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Chapter Text

Izuku isn’t sure why the thought has stuck with him this long. His nightmares of Stain come and go, joining the rotation of nightmares he has about the attack on the USJ and his long-standing nightmare of All Might finding out that he still sometimes wears the I Am Here line of boxers even after meeting the man, but every night since he woke up in the hospital he has heard the same line at the end of his dreams. 

“Your admiration and loyalty for All Might have become shackles for you. How can you be a hero if you can’t even think for yourself, hmm?”

What does that even mean? Aside from being the Number One Hero, All Might was the previous user of One for All and Izuku’s mentor! He should be admired! Sure, maybe All Might’s advice boiled down to clenching butt-cheeks and smashing, but All Might was also new to teaching! He was sure he would have better advice eventually… right? 

But, maybe Gran was onto something. Full Cowling was developed mostly based on Kacchan and Gran Torino’s movements. He mostly succeeded in breaking his bones when he went for an All Might style smash but he had some control now! Five percent was an underwhelming amount of power but he could still do a lot with it and it is finally starting to feel like Izuku is on the actual starting line and can really begin to compete with his classmates. 

But then why were Gran Torino’s words haunting him? 

Izuku tried to make heads or tails of the meaning as he headed down the nearly empty hallway of UA. All Might almost exclusively punched and all of his named smashes involved mostly using his arms. He knew All Might had mostly practiced American boxing techniques when he was younger (both from his notes in Hero Analysis 7 and from his training on the beach with the hero himself) and Kacchan also relied almost entirely on his arms due to his quirk. But Gran Torino had often kicked in his spars with Izuku. So maybe Izuku could do more kickboxing or something like that? Did that even count as being distinct enough from regular boxing? Tormented by these thoughts, Izuku failed to notice the door ahead of him opening and crashed into something soft. 

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention and- “

“Well, Midoriya-kun, if you wanted a personal lesson you could have just asked, hm?” Izuku froze and looked up into the smirking face of R-Rated Hero. Izuku felt his face flush just from the proximity.

“M-M-Midnight-sensei! I’m so sorry!” Izuku stuttered in his apologies and dropped into a low bow. “I wasn’t paying attention and I was so caught up in my own head. Please forgive me.”

“It’s alright, Midoriya.” Midnight waved off his apologies. “No harm no foul, right?” Raising back up, Izuku was a little surprised to see Midnight wasn’t in her hero costume. Rather she was dressed casually in jeans and a soft looking sweater that drooped off of one shoulder. “Must have been some important thoughts, huh? Care to share?”

“Well, I, uh, my mentor over internships, Gran Torino, he said something that’s gotten me thinking about the heroes I admire. And it’s been stuck in my head for a while. I guess I’m just a little unsure of what kind of hero I want to be right now.” Izuku had trailed off into mutters but was jolted out of it with a warm hand on his shoulder. 

“Midoriya, it’s okay. You’re a student, you know? You’re not supposed to have everything figured out yet.” Izuku had known of Midnight for a long time, it was hard to be a hero fan and not have heard news of the controversial 18+ hero. His mom had stopped him from watching most of her early interviews and appearances, but he had still seen her in action on the news plenty of times and had a nearly three page spread on her in Hero Analysis 12. But he had never seen such a kind look in her eyes. The teasing lilt had vanished from her voice. “We’ve all seen some pretty incredible growth from you so far. And I’m sure you’re just getting started.” Her hand at his shoulder moved up to tousle his hair. “I think you’re well on your way, Midoriya. But if you want my advice? Be confident. Stop worrying so much about everyone else or their expectations for you and try focusing on just being yourself, yeah?” Just be yourself? “Well, I’ve got to get going. Yagi is inside if you’re looking for him.”

“Huh?” Izuku began to flail his arms in front of himself as if to protect from her implications. “I don’t know what you mean? Who’s Yagi? I was just looking for All Might because, uh, I had a, uh, question about… homework?” Even to Izuku the lie felt weak and his face flushed at his own poor attempt.

“Uh huh sure, kid, whatever you say. If you two insist on keeping whatever this is secret I would at least recommend trying to be subtle about it.” Kayama began to walk off, strutting her hips as her Midnight persona rose once more to the surface. “Don’t have too much fun now, Midoriya. Remember your essay on modern influences in hero costumes is due next week.”

Izuku watched her go before returning his attention to the door to the teacher’s lounge in front of him. Be confident? I’m sure that’s easy for Midnight-sensei to say. She makes everything seem so casual. Making his way toward the conference room that had become All Might’s go to place for their tea-and-check-in-super-secret-meetings. Maybe I should stop letting All Might name these sorts of things. 

“Ah, Young Midoriya! Good, I was starting to worry about you!” All Might’s booming voice never failed to make Izuku feel warm. Even as he deflated in a puff of steam and blood into his skinny form, Izuku was reminded of all the years when the only thing that could make his day better was hearing that bold proclamation I Am Here! “Worry not, my boy! The tea is still warm and I even managed to acquire a few pastries from Lunch Rush. I figured that because you survived your internship with Gran Torino it was reasonable to take a day off of your diet.”

“Ah!” Izuku said intelligently. “Thank you so much All Might!” Both hero and mentor sat in silence as the tea and snacks were shared. It wasn’t often that they could spend time alone together, between All Might teaching and maximizing what little time he had in his hero form and Izuku’s own hectic schedule of training, it was hard to find opportunities to sit down and enjoy being in the presence of his mentor. But Izuku craved these silent moments just as much as he clung to each lesson that he had been given. He would certainly die of embarrassment if he was ever forced to admit it to the man himself, but Izuku could not help but see All Might in a parental, fatherly , light. For so long he had been an unreachable idol, a dream to aspire to. But Izuku could not help but look up to Yagi Toshinori the man just as much as he looked up to All Might the hero. 

“You did well in your rescue race training the other day. I’m quite impressed at the progress you’ve made in handling One for All in such a short amount of time. Gran Torino must have had some good advice, huh?”

“Yeah. He gave me a lot to think about.” Izuku gently placed his half-filled tea cup on the low table between them. “All Might? Could I ask you a question?”

“Of course, young man! I will do my best to answer because I Am Here!” All Might briefly puffed back up into his muscular form before deflating again and settling back into the comfortable pillows on the couch. “What’s on your mind, kiddo?”

“Well, it’s about your training, with the seventh user?” Izuku fiddled with his hands, tracing over the crooked and gnarled scars of his fingers. “Gran Torino mentioned that I may be a little, uh, too loyal to you? He thinks that my admiration of you has become a shackle.” Izuku avoids looking at his mentor in favor of peering out the window overlooking the UA grounds. “I guess I was wondering if you had that problem? Did you ever struggle with being your own hero instead of being exactly like him?” Izuku’s words grew quieter until he began to whisper. “Were you ever scared that you wouldn’t be good enough?” Silence reigned in the room. For a brief moment Izuku feared that All Might had left the room while he was speaking, but he still couldn’t bring himself to look at his mentor, unshed tears piling in the corners of his eyes.

“Her.” It was so soft that Izuku almost missed the correction. “My master was a woman.” All Might let loose a broken sigh, his missing lung causing phantom aches at the exhale. “I suppose I never told you about her, did I? Her name was Nana Shimura. She was an amazing woman and a true hero.” “Was, sir?” “Yes, she died in the field just a few months after passing One for All on to me.”

“I’m so sorry, sir.” Izuku gulped. He couldn’t imagine himself in that situation, trying to learn how to handle One for All without All Might’s guidance. The very idea of All Might not being around… it left Izuku with a cold tendril of fear crawling down his spine. “She sounds incredible.”

All Might nodded. “She really was. She was the one who taught me how to smile, you know?” All Might brought his hands to his face and forced his mouth into a wide grin before dropping it and returning to a more somber visage. “I told you this once before, young Midoriya. I smile to let others know that it’s all right and use it to hide my own fear and doubts. If you are smiling and rescuing someone on the worst day of their life, then maybe you’ll remind them that it is going to be okay. You’ll give them hope and inspire their confidence in your own abilities.” Inspire confidence and hope? I guess I always have felt better when looking at All Might smiling. I wonder if I could ever do that too.

“But to answer your question, I don’t think I ever had the problem of ever idolizing her too much. She had a quirk to enhance her own use of One for All. You and I were both quirkless before becoming holders, so we never needed to worry about incorporating other abilities into our fighting styles. Plus, I only got to be around my master for around six months of training. I learned a lot of what I know from Gran Torino or my own practical experience. In my opinion, true confidence can only come from such experiences. That’s why I was so glad you accepted Gran’s offer. If I took you out on patrol myself it would draw too much attention to you. Plus, now that you have more control, it’s better to test your new limits in a controlled environment.” All Might paused to cough into his handkerchief, red dotting the edges of his lips. “I have always strived to live up to the memory of my master and I like to think that she would have been proud if she had lived to see what I did with our inherited power.” A chirp from All Might’s phone broke the somber air in the room. A Text Message Is Here! A Text Message Is Here! All Might paused at whatever he saw on the screen. “Ah, I’m sorry, my boy. It seems the world needs All Might. Will you be alright to get home on your own?”

“Of course, All Might!” Izuku bowed low in his seat before grabbing his bag and making his way toward the door. “Thank you for spending so much time with me!”

“Please, my boy,” All Might stood walking to the door with him. “You don’t need to thank me for spending time with you. You are my successor and I always enjoy our chats together. Now, I must be off. Justice must be served, Young Midoriya! I am leaving through the door like a normal person!” 

That night, as Gran Torino’s words bounced around his head, Izuku thought back to All Might and Midnight. Your admiration is a shackle. Be confident. Smile to give them hope. Focus on yourself. Hide your fears and doubts. When he woke up in the morning, he had a plan.

Kayama Nemuri was used to her students being distracted in class. Art History, admittedly, was not that interesting to everyone, especially young teenagers who would rather be outside and moving instead of in the classroom listening to lectures on the evolution of capes as a symbol of heroics. She could relate. She did her best to make her lessons for the heroics students more closely related to heroes in order to keep their attention better but even she could admit on a sunny afternoon that being outside enjoying the fresh air sounded pretty great. It was her weekend off and she was looking forward to spending it napping with her cat Sushi and maybe some actual sushi if she decided to order some. Her gaze wandered over the students, her lecture never stopping even as her mind moved elsewhere. 

The usual suspects had already begun to tune her out, their own heads likely filled with plans for a fun weekend away from training. Kaminari had mostly fallen asleep, Ashido and Jiro beginning to stack pieces of paper on the top of his head. Aoyama seemed to have gotten distracted thinking about his own cape. Mineta appeared to be paying attention, though Nemuri had the distinct feeling that he was really just ogling her. Iida and Yaoyorozu were diligently taking notes, as was Bakugou even as he sneered down at his paper. Everyone else seemed somewhere in the middle caught between daydreaming and paying attention. Nemuri flitted her attention over to where Midoriya Izuku was writing furiously in his notebook. 

She had noticed his tendency to obsess over his notebooks and she couldn’t deny her curiosity toward their contents. The one he had on his desk now was not the notebook that he used for her class (that one was a dark purple that matched her costume and she had a suspicion he had purposefully color coded all of his notebooks to match the hero who taught each subject). This notebook looked dirty and in disrepair, water stains and burns littering the outside of it. The state of it made her even more curious. He spent so much time writing in it, and he hadn’t just outright replaced it despite the damage, so he clearly cared about it. Midoriya, from what she had seen, didn’t seem to be one who was careless with things that mattered to him. Well, she thought with a glance toward his monstrous excuse of a tie, with the possible exception of his uniform. 

Not even the bell signaling the end of the period and of the school week could break him from his fanatical focus. As his friends filtered out of the class Nemuri watched them look back before shaking their heads and laughing at Midoriya’s antics. Quickly, the students made their escape toward their homes and a restful weekend until all that was left was her and her student, still wholly absorbed in his notes. I think it’s time for a little fun.

“Well, I hope whatever it is your writing is worth paying less attention to yours truly, Midoriya-kun.” His eyes snapped up from his book before widening as Nemuri advanced toward his desk. “Hopefully it’s nothing indecent. ” She licked her lips and watched as Midoriya’s face flushed a deep red leaving him resembling a somewhat embarrassed tomato. Pft, this kid is too easy! “I’m sure you’ll have ample time for your youthful activities after classes end, Midoriya.” Time to go in for the kill. “Or do I need to keep you around and give you some extra lessons? ” She cocked her hip and leaned against Bakugo’s desk in front of him. “If you’re good I won’t even make you beg for them.”

“Y-Yes.” Nemuri blinked at her student. Ehhh??? “I, uh, I would like to take some extra lessons with you, Midnight-sensei.” Midoriya hugged his notebook close to his chest. The flush that covered his cheeks lessened though he still pointedly stared away from her and toward the door. “I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday, about being confident. And I realized that I, um, I have no idea how to actually, you know, be confident. And then I realized that you were the perfect person to help teach me how to become confident. So, yes! Please teach me how to be more confident, Sensei! I am in your care!” Midoriya punctuated his plea by standing up from his chair and bowing low toward Nemuri who was still processing the speed at which his words came flying. Once she mentally sorted out everything he said, she couldn’t help it.

She laughed.

A deep belly laugh that startled Midoriya enough that he leapt away. She hadn’t laughed quite as hard since she had bet Hizashi that he couldn’t use his quirk with a mouthful of marshmallows and had watched him spew half-chewed sugary stay-puffs all over Aizawa in the teacher’s lounge. Her laughter subsided quickly when she noticed the look of concern on her student’s face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Midoriya-kun! You just really had me going for a second when you started playing into my flirting, haha! Of course I can help. And, I’m flattered you came to me instead of All Might about this.” Midoriya visibly relaxed. Nemuri made a mental note to teach him when others were laughing with or at him. “How about we start Monday after classes? Sounds good?”

“Yes, Midnight-sensei! That sounds great! Thank you so much! But, um, when were you flirting?” Nemuri felt herself sweat-drop a little at her naive new personal student. Oh this is going to be so much harder than I thought it would be.

Somehow, some way, Izuku made it through classes on Monday. He did his best to ignore the swirling butterflies in his stomach by throwing himself into training but it felt like the day had done its best to slip between his fingers until he found himself walking toward gym epsilon after the final bell had rung. It’s normal to be nervous, right? He fiddled with the knotted mass of his tie doing his best to loosen it and get a little more breathing room. It’s just a meeting. All Might believes in me. Even if Midnight decides that I’m unteachable, I can still be a hero. Izuku stopped in front of the massive doors leading into the gym. Despite being a student at UA for a few months already, he never stopped feeling small and unimportant in the face of the massive entryways that littered the grounds. I hope so at least. Familiar enough with his own spiraling thought patterns, Izuku decided to shove open the door and make his way in before he could really work himself into a frenzy.

He couldn’t say he was surprised to see Kayama Nemuri in the gym, considering he was here to see her, but Izuku was a little surprised to see she had once again forgone her costume in favor of sensible and comfortable looking street clothes. Soft brown leather boots stretched up to her knees where her jeans tucked into them. She had a pastel pink sweatshirt with what appeared to be a photo of Aizawa-sensei and above it scrawling cursive letters that read “Local Cat DILF”. Midnight looked up from her phone and smiled at Izuku. 

“Come on in, Midoriya-kun.” She slipped her phone into her pocket and gestured at the space behind her. “I managed to reserve this gym every Monday for the next few weeks. We probably won’t need the space every week, but it’s always nice to have some privacy, don’t you think?” She punctuated her statement with a wink and moved toward the benches lining the sides of the room. “You can put your stuff down, kiddo, we’re just going to be talking for most of the day.”

“Thank you again for agreeing to this, Midnight-sensei.” Izuku dropped his bag and took a seat next to her on the bench. “I really do appreciate it.” Midnight waved off his thanks.

“I’m always happy to help, Midoriya-kun. And while I’m not in costume, it’s just Kayama, okay?”

“R-right. Kayama-sensei.”

“Just Kayama.”

“Kayama-san.”  Midnight sighed before shrugging her shoulders.

“Close enough, I guess. So, Midoriya-kun, what are you looking to get out of these confidence lessons? You seem pretty confident whenever I see you in training.”

“Well, I, uh, I guess I need help figuring out who I am as a hero and as a person. I’ve never really been good at speaking up either. And I don’t think I’m particularly reassuring as a hero because I’m always, ahh, mumbling and stuttering? And I find it’s hard to talk to others that I don’t really know well. And I’m really bad at taking photos and I know that will be important one day. And I, uh, well I’m really awkward around my classmates. And I would like to stop muttering so much, maybe? And I-” Izuku stopped as a sudden weight hit the side of his face. Pulling it up into his lap, Izuku found a small stuffed rabbit toy, one of the cheap ones that he could find at any carnival or prize box. “Uh, sensei? What is this?”

“Well, I needed some way to stop you from spiraling into negative self-talk, didn’t I?” Midnight raised an unimpressed eyebrow and gestured toward a duffel bag that Izuku had missed when entering that was unzipped revealing dozens of the small plush animals. “Don’t worry if it happens again, I came prepared.”

“For now, I think we’ll start with some small tips to make you feel a little more confident in everyday life. After that we can work on putting into practice in heroics, but to be honest, kid, I think you’re closer to figuring it out than you give yourself credit for.” Midnight smiled at the confusion Izuku was sure was evident on his face. “You forget that I was there for your whole fight with Todoroki. All the teachers have access to the recordings from your first exercise with All Might and we have a pretty good idea of what happened at the USJ and Hosu.” Izuku looked away and tried to stutter out an excuse about nothing happening but Midnight carried on. “Once you get into the zone, kid, you’re magnetic. You’ve got this, this presence , that draws people toward you. It inspires them to go beyond; a real Plus Ultra kind of attitude, Midoriya.” She giggled at her own joke before regaining some seriousness.

“Honestly, the only person I can really compare it to is All Might.” Oh, did Izuku gulp at that comparison. It was part of the reason he was here in the first place!  “There’s a lot of similarities between you and the big guy,” Kayama continued oblivious to Izuku’s growing internal panic. “Your quirks, obviously, but it’s more than that. You both fight with this ferocity. Like there’s this desperate drive in you that’s forcing you to become a hero.” Her smile turned blinding and Izuku couldn’t help but swallow his fear and smile back at her. “It’s an amazing quality, but it also means that you’re going to take it all the harder when you can’t save everyone.” Izuku’s smile fades as Midnight stared unseeing at her clenched hands. It was a little unsettling to see his carefree teacher with such a somber expression. “I know Eraser has talked to you guys about this before, but this is a dangerous profession, kiddo. People have gotten really hurt. You have gotten really hurt.” Kayama took a steadying breath and let her hands relax. “Hopefully, by the end of this, you’ll be able to see that you’re worth saving too, Midoriya-kun.” 

The two of them sat in silence for a moment digesting everything that had been said. It was surprisingly comfortable for Izuku. He didn’t often feel at ease around authority figures. Even All Might still made him nervous at times and all of his experience around teachers had taught him that it was best to avoid being around them too long lest they find something to criticize or blame him for. Sitting with Midnight was different. It didn’t feel like she was searching him for answers or weaknesses like his old teachers and it didn’t have the weight of expectations that All Might or Aizawa pressed on him. It felt nice. Maybe even comfortable.

“Well, the only way to begin is by beginning.” Kayama stood and offered a hand to Izuku. “You ready, kid?” Izuku took her hand and stood from the bench with a nod.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Good. The first thing you should know is that it’s okay if you don’t feel confident.” Izuku blinked at his teacher who had started pacing in front of him. Her boots made a soft clack on the wooden floor surrounding the mats of the gym. “Have you ever heard that old pre-quirk quote? Bravery is not the absence of fear but persevering despite it? Same thing with confidence, kiddo. Everyone feels insecure, most people feel insecure all the time. But if you look and act confident, then others will think you’re confident, and then soon you’ll feel like it too.”

It’s like All Might’s smile. Izuku thought to himself. “It’s like All Might.” Ehh?! Can Midnight-sensei read minds?! “He smiles to make others around him feel safer, right? But I’m sure it also helps him to feel confident in himself by acting confident too. Today I’m going to give you some quick tips and fixes to make you seem more confident. I want you to try using them throughout the rest of the week and give me an update on Friday about your results, okay?”

“Yes, sensei.” “Louder!” “Yes, sensei!” “Good.” Midnight circled him and Izuku stiffened. He felt oddly like a lamb being inspected by a lion. He noted his sensei’s intense stare and shuddered. I hope that stays a metaphor.

“Lesson one, project your voice more. If you have something to say I can guarantee others want to hear it.” Izuku flushed lightly under the praise before feeling one of her hands settle between his shoulder blades. He let out a slight meep as she pushed, forcing his chest out more. “Second, stand up straight! Slouching makes you seem smaller than you are. Try pushing your scapula together and roll your shoulders back. No, don’t try and touch your elbows together. That’s it! That looks much more natural. Hold that position!” Izuku gulped. Why am I having flashbacks to Gran Torino?

Chapter Text

Nemuri let herself relax and allowed Midnight to bleed away on her walk toward the teacher’s lounge. At this early hour there was no one to see her except the few support students who had managed to avoid Power Loader’s nightly sweeps to send them home. As much as she loved her hero persona, most didn’t realize there was anything behind it and she really did not feel like putting on a show for others at the moment. She was a woman on a mission and she felt like the answers were just out of her reach.

Why the hell was Midoriya so skittish? She had no doubts that he had a legitimate anxiety disorder, probably untreated, but a lot of his behaviors still sent up red flags in her mind. They seemed like learned behaviors, and for the life of her, she couldn’t understand the reason for it. Kids, especially middle schoolers, could be cruel and vicious creatures, sure. But they were also easily distracted by things that were bright and flashy and Midoriya’s quirk certainly fit that mold. He was sweet, had a good head on his shoulders, and clearly had a heart of gold. So why did it seem like he was so damn scared of her?

It wasn’t always. He seemed to relax more and more over the course of their first lesson yesterday and when they were sitting and talking he looked calm and collected. But whenever she moved too quickly in a way he wasn’t expecting, he flinched. When she asked him a question he would clench his jaw as if he was chewing on the words to determine what he should say. When he noticed he started rambling he would slap his hand over his mouth and his eyes would widen in fear . If she was being honest, she had noticed some of the signs earlier in the year, too. Whenever his classmates laughed aloud he would whip his gaze in their direction like he expected them to be laughing at him. When someone spoke too loud or startled him he would curl into himself like he was anticipating a hit. 

When Bakugou entered a room he had a full-body shudder.

Those were clearly signs that something was wrong and she was going to find out what it was. She had hoped that Shouta would fix whatever it was that was going on between them because he was their homeroom teacher and he knew his kids best, but this was the same man who considered a proper meal a jelly pouch and thought things like shaving or wearing clothes other than his hero costume were irrational . Knowing Shouta, he would either ignore the problem or force them to fight against All Might to try and make them overcome their issues. … oh he was going to hear about it from her if he did that for their finals.

Nemuri pushes the door to the teacher’s lounge open, making her way to the filing cabinet where the student records were held. Hopefully there was something in Midoriya’s middle school file that would shed some light on things. Finally finding it in the back of the drawer she stopped and gaped at the size of it. It was twice as big as any of the others. Well, that was fine, right? Maybe someone just wrote him a really long letter of character or something like that. 

It was nothing like that. A dozen pages of citations and detentions for picking fights with other students, disrupting class, reckless and disrespectful behavior, taunting and antagonizing his peers. Nemuri flipped back to the name on the file and double checked the picture they had. This was Midoriya’s file? Her Midoriya? This read like a juvie record from an S class villain not the sweet young man who couldn’t stop himself from tacking honorifics onto her name. She leafed through the file more, dread coiling in her stomach. The letters from his homeroom teacher and the principal were damning. About a page in length, both detailed the many failings and flaws that they had seen in his time at their school. Skimming quickly, Nemuri narrowed her eyes. Toward the end of the letters, each had an identical phrase:

Midoriya Izuku is a troublemaker who cannot and should not be in a classroom of future heroes. He is a distraction to others and goes out of his way to antagonize them due to bitterness over his Quirkless status.

Quirkless? Nemuri sat back into her chair trying to process this new bombshell. He must have been a late-bloomer , she thought. And if they presumed he was quirkless … well, discrimination was a bitch and she knew quirkless discrimination in Japan was through the roof. Most of it was nearly untraceable because victims were too scared and bystanders usually just refused to report it. Even if it was reported, she had met a lot of cops in her time that would dismiss the charges out of hand. She knew how bad it had been for her when she was younger, and knew both Hizashi and Shouta had their own horror stories about the prejudices of others. But they all had quirks to rely on. Izuku probably had no one in his corner , she thought. Poor kid… Her attention was drawn briefly back to the file and caught on his grades. He had exactly the same score in every class. 

Paging through his whole transcript, Nemuri saw identical marks in every class dating back to elementary school. Exactly enough points to pass the class and advance a year and not a point more. They were doctoring his grades. Nemuri felt her nails dig into the table but ignored the creaking protests of the wood. They weren’t just turning a blind eye to this, they were actively participating. Suddenly, she felt sick. It’s a miracle that this kid trusts any adult at all. 

Gathering the folder in her hands, Nemuri jumped up and rushed to the door before continuing deeper into the halls of UA toward Nezu’s office. Midoriya, you may have been failed by every other adult in your life, but I’ll make damn sure that I do right by you. Nemuri tried and failed to be surprised by the fact that Nezu’s door opened before she could knock and the principal was waiting for her with a hot cup of tea. What did surprise her was that three cups had been prepared, and the tall skeletal form of All Might who looked equally shocked to see her.

“Ah, Kayama, I am very glad you could join us. Would you care to sit?” Nemuri stiffly sat and All Might settled back into his chair as well. Nezu smiled. “Before we begin this meeting, would you like any cream or sugar with your tea?”

“You knew,” she said, ignoring his offer. “You knew that I would look through Midoriya’s file today and you knew what I would find.” Nezu had the gall to look mildly offended.

“But of course I did! I am the principal, after all.” He stirred a single packet of sugar into her cup before offering it to her. Damn rat. “I knew you were having a private lesson with Midoriya yesterday, and I was confident that you would spot the same concerning behaviors as I had. You are a fair bit more emotionally observant than Aizawa despite his claim to situational awareness.” Neither fixing her tea just how she liked nor the flattery did anything to calm Nemuri down.

“If you had spotted the signs then why the hell is Aldera Junior High still standing?” She placed the file on the desk in exchange for the teacup. “It’s unlike you to leave any institution like that in place.” Nezu chuckled.

“Unfortunately, there are some extenuating circumstances, and no, we cannot tell you all of the answers right now.” Nemuri frowned and looked at All Might before turning back to Nezu with a raised eyebrow. “Suffice it to say, Midoriya Izuku is a bit of a special case. If we were to handle this as publicly as my usual methods it would draw too much attention to him.” Nemuri’s frown deepened.

“Commision attention?” 

Nezu nodded. “For one, yes. Though there are other forces at work that it would be best to not alert as well.” Nemuri couldn’t help but shudder at that. The Commision was often bad enough. It was an open secret that not everything they were doing was above board. But these other forces , especially if they were enough to make Nezu nervous, had to be bad. “Right now, our best option is to focus on training and supporting Midoriya and wait until the mitigating factors have subsided before handling the situation quietly.”

“So we just wait?” She hissed. “We’re supposed to ignore it?”

“By all means, no.” Nezu replied calmly. “Continue doing what you’re doing now, Kayama. Get close to Midoriya, see if he will open up to you. There is not much we would be able to do without his cooperation in any circumstance.”

“I would ask,” All Might spoke up for the first time. “If you could not let young Midoriya know that you know of his past. It is a bit of a sore point for the boy, especially due to the, ah, present circumstances. If he opens up to you that is great, but please let him come to you on his own time.”

“I know,” Nemuri murmured. Her anger was starting to subside and she was able to really think it through. If she just went to Midoriya and told him that she knew, it could break a lot of the meager trust that she had built with him. It was better to wait for him to tell her himself, but it did nothing to chase away the protective fury that threatened to tear out of her chest. “This isn’t our first situation at UA like this, but still…”

“I know that you empathize with his situation, Kayama.” Nezu placed his cup down and laid a paw over the folder. “I too, wish we could do more. But Midoriya is in a delicate position. For now, we will watch over him and try to protect him in the future.” 

Nemuri took a moment to collect herself before nodding. She stood and bowed to Nezu before leaving the office toward her next class. As her footsteps faded, All Might turned to the principal. “Do you think we should have told her about One for All?” Nezu’s grin returned, feral and mischievous.

“Kayama Nemuri was the third personal student I have ever taken on here at UA. I think she’ll figure it out for herself soon enough.”

The Morning Is Here! The Morning Is Here! The Morning Is Here! Izuku couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips. Yesterday had not been the worst day of training he had ever endured (that title singularly belonged to the day he had dragged All Might in his muscle form across the beach while the man sat on a fridge). In fact he really enjoyed his lesson with Midnight, but there was something about knowing that he had to go out into the world and actually try to put those lessons into practice that made him want to burrow back deeper in his bed. 

But Midnight had given him the tools to use and if Izuku was honest with himself, he kind of wanted to see if he could do it. It was an interesting challenge. He had never, as far as he could remember, been confident and outgoing in the easy sort of ways that some of his classmates were even before they sentenced him to be the local pariah. He had always been a little envious of them in the way they could just exist within themselves. The way that they could simply be at peace with themselves felt so far out of his reach. If being able to do that, to calm the constant maelstrom of negative thoughts in his head, meant forcing himself out of his comfort zone then he wanted to at least try it. Even if it made him scared. Moving through his morning routine, Izuku grabbed the gym bag he had prepared the night before and went into the kitchen where his mom was busy preparing breakfast for the both of them.

“Good morning, mom.”

“Good morning, sweetheart.” Inko didn’t turn from the stovetop where the eggs were cooking, merely accepting the kiss on the cheek from Izuku. “Your protein shake is on the counter near your bento. I went ahead and added a few honey packets in there as well. Did you know that some powerlifters are switching over to honey as a pre-workout snack? It has easily digestible sugars and it’s pretty easy to-” Inko stopped in her tracks as she turned toward her son. Her eyes, the same green she had passed on to Izuku, narrowed in confusion. “Izuku, honey, did you grow a little over night? Is this the growth spurt that Yagi-san mentioned might come?”

“Ah, no, not really.” Izuku rubbed the back of his head at the assumption. “I’m just, uh, not slouching as much I guess? It was something that Midnight-sensei suggested might help with my confidence.”

His mom hums and turns back to the stove top. “I might have to send her a fruit basket or something as thanks then. I never realized quite how tall you had gotten.” Izuku’s face flushed in embarrassment. Was it really that much of a difference? Just standing up a little straighter? As he ate his breakfast alongside his mom, stopping to grab the food she had prepared, and made his way toward the station the thought kept reverberating in his head. Its presence never fully faded even as he boarded his train.

It was hard to recognize himself from the flashes of his reflection in the windows as Musutafu passed behind them. Ten months of training from hell, another month and a half of being in UA’s hero course, had turned him from a skinny sack of bones into a muscular hero in training, but it wasn’t just his muscles that had changed. Izuku bore the results of his adventures in the scars on his skin. Little nicks and cuts from his fight with stain littered his body along with a slight burn mark on his ear from Bakugo’s all out attack on the first day. Most prominent though, were the marks that One for All itself had left on him. His gnarled and crooked hand was quick to ache at the end of a school day and all his limbs bore marks from where the bone had pierced it or from the uncontainable lightning that now resided within him. His new appearance, combined with his new posture, made the version of him in the window look older. He looked more confident, more mature, maybe even a little rugged. 

He looked like his father.

There were few photos of Hisashi Midoriya at home and Izuku often couldn’t bring himself to ask about the man. Whenever he had asked when he was younger, his mother would just look so unbearably sad and tell him that he was working abroad. Eventually Izuku stopped asking. The mysterious father he had never known faded into memory. Izuku's coloring was all from Inko and everyone who had met them both had told him that he looked exactly like his mother. But Izuku could see the subtleties in their differences. His hair was curlier, messy and wild in a way that Inko’s hair wasn’t. It was also a shade darker, closer to black in low light. His jaw was a touch more narrow than hers, his nose slightly larger, his cheekbones a bit higher. His eyes, while the same vibrant green, were sharper, slightly more angular than his mother’s. He could admit, here in the privacy of his own mind and nowhere near his friends, that he could see Todoroki’s points about his relationship to All Might. He and his mentor shared the same intensity in their eyes, a similar slope to their shoulders. Yagi’s hair had certainly been wilder in his younger days, Izuku had seen many posts in the various fan groups he was a member of comparing his hair to a lion’s mane, and even more so in his smaller form. In fact, with the slight height increase from not slouching and his shoulders squared back he did share a fairly damning resemblance to his predecessor's thin frame. 

A small shiver went down his back. Todoroki can never find out about this.

The announcement that his stop was coming up was enough to put the thought out of his mind for now. It wouldn’t do to have himself distracted. He already had to often remind himself to stand up straighter and to stop mumbling and speak up when talking to others. There were only six weeks until final exams and while midterms had gone well, Izuku knew just how quickly the time could pass if he wasn’t careful.

He did his best to focus on the upcoming lessons and how soon he needed to start preparing for exams. It felt weird to be doing so. The past month and a half had been truly insane, filled with villains and killers and several people declaring war on him. But now he was worried over finals and whether or not he could talk without stuttering in front of his classmates. It felt like he was a normal high school student. Well, a high school student in possession of several national secrets and a two-hundred year old quirk, who is being hunted by a quirk-stealing monster of the underground who had nearly eviscerated the nation’s symbol of peace. Normal, right?

Izuku sighed and adjusted his backpack. How was he supposed to pretend to be normal and confident when everything in his life felt like it was straight out of a manga? Izuku let himself wallow a little in self-pity as his feet carried him along the familiar path to school. Unbidden, Midnight’s voice echoed in his mind. If you think you can’t, then you won’t. You can’t beat villains if you’re constantly fighting your own head, Midoriya. Keep a positive attitude! Right, he just had to do his best. Letting himself get caught up in what-ifs and potential pitfalls wouldn’t help him succeed, it would just drag him down. More settled, Izuku nodded to himself and picked up his pace.

And stop slouching! His mental-sensei shouted. Izuku straightened up before sighing. This was going to be a long semester.

Most people didn’t believe it, but Uraraka Ochako was smart. Deceived by her bubbly personality and her girl-next-door looks, Ochako knew that most people tended to overlook her intelligence. Her quirk required a fairly intimate knowledge of the laws of physics to use properly and she had spent her entire life on construction sites learning the applications. She could always tell when something was bothering her parents too. If it was stress from work or problems with money, Ochako had learned how to read people fairly well.

It was why she was so confused by Deku.

Her first sight of him had been ethereal. She would never forget the way he looked, suspended in air by the jump that had shattered his legs. He hung in the sky like he belonged more there than on the ground. Like he was made from something lighter than anyone else. Something otherworldly. If she were more religious she would consider likening him to an angel, but it drew to mind something of even greater importance to her. He looked like a hero that had stepped off the pages of those pre-quirk comic books. Like with a smile and a wave of his hand he could save the day and change the world.

It wasn’t the only time that she had been amazed by her first and best friend at UA. It felt like every time she looked he was doing incredible, if also terrifying, things. At the USJ and in their first battle trials she had admired his incredible resolve and courage. But during the sports festival there were moments she was almost convinced that Deku wasn’t human. That her friend really was an angel made flesh. How could anyone endure what he did to himself in his fight with Todoroki? How could a person break themselves over and over just to prove a point? How could anyone smile while in that much pain?

And then he fought Stain. He mastered that colossal power that shattered his limbs and tamed it into something usable. He fought and held out against the Hero Killer, a man whose name sent shivers down the spines of most pros. They couldn’t talk about what had happened, the three boys who were in that alley, but she knew Deku. If Stain had been there fighting others then Deku was throwing himself into the fight too, she had no doubts. Midoriya Izuku was a hero through and through, to the very depths of his being.

Yet why couldn’t he see it? 

Deku was skittish and shy, quick to pile praise on others but denied and deflected when anyone tried to return a compliment. It made no sense for a person that strong and powerful to be that shy. But that was okay with Ochako. She adored her easily flustered and anxious friend. The duality of Deku in classes and social situations with the Deku that grinned fiercely during training was what made him so special to her. If Izuku couldn’t see himself as a hero, couldn’t believe in himself in the way that she thought he deserved, then she could do it for him. She would prop him up with her support until one day he could stand on his own.

Her care and concern for her friend was what let her see the difference in him as soon as he walked through the 1-A door. His back was straight. His shoulders were relaxed and pulled back instead of bunched up to his ears. His chin was up, gaze locked ahead instead of down at his feet. She wondered for a moment if Izuku had a twin that she hadn’t known about until she spotted his wild hair and strangled tie. It was definitely her Deku. No one else could mess up a tie that badly. But he looked taller with the changes. Confident, like he was ready to take on the day and prove himself a hero. It wasn’t a look she was familiar with outside of training or emergencies.

He looked hot.

Ochako slapped her rapidly flushing cheeks, cursing her complexion. How could she think that? That was her best friend! That was Deku! She wasn’t allowed to think about him like that! Still though, she couldn’t help but observe her friend over the course of the day. He sat straighter in class, occasionally slouching before rapidly sitting up again. He laughed a little louder at lunch when Todoroki made his weekly attempt to convince the group that All Might was Deku’s father. Even in that day’s exercise he didn’t shrink away when All Might complimented him. He beamed . Those rare smiles she managed to pull from Izuku that felt like the sun or a warm hug from her mom.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to figure out what happened! People didn’t just change overnight. Something had to have sparked this newfound confidence in him and Ochako was going to get to the bottom of it. 

“Deku-kun!” Ochako raced after her fluffy-haired friend as soon as the final bell had rung.

“Oh, hey Uraraka-san!” His smile was bright and her traitorous heart couldn’t help but beat faster at the sight of it. “What’s up?”

“Oh, I, uh, well I was wondering-”

“Midoriya-kun!” The two looked up to see Midnight making her way towards them. “This afternoon we won’t be meeting in the gym. Instead meet me by the staff parking lot, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Midnight nodded and walked past the two before calling over her shoulder, “Oh, we do have an appointment to keep so try not to take too long with your liaison , okay?” Ochako’s face lit up scarlet and Deku let out a few awkward chuckles. The R-rated heroine disappeared beyond the corner leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence.

“I should-” “Deku-kun -” both laughed as they spoke over one another. “Sorry,” Izuku said. “Go ahead.”

“I, um, I was just wondering-” “Move it, extras!” Bakugo shoved his way past, knocking Ochako directly into her friend’s chest. “Get the hell out of my way!” After the walking bomb had passed, Ochako looked up at Deku, one hand pressed against his chest, the other around his hip just above his belt. Her blush returned in a frenzy. 

“I- Ijustwantedtosayyoudidreallygoodtodayokaybye!” Uraraka peeled herself from his grasp and sped off leaving a confused Izuku behind her. Once she was safely away around the corner, she peeked back around to watch as her friend softly smiled to himself before walking in the direction Midnight had disappeared in. She waited a few seconds to make sure he was fully gone before sighing in relief.

“My, my, mon amie, you certainly seem flushed.” Ochako was not proud of the eep she let out. Spinning, she found the sparkling smirk of Aoyama behind her. “Is it because you love him?”

Crap, not good! “Hahaha, what? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about our shining star, Izuku Midoriya of course. So, are you in love with him?”

Her mind went completely blank. Act dumb, Ochako. “Who’s Izuku?” Not that dumb! Abandoning her voice along with her hope, Ochako turned and sprinted as far from the scene as she could. Well, I guess transferring to Ketsubutsu is always a possibility…

Chapter Text

“So, where exactly are we going, Sensei?” Izuku sat shotgun as Midnight drove the two of them deeper into Musutafu. The older beat up sedan was not the type of car he would have guessed the R-rated heroine would drive, but he supposed it made sense to stay incognito. The dark blue car, with all its pits and dings, blended in perfectly with all the other cars on the road. Of course, Izuku thought to himself as he desperately clung to the safety handle above his head, it could just be because she pays so much in insurance! Weaving through traffic, Kayama let out a laugh.

“Why, that’s a secret my dear student.” She turned to wink at Izuku, heedless of the angry honking from others on the road. “While I do appreciate an eager learner, the best things come to those who wait.” Midnight turned her attention back to the road in time to bank left, narrowly avoiding a parked car and rocketing down a sidestreet. As Izuku debated if it was rude or not for him to use a small percentage of One for All to hold on tighter to the safety handle, the car mercifully pulled to a stop in one of the rougher boroughs of the city. Izuku all but fell out onto the street as he opened the passenger door. He did his best to steady his heart rate with hands on knees while Midnight rounded the front of the car and put her hand on his back. “You look like Yamada down there, kid! He’s always getting car sick around me for some reason. Come on, let’s go inside. This is just our first stop.” He looked up to see a small store front. The glass windows showed several chairs inside and a small sign denoted the place Spring of Youth Salon and Hairstyling . 

The inside of the store was clean and well maintained, though clearly old. The leather chairs were vintage, an older style that had gone out of favor years ago, the wall paper peeling in places, but rather than make it seem run down it gave the store a lived-in feel. The building felt as if it had stood for generations and would continue to stand for many more. Midnight directed him to sit in the farthest chair from the windows. As he began to sit down, he heard a rasping voice from the back call out.

“Nemuri? Is that you?”

“Yeah it’s me, grandmother. You want to come say hi to the sprout?” The curtain blocking the salon portion of the store from the back moved to reveal a fairly wizened old woman. She was around the same height as Gran Torino and bore just as many wrinkles, though Izuku knew first hand how little that meant. She had a far kinder look on her face than Gran had ever worn around him however and the lines around her mouth were from smiling rather than scowling. Her white hair was gathered in a tidy top knot and brown eyes, still keen and sharp, sparkled with mirth at seeing Izuku and Midnight. She dropped the broom that she had been clutching in her hand and walked over to Kayama embracing her in a hug.

“It’s good to see you, dearie. You look as beautiful as ever.” Midnight squeezed the older woman just as tightly before letting go with one arm to gesture at Izuku.

“Grandmother, this is Midoriya Izuku, one of my students. I’m helping him with his confidence at the moment. Midoriya, this is Watanabe Hisui, owner and operator of this fine establishment.” Izuku stood from his chair so that he could bow.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Watanabe-san.” The old woman waved off his greeting with a smile. 

“It’s just Hisui, young man. I’m far too old to be dealing with all this pomp and propriety. It’s a game best left to the young, hm?” Hisui turned to Midnight. “You’re all set up, spring flower. Just make sure to clean up and lock the door when you’re done. I’ll be upstairs. Make sure he eats something too, that boy is far too thin.” His teacher laughed as the older woman made her way back behind the curtain. Izuku returned to his seat and Midnight spun his chair so that she could look into his eyes through the mirror.

“So, Midoriya-kun, are you ready to get started?”

“Yes, sensei. Er, what exactly is it that we’re going to do though?”

“Today’s lesson is all about appearances. Dressing for success is half the battle, no? Being put together and looking good can make people think more highly of you. Instead of others seeing you as somewhat unkempt, they trust you more. If it looks like you know what you’re doing, people will assume you do know what you’re doing.”

“That makes sense.” Midnight settled a cover over his shoulders and tied it before placing a towel over the back of his neck. “I need to look the part, right? It’s like when I’m in my costume. Civilians put their faith in us when we look like we’re heroes.”

“Very true, Midoriya. Though there is another reason for it as well.” Izuku made a noise of confusion as the water in the sink was turned on. “Simply put, it’s because it feels good as well.” Izuku’s chair was spun and his back lowered until the warm water began to rush over his hair. “It’s been proven before. People feel better when they look better. Humans are pretty vain creatures overall. So much of our internal self-worth is measured by our external images and we don’t even really realize it.” Midnight began to run her hands through his hair, pulling and tugging at the curls. “If you look good you feel good. That’s why it’s important to put on your best face for the world.” Izuku melts a little into the chair as Midnight finishes washing his hair and pulls him up into a seated position. She dries his hair with the towel around his neck before spinning him again and meeting his reflected eyes. 

“What do you see when you look in the mirror, Midoriya?” Izuku frowns at his reflection as it stares back at him.

“I guess, I just see… me, sensei. Just Midoriya Izuku.”

“Just Midoriya Izuku, huh? Well, I see a young man who has fought and clawed his way to where he is now. I see someone with pretty incredible potential. Maybe after I’m done with you here, you’ll see what I do, okay?” 

“Okay, sensei.” Izuku sniffled past the tears that had started to leak out of his eyes. They fell into silence as Izuku let his tears dry and Midnight decided how she wanted to style his hair. The gentle sounds of the scissors and his teacher’s murmuring to herself about length and texture was a soothing soundtrack. By the time his tears had dried Izuku felt almost meditative. He felt at peace in a way that was rare for his overactive mind. After a few more minutes where the snipping of scissors was the only background noise, Izuku could hardly resist the stupor he was being lulled into. When the spell was broken by Midnight, it was all the more jarring.

“She’s not my real grandmother, you know.” Izuku tried to look at his teacher, but she redirected his gaze forward again with a gentle grip on his head. “My mother was a bartender in the neighborhood. She was a single mother, so things were tight. I got a job here with Hisui when I was about eleven. Just sweeping floors and things for a few yen under the table. It took a few years, but eventually I worked up to cutting hair and styling. I learned how to cut and color and do makeup and paint nails and whatever else I could to earn a little bit more cash. But I had my sights on something bigger.

“I went to UA too, not sure if you knew that part.” Izuku did know that. UA boasted a huge assortment of top pros as alumni, but even then producing Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Present Mic, Ingenium and Midnight within a five year span was impressive. “My mother… Well, she always hated that I wanted to be a hero. Eventually she left, and I had to figure everything out for myself.” Her work continued uninterrupted despite the conversation. “I managed to get emancipated as a minor, and Hisui let me move in with her. I worked here every day that I could after that. Once I really made it as a pro, I paid Hisui back for everything that I could. Not that she would take much of it, the stubborn old bat.” She said with a snort. 

Izuku swallowed through the new tears thick in his throat. He couldn’t see his teacher’s face, but he doubted she wanted his apologies or his sympathetic crying. His mother had never accepted his dream of being a hero when he was quirkless. Even now that he had a quirk and had proven himself, he worried that she would break under the stress of watching him in the hero course. But he had never worried for a moment that she would just leave. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if she had but he didn’t think he would handle it nearly as well as Kayama-sensei had. She was amazing. She had taken all that life could give and used it to forge herself into an incredible hero. 

Izuku could only hope he would one day do the same.

He stared unseeing as old worries bubbled to the surface. Could he really become a hero? Even if he did have All Might’s quirk now, underneath he was still just little quirkless Deku. He was just now starting to catch up to all of his classmates but he still had years of work to do in order to reach their level. He was weak and awkward and a terrible choice for the ninth holder of One for All. No one could reach All Might’s level. No one ever had or will. So how was he supposed to surpass him? How could he succeed the Symbol of Peace? Izuku sighed and did his best to banish the thoughts from his mind. He was doing everything he could to get better every day. He was doing his best, chasing his dream with his entire being. It didn’t have to be today. He would get there eventually. He would . 

( It didn’t matter , whispered the insidious part of his mind. He would always and forever be Deku and that would always mean useless.)

“What do you think, Midoriya-kun?” Izuku refocused on the mirror in front of him and his new reflection stared back. Midnight had trimmed his curls into a more manageable size on top, closer cropped and cleaned up, but still retaining an edge of the untamed wild it started with. The sides of his head were buzzed down and Izuku reached up to run his fingers over the fuzzy sections. It was startling, Izuku realized, to think that he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he allowed Midnight ( an adult , the whispers reminded, a teacher ) to take a razor to his head. The new haircut gave him a mysterious edge. With the small nicks and cuts on his face from today’s training and the fresh trim, he cut an almost dangerous figure. He smiled and nodded at Kayama.

“I like it! You did amazing work, Kayama-sensei.” Her expectant eyes simmered into joy and amusement.

“Years and years of practice, kiddo.” She ran her hand through his new curls, letting them shift and reform through her fingers. “You’ve got nice hair, very fluffy and soft. I’m sure it will be very popular with the young women of 1-A, hm?” Izuku flushed looking like a particularly uncomfortable tomato as Midnight just cackled in glee. “Alright, up up up. We’ve got another two stops to make so no time to waste, Midoriya!”

His teacher grabbed his arm and power walked toward the exit dragging him behind her. “But- wait! Midnight-sensei, what about cleaning up?” Her laughter only grew in volume.

“Oh, don’t worry Midoriya-kun, Hisui is never serious about making me clean up.” The faint yell of Kayama Nemuri get your ass back here! did not support her claim. She shuddered at the fury in the voice. “Just run, kid. And hope she’s gotten slow in her old age.” They made it back to the car just in time to see the door to the shop fly open as Watanabe Hisui stood wreathed in growing flowered plants, glaring at Midnight. Massive thorny vines sprouted from her hands and launched themselves toward the back wheel. Midnight simply grinned at Izuku.

“That’s our cue, kid! Time to skedaddle!” Izuku’s screams were drowned out by the squeal of rubber and Kayama’s mad howling laughter as the two shot away from the now cursing grandmother.

One whirlwind trip through a clothing store later, and Izuku could barely think straight. New terms and color combinations just kept floating through his train of thought. Change layers to add three-dimensionality to your outfit. Coordinate shoes, belt, and tie. Socks can be a statement piece, or should blend with the pants. Slim jackets make the shoulders pop more and accentuate his narrow waist. Never too much green to drown out his hair, never more than three colors or more than one piece with three colors on it, always match warm tones with warm tones and cold tones with cold. Black is always black, there’s never a new black. 

They hadn’t even bought anything! Izuku was worried at first but Midnight had just waved off his concerns like usual. “This is just to teach you what to look for when you go shopping on your own. Once you’ve got the basics covered they can kinda be applied to any situation, much like a good leather jacket!”  He had filled the middle third of his Lessons in Confidence Volume One notebook with all the knowledge Midnight had thrown at him over the past hour and it was all Izuku could do to not let his brain leak onto the tile beneath him. 

Blessedly, they had reached their final destination. Izuku looked up past the haze of phantom clothing haunting his mind to see a small high-end tailor squashed in between a perfume shop and, to his horror, a lingerie store. He ignored the burn in his cheeks and stared stubbornly straight ahead as he followed Midnight into the tailor. The inside was well appointed in dark wood paneling, a severe change from the modern mall they had just left. To the left were various racks of blazers, pants, and full suits. To the right were three changing rooms along with a small display of ties. In the back was a long counter behind which an older man with elf-like ears sat listening to a small vintage radio. When he spoke, his words came out with a gentle rasp.

“Ah, Kayama-san. I had heard you were coming in today. Is this the young man in question?” 

“It is indeed, Shiba-san. Are we still good to use room three for a bit?” The man nodded and waved them toward the marked changing room before returning his attention to the radio. Midnight strode to the room, snagging two ties from the display on her way, as Izuku made to follow her. The rooms appeared to be simple changing stalls, and Izuku was skeptical that both he and Midnight were going to fit in one of them together. As the door opened, however, the two found themselves in a private lounge area. A small table sat against the far wall, two chairs on the right hand side opposite a small raised platform with three mirrors facing the center of it. Clothing racks with empty hangers flanked the raised stage. The floor was a dark cherry wood, accented by a navy blue throw rug that dominated the empty space between the platform and the table. Izuku blinked away his surprise.

“Uh, Kayama-sensei? How is this room so big?”

“Hm? Oh, that’s Shiba-san’s quirk. He can create small pocket dimensions out of rooms to create more space within them. It’s a very handy quirk for a store owner.” Izuku’s mind began to race with all the possibilities of such a quirk until a soft flick to his forehead brought him back to reality. “Think quirks later, Midoriya-kun, I have a very special assignment for you. Today, you are going to learn how to tie a tie.”

“Huh? What’s wrong with my tie?”

“Oh, honey… just, no. I’m not sure whatever you were doing to your school uniform counted as a tie at all. Here, watch me.” She adjusted the tie to a proper length and then began to fold it into a half-windsor knot. “It’s pretty simple, once you get the hang of it.” 

“I didn’t know you knew how to tie a tie, Kayama-sensei.” She looked up from her hands to give Izuku a wink.

“Well, I am an expert in all sorts of knots and ties, Midoriya-kun. They’re just not normally around my neck.” Izuku blushed crimson for the umpteenth time at his teacher’s antics. In a few moments, she tightened the fabric around her, and held out her hands in a small ta-da . “And there we are! Think you can do it?”

The answer, which quickly became apparent, was no. With a huff, Izuku pulled the end taught, which somehow trapped the index and ring finger together on his right hand. Groaning, he thunked his head lightly against the mirror. 

“I think it might be hopeless, sensei.” Midnight, sadist as she was, merely laughed and took his hands in hers. With deft pulls, Izuku was freed from his self-inflicted bonds. 

“Here, one more time. I’ll guide your hands as you do, okay?” As she attempted once more to teach Izuku the vexing knot, he caught the image of their reflections in the mirror. Kayama, with her heels enhancing her already impressive height, was several centimeters taller than Izuku and bent slightly at the knee to help him. He looked like a kid playing dress up and Midnight was his older sister trying to assist.

A memory, unbidden, rose into his mind's eye. He had snuck into his mother’s closet and taken out a large dark brown leather jacket. It smelled of pine and wood smoke, leather soft and worn with age. To Izuku at age 3, it was the perfect cape. He tottered toward where his mother was working in the kitchen before striking a mighty pose. 

“I am here!” He shouted. His mother turned, a smile already quirking her lips upward. “Oh wow, Mighty Boy, I’m so glad you’re here. I have an extra special mission for you.” Warm arms surrounded him and brought him up to his mother. “It’s called ‘rescue the dishes from the evil dishwasher’! Do you think you can help me, Mighty Boy?”

“Yeah! Because I am Here!”

“And done.” Izuku blinked back the last traces of the memory to see his tie, tied perfectly in a smart half-windsor, around his neck. He looked up at Midnight who beamed back at him. “You did it! Want to try doing it yourself this time?” He nodded.

“Yeah. I’ve got this.”

Who needs fathers, Izuku would think to himself later, when I have such incredible women in my life.

All Might felt eyes on him as he walked into the teacher’s lounge. He was in his smaller form, so even if a student had come in early for help it was unlikely that they would stare at him with this much intent. No, he had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him and waiting to pounce. 

Turning, the Symbol of Peace shuddered as his beheld Midnight, toying with the end of her whip as she stared him down from where she leaned near the coffee machine. When they locked eyes, she pushed off from the counter and stalked her way towards All Might. Idly he wondered if this was how gazelles felt when they encountered a lion near the watering hole. Midnight put a hand on his shoulder, the casual air to her demeanor belying the strength of the grip she had on him. She didn’t speak, merely choosing to lead Toshinori toward one of the empty meeting rooms, the same meeting room where he often met with Young Midoriya. As they passed the desks of the other teachers, All Might felt the same pitying looks upon him that he would at a funeral procession. Yamada and Aizawa, in particular, looked at him as if he were being walked to his execution.

Once they entered, she all but shoved him onto a couch before perching on the edge of her own sofa across from him. I’ve had villains stare at me with less venom in their eyes!

“Ah, good morning, Kayama-san! What can I do for you?”

“Shut it, Yagi.” Oh boy, this can’t be good. “What the hell is your relationship to Midoriya Izuku?”

“I, ah, why I’m not sure what you mean, Midnight. He’s a smart young man and-” “You’re a better liar than Midoriya, Yagi, but that does not make you good at it.”

Midnight uncurled her whip and placed it on the low table between them. She untensed her muscles and stretched languidly, like a big cat. Despite the slow methodical motions, Toshinori could not shake the fact that this was a threat. An apex predator in front of him displaying just how little a challenge she considered him.

“You have weekly private meetings with Midoriya. He took an internship with a man who taught here at UA for just one year, your first year as a student, in fact. He knows about your smaller form. I’ve seen the video of the USJ attack. His actions indicate that he knew you were already pushing your time and jumped into help. He practically worships the ground you walk on. So tell me again how Midoriya is just another student to you.” Toshinori could only gulp and Midnight took his silence as guilt and forged onward. “I have a theory, and tell me how close I am, All Might.” She leaned in close so that her burning blue eyes could stare into his own.

“Is Midoriya your son?”

Blood sprayed as the number one hero choked. Midnight waited as his coughing fit eventually subsided. “Kayama, please, you are misunderstanding the situation! I am not young Midoriya’s father!” 

“But you do have a connection to him.”

“Yes, I will admit that I met Midoriya before the school year began and he accidentally saw my weaker form. But I assure you that there is no conspiracy here!” Midnight relaxed her posture but kept her eyes trained on the man across from her.

“Alright, Yagi, I’ll believe you for now. But know that I know that not everything in your story makes sense. I will find the truth. And if I find out that you have done anything untoward to this boy, so help me All Might I will plant your fucking hair spikes on the moon. Got it?”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Now that you know that I know that you know that I know, know that my knowing knows no bounds, you know?”

“Er, I, uh… what?”

With that, Midnight left the conference room leaving a stunned and confused All Might in her wake. Toshinori turned toward the empty room as the door swung closed.

“What just happened?”

Izuku made his way to the support labs while his friends went to lunch, leaving an oddly red-faced Uraraka being dragged away by Ashido behind him. Pushing his friends’ antics out of his mind, he focused on the notebook in his hands. He had a lot of ideas percolating in his mind. His new beta suit that he got was great, but he could have used more protection for his arms and legs in case he had to go over his top percentage again. Plus, he wanted to talk to Mei to see if he could add some sort of capture equipment to his utility belt. He did not want to continue to rely on random rope that had been thrown in dumpsters if he could help it.

The sound of explosions let him know that the woman he was looking for was in the studio. Should he be worried that Hatsume caused more explosions than Bakugou? She did make incredible gear, so he figured that it was just her “creative process” at work. He went to knock on the door when another crashing BOOM sounded from within the room sending eight feet of metal flying. Izuku made to dodge but felt a soft weight smack into him sending him to the floor. 

“Huh? Well I guess the mixture on the cryogenic grenades are a little too reactive with oxygen. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Hey, Ten Million. What are you doing down there?”

So. Soft. Izuku did his best to ignore the parts of Hatsume that had landed on him, planting his hands firmly on the ground and away from his friend and mad genius. “Hatsume, would you please get off of me?” His voice was muffled by the cloth of her tank top but he assumed she got the message as she stood and pulled him up with her. She made her way inside the design studio dragging Izuku in her wake. What is it with girls dragging me places? I can walk on my own you know!

“So what can I do for ya, Mr. Ten Mil?”

“Er- I was actually hoping to talk to you about my costume. I was looking to get some modifications done? I actually figured out a new way to use my quirk.” Hatsume whipped around, pink braids flying behind her.

“Did you already break the babies I made for you?” “No, no, no. I-” “Aw, I was kinda hoping you had busted them. The best way to make new and better babies is to iterate on old designs! Alas. What were you thinking about in terms of modifications?”

Izuku let a bit of One for All flow into him, just enough to wreathe himself in lightning. “You know how my quirk breaks my limbs, right? Well this is the amount of it I can control by using it all over. It’s only around five percent of my max. I was hoping to get some reinforcements or stabilizers for them? Just in case I need to go over my limit again.” Hatsume looked delighted over the crackling energy that surrounded him.

“That is definitely doable. I’ll need to collect some data over your next few heroics classes and maybe do some additional testing to see how much stress you’re putting out. I might have to change the material of your suit too. The lightning is cosmetic? Or can you use it offensively?”

“It seems to be just cosmetic, but it does create a little bit of a pressure drop in the air around me.” Hatsume nodded and began to write rapidly on a spare scrap of paper. 

“That’s all definitely doable. Might need to increase the insulation if there’s going to be lightning everywhere. Heavier on the legs of course. Ooh! And what if I…” Hatsume trailed off as her furious writing continued. Seeing her consumed in her work, an odd sight for him to be on the other side of someone else’s mutter storm, Izuku wandered a little deeper into the studio. The rest of the students had disappeared to lunch as well, leaving the two of them alone for the moment. There were various bits and bobs of half-completed projects littering the tables. A small sword with the blade sheared off laid next to a drone spilling internal wires from its guts. Armor plating and robot arms, circuits and scraps of fabric all formed a chaotic labyrinth that felt overwhelming even to Izuku’s overactive brain. Spotting a flash of red on the ground, he pulled a black chest piece to the side revealing a long red cape. It was heavier than expected in his arms, the fabric rippling from Izuku’s grasp making the end flutter. 

The heat of One for All roared in his bones and lightning sung in his blood. Flashes of memory and emotion assaulted his senses. The smell of ozone as he flew through the center of a storm. Wrapping up a young child in a long cape, whispered promises and reassurances as they cried. Standing proud above the glittering expanse of a city, dawn breaking on the horizon. He felt power in his fists. Adrenaline coursed in his veins, the reckless heady rush of a fight. Joy. Boundless freedom. Soaring over clouds and rising so far above the world that all of his problems faded from existence.

The moment of resonance ends. Izuku still felt that inexhaustible sense of freedom running wild in his blood. He was beginning to sweat, heart pounding. The pure joy that One for All had flooded him with felt like nothing he had ever experienced before. For a brief moment, it felt like Izuku could level mountains and tame hurricanes. Like the sun itself was dimmer than the power he held in his chest and the heavens trembled with his footsteps. Was that what All Might felt like all the time? Something inside of him whispered. Its words unheard but the emotions coming across keenly. Safe. Love. Pride. He turned back to Hatsume and called out.

“Hatsume, can I get a cape?”

Chapter Text

“For today’s homeroom we will be going over something vital to your careers as heroes, at least of those of you who aren’t going underground.” Aizawa’s voice was sharp despite the exhaustion evident in it. He ignored the last echoes of the first bell and continued speaking. “We are going to be talking about hero personas. You all have done well so far in conducting yourselves in your classes as well as at the Sports Festival. Those, however, are isolated situations. You are not acting as heroes at the Sports Festival, but as students. Similarly, there is no audience or bystanders during training. That will only take you so far. Hopefully, you all got to experience a little of what real heroes in action are like during your internships.” His glare toward Izuku, Todoroki and Iida was not subtle. “How you act in front of the public and how you respond to civilians that are caught in the line of fire are crucial to being a good hero no matter how you specialize. If you cannot protect bystanders from a villain, if you cannot reassure a victim of a natural disaster, if you cannot get a witness of a crime to trust you, you will not last long in our world.”

Aizawa moved to the board, and made a venn diagram of two concentric circles labeled Hero  and Civilian . “Hero personas are not lies, per se. We are not becoming completely different people once we don our costumes. We are simply amplifying certain parts of ourselves in order to keep the public calm in an emergency situation. If you’re calm, they’re calm. Your persona can also be tied into your brand and image in order to help market yourself as a pro, but that topic is covered more in your second and third years. This lecture is mainly an introduction to the idea. To use a salient example, how would you describe Present Mic as a hero?” A few hands went up, and Aizawa nodded at Yaoyorozu.

“He’s a very personable and affable hero. He spends a lot of time with his fans while on patrol but in a fight he becomes very serious and focused.” Aizawa wrote under the hero portion, personable and focused. Iida spoke up next.

“He is a forceful presence in the field! Thanks to his quirk he is able to effectively take command and share information!” Commanding and forceful were added next.

“Right. And what is he like when he’s here and not on duty?” Jiro was quick to answer.

“He’s funny. He’s always saying hi to students in the halls too.”

“He’s more laid back,” Kaminari offers. “I’ve seen him in the news and he always, like, is kinda commanding like Iida said. But here he’s not really as strict and he normally lets the other teachers decide stuff and he goes with the flow.”

“Good. There are similarities between Yamada and Present Mic. Both are outgoing and personable. When he’s on duty, though, Present Mic turns up his personable nature even more, allowing him to make those connections with his fans or even bystanders at a scene. He hides his more laid back nature under his hero persona, instead becoming more of a leader. You all will end up doing something similar. It’s a good idea to start thinking now about which traits of yours would help in a hero persona and which would be better left to your civilian life.” The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom and the beginning of the passing period. “That will be all for now. Write a list of your ideas and we can discuss them in groups tomorrow.

“As a reminder, your practical exercises tomorrow will be rescue training simulations at the USJ.” Aizawa scanned over the classroom, his face becoming more serious though his voice softened. The whispers that had stirred up at the bell died out rapidly. “I understand that it may be uncomfortable for many of you to be there after what happened last time. If you elect not to come with your classmates you may stay here and do a theoretical exercise. If you do attend, there will be four teachers there including myself, and we have completely overhauled the security system. I can promise you that nothing like what happened last time will ever happen again at this school.” He met each of his students’ gaze. Some of them looked down, nervous with fear and apprehension like Koda and Aoyama. A few bore their emotions behind a blank facade like Asui and Todoroki. Aizawa was pleasantly surprised to see the majority stared directly ahead, fire brimming in their eyes. Good. They’ll need that fire once they’re pros. 

“That being said, let me know by the end of the day if you will not be joining. Everyone else, meet outside the entrance after lunch. If you’re not ready three minutes after the bell, you’ll be left behind and will fail the exercise.” Aizawa strode from the room, then, desperate for a nap.

Izuku let Cementoss’ literature lessons float in one ear and out the other. He had already read this book before and he was sure that even if there was something new in the lesson he could get the notes later from Iida. There was something in Aizawa’s lessons that was lodged in his brain. It reminded him a lot of the confidence lessons he had been taking.

All Might was an idol. Even after knowing him for over a year, when his predecessor was in his muscular form it was still hard to talk to him. He was just so much . He was boisterous and loud and upbeat. But he was also slightly aloof in a way. He was untouchable and so far above the normal that it was hard to relate to him on a personal level. Yagi Toshinori tended to be a little quieter, more thoughtful. He had a more biting sense of humor but he was more relatable than his hero persona. Using a hero persona was just putting that confident facade even further out into the world. Exaggerating his personality and the various components that make him up.

All Might had his smile and booming voice. Gran Torino had his gruff one-liners and chaotic movements. Midnight was teasing in and out of costume, but it took a more aggressive tone when she was in the field. Izuku felt like there was something just out of his reach. He didn’t have to mirror his mentors, but between the three of them there’s a path forward for him. He just had to figure it out. It was surreal to think about, in many ways. This was deciding what kind of hero he wanted to be. He wasn’t just operating in theoreticals anymore. He was here . He was at UA, the best hero school in the world. He wasn’t just some starstruck fanboy anymore. He had fought real villains. He had helped save Native. He was a hero. Deku was a hero. His worries were no longer dodging bullies and trying to survive middle school. Now he had to worry about dodging villains and trying to survive high school. (Maybe things weren’t so different? Maybe it was just him that was different.)

A cold hand shook Izuku from his reverie. He turned to look into Todoroki’s mismatched eyes. “Lunch is starting. Are you coming?” Izuku glanced around the now empty classroom and began to gather his things.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I got caught up in my thoughts, I guess.” He and Todoroki made their way toward the cafeteria. “I was thinking about Aizawa’s lecture this morning.”

“Sure.”

“I’m trying to figure out what my hero persona should be. I’ve always wanted to be like All Might, you know? But I don’t know if I can be the same kind of hero he is.”

“It is natural to want to be like your father.” Izuku elected to ignore that remark.

“I want to be a symbol like him, but I’m not sure I can be a pillar for society. And, like, should I? Should anyone? Do we need to pin everything on the shoulders of one man? Is it fair to him? To us?”

“He does have large shoulders.”

“I want to save people with a smile. But how do I make that into a persona?”

“Well, there are different kinds of smiles.” Izuku refocused on his friend. With a sigh, he straightened his back as he realized he had slouched over while walking. Todoroki continued, “All Might has a sort of confident grin. There are happier smiles. There are sort of sinister ones, like the one Aizawa has for his logical ruses.” At this point he shrugged. “Why are you smiling? That’s what determines what your persona is.”

Izuku stopped, pulling Todoroki to the side of the entrance to the cafeteria. When the taller boy raised an eyebrow at this, Izuku pulled him into a hug. Hugging Shoto was always an interesting experience. He was tall enough that Izuku had to press his nose into his collarbone and his arms were just barely long enough to wrap around his torso. The two different temperatures on his torso gave it a distinct feeling that no one else in the world could replicate. Falteringly, Todoroki put his arms around Izuku in turn.

“You’re a really good listener, Todoroki-kun. Thanks.”

“Of course.” He said stiffly. “Though I am still unsure why you would not simply ask your father these things.”

“And the moment’s over.” Izuku sighed. “I’ve told you before, All Might is not my dad.”

“So you claim, Midoriya. So you claim.”

“Kayama-sensei, how did you make your hero persona?” The afternoon sunlight filtered in through the windows of gym lambda. They had shifted to one of the smaller practice rooms on the outskirts of the campus. Izuku had just finished running through the obstacle course while shouting positive statements about himself and he was incredibly out of breath. Midnight had justified it by saying it was a cardio workout and a test of his positive attitude, but he had a suspicion that she was just as much of a sadist as Aizawa was. The woman in question put a finger to her chin as she thought about her answer.

“Midnight originally started as a joke actually.” She laughed a little at the evident shock on his face. “It’s true. I was joking around with a friend of mine and we were laughing about some of the more sensational headlines they ran about heroines back in the day. She suggested that someone should go out doing hero work in the nude to give them some real headlines. Midnight sort of stemmed from that. I knew that no matter what I did they would report more about my looks and attractiveness than my hero work, so I tied them so closely together that they’re inseparable. I made my sexuality a weapon.

“Flirting is a lot of fun for me, and it’s a great way to throw people off their game in a fight. The more dominating parts of my persona are mostly there to help me keep control in a situation. People tend to listen to a woman with a whip,” she said with a wink. “You thinking about your persona?”

“Yeah. We had a lecture this morning in homeroom and it got me thinking.” Kayama let out a hum.

“Well, the good news is that you don’t need to have all the answers today. My advice would be to try a bunch of different things. Be charming and witty for a few practicals or mysterious and aloof or whatever feels right.” She wrapped her arms around herself with a squeal. “The spring of youth is the best time for experimentation .”

Izuku burned a bright red and raced toward the locker room, chased by the cackles of his teacher.

In the end, all twenty members of class 1-A boarded the bus to return to the USJ. Izuku sat in the back between Tsu and Iida, Uraraka and Todoroki sitting together nearby. There was little chatter on the ride there. A pallor hung over their heads, no one sure what to expect in the coming exercise. Most people clumped up with their friends or fiddled nervously with their costumes. Izuku’s new costume was still in the shop with Mei, so he wore his beta suit. At his side, Tsu rolled a small chibi frog around in her hands that was usually tucked into her belt.

“Nervous?” Iida leaned across Izuku to ask her. “I confess I too am harboring some reservations about our destination.”

“I am nervous, kero. I know we all went through it together, but we almost died.” Tsu looked up from her hands to stare directly into Izuku’s eyes. “Midoriya-kun, I abandoned you down in the plaza. I went to get help and left you with that thing .” Her gaze dropped once more to the charm in her grip. “I’m nervous but I want to do better. I will do better, kero.”

“Aw, yeah! So manly!” Kirishima cried. The group at the back started at the sudden cheers. “Tsu is right everybody. We should all use our nerves to fuel us! Let’s make sure to show off our chivalrous spirits!” Several people echoed his shouts with their own raised fists until soon the bus had returned to a more familiar upbeat attitude. 

“Wow, it looks like you really inspired people! Way to go, Froppy!” Uraraka shot her a wide grin and a thumbs up.

“It wasn’t my intention, but I’m glad I could help.” 

The new wave of energy carried them all the way through the doors of the USJ and the reintroduction of the facility given by Thirteen, who was joined by Midnight and All Might in addition to the ever-stoic Eraserhead. They were then split into groups of four and randomly assigned different zones in the facility where they would rescue civilian-bots under the supervision of All Might and Thirteen. The rest of the teams would observe from the control room with Aizawa and Midnight. When the teams were announced, Izuku could not help but feel lucky, being paired with Yaoyorozu, Shoji and Uraraka. Between Shoji’s scouting and physical strength, Uraraka’s maneuverability, Yaoyorozu’s intelligence and versatility and his own talents, they were well off for a rescue operation. He turned to Uraraka and gladly accepted a high five before the two turned to find their group.

“Noooo! How come I didn’t get any of the lovely ladies with me?! It’s a total sausage party over here.” Izuku couldn’t block out the grating whines of Mineta as he weeped over his assignment. His group had Kaminari, Koda and Tokoyami who only let out a soft ‘What a mad banquet of darkness’ at the outburst. Personally, Izuku thought their team composition looked good between scouting, mobility and raw power but evidently Mineta had other ideas in mind.

“Well,” Yaoyorozu said once they had gathered together. “I am looking forward to working with all of you.” She took a moment to create three ear pieces and handed them out. “I hope this does not come off as disparaging, but I am very glad I did not end up on his team.”

Uraraka let out a laugh. “No worries, Yaomomo. I think our group is going to crush this exercise!” Shoji nodded in agreement before Yaoyorozu continued.

“We were assigned the landslide zone, which is the largest of the six, so these communicators should help us stay in contact the whole time. I will start by creating a first aid station near the entrance.”

“Thank you, Yaomomo-san.” Izuku fit the ear piece into his ear. “I’m pretty fast so I can get Uraraka-san and I anywhere within the zone pretty quickly. Between the two of us we should be able to get most victims out pretty easily. Shoji, will you let us know where to go?”

“Of course.”

“We should start from the bottom and work our way up,” Yaoyorozu pointed out. “We want to avoid triggering other slides if we can.”

“Right.” “Yeah!” “Affirmative.”

Before long the group found themselves outside of the zone, buried structures causing the landscape to peak and curve in weird ways. At the top there were a few houses that looked nearly untouched. The fake office building at the bottom, in comparison, was buried up to the roof in dirt and sediment. A tree had been uprooted and now stuck through the upper floor in a final insult to the ruined building.

“Remember, you’ll have twenty minutes to rescue as many civilians as you can. All Might and I will be here in case of a real emergency, but otherwise you all are the first responders on the scene.” Thirteen nodded and All Might flashed them a patented smile. “Good luck, and your time starts now.”

The four students jumped into motion, Uraraka and Izuku clearing out a small area for a first aid station as Yaoyorozu began to create supplies and Shoji scouted for the robots. The debris was easy to clear between Uraraka’s quirk and his own strength, and soon the two of them were floating down toward the bottom of the landslide. The two of them skipped low across the ground, briefly touching down in places to reapply zero-gravity to keep from shaking the ground too much. They landed on the roof of the office building.

“Deku, Uravity, I’m not seeing any additional movements from the debris near you.” Shoji’s voice broke over the communicator. “The office building has some odd acoustics due to being buried, but I am hearing something inside of there. I can’t determine where inside it’s coming from so you’ll have to sweep the whole thing. I’m going to scout out other areas nearby to see if any other sections are in danger of sliding.”

“Keep the comms open. I’ll join Tentacole and see if I can find any signals from civilian bots. Be careful you two.”

“Acknowledged, Tentacole, Creati.” Izuku moved to the roof access door. “We’ll check in with what we find. Deku out.” Together, he and Uraraka entered the building. The stairwell was completely dark, windows completely covered by the earth and rubble that had fallen down from higher elevations. The top floor was littered with broken pieces of furniture and bits of ruined walls and dirt. The only things of note were the two stairwells on the east and west sides of the building and the large oak tree pierced through the building like a final dagger in its heart. 

“We should probably bring any of the civilians we see up to the roof before we take them out to the command center.” Uraraka said. “I’m a little worried about the integrity of the building, but I think that’s a better bet than risking leaving everyone in the basement and having another slide either bury us or bring the whole place down on us.”

“Good plan. I’ll take the east and you take the west? We’ll meet together in the middle of each floor before proceeding on. Let’s do this!”

Midnight did her best to ignore the chatter of the students behind her and focus on the exercise on the screens but she lived for gossip. It was one of her guilty pleasures of teaching high school. And other students gossiping about her personal mentee? Well, that was too good to pass up. Besides, if pressed she could say that it counted as evaluating just how far Midoriya had come in their lessons together. Probably.

“I’m serious,” Hagakure whisper-shouted at Ashido. “It has to have been a girlfriend. No way that Midoriya just happened to decide to get an undercut like that. Have you seen him recently? He looks hot . Nobody just improves that much on their own.”

“You don’t know that it was a girlfriend,” Jiro pointed out. “It could have been his mom or an older sister.”

“I don’t know, I think Toru might have a point. Haven’t you noticed that he’s like, not as slouchy anymore?” Ashido chewed on her lip in thought. “He kinda went from cute to like woah , you know?”

Nemuri rolled her eyes at her students’ attempt to keep quiet. Was she ever that bad about hiding when she was talking during class? Ostensibly they were all paying attention to the first group’s run, but most appeared to have gathered in small crows of either friends chatting or teammates working out strategies. At some point Sero had taped Mineta to the wall near the other boys and none of them seemed in a hurry to let him down. She refocused on the screens in front of her in time to watch Midoriya and Uraraka land a little heavily on the roof of the office building.

“Points off on the landing,” Shouta grunted next to her. “If the structure had been weakened he could have fallen through the floors or destabilized the whole building.”

“Lighten up, Mr. Sourpuss.” Nemuri nudged at him with her elbow. “This is their first attempt at it, right? They’re doing pretty well, all things considered.”

“They should be doing better than first timers. They’re going into this with far more experience than the usual crop. I suspect my expectations are just as high as their own.”

“You’re getting soft, Sho.”

“I don’t care if you’re a teacher, I will find a way to expel you, Nemuri.”

“Oh? You don’t have to work so hard to prove you’re still hard to little old me, Shouta.”

“I hate you.” 

Midnight trilled out a laugh at her friend. As much as he would deny it, she knew that he cared for his students in his own grumpy way. The students in the exercise continued to make their way down the stairs. They had already managed to find three civilians and bring them back to the roof and had gone back for the next few. Uraraka was floating one through the stairwell while Midoriya removed rubble off another.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe now. Let’s get out of here, huh?” Nemuri’s smile grew a little more wicked. Her student was just so precious. Just a little change in the emphasis of his statement and he could be well on his way to being the next 18+ hero. On the screen, he gathered up the civilian in his arms and made his way to meet with Uraraka. Nemuri narrowed her eyes at the display. The girl had lit up when she saw Midoriya. Between that look in her eyes and the girls earlier, that boy might be turning into a monster without even knowing it.

“The problem child is doing well. He’s been more vocal in classes recently. I assume that’s your doing?”

“Mmm. It’s mostly him. He’s the one doing all the hard work. I’m just giving him a little more polish.”

“So long as confidence tips are the only thing you’re teaching him, we won’t have a problem.” Midnight scoffed.

“Such baseless accusations! Are you implying that I would corrupt such an innocent young man?”

“I don’t think I’m implying anything. Just don’t stir up even more trouble in my class.”

“Why I never! I have never caused trouble before in my life.”

“There was that time in my third year when you went up to that Ito kid and-” “We do not talk about the Ito Incident.” Nemuri broke in. “Besides that was Hizashi’s fault and you know it.”

“Regardless, just try to keep your particular brand of crazy from infecting my problem child too much. He already acts like a mini-All Might. We don’t need a symbol of peace knockoff with your ability to mess with people’s heads. Japan would never survive.” Midnight was saved from responding at the sound of explosions.

“HUH?! What the hell did you say about Deku?! There’s no way that fucking nerd got a girlfriend!” Aizawa sighed before turning to launch his capture weapon around Bakugou. One strand of it wrapped around his mouth muffling the curses still being spit behind it. His hair started to drift upward with Erasure’s activation. 

“I should have expelled every single one of you.”

Confident that he had it in hand, she ignored the outburst behind her. Midnight watched on as Midoriya and Uraraka cleared the office building and continued up the landslide, catching the stray starry-eyed looks the girl sent his way. I think you’re wrong, Shouta. This kid is going to change the world. And I can’t wait to watch you do it, Deku!

Chapter Text

DekuSQUAD

Glow Stick

Cmon stop making fun of him

It wasn’t that bad

Sugar and Spice and Incredible Violence

Deku, no, it really was

I love you but what were you thinking @Cold Soba Is My New Dad

Frogalicious (So Delicious)

Could you even see out of the ice kero?

Cold Soba Is My New Dad

I was thinking that I did not want to look like my father. And no, not really.

Sugar and Spice and Incredible Violence

LMFAO

Frogalicious (So Delicious)

lol

Get Down Mr President

Oh my.

I am very glad you got a replacement costume made, Todoroki!

It is certainly begger that you can see out of it now!

Frogalicious (So Delicious)

begger

Sugar and Spice and Incredible Violence

begger

Glow Stick

begger

Cold Soba Is My New Dad

Begger

Get Down Mr President

I apologize for my mistake! I will do better to proofread my messages in the future!

Sugar and Spice and Incredible Violence

lol, no worries Iida

Did you guys do the problem set yet? I got Kyoto as the answer for the first one.

Get Down Mr President

How?? That problem set is for algebra??

“Izu-kun?” Izuku put his phone down ignoring the continued messages in the groupchat. “I brought back some more clothes, honey. Can you open the door?” Izuku opened the dressing room door to reveal his mom, tottering underneath the weight of various pants and shirts in her arms. Taking them from her he placed them on the bench.

“Thank you so much. These are great.”

“Are you sure about these, baby? What about your t-shirt shirts? I think those are pretty funny.”

“I do too, mom.” Izuku closed the door and began to try on the next outfit from the stack of clothes. “But this was something that Kayama-sensei suggested. She says that looking good leads to feeling good. I’ll still wear my t-shirt shirts, but these will be for when I'm going out, you know? I’ll probably keep my normal stuff for when I’m doing homework or staying in.” Izuku chose a pair of black pants, not jeans but a stiff material similar to denim, and added a white shirt overtop. 

“I’m just a little worried. This is kind of a big change, honey. I know you’re growing older and becoming a man and everything, but you don’t have to grow up too fast okay? You’re still allowed to be a kid, Izuku.”

“I won’t mom, I promise.” Izuku finished adding the jacket, a similar shade to his favorite red sneakers, and exited the changing room. “So, what do you think?” Izuku spun in place and faced the mirror.

Several seconds passed and Izuku began to get nervous. He looked back over his shoulder at his mom who had giant tears rolling down her face.

“My baby!” His mother crushed him in a hug, pressing her tear stained cheeks into his chest. A minute or two went by with his mother latched onto him. Eventually, she pulled herself away and wiped at the drying tears with a handkerchief from her purse. “I’m sorry, Izuku, it’s just. You’re growing up so much. You’re chasing your dreams and becoming a hero. You look so much like your dad.” She reached up to place a hand against his cheek. Her eyes, still reddened from her earlier bout of tears, turned wistful. “I wish he could see you, now. I’m sure he’d be so proud of you, baby.”

The questions danced on his tongue. What happened to him? Where is he? Why can’t he see me? They died as he met his mother’s eyes. There would be more times for questions, but it wasn’t now. He wrapped her in his arms again.

“I love you, mom.”

“Aw, I love you too.” She pulled back slightly to tug at the jacket. “I do like this jacket. Maybe it’s not a bad idea to change up your look a bit.” They laughed and continued on with their shopping, Izuku feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

Izuku felt the soft weight of a stuffed animal hit his head before it joined the pile of its comrades that had fallen to the floor at his feet. He sighed and turned back toward his mentor.

“I thought I was doing better that time?”

“Oh you were,” Midnight called from across the room, laying the modified t-shirt cannon down next to her. “But it’s pretty clear you’re caught up in your own head, so I figured we can end it early today. I have some grading I should do anyhow.”

It had been a long slog of various rescue exercises over the past week in their heroics classes to prepare them for finals, so Midnight had decided that Izuku would work on reducing his anxious movements and tics instead of anything more physically demanding. So he ended up sitting cross-legged on a raised platform in gym theta while alternating between meditation and answering the questions, mostly related to the classwork she had assigned and occasionally requests to say something positive about himself, shouted at him by his mentor. If she caught him bouncing his leg or fiddling with his hands, she would throw an animal at him. If he got a question wrong, she would throw an animal at him. If he didn’t respond with a positive trait about himself quickly enough, he would get an animal thrown at him. She had started out sitting closer but had at some point moved so she could plug her phone into the far wall. And then she broke out the t-shirt cannon.

Izuku realy hated that t-shirt canon.

He began to get up, gratefully stretching out his legs and back, before gathering the various stuffed toys around him. Midnight moved forward and joined him.

“You alright, kid?”

“Yeah, Yaomomo made sure the cannon didn’t pack too much of a punch.”

“That’s good, but not exactly what I meant.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You seem a little distracted. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

For a moment he was tempted. Between the rush of schoolwork at the end of the semester as well as his normal workouts, extra practice to try and master full cowling, and the lessons he was taking with Midnight now, he was starting to run on empty. It would be nice to be able to confide in someone, to let someone know every part of what was going on in his head. The only person who could really understand everything that Izuku was going through was All Might, but he couldn’t just walk up to the symbol of peace and complain about how busy he was. He’d die of embarassment!

He couldn’t really think of a person he would rather tell. His mom, maybe, but she would worry even more than usual. Midnight was a hero and more than that she was one of few teachers he had ever had that seemed to actually like him. He felt comfortable being around her and she had done a lot to help him.

But it wasn’t just his secret. This was a secret about All Might too, and he had had the quirk for over forty years and only told a handful of people. How did he know who to trust? How could he just reveal a secret like that? He couldn’t, he decided. He would wait. Maybe he could talk to All Might about figuring out who to let in on the secret, but his mentor had also been incredibly busy as of late. Whenever Izuku had asked why the man would just laugh and tell him it was related to an active case.

“I, uh, no sensei, thank you though.” She looked over at him for a few minutes before finally nodding.

“Alright, if you do have something you want to tell me, I’m always here.” Her hand came up to ruffle his hair. “You’ve been doing really well recently. I’m proud of all the progress you’ve been making. Keep it up, yeah?”

“Ahh,” Izuku struggled to respond. “Thank you, sensei, it’s really not that much. I mean, I’m still working on not slouching and I think I still need some work on not doing the anxious movements and everything. All the fashion stuff is still fairly new to me. And I haven’t developed a hero persona yet. And I-” yet another stuffed animal smacked Izuku in the head.

“Midoriya, breathe.” Once his breathing was back under control, Midnight returned the stuffed animal to her bag. “Right, apparently there is a much more pressing issue that’s come up. You need to learn how to take a compliment, kid. I’ll give you some strategies to try out and you work on it during the week, okay?” At Izuku’s nod, she continued. “Alright, here’s a few basics to remember…”

Izuku wiped down the barbel and his bench, cleaning it off for the next person who came through. At this early hour Izuku was alone in UA’s weightroom. It often went overlooked among the many gyms and training areas on the campus, but for Izuku it was a bastion of paradise. He had carved himself into a suitable vessel, according to All Might, but if Izuku ever wanted to push over the five percent cap he had on his quirk, he would need to continue to build muscle. All Might had modified the American Dream Aim to Pass Plan to be the American Dream Western Muscle Expansion Plan (He really needed to stop letting All Might name things) and Izuku was seeing results, if more slowly than he had while training at the beach. He could feel himself improving bit by bit. Eight percent, the next marker he wanted to hit, was only sustainable for a few minutes at a time. Ideally, he wanted to hit eight percent and be knocking on the door of ten before final exams came but to do that would take a lot of hours in the gym. 

When he finally exited the locker rooms after changing into his uniform, it was still half an hour before homeroom would begin. Oh well, Izuku thought as he made his way toward the classroom. I guess I can get to work on the English assignment for Monday. He worked for a few minutes before the door swung open again to reveal Tenya Iida, dressed as impeccably as always in his uniform.

“Ah, Midoriya-kun! Good morning!”

“Good morning, Iida-kun!”

As he placed his bag underneath his desk and pulled out his supplies for the morning, Iida said. “I must admit, I am impressed you managed to beat me here! It displays your evident dedication to your duties as a heroics student!”

Izuku went to respond until he heard his mental sensei shouting at him: Strategy One, Humility! Playing it down can work with the press or other heroes to make sure you come across as humble. Don’t dismiss your accomplishments but make sure to remain approachable! Say it was a team effort, or you couldn’t have done it without someone else.

“Oh, thanks, Iida-kun! I’m just trying to emulate you, you know? You inspire me to give it my all, even if it’s just making it to class on time.” Iida’s chest visibly swelled as pride overtook his features. It made his eyes sparkle behind his glassess. “You were definitely the right choice for class president!” At this the dam burst and his arm began to chop rapidly in the air. 

“Thank you for your kind words, Midoriya-kun! You are one of my closest friends and I hope that we can continue to inspire each other to grow even better!” Both friends beamed at each other and fell into a comfortable silence. Eventually, the rest of 1-A filed in and the day began in earnest. Classes were never easy at UA, the heroics students were held to the same high standards as everyone else, but Izuku could admit that he was enjoying classes for the first time. He was answering more questions and talking more with his friends. He didn’t feel like the rest of the class was just waiting to lull him into a false sense of security so that they could lock him on the roof of the school when it was set to be fumigated and force him to climb down the gutters in order to get down, so it was already better than middle school. 

By the time lunch came around, Izuku was riding high on a wave of positivity. He grabbed his food and sat at their claimed table, one directly in a sunbeam that gave it a pleasant warmth. Izuku sat between Todoroki and Tsu, opposite Ochako and Iida. Tsu seemed to be drifting off a bit in the sunlight, slowly eating her food as the other three bickered.

“I am telling you for the last time, Best Jeanist has a mouth. Why wouldn’t he?”

“But have you ever seen it?!” Ochako slammed her hands onto the table as Todoroki solemnly nodded. “Do you have any proof or are you just another sheeple buying into his propaganda?”

Tenya sighed. “Just because I have never seen his mouth does not mean he does not have one.”

“But it doesn’t mean he does! Quirks are weird, maybe he just doesn’t have one?”

“Then how would he eat?!”

“I believe,” Todoroki cut in, “that his teeth actually have individual pairs of jeans on them that are perfectly fitted. He doesn’t show them off because he doesn’t want others to be jealous of his jeeth.” As usual , Izuku thought as the other two exploded into a clamor over their newest theory, I can’t tell if Todoroki-kun is kidding or serious. A soft poke to his side distracted him from his thoughts.

“Huh, oh what’s up Asui-san?”

“It’s Tsu, kero,” Dang it I really need to do better at that . “I just wanted to say that you have been a lot more vocal and happy recently. It’s a nice change. You have a good smile.”

Strategy Two! Izuku cursed whatever god there was that he had a mental version of Midnight in his brain. Tell them how much the compliment means to you and thank them!

“Thanks, Tsu. That means a lot coming from you. You’re one of my best friends and I know you’re always honest, so really it means so much that you think that. I have been happier recently and it feels good. I think it’s because I have incredible friends like you around.” It was easy to see the dark red blush grow on her face as he looked into her eyes. A soft kero fell from her. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted as something slammed into the side of Izuku’s head with a wet slap!

“Oh no! I’m so sorry Deku-kun, I was aiming for Todoroki!” Izuku turned to look at his friend. Her face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and competitive fury.

“I think that was an overreaction.” The two-toned boy in question stated. “It’s entirely possible that Thirteen is a space gerbil that operates a mechanical suit. No one has ever seen what they look like underneath their costume.”

“This kind of behavior is unacceptable as students of UA! I insist that both of you desist at once before the state of things devolves even further!” Izuku could only laugh as Tenya lectured a stone-faced Shoto as Uraraka appeared to be furtively searching for more food she could throw at Iida. He grabbed a nearby napkin and cleaned most of the sauce from his face, saving the amphibious girl next to him from explaining the blush on her cheeks. Neither noticed the glares Uraraka snuck toward their side of the table.

Eventually, they made it to their heroics class where All Might awaited them. Izuku had new strengthened boots that extended into bracers that went up to the knee and longer white gloves that turned into compression sleeves as they reached his mid-bicep. Mei promised that the rest of his new gear was close to being finished, but because they were the first done and needed the most data on his capabilities, Izuku had the new limb stabilizers on his original costume. 

“Alright, gather round you zygotes! Today we are going to be running the full gauntlet uphill! You’ll be running in staggered starts, so for those who are waiting you may do some individual training with Ectoplasm’s clones that are on standby or you may brainstorm changes to your costume you would like to make before finals! Power Loader has asked me to remind you that all changes have to be discussed and finalized with the support students by Monday! Now, let’s get to it! I am setting up the timer like a normal person!”

Izuku took the time before his run to stretch and warm himself up. Gym beta was the second largest indoor training facility, mostly because of the programmable obstacle courses that could be moved and changed throughout the facility. The gym itself was a large cylindrical shape and each obstacle course was one lap around the perimeter of the gym, about 2 kilometers in length. The four different obstacle courses were created to represent different types of environments that heroes could operate in and the challenges they would face. The urban course had tall side walls to bounce off of, random civilian bots and parked cars, and even overhanging pipes and fire escapes to grab onto. The mountain course had more uneven footing and the path changed elevation in places. There were also the boulder launchers that would randomly roll massive rocks into the way. The sand course was Izuku’s least favorite. The entire course was done on shifting dunes of sand with interspersed quicksand pits to fall into as well as robotic snakes that would drop from the ceiling. There were no walls to bounce off of, so you just had to power through it unless your quirk allowed you to fly over it. The final course was the shootout track where students had to dive from cover to cover as robot’s armed with paintball guns shot them from afar. When all four courses were combined into the full gauntlet, each would be at a slight incline, and would connect so that they spiraled from the top of the gym to the bottom. 

It was a combination of physical conditioning and clever quirk application that made it a good heroics exercise despite the brutal length. Most finished the entire course in about an hour, though those with enhanced mobility like Iida finished much quicker. At five percent, Izuku could finish the course in forty minutes but he figured that this was a prime opportunity to test out how long he could hold eight percent for.

The first leg flew by. The urban environment was always his best with the various surfaces to bounce off of and ledges to grab on to, but with the increased power he felt like he was walking on air. Cuts and jumps that normally would have required pushing off two different walls now just needed a single burst of eight percent to clear. In places he had to overcorrect for the increased power before he slammed into an obstacle. It felt like no time at all had passed before Izuku finished his run at just over thirty-four minutes, crushing his previous best. As the final runs finished and people began making their way toward the locker rooms, All Might pulled Izuku aside.

“Young Midoriya! That was an incredible run, my boy. Was that eight percent?”

“Parts of it. It was mostly at five percent but I ramped it up for jumps and the sprint at the end. Still, I’m pretty sore having it on for that long.”

“I thought it was great, my boy.” All Might dropped a hand onto his head and ruffled his hair. “You’ve come so incredibly far from that skinny fanboy I first met, young man.” Izuku didn’t bother trying to stop the tears that sprung from his eyes. “Hahaha, and there’s the waterworks. You’re still a bit of a crybaby, my boy, even if you have grown up in other ways.”

Strategy Three! Izuku was beginning to wonder if he should talk to someone about his mental sensei. Double Down! Take a moment to be a little cocky. You deserve it every once in a while, just don’t become too arrogant.

“You’re right, All Might. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here, but I couldn’t have done it without you. I’ll keep making you proud!”

Not exactly it, but not bad, kid. Izuku ignored Midnight’s voice and followed the now equally tearful All Might toward the locker rooms.

Ochako shifted her weight from foot to foot as she waited for Deku. Tsu had to take care of her siblings, Todoroki had just sort of vanished, and Tenya had a physical therapy appointment for the lingering wounds from his fight with Stain. So Ochako waited for Izuku. Alone. By herself. So they could walk home. Together. She wasn’t freaking out! It was just Deku! Who cared if he looked a lot more confident or looked hot with his new haircut, or was walking out of the locker room with properly fitting clothes that showed off his arms! Dammit why is he doing this to me?!

“D-Deku-kun! Hi!” He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. Her eyes traced over the way the jacket he wore bunched around his biceps and- Bad Ochako! No ogling your friends!

“You ready?” She took a moment to blink and force her brain to reset before responding.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” They began to make their way out of the school, neither in a hurry home. “So, do you have any extra work classes or anything you need to do after today?”

“No, today’s my day off actually. I’m under strict orders from Kayama-sensei to not workout or do anything strenuous this afternoon. I’ll probably just end up studying,” he said with a shrug.

“I should probably study for finals too, I want to crack the top ten for the end of the semester rankings.”

“You know, we could study together?” Eh?! Ochako whipped to the side to look at Izuku who kept walking forward. “You could come over to my place and my mom could make us dinner.” Phew, I thought he was going to suggest a date! “Or we could go over to your apartment. That way we could be a little louder if we wanted.” Ochako choked on air over her friend’s suggestion. She couldn’t hear him checking on her over the pounding of her heart and the fury of lewd thoughts that stormed her mind. Get it together girl! He probably means studying with the whole group.

“We could probably get the whole group together to study before finals too, now that I think about it.” See? Now will you please calm down? “It’s probably a good idea to have Iida-kun there, we might get pretty distracted otherwise.” Fuck! Ochako stared at her friend as he walked toward the train station, completely oblivious to the hell he was putting her through. I swear if you weren’t such an adorable idiot I would float you into the sun!

“Now that I think about it though, we haven’t hung out just the two of us in a while. We should change that.” EEEHHHHHH??!!! “How about we go get mochi next weekend? It’ll be a nice break from training.” Ochako’s brain shut down. Apparently she had managed to say something in the affirmative, because Izuku just sent her another beaming smile and continued on his way. Everything felt underwater. It was a similar feeling to when she used her quirk on herself and the blood rushed to her head as her stomach tried to separate itself from her body. It took most of the walk to the station for her to regain some control over her faculties but she still couldn’t stop her traitorous blush or the drumbeat of her heart. It was longer still for her to feel confident speaking without blurting out something embarrassing, enough time for them to both be on the tracks waiting for their train.

“Deku-kun?” He made a noise of confusion and turned toward her. “I really like your new haircut, by the way. I’m not sure I said anything before but it’s very cute.” He smiled at her, and if Ochako had any doubts about her feelings they were banished by him. His smile was bright and broad, the corners of his mouth crinkling the freckles on his cheeks. The sun struck his hair and turned his curls a brilliant green, eyes closing slightly due to the size of his grin.

I’m so screwed.

“Thanks Uraraka-san! I really like it too. Do you want to feel it? It’s still pretty fluffy.” Between heartbeats, Ochako found her fingers running through the soft curls on top of Izuku’s head. They are pretty incredibly soft , she thought. The pads on her fingers scraped slightly against his scalp, and Deku leaned into her touch like a pleased cat. His movements brought him a full step closer until they were separated by mere centimeters. Ochako desperately hoped he couldn’t hear how fast her heart was beating.

“I-it’s really soft.”

“Thank you,” Ochako shivered at the proximity of Izuku’s voice right beside her ear. “It means a lot hearing that from someone so important to me. Your hands feel really nice, Uraraka-san.” She swore, for years to follow, that Deku had a hidden time stopping quirk. The sounds of the other passengers faded away, Japan stopped its frantic motions and the sun’s descent paused just for the two of them. The world itself ceased to matter as she stared into Deku’s eyes, at this distance able to pick out the swirls of teal among the darker greens. She hardly dared to breath in fear that it would ruin the moment. A voice from deep inside her whispered. Tell him. Tell him how you feel.

“Deku-kun, I- I-” In the corner of her eye there was a flicker of movement.

“Shit, my train!” Suddenly, Ochako found herself alone as Izuku dashed into the nearest train car, narrowly avoiding the closing doors and the older woman standing near them. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Uraraka-san!”

Ochako blinked at the train that now rapidly pulled out of the station, her thoughts consumed by angelic green eyes.

Yeah, I’m definitely screwed.

Stuck grading papers in the U.A. faculty lounge, Midnight suddenly shot up in her chair. “I sense young love!”

“Shut it, Nemuri. I will find a way to expel you.”

“Shove it up your sleeping bag, Shouta, someone is falling in love!”

He walked down the street, kicking a stray rock out in front of him. According to the hag, walking was supposed to be therapeutic and it gets him in touch with nature but really he just thought she wanted him out of the house for longer or she couldn’t be bothered to come pick him up herself.

Katsuki kicked the rock again, this time letting a bit of his anger bleed out, and it rocketed off down the street. What the fuck was going on with that damn nerd? He started bulking up out of nowhere in middle school, then he sprouted a god damn quirk out of his ass? Not just a quirk, but some bullshit strength enhancer that knocked down buildings and shattered bones when he used it. Katsuki managed to win the sports festival and prove he was better than all those shitty extras but all anyone would talk about was Deku. His fight with that half-and-half bastard was all over the news overshadowing the fight that Katsuki fucking won .

Then came his disaster of an internship. He went with Best Jeanist because he was the highest ranked hero that sent him an offer but he just wanted some doll to dress up. He went on and on about image and how he presented himself and never gave Katsuki the chance to prove who he was. He was Bakugou fucking Katsuki god dammit, he wasn’t meant to be shut away inside an agency. He was meant to be in the field teaching shitty villains a lesson they would never forget. But no, he had to get the most boring top ten hero as his mentor.

If his internship had been that shitty, he knew all the other extras in his class had to have gotten even less out of theirs. Except for Deku , once a-fucking-gain. He and the glasses guy and that shitty two-toned ice princess found themselves on national news. And when they got back Deku was looking down on him. He finally managed to control his quirk like a fucking toddler and suddenly he was hot shit. He got that fucking haircut and started hanging around the stripper sensei and now he lorded it over everyone. 

It made Katsuki sick.

How dare that quirkless bastard stand in his way. He had spent years teaching Deku his place and what was worse was that he was the only one who saw it. The extras fawned over him and gossiped about how much better he had gotten. Well he would show them. He would remind everyone that Deku would always mean useless. Even if he had to beat that lesson into the shitty nerd’s corpse.

Chapter Text

Ochako was avoiding him. She couldn’t help it! Every time she thought about that adorable green tease she just got so flustered. She had been this close to confessing to him and he had just run away! Sure he had to catch his train home, but she was catching feelings dammit! When she saw him all that she could think about was his quiet whispers into her ear and the feel of his hair in her hands and staring into his eyes and- Down girl!

It had been two days since that afternoon at the train station and they hadn’t talked about it at all. Ochako didn’t know if she wanted them to. On the one hand, if they talked about it maybe they could actually be together. Heroes dated, surely. She couldn’t name any off hand that had significant others outside of Endeavor, and she’s not sure she wanted to count him, but there had to be others; Gunhead had seemed very approving of her pursuing Deku even before she realized the depth of her feelings. Conversely, she could end up either ruining her friendship with Deku, her first and best friend at UA, or even worse, she could end up distracting both of them from their studies, they end up not becoming heroes and resent each other for it later in life and break up anyway and neither of them get to chase their dreams!

Sure, maybe she was overthinking it, but she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling in the back of her head. Those whispers in her brain that said it was too dangerous. That she should stay away from romance at all costs and focus on being a hero first and foremost. But what would Deku-kun do? Would he let being scared stop him? A hopeful voice responded. He would rush into danger to chase after everything he wanted and would never settle for less. She shook away her thoughts. Clearly, she was in over her head. She needed some advice. But from whom?

“Whoa, watch it there gravity girl!” Ochako narrowly dodged the pink form of Hatsume as she sprinted by her toward the larger gyms that ringed the center campus. “No time to chat, I’ve got babies to make with Izuku-kun!”

For a brief moment, her heart stopped before kicking back into rhythm. EH???!!!!!

“Do it again, but try to stay at a low percentage until you’re already off the ground this time. You’re leaving too many cracks in the pavement!” Izuku nodded and got ready to start again. This afternoon was his day to practice with All Might on controlling One for All. They were working on changing speeds with rapid increases and decreases in his output and Izuku desperately needed practice at controlling his top speed at eight percent. 

“Cracks in the pavement are one thing, but do try not to run into any more buildings, Midoriya-kun. We can’t repair cracks in your skull quite as easily, hm?” Midnight had invited herself along as well. He didn’t really know why she was here, or why she kept sneaking dirty looks at All Might, but her advice was helpful. Now that he was inching his way toward ten percent, he would need to be conscious of the damage he could do to his surroundings. All Might typically made two or three big jumps that traversed entire cities, but Izuku’s style was a lot closer to parkour. Midnight had a lot of valuable tips and tricks for maneuvering in several smaller jumps. Doing the training in the heart of ground Beta, with skyscrapers and actual concrete sidewalks and paved roads, was as close to the real thing as he could get outside of an internship.

As Izuku got into a sprinter’s stance to begin his next run, a chime rang signaling that someone else had entered the cityscape. All Might bulked up suddenly into his muscular form and Midnight looked around curiously. Izuku turned toward the gate to the training ground in time to see the sprinting form of Hatsume Mei coming straight for him. 

“Ten Million! It’s ready!” She skidded to a stop in front of him, kicking up dirt and loose gravel. “Finding the right material to stand up to the stress of your quirk was no easy task, let me tell you, but it’s finally finished! I proudly present Baby Three-hundred twenty one, Deku Suit Gamma!” A new costume case was placed at his feet, slightly larger than the one that his beta suit had come in, with the same 18 in bright green on the front. “So, time to test our baby out, huh? Shirt off!”

Izuku felt a startled yelp build up at the back of his throat as Hatsume rushed in and got her hands underneath his workout shirt. “Hatsume, I really don’t think-” his words were muffled by the sweat-dampened fabric as his shirt was pulled over his head, trapping his arms above him. Just as suddenly as she had started, the tugging on his shirt stopped. Why am I always in these situations around Hatsume? It’s like she’s trying to embarrass me. His struggles finally ended as he managed to fling his shirt off of him, revealing a crimson-faced Hatsume who nervously looked away from him.

“And that’s enough of that.” A whip curled around Hatsume and dragged her to the side of Midnight who smirked at Izuku. “Midoriya, go get your costume on. Hatsume, darling, I think we need to have a talk on personal boundaries, hm?”

Izuku hustled to the adjacent locker room, both out of excitement over his new costume and desperation to not be on the receiving end of an angry Midnight’s lecture. Thankfully, when he was finally by himself and got the case open, there were written instructions on which pieces to put on first and how they all attached together. Izuku stripped down to his compression shorts and began to put everything on.

The base of his new costume was the familiar green and black jumpsuit, stretching from his ankles to his neck with small sleeves covering the upper third of his bicep. The new suit was significantly tighter, however, than the baggy versions that he had previously. The red boots now ended just below the knee and were slightly bulkier with hard composite soles. The gloves had also been modified significantly. They resembled opera gloves as they stretched up to cover the lower portions of his bicep before attaching to the sleeves of his jumpsuit with a cuff. Bulkier elbow protection added stability to the joints as well as making his strikes more impactful with them, and the portion of them that covered the hand were now thicker and significantly stiffer. The final accoutrements were added, a similar red utility belt to his old one, his gray metallic mouthguard that now covered his ears and had a built in communications system, and a small medical kit that snapped onto his belt over the left hip. The last piece of the costume left was a folded up piece of white fabric with a note left on top. 

Due to safety concerns we cannot let students have too many pieces of equipment attached to their head and neck area. Because of this when you added a cape I removed the hood with the ears from your jumpsuit design. If you want to replace it later, then we can talk about changing the cape into a cloak or redesigning the hood. Enjoy your new suit!

Power Loader

Izuku wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, the hood was his homage to All Might. The twin spikes were reminiscent of his mentor’s iconic hair protrusions and were the one connection to him that he had to express in his costume. His mother had also hand made the first set of them and added the hood herself.

They did, however, make him look like a giant green bunny. 

Izuku set the note to the side and decided to try the suit without them. He could always change it if he missed his hood, but he had rarely worn it in the first place. Maybe he didn’t need the physical reminder of All Might. He carried his mentor in his smile and his heart. One for All was their bond. The lightning that now dwelled inside of him was an ever present reminder.

Taking out the cape, Izuku let it dangle and unfold to its full length. It snapped onto clasps on his jumpsuit  just above his collarbone and ended around his calf. It was slightly shorter than the cape he had seen in the support labs, but it felt good. It was relatively light, enough that the breeze from the vents within the locker room made the fabric ripple and shake, but it seemed sturdy. The specs that Hatsume had included indicated that it was slash proof and fire proof with the ability to be used as a shock blanket if needed. 

Izuku walked toward the mirror above the sink, enjoying the sounds his new boots made as he walked. He knew he had changed since starting UA, and his reflection confirmed those changes. The white accents of the cape and the larger gloves made his hair look even brighter, the black accents on the body of the suit causing the flashes of white and red to stand out. For a moment, his reflection shimmered. His shoulder grew slightly wider, hands resting proudly at his hips, hair growing darker and longer until he looked at a completely different person. The woman in his reflection had a wide smile, a small beauty mark on her chin. She winked, and suddenly the moment was lost and Izuku was left gazing at himself once again.

“You alright in there, kid?” He jumped at the sound of Midnight’s voice. “Are you decent? We’ve been waiting for a bit.”

“Oh, uh, I’m okay, Sensei.” He opened the door to the locker room revealing his teacher, leaning against the far wall, her concerned expression betraying her casual body language. “Sorry, I was just getting used to the new suit. It’s a little bit tighter than I was expecting.”

Her raised eye-brow clearly said that she didn’t believe him, but she pushed off the wall and made for the gym anyway. “Well, if it’s too tight you can have it adjusted. Tight fits are better for more acrobatic fighters like you, and with the cape it’s not a bad idea to reduce the amount of things people can grab onto in a fight.”

“It’s not uncomfortable, I’m just a little nervous about how, er- revealing it is, I guess.” Midnight hummed.

“Plenty of heroes wear skin tight suits so it likely won’t be an issue. If you’re truly uncomfortable with it, though, it can be adjusted. Thankfully it does seem to protect your modesty at the moment. Of course, the press only really cares if the modesty of male heroes are protected. All Might and Endeavor both get to strut around in spandex all they want, but if I or Mt Lady walk out in something revealing we’ll be front page news for weeks. My first costume-”

Hatsume Mei unnerved All Might. She was well known to the faculty for being an oddity among support students, who were already considered oddballs. There was a reason that Toshinori had only ever used one support technician, and even then he often got his equipment sent to him from I-Island without ever having to visit him in the first place. Support techs in general were a lot to deal with, and this young woman was certainly a lot as well. She had not stopped talking about the modifications she had made to young Midoriya’s costume the entire time he had been gone, and All Might was beginning to wonder if her quirk allowed her to speak without breathing. It was on par with even the strongest of his successor’s mutter storms!

The door opened to reveal Midnight still in a heated discussion with Midoriya. He nodded at whatever it was that she was saying and responded with something that made her head fall back with laughter. He was proud of his boy for how much he had grown. And, as much as he felt uncomfortable with her manic energy, Hatsume had done great work on the boy’s costume. He had never needed any of the serious limb supports himself, but they appeared to be good quality. The white gloves added a bit of length to his figure, and-

His breath caught as he spotted the cape.

Swaying softly behind him, the same color as Nana’s, a long white cape clasped similarly at the clavicle. Their costumes were not that similar. His master abhorred sleeves, often espousing that they were ‘bullshit inventions’, and her suit had been almost entirely designed around her flight with little extraneous equipment. Young Midoriya was certainly more “tricked out” as the kids said, but he reminded him of her in a lot of ways. His broad smile, the feral intensity that he fought with, the intelligence hidden behind his eyes. Toshinori never had the need to develop a unique style or skillset with his power. One for All was so much stronger in his hands than his master’s, after all, but Izuku and Nana were both much smarter fighters.

The rest of the training that afternoon went smoothly. At Midnight’s suggestion, Midoriya did some work from the rooftops as well as the ground, practicing softening landings and measuring how much strength he needed to get from one to the next. At points he seemed to hang in the air, cape billowing out behind him, and it made All Might’s chest ache. I think you would have loved him, Nana. You always told me that we would meet again in One for All, so I hope you’ll look after him now. When Hatsume finally got all of the data she needed and left, Toshinori deflated back down to his thin form and decided to call it a day.

“Alright, young man, I think that was a wonderfully productive session.” He flashed him a grin and his signature thumbs up. “Excellent work!”

“Thank you, All Might!” Midoriya beamed. “I feel like I’m starting to get used to moving around at such high speeds.”

“Just remember,” Midnight spoke up, “speed means nothing without control. I know Aizawa teaches you situational awareness, but that applies to movement too, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“There’s one other thing I want to talk to you about before you go,” Midnight said. “We’ve been working hard at building a persona for you, but I want to stress that it cannot be your default all the time. Midoriya Izuku is just as important as the hero Deku, okay?” She moved forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s easy and tempting to just ignore everything and focus on using your persona as a shield, but it’s not healthy, kid. I’ve only known you a few months, but I can tell you’re trying to hold stuff back and just ignore things to move forward. You’ve got to let yourself feel things, Midoriya. Even if they’re negative emotions. Hell, especially when they’re negative. Being a hero means putting your fear and anger and all those shitty feelings away and focusing on the job. But they don’t ever go away, they just build up. So take a few minutes at the end of everyday and just let yourself feel. Decompress. Take all that shit you put aside and acknowledge it. Let it flow through you for a bit before you expel it for good.” She paused to wipe a tear away from underneath Midoriya’s eye. “You think you can try doing that for me, kiddo?”

“I- I’ll try, sensei.”

Izuku didn’t consider himself a particularly violent person.

But he was being pushed to his fucking limits today.

Kacchan kept throwing angry glares in his direction which, while sadly normalized in his life, were putting him on edge. There was a pop quiz in literature that he only remembered the answers to after the quiz was over, his train had been delayed this morning, his fingers ached fiercely because it was supposed to rain later. And Mineta would not shut up .

He had always been too caught up in his own daily worries to really pay attention to the shorter boy, but now that he was more cognizant of the rest of the world during classes he couldn’t block it out. The stream of vile foul-mouthed commentary that poured from his classmate’s mouth never stopped. He would comment about any woman he saw and if none caught his eye in the moment he would pick one from his mind to talk about. Mirko, Ryukyu, Mt Lady, Hatsume, random women he saw in the streets, none were safe from his imagination. 

Midnight received the worst of it, however. The one woman that seemed to be referenced most often was his teacher and the content of his diatribes made Izuku’s skin crawl and his stomach writhe with anger. He looked up to his mentor. She had taught him so much over the few weeks that he had been working with her. And Mineta had reduced her in his imagination to a walking talking toy for his perversions.

Izuku was sure he was close to breaking by the time he got to heroics. His friends had tried to ask him what was wrong but he shook them off. How could he explain the way his anger clawed at him from the inside, desperate to free itself to enact its own vengeance on his classmate? Thankfully, not even Mineta’s degenerate nature could distract Izuku from All Might’s presence at the front of the classroom.

“Alright, zygotes! As you know, finals are almost upon you. Which means, we will be measuring to see how much you have grown over the past few months! So today, we will be doing the same battle trials as in your first class! We will, however, be changing your partners! Now, get changed and meet me at training ground alpha! I am leaving the classroom like a normal person!”

“Aww yeah. I love the costumes at this school. Such succulent babe-flesh!” Izuku held back the full-body shudder that threatened to take over him. How did women deal with this on a daily basis? Izuku wasn’t even the target of the comments and it still made him uncomfortable. 

Thankfully he was able to tune out the shorter boy as he focused on getting the various parts of his new costume on. He really did need to thank Mei for her incredible work. Maybe he should send her a thank you note? Briefly he debated about giving her Melissa Shield’s phone number, but dismissed that thought with a shudder. Between Melissa “I’m going to charge into the boss’ lair wearing no shoes and a formal dress” Shield and Mei “Blowing Things Up Is My Creative Process” Hatsume there was no way he would survive a collaboration between the two of them.

“Woah dude, sweet cape!” Izuku blinked at the smiling Kirishima who shot him a thumbs up. “Very manly, bro!”

“Oh, thanks, Kirishima!” Izuku grinned back and ignored the whispered ‘so bright’ from Tokoyami to finish putting his case away in his locker. He joined Todoroki and Iida at the entrance and made his way toward the gym.

“What inspired such a change in costume, Midoriya-kun?” Iida asked.

“Well, you guys have seen full cowling at this point, so I knew I wanted some upgrades to handle the increased speed and the overall strain on my body. The cape was just a flash of inspiration, I guess.”

“I see. Well, I think it looks good! I do hope there are mechanisms to avoid getting your cape caught on things? They may be useful in certain scenarios but there are also safety concerns that ought to be addressed.”

“Yeah, Hatsume made sure that the clasps that keep it on have an auto release function. Any tug that’s sharp enough and the cape will come right off. Plus, there’s a switch on my belt that I can use to manually disengage the clasps if I need to. I’m not actually sure how she managed to do that though.”

“Ah, Hatsume designed it?” Iida took a large step to his right, putting Todoroki between himself and Izuku. “It is safe to wear, yes? It won’t explode?” Izuku couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t worry Iida, Hatsume knows what she’s doing. She’s brilliant!”

“Brilliantly insane, perhaps. Though if you trust her I will trust you, Midoriya-kun!”

“I think she’s funny,” Todoroki added. “My father hated your match with her at the Sports Festival. I wonder if I could get her to do my design updates after finals?”

Before Izuku could respond, he was distracted by Uraraka and Tsu turning the corner. When Uraraka saw them she stopped in the middle of the hall and her face began to flush a dark red. Huh, I wonder if she’s getting sick? I know her quirk tends to make her nauseous.

“Hello, kero. Nice cape, Midoriya-chan.”

“Thanks, Tsu!” The group began walking, but as Izuku looked back he saw Uraraka was still stopped in the middle of the hallway.

“Uraraka, are you coming?” She seemed to shake herself out of her reverie and hurried to catch up with the group. Izuku waited until All Might began going over the scenario and time limit restrictions before he leaned over to Uraraka again and whispered. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Huh?” She asked with a startled jump. “W-what makes you say that? Hahaha.”

“Well, you’re really red for one thing. And you seem nervous.” Izuku leaned in closer and watched her eyes widen. “You’re shaking, Uraraka-san.” Izuku watched her swallow thickly, the harsh movement of her throat exaggerating the soft trembling of her form. A bead of sweat made its way down her hairline.

“I-I, uh- w-well,” “And the final pair is young Midoriya and young Mineta!” Uraraka blinked and Izuku backed up to look at his mentor. Apparently he had missed more of the explanation than he had thought. He glanced at Uraraka who was nervous dabbing her sleeve on her forehead before fully turning his attention back to All Might.

Well, it could be worse, I guess. I just hope we’re not going against Kacchan. “The first match-up is Yaoyorozu and Jiro against Midoriya and Mineta!” Izuku looked toward the former pair who stood nearby. Yaoyorozu was rapidly explaining something to Jiro as the shorter girl nodded along with a vicious grin. Izuku turned to seek out his partner who appeared to be staring at their opponents, drool falling down his chin. He couldn’t fully repress his shudder. Oh this isn’t going to end well for anyone, is it?

Ochako did her best to calm her racing heart. This was so unfair! She was convinced her guardian angel was out there laughing at her. How could that idiot keep doing this to her! First the new haircut and the posture and then the way he had almost kissed her at the train station and now he had a new costume that made him look like he walked out of her daydreams and then he had the gall to stare into her eyes and tease her for getting flushed because of it! How did he even manage to get that close to her? Two months ago he couldn’t even look her in the eye when she was wearing her hero costume and now he could handle putting his face right next to hers and whispering right in her ear like he was some damn romance anime protagonist? Damn it!

“Hey, Ocha!” Uraraka looked at Ashido who was waving her over toward a group that consisted of her, Hagakure, Kirishima and Kaminari. “I need you to settle a debate for us. Does Midori have a girlfriend?” Ochako felt her heart leap into her throat. Did Deku have a girlfriend and not tell her? Was he just lying to her? She shook those thoughts away. No, Deku would never do something like that. A familiar burning flame took root in her stomach. And if some girl did get to Deku first, I’d launch her into the exosphere!  

“No!” The others looked startled at her shout, so Ochako forced herself to calm down. “I mean, no, absolutely not. Deku would tell me if he had a girlfriend.” Ashido pouted in disappointment.

“Aw, man! I was sure it was because of a girlfriend.”

“I told you!” Kaminari said. “No way that Midoriya gets a girlfriend first. The guy is, like, way too shy.”

“He’s gotten better, though!” Hagakure pointed out. “He’s, like, kinda suave now, you know? Like with the new hair and everything?”

“He does look pretty manly,” Kirishima agreed. “But Mido-bro definitely would have told us, or at least Uraraka.”

“Ah, Deku-kun doesn’t have a girlfriend.” Uraraka said, finally understanding. “He’s been training after school with Midnight-sensei. She’s been helping him with his confidence and developing a hero persona.”

“Woah, so manly! It’s awesome that he’s so dedicated to being a better hero!”

“Lucky bastard,” Kaminari muttered.

“Tough luck, Sparky.” Ashido wrapped a pink arm around Kaminari’s neck. “Your crush on Midnight-sensei is doomed for eternity. With or without Midoriya’s influence, I might add.”

“Yeah. Plus, you guys should probably spend some more time studying for finals.” Hagakure pointed out. “Weren’t you two at the bottom of the class in the midterms?”

“Well, yeah,” Kaminari said. “But aren’t finals in, like, a few weeks? We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Yeah,” Ashido said. “No worries! We’re going to be, like, super mega prepared!”

Uraraka sweatdropped. They do know that the written finals are next week, right? Should I tell them? She watched the laughing pair tip backwards and bump into Bakugou who turned and exploded at them. Eh, they’ll figure it out. Probably.

Briefly, Izuku wondered if Stain had ever met someone like Mineta. If he had, Izuku could sort of understand the urge to murder someone.

“I mean, seriously, why is it always me? I always get put on a team with dudes. Why can’t I be on the team with the chicks. The ladies love me!” They had already scoured the first two floors and swiftly were making their way up. Momo’s quirk let their opponent trap and fortify the room with the bomb as much as they wanted and with Jiro’s hearing they had to know exactly how long it would take them to get to their location. Izuku had quickly abandoned stealth as an option with her in the mix, instead opting for an all out sprint to give them as much time as possible to deal with Momo and to minimize the time the heiress could spend creating tricks and equipment. Just because they weren’t trying to hide, though, did not mean he wanted to be subjected to Mineta’s perverse stream of consciousness.

“Like, the rack on Yaoyorozu. What I wouldn’t do to get my hands on those luscious bouncy” “Shut up, Mineta.” Izuku felt his pulse throb in his head. His gut swirled as annoyance built up inside of him.

“What? What’s the problem? Yaoyorozu has a rockin’ bod, I’m just expressing some appreciation. I bet that even that flat board, Jiro would agree with me.” Izuku came to a stop just outside the door to the largest room on the floor.

“What?”

“What? I mean she’s a lesbo, right? She probably wants to grab a handful of Yaoyorozu just as much as I do.” Izuku’s skin started to itch. Even Mineta must have noticed the growing rage coming from him because he said, “What? I’m just saying. Why are you getting all mad? You a homo too?” Izuku could feel One for All stirring in response to his anger. He clenched his jaw shut in an effort to stop the quirk from exploding out. “I mean it makes sense. You’ve been taking lessons from Midnight and you haven’t even mentioned copping a feel to the other guys. That slut’s basically parading it around for free.” Izuku’s hand twitched at his side, sparks bursting to life along his arm. Mineta barrelled on, heedless of the quirk activation at his side. “Plus, if I had Uraraka as my best friend, you know that I’d be-” his words were cut off as Izuku grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground, bringing him eye to eye. Absently, he noticed One for All rising past eight, past ten and continuing to increase its output, but he stayed intent on glaring into Mineta’s eyes. 

“Take. It. Back.” Izuku clenched his empty left hand into a fist, muscles twitching with rage. “Final warning, Mineta.” The other boy's expression, which had been suffused with shock, hardened into something close to cockiness.

“My father’s on the board, idiot. You can’t touch me you dirty fa-” Izuku spun, One for All flaring to twenty percent, and threw Mineta like a javelin. The shorter boy flew through the air, crashing through the door and going straight on into the room beyond it. Izuku stalked forward as Mineta desperately scrambled backward. One for All pulsed, a deep resonating note that rattled his bones. His quirk screamed for release, raging against his skin in desperation to be let out. To exact its pound of flesh from the miserable creature in front of him. Izuku pulled back his arm, preparing to knock him into next week.

“You bastard! You’re going to be expelled for this!” 

“Actually,” Yaoyorozu cut in, “it would appear that you are the one facing expulsion, Mineta.” The two boys looked at the heiress who was standing with Jiro where they had been hidden next to the now sundered door. In her hands was a phone with an active call going on and Jiro smirked holding a recorder plugged into her jack, the other pressed against the wall. “Is that enough evidence for you, Mr. Principal?”

“Why it certainly is!” Nezu’s cheerful voice was tinny through the phone speakers, but clearly audible in the shocked silence. “As of this moment, Mineta Minoru is hereby expelled from U.A. High for violations of our harassment and discrimination clauses! I will also, of course, be looking into other cases where such offenses were covered up by the influence of the Mineta family. I’m sure the police will be quite interested in such affairs.” The purple haired boy paled as he realized the depths of his situation.

“Of course, sir. And I will also be contacting my family’s lawyers. Father is rather, aggressive , in handling sexual harassment charges against his only daughter.”

“B-b-but he assaulted me!” Mineta cried. “Midoriya should be expelled, not me!”

“On the contrary,” Nezu’s voice radiated gleeful malice even over the phone. “It was an ingenious tactical decision by Midoriya-kun to send you in through the door first so that you could attempt to capture your classmates by surprise! Additionally, I’m sure that you will find you lost the ability to press charges against classmates for actions taken during training when you filled out your enrollment forms. The liability falls on U.A. for training incidents and if you want to pursue legal action against this school, well,” Nezu chuckled. “I would certainly welcome the effort! I have needed something to destress with and I think ruining your family’s reputation with a messy courtroom affair would be particularly enjoyable.”

“I- I-” “Jiro-san would you mind escorting Mineta to All Might and let him know to bring him to my office?” Jiro’s smirk grew sharp and vengeful.

“With pleasure, Nezu-sensei.” With that, she grabbed Mineta by the arm, wrinkling her nose in disgust, and dragged him from the room.

Momo watched as All Might carried Mineta away like a cat would a newborn kitten, dangling from his grip. She was certainly glad to be rid of the cretin, though even she hadn’t realized the depths of his rotten character before today. The whole class had heard what happened during their exercise, and Kyouka was loudly playing the recording back for anyone who wanted to bear witness to the homophobe’s rantings, but Momo couldn’t quite help but feel a little unsettled. Quirks hadn’t erased the biases the world carried towards others, their recently expelled classmate was proof enough of that, but Momo still thought it was silly to worry about the gender or race or sexuality of a person when people like All Might could wipe out city blocks without trying.

“Are you okay?” Momo turned to see Midoriya standing close by, fiddling with one of the gloves of his new uniform. “That was a lot that happened back there.”

“I’m alright. Thank you for the concern. It was admirable standing up the way you did. I’m not sure anyone else would have had the daring to throw him through a wall.” He rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks flushed, and Momo couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I do not mean to offend Midoriya, it was quite a display.”

“I bet. It was your plan and quick thinking that really won the day though.”

“Ah, I did not do much in truth. It was Jiro who thought to record the conversation once she could hear what he was saying.”

“But it was you who called the principal, right?” Momo blushed a little and turned to the side. “Yaomomo,” Midoriya took a step forward. “You were amazing, okay? Midnight taught me that you shouldn’t brush aside the compliments of others so quickly. I mean it when I say that I think you did incredible work.” Momo blushed harder as Midoriya continued to look toward her with his heavy gaze. The force of his stare and the sincerity in his voice made it all the harder for her to look him in the eye. After a few seconds, he took a step back.

“I apologize.” “No, no it’s okay, really. I was just unprepared for such a compliment. Please, it’s alright.”

“Still,” Izuku shrugged. “I apologize both for my behavior and that you had to listen to what Mineta was saying.” At this, he shook his head. “I just can’t believe it. I mean, he reduced you to just your physicality when you’re so much more than that!” Momo blinked at the green haired boy in front of her who now paced and threw his hands into the air.

“You’re brilliant, an excellent hero, and you’re one of our most kind and humble classmates as well as a great vice-representative.” Momo’s blush, which had cooled slightly, returned with a vengeance. “Plus you have one of the most powerful quirks I’ve ever seen!”

“Ah, what do you mean by that?”

“I mean that you are single-handedly the strongest person in this room, potentially even at this school. There’s nothing that you couldn’t do or make. With enough prep time you could do literally anything! If you were a villain, what would stop you from creating a bomb? Or a nuclear weapon? Though I suppose uranium might be too dense to reliably produce much but I bet you could train up to it! Oh, and you could…”

Momo produced a small cooling towel from her stomach and pressed it against her head to reduce her blush as Midoriya continued to rant about her quirk. It was incredibly sweet and endearing, if a little shocking to listen to him detail the many ways she could seek world domination with her quirk. She hadn’t realized that he was quite so skilled in quirk analysis. Mentally she compared this version of Midoriya, the rambling sweet boy in front of her, to the version of Midoriya that had thrown Mineta through a heavily barricaded door. Who had stomped forward like an avenging angel intent upon making the perverted wretch repent for his statements.

Now that she was out of the situation looking back on it, Momo could admit that he looked like dark knights in her romance novels. She imagined all of that rage and passion channeled into a possessiveness toward a princess and… a shiver ran down her spine. She peeked over her shoulder and saw Uraraka glaring at her from where she stood with Iida. Her fire-filled eyes promised retribution. The waves of malice rolling off of her made the young heiress’ more afraid than any villain she had faced so far. Best not to continue that train of thought , Momo decided. The fury building from Uraraka seemingly lessened as if she could sense Momo backing down. When Midoriya next took a breath she interrupted him.

“Midoriya-kun, thank you very much for your kind words and for standing up for us earlier, but I do believe you’re being summoned.” She nodded her head towards Uraraka who flashed a jubilant smile and waved at him.

“Oh! I’m sorry for going on so long, Yaomomo. I’ll see you in a bit!” As the boy headed off toward Uraraka and Iida a different presence took his place at Momo’s side.

“So you realize it too, huh kero?” Momo jumped at Tsu’s voice.

“Why, I’m certain I don’t know what you mean Tsu-chan.”

“I wonder which will break first: Ochako’s stubbornness or Izuku’s own obliviousness.” They observed the two as Midoriya leaned down to whisper something in Uraraka’s ear as the girl bit her lip and started floating away from where her hands were pressed into her sides.

“I bet 2000 yen Midoriya figures it out first.”

“You’re on, kero.”

Chapter Text

Direct Message

Most Favoritest Aunt In The Whole World

Hey are you still at school?

Raptor Child

Yeah I’m finishing up a meeting for the class reps why 

Most Favoritest Aunt In The Whole World

Can you grab me the duffel bag from my office?

It’s next to the desk

I’m in training ground zeta

Raptor Child

??????

Okay???

Not suspicious at all Auntie Nem

Setsuna ambled toward training ground zeta, messenger bag in one hand and her aunt’s mysterious duffel bag thrown over her shoulder. She was desperately curious about what was inside of it, especially because it felt soft, but ever since that time in middle school where she opened Nemuri’s purse and a vibrator fell out she learned not to go snooping where her aunt was concerned.

She pushed open the door to the gym, revealing her aunt, dressed in a sweatshirt from her own merch line, jeans and her glasses, holding a microphone up to Midoriya from class 1-A. Several bright spotlights shone onto the boy, who was in his U.A. gym uniform and dripping sweat onto the floor.

“Deku! How do you respond to the recent allegations that your agency has been covering up property damages by several heroes?” Deku? Kind of a weird hero name. And ‘allegations’? What the hell is going on?

“At this time, I cannot comment on any allegations or anything of the sort. You’d have to get in touch with our agency’s media liaison.” Midnight nodded and wrote something down on a notepad before turning toward Setsuna.

“Hey, Set! Come say hi to Deku, you two know each other right?”

“We met during the sports festival, I think,” Setsuna said. She absently handed her aunt the duffel as she looked over Midoriya. Was this the same guy from the festival? He looked like he grew a few centimeters since then, his shoulders broader, face less shaded from overly wild hair. He looks like a snack. 

“Midoriya, right? I’m Tokage Setsuna from Class B.” She held out a hand that he shook in a firm grip. Mmm, nice hands.  

“It’s nice to meet you, Tokage-san. It’s good to put a name to your lovely face.” Setsuna’s smile sharpened into a smirk.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Hero. It looks like my aunt’s been putting you through a workout, huh?” He tipped his head back and laughed, a bead of moisture running down his exposed throat.

“She’s not that bad. I’ve got plenty of stamina.” He punctuated his claim with a wink, and Setsuna felt herself heat up a little in response. He’s not bad at this.

“Oh, is that the case? Maybe she’s just not testing you enough?”

“Well, if you’re offering, you could always find out for yourself?”

“A private workout?” Setsuna took a step forward to put herself directly in front of Midoriya. “How bold of you, Deku. I’m not sure it’s a good idea, though.”

“Why?” He leaned in until mere inches separated them. “Scared you can’t keep up?”

“I’m more worried about wearing you out .”

“Not that this isn’t adorable, but we’re in the middle of something here, Set.” The two jumped apart as Midnight strutted toward them. “Midoriya, you can take a break and grab some water.” The boy’s posture immediately relaxed. His shoulders slumped forward a little, and the intensity drained from his expression.

“Yes, sensei.” He walked toward the far side of the gym where his bag rested and Setsuna couldn’t resist but watch as he walked away.

“Hmm, mama like- OW! Hey!” She rubbed the spot on her forehead that Nemuri had flicked. “What the fuck, auntie?”

“First, watch your god damn language. We’re in a school.” Setsuna rolled her eyes at that. It wasn’t like it was Nemuri herself that taught her to swear or anything. “Second of all, that’s my personal student you’re ogling there. And if that weren’t enough, he’s already being staked out by another one of your classmates. Do you know Uraraka Ochako? She was the one who brought a meteor shower down on Bakugou Katsuki. A very competitive woman from what I’ve seen.”

“I don’t mind a bit of a challenge,” Setsuna said, sticking out her chest. “I bet I could take her.” Nemuri sighed at her niece’s antics.

“I’ll say nice things at your funeral, dino-girl.”

Setsuna walked back toward the exit and managed to catch a glimpse of Midoriya using the bottom of his shirt to wipe away sweat from his forehead. Her eyes raked over his exposed abs and she shuddered at the thoughts that suddenly cropped up in her head. Yeah, I’m not done with you yet, Midoriya Izuku.

By the time Izuku made his way back toward his mentor, Tokage had already gone, leaving Kayama-sensei writing down notes on a pad of paper by herself.

“So how do you know Tokage-san, sensei? You said she’s your niece?” Midnight looked up from her writing, sliding the paper into her back pocket.

“Honorary niece. I don’t have any actual siblings, but her mother and I were close growing up. She went to U.A. too, actually.”

“Oh, wow! Is she a hero?”

“No, she was in the business course.” Her smile changed into a teasing grin, one that Izuku knew full well meant trouble at this point. “You seem awfully interested in Setsuna, Midoriya-kun. Something I should know about?”

“No, sensei! N-not that I don’t think she’s attractive. Er, I mean, she was really fun to flirt with but I don’t care about her. Ah, what I mean is that, I don’t like her in that way, you know? I could certainly see how someone would, but-” Izuku was abruptly cut off by a stuffed animal crashing into his face. He spit out a bit of fur and blinked up at his teacher who seemed amused.

“Breathe, Midoriya. You’re overthinking it. No one is mad or upset, I’m just teasing you.” Izuku inhaled deeply and held it before letting it go. Once he had relaxed a little, Midnight continued. “It did give me a good idea for how to build up your confidence and develop your hero persona at the same time.” Her teasing smile, which had dropped when Izuku started panicking, morphed into a wicked smirk.

“How would you like to learn to flirt from the R-Rated Heroine herself?”

Toru practically skipped down the hallway. It was going to be a good day! Her mom always told her to believe in the power of positive thinking, and that’s exactly what she was going to do! The Battle Trial Redos the other day had gone well for her team. She had been partnered with Tokoyami who made an excellent distraction for her to be able to sneak around Sato and Aoyama. Toru knew she wasn’t a powerhouse, she had just barely managed to squeak into U.A. by getting the robots to shoot each other and her handful of rescue points. Her quirk made it so she was relegated to Underground work in the future which was fine by her. The USJ and the Sports Festival both proved to her that she wasn’t meant to fight on the big stage. 

But that was okay! She would leave the high rankings and billboard fights to the Bakugous and Todorokis of the world, Toru just wanted to be able to save people. 

Still, it was nice to be noticed on occasion. She had to work twice as hard as anyone else to get people to pay attention to her. She over exaggerated her body language and wore bright clothing and accessories, she even made sure to stomp and make more noise walking than she had to. She had some natural instincts toward stealth because of her quirk and years of practice had made it easier to hide her presence than not. But would it kill someone to pay attention to her?

“Hey, Hagakure! Let me grab the door for you.”

“Oh,” Toru turned toward the voice behind her, catching sight of fluffy green hair. “Thanks, Midoriya. What a gentleman.” He offered her a wink as he followed into the classroom behind her.

“Of course.”

“Hey, by the way, I heard you were taking lessons with Midnight after school. Is that what sparked these changes in you?” He laughed and Toru felt her heart speed up. She would guess she was blushing, but thankfully no one would be able to see it. He has a nice smile. If I wasn’t crushing on Ojiro I could totally see myself asking him out!

“Yeah, she’s been really helping me build my confidence. It’s been great. I’d love to hear if you have any tips too.” Toru blinked.

“Huh?” She tilted her head to the right, raising her left shoulder to amplify the motion. “What do you mean?” Midoriya turned fully towards her, leaning in slightly. Toru worked hard to make sure she mastered her own body language, so it was easy for her to read Midoriya’s. His feet both pointed toward her slightly spread apart, shoulders back and relaxed, hands out and near his hips. His eyes were aimed toward her head, so she would give him credit for eye contact. Is he… flirting?

“Well, you’re one of the most confident people in our class. You’re always energetic and outspoken, and you’ve always got an amazing positive attitude. Honestly, I’m a little jealous that it comes this easily to you. It’s kind of scary to put yourself out there.”

“I…” Okay, she was definitely blushing now! How could she not? How could he just look her in the eye (or close enough, anyway) and deliver a compliment like that with that much sincerity in his voice? Her stomach heated up, a pool of magma spilling out from her center and up into her throat. “Uh, thank you! I, uh, well, you-”

“Everyone! Please make your way to your seats! Class is about to begin!” Whew, saved by the Iida.

“Well, I guess, I uh, should head to my seat.”

“Yeah,” Midoriya said. “I’ll talk to you later, Hagakure.”

“L-later!” Both students made their way toward their desks, and Toru let a sigh escape from her. Uraraka, you better move quickly. That boy is going to steal some hearts!

Lunch that afternoon was an interesting affair. It was a little tiring, looking for ways to put flirty spins on his words and waiting to pounce on someone else to make them blush, but it was also fun . Seeing his friends and classmates’ reactions to his innuendos and teasing was a rush. Each blush and gasp felt like a boost right to his ego. Every time he caught someone off balance and they floundered in their response he had to resist the urge to cackle. Is this how Kayama-sensei feels all the time? He wondered as he bought his lunch. No wonder she’s constantly teasing people, it feels incredible! Spotting his next victim at their usual table, Izuku felt a smirk tug at his lips. Oh, that’s a perfect candidate. 

“Todoroki-kun!” Izuku plopped his tray down to the right of his friend and sat side-saddle on his chair to look at him. “Hi! How are you?” Todoroki narrowed his eyes and put down the noodles he had been slurping.

“Midoriya,” he greeted warily. “I would say I am as good as I was when you last asked me fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, Todoroki-kun,” Izuku laughed. “You’re so funny.” The other boy’s eyes narrowed further.

“Are you on drugs? Natsuo often acts strangely when he comes back from his boyfriend’s apartment.”

“I’m not high, Todoroki-kun, but I think I would rather you call me Izuku. That goes for all of you as well.” He turned to the rest of his friends who were staring at him. Iida looked flabbergasted, his mouth agape and arm absently chopping. Tsu’s eyes were wide and unblinking, rice dropping from her chopsticks back to her plate. More interestingly, though, was the blank expression that had come across Uraraka’s face. Her eyes had seemingly rolled back, her mouth open slightly. Izuku could practically see her spirit floating away from her body. Huh, I guess I shouldn’t flirt with Uraraka later if her reaction to this is so bad. Aw man, I was looking forward to flirting with her the most! “You guys are my best friends, and we’ve gone through a lot together. I think it’d be nice to call each other by our first names.”

Iida snapped out of his reverie first. “I believe that is a wonderful idea, Izuku-kun! Please refer to me as Tenya.”

Tsu put a finger to her chin in thought. “Izuku-kun? Izu-kun?” Izuku shrugged.

“Either way works. What about you, Shoto? OW!” A sharp pain radiated from the back of Izuku’s head. He turned to see Monoma from class B standing behind him, a metal lunch tray receding back towards his body. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Your giant head was just so hard to maneuver around. It seems I overestimated class A’s ability to stay out of everyone else’s way. You just can’t seem to stop yourselves from walking all over class B in your bid for the spotlight!”

“Aw, Monoma, if you want attention you don’t need to act out to get it. I won’t even make you beg for it. Well, I won’t make you beg too much at least.” Izuku stood from the table, turning to look at the sputtering blond. “I mean, I couldn’t resist seeing you grovel a little.”

“Is this what 1-A has stooped to? Even I expect some class from you troglodytes. But I suppose all the love of the press must have infected your brains if you believe that I would ever sublimate myself to one of you hacks.”

“You should think about keeping that sharp tongue to yourself, Neito. But I’m sure I can find better uses for it if you’re insistent on flaunting it.” Izuku took a deliberate step forward, forcing the class B boy to look down slightly into his eyes. “It’s too bad really. It seems like your ego really is compensating for something.” Izuku flicked his eyes down and then back up to meet Monoma’s once more. Red bloomed across his neck and cheeks, embarrassed rage building in the blond’s eyes. “And here I thought you might have a little more bite than bark.” Well, Izuku, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Monoma’s yelp was simply delicious as he was yanked down to eye level with Izuku. His grip loosened around the other boy’s tie, and Izuku didn’t bother holding back the sinister pleasure evident in his smirk. Izuku’s voice lowered, whispers meant just for Monoma, causing him to shiver.

“If you’re willing to be a very good boy, I’ll overlook the insults you’ve levied at my classmates over the past few minutes. But step one toe out of line again and I will ruin you in ways you cannot imagine. Understood?”

Izuku leaned back to watch a kaleidoscope of emotions cross Monoma’s face. Fear, arousal, shame, all mingled before settling into a defeated expression. “I-I’m very sorry.”

“Good boy. Now run along to lunch, the adults are still speaking.”

The now glowing crimson Monoma lowered his head and scurried away from their table. Izuku turned back to his friends, idly noticing the nearest tables that had overheard the verbal sparring turn to each other and erupt into whispers.

“Er, sorry about him.” Izuku leapt in surprise as Kendo spoke up from behind him. He had been so focused on Monoma that the Class B rep’s appearance hadn’t even registered to him. “He’s been a little more feral than usual, as of late. I’ve never seen anyone take him down so quickly.”

“Ah,” Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “It was nothing really.”

“Still, I feel that I should apologize for his behavior. As a peace offering, I can tell you about the practical exams.” The other members of the table, who had been stunned audience members for the last few minutes, leaned forward.

“That would be excellent, thank you Kendo-san!!” Iida said. Todoroki slid a loaf of bread underneath Iida’s chopping arm, and looked disappointed when instead of slicing it the bread ended up squashed beneath his hand.

“It’s no trouble. I heard from one of the upperclassmen that we’ll be fighting robots like we did at the entrance exam. Anyway, I should probably go. I’m sorry again for Monoma’s behavior.” She bowed low and left back toward the series of tables occupied by Class B. Izuku’s attention was drawn toward an oddly red faced Tsu who struggled to tear her gaze away from the ginger girl. Hmm, well that’s interesting.

“Kaminari, no need to go over your limit. I can blow your mind all by myself.”

 Ochako had died. That was the only possible explanation. She had died and this was hell. She didn’t really think she deserved to be eternally tormented, but the idea of Deku- Izuku , flirting with everyone around but ignoring her sounded like an eternal punishment that only the most creative of devils would come up with. She didn’t know whether to be offended that he hadn’t come to flirt with her yet, relieved that she hadn’t died from embarrassment like everyone else who Izuku flirted with, or desperately smitten with this new side to her best friend. Watching him completely destroy Monoma had done things to Ochako that she wasn’t ready to admit to herself yet.

Aizawa called an end to the sparring session and most of the class migrated toward the sidelines to grab water. Ochako was close enough to her teacher to pick up a few of his muttered phrases as he walked away. “Damn problem child. Now I have to deal with hormonal teenagers on top of everything else? I’m going to fucking kill Nemuri.” Ochako shook herself from her stupor. She noticed Izuku and Tsu walking towards her, locked in discussion.

“I’m just saying Tsu, maybe you should ask her out. You seemed to like her.”

“I don’t know, kero. Ochako, what do you think? If you liked someone and wanted to go on a date with them, would you ask them out?” Her slightly blank eyes stared into Ochako’s and the barest smirk grew on her lips as Ochako reddened. Damn it, Tsu, you traitor!

“Well, I- uh, wouldn’t it be a distraction from training?”

“I don’t know, I think it would be inspiring.” Izuku’s eyes practically sparkled as he talked. I’m so in over my head. “You could train together and practice to make sure you can protect one another. Plus, it’s fairly common for pros to date each other.”

“Yeah, Ochako. Pros date each other all the time, so if you like someone you should go for it.” Ochako glared back at Tsu. Ignorant to the stare down happening next to him, Izuku continued to rattle off facts about pro hero couples. Tsu smiled and Ochako narrowed her eyes. What is she up to?

“Hey, Izu-kun. I think Ochako has something to tell you, kero.” Ochako’s eyes widened in outraged shock as Izuku turned his full attention toward her.

“Oh? What’s up Ochako?” The weight of his attention was too much for her. Her heart started racing. Her palms were sweating. She was pretty sure if there was a god he was laughing at her. 

“I- er, that is, I mean- uhhh…” Deku cocked his head to the side like a confused puppy. How was she supposed to get through this? Oh kami, was she about to confess? “You see, I-”

“Heyyy, Midori~” A pink arm slung itself over Izuku’s shoulders, pulling him in close to Mina Ashido. The horned girl pouted as she spun Izuku to face her. “Am I not pretty enough for you, Midoriya?”

Error, file not found. Rebooting Uravity.exe   Ochako jumped at the pinch on her side that jolted her from her thoughts. Tsu motioned her head toward the pink and green pair and mouthed at her. “If you don’t say something soon someone else will.” 

“W-what do you mean, Ashido?” Izuku seemed nervous. It was partly a relief to Ochako, knowing that the nervous and awkward part of her best friend was still in there underneath the new suave exterior, but it was also a shot right to her heart. Why does being that close to her make him nervous when he almost kissed me without breaking a sweat!  

“Well, you’ve been flirting with everybody but me all day!” Ashido let her body go limp, the only thing holding her up was her arms around Izuku’s neck. Inadvertently or not, she pressed her chest against his, and Ochako saw red. That shameless hussy! “Honestly, Midori, it’s enough to make a girl jealous. Don’t you want to flirt with me~”  Ochako watched as Izuku’s body language changed. His back straightened, shoulders spreading out. He looked down at Ashido with a hungry smile that sent shivers down both girls’ backs.

“I thought green was my color, not yours, Mina.” Izuku took her chin in his first two fingers and tilted her head up to stare more fully into her eyes. “I’m sorry you’ve been needing attention, I’ve just been trying to save the best for last. I guess if you really want, we can mix pink and green and see what color comes out on top.” Ashido let out a giggle. Ochako felt her soul leave her body. She took a step forward, only for another pinch on her side to cause her to yelp. The aura of malice that had been radiating from her retreated as she glared at Tsu, who rolled her eyes back.

“You can’t be jealous if he’s not yours, kero.” She whispered. Ochako went to respond but was cut off as Aizawa’s voice sounded from the back of the room.

“Alright, hellions, back to work. Problem child, don’t start any more riots, got it?” Tsu leveled a look at Ochako that she couldn’t decipher before walking away to her partner for the next exercise.

“Aww, I was looking forward to flirting a little more.” Ashido separated from Izuku with a pout.

“Don’t worry,” the boy said with a wink. “I can think of a lot of exercises that are plenty of fun too.” The pink-skinned girl giggled and the two also left, leaving Ochako with one thought rattling around in her brain.

Jealous?

Nemuri hummed to herself as she made her way down the hall. It had simply been a marvelous day. Sushi, her darling cat, had a clean bill of health. She had arrested a small group of robbers who had believed that the best time and place to plan a bank heist had been at 8:30 in the morning six blocks from U.A. , and her favorite personal student had truly flourished in his efforts today. She had been gifted the security camera footage from Nezu in order to observe how Midoriya went about his flirtatious challenge, and he had crushed her expectations to bits! She had expected him to flirt a little, make a few innuendos primarily aimed at his friends, maybe make that Uraraka girl blush from her head to her toes a few times. But he had truly embraced the persona they were creating together and soared to new heights. She hadn’t even taught him about using flirtations to take control of a situation; his complete evisceration of the Monoma kid had been all natural talent. 

She hugged herself as a shiver of glee went through her body. Midoriya is going to be a monster one day, I can’t wait for the havoc he’ll bring! She paused at that thought. Am I becoming too much like Nezu? She shrugged and continued on. Ah, who cares! It’s just so delicious!

Rounding the corner, Nemuri spotted Uraraka staggering towards her. Immediately, Nemuri’s guard was raised. There wasn’t an immediate sign of an injury: no blood or obvious broken bones, though by the way she was walking it was possible there was an internal one. Her face looked red and her eyes were clouded. She didn’t seem to be taking in anything about her surroundings, which Nemuri knew was a bad sign for one of Shouta’s students.

“Uraraka, are you alright?” She deliberately asked the question in her normal tone and not the teasing voice of Midnight. The girl’s head snapped up to look at her. She was clearly cognizant of stimuli at least. “Are you feeling okay, darling? Are you hurt?”

“Ah, no Midnight-sensei. I’m okay. Just caught up in my head a little, I guess.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” Urararaka looked a little surprised and Nemuri shrugged. “I’ve heard I’m a good listener, and it seems like something’s eating at you.” Nemuri watched her chew on the inside of her cheek in thought. 

“I guess, I’ve been feeling annoyed recently and someone pointed out the reason to me today and I’m just struggling with it, I think?” She looked up at Nemuri, eyes wide. “Have you ever felt jealous before, sensei?”

Ah, there it is. She struggled to keep her Midnight Smirk (patented and licensed for use in toys!) off of her face as understanding bloomed. I may have done too good of a job on that kid, wow!

“I think everyone gets a little jealous at some points. What’s got you feeling this way?” Urararaka blushed and Nemuri resisted the urge to cackle. She didn’t want to scare the poor girl, but this was just perfect!

“I’ve been feeling angry and- and jealous but I don’t really understand why.”

“Well, most people feel jealous when they see someone else get something that they want. Those people that you’re jealous of, what do they want that you have? Once you figure that out you can do something about it.”

“What I want…” Uraraka thought for a minute before something seemed to click in the girl’s head. She threw her arms over her head and made a noise much like a tea-kettle’s whistle. Nemuri patted her on the arm.

“It can be hard to admit, especially to ourselves. If you need any help or advice, don’t hesitate to swing by my office, Uraraka. Take care~” With that, Nemuri headed to the staff room. Ah, youth. I hope you figure it out soon Uraraka-chan, because my niece is playing for keeps!

“Thank you for joining us, Kayama! Please, take a seat.” Shouta glared at his friend and current source of his endless headaches as she glided into the room and sat across the table from him. Noticing his glare, Nemuri wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes. Honestly, she hasn’t changed at all since high school.

“Now that everyone is here” Nezu spoke once more, “we can begin! The first item on the agenda is something that I have hoped to get approval from the board on for some time. U.A. is in the process of becoming a boarding school!” A wave of whispers rose from the assembled teachers and suddenly died out as Nezu held up a paw. 

“I know that this is a rather large change which is why I implore you to trust that I have put a lot of time and effort into determining if this was the best course of action. Due to the rash of incidents that our first years have been involved in, and the growing threat of the League of Villains, we will be transitioning to a dormitory system at the beginning of the third trimester. This will give our students plenty of time to adjust as well as all relevant personnel to find proper accommodations. Currently, the dormitories will be mandatory for our heroics students and optional for the other three disciplines, though I expect a large number of our support students will choose to stay on.” Power Loader let out a long sigh that went roundly ignored. “There will be staff dorms available and we will set up rotating schedules for overnight rounds and monitoring duties. Your pay scales will, of course, be adjusted for the changes in your responsibilities. The exact details are not finalized yet, and if you have questions kindly direct them to Watanabe-san in accounting.”

Well, shit. Can’t say I was expecting that. Shouta was tentatively approving of the changes. It would help a lot of underprivileged students to access the school by reducing travel expenses. He could also keep a better eye on his hellions this way, though he foresaw a lot of damage reports in his future. And , he thought irritably, it’s not like Hizashi or I are at our apartment all that often anyway. He looked to his husband who was also looking his way. Hizashi sent him a thumbs up and a bright grin, and Shouta hid his own smile behind his scarf. Seems like it’s a plan then. Hope the teacher apartments have room for cats.

“Our second point of order is a congratulations to our newest teacher, All Might. He has received his provisional teaching license and can now begin working toward his full educational license.” Polite applause echoed around the faculty room, punctuated by a YEAH! from Hizashi. Took him long enough , Shouta thought even as he reluctantly clapped along. Once the noise died down, Nezu continued on. “On that note, as a reminder, your CPR recertifications are due at the end of the month. Please see Recovery Girl regarding your retest or beginning a new course if you have not been on active duty in over a year.”

“Third, and the largest portion of the agenda, is our discussion on the finals of the first year heroics students! Aizawa, Sekijiro, if you would?” Shouta stood, not bothering to repress a sigh, and moved to the front of the room.

“Right. In light of the recent events we’ve come to the conclusion that the usual fare for the final exams won’t be enough to properly test our students. This year’s crop requires a more personal touch,” Shouta said. 

Kan took over from there. “Because of that, Aizawa and I, with the principal’s approval, have decided that the finals will involve students facing the teachers in pairs.”

“Isn’t this a little unfair?” Snipe asked as he leaned forward. “I mean they are still first semester freshmen and more than a little wet behind the ears. Are we pushing them too far too fast?”

“We have taken that into consideration,” Shouta picked up. “Each of us will be wearing weighted cuffs to limit our movements and abilities. Additionally, Vlad and I will be sending each teacher a copy of our notes on their assigned pairs with the goals we want them to accomplish. Displaying the requisite skills and improvements we’re looking for will pass them no matter if they actually achieve the goal of the exam.”

“The way the exam is framed,” Kan added, “is a capture or escape exercise. Pairs will be assigned that morning and they will have to either place handcuffs around us or have one member of the pair escape through the gate.”

“Only one?” Nemuri asked. “Shouldn’t we be encouraging more teamwork than that?”

“Snipe’s right, they are still first years, Nem.” Hizashi gave her a thumbs up. “Wouldn’t be fair to the little listeners if both of them had to escape and fight us at the same time.”

“It’s also a matter of planning.” Shouta shot a pleased look at his husband who brightened in his chair. “By giving them more options, we’re forcing them to prioritize. I think it will be particularly difficult for most of class A to stomach running away.”

“Same goes for class B! My kids are ready to roll at all times!” Shouta barely managed not to roll his eyes at Kan and instead scooped up the remote for the projector. 

“Any other questions or concerns?” Nezu asked the room. When none appeared, he nodded to Shouta and Kan. “Well then, gentlemen, please do inform us on the partnerships you have selected.”

“Starting with class A, the matchups will be as follows...”

Nemuri chased Aizawa after the meeting let out. She caught up with him outside of the parking lot, and quickly smacked him on the arm.

“Ow! What the hell, Nemuri?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She let loose another round of smacks at him.

“Ow! OW! Will you quit it!” His capture weapon floated off his shoulders and wrapped around her biceps, binding her arms to her torso. “Fucking stop it! That hurts, Nem!”

“Oh I am going to do so much worse to you. How dare you, Shouta? Where the hell do you get off pulling this bullshit?!” He stared blankly at her.

“Nemuri, what in the love of coffee are you talking about?”

“Your little science experiment with the finals partnerships. Why the hell are you pairing Midoriya and Bakugou together? And against All Might? Are you kidding me?” She tried to kick him but he hopped out of the way.

“I have the right to manage my kids however I see fit, Nemuri. If you had a problem with it you could have brought it up during the meeting.”

“Yo, Sho!” Hizashi’s shout distracted the two as the tall blond made his way toward the pair of them. “Hey, Nem. So, what’s going on here? You two are usually better about talking out your problems.” Shouta rolled his eyes.

“Little Miss Psycho over here decided to air her grievances by smacking me on the arm, where I got thrown into a car yesterday, by the way, instead of talking about it like an adult.” Nemuri pushed down a flicker of worry and guilt over her friend. She took a deep breath and forced herself to cool off. No matter how upset she was, attacking her friends wouldn’t get her anything but bruises and busted eardrums if she kept it up.

“You cannot put Bakugou and Midoriya together for the exam.”

“And you still haven’t given me a good reason not to, Nemuri.” Seeing that she had calmed down, Shouta released his scarf and piled it back around his neck. “What the hell is this really about?”

“You’ve definitely noticed that Midoriya is nervous and scared when it comes to Bakugou. He’s always flinching when he walks into a room.”

“I hate to break it to you, but Midoriya is a nervous kid.”

“He’s got a point, Nem.” Hizashi broke in. At her glare, he shrugged. “I mean the little listener does seem to have some anxiety, but I thought that’s what you were helping him with?”

“It’s because I’m helping him that I’m telling you not to pair him with Bakugou. You’ve seen all the signs, Shouta. You know this isn’t just a childhood rivalry.”

“And what, exactly, is your theory?” He asked with narrowed eyes.

“You know as well as I do that bullying isn’t limited to middle school.”

“If Bakugou was abusive it would have come up in his background check and he never would have been allowed to attend U.A. Why is this only coming up now?”

“It wouldn’t have been in his background check if the school hid it.” Nemuri would swear that Erasure activated from the heat of the glare Shouta leveled at her. Hizashi let out a whistle.

“Damn, Nem. You’re for real?”

“That is one hell of an accusation, Nemuri.” Shouta’s glower looked distinctly unimpressed. “You better have some damn good evidence for it.”

“The principal is building a case.”

“Then why hasn’t he brought it to my attention?”

“He says there’s mitigating circumstances.”

“Or there’s not enough evidence.” He sighed and rubbed between his eyes. “I can’t do anything based on speculation. If the principal hasn’t brought it up then my hands are tied, Nemuri.”

“What the hell, Shouta? Why aren’t you taking this seriously?”

“You’re too close to this, Nem. We both know who the kid reminds you of and why you’re so attached.” Nemuri stiffened, anger flaring in her chest. Hizashi put a warning hand on Aizawa’s shoulder but it was quickly shoved off. “Just because you had a crush on Oboro doesn’t mean you can take it easy on this kid-” Shouta was cut off with a vicious slap. Nemuri jabbed a finger into his chest. She glared into his eyes through the tears that were quick to overwhelm her.

“Don’t you dare.” She hissed. “Don’t you dare use his memory against me. Fuck you, Shouta.” She turned and stalked away leaving a shell shocked Aizawa and Hizashi in her wake.

Chapter Text

“Did I do something, Ochako? You’ve kinda been avoiding me the past few days.” Ochako felt like a mad scientist had dialed up her nervous systems to eleven. Ever since she had come to the realization that she liked Deku, like liked Deku, she hadn’t felt the same. Butterflies were constantly dancing in her stomach. Her skin itched with the urge to be near him and at the same time run away from him. Her heart went out of control when she saw him and she had been having such trouble concentrating in class that she had floated her desk to the ceiling three times this week! 

Ochako was mature, okay? She accepted the fact that she had a giant massive crush on her best friend. What she was struggling with was that everyone else and their grandmother seemed to have a crush on him too! More than once she had overheard Mina and Hagakure gossiping about Izuku or speculating on what his abs looked like (Ochako had seen them once, when they and their friends had gone to the pool to hang out and do endurance training, and she could confirm they were in fact spectacular). Even this morning when she got to school she had overheard that green-haired girl from Class B talking about how she was going to put the moves on Deku! Like she could just walk in and steal him from her! Ochako had had to take a few minutes in the restroom screaming into her backpack in order to vent her jealousy before class.

And that was the other thing, she was just so jealous . Midnight had apparently woken the sleeping lion, because Izuku took to flirting like a fish to water. Everywhere he went he made people blush. Even the old woman that owned the nearby convenience store giggled like a smitten school girl when they had gone in for some snacks. So Ochako did what she normally did when she had a problem she couldn’t solve by floating it into the ionosphere: she ran away and hid.

Which only resulted in Izuku tracking her down to the roof where she had taken her lunch to eat in peace. Stupid thoughtful hot best friends! You can’t even avoid them because they’ll get so worried that they’ll come and find you!

“Ah, no, sorry Deku-kun, I didn’t mean to avoid you!” Liar. “I’ve just been really busy studying for finals, that’s all!” Izuku’s face, which had been twisted up in worry, relaxed into relief. Ochako couldn’t stop a pang of guilt from eating away at her. Oh look, because you can’t control your stupid crush you’re making your best friend worried for no reason. Get a grip, Ochako!

“Oh, okay. Wow, you really had me worried for a while there. Do you mind if I join you up here? Actually, you probably came up here to get away from all the noise, huh? I’ll just go.” He turned to leave, but Ochako lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.

“Wait! Please.” She smiled, as bright and warm as she could, and was rewarded with Izuku’s own beatific grin. “I’d love it if you stayed, actually.”

“Yeah, okay!” Deku dropped next to her, pressing his back against the nearby vent. “I can see why you’d come up here. It’s definitely more peaceful than the cafeteria. Maybe we should eat lunch up here more often? It’s pretty nice to not have to put up a front just to eat my food.” Ochako let out a noise of confusion as both of them began to dig into their lunches.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Midnight’s been having me do a lot of practice on maintaining my persona during school and practicing taking command and control of a room, but it’s pretty tiring.” He bent one knee to tuck it against his chest before leaning his head on it. Ochako took the opportunity to study her friend. He did look tired. The usual bags under his eyes had darkened considerably over the past few days. His skin looked a little paler than usual, highlighting his sharp jawline and the flecks of freckles across his cheeks. Beautiful. Ochako cleared her throat to rid herself of the thought and buy time for her rising blush to settle.

“Maybe you should take a bit of a break? I’m sure Midnight would understand.”

“Nah, I’m alright. I still have so much to work on. I need to keep up with all of you guys. Plus, I get to take breaks when I’m with you.” He turned to face her and graced her with another smile. This one was tinged with weariness but was no less beautiful for it. “I can really be myself when I’m around you. I don’t need to put up a front or flirt or anything, I can just be boring old Deku, you know? It’s one of the reasons I love being around you.” Ochako felt her breath catch. L-love?!

The warning bell rang, indicating they only had five minutes remaining in lunch. “Ah, shoot, we probably should get to class.” He stood and grabbed his bag. Before he could walk away entirely, Ochako grabbed his hand.

“Deku.” His hand was warm and rough in hers. The callouses and battle scars were an intricate reminder of all his courage and strength, and she fought the urge to map out every inch of them with her fingers. “After finals, we should go to the new Kiyashi Ward mall. Together. You deserve more than just a few breaks from being a hero.” His face lit up. Ochako knew in that moment that she would do anything to keep him smiling like that.

“I’d love that.” He squeezed her hand. The second bell rang. “Oh crap, we’re going to be late. And you never got to study during lunch! Don’t worry we’ll set up a group study session for tonight or tomorrow. Now come on, we have to get to class!” Izuku turned and sprinted into the stairwell. Ochako didn’t bother fighting the goofy smile on her face because Deku hadn’t stopped holding her hand.

After finals, Izuku. I promise I’m going to tell you how I feel!

Fourteen Years Ago

U.A. High School

“You can’t be a hero.”   Nemuri ran blindly down the halls, hot tears flying behind her. She had no idea where she was or where she was going, she hadn’t learned the hallways well enough in the first six hours of classes that she could cry and navigate at the same time, all she knew was that she had to escape the haunting words of her homeroom teacher. They chased after her, biting at her heels, cutting deeper and deeper with every pass. “People like you are the exact reason why I voted against implementing rescue points. Your quirk is weak, your body is weaker and you’ll just be another death to add to the statistics.” Her foot crashed into something and she was sent sprawling against a hard uneven floor. Pain lanced through her ankle and the numerous scrapes she had no doubt just gained, but she pushed on anyway. “I am going to make it my personal mission this year to break you, Kayama. You’re going to wish you had failed that entrance exam.”

Nemuri slammed into a door that crashed into the wall with a resounding clamor. Cool spring air greeted her so she figured she was outside the front doors finally. She took two more wobbling steps before she collided with something soft and fluffy and… wet? She fell to her knees on the ground, tights ripping even more. Why couldn’t anything go right today?

“Woah woah there, kouhai. You don’t want to take too many more steps now. If you do, I'll have to jump after you and believe me you don’t want to hear me screaming like a little girl.” The voice was soft though still upbeat and energetic. Nemuri blinked away some of the tears to see a boy, older than her based on the height and the way he filled out his uniform. Wispy blue-white hair floated behind him and he had a breathing strip placed over the bridge of his nose. The thing that drew Nemuri in, however, were his eyes. The blue in them put even her best memories of cloud-watching on the roof of the salon to shame. There was an energy in them, like this boy was far too big and too bold for his body, like all the sky could fit inside of him and even if he learned to fly it would never be enough freedom for him. 

“What?” She hated the way her voice cracked and croaked through the sobs stuck in her throat. Grandmother always told her that she cried and laughed with her whole body and she hated that it was coming back to bite her now. 

“Ah, I guess I put the rain before the cloud, huh? I’m Shirakumo Oboro, second year hero course student. And you are?”

“K-Kayama Nemuri, f-first year.”

“Ah, you don’t happen to have Ishida-sensei for homeroom, do you Kayama-chan?”

“H-how, how did you know?”

“Cause he’s a bitter old man and there’s no good reason a cute girl like you should be crying on her first day at U.A.” He rubbed at the back of his head and laughed. Even his laugh sounded like it was too big for this world. “I had him last year and he hated me. I think he hated Sho even more though!”

Nemuri let out a wet laugh, the last of the tears running dry. Shirakumo’s smile softened and suddenly he looked far less like a boy more at home in the sky than on the ground and looked like a cute older boy that she had definitely just cried in front of.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! You must think I’m so pathetic.” She folded her arms over her head. “I’m so embarrassed!”

“Nah, you’re not pathetic. You seem pretty strong.” In response to the shocked look she gave him through her arms he winked. “I have ways of knowing these things, Kayama-chan.” He held out a hand to her, and with the sun haloing his head she thought he looked a lot like an angel.

“C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ve got some friends I think you should meet.”

New Group Created!

Suggestions of Physics has added 8 members!

Suggestions of Physics changed the name to StuDYING

StuDYING

Not All Might’s Son

Uh, Ochako? 

S uggestions of Physics

Oh, sorry guys. Momo overheard our plans to make a study group

And so Tsu and I invited her!

And that kinda spiraled into Kaminari and Mina and Jiro whoops!

*Rich People Noises*

I do hope it isn’t too much of an imposition

Also, may I inquire about the names?

Rain Enthusiast

It’s Ocha-chan’s fault

She regularly tends to change people’s names in her phone

So we’ve gotten into a habit of changing our names as well

Now it’s just a thing kero

*Rich People Noises*

I see

Traffic Suggestions

It is no imposition at all Yaoyorozu! The more the merrier!

I will let my parents know to expect a few more guests!

*Rich People Noises*

Oh! I was going to offer to host at my parent’s estate.

The great hall would be a perfect place to host such a study session.

Suggestions of Physics

Now you understand why your name is what it is lol

Half Trauma, Half Trauma

I have no objections to adding more members.

Rain Enthusiast

Same kero

Not All Might’s Son

Same!

Bug Zapper

Sweet!

Horn(s)y

Perf!

lol I love my name @SuggestionsofPhysics

Guitar Hero

Thank you all for letting us join in

Charge-dolt could use the help

Bug Zapper

Hey!

Guitar Hero

Am I wrong?

Bug Zapper

No :(

Traffic Suggestions

But of course!

It is imperative that we as future heroes aid each other in our efforts!

I can certainly offer my expertise in literature!

Suggestions of Physics

@Horn(s)y finally someone who appreciates humor xD

*Rich People Noises*

I would be happy to help with mathematics or science!

Suggestions of Physics

@Not All Might’s Son Deku aren’t you fluent in English?

Can you help there?

Not All Might’s Son

Ah I wouldn’t say I’m fluent exactly…

But I’d be happy to help if I can!

Guitar Hero

I know a decent amount of it from American music

So between you me and the class reps I think we should be good

Bug Zapper

Hell Yeah!

These finals won’t know what hit them!

(But for real thank you guys I didn’t even know finals were coming up!)

Horn(s)y

For real they really snuck up on us!!!

Rain Enthusiast

…

Half Trauma, Half Trauma

Why don’t you just pay attention in class @Bug Zapper @Horn(s)y

It’s not that hard…

Guitar Hero

Ouch Todoroki

Bug Zapper

Harsh bro

Horn(s)y

Way cold Todoroki!!!

Half Trauma, Half Trauma

I apologize if I was out of line

Suggestions of Physics

@Horn(s)y @Bug Zapper need some ice for those burns?

Half Trauma, Half Trauma

I would not recommend applying ice directly to burns

*Rich People Noises*

…

Todoroki are you okay?

Half Trauma, Half Trauma

I am simply great.

Why do you ask?

14 years ago

Outside of the U.A. Stadium

“Oboro!” Nemuri leapt into her friend’s arms, sending both of them staggering to the ground. Shouta and Hizashi looked on in resignation and amusement respectively, while Tensei was horrified in the background. “I did it! I fucking did it!” Oboro laughed from where he was pinned beneath her, wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug.

“I’m so proud of you Nem! You kicked serious ass out there!” Nemuri couldn’t help the warmth that sprung to life in her chest from the compliment. She desperately hoped that the blush on her cheeks looked like it was lingering exhaustion from the Sports Festival and not because she was currently lying on top of her adorable and overly-attractive senpai in public. 

“Second place is nothing to sneeze at.” Shouta spoke up. Even Aizawa-senpai was complimenting her? This day was amazing! “You did better than either of these idiots did last year.”

“Hey, man!” Hizashi squawked. “Who the hell knew that some kid from gen ed was going to wipe the floor with us?! You were like a rogue ninja out there!”

“And that is exactly why you’re going to lose this year as well, Zashi.”

“So mean!”

“Boys, boys, flirt on your own time. Right now we need to celebrate Nemuri’s victory! Who’s feeling tacos?” Oboro pumped his fist from the ground and Shouta rolled his eyes.

“So long as we’re not going to that place Hizashi dragged us to last time, I’m game.”

“It wasn’t that bad, Sho!”

“My bag smelled like catfish for a week, you two-bit cockatoo!” Nemuri narrowed her eyes as the two of them continued to bicker while walking to the entrance. Were those two ever going to stop beating around the bush? It was so obvious they liked each other!

“Uh, Nem? You kinda need to get off of me.” She yelped and rolled off of her friend. She tried to brush the dirt off of her gym uniform to distract from her scarlet face. Based on the chuckles she heard from Tensei, she was going to guess she wasn’t as successful as she would have liked.

“My bad, Oboro.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I don’t mind falling for you.” She giggled into her shoulder as they trailed after their friends. She caught Tensei flashing her a thumbs up from back at the entrance and she took the opportunity to flip him off as they left. She looked up at her friend and smiled to herself. I guess guardian angels really do exist.

“Does anyone else feel suddenly extremely out of place?” Izuku nodded absently at Uraraka’s question. His mom made enough to support the both of them, but they weren’t rich by any means. He still heavily relied on financial aid in order to attend U.A. Even being near the Yaoyorozu estate made Izuku feel extremely small. Uraraka looked like she was about to faint or possibly combust in anger.

“Yes, I do admit the estate is quite impressive. I would expect no less from the head of the Yaoyorozu Corporation.” Iida adjusted his glasses. “Daisuke Yaoyorozu is one of the richest men in the country.”  Izuku reached for the buzzer near the front gate and an older male voice answered.

“Yes, may I help you?”

“Ah, we’re friends of Yaomomo, er, Yaoyorozu-san? We were invited for a study session?” Izuku’s winced at the break in his voice. Why was this whole place making him feel more and more like a bug under a microscope?

“Ah, yes. I will alert the young mistress to your arrival. Stay there for one moment, please.” A few moments later the gate swung open. “If you would, follow the drive up to the main house. Please do not wander the grounds without accompaniment. Our security can be a touch ruthless when dealing with suspected trespassers.” Izuku gulped and turned to his friends. Iida and Tsu both seemed nonplussed, Todoroki simply looked bored, and he could practically see Uraraka’s mental calculations of how much all of this cost. Based on the yen signs rolling in her eyes, he was going to guess a lot.

The paved driveway leading deeper into the estate was lined with cherry blossom trees, though they were too late in the year for them to be in bloom. The surrounding grasses were well maintained, dotted with trees and other foliage as well as the occasional small pond or fountain. The house itself loomed over them with all the regal grace and size befitting an heiress like Yaoyorozu. Five stories tall, it looked like a mix between traditional and modern designs. Wood paneling and the sloped roof transitioned into large bay windows on the upper floors and a huge entryway at the base. Wide double doors clad in black metal and gold accents opened to reveal Yaomomo, wearing loose sweatpants and a tank top with her hair down, waiting for them.

“Hi! Oh, I’m just so excited for you all to join us! A few of the others got here early to get a head start but we can really begin in earnest now that you’re here. If you have any requests for any specific tea varieties please let me or any of the staff know.” Yaoyorozu led the way toward the hallway, the rest of them following like ducklings in varying degrees of shock. Eventually, they were let into the great hall, where several of their friends were waiting for them.

“Now, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?”

Hours later, very few members of their study group were still going strong. At one end of the table, Kaminari had fallen asleep on his textbook, his drool covering the chemical formulas within. Jiro and Ashido, both of whom had also lost steam some time ago, were competing to see which of them could place the most ridiculous thing on his head without waking the sleeping blond. Jiro had worked up to a sixth notebook and Ashido was searching for a way to add the candlestick she clutched in her hands. 

Tsu had left to take care of her siblings, and Uraraka was laid out on the floor, cuddling her backpack. Every so often she would shift or roll over and mutter something about ponies or rich people and once had even mumbled something that sounded like ‘stupid teasing Deku’ that made Izuku burn a bright red. Thankfully, Momo had been able to school her expression quickly enough that they could pretend it had never happened.

Todoroki and Iida had both professed the need to stretch their legs so they had gone for a tour of the grounds guided by an older but spry member of the staff. All in all, everyone except Midoriya and Momo herself had succumbed to their boredom. She gently closed the cover of her literature notes, and turned to Midoriya.

“I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever had quite as successful of a group study session before. Thank you again for allowing me to partake, Midoriya-kun.” He waved off her thanks.

“Thank you for putting this together and hosting us, Yaomomo. And you can just call me Izuku, if you’d like.” The raven-haired heiress smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She desperately hoped that he couldn’t see the blush that stained her cheeks.

“Izuku then. I would also like to thank you, Izuku, for everything you did in the Mineta situation. I confess that I was not expecting things to go that wrong.”

“Ah, I’m sure you would have figured something out.” She shook her head.

“I don’t know that I would have. I must admit, I am… envious of your recent changes, Izuku. You’ve become so much more confident than you were at the beginning of the year and I…” she looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists. “I think I have lost that confidence in myself.” Her voice had dropped to a whisper and she did her best to hold back the sudden tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. “I should be doing more. I’m a recommendation student, and yet I couldn’t place in the sports festival and I didn’t have a successful internship and…” Momo felt a few rogue hot tears roll down her face. “How- how do I get that back? How do I be more like you?”

A warm hand came down gently on her shoulder. She all but fell into Izuku as the dam burst and her cries came forth in full. She wrapped her arms around his stomach and cried into his shirt as his own arms embraced her. After her sobs had reduced to sniffles, she heard him speak up.

“I think you’re amazing, Momo. I don’t think you have to prove anything to anyone. You’re number one in our class, you’re constantly fighting for the top spot in practicals. Honestly, I admire you a lot. It’s still really weird to be confident. Midnight told me to fake it until I make it, and it feels like I’m lying a lot of the time.” He knelt down to be level with her, and gave her a smile. His eyes were shining with his own tears. Momo felt her breath catch and the sparkling green gaze. “But I am getting better at it. I think, if I’ve realized one thing, Yaomomo, it’s that we need to be bold. We can’t let others define who we are. The only person you need to prove anything to is yourself.” He held up a packet of tissues and a face wipe that had been in his backpack. Momo felt a laugh burble out of her.

“Thank you, Izuku. You’re so well prepared.” He gave her a shrug.

“I cry often, so it pays to be prepared.” After she had dried her face, Izuku held out a hand to help her stand. Back lit by the chandelier’s light, in her formal great hall, he looked every bit the gallant and dashing prince that she had always read about. Momo felt her heart rate spike as she delicately placed her hand in his strong scarred palm.

Izuku Midoriya. What a wonderful surprise you are.

Blood dripped from his knuckles. The steady rhythm provided a bass beat to the sand pouring out of the broken punching bag. He needed to be better. Stronger. Strong enough to put that damn nerd in his fucking place. 

Katsuki wasn’t stupid enough to believe that they were just going to be fighting some robots again. The extras and idiots could jerk themselves off as much as they wanted thinking they would easily ace this final. Katsuki knew there was about to be a huge twist, and he couldn’t wait to watch them all fail. Hobo-sensei couldn’t go a whole class without lying right to their faces. Why the hell would he stop now? Well he wouldn’t be falling for any of that shit again.

Katsuki was going to show them. He was going to show those damn extras and all the fucking teachers that he was the best. He was first in the entrance exam, first in the sports festival, and he’d reaffirm his place above them all in the final exams.

Especially Deku.

That fucking quirkless bastard had All Might in his corner? Fine. Katsuki didn’t need anyone to help him reach the top. He would make it there on his own and put Deku and All Might in their damn places at his feet. Let Deku look down on him. He’d show him. 

He’d show them all.

14 Years Ago

Musutafu

Nemuri didn’t really know why they always ended up on rooftops. Maybe it was their quirks. Somnambulist was most dangerous indoors where there wasn’t a steady breeze to displace the gas and Cloud was at its best in wide open spaces as well. Maybe they were both the kind of people who were always looking to the horizon, ready to take on the world. Or maybe, like their hero names suggested, they were just two souls drawn to the sky.

“You excited for summer vacation?” She rolled onto her side to look at Oboro. He was watching her intently, waiting for a response. His eyes were as amazingly captivatingly blue as the first time she saw them.

“I guess. I’ll probably just be working for most of it though. I am looking forward to the training camp at least, assuming Ishida-sensei doesn’t just fail me out of spite during finals.”

“Nah, I think you’ll do great, Nemuri.” She felt her cheeks heat up unbidden. Damn it, keep yourself together.

“W-what about you? You guys are looking for work studies right now, right? Have you found one yet?”

“Nope. Our teacher’s kinda starting to get on our asses about it too.”

“If you want I can reach out to the hero I did my internship with, His Purple Highness. Maybe he can help?”

“Hey, that’s a great idea! Then when you’re doing your internship over next semester we can work together!”

“Yeah!” Nemuri returned her attention to the twilit sky. A pinky wrapped around hers, the comforting warm presence of her favorite person. “That sounds amazing.”

…

“OBORO!!”

Nemuri sighed as she poured another glass of wine for herself. She had the night off for once, no shelters to visit, no criminals to pursue, even the club had shut down to do some repairs to the floor, so she was doing her best to enjoy herself. Her favorite heated blanket soothed her aching back, a mindless rom-com served as a pleasant distraction and once her takeout got here she would have everything needed for a perfect night in. The constant buzzing from her phone, however, was not helping her to relax.

Hit The Nitro

Just open the door and talk to him, Nemuri

FFS you are almost 30

Woman up and act like an adult

Nemuri let out another sigh before responding.

Exit Light

You know as my best friend I thought you’d be on my side about this

And it’s rude to bring up a woman’s age

She got up and made her way to the door of her apartment, studiously ignoring the buzz of Tensei’s response. She undid the locks and opened the door wide to reveal Eraserhead sitting on the floor. His back was to the wall next across the hall and his eyes snapped open at the noise.

“You know, I don’t think married men are supposed to lurk outside of women’s apartments.” He stood, and Nemuri took in his disheveled, even by his standards, appearance. She felt a flash of guilt. Smothering it, she turned to walk back inside. She waved her hand dismissively toward the door. “Come on in, if you’re coming. I hope you brought some booze though, the Kayama residence is strictly BYOB tonight.”

As Shouta made his way inside, Sushi darted out from under the couch cushions and began mewling at his legs. He leaned down to pick her up and cradled her against his chest. Her purrs at the return of her favorite human made Nemuri roll her eyes. Damn traitorous cat.

“Well, you’ve successfully charmed my cat once again, Sho, so if that’s all you were here for feel free to get your parking validated on the way out.”

“I came to apologize.” Nemuri raised an eyebrow at that.

“You? The great Mr. “apologies are irrational and so are feelings” is apologizing? Well, this I have to hear.” She sat on her couch before waving her hand at him. “Please, by all means, continue.”

“I’m sorry, Nemuri. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” It was a rare sight to see Shouta Aizawa looking so remorseful. He was always the most withdrawn out of the three ‘dumbigos’ (it was a stupid name and she stood by that) and Oboro’s death only exacerbated the problem. Some days she was convinced a part of him had been lost in that building right along with Oboro. “It was callous and cruel and uncalled for. I shouldn’t have used Oboro against you like that.”

“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have.” Nemuri could feel the glass creak from her grip. “What gives you the right, Shouta? Why are you the only one allowed to be angry over his death? I might not have known him as long but I loved him just as much as you did.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” 

Nemuri let out another sigh as the anger drained from her body. She wasn’t naturally an angry person, and it hurt even more to be angry at one of her best friends. Oboro would hate it if they were fighting, especially over him. She could imagine his pout even now, him flapping his arms and yelling at them “Friends don’t fight guys! Save it for the sports festival so we can sell tickets!”

(Sometimes it felt like there was a hole in her heart where he should have been. Would the sting of losing him ever go away? Did Shouta feel the same way?) 

“Alright, alright, save the puppy-dog eyes for Hizashi. I’ll forgive you, but let me make one thing clear. If you try to use his memory against me again, I will beat you so badly that even guys that look like you are going to bleed. Got it?”

“I understand.”

“And I still want to understand your reasoning here, Shouta. Why are you so dismissive about Midoriya?” Aizawa sat down, still cradling the now sleeping form of Sushi in his arms.

“I’m hard on him because I have to be. Because he’s not like Oboro.” Before she could protest, Shouta held up a hand. “Would you hear me out, please?” Nemuri settled back into the couch with a glare.

“Oboro was a lot like most hero students. He wanted to be a hero so that he could help people and so he could keep his family safe but Midoriya isn’t like that, Nemuri. He needs to be a hero. I don’t know what it is that’s driving him, but it’s like he has to be a hero. Like he would die otherwise.” He leaned back against the cushions of the couch and began to stroke Sushi’s fur, much to the cat’s delight.

“You saw the footage of the USJ, Nem. Asui almost died and Midoriya leapt in to help with no hesitation, no thought, no plan. He just acted. You can call it instincts or whatever you want but I have never seen a student react that quickly. You were there at the sports festival, even closer than I was. He didn’t just break his fingers, he shattered them. He wanted to force Todoroki to use his fire, and in a misguided attempt to save his classmate he destroyed himself. The look in his eyes… it’s like if he stops moving, if he stops growing for even a second, the whole world will come crashing down.” Shouta sighed and shuffled the white lump in his arms in order to rub at the scar beneath his eye.

“All Might thinks he can be the next symbol of peace.” Nemuri shot him a surprised look and he rolled his eyes. “Please, you’re not the only one who's cornered Yagi in the staff room to threaten him over inappropriate interest in one of my students. All Might seems convinced that Midoriya is the next pillar or symbol or whatever title you want to apply to it.”

“And what do you think?” Shouta leaned forward at the question. His body seemed relaxed, but Nemuri could spot the tension hiding in his shoulders.

“I don’t think he’s wrong.” Nemuri nearly dropped her glass in shock. “I didn’t think much of Midoriya at the beginning of the year, but I can see the spark in him now. I’ve seen exactly how much steel is hidden in his spine. And that look in his eye? That unending need to be a hero? That’s the same thing I see in Best Jeanist, in Mirko, in All Might. He’s got the heart and if he manages to control his quirk one day he’ll have the power. What he needs now is experience. He won’t get that from us coddling him.”

“Isn’t there another way to do that though? Instead of just throwing him into potentially dangerous and emotionally compromising situations? He’s just fifteen.”

“There’s not another way if he really wants to be the best. If he can’t handle himself here, he can forget about getting a license, let alone trying to succeed All Might as the number one hero. He needs to be bold. Us hiding him from his problems isn’t the right answer.” Nemuri let out a long sigh. She drained the rest of her wine and placed the glass on the coffee table before speaking again.

“I don’t like this.” This time she held up a hand to stop Aizawa from speaking. “I don’t like this and I am warning you now that I think this is going to blow up in our faces. But I will agree to it for now, on one condition. We will be observing the final, live, together. Their match is last anyway, but I want you and me at minimum to be ready to step in if shit goes sideways.”

“Agreed.” Nemuri rolled her eyes.

“Fine then, I guess we’ll all go to hell together.”

“If you’re right about Bakugou, I’ll apologize to Midoriya myself. But I think he’d agree with me, Nem. You remember how harshly I fought Hizashi over letting me handle my parents. Midoriya is a lot like I was, back then. He’s not jaded, but he’s just as fiercely independent. Just as quick to try and solve every problem himself without relying on others. The fact that he came to you for extra lessons is a miracle.” He stood, laying Sushi back down on the floor who promptly mewled and began winding between his ankles in an effort to get him to stay. “I know you want to protect him, but there’s only so much you can protect him from if he wants to be the best. Let him do this, Nemuri. He might just surprise you.”

The girl smiled. She ran her tongue over her fangs, relishing the minute drops of blood left behind and wishing that it was his. The handyman was busy going over the plan with others, including the hulk wannabe, the lizard, and … was that a magician? 

She watched with bated breath as the boy in the video shattered another finger. It hung limp and purple from his hand, mirroring the others. Just enough of the skin had broken that drops of blood fell onto the arena floor like a trail of breadcrumbs for her to follow. He was so cute and just her type. He looked like he kept in shape, so he’d have a strong heartbeat. Probably good cholesterol content. He looked a little pale so he might be a little low in iron. Still enough for a delicious meal. 

She swapped tabs from the sports festival to the most recent video Shiggy had given them, a POV video sent from his super secret “agent” on the inside. At this point Big Sis had gotten between Shiggy and the burned guy and was trying to calm them down. Jin was saying something to the lizard who was laughing, and the guy in the corner was just muttering to himself. Was he saying flesh? Eh, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was the view of her wonderful new crush, a different haircut and fresh costume leaning over to whisper in a pink-skinned girl’s ear. The girl in the video turned a darker shade of pink and giggled.

She wished, for a moment, that she could be like that girl. A nice normal girl with a nice normal life. She could date cute boys and hang out with friends in places that weren’t run down bars that smelled too much like whiskey and unwashed men who unironically called themselves gamers. She could be free.

Normal girls don’t drink blood, Himiko. Normal girls don’t need quirk suppressants. Normal girls can behave and control themselves. Normal girls aren’t monsters.

She winced at the voices, but her pain was soothed as on the video her green haired love adjusted his rebreather flashing her a glimpse of his smooth unblemished neck. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She squealed softly to herself, but it was still loud enough to get Jin’s attention.

“What’s up, Toga? See something you like? Quit staring, perv! ”

The monster smiled. “I think I’m in love!”

Chapter Text

“T-the- the teachers ?!” Ashido screamed. “But why?!”

“Simply put, we believe that due to the circumstances of your first semester this year’s crop of students require a more challenging approach. Why Plus Ultra is our motto, Ashido-san!” Nezu’s eyes held an intense amount of amusement. Aizawa spoke up at this point.

“Each of you have been sorted into pairs and will face a teacher whose job it is to push you to your limits and see if you break. Do not think of us as your instructors or your teachers. For this exercise, we are villains .” His face broke into a cruel smirk that sent rivers of dread running down the spines of 1-A. “On that note, because of our recent expulsion of Mineta,” he paused to let the scattered cheers quiet down. “We have an opening for seat nineteen. As such offers for attempts to transfer were sent to the highest placing non-heroics students. Come on out and introduce yourself, kid.” From behind the raised platform where the teachers were waiting, Shinsou Hitoshi stepped out. His purple hair floated above a shorter version of Aizawa’s capture weapon that draped over his shoulders. Around his neck was a strange black mask that could fit over his jaw. He wore his gym uniform as a base, though it did look to Izuku like his shoes had been upgraded. He glowered at the assembled class, and many of them had a similar thought: He looks like a Mini-Aizawa!

“I’m not here to make friends.”

“I have agreed to let Shinsou join in your exams on a trial basis. The team he will be on will require both Shinsou and his partner to cross the exit or capture their opponent. If he passes, he will also be allowed to attend your training camp where we will be able to evaluate him further.”

There was some muttering from the assembled class over that. Ojiro in particular looked both uncomfortable and a touch angry. More surprisingly, however, was the glare that Ashido leveled toward the new student. Her arms were crossed over her chest and all traces of nervousness over the finals had been wiped away from her face. Izuku couldn’t remember another time she had ever looked so serious.

“Now,” Nezu said, clapping his hands. “Let’s announce the partners and their villains! First we will have Shinsou Hitoshi and Todoroki Shoto!”

“Your opponent will be me,” Aizawa declared, his wicked grin returning in full. Shinsou paled and looked back to his mentor full of fear while Todoroki seemed unbothered.

“Next, Uraraka and Aoyama against Thirteen!” The announcements continued. Tenya and Ojiro would face Power Loader, Sato and Kirishima against Cementoss, Tsu and Tokoyami versus Ectoplasm. As each pairing was announced, Izuku felt a weight settle in his stomach. No, not him. Please, why him?? Hagakure and Shoji against Snipe. Ashido and Kaminari versus Nezu. Koda and Jiro against Present Mic. One by one his classmates had their assignments announced. 

“I’ll be taking on Yaoyorozu and Sero,” Midnight said with a wink. “I hope you’ve brought your A-game because I’ve got an itch I’ve been just dying to scratch .” She cracked her whip, and a gout of blood poured from Sero’s nose. Izuku watched his teacher’s sadistic smirk melt into a sympathetic glance his way. Oh fuck me.

“Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki will be facing-” a rush of wind cut Aizawa off as the Symbol of Peace landed in front of the platform. 

“I Am Here, to teach you boys a lesson!” All Might’s silver age costume gleamed in the sun. His cape, in a mirror to Izuku’s own, whipped in the wind. His eyes radiated intensity, but Izuku still felt the urge to geek out over his favorite hero. No matter how many times I see it I’m still blown away! Izuku glanced at his partner for the exam, who glared with killing intent toward the number one hero. Still, did it have to be him?!

Izuku did his best to stretch and ignore the growing seed of worry that had taken root inside of him. It would be fine! It wasn’t like Kacchan could attack him during the exam! If there was one thing Izuku could rely on about his friend-turned bully-turned rival-turned-still-kind-of-an-ass was that he wanted to win. He needed to win in order to prove himself the best and so Izuku was confident that he would find a way to work with him. Though , he admitted to himself, I don’t really see a way we can pass without running away. I may be confident but I’m not suicidal. There’s no way eight percent of One for All will be enough to go toe-to-toe with All Might. He briefly considered trying to strategize with Kacchan but he abandoned the thought quickly. What’s the point? He’s more likely to scream and rant at me than to listen. We’ll just have to figure it out on the fly, I guess. Izuku finished up his warmups and made his way to the viewing area. His match was last so he would do some more work later but he didn’t want to warm up fully  just to get cold again. Besides , he thought, maybe watching the others will give me some ideas.

“Deku-kun! Hey, over here!” Ochako jumped and waved to get his attention, and Izuku did his best to ignore the more bouncy parts of his best friend. Pure thoughts, Izuku. Pure thoughts. Recovery Girl, Dagobah beach, the taste of All Might’s hair. By the time he made it next to Ochako in front of the screens he felt mildly more in control of his hormones.

“Hey, Ochako. Are Shinsou and Shoto up?”

“Yeah, they’re almost done actually.” Izuku looked up at the screen in time to see a massive ice wall dominate the skyline of their battle center. “It looked like they were arguing for most of it, but then all of a sudden they started working together in perfect sync. Honestly, it’s kinda weird.” The camera changed to show Aizawa pressing the advantage against Shoto. His strikes were precise and powerful, quickly overwhelming the Shoto’s defenses and forcing him back. Shinsou was tied to a light pole nearby and looked like he was fiddling with the mask on his jaw. Aizawa grabbed Todoroki’s ankle, knocking him to the ground. As he went in for a finishing strike, the teacher reeled back as if he were shot. Izuku saw his mouth move slightly before his whole body went slack. Shoto managed to get up and limp over to the unmoving Eraserhead and slap the cuffs on his arms. 

“Team Todoroki and Shinsou pass!” The robotic announcer proclaimed. 

“Oh wow! That was awesome!” Ochako pumped her fist in the air. “I wonder what Shinsou said to get a response out of Aizawa-sensei?” Izuku shrugged.

“I’m more curious about why they stopped fighting.” The next group, Kirishima and Sato, began their exam and were looking ragged by the time Shinsou and Shoto made their way to the viewing center.

“Hey guys!” “You did great!”

“Thank you,” Shoto said. His nose was slightly puffy, probably broken by Aizawa and then healed by Recovery Girl. “It was difficult but we managed.”

“So, Shinsou, what happened to not having friends, huh?”

“We’re not friends.” Shinsou looked better off overall than his counterpart though the exhaustion was evident. Stamina was something he would definitely have to build up in the future. “Ice Princess over here was a means to an end. We just managed to come to a temporary agreement, nothing more. I’m still going to beat you.”

“So you want to be rivals then?” Ochako asked. “Deku-kun don’t you have enough rivals already?”

“It’s really just the one,” Izuku pointed out. “Kacchan and I used to be friends and now we’re… well, it’s complicated.”

“I too consider myself a rival to you.” Shoto said. “We may be friends, but I still am going to compete with you.”

“Yeah!” Uraraka threw an arm around Shinsou’s shoulders, having to jump to do so, and brought him down level with her. “You can be friends and rivals, right? We all push each other to get better!”

“Get off of me.” Shinsou struggled out from underneath Uraraka’s arm and began to stalk away. “I don’t need friends, and I certainly don’t need you.” As the taller boy left the room, Izuku couldn’t help but feel that he looked incredibly sad.

“Oh, you’re so going to break through to him. I give him six weeks before Izuku has him begging to be our friend.”

Izuku sputtered while Todoroki nodded in agreement. “What? Guys I’m not that bad. A-anyway, what did Shinsou say to Aizawa to get him to respond to you guys?”

“Oh, he used my voice and moaned ‘harder, daddy’.”

Ochako broke out laughing. “That’s genius! The look on his face from here was priceless!”

“And why did you guys stop fighting?” 

“We came to a mutual understanding on the many failings of my father. I also pointed out that if he didn’t work with me there was no possible way for him to pass even if he managed to defeat Aizawa on his own.”

“You know,” Ochako said, “You’re much more devious than people give you credit for Shoto-kun.”

“Thank you.”

Katsuki paced back and forth in front of the bus that would take him to his arena. He didn’t give a shit about whether the extras passed or not so there was no point in watching their exams. The only thing that mattered was the beatdown that he was about to unleash on All Might. He’d been jogging and walking for twenty minutes already and both of his gauntlets were near full. They’d be the key. Katsuki had a rough idea of a plan. It mostly consisted of getting in close enough that he couldn’t use those giant fucking air pressure attacks and letting all hell loose on his head. It would be enough. No complicated plan would ever keep up with All Might’s overwhelming power and running was for cowards.

Katsuki Bakugou was no fucking coward.

He didn’t doubt for a second that that damn nerd was going to wet himself and try to get him to run in fear. It was the way of the weak after all. If Deku was so arrogant to think that Katsuki needed his help, well he would show that nerd his fucking place. Katsuki felt his heart rate rise and his blood start to sing. There would be no quarter. No surrender. No running away to get help or reinforcements or however those fucking losers wanted to dress up their cowardice. Katsuki would accept nothing less than a complete and total victory.

Or he would die trying.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as the AI announcer relayed Momo and Sero’s passing. Sero had been knocked out almost immediately, despite being offered a gas mask by Momo, forcing the creation hero-in-training to face Midnight on her own. Izuku was intimately familiar with how good his mentor was as a combatant, and his heart went out to Momo. Despite his advantage in strength and speed, whenever they had a sparring session he found himself tied up and at Midnight’s mercy. Momo had ended up creating various small explosives to detonate on a timer, distracting Midnight enough for her to create a rifle that shot plaster bullets that hardened on impact. Between her advantage in range and the limited efficacy of Midnight’s quirk, Momo had managed to maneuver herself close enough to dash through the exit just before time expired. 

With Momo’s pass (Izuku had a sneaking suspicion that Aizawa would not look kindly on Sero napping for his whole exam whether it was because of jealousy or otherwise), only two groups had failed. Sato and Kirishima had gotten walled, literally, by Cementoss and Ashido and Kaminari had never had a real shot at beating the principal. 

As much as he felt for his friends, Izuku could feel the anxiety building in himself. His gut swirled at the odds stacked in front of him. Not only would he have to find a way to work with Kacchan, but they’d also have to come up with a strategy to either escape or overpower All Might. The man who had held down the number one spot in heroics for forty years and his personal icon and mentor who had taught him from the very beginning of his journey. The man whose quirk Izuku could only use eight percent of. No pressure, right?

The butterflies in his stomach felt more like snakes, writhing around within him and coiling themselves into knots. The shuttle ride to their testing area had been full of tense silence. Anger and determination seemed to roll off of Kacchan in waves, and while Izuku used to admire his friend for his confidence, he now had a sinking feeling that the anger was mostly directed toward him. Their arena was a massive cityscape roughly a mile in diameter. The cheerful robotic voice emanated from the starting post.

“Midoriya and Bakugou exam start! Ready? Go!”

Kacchan immediately strode forward. Not once in the past ten minutes had he looked at Izuku and it appeared he was keeping to the habit. Izuku fought the urge to roll his eyes. He had to think. Clearly their partnership wasn’t based on ability, both he and Kacchan were toward the top of their practicals and were battling for second with Iida for the class rankings. No, the teachers definitely set this up in order to force them to work together. 

And as fucking usual, it’s up to me to try and reign in Bakugou’s bullshit.

“Kacchan, we need a plan.” Bakugou kept walking forward. “We can’t just charge in head first against All Might. He’ll destroy us. We should use guerilla tactics and head to the exit. Only engage him when necessary to buy time for the other one to get away.” Step, step, step. “Kacchan, are you even listening to me?” Step, step, step. “Hey!” Izuku grabbed the other boy’s arm, and was blindsided by a sharp pain across his cheek. When he regained his senses, he found himself on the street holding his cheek while Bakugou loomed over him.

“I’m going to say this once, you useless fuckstick. Stay out of my way. I don’t give a flying fuck about whatever bullshit you’re spewing, you quirkless asswipe. Get in my way again and I will kill you , got it, Deku? ” Bakugou turned and walked down the street toward the center of the city, leaving Izuku spitting blood onto the pavement. 

Izuku felt a white hot bolt of anger flood his body. Fine, you want to die, you egotistical dickbag? Be my fucking guest. Izuku pushed off the ground and called on full cowling. His quirk seemed to spark and react to his emotions because the lightning surrounding him was more chaotic than ever. I don’t know why I expected anything else. It’s always been this way. Izuku leapt to the rooftops to get a better line of sight. The exit was on the north side of the city opposite of their starting gate, but Izuku could take a slightly more circuitous route to get there and avoid the center square where explosions were now beginning to light up. He charged up One for All and began to pick his way across the rooftops. He skidded to a stop, however, when the voice of his mentor entered his brain. 

Heroes are the ones to run towards danger, my boy. They act when no one else will. Meddling in affairs you’re not wanted in is the hallmark of a hero!

Izuku sighed. How disappointed would All Might be if he ran away from the fight and his assigned partner? Would it matter if he made it out and passed the exam if the way he passed was by sacrificing someone else? Even if that person actively hated him and didn’t want him around?

He pushed down his mounting frustration and made his way toward the center of the fake city. If worse came to worst, he could always grab Kacchan and run. Or just go to the exit anyway if it looked like he was holding his own.

I don’t know why, Izuku thought to himself as he bounded off roofs and windows. But I blame Midnight for this.

“I want him gone, Shouta! I swear to God you had better let me go out there right fucking now!” Nemuri strained against Aizawa’s capture weapon. “He hit another student during the exam! How is that not immediate disqualification and failing?!”

“It is not technically against the rules, Kayama. Midoriya was protected when he did something similar to Mineta, though I will be very interested to hear what Bakugou’s reasons are when this is all over.” Nezu’s sharp smirk did not assuage Nemuri’s ire at all. 

“I told you this would happen!”

“And it looks like Midoriya is fine,” Hizashi tried to console. “Look, the little listener is making his way to the big fight right now.” Nemuri scoffed.

“The boy who shattered all his fingers in the sports festival running straight toward danger? Color me fucking shocked, Zashi! This kid doesn’t have a shred of worry about his own health. That’s why we, as his teachers, should be stopping this exam!” Shouta looked to the principal.

“She’s got a point, Nezu. Should we step in?”

“No need. It seems Yagi is handling it for now.” Nemuri rolled her eyes.

“Like he’s any better! Midoriya probably learned all that self-sacrificing bullshit straight from him!”

“Regardless, he is the one who is actually on the ground, Kayama. We will let All Might handle it for now, and if we need to step in we will.”

Nemuri’s glare could melt steel but Nezu seemed unaffected. Damn, Rat! She thought. At least when I torture people it’s consensual. She looked up to the video screen where Bakugou was being thoroughly handed the business by All Might. Please, Izuku, please come out of this in one piece.

Izuku’s eye twitched as he watched Bakugou get tossed around like a ragdoll. This was his big plan? This was what Kacchan was so adamant about him not getting in the way of? The blonde let loose another round of explosions aimed at All Might’s head. The hero blocked the blasts with his left, and sent a return uppercut directly into Bakugou’s unprotected stomach. Bile and spittle trailed behind him as Katsuki was sent flying down the street. He skipped once, like a stone on water, before crashing into a parked car. Still, Bakugou managed to stand on wobbly legs before launching into the air. I’ll give him this, Kacchan has always been relentless. But has he always been this stupid?

Each explosion he let off was tanked by the giant of a man or was evaded entirely, a yellow and red blur that kept leading Bakugou in circles. The way his mentor moved was almost artful. It was hard to imagine that a man that big or that strong could move quite that fast, but this was All Might he was fighting. Izuku could comfortably outpace most of his classmates at ten percent. All Might was moving at ten times that speed. Bakugou would let out a blast and All Might would appear behind him to deliver a strike at his unprotected side. Bakugou defended and the teacher powered through his guard. At every turn, Katsuki was outmatched. This was the true power of the Symbol of Peace. The man who had held the number one spot uncontested for almost half a century.

It was more than a little terrifying. Bakugou managed to get a little distance by sending himself rocketing up into the air, rotating as he did. Izuku caught on seconds before All Might, who ripped up a chunk of asphalt as a makeshift shield.

“HOWITZER IMPACT!” The spiraling blast of concussive force and flame broiled the intersection. As the flames subsided, All Might spun and heaved the chunk of road at Bakugou. The student dropped to the road rolling to dissipate his moment. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye. His breathing was shallow, his legs still shaking. It was clear to Izuku from his perch above them that the other boy was running on empty. Still, Bakugou held his hands out behind him and fired off two smaller blasts to close the distance once more.

“Is that all you got, old man?!”

“Young Bakugou, be reasonable now.” All Might backhanded away an explosive-powered elbow and jumped out of the way of the follow up blast from his other hand. Fire blackened the concrete as rubble was sent spraying into the air. “You are in no condition to fight anymore. It would be best for you to concede.” Bakugou let out a feral scream, and seemed to push himself into even more of a frenzy. 

“You want reasonable, you fucking Superman knock-off?! Well, I’ve got reasonable right here!”

“Knock-off?! I’m the genuine article, young man!” All Might let out an offended squawk before catching Bakugou by the right elbow, just below his bracer. “Now it’s time for you to sit this one out, Bakugou.” His other hand came up to grip Bakugou’s left shoulder. Katsuki’s feral smile only widened from where he now dangled in All Might’s grip.

“How about you fuck off and die, scumbag.” Katsuki twisted in the hero’s massive grasp until the barrel of his gauntlet faced the stunned face of All Might. He grabbed the pin with his teeth and pulled, screaming “Hasta la vista, MOTHERFUCKER!”

KABOOM!!

The resulting explosion sent both combatants flying, and Izuku had to cover his eyes from the heat even from up here. Some of his sweat must have gotten on All Might during the fight, Izuku realized. He might only be able to ignite it from his palms, but all of it works as fuel. He stared at the wreckage where Bakugou was beginning to stir. Still though…

“Hah. Hahaha. HahaHAHAH!” Katsuki’s laughter sounded especially deranged with the backdrop of the now ruined city square around him. “Take- take that you… fucking bastard.” Katsuki grabbed his right shoulder, which had been severely dislocated from the force of the explosion, and wrenched it back into place with a scream.

“A nice try, young Bakugou. But it’s a bit too early to begin celebrating yet.” Horror dawned on Katsuki’s face.

“No… no, that should have killed you! Why won’t you just lay down and die already?!”

All Might’s caped form emerged from the storefront that he had been flung through. His blue eyes glowed with power, twin stars in the smoke billowing out from the building. All Might had always been more than a normal man, but this was a divine arbiter given mortal form. Izuku knew exactly how much force those gauntlets packed. For him to have just shrugged it off like that… was this how villains saw All Might? 

“Because Justice will never just lay down and die. It will always fight back!”

Izuku only saw a blur where his mentor once stood. He heard the pop of the sound barrier breaking and felt the wind stirred up by All Might’s movement. One moment he stood there, grinning that terrible grin at Bakugou, and the next the boy was sent careening down the street, slamming through a house and continuing out the other side.

Izuku was in awe. Is this… the full power of One for All?

“Well, young Midoriya, don’t you think you should go and join your friend?” Izuku made to look over his shoulder at the voice, but was sent flying from a Texas Smash. The world was made of pain and alternating dark and light spots, but Izuku was fairly certain he had only crashed through three skyscrapers by the time he stopped moving. One for All helped increase his durability somewhat, but it had apparently spent all of it on keeping him from outright dying because his whole body hurt . 

Still, he pushed himself to his feet as his mentor landed on the pavement in front of him, shattering the street into chunks. 

“Tired of running away, my boy? I can’t say I blame you of course. When it comes to power,” his eyes darkened and his famous smile turned sinister. “You’re just out of my league.” 

Izuku felt the anger and frustration he had been ignoring come rushing to the surface. Of course he knew that he was outclassed. This was fucking All Might . There was no way he could beat his mentor. The whole test had been doomed to fail from the beginning. He was also effectively trapped. With Bakugou more or less down for the count, Izuku couldn’t just run for the exit anymore. He was pinned into a fight he had no hope of winning with no escape route and no backup. His skin itched with rage. Even now that I have a quirk, I have to be the different one, huh? Everyone else got a partner they could work with or a teacher they could beat. I got stuck in a battle I can’t win with a barking dog that won’t cooperate. This is such bullshit! One for All spiked around Izuku, the quirk picking up on his anger. Well, I won’t just roll over and take it. You’re going to have to tear this win from my cold dead hands!

The ground beneath his boots shattered under the force of his jump. One for All sang in his blood with the call to battle. He dodged to the outside of All Might’s opening punch and landed a roundhouse kick to his stomach. He jumped backwards, out of the range of his mentor’s grasping hands, and surged forward again, scoring three quick strikes to his head before darting out again. 

I have to keep moving. If I let him grapple me, there’s no way I’ll be able to get out. Prioritize evasion. Focus on quick hard hitting strikes. His quirk pulsed inside of him. His skin felt tight and hot, almost grating against the muscle as he moved. The pressure was incredible. It felt like his bones could collapse under the strain. This is definitely over ten percent, Izuku thought. This feels like almost twelve! Izuku landed a left jab to his mentor's ribs and almost screamed out in pain. I can’t control it though. Please, let it be enough for just a few minutes! 

Izuku saw an opening on his teacher’s guard. He had overextended on his latest lunge and his collarbone and neck were exposed. Twelve Percent Manchester Smash!! Izuku whipped his leg around in a vicious axe kick, and realized too late it had all been a feint. All Might’s massive hand wrapped around his leg and the hero let out a low chuckle.

“You’ve definitely improved since the beginning of the year, young man. But experience still trumps youthful spirit!” Izuku saw the colors of the world blend together as he was whipped in a circle around All Might’s head before being thrown back toward the center square. Any buildings still standing after the first time Izuku had been unceremoniously tossed through them came down with his return trip. Izuku plowed a trench through the street as his momentum carried him to a stop. Izuku puked once he had stopped moving, thankfully managing to miss himself through his spinning daze. He pulled himself to his hands and knees before he heard the telltale crash of All Might landing next to him. He looked up at his mentor’s face that held no trace of sympathy.

“I’m sure your friends will have an excellent time at the summer camp without you, now why don’t you-” “DIE!!!”

A wave of fire and concussive force tore up the ground to their right. All Might managed to keep the worst of it at bay with a well timed smash, but their surroundings were once more turned into a fiery post-apocalyptic backdrop. Deliriously, Izuku wondered at the cost of replacing all this damaged property, and decided he would worry about that once the other two All Mights went away.

“I told you, your fight’s with me you shitty bastard!” Bakugou flew at All Might with all the fury and conviction of a martyr. He managed to slip under the larger man’s guard and place his palm against All Might’s face. “Rot in Hell!” Explosion after explosion detonated inches from All Might’s skin and eyes. Seeing the lack of effect, Bakugou scowled and pushed out more blasts from his hand. “Why won’t you just fucking die already?!” One massive hand came up and crushed Bakugou’s unspent gauntlet, the other gripped the boy’s face in a mirror of his grasp on All Might. The hero spun and slammed Bakugou down on top of Izuku, sending both boys crashing deeper into the pavement. Izuku could barely groan from the pain at the bottom of their godforsaken dog-pile.

“And I told you, Bakugou. Justice will never die!”

Izuku managed to crawl out first from the crater All Might had put them in and stood on shaky legs before his mentor. He put up his fists in a weak guard before calling over his shoulder.

“Kacchan, run for the exit. I can hold him off until you get there.” The rubble from where they had been planted shifted as Bakugou now got to his own unsteady feet. 

“Don’t tell me what to do, damn nerd.”

“You’re the more injured of the two of us!” Izuku snapped. “Quit fucking arguing and go already!” Izuku turned back to All Might, but a whisper in his head warned him of something coming. He had already dodged to the side when he realized that Bakugou had let loose an explosion aimed at him. 

“I told you to stay out of my way, Deku! Stop fucking looking down on me already! I don’t need you or anyone else, got it?!”

“Why can’t you just fucking working with me?” Izuku flicked a blast of air at All Might, adding a sprained finger to the mental list of aches and pains he’d accumulated so far. “Do you really have to be this damn difficult?”

“Now, now boys. Both of you calm down!”

“Fuck off, you useless bastard! This is my fight!” More explosions sent rubble scattering. Both All Might and Izuku staggered away from the impact. “I’m going to be the fucking best, even if I have to kill beat both of you to do it!”

Izuku felt something snap inside of him. His arm swung up toward Bakugou of its own volition. All the anger and frustration and rage that had been building to a crescendo inside of him suddenly contracted to a single point at the center of his palm before exploding outwards. A mass of black tendrils shot forward, wrapping around Katsuki’s waist. With a guttural scream, he spun and threw his classmate. The whips snapped forward on the down arc and Bakugou was launched through the escape gate. A cheery ding sounded to announce that they had passed.

Izuku could only feel the drum beat of his blood rushing in his head. What?! What is this?! Now that they had seemingly fulfilled their unspoken directive, the whips began to lash out from his arm. Black poured from his skin like thousands of knives dragging across his nerves. Two strands, thicker than telephone poles burst from his elbow. They wrapped around a skyscraper, and Izuku rocketed forward, colliding with the side of the building. His head slammed into the stonework. A rush of hot blood let him know his nose was probably broken. That was the least of his worries though, as dozens more of those reaching clawing tentacles exploded from his back. The skin underneath them was split and remade as they forced themselves out from within. I- I can’t stop this! What the hell is this power?!

Any structure within three blocks was sundered. Chunks of rubble sprayed like water from a splashing pool. Izuku could only scream as he felt his nerves burn with the immense pressure of the gnashing eldritch horror that had emerged from his body. He soon lost any sense of direction he had as the tentacles latched onto walls and not yet fallen buildings before flinging him away crashing into them all.

“My boy! Are you alright? Hang on!” All Might weaved between threads of lashing black as he made his way toward Izuku. Izuku wanted to scream out to him. No! Run away! Don’t come closer! “Don’t worry, young Midoriya, because I Am H- oh sweet apple pie!” All Might dropped to a knee holding his crotch where a massive tendril that had ripped out of Izuku’s leg had crashed into him. His mentor called out in falsetto. “Maybe just give me a second, I’ll be right there my boy!” A group of six dark vines spun together in a braided coil and smacked the number one hero like a homerun ball. The sounds of more devastation happening in the fake city rang in his ears. You’re hurting them. You need to stop, Izuku. Get control of this!

“Izuku!!” The scent of Midnight’s quirk invaded his nose. Izuku caught a flash of red from the direction of the other teachers before he knew no more.

Chapter Text

“No no no, kid! You’re doing it all wrong!” Izuku didn’t know where he was, who this random bald guy was, or generally what in the everloving fuck was happening. He did know that he couldn’t ask any of those questions, though. Because he didn’t currently have a mouth.

Joy.

The man in front of him in this weird twilit void towered over Izuku. He had broad imposing shoulders and wore a bandolier over his bare chest which seemed neither practical nor particularly comfortable. He looked stern, like a cross between Aizawa and an army general, but there was also a kindness lurking inside of him. Izuku wasn't sure how he knew, but he felt it on an instinctual level. This man cared deeply about Izuku but he didn’t know why.

“What was the plan in  just letting Blackwhip off the leash like that, huh?” The man placed his hands on his hips and snorted like a bull. What the hell’s a Blackwhip? “It’s like you wanted someone to get hurt or something.” After a few moments without a response he looked toward Izuku and jumped in surprise.

“Hey, where’s your mouth kid?! That’s kinda freaky.” Izuku wasn’t sure how much of his deadpan expression was conveyed while he was missing a mouth, but he hoped the man got the picture. “Anyway, I’m here because you need to get a better handle on our quirk. What were you thinking out there?” He paused like he was waiting for a response before remembering Izuku’s lack of a mouth. “Oh, right. I should probably explain a little bit, huh? Sorry it’s been a while since any of us appeared to a new user.” He cleared his throat  and straightened, his face regaining a more serious expression.

“My name is Banjo Daigoro, you can just call me Five, if you want though. I was the fifth holder of One for All!” The fifth user? Does that mean we’re inside of One for All? “Heh, I can see from your eyes you figured it out, right? This is a space between worlds. Everything you see around you is our collective experience of One for All.” He pointed to himself with his thumb. “I’m a vestige, and I’m not the only one. Essentially, when our DNA was passed on with One for All a copy of us came along for the ride. So you hold inside of you all our combined power and our combined spirits! Pretty cool, yeah?” The void shook. The flashing colors in the distance seemed to grow brighter and more wild. 

“Seems like someone is trying to wake you up. Listen, before you go, we need to talk about the power you just used out there. Those tendrils were the work of my quirk: Blackwhip.” He opened his palm to let a tendril appear and wiggle in a loose wave towards Izuku. “Blackwhip’s a great quirk, I tell ya. She was one of the strongest base quirks of any user before inheriting and now she’s been soaked in the might of One for All, so she really packs a punch! But you’ve got to be careful.” His eyes narrowed in on Izuku and he jabbed a finger into his chest. 

“My quirk has always been tied to my emotions and now Blackwhip is tied to yours. If you use One for All in anger the quirk will react to it and wrest control from you like it did out there. You have to stay in control, got it?” He paused for a moment. “You know, you could nod or something, kid.” Izuku started at the reminder before giving the larger man a firm nod.

“Great! I know you’ll get the hang of it soon. Just remember, control your heart and steel your mind. Your greatest opponent is always going to be your own fear and self-doubt and anger. You conquer those and no enemy will ever stop you.” A teal light burst from Daigoro’s chest. The other lights swirling in the vortex seemed to glow brighter in response.

“Aw man, it looks like our time is up, kid. Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing me again real soon!” He shot him a thumbs up and a broad smile. “Oh, and by the way, you’ll be getting a bunch of other quirks too, so look forward to that!”

Wait, what?! Izuku tried to reach out and stop him but the light grew so blindingly intense that he had to slap his arm over his eyes instead.

Control your heart, kid!

Keep a cool mind, ninth.

You’ll do us proud, son.

You’re going to be amazing, Izuku!

You are our legacy, Izuku Midoriya. Go be a hero.

“Uh, what the hell was that?” Kaminari’s question sparked a flurry of noise and shouted speculation. For nearly ten minutes the observation room had been silent as the grave as the last moments of Izuku’s final transpired. Now a cavalcade of questions and astonished expletives bounced around the room.

“He just yeeted Baku-bro!” Kirishima yelled out. “Or is it yote?”

“When the hell did Midoriya get a new move?” Sero asked.

“Didn’t he, like, just get control of his quirk?” Hagakure replied.

“Maybe this was a hidden aspect of his quirk that needed to be controlled before it could explode out?” Yaoyorozu tapped a finger against her chin. “Though how those black tendrils relate to super strength is beyond me.”

“We should all refrain from speculation!” Iida tried to yell above the noise but few were listening. “We should be courteous to our classmate and friend and wait for him to return before asking these questions!”

In the middle of the turmoil, Ochako stood quiet. She stared up at the monitors that now showed only the shattered remains of the city block Deku had demolished. The pain on his face as those things erupted from him haunted her. He looked terrified. It was clear to her that Izuku had no idea what was happening. This wasn’t some new move or an aspect of his quirk that he suddenly let loose. It was like he hadn’t known that was something that could have happened. It was more than just a quirk awakening. Most people who underwent quirk awakenings described them as a sleeping part of their mind waking up. They almost always had at least some level of control over them or some instincts guiding them on how to use it. It was almost like he had unlocked some brand new quirk entirely.

That seemed like the best descriptor. Yaomomo brought up a good point, massive black vines had little to do with super strength. Even if Izuku’s quirk had always seemed just a little bit odd for a simple strength enhancer quirk, Ochako didn’t even know how to start guessing at an explanation of the lightning that surrounded her friend, this was an entirely unrelated power. Dual aspect quirks could happen, sure, but the two quirks were almost always related in some way. Todoroki’s quirk was half fire and half ice, but they functioned the same way. He could create the element associated with each side and the two sides only functioned at their peak when used together. It didn’t look to Ochako as if Izuku had been suppressing half of his quirk, not like Shoto had been. This looked like Izuku had just suddenly sprouted a second quirk.

Most of the others were still talking, or in some cases shouting, but there was one other person besides her that was taking everything in in shocked silence. Aoyama stared up at the screen, one hand clasped over his mouth and the other over his stomach where his belt rested. The look on his face was shock and horror, which Ochako could understand, but underneath that was something else. It was fear . His body trembled as his eyes stayed locked on the screen. Uraraka narrowed her eyes on her classmate. Is he scared of Deku or his new quirk? She took a step toward Aoyama, but was distracted by the door opening to reveal a costumed and exhausted looking Midnight.

Several cries of ‘Midnight-sensei!’ rang through the room. Many of her classmates began to shout questions causing Midnight to hold her hand up for silence.

“Everyone, please settle down. Midoriya is going to be fine. He’ll have to stay here for a few hours under observation by Recovery Girl, but he’s going to be okay.”

“What was that, though?” Ashido shouted from the back. “Was that a new move he was using?”

“We don’t know.” Midnight seemed heartbroken by the answer. Ochako felt her heart go out to her teacher. Deku was her best friend but she wasn’t the only one who cared about him. Midnight obviously cared a lot about her personal student. “Midoriya hasn’t woken up yet from the combined effects of my quirk and Recovery Girl’s, but when he does wake up you can ask him all of your questions then. Just try to be respectful, okay? Don’t all bombard him all at once.” Most of the class nodded in agreement. Kirishima threw up his hand.

“What about Bakugou?”

“Bakugou is also still sleeping off the effects of healing. Thankfully he avoided anything too serious and should walk out of here once his parents arrive to pick him up. If there are no more questions, you all are dismissed. Remember, Monday is only homeroom so you can pick up the results of your finals and your class rankings for the end of the semester.” Many of her classmates began to make their way out of the room and toward the locker rooms to begin to change and leave, but Ochako picked her way through the crowd to Midnight.

“Uraraka, how can I-” “Can I see him?” She interrupted. “Please, sensei, I have to know that he’s alright.” Midnight laid a calming hand on her shoulder and offered her a small smile.

“Midoriya-kun is going to be just fine. Recovery Girl is the best for a reason. He should come out of this no worse for wear. Although,” her smile turned teasing, “I’m sure it will also help his recovery to know that a cutie like you is worried about him.” She felt her face flush.

“D-deku thinks I’m cute?” Ochako could hear the near whistle-like tone of her voice but for the life of her she could not lower it. Midnight laughed at her.

“Darling, that boy looks at you like you hung the moon.” The mirth in her eyes dimmed slightly. Her hand clasped at her chest, where a small necklace hung. Ochako couldn’t remember ever seeing the necklace before, even when Midnight had been in casual clothes before.

“Can I give you some advice, Uraraka?” Ochako tore her gaze from her teacher’s hand to her face and nodded. Her voice sounded, somber, almost haunted. “Don’t wait. This life is far too short to not go after everything you want from it. Don’t wait for life to hand you something. Go out and take it.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and it occurred to Ochako that the heroine was likely saying it to herself just as much as to Ochako.

“Because sometimes, life will just steal it from you. And you’ll never be able to get it back.”

When Izuku opened his eyes, he was greeted by a furry white snout looking down at him with a near predatory curiosity.

“Well aren’t you an interesting case, Midoriya-kun.” Izuku yelped and jumped backwards on the hospital bed. Nezu sipped on a cup of tea that Izuku was almost certain he had not been holding seconds earlier. “It is quite a trick of fate that you could go from having no quirks to having not only one of the strongest quirks of the modern age but to also having the enhanced versions of the previous users of that quirk. Life truly does operate on a grand design, no?”

“Uh, Mr. Principal, sir, I think you’re scaring him.” Yagi spoke up from where he sat at Izuku’s bedside. His mentor was in his skinnier form, a bandage wrapped around his forehead. 

“Ah, so it would appear. My apologies, Midoriya-kun.”

“It’s- ah, it’s alright, Principal Nezu, sir. Did you say that what happened was the result of a new quirk?”

“It would certainly seem that way. I will assist in doing some research with Yagi over the next few days though there are quite a few projects that require my attention.”

“Do you think you can control it, my boy?” All Might leaned in, pressing his hands against the bedspread. “You wrecked shop a little as it were, young Midoriya.”

“I spoke to one of the predecessors.” Izuku looked down to his clenched hand. “He said it was called Blackwhip. And he was the fifth.”

“Well, that is an intriguing wrinkle.” Nezu’s ears perked up in interest. “For now, it would likely be best to stick to the official cover story. Your super-strength quirk had a hidden aspect that was only unlocked as you were able to master it. It’s a mutated form of telekinesis, the black tendrils are the physical manifestation of your subconscious interacting with the world.”

Izuku blinked. “That’s it? I guess I was expecting something more elaborate.”

“The best cover-ups all contain a hint of the truth, Midoriya-kun. I’ll be in touch if I find out anything else. For now, I believe you two need to talk for a while.” Izuku felt a rush of guilt as the principal left the room. For a moment there was silence between the two of them until All Might spoke.

“I’m sorry, my boy.” Izuku whipped his head up to stare at his mentor in shock. He had never heard him sound so downtrodden before. “I could see that you were getting frustrated and angry but I chose to continue pushing you and the exam forward. In doing so, I caused you no small amount of pain. I’m sorry, young Midoriya.” Izuku frantically shook his head.

“No, All Might, it’s okay! I’m okay! I’m the one who should be sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me and One for All spiraled out of control.” Izuku dropped his gaze back to his hands. “The fifth said that I need to keep a tighter grip on my emotions and not let them control me. I was just starting to get this power under my control and now I have to learn how to use a whole new quirk? Am I even up for this? Maybe you should-”

“That’s quite enough of that, young man!” Izuku started at the suddenly buffed up All Might. “Self-doubt will get you nowhere. I have the utmost faith in you, Midoriya!” He poofed down to his smaller form and let out a few wracking coughs. “As I was saying. You’ve come so far in these past few months. I have no doubt that you’ll be able to get this new quirk under control. Just remember, you’re not in this alone. You’ll have me, Midnight, and all your classmates by your side.” Yagi leaned forward to pin Izuku with an intense blue stare. 

“Young Midoriya. You naturally have a great deal of self-doubt and fear. Looking back to see if you could have done things better is a valuable tool in your arsenal. However, you cannot harbor those feelings too long. If something is weighing you down, it can often be better to just let them go.” Izuku felt tears well up in his eyes.

“Thank you, All Might.” Izuku felt a large hand pass through his curls.

“Still such a crybaby, my boy.” They sat together in silence while Izuku collected himself. Eventually, Yagi pushed himself to his feet.

“Your mother should be here soon to pick you up, Midoriya. I’ll make some calls and see if I can find anything about the past users or their quirks. I’ll let you know what I find.” He put his hand on the door and Izuku called out.

“Wait, what about Kacchan? Is he okay? Can I see him?” All Might paused at the door.

“He should be awake by now, but I will advise you to go with caution, my boy. You and I both did quite a number on him and he might not be the most pleased to see you.”

“What happened to him?”

“... fractured collarbone, torn labrum and rotator cuff from your dislocated shoulder, five broken ribs, and a major concussion. Frankly young man, you should be grateful that your teammate threw you from the arena when he did. Honestly, I cannot believe the idiocy of that man-child sometimes. Who decides it is a good idea to send not one but two teenagers hurtling through buildings!”

Katsuki ignored the old crone’s rantings in favor of glaring a hole through the wall across from him. He barely registered when the bitch left. His whole body still felt like it had been run over by a train. Whatever the nurse’s name was had healed him as best she could but apparently he was too tired or some shit. He was going to have to spend the next few days in the infirmary in order to get a few more rounds of healing in.

Fucking wonderful.

A knock at the door drew his attention. Curly green hair poked through the doorway, followed by the plain face that haunted Katsuki’s every waking moment. Deku…

Katsuki felt that familiar well of anger rise inside of him. If he could do much more than glare he would have gotten up off the bed to beat his ass but that old lady’s quirk took just about everything he had left. Still, he did his best to convey his intentions through his eyes. He figured he was mildly successful at least as Deku ducked his head to avert his gaze.

“Kacchan, I-” “Come to fucking gloat, you damn shitty cheater?” Deku looked back up and had the gall to act surprised. Katsuki rolled his eyes.

“What, you didn’t think I’d figure it out? Not only were you hiding your quirk from me for fucking years, looking down on all of us, but you figured you’d save those fucking hentai tentacles for our finals just to fuck with me? Had a good fucking chuckle with All Might over it after the fact huh? Well you’re always going to be a loser you damn fucking nerd. You’re nothing but a stone to crush beneath my feet.”

Deku’s face fell and Katsuki felt a rush of satisfaction. Serves him fucking right. You hid this shitty quirk just to surprise me with it and embarrass me during my big fight with All Might. You’re worse than useless, you fucking Deku, you might as well be a villain. Katsuki barrelled on in the other boy’s silence.

“Nothing to say, huh Deku? Guess you didn’t need to take any swan dives to get a fucking quirk did you? Bet you and your pals had a real good laugh at that one.” Katsuki huffed as he felt a sharp twinge of pain from his ribs. “Fuck off, you damn useless bastard. I’m trying to sleep here.”

“Kacchan, please I just-” Katsuki exploded.

“Didn’t I tell you to fuck off and die! Get the fuck out of here you lying useless shitheel!”

“What in the world is going on in here?” The damn grandma pushed in the door and fixed Katsuki with a glare. “Get back in that bed, young man! You need rest!”

“Fuck off, hag!” Katsuki looked to continue cursing out Deku but the little weasel had snuck out. He let the, surprisingly strong, crone muscle him back into his bed. I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you Deku, but it doesn’t matter. Your lying ass will always be beneath me. I’m the best and I’ll fucking prove it to each and every one of you. This won’t stop me. Nothing will.

But you weren’t the best, were you? A voice whispered in the back of his mind. He beat you. Despite everything you’ve done he still beat you. How can you be a hero if you don’t win?

“Fuck you! I will be a hero! I will!”

“Young man lay your butt back down or I will sedate you!”

Izuku limped into the apartment, trailed by his mother who had not stopped fretting over him since she had picked him up.

“Why don’t you go lie down, sweetie. I’ll bring you something to eat in a few minutes.” She turned to go to the kitchen but turned at Izuku’s call.

“Mom?” Her smile was bright though her eyes betrayed her worry. Izuku felt something like grief settle into his stomach. “Have you ever realized that someone wasn’t actually your friend? Like, maybe you thought that they were but one day you realized that they aren’t?” Inko’s smile turned sad and she cupped his cheek in her palm.

“Oh, darling. Sometimes I forget you’re still only fifteen. Some people aren’t meant to stay in our lives. Even if they were once really important, and maybe they still are, but they leave all the same. It’s not a bad thing, sweetheart. That’s just how life works. Sometimes the best thing we can do, for both us and them, is to just let them go. If they’re meant to come back into your life they will. If someone wants to be your friend they’ll find a way to. I know that you would.” 

His mom patted his cheek and pulled him into a tight hug. Moms really are the best, he thought as he squeezed his mother tightly. Eventually they parted and Izuku went to his room to try to sleep off more of the healing Recovery Girl had done to him. A buzzing from his phone broke through the exhausted fog. Izuku pulled it out to find the group chat for his friends rapidly firing away into the ether, trying to find out if he was okay.

The Mouse Has Eyes (Ochako what does that even mean?)

Rapunzel

Hey guys, I’m okay!

I made it back home and everything, I’m just exhausted

Buzz Lightyear

Deku!!!!!!

Lightning McQueen

It is excellent to hear from you Izuku-kun!

I am glad to hear you are alright!

Tatiana

^ kero

Buzz Lightyear

Deku!!!!

Elsa

I am also quite glad you are okay as well

Ah one moment

There’s something I need to do

Elsa has added I Missed Brooklyn!

Elsa

There we go.

I Missed Brooklyn

What the hell is this

Buzz Lightyear

Oh one sec

Buzz Lightyear has changed I Missed Brooklyn to Aurora!

Tatiana

Oh that’s perfect lol

Buzz Lightyear

Thank you :)

Aurora

I will repeat

What the hell is this

Rapunzel

Hi Shinsou! This is our gc!

I guess you’re a member now lol

Aurora

what

Buzz Lightyear

ONE OF US

Elsa

One of us

Tatiana

One of Us

Aurora

Oh good I always wanted to join a cult

This changes nothing by the way

I’m still going to destroy you

Izuku saw a new notification pop up in his direct messages from Ochako.

Direct Message

Asteroid Belt

Deku!!!!

Seriously though are you okay?

Midnight wouldnt tell us anything

Cumulonimbus

I’m fine I promise!

I didn’t even break any bones!!

It was just overwhelming and a little more painful of an activation I guess

Asteroid Belt

Well that’s a relief lol

No more broken bones til at least second year!

Cumulonimbus

Yes ma’am o7

Asteroid Belt

If you’re feeling well enough

Do you want to go to the mall with me Monday after class?

Together?

Cumulonimbus

That sounds like fun!

I think a bunch of the class were planning on going Tuesday

If you would rather do that?

Asteroid Belt

No, I’d rather it be just us

If that’s okay with you?

Cumulonimbus

Oh, okay yeah! Sounds like fun!

I’ll bring some casual clothes to school and we can leave right after

Asteroid Belt

Sounds good!!!!!

Izuku plugged in his phone and dropped it to his nightstand, ignoring the gentle buzz of yet more shenanigans in the group chat. His mind wandered unbidden to Katsuki. He had seemed so vulnerable and scared in that hospital bed, but he still lashed out like an animal when Izuku showed up. He rolled over to clutch at his pillow. Whatever was going on in Katsuki’s head, it didn’t seem like the sort of thing Izuku could help with. He could admit to himself, here in the dark of his room with the comforting sounds of his mother cooking seeping from under the door, that Katsuki wasn’t his friend. Probably hadn’t been for a long time. Friends didn’t suicide bait one another, or bully them, or do any of the things Katsuki had done over the years.

But he could see shades of the boy he used to be too. The vulnerable and scared version of Katsuki that had laid on the hospital bed looked a lot like the Kacchan that he had looked up to as a kid. All prickly edges to hide the heart inside. He had so many walls up. Would Izuku ever be able to reach him? Did he even want to? Maybe his mom was right. If he couldn’t get Bakugou to hear him out, then maybe it was time to let him go.

Izuku rolled over again, wrapping himself tightly in his blankets. There was no reason for him to obsess over this tonight, he reasoned. Katsuki wasn’t going anywhere. As sleep claimed him, Izuku resolved to keep his distance for now. He could decide what to do after the summer camp.

“I told you so.”

“I know, Nemuri.”

“I told you shit would go down. But did you listen? Nooo because I’m Shouta and I’m Mr. Always Right.”

“You were right, Nemuri.”

“I told you so.”

“Yes, you did.”

… 

“I told you so.”

Inko gently closed the room to her son’s room. He had fallen asleep shortly before she had finished his dinner so she stored the soup in the fridge and finished tidying up everything else. She made her way to her own bedroom, keeping her footsteps soft to avoid waking Izuku up. She closed and locked her door before bending down to grab something beneath the bed. She pulled out a small locked wooden box. It was a dark brown, almost black in the low light, with a silver clasp in the front. 

She slipped the chain off from around her neck, and used the key pendant that hung from it to unlock the box. Opening the lid, she pushed papers to the side, maneuvered around birth certificates and passports. She rarely had cause to open this safe but today she was drawn to the comfort its contents offered. Her fingers traced over a letter, hastily written in familiar sloping handwriting, but she moved that to the side too. Spotting her prize, she plucked a small photograph from where it was tucked against the furthest wall of the safe.

A younger Inko laughed back at her. None of the worry lines or stress marks that she had gained over years of being a single mother. This younger Inko had her arms wrapped around a taller man, his head ducked in to place a kiss at her temple. Messy wavy black hair, not too wild nor too tamed brushed against her. Even years later she could feel the immense heat the man radiated from his chest. He had confessed to her, one night when the world had reduced itself to just their tiny single bedroom apartment, that he had never paid for heating when he lived alone. She could hear the slightly raspy tones of his voice whispering in her ears. I never understood the point. I’m my own private space heater, my love. Why should I give them a dime when my quirk is free?

She sighed, bringing the photo close to her heart. I wish you were here, Hisashi. Your son needs you. She didn’t bother to stop the tears that tracked down her cheeks.

I need you.

Chapter Text

Izuku was lying to them. Ochako could buy the idea that what he was calling Blackwhip had come from Inko, but she also knew Izuku Midoriya. Izuku loved quirks. He had spent over an hour info-dumping to her about how Gang Orca’s quirk was potentially mislabeled and his mutations were really secondary aspects to his primary quirk of Sonic Paralyzer less than a week ago. Izuku lived and breathed to analyze quirks and his ideas were on a whole different level than anyone she had ever heard of before.

So how did he not know what happened to his own quirk?

He had had over a day to think about it, plenty of time for him to come up with ideas, but he only had a vague theory that the principal gave him? And why was it the principal who was giving him updates on his quirk instead of Recovery Girl or a quirk counselor? Izuku was evasive in most of his answers, which wasn’t in itself surprising for her anxious friend/crush, but he didn’t drop into a single mutterstorm the whole time he gave his explanation to the class. Not once did he rub his hand through the back of his hair, his signature nervous tell. No one got excited over quirks like Izuku but he just seemed uncomfortable talking about it. Not nervous like he normally was talking to the whole class but uncomfortable with the topic even being mentioned. If he didn’t want to talk about it she would understand, but why would he lie?

As the bell rang Ochako couldn’t help but dwell on those thoughts. She knew Deku. She knew the kind of person he was and if he wasn’t telling them something he probably had a good reason for it. Still though, she narrowed her eyes at her friend. I bet there’s someone else who knows what’s going on with Deku.

Izuku loved his classmates, he did, but he was low on energy and most of Class 1-A only had two settings: loud and louder. He was still feeling the after effects of the healing Recovery Girl had done to him and he was a bad liar in the best of circumstances so when the bell finally rang he couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. Most of the class seemed to accept his explanation without much fanfare, though he did catch some of them giving him curious looks throughout the day. Thankfully they only had a half-day to come in and get the results of their finals and the packing lists for the summer training camp so he could focus on his upcoming trip to the mall with Ochako.

“Midoriya-kun!” Or not. Izuku turned to see Midnight hurrying towards him and he felt the nerves that had perked up at hearing his name shouted settle back in his stomach. When she got close enough she put a hand on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m still a little tired and sore, Kayama-sensei, but I’m okay. What’s up?” Izuku couldn’t quite tell what emotion danced in Midnight’s eyes as she looked him over.

“Would you come with me for a minute?” Midnight led him out of the hallway and into an empty classroom. She sat on the top of the teacher’s desk and crossed her arms. “I’m a little worried about you, Midoriya.”

“It was just a quirk accident, sensei. I know that I need better control and-”

“Not about that.” Kayama cut him off. “You do know that all of that wasn’t your fault right?” Izuku was quiet for a moment before she continued. “Bakugou attacked you. I will be urging the faculty to punish him appropriately for it.”

“I- you-, but…” Midnight’s professional demeanor melted away into a more sympathetic expression.

“Izuku, he attacked you out of the blue and with no provocation. I didn’t want the two of you to be together on this exam in the first place. I was overruled, but I won’t let it happen again.”

“Kayama-sensei, it’s okay. I understand why we were paired together.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. We’re both strong fighters but Kacchan needs to be able to work with others. I don’t mind being the one to try and work with him.”

“Your safety shouldn’t be put at risk for someone else’s growth.” Izuku shrugged. This was just how it always was for Izuku. The quirkless kid was usually the one sacrificed for the betterment of others and even if he wasn’t quirkless anymore wasn’t the job of a hero to put his safety on the line to help people? His teacher sighed at his nonchalance. “Can I give you a hug?”

At Izuku’s nod she rose from the desk and brought him into a hug that threatened to refracture his ribs. He had never quite realized it before, but his teacher gave off an enormous amount of body heat. There was a subtle strength in her grasp too. He often forgot because of her disarming personality but his teacher was a hero with years of experience. Between the warmth and tightness of her hug, he’d say it was one of the best he’d ever gotten. If he were forced to rank the best hugs he had received, Midnight’s would be in the top three right next to his mom and All Might.

“If there was something more between you and Bakugou, more than just a childhood rivalry, you can tell me. You know that right?” Izuku looked up into her eyes. They were filled with sincerity and a fondness that he hadn’t been expecting. He wasn’t sure any teacher, with the exception of All Might who didn’t count for obvious reasons, had ever looked at him with as much care as she did in that moment. Maybe he should tell her. Of all the teachers at U.A. Midnight was probably the best one to tell if he wanted something done about it.  

But Izuku needed to figure things out for himself first before letting anyone else influence his decision. He didn’t know what he wanted to do about Katsuki but he needed time to figure that out. So for now, he’d stick with what he knew.

“I know, Kayama. Thank you.”

“Bakugou, I need you to explain to me your thought process at the beginning of the exam.” Shouta eyed his student from across the table.

“Beat All Might. Secure a complete and total victory.” Evidently, even after cooling off for a full day, Bakugou’s arrogance was unbroken.

“And before that? When Midoriya was trying to strategize with you and you struck him in retaliation? We may not have the audio but the recording is fairly damning.”

“I didn’t need Deku’s help.” Bakugou snarled. “He just got in the way.”

“Don’t you dare call him that!” Midnight’s fist slammed into the glass. “He has a fucking name you little shitstain!”

“Maybe you should calm down, Nem.” Hizashi gently ghosted a calming hand over her shoulder. “Sho’s got this. Going postal on the little listener won’t get us any answers.” 

Nemuri glared at Bakugou from through the observation glass that separated her from the “hearing room” that Shouta, Inui and Bakugou sat in. She didn’t understand why they were even bothering to try and understand whatever twisted reasoning Bakugou was using in the exam. They had their facts. Bakugou lashed out unprovoked. Izuku’s quirk awakened because of the anger and frustration he felt. One was a matter of lack of control and the other was an accident. It seemed pretty cut and dry to her.

Maybe this is why they aren’t letting me on that side with them, Nemuri thought. But then again so what if she was being biased? Someone needed to step up for Midoriya’s side. The world owed that kid a break and heaven help her she was going to fight for him.

“Let’s be clear here, Bakugou. This is a rather serious matter.” Hound Dog’s growling voice was rough and gravelly. Their guidance counselor/head of security/vice principal wore many different hats and was often the primary handler for these disciplinary hearings. How he ever managed to leave the grounds was beyond Nemuri. The rat often worked him, well, like a dog she supposed. “It is only in your best interests to give us as much insight into your thought process as possible.”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes toward the pair of teachers across from him. What the hell was their game here? Did they think they were fooling him with this shit?

“Clearly you’ve already decided what you’re doing with me and you just want me to hang myself. If you’re going to get rid of me just grow a pair and fucking do it.” The hobo sighed and Katsuki felt his blood pressure spike. You sigh at me one more time and I’m going to give your tired ass an eternal nap fuckhead.

“Bakugou, we haven’t decided yet what we’re going to do with you. That’s part of why we’re here discussing it with you in the first place.”

“So you can trap me in one of your little logical ruses? I’m not falling for that shit.”

“I’m sorry that you feel that you can’t trust me, but I really am doing this for your own good. It is our responsibility to train you to be the best hero you can be but we can’t do that if you’re going to go around attacking your classmates.”

“Deku fucking started it, alright?!”

“Really? What did he say?” Katsuki clamped his mouth shut and glared a hole into the table. Despite what the hag thought he knew when to shut his fucking mouth. Talking now would only give them more ammunition to use against him. The underground hero sighed again and got up from the table.

“You’ve got too much potential to be this damn stubborn, Bakugou. You need to learn to work with others or you’ll never make it in this world.” He was halfway to the door when Katsuki spoke again.

“Why do you even care?”

“I told you, it’s our job to make you the best hero you can-”

“Not that!” Katsuki settled back into his chair from the outburst and returned to glare at the table. “Why do you even care about what I did to Deku? No one’s ever given a shit before.”

“Because the way you treat him is wrong.” Aizawa straightened and for the first time Katsuki truly understood his hobo-looking teacher was also a pro hero. “ It’s wrong and cruel and it was unfair of the rest of the world to overlook your behavior. But it’s the job of a hero to fight the cruelty and unfairness and the wrongs of the world. That’s why I care so much, Bakugou.”

“All Might-sensei!” Toshinori wasn’t sure he would ever get used to people saying that. He slid his phone back into his pocket and turned to the voice of his student.

“Ah, young Uraraka! How can I help you?” Toshinori could admit that he didn’t give as much attention to the other students of 1-A as he did to Izuku but even he acknowledged that the expression on Uraraka’s face was far more serious than usual.

“All Might, do you know about Deku’s quirk?” If Toshinori hadn’t been straining One for All to maintain his muscular form, blood would have been spraying from his lips in surprise. As it was he had to take a few moments to process before he answered.

“Ah, I’m not sure what you mean? What about Midoriya-kun’s quirk?” Uraraka narrowed her eyes at him. He had the distinct impression that she could smell the unease in his answer. His years of smiling in the face of danger came through once more though and the fire in her eyes dimmed into concern and dropped from her face.

“He’s hiding something, All Might. I just want to make sure he’s okay.” Her response was mumbled toward the floor and Toshinori felt his heart soften. He was a solitary creature by nature. Even in his youth he had never felt the draw or urge toward relationships, both physical and emotional, that his peers had and as he grew older he learned that it was something he neither wanted nor needed to feel fulfilled. He had his work as a hero and his circle of friends and confidants and that was more than enough for him.

But young Midoriya was different and Toshinori supposed it was yet another area he had been neglecting his successor. He knew how Nana had struggled balancing bearing One for All and her life with her husband. He couldn’t just stand by and allow the same thing to happen again. Maybe it was time Izuku started to put his trust in others.

“Young Uraraka, do you trust Midoriya?” She looked up sharply.

“Of course!”

“Do you think he would ever do anything to hurt you?”

“No, never.”

“Then let him come to you in his own time, if he is keeping something to himself. I know this whole quirk awakening situation has been hard on him. He needs you at his side right now.” Uraraka nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thank you All Might!” She wrapped her arms as best around his middle as she could before turning and tearing off down the hallway. Toshinori watched her amused at the energy that only the young could possess. He slid his phone out of his pocket again. He knew what he was going to say but that didn’t mean he dreaded hearing it any less. He pressed one of less than ten saved contacts and brought the speaker to his ear as the ringing began.

“If you’re calling about my car insurance I’m going to use your face as the new treads for my boot!”

“Sorahiko, it’s me, Toshinori.”

“Who?”

“It’s me, Gran, Toshinori.”

“Todoroki? Why the hell are you calling me?”

Toshinori let out a sigh. At least Gran kept his sense of humor in his old age.

“I want him expelled!” 

“I’m afraid we cannot do that, Kayama.”

“Oh don’t bullshit me, Nezu! I don’t care about any of your fucking circumstances anymore. Bakugou hit Midoriya in the middle of the exam. There was no provocation or accident; he just hit him! You’ve dropped kids from the hero course for less.”

“And if I were to expel Bakugou, would I not have to expel Midoriya as well? Bakugou struck him, yes, but Midoriya used a quirk to launch him over a hundred meters. Midoriya walked away with a bruise on his chin and Bakugou had his clavicle and several ribs broken. I’m afraid both of them would have to be punished.”

“But Bakugou started it!”

“And Midoriya escalated.” Nezu steepled his fingers under his jaw. His normally jovial eyes hardened into the gaze of an apex predator. “Do not mistake my caution on this matter for apathy, Kayama. I do not believe that Midoriya is at fault for his actions but if we were to expel Bakugou for this incident and not Midoriya there would be an uproar among the parents, the donors, and the media. With the recent actions of the League of Villains, I’m afraid we just cannot risk the public’s faith in us being shaken.”

“What about Mineta? We expelled him!”

“Mineta Minoru received several written and verbal warnings before his expulsion. And any third party would question why in both situations Midoriya caused potential harm to another student and was not punished for it. Bakugou Katsuki is the Sports Festival winner. If we were to expel him all confidence in U.A. as an institution would be shaken.”

“So you’re keeping Bakugou because you’re afraid?”

“No, I am not expelling Bakugou because it would be unfair. Bakugou could rightfully claim that he lashed out on accident and in the heat of the moment resorted to violence. Would the same thing not be true for Midoriya who caused much more severe injuries and has already used that defense in his actions toward Mineta? How could we punish one but not the other?” Midnight turned on Shouta.

“Well? You’re his homeroom teacher. What do you think?” Aizawa rubbed at his temple. His coffee cup had long since been emptied and it seemed he was regretting not bringing another. Tough shit, buddy, you brought this on yourself.

“We can’t just cut him loose, Nemuri. But,” he interrupted the tirade that was about to explode from Kayama, “that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences.” Midnight huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“What consequences?”

“Officially, both Midoriya and Bakugou will be given formal warnings. Because Midoriya’s actions were the result of a hidden aspect to his quirk we had no prior knowledge of, he will not be punished. Bakugou will be asked to attend some counseling sessions with Hound Dog to determine if he needs anything more serious in terms of therapeutic intervention.” Nemuri narrowed her eyes at the principal who just smiled back.

“Not even a suspension?”

“I think it would be best to keep him close at hand,” Inui countered distractedly. “Detention is a better alternative.”

“He’ll serve it with me for the next month then. Additionally,” Nemuri switched her attention to Aizawa. “Bakugou and Midoriya will no longer be paired in any exercises in heroics or in any of their classes. I’ll be switching the seating chart as well to decrease any issues on that front. Bakugou can go on the training camp but I will be letting the Pussycats know to keep an eye out for any behavioral issues. He’ll fail the final and he’ll have to attend the extra lessons.”

“I still say we’re being too lenient on this kid. His attitude has been a problem all year long. Seeing his victim get even more powerful and start to surpass him? It will be a miracle if this is the only incident for the rest of the year.”

“She’s right.” Inui mentioned from where he was pouring over the medical history of Bakugou as well as his own notes from the hearing. “We have to treat this delicately. We push him too hard and he could snap.”

“Thank you! So let’s just expel him and save ourselves the trouble!”

“I actually don’t think that’s a good idea either.” Inui noted. “With his mix of inferiority and superiority complexes, if we kick him to the curb there’s a good chance he becomes a vigilante at best. It’s probably best if we keep him here so we can monitor his progress with regular sessions with me and a stricter eye from his teachers on his behavior.”

“Oh so now we’re keeping him because he might end up becoming a villain?! Come on!”

“We can’t punish him based on what he might do,” Nezu said, collecting a stack of papers. “For now we are doing all we can. If he steps out of line again then we will take action. Unfortunately that will have to be all for now. There are other matters I must attend to.” She threw her hands up into the air in disgust and stalked toward the door. Before she walked out, Nemuri turned to the rest of them.

“I warned you. I told you shit would hit the fan if you put them together in the exam. Well here we are. I hope you’re happy.” She slammed the door before opening it again. “And for the record, Shouta, I told you so.” The door slammed behind her as she made her final exit from the office.

Midnight stalked down the hallways of U.A. both annoyed at the outcome of the meeting and annoyed that she was annoyed. Inui and the Rat made some decent points but she didn’t have to like it. She just hated seeing her students get hurt. It was her job to protect Midoriya and she was doing a fucking bang up job so far. Why should the needs of one student trump the needs of another? Didn’t Izuku deserve to have a safe and healthy school life? She wanted that walking mortar bomb away from her student. Bakugou had ‘potential’ according to Shouta but she was going to make him walk a razor’s edge to get to stay at this school. 

And if she was annoyed that she had explicitly told Shouta not to do this and then it blew up in their faces anyway, well that was no one’s business but hers. A phone call interrupted her thoughts. She raised an eyebrow at the number she didn’t recognize but picked it up anyway.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Kayama Nemuri?”

“This is she, can I ask how you got this number?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. This is Midoriya Inko. I got your number from my son, Midoriya Izuku?” Nemuri brightened considerably.

“Ah, Midoriya-san! How lovely to hear from you. How can I help you?”

“Well, I was hoping that I could invite you to join myself and Izuku for dinner tonight to thank you. You have done so much good for my son recently and it really is the least that I could do.”

“I would be delighted! What time tonight?”

“Would 17:30 work for you?”

“That sounds perfect . I’ll see you then!” Nemuri hung up and felt a tendril of excitement worm its way into her stomach. Midoriya felt like family and his mother seemed just as lovely. Dinner would be the perfect opportunity for her to learn more about her student’s mysterious past. 

As she walked down the hallway with a renewed sense of vigor, she remembered the emergency glitter she kept in her desk and the vulnerable sleeping bag of her senpai and friend that was stashed in the teacher’s lounge while he met with Nezu. Have fun being a disco burrito, Shouta. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.

After both Hound Dog and Midnight left, Aizawa found himself standing in front of Nezu’s desk as the principal continued to prepare for his next appointment.

“Sir?”

“I really do have another meeting to be getting to, Aizawa-kun.”

“What’s the real reason you haven’t dug deeper into Midoriya and Bakugou? Why haven’t you shut down Aldera Middle School?” Nezu stopped gathering his papers. “Midnight might buy your story but you and I both know you’ve never hesitated to step on the toes of the commission before. What’s changed?” In the long silence that followed Shouta stared into the beady eyes of his boss. Eventually the chimera placed the files in his hands gently on his desk. Shouta eyed the considerable amount of effort the principal used in restraining himself from slamming something. This couldn’t be good.

“I trust that you’ll be discreet with this information, Eraserhead.” Aizawa stiffened at the use of his hero name. That only ever meant trouble with Nezu. “Our lovely Kayama has a tendency to act first without considering the far reaching consequences and given your own experience with the darker parts of our business I can assume you’ll keep a cooler head?”

“Of course, sir.”

“There is a great deal of danger in attracting too much of the commission’s attention to Midoriya Izuku. For his and his family’s sake as well as for the fate of this country as a whole. And no, I won’t be disclosing why that is.” He headed off Aizawa’s question before continuing. “In the specific case of Aldera Middle School, however, there were several irregularities in their finances that require a more delicate touch in the investigation. Their government funding is entirely from a single party in the Diet. The school itself was a pet project of a party leader who spearheaded the foundation of it some sixteen years ago. And for such a small school, it has received an inordinate amount of private donations to keep the building afloat. But it seems that the money just disappears once it reaches the school. No receipts for textbooks or new desks or any item in the school’s expenses proves that the money reached them. Now, a public middle school that has received millions of dollars in donations from donors who have never attended nor had any relatives attend? It’s quite the mystery. And most curiously of all, they all share one thing in common.” 

“And what is that?”

“Why, every single one of the donors are employed by the Detnerat Corporation of course!”

“The support company?” Aizawa furrowed his eyebrows. What the hell did they have to do with any of this?

“The very same. Now why do you think a company who develops support gear and weapons would finance a small school in a random city in Japan? It’s all very curious, Aizawa-kun. I’m beginning to suspect there are much larger forces at work here than we are seeing.”

“What do you want me to do sir?”

“Just keep an eye on Midoriya for now. Things are about to get very interesting around here and Midoriya Izuku is the key to it all.”

“I’ll do some looking into it on my end, but you should really call him. You know that he’s the one who did the most research into this, Toshinori.”

“I know, sir. I- I will.”

“You can’t let this fester anymore, boy. You and that successor of yours can’t wait. If what you’re saying is true then we need to bury the past and move forward to the future.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”

As Toshinori hung up with Gran Torino, his phone buzzed with a new text message.

Mamadoriya

Yagi, I would like to invite you to have dinner with myself and Izuku tonight.

It’s a celebration dinner for Izuku passing finals.

You helped Izuku so much it is truly the least I could do.

All Right All Right

I would be delighted, thank you Midoriya-san!

Please let me know if I can bring anything to the dinner!

Toshinori put his phone away. He could call Mirai in the morning. He couldn’t very well ignore a dinner party invitation after all!

Nezu’s tail swished gently in the air behind him as he walked the now barren halls. Overall this was quite the successful day. His heart went out to Izuku Midoriya but pain was an opportunity to grow and the young holder of One for All needed a little bit of toughening up. It was a common problem among young humans. They all let their emotions run wild without considering the bigger picture.

He was a creature of the bigger picture.

Kayama was upset with him, but that was fine. Midnight was a good hero but a lousy tactician. While she helped individuals and picked up charity cases he would help millions of people now and for future generations by shaping the next wave of heroes. U.A. was his brush and he, the artist that would paint a better future. 

Whether or not she liked it, Bakugou Katsuki was a part of that future. Nezu held no particular fondness for the boy. He was feral, which he could appreciate, but he was yet another human consumed by their own insecurities. Keeping the boy would mean tempering his rage and breaking his pride, which he would leave to his former pupil. Aizawa had a talent for sculpting young heroes like few others Nezu had known. He could sympathize with Kayama’s position, of course. His days under the torturous thumb of the Commission did not leave him incapable of feeling for a young man who had more than likely faced years of continuous abuse. But Midoriya was fine now, was he not? He had a quirk, he had peers and mentors.

Besides, expelling the boy meant headaches that Nezu wasn’t quite prepared to deal with. The Commission would be easy enough to deal with, though they would no doubt plague the ninth holder of One for All for the rest of his days if they found out about his quirk, but they held no real power and he was already planning to take them down a few pegs in the next ten years. The public’s faith in U.A. would be shaken, which would delay his plans, but it would likely recover with time. Even the oddities with the Deternat Corporation and its mysterious CEO was more than likely a minor distraction.

No, the problem was laid with the Symbol of Evil. He had no doubt that All for One had his own agents at the HPSC and likely within Nezu’s own halls (and oh, did that thought make his fangs descend). If he were to expel Bakugou the boy might become a pawn in his plans or worse, cause All for One to approach with more caution than he had shown thus far. Frankly, the League of Villains was the best thing that could have happened for Nezu. Now he knew their enemy was alive and plotting. If All for One had simply stayed in his cave and waited it would have been much harder to track him. He couldn’t afford to let All for One work from the shadows any more. It was time to draw the monster out from its lair.

But for that he needed bait and he needed to know exactly who was feeding information to his enemies. The first year’s training camp was a logical point of attack for Shigaraki Tomura and his league. By limiting knowledge of the location to just Eraserhead and Vlad King he could cross off a sizable chunk of suspects from his list.

His private elevator dinged cheerily as it arrived. Nezu held his ID to the scanner and pressed the buttons for the third, first and second floor. After twenty-one seconds, he pushed the button for the basement. The elevator shuddered and began its descent to his private level. All he could do was wait for the pieces to fall in his chess match with All for One. For now, he had to see a contractor about her work. It wasn’t easy to find hackers willing to break into the Hearts and Mind Party’s private donor lists. He hoped she could deliver.

The Kiyashi Ward shopping mall wasn’t exactly Izuku’s favorite place in the world. Crowds and quirkless people didn’t mix all that well. It was safer to stick to the places that Izuku knew well with multiple escape routes that Izuku could use to run from bullies. Crowds meant more people to try and hide from, less room to maneuver, and fewer avenues of escape if he needed to bolt.

He wasn’t even wearing clothes that he could comfortably run in. He had his red sneakers, but the red jacket he and his mom had bought was unzipped and could be grabbed and used to drag him back. He wore jeans that Izuku thought were entirely too tight but his mom and Midnight had both said were ‘in style’ whatever that meant. The shirt he was wearing was an older white v-neck that was also a little tighter than he remembered it being. He picked at the fabric but it snapped back to his stomach. 

Ochako had forgotten something at U.A., so Izuku was waiting by himself in the outdoor plaza near the entrance and the butterflies in his stomach were steadily working themselves into a tizzy. It was stupid of him to be nervous, though, wasn’t it? He and Ochako had hung out dozens of times outside of classes. Even if most of them were around other friends, the two of them normally found themselves alone, abandoned by the others over time until only they were left. 

So why was he feeling this nervous? His jacket was light and it was early enough in summer that he shouldn’t be sweating this badly. Was he getting sick? He hoped whatever it was wouldn’t affect him too much during the training camp.

When he saw her, those butterflies transformed into buzzing wasps. He had thought he had seen every variation of Ochako, from sweaty and puking during the entrance exam to the made-up, poofy ball gown wearing version of her from the party at I-Island. For some reason though, it felt like he was seeing a completely different side to his best friend. Her hair was half up and half down, gathered in the back enough to poke over the back of her head though her bangs still hung over her forehead. She wore a loose flowy sundress, a soft blue with yellow flowers toward the bottom of the skirt. As she got closer Izuku smelled… lavender? Was she wearing perfume? When she finally came to a stop a step in front of Izuku he was able to see the slightly darker brushes of her eyelashes. The natural pink blush on her cheeks looked brighter, almost exaggerated. 

Beautiful.

Izuku punched himself in the leg to snap through the haze she had him in. The pain let him focus in on the look of confusion growing on Ochako’s face.

“Uhh, Deku? Are you okay?”

“Fine!” Izuku winced at the volume he used. “Ah, I’m fine, thanks. How are you? You seem good. You, ah look good. I mean, you- you always look good but you look better like this. Ah, well you see, I um-”

“Deku, it’s okay.” Ochako interrupted what Izuku was sure was about to spiral into a cycle of digging himself deeper into trouble. She looked almost as embarrassed as he felt. “Thank you for saying I look good. You look really cute in that jacket.”

“Oh, thanks. It was my mom’s suggestion.” The two paused in the middle of the mall. The silence stretched for a few beats too long until Izuku broke it. “Ah, should we go? I figured we could grab some drinks or something and then wander around and see if there were any shops we wanted to stop in. I actually did want to pick up some more resistance weights for the trip. Maybe we can stop for mochi afterwards?” Damn it Izuku, just act normal! It’s just Ochako!

“Sounds good! I could use some bug spray too. Gotta keep those pests away, you know?” There, see? She doesn’t hate you. It’s just the crowds messing with you. Get a grip. The tension that had been building in his shoulders loosened and Izuku stood up straighter with a posture that made his mental sensei proud.

“Well, hopefully you can keep me close.” Izuku winked at Ochako, finally beginning to feel more normal around his suddenly-far-too-attractive best friend. “Let’s do it.”

Ochako hid her face in her boba to take a steadying breath. Izuku had shed his jacket when they moved inside, the garment now residing in the backpack at his shoulder. The shirt he wore underneath it was practically painted onto him and it was distracting . The way it highlighted his shoulders and his narrow waist made her want to-

Pure thoughts, Ochako. Sister Magdalene. Recovery Girl in a swimsuit. That time Izuku tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. No, that was adorable. Sister Magdalene falling down stairs. Well, now I just feel mean.

“Ochako?” She jumped at Izuku’s voice next to her ear. She blinked at the boy who pointed at the store behind him. “Do you mind if we look around for a bit? I won’t take too long, I promise.” She smiled when she saw the hero merch lining the windows.

“Sure, of course!”

She wandered the rows of the store while Deku stopped to inspect each and every item, muttering to himself all the while. It was endearing to watch him so deeply in his element. She idly wondered if he would be like this when they were heroes, gushing over their friends' new releases and buying out entire store’s worths of Uravity and Deku merch to display proudly in their house. She could easily picture him with a toddler sitting on his shoulders, another tugging at his hand asking him to get a specific toy for them. He would laugh and spout off trivia about the hero on the cover, or tell them about times they had worked together or… She blinked at that added wrinkle. She could admit now that she liked Deku, but marriage? Having kids? It sounded far-fetched and fantastical and… really really nice. Izuku was her best friend, the most amazing person that she had ever met. Why wouldn’t she want to start a family with him many many years down the line? 

One step at a time, Ochako, you haven’t even asked him out yet! She spotted a lego set that boasted Midnight and Uwabami defeating Briar Rose. The mini-figure of her teacher seemed to dare her from her packaging, challenging her to make a move. She could practically hear Midnight in her head. Don’t wait. Go out and take what you want!

She thought back to her daydream. There was no way she’d ever get that future if they just kept circling each other in this dance they were doing. Well, I guess we’ll have to start with that and figure everything else out later.

“Hey, check it out!” Deku waved at her, a small bag hanging from his fingertips. “So I know in that manual Tenya was showing us it said we should label our luggage so…” He pulled two plastic rectangles from the bag and handed one to her. “I got us matching luggage tags!” Ochako’s was a navy blue with swirling teal galaxies and dotted with white stars. A chibi version of Thirteen pointed at the clear laminated plastic covering the card. Izuku proudly held up one that was a bright purple with his own chibi Midnight on the tag. His grin was wide and infectious, and Ochako couldn’t resist smiling back at him.

“They had a couple of All Might ones but I figured I have enough of his merch and it wouldn’t have matched as well as with the Thirteen one. What do you think?” Ochako laughed.

“I love it! I didn’t think you could ever have enough All Might merch though?” Izuku shrugged back at her.

“I guess I just wanted to honor some of the other heroes I admire, you know? Besides, once they start making Uravity merch I’ll have to transition to collecting that instead.” Ochako thought back to her daydream and the nerves in her stomach decided to make themselves known. She felt the stare of lego Midnight at her back. Ah, fuck it. Two can play at this game, Izuku.

“Oh? Are you going to be my number one fanboy?” Ochako took a step closer to him, close enough to brush her chest against his. “Here I was hoping you’d be my number one good boy instead.” She watched his throat bob as he swallowed thickly. Thank you, Midnight! Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest, but she pushed it down in favor of snatching Izuku’s free hand in her own.

“Come on, you wanted to get some training weights, right? Let’s go!” She sprinted down the mall, using her elation and leftover nerves as fuel to drag a slightly dazed and reddened Deku in her wake. She felt a vicious little giggle bubble up out of her. This is for the train station, you adorable green tease!

Eventually, Izuku felt his brain reset. Ochako had finished dragging him most of the way through the mall and slowed down to the point where he could now walk beside her instead of being pulled like a sled. Her hand, however, was still tightly wrapped around his. What did all this mean? He had sworn for a moment it had looked like she was about to…

Don’t be ridiculous, you quirkless bastard. Why would she want to kiss you? No one wants a worthless Deku as a boyfriend.

Izuku shuddered as the whispers invaded his mind. He felt Ochako bump into his arm and look up at him with a questioning glance.

“Are you okay?” She held up their entwined hands. “Is this okay with you?”

“Yeah, yes. I mean of course it is! It’s just-”

“Ah, could I interest the lovely couple in a sample?” Couple? Izuku blinked at the salesman who had suddenly appeared in front of him. He had a strange looking mutation quirk that made his skin a bright sky blue and horns grow from his head. His pure white eyes lacked an iris or pupil, but they shone with energy nonetheless. Maybe he’s related to Ashido-san?

“Oh, I’m sorry we-”

“Oh no need to be shy, young lady. Here, try this scent on.” He flicked open a bottle in his hand and sprayed a fine mist into the air. Izuku coughed into his shoulder and his eyes burned. “This is a brand new quirk enhanced perfume. It’s been modified to smell exactly like your partner’s favorite things. So? What does it smell like, young man?”

Izuku blinked the residual tears from his eyes and focused in on Ochako. She looked between him and the salesman, a little annoyed at the interruption but a steady stream curiosity beginning to overtake her annoyance. Eh, I’ll try it. He took a breath in.

“Sorry, I think it might be defective. I don’t really smell anything. It still smells like that lavender perfume you were wearing when we came in.” Ochako flushed a deep scarlet. The salesman laughed and put a hand on Izuku’s free shoulder. 

“Well, it seems like you got yourself a good one, little lady. Here, take this sample on the house for being such good sports about it, yeah? Please, I insist.” The two of them managed to extract themselves from the man, Izuku absently tucking the bottle into his bag of merch from the store.

He thought we were a couple. Izuku snuck a look toward their hands which were once again swinging between them as they continued to walk. Are we… is this… what?

“Izuku? Izu-kun?” No, there has to be some sort of other explanation, right? I mean, Uraraka wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone like me. I’m so weird and plain and she’s so… everything I’m not. “Deku-kun? Hey, Deku!” I never should have listened to Midnight-sensei. I can’t do this. I’m not confident or cool or anything. I should probably just - “Deku!”

“Huh?” He blinked dumbly at Ochako who had gripped him by the shoulders and was still shaking him. “Ochako, what-” “No! You are going to listen to me here and now, got it mister?” Her face was red from anger. He had only seen this look in her eyes once, when she had declared her intent to win the sports festival in front of the class, so Izuku did the smartest thing he could and nodded mutely.

“Good. You are smart, amazing and wonderful, Izuku Midoriya. You are incredible and cute and brave and you are going to be the most amazing hero one day damn it, so don’t say those things about yourself! Any girl would be lucky to have you but they’ll have to wait in the back of the fucking line!”

“Ochako, what-” She cut him off by pressing her body against his. She was close enough that Izuku’s world was dominated by the smell of lavender and warm brown eyes.

“I love you, Izuku Midoriya.” 

Izuku’s breath was stolen from him as Ochako slammed her lips against his. She tasted like green tea and mint, a combination that immediately became Izuku’s new favorite. Distantly, he felt like it was probably a little awkward that they were kissing in the middle of a mall but that part of him was quickly bludgeoned into submission by the rush of joy and warmth from having Ochako in his arms. Eventually she pulled back. Izuku felt like he had run a marathon and like he could run a hundred more. The energy in him buzzed like One for All had gotten shaken up in a soda can and was ready to burst. Ochako smiled, nervous and hopeful with a dash of mischievous glee hidden in it. Izuku was pretty sure he was smiling as well but he couldn’t feel anything but the ghost of her lips on his.

“Well, boyfriend, we should get going. I think I was promised some mochi.” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “And I think I know what I want for dessert after.”

Izuku shuddered. His hand was grabbed and Ochako pulled him after her, laughs spilling from both of them. There were a few wolf-whistles and cat-calls that made the two of them blush as they ran off deeper into the mall but Izuku couldn’t care less. He just hoped that she wouldn’t let go of his hand.

Oh, I’m so screwed.

Chapter Text

Izuku still had a dopey smile on his face as he fit his key into the lock on the apartment door. He had walked Ochako back to her door and she had laid another haymaker of a kiss on him before he left. After that he had walked home in a daze. It wasn’t a dissimilar feeling to the effects of her quirk. His stomach kept trying to detach itself from his body and he felt like he might as well have been walking on clouds. Izuku had done his best to rub her lipstick off of him before he got home but he was still desperately hoping he could sneak past his mother and shower before dinner to help hide the evidence. He toed off his sneakers in the genken, and tip-toed past the kitchen.

“Izuku? Is that you? Could you come in here?” Izuku sighed quietly and made his way to the living room. So much for the stealthy approach.

“Yeah mom, what’s up?”

“My my, looks like someone has been having a little fun .” Izuku stiffened at the familiar teasing tone. He looked up in horror into the smirking face of Kayama Nemuri, lounging on the chair opposite his mother sipping from a glass of red wine. She was wearing a long gauzy navy skirt and a white top, her glasses doing little to hide the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “It seems like you got caught in the bloom of young romance, eh Izuku?”

“K-Kayama-sensei?! What are you doing here?”

“I invited her, darling.” Inko was sitting on the couch with her own glass of wine. She was similarly dressed in slightly more formal attire, a dark gray skirt with a green blouse and an off white sweater over her shoulders. “I thought that this was a good opportunity to have your mentors over for dinner to thank them for all the work they’ve done. She’s our guest so be respectful.” Midnight waved away Inko’s rebuke.

“It’s alright, Inko-san. I’m sure it’s quite shocking to have your teacher show up out of the blue to have dinner and wine with your lovely mother.” She winked and Inko blushed with a light giggle. “You simply have to tell me your skin care routine. You barely look old enough to be Midoriya’s sister!” Kayama’s eyes glinted with joy over the rim of her wine glass. Izuku resisted a shudder as he watched his teacher flirt with his mom. What. Is. Happening?

“Darling, why don’t you go get changed into something a little more formal for dinner, okay?” His mom suggested. “We’re still waiting on our other guest.”

“Why Inko, you wouldn’t be trying to get me alone would you? How scandalous.”

Izuku mechanically walked toward his room to the soundtrack of his mother and teacher’s laughter. All of the hope and positivity in his heart from the amazing date with Ochako shriveled and died. This, this is hell.

“Nemuri, you are a riot!” More than enough wine had been poured at this point that Nemuri had switched to water for the rest of the evening. The last thing she wanted to do was get truly drunk in front of three strangers, especially when two were her student and his mother. “I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for my son. He’s finally come out of his shell while at U.A. and from what he’s told me you’ve had quite a lot to do with that.”

“He’s the one doing all the work, Inko. I’m just giving him a little guidance.”

“Still, I want you to know that I appreciate it.” She settled her wine glass against the end table next to her. “May I ask you a question though?” Inko leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees and rest her chin on her bridged fingers. Her eyes, which had been kind and open, hardened into a cold and calculating stare. The intensity that rolled off of her irradiated any doubt Nemuri could have had that this was Izuku’s mother. It was the same stare that she had seen in Izuku when he assessed a task in training. It was a stare meant to dissect a problem to its core and reveal every avenue of victory and it was currently making Nemuri empathize for all the bugs under microscopes everywhere. “Why are you helping my son?”

Well this was a development. Honestly, Nemuri should have expected something like this. From what little Izuku had told her about his mother she was a fiercely protective woman who had raised Izuku on her own since he was born. If Nemuri were in her position she would also be wary of strangers who entered her child’s life. Still, does she have to be so scary?!

“Initially it was just because he was a student who asked for help. I would have done the same for anyone but after that first lesson…  he reminded me a lot of myself.” Nemuri swallowed thickly at the rush of memories from her own first year at U.A. “I had a lot of people help build me up when I was his age. I know what it’s like to be anxious and scared and feel like you don’t deserve to be a hero. I wanted to help him the way others helped me and at this point he’s kind of like a little brother to me.” 

Nemuri felt a little surprised at the answer herself. The more she talked the more she realized each word was true. Izuku had started out as her student but he did feel like family. She was used to being the youngest in the room. Her friends at U.A. were the year ahead of her and she mostly grew up at the salon surrounded by older women. Shouta and Hizashi still had a tendency to treat her like a younger sibling at times. It felt nice to step into the older sister role for a change. She felt a weight leave her shoulders as Inko’s stare relaxed.

“You’re a good woman, Kayama Nemuri. I’m sorry for the interrogation, I just had to make sure. You understand, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah, of course.” Was this how All Might felt when I cornered him in the staff room? Maybe I should apologize to him.

Izuku pulled down the sleeves of his button up as he made his way back to the living room. Do I really need to get this hemmed? I just bought it!

“Hey mom, did this shirt get into the dryer by accident? I think it may have shrunk a bit.” Inko went to respond when the doorbell rang.

“Oh! That must be our other guest. Izuku, could you set the table? We’ll be eating in a few minutes.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead as she passed. “You look fine dear.” Inko rushed to the entryway, leaving Izuku disoriented in her wake. Midnight unfolded herself from the chair and leaned in to whisper in Izuku’s ear.

“You missed some lipstick on your cheek there.” He blushed in embarrassment and furiously rubbed at his cheek as Kayama cackled. “Honestly, you make it too easy sometimes Midoriya! So, who’s the lucky someone~” His teacher waggled her eyebrows at him and Izuku fought to not turn himself into a strawberry with his ever-darkening blush. Why did I ever think taking lessons from her was a good idea again? Izuku ignored the heroine’s needling as his mom returned with a very familiar silhouette behind her.

“Okay, before everyone takes their seats, I believe some introductions are in order. Mr. Yagi, this is Kayama Nemuri. Nemuri, this is Yagi Toshinori, Izuku’s personal trainer.”

Izuku was caught like an observer to a train crash. If this were an anime he imagined the camera would pan on his face giving him the classic fish-eyed angle of horror. The skeletal form of All Might towered over his mother and the other occupants of the room. His familiar, but still hideous, yellow suit hung off of his frame, a wine bottle clutched in one arm. His mentor looked even more gaunt as shock filled his features. Midnight was similarly stunned, all traces of the teasing Izuku had endured earlier erased.

“Yagi?!”

“Kayama?”

“All- Yagi?!”

“Young Midoriya?”

“And I’m Inko!” His mother clapped her hands. “Now, would everyone please sit down? Dinner is served!”

I was wrong, Izuku thought dizzily as his mother began to herd people into their seats. Hell has to be better than this.

The uncomfortable silence was only broken by the occasional cough and the clicking of chopsticks against plates. Izuku sat across from his mom, who had attempted to make small talk but had fallen silent as the tension grew between the others at the table. Izuku had no idea what was going through her head right now, but he knew that she had at least realized there was more to the situation than met the eye. Izuku himself was mostly stuck in panic mode, cataloging the questioning glares Kayama was sending at both him and Yagi. His mentor was eating slowly, focused on the rice in front of him. Izuku knew it must have been doubly uncomfortable for him. He was not only forced into this situation but food in general was a somewhat touchy subject for the hero after his stomach injury. He couldn’t eat much and often had to drink supplement-infused water and shakes in order to maintain some semblance of a normal diet. Still, Izuku appreciated his silent reassuring presence more than he could ever put into words. Izuku had managed to focus mostly on his own plate, but now that people were finishing up the heavy tension in the room was ratcheting up once again. 

“Well, I suppose I will go get the dessert I prepared.” Inko stood up from the table. “Please excuse me.” Midnight stood from the table with a heated glare toward Yagi. 

“Allow me to help you, Inko-san.” When both had walked away, Izuku nodded his head to the hallway and he and Yagi slipped away. 

“This is a little awkward, my boy.”

“Oh you think?” Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath. “Sorry, All Might. I’m just a little overwhelmed right now.”

“No need for apologies my boy, it was a poor attempt at a joke. What do you think we should do, young Midoriya?”

“I don’t know. I mean, Midnight is definitely going to figure things out sooner or later. And my mom is absolutely going to know that things aren’t right even if we convince Kayama not to tell her. I just- I don’t know All Might. I can’t really see a way out of this.”

“Well, we could always tell them the truth, my boy.” Izuku gaped at his mentor.

“But sir! Are you sure it would be a good idea?” All Might laid a hand on his shoulder.

“One for All is your quirk now, Izuku. You are the one who holds this burden and you are the one who decides who to let in on this. I kept everything secret for most of my life but you are far more sociable than I ever was.” His eyes grew a little foggy as his voice dropped. “The closest people I had to family were my master and Gran Torino and both knew about our quirk long before I did. There were few people that I met throughout my life that I even thought about telling the truth.”

“But that was because of All for One, right? Telling people could put them in danger.”

“Yes and no.” At Izuku’s look of confusion, All Might sighed. “Being associated with me could have put people in danger, true. But telling them what they were in for could have also helped protect myself and them. Sometimes I wonder if I had involved more people in the fight against that demon if we would be having any of the problems we are today.

“But there will always be risks, young Midoriya. Taking the idea of One for All and All for One out of the equation, you’re aiming to be the top hero. The next Symbol of Peace. That will cause some issues in and of itself. There are quite a few enemies I’ve made over my career that would love nothing more than to track down someone close to me and use them to get to me, even disregarding All for One and his syndicate. There is always risk involved in being a loved one to a great hero. I never gave myself the chance to find out if the risk was worth it. Maybe it will be for you though.” 

All Might offered him a tight smile. This was a far cry from the brash and bold smiles of the number one hero. This smile was from Yagi Toshinori, his mentor. In it was the burden that came with holding on to their great secret over his many years of having the quirk. “Isn’t that what us old folks are for after all? To make the world better for you kids?”

“Would you tell them?” Izuku sniffled. “If you were in my position would you tell them the truth?”

All Might was silent for a long moment before responding. ”I isolated myself from a young age because I wanted to be a pillar. I wanted to be the one to hold up society and show them that things could change. And maybe it worked, but my boy, you have to choose your own path. You’re going to be twice the hero that I ever was, Izuku. You’re so smart and you’ve got even more resolve in you than me. But you are a social kid. You have friends and peers that motivate you, family that loves you and wants to protect you. You have to decide what’s right for you.”

Yagi brought his arms around Izuku and crushed him into a hug. Izuku melted into his mentor’s embrace. He had gotten to enjoy a lot of hugs from All Might in the almost year and a half he had known him. His muscle form gave amazing hugs but there was something very special about being hugged by the skinnier version of his mentor. They shared the same warmth, but this way Izuku could wrap his own arms around Yagi’s midsection. The slight boniness of the taller man’s elbows and ribs, it felt right. It felt like finding a missing piece of himself.

“Alright,” Izuku said. He wiped the tears that threatened to leak out away from his eyes and set his face in a determined expression. “Let’s tell them the truth.”

Nemuri was skeptical of the way that Izuku and Yagi were conspiring as she returned to the table. She didn’t know why All Might was here, or how Inko seemingly didn’t know that Yagi was the fucking Number One Hero, but she was on guard and ready for anything that those two could come up with to try and lie to her.

And then they started talking.

Frankly most of what they were saying was utterly ridiculous. A transferrable quirk? All Might’s transferrable quirk? It was insane. What were the odds that the number one hero would stumble on a quirkless boy with a heart of gold in a city with millions of people and stick around to witness an act of heroism that he personally considered so inspiring that he decided to train the boy to become the next symbol of peace and holder of the single most powerful individual quirk to ever exist? It was preposterous and crazy and every word was true . 

Nemuri had spent enough time around both Izuku and Yagi to figure out their tells and neither of them were accomplished liars. Hell most of the faculty had figured out there was something shady that All Might was keeping quiet. Most of them just figured he had a secret love child somewhere and that’s why he was settling down. Snipe had even put money that it was Midoriya that was his misbegotten child and Yagi had finally gotten around to actually being a dad. (Frankly Nemuri would have thought that was far more likely than the tale that those two had just told her.)

It was simply too absurd not to be true though, and that frightened Nemuri to her core. Izuku’s quirk, the bone shattering quirk that also apparently held the quirks of six other heroes in it, wasn’t just a late addition. He was never supposed to have it in the first place. His quirk wasn’t just too strong for his body, it seemed like One for All would have been too strong for anyone’s. He had had a quirk for less than six months. A part of her marveled at the idea that with only a few months of experience using a quirk and a year of intense physical training Izuku had managed to rocket himself to near the top of U.A 's first years. It was impressive on its own but with context it was a damn miracle.

Another large part of her wanted to smack All Might upside his stupid head. Based on the sheepish glances in her direction the man had some idea of the number of violations to protocol and basic fucking ethics he had committed in the process of his and Midoriya’s first meeting. That fact alone saved him from her ripping into him in front of the Midoriyas but she was going to have words for him when they left here. 

“Izuku, I- well, I’m not sure I understand entirely. This ‘blackwhip’, it’s not a mutation on my quirk but it’s the quirk of, you said a ‘vestige’?” Inko looked baffled as she stared at her son. Nemuri couldn’t really blame her for that. Not only did All Might give a teenager the strongest quirk in existence, but oh yeah it was also haunted by the ghosts of the dead previous users. 

“Yeah. I can, uh, I can sort of talk to a version of the previous holders that has been saved inside of One for All. I don’t know if it’s their souls, exactly, but it’s like a version of their mind that was saved by the quirk before they passed on One for All.”

“There is still quite a lot we don’t know,” All Might picked up the thread. “Unfortunately, most of the history of the previous users of One for All was lost. Many passed on the quirk in their final moments to the nearest available person. Izuku and I are the exceptions to the rule, in a sense. My master chose me based on my desire to be a symbol. I chose Izuku for similar reasons.”

Nemuri narrowed her eyes at All Might. The users of one of the most powerful quirks to ever exist dying in battle? All of them? Who the hell was powerful enough to hunt down several generations of quirk users each more powerful than the last? Her eyes drifted to Yagi’s side where his injury was hidden by his clothes. Could he have… She and Yagi definitely needed to have a chat after this.

This time it was Inko’s turn to glare at the Symbol of Peace. “And were you ever planning on telling me all of this yourself, Yagi? Or were you going to continue lying to Izuku’s mother the whole time you trained him?”

“I-, well you see-” 

“Did you not stop to think through the consequences of your actions or did you assume that your being the number one hero would just inure us all to your mistakes?”

“I- but,- that’s not exactly-” “I suppose being the number one hero has made you feel a certain sense of invulnerability. Well that’s not the case. I’m afraid that a smile won’t be enough to solve your problems this time, All Might.”

“Mom!” Izuku hissed. Even Nemuri was forced to wince at the venom in Inko’s voice. If she had thought she was in danger earlier then she had no idea the kind of terror was in Yagi’s heart right now. “That’s uncalled for.”

“No, it’s alright, young Midoriya. She is not wrong. I have made several mistakes in my time as your teacher and I can only hope that you forgive me in the future.”

Nemuri watched Inko eye the symbol of peace, judging his words. The mother sighed.

“I’m sorry, Yagi-san. I’m afraid I let my surprise overwhelm my better judgement.”

“It’s alright ma’am, I recognize this must be a lot all at once.” Inko waved his words away and wrapped her hands around the cup of coffee in her hands. Much of the rest of desert had been forgotten in the wake of the bombshells that were dropped, but Inko had kept a steady flow of coffee into her own cup to stay sane while processing her son’s story.

“I know a thing or two about fool-hardy men keeping national secrets, Yagi. It’s difficult to place trust in others when you bear the entire world on your shoulders.” She traced her fingers around the rim of her coffee mug, staring at something that none of the rest of them could see. “I wasn’t as supportive of Izuku being a hero as I should have been.” Izuku opened his mouth to protest but Inko cut him off. “No it’s true Izuku. It is one of my biggest regrets that it has taken me this long to realize this was more than a child’s fantasy. I thought if I dissuaded you from it I could keep you safe, but you’re too much like your father, stubborn down to your toes the both of you.”

She looked up at All Might. “You have done more for my son’s dreams than I ever have. You gave him the opportunity to be a hero. If not for you I don’t think Izuku would be anywhere near as happy as he is today.” Her eyes hardened again. “But if my boy gets hurt again you will wish that you had never been born, got that?”

“Y-yes ma’am.” All Might dropped into a low bow on the floor, making Nemuri’s eyes widen in surprise. “I promise, I will protect Izuku with my life. I will die for him if need be.”

“No,” Nemuri whipped her head over to Inko who beheld All Might with all the weight of the world in her eyes. She seemed to hold on to an unspeakable grief with her gaze, and Nemuri wondered what could have happened to her to give her such a haunted look. “It is very easy to die for someone, All Might. You’re my son’s hero; it would break his heart if you died. No. What I’m asking you to do is much harder. I’m asking you to live for him. Treat him like your child, your legacy. Because as far as I see it, being your successor is taking on your legacy. So train him, nurture him. Protect him. But don’t die for him, Yagi Toshinori. Live for him.”

“So why do it now?” Inko had asked for a little time to process all the truths that had been revealed tonight and had retreated to her room. Nemuri took advantage of the opportunity to fix All Might with a glare that promised if he left without her she would hunt him down and grab the younger Midoriya by the arm and drag him off to his room to have a private conversation. She was barely fazed by the litany of All Might merch in his room, though made a mental note to tease him for it later, and immediately launched into her questions.

“Well,” Izuku picked at a nail while he considered his answer. Nemuri reached into her purse and shoved a fidget cube into his hands. He smiled in thanks before continuing. “I honestly wanted to tell you for a while now. But it’s not just my secret, you know? It’s wrapped up with All Might’s secrets too and I couldn’t just go blabbing out those to people. One for All has a complex history and even I don’t know all of it.”

He fiddled with the cube for a moment. “I interned with All Might’s teacher, Gran Torino. All Might always said his master was the one who inspired him and enabled him to be a teacher but Gran was the one who made him into All Might. I need that too. All Might is my inspiration, my predecessor, but I need someone who can help me figure out the type of hero that I want to be.” He looked up at her with those big green eyes and she cursed every god she could think of that the boy had learned to weaponize them. “I need someone like you. You’re just as important to me as All Might, Kayama-sensei. I’m sorry that I lied to you.”

Nemuri gave up pretending to be angry and brought him into a hug. “Nah, it’s okay, kiddo. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. It’s like you said, there’s a lot of other people’s secrets at stake too.” She squeezed him a little bit tighter. Most of her anger had just been worry. All this talk of quirks and legacies made her head spin and she had years of experience as a hero. Izuku was just fifteen and this was what he was worrying about at night?

“Just don’t bottle this stuff up anymore, okay? You’ve got people that you can rely on, like me or your mom or even that big blond idiot out there.” Izuku let out a muffled laugh. “You can tell us anything, okay kid? You’ve got to let yourself feel things sometimes, Midoriya. Shoving all this stuff down can get you through the day, but sooner or later the pressure explodes.”

“I will. Thank you.” She felt her heart swell. Why did all this have to happen to this kid? Every time she learned something new about Izuku it made her even more worried about him. Another fluffy haired teen crossed her mind and she pulled Izuku in tight enough that he started to wriggle in her grasp. Why did the worst things always happen to the best people? She couldn’t help Oboro anymore but she would be damned before she let anything else happen to Izuku.

“I’ve got some ideas on how to help you train Blackwhip. I’ll start compiling some things for after you get back from the summer camp. For now, just make sure you’re taking some time for yourself, yeah? You work too hard as it is and now that I know all the stress you’ve been putting yourself under…” Nemuri took a hand off his shoulder and took the opportunity to ruffle his hair. (Honestly, how the hell was it so soft? She should ask Inko if it was something he inherited from his dad or if she bought a specific shampoo.) 

“Don’t forget to be a kid, okay?”

“Yes, Kayama-sensei.”

“Uh uh, cutie. You’re family now. I’ve flirted with your mom and we’ve shared national secrets, I think that at least earns me Nemuri.”

“Nemuri-san?”

“If you’d rather call me Nee-san, I think that could be arranged~”

“Nemuri works! I can do Nemuri!”  She laughed and pinched his red cheeks.

“Good boy.”

“I’m going to protect him.” Toshinori looked curiously at Kayama as the two of them made their way down the darkened streets. A soft wind blew through the high-rises and apartment buildings, not enough to truly be cold near the beginning of July but enough to make All Might wish he had worn a jacket over his suit. His skinny form didn’t have nearly as much insulation as his muscular form.

“Whatever it takes, I’m going to make sure that Izuku becomes the best hero he can be. But in order to do that, you need to tell me everything All Might.” She looked up at him, blue eyes boring into his own. “I know you didn’t tell his mother everything, but I’m a hero. Whatever it is, I can take it and I want to help.” Yagi sighed. He knew it was no use arguing. The tone she used was the same one his master had used often, the same that young Midoriya used in battle. It offered no quarter or mercy and promised that she would go to the ends of the earth to see her words through.

“Let me tell you the story of two brothers…”

By the time he finished, Nemuri’s face had hardened into a stony resolve. 

“Wow… Shouta was right, you really are an idiot.”

“Well that seems a little uncalled for.”

“So is giving a fifteen year old boy a haunted quirk and putting him on the target list of a near immortal super villain who calls himself the Symbol of Evil!”

“That’s fair.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to help take down All for One and his league as much as I can. But,” she snuck a not too subtle look to his side that had Yagi bristling. “Do you really think you can beat him this time?”

“I’ll have to. In order to keep my promise to young Midoriya and his mother, I’ll stop him once and for all.”

“Well then count me in. Let’s go hunt a demon.”

“I’m proud of you, Izuku.” He paused holding the leftovers and looked toward his mom who focused on the dishes in the sink. “I know I wasn’t always supportive of your dreams growing up, but you’ve chased them down and are making your way in this world. You’ve got some good mentors and good friends. Just please, no more secrets, okay?”

“Uh…” “Izuku? Do you have something to tell me?”

“I have a girlfriend.” Izuku winced at the shattering sounds of plates hitting the ground.

“WHAT?!”

Katsuki ignored the chatter of his parents at the dining table. He deliberately missed the worried glances they kept sending him as he stirred his noodles in his bowl. He was going to be the best hero in the world. He would surpass All Might and Deku and anyone else who stood in his way. Wasn’t he?

Because the way you treat him is wrong. It’s wrong and cruel and it was unfair of the rest of the world to overlook your behavior. But it’s the job of a hero to fight the cruelty and unfairness and the wrongs of the world.

This was ridiculous. Why the hell was he even worked up over this for? That hobo had no idea what he was talking about. Being a hero was about winning no matter what. It was about always being the best and crushing villains under his feet. Right?

Like Endeavor? A voice whispered from the back of his mind, one that sounded like Aizawa-sensei. He destroyed his family to try and beat All Might. Who’s to say you won’t be any different? Katsuki was jolted back to the conversation he had overheard at the Sports Festival. A whispered confession of a motivation that Katsuki couldn’t even pretend to fully understand.

He shook his head violently to get rid of that thought, spraying broth across the table. He ignored the resulting yells from the hag. No, he was different from Endeavor. He was better. Stronger. Deku wasn’t All Might and he wasn’t Endeavor.

Deku has All Might in his corner, the whisper pointed out. He’s watching out for him. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

But what was the lesson he was supposed to learn? Don’t beat your fucking kids? Pretty easy, he never wanted any in the first place. Don’t buy a wife in a desperate attempt to one up his rival? He didn’t need one anyway. He was happier by himself. Leave the romance to Round Cheeks and Deku.

How about ‘be a better person’? That seem like a good lesson?

You know, I don’t like the actual version of you. Katsuki thought to the voice of Aizawa in his head. I like the mental version even fucking less.

Chapter Text

¡EEVEE!

Sylveon

I really feel like I’m forgetting something…

Vaporeon

Same kero

Glaceon

Did you remember to pack a marker in case your evil twin invades the camp and we have to make a note on your head to remember which is the real one?

If not I am bringing extras.

Jolteon

Uhhhh

Umbreon

Todoroki what in the actual fuck

How do I get my hands on whatever drugs you are on

Vaporeon

Sometimes I worry about you Shoto

Sylveon

Sometimes?

Glaceon

@Umbreon I could ask Natsuo’s boyfriend? But I don’t believe I am on any drugs.

Flareon

@Sylveon Ochako I can send you the list again if you would like!

*Summer-training-camp-requirements.pdf*

Please remember that your shoes should be broken-in prior to the camp!

Sylveon

Thank you @Flareon

You’re my favorite, class rep!!

Jolteon

:(

Sylveon

@Jolteon you’re still my favorite don’t worry

Jolteon

:D

Umbreon

So are we going to address the elephant in the room or what?

@Sylveon @Jolteon are you two dating or what?

Flareon

Shinsou! We agreed we would wait for them to tell us on their own!

Sylveon

Wait you guys knew?!

Betrayal!!

Jolteon

Ochako we were literally gone from the pool yesterday for like 20 minutes

The hickies on my neck were not subtle babe

And you were not much better

Sylveon

lol fair enough ig

Vaporeon

More importantly who asked out who

Flareon

*whom

Who asked out whom

Glaceon

@Flareon Three weeks of shame for violating the grammar police rules.

Jolteon

Shame!

Vaporeon

Shame @Flareon

Sylveon

Shame!

Bad Tenya!

Flareon

My apologies.

Sylveon

@Vaporeon I asked him out actually!

Finally womaned up

Umbreon

Dammit!

Vaporeon

Pay up, kero @Umbreon

Sylveon

You bet on us?!

TSU!!!!!!

Glaceon

@Umbreon Lesson one of the hero course

Never bet against Tsu

Vaporeon

*Ribbits Smugly*

Sylveon

Wait @Umbreon why are you even here???

I thought you didn’t need friends

Umbreon

Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering

Plus Tsu is pretty cool

Vaporeon

*Ribbits Smugly*

“Bakugou, come here.” Shouta watched the boy trudge over in his direction. His other brats were all clamoring over one another vying for the best space in the bus or to have their bags get on first or just generally making a racket. The two exceptions were Shinsou who stood off to the side with a glare and heavy headphones over his ears, and Bakugou who looked in far worse shape than Shouta had ever seen him. Heavy eyebags, not unlike his own, hung underneath his eyes. Maybe a little sleeplessness will help soften his edges a bit.

“What do you want?” The boy snarled at him. Or not. 

“I was just going to remind you of the restrictions in place that even allow you to attend this camp in the first place. You use your quirk without permission, you go near Midoriya at all, you step one foot out of line and you’re gone. Got it?”

“Yeah yeah, I got it, alright?” Shouta held his eyes for a beat before nodding. Bakugou wandered off back toward the group. There were some distinct divides amongst his students at Bakugou’s presence. Midoriya’s friends seemed to close ranks around him, Uraraka glaring holes into the side of the blond’s head. Midoriya seemed tentative, though Shouta was thankful that the boy was keeping his distance. He wasn’t sure he would have been the bigger person if Shouta was in that situation. Kirishima and Kaminari tried their best to engage Bakugou in conversation but they were steadily rebuffed. Sero and Ashido both gravitated toward their group but kept a small bit of distance, not quite closing in as much as they once would have. Jirou and Yaoyorozu floated closer to Midoriya’s group with Ojiro, Tokoyami and Hagakure nearby. Sato, Shoji, and Koda stayed mostly neutral in their own small circle while Shinsou and Aoyama stood apart.

Ah, good. Teenage Drama. This was so much easier when I expelled more of these brats. 

The bus was chaotic and loud. Iida was shouting in an attempt to establish some sort of order but was being roundly ignored by the rest of the class. Kaminari was charging six different phones, Jiro had hooked up a small speaker and was playing low electronica for the quiet kids in the back. Several people appeared to be shouting just for the fun of it and Katsuki was, of course, yelling back just as loudly. With all of that in consideration, Izuku felt incredibly at peace. Normally he would have been overwhelmed by all the chaos happening, but the warm presence of Ochako at his side made it far easier to tolerate his surroundings.

Ochako was pressed between him and the wall of the bus, head on his shoulder. Her soft breathing made him think that she was asleep but every so often she would try to burrow deeper into his side or squeeze his hand to remind him she was at least a little awake. Izuku scrolled idly through hero news and occasionally made notes about what he wanted to get out of the training camp. He hadn’t gotten an opportunity to buckle down and work solely on improving One for All like this since his interrupted internship with Gran Torino and he wanted to make sure he got everything he could from it.

“Heyy, Midori~” Izuku looked up at Ashido who had mostly climbed over the seat to look down at the two of them.  “Why can’t I get snuggles like that, hm? Are they just girlfriend privileges?”

“Sorry, Ashido. You’d have to at least buy me dinner first.”

“Boo.” The pink girl pouted before giving Izuku a wink. “Well, I’m pretty good at sharing if you two are ever interested.”

Izuku went to respond but a pair of strong arms wrapped around his center and squeezed him. Ochako mumbled from her place on his shoulder.

“Fuck off, Mina. He’s mine.” Mina laughed.

“If you change your mind just let me know, Ocha.” Ashido sat back disappearing once more behind the seatback. 

“So bold, that girl.” Ochako, still mostly asleep, readjusted to lay across Izuku’s lap with her head on his thighs.

“Hey, Ochako?” The girl in his lap let out a sleepy ‘Hmm’ so Izuku continued. “Does it bother you that I flirt with other people? You know I only want you right?” Ochako cracked open one eye to look at Izuku’s face.

“Honestly Deku, it doesn’t bother me. I get a little jealous, sure, but I know you’re going to come back to me at the end of the day. Plus, it’s part of your hero persona and I’ve seen how much more confident it’s made you. Just don’t forget you’re mine, got it?”

“Got it.” Izuku leaned in to press a quick kiss to his girlfriend’s forehead. “You’re the best, Ochako.”

“You’re damn right I am.” Ochako rolled over to press her face into his stomach. “Now hush up, pillow. I’m going to try and get as much sleep as I can before Aizawa tortures us for a week straight.”

The rest of the trip was quiet and mostly uneventful as many of his classmates took cues from Ochako and settled in to sleep or relax. Izuku switched to reading through the notes Midnight had given him on things she wanted him to work on. A lot of the items on it were things they had worked on together during their lessons: keeping his persona up during training, striking harder while not damaging the environment around him, trying to raise his controllable percentage of One for All, all things Izuku had expected to be on there. The one item on it he was most dreading, however, was trying to figure out a way to work on Blackwhip. 

Daigoro said that the trigger for Blackwhip was his anger. There wasn’t a shortage of things for him to be angry about. The years of abuse he had taken when he was quirkless. Stain and his followers. Tomura Shigaraki.

All for One.

But Izuku didn’t like feeling angry. Anger felt hot and gross in his throat, like lava rising through his core. He couldn’t think straight when he was angry. Everything got a little blurry in the peripherals. He preferred to stay in control. His mom said that cool heads always prevail in the end. Anger was like one of those energy drinks he had tried when he first started training with All Might: it gave him a small temporary boost but made him feel like crap at the end of the day.

Logically, Izuku knew that quirks were tied to the user’s mental state. They were intrinsic parts of people and when they felt an overwhelming emotion their quirks would react. Izuku remembered  countless occasions where tiny explosions would spark from Bakugou’s hands and he had some of the strongest quirk control that Izuku had ever seen. Back in his fight with Mineta, One for All had reacted to his anger and flared past his max percentage for a brief moment. Even all the way back in the Stain fight he had felt One for All trying to strain past his limits. Blackwhip would respond to his emotions and if Izuku lost control of himself then the quirk would go out of control. He needed to figure out a new way of controlling the quirk. Anger on its own wasn’t a sustainable method of summoning or controlling it. He had to find something else. But what?

What had caused Blackwhip to appear the first time? He had been overwhelmed. All Might seemed so unbeatable. He had been standing between him and his goal, Bakugou screaming and raging and attacking even his own teammates. So was that it: frustration? 

That didn’t feel quite right either. He needed to stop getting so bogged down by details. Why was he getting frustrated and angry? The first fight he felt that unstoppable rush of anger was against Stain. Then again against Mineta before it boiled over in the final exams. So what was the commonality? 

The bus hit a bump that nearly caused Ochako to go flying from his lap. Izuku latched onto her so she wouldn’t be thrown and it hit him: it was people. He was trying to protect Iida from Stain, Momo and his female classmates from Mineta, during finals he had been trying to protect Bakugou from All Might. Even as far back as the USJ, the first time he had ever used One for All without breaking anything he had been trying to keep Tsu from being Shigaraki’s target. So was that it?

Izuku looked down at Ochako who hadn’t stirred even from the turbulence. He tried to evoke a part of that protective anger inside of him. He thought about Tomura Shigaraki trying to lay a hand on her. One for All flared in the back of his mind. His quirk didn’t activate fully, like it could tell the danger wasn’t quite real. There was a cautious wriggling of Blackwhip beneath his skin preparing itself for a fight. It wasn’t quite comfortable. It still felt like knives dancing on his nerves, but it wasn’t as frenzied. It felt more like being at the wheel of a powerful car. If he put too much in he’d speed up too fast and crash but right now he just felt it idling, waiting for his call.

Yeah, I can work with this.

When they all eventually made their way off of the bus to a rest stop, they were greeted with a truly spectacular view of the forest and nothing else.

“Uhh, hey Aizawa-sensei? This doesn’t seem like a rest stop? It kinda looks like we just pulled over on some random road.” Kaminari said.

“Yeah, like, I thought it would be more of like a gas station? What gives?” Ashido joined in.

“Your feline fantasies are here!” A voice cut through the confusion. Izuku perked his head up. He knew that call out! “Say Meow!”

“Purr-fectly cute and cat-like girls!” Another voice joined the first.

“You can call us, the Wild Wild Pussycats!” The voices finished together. Stepping out from a dark sedan were two members of the famous mountain rescue team, Pixie Bob and Mandalay!

“Heya, Eraser!” Mandalay called out. “Long time no see.”

“The Wild Wild Pussycats!” Izuku’s excitement couldn’t be contained anymore. “They’re an amazing four person hero team specializing in mountain search and rescue! They’re one of the highest ranking teams and have been active for over twelve years!” A large cat paw covered Izuku’s mouth before he could say any more.

“I think you have your math wrong,” Pixie Bob growled at him. “I’m eighteen at heart.” Izuku pulled her hand from his mouth and winked at her.

“There’s nothing wrong with experience, Ma’am. I’m sure you have a lot of valuable lessons to teach us and I can’t wait to watch and learn from you.” Izuku held on to eye contact with her until the older woman gave him a feral grin.

“Oh, I like this one Eraser. Can I keep him?”

“Once he’s eighteen and has graduated, go nuts. Problem Child, do not cause any lawsuits on this trip. Everyone else, these are your guest teachers for this year’s training camp. They will be hosting us at their forest camp just at the base of the mountain.”

“Why did we stop so far away?” Ochako asked.

“We both know the reason for that.” Tsu said.

“We should probably hop back on the bus, right?” came from Sero.

“Right now, it’s 9:30 in the morning. If you’re quick about it, maybe you’ll make it there in time for lunch.” Mandalay grinned wickedly.

In an instant the ground beneath them surged forward and dumped them all over the side of the guard rail. Izuku had time to think Damn you, Aizawa-sensei! before plummeting over the edge.

“You have three hours to finish. Have fun in the Beast’s Forest, kittens!”

“Wait, did she say ‘Beast’s Forest’?” Kaminari asked. “That sounds like something out of a fantasy game!”

“That can’t be right.” Sato said. “We must have heard wrong.”

Jiro groaned from her knees. “Why do we always fall for Aizawa’s tricks?”

“C’mon guys!” Kirishima pulled Sero and Kaminari to their feet. “It’s no use complaining. We should just get going!”

“Kirishima’s right!” Izuku accepted the hand Iida offered and clambered up from the ground. “We should stick to groups as best we can. Partners at minimum but try to stay with the whole class.” He moved to stand at the front of the class so he could see everyone. Most of them looked dirty but no one was injured in the fall which was good. “We can do this. Together!”

A roar came from the forest, answering Izuku’s call. A huge four-legged monster, a mix between a lizard and a lion with a long whipping tail and claws the size of Izuku’s arm, stepped out from the tree line. Its jaw opened and another roar tore through the clearing, making Shoji and Jiro clutch at their ears. Izuku looked back toward his class and felt a rush of protective anger.

I won’t let anyone else get hurt because I was too weak to save them. I’m going to beat this thing. I’m going to win so I can save them!

One for All sparked to life around him. Izuku thrust a fist forward, black tendrils clawing free from his knuckles. Four branches of Blackwhip rushed to the creature, two wrapping around its massive torso and two more attaching to the trees behind it. Please, Daigoro. Lend me your strength. Give me the power to protect my friends! The strands of Blackwhip went taut, and rather than pull more, Izuku let the quirk take control. Izuku was catapulted forward to the beast and in his short flight he cocked his free hand back. “SAN FRANCISCO SMASH!”

Izuku crashed through the beast spraying earth and dirt everywhere. He rolled as he hit the other side, stumbling a little as he did his best to dispel his momentum. The remains of the monster collapsed. It lost its shape, falling back into soil as Pixie Bob’s hold over it was broken. Izuku looked back at the others.

“Everyone, let’s go Plus Ul-” Several more cries rang out as three more earthen monsters emerged from the woods ahead of them. Ah shit. This is gonna be a long week.

Izuku limped past the last remaining trees, barely managing to keep to his feet as the Pussycat’s cabin came into sight. He was among the few who didn’t collapse, the vast majority of his classmates now lay groaning at his feet in various states of injury and distress. 

“I-” Shinsou paused to roll and vomit off to the side. Sero absently patted at his back. When he had finished, the purple haired boy continued. “I will never doubt any of you again. Is this shit normal in the hero course?”

“Maybe you should have spent a little bit more time on cardio, new purple boy.” Ashido snarked.

“It is very normal in the hero course.” Aizawa loomed over the class, passing a critical eye over their bruises and scrapes. “You should expect the difficulty of your training to only increase from here over the course of this week.” His announcement elicited groans from most of the students.

“I thought you said it would take us three hours?” Kaminari called out. “What gives?”

“Oh, well that was how long it would have taken us, I guess.” Mandalay shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Now you’re just bragging about how much better you are than us?” Sato laid back in the grass. “That’s so mean.”

“Well I thought you did great!” Pixie Bob called out. “Especially you four!” She pointed to the students still standing: Iida, Todoroki, Katsuki and Izuku himself. Izuku summoned the last dregs of energy from himself to offer her a sultry smile.

“I’ve always thought stamina was vital, I’m glad to see someone agrees with me.” He couldn’t resist adding a wink at the end. Pixie Bob grinned wildly at him.

“Oh, you’re just purr-fect. Dibs!” Izuku saw Ochako sit up from the corner of his eye. Waves of dark intent rolled off his partner. Aizawa’s eye twitched, a vein bulging in his forehead.

“First of all, no. Second of all, I might not be able to give Midnight detention but the same immunity does not apply to you, Problem Child. Finally, you should all get over here and eat something. After you put your bags away there are hot springs available for you to use before bed. Make sure you get some sleep tonight, tomorrow we begin in earnest.”

Aizawa walked away followed by Mandalay and Pixie Bob who offered a wave to the group as she left. Trailing behind them was a young boy wearing a red hat and the second most vicious expression he had ever seen on a child. (Nothing would ever top the time a kid in the grade above them had melted one of Kacchan’s All Might action figures when they were seven. Izuku still had nightmares of it on occasion.) Izuku jogged a little ahead to catch up to the kid.

“Hey, my name’s Midoriya Izuku, what’s your-” a flash of pain lanced through his brain. In between heart beats, Izuku found himself clutching the kid’s wrist, his knuckles poised to strike him in his crotch. He blinked at the kid, taking a moment to process, before smiling gently. “Well that wasn’t very nice.”

“Kota!” Mandalay ran over and scooped the boy into her arms. “I’m so sorry Midoriya. This is my nephew, he’s not exactly the biggest fan of heroes right now.” Mandalay walked away with Kota, chiding him for trying to hit someone. Izuku was left staring at her retreating back, the horned hat sticking out above her shoulder. He doesn’t like heroes?

He doesn’t just dislike heroes, he hates them. Izuku sat outside the boy’s cabin, watching the stars. He had never been this far outside of the city and the dazzling array of lights gave him an excellent backdrop to process his thoughts. He had managed to catch Mandalay outside the hot springs and she had revealed Kota’s tragic past. He hates heroes because his parents died on the job. And everyone praised them for it.

On one level, Izuku could understand the logic. There had been more than a few times he had felt resentful of his father for not being there, for his mother for working so much and causing him to grow up a little too fast, and he definitely still had some issues regarding teachers from all the years of them ignoring his pain. But it was still such a strange idea for him to process. Heroes were a fundamental part of who Izuku was. His dreams of being a hero were the only thing that got him through the darkest parts of his life. Hating heroes was antithetical to everything Izuku believed in.

“Come! Try me, you fakes! The only one allowed to kill me is All Might, the true hero!” Stain’s words came to his mind, unbidden. Were there more like him out there? Could so many people really hate heroes? Heroes saved people, how could they be hated for that?

“You alright, kid?” Izuku startled at Aizawa’s voice. The shadows melted around the man as he stepped out from the side of the cabin. His voice was softer than Izuku had ever heard it before. “Ragdoll let me know that one of the students was out of the cabin. I have to say I’m surprised it’s you.”

“Ah, I’m sorry sir. I was just thinking. I can go inside.” 

“It’s alright, Midoriya. I’m sure you have a good reason to be out this late.” Aizawa lowered himself to sit on the step beside him. “So what’s on your mind?”

“Sir?” Izuku couldn’t help the confusion that leaked out into his voice. Was this a trap? Aizawa sighed.

“Look, Midoriya. I put you in a position during your final exam that caused a dangerous quirk awakening because of my own negligence. I should have been checking in with you on your progress before now and I need to apologize for that.”

“I-it’s okay, sensei. Really! I know you’re super busy and everything. I’m fine!”

“Being busy is not an adequate excuse for not doing my job properly and checking in with my students.” He sounded bitter. If Izuku had to guess he would say it was self-loathing? He was intimately familiar with the feeling but it was strange to see it in someone else. “But seeing as how verbal apologies are irrational, I will be doing my best to rectify my mistakes in the future. So,” he turned and put the full weight of his gaze on Izuku. “What’s on your mind, Midoriya?”

“I-” Izuku looked away from his teacher and down toward his hands. “I don’t understand Kota, Mandalay’s nephew. He hates heroes, and it’s for a good reason, but…”

“But you’re struggling to rationalize it because it’s pretty different from your own experiences.” Izuku nodded as his teacher finished his thought for him. Aizawa sighed. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe in heroes when everything around you feels grim. You knew my hero name on the first day, so you know that I started in general education at U.A.”

“Yeah, you were the first person to ever transfer thanks to the sports festival.”

“That’s correct. But for a long time I didn’t think that heroes existed. It wasn’t until someone saved me that I started to believe in heroes. Sometimes words aren’t enough. No matter how much you convince them or beg or argue they won’t change. Change has to start from within. In order to get someone to change you have to inspire them to want to change, to grow and be better than they were. Someone did that for me when I was younger, and I became a hero to be that person for someone else. To honor their work and pay it forward.” Aizawa stood and nodded at Izuku. “You want that kid to believe in heroes again? Be that person for him.” 

The pair of them fell into silence as Izuku tried to absorb that new information. How did he inspire people though? What made someone want to change? It’s not like he could challenge Kota to a duel like he fought Shoto. So how could he inspire him? A flash of light blinded Izuku’s eye and distracted him from his thoughts. He looked up closer at his sensei and peered toward the messy stubble on his chin.

“Sensei… is that glitter in your hair?”

“No one will ever believe you, Problem Child.”

Morning came too bright and too early for most of Class A. Each of them were given a different task and one by one split up to begin working on their quirks leaving Izuku alone with Aizawa.

“Uh, Sensei, what will I be doing?”

“Well, that depends. You showed a lot of improvement with your whips during your hike here. Do you feel comfortable using them against people?”

“I think so. I kinda made a breakthrough with Blackwhip yesterday and I think I can control it a lot better now.”

“Blackwhip? Is that what you’re calling it? Not the most original name in the world.”

“Your hero name is Eraser Head sir.” Aizawa raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

“So it is, kid. Go start warming up in that clearing. Once Vlad gets here I’ll send some members of Class B to join you. I’ve got an idea for how you can practice control.”

Izuku jogged over to his designated clearing and started to stretch. He was already beginning to sweat, the sun’s wrath even at this early hour was intense. One for All stirred in the back of his mind. His quirk felt eager, and Izuku couldn’t help but agree. This was what he was here for. U.A.’s intensive training set it apart from every other school and Izuku was going to get a full serving of it. He was going to be sore and tired at the end of the day but Izuku had developed an addiction to this over the past year and a half. It was freeing to put everything he had into working out, a high that nothing he had ever experienced before compared to. It wasn’t long before Izuku heard a voice call out across the clearing.

“Damn, green, I hope those guns are registered!” Izuku turned to see Tokage and Kendo both in normal workout gear from Class B walking toward him, alongside Vlad King.

“Hey Tokage, Kendo. Am I going to be working with you guys today?” Tokage went to respond but Vlad King cut her off.

“Yes, you three are going to be partnered for today to work on your quirk control.” Their homeroom teacher glared at Izuku. He couldn’t tell if that was the Blood Hero’s default expression or if he genuinely disliked Izuku. “Kendo, your job is to have your hands expanded as large as you can go. You and Midoriya are going to spar. Tokage, you’re going to separate yourself as much as possible and try to distract Midoriya while he uses that fancy new move of his to try and catch you.” Kendo raised an eyebrow.

“New move?” Izuku let a tendril of Blackwhip extend from his palm and wiggle in the air for a moment before dispelling it. Tokage let out a whistle.

“Kinky.”

“Now, I expect you all to give this your all. Eraser and I will be nearby in case Midoriya goes out of control again.” His eyes narrowed further on Izuku. Yup, he definitely doesn’t like me. “No funny business, you lot. Now get to work!” Vlad King stomped off back to the main part of the training field and Kendo turned to Izuku.

“What did he mean ‘out of control again’?”

“The first time I used it during finals I kind of knocked All Might through a few buildings. But it was an accident!” Kendo paled.

“You have control of it now, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve made some major improvements in the last few days.”

“I’ve got to say, Midoriya, that’s less comforting than you think it is. I’m just glad you’re not using it on me.” The redhead cracked her neck and got into a ready stance. “You ready, Set?”

“One sec.” Izuku turned to see Tokage pull her shirt over her head. He rapidly turned back around to face Kendo who seemed resigned to her friend’s behavior.

“Uh, Tokage? What are you doing?”

“Well, my quirk lets me split my body into a bunch of little pieces. My clothes are just going to fall off anyway so I might as well strip down now. Why, see something you like, Green?”

Izuku fought back the blush from his cheeks. Two can play this game, Tokage. He pulled his own shirt off, glancing over his shoulder to see Tokage’s cheeks reddening slightly.

“What? My quirk would tear right through my clothes anyway so I might as well strip down now.” He winked back at her. “See something you like, Lizardy?” Kendo sighed at the both of them.

“Can we just start already, please?” 

Izuku stoked at the smoldering flames of One for All until his quirk roared to life. That familiar feeling of raw power and energy rushed through his veins. He reached deep inside to grasp at the protective anger inside of him. He thought about placing Ochako behind him, standing proud like a shield in front of her. I’ll protect them. I’ll save them. I promise! Blackwhip stirred beneath his skin. Tendrils emerged from his back, two from each shoulder outside his scapula and two more from just above the base of his spine. It didn’t hurt this time to summon them. There was a brief twinge of discomfort as the tendrils moved beneath his skin to appear where he wanted them, but it was easily ignored. Wreathed in lightning and swirling black vines, he rushed forward at Kendo who yelped and stumbled backwards. 

Izuku kept a steady flow of One for All at nine percent. Aizawa had told them to push themselves, but he would still burn out too fast at ten. He felt like he had full control of eight percent, but even increasing it by a single percentage point made Izuku feel like he was holding the reins of a raging stallion. He could direct it but a single slip in his concentration would result in him getting bucked off.

Kendo dodged his first few punches, getting used to his speed, before stepping in to catch his fist in her own enlarged hand. Izuku winced as the gut shot she sent his way landed squarely on his abs. He had managed to flex and deflect the worst of the damage but it would definitely bruise. Izuku raised a leg to kick but was distracted by something wet in his ear. 

“Ugh!” Izuku jumped back out of range of Kendo before looking around for Tokage’s head. “Did you just give me a wet willy?!” Her laughter sounded from right behind his ear. He spun to see her mouth floating in the air next to his head.

“I thought Aizawa-sensei promoted all that situational awareness. You’re not feeling overwhelmed , are you?” Izuku’s eyes widened a fraction of a second before Kendo’s massive fist slammed into his side. The world became a blur for a moment as Izuku skipped like a stone across the grass and crashed back first into a tree. “I can’t really blame you, you know. It’s not every day a guy gets to tango with two hot heroines at the same time.”

Izuku groaned and climbed to his feet. Nothing was broken, but he was probably going to be more black and blue than green by the end of this. He narrowed his eyes at Kendo who was rushing towards him for a follow up strike. He waited until she had raised her back foot before springing forward. She might have been able to keep up with the force behind his hits, but One for All gave him a massive advantage in speed. He dashed in to deliver a right hook that she just managed to roll with in time to avoid being knocked out. Izuku let his momentum spin him around over her back and brought his left arm up to lash out with Blackwhip. A flurry of tendrils exploded from his palm and his wrist, capturing and binding almost a dozen of the floating pieces of Tokage.

“There you go stud, fight back! Mama loves a challenge.” There was a pang in the back of Izuku’s mind and he rolled forward to avoid an enlarged jab from behind him. Izuku jumped to the other side of the clearing, facing down both of his attackers. He wiped away the sweat from his brow. His knuckles popped as he brought up his fists in his own readied stance.

“Is that all you got, ladies? Cause I could do this all day.”

“You know, you should really look into shibari, Green.”

“Setsuna!”

“What? I’m just saying. All those tendrils could make a girl pretty happy. Plus he’s such a gentleman he would never do anything his partner didn’t want.” Tokage leaned back in Izuku’s arms and looked up into his eyes. “You’re on my side in this, right Green?”

“I don’t think you really have a leg to stand on in this one, Tokage.”

“Hah!” She wiggled the stump of her missing left leg in the air. Her movements almost made Izuku drop her, but he managed to adjust his grip in time. “That was a good one, Midoriya. You’re a riot!” Kendo rolled her eyes.

“How do you even have this much energy, Set? You literally lost a leg.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“It got crushed beneath a tree!”

“It’ll grow back!”

The two of them continued to bicker as they made their way back to the dining pavilion. They had been one of the last groups to keep fighting and they had had to wait for Tokage to find all her missing pieces so they were fairly late. As they crested the last hill, a cry rang out from the assembled first years.

“Hey there they are!”

“Woah, is Tokage missing a leg?!”

“Eh, that happens a lot.”

“Why is it always Midoriya who’s surrounded by beautiful women? Lucky bastard.” Ochako glared at Kaminari for that last comment though the blond didn’t seem to notice. Izuku managed to set Tokage down on the bench near the 1-B tables without incurring much further teasing.

“You gonna be alright, Tokage?” The green-haired girl flashed a grin at him.

“As much as I have enjoyed lounging in your muscley arms, Green, I think I can manage sitting down on one leg. I’m a big girl. Though, if you want to help me into the bath later~” She detached her eyebrows to pump them up and down with emphasis. Izuku laughed at her antics and walked over to his own table while Kendo shook her head at the girl. Izuku crashed into place next to Ochako who slid a bowl of curry toward him. He leaned in to give her a peck on the side of her head and she wrinkled her nose at him.

“Have fun, sweaty?” 

“Yeah. Fighting Tokage and Kendo was a fun challenge. Their quirks are pretty incredible. What about you?”

“Oh sure, loads of fun. I spent most of the day trying not to puke as I rolled around in a hamster ball. Just a barrel of laughs.” Izuku felt his heart squeeze a little at her adorable pout.

“Well maybe I can make it up to you. Want to take a walk in the woods later?”

“Why Izuku Midoriya are you trying to proposition me?” He leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

“Only if you want me to.”

“Some people are trying to eat here, you know.” Jiro gave them a pointed glance punctuated by one of her jacks jabbing in their direction. “Save your couple stuff for when you’re away from the hopelessly single, please? I don’t think Charge-dolt can take much more jealousy.” Kaminari’s outraged cry was drowned out by the laughter from the rest of 1-A. Izuku focused on his curry and started to chow down. It was terrible, in an objective sense, with a startling amount of spice that told him Bakugou had definitely had a hand in its creation. Still, it was edible and soon enough his bowl was cleared. Izuku looked up in time to see Kota disappear in the direction of the mountain and he frowned. He turned to Ochako next to him who had also finished dinner.

“Hey, I’m going to bring Kota a bowl of curry. Want to come with?” She nodded and together they grabbed an extra bowl and spoon and made their way into the forest. 

Ochako loved Izuku’s heroic heart but she was also tempted to float him into the stratosphere. The path they were following, the one that Izuku was ‘pretty sure’ Kota had gone down earlier, was winding and switched back onto itself in a few places. The two of them were alone in a beautiful forest with more stars than Ochako had ever seen above them and all her boyfriend could think about was the kid who tried to punch him yesterday.

She sighed quietly to herself as Izuku muttered about which way to take on the path ahead. She knew she was being a little possessive and a touch crazy. She knew that Izuku would always choose to help someone he thought was in need, even if it meant ignoring his girlfriend wearing the tank-top she specifically packed to show off in front of him. She just couldn’t help feeling a touch ignored by Izuku. Between the Pussycats treating him like a free show and Mina’s unabashed attempts at flirting, there were a lot of other people showing interest in Izuku. Even in his first day of Aizawa’s Training Camp from Hell he got to hang out with two attractive hero students and she was stuck in a hamster ball! 

She felt like she needed to reassert her claim on Izuku and a great way to do that would be to leave a few new bite marks on him for when they got back (so she liked biting him, sue her!) but her plans were currently being wrecked by an edgy eight year old in a silly looking hat. Eventually, they broke through the tree line on a plateau jutting out from the side of the mountain. The forest stretched out in front of them for miles, rolling waves of dark greens that met the dark horizon. Above them, the sky was clear and with no in the way, the universe unfolded before them. Ochako mentally mapped the constellations she could see: Cassieopia and Centaurus, the Summer Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb, far out to the south the tail of Ophiuchus peaked out of the horizon. It reminded her of sneaking up to the roof with her dad and listening to him tell her all the stories he could remember about the constellations and even making up new ones on the spot. She had to admit, the kid had good taste as far as hideouts were concerned.

“What do you want?” The amount of venom in Kota’s voice was surprising. “I don’t want anything to do with you wannabe heroes!”

“We just came by to give you some dinner.” Izuku said softly. “We didn’t want you to go hungry because of us.” As if on cue, the boy’s stomach growled.

“It’s a little spicy,” Ochako called from his side. “But it’s still pretty good.”

“If that’s all you want then get the hell out of here!” Kota returned his glare to the distant treeline. Izuku leaned down and placed the bowl on a flat part of the ground.

“In case you change your mind, then.”

The two of them left the boy in silence. Izuku just didn’t understand what to do here. This wasn’t like Todoroki, he couldn’t force the boy to listen to him. If he tried it would just reinforce the idea that heroes were bad. Aizawa told him to be there, to try and save him, but what was he saving him from? How could he save someone who didn’t want to be saved?

Izuku was roughly pulled from his thoughts as his back slammed against a tree for the umpteenth time today. Ochako held his shirt in her hands, pressing him back so the rough bark bit into his skin. 

“Ocha- hmph!” Izuku’s question was cut off, swallowed by Ochako as she crashed her mouth onto his in a searing kiss. For a moment the rest of the world disappeared. Izuku could feel the heat from Ochako’s hand as one slipped beneath the hem of his shirt. The sting of the wood was a strange but pleasant contrast to the firm pressure of his girlfriend against him. He could smell the faint traces of sweat and her lavender perfume as well as the crisp fresh air. Eventually, Izuku didn’t know if it had been a few seconds or years spent in her arms, Ochako pulled back leaving both of them breathless.

“I told you I don’t mind if you flirt with other people and I don’t. But I am going to remind you every day that you’re mine, Deku.”

“If that’s how you remind me, I think I’m developing memory loss.” Izuku’s mouth was dry as a dangerous smile crossed Ochako’s features.

“Well,” she purred. Her chest pressed against his, pinning him in place. “I guess I’ll just have to give you a lot of reminders.”

She triple checked her knives, making sure each one was as sharp and easily accessible. If everything went right she’d get to meet so many new friends and taste so much fresh blood. She might even get to see him.

A shudder went through her at the thought of her lover. She couldn’t wait to meet him. He was going to taste so sweet, she just knew it. She wrapped her arms around her to keep herself from falling into a puddle of excited goo on the ground. It was almost time. By the end of tomorrow night Izuku Midoriya would be hers.

Even if she had to kill everyone else in the world to get him.

Chapter Text

Nemuri rubbed at her temples, doing her best to prevent her headache from worsening into a migraine. Most of her Midnight Boys had gone home by this point so her office was eerily quiet. She had a little bit of time before she needed to make an appearance at the club, the bar manager had taken the night off so it was up to Nemuri as the owner to take over, so she had dove into some of the records All Might had sent her regarding the past users of One for All.

And it was quickly driving her to drink. 

Apparently the users of One for All were all hermits and cryptids because the records were depressingly blank. She had All Might’s basic information, though even he didn’t know that much about his family history. He was apparently only a quarter Japanese and half American and a quarter Canadian but she didn’t really know how that was going to help Izuku. She at least had a rough date of birth for his predecessor, Nana Shimura, but aside from a truly tragic tale of her giving up her only child there was almost nothing. She had attended U.A. in its inaugural class almost sixty years ago and her quirk was called Float. Her records had been wiped from the Commission’s archives, which Nemuri was willing to bet Nezu was behind somehow, so she didn’t even have records of rankings or service commendations. She had a name and quirk description of the fifth but his successor? She had a blurry photo of a guy with a high collar and dark hair. Written on the back was just a singular name: En.

Was that a first name? A family name? Nemuri had no idea and apparently no one else did either. He looked vaguely familiar despite the worn looking Best Jeanist cosplay. Wait, was Best Jeanist actually cosplaying this guy? Regardless, she was sure she had seen him before. But where? 

A phone call broke through her thoughts, the riffing guitars of My Chemical Romance that she had specifically programmed for Shouta. I thought he wasn’t going to have cell service?

“You’ve reached Nemuri’s Pleasure Emporium~ How can I make all your dreams come true?”

“Nem, meet me at Central Hospital. It’s about Midoriya.”

16 Hours Earlier

Historically, Izuku’s birthdays were not fun. Most years since he was four he had spent the day avoiding bullies by staying inside and watching his favorite All Might videos. His mom would make Katsudon for dinner, he’d get a few pieces of hero merch, and life would continue on unperturbed. Last year his birthday had been more exciting because he had spent most of the day training with All Might and his favorite hero had even joined him and his mom for a celebratory dinner. It was the first time in Izuku’s memory that he had ever felt so safe and warm on July Fifteenth.

This year was shaping up to be slightly more interesting than average. The morning dawned bright and early and many of his classmates were already trudging toward their assigned sections to keep developing their quirks. Izuku was about to head off to his clearing when Aizawa stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re going to be doing something else today, Problem Child.” He jerked his head to the side and began to make his way toward the opposite side of the field. Izuku struggled to catch up to his teacher’s much longer strides. All Might better be right about me hitting a growth spurt because this is flat out unfair.

“Your quirk is an interesting conundrum. We can’t actually have you try to build your quirk up safely like your classmates are doing without breaking your bones.” Aizawa’s glare made Izuku’s throat dry up. “And you do realize that breaking bones is a bad thing, right? ”

“Yes, sir!”

“Anyway,” Aizawa stalked forward leaving Izuku to catch up again. “Since we can’t make your quirk stronger safely, we’re going to work on getting you to handle larger portions of it. For the next few days you’ll be working with each of the chaperones individually. In the morning you’ll be working with Pixie Bob and Tiger in the afternoon. Tomorrow, Vlad King can work with you because he has experience with a self-destructive quirk. Then,” Aizawa’s smile turned cruel. “You’ll be working with me for the rest of the time on combat basics.”

Izuku gulped down the nervousness he felt about training one on one with Aizawa-sensei and focused on his excitement. He was going to get to learn directly with pros. Even at a heroics school the opportunity to work with so many different heroes was amazing! 

“I won’t let you down, sir!” Aizawa gave him an approving nod.

“I’m sure you won’t.” He turned to walk back to camp and raised a hand behind him. “Try not to break him, Tsuchikawa, and for the love of god don’t get me involved in any lawsuits.”

“Aw, you know me, Eraser. I take great care of all my toys.” Izuku spun to see a hungry-looking Pixie Bob. She started to circle him and Izuku got the distinct impression that he was not going to like whatever happened next. “You were pretty impressive the other day, kitten. You took down some of my bigger monsters in just a few blows. You're probably going to be a combat hero, right?”

“Well, I want to do rescue work as well, but my quirk is well suited to combat and capture work. Hopefully I can do both.”

“You’re probably going to be a first wave hero then. The first wave of heroes on a disaster scene are focused on responding to the incident and clearing away rubble or other dangerous elements so that the second wave can go in and focus on emergency medical aid and search and rescue. Because you’ll be a first responder there might be times that you’re outnumbered by opponents and you won’t have backup coming. You got a taste of that yesterday, but now we’re upping the stakes.”

Pixie Bob leaned down to brush her hands against the ground. Dust and dirt flew into the air. The earth quivered before four shapes began to rise from the ground. They were vaguely humanoid in nature, all around seven feet in height. Wings burst from the back of one and it began to fly just off of the ground. A large tail protruded from another as it fell to all fours looking more bestial than human. The other two grew large claws from their hands. Izuku fell into a ready stance as Pixie Bob kept talking.

“The keys to fighting off a mob like this are relatively simple in theory, though putting them into practice is obviously a lot harder. First you need to keep moving. Your whole jumping around routine will definitely help with that. The way that the action economy works in a fight of this scale you either need to limit the numbers they can approach you with or you need to make sure every single strike you get to dish out is packed full of power. You’re going to get a lot less hits in than your opponents so you have to make them count, got it?”

“I think so.”

A bolt of pain struck Izuku’s left side. Before he could breathe, he had jumped to the side narrowly dodging the mace head of the fifth earthen construct Pixie Bob had made while he was distracted. This one was a towering knight in full plate armor with a spiked mace in one hand and a chain in the other. Izuku dropped below the slashing arm of one of the two clawed monsters and the fight was on. The world was a blur of motion for Izuku as he did his best to keep the creatures from landing a blow. He lashed out with kicks and fists when he could, occasionally using Blackwhip to try and force one of them back. After a frantic series of dodges the bestial monster lunged too far to try and snap its jaws around him. Izuku spun into a roundhouse kick that crashed through the dirt head, sending the rest of its body stumbling to the ground.

He rolled to avoid a dive bomb from the flying one as the knight pressed in to get a hit with its mace. Izuku ran inside of its reach before leaping to press a foot against its chest. He kicked off and as he flew through the air he reached out with Blackwhip and tore the mace from its grasp. He used the momentum from his landing to whip the weapon around and send it flying into the chest of one of the clawed monsters. The two collided in an explosion of dust and gravel.

With a cry its brother rushed in to avenge the fallen monster but Izuku managed to dash away before it could crush him. The knight closed in once more and Izuku waited for him to get closer. Once he finally got in range, Izuku shot a strand of Blackwhip between his legs and slid underneath the giant. He used a second strand to attach himself to the creature’s back. He pulled the tendril tight before letting go. The tension propelled him towards the monster and Izuku went crashing through its chest. He spit out the coating of dirt from his tongue as he popped back up from the ground. 

The flying dirt monster tried to dive bomb him again, but with the lack of distractions he was ready for it. Blackwhip exploded from his hands, several strands wrapping around the base of its wings and more covering the rest of its body. Izuku pulled  and several hundred pounds of earth rocketed through the air down on top of the last remaining creature. The flying monster crashed into its comrade, sending a mushroom cloud of dirt into the air.

“Not bad, kitten!” Izuku put his hands on his knees in a desperate bid to get his breath as Pixie Bob clapped. “Very impressive. I thought for sure your ground to air combat was going to give you trouble but you nailed it! It was like you knew where they were going to hit before they did!”

“Just,” he panted. “Good instincts, I guess.”

“They’ll serve you well in combat.” She handed him a water bottle that he eagerly drank from. His first mouthful ended up back on the ground along with the rest of the dirt that had made it into his mouth during the battle. “I did notice you don’t really use those tendril-thingies too often against your opponent. You were using them mostly for mobility and dodging. Why is that?”

“It’s still pretty new.” He said once he had gotten his breathing under control. “I’m not super comfortable using it in combat yet. I’m too worried about it going haywire.”

“Right, right like in your final exams.” At his raised eyebrow she shrugged. “Eraser gave us a heads up on all you kittens before you got here. We wouldn’t be very good trainers if we didn’t know what you could do, hm?” 

She put a white clawed finger to her chin in thought. Those massive paws just seem so impractical. Can they type with them on? How do they go to the bathroom? Pixie Bob’s voice derailed his train of thought.

“How does Blackwhip feel when you use it? That’s what you call it right? Blackwhip?”

“Yeah. It feels… almost like I’m boiling water in a kettle. I’m putting in the heat but I’m also a kettle.” Pixie Bob sent him a confused look.

“Like a kettle?”

“Yeah, like if I let it boil too much it might explode out of me. But I have to let it get to the point where it’s steaming so I can use it. I’m constantly having to monitor how much of it I can safely use and it’s always trying to get more of it loose. It’s almost like it has a mind of its own sometimes.”

“That’s what I thought. You know it’s not that dissimilar to Earth Flow in a way.” She brought a hand down to the ground and brought up a stream of fine dirt into the air. “Me and that Todoroki kid, most elemental quirks in fact, it’s a lot easier to use our quirks at full blast than it is to do fine precision work with them. Whenever I activate Earth Flow it wants to use as much of the earth around me as it can to make something as big and strong as possible.” The dirt split itself into four miniature replicas of the beasts he had fought earlier. “Each of the things I make are under my control, but it’s not like a puppet. I’m not consciously pulling the strings to make it raise its hand or attack in a certain way.” Her voice had a far more thoughtful quality to it than Izuku had ever suspected the cat-themed heroine to be capable of based on her bubbly hero persona.

“It’s more like a chess board or a video game. I direct my creatures and they go fulfill their missions to the best of their abilities. The more power I put into a creation the more they have a little autonomy of their own. I can still take full control of them if I need to, but they’re an extension of me and my will.” She released her hold on the dirt and the creatures disanimated and fell back to the ground. “Don’t think of Blackwhip as something separate from yourself. It’s an extension of you. Your desires, your will power, that’s what directs it.” Pixie Bob placed a hand on his head and rubbed his hair.

“Now, how about we up the ante to seven monsters. Think you’re up for it?”

“Yeah!”

Izuku slammed into the grass again. His teeth rattled with the impact and at this point he was fairly certain he had more bruises than freckles. After his morning with Pixie Bob and a quick lunch, Izuku had joined Tiger on his side of the field for afternoon exercises. Which mainly consisted of Izuku getting punched by his heavily muscled teacher.

A lot.

What exactly this was supposed to teach him, aside from the fact that Tiger was shockingly strong, he didn’t really know. Izuku pushed himself to his feet with a groan, desperately trying to find another reserve of energy that would let him keep going. One for All curled around him protectively, like it was trying to prevent Tiger from getting yet more hits in, but Izuku wasn’t about to give up now. 

“Come on kitten, show me what you’re made of!” The hero across from him crashed his paws together like boxing gloves. “Haven’t they been teaching you anything at that fancy school of yours?”

Izuku took a few small jumps in place trying to muster up his energy. When he felt sufficiently ready, he dashed in leading with a right jab only for Tiger to bend backwards into a back bridge, placing his palms on the ground and lashing out with a vicious kick to Izuku’s ribs. He was once again sent flying backwards to slam into the dirt once more.

“I thought they said you were a smart kitten. Where’s all those brains gone?” Izuku spat out a clump of dirt. He rolled onto his back to see Tiger standing above him holding out a hand to help him up, which he accepted. “Listen, boy, you’re never going to win in a real fight if all you can do is scripted moves and pre-thought out maneuvers. You have to learn to be more unpredictable, unexpected. I used to do some boxing on the side while we were still figuring things out here. Ninety percent of all boxers are right handed, but southpaws make up a large portion of the best fighters. Know why?”

“Because people are less used to fighting lefties?”

“Exactly right. My quirk lets me have the advantage because people are used to fighting normal bodies. I can bend and twist into whatever shape I need to in order to hit where you’re least expecting it. You might not be able to do what I can, but you can still use it to your advantage. You like to bounce off of trees and things. Try using that to hit from different angles. Work in some unpredictable movements. There are no rules of engagement in a real fight, so hit them where you can. If you’re fighting someone stronger than you you can turn the tide just by doing something they weren’t ready for. That’s the lesson I’m trying to beat- er, teach you.” A pawed hand landed heavily on his back sending Izuku stumbling forward. “Go get some water, boy. We start again in five minutes!”

Izuku gratefully took the opportunity to stumble over to the bench Ragdoll was standing at. The heroine was spinning slowly in circles on top of the table but stopped when she noticed Izuku.

“Hey little kitten! You’re pretty dehydrated and you’ve got some nasty bruising near your ribs and left shoulder. Grab some cream and some of your nurse’s stamina gummies and you should be all set!”

“Thanks, Ragdoll.”

“Oh and Midoriya?”

“Yeah?”

“Just remember all of you are tagged by my quirk so I always know when two little kittens sneak off into the woods together, okay?”

Izuku’s face burned crimson as he was chased back to Tiger’s punishments by Ragdoll’s laughter.

“I can’t believe everyone else gets to enjoy the fright fest in the woods.” Ashido pouted. 

“I guess it makes sense that we have to go to extra lessons.” Kirishima said. “Still I’m not sure I’ll even be able to pay attention. I’m so exhausted from all the quirk training we had!” 

Shouta looked over his students. Each of them bore the evidence of their hard work in their stances. Bowed backs and downtrodden expressions matched the various nicks and injuries they had accumulated over training. Oh god am I going soft?

No. They had failed their finals. They needed this extra training. Bakugou technically failed due to discipline issues. Sato, Sero, and Kirishima all failed of their own merit. Kaminari and Ashido never had a chance against the principal, you know that. Is it really fair to punish them?

Maybe not, but all the same those were the rules. It didn’t matter how unfair it was or not. It’s a hero’s job to combat the cruelty and unfairness and wrongs of the world. Shouta sighed to himself.

“Fine, you all did adequately today so you may be allowed to join your friends in the contest. Report to Mandalay and get your assignments from her.”

“Wait, really?!” “You’re the best Aizawa-sensei!” “Totally awesome!” “Let’s get out of here before he changes his mind!” The students, even Monoma from class B, all escaped and in moments Shouta was left with Vlad King.

“You really are going soft, aren’t you ‘Raser?”

“Bite me, you two bit vampire.”

Himiko hummed a happy tune as she skipped through the trees. The others had already spread out, ready to cause all their chaos and mischief, but she had a special mission all for herself. If she could find her lovely Izu-kun, then maybe she could convince Shiggy not to kill him until after she had played with him and gotten all of his super cute blood! If not, he had friends. That cutie with the pink cheeks and those adorable finger-beans or the froggy girl! She didn’t have much interest in the car guy, but she was willing to bet the Todoroki boy had awesomely tasty blood. Dabi wouldn’t be mad if she just cut him up a little, right? She wouldn’t kill him. She’d just take a liter, maybe one and half. Enough for him to be all loopy but he would probably still be conscious.

Oh, there was Mustard’s gas. That must mean the party was starting. She fiddled with the super-drab-and-not-at-all-stylish mask over her mouth. Don’t die too soon, kay Izuku? I’m coming baby!

Izuku thundered through the underbrush. Tree branches scraped at his face as he ran. Every footfall left craters in the ground. He had spent all day training with One for All and using his quirk now made his skin feel paper thin. There was no time to stop or to rest though. No one had heard from Ragdoll, Pixie Bob was knocked unconscious, Tiger and Mandalay were busy fighting. The only two people in the world who knew where Kota was right now were Izuku and Ochako and his girlfriend was lost somewhere in the woods with villains hunting their classmates down.

He wanted to be with her. They were safer together where they could watch each other’s backs and a part of him desperately wanted to charge into the forest and look for her. But he had to trust her to stay safe on her own. She was a hero, she could take care of herself. Kota couldn’t.

Izuku pushed One for All higher, lightning flaring as his quirk rose past eight percent, past ten to twelve. Maybe it was a bad idea on his part, but he had no way of knowing if a villain had stumbled on Kota yet. If they had, he needed to get there now. Even if they hadn’t, the faster he got to Kota and got back to camp the faster he could go look for everyone else. He couldn’t hold on to twelve percent for long, he had maybe a minute before he started to do serious damage to his joints, but even if it got him to Kota seconds earlier it would be worth it.

He burst through the treeline, heading up the slope toward Kota’s cave. His heartbeat was heavy in his own ears but even over that he could hear frightened cries and a bassy chuckle. A few more seconds and he was there. A massive cloaked figure stood over the shaking and crying Kota. The figure cocked back his arm to deliver a punch that was sure to spell the end of Kota. I’m out of time, I have to act now!

He leapt through the air, Blackwhip springing to life from his hands. Two strands from his left grabbed the arm of the villain, four more wrapping around the huge torso. Izuku let the tension on them swing him around to the villain’s front, so he could scoop Kota into his arms. His momentum carried him back to the villain so he could see the barren metal mask covering his face. Izuku brought his knee to his chest and slammed his foot under the hood and into the blank visage. He let Blackwhip go and pushed off, a crack sounding beneath his foot. Izuku skid to a stop fifteen feet from the villain, Kota wrapped soundly in his arms. Kota had stopped crying, which was nice, and looked up to Izuku with wide shocked eyes.

“Y-you saved me!”

“Yeah, I’m glad I got here in time.” He put Kota down to his feet and pushed the boy behind him. “Stay here alright? Things might get a little scary for a minute but don’t worry.” Izuku did his best to channel his mentor and put every ounce of confidence he had into his smile. “I’m definitely going to save you, I promise.”

“You promise, huh?” With another crack the two pieces of the villain’s mask fell to the ground. A hand grabbed the side of the cloak and threw it to the side, revealing an extremely muscular blonde man. His face was contorted into a wicked grin that pulled at the scar running over his missing left eye. A white tank-top strained over his pecs and a pair of simple dark pants covered his lower half. The bottom of each of the legs were torn over the man’s calves. “That’s the thing I hate most about you heroes, you’re always making promises you can’t keep. You’re the same as all those other weaklings, but at least you’re decently strong. Maybe you’ll be an interesting appetizer, heroling.”

Kota made a whimpering noise behind him. “Mama, papa. He killed them. His name is Muscular.”

“Hah? I killed your parents, kid? Damn, this must be fate then! Don’t worry as soon as I deal with the green brat you’ll see them real soon, kay?”

“You’re not going to lay a hand on him!” A dozen of the strongest whips he could create exploded from his back and shoulders. They surrounded Muscular, binding him from neck to foot. Izuku pulled with his quirk and sent himself hurtling through the air. This might sting, but I’ve got to try it. TWELVE PERCENT DETROIT SMASH! Wind kicked up as his punch landed, dust obscuring his vision. For a moment he thought it was over until another dark chuckle echoed against the mountainside.

“Oh man, you are something else kid.” The dust settled and Izuku could only look on in horror. The villain’s muscles had grown in the instant before he had hit, the dense fibers cushioning the blow. Blackwhip strained over his enlarged form but didn’t seem to be hindering him anymore. “You’ve got some wicked strength. Unfortunately for you and the kid, I’m still stronger!” One hand grabbed the strands of Blackwhip attached to Izuku’s back, and he spun him through the air slamming him into the rock. 

The whole world was made from white hot pain. The only hit he’d ever taken that compared was All Might’s. What the hell was this guy’s quirk? Izuku coughed, coppery blood falling from his lips. He couldn’t afford to take too many hits from this guy, but he had brushed off twelve percent like it was a joke. How the hell was he going to beat him?

“Hahaha! Man, what a rush! I haven’t gotten to let loose in so long it’s kinda hard not to go overboard! Oh yeah, I guess I should probably ask you: do you know where a kid named Bakugou is?”

Katsuki?! “What do you-” he spat more blood to the ground. Ah, those ribs are definitely fractured, that’s good.  “What do you want with him?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” The blonde villain shrugged. “All I know is the boss wants us to find him.” A cruel smile crossed his face once more. “And he wants you dead!”

Izuku dodged to his right, back down the path to the forest. Muscular’s hand passed centimeters from his trailing leg before crashing into the side of the mountain. Rock and rubble sprayed from the impact. Izuku tried to dash back toward Kota but the villain was already there in his path, another fist hurtling toward him. So his quirk gives him durability, strength, and speed? He was forced to jump above the punch, the ground where he had been standing exploding from the force of it. 

Damn it, Izuku, you’re running out of options. He couldn’t beat the damage Muscular could tank at his current percentage, and he was taking far more damage than his opponent with every hit. Izuku could maybe out pace him and make it back to camp, but he couldn’t just leave Kota behind and he didn’t have enough stamina left to carry him and sprint fast enough after all the training today. No, he had to end this in one blow. Here and now.

“You’re a quick little bug, I’ll give you that. But I’m getting a little bored here. Is this really the best you can do?” The villain flexed, his muscles bulging and extending through his skin. He looked more like a grotesque caricature than a human being. “Why don’t you just give up, huh? I’ll only torture you a little. I tell you what, I’ll even skimp out on torturing the kid before I kill him. What do you say?”

Izuku narrowed his eyes. One for All filled his veins with lightning for one final push. Sorry Recovery Girl, I hope you can forgive me. He ran forward at twelve percent. Sick enjoyment danced in Muscular’s singular eye. 

“Fine then, kid. If you want to die, I’ll be more than happy to help!” Familiar magma filled Izuku’s right arm as his quirk spiked past his limit all the way to one hundred. His arm shot forward.

“ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! DETROIT SMASH!”

The recoil was instantaneous. Pops and cracks from the bones snapping in his arms were barely audible over the gales of wind his punch created. Squishy but dense muscle was sent flying into the mountain with a resounding crash. A pain lanced through Izuku’s mind. Kota. 

Blackwhip launched from his hand before he had completed the thought. Tendrils of ink dove over the edge, two more as thick as Izuku’s torso split from his back and drove themselves into the ground, anchoring him. For a second he feared he was too late until the ringing in his ears subsided and Kota’s screams took its place. Blackwhip reeled the kid up over the edge, depositing him on the ground at Izuku’s feet.

“Hey, Kota. Are you okay?” The boy was speechless. His eyes flickered from Izuku’s face to his arm and back.

“What- why? Why are you doing this?”

“This is what heroes do, Kota. We save people.”

“Oh man! Shit, kid, you really are incredible. I see why Shigaraki likes you so much now.” No. No I hit him with one hundred percent, how the hell is he still fighting? Debris rained around the form of Muscular as he pushed himself out of the crater Izuku had punched into the mountain. This guy is a monster. “Man, I’m not sure I’ve ever been hit that hard! I guess play time’s over now, huh? Time to get serious!”

He was just playing around?! The villain plucked a metal eye from his pocket and stuck it into the empty socket. The red mechanical eye glowed in the low light, only adding to the menacing aura now pouring off of him. Gleeful rage rolled off of Muscular in waves. It wasn’t as potent as Stain’s zealous killing intent, or as cold as the unwavering obedience of the mindless Nomu, but it was no less dangerous. Izuku squared his shoulders and straightened his back. Muscular was no different than any bully he had faced growing up. Guys like this wanted their victims to be afraid to give them a sense of power. He would get nothing from Izuku.

“Kota, you have to run.”

“But you’re hurt! We can just leave together! Come with m-”

“Kota, run to camp and tell the teachers what’s happening. I won’t let him leave here, I promise.”

“Still making promises?” Muscular cracked his neck with several thick pops. “I gotta admit kid, you’re either ridiculously brave or ridiculously stupid.”

Izuku took off running toward the villain. Muscular grinned. “Guess it’s stupid.”

“ONE HUNDRED PERCENT! DETROIT SMASH!” Izuku slammed his broken arm into a wall of muscle that swelled to swallow his fist.

“What the hell, kid?! That was even weaker than before!” Bit by bit, Izuku was being forced backwards. One for All was going haywire trying to fight off Muscular’s strength, but it wasn’t enough. His feet were being pushed toward the edge of the cliff. “Now, SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!”

Something wet hit both of them. One for All deactivated at the surprise and even Muscular paused to blink droplets out of his eyes. “Huh, is that water?”

“Leave him alone!” Both hero and villain turned to look at the boy who had shot water at them. Kota?!

“Kota, run! Quick!” He couldn’t do this. There was too much happening. Why wouldn’t he just run away?! A hand wrapped around Izuku’s middle. Muscular took advantage of Izuku’s distraction and hurled him back into the crater Izuku had punched him into earlier. Izuku had time to look at Kota as he flew through the air. Please. I can’t let him down. I have to save him. 

Izuku’s head slammed into the rock and everything went black.

Shoji hid behind a tree. Blood dripped from the stump of one of his arms. It stung, but he’d live.  Far more worrying were the roars of the crazed Dark Shadow. Trees were uprooted and thrown aside like children’s toys by the feral quirk. He had never been scared of Tokoyami’s quirk before, but in this moment he wasn’t entirely sure if it was a quirk or an actual demon that had latched onto Tokoyami’s soul. A clawed arm tore through the underbrush five feet from where Shoji crouched. He needed a plan and soon, or Dark Shadow would find him. 

A thunderous bang echoed through the forest, drawing away the dark creature’s ire for a moment. An explosion? Probably Bakugou, then. Wait, that could work . Now to just get him there.

Momo was not sure things could get much worse. She was running on fumes from creating all of the gas masks that she had distributed so far. Kendo and Tetsutetsu had run off to find the source of the fog, Kodai was carrying some of the fallen back to camp and she and Awase had left to find anyone else who had succumbed to the gas in the forest. 

And they had run straight into a Nomu. 

Its barking cries echoed through the trees and the whirring of- were those chainsaws?! Was this what she was reduced to? A two-bit scream queen actress in a B-list horror movie? At least Awase seemed just as scared as she felt. His eyes were as wild as his breathing as the two of them pounded through the underbrush. Neither of them had a destination so long as it was away from the Nomu.

“What the hell are we going to do?! You’re the recommended student, right? Please tell me you have a plan!”

How the hell did he expect her to have a plan? What could she do? A cannon would be too slow and she was running low on resources to make anything complicated. She could steer the Nomu toward someone stronger, but who could take this thing down? 

I think, if I’ve realized one thing, Yaomomo, it’s that we need to be bold. Momo steeled her nerves. She wasn’t some damsel in distress. She was a hero.

“Get ready, Awase, we’re going to set a trap.”

Ochako managed to dodge the first knife, but the second cut a thin line across her cheek as it flew off into the forest. 

“Ah, you’re just as cute as I thought you’d be!”

She rolled away from the next downward stab and grabbed a heavy looking branch. It became weightless in her grasp and she whipped it in a wide arc behind her, forcing the crazy blonde schoolgirl from hell to jump away. 

“You smell kinda odd though, Ochako-chan?” What the fuck?! Is she really commenting on my smell in the middle of a fight?! “Oh, I know!” The cat-like slits in the girl’s yellow eyes expanded until only a thin yellow band remained around her pupils. “You smell like my lovely Izu-kun! Are you his girlfriend or something? That must make us rivals!” Ochako felt her heart stop. This bitch!

Her body went on autopilot. All of the training she had received over the past semester was on full display. Every kick, punch and elbow was expertly delivered. The psycho chick dodged all of them. She pulled down her mask to show off a bright grin with wickedly sharp fangs.

“Don’t worry, Ocha-chan! I’ll leave you a piece of him. All I really want is his blood. What’s your favorite part of him? I can send you his tongue, oooh or his pretty eyes! What do you say, huh? You can keep them in a jar so he can always see you. Oh maybe you want his di-” Tsu’s tongue lashed out and slapped at the villain sending her leaping up into the lowest branches of the trees.

“Aw, no fun Tsu! We were just getting to the good stuff!”

“You’re never going to get a hand on him!” Ochako shouted. “I’ll die before I let that happen!”

“You’ll die for him, huh?” Toga’s eyes glimmered with a dangerous light. “That’s so funny. Cause I’ll kill for him.”

Mandalay was forced back again by another swing of that stupid-looking sword. This creep, Weaver or whatever his name was, wasn’t giving her an inch. That sword, even if it did look stupid, gave him a huge reach advantage that she was struggling to overcome. This was why she stuck to rescue operations. Tiger and Pixie had the most offensive-minded quirks in their group, and even Ragdoll could use her quirk to find and brutally exploit weaknesses. But Telepath didn’t have any great uses except for momentary distractions. 

Her thoughts drifted to the kid that had run off after Kota. Please be safe, both of you.

“Wake up, Nine!”

Izuku blinked the dust out of his eyes. Through the faint haze of what was almost certainly a concussion, he could see the back of Muscular advancing on Kota who scrambled backwards on his hands and feet. I must have only been out for a second or so. He slammed his non broken fist into the dirt. Damn it! How am I supposed to beat him?!

“You start by getting up, kid.” Izuku looked up to see a woman standing in front of him. She was haloed in soft purple light, and the hero costume she wore faded in and out of reality. A vestige? A name resonated from the recesses of his mind. Nana. Seven. “Remember your origin. Hold your past close and the future is always clearer.” 

Memories rushed past him. Standing up in front of Kacchan, drawing his attention away from other kids. Running head first toward the sludge villain. The Battle Trials. Todoroki’s onslaught of ice at the Sports Festival. Stain. Izuku had never quit before. And he’d be damned if he started now.  One for All roared to life. He pushed himself to his feet to stand tall. He had no idea how he was going to beat Muscular, but he had made a promise to Kota. And he would see it through.

“I’m going to beat you,” his whispered promise was taken by the wind. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Whatever it takes?” A second vestige joined Nana’s. A light  blue haired man with cold eyes and a strong jaw. A black bandana covered the top of his forehead, his hair sticking out into a ponytail behind it. He dressed like a soldier in fatigues and light armor, and his straight backed demeanor reinforced the appearance. “Tell me, Midoriya Izuku. Do you really mean that? Will you do whatever is necessary to see justice done? Would you kill this villain to save that boy?”

Izuku’s heartbeat drowned out the laughter of Muscular and Kota’s scared cries. He wasn’t a killer. But Muscular had already shown that he could take one hundred percent of One for All. If he held back there was no guarantee he could stop him and both he and Kota would die. 

A real hero will always find a way for justice to be served! 

You want that kid to believe in heroes again? Be that person for him.

Just Midoriya Izuku, huh? Well, I see a young man who has fought and clawed his way to where he is now. I see someone with pretty incredible potential. Maybe after I’m done with you here, you’ll see what I do, okay?

No. He couldn’t die here. He had too many people counting on him. Too many people he needed to make proud. 

“I’ll do whatever it takes.” The vestige nodded.

“Then Midoriya Izuku, Ninth holder of One for All, I deem you worthy to inherit my quirk. We’ll talk again soon. Go finish the job.”

“We’re with you, Izuku. It’s time to be a hero!”

One for All flared inside of him. The lightning wreathing Izuku flashed in different colors. Red, yellow, purple, blue, the energy poured out of him suffusing the air with the full might of his quirk. The ground rattled beneath Izuku’s feet. Rocks fell from the mountain as the very earth itself knelt in deference to the rage of One for All. Muscular turned, eyes both mechanical and flesh widening in surprise.

“You really are something else, aren’t you. Give me one second to finish this brat off and I’ll be right with you.” The villain reared back to deliver a punch but Izuku did the very thing that had earned him One for All in the first place.

He moved.

Izuku flew toward Muscular, the ground cracking apart where he floated over top of it. He thrust his left hand forward, Blackwhip extending to wrap around the arm poised to come down on Kota. Izuku rose up between Muscular and Kota, feet leaving the earth to put him at eye level with the villain. 

“It’s a hero’s job to risk his life to turn his promises into a reality. I promised to save Kota. And there’s no way I’ll let someone like you stop me!” He could barely make a fist with his broken hand, but if he had to sacrifice an arm then it would be worth it. One for All surged, but the heat felt different this time. His arm filled with one hundred percent and it kept going. His quirk grew, power rising exponentially. “ My quirk is Fa Jin, the storage of kinetic energy to use again later. Right now you’re filled with all the energy accumulated over the last six users of One for All. Your maximum is no longer one hundred percent.”

“ONE FOR ALL, ONE MILLION PERCENT! DETROIT!” There was a boom as Izuku’s fist broke the sound barrier. “SMASH!” His punch crashed through the fibers of Muscular’s quirk, slamming straight into the villain’s unprotected jaw. A second sonic boom tore the air apart around Muscular as he hurtled into the mountain. His body burrowed into the core of the mountain before finally coming to rest.

A wave of exhaustion and pain overcame Izuku. He took one look at his mangled arm before throwing up onto the ground at his feet, blood and vomit mixing with the dirt and dust. He turned back to Kota and gave him his best shaky smile.

“I told you, Kota. I’ll save you.”

Two sharp cracks split the night air. Shouta looked up from the cursing, struggling form of Dabi beneath him. 

“What the fuck?”

“Sounds like one of my friends is having a good time.” Dabi turned his head to look at Shouta over his shoulder. “I wonder which one of your students just died, Eraserhead.” Shouta dropped an elbow to his temple, causing the whole upper half of his head to splatter into mud. The rest of Dabi’s body dissolved into sludge. 

What the hell is going on? How did they find us?

A resonant bassy buzz filled Shouta’s ears. A spark of green flashed above the trees. It steadily grew larger until he could see Midoriya… flying? His resident problem child landed hard onto his feet next to Shouta. Now that he was closer, he could see that Midoriya looked like he had been beaten to hell and back. His right arm was covered in Blackwhip like a cast, his left arm holding Mandalay’s nephew. 

“Problem Child, were you flying?”

“No time, Eraserhead. Take Kota. I need to get to Mandalay. The villains are after Katsuki. After I let her know I’ll go find him.”

“Wait! You’re injured!”

“And I’m the faster of the two of us. I have to do this, sensei.” With a flicker of lightning and a gust of wind, Midoriya rose off the ground, leaving Kota behind. “I have to save them!”

“Midoriya! Tell her I gave you all permission to fight!” Shouta’s calls went unanswered by his student’s back as he flew off deeper into the woods. “Damn it! Alright kid, come with me. We’ll meet up with your Aunt and help direct everyone back towards the cabin.” Shouta grabbed the boy and began to chase after his student. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Kota’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “He broke his arm over and over again just to save me. And now he’s going to fight some more?”

“Midoriya is going to be just fine, kid. This is what we’re training them for.”

“But isn’t he still in training?” Damn it, this is why I don’t work with kids. They ask too many questions. 

“Listen, Kota. I give you my word that Midoriya is going to be okay. He’s strong and tough. He’ll make it through this.” Shouta focused on the forest in front of him, the wall of blue flame growing steadily closer in the distance. You better not make me a liar Midoriya. Come back in one piece.

Shoto breathed out a sigh of relief. Mandalay’s warning mostly absolved them of responsibility for Moonfish’s injuries, though no one had to know Dark Shadow had taken him out before permission was given. Between his flames and Bakugou’s explosions, Tokoyami was easy enough to subdue and currently rested against Shoji’s larger form.

“We should head back. Mandalay said they’re looking for Bakugou.”

“We can go straight through the forest.” One of the mouths on Shoji’s arms answered. “It sounds like there’s still fighting at the clearing where the Pussycats are, so we can avoid a battle altogether.”

“If we come across anyone else I can take them on, or Tokoyami can unleash Dark Shadow, if that’s acceptable.”

“I should be able to control her better now,” Tokoyami said warily. “I would request that you stay near in order to prevent her from going on another rampage in this shaded hell.”

“Agreed. Bakugou, stay in the middle. We’ll-” A glowing form dropped from the sky to land in front of them. Frost grew on his neck and flames danced on his fingertips. When he recognized the person, Shoto couldn’t help but gasp.

“Izuku?”

“Shoto!” Izuku looked frantic. Dozens of scratches littered his face. Blackwhip encased his right arm, Shoto didn’t even know his friend had that fine of control over his quirk. A thick slurry of mud and blood was slathered in his hair and over most of his clothes. What the hell happened to him? “Shoto, where’s Katsuki?!”

“Midoriya, you don’t look so good.” Shoji approached cautiously. “Maybe we should-”

“There’s no time! Where’s Katsuki?!”

“Izuku, calm down! He’s right…” Shoto turned to the empty forest behind them. “Here?”

“Apologies! You’ve been a lovely audience, but I’m afraid the curtain is closing on tonight’s festivities and there are to be no encores this evening.” A man in a yellow coat, mask, and top hat? Where are all of these weirdos coming from? “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must bid you adie-'' Ice crackled into being. A glacier pierced the tree where the magician had been. A cold breath slipped past Shoto’s lips.

“My word! You may be talented but you’re so uncouth! Stay there and be good sports now, your friend and I have an appointment to keep.” The villain hopped from branch to branch disappearing into the forest. Lightning wreathed Midoriya at Shoto’s side. 

“Izuku, wait, don’t…” Izuku took off, buffeting Shoto and the others with a gust of wind. “Run ahead. Damn it, we need to be there to back him up. Shoji, Tokoyami, let’s move.”

Ochako limped into camp, Tsu propping her up beneath her shoulder. Her leg stung where that bitch had stabbed her and stolen some of her blood, which was concerning but at least she was no longer actively bleeding out. What was slightly more concerning was how she just disappeared. One second she’s sucking blood from Ochako’s stab wound and then next she had vanished with only a giggle left in her wake.

She was happy to be out of that fight but there was an odd feeling in her gut. She was worried about Mandalay’s warning. Bakugou wasn’t her favorite person in the world, and in her opinion he absolutely deserved the beatdown Izuku had given him during finals, but she didn’t want him to be the target of a villain attack. He was arrogant and cruel and rude and just plain mean, but even he didn’t deserve that. But he had been partnered with Shoto and even though he was an ass he was still one of the strongest first years. If Shoto had stuck with Bakugou she was pretty confident they would be fine.

No, she was more worried about Izuku. Her boyfriend had the unfortunate problem of being magnetically attracted to villains. He physically couldn’t stay out of trouble and Ochako had no doubt that he had somehow managed to get involved in this craziness.

“Hey look, it’s Uraraka and Asui!” A cry went up from the assembled first years. It seemed like most of them were knocked unconscious, and those who were still standing had bandages and injuries littering them.

“Ochako! Tsu!” Tenya ran toward the two of them and crushed them in a hug. “Oh I was so worried. Are you alright? Have you seen the others?” A rustling from the brush nearby cut off Ochako’s response. Aoyama stumbled into the clearing ahead of the larger form of Shoji who carried an unconscious Jiro and Hagakure in his arms. 

“Aoyama! Where’s Aizawa-sensei? He ran off to find you all earlier.”

“I’m right here, Iida.” Aizawa emerged from the trees followed by a somber Tokoyami and the shaking form of Shoto. Aizawa’s eyes looked enraged, but it was Shoto’s eyes that sent Ochako’s heart plummeting into her stomach. He looked broken. He stared unseeing at the ground, haunted by whatever he was reliving in his mind.

“Where’s Bakugou, kero? Wasn’t he with Shoto?”

“Aizawa-sensei, what happened? We’re still missing students and Ragdoll isn’t responding.”

Ochako felt her throat start to close up. Her mouth was dry and that feeling of disquiet in her gut swelled into a storm of despair. She knew what the answer would be, but she forced the words out anyway.

“Where’s Izuku?” Shoto looked up at her. Pain and heartbreak mixing with despair. The world around Ochako went quiet. “Shoto, where’s Izuku?”

“They took them.” Tears rolled down Shoto’s face, the first time she could remember seeing visceral emotion out of her friend. “Izuku and Bakugou. The villains took them both.”

Chapter Text

A high-pitched whine was the first thing he noticed as he woke up. His eyelids felt like cement but when he finally gathered the strength to open them he immediately closed them against the bright lights pointed at him. He focused on his other senses. He was in a chair, something heavy and cold on his wrists. Restraints, probably. His mouth was dry. Had he been drugged? If so it would explain the killer headache and the vision and hearing problems. He could smell cheap beer and sweat, an undercurrent of ash. Where the hell was he?

Once his headache had receded and the whine wasn’t quite so ear-splitting, he opened his eyes again. It took a minute for him to blink through the haze and let the amorphous blobs of color take full shape. He was in a bar? Were those villains? He must have rattled the chains binding him to the chair because a voice called out.

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.”

“Shut the fuck up, Spinner.” A rougher voice yelled back, from right behind him. A hand grabbed his chin and directed his face to look at a patchwork man. His skin was barely held together with staples, burns dominated most of his features. The rancid smell of burnt flesh was enough to jolt him fully conscious. “It’s nice to meet you Bakugou Katsuki, my name’s Dabi.  We should talk.”

Silence reigned over the Midoriya apartment, only broken by the gasping sobs of Inko and Nemuri’s reassuring whispers. Inko clutched at Nemuri’s shoulders, crying into her chest. Nemuri ran a hand over her hair, petting her head and doing her best to give the distressed woman hope. It felt slightly hollow to her, though Inko didn’t even seem to be processing the words she said as she clung to her like a life raft. The other teachers were still at Central Hospital looking after the injured students and fielding the initial outrage from both the press and parents. Shouta was being treated for some small burns and Yagi had already gone to the police to begin coordinating the search efforts, so Hizashi had volunteered to go to the Bakugous and give them the news. Which left Nemuri to look after Inko.

Nemuri felt numb, like her heart had stopped. The league had attacked a camp where six pro heroes were watching over their kids and had made off with not only their target but a pro hero as well as an additional kid. Her kid. None of this made any sense. Why the hell would the league target Bakugou? If they wanted a hostage, Yaoyorozu or Iida came from far richer homes. If they wanted to send a message to hero society why not take Todoroki who was right next to him? This wasn’t just a kidnapping, there was something far worse at play here. 

A bowling ball of dread settled in her stomach. Whatever their game was, Izuku wasn’t an expected variable in it. This was the same group that had tried to kill the Symbol of Peace within the walls of U.A. If Izuku wasn’t part of their plan and they didn’t need him… no, she couldn’t afford to think like that. They were going to find them in time. They had to.

“I- I’m sorry.” Inko’s voice was weak and choked with tears. “I-I’ll make us some tea.”

“No, Inko, I can-” “It’s alright.” She smiled, wobbly with tear-stained cheeks. Izuku had given her the exact same smile a dozen times over the past semester to cover up his own pain. “I think that doing something with my hands might help. I’ll be right back.” She got up and made her way to the kitchen, leaving Nemuri alone in the living room. Soon enough the sounds of a kettle could be heard breaking up the silence. Nemuri’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

Captain America

We have a location, raid is tonight

Be at Kamino in 2 hours

Expect heavy engagement. He will be there

A smile broke out on Nemuri’s face. Adrenaline flooded her system, heart kicking back in for the first time since she received that terrible phone call from Shouta.

It seems like tea will have to wait, Inko. I’ve got a demon to hunt.

“So what are we going to do about our tagalong?”

“We should kill him! Aww, just let the kid go, Mr. Compress!”

“Shut it, all of you! Obviously we’re going to kill him.”

“Now Tomura, there is a certain order that needs to happen here. I still have plans for the boy.”

“But Master! You said I can destroy anything that I hate!”

“In due time, Tomura. We cannot cut corners at this pivotal stage.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we’re not in a speed run, this is about completion. Getting all the achievements.”

“Exactly right. Midoriya Izuku will get what’s coming to him, I promise you that. For now, bring me our other two acquisitions. The doctor has special plans for those two.”

“Kurogiri, open a portal. Compress, send them in.”

“If I may ask, my lord, why do you keep the boy alive?” The doctor trembled as All for One savored the newest quirk to join him. “Would it not be more efficient to simply take One for All now and be done with him?”

The Symbol of Evil considered Giraki through the lens of the Search quirk. The very act of questioning his master had sent the coward’s heart rate skyrocketing. If he hadn’t proved himself so useful in creating his Nomu he would have simply killed the doctor and moved on, but even All for One could see the value in his pawns.

“Do you know what Einstein’s definition of idiocy is, Doctor?”

“Repeating the same actions and expecting different outcomes, my lord.”

“I have attempted to reclaim what my brother stole from me for almost two centuries. I’ve had two holders of that quirk in my hand and still they resisted. Midoriya Izuku has proven himself just as stubborn as any other of my brother’s bastard legacy and far more powerful. So do you think I would try again and fail the same way? Do you think that I am an idiot, Doctor?”

“Of course not, my lord!” If he had more of his face left All for One would have sneered at the sniveling excuse of a human.

“To take back what is mine, I will force Midoriya Izuku to watch as I kill his master in front of him. I will break his spirit until there is nothing left to resist me.”

“And if he still persists, my lord?”

“Then there are already contingencies in place. I will always win, Doctor. Even if it takes millenia, I will crush my brother’s rebellion beneath my heel.”

“We’re just going to sit here and do nothing? Is that it?” Kirishima’s voice echoed despite the many bodies of 1-A crammed into the hospital room. “I thought we were supposed to be heroes.”

“We’re not heroes, we’re in training. ” Ojiro snapped at him. “We can’t just run off after them.”

“Even if we did, we’d be acting as vigilantes. As villains.” Tsu’s eyes were full of pain at her own words but she forged on. “We wouldn’t be heroes.”

“Midoriya and Bakugou wouldn’t let that stop them from doing the right thing.”

“Is that what you think the right thing is?” Jiro asked from one of the beds. She and Hagakure were the last to wake up of their class and the remaining members had gathered in their room for this discussion. “You want to run into an active situation and potentially interfere with the police and the actual heroes?”

“Do you guys remember what Aizawa said to Midoriya on our first day?” Hagakure had her knees tucked into her chest, leaning into Ojiro at her side. “You can’t save anyone if you’re just going to be a victim yourself. The league took on all those pros at the camp and won. What good could we even do?”

“Izuku would do it for us.” Shoto’s voice cut through the room. “He would do it for any of us.”

“Yeah, and look where that got him.” Sero interjected. “He ran in to help Bakugou and got kidnapped by villains!” 

More voices joined the argument, but Ochako stayed silent in her corner. Her heart had been ripped from her chest and stuffed back up with cotton. Ever since she had learned Izuku was taken she could barely breathe. Kirishima and Shoto were right about one thing: if the situations were reversed Izuku would move heaven and earth to find them. But Izuku was stronger than she was. He had this unending reservoir of strength in him to keep fighting no matter the odds but Ochako wasn’t like that. How could she be like him?

Don’t wait for life to hand you something because sometimes, life will just steal it from you. And you’ll never be able to get it back.

Ochako felt determination begin to fill the void where her heart once was. He had been stolen, but Izuku Midoriya was hers and she wasn’t going to just give up without a fight. Some villains thought they could kidnap her boyfriend? Well, they were going to have to redefine pain in the dictionary when she was done with them. There was nowhere on Earth that they could hide from her. If she had to rip the world apart and burn it down to find Izuku then that was what she was going to do. She shot to her feet just as a knock sounded at the door.

Aizawa pushed open the door, light bandages covering his hands but looking far better than he did after the USJ. He entered the room and gave the assembled members of Class A a critical look over.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” His voice was dry. Had he overheard them from the hallway? Kirishima clenched his hands into fists.

“Sir, what’s the plan to rescue Bakugou and Midoriya? We want to be involved!” Aizawa, rather than sighing or anything that Ochako expected, nodded at Kirishima.

“It’s natural for you to feel that way. However, I’ve come with an update that will hopefully prevent any of you from concocting hair-brained schemes to run off and try to save them on your own.” His eyes narrowed toward Kirishima and Todoroki. “As of right now we are not sure that Bakugou was the League’s only target so you all will be staying here until the situation is resolved. We have a police presence as well as Hound Dog and Cementoss on site to ensure your safety.”  He held up a hand to head off Kirishima’s comments.

“Now, there are some who would rather I not tell you this, but I have the utmost faith in all of you not to abuse this information and I think it will help ease some of your concerns. There will be a raid tonight, timed with the press conference U.A. is holding. All Might, Present Mic, Ectoplasm, and Midnight will all be on the ground during the raid. The rest of the faculty will be on stand-by, except for myself, Vlad King, and Nezu, who will be running the press conference.”

“Why tell us this, sir?” Iida’s question broke the stunned silence. “Wouldn’t protocol dictate that the raid information be kept only for the heroes involved?”

“While Asui is correct that you are still heroes in training, each and every one of you has put your lives on the line to fight the league of villains. This is as much your case as anyone else’s and it’s only rational for you to receive updates for the cases you are involved in.” Aizawa turned around to leave but stopped in the doorway. “I’m putting my trust in you all not to share this information around. Trust in your teachers and the other heroes. We will save them. I promise.”

The chained up boy snarled at Dabi, straining against his bindings. “What are you supposed to be, some brainless scarecrow reject? Did you lose a fight with a fireplace or did Dorothy not come back yet?”

“Something like that.” Dabi’s hand lit up blue, the heat of it intense even from where Himiko was sitting. “Do you know how hot flame has to be in order to cremate a body? Around a thousand Celsius. I can do it in six seconds.” The flames snuffed out, the fear on Bakugou’s face confirming Dabi’s point was made. “But we’re not here to talk about me. We’re here to talk about you, kid.”

“What the fuck do you freaks want with me?” Himiko sighed into her bloody mary. Or was it Marie? Maki? She didn’t really remember which one it came from. This kid was just so not cute. He was all like ‘rawr’ and ‘I’ll cut your stomach out and wear it like a hat’ which was just not her type at all. She had seen all the first years at U.A. courtesy of Shigaraki’s spy, and her Izuku was definitely the cutest. And, they had him right here! But she wasn’t even allowed to go near the marble he was trapped in because of Shiggy’s master and his ‘grand plan’ or whatever.

It was so unfair! Shiggy had promised that she could play with Izuku and talk to him and now he was just locked up in a ball! She wanted to know what his blood tasted like. She wanted to know why Stain liked him and called him a true hero. She wanted to know why he had that feral look on his face during the Sports Festival. Sure, the kid they had now had looked feral and mean during his fights but he looked more like a seriously peeved off raccoon, all wild and rabid and just because her quirk prevented her from getting bloodborne diseases didn’t mean she wanted rabies. 

Izuku looked feral like he was fighting to let something out of him. Like he was fighting for something more than just to win or just to survive. He looked like he was fighting for something that mattered. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to stop from stabbing something in glee. She just loved a man of focus and willpower! It was part of why she loved Mr. Stainy so much. He was the most focused man she had ever seen until she saw Izuku. Mr. Stainy was willing to kill for what he was fighting for, but Izuku was willing to die for it. 

Himiko would kill for a lot of things. Love, blood, food, because she saw something particularly shiny she wanted that someone else had. But she didn’t have anything she would die for.

She thought about that girl in the forest: Ochako. She was willing to die for Izuku. Stain was willing to let Izuku live to be a true hero. Tomura’s Sensei was willing to give up a golden opportunity to kill him just to keep him around for some later purpose. So what was so special about him? What was so special about Izuku Midoriya that everyone who met him was so affected by him? She had to know. She had to ask him.

But she couldn’t because Shiggy was keeping him in a freaking marble!!

“I think you misunderstand us, Katsuki. Can I call you Katsuki?”

“I’d rather you choke on a dick.” Dabi ignored him.

“We don’t want anything from you, Katsuki. We want to help you.”

“Bullshit!”

“First place in the entrance exam, first place in the Sports Festival. And what was your reward?” Dabi leaned in close to his ear. “They chained you like a dog and showed you off to the world. And did anyone care? Did anyone speak out about how wrong it was to muzzle and chain up a fifteen year old on national television?”

“Kinda like you fucksticks are doing right now? How about you let me out of these cuffs and I’ll consider leaving enough of you to have an open casket.”

“See, that’s exactly what we want to bring out of you Katsuki. We want your fire. We want that rage. The heroes only care about putting up fronts and pretending like we all live in harmony, but we know the truth. They’re going to try to break you. They’re going to dress you up and take you out to be seen by the adoring public but they don’t want the real you. They don’t want the wolf, they want a lapdog. Are you a lapdog, Bakugou Katsuki? Or are you a wolf?”

“So what’s your offer? I become a villain like you shitheads? No thanks, hot and crispy. I ain’t buying it.”

“This society is at a breaking point,” Spinner said. He walked next to Katsuki and laid a hand on his shoulder. He quickly removed it again before it was bitten off. “Heroes are treated like garbage men by the public they protect. They laud the fakes among them and curse the true heroes. Which do you think they’ll do to you?”

“No one will ever be able to stand up for themselves while heroes are in the way.” Dabi took over the conversation once more. “They’re enabling the public to be soft and lazy. They prop up the weak and drag down the strong. You won the Sports Festival but all the media would talk about was Shoto. Or worse, him.” Himiko could see a vein throb in Katsuki’s head and she knew Dabi saw it too. “Oh yeah, we know all about your little rivalry with Midoriya Izuku. What’s that name you call him again? It’s Deku, right?”

Katsuki couldn’t breathe. He felt like he was floating underwater. He was slipping away under the waves and the only thing that felt real was that voice in his head. Dabi’s voice. It kept pushing and grating on his mind.

“Don’t you want to teach him his place? All the heroes adore that kid but none of them treat you with the respect you deserve. Villains though, they get real respect. Nobody looks down on villains. They fear us. They’re so scared of us they even let us take you. How else do you think we would have known your super secret camp location?” 

No. Nononono this wasn’t right. Katsuki was a hero. He wasn’t a villain. He was a hero. That splitting headache returned and he grit his teeth to stop from screaming out. He was a hero damn it. He was going to be the best hero! He wasn’t some two-bit hack and he would never give in.

But damn it, why was this guy making sense? The teachers wanted to put a leash on him and make him play nice with all the extras. Heroes only wanted people who would look pretty for the camera, not someone who had what it takes to do what’s needed. Didn’t they?

A scream worked its way up from his chest but he bit it back. None of this was right. He was going to be the best. The best hero. They wouldn’t break him. They couldn’t. Nothing would get in his way. He’d kill every last one of them before he worked for them.

“Enough, Dabi, you’ve made your point.” That raspy voice could only belong to that handyman freak, but Katsuki didn’t see him in the room. Was he behind him this whole time? “Get him prepped, we’re running out of time before the heroes get here.”

“Alright, alright.” Dabi plucked a napkin from the bartop and wrote something on it before tucking it into Katsuki’s pocket. “In case you change your mind and want to be a top dog in this world.”

“Fat chance, fuck-” there was a sharp pinch on Katsuki’s neck and the world receded into black.

“Toshinori.” He looked down to his mentor. Gran Torino barely resembled the man who had trained him in the wake of his master’s death, but the same fire was in his heart. The same steel resided in his eyes. “You know once he sees you he won’t be able to stop himself from joining the fray. This will become a war. We barely walked away from the last one.”

“He has him, Gran. I have to go.” 

That knowledge ate away at the sealed edges of old wounds in Toshinori. Too young to save his master, too old to save his successor, but just old enough to watch his greatest enemy take them both. Regrets and what-ifs swirled in his conflicted mind. If he had just gone with them to the camp, if he had just insisted that Izuku stay and train at Might Tower for the week like Sorahiko had suggested.

If only he had made sure that monster was dead the first time around.

Here in the quiet space Naomasa had cleared out of the back of the Kamino Ward police precinct, he wasn’t All Might. He was just an old man wracked by guilt over his own mistakes. But that’s not who Midoriya and Bakugo needed. That’s not who the world needed from him. So once more, for one last time, he would charge into action and do what needed to be done. Because he had the power to do so. Because someone had to.

Because He was Here.

The old man let out a sigh.

“Stupid reckless fools. Nana, you, that successor of yours, the whole lot of you need a good deal more sense and a lot less brave-hearted nonsense. I guess this is what I get for letting her talk me into being a hero all those years ago. Well kid, what’s the plan?”

“Find Midoriya and Bakugou. Get them out and finish this once and for all.”

“Not much of a plan.”

“I’ll leave the schemes to All for One. I’ve beaten him once and I’ll do it again.”

Izuku. My successor. My boy. Hang in there for a little while longer, son. I’ll see you real soon.

Tsukauchi knocked on the door of the room before sticking his head in. The detective had certainly looked better, but not sleeping for the better part of two days would do that to anyone. Toshinori was sure that his blood was half coffee at this point.

“Ten minutes. You ready, All Might?” Toshinori felt the rush of fire in his blood as he inflated to his muscular form.

“You bet, detective. Let’s get out there.” As he passed Tsukauchi, Toshinori was stopped by a hand on his arm.

“Make sure you make it out of this one, Toshinori. I mean it. I know you’re about to retire but this nation needs our symbol. Your boy still needs you too.”

“Don’t worry, Naomasa. I have no plans to die today.”

Izuku flew through the forest. Float came far more easily to him than Blackwhip had, like he was singing the words to a song he hadn’t heard in years. He knew what to do even before his mind caught up to the decision. Shoto called after him but he didn’t have time to wait for them. Kacchan was in danger. He didn’t know how to feel about his former friend but damn it he needed time to figure that out. There was a good soul in Katsuki somewhere. Somewhere inside him was that kid who adored All Might and shared his ice cream with him in the summers and helped him rehome that rabbit they found in the park with their parents. Izuku wasn’t sure he could ever really forgive Katsuki for all the shit he had done but he couldn’t figure that out if the other was kidnapped by villains for fuck’s sake.

He was gaining quickly on the magician in the yellow coat. He swore he could almost see his eyes widen in surprise beneath the mask. Izuku slammed shoulder first into the villain’s back, left arm moving up to wrap around his torso.

“Give him back!” His hand dug into the coat, tearing holes into the material. He felt one of the villain’s hands grasp at his own arm.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, but I can interest you in a magic trick?” 

There was a flash of blue light and the forest disappeared. Izuku found himself floating lightly in the air, magician no longer in his hand. The masked villain laid several feet away, groaning against the ruins of what used to be a wall and now was generously called rubble. His hat had been knocked off, lost somewhere, coat ripped and several blue marbles rolling loose on the ground. Izuku blinked in confusion and looked around him.

The destruction was everywhere. They were in a city, one Izuku didn’t recognize because half the street had been razed to the ground. Dozens of collapsed structures ringed around where Izuku stood for blocks in all directions. Slowly getting to their feet were the scattered members of the group that had attacked the summer camp. He recognized the lizard guy and the lady with the iron bar from their fight with Tiger and Mandalay, the magician villain, an unconscious Kurogiri, and he would never forget the face of Shigaraki Tomura. He was the first of them to his feet, hand affixed to his face but lacking the others that had littered their body during their first meeting at the USJ. The heavily burned man looked down for the count with a large head wound bleeding sluggishly, but a guy with a mask and a- is that a tape measure? - and a girl in a middle school uniform both pulled out weapons. If the tape measure counted as a weapon. Seriously, how does he even use that thing offensively? Is it like garotte wire? A powerful gust of wind almost knocked everyone to the ground again. Izuku spun toward the source and felt his heart stutter.

All Might was here. He was fighting someone. A monster in the form of a man with a breathing apparatus and suit. Something settled in Izuku’s stomach. One for All flickered on around him. That man. Something about him sent One for All haywire at the sight of him. It’s like his quirk was trying to run away. A tendril of dread shot down his spine. The man shot another blast of hurricane-force wind that All Might took head on. A whisper in the back of Izuku’s mind told him the man’s name. Izuku wasn’t sure if his fear was his own or the reaction of his quirk to those three words.

All for One.

“Well, now. Isn’t this special?” The voice was elegant, refined. It sounded more at home in a boardroom meeting than a battlefield, but it still sent waves of terror flooding Izuku’s nerves. “Two generations of my brother’s legacy, here to die at my hands. Once I’m finished crushing you, All Might, it will be on to his turn.”

“You won’t lay a hand on him, monster!” All Might leapt in with a vicious right hook that was countered by another blast of wind. 

“Tomura, claim your rival for me. Keep him alive long enough to watch his master fall.”

“With pleasure, sensei.”

Analyze the situation, Izuku. Where are my threats? His eyes darted from Shigaraki to the magician villain. I can’t afford to let either of those two get too close. Izuku launched forward, Blackwhip trailing behind him like contrails of a rocket. Tendrils rushed forward to grasp at the villain, and Izuku pulled with all his might. He called up every memory of every baseball game he had ever seen and flung the masked villain as far away from the fight as he could. 

“Mr. Compress, no! Haha, that kid just yeeted him!” The guy with the tape measure lashed out with the corded end of it. Izuku flew up above the whipping edge of it. The rubble he had been standing in front of split apart from the force of the blow. Who makes a tape measure with razor blades at the end of it?! Shigaraki lunged toward Izuku but he kicked out and the gust of wind it stirred up knocked him back to the earth.

“Hi Izuku!” A strong pressure forced itself against Izuku’s left side, so he dodged to the right, just ahead of the knife blade that would have pierced his chest. He spun to see the blonde girl twirling twin throwing daggers in her hands. “I’ve wanted to meet you for so long~”

“Oh yeah?” Izuku flew over the next two knives and landed with an axe kick that she dodged. “Well, the honor’s mine. What’s your name?” 

“Himiko!” Blackwhip plucked another knife out of the air. Izuku rolled out of the way of a stab from Spinner who tried to sneak up from behind. “I’m Himiko Toga. I’m your biggest fan!” Oh goody, my first stalker.  

“Toga, focus!” The woman with the iron bar called out. “We need to capture him again, not chat with him!” The girl pouted before brightening again. Izuku used her momentary distraction to dash twenty feet back out of her range.

“The boss man said we couldn’t kill you, but he didn’t say I couldn’t at least cover you in pretty blood first!” Well that’s not concerning at all. Four copies of the tape-measure guy leapt out at Izuku. One latched onto his back, another grabbed at his arm while the others started to bombard him with punches and elbows. Hopefully I can still pull this off with one arm. Izuku started to spin and flew a few feet into the air, wind whipping around him in a mini-vortex. 

“OKLAHOMA SMASH!” The duplicates were sent flying splattering into mud where they hit the ground. Izuku dropped back to the ground, stumbling as he landed. This was his third or fourth major fight in the last twenty-four hours and it was taking its toll. He was barely keeping up with eight percent and that was with the new quirks he had gained. He was wary of using the third’s anymore until he could guarantee that it wouldn’t turn more of his bones to powder, but he was starting to get worn out. 

A lance of heat at his back had him dodging forward out of the way of a grasping hand Shigaraki. Izuku spun his weight to lash out with a punch, but their bodies glowed blue for a second before rocketing away from each other. Crap, this is that woman’s quirk. What was she called, Magne? Izuku felt a tug at his center and he was pulled in the direction of a grinning Toga. 

“You know, you really put the cut in cute Himi-chan.” The girl’s eyes widened from slits to almost pure black pupils, like an excited cat. Huh, I wonder if that’s a secondary mutation to support her being a hunter? Does she also have a rough tongue- Bad Izuku! Fight now, think about quirks later! Toga’s excited squeals made her next slash with her knife sloppy, so Izuku was able to dodge inside of it. The two of them slammed together in midair from the attraction of Magne’s quirk.

“You called me Himi-chan! You gave me a nickname! That means you like me right?”

“Uh, sure?” I need to break line of sight on her quirk, but how?

“Oh that makes me just want to stab you so much!” Izuku felt himself sweat-drop at her attitude. Okay, note to self: flirting with psychopaths just makes them crazier.

“Perhaps I could be of some assistance, Nine.” Dark smoke exploded out of Izuku. Cries of confusion and panic went up amongst the villains. Izuku and Toga dropped at the loss of Magne’s quirk, Izuku managing to catch himself with Float. “Smokescreen is a useful quirk if you can use it wisely. You must not falter here, Izuku. Everything hangs in the balance.”

Yet another ghost in my head. Fan-tastic.

“Aww, but I was really looking forward to seeing you bleed, Izu!” A knife flew past his cheek, scratching a thin line across the left side of his face and ear. Right, focus on the fight and think about the voices in your head later, Izuku. You got this.

“That seems like a little much for our first date, Himi-chan, but maybe I can tie you up a little.” Blackwhip bound the girl from head to toe, leaving her panting. Izuku couldn’t see in the middle of his still growing smokescreen, but he could feel the writhing motions of the villain within it. Alright, now to deal with the other one.

Izuku burst through the air, cocking back his unbroken left fist. As he broke the outermost section of the smoke he brought his fist down on the unsuspecting Magne. The mini-shockwave that sent Magne flying was dwarfed immediately afterwards by the next massive blow by the two clashing titans nearby. Izuku’s smoke dissipated in the face of the windshear. Tendrils left the bound Toga in order to plunge themselves into the ground to anchor Izuku in place. Shigaraki and Izuku were the last left standing from the blow, the other villains scattered like motes of dust. 

“I must admit, you’ve impressed me, Midoriya Izuku.” Izuku turned toward the voice of the Symbol of Evil. That eyeless face contorted in an awful smirk. “You’re the spitting image of your master in his youth. I apologize for not getting the chance to pay you my respects during your stay with Tomura. I was preoccupied with our other guests.”

“Where’s Bakugou?” Izuku called out. “What have you done with him?” The monster in a three-piece suit chuckled.

“Why, I’m almost certain he’s back with the heroes already.” Jagged black and red spikes shot from his hand and pierced into the bodies of Magne and Kurogiri. A warp gate spawned behind a confused looking Toga. “I’m afraid, however, that I’ve gotten quite caught up reminiscing with my nemesis and lost track of time. Even as we now speak insects are beginning to swarm our position and as much fun as it is to crush heroes beneath my heel, this is a party meant for two. Tomura, it’s time for you to go.” The spikes tossed the limp body of Magne through the gate, and a red glow surrounded Toga.

“Wait, what?” A blue glow emanated from the male villains in the area as all their bodies suddenly shot toward Toga and the warp gate behind her. “Hold on guys you’re coming at me way too quic-” the villains dogpiled into her as they tumbled into the gate beyond.

“Master, no! Let me stay!” Shigaraki’s hands clawed grooves into the rubble beneath him as he was dragged backwards by Magne’s forcibly activated quirk. “I can stay and help, please!”

“Listen to your sensei, Tomura. Your time has yet to come. Claim this world in my place.” First the left hand came loose then the right as Shigaraki flew backwards through the rapidly closing portal. Glossy black and green tendrils dove in after him, and pulled him back out as the warp gate closed with a pop. 

“Actually, I think he should stay.” 

In the weeks and months to follow, that picture would circulate on every news network. It would be shown again on the anniversary of the Kamino Ward Incident year after year. Izuku floating above Tomura Shigaraki where he was wrapped and bound in unbreakable black chains. Lightning crowned Izuku, his hair beginning to stand on end from the power rolling off of him. Smoke and vines of black wreathed his silhouette. He looked like a harbinger, a creature whose existence foretold the winds of change. The world would look back to this moment and point. There was the dawn of a new age of heroes. There, a symbol was born.

Toshinori looked on at his successor with a mix of deep resonating pride and annoyance. Just get out of here, kid.

“Well now, this is a wrinkle. It seems despite your many flaws you’ve chosen well, All Might. Midoriya Izuku may even surpass you.”

“Keep his name out of your filthy mouth!” A massive fist slammed into Toshinori’s side, causing a gout of blood to spew from his lips. He hurtled through the air until a familiar high speed projectile caught him and redirected both of them to crash into the ground.

“Calm down, Toshinori! Keep your wits about you.” The two of them crash landed in a former apartment building, sending rubble spraying into the air. “This is the same thing that happened last time. You can’t let him get under your skin!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you still fight? It’s do or die time, kid.”

“A hero will always find a way for justice to be served!” Toshinori slammed his hand into the ground, pushing himself to his feet. Gran Torino shook his head.

“You kids and your damn catchphrases.”

“All Might! Gran Torino!” At his side, Gran muttered something that sounded like a curse against foolhardy meatheads and children. “I can help!” Izuku was floating over the rubble towards them, still almost a block and a half of collapsed buildings between them. Toshinori raised his hand to stop him.

When you think you can’t go on, remember your origin.

This nation needs our Symbol.

Live for him.

I have to finish this. He risked a glance at his successor, and he was struck with the resonant image of that sobbing skinny fanboy he had been when they first started training together. I couldn’t be more proud of you, my boy.

“There’s no need, young Midoriya. Just stay back and watch a pro go to work. Everything’s going to be okay. Do you know why?” In the distance, All for One’s arm began to grow in a grotesque mockery of a human limb. The Symbol of Evil called out for his rival, but Toshinori was focused on the boy he had chosen.

“Because I Am Here.”

All Might… 

“Izuku!” He blinked at the sound of his name. He turned to the voice and saw three figures running toward him. Kamui Woods and Edgeshot trailed behind the third figure who sprinted with all out desperation toward him. 

“Midnight-sensei? Oof!” His teacher slammed into him with a hug.

“Oh god, kid. Never do something like that again, okay? Now come on, we have to get you out of here.”

“Wait, what about All Might?”

“The Symbol of Peace shall endure.” Izuku had barely registered the presence of the number five hero but holy shit Edgeshot was right here and talking to him! “He won’t fall here but you are injured and are not yet a licensed hero. You need to evacuate with the others.”

“But what about him?” Izuku pointed to the bound and snarling form of Shigaraki. His hands were trapped against his body so there was no risk of him using his quirk but they couldn’t just leave him there. Midnight bent down and slammed a palm over his mouth. Purple mist trailed into the air between her fingers. Shigaraki’s eyes rolled up and he fell unconscious.

“There, problem solved. We’ll just take him with us. Kamui, if you would?”

“Right.” Wood replaced Blackwhip and trapped Shigaraki even tighter. “Now, we should go and leave All Might to it.”

“I will go to support him, the rest of you get out of here.” Edgeshot flattened into a ribbon launched into the air toward the brutal fight happening in the center of the crater that once was Kamino Ward. Endeavor had desperately started trying to buy time for All Might to gather his strength for the last stand. 

“Let’s go, kiddo.” Midnight tossed Izuku’s good arm over her shoulders. Izuku looked back to his mentor, his skinny form now revealed to the world. Please All Might. I can’t lose you.

…

“You’re next.”

Chapter Text

“The devastation is immense here in Kamino Ward. The two hideouts of the League of Villains were hit late last night by a group of top heroes including Best Jeanist, Endeavor and All Might. Much of the surrounding blocks were leveled as fighting broke out between the heroes and the League as well as the Nomu, which we are being told are genetically engineered creatures under the League’s control. Thankfully both locations were in the less populated sections of Kamino, but as you can see no buildings were left standing after All Might took on the League’s leader. Little is known about the mysterious mastermind behind one of the most dangerous groups of villains Japan has seen in decades.”

“Rescue operations are ongoing, but current statistics have the death toll at over fifty and hundreds more were injured leaving local hospitals overwhelmed. Staff from larger nearby hospitals have been called in to assist and patients with minor injuries are being transferred out to help keep space for the more grievously wounded. The city has come to a halt and public transportation has stopped for the first time in over six years as the fallout from the Kamino Ward Incident continues to ravage the people of Japan. In this time of crisis many are looking to our nation’s heroes for guidance. The Symbol of Peace is currently undergoing treatment for the injuries he sustained during the fight and the hashtag Still Our Symbol is trending on social media to show support for the injured Number One -”

“Well, Takashi, to be honest I’m not sure we’ve seen a villain attack of this scope since All Might debuted. It begs the question what are we to do now that our nation’s symbol will likely be forced to retire. Can we really survive without him-”

“Three members of the League of Villains along with dozens of the Nomu creatures were captured yesterday. The villain known as Shigaraki Tomura, who was involved in the original attack by the League at U.A.’s campus, the villain known as Mr. Compress, and the as of yet unidentified leader of the League were all escorted to Tartarus early this morning where they will be held until trial dates are announced. Heroes Edgeshot and Endeavor were-”

“Initial estimates from city officials put the property damage in the hundreds of millions of Yen-”

“Who was the boy that fought alongside All Might? Why was he there?”

“All Might’s mysterious successor-”

“And where is U.A. during all this? They had two students kidnapped by the league! All Might is being forced into retirement because of their negligence! How can anyone support them after all this sh-”

“Shouldn’t the students of U.A. been allowed to use their quirks in self-defense in the first place? Why are we restricting their quirks at all? These are our future saviors. If they had been allowed to use their quirks from the get-go would All Might have retired? This is Takako Honda of Shoowaysha Publishing, live from Kamino.”

Izuku turned off the television and leaned back in his hospital bed. His mom was asleep in the chair at his side, hand still clutching at his leg. She hadn’t left his side since she had arrived at the hospital and Izuku couldn’t be more thankful for it. His mom just had a way of making him feel better. She called it a mother’s secret quirk, but Izuku thought it was all her.

A quiet knock at the door roused Inko from her sleep. A tall man with black hair and a pair of glasses entered the room dressed in a pair of scrubs with a white coat thrown over them.

“Pardon the intrusion. Is now a good time for us to speak?” Inko sat up and rubbed her eyes.

“Yes, doctor. Now is fine.” 

“Excellent. It’s good to see you awake Midoriya-kun. My name is Dr. Kyoya Otori, I’m the head of orthopedic surgery here at Central Hospital. I was the surgeon in charge of your recovery along with Recovery Girl. You are a very lucky man, Midoriya-kun.” Inko bristled.

“My son had to fight for his life before and after being kidnapped by villains, Doctor. I would hardly classify that as lucky.”

“My apologies, ma’am,” he dropped into a quick bow. “I did not mean to offend. What I mean is that your son is lucky he got to us when he did. My understanding of the quirk that the villain Mr. Compress used is that it placed Midoriya-kun in a state of suspended animation while imprisoned. Because of that, his body was able to receive medical attention sooner relative to the time that passed out here. Effectively, if he had spent as much time outside of the quirk as he did inside his prognosis would look much worse than it does now. That is not to say you are out of the woods yet, Midoriya-kun.” The man adjusted his glasses and fixed Izuku with a piercing stare.

“Simply put, you cannot allow such an injury to occur again. You broke your arm in sixteen places in addition to the severe dislocation and damage to the joints and ligaments. Recovery Girl managed to heal most of the actual breaks themselves as well as the major structural damage to the muscles, but the tendons and ligaments were weakened significantly. If you had injured it any further we would have had to amputate it.”

Izuku looked down at the cast covered arm. The third’s quirk was that powerful? He would have to use it sparingly. He would also need a way to protect his arm. Maybe he could- “You’ll retain full use of the limb after some physical therapy. We’d like to keep you for the next few days in case there are any lingering complications from Mr. Compress’ quirk. The majority of your physical therapy can be handled at U.A. after you return so this will just be a precaution. You’ll regain full function of your right hand after a few sessions with Recovery Girl, but I urge you to take this seriously, young man. Far too often we see young heroes with bright futures cut tragically short because they didn’t take care of their bodies well enough. I’m sure the people who care about you don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

“Thank you, Dr. Otori. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“It was my pleasure, Midoriya-kun. Hopefully the next time I see you will be a social visit rather than having you as my patient again.”

“I’ll do my best, sir.”

“See to it that you do, young man. A nurse should be by in a few minutes to get you a solid meal, you used up a lot of your stamina from Recovery Girl’s quirk so it will be important you for to eat well and rest over the next few days. There are a few visitors here who would like to speak with you if you’re feeling up for it?”

“Yeah, I feel up for it.”

“Excellent. I’ll send them in then. Rest well Midoriya-kun. And you as well, Midoriya-san.” With that the doctor left the mother and son alone in the hospital room. Inko balled up the sheets in her fists.

“Izuku… I-” another knock interrupted her. She sighed. “We’ll talk later, darling. Come in!” The door slid to the side to reveal Nemuri, casually dressed in sweatpants and an oversized knit sweater, with Principal Nezu riding her shoulder. The principal had a somewhat more serious expression than he was used to seeing on his face.

“Ah, Midoriya-san, Midoriya-kun. What a pleasure to see both of you. Before we get down to business I would first like to apologize on behalf of U.A. high school that this incident came to pass. We have failed you for a second time.”

“I appreciate your apology, Nezu-san. I would like to know, however, how it has come to be that my son has twice been forced to fight for his life at a school-sanctioned event.”

“We are investigating at the moment, though the most distressing theory is that there may be a traitor within U.A. I will be personally conducting a full review of all staff and student backgrounds as well as tearing into the records and information left behind by All for One to determine the identity of this person.”

“We thought,” Nemuri said as she sat down next to Inko. “that if we kept the number of people who knew the location of the summer camp small then we would be able to keep them better hidden.” She took his mom’s hand in hers and rubbed soothing circles into it. “I wish that I was there, that I could have done something. But we never thought that they were in any danger, I promise you that.” Inko sighed and leaned into Nemuri’s side.

“I don’t blame either of you personally. I know you all did your best but…”

“But your son still got hurt because our best wasn’t enough.” Nezu finished for her. “I do not disagree with your sentiment, Midoriya-san. There must be drastic changes to our school.” A somewhat tense silence stretched over the room after that statement. Izuku wasn’t sure he wanted to know what changes Nezu was thinking of making.

“How are you feeling, Izuku?” Nemuri asked from her place at Inko’s side.

“I feel a little sore. My arm doesn’t hurt but it feels pretty tender, I guess. Can you tell me how everyone else is doing? Where’s Kacchan?”

“Bakugou is currently being treated on another floor.” Midnight cracked her knuckles once before looking to the floor. “I was part of the team that picked him up and he was pretty out of it. It seems like he’d been drugged and from what we could make out of what he was saying they tried to convince him to turn villain. He kept muttering “stupid shitty scarecrows” as they carted him out. Once we got him secure, I hopped a ride with Kamui Woods to make it to you.” 

“The rest of my class? Kota?”

“Izumi Kota had a sprained wrist and a minor case of dehydration but was overall quite healthy.” Nezu answered. “You did quite an amazing job protecting him. The rest of 1-A and B managed to escape with minor injuries. Anyone who was put to sleep by Mustard’s quirk has woken up with no lingering complications.

“That’s good. That’s really good.” Izuku felt his mouth dry up. “And the villain? Muscular? What happened to him?”

“That is part of why we are here.” Nezu adjusted his tie. “The villain known as Muscular was sent to the hospital with a severe concussion, three broken vertebrae, several broken ribs and significant internal bleeding. He is currently in a medically induced coma but is expected to wake up within the next two days. They are unsure if there will be long lasting effects at the moment.”

Izuku felt his vision blur with tears. He did that to another person? The third’s quirk pulverized his own arm and almost killed the person he used it against? Fa Jin was too dangerous. He had to find a way to regulate it. Until he did, the third’s quirk would stay locked away. 

“Neither the HPSC nor police will be pursuing charges of excessive force given the circumstances. You will likely have to give a statement later on, but Kota’s testimony of the events will absolve you.”

“Thank you.” Izuku whispered. The tears he had held back now ran freely down his face. “I’m so sorry.” Both Inko and Nemuri moved to embrace Izuku. He buried his face between them and let the sobs take him.

“You did nothing wrong, Izuku.” Nemuri whispered fiercely. “You saved Kota. You protected both him and you from someone who wanted to kill you. You were a hero.” Eventually his tears abated and his mother and mentor pulled back. After Izuku took a moment to clean up his face and pull himself together, Nezu spoke.

“There is one more matter we should discuss, Midoriya-kun, before we let you get your rest. You were seen during the fight flying and producing smoke. You awakened two more quirks, didn't you?”

“Three, sir. The seventh, sixth and third users’. Float, Smokescreen and Fa Jin. Fa Jin is an energy storer, it’s what let me do that to…”

“Well, our response is going to hinge on one important question. Do you still want to keep One for All hidden?” Izuku looked up in confusion to his principal. Nezu gave him a small smile and explained. “All for One is locked away. You could go public with your quirk if you would like. I do not think it wise, but you have that option and I will not take it away from you without even offering it.”

“Wouldn’t that still put people in danger though? All for One probably still has allies.”

“There is another dimension to it as well. If the world knows that you could transfer your quirk, a villain may take measures to attempt to force you to transfer it to them. Like I said, I do not believe it is the wisest option. One for All was kept a secret for a very long time for good reasons beyond just All for One.”

“I’d like it to stay secret. Maybe one day I could share it, but definitely not now.” Nezu gave him a nod.

“Very well then. I believe the best lie is one with some semblance of truth then. You had a quirk awakening due to the stress of attempting to save Izumi Kota. Your quirk is a rare but not unheard of triple aspect involving both Float and Blackwhip that requires your base musculature to be at a sufficient level before activation. Smokescreen can be explained as a quirk that All for One forced onto you during your captivity. Because your body is naturally adjusted to having more disparate power sets because of your original quirk, you managed to adjust to the new quirk rather than the quirk breaking your mind.”

“This is just for your classmates and the official police report,” Nemuri added. “Because of the highly restricted status of the villain as well as the fact that you’re a minor, the press can print your name and some basic facts that you got taken, but any report of your involvement is confidential.”

“I think that makes sense to me. Mom? Do you have any questions?” Inko blinked back at the group, taken aback at the decisiveness.

“I… no, I don’t think so.”

“If you do,” Nezu said, handing her a business card. “Feel free to reach out to me. Or ask Yagi to get into contact with me.”

“Thank you, Nezu, sir. I think I just need to take some time to process all of this.”

“Of course, take all the time you need.”

Eventually, Midnight managed to convince Inko to head home and shower and get some proper sleep. Shortly after she had left, Izuku’s door burst open, causing him to startle up in bed and Nemuri to flick open the collapsible whip she kept disguised as a bracelet on her wrist. A jumble of limbs fell into the room, accompanied by the sounds of bickering.

“I told you I wanted to be the one to see him first!” “We should have knocked, what if he was asleep?!” “Well then he’s definitely awake now, kero.” “We currently have a weapon pointed at us and you are worried about whether we woke up our friend or not?” “This seems to be a bit much, does it not?”

“Well, isn’t this just adorable? You’re like a bunch of puppies climbing over one another to get attention.” Ochako, Tenya, Tsu and Shoto looked up at Midnight from the floor where they had all crashed together in a dogpile. Ochako had her leg tangled in Tsu’s and an elbow pushing Tenya’s glasses up above his forehead. Iida had an arm around each of Shoto and Ochako. Tsu managed to be pressed between Shoto and Tenya though she seemed mostly nonplussed about the situation. An amused Momo stood behind them, badly disguising her laughter behind a hand over her mouth. Nemuri curled her whip around her arm again with a smirk. 

“I’ll give you some time to yourselves. I’ll be back in fifteen.” She stopped at the door and turned back to Izuku with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Oh, and Izuku? Group play can be very entertaining but you did just get out of surgery so try not to get too excited now, hm?” All six of the teenagers blushed as Nemuri exited, laughing to herself. Ochako managed to extricate herself from the pile first and pounce onto his left side.

“Deku! How are you feeling?” Her voice was slightly muffled by his hospital gown as she attempted to burrow into his chest. She started rubbing her head against him like a cat as the others picked themselves up off the floor.

“I’m alright. Pretty sore, but happy to be in one piece. How are you guys doing?”

“We were not the ones who got kidnapped by villains and shattered our arms.” Shoto gave him a dry look. “Please worry about yourself more and the rest of us less. We’re fine.”

“I think what Shoto means is that the rest of the class is alright. Bakugou’s family is with him but we’re not allowed to visit him yet.” Tenya broke in gently. “Truth be told the only reason we were allowed to come see you is that… ah, well-”

“Your mom texted me,” Ochako finished for him. “She was sending me updates throughout the night.”

“My mom has your phone number?”

“Yeah. We talk sometimes.” Izuku shuddered at the idea. His mom was great but if the two most stubborn women in his life teamed up he would stand no chance in any argument for the rest of his life. “She’s really cool.”

“Y-yeah, she’s awesome.”

“I am glad to see you are well, Izuku-kun.” Momo saved him from thinking about the Inko-Ochako Alliance. “We were all greatly concerned.”

“We had a rescue plan in place,” Shoto offered. “If no one had news within two days we were going to move in on our own.”

“Well, I’m glad you guys didn’t have to resort to that,” Izuku said with a laugh. “And I think that I owe a lot of that to you, Momo. You were the one who placed the tracker on the Nomu, right?”

“Yes, that was me, but really you were the one who inspired me to do it.”

“I wouldn’t have had the ability to think that far ahead though. I would have ended up just fighting the thing head on and then letting it get away.”

“Before I did it was your words that allowed me to take action at all, otherwise I would have simply stood by.”

“Don’t say that, Momo! You would have figured something out. You’re far too clever to ever just give up.”

“That is kind of you to say, Izuku, but-” “How long do you think they’re going to keep doing that, kero?” “I give it five minutes.” Momo and Izuku blushed from embarrassment. “My apologies.”

“Nah you’re all good.” Ochako had managed to worm her way underneath Izuku’s unbroken arm and laid fully on the bed next to him at this point. “It’s kind of adorable how you guys get into these like compliment battles.” She let out a yawn. “Y’all’re so polite.” Izuku’s brow furrowed at his girlfriend’s slip of accent. She must have been more exhausted than he thought if she was speaking naturally in front of their friends. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“You okay?” She let out a sleepy mmm and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like ‘tired’. If his mom was sending her periodic updates throughout the night then how much sleep had Ochako gotten? He pressed a kiss to her forehead and earned a pleased hum as she snuggled in closer. Tenya noticed the two of them beginning to drift off and cleared his throat.

“We should probably let Izuku get his rest. We can let Midnight-sensei know that Ochako will stay here.”

“A good idea.” Momo echoed.

“I do think there is something that needs to be addressed with the group before we leave.” Shoto looked down at his hands with a desolate expression. “You should probably all stay away from me for the foreseeable future.”

“What why?!” “Shoto?” “Kero?”

“I’m cursed. I really am the hand-crusher.” Laughter filled the room. Izuku felt like his lungs were going to burst. The stress of the past days melted into his slightly manic giggles. And if a few tears fell as the outpouring of emotion came, everyone was too overcome by the sheer relief of being alive to comment.

Something was wrong with him. The quacks and nurses didn’t find anything in any of the tests they had run. Everyone from his parents to the doctors was insisting he just needed time to adjust but Katsuki knew the truth. There was something wrong.

It was hard for him to describe. A subtle weight in his chest that had never been there before. Shadows flickered in the corners of his vision. His fingers would twitch, heartbeat pick up, he even felt his quirk spark once without his input. Every so often someone would play piano against his spine, a tapping against his vertebrae that could only be a product of his overstressed mind. 

Katsuki knew that whatever tests they were doing weren’t accurate but what could he do? If he told them what was wrong they’d say it was just stress and trauma from being kidnapped. At best no one would take him seriously and at worst they would assume he snapped and keep him in this hospital forever. Maybe they’re right, a voice whispered. Maybe you’re crazy and this is all in your head.

He needed to figure this out but he had to do it on his own. The first step to doing that was getting out of this damn hospital. Katsuki pulled the napkin Scar-face had written on from his pocket. He should’ve given it to the police when they picked him up. He should’ve exploded into scraps or stuffed it down a toilet.

But he didn’t do any of that. Katsuki returned the napkin back to his pockets. I can do this on my own. I don’t need their help. I’m strong enough to figure this out by myself.

His own clothes had never felt quite as comfortable as they did when Izuku finally was able to change out of the hospital gown. His mom had brought a change of clothes with her when she came to check him out and Izuku gratefully put them on. A relaxed pair of jeans, limited edition All Might 35th anniversary socks based on his bronze age costume, his favorite red sneakers and a plain white shirt that said ‘Winter Hat’ in bold black font. He tossed the jacket she had brought into the bag with the workout gear he had been wearing during the training camp. His mom had gone ahead to the car, but Izuku had one more stop to make before he left.

At his knock a voice called out from inside, “Come in, my boy!” He pushed open the door to see his mentor resting on his own hospital bed. Bandages wrapped around his head and snaked up from underneath the hospital gown, peeking out from the collar and the right arm hole. His arm itself was casted and tucked into a sling. 

“Young Midoriya, it’s good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you too, All Might. Pardon the intrusion.”

“Nonsense, my boy. I’m happy you would visit a wizened old man like me.”

“Gran Torino is old, All Might. You’re experienced.” All Might let out a wet barking laugh that transitioned quickly into a coughing fit. Izuku poured a glass of water for his mentor while his coughing settled.

“Ah, thank you my boy. Just don’t let Gran hear you saying that.” He took a drink from the cup before putting it back on the tray. “So what can I do for you, Izuku?”

“One for All.” He said simply. The upbeat energy of the room dimmed a little at the mention of their quirk. “It’s gone from you now, right?”

“Ah, one moment my boy.” All Might leaned over to the table next to him and pressed a button on a small silver disk. It looked similar to the hologram disk that had been sent in his U.A. acceptance letter all those months ago. The disk let out a soft orange glow. “There we are. You can speak freely now.”

“Err, right. You used up the last of One for All in your fight, didn’t you?”

“I’m afraid so. The power is yours completely now.”

“I could feel it when One for All started to fade in you. It felt like a star going out.”

“There’s no need for gloom, my boy. This was always going to happen at one point or another. You are the ninth bearer. You are my successor. You’re going to do far more good for this world than I ever did.”

“I just keep thinking that if I hadn’t been there, if I had been strong enough to get Kacchan out without getting captured as well or if you hadn’t saved me under that bridge maybe you would still have One for All.” He glanced down at his hands, crumpled into fists. “Did I kill the Symbol of Peace just to become a hero?”

“Young Midoriya,” the tone of All Might’s voice brooked no argument. Izuku looked up into his mentor’s steely blue gaze. “There was no way that this could be avoided. I’m almost sixty years old, my boy. Not even I can be a hero forever. The Symbol of Peace would fall eventually with or without you.”

“But-” “But nothing, Izuku. Do not place this burden on yourself. Sons are meant to surpass their fathers, and you will do so many amazing things in your life, my boy.”

“Please don’t let Shoto hear you say things like that,” Izuku said with a watery laugh. He wiped at the tears that trailed down his face. “He’s already convinced that you’re my dad.”

“I may not be your father, my boy, but I do see you as my son. The bond we share is unbreakable and irrevocable.” Toshinori pressed a bony hand into Izuku’s hair and ruffled the curls. “My master told me that we would always meet again inside of One for All. I will always be a part of you, Izuku, just like I will always carry a part of you with me.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I think I spoke to Nana.” A surprised burst of blood shot from All Might’s mouth at the statement. Once he had cleaned himself up, he asked.

“Ah, what do you mean my boy?”

“Well, you know how I spoke to Daigoro when I awakened Blackwhip?” Toshinori nodded. “When I awakened Float and Fa Jin I saw two more vestiges. One of Nana and one of the third. And then when I gained access to Smokescreen, I think I met the sixth as well.”

“Well this is certainly news. We have a little information on the fifth and sixth wielders and more on Nana, but we know very little about those prior to Daigoro. If we can find a way for you to intentionally communicate with the vestiges, maybe you can ask him to share information with you.”

“Yeah.” Thinking about the third user and his quirk redirected Izuku’s thoughts back toward the original reason he had wanted to speak with his mentor. “All Might? Did you ever want to kill All for One?”

“To be honest, I already thought that I had six years ago. I didn’t know he was alive until after the USJ attack.”

“But going into this fight. Did you think about killing him?”

“What is this really about Izuku?” He thought back to Muscular and the feeling of his fist against yielding flesh. The echoing boom of a body hitting a mountain.

“When the third spoke to me he asked me if I was willing to do whatever it took to stop Muscular. If I was willing to kill to stop him.”

“And you’re worried that by saying yes it makes you a worse person,” his mentor finished for him. Izuku didn’t answer. He stared at the floor until he felt shifting from the man next to him and a warm hand rub circles against his back. 

“We are called to a violent profession, my boy. If diplomacy could stop every villain there would be no need for heroes.”

“But I almost killed a man, All Might. That’s a little more than just the regular duties of heroics. Even villains don’t deserve to be murdered.”

“There are many reasons why someone might become a villain, young Midoriya. Out of necessity, a lack of better options, or just plain bad luck sometimes. The worst of the worst though, the true monsters that haunt our world, they do bad things because they enjoy it. They love to cause chaos and destruction and pain. I do not condone killing; it’s the job of heroes to stop them from causing more violence not to escalate it. I truly hope it does not come to pass for you again, but sometimes the only way to ensure that others do not suffer for the actions of monsters is to stop them however you can by whatever means necessary.

“Let’s do a thought exercise. If you hadn’t used that level of force against Muscular, could you have stopped him from killing you or Kota?”

“No, probably not.”

“Did you try first?”

“Of course. He was just too strong.”

“Last one. If you were forced to do it all again, would you change your actions?”

Izuku was forced to think about it for a long moment. He turned the problem every which way, but any solution he could come up with probably ended with one or both of them dead. Maybe he could have led Muscular off toward Aizawa but what would have stopped him from killing Kota first? He had already proven that he could handle one hundred percent of One for All so anything less than maximum force wouldn’t have done anything.

“No.” He decided. “No, I would do it again if I had to.”

“Then I think you have your answer. You did what you had to. Don’t let your doubts detract from that.”

“Thank you, All Might.”

“Of course, my boy.”

As Izuku left the room a faint sense of approval radiated from the back of his mind. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, Midoriya Izuku. A familiar voice spoke. Don’t take this power lightly and you’ll be fine.

Can you hear me? He thought back. When nothing but silence returned, he sighed. Damn cryptic ghosts.

Protect Tomura Shigaraki. He had a purpose. A mission. But how could he fulfill it? His ward was gone, taken by his enemies. His master was gone as well. The doctor was in the wind and without the coordinates to his location he would remain there. Tomura’s associates were beginning to panic. The one had already stormed off, footsteps charred into the concrete of the warehouse in his wake. The others scattered as well. All that was left of the League of Villains was the masked man and himself. The other man pulled up his mask and spoke. The words themselves swam in and out, competing with the instinctive drive to protect and nurture his missing ward. 

“You don’t even know who you are, do you?” The blonde man’s voice was kind and soft. It resonated with something, deep inside. “I hope you find something that reminds you of that. Or someone.” He placed a phone on the table, a video playing on the screen. “In case you want to know what’s happening with Shigaraki.”

The blonde man left. His eyes were dragged to the screen. Flashes of rescue efforts in the destruction left behind by All for One. A woman appeared on it. Dark hair and bright blue eyes. Familiar blue eyes. Protect Tomura Shigaraki. The angle changed and again showed that woman, escorting Tomura’s rival away from the battle zone. Protect everyone Tomura Shigaraki. Flashes of a younger woman, with those same haunting eyes, on a rooftop. The sky stretched out behind her but no star shone brighter than her. Protect Tomura Shigaraki Everyone. He had to know who that woman was. She was a hero. She could have a clue about who he is where Tomura Shigaraki is.

Chapter Text

Izuku had stood toe to toe with a man that called himself the Symbol of Evil and personally put a hole in All Might’s side. He’d fought serial killers and villains and bioengineered superweapons. He wasn’t sure if any of them were as terrifying as Nemuri’s driving.

“Oh god, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.” Izuku panted, trying to make sure he didn’t throw up on the sidewalk. 

“What are you even talking about Izuku? You and Hizashi, I swear. Such sensitive stomachs sheesh.” Nemuri gave him an unimpressed look from over the rim of her sunglasses. His teacher was dressed casually in a tank-top and jeans and tapped her sandals against the ground outside of Spring of Youth.

“Alliteration? Seriously?” Izuku pushed his hands off his knees to stand up. “Must you punish me like this?”

“Seriously. I soothe such sad setbacks with schadenfreude celery-head.”

“Celery-head? Spinach was right there.”

“No more questions, young pupil.” Nemuri held open the salon door to let Izuku enter first. “All shall be revealed in time.”

“What are we even doing here, Nemuri?”

“That was a question, Izuku.”

“And a valid one. You basically kidnapped me at nine in the morning. I feel like I deserve an explanation here.” Nemuri tsked. 

“Kids these days. No appreciation for the build up of things. You all just want instant gratification.” Nemuri flipped on the lights and led him over to a table in the corner. “Today we’re going to be practicing some self-care. If I left you alone you’d just work yourself into the ground so I asked Inko if I could steal you for the day since I’m such a caring and wonderful big sister.”

“I would not work myself into the ground!” She shot him a disbelieving look.

“You got out of the hospital yesterday and you’ve already tried to go for a run this morning. I know you hate sitting still but take a damn minute to decompress and sit down already.”

Izuku sat down in the chair opposite his teacher. Admittedly he did feel a little worse for wear. The cast had come off but the doctors had warned him that he should take it easy until his next appointment with Recovery Girl. It was just hard to sit still knowing that even now villains were getting ready to take advantage of the power vacuum left by All Might’s retirement. The number one hero was gone and it was only a matter of time until the reverberations came back to bite them. How could he not be out there? He was the successor. He needed to be training. He needed to be better.

“I know you feel like you should be doing more.” She rolled her eyes at the surprise that showed on his face. “I have been around the block before, you know? You’re a hero, Izuku. We all hate sitting still. I know Shouta tends to belabor the point but you do need to take some time for yourself. You can’t save anyone if you’re not sleeping or eating or burning yourself out. You’ve got to pour from a full cup, otherwise you’ll have nothing left. And it’s my job as your honorary big sister to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself, so,” she held up two nail polish bottles and rattled them. “Which color?”

Izuku let out a sigh. It didn’t really seem like he was going to be able to get out of this. “Red, I guess?”

“Ugh, no. I know you love your red shoes but really, can you wear other colors? Red nails are for the sex symbols, the femme fatales. I’m not sure you’re ready for that. No, let’s go with a dark blue. This one will look good.”

“Why did you even ask me if you were just going to go with the one you wanted?”

“Don’t question your nee-san, Izuku. It’s rude.”

The quiet that fell was comfortable, occasionally broken by Nemuri’s soft humming. Her brush strokes were precise and gentle. As she traded one hand for the other, his newly painted nails felt oddly heavy to Izuku. The color Nemuri had picked out was a dark blue, almost black in the places where the coating was thickest. Flecks of silver dotted the nails like stars. He could admit that it felt nice to take a moment to breathe. He had been moving at full throttle ever since final exams. Having someone else take care of him was a soothing change from the hectic battles he had been forced into.

“I know we’ve been working on your persona and keeping it up, but there’s a time and a place for it. It’s a hard lesson and I don’t get it right all the time either. But you have to make sure that you have time for Izuku and Deku. Find people or spaces that you can take a break with. Get a hobby, go on some dates, do anything but train or be Deku.”

Ochako’s laughter echoed in his head. He remembered sitting with her on the roof, lunch forgotten between them. He thought about their trip to the mall, what he didn’t know at the time was to be their first date. The first time he saw her, struggling to get away from the zero pointer. A hand squished his cheeks, disrupting his thoughts.

“I knew it! You’re in love with Ochako!”

“What uh no, I’m not?”

“You are! You just mumbled her name!” Nemuri let out a dramatic gasp and clutched a hand to her chest. “You’re in love and you didn’t tell me?!”

“Maybe this is why I didn’t tell you.”

“How could you do this to your nee-san, Izuku?!”

“You’re not actually my sister, you do know that right?”

“So cruel!”

“Thank you for meeting with us, Midoriya-san.” Shouta sat stiffly on the couch doing his best to ignore the shifting weight of All Might at his side. He itched to get rid of the stupid tie that was way too tight around his throat and go home to his cats and his husband but he had to get this done. He was honestly surprised at how well most of these home visits were going. So far every single parent had agreed to send their children back to U.A. and signed off on the plans to create dormitories. Even the Bakugous had been fairly easy to convince, but Shouta got the sense that this conversation was going to be much harder.

“We will try not to take too much of your time today. We are deeply sorry for the pain and worry we have caused you and your family.”

“Please don’t.” Her voice was soft and almost broken. “My son is everything I have. There are no apologies that can make up for him being put in danger. I know that it wasn’t your fault and I know that this is his dream but as his mother I need to put his safety first even if he won’t. I will not lose Izuku. So you need to give me an incredibly good reason to allow him to return to U.A.”

“I lost my best friend while at U.A. He died while on a work study our second year. I thought that I could protect my students from similar fates by pushing them and making them realize that the world can be cruel. But I’m starting to realize that’s not what this group needs. That’s not what Izuku needs.” Shouta dropped into a bow, pressing his head to the floor. His back protested the motion, pulling at the recently healed burns and stitches on his body, but he refused to get up before his message was felt. “I apologize for failing Izuku these past few months. It will not happen again, I swear it.”

Shouta felt Yagi join him on the floor. The taller man took up significantly more space on the ground and Shouta felt a pang of concern for his health. Despite his taller and lankier frame, Yagi’s forehead also met the wooden floor.

“Midoriya-san, it was my responsibility as his mentor and as a hero to make sure Izuku got out before the fighting began in Kamino. It was because of my weakness that he was forced to hold his own against villains while I was fighting my own battle. I should have taken better care of him but please allow me the honor of continuing to train him. Izuku will be a guiding light in this world with or without my input. It is more out of selfishness that I ask to continue to help mold that light.”

Mentor? Continue to train? Shouta thought. There’s definitely more to his relationship with the Midoriyas than Yagi’s been letting on.

“Please, get up, both of you.” Both men took a moment to rise from the floor and settle themselves back on the couch. “All Might, you are my son’s idol. I asked you to live for him and you did. Even you cannot be everywhere at all times, Symbol of Peace.

“I know that hero work will be dangerous and it’s my son’s dream. But it’s been at U.A. that he’s been attacked over and over when he should be safe. He should still be learning but he’s been thrust into situations he is not ready for and been hurt by them. How can I, as his mother, permit this to keep happening?”

“We are using the dorms as a way to keep a better eye on students. The revamped security measures from after the USJ will also be applied to the new dorms.” Shouta continued to explain the various improvements they had made to the security systems. Most of it had been explained to the parents in the update they had received after the USJ as well as the letter that had been sent to explain the proposed dorm system but it didn’t hurt to go over it again. Shouta had finished explaining the new drone systems when Inko held up a hand to stop him. He trailed off, waiting for her to speak.

“You remind me of my husband, Aizawa-san. Always so focused on the trees that you cannot see the forest. I am sure that the security put in place by the school is top notch. You have given me reassurances that Izuku will be safe in the future, and if I have learned one thing over these past few months it is that Izuku is far stronger than I have ever thought he would be. But why should I let Izuku return to U.A. at all? Why would I not simply put my foot down and refuse to let my son put himself in these dangerous situations at all?”

“Because he won’t stop.” Aizawa looked down at his hands that tightened around the cup of tea he was holding. “The best heroes all share the same quality. I’m sure Yagi will agree with me. The relentless drive your son has shown, that innate need to be a hero and to do the right thing, that’s rare. All of the best heroes I’ve ever known have that trait. They have that fire. I don’t think there’s anything that anyone could do to stop him from becoming a hero. Even you.”

Inko was quiet for a long moment. She steepled her fingers underneath her chin, lost in thought. Yagi started to shift in place next to Shouta. It was long enough that Shouta’s legs began to stiffen. He was definitely going to beg a massage out of Hizashi when he got back. Eventually, she spoke again.

“I have not been as encouraging to Izuku as I maybe should have been. His father worked in private security after he got out of the military. I know exactly how much it takes out of you to be the one standing up for everyone else. I wanted to protect Izuku from that life but I suppose that’s no longer an option. I’ll agree to the dormitories and allow Izuku to continue at U.A.”

Once the paperwork had been filled out and returned to Shouta’s bag, he and Yagi began to make their way out the door. He stopped at the exit and turned back to Inko.

“If I might ask, ma’am: what happened to your husband?” Her hand twisted the ring she still wore on her finger.

“He went missing sixteen years ago.”

The return trip for Izuku was thankfully less adrenaline inducing. As he got out of Nemuri’s car in front of his apartment building, he stuck his head back in the open window.

“Thanks again, Nemuri for everything. I had a lot of fun.”

“Of course, kiddo. I had fun too.” Izuku patted his pockets, making sure he had everything before turning.

“Izuku,” Nemuri’s voice called out. He stopped and turned back to the car. “If you ever need to talk, you can talk to me. Or talk to Hound Dog.”

“Hound Dog-sensei?”

“Yeah. He’s a licensed therapy dog. How that works, I truly have no idea, but that guy’s got more jobs than me or Present Mic.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, nee-san.” Izuku ignored the squealing from his teacher as he turned to go back inside. When he entered the apartment proper and toed off his shoes at the doorway, he turned to see his mom in the living room, a glass of wine in her hand. She looked a little drained though still popped her head up as she heard the door open. The television played some reality show that he didn’t think he had ever seen his mother watch before.

“Mom? I’m home.”

“Oh, Izuku! How are you darling? How was your self-care day with Nemuri?”

“It was a lot of fun. More relaxing than I thought it would be, if I’m being honest. I was going to grab dinner with Ochako if that’s okay?”

“Sure, sweetheart. Just make sure you’re home by curfew.”

“Will do. Love you, mom.”

“I love you too, Izuku.” Izuku shrugged off his mother’s strange behavior. She was probably still worried over his health. More importantly, he had a date to get ready for.

Himiko stumbled into the alley, transformed flesh melting away from her. She was alone again. The league had broken up, yet another family sundered leaving Himiko to pick up the pieces. Dabi had stormed off, Twice and Spinner said something about normal lives and wandered away, and even Magne had gone on her own. It was just Himiko now. There was a wave of darkness threatening to crash over her. 

Alone again, Himiko, came her father’s voice. You’re a monster. You deserve to be alone. You could never belong in this world. Himiko’s hands curled into fists, knuckles going white from the pressure. No matter where you run you’ll always end up alone again in the end. 

A crack sounded from her palm. She uncurled her fingers to find a single vial, the barest traces of red swirling at the bottom. 

I’m not alone yet, father. She clutched the vial to her chest. She had managed to collect just a few drops of Izuku’s blood when she scratched his cheek, but it was enough to keep her company for now. Seeing him in action flying above her was amazing, but she needed more answers. She could feel whatever that something was. Whatever spark he held inside of him that drew other important and powerful people into his orbit, she had felt it. And she couldn’t wait to feel it again.

Wait for me, Izuku. I’ll see you soon.

Ochako was nervous. It felt silly to be nervous just because her hand was in Izuku’s, she and Deku had held hands on plenty of occasions before, but this time was special. It was their first official date and she wanted everything to be perfect. They had stopped for ramen at a stand by the park before grabbing some ice cream and Izuku was leading her to a beach so they could watch the sunset on the water. It should have been perfect.

But Izuku was being a lot more quiet than usual.

“That ramen place was a great deal. We should definitely go back.” Izuku let out a small hum in response. Ochako desperately racked her brain to think of ways to fill the growing silence. The sounds of the city were beginning to fade behind them. The area closest to the beach was still scarcely populated despite Dagobah being clean once more. A quick squeeze from Izuku’s hand in hers let her know that he was listening even if he wasn’t paying full attention to her. “I’m glad we finally got to do something like this. I feel like it’s just been one thing after another since finals ended.”

Izuku still didn’t respond. Ochako was starting to get worried. He had seemed fine when she visited him in the hospital but ever since he got out he was acting more withdrawn than she had ever seen him. He still had dark circles lining the bottom of his eyes. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was having nightmares, she had had more than a few in the days since hearing of his capture. He had tried to hide it, but Ochako had also noticed his hands shaking. When he held his chopsticks and even now while he was holding her hand his fingers would twitch every so often. As they hit the boardwalk and stood closer to the railing, Ochako figured it was time to pull out her secret weapon. She angled them towards a bench near the railing that still offered a view of the ocean.

“Sit.” She put her hands on his shoulders and put a modicum of effort into forcing him down. He could have broken free easily, both of them knew it, but he allowed her to force him to sit. She rolled up his right sleeve. At this, Izuku started to pull away.

“Ochako, what are you-” “Sit down, Izuku. Trust me.” Izuku stopped struggling and let Ochako roll up his sleeve.

“I’ve been doing this for my dad ever since I was a little girl, I just need you to let me know if it’s too much, okay?” She rubbed her hands to warm them up and began to press her fingers into Izuku’s arm just below the shoulder. “I used to do this for my dad when he would get home after a long day at work. I floated him to the ceiling a couple of times, but he said he never noticed because he was floating on cloud nine.” She started to rub her thumbs in opposite circles. Both up toward the shoulder then out, down toward the elbow and back in to meet together. With each pass she moved a little lower making her way from shoulder to wrist. Every so often she would pause to push a little deeper into a particularly tense knot of muscle. She was careful to avoid irritating the scars that littered skin and when she hit a patch that made him wince she leaned in to press a light kiss against it. 

Ever so slowly, she felt Izuku relax into her touch. His posture slumped a little and she hid a smile by pressing a quick peck to his shoulder. Midnight might not be happy that his posture was slumping, but she was sure she’d recognize it was a worthwhile cause. When she reached his wrist she trailed her fingers back up his arm and pressed her chest against his back. She placed her hands against his traps, more pronounced now that he was slightly hunched over, and began to rub her thumbs in the same pattern.

“Talk to me, Deku.” She whispered in his ear to avoid breaking the relaxed state her boyfriend had fallen into. “What’s going on?” She felt his back start to stiffen again before he relaxed again in her grip.

“I’m scared, Ochako.” She almost missed the whispered confession. He mumbled it into the air and only her experience with Izuku’s mutter-storms allowed her to catch it. “What if I’m not good enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“There are a lot of expectations on me. So many people are looking at me and they’re relying on me to be a great hero. But what if I can’t? I barely saved Kota. I almost died against the league a dozen times over. How am I ever going to live up to them?” There was something Izuku wasn’t saying. She could see it in the way he bit his lip as if to physically stop himself from letting it slip. His hands were clenched against his thighs, tension falling back into his body. “Everything just keeps changing underneath my feet.”

She had never realized before just how much she didn’t know about Izuku. For someone so open and warm he rarely spoke about himself. He never talked about friends from middle school or his father or funny quirk accidents he had as a kid. He talked about why he wanted to be a hero but it was always vague. He never talked about why Bakugou seemed so hell-bent on hating him or how they knew each other or why he had the pain tolerance to shatter his arm and then keep fighting.

But she also knew it didn’t matter. Ochako knew Midoriya Izuku. She knew his kindness and his bravery and the fierce determination to save people that drove him to break himself over and over like the waves on a rocky shore. She knew that Izuku would walk through hell to save someone without hesitation, she just needed him to know that he didn’t have to do it alone anymore.

“You don’t have to be a hero, not with me.” Ochako came around to sit next to Izuku on the bench. “It’s enough right now to just be Izuku. You never have to be anything more with me.” She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him down into a hug. “You don’t have to save everyone on your own. All of us are going to be right there with you. I’m going to be right here the whole time.” Izuku leaned into the hug like a man desperate for a life raft in the ocean, but Ochako didn’t mind bearing his weight. Izuku was the most heroic person she had ever met. If she couldn’t save him from his problems then why was she a hero at all?

“I’m sorry for kind of ruining our first real date,” he murmured into her chest.

“It’s not ruined. I’m always happy to be there for you, Izuku.” Silence fell between them but Ochako wasn’t worried this time. If there was one thing she could count on about Izuku it was that he would always bounce back and persevere. She pressed a kiss to his temple and watched the sun fall beyond the horizon.

A hero’s instincts were their lifeline. They were often the difference between life and death in the field and Nemuri’s had been screaming at her since she left the Midoriya apartment. Someone was watching her. She had taken backroads and shortcuts and used every tool in her bag of tricks to try and throw them off but that slight heat at the back of her neck remained. Whoever was watching her was clever, which meant they were dangerous.

Nemuri drove away from her apartment. She, like many other heroines, had dealt with stalkers and crazed fans before and she had found the best way was to let Nezu handle them. Having others nearby was always useful and Nezu was nothing if not protective over the people and places he considered “his”. U.A. was the safest place in the country and that was thanks in large part to the rodent running it. 

Thankfully, the campus was deserted for the last few days of the summer break so even if her stalker was dangerous no students would get caught in the crosshairs. As she pulled into the teacher’s lot beneath the front lawn, said furred principal was waiting for her.

“Ah, Kayama. I see you are too much like me today. You seem to have a tail!” Nemuri hoped her deadpan expression properly conveyed how little regard she held for her boss’ warped sense of humor. “Do you know who it is?”

“No. They haven’t made contact but I suspect they’re still here som-” Alarms blared, interrupting Nemuri. The air was rent in two by a swirling miasma of purple and black. As an arm began to emerge from the void, static electricity filled the air. A small rod dropped from the ceiling and lightning blasted the mist-like form. When the rod retracted and the electric bolt ceased to punish the intruder, the body of Kurogiri laid motionless on the ground between Nemuri and Nezu.

“Well now, this is interesting.”

Chapter Text

It was a surreal experience to pack most of his childhood room away and even more so to see it up in his new dorm room at Heights Alliance. He had brought most of his less valuable merch and it was now proudly displayed throughout the room. Dozens of smiling All Mights were joined by a smattering of new heroes that he had recently gotten some pieces for. Hawks, Edgeshot, Mirko and Kamui Woods all made cameos along the crowded shelves. He had debated about adding a poster of Midnight but he dreaded the day she learned about it and the mockery to follow. Besides, a lot of her posters were a little more scandalous than he was comfortable with now that he knew his ‘nee-san’ on a more personal level. I wonder if I can get her to score me some other merch though? I’ll have to think about it.

The room itself was a touch smaller than his bedroom at home though he anticipated most of his time would be spent hanging out with others in the common room or training in the gyms. The rooms each came with simple wooden furniture including a desk, bed and dresser, and had separate ensuites and balconies which was a huge plus in Izuku’s book. Tucked next to his desk was a mini fridge where his mom was adding the last of his protein shakes and honey.

“I think you’re all set, my love.”

“Yeah, I guess this is it.” Izuku finished adjusting the bedspread and turned to see his mom with tears in her eyes. “Mom-”

“No, I’m okay Izuku. You’re just growing up so fast!” Izuku leaned down to wrap his arms around his mom. His t-shirt got a little wet from her tears but it wasn’t the first time and likely wouldn’t be the last. 

“I’ll still be able to visit. Every other weekend at minimum, I promise.”

“I wish your father could be here.” Izuku stilled even as his mom used his shirt to wipe away her tears. “He’d be very proud of you, Izuku.”

“Mom…” She gave him a sad smile. That same sad smile she wore every time he had ever asked about Hisashi. It was the reason he never pressed her, even when he grew old enough to realize that if he really worked overseas he could at least call or video chat. Part of him wanted desperately to ask her, to somehow force the answers he wanted out of his mother. A growing part of him, however, had just grown numb to the idea. Who cared about the nebulous idea of a father he had never met before?

“I’ll tell you everything soon, baby. You deserve to know.” She reached up a hand to caress his cheek, before dropping it to his shoulder. “But let’s not dwell on the past today, hm? This is an exciting day. Your first day in the dorms!” If Izuku was being honest with himself, he had known that his mom hadn’t been entirely honest with him growing up. But did it really matter as long as she could keep smiling? If the very memory of Hisashi Midoriya chased away her happiness was it even worth it to think about?

He forced a smile to his face, burying the conflict deep inside of himself. “Sounds good to me, mom.”

Toshinori idly scratched at the skin he could reach underneath his cast as he watched the ducks float around the pond. Had this pond always been on the campus? He certainly didn’t remember it from his time at U.A. Did Nezu add it? Maybe Nezu was part bear after all and he liked to go fishing? Did this pond even have fish? Was he overthinking this?

“All Might-sensei!” Toshinori turned to see a familiar head of messy green curls running his way frantically waving. “Nemuri said you would be here!” He waited for his boy to get in range so he didn’t have to shout before he responded.

“I’m afraid it’s just Yagi-sensei now, young Izuku. All Might is retired.” His successor laughed, a little out of breath but with a levity he hadn’t heard from the young man in too long.

“You’ll always be All Might to me, sir!” Izuku’s eyes shimmered with joy and admiration. Toshinori felt a wave of fondness roll over him for his successor. There were many sides to the ninth holder of One for All. His fierce battle instincts, his more outgoing and vibrant hero persona, his shy and anxious hidden self, but Toshinori couldn’t help but hope he held onto this side of himself. That child-like innocence and belief in heroes and his unwavering admiration. There were far too many jaded old men in heroics. Maybe they needed someone like Izuku to come in and remind them all how to believe again.

“That’s very kind of you to say young man.” Toshinori ran a hand over Izuku’s head who brightened even further at the touch. “So what did you need me for, my boy?”

“Ah, I was actually hoping to pick your brain about some ultimate move ideas? Nemuri mentioned that we’re going to be working on them tomorrow and I wanted to get a head start on idea planning.” Toshinori raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you still on medical leave for the next few days?” Izuku deflated at the reminder. Toshinori couldn’t help but laugh at his boy a little. Even if he had gotten rid of the bunny ears on his costume he did remind him a lot of an overly expressive rabbit. 

“Well, yeah, but I’m hoping that Aizawa-sensei will let me do practicals a little early so I can get started on them.”

“Are we talking about the same Aizawa?” Izuku hung his head in defeat.

“I just want to work, Yagi-sensei.” His voice was muffled slightly, the words aimed more at the ground than Toshinori himself.  “I need to keep getting better so I can live up to your legacy.”

Ah, there it is, Toshinori thought. There were many sides to his successor, but at his core Izuku was the same as Toshinori. They were both workaholics who needed to help. Sitting still simply wasn’t in their nature. It was the fire that pushed him to save young Bakugou from the Sludge Villain all those months ago. The same one that was on full display in his fight against the League of Villains. The same one that burned inside of the heart of every wielder of One for All that preceded the both of them. Toshinori moved his hand from Izuku’s head to his shoulder.

“You already live up to my legacy every day, my boy. You’re going to be a far greater hero than I ever was, I know it.” Izuku snapped his head up to meet his eyes. “But you’re not going to get there by making the same mistakes that I did.” Toshinori lightly squeezed the shoulder of his boy, his successor, his son.

“I never took breaks. Even after All for One tore my lung from my body, I refused to stop. I drove myself into the ground trying to solve every problem on my own. I never made time for myself or others or to have a life. Yagi Toshinori was largely ignored so All Might could flourish. Frankly, I'm a little jealous of you, Izuku. You’re already far better at reconciling your separate halves than I ever was. I’m proud that you’re doing so much to make sure both Izuku and Deku are healthy, you can’t give that up. I only ever really had Sir Nighteye as a friend and even then our relationship was based in heroics. Maybe if I had spent more time with him as just Toshinori things would have been different.”

“What happened between you two?” Izuku asked. His hand came up to grasp at Toshinori’s wrist, holding him as much as Izuku was being held by Toshinori. “I know your partnership separated a few years ago but no one ever knew why…” He smiled down at his boy even as he was assaulted by what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. 

“Perhaps another time, my boy. I’m afraid we’ve gotten a little off track. This was about you making sure to take your time and not overwork yourself. You’re only fifteen, young Izuku. Let us carry the weight of the world for a little while longer.”

“... I’m sixteen, All Might,” Izuku said with a pout. 

“What?! My boy, I’m, so sorry! It must have slipped my mind!”

“It’s okay, All Might. I turned sixteen the day that the League attacked. It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t usually celebrate my birthday anyway.”

“Well this simply won’t do!” Toshinori took as deep of a breath in as he could and bulked up into his muscle form. “I Am Here! To wish you a happy birthday!” His control popped and Toshinori deflated into a coughing fit. “Do your classmates know?” Izuku’s sheepish rubbing at the back of his head was answer enough for Toshinori.

“Fear not, my boy! We’ll make sure this is a birthday to remember!”

“But I don’t want them to know!” Toshinori blinked at Izuku. His shoulders were hunched high near his ears, and his cheeks were a light red. His posture was reminiscent of the first time they had met. He had trouble seeing it at times through all the progress his boy had made, but this was yet another side of his boy. Toshinori had some theories about where this side of Izuku came from. He knew anti-quirkless sentiments had risen from when he himself was a kid and as much as he played up his own brand of pure optimism he knew it couldn’t have been easy for the young man. Still, to think he’s still holding this much back from his peers…

“I don’t want them to know, All Might.” Izuku repeated softer. “My birthday was the day Katsuki and I got kidnapped. Nemuri and Ochako told me a little of what it was like for them, but I know they’re holding back on some of the details. Everyone was so down after Kamino and everything, I don’t want to make it worse for them by reminding people of that day any more than I already do.”

“My boy…”

“It’s alright, All Might. My family isn’t really big on celebrating stuff like that.” Toshinori wasn’t sure how to feel about the almost resigned tone to his successor’s voice. It wasn’t wistful of something he wanted, it was just accepting of the fact that he wouldn’t get it. “Besides, isn’t that what heroes do? We make sure other people can keep smiling?”

Toshinori for a moment saw a mirror of himself. His own words echoed back at him, shouted at Mirai in a hospital. This is what heroes do! I have to be out there, so everyone else can keep smiling!

“Perhaps you really have taken too much after me, my boy.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Never mind. If this is truly your wish then I will honor it, Izuku.”

“Thanks, All Might.” Izuku wrapped him in a hug. It still felt a little odd to be small enough for Izuku to lift him off the ground with the force of his embrace, but Toshinori was looking forward to getting used to it. When they eventually parted, Izuku turned to truly take in his surroundings for the first time. “So what exactly were you doing out here in the first place?”

“Ah, I was just watching the ducks. I was contemplating whether or not Nezu had put any fish in this pond to indulge in his more bear-like tendencies.” His boy laughed.

“This one doesn’t have any fish. The fish pond is on the other side of campus. I can show you if you want?”

“... just how big is the campus, young Izuku?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I think Nezu has a second quirk that just expands UA whenever he needs to add something.”

“Hmmm. I’m starting to think you might be right on the money with that one. Now c’mon. Maybe we can catch something to eat!”

“If they really are Nezu’s fish, do you think we should take any?”

“... well hopefully they’re at least pretty fishes.”

By the time Izuku got back to the dorms most of the parents had left and his classmates were busy unpacking their belongings. All Might had gone back to his apartment in the teacher dorms to rest a little and Izuku supposed he should probably do the same. There was still a sense of restlessness that gnawed at him though. He had been forbidden from training for the past two weeks and he was officially stir crazy. It didn’t count as training if he was just coming up with ideas in his notebook, right? 

“Hey, Midori~” Ashido waved from where she and Hagakure were sitting at a table, an array of nail polishes in front of them. “Come here often?”

“Hey, Ashido. You mind if I hang out in here? I promise not to disturb you guys too much.”

“Not at all. The more the merrier!”

“Yeah! If you want we can do your nails too?” Hagakure offered.

“Oh, I’m all set on that front,” Izuku said, displaying the dark blue polish Nemuri had semi-forced onto him.

“Woah!” Ashido squealed with stars in her eyes. “Midori, who got to do a makeover for you before me?! So unfair!”

“Sorry Ashdio. Maybe next time though, yeah?”

“We totally should!” Hagakure agreed. “Maybe we can do like a whole fashion show or something? I bet Aoyama has some great ideas.”

“Ooh, or we could ask Katsuki. His parents are designers.”

“Yeah but, like, would he even help? Isn’t he a little too,” Hagakure waved her arms. “You know, growly?”

“I bet I could get him to help,” Ashido smirked. Hagakure threw a cotton ball at her head.

“Horny jail!”

Izuku took their squabbling as a sign that he had been dismissed and moved to the far side of the room to settle in on one of the couches. He pulled out his notebook and pen to start brainstorming. There were a few easy places he could start. He could slingshot himself with Blackwhip into a San Francisco Smash and he had managed to replicate All Might’s Oklahoma Smash (which was a childhood dream come true). All Might had a dozen ultimate moves that he could replicate, but wouldn’t that just be falling into the same traps as before? Plus, One for All was different for his mentor. Because of his natural frame and the fact that he could use 100 percent immediately, All Might never had to develop particularly complex moves. 

But Izuku was more of a speed-type hero, at least until he could handle a higher percentage of One for All. Izuku also had Blackwhip, a long range capture option that was something All Might could never replicate. He had to develop his own style of fighting. Maybe he could…

“Hey. Midoriya.” Izuku looked up to see Shinsou standing in front of him. His shoulders were obviously tensed, scowl affixed on his face. Mina and Tooru’s chatter fell silent at the rapidly changing atmosphere in the room. “I’m glad that you’re alright.”

“Oh, thanks Shin-” “But this doesn’t change anything.” Izuku blinked at the other boy. Shinsou’s hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“I’m still going to beat you, golden boy. Everyone saw you fight alongside All Might. You have some amazing new aspects to your quirk. But even still…” Shinsou looked up with fire blazing in his eyes. “I’ve fought too hard to get where I am and I won’t quit now. I will surpass you, Izuku Midoriya. No matter what.”

Shinsou turned to walk away, leaving Izuku stunned behind him. Huh. Is this how Shouto felt? He knew that Shinsou considered him a rival but seeing it in action was strange. He had thought they’d been getting along better because of the group chat. But the fury in Shinsou’s voice was so visceral. It had to have been something he was holding on to since the Sports Festival.

“Hey, hang on.” Shinsou stopped, still turned away from Izuku. “I’m pretty sure I told you this once before, but it’s not just me you should be watching out for. Everyone in the hero course is constantly giving it their all. You’ll have to fight through all of us in order to make it to the top.”

“I don’t care about any of that. I know that no matter what I do the world will only see my quirk as villainous. So I don’t care about rankings or popularity or any of that. All I really want to do is beat you.”

Izuku watched him walk away. A weight settled into his stomach. He wanted to help Shinsou, but how could he? It was like he had already determined the whole world was against him and was now lashing out before anyone could try to hurt him. Izuku could empathize with his feelings. He was only where he was because of incredible people around him who helped him. If he had never gotten One for All, would he have ended up like Shinsou?

“Ugh, I can’t believe that guy.” Izuku was shaken from his thoughts by Mina as she spoke up. “What a tool.”

“Mmm,” Hagakure nodded. “He really needs some therapy and a nap, like stat.”

Mina’s words weren’t that surprising to Izuku, even he had picked up on more than a little animosity aimed at Shinsou from her, but the derision from Hagakure took him aback.

“Hey, Ashido, Hagakure,” Izuku wandered toward their table. “I was wondering. What exactly don’t you like about Shinsou? I’ve noticed that you, uh…”

“Hate his guts?”

“Want to punch him in his stupid face?”

“... have some strong feelings toward him.” Izuku finished lamely.

“I’m just a little tired of his ‘poor pitiful me’ routine,” Mina scoffed. “I mean, really, it’s like he thinks he’s the only one who had a rough childhood because of their quirk.”

“Right?” Hagakure added. “My quirk doesn’t help me destroy robots any more than his does. But I managed to get in. And so did Koda and Mashirao! If he had actually put in any effort towards training or had gotten some rescue points he totally could have gotten in. Instead it seems like he just wants to whine about how unfair it is instead of doing anything about it.”

“Plus, he’s always bringing up how people see his quirk like a villain’s quirk. Like, does he think he’s the only one?”

“Exactly! Everyone always told me growing up how easy it would be for me to be a thief and blamed me when they lost their stuff.”

“Right? My quirk is Acid. If I don’t have flawless control I could really hurt people. Does he seriously think no one else has been called out for having a ‘villainous’ quirk?”

“Wow,” Izuku looked back and forth between the two of them. “I never realized how common it was to go through something like that.”

“Yeah,” Hagakure said. “People can be pretty shitty.”

“What about you, Midori?” Ashido asked. “Do you have a tragic backstory too?”

“Hahahaha,” Izuku sweatdropped as both girls turned to look at him curiously. “Nope, no tragic backstory here. Just your normal everyday highschooler.”

“Riiiight. Sure, Midori. We believe you. That wasn’t suspicious at all.”

“If it helps, I think you’re getting a little better at lying.” Hagakure offered sheepishly. “I mean that was almost sort of believable, I guess.”

“... I think I’m just going to go unpack some more.”

Yuuga fretted for a moment, fluttering from one box to another looking for the sequined top he knew had to be here somewhere. He was already going to be one of the last of his class to move in, having scheduled his time slot for early the next morning to have one more night at home before leaving for U.A., he didn’t need to slow himself down any more by forgetting something. Finally finding the purple garment, he carefully folded it and placed it in the suitcase nearest the foot of his bed.

It wasn’t as if Yuuga was a stranger to packing. His parents had immigrated from France when he was just three, chasing after the neo-fashion scene that Tokyo boasted and fleeing the more traditional cultures back home in Paris. Even after they had arrived, the Aoyama family never stayed in one place for long before the wanderlust hit them and they’d be on the move again. His mother always told him that it was in his blood. Their family was descended from a famous magician who did tours all around Europe; each and every one of his descendents were entertainers and globetrotters and Yuuga himself was no different. He had always dreamed of being a wandering hero like the knight-errants in his mother’s stories. Gawain and Lancelot were his idols and even when they moved to Japan Yuuga adored the stories of brave ronin who roamed the lands dishing out justice before moving on once more in their unending journeys.

His dreams had wavered when he had learned he was quirkless. How could he ever live up to those knights of legend as a powerless boy in a world with people like his classmates? What was Aoyama when compared to Izuku Midoriya who had tamed a power so great it shattered glaciers and destroyed his own body?

But his parents, his dear sweet mother and father, had struck a deal with a man who exchanged power like trading cards. A man who could give him the quirk he so desperately craved and make all of his dreams come true. Everything was good for a while, until the devil came back to collect on their bargain. Yuuga had lived every moment under intense stress these last few months, knowing that if he let anything slip to the heroes he would either be arrested or killed depending on who got to him first. He was so incredibly grateful to Midoriya for ridding him of the devil that haunted his dreams. Perhaps he should get him some cheese? He often looked a little sleep deprived and a nice portion of cheese before bed had always put Yuuga’s own mind at ease.

Packing this time though, felt different. With no Symbol of Evil lurking over his shoulder Yuuga was free to live his life as he pleased and be the hero he had always dreamed of when he was younger. He was finally able to be the princely knight he was always meant to be. Yuuga reached for the next shirt but found that the basket was empty. 

“Odd, I would have sworn she had put all of them together…” He mumbled. He padded down the stairs toward the living room where he last saw his parents. “ Maman, sais-tu où est ma chemise?” 

“ Mon fils , would you come in here for a moment?” Yuuga raised an eyebrow at his father’s use of Japanese. It was a little unusual for their family to not use French while at home, but perhaps they needed to have a serious discussion?

Yuuga’s questions died on his tongue as he drew up short in the entryway of the living room. His parents sat perched on chairs, panic laced eyes pleading with him, to do what he was uncertain. Behind them, a hand smoking lightly where blue flames danced across his fingers, was a heavily scarred and stapled man that Yuuga had only seen once before.

“It’s good to see you again, Shining Hero,” Dabi said. “Why don’t you sit down. I think we need to have a bit of a family discussion.”

Ochako tapped her fingers against her desk. Her pen bounced in her mouth as she chewed on the cap. She probably should have gone to bed an hour ago but there was something that was bothering her too much. 

Izuku’s quirk made no sense.

Aizawa had asked them not to bother him about it while he made home visits and she cared about Izuku enough to not press him for answers. He was clearly struggling with something and as much as she wanted to know and be able to help with it, she would let him come to her on his terms. Midnight and All Might could handle whatever it was for now. She would support him emotionally and be a rock for him to lean on.

But a lot of things were starting to come together to paint a very confusing picture. Inko had let it slip that Izuku got his quirk late. Late bloomers weren’t unheard of, but fifteen was incredibly late. His quirk broke his bones when he first got it, almost like his power was too big for his body to hold. She had scoured the internet for video of him fighting at Kamino because she wanted to understand better what he had gone through and saw him using two other powers that they hadn’t known about. Blackwhip, she could somewhat believe was a variation on his mom’s quirk but how did flying and smoke relate to super strength? There were rumors flying, that the villain All for One could steal and give quirks. Which sounded crazy in theory… and yet…

And yet her boyfriend had gone from quirkless to having four quirks that didn’t seem remotely related to one another. The Nomu from the USJ had had multiple quirks. All for One in his fight with All Might looked like he had multiple quirks. Was it out of the question to think Izuku did too? 

She knew Izuku Midoriya. She knew that there was nothing in this world that would stop him from becoming a hero. What if he thought the only path to accomplishing his dream was to go to this villain and get a quirk from him? What if he was somehow connected to All for One? What if he was All for One’s son?!

Ochako shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. She was acting like Todoroki on another conspiracy binge, inventing up what-ifs and hypothetical situations that she could neither prove nor do anything about if she somehow stumbled on the truth. She knew Izuku. He was a good person to his core, he wouldn’t stoop so low as to make a deal with a villain just to get a quirk. Right? The image of Muscular rose to her mind unbidden. He looked dead as the paramedics took him out on a stretcher. Izuku was laser focused on his goals and would stop at nothing to save someone. But would he really go that far? 

A knock at her door cut through her racing thoughts. Ochako jumped at the noise, slamming her knee into the desk. “Just a second,” she called out between curses. She managed to limp over to the door on her smarting knee and pulled it open to see her boyfriend standing in the hall. 

“Izuku? What’s up?”

“Can I come in?” She wordlessly held the door open for him to step through. She was thankful that she had the foresight to clean up all the mess from unpacking earlier though some part of her stomach was still doing flips that she was alone in her bedroom with her boyfriend. She bounced a little as she sat on the bed, Izuku dragging the desk chair that had been knocked askew by her surprise into the center of the room.

“So, not that it’s not great to see you, but what’s up? I thought you had gone to bed?” Izuku just held up a finger to his lips in a request for silence. Her annoyance at being shushed was overwhelmed by curiosity when he pulled a small silver disk from his pocket and pushed a button causing it to glow with a soft orange color. He placed it on the ground between them and looked back at her.

“Alright, we should be good.”

“Uh, what is that?”

“It’s a high frequency signal generator.” Ochako raised an eyebrow. Where the hell did he get that? “It will stop our conversation from being recorded and if Jiro or Shouji listen in they’ll just get an earful of white noise. I need to tell you something important.”

“That’s an awful lot of work just to have a conversation, Deku.”

“It’s really important, Ochako.”

“Okay,” she said leaning back against the wall. “What do you need to talk about?”

“It’s about my quirk.”

Ochako’s heart started racing. Was he also reading her mind? Could he read her mind right now? She had to think about something that would throw him off that she had already figured it out. Sister Magdalene in a bikini! Izuku in a bikini! Wait dammit now I just want to see his abs!

“I told you that my quirk didn’t manifest until I was fifteen and that’s a lie. I was never going to get a quirk. I’m biologically quirkless, with the toe joint and everything to prove it. I got my quirk from someone else.”

“All for One…” she whispered. Izuku sat up in alarm.

“What?”

“I mean it all makes sense.” Ochako hopped off her bed and started to pace back and forth. “You were biologically quirkless but you’re like the most heroic person in the world obviously you wanted to be a hero. And I know you’re so determined so you made a deal with him to become a hero.”

“Ochako-”

“And it makes sense for him too because then he would have a favor to cash in from a high-ranking hero one day. Or if he didn’t need it he at least had a ton of blackmail on you for if he ever needed to take you out of the equation entirely.”

“Ochako-”

“What I can’t understand is why he would risk giving you such strong quirks though. I mean he had to know that someone like you would eventually try to come after him even if he had blackmail against you. Maybe he just wasn’t prepared for you to get so strong so soon? I mean you’re like, kinda wildly overpowered now Deku.”

“Babe-”

“And if he had you in his pocket then even if Shigaraki failed at the USJ he would still have inside information about the next generation of top heroes!” She let out a gasp. “What if he-” “Ochako!” Izuku grabbed her hands and forced her to look at him.

“I did not get my quirk from All for One.” “But-” “All Might gave me my quirk.”

She blinked at him. Eh? Izuku took it as a sign to keep talking.

“I inherited my quirk from All Might. He trained me for a year before I got to U.A. and gave me his quirk before I took the entrance exam.”

“...so is All Might also All for One?”

“No! What the hell Ochako?”

“What?! You just dropped a bomb on me Izuku! I’m processing!”

“All Might is not All for One!” Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why was this so much easier to explain the first time? Okay, let me start from the beginning. My quirk is named One for All.”

“... that sounds an awful lot like All for One, Izuku.”

“The first holder of One for All was All for One’s brother. All for One forced a stockpiling quirk onto his brother but the brother also had a secret quirk that was the ability to pass on quirks and when those two fused together it became One for All.”

“So All Might is All for One’s brother?”

“... this might take a while.”

Chapter Text

“So All Might saved you from a villain.”

“Yep.”

“And then you saved Bakugou from that same villain.”

“Correct.”

“And All Might was so inspired by your recklessness-” “courage” “-that he decided then and there that he wanted to take you on as his successor.”

“Yes.”

“And that involved cleaning a beach and then you got his quirk.”

“You’ve got it so far.”

“But his quirk was actually given to him by his master and he was the eighth person to hold this quirk.”

“Right.”

“And you’re the ninth?”

“Yeah.”

“You do realize that your life is basically a manga, right Izuku?”

“Are you the love interest who’s my reward for defeating the villain then?”

“... you’re lucky you’re cute.”

Izuku stumbled down the stairs in the morning, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He and Ochako had stayed up later than they had meant to, answering all her questions about One for All. He felt lighter now that she was in the know too. He had been backed into a corner when telling Midnight and his mom and even though he was glad they knew, Ochako was the first person that he got to choose to bring into the fold. She was his best friend and the person who knew him best in the world. He couldn’t imagine a future where she wasn’t standing by his side.

He had texted All Might and Nemuri late last night to let him know that he had told Ochako. He woke up to a gif of All Might giving a thumbs up from the man himself and a long congratulatory message for opening up to people. Nemuri sent him a simple smiley face which made Izuku more than a little concerned that there was an imminent prank coming his way.

The kitchen was fairly crowded, which surprised Izuku a little. He had expected most of his classmates to still be sleeping or getting ready for the day’s training. He supposed he shouldn’t have been that surprised though; most students at U.A. were Type A go-getters. As he descended the last of the stairs he hit a wall of cardboard, sending a box crashing to the ground.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” He grabbed the box off the floor and offered it to Aoyama. “I didn’t see you there.”

“It’s fine mon ami ,” he said. His eyes darted between the floor and ceiling, deliberately looking anywhere but Izuku. “Thank you for the help but I really must get going. Lots to unpack still.” Grabbing the box, Aoyama bolted up the stairs, disappearing deeper into the dorms.

Izuku blinked at the odd behavior of his classmate. Aoyama was always quirky, but he had been downright skittish during that exchange. Was he already getting homesick? Izuku made his way toward the dining room table, dodging around Tokoyami and Dark Shadow playing with Koda’s pet rabbit. He leaned on the back of Ochako’s chair and glomped onto her back.

“G’morning.”

“Morning, Deku. You seem awfully chipper this morning.” He hummed in acknowledgement of her sarcasm and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. He hadn’t grown up with a lot of physical affection, but he knew it meant a lot to Ochako to have these small moments of closeness. 

“Anyone else notice that Aoyama was acting a little weird?”

“Not really.” Tenya said, cleaning off his glasses. “Do you think something’s wrong?”

“I bet he’s just a little intimidated.” Kaminari lazily waved a piece of fish that Jiro had to duck underneath. “I mean, you’re kinda famous now, dude.”

“Kaminari!” Jiro hissed under her breath.

“What? He is! We all fought against villains but he got to fight alongside All Might. I mean, that’s super cool right?”

“Honestly, I was really scared.” The quiet that followed Izuku’s statement was heavy. Everyone turned an eye toward him, watching to see if he would fold under the pressure. It was a new feeling, to be the one under the microscope instead of ignored, but it was another thing he would just have to get used to he guessed. If he really wanted to be the new Symbol of Peace the media would be a whole lot less friendly than his classmates in searching for cracks in his confidence. He doubted they did it maliciously, but he still had far too many secrets to risk letting them know exactly what was going through his mind when he was brought before All for One.

“I didn’t even know what was happening at first. Compress’ quirk wore off as soon as the fighting started so I just went from one fight to another. I didn’t have any time to think, I just reacted. But,” he shot a smile at Kaminari. “It is pretty cool in hindsight. It was always a dream of mine to fight with All Might, I just never expected it to come true.”

“I’m not sure it was entirely worth it, bro.” Kirishima slung his arm over Izuku’s shoulder. “How about we don’t let anyone get kidnapped for at least a year? Does that sound good?”

“How about never letting someone else get kidnapped? I think we’ve sailed past our quota.” Jiro snarked. That managed to banish the last traces of gravitas from the group as Kaminari and Hagakure broke out into snickers.

“Oh, Deku, don’t you have an appointment with Recovery Girl?” Ochako asked. “I’ll walk you over.”

“Uh, sure. Sounds good.”

“You know, you two don’t have to be so obvious!” Jiro called out to them as they headed for the door. “It’s just rude to the rest of us single people! Ba-Kaminari’s probably going to need therapy now!”

He and Ochako stepped through the front door to the sounds of Kaminari’s affronted whines. He doubted that Ochako was planning on doing whatever Jiro was warning them away from. She had probably just tried to save him from accidentally talking about anything too close to One for All. It was a nice change to have Ochako in on his secret with him. He could afford to be a little less guarded, certainly with Ochako herself, but with her watching his back he could have someone else let him know if he was skirting a topic that he shouldn’t be. Was this what All Might felt with Sir Nighteye? Why did they split if it felt this good to not have the weight of the world alone on his shoulders?

“Thank you. For the distraction and for believing me last night, Ochako.” She smiled at him, and he felt his stomach do flips.

“Of course, Deku! I’ll always believe in you. Besides, we’re a team now. I can watch your back.” She took two steps forward before she jumped into the air. “Oh, we should make codenames!”

“No,” he laughed. “No way. Last time we let you pick all the nicknames we didn’t even know who everyone else was!”

“That was one time! And it was so obvious that Todoroki was Horizon Brave from Pacific Rim.”

“Ochako I don’t even know what that is!”

“Well whose fault is it that you don’t know about the best movie franchise of all time?! You know what, that’s it. We’re watching it later! Now, come on!” She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the building. “We’ve got fifteen minutes before your nurse’s appointment and I don’t want to waste a single one!”

Huh , Izuku thought as he let Ochako drag him along. I guess Jiro was right after all.

Nezu watched the funds transfer on the screen with barely disguised hunger. Manami Aiba had been all she promised and more and with the information she managed to acquire he now had a complete picture of his enemy’s forces. It hadn’t surprised him that the Hearts and Minds party had been co-opted, or that the tendrils of this corruption leaked into the press. It was the fastest way to push an agenda, but their little revolution would pose an excellent challenge for his young symbol. His tail flickered through the air at the thought of his most important pawn.

Midoriya Izuku had managed to unlock potential even Nezu hadn’t known of, becoming the first specimen of Quirk Singularity in the modern age. A hero stronger and faster than All Might with six other quirks to further compound his power would become an unrivaled idol for generations to come and he would be walking the halls of U.A. for three full years. There was a ninety-three percent chance that he would feel overwhelming nostalgia for his alma mater after he graduated and it was a near certainty that enrollment would see a larger spike than when All Might had become number one.

His pawn would soon be promoted into a queen that Nezu would use to crush the obstacles in his path. Midoriya didn’t realize it yet, but he would be the one to usher in the future of this society. And the one pulling his strings would determine what future it was.

“Grow, my young symbol. Evolve. Nothing will stand in the way of your progress.”

“You’ve been responding to treatment well. I’d say you might even be a bit ahead of schedule, young man.” Recovery Girl put down the scans of his arm and took her glasses off to let them rest against her chest by the chain attached to the arms.

“Does that mean I can train today?” He asked hopefully.

“No.” He deflated a bit at that and Recovery Girl shook her head. “Just because you’re ahead of schedule now doesn’t mean that you can be reckless and rush this, young man. Recovery is rarely linear. Being ahead now doesn’t mean you won’t experience any setbacks.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Izuku hung his head. He understood her reasoning; he just wanted to be out there so badly. He had years of quirk training to catch up on and three new quirks he had to figure out how to use. How could he ever be the number one hero if he didn’t push himself?

He thought about the way his mom looked while he was in the hospital. The worried and worn faces of his friends when they came to visit him, the way his mentor looked even thinner now that he had officially retired. Maybe Recovery Girl was right. Maybe he should take it slowly, at least this once.

“Oh chin up, sonny. Nothing physical at all for today but tomorrow you can start doing some quirk control with everything except whatever it was that did this to your arm in the first place. Just quirk control, mind you. I don’t want you doing any actual sparring until your bones set a little more. Wear your compression sleeve while doing quirk training and I’ll see you again on Friday.”

With that Izuku hopped off the examination table, snagging a handful of gummies that he idly chewed on while he walked. Ochako had gone ahead to the TDL (he was pretty sure Nezu was just messing with them on the names of things at this point) so he was free to take a little more time meandering toward the gym than he would have otherwise. They were supposed to be working on ultimate moves today, but what could he do without actually training?

Well, he had a start. He used an Oklahoma Smash against the League and he had the San Francisco Smash, but what else could he do? He couldn’t keep up with the insane feats that All Might could do at his current percentage and even if he could his arm likely wasn’t going to be fully healthy by the time he did the licensing exam.

The sounds of combat grew steadily louder as he walked through the open archway into the TDL. Most of his classmates were spread out throughout the cavernous space, practicing moves or working with clones of Ectoplasm to strategize their moves. He could see Ochako floating a little above the tallest structure. Eraserhead walked back and forth in between the peaks, calling out advice or warnings to his classmates. Off to the side, Shinsou was running through conditioning drills with Cementoss and Midnight. Nemuri waved him over, and Izuku jogged toward her.

“Midnight-sensei! What should I get started with?”

“Nice try kiddo. Recovery Girl already texted us that you aren’t cleared yet.” Izuku’s shoulders slumped. Worth a shot, I guess. “I’m sure you’ve got a few ideas already, so why don’t you take the day to write them down and really iron out what you want to work on over the next few days. Walk around, try and get some inspiration. Once you get the all clear we’ll start working on control for those new developments of yours.”

Nemuri turned back to correct Shinsou’s form and Izuku headed off toward the opposite side with a small sigh. All of his ideas for super moves were just copying All Might and his other quirks were so new he had no idea how to start coming up with moves for them. Blackwhip could help his mobility, but how did he even access the others to start with? Izuku leaned his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Katsuki had made it seem so easy growing up. He had multiple super moves by the time they were accepted, and Izuku didn’t even know where to start.

“I have concerns, Bakugou-kun.” Katsuki’s eye twitched at his name. “Your sleep issues are troubling, and Aizawa tells me that you seem even more on edge than usual.”

“I’m fucking fine,” he growled. Dogface let out a sigh.

“It’s fairly apparent that your recent experiences are having a far more profound effect than you’re willing to admit. Recovery takes time, Bakugou-kun. You can’t rush these things.”

“I said I’m fucking fine.”

“Well, as your counselor, I say you’re not. I am officially recommending that you do not take the provisional license exam.”

“That’s bullshit! You can’t do this!”

“Frankly, even if you were emotionally and mentally prepared to take the exam, your behavioral issues earlier in the semester would have prevented us from sponsoring this attempt at your license. You’ll be able to try again in a few months.”

Frustration and anger welled up within Katsuki. Who were these chuckle-fucks to keep trying to put him on a leash. Amid the swirling frustration, something else rose to the surface, drowning out all other thoughts. Hound Dog kept talking, but his voice faded under the ocean of grey that filled Katsuki’s mind. Color leached from the world, the cheery fucking blue that had pissed him off when he first walked into blanched into a pale monotone. Katsuki floated separately from the world. He couldn’t feel the arms of the chair desperately clutched in his hands. He couldn’t hear the white noise machine that played wave sounds in the background. 

Katsuki came untethered from reality.

What the hell? Even his thoughts felt sluggish as they struggled to get through the grey. What is this?