest police station."

Shinso was surprised. Very few people had every told him his Quirk could be useful for hero work, yet this kid just explained a scenario that could only be described as such.

"I always thought the students of Class 1-A were just stuck-up brats."

"With a teacher like Aizawa?," Midoriya pointed out, "That sort of class would be expelled on Day One. If anything, Class 1-A has more pressure put on them because of higher standards. Being a hero isn't about the power you have or the costume you use... It's about working to save people and bringing them hope."

Shinso smiled as he closed his eyes.

"It seems we're more alike than I thought. We both want to be heroes because of our dreams. I wish I could have had a friend like you in middle school. Then I might already be sitting in the hero course."

"I dunno," Midoriya said, "I think you just got the wrong teachers."

He pointed to the rest of the general studies course, who were already cheering for him. Many of the pro heroes were also noting how useful Shinso's Quirk was for hero work. In fact, many of them felt his shortcoming wasn't his Quirk, but his lack of real combat experience. For the first time in his life, Shinso had people encouraging him.

Nezu was also thinking.

"So we have one student from the general studies course that has the true spirit of a hero, and one from the hero course that is far too full of envy for his peers."

He turned to Vlad King.

"What do you think, Seki?"

Vlad King's real name was Sekijiro Kan. He nodded at Nezu.

"I think we may have to consider a change in the class roster."

Monoma felt a shiver go his spine.

"Why does it feel like someone stepped on my grave...?"

"Deku, that was amazing!," Uraraka said.

"You were able to power through Shinso's Brainwashing," Ida said, "And you made excellent use of your own Quirk."

"What was up with the sumo slap?," Bakugo asked, "First a Rider Kick, now this?"

"I wanted to create a fighting style inspired by All Might," Midoriya explained, "But still my own. And since All Might uses attacks named after US states, I studied Japanese history to make use of attacks named after Japanese prefectures. Like how many sumo matches are featured in Kyoto."

Bakugo nodded.

"Makes sense. But man, finding out you can even resist mental powers. Looks like you only have to worry about possibly drowning or being suffocated."

Todoroki was walking through the halls to his first match.

'I should have known Midoriya would win.'

He stopped when he saw his father standing in the hall.

"What do you want?"

"Can't a father be there to cheer on his son?," Endeavor asked, "But that's not the answer you're seeking. Shoto, you saw how much power Midoriya was able to put into his fight. If you truly hope to overcome him, you can't hold yourself back. Stop thinking of your fire as mine just because I say I gave it you. It's still yours in the end. And you're only hurting yourself by not using it."

He walked off.

"Your ice is your own as well, not just your mother's. This childish rebellion of yours need to stop, or you'll never be the sort of hero who can excel. If I can't make you understand that, then I'm sure Midoriya or Bakugo can."

Todoroki clenched his fist.

"I don't care what you say... I will never give you the satisfaction of being what you want me to be."

Endeavor sighed.

"That's only because you mistake what I want you to be..."

'And we're ready for the second match-up of the tournament!,' Present Mic called out, 'First up we have a skilled and maneuverable young man! A hardware store's best friend and running villain's worst nightmare... Hanta Sero!'

Sero came out, stretching out his arms as he entered the ring.

'And his opponent is the icy-hot apprentice,' Present Mic said, 'So far he's only been showing half of what he can do, but let's see if he can show his full strength! Meet... Shoto Todoroki!'

The match began, and already Sero launched tape from his elbows, managing to tie up Todoroki and start throwing him around.

"Sero's making to give it his all," Ojiro noted.

"He's probably making as big a show as he can," Bakugo noted, "Against someone like Todoroki, he might not stand a chance, so he figures he might as well make a good impression."

Just then, a massive eruption occurred. Todoroki had made a massive glacier, so big that everyone was frozen. Though only Sero and Midnight were frozen because of the actual ice. Todoroki quickly thawed out Sero so that he wouldn't be in danger of frostbite.

"Sorry. I went too far with that. I was trying to show how much power I had, but I nearly forgot that we're not supposed to endanger each other's lives."

Cementoss sighed.

"I'll let this one slide since you worked to correct your error. Just make sure not to go that far again."

Another massive burst of energy was heard. This time it was Midoriya, smashing away the glacier with a powerful punch. The heroes working security had seen both events, and were flabbergasted at what had happened. Midnight was also able to thaw out.

"Since Cementoss has given his permit, this match is officially over by immobilization! The winner is Shoto Todoroki!"

"Thanks for warming things up, Deku," Uraraka said, still shivering.

"Yeah, just great," Mineta said, "Now if nobody minds... I need to pop over to the lockers and change my shorts."

Endeavor watched as the crowd tried to cheer up Sero.

'Shoto's power cannot be questioned, obviously. It's his control that I am concerned with. If he doesn't learn how to balance his Quirk... I fear I may lose a second son...'

"Todoroki could have endangered more than just Sero," Midoriya realized, "He's both angry and sad right now."

"You'll just have to beat that out of him in the second round," Bakugo pointed out, "A hero's allowed to be hurt emotionally... He just can't let it dominate his life..."

Chapter Text

"Sorry for the long wait, everyone!," Present Mic called out, "But we've finally cleared off the last of the ice! I gotta say, between the nail-biter that was Midoriya vs Shinso and the utter smack down that was Todoroki vs Sero, this is starting to shape up to be a one hell of a final tournament! Let's start off with our third bracket! She's the prodigy of Anderson Robotics! The support course sweetheart cyborg! Give it up for... Mayumi Goto!"

Goto walked up to the arena, and it was clear that Gyrfalcon was now working at full capacity.

"And her opponent!," Present Mic continued, "The boy with the electric personality! The human stun gun strong enough to give anime characters a run for their money! Here comes... Denki Kaminari!"

Goto did a few warm-up stretches.

"You hit me pretty good during the cavalry battle. But now that I know what I'm up against, I'm ready to show what my Gyrfalcon can really do!"

"Is that so?," Kaminari said.

Goto smirked.

"In fact... I'm so confident that if you can actually beat me I'll go on a date with you after the festival!"

Up in the stands, Hatsume did a face-fault.

"Goto! Just because you find the guy cute does not give you reason to be forward like that!"

"Now she's done it," Sero said.

Mineta nodded.

"Now that Kaminari has motivation, there's no way he's holding back."

Midnight raised her whip.

"And begin!," she called out.

"Ten Million Volt Firing!"

Kaminari launched his first attack, but Goto just leapt over it.

"I've calculated how wide your range is," she said, "And I know how long your cooldown is. I'll have this over in seconds!"

'That's the advantage of an Object of Power as opposed to a Quirk,' Aizawa noted, 'It can take months or even years to master a Quirk. But an Object of Power can be upgraded immediately, provided you have a good grasp of how it works.'

Goto waited until the electricity was out before landing.

'He's got a full half an hour of dumbness. Now I just have to grapple him and and--'

But the next second, she found herself completely blind and stumbling. She could no longer hear the crowd.

'Wha... What just happened!? I know Gyrfalcon didn't get hit by the shock!'

By the time her senses came to, the crowd was cheering. She blinked and saw Midnight coming over.

"Sorry, but you were immobilized and weren't able to respond, so I had to call it in Kaminari's favor."

'And here we see a clever strategy on Kaminari's part,' Aizawa said.

A replay was shown, and it shocked Goto. Kaminari was only dumbed down for a few seconds, meaning his actual voltage was not what he had been yelling out. Instead he hit her with a direct charge the second she landed, immobilizing with a direct current through Gyrfalcon.

'The reason why heroes call out special moves is so that civilians can get out of the way,' Aizawa said, 'But villains can just as easily recognize them and do the same. So when there's no fear of civilian casualties, heroes will often call out one move, but do a completely different one to throw off the villain. Kaminari did the same thing, knowing Goto would be expecting him to launch his strongest move right out of the gate in an effort to shut her down quickly. Instead he tricked her with a wide-range but weak attack.'

Goto was dumbstruck, her jaw dropped in shock.

"Kaminari may not have the best grades," Ashido said, "But he's no idiot."

"He took advantage of the fact that Goto might learn from their previous altercation," Sero said, "And made sure to modify his strategy."

Many of the heroes in the stands were talking.

"The Gyrfalcon shows lots of promise as a support item, but Goto herself lacks combat experience."

"Kaminari certainly showed exceptional strategy. His Quirk has notable range and variability for a variety of situations."

Meanwhile, Class 1-A noted someone mumbling, and realized that Midoriya was writing in his notebook again, talking about the strengths and weaknesses of Goto and Kaminari.

"I'm starting to see why you wear a mask with your costume," Uraraka said.

"Yeah," Midoriya said, "I had to fill out a whole other notebook for everyone in the hero course, as well as the two support course girls and Shinso."

He showed the notebook.

"I also have a few notes on your own Quirk. Maybe they'll help you in your match with Bakugo."

"You really think so?," Uraraka said.

But her attention was soon on the next match as Present Mic announced the next bracket.

'Next up we have the rocket speedster! Coming from a long line of heroes with turbine engines for organs! Give it up for... Tenya Ida!'

Tenya walked up to the arena, a look of determination on his face.

'And our second cutie from the support course! A fully-equipped gadget dynamo, ready to show her stuff! Let's hear it for... Mei Hatsume!'

Hatsume looked confused.

"Hey, where's the gear I offered you before the match?"

Ida adjusted his glasses.

"I know your intentions are to showcase the gear you created. But to be honest, I'm fine with that. It's fitting for the spirit of the Sports Festival, after all. We're all here to get attention for our chosen future. But don't you think the CEOs you're hoping to impress will think better of you if you offer a personal demonstration, rather than use someone else as a guinea pig? Don't just tell them about your products..."

He lowered his body, ready to fight.

"Show them what your children can do."

Hatsume was so busy processing what Ida had just said, that she was nearly unprepared as he dashed her at max speed. She quickly lowered her goggles and launched herself out of the way using her hydraulic attachments. Her system sensors let her detect where Ida was coming from, but with no way to predict the match she was flustered and scrambling for a solution.

"That's Hatsume for you," Goto said, shocking Kaminari by sitting next to him, "She's like the salarians from Mass Effect, always wanting to win a fight before it even begins."

"Um...," Kaminari muttered.

"What?," Goto said, "I owe you a date, remember?"

"Yeah, but that was after the festival," Kaminari pointed out.

"You don't get it, do you?," Jiro said, "She actually finds you attractive."

Kaminari was gobsmacked, and saw Sero and Mineta giving him a congratulatory thumbs-up.

Down below, Hatsume was trying to keep a step ahead of Ida.

"Well, if you don't want to use my super cute babies... Then I can always use them myself!"

She hit a switch, triggering a package to drop.

"It's a good thing I registered for my instant delivery cases just in case."

She donned herself with special gear to lighten her body and improve her stability. She then ran right at Ida using electromagnetic shoes to increase speed, and special gauntlets to improve punching power.

'I never intended to actually fight... But it looks like I'll have to in order to get noticed!'

Ida dodged the first blow and prepared to come in with a leg sweep, but Hatsume quickly pulled out a gun meant to fire capture nets, forcing him backward to avoid getting trapped. He didn't quite succeed, but was able get up and launched himself full force at Hatsume, catching her off-guard and causing her to land out of the ring.

"The winner by ring-out," Midnight announced, "Tenya Ida!"

Hatsume was stunned, but then her Zoom Quirk showed something. All the CEOs she had wanted to impress were talking excitedly. She quickly turned on her audio enhancer.

"Those gadgets seem very useful for hero work."

"It'd be easy to market them, especially to heroes struggling against villains."

"A few tweaks to her creations and she could easily be the next great support inventor."

Hatsume's eyes began to tear up, her smile widening. Ida was just getting out of the net when he was shocked by Hatsume leaping into his arms.

"Thank you for the wonderful advice!," she called out, right before landing a big kiss right on his lips.

"Ida's really been stepping out into the real world," Bakugo noted, "A year ago he would have totally fallen for Hatsume's trick."

"Didn't help that I pretty much warned him about it," Goto admitted, "Hatsume sees everyday like the next big sales pitch. If the big companies wanted to see that, they'd check out TV commercials. But I think she's found something that grabs her attention even more then her 'babies'."

Uraraka was a little worried.

"Something wrong, Occhan?," Midoriya asked.

"In the end only three of our group can move on," Uraraka said, "Since me and Bakugo are fighting at the end of the bracket."

'Let's move on to the next match!,' Present Mic called out, 'We have the sparkling laser boy, Yuga Aoyama! And the glamorous acid queen, Mina Ashido!'

"I'm kinda torn here," Mineta said, "On the one hand, I'd like to see Ashido's clothes get blasted off by that laser. But on the other hand, I love seeing strong and gorgeous females kick ass."

"Let me guess," Jiro said, "Your favorite video game character is Lara Croft."

"The real problem here is that Ashido and Aoyama were on the same team during combat training," Midoriya noted, "So they have a good idea of each other's Quirks. The difference is that Ashido can constantly produce acid from her bodily fluids, while Aoyama can only fire off his Navel Laser for so long before his stomach starts to hurt."

Sure enough, Ashido kept skating away from Aoyama until his constant bursts caused his stomach to start cramping.

"Here's my shot!"

She tossed a glob of acid, successfully hitting Aoyama's belt, not only shorting it out but causing his pants to fall down.

"Mon dieu!," Aoyama called out.

He tried to pull up his pants to preserve his dignity, but dignity was ultimately the least of his concerns as Ashido got close and nailed him with a hard uppercut to his chin.

"Winner by knockout," Midnight announced, "Mina Ashido!"

'What a spectacular finish!,' Present Mic called out, 'And now we're moving on to the sixth match! First we have the dark samurai, Fumikage Tokoyami! And our second recommendation student, the great creator who can literally pull anything from her body, Momo Yaoyorozu!'

"I'm a little worried about Momo," Todoroki said, "Her major problem is that she has self-esteem issues."

The rest of the class looked at him like his head had split into two different heads.

"Dude," Kirishima said, "Did you just call Yaoyorozu by her first name?"

As the match began, Yaoyorozu had a shocked look on her face.

"She also has a tendency to over-analyze just before a confrontation," Todoroki said, "Unlike Midoriya who makes sure his analysis is done before the fight even starts. Tokoyami by contrast has the advantage in what is essentially a second brain thanks to Dark Shadow."

Sure enough, Dark Shadow was keeping Yaoyorozu purely on the defensive, with her only real defense being the creation of simple shields that were knocked off after a few hard strikes. By the time she realized Tokoyami had stopped, she was already out of the ring. Todoroki looked at her devastated expression.

"She came here hoping to showcase her skills... Only to get beaten too easily."

Up in the stands, Foresight sighed.

"I knew she'd have that look. She needs to learn to be spontaneous. I think I might be able to help with that..."

"And here comes the only likely draw in the entire tournament," Bakugo said, as he noticed Kirishima and Tetsutetsu being called up next.

He got up to get ready for his own match.

"I dunno," Mineta said, "Their Quirks may seem similar on the surface, but... Hey, Midoriya, what's the call?"

Midoriya was already scribbling notes down, only looking up to wish Uraraka luck as she headed down to wait the next match.

'It won't be long before those two knuckleheads finally have to call the match,' Bakugo thought, doing a few warm-up stretches, 'And knowing Deku, he'll make sure Uraraka is armed with a better knowledge of both my Quirk, and hers.'

He got up.

"Though I hope she brings her own strength to this fight. I'd hate to be remembered as the guy who gets booed for picking on a weak girl."

'Both fighters down!,' he heard Midnight call out over the intercom, 'It's a draw!'

"Called it," Bakugo said, "Guess it's time to face the music."

He headed out to the arena as the fighters were announced by Present Mic.

'And for the final bracket, we have the girl who can defy gravity, Ochaco Uraraka! And the bombastic blaster with a fiery temper, Katsuki Bakugo! Let the eighth match... Begin!'

Chapter Text

"Remember, Occhan," Midoriya said, "This is your chance to showcase your own skills instead of just relying on me. The same way Ida did when he fought against Hatsume. Don't just rely on one strategy. Be bombastic. Showcase how versatile your Quirk is. I've no doubt Kacchan will be giving it his all, so you need to do that same. Asahi promised you a chance to intern with her if you make a good showing. So win or lose, you have a chance to fulfill your dream by showing what you can do."

This was the real advice Midoriya had given Uraraka before the final bracket of the first round, where she would be facing off against Bakugo.

"Hey," Bakugo said before the match started, "I don't know what kind of advice Deku gave you. But whatever he said, remember to give it everything you have. I still intend to be the one standing at the winner's podium in the end, but it'll feel like a crappy win if I'm handed an easy victory. On the other hand, I won't feel so bad if I lost because my opponent gave it everything they had."

Uraraka nodded in understanding.

'He just likes the fight. Winning or losing doesn't matter so long as he come away satisfied. However...'

"Why did you decided to become a hero if you like fighting so much?," Uraraka asked.

"Aizawa asked me the same thing," Bakugo said, "I could have easily just become a prize fighter and cashed in on my powerful Quirk. But when Deku started going on about how explosions could just as easily help civilians escape being trapped under things like crumbled buildings or wrecked cars, I decided I'd be the sort of hero who could prove that any Quirk can save people."

Up in the stands, a female hero with bunny ears felt said ears twitch when she heard Bakugo's declaration.

Present Mic called out, 'Let the eighth match begin!'

The two students rush at each other.

'If Uraraka hits me directly,' Bakugo noted, 'She can easily send me out of bounds by removing my gravity. If I can stun her with an early shot, I might be able to shut her down quick.'

He tended to open up his fights with a large right hook, but by now that move was getting predictable. So instead he opened up with a sweeping under-strike, triggering his Quirk immediately. The massive amount of smoke left him unsure if he nailed Uraraka or not.

"Where's she coming from?," he muttered.

He saw the image of a gym uniform flying out of the smoke.

"Got you!"

He launched another attack, but was shocked when he found himself touching ground. It turned out Uraraka had ditched the top part of her uniform, leaving her with only her tank top and pants, and thrown it using her Quirk to get the drop on Bakugo. It nearly worked, but Bakugo had been honing his combat instincts through years of rigorous training, and managed to blast her back.

"I need to finish this fast," he realized as he looked at the ground, "Every explosion I create makes ammo for Uraraka to use against me."

Uraraka kept up the strategy of moving in close, then backing out of the way using her Quirk as Bakugo created more and more craters in the arena.

Up in the stands, Endo Hound's thermal vision was nearly blinded by the heat from the blasts, but she could still make out Uraraka just barely.

"She's giving it all she's got, in spite of an overwhelming opponent."

In spite of the odds, she smiled.

"But I can tell what her strategy is. It's effective, Occhan, but you need to improve your stamina. I can already see your body heat radiating off you."

One pro started uproaring the crowd into booing Bakugo for seemingly unheroic actions, until Aizawa called him out over the mic.

'If that's the attitude you're going to have, then I suggest you look into a different career. Bakugo's fierceness is in acknowledgement of his opponent's strength and determination. He knows full well that she deserves to have made it this far, so he's trying to keep her at arm's length.'

Regenizard stood up.

"Eraser Head is absolutely right! In battle one cannot underestimate their opponent! It's folly to assume anyone could be weak based on looks alone!"

Endeavor joined him.

"I agree! If anything, Bakugo is far more of a hero than any of you who simply see him as a cowardly bully! And Uraraka is pouring every ounce of her determination and drive into this match! This is a contest of equals, and only a fool would believe otherwise!"

Several more heroes around them stood up and agreed, some cheering on Bakugo, some encouraging Uraraka.

"Glad to see someone gets it," Bakugo said, seeing Uraraka still standing in spite of how many blows she had taken, "Anyone who can take one of my full-power explosions and still stand can't be considered weak or defenseless."

Uraraka smirked.

"I think it's right about time. You were probably expecting me to try this, but the problem is... That kept you laser-focused on taking me out."

"I can't believe the pros that were booing earlier didn't notice," Shinso said, "But it looks like some of them did."

"I almost didn't realize it myself," Midoriya said, "Uraraka, you really found a good strategy. She kept her body low, forcing Bakugo to tear up the floor of the ring. He likely realized what she was thinking, but instead of trying to stop it, he focused everything on trying to take her out quickly, which only made her plan easier."

Those that noticed had their eyes on the sky, where thousands of pieces of debris were floating in midair. In an instant, Uraraka brought them all down in a meteor shower. At the same time, she rushed at Bakugo, hoping to overwhelm him from two different angles.

"You almost had me, Uraraka!," Bakugo said, holding his arm up, "But I still have one last move I can try! Burst Impact!"

With one hand on the other wrist, he combined the sweat to create and explosion strong enough to deflect the debris field, while the blast wave knocked Uraraka back hard. She was still able to pick herself up, but only barely. Bakugo held his wrist in pain, the skin charred.

"This ultimate move fries the sweat glands in one hand, but creates a powerful explosion similar to the Hindenburg disaster without the thermonuclear energy."

He rubbed his wrist.

"Truth be told I'm amazed you're still standing after all that. We're both on our last legs right now, so let's end this thing with one final brawl!"

Uraraka stumbled to her feet and tried to run at Bakugo, but to no avail. She felt herself black out as she collapsed to the ground, stopping Bakugo as he started to charge. But he noticed her still trying to get up.

"Damn... She won't give up until the very end..."

He called out to the crowd.

"You see that, you prejudiced bastards!? That right there is a real hero! One who refuses to give up, even when her own body tells her she can't go on! You still think I'm just picking on her!? That she's so weak that she needs help making it this far!?"

That was the last thing Uraraka heard as she blacked out once again. Midnight came over to check on her.

"Uraraka is officially knocked out. The winner of the final bracket is Katsuki Bakugo!"

Bakugo nodded as the crowed cheered, moved by his speech and Uraraka's determination.

Uraraka woke up in the medical area, Recovery Girl having healed her injuries. Asahi was standing there.

"That was amazing work, Occhan. Even though you didn't win, you made people realize what a true hero is all about. Even if some the pros in the stands needed that kick in the pants from Bakugo to realize it. Looks like I won't be the only one sending you an offer."

Uraraka smiled.

"I almost had it back there. I didn't think Bakugo was saving a special move like that."

"I was hoping to save it for Deku," Bakugo said.

He was sitting on the other bed, Recovery Girl healing his burned out skin.

"The next time you pull off a bone-headed move like that," she said, "I'd recommend waiting until you can use it without injuring yourself. You can't heal yourself the way Midoriya can."

Speaking of Midoriya, he and Ida entered the room.

"That was fantastic work," Ida said, "For a moment I didn't realize you had a plan in mind, Uraraka."

"I knew I couldn't just race at Bakugo and tag him out of the arena," Uraraka said, "He'd see it coming easily."

"You really proved yourself out there," Midoriya said, "There's still some top-level heroes singing your praises. Including one that has an actual song-based Quirk."

He surprised Uraraka with a big hug.

"What you did just now was amazing. I don't care if you lost... You proved yourself a real hero."

Uraraka teared up as she returned the hug.

Recovery Girl let them be for a few moments before saying, "Alright now, give her some time to rest. She still needs a bit before she's back to full capacity."

"So I guess you're up next then, right Deku?," Bakugo said, "You'll finally be able to put rec boy in his place."

"Actually, first the judges need to resolve the draw between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu," Ida clarified, "The panel has decided to settle it with an arm wrestling match."

Uraraka's phone rang, with the number showing up as her father's.

"And here comes the downside. I know what my parents think of me, but I know I still have a way to go."

"We have three whole years to improve, and longer," Midoriya assured her, "This is only the beginning."

Meanwhile out in the arena, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were having their arm wrestling match. It was here the difference in their Quirks was starting to stand out. Tetsutetsu was about pure offense, but his Quirk could be drained from too much exertion. Meanwhile Kirishima seemed more suited to defense, and his Quirk had a set time limit. This gave Kirishima the advantage when Tetsutetsu overextended, causing his metal casing to crack and letting Kirishima pin him to the mat. In spite of his victory, Kirishima still offered Tetsutetsu a hand up.

"That was one heck of a manly contest. You put up a good fight."

Tetsutetsu smirked and accepted the help.

"Next time I'll make sure to add more iron in my breakfast. Without that metal deficiency, I could have gone on a little longer."

'And with that we have a full roster for the next round!,' Present Mic called out, 'We'll be getting in a quick break, then opening up with the first bracket of Round Two!'

As Midoriya walked up to the arena, he was surprised to run into Endeavor.

"You're Izuku Midoriya, yes? I can see why All Might chose you to succeed him. You share a similar sense of justice."

"I hope you're not here to force me to throw the match," Midoriya said.

"That would be irresponsible," Endeavor assured him, "Not to mention it would be one more thing to add to the pile that Shoto hates me for. Rather... I'm expecting you to win. Or to at least force my son to acknowledge his Quirk as his own and use its full power."

That caught Midoriya by surprise.

"Why would you want your own son to lose?"

"I've both coddled him too much and been too harsh on him at the same time," Endeavor explained, "As such, he has no concept of the real world. The only reason he accepted a recommendation is because he thought it was no different from the entrance exam. That's what set off warning bells for me. He no longer listens to me, and I fear it's hampering his potential as a hero."

"I've already tried speaking with him," Midoriya said, "It doesn't seem to have sunk in."

"If words were enough, I could ask anyone to convince him," Endeavor clarified, "No, he needs to have reality beaten into him."

He started to walk off.

"This is a place for those to showcase their skills to the fullest. Make sure Shoto understands this. Don't hold back. Go for the win, even if you have to force him off the bracket. I had to claw my way to the Number Two spot twice over, and he should understand what that's like."

"The crowd's going wild in anticipation!," Present Mic called out, "This first fight of the second round is bound to be epic! First we have the guy who literally won by a landslide, leaving half the audience frozen! Give it up for... Shoto Todoroki!"

The crowd cheered as Todoroki entered the arena.

"And next we have the guy who's not afraid to put his body on the line!," Present Mic called out, "And why would he be when any injury heals in a flash!? Not even an attack on the mind can seem to stop him! Let's hear it for... Izuku Midoriya!"

Midoriya stepped into the arena and glared at Todoroki.

"So here we are at least," Todoroki said, "And this time it's just one-on-one."

Midoriya nodded.

"You'd better be prepared to use your entire Quirk this time, Todoroki. Because if you don't... I will be winning this fight."

Chapter Text

Rei Todoroki held her young son Shoto tight as he cried.

"But honey," she said, "You do still want to be a hero, right? Just remember... Stay true to yourself."

Todoroki snapped out of it.

'I'd forgotten so much of Mom's words... But as soon as Midoriya made his declaration, I couldn't help it. I wound up slipping back into old memories.'

'These two heroes-in-training are the top dogs at Class 1-A!,' Present Mic called out, 'Midoriya's been the major front-runner for the majority of the Sports Festival, but Todoroki has proven that he's not about to be left in the dust! Only one can move on to claim the next bracket! Now... Begin!'

Todoroki quickly launched an ice flurry, but Midoriya was already pulling his arm back.

"Predictable, Todoroki! Shibuya Smash!"

With a massive shock wave from his punch, Midoriya stopped the ice flow and shattered the oncoming glacier. Todoroki quickly put his guard up as the ice shards came flying right back at him.

'Damn it!,' Todoroki thought, 'Midoriya's too strong. Will I really need to close the distance in order to win? But even then he'll have the advantage due to his greater strength.'

'And Midoriya opens up with a massive attack that stops Todoroki's ice in its tracks!,' Present Mic called back, 'What an intense power!'

'Midoriya's Regeneration Quirk isn't just about healing his body,' Aizawa added, 'Over time damage done to his body has stockpiled power slowly but surely. He's even trained with Bakugo, a long-time school friend of his, to accelerate the process. In both the entrance exam for the UA and the Quirk Assessment Test, Midoriya scored highest, proving his physical superiority.'

"And that was with only 25% of One For All's full power," All Might muttered, "By the time he's able to fully control it, he'll be even stronger than me. But then again, that's the whole point of One For All."

Midoriya continued to barrel through Todoroki's ice using only supersonic punches, any scratches from ice shards or hypothermia fading in seconds.

"I may still have a shot at this," Todoroki said, "His Regeneration likely takes heavy amounts of calories to maintain, so his endurance might not be that large."

He had already set up a small ice wall behind him in an effort to keep from being blown out of the ring. Midoriya rolled his shoulder.

'Todoroki's likely trying to win by endurance. I have enough control of One For All that I can counter his ice for a long time, but I do still have a limit to my endurance. Meanwhile he can keep generating ice so long as he remembers to heat himself up every so often to counter the hypothermia.'

Kirishima returned to the stands with the rest of the class.

"Phew, glad I didn't miss it. How are they doing?"

"Todoroki's still just launching ice attacks," Bakugo said, "But it's like throwing stones at a brick wall. Deku's just smashing his way through each ice storm. He made sure to tank up during lunch, and he only lost a small portion of his energy healing from when he broke out of Shinso's brainwashing. He won't be slowing down for a while."

"I'll have to remember that for when I fight him," Kirishima said.

Bakugo smirked.

"Dream on, Kirishima. Don't forget you have to beat me first. And there's no way you'll be getting past me."

"Yeah, you and Todoroki can fire off shot after shot without pausing," Sero said.

"It's not that easy," Bakugo corrected him, "We all have our limits. My costume is designed the way it is so I can launch bigger explosions than my body can normally handle. You saw how charred my hand was after I fired off my special attack. Plus I can only produce so much sweat before I start to dehydrate. Same with Deku. The bigger the injury he has to heal, the more stamina he uses up. Don't forget that Quirks are physical abilities too, and they can get overextended in the same way as pulling a muscle."

"Yeah, I can see that," Kirishima said, "Midoriya barely looks winded, but Todoroki's just getting more frustrated. He was probably hoping for a quick resolution, but Midoriya's not even giving him the option."

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere just launching ice, Todoroki decided to go on the offensive, creating an ice sheet to run across. Midoriya responded by leaping into the air, coming down with a flying kick.

"Chuo Smash!"

"Got you!," Todoroki said, firing off more ice to try and trap Midoriya.

Midoriya wasn't phased, turning his body for a spinning move.

"Okinawa Smash!"

Todoroki grunted as a sudden cyclone tore apart his ice flow.

"He switched up attacks in mid-air!?"

He was able to stop his flight by using another ice barrier.

Up in the stands, the pro heroes were talking excitedly.

"These kids are already better than the average pro."

"How is it only one of them got a recommendation? I certainly would have recommended Midoriya if I knew about him."

Midoriya popped his shoulders as he recovered.

"I wasn't expecting to have to change my attack like that. I wasn't prepared, so I got a little sloppy. I notice you're shaking, Todoroki. Either you're reaching your limit... Or I'm starting to make you nervous."

'I know I could handle this better if I used that damned fire Quirk,' Todoroki thought, 'But he's watching right now. I can see his disappointed face. But I won't give him the satisfaction... Even if I have to lose. But I don't intend to lose at all. One overwhelming shot... I know Midoriya is weak to oxygen deprivation. If I can trap him for even ten seconds, that alone should be enough.'

He mustered every ounce of power in his right side and fired off a huge glacier.

'Looks like Todoroki's trying to end this right here and now!,' Present Mic realized, 'But can Midoriya find a way to beat this overwhelming surge of power!?'

Midoriya didn't seem phased at all. He just took a deep breath and pulled back his hands.

"Kyushu Smash!"

With a massive clap, Midoriya completely disintegrated the glacier, barely leaving any shards. The force of the clap was so strong Todoroki nearly found himself going out of bounds, just barely able to stop himself with an ice cushion.

"You're starting to tremble even more now," Midoriya noted, "You're so focused on attacking me, that you've forgotten your Quirk is still a physical ability. Normally you wait until a battle is over before using any sort of heat to warm your body up so you don't suffer hypothermia. But you stubbornly refuse to do so during a fight, no matter how practical it would be."

He clenched his fist as he glared.

"Even after seeing how much Uraraka and Bakugo put into their fight... How much Yaoyorozu struggled against Tokoyami's attack... You still insist on only using half your Quirk? Do you really think I'm going to let you move on in this tournament, let alone take the number one spot, by only half-assing it? We even have students from other courses putting in more effort than you!"

Todoroki grimaced.

"There's no way you'll only be able to beat me with ice alone!," Midoriya declared, "So come at me with all you've got, or you're going to lose this! And your father won't even mind!"

'So that's it,' All Might realized, 'He's trying to enrage Todoroki to the point where he forgets himself... And is forced to rely on instinct.'

Sure enough, Midoriya had succeeded in pressing the right buttons. Todoroki was so angry that he rushed at Midoriya. But he seemed to be slower than normal.

'I'll put everything I have into one close-range blast!,' he thought, 'There's no way he'll be able to dodge!'

But the second he lifted his right foot in close-quarters, Midoriya had already unleashed Blackwhip. Todoroki felt himself get pulled in faster than he realized, just as Midoriya landed a solid blow right to his midsection.

"Damn it!," Todoroki called out.

By now he was starting to slow up, while Midoriya showed no sign of even being slightly winded.

'His instincts are letting him predict my every attack, and his strength let's him barrel on through. His sweat is already vaporizing to block my sight, and his blood stings when it strikes. Izuku Midoriya... Just how much power do you really have?'

By now Midoriya was striking through the ice using Blackwhip at full capacity, pushing Todoroki back more and more.

"Why not just end it already?," he demanded, "You obviously have enough power to."

"Because I'm not like you," Midoriya said, "I'm trying to live up to the expectations set before me. To live up to All Might's name, and smile in a way that brings people hope. And more than anything else... I want to inspire others to be at their very best. To that end, I'll do whatever it takes to be a hero! So I'll give it my all, just like you should be!"

He plowed another fist right into Todoroki's midsection, sending him back a bit.

"We both come from different backgrounds," Midoriya noted, "So I can't possibly imagine how terrible your life must have been. But if all you care about is rejecting your father by using only half your real power... Then you don't deserve to be number one at anything!"

Todoroki gasped at Midoriya's words. Thoughts of the rough training he did under his father went through his mind, as well as the reminder that Midoriya endured far worse.

'Could it be that... Father was only putting me through what he thought I could actually take?'

His mother's words echoed in his mind.

"That's why... You can be the kind of hero you want to be growing up."

He remembered that which caused his mother to snap in the first place as Midoriya sent him flying once more. This was before Endeavor had realized he had gone too far. He never allowed Todoroki the chance for friends, believing his son to be destined for a far greater position. Rei had called her mom on the night of the incident, voicing concerns that her children were starting to become like Endeavor. She had been unable to look at Shoto without seeing Enji, and she felt like she couldn't raise her children anymore. When Shoto had asked what Rei was even saying, that's what caused her to snap. Shoto had always blamed his father, and still did. He started to get up.

"I will reject you...," he muttered, "I refuse... To use your left side..."

"It's your left side, Shoto!," Midoriya called out in anger, "This is your Quirk, not Endeavor's!"

Todoroki looked up in shock.

"I once saw an interview from All Might," Midoriya said, "And while he did admit that it was common for children to inherit their Quirk from their parents, he also made it clear that a Quirk is what you make of it. You must have seen that same interview, right?"

Todoroki got up. He had indeed seen that same interview. It was the very reason his mother had told him to stay true to himself, and be the hero he wanted to be.

"Right now Endeavor isn't your opponent," Midoriya said, "I am. So you'd better fight the enemy in front of you!"

That was the final trigger Todoroki needed. His left side heated up, and flames finally started surging forward. Midoriya smiled, seeing the massive inferno finally start to spring forth.

Endeavor was also smiling.

"Thank you, Midoriya, for reminding Shoto of the mother who cared for him."

"I can't believe you'd help an opponent," Todoroki said, the ice on his left side finally thawing out, "Are you a fool or something?"

Midoriya shrugged.

"I don't see it as helping an opponent. I see it as saving someone who needs help."

Todoroki smiled.

"Well, thanks for that. But you've still made a big mistake screwing around. After all... I've remembered why I want to be a hero."

"That's it, boy," Endeavor said, "Remember that you are not just my own son. You have your mother's power as well. That combined makes this Quirk yours and yours alone."

With fire and ice combined, Todoroki launched himself full force at Midoriya. Midoriya smirked, letting One For All flow throughout his body.

"I may have been screwing around to help you! But now that I've succeeded... I can truly give it everything I've got! Plus Ultra!"

The surge of fire and wind energy hit each other hard. Todoroki threw up an ice shield to protect himself.

"Did that do it?"

At first he couldn't see, but then gasped. The skeletal visage of Midoriya came right through the flames, his face quickly regaining its flesh as he kept barreling through.

"Kinda forgot to mention," Midoriya said, "I intended to win right from the start. Shibuya Smash!"

With one final attack at close range, Todoroki was sent flying right into the back wall of the stadium. His body was wracked with pain, but he'd never felt more alive.

"And Todoroki is out of the ring!," Midnight announced, "The winner is... Izuku Midoriya!"

The crowd cheered as Midoriya raised up his fist, the rest of his body regenerating until he was fully intact once more.

"Man, that was one intense fight!," Shigaraki said, "I never imagined heroes could be so awesome!"

Teruteru smiled.

"He held back just enough to draw out the fight and coax Todoroki into releasing himself from his promise. Then once he accomplished his goal... He went in for the win."

He turned to Shigaraki.

"Make sure to watch Midoriya carefully. He is to be your arch-nemesis as a true villain."

Shigaraki nodded.

"Of course."

He was starting to like Teruteru more than his Sensei.

Chapter Text

The pro heroes were still talking about the craziness of the quarter-final.

"Midoriya just rushed through those flames like they meant nothing to him. He's fearless without being reckless."

"Considering his Quirk he can afford to take risks like that. But his control over his body is incredible."

"Why do I get the feeling I've seen those whips before?"

"It was already explained that he's using the blood in his veins. Probably why they're so dark colored."

"Todoroki put up an impressive fight, too. We can't just consider him the son of Endeavor anymore. He's his own hero."

Up in Class 1-A's box, Bakugo grinned.

"You're poised to reach the finals, Deku. And I'll be there to meet you."

Meanwhile, Todoroki ran into his father again while heading back to the lockers.

"You did well out there, Shoto," Endeavor said, "I arranged to have Rei see your fight. Hopefully it will remind her that you're you, not me."

Todoroki was actually surprised.

"When did you decide to start acting like a real father?"

"When I learned how foolish it was to shelter you from the outside world," Endeavor explained, "To that end, I'm also recommending you to a number of other potent flame Quirk users as a sidekick. You'll likely learn far more from them than from me. If I teach you, it will only be a step backward."

He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"In truth, I told Midoriya that it was important that he beat you, or at least snap you out of your selfish rebellion. I can't blame you for hating me for everything I put you through, but I've learned long ago how much such negative emotions can only hold you back as a hero. Of course, it turns out he was planning to beat you either way. You still have a long way to go."

Todoroki allowed a smile to cross his face as he walked off.

"I'll be speaking with Mom once the festival is over."

Endeavor nodded.

"Of course. I'll let the hospital know. And Shoto..."

Todoroki stopped.

"I misspoke on that day when I called you a 'masterpiece'. I never should have implied that I was just molding you for my own benefit. In truth, you're the best son a father could ask for. The perfect combination or your mother and I, and even more."

Todoroki closed his eyes.

"It seems somewhere along the way I forgot that."

He headed off down the hall.

"Deku, that was awesome!," Uraraka called out, "You beat Todoroki!"

The rest of the class was also praising him.

"Talk about super manly!," Kirishima said, "Just powering through those flames!"

"The dark visage of your skull was almost like a death knell for Todoroki," Tokoyami said.

"You're really improving with your Quirk, ribbit," Asui added, "Then again, much like me it's not a Quirk that can be turned off."

"As expected of the man we chose as our class representative!," Ida said excitedly, "I'll need to make sure to meet you in the semi-finals so I can improve myself!"

"Hey, you'll have to get through me first," Kaminari reminded him.

"Honestly," Mineta said, "After that awesome display, I'd be disappointed if you didn't get the most recommendations out of all of us. There's probably hundreds of pros that want you as their sidekick now."

Koda nodded in agreement. A familiar jovial laugh rang out.

"I am here!," All Might called out, "Coming into the booth like a normal person!"

Sure enough, he had just walked inside.

"Amazing work during that match, Young Midoriya. You not only announced yourself to the world loud and clear, but you saved Young Todoroki from his greatest foe... Himself. Let this be something you all take home. Meddling where people otherwise don't want you is the essence of being a hero. Just because someone doesn't want to be saved, doesn't mean they don't need to be saved."

Once the arena was repaired following the intense battle, the matches continued with Ida versus Kaminari. Kaminari talked a big game earlier, but he was at a major disadvantage. Electricity was almost useless against a combustion engine, and the only reason Kaminari could even slow Ida down was due to said engine being organic and connected to the nervous system. But beyond that, Ida was able to unleash his Recipro Burst to outpace Kaminari's electricity, slamming into him hard enough to knock him out of the ring.

"Winner by ring out," Midnight announced, "Tenya Ida!"

The next fight was against Tokoyami and Ashido. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow had a clear advantage. Even with the amount of light out, Dark Shadow could easily evade Ashido's acidic ammo. She soon found herself getting pushed out of the ring.

"The winner is Fumikage Tokoyami!," Midnight announced.

Meanwhile, Recovery Girl was finishing up her healing of Todoroki.

"I'm glad you're finally comfortable with both sides of your Quirk, but you went too hard too fast. You're lucky to only get away with only first-degree burns. Not to mention I've been picking ice shards out of your body for several minutes."

"I guess that's karma reminding me that my promise was stupid," Todoroki decided.

"Whatever the case," Recovery Girl said, "You're all patched up and can go back to see the other fights. I'm sure you're curious as to how far Midoriya can go now. Honestly, I'm grateful for a boy like him. The only time I'll be seeing him in my office is when he's concerned about a classmate. Which might be often given how hard hero training is."

Meanwhile in the waiting rooms, Ida made a call on his phone.

"Tensei, are you there? It's me, Tenya."

'I am currently on a mission and cannot answer the phone,' came the reply.

It was Tensei's voicemail.

The mission Ingenium was on was a serious one. He found what he was looking for in a dark alley.

"There you are... Hero Killer!"

Meanwhile the Sport Festival was starting to heat up with the match between Kirishima and Bakugo. Kirishima's Hardening let him tank Bakugo's explosions, while still dealing some damage thanks to the rough skin.

"Not bad," Bakugo said, "But the more I sweat the more power I can unleash. You have to keep shifting between hard and soft in order to maintain your time limit. And remember, even if you beat me, you'll never beat Deku."

"We'll see about that," Kirishima said, "This arena gives me a major advantage. After all, if I can't knock an opponent out..."

He started throwing punches.

"I'll just push them out of the ring!"

Midoriya was up in the stands.

"He's actually got Kacchan on the defensive."

"Good, I didn't miss the fight," Ida said as he entered the box.

"Yeah," Midoriya said, "So what did you have to head to the waiting rooms for? It'll be a while before our own fight."

"I was hoping my brother Tensei might be watching from the stands," Ida admitted, "But I didn't see him after my last match. I tried calling him but it seems he's on a mission in the city. Still, this might be for the best. When we do talk, I can tell him about my success so far."

Down below, Bakugo finally found his opening. Kirishima had been overextending with his Quirk in order to keep on the offensive, which is what Bakugo was counting on. A few good shots and Bakugo had Kirishima down and out.

"And winner by way of knock out," Midnight announced, "Katsuki Bakugo!"

'And with semi-finals set,' Present Mic called out, 'We have our four fighters going into the third round! Midoriya, Ida, Tokoyami, and Bakugo!'

"That's our cue," Ida said, "Let's have a good match out there. We may be friends, but that's no reason to hold back."

Midoriya nodded.

"Just remember, I intend to meet Kacchan in the finals."

'And here we have our first semi-final match-up!,' Present Mic said, 'First we have an exciting up-and-comer! He's already beaten a member of one hero family, let's see if he can deliver a repeat performance! Izuku Midoriya! And his opponent, arguably a superior speedster, it's Tenya Ida!'

'I may be fast,' Ida said, 'But Midoriya did beat my time in the 50-meter dash during the Quirk Assessment Test. Not only does he have the added boost of One For All, his Regeneration coupled with a high pain tolerance let's him push his body to its absolute limit. Plus if he unleashes Smokescreen, I won't be able to run effectively. My only chance is to close the distance and try to force Midoriya out of the ring.'

'And start!,' Present Mic called out.

Almost immediately, both Ida and Midoriya seemed to vanish.

'Whoa! Can we even see them anymore!?'

'High-speed confirms neither of them are leaving the ring,' Aizawa said, 'But it's clear that both fighters are pushing their speed to its limit. Ida's Engine let's him run at speeds exceeding what humans are normally capable of. But Midoriya can do the same thanks to rapid healing and a high pain tolerance, letting him push his body to the very limits of its true strength.'

The two boys popped into view just long enough to strike with flying kicks.

"Recipro Burst!"

"Chuo Smash!"

The two attacks collided in midair.

"Once you use your ultimate move," Midoriya noted, "You have ten seconds before your engine stalls. I kept track of it during the cavalry battle. Meanwhile..."

He landed, and his twisted ankle, struck by Ida's kick, repaired quickly.

"I can constantly push myself further and farther."

He lunged forward and punched Ida in the chin.

"Not to mention you only use kicks to attack since it meshes with your Quirk. But it also makes you predictable."

He pulled back for a left hook.

"Sendai Smash!"

With powerful strike, Midoriya had Ida knocked down on the ground, long enough for his Engine to stall. Ida quickly realized he wasn't winning this fight, not with his Quirk unable to properly fire.

"I yield..."

"And Ida surrenders!," Midnight announced, "Our first finalist is officially Izuku Midoriya!"

Meanwhile, Ingenium was having troubles of his own, having just been taken out by the Hero Killer he was hunting, now lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Fame... Money... That's what all of you so-called heroes are really after."

He stomped on Ingenium's phone.

"You bastards are not heroes at all. But there is one exception..."

Blood dripped from his blade.

"He's the only one with permission to kill me. Only All Might is worthy."

Unaware of what had just happened, the Sports Festival continued with Tokoyami versus Bakugo.

'Tokoyami's Quirk almost seemed unbeatable,' Present Mic noted, 'But it looks like against someone with Bakugo's explosive power, Dark Shadow has finally met its match!'

Dark Shadow kept getting hit over and over by Bakugo's explosions.

"There's too much light from the blasts, Boss!," Dark Shadow said, "I can't muster up enough strength to attack!"

"We don't have time to recharge, either," Tokoyami said, "Not with how relentless Bakugo is. It looks like he's starting to get faster. Quick, launch an all-out attack!"

Dark Shadow took a massive swipe with all the darkness it could muster, but Bakugo dodged it and landed, charging up an explosion in both hands.

"Stun Grenade!"

The massive blast created an intense light.

"I was able to figure out your weakness as we fought," Bakugo said, "So I decided to use this little attack I designed. Despite the blast radius it's one of my weaker explosions, meant purely to emulate a flashbang."

He was now pinning Tokoyami to the ground, Dark Shadow barely peeking out from under him with a tear in its eye. Tokoyami grimaced as he closed his eyes.

"I surrender..."

"We have our second finalist!," Midnight called out, "The winner is Katsuki Bakugo!"

'Wow, two surrenders in the semi-finals!,' Present Mic declared, 'And our final match of the tournament will be between Midoriya and Bakugo! This almost feels fated!'

Bakugo smiled as he turned to the stands.

'I kept my promise, Deku. Now let's show the world what we got.'

Midoriya nodded.

'This is our chance to shine, Kacchan.'

He then felt his eardrums healing as Inko and Mitsuki squealed in excitement, Inko practically drenching the crowd in her tears. The rest of the crowd was talking.

"Man, it won't matter which of them wins or loses, they're bound to attract all the pros' attention."

"This is gonna be one exciting final. Those two going up against each other will be insane."

Suddenly, Ida began shaking, freaking out his classmates.

"Don't worry," he said, "It's just my phone."

He was surprised when the number was his mom. He headed out to take the call.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry to tell you, but I was stopped at the semi-finals."

'That's not why I'm calling,' his mom clarified, 'It's about your brother. A villain got Tensei.'

Ida's eyes widened in shock.

"What!? Is he alright!?"

'He's still alive, thankfully,' Missus Ida assured him, 'But he's been rushed to Hosu General Hospital.'

Ida was in complete shock.

The Hero Killer, Stain, looked down on the scene as Ingenium was taken away on a stretcher.

"This world is filled with hypocrisy. I will open its eyes, and those of its heroes."

He sensed something behind him and stabbed, only for his blade to find itself in the mist created by Kurogiri.

"So you wish to remove heroes from this world? Perhaps we can guide you to that end... Hero Killer Stain. We've been looking for you for quite some time now."

Chapter Text

Inside their individual waiting rooms, Midoriya and Bakugo did some final warm-ups before the big match. Midoriya also made sure to consume a special candy developed by his dad to charge up. The candy had a high-calorie value, making it useful for charging up his Quirk.

Out in the stands, everyone was eager to see who would make it to the top. Aizawa looked over the dossiers for both students.

"Looking purely at the stats, Midoriya has the clear advantage. But he and Bakugo know each other better than just some info on a piece of paper. But no matter who wins, they've got the world's attention."

"Neither of them are gonna give an inch, are they?," Yamada noted.

Aizawa nodded.

"Yep. Which is gonna be good for Bakugo's mental state. He's been taking frequent visits to Hound Dog to help corral his temper. During their visits he admitted that can't feel satisfied in a fight unless his opponent gives it their all."

The two finalists entered the ring.

'And we have our final fighters for this tournament!,' Present Mic called out, 'First off is the lean, green machine! The powerhouse supreme! The guy who won't die... Izuku Midoriya!'

The crowd cheered as Midoriya waved with a smile on his face.

'And his opponent,' Present Mic continued, 'The hair-trigger temper! The demolition master! Set him off at your own peril... It's Katsuki Bakugo!'

Bakugo grinned widely as he thrust his fist into the air.

'These two Class 1-A hero course students have been dominating the Sports Festival all day!,' Present Mic declared, 'Only one will walk away a champion, but from I've what seen they're both Grade-A hero material! Now... Let the final match begin!'

With a war cry, both friends charged at each other, fists aimed high. They punched at each other over and over.

'And it's a flurry of blows right off the bat!,' Present Mic called out.

'In a contest of endurance Midoriya has the advantage,' Aizawa noted, 'It's easy to store the calories that he needs to power his healing factor, but the human body can only sweat so much before dehydration sets in.'

Bakugo cupped a blast in his hand.

"Demolition Fist!"

Midoriya answered with his signature right straight.

"Shibuya Smash!"

The two attacked collided, causing a massive shockwave.

"Man, these two are on a whole other level," Kaminari said.

"They're pushing each other constantly," Todoroki realized, "My own training doesn't even compare."

Over in Class 1-B, Kendo found herself blushing at Bakugo's strength.

"He's awesome..."

Komori looked at her.

"Are you actually crushing on Bakugo?"

Bakugo managed to grab Midoriya and throw him over his shoulder.

"Since I can't blast the crap outta you," he said, "I'll just throw you out of bounds!"

Midoriya quickly activated Blackwhip and dug it into the arena, pulling himself in-bounds just in time.

"Don't forget I've got some new moves, Kacchan! This isn't like our old training days!"

He grabbed Bakugo and pulled him in for a clothesline

"Hokkaido Smash!"

Bakugo spat up saliva as his neck hit the clothesline.

"Young Midoriya is refining his fighting style little by little," All Might realized, "He's working hard to make One For All his own."

Bakugo got up and rubbed his mouth.

"That's what I'm talking about! Deku's not holding anything back! We're both aiming for the top and he knows it!"

He grinned.

"Now I feel confidant enough... To unleash my ultimate attack!"

Midoriya smiled.

"If you're doing that... Then I'll do the same!"

Bakugo leapt into the air, spiraling around as he channeled his explosive sweat to turn himself into a human missile. Meanwhile, Midoriya charged One For All to its maximum power, focusing it in his fist, adding in the muscle boost from Maximize to insure his body wouldn't give out before he was ready.

"Howitzer... Impact!"

"Rising Sun... Smash!"

The two blows collided in mid-air, tearing up the arena and sending a massive shock wave across the stadium.

All Might was shocked.

'Young Midoriya pushed himself to the limit to make his own version of my United States of Smash!'

'What a powerful assault!,' Present Mic called out, 'But there's so much smoke and wind I can't see anything! Midnight, what's going on down there!?'

"I can barely keep my eyes open!," Midnight complained, "I don't even know if either of them are still standing! Wait... I think the smoke is clearing."

To everyone's shock, both boys were still standing.

'Unbelievable!,' Present Mic said, 'It looks like this match could go all day!'

"No, it's already over," Midnight said.

She pointed her whip to Midoriya. The crowd looked, and realized that one of Midoriya's feet was now touching out of bounds. Bakugo's last attack had just enough force behind it to overpower Midoriya's final attack and push him out of the arena, albeit barely.

"Midoriya is officially out of bounds," Midnight declared, "The winner of this match is Katsuki Bakugo!"

Bakugo blinked. He hadn't even realized what he had done until it was pointed out.

"I won..."

Midoriya smiled as a wide grin appeared on his best friend.

"Hell yeah!," he cried out in excitement, "I made it to the top!"

'And that's it folks!,' Present Mic called out, very excited himself, 'Our crown champion of the UA Sports Festival, from hero course Class 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo! Talk about a close final match! One meter less, and Midoriya might have easily taken the title!'

Midoriya and Bakugo smiled at each other as they pulled off their normal secret handshake to a cheering crowd.

Ida had managed to get in contact with his brother, giving him the courage to partake in the third place battle against Tokoyami. Bolstered by his brother's encouragement, Ida was ultimately able to win.

"And now," Midnight called out, "It's time to relax and enjoy the award ceremony for UA's first year students."

The podium came up, Bakugo grinning proudly on the first place position, Midoriya at second place, and Ida at third place.

"Apparently Ida's brother is in the hospital," Kaminari said, "But they contacted Depestilous to fix him up. Or at least talk to him. It'll be a while, so Ida decided to see the Sports Festival through to its end."

"It probably has something to do with his fight with Midoriya," Asui suggested, "During the third place contest, he tried using his arms more."

"What sort of villain could get the drop on Ingenium?," Todoroki wondered, "The Ida family are some of the most respected heroes out there, venerated by their sidekicks and the public."

The solemn air was broken with the light-hearted laughter of All Might, who arrived at Midnight's announcement.

"Behold," he called out, "I am here! To congratulate our top students!"

He brought the bronze medal to Ida.

"I heard about your brother. Not to worry, Depestilous is the best doctor and hero I know, and that even includes myself. Ingenium will soon be back on his feet."

"Thank you," Ida said, "It's an honor to be here. My recent battles were most humbling, and it's proven to me just how much I have to grow."

"Good to hear," All Might said, placing the medal around Ida's neck.

He then walked over to Midoriya.

"A fantastic showing, Young Midoriya. You've given the world a taste of their next Symbol of Peace. You should be proud of how far you've come."

Midoriya nodded.

"Right now I'm only focused on how far I still have to go."

"As you should be," All Might said, "But you've already proven yourself a hero today. And everyone is aware of that."

He placed the silver medal around Midoriya's neck. Finally, All Might approached Bakugo.

"Young Bakugo, congratulations. I hope you don't intend to rest on your laurels."

"Not on your life," Bakugo said, "Not with how close my victory over Deku was. I only won by the skin of my teeth, and I know that. I still have a long way to go."

"It's good to know you maintain your focus on the top spot," All Might said as he placed the gold medal around Bakugo's neck, "Keep up that attitude, and you'll go far in this business."

He then turned back to the crowd.

"Here they are! The winners of this year's Sports Festival! But remember, any of you first years could have ended up standing on this podium. You've challenged each other, learned from each other, and climbed ever closer to your goals of being pro heroes. I think the next generation of heroes is proving to be our most promising yet! So everyone yell it out with me..."

"PLUS ULTRA!"

After the Sports Festival, the students were given two days off from school to recuperate. Ida took the time to visit his brother in Hosu. When he got to his room, he ran into a hero wearing a cloak and plague doctor's mask, body armor visible under the cloak.

"Depestilous," Ida noted, "How is my brother doing?"

Depestilous looked at Ida and took off his mask. His real name was Jotaro Narukami, and he sported white hair with red eyes.

"You're Tenya Ida, correct? Tensei is recovering well. I was able to heal most of his injuries. His muscles suffered from some sort of paralysis during the fight, not to mention I needed to use Cellular Manipulation to replace almost 16% of his body's volume of blood."

Cellular Manipulation was Narukami's Quirk, which allowed him to manifest stem cells and accelerate cellular division to heal wounds, replace organs, and even bring the recently deceased back to life. It could also stimulate a body's immune systems to let it more effectively fight off disease. There was a reason Narukami was known as the Plague Doctor Hero.

"He's well enough that he can receive visitors," Narukami said, "His mother is with him right now."

Tensei seemed cheerful enough, in a somber sort of way. His mood brightened when he saw Ida with the bronze medal still around his neck.

"Hey, you took third place, Little Bro. Great work."

Ida breathed a sigh of relief.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you up and about."

Tensei frowned.

"Up maybe... But I don't think I'll be about anytime soon. Narukami was able to heal the worst of my injuries but... My legs are gone. They can't move anymore."

"Technically I could restore them to normal," Narukami clarified, "But something about what his attacker said made him reconsider."

"Who was it?," Ida asked.

"The infamous Hero Killer Stain," Tensei explained, "As I was losing consciousness, he went on about his warped idea of how heroes today only care about fame or money."

Ida clenched his fist.

"What hogwash... If money is all they cared about, they could just as easily get another job. Those men and women out there fighting villains do so because they care about it."

Tensei nodded.

"That's why I decided to go into early retirement. To send a message to Stain. He deliberately left me alive because he considers me an exception to his rule, but he still injured me to send a message that he never let's a target escape, alive or dead. He likely didn't realize that he could have crippled me for life, ending my hero career."

He turned to his brother.

"That's why I want you to take up my mantle, Tenya."

Ida was in shock, but recovered and nodded.

"I will. But I'll bear it in my own way. Much like my friend Midoriya, I'll be my own hero."

Todoroki was also visiting family in the hospital. As he walked into the room, his heart lifted to see Rei smiling at him. It was the same smile that he remembered after so long.

"Shoto," she said, "That was amazing."

Todoroki couldn't remember the last time he had truly cried, but he was doing so now, walking over to embrace his mother as she returned the hug.

"I'm so sorry for everything," Rei said, "I guess I'm just a weak woman that can't stand seeing her children suffer."

Todoroki sniffled.

"I was weak too. I forgot the real promise we made all those years ago."

Uraraka came home to find that her parents had stopped by her apartment to celebrate her success in the Sports Festival. Meanwhile, Inko and Mitsuki threw their sons a feast to celebrate their success.

"I actually passed out twice during the Sports Festival," Inko admitted, "Mostly due to dehydration."

Midoriya's father Hisashi had also managed to come home. He also shared Midoriya's green hair.

"Shame I couldn't be there in person," he said, "Just seeing it on a screen didn't do it justice."

Masaru was just sitting quietly and enjoying his food while the others talked. After dinner, they all watched a replay of the Sports Festival on TV. It was great to get some downtime, because very soon new challenges would be thrown at Class 1-A.

Chapter Text

As Midoriya rode the train back to UA, things were mostly normal. That is, save for the numerous people who recognized him from the Sports Festival and were excited to meet him. It was honestly kind of embarrassing, especially the kids who were excited to meet the second place finisher.

'If this is the sort of attention I get for second place... What's it going to be like when I hit Number One!?'

He soon reached the school campus. It was raining, so he made sure to bring his umbrella. On the way there, he ran into Ida.

"Hey, Ida. Kinda slow to school today, yeah? Normally you consider someone late if they only have five minutes to get to class."

"After what happened with Tensei," Ida said, "I decided I needed to pull back a bit. I know our classmates see me as uptight and robotic, likely the reason I was passed over as class representative. It's easy to vote for someone you find relatable."

Midoriya nodded.

"How's Tensei doing?"

"He's brighter than ever thanks to Narukami," Ida said, "But he's decided to pull out of hero work. For now his agency is being transferred to his top sidekick, who's now being promoted to hero status. But said sidekick has made it clear that this is only to maintain the agency until my graduation."

He noticed Midoriya looking at him in confusion and realized what the reason was.

"Oh, I was speaking of Depestilous when I mentioned Narukami. Sorry, but he's so relatable when the mask's off I found myself calling himself by his real name."

"Ah, gotcha," Midoriya said, "So, did they find out who attacked Tensei?"

"It was Stain," Ida said with a sigh, "Seems his motives are finally revealed. He's on a mad crusade to remove so-called 'false heroes' from the world. He did think highly of Tensei's status as a hero, but it's clear Stain is willing to attack anyone who tries to get in the way of what he believes are righteous actions. Not to mention..."

He closed his locker.

"He wound up crippling my brother. It's the reason Tensei decided to retire. He could easily get himself fixed, but wanted to send Stain a clear message."

"Think he'll get it?," Midoriya asked.

"I couldn't say for certain," Ida said, "But enough about such somber moments. I assume by now you've seen the reruns of the Sports Festival. Rather strange to be greeted by people on the street as if you were already a celebrity."

The same buzz was happening with the rest of Class 1-A. Midoriya noticed Todoroki smiling serenely.

"Whoa, who put the honey in your tea?," he asked.

"I was finally able to reconcile with my mom, for starters," Todoroki said, "But more than that, it was what the people who recognized me called me on the way here."

He smiled wider.

"They called me 'Shoto'."

Midoriya smiled, understanding what he meant. People no longer saw him as just 'the son of Endeavor', they saw him as a hero in his own right.

"All right, everyone," Midoriya called out, "Let's get to our seats for class."

Aizawa entered the room.

"Today's going to be a big class, and a joint lesson with Class 1-B. To that end, I have a small announcement. This normally wouldn't be brought up since it doesn't involve our class, but Vlad King, the homeroom teacher for Class 1-B, had Monoma Neito shunted down to general studies due to his poor performance in the Sports Festival, and overall bad sportsmanship."

'GOOD,' the class thought as one, 'THAT GUY WAS A PAIN IN THE ASS.'

"In his place," Aizawa said, "Hitoshi Shinso has been elevated to the hero course in Class 1-B due to his exceptional performance and reaching the final tournament."

"Awesome," Midoriya said, "He made it after all."

"Today's lesson sounds boring," Aizawa said, "But trust me when I say you're going to enjoy it. It's called 'Hero Informatics'. Or, to put in layman's terms..."

He smirked.

"It's time to choose your hero code names."

He made sure to plug his ears as the whole class erupted in excitement.

"Alright, alright, settle down. This is related to the pro hero draft picks that were mentioned shortly after the Sports Festival. Normally drafting is only done for second or third-year students. But the hero course is an exception. In fact, by drafting students like you, heroes are essentially investing in your future. Any offers for you may be rescinded, however, if their interest in you dies down. You'll still have to prove yourself after getting recruited."

"Talk about pressure," Mineta said.

"Please remember that after you successfully obtain a provisional hero license later down the line," Aizawa said, "You may swap between any agencies that have drafted you until you find one suited to your needs. Being a hero is important work, but it's still another job at the end of the day, no different from police or rescue work."

He turned on a monitor showcase the list of offers each student got.

"Everyone here proved themselves enough to get offers in the double digits. In previous years it was more spread out, but this year there's a pretty big gap."

Indeed, Midoriya was at the top with almost 5,000 offers. Todoroki had just over 4,000, and Bakugo was just over 3,500.

"Damn," Jiro said, "Todoroki only made the top eight, but he got the second most offers, just behind Midoriya."

"Guess Dad wasn't kidding when he said he make some recommendations," Todoroki said, "Still, many of those are likely from other heroes who just thought I was good."

"This is insane, Midoriya," Mineta said, "People are probably seeing you as the next All Might and want to really invest in someone aiming to be the next Symbol of Peace."

"I knew I'd be getting offers in the thousands," Midoriya said, "But that's still a crazy high amount. And I only got second place."

"So much for second place being for losers," Bakugo quipped, "How are you gonna sort through them all?"

"Now, you'll all be doing internships," Aizawa said, "You were able to get some impromptu experience fighting villains during the attack on the USJ. But it'll still be helpful to get to see a pro at work. Some might even give you permission to fight against a villain if they think you can handle it. The names you'll be getting will likely be temporary, but you should still take them seriously. If you're only remembered for an embarrassing name, it tends to stick with you for life."

"So why did you pick the name Eraser Head?," Sero asked.

"I didn't," Aizawa said, "In fact, I never intended to pick a hero name when I was in school. Present Mic picked the name for me and I just rolled with it."

"THAT'S GOTTA SUCK...," the class said at once.

"I'm honestly grateful that this is a joint class," Vlad King said, "Otherwise we'd be relying on Midnight to have final say, and her tastes tend to be..."

He hesitated for a moment.

"Strange?," Aizawa finished.

Vlad King nodded.

"Yes, exactly. Keep in mind a code name is meant to represent the sort of hero you want to be. Whether you wish to inspire the masses, or terrify foes. Whether you want to stand in the spotlight, or strike from the shadows. And yes, my impromptu rhyme is meant to invoke a cheery demeanor."

"WE WERE GONNA SAY," the two classes said as one.

"Take some time to think out your code names," Aizawa said, "We'll have Seat 1 of Class 1-B go first, then the same from Class 1-A, and so on."

The students were all handed white boards and black markers.

"Remember when we were kids and I kept picking names based on All Might?," Midoriya asked Bakugo.

"Oh, yeah," Bakugo said.

"But now I think I have a different name in mind," Midoriya decided, "And I kinda have Asahi to thank for it."

Once all the students were finished, Awase was asked to come up first.

"Okay, here it is..." He presented his white board. "The Construction Hero, Welder!"

Aoyama was next.

"The Shining Hero, Captain Sparkle!"

Kaibara: "The Drill Hero, Spiral!"

Ashido: "The Glamorous Hero, Alien Queen!"

Kamakiri: "The Insectoid Hero, Jack Mantis!"

Asui came up with her board.

"I've actually had this name in mind since grade school. The Rainy Season Hero, Froppy!"

Kuroiro went next.

"This next one might sound sinister, but I feel it fits with my theme. The Scheming Hero, Vantablack!"

"There's nothing wrong with a sinister-sounding hero name," Vlad King assured him, "My hero name is Vlad King, which along with with my blood-based Quirk could conjure up images of Vlad the Impaler. Yet I'm still a hero through and through."

Ida came up for his turn.

"This was decided between my brother and I in light of his early retirement. As the next generation, I am ready to take up his mantle. Therefore, my hero name is..."

He revealed his white board.

"The Turbo Hero, Ingenium!"

"Well, if your brother gave you permission," Aizawa said, "I see no reason to reject it."

"Agreed," Vlad King said, "So long as you make the name your own."

Ida nodded.

"I intend to."

Kendo then came up for her turn.

"The Kung Fu Hero, Battle Fist!"

Uraraka came up next.

"The Fly-High Hero, Uravity!"

Kodai: "The Shrinking Hero, Rule!"

Ojiro: "The Martial Arts Hero, Tailman!"

Komori: "The Mushroom Hero, Shemage!"

Kaminari: "The Stun Gun Hero, Chargebolt!"

Shiozaki then put her white board up.

"The Faith Hero, Vine!"

"I thought you were going with Maria," Kendo noted.

"I thought it might make my beliefs seem too heavy-handed," Shiozaki explained, "Quirks have made religions like Christianity almost disappear since they cannot be quantified in any way other than scientific."

Kirishima then took his turn, and he looked real excited.

"The Sturdy Hero, Red Riot!"

"Ah, an homage to the Chivalrous Hero, Crimson Riot," Vlad King noted.

"Yeah, he was my idol growing up," Kirishima said, "I wanted to be just like him."

"Then I hope you're ready to live up to that expectation," Aizawa said, "Alright, who's next?"

Shishida: "The Sasquatch Hero, Gevaudan!"

Koda: "The Petting Hero, Anima!"

Shoda: "The Rebound Hero, Mines!"

Sato: "The Sweets Hero, Sugarman!"

Tsunotori: "The Horned Hero, Rocketti!"

Shoji: "The Tentacle Hero, Tentacole!"

Tsuburaba: "The Breathing Hero, Exosphere!"

Jiro: "The Hearing Hero, Earphone Jack!"

Tetsutetsu: "The Heavy Metal Hero, Real Steel!"

Sero: "The Taping Hero, Cellophane!"

Tokage: "The Dividing Hero, Lizardy!"

Tokoyami: "The Jet-Black Hero, Tsukuyomi!"

Fukidashi: "The Sound-Effect Hero, Comicman!"

Todoroki finished his name and nodded in satisfaction before coming up.

"A year ago I would have just stuck with my own name to showcase who I am. But now I'm confident enough to have a hero identity all my own."

He showed his white board.

"The Icy Hot Hero, Freezerburn!"

Aizawa smiled.

"Good to see you found your conviction."

"I have Midoriya to thank for that," Todoroki admitted.

The naming kept going with Honenuki going next.

"The Sinkhole Hero, Mudman!"

Hagakure: "The Stealth Hero, Invisible Girl!"

Bondo: "The Adhesive Hero, Plamo!"

Bakugo went up next.

"Growing up I had this wicked name, King Explosion Murder. But as I got older and found what sort of hero I want to be, I realized my childhood hero name might be too violent. So instead, I found an even better one."

He revealed his white board.

"The Demolition Hero, Dynamite!"

Shinso put the finishing touches on his name before coming up.

"To be honest, for all that I wanted to join this course, I honestly didn't think it would happen. But now that I am here, I'm happy to say I know the sort of hero I want to be."

He revealed his white board.

"The Sinister Hero, Mindblank!"

Everyone talked excitedly, agreeing that the name really suited Shinso. Midoriya then came up with his name.

"I was originally given this as a nickname by Endo Hound as I was training with her and All Might. But the more I think about it, the more I realize just how well this name suits me. So here's my new hero identity..."

The students gasped, and some smiled, as Midoriya unveiled his white board.

"The Invincible Hero, Midorang!"

Vlad King was flabbergasted, while Aizawa had a crazy grin on his face.

"This kid... He's really making a statement with that name. Hope he lives up to it."

The rest of the names came out in quick order.

Yanagi: "The Phantasmal Hero, Emily!"

Mineta: "The Fresh-Picked Hero, Grape Juice!"

Rin: "The Oriental Hero, Dragon Shroud!"

Yaoyorozu came up last with her chosen code name.

"The Everything Hero, Creati!"

Yagi looked through the offers for the first-year students.

"For a while I was afraid my old teacher Torino would want to train Young Midoriya. But when I called him he said it wouldn't be necessary."

"No, but take a look at who did send Midoriya an offer," Cementoss said, "Anthony Panelle, the American transfer student from when you were at UA."

Yagi noticed the file.

"Regenizard, huh? Not surprised. His own Quirk is certainly similar to Young Midoriya's in a lot of ways. And I do remember seeing him cheer on Young Bakugo and Young Uraraka during the Sports Festival."

"Your internships will last for one week," Aizawa said, "And some of you will get the chance to intern with teachers."

"Wait, really?," Sero asked.

"We may be your teachers," Vlad King said, "But we are still heroes, and still do hero work when classes are finished. Our agencies are still active as well, run by our sidekicks while we're here teaching the next generation."

"You'll each have a list based on the offers you received," Aizawa said, "Make sure to give each some consideration based on the hero you want to be. Each agency has its own specialty. For example someone wanting to be a rescue hero wouldn't want to join an agency focused on fighting villains. Turn in your choices before the weekend."

Todoroki was a little surprised that he didn't see his father's agency on the list he was given.

'Guess he was serious about what he said... Regarding having me train to become a hero all my own.'

Mineta looked through his list. At first he'd been considering Mount Lady, but after experiencing how overwhelming of a woman Midnight was, he decided it would be best to choose a female hero that could both improve his demeanor and maintain his primary motivation.

"This one should do. Looks like I got an offer from Elle-Ate."

"I got a great offer right here!," Ashido said, "The Marshland Hero, Swampanne!"

"Alright!," Uraraka said, "Asahi came through! She sent me an offer!"

Midoriya was busy muttering to himself about who he was going to intern with. He stopped long enough to talk normally.

"Hey, Kacchan, did you decide yet?"

"I was going with Best Jeanist, since he's the highest ranked hero who sent me an offer," Bakugo said, "But there's no way his personality and mine are compatible. You might as well stick a feral animal in a cage. Luckily I was given a better offer. Mirko, the Rabbit Hero. With her no-nonsense attitude and combat experience, she's the perfect choice."

"I've made my choice as well," Ida said, "At first I was considering Manual. He patrols Hosu, and since Stain was last seen there it would be a good chance to confront him. But I think it might be best to focus on improving my combat first. My fight with Midoriya made it clear how predictable my normal fighting style is. Instead..."

He placed down the file.

"I'll be interning with the Statuesque Hero, Swift Sculpt."

Midoriya looked through the offers, and found the one he felt would suit him best.

"Yeah, this one's perfect."

The four friends were talking excitedly about their chosen internships and how they might go. On the first day, Midoriya entered the agency, his newly modified costume carried in a large briefcase. The students weren't yet given permission to wear their costumes in public, but they'd be given such by the heroes who would be training them. Midoriya knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a gruff but friendly voice.

The door opened into the office of the large, lizard-skinned man that Midoriya would be interning with. The Reptilian Hero, Regenizard.

Peace Sign with English lyrics by Jonathan Young

Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh oh

*All Might is seen in full costume leaping across the city, Midoriya watching from a nearby roof while wearing a gym uniform.*

Well, it's strange my head is remembering how the airplane flying overhead

*Uraraka is on a beach, doing some stretches in her gym gear.*

Looks so effortless, but I cannot guess why it lingers in my mind

*Kirishima is also in gym gear, doing some stretches in a darkened room.*

Evening after this, I'm a crying mess and to be stronger now, my only wish

*Bakugo is seen in gym gear while doing stretches in what appears to be an abandoned demolition site.*

So I can finally have the bravery, so I can reach on up to the sky

*Ida does leg stretches in his gym gear while standing in a parking garage.*

This cruel fate engraving, it's carved into the stone

*Midoriya starts doing toe touches before stretching his body out.*

Hoping it reveals itself all to me and then I will know just where to go

*He looks up at the clouds, not seeing the black tendrils coming from his own hands."

This moment, this moment I know that I can breathe

*Todoroki is standing near a bridge in gym clothes doing breathing exercises.*

Hanging on a feeling... Believe in my only meaning!

*He stops as the camera zooms in on his face. The scene cuts to all of Class 1-A, each looking ready for something while wearing gym clothes.*

I hear a voice that's calling, telling me to risk it asking if I have been going the distance

*Midoriya launches a One For All charged punch to shatter Todoroki's ice. Ida is seen racing along an arena.*

Singing with a passion that I cannot deny

*A quick shot of Shinso is seen, before cutting to action shots of Tokoyami and Bakugo.*

My eyes are swollen with the tears I've been crying but, to the rest of the world, I'm smiling

*Hatsume and Goto are shown briefly, cheerful looks on their faces. All Might comes down for a landing as Endo Hound races just ahead of him."

Singing for the courage that I'm dying to show!

*They both turn around, joined by heroes Endeavor, Regenizard, Depestilous, Present Mic, and several others, as the camera zooms past Class 1-A from behind.*

With my peace sign up when I say goodbye, write a story of a hero!

*Ida, Bakugo, and Todoroki are shown using their Quirks. We then see Midoriya charging up One For All for a massive attack, before cutting to a wide shot of Class 1-A in costume.*

Chapter Text

"So he's interning with Tony, is he?," Torino asked.

He was speaking with All Might on the phone. Sorahiko Torino was once a homeroom teacher at UA, for just one year. His Quirk, Jet, let him shoot jets of air from the soles of his feet, which could propel him at high speeds.

'Yeah, one of my old high school friends,' All Might said, 'The one who inspired me to spend my college years studying in America before making my debut as a hero. I know you also sent him an offer, but...'

"It's fine, Toshi," Torino said, "You and Junko taught him well. He's progressing rapidly with One For All. What he needs now is somehow who can help him mesh it with his natural Quirk. And Tony's Adaptation Quirk is just what the boy needs."

Tony took off the skull mask to greet Midoriya.

"So you're Toshi's new protege. The one to succeed him. I saw your performance during the Sports Festival. Second Place on your first go. It shows how far you've come in so short a time. Even All Might only got third during his first Sports Festival."

"I do remember you from Kacchan and Occhan's fight," Midoriya realized, "You were with Endeavor berating one of the pro heroes who thought Kacchan was just being a bully."

Tony nodded.

"If there's one thing our society gets right, it's that the strong should not dominate the weak. But Uraraka was anything but weak. When it comes to survival of the fittest, it's not about being strong. It's about being able to survive. To that end, anyone who can survive to see their next day cannot be considered weak by any stretch of the imagination. That's my philosophy. And my Quirk, Adaptation, helped shape that philosophy."

He got out a picture and handed it to Midoriya.

"This was me growing up in my home town of Liverpool, New York."

Midoriya was shocked at the scrawny blonde boy.

"This was you!?"

"Hard to believe, right?," Tony said with a grin, "Adaptation molds my genetics based on my experiences. I was picked on a lot for being a wimp, so when my Quirk manifested, the first thing that happened was that my muscles started to build up to handle the bullying. Once I learned I was growing fast I started working out to improve those muscles."

"And your Adaptation caused it to happen faster," Midoriya noted.

Tony chuckled.

"I was told you were an analytical genius. Yep, that's what happened. In only a few shorts weeks I went from being a runt to having a body most middle school students would be envious of. My teachers recognized my potential for heroism immediately. I could have gone to any hero school in the country."

"So what lead you to going to UA?," Midoriya asked.

"Well, my dad's an actuary," Tony explained, "And his company got him a transfer to their Japanese branch. I heard good things about UA, so I enrolled there as a transfer student. The rest is history. But enough about my history. Let's get started with some quick training. Go ahead and don your costume. We'll start by training your Regeneration. Toshi told me how far you've come with One For All, so now the next step is improving it, by improving you."

Midoriya quickly realized what Tony was getting at. He had a good grasp on his power, but his fighting style was mostly centered around his smashes. During the fight, Midoriya noticed how strong Tony's skin was.

'This must be why they call him the Reptilian Hero. Years of getting hit with bullets and blades caused him to develop a tougher epidermis. Getting hit with caustic fluids seems to have caused him to develop faster cellular regeneration.'

"Not bad kid!," Tony said as he served Midoriya more of his floor, "But your fighting style needs to reflect your attitude! Toshi prefers wrestling techniques because he trained hard in America. But at lot of your techniques are more rooted in Japan. You've trained in martial arts, right? You seem to be centered mostly in kickboxing, with a few extra moves thrown in for unpredictability. We'll work a little on improving your timing. You're still a bit stiff."

He helped Midoriya up.

"Your problem seems to be that you're putting too much faith in One For All. Powerful as it is, it's really nothing special. It's just a Quirk like any other. So during this time, we won't be focusing on training it. Instead..."

He pointed at Midoriya.

"We'll be focusing on training you."

Meanwhile, Ida was doing his own training with Swift Sculpt, real name Josuke Morimoto. Swift's Quirk was called Sight Speed. He could lock on to a single target, and if that target ever lost sight of Swift, his speed would increase a hundred-fold. In addition, a mutation in his Quirk left his skin as hard as concrete and rebar. Right now, he was training Ida in submission wrestling.

"Nice strength," Swift said, "But your form needs work."

Ida was holding a training dummy in a choke hold, Swift's preferred method of non-lethally subduing a villain. Swift took the time to coach Ida an the right form.

"You need to have a firm grasp on the head, that's the most important part. It doesn't matter if you've got a good grip on the neck, if the head and shoulders can move, they can slip out."

Ida nodded.

'Now I know I made the right choice. If I had decided to just target Stain right away, I never would have stood a chance.'

Speaking of Stain, he had brought to the bar where Shigaraki and Kurogiri were staying.

"So you're the guys who attacked UA," Stain said, "And now you want to recruit me?"

"It was Sadist's suggestion," Shigaraki clarified, "My former sensei wanted to rebuild our numbers, but Sadist wanted smaller numbers with stronger villains."

"The Sliming Sadist?," Stain asked, "How'd you get in touch with him? He's the only villain who's eluded the authorities more times than I have. On second thought, I'd rather not know. So what's your mission?"

"Our primary goal is to kill All Might," Shigaraki explained, "After that, Sadist and his siblings were planning on directing us on real villainy."

Stain scoffed.

"I thought you could offer me something real. I was a fool. You're the kind of person I hate most in this world. You're nothing more than a child, and your goals are equally childish. You don't even have any real convictions."

He reached for his blades, only to get wrapped up in cloth. His eyes widened as he saw Stranglehold approach.

"I thought better of you, Stain. But it seems you decided to write us off the second Shigaraki said our goal was to kill All Might. My brother Teruteru watched as you attacked the hero Ingenium. He overheard that you will only allow All Might to kill you. A worthless goal. All Might would never kill. All For One was hoping you could propel Shigaraki to his full potential. But I would prefer it if you leave... Now!"

By midday, Midoriya was tasting less of the floor, and more of the lunch Tony ordered during their break.

'I'm already learning more about myself than I ever thought possible. Seems I made the right choice training with Tony. I wonder how the others are doing.'

'So this is what floor tastes like,' Bakugo mused.

"You gonna get up?," Mirko asked, "Or do I have to stomp down harder?"

In spite of his situation, Bakugo grinned. Mirko was already proving the perfect choice for internship. Her Quirk was Rabbit, which gave her all the abilities of a rabbit, scaled up to human size. And she was one badass bunny too. Bakugo picked himself up.

"I came here hoping to learn one of two things. Either how to fight better, or how to take a punch for someone else."

Mirko smirked.

"From the way you keep getting up, I'd say you're learning both."

Kirishima didn't know what the heck was going on. He'd accepted an offer for an internship from Mechacain, but he didn't expect Tetsutetsu to be here as well.

"Forgive the abruptness of this," Mechacain said, "But I'm hoping to use this internship to show you both how different you really are from each other. Additionally, you'll be working on improving your combat skills so that you don't just rely on brute force in a fight. The effective way to do that is find out how to mesh your Quirk with your combat skills."

"Like how you often tank enemy blows to protect civilians?," Kirishima asked.

Mechacain nodded.

"Thanks to Pain Return, I can insure that any villain suffers the very pain they were trying to inflict on others. Because of that, I've developed something of a defensive fighting style. Now, let's move on to how a hero acts in the course of being a civil servant as opposed to other emergency operatives."

"The basic goal of a hero is to control crime," Endo Hound explained as she lead Uraraka on a patrol, "The police will contact us regarding any villain attacks that they can't handle alone. The requests are filtered by district, and once the situation is handled we file out a report based on the incident. After that the government sends in a payment based on the report."

"Heroes are also allowed to have side jobs," Foresight said as she was teaching Yaoyorozu and Kendo, "For example I run a psychic helpline. Those seeking help send me their photo, typically a full-body shot, and I tell them what sort of future they can expect from the visions I get."

She looked at Yaoyorozu.

"You for example."

She carefully rubbed around Yaoyorozu's eyes.

"I'll need to work on your self-esteem, cause I'm seeing way too many tears where there are none. That's actually why I sent you an offer. After what happened at the Sports Festival, you need it."

"In addition to learning how hero work goes," Swampanne said, "You'll be leaning how to have better control over your Quirk. For example, my quirk is Swamp Woman. Not only am I amphibious, but I can generate a sort of corrosive gunk. I can control the amount of corrosion, and the gunk is also adhesive. That's why I decided to send you an offer, Ashido. There are similarities in our Quirks that I think you can take advantage of."

Ashido grabbed Swampanne's hands, stars in her eyes.

"Teach me!"

Meanwhile, Jiro was training with the Synchronized Hero, Golden Mask. Golden Mask herself was one of a set of sextuplets, the other five being Quirkless, while she had the Quirk Synchronize, which let the sisters act as a unit due to sharing knowledge, memories, and emotions. Mineta was getting psychology lessons from Elle-Ate, especially in the ways of attracting a woman. Kaminari was getting the chance to learn with Agent of J, Miss J helping to improve his knowledge. Tokoyami was learning the ins and outs of so-called "terror heroes" with Vigorshy.

Sato was learning from Sweetstuff, a female hero similar to him with the Quirk Candy, which let her generate candy syrup from her body that she could control and shape. Asui was getting to learn out on the open seas with the hero Selkie. Ojiro joined Shinso in learning more directly from Eraser Head. Sero was interning with Firebird, the Immortal Hero. Firebird's Quirk was Phoenix, which let her control flames and even come back from death. Hagakure was working with private investigator and conspiracy analyst Detective Void. Koda got the chance to work with Genesis, seeing her Quirk Evolution, which could alter living matter, first-hand.

Shoji was interning with Cyber-Droid, the world's first altered item to become a hero. An android with full AI created by Anderson Robotics, Cyber-Droid's sentience was recognized by the government and he was granted full citizenship, hence the reason why he chose to become a hero. Aoyama had accepted an offer from Datapad, a young woman with an Object of Power called the Personal Data Assistant that let her perfectly analyze any situation.

Todoroki stepped into the office of Shiro Kasainensho, AKA Infablaze, the Burning Hero. His Quirk was called Burning Man, which let him turn into fire and grow stronger by consuming carbon-based objects.

"So you're Shoto," he said as the boy walked in, "I don't think we've met before today, but I do know your old man. I used to be his sidekick early in my career before I felt confident enough to strike out on my own."

Todoroki nodded.

"Dad suggested you might be able to help me control my fire."

"I intend to," Infablaze said, "But we'll also be working on balancing it with your ice. The only way you'll get stronger is if you work on both sides of your Quirk."

"Hey, Tony," Midoriya said, "Why did Gran Torino only teach one year at UA?"

"It was a promise he made to the hero Zero-G," Tony explained, "She was the holder of One For All prior to Toshi. Toshi had told us about the dangerous villain fought by all the previous holders. You might be learning about him soon. Nana Shimura was a bright and strong hero, but she was nearly broken down when her husband was killed by that same villain. She left her son in an orphanage and went to fight, not expecting to come back alive. The last thing she said to Toshi, was to not repeat her mistakes."

"Hence the reason he told his closest friends about One For All," Midoriya realized, "And the reason why he suggested I do the same."

Tony nodded.

"Now then, you've already come a long way one just one afternoon. This is your second day of training, so let's see if you're ready for a real patrol."

Chapter Text

"So why are we traveling all the way to Hosu?," Midoriya asked.

"Several heroes with Quirks that render their skin tougher are trying to track down the Hero Killer in order to put a stop to him," Regenizard explained, "After all, Stain's victims were always found lying in their own blood with severe cuts and stabs over most of their body."

"So he prefers slashing weapons," Midoriya realized, "Has anyone ever seen him in person?"

"Only those victims of his that he leaves alive," Regenizard said, "And even they only saw him hiding in the shadows. He's claimed forty-one victims, though only seventeen have been killed by his hand, all of them pro heroes. Many of us want justice for the families of those heroes."

"Ida mentioned something on that," Midoriya noted, "His brother overheard Stain muttering about how those who only seek fame or money aren't real heroes. But fame is important if you want people to believe in you and find hope when they see you fighting crime, and of course you need money to support yourself and your family. So if you can do that and still protect others, why wouldn't you?"

"A good ideology to have," Regenizard said, "It's true that some heroes are only interested in the fame or money, but that doesn't mean they don't take their job seriously. Stain probably doesn't see it that way, but considering that those who survive his attacks have found him to be... Unhinged... That shouldn't be too surprising."

Everyone else was working through their internship as well. Endo Hound was making sure Uraraka had better combat experience. Detective Void was working Hagakure through investigative work, and having her help out on his analysis on the League of Villains. And of course the trainees were being shown the ins and outs of patrolling. In particular, Vigorshy showed Tokoyami how to make a patrol route match a Quirk.

"In my case I make sure to post a photo of myself along my usual patrol route," he explained, "My agency makes several copies and makes sure to replace them when they're taken down."

"Why would anyone take them down?," Tokoyami asked.

"Mostly for their own safety," Vigorshy explained, "Since most villains know how my Quirk works, they try to avoid looking directly at my face. Civilians, on the other hand, would want to keep a photo of me around just in case they get attacked by a villain, so when they see the photos posted they'll take one for themselves as a defensive measure. My agency actually encourages this. In your case it would be best to choose a patrol route that takes you through a lot of dark areas. And for that you'll need better control over Dark Shadow."

Foresight was taking Kendo and Yaoyorozu along on her next patrol.

"Most heroes get into hero work for the job, others because they want to help. In my case, it was to give back something to society."

"How so?," Yaoyorozu asked.

"I'm sure you know that I can't turn off my Quirk," Foresight explained, "When I was first taken in by the SCP Foundation, I was malnourished and had fits of anxiety to the point where I would give off random screams. I had to wear padded gloves to avoid tearing my own eyes out."

Kendo made a face of disgust, understanding what Foresight was getting at. Forget seeing how people would die, it would not do anyone's mind or appetite good to see how your food would look while it was being digested.

"The Foundation helped me come to terms with my Quirk," Foresight continued, "They found out how to block it, and helped me with regular therapy sessions. In time I found myself becoming healthier in mind and body. It got to the point where I decided I wanted to use my gift to prevent people from suffering from the fates I saw for them. That's when my hero training started."

"I wasn't expecting us to talk again after so long," Yagi said.

He was sitting in the teacher's lounge with his former sidekick Mirai Sasaki, also known as Sir Nighteye.

"Well when I saw how exceptional your chosen successor was in the Sports Festival, I had to reconsider my stance on certain things."

He sighed.

"I wish I'd had the courage Jotaro had after the fight with All For One. The terrible future I saw... I can no longer see it."

"You should try spending more time with Chisa," Yagi suggested, "And I don't mean because her code name is the same as your Quirk's name, Foresight. She's different than you in one key way. You see the future and think that's the only one to occur. She sees the future and questions how to make it otherwise."

Sasaki nodded.

"I'm starting to see that. Jotaro actually approached me regarding my choice for your successor. He questioned if I was really looking for the next Symbol of Peace... Or if I was looking for the next All Might. I couldn't answer his question in any meaningful way. Which reminds me... I hear that there's a possibility that All For One is back."

"Not a possibility," Yagi clarified, "He is back. Naomasa confirmed it, just based on the study of the Nomu that was involved in the USJ incident. Apparently his thinking processes were severely hampered from having multiple Quirks implanted in his body. Not to mention his body was incredibly altered, having been combined with the DNA of at least four other people."

"The sort of experiments the Chaos Insurgency would perform," Sasaki realized.

"And the sort of people who could easily help All For One recover from the beatdown I handed him five years ago," Yagi added, "Now that I'm certain beyond all doubt, I intend to tell Young Midoriya the full story. I owe him that much."

Sasaki nodded in agreement.

That night, Stain was speaking with Shigaraki.

"So you want me to be a part of your crumbling little league. But let me tell you something... You won't accomplish anything without conviction."

"Sometimes the desire to cause anarchy is a conviction," Shigaraki said dismissively, "We're not out to change the world, just set it on fire. Even if the fires do get put out rather frequently by the heroes."

Stain scoffed.

"The word 'hero' has lost all meaning in this society. The world is overrun by fakes, and criminals like you who chase petty dreams."

Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. Before Stain could react, he found one of his blades snapped in half thanks to Decay.

"Do not compare us to petty criminals. Criminals are those still have a desire to help others, to change society for the better, even if they have to break the law to do it. You're really more a criminal than I. Just a naive criminal playing at vigilantism. Our goals are clearly far too different for us to work together in the same party."

Stain sheathed his remaining blade.

"It seems I was wrong. You do have conviction, warped as it is."

He turned over to Stranglehold.

"Make sure your brother Sadist molds that conviction properly. If he's intent on being a villain, he should be one that people will respect as much as fear."

Stranglehold, real name Celestia Kaneshiro, closed her eyes.

"That was the intention from the start. Also, next time, don't go swinging blades in here. I can't stand the sight of blood. Kurogiri, if you'd be so kind as to return him to where you found him?"

Kurogiri sighed.

"If you insist, Lady Kaneshiro."

"Good job in your training so far," Swift said as he and Ida ended for the day, "Tomorrow we'll be heading to Hosu."

Ida was shocked. He had been hoping to avoid Hosu, at least until he felt he was ready to confront his brother's attacker.

"Why are we heading there?"

"Stain's recent attacks have been causing outrage among the community," Swift explained as he took off his mask, "Me and several other heroes are converging on Hosu in an effort to track him down. Mostly those whose Quirks render them invulnerable to blades and such."

Ida understood the logic, but he couldn't help but feel nervous all of a sudden.

"If we can't find Stain by the end of Day Three," Regenizard decided, "We'll move on to Tokyo proper. Give you a chance to break up some small-time fights and street-level thugs."

Midoriya nodded.

"Yeah, sounds good. Though before we do, maybe we can stop by the memorial for Tensei."

Despite the fact that not all of Stain's victims died, most wound up retiring due to critical injuries that rendered their Quirks or bodies unreliable, causing people to mourn the loss of a hero regardless.

Ida was already taking the time to visit said memorial.

"You gonna be okay?," Swift asked.

"Just contemplating the burden I accepted," Ida said, "Of becoming the next Ingenium. My brother entrusted me with his legacy, and I hope to live up to that."

Swift nodded.

"I'm actually relieved. I know that Manual also sent you an offer. You could have easily decided to join his agency just to patrol Hosu to look for Stain."

"As much as I would have wanted to," Ida said, "I doubt I could have faced him and lived. Not in such a vengeful state, at least. A hero must never seek vengeance, only justice."

"Just make sure you understand the difference," Swift reminded him, "Context is important in that regard. Hmm, the sun's setting. Given Stain's normal stalking habits, we might be able to spot him tonight."

Stain was back on the water tower in Hosu were Kurogiri had found him.

"Why in the world did you follow me?"

He was speaking to Shigaraki, who had also decided to come to Hosu.

"I'm just curious as to how you think you can reform society by killing a few heroes. Regardless of how you see them, the people see them as an elite rescue force protecting them and saving them. Your actions are merely like..."

He tapped his chin.

"Oh yes, I remember what it reminds me of. That one discussion from Assassin's Creed."

Stain looked confused.

"The heroes you've killed or maimed have families," Shigaraki explained, "Families who don't see them as being fake for just trying to help people, even if it's for a paycheck. You're cutting out the tumors, but you're not treating the source. And some of the heroes you've killed may not even be as fake as you perceive. But cling to your childish and naive convictions if you must. As for me, I have a message to send to the world."

Stain scoffed, then leapt off the water tower while drawing his blade. Celestia appeared through the Warp Gate.

"He's going to have his ambition crushed tonight. Father confirmed it. His own Quirk, All Sense, has shown him several Quirks converging on Hosu, most of them belonging to heroes that Stain could never hope to defeat."

All Sense was a Quirk that let Crimson Death track the locations of other Quirks, even half the world away. It was how he kept his eye on both heroes and villains. Celestia looked at Shigaraki.

"Two of the Quirks Father saw moved as one. Regeneration and One For All."

"Midoriya," Shigaraki realized, "I wonder how Stain will react to All Might's chosen successor."

He flexed his pinkies. By now they had successfully healed, but he wasn't confident that his Quirk was fully up to par yet. He had just gotten a lucky shot with Stain's sword.

"Well, let's see if we can garner attention tonight. Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus. Let's see if Gustav can mix quality with quantity."

Midoriya got a text in from Ida as night started to set in.

"Seems he and Swift Sculpt are in Hosu as well."

"I'm not surprised," Regenizard noted, "Swift's greatest strength isn't his speed, but the fact that most damage just bounces off of him."

Suddenly, a massive explosion was heard and the duo could see a building nearby set on fire.

"Kinda doubt that was Stain's doing!," Regenizard said, "Get ready for your first real hero duty, Midorang!"

Things were already chaos down in Hosu. Ida, now acting as Ingenium under Swift's permission, took out the familiar creature.

"I thought there was only one Nomu! Now the whole city's full of them?"

He used the exhaust from his Engine to blind the Nomu, letting Swift hit it using Sight Speed.

"This damn thing never blinks! Makes it hell for my Quirk!"

A sudden scream and the sound of blood splattering caught their attention.

"This way!," Swift called out.

He used the eyes of the crowd to maintain speed, since most of them were focused on the sudden onslaught of villains. They arrived just in time to see Stain attacked another hero, Native. Native seemed to be completely paralyzed, and not just because Stain was holding him by his head. A stab wound was clearly visible in Native's shoulder.

"Ingenium, get him off Native!," Swift called out.

"Engine Boost!"

Stain had just enough time to process the two voices, one of which called out a familiar name, before Ingenium slammed into him just hard enough to loosen his grip. The Turbo Hero then picked up Native and got him away from Stain. Stain finally had time to process the scene before him.

"For a second I thought I was facing down my last target again. But you're slightly different. Your engines are in your legs. So who are you?"

"I'm the successor to Tensei Ida, the previous Ingenium," Ingenium explained, "My older brother, and the man you most recently put in the hospital."

"He's also my intern, a hero in training," Swift added, "Hence the reason why he's here right now."

Stain looked slightly nervous, but didn't lose his normal demeanor.

"Swift Sculpt. Well, that's not good. Your flesh is too strong for my blades. I won't be able to draw blood from you."

"And you would be the Hero Killer, Stain," Ingenium added, "I have just one thing to ask."

He removed his helmet, and Stain got a good look at Ida's face.

'That look of determination,'  Stain thought, 'This is no ordinary student. This is a true hero in the making. No wonder Ingenium named him his successor.'

Ida narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his glasses.

"Why did you try to end my brother's career, instead of killing him outright?"

Chapter Text

Electricity crackled across Midorang's body as he decked a Nomu with four eyes.

'Regenizard's training not only improved my Regeneration Quirk, it seems to have improved my control over One For All by proxy. Feels like I'm channeling about 32% now. That's a big leap.'

Regenizard slammed the Nomu into the pavement.

"Not how I expected to implement your practical training, Midorang. But you look like you recognize these creatures."

"They're kinda like the Nomu that was with the League of Villains during the USJ attack," Midorang explained, "But that one had a weaker healing factor and the ability to absorb impacts. This one seems slightly weaker, likely meant more as shock troops."

The Nomu started to target random civilians, only to get slammed in the head by a mallet made of pure flames.

"Hey, that's Infablaze!," a random civilian called out.

Sure enough, Regenizard and Midorang looked to see Infablaze and Freezerburn.

"What are you two doing here?," Regenizard asked, "Looking for Stain as well?"

"Actually, I was taking my intern for practical training in Tokyo," Infablaze clarified, "But our train got interrupted by one of these monsters."

He absorbed some of the gasoline from nearby wrecked cars to increase his size a bit, then proceeded to slam his fists into the Nomu.

"Go down, you stupid beast!"

"This one probably can't feel pain," Freezerburn realized, "It doesn't realize how much damage it's taking."

He conjured up an ice wall to block the Nomu's path to attacking some more civilians, then roasted it with a quick flame shot.

"Ingenium and Swift Sculpt also wound up in Hosu," Midorang noted, restraining the Nomu with Blackwhip, "You think they're fighting these things as well? Where do they even come from?"

Other heroes that operated in Hosu were also on the scene, directing civilians away from the chaos and dealing with the fires from the attack.

Up above, Shigaraki observed the chaos.

"I wasn't expecting such powerful heroes to be in Hosu right now. These Nomus weren't designed to be as strong as the one we used to attack UA. They couldn't hold a candle to All Might. So any hero even remotely in his league would wipe the floor with them."

"Master All For One said Gustav was able to complete six Nomus so far," Kurogiri noted, "He sent us three for this task."

"Three's all we need," Shigaraki said dismissively, "I can understand his reasoning. Gustav still needs a few on hand for control groups, and it's not like we're tearing down the city. Just wrecking it a little to send a message. That the League of Villains isn't just some random group of low-life thugs, but a serious threat. Stain's dangerous to be sure. But at the end of the day he's just another serial killer playing at social reform."

Stain was genuinely confused at Ida's question.

"Why didn't I kill your brother? I think the reason should be obvious. He's one of those rare heroes who doesn't do this for fame or money. He's a genuine hero. But he was still coming after me, and my work isn't finished. So I had no choice but to remove him. However, I couldn't leave him dead. Doing so would prevent him from saving hundreds of lives."

"See, that's the part where your reasoning falls flat for me," Ida said, "Many of the heroes you've killed have also saved hundreds of lives, and could have saved hundreds more. How many people in Hosu are hospitalized, or worse, because a hero you removed wasn't there to save them? Did you know that my brother gave up hero work because your attack permanently damaged his legs?"

Stain was shocked.

"That can't be. I left him in such a way that someone should have found him in time. Sure the damage would have been bad, but at the same time..."

He trembled with rage.

"No... No, I won't accept this! My cause is just! I'm trying to purge this world of false heroes!"

He charged forward, but his focus was purely on Ida, who replaced his helmet. Swift Sculpt was able to dash in and strike while Stain wasn't focused.

"Good grief, Stain. We're not called heroes because we're some comic book fantasy. We're just another rescue service, like firefighters or paramedics."

"We're more than a fantasy," Ingenium added, "We're an ideal. And more to the point, we're human. My brother was a caring person that everyone looked up to. And all the heroes you've hurt, or even killed, have families as well."

"Shut up!," Stain growled, stabbing his blade into Ingenium's shoulder.

The armor was meant to resist impacts while he was running, but against a stabbing weapon it was only mildly effective, Ingenium feeling pain as the blade drew blood. Still, he wasn't about to show fear, gritting his teeth through the pain.

"Does it hurt to face reality? I don't know what sort of story you had, and maybe at first your goals were noble. There are some heroes out there who only do this for the fame or money. But it's not as black and white as you think. And whatever it takes..."

His eyes turned over to Native, still slumped against the wall where he left him.

"I won't let you claim another hero."

Stain breathed hard.

"As enraged as I am at your words... I still can't bring myself to kill you."

He withdrew his blade.

"But I can't have you stopping me either."

He used his large tongue to lick the blood off the blade.

"Ugh," Swift muttered, "That's gross."

He then noticed Ingenium going stiff.

"Hey, Ingenium! What happened?"

"I... I can't move...," Ingenium realized.

Stain then turned to Swift.

"You're going to be the real problem here. Not sure how I'm gonna stab you to make you bleed when your skin is practically concrete. Not to mention I need to keep my eyes on you to avoid you striking me from behind. Right now your Quirk's locked onto me, yes? It's only practical, after all."

Swift then noticed something behind Stain.

"True, but from the looks of it, I'm not the one you should be concerned with."

Stain was confused, until he heard the sound of electricity crackling. And it was drawing closer. The next thing he knew, he sent flying with a hard right to his cheek. He turned and gasped. He recognized Regenizard of course, but there was another young boy decked out in green. From his battle stance, the boy must have been the one who punched him. The boy smiled as he got up.

"There's no need to worry... I'm here now!"

Stain's eyes widened. Something in his mind echoed. Memories of his childhood days.

"Fear not... I am here!"

"Midorang!," Ingenium called out, "Perfect timing!"

"Regenizard?," Swift called out, "What are you doing in Hosu?"

"Same as you, I expect," Regenizard said, "We were battling monsters out on the street when Midorang got a premonition about something in this alley."

Ingenium blinked.

'Midoriya's Danger Sense must have clued him in to Stain's location.'

"We were also thinking the League of Villains was somehow connected to Stain," Midorang added.

Stain scoffed.

"It's true they tried recruiting me, but I rejected their offer. Our goals are far too different. But your power... And the way you carry yourself... It reminds me so much of All Might."

Regenizard chuckled.

"As it should. You're looking at All Might's chosen successor. The Invincible Hero, Midorang."

He turned to Ingenium.

"Are you alright? Can you move?"

"He only damaged my shoulder," Ingenium said, "But for some reason I can't move. Native's also paralyzed in the same manner. It's probably Stain's Quirk, since it started shortly after he cut me."

"I see," Regenizard said, "Swift, you look after the interns. I'll get Native out of here."

"Not a problem," Swift replied, "Right now I'm locked onto Stain with my Quirk. I remember seeing how fast your intern was at the Sports Festival, so with two targets to keep his eyes on it shouldn't be hard to corral Stain."

"Yeah, but he could still try to run," Midorang said, "I remember seeing Stain's stats on TV. He's fast and maneuverable in his own right."

He was already using Blackwhip to active his smartphone and transmit his location to any other pro heroes in Hosu. Regenizard picked up Native.

"Midorang, you have my permission to engage. Keep Stain busy until backup can arrive. Try to subdue him if you can."

"I'll stay with my intern from back here," Swift said, "Careful kid, this guy's armed to the teeth."

Midorang nodded. He rushed forward, putting the training he got from Regenizard to use.

'This kid's fast!,' Stain said, 'No matter where I slash from, he's gone the second I strike!'

Midorang aimed to strike at Stain's limbs, mostly hitting his shoulders. But Stain had a chance to strike during Midorang's last attack. It was only a small amount of blood, but it would have to do. Stain quickly moved to lick it up to activate his Quirk.

"That should do it."

Midorang smirked.

"So you got me... But it seems my Quirk is stronger than yours."

Stain was confused, then realized that Midorang had only been paralyzed for a second.

"Of course," Ingenium realized, "Regeneration. Your muscles quickly adapted to the paralysis."

"I noticed it just now," Midorang said, "Some of my blood is still on your blade. And you licked your blade just now. That's how your Quirk works."

"So you figured it out," Stain said, "My Quirk's called Bloodcurdle. When I ingest someone's blood, they instantly become paralyzed. The effect can last up to eight minutes."

"Good to know," came a new voice, and one very familiar.

Stain spotted something glowing behind him and quickly got out of the way as a stream of flame nearly roasted him.

"So now who's trying to distract me?"

Coming out of the other end of the alley was Infablaze and Freezerburn. Freezerburn held up his phone.

"Next time, Midorang, be sure to give more details. I was worried I wouldn't make it in time."

"Pretty much every pro hero got the message," Infablaze said, "But we were closest, and the others are busy trying to deal with those monsters. Freezerburn, it's time to put your training to use."

"With pleasure," Freezerburn said.

He generated an ice sheet from his right leg, forcing Stain to leap into the air to avoid it.

'I'm clearly not gonna get the chance to continue my work this night,' he realized, 'Soon enough Ingenium will be able to move again. And this new kid... He's the son of Endeavor, but this is one apple that wound up falling very far from the tree. Another true hero in the making. I'd heard good things about the new generation from the news coverage of the UA Sports Festival. I can see it wasn't just hype.'

Midorang walked up to Freezerburn.

"Careful, his Quirk works by ingesting a target's blood."

"We should be fine so long as we keep our distance," Freezerburn noted.

He was quickly proven wrong when Stain tossed a throwing knife, clipping Freezerburn's cheek. Stain tried to move in for another slash, only to get blocked by an small ice column.

"Up above!," Ingenium warned.

Freezerburn noticed that Stain had thrown his other sword. The distraction let him get close, only to have to pull away as Freezerburn lit his left side on fire. As he did, Stain realized he a perfect line of sight with Native.

'If I can just get in one good shot...'

Meanwhile, Ingenium could feel his fingers start to move again.

"Hey... I think I can start to move again."

"Wait, really?," Infablaze said, "But you were paralyzed after Native."

Midorang realized something.

"He said he could paralyze someone for up to eight minutes. But maybe it's not a variable he can control. It must have something to do with blood type. Ingenium, what's your blood type?"

"Type A," Ingenium said, feeling strength return to his legs.

Native, who was still barely conscious, added, "Mine's... Type B."

Stain smirked.

"So you figured it out again. The amount of time Bloodcurdle can freeze someone depends on their blood type. Type O takes the least amount of time to recover, then Type B, AB, and finally Type B takes the longest. Of course, I can't know how long someone's going to be paralyzed since I typically don't know their blood type when confronting them. But at the same time..."

He held up his sword.

"Being able to know how my Quirk works won't help, since I don't rely on it in combat. And I've had far more experience."

Chapter Text

Ingenium finally felt his muscles returning to full strength again.

"You doing okay?," Swift asked, "Any soreness?"

"A little numb in places," Ingenium said, "But I seem to be regaining full mobility. It's funny, when I first learned that Stain had attacked and hospitalized my brother I felt a sense of anger. But after learning Stain's motives first-hand... That anger just... Deflated. For how dangerous the Hero Killer is, he's nothing more than a child that never grew up, still living in the old fantasies of superhero comics."

"It's fine to be angry," Swift assured him, "You were wronged, and anger is an appropriate emotion to such injustice. The important thing is how you channeled that anger. Rather than let it consume you, you internalized it. You focused on what was truly important. But now I'd say it's alright to let loose a little of that aggression. You have permission to engage, just guard yourself. And I don't just mean philosophically, I mean make sure Stain doesn't get another chance to cut you."

Ingenium nodded.

'My brother once said he thought the coolest people in the world were those who did things for others. It's the reason he chose to become a hero, beyond the expectations of family. He always felt that me looking up to him made him better. Tensei... Thank you.'

He felt his Engine return to full power.

"My doubts are all gone now. Now I truly feel... The weight of this legacy."

Meanwhile, Stain dashed towards Freezerburn.

"Hasn't anyone told you that you rely on your Quirk too much? Makes you a careless fighter."

He moved to try and slash Freezerburn, only to get another punch to the face. But this one felt different. His cheek didn't have the impact from a gloved hand, but an armored one. Stain blinked in confusion at Ingenium's sudden appearance.

"I must have been a good five meters away from him, yet he closed the distance in just under a second. Even his brother wasn't that fast."

He dashed forward to strike, only for Ingenium to catch the blade under his knee.

"Earlier you were able to stab through my armor," Ingenium noted, "That's because it was designed to resist impacts more than anything else. And as sharp as they are, slashes are impacts."

With a quick twist, Ingenium had Stain's blade snapped in two. Stain looked at the remnants of his sword.

"Not bad, kid. I honestly wish more heroes were like you. Then society wouldn't be so screwed up. You aimed specifically to disarm me when you could have easily broken my actual arm."

Midorang noticed something.

"You're nervous, Stain. I can see you shaking like a leaf and your breath is ragged."

"My Quirk in unreliable in a straight fight," Stain admitted, "But you probably already guessed that. The fact that it doesn't last forever and is variable depending on blood type is an obvious weakness. I've trained myself to not rely on it in a fight, but even then I'm only used to fighting one-on-one."

"If he realizes his own weaknesses," Ingenium said, "Why is he not retreating?"

"He's fanatical," Freezerburn explained, "He's still trying to kill Native and finish his work here, in spite of the overwhelming odds. That's how mired he is in his beliefs."

"Well, if nothing else I can admire his tenacity," Ingenium said, "If he'd only channel that quality in a positive direction..."

He grunted.

"Damn... I think my radiator's overheated. Can you control your temperature?"

"Only with my right side," Freezerburn said, "I'm still learning how to control my left."

"The right's all I need," Ingenium assured him, "Freeze my Engine without plugging the exhaust. That should cool me down enough to keep fighting."

"Don't go broadcasting your strategies, brats!," Stain called out, throwing out a few knives.

They never reached their intended target. Midorang got in the way and let the blades strike his body. Stain blinked in shock as one bounced off Midorang's skull, only drawing a small amount of blood from the flesh wound.

"Do it quick," Midorang said, pulling the other blade out of his shoulder, "I'll provide some cover."

He emitted his Smokescreen, making Stain's eyes go wide.

'I need to at least keep an eye on Swift Sculpt!,'  he thought frantically, trying to move to get around the smoke screen.

While he was distracted, Freezerburn was able to cool down Ingenium's radiator.

"There. How's that?"

"Much better," Ingenium said, "That should keep me cool for a while. Midorang, I'll direct him toward you. Once that's done, you can capture him."

Midorang nodded.

"Go for it, Ingenium!"

Ingenium charged his Engine to full.

"Recipro Burst!"

Before Stain could realize what was happening, he found Ingenium right in front of him. His own instincts kicked in, causing him to backpedal in order to get distance. Lacking his main swords, he only had throwing knives to rely on. Sure, he also had spikes on his heels, but he didn't trust that those could pierce Ingenium's armor the same way his sword could. The next thing he saw was so bizarre he couldn't even react. Black tendrils were surrounding him, coming up from behind. He had just enough time to realize that it was Midorang's doing before the tendrils completely tied him up, Midorang using his own weight to keep Stain pinned.

Meanwhile back in the city proper, Cyber-Droid was able to take out one of the Nomus still attacking.

"Multiple Quirks... That's not normal."

"It's similar to the Nomu that attacked the USJ," Tentacole realized, "I was under the impression that there was only one."

A column of flame suddenly appeared on the other side of the city. It was Firebird, who confused the Nomu that seemingly killed her.

"It's a good thing I started using genetic fibers for my costume," she noted, "It was always embarrassing waking up naked after rebirth, especially since I always do so fully grown. Cellophane, get this guy tied up!"

"You got it!"

Cellophane quickly had the Nomu wrapped up before landing near Firebird.

"My tape may be organic but it doesn't have any nerve endings. Barbecue away."

Firebird smiled, flaming wings appearing on her back. She began to emit a song from her vocal chords, sending the Nomu into a sort of panicked state. She then snapped her fingers, knocking out the monster with a quick burst of flame. Cellophane snapped off his tape.

"Why is a Nomu here in Hosu? It kinda looks like the one that was attacking UA with the League of Villains."

"I'm not sure," Firebird said, "But there were at least two more reported. We'll secure this one for the police, then keep looking for the other two. I only came here to help capture Stain. Hosu doesn't have that big of a crime rate, so the heroes here are mostly to assure the people that things are alright. And then someone like Stain shows up..."

Native was finally starting to be able to move on his own. He looked over to where Stain was still tied up, Regenizard and Infablaze making sure he was chained up properly.

"He seemed so dangerous up close. Yet three kids, barely sixteen years old, were able take him on and win. The new generation has so much potential."

"A large part of this is because we were able to help nurture that potential," Swift Sculpt clarified, "A few months ago, Stain would have left these kids in the hospital."

He noticed something.

"The carnage outside is starting to die down. Guess those monsters are finally getting dealt with."

Regenizard and Midorang laid out all of Stain's weapons.

"We won't be having to do a cavity search, will we?," Regenizard asked Stain.

"I'm pretty sure he's resigned himself to arrest," Midorang said, "I'm not feeling any hostility coming off of him."

"I've had my entire philosophy slapped right back in my face," Stain admitted, "Here I am, ranting at how the word 'hero' has lost all meaning... Only for three young hopefuls to redefine what it means to be a hero."

He looked at the pros that had also come.

"And so many older heroes all gathering to hunt me down... For all my talk of trying to fix this society... My actions have just made it worse. I became the very thing I despised more than anything else, a complete fake. Shigaraki was right, I'm just another criminal in the end."

"Do you know where Shigaraki's base is?," Midorang asked.

"I don't know the exact address," Stain clarified, "But it appeared to be a rundown bar. I only saw the inside. One of the other villains, they called him Kurogiri, used some kind of warp Quirk to teleport me there. The only other person I saw was Stranglehold."

"Stranglehold!?," Regenizard asked in shock, "What does my sister have to do with the League of Villains!?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Ingenium said, "Regenizard and Elle-Ate are known children of Crimson Death, but turned away from his evil to become heroes."

"So I'm guessing you don't know anything about the monsters attacking the city right now," Swift said to Stain.

"Only one thing," Stain said, "When I was returned to Hosu and came down to street level, the League sent in three of those monsters."

Regenizard got Stain to his feet and started walking him out of the alley.

"You've got a lot to answer for. There's a lot of families and friends of your victims calling for your arrest."

"So I only made martyrs," Stain noted, "That's the worst thing in the world to make for someone trying to prove their cause."

"Whatever you may think of heroes," Midorang said, "You need to remember that they do provide a vital service. Even those that really are what you think they are take their jobs seriously. You can't become popular or rich if people think you're incompetent, after all."

Stain sighed.

"I suppose not. Still, it feels like All Might is the only hero worthy of the name these days."

"I dunno," Midorang said, "He's just as popular, and he does have his own merch line. And even if you claim he never asked for the fame, that's not objectively true. After all, you can't become the Symbol of Peace without being at the forefront of people's minds. As for money... One of my friends at school admits she wants to become a hero to make money, but you never seem to consider the reason why people would want money."

Stain looked at Midorang in interest, and the boy smiled.

"She wants to see her family happy. They're struggling just to make ends meet right now, so she feels the best way she can alleviate that is to help them by sending them what money she can make."

Stain couldn't help but smile back.

"I didn't know it was possible to be an optimist and a realist at the same time."

"He is our class rep," Ingenium pointed out.

By now they had reached the end of the alley, and several more pros were showing up. They confirmed two of the Nomus had been beaten and contained. Stain grew concerned.

"Did one of the ones captured have wings? I distinctly remember of those creatures could fly."

As if in answer, said Nomu started swooping in. Midorang had already sensed the Nomu as it came it.

"Everybody get back!"

He made a great leap into the air, noticing the monster was gunning right for him.

'Sorry, Shigaraki,'  he thought, 'You want to beat me? Then come at me directly!'

"Osaka Smash!"

He nailed the Nomu right in its exposed brain with his spinning heel drop, bringing the monster down to earth. Stain was shocked at the display he saw.

'I don't need to do anything to make society stronger after all. I just have to be patient... And let the younger generation take hold.'

Up above, Shigaraki gave an impressed whistle.

"Midoriya's gotten stronger since the USJ attack. He shut down that Nomu like it was a street thug. And what's this? The Hero Killer captured?"

"It seems the three Nomus were all captured," Kurogiri said, "What now?"

"We only wanted them to rampage to let people know we weren't a one-time deal," Shigaraki said dismissively, "And I think we accomplished that quite nicely. Celestia, you said something about knowing some people?"

"Me and my siblings have worked across the world," Celestia said, "I know All For One has his own broker, but Father's network is far more effective. Come, child, I'll show you who we have in mind."

Shigaraki chuckled.

"I'm looking forward to it."

He followed Kurogiri and Celestia through the Warp Gate.

Chapter Text

During the events of the evening, a news chopper had been overhead to report on the attack in Hosu. During their filming, they caught the trio of villains on camera. Of course, they didn't know Shigaraki or Kurogiri. But Stranglehold was already a well-established villain, and was easily recognizable. And since it didn't look like she was holding the other two hostage or threatening them, the reporter was under the impression that she was looking at three villains in total. Which, of course, was perfectly accurate.

Todoroki and Ida were sent to Hosu General Hospital to get their injuries treated, minimal as they were. Midoriya, of course, didn't have any noticeable injuries. So he and Tony stayed at a local hotel while they waited for his friends to recover. In the morning, the three friends saw each other again.

"How's your shoulder?," Midoriya asked Ida.

"It's starting to heal," Ida said, "The doctors say there was no permanent damage. And my internal radiator has also started to recover."

Todoroki smiled.

"Still can't believe we pulled that off. Who would have thought three young students would be the ones to take down the Hero Killer? Though I doubt we'll be allowed to get credit for it since we're underage."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Josuke said as he came in, "Me, Regenizard, and Infablaze finished our talk with the police officials."

A large man with the head of a beagle entered behind Josuke.

"My name is Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu chief of police, woof."

All three friends felt a sweat drop form.

'HE'S JUST LIKE TSU...'

"On behalf of the city of Hosu, I would like to express my thanks for your part in bringing down the Hero Killer," Tsuragamae said, "I was very impressed with how you handled it. Stain has a few bruises and other minor injuries from the fight, but nothing life-threatening. Your supervisors made it clear that you had full permission to engage, including authorized usage of Quirks, and I'm glad to see that you didn't take advantage of that, aiming to secure and capture Stain rather that outright attacking him."

"To do otherwise would have ruined the name my brother passed on to me following his retirement," Ida said, "I made a promise to myself to do the name Ingenium proud."

Tsuragamae nodded in acknowledgement.

"You certainly succeeded as far as I'm concerned, woof. And you saved Native's life as well. Of course, the official record will have to be that Regenizard, Infablaze, and Swift Sculpt were the ones who captured Stain, but given the circumstances, I see no reason why you can't be given partial credit. Helping to capture a notorious villain, especially if it was part of training, would certainly look good on your future resumes when it comes time to apply for your provisional licenses as heroes."

He smiled as the friends looked at each other excitedly. Sure, they'd likely only be seen as sidekicks, but it was still a big step towards their goal of becoming heroes.

"Speaking of that," Tony said, "Did Stain give anything up during his interrogation?"

"For the most part he just repeated what he had told you during his capture," Tsuragamae said, "A breakdown of his motives, which are understandable even if his actions in accomplishing them are horrible, and confirmation that he has nothing to do with the League of Villains. We will be coordinating with precincts in other districts to find the bar he was brought to, based on his description of the interior. Hopefully we can find it and set up a sting operation to capture the ones behind those monsters who attacked last night."

Inside said bar, Kurogiri was watching the news with Shigaraki and Celestia. Heart Piercer, also know as Mondo Madarame, was there as well.

"We may have to vacate soon," Mondo noted, "If they were able to interrogate the Hero Killer, then he'll tell them enough for the police to zero in on our bar."

"Seems we were seen by the news chopper," Shigaraki noted, "And we're sharing a news slot with Stain. Guess it was alright letting him go after all."

"Before we leave," Celestia said, "A few of the villains All For One suggested are coming in. We also persuaded his broker to locate a few of our own choices."

She smirked as her eyes lit up. Her Quirk was called Succubus, which let her take control of any man she laid eyes on.

"One of the people Master wanted has gone missing," Kurogiri noted, "The last the broker heard of her, she was being tracked by Vlad King. Which is odd, because I was certain it was Midnight that was on her trail."

"Foresight must have located her," Shigaraki suggested, "Give her a file with a blank photo and she can easily get an image of the person of interest the file pertains to. What interests me is that Midoriya and two of his classmates were given partial credit for arresting Stain."

He took a sip of his drink.

"Seems Teruteru was right. Midoriya seems destined to be my nemesis on the other side of the law. Right now though, we seem to be a footnote people's minds."

"Have some patience, Shigaraki," Teruteru said, phasing into the bar through a slime-like portal.

Teruteru's Quirk was called Void Space, a pocket dimension he could manifest using a slime-like substance that he could generate from his body. Once inside, he could come out anywhere he wanted, so long as it was empty space. He sat down at the bar and ordered his drink.

"Stain is an established and notorious criminal in the minds of the people, so his arrest would obviously be all over the news. But you are still an unknown, as are the Nomus. It won't be so for long. Now that four are in custody, the populace will start to understand what sort of terror they represent."

Shigaraki contemplated his words.

"Hey, Blasty," Mirko said, "Your classmates are trending online."

Bakugo took a look and a manic grin came over his face.

"Damn, Deku! Taking out the Hero Killer? And with Ida and Icy Hot helping? Why weren't we in Hosu?"

"Most of the heroes hunting Stain were those that could conceivably counter him," Mirko explained, "Still, there's more. The attack by those Nomus, like the ones from USJ. When creatures like that attack, it causes people to scramble for their burrows. This is when heroes need to stay calm and brave in the face of danger. Got it, Blasty?"

Bakugo nodded.

"Got it. A true hero keeps his fear in check."

"Good answer," Mirko said, "Now let's get started on today's patrol. The people need to see heroes on the streets now more than ever."

Detective Void was already showing Hagakure what he had pieced together. He was actually Quirkless, but wore on Object of Power called the Night Mask, which allowed him to see in the dark and warp via quantum shifting, with a side-effect of making his eyes glow.

"Everything the police and Foundation has found on these Nomus points to technology used by the Chaos Insurgency. But the Insurgency has dropped genetic experimentation in recent years in favor of locating and distributing Objects of Power. So then, what's the most logical conclusion?"

"That someone from the Chaos Insurgency with knowledge of the genetic technology broke off," Hagakure suggested, "And teamed up with the League of Villains."

"Excellent deduction," Detective Void said, "Remember that when investigating a conspiracy, it's important to take any evidence at face value. If it doesn't match your current theory, then the solution isn't to twist the evidence to fit that theory. Instead, you alter your theory to fit the evidence."

Sato was helping Sweetstuff around her confectionery shop when the news came in.

"That's going to be trouble," Sweetstuff said, "We'll have to close the shop early and start patrolling. Make sure to tank up before we head out."

"Right," Sato replied.

Thanks to Sweetstuff's training, he was able to increase his Quirk's timer, and reduce the sugar crash that came when it ran out.

"I'm glad to hear you and Ida are okay," Uraraka said, "I just saw it on the news. Wait until Yagi hears this. But didn't Stain get some of your blood? What will happen with One For All?"

'It'll be fine,' Midoriya assured her, 'I had no intention of transferring One For All at that moment, so it didn't matter that Stain swallowed some of my DNA.'

"Talking with Midorang, huh?," Asahi said as she came over, "You two are really cute together, you know?"

Uraraka turned bright red, and from the sounds of it, Midoriya might also be having something of an embarrassed reaction.

Vigorshy was speaking with his sidekicks and directing them.

"We'll be transferring to Hosu temporarily to deter any further villain activity. I want regular patrols at all times, and make sure my photo is placed near every alley and street corner."

"YES, SIR!," came the reply.

Tokoyami was looking at his phone.

"I didn't think Midoriya and the others would do something so foolish."

"Don't overthink it, Tsukuyomi," Vigorshy said, "I'm sure they did everything smart when confronting Stain. After all, they had their supervisors helping."

Tokoyami nodded.

"Yes, you're right. Ida and Todoroki know better than to take such foolish risks. And Midoriya is almost incapable of truly dying. They wouldn't get into anything they didn't think they couldn't handle."

Later Yagi got a call, embarrassing himself when the other teachers heard his ring tone of, "A phone call is here!"

Tanaka laughed his ass off.

"I blame you for this, Tanaka...," Yagi muttered as he answered his phone, "Convincing me to create my own ring tone like that... Hello."

'Hey, Toshi,' came Tony's voice, 'Did you get the news yet?'

"I've been busy with teaching duties," Yagi said, "Good to hear from you again, Tony. I take it Young Midoriya's progressing well in his internship?"

'If by "well" you mean "he was practically instrumental in the Hero Killer's capture", then yes,' Tony quipped, causing Yagi to freak out in surprise.

He quickly got up and hurried over to the teacher's lounge.

"I didn't think he'd progress so quickly."

'Well, he had some help,' Tony clarified, 'Two of my fellow heroes happened to be in the city with their interns, both of them from Midoriya's class. Officially, they were helping in a sidekick capacity to capture Stain. Their actions completely deflated his anger. But there's a bigger problem. Toshi... It turns out the Nomu that attacked the USJ wasn't the only one.'

"So the League of Villains had more waiting in the wings," Yagi realized, "That tears it. We didn't finish him off after all. I thought doing what Nana didn't, fighting as a team, would overwhelm him to the point where he could never harm anyone ever again."

'It gets worse,' Tony said, 'When a news chopper spotted two figures that matched the description of Shigaraki and Kurogiri, it was shown that Stranglehold was with them.'

"One of Crimson Death's children," Yagi muttered, "And your half-sister. I always suspected All For One was also one of his kids. Perhaps this proves it."

'Even if that is the case,' Tony said, 'All For One's ideology flies in the face of my old man's. But that still means that the next time the League of Villains makes its move, it will be a more serious threat, with more dangerous villains under its wing. Do you intend to tell Midoriya about him?'

"Yes, I do," Yagi said, "It's best that he and his friends understand... The same way Nana Shimura suggested I tell you and our other friends."

Three young men were sitting in a diner in the middle of the city. Shuichi Iguchi, villain name Spinner, Quirk Gecko. Atsuhiro Sako, villain name Mister Compress, Quirk Compress. And a younger villain known only as Mustard, Quirk Gas.

"So in the end Stain's ideals fell flat when he was struck with reality from three young teens," Spinner said, "I kinda feel bad for him."

"Hero Killer, Stain," Compress noted, "Real name Chizome Akaguro. He like many others was inspired by All Might's heroics and went to a private hero high school, but found the educational system to have a gross misunderstanding of what it meant to be a hero. He tried to revamp the system through words, but found they weren't enough. So he tried turning to action, only for his actions to be dissected and proven counter-intuitive to his cause."

"Secret villain forums are talking about recruitment for the League of Villains," Mustard noted, "I know I don't plan on joining. What about you guys?"

"We followed Stain's ideals because we also felt cheated by society," Spinner noted, "Compress is the descendant of a notorious villain, and was almost forced into the role. I was teased and bullied for most of my childhood due to having a mutation-based Quirk. And Mustard, you were scorned your whole life for a having a so-called 'villain's' Quirk."

He leaned back.

"The League of Villains only wants anarchy. We can't be part of that."

"Then may I make a suggestion?," Compress said, "We strike out on our own. Just the three of us. Turn from villainy to simple criminal action. Fight for the sake of those that suffer as we do, but without killing. Stain was hunted like a wild animal for taking lives, so we should strive to never kill."

Mustard and Spinner nodded.

"We'll make a pact together," Mustard said as the three joined hands in the middle of their table, "The three of us."

The three of them may have decided to strike out on their own, but at the same time, other villains were gathering to find the League, and join forces with them. A storm was coming, one that threatened to become a hurricane.

Chapter Text

Luckily for Ida, Narukami was still in Hosu to keep an eye on Tensei's condition, so his shoulder was patched up in a few hours. After that, it was back to internship training for him, Midoriya, and Todoroki. As the three of them continued on to Tokyo to continue patrolling with their supervisors, Midoriya idly wondered how the rest of the class was doing.

"Stranglehold and her brothers are well-connected in the underground thanks to their reputation," Mirko noted.

She and Dynamite were doing a patrol.

"Probably some influence from their old man as well," Dynamite added.

"No doubt," Mirko agreed, "Crimson Death is well-known as both an information broker and top level crime boss. Regardless, other villains might start to grow bold because of the incident in Hosu. Make sure to keep your guard up."

"Got it," Dynamite said, "Not that I'm expecting any real action. With Stain's motives deflating, I doubt any scumbags are gonna attack openly. Not yet at least."

"Patrols are still important," Mirko pointed out, "They're meant to deter criminals, and if any do poke their heads out we have free reign to beat them back. But patrols also serve another important purpose. Can you guess what it is?"

Dynamite grinned.

"So the people can feel safe, knowing heroes are out there to keep the peace."

"Bingo," Mirko said, "There's a sort of symbiosis between heroes and civilians. Once you go independent, you'll likely find people copying your victory stance every time you help bring in a dangerous villain."

Dynamite looked nervous.

"Maybe I should stop yelling 'die' during all my attacks... It's not like I'm really aiming to kill in the first place..."

Meanwhile, Miss J was helping lecture some of Xenia's sidekicks, and Chargebolt, in the proper way to disarm foes, with Xenia doing the practical part.

'Chargebolt, you seem to have some trouble controlling your Quirk,' Miss J noted.

"Yeah," Chargebolt admitted, "It kinda just goes everywhere."

'Perhaps it would help if you had a quick lesson on electrical engineering,' Miss J suggested, 'There's still some time in the internships.'

"It would certainly help you going forward," Xenia suggested, "Miss Joyce is the perfect teacher for learning new things. That's how I become the Teaching Hero."

Genesis was a little surprised to learn that Anima was afraid of bugs.

"Can your Quirk not work on them?"

Anima shook his head and started signing.

'The only animal Anivoice doesn't work on is humans. But I find insects too freaky to talk to.'

Genesis nodded.

"I see. I might have a way to fix that."

She walked over to a small caterpillar.

"Watch this."

She worked Evolution's magic, and before Anima's eyes, the caterpillar quickly went through its life cycle, going to cocoon, and then to butterfly. He smiled as the tiny butterfly landed on his finger.

"Building up a stronger constitution is going to be important if you want to get over your Quirk's side-effect," Datapad said.

She was coaching Captain Sparkle through a much heavier meal than he was used to.

'This is so difficult. My pallet is sensitive, so I only take lighter meals. But if it means I can fire off my shining laser without suffering stomach aches, I'll power through it.'

Elle-Ate was in the park with Grape Juice, cleaning up trash.

"Remember that a hero must always give back to the community," Elle-Ate said, "And a job can always go faster if you use your Quirk."

She stretched out her body to grab a few plastic bags.

"Or in my case, natural physiology."

Grape Juice was using a new trick he had learned, drawing the spheres he popped off back to him using small strings, which he used to collect trash easier.

Elsewhere, Golden Mask and Earphone Jack were helping resolve a hostage crisis.

"I think there's only two hostages in there," Earphone Jack said, her earphones embedded in the wall of the bank.

Golden Mask nodded.

"Red Mask, Green Mask, hit the back. Blue Mask, get the door open so Earphone Jack can stun the perps. I'll move in with Black Mask to secure them. Pink Mask, escort the hostages to safety."

While the villains might have been expecting Golden Mask and her sisters, Earphone Jack's sudden sonic wave caught them off-guard, allowing the operation to run like clockwork, the hostages being taken to safety without incident.

Froppy had been serving her internship on the Oki Mariner, Selkie's proud vessel. Right now she was finishing up swabbing the fore deck. Sirius, one of Selkie's crew and sidekick, came down the stairs. Her Quirk was called Good Ear, and she had fins attached to her head. She was also holding a couple canned drinks.

"Hey, Froppy. How's the work going?"

"I'm just about done, ribbit," Froppy replied.

Sirius offered her a break and they sat down to talk.

"It's kinda boring having to do work all day, huh?"

"Kinda," Froppy admitted, "But to be honest, I sort of expected it."

"You know, when I was a kid I always thought I knew what it meant to be a hero," Sirius admitted, "I figured it'd be super glamorous. But then I discovered it was a lot of boring patrols and cleaning up. I was also stuck with part of laundry duty. Trust me, you do not want to see the captain's underwear."

"But you still stuck it out somehow," Froppy noted.

Sirius nodded.

"After becoming the captain's sidekick, I discovered for myself something important for being a hero. I'm sure you'll find out for yourself one day."

"Hey, Froppy," Selkie said as he came on deck, "Why are you just sitting around right now?"

Selkie was a big guy, and his Quirk, Spotted Seal, made him look equal parts friendly and intimidating.

"I'm actually finished with the deck, captain," Froppy said.

"I already suggested she take a break, sir," Sirius said, pulling Froppy into a one-armed hug.

Selkie rubbed the back on his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that, ladies. I guess I jumped to conclusions."

He then brought his hands up to his face and tried to make it as cute as possible.

"Forgive me~"

Sirius groaned.

"Really, captain? That whole 'cute seal' routine might have worked when you were younger, but right now your body is way too masculine to be cute. Just look at Froppy. She's dumbfounded."

"What!?," Selkie said, "But kids eat up my sweet face whenever I make it..."

"Because they're laughing at you," Sirius pointed out, "Trust me, there's nothing cute about a macho guy like you."

Froppy had other opinions.

'He's adorable...'

Just then, one of the other sailors came out from the cabin.

"Captain Selkie! We have an urgent message from the coast guard!"

Selkie went up to take the call.

"Looks like we're gonna be sailing out soon," Sirius noted, "Froppy, can you help me unfasten the ropes?"

"Ribbit," Froppy said with a nod.

The Oki Mariner was ready for emergency departure by the time Selkie was finished with the call. Once they were out in the open ocean, Selkie explained the emergency.

"An incoming trade ship reported some stowaways. However, when officials inspected the ship, the stowaways weren't found. Additionally, important cargo from the ship's freight list was missing. I'm sure you all realize what that implies. Froppy, can you guess?"

Froppy thought for a second.

"The stowaways probably moved the cargo to another ship somewhere close by before fleeing the scene of the crime. It's possible the stowaways had plans on the ship."

Selkie was surprised and impressed. He then pulled off his cute act again.

"Correct~"

'SO EMBARRASSING,' the crew thought.

'Adorable,' Froppy thought.

Selkie nodded.

"Basically, we're dealing with smugglers looking for quick profit, and it's our job to find them. Based on the information we have, the boat they escaped on is likely small. At most we're dealing with four perps. We'll track them down and deliver them to the coast guard. We have authorities and other sea rescue heroes tracking them as well."

"I wonder if we'll run into Mister Tanaka...," Froppy muttered, remembering how Serpenshia was also a sea-based hero.

Once the crew's area of focus was laid out, Selkie continued his briefing.

"The sun will be setting soon, so you'll be searching on the boat via radar. Meanwhile I'll take to the ocean and search separately. Everyone got it?"

"AYE, AYE, SIR!," the crew all said as one, including Froppy.

Selkie took a dive into the ocean, his shoes equipped with folding flippers. Much like Froppy's Frog Quirk, Selkie's Spotted Seal Quirk gave him all the abilities of a spotted seal, scaled up to a man of his size. He could hold his breath for an incredible amount of time, and he could emit a type of echolocation from his vocal chords to navigate underwater.

By the time night fell, there was no sign of any of the smugglers.

"Nothing on visual," Froppy noted, "And nothing on radar either."

"We'll find them," Sirius assured her, "The captain's searching as well, after all."

"We have a report from the coast guard," Mick called in.

He was the ship's helmsman.

"A fishing boat believed to belong the smugglers has just shaken off a patrol. Last seen heading for our area."

Selkie leapt out of the water nearby and landed on deck.

"I've confirmed the boat's location. Turn off the lights, so we can get close without letting them know our position."

Soon enough the boat was spotted and Selkie brought his crew to check it out. Froppy had to stay behind, largely because Selkie was concerned that the smugglers could be hostile. Sirius stayed behind with her. With the Oki Mariner impeding the fishing boat's course, a flare was shot up to get the smugglers' attention.

"Attention!," Selkie called over loudspeaker, "This is a pro hero! We're here on behalf of the coast guard! We will now inspect your vessel!"

The owner of the boat, alongside two crew mates with squid features, seemed more annoyed than concerned.

"There's no sign of the missing cargo below deck," Mick reported to Selkie.

"It's like I said," the owner said, "We're just humble fisherman."

Selkie noticed the large hatch on the deck.

"Then you won't mind showing us what's in here, too."

"It's just a bunch of fish," the owner insisted.

Selkie was insistent, but it turned out to be a trap, which led to the water below. It turned out the fishing boat was just a decoy, with the owner having been threatened into helping. The two squid goons dropped him into the hatch before closing it.

"That should make things easier for Boss Innsmouth," one of them said.

However, they really should have checked who they were trapping, instead of just trapping to buy time. Selkie was already sending a sonar beacon using his Quirk to Sirius. Her Good Ear allowed her to pick up high-frequency sound waves that normal ears couldn't hear properly. Sirius listened to the message.

"This boat was a decoy. They have another boat. The captain wants us to look for it."

"Right," Mick said.

"Shouldn't we try to rescue the captain?," Froppy asked, a little concerned.

"Right now, the captain is relying on us," Sirius said, "So we need to have faith in him as well."

Froppy realized that Sirius was smiling, and that Mick also had a smile on his face. She started to realize what Sirius was getting at and nodded.

"Ribbit."

Before long, the second ship was found hiding among the rocks.

"Cut the engines," Sirius said, "We'll approach from their blind spot."

A woman similar to the goons from before could be seen keeping watching on the aft of the ship. Sirius directed Froppy to bring the guard over, which Froppy promptly did using her long tongue. Before the guard could warn anyone, Sirius had her mouth muffled. That left only one other person as Froppy, Sirius, and Mick boarded. Mick went to grab him, only to get ink spurted into his eyes. An octopus tentacle shot out, slamming Mick into the nearby rock wall.

"Look out!," Sirius called out, pushing Froppy out of the way as the villain, Innsmouth, tried to grab her.

Much like Selkie he had an animal-based Quirk, called Octopus.

"Here I thought I'd gotten away with it," Innsmouth said, Sirius trapped in one of his tentacles, "But you idiots just won't take a hint and give up."

He started squeezing Sirius and warned Froppy that the woman would die if she didn't have the coast guard call off the search. A sudden communication from Sirius's radio interrupted his demands.

'The captain made it off the fishing boat. What's your status?'

Innsmouth realized the radio signal was coming from Sirius's fins. Curious, he pulled at the one on her right side, and was surprised that it came off without harming her.

"So this is actually a radio? For a moment I thought it was part of your Quirk."

He then got a brainstorm and held out the radio to Froppy.

"If you value this woman's life, then repeat after me. 'Unfortunately, we were not able to locate the stowaways.'"

Froppy looked at the look of determination in Sirius's eyes. She remembered the words Sirius had earlier spoken to her.

'I get it now... What it means to be a hero.'

She hit the button on the radio.

"The stowaways are at the double rocks!"

Innsmouth growled, but instead of killing Sirius immediately he dropped her and lashed out at Froppy.

"You stupid little brat!"

Froppy quickly leapt away and hit the rock wall, staying just one step ahead of the villain. But she made a blunder when she tried to grab Sirius, letting Innsmouth drag her in by the tongue. Froppy was sent flying into the opposite rock, Innsmouth leaping in her face.

"This is the end, frog..."

Just as he moved to smother Froppy, he felt a hard impact right in his back, forcing him further up the mountain and loosing his grip on Froppy. He clung to the rock using his suction cups.

"What was that!?"

He looked down and gasped, recognizing his two cronies as they fell back in the water.

"BOSS!," they both cried out.

"My brothers!," Innsmouth called out, "What happened!?"

He got his answer in the form of Selkie, leaping right out of the water. Froppy cheered up at the sight of him.

"Ribbit! Captain, you made it!"

"You did good work, Froppy," Selkie said, "I've got it from here."

"That's what you think!," Innsmouth called out, spraying ink into Selkie's eyes and leaping at him.

But blinding a man who could use echolocation was a useless prospect, and Innsmouth found himself back on the boat just trying to fend the hero off.

"You bastard!," he called out, launching all his tentacles at once.

It seemed to work at first, but Innsmouth was so frantic that he had forgotten he had landed near Sirius, who quickly grabbed his leg to off-balance him.

"It's over!," Selkie called out, landing a hard flying kick right into Innsmouth's face, sending him sprawling into the sea.

Froppy jumped down to check on Sirius.

"Are you okay?"

Sirius giggled.

"I'm okay thanks to you. How are you feeling? That blow must have been hard."

"I can still walk at least," Froppy said, "And the pain's fading quickly. I can really appreciate how much work my classmate put into having a high-pain tolerance to match his self-healing Quirk."

Selkie surfaced at that moment.

"Good job, both of you."

He turned over to where Innsmouth and his cronies were out cold.

"Thanks to you we were able to capture these smugglers."

He then made his cute face again.

"Thanks so much~"

Sirius let her pain flow to knock her out at that point.

"You really are hopeless..."

Froppy giggled and picked up Sirius's radio.

"I'm glad I chose this internship. I think I get it now, what's important to being a hero. I'll be sure to take this lesson to heart as I work to becoming a pro."

Sirius gave her a warm smile.

Later the Oki Mariner brought in the smugglers, including the fisherman coerced into helping them. The admiral of the coast guard met with Selkie as Innsmouth and his gang were brought in.

"We were able to recover the illegal drugs Innsmouth and his gang had smuggled into the cargo that was stolen. It was a big haul. They even somehow got their hands on Trigger."

Froppy shuddered at the thought. Trigger was an infamous Quirk-enhancing drug, and it had especially horrific side-effects for those with mutation-type Quirks such as herself.

"By the way," the admiral said, "You didn't tell me you got a new sidekick."

"She's a student from UA," Selkie explained, "Here for an internship. Froppy here is already showing the makings of a great hero."

The admiral smiled and walked over.

"Well, I'm looking forward to the day you officially get your license, Froppy. Anyone Selkie thinks can make a great hero is definitely one I'd enjoy working with."

He shook Froppy's hand, the frog girl giving a wide smile.

"Ribbit, ribbit!"

Chapter Text

The rest of the week passed quickly, and it was soon time for Midoriya to return home.

"You did well during you time here," Tony said, "With how well your progress is going it won't be long before you're able to fully control One For All. You still have a way to go, but you're getting there."

Midoriya nodded.

"Thank you for everything, Tony."

Tony looked pretty grim as he thought of something.

"Listen, Toshi will have something important to tell you when you get back to UA. It's very important, so make to pay attention."

"Something important...," Midoriya muttered, "I wonder what it could be."

"Talk about an awesome week," Sero said, "I was actually in the thick of it in Hosu."

"Man, you wound up there?," Kirishima asked, "With me, it was mostly refining my Quirk into a style that was suited to my personality."

"I actually had a blast," Bakugo said with a grin, "I ended each day sore but satisfied."

"I feel like I can do so much more with my Quirk now," Ashido said, "Learning with Swampanne was the best choice ever for me."

"I actually got to help out with a hostage situation," Jiro said.

"I was able to help deal with some villains too," Asui said, "We were taking down a group of drug smugglers that were posing as stowaways."

"My internship was most fulfilling," Tokoyami said, "Choosing Vigorshy over Hawks was definitely the right choice."

"Uraraka," Ida said, "How were things with Asahi?"

He then noticed Uraraka seemed to have a battle aura surrounding her.

"It was excellent. I feel much stronger thanks to Junko's training sessions."

"That's the spirit of a woman for you," Mineta said, "Deep down they all have a killer instinct born from their nature to protect."

"That was surprisingly philosophical," Kaminari noted, "You must have really been effected by training with Elle-Ate. As for me, I learned a lot about my own Quirk thanks to Agent of J. But the real stars have to be Ida, Todoroki, and Midoriya."

"Hell yeah, they are," Bakugo said, "Taking down the Hero Killer? Man, Deku, I always knew you were a badass, but I didn't know you were crazy as well."

"Of course, there is something concerning on the news," Ojiro noted, "Apparently Stranglehold is aiding the League of Villains."

"So what was Stain like in person?," Sero asked.

"He's rather difficult to describe," Ida admitted, "His tenacity is certainly to be admired, and his motives are understandable. The trouble is he's fanatical, narrowed-minded, tunnel-visioned, and completely out of touch with how the world works. Not to mention, while he wanted to change the world, he did so through cold-blooded murder. Such actions cannot be condoned under any circumstances."

Midoriya cleared his throat.

"All this talk is good, but class is about to start. Let's take our seats, everyone."

Later the class was out in the industrial simulation with All Might. Ida's costume had been successfully repaired, and the whole class was suited up.

"Good to see everyone had a productive internship. And now's the time to put that learning into practice. We're going to have a little race across the industrial zone. Now this is rescue training, but it's a little different than the disaster training you had at the USJ."

He brought up a nearby screen.

"You'll be competing in groups of five, with each student having a different starting location on the outskirts. The interior is like a maze, and your only means of navigation will be a distress signal I'll be broadcasting from the center of the zone. First one to reach my location, a simulation of a citizen seeking aid, will be the winner. Try to keep property damage to a minimum. This means you, Young Bakugo."

"Why am I singled out?," Bakugo asked.

"You tell us, Blasty," Midoriya quipped, getting the class to laugh.

"Let's start off with our first group," All Might declared.

The first group was Midoriya, Ojiro, Ida, Sero, and Ashido.

"All five of them have good mobility options," Yaoyorozu noted, "Especially Sero and Midoriya thanks to the former's tape and the latter's blood tendrils."

"Wanna take bets on who's gonna make it first?," Kirishima asked.

"Deku hands down," Bakugo declared.

"I got good odds on Ojiro," Kaminari decided.

"I'm betting on Sero," Kirishima said.

"My money's on Ashido," Mineta said, "And no, it's not just because of her athletic body. We've seen how fast she can go with her acidic ice skates."

"I think Ida might be able to take it," Uraraka suggested, "He is incredibly fast, after all."

All Might held up the distress beacon.

"And... Begin!"

As expected, Sero and Midoriya took to the air using their special skills. Ida raced through the lower parts, Ashido skated along some of the pipes, and Ojiro kept slamming his tail against the various roofs to leap from building to building.

"This is gonna be a breeze!," Sero bragged, "It's like this course was made for me!"

"Don't count on it!," Midoriya called out, quickly racing past him.

He was doing well, but wound up slipping on a pipe. However, instead of just falling, he suddenly found himself floating in midair.

'What did I say about no more surprises, One For All!?'

Everyone watching looked at Uraraka in shock.

"Don't look at me! I might have gotten stronger, but I still need to touch something to activate my Quirk!"

"Are you saying...," Bakugo realized, "That this is all Deku...?"

He and Uraraka came to the same conclusion. That Midoriya had unlocked another Quirk copied onto One For All.

With this new ability, Midoriya was able to recover and reach All Might first, completely shocking him, and not for the obvious reason.

'One For All chooses now of all times for Midoriya to unlock Float? The Quirk belonging to my sensei?'

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and provided Midoriya with the winner's sash.

"That was a tight race. Compared to the start of the year, you've all shown great improvement."