Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I… am purple.

It very strange. Sleep person, peachy color, wake up purple.

And tall…

Very tall.

Not sure why. People so small now. Not sure why in lab. Sleep in tube, liquid breathe. Hard to think. Slow, short thoughts. Weird. Try to look around, but doctor-bald-glasses-big mustache catches me. Tells me to return.

I do.

Even stranger.

Stare at little doctor-bald, but he mutters. Sleep many days after. Wake up less clear, more… dreamy. Still, purple. Very strange. Not good. Maybe sleep more? Better thoughts?

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Much sleep, still purple.

There are more purple. I find three. Beaks. See brains. Why beak? No feathers. Brain strange. Brain should not be out. Need hair, brown hair.

Doctor-bald mutters.

Speaks weird.

Sleep many days, wake and know speak.

Speech?

Speak speech spoke?

Thoughts hard.

No more wander. Stay in tube, many bubbles. In. Out. Many odd things. Purple bird-people. Little mud people. Man no eyes, big smile. Maybe hurt? Maybe… something? Lost. Thinking hard.

Doctor-bald says I stupid.

Rude.

Try and fix me. Thinks bad parts, no fix.

I parts?

Strange place. Strange people. Doctor-bald say I baby. I not baby, but Doctor-bald speak I do. Not like. Need home. Want old home.

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Maybe I dead?

Call me Nomu. Know word. Should not. Picture, book, big eyes—funny story? Strange. Purple skin strange. Doctor strange. Mutter words, quirks, heroes, villains. Very serious. Make purple skin shiver.

Remember picture-book-story.

Boy weak, get strong. Save world.

Remember Nomu .

Purple, check. Beak, check. Quirk? Quirk magic? Much magic. Mud-thing eat people. Disappear. Return in mud. Very strange.

Brain slow .

Brain needs hair . Too slow. Hard think. Bad open brain.

Sleep soon.

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Doctor-bald bad. No-Eye-Man very bad.

Boy-many-hands come.

Know.

Know. Know.

I know.

Stare, watch, follow . Boy-many-hands—I know .

Bad. Hurt.

Need away. No way. Need plan.

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Doctor Tsubasa sighs as his most… active Nomu follows Shigaraki around the base. He’s not really sure where he went wrong with this one. They’d used similar parts as they had with all the others. The woman they’d used for a base had been interesting in only that she was entirely unremarkable. And yet…

The lumbering purple creature slinks through the halls like a massive toddler, peaking around corners and hiding behind objects far too small for its large size.

Why ?

He’d done everything right!

He’d fused the bones, melded the flesh, pumped the poor creature with enough hypertonic solution that it should have been perfect! He sighs wearily, wishing once again his patron wasn’t so curious. He’d love nothing more than to split the thing back apart, figure out what made it tick—what made it go wrong—but three surgeries later, and it almost seemed to get stupider.

“Perhaps it’s the quirk,” All for One says, standing patiently at his side and observing the nonsense on his own despite his lack of eyes. “A language quirk plus an unidentified one on top of the strength, shock absorption, and regeneration? You didn’t add any child parts?”

“No, sir.”

“Fascinating.”

Doctor Tsubasa sighs.

That was not the word he would use for it.

Chapter Text

Doctor-bald very busy.

Make many Nomu, use dead bodies. Gross. Work on new color nomu, one green, one yellow. Make me fight. Not like fight.

Try run. Door stuck.

Doctor-bald say fight, body turn.

Not like.

Doctor-bald say, I do. Not like. Doctor-bald bad . Need escape. Make me bad.

Fight first. Win.

Need win then need escape.

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Boy-many-hands back.

Want fight, need help. I remember !

Many kids. Portal.

I follow, want to go. Me! Pick me!

Doctor-bald mutters. Always mutters. Not nice, bad doctor. Tells boy-many-hands I strong, but stupid. Rude . Not stupid, just slow brain. Need more hair, brown hair nice. Long hair good. Once, put mop on head, make hair. Doctor-bald not like, yell.

No more mops.

Maybe mad cause want hair too?

Hair so good. Soft.

Boy-many-hands has hair. Looks crusty. Need… wet? Smooth, oily… word . Lost word. Too many hands, dead people, gross. Not touch.

Boy-many-hands scratches neck. Says I look strong.

Am strong!

Muscles big, pick-up big things! Open many doors! I nod, flex arms make big muscles bigger. Doctor-bald rubs forehead, sigh. Why? I great.

“ Fine , take her.”

I smile, but beak face not right, boy-many-hands steps back

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Boy-many-hands take to warehouse.

Good! Escape!

Move to walk away, but boy-many-hands tells me to stay.

Body no good. Body stay.

Fine.

Rude .

Wait, people come. Itchy nose, still wait. People stare. People little ! Come to hip. Like man plant head. Chomp chomp. Also green man horn head. Nose have red lights. Many people, want to leave, stuck. Ugh.

Boy-many-hands speaks.

“League of Villains.”

Lame name. Wait, listen to plan. Kill All Might. Kill heroes. Very bad plan, makes itchy nose worse. No backup. Just go, fight? Ugh.

“Nomu come with me and wait.”

Body moves without permission.

Stupid purple body.

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Aizawa Shouta breathes heavily, hair in his face as he snaps around, legs coming up to kick out at the villains stupid enough to get too close. At least a quarter of them groans from the ground, catching their breath. Maybe a third watches warily, unwilling to try. And the others?

He dodges and throws a punch, capture weapon whipping around to collect one more, and sling them away.

Were this any other time, he’d retreat and call for backup.

Unfortunately, it’s not.

Damn it.

He jumps, eyes burning fiercely, as he throws out the capture weapon again, focusing on the two figures charging his back.

He’ll have to rely on the children and hope that one can escape and run for help.

The children…

Damn it...

He heard screams. He knows they’ve already been attacked by the shadow, more than likely separated somewhere, though where he can’t stop to consider. He can hear a few of them still above though, and the suspicious lack of Black Hole means that Hero Thirteen is either transported with them or unconscious or dead. He hopes it’s the first. Sliding across the cement, hand already rising to his face, his fingers press high against his cheek in a moment of weakness. The agony of blinking is outmatched only by the furious ache of opening them again.

He needs to finish this soon.

“Eraserhead!”

The villain with the hands shouts his name while rushing forward—a rookie move if any, one he often has to train out of his students.

Aizawa moves to meet him, the hair on his neck lifting automatically as his quirk cancels out the villain’s quirk.

Except the villain laughs.

Shit.

“10 seconds!”

He gets one good hit, bowing the boy in half—really, the kid can’t be much older than his students—close enough to catch the manic gleam on his face. Aizawa’s eyes strain, throbbing behind the reflective gold glasses and he—he blinks.

Agony, sheer, unrivaled agony cracks across his elbow.

Something is peeling back his skin, raking through the muscle and exposing him all the way to the bone. He can barely open his eyes, hot liquid flooding his vision as he ignites his quirk again through sheer will. He gasps, making space.

“Don’t push yourself Eraser.”

The villain laughs, and Aizawa pulls away, retreating quickly to reassess and cradle his arm. Even with the quirk stopped, the wound throbs in the exposed air.

Disintegration? Five-point touch?

Damn it.

He should have focused on him first .

“Oh, and hero? I’m not the final boss. Nomu!”

Chapter Text

Detective Tsukauchi cradles the cup of coffee, exhausted.

What a shit show.

Villains attacking a bunch of children, breaking into U.A., and scattering the children at what was supposed to—should have been—one of the safest places in all of Japan. The most prestigious high school and hero training academy in Japan. Attacking it was unheard of! Practically suicidal.

It'd clearly been meant as a statement.

We can reach your children.

Be afraid.

And it’d worked, if only partly.

The press was on high alert, already eagerly sniffing for whatever story they could find, and several of the phone lines were currently tied with concerned families wondering if their children would be safe returning. Thankfully, most had been redirected to the school, where Nezu could deal with the fallout personally. But that, combined with the handful of calls from the higher-ups, the police chief himself calling to directly remind him of protocol (as if it hadn’t all been followed), the hero commission of all people, and several top-tier heroes, led to a political nightmare. He hadn’t realized the number two hero’s child had been in the class, but there were inquiries to find out, had the boy been a target as well? Was All Might's meer presence a danger to the children?

What kind of establishment were they running...

It might not have created all-out fear, but the reactions were telling.

Then there was the case itself.

All Might, personally, had been the one to reach out first, explaining over the phone in a strangely clipped voice that one of the villains was standing guard, of all things, over Eraserhead and several teens.

He’d arrived too a very strange scene.

Villains scattered across the floor, U.A. heroes locked in a protective circle, and a massive monster-of-a-thing hoovering over a broken Eraserhead with three small students tucked protectively underneath it. Come to find out the creature had broken Eraserhead’s elbow on command before going bat-shit-crazy.

He even had video footage thanks to Principal Nezu of several key moments of the fight. One of the monster snarling, clutching its head, and bashing itself into walls. He’d left his officers to deal with that, photographing and measuring several holes with meter-long diameters and facial implants.

Afterward, the creature had gone on a rampage, knocking through villains and snatching up three heroes-in-training from the nearby water. Erratic and hyper-focused, the massive creature dropped the water-logged students on top of an injured Eraserhead and then became a wall—a self-healing wall at that—between the children and villain.

It made absolutely no sense.

Luckily the thing seemed to respect All Might, relaxing long enough for him to safely remove the children and even allowing the number one to hand-cuff it.

Insanity.

He already had several testimonies that the creature was made by the villains. What level of idiot made a monster that didn’t listen?

Karma?

Detective Tsukauchi cradles his coffee and sighs.

What a headache.

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Outside world very strange.

I right, is story. Recognize broccoli boy. Know hero. Remember names, especially big hero.

All Might.

Not right, very not right.

Police not happy. Hear in other room. Hear in many rooms… Wish All Might return. Like. Like shiny hair, like smile. Wish had hair, maybe think better, more with hair? Brain not good out, need cover. Maybe hurt brain hitting wall? Scare little children, scare hero.

Be good now!

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I very good.

I wait in quiet room, not break baby chains, very careful.

Man in hat come visit, brings All Might. Very shiny hair, so pretty. Hard listen with shiny hair. All Might red, says things, not sure. Leaves soon.

No lips, bird beak hard show sad.

Dip head.

Want shiny hair too…

“Are… Are you upset?”

I nod slow. Hat man look lost. Think he need hug.

“You… like All Might?”

Nod again. Hat man frowns, sips coffee and rubs nose. Hat man very tired, maybe need sleep? Many coffee bad...

“Can you speak?”

Shake head.

Too hard. Beak not good to talk. Growl, yes. Speak, no.

“Ah… that’s going to make things difficult. But we’ll start with some basic yes or no questions. Do you have a name?”

I blink at hat man.

Why hard question first?

“Ah… you don’t know?” he asks.

Shrug.

This going be long.

Very, very long.

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Principal Nezu observes from the side room as the detective attempts inutilely to interrogate the monstrous creation below them. Truly, quite the conundrum. The Nomu, perhaps a title or name, was clearly designed by villains for destruction, however, her polyphiloprogenitive nature appeared to have caught them by surprise. 

But, had it?

Surely to plan so much, breaking into UA, separating the class from help, circumventing the alarms… Why waste such an advantage on such an unreliable asset?

What long-term opportunity did this present outside of maybe the slow detriment of hero society? An opportunity that would have been more effective without the creature.

Was this a proclivity for temerarious foolishness or rather an insidious tergiversation?

Humans so rarely considered their actions so presciently… perhaps it was yet another example of the subversive destruction that often convened alongside human empiricism.

Perhaps…

But perhaps not...

Principal Nezu waits, considering a thousand thoughts and holding his own counsel.

Despite his calm countenance, his fur itches to intervene. The girl clearly had some intelligence, though nothing as exceptional as his own. Not only that, but her strength and self-healing factor could also make her an ideal weapon (likely why the intruders had procured her for their assault), so if that could be harnessed, this time with her nature… Well, it could be an opportunity to market more anti-discriminatory media, further protect the students, and extend more favors to the clearly unprepared police force.

The principal clicks his nails against the table and ponders.

Hmm…

He is liking the idea more and more every minute.

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Communicating is hard.

Hat-man tries paper and pencil. Break pencil and table. Oops.

Tries sign, brain too slow.

Tries word cards… not read. All Japanese.

I not know Japanese.

Bring food though! So good! Bring noodles and I eat with fingers. Makes hat-man green, but taste so good! Meet mouse-king too! Mouse-king rule school, remember story, very smart. Bring pictures, help tell story. Even add doctor picture!

Hat-man happy.

Tell many things. 3 more Nomu, 2 more soon. Want tell more, brain too slow. Make hard.

Hat-man and Mouse-king leave. Come back plan.

I go school! Need collar though.

Not like.

Shock if bad, many rules. Worry shadow-man get me. Not-like either. Want hero stay near.

Chapter Text

Aizawa Shouta isn’t really sure what he’s looking at.

Well, that’s not entirely true. He’s pretty sure the witness he’d been asked to monitor on campus is in fact the same erratic monster set loose on them in the USJ by villains that nearly killed his students. Except now, instead of considering how to contain it, it’s wearing a dress.

“Sir…”

He can feel the rising headache.

What the hell…

The animal principal doesn’t even bat an eye, instead grinning widely with too-sharp teeth. It’s really not a good sign.

“Ahh… Meet Miss Nomu!” Nezu says, perching lightly on the creature’s shoulder like some sort of damn parrot. The principal throws out an arm, gesturing towards it like they hadn’t already met, like it hadn’t snapped his elbow clean just a day prior. “We’re hoping she could stay with you, Aizawa-kun, as you’re the most capable of successfully dealing with a surprise attack from a teleportation quirk and managing a quick extraction.”

If not for the fact that his eyes are still feeling incredibly sensitive, he’d probably rub them.

He settles instead with a slow blink, expression blank.

Stay with it.

The mad dog of the villains that nearly killed his class?

That was the thing about teaching. Nobody ever mentions all the stupid, extra shit you end up saddled with.

“No, I’m not a sitter.”

What happened to the jail cells? And a surprise attack? Were they expecting an attempted retrieval?

Really?

“Of course not! But she is the main reason neither you nor several of your students were maimed or killed in the attack,” his boss reminds him perkily. It’s a rather low blow, even for the rat, reminding him of his complete failure. His eyes narrow. “Besides, you’ll have full access to the tracking chip in the collar as well as the shocking feature. There’s really no one else I’d trust to handle this, Aizawa-kun.”

He stares at the giant, well over 230 centimeters.

But why is it in a dress?

The thing, beak and all, exposes its teeth.

He thinks, maybe, it’s meant to be a smile. It’s terrifying and likely to haunt his nights for weeks, but... He turns back to his boss with a grimace. But, if it meant keeping this thing away from the villains… away from his students… Well, logically, he had no choice but to try.

“What exactly is this going to entail?”

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Hero not like.

Maybe cause hurt? Big accident! Not try! Boy-many-hands say kill, body move! Stupid body. Stupid brain! All better now though!

Maybe better?

Hero stare, eyes dead…

No.

Definitely not better.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Wish Mouse-king send All Might… At least he nice.

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Many problems live with hero.

He little. I very big.

Bathroom… problems. Very careful! Squat, not break, but miss little seat. Big mess. No bathroom in lab, only glass tube. Sleep lot, not know problem!

Hero not happy.

Try to help… too big.

Pans too small, pinch ends and break. Eat problems too. Sit in chair, loud crack, break! Sit on floor... Break little eating sticks too, no good. Want fork. Use hands instead. Very hard. Skin not feel. Everything break easy.

Want old face.

Want old body.

Give up.

Hide in corner, sit behind couch. Eyes all wrong. No cry. Want cry. No cry.

Stupid story world.

Want old everything.

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That night, Mouse-king right.

Bad people come again.

Swirly-black there. Shhhhh shhhhh. Shadow man quiet, try be sneaky.

Hero sneakier.

Hero red eyes on. Hair up.

Shadow break. Hero kick open window, point outside shout.

“Go!”

Purple body listen. Purple body always move like told.

Hero swing out next, so little. Look like fly on string.

More heroes appear. Know them. Loud hair, wear leather, hair so big and pretty. Pretty woman too, need dress, make people sleep. Rock man, teach reading? Reading good. Miss books.

Shadow man must run away. I not sure, stay out, listen to loud-hair speak. Sometimes speak English. Like it. Miss it. Hero stay too, until gun-man return. All safe.

Good.

No go back. No be bad.

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New home after that.

Feel guilty, make hero move.

Hero very smart, seem understand. Says fake home anyway, pat purple skin.

Feel little better then.

Go to school next day. Love school, very pretty. Mouse-king say I stay in fence, not leave, I safe. Mouse-king right. No shadow man. No swirly-black. So nice. Get lay in grass. Get walk big space. Take nap in sun.

Best day ever.

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Nezu considers the mass of purple napping on the front lawn of the school.

“Are you sure having it here is wise?”

Of the many people to dispute his decisions, he finds himself… disappointed to count the Erasure hero among them.

“As opposed to what, a cell?” Nezu inquires, not bothering to turn as he observes the minute fluctuations in the Nomu’s rhythmic breathing, especially when she realizes she’s not alone. Asui Tsuyu, he recalls her file, candid if somewhat reticent when addressing others' faults—and also one of those directly protected in the USJ assault. He’s curious. Her nervous, stilted gait combined with their guest’s frozen form… “Surely you’re not still convinced she’s a plant?”

The hero behind him shifts, and even with his mask of indifference, Nezu can still see all of his tells—the guilty glance away, the minuscule twist of his wrist.

Nezu shifts as well, keeping the interaction below in sight while allowing a pleasant mask.

“… No.”

The sullen response is amusing, if not informatory. Of course, he didn’t. Aizawa was many things: rational, saturnine, stern, but he wasn’t a fool. The fact that he could put aside his sentimentality, could analyze (if admittedly slowly), and furrow out many of his shorter plans… well, it made him an asset.

“However, that doesn’t detract from the problems it’s causing now.”

Usually.

Nezu snorts, attention still caught on the frog girl below. She steps forward and bows, and their guest, abandoning all pretenses of sleep, twists and rolls over. Perhaps white was a less… felicitous color? Even at a distance, he can see the grass and dirt stains.

“Of course not. But whenever has change not been met with hostility and pushback?”

The Nomu wiggles below, her whole body squirming through the grass as she closes the space between herself and the teenager. In the space around them, several of the students stiffen in their hiding places. He sees one, the redhead with the hardening quirk, activate his, and the short girl with the gravity powers unveiling herself from the tree.

He tilts his head, waiting.

“Unless, of course, you’re concerned about your own abilities?”

Aizawa bristles, as if it weren’t his own fault for having such an open, purulent wound.

“I have questions about its efficacy, not my own,” his subordinate scowls, tone frosting. “It’s creating more problems than solutions. The media is already posted outside, harassing students and trying to get visuals. Iida informed me today that the press has already accosted two of my students on their way in, and were it not for Kirishima, there may have been an incident between Bakugou and the reporters yesterday evening. While I’ve addressed my student, it doesn’t detract from the multiple parent complaints extending well beyond the heroics department. Half the 2^nd year general curriculum class is out.”

The class Aizawa had filled up himself after expelling his entire class? He carefully doesn’t mention it. Instead observing as the large purple mass nuzzles the frog girl and wiggles away. The classmates visibly relax, the gravity girl even going so far as to hesitantly step forward.

Nezu steeples his fingers and nods.

“I understand,” the principal responds, the beginnings of secondary and tertiary plans already taking form. “I had intended to speak to the press this afternoon, but perhaps noon will suffice?”

Aizawa crosses his arms and nods.

Sour with relief hidden beneath the tired, unshaven mess.

He smiles, exposing sharp, animalistic teeth.

“Excellent. Regarding the fears of our students and parents, there is little that can be done without exposure. Plan for our guest to be a… ahem, large part of the show. In order to prepare the students, we will begin having our guest mingle more inside the building. With her temperament, I expect the complaints to resolve themselves. However, you should be prepared to have her join you in several classes.”

Aizawa’s stare is one of deadpan horror.

“Join us?” the man repeats slowly.

“Of course,” the principal allows, tone taking on a more jovial tune. “I expect we’ll begin in a few days. I’ll make the announcement at our next faculty meeting.”

“Tomorrow,” Aizawa glowers.

“Was there anything else we needed to discuss?”

Chapter Text

Mouse-king very smart.

Maybe too smart.

Give picture cards. Easy cards, help talk!

Hi. Bathroom. Hungry. Thirsty. Exercise. Sleep. Goodbye.

Hi favorite. Like show Hero. Hero funny.

“Hi,” Hero deadpans, expression dead when I wave card at him moment he wake. “You know what would be a better greeting? Coffee, or you not breaking the coffee maker.”

Probably need more cards soon...

Sorry?

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Mouse-king explain new rules.

Spend time with children, make not nervous.

Like rule. Visit many classes. Very quiet!

Visit lunch first.

Mouse-king walk me there. Lunchroom very quiet. Many eyes, make nervous. Mouse-king pretend not notice, but frog-girl come visit!

“Miss Nomu!”

Wave hi card, not smile. Smile scary, not want scare babies.

“Ah, Asui-san, good afternoon!”

Need more cards.

How you? Like hair. Food good?

Mouse-king understand, very smart, he pat shoulder and smile.

“Miss Nomu and I were just considering lunch. Would you perhaps like to join us?”

Frog-girl sweet baby. Lunchroom not so quiet after.

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Yamada Hizashi, better known as Present Mic, considers the lumbering form of Miss Nomu leering creepily in the back of his class.

The thing looked like some sort of horror extra, it’s exposed brain recessed inside what looked like a bird beak with beady little bug-like eyes fixed inside it’s brain. He nearly shivers, barely able to breathe at the nasty, massive bulk of muscle extending behind it. Were it not for the dress, he honestly wouldn’t have even known it was female, considering just one of the thing’s biceps alone were about twice the size of Fatgum’s head.

His students fidget nervously, and he has to restrain himself from fidgeting along with them.

What the hell was that rat thinking?

Yeah, sure the principal was brilliant, and, well, yeah, many considered him (rightfully) a tactical genius. But what the hell?

How the hell was he supposed to teach with that thing in the back?

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Visiting classes… hard.

Teachers not like.

Not like Hero not-like, more like Doctor-bald not-like. Wait for leave. Rub face and mutter. Hearing very good, can hear complaints many floors. Teachers not like. Students not like either. Say mean things, say I monster. I not monster—I Nomu! Say I need go jail. Rude.

Try tell Mouse-king.

Mouse-king just smile, pass new words and say get better.

Mouse-king liar.

Not happy. Go get hero (new word, follow!), Hero roll eyes but listen. Make Mouse-king explain (new word, repeat!) and Hero snorts.

“And?”

This why I like Hero. No lies.

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Many days of school.

Old me like school, teach.  Happy. New me not sure.

Like Hero’s class.

Much easier.

Frog-girl very nice. Sugar boy sneaks me cakes. Rock-head-talk-animals shy, like to sit by and make pink. Sometimes give looks at little purple-bubble-head boy when bad, but he nice too! Fun head balls, like to play with—very sticky!

Other classes okay.

Support class funny. Students busy, not want talk and pink-hair girl like blow up things. Leave quickly, hurt ears. 3^rd year heroes quiet, remember one. Blonde—know. Strong, important… Swirly girl brave, come up and speak. Like her lots, give face nuzzles.

.

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Find Purple Sleepy-Boy!

In wrong room.

Take to right room!

Hero not happy.

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“Now, Miss Nomu,” Mouse-king says gently, patting her shoulder. “While I’m sure Young Shinsou appreciates your support in his dream of being a hero, he does have class at the moment.”

Nod glumly.

Worried look at Purple Sleepy-boy.

Big eyes, maybe cry? Not want baby cry.

“If he does well at the Sports Festival, he can be considered for a transfer,” Hero says, arms folded. Even angry, still so nice. Watch as Sleepy-boy walk with Mouse-king away. “Did you know his quirk?”

Not sure how answer.

Shrug, Hero look sour.

“Is there any actual logic for the reason you think he should be a hero? You could have been arrested for that stunt. I hope you didn’t just stick your neck out for nothing. Do you even realize how many favors the principal is cashing in to keep you here?”

I… shrink.

Hero sigh, definitely annoyed.

“Just… Just go in. Ridiculous.”

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Aizawa frowns at the substantial, snoring mass on his living room floor.

Why it was in the living room, he couldn’t say. It had a bed, one Nezu had generously purchased with its exact dimensions, but it had also remained entirely untouched, still rolled up in his guest room.

He sips at his coffee and sighs, turning instead to the folder in his lap.

Shinsou Hitoshi.

Class 1C, General Department.

Quirk, Brainwashing.

The kid’s entrance essay was well written and intriguing. They’d been asked to write about what kind of hero presence they hoped to establish and why. Most students wrote some variation of the same thing: to protect, to help, or to save the day (like All Might). Not that those were bad motivations, but they were rarely truthful.

But this kid?

He wants to be underground.

It’d caught him off-guard. Especially because the kid had the perfect quirk for it, his essay showed he had the inclination for it, his test scores showed he had the intelligence.

And then he watched the video from his entrance exam.

A hot-ass mess. The list of issues was a mile long. Needs improvement in physical fitness, needs a support item, needs martial arts training… He could go on, but there isn’t much reason. The kid could have potential, but he’d need to prove it.

Shuffling the folder to the side, Aizawa frowns again at the snoring creature curled up on the floor less than a meter away.

It’d been so insistent, nearly shoving that stupid hero card one of his students (probably Ashido) had made it. But why this kid? What was the connection? He’d learned a lot about his new house guest over the last week, and while it was admittedly incredibly stupid, foolhardy, and childish—it was also surprisingly perceptive.

He’d have to keep an eye on this one.

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.

.

Sports Festival is big.

Sports Festival is very, very big.

Like concert, big. Like Superbowl big.

Just high school, why so big?

Hero not understand, think scared. Not scared. Maybe… nervous? Remember story. Green bean break fingers, need fix that. Candy-cane hurt, talk bout Fire-dad. Blasty-blonde get chain to pole—really not like that.

Not do much.

Mouse-king say I stay near.

Hero say I be good or else.

Rude. I always good!

Chapter Text

I not like Sports Festival.

Worst sport ever.

Not like on TV, not fun at all! Babies run in course like animals, fall in pit on nets, walk on mines, fight big robots. Not good! Babies cry and break bones. Why?

Mouse-king say all okay, nurse kiss all better.

Not make everything okay.

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Mouse-king make help give out 3^rd year awards.

Pat Blonde-sunshine-baby. Purple-spiral-sunshine-baby squeal and get hug. Shy-baby try hide in uniform—pat him too. Gonna be okay, need remember to give more pats. Maybe help less shy? Show shy okay?

Second-year festival same as 3^rd (and 1^st).

Tell Mouse-king want help.

Mouse-king smile.

Learn new thing, Mouse-king smile not good. Mouse-king too smart, plans inside plans. Make brain hurt. Still, Mouse-king let help. Get babies out of hole, pick up out net. Try make better, put on back and crawl on belly, sometimes make silly jumps. Work very good! Make babies giggle.

Blue-hair-big-smile girl hugs neck.

“Thank you Miss Nomu!”

Still not like Sports Festival.

Why not play game? Baseball good too!

.

.

.

1st-year festival last.

Hero nervous, hide in booth with Loud-Blonde. Old me think they married, new me not sure. Story strange when in it.

Find teachers making bets on round one. One say Bakugou, other say Todoroki. Math-teacher-big-teeth-peg-legs say maybe Tokage. Not sure, but think Tokage girl in Blood-hero class. Shake head. All wrong.

“Oh? Miss Nomu, you think it’ll be someone else?”

Space-suit very nice, wave to table.

I nod.

Walk close. Cowboy beside nervous. Okay, I not hurt!

Reach in pocket (New dress have many pockets!), find little cards. Hero’s class make name cards! Favorite gift, find green-bean baby. Push name forward.

“Midoriya?”

“The kid always breaking bones?”

“You’ve gotta be kiddin’!”

Shrug. They see, Broccoli-hair main character.

.

.

.

Yamada Hizashi grimaces as his best friend leans against the dash of important, expensive equipment, and sighs. He’d been nothing but high-strung nerves and fidgeting fingers for the last hour. And, considering he was never this nervous about his actual students, who’d come in ahead of all of the others, the only other option was that he was worried about that… thing.

Miss Nomu.

Ugh.

“Is this, like, some sort of reverse Stockholm syndrome?”

He nearly snorts when the dark-haired man glares.

“Stockholm?” Aizawa scowls. “Nobody’s being held victim here.”

“Ehh…” That’s somewhat debatable. But he knows better than to air that sentiment out loud. While Aizawa might not particularly like the job of constantly supervising his charge, he wasn’t the kind of person to let unearned criticism slide. He’d chewed into the business course teacher only days ago for calling their guest a monster, and Principal Nezu had made several jovial threats as well that more ‘discourteous remarks’ would lead to extra professional learning opportunities.

PL opportunities with Nezu...

No thank you!

Waving his hands, as if to wave away those thoughts, Hizashi focuses instead on the students grinning and milling down below.

“Well, either way, looks like things are looking up! Oh, hey! Did you see Nemuri’s message? Apparently, Miss Nomu called it with Midoriya winning the first part! Crazy, huh?”

“Hn.”

“Aww man, don’t be a buzz kill! Oh! Hey, what’d yah want for lunch? We’re about to start the games, and since you’re not busy…”

Yamada grins at his friend’s dark look.

.

.

.

Find babies after second round. Tail-boy sad. Pat gently, give card—good job! Tail smile not quite right, but better. Visit other babies, hug frog-girl, very gentle, careful with big muscles. Sit beside mask-many-arms, give shy-animal-boy nuzzle, and pat sweet-sugar-cake baby. They all so little. Want to visit 1B, but run out of time.

Mouse-king want watch beside.

Make statement, be helpful.

Watching third round worst of all. Sweet Purple-sleepy-boy so sad when baby-green-bean beat him. Angry explosion-baby do too much, little-gravity-girl look so sad. Candy-cane upset, Tape-boy upset, all babies so sad!

Mouse-king say I stay beside him, not visit.

Not like.

When festival finally end, glad.

When angry explosion-baby tied to log, mad.

Not okay! Give mouse-king card, no. Point. Tell Mouse-king again, no and if Mouse-king no fix, I fix.

Thankfully, Hero fix.

Hero walk onto field, break chains, and speak to boy.

.

.

.

Something wrong with baby.

Glasses-exhaust-smelling-blue-hair upset.

Iida, I repeat, pushing the card into Hero’s hands insistent. Iida. Hurt.

Hero knows.

Why hero not fix?

“Give him space,” Hero scowls, shoving back the cards. “His brother got hurt, he doesn’t need you patting him, let him work through it on his own.”

Like you? I want to say.

I not have nearly enough cards to tell him what I want say.

“He’ll have a week of internships to work through it.”

Internships?

Know that… why I know that?

Something important…

.

.

.

Remember.

Remember after babies leave. UGH!

Try tell Mouse-king, not understand. Try tell hero, he not understand either. Stupid brain! Why so slow? This why brain need cover! Stupid Nomu-brain. Stupid story world!

Find sleepy-boy.

Show Midoriya word. Sleepy-boy very concerned. Call Green-bean baby. Make Sleepy-boy save Green-bean baby’s number.

New plan!

Need map first…

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.

.

Aizawa frowns as his house guest harasses Shinsou Hitoshi, showing him pictures of Midoriya of all people and demanding video calls with the student. And honestly, if not for the fact that he knew she meant well, he’d be concerned.

Still, he’d need to speak with Nezu about limiting her time with his class.

He wasn’t sure if it had something to do with the experiments that had clearly been conducted on her or if it was just a part of her base personality, but the Nomu was uncomfortably obsessive. Focusing on the kids like they were her part of her brood.

He’d been worried there’d be an incident when Todoroki and Midoriya had nearly blown themselves apart, and the Nomu had actually made a scene when it came to Bakugou (who some moron had thought to tie to a block).

And maybe something from all that stress had broken something, because that evening he’d been faced with an irate monstrosity in a dress. Pacing, growling, even pausing randomly to squawk at his walls. For the first time since their forced co-habitation, he’d realized just how good she’d been.

Still didn’t stop him from glaring as she kept insistently passing him Iida’s name card.

First Shinsou, then Iida, and now Midoriya.

Aizawa frowns and interrupts, giving the Nomu a look and Shinsou a scowl.

“If you’ve got time to chat, you’ve got time to train. Look alive kid.”

.

.

.

Trouble start in evening, maybe.

Hard remember. Remember train, old hero, attack.

Nomus there. Doctor-bald make more, worried. What if think other Nomu good? What if think other Nomu like me?

I very good, other Nomu take advantage!

Make plan. Make hero play news, listen and listen and listen all day. Not miss! News annoying though. News tell stupid things, rank order, sports festival, bad guy, bad guy, bad guy! So boring!

Hero think I lost mind.

Try to turn off TV, think I sleep. Make him turn back on!

Hero glare. I glare back.

If listen, I not need make plans!

.

.

.

Phone ding!

I look over, very still. Is it?

Sleepy-boy, face red, open text.

“Uh…”

Late day, check. Text message, check. Heart fast, need wait! Confirm first! Hero frown, too smart. His eyes narrow, hand reaching for scarf-cloth.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know,” Sleepy-boy says. He hesitate, clearly read air. “It’s just, uh, Midoriya. He sent-”

Not need more.

Stand-fully, teeth out. Sleepy-boy back away, scared. Feel bad, no time. Need save-

Hero have scarf around neck in seconds.

Pull.

Hero stronger than look, nearly pull over.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

No time for word cards! Save babies!

Run. Get three steps, nearly at wood when feel! Normal not feel ever! No hot, no cold, no touch. Make trip, so weird! Like tickle in neck, but not. Face plant.

Give Hero sour look.

Rude!

“What the hell are you-”

Hero stop when I stand. Tickle-collar tickle again. Not like. Break.

Hero stare.

“You’ve gotta be- damn it-”

No time. Scoop Hero, go to run, only remember Sleepy Boy.

Not safe. Even at school, not safe leave baby alone!

Get sleepy-boy too. Maybe all help! Ignore Hero shout, put both on back and run.

.

.

.

He’s going to kill Nezu.

Aizawa swears, the moment he gets off this damn rollercoaster, he’s going to kill the Nomu, and then the idiot principal that thought he could control it. Shock-collar his ass. That thing hadn’t done shit. And now it’d dragged a kid into all of this and-

“SENSEI!”

Aizawa grits his teeth and adjusts himself in the makeshift harness to press closer. Based on the speed of the cars they were passing below; he didn’t doubt they were moving somewhere near 180 - 200 km per hour. And ironically, the only thing protecting them from the wind was the massive creature carrying them.

“WHAT?”

“I… I THINK WE’RE HEADING TOWARDS HOSU!”

Hosu.

He nearly groans. Of course it was Hosu, the city the Nomu had been watching the weather and news for almost religiously for all week. Was this pre-meditated? Had it been planning this since… wasn’t that the city Iida was in?

If anything, he can feel his dark mood sour further.

So when the creature stops, nearly twenty minutes later and not even slightly out of breath, he untangles both him and the kid immediately. He’d already released the emergency alert, protocol demanded he-

He freezes as the Nomu in front of him growls. Not the annoyed or frustrated ones she’d done in his apartment after the Sports Festival, but instead a deep, vicious noise that makes his insides tightens. Unlike normal, it doesn’t reach for its communication cards. It doesn’t even turn, its head tracking something he can’t make out.

“S-Sensei!” Shinsou whispers, tugging at his shoulder and pointing at the location still visible on his phone. “Midoriya, you don’t think he’s-”

The Nomu lurches unexpectedly, flinging itself into the air and Aizawa has only a second to process it before there’s—there’s a second one slamming into her. And he can feel all wind snap from his lungs as she flies sideways-

“Oh shit!”

Why the fuck did she bring a student into this battlefield?

“Listen kid, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but we need to get out of the open and I need to get you somewhere safe as well as check on the students. We’ll let her deal with that… thing. Stick by my side, and if I say run, you run like hell, got me?”

He manages a quick look at the kid.

Pale, shaking, and determined.

Him and Nezu were going to be having words when this was all over.

Chapter Text

“Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri, his shadow-infested warp gate grumbles, calm as usual. “It seems the rogue Nomu the doctor lent us has joined the battle. It appears to be currently attacking one of our own.”

Shigaraki Tomura leers, expression twisting into something crooked and cruel as he scans the chaos below. The rogue Nomu? What were they calling it now? Miss Nomu? He snorts, finding it several kilometers over. Her huge body is visible even from their distance, it’s large, rippling muscles exposed beneath that stupid waste of a dress. Who the hell put it in a dress anyways?

Stupid heroes. Stupid UA, taking his Nomu and advertising it, parading it around—like it—like it was theirs. Rotten, no good, dirty cheats.

It’s all Eraserhead’s fault.

His erasing quirk must have messed something up!

He should have won that level, that Nomu was the best of them all.

All the others, including the three he’d brought today, they’d all just stand there and stare, needing even the most basic orders to do even the smallest tasks. Boring, useless, stupid. That one though—no, that one had intelligence. It understood, followed conversation, flexed its muscles, moved around—it was like the final big boss and stupid Eraser-

His thoughts pause as the female Nomu crashes through a building, dust and debris exploding around them before they both roll across the quickly emptying street, the green monster on top of her tearing into its shoulder. He leans forward, grin wicked.

He’s rewarded a moment later when the female kicks its assailant up and over into a building.

Heh. It was slower than the new ones.

Good.

He wanted that one back!

He watches enraptured as the creature in the dress picks itself up slowly, the wound on its shoulder probably already pulling itself together. He watches as his green subordinate attacks again, flying through the air so fast it looks less like flying and more like a streaky blur.

The purple one pulls back and he cackles, thrilled as it punches a hole straight through the new one’s chest.

“Damn!” Shigaraki crows. His fingers drum across the ledge of the tall building they’d settled themselves on, excitement rising. What will it do next? Maybe he should send all three after it? Ah… but then there was that damn Hero-Killer… Ugh. Decisions, decisions… “Kurogiri, where are the other Nomu?”

With sirens wailing all across the city and smoke rising everywhere, there were too many places to look and he was impatient.

“Engaged with heroes.”

“Ah damn.”

The green Nomu pulls itself off the rouge one’s fist. The purple one doesn’t allow it very far. Planting a foot on the thing's already healing chest, it grabs it by the head and pulls.

The gore splattering across that white dress makes him grin.

That was no hero.

He laughs when the thing drops the severed head and leaps up toward the direction of more chaos.

.

.

.

Hero and sleepy boy gone from building.

Not sure if good or bad yet. Hero very mad.

In much trouble.

Not worry now, need find babies.

Green-bean danger. Candy-cane, Blue-hair danger. Need find, protect.

Not get far, get lost easy. Try listen, too much noise. So much crying, screaming, ask for help. Get lady out pinned car—cry and run. Sigh. Save man, not like either. Think I bad, hit many times. No more save after that, focus on babies.

Need find.

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.

.

Even blocks from the attack, it’s impossible not to hear (or see) the fighting. Huge sculptures of ice break across the building tops, and bright flares of orange-red lights continuously flicker on and off. Shinsou Hitoshi would probably be amazed by it if he weren’t certain he was only moments from passing out.

Bile rises in his throat and he chokes on it, chokes on his breath, chokes on the smoke and debris falling like black snow across their vision.

“Stay here!” Eraserhead growls, slowing from their death sprint for what was hopefully the final time. The man barely looked winded, dark hair spilling in the hot wind.

Shinsou doesn’t need to be told twice, nearly falling over as he vomits in the alleyway.

Eraserhead hesitates, scarf already loose in hand, before reaching into a back pocket and drawing something out. A moment later the man’s back in his space, something small and plastic—water?—being shoved in his fingers.

“Stay here and drink, you’re more than likely dehydrated. Turn your location on your phone on and stay out of the way. Even if you see a villain, don’t engage. You use your quirk and there will be fines kid, got it?”

He chokes and spits up the last of the acidic mess before managing a nod.

And that’s all Eraser seems to need before he’s racing away, twice as fast, the sound of his pounding feet echoing in between buildings.

Stay here.

Like hell.

He pours the cool, sweet water into his mouth, rinses, and spits before gulping down more air. His legs feel like bricks, his heart feels like it could tear itself right out of his chest, but the alternating hot and cold rushes of wind are telling.

And this may be his only chance.

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.

.

Aizawa knows these breezes, is intimately familiar with them from training.

Damn it.

Todoroki knows better than to use his quirk, so for him to be blasting ice that high when he’s supposed to be with his father—the number two hero… Something’s wrong. Something’s terribly wrong.

How did she know?

He doesn’t have time for those kinds of questions.

He doesn’t have time for worries.

He left an untrained kid in an alley. He can’t take him further, and he hasn’t found anything safer. Damn it, why had she brought him? But he’d have no idea where-

He turns a corner and feels the pit in his stomach drop.

Iida shoved behind Todoroki with Midoriya pale and kneeling on the ground. Unknown hero (Native?) bleeding against the wall. And their opponent? The rush of flame disappears and he sees the Hero Killer.

Shit.

Iida jerks forward, taking a knife that should have split the boy’s throat-

His quirk activates in an instant, binding cloth in hand. The boys don’t notice, Todoroki already freezing Iida’s leg and Midoriya jerking forward. They explode into action, the light of Midoriya’s quirk flaring dramatically—damn it!—and he can hear the crunch of broken bones and he doesn’t have time.

He has the villain in his binding cloth just as their attacks hit.

And the surprise knocks loose an extra knife, one that Iida was already preparing to dodge, and he pulls.

Unlike the Nomu, this villain snaps in his direction, and he has him wrapped and shoved against the alley floor in seconds. Pressing a heavy boot on Stain’s back, he ignores the shouts of ‘Sensei!’ to search for hidden weapons. One doesn’t get names like Hero Killer without being dangerous.

Two. He finds two dangerous knives, one in the wrappings of his arm, and another stashed in a hidden leg pocket.

“S-Sensei!”

Foot still secured on the quiet, unconscious villain, he turns his bloodshot gaze to his students.

Bloody, haggard, and barely able to stand. His lips thin as he takes in their shredded costumes and utter lack of supervision. Behind him, he catches a glimpse of purple hair.

Problem children. All of them.

“One of you is going to explain to me exactly what the hell is going on.”

.

.

.

Heroes find me.

Think I bad.

Candy-cane Dad very fast, flame blast nearly hit. I faster though. Jump away and wait. Try hit again and dodge again. Candy-cane Dad angry fast. Glare, step forward. Little-old-hero stop him. Call him Todoroki. Heh. Old-hero teach All Might, Old-hero teach Fire-Dad too?

“Isn’t that the Nomu from UA?”

I wait, hand in pocket, already finding cards.

When Fire-Dad reluctant admit, I get close.

Old-hero nice, but Fire-Dad care. Need find babies. Pass cards.

Fire-Dad narrow eyes, lips thin.

“These are students.”

Nod, reach in pocket. Need word.

Find.

Fire-Dad glares. Shoves cards back and turns.

“I don’t need UA’s pet to help me find my son.”

Son fight Stain. Not have card, growl.

Fire-Dad turn back, ready fight.

I not scared. I made fight All Might.

Fire-Dad number two.

“Todoroki,” Old-Hero scowls. “Save your pissing contest for later. The Nomu’s got a point, it’s too dangerous for your boy to be running around alone, and I’d certainly like to know why my intern who I know I left at that train is in that pile.”

Push find card at Fire-Dad again.

Fire-Dad glares.

Still not care.

.

.

.

Maybe bad luck.

Not find babies.

Babies find us.

Babies and Hero.

Hero pissed.

Shoves Hero Killer at Fire-Dad, turns to me, make not good face. I wilt.

“You’re under arrest.”

I blink, surprised. Hero pulls out handcuffs and babies all look surprised too—hurt. Part want to say no, go pat babies and nuzzle them better. Smell blood, see hurts. Hero step in front though, and even Fire-Dad and Old-Hero look lost. Old-Hero move speak.

“Eraser? Really? What the hell?”

“Sensei! Sensei, you- Why are you arresting her?”

“S-Sensei, w-wait! It’s all- It’s all my fault!”

I snort. Reach over, give hands. Baby cuffs so little, need be careful. Wish at least get big cuffs. Maybe not have them? Oh well. I not sorry. Babies danger, now safe.

“You’re under arrest for illegal use of quirks, vigilantism, and destruction of property. You have the right to remain silent…”

.

.

.

Tsukauchi cradles his coffee and sighs.

“You arrested her for vigilante charges? Seriously? I thought you liked her? And isn’t that the whole point of your principal’s plan? Create some sort of school guard dog? What the hell…”

Aizawa, arms folded, scowls beside him.

“It doesn’t negate the need for consequences,” the hero says sharply, eyes narrowed as they watch the video footage his people had managed to dig up. The scene of it decapitating another Nomu still makes his stomach churn. “She had enough rationality to plan this all ahead of time.”

Tsukauchi frowns at that.

“She planned Hosu?” he repeats, brows furrowing.

“She’d been obsessively asking about Iida following the Sports Festival, and then obsessively asking about Midoriya after the internships began. She also began religiously listening to the news about Hosu around the same time. Principal Nezu reached out to the other staff, and apparently, she got her hands on a map from Power Loader. She knew about the attack ahead of time. She knew at least Midoriya and Iida were going to be involved.”

The detective can feel the headache already blossoming behind his eyes.

“Are you suggesting foresight?”

“Maybe,” the hero hedges. The detective watches as the dark-haired man stares at the video, lips thin as the confrontation between Endeavour and the Nomu plays on the screen. “But she didn’t know I’d arrest her.”

Tsukauchi’s head snaps towards the other hero in an instant.

“Is that why you arrested her?”

“Partially,” the man agrees, not even looking phased. “I also needed to know if her rule-breaking was based on worry for the children or a rebellious streak. The device designed to restrain her was useless, and based on her fight with that Nomu, I have questions about her current ability to feel anything.”

“Feel?”

“Pain. Not emotions.”

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.

.

Hero ass.

Visits after three days. Unlocks door, says ‘Your charges have been dropped.’

I hear great.

Hear talk with hat-man. Stupid hero give test, all need is ask.

Mad at Hero, pretend not there.

Mean trick.

He need learn manners.

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.

.

Mouse-king speak when I return.

Mouse-king get manners, Mouse-king apologize not understand. Ask want new talk machine? Also, need new collar.

New collar same as old. Mouse-king say I need wear it, promise tell Aizawa not shock.

Hmph.

Mouse-king laugh.

New talk machine strange. Big keyboard lots keys. Problem not read Japanese. Not know how tell English. Mouse-king disappointed, say teach Hiragana. I shrug, why not?

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.

.

Babies crowd when return.

Green-bean cry, Frog-girl cry. Blue-hair-glasses give big hug, wish feel. Nuzzle kindly, careful bandaged arm. Sleepy-boy with them. Nuzzle him and Candy-cane too. Fire-Dad a lot, need more hugs. Hugs make all better!

Babies ask many questions.

Not enough time, make go class. Try talk lunch, make go eat too.

Food good, make strong!

Still not talk Hero though, still no sorry.

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.

.

Aizawa frowns at his house guest currently waiting silently in the corner pointedly not looking. He supposes, without any way to communicate, completely cutting off communication was one way to address a problem. Not a particularly mature way to deal with things, but he worked with teenagers.

He could handle some silence.

However, after three days of it, even he has his limits.

“Should I expect this to continue forever, or is there some other reason you’re no longer attempting to communicate?”

She turns to him with sharp, beady eyes.

Then, snorting, turns back away.

Narrowed eyes, he breathes sharply through his nose.

“Should I assume this is about arresting you then?”

He watches as the shoulders tighten and loosen. So yes.

“You broke the law.”

The creature growls as it turns, and the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Dragging out its communication cards, he watches dispassionately as it viciously shuffles through them before finally settling on one of the newer ones Nezu had given her.

Not Listen.

He locks away his emotions, the urge to become defensive, the annoyance at her clear hypocritical claims, and especially the hurt. Not listen. Not listen to what?

“You tried to tell me?” he asks instead, reaching for the only logical explanation he could draw. He reads the surprise on her face, and frowns at her slow nod. Going back through the memories, the only thing he can definitively pinpoint, before all of the weird television and obsessive phone calls, is the day she’d annoyingly passed him Iida’s name over and over and over.

Massaging his temples, he wonders how anyone is supposed to understand anything with just that.

“When you gave me Iida’s card?” he sighs.

He doesn’t know what’s more annoying, her nod, or the fact that she seems surprised he’s trying.

Passing her back the card, he approaches and squats. Even sitting completely on the floor, he could probably stand and only be a head or two higher, but he needs her trust. So he waits, lets her familiarize herself with his presence and waits for a sign, any sign that she wants him gone.

For such a massive, dangerous creature, he finds himself amazed again at her amiability.

“I see. It seems I owe you an apology.”

Large, far-seeing eyes watch him intensely. Then, reaching into cards, pulls two more.

Next time. Talk.

He could laugh at the irony. Instead, he allows himself a small smile and passes the cards back.

“Why don’t we talk now.”

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.

.

Hero asks many questions.

Want know how I know. Shrug, spread cards, and shrug again.

Eyes light, blink many times.

“You can’t say?”

I point at word cards again.

He scratches head.

“You need more words?”

Need brain cover too, but nod.

Hero come back next day with giant word book. Dictionary. Wish help, but no good. Not read.

Next day, bring giant brush, ink, and big paper. Better, but fine motor no good. Muscles good for punch, not buttons or draw or paint. Hero sigh, stare at giant paper mess and hold head. Pat back.

No words hard.

Chapter Text

After Hosu, things change.

Mouse-king hire tutor. Hero—Aizawa listen more.

Japanese hard though.

All little lines look same, new brain not good.

Babies help.

Learn I not know, make big flash cards. Pony-tail-kind-baby try help study. Always-have-cake baby brings sweets. Nomu mouth not appreciate like old mouth. Still eat though! Try help them too!

Spend more time with Loud-blonde—Present Mic.

Good teacher! Try help, sit by babies that not know good. Tap desk when English wrong. Blonde-zip-zap like lot, think maybe need more help. Look ADHD.

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.

.

Aizawa sighs as Present Mic scowls petulantly at him while he tries to nap. Based on the expression, general moodiness, and time of day, it’s more than likely complaints regarding her.

“Yes?”

“You know it speaks English?” his coworker asks, voice pitching high. “Like, I’m not talking a few words or whatever, but fluently speaks English?”

He’s not really sure why, but it’s almost relieving.

At least it explained why she was so particularly bad at Japanese.

Sitting up, he unzips his comfortable sleeping bag  and quietly mourns the loss of nap time. Instead, he drags a hand through his hair, reluctantly dealing with this new development.

“And you know this because…”

The blonde settles on possibly the most aggravated look he’s seen in a while.

Aizawa almost snorts, but settles instead on scratching his head.

“Seriously? She’s been in my room every day! I get it, whatever, the kids are getting used to her, and she’s not exactly the worst anymore, but her big bug-eyes have been in there staring at me all week. You think I don’t notice everything she does!?! She’s correcting their English, she’s sitting next to Kaminari tapping when he gets shit wrong! And it’s not even just your class, she’s in there constantly, setting herself up with the first and second years almost constantly. It knows English!”

.

.

.

Bug eyes?

Loud-blonde think I bug eyes?

Loud-blonde not like bugs… scared. Maybe that why not like?

.

.

.

Hizashi stares at the monster in the middle of his class sporting the largest pair of sunglasses he’s ever seen.

Was this a joke?

He scowls, petulant when their guest passes him a card.

Hi.

Was this a joke? Was he a joke?

He passes it back with a grumbled “hi” and returns to teaching.

Why?

.

.

.

Maybe eyes not problem after all…

.

.

.

Mouse-king bring new computer to try.

Best day ever! New computer have letters—English letters! Type out letters very slow, need peck long time to make words. Still, make words! First words for Mouse-king and Hero.

Thank you.

Have card for, not need, but feel so good write. Make brain feel less slow!

Mouse-king smile.

Hero look… not sure.

Mouse-king ask new question.

“Do you have a name?”

Nod, but then stop. Old name not thought in long time. Old me not here, not story world. What if look and not find?

Slowly, take sooooo long, type words.

I no remember.

Mouse-king eyes take unholy shine. Even Hero look worry.

“I see! Well, I’ve prepared a list of questions for you!”

The questions all in English. If eyes had tear makers, I probably cry. As is, I nuzzle Mouse-king thankful. Turn to Hero, but Hero back away fast. Not sure why, but cheeks pink. Maybe want hug in private? Hero not like lot attention…

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.

.

Aizawa considers the principal silently.

The small, chimeric genius had read through the answers of the Nomu twice, and he doesn’t doubt, the moment he leaves, he’ll probably comb through it for everything it's worth.

“Tea, Aizawa-kun?”

“No thanks.”

Leaning back into one of the plush chairs, Aizawa settles himself to wait. He’d read all of the answers already as well, texting Yamada with any tricky bits he wasn’t able to quite translate. The Nomu wrote… strangely. Skipping subjects, forgetting clauses, and sometimes leaping from one thought to another without any kind of transition. He was pretty sure she thought like that, which was worrisome as well. If they were to test her intelligence, where would it fall?

The other Nomu hadn’t shown any signs of intellect or even capability of thought.

Were they seeing the prototype or was she the mistake?

“So our guest was human before waking up as a Nomu,” the principal hums, tail twitching as he scours over the papers. “Fascinating, though certainly not unexpected. And a foreigner at that…”

American.

Honestly, it explained her rather clear inability to eat with chopsticks. He’d gotten her a fork and the ridiculous thing had actually nuzzled him.

“It didn’t answer any of the questions about how it knew,” he points out flatly. He’d even tried asking directly, but the Nomu had found itself suddenly quite tired. The fake snores were obnoxious enough he stopped, but it left more questions than it answered.

“Are we back to considering her a spy?” Nezu asks, sounding exasperatingly amused.

Aizawa stares back flatly.

It doesn’t help. Nezu just chuckles before setting aside the page with claws clicking loudly against the wood of his desk.

“Why do you think she isn’t sharing?”

Why indeed.

“Lack of trust,” he sighs. It was really the most logical, and in truth, he couldn’t say he really blamed her. He hadn’t been the most considerate, offering up only the bare minimum and waiting to see what evolved. He hadn’t wanted to see a woman hidden beneath a monster, and he certainly hadn’t actively looked for it. The fact that he hadn’t tried to understand her insistent gestures was only further proof.

“And your plan to fix it?” the principal asks, voice bright.

“Have one of the kids ask,” he shrugs, only half serious. He ignores the quick thump of the animal’s tail and lets his head thump backward to stare, exhausted, at the ceiling. “Better yet, why don’t you have Vlad try, and I can resume active duty.”

“Missing your self-destructive habits?”

Aizawa snorts, one hand rising to card half-heartedly through his hair.

He sighs a moment later.

“Do you have any suggestions?” he asks, finally.

“Oh at least a hundred,” the principal responds unhelpfully. Of course, he did. “Not that you need them, Aizawa-kun. You’re only here because you’re moping.”

“I am not moping.”

.

.

.

Mouse-king must not give Hero good answers.

Hero spend next day sulking.

Decide make happy! Use word cards (typing too slow) and tell follow! Hero follow too! Take to side of campus, know like kittens. Show kittens! Hero blink—mean very surprised! Baby kittens very small, too easy break, I not touch. But Hero do. Hero bend down and pet all, even sit and let crawl on him!

“You… You knew there were kittens here?”

I nod, sit back and watch.

Mouse-king find me new dress. Like lot! Even have more pockets. I search pockets until find card, hold them up.

Aizawa. Happy.

He blink again. This time make question face.

“You knew I liked cats?”

Nod.

Orange kitten crawl up chest and black kitten jump at hand. Hero catch black kitten and scratch head. White kitten creep for hair.

“How?”

I not try explain story. If I try, I type all day and all night! I type week and still not explain. I not want type that long. Besides, they think I crazy. Not worth it.

I shrug.

Hero frown, then white cat get hair. Hero busy then.

.

.

.

Not realize how many days pass.

Hero talk about exams.

I see matches.

Not like.

Push Midoriya card at Hero and growl. Hero blink, look at card, and look back.

“Is there a problem?”

Nod lots!

Put Midoriya and Bakugou cards on table, growl, push them apart.

Hero sigh big and stand. I watch as he go get keyboard and… oh. Want type?

“Explain.”

Not fair. Why he get one word but I write many? Sigh, loudly. Hero smile then, push keyboard, and wait. Type take forever. Babies old and gray by time I finish type!

No put M and B together.

B bad. Be mean. Hurt.

It take soooooo long write that. Finger not good hit key, sometimes hit wrong key, sometimes hit extra. Always have delete. Always take so long! Even has big keys, finger just not good. Ugh. Cards better!

“You don’t want me to place Midoriya and Bakugou together.” Hero say slow wearing question-face. “You don’t want me to do this because… because Bakugou is ‘bad’ and ‘mean’?”

Nod.

Then, cause see not believe on face, stand and hunch. Make arms bend like exploding-blonde and show teeth! Growl! Look at empty space.

Check with Hero, make sure watch, move to empty spot and squat hands on head. Make whimper noise. Wave arms. Move back mean-boy spot. Hit! Move back green-bean baby, squawk, fall.

Check Hero again-

Why he smile?

Scene not good!

“Are you pretending to be Midoriya and Bakugou?”

Growl.

Hero push stupid type machine back.

“I’m listening. But I need more, explain why.”

.

.

.

Midoriya Izuku fidgets nervously in his seat.

Miss Nomu, sitting on the floor beside him, settles its head across his legs. It helps, maybe a little, but he can’t help the thousand thoughts flying in his head as Aizawa-sensei settles straight-faced, across the conference table.

Why was he in a conference?

Did he do something wrong?

Did they find out about his old quirkless-ness?

Was he going to be expelled?

Miss Nomu must hear his heart thundering inside his chest, because a moment later, she’s closer, beak nuzzling gently against his chest.

“Kid, breathe. You’re not in trouble.”

He sort of wishes he could believe that, because Aizawa-sensei was the best—minus maybe All Might—okay, so one of the best teachers he’s ever had. But he’d learned early that ‘not in trouble’ didn’t always quite mean what it implied, especially when it came to side rooms and quiet reprimands.

“Listen, kid, why don’t you stay out of that one’s way?”

“Bakugou’s going to be a great hero, he’s got the perfect quirk for it.”

And you don’t, always goes unsaid.

Except he had the perfect quirk now! All Might’s quirk! So what’d he do-

Miss Nomu whines, pulling him from his thoughts, and he blushes, quickly petting the kind monster’s beak.

“S-Sorry!”

Aizawa-sensei just watches, and he doesn’t know if that makes it better or somehow worse.

Except a moment later the man is leaning forward, forearms resting on the table, and eyes pinning him in his seat.

“Midoriya, I need you to take several deep breaths slowly.”

The command helps.

He moves to breathe immediately, chest rising slowly before sinking back in. The air passes through his nose in a steady stream, earning him a cluck of approval from the Nomu still weighing warmly against him.

“Better,” Sensei says after the third, but he doesn’t miss the deepening frown as he does. “I had some questions, but they can wait for now. Before we proceed, I need to know if you’d like me to call your mom?”

Mom?

He nearly jumps, except there’s a massive head still weighing against his legs.

“W-Why would we need to c-call Mom?”

“To make you more comfortable?” Sensei answers, one brow rising. “Kid, you look like you’re about to either pass out or run away. If it’s me-”

“I-It’s not!”

Midoriya quickly smacks a hand over his mouth and cringes, mortified that he just interrupted. Aizawa-sensei, however, just tilts his head, frowning.

“Then what is it?”

He swallows, gently pushing away Miss Nomu so he doesn’t accidentally jump and hurt her—not that he thinks its easy to hurt her. There were videos on the news of her fight with another Nomu as well as the heroes fights with them, and they looked nearly indestructible! The way that one had ripped into her shoulder, clearly tearing out muscles, ligaments, and more, only for it regrow almost instantaneously… It was amazing!

They were so-

“Midoriya, you’re mumbling.”

He blushes, shoulders rising nearly to his ears.

Miss Nomu almost seems to preen, shuffling through cards before a simple Thank you is pushed across the table to him. His blush darkens at least three shades.

Sensei, with a exasperate look towards Miss Nomu, shoves her card back at her and pins him with a stare.

“What’s making you so nervous?” Sensei repeats again.

“T-The room,” he answers quickly. And then, because he knows Sensei will want to know why, he quickly swallows the fear jerking at his insides and steamrolls forward. “I- I’ve had to have meetings with teachers in the past, and they’re never really great and I’m sorry! I know you’re not them, it’s just the room and-”

Sensei doesn’t let him finish, already pushing back his chair.

Midoriya gawks, wide-eyed at him.

“S-Sir?”

“Come on, this room’s too stuffy anyways. We can walk one of the trails outside. The Nomu probably need fresh air after being cooped up all day anyways.”

He chuckles, feeling timid, when Miss Nomu actually huffs at Sensei and rises fully to her feet. Standing beside her is almost like standing beside a statue, he barely makes it to her stomach, and Sensei, who wasn’t short in the least, only really made it to her shoulder. She pushes out of the room first, then he laughs when she—was she dancing?

Sensei just sighs, shaking his head.

.

.

.

Hero good teacher.

Pretend follow me but ask many questions. Green-bean baby open up quick, like tell Hero about quirks, especially hero quirks. Such baby. Bounce when talk, arms swinging. Hero ask about Blond-Explosion baby and bouncing stop. Know Hero see, Hero heart quick. Good pretender though, act like not notice, look at flowers—look at me.

Realize late he want help.

I come back, fix.

Know exactly what help! Find All Might card, but need other word. Mouse-King give new words! Find it soon.

Dad.

All Might. Dad.

Green-bean baby bounce doubly! Red, arms waving, lots of words. Hero long blink, then slow smile.

“Todoroki asked you if you were All Might’s illegitimate son?”

Green-baby whine.

Pat head kindly. Make all better, see?

.

.

.

Hero change groups.

Also visit Green-baby old school, come back not happy.

Hero more mad then even when I go Hosu.

“They thought he was quirkless?”

I nod. Hero pace.

“How long has he even had that quirk if they all thought he was quirkless in Middle School, not that that excuses their clearly abhorrent behavior!”

Shrug.

Angry Hero passes keyboard.

“How the hell do you know all of this?”

Shrug again and type.

Late Quirk. 15.

Hero stare.

“Fifteen.”

Shrug again, pass keyboard.

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.

.

Watch exams with kissy-nurse. Not like hero exams any more than hero sports. So violent! Watch babies hurt. Kissy-nurse not like either. Mumble lots, I nod lot.

Space-hero try kill babies with black hole.

Why?

But see happy-glitter-blonde remind me story.

Not remember right.

Something not right…

Need think.

Hard think now, miss old me. Miss brain.

Like strong though!

I protect!

Give happy-glitter baby nuzzle. I protect!

Chapter Text

Detective Tsukauchi rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs.

Aizawa, beside him, is definitely feeling it as well. Jaw tight and eyes narrowed, both of them frown at the small pile of students and Nomu, trying to decide where to start. The Nomu doesn’t help. Circling the children in tight rings, its own barely concealed fury is just as concerning. It reminds the detective of a guard dog, especially with the way it leans over and sniffs, taking a deep whiff of Midoriya’s neck, before growling and resuming an angry pace.

He would not want to be that villain when this monster catches its scent.

“Ah… Eraserhead-sensei?”

They glance towards the purple-haired boy (Shinsou Hitoshi) that had, honestly, been the real hero of the day. From what the detective had gathered, the entire class had been on an outing when the League of Villains (Shigaraki) had shown up randomly. The villain had targeted Midoriya, apparently searching for information on his rogue Nomu, when Shinsou had backtracked and noticed.

“Am… Am I in trouble?”

The hero beside him shifts, arms crossing against his chest to pin the boy with a dark look.

It’s understandable.

“You used your quirk outside of the law,” Aizawa lectures flatly, and Tsukauchi doesn’t miss the way the monster’s head jerks towards them sharply. Beady eyes narrowing, recessed into an open brain and massive maw. He can almost imagine the veins popping against the slick purple skin. “Without a hero license or even a provisional one, what you did was illegal. Normally you would face a fine, as well as additional consequences such as suspension or expulsion.”

The purple-haired boy pales, and the detective is completely unsurprised when the classmates all rally immediately behind him.

“But-”

“That’s not-”

“Sir!”

“-was going to kill-”

Aizawa raises his hand for silence and the space quiets immediately.

“In this case,” the Tsukauchi cuts in, grimacing as all eyes turn to him. “Since we are aware of the danger and Shigarkai’s history, we should be able to write this all off as a warning.”

“It will still mean a mark against your record.”

.

.

.

I forgot.

I so worry think of sparkle-glitter trouble, forgot many-hands! Now Green-bean have bruise on neck!  And police lose many-hands! And Hero punish Sleepy-boy!

So angry.

Angry at Hero, angry at Mouse-king, angry at many-hands, angry at I.

Want old brain! Want old me!

Villain attack not right! Not supposed ask about me. Supposed ask about names or mission or I don’t know! Everything wrong! I change this?

What I do? What if change more? What if attack babies more? What if woods attack different? What if babies hurt?

Hero try comfort, but I not care. He not understand!

He pass keyboard, but not enough!

Push away. He pass again, voice firm, strong.

“Explain it.”

It not fair!

Wish tears. All trapped. I trapped.

Ytheuy wanbt mne, I type furiously, not care extra letters or hard read. Hiurty brecxauisw nme

Hero stares, lost. Just make more mad. Wrong.

All wrong. I not suppose be here. Nomu die USJ.

Wrong.

Want home. Want human.

Shove away keyboard. Leave.

.

.

.

Aizawa can feel the sigh reverberating in his chest as he follows the GPS into the dense thicket of woods towards the Eastern side of campus. The Nomu had fled that way an hour prior, and he’d tried to give her space, hoping she’d resolve whatever feelings she’d been struggling with and return.

Only she hadn’t.

And, unfortunately, with Shigaraki still active and that warp-gate, Kurogiri, only too capable of capturing her again, he could only give her so much space.

So he’s quietly relieved to find her by a tree. No longer shaking with agitation or pacing with pent-up emotions, but instead still and quiet and staring up past where several tree branches had been torn away to reveal a quickly darkening sky. The clouds, aglow and burning white, billow across a wash of orange and purple pastels.

He takes a moment to stare, heart clenching at the sight of the clouds.

Shirakumo.

A wound far too old to be so painful aches, and he turns away through sheer will, examining the woman forced into a monster’s skin. The detective had gotten back to him regarding the results from the other Nomu. They were all made of multiple DNA types. The scientists hadn’t known what to make of it, the level of complexity well beyond what they were used to.

Which implied experimentation.

It left only more questions and even fewer answers.

Just who were you before?

How strong was your kindness that when they tried to turn you into a monster, you’d rather break your skull than hurt a child.

He stuffs his hands into his pockets and sighs.

“Hey,” he says, catching her attention with a nod. “It’s getting dark.”

The look she offers is strangely knowing—reminding him of her strange awareness. Like how she knew he liked cats, despite him having never mentioned it, or how she knew about Midoriya’s middle school experience, even his late-blooming quirk despite the fact that she shouldn’t. She knew about Hosu a week before it happened, but not her own arrest and then the prediction of the Sport’s Festival race.

He frowns.

“What?”

She shrugs and he hates that damnable action. Trust. He still hadn’t earned her trust.

This would be so much easier if she were a student.

“Feeling better?” he asks gruffly, shuffling to the side and dropping boneless to the ground beside her. She snorts, the sound entirely derisive, and he doesn’t bother hiding a wry smile. “Yeah. I figured.”

Rolling his shoulders, he leans back against the same tree as well. They had time, at least for this. Tired, he allows his eyes to slip closed.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

Whether she believes it… Well, he can only offer the truth.

.

.

.

Decisions. Decisions.

I spend many days thinking. Remembering.

Hard. Brain not good for think, not good remember. Need brain cover, maybe better then. Maybe ask pink-explosion baby? Pink-explosion baby like make things. Maybe make hair? Maybe help brain not so slow?

Decision now though.

Tell heroes? Not tell? Wait?

Already change so much. Sleepy boy bad mark now, maybe not hero. Ugh. All Might not lose much time, more active. Many-hands-crusty-hair want me. Not right… What if change more? What if mess up?

But wait no good. Grr! Hero and Mouse-king know I know. Ask many questions. Mad if not tell. But how explain? Say you story? You not real? That not work! Think brain really stupid then!

Babies in danger woods, soon.

I not like.

Not like no school. Not like not see babies. Not like at all!

.

.

.

Babies visit.

Make chest calm. Not feel hugs, but still hurt go away. Green bean come, ask use pool, zip-zap and hair-balls with. Sneaky zip-zap. Sneaky hair-balls. Need talk, no be naughty!

Make both sit, point finger and wag at.

They know. Shuffle. Head down.

Use stupid type machine. Type Do better. Take forever.

Purple hair-balls translate. Good. Pat head and take sticky ball for later. Like sticky balls lots, fun play with. Like stick and break. Nuzzle both. Nuzzle Green-bean when return too.

.

.

.

Summer slow.

Drag by. Decide tell Hero some.

Wait for bed then type for hours. Slow, so slow, make words, make sentences, make paragraph. Hero wake in morning find, leave on table, then pretend sleep. Hear Hero read. Pretend wake, make he wait. Face pinch, he not like wait. I no care, go change. Wear new dress. Move word cards to new dress. Pee.

Hero drink coffee, glower.

I sit beside. He give look, like he know I avoid talk.

“There’s going to be another attack?”

Nod. That what I type. I not type that long not truth! Spend long time on!

“Do the villains know you know this?”

Shake head. Good question, not think that.

He open mouth, look like want ask more, but stop. Look back words, sigh. Look back me.

I not expect bow.

“Thank you.”

Chest warm, heart beat fast. If old body, might blush. Not expect thanks. Hero kind. Bow feel strange.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Oh Hero. He not know? I always trust. Wait, and when straighten, nuzzle cheek.

Wish feel more.

Hero pink, push back.

.

.

.

Good thoughts about Hero dry up.

He leaving.

He leaving to danger wood and I not go!

Why? I type, shoving in face. Why I not come?

Hero, get better at translating, or maybe know better. Barely look then sigh.

“They’re after you,” he say, as if try be nice. Not nice. Not nice at all! “Shigaraki’s obsession with you and All Might is a serious problem. He targeted the students looking for information on you, and were it not for Shinsou, the situation could have easily been much worse. If you’re not with us, there’s less of a chance that we’ll be targeted. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but your presence puts the children in danger.”

I growl.

Hero not back down, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

“This isn’t up for debate.”

Good thoughts bout Hero gone.

.

.

.

Hero and Mouse-king not listen.

Fine. They not listen, I not listen either!

Leave school, big jump.

Hear collar beep warning, not care. Know irritate Hero. Too bad. This isn’t up for debate either.

Make many jumps, slow. Noise outside loud. Like school noise but more. More smells, more sounds, more everything. Like walk outside from dark room, hurt.

Not sure why not hurt earlier.

Maybe busy? Maybe focus?

Worry babies hurt mean more than hurt.

Shrug.

Look around, see far.

Then, notice, see pink.

.

.

.

Ashido Mina beams.

Perched on Miss Nomu’s shoulder, the pink-skinned dancer can’t help but giggle, phone angled above them and posing before snapping a picture. Miss Nomu throws up a peace sign, and she’s so freaking adorable! Especially in that adorable, roman-style empire dress.

She posts the picture immediately, unsurprised when it blows up the chat.

Where are you?

What! I wanna hang out with Miss Nomu!

Oh, seriously? So jealous!

Mina laughs, slides off the bigger woman’s shoulder, and proudly presents their dozen likes.

“Look Miss Nomu! They love us!”

Curious, the purple-skinned bird-woman leans forward, her recessed eyes glinting and exposed brain catching the light. Mina remembers being absolutely terrified of her—of all that.  The dark hulking figure in the back of the class, the creepy monster villain from 1A’s hellish training class.

Regret twists in her stomach.

“Hey Miss Nomu, wanna go shopping?”

Looking surprised, Mina smiles as the larger woman’s bird-like head tilts sideways. Like usual when words are needed, a thick spiral of cards appears.

Us

The card in question is decorated with two people standing together. Mina laughs, understanding the thought at once.

“It’ll be my treat! Is there anything you want? Maybe new shoes or a new dress?”

The exposed beak widens, razor sharp teeth bared in probably the creepiest vision of a smile Mina has ever had the misfortune of witnessing.

Guess that’s a yes then!

Grinning back, Mina reaches for the massive, melon-sized hand and tugs.

“Oh, well perfect! The mall’s this way!”

.

.

.

Hero find in hour.

Long enough take many photos. Strangers like photos too, want signature. Want talk. Pink, happy-dancer baby sweet though. Shoo and pull along and find store. Stay long enough find hair.

Not like old, but still good! Find blonde-bun-hair first, make think of moon. Like curly peppermint hair, self, but baby shake head and no. Come back with silver bluish color. Short, soft, easy wear. Happy-dancer baby put on. Fingers flicking, cover brain.

Brain cover already feel smarter.

“You have got to be kidding.”

I huff, still mad, and Happy-dancer baby, turns, frowns, and then throws her arms up in surprise.

Such a baby…

“Aizawa-sensei!?!”

Hero, looking less impressed, fold his arms and stare back. Kinda understand. Baby didn’t notice and he walked in many minutes ago.

“Hello Ashido. Maybe you can help me understand, the Nomu is supposed to be on campus.”

Pink, happy-dancing baby eyes widen.

Mouth for O. Look to me, then Hero.

Second later attach to side like baby she is. Big eyes wide, hands pull at dress. I pat carefully. Strong arms dangerous.

“Don’t be mad, please! She’s been stuck at the school for months, and nothing happened while we were out. In fact, we had so much fun! Everybody loves Miss Nomu! I had to fight them off with a stick just to get them to leave her alone and-”

“Ashido,” Hero sighs, interrupting vomit words easily. Nearly laugh. Fight with stick… “I’m not upset. We’re leaving now though, so go home.”

I give Hero sour look he ignores.

Pink, happy-dancer baby lets go with sigh.

Sweet girl.

“Okay… Bye Miss Nomu… It was fun, we’ll come by and see you soon!”

.

.

.

Hero give me long look at home.

Push me keyboard.

“You want to explain yourself? I tell you villains are targeting my students to get information about you, and so you go and immediately publicly hang out with said students?”

Eyes widen.

I stare.

Brain… processing.

“I know you’re not happy about the summer situation,” Hero says. “But the rules are there for more than just an annoyance. They’re there for everyone’s protection. Running off without telling anyone as some sort of revenge is childish. If you want to leave the campus, all you have to do is say so.”

.

.

.

Write Hero apology.

Well… Write hero apology and complaint.

Hero reads it with coffee. Sit on table chair, tablet sometimes use to translate.

He finish, scratch throat, and sigh.

“You’re upset I said the training trip wasn’t up for debate.”

Nod.

Watch as Hero leans back, chair balance on two feet.

“It’s not.”

I toss hands in the air.

Then, leaning forward, snatch back keyboard.

Danger. Woods. League.

Hero reads it and sighs.

“We’ve taken that into consideration. I can’t discuss it further.”

Frustration leek out in growl.

Hero raise brow, frown.

“On a different note, I’ve been thinking about what Ashido said. You have been stuck here since the beginning of term with little physical exercise besides that trip to Hoku and what running around the edges of campus allows. How would you feel about a spar?”

Look at Hero like crazy.

Spar?

Last time fight, nearly break arms.

Hero laughs. Sound nice…

“Not me, All Might.”

Perk up.

Shiny Hair?

Chapter Text

Shiny-hair fight fun.

Meet in big, grass field. Get fight, make big mess. All Might punch to other side clearing, into trees and into forest. Hear Hero shout, but fine. Not feel. Jump up return. Match Shiny-hair for punches, make winds so big even hiding heroes blown out!

So cool!

Pretty-lady then Gun then English-tall-hair tumbling into sight.

Hero barely upright as well.

Eyes wide.

Can see impressed.

Like. Wanna show more.

Jump high, over heads and slam in ground. So hard ground shake. Crack Earth, topple blonde.

I protect too!

Not want hurt All Might though. Careful not attack, instead dodge. Block. Match punches. Think notice. When spar end, he all sweaty and heroes all scattered like flies. All Might claps shoulder and laughs. Hand kinda shake though, and voice sound relieved.

“Miss Nomu, I must say, I’m very glad you’re on our side!”

I know.

I best!

.

.

.

Amazing fight do nothing.

Hero not change mind and not want talk either. Go to sleep grumbly, wake find house empty.

Not need brain cover to understand.

He left.

Hero left without goodbye. No take Hero without fight—hear—I hear great.

Hero left. Danger woods, babies trouble—and left me.

Anger bigger, bigger than ever.

Let out roar shake whole room.

Open door, ready chase down, and find Mouse-king.

“Ah, Miss Nomu. I see you’ve noticed Aizawa-kun’s absence.”

Show little mouse teeth.

I not happy!

He just smile, pat arm, and weasel past.

“Oh don’t be that way, dear. Truly, Aizawa-kun thought it for the best. Here, let’s put on some tea, I often find tea helps solve everything, or at least find your perspective. Oh, and I have several more questions regarding your statements that you shared! Come along!”

.

.

.

Mouse-King evil.

Mouse-king manipulative and smart.

Make me sit with him, talk—talk and talk and talk. Know I not leave, know I not rude!

Mouse-King sit and talk in circles for hours, talk and make questions and wait like patient saint as I type slow-slow-slow out important answers.

Evil.

I want go.

Mouse-King smile—knowing.

Mouse-King way scarier than Doctor Bald. Scarier than crusty-hands too.

Neither they know how real control.

Mouse-King dangerous.

“Well, I think that’s enough sitting around. Why don’t we go for a walk? I scheduled an interview this afternoon, so hopefully I can introduce you to some of the press. They’re quite interested. A full interview with UA’s most interesting new staff member!”

I whine.

Mouse-King just pat arm and smile.

“Come now! You can even wear your new hair!”

.

.

.

Aizawa frowns from the front of the bus, eyes narrowed as the children are carefully shepherded across the terrain and exhausted. It was part of a larger plan, one that involved grinding all of his students to their cores—and using the recovery to make them stronger. It was a plan he’d been forced to make with Nezu, concerns of the villain targeting his class forcing his hand.

It doesn’t stop the guilt though.

It’s irrational. An illogical emotion waring against his better sense. It wasn’t like bringing her would help. Her presence, reinforced with interviews and sightings across several media platforms would hopefully draw away enemy attention. She could handle the attention—could go toe-to-toe with All Might with brute strength and holding back. He could train his students fervently, dumping at least a year’s worth of training down their throats in a week, and hope it would be enough.

She’s going to be upset.

She warned about an attack.

Warned about an attack, they’d taken pains to circumvent. But it didn’t dismiss other possibilities, such as the likelihood villains were feeding her information and taking it unsuspectingly. They hadn’t made any real moves to retrieve her after the first. What if planting her here was the plan?

Aizawa leans back in the seat, scowling as he releases a heavy breath.

It didn’t make sense.

None of it. Her knowledge, her lack of knowledge, the little things. He had no doubt she wouldn’t spy willingly—she was too bullheaded, too honest in her approach. But the experiments were an anomaly…

“You okay Eraser?” asks one of the cats.

He pins the brunette with a sidways look.

“Yeah, just wonder how long it’ll take my useless students to get through.”

“Oh… I’m sure they’ll do fine! Don’t worry! We’ll train ‘em right up into shape!”

“Hn,” he offers, escaping the conversation and staring off into the distance. He hadn’t fully agreed with it, but he hoped this plan was worth the loss of trust. He still didn’t even know her real name.

.

.

.

Mouse-King unbeatable.

Pass to Media, talk and pass new keyboard. Make words smooth—sound like old me (Peach-skin and tiny, weak legs). Weird. Why not give till now?

Think reward fix?

“I used to be human prior to this.”

“And what are your thoughts on the League of Villains?”

Type bad. Strange keyboard make much more.

“I dislike them.”

How turn bad to dislike? I not dislike, I want stop! Crush in hand, stomp in dirt! I make so never touch babies again!

Dislike.

Hmph.

After Media want lunch. Mouse-King take us out. I see what doing. Make eat, show not in forest. I play along—not dumb. Not think help, but whatever. I wait.

Night go home.

Not like empty house.

Not like not hear Hero.

Not know how find though. Story not tell location—not name city, only-

Only Heroes!

Pussycats!

Stand. Rummage house. Maybe flip furniture, go through kitchen and living room and Hero room. Hero room bland. Bleh. Need more stuff. Find computer easy, Hero hide in dresser. Maybe think I too nice go in? Bah! I pick out, careful be very gentle.

Google!

Fingers open, try search. Stupid fingers too fat! Push too many, ugh!

Get chopstick instead. Little stick between teeth. Practice type then. All in Japanese!

Grrrrr.

Have change English with tiny stick in mouth. Then type Pussy cat. What weird name... They not know English well? Not know double word? Find, map search.

Finally find after forever. Sun long gone.

Grab keyboard—old keyboard. Computer. Bag. Make all way to door before remember.

Collar.

They shock with collar. Track. Force back.

Consider only moment, then, reach up. Crush metal with purple fingers, smile, glad when it hit floor in pieces.

I not dog. I Person.

Nomu.

No… I Miss Nomu. I help!

.

.

.

Nezu smiles when the alarm finally begins to sound.

About time.

With a click of the mouse, he silences the alarm in an instant, disabling the noise and lights and more than likely confounding the majority of his still-present staff. Unable to keep the slight twitch of amusement from his tail, he reaches for his cell, intent on assuring them of their well-being,

“S-Sir!”

The skinny blonde that bursts in his office is, while not unwelcome, certainly a surprise.

“Ah Yagi-san, good evening! I wasn’t expecting you, weren’t you supposed to be on air tonight with Present Mic?”

The older man flushes, twitching, and Nezu doesn’t need extreme intelligence to know the man has run out of time. Again.

What a foolish human.

“Yagi-san,” he chides, casting a reproving look even as he collects the tea kettle. He’d have to make note to have yet another conversation about the priority of duties. Surprising considering it’s the number one hero, but perhaps it’s that haecceity that leads to the dichotomy. “We’re in luck, it’s just the Nomu tonight.”

He clicks sharp nails against the wood of his desk and turns, examining the screens. A blur of muscled bulk passes unobstructed, launching through grass, over trees, and easily past the gate. Heading West—the correct destination at that.

He may need to rework several plans.

“T-The Nomu? Sir! What are we- I mean… I should go after it!”

“Oh?” he asks, taking advantage of the quiet rumble of the tea kettle. “Tea?”

The blonde frowns, but taking the hint at last, finally settles in the armchair. Ah… It’s one of the things he likes about this particular human. Unlike the majority of his kind suffering from velleity, Yagi was never unwilling—and could even be counted on at times to be perspicacious. With a few more years of experience, he’d likely even be a good teacher.

“No, ah… No thank you.”

Nezu nods, pouring himself a cup to steep.

“The Nomu, sir?”

“Oh, yes. You were offering to collect her? There’s no need. I’m sure she’ll make it just fine. She’s heading in the right direction after all.”

The Greatest Hero of their times gapes with comically wide eyes and a slack jawed.

“B-But- But sir! I thought we were keeping her here!”

He swallows a sigh.

Much more experience…

“She is not a prisoner,” he chides, pinning the blonde a serious look. In fact, that very concept had been the entire reason for the delay, though he’d certainly taken advantage of the opportunity to collect several useful favors.

Still, to willingly allow herself to be chained and collared without a fight after proving her loyalty continuously… Even unintentionally, she’d set her station unequivocally. By putting on that collar, the woman beneath had subsumed servility, not only to the school, but in the eyes of everyone watching her be collared. UA’s mad dog. Caged. It’d been quite the conundrum to address. On one hand, simply removing the collar would only remove the symbol, not the actual bonds, but the idea of continuing to allow it for any length of time—well, it set every hair on his back on edge.

“Regardless, you will be needed elsewhere. Miss Nomu appears to be quite convinced of an upcoming attack on the training camp. We’ve secretly moved its location, but her ability to ascertain its location regardless suggests there may be some veracity to her predictions. I need you to make yourself visible, but also be ready on standby.”

And not use up all of your time, goes unsaid but clearly heard.

The blonde shrinks, nodding hurriedly.

“I… Of course, sir!”

Nezu smiles, careful to keep the sharpness of his canines carefully hidden.

“Excellent. Now, as much as I appreciate your assistance Yagi-san, it would seem I still have several staff members and outside personnel to notify. Good evening, and please be sure to rest.”

.

.

.

I make it to forest, finally.

No poison, no fire, no screams.

Not too late.

Follow smell of cooking, land in front of house.

“What was that-”

“Oh my gosh-”

“Miss Nomu?!?”

Sigh relief. Let babies run over. Dirty, stinky, tired. Nuzzle carefully, mindful of scratches and scrapes and happy see smiles.

Hero walk out next though, phone in hand.

Face not… not mad… not happy either. Not really know.

“She’s here,” Hero say.

“Is she?” I surprise hear Mouse-King on other end. “I’ll leave her to you then.”

“Sir,” Hero say, closing phone. He look like he want talk, but little babies all around. Pink-dancing baby jump and grab on arm. Pull, so let pull forward. Get face full of Broccoli-hair, Zip Zap, and Float-Away. Babies so full of chatter. Laugh and dance and argue like fussy sleepy babies. “That’s enough. Finish eating your dinner, then everyone should bathe and prepare for bed. Your hell week is only just beginning!”

Hero smile like evil villain.

Not near as scary as Mouse-King.

Snort.

Baby hands start pull, try leading away—I gentle, not let.

“Miss Nomu?”

Reach in pocket, find card. Find Hi card first, pass it, watch giggle.

“No, not Hi!” Zip Zap laughs, arms up. “Aren’t you coming to eat? Or to the baths? Mandalay said there’s hot springs!”

I suddenly remember, purple-hairballs bad. Try climb wall!

Reach over, pluck from group, hold above.

“M-Miss Nomu?” Purple-grape hair squeaks. I give look, set in front, then look Hero. Need words. Tell!

Hero watch frowning.

Come up, stand beside.

“Is there going to be a problem?” he asks, voice level. Not look happy.

I turn grape-head.

Is there?

Swallow, eyes big as diner plate.

“N-No, sir!”

Reach in bag, find keyboard. Slow, type, finally write wall. Hero look at, then eyes narrow. Turn back Grape-hair seriously.

“If there’s any complaint of you attempting to cross the barrier in the hot springs, there will be very serious consequences. Am I understood Mineta?”

Girls whisper. Boys look uncomfortable. Tiny grape-hair nods, shaking.

“Y-Yes sir!”

Hero turns to rest of babies.

“That warning goes for the rest of you as well. Now get out of my sight.”

Eyes flash red.

Hair lifts.

Babies scatter and run, tiny grape-hair fastest of all.

So cute…

“Jeez,” Hero sighs. Leaning back, drop medicine in eyes. When blink, look like cat. Very handsome cat. “I suppose I should have predicted that. Thank you for addressing it.”

Give Hero weird look.

He… thank me?

Man scratch beard, maybe not notice, before turn.

“We need to talk.”

.

.

.

Aizawa leads the woman across the clearing, to the guest facilities they’d been offered, and allows himself to slide onto the protruding deck. It overlooks a small garden and water feature, more traditional than he’d have expected of the Pussycats.

“Join me?” he asks, gesturing to the space beside him.

He’s amused when the larger woman does so timidly. Setting down a bag, he’s surprised when she rummages through it and, after a moment, hands him his tablet. The tablet he specifically remembers leaving in his dresser drawer.

He raises an eyebrow.

Then, powering it on, his gut twists.

Wild Pussy Cats.

She’d known. She’d known exactly where they were and only needed a map to find them. He presses the history button, hope and dread warring in his chest.

There’s nothing.

She’d only done one search.

He puts the tablet aside and leans back, a heavy sigh escaping. The woman beside him just watches, intelligent, too-knowing eyes glittering back from an exposed brain.

“You directly disobeyed orders. You were supposed to stay put; the goal was to draw enemy attention from the students.”

She has the keyboard in hand, and it’s a test of patience to watch her peck—eyes roaming, tongue slipping past her teeth. She passes it over a minute later.

Danger.

Familiar anxiety rises at the prediction. So far, the Nomu hadn’t been wrong. Had the villains found them? How? Could she have unwittingly shared that information? But again, how, especially when she hadn’t been told beforehand and the site had been changed. Was this some sort of limited foresight? But what was it predicated on?

His lips thin as he considers the woman seriously.

“How do you know that?”

There’s a tension and almost reluctance as the woman takes back the keyboard.

Remember.

He’s no idea what to make of that.

“You remember what?” he asks, voice souring. “You remember villain’s talking about it? You remember a prophetic dream? I have no idea what that means.”

The Nomu huffs, blowing hot air through its beak, before moving to type again. This time it takes longer.

Not matter. Villains come. Danger.

He narrows his eyes at the redirection.

“It very much does matter,” he retorts, lips thin. “You’re like a half-assed fortune teller. You know Midoriya’s past, the attack on Hosu, where we changed our camp to, but not that villains are going to attack the mall or that I’d arrest you?”

The massive woman twitches and it takes a moment to realize she’s embarrassed as she reaches for the keyboard.

He frowns, unsure what to think as she types her longest message yet.

Brain not good. Forgot mall.

He reads the message twice, feeling a massive headache rising in his temple.

She forgot.

“You knew about the mall?” he says, one hand rising to massage the bridge of his nose. It certainly explained the way she’d prowled about. “How? It can’t be a quirk, it isn’t consistent enough. You don’t have foresight.”

The Nomu twitches, head looking away guiltily.

He scowls.

“Are you working for the villains?”

The snap of her head is reassuring, if not just as frustrating. Ridiculous woman.

“Then how can they find us?” he growls. “Only a select few teachers know of our location. We took pains to go through separate channels, to keep everything unofficial.  It’s impossible. The only way would have to be-”

Would have to be a spy.

He feels his chest tighten.

The guilty hunch of her shoulders.

“There’s a spy,” he says, the words bitter on his tongue. “And you know who it is.”

She won’t even look at him. He can feel the hot buzz of betrayal just beneath his skin. She knew there was a spy and hadn’t mentioned a word. She’d put his entire class in danger—put all of them at risk—no, she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t put any of them in danger, not willingly. There was no way, she’d rather bludgeon her brain than follow Shigaraki, so…

“It’s a student,” he surmises, nearly sick at her reluctant nod. “We have a villain student.”

She growls, quickly shaking her head, hands reaching for the keyboard, and he makes no move to stop her. Leaning back he tries to breathe, the weight of the words heavier than he’d ever imagined. Who?

His mind racks itself for the answer.

It can’t make it past the concept.

One of the students…

He waits, silent as she pecks and clicks and slowly justifies the betrayal. The sun begins to dip on the horizon, the students’ voices spilling through the peace as they return from their bath. A traitor among them.

She seems to hear his thoughts, whining low and pushing back the display.

He not want. Parents hostage! Give dumb quirk, no good. Try be good, want help. I help. Fight soon, end threat. Protect. Protect babies. Protect hero.

He may actually be sick.

“Midoriya?” he asks, looking at the monstrous figure before him impossibly.

Her eyes widen, head shaking. Then, hesitantly, like she’s not sure if she should, she pulls the cards from her pocket. With one more, uncertain look, she pushes forward Aoyama’s. He holds it delicately.

Aoyama.

“I’m going to need to make a phone call.”