Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

. . .

If there is anything certain in life, it is death. Nothing lives forever and nothing should want to live forever. People live. People die. Some die with regrets. Some die after living their life to its fullest. Some die alone. Some die surrounded by loved ones. It’s the natural order of the world, the natural cycle of humanity.

But nothing ever stays the same. Just as the seasons change so does the world. Everything has a beginning and an end.

As time flows, as seasons change, as the world continues to rotate on its axis, society evolves.

Thus is the truth of evolution.

Just as new ages cannot begin until old ages end, life cannot begin without death but death cannot occur without life. One cannot exist without the other. Humanity cannot exist without either.

No one knows what truly lays beyond death’s door. Paradise. Purgatory. An endless void of nothingness. The possibilities are endless. Different cultures have different views on what lays beyond and one such view is reincarnation.

When one’s life ends while that person has unfinished business, some believe they are reincarnated in order to fulfill that unfinished business, whatever it may be. It’s a second chance but also a new life.

And new life brings with it new possibilities.

If there is anything certain in life, it is death. But when one is faced with the approach of death, one should strive to live their life to its fullest.

Some were not given this chance. Some lives ended with unfinished business, no matter how big or small, how trivial or significant.

Some are blessed with another chance to live life to its fullest.

But society has evolved.

An old age came to an end and a new age began.

Centuries later, tales begin anew.

. . .

There are lotuses in her hospital room.

Delicately pink petaled flowers resting in a ceramic pot by her open window that sway in the slight breeze drifting past the ajar glass pane. The pleasantly sweet aroma wafts toward her, helping to soothe her in spite of the uncertainty going through her. She rests her hand on her swollen belly as her eyes trace over the lotuses’ petals, trying to quell her uncertainty and her anxiety because that won’t help.

She needs to be calm. She needs to be patient. Her children are counting on her to get through this, to forge past her own uncertainties and fear.

Inko was pleasantly surprised when her doctor told her she was carrying twins. She never expected that, mostly because there is no history of twins in her family, or in her husband’s family, so she never even considered the possibility of carrying twins. She had a feeling she was going to have a boy, since it’s a common trend in her husband’s family for boys to be born more so than girls, but having two boys is even better. Having two children, two results of her and her husband’s love, is even better.

She wishes Hisashi were here with her but he had to go overseas again and, while a part of her resents him for not being there for the birth of her children, she does understand. His work is the reason why they are financially stable, is the reason why they can bring children into this world and ensure they are taken care of.

She focuses on the flowers. Lotuses represent purity, prosperity, beauty, and rebirth. It’s fitting that they be present while she is about to bring her beautiful children into this world, into a world where she prays they will thrive and live long, fulfilling lives. Thus is the wish of any mother for their children. She isn’t alone in that desire. She will never be alone in that desire.

The door to the hospital room opens and she turns her head as Dr. Aki Ieiri makes her way into the room with a clipboard resting in her hands. Her short dark brown hair flows to the nape of her neck and she adjusts the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, the golden frames bringing out her brown eyes.

“Good afternoon, Inko,” she greets with a kind smile as she places her clipboard on the side table. “My team is preparing the room so it won’t be long now. How are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” Inko admits, resting a hand on her belly and chewing on her lower lip.

“That’s common. But you’ll be fine. This procedure has been done for centuries, and with my Quirk, the recovery process will be far quicker,” says Aki as she grabs the swivel stool and sits down, reaching out a hand and resting it on Inko’s arm. “Is there anyone you want to be present? I noticed you came here alone.”

Inko shakes her head. She lost contact with her entire family not long after she married Hisashi. They never approved of him, though she doesn’t know why since they never deemed it necessary to tell her, and they cut all ties with her after the wedding. It’s a wonder they even showed up to the wedding at all but she doesn’t care. She loves Hisashi and nothing will ever change that.

She won’t be alone for much longer. Her children, the result of her and Hisashi’s love, will soon be with her.

“I’m fine if it’s just you, Aki,” she says kindly. “You’ve been with me every step of the way of this pregnancy so I’m okay with you and your team being the only ones there.”

Aki chuckles, a grin stealing its way onto her lips as she pokes Inko in the arm. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that ‘cause I sneak you sweets whenever you’re having a craving during your appointments?” she teases.

Inko laughs with her. For some reason, ever since she got pregnant, she’s noticed that her cravings always seem to flip flop between katsudon and anything sweet and she does mean anything. It doesn’t really matter because if it’s sweet then she is going to want it, when she isn’t wanting katsudon anyway.

“I don’t know but I think one of my babies is going to end up with a sweet tooth,” she comments.

“And the other one will probably really, really like katsudon,” says Aki with that teasing grin still on her lips.

“Sweet and savory. I guess it makes sense, in a way.”

“Or you’re just weird.”

“Hey.” Inko pouts at her doctor but her bright green eyes twinkle with amusement because she knows her doctor is simply teasing her.

In truth, Inko and Aki have been friends for years, well before Aki became an obstetrician. The two of them and Mitsuki have been inseparable since they were in middle school to the point that they all got married around the same time, though Aki ended up being the first one out of the three of them to become a mother. Her little girl, Shoko, is turning one in August. Mitsuki ended up being the next one to become a mother, her little boy Katsuki was born this past April. And then there’s Inko, here about to bring twins into the world.

“I’m a bit jealous that you get two though,” says Aki with a huff.

Inko chuckles. “Aren’t you and your husband planning on trying for another one?” she asks.

“In a few years, when Shoko is a bit older,” says Aki. She taps the earpiece resting in her ear and nods. “Okay. We’ll be right there.”

She rises to her feet and picks up the clipboard. “They’re ready. Are you ready?”

Inko takes a deep breath and glances at the delicately pink lotuses. It’s relaxing to just study those flowers and she is able to swallow some her nerves as a result and nod. With her doctor’s help, she gets to her feet and makes her way out of the room.

As it turns out, she doesn’t have anything to worry about. As it turns out, her doctor really is amazing. Even though she doesn’t really remember anything from the procedure, she also doesn’t feel any pain after she is brought out of her anesthesia. She is a bit disoriented though but Aki’s voice helps her to reorient herself and she is able to remember where she is, why she is there, and that she is okay.

“You back with us, Inko?” Aki asks.

Inko blinks a few times but nods slowly and, with Aki’s help, she sits up. “My babies?” she asks.

“Both born healthy,” says Aki with a grin. “Do you want to see them?”

“Yes, of course.”

She chuckles but, straightening up, turns and walks to the other end of the room and reaches down to gently lift two bundles into her arms. She turns and walks back to Inko’s said, gently holding out the twins and Inko takes them, resting both of them in the crooks of her arms.

She gazes at them with wide eyes because they really are beautiful. One of them has tufts of dark green hair while the other has tufts of snow-white hair. Both of them have a light complexion, though one seems a bit paler than the other one, and they are both breathing easily as they sleep while comfortably nestled in her arms.

“Which one was first?” she asks because that is how she decided she was going to name them after she found out she was carrying twins. She already had her names picked out, one she decided on one while the other is one that her husband picked out, and she decided to give the one born first the name her husband chose.

“Him,” says Aki, nodding to the boy with the white hair and paler complexion. “He certainly was the louder one, crying almost immediately. The other one was a bit quieter.”

Inko giggles. “I’m blaming Hisashi for one of my babies being loud already,” she says teasingly with a fond, sad smile on her lips. She gazes at the baby with the white hair and whispers, “This one...I’m naming him Satoru.”

“Satoru?”

“It’s the name Hisashi wanted to give his child if it was a boy,” says Inko. She turns to the green haired baby and adds, “And I wanted to name my child, if it was a boy, Izuku so that’s this one’s name.”

“Satoru and Izuku,” says Aki. “They match in a way.”

The white-haired baby shifts a little and Inko gasps when his eyes flutter open. They are the most vibrantly vivid and mesmerizing blue she’s ever seen as if the sky and the sea collided within their depths. “I...I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baby’s eyes be that bright right after they’re born,” she says.

“He probably has an optical Quirk then,” says Aki as those bright blue eyes blink a few times before the baby yawns and promptly goes back to sleep. “Still though, you’re right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes that...vibrant before. When he gets a bit older, I’ll talk with one of my colleagues and we can see just what kind of Quirk he actually does have.”

Inko nods and turns her gaze to her other son when he shifts and his eyes, which are the normal milky color that most newborns have, flutter open. Unlike his twin, Izuku immediately starts crying and Inko starts cooing as she rocks him to get him to calm down. The rocking motion doesn’t even cause Satoru to stir.

“Funny how their positions are reversed now,” says Aki with a light laugh, reminding Inko that Satoru is the one who was born screaming while Izuku was born quiet.

“Well, I’m just glad they’re healthy,” she says as she shifts her grip on her twins now that Izuku is finally calming down enough to go back to sleep. “They really are beautiful.”

“They are. Maybe, if you want, we can schedule some play dates when they get a bit older. I have no doubt Shoko will be happy with some playmates.”

“I can ask Mitsuki too.”

“Sounds good. For now, why don’t you rest? I’m going to go finish up the last of the paperwork and, while I’m going to keep you here overnight just to make sure you and your babies are doing good, you should be good to head home tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Aki.”

Aki gets to her feet and, smiling gently at the sleeping twins, turns on her heel and walks out of the hospital room.

Inko settles back against the headboard of her medical bed and gazes lovingly at her twins. “Hisashi, I really wish you were here but I know you’re going to love our children when you finally meet them,” she whispers.

. . .

Lotuses present purity and prosperity and rebirth. There is something strangely calming about having a pot of lotuses in her apartment, even though she’s never really been into flowers herself. Maybe it’s the sweet, airy fragrance. Maybe it’s the beautiful color. Maybe it’s simply because of what those flowers symbolize. She doesn’t know. All she knows is that, ever since her twins were born, she’s been keeping lotuses in her house whenever possible.

Her twins are now four and they are starting to show themselves to be a true perfect mix of Inko and her husband. Izuku is quiet until he gets excited, usually when heroes or Quirks are mentioned, then he starts rambling excitedly about either topic. Most of the time, his excited ramblings blend together that it’s very difficult to comprehend what he’s really saying.

Satoru, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite. He is the more social, and far more outspoken, one of the two who doesn’t hesitate to say what’s on his mind, even if it ends up being nonsensical, or incredibly blunt and even occasionally rude. He doesn’t even seem to care what anyone thinks about him, though he definitely has something to say when his classmates say anything about Izuku.

His eyes are as incredibly brilliant as they were the day he was born, making Inko wonder if he truly does have an optical Quirk. She suspects she will find out when she takes her twins to speak with Aki and the specialist she brought in to help them figure out what Satoru’s and Izuku’s Quirks are. With the exception of Satoru’s unnaturally vibrant eyes, neither child has shown any signs of a Quirk.

“Mom! Mom!”

Inko pulls herself out of her thoughts and turns her head as her twins scamper into her room, Izuku is waving a piece of paper in his tiny little hand while Satoru is snacking on a bag of gummy bears. “Yes, Izuku?” she says even as she holds out a hand toward Satoru who pouts at her. She gives him a stern look and he whines but hands over the bag of gummy bears anyway.

“Look what I drew! It’s All Might! He’s my favorite!” Izuku exclaims as he waves the drawing around.

Satoru snatches the drawing out of his hand and, when Izuku whines in protest, he pokes him in the cheek. “She can’t see it while you’re waving it ‘round like that, silly,” he says as he holds out the drawing toward Inko while Izuku pouts but there is a faint dusting of red on his cheeks. He rubs at his eyes with his free hand and Inko studies him, noticing his eyes seem a bit red and he keeps wincing too as if his eyes are hurting. She’s going to have to bring that up with Aki during today’s appointment.

Inko takes the drawing and smiles. It’s a childish drawing, as one can expect of a four year old, but she loves it anyway. “It’s wonderful,” she says with a big grin. “I’m gonna put it on the fridge right next to Satoru’s drawing.”

“Yay!” Izuku cheers and he hops onto the couch and peers at Inko. “I wanna be a hero just like All Might!”

“I know you do!”

“I’m gonna be Super All Might!” Izuku cheers, waving his little hands in the air.

Satoru, flopping onto the couch on Inko’s other side, promptly sprawls out across Inko’s lap and pokes Izuku in the side. “What about me? I thought we were gonna be heroes together,” he protests with a slight whine even as Izuku yelps at the sudden poke.

“Of course we’re gonna be heroes together!” Izuku says with a bright smile. “You can be Super All Might too!”

Inko laughs as she reaches out a hand. “I don’t think you both can have the same hero name,” she says. “But I’m still Super Mom. And I say it’s tickle time!”

Izuku shrieks while Satoru tries to launch himself off Inko’s laugh but she grabs her twins both before they can leave and start tickling them, causing both of them to shriek with laughter as they struggle to escaping her tickling fingers.

She tickles them for a few minutes before she finally lets up, raising an eyebrow when Satoru tumbles off her lap with a yelp to land in a heap on the floor. He sits up, a slight whine escaping his lips, as he rubs a hand through his messy snow-white hair before he rubs his eyes again.

Izuku shifts until he’s on his knees and peers down at his twin. “Why’re you on the ground?” he asks.

Satoru flops onto his stomach. “Why aren’t you?” he retorts.

Inko chuckles but gets to her feet. “Let’s get ready,” she says. “You have an appointment with Dr. Aki today.”

“Yay! We get to see Auntie Aki again!” Izuku cheers as he bounces on the couch, only to yelp when he ends up bouncing himself off the couch and he lands in a heap on the ground.

Satoru pokes at Izuku. “You okay?” he says, tilting his head to the side.

Izuku nods and pokes Satoru back.

Inko chuckles. She really is so happy that her twins are getting along as well as they are. They are so incredibly close, far closer than regular siblings, in spite of how different they can be in terms of how they act. They are still very much alike in their shared desire to help others, in their shared kindness, in their shared compassion.

Even if she has to raise them on her own, since her husband is still overseas and doesn’t seem like he’s going to be coming home anytime soon, she is happy. Her twins make everything so much better, they are the bright lights in her life.

“Go get dressed,” she says to her twins as they continue to poke at each other from where they lay sprawled out across the carpet.

“Okay!” They say in unison as they jump to their feet and bolt toward their shared bedroom, nearly trampling over each other in their haste to get to their room first. It’s adorable, truthfully, because she knows they aren’t doing this to be mean to each other. In the last four years, Inko has learned that her twins will never hurt each other. In truth, Satoru is incredibly protective of Izuku to the point of standing between him and bigger kids who try to pick on him while Izuku always puts himself between bigger kids and other kids who are being hurt or picked on.

They are both, in their own way, little heroes in the making and Inko is looking forward to seeing them grow into the fine men she knows they are going to be.

. . .

One thing lotuses represent is overcoming adversity. That is to say it represents a person’s struggle to overcome any challenge placed in their path because, just as a lotus blooms from murky, dark warm water, so can an individual bloom from the adversity they are faced with in their lives. Whether those challenges are mundane or catastrophic, lotuses represent the possibility of overcoming those challenges.

So it is rather fitting, in Inko’s eyes, that she finds a ceramic pot filled with a blooming lotus within Aki’s office on the day she finds out one of her twins is Quirkless.

“I’m sorry, Midoriya-san,” Dr. Okkotsu, the specialist Aki called in whose Quirk allows her to determine the type of Quirk an individual has and general knowledge of it whenever she touches a person’s bare skin, says quietly as she retracts her hand from Izuku’s arm. Izuku is staring, shell-shocked, at the specialist, the All Might figurine he insisted on bringing with him falling from his limp fingers.

Satoru reaches out a hand and grasps Izuku’s, giving him a concerned look in his slightly red but still vibrant blue eyes. He raises his free hand to rub his eyes, wincing again and Inko makes a note to ask about that after she gets all information on what Dr. Okkotsu is referring to.

“My Quirk shows me the type of Quirk an individual has,” Dr. Okkotsu explains. “They show up as different colors depending on what they are but, whenever I touch someone who is Quirkless, the color that shows up is black. And that’s what I see when I touch Izuku. He doesn’t have a Quirk. I suspect if Dr. Ieiri did an X-Ray exam of your son’s foot, she’ll find the extra toe joint that is also an indication of Quirklessness.”

Izuku tightens his grip on Satoru’s hand, though he is clearly still trying to overcome his shock. It hurts Inko to see such a despondent look upon her youngest son’s face. She knows he’s been eagerly looking forward to the day when his Quirk comes in. He watched when Shoko’s Quirk came in and watched when Katsuki’s came in and has been eager to get his. This must be heartbreaking for him but Inko is glad Satoru is there. His presence, his hand resting in Izuku’s, seems to be helping.

“Thank you for breaking this news gently to us,” Inko says quietly.

“Of course,” Okkotsu says with a kind smile. “Unlike Dr. Garaki, I always try to be sympathetic when breaking news like this. Now then, I’m going to check on your other son.”

Inko doubts Satoru is Quirkless, not with those vibrantly bright blue eyes that are still red and still seem to be hurting him. But she isn’t expecting Okkotsu to look shocked when she retracts her hand from Satoru’s arm.

“What is it?” she asks worriedly.

“I don’t think I’ve seen such a complex Quirk before,” says Okkotsu with surprise in her voice.

“Complex? I thought he had an optical Quirk, because of his eyes,” says Inko.

“That isn’t his Quirk. That is a part of his Quirk.”

Inko is surprised by that. She doesn’t think she’s ever heard of a Quirk that had multiple parts to it that aren’t hybrid Quirks that usually come about from Quirk marriages, something she’s read about during her college years, and she knows Satoru’s Quirk isn’t one of those. Or, at least, neither her Quirk nor Hisashi’s Quirk are connected with the eyes anyway.

“I’ve been curious about those eyes for a while now,” Aki admits. “They are incredibly familiar, to something I read about while getting my medical degree, They are eerily similar to a pre-Quirk ability that was passed down through the generations of an ancient Clan family whose existence dated back to the Heian Era.”

Inko’s eyes widen. The Heian Era is an era that ended almost nine hundred years before the dawn of the age of Quirks, which was around four hundred years ago. Of course, she’s heard of the ancient Clan families. There weren’t a whole lot, three major ones existed in the waning years of the age before the Age of Quirks began, but she never knew there were special abilities that were passed down in those Clans.

“How do you know that?” she asks.

Aki smiles faintly. “My ancestor was a very close friend of the head of one of the major Clan families in the waning years of the last age,” she says. “Since he passed without an heir, that Clan died out. But the other two major Clan families also died out as a result of the dawn of the Age of Quirks, though the old stories my family passed down to me never told me why. Either way, it’s curious that your son has the eyes that were part of the ability passed on through that Clan family.”

“What was that ability?” asks Inko.

“It’s known as the Six Eyes,” says Aki. “An ability that is constantly active and constantly grants the user extrasensory perception. They are able to see and perceive far beyond what normal human eyes can see and perceive and their minds are constantly being fed information on what their eyes perceive. Tell me, Satoru, when you look at me, what do you see?”

Satoru blinks at her, rubbing his eyes as he tilts his head to the side. “Uh, you? You’re tall and pretty but not as pretty as Mom…”

Inko blushes while Aki blinks and then barks out a laugh.

“Okay, beyond that. Don’t look at my looks. What do you see that isn’t my appearance?” she says.

Satoru blinks at her again. “You mean that that weird light?” he says, tilting his head to the side as he rubs his eyes again and winces. “Ow.”

“Cover his eyes, Inko,” says Aki.

Inko frowns but reaches around Izuku to gently place her hands over Satoru’s eyes. She is surprised when Satoru lets out a soft sigh of relief and practically melts in her hands. She gives Aki a questioning look.

“Six Eyes is constantly active,” Aki explains. “So, whenever his eyes are uninhibited, the flow of information his eyes are feeding his brain is pretty strong to the point where not only are his eyes strained but his brain can become overwhelmed. This usually results in strained, burning eyes and massive migraines. Or, at least, it did with the last user of Six Eyes whenever he went around too long with his eyes uninhibited. Quirks are different from the abilities that existed in the age before this one but I suspect the general process for Six Eyes is still the same.”

“So what do I do?” asks Inko.

Aki walks to her desk and reaches into it, searching through it before pulling out a pair of dark sunglasses. “Have him wear these. If he keeps his eyes covered, the flow of information his eyes takes in will be duller, muted, and won’t overwhelm and hurt him.”

Inko nods and, taking the sunglasses, hands them to Satoru as she removes her other hand. “Go ahead and wear these for now, Satoru,” she says gently as Satoru takes the glasses and turns them over a few times.

“They’re heart-shaped,” he says puzzled.

Aki laughs. “It was all I had. It’s just for now,” she says with a faint smile.

Satoru blinks but pokes at Izuku who blinks at him. “Don’t tease me,” he says as he puts the sunglasses on and lets out another soft sigh of relief.

Izuku leans against him. “I think they look nice,” he says quietly, still somber from the revelation he is clearly still overcoming.

“You said the Six Eyes were only part of his Quirk,” Inko says, returning her attention to Okkotsu. “What is the rest?”

“Since it is likely his Quirk is, essentially, the Quirk version of the ability that came from that Clan Family,” says Aki. “I suspect his Quirk is Space Manipulation, down to an atomic level.”

“A...Atomic level?”

“It would make sense, from the general information my Quirk gave me about Satoru’s Quirk,” says Okkotsu. “It’s so complex that the only thing my Quirk was able to glean is that there are two applications of his Quirk that can be done to the atomic level.”

“And if it is, at all, like that Clan ability then that means those two applications are Repel and Attract or, in the notes that my ancestor kept from that Clan’s last Head, Red and Blue.”

“Red and Blue?”

“Red to repel, Blue to attract. I’m afraid I don’t know much beyond that, especially since Quirks are so different from the abilities that existed before our current age,” says Aki. “I can give you the notes on the ability if you wish to look through it. It should, at least, give you a bit of an insight of what to expect.”

“Yes, thank you. That would be appreciated.” Inko doesn’t think she will be able to truly figure her son’s Quirk out if she doesn’t have some starting line to start at.

“I’ll get that for you and send it to your house.”

“Thank you.”

. . .

There is a lotus in the room Izuku and Satoru share with each other. The symbol of purity and prosperity and rebirth and overcoming adversity. It’s fitting that such a flower be found in the twins’ room on the day they found out one of them is part of the minority in this world, is part of the twenty percent of the world’s population that doesn’t have a Quirk.

Inko hovers in the doorway of the room, gazing at her youngest son who is gazing at the computer where All Might’s booming laughter is echoing over the computer’s speakers while an onlooker proclaims that he’s saved more people. He’s still but there is a slight tremble to his shoulders and Inko knows he is trying desperately to hold in his cries, something he’s been doing since the news was broken.

Satoru is sprawled across his twin’s lap, poking his cheek and quietly saying something Inko is too far away to hear and she, curious, moves closer.

“...’cause you don’t got a Quirk doesn’t mean nothing,” Satoru is saying as he continues to poke his twin in the cheek. “We’re gonna be the strongest together, Quirk or no Quirk.”

“D...Do you really mean that?” Izuku whispers, voice hitching as those cries he’s trying to keep at bay threaten to tear free again.

“I do mean that,” Satoru says firmly with a sharp nod as he pushes the heart-shaped sunglasses Aki gave him onto his head and peers up at Izuku. “We’re both gonna be heroes no matter what!”

“B...But I don’t got a Quirk.”

“I don’t care. We’re gonna both be heroes no matter what!” There is such confidence in Satoru’s voice as he says those words, as if he truly believes those words, but Inko is feeling despondent, sad, because she just doesn’t think it’s possible. Being a hero without any sort of power to help in fights or in protecting people? She just doesn’t know and she finds herself wishing things were different, wishing that her youngest son could have been blessed with a Quirk.

But she doesn’t say that because Izuku is latching on to Satoru and sobbing and saying, “Y...Yeah. Let’s...Let’s be heroes together no matter what!”

Satoru holds his twin close. “We’re gonna be great and we’re gonna be strong,” he says with a firm, confident nod as Izuku continues to sob against him.

Inko doesn’t have the heart to say anything now. She doesn’t have the heart to voice her own misgivings, her own doubts, because she doesn’t want to break her son’s heart even more than Dr. Okkotsu’s news already did.

The lotus is a sign of overcoming adversity. Perhaps, its presence within the Midoriya twins’ room is a sign that Satoru is right, that they both will overcome this challenge and end up becoming heroes like they wish to do.

. . .

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya learned at a very young age that all men are not created equal. In a world where eighty percent of the population is granted a special power known as a Quirk, he is part of the minority. He is Quirkless. He doesn’t have a special power to his name. As such, he is often treated pretty badly by the vast majority of his classmates at Aldera Junior High or treated as fragile like a porcelain doll by the adults who happen to know about his lack of an ability. The only exception are his teachers, who are just as bad as his classmates because they turn a blind eye to the bullying he experiences.

The only one he has in his corner is Satoru.

Satoru is his twin brother. Even though Satoru is taller than him by a good amount, and has snow-white hair and the most mesmerizing and vibrant blue eyes Izuku has ever seen in his life, they are still brothers and they are still twins. They have been inseparable since the day they were born and even Izuku’s Quirklessness hasn’t changed that.

If anything, Izuku’s Quirklessness has only made Satoru even more protective of him and Izuku still can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

But he finds it doesn’t matter because he still has his brother at his side. Even though everyone else turned their backs on him, including his childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo, Satoru never did. He remained at his side, even when their classmates tried to draw him away, even when their classmates tried to insist that he didn’t have to spend time or hang out with Izuku just because they were brothers.

Satoru still hung out with and spent time with Izuku because he wanted to, not just because they were brothers but because they are friends too.

Today is the first day of his final year at Aldera Junior High and Izuku will admit he is looking forward to getting this year over with because, next year, he and his brother are going to be applying for U.A. High School. They are both going to train to become the greatest heroes they can possibly be and it is something Izuku is looking forward to.

“C’mon, Izuku~ We’re gonna be late if you don’t pick up the pace,” Satoru whines and Izuku, shaking himself out of his thoughts, huffs and increases his speed to catch up with his twin. The tall white-haired boy has longer legs, and thus a longer stride, and Izuku supposes he should count himself lucky his twin isn’t making a short joke. Ever since he shot up like a weed in his most recent growth spurt, taking him to nearly two meters tall, he’s taken to short jokes more often than not.

“We wouldn’t be late if you didn’t stop at that bakery on Third,” Izuku says with a grin as he pokes his twin in the arm that is currently carrying a bag of mochi donuts.

“But they’re so good~” Satoru protests as he reaches into the bag, pulls out another mochi donut, and biting into it.

Izuku chuckles. Satoru has such a massive sweet tooth that if their mother didn’t constantly monitor what he ate then he would probably be living off a diet of pure sweets. “A bit too sweet for this early in the morning, Satoru,” he says.

“So?”

Izuku shakes his head in amusement as the twins swiftly make their way toward the crowd of people in Tatooin Station since they have to cross by that station in order to get to the street that will take them to their school. They do still have some time but Satoru’s detour into the bakery is definitely going to make it a close thing.

A crash sounds followed by a roar and Izuku gasps, eyes wide upon seeing a massive being causing a ruckus in the middle of the street they are approaching. “It’s a villain,” he gasps and, grabbing Satoru’s arm, immediately bolts toward the attack while Satoru, not even the slightest bit fazed, just keeps on eating his mochi donut as he stumbles after him.

This isn’t the first time Izuku has dragged Satoru with him to observe a villain and the heroes who end up defeating the villain. He enjoys observing these fights because he gets to learn more about the various kinds of Quirks that exist in the world, the ones wielded by villains and the ones wielded by heroes. He’s always been a Quirk enthusiast and enjoys scribbling his observations and his theories down in his various notebook. In truth, he already has thirteen of them and is probably going to be starting on the fourteenth one soon because the one he’s currently working on is filling up fast.

As he finally manages to get to the head of the pack, he is just in time to see the giant villain swipe at the hero attempting to apprehend him.

“Turning into a monster? What a crazy Quirk,” one person exclaims from nearby.

Another person is talking on the phone, explaining to someone that he is going to be late because a villain started rampaging in the street he is using.

Kamui Woods, a new and upcoming hero who just made his debut a few weeks earlier, is currently there, using his Quirk to try and keep the villain at bay. He can’t help but feel giddy with excitement as he watches the fight while cheering Kamui Woods on along with everyone else.

“Kamui Woods is the popular young superstar!” Izuku exclaims in excitement.

“A running commentary, huh? Are you a fanboy, kid?” the person next to Izuku says in amusement.

“Yup,” Satoru says around his mochi donut as he leans back on the heels of his feet. “He’ll talk your ear off if ya let him.”

“Satoru,” Izuku whines, nudging his brother in the side before going back to watching the fight with huge eyes.

Kamui’s attempt to use his powerful move is quickly thwarted by the arrival of a massive blonde woman who slams a sharp kick straight into the face of the giant villain, knocking him out cold. Izuku is surprised because he wasn’t expecting a newcomer to show up in the middle of this fight, nor is he expecting the sudden clicking of cameras.

He and Satoru turn to see a crowd of camera men snapping photos of the newcomer quickly.

“Where the heck did you come from?” Satoru deadpans as he swallows the last of his donut.

“Today’s my debut. Pleased to meet you all,” the massive woman says as she turns to face the crowd. “You can call me Mt. Lady.”

Izuku whips out his notebook and immediately starts scribbling down everything he just observed about Mt. Lady while muttering to himself so swiftly that his words spiral around his head.

Satoru chews on another mochi donut as he raises a pure white eyebrow. “Never ceases to amaze me how quickly he can write down everything he is saying,” he muses.

“Taking notes? I guess you wanna be a hero yourself,” the man next to Izuku says. “Good luck.”

Izuku beams brightly at the man. “Thanks, I’ll try,” he says brightly.

Satoru pokes his cheek and he winces. “C’mon, munchkin. We’re gonna be late,” he says.

Izuku groans. He really hoped he would actually get through this entire day without a short joke but, in all honesty, he’s surprised Satoru last this long before unleashing a short joke. “Don’t call me that,” he mutters.

“Okay, Midget.”

“Satoru!”

Satoru just laughs and Izuku grumbles but smiles at his twin in fond exasperation. He will take Satoru’s constant short jokes and teasing and carefree nature any day if the alternative meant he would be left alone.

It doesn’t take them long after the villain attack to make it to Aldera Junior High. They are even on time and manage to slip into the classroom and take their seats at the back of the room before the tardy bell rings.

Tanaka, their teacher, makes his way into the classroom and rests the stack of papers on the table. “So, you are all third years now,” he says, tapping the pile of papers resting on his desk but Izuku only pays attention with half an ear as he scribbles more notes about the villain attack in his notebook.

At least until Satoru throws a wadded up piece of paper at his head.

He hisses out a quiet yelp and gives his brother a pout as he picks up the wadded up piece of paper and opens it.

Career test thing. Did you put down U.A.?

Izuku casts a glance at his twin who is tapping his pencil against the desk while resting his chin on the palm of his hand, looking incredibly bored but still paying rapt attention. He scribbles a ‘yes’ on the paper and, wadding it up, tosses it back at his brother while the teacher continues to talk about possible paths to take after they graduate middle school.

Satoru reads the paper but, before he can write his response, the teacher says, “But, let’s be honest. We all know all of you are aiming for the hero course!”

The classroom erupts into cheers, most of the students showing off their Quirks as they do so, but Satoru just leans back in his seat and folds his arms behind his head. His sunglasses slip down the bridge of his nose as he rolls those vibrantly mesmerizing blue eyes and, catching Izuku’s eye, mouths, “Showoffs” to which Izuku stifles a snicker.

It’s not as if his brother is wrong. Everyone is showing off and Izuku has to wonder if they even know that it’s illegal for them to be using their Quirks in a public place like this school. But he supposes that if the teachers don’t care then no one is going to report them and nothing will really change.

“Hey, teach, don’t lump me in with the rest of them extras.” At the loud, arrogant proclamation from one Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku turns toward him. The spiky-blonde-haired boy is currently leaning back in his seat, much like Satoru, but his legs are draped over the top of the desk and there is an arrogant smirk on his lips.

Satoru rolls his eyes behind his sunglasses again and fake gags as Katsuki continues to talk about how he isn’t going to some second rate hero course like the rest of their classmates, that he is going to be going to U.A., which is the premier high school for future heroes to attend.

Izuku gives his twin a long look. “Be nice,” he mouths.

“No,” Satoru mouths back.

Izuku resists the urge to sigh. There is no denying Satoru hasn’t liked Katsuki Bakugo. Even though the twins grew up with Katsuki Bakugo and have been around him since they were babies, ever since Izuku’s Quirkless diagnosis, things have changed and Satoru has admitted he doesn’t like how Katsuki treats Izuku even though Izuku has always insisted it’s fine.

He knows Katsuki is going to be a great and powerful hero in his own right. Even though all three of them were supposed to be heroes together, that changed when Katsuki changed after his Quirk came in and Izuku’s didn’t. But Izuku still feels that way, still admires Katsuki, still looks up to him.

“Oh, it says here that Izuku Midoriya and Satoru Midoriya want to go to U.A. too,” says Tanaka.

There is pure silence, then everyone bursts out laughing.

“Satoru Midoriya I can understand. He, at least, has a Quirk,” one student exclaims.

“Yeah, and he’s pretty strong with it. But Izuku Midoriya doesn’t even have a Quirk,” another student gasps around his laughter.

“Yeah. Why would they let a Quirkless kid apply?” Another student exclaims.

“Um, they changed that so Quirkless kids can apply,” Izuku says meekly.

More rambunctious laughter erupts.

“As if you could ever be a hero, you Quirkless wannabee,” one student exclaims around their laughter.

Satoru narrows his eyes.

Izuku catches his eye and shakes his head.

Satoru frowns.

Izuku shakes his head again. It’s not worth it. He doesn’t want his brother to get into trouble after all.

Satoru huffs and leans back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest.

Katsuki is suddenly out of his chair and storming toward Izuku’s desk and he yelps when Katsuki slams the palms of his hands on his desk and generates an explosion. The explosion is enough to send Izuku flying away from his desk to land in a heap on the ground.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You’re even lower than those lowly extras. You’re Quirkless!” Katsuki exclaims. “Don’t think you can stand in the same ring as me!”

“Uh, I just...It’s been my dream to be a hero my entire life,” Izuku stammers out.

Katsuki snarls but, before he can say anything, Satoru is there, holding out a hand.

“Back off, Bakugo,” he says firmly, using his free hand to lower his sunglasses and fix the full force of his Six Eyes on Katsuki. His eyes may be mesmerizing and vibrant and, yes, very beautiful but, up close, they are also very intimidating to the point where they even cause Katsuki Bakugo to hesitate out of wariness.

“Tch.” Katsuki swats Satoru’s hand away and, pivoting, storms back to his seat. “Fucking lowlife Deku and his stupid protective brother.”

“Fuck you too, Kacchan,” Satoru calls back, purposely including a mocking lilt to his tone when he says that last word.

Katsuki responds by throwing him the middle finger and Satoru responds to that by giving him a salute with his own middle finger.

“All right, class, that’s enough. Everyone, back to your seats,” Tanaka calls out and, while those who did stand up, return to their seats, Satoru turns and holds out a hand to Izuku.

He takes it. “You didn’t have to do that, Satoru,” he says quietly as he pulls himself to his feet and, with Satoru’s help, rights his desk before he retakes his seat.

“Of course I did. Can’t stand that hot-headed egotistical prick,” says Satoru with a shrug as he wanders back to his seat and throws himself into it while Izuku, letting out another long sigh, gives his brother a long look.

His brother gives him an unashamed smile in return.

Honestly. He is insufferable sometimes. But Izuku loves him anyway.

Classes go by without incident after that blow up during homeroom and Izuku finds himself eager to get home so he can starting delving more in depth into his observations about Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady’s debut. He is glad he doesn’t have to worry about chores today, since it’s Satoru’s turn, so he can work on his homework and on his notes as soon as he gets home.

As the final class ends, he starts gathering his stuff only to yelp in surprise when Katsuki snatches his notebook off his desk before he can put it away. “K...Kacchan,” he protests, holding out a hand toward the notebook.

“We’re not done from earlier,” says Katsuki as he waves the notebook around.

One of his lackeys peers at the title and barks out a laugh. “Hero Analysis for the Future #13? How pathetic is that?” he says.

“It...It’s just observations,” Izuku protests and winces when Katsuki slams the notebook between his hand and generates an explosion, successfully burning through several of the pages before tossing it toward the window.

“T...That was mean,” Izuku protests and winces when Katsuki places a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen to me, you fucking nerd,” Katsuki says with a sneer crossing his lips. “I’m the only one from this shitty school who is going to get into U.A. So don’t bother on applying, and tell your annoying twin not to bother on applying either, ‘kay?” He smiles as he says that but it’s not a nice smile and Izuku winces when Katsuki’s burns his shoulder.

Katsuki suddenly winces when a textbook smacks him upside the head.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna listen to ya. I’m still applying for U.A. anyway,” says Satoru with a shrug as he tucks his textbook under his arm. “And Izuku is gonna apply too. So why don’t you back the fuck off, Kacchan, before I chug you through a window?”

“Satoru, do not throw Kacchan through a window,” Izuku scolds.

“I’ll catch him.”

“You haven’t exactly perfected Blue yet, Satoru. You might not catch him.”

Satoru clicks his tongue and huffs. “Don’t gotta call me out, Izu,” he whines.

Katsuki glares at him as he rubs his head before he storms toward the entrance to the classroom. He pauses in the doorway and casts a glance at Izuku over his shoulder. “You know what, there is an easy way for you to get a Quirk,” he says. “Why don’t you pray for one in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof?”

Satoru lunges toward Katsuki and Izuku, shaken by those words, only just barely manages to grab his twin around the middle before he can reach the spiky haired boy. Satoru does succeed in throwing his textbook though and Katsuki doesn’t dodge out of the way in time before the corner of the textbook slams right into his eye.

He hisses in pain. “You fucking bastard,” he yells as he clutches at his eye as the textbook falls to the ground.

“Be glad Izuku is holding me back or I would have thrown your ass through a window, you fucking bastard,” Satoru yells back, vibrantly blue eyes blazing behind his dark sunglasses.

“Satoru, calm down. It’s fine,” Izuku exclaims as Katsuki and his lackeys quickly hurry away from the classroom door, with the spiky blonde still snarling out a string of curses under his breath.

“It’s not fine,” Satoru says with a huff as he finally calms down enough to where Izuku is sure he can release him without worrying about him charging after Katsuki. “Suicide baiting...how low can that bastard get? I mean seriously?!”

“It’s fine…”

“It’s. Not. Fine!” Satoru runs a hand through his wild snow-white hair with an aggravated sigh.

Izuku chews on his lower lip. He is sure Katsuki actually didn’t mean it but decides against pointing that out because he has this odd feeling it’s only going to make Satoru even more upset and angry and he doesn’t want that. “C’mon, I gotta go get my notebook and then we can head home,” he says.

Satoru holds up the burned notebook.

Izuku stares.

“I caught it with Blue,” says Satoru brightly. “See? I’ve been practicing.”

Izuku takes the notebook and frowns when he notices it’s still a little wet. “It got wet,” he says.

“I didn’t say I caught it before it hit the koi pond. I just said I caught it,” says Satoru with a shrug before he drapes his tall, lanky form over Izuku who yelps at the sudden weight. “C’mon, Izu~ Let’s hit up that mochi stand on Second. They’ve got a new lavender mochi ice cream I’ve been dying to try!”

Izuku huffs as he shoves at his brother but, as expected, he doesn’t even budge his taller twin. “Fine. Now get off,” he grumbles.

“Ah, you do love me~”

“Of course I do, dummy. You’re my brother. But you’re still insufferable many times.”

“I know~”

Izuku rolls his eyes but he is glad for the distraction. He doesn’t even really think Satoru does it on purpose but talking with his brother, and listening to his brother be insufferable and carefree and, yes, annoying, always helps to take his mind off whatever is bothering him.

“Don’t fill up on mochi ice cream though, Satoru, or Mom is gonna be mad,” he says.

“That was one time,” Satoru huffs as he straightens up and the twins make their way out of the classroom.

. . .

There is something incredibly chaotic about walking down the streets of a city overflowing with Quirk energy. Maybe it’s the fact that the energies are always different. Some are strong. Some are weak. All of them are perceived with different textures or shapes or colors. None of them are the same. They are just a kaleidoscopic blur of designs and colors but they all have a very similar bubble-like characteristic, and they all seem incredibly light and airy.

Such is the way Six Eyes perceives Quirk energy. It spirals and flows around the various individuals striding down the sidewalk, chatting with their friends or on their phones or window shopping in the various shops they are walking by. Different colors. Different textures. Different characteristics.

Even after all these years, Satoru Midoriya will admit that the chaotic onslaught of different Quirk energies is still difficult to handle. The constant flow of information his Six Eyes feeds to his brain is always jam-packed to the point where he has to constantly keep his eyes covered in order to ensure that jam-packed flow is muted and dulled so it won’t overwhelm him.

But it is still rather interesting in a way, even if it feels odd to be perceiving something so light and so airy as if it’s a stark contrast to what Six Eyes used to perceive. But, at the same time, his Quirk may be similar to an ability that existed before the dawn of the Age of Quirks but he’s sure it isn’t the same. And, even if it is, how would he even know what that ancient ability was able to do?

He shakes his head as he and Izuku make their way down the street, finishing up the last of their mochi ice cream as they near the tunnel they usually take to get home quickly. Since their mother wants them home by five at the latest, they use this shortcut often, especially when they take detours as they have a habit of doing because of Satoru’s massive sweet tooth, and the fact that he always saves his allowance to satisfy his massive sweet tooth.

“Something wrong, Satoru?” Izuku asks, peering up at Satoru.

Izuku is the one person in this city that Satoru doesn’t see the flow of Quirk energy around. Whereas everyone else has that airy and bubble-like flow of energy that is different depending on the person he is focusing on, Izuku doesn’t. The energy Satoru perceives around him is muted and dull, a gray in color and lacking in any significant characteristics that differentiate him from other people.

Satoru’s always known Izuku was Quirkless simply because he never had the same airy, light, bubble-like flow of energy that their mother or Dr. Aki had. Even before he knew that energy his Six Eyes perceived was Quirk energy, he knew Izuku was different.

It’s not like it changes how he feels because Izuku is still his brother.

“I’m fine. This is so good,” Satoru says around the last bite of his ice cream before he throws it away in a nearby trashcan as they enter the tunnel.

Izuku studies him but nods.
“Are you okay? After earlier…” Satoru begins because it still boils his blood to know that Katsuki Bakugo, someone whom Izuku still sees as a friend even though Satoru doesn’t know why considering how badly that moron treats him, actually suicide-baited Izuku. He really wants to just up and deck the bastard but he promised himself that he wouldn’t until Izuku finally plucked up the nerve to just do it himself.

He doesn’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon but he can hope, right?

“Oh. That. Yeah. I’m fine,” Izuku assures him.

Satoru studies him.

“Really! I’m fine!”

Satoru continues to study him. He is sure that isn’t true and Izuku is just putting on a brave face like he always does when he doesn’t want to worry anyone.

Izuku lets out a long sigh and looks away, wringing his fingers together. “Okay, I guess it did hurt,” he admits finally. “But, really, I’m over it now.”

“Are you really?”

Izuku flinches and looks down now, studying his bright red shoes for a long moment. “It was just a surprise, really,” he says finally. “Kacchan has never said anything like that to me and yet...I guess that’s probably why it hurt. I just never expected Kacchan to say anything like that to me.”

“He doesn’t deserve your friendship,” Satoru deadpans.

“He’s still gonna be a great hero and I still admire him,” Izuku insists.

Satoru knows Izuku will defend Bakugo if he even attempts to protest against that statement so he opts to say nothing. He, personally, doesn’t think anyone who is willing to tell another person to kill themselves is hero material. In fact, he doesn’t think anyone who treats others who are weaker than themselves badly deserve to be heroes. The strong are supposed to protect and save the weak, not belittle them and hurt them and tell them to kill themselves.

Heroes are supposed to be strong but if heroes don’t protect and save those who are weak then they don’t deserve to call themselves heroes.

He tenses when Six Eyes detects a rapidly approaching flow of Quirk energy. It’s bubble-like feel also feels incredibly slimy and he grabs Izuku’s arm and bolts down the tunnel.

“What? Satoru…” Izuku begins.

“Someone’s coming,” Satoru says and curses when the flow of Quirk energy erupts so close behind them that he has to throw himself and Izuku backwards before they are both engulfed by the eruption of slime emerging out of the sewer grate they were about to pass.

Izuku shrieks in fear.

“Oh a medium-sized invisibility cloak~ Two of ‘em!” The slime villain surges toward them and Satoru grabs Izuku’s arm and dives out of the way but the slime villain is quick and he yelps when tendrils of slime suddenly slam into him and send him flying.

“Sato…” Izuku’s words are cut off with a sharp gasp and, as Satoru skids to a halt, he jerks his head up and his eyes widen upon seeing the slime is completely engulfing Izuku’s form and flowing down his throat. Izuku claws at the slime but, as expected, that does absolutely nothing.

Satoru scrambles to his feet with a curse escaping his lips. Think, Satoru, think. He can try to use Blue but there is no telling if attracting the slime to him will be enough to free Izuku. If he can figure out how to use Red then he might be able to get the slime away from Izuku but he hasn’t been able to figure out how to use Red.

Think! You have to do something! He can’t just let his brother die.

He darts forward, ducking under a tendril of slime while activating the Infinity Barrier that he learned, a few years ago, is also part of his Quirk. It causes things to slow down so much so that it’s as if they come to a complete stop mere centimeters from his form. He may not be able to keep it up constantly but he should be able to keep it up long enough to get close.

If he can just use Red, if he could just figure out how to use Red. He doesn’t even know why using the Red aspect of his Quirk is so hard. Attraction came as easy as breathing to him but repulsion is making nuclear physics look like child’s play.

He goes to try and use Red but his Infinity Barrier decides to deactivate, thus allowing the slime villain’s tendrils to slam into him and he yelps as he’s sent flying into the wall of the subway tunnel. He slumps down with a groan of pain, one hand resting on his head but he scrambles to his feet and swiftly dodges out of the way of more tendrils.

“Get away. I only need one,” the slime villain yells as it swipes its tendrils toward him. He ducks to avoid it and, activating his Quirk, attempts to utilize the Red aspect. He isn’t sure what he’s missing when it comes to that but it’s clear he’s still missing something because it doesn’t work and a tendril slams into him and sends him flying into the opposite wall.

He slumps to the ground but tries to get to his feet because he has to do something. He can’t let his brother die.

The sound of metal clattering against stone sounds and Satoru looks up, eyes widening upon seeing a very familiar form emerging out of the sewer tunnel. His blonde hair is styled upward like bunny ears, a broad, bright smile dominates his lips and, even though he is dressed casually in a white shirt and black pants, his muscular form and big smile are recognizable.

All Might!

“Do not fear for I am here!” All Might declares as he surges forward.

“Wait, what, how did you…?” The slime villain doesn’t get the chance to finish his statement as All Might slam a fist straight through it, causing it to explode and sending Izuku flying.

Satoru darts forward in an instant, catching Izuku and grunting as his weight knocks him off his feet and sends them both skidding out of the tunnel. He adjusts his grip on his twin, turning his gaze to All Might, brow furrowing.

He didn’t notice All Might’s Quirk energy because he was so focused on the slime villain but, now that he is focusing on All Might himself, he can’t help but find the flow of All Might’s Quirk energy to be incredibly odd. It’s powerful, there is no doubt about of that, like a crystalline force of pulsating power but it seems to be overwhelming the non-Quirk energy that all humans have coexisting alongside their Quirk energy.

Satoru doesn’t know what to call that non-Quirk energy so he just refers to it at non-Quirk energy. It’s just a different kind of energy that exists in all humans, the same energy that is prevalent throughout Izuku because he doesn’t have any Quirk energy to coexist alongside it. But he’s never seen anyone with such overwhelming Quirk energy and only slivers of non-Quirk energy.

No, that’s a lie. The last time he saw someone with slivers of non-Quirk energy was when he visited his mother and Auntie Aki at the hospital they both used to work at, before Aki and her family moved to Okinawa, and he encountered a sick person. The person was so sick that, while their Quirk energy was still the same, that non-Quirk energy seemed to be far smaller than in other Quirked people he’s seen.

Is this man sick then?

He sits up, shifting Izuku so he is resting more comfortable on his lap, as he watches All Might gather the slime villain up in two soda bottles he had on him. He supposes even heroes have to make due with what they have on them when they have to apprehend a villain while not officially working.

“Are you okay, young man?” All Might asks as he approaches after tucking the soda bottles away. He picks up the notebook that Izuku must have dropped when he was flung away from the slime villain and, after flipping through it, signs the first empty pages he finds. He holds it out to Satoru who takes it and rests it beside them.

“I’m fine,” Satoru says. He actually aches but he ignores it because it’s really just bruises. He’s pretty sure he didn’t break anything anyway and, while his head is throbbing, a single touch to the back of his head reveals there is no blood. He nudges his brother and Izuku stirs before blinking open his eyes.

“Satoru…” he whispers.

“Hey, glad to see ya awake,” Satoru says.

“Did you save me?”

“Nah. Tried to. Didn’t work. He did,” Satoru says, gesturing and promptly covering his ears because he knows his brother.

Just as expected, he’s right and Izuku lets out the loudest shriek of utter shock Satoru has ever heard in his entire life, one that probably woke up the entire neighborhood.

“All Might!” he exclaims as he scrambles out of Satoru’s arms. “Oh my God! You’re All Might! Where’s my notebook? I’ve gotta get an autograph.”

Satoru picks up the notebook beside him. “Already done,” he says brightly and winces when Izuku shrieks in happiness, mostly because Izuku is still incredibly close so it does radiate into his ear.

“Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It’s gonna be a treasured family heirloom!” Izuku exclaims as he bows so rapidly that Satoru is afraid he’s going to bang his face into the concrete.

All Might clearly doesn’t know how to respond to that so he simply gives them a thumbs up and an overly bright “okay!” before he holds up the two soda bottles. “And you do not need to worry about the villain. He has been safely contained. Now I must bring this fellow to the authorities! You can catch me again on TV.”

He starts stretching as Izuku scrambles to his feet.

“Um! Wait, um, is that...it...I…?” Izuku stammers out swiftly.

“Until next time,” All Might declares and Satoru starts when Izuku suddenly lunges forward. “Thanks for the support!”

All Might is gone in a whoosh but Satoru can only stare at the spot where his brother was standing moments earlier because now Izuku is gone too.

Did he really just…? Satoru groans as he rubs his temples and looks to the sky but, by this point, All Might is already gone.

He knows he won’t be able to catch up with him. Even though those notes his mother got on the ability his Quirk is strongly related to indicated that he can use the Blue aspect of his Quirk to move at swift speeds, he hasn’t quite figured out how to do that yet. Truth be told, he only just barely managed to teach himself how to manipulate space down to the atomic level enough to attract people or objects to each other, or to him if need be.

His Quirk is so complicated but, at least, those notes are giving him a little bit of a better understanding, even though he knows his Quirk isn’t exactly the same as that ability that existed before the dawn of the Age of Quirks.

He shakes his head as he starts walking. He won’t be able to catch up with Izuku but he, at least, can head toward Tatooin Station, since they both have to pass by that station to get home so he may be able to meet up with him there.

It doesn’t take him long to reach Tatooin Station and, as he weaves his way around the crowd with ease to his Six Eyes letting him perceive where they are even though the dark sunglasses he wears make everything incredibly dark, he notices the flow of a specific Quirk energy.

There are some Quirk energies that Satoru is able to differentiate from others as easily as breathing, due to how long he’s been around the users of those Quirks. His mother is one, Izuku’s lack of Quirk energy is another, Aki and her daughter Shoko are another, and then there is Katsuki Bakugo, whose Quirk energy is always perceived as a crackling firecracker by his Six Eyes.

So he knows Katsuki and his lackeys are nearby but he decides to ignore them as he scans the area, looking for his twin’s large amount of non-Quirk energy. He doesn’t know where Izuku and All Might ended up but he would like to believe they didn’t go that far before All Might realized Izuku is clinging on to him for dear life.

“Haven’t you known him since you were kids?” One of Katsuki’s lackey friend’s voice says from a nearby street as Satoru nears it.

“Yeah, you went too far today,” another lackey says.

I’ll say. Satoru scoffs at that.

“It’s his fault for messing with me,” Katsuki says with a huff. “Seeing him so full of stupid dreams like when we were kids just pisses me off. And seeing his dumbass twin being so fucking protective is so fucking annoying too!”

“Well, I guess...wait...K...Katsuki!”

A scream erupts from the street and Satoru jumps, eyes widening as Six Eyes immediately detects a presence he just felt not even an hour ago. It must have been there for a while but, since he wasn’t focusing on it, he didn’t detect it until that scream, until his attention was focused on the area of the scream.

But he recognizes that slimy Quirk energy.

The slime villain? But how? All Might captured him.

“Someone, call the heroes!” One person yells.

“They’re here!” Another voice calls out as Satoru darts to the head of the street only for Backdraft to stop him and the other curious onlookers with a barricade of fire hoses.

“Stay back,” Backdraft orders while Death Arms and Kamui Woods dart forward where the slime villain is currently engulfing the familiar spiky blonde haired form of Katsuki even as Katsuki unleashes explosions out of explosions that prevents anyone from really getting closer.

Katsuki Bakugo may be many things, a bully, an arrogant prick, and someone Satoru would gladly deck for a corn chip, but that doesn’t mean he wants the other boy dead. But, at the same time, he was helpless to do anything against the slime villain earlier and, unless he can randomly figure out how to use Red, he will still be just as useless now.

He curses under his breath, wishing he was stronger. He’s supposed to be strong. He truly feels that he is supposed to be stronger than he is, even though he doesn’t know why he feels that way. It’s just a feeling, one that has been prevalent within him ever since he started uncovering more and more truths about his Quirk, or maybe even before that as a child.

Death Arms surges forward but his attempt to punch the slime villain doesn’t work while Backdraft is trying to put out the fires caused by Katsuki’s rampaging explosions and Kamui Woods is attempting to grab the people who are stuck in the street itself. None of them seem to have any possible way of attacking the slime villain, their Quirks aren’t suited for it, and Satoru can only wonder why they aren’t trying to look outside the box.

There has to be another way. Someway that doesn’t involve a Quirk. His eyes travel to the slime villain’s eyes. They are the only part of the slime villain’s body that is exposed and, as his Quirk reads the slime villain’s Quirk energy, he knows that is his weak spot. Even if it won’t defeat it, it will distract him enough to release its hold on Katsuki, at least long enough for the boy to breath.

He still has his messenger bag on him but there really isn’t anything in his bag that he can use.

Katsuki manages to break free enough to double over and let out a muffled scream as he unleashes a few more explosions. But his eyes are flaring and he’s trying, he’s trying to break free, his eyes are flaring with determination. He wants to save himself.

Satoru throws himself over the barrier, using his Quirk to call a rock toward his hand lugging it at the slime villain’s eye. It strikes it and the slime villain rears back.

Movement erupts beside him before a very familiar yellow backpack goes sailing forward and one of the textbooks flies out of it and strikes the slime villain’s other eye. The slime villain rears back and Satoru latches onto the arm he sees while the familiar form of Izuku latches on to the other arm.

“W...What are you doing here?” Katsuki yells once the slime is no longer covering his mouth.

“Saving your ass, duh! Just ‘cause you’re an arrogant, loudmouthed prick doesn’t mean I’m gonna just let ya die!” Satoru snaps.

“You looked like you were calling out for help and...and...Kacchan, I couldn’t just watch you die!” Izuku yells.

They both yank with all of their might as they struggle to pull Katsuki free from the slime’s grip.

“Just a little bit longer. So stop getting in my way,” the slime villain yells as he lashes out at both Izuku and Satoru and, while the heroes yell out and start forward and Satoru is about to try to use part of his Quirk again, he doesn’t have to.

There is movement and then All Might is there, grabbing all three of their arms in a single grip while his other hand is gripped into a tight fist. “The lesson I left you with...I should practice what I preach!” All Might declares as he rears his fist back. “A pro should always be ready to risk his life! Detroit Smash!”

He slams his fist into the slime villain while wrenching Satoru, Izuku, and Katsuki away from the slime at the same time. In an explosion of power, the slime erupts all around them as the power surges away from All Might’s form and flares so brightly, so powerful, so like a flaring crystalline flame that Satoru’s head starts throbbing painfully. He’s never perceived such powerful Quirk energy before. It’s so powerful, so bright, and pulsating with such energy that his Six Eyes, newly exposed since the force of the attack conjured up a shockwave that knocked his sunglasses off, is overwhelming his mind with the influx of far too much information far too quickly.

This Quirk...It is, by far, the most powerful Quirk he’s ever perceived with uninhibited eyes and his mind isn’t able to handle the sudden onslaught of information, causing a black tide to crash over Satoru and then there is nothing.

. . .

Izuku groans as he slowly regains consciousness. He is laying on a rain-soaked floor and he aches everywhere. He isn’t sure as to why he aches, only that he does, but memories of what happened suddenly flood his mind. He sits up sharply and winces as he does so because his head is hurting. It’s not throbbing but it’s still aching.

He gazes around, relieved to see Katsuki is regaining consciousness nearby, but he is a bit concerned when he sees Satoru is still unconscious. He reaches for his twin, brow furrowing, as he rests a hand on his arm. Satoru’s face is paler than usual and there is a faint glean of sweat coating his forehead while his eyes are squeezed tight as if in pain.

Oh. He must have lost his sunglasses and Six Eyes probably saw the full power of All Might’s Quirk, rather than the muted, dulled version.

Izuku grimaces because he doesn’t want to think about the reason why this happened. It’s his fault. He knows it is. If he hadn’t grabbed hold of All Might, because of his desperation to know if All Might thought someone who is Quirkless could be a hero or not, then All Might would have never lost the villain. Then Katsuki would have never gotten caught. Then Satoru would have never gotten hurt too.

This is all my fault. I guess...All Might’s right. Being a hero without a Quirk really isn’t possible. All I did today is cause problems and now my brother and my friend are hurt ‘cause of me.

He nudges Satoru. “Satoru?” he whispers as he rests his free hand over Satoru’s eyes. “Satoru?”

Satoru groans but Izuku feels his eyes flutter open beneath his hand. A soft sigh of relief erupts for his lips, probably at the welcoming darkness brought on by Izuku covering his eyes. “Izuku?” he says as he slowly sits up while Izuku keeps his eyes covered.

“I’m here. Are you okay?” Izuku asks.

“Got a raging migraine and my eyes are burning, though you covering ‘em is helping a heck of a lot, but, other than that, I’m just peachy.”

Movement sounds and Izuku looks up to see Kamui Woods and Death Arms walking toward them. Both of them are sporting the same frowns of disapproval while Kamui Woods has his arms folded across his chest.

“Are you injured?” Death Arms asks.

“No, just some bruises,” Izuku says. “Um, do you have any sunglasses or something that Satoru can use to cover his eyes? They’re really strained by right and need to be covered so they don’t hurt.” The two heroes look at each other before Kamui Woods moves off. He comes back with gauze. “It’s the closest thing we could find,” he says as he hands over the roll of gauze.

“I guess it’ll have to do,” Satoru says and Izuku feels him close his eyes. “Let me know when you’re done.”

Izuku nods and, lowering his hand starts gently winding the gauze around Satoru’s eyes until the gauze is thick enough that Satoru won’t be able to see beyond them. “Is that enough?” he asks his brother.

Satoru hums. “Yeah, that’s fine. The pain’s easing,” he says.

Izuku, letting loose a soft breath, ties off the gauze and, ripping it free from the roll, hand the roll back to Kamui Woods.

“So long as you are okay but what you both did was incredibly reckless,” says Death Arms sternly. “There was absolutely no need for either of you to put yourself into danger.”

Izuku winces and ducks his head before clamping a hand around Satoru’s mouth when he opens his mouth, probably about to protest. He shakes his head when his brother glances at him and, while he seems a bit annoyed by that, he huffs and nods his head.

Thankfully, they don’t get scolded too much more beyond that and, once the paramedics determine they are all right, they are allowed to leave.

“So, any particular reason why you decided to hitch a ride on the Number One Hero of Japan?” Satoru asks casually as they both stride down the street toward their apartment building.

Izuku yelps and his face goes red in embarrassment because, in hindsight, that wasn’t a good idea. “Um, well, I just...I wanted to ask All Might if he thought someone who is Quirkless could be a hero,” he says.

Satoru glances down at him in bewilderment. “Of course you can. Isn’t that what we decided? We’re both gonna be the strongest, and be the best heroes we can possible be together, whether you have a Quirk or not.”

“That’s what we wanna be but...I just wanted to know if All Might thought it was possible. What we want isn’t the same as what is possible.”

“Nah. I think anything’s possible if you really put your mind to it. So what did he say?”

“Um, well…”

“Deku!” A loud yell sounds and Izuku jumps before whirling around as Katsuki storms toward them with fury on his face.

“I never asked either of you to save me!” Katsuki yells in fury. “As if you could, Deku! Huh? Well? I could’ve beaten him myself! How dare a Quirkless failure like you pity me! Trying to win me over? Don’t you dare mock me! Stupid nerd!” He whirls around and storms off while Satoru gives his retreating back an incredulous look.

“Wow. That’s the thanks we get. What a prick,” he deadpans.

“Satoru,” Izuku scolds.

“Well, he is! Anyway, c’mon, Izu~ Let’s get some eclairs at that bakery on third to celebrate not dying today!”

Izuku rolls his eyes but he supposes that does sound good. If anything, it’ll take his mind off everything that’s happened. Izuku wasn’t able to change anything but he’s glad because this just means that he can start moving toward a more realistic future, even if it’s not the future he wanted to have. Even if it means he won’t be able to be a hero with his brother like he’s always wanted to.

“I am here!” All Might declares as he zooms forward out of absolutely nowhere and Izuku jumps up with a shriek of surprise.

“Where the hell did you come from?” Satoru blurts out.

“Oh, young man, I did not realize you weren’t alone,” All Might declares in his booming voice. “Might I have a word with you in private?”

Satoru tilts his head to the side. Even though his eyes are covered by thick gauze, Izuku has the very good feeling All Might is being studied intently.

“Um, it’s okay, Satoru. I’ll catch up,” he says because he has no doubt All Might can’t hold his buff form for much longer and doesn’t want to risk anyone else finding out about his true form. While Izuku trusts his twin with his life, this isn’t a secret he wants to force All Might to reveal to someone else unintentionally. He’s already done it once today. Izuku doesn’t want it to happen again.

Satoru tilts his head toward him then smiles brightly. “Okay~ I’ll try not to eat all the eclairs before you get there,” he says brightly and skips off.

“You better save me at least one!” Izuku yells after his brother.

Satoru laughs as he waves his hand dismissively.

Izuku huffs. “Something tells me I’m going to have to order my own order of eclairs when I catch up to him,” he mutters before turning his gaze to All Might who, once Satoru is out of sight, releases his buff form. “But, um, weren’t you surrounded by reporters earlier?”

“Shaking them off is nothing to me,” All Might declares before he coughs and adds, “Kid. I’ve come to thank you and revise what I said earlier. Also, I have a proposal.”

“’Huh?”

“Without you, if I hadn’t heard your story, I’d have been nothing but fake muscles and insincerity so thank you!” All Might says.

“That...no...I mean it was all my fault from the start. I got in your way, even though I’m Quirkless. I dared to ask if…” Izuku begins.

“Exactly!” All Might cuts him off. “Of all the people at the scene, it was you, timid and Quirkless, and your brother who acted. You both spurred me into action. Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children. Many of them claim their bodies simply moved before they could think.”

Izuku feels a tremble rush through his form. He finds himself thinking back to when he was first diagnosed as Quirkless, to when his mother looked at him with pity when he asked her if he could still be a hero like All Might, to when the only person who still stuck by his side was his brother.

His brother told him they are both going to be the strongest, Quirk or no Quirk, and, while that did help him with his shock, it wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear.

“That’s what happened to you back there, yes?” says All Might and Izuku, feels tears start streaking down his face as he doubles over, manages a nod.

“Young man, you can be a hero!” All Might declares.

And Izuku cries. For the first time in his entire life, someone, and not just anyone but his actual idol, just told him the words he has been craving to hear.

He can be a hero.

“I believe you’re worthy of inheriting my power,” All Might adds.

The tears dry up in an instant and Izuku jerks his head up and gives his idol a puzzled look. “What?”

All Might bursts out laughing. “What’s that face for? It’s a proposal. The real work begins here. Listen, my boy, I’m asking you if you want to try accepting my power!”

His power? What is he saying?

“This concerns my Quirk, kid,” says All Might, startling Izuku again. “The tabloids like to guess that it’s ‘super strength’ or ‘boost power’ and I avoid the question in interviews by making jokes. Because All Might, the Symbol of Peace, has to come off as a natural born hero.”

Wait, All Might isn’t a natural born hero?

“But my Quirk...it was passed down to me like an Olympic torch.”

“Passed down to you? Really?” Izuku says in surprise, eyes widening.

“Yes. And now it may be your turn.”

“H...Hold on a second. To be sure, All Might’s Quirk is one of the seven great mysteries of the world, and there’s been endless debate over what it might be. There isn’t a day that goes by without some new theory on the internet but...well...now he says it was passed down to him. Naturally I have no idea what he means but more than that, that’s not even a theory that anyone proposed before, and that’s mostly because hew e still know so little about what Quirks are in the first place. I mean we use the term ‘Quirk’ to begin with because each power of characteristic is so particular to a single person…” The rest of Izuku’s words spiral around his head in a mutter storm that probably has All Might’s head spinning.

“You really doubt me that much,” All Might exclaims, cutting Izuku’s muttering off. “Nonsense!”

“N…” Izuku begins but All Might is going on before he can finish. “I have many secrets but I never lie! I have the ability to transfer power. That’s the Quirk I inherited. It’s called One for All.” He holds out a hand and Izuku can almost picture a pulsating power resting in the palm of that hand.

“One...for...All…”

“The first person cultivates the power and then pases it to another. The next refines it and passe it on again. In this way, those crying out to be saved and those with brave and true heearts link to form a crystalline network of power.”

“But...all this..why...why me?” Izuku stammers out because he just doesn’t understand it. He’s just a Quirkless nobody. He doesn’t have a lick of power, not like his brother, not like Katsuki, not like any of his classmates.

“I’ve been searching for a successor for a while now and I believe that you are worthy,” says All Might. “You may be Quirkless, a mere hero admirer but, back there, you were more heroic than anyone else, barring your brother.”

Izuku swallows as he rubs the tears that are welling up in his eyes and scrambles to his feet.

“But, of course, it depends on you! What do you say?” All Might asks.

He told me so much. He’s divulged his greatest secrets to me. Do I have a reason no to accept? No. Not at all.

He lowers his arm. I have no reason to refuse. “Yes, I accept,” he says.

All Might grins at him. “A quick answer. I expected nothing less,” he says and Izuku knows that this most definitely going to be the start of something new and, while he is nervous about what he is going to face, he doesn’t regret it. Because, this way, he can be the hero he wants to be. This way, he can be the strongest with his brother. This way, he can fulfill his and his brother’s dream to become the greatest heroes they both possibly be.

This is his chance to fulfill his and his brother’s shared dream and he is not going to pass it up.

. . .

Chapter Text

The bar is dingy and in dire need of repair. Walls are cracked. Windows are stained. Dust covers every single surface from the bar counter to the splintering tables laying scattered upon a wooden floor stained with blood and alcohol and vomit and other questionable substances. No one comes here for a drink or to hang out with friends. No. It’s one of the many meeting places of the less than savory characters in the world.

Giran just so happens to be a broker who cares little about who he helps so long as he gets paid for it. He will help betray his own mother if it means getting a decent paycheck out of the deal and everyone knows it, just as everyone knows his connections in the criminal underworld are incredibly long. He is someone who knows everyone. He is someone who can get one into even the most highly restricted areas.

He deals in everything. Black market deals. Assassinations. Blackmail. It doesn’t matter because he has a hand in every single aspect of the criminal underworld, which is why he is one of the first to be notified of a new bounty that is about to spread throughout the underworld like a wildfire.

He hums as he lets out a puff of smoke while lowering the cigarette resting between his index finger and middle finger as he picks up the folder with his free hand. “A ten million yen bounty on the head of this kid?” he says, studying the image resting on the very first page of the stack of papers within the folder.

“Yes,” the man sitting across from him says with a nod. “We have reason to believe he is going to be a threat to the entire criminal underworld and thus he needs to be taken out of the equation as quickly as possible.”

“A threat to the entire underworld? Or a threat to your organization in particular?” says Giran with a raised eyebrow.

The man leans back in his seat and smirks, raising one hand and brushing thick locks of dark blonde hair out of his face and Giran’s eyes trace over the odd stitches wrapped around the man’s forehead like a crown. “Can it not be both?” he says and, lowering his hand, leans forward and taps a finger against the folder. “That boy holds a power within him that has the potential to make him the strongest, to make him even more powerful than All Might himself.”

“More powerful than the Symbol of Peace himself?” Giran echoes.

“Yes.”

“I see.” He pulls his cigarette to his lips and, inhaling it, blows out another puff of smoke. “Why now?”

“Simple. His existence was not discovered until recently,” says the man. He taps his head, adding, “It’s been so long that it took far more time than anticipated for my body to adjust so I could not actually track the boy down until I was adjusted. And, truth be told, I didn’t even know if the power existed in this day and age until I did my search and found out it did.”

“You do know most of what you said doesn’t make a lick of sense, right?”

“Oh I know. Nonetheless, it is a very generous fee, yes?”

“Mm. I know some villains who won’t hesitate to go after the kid for this kind of money, or just because they want to, but there are others who would frown upon it. Still though, it’s a pretty massive bounty for taking out a fourteen year old boy who probably doesn’t even have full control over his Quirk.”

“That is why I made it as lucrative as I could because this is the time to actually strike against the boy, while he has yet to master his ability. Trust me when I say now is the time to strike because if the boy masters his Quirk then nothing will be able to challenge him.”

“You speak highly of this boy’s power.”

“Let’s just say I have experience with this power. And, this time, I do not wish to lose.”

Giran hums but leans back in his seat as he takes another drag of his cigarette and releases it in a plume of smoke. “I can’t keep the bounty up forever,” he says. “No bounty can stay up forever. It’s just not the way the underworld works.”

“That I am well aware of. Until next year. They have until the very first day of April next year to accomplish this task. If it is not completed by then then the bounty will be taken down, and I will deem the villains to be far weaker than anticipated and come up with another plan. Deal?”

“Very well.” Giran studies the image on the front page of the contents, taking in the boy’s snow-white hair, incredibly pale complexion, and vibrant and mesmerizing blue eyes. Fourteen years old...born on July 15^th, eldest of twin boys…

“I’ll pass on the information on the boy and on the bounty. Whether they succeed or not is up to them, so long as I get paid for posting this bounty, and get a cut should the bounty actually be completed,” he says.

“Of course,” the man says as he rises to his feet, gathering his long black trenchcoat around his slim, dancer’s body.

“And just what name will you be going by? For the records, of course,” says Giran as he also rises, closing the folder and tucking it under his arm.

The man smirks and turns, striding away as he says over his shoulder, “Call me Kenjaku.”

. . .

Satoru flops face first onto the couch, burying his face into the couch cushion with a groan while his mother glances at him with concern. He doesn’t move from his spot, even though his legs are dangling over the armrest and one of his arms dangles off the side of the couch. He is so tired. His brain is hurting. His eyes are burning. And he is still nowhere near close to figuring out how to master Red.

“Satoru, were you training with your Quirk again?” Inko says with stern disapproval in her tone.

Satoru winces but doesn’t remove his face from the cushion. “Well, I gotta figure it out somehow,” he says into the cushion. “But it’s so hard! I can’t even begin to figure out why I can’t figure it out when I figured out Blue like right away and it’s so annoying!”

“Satoru, you know I don’t like it when you practice with your Quirk so much that it leaves you exhausted,” says Inko and Satoru feels a hand run through his hair as she adds, “I know you want to figure this out but you’ve got time.”

“But not enough patience,” Satoru quips.

“Lord knows that’s true. Izuku clearly inherited my patience and you got your father’s stubbornness along with his impatience,” says Inko with a long sigh but she keeps stroking Satoru’s hair. “Listen. I agreed to let you practice with your Quirk but I also insisted that you had to not go overboard and take breaks so you don’t exhaust yourself like you did today.”

“I know, Mom. I thought I had it but, well, yeah, I didn’t.”

“You’d have been in a far better mood if you did,” Inko says in amusement and, retracting her hand, adds, “Take a nap, Satoru. In a few hours, I want you to help me make dinner.”

Satoru turns his head. “Is Izuku still doing that new diet plan he randomly told you about last week?” he asks.

“Yes. I am grateful Izuku is eating more healthy, unlike someone I know.”

“I had some fruit yesterday.”

“Sorbet is not considered healthy, son.”

Satoru pouts and rolls onto his back, covering his eyes with his arm while swatting at the coffee table in the hope of snagging his sunglasses without having to get up. He manages it and slips them on as he adds, “I’m surprised Izuku is trying out a new diet plan though.”

“He didn’t tell you why?”

“No. Honestly, I haven’t really spoken with Izuku much beyond in school since last week,” Satoru says. It’s weird. He and Izuku have been inseparable since they were babies. They’ve always been incredibly close that Satoru feels like he’s been set adrift now that there is this distance between them. They don’t walk home from school anymore. Izuku is always busy, leaving right as soon as school ends for the day and coming home exhausted and too late to really do much beyond eat dinner and going straight to bed. They haven’t really talked since last week and Satoru just doesn’t know what’s wrong, or if he did something to upset him.

Sure, he’s always been very outspoken to the point of saying what’s on his mind even if it comes off as blunt, or incredibly rude, but he doesn’t think he’s said anything to make his brother upset with him. Sure, he’s threatened to deck Bakugo but he does that all the time so that can’t be it.

“Did you to have a falling out?” asks Inko.

“I don’t even know,” Satoru says with a sigh as he tilts his head to gaze at the ceiling. “I mean I don’t think I said anything to upset him. He’s just been so busy and I don’t know what’s keeping him so busy ‘cause he hasn’t said nothing to me. It’s weird. Like really really weird.”

“Considering you two used to share everything together, I can see why it would be weird. But I’m sure he’ll come around. You are brothers and you love each other,” says Inko. “Now go take a nap.”

“Okay, Mom.” Satoru rolls onto his side and closes his eyes, not even bothering on taking off the sunglasses, though he does feel it when his mom does it for him. He tries to sleep. He does but, for some reason, it’s not as easy as he thought it would be. Considering how tired he is, he thought he would be able to fall asleep pretty quickly but it’s as if his mind won’t stop.

But, at least, he can try and rest his eyes and try and relax. Maybe if he can just relax, if he can just think about something like snow or sand or something simple, then it will help shut his mind down and he can sleep. His mother is the one who suggested that as a form of meditation to help him shut his mind down when it won’t shut up on its own.

So he focuses on snow. He isn’t sure why snow is relaxing but he finds it is. Just picturing the pristine white flakes falling from a pure white sky, feeling their cold kiss as they land against his skin, marveling at the beauty of the land covered in a thick blanket of pure white.

Winter’s always been his favorite season. He isn’t even sure why but it almost feels as if that is when his birthday is supposed to be. He knows it isn’t, his birthday is in the middle of July, but it’s odd that he feels like it should be then. Like around December, maybe even that first week, and it’s weird that he feels that way.

But he guesses it’s enough because he ends up falling asleep and doesn’t wake up until he feels a nudge in his shoulder. He blinks open his eyes and winces until sunglasses are placed in his hand and he immediately puts them on as he blinks his eyes a few more times and turns his head.

Izuku is kneeling by the couch, peering at him in concern.

“Oh, hey, Izuku. Whoa, you look terrible,” Satoru exclaims because Izuku does. He smells like he fell into a dumpster and he has questionable substances in his hair and stains on his clothing and he’s pretty sure that’s a banana peel resting in his head.

“Thanks,” Izuku deadpans as he sits back on his heels. “I kinda fell into a trash heap on the way home.”

“Yeah, obviously.” Satoru picks up the banana peel and Izuku’s face flushes. “You didn’t even notice that, did ya?”

“No…”

Satoru chuckles and tosses the banana peel, whooping when it manages to land in the garbage can all the way in the kitchen.

“Satoru, next time, get up and throw it away properly,” Inko scolds from within the kitchen.

Satoru snickers. “Okay, Mom,” he calls back as he swings his legs off the couch and peers at his brother. “So where have you been anyway?” He hopes that, since Izuku doesn’t look that tired right now, he might be willing to tell him, that he might be willing to actually talk with him.

“Oh, uh, just doing some community service, nothing to big, yeah,” Izuku says swiftly, far too swiftly, and Satoru frowns.

Izuku never lies to him. If there is one thing they both agree to do, it’s to not lie to each other. They are too close for that because they are always able to detect if the other one is lying to them. And, even if Satoru wasn’t capable of detecting the hint of dishonesty in Izuku’s voice, it’s pretty clear with the way he fidgets, the way his eyes avoid meeting Satoru’s, with the way he wrings his hands together.

“Why’re you lying to me?” he deadpans.

Izuku jumps. “Uh, I’m not…” he begins.

“Izuku, we’ve been inseparable since we were babies. We always know when the other is lying. You know that so why?”

“Uh, it’s just...It’s not important. Really! It’s not!” He waves his hands frantically as he says that and Satoru narrows his eyes because that doesn’t sound like the truth either.

“Izuku…” he begins.

“It’s not important. Just drop it!” The sudden shift in Izuku’s tone, from desperate to annoyed, startles both of them into silence because Satoru doesn’t remember Izuku ever snapping at him before, and it’s clear Izuku is just as surprised by his snap as if he wasn’t expecting that either.

But it’s clear Satoru is annoying his twin so he decides to just leave the matter be. “Yeah, fine, whatever,” he says and, jumping to his feet, strides toward the kitchen. “Hey, Mom. Do you still need help with dinner?”

Inko glances at him. “Everything okay with you and Izuku?” she asks.

“Hell if I know but he doesn’t wanna talk about it so why bother on pushing?” Satoru says and there are hints of disappointment and annoyance in his own tone. He isn’t used to this, to not being able to talk with his brother, to there being such distance between them. It’s only been a week but that’s just a week too long in Satoru’s opinion.

“Language, Satoru,” Inko scolds and, holding out the ladle, she gestures to the stove and, as Satoru takes over stirring the miso water, she adds, “Just give him some time.”

“Okay.” Satoru focuses on the water.

It isn’t long before dinner is ready and everyone is seated at the dining room table, Izuku is now all washed up and in clean clothes and seems to have let go of his earlier annoyance. He does peer over at Satoru though. “I’m sorry ‘bout snapping at you earlier, Satoru,” he says.

Satoru, in the middle of blowing on a spoonful of miso soup, pauses and glances at him. “It’s fine,” he says and, spooning the soup into his mouth, swallows and adds, “We haven’t talked in a while so I guess I just wanted to talk again.”

“Oh, uh, right. Sorry. I’ve been busy. But, uh, do you wanna join me on my morning jog tomorrow?”

Satoru grimaces at the thought of getting up early in the morning, before the crack of dawn since that’s when Izuku likes to go jogging, but he would like to spend time with his brother and try to close the distance that appeared between them this past week. Maybe he can really figure out why his brother is keeping his distance, if he did or said something to upset him without realizing it. It’s not as if it would be the first time he’s said something without thinking about it after all.

“Okay,” he says.

Izuku beams. “Great,” he says and goes back to eating while Satoru does the same.

. . .

Dagobah Beach. A trash heap that has become a dump site ever since debris started being carried onto it from the ocean itself. Izuku knows he is tasked with clearing out a portion of it and he’s been steadily working on that but he can tell it’s slow going.

“You’re doing really well though, my boy,” says All might, who is currently standing off to the side in his true scrawny form.

“T...Thanks, All Might!” Izuku chirps with a big grin because he can’t help but be proud of what he has accomplished so far. He turns his attention back to the beach as he makes his way onto it. He already did his warm up exercises after his morning jog with his brother earlier and, while he does feel bad for not telling his brother about what he’s really up to, he knows he can’t. All Might’s secret is his to share and, while he never actually said Izuku had to keep their training a secret, he knows his brother well enough to know he will want to join him.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to train with his brother. It’s just that he doesn’t want to risk exposing All Might’s secret. It’s not his secret to share so he shouldn’t risk exposing it to anyone without All Might’s approval.

But he knows it’s causing some distance between him and his brother, and it is a distance that he isn’t used to considering how close they’ve been since the day they were born. They’ve been virtually inseparable since they were born and Izuku really doesn’t like keeping anything from his brother. It’s not like his brother ever keeps anything from him.

He knows about Six Eyes. He know about Limitless, the true name of Satoru’s Quirk. He knows about how much Satoru is struggling to master Limitless due to having only ancient texts that talk about a power that is similar to his Quirk but not the exact same. He knows about how incredibly complicated Limitless actually is and how Satoru is only just now starting to dig beneath the surface he’s been scratching at since he was four.

But he can’t tell Satoru about One for All. He can’t tell his brother about All Might’s true form, about All Might choosing him to be his successor, about the fact that he is going to eventually inherit All Might’s Quirk. It’s not his secret to share so he has to keep it from the brother he normally shares everything with.

It’s been tough but he’s managing. He just doesn’t want the distance between him and his brother to grow any wider, which is why he asked Satoru to join him on his morning jog every morning since he started training with All Might. He loves his brother a great deal and will try and close the distance that appeared between them without either of them meaning for that to happen without exposing All Might’s secret.

For now, he focuses on clearing out the beach, following the All American Dream Plan All Might crafted for him. He was surprised when he found out the plan even planned out his sleep schedule and his diet but he knows his mother is happy that he’s eating healthier, and that his new diet is something even Satoru is accepting, though that’s probably because he still gets to eat his sweets.

It is difficult because there are many things on the beach. All of them require different muscles to lift up or carry or even move because they weigh differently or they’re bulky or they’re numerous but he is grateful to see that, a few months into the training program, he is making it work.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a few months since he started training with All Might. They are already well into summer and, while Izuku knows he may have gone a bit overboard a few weeks ago to the point of passing out, at least All Might was willing to adjust his training regime to incorporate his desire to get stronger quicker without overdoing it.

It’s already the end of June. School will be ending its first term in a few weeks and that means Izuku will have a full month free of school work to continue to work toward clearing out the portion of Dagobah Beach All Might assigned to him. He is grateful for the progress he’s making, and how he is starting to actually fill out and gain muscles in places he never thought he would ever gain muscles.

He’s pretty sure he could bench press a fridge but he is not going to try it, lest he accidentally hurt himself by trying that too soon.

He throws more pieces of trash onto the dump truck they are going to be taking away from the beach once he’s done with his training for the day, catches the water bottle All Might tosses him, takes a drink and tosses it back, and goes back to work.

It’s around noon that All Might calls for him to stop and he, jogging over to join his mentor, accepts the water bottle and bento All Might gives him.

“Not bad progress today, Young Midoriya,” All Might says as he and Izuku sit down and start eating. “I think we can stop for the day after this.”

“I can go on for a while longer,” Izuku says as he picks up a fried shrimp between his chopsticks.

“Didn’t you say that you and your brother were going to head into the city today?”

Izuku falters because he forgot about that. He and his brother, in an attempt to try to close the distance that has spawned between them since Izuku started training with All Might, agreed to go into the city and catch a movie that afternoon. But he feels that he can get more done today and he isn’t even tired yet and if he can put more work today then that will lessen the amount of time he will need to finish.

“He’ll understand. He knows I’m training and getting ready for the Entrance Exam,” Izuku says. He finally told his brother that’s what he is doing that is keeping him busy after a few weeks of being wracked with guilt over constantly worrying his brother who only wants to know why he is so busy out of concern. Satoru doesn’t know who Izuku is training with, only that he is training in such a way to help him gain endurance and stamina and strength. It’s not the same as what Satoru is doing, since Satoru has been attempting to delve even deeper into his Quirk to try to uncover what he’s missing about the two aspects of his Quirk, one of which he still can’t use. Since they are training in different ways, they can’t really train together or, at least, that’s the logic Izuku gave him in his effort to keep All Might’s secrets secret.

“Perhaps it would be better if we called it a day,” All Might suggests. “I do not wish to be the reason why you would cancel plans at the last minute with your brother.”

“He’ll understand,” Izuku says. He can be just as stubborn as his brother. It’s probably the one trait they both share, even more so when Izuku gets set on accomplishing a goal he’s set for himself. It’s the reason why he passed out from overdoing it a few weeks ago because he became so determined to fulfill his goal that he went overboard.

He puts aside the bento and picks up his phone, dialing his brother’s number and resting the phone against his ear.

“Yo Izuku!” Satoru says cheerfully and Izuku smiles a bit. “So I’m at the theater now. Not a lot of good selections but I think I found something we’d both enjoy.”

Izuku’s smile falters because Satoru sounds so happy. This is going to hurt him because he knows they haven’t really hung out in a while beyond their morning jogs, and Izuku knows Satoru only does those morning jogs because it makes Izuku happy even though he absolutely hates getting up before the crack of dawn.

“Hey, little bro. You still there?” Satoru asks.

“Little? I’m only two minutes younger than you,” Izuku deadpans.

“I was in reference to the fact that you’re like way shorter than me actually~” Satoru says in a singsong voice.

Izuku groans. “Why must you constantly remind me of that?” he says with a huff. “Just ‘cause you sprouted like a weed…”

“What can I say? It’s funny, munchkin.”

“Satoru…”

“Or Beansprout.”

Izuku sputters. “Do not call me Beansprout,” he protests.

“Why not?”

“Satoru…”

Light laughter erupts over the phone. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop for now,” Satoru says cheerfully. “So, anyway, are ya heading over? Both movies I was thinking about start in about thirty minutes and Mom said that she wants us both home early today.”

“Did she say why?” Izuku asks while briefly glancing at his phone to see if he got any texts from his mother. He sees there is one that hasn’t been read and resolves to read it after he is done talking with his brother.

“She wants to have an early dinner ‘cause she was called into work. They need her for the graveyard shift so she wants us home by five,” says Satoru. He hums over the phone and adds, “Well, that narrows down the movies to decide from ‘cause one ends after five and the other ends at four thirty so we can go with that one.”

Izuku hesitates but he knows it’s now or never. “Actually, Satoru, I was thinking that we can just do this another time,” he says.

“…”

“Uh, I know we’ve been wanting to hang out ‘cause both of us have gotten so busy with our respective training that we hardly ever get the chance to talk and hang out like we used to but I feel that I can get more done with my training if I stay a bit longer today so can we reschedule?”

“You know you kinda made it sound like you were canceling a date,” Satoru says in amusement. “And that’s incest, just so you know.”

Izuku sputters, face going red. “That’s not...I wasn’t...Satoru!” he cries even as laughter erupts over the phone. “Why do you always mess with me?”

“’Cause it’s way too easy to do so, y’know? Also, it’s my job as the older brother to mess with my baby brother,” says Satoru brightly.

“I’m literally only two minutes younger than you. I’m not a baby brother,” Izuku protests.

“You’re small enough to be one~”

Izuku groans. “I am so stealing your sweet stash when I get home,” he says.

“Do not touch my sweets,” Satoru whines. “But, yeah, that’s fine. We can just go next weekend or something. I think we get half-priced tickets or something if we go on our birthday so we can go then.”

“Yeah, that’ll work,” Izuku says and, while he doesn’t bring attention to it, that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of the disappointment and resignation and acceptance in his brother’s voice. He winces because it sounds almost as if his brother was fully expecting this to happen. “I am sorry but…”

“Nah, it’s fine. Oh, Bakugo’s here. I’m gonna go drag him into watching this movie with me. He’s gonna hate it and it’s gonna be hilarious! I’ll see ya at home, Baby Bro!”

“Stop calling me…” Click. “...and he hung up on me.” Izuku huffs as he puts his phone away and shakes his head. His twin really is an insufferable, carefree idiot sometimes but Izuku doesn’t mean that in a mean way. He means that in a fond but exasperated way. It’s really no surprise that he is the more responsible between him and his brother. His brother is the kind of menace who would sell someone, and by someone Izuku means Bakugo, to Satan for a corn chip.

“You and your brother are close,” All Might comments.

“Very,” Izuku admits as he jumps to his feet. “I guess that might be the main reason why Satoru is a bit disappointed that I had to cancel but I’m sure he understands. I’m gonna get started again, All Might.” He jogs off, heading toward the section of the beach he was working on before they had their lunch break.

. . .

“That was the worse movie I have ever seen in my fucking life! Why the fuck did I let you drag me to see it? It was completely wrong and those characters didn’t make fucking sense and even the setting was fucking off,” Bakugo is raging as he and Satoru make their way out of the movie theater while Satoru, snacking on a pack of Twizzlers, laughs at the spiky blonde’s furious expression.

Truth be told, he knows the only reason he was able to convince Bakugo to watch that movie with him is because it was supposed to be a scary movie and he said Bakugo was too ‘chicken’ to watch the movie. And Bakugo took that as a personal challenge and stormed into the movie theater, saying he is going to watch it and not get scared and prove Satoru wrong.

It may have required a little bit of manipulation but it was well worth it for this response.

“And why the fuck did they not get into the car? They hid behind the fucking chainsaws and get fucking talking like it was the most normal fucking thing in the world in spite of the fact that the killer was literally right within earshot. They should have kept fucking silent or, better yet, go into the fucking car that was right there,” Bakugo is still going on, his voice getting even more furious as he storms several paces ahead of Satoru while Satoru just continues to snack and enjoy the show.

This is even more entertaining than the movie itself.

For some reason, he gets the odd feeling there is someone who actually likes these kinds of stupid movies but he shakes that feeling away. He isn’t sure as to where that thought even came from and simply pushes it aside.

“And how is it that the blonde always gets killed off? I feel that’s like a fucking stereotype or something ‘cause blonds are not stupid. I’m not stupid for example. And it’s so fucking annoying to see that happen and it’s wasn’t even just that movie and…” Bakugo continues to rant while Satoru continues to eat his candy and enjoy himself.

Bakugo cuts himself off and glares at Satoru. “This is your fucking fault, you know, fucking Snow Head,” he snaps.

“Snow Head?” Satoru raises an eyebrow. “That’s new. It’s usually Dumbass or Freaky Eyes.”

“Shut the fuck up. Ugh. I am never getting those fucking hours of my life back and I know you did that on purpose ‘cause you always fuck with me,” says Bakugo in annoyance.

“Ample payback for all the times you hurt Izu, without actually decking you ‘cause I’m waiting for Izuku to do that first before I do it,” says Satoru with a shrug.

“Tch. How the fuck you two are twins, I will never know.”

“Well, you see when a mother and a father love each other very much…”

“That is not what I fucking meant and you fucking know it!”

Satoru barks out a laugh, vibrantly bright blue eyes twinkling in amusement behind the dark sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He tosses the empty candy bag into a nearby trash can and leans back on the balls of his feet. “I hear they’re coming out with a sequel to that movie next year,” he says and grins when Bakugo groans and starts ranting about how that is an absolutely terrible idea even as he storms away from Satoru.

“Nice hanging out, Kacchan,” he calls after the spiky blonde haired boy.

“Fuck you, Snow Head!” Bakugo yells back at him even as he flips him off while walking away.

Satoru laughs but trails after him.

“Don’t fucking follow me!” Bakugo yells at him.

“I live in this direction, dumbass,” Satoru retorts, rolling his eyes. “Or did you forget your family and my family have basically been neighbors their entire lives.”

He gets the middle finger thrown at him for that and snickers but continues to walk after the spiky blonde. Bakugo just stuffs his hands into the pockets of his pants as he storms ahead of them while slightly slouched.

They enter one of the busy streets cutting through the heart of the ward they’ve lived in their entire lives. There are so many people with their unique flows of Quirk energy spiraling or flowing around them but Satoru is able to ignore them by simply not focusing on them. He still perceives them but his Six Eyes doesn’t flood his mind with more than simple snippets of those flows while his eyes are covered, and while he isn’t focusing on anyone in particular.

But it is when they are about halfway down the street that Satoru frown. It’s odd because he could have sworn he just caught a snippet of a rather vile flow of Quirk energy. Dark. Deadly. What in the world…?

The crack of a gunshot sounds and Satoru’s eyes widen when one of the pedestrians near him falls with blood erupting from the bullet hole in his head.

Screams immediately erupt and Satoru shakes away his surprise as he darts toward Bakugo, who must have heard the gunshot and is staring at the fallen civilian with wide eyes, and grabs his arm. “C’mon, we should get outta the street,” he says.

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do,” Bakugo hisses, yanking his arm free but bolting toward the nearest building, an arcade, and Satoru follows him. They both shoulder the door opens, noticing they aren’t the only ones who are fleeing into the inside of buildings as more bullets spray into the crowd. The windows of the arcade shatter and Satoru and Bakugo dive behind a nearby arcade game to avoid the spray of glass.

“What the fuck…?” Bakugo growls.

“Villain?” Satoru asks, peering around the arcade game and trying to find the culprit if only to see if those bullets are from the culprit’s Quirk or if it’s an actual gun.

“What else would it fucking be, idiot?” Bakugo huffs.

That dark, deadly vile flow of Quirk energy is getting closer and Satoru jerks his head back when the door to the arcade shatters by a spray of bullets. Those bullets land on the ground and Satoru can immediately tell they are the source of that Quirk energy. That means the person who is attacking has a Quirk associated with those bullets.

Bakugo clearly realizes they need to move because he starts crawling away away and Satoru immediately follows him, moving as quietly as they possibly could to try and get to the back of the arcade. There has to be a fire exit back there that they can use to get out of there and get away from the villain, preferably before the villain realizes they’re there.

Those bullets suddenly rise up and surge back the way they came and Satoru grimaces at the realization that the Quirk user can control those bullets at will. His Six Eyes are easily informing him of that fact, of the fact that the Quirk allows the user to fire a set number of bullets but cannot control the trajectory unless it’s at point blank range and can recall each bullet after it has been fired.

But if he can’t control the trajectory then he can’t control where it goes. Does that mean this is just a random attack? He doesn’t know but he doesn’t want to stay and find out so he keeps moving. He and Bakugo end up in an aisle between two rows of arcade games when Satoru sees them: two girls who can’t be older then six or seven, one has brown hair while the other has black hair. They are clinging onto each other with terror filling their eyes.

Movement sounds and Satoru ducks to press himself against one machine at the end of the aisle while Bakugo presses against the machine across the aisle.

The culprit points his gun at the two girls and fires off five shots but Bakugo is suddenly there, throwing an explosion straight in the path of the bullets, forcing the villain to recall the bullets before they can get swallowed up by the explosion.

Satoru swiftly darts forward and gestures to the girls. “C’mon,” he says swiftly.

The girls scramble to their feet and dart toward Satoru who shoves them in the direction he and Bakugo were heading. They stumble toward it and, turning around, they mouth ‘thank you’ before they run.

Gunshots rang out. Five in total.

Pain. It rushes through him and his eyes widen, one hand going to his side where the pain is radiating and he retracts it and stares in surprise at the blood coating his fingers. And he’s even more surprised by the blood erupting from his mouth as his legs give out on him and he crumples to the ground.

He grits his teeth as he tries to get up. He is grateful he can still perceive Bakugo’s firecracker Quirk energy so he, at least, is still alive even if he isn’t too sure as to where the spiky blonde haired boy is. Or if he’s injured or not.

He manages to turn his head but he’s surprised by the massive deja vu that rushes through him at the sight of the villain with the gun: black hair and dark blue eyes and a scar cutting across the corner of his mouth. He doesn’t know why he recognizes this man but that sense of familiarity, that deja vu, is the last thing he feels before a gunshot rings out and then there is nothing.

. . .

Katsuki Bakugo grew up with the Midoriya twins. They have been around each other ever since they were babies. They grew up together along with Auntie Aki’s daughter Shoko and, once upon a time, they did consider each other friends. Things changed when they all turned four and Katsuki’s Quirk came in, and Satoru’s Quirk came in, and Izuku was diagnosed as Quirkless.

Katsuki knows that is when everything changed between them, that is when he started looking at the nerd and only seeing someone who is constantly looking down on him and constantly wanting to stand in the same ring as him and who is constantly at risk of dying because he doesn’t have a power to help him in his desire to become a hero.

And then there is Satoru. The elder of the Midoriya twins, Satoru is the more protective of the two, but also the less responsible. He is the carefree, sweet addict who will say what is on his mind even if it comes out as blunt or rude. And there is no denying that Katsuki can’t stand Satoru because of that fact, because of the fact that Satoru will stand up to him if it means keeping his twin safe, that Satoru is as annoying as he is clever and will mess with him just because he feels like it.

But just because he can’t stand Satoru doesn’t mean he wants the other boy to die.

He can only stare in horror as he tries to get to his feet, one hand resting on his leg where the second of the five gunshots the villain unleashed hit. The first one had gone straight through Satoru’s side while the other three had speared through the arcade games. He tires to get to his feet, tries to get to Satoru before the villain does, but he doesn’t make it in time and can only watch as the villain unleashes five bullets directly into Satoru’s body at point blank range.

Satoru crumples to the ground, blood flowing from the five wounds torn through his neck and chest and starts flowing around him in a pool. His snow-white hair is stained with it. His entire body is stained with it and he isn’t moving. His eyes, on full display since he lost his sunglasses at some point, are dull and listless, which is such a stark contrast to how they normally look.

Katsuki stumbles and crumples to the ground, cursing as a black tide rises up and he tries to put pressure on his leg as he watches the villain walk away. He immediately does what he can to commit the villain’s appearance to memory. Taking in his black hair, his narrow face, his dark blue eyes, the scar at the corner of his mouth. He takes in the short sleeved black trenchcoat the man is wearing, the dark blue shirt and matching pants he is wearing underneath. He takes in the sleeve of zodiac symbols tattooed all along his right arm.

He commits it all to memory because Katsuki is going to be a hero and he can’t be a hero if he lets a villain get away, especially after such an attack as this.

He crawls toward Satoru’s motionless body as he shakily pulls out his phone, as he shakily calls the authorities. He shakily tries to ignore how still the other boy is, how he is still losing blood, how he can’t see the rise and fall of his chest, how chances are high that if he attempts to feel for a pulse, he might not feel one.

“What is your emergency?” the operator says.

“V...Villain attack,” Katsuki says and swiftly gives the address to the arcade. “My...classmates is hurt, really hurt. He was short...multiple times and I was shot too. Hurry.”

“Help is on the way. Please, stay on the line with me. What is your name?” the operator says gently.

“K...Katsuki Bakugo,” Katsuki manages to get out but his vision is starting to swim, his head is starting to spin, he is losing blood rapidly. But he forces himself to answer the operator’s questions, to stay on the line with her, to try to remain conscious.

He hears sirens. He hears movement.

He watches as several paramedics hurry into the arcade with several stretchers and, while some go to the other victims within the arcade, four paramedics with two stretchers hurry toward them. One paramedic grimaces upon seeing Satoru but immediately moves to the snow-white-haired boy’s side and rests a hand on the side of his neck.

Her eyes widen. “Get the trauma kit now! And get Akiyama over here! He’s still alive!” she calls sharply.

Katsuki’s eyes widen. Still...alive? He gazes at Satoru because, with how many times he just shot, including getting shot through the neck and he’s pretty sure one of those shots actually did pierce his heart and probably a lung too, he’s still alive? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Lay down,” one of the paramedics says to Katsuki and he, shaking himself out of his shock, does as the paramedic tells him to and the paramedic starts working on his own injury.

It takes time but, before long, both Katsuki and Satoru are loaded into the back of an ambulance. It seems they are the only survivors, though how Satoru is still alive is still something that is completely confusing Katsuki. With how serious those injuries are, he shouldn’t be alive and yet, somehow, the paramedic said he is.

I just don’t understand...how?

But he doesn’t have an answer to that and something tells him he isn’t going to get an answer to that.

. . .

He stands at the crossroads of an airport, gazing at the airfield stretching out as far as the eye can see, watching the various planes take off. Some are heading south. Others are heading north. But they are all flying away from the lush, peaceful land laying around him. He leans back on the balls of his feet, vibrantly bright and mesmerizing blue eyes turning to gaze at the cloudless blue sky above.

“You are here too early, you know?”

He doesn’t turn but he recognizes the voice. “Ah, I guess I missed your lovely voice,” he says teasingly.

A scoff sounds. “You know as well as I do that there is only one voice you miss.”

He’s right and Satoru knows he is right. This airport, that airfield, those airplanes. He’s been here before. He remembers. He remembers everything that lead up to the first time he found himself standing on the edge of the airfield with planes flying either south or north.

“ You shouldn’t be here,” another familiar voice says quietly.

“Not like I had a choice,” Satoru says with a shrug.

“You know as well as we do that you do have a choice. You are Satoru Gojo.”

“Not anymore.”

“Maybe not in name but your soul is that of Satoru Gojo. You chose to go north and you were granted another chance as a result. Don’t waste that other chance by staying here.”

“Even more so because of him, your brother,” the first voice says.

“I know,” Satoru says and, finally, turns around to face the two who are standing behind him. A tall blonde man with broad, muscular shoulders and a shorter dark haired man who is grinning at him with bright eyes. “You didn’t choose to follow me.”

“I am content where I am,” the blond says.

“I’m happy where I am,” says the dark-haired man. “But everyone else...well, I’m sure you’ll see soon enough.”

Satoru raises an eyebrow. “You know more than you’re letting on, don’t you?” he says.

“Of course. We’re dead. We know everything. You’re not dead yet so you don’t know everything,” the dark-haired man says with a shrug. He points and adds, “Your plane is about to leave. Head back north. There are more than just your brother waiting for you to find them.”

“And don’t come back here anytime soon. I’m enjoying my peace,” the blond says with a huff.

Satoru gives them a faint smile and, raising his hand, gives them a two-fingered salute. “Good to see ya too, Kento, Yuu. Later.” He turns and strides toward the airfield, heading toward the plane that will take him back north from whence he came.

. . .

“Throughout Heaven and Earth, I, alone, am the Honored One.”

. . .

Satoru’s eyes flutter open. They feel crusty but he expects that to be the case since he doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep, or unconscious, or dead. He knows he’s still alive, he hurts too much to not be alive, but he doesn’t know if his heart did stop or not. All he knows is the memories of a life he once lead merging with the memories of the life he is leading now.

All he knows is that his decision to head north, a decision decided for him when a certain someone patted his back as he wanted him to, is the reason why he is here, why he is alive and well in this Quirky new age.

But remembering his past life is not something he expected to happen. While memories of his past life also brought with it memories of every single skill he ever learned in his past life, thus he is finally able to slot in the missing piece of his knowledge on how to control a certain aspect of his Quirk, it does leave him it with a raging migraine.

Or maybe that’s just the overwhelming flood of information from the various flows of Quirk energy spiraling within his Six Eyes’ range and the lack of anything protecting his exposed eyes from that flood.

Or maybe it’s both. It’s probably both.

He still hurts. He is covered in bandages and, while he knows what saved him is the self-healing aspect of his Quirk, the self-healing aspect is his Quirk’s version of the reverse cursed technique he had in his last life, that doesn’t mean the wounds don’t still ache. That’s a difference he will have to get used to because Quirks have drawbacks whereas his technique back in his last life didn’t really have any drawbacks itself.

He rubs his temple as he slowly sits up. This is going to take some getting used to but Satoru was the strongest in his last life, and can still be the strongest in this life, and he can handle it. He can handle having memories of a whole other lifetime coexisting alongside the memories he has made in this lifetime.

The door opens and he glances toward it as the doctor makes his way into it. He seems surprised that Satoru is awake and sitting up but moves closer to the bed. “You were really lucky, young man,” he says, “that your Quirk saved your life. How do you feel?”

“Like I got run over by a bus,” Satoru says with a grimace. His voice is nasally and hoarse.

“How would that even…? No, never mind. All right. I’m going to run a few tests and then there are some people who wish to see you if you feel up for visitors,” says the doctor as he hands him a glass of water and Satoru takes it and takes a long drink.

He, who is already picking out his mother’s familiar flow of Quirk energy and Izuku’s familiar flow of non-Quirk energy and, surprisingly enough, Bakugo’s familiar flow of Quirk energy, nods. He suspects his mother was called pretty quickly and, since Bakugo was present and might have gotten hurt too, that explains why he’s in the hospital too. Why he wants to visit Satoru though, he doesn’t know.

After he run the tests he needs to run, the doctor leaves and, as expected, his mother, his brother, and Bakugo make their way into the room. Bakugo is currently glad in a hospital gown with an IV drip machine resting next to him but he doesn’t seem bothered by the bulky machine the doctor probably insisted he had to take with him if he wanted to visit Satoru.

“Satoru!” Inko latches into him with tears erupting from her eyes as she sobs.

Izuku latches onto him from his side other as he also starts crying.

Satoru does what he can to lift both of his arms and wrap them around his mother and his brother, trying hard to ensure he doesn’t accidentally pull his own IV out. “Hey, I’m okay, I’m okay,” he says.

“Finding out my son is in the hospital was the worst possible call any mother can ever receive,” says Inko as she lifts her head. “They...They said it was a miracle you survived and...they...they said it was your Quirk that saved you.”

“That’s what the doctor told me,” Satoru says, wincing because his eyes really are hurting and his head is still throbbing painfully. “Apparently, my Limitless Quirk has a self-healing aspect to it I didn’t know ‘bout ‘till this happened.”

“H...How did you not know about that?” Izuku asks.

Satoru knows the real reason why, now anyway. It’s because the last time he unlocked his reverse cursed technique in his last life, it was when Toji Fushiguro essentially killed him. He can’t be sure if it’s pure irony that the same thing had to happen in this life for that aspect of his Quirk to activate or not.

“I dunno. Maybe I never needed it or something,” he says instead. It’s already hard enough for him to push aside those memories of his past life so he can do without making it harder on himself by actively calling them up.

“I guess, yeah, maybe.” Izuku’s brow is furrowing in thought but whatever theories are spiraling in his head remain in there as the doctor reenters the room.

“Detective Tsukauchi, the lead detective in charge of this case, wishes to speak with you, Satoru-kun,” the doctor says. “If you are up for it, that is.”

“Have they caught the bastard who attacked?” asks Bakugo.

“With the incredibly detailed description you gave them, they were able to apprehend the perpetrator,” says the doctor. “But the detective will update you on what they have discovered if you are willing to speak with him.”

“Yeah, sure,” Satoru says. He does want to know what happened and why it seemed like he was targeted.

“So long as I can remain present,” Inko says firmly. “He’s still a minor after all.”

“Yes, of course,” the doctor says.

Satoru hums but realizes that just because his soul is the soul of someone who has already lived a life beforehand, that doesn’t mean he isn’t still a fourteen year old boy. His soul and his knowledge and his memories of a whole other lifetime are still something he will have to come to terms with on his own time too.

The doctor leaves and a tall black-haired young man in a beige trenchcoat with a matching hat makes his way into the room. He inclines his head in greeting as he comes to a stop at the head of the medical bed. “Good evening, Midoriya-san, Satoru-kun,” he greets. “I’m Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, the one in charge of this case.”

“What can you tell us?” Inko asks worriedly. “Why was my son hurt? Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

“I wish I could say that was the case, ma’am,” Tsukauchi says quietly and, when Inko’s face goes pale with fright and Satoru narrows his eyes, he goes on, “But the contacts I have in the criminal underworld gave me a report that matches with the information we were able to get out of the perpetrator. I am informing you of this because of the steps we need to take in order to keep your son safe.”

“Safe from what?”

“There is a ten million yen bounty on your son’s head that has spread through the criminal underworld like a wildfire, according to the perpetrator and my contacts,” says Tsukauchi.

Inko lets out a little cry of shock and fear.

A bounty? Again? Satoru grimaces. The only difference is that, unlike in his last life where he had a bounty that was ironically enough the same amount on his head from the moment he was born, this time the bounty wasn’t placed on his head until he was fourteen. He doesn’t get it though. In his last life, he understood but not in this life.

“So we are going to be assigning a security detail to you and your family, ma’am,” says Tsukauchi. “According to my contacts, and the perpetrator, the bounty will only be up until April of next year. We also know the identity of the villain who posted the bounty but...”

“Who?” Satoru asks. “Do you think we know who they are?”

“That’s not possible,” Inko says with a firm shake of her head.

“Perhaps,” says Tsukauchi. “But...does the name Kenjaku ring any bells?”

Satoru stills. His face pales. His eyes widen.

Images of his best friend, his one and only, with those dreaded stitches wrapped around his forehead like a crown appear in his head.

“My Six Eyes may recognize you as Suguru Geto but my soul knows otherwise! Who are you?!”

The revelation that this bastard, that Kenjaku, highjacked Suguru’s body and used it as a puppet to enact his plan, a plan that involved sealing Satoru within the Prison Realm, still hurts. Even more so because he knows that move is what ultimately unleashed a chain of events that eventually lead to Satoru’s own death at the hands of Sukuna.

Kenjaku…

He’s still alive? He’s still around? Fuck.

But, at the same time, Satoru doesn’t think Six Eyes would just suddenly lose its ability to see cursed energy just because it is now capable of seeing Quirk energy. Just because he doesn’t have a cursed technique anymore, instead a Quirk version of his cursed technique, doesn’t mean Six Eyes has changed. Six Eyes was never a cursed technique powered by cursed energy to begin with. It was just an ability that granted him extrasensory perception. And that perception, back in his last life, let him read the flow of cursed energy. In this life, it lets him read the flow Quirk energy but, at the same time, it should still let him perceive and read the flow of cursed energy if it was still around. But he hasn’t seen any sign of anything that even resembles cursed energy in the almost fifteen years he’s been alive in this life.

Of course, he could be wrong. Of course, his Six Eyes could have lost the ability to see cursed energy when he was reborn in this world with a Quirk version of his Limitless technique but he just doesn’t think that’s it or, maybe, that’s just wishful thinking.

Either way, Kenjaku still being alive and around is going to make things a hell of a lot more complicated.

“You do know that name,” Tsukauchi says.

“No, why would you say that?” Satoru says, pushing aside those thoughts and those memories.

“You’re lying,” says Tsukauchi and, when Satoru opens his mouth to insist he isn’t, he adds, “My Quirk, Lie Detector, immediately informs me if you tell a lie. Do you know who this Kenjaku person is?”

Satoru grits his teeth because his head is starting to throb, memories of his last life rear their ugly little heads and start to clash with the memories of his currently life. His eyes are burning and feel so incredibly strained and he’s starting to find it difficult to think straight.

“That’s enough. Satoru didn’t do anything wrong so why are you interrogating him like he did?” Inko snaps, standing up and giving Tsukauchi a firm glare while Izuku reaches out a hand and covers Satoru’s eyes. He practically melts in relief, a soft sigh escaping his lips as the pain slowly begins to ease.

“I apologize, Midoriya-san,” Tsukauchi says quietly. “I’m simply trying to help. If your son knows anything about the person who placed this bounty on his head then it will go a long way to helping us locate him.”

“You won’t be able to find him if he doesn’t want to be found,” Satoru says with a huff, deciding that he may as well give them some information so they can understand that if they attempt to try to track down Kenjaku, he is liable to just disappear to the wind and come back in another body to throw them off his tail if he doesn’t want to be found. He may not have done that in Satoru’s last life but his explanation of how, and why, he took over Suguru’s body suggests that he has done that many times before. And that would explain how he has lived as long as he has. “His power lets him transfer his brain into different corpses and, essentially, reanimate those corpses to use as his hosts whenever he wants. He’s ancient, existing as far back as the Heian Period, well over nine hundred years before the dawn of the age of Quirks.”

“Satoru, how do you know that?” asks Inko.

“You’d be surprised at what you find when you get curious and look into the Dark Web,” says Satoru, deciding that he will go with that and hope Tsukauchi doesn’t detect the lie since he isn’t talking directly to him. He doesn’t know as to how Tsukauchi’s Quirk works but, whether it works that way or not, Tsukauchi doesn’t call him out on that lie.

“I will look into the matter more in depth,” says Tsukauchi. “For the time being, until the bounty is lifted next April, we will have heroes patrolling your neighborhood and I strongly suggest that Satoru-kun remain at home when he isn’t at school.”

“Great. House arrest,” Satoru grumbles.

“That doesn’t seem very fair to him. None of this is his fault,” Inko protests.

“I understand that, ma’am, but this is simply to ensure his safety,” says Tsukauchi.

Satoru rests a hand on his mother’s arm when she opens her mouth to protest. It’s not as if this is the first time he’s had to be isolated away from the world because of a bounty on his head. He knows that, now that he’s unlocked the missing pieces that was preventing him from mastering his Quirk, all he needs is to practice with it more and he should be able to get to the point where keeping Infinity up constantly will be as easy as breathing again.

“It’s fine,” he says and, when Inko glances at him, he smiles at her. “I’ll be fine, Mom. Really. It won’t be forever.”

Inko chews on her lower lip but sighs. “I still don’t like it but I suppose I would rather you be safe,” she says.

“I know. It’ll be all right, Mom. It will.” And Satoru is going to ensure that. He will master his Quirk just like he mastered his Limitless technique in his last life. He will get to the point where he can keep Infinity on whenever he wants without risking himself. He will even learn how to use Hollow Purple one way or another because that is one of the most powerful weapons he had in his arsenal in his last life and it is one that he definitely wants to have in his arsenal in this life somehow.

But, for now, he’ll just focus on ensuring that he can keep himself safe so as to not worry his mother and his twin again like he did today. That is what is more important. Mastering his Quirk is what is more important. He can focus on everything else, on his memories of his last life, on the revelation that Kenjaku is still around, later.

. . .

Chapter Text

If there is one thing Satoru doesn’t like about essentially being on house arrest until the bounty on his head is taken down, it’s the lack of things to do. There are only so many movies he can watch, so many board games he can play with his mother and brother whenever they’re home, so many books or mangas to read.

In truth, within only a few weeks of the ‘house arrest’, Satoru has already gone through the majority of the movies they own, even watching some of his favorites more than once in a day, and he’s even managed to finish reading all of the mangas he and his brother own. And, since his mother is constantly doing double shifts at the hospital where she works as a nurse recently and his brother is still out training until incredibly late, he can’t even play board games with anyone.

It’s boring. So incredibly boring.

Satoru huffs as he hangs upside down over the couch with his long legs dangling over the couch’s back, his dark sunglasses resting on his head as he flips through the pages of his textbook. He’s that bored that he’s actually reading through one of his textbooks, and he hardly ever does that. He only ever reads his textbook when he has to for homework or a class assignment but now he’s already read five or so chapters past where the rest of his classmates are.

This boredom is really causing him to go a little stir crazy.

Or maybe it’s just the nightmares.

Satoru should have known the nightmares would come back. Getting every single memory of a past life suddenly crammed into one’s head after basically dying, and having many of those memories not be at all pleasant, is bound to trigger nightmares. It’s gotten to the point that Satoru is not sleeping and is only managing to hide the fact that he’s not sleeping because the self-healing aspect of his Quirk really does work almost identical to the reverse cursed technique he had in his last life. There are only a few differences, one being that his Quirk does leave scars whereas his technique never did while the other being that while his technique does heal the wounds swiftly and painlessly, his Quirk is a bit slower and not as painless.

But the one aspect of his Quirk that is identical to his old technique that he is constantly using now is the fact that he can use it to constantly refresh his mind. His self-healing. He has it activated around the clock, just like in his last life, which is keeping him with a fresh brain at all times. This means that not only does it prevent his mind from being fried from too much information and too much power flowing through it but it also prevents mental or physical exhaustion from setting in. It’s the only way he was able to get away with little to no sleep in his last life.

This way, neither his mother nor his brother will know about his lack of sleep. He doesn’t want to worry them ever again. He can still remember their cries, the way they clung to him so tightly, and he can only imagine how horrified both of them were when the hospital called and told them he was in the hospital with severe injuries.

He closes the textbook with a huff and tosses it into an armchair as he swings his legs off the back of the couch. He really is bored and being left alone with his thoughts isn’t helping matters at all because his thoughts are constantly ping-ponging between his past life and his current life.

It’s lonely too.

Normally, he would be with his brother, listening to Izuku talk about the newest hero he saw in action or the newest Quirk he saw being used or playing games with him or studying with him.

But, once again, that distance is still between them. It’s almost as if the attack on Satoru has only caused that distance to get wider and he doesn’t know why. It’s not as if that attack was his fault, it’s not as if it’s fault that Kenjaku decided to be an ass and place a bounty on Satoru’s head.

Hell, he doesn’t even know how Kenjaku even knew about him.

He can’t even be sure if the ancient former sorcerer knew that Satoru was the actual reincarnation of the Satoru Gojo from before the dawn of the age of Quirks or if he just knows Six Eyes was granted to a child who isn’t part of the Gojo Clan. Really, at this point, it’s kind of a toss up between the two.

And, yet, still Satoru hasn’t been able to detect any cursed energy or cursed spirits and he just doesn’t know if it’s because Six Eyes can’t detect cursed energy anymore, or cursed energy no longer exists.

The latter just doesn’t seem likely because Satoru knows that cursed energy is created from a human’s negative emotions and humanity will always have negative emotions. But, at the same time, it’s almost as if it’s, perhaps, overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of Quirk energy and it is a well known fact that the strong will overpower the weak. If Quirk energy is stronger than cursed energy then, perhaps, it overpowered cursed energy.

But it should still be around.

“Ugh! This is why I hate being on house arrest!” Satoru complains out loud as he rubs his temples. He hates being alone with his thoughts, with his theories, with his memories.

He wanders into the kitchen, deciding to try and distract himself by getting something to eat. He opens the fridge and studies the contents, eyes landing on a container with a note attached to it. It’s a container of Japanese cheesecake with a note from Izuku saying, ‘I knew you’d like this so I asked Mom to pick one up for you.’

“Aww, my baby bro is so sweet,” Satoru gushes.

And isn’t that even more mind-boggling? In this life, he has a brother and, not just any brother, he has a twin.

He’s never had siblings before. The closest he had to a sibling was Shoko because he did see her as a sister and he knows she felt the same way about him. But Izuku is his honest to gods blood-related twin brother.

He takes the cheesecake out of the fridge and, flopping onto the chair next to the dining room table, he starts digging into it. As expected, it is so incredibly sweet that he is in absolute heaven but, then, he usually is whenever he is given something sweet. He doesn’t think he’s found a single sweet thing he doesn’t like.

But eating the cheesecake only distracts him for all of ten minutes and then he’s back to being bored out of his mind and trying desperately to not think about his past life.

He flops face first onto the couch, wishing he could just go for a walk to the park or to one of the many bakeries he likes frequenting down on Second or, hell, he’d go to Bakugo’s if it meant he could get out of this damn house.

And I have to deal with this until April of next year?

Since he knows it’s only the first week of August, he still has about nine months of this stupid house arrest to get through.

I’m gonna die of boredom!

He rolls off the couch and, jumping to his feet, moves toward the window and peers out of it. He knows the officers who were part of the security detail that was assigned to him told him to stay away from the windows but he just wants to see sunlight, even if it’s only briefly.

A knock sounds on the door and Satoru jumps, surprised that Six Eyes didn’t pick up on the newcomer before deciding he was probably too focused on the sun and the cloudless blue sky to notice the arrival. He huffs. He needs to work on that again, which is going to be oh so much fun and, yes, the sarcasm in that thought was fully intentional.

He wanders over to the door and peers through the eyehole, as the officers told him to do every single time anyone knocks on the door. He sees the hero license being held up in front of the eye hole and opens the door just enough to study the newcomer.

He certainly doesn’t look like a hero, more like a perpetually tired hobo with his unkempt black hair, rumpled black uniform with a white scarf wrapped around his neck, and bags beneath his eyes.

“I’m Pro Hero Eraserhead. May I come in?” the hero says in a gruff, tired voice but, even though he sounds tired and his face screams exhaustion, his eyes are far sharper and far more alert than Satoru anticipated. Even the flow of Quirk energy spiraling around his form seems to flow like ribbons that alternate between white and gray.

Huh. His Quirk energy is weird. It feels similar to non-Quirk energy even though it’s Quirk energy. “Sure! I’m all for a distraction from my boredom! Oh, wait, officer said you gotta hand over the hero license so I can confirm that it’s real or whatever,” Satoru says, remembering Tsukauchi told him to do that so that he can ensure no one pretending to be a hero steps foot in his apartment.

Eraserhead holds out the license and Satoru scans it, searching for the telltale signs of a real Hero License before nodding and handing it back once he sees it. He closes the door and, unlatching the deadbolt, opens it enough to allow the perpetually tired hero into the apartment. He closes the door and deadbolts it again as he wanders toward the couch.

“Make yourself at home. Anything to drink?”

“Coffee,” Eraserhead says.

“Sure! Any sugar or milk?”

“No. Just black is fine.”

Satoru gives him an incredulous look. “How can anyone drink that bitter ass stuff without anything in it? It literally tastes like gasoline or something similarly awful,” he says with a grimace as he wanders into the kitchen and pours Eraserhead a mug of steaming coffee.

Eraserhead doesn’t deem it necessary to respond to that and, when Satoru reenters the living room and holds out the steam mug, he takes it with an incline of his head to show is gratitude. Satoru throws himself back onto the couch while Eraserhead takes a seat on the armchair.

“Is your mother home?” asks Eraserhead.

“Nah. She’s got a double shift at the hospital today, probably won’t be home ‘till closer to midnight,” says Satoru as he sprawls out on his stomach across the couch and studies Eraserhead, his Six Eyes reading the flow of the hero’s weird Quirk energy. Of course, the more he focuses on it, the more information Six Eyes provides his brain with and he tilts his head to the side.

“Whoa, your Quirk’s pretty cool. Being able to erase the Quirk of anyone ya look at so long as you don’t blink is really cool. No wonder Izuku likes ya so much ‘cause I’m guessing you fight Quirkless quite a bit since your Quirk isn’t a combative one,” he comments.

Eraserhead raises an eyebrow. “And how do you know that?” he asks.

Satoru points to his sunglass-covered eyes. “The one aspect of my Quirk I can’t turn off,” he chirps. “Six Eyes lets me see the flow of Quirk energy and read that flow and sends like a flood of information about the flow straight into my brain. But only if I focus on someone ‘cause that would really suck if it happened with every single flow Six Eyes perceives. And I would rather not have a constant migraine ‘cause those fucking suck.”

“Such language for a fifteen year old,” Eraserhead notes.

Satoru shrugs. “I grew up with a walking explosion who’s every other word is a curse. It’s really a miracle I don’t curse more,” he says. “So, yeah, what brings you here? Not that I don’t mind. Having someone else to talk to after literally just talking to myself is great.”

“I was in the area,” says Eraserhead, “when Detective Tsukauchi contacted me and told me to check up on you. I don’t know why he didn’t ask one of the officers, as that would be the more logical route to go, but I agreed.”

“Well, thanks for checking up on me. I’m still dying of boredom~” Satoru says with a slight singsong tone in his voice in those last few words.

“It is not possible to die of boredom.”

“Wanna bet? Or, better yet, wanna play a game? ‘Cause I’m really bored.”

Eraserhead sips at his coffee, studying him with perpetually tired dark eyes before he finally lets out a long sigh. “One game,” he says.

“Yay!” Satoru all but throws himself off the couch and bolts toward his and Izuku’s shared bedroom to start searching through the various games for something he can play with Eraserhead. He makes a mental note to get an autograph because he has no doubt Izuku will want one.

. . .

“How have things been going with your brother?” All Might asks as Izuku tosses a tire into the back of the truck. He may have only been training for about four months now but he’s been getting stronger with each passing day. He can now pick up tires and car doors without straining and he is steadily working up to being able to pick up an actual fridge but he suspects he still has some time before he can do that.

He considers All Might’s question as he jogs back to the pile of debris he’s been steadily working on all day. “Well,” he says. “Bored out of his skull ‘cause he can’t leave the house for anything except school but he’s doing good.”

“I see. If you wish to cut today’s training short, that won’t be a problem. You’re making such good strides that we could lose a few hours today,” says All Might.

“No, I’m fine to keep going.” In truth, ever since the attack that nearly cost him his brother’s life, Izuku has been throwing himself even more into his training. He has to get stronger, he has to prepare his body for One for All quicker because it’s the only way he can ever hope to help keep his brother safe.

He still remembers his mother’s hysterical phone call, the way she was crying so hard that he barely managed to hear her say that Satoru was in the hospital with severe injuries. He still remembers seeing Satoru covered in bandages and looking so tired, and yet alive, and how he nearly just melted with relief right then and there.

And he still remembers the guilt. If only he had been there…

But, at the same time, he’s still Quirkless. He doesn’t have any power to his name right now. If even Bakugo’s own powerful Quirk couldn’t do anything to stop that villain from hurting Satoru then what hope did Izuku have?

Even though he realizes that, even though that is an actual truth, that does absolutely nothing about the guilt.

And so he’s been throwing himself into his training because the sooner he gets strong enough to handle One for All, the sooner he can start being less of a burden to Satoru. He needs to get on the same level as his brother so that he can also protect him and make sure what happened at the arcade a few weeks ago never happens again.

He can’t lose his brother. He won’t lose his brother. He will get strong enough to keep his brother safe, just as his brother has always done for him.

“Are you sure, my boy?” All Might asks.

“I’m sure.” Izuku starts working again, gathering more tires, this time trying two at once and finding it easy to do, and jogging toward the dump truck.

He keeps this up until the sun starts to dip beyond the horizon and, only then, does All Might call for him to halt for the day. Wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, he catches the water bottle All Might tosses at him and takes a long drink.

“We can tomorrow off if you wish, since you did far more than was planned today,” his mentor says as Izuku finishes drinking the water and pours what little is left over his head to cool himself down a bit.

“No. I’m okay to train tomorrow. We’re on summer vacation anyway so it’s not like I have to worry about classes and I want to get stronger quickly! It’s like I told you before, All Might. I have to work harder than anyone to make it or I’ll never catch up!”

“Very well, Young Midoriya,” All Might says. “Then I shall see you here, bright and early.”

“Yes sir!”

“For now, go ahead and head on home. Get some rest, get something to eat, make sure that brother of yours didn’t burn down your apartment out of sheer boredom.”

Izuku laughs but, considering he’s told his mentor about how Satoru has threatened to do just that because of how bored he is, he can readily understand the concern in his mentor’s voice. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, All Might,” he says and, jogging to the edge of the beach, he grabs his backpack and starts jogging away from the beach.

At the very least, he doesn’t end up in any trash heaps on his way back to his apartment building. He is a bit out of breath by the time he climbs the stairs to the third floor and makes his way into the apartment but he’s glad to see that he made the entire jog without getting too winded. It’s a stark contrast to how easily he got winded back when he first started training with All Might.

He is proud of himself.

He slips into the apartment. “I’m home,” he calls as he drops his backpack by the door and kicks off his shoes, making his way deeper into the living room and raising an eyebrow upon seeing Satoru sprawled out upside down on the armchair with his legs draped over the armchair’s back and his sunglasses, somehow, staying on his face over his eyes. He has a book open in his hands.

Satoru gives him a wave but doesn’t move from his position.

“That cannot be comfortable,” Izuku comments.

“Surprisingly it is. Here! Catch!” Satoru throws something at him and Izuku yelps and scrambles to catch it before it smacks him in the face. He blinks upon seeing it’s one of his notebooks and he glances at his brother in puzzlement.

“Go to the last page,” says Satoru as he flips the page on the book in his hands and huffs. “Great. We’re gonna be starting our Geometry unit when we go back. That sucks.”

Izuku blinks and huffs out a small laugh at the realization that his brother is so bored he is actually reading ahead in all of his textbooks. He flips open the notebook until he reaches the last page and his eyes widen upon seeing the signture scrawled across it.

“Is this…? No way…” he breathes.

“Yup. That’s Eraserhead’s autograph. You’re welcome!” Satoru says cheerfully as he flips a page in the textbook. “Ugh! That’s even worse!”

“How?!” Izuku blurts out.

“He was told to check up on me ‘cause he was in the area and I convinced him to play Hero Trivia with me, and give me his autograph for you. Was fun and eased my boredom for a few hours so that was nice,” says Satoru as he flips a page in the textbook and, groaning, slams the book shut and tosses it toward the couch. “I am not looking forward to our next math unit at all!”

Izuku gazes at the notebook, then at his brother, then back at the notebook. It was thoughtful of Satoru to get him the autograph of his second favorite hero and he can’t help the tears that well up in his eyes. “Thank you,” he chokes out as those tears fall.

Satoru peers at him and huffs. “Get over here, you idiot, ‘cause I am not moving from this position to comfort your ass,” he says.

Izuku, scrubbing at the tears, chokes out a laugh and moves over to join his brother. He sits down cross-legged and rests his head on the armrest while Satoru pats his head. He huffs at that and swats the hand away. “I’m not a dog,” he deadpans.

“I know~” Satoru says cheerfully.

“Honestly…” But Izuku is glad that Satoru seems to be happy right now. “So what’s for dinner?”

“We eat whatever the hell we find in the kitchen and hope it doesn’t kill us,” says Satoru to which Izuku snickers because that’s pretty much what they always end up doing whenever their mother has to work graveyard shifts. Usually this means they stick with sandwiches or they order sushi if Inko happens to leave them some money. Since she’s in between pay periods right now, she wasn’t able to do that so they have to stick with a fend for themselves situation tonight.

After Satoru finally leaves the chair he was hanging upside down over, and gets over the head rush that is the result of him hanging upside for as long as he was, they enter the kitchen and end up making sandwiches. Izuku is grateful Satoru actually makes his sandwich healthy, even if he does have a side of mochi to go with it.

“Sweet addict,” he teases his brother.

Satoru grins, clearly proud of that, while Izuku laughs and rolls his eyes in amusement.

They both eat in silence for a long moment before Izuku says, “So how have you been, Satoru? I know I haven’t really been around lately ‘cause of my training but… you’re doing okay, right?”

“Just dying of boredom,” says Satoru with a huff. “I ran out of mangas and books to read that aren’t textbooks. I’ve pretty much watched every single movie in the house, some of ‘em multiple times. And, since the officers told me to stay off the internet just in case, I can’t even distract myself with that.”

“Oh.” Izuku winces. He knows the police are just being cautious because of that pretty hefty bounty on Satoru’s head but no internet seems a bit extreme.

“But I guess it’s fine. I can handle it,” says Satoru. “At least I’m not completely alone all the time.”

Even though it isn’t phrased as a jab against him, Izuku can’t help but wince. He knows his training is preventing him from helping his brother with his boredom and his loneliness but he has to do this. It’s the only way to get strong enough to protect his brother and keep him safe and make sure what happened at that arcade never happens again.

“You okay, Izuku?” Satoru asks, peering at him over the tops of his dark sunglasses.

“Uh yeah, fine. I guess...sorry…”

“What’re you sorry ‘bout?”

Izuku sighs and puts his sandwich down. “That I’ve been so busy even though you’ve been pretty much by yourself for the past few weeks with nothing to do,” he says.

“Eh, don’t worry ‘bout it, baby bro. You’re getting ready for the entrance exam and that’s important. I understand that, y’know?”

“But you don’t like it.” Izuku has always been incredibly observant, noticing little things that no one else ever seems to notice. He notices the way Satoru doesn’t meet his gaze when he speaks or the slightest hint of disappointment and slivers of resentment in his tone that is nearly completely overshadowed by his nonchalant reassurance.

Satoru doesn’t respond for a long moment. “It’s not the same,” he says finally. “We’ve been inseparable since we were born so I guess I’m just not used to there being this...distance between us. But I guess that’s what happens when you grow up or whatever so don’t mind me. I guess I’m just upset ‘cause I can’t cream ya at CandyLand anymore.”
“You know as well as I do that I always beat you in that game,” Izuku says with a huff and Satoru laughs. This time, the laugh doesn’t have any traces of those slivers of disappointment or resentment and Izuku relaxes.

He can see where his brother is coming from but he knows things will change for the better when they both get into U.A. By then, the bounty will be lifted. By then, Izuku will have One for All. By then, they both will be at the starting line of their paths to being the greatest, and strongest, heroes they can possibly be.

This distance may be there right now but Izuku knows it won’t be there forever. Satoru will always be his brother and Izuku will always love him. Nothing will ever change that. Nothing.

“So are you going to be training tomorrow?” asks Satoru.

“Yeah,” Izuku says as he picks up his sandwich and starts eating again. He pauses then adds, “Do you want me to try and get some movies for you to watch while I’m out?”

“Oh yes please!” Satoru exclaims. “I am getting sick of rewatching every single movie we own and there’s only so much educational stuff I can do before I wanna burn every single textbook I own! My boredom is going to kill me, I swear!”

“You are such a drama queen,” says Izuku with a shake of his head as amusement glimmers in his eyes, even as his twin whines in protest. Considering neither he nor his brother know much, if anything, about their father, he’s just going to blame their absentee father for his brother being so melodramatic. He certainly didn’t get that from their mother.

“I’ll see what I can find and drop it off during my break,” he adds.

“Thanks, my munchkin of a baby brother!”

“Of course, and shut up, my asshole of a giant brother.”

All he gets is a laugh for that but he’s okay with that.

. . .

“ I just couldn’t wear a heartfelt smile, living in this world.”

. . .

If there is one thing Suguru Amajiki was not expecting to happen on his way home from school, it was to be suddenly hit with a massive migraine that leaves him leaning against the nearest solid surface he can find while his brother frets over him. He tries to wave Tamaki’s concern away as he takes a deep breath and releases it, trying to control his breathing and the nausea rushing through him.

“Suguru?” Tamaki says, gazing at him with concern in his indigo eyes as he holds out a hand toward him.

“I’m okay,” Suguru assures his big brother, trying to put as much reassurance into his voice as he can because he knows his big brother well enough to know he will spiral into a panic attack if he doesn’t. Tamaki has always been a socially inept, nervous ball of anxious energy that it still boggles Suguru’s mind that he is best friend with Mirio of all people, considering how social and upbeat and positive and sunny Mirio is.

Just like his little brother, and Suguru still doesn’t even know as to how he ended up friends with Yuji Togata to begin with given Yuji’s sunshine personality is just like his big brother’s whereas Suguru is probably the less anxious but more antisocial version of his own big brother.

“A...Are you sure?” Tamaki asks. “Maybe we shouldn’t have gone out…”

“No, it’s okay.” Suguru takes a deep breath and releases it again, brow furrowing as he turns his gaze to the sky. These headaches have been on and off for about a month now, probably since the last week of June or so, and they are as consistent as his nightmares.

Nightmares that are so vivid, so real, that he can’t help but remember them every time he wakes up. They always depict him, except an older version of himself, and they always depict some truly despicable things that this older version of himself as done.

Of course, there are some scenes in those nightmare that aren’t nightmares, that are actual dreams, that are happy and carefree and fun, that always involve that teen with the beautifully vibrant and mesmerizing blue eyes.

Somehow, someway, it feels like he knows who those eyes belong to.

Somehow, someway, it feels like he should know the owner of those eyes intimately.

Whenever he thinks about that person, his heart aches and he doesn’t know why. It’s almost as if his heart or, maybe, his soul is reaching out to that person even though he doesn’t even know that person’s name.

Those nightmares, and the dreams woven like snippets throughout them, just keep getting more and more real, more and more vivid, more and more like they belong as memories and Suguru doesn’t understand it.

“Suguru?” Tamaki says, breaking Suguru out of his thoughts and he gives his big brother a reassuring smile again.

“Fine. The headache’s finally easing,” he assures him. He won’t worry about those strange dreams and nightmares just as he hasn’t worried about them in the month or since they started occurring every single time he closes his eyes.

“That’s good. Um, so, Mom and Dad are working late again. What do you want for dinner?” Tamaki asks.

“Mm, cold soba sounds good.”

“Okay. I’ll order so…”

“Tamaki!”

Tamaki yelps and ducks his face when Mirio appears out of absolutely nowhere – though Suguru is positive he was hiding behind the tree they are about to walk past – and slings his arm around Tamaki’s shoulders.

“Uh….hi...w...why do y...you always do that?” Tamaki stammers out.

“I honestly thought you saw me,” says Mirio with a light laugh as he ruffles Tamaki’s hair and Tamaki ducks his head as it goes red in embarrassment.

“P...Please stop,” he whispers.

Suguru glances at the blond and, upon noticing the older boy’s brother isn’t around, asks, “Where’s Yuji? He’s usually with you.”

“Yeah. He’s got a pretty bad migraine so I gave him some chocolate and told him to take it easy while I met up with you guys!” Mirio says with that bright, cheerful smile on his lips.

“M...Met up with us f...for what?” Tamaki stammers out.

“Movie night! We gotta decide on what movie we’re gonna see tonight, Tamaki. It’s your turn to choose.”

“R...Right. Um, whatever you want…”

“Nuh uh uh. You gotta choose! C’mon, let’s go to the store and see what movies are there. Suguru, come with us!”

Suguru has this odd feeling Mirio is going to insist so he nods and trails after him, one hand rubbing his head because, while the migraine is easing, his head is still aching. He doesn’t think it ever stopped in the last month, it’s just eased enough that he is able to completely forget that the dull ache is still there. But it is still there and, often, it reminds him it’s still there in the form of these migraines.

Suguru really does wish he could figure out why he’s having these headaches. It’s not as if the doctors whom his parents took him to were able to figure out the cause of these headaches, only listing things like stress or lack of sleep and suggesting he try to get more sleep each night or try meditation. Neither works. In fact, meditation only causes him to relive those nightmares and that just makes everything worse.

At least, when he has to relive those nightmares.

When he relives those dreams, especially with that young teen with those beautifully mesmerizing blue eyes whom his soul is constantly reaching out toward, it’s not as bad. It’s mostly just confusing really.

“So are you looking forward to going to U.A. next year?” Mirio asks as the three of them leave the store a while later with a bag of movies dangling from Mirio’s arm.

Suguru, realizing the question is directed at him, hums but nods. He’s been looking forward to U.A. ever since Tamaki got into it. He’s been wanting to be a hero ever since he first saw the heroes in action on television because a part of him has always felt that it was the responsibility of the strong to protect and defend the weak, even if they aren’t asking for that protection or that defense.

It’s not something the older version of Suguru that he sees in his nightmares seemed to believe, based entirely on all of those despicable acts that Suguru was forced to witness every single time he closes his eyes. It’s really a wonder he’s able to sleep at all. As it is, waking up in a cold sweat, and sometimes screaming, has become the norm in the past month.

Thankfully, even though they all try to comfort him, neither Tamaki nor his parents ever ask him what his nightmares are about and Suguru is grateful for that. He doesn’t think he can actually talk about what he sees in those nightmares, even more so because of the fact that he keeps seeing an older version of himself. And he doesn’t want to even consider the fact that he might actually be able to do all of those despicable acts the older version of himself did in his nightmares.

He doesn’t want to even consider that he might actually be able to hurt innocent people. He just doesn’t see himself as that kind of person. He sees himself as someone who will help, who will protect, who will defend.

“You okay?” Mirio asks.

“Fine. My headache’s just coming back,” Suguru says.

Tamaki gives him a worried look.

“I’ll be fine,” Suguru adds.

“Hmm, odd that you and Yuji are both dealing with pretty bad headaches. Are you guys just trying to get outta movie night?” Mirio asks with a bright grin.

Suguru, who knows all about Tamaki’s little crush on Mirio, can feel his lips quirking into a faint smirk as he nudges Tamaki in the arm. “I bet you would like some alone time with Mirio though,” he says and grins when Tamaki goes bright red and starts sputtering out what he assumes is supposed to be a protest before he promptly bolts.

Just because Suguru is antisocial and doesn’t really interact with other people his age, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have a bit of a gremlin side to him.

. . .

“I love myself when I’m pretty and all dressed up! And I love myself when I’m strong!”

. . .

The small apartment is quiet by the time Nobara Uraraka, a huff of exhaustion escaping her lips, makes her way into it, only barely remembering to kick off her shoes as she does so. She runs a hand through her dyed ginger hair as she wanders over to the moth-eaten couch and promptly flops face first onto it. She is so tired but, then, she wasn’t quite expecting to stay out for as long as she did with Mawata.

She is grateful the training camp she and her classmates just finished is over and done with. It was enjoyable to be able to learn more about her Quirk and how to use it to kick butt but it would have been far better if she wasn’t dealing with constant migraines the entire time. Ever since a month ago, she’s been dealing with constant migraines as well as constant vivid nightmares that leave her in a cold sweat every time she wakes up.

Sure, not all of this vivid images are bad. There are some fun ones, some enjoyable ones, some where she literally sees a different version of herself in a different uniform hanging out with two individuals who are the same age as her. She always sees herself shopping, which she loves to do even though she can’t do it that often because her parents’ are rather poor right now. Or she sees herself teasing the other two boys with her, or even the older young man whom always seems to act like a kid himself, or even fighting with all three of them, along with two others and a freaking Panda, in the same way she fights with Mawata and her other classmates.

It’s so weird because they are always so vivid. Every single image. Every single action. Every single scene.

It’s as if Nobara is living the scenes every single time she closes her eyes.

Even the bad ones.

And the bad ones are incredibly bad. Lots of severe injuries. Lots of destruction. Lots of somber moments.

And then there is that man, the man with the patchwork face, the man who is the last thing Nobara sees before her entire vision is engulfed in crimson and her cycle of nightmares ends only to restart anew in a small town out on the countryside.

It’s almost as if those vivid nightmares that cycle through her mind every time she closes her eyes are telling her a story, a vivid movie where her perspective is the perspective the story is being told through. That would explain why it ends with that burst of crimson and then begins again at the very same place it’s been beginning ever since these nightmares started about a month or so ago.

“Nobara, are you okay?”

Nobara turns her head as her little sister, Ochaco, places the dented tray of tea cups and a tea pot on the table. “Yeah, fine. Just tired,” she says as she, yawning, sits up and rubs her orange eyes.

“You’ve been tired a lot lately. Are those nightmares still bothering you?” Ochaco asks. She’s the only one who knows about the nightmares because, since they share a room due to their parents’ lack of funds making it impossible for them to afford more than the two bedroom apartment they have, she’s been woken up by Nobara’s screams whenever she witnesses, and revisits, the latter half of her cycle of nightmares.

Such as last night, where the cycle ended and she knows she is going to be reliving the beginning of that nightmare cycle again when she closes her eyes. It’s so annoying and she hates it, hates that she can’t get a decent night’s sleep, hates that her nightmares are keeping her little sister up too.

She hates that those nightmares are so vivid and feel so real that she can’t stop thinking about them. She can’t stop thinking about the stoic black-haired boy who laughs and smiles in the latter half of the cycle. Or the pink-haired boy with the sunshine smile and extra eyelids beneath his eyes. Or the extremely tall white-haired young man with a blindfold covering his eyes who is always depicted as an unorthodox, but effective, teacher in the cycle.

She only sees the pink-haired one toward the end of the cycle and it’s right before that burst of crimson ends the cycle.

But it’s really weird that a part of her misses them even though she doesn’t even know who they are or what their names even are or why she is dreaming about them.

“Nobara?”

Nobara shakes her head and gives Ochaco a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, really. Hey, what do you say we pay a visit to Mom’s closet? She did say we could borrow her dresses whenever we want and I was thinking we can go to that mochi stand. It’s half price today.”

“I forgot that’s today! Let’s do it,” Ochaco says brightly and, as Nobara jumps off the couch, both of them dart down the hallway toward their parents’ bedroom. They slip into it and make their way toward the small closet where their mother keeps her fancier closes.

Nobara enjoys dressing up. She always has. She likes wearing pretty dresses or wearing simple makeup that her mother always says brings out her eyes because she likes feeling pretty. It’s one of the only times where she feels like herself, the only other time is when she is beating Mawata or any of her classmates in a spar during training.

Being pretty and being strong is when she feels truly like herself.

She doesn’t even know when she first started feeling that way, or if it’s just been ingrained in her ever since she was born. She just doesn’t know but it feels right. That want to be strong, that want to be pretty.

She wants to be a hero and she is going to be the best hero she can possibly be, one who is strong and who isn’t like the males who dominate the hero scene. She supposes she is feminist in that regard because she truly believes women can be just as strong as men while still maintaining their femininity. Her idols are Midnight and Ryukyu after all, two of the strongest female heroes in the industry who don’t take any shit from any of the men around them. No, they work together with their male counterparts and fight on equal ground with them and that is what Nobara wishes to do when she becomes a hero.

And she hopes Ochaco will follow in those same footsteps herself.

She has no doubt Ochaco will make it into U.A. Her strength and her determination and her Quirk will help in that regards.

It’s funny that, even though they’re sisters, their Quirks couldn’t be the furthest from each other. While Ochaco can make anything float when she touches them with the pads of her fingers, Nobara is capable of controlling iron and, as she found out this year, she can even manifest constructs made out of iron from her own blood. She’s been working on using that part of her Quirk to manifest nails because, for some reason, that just feels right. She doesn’t know why she feels that way but it does.

It’s not as if they are actual sharpened nails. They are blunt on the ends so if they hit someone then they won’t actually break skin. She’s not a monster or anything like that.

“Nobara! You’ve gotta try this dress on! I think it’ll bring out your eyes,” says Ochaco, pulling out a navy blue dress with thick sleeves.

“Ohh cute!” Nobara squeals and all but dives toward her sister while Ochaco, laughing, tosses the dress at her so she can take it into the bathroom and try it on.

. . .

“It’s not about whether I can. I have to do it.”

. . .

If there is one thing Megumi Hado doesn’t particularly like about his older adopted sister, it’s how much of an airhead she has a tendency of being. Don’t get him wrong, he does care for his older sister just as much as he cares for the entire family who took him in when he was abandoned at an orphanage at the tender age of five. But the fact that Nejire is so airheaded that she constantly asks questions and then changes subjects so swiftly that it leaves Megumi’s head spinning is a bit annoying.

Such as today, where she is currently asking questions about the various tattoos even though she’s asked this several times, and always ends up distracted by other things before he can even answer.

Truth be told, the tattoos on his back have been there since he was a baby. They are associated with his Quirk, as the Quirk counselor the Hados took him to see after adopting him told him, but they feel even more personal than just that. All seven of the tattoos tattooed on Megumi’s back feel like a part of him far beyond simple ink forever imprinted on his skin, even far beyond that ink being the conduit from which his Quirk manifests the Shadow Beasts he can control.

Every single time he thinks about his Shadow Beasts, another word always came into his mind, even though he knows it’s not the same thing: shikigami.

He supposes his Shadow Beasts do resemble the shikigami from Japanese folklore but, at the same time, they aren’t spirits or anything like that. They are solidified shadows who are capable of manifesting themselves in their solid form whenever he wants them to, so long as he has their tattoo on his skin and so long as he has enough stamina. He can only manifest one at a time right now, and he can’t even touch Mahoraga right now because of how powerful that one is, but he is working on increasing his stamina so he can manifest more.

As expected, Nejire gets distracted and flounces off to talk with their parents about something that caught her eye and Megumi lets loose a soft breath. He is glad for the break from his adopted sister’s interrogation. He knows she doesn’t mean anything by it, even if he has explained his Quirk to her before, but, at the same time, her constant questioning is just making his headache worse.

The headache has been bothering him constantly for the past month now, ever since last week of June. They are always associated with those dreams, and nightmares, that have been plaguing his mind every single time he closes his eyes. Vivid dreams. Vivid images. Vivid scenes. It’s almost as if he is constantly watching a series of movies on repeat, all with the same incredibly real-like effects and vivid imagery, all with the same emotional impact that makes them feel far more real than they should.

Megumi always remembers these dreams but he’s never remembered his dreams before.

But he’s never had such vivid, real-like dreams before either.

He always sees individuals he’s never met before in his life. A brown-haired girl about a year older than him, a young man with white hair and a blindfold covering his eyes, a ginger-haired girl, a pink-haired boy with closed eyelids resting beneath his actual eyes.

Those extra eyelids on the pink-haired boy aren’t there in all of his nightmares. Sometimes, he sees those eyelids on himself just like he sees the black tattoos that covered the pink-haired boy’s face and back on himself as well. And he always feel so cold all over, so filled with regret and sadness and despair and self-loathing, whenever he sees those images in his nightmares.

“Hey, hey, Megi! Megi! Why so sad? Did I say something? Or is it those nightmares again? Are they bothering you again? Do you wanna call up your dogs? They’re so cute! I just wanna pet ‘em and cuddle ‘em! Hey! Hey! Can you call your dogs?” Nejire exclaims as she skips to Megumi’s side and starts poking him repeatedly in the arm as she talks.

Megumi rubs his temples, giving his adopted sister an annoyed look that she completely ignores as she continues to poke him and begs him to bring out his dogs. “You know I’m not allowed to use my Quirk in public,” he says.

“Oh, yeah, that’s true! Hey! Hey! Are you looking forward to U.A. next year? It’s gonna be so much fun. I’m sure. I’m having so much fun! I even have friends in Mirio and Tamaki! Hey! Hey! Did I tell you about ‘em? Did I? Did I?”

“Yes, you did, multiple times,” Megumi deadpans, wincing because his head really is hurting.

“All right, Nejire. Why don’t you come and help me pick out something for dinner?” His adopted mother, Hana, says.

“Okay!” Nejire jogs over to join Hana and Megumi gives his adopted mother a grateful look to which Hana just winks at him as she guides her overenthusiastic daughter away.

His adopted dad, Kanami, moves to his side. “Your head has been hurting you constantly for a while now,” he says concerned.

Megumi shrugs. “If the doctors’ can’t figure out what’s wrong then they can’t fix it,” he murmurs. “It’s fine.”

“I don’t think it’s as fine as you say it is but please let me know if they get any worse than they have been,” says Kanami as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pill bottle. He shakes out two Ibruprofen and hand them to Megumi who takes it and the water bottle Kanami holds out next to swallow the pills. It’s not as if they ever do much to help but they do, at least, ease the pain a little bit.

So far, he hasn’t found anything that can really help with the nightmares themselves, except cuddling with his Divine Dogs and he can only do that when the safety of his home since Quirk usage in public is illegal.

“Hey! Hey! What do you want for dinner, Megi?” Nejire yells. “I want your opinion ‘cause I can’t decide! Hey!”

“Nejire, what did I tell you about yelling?” Hana says with a sigh.

“Oh sorry!”

“Nejire…”

“Sorry.” This time, she says it in a quieter voice before she starts enthusiastically waving Megumi and Kanami over and Megumi, not for the first time, has to wonder how it is that Nejire is older than him.

He shakes the thought away as he moves over to join his adopted sister and his adopted mother.

“What do you want to eat? Huh? Huh?” Nejire asks excitedly.

“Sushi sounds good,” Megumi murmurs. He doesn’t really have a preference but if it can be paired with ginger then he will love it, and sushi is well known to pair really well with ginger.

“Sounds good to me,” Kanami says.

“Okay! Sounds good,” says Nejire brightly.

“Sushi it is,” Hana says with a light laugh as she rests a hand on Nejire’s arm and guides her down the sidewalk toward a nearby sushi restaurant while Megumi and Kanami bring up the rear of the group.

“Maybe getting something to eat will help with your headache,” Kanami suggests.

“Yeah, maybe.” It never has before but Megumi doesn’t say that out loud since he knows his adopted father is simply trying to help. Maybe it will work this time or, at the very least, maybe having dinner with his adopted family and listening to their conversations with each other will help him get his mind off his nightmares and dreams.

. . .

“I don’t know how I will feel if I am dead, but I don’t’ want to regret how I lived.”

. . .

Yuji Togata is currently miserable.

His head is throbbing. His eyes are burning. He feels exhausted to the bone. Everything aches and he doesn’t know why. He really hopes he isn’t getting sick because he hates being sick and bedridden and unable to hang out outside with his brother, Tamaki, an Suguru. As it is, the thought of being outside right now just causes nausea to roll around in his stomach as his head throbs.

This headache has been something he’s been dealing with for about a month now. It’s been as consistent as the nightmares that haunt him every single time he closes his eyes, nightmares that leave him waking up in a cold sweat, and often screaming. He would much rather have the dreams that come rarely in between the nightmares because, at least, those are fun.

Even if he doesn’t recognize the two teens, and one young man whom is probably in his late twenties, he does recognize the fun time they always have. Even if it’s just watching movies with the young man or training, shopping, or just walking with the two teens, it’s still enjoyable and relaxing and, yes, fun.

He still doesn’t know why it feels like he knows those three people, why a part of him feels different emotions whenever he looks at any of them. For the girl with the ginger hair, he feels shock and sadness. For the boy with the black hair, he feels despair and regret. For the white-haired young man, the guilt is so strong that it always startles Yuji awake.

He just doesn’t understand why he feels this way whenever he sees them, or why he misses them when he doesn’t even know them or even know their names, or why he feels he should know them, or why they feel so incredibly important to him.

He sighs as he rubs his head. All of this thinking about his nightmares isn’t helping his migraine at all. In fact, it just seems to be making it worse and that sucks. He hates feeling miserable. He really does.

“Yuji!” A shout sounds and Yuji groans, burying his face into his pillow, as his brother steps through the door to his bedroom. He’s been practicing with his Quirk in the safe confines of his home for a while now but he’s still got a bad habit of losing his clothes when he uses it. So not long does Yuji have to deal with his big brother’s incredibly loud voice right now but he also has to deal with the fact that his brother is currently stark naked.

He tosses a blanket at Mirio. “You lost your clothes again,” he says irritably without pulling his face away from his pillow.

“Whoops! My bad!” Mirio laughs. “Man, you’re pretty irritable right now, Yuji! You’re usually happier.”

“Mirio, my head literally feels like someone is repeatedly slamming a sledgehammer into it,” Yuji groans.
“Still?”

He lets out a whimper of pain in answer.

“Oh. Sorry. My shout probably made it worse. My bad.” Movement sounds and Yuji feels a hand run through his short dyed pink hair. “Man, I wish I could help.”

“I know. Thanks for that, really, but even the doctors can’t figure out what’s up with these headaches,” says Yuji. It’s the truth. Medicine doesn’t work. Meditation, which his doctor did suggest, only makes it worse. Sleep is pretty much impossible because of the pain, and the nightmares. So he’s just been dealing with it as best he can because there’s really nothing else he can do.

“Mom and Dad are gonna talk with a specialist and see what they can figure out to help ya,” Mirio says. “We’re gonna figure this out! I know Suguru is dealing with the same thing too. He told me that earlier.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh. Hey, maybe you two can have a sleepover while Tamaki and I are doing our movie marathon in the living room,” says Mirio. “I promise we’ll keep the volume down to not wake ya up.”

Yuji tilts his head and grins at Mirio. “You and Tamaki are gonna be alone, huh?” he says with a teasing grin.

Mirio laughs as he rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah, what of it?”

“Hmm.”

Mirio pokes him in the side. “It’s not like that,” he says.

“Hmm.” He doesn’t believe that because he does see the way Tamaki looks at Mirio and he has no doubt his brother does feel something for his best friend beyond simple friendship. So he just grins at his big brother and pokes him in the arm a few times while Mirio just laughs and swats at his finger.

Teasing his brother does help a bit to get his mind off his nightmares, and his throbbing head, but not by much.

“I’ll get ya some ginger tea. That seemed to help ease your migraine last time,” says Mirio.

“Oh thanks. You’re a life saver, as usual.”

“Just doing my big brother duty!” Mirio ruffles Yuji’s hair and, pivoting, walks off with the blanket wrapped around his form.

“Put some clothes on too,” Yuji calls after his brother who waves a dismissive hand and, this time, he opens the door and steps out of it. He gathers the clothes that were left just outside of the door and strides off, still wrapped up in the blanket.

He knows Mirio is getting stronger with his Quirk but, at the same time, he still remembers when Mirio embarrassed himself on live television a few months ago during the Sports Festival Second Year Stage. Thankfully, he is able to avoid that with his hero costume but not with his normal clothes, unless they have his DNA woven into it like his hero costume.

At least he doesn’t have to worry about that with his Quirk. Considering his Quirk basically just increases his strength, speed, and agility whenever he activates it, it’s really quite simple and basic but he doesn’t mind. He knows he can be the hero he wants to be with this Quirk, as has been his dream since he was a little kid.

He wants to help people. He wants to keep people safe. To be a hero is to do all of that and Yuji truly feels he can live his life without regrets if he help other people.

He is a strong boy and he should use his strength to help others. For some reason, that is something he has lived by since he was a small boy, since his Quirk first came in. He feels like someone told him that at some point in his life but, for the life of him, he doesn’t know who. It could have been his parents or his brother when he was too young to really remember but he just doesn’t know.

But it feels right. Just like it feels right to live his life without regrets, and to live his life surrounded by people.

The door to his room opens again and Yuji, forcing himself to sit up, watches as Suguru makes his way into his room. The black-haired boy is currently rubbing his temples as pain flares in his small purple eyes while black bangs flow over one eye. His hair flows down to his shoulders but he has part of it up in a bun.

“Are you letting your hair grow out?” he asks curiously as he swings his legs off the bed.

“I don’t know why but it feels nice this long but I don’t think I want it longer than this,” Suguru admits as he sits down on Yuji’s computer chair. “Mirio told me you have a migraine too.”

“Yeah. It sucks,” Yuji groans, grabbing his pillow and promptly burying his face into it.

“Tell me about it. Well, I guess we suffer together while giving Tamaki and Mirio some alone time together,” says Suguru with a faint smirk crossing his lips.

Yuji giggles into the pillow. “You’ve noticed?”

“You’d have to be blind not to notice.”

“Yeah, true.”

“Mirio thinks we’re faking our headaches to give ‘em alone time,” Suguru adds thoughtfully.

Yuji puts his pillow down and points at him. “That is something you would do, you gremlin,” he teases.

“I am a saint. I can do no wrong,” Suguru says calmly but with amusement twinkling in his eyes.

“Haha, yeah right,” Yuji says because he’s grown up with Suguru. He knows how much of a chaotic gremlin Suguru can be when he wants to be. He doesn’t draw attention to his gremlin ways, always putting off the image of the quiet, rule-abiding kid who can do know wrong, to where only those who have known him for a long time knows that image is a facade to help him hide his true gremlin nature.

He is a chaotic gremlin but he is so subtle about it that he can literally fool anyone.

“Though, to be fair, I’m not actually faking my headache. It really does hurt like hell,” Suguru adds with a huff as he rubs his temples.

“Same, dude, same,” Yuji groans and buries his face into his pillow again. He doesn’t know why he is having these headaches, or why they have been as constant as they have, but he really wishes he could find out the reason so he can make them go away. Though, truth be told, he would rather have this migraine than those nightmares any day and that just goes to show how bad those nightmares are if he would rather have this blinding agony instead.

But, until his parents can figure out a way to help him with these headaches, Yuji just has to deal with them and hope they don’t get worse. That’s really all he can do right now.

. . .

Chapter Text

It takes him ten months but, at the end of February on the day of the entrance exam, Izuku is finally done with cleaning up Dagobah Beach. He didn’t even stop when he finished the portion he and All Might agreed upon. He went beyond his limits and successfully cleaned the entire beach, revealing a beautiful view of the glistening, lapping waters of the ocean and the brilliant rising sun laying beyond. It really is a beautiful sight and Izuku, panting from exertion and covered in sweat, can’t help but beam in pride, can’t help but scream his happiness into the sky.

It took so long but Izuku doesn’t regret it because he knows it did succeed in making him stronger. He knows he is far stronger than he was ten months ago when he first started learning under All Might.

He isn’t sure if his body is ready to take on One for All but he strongly hopes it is. He strongly hopes that he will be able to step up to the starting line his twin brother has been waiting at for years so they both can starting moving toward their dream of becoming the greatest, and strongest, heroes they can possibly be.

His legs give out on him and Izuku fully expects to crash into the sand so he is more than a little surprised, but too exhausted to show it, when All Might is there in his buff form, catching him in his arms. “Well done,” All Might says in his booming voice.

Izuku smiles at him tiredly. “All Might, I did it. I did it,” he says.

“Astounding! You’re a real entertainer and a teen no less!” says All Might as he gently places Izuku on the ground and, fishing into his pocket, pulls out his phone before pulling up his gallery and showing Izuku the picture he took back when they first started training. It’s not the best picture of him, considering he was on the ground and crying and far more scrawny than he is now.

“Excellent work! Truly!” All Might adds as he tucks his phone away. “The path forward is ever so slightly clearer. But you’re a true-blue vessel now!”

Izuku smiles and glances at his hand, curling his fingers in but he can’t help but wonder if this really was all his doing. He only got this way because he was following All Might’s training regime thoroughly, even if he did train a bit more beyond what the plan laid out, so it can’t be just him. “I feel like I cheated or something. Getting all this help from you, All Might. I’ve been blessed.”

He can’t even stop the tears that fall from his eyes and mingle with the sweat coating his form as he speaks.

All Might laughs. “But you’ve gotta quit being a crybaby,” he says. “Anyway, the time for the awards ceremony, Izuku Midoriya.”

Izuku lifts his head, sudden excitement and eagerness causing the exhaustion to be pushed to the back burner. Sure, it’s still there and probably will be there for a while still but he is able to push it aside to focus on what is more important now. And what is more important is that he is finally, truly, ready to get All Might’s Quirk.

“Okay!” he says.

“You know they say there’s a big difference between being born with that silver spoon and working your butt off to earn it,” All Might goes on as he raises a hand to his hair and pulls a strand free. “Take this to heart, kid. You’ve earned this power, fair and square.”

Izuku clenches his hand into a fist in determination.

All Might holds out the hair. “Eat this,” he says.

Pure silence.

Izuku stares at the hair with utter shock in his eyes. “Uh...huh?”

“Really doesn’t matter what it is you eat, as long you get my DNA now hurry,” says All Might and Izuku groans.

“Now exactly how I thought this would go,” he protests.

“Yes, yes, but you do gotta hurry. You’ve got three hours before the entrance exam.”

“Three hours?!” Izuku didn’t even realize it was already that late in the morning. He was fully expecting to be back home, dragging his brother out of bed, and getting ready for the day at this time. He’s going to be rushing when he gets home so he snatches the hair, puts it in his mouth, and forces himself to swallow it.

It is by far the most disgusting thing he has ever done and he groans as he snatches the water bottle All Might holds out to him and practically chugs the entire thing. He is glad that he can’t tell Satoru about One for All because he knows for a fact Satoru will tease him mercilessly over how he had to obtain it.

“I don’t feel any different,” he says in puzzlement afterwards.

“Well, of course not! That’s not how the stomach works! I’m pretty sure you’re gonna start feeling it within three or so hours, just in time too. So why don’t you head home? Take a shower. Get some rest. Get something to eat. Probably make sure that brother of yours didn’t burn down your apartment while you were gone.”

Izuku laughs. It seems his mentor is always saying that but he knows it’s partially because that is a very real fear since Satoru is still stuck on house arrest for one more month. It’s really a miracle the older Midoriya twin hasn’t committed arson out of sheer boredom, though Izuku doesn’t know if that’s because he wants to be a hero and heroes don’t do that or not. He likes to think it’s for that reason but, when it comes to his carefree, chaotic twin, he can never know for sure.

He knows Satoru is beyond grateful the officers loosened the restrictions enough for him to take the U.A. entrance exam due to it being school-related but a Pro Hero is going to be escorting them to U.A. campus. Given that the Pro Hero is only going to be present because of that security detail that the police placed around Satoru, Izuku is sure it’s going to be an Underground Hero who is known for blending in.

After all, the bounty on Satoru’s head is still active.

“Thank you, All Might,” he says, giving his mentor a beaming smile.

All Might grins at him. “It was all you, Young Midoriya,” he says. “You have done well. Good luck.”

“Thank you!” Izuku turns and, jogging toward where his pack rests, he throws on his shirt and throws his backpack over his back. He jogs away from the beach, waving at All Might who gives him a short wave in return.

It doesn’t take him long to reach his apartment building and he will admit he is a bit grateful to see it’s still standing. He jogs past the officers who are always situated close by the building and up the stairs, using his key to unlock the door and slipping into the apartment.

“I’m home,” he calls, though he can’t be sure if Satoru is even awake yet. Normally getting Satoru to wake up on days when they don’t have school is like pulling teeth, except recently. For some reason, Satoru has actually been getting up before Izuku but Izuku realizes he didn’t really put that into perspective until now.

Until he steps into the living room to see his brother bright eyed and fully alert in spite of the fact that it’s only a little after seven in the morning. His hair is a damp mess on his head as if he just got out of the shower and he is currently dressed in a black jacket and matching black pants. He waves at Izuku as he flips through the pages of the textbook resting open in his arms.

“Um, you’re up early,” says Izuku in puzzlement.

Satoru casts a glance at him and shrugs. “Wasn’t gonna be late for the U.A. Entrance Exam by sleeping in. Besides, this is gonna be the first time I get to actually leave the apartment for something other than school so I’m definitely too excited to sleep,” he says.

Izuku chuckles. He knows of how much his brother has been chomping at the bit to finally be able to leave the apartment. Considering he’s been confined to it for the past eight months, he can understand. He would have felt the same way had he been confined to the apartment himself.

Satoru wrinkles his nose and points. “You stink,” he deadpans. “Go take a shower.”

“Yeah, I know,” Izuku says and makes his way toward the bathroom, slipping into it. After taking a quick shower and changing into clothing similar to what Satoru is wearing, he joins his brother in the living room.

“You seem happy, and tired,” Satoru comments.

“Oh, uh, well, I kinda just finished my training and just in time for the entrance exam. I feel confident now that I’m gonna do fine,” Izuku says. In truth, he doesn’t feel that confident only because he hasn’t had a chance to truly test out All Might’s Quirk since it hasn’t been fully integrated into his system yet. The entrance exam is going to be his first time testing it out and Izuku can’t help but feel a little anxious over that. But he manages to hide it or, at least, if Satoru does notice he is more nervous than he is letting on, he doesn’t say anything.

“Well, that’s good. Anyway, who’s taking us to U.A.?”

“No idea. Did Mom already leave for work?”

Satoru nods. “She got called it around five or so. She told me to wish you good luck.”

Izuku smiles, then frowns. “Wait, what were you doing up at five in the morning?” he says. He may have left the house at four but he’s pretty sure his brother was still asleep when he left.

“Excitement,” says Satoru with a shrug as he adjusts the dark sunglasses resting over his eyes.

“So no nightmares?” asks Izuku. He’s hoping that’s the case. It’s been a few months since Satoru last had a nightmare violent enough to cause him to wake up screaming and Izuku is hoping that they haven’t come back at all.

“Nah. None that were bad enough for me to remember, or to wake me up, anyway,” says Satoru. “I’m just glad to be able to finally get outta the house and not have to go to school!”

“We’re going to U.A., which is a school.”

“That’s not what I meant, smartass!”

“Takes one to know one.”

“Shit, you’re right.”

Izuku chuckles.

About an hour later, a knock sounds at the door and Izuku turns toward it. “I’ve got it,” he says and moves to the door, peering through the peep hole as he knows he’s supposed to do until the bounty is lifted. He sees the hero license and, opening the door just enough, he takes the hero license the hero hands him and studies it. His eyes light up but, before he can say anything, Satoru is there, snatching the hero license out of his hand with one hand and clasping a hand over his mouth with the other.

“C’mon in,” he says brightly as he closes the door and, unlatching the deadbolt, opens it again, allowing a tall young man with messy black hair and light gray eyes to enter. He is clad in a dark blue bodysuit with lighter patches covering his forearms and hands, the sides of his thighs, and with a thin stripe under his chest. A belt is wrapped around his waist with a cloth tied loosely around his neck and yellow headgear on his head.

“Hello, I am Pro Hero Mr. Brave,” the young man says, to which Izuku is nodding his head eagerly because he knows this already and his eyes are shining as he thinks about all the questions he wants to ask this hero.

“Hi,” Satoru says. “Pretty sure you already know who we are but I’m Satoru Midoriya. This is my way too enthusiastic for his own good baby brother Izuku.”

Izuku’s excitement evaporates to be replaced by annoyance as he yanks Satoru’s hand away from his mouth. “I’m only two minutes younger than you!” he exclaim with green eyes flashing with exasperated annoyance.

Satoru just laughs at him.

“Honestly!”

“We should head out,” Mr. Brave says, though there is faint amusement in his voice. “The U.A. Entrance Exam does begin soon.”

The Midoriya twins nod in agreement and follow Mr. Brave as he leads the way out of the apartment.

. . .

“Thanks for coming with me. You didn’t have to,” Ochaco says as Nobara guides her way from the train station and toward the street that will take them to U.A. High School. Already, a massive crowd of individuals are heading in the same direction, many of whom are teens who are likely heading for U.A. for the entrance exam as well.

“Hey, no problem. I’m meeting up with Mawata at that new boutique that opened up in the mall anyway. We’re gonna try on dresses,” says Nobara. She does love it when she gets the chance to dress up, even if she is never able to afford to buy the many dresses she tries on. It’s simply nice to be able to see how she would look in those dresses, and try to save up some money to purchase the dress.

Her parents aren’t exactly rich. In fact, they are poorer than poor. The construction company her parents own haven’t been doing very well, which is part of the reason why Nobara and Ochaco both decided to follow the path of a hero. They both want to make money to support their parents, whom have given so much and sacrificed so much to ensure they had a good childhood.

Even though Nobara does also want to save people and defend them, which is a hero’s priority, she will admit she does have a selfish motivation too. But she is only human and humans are selfish creatures. They always have been. Nothing can ever change that aspect of humanity, even the abundance of Quirks can’t change that.

But it’s not like it’s a bad thing. It’s a motivation and it’s not as if it’s a bad one. After all, they are doing this for their parents. It isn’t even for themselves.

Ochaco chews on her lower lip as they make their way down the street. “Still though, I can’t help but feel nervous,” she says as she wrings her hands together, somehow managing to avoid activating her Quirk on herself.

“Hey, it’s fine to be nervous but you’re gonna do great,” says Nobara as she reaches out a hand and rustles Ochaco’s hair, causing her to squeak in embarrassment.

“Nobara,” she protests.

Nobara laughs, amusement twinkling in her orange eyes as she runs a hand through her short ginger hair. In truth, the only thing she and Ochaco have in common in terms of appearance is their height and their natural-colored hair. Nobara just prefers ginger to the dark brown she had previously and her parents were okay with letting her dye it.

“Hey, I’m the big sister. It’s my job to encourage you while also embarrassing you,” she says with a grin.

“Haha,” Ochaco deadpans but there is amusement in her eyes.

They continue to walk, reaching the street in which the majority of the crowd of individuals veer off in a different direction. Those who continue to walk along the street are now primarily teens who are likely the applicants for the U.A. Entrance Exam. There are many but Nobara isn’t surprised by that because U.A. is the best hero school in all of Japan.

“Still though, it’s nerve wracking,” Ochaco groans, running a hand through her hair as her breath comes out in frosty white puffs.

“Maybe so but you’re gonna do great and you’re gonna kick ass and show everyone that you’re strong,” says Nobara.

“Thanks, Nobara.”

“Of course.” They reach the gates and Nobara stops and turns to face her sister, reaching out a hand and resting in on the girl’s shoulder. “Remember why we’re doing this.”

Ochaco nods. “For Mom and Dad,” she says.

“For Mom and Dad.” Nobara squeezes her sister’s shoulder and steps back, grinning and adding, “now go and kick some ass!”

“Right!” Ochaco turns and jogs past the gates and Nobara watches her go, wishing her another silent ‘good luck’ before she turns around and starts walking away. She meanders her way through the crowd of applicants but freezes when she brushes against someone and a spark of electricity rushes through her.

She whips her head around at the same time that the person she brushed does the same.

Orange eyes meet brown.

Nobara is suddenly overwhelmed with images of another boy who looks identical to this boy, a boy she only ever saw in those nightmares: the same brown eyes, the same messy pink hair, the same facial structure. The only difference is the boy from the nightmares had an extra set of eyelids beneath his actual eyes and this boy doesn’t.

But it’s still uncanny as to how much this boy resembles the boy she saw in her nightmares.

Even though she hasn’t had those nightmares, or the dreams interwoven within them, in a few months, the fact that they occurred practically every single night since that day in last June, and were always so vivid and so real-like, meant she knows them intimately well. She could probably quote each scene of the cycle of nightmares that intruded upon her sleep for months after that day last year.

The boy is also staring at her with wide eyes. “You…” he begins.

“Why…?” Nobara begins.

“Out of the fucking way, extras!” A loud voice snaps and Nobara yelps when a boy with spiky blond hair shoves past her and the pink-haired boy with enough force to send her stumbling back a few steps.

She whirls around. “Jerk!” she yells.

She gets a middle finger thrown at her and she huffs in annoyance.

A swarm of applicants suddenly moves forward and she steps back to let them by as she turns her head but the pink-haired boy must have been carried away by the swarm because she doesn’t see him anymore. She frowns to herself before shaking her head because she shouldn’t be focusing on this. It’s probably just a coincidence.

After all, her nightmares are just that: nightmares.

Just because they were vivid and real-like doesn’t mean they are real.

That boy may resemble the boy she saw in her nightmares but it’s just a coincidence.

She stands by that thought but, as she pivots and walks toward the street that will take her to the mall, a small part of her is in doubt. A small part of her doesn’t believe that encounter was mere coincidence and Nobara just doesn’t understand why that part of her, while small, still resonates so strongly within her.

. . .

Yuji is beyond grateful that he manages to get past U.A.’s gates without losing his balance and falling because there is a very good chance he will end up trampled. Considering there are so many people heading toward U.A.’s main building for the entrance exam, getting trampled is a very likely possibility.

But he can’t believe he’s actually here. This is U.A. High School, the best hero school in all of Japan and the school his big brother is attending.

Yuji is equal parts excited and terrified. Excited because it’s U.A. and terrified because it’s U.A.

There are so many applicants and, as Yuji meanders his way around them, he finds himself wondering how many of them are going to end up getting into the school. He doesn’t think all of them are going to make it, since there are probably like a hundred applicants here if not more, but thinking about that fact makes him nervous.

There is no denying that Yuji’s strength lies more in his physical prowess rather than his intelligence. That isn’t to say he isn’t smart. He just isn’t as smart as his brother, or as Suguru, and he has a hard time studying and paying attention to lectures in middle school. It’s really thanks to Mirio’s patient tutoring that he is passing his middle school classes, just like it is thanks to Mirio’s patient tutoring that is the reason he will hopefully be able to pass the written exam enough to get in.

He takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and starts examining the area, looking to see if Suguru has arrived yet.

Suguru already messaged him saying that he was running late because he ended up missing his train so his parents are driving him to U.A. instead. He is due to show up any moment now but, so far, Yuji isn’t seeing him in the sea of applicants mingling in the courtyard. Many of them are already heading for the main building and, while Yuji wants to wait for his friend, he also doesn’t want to be late himself.

He decides he will save Suguru a seat. He’s sure he can do that and he’s sure Suguru is probably only a few minutes out.

He makes his way toward the main building, already planning on finding a seat by the window since he prefers the window seats. It’s brighter there, with sunlight streaming in through the glass pane that always leaves him warm and comfortable.

His phone rings and he, pulling it out of his pocket, glances at as he opens the double doors and slips into the main building. He answers the call right away upon seeing who it is. “Hey, just the guy I was thinking about,” he says. “Where are you?”

“Coming up on U.A. now,” says Suguru. “Go ahead and head inside. I’m getting out about a block away ‘cause there are way too many people on the street and Mom isn’t gonna be able to get any closer to the gates. I’ll be there though.”

“Okay. I’ll save ya a seat,” says Yuji as he rounds the corner, heading toward the room where the written exam is going to take place and wincing when he runs into someone. He steps back, an apology about to leave his lips even as a burst of electricity surges through him, similar to what happened when he ran into that ginger-haired girl whom bore an uncanny resemblance to the girl in those nightmares.

Even though Yuji hasn’t had those nightmares in a few months doesn’t mean they aren’t still seared into his head. Given he had them every single night for months after that first night back last June, and they were always just as vivid and real-like each time, he will always remember them. The memory of those nightmares are burned onto the forefronts of his mind.

That ginger-haired girl was prominent in many of them.

As was the boy he just ran into.

He stares into dark blue eyes set in a pale face.

The boy stares back at him, eyes widening.

For some reason, despair and regret surges through Yuji and he doesn’t know why.

“You…” the boy begins.

“Why…?” Yuji begins.

If this were any other moment, Yuji might have found it funny that he and this boy start speaking to each other the same way he and that girl started speaking to each other.

It is ironic that they are interrupted in a very similar way too.

“We must be punctual for the written exam. Please vacate the hallway and move to your destination!” A voice exclaims and Yuji whips his head around in time to see a dark-blue haired boy with glasses resting on the bridge of his nose standing right behind them, one arm chopping down in a sharp motion.

“Hey, chill out, would ya? We’ve got time,” says Yuji with a huff.

“It is always good to show up a little bit early to ensure that you have a good seat and are prepared with your writing utensils,” the boy says firmly.

“Writing utensils? Who the heck speaks like that?” Yuji says. He isn’t being mean when he asks that question. He’s genuinely bewildered because he doesn’t think he’s heard any teen his age talk like that. This guy talks like he is far older than he actually is.

The boy adjusts his glasses. “The exam begins in ten minutes. I strongly suggest you get to your assigned classroom,” he says firmly.

“Okay, okay. Relax. Gees.” Yuji sighs and, turning his head, he’s surprised to see the black-haired boy vanishing into the classroom. He blinks but decides that the boy must have decided to do as this boy suggested and figures he may as well do the same.

He still doesn’t understand why he seems to recognize that boy, or why those feelings of despair and regret are still flaring through him, but decide that he can’t focus on that. What is more important is the fact that he only has less than ten minutes to get to his assigned classroom and, unfortunately, it’s not this classroom.

Shit.

Yuji bolts down the hallway, searching for his assigned classroom while praying he makes it on time.

He can worry about those odd feelings, or that sense of recognition he felt upon seeing that black-haired boy, and that ginger-haired girl earlier, later.

. . .

Megumi lets loose a soft breath as he leaves the classroom in which the written exam took place in. The hallway is already filled with various applicants who already finished their written exam and are now heading toward the main auditorium where the practical exam is going to be explained to them. Nejire already warned Megumi of what to expect, eventually since she got distracted quite a bit during her explanation, so he knows of what to expect.

He doesn’t think anyone else here does though but they will learn soon enough. It’s not as if it will be that difficult and all he needs to do is earn as many points as he possibly can. That is all there is to it. It’s not a matter of whether he can or not. He just has to do it and that is what he is going to do.

Still though, as he walks, he finds he can’t get his mind off his encounter with that pink-haired boy.

For some reason, that pink-haired boy was identical to the boy from his nightmares, except without the extra set of eyelids that was prevalent in some of those nightmares. Megumi isn’t someone who really believes in coincidence but, at the same time, he just can’t fathom how that boy looks so much like a boy from his nightmares. The resemblance is way too uncanny.

But they’re just nightmares. Nightmares aren’t real.

He is glad that the nightmares that used to occur daily for months after that day last June aren’t occurring as frequently anymore. They still happen every now and then but it’s actually been a few months since he last had a nightmare. But, due to how frequently they happened in those months after that first day and due to how vivid and real-like they are, they have become imprinted on the forefronts of Megumi’s mind.

He can’t forget them. He doesn’t think he ever will.

Maybe that’s why he can’t stop thinking about that pink-haired boy.

He rubs his temples as he walks, nearing the entrance to the auditorium and not noticing the individual until they crash into him with enough force to send both of them tumbling backwards. Thankfully, there’s a wall there so neither of them get knocked off their feet but Megumi winces as his back collides with the wall.

“Sorry!” the boy exclaims and Megumi, rubbing his back, pushes away from the wall and peers at the boy.

He freezes because the boy is yet another visage from his nightmares. Incredibly tall with messy snow-white hair, incredibly pale skin, a pair of dark sunglasses covering his eyes. The only difference is this boy is younger than the young man he saw in his nightmares. This boy is like the teenage version of the young man from his nightmares.

“My fault,” he manages to get out, hoping his stoic facade is up.

The boy peers at him over the top of his dark sunglasses and Megumi draws in a sharp intake of breath at the briefest glimpse of mesmerizing and vibrant blue eyes. Eyes that featured so prominently in his nightmares, eyes that hold bottomless truths and immense power in their depths. The boy draws in a swift intake of breath as well.

“You…” he begins.

“Why…?” Megumi begins but breaks off because he doesn’t know what he wants to ask. Why do you look like a teen version of that young man from my nightmares? Why do I feel like I should know you? Why do I feel such guilt and sadness when I see you?

And it’s true. There are slivers of powerful guilt and sadness rushing through Megumi at the sight of those vibrant eyes and he doesn’t know why. They just feel so strong and he knows, somehow, someway he knows, those emotions are associated with his nightmares, especially the bloodier ones.

He shakes his head. “Never mind. The exam’s about to begin,” he says swiftly and darts around the tall boy, slipping into the auditorium. If the boy calls out to him, he doesn’t hear it as he swiftly makes his way down the aisles until he finds his assigned seating.

He needs to focus on the exam. That is more important. Those nightmares aren’t important right now. Those feelings aren’t important right now. Those feelings are just a part of those nightmares and those nightmares are just that: nightmares. They aren’t real. None of them are real.

And yet a part of Megumi can’t believe those words.

He shakes his head as he focuses, as he watches the Pro Hero Present Mic walk onto the stage, as he listens to Present Mic try to excite the crowd but everyone is clearly too nervous, or too lost in their thoughts like Megumi, to get into it. He will have to the hero credit for trying but clearly everyone’s nerves are too frayed at the moment, and Megumi is too busy attempting to get his thoughts together.

I just don’t understand why I recognize that boy anymore than I understand why I recognize that pink-haired boy.

He doesn’t know what’s going on with him, or why those vivid, real-like nightmares are the first thing his mind goes to upon seeing those two boys. Snippets of those nightmares pass through his mind and Megumi grits his teeth and forcibly shoves them aside. He can’t let them distract him.

“This is how the test will go, my listeners,” Present Mic is saying when Megumi forces himself to tune back into the presentation. “You’ll be experiencing ten-minute-long ‘mock cityscape maneuvers’! Bring along whatever you want. After this presentation, you’ll head to your assigned testing location. Okay?!”

Silence.

“Each site is filled with three kinds of faux villains,” Present Mic goes on as if his attempt to get the crowd excited didn’t just fail again. “Points are awarded for defeating each according to their respective difficulty levels. Use your Quirks to disable these faux villains and earn points. That’s your goal, listeners! Of course, playing the antihero and attacking other examinees is prohibited!”

“Obviously,” Megumi murmurs and then raises an eyebrow when a boy with dark-blue hair suddenly asks to ask a question and then brings up the fact that there is a fourth faux villain on the handout and demanding to know if this is an oversight.

“Such a blatant error if it is one is highly unbecoming for U.A., Japan’s top academy. We’re all her today in the opes of being molded into model heroes!” the boy goes on, then casts a glance over his shoulder and adds, “And you, with the curly hair?”

A small boy with fluffy green hair lets out a squeak. Megumi notices he’s seated next to the tall white-haired boy he can’t help but recognize.

“You’ve been muttering this entire time. It’s distracting. If this is some sort of game to you, then please leave immediately!” the boy snaps.

The small boy ducks his head, face going red with embarrassment.

“Yo, just ‘cause you’re nervous doesn’t give ya the right to take it out on other people, you idiot,” the white-haired boy says with a scoff. “So back off.”

“Well!”

Megumi raises an eyebrow but finds he can’t help but agree with the white-haired boy. It doesn’t seem like it was necessary for the dark-blue-haired boy to call the green-haired boy out like that, even more so because it embarrassed him front of everyone.

For some odd reason, he feels oddly surprised that he is agreeing with the white-haired boy and he doesn’t know why he feels that way. It almost feels as if he never agrees with that white-haired boy but, at the same time, he doesn’t even know that boy. He doesn’t even know his name.

So why does he find that white-haired boy so incredibly familiar as if he does know him far more than he thinks he does?

. . .

“You know that wasn’t necessary,” Izuku says as Satoru leads the way out of the auditorium now that Present Mic’s presentation on how the practical exam is going to work ends and everyone is told to head outside to the buses that will take them to their testing location. He hums as he pivots so that he’s walking backwards with his hands folded casually behind his head.

“He shouldn’t have called ya out, Izuku. He basically embarrassed ya in front of everyone and that’s not right,” says Satoru with a huff. Sure, he knows that Izuku was just muttering because he was analyzing the layout of the practical exam as a way of committing it to his memory while also figuring out what the goal is well before Present Mic even said so out loud.

“It’s fine, Satoru,” Izuku assures him.

Satoru huffs. “It’s not fine but whatever.” He tilts his head back slightly as he weaves around several applicants, easily able to detect their presence due to the Quirk energy Six Eyes is perceiving flowing around them.

“I still find it amazing that you can actually walk backwards and not run into anyone like that,” Izuku comments.

“The beauty of my Six Eyes,” says Satoru with a light laugh while, inwardly, his thoughts are still on that boy.

The boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to Megumi. All seeing that boy earlier succeeded in doing was bring Satoru’s memories of the Megumi he took under his wing back to the forefronts of his mind. He didn’t just take Megumi under his wing in his last life, he took over as Megumi and his stepsister Tsumiki’s legal guardian to prevent Megumi from being sold to the Zenin Clan.

But, more than anything, Megumi is the one whom ended up bringing about Satoru’s own downfall. Megumi was the one whom Sukuna wanted and, in the end, Sukuna got what he wanted. Not only was he able to possess Megumi’s body but he also gained control of Megumi’s cursed technique and it was that very cursed technique that ended up costing Satoru his life.

He still remembers that but he doesn’t want to so he shoves the memory out of his mind. He doesn’t want to think about the fact that the very last thing he saw before he died was the face of the child he had come to love as a son.

“Satoru, are you okay?” Izuku asks.

“Yeah, yeah.” Satoru swiftly wipes his eyes, where he feels tears starting to fall. “Just got some dust in my eyes. That’s it!”

“You’re wearing sunglasses.”

“So? I can still get dust in my eyes. Anyway, c’mon, let’s go.” He whirls around, adding, “We’re gonna be…”

He must have been so distracted by his memories that Six Eyes doesn’t pick up on the person right behind him, thus causing Satoru to run into them. With twin yelps, both of them go sprawling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Satoru wonders if Izuku will laugh at him, since he did laugh at Izuku when he tripped over his own two feet earlier and that brown-haired girl used her Quirk to stop him from hitting the ground, but decides Izuku is too kind to give in to that kind of payback and pushes the thought aside.

“Sorry, I…” Satoru breaks off as he lifts his head and finds himself gazing into purple eyes.

Purple eyes set in a very familiar face framed by very familiar long strands of black hair.

He draws in a swift intake of breath, eyes widening behind his glasses because…

No, it can’t...this can’t…

But there is no denying that the boy Satoru is laying on top of bears such an uncanny resemblance to Suguru that Satoru can’t help but gaze at him again, can’t help but trace his eyes over the facial structure, can’t help but stare intently into those eyes. He can’t help but try and find any differences, anything at all to suggest this boy isn’t Suguru.

But he sees nothing.

For all and intents and purposes, the boy he is laying on top of is virtually identical to one Suguru Geto from Satoru’s past life, in appearance anyway. His Six Eyes is easily able to determine that this boy has Quirk energy, not cursed energy, that this boy doesn’t have any cursed spirits within him.

But he just doesn’t understand it. First Megumi and now Suguru…

What is going on?

He tries to rationalize it, tries to insist to his own mind that the boy he ran into earlier and the boy he is laying on top of now bearing an unkindly resemblance to Megumi Fushiguro and Suguru Geto is just a coincidence. That’s all it is. A coincidence.

So why does his heart? No, why does his soul deny that? Why is his soul reaching out toward this boy as if reaching for the part that has been missing for a really long time?

“We’ll meet again.”

The last words Satoru spoke to Suguru in his last life echo in his head as he stares at the boy who is gazing up at him with a perplexed expression on his face.

“Are you going to get off me anytime soon?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Satoru shakes away those thoughts, shakes away those memories, tries hard to shove aside the feeling in his heart, the feeling in his soul, and instead focuses on the now. He forces himself to smirk as he tilts his head to the side and quips, “Nah, you make quite a comfortable pillow, y’know?”

The boy gives him an unimpressed stare that reminds Satoru so much of the Suguru of his last life that he nearly loses his smile but he manages to keep it on his lips.

“Satoru, we’ve gotta go or we’re gonna miss our buses,” Izuku calls.

“Fine. Fine.” Satoru peels himself off the boy and jumps to his feet while the boy, whom is probably only a few centimeters shorter than him, also gets to his feet.

He dusts himself off and pivots. “Good luck,” he says and walks away and Satoru watches him go, still finding it incredibly difficult to separate that boy from the memories from his last life of his one and only.

He shakes his head because this boy isn’t the same. It’s just a coincidence because his memories of his past life are just that: memories. They have already happened.

But he was given a second chance. He was reincarnated.

Is there a possibility, however slim, that Suguru was given a second chance too?

If that’s the case then Satoru has to wonder if Megumi was given a second chance to and if he was too then does that mean Yuji and Nobara might have been given another chance too? He just doesn’t know. He just knows that those three kids are the ones he failed the most when he failed to defeat Sukuna and if anyone could have been reincarnated with him then he hopes it was those three and Suguru.

Suguru also deserved more than he got.

The jujutsu world left every single person who was unfortunate enough to be part of it little more than scarred, battered, broken shells of their former selves and Satoru firmly believes no one escaped from that world unscathed.

This hero-saturated world is nothing like the jujutsu world that came before it. This age of Quirks is dangerous, it is scary, but it doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it and it doesn’t seem to be quite as brutal, quite as dispassionate, as the age of jujutsu that came before it.

Satoru doesn’t know if anyone he once associated with in his last life was reincarnated with him in this life but he finds himself hoping they were because they all deserved better than what they got. They all deserved happiness.

The twins leave the main building and head toward the buses. Since they aren’t assigned to the same exam sites, due to the two of them and Bakugo being from the same school, Satoru waves a hand at Izuku and gives him a thumbs up that he returns with a nervous smile and a wave of his own. He then turns and jogs toward his bus, climbing onto it and scanning it since it’s almost already completely full.

His eyes land on the Suguru lookalike and he finds himself moving toward him, partially because he will admit to being curious about the fact that this boy looks absolutely identical to the Suguru of his last life, except for the telltale difference of his Quirk energy not being the same as his cursed energy. It’s remarkably similar, honestly, based on what Six Eyes is feeding him but it’s not the same. But it’s also because the only open seat seems to be right by the lookalike.

“Hey, can I sit here?” he says with a bright smile as he reaches the seat.

The lookalike glances at him, then shrugs. “Okay,” he says and Satoru beams and sits down, resting his pack on his lap.

“I’m Satoru Midoriya,” he says, holding out a hand toward the boy.

The boy blinks at him but takes his hand and shakes it. “Suguru Amajiki. It’s nice to meet you,” he says politely while Satoru’s smile freezes slightly.

So he has the same name too? Is that a coincidence? Is all of this simply coincidence? He doesn’t know what to believe at this point so he simply opts to try to push his memories away and focus on the now. The last thing he wants to do is get his hopes up because chances are still high that they will be torn rather brutally down.

“So are you nervous?” Satoru asks curiously.

“A little bit,” Amajiki admits. “The practical is incredibly straightforward but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be easy.”

“Eh, I’m pretty sure I got it in the bag,” says Satoru with a grin.

Amajiki raises an eyebrow at him. “You’re arrogant,” he deadpans.

Satoru muses Amajiki’s decision to jump automatically to calling him arrogant because of his boast is just like how Suguru reacted when Satoru would boast about being the strongest back when they first met in his last life.

But didn’t I say that I wasn’t going to focus on those memories? He shoves them aside because he did say that and he can’t lest he get his hopes up and risk having them brutally crushed. He decides to focus on something else to pass the time it will take them to reach the testing site.

“So what’s your Quirk?” He may not quite be as interested in Quirks as his brother but he will admit some of them are interesting and he supposes he is curious about why the flow of Amajiki’s Quirk energy does feel similar to the flow of Suguru’s cursed energy in his last life.

Amajiki glances at him and, for a moment, Satoru doesn’t think he’s going to respond. Then he says, “Nightmare Manifestation: I can manifest creatures that live in a pocket dimension located in my shadow but they are rather...well...nightmarish to look at, hence the name.”

In his shadow, huh? Satoru turns his gaze to where the sunlight is casting Amajiki’s shadow onto the window and his Six Eyes immediately perceives the creatures Amajiki is talking about, even if they can only get a glimpse of them because they are in a pocket dimension. He doubts he will be able to get a more accurate read on Amajiki’s Quirk until he sees it in action, as is usually the case with most Quirks. Some are read pretty thoroughly by Six Eyes when they aren’t in use but the more complicated Quirks need to be in use to be read far more thoroughly and Amajiki’s is gearing up to be one of those Quirks.

If he recalls correctly, All Might’s is similar. He wasn’t able to really get an accurate, thorough read on it until he saw it in action during the incident with the slime villain the second time around since he was far closer to All Might when he used his Quirk then. That had been such a powerful flood of information that it literally knocked Satoru out so he is glad that, while Amajiki’s Quirk energy flow is powerful, it’s not powerful enough to knock him out.

It wouldn’t do to miss the practical because he knocked himself out because Six Eyes can’t be turned off.

“Neat,” he says.

“And yours?” Amajiki asks.

“Mm, mine’s like really complicated,” says Satoru. “It’s called Limitless and it’s like space manipulation but at an atomic level, plus I got eyes that can perceive the flow of Quirk energy and read it that I can’t turn off. Major headache right there, which sucks.”

“Eyes that perceive the flow of Quirk energy?” Amajiki echoes.

“Yeah. Wanna see?” Satoru will admit he does like showing off his eyes, because he personally believes they are his best feature and there are many who agree with that. He doesn’t know how many times he’s walked by his classmates at Aldera Junior High and hear them whisper and gush about how beautiful his eyes are by the people who have actually seen them.

He doesn’t even give Amajiki the chance to answer as he removes his dark sunglasses, blinking his vibrant and mesmerizing blue eyes at Amajiki.

He’s surprised, and maybe even a little concerned, when Amajiki pales, his eyes go wide with puzzlement and he swiftly breaks eye contact but not before Satoru notices slivers of other emotions gleaming in their purple depths. “We’re here,” he says swiftly and, as the bus comes to a halt and the passenger’s disembark, Amajiki practically shoves his way past Satoru.

Satoru lets him as he tucks his sunglasses away, brow furrowing. What was that about? Why was he so shocked? But, more than that, he has to wonder at those slivers.

Slivers of shock, of sadness, of regret.

Satoru doesn’t know why Amajiki reacted that way. It’s odd to say the least. He doesn’t think anyone’s reacted to his eyes quite like that.

He hums as he pulls his blindfold out of his pocket and wraps it around his eyes, knowing chances are high he is going to lose his sunglasses during the practical. The last thing he wants is to lose out on gaining points because he’s being overwhelmed by the flows of Quirk energy belonging to every single participant within his Six Eyes’ massive range while his Six Eyes are uninhibited. At best, it will leave him with strained eyes and a raging migraine. At worst, it will knock him out and there’s no telling how long that would last.

So, yeah, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Once the blindfold is in place, Satoru hops out of his seat and follows the last of the applicants out of the bus and toward the locker rooms. After changing into a pair of training joggers and a sleeveless shirt, he moves over to join the rest of the applicants who are gathered in front of the gates. He notices Amajiki is hovering by the gates, clad in a short-sleeved black shirt and loose black pants.

“Let’s begin in three.” A kind voice calls and Satoru turns to see a hero with a body that resembles cement who is sitting on the edge of the building by the gates that are slowly opening. “Three...two...one...go!”

Everyone bolts forward and Satoru swiftly follows the flow of applicants, pushing all other thoughts and memories and emotions aside because, right now, he needs to focus on the practical test. He needs to focus, and he’s not going to let his memories of his past life or those confusing emotions get in the way.

. . .

I need to focus. But it’s hard for Suguru to focus when his head is suddenly pounding something fierce and his vision is blurring. The blurring vision is new but the pounding in his head is something he’s been intimately familiar with ever since that day in June last year. But he just doesn’t know why his head is hurting so much, or why images from those nightmares and those dreams are suddenly flowing through his mind, or why he can’t stop thinking about Satoru Midoriya’s beautiful eyes.

Eyes that feature prominently in many of those dreams and some of those nightmares.

Eyes that cause something to stir within Suguru’s soul, that causes his soul to reach out toward Satoru Midoriya in a way he’s never felt before.

But the older version of himself has felt something similar in those nightmares, and those dreams, even if those nightmares and dreams never showed that older version of himself acting on those feelings.

Suguru shakes his head as he follows the flow of applicants deeper into the city. He needs to focus. He can’t just allow his throbbing head or those nightmares and scenes or those feelings get in the way of passing this test. He has to do everything he possibly can to pass this test, to get as many points as he possibly can, to continue on his path to becoming the hero he wishes to be. The hero that will protect and defend those who are weak because that is what the strong are supposed to do.

He rounds a corner and, the instant he sees the three-pointer robot start toward him, he holds out a hands, splaying out his fingers as he activates his Quirk and, out of the shadow flowing in front of him due to the position of the sun, a grotesque bone-white skeletal creature that resembles a Chinese dragon erupts. It surges forward and sinks its claws straight into the robot, tearing its limbs off and throwing the limbs with pinpoint accuracy, successfully spearing through the three pointer coming up on the right and two two-pointers that are coming up on the left.

That’s ten points right there. Suguru jogs toward the creature and jumps onto its back, grabbing the protruding bone behind the creature’s neck to hold himself steady. “Let’s go,” he says to the creature who surges into the air. Its skeletal tail swipes to the side, crashing into a one-pointer and throwing it straight into another two pointer, taking them both down.

Another three points. He is going to try to keep count, mostly out of curiosity, as he surges forward on the back of the skeletal bone-white dragon creature, guiding it to use its curved claws and long tail to take out more and more robots in various areas throughout the city.

“Impressive!” Midoriya’s familiar voice says and Suguru starts, turning his head and he’s surprised to see Midoriya currently floating in midair only a few meters away from him. He isn’t wearing his sunglasses right now. Instead, a black blindfold is wrapped around his eyes.

“Are you following me?” Suguru deadpans.

“Nah. I just happened to be in the area!” Midoriya points a finger to the side and Suguru watches, with wide eyes, as a small ball of crackling red energy appears in front of the finger. It shoots forward and tears straight through every single robot that was making its way down the alley, obliterating them and leaving only broken pieces of metal to clatter to the ground.

“Ha! Avoided damaging the building that time! Yes!” Midoriya cheers.

“That time?” Suguru echoes.

Midoriya shrugs. “Eh, my aim was off last time. Better get to it, Amajiki! Or I’m gonna end up taking all the points,” he says with a grin.

To Suguru, that sounds like a challenge and if there is one thing Suguru is known for, it’s not backing down from a challenge. He may not know this boy beyond his name and a little bit about his Quirk, and he may still be dealing with the throbbing headache and those vivid images that was brought on by this boy’s stunning and familiar eyes, but he isn’t going to back down. “Challenge accepted,” he says.

Midoriya laughs and then he’s gone. Literally. He literally just up and vanished into thin air.

Suguru stares but forces himself to not focus on that, even as he peers at the alley because he is positive there were at least ten robots in that alley. He has no idea as to how many points they were worth but the fact that Midoriya just took out all ten robots in a single strike is impressive. But Suguru is strong too with his Quirk and he is going to throw his all into this challenge because he doesn’t like losing.

Midoriya, you aren’t going to take all the points. I am. “Let’s go,” he says to his Nightmare, as he’s taking to calling the nightmarish creatures he manifests from the pocket dimension within his shadow, and they surge forward, immediately taking down any robot they manage to locate. Suguru isn’t even bothering on keeping track of the number of robots he’s destroyed, or even what their point values are, because he’s too focused on beating Midoriya.

He’s pretty sure the tall, white-haired boy is probably doing the same. As it is, he does see signs of Midoriya’s Quirk in action due to the occasional burst of crackling red. Every now and then, he does see flowing blue light and that’s usually right before two robots are literally yanked together with such a force that they shatter upon contact.

Powerful. But Suguru isn’t going to be outdone because he is competitive and he doesn’t like losing.

So, as his dragon Nightmare takes out another massive three-pointer, he splays out his fingers toward his shadow and activates his Quirk again, bringing out a hookworm-like beige creature that surges forward in an instant and promptly swallows a two-pointer that is about to attack. Manifesting two Nightmares at once is taxing but Suguru can handle it. He’s been able to manifest two Nightmares at once for a while now. He can probably even do three if he really wanted to but two should be more than enough to beat Midoriya’s challenge.

The hookworm Nightmare and the dragon Nightmare tear through more and more robots in one part of the city while Suguru still sees crackling red light and flowing blue light erupting on the other side of the city.

He nears the plaza and narrows his eyes upon seeing two applicants are currently surrounded by a rather large number of three-pointers and they don’t seem capable of doing much. One is incredibly small with purple ball-shaped hair who is currently clinging onto the brown-haired girl who is trying to shove him off.

Suguru guides his dragon Nightmare toward the plaza and, jumping off it, directs it and the hookworm to take care of the robots as he lands lightly on the ground. He strides toward the group and, grabbing the small boy, he yanks him away from the girl.

“Are you okay?” he asks with a kind smile.

“Y...Yeah. That damn pervert just latched on to me and wouldn’t stop grabbing me,” the girl says with a huff of annoyance in her voice.

Suguru drops the boy and gives the boy a chilling smile that has the boy paling in fright. “Now you won’t be doing that again, right?” he says kindly but with an edge of steel that is daring the boy to say anything but ‘yes sir’.

“R...Right…” the boy stammers out and bolts now that the plaza is clear thanks to Suguru’s Nightmares.

“Thanks,” the girl says again and darts off.

“Two minutes left!” The hero who started the practical off for them calls.

Suguru hums but he’s sure he can get more points so he darts toward his dragon Nightmare and hops onto its back while dismissing his hookworm Nightmare. He won’t need two for the last two minutes.

He guides it into the air and flies toward the main street to see if there are anymore robots there. The vast majority of the applicants seem to be taking out the robots in that street so he is about to search other areas when the zero pointer arrives.

The zero pointer easily rises higher than the buildings and grips the edges of the buildings as it steps onto the main street. As expected, the applicants bolt in the opposite direction since they aren’t required to fight against this one. He doesn’t see the need to fight the zero pointer either so he is about to head for the main gates when he sees her.

It’s a girl who is currently stuck beneath some debris right in the path of the zero pointer and, while it’s only logical that the teachers will stop the exam before the girl gets hurt, Suguru barely notices the logic as he surges forward. Activating his Quirk and manifesting his dark blue manta ray-shaped Nightmare, he jumps off the dragon Nightmare to land on the manta ray Nightmare and quickly guides it to the girl. He hops off it and directs the manta ray Nightmare to drape over the girl protectively as he whirls around and silently directs the dragon Nightmare toward the zero pointer.

He’s apparently not the only one who noticed the situation because, right when the dragon Nightmare crashes into the zero pointer, a blast of crackling red energy also slams into the zero pointer and it explodes, spraying broken metal in all directions. Suguru makes sure to recall his dragon Nightmare to keep himself and everyone behind him safe from the flying debris.

“Whoa,” the girl beneath the manta ray Nightmare breathes. “That is some power.”

“Tell me about it,” says Suguru, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun as he searches for the source and watches as Midoriya glides to the ground from where he was floating above the building beside which the zero pointer was standing.

Midoriya whistles. “Nice. I took it out. That means I win!” he says with a grin.

Suguru raises an eyebrow because he’s pretty sure his Nightmare destroyed the zero pointer first. “I’m pretty sure I’m the one who took it out so that means I win,” he says.

Midoriya glances at him and huffs. “Nuh uh. My attack hit it first,” he says firmly.

“No, my Nightmare hit it first,” Suguru retorts.

“My attack’s the one that destroyed it.”

“My Nightmare is the one that destroyed it. You just destroyed what was left of it.”

“My attack got to it first!”

“No, it didn’t! My Nightmare got to it first.”

The two boys glare at each other with sparks flaring between them because Suguru is not about to admit that he lost and it’s clear Midoriya doesn’t want to admit it either.

“Time is up!” the teacher who started the exam calls out and, while Suguru doesn’t break off his glaring contest with Midoriya’s blindfolded gaze, he does recall both of his Nightmares and deactivates his Quirk.

Finally, Midoriya huffs and waves a hand at the destroyed robot. “That one wasn’t worth anything anyway so let’s just agree that it doesn’t count,” he says.

Suguru huffs and leans back on the balls of his feet, folding his arms across his chest. “So does that mean whoever gets the highest score on this test wins?” he says, raising an eyebrow.

“Deal! It’s gonna be me,” says Midoriya.

“I’m pretty confident it will be me,” says Suguru.

“I’m more confident!”

“I’m most confident!”

“I’m mostest confident!”

“That isn’t even a word!”

“Yeah, well, it is now!”

“That isn’t how that works.”

All the while Suguru and Midoriya are arguing with sparks flaring between them as they nearly start butting heads literally, the other applicants just watch, clearly unsure of whether to intervene or just watch the chaos unfold from a safe distance.

. . .

Chapter Text

Satoru lounges upside down on the armchair with his long legs dangling over the back of it as his sunglasses ride up onto his forehead. He barely notices as he absently scrolls through his phone, not even really paying attention to any of the news articles that are popping up on the feed he’s scrolling through. He’s bored out of his mind again, as is to be expected since he’s still got two weeks of this house arrest to get through. He’s just grateful the police lessened the restrictions to allow him to use the Internet again because that’s easing the boredom a little bit.

Not by much but a little bit anyway.

Truth be told, most of Satoru’s thoughts are on the entrance exam that happened two weeks ago and on the two people he ran into during it. Two people who feature rather prominently in the memories of his last life. Two people that he still believes deserve second chances. And, truth be told, a part of him wants to believe that those two people did end up with second chances, that the two boys he ran into at the entrance exam really were the reincarnations of their namesakes from Satoru’s last life.

But, at the same time, he can’t bare the thought of having such a hope brutally crushed if it turns out his belief is wrong.

He just doesn’t know. He may have regained his memories of his past life but he had to basically die in order to regain them and he really hopes that isn’t the case for those two if they are reincarnations. Half of him misses the Suguru and the Megumi he knew but the other half doesn’t want to burden their reincarnations, if they are reincarnated, with the terrible and devastating memories of their last lives. Half of him wants to be selfish while the other half wants to be selfless.

He guesses that’s what being human is all about.

In this life, in this age, Satoru isn’t the living God among men. He isn’t the strongest sorcerer placed on a pedestal where everyone knows his name and his power, whether for good or for bad. He isn’t the living tool raised to be the perfect, most powerful weapon.

In this life, in this age, Satoru is just a regular human being with a regular, doting, and extremely loving mother, and a regular, analytically brilliant, and extremely kind twin brother.

And Satoru finds he actually likes this life, this age, far better than the age that came before, than the life that came before.

The door opens and Satoru tilts his head in time to find Izuku making his way into the living room. His brow furrows as his Six Eyes pick up on something odd flowing around Izuku, energy that Six Eyes immediately identifies as Quirk energy, energy that seems so incredibly familiar but so unlike the usual non-Quirk energy that typically surrounds Izuku.

He’s been noticing that every time he looks at Izuku over the course of the past two weeks. While the normal non-Quirk energy that exists in all humans is still there, there is actual Quirk energy spiraling around it, its’ bubble-like airy texture flowing in conjunction with the duller gray non-Quirk energy. But that doesn’t make any sense because Izuku isn’t supposed to have a Quirk. He’s been Quirkless ever since he was born so why does he have one now?

And why hasn’t he told Satoru or even their own mother?

Satoru hasn’t had the chance to ask mostly because Izuku has been in a bit of a funk that getting him to focus on anything but his own thoughts is difficult. He’s been so quiet, so withdrawn, so lost in his thoughts that he only barely acknowledges whenever Satoru or their mother ask him if he’s all right. And he never really answers. He just kind of shrugs and goes back to whatever he was doing, or was supposed to be doing like eating or exercising or doing homework.

Now that their middle school years are basically over and done with, it’s mostly the former two.

It’s worrying, just as worrying as the Quirk energy that spirals around Izuku that’s never been there before.

Izuku sits on the couch in the apartment and, picking up one of the dumbbells, starts exercising with it while still staring at nothing.

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “Izuku?” he calls and, as expected Izuku doesn’t react. “Izuku!”

Izuku starts, losing his grip on the dumbbell but Satoru just casually flicks a burst of Blue to catch the dumbbell and attract it to his hand. He grasps it and places it on the ground as he studies his twin. “You’re in a funk again, Izuku,” he says.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Izuku murmurs. “Just a lot on my mind.”

“Mm. Anything you wanna talk about?” Satoru is hoping the answer is yes, hoping his twin will open up to him like he always used to do when they were growing up. Even though the distance that’s existed between them ever since the slime villain incident last year is starting to close its gap, it’s still there.

“No, it’s okay. I’m fine,” Izuku assures him.

Satoru hums, not believing that for a second.

“Really, I’m fine,” Izuku says.

Satoru lets loose a long sigh but waves a hand. “Yeah, okay. If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine,” he says and, twisting his body so he can flip off the chair without hurting himself, he stands up, tucking his phone away. He can’t help but feel a little hurt that his brother won’t confined in him but decides it doesn’t matter because he can’t force his brother to tell him anything. Just because they always shared everything with each other while they were growing up doesn’t mean times don’t change.

Satoru is well aware that people can change over time. He has an entire lifetime’s worth of examples to prove his awareness of that fact. But he never expected his brother to change, to become far more secretive, far more withdrawn, far more distant.

“It’s not that, Satoru,” Izuku says quickly, eyes widening as he scrambles to his feet. “It’s just something I’ve gotta deal with.”

“And I can’t help?”

Izuku chews on his lower lip and looks away. “If you could, you know I would’ve asked you,” he says.

Satoru huffs and turns to face his brother, raising an eyebrow. “Just what have you gotten yourself into, Izuku?”

“It’s nothing bad, just...it’s complicated,” says Izuku swiftly. He chews on his lower lip and adds, “But, um, I guess I’m just in a funk ‘cause I don’t think I passed the practical exam.”

Satoru raises an eyebrow. “Then why didn’t you just say that?” he says in bewilderment as he moves to join his brother and draws him into a hug. “Why keep that to yourself?”

“I just...I guess I didn’t want to disappoint you,” Izuku says quietly as he leans into the taller twin’s arms.

“Hey, if those idiots at U.A. can’t see you for the hero you are then that’s on them,” says Satoru with a huff and, pulling back from the hug, adds, “Besides, if you applied for the General Course like you said you were going to then you can always transfer to the hero course later. That was your original plan if you didn’t get into the hero course, remember?”

“R...Right, yeah...I guess...never mind. You’re right. There’s still hope,” says Izuku.

Wonder what he was about to say. “See? That’s the spirit, baby bro,” Satoru says brightly, deciding against worrying about what Izuku was about to say.

“I’m only two minutes younger than you. Stop calling me that,” Izuku groans to which Satoru just laughs.

“Izuku! Satoru!”

The twins jump and turn in time to see Inko hurrying toward them while waving two envelopes with the crest of U.A. stamped onto the back. “The results! They’re in,” she cries and, while Satoru swiftly moves to his mother’s side and starts rubbing her back before she starts hyperventilating, Izuku follows and takes the envelopes out of her hands.

“I’m gonna open this in my room…” he begins.

“Oh let’s just read ‘em together,” says Satoru brightly as he snatches the envelopes out of his brother’s hands now that his mother isn’t in danger of hyperventilating. He jogs toward the couch, adding, “I’ll open yours!”

“W...Wait, Satoru,” Izuku cries as he hurries after Satoru and snatches at the envelope but Satoru is purposely holding it above his head, forcing his shorter brother to jump in an attempt to grab it. As expected, he doesn’t even brush the bottom of the envelope.

“Satoru, give it back,” Izuku protests, jumping up and swatting at the envelope again even though the first few times didn’t work.

“Promise we’ll read ‘em together?” Satoru asks with a grin.

“You’re not gonna let me have my envelope if I don’t?”

“Probably not~” There is the faintest hint of a singsong tone in Satoru’s voice, the one he knows gets on his twin’s nerves.

“Fine, you gremlin,” Izuku huffs, folding his arms across his chest and pouting.

Satoru snickers and hands Izuku his envelope before throwing himself onto the couch.

“Satoru, do not throw yourself onto the couch like that,” says Inko as she takes her seat on the armchair.

“Okay, Mom,” Satoru chirps while Izuku sits down beside him. He pokes his twin and adds, “You’re going first.”

“But…” Izuku begins and then, with a tiny little sly smile, adds, “You’re older so doesn’t that mean you gotta go first, Big Brother.”

Satoru lets out a soft gasp of feigned surprise even as his eyes glitter with amusement behind his dark sunglasses. “Sneaky!”

He picks up the envelope and opens it, surprised to see a tiny projection falls out and lands on his lap. He taps it and places it on the table, more than a little surprised when a projection of the Number One Hero All Might appears floating above it.

“All Might?!” Izuku shrieks in surprise.

Satoru raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you gonna shriek every single time you see him?” he says.

Izuku’s face goes red with embarrassment and Satoru barks out a laugh before returning his attention to the projection.

“I am here as a projection,” All Might declares. “First and foremost, I would like to inform you that I am going to be joining the faculty at U.A. High School.”

“We’re gonna be taught by All Might?!” Izuku shrieks.

Satoru casts a glance at his brother and lets loose an exaggeratedly long sigh. “We’re gonna be here all day just trying to get through mine,” he whines.

“Shut up,” Izuku grumbles, swatting at Satoru but Satoru purposely keeps his Infinity up so the swat doesn’t connect. “Hey! No using your Quirk to stop my swat!”

“Nah.” Satoru grins at him.

He huffs and sticks out his tongue back at Satoru who responds in kind.

“Boys,” Inko says sternly and the twins shrink back and utter apologies in unison before they return their attention to the projection.

“But that is not why I am here,” says All Might. “I am here to inform you of your results. Satoru Midoriya, on the written exam, you passed with flying colors. And, on the practical exam, I am pleased to announce that you didn’t just earn points based on how many robots you destroyed. A hero is about more than just battling and defeating enemies. As a hero, we must never forget that protecting and defending the innocent is our true priority! Thus, rescue points were taking into account. Satoru Midoriya, you earned an impressive 102 combat points and 28 rescue points, giving you a grand total of 130 points, thus granting you the highest score out of all the new applicants! Good job! As such, let me be the first to welcome you to U.A., to your hero academy!”

“Highest score out of all of the new applicants? Ha! I win! Take that, Amajiki!” Satoru cheers while Izuku gives him an amused look before his eyes widen.

“Wait, rescue points?” he says and he glances at his envelope.

“Well, go ahead and open it,” says Satoru while he still mentally cheers on the fact that he beat Amajiki at their little challenge.

Izuku chews on his lower lip, then his eyes set in determination and he proceeds to rip the envelope open, causing his projection device to go flying to clatter onto the table.

“When I said open it, I didn’t mean rip it open,” Satoru deadpans and, when Izuku flushes, he laughs at him.

Izuku swats at him. Once again, Infinity catches it. “Seriously?! Stop using your Quirk to stop my swats!”

“Nah!”

“Gremlin.”

“And proud of it!”

Izuku shakes his head in amusement before turning his gaze to the projection device as it starts playing. His is a little bit different than Satoru’s, with All Might trying to tell him something even though whoever is recording is telling him to focus on the important information and then proceeding to show him a video featuring a brown-haired girl trying to give Izuku his points because he saved her life.

“You’ve acquired your Quirk,” says All Might and Satoru narrows his eyes while Inko tilts her head to the side in puzzlement. “And you’ve moved others with your actions. This exam, you see…! We weren’t just watching for villain-based points.”

It’s just as he said in my letter. Rescuing others was taken into account. Satoru listens as All Might explains that Izuku got sixty rescue points, which gave him more than enough points to pass the practical exam before finishing with welcoming him to U.A. High School.

“I passed...I passed!” Izuku cries. “I’m going to U.A.!”

“I’m so proud of you, sweetie,” Inko says with a bright smile before her brow furrows. “But what did All Might mean by ‘acquire your Quirk’.”

“I’m wondering ‘bout that myself,” says Satoru and Izuku’s earlier enthusiasm evaporates as nervous anxiety floods his face.

“Uh, well, you see...uh...I guess I was a late bloomer! Haha. It kinda just appeared during the entrance exam,” says Izuku swiftly, far too swiftly to be believed. Or, at least, Satoru doesn’t believe him in the slightest. The way the Quirk energy flows and ripples around Izuku’s form, the information Six Eyes feeds to Satoru about this Quirk makes it so eerily similar to another, powerful Quirk his Six Eyes have seen before that he can’t help but look twice at it.

It’s not as powerful though but it has that same feel, that same ripple and pulsating energy.

What does that even mean? Why does this Quirk energy around Izuku resemble All Might’s Quirk energy so much?

Inko frowns. “That is unheard of but I guess, in this Quirk saturated world, anything can happen! But we should probably consider taking you to see a Quirk counselor then if you did get your Quirk this late,” she says.

“Uh, I’m sure U.A. has one so I can talk with them,” says Izuku.

“Okay. So long as you speak to a counselor,” says Inko. She clasps her hands together and smiles brightly as she adds, “Well, I think I am going to make katsudon for dinner and dorayaki for dessert to celebrate this good news.”

Izuku’s eyes light up.

Satoru’s eyes light up.

“Thanks, Mom!” They say in unison and, while Satoru doesn’t think he will stop thinking about this new information about his brother’s new Quirk, he decides to put it to the back burner for now. For now, he is just going to celebrate getting into U.A. High School with his brother.

. . .

Shouta Aizawa hums as he studies the roster for his class, his eyes lingering on four of the names that stand out to him. It’s the names of the three who scored the highest on the entrance exam’s practical and the fourth who only got passed the practical due to the high number of rescue points he was granted. Since he bore witness to those tests, he knows exactly what happened to that boy who got the rescue points and knows of just how badly the boy’s Quirk backfired on him.

It’s for that reason that he insisted on taking the boy in his class because he can’t have someone without potential remain at U.A. High School. There is no sense in crushing a dream halfway through and that is something Shouta has lived by ever since he became a teacher. He doesn’t want to lose any of his students, not when he can still remember the day he lost Shirakumo as vividly as if it just happened the day before. Shirakumo was only fifteen, just like his students are only fifteen.

It’s why he is so strict with them. It’s why he will not hesitate to expel them if they show they do not have potential, or do not have the grit and the determination to reach for that potential. His second years can attest to that. He did expel his entire class last year. Just because they were allowed to reenroll only a few weeks later doesn’t change that fact, change the fact that they have that black mark on their record because they came into the school thinking it was all fun and games.

There were exceptions. Nobara Uraraka and Mawata Fuwa were exceptions because they, at least, tried to show themselves to not be like the rest of their classmates. But Uraraka’s fiery attitude and Fuwa’s insecure uncertainty is the reason why he didn’t think they could reach that potential he saw in them. When they were reenrolled, even though Uraraka’s fiery attitude didn’t really lessen that much, she did start putting that feisty attitude toward her training to get stronger while Fuwa ended up pushing past her insecurity and her own uncertainty.

He doesn’t know if the same can be said about this class but he will give them the chance to show him their potential, show him their desire to be the best heroes they can possibly be, show him their determination and their grit.

But he most definitely needs to watch the boy with the bone-breaking Quirk because if he truly is someone who thinks he can just ghost on by because of his powerful Quirk, even though that Quirk actually hurts him and leaves him a liability for everyone, then he is not hero material. And the assessment test Shouta will have his new first years do will prove whether he is or not.

But the other three…

Bakugo Katsuki who scored the third highest number of points. He didn’t receive any rescue points, focusing entirely on destroying a large swath of two-pointer and one-pointer robots throughout the entire ten minute long test. But his Quirk is certainly powerful in that it allowed him to take out multiple enemies all at once but it is very destructive and did leave some property damage behind.

Suguru Amajiki who scored the second highest number of points. He did end up receiving rescue points when he protected that girl from the zero pointer but most of his points came from the destruction of the robots. He was literally able to control these nightmarish creatures that seem to come out of his shadow and use them to take out the robots without any repercussions, that Shouta could see, to himself. And he was even able to avoid property damage.

Satoru Midoriya who scored the highest number of points. Just like Amajiki, Midoriya received rescue points for saving lives while he was destroying those robots. But his Quirk is so extremely powerful that it allowed Midoriya to do far more than anticipated: he was able to repel robots with such force that he obliterated them, and multiple robots at once at that, and he was able to attract robots with such force that they shattered upon colliding with each other. He was also able to fly and he was able to locate the other participants to help them, which earned him those rescue points.

It’s odd that Satoru Midoriya has such a powerful Quirk, and such an impressive control over that Quirk, and yet Izuku Midoriya, while having just as powerful a Quirk, doesn’t have nearly as much, if any, control over it. Not to mention neither Quirk are even remotely connected to each other, and yet they are twins.

He hums to himself as he puts the roster down and reaches for his steaming mug of coffee.

School begins in a week and he is already confident of how his first class is going to go. It goes the same every way. He springs the surprise Quirk assessment test on his students. They either show him they are ready to embark on the rigorous training of a hero, like the current third years, or they prove they aren’t ready, like the current second years. And he either lets them stay in the school or he expels them and they are invited back a few weeks later.

“Shou!” A shout sounds and Shouta sighs, rubbing his tired eyes as he takes a drink of scalding hot coffee and turning his attention to the door to his office when it bursts open.

Hizashi leans against the doorframe with a grin on his lips. “You up for going to the cat cafe? We’re running out of time to just have us time after all,” he says.

Shouta will never say no to a cat cafe. “Fine,” he mutters as he chugs the remainder of his coffee and, putting the mug down, gets to his feet and follows Hizashi as he leads the way out of the office.

“So we’ve sure got an interesting batch of first years this year,” says Hizashi as he folds his arms behind his head while they make their way down the hallway toward the main gates.

“Hopefully they aren’t without potential like last year,” says Shouta.

Hizashi laughs and pokes him in the arm. “You know as well as I do that the second years are making great strides into reaching their true potential,” he says.

“Hmm, they needed a push though.”

“Shou, your push basically threw the entire class off a cliff.”

“They got back up.”

“Still though.” Hizashi is grinning though because they’ve known each other for so long, ever since their first year at U.A. that Hizashi knows Shouta does actually care about his students, and about cultivating their potential to help them becoming the greatest heroes they can possibly be who will also survive and live long and fulfilling lives.

Both of them bare the scars of losing Shirakumo. Both of them know of just how dangerous this profession can actually be because of what happened to Shirakumo. Both of them don’t want the same fate to befall the students they are in charge of molding into heroes.

“Though some of ‘em sure have power packed into ‘em,” Hizashi adds. “Did ya see those two who laid waste to the vast majority of the robots in Testing Site C singlehandedly? And then there’s that kid who literally exploded his way through every single robot that came close to him in Testing Site A?”

“I watched the video, Zashi. I know.”

“Think Vlad is a bit annoyed that you got those three.”

“He should have been quicker.”

“You know as well as I do that wouldn’t have mattered.”

Shouta hums but doesn’t argue that. He would have still claimed those three students, along with the boy with the bone-breaking Quirk, whether Vlad tried to claim them himself or not. And he would have thrown all the logical reasons why it would be better to have those three in his class to convince Nezu that it was the logical decision had Vlad tried to contest it.

After all, Shouta’s Quirk is Erasure. He can erase the Quirk of anyone he is looking at and it lasts for as long as he keeps his eyes open and doesn’t blink. That kind of Quirk is something that can help Katsuki Bakugo, Suguru Amajiki, and Satoru Midoriya moderate how much of their Quirks they use and not rely on their Quirks and help them to learn there is more to being a hero than just having a flashy, powerful Quirk.

It is also to ensure those three don’t accidentally level the entire school as their actions during the entrance exam prove they have the power to do so.

“It is only logical that they be in my class,” he says.

“True. Anyway, what do ya think ‘bout All Might joining the faculty?”

Shouta shrugs. He’s indifferent toward that right because he doesn’t know the kind of teacher All Might will be. He knows teaching is hard and whether All Might knows that truth or not, he doesn’t know. But if he doesn’t know then he will learn pretty quickly. Shouta is just going to watch and see the kind of teacher All Might ends up being.

“We’ll all see what kind of teacher he is soon enough,” he says simply. They near the front doors and he pushes them open and steps out into the crisp late winter air. Only one more week of winter, only one more week of a break from his duties as a teacher, only one more week before the new students enter the school.

“Yeah, true.” Hizashi grins at him and Shouta rolls his eyes at his husband’s sunny personality and the two make their way across the courtyard toward the main gates of U.A. High School.

. . .

“Megumi! Hey! Hey! Megumi! How do you think you scored? Do you think you got a high score? Hey! Hey!”

Megumi resists the urge to sigh as he removes the earbud from his ear and pauses the song he was listening to. He turns in his computer chair to see Nejire standing in the doorway of his room with excitement shining in her blue eyes. She is bouncing in one spot as she gazes at him expectantly while he simply gazes back at her.

“I did what I could do,” he says simply as he removes his earbuds completely and returns them to their charging case while also shutting off his phone’s screen and tucking it away.

Nejire puffs out her cheeks in a huff of annoyance. “But that’s not my question! How do you think you did? Hey!”

“Any particular reason why you’re here, Nejire?” Megumi says as he gets up and walks toward his bed where his bags are waiting. Since U.A. is in the Shizuoka Prefecture, which is a good ten hour drive from where he and his adopted family live in Akita, his parents are letting him stay in an apartment they rented out for him in Shizuoka. It’s far closer so he won’t have to worry about constantly going back and forth between the two cities and it’s in the same apartment building where Nejire is staying.

“Can’t I just come and talk with my little brother? Oh! Mom says to remind you to fold your clothes! Hey! Hey! Are you taking Shiro and Kuro with you? Huh? Huh?”

Megumi’s face goes red. Shiro and Kuro are the names he gave to the two stuffed dogs he’s had since he was five years old. They resemble the Divine Dogs he can summon with his Quirk a great deal but, back when he was five, he was never able to keep his Divine Dogs solid for very long so his adopted parents got him those two. It was so soon after he came to live with them that he holds them in a special place in his heart. But, at the same time, he doesn’t want anyone to know about them because it is a little embarrassing to him now that he’s fifteen.

But he’ll be keeping them in the apartment anyway so he, pushing the embarrassment aside, sighs and moves to pick up the two stuffed dogs. “May as well,” he murmurs as he adds them to the duffel on top of his neatly folded clothes.

“Oh, they are folded. You are such a neat freak! Hey! Hey! Do you wanna come and shop with me? Mom asked me to pick up some stuff,” says Nejire as she beams brightly at him.

Since Megumi doesn’t really have anything better to do while they wait for their parents to get home, he shrugs. “Okay.”

Getting out of the house should help with those nightmares. Even though he was lucky enough to go a few months without those nightmares bothering him, it seems the entrance exam brought them back to the forefronts of his mind. And he isn’t sure as to why, unless it has something to do with the two applicants he ran into, applicants who bear such an unkindly resemblance to two people in his nightmares that he can’t help but think about them. Even if the white-haired boy is a teenage version of the young man in his nightmares, they still look so incredibly alike.

But it’s just a coincidence. Or so Megumi has been trying to convince himself ever since he saw them, ever since the nightmares came back, ever since those feelings started flaring through him with each revisit to those nightmares.

Guilt, regret.

Guilt toward the teenage version of the young man.

Regret toward the pink-haired boy.

He rubs his temples. He really needs fresh air.

He follows his adopted sister out of the house and into the busy street laying beyond. It’s late in the afternoon and he figures everyone is either heading home or heading out for jobs if they work the night shift. There are several teenagers walking back and forth down the street but, as Megumi and Nejire walk toward the street, they catch Megumi’s eye and promptly pivot and stride off in the opposite direction.

It’s not that Megumi isn’t a nice person. He likes to think that he is. But he has a very low tolerance for bullying and for those who would humiliate and degrade others just to feed their own egos. Truth be told, he hates those kinds of people, people who are so prideful and do things to feed that pride. But, then, he also hates people who show far too much mercy to those prideful people, people who would let those prideful people walk all over them because they are too kind, and too merciful, to stand up for themselves.

It irks him. Irks him that there are so many of those people at his school and he is glad to be able to get away from that by attending U.A. where he hopes things will be different. He knows U.A. are strictly against bullying, they don’t tolerate the violation of someone’s dignity and Megumi can respect that about them.

He just hopes that the kids he beat up will take the lesson he was hammering into their heads to heart and stop their bullying ways. Whether they have or not, they are avoiding him whenever they see him to the point of not even meeting his gaze.

“Hey, hey, those are the kids you beat up, aren’t they? Right? Right?” Nejire says, breaking into Megumi’s thoughts. “Hey, hey, they’re the reason why the teachers call ya a troublemaker, right? Right?”

That’s another thing. Since he did beat up pretty much every single boy in his class because of their attitudes and their pride and their decision to do whatever they wanted to feed their own egos, he has a label of a troublemaker and a delinquent. It’s really a wonder he was able to get into U.A. with that kind of track record but, since he only beat up those who deserved it, he doesn’t care. He got into U.A. and that’s all that matters.

“Hey, hey! Is that why they won’t meet your eyes? Is that why they’re scared of you? Hey! Hey!” Nejire is poking Megumi insistently in the arm as he speaks and Megumi, swatting at her hand but gently because it’s not like he wants to hurt her, huffs.

“They shouldn’t have been picking on the lower years,” he mutters, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. “So what are we buying?”

“Huh?” Nejire blinks at him.

Megumi blinks back at her then gives her a deadpan stare. “For Mom…” he stresses.

“Oh! Oh yeah, that! I’ve got the list here!” Nejire says excitedly as she waves the list around in her hand and Megumi resists the urge to sigh as he takes the list from his airheaded older adopted sister and glances at the list.

Finding those items shouldn’t take too long and he and Nejire should be back before their parents get home. Then it’s just a matter of taking the train to Shizuoka and getting settled in before orientation day at the end of the week.

He is getting closer to starting on his journey to be a hero.

Truth be told, Megumi didn’t actually want to be a hero at first but he believes in his own conscience, whether it is right or wrong, and his conscience is what drives him to protect and to act as he does, especially in the face of bullies who think themselves so much better than everyone else. So he decided to follow his conscience and his conscience seems to be guiding him to be a hero so save others his own way.

But that is his goal and U.A. is his first step to achieving that goal.

. . .

Suguru will admit he is a bit disappointed he didn’t win the challenge between him and Satoru Midoriya but he is happy with the results. Getting the second highest score on the entrance exam’s practical portion is still an incredibly achievement and he knows his parents and his big brother are proud of that achievement.

Today is orientation day and Suguru can’t help but feel a little nervous as he gets ready for the day. He adjusts the tie for the uniform, grimacing because he isn’t used to wearing ties but forcing himself to ignore the uncomfortable feeling, and starts gathering his books together. As he moves, the news is playing on his laptop, currently talking about a hostage situation in Sapporo.

Suguru casually glances at it where the heroes are attempting to get eyes on the situation while the villain is making his demands known for the world to hear. Apparently, he wants the rest of his team to be released from Tartarus, where they were imprisoned after they were caught attempting to bomb the Hero Public Safety Commissions’ main headquarters and succeeded in bombing the surrounding area.

He huffs. Villains don’t seem to have any moral code. He just doesn’t understand why anyone would kill just to kill, just because they have the power to do so, just because they are stronger than the ones they are attacking. Even if they do have a motivation, a reason for their actions, Suguru just doesn’t think any reason, any motivation, is worth killing innocent people.

It’s a stark difference from the older version of himself that he still sees in those nightmares but, then, that older version of himself felt that those who were weak, those who didn’t have power, were little more than monkeys who deserved to be culled by the strong.

Suguru shivers and shoves that thought, those memories, out of his mind as he tries to focus on the now. He is going to start on his journey to becoming the best hero he can possibly be, the strong hero who will protect and defend the weak because that is what Suguru believes it means to be strong, to have power.

He isn’t like that older version of himself he sees in his nightmares, and he has to stop superimposing himself over that person. That person isn’t him and Suguru has to constantly remind himself of that fact.

He may not know why he still has these nightmares, or why they are always so vivid, or why they are showing him the actions of someone who looks like him even though that person clearly can’t be him. He’s just glad they aren’t occurring as frequently as they have, even if he does miss the few months when he didn’t have a single nightmare.

The entrance exam really messed with his head, really succeeded in bringing those nightmares back, and Suguru can’t begin to fathom why.

“Suguru! Are you ready?!” Mirio’s enthusiastic voice yells.

“M...Mirio, he might not be ready yet. P...Please don’t rush my brother,” Tamaki insists quietly.

“Yuji’s already ready to go,” Mirio calls through the door. “We’ll be waiting outside.”

“Um, make sure you have everything and, uh, yeah. Meet you outside,” Tamaki says quickly and Suguru smiles faintly at how uncertain Tamaki sounds. He isn’t the most confident person in the world, even though his Quirk and his skill with his Quirk is the reason why he is quickly becoming one of the strongest students in all of U.A.

Suguru hopes to become as strong as his brother someday.

He finishes gathering his stuff together, making sure everything is neatly organized before he turns to leave his room. His hair is tied up in the bun he prefers keeping it in, even though some bangs still fall over his left eye, and he adjusts his tie again before grabbing his backpack and leaving his room.

He joins his brother, Mirio, and Yuji outside of the house and Yuji waves a hand in greeting. His brown eyes are glittering with excitement as he adjusts his grip on the straps of his backpack.

“I can’t wait,” he says. “This is gonna be so exciting. I can’t wait to meet all of our new classmates!”

“You sure are chipper,” Mirio says with a laugh as he ruffles his little brother’s hair and Yuji whines at him, swatting at the hand.

Tamaki cracks a faint smile then glances at Suguru. “You’re gonna do great, probably better than me my first day,” he whispers.

“What’re you talking ‘bout, Tamaki? You made a good impression your first day!” says Mirio.

Tamaki ducks his head, face going red with embarrassment. “Um, we’re remembering two different days then,” he whispers and Suguru, knowing full well that Tamaki’s first day at U.A. was the day he accidentally used too much of his Quirk and knocked down half of his class, pats his arm sympathetically.

“Don’t do what I did,” Tamaki whispers uncertainly.

“I don’t plan on it,” Suguru says.

“And didn’t ya say that your first day impression was trying to show off your Quirk and losing all your clothes?” asks Yuji.

Mirio’s face goes red even as he laughs it off and waves a dismissive hand. “Yeah, I did not mean to scar everyone there. Nejire still brings it up every now and then,” he says. He clasps his hands together and adds, “Well, let’s get you two to U.A. Shouldn’t be late on your first day.”
“Do you know anything ‘bout our homeroom teacher?” asks Yuji. “It just says I’m in Class 1-A.”

“Pretty sure Aizawa is still teaching 1-A,” says Mirio.

“Good luck,” Tamaki whispers with a shiver.

“Ah, he ain’t that bad!”

“He expelled his entire class last year.”

Suguru and Yuji glance at each other, there is a faint hint of panic in Yuji’s eyes while Suguru can’t help but feel a little worried himself.

“They were invited back in a few weeks later so it’s not that bad,” says Mirio with a shrug. “He’s a very...different teacher.”
“Different...is not the word I would use.”

“Yuji and Suguru are gonna be just fine!” Mirio starts chatting about what Suguru and Yuji can expect from U.A. as he leads the way toward the train station and, while Tamaki drops back to the rear of the group, Yuji moves to walk alongside Suguru.

“I’m excited but I’m nervous too, y’know?” he says as he wrings his hands together. “I mean I know I only just barely passed that written exam even with Big Brother’s tutoring.”

“Mm, if you need help with classes, I’ll help,” Suguru assures him.

Yuji gives a beaming smile with relief causing his eyes to sparkle. “You’re a life savior!” he exclaims as he latches on to Suguru’s arm while Suguru shakes his head in amusement as he pats the shorter boy’s arm.

“Sure thing,” he says and turns his attention the road as they continue to walk along the sidewalk toward the station.

. . .

“Got everything ready?”

“Yup.”

“Notebooks and pencils?”

“Yeah. It’s just orientation day, Mom, so I doubt I’m gonna need all that stuff.”

“Still. Never hurts to be prepared for anything.”

Nobara watches as her parents fuss over her little sister and smiles faintly as Ochaco just laughs at her parents’ fussing but lets them. She is moving in with Nobara in the apartment her parents got for her in Shizuoka so they wouldn’t have to constantly travel between prefectures every day. It costs money to do that and, unfortunately, they just don’t have that kind of money. The apartment belongs to a friend of the family who is letting Nobara and Ochaco use it while they are attending U.A.

But it just means they are going to be far away from their parents. Nobara has gotten a little used to it since she’s been living away from her parents for a year now, only coming home to visit when they are able to afford it during the holidays and sometimes only able to talk on the phone because they can’t visit due to financial issues. Ochaco might not get used to it right away but Nobara will be there to help her little sister out.

She leans against the wall, folding her arms across her chest as she turns her orange gaze to the sky. She doesn’t head back to U.A. for a few days, since the first official day of classes isn’t actually until Monday, but she is going to help Ochaco get settled in after her orientation day and then probably hang out with Mawata again.

But as she listens to her parents fuss over Ochaco some more while she goes through her bags and makes sure she has everything, Nobara’s thoughts drift. And, as they always seem to do, they go to the nightmares that made a surprise reappearance a month earlier on the day of the U.A. entrance exam. While they aren’t occurring every single day, like they did when they first started in July last year with the exception of those glorious few months where Nobara was completely free from them, they are still as vivid and as real-like as ever.

The cycle, the cycle of the life of someone who resembles Nobara so strongly and yet isn’t her. It can’t be her because those events in her nightmares have never happened to her, those two boys and one young man are people she’s never even met before, but it still feels so real.

And then there is that pink-haired kid, the boy she ran into at the U.A. entrance exam, the boy who bears such an unkindly resemblance to one of the boys from her nightmares. But it’s just a coincidence. It has nothing to do with her nightmares because her nightmares aren’t real. They’re just her fears amplified by something sort of outside force she doesn’t know anything about. That’s what she wants to belief, that is what she is trying to tell herself to believe.

But a part of her doesn’t. No, it’s more like a part of her can’t believe that is true and she doesn’t understand why.

“Ready to go, Nobara?” Ochaco asks, breaking Nobara out of her thoughts and she lowers her gaze and runs a hand through her hair.

“Yup. Bye Mom! Bye Dad!” she calls, waving at her parents who wave back with pride beaming on their faces.

The sisters make their way away from the small house and toward the sidewalk. Since they only have enough money to catch the bullettrain to Shizuoka, they have to walk to the train station but, thankfully, they aren’t that far from it. For some reason, houses and apartments by the train station are far cheaper than anywhere else in Mie but Nobara figures it’s because of how loud it is.

Even though her family’s construction company isn’t doing that well, she is grateful that it’s still doing well enough to allow her parents to keep their house and keep the bills paid and keep food on the table. She is already hoping they will be fine until she can become a Pro Hero and start making money to help them out. She only has two more years after all. Just two.

She knows she can do it. She has the strength. She has the power. She has the determination. She made it through her first year and she is most definitely going to do her best during her second year as well.

They make it to the train station and, after swiping their passes, walk into the bullettrain before taking seats at the far end of the car. As expected, the car fills up pretty quickly and Nobara huffs upon seeing how many people are crowding the aisle while gripping at the railing to ensure they don’t lose their balance when the train starts moving.

“Glad we chose to sit here,” she says, nodding toward the doors almost directly across from where she and her sister are sitting. There aren’t nearly as many people between the two of them and the door in that part of the car.

“Uh huh,” says Ochaco as she nervously wrings her fingers together.

Nobara rests a hand on her sister’s hands. “You’re gonna be fine. You passed the test, right?” he says.

Ochaco swallows and ducks her head. “It’s only ‘cause of those rescue points,” she says as she turns her gaze to the window. “If I hadn’t saved that fluffy haired kid like how he saved me, I wouldn’t have gotten those points and I wouldn’t have had enough to pass.”

“But you did save him and you got in. That’s all that matters. That’s what a hero is supposed to do,” says Nobara. She pokes Ochaco on the cheek when she doesn’t look away from the window and adds, “But what’s really on your mind? It’s not just the exam or your nerves.”

“Oh, uh, it’s just the nerves. Yeah. Just the nerves.” Ochaco says that too quickly and, when Nobara studies her sister closely, she sees the blush on her cheeks.

She grins and hums. “Hmm.”

“It is!” Ochaco exclaims, waving her hands frantically and nearly smacking herself but Nobara manages to grab her hand before she does that as she lets out a sharp laugh.

“You got a crush?” she says teasingly.

“N...No. That’s...That’s...I’m not...he’s...Uh…” Ochaco blushes and ducks her head. “I don’t even know his name!”

“Mm, then be sure to ask him when you see him again,” says Nobara with a grin.

Ochaco wrings her hands together, somehow managing to avoid accidentally using her Quirk on herself. “I...guess I can ask,” she says and returns her attention back to the window.

Nobara leans back in her seat and turns her gaze through the window as well and they travel the rest of the way to U.A. with the quiet only disturbed by the mutterings of the pedestrians around them.

. . .

Yuji makes his way past the main gates of U.A. High School and gazes up at the H-shaped building. This may not be the first time he’s been to the school but it’s still as impressive as ever and he can’t help the giddy excitement rushing through him. He isn’t sure as to what his classmates are going to be like but he hopes he’ll be able to get along with them. At least he is in the same class as Suguru so he knows one person at least.

“So where is our class anyway?” he asks as he skips ahead and starts walking backwards with his hands folded behind his head and a bright smile on his lips.

“If you run into someone, I’m going to laugh,” Suguru says in amusement.

“I’m not gonna run into someone,” Yuji protests and yelps when he proceeds to do exactly as he just said he wasn’t going to do and he and the person he ran into go tumbling to the ground. He jumps to his feet, face going red with embarrassment even as he hears Suguru snicker by him. “Ah! Sorry!”

“Nah, it’s cool, my man,” the spiky red-haired boy he ran into says with a sharp-toothed grin as he sits up and rubs his back. He jumps to his feet and stretches his arms above his head, adding, “Nothing’s broke so we’re good!”

“That’s good. I’m Yuji Togata,” Yuji says brightly.

The red-haired boy smiles brightly back at him. “Nice to meet ya, man! I’m Eijiro Kirishima!” he says with a grin.

“Wow. Didn’t think I’d find someone who’s as bright as both Yuji and Mirio,” Suguru muses as he tilts his head to the side.

“This is Suguru Amajiki,” Yuji says, waving a hand toward Suguru.

“I can introduce myself just fine,” Suguru says with a roll of his eyes to which Yuji just shrugs and grins at him.

“Saved ya the hassle,” he says.

“Nice to meet you too. Are you guys in Class 1-A?” asks Kirishima as the three start walking down the hallway.

“Yup! You too?”

“Yup.”

“Awesome! You seem like a cool guy. What’s your Quirk?”

“Oh, it’s not that interesting to look at but it’s pretty strong,” says Kirishima as he holds out his arm and Yuji watches with wide eyes as the arm hardens until it looks like it’s been carved out of stone. “I can do that with my entire body! Make it hard as rock.”

“That’s cool,” says Yuji. “Mine can’t even be seen really. It just increases my strength, speed, and agility but it affects my entire body too.”

“So you’re probably really strong, eh? Sounds so manly!” Kirishima says and two of them continue to chat as they make their way toward their classroom with Suguru trailing a few paces behind them. As expected, Suguru doesn’t really contribute much to the conversation but that’s just the way he is. If there is one thing Suguru and his brother have in common, it’s their lack of social skills, albeit for very different reasons. While Tamaki is just incredibly anxious and nervous around pretty much everyone, Suguru just doesn’t care enough about interacting with other people to even attempt it. There are a few exceptions and Yuji knows he and Mirio are probably the only exceptions right now.

Maybe he’ll find someone else to talk with while here at U.A., someone who can get him to open up and socialize more and actually hang out and not stay cooped up in his room all the time.

They reach Class 1-A and Yuji gazes up at the massive door. “Whoa, that’s huge,” he breathes.

“Probably to accommodate those with Quirks that make them bigger than normal,” says Suguru logically as he opens the door and makes his way into it and Yuji, musing his friend is probably right, follows him into the classroom with Kirishima right behind him.

The first thing he notices is that he, Suguru, and Kirishima are incredibly early as there are literally only a handful of students in the classroom. There is a black-haired girl seated at the back of the classroom with a taller boy with dual-colored hair seated in the desk next to her. There is a girl with pink skin, yellow eyes surrounded by black sclera, and horns on her head seated in the second desk in the row. There is a very familiar black-haired boy with dark blue eyes, the same boy that Yuji recognizes as bearing an unkindly resemblance to the boy who is one of the teens who constantly appears in his nightmares.

“Mina! You made it in!” A shout sounds and Yuji turns in time to see Kirishima all but throwing himself over to the desk where the pink-skinned girl is sitting.

She grins as she jumps to her feet. “Kiri! It’s so good to see ya! And you dyed your hair!” she says, pointing at the spiked red hair.

“Ah, yeah, I felt it suited me better!” says Kirishima with a sharp-toothed grin.

Yuji moves to his desk, which is in front of the pink-skinned girl Mina, and sits down, noticing Suguru is taking his seat in the last seat of the row next to the one Yuji is in. He casts a glance at the boy seated in the desk next to him and he forces himself to not think about his nightmares, and to not think about the despair and regret he always feels when he sees that boy this boy resembles so much in his nightmares.

“Hi,” he says brightly as he holds out a hand, deciding to just go with an introduction. “I’m Yuji Togata from Chiba!”

The boy turns his dark blue gaze to him but takes the hand and gives it a short shake in return. “Megumi Hado,” he murmurs.

Whoa. He has the same name as the boy from my nightmare? Yuji only knows that the boy in his nightmares’ name is Megumi because, in his more recent nightmares, he actually hears the version of himself in the nightmare call him that. It was the only time the version of himself in the nightmare actually called any of the other people in the nightmare by name. Talk about coincidence! I mean it’s gotta be coincidence ‘cause my nightmares aren’t real. They aren’t.

Yuji hasn’t let anyone know about his nightmares, even though they do still occur just not as often as they used to. They are something he just deals with on his own because if he even attempts to explain his nightmares to his parents or his brother or Suguru then he doesn’t want to come off as crazy, especially because of the fact that he sees himself feature in all of his nightmares.

“It’s nice to meet ya,” he says and, releasing Hado’s hand, adds, “Are you excited ‘bout today?!”

Hado shrugs. “It’s just orientation day. We don’t actually start classes until Monday,” he says.

“But it’s still really cool! I mean we’re at U.A. My brother has so many stories ‘bout this place and I can’t wait to start making memories myself,” says Yuji with a grin.

“I guess,” says Hado.

You’re not much of a talker, are you? That’s another thing Hado has in common with the Megumi that Yuji sees in his nightmares. But he shoves the thought aside because he’s all right with doing all the talking and seeing if he can get some answers out of his classmate. He may as well because he doesn’t have anything better to do while waiting for the rest of their classmates to show up.

. . .

Chapter Text

Izuku swallows as he makes his way down the hallway of U.A. High School, searching for the Class 1-A door while gripping the straps of his backpack tightly. He can’t help the nervous anxiety going through him because he is starting at a new school, at a hero school, at the hero school of his dreams. He’s going to be meeting his classmates, with Satoru being the only one he will know – unless he ends up in the same class as Katsuki and he will admit a part of him is hoping that won’t happen – so it is nerve-wracking.

For him anyway.

“I am living for this freedom!” Satoru exclaims from where he is striding backwards ahead of Izuku with his hands folded behind his head and a grin on his lips. The dark sunglasses rest on the bridge of his nose but keep his eyes hidden, not that it matters because Satoru’s Six Eyes are always active and constantly working. He also has a messenger bag resting on his hip and a bag of filled with sweets he bought at a local convenience store on their way to U.A.

In spite of his nervousness, Izuku can’t help but smile faintly. “Oh, I know,” he says. He still remembers that morning when the bounty went away and the restrictions placed on Satoru were lifted in their entirety. He recalls Satoru, the instant he got the news, literally bolting out of the apartment and screaming “freedom!” loud enough to probably wake up the entire neighborhood.

“What? That was basically a full year of absolute torture!” Satoru exclaims. “So, yeah, I am definitely living for having my freedom back!”

“Even if your insistence at stopping for snacks ran the risk of making us late,” says Izuku.

“That store was selling Japanese kit kats and baum rolls. Of course I’m gonna stop!”

“It’s really a wonder you ever have any allowance with how much sweets you buy.”

Satoru, who is already reaching into the bag and pulling out the bag of baum rolls, doesn’t respond as he opens it and pops a small handful into his mouth. He holds out the bag to Izuku who rolls his eyes but grabs a cookie as they continue their walk.

They reach the door leading to the Class 1-A classroom by the time they are halfway done with the bag of baum rolls and Izuku swallows, that earlier anxiety rushing back through him as he hovers outside the door. He can’t help but fear that both Katsuki and that dark-blue-haired boy who called him out during the exam are going to be in the class and he finds himself hoping they are in the other class.

Satoru strides toward the door and opens it. “Yo everyone! What a great and wonderful morning!” he exclaims with far too much cheer in his voice.

Izuku’s face goes red and he groans as he walks after his brother. “You already drunk on your freedom,” he says.

“You’ve got such a good attitude though,” a pink-haired boy seated in the desk closest to the door says while the black-haired boy seated next to him is studying Satoru with a puzzled frown on his lips. In fact, the pink-haired boy, in spite of his bright smile and enthusiastic words, is also studying Satoru with puzzlement in his eyes.

“Well, of course! This is freedom!” Satoru exclaims as he spins around and his eyes light up. “Hey, Amajiki! I got 130 points and the highest score on the entrance exam! I won! Haha!”

“It was by one point. One point!” A black-haired boy seated at the back of the row of the first black-haired boy says with an annoyed tone.
“Still beat ya! Ha!”

“I’m positive I took out more three-pointers though,” says the black-haired boy with a dismissive wave.

“I took out the zero pointer first though!”

“I already told you my attack took out the zero pointer. You just destroyed what was left,” the other boy retorts.

“I destroyed it first!”

“And I’m saying I did.”
The two of them glare at each other with sparks flaring between them and Izuku casts a glance between the two of them, brow furrowing because, in spite of their argument and their heated glare, neither of them actually seem upset. In fact, the black-haired boy has a challenging gleam in his purple eyes while Satoru’s lips are pulled back in a challenging grin.

Meanwhile, it seems like there is a confrontation on the other side of the classroom, between the dark-blue haired boy and Katsuki. It doesn’t seem as if either of them even noticed Izuku’s and Satoru’s arrival because the dark-blue haired boy is currently scolding Katsuki for having his legs on the desk and Katsuki is retorting in the only way he knows how: by being blunt and calling the other boy an extra.

Because of course he will.

“Uh, haha. Those two aren’t gonna start fighting, are they? ‘Cause I dunno if Suguru will hold back just ‘cause we’re in class. Or, uh, those two either?” asks the pink-haired boy as he gestures to Satoru and the black-haired boy who, while not arguing anymore, having broke off their heated glare off, and then to the dark-blue haired boy and Katsuki.

“Satoru isn’t actually upset,” Izuku admits. “As for Kacchan, um, well, he’s rough around the edges to say the least.”

“Oh, well, at least he isn’t actually upset but, uh, do I want to know what you mean by ‘rough around the edges’?” the pink-haired boy asks.

“Probably not,” Izuku admits with a nervous smile, not wanting to think about his time growing up with Katsuki and being on the receiving end of Katsuki’s Quirk. It’s still something that angers Satoru even though Izuku has tried to insist, several times, to just let the matter go. It’s not as if anyone would do anything if it was brought to the teachers’ attention, and Satoru would only get into trouble if he tried to retaliate. It was better, back then, to just ignore it.

He starts in surprise when the dark-blue haired boy suddenly strides toward him. “I am Tenya Ida from Somei Private Academy,” he declares firmly.

“I...Uh, I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’m pleased to meet you,” Izuku says nervously, still remembering how Ida called him out.

“Midoriya,” Ida begins. “You perceived the true nature of that practical exam while I did not. I misjudged you. I hate to it admit it but you were the superior candidate.”

But I didn’t perceive anything…

“Deku…” Katsuki snarls and winces when he is suddenly smacked in the face with a pencil.

“Satoru,” Izuku scolds.

“What? That could have been anyone,” Satoru says as he, not at all discreetly, lowers his hand as the blue light of his Quirk’s Blue power fades away.

“Uh huh.”

Katsuki chugs the pencil as hard as possible toward Satoru but, as expected, it doesn’t even reach him. In fact, it ends up stopping mere centimeters from Satoru’s head as it is caught by Satoru’s Infinity and he casually plucks it out of midair and hands it back to the black-haired boy seated at the front of the class.

The boy just gives the white-haired teen a deadpan stare but takes the pencil back and looks down, a frown on his lips.

Izuku has known that Satoru can keep Infinity up constantly now, even though he used to get tired after a few hours before the incident last July. He says it’s because he unlocked the self-healing aspect of his Quirk but Izuku always had the feeling his brother wasn’t telling him everything. But he never said anything because it’s not as if he isn’t keeping his own secrets from his brother.

He also notices how Katsuki doesn’t meet Satoru’s gaze at all even when he threw that pencil back at him. Actually, the more Izuku thinks about it, the more he realizes he doesn’t recall Katsuki meeting Satoru’s gaze at all while they were still at Aldera Junior High last year. In fact, he seemed to avoid getting near Satoru, which resulted in him not pushing Izuku around this past year. That didn’t stop his other classmates but it did stop him and he has to wonder about that.

“Ah, that curly hair!” A voice exclaims and Izuku, startled out of his thoughts, jumps before whirling around as the brown-haired girl makes her way into the classroom.

It’s that nice girl. She looks too cute in that uniform. It’s not as if this is the first time Izuku has noticed how cute girls, and boys for that matter, look but he always keeps those thoughts to himself. It’s too embarrassing to say something like that out loud, and Satoru would tease him mercilessly if he did.

“You got in. Just like Present Mic said! Makes sense though. That punch was awesome!” the girl exclaims.

“Punch?” Satoru echoes, tilting his head to the side toward Izuku who flounders, desperately trying to find a way to explain matters and hoping Satoru will just let the matter go.

“Yeah! He took out the zero pointer with a single punch! It was so awesome,” says the girl.

“Whoa. That is awesome,” the pink-haired boy exclaims. “I remember seeing that during my test! No one wanted to try and attack it so we just avoided it.”

“I took out my zero pointer,” says Satoru with a grin, though he is still studying Izuku intently and Izuku sweats nervously.

“You mean I took out the zero pointer,” the black-haired boy seated at the back of the classroom calls.

“My attack hit first,” Satoru shouts back.

“No, mine did!” the black-haired boy shouts back and the two start glaring heatedly at each other again, sparks flaring between them while the black-haired boy at the front of the classroom just ducks his head and lets out an annoyed sigh.

Izuku lets lose a soft sigh, grateful for the distraction. Satoru and his mother already know that his Quirk is a ‘late blooming Quirk’ and he is going to keep it that way, by trying to stave off any questions about what the Quirk actually is.

Then the girl leans toward him with a bright smile. “So we’ve got our entrance ceremony and guidance sessions today, yeah? Wonder what our teacher’ll be like? Boy, I’m nervous,” she says and Izuku feels his face heat up because she is way too close.

“He’s right outside the door, has been for the past few seconds now,” Satoru says without bothering on breaking off his glaring contest with the black-haired boy.

“Impressive.”

Izuku jumps and the girl yelps as they both whirl around in time to see a young scruffy man in a yellow sleeping bag that makes him look like a giant yellow caterpillar peering at them with a jelly packet resting in a hand.

“You noticed me well before anyone else did,” the young man says. “Such is the power of your Quirk, I would assume. Nonetheless, if you are here to socialize then get out. This is the hero course.”

Everyone stares at the young man as he crawls out of his sleeping bag.

“It took you far too long to quiet down. Time is a precious resource. You lot aren’t very rational, are you?” the teacher adds.

“Uh, who…?” the girl begins.

“I am Shouta Aizawa. Your homeroom teacher. Pleased to meet you,” the young man says.

“Yo. Nice to see ya again,” Satoru greets with a wave, though he doesn’t seem to keen on breaking off the glaring contest he’s having with the black-haired boy at the back of the classroom. The students in the desks between Satoru and that boy have been leaning warily away from their desks, as if too uncertain of whether to try and get in the way of that glaring contest or not.

“Midoriya, please stop glaring at your classmate,” Aizawa says with a long sigh to which Satoru, with a huff, breaks off his glare and then proceeds to use his Quirk to chug a pencil at the black-haired boy’s head when he smirks smugly.

The black-haired boy whom he stole the pencil from gives him an unimpressed stare as he reaches into his bag and pulls out another pencil.

“And do not use your Quirk to throw items at your classmate’s heads. Hard to believe that the school year hasn’t even started yet and I already have to say something like that,” Aizawa deadpans before he reaches into his sleeping bag. “Anyway. Quickly now. Change into your gym clothes and out to the grounds.”

Everyone exchanges glances but do as they’re told while Izuku can’t help but wonder what, exactly, is going on.

. . .

Wonder what’s going on? Satoru doesn’t know as he, along with the rest of his classmates, join Aizawa on the grounds. All of them are in their gym uniforms and all of them are sharing the same perplexed looks on their faces. No one seems to know what their teacher is planning anymore than Satoru does. At the very least, introductions were made during the walk to the grounds so Satoru, at least, knows everyone’s name.

“All right, good. Far quicker than earlier,” says Aizawa. “Today, we will be doing an assessment of your Quirks.”

“An assessment of our Quirks?” the students exclaim.

“What about the entrance ceremony? Or guidance sessions?” the brown-haired girl Ochaco Uraraka protests.

“No time to waste on that stuff if you want to become heroes,” says Aizawa. “U.A. is know for its ‘freestyle’ educational system. That applies to us teachers as well.”

Freestyle, huh? Satoru thinks on his last life, back when he was a teacher training the next generation of jujutsu sorcerers. He muses that his style of teaching was most definitely very freestyle, even if it was effective, and he has to wonder what Aizawa’s freestyle teaching is going to be like.

“Softball throwing. The standing long jump. The 50-meter dash. Endurance running. Grip strength. Side-to-side stepping. Upper body training. Seated toe touch. You did all these in middle school, yes? Your standard no quirks allowed gym tests,” Aizawa goes on as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. “This country still insists on prohibiting Quirks when calculating the averages of those records. It’s not rational. The department of education is just procrastinating.”

He turns his head. “Midoriya?” he calls.

“Which one?” Satoru says cheekily.

“The insufferable one,” Aizawa deadpans and Izuku stifles a snort.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Satoru muses.

“Obviously,” Bakugo scoffs.

Satoru salutes him with middle finger.

Bakugo snarls out a curse and throws his own middle finger back at him.

“Anyway, how far could you throw in middle school?” Aizawa says while giving both Satoru and Bakugo a stern glare that has Bakugo huffing and looking away while Satoru simply lowers his hand and leans back on the balls of his feet.

“Sixty seven point five meters,” he says brightly.

“Was the point five necessary?” Izuku deadpans.

“Nope. But I love rubbing the fact that I beat Bakugo’s record in his face every chance I get!”

“It was half a fucking meter!” Bakugo yells in annoyance.

“Still beat ya!”

Aizawa tosses the softball at him but Satoru catches it before it can be caught by Infinity. “Great. Now try it with your Quirk,” he says. “Do whatever you need to do. Just don’t leave the circle.”

“Whatever I need to do, huh? Okay!” Satoru jogs to the circle and tosses the softball up a few times before he wheels his arm back and throws the softball. As the softball sails through the air, he points his finger at it and a crackling orb of red light materializes and shoots forward to slam straight into the softball, repelling it further and further away until it can no longer be seen.

“It’s important for us to know our limits. That is the first rational step to figuring out what kind of heroes you’ll be,” says Aizawa as he turns the phone around and Izuku is stunned to see the number: 1,950,000 m.

“Holy shit. It went almost two million meters out!” Kirishima exclaims.

Satoru pulls out his phone at that moment when he feels it vibrate, causing Aizawa’s eye to twitch, and tilts his head as he opens the message. It’s from Shoko Ieiri who is holding up the softball with a deadpan expression on her face. The caption beneath the photo reads: did not expect a softball to come sailing through Mom’s study window. Pretty sure this is your fault, Satoru.

“Huh. I got it to Okinawa,” he comments as he tosses the phone at Izuku who looks at the photo and snickers. “Was aiming for the coast of New Zealand but oh well. Next time.”

“Also, from now on, do not bring your phones with you to these tests,” Aizawa adds. “Never thought I’d have to say that when it isn’t even the first day yet but here we are.”

“Something tells me you’re going to be saying that a lot by the time the first week ends,” says Satoru with a grin as he skips back over to join the rest of the class who are still staring at him in shock.

“But that was so cool,” Yuji Togata exclaims in excitement. It’s ironic that he even has the same name as the Yuji from Satoru’s past life and Satoru feels a pang in his chest but shoves it aside because whether this Yuji is the reincarnation of the Yuji he knew or not, it’s clear he doesn’t remember his past life. Or, at least, he isn’t acting as if he does but he could be hiding it. It’s not as if anyone can just come out and say they are the reincarnation of a jujutsu sorcerer who existed over four hundred years ago before the dawn of the age of Quirks after all. Primarily because no one will ever believe them. If Satoru didn’t have his memories of his last life coexisting alongside the memories he’s making of this life then he wouldn’t have believed it himself.

“Seriously though? That went so far out! Like almost to another freaking country!” Hanta Sero exclaims, black eyes shining with excitement.

“So we can use our Quirks for real? Man, the hero course is great,” Eijiro Kirishima exclaims.

“It looks like so much fun!” Mina Ashido says as she bounces in one place, causing her short pink hair to bounce too.

“Awesome,” Denki Kaminari says with a grin and excitement shining in his gold-colored eyes.

“This isn’t some sort of game,” Megumi Hado says with a long, exasperated sigh. Once again, here is another boy who resembles someone from over four hundred years ago who also shares the same name as that person. But it’s hits Satoru a bit harder because the Megumi he knew in his last life was someone he loved like a son, was also the very last thing he saw before he died. So he has a mix of both good and bad memories involving the Megumi he knew, none of which were his Megumi’s fault. And none of which are the fault of this boy here who may or may not be a reincarnation too.

Satoru still doesn’t know which it is. He doesn’t think he ever will.

“Awesome, you say?” Aizawa says. “You’re hoping to become heroes after three years here and you think it’ll be all fun and games? Right. The one with the lowest score across all eight events will be judged hopeless and will be expelled.”

“What?!” Quite a few people exclaim while Izuku looks on the verge of a panic attack, reminding Satoru that he labeled his Quirk as a ‘late blooming Quirk’ that he didn’t actually receive until the day of the entrance exam. While he still doesn’t exactly believe that to be true, he does know that before the entrance exam, his twin did not have a Quirk and his Six Eyes never lies.

If he’s only had the Quirk for about a month now, I doubt he knows how to really use it.

“Your fates are in our hands,” says Aizawa with a sharp grin crossing his lips. “Welcome, this is the hero course at U.A. High!”

“The lowest scorer will be expelled?” Ochaco Uraraka exclaims. “It’s only the first day! I mean even it wasn’t, that’s totally unfair!”

“Natural disasters, highway pileups, rampaging villains. Calamity is always right around the corner. I’d say Japan is full of unfair things,” says Aizawa. “Heroes are the ones who correct all that unfairness. If you were hoping to spend your evenings hanging out at McDonald’s, I’m sorry to tell you that for the next three years, U.A. will run you through the wringer. That’s Plus Ultra. Use your strength to overcome it all. So bring it. The demonstration is over. Now it’s for real.”

The tests begin and Satoru, stretching his arms above his head, pays attention to everyone around him as they also stretch and prepare for the tests. The first test is the fifty meter dash and, as Satoru waits for his turn, he focuses on all of his classmates, committing the information Six Eyes is feeding him to his memory.

He is up against Bakugo and, as he prepares to run, he smirks and, the instant Aizawa starts the timer, he uses Blue to glide across the ground so swiftly that he is on the other side of the thing in less than a second. In truth, it is almost as if he teleported, though he actually didn’t, not this time. If he had then it would have taken less time.

Everyone stares.

Bakugo screeches at him as he careens past the finish line in just over three seconds. “You fucker!” he yells.

“Beat ya again!” Satoru says as he tilts his head back with a laugh and walks over to join the rest of his classmates.

Amajiki ends up running against Uraraka. Uraraka makes herself lighter with her Quirk, which lets her remove the gravity of anything she touches with the pads of her fingers, which can help with her speed.

Amajiki, on the other hand, simply splays out a hand and a creature that reminds Satoru very strongly of the manta ray cursed spirit the Suguru in his last life had appears. The instant Aizawa starts the timer, Amajiki hops onto the manta ray’s back and lounges on its back as it flies swiftly across the grounds, crossing the finish line in under two seconds.

“Looks comfy,” Togata comments.

“It is,” says Amajiki, not even bothering on getting off the manta ray as it carries him over to join his classmates. Only then does he hop off it and dismiss it with a simple wave of his hand while Satoru hums. He wonders if the other creatures living in Amajiki’s shadow also bear a resemblance to certain cursed spirits from well over four hundred years ago but decides that doesn’t matter right now.

The second test is the grip strength test and Satoru doesn’t even bother on using his Quirk for that one, since he’s liable to end up breaking the machine. He may have a good handle on regulating the amount of power he puts into each side of his Quirk, due the Quirk being just enough like the cursed technique he once had that all of the training he had with his cursed technique in his last life translated over to his Quirk in this life, but there are still times when he has some trouble.

The third test is the standing long jump. Satoru quite literally just uses Blue to levitate himself so swiftly it is as if he jumped over the entire length of the field, much to Bakugo’s annoyance. Bakugo’s annoyance turns to anger when Amajiki jumps and then has a giant dragon-shaped creature jump out of his shadow and proceed to carry him over the grounds while he lounges on its head. And then Bakugo’s anger morphs into rage when Hado steps forward and, lifting his shirt, allows the black serpent tattoo encircling his stomach to slither free and morph into a giant serpent made out of solidified shadows. He jumps and the serpent surges beneath his feet and carries him over the grounds.

“That shouldn’t fucking count!” Bakugo yells in annoyance.

“He said to use our Quirks. We’re using our Quirks,” Amajiki, who is still lounging on the head of his grotesque, yet docile, bone white dragon says with a flippant shrug. The gesture reminds Satoru, once again, of the Suguru Geto he knew in his last life. At least, it reminds him of the Suguru Geto from during his time at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, not after they already graduated from that school.

And, those memories are coming back. Nope. I said I wasn’t gonna think about those so I won’t. Satoru shoves those memories aside because, as is always the case, thinking about the memories of his last life he had with his one and only never ceases to cause his heart to clench with regret.

The fourth test is the side stepping. That isn’t really that hard to do and Satoru barely puts much effort into it. He doesn’t even bother on using his Quirk since it’s not like it would really help that much. Togata’s Quirk seems to help ‘cause he literally speeds through the side stepping so swiftly that it leaves most people commenting about how it seemed like Togata was literally blurring as he moved. Satoru, who already knows that Togata’s Quirk gives him a boost in strength, speed, and agility, isn’t surprised by that.

The fifth test is the soft ball throwing. Since Satoru already did that, and Aizawa would not let him go again so he can try to reach the coast of New Zealand this time, he sits it out. Bakugo’s throw ends up going over seven hundred meters out and, while he seems annoyed by that, everyone else seems impressed.

At least until Uraraka does her throw. She literally just touches the pads of her fingers to her ball, removing its gravity, and then throws it. It goes flying and flying and flying and Satoru is pretty sure it’s going to end up burning up in the atmosphere. It’s no surprise that the results that appear on Aizawa’s phone show infinity as the distance.

“Huh, guess ya beat me,” says Satoru with a laugh, not even the slightest bit fazed by that.

Izuku, on the other hand, seems to be on the verge of a panic attack even more than before. He’s been doing decently in all of the tests so far, even if he hasn’t been using his Quirk at all, but Satoru can still perceive it swirling around him and pulsating with energy and with power.

“Midoriya, the one that isn’t insufferable, it’s your turn,” says Aizawa as he tosses the softball at Izuku who scrambles to catch it and shakily makes his way toward the circle.

“Should I be offended that he keeps calling me insufferable?” Satoru wonders.

“You fucking are,” Bakugo huffs, stuffing his hands into his pockets but avoiding his gaze when Satoru flicks a glance toward him..

“No one asked your opinion, you walking explosion,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand and ignores the string of curses the explosive blond throws at him still without really looking at him. Even though they haven’t really talked or interacted at all since that incident last year, that doesn’t mean Satoru’s feelings for the explosive blond has changed at all mostly because Bakugo’s attitude toward Izuku hasn’t changed. Just because his attitude toward Satoru is only the way it is because Satoru does egg him on and rile him up, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed.

The fact that he doesn’t really interact with Satoru, and actively avoided him back at Aldera Junior High for whatever reason, is a testament to that. It also meant that Izuku didn’t have to deal with Bakugo’s shit whenever Satoru was with him, which was often.

“Midoriya isn’t doing very well,” Ida comments.

“Well, duh. He’s a Quirkless runt,” says Bakugo with a scoff and winces when a rock slams into his head.

All eyes turn to Satoru.

“What? That could have been anyone,” Satoru says with a shrug as he, not very discreetly, tucks his hand that is glowing blue with the power of the Blue side of his Quirk away.

“But he’s not Quirkless. Didn’t you see how he did during the entrance exam?” says Ida.

“Just what did he do during the entrance exam? He won’t tell me,” says Satoru, tilting his head to the side.

“He punched the zero pointer but kinda ended up breaking his arm and both of his legs,” says Uraraka.

There’s a moment of pure silence, then Satoru deadpans, “Yeah, I can understand why Izuku didn’t tell me now.” He turns his attention to the scene where Aizawa just erased Izuku’s Quirk, thus causing his throw to end up incredibly short. He listens to Aizawa’s lecture to Izuku and frowns.

Does he not know that Izuku literally just got this Quirk? He’s a late bloomer, or so he said. While he does understand that Izuku’s inability to regulate and control his Quirk will cause him to become a liability, that still doesn’t mean it’s necessary for him to say that Izuku can’t be a hero.

He does give Izuku another chance and, while Izuku proves that he can regulate the power just enough to ensure that he isn’t left as a liability, it does still result in the shattering of his finger. Even though he is still upright, still able to move, there is no denying he’s in pain too.

“Sensei, I can still move,” Izuku declares in spite of the pain.

“This kid…” Aizawa murmurs.

Bakugo storms forward. “Deku!” he yells.

Satoru casually strides forward, shoving past Bakugo hard enough to knock him off his feet and moving swiftly to his brother’s side. He takes his brother’s hand, brow furrowing because his Six Eyes showed him the concentration of Quirk energy in Izuku’s finger at the last possible second before the softball was thrown.

He’ll talk with Izuku later though as he guides him back over to join the rest of their classmates.

The remaining three tests goes by rather quickly, with Satoru flying through them easily while Izuku is struggling due to the pain in his finger. But, as it turns out, when Aizawa reveals the results that show that, while Satoru ended up as number one and Izuku is at the bottom of the pack at number twenty, Aizawa reveals that he was lying about the expulsion threat.

“It was a rational deception meant to bring out the best in all of you,” Aizawa says.

“What?!” Half the class exclaim.

“Well, of course it was a lie. Didn’t take much to figure it out,” says Yaoyorozu.

Satoru, on the other hand, is smirking at Amajiki, who ended up second on the list with Shoto Todoroki right beneath him and Bakugo beneath him. “Beat ya again,” he says with a teasing grin.

“Not by much,” Amajiki deadpans and his eyes glitter as he adds, “next time will be a different story.”

“Nah. Gonna beat ya again next time too!”

“Challenge accepted.”

The two of them glare at each other with sharp, challenging grins on their lips and sparks flaring between them while everyone around them edge backwards a few steps.

“Um, yeah, so that’s it for today,” says Aizawa, though whether that’s because they are actually done for the day or he just doesn’t want to deal with whatever is brewing between Satoru and Amajiki, Satoru doesn’t know. “Go back to the classroom and pick up your syllabuses. Also, Midoriya, take this and go and see Recovery Girl. She’ll fix you up. Come Monday, the trials aren’t gonna be any easier.”

Izuku takes the pass Aizawa hands him and slowly makes his way toward the main building as the rest of the class disperse as well. Satoru and Amajiki break off their glaring contest and, while Satoru jogs after his brother, Amajiki falls into step beside Togata.

“Ida told me ‘bout what happened during your entrance exam,” Satoru says matter of fact and, when Izuku pales, he adds, “When were you gonna tell me what actually happened, Izuku?”

Izuku ducks his head, wringing his fingers together as he chews on his lower lip. “Um…”

“You weren’t gonna tell me, were you?”

His brother lets out a little squeak but finally nods his head. “I...I didn’t want to worry you,” he says, not meeting his eyes.

Satoru lets out a long sigh as he slings his arm around Izuku’s shoulders and pulls him close. “That is so like you,” he says as he curls his arm around Izuku’s neck and yanks him closer, rubbing his head in a noogie that has Izuku yelping and stuttering out an embarrassed protest. He releases his brother after a moment and, folding his arms behind his head, adds, “But, seriously though, you don’t gotta keep something like that from me. We’re family, aren’t we? Family is all about helping each other out.”

“I know b...but I just got...er, my Quirk just came in that day so I didn’t really know how to control it so it kinda backfired pretty badly on me,” Izuku admits while Satoru, catching the slip of his tongue at the beginning of that sentence, hums quietly to himself.

He was about to say he just got it but that shouldn’t be possible. It’s not possible to be given Quirks, right?

He decides not to focus on that as he considers the rest of that statement. Not knowing how to control his Quirk isn’t a surprise. No one can just learn how to control their power in a single day, let alone a few hours. Hell, it took him fifteen years, and regaining every single memory of his past life, before he was able to master his Quirk. And he still has trouble in certain cases, like his inability to use his Quirk’s version of Hollow Purple right now.

But it’s different for Izuku. While Satoru has had his Quirk since he was four, with Six Eyes being present and active since he was born, Izuku didn’t. While Satoru has had Quirk counseling and some training to learn how to control his Quirk, Izuku didn’t.

Izuku has been Quirkless for fifteen years of his life. As a result, he didn’t need Quirk counseling or training because he didn’t have a power that needed to be counseled or controlled.

He can’t just expect to use his power right away but, at the same time, Satoru supposes it was extenuating circumstances. But to break his arm and both of his legs when he used his power for the first time is pretty severe, and the fact that he had to break his finger just to use his power during the assessment today is just as severe.

He was concentrating his Quirk on his fingertip at the last possible second when he threw the softball. The sudden onslaught of his full power in that single finger is why it shattered and I’m sure that’s what ended up happening with his arm and his legs. He is in an all or nothing state, where whenever he uses his power, he is using one hundred percent of it rather than a far lower percentage that his body can handle. But, since he’s never had to worry about moderating the use of a Quirk due to living his whole life Quirkless, he doesn’t realize he can do that. He just needs to practice with it similar to how I practiced with my Quirk back when I was a kid and I can probably guide him through those same exercises.

Satoru blinks and then snickers to himself as he realizes his thoughts basically proved the teacher is still alive within him. He may have been a very unorthodox teacher back in his last life, and he still isn’t quite sure he was a good one even if his methods were incredibly effective, but that was then.

But, at the same time, the thought of being a teacher just feels right.

I wonder if this means I’m meant to be a teacher again. He doesn’t know but he decides he won’t worry about that because he isn’t even through his first year at U.A. so he doesn’t have to worry about what he is going to do after he graduates just yet. It’s a thought to entertain though, and one that still feels right, but he’ll think about that later.

“Um, are you okay?” Izuku asks.

Satoru, cutting off his snickers, grins at his brother. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I wasn’t laughing at ya or nothing like that,” he says. He slings his arm around Izuku’s shoulder, purposely draping his much taller, and much lankier, form over his brother and Izuku yelps as he stumbles forward from the sudden weight. “But I’m gonna help ya out so you aren’t breaking any more bones!”

“H...How?”

Satoru grins at him. “Our Quirks may not be even remotely similar to each other but there are exercises and such my Quirk counselor taught me that are universal for learning how to control a Quirk. All you gotta do is try out those exercises and find the one that work the best for ya,” he says. “Pretty sure the Quirk counselor you speak with will tell ya the same thing. I mean why wouldn’t they?”

“Oh, uh, Quirk counselor...right. Um, I gotta find out who the Quirk counselor at this school is and yeah.”

“Ask Recovery Girl.”

“Er...right…” The two of them come to a stop outside the infirmary and Izuku swiftly makes his way inside while Satoru follows suit.

Izuku seemed pretty evasive when I was talking ‘bout his Quirk. Wonder what that’s about.

Then again, Satoru still doesn’t understand why Izuku’s Quirk energy flows so very like All Might’s. It’s really weird, almost like they are the sames Quirk and that goes back to Izuku’s slip of the tongue.

But it’s not possible to give someone a Quirk, right?

Satoru just doesn’t know.

. . .

Yuji makes his way out of the main building, folding his arms behind his head as he pivots so he’s walking backwards with Suguru following him. Today ended up being an exciting day, in spite of the threat of expulsion his homeroom teacher threw at them that he supposes he should have expected since Tamaki did say Aizawa did expel his entire class last year.

“Boy am I glad no one was expelled today,” he says. “But, man, that was pretty scary.”

“You did well on every test so you weren’t in danger,” Suguru points out.

“Still though! I felt bad for that Midoriya kid, er, the smaller one, ‘cause if Aizawa hadn’t been lying ‘bout the expulsion thing then he would’ve been expelled,” Yuji admits.

“His Quirk’s pretty harmful to his own body though,” Suguru says, raising a hand to brush strands of black hair out of his eye. “He literally broke his finger to throw that softball and I overheard Ida say that, during the entrance exam, he broke his arm and both of his legs. Having such a self-harming Quirk is a pretty terrible stroke of bad luck.”

“Yeah.” An idea suddenly sparks in Yuji’s mind as he recalls how incredibly skilled at hand to hand fighting Suguru is to the point that he can beat Mirio when Mirio isn’t using his Quirk, and hold his own when Mirio is using his Quirk. “Hey, maybe you can teach him how to fight hand to hand! ‘Cause that way he doesn’t gotta rely on his Quirk and he can just kick someone’s ass with his fists!”

Suguru raises an eyebrow. “I mean I guess I can but there’s no telling if he would accept the offer,” he says but he doesn’t sound surprised.

Yuji is always trying to help others. It’s in his nature to try and help someone, even if they don’t want it. He supposes that is part of the reason why Mirio and his parents told him he’d make a good hero since that is the essence of a true hero.

“Well, you can offer and see what he says. Hey! I see him now! Oy! Midoriya!” Yuji yells and bolts toward where he sees the Midoriya twins walking out of the main building.

“Yuji! You can’t just...ugh!” Suguru groans but swiftly strides after him as the pink-haired boy comes to a stop in front of the twins.

He tries not to think about that rush of guilt that goes through him at the sight of the taller twin who still bears an unkindly resemblance to a teenage version of the young man from his nightmares. He tries not to think about those nightmares that are still bothering him, even if they aren’t occurring every single night anymore.

“Oh, uh, hey Togata-san,” Midoriya says.

“By the way, which Midoriya were you referring to?” the taller twin asks curiously.

Yuji falters and groans, running a hand through his short hair. “Man, that’s gonna get confusing ‘cause you both got the same family name of course,” he says.

“Well, you can always call him the Midget Midoriya,” says the taller twin.

The shorter twin goes to kick him and scowls when his kick stops mere centimeters away from the taller twin’s leg. Once again, Yuji is struck by a sense of recognition and nostalgia and, yes, those familiar flashes of guilt and he shoves them away.

“Drop the barrier and let me kick you!” the shorter twin snaps.

“Nah,” the taller twin says with a grin.

The shorter twin huffs. “If they call me that then they gotta call you Sweet Addict Midoriya,” he says firmly.

“Man, that’s a mouthful.”

“So’s what you said for me!”

“Not by much~”

The shorter twin drags a hand over his face while Yuji tries hard to not snicker. There is no denying the fondness in the shorter twin’s bright green eyes though, even if it’s tinged with quite a lot of exasperation. And it’s clear the taller twin’s teasing is just that: teasing. There is no hint of malice or anything like that. In fact, though Yuji can’t see his eyes because of those dark sunglasses, there is no denying the fond amusement in the taller boy’s tone.

It’s pretty clear the Midoriya twins are incredibly close in that they are able to bicker so fondly with each other, similar to how Yuji and Mirio tease each other and bicker and yet still laugh about it together.

“If it will make it easier for you, Togata-san, um, you can call me Izuku,” the shorter twin offers uncertainly. “Um, but only if you want to. I mean I get that calling me by my first name is like only for friends but it might help with the confusion and I don’t mean to assume that we’re friends. You totally don’t have to be friends with me to call me that name and…” Everything else the boy says vanishes into a mutter storm that is so blended together, it’s causing Yuji’s head to spin in his attempt to make any sense.

“Call me Satoru,” says the taller twin as he raises a hand and promptly smacks his brother upside the head.

“Ow!” Izuku clutches at his head with a whine.

“You were muttering again,” Satoru says.

“Oh. Uh, sorry!” Izuku’s entire face goes bright red with embarrassment as he ducks his head, fidgeting and wringing his hands together. There is no denying the nervous anxiety in the shorter boy’s posture, similar to Tamaki and yet different at the same time.

“Nah, man, it’s cool,” Yuji says with a bright smile. “And I don’t mind being friends with ya! You seem like a pretty chill guy!”

Izuku jerks his head up, eyes widening. “R...Really?” he stammers out and, when Yuji nods, the bright smile that crosses Izuku’s lips is well worth it.

“Whoa. Another kid with a sunshine smile,” Suguru muses.

Satoru laughs at that. “You don’t know the half of it. He’s sunshine incarnate, this midget twin of mine!” he says.

Izuku kicks at him and, when his kick is stopped mere centimeters from the taller boy’s shin, he groans. “Seriously?! Drop the barrier!”

“Nah. So what brings ya over here anyway? Pretty sure you wanted to ask one of us something,” says Satoru, completely ignoring the annoyed glare his twin his giving him. It seems like the nervous anxiety from earlier completely evaporates when Izuku is talking with his brother and Yuji muses that might be because of how close they are. He knows Tamaki isn’t nearly as anxious around Suguru than he is around everyone else.

He pushes the thought aside as his mind goes back to the reason why he stopped the Midoriya twins. “Oh, yeah! That! Well, I was thinking ‘bout what I saw during the assessment test and your Quirk’s pretty harmful,” he says and, when Izuku looks like he is about to panic for some reason, he adds, “So I thought that, maybe, you could learn how to fight without using your Quirk! Suguru here is like a master at hand to hand fighting!”

“I’m not a master,” Suguru deadpans.

“Dude, you can beat Mirio and he was able to take out his entire class last year without even using his Quirk!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m a master,” Suguru says with a long sigh. “But I do know some things.”

“Some things, he says.” Yuji laughs as he whirls around and beams at Izuku who is gazing at them both with surprise in his eyes. “But, yeah, if ya want, Suguru can teach ya so if you can’t use your Quirk, you can just up and deck the enemy instead!”

Suguru snorts in amusement at that and turns his purple gaze to Izuku. “If you want, I don’t mind,” he says.

“Really?” Izuku says in surprise. “But you barely know me. Why would you offer to teach me?”

“We’re all aiming to be heroes, Izuku,” Suguru says. “And the stronger a hero is, the more they can protect and defend the innocent and that is what those who are strong are supposed to do. They are supposed to protect and defend the weak.”

Satoru’s sunglasses-covered gaze snaps toward Suguru at that.

“T...That’s true,” says Izuku.

“So I’m all for helping my fellow hero in training get stronger,” Suguru adds.

“T...Thank you, Amajiki-san,” Izuku stammers out.

“Hey, can I join in on these training sessions? I’ve been wanting to test out my own hand to hand fighting skills against someone who has experience with it,” says Satoru with a sharp grin at Suguru.

He raises an eyebrow at him. “You sound like you think you’re gonna win,” he says.

“Oh, I know I’m gonna win,” says Satoru.

“Challenge accepted.”

The two of them start glaring at each other with challenging grins on their lips and sparks flaring between them and Yuji laughs uncertainly. “I think those two just developed a rivalry and it’s not even the first official day,” he says.

“Yeah, seems like it,” Izuku says with an uncertain smile.

“Midoriya!” A voice calls out and Yuji turns in time to see Ida striding toward them swiftly.

“Which one?” Satoru asks.

Ida adjusts the glasses on his nose. “Ah, yes, that would be rather confusing,” he says and nods toward Izuku. “I wished to ask how your finger was.”

“Oh, uh, it’s fine. Thanks to Recovery Girl,” Izuku says, though he seems startled by Ida’s sudden appearance.

“That’s good. But Aizawa-sensei sure fooled us. He made me think ‘this is how it is at the top!’ but our own instructor deceived us like that,” says Ida as he rests a hand on his chin.

“He actually didn’t,” says Yuji and, when Ida and the Midoriya twins glance at him, he blinks at the sudden attention. “Um, well, Mirio told me Aizawa-sensei did actually expel his entire class last year so I’m pretty sure that was a real threat but he just decided against it for some reason.”

“What?” Izuku shrieks.

“Is that really true?” Ida asks.

“Oh hell yeah it’s true.” The new voice startles everyone and Yuji jumps before whirling around and his eyes widen as he sees the ginger-haired girl he remembers brushing by right before the entrance exam, the same girl who bears an unkindly resemblance to that girl who features so prominently in his nightmares. At her side is Uraraka.

“Um, who are you?” Yuji asks.

“Nobara Uraraka,” says the ginger-haired girl and Yuji tenses because she has the same name as the girl from his nightmares. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Satoru is tense with shock, though it’s hard to tell what he’s really feeling because of the sunglasses. “And don’t ya forget it! But, yeah, I’m in Class 2-A. I was part of the class Aizawa expelled last year. We all got to come back a few weeks later but it’s like a lasting black mark on our record and it still pisses me off!”

“Nobara ranted about it for three hours when it happened,” Uraraka admits as she pats the slightly taller girl’s arm.

“But, yeah, it did happen. Anyway, so these are some of your classmates, eh, Ochaco?”

“Uh, yeah,” the younger Uraraka says. “Tenya Ida, Suguru Amajiki, Yuji Togata, Satoru Midoriya, and...Deku, right?”

Satoru scowls while Izuku jumps. “Uh, what?” he says.

“Well, that’s what Bakugo called you so I just thought…Sorry if I got it wrong,” says Ochaco.

“Oh, uh, no, it’s fine. It’s just...it’s like a nickname that he uses to bully me and such. My real name’s Izuku,” Izuku admits.

“So it is a derogatory nickname then,” says Ida.

“That’s messed up,” Yuji says.

“Considering what it can translate to, it is pretty messed up,” Suguru agrees.

“Gotcha. Sorry. But ‘Deku’, well, it just screams ‘do your best!’ I kinda like it. The way it sounds,” says the younger Uraraka.

“Deku’s fine!” Izuku says quickly, face going red.

“Midoriya!” Ida exclaims. “Show a bit of backbone. It’s an insult, isn’t it? It’s like the Copernican Revolution…”

“The...what?” Yuji echoes and even the younger Uraraka seems confused.

The older Uraraka snorts and waves a dismissive hand. “You wanna walk with your new classmates to the train station or you wanna come with me?” she asks. “I’m meeting up with Mawata though so I’m not going straight home.”

The younger Uraraka turns to Yuji and the rest of the group. “Are you guys heading for the train station? Mind if I walk with you?” she asks.

“S...Sure,” Izuku stammers out, face still red.

Satoru leans back on the balls of his feet, a huff escaping his lips. “Man, if this is how you act when a pretty girl speaks to you, how the heck are you gonna get yourself a girlfriend, or a boyfriend for that matter, Izuku?” he says.

Izuku’s entire face flames. “Satoru!” he shrieks and starts swatting at Satoru who just laughs even as every single one of Izuku’s swats stop within centimeters of the taller twin. “Hey! Drop the barrier!”

“Nope.”

Yuji laughs and glances at Suguru while Izuku continues the fruitless attempts to swat his brother but none of his attacks are even getting close. “They sure are close, like me and Mirio.”

“They certainly bicker like you and Mirio do,” says Suguru, tilting his head to the side.

“Well, I’m off. Text me when you get home if you get home before me, Ochaco,” says the older Uraraka.

“Okay, Nobara!” Uraraka calls, waving at her sister as she turns and walks away.

After Izuku gives up on swatting Satoru, much to Satoru’s amusement, the six of them make their way off U.A.’s campus and start heading in the direction of the train station.

The school year is off to a great start and Yuji finds himself incredibly excited to see what U.A. has in store for them on their official first day on Monday.

. . .

Chapter Text

Monday comes far too quickly and, while Izuku has gone through the exercises Satoru showed him in an effort to moderate and control his Quirk, it’s slow going and he hasn’t quite found a preferred exercise. At the very least, he is somewhat confident he is out of the ‘all or nothing’ stage of One for All. He is starting to get a bit more confident that he can use a small percentage of One for All, rather than the full hundred percent, and he is starting to understand how to control it too. Picturing his body like a frozen takoyaki and trying to spread One for All all throughout his body as if he was heating up a frozen pastry seems to be working. Even if the comparison is something that had Satoru in stitches for a good ten minutes, it came about because of Satoru’s words.

“ You’re doing it wrong, Izuku.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your Quirk is just as much apart of you as a limb, since they are an extension of your body. So if they are an extension of your body, what does that tell ya?”

“Extension of my body? Oh! I have to use it more evenly.”

“And…?”

“And...and...what am I missing?”

“When you use your Quirk, how do you use it? How do you activate it?”

“Activate? Um, like I call it up like...like switching an on-off switch whenever I need to use it. Like...like only when I need it or where I need it.”

“And…?”

“And? There’s more?”

“I’ve seen your notebooks, Izuku. If you can analyze other people’s Quirks so thoroughly, why not try and do the same with your own?”

“You already know what I’m missing, don’t you?”

“My Six Eyes has been feeding me information on your Quirk since I started focusing on it so I have an idea of what you’re missing but you gotta learn it for yourself.”

“You sound like a teacher.”

“I do, don’t I? Huh. Eh, whatever. So?”

“Uh, well, I activate it by switching the on switch only when I need it but that seems like the wrong approach, um, like...like attempting to heat up a frozen pastry but only heating up a side of it. It’s like that! I’m only switching on the switch on a portion of my body when I should be switching on all the switches for my entire body! I’ve gotta spread the power of my Quirk not to a single portion of my body but to my entire body and evenly at that like heating up a frozen pastry all the way through!”

“…”

“Satoru? Why are you laughing at me? Satoru!”

So, while his brother does still find his comparison hilarious, he did still help Izuku figure it out. Now it’s all a matter of putting it into practice and Izuku hopes he will get the chance to do so during today’s first ever heroics training class. He hopes it will work out because he doesn’t want to worry his brother by breaking something again.

He and Satoru make their way off the train and toward the road that will take them to U.A. They left early in the hope of beating the rush, and because Izuku knew his brother was going to stop at the convenience store and get some snacks he personally believes it is too early for, so they are reaching the gates with some time to spare. They aren’t the only ones who are early as Ida is striding toward the gates as well.

“Good morning, Izuku, Satoru,” Ida greets as he adjusts his glasses. Satoru was quick to give everyone permission to call him by his first name, so as to not get them confused, and Izuku, after some hesitation, agreed to do the same. It’s still so surreal to have someone call him by his first name, and not by that nickname as was the case all throughout elementary and middle school. Then again, it’s still so surreal to be treated decently by kids his own age that aren’t his brother.

“Morning Ida,” he says with a smile.

“Morning,” Satoru says around the junda cake roll he is currently eating.

Ida wrinkles his nose. “Should you not be eating something far more healthy for breakfast?” he says, chopping his hand down.

“Nope,” Satoru says as he finishes off the cake roll. “This tastes way better than healthy stuff. Want one?”

“It is far too early in the morning for such sweets,” says Ida as he adjusts his glasses.

“Eh, suit yourself.” Satoru reaches into the bag, pulls out a bag of morinaga caramel and opens it, popping some into his mouth.

Ida shudders and gives Izuku an incredulous look. “How can anyone eat something that sweet this early in the morning?” he says aghast.

“It's Satoru,” Izuku admits, as if that explains everything and, for those who know Satoru, it does. “He does this all the time. I’m honestly surprised he doesn’t got cavities or anything like that.”

“How is that possible?”

“One of the greatest mysteries of the world.”

Satoru tilts his head to the side and then shrugs, still chewing on the caramels in his mouth.

Ida adjusts his glasses again. “Well, I am glad to see that you are not partaking in this travesty,” he says firmly.

“Who even talks like that?” Satoru deadpans around the caramel but the caramel muffles his words to where Izuku is probably the only one who can understand him, since he is used to decoding Satoru’s mouth-full-of-candy speech. He doesn’t repeat what Satoru just said out loud, because the question is rather rude when one thinks about it.

They reach the classroom and enter it and Izuku notices they are the first ones there, with the exception of the dual-haired Todoroki. Izuku remembers seeing him coast through the various assessment tests during orientation but, since he was so distracted by doing the best he could on them, he didn’t really get a good look at him.

Now that he has, he stops, and stares, because Todoroki is gorgeous. His dual-colored hair, half red and half white, looks soft and his dual-colored eyes are beautiful, one is gray like a stormy sky while the other is blue that shines like turquoise. Izuku doesn’t think he’s ever seen someone so good-looking before.

Satoru nudges him. “You’re staring~” he says in a singsong voice that causes Izuku’s face to flame and he, with an embarrassed yelp, all but bolts to his seat while Satoru, laughing, follows him.

The rest of the students enter the classroom and move toward their seats, though Togata is laughing while Amajiki is glaring at him with annoyance in his purple eyes. Izuku isn’t too sure what they’re laughing about but Amajiki, in spite of the glare, doesn’t seem that upset.

Hado slides into his seat next to Togata and raises an eyebrow at Togata who leans forward and whispers something Izuku can’t hear. Hada’s second eyebrow rises to join the first and he turns his head to study Amajiki who is studiously avoiding the look as he pulls out a random notebook and promptly buries his face in it.

“Wonder what’s going on over there,” Satoru muses.

Izuku doesn’t know but, when Aizawa enters the classroom to begin homeroom, he decides it doesn’t matter right now. Right now, he is more focused on the upcoming classes, though he isn’t too sure he will be able to pay attention to the lectures for their normal classes because he is too excited for Heroics in the afternoon. After all, it is being taught by All Might, and Izuku is also looking forward to trying to put what he managed to figure out in action.

Plus today’s heroics lesson is his first opportunity to actually wear the hero costume he, Satoru, and their mother worked for weeks on. He also gets to see the hero costume Satoru came up with, since he only ever saw the rough ideas and doesn’t know what his twin ended up deciding on. He’s fully expecting it to be as eccentric as his twin’s personality but he just doesn’t know.

So, after homeroom, Izuku does try to pay attention to the normal classes but it’s so hard. The excitement is prevalent in everyone, not just him, to the point where the only ones who seem to be paying attention to the normal classes are Ida, Yaoyorozu, Hado, Amajiki, and Bakugo. They are all taking notes and actively participating in the class by answering the questions while everyone else is too distracted.

Well, Satoru is just gazing out the window with a look of utter boredom on his face but that’s how he usually acts. It’s not that he’s a slacker or anything like that. He just learns better by reading the books then listening to lectures. Izuku makes a note to share his notes with his brother later, though, since it’s just the first day, they aren’t really learning much. It’s just getting started on the curriculum.

Either way, most of the normal classes go by pretty quickly and, after a nice healthy lunch in which Izuku had to make sure Satoru didn’t only eat sweets as usual, it was time for the class everyone has been looking forward to.

Heroics.

“I am here! Coming through the door like a normal person!” All Might declares as he strides into the classroom, very much not like a normal person as Satoru is quickly pointing out in amusement, but Izuku barely notices. He’s too busy geeking out over his idol’s, and mentor’s, costume. He’s pretty sure that’s the Silver Age costume.

“It’s All Might!” Kirishima exclaims.

“Whoa! He’s really gonna teach us? That’s awesome!” Togata exclaims with brown eyes bright with excitement.

“That’s his Silver Age costume,” Sero comments.

All Might lets out his customary booming laugh as he strides to the front of the classroom and pivots. “Hero basic training! The class that’ll put you through all sorts of special training to modl you into heroes. It also gives a ton of credits.” He whirls around and shows a sign as he adds, “No time to dally! Today’s activity is this! Battle Training!”

“Battle training?” Izuku yelps.

“Battle training?” Bakugo sounds like he’s grinning.

“Heck yeah,” Satoru says and, when Izuku glances at his brother, he sees a sharp, feral grin on his lips and sees him looking toward Amajiki.

Amajiki is leaning back in his seat and looking back at Satoru with his own smirk on his lips. The two of them have the same competitive spirit, Izuku muses, and he doesn’t know what to really think about the rivalry that appeared between those two.

“And for that, you need these!” All Might declares as he clicks a remote on his hand and the wall next to him opens up and pushes metal briefcases with numbers one through twenty imprinted on them. “In accordance with the ‘Quirk Registry’, and the special retquest forms you filled out before being admitted, it is your hero costumes!”

Everyone cheers and Izuku can’t help but smile. He can’t wait. He can still remember when he and his brother were coming up with ideas for their hero costumes:

“Izuku, please tell me you aren’t going with All Might’s color scheme?”

“But he’s the best!”

“Better than going with All Might Jr for your hero name, I guess.”

“Satoru!”

A laugh escaped Satoru’s lips as he went back to sketching some rough ideas on the paper in front of him. Neither of them were artists but they were making due, though, when Izuku leaned over to try and get a glimpse at his brother’s idea, Satoru waved him away. “No lookie!” he said.

“Aww. I showed you mine,” Izuku protested.

Satoru shrugged as he sketched another idea. “I dunno if I wanna keep this idea so no lookie ‘till it’s final,” he said.

“Fine.”

“Izuku? Satoru?” Inko called and the twins turn their heads as their mother makes their way into the living room with a big bright smile on her lips.

“Congratulations on getting in!” Inko added once she joined them in the living room as she yanked out two items. One is a pale green jumpsuit and the other is a dark blue long sleeved jacket with a high wide collar.

“A jumpsuit?” Izuku echoed.

“Is that…?” Satoru tilted his head to the side.

“Well, while you were studying, Izuku, I noticed your open notebook and saw this. I know I didn’t support your dreams while growing up and just gave up on it but you never quit, Izuku. You kept chasing your dreams. I’m sorry, Izuku. But now I’m going to be cheering you on with everything I’ve got,” said Inko and, as Izuku stood up to take the jumpsuit, she turned to Satoru. “As for you, Satoru, I know you were coming up with various ideas ‘cause you didn’t have anything better to do while you were, essentially, on house arrest but I saw this one and...It just really felt right. So I got it for you.”

Satoru looked surprised but a small smile crossed his lips as he stood up and walked over to join their mother and took the jacket. “Thank you, Mom,” he said.

“I got this too,” said Inko as she held out a bag. “I know it’s very simple but the store clerk said it’s made from durable material that won’t tear, so you don’t have to worry about it being taken off on accident. I mean I kinda figured you wouldn’t wanna have a hero costume with your sunglasses ‘cause those can fall off.”

Izuku glanced at it to see it was a blindfold.

Satoru smiled again. “Yeah, that’d suck. Trying to fight a villain, lose my sunglasses, and get beat ‘cause of sensory overload. How embarrassing that would be,” he said as the smile morphed into an amused grin.

Inko laughed while Izuku snorted in amusement.

He knew, in that instant, he would have to incorporate his mother’s idea into his hero costume. It will be the base of it and he can mold the rest of his design around it.

He follows the rest of his classmates into the locker room where everyone starts changing and changes into the light green jumpsuit. He also has his usual red sneakers and a belt wrapped around his waist and black knee guards and white gloves with black forearm supports. The mask that covers his face has a breathable material placed around his mouth in the shape of a smile that is reminiscent of All Might’s while the mask itself has bunny-like ears coming out of the top.

What can he say, All Might is his idol.

He joins the rest of his classmates and scans them, taking into account their costumes. Some of them are pretty cool, such as the classmate who is clad in white armor, while others don’t really make sense, since he doesn’t understand why Todoroki’s costume is basically just a bunch of ice covering his left half. His eyes travel to his brother so he can see the final product of his brother’s chosen costume but they pass over Togata first.

Togata’s costume is, surprisingly, very simple. It’s a long sleeved black jacket with a dark red hood and black pants tucked into dark red ankle-high boots. A dark red belt wraps around his waist attached to which are little pockets but what’s in those pockets, Izuku doesn’t know.

His eyes travel to Amajiki who is standing by Togata. He is wearing black hakama pants over black boots over which is a black slim-fit tunic blazer with silver buttoned sleeves with his hair tied back in a bun with strands falling over one of his eyes. Even from Izuku’s distance, he can see Amajiki’s shadow is writhing behind him oddly and he wonders if that’s part of the other’s Quirk. It’s not like he’s seen the other’s Quirk in action before.

His eyes go to Hado, who is hovering by them, and studies him. Hado’s costume is navy blue in color and consists of a halter top that shows off part of his midriff where Izuku can see the black tattoo of a snake wrapping around it, the same tattoo he summoned during the assessment test. Matching bicep-high fingerless gloves adorn his arms and loose black pants cover his legs, tucked into ankle-high black boots. When Kaminari says something, Hado turns toward him and Izuku is treated to the sight of the boy’s muscular back that is completely covered in black tattoos all resembling certain creatures.

Is that part of his Quirk? Does he need to have those tattoos exposed to use his Quirk? It would explain why his costume is the way that it is anyway. Izuku turns his gaze from Hado to his brother who is leaning back on the balls of his feet.

Satoru’s costume is simple like Togata’s. He is wearing the dark blue jacket with the high, wide collar their mother got him over slim fit black pants tucked into black dress shoes while the simple black blindfold is wrapped around his eyes, pushing his hair up to spike around him. It fits him almost as if such a simple costume was made for him.

“Ah Deku!” Uraraka’s voice calls and Izuku turns as Uraraka jogs toward him. He flushes because Uraraka’s costume is really nice. It’s a pink, white, and black bodysuit that really fits her well, and Izuku has to quickly avert his gaze and shove that thought aside, with a space-helmet covering her head.

“Cool costume. Really practical looking,” says Uraraka with a sheepish grin. “I wish I’d been more specific on my request form. This suit’s so puffy and curvy. It’s embarrassing.”

Izuku is more than grateful when All Might announces that it’s time for battle training because it saves him from having to respond to that. He, his brother, and his eighteen classmates all turn their attention to the hero, who is snickering while looking at Izuku for some reason. Of course, he might have realized that Izuku was clearly influenced by him when deciding his costume but he thinks it looks nice so there.

“Looking good!” All Might declares after he got over his brief moment of amusement.

“Sensei!” His armored classmate, that Izuku realizes with a jolt is Ida and that is awesome, says as he raises a hand. “This appears to be the same field used in the entrance exam. Will we once again be performing cityscape maneuvers?”

“Nope,” All Might declares. “You’ll be moving on to step two. Indoor anti-personnel battle training! Villain battles are most commonly seen outdoors but, statistically speaking, the most heinous villains are more likely to appear indoors. Between confinement, house arrest, and black market deals, in this hero-filled society of ours, the cleverest villains out there lurk indoors. You’ll now be split into villain teams and hero teams and face off in two on two indoor battles!”

“So no basic training, ribbit?” Asui asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Practical experience teaches you the basics,” says All Might. “The distinction here is that you won’t be fighting disposable robots.”

“What determines victory?” Yaoyorozu asks as she raises a hand.

“Can I just blast everyone away?” Bakugo growls and winces when a rock slams into the back of his head.

All eyes turn to Satoru.

“What? That could have been anyone,” Satoru, who is not at all discreetly tucking the hand that is glowing with the power of Blue into his pocket, says with a flippant shrug.

“Um, are you threatening to expel someone like Aizawa-sensei did?” asks Uraraka, bringing everyone’s attention back to the many questions Izuku is sure their classmates are having.

He gives his brother a long look.

All he gets is a bemused smirk and a shrug in return.

Honestly. How are we twins again?

“How do we proceed to divide ourselves into teams?” Ida says as he jerks his hand up.

“One at a time. My Quirk isn’t super hearing,” says All Might and, pointing at Satoru, adds, “And, yes, I did see that rock throw, Midoriya.”

“Could have been anyone,” says Satoru in a slight singsong voice.

“...Anyway, listen up!” All Might clearly decides it isn’t worth it to scold Satoru when he isn’t the slightest bit repentant and probably won’t be even after a scolding. He, instead, pulls out a notecard and starts reading from it and Izuku muses that is pretty smart to ensure that he has all the information for the exercise. “Here’s the deal. The villains will be hiding a nuclear weapon in the hideout. The heroes have a limited amount of time to either capture the villains or secure the weapon. The villains must either capture the heroes or protect the weapon until time is up.”

He lowers the notecard and pulls out a box that reads ‘lots’, adding, “Your battle partners will be decided by drawing lots.”

“Is that really the best way?” Ida asks.

“Makes sense,” says Satoru with a shrug. “I mean you can’t exactly pick and choose who you work with out on the field, right? So this simulates that.”

“I see! I apologize for getting ahead of myself. My mistake,” says Ida.

“It’s fine. Let’s just get to it!” All Might declares as he draws the lots and Izuku pays attention to who is paired with who.

He is paired with Todoroki and, as he moves over to stand by his partner who gives him a stoically cool look, he casts a glance at the rest of the pairings. Kirishima is with Yaoyorozu, Koda is with Tokoyami, Ida is with Sero, Jirou is with Togata, Hado is with Asui, Hagakure is with Ashido, Satoru is teamed up with Amajiki and both of them exchange smirks, Shoji is with Uraraka, and Bakugo is with Kaminari, who looks nervous to be paired with the explosive blond.

“Oh, uh, I...I guess we’re partners then. Uh...let’s...work well together,” Izuku stammers out. It’s difficult being with someone he finds attractive. He’s pretty sure he’d be reacting this way if he was paired with Uraraka too since he does find her cute just like he finds Todoroki gorgeous. The fact that he is positive Satoru is laughing at him isn’t helping matters at all.

“Satoru, please stop laughing at your brother,” Amajiki’s amused yet exasperated voice sounds behind them, which proves Izuku’s suspicions to be correct.

“But look at his face! It’s hilarious,” Satoru exclaims.

Izuku is so stealing his twin’s sweet stash when they get home.

Todoroki glances at him and hums. “I am sure we can win our match quickly,” he says and Izuku can’t help but admire the dual-haired boy’s confidence.

“Uh...r...right,” he stammers out. “Uh, but, um, maybe we should, um, talk a bit...like ‘bout our Quirks, uh, so we can have an idea of what we’re working with when it’s our turn.”

“Very well.”

“Moving on,” All Might declares as he reaches into two boxes, one of which is labeled ‘Heroes’ while the other is labeled ‘Villains’. “First up are these!”

He removes two balls, a ball with the letter C from the Hero box and a ball with the letter H from the Villain box. “The Heroes are Team C and the Villains are Team H.”

“Villains, huh?” Amajiki comments.

“The villain team goes in first. The timer starts in five minutes, when the hero team sneaks in. The rest of us will watch via CCTV.” All Might turns to gaze at Satoru and Amajiki. “Midoriya Amajiki, you boys need to adopt a villain mindset. This is practical experience so go all out. Don’t hold back.”

“Really?” Satoru’s eyes light up.

“Though I will stop you if you take things too far,” All Might adds as he hands the two boys earpieces.

“I’m pretty sure that means don’t hold back within reason, Satoru,” says Amajiki in amusement as the two swiftly make their way toward the building All Might directs them to. He hands Koda and Tokoyami earpieces as well before leading the way toward the building where the CCTV is set up so they can watch.

Good luck, Satoru. Izuku doubts his brother needs it but he wishes it anyway.

. . .

Satoru leans against the nuclear weapon that they had moved to the very top floor of the building where they are supposed to be protecting it. Already, his Six Eyes are examining both Tokoyami and Koda who are gathered in front of the building while they are waiting for the timer to begin. Neither of their Quirks are active but Tokoyami’s is one that doesn’t need to be active for Satoru to get a good read on it because it’s another sentient being attached to him.

“Tokoyami’s the one to watch out for,” he says casually. “He’s got a sentient being attached to him that is powered by darkness and this building is pretty dark so the being will be rather strong.”

“How do you know that?” Amajiki asks curiously.

Satoru points to his blindfolded gaze. “My Six Eyes is part of my Quirk. It lets me perceive the flow of Quirk energy and read it pretty thoroughly. Some Quirks have to be activated for me to read it thoroughly, which is why I can’t get that much of a read on Koda’s Quirk, but Tokoyami’s is always active so I can automatically read his Quirk energy.”

“Pretty powerful,” Amajiki says.

“It’s a pain in the ass sometimes. Anyway, so we’ve got like, what, three minutes ‘till the actual exercise starts, right?”

“Yes.”

“You got a plan?”

“Do you?”

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “Tokoyami’s our biggest threat so I suspect he’ll come right at us. Koda is an anomaly though ‘cause he’s pretty quiet and the only thing I can get out of his Quirk, since it’s not active, is that it is connected with animals.”

“Hmm. I’ve already sent a few of my smaller Nightmares to the lower floors so they’ll alert me of the movement of our opponents,” says Amajiki, gesturing toward the wall and Satoru blinks upon seeing a small worm-like grotesque creature attached to the wall. He supposes he was focusing on Tokoyami and Koda that he didn’t really pay attention to Amajiki to see what he was doing, only perceiving that his partner was using his Quirk to do something.

“You can speak with ‘em?” he asks.

“In a way. My Nightmares are connected to me whenever I summon them, kind of like a telepathic connection,” says Amajiki. “But they can’t really speak in words so I usually only get images, depending on which Nightmare I summon. My Worms only speak in images but they are the smallest Nightmares I have so our opponent shouldn’t notice ‘em.”

Kinda like the cursed spirits the Suguru I knew would use to gather information for him back in my last life. Satoru shakes his head, pushing that thought aside because he really has got to stop thinking about his past life, about a life that is over and done with, about a life he can’t change even though a part of him does want to.

No, this is his life now. That is what he has to keep focusing, not on unchangeable memories coexisting alongside the ones he is making now.

“Okay. That works.”

A beep sounds and Satoru tilts his head. “Oh. I guess that means the exercise started,” he comments.

“And we didn’t even come up with any sort of plan,” Amajiki deadpans as he stretches his arms above his head.

“It’s fine. Let ‘em come to us. They won’t be able to touch the weapon let alone reclaim it so we just gotta either run out the clock or capture ‘em.”

Amajiki raises an eyebrow at him.

Satoru jerks his head toward the weapon, which his hand has been resting on since they brought it to this room. “I’d had another part of my Quirk active this entire time. Anything that attempts to touch me, or anything I’m touch, won’t be able to reach me.”

“Powerful,” Amajiki muses and tilts his head to the side. “Oh. You were right. Tokoyami is heading straight toward us. According to my Nightmare, his Quirk is a shadowy creature that he called Dark Shadow. It’s moving ahead of him and scouting out the area but hasn’t spotted any of my Nightmares.”

“It’s also solid and capable of thought and speech.” Satoru hums when his Six Eyes picks up on the sudden flow of Koda’s Quirk energy and, as his eyes feeds him the information on his other opponent’s Quirk while also showing where it’s coming from, he hums. “Oh. Koda’s making his move. Oh! He can talk with and control animals? That’s pretty cool. I’d step away from the window, Amajiki.”

It seems like Koda’s Quirk energy is spread to the animals he speaks with and takes control of, thus allowing Satoru’s Six Eyes to locate them. Any animal Koda uses his Quirk on can be picked up with Satoru’s Six Eyes because they’ve been saturated with Koda’s Quirk energy.

Amajiki doesn’t even hesitate. He just moves away from the window, right as they shatter and a flock of birds surges through the shattered remnants of the window and flies rapidly toward Amajiki.

Amajiki splays out a hand an a bird-like creature with skeletal tattered black leathery wings surges out of his shadow and toward the birds, using its wings to swat the birds out of the way and sending them careening off to the side. It’s not enough to actually hurt them but it’s enough to leave them dazed while they struggle to regain their sense of place.

“Dark Shadow is coming,” says Satoru, already noticing the flow of Tokoyami’s Quirk energy right outside the door.

“Are you going to just stand there?” Amajiki deadpans as he backflips away from the door as it bursts open and Dark Shadow, a bird-like shadowy creature jutting out of Tokoyami’s chest, surges forward.

“I’m keeping the weapon from being claimed by the enemy,” says Satoru with a shrug.

“And I’m doing all the heavy lifting,” Amajiki deadpans as he dodges to avoid a swipe of Dark Shadow’s claws.

Satoru waves his free hand dismissively. “You’ve got it.” He winces when one of Dark Shadow’s claws crashes into Amajiki, sending him flying toward the wall. He manages to twist around in midair so his back slams into the wall as opposed to his head. “Ouch. That has to hurt.”

He gets a middle finger for that as Amajiki jumps to his feet and waves a hand toward his shadow as a serpent with deep gashes torn into its scales surges out of the shadows and rushes not at Dark Shadow but upward.

A yelp sounds and Satoru tilts his head up to see the serpent wrapping its entire body around Koda who was slowly leaving the ventilation shaft above their heads. Of course, Satoru knew that’s where Koda was because he felt the flow of Koda’s Quirk Energy move into the shafts and above his head.

The serpent flies toward the ground and lands on the ground, keeping Koda wrapped up in its form while Amajiki dodges out of the way to avoid Dark Shadow’s claws.

“Koda? Are you okay?” Tokoyami calls.

Koda manages to give him a thumbs up as he turns his head. “Birds. Flock to me again and attack the enemy!” he calls and Satoru feels the surge of his Quirk and he muses that the boy’s range is pretty impressive in that he was able to reach further into the training field. And the birds respond pretty quickly as Satoru can sense the Quirk energy they were saturated with surging toward them at record speeds.

“Yeah, you’ve got a whole swarm of birds incoming, Amajiki,” he comments casually.

“Well, do something about it, you idiot!” Amajiki says in annoyance as he catches one of Dark Shadow’s claws with a sharp kick that is followed up by another kick that crashes into Dark Shadow’s head, sending it flying off to the side with a yelp.

“I don’t wanna hurt those poor birds though,” Satoru whines. Of course, he can regulate how much Quirk energy he applies to each side of his Quirk whenever he uses it, utilizing the same control exercises he learned in his last life that actually work, but it’s funny how annoyed Amajiki gets by his tone.

Riling Amajiki up is just as fun as riling Suguru up in his last life used to be.

It’s even more fun because of the fact that Amajiki, just like Suguru, doesn’t seem to hesitate to retaliate against him.

Amajiki groans in annoyance as he dodges another clawed swipe. He pivots and slams a fist straight into Dark Shadow’s head and, his eyes lighting up with a gleam of mischief, jumps into the air and crashes a kick hard into Dark Shadow. It’s enough to send it flying at Tokoyami who dodges out of the way, only for Amajiki to be there to crash a roundhouse kick into Tokoyami himself, sending him flying into Dark Shadow. There’s enough force propelling him that when they collide, they are both sent flying straight at Satoru.

Satoru jumps because, even though Infinity catches both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow, it’s still startling for two individuals to come flying at him, and so swiftly at that. Tokoyami looks surprised to find himself as close to Satoru as he is, and not touching him.

‘How?!’ Dark Shadow exclaims as both of them fall to the ground. It immediately rises up and starts clawing at Satoru but Satoru just tilts his head to the side as his Infinity catches every single one of Dark Shadow’s attacks. It’s not like it stops it completely, it just slows down each attack to an atomic level that it looks like each attack is being caught by something.

“Dark Shadow. It is useless. He must be protected by something we cannot see. We should focus on Amajiki!” Tokoyami hisses.

“Yeah, good idea,” Amajiki says as he appears at Tokoyami’s side with a smile that is so reminiscent of Suguru that Satoru feels a nostalgic pang in his chest. He slams a fist straight into Tokoyami’s side followed by a sharp kick that sends the smaller boy skidding backwards before he jumps forward, unleashing a flurry of blows that is eerily reminiscent of Suguru too.

His skills with hand to hand combat is really so very similar to Suguru’s too. But Satoru doesn’t want to get his hopes up. He can’t. He doesn’t know if he will be able to stand it if he gets those hopes up and they all come crashing down brutally. So he shoves the hope aside, he shoves those nostalgic feelings aside, as he focuses on those birds that are currently getting knocked away by the bird-shaped Nightmare.

Koda manages to get free from the serpent trapping him and darts toward Satoru, clearly trying to claim the weapon, but his eyes widen when he can’t reach it. He tries to push past the barrier but it’s really useless, even though Satoru isn’t even applying too much of his power into it. He doesn’t need to apply too much power to his Infinity when he’s not facing off against Quirks.

Koda jumps back and yelps when Tokoyami crashes into him from a well-aimed powerful kick to the stomach. They both go down in a tangle of limbs and Amajiki is there in an instant, wrapping the capture tape they were given around them swiftly.

“The Villain Team wins!” All Might declares over the intercom.

“Nice. We won,” says Satoru.

Amajiki rolls his eyes at him. “You did nothing but stand there and look pretty,” he deadpans.

“Awww, you think I look pretty?” Satoru gushes and bursts out laughing when Amajiki’s entire face goes red and he abruptly looks away.

“Let’s just...get back to the control room,” he mutters as he reaches down and unties Tokoyami and Koda and holds out a hand to them to help them up.

Satoru, still grinning in amusement as his laughter dies away, pushes away from the weapon and strides after his classmates as they lead the way out of the building.

. . .

“Whoa, Amajiki sure has some killer hand to hand combat skills,” Kirishima is saying excitedly while Izuku scribbles rapidly into his notebook, muttering to himself about everything he’s noticed about Amajiki’s Quirk as well as Tokoyami’s and Koda’s.

“Where did that even come from?” Uraraka says in bewilderment and Izuku catches her peering at the notebook out of the corner of his eye but he is too caught up in his analysis to respond.

Even though he didn’t really get to see much of Koda’s Quirk, he was able to see Tokoyami’s and Amajiki’s quite a bit. And Kirishima is right. He knows Togata did mention about how skilled at hand to hand combat Amajiki is but to actually see it in action is awe-inspiring.

“Midoriya didn’t really do much,” Asui comments.

“He literally just stood there,” Kaminari says in puzzlement.

“He was using his Quirk,” says Izuku absently as he scribbles a few more notes down in his notebook. “He can manifest his Quirk energy in a barrier that slows down anything that touches it to an atomic level, thus giving off the illusion that the thing is stopped. He can spread that barrier to anything he touches and that’s probably what he did to prevent Koda and Tokoyami from claiming the nuclear weapon while the other was distracting Amajiki.”

“So that’s his Quirk? He can create barriers?” asks Sero.

“Part of it.”

“Part of it? Is it a dual Quirk like Todoroki’s?” asks Uraraka curiously. “Now that I think about it, he used his Quirk to toss that softball that ended up in Okinawa. Was that another part of it?”

“Yup. He can basically manipulate space down to an atomic level and that’s really the simplest explanation but his Quirk is incredibly complicated. Even though I’ve been analyzing his Quirk ever since it first appeared, I still don’t understand all of it,” says Izuku absently, still scribbling down notes over the fight.

“You’ve been analyzing his Quirk since it appeared?” Uraraka echoes in surprise.

Izuku flushes in embarrassment as he lifts his head to find everyone staring at him. “Uh...y...yeah,” he says, shifting uncertainly because he isn’t too sure he likes that everyone’s attention is now fixated on him. “Er...it’s kinda a hobby of mine to, uh, analyze people’s Quirks ‘c...cause I just find Quirks so fascinating to study.”

“Hey, sounds like an interesting hobby,” says Togata with a bright smile.

Satoru, Amajiki, Tokoyami, and Koda make their way into the control room at that moment and All Might gives them all a thumbs up.

“Great work out there. Now then, class, who was the MVP of this match?” he says with a bright smile.

Izuku hesitates.

Satoru catches his eye and gives him an encouraging grin and a nod.

Slowly, Izuku raises a hand.

“Yes, Midoriya?”

“Um, it was Amajiki, All Might-sensei,” says Izuku as he slowly lowers his hand. “Um, from the very beginning, he was already on top of matters. He used his Quirk to make sure he had spies in place to alert him to the approach of his enemy and made sure to be prepared to capitalize on the information Satoru was no doubt supplying him about his enemies’ Quirks. He also didn’t rely on his Quirk entirely. He used it to keep the birds that Koda sent at him at bay and used it to get Koda out of the ventilation shaft but fought Tokoyami and Koda entirely Quirkless for the majority of the fight. While Koda did do well to use his Quirk to keep the enemy distracted with his birds, Tokoyami’s control over Dark Shadow was pretty exemplary, and Satoru did keep the weapon protected even if he literally just stood there and looked pretty, Amajiki was the one who used every single skill he had available to pull out a win.”

“Indeed. You are correct, Midoriya,” says All Might.

“That was some pretty impressive fighting skills there, Amajiki. So manly!” Kirishima says with a grin.

“You see? You are a master at hand to hand fighting,” says Togata with a grin.

“I’m not a master,” Amajiki says with a huff.

“Sure as heck close then!”

“Right then, let us continue!” All Might declares as he reaches into his Hero and Villain boxes and pulls out two balls. One has the letter E on it while the other has the letter F on it. “Team E will be the Heroes and Team F will be the Villains!”

“Yes! Let’s get to it,” Togata exclaims.

“We have to wait five minutes for our opponent to set up, remember?” Jirou deadpans as she twirls one of her earphone jack cords around a finger.

“Oh...right…” Togata deflates while Amajiki snorts in amusement.

Hado and Asui swiftly leave the control room while talking quietly with each other while Togata and Jirou follow at a swift pace.

“So, Izuku, how do you think this match is gonna go?” Satoru asks as he slips to Izuku’s side, snorting in amusement as Izuku pulls out his notebook and immediately starts scribbling down his own theories on how this match will go.

“Where does he even keep that?” Uraraka says bewildered.

“The world may never know,” Satoru says teasingly.

Izuku is too busy thinking about the pairings in the upcoming match. “Um, well, from what I’ve seen about all of their Quirks, Hado’s is probably the most dangerous out of all of them. From what I can tell, his Quirk is connected with the tattoos on his body. And, since his costume keeps his back and his stomach exposed, I suspect he needs to have those tattoos exposed in order to use his Quirk. From what I saw during the assessment test, he can summon solidified shadow creature that resemble the tattoos on his back and stomach. He can summon them so long as he has their tattoo on his body. Those creatures are like shikigami from Japanese folklore, now that I think about it. Asui, on the other hand, can do anything a frog can do so she will be pretty quick but, at the same time, Togata’s Quirk makes him incredibly quick too so those two might be evenly matched in terms of speed and agility. Jirou’s earphone jacks might act like actual earphones and let her hear things no one else can hear so she might be able to pinpoint the location of any of the beasts that Hado sends after them, which can help them to navigate their way through the building while avoiding Hado’s beasts.”

Everyone stares at him and he ducks his head, face going red with embarrassment, but keeps his gaze fixed on the television screen.

The instant the exercise begins, Hado remains guarding the nuclear weapon. He holds out his hands and angles them in such a way as to form shadow puppets in the form of a dog and, off his back, the black dog tattoo surges away from the skin and solidifies into the form of a pair of solidified shadow dogs that bound forward in an instant. They dart out of the room and Asui swiftly follows them, latching onto the walls and using them to keep off the ground as she swiftly moves after the dogs.

On Togata’s side of things, Jirou is crouched on the ground with her earphone jack’s inserted into the wall and she tilts her head before saying something to Togata. Togata grins and nods sharply before he says something and Jirou extracts her jacks and the two dart toward the stairs. They take them two at a time until they reach the same level that Asui and the shadow dogs had just entered.

The shadow dogs vanish and Izuku glances back at Hado to see the dog tattoos are, once again, in place on the other boy’s back.

He glances back at the confrontation to find Togata charging toward Asui who is quick to dodge out of the way of the taller boy’s punch. She uses her tongue to try to wrap around Togata but Togata is quick to dodge out of the way while Jirou slips past them and darts toward the stairs. She makes it to the level on which is the nuclear weapon and darts toward it, shouldering it open and only barely managing to dodge out of the way of the tongue that comes flying at her.

Hado is still standing in front of the nuclear weapon but there is a toad resting in front of him now, one that is quickly retracting its tongue and, in the split second it takes it to do that, Jirou slips into the room. She darts forward and, as Hado brings his hands up and hooks his thumbs to form the shadow puppet of a winged beast, Jirou slams her earphone jacks into the jacks on her legs. Even though Izuku can’t see what happens, he can see the result when the windows shatter and Hado winces as if assaulted by a loud noise and sent stumbling back.

But the bird-shaped tattoo on his back is missing.

Izuku’s eyes widen as a solidified shadow in the shape of a massive bird with a mask resting over its eyes surges forward with electricity wrapping around its wings. It shoots past Jirou and Jirou’s eyes widen as those electrically-charged wings brush her and electricity surges through her, causing her to drop to the ground.

Hado darts forward and, as both the winged beast solidified shadow and the toad solidified shadow vanish, he wraps the capture tape around Jirou.

“Kyoka Jirou has been captured,” says All Might.

On the other screen, Togata frowns at that as he dodges out of the way of Asui’s tongue and he, pivoting, darts toward the stairs.

“Ohh, bad move. Don’t turn your back on your opponent, Togata,” says Satoru right as Asui lunges forward and crashes her full weight into his back and knocks him off his feet. She wraps the capture tape around him as well.

“Yuji Togata has been captured. The Villain Team wins!” All Might declares.

“In this case, Togata should have remain focused on Asui rather than try to go to his partner’s aid,” says Satoru. “Even if it means leaving his partner in the clutches of the enemy, turning your back on your current opponent is never a good plan, not unless you know for a fact they are down for the count.”

“An astute observation, Young Midoriya,” All Might comments.

“You should just call me Satoru, All Might-sensei ‘cause it’s gonna get confusing at some point.”

“A fair point, Young Satoru.”

Togata, Jirou, Asui, and Hado make their way into the control room and Togata looks disappointed. “Ah man. I thought we had a good plan,” he says.

“Nonetheless, a good job, both of you,” All Might says. “Who was the MVP of this match?”

Yaoyorozu raises a hand and, when All Might nods at him, she says, “It was Hado, sensei. He had control of the match from the very beginning and he used his Quirk incredibly well to not only scout out the building and guide his partner but also in fighting against Jirou when she showed up. He even successfully incapacitated Jirou without harming her.”

“Yes, you are correct, Young Yaoyorozu,” says All Might.

“Great job, Hado,” Ashido says with a grin. “Those dogs of yours are so cute!”

“They really are,” Hagakure gushes.

Hado huffs and looks away but Izuku is positive there is a faint pink dusting on his cheeks.

Togata grins at him. “Aww, you’re blushing,” he coos teasingly.

“Let’s just get on to the next match,” Hado deadpans with a twitching eyebrow as he bonks Togata on the head and, while Togata whines in amused protest, Amajiki gives Hado an approving look for that.

For some reason, there is a nostalgic smile on Satoru’s lips but, when Izuku glances at him fully, it’s gone and he wonders if he saw it at all.

He shakes his head as he refocuses on the matches. They are almost halfway through the matches and Izuku is enjoying watching them and analyzing them and writing down notes about what he witnesses. Seeing all of these Quirks in action is amazing and Izuku can’t help but marvel at how amazing this school is.

I wonder how the next match is going to go.

. . .

Chapter Text

“All right. Let’s move on,” says All Might as he reaches into his boxes and pulls out two more balls. The first one has the letter B on it while the second one has the letter I on it. “Our Hero Team will be Team B and our Villain Team will be Team I. Villain Team, you may head out!”

“Villains, huh? This will be interesting,” Shoji says through the extra limb that rises up by his masked face as he and Uraraka start toward the entrance to the control room.

Shoto Todoroki watches his classmates walk out of the control room and hums. It isn’t yet his turn to head out but he is confident he will be fine, even if he with the green-haired boy who broke his finger during the assessment test. He hopes he will be able to win this match quickly enough that his partner won’t have to worry about risking breaking something else.

In spite of his cold, stoic demeanor, Shoto is training to become a hero and heroes wouldn’t want anyone to be hurt and that includes the ones they are working. And Shoto likes to see himself as a kind boy who wouldn’t want anyone to be hurt if he can help it.

His father wouldn’t care but Shoto is not his father. He refuses to be anything like his father. Just like he plans on becoming a hero with only his mother’s Quirk, he is also planning on being a better hero than his father could ever be.

Kirishima and Yaoyorozu walk out of the control a few minutes after Shoji and Uraraka.

“I wonder what Kirishima’s Quirk is like ‘cause I don’t remember seeing it in action during the assessment test. Hmm, maybe it has something to do with his body getting harder ‘cause his costume fits too snugly that it suggests his Quirk won’t tear through the material,” Midoriya is muttering as he scribbles into his notebook. “Yaoyorozu’s, on the other hand, seems to have to do with her skin, based on the fact that her costume leaves quite a bit of her skin exposed. Since she has what looks like an encyclopedia with her, I wonder if her Quirk has something to do with, perhaps, creating items but she has to know as much information about that item. That would explain the encyclopedia, which would give her information on the item she is creating. And her skin is probably what she uses to create the items but I don’t think it’s just the skin itself, maybe like skin cells or lipids. As for Shoji and Uraraka, well, I already know Uraraka can make anything she touches with the pads of her fingers float. As for Shoji, he seems to be capable of generating extra limbs out of his body, including mouths as he did when he formed a mouth on the end of that extra limb that appeared by his face earlier and…”

The older Midoriya moves to his twin’s side and clasps a hand over his mouth, causing the smaller boy to yelp and blink owlishly up at his brother.

“You just muttered all of that out loud,” says the older Midoriya.

The younger Midoriya lets out a squeak of embarrassment and buries his face into the notebook still in his hands.

Shoto peers at the screen, watching as Yaoyorozu and Kirishima lean close to each other, talking rapidly with each other with Yaoyorozu gesturing a few times. Even though he can’t hear what they are saying, he can tell just by the gestures and the determination on Yaoyorozu’s face and on Kirishima’s that they are discussing ap lan.

Either way, he already knows Midoriya is right about Yaoyorozu’s Quirk, even correctly guessing what she actually uses to create her items and what she needs to know about it, but he will admit he’s a bit impressed Midoriya figured hers out just like he figured out Shoji’s and Kirishima’s. He hasn’t seen them in action and yet he figured them out just from observing their costumes alone.

Impressive.

“Holy shit, you were right!” Ashido exclaims.

Midoriya peers over the top of the notebook.

Shoji is producing extra limbs that he is using to catch all of Kirishima’s attacks when Kirishima, who had hardened his entire body like Midoriya suggested, goes to fight him. Yaoyorozu has small circular devices popping out of her skin to land in her hands that she tosses and they explode to release smoke throughout the room with the nuclear weapon. Uraraka is literally floating around the room with the nuclear weapon in her hands to avoid the smoke.

“Yaoyorozu literally just created that smoke bomb out of her chest. Kirishima hardened his entire body just in time to catch the blows from Shoji’s extra limbs and Uraraka and the nuclear weapon are completely weightless. It’s just as Midoriya said!” Hagakure exclaims in amazement.

“Whoa, that’s some incredible analysis there,” Togata exclaims.

“Spot on observation,” Sero comments with a grin.

“That was rather analytical of you too,” Ida says, chopping his hand down.

“Uh, well, it’s not that great. I mean I’m sure everyone noticed the same thing. I mean, we all saw each other’s Quirks in action during the assessment test, right?” Midoriya says.

“Nah, man, I, personally, was too focused on trying to get through each test,” says Kaminari.

“Indeed. As was I,” says Ida and Izuku is surprised to see everyone else is nodding their heads in an agreement. Even Shoto nods his head in agreement because he was so focused on his own tests that he wasn’t paying attention to anyone else.

The older Midoriya slings his arm around Midoriya’s neck and he yelps as he finds himself pitching forward slightly as his twin’s taller, lankier body drapes over him. “You’re so smart, baby bro!” he exclaims.

Midoriya groans. “I’m only two minutes younger than you,” he mutters as he pushes at his brother in an attempt to get his taller twin to let go of him.

In the end, in spite of Shoji’s immense strength in all of his limbs, he wasn’t able to get past Kirishima’s Hardening and Kirishima was able to get close enough to him as a result and knock him out with a well aimed punch to the face. Of course, this had him apologizing to Shoji even as he bound him with the capture tape. Meanwhile, while Uraraka was able to keep the nuclear weapon out of Yaoyorozu’s hands, Yaoyorozu was able to produce two ropes, on of which she lassoed around Uraraka’s leg and one she lassoed around the nuclear weapon itself. While she yanked the nuclear weapon free from Uraraka’s grip with the second rope, she also tied Uraraka to the pillar with the first so she is literally floating against the pillar like a balloon until she deactivates her Quirk.

Yaoyorozu reels the nuclear weapon in and rests a hand on it.

“The Hero Team wins,” All Might declares.

Shoto hums. He expected this to happen. Yaoyorozu is the other recommendation student after all and he knows of how strong she is, having seen her recommendation exam right before his own exam.

“There are only two matches left, Izuku, and you haven’t even spoken to your partner much,” he hears the older Midoriya say.

“Um, you didn’t either,” the younger Midoriya points out.

“We went first. We had to talk on the fly.”

“Oh, uh, true.”

Shoto glances toward his partner as the younger Midoriya joins him.

“Um, well, I guess we should have that talk ‘bout our Quirks,” He says uncertainly.

Shoto hums. “My Quirk is Half Hot, Half Cold. I can create ice with my right side and fire with my left but I will never use my left side in combat,” he murmurs. That is the decision he made well before the recommendation exam. In fact, it’s been years since he last used his fire, ever since he could get away with not using his fire and not have his bastard of a father take out that so-called ‘weakness’ out on him.

He refuses to see his refusal to use his fire as a weakness. It’s just a motivation to ensure he can become the hero he wants to be using only his mother’s Quirk. He doesn’t need his father’s fire. He just needs his mother’s ice and he’ll be fine.

Midoriya tilts his head to the side. “Um, well, your fire probably wouldn’t help ‘cause it might end up burning down the building and, since we should treat this like a real-life situation, burning down the building would run the risk of activating the weapon. Um, so, uh, my Quirk kinda just makes me really strong but, uh, Satoru has taught me some exercises on Quirk control so I might be able to use it without breaking anything.”

“Don’t worry about it,” says Shoto as he turns to face his partner fully. “Don’t hurt yourself. I can handle this match no matter who we are up against.”

Midoriya gazes at him with surprise in his eyes. “You sound arrogant,” he says with admiration in his voice before he flushes and swiftly waves his hands frantically. “Ah, that’s not a bad thing. I swear it was a compliment. Er, I mean I know it didn’t sound like one but I meant you’re confident. That’s what I meant. I swear!

“I know,” Shoto murmurs. In spite of the way the smaller boy phrased his statement, there is no denying the tone of his voice that suggested his words were meant as a compliment.

Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Shoji, and Uraraka make their way into the control room and, as Midoriya gives a disappointed Uraraka a reassuring nervous smile, Shoto turns his attention to All Might.

“Very good job. Now then, who was the MVP of this match?” says All Might.

Shoto raises a hand and, when All Might nods to him, he says, “Yaoyorozu, sensei,” he says. “She was the one who utilized her Quirk very well and she was able to not only stop Uraraka but also take control of the weapon without risking damaging it. Uraraka may have used her Quirk rather well but she treated the entire exercise like it was just an exercise rather than treating it like the real-life situation it was supposed to be. Had this been an actual real-life situation, what Uraraka did with that nuclear weapon could have proven disastrous. And, even though Kirishima and Shoji used their strength and their Quirks, well against each other, Yaoyorozu is the one who took matters a step further to achieve victory.”

“Very good and you are correct, Young Todoroki,” says All Might. He clasps his hands together and grins at them. “We are over halfway through. Let us get on to the first of the final two matchups!” He reaches into the Hero and Villain box and pulls out two balls before he turns them around to reveal the first one has the letter A on it while the second one has the letter J on it.

Midoriya pales considerably while Bakugo scowls, eyes flashing.

“The Heroes will be Team A and the Villains will be Team J,” declares All Might.

“Fitting that Bakugo’s Team are the villains,” the older Midoriya comments.

“Satoru!” Midoriya cries while Bakugo starts spewing curses at the older Midoriya who blinks at him.

“Oh? Did I say that out loud? My bad,” the older Midoriya says in a tone of voice that suggests he isn’t at all apologetic by his words.

The younger Midoriya runs a hand over his face even as he swats the other hand toward his brother. It stops mere centimeters from the older Midoriya and the younger one gives his twin an annoyed look. “Drop. The. Barrier,” he growls.

“Nope,” the older twin says with a smirk.

The younger twin hangs his head.

“I will kick your ass next time, Snow Headed Bastard,” Bakugo snarls as he turns and storms out of the control room with Kaminari darting after him with a nervous gleam in his eyes.

“Good luck,” the older twin yells after him.

The younger twin looks like he wants to bang his head against something hard. “Why must you always antagonize Kacchan, Satoru?” he groans.

“’Cause I can,” says the older twin brightly. “You’d best get going. You and the partner you think is gorgeous need to prepare.”

Gorgeous? He thinks I’m gorgeous? Shoto is puzzled by that as he watches the young twin’s face go bright red and he, with a shriek of embarrassment, bolts out of the control room while the older twin collapses with howls of hysterical laughter escaping his lips.

Not knowing what else to do, Shoto decides he won’t worry about that revelation as he swiftly follows after his partner. He catches up with his partner right outside of the control and, as the two head toward the building where their exercise is to take place, he notices how tense and wary Midoriya is now that his earlier embarrassment is gone.

“Um, we should be careful,” Midoriya says as they come to a stop by a bench directly across from the building. “Um, Kacchan’s amazing. He may be a jerk but his goals, his confidence, his strength, his Quirk. He’s stronger than me in every way. But that’s why I don’t wanna lose to him.”

Shoto studies him. “It seems that you and Bakugo have a long history,” he notes and turns his attention to the building. “Not that it matters. We will still win. You seem to know him well though. What should we expect?”

“Um, he might come after me personally,” Izuku admits.

“Mmm. How strong are his explosions?”

“Uh, pretty strong. And I’m pretty sure those gauntlets on his arms are there to make his explosions stronger.”

“Can he destroy thick ice?”

“Uh, probably. I mean I guess it depends on how thick the ice is. Why?”

“Mm. Once I freeze the building, if he does manage to break through that ice and you’re right about him going after you, that should give me the opening to get to Kaminari,” says Shoto thoughtfully as he studies the building. “If I am successful in freezing everything in the building, barring Bakugo since he may be able to break himself free and the weapon itself, then claiming the weapon will not be a problem.”

“W...Wait, freeze the entire building?” Midoriya stares at him in shock as if he can’t believe Shoto just suggested that.

He glances at him. “I need you to do something for me,” he says and, when Midoriya nods slowly, he adds, “The instant they announce the match is to begin, I’m going to create an ice pillar beneath you. I want you to tell me the instant you spot the weapon and where it is.”

“R...Right.”

“Hero Team, you may enter!” All Might’s voice declares.

Shoto moves toward it as he adds, “If Bakugo really is going to go after you then that can’t be helped. Keep him busy but, please, try not to hurt yourself like you did during the assessment test.”

Midoriya blinks at him as if surprised by that statement.

Shoto meets his gaze. “I’m aiming to be a hero, and no hero will want anyone to get hurt if they can help it, whether it be their partner or an innocent civilian,” he points out.

“True,” says Midoriya quietly and moves to the building. Once he’s there, Shoto shifts his right foot forward and activates the right side of his Quirk, conjuring up an ice pillar and Midoriya yelps but crouches down to avoid sliding off as it rises into the air.

“Got it,” Midoriya calls down. “Fourth floor. Between two pillars. Kaminari’s guarding it so that means Kacchan is probably already heading down.”

“Okay,” Shoto says and, after he lowers the pillar so Midoriya can join him, he swipes his right hand up and, focusing his Quirk, he proceeds to freeze the entire building while leaving the two pillars and the space between the two pillars on the fourth floor completely untouched. He releases a frosty breath while Midoriya just stares with his jaw slightly agape and his eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement.

“Oh my God. That was amazing. Your control...the sheer power behind it...Oh I have so many questions now,” he exclaims.

“We have an exercise to worry about, Midoriya,” Shoto reminds him.

“Ah, right.”

The two of them made their way into the building, navigating their way around the various patches of ice and frozen furniture and railing that lay scattered throughout the building. There is such thick ice rising up in all areas of the building, though Shoto made sure to leave the stairs untouched except for a thinner layer. He won’t have any trouble walking on that, since he’s used to it, but it might give Bakugo some trouble if he does manage to get unfrozen.

An explosion erupts nearby.

“That’s Kacchan,” Midoriya says uncertainly right as the ice in front of them explodes and Bakugo surges forward with a furious glare on his face.

“Deku!” he yells as he lunges toward Midoriya.

“Go after the weapon!” Midoriya shouts at Shoto as he bolts toward the nearest corridor and, as he said would happen, Bakugo chases after him.

Foolish move. He should have gone after me. But Shoto simply lets Bakugo do whatever he wants as he turns and darts toward the stairs, not at all bothered by the slippery ice. He easily rounds the corner on the second floor and bolt up the second set of stairs that will take him to third floor and repeats the process until he reaches the fourth floor.

An explosion erupts down below and Shoto lets loose a frosty breath as he taps the earpiece resting in his ear. “Midoriya, do you copy?” he says as he moves forward. He has to be cautious because he may have frozen the entire building but there is no guarantee that Kaminari was frozen. He could have avoided being frozen like Bakugo did, or somehow managed to get free, or Bakugo could have gotten him free before going to the first floor. There is no way to know for sure so Shoto knows it’s better to be cautious.

“I’m here,” Midoriya says quietly.

“I’m almost there,” says Shoto. “But I don’t know if Kaminari is frozen or not. How are things going with you?”

“Um, Kacchan is still chasing after me. We’re running out of time,” says Midoriya.

“I know. I can get to the weapon,” says Shoto as he moves slowly toward the door.

“Kacchan…” Midoriya says suddenly and Shoto frowns because his partner sounds wary and uncertain. “He caught up with me, Todoroki. Get to the weapon. I’ll handle things with Kacchan.”

“Be careful,” Shoto says as he swiftly makes his way toward the door.

“Got it. Midoriya out.”

Shoto lowers his hand from the earpiece and makes his way toward the door, not sure what to expect beyond that door but knowing he may find resistance, he may find a straight shot to the weapon. Either way, he is prepared to handle whatever comes next.

. . .

Izuku lowers his hand from his earpiece as he jumps to his feet to face Bakugo. Part of his mask is already missing but he ignores it just as he ignores the fear welling up within him. He just needs to keep Bakugo distracted because Todoroki is so close to claiming the weapon and just needs a little bit more time.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore,” he says firmly, glaring at his childhood friend.

Bakugo grins sharply at him as he raises his gauntlet covered arm. “Guessing yo know this from all your talking but the sweat glands on my palms secrete something like nitroglycerin. That’s how I make my explosions. Assuming they honored my design requests, this gauntlet’s been storing that fluid.”

He aims the gauntlet at Izuku who tenses.

“He won’t die if it’s not a direct hit!” Bakugo yells and Izuku’s eyes widen right as his childhood friend pulls the trigger and he swiftly dodges to the side so that the explosion that tears through the hallway only clips him in the side. It’s enough to burn through more of his costume and send him flying backwards several meters to crash hard into the wall behind him while also causing a tremble to spear through the building.

“Todoroki, are you okay?” he says swiftly into the earpiece as he scrambles to his feet.

“I’m fine. That explosion kinda startled both me and Kaminari but Kaminari seems like he’s about to attack,” says Todoroki.

Izuku nods as he peers at Bakugo because he can’t believe someone actually approved that to be part of his classmate’s costume.

“Use your Quirk, Deku,” Bakugo says with a sharp, feral grin. “I wanna crush you at your strongest. C’mon now, Deku. You’re not dead yet!”

An explosion he can direct f orward. Guess he wanted a way to attack at range. “How are things on your end, Todoroki?” he asks as he rests a hand on his earpiece.

“Ohh, ignoring me, eh?” says Bakugo.

“Kaminari just unleashed the full voltage of his Quirk. I’m behind a pillar so I’m just waiting it out. What about you?” Todoroki asks.

“Time to pound you!” Bakugo yells and surges forward.

Izuku jumps to his feet. The movement is so swift that he isn’t sure if he can dodge it, or counter it, but he prepares to grab Bakugo’s arm like he did earlier. But Bakugo must have anticipated that because he releases an explosion in front of Izuku and, flipping over him, unleashes an explosion right into his back.

He gasps as he’s sent stumbling forward.

“Here we go. Your old favorite. My right hook!” Bakugo yells as his gauntlet slams into Izuku’s side and he, grabbing Izuku’s arm, proceeds to unleashes a series of explosions as he spins in place.

“Deku! You’re nothing compared to me!” he yells as he proceeds to slam Izuku hard into the ground and he gasps at the sudden pain that erupts in his back.

He’s not giving me time to think. Damn. He’s just too strong. Izuku was hoping he wouldn’t have to use his Quirk, that he could get away without trying out those exercise Satoru taught him and seeing if they will work to ensure he doesn’t break anything. But he needs to be able to think to regulate the use of his Quirk and spread it evenly throughout his body. He can’t do that now, when Bakugo isn’t even giving him a chance to catch his breath, let alone think, let alone focus, let alone spread the power of his Quirk throughout his body.

“Kaminari is out of commission, Midoriya. I’m almost to the weapon,” says Todoroki.

Izuku scrambles away. Just a few more moments. Just a few more moments. Give Todoroki time to reach the weapon.

“Why won’t you use your Quirk?” Bakugo yells. “You mocking me? Ever since we were kids. You always have.”

Mocking you? Izuku never did that. Sure, Satoru did that, and happily at that, but Izuku never did. “You’re wrong,” he begins.

“I know you’re looking down on me,” says Bakugo.

Looking down on you? “It’s because you’re awesome that I wanna beat you,” Izuku says firmly. “I wanna win! I wanna beat you, you idiot!”

“Stop looking at me like that, you damned nerd!” Bakugo yells back and the two of them surge toward each other.

Izuku tries to focus and, activating his Quirk, he tries to spread it throughout his body evenly, he tries but, before anything…

“I’ve got it,” Todoroki says calmly and Izuku gasps as he stops and drops to the ground just in time for the explosion Bakugo unleashes to sail over his head and just in time for All Might to declare in a chattering voice, “Hero Team wins!”

There is pure silence as pieces of stone and shattered glass from the explosion that tore the wall behind Izuku to shreds falls to the ground.

Bakugo stares in utter shock.

Izuku scrambles to his feet, deactivating his Quirk. He is satisfied because he did feel the power spread throughout his body evenly. He may not have used it but he feels satisfied that he has made some progress.

“Will both teams please return to the control room?” All Might states, sounding like his teeth are chattering still.

Movement sounds and Izuku turns in time to see Todoroki making his way into the ruined room and guiding a dazed Kaminari right behind him. He is constantly giving them a thumbs up as an occasional ‘whey’ escapes his lips.

“Are you okay?” Todoroki asks.

“Yeah, just some burns but I’ll be fine,” says Izuku and peers at Kaminari. “Kaminari doesn’t look so good though.”
“I think he overused his Quirk,” says Todoroki, peering at Kaminari.

“Also, Todoroki, when you reach the control room, please thaw it out,” All Might adds and Izuku muses it still sounds like his teeth are chattering.

“Oh, yes, of course,” Todoroki says.

Bakugo is still in a state of shock that, when the medibots come to guide Kaminari away, they have to prod him before he gets moving as well.

They make their way into the control room and it doesn’t surprise Izuku at all that Satoru is at his side, immediately examining him with a critical eye and it’s probably a good thing his eyes are covered because they are probably blazing with murderous rage right now. He tries to reassure his brother that he’s okay but Satoru just guides him swiftly away from the still shocked Bakugo and continues to examine him.

“I’m fine, really. The burns aren’t that bad,” Izuku insists.

“He literally threw an explosion right at your face twice!” Satoru exclaims.

“He missed the second time.”

“He got part of you the first time though!”

“It’s fine, Satoru.”

“No, it’s not! And a certain teacher should have stopped it because, clearly, the match was going too far,” Satoru adds, turning and, even though his eyes are covered, All Might still shivers as if he can feel the piercing glare he’s being given. “Was it necessary for you to prolong that match when it was clear Bakugo was going overboard even though you clearly stated that you would intervene if things were taken too far? So blowing up an entire room in that building was not considered too far?”

“Uh, well,” All Might begins.

“Satoru, it’s fine. Really,” Izuku insists. “We managed to get through the match without too many injuries, except for Kaminari, so it’s fine.”

Satoru scoffs but yanks Izuku close to him and giving Bakugo a ‘I’m watching you’ gesture. “Still went too far and hurt my cute baby brother too!”

Izuku groans because he doesn’t think he is ever going to get his twin to stop calling him that, though adding on ‘cute’ this time is new but just as embarrassing.

For some reason, Togata and Hado are looking at Satoru with curious and puzzled looks in their eyes that fades away a moment later.

“Good job, all of you though,” says All Might. “Now then, who can tell me who the MVP of this match?”

“Man, I wanna be biased but if you’re looking for an unbiased answer, it was Todoroki,” says Satoru with a huff. “He was the one who stayed level headed throughout the entire match. He was the one who managed to nearly prevent Kaminari from even moving, his skill with his Quirk also left the weapon completely undamaged and he even used his Quirk to determine the location of the weapon and who was guarding it before he even unleashed that massive attack. He may have gone overboard with his Quirk, such as freezing this entire control room on accident, but his control was pretty amazing. He also didn’t overdo it by using his other side because that would have made matters dangers by threatening to burn the entire building down. Kaminari overdid it with his Quirk, which left him completely useless. The dumbass walking explosion, I mean Bakugo, clearly prioritized attacking my cute baby brother and, while Izuku kept the communication between him and Todoroki clear, he also focused entirely on Bakugo and not on the exercise itself. So, yeah, it was Todoroki.”

Izuku swats at his brother and, since his brother is still holding him, his swat succeeds in actually hitting his twin’s arm.

“Correct,” says All Might, giving them a thumbs up.

“I would also like to point out,” Yaoyorozu says as she raises a hand, “that firing such a powerful attack indoors was not a good idea. It disrupted the integrity of the building’s structure and could have caused the entire building to collapse, which, had this been a real-life situation, ran the risk of harming innocent people because it would have caused the nuclear weapon to go off. That is another thing Todoroki did well. He treated the entire exercise like the real-life situation it is supposed to simulate, thus keeping to the spirit of the exercise whereas Bakugo and Midoriya’s personal fight skirted the very spirit of the rules.”

“Yes, that is also correct,” says All Might, giving Yaoyorozu a thumbs up as well.

Bakugo snaps out of his shock at that and a furious expression crosses his face as he grips his hands into fists but he says nothing.

“Now then,” All Might declares. “Let us move on to the final match. Team D will be the Heroes and Team G will be the Villains.”

“Don’t know how we can even compete with that,” Sero says warily, glancing at Ida who adjusts his glasses.

“We are not competing with the previous matches. We are simply using what we know to go against our opponent and recover the weapon, or capture our opponents, as is the rules of this engagement,” he says.

“Guess this means we’re the villains,” Hagakure comments as she and Ashido swiftly dart out of the room to prepare.

Due to the damage done to the building Izuku’s own exercise took place in, the final match is taking place in a building a block away. They have to wait a bit longer to transfer the props to the new building but it isn’t long before the match is starting.

This match ends up being far quicker than any of the others. While Hagakure’s invisibility does allow her to sneak up on Sero and Ida, and she does succeed in capturing Sero, Ida’s speed not only allows him to completely avoid Hagakure but also take the fight straight to Ashido. And, while Ashido does try to fight him and is incredibly athletic and pretty accurate with her throws when it comes to her acid, Ida is just far too quick for her to even hit him. He doesn’t even stop to fight Ashido, he just heads straight toward the nuclear weapon and grabs it.

“Hero Team wins!” All Might declares.

“Lackluster compared to the other ones,” Kirishima comments.

“Pretty quick too,” says Asui, touching her finger to her chin.

“Ida was pretty awesome though,” says Togata with a grin.

“There was no damage to anyone either,” Amajiki comments.

“Yeah. A certain walking explosion could learn a thing or two from this match,” says Satoru with a huff.

Bakugo glares at him but he ignores it.

As the final two teams make their way into the control room, All Might gives them a thumbs up. “Very well done. Now then, who can tell me who the MVP of this match was?” he says.

“Ida, obviously,” says Amajiki. “Not only was he quick enough to avoid getting captured by Hagakure but he also didn’t hurt any of his opponents, or damage any part of the building, and completed the objective in a very quick and timely fashion.”

Ida flushes in embarrassment and that flush deepens when All Might gives Amajiki a thumbs up and tells him that he’s correct.

That is the conclusion of the heroics class and Izuku gathers along with the rest of his classmates right outside of the training field with All Might standing before them.

“Well done, everyone,” All Might declares. “No serious injuries. Great teamwork though. You all did splendidly, considering this was your first training exercise.”

“Coming after Aizawa-sensei, such a straightforward class is almost a letdown,” Sero comments.

“We teachers are free to hold no nonsense classes if we choose. Now I’m off! Change out of those costumes and head back to the classroom!” All Might is gone so swiftly that he leaves behind a burst of air that slams into the class.

“He’s in a hurry,” Togata muses in amusement.

Izuku knows that’s because he’s at his limit. It seems like this heroics class was a success, even if Izuku will admit he can’t get Bakugo’s words out of his mind. His childhood friend thinks he looks down on him and, even though he didn’t say anything during the match, Izuku has no doubt Bakugo thinks he lied to him about his Quirk. He wants his former childhood friend to understand that he never lied to him but, at the same time, he can’t exactly tell him the truth.

Everyone gathers in the classroom, though Bakugo is quick to leave after gathering his stuff together. Izuku watches him go and, chewing on his lower lip, swiftly darts after him. He can’t just let it end like this. He needs to reassure his childhood friend that he didn’t lie to him, that he would never lie to him.

He barely notices it when Satoru asks him where he’s going as he darts after Bakugo.

“Kacchan!” he shouts, catching up with Bakugo right outside of the main building.

“Eh?” Bakugo glares at himo ver his shoulder.

Izuku hesitates. He hasn’t told his mother or even Satoru about his secret. And yet… “I can’t say much,” he says. “But you should know this, at least. I got my Quirk from someone else. I...I can’t say from who but...this is like a conversation right out of a comic book. On top of that, I’m still struggling to learn how to use it right. This borrowed power...It’s still a bit useless to me. That’s why… I treid to beat you without it. But I couldn’t and if Todoroki hadn’t won us the match when he did, I would have had to use it and probably end up hurting myself because I wasn’t quite confident enough in what I have learned to apply it properly. I know I’ve got a ways to go but I’m gonna make this power my own someday. And overcome you with my power.”

It takes Izuku only a moment to realize what he actually just said and he pales because all he did was to tell him that he wasn’t tricking him. And yet he just revealed something he didn’t tell his mother, he didn’t even tell Satoru and his twin is usually the one he shares everything with.

“What the hell…?” Bakugo growls. “Borrowed power? No clue what you’re talking about but I guess you’re gonna just keep making a fool outta me, right? I mean what the hell! I lost to you today. And if that weren’t enough...I saw what that icy bastard did at the start of the match and there’s no way I can measure up to him either! And I’ve seen your damn annoying Snow Headed Brother in action! I know I can’t measure up to him or even that Bun Headed Bastard who can control those nightmare-fuel creatures! And Ponytail said it all really! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” He clenches his hands into fists.

“Why?! You too, Deku!” He lifts his head and glares at Izuku with such determination in his eyes. “From here on, I...From on...y’hear me?! I’m gonna beat you all! Enjoy your win! It’ll never happen again. Dammit!” He whirls around and storms off with that same furious posture even as he slouches and wipes his arm across his eyes.

All Might suddenly surges past Izuku, causing him to jump in surprise, but he barely pays attention to what All Might says to Bakugo because his brother is suddenly at his side. He jumps and whirls around, eyes wide upon seeing Satoru peering at him over the rim of his dark sunglasses.

“Uh, Satoru…” he begins.

“I followed you,” Satoru says as he adjusts his glasses. “Any particular reason why you decided to tell Bakugo about this so-called ‘borrowed power’ of yours and not me?”

Izuku pales.

Satoru leans back on the heels of his feet. “I had a feeling something like this was the case,” he says and, when Izuku pales even more and starts fidgeting nervously, he adds, “Did you forget ‘bout my Six Eyes, Izuku?”

Izuku’s eyes widen because he did. He did forget about his brother’s Six Eyes. He was so focused on learning how to control All Might’s power, and using those exercises Satoru gave him, that he didn’t put into perspective Satoru would be able to read the flow of his Quirk energy. His Six Eyes would feed his brain any and every piece of information on his new Quirk so, of course, Six Eyes would have noticed how similar Izuku’s new Quirk is to All Might’s.

“B...But you didn’t say anything beforehand,” he begins, eyes wide.

“’Cause I didn’t think it was possible to borrow someone else’s Quirk,” says Satoru. “So I just played along with your explanation about you being a late bloomer ‘cause the alternative just didn’t make sense. But when you go and tell that walking explosion that your power is borrowed, rather than claiming you’re a late bloomer like you did with me and Mom, and you sound far more sincere with those words than you did with your explanation to me, I knew I had to take it more seriously. So I started looking into what information Six Eyes gave me when you first ‘awakened’ your new Quirk and I noticed it. The similarities aren’t just similarities. Izuku, the flow of you Quirk energy is identical to the flow of All Might’s Quirk energy.”

Izuku swallows.

“Izuku, why do you have All Might’s Quirk?” Satoru asks quietly.

“I...I…” Izuku panics because he doesn’t know how he is supposed to respond to that. It’s supposed to be All Might’s secret. It’s not supposed to be something he can just tell anyone and, even though he may have suggested that truth to Bakugo, he didn’t outright say that truth out loud. And yet Satoru literally just threw that truth straight into his face. He didn’t even ask if he really had All Might’s Quirk. He asked why as if he already knew, for a fact, that Izuku’s new Quirk is All Might but was trying to figure out how and why that happened.

What do I say? What am I supposed to say?

“Young Satoru, Young Izuku,” All Might declares as he appears in front of them with that beaming smile on his face. “And why are you still here? Should you not be heading home soon?”

“Oh, we will,” Satoru says and turns to face All Might and, to Izuku’s surprise, he removes his dark sunglasses and fixes the full-force of his mesmerizing and vibrant Six Eyes on All Might. “But I want to know one thing, All Might. Why does Izuku have your Quirk?”

Izuku is grateful Satoru has the forethought to say his question quietly to where only he and All Might can hear.

All Might tenses.

“I didn’t tell him,” says Izuku quickly. “B...But…All Might, I didn’t take into account his Six Eyes. His Six Eyes lets him perceive the flow of Quirk energy and read it and that information is fed directly to his brain and…”

“Izuku, we’re not having this conversation out in public,” says Satoru, cutting Izuku off but not taking his vibrant gaze off All Might. “Let’s go home. Mom’s not home from work today so we can have this conversation without being overheard. I, personally, don’t like keeping this from Mom but something tells me we gotta have this conversation first before we think about telling Mom.”

All Might lets loose a breath. “Very well,” he says. “I suppose if your Quirk really does let you perceive Quirk energy then you would notice the similarities. So we can talk about this at your home.”

Satoru nods while Izuku lets loose soft breath, glad that All Might doesn’t seem upset by the fact that Satoru is about to find out his greatest secret or by the fact that Izuku nearly revealed the truth to Bakugo too. But he doesn’t know if All Might knows he did nearly reveal that truth to his childhood friend or not.

“Young Midoriya, what exactly did you say to Young Bakugo?” All Might asks.

Izuku panics again. “Oh, uh, erm. Just...wanted to tell him that I didn’t lie to him and that the power was borrowed but I didn’t really mean to say that!”

All Might studies him but finally nods. “Well, it doesn’t seem like he believed you anyway so it’s fine,” he says. “You should be more careful about who you tell about this.”

“Y...Yeah, I know.”

. . .

The dingy bar is quiet. Walls are cracked. Dust covers pretty much every single surface, except for the bar where a tall warp gate with a silver metal plating around his neck, a perfectly tailored white suit, and glowing yellow eyes is currently cleaning a wine glass. In front of him is a young man dressed in black with pale-gray hands placed around his arms and his neck with a single hand resting over his face. His pale blue hair is a mess on his head and his crimson eyes peers past the single hand as he studies the newspaper resting in his hand, a single finger raised so as to not touch the paper.

All Might to Teach At U.A. High School.

The headline cuts across the main page of the newspaper and Tomura Shigaraki scowls as his eyes trace over the words again. The hero name resting in the headline is enough to cause anger to rush through him. That name never ceases to cause that familiar rush of anger.

“You see this? He’s a teacher now,” he says as he slams the newspaper down.

“Hmm,” his companion hums and tilts his head to the side ever so slightly.

“The Symbol of Peace a teacher, huh?” The other occupant of the room says thoughtfully from where he is leaning against the wall with his long legs stretched out in front of him. His dark blonde hair falls over his eyes but he simply brushes them aside and Tomura briefly studies the stitches wrapping around his head like a crown. “How ironic that the strongest in this time is a teacher too.”

“You don’t make sense,” Tomura growls. “But sensei insists that you be allowed to stay and help, though I don’t need your help.”

“Arrogant to a fault,” the other man says as he tilts his head to the side and curls his upper lip. “I can’t say I’m thrilled to be working with you but he sees potential in you so I guess I wanna see if that potential can really flourish as he thinks it will. Still though, are you sure you’re up for the task of killing the Symbol of Peace?”

“Of course I am,” says Tomura as he tilts his head toward the massive dark-blue skinned creature crouched at the far end of the dingy bar, its brain exposed and its teeth bared in a snarl. “Or, rather, my weapon is up to the task.”

“Hmm. You sure you don’t want extra help? I know some who would kill for the chance to kill the Symbol of Peace.”

“Tch. I’ve already gathered enough grunts. I don’t need more.”

“Hmm. Fine then. But do me a favor. There are four individuals who are part of the class you will be attacking that I want you to pay special attention to. I have my suspicions about them and I want those suspicions confirmed,” says the other man.

“What the hell do you want me to do with four random brats?” Tomura says with a huff.

“Oh, nothing much. Just have your grunts try and kill them. If my suspicions are true then they will survive, and I will learn far more about them than you may think. If they die then no harm no foul,” says the other man.

“Fine. Whatever. If it’ll keep you from sticking your nose into my business for a while, I’ll agree,” Tomura huffs. “Who are they?”

The other man reaches into his pocket and pulls out four pictures as he says, “Megumi Hado, Yuji Togata, Suguru Amajiki, and...Satoru Midoriya.” He holds out the pictures, casting a sidelong glance toward the television screen as if expecting a response.

Tomura is more than a little surprised when the screen turns on.

“We have discussed this,” his master’s voice sounds through the television screen. “For the time being, I do not wish for the Midoriya Twins to be harmed and, Tomura, that goes for you as well.”

“Tch. Whatever,” Tomura grumbles as he takes the four photos and studies them. One is if a stoic black-haired boy with sharp dark blue eyes. One is of a pink haired boy with energetically bright brown eyes. One is of a calm black-haired boy with bangs covering one of his purple eyes. And one is of a familiar white-haired boy with dark sunglasses that cover his eyes.

“Ain’t that last boy the one that ten million yen bounty was placed on last year?” he asks.

“A bounty?” His master’s voice is low and cold.

“He has quite the powerful gift that became known throughout the criminal underworld and someone decided that such a gift was too dangerous so they decided to try and take out the one who holds that gift,” says the other man.

“And you wouldn’t happen to know this someone?”

“I don’t have a clue who it is.”

Tomura has this odd feeling the other man does know but isn’t about to say so out loud. But, since that is only a feeling, he pushes it aside. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. It’s not as if that bounty matters anymore, considering it was taken down last April when all attempts failed. Even though, according to the rumors, one attempt nearly succeeded but the boy, somehow, managed to heal himself. So no one attempted after that because it’s pointless to go after a boy with a self-healing Quirk.

“And, rest assured, if my suspicions are right, the twins won’t be harmed,” says the other man.

“You had best hope that to be true. We have an alliance but, should our respective goals begin to go against each other’s, that alliance will be dissolved.”

“Won’t that be interesting?” says the other man with a sharp grin.

“I strongly suggest we let the alliance we have flourish for the time being. I know you live for the chaos and enjoy watching the world struggle to handle whatever chaos you successfully unleash but, for the time being, let’s leave things as they are.”

“Fine. Fine. But only for the time being ‘cause I might just get too bored with following your way and go out on my own. I’ve lived a really long time, All for One, but this age is, by far, the most interesting I’ve encountered in a very long time. I can’t wait to see the kind of chaos that is going to unfold soon.”

“So long as our alliance remains for the time being and so long as you do not impend my successor’s progress or go after the Midoriya Twins, I don’t care what you do, Kenjaku.”

Kenjaku smirks as he leans back in his seat, brushing his dark blonde hair out of his eyes. “Sure. Sure,” he says and tilts his head toward Tomura. “But, truth be told, I am looking forward to seeing how your plan works out. Mind if I tag along?”

Tomura huffs. “Just don’t intervene unless I tell ya you can,” he says.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don’t like taking orders from anyone but I guess I can make an exception,” Kenjaku says in a tone of voice that suggests he isn’t exactly happy with his decision but isn’t going to protest. Truth be told, Tomura doesn’t mind having Kenjaku around because he knows the other man’s Quirk is incredibly powerful and can be helpful.

After all, it isn’t every day that he stumbles upon a Quirk capable of freezing time. Sure, it’s only temporary and only affects whatever is within Kenjaku’s range but, considering Kenjaku’s range is pretty large, that is still powerful.

He suppose that’s why a part of him is fine with Kenjaku being around. He may not like the young man but he does like the power he brings to the table. But he is confident he won’t need Kenjaku’s power. He has his nomu after all and Nomu was bioengnineered to fight All Might at full power.

If those rumors are true and All Might really is weaker than Nomu will be more than a match for him.

And that means Tomura may be one step closer to killing the Symbol of Peace and bringing an end to the age of All Might.

. . .

Chapter Text

Satoru huffs as he tries to weave his way through the crowd of reporters gathered in front of U.A. High School while practically dragging his brother behind him. Both of them are currently engulfed by the protective power of Infinity so no one who attempts to forcibly stop them to ask their questions are able to touch them. That doesn’t stop them from stepping in front of the twins and continuing to ask their questions as if the two teens aren’t trying to avoid them.

“Um, maybe we should try and answer some of their questions,” Izuku says as Satoru sidesteps around another reporter and drags Izuku with him.

“Nah. They’re annoying and I don’t think they’re gonna just stop after we give ‘em some answers,” says Satoru with a huff as he weaves around another group of reporters. He huffs out a breath of relief upon seeing the main gates of U.A. “Good. We’re almost there. Hey, we might actually be on time today!”

“We would have been on time yesterday if you didn’t stop at that bakery,” Izuku deadpans and shivers, probably because he still remembers when Aizawa just gave them that stern, disappointed look when they stumbled into the classroom ten minutes after the bell beginning class rang. That look hadn’t fazed Satoru at all.

“What can I say? Those crepes looked good,” says Satoru.

“Uh huh. Your sweet tooth is going to land us in detention, Satoru,” Izuku says with a sigh as they finally reach the gates and are quick to dart past them. They aren’t the only ones who are darting past the gates at that time and Togata huffs.

“Man, they’re like vultures!” he exclaims. “I tried to answer their questions and they just kept on pushing and pushing like they didn’t believe my answers!”

“To be fair, you were talking ‘bout All Might as a hero, not as a teacher,” Amajiki says as he comes to Togata’s side.

“It’s the same thing!”

“To them, it’s not.”

Togata rolls his eyes.

“Get lost, you annoying idiots! Ochaco is gonna be late if you don’t move your asses!” A voice yells and Satoru turns in time to see Nobara Uraraka shoving her way through the crowd with a pissed off expression on her face. She practically drags Ochaco Uraraka, who is giving the reporters the older Uraraka just shoved past an apologetic look, right behind her.

“You didn’t even give them a chance to move, Nobara,” Uraraka points out.

“Tch. They shouldn’t have been crowding the area in front of the gates anyway,” says the older Uraraka with a roll of her orange-colored eyes. She gives Satoru, Izuku, Togata, and Amajiki a short wave and walks off, adding, “Well, I got ya past the reporters. See ya after classes, Ochaco. Have fun.”

“You too, Nobara,” Uraraka calls to which her sister waves a hand at her.

Satoru watches her go and muses Nobara Uraraka has a similar feisty attitude that makes him think of Nobara Kugisaki from his last life. While he still doesn’t know if they really are the same person, if Nobara really was reincarnated, they are still very similar in terms of their personality from what he has observed in his brief encounters with her anyway.

He shakes that thought away, and shoves aside the nostalgia, as he turns, watching in amusement when Ida is cornered by the reporters and starts a long-winded answer that allows time for the vast majority of their class, and half of their sister class 1-B, to slip onto the campus.

“All of you, get to class,” Aizawa says as he walks toward them with his hands tucked into the pockets of his hero costume. “I’ll handle the reporters.”

“I kinda feel sorry for ‘em,” Satoru muses as he turns and starts heading toward the main building with Izuku darting after him.

“No you don’t,” he says in amusement.

“No, I don’t,” Satoru agrees.

Amajiki snorts in amusement. “I say they deserve what’s coming to them,” he says. “And I don’t mean Aizawa-sensei.”

“You mean the Barrier, huh?” Togata says.

“Yup.”

“Barrier?” Izuku echoes.

Amajiki hums as he nods his head. “The U.A. Barrier,” he says. “It’s a protective measure designed to keep those who don’t have proper clearance, such as a student ID, off the campus. My brother told me about it a few years ago. If those reporters are stupid enough to try and follow us or Aizawa then the Barrier will stop ‘em.”

“Probably startle the heck outta ‘em too. I kinda feel sorry for ‘em,” Togata admits and Satoru can readily believe he is being genuine in his concern.

“I don’t,” Amajiki deadpans and Satoru can readily believe he is being genuine in his lack of concern. He is proving himself to be more and more like the Suguru Satoru once knew, even having the same mindset of protecting and defending the weak because that is what the strong are supposed to do that Suguru had while he was still a student.

Satoru finds himself hoping nothing happens to change that mindset, to cause Amajiki to spiral down the same path the Suguru Geto from Satoru’s last life spiraled down.

They enter the classroom and move toward their seats and Satoru leans against it, peering out the window as he studies the massive wall that is currently encircling the campus. He figures that’s the U.A. Barrier, which means someone was stupid enough to try and follow Aizawa onto the campus. Well, they reap what they’ve sown, he guesses.

The door opens as the first bell rings and Aizawa, who looks a bit irritated, makes his way into the classroom and places a stack of papers on the desk. “Right, let’s begin,” he says as he straightens up. “Good work with yesterday’s battle training. I’ve looked over your grades and evaluations. Bakugo.”

Bakugo looks up.

“Grow up already. Stop wasting your talent,” Aizawa says.

“...Got it,” Bakugo growls.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa says, turning his perpetually tired eyes to the twins and, when Satoru casts a glance at him, he adds, “the one that isn’t insufferable.”

Satoru hums and turns his gaze back to the window.

“You may have avoided breaking anything during the battle training,” says Aizawa. “But you need to learn how to control your Quirk. Trying isn’t going to cut it. You do have potential, assuming you can overcome this. Work at it.”

Izuku looks up at that. “Okay,” he says firmly.

“Midoriya, the one who is insufferable,” Aizawa adds and Satoru casts a glance toward him. “Try and work more with your classmates. Don’t let them do all the work.”

Satoru huffs, sulking a little at being called out for that, even if he was helping in his own way. “Yeah, yeah,” he says.

Amajiki snorts and promptly ducks to avoid the eraser Satoru, not at all discreetly, uses Blue to chug at his head.

“Midoriya…” Aizawa stresses with a twitching eyebrow.

“What? That could have been anyone,” says Satoru with a shrug and, when Aizawa gives him an unimpressed look, he huffs and leans back in his seat. “Fine. I won’t throw random items at my classmates with my Quirk anymore, unless they’re Bakugo.”

Bakugo glares at him for that.

Aizawa just keeps on giving him that unimpressed stare.

“Fine. Even Bakugo,” Satoru grumbles, sulking a little bit.

“How are we twins?” Izuku groans as he buries his face into his hands.

“I’ve asked myself that question every day since I met you two,” Aizawa deadpans. “Anyway, on to homeroom business. Sorry for the sudden announcement but today…”

Everyone freezes and Satoru raises an eyebrow, wondering why everyone is suddenly worried.

“You’ll pick a class president,” Aizawa adds and the classroom explodes into cacophony as everyone clamors over their desire to be the class president.

“I’d like to do it!” Jirou calls, raising her hand.

“I wanna be president! Lemme do it!” Sero yells as he waves his hand.

“I’ll do it!” Kirishima exclaims.

“I wanna be a leader!” Ashido cries, waving her hand frantically.

“I’ll do it!” Togata cries.

Izuku raises his hand slowly, looking nervous, mostly because Bakugo is being his usual loud self that’s screaming that they should pick him.

Satoru reaches over and grabs his brother’s hand, lifting it a bit higher. “Gotta be a bit louder if you wanna be heard, Izuku,” he says.

“Don’t you want it too?” Izuku asks.

Satoru laughs lightly. “Me and responsibility go together like oil and water. That’s the last thing I wanna do,” he says as he leans back in his seat. It’s the honest truth. This position may be one that will allow the chosen hero in training to lead the class but it also comes with a great deal of responsibility.

Izuku, on the other hand, has the makings of a true leader. He has the compassion, he has the brilliance, and he has the likability. And, more importantly, he is responsible and the kind of person who will always be there for those he is leading.

“Quiet down everyone!” Ida declares loudly and, as everyone goes quiet and turns toward him, he adds, “Leading this many is a task of heavy responsibility! But ambition does not equate ability. This sacred office demands the trust of its constituents. If this is to be a democracy then I put forward the motion that our true leader must be chosen by election!” Of course, as he says that, Satoru snorts at the realization that his hand is raised higher than everyone else’s.

“This is a classroom! Not a congress!” Sero protests.

“Though I agree with Ida,” says Amajiki calmly and Satoru notices he isn’t raising his hand either. “If someone gets multiple votes than that would be a good indication that they have the trust of more than just themselves, since we would have the opportunity to vote for ourselves during this election after all.”

“So true, Suguru!” Togata exclaims, giving Amajiki a thumbs up and a bright smile.

“Too bright,” Hado murmurs.

“Will you allow this, sensei?” Ida exclaims.

“However you do it. Just make it quick,” Aizawa, who is currently zipping himself up into his yellow sleeping bag, says and promptly flops onto the ground.

“Then let us do it that way,” says Ida firmly.

“So loud,” Tokoyami deadpans.

Everyone is given a piece of paper to right down who they think should be the class president and Aizawa, who reluctantly drags himself free from his sleeping bag once Ida declares that all the votes have been gathered, gathers the votes and counts them.

Izuku lets out a shriek in shock upon seeing he has four votes and Satoru grins because, of course, one of those votes is his. He has this odd feeling he knows of who the other two votes belong to, since he has no doubt Izuku voted for himself, but he keeps it quiet.

“I have four votes?!” he exclaims.

“What the…? Who the hell voted for Deku?!” Bakugo exclaims.

“Well, it’s not like we’re gonna vote for you, you walking explosion,” Satoru deadpans and ignores the fiery glare Bakugo gives him, though he does see Uraraka whistling innocently nearby. Just as he suspected, she was one of the other two votes and he has a feeling Ida is the one who gave him his fourth vote.

“Zero votes. I thought as much. This is the harsh reality of this sacred office,” says Ida.

“So you voted for someone else?” Yaoyorozu says in puzzlement.

“Seems legit. Go for it, Izuku! I know you’re gonna do great!” Togata says with a grin and a thumbs up at the incredibly nervous Izuku.

So positive. Yeah, he really does remind me of the Yuji of my last life. Satoru shakes the thought away and nudges his brother when it’s clear his brother doesn’t want to move and is still shaking like the ball of nervous anxiety he is.

Reluctantly, Izuku extracts himself from the desk and stumbles toward the head of the classroom to join Yaoyorozu who looks a bit disappointed even though she got three votes herself.

“Fine. So your president’s Midoriya, the one that isn’t insufferable, and your vice president is Yaoyorozu,” Aizawa deadpans.

“Are you really gonna refer to both of us like that all the time, Aizawa-sensei?” Satoru says in amusement. “’Cause I get the feeling that’s gonna get old soon. Is this like the first time you’ve ever had twins in your class?”

Aizawa huffs. “No. Usually, I refer to them by their given names but only with permission,” he says simply.

“Well, you have my permission if it’ll make it easier!”

“You just don’t want to be called insufferable all year long,” Amajiki says in amusement.

“Don’t expose me, Amajiki,” Satoru whines and, when Amajiki gives him an unrepentant smirk, he sulks a little bit.

“Uhh, if it...it’ll make it easier...you...you can call me by my g...given name too, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku, who is still a bundle of nervous anxiety, stammers out.

“Very well. Nonetheless, the results are the same. Izuku is the Class President. Yaoyorozu is the Vice President.”

Izuku lets out a little squeak while Yaoyorozu just lets out a soft sigh,

. . .

Later that day finds the students of Class 1-A navigating their way around the packed confines of the cafeteria. Izuku is walking alongside his brother, Uraraka, and Ida while still attempting to wrap his mind around the revelation that three of his classmates actually think he will make a good class president. It’s been the thing that’s been on the forefronts of his mind all morning and he just can’t fathom what he did to earn that kind of respect from three of his classmates.

Well, two anyway as he is positive Satoru was one of the ones who voted for him and he already has a good idea of why his brother voted for him.

The four of them manage to find a table by the windows that is completely empty and they sit down, Uraraka is across from Izuku while Ida and Satoru sit across from each other. Satoru immediately goes for the dorayaki resting on his tray and Izuku gives him a long look.

“Honestly, Satoru. At least save that for last,” he deadpans.

“But it looks so good!” Satoru protests with a pout.

“Satoru…”

“Ugh, fine.” Satoru reluctantly starts eating the bowl of soba he also has resting on his tray and Izuku, satisfied that his brother isn’t going to stuff himself full of only sweets again, returns his attention to his food.

“Hey, can we sit with ya?” At the sound of Togata’s voice, Izuku looks up to find Togata, Amajiki, and surprisingly enough, Hado standing by the table with their trays resting in their hands. Hado looks like he would much rather be somewhere else but, at the same time, a quick glance around the cafeteria shows that there aren’t any other tables available.

“We haven’t been able to find a table where all of us can sit,” Togata explains.

“Sure. I don’t mind,” Uraraka says.

“Yes. We have enough room so that is quite all right,” Ida says.

Satoru swallows a bite of noodles and immediately reaches his chopsticks toward the dorayaki.

“Satoru…” Izuku says with a stern look.

“Ugh, fine.” Satoru sulks a bit even as he goes back to eating the soba but he waves his free hand toward Togata, Amajiki, and Hado. “I don’t care if ya sit with us.”

“Great, thanks!” Togata says. He and Hado sit on Ida’s other side while Amajiki slides into the seat next to Satoru, resting his tray on which is a bowl of cold soba on the table.

“Man, this place is packed as usual,” Uraraka says as she digs into her rice.

“Besides the Hero Course, there’re also students form the Support Course and Business course. We all come together for lunch,” says Ida.

“And the food is amazing too,” Togata says as he happily digs into his katsudon while Hado is, far more slowly, eating some ginger pork.

“Yeah, Lunch Rush is amazing. He can pretty much make anything,” Izuku says. “Oh, that reminds me! I gotta get his autograph.”

“It’s a wonder you didn’t get the autograph of all of our teachers,” says Satoru with a grin.

“Oh dang it! I knew I forgot to do something!” Izuku pouts as he eats his own katsudon. He planned on getting the autographs of all of his teachers but, since he was so distracted by the revelation of being elected the new class president, it just slipped his mind. He’ll have to try and fix that tomorrow.

Satoru laughs.

“But, really, I’m rather worried about whether or not I can be class president,” Izuku adds as he puts his bowl down.

“You can,” says Uraraka with a firm nod.

“Worry not,” says Ida.

“You’re gonna be just fine, baby bro,” Satoru says and laughs when Izuku goes to swat him, only for his hand to get caught by Infinity.

“Didn’t you wanna be president too, Ida?” Uraraka asks, peering at the dark-blue haired boy. “You’ve got glasses and everything.”

Izuku tilts his head to the side. Uraraka really just says whatever pops into her head, huh.

“I’m surprised this one didn’t go for it,” says Togata, pointing at Amajiki.

“Didn’t see the point since there were others who were clearly more suited for the position than me,” says Amajiki.

“Who did you even vote for?”

“Yaoyorozu.”

Huh. I did notice Yaoyorozu got three votes.

“Midoriya, your grit and decisiveness in a pinch make you perfectly suited to lead us all,” Ida adds firmly. “That’s why I voted for you.”

One of those votes was you? Izuku is a bit surprised by that.

“Again, ambition and suitability are different matters,” Ida explains as he puts his glass of orange juice on the table. “I humbly made the choice I felt was correct.”

“Humbly?”

“The way you talk, Ida, are you a rich kid?” asks Uraraka.

“A rich kid?”

Izuku and Uraraka peer at Ida in unison with each other.

“I don’t like people to know so I try to hide it but, yes, mine is a renowned hero family,” says Ida. “And I am the second son.”

“Whoa! Cool!” Izuku and Uraraka exclaim in unison.

“Ingenium, right?” Satoru says and, when Ida glances at him in surprise and Izuku gasps with his eyes going wide, he adds, “Your flow of Quirk energy is near identical to Ingenium’s. The only difference is that, while Ingenium’s flow of Quirk energy is entered around his arms, yours is centered around your legs. But it has the same...engine feel to it, I suppose. It’s hard to really describe flows honestly.”

“Whoa, how’d you know that?” Togata exclaims.

Satoru points to his sunglass-covered eyes. “My Six Eyes are a part of my Quirk that lets me perceive the flow of Quirk energy and feeds my mind all sorts of information about that Quirk and its flow.”

“Whoa. That’s so cool!”

Hado studies Satoru intently, brow furrowing, and Amajiki is also studying Satoru with a small frown on his lips. But, before they say anything, Ida adjusts his glasses and says, “But, yes, you are correct. I am Ingenium’s little brother.”

“So cool!” Izuku says, deciding not to worry about why Hado and Amajiki are giving Satoru those curious and puzzled looks.

“He leads the people with his unwavering adherence to rules and regulations. A truly beloved hero. It’s my admiration for my brother that’s inspired my own desire to become a hero. Though I realize I’m not yet ready to lead anyone.” He gives Izuku a small smile as he adds, “As the superior candidate, it was right that the role so go to you, Izuku.”

Izuku and Uraraka stare at him before Uraraka says, “Never seen you smile before, Ida.”

“Eh? Is that so? I smile on occasion,” says Ida swiftly.

Izuku smiles faintly. Just like I have Satoru and All Might, Ida has Ingenium. As I thought, he…

An alarm starts blaring, startling everyone. Togata yelps and nearly jumps out of his chair while Hado and Amajiki start and Izuku, Ida, and Uraraka whip their heads around while Satoru winces.

“Security Level 3 has been broken. All students please evacuate in an orderly fashion.”

Pandemonium descends as everyone scrambles to their feet and starts bolting toward the nearest exit.

“What’s Security Level 3?” Ida calls to one of the upperclassmen nearby.

“It means someone’s infiltrated the building. Hasn’t happened in my three years here,” the upperclassman calls back. “Anyway, hurry up and get outta here!”

Izuku scrambles to his feet and yelps as he finds himself nearly swept away by the flow of students rushing to get out of the cafeteria. He feels a hand snag his arm and Satoru is at his side, clearly trying to avoid being swept away. He yanks Izuku closer to him as they struggle to get through the crowd.

With everyone running and shoving at anyone in their way, it’s absolute chaos in the hallways laying outside of the cafeteria. Everyone is screaming. Everyone is pushing.

“Ow! Ow!”

“Stop shoving!”

“Wait, I’m gonna fall!”

“I said quit pushing!”

A yelp sounds and Izuku winces when he sees Uraraka get smacked upside the head by an elbow nearby while Hado had just been shoved into Togata, nearly taking both of them off their feet while Amajiki only just barely manages to get to Satoru’s and Izuku’s side. Ida is slammed against a window and Izuku winces when he feels a particular hard shove that sends him tumbling into Satoru.

Both of them yelp as they are shoved again and they crash into Amajiki and all three of them go tumbling straight through an open door. Izuku ends up right across his brother’s back while his brother is literally laying right on top of Amajiki.

Satoru and Amajiki stare at each other and there is a faint pink dusting on Amajiki’s face.

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “Well, didn’t think you’d fall for me that quickly,” he says teasingly.

“You fell into me,” Amajiki deadpans.

“Same diff.”

“It isn’t even remotely the same!”

Izuku, scrambling off his brother’s back, darts toward the door and peers past it in the hope of trying to find one of his friends, or even one of his classmates, and try to get them out of the stampede outside before they get hurt. He spots Ashido getting shoved against the wall nearby and, grabbing her arm, pulls her into the room and into safety.

“Thanks, Izuku,” Ashido exclaims. “Man, it’s absolute chaos out there! I nearly go knocked down like three times!”

“Are you okay?” Izuku asks as, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Amajiki shove Satoru off him and sit up while Satoru, snickering, scrambles to his feet. He does hold out a hand to Amajiki who takes it and pulls himself to his feet.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” says Ashido.

Izuku nods and peers past the door, gasping as he sees Ida suddenly float above the students’ heads. He activates his Quirk and it sends him spinning over the crowd of students until he slams right into the wall above the exit, adopting a pose very similar to the posture of the person on the emergency exit sign.

“Everyone!” Ida declares loudly, firmly. “Everything’s fine! It’s just the press. There’s nothing to panic about. We’re fine. This is U.A.! Behave in a way befitting this great institution.”

Izuku gazes with wide-eyed amazement at Ida who actions and quick, firm words are enough to calm the masses and stop the stampede. He smiles softly at the way the taller boy took command of the situation, at the way he handled it quickly, calmly, and effectively, at the way he took responsibility for it and lead the students to a solution that brought an end to the chaos.

Ida...I think you are far more ready to be a leader than you think you are. Maybe you do have faith in me but...I think I’m more comfortable giving this position to you because I don’t think I’m quite ready for it just yet.

After the break in, everyone gathers in the classroom. Poor Kirishima and Kaminari are covered in footprints and Togata is rubbing his back while waving off the apologetic murmurs Hado is giving him. But, other than that, Izuku is glad to see no one got injured from the stampede before Ida was able to take control of the situation.

Izuku is still nervous as he moves to stand in front of the classroom with Yaoyorozu but he knows, in his heart, he is making the right decision. He takes a deep breath try to calm his anxiety down, even though he can still feel the slight tremble in his hands. “Um, well, it’s time to choose the other student council members but, before that, this is important. I believe that Ida is better suited to be Class President.”
Ida jerks his head up while everyone else murmurs among themselves.

“You all saw how well he led everyone in that crisis earlier,” says Izuku, gaining more strength in his voice as he speaks. “I think he’s the correct choice for the job.”

“Ah! Sounds good! Ida really showed his stuff back in the cafeteria,” Kirishima says.

“Heck yeah! He took control of the situation really well!” Togata exclaims.

“He kept calm the entire time, which was essential to help calm the crowd down,” Hado says.

“He was like a beacon pointing to the emergency exit!” Kaminari exclaims.

“Whatever. Just get on with it. What a waste of time,” Aizawa says, startling everyone who hadn’t realized he was still awake even though he is currently propped up in the corner and hadn’t moved once since class began.

Ida hesitates, then rises to his feet. “Then I will accept the job,” he declares.

“You can do it, Mr. Exit Sign,” Sero cheers.

“Exit Sign Ida! Do your best!” Ashido cries cheerfully and everyone starts cheering as Izuku darts away from the front and retakes his seat.

Satoru leans toward him. “I still think you would’ve done a good job yourself but I get where you’re coming from with Ida,” he says. He grins and adds, “Pretty sure he’s stuck with Exit Sign Ida as his new nickname though and that’s hilarious!”

“You would find that funny,” Izuku says with fond exasperation.

Satoru just laughs and shrugs. “I am who I am,” he says brightly.

. . .

Toshinori Yagi swiftly makes his way over the various buildings, clad in his pinstripe yellow and black suit. It’s already seven thirty and he knows he needs to get to U.A. as quickly as possible because today is a very important exercise for his hero classes. They are going to be doing rescue training today and they are going to be doing that at a new location and with Thirteen. But, at the same time, Toshinori can’t ignore the calls for help that he hears as he makes his commute.

So far, he’s already stopped three crimes that were in progress and he knows he is getting to the point where he won’t be able to use his power anymore. He hopes he will still have enough energy to, at least, get through his heroics class today. But, still, he’s noticed that his speed is dropping, that he’s been weakening ever since he passed on his power to Midoriya.

As he moves, his thoughts drift to his conversation with the Midoriya Twins:

“ So you know?” Toshinori said once he and the Midoriya Twins were gathered in the living room of their apartment. Izuku placed a tray of tea on the table while Satoru threw himself into the armchair as he adjusted the sunglasses resting over his eyes.

Toshinori couldn’t help but shiver because those eyes were so vibrant and held within them so much power and so much knowledge that they seemed to pierce through his very soul. He tried not to focus on how unnerving Satoru Midoriya’s eyes are as he focused on the reason why he was in the middle of the Midoriya’s living room to begin with.

“I had a feeling,” said Satoru with a shrug. “When Izuku first came home after the entrance exam, I noticed the flow of Quirk energy around him. He’s my twin and I knew the flow of his non-Quirk energy very well ‘cause of how close we are. He’s been Quirkless his entire life so to suddenly see Quirk energy around him, and Quirk energy that is so similar to yours, I knew something was up. But he said he was a late bloomer and, ‘cause he didn’t want to tell me the truth, I just let it go. At least until I heard Izuku tell Bakugo about his power being ‘borrowed’ then I knew I had to take what information my Six Eyes was feeding me more seriously. So I sorted back through that information and found out Izuku’s Quirk isn’t just similar to yours. It’s identical. So why does Izuku have your Quirk?”

Toshinori let loose a soft breath. There was no denying he couldn’t get out of explaining matters. But it was better that he explain matters to Satoru directly. “Very well. I will explain everything,” he said.

Satoru tilted his head to the side. “Like why your Quirk energy is greatly overshadowing your non-Quirk energy? I’ve only ever seen that happen with sick people, or people who are injured badly,” he said.

“You perceive much with those eyes of yours,” said Toshinori as he relaxed and let go of his muscle form, adopting his normal emaciated form instead.

Satoru didn’t even flinch. “Hmm. That explains a lot,” he mused.

Toshinori sank into the couch. “What I’m about to tell you is something you cannot repeat to anyone,” he said and proceeded to explain about the fight that costed him his entire stomach along with various other injuries. He finished with, “I can only be a hero for three hours a day. On the day I met you and your brother, I had reached my limit by the time I stumbled upon the slime villain who was holding Young Bakugo hostage. I kept on telling myself I was at my limit, that I couldn’t do anything, but both you and Izuku sprang into action and made me realize that I was wrong to think like that. That, as a pro, I must always risk my life to save someone else’s life.”

“I guess that’s your philosophy or whatever,” Satoru mused.

“It is not yours?”

Satoru tilted his head back. “Saving everyone is an idealistic goal ‘cause you can’t save who you can’t reach but I believe you can’t save someone who isn’t prepared to be saved,” he said. “Anyway, that’s not the point. So what does this have to do with why my brother has your Quirk?”

“Ah, yes, I was getting to that.” Toshinori decided against thinking about Satoru’s thoughts on saving people and focused on the matter at hand. “So, because of that, I saw the potential within Izuku. I came to this city in search of a successor, someone to inherit my power and, after seeing Izuku’s actions that day, I knew I had found my successor. So I offered it to him and he accepted. My Quirk is known as One for All. One person cultivates the power and passes it on and the process repeats to form a crystalline network of power that can be used to save those who need it. One for All is like a sacred torch that I passed on to Izuku.”

“A power capable of being passed on to others, huh?” Satoru said. “Huh. I can understand why you wouldn’t want anyone to know ‘bout this power. It’s pretty powerful. Let me guess, it gets stronger as it is passed on so it’s probably really strong within Izuku right now.”

“Yes.”

“That explains the broke bones ‘cause this little idiot was in an ‘all or nothing’ state. Seriously, though, if you’re gonna pass on a Quirk to someone who has been Quirkless their entire lives, you should not have expected him to be able to use it, and correctly at that, right away. Especially not one that’s as powerful as this one. Good thing I taught him some of those control exercises that I learned when I was a kid and it seems to have helped a little bit.”

“Um, I haven’t tried using it yet though,” said Izuku.

“But you are spreading it more evenly throughout your body, which you didn’t do at all during the assessment test and probably not during the entrance exam either so that’s progress right there! Good job, baby bro!”

Izuku threw a pillow at Satoru’s face.

It literally stopped mere centimeters from the white-haired boy’s face as he laughed, grabbed the pillow out of midair, and chugged it back at his brother.

“You taught him?” Toshinori echoed.

Satoru shrugged. “Yeah. Felt like a good idea,” he said.

“You were pretty patient with me too, Satoru,” Izuku said with a faint smile as he put the pillow back down on the couch.

“Do you want to be a teacher someday, Young Satoru?” asked Toshinori curiously.

Satoru tensed at that, then relaxed and tilted his head back. “I don’t actually know,” he admitted and Toshinori was surprised to hear hints of nostalgic sadness and even traces of guilt in his tone. “Being a teacher...I guess it kinda feels right but, at the same time...I just don’t know.”

Realizing the somber mood that was starting to fall over Satoru, Toshinori decided to not press that subject. “Well, you still have a few more years left to decide,” he said. “But, for now, I trust you to keep this to yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah. Still think you should tell Mom but I guess I can understand why too many people knowing would be a bad thing.”

“I am glad you understand that.”

Even if Toshinori isn’t quite certain it’s a good idea for Satoru to know the truth, he knows he had no choice but to tell him because of Satoru’s Quirk. It’s pretty amazing to know that Satoru’s Six Eyes are capable of perceiving the flow of Quirk energy and even feeds information about that Quirk directly into Satoru’s brain. It makes Toshinori wonder just how much information his brain is constantly being fed on a day to day basis, or if the fact that he keeps his eyes covered all the time helps to either slow down or stop that flow of information.

But he shakes that thought away as he focuses. He is getting close to U.A. when another scream for help sounds. He grimaces but he cannot ignore a cry for help so he turns and immediately heads off in the direction of the cry.

He hopes he will still have enough time left to be able to teach his heroics class properly but something tells him he won’t.

. . .

The bell beginning the afternoon classes rings and Suguru watches as Aizawa makes his way into the classroom. It’s a surprise that it isn’t All Might, since Suguru knows All Might is their heroics teacher, and he finds himself wondering if today’s class is going to be different from the others they’ve had since the school year began.

“Now for today’s basic hero training,” says Aizawa. “This time, All Might, myself, and one other will supervise.”

So it is a special class.

“Um, what are we doing exactly?” Sero asks as he raises his hand.

“Preparing you for disaster relief, from fires to floods,” says Aizawa as he holds up a card. “It’s rescue training.”

Rescue training, huh? Suguru smiles faintly. He knows his Nightmares, while not the prettiest things to look at, are helpful in getting into hard to reach places and carrying people to safety. He is looking forward to this training.

“Rescue, huh, sounds like another rough day,” says Kaminari.

“Right,” Ashido says.

“Come on. This is what being a hero’s all about. I’m pumped!” Kirishima exclaims.

“Heck yeah! This is gonna be exciting. Are you looking forward to it, Hado?!” Yuji exclaims with a grin toward Hado who shrugs.

“Yeah,” he murmurs.

“Man, you really don’t talk a lot, huh?”

Pretty sure you do enough talking for the both of you. Suguru smiles faintly though as he turns his attention back to the front of the classroom. One hand raises when he feels a dull throb in the back of his head and he rubs it while trying to ignore the exhaustion he can feel going through him. It’s not as if this is the first time he’s felt this way since last July. It’s just that it seems even more prevalent today than it ever has been.

Just as those nightmares feel even more vivid, even more detailed, than they ever were before and Suguru doesn’t know why that is.

All he knows is that he didn’t really get much sleep last night and, even though he is hiding it well, Yuji is the same way. He may be smiling brightly and looking alert and awake but Suguru remembers him looking exhausted when they were heading for the bullettrain that morning. He remembers when Yuji just told him his headache was back with a vengeance but insisting he was okay.

It’s just odd that both of them are dealing with headaches at the same time.

“Hey, I’m not done,” Aizawa says and everyone goes quiet at the stern glare he levels at them. “It’s up to each of you whether or not you wear your costumes as some of them are ill-suited to this sort of activity.” As the metal briefcases are pulled free from the wall, he adds, “The training site is a bit remote so we’ll be going by bus. That’s all. Get ready.”

Suguru hums but decides his costume is fine. He made sure to go for a practical approach with his costume so that he can move around swiftly because he doesn’t like relying on his Quirk, not when he can fight just fine without it. His Nightmares are useful but, in this Quirk-saturated world, using one’s Quirk is predictable and Suguru would rather not be predictable. Being unpredictable can catch the enemy by surprise, he would think, and that can only help to solve matters quickly.

He joins the rest of his classmates outside, noticing Izuku is wearing his gym uniform instead of his hero costume but figures that’s just because his hero costume did get pretty badly damaged in the combat trials earlier that week. He casts a glance at Satoru who is hovering just behind Izuku and looks away as memories of their encounter in the hallway during the break in flash through his mind.

Those warm feelings he felt when Satoru crashed into him, the way that smile and that teasing tone in Satoru’s voice caused his heart to clench with nostalgia, and the flustered sensation that rushed through him at the same time. And those eyes...those mesmerizing and vibrant blue eyes he caught sight of over the rim of Satoru’s sunglasses that are so beautiful and so familiar that it causes Suguru’s heart to feel a clench of yearning. Or maybe even something deeper than his heart. Something more significant, more powerful.

He shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he makes his way toward the bus.

Yuji falls into step beside him. “Hey, I noticed you were looking at Satoru,” he says with a grin.

“What of it?” Suguru murmurs.

Yuji’s grin widens. “Do I sense a crush~?” he says in a teasing tone.

“You wouldn’t know what a crush was if it came up and smacked you in the face with a baseball bat,” says Suguru with a shrug as he makes his way into the bus while Yuji, a squeak of indignant protest escaping his lips, chases after him.

“I so would,” he protests and, nudging him, adds, “But it’s all right if you do have a crush. I mean Satoru is like ridiculously attractive.”

“Sounds like you have a crush.”

Yuji laughs. “Nah. He’s not my type,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Suguru raises an eyebrow. He knows Yuji’s type in girls but Yuji never did tell him what his type in guys is. He just knows Yuji swings both ways but nothing beyond that.

“But I say go for it,” adds Yuji, giving him a thumbs up.

Suguru looks away, trying to will the blush that is threatening to decorate his cheeks away. “I’ve literally only known him for a week,” he deadpans.

“So? You can get to know him better!”

“Yuji…” Suguru lets out a long sigh as he slides into one of the seats at the back of the bus and Yuji sits beside him.

“I mean just ‘cause we’re training to be heroes doesn’t mean we can’t go on dates and stuff like that,” he adds.

“Honestly, Yuji, is now really the time to be discussing this?” Suguru deadpans with a roll of his eyes at his friend.

Yuji laughs and pats him on the shoulder. “Fine. Fine. We can continue this later!” he says brightly.

How about never? But Suguru knows his friend well enough to know Yuji is going to bring up this subject at a later date.

He watches as the rest of the students file into the bus. Bakugo and Jirou end up sitting across the aisle from him and Yuji while Kirishima, Asui, and the Midoriya Twins are on one set of seats down below with Kaminari, Hado, Ashido, and Ida sitting across from them. Uraraka and Yaoyorozu are behind Bakugo and Jirou and Koda and Shoji are behind them while Sero and Hagakure are behind Suguru and Yuji with Todoroki and Tokoyami seated behind them.

The bus pulls away from the school and heads down the street.

“Hey, Midoriya,” Asui says down below.

“Yes?” The twins say in unison, though Satoru is grinning while Izuku rolls his eyes at his brother and elbows him in the side.

“Ah, my apologies. Izuku,” Asui says. “I generally say what’s on my mind.”

“Oh. What is it, Asui?” asks Izuku.

“Call me Tsuyu. Your Quirk resembles All Might’s kinda, from what I saw during the assessment anyway.”

Suguru raises an eyebrow upon seeing panic enter Izuku’s gaze.

Satoru promptly drapes his taller, lankier body over Izuku who yelps as he finds himself pushed down. “Nah. For one, All Might doesn’t break his bones,” he says and, while Izuku mutters something no one can make out, he adds, “And, in this Quirk-saturated world, pretty sure all kinds of Quirks resembles other Quirks, y’know.”

“Hmm, true.”

“Get off me, Satoru,” Izuku whines as he tries to push his taller brother off him.

“Still though, that sort of strength-enhancing Quirk is awesome. You can do a lot of cool stuff with it,” says Kirishima. He jerks a finger toward Yuji. “It’s kinda like Togata’s over there, except Togata’s also makes him really face and agile.”

Yuji laughs. “It just give me a boost, really, and it’s really only a temporary boost of power,” he admits. “Most of my strength is actually my own. I’ve always been really strong, even before my Quirk came in so my Quirk kinda just gave that a boost.”

“Really? That’s pretty cool,” says Ashido.

“Still though, neither of those Quirks is like my Hardening,” Kirishima adds as he holds out his arm and hardens his arm. “I’m good in a fight but it’s real boring.”
Izuku, who finally manages to shove Satoru off him, studies the red-headed boy with excited eyes. “I think that’s pretty neat. Your Quirk’s more than enough if you wanna go pro,” he says.

“Don’t start analyzing his Quirk, Izuku. You’re running out of space in your notebook and you don’t got a new one yet,” Satoru says with a light laugh and Suguru feels a jolt of warmth go through him because that laugh is so warm. He shakes his head, pushing those thoughts aside and firmly ignoring the grin Yuji gives him or the way he pokes him in the cheek insistently while humming.

“R...Right,” Izuku stammers out.

“Pro! Don’t forget that heroes also have to worry about popular appeal,” says Ashido.

“You wanna talk strong and cool?” Sero says with a grin. “That’d be Bakugo, Todoroki, Satoru,

Amajiki, and Hado.”

Hado looks up at that.

“That’s true! Hado’s Shadow Beasts are so cute and so strong and awesome,” Hagakure exclaims from her seat.

“Amajiki’s creatures are creatures of the night who exist only in the darkness and thus are powered by the darkness,” Tokoyami says.

“Whoa, that’s dark,” says Kaminari and ignores the incredulous look Ashido gives him for the pun.

“He’s not wrong,” says Suguru with a shrug. “I call them Nightmares for a reason. How is Satoru strong and cool though? He literally just stood there and looked pretty during the combat trials.”

“Aww, you still think I look pretty,” Satoru gushes, a teasing grin is on his lips.

“...Just answer the question,” Suguru grumbles, abruptly avoiding Satoru’s blindfolded gaze and bonking Yuji on the head when he grins at him and nudges him even more insistently than before.

“Well, he is very good looking,” Ashido says with a bright smile.

“Here! Here!” Hagakure calls.

Satoru smiles and lowers his blindfold just enough to flash his beautiful eyes at Hagakure and Ashido and laughs when both girls, and even Kaminari and Sero, swoon slightly at the sight of those eyes. Suguru refuses to admit, out loud, that he did the same because, holy hell, those eyes really are so damn beautiful.

“Suguru, you find his eyes beautiful too, don’t you?” Yuji says in a singsong voice.

“I still didn’t really get an answer,” Suguru deadpans as he bonks Yuji on the head again for that while trying desperately to will away the light pink dusting on his cheeks.

“I was actually in reference to the fact that he had enough power to blast that softball all the way to Okinawa,” says Sero as he shakes his head in an attempt to get over his earlier swooning. “Pretty sure I saw like a burst of red energy and that was really cool!”

“And he’s got that beauty that will probably help make him popular,” says Hagakure.

Suguru huffs but, even if he is not going to admit it out loud, he knows Hagakure is right. Satoru Midoriya really is beautiful.

“Bakugo’s, on the other hand, is so unhinged. He’d never be popular,” Asui adds.

“What the fuck was that, Frog Face?!” Bakugo exclaims, exploding the seat in front of him and ignoring the glower an annoyed Jirou gives him.

“See.” Asui points at him.

“We’ve only basically started socializing and already you’ve made it abundantly clear to us the unpleasantness of your steamed turd of a personality,” says Kaminari and Satoru bursts out laughing so hard that he actually falls off his seat.

“Yeah, okay, Mr. Vocabulary, how about I pound you? And stop fucking laughing, fucking Snow Head!”

“I don’t thin kyour mouth could get any fouler, Kacchan,” Satoru says around his laughter and there is a mocking tone in his voice as he says that last word.

“I will fucking end you, Snow Head!”

“I could end you with my eyes blindfolded, Kacchan.”

“Your eyes are always fucking blindfolded, you fucking idiot!”

“That’s exactly my fucking point!”

Izuku groans and hangs his head as Satoru and Bakugo glare at each other. Unlike the friendly, competitive glares Satoru and Suguru exchange, this one is filled with such fury and such hostility that it’s a wonder neither of them are bursting into flames right now.

“What a vulgar conversation,” Yaoyorozu says while Uraraka laughs.

“I think it’s fun,” she says and, gesturing toward Satoru and Bakugo, adding, “I really hope those two don’t come to blows though.”

“I agree.”

“We’re here. Look sharp now,” Aizawa says firmly, giving them all a firm glare from the passenger’s seat at the head of the bus and, as Satoru and Bakugo sit back in their respective seats, everyone else responds with a resounding affirmation.

Suguru and Yuji walk in the middle of the pack of students as they follow Aizawa away from the bus and toward the massive dome-like building laying in front of them. They open it and Suguru will admit he’s amazed by the sheer size of the interior and at the various places laying scattered throughout the area. There is a waterfall with a shipwreck, there are mountains, there are two domes, there is an area that seems to simulate a landslide of sorts. It’s pretty amazing.

“There’s the flood zone. Landslide zone. Conflagration zone, etc. Every disaster and accident you can imagine. I built this facility myself,” the familiar form of the Space Hero Thirteen says as she moves over to stand in front of them all. “I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint.”

So it really is the U.S.J.

“It’s the Space Hero Thirteen,” Izuku exclaims excitedly.

“The polite and proper hero who works best in rescue scenarios. Oh, I love Thirteen!” Uraraka exclaims.

“Thirteen, where’s All Might? He was meeting us here,” Aizawa asks and Suguru glances toward the perpetually tired teacher.

“About that, senpai,” Thirteen says as she holds up three fingers. “It seems he just about reached his limit during his morning commute. He’s resting in the break room.”

“The height of irrationality,” Aizawa deadpans and sighs. “So be it. Let’s get started.”

“Before we do, I have one or two points...or three...four…”

Lots of points…

“As I’m sure many of you are aware, my Quirk is called Black Hole,” Thirteen goes on. “I can suck in and tear apart anything.”

“And you’ve used it to save people in all sorts of disasters,” says Izuku while Uraraka nods eagerly.

“It’s pretty strong too,” says Satoru thoughtfully.

“Indeed. However, my power could easily kill. I’ve no doubt there are some among you with similar abilities,” says Thirteen, “In our superpowered society, the use of Quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. It may seem that the system is a stable one. But we must never forget that it only takes one wrong move with an uncontrollable Quirk for people to die. During Aizawa’s physical fitness test, you came to learn your own hidden potential. Through All Might’s battle training, you experienced the danger that your respective Quirks can pose to others. This class will show you a new perspective. You will learn how to utilize your Quirks to save lives! Your powers are not meant to inflict harm. I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you’re meant to help people!”

“So cool!” Uraraka cries.

“Nice speech,” Suguru murmurs.

“Bravo! Bravo!” Ida cries as he claps his hands rapidly.

“That is all! I thank you for listening,” says Thirteen with a bow.

Aizawa steps forward. “Great, first off…”

The lights flicker.

Suguru jerks his head up in puzzlement.

Aizawa tenses and whirls around and Suguru turns his head in time to see a swirling mass of darkness appear and a pale hand grasps it and slowly grasps it, stepping out to reveal a young man with light blue hair with a gray hand resting over his face and over his arms and wrapped around his neck. As he steps free, more and more individuals stride out of the swirling mass of darkness.

“What the heck…?” Yuji begins.

“Huddle up and don’t move!” Aizawa yells.

“Huh?” Ida says in puzzlement.

“Thirteen! Protect the students!” Aizawa shouts as he thrusts out his arm as if to act as a barrier.

“What the heck’s that?” Kirishima says. “More battle robots? Like during the entrance exam?”

“No, that’s not it,” Hado says, tensing as he narrows his eyes.

“Don’t move!” Aizawa says sharply as he lowers his yellow goggles over his eyes and Suguru tenses at their teacher’s next words. “Those are villains.”

. . .

Chapter Text

Those are villains.

Megumi stares at the mass of villains making their way deeper into the plaza, taking into account how many there are and, even though he is pretty far away from them, he is positive everyone can sense the danger they are radiating. He doesn’t understand though. How in the world did villains manage to get into this place, onto U.A.’s campus to begin with?

“Villains? No way!” Ashido cries.

“What villains’d be dumb enough to sneak into a school for heroes?” says Sero.

Megumi grits his teeth as his dark blue eyes travel to the first villain to appear and he tenses when someone else steps out beside the first villain. It isn’t even the massive grotesque dark-blue skinned creature with the exposed brain that catches Megumi’s attention, it’s the other person.

The person with the dark-blonde hair and the pale skin and, more importantly, the stitches wrapped around his forehead like a crown.

Even though the hair isn’t the same, even though the face isn’t the same, those stitches stand out. He’s seen someone with those stitches wrapped around the head like a crown before, in those vivid nightmares that have been plaguing him even worse than they ever did before in recent nights.

A curse escapes Satoru’s lips from nearby while Togata lets out a small gasp, eyes widening with puzzled recognition, while Suguru is frowning in puzzlement.

“Sensei, aren’t there intruder sensors?” Yaoyorozu asks.

“Yes, of course there are,” begins Thirteen.

“Are they only here or also at the main building? Either way, if the sensors aren’t working, it has to be one of their Quirks that’s doing it,” says Todoroki. “This place is far from the campus. And they picked a time when there’d be few people here. So maybe they’re not as dumb as they seem. They must have an objective because this is a well-coordinated sneak attack.”

Unfortunately, Todoroki is probably right. Shit. Megumi brings his hands together, brow furrowing as he considers who he can use at the moment. Out of all of his Shadow Beasts, Nue, which is the name he gave his winged Shadow Beast, is his fastest one. If he can get Nue out of this building, he should be able to maintain Nue’s solidified shadow form long enough for them to get back to the main building. Surely if one of his Shadow Beasts shows up randomly then it will catch the other teachers’ attention.

But he needs an open window, or to just break through one of the windows in the dome itself.

“Thirteen, begin evacuation!” says Aizawa. “And try calling the school. One of these villains must be jamming the sensors. There’s a good chance one of their electric types is causing the interference. Kaminari, try using your Quirk to signal for help.”

“If I can get one of my Shadow Beasts out, they can go for help,” Megumi says as he clasps his hands together and hooks his thumbs, forming the shadow puppet of a winged beast as he activates his Quirk. The bird-shaped tattoo on his back flies free and solidifies into the form of Nue with electricity crackling around its wings before wheeling around and surging toward the nearest window.

“Good idea, Hado,” says Thirteen with an approving nod.

“I don’t know if I can hold their form until they reach the main building though,” Megumi says.

“I’ll do what I can to try and signal for help too,” says Kaminari.

“But, sensei, you can’t fight them all alone,” Izuku protests as Aizawa strides away with his capture weapon starting to spiral around his form a little bit. “As Eraserhead, your fighting style involves Erasure and a quick binding capture. Head on battle isn’t…”

“No good hero is a one trick pony! Thirteen, take care of them!” Aizawa launches himself down the stairs but Megumi doesn’t stay to watch as he follows the rest of his classmates as they hurry toward the main doors.

But the sudden burst of shadows that erupts in front of them stops them cold in their tracks and, while Nue does successfully spear through the window and surge away from the U.S.J., Megumi can’t move after them anymore.

“I won’t allow that,” the shadowy figure says. “Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity but, today, we’ve come here to U.A. High School, this bastion of heroism, to end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace.”

Megumi narrows his eyes. They’re trying to kill All Might?

“We were under the impression that All Might would be here today but it seems his schedule was revised? Well, no matter, my role remains unchanged.”

Thirteen starts forward but, before she can do anything, Megumi scowls upon seeing Kirishima and Bakugo surging forward at the same time. You idiots. Thirteen could have taken this guy out with her Quirk if you didn’t intervene.

An explosion erupts from Bakugo followed by a hardened punch from Kirishima.

“Not if we end you first,” Bakugo yells.

“Betcha didn’t see that coming,” says Kirishima.

But it doesn’t seem as if the shadow was even fazed by that.

“That was close,” says the shadow. “Yes, students though you may be, you are the best of the best.”

“No, get back! Both of you!” Thirteen yells but it’s too late and Megumi gasps as shadows suddenly surge all around them. He shields his eyes as the shadows enclose in on all of them as the shadow’s condense, as they slam into them, and then the world beneath Megumi’s feet vanishes and, with a yelp, he is sent tumbling downward, crashing so hard that his head slams into the hard surface beneath him.

Stars erupt in front of his vision and then images, vivid images, powerful images, snippets and scenes, pictures and reels.

And, suddenly, he knows. Suddenly, he understands. Suddenly, he remembers.

. . .

Shit. This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all. Yuji grits his teeth as he tries to dart toward the edge of the dome of shadows but the shadows are already wrapping around him. He is sure he isn’t the only one who is being grabbed, though he is positive he saw Ida tackle Uraraka, Ashido and Sero out of the way and Shoji tackled Suguru and got him out of the range of the shadowy dome that is engulfing them. But he doesn’t think anyone else managed to get free.

And then, suddenly, the entire floor beneath his feet breaks and Yuji is free-falling. He screams in surprise as he finds himself flipping head over heels toward the glistening waters of the Flood Zone. He is grateful he knows how to swim but, when he crashes into the water, the force of the collision is far stronger than he anticipated, even more so because he crashes head first straight into the water.

The force of the collision causes stars to erupt in front of Yuji’s eyes. But it’s more than just stars. It’s images, vivid and powerful, it’s snippets and scenes, pictures and reels. It’s the nightmares replaying before his mind’s eye but with more details, more information, and more pieces filling in the gaps Yuji honestly didn’t even realize existed.

He sees a school hidden within the mountains.

He sees the ginger-haired girl and the black haired boy and the white haired young man.

He sees a detention center.

He sees a grotesque figure with white skin and black legs.

He sees a mirror image of himself with black tattoos wrapping around his face and upper body.

He sees more and more images of a life he realizes is his own, a life he once lived, a life that came to an end.

Understanding dawns on him as those images and scenes and reels continue to play before his mind’s eye.

It really is his own life.

Those memories, those nightmares. They weren’t just nightmares. They were actual memories of a life I once lived. A life...a different life...a life where…

“There you are!”

Yuji only barely manages to avoid gasping out loud, lest he take in some of the water and choke on it, as a villain with a shark’s head suddenly surges toward him. But, before he can get closer, Asui is there, slamming her feet into the villain’s side and lashing out with her tongue. It wraps around Yuji’s waist and then surges past him to and Yuji cranes his head to see the end of the tongue wrapping around Izuku’s waist.

But he can barely pay attention to any of this. His head is throbbing. His mind is being overwhelmed. An ice pick is being slammed repeatedly into his head as those memories continue to surge forward, as the pain from his head-long collision with the water resonates with the mental pain from all of those terrible nightmares.

He winces when he hits a hard surface.

“Sorry. I was trying to put you down gently, ribbit,” says Asui.

“R...Right. It’s…” Yuji grits his teeth as another spasm of pain rushes through his head and he doubles over, clutching at it as memories continue to surge through his head, slotting into place alongside the memories he has made, and is making, in his current life.

Megumi...Nobara...Gojo-sensei...Nanamin...Junpei...Maki...Inumaki...Panda...Yuta…

He remembers them all even though he knows they aren’t alive anymore. This is the day and age of Quirks. He doesn’t even know how much time has actually passed by since his last life but he knows it’s been a really long time since the age of Quirks began over four hundred years ago, and Quirks didn’t exist in his last life.

They are all gone. But, then, they were all gone even before Yuji died and was reincarnated.

That’s it. That’s what this is. He was reincarnated.

He is Yuji Togata, the little brother of Mirio Togata and hero in training, but he is also the reincarnation of Yuji Itadori, a jujutsu sorcerer who was once the vessel of the King of Curses Sukuna who lived over four hundred years ago.

He is both of those people and he understands that now because he remembers that. He remembers his past life. Those nightmares that began last July were those memories but it’s only when he actually hit his head and the final missing snippets slotted into place that he came to really understand that truth.

He doesn’t know what he is supposed to do with this truth. This is a new life. This is a new age.

And, while the memories will never truly go away and the scars will never truly fade, that life is also over and done with. He can’t go back and change that life, he can’t go back and fix his mistakes and his regrets.

But he made a vow in his last life. He made a vow that he would not regret how he lived and he realizes that’s what he wants to do now, in this new life. He doesn’t know when he will die in this life, he doesn’t know how, only that it will be far different from his last life, but that doesn’t matter because living is what matters.

Living without regret is what matters.

Yuji may not know if he’s alone in this new world. He may not know if Gojo or Nobara or Megumi were given the same second chance he was but that doesn’t matter. He may have two classmates who bare the same name as Gojo and Megumi, and even look identical to them with Satoru looking like a teenage version of his teacher, but he can’t be sure they are the same person.

But it doesn’t matter. Whether they are reincarnations like me or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to let them suffer the same fate their namesakes suffered in my last life. I won’t!

The guilt is still there, still rearing its ugly little head, at the reminder of all that he lost.

He still remembers watching Gojo get cut down by Sukuna. He still remembers watching Sukuna achieve his true form and reveal that Megumi’s body couldn’t handle the strain of the transformation and perished. He remembers watching Nobara getting half of her face taken out by Mahito’s Idle Transfiguration. He even remembers Junpei’s and Nanami’s death.

He doesn’t want anyone to die if he can help it.

You’re a strong boy. Use your strength to help others.

Yuji now understands where he heard that before. It was a subliminal message left in his head from his past life, one of the last words spoken to him by his grandfather in his last life. But it’s one he does live by now.

He is Yuji Togata and he is a hero in training. He will become a hero and he will save anyone that he can and he will protect and defend those that need it. And, more importantly, he will try to ensure that his two classmates who bear such an unkindly resemblance to his beloved teacher and to his friend whom he will admit, if only to himself, he had started to see as more than simply a friend in those waning months gets to live long and fulfilling lives themselves.

Satoru ... Hado ...Whether you are my beloved teacher and my beloved friend from my last life or not, it doesn’t matter because I will get strong enough to ensure that you both get to live long and fulfilling lives. I won’t let what happened in my last life happen again!

“Togata? A...Are you okay?” Izuku’s concerned voice sounds.

“I...Just...my head’s really hurting right now,” Yuji says through gritted teeth. He needs to focus. He will have to think about the sudden return of an entire lifetime’s worth of memories at another point because, right now, he is in a dangerous situation and that take precedence.

“You did land headfirst in the water, from what I saw, ribbit,” Asui says.

“Y...Yeah. That hurt, ow,” Yuji says with a wince. “Thanks for the save though, Asui.”

“Call me Tsuyu,” Asui says. “But we seem to be in trouble here.”

Yeah. And I don’t even know what is happening with the rest of our classmates. I sure hope they’re okay.

. . .

Suguru crouches beneath the extra appendages that Shoji is using to shield him from the swirling shadows until they condense back into the shadowy figure that is hovering in front of the entrance to the U.S.J. A quick glance around Shoji as the taller boy gets to his feet and retracts his extra limbs shows that more than half of their class is missing, including Satoru and Suguru frowns at the worry that goes through him at that.

He pushes the thought aside as he takes into account who is left on the platform. There’s Uraraka, Ashido, and Sero who are pushing themselves up while Ida hovers anxiously next to them. There’s him and Shoji. There’s Thirteen. But, other than that, there is no one else on the platform. That means that fourteen of their classmates have been scattered who knows where.

Shoji extends one of his extra limbs and tilts his head to the side. “I can still hear the rest of our classmates. They’re still within the U.S.J. but they’ve been scattered throughout the entire building,” he says. “I can’t confirm their locations but, at least, we know they are still in the building.”

Suguru gives the shadow villain a long look. It is going to try to stop them if they send anyone to call for help and it is, unfortunately, right in front of the entrance too. But if we can just get one person out, like Ida since he’s the fastest out of everyone still here, then we can get help.

He goes through his stock of his Nightmares as he tries to figure out if any of them can match up against this shadow villain. He knows, from Bakugo’s attack earlier, that the shadow figure does have a metal plating of sorts around its center. That’s probably its real body so if he can latch onto that then he might be able to knock the villain aside long enough for Ida to get past.

But I don’t have any Nightmares that can conjure up enough light. But I might still be able to distract it if need be.

“Physical attacks are no good. He just warps them away,” says Ida with a grimace.

“This guy’s Quirk is too tough to handle,” Sero exclaims.

“Class President,” says Thirteen.

“Yes!” Ida says sharply as he turns toward their teacher.

“Your job is to run back to the school and report on what’s happening,” says Thirteen firmly. “The alarms haven’t sounded and the phones aren’t working. The alarm system uses infrared tech. The fact that it hasn’t activated even though senpai, that is Eraserhead, is down there nullifying Quirks means that whoever is interfering with the system has hidden themselves well. That being the case, your going back is our best option.”

“The Class President can’t very well abandon his class,” Ida protests.

Suguru makes his way to Ida’s side. “You need to go,” he says and, when Ida glances at him, he adds, “use your speed and get out of here. There are alarms all throughout the school and, since we’re not hearing any of them, these villains must only be in here. You need to go.”

“Yeah, if you make it out, they can’t follow you,” Sero calls. “Shake off that mist with that speed of yours!”

“Please use your Quirk to save us all,” Thirteen says.

“Just like in the cafeteria,” Uraraka says firmly, clenching her hand into a fist even though there is slight fear in her eyes.

“We can provide all the support you need and we will,” Ashido says firmly.

“Do it!” Suguru says firmly.

The shadow surges toward them suddenly. “Aside from the fact that you have no hope, what sort of fool discusses strategy in earshot of the enemy?” he says firmly and gasps when he suddenly finds himself sucked toward Thirteen.

“It hardly matters if you overheard us. You can’t stop us!” Thirteen yells as the shadow surges toward her, being sucked in by her Quirk.

“Ida, go!” Uraraka shouts.

Ida surges forward, activating his Quirk but, before he can get that far, the shadow suddenly turns the tables on them and Suguru watches, with wide eyes, as the shadow creates a warp gate of themselves right behind Thirteen. This results in Thirteen accidentally using her Quirk on herself.

“Damn, he got me,” Thirteen gasps.

“No, Thirteen!” Uraraka cries.

Tch. This isn’t the end. Suguru activates his Quirk and, as Thirteen collapses, he splays out a hand and summons his dragon Nightmare. The bone-white skeletal dragon surges out of his shadow and straight toward the shadow, aiming straight for the silver plating Suguru saw and crashing into it. The villain gasps as he is sent flying backwards with the dragon’s maw immediately lodging into his metal plating.

“Whoa. How did you know that was there?” Sero gasps.

“I saw it when Bakugo’s explosion hit it. That villain did say that Bakugo’s attack was close so I figure that metal plating must be part of the villain’s actual body,” Suguru replies as the dragon wraps its serpentine form around the shadow. The shadow villain is clearly trying to break free but, with the Nightmare’s fangs lodged into his metal plating, he can’t risk warping the Nightmare away without his own body being taken with it.

“Good job, Amajiki,” says Ashido.

“Ida, go,” Suguru says firmly as he splays out his other hand and a massive hookworm-shaped Nightmare emerges from his shadow and surges forward. “I’ll use that Nightmare to break down the door. You go after it.”

Ida swallows but finally nods sharply. “Right!” he says and bends his knees as the hookworm-shaped Nightmare surges forward and he immediately darts after it.

“Oh I don’t think so.”

And, suddenly, everything freezes. Suguru’s eyes widen as he watches Ida, his dragon Nightmare, the hookworm Nightmare, the shadow villain, Uraraka, Thirteen, and Ashido freeze. And then there is a blur and Suguru can only watch in shock as the blur crashes a sharp kick straight into Ida, sending him flying toward the edge of the platform before movement resumes.

And there’s a newcomer.

It’s the young man with the dirty blonde hair who was with the first villain to show up, who has the stitches wrapped around his head like a crown that still looks so incredibly familiar, that still causes a burst of puzzled anger to go through him.

The figure catches his eyes, his gray eyes smirking as he tilts his head to the side. “Well met, Suguru Amajiki,” he says.

“W...Who are you?” Suguru demands.

The figure smirks and his eyes glow a bright silver and, suddenly, Suguru can’t move and, though he tries, he can’t so he can’t stop it when the figure is suddenly there and slamming a hard kick into his stomach. He gasps as he suddenly finds himself able to move again but he can’t stop himself from crashing hard into the ground on the other side of the platform.

“Amajiki!” Ashido cries as Suguru grits his teeth and tries to push himself to his knees, slamming a hand on the ground and, out of his shadow, a grotesque bone-white humanoid creature erupts and surges forward. He doesn’t know how this man’s Quirk works but, since he doesn’t try to use it to stop the Nightmare that attacks him even though he was able to use it on Suguru’s other Nightmares, it must only be able to be used a certain number of times.

“So funny that your Quirk resembles a certain technique so strongly,” says the man as he lands a sharp kick into the humanoid Nightmare’s face and it shrieks but lunges forward anyway. The man is so swift though, so agile, and manages to dodge every single one of the Nightmare’s attacks.

“Ida. We’ll distract the villain. Go,” Uraraka shouts and Suguru watches as Ida scrambles to his feet and darts toward the door again. He immediately orders his hookworm Nightmare to keep moving forward while having his dragon Nightmare attack the shadow villain again.

He’s overexerting himself though. He can feel the exhaustion clawing through him. He isn’t used to using three Nightmares, especially not two of his more powerful ones, at the same time. But he keeps at it in order to give his classmate the chance to get out of there and get help.

But the young man’s eyes suddenly glow silver and, as the humanoid Nightmare freezes, the young man surges around it and darts toward Suguru. He dodges out of the way of the punch but isn’t expecting the staff that comes out of nowhere. The butt of the staff slams into Suguru’s side and, as he stumbles back, the young man uses the distraction to crash a kick hard enough into Suguru’s stomach that he is sent flying backwards.

He is positive he hears someone scream his name before he crash, headfirst, straight into the wall on the opposite side of the platform.

Stars flash in front of his eyes. Images follow. Scenes follow. Reels follow.

The nightmares. The nightmares he’s been experiencing ever since July of last year. They all cycle through his head but there is more to them. More detail. More images. Little snippets slotting into place like a final puzzle piece filling the picture.

Shock goes through Suguru as the realization hits him like a semitruck.

Those snippets, those images, those terrible, terrible nightmares. They aren’t nightmares.

They’re memories.

And they slot into place perfectly alongside the memories he has made so far since the day he was capable of retaining memories.

They are of another life. Of another time. Of another age.

An age of sorcery. The age that predated the age of Quirks. An age that existed well over four hundred years ago.

And Suguru realizes those images, those scenes, those reels of that man who looked like an older version of himself isn’t just a lookalike. It’s actually him. It’s actually an older version of himself, living in a life before this one, living in an age before this one.

It is him.

Suguru Amajiki is the reincarnation of the jujutsu sorcerer turned curse user Suguru Geto.

It can’t be...All those atrocities committed...I couldn’t have...I…

But those memories remain. Those images remain. No matter how much Suguru wants to deny them, they fit too perfectly and he knows, he just knows, that they are true, that they are real. He really is the reincarnation of the most powerful curse user to ever exist in the age of jujutsu sorcery. But he is also the reincarnation of the second most powerful sorcerer in the world, the one who is just as strong as him.

As the young man with the white hair and the mesmerizing and vibrant blue eyes. The young man whom was the strongest. The young man whom Suguru’s heart or, perhaps, his soul yearns for.

“We’ll meet again.”

Those final words, spoken from the lips of the best friend whom a part of Suguru will always care for as more than simply a best friend, echo in his head.

Did he get another chance? Was he reincarnated too?

In no way, shape, or form does Suguru deserve the second chance he seems to have been given but if he was given a second chance then does that mean that he was given another chance too? Could they really have the opportunity to do as his final words suggest and meet again?

He doesn’t know. All he does know is that he remembers. He remembers everything.

. . .

Satoru watches as another crowd of villains surges toward him. He sighs. He just got done with one group of villains, leaving them laying scattered in the area of the zone he left a few minutes ago in various degrees of unconsciousness. These villains all have triumphant grins on their faces as if they believe they already have this fight won though. Just like the first group, they are clearly underestimating him.

Satoru activates his Quirk and, using Blue, surges forward so swiftly that he doesn’t even give his enemy time to react. He crashes kicks and punches into each of them as he goes by them before using Blue to grab two of his opponents and slam them face first into each other before doing the same with another two. He pivots and, deactivating his Quirk, slams a fist straight into the face of another villain before whirling around and crashing a roundhouse kick straight into the side of yet another villain’s head. He flips backwards and holds a finger up, grinning at them as he uses the Red side of his Quirk and fires off the burst of crackling red energy that repels every single enemy caught in the crackling burst of power backward with such force they go flying to the other side of the landslide zone.

He sees them hit the ground with groans of pain erupting from their lips. “Ouch. That had to hurt. But, huh, I guess that’s what happens when I hold back when using Red,” he comments.

“You were holding back?” A squeak sound and Satoru turns to find a floating pair of gloves and boots behind him.

“Oh, hi Hagakure,” he greets. “Yeah, I kinda gotta. If I used my full power, it would have blasted all of those villains to atoms and I’m wanna be a hero. Heroes don’t go around killing people after all.”

“T...True. U...Um, I saw Todoroki earlier. I think he froze the other villains,” says Hagakure.

“Heh, nice. Well, let’s go meet up with Todoroki and see if we can figure out what the heck is going on,” says Satoru and he jogs toward the other end of the landslide zone with Hagakure quickly hurrying after him.

“Still can’t believe you took both of those groups of villains out just like that,” Hagakure exclaims. “How the heck are you so powerful?”

I got the memories of another life, including every single skill I ever learned in that last life, crammed into my head. Oh and every single skill with the technique that my Quirk is basically the Quirk version of also crammed into my head. But, of course, Satoru doesn’t say that out loud as he just shrugs. “Nah. They’re just weak,” he says.

“Still impressive,” says Hagakure.

The two of them jog forward in time to see Todoroki unleash another burst of ice that freezes several more villains. He walks up to one of them and tilts his head to the side, asking something that Satoru is too far away to hear. As he gets closer though, he hears Todoroki hum to himself.

“Divide and conquer, huh?” he says. “Forgive me for saying so but it’s hard to see you guys as anymore than thugs with Quirks you can’t even handle.”

“Bastard! The second he was warped here...is he really just a kid? Ow!” one of the villains says.

Satoru casually strides up to them and waves a hand at Todoroki. “Yo, Todoroki. I see you took care of these weaklings pretty quickly, eh?” he says.

Todoroki lets loose a frosty breath. “There were more but they went off in the direction you just came from,” he says.

“Yup. Took care of ‘em myself pretty easily,” says Satoru as he leans back on the heels of his feet and grins.

“How are you and Midoriya twins? You’re clearly far more arrogant than him.”

Satoru just shrugs. “I, at least, back it up,” he says. “So what’s up with these idiots? What are they planning?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out now.” Todoroki moves closer to the villains. “At this rate, your skin’ll rot away from frostbite. But I’m trying to become a hero, and heroes don’t do such horrible things. What makes you think you can kill All Might? Tell me the plan.”

The villain swallows. “We...We were just hired to...to keep you kids busy and use you to draw All Might here. T...T...Our leader...he has a creature that he says is capable of withstanding All Might when he...he’s at his full power. R...Rumor has it that A...All Might is w...weaker now though s...so our leader t...thinks this creature c...can kill him.”

He twists his head and glances at Satoru. “A...And we w...were also t...tasked with trying to kill y...you and three others,” he adds.

“Three others, huh?” Satoru tilts his head to the side. “Who?”

“T...The boy with black h...hair and dark blue eyes and...and tattoos on his back. The b...boy with pink hair. And the boy with long black hair.”

Satoru narrows his eyes. Why were these villains sent to try and kill me, Amajiki, Togata, and Hado? “Was that the orders of the leader who is trying to kill All Might?” he asks.

“N...No. It...It came f...from the leader’s a...accomplice. Umm, d...don’t know his n...name but...but he...he is a really w...weird person. He...He’s got s...stitches in his head l...like a c...crown,” the villain stammers out, teeth chattering.

Satoru tenses, blood running cold. Of course he knew Kenjaku was still alive and well in this age. He was the one who placed that bounty on his head last year, according to the detective’s connections, but to find out he’s helping out the same villains who are trying to kill All Might leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He can’t begin to figure out why but, then, he was never really given the chance to truly figure out Kenjaku’s motivations or his true plans in his last life anyway.

“You know that person?” Todoroki asks.

“I...I’ve heard of him,” Satoru says finally. “Last year, something happened that I had to deal with and he was behind it. I just know that he has stitches wrapped around his head like a crown but that’s it.”

“Mm.” Todoroki moves forward. “After I thaw ‘em out, they might be too in shock to try and attack us again but we should be on our guard.”

Satoru nods and watches as Todoroki proceeds to thaw out everyone. They all collapse and don’t move toward them, though they are still breathing so that’s good. “What now?” he says.

“We should try and get back to the main gates,” says Hagakure. “That way we can get out of here and try and call for help.”

“If All Might does come then he does need to be warned about that creature that is, supposedly, as strong as he is,” says Todoroki. “But three of our classmates are also being targeted and we don’t know where they are.”

Satoru grimaces. “I think we should get out of this zone soon before more villains show up and then figure out what to do,” he says.

“I can agree with that,” Hagakure says. “I really don’t want to encounter anymore villains, even if I’m sure you two will be able to handle them… Wait, look out!”

Todoroki whirls around and a surge of ice rushes forward and catches the villain that attempted to slam a spear at Todoroki.

Satoru pivots and grabs the villain about to attack him with Blue while applying Blue to the villain Todoroki froze, causing both of them to be attracted to each other. They both slam so hard that the ice surrounding the young man shatters and they both knock each other out. They slump to the ground and Satoru pivots.

“I should be able to find everyone though,” he says.

“How?” Hagakure asks.

Satoru reaches up a hand and removes his blindfold, exposing his vibrant and mesmerizing blue eyes. Activating his Quirk, he uses Blue to jump into the air and scans the area, immediately pinpointing the location of seventeen flows of Quirk energy belonging to the rest of his classmates, as well as Aizawa’s Quirk energy and Thirteen’s Quirk energy, while filtering out the Quirk energies of the villains themselves. Had he not had the memories, and skills, of his last life coexisting alongside the memories he has made, and is making, of this life then he knows he wouldn’t have been able to filter what he wants to know in the flood of information Six Eyes is feeding his brain.

He quickly determines that Amajiki, Uraraka, Shoji, Sero, Ashido, and Ida are located by the front doors along with Thirteen, though the weaker flow of non-Quirk energy suggests that both Thirteen and Amajiki are down for the count. He quickly learned, a while ago, that if the flow of non-Quirk energy is weaker than normal than it usually indicates an injury. It’s why it was one of the first things he noticed about All Might before finding out about his injury.

He quickly determines that his brother, Togata, and Asui are at the edge of the Flood Zone, Yaoyorozu, Jirou, and Kaminari are in the Mountain Zone, Bakugo and Kirishima are in the Ruins Zone, Tokoyami and Koda are in the Downpour Zone, Hado is by himself in the Conflagration Zone, and Aizawa is in the Plaza.

His brow furrows as his Six Eyes turn toward the plaza. His eyes widen when they catch sight of many flows of Quirk energy all surrounding a single being. And each flow is different from the next one. They aren’t the same. They are all different, which suggests that the being they are flowing around has more than one Quirk. That’s possible?

He doesn’t bother on floating back down to join his companions. He just teleports directly to their side and, ignoring the way Hagakure jump with a yelp, turns to Todoroki. “I got the location of everyone,” he says. “But there’s something in the Plaza that has multiple Quirks.”

“M...Multiple Quirks?!” Hagakure cries in surprise.

“It had multiple flows of Quirk energy around it so I figure that means it has multiple Quirks. I don’t think Aizawa realizes it though ‘cause it hasn’t attacked yet,” says Satoru.

“W...What do we do?” Hagakure asks. She is clearly trying to sound brave but there is a slight hitch of terror in her voice.

“Getting in the way of Aizawa’s fight will only distract him,” Todoroki murmurs.

“But if we could get word to him about that creature with the multiple Quirks, it should help him,” says Satoru.

“True. We should get out of this zone first and then figure out what to do.”

Satoru nods and the three of them dart toward the edge of the Landslide Zone.

. . .

Megumi casually rests his chin on the palm of his hand as he peers at the pile of unconscious, or groaning in pain, bodies laying in a tangle of limbs beneath him. His Divine Dogs are currently perched on a few more villains while his Great Serpent is coiled around a few more who are staring at the massive snake made entirely out of solidified shadows with abject terror in their eyes.

He lets loose a soft breath and coughs when smoke enters his lungs before he peers down at one villain who groans beneath his foot. “Oy, are you going to answer me now?” he deadpans as he rests his foot on the villain’s face and he winces but stays silent.

Waking up on the roof of one of the buildings in this zone and surrounded by smoke and fire is not the most ideal way to wake up. Waking up like that with a pounding migraine is worse and waking up with that pounding migraine and memories of a literal past life spiraling around the memories he’s made in this life is way worse than that.

And, of course, matters had to be made even more worse by the fact that he was attacked by villains the instant he got off the building. All of them had their Quirks activated but Megumi, too tired and too much in pain to even bother on holding back, just sicced every single one of his Shadow Beasts, with the exception of one, on them. And then took the fight to some of them himself, most definitely living up to the delinquent title he had during middle school in both of his lives by beating up every single villain who wasn’t being beat up by his Shadow Beasts.

It’s not as if Megumi wasn’t scared about the fact that there are so many villains around him. It’s that he is mostly just annoyed that he would regain memories of a past life at the worst possible time. Instead of just appearing to him while he was nice and safe and at home, they just had to appear while he was in the middle of a life or death situation.

Just my freaking luck. If Gojo was reincarnated in this age, I’m blaming him. But, truth be told, Megumi probably won’t because just thinking about Gojo brings up memories of guilt and sadness and regret. He still remembers the last time he saw Gojo in his last life, because Sukuna made him watch. He made Megumi watch as he used Megumi’s own technique, in the form of Mahoraga, to break through Gojo’s Infinity. He made Megumi watch as he cut Gojo in half and killed him.

He made Megumi watch his legal guardian, and the man who was the only father figure Megumi ever had, die.

And Megumi was unable to do anything to stop it. All he could do was watch in horror as Gojo was killed. Gojo was the man who took care of him and Tsumiki for most of their lives, the man who made sure they had food and clothes and a roof over their heads, the man who made sure all their bills were taken care of, the man who went out of his way to ensure Megumi wouldn’t get sold to the Zenin Clan and that Tsumiki would have the chance to be happy.

The man who did all of that at only seventeen years old.

Gojo was only a teenager when he did all of that for Megumi and his sister in his last life. He wasn’t even a legal adult when he did all of that, when he took on that responsibility, and Megumi, looking back, never truly appreciated it. He was a brat to Gojo after Gojo became his legal guardian and he always saw Gojo as a carefree, eccentric, idiot, both as a kid and as a teenager.

But, it was in that moment, it was when he saw Gojo die, that he came to the realization that it didn’t matter. Gojo being a carefree, eccentric idiot didn’t matter because Megumi still loved him. Gojo was the father figure Megumi never had. But, because of Megumi’s own stubbornness and own pride, he couldn’t admit that he loved Gojo until the very end, until he was forced to watch his father figure get taken from him, and because of his own technique at that.

Megumi grits his teeth as he scrubs his eyes, trying to will away the tears. As he does so, he finds himself thinking about Satoru Midoriya, the older of the Midoriya twins who bears such an unkindly resemblance to the Satoru Gojo whom Megumi first met as a first grader. He wonders if Gojo was also reincarnated, if Satoru Midroiya is Satoru Gojo reincarnated.

And a part of Megumi wants that to be true because if it’s true then he might have the chance to actually pay Gojo back for all that he did for him in his last life.

But, more than that, Megumi can ensure that the same fate that befell his father figure in his last life did not befall Satoru Midoriya, if they really are the same person, in this life.

He just doesn’t know though. It could just be a coincidence that Satoru Midoriya looks like Satoru Gojo as a teenager and acts like him quite a bit. But Megumi doesn’t believe in coincidence but, until he has proof, he can’t do anything about his suspicions.

Just like he can’t do anything about his suspicions about Yuji Togata being the reincarnation of Yuji Itadori or Nobara Uraraka being the reincarnation of Nobara Kugisaki. Of course, those suspicions only came about after he regained his memories of his past life after he literally landed on his head when he was warped to the Conflagration Zone.

And, of course, he had other things to worry about until he and his Shadow Beasts were able to take care of the villains.

“H...How are you a kid?” one of the villains towards the bottom of the pile of tangled villains blurts.

Megumi peers down at him as he removes his chin from his palm. “Oh, you’re still conscious? Are you gonna answer me? How do you hope to kill the Symbol of Peace? And do you have other orders beyond that one?” he says.

“Don’t say nothing,” the villain whose face Megumi currently has his foot pressed against says firmly.

“Is it pride that’s stopping you from answering me after you’ve already been beat, or fear?” Megumi wonders aloud. “If it’s pride then I am all for beating you all again. I can’t stand those who do things just to feed their own pride, even if it means hurting or humiliating others.”

The villain swallows. “O...Our boss will kill us if we say anything,” he stammers out.

“Oh? So not out of pride? Well, no matter. I doubt you’ll actually succeed in killing the Symbol of Peace,” says Megumi as he removes his foot from the villain’s face and stands up, ignoring the yelps of pain from the villains as he uses them as a springboard to hop off the pile of tangled villains. His Divine Dogs and Great Serpent move over to join them and he holds out his hand toward them, gently running his hand over both of his Divine Dogs’ heads, a small smile crossing his lips.

His Shadow Beasts may not be the same as his shikigami but they act the same, almost like they are his Quirk’s version of the Ten Shadows technique he had in his last life. And it’s nice to have both of his Divine Dogs and his Great Serpent with him again.

But, for now, he needs to get out of there and try and figure out more about what is actually happening outside of his zone. He deactivates his Quirk and, as the solidified shadows vanish and their tattoos reappear around his stomach and on his back, he jogs toward the edge of the zone. When a villain leaps out at him from an alley currently on fire, Megumi dodges out of the way, grabs the man’s arm and, twisting it around, promptly slams his face straight into the ground while jamming his knee into the man’s back and twisting the man’s arm at an odd angle behind him.

The villain yelps.

“Maybe you’ll answer me,” Megumi says. “How do you hope to kill the Symbol of Peace? And what other orders do you have besides that one?”

The villain groans in pain. “Our leader’s got this creature who is supposedly as strong as All Might at his full strength. And we were only also told to try and kill you and three others,” he says.

“Who?”

The villain describes them and Megumi narrows his eyes at the realization that the villains were told to try and kill Satoru, Togata, and Amajiki too. But why? Why do we have targets on our backs?

He doesn’t know but, right now, it doesn’t matter. “Are there any more of your lot in this direction?” he asks and, when the villain shakes his head, he hums and promptly knocks the villain out before jumping to his feet.

He clasps his hands together to form the shadow puppet of a dog but only summons one of his Divine Dogs made out of solidified shadows. “Lead me outta here and let me know if you find any other villains,” he says to the dog who barks in agreement and bounds off and Megumi swiftly jogs after him.

. . .

Yuji spits out some water as he, Izuku, and Asui swim away from the whirlpool Izuku just created in the middle of the Flood Zone. He is grateful they were able to defeat all of the villains thanks to Izuku’s impromptu plan, even if it did result in Izuku breaking a finger and him admitting that, at the last second, he forgot all the exercises his brother taught him on regulating the power of his Quirk. He’s just glad it wasn’t worse because he doesn’t like seeing anyone get hurt.

His head is still throbbing painfully and he is still dealing with those memories of a life he led before coexisting alongside the life he is living now. Many of them are bad but some of them are good and, while Yuji is trying to focus on the good ones in the hope it will ease the pain, it’s not going so well. Being forced to remember an entire past life while fighting for his life against a horde of villains trying to kill him and his classmates isn’t easy at all.

Even though Yuji knows now really isn’t the time, he can’t help but wonder if anyone else got reincarnated or if he’s the only one. He wants to believe that Gojo, Megumi, and Nobara were given the same second chance he was, since they all suffered so much in his past life. He remembers it. He remembers watching Gojo and Nobara and Megumi die.

He still feels guilty over all of their deaths but, truthfully, the one he felt he could have prevented was Gojo’s. He could have jumped in to help once he saw that Sukuna wasn’t quite as defeated as everyone thought he was after he got hit with Gojo’s most powerful attack. But it all happened so fast, Sukuna using Mahoraga to adapt to Gojo’s Infinity in order to get past it, Sukuna using his own technique to hit Gojo after getting past his Infinity. It just happened way too fast but that doesn’t ease the guilt. It just doesn’t.

He doesn’t think he will ever truly stop feeling guilty over not being able to do anything to prevent the death of the teacher who is the reason why he was as strong as he was, who was the reason why Yuji was even alive at that point, who was someone Yuji had come to truly care for.

He shakes his head because he needs to focus. What’s more important right now isn’t the memories of his past life, it’s the fact that he, Izuku, and Asui are still in danger, that they are still facing off against hordes of villains, that they are still stuck on the wrong side of the U.S.J. with far too many villains between them and safety.

“So what do we do know?” asks Asui.

“Right. For now, calling for help is our top priority,” says Izuku. “If possible, we should follow the shoreline and make for the exit, avoiding the plaza altogether.”

Yuji nods in agreement. That will prevent them from getting in the way of Aizawa. He winces because nodding hurts his head and, when Asui and Izuku glance at him in concern, he waves away their concern. “I’m fine. My head’s still hurting a bit,” he admits. “But your plan sounds like a good one.”

“Looks like Aizawa-sensei is drawing a large number of them to the plaza,” Asui says.

Yuji peers toward the plaza and, sure enough, he can see Aizawa tearing through the enemies like they are made out of pieces of paper. Already scattered throughout the plaza are several unconscious villains, or villains who are groaning and in too much pain to even bother on moving, and he can’t help but whistle at how amazing Aizawa is.

“So badass,” he says. He would have to say that Aizawa is definitely up there with Gojo and Nanami in terms of being badass fighters. But thinking about Gojo and Nanami brings with it memories of the last time he saw them and he can’t deal with those sad memories right now so he shoves them aside for the time being.
“There’s too many of them,” says Izuku uncertainly. “Of course he’s more than holding his own out there but it’s too much for him. He knew that but he jumped in to protect us.”

“That’s what teachers do. The good ones ain’t gonna put their students into danger and will protect ‘em,” says Yuji. Once again, this comes from experience since he remembers Gojo and Nanami doing the same thing whenever it was needed, like during the Kyoto Goodwill Event or Shibuya.

“I know that but if we can lighten Aizawa-sensei’s load then we should,” says Izuku.

Yuji peers at the plaza where Aizawa is still managing to tear through the enemies and immediately goes after the blue-haired young man. It’s at that moment that he realizes the man with the stitches wrapped around his head like a crown is gone. “Wait, there was someone else with that blue-haired guy. Where’d he go?” he says.

“I don’t know, ribbit,” Asui says.

“That’s not good ‘cause he could attack any of us from behind,” says Izuku worriedly.

“I think we should be more concerned with the fact that we still don’t know what that is,” Yuji points out, pointing to the grotesque creature with the exposed brain who is still hovering nearby but hasn’t made a single move. While he is worried about the man with the stitches, since those stitches around the man’s head like a crown reminds Yuji far too much of Kenjaku, that isn’t the immediate threat.

“It hasn’t moved yet though, ribbit,” Asui says.

“Yeah but why else is it here? It can’t be just to stand there and look menacing, right?”

“True.”

“Wait, oh shit!” Yuji stares in horror and Asui and Izuku gasp, eyes widening as the grotesque creature suddenly moves swiftly to Aizawa’s side, grabs his head, and promptly slams it so hard into the stone ground that blood sprays and his yellow goggles are knocked clean off his face.

“No, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku gasps while Asui lets out a tiny little croak of fear as she sinks beneath the water a little bit.

What is that creature? Yuji doesn’t know but he doesn’t like this one bit. This whole mess just got way more complicated and Yuji grips his hands into fists as he tries to consider a way to help. But, at the same time, he feels like he may be terribly outclassed against that creature, even with his strength and his Quirk.

Aizawa-sensei…

But, at the same time, the thought of watching yet another teacher who protected him and taught him get hurt, or killed, is painful, so painful that the only thing stopping Yuji from launching himself at the creature is the simple fact that Aizawa’s Quirk doesn’t seem to be fazing the creature. And that means the sheer strength with which he is keeping Aizawa pinned is its own and Yuji doesn’t think he can compare to that as he is now.

He wants to help. He really does. But, in this situation, he finds himself feeling just as helpless as the last time he was forced to watch his teacher fight for his life.

He hates that feeling. He does. But what is he supposed to do?

. . .

Chapter Text

“...jiki! Amajiki!”

Suguru groans as he stirs to find Sero kneeling beside him with concern on his face as he rests a hand on his shoulder. Holding his head, that is currently swimming and throbbing from the collision with the wall and from the massive rush of memories of a past life that are spiraling around the memories of his current life, he slowly lifts his head. He grimaces upon seeing the shadow villain had, once again, taken up a position in front of the door while Uraraka and Ashido are still crouched by Thirteen’s downed form and Shoji is perched in front of Suguru.

But Suguru’s eyes fix on the man with the stitches wrapped around his temple like a crown. He still doesn’t quite recognize him but, when he sees him, his soul throbs with a sincere anger that suggests this man does have a connection to him from his past life but one he hasn’t quite figured out yet.

He may have regained every single memory of his past life, all the little details and snippets slotting into the empty places of the nightmares that have been intruding upon his sleep often since last July, but none of those memories talk about this guy.

No, they are all of the terrible deeds Suguru did as a curse user or the terrible memories like Riko Amanai’s death or Satoru Gojo’s near death, both at the hands of Toji Fushiguro, or the massacre of that village after Suguru found Nanako and Mimiko or of Suguru’s own spiral into depression that eventually led to him thinking eradicating non-sorcerers was the best way to go. Or even his own death, at the hands of his best friend.

But, when he thinks about that, he still thinks about Satoru’s final words.

“We’ll meet again.”

Those words stick with him as do the good memories that lay interwoven with the bad. His time with Satoru and Shoko at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech before the disastrous mission involving the Star Plasma Vessel, and the time he spent with Satoru beyond just their classes. Those memories include when they would sneak out into the city and go buying sweets or biking around the park or trying to get into nightclubs just to see if they could or trying to buy alcohol just to see if they could or finding out Satoru is such a lightweight that half a martini, of all things, is enough to get him drunk.

They had such good times. His past life may have been filled with trauma and tragedy after what happened with Riko but there were some good times.

He is glad he didn’t lose those memories but, at the same time, he doesn’t know what to do now that he’s regained all of his memories of his past life. His memories of Suguru Geto, who was both the second strongest jujutsu sorcerer and the strongest curse user who lived more than four hundred years ago, came with scars. Those scars will never leave his soul, will never leave his mind, will never leave his heart.

But it was his past life. It was a literal lifetime ago. Suguru doesn’t know what that truly means for him now. Can he really continue to live his current life with the scars of his past life weighing heavily on his soul? Or should he just not let the scars of his past life define him?

This is a brand new age where jujutsu sorcery doesn’t even exist and if cursed energy does exist then it seems to be overpowered by the sheer presence of the Quirked that make up eighty percent of the world’s population.

Can I truly start over? I mean I’ve lived in this age, without my memories of my past life, for the past fifteen years. Has regaining my memories of my past life changed that? Truth be told, Suguru is almost positive it hasn’t.

He is Suguru Amajiki. He is the younger brother of Tamaki Amajiki. He is the best friend of Yuji Togata. He is a hero in training. He is a student at U.A. High School. He is a student who is part of Class 1-A.

That is who he is.

He isn’t the jujutsu sorcerer or curse user of his past life because such professions, and such powers, don’t seem to exist in this age of Quirks.

“Amajiki?” Sero says in concern.

“I’m okay,” says Suguru as he slowly rises to his feet, ignoring the blood sliding down the side of his face, probably from his collision with the wall.

He turns his attention to the man with the stitches around his forehead. Right now, that is the more dangerous enemy and, right now, that enemy is the reason why Ida can’t get out of the U.S.J. Even if they are able to distract the shadow villain, that man with the stitches can freeze time and, while it seems like he can only use it twice within a certain amount of time, it can still stop Ida in his tracks.

If Satoru were here, he could easily figure out this man’s weakness but, since he’s not, I’ll have to do what I can.

But he isn’t the same Suguru Amajiki as earlier. He realizes it now. That man is right, even though he doesn’t know how this man knew about the technique he had in his last life. But his technique in his last life really is incredibly similar to his Quirk in this life. The only difference is that Suguru doesn’t have to ingest anything to obtain control of his Nightmares, like he had to in his past life to obtain control of his cursed spirits.

But that means he should be able to summon more than just a couple of Nightmares at once and send them all at the man at the same time. Even if he does freeze them, Suguru might be able to take advantage of that fact. He doesn’t know how this man’s Quirk works but all Quirks have drawbacks and, perhaps, vision is this man’s.

If he can block the man’s vision with his Nightmares then that might be enough to give Ida time to get out of there.

“Sero,” he says. “I’m going to distract that man. I need you and Shoji to do what you can to help Ida get out of here.”

“Are you sure, Amajiki?” asks Shoji worriedly.

Suguru grins, sharp and feral, as he splays out his hands and his shadow writhes and erupts behind him, immediately forming into a variety of grotesque nightmarish Nightmares. The bone-white skeletal serpentine dragon, the hookworm, the serpent, the humanoid, and even a few bulbous creatures with large eyes. They all surge forward at a single gesture of Suguru’s hand, startling the man who clearly either didn’t expect Suguru to be conscious, or for him to send so many Nightmares after him.

“Shoji, Sero, go,” he shouts as he darts after his Nightmares, summoning the manta ray one and jumping onto its back as he moves. As it surges forward, he notices the way the man’s eyes glow silver and all of his Nightmares within the man’s line of sight suddenly freeze but the manta ray, which is above the man, isn’t affected.

Just as I thought. It’s vision-based!

Suguru jumps off the manta ray and the man only barely manages to dodge out of the way to avoid him crashing into him. He dodges the punch Suguru aims at his face and dances out of the way to avoid the kick but the glow in his eyes remains.

“I see. You can only use your Quirk on whatever is in your line of sight at the time of activation,” Suguru realizes. “But, if you turn off your Quirk now and try and use it on me, my Nightmares won’t be affected.”

“Hn. I guess that was rather obvious of me,” the man says, not looking the slightest bit fazed as he catches Suguru’s punches and drives his own fist toward Suguru. Suguru ducks to avoid the fist and uses his leg to try and sweep the man’s feet out from underneath him. He manages to dance back to avoid that, only to realize too late that it was a feint when Suguru jumps forward and brings his knee straight into the man’s gut and slams a fist into his face at the same time. He stumble back and winces when Suguru crashes a roundhouse kick straight into his head with enough force to knock him off his feet.

He pivots in time to see Ida surging toward the entrance while the shadow villain surges after him, declaring, “how impertinent! I won’t allow you to leave.”

“Uraraka, the metal plating,” Suguru shouts as he jumps forward and crashes his entire weight into the man, pinning him down and slamming his face into the ground so he can’t use his Quirk.

“Got it!” Uraraka shouts as she jumps to her feet and bolts toward the shadow villain, her eyes trained on the metal plating just barely visible beneath all the swirling shadows. She dives forward and grabs the metal plating, touching the pads of her fingers to it.

“I’m not sure why but if you’re wearing this thing then you must have a real body in there! Now go, Ida!” Uraraka shouts as she flings the metal plating upward, causing the shadow villain to be yanked backwards.

Tape surges forward to wrap around the metal plating and Sero flings it upward, yanking the shadow villain further away from Ida. “Go! Do it!” he shouts.

Ida surges forward and, grabbing the door, yanks it open and surges past it. “I will be back!” he yells. “Recipro Burst!” And then he’s gone, running so fast that he leaves a massive dust trail in his wake that’s barely visible beyond the slightly ajar door.

“Sero, can you use some of your tape to get this guy tied up?” Suguru asks as he casually shifts so he is sitting on the man’s back while keeping one hand on the back of the man’s head so he can’t lift it and use his Quirk. “Oh and blindfold his eyes. That’s how his Quirk works.”

“Sure,” Sero says and, jogging to Suguru’s side, immediately uses his tape to help Suguru tie the man with the stitches up before wrapping several pieces of tape around the man’s eyes.

The man chuckles. “You hero kids sure are something,” he says, still not even the slightest bit fazed and Suguru has to wonder at how this man is able to keep calm even though he clearly lost. “I guess I can give you this win. It was entertaining though. I wonder how you hero kids will entertain me in the future.”

“You’re one weird ass person, you know that?” Sero deadpans.

The man just rests his head on the ground and snickers but doesn’t bother on responding.

Suguru gets to his feet and promptly sways, one hand going to his head that is still throbbing even as exhaustion still rushes through him. His legs tremble and Sero only barely manages to catch him when his legs give out on him.

“Whoa there, buddy. You don’t look so good,” says Sero.

“Just...tired,” Suguru says as he dismisses his Nightmares and they return to the pocket dimension existing within his shadow. “Probably overdid it with my Quirk.”

“I’ll say. Rest up. I think we might be okay right now,” says Sero.

Suguru isn’t so sure but he holds on to the hope that this conflict is almost over.

. . .

Izuku stares in utter horror at his teacher’s motionless body, laying so still beneath the grotesque dark-blue skinned creature with the exposed brain. Asui is croaking in concern while Togata seems to have gone into shock with guilt and sadness warring in his brown eyes. Izuku isn’t sure as to why he is feeling guilty but he can definitely understand the shock. All three of them wince when the creature snaps Aizawa’s arm and a scream of pain escapes the teacher’s lips.

“T...This is bad…” Togata whispers.

Izuku swallows but nods in agreement.

“Ribbit…” Asui croaks in fear.

“Tomura Shigaraki,” the shadow villain from earlier says as he materializes behind the blue-haired man.

“Kurogiri, is Thirteen dead?” Shigaraki asks.

“Thirteen is incapacitated,” says Kurogiri. “But so is Kenjaku. He was caught by one of the students and, unfortunately, another student managed to get out of the U.S.J. before I could warp him away.”

Togata goes still, face paling ever so slightly, at the mention of that name. Izuku isn’t too sure why his friend recognizes that name.

He does relax ever so slightly at the realization that one of his classmates got out. If it was Ida then help should be there quickly.

“Oh?” Shigaraki starts scratching at his neck vigorously. “Huh, Kurogori, you...I’d turn you to dust if you weren’t our ticket out of here! We won’t stand a chance against dozens of pros. It’s game over, man. It’s game over for now.” He pivots as he adds, “We’re leaving.”

“Huh, did he just say…?” Togata begins uncertainly.

“Did he just say we’re leaving?” Asui asks.

“I...think so,” says Izuku.

“But I got a bad feeling, Izuku,” says Asui.

Izuku nods in agreement because for Shigaraki to cause all of this and just up and leave. It doesn’t make any sense. There has to be something more to it but what that something more is, Izuku isn’t too sure. They did say that they want to kill All Might and Izuku doubts they will get another opportunity. What are they thinking? These guys…

“But, before that, let’s leave a few dead kids!”

That is the only warning Izuku gets before Shigaraki is suddenly surging toward them so fast that none of them have the time to react.

But someone else does.

Crackling red energy surges forward and slams into Shigaraki, repelling him away from Izuku, Asui, and Togata with such a force that it leaves a small scar carved into the stone plaza itself. Izuku gasps, recognizing that energy as Limitless, and whips his head around.

Satoru lands on the ground a few paces in front of them, gently letting go of Todoroki and Hagakure, and the three of them dart swiftly forward.

“Satoru!” Izuku gasps as he stares at his twin. “What…?”

“We were heading for the gates but we wanted to try and get warning to Aizawa ‘bout that creature, ‘cause it has multiple Quirks,” says Satoru. “Then we saw that guy attack you and, yeah, I ain’t gonna let my cute baby brother get hurt.”

Izuku can’t even find it in himself to get annoyed by that because he is too relieved to see that his brother, and two of his classmates, are all right.

“You…” Shigaraki snarls as he scrambles to his feet and adjusts the gray hand resting over his face. “You’re one of the four my master’s ally wanted to try and kill, but my master wants to keep alive. That power...what is with that power?”

“You wanna see what else it can do? Or are you too scared I’m gonna kick your ass with it?” Satoru taunts and Shigaraki snarls in fury.

“Satoru, don’t antagonize the villain,” Izuku groans.

“Does he have, like, no self-preservation or something?” asks Hagakure in bewilderment.

“Or something.” Truth be told, Izuku doesn’t even know why Satoru does this, why he taunts others like this. He always does it with Bakugo and, while he can back up his arrogant claims with skill since there is no denying he is skilled with his Quirk, Izuku just can’t fathom why anyone would purposely piss off their opponent like this.

“You’re an arrogant little bastard, aren’t you? Tch. Definitely not an NPC. I’d say you’re more like a miniboss,” says Shigaraki. “Well then, let’s see how you handle being up against an actual boss. Nomu, kill the white-haired one.”

The nomu releases Aizawa and surges toward Satoru.

“Satoru!” Izuku shrieks.

Satoru is gone though, vanishing into thin air and taking Hagakure and Todoroki with him. He reappears right beside Aizawa and, as he lets go of Hagakure and Todoroki’s arms, he points a finger at the nomu and crackling red light forms into an orb hovering in front of his fingertip and surges forward. The crackling blast of Red slams into Nomu. The strength of the repulsion creates a shockwave that sends the nomu skidding backwards a few meters while also nearly throwing Izuku, Asui, and Togata back into the water that is shoved so far backwards it crashes into the ruins of the ship and overturns it.

The Nomu lets out a guttural yell and charges at Satoru who swiftly dodges out of the way. He is using Blue. He has to be because there is no way he can be moving this fast on his own but Izuku is rather amazed by how fast he’s become. It’s only been a week since they started at U.A. and Izuku knows that, because of Satoru’s house arrest before they started school, he hasn’t really had the chance to practice with his Quirk since before the attack in July.

But he is using it like a seasoned Pro, like he’s been training with it for far longer than he actually has.

“Those moves… He’s moving like…” Togata trails off, eyes widening. “Can it be…?”

Izuku isn’t sure what Togata is talking about, or why he sounds so hopeful and sad and guilty all of a sudden, but he decides now isn’t the time to worry about that. He doesn’t know how long Satoru can keep this up. Right now, he is just dodging. He isn’t attacking but, considering his last attack didn’t even put a scratch on the nomu in spite of the power behind it, Izuku supposes he can understand why.

He, Togata, and Asui swiftly scramble out of the water while warily eyeing Shigaraki but, since it seems like Shigaraki is distracted by Satoru and Nomu’s fight, Izuku starts moving toward Aizawa. Togata and Asui hurry after him and, as they, Hagakure, and Todoroki kneel beside their semi-conscious teacher, Satoru continues to distract the nomu.

“What do we do?” asks Togata.

“We should try and carry him out of here,” says Izuku. “Togata, can you…?”

A crash sounds and Izuku whips his head around in time to see Satoru pushing away from the remnants of the fountain he just crashed into. He grimaces as blood slides down the side of his face but gets to his feet while one hand clutches at his side. “Tch. Strong punch you got there,” he says.

Izuku swallows at the realization that either the Nomu managed to get past Satoru’s Infinity somehow or Satoru doesn’t have Infinity up. He doesn’t know which it is and he doesn’t want to entertain the thought of it being the former because that’s dangerous to know there is something out there that can get past Satoru’s Infinity.

“Impressive. Some of Nomu’s attacks didn’t even reach you, ‘till that last one,” Shigaraki comments.

Satoru huffs and grins, spitting out some blood. “What can I say? I’m full of surprises,” he says and surges forward, pointing his finger at the Nomu and unleashing another blast of crackling Red that slams into Nomu with the force of a speeding truck. It sends Nomu skidding backwards several meters but, otherwise, still doesn’t even scratch it.

“Tch, its regeneration is annoying,” Satoru mutters as he lands on the ground beside Izuku and the rest of his little group. He sways a little and Izuku, jumping to his feet, immediately moves to his brother’s side.

“Satoru, your Infinity…” he begins.

“Fluctuating,” says Satoru. “Guess I haven’t quite perfected using it constantly without consequences. Ugh. The whole translating things is annoying. Didn’t realize the differences were a bit more numerous than anticipated.”

“Satoru…?”

“Huh? Oh, don’t mind me. Just thinking out loud! Hmm, I suppose I could try that but I dunno if it would work. Izuku, help your friends get Aizawa-sensei outta here. I’ll see what I can do to keep Nomu off your back.”

“Are you crazy?!” Hagakure cries. “That thing took out Aizawa-sensei and you’re gonna continue to fight it?!”

“Been called that before,” says Satoru with cheer in his voice. “But Aizawa is in no shape to fight, and he runs the risk of getting even more injured if he stays here. Go.”

Togata peers at Satoru for a long moment, then turns his head. “I think we should. I can carry him but we should all head back to the entrance, all of us. Izuku, you too.”

“But…” Izuku begins, not want to leave his brother who is currently firing off another Red to keep the Nomu at bay but who is also swaying and with beads of exhaustion beading on his forehead. His Quirk may be Limitless but it’s clear that, at this moment, he does still have a limit to how much of his Quirk he can actually use.

He grips his hands into fists. But I can help. I have One for All and I’m sure I can regulate enough of it to not break anything. I can help!

Nomu charges toward them and Satoru meets him and fires off another Red. The crackling red energy surges forward and slams into Nomu, sending it skidding backwards toward the water but it just shakes its head and charges toward Satoru again. Satoru dodges out of the way and, as the Nomu turns to face him, Togata uses that as his distraction to gently get Aizawa onto his back, with Todoroki’s and Hagakure’s help.

Togata starts moving toward the stairs leading toward the plaza with Asui, Hagakure, and Todoroki hurrying after him. “Izuku, c’mon,” he calls over his shoulder.

Izuku starts backing up but freezes when the nomu surges forward and, when Satoru’s attempt to use Red again doesn’t work, he is forced to dodge out of the way. But he doesn’t dodge fast enough, which suggests he may not be able to use Blue right now, and the nomu’s fist collides with his side. He gasps as he’s sent flying to the side, crashing hard into the ground and skidding across it.

The nomu whirls around and charges at Satoru as he tries to get to his feet, spitting out some blood and clutching at his side.

No! Izuku activates One for All and, spreading it as evenly throughout his body as he possibly can, surges forward. He isn’t even aware of the crackling green lightning wrapping around his body, nor is he aware of the way the power spreads throughout his entire body like a warm shawl. All he cares about is getting to his brother.

“Get away from my brother! Smash!” he screams as he slams his fist straight into the nomu with enough force to generate a shockwave that sends everything around the two of them flying. Satoru is sent skidding backwards a few more meters while Shigaraki is thrown off his feet.

But the nomu remains untouched.

Izuku’s eyes widened. Sure, he didn’t use the full power of One for All but it doesn’t even seem as if the nomu is even hurt, as if that punch was nothing more than an irritating bug bite or something equally as inconsequential.

“Smash, huh?” Shigaraki says. “You some sort of All Might fan? Well, whatever. Nomu, kill the green one too!”

The nomu lets out another guttural yell and drives a fist toward Izuku.

Izuku gasps as he finds himself shoved to the side and, as he slams into the ground, he whips his head around in time to see Satoru take the full brunt of the fist straight into his side. Blood erupts from his mouth again as he flies to the side and crashes so hard into the ground, he leaves a small crater.

“S...Satoru!” Izuku scrambles to his feet, grateful that Satoru’s exercises helped to ensure he didn’t accidentally break his legs, and darts toward his brother. Satoru doesn’t look so good, even though he is, somehow, still conscious. His eyes may not be visible but his face is contorted in pain and blood is leaking out of his mouth and sliding down the side of his head. He is also clutching at his side as he tries to sit up.

The nomu charges toward him and Izuku immediately crouches protectively over his brother.

Satoru grabs him and flips their position so he is crouched protectively over Izuku instead. Izuku stares but Satoru gives him a faint smile as he turns to glare at the nomu.

The nomu surges forward and drives a fist forward, only for a blur of pink to suddenly slam into its side. It’s not enough to damage it or budge it but it is enough to distract it and it whips its head around as Togata jumps back.

“Don’t you dare hurt Satoru anymore!” he shouts.

Howls sound suddenly and Izuku gasps as dogs made out of solidified shadows suddenly surge forward and launch themselves at the nomu, sinking their claws and teeth straight into the nomu’s arms. The nomu howls and tries to shake them free while Togata, surprised, shakes his head and moves toward them.

Izuku turns his head as Hado, lowering his hands, swiftly darts toward them. He kneels down beside Satoru. “We’re getting both of you out of here,” he says.

“We’re not gonna let that thing hurt you anymore,” Togata says firmly.

Satoru tilts his head toward them but, because of the blindfold, Izuku has no idea as to what his brother is actually feeling in the face of this.

The nomu slams its arms down and the shadow dogs are forced to release its arms before they hit the ground. They bound back and Hado dismisses them before hooking his thumbs, performing the shadow puppet of a bird, and the bird-shaped tattoo on his back flies up and solidifies into a shadow winged beast with electricity around its wings. It surges forward and starts slamming its electrified wings into the nomu, causing it to howl in annoyance.

“How annoying! So many NPCs just showing up out of nowhere! And no All Might at all!” Shigaraki shrieks in anger and charges toward them, fingers outstretched and Izuku, remembering seeing those fingers cause part of Aizawa’s elbow to disintegrate, gasps.

“Don’t let him touch you,” he cries.

Togata jumps in front of Satoru and, jerking his head to the side in time to avoid those fingers, drives a fist straight into Shigaraki’s face. Izuku doesn’t know if he applied his Quirk’s power or if that is just his strength alone but the punch is enough to send Shigaraki flying straight into the water of the Flood Zone.

“That should distract him for a bit. C’mon, we gotta move,” says Togata as he whirls around.

“What about Aizawa?” Satoru asks tiredly.

“Asui and Hagakure got him.”

The nomu, grabbing the winged shadow beast by the talon and throwing it aside, charges toward them, only to slam face first into a thick wall of ice.

Todoroki, letting out a frosty breath, moves toward them. “That won’t keep it at bay for long,” he says as Hado, after quietly telling Satoru to drop his Barrier, helps him to his feet and Izuku scrambles to his feet as well. “But we need to move.”

Izuku nods and the five of them start slowly making their way away from the sight. The sound of shattering ice sounds and Izuku turns because that ice didn’t even slow the nomu down for more than a few moments. What is that thing?

Satoru breaks free from Hado.

“What are you doing?” Hado demands.

Satoru doesn’t respond as he yanks his blindfold free from his eyes and, clasping his hands together, holds out his arm, extending his index finger and pinky while keeping the rest folded before extending his middle finger. “Hollow Purple!”

Izuku gasps as a surge of purple-tinged pure energy surges forward away from Satoru. It cuts a deep gash into the plaza itself and, when it strikes the nomu, it tears through its stomach and its arm and its leg, obliterating all three body parts in an instant along with the fountain, the ground, and the wall beyond the nomu.

Satoru crumples to the ground, panting as the nomu staggers and collapses onto its remaining side. “That...That should...should keep it down...for...for a little bit longer,” he stammers out. “D...Didn’t...Couldn’t apply my...my full power though.”

“You idiot,” Hado says in annoyance as he catches Satoru before he can collapse fully onto the ground.

“Been...called that...many times...before...too…” Satoru’s eyes flutter as he sags, bonelessly, against Hado who staggers under the sudden deadweight of the unconscious tall, lanky white-haired boy.

“W...Wait, didn’t...didn’t Satoru say that this thing can regenerate?” asks Togata.

“Shit,” Hado growls.

“W...We...gotta move and get as far away from it as we can before it does regenerate,” says Izuku.

“Oh you’re not going anywhere,” Shigaraki snarls as he, climbing out of the water, charges toward them, only to stumble when his feet are suddenly frozen to the ground. The ice surges upward at such a fast pace that it completely engulfs him from the neck down while leaving his fingers exposed but exposed in such a way that they can’t be bent.

“Such control,” Izuku breathes, glancing at Todoroki as he lets out another frosty breath and shivers. He frowns because it looks like he might be overusing his Quirk but, if he really does have access to fire on his left side then he should be able to use that to warm himself up.

The nomu howls and Izuku whirls around, cursing at the realization that Shigaraki’s return distracted them and allowed time for the nomu to regenerate the parts of its body that Satoru destroyed with his Quirk.

They haven’t even made it a few meters away from the plaza before that happened.

The nomu charges toward them.

“I won’t let you harm any of them!” A voice suddenly shouts out. “Maximum! Uzumaki!”

Izuku gasps as Amajiki, jumping off the manta ray he was riding on the back of, lands in front of them and holds out a hand above his head. His shadow surges upward and spirals above his head. Nightmares of various sizes and shapes spiral together to form a pulsating orb of pure darkness that also pulsates with power.

Amajiki thrusts his hand forward and the orb of crackling, spiraling, Nightmare-fueled energy surges forward and slams straight into Nomu. Nomu howls as it’s sent flying backwards and crashes through the wall of the zone right behind them that explodes around it and collapses on its head. It doesn’t get back up and Amajiki, pivoting, moves to Hado’s side.

“That should keep it down for a bit. I’ve got Satoru,” he says as he, reaching down, gently gathers the tall, lanky boy into his arms and stands up.

Hado eyes him with a puzzled frown. “Why do you look familiar?” he murmurs.

“No idea but, right now, we have other things to worry about,” says Amajiki. Izuku notices he does look rather tired but he clearly isn’t letting it faze him as he starts heading toward the stairs. “Ida got out so help should be arriving anytime now.”

Izuku relaxes ever so slightly. He’s grateful that Ida got out and help is incoming.

They move swiftly away from the scene and Izuku hopes that they will be able to get to safety soon, and that help will come soon, and that his brother will be all right.

He peers at his brother’s unconscious form, swallowing at how limp he lay in Amajiki’s arms with his head resting on Amajiki’s shoulder. Blood still slides down the side of his head and out of the corner of his mouth but Izuku notices he doesn’t look in pain anymore. He doesn’t know if that means he’s too unconscious to notice the pain, or if the self-healing aspect of his Quirk finally kicked in.

He finds himself hoping it’s the latter and his brother will be all right.

Please be all right, Satoru. Please. I don’t want to lose you.

. . .

Yuji can’t help but glance at Satoru’s unconscious form being held in Suguru’s arms. Seeing the way Satoru moved, the skill with which he handled his Quirk, just made him think about his teacher even more. It’s not just that Satoru looks like a teenage version of his teacher from his past life nor is it just that he acts like a teenage version of that teacher but he also moves like that teacher and the way he uses his Quirk is so eerily similar to the way his teacher from his past life used his technique.

I don’t want to get my hopes up but if...if it’s really…

He wants it to be true. He wants his teacher to have been granted the same second chance he was granted in this Quirky new age. And, while many pieces of evidence are pointing to it being true, he just doesn’t have enough concrete evidence to prove it. Either that or he’s simply overthinking mattes, which he does do. He’s not the smartest nor is he the most observant but he likes to think he’s right in what he’s noticed this time. Everything is pointing to it anyway.

When he ran to distract the nomu before it could attack the Midoriya twins again, it was half because he isn’t just going to let that creature hurt two of his friends and it was half because he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Gojo, even if it’s just a teenage lookalike, die again.

Still though, watching Satoru unleash that explosion of purple-tinged energy that practically ripped a massive portion of the plaza, and a massive portion of the nomu, straight from existence was amazing. And so eerily reminiscent of the Hollow Purple technique Gojo used during the Kyoto Goodwill Event in Yuji’s last life, which is yet another piece of evidence of who Satoru Midoriya may be the reincarnation of.

Even if the nomu was able to regenerate from that, Yuji finds himself grateful for Suguru’s intervention too, even though it’s clear he is overusing his Quirk as well. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen such a powerful attack, almost like every single one of Suguru’s Nightmares combined together into a single attack, but he does know that Suguru is only barely managing to stay on his own two feet right now. The way his eyes are drooping, the exhaustion in his posture and creasing his brow, the way he is limping. It all points to that.

It’s really a wonder Suguru isn’t in the same boat as Satoru. It’s really a wonder how Suguru is able to still walk and carry Satoru’s tall, lanky, unconscious and pure deadweight body in his trembling arms when he can barely walk as it is. But the more Yuji thinks about it, the more he realizes Suguru seems to be holding Satoru close to him, almost tenderly. Or, at least, it looks like it to him.

“Nomu.” A sharp command sounds and Yuji whirls around, eyes widening as the nomu tears itself free from the debris it is buried under and charges toward where Shigaraki managed to break free from the ice encasing him.

“These NPCs are starting to really annoy me,” says Shigaraki with a growl as he scratches rapidly at his neck. “Nomu, kill them all.”

The nomu howls and charges toward them.

Izuku darts forward in an instant and, as he moves, Yuji is positive he sees crackling green lightning surging around his form. He grits his teeth and darts forward at the same time, activating his Quirk to boost his speed and his strength as he readies his fist. Both he and Izuku crash into the Nomu, slamming their fists directly into the nomu’s stomach. The combined force of Yuji’s Power Boost enhanced punch and Izuku’s own punch, that must have been powered by his Quirk even if Yuji isn’t quite sure what Izuku’s Quirk is, is enough to send the nomu sailing backwards several meters.

“I didn’t break my arm,” Izuku gasps, staring at his arm in shock and yelps when Yuji grabs him and darts away from the nomu when it charges at them again. Ice rushes forward and encases the nomu from the neck down but, as Yuji and Izuku whirl around, the nomu breaks free and charges toward them again.

Hado darts forward, hands angling to form the shadow puppet of a snake’s head and the snake wrapped around his stomach springs free and grows larger, solidifying into a giant shadow serpent that surges forward. It crashes into the nomu who crosses its arms to catch the jaws that sink into its arms but the serpent doesn’t even budge the nomu as its entire body bunches up behind it.

The nomu howls and separates its arms, dislodging the serpent, and slams a fist into it, sending it flying off to the side. It vanishes as Hado recalls it but the winged shadow beast with the electrified wings is surging forward. The nomu crashes a fist into the winged shadow beast’s masked face, sending it spinning away until it also vanishes.

“Tch. I might have to go with that,” Hado says as he moves forward and holds out his fists one above the other as if he is grasping a wheel at one and seven. “With this treasure, I summon…”

His words are cut off when an explosion erupts from the door and Yuji whirls around while Izuku gasps as a familiar, booming voice sounds. “Fear not, I am here!”

“All Might!” Izuku cries.

Hado, lowering his clenched fists, whirls around.

Yuji watches with wide-eyed amazement as All Might strides forward, ripping his tie free with fury written all over his face and the usual smile absent from his lips.

“I’ve been waiting, hero,” says Shigaraki. “You worthless trash.”

All Might steps forward and Yuji gasps because he doesn’t even feel himself being grabbed but the next thing he knows he, Izuku, Hado, Todoroki, Suguru, and Satoru are further away from the site of the fighting with All Might standing protectively in front of them.

“I didn’t even see him move,” Suguru says.

“Everyone, keep moving to the entrance,” says All Might as he holds out an arm toward them in much the same way Aizawa used his arm as a gesture of protection earlier.

Shigaraki strides forward. “Throwing punches to save people...haha...that’s our state-sponsored violence. You’re fast, too fast to keep up with but not as fast as expected. Could it really be true? That you’re getting weaker?”

Getting weaker? Yuji frowns at that because he, personally, can’t see that level of speed, that is still even greater than Yuji’s even with his own Quirk activated, as All Might being weaker.

“It’s no use, All Might,” Izuku calls suddenly. “That brain villain. One...er, I mean, it was strong enough that one of my punches didn’t even faze it!”

“Young Izuku, fear not,” All Might assures him and surges forward, crossing his arms as he declares, “Carolina Smash!” and separates the arms in swift slashes against the creature’s torso. It’s not enough to have an effect but that doesn’t mean All Might isn’t done yet.

“Shock absorption, huh?” All Might says.

“That isn’t all he has!” Todoroki calls and, when All Might, dodging out of the way to avoid a punch, freezes, he adds, “That’s what Satoru’s Six Eyes showed him. That creature has multiple Quirks.”

“Tch, I was hoping to keep that a secret ‘till the last possible moment but, oh well,” Shigaraki says. “He’s right.”

“Doesn’t matter,” All Might says as he surges forward. “If it doesn’t just have Shock Absorption, I’ll just do this then!” He grabs the creature around the middle and, twisting his body arm, slams the creature head first into the already ruined plaza with enough force to generate a shockwave that slams into them.

Yuji yelps as he is sent stumbling back. “Whoa, that was amazing,” he exclaims.

“He is powerful,” says Suguru as he shifts his grip on Satoru while panting a little from the exertion.

Hado moves to his side. “I can carry him to give you a chance to catch your breath,” he says.

Suguru hesitates but, clearly, his exhaustion is catching up to him because he nods and gently hands Satoru’s motionless body over to Hado. Hado shifts him so he’s resting comfortably in his arms with his head pillowed on Hado’s shoulder as well.

Izuku casts a glance at his brother and then looks toward All Might, chewing on his lower lip in concern.

Yuji gives Izuku a reassuring smile. “Ah, I don’t think we gotta worry ‘bout nothing now,” he says.

Izuku nods but Yuji can tell by the look in his eyes that he doesn’t actually believe that. The worry is still there and Yuji finds himself wondering why Izuku is so worried for All Might when it seems clear, to him anyway, that All Might has this fight under control.

“Hado, please take care of my brother,” Izuku says and, before Hado can respond or Yuji can say anything, Izuku is charging away from them with green lightning crackling around his form as he moves so swiftly, he leaves behind a dust trail.

“Izuku, what are you doing?” Yuji yells but Izuku is too far away to hear him. He hurries after him as well, ignoring Hado shouting at him to not be reckless, and activating his Quirk to give his speed a boost. Hopefully, he’ll get to his friend in time before he gets hurt.

. . .

Shoto tears after Togata as well, using his ice to allow him to skate forward swiftly while shouting at the rest of their group to keep going. Midoriya doesn’t strike him as the kind of person who would jump in the middle of something like this unless he noticed something no one else did. And, since he is training to be a hero, he can’t just let one of his classmates get hurt.

And, besides, something about the entire situation doesn’t sit well with him. He knows there is something more to the villain’s plan than what he was able to get out of the villains he caught back in the Landslide Zone. And, when he gets close enough to see the creature holding onto All Might’s side while part of All Might’s body is stuck in the warp gate, he realizes this could, very well, be that plan.

He darts forward further and shifts his right foot forward, sending a surge of ice rushing toward the creature that freezes it over. At the same time, an explosion erupts off to the side and Bakugo is careening forward, swiping his hand up to unleashing an explosion right into the warp gate’s face and then slamming his actual hand into it and driving him straight into the ground.

Kirishima is suddenly there as well, swiping his hardened arm toward Shigaraki but the blue-haired villain manages to dodge out of the way just in time. “Damn it. Almost had him,” Kirishima growls.

“You’re not all that, you misty mook!” Bakugo says with a sharp, feral grin as he keeps the warp gate pinned.

“As if you scum could kill All Might,” Todoroki deadpans, watching as All Might breaks free from the warp gate’s grasp and surges away from them to land in front of the students.

Shigaraki tilts his head toward Bakugo. “You’ve pinned down our way out. Well, this is a problem,” he says.

“You slipped up, you bastard,” says Bakugo with a sharp grin. “And it’s just like I thought. The part’s you can turn into that foggy warp gate are limited. And you’re using that misty crap to hide your real body, yeah? Am I right? If your whole body was mist and physical attacks didn’t work, you’d never say ‘that was close’!”

I do remember him saying that back at the platform when this whole thing started.

The warp gate shifts slightly.

“Don’t move. If I decide you’re doing anything fishy, I’ll blow you straight to kingdom come!” Bakugo hisses.

“That’s not very hero-like, dude,” Kirishima says.

“Maybe not but, at least, he’s got the enemy pinned down and All Might’s free,” says Togata.

“Nomu, take out the explosive brat. We need our escape route back,” says Shigaraki.

Shoto grits his teeth. He already knows the nomu is strong enough to tear free of his ice, since he was able to tear through it earlier, but he was hoping the nomu had gotten weakened at least a little bit to where it’s regeneration wouldn’t be as quick. But his hopes were in vain because not only is the nomu able to break free from his ice but it’s also able to regenerate as quickly as it did earlier.

“Even after everything it was put through, with Satoru’s and Amajiki’s attacks, it’s still moving?” Midoriya breathes.

“Get back, everyone,” All Might says firmly.

“Get him, nomu,” says Shigaraki and the nomu surges forward so fast, heading straight toward Bakugo and there is an explosion of dust and smoke that completely engulfs Shoto’s vision. He doesn’t know as to what’s happening because of that dust and smoke.

“Kacchan!” Midoriya yells only for all of them to start in surprise upon seeing Bakugo is slowly sitting up beside them with surprise in his eyes. “K...Kacchan, you dodged that? Wow.”

“I didn’t, shut up,” Bakugo growls.

The smoke clears, the dust settles, and Shoto sees All Might with his fist held up as he pants. “This guy doesn’t know how to hold back,” he says firmly.

“Anything to save a comrade, right?” says Shigaraki. “Just like earlier when that white-haired one hit me and then hit Nomu with everything he had, same with the black-haired one, and even that pink-haired one. Plus that green-haired one did try to attack nomu too. But violence in the name of saving others is admirable? Isn’t it, hero?”

He turns to face All Might as he holds out his arms. “You know what, All Might? That pisses me off. Heroes and villains both thrive on violence, but we’re still categorized. ‘You’re good.’ ‘You’re evil.’ That’s how it is. Symbol of Peace? Hah. In the end, you’re just a tool for violence made to keep us down. And violence only breeds more violence. I’ll show the world that by killing you.”

“What a load of hooey,” says All Might. “Idealistic criminals have a different sort of fire in their eyes. But you’re just enjoying yourself, you big liar.”

Shigaraki’s lips twist into a sneer. “You got me. Saw right through me,” he says.

“He’s outnumbered,” says Shoto.

“A...And Kacchan did show us where the warp gate’s weak point is,” says Midoriya.

“We can totally help out,” says Yuji, gripping his hands into fists.

“These are some brutal dudes but, with all of us supporting All Might, we can totally beat ‘em back,” says Kirishima.

“No, get out of here,” All Might says firmly.

Shoto huffs. “Things wouldn’t have gone so well had I not stepped in,” he points out because he knows that if he hadn’t frozen the nomu, All Might would not have gotten free.

“And you’re bleeding and I think you’re time’s...er…” Midoriya trails off.

Shoto raises an eyebrow at that, wondering what the green-haired younger Midoriya twin was about to say.

“Right you are, Todoroki. So thanks for that. But fear not! Sit back and watch a pro get serious!” All Might says firmly.

“Kurogiri, Nomu, take him. I’ll handle the kids,” says Shigaraki and, surging forward, adds in a snarl, “Let’s clear this game and go home!”

All Might surges forward and thrusts his fist forward, crashing it into Nomu’s.

“He’s got Shock Absorption,” says Shigaraki with a huff as he leaps to the side to avoid the shockwave the colliding punches conjure up. “You already saw it yourself.”

“That’s right,” says All Might and Shoto’s eyes widen ever so slightly when All Might unleashes a flurry of punches so swiftly into the nomu that the nomu doesn’t really have time to react. “It’s ‘absorption’, not ‘negation’. So he must have a limit, no? Built to counter me, you say? Made to withstand everything I’ve got? Then I’ll just go beyond that!”

Shoto takes a step back, eyes wide as he stares at those flurry of blows, as he sees All Might’s full power in person. It’s the same power his father was trying so hard to surpass, it was the same power his father created Shoto to surpass. But, seeing it in action, Shoto is starting to understand why Endeavor despaired over not being able to even catch up to All Might, let alone surpass him.

This power is off the charts. It is beyond anything Shoto has ever seen before.

“A hero’s always ready to smash through trouble,” All Might declares while everyone is staring in utter shock. Togata’s jaw is literally hanging while Kirishima’s eyes are wide and Bakugo is still with shock.

More and more of those punches connect as All Might declares, “Tell me, villain, do you know the meaning of plus ultra?!” At those final two words, All Might slams one final punch straight into the nomu’s stomach with enough force to send the nomu flying through the ceiling and sailing further and further away, tearing through one puffy white cloud after another before vanishing like a star winking out of existence.

. . .

Chapter Text

Satoru stirs. He’s currently resting comfortably on something hard but his head is resting on something soft and he feels a hand carding through his hair. He doesn’t even have to open his eyes to determine who it is, since Amajiki’s flow of Quirk energy is familiar and it flows right next to him. He realizes he’s laying on the ground with his head on Amajiki’s lap.

But Amajiki isn’t the only one by him. Hado’s familiar flow of Quirk energy is also by him and, as Satoru’s eyes flutter open, he is quickly able to perceive the familiar Quirk flows of Uraraka, Ashido, Shoji, Sero, Thirteen, Aizawa, Asui, and Hagakure. They are all hovering very close by so he, and Hagakure, Asui, and Aizawa, must have gotten back to the entrance.

The hand stroking his hair stops as he shifts a little bit and he resists the urge to whine, because it felt good, since that isn’t important right now. The situation that’s happening down there with the nomu and Shigaraki is what’s more important. His eyes flutter a few times until his vision, currently darkened by his blindfold that someone must have placed over his eyes again after he removed it to use Purple earlier, clears.

“You’re awake,” Amajiki says.

“Ow,” is all Satoru says. His self-healing may have kicked in at some point either before or after he fell unconscious but, as is the drawback of that aspect of his Quirk, all of his injuries still hurt a great deal. Not only that but he feels so exhausted that he can tell the self-healing aspect of his Quirk is working far more slowly than it usually does.

“How do you feel?” Amajiki asks.

“Like I just got run over by three trucks and a bus,” Satoru groans.

“How do you even…? No, never mind. Can you sit up?” Amajiki asks and Satoru, after a moment, slowly sits up. One hand goes to his side, where it is still tender but it doesn’t hurt as much and it’s clear the self-healing did tackle those injuries as well as the injury in his head first. The blood is still there but he’s glad to see that it’s old blood.

“You don’t seem to be bleeding anymore,” Hado says.

“The self-healing aspect of my Quirk must’ve kicked in at some point,” Satoru says, brow furrowing as he perceives the familiar flow of All Might’s Quirk energy and notices the creature with the multiple Quirks is no longer in range of his Six Eyes. “All Might’s here and that nomu is gone. What the heck did I miss?”

“All Might won,” says Hado.

“That’s it? C’mon, details! I wanna know what actually happened,” Satoru protests with a whine.

“It’s not our fault you were sleeping like Sleeping Beauty,” says Amajiki with a teasing note in his voice that still sends that pang of nostalgia go through him because of how much like the Suguru Satoru knew it is.

He just pouts in protest.

Amajiki chuckles. “I’ll explain later,” he says. “We’re still not exactly outta the woods just yet. That nomu may be gone but Shigaraki and the warp gate are still down there and All Might doesn’t seem to be moving right now.”

“Oh, the villains are moving in,” says Hado with concern in his voice. “I think they’re gonna try and take on All Might together.”

“And there goes your reckless brother,” says Amajiki with a deadpan tone in his voice.

Satoru groans as he lays his head on Amajiki’s shoulder, somewhat surprised when the black-haired boy doesn’t move away or protest. He can sense the flow of Quirk energy surrounding Izuku and the weakening of non-Quirk energy that always indicates an injury. Something tells him that either Izuku forgot to keep the flow of his Quirk energy consistent, or didn’t use his power at the percentage his body is able to handle.

Movement sounds by the door and Satoru tilts his head to the side as the familiar flows of Quirk energy that belong to the teachers of U.A., and Ida, are picked up by Six Eyes. “Reinforcements are here,” he says, right as the doors burst open and the U.A. teachers surge forward.

Snipe darts forward, pointing his gun and firing off a few shots.

“Sorry, everyone. We’re a little late,” Nezu says from where he is sitting on Vlad King’s shoulder and gasps and cries of relief erupt from the students gathered on the platform in front of the main doors.

“We brought everyone we could. President of Class 1-A, Tenya Ida, reporting for duty!” Ida declares from where he is standing in front of Vlad King, Nezu, and Cementoss while Snipe, Ectoplasm, Midnight, Hound Dog, and Power Loader lined up next to them.

Snipe fires off several more bullets and Satoru turns in time to see the warp gate immediately engulfing Shigaraki and catching all of the bullets.

Thirteen suddenly lifts herself up, in spite of her injury, and activates her Quirk, catching the warp gate and attempting to suck it in. But the warp gate is quick to gather Shigaraki in his grasp and they both vanish, plunging the entire domed building into silence.

Satoru leans heavily against Amajiki. He’s still so tired, and his mind is so tired that he doesn’t even register that Infinity is still completely down.

“What in tarnation,” Snipe says as he lowers his gun.

“They just fled? And after such a dramatic invasion?” Midnight says.

“They took us completely off guard,” says Nezu as Vlad King places him on the ground. “But let’s concern ourselves with the students’ well-being for now.”

A chuckle sounds and all eyes turn toward where the man with the stitches wrapped around his head like a crown who is currently propped against the railing tilts his head to the side. The tape wrapped around his eyes must clearly have been done to stop him from using his Quirk, since Satoru’s Six Eyes easily picked up on the Quirk this man has.

But, at the same time, Six Eyes is also picking up something more from this man. Another flow of Quirk energy that is spiraling around his form but, at the same time, is not as powerful as the first flow of Quirk energy. It’s active too and Satoru’s eyes widen at the realization that this Quirk has been active this entire time.

Those taped eyes turn to him. “Satoru Midoriya,” he says and Satoru tenses while the teachers exchange glances. “You and your little hero classmates may have won this time but this isn’t the end.”

“You know me but I don’t know you,” Satoru says. At the same time though, those stitches wrapped around the man’s forehead sends a cold burst of recognition and anger because he does recall the last time he saw stitches like that.

Wrapped around the forehead of the corpse of his one and only.

He shoves that memory away. He will not think about that, not now.

“Oh you do know me, Satoru,” says the man. “After all, I am the one who placed that ten million yen bounty on your head last year.”

The teachers let out swift intakes of breath while the students start in surprise.

Satoru narrows his eyes. “Kenjaku…” he says.

Kenjaku chuckles as he tilts his head to the side. “Oh, looks like my ride has arrived. Glad to know I’m still important to them. Goodbye, Satoru Midoriya. I’m looking forward to our next encounter. Let’s see if you can make it out of that next encounter alive,” he says right as a warp gate appears right beneath him and he vanishes into it.

“Tch.” I may not have known you well in my last life but you’re an annoying bastard, aren’t you, Kenjaku?

“W...What? Did...Did that villain just threaten you?” Hagakure stammers out with fear in her voice.

“A...And what’s this about a ten million yen bounty?” Uraraka gasps.

“You don’t have to concern yourself with that, Uraraka,” says Nezu gently. “We, at U.A., take the safety of our students very seriously and we will take this threat very seriously as well. I assure you that we will do our utmost to ensure what happened here doesn’t happen again, and that your classmates, all of them, are kept safe.”

Uraraka seems mollified by that.

Amajiki, on the other hand, tenses at Satoru’s side while Hado clenches his hands into fists.

Satoru peers at them, wondering why they are reacting that way, but they won’t meet his gaze. What are they thinking? He turns his gaze to his teachers as they all spread out, probably to track down the rest of the students, and then glances toward the plaza where Cementoss has just formed a massive concrete wall. He also knows that Izuku is in that area but he can’t see him because of the wall. He just knows his twin is injured, because of that weaker than normal non-Quirk energy but he isn’t too sure why.

“You should rest,” Amajiki says.

“Izuku?” Satoru asks.

“Cementoss-sensei is over there now. He’ll take care of your brother.”

Satoru lets loose a soft huff and leans against Amajiki, still very tired from everything that’s happened. He fully expects Amajiki to protest or push him away or say something and, while he does tense, he still lets it happen. In fact, he actually drapes an arm around Satoru’s shoulders in a way reminiscent of the Suguru Satoru knew in his last life.

His brow furrows at that. I have got to stop making comparisons between Amajiki and the Suguru I knew. They aren’t the same person just ‘cause they look the same and have the same first name.

There is also the fact that a part of Satoru doesn’t quite believe those words and he has to push that part of him down and bury it. He can’t get his hopes up. He can’t because the chances are extremely high that his hopes are going to get brutally crushed. He’s gotten pessimistic in this new life due to how traumatic his last life was. He just can’t see the glass as half full anymore.

Actually, he doesn’t think he’s been able to do that ever since the failed mission involving the Star Plasma Vessel in his last life.

He is so tired though so he just doesn’t let those thoughts bother him as he finds himself leaning closer to Amajiki.

“You’re able to touch him,” Hado says suddenly. “I noticed that earlier.”

“His Infinity is down completely,” says Amajiki. “I don’t know if it’s because of his exhaustion or not though.”

Truth be told, Satoru doesn’t know which it is either. Just as he was saying out loud earlier, the differences between his Quirk and the technique he once had in his past life are a bit more numerous than he originally thought. It isn’t even just that his self-healing leaves scars and isn’t quite as quick and painless as it was with his technique. For one, his well of Quirk energy isn’t quite limitless yet. For another, the more exhausted he is, the weaker Red and Blue are when he uses those sides of his Quirk, probably due to the fact that he doesn’t have limitless Quirk energy. He feels that he will get to that point at some point though but not yet.

And Purple. Purple is still as powerful as ever, still capable of ripping anything it hits out of existence, but it is far more draining than it ever used to be. Once again, that is probably due to the fact that Satoru’s well of Quirk energy isn’t limitless. There is a limit to how much power he can pour into his Quirk when he uses it.

Thankfully, he is still capable of keeping Infinity up whenever he wants, and constantly at that, and he can still keep his self-healing constantly running to continue refreshing his brain. He doesn’t put up Infinity now just because, right now, he is far too comfortable, and far too exhausted. So he just rests as he lets the teachers finish rounding up his classmates.

. . .

“Ow!”

Kenjaku raises an eyebrow at where Tomura is laying on the ground with blood still pooling from the bullet wounds in his hand, arms, and legs. He doesn’t look the slightest bit happy but, considering how badly his plan to kill All Might failed, he supposes he can understand why the other villain wouldn’t be happy.

He, for himself, is content. He got to see the hero kids in action and see how strong they are. He got the chance to actually face off against Suguru Amajiki, whom he has his suspicions about, as well as speak face to face with Satoru Midoriya, whom he also has his suspicions about. He may not have been able to confirm anything about the other two he has been keeping an eye on but he is sure he will get his confirmation eventually.

“I was shot. Both arms and legs,” Tomura complains. “We were crushed. He got nomu too. Our cannon fodder was taken down in a flash, even those kids were strong. And even your ally over there got taken down by a kid.”

Kenjaku tilts his head to the side but he isn’t the slightest bit upset by that. Then again, nothing really fazes him. He may have miscalculated during the entire situation within the U.S.J. but that wasn’t due to his planning, that was due to the drawback of the Quirk of the body currently hosting him and the fact that he is still learning how to use Quirks as opposed to techniques he used to use in the last age.

After all, he’s been using techniques ever since the Heian Period but the dawn of the age of Quirks completely rewrote the very fabric of the world’s power structure. Cursed energy has been so greatly overpowered by Quirk energy in the past several centuries that no one can see it or use it or be affected by it anymore. So, even after the past four centuries, Kenjaku hasn’t quite mastered using Quirks yet.

But he is learning at a fast rate, and adapting at an even faster rate. He knows he will get there soon enough.

Truth be told, he never anticipated he would be able to adapt to being able to use the Quirks of the bodies who host him but it just goes to show that Quirks are written in the genes of the individual and not the soul as some theorize. He muses that might be something Mahito would have liked to learn more about, had he still been around but, unfortunately, he is gone like every other cursed spirit Kenjaku ever had access to.

But that doesn’t matter. The age before the age of Quirks is over and done with so there is no point in dwelling on that point in time. He still has the opportunity to enact his plan in this age, even if it has required him to thoroughly revise his original plan now that he must include Quirks into the matter.

“The Symbol of Peace is in perfect health. You were wrong, Master,” Tomura says angrily.

“No, I wasn’t.”

Kenjaku casts a glance at the television screen through which his ally is currently speaking.

“We merely got ahead of ourselves. Yes, we underestimated him. Good thing that League of Villains came cheap.”

“Though I thought you didn’t want the Midoriya Twins to be killed,” Kenjaku asks. “I mean Satoru Midoriya got pretty badly banged up and I doubt it was because of the grunts. They’re too weak to really hold a candle to either of the Midoriya Twins but especially not to Satoru Midoriya.”

“Do you have an explanation for that, Tomura?” his ally asks.

Tomura scowls. “Tch.”

“Tomura, I told you that the Midoriya Twins are to be left alive and unharmed for the time being.”

Tomura growls. “They pissed me off! ‘Specially Satoru Midoriya! His power is like...on par with fucking All Might and I fucking hate it! So, yeah, I tried to destroy him ‘cause I get to destroy what I don’t like. You said I could, Master!”

“Within reason, Tomura. Within reason. The Midoriya Twins are far more important than you think they are, Tomura. That is why leaving them alive and unharmed is the only thing I have asked of you. I let you do as you please, and destroy whatever you please, but those two are still off limits.”

“What is so god damn special about them?” Tomura snarls.

Kenjaku smirks because he knows the reason why. His ally did tell him when they first joined forces and, even though that didn’t stop Kenjaku from posting that bounty or from ordering the grunts to try and kill Satoru Midoriya, along with those other three hero kids, he did adhere to his ally’s request. Just because he decided to have a bit of fun doesn’t mean he didn’t adhere to it.

It’s not like he tried to kill the elder Midoriya. It was the grunts and the assassins who did that. He just watched from the shadows to ascertain as much information about Satoru Midoriya as he possibly could, including anything that could potential prove or disprove his suspicions. So far, no luck on that latter motive though.

“Should I tell him, All for One?” he asks.

“No, Kenjaku,” All for One says calmly. “He will learn in due time. For now, it is best if we simply focus on the now.”

“Yes, and, about the now, did you recover Nomu?” The Doctor’s voice sounds through the television screen.

“He was sent flying and, unless we ascertain his precise coordinates, no amount of warping will let us find him,” says Kurogiri. “I just couldn’t spare the time back there.”

“After all the trouble we went through to make him as strong as All Might,” the Doctor huffs. “Well, that’s too bad. A real shame.”

Tomura suddenly looks up. “Strong, right… There was one kid who seemed just as fast and strong as All Might,” he says. “Well, not the elder Midoriya Twin. It was the younger one.”

“Oh?” All for One says and Kenjaku grins.

The younger twin, huh? Wonder if this means what I think it means, and what All for One is likely thinking it means.

“Without that pest, we might have killed All Might,” Tomura growls. “But that kid...that brat!”

“Remember what I said, Tomura,” says All for One.

“Tch, fine. I don’t like it, I really hate it, but I’ll leave the Midoriya Brats alone.”

“Good. Either way, there is no use in crying over spilled milk. This endeavor was not a complete loss. Find stronger troops. Take all the time you need. We can’t move freely. That’s why we need a symbol like you. Tomura Shigaraki, the next time the world will know of the terror you represent.”

Kenjaku leans back against the wall, tilting his head back to gaze up at the ceiling. He will admit he is curious about what is about to happen, and how much this will help him in his own plans going forward. But, for now, it doesn’t matter. He will just watch from the shadows and see what he can do in the coming weeks and months towards his own plan.

. . .

Megumi barely listens to the update from the detective as he hovers on the edge of the crowd of his classmates. His head is still hurting but, thankfully, it isn’t as strong as it was earlier and he realizes his mind is finally starting to adjust to the inclusion of his past life’s memories alongside his current life’s memories. He casts a glance toward his classmates, glad to see they are all right. It seems like the only ones who got hurt were the Midoriya twins, Aizawa, and All Might.

But, when he thinks about the Midoriya twins, his mind automatically goes to the elder one. The one who resembles a teenage version of his legal guardian from his last life, of the father figure he cared for and loved but didn’t realize such a truth until it was too late. The one whom Megumi saw fight like the Satoru Gojo from his last life.

I just don’t know though. Could he be him? Could he have been blessed with reincarnation like I was? How would I even know for sure?

The detective, Naomasa Tsukauchi, is currently counting them. “Looks like, with the exception of the twins, everyone is unharmed,” he says. “We’re gonna get you kids back to the classroom for now. This is no time to take your statements.”

“What about Aizawa-sensei?” Asui asks.

“Both arms were smashed to splinters, his face is also fractured. Thankfully, he doesn’t have any brain damage. But his eye sockets have been pulverized and there’s a chance he may suffer long-term loss of vision. Or so I hear,” says Tsukauchi.

“Ribbit…” Asui says worriedly.

“Thirteen has terrible lacerations across her back and upper arms but her life isn’t in danger. All Might’s injuries aren’t life threatening either. It’s possible that Recovery Girl’s healing will be enough for him. So he’s gone off to the nurse’s office.”

“And Deku?” Uraraka asks.

“What about Satoru?” asks Amajiki with a small frown, concern entering his purple eyes.

“It seems the twins made it to the nurse’s office in time and I actually have business there myself. Sansa, I’ll leave the rest to you,” says Tsukauchi.

“Understood,” the young man with a cat’s head says with a salute.

It doesn’t take them long to get back to the main building and, as everyone leaves the bus and starts heading toward their classroom, Megumi trails at the back of the crowd. He is grateful his headache is finally starting to fade away. He casts a glance toward Togata who is hovering near the back of the crowd too, one hand rubbing at his head.

“Hado, are you okay?” Ashido asks, glancing over her shoulder at him.

“Yes, fine. My head is just hurting,” Megumi murmurs.

Togata casts a glance at him.

“You should go to the nurse’s office too,” says Ashido. “Get that checked out.”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

Togata falls back to walk alongside him at the rear of the group, peering at him with uncertainty in his brown eyes. He hesitates. It’s as if he wants to say something but something is stopping him and Megumi gives him a puzzled look.

“What?” he says.

“Uh, well, it’s just…er...Ugh. I just wanna know,” Togata whines.

“Know what?”

Togata looks at the ground, clenching his hands into fists. “If I’m the only one,” he says quietly, so quietly that Megumi barely hears him.

Those words carry with them a weight he doesn’t think anyone else would ever understand, or even truly get. There is such sadness and such regret and even traces of guilt in Togata’s voice but there are also slivers of hope and determination and uncertainty all mingling together.

Megumi continues to study him, brow furrowing. “Only one what?” he asks.

Togata jerks his head up and his eyes widen. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing. Haha. I’m just tired I’m not thinking straight. Oh, look we’re being left behind. Should probably catch up.” He increases his pace but Megumi darts after him. It’s clear he is trying to saying something important but he is hesitating for some reason. And Megumi’s mind goes back to the weight Togata’s words carried with them, a weight no one else would have even noticed.

“Togata, wait,” he calls, reaching out a hand and grasping Togata’s arm.

He stops.

Megumi hesitates, not sure what he wants to say, what he can say in this situation. He doesn’t know what Togata really means when he says he wants to know if he’s the only one but, at the same time, a part of him knows.

Togata looks so much like Yuji Itadori that Megumi can’t help but wonder, once again, if he wasn’t the only one blessed with reincarnation.

But how to know for sure? Megumi studies Togata for a long moment and lets loose a long breath as he releases the pink-haired boy’s arm and leans against the wall next to him. An idea comes into his mind, something that may work to answer his unspoken question. And, besides, it’s not as if he didn’t think this because he did because Togata’s actions in going after Izuku when that nomu came at them again were so incredibly reckless. “Earlier today,” he begins, “when you went after that nomu after All Might arrived, do you want to know the first thing I thought?”

Togata gives him a puzzled look. “What?” he asks.

Megumi gives the pink-haired boy a long, exasperated look. “If you die, I’m going to kill you,” he deadpans and, when Togata freezes, he tilts his head and adds, “I’m more or less convinced that I’ve said that to you before, right...Yuji?”

Togata, or rather Yuji, stares and tears well up in his eyes as he raises a hand and scrubs the tears away, a light laugh escaping his lips. “So I’m not alone,” he whispers.

“I thought I was alone too,” Megumi admits, watching as the pink-haired boy continues to wipe away the tears that are streaking down his face. “But I always thought there was a chance, however slim.”

“Y...Yeah, I thought the same. But...if you’re here...does that mean…?” Yuji begins, hope in his voice. “Kugisaki? Gojo-sensei?”

“I don’t know,” Megumi admits. “If Kugisaki was reincarnated, she might not remember like we do. If Gojo is reincarnated, I have no doubt he reincarnated as Satoru Midoriya. But...I don’t know if he remembers like we do.”

“I...I’m getting that same feeling. B...But...oh I want it to be true!” There is such guilt in Togata’s voice as he says that, even as he adds, “I just...I couldn’t do anything to help him. I couldn’t do anything to save him.”

“I know. I had to watch,” Megumi says quietly. “That bastard made me watch.”

“Oh Megumi!” Yuji latches on to Megumi and he winces at the bone-crushing hug the pink-haired boy is giving him.

“Yeah, okay, ow. I still have bruises, Yuji,” Megumi says with a groan.

“Oh, haha, right. Sorry,” Yuji says, releasing him. “And I’m sorry that bastard made you watch.”

“It’s fine. It’s over and done with. It was a literal lifetime ago.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Yuji smiles at him, that same sunshine smile that used to cause a flustered warmth go through Megumi back in his last life, that still causes that flustered warmth to go through Megumi now. Back in his last life, he never gave that feeling a second thought simply because there was just too much on his mind after the Shibuya Incident that focusing on feelings just wasn’t possible. But, in this life, he wonders if he might actually have the chance to figure out what those feelings actually mean.

This age may be an age saturated with Quirks and with heroes, and he may be training to become a hero himself, but it doesn’t seem to have the same stigma attached to it like being a jujutsu sorcerer did. And the world doesn’t feel as dark and tragic a place as the world was during Megumi’s last life.

“Things are different in this age,” Yuji adds quietly. “It’s...I mean not peaceful, considering what we just went through, but...different. It...doesn’t seem as dark, if that makes sense.”

“It does. I also think...this second chance we were given, we should make the most of it,” says Megumi.

“I am already planning on it. I made it my vow to live my life without regrets in my last life and I am making that same vow in this life. I am not going to regret how I live my life,” says Yuji firmly.

Megumi casts a glance at him and smiles faintly. “Yeah, me too,” he says quietly and he knows, in his heart, that what he said is true. He wants to do the same. He wants to live his life without any regrets. He may be scarred from the memories of his last life but he is not going to let those scars, those memories, define him or shape his future. And, at least, he knows now he is not alone.

. . .

Suguru hovers just outside the nurse’s office, having gone straight there the instant they were allowed to leave for the day. Now that the entire campus has been thoroughly checked and the police have determined that there are no more threats on or around the school, the students are allowed to head home. Most of them are hovering outside the nurse’s office though as they wait for word on the Midoriya Twins’ condition.

The door opens and Suguru watches as Recovery Girl steps out of the room, giving him, Ida, Uraraka, Asui, Yuji, and Hado long looks before letting out a long sigh. “Izuku is okay. He just broke his arm but I have healed most of it so he will be all right. Satoru is simply exhausted from overusing his Quirk but his self-healing took care of all of his injuries so he is fine as well. They will be okay to leave soon so you can stop crowding the hallway.”

“Can we see them?” Uraraka asks.

“They are just getting changed now. They’ll be out in a few minutes,” says Recovery Girl before she turns and vanishes back into the nurse’s office.

True to her words, the Midoriya twins make their way out of the nurse’s office a few minutes later. Izuku’s arm is in a sling and Satoru does have bandages wrapped around his head as well a pair of sunglasses over his eyes rather than the blindfold that is part of his hero costume. They both stop upon seeing the crowd of people and Izuku lets out a little yelp of surprise.

“Uh, h...hi guys,” he stammers out. “W...What are you doing here?”

“Why wouldn’t we be? We’re your friends. Of course we’re gonna check up on you,” says Uraraka.

“Indeed. I wished to ascertain, for myself, that you are all right,” says Ida.

“You both were the most injured out of all of us, ribbit, so I wanted to make sure you were all right as well,” Asui says.

“Oh, uh, thank you, Uraraka, Ida, As...er, Tsuyu,” Izuku stammers out.

“You look better than when I last saw you, Satoru,” Suguru adds.

Satoru grins at him and, in a teasing tone, says, “Aww, is that your way of saying I’m prettier now?”

“You’re just as insufferable as you are pretty,” says Suguru and smirks when Satoru looks startled by that statement, mostly because this is the first time Suguru actually called him ‘pretty’ to his face, rather than just agreeing with those kinds of statements, or simply deflecting the conversation.

Satoru blinks a few times behind his glasses, then grins at him. “I’m taking that as a compliment!” he says brightly.

“Was it a compliment or a thinly veiled insult?” Hado wonders, tilting his head to the side.

“I’m taking it as a compliment so it doesn’t matter,” says Satoru with a cheerful tone in his voice that reminds Suguru so much of the Satoru he once knew. It’s so like the Satoru he went to school with in his last life, the Satrou he will admit, if only to himself, he had grown to care for as more than just a friend.

But, of course, the incident with Toji and Riko happened and everything changed.

But that was then. That was a whole lifetime ago. This is now. But, at the same time, Suguru still doesn’t know if the beautiful white-haired teen standing at his side really is the reincarnation of his best friend from his last life.

“W...We should probably head home though,” says Izuku nervously.

“You know you’re so incredibly anxious and nervous all the time and Satoru is like the exact opposite. How are you twins again?” Uraraka wonders aloud, tilting her head to the side.

“Well, I was born two minutes before him from the same mother,” says Satoru with a shrug. “Or do you need to know how that happened?” The implication is clear and, when Uraraka goes bright red and even Ida’s own face flushes, he bursts out laughing while Suguru swats at his head. His hand is caught by Infinity but he doesn’t let it bother him as he gives the white-haired teen an exasperated look.

Yeah, he definitely acts like the Satoru I once knew. I wonder…

He knows there is something he can say that can reveal if his suspicions are true or not but he doesn’t want to do that while around everyone else. He is pretty sure that if it is true, and if Satoru does remember, then he won’t want such a truth to be revealed to just anyone.

Izuku, whose own face is red, groans and buries his face into his hands. “Seriously, Satoru? Was that necessary?” he protests.

“No but their reaction was hilarious!” Satoru says.

Izuku just sighs. Something tells Suguru he does that far more often than anyone would think and, considering Satoru does act so much like the Satoru Suguru knew, he can readily understand.

“Are you going to be heading for the train station?” Uraraka asks. “We can walk together if you want.”

“Uh, s...sure,” Izuku stammers out.

“Can we come with?” Yuji asks.

“I’m okay with that.”

“Uh, s...sure.”

Satoru shrugs. “I don’t care. By the way, does Mom know ‘bout what happened?” he asks.

Izuku pales. “Oh no. She isn’t going to react well at all,” he says.

“Hey, so long as she knows we’re okay, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Why don’t you give her a call so she doesn’t worry too much?”

“R...Right.” As the small group of heroes in training head toward the entrance to the main building, and Izuku calls his mother, Suguru drops to the back of the group upon realizing that is what Satoru is doing.

“Satoru…” he begins.

“You wanted to talk?” Satoru asks as he tilts his head toward Suguru who pauses in surprise. “The way you were looking at me when I came out of the office suggested you wanted to ask me something but was stopping yourself.”

“You noticed that?”

“Just ‘cause Izuku and I are like polar opposites doesn’t mean we don’t share some things in common and I do notice things beyond what my Six Eyes perceives,” says Satoru with a shrug and Suguru wonders at that.

But he supposes that just because one is a reincarnation doesn’t change the fact that they are born to different families with different genes and are likely raised far differently from the way they were raised in their previous lives. There are bound to be changes in how one acts, in how one looks at the world, in even one’s personality.

“Uh, yeah, I did,” Suguru says as they leave the main building and walk across the courtyard after the rest of their friends. They leave the campus and start heading toward the train station, though Suguru notices Satoru is gradually increasing the distance between them and the rest of the group. The rest of the group doesn’t seem to notice since they are all talking with each other, or listening in Hado’s and Asui’s case.

They near a park and Satoru pulls out his phone and sends a quick text before grabbing Suguru’s arm and, to Suguru’s surprise, he pulls him into the park and toward the bench at the far end of the park.

“I told Izuku I’d catch up, that I’m gonna get something sweet to eat. That way, we can talk without risk of anyone coming back to check up on us,” says Satoru once they reach the bench. He lets go of Suguru’s arm and Suguru raises an eyebrow when the white-haired teenager jogs toward the stand on the other side of the park and comes back with ice cream.

“May as well make what I said true,” he adds as he hands the wrapped ice cream bar to Suguru who blinks, surprised to see it’s chocolate chip, which is his favorite ice cream flavor, in both of his lives. He glances at Satoru as he sits down and stretches out his long legs in front of him while leaning back against the bench’s back.

“How’d you know?” he asks as he also sits down.

“Let’s just say, I had a feeling,” says Satoru, casting a glance toward him. “So what did you wanna talk about that you couldn’t say in front of everyone else?”

Suguru hesitates as he eats his ice cream, watching as Satoru does the same with his double strawberry swirl ice cream. Of course he would pick the sweetest flavor that the vendor had to offer. He glances at his ice cream as he gets down to it. “Just...I’ve been thinking,” he begins, “Satoru, what would you do if you were faced with someone who looks just like someone you used to know but you couldn’t know for sure if they were the same person or not?”

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “I, personally, wouldn’t get my hopes up,” he admits as he turns his gaze to the sky, the glasses sliding down his nose to reveal part of his vibrant and mesmerizing blue eyes. “I’d be too...scared, I guess, of having those hopes brutally crushed ‘cause I feel like it’d hurt more having those hopes crushed than just not having that hope at all.”

“A rather pessimistic view,” Suguru notes, studying the white-haired teen.

“Well, shit happens and it can change one’s entire view sometimes.”

Suguru knows that better than anyone but, not wanting to think about Riko and Toji and his last life, shoves those thoughts aside as he finishes his ice cream. He tosses the wrapper away as he hesitates before deciding to just get it over with. Maybe Satoru isn’t who Suguru thinks he might be but, at the same time, Suguru finds he wants to know, he needs to know, even if it means getting his hopes up and having them crushed.

He has to know.

“Still though,” he says quietly as he turns to gaze at Satoru and, taking a deep breath, takes the plunge. “We’ll meet again, right, Satoru?”

Satoru goes still and, slowly, lowers his head and turns to gaze at him. “Amajiki…” he begins.

“Suguru,” Suguru interrupts as his suspicions are confirmed. “It’s Suguru to you, it always has been.”

Satoru hesitates, uncertainty in his eyes. “Suguru…” he begins slowly as if not daring to hope, as if he can’t be sure that this isn’t some sort of trick even though Suguru already revealed the very last words Satoru said to him before he died in his last life.

He reaches out a hand and rests it on top of Satoru’s. “I think I’ve always known,” he says softly. “Even if I didn’t understand it, even if I didn’t really get what I was being shown in those nightmares. But still...we’ll meet again, and we have, Satoru, just as you said we would.”

He is more than a little surprised when tears actually well up in Satoru’s eyes and spill down his cheeks.

“Oh,” Satoru says as if just as surprised by the tears as Suguru is. He raises a hand to wipe the tears away as a light, shaky laugh escapes his lips. “I guess Mom and Izuku aren’t the only criers in our family. I guess I inherited that too. So surreal.”

“I’ll say. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry before,” Suguru says. It’s rather unnerving, really, but it also makes Satoru seem more human.

Satoru scrubs the last of the tears away and studies him. “I thought I was alone,” he admits. “A part of me hoped someone else got a second chance like me and, while I do have my suspicions about two of our classmates, I am...glad that we did get the chance to meet again, Suguru, my one and only.”

His face goes red and Suguru starts in surprise.

“Uh...yeah.” Satoru laughs lightly. “That last part was supposed to stay in my head.”

“You still see me as your one and only?” Suguru echoes because, after all that he did in his last life, he would have thought Satoru wouldn’t actually see him like that anymore. Sure, he saw him as his friend in those last moments and even vowed that they would meet again but to still see Suguru as his ‘one and only’ is a major surprise. It’s not as if they ever had the chance to explore that just due to how chaotic and tragic and dark their previous lives were, and they most definitely missed their chance when Suguru turned his back on the jujutsu world and became a curse user.

Satoru turns his gaze back to the sky and is silent for a long moment. “I never stopped seeing you as my one and only, Suguru,” he says finally. “Whether it is a friends or as something more, I don’t care. I’m just glad to have you back in my life.”

“Or something more, huh?” Suguru murmurs and smiles faintly. A part of him did think about what could have been in his last life and, while his last life can’t be changed, this is a new life and, maybe, just maybe, that ‘something more’ can actually be explored.

Suguru isn’t opposed to it, now that he is living this new life in this Quirky new world where the same dark stigma is no longer attached to the profession he wants to enter, where the world isn’t as dark and tragic as it used to be.

“Hey Satoru?” he says as he, before he loses his nerve, moves closer to the tall, lanky white-haired teen.

“Hmm?” Satoru lowers his head and turns to face him.

“I’m glad to have you back in my life too,” says Suguru and kisses him. It just goes to show the level of trust Satoru has in him that Infinity doesn’t push him away.

Nonetheless, it’s a short, fleeting, chaste kiss but it’s still a kiss and it causes Satoru to freeze, his eyes behind his sunglasses widening in shock.

He pulls back and grins at the shocked expression on Satoru’s face. “And, maybe, I’d rather have that ‘something more’ this time around ‘cause we never even had the chance to explore that last time,” he says softly as the grin fades and he rests a hand on Satoru’s hand. “And I think a part of me did want to explore that, before everything went to hell in a hand basket.”

“You are so sappy, you idiot,” Satoru says and kisses him back. This kiss isn’t as fleeting as the last one and Suguru finds himself melting into it, eyes fluttering close as he kisses this beautiful white-haired boy back. He feels arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer, and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Satoru’s neck.

Satoru pulls back first, though whether from lack of breath or not, Suguru isn’t too sure. He just knows his lips are tingling and he feels warm and happy and safe in a way he doesn’t recall ever feeling in his last life. He has felt this way in this life, yeah, but never in the arms of another. But it feels right that the person whose arms are wrapped so securely around him is Satoru.

His heart has yearned for this.

No, not just his heart. His soul has yearned for this.

Satoru rests his forehead against Suguru’s. “We’ve got another chance, huh?” he says, eyes sparkling beautifully behind his sunglasses. “We met again, just as I said we would.”

“And, this time, the world is a better place than the world we left behind,” says Suguru. He touches his nose to Satoru’s as he adds, “You’re my one and only too, you know? That never changed, even as I changed and my views changed, and that still hasn’t changed.”

Satoru gives him a soft smile before it fades. “Suguru?” he asks quietly.

“Hmm?”

“Are you happy?”

Suguru is silent for a moment as he recalls saying how he could never truly be happy, or wear a heartfelt smile, in that world. But that was then, this is now. And he knows the answer to that question.

“I am,” he says quietly, smiling at Satoru as he locks eyes with him so that Satoru can see the sincerity shining in his eyes. “I am happy.”

Satoru’s smile returns to his lips as he leans forward and presses his lips against his. “I’m glad,” he murmurs against his lips before deepening the kiss slightly.

Suguru melts into it, kissing this beautiful boy in his arms just as deeply and just as passionately as he’s kissing him. They were both given second chances and Suguru knows, with all his heart and all his soul, that the two of them are going to make the most of it.

. . .

Izuku adjusts his sling as he makes his way into the classroom. It’s been two days since the U.S.J. incident and, while classes were canceled the day before to allow everyone time to recuperate and try to overcome what happened, classes started up as normal the next day. Thankfully, everyone seems to be slowly overcoming what happened.

Izuku is still amazed by the number of friends he has now. After the incident, while they were walking to the train station, Uraraka proposed that they all share their phone numbers so they can keep in contact and talk if they need to talk. And everyone was onboard with the idea, even Satoru and Amajiki who joined them at the train station several minutes later than everyone else. But, since Satoru was actually smiling and happy, and both he and Amajiki were holding hands, no one said anything about that.

Togata did waggle his eyebrows, and was promptly bonked on the head by an irritated Amajiki, while Uraraka did ask them what happened. All they did was exchange glances that held so much more meaning than any single look should and not answer. It was enough that Uraraka decided to leave the matter be, even if she was still puzzled.

Izuku can’t blame her. The only thing he knows about Satoru’s new relationship with Amajiki is that it’s a relationship and it’s new and Satoru’s words when he asked him about it.

“ The U.S.J. kinda made us realize we only have one life and we should make the most of it and live it without regrets, which is what Amajiki said when he asked me out and I agreed.”

But it’s not like it matters to Izuku. Who Satoru dates is up to him and Izuku will support him in anyway that he can because he wants his brother to be happy. And if being with Amajiki makes him happy then more power to him, and more power to them both.

Satoru follows him into the classroom and skips toward Amajiki’s seat and promptly sits down on top of it. “Suguru~” he says in that sugary sweet tone that makes Izuku roll his eyes and causes Bakugo’s eyebrow to twitch in irritation.

“Yes, Satoru?” Amajiki says.

“Oh, I just wanted to say hi. But that tone irritates the heck outta Bakugo and it’s always fun to irritate the heck outta that walking explosion,” says Satoru with a shrug as he shifts so he’s seated cross-legged on Amajiki’s desk.

Bakugo’s other eye twitches as he grips his desk tightly. “You bastard,” he snarls.

“Hey, hey, no need to bring my parents into this. I mean, sure, Dad probably is a deadbeat but still!”

“Satoru, you don’t know that,” Izuku says with a long sigh.

“Izuku, Dad hasn’t been part of our lives for so long I don’t even remember what the dumbass looks like so he probably is a deadbeat,” Satoru says with a shrug. He casts a glance at the wall and, hopping off the desk, leans down and steals a quick kiss. Amajiki rolls his eyes but kisses him back and Satoru, beaming, makes his way back to his seat.

“Whoa, did I just see…?” Ashido begins.

“Wait, does this mean…? Ah, Satoru’s taken?” Hagakure whines.

“Lucky!” Ashido cries, waving a hand at Amajiki who just leans back in his seat and smirks.

“I am the lucky one to have such a beautiful partner,” he says with a grin.

“Aww! You called me beautiful!” Satoru gushes with a grin stealing its way onto his lips as he blows a kiss at Suguru. He rolls his eyes but pretends to catch the kiss, which causes Hagakure and Ashido to squeal at how cute that is.

“Great. Now I gotta deal with you two being fucking mushy morons,” Bakugo growls.

“You don’t gotta look, Kacchan,” Satoru says dismissively. “And, besides, you’re just jealous you can’t land someone as gorgeous as Suguru Amajiki. Hell, you couldn’t land anyone with that steamed turd personality of yours.”

Bakugo snarls out several curses at that while Kaminari barks out a laugh.

“And thank you for calling me gorgeous,” says Amajiki.

“You are~”

The door opens at that moment and Izuku is more than a little surprised when Aizawa, with bandages wrapped around him so thoroughly he looks like a mummy, makes his way into the classroom. “Morning,” he says.

“You’re already back, Aizawa-sensei?” Togata exclaims

“What an undeniable pro!” Sero exclaims.

“Glad to see you are doing well, sensei!” Ida says as his hand shoots up.

“If you can call that doing well,” Uraraka says warily as Aizawa takes his position behind the desk.

“My welfare isn’t important,” says Aizawa, “because your fight is far from over.”

Izuku tenses while Satoru tilts his head to the side.

“Our fight?” Bakugo echoes.

“Don’t tell me…” Izuku begins slowly.

“The U.A. Sports Festival is fast approaching,” says Aizawa, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

“The Sports Festival?!” Kaminari exclaims.

“That’s totally ordinary,” Ashido cries.

“Come on. We just had that villain attack. You sure about this?” Kirishima asks uncertainly.

Aizawa hums. “It’s necessary to demonstrate that U.A.’s crisis management protocols are sound. That’s the thinking apparently. Compared to past years, there’ll be five times the police presence. Anyhow, the Sports Festival is the greatest opportunity you’ll get. It’s not an event that can be canceled over a few villains.”

“Our Sports Festival is one of Japan’s biggest events,” Aizawa goes on. “The Olympics were once the world’s sports festival. The whole country would be whipped into a frenzy over them. But, as you know, the tradition has shrunk in scale to a shell of its former self. As far as Japan’s concerned, what’s taken the place of the Olympics is the U.A. Sports Festival.”

“The nation’s top heroes will all be watching. They’ll be there as scouts,” says Yaoyorozu.

“They’ll be looking to hire us as sidekicks after we graduate. That’s how it’s done,” says Kaminari.

“That’ll be you, Kaminari, you dunce,” says Jirou and Kaminari scowls.

“Naturally, you’ll gain valuable experience and popularity if you’re picked up by a big-name hero. But your time is limited. Show the pros what you’re made of here and you’ll make futures for yourselves,” Aizawa adds and Izuku straightens up with determination going through him. He knows he isn’t the only one who is feeling this way.

“This happens once a year so you’ve got three chances,” Aizawa concludes. “If you’re hoping to become a hero, this is an event you can’t miss.”

. . .

Chapter Text

Lunch finds Satoru and Suguru in the oddest place anyone would think to find them: the roof.

They lay side by side, gazes fixed on the cloudless blue sky stretching out above their heads with their hands joined. Satoru has an arm beneath his head while Suguru’s is resting on his stomach. Both of them are content to just lay there and bask in the warmth from the sun hanging almost directly above their heads.

“Hard to believe how different this world is,” says Suguru, breaking the silence that fell over them.

Satoru hums in agreement. “It’s better though,” he admits. “Even with the existence of villains and all that, it’s still better.” He curls his fingers around Suguru’s as turns his head to study his new boyfriend’s profile. Maybe they are jumping the gun by getting into a relationship as quickly as they have but, with memories of an entire lifetime coexisting with the memories they have made in this life, it’s not really that quick. They are just picking things up from where it was left off back in their last life, before everything went to hell in a hand basket.

At least, that’s how Satoru sees it and, since Suguru looks so happy right now, is actually smiling a true, genuine heartfelt smile right now, he doesn’t regret it.

He can still recall Suguru’s words to him that day in the ruined part of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, about how he believed he could never wear a heartfelt smile in that world. But he isn’t in that world anymore and that is evident by that smile that lights up the other boy’s entire face. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen such a calm, happy smile on the lips of the Suguru he knew in his last life.

Suguru turns his head, studying him. “It’s different though. Hard to believe you have a twin,” he says. “And that twin is like the polar opposite of you.”

Satoru chuckles. Most people don’t believe he and Izuku are twins just because they are so different in terms of personality, and they don’t really look alike since Satoru clearly took after the deadbeat who sired him – and, ironically, looks identical to how he looked in his last life, height and all – but their mother can attest to the fact that they are.

“What’s it like having an older brother?” he asks.

“Different,” Suguru admits. “Tamaki is really...nervous and doesn’t really socialize well but we’re pretty close, I’d say. My parents are great. It’s just…”

Satoru studies Suguru as his face closes off but not before sadness appears in the depths of his eyes, those deep scars laced into his soul. He scoots closer and, pulling his hand free from Suguru’s, wraps his arms around the other teen and pulls him close. He rests his chin on top of Suguru’s head as the other boy tenses for a moment then relaxes and curls close to him.

“I don’t know how I can face them,” Suguru says. “Because I think about my parents in this life, I can’t help but think about my parents in my last life and...I still see the blood. I still see their bodies, laying so motionless...I still see myself and…”

“Suguru…” Satoru trails off upon feeling a tremble pass through Suguru’s body and he pulls the other boy closer. “I know, last time, I wasn’t with you when you needed it the most. I should have been.”

“You had become the strongest by that point, Satoru. The world needed you,” says Suguru.

“You needed me too,” Satoru says firmly. “And I was too blinded by my own rise, by the fact that I had become the strongest, that I failed to notice you were spiraling. I should have. You were my best friend and yet…” It’s a regret he still carries even in this life. If only he had done something sooner, if only he had talked with Suguru, if only he had ensured Suguru knew he was available to talk, if only he had just been there for Suguru.

“Satoru, it’s okay,” Suguru says. “We can’t change what happened.”

“I know,” Satoru says, one hand running through Suguru’s long hair since he has it out of the bun he usually keeps it in. “But I can make up for it. I’ll be there for you this time, Suguru. Even if I end up the strongest again in this life, I’m not gonna be blinded by that. I’m gonna stick by ya whenever ya need me.”

Suguru tilts his head up to look at him and smiles faintly. “Thanks,” he says and, resting his head on Satoru’s chest, adds, “But I was serious. I am happy, Satoru. This new life...this new world...I am happy in it.”

Satoru peers down at his boyfriend and continues carding his finger through his hair. And I’ll do whatever I can to ensure that happiness doesn’t go away like last time. “I’m glad,” he says. He pauses then adds, “Okay, this is getting sappy though.”

“You started it,” Suguru deadpans.

“How did I start it?” Satoru protests, though his eyes crinkle with amusement behind his dark sunglasses.

“When you decided to cuddle me on the roof of U.A.,” says Suguru.

“Oh you love it. You haven’t pulled away anyway.”

“I’m too comfortable.”

Satoru barks out a laugh at that and turns his gaze back to the cloudless sky above. “So how are you going to prepare for the Sports Festival?” he asks.

Suguru chuckles. “Just continue to work with my Quirk and my hand to hand fighting skills,” he says. “I did promise your brother that I would teach him too.”

“He’ll love to learn. But I don’t plan on losing the Festival. I’m gonna win the entire thing.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Satoru laughs and, when Suguru looks up at him with that challenging gleam in his eyes, he grins at him and steals a quick kiss. Suguru blinks but kisses him back as they rest their foreheads against each others. Shifting so they are facing each other, their fingers intertwine and they rest their joined hands on the ground between them.

Satoru feels happy. His heart, his soul, they’re both happy and content. He knows being reunited with Suguru, his one and only, is the reason why. They met again just as Satoru said they would, even if Satoru doubts either of them expected to be reincarnated in this Quirky new age. Whether it was expected or not doesn’t change that it happened, doesn’t change how Satoru feels.

“Satoru!” The sudden shout breaks into the peaceful silence that descends upon them and Satoru turns his head in time to see Togata stumbling past the door.

“Yuji. I told you not to do that,” Hado’s voice says in exasperation behind the pink-haired boy.

Togata flushes bright red as his eyes land on Satoru and Suguru and he waves his hands frantically. “Ah, sorry! Sorry. Didn’t realize you weren’t up here by yourself!” he exclaims.

Satoru raises an eyebrow, amused at how embarrassed Togata is. He releases Suguru and sits up. “What brings ya up here, Togata? Also, how did you know I was up here anyway?” he says, tilting his head to the side.

“We overheard you tell Izuku you were coming up here,” says Togata. “And, well, we just...uh...Megumi, wanna take things from here?”

A loud sigh sounds behind Togata, one full of long-suffering exasperation. “You were the one who wanted to ask him so ask him,” Hado deadpans. “Also…”

Togata yelps as he finds himself kicked away from the door to land in a heap on the ground while Hado, lowering his leg, steps past the door and closes it behind him. Togata huffs as he scrambles to his feet and rubs his back.

Satoru tilts his head to the side as he gets to his feet, tucking his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants as Suguru gets to his feet beside him. “What did you wanna ask anyway?” he says, tilting his head to the side.

“Uh...um...well...man, I know I said I wanted to ask but I didn’t even think about what I would ask,” Togata groans, rubbing his temples.

“Honestly,” Hado mutters.

Satoru casts a glance at the boy who resembles the child he saw as a son back in his last life. The other boy isn’t looking at him, his gaze is fixed entirely on Togata, but there is a tension in his posture and an unreadable expression crossing his face. He wonders what’s on the black-haired boy’s mind, just as he is curious about what Togata wanted to talk with him about.

Togata takes a deep breath and turns to Satoru. His gaze hardens with resolve but Satoru notices there are slivers of hope and sadness and even guilt lacing his brown eyes. “Um, well, it’s just…” he begins but trails off. He takes another deep breath then blurts out, “are you a reincarnation?!”

Or, rather, he shouts it out.

Satoru blinks at those words. They are spoken with such determination and such sincerity that they sear through him.

Silence descends before Hado drops his face into his hands. “Not like that, you idiot!” he protests.

“How else am I supposed to ask?” Togata protests.

“Any other way than shouting it at him on the roof of our high school!” Hado says in annoyance as he promptly bonks Togata on the head with a twitching eyebrow. “It’s a wonder the whole school didn’t hear you!”

Satoru can’t help it. The interaction is so similar to how his Megumi and Yuji interacted in his last life that he can’t help but burst out laughing. Now all they needed was Kugisaki adding her own two sense, and probably calling Yuji an idiot herself, for it to be complete.

“Oh my God. That’s hilarious,” he exclaims around his laughter. “Of all people to just blurt that out like that, I should have known it would be you.”

Togata and Hado, who were arguing in front of him, abruptly cut off their argument and Togata turns to gaze at him sharply. “Wait...does that…?” he begins slowly.

Satoru grins at him, leaning back on the balls of his feet. “I thought I was the only one,” he says. “I had a feeling you two were like me though but, since you guys showed no signs of remembering, I just left it alone.”

Togata’s eyes well up with tears. “Does that mean…? Are you…? Gojo-sensei?!”

Satoru raises a hand and gives him a short wave and a smile. “Yo,” he says and only barely manages to brace himself and turn off Infinity before Togata is lunging at him. He crashes into him with such force that if Satoru hadn’t braced himself, he probably would have been sent flying off his feet.

“Gojo-sensei! It’s you. It’s really you,” Togata cries, clinging onto him and burying his face into his chest. “You were...given a second chance too! I’m so glad! I’m so glad.”

Satoru peers down at the slightly smaller boy and rests a hand on the back of his head, a huff escaping his lips. “And here I thought Izuku was the crier,” he teases. “Man, are you like a long-lost Midoriya member or something? ‘Cause you’re definitely crying like one.”

“Says the one who burst into tears when he found out about me,” Suguru deadpans.

“Don’t go exposing me, Suguru!” Satoru whines with a pout even as he lowers his hand and rubs Togata’s upper back in an effort to get him to calm down. His eyes travel to Hado, noticing the black-haired boy is still not looking at him, though his hands are clenched into fists and his jaw is clenched as well.

Togata pulls back and peers up at Satoru. “I’m just...I’m sorry, Gojo-sensei,” he began.

“For one, you know you can call me Satoru. We’re the same age in this life after all and we’re classmates too. For another, why are you apologizing?” Satoru says.

Togata chews on his lower lip and looks away but not before distress and guilt rushes across his face. “For not helping you,” he blurts out. “With Sukuna… He was supposed to be my responsibility. I was supposed to be the one to destroy him and yet...and yet...I couldn’t do that and I couldn’t even help you! I…”

Satoru’s eyes soften and he, pulling free from Togata, kneels down in front of him. “Hey, there’s no need to apologize,” he says gently. “I knew what I was getting into when I was freed from the Prison Realm. I knew that there was a chance, yes a slim one but a chance nonetheless, that I wouldn’t survive. Yes, I wasn’t expecting it but it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” Togata cries. “I could have done something!”

“I was the strongest, Yuji,” Satoru says quietly. “I should have been the one to defeat Sukuna because of that fact. It was never supposed to fall to you. You were still just a kid. I wanted to be the one to win so you could finally be free from that bastard, so that you could finally get the chance to live your life the way you wanted to live it. If anyone should be sorry, Yuji, it’s me, for not bringing an end to that bastard when I had the chance.”

In that fight, he didn’t hold back. He really didn’t. But, at the same time, he knew of how Mahoraga worked. He knew that Mahoraga would, eventually, adapt to his Infinity and get past it and, once that happened, it would be all over. He should have killed Sukuna before that happened but, because of who Sukuna was possessing, there was a split second where he hesitated. It was only a split second, so swift that it was barely noticeable, but it was enough for Sukuna to get that upper hand he needed.

“But what happened back then is over and done with,” Satoru adds. “We’ve all been given second chances in this Quirky world where cursed energy is practically nonexistent. All that we have of our last lives are memories and those memories are just ghosts, phantoms. They can’t hurt us. They can only remind us of what has happened but they cannot decide our futures for us.”

Togata chokes out a sob and, kneeling down, wraps his arms around Satoru’s neck. “You will forever be the best teacher I ever had, Go...Satoru,” he whispers as he rests his head against Satoru’s chest.

Satoru curls his arms around his classmate, the reincarnation of one of his students in his last life, and rests his chin on top of Togata’s, Yuji’s, head. “And you will forever be one of the best students I ever had,” he says.

His eyes travel to Hado, who still refuses to look at him, who is still stock still with jaw clenched and an unreadable expression on his face. He releases Yuji who, wiping away his tears and scrambling to his feet, turns around as well.

“Megumi?” Yuji begins.

Hado turns his head away. “I’m going back down,” he murmurs.

Satoru rises to his feet. That’s just like Megumi… He moves swiftly to Hado’s side before he can leave. “Wait, Megs,” he says and Hado freezes. A faint tremble rushes through his form as he squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his fists even tighter to the point where Satoru is positive his nails are digging into his skin.

“Are you going to run and hide? Like you used to as a little boy when confronted with something you didn’t want to deal with?” asks Satoru pointedly, remembering all the times the Megumi whom he basically raised did that back in his last life.

Hado goes still.

Satoru lets loose a soft breath. “I know I wasn’t the greatest guardian for you and your sister in our last lives, even though I did try,” he says. “But…”

“You’re wrong.”

He breaks off.

Hado still doesn’t meet his gaze and, even though he opens his eyes, he keeps them fixed on the ground. “You’re wrong,” he says again. “You were a carefree, eccentric idiot but you were the best guardian a kid could ask for. You were only eighteen when you took over as mine and Tsumiki’s guardian but you still did what no one else ever did for us. You stayed. You made sure we had food to eat. You made sure all the bills for our apartment was taken care of so we could live there without worry. You always checked up on us in between missions and, after you became a teacher, your classes. You always tried to make sure Tsumiki was happy, even offering to pay for dance classes when she showed an interest in dance. You helped me to learn enough about my technique so that I wouldn’t lose control of it but you never once tried to force me to become a sorcerer. You gave me the option. And, more importantly, you stepped in to prevent me from being sold to the Zenin Clan and you were only eighteen.”

Tears are starting to fall from Hado’s eyes as Satoru stares, surprised not just by the words spilling out of Hado’s mouth but at the amount of emotion and sincerity filling his tone.

“I was a brat to you while I was growing up but that never stopped you, it never turned you away. You still kept on coming, you still kept on making sure we were all right, you still made sure we were taken care of. And I never appreciated then. I didn’t...It wasn’t until that bastard made me watch you die that I realized something I always knew but didn’t want to admit. You were the father figure I never had and I loved you.”

Satoru gazes at Hado, feeling his heart clench as those words leave Hado’s lips, words he never once heard the other boy say in his last life but words spoken with such sincerity that he knows they are spoken from the heart, that they are the truth.

“Megs…” he begins and, closing the gap between them, wraps his arms around Hado. Hado goes still but doesn’t try to pull free. “You should know that I loved you and Tsumiki too. When I took over as your legal guardian, it was during the darkest point in my entire life and you became the lights that helped me get through that time. You became my everything, my entire world.”

Hado, Megumi, chokes out a soft sob.

“Let it out, Megs. You don’t have to keep it all bottled in anymore. I’m not gonna judge. I never have,” says Satoru.

Megumi turns and presses his face into Satoru’s chest and, while he doesn’t cry like Yuji did, there is no denying the quiet sobs escaping his lips or the trembles passing through his frame. All Satoru does is hold him close and let him cry, let him sob, let him get it all out. All those pent up emotions he’s likely been holding in since he got his memories back come flowing out but Satoru lets it. Megumi clearly needs this.

Megumi pulls back after a few long moments, raising a hand to wipe away the tears. “I’m glad we were all given this second chance,” he says.

“Now if only Kugisaki were here with us,” says Yuji as he moves over to join them.

Satoru releases Megumi and sits back on his heels. “Who’s to say she isn’t?” he says. “I, for one, am convinced Uraraka’s older sister is Nobara reincarnated. Now I don’t know how you two regained your memories…”

“Well, I, for one, regained them when the warp gate warped me into the Conflagration Zone and I landed on my head on a roof,” Megumi deadpans.

“Yeah, I got mine back when I landed headfirst in the Flood Zone,” Yuji admits.

Satoru raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, I don’t think we could get away with knocking Uraraka’s sister headfirst into something hard to see if she will regain any memories,” he says in amusement.

“She’ll kick our asses,” Yuji says with a shiver.

“Well, yours anyway,” Satoru says brightly.

“And you are as arrogant as ever,” Megumi deadpans. “How are you and Izuku twins again?”

Satoru just laughs. Finding out two of his students were reincarnated in this Quirky world is nice. He doesn’t know if this means there are others or not but he finds he’s content with the knowledge that, at least, some of his old students were given a second chance. All of his students suffered so much in his last life that for even some of them to be given a new life in this new age is a relief.

“C’mon, I think lunch is almost over,” he says. “We should head back down.”

Yuji grins. “Hey, since the Sports Festival is coming up, maybe we can all get together to prepare for it,” he says.

“Sounds like a good idea!” says Satoru with a grin. He casts a glance at Suguru as he adds, “Suguru is already gonna be teaching Izuku some hand to hand fighting skills so we can all train together.”

Megumi studies Suguru. “You still look incredibly familiar,” he says, brow furrowing.

Satoru smiles faintly. “You probably remember him from the pictures,” he says and, when Megumi glances at him and Suguru turns to him, he adds, “I did keep some pictures of Suguru with me and I know you saw some of ‘em since you used to ask me about him. Back then, I just kept it vague ‘cause I wasn’t supposed to have anything to do with him, let alone keep mementos of our time together.”

“Suguru...Oh. The one you called your ‘one and only’?” asks Megumi.

Suguru casts a glance at him in surprise.

Satoru catches the look and smiles. “I told you I never stopped seeing you as my one and only, Suguru, even after everything went to hell in a hand basket,” he says as he reaches out a hand and takes Suguru’s in his, interlocking their fingers.

Suguru glances at their joined hands and turns his gaze to Satoru. A faint smile crosses his lips but he says nothing.

“But, yeah, that’s probably where you recognized him,” says Satoru.

The bell ending lunch rings.

“Oh and that’s our cue to get back to class before we get chewed out for being late. Hey, I can teleport us to the classroom…”

“No!” Megumi whirls around and all but bolts toward the door.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t really wanna teleport right now,” Yuji says warily and all but bolts after Megumi.

“I’m with them,” Suguru deadpans.

Satoru huffs. “It’s not like I’ve dropped anyone before,” he says with a pout.

“You and I know that is a lie. Kento never forgave you for dropping him in the ocean that one time when he first started at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech.”

“I hadn’t yet mastered my technique then.”

“Have you mastered your Quirk now?”

Satoru avoids his gaze. “Let’s just walk,” he says and swiftly makes his away to the staircase while Suguru, snickering because that’s an answer in and of itself, follows him.

. . .

It’s to the chattering of various teens that Izuku and his friends open the doors to their classroom after classes end for the day. The green haired boy can only stare in surprise at the massive number of students all gathered in front of the classroom trying to get a look into the room. There are so many and Izuku doesn’t recognize most of them, though he figures they are just from the other classes.

“What’s going on?” Uraraka exclaims, staring at the gathering of students with wide eyes.

“There’s like no way out. Why’re they here?” Togata protests, peering at the students.

Bakugo scoffs as he strides toward the door. “Scoping out the competition. Duh, Pink Hair,” he deadpans. “’Cuz we’re the kids who survived a villain attack. Makes sense they’d want a look before the Sports Festival.”

“Gees, he sure has attitude,” Togata says with a huff.

“And that’s him on a good day,” Izuku admits.

“That walking explosion doesn’t have good days,” Satoru says with a roll of his eyes.

Bakugo stalks forward and gives the gathered students a long glare. “No point though. Move aside, cannon fodder!” he says firmly.

Satoru rolls his eyes again. “And people wonder why I don’t like him,” he says.

“Can we please not resort to calling those we don’t even know ‘cannon fodder’?” Ida exclaims, chopping his hand down.

Movement erupts in the crowd as a new voice cuts above the chatter. “It’s true we came to get a look but you sure are modest,” the new voice says as a boy with messy spikes of indigo hair and perpetually tired purple eyes makes his way to the front of the crowd. He rubs the back of his neck as he studies them.

“Are all the kids in the Hero Course like this one?” he adds.

Ida and Izuku quickly shake their heads.

“Huh?” Bakugo growls.

Satoru strides forward and shoves Bakugo so hard that he slams into the door frame and, ignoring the string of curses the blond throws at him, he flashes the newcomer and the crowd of gathered students a smile.

“Oh no, that’s just the walking explosion,” he says cheerfully. “His ego is the size of the Pacific Ocean but his personality sucks. I can assure you that everyone else in this class have personalities that don’t suck. I’m Satoru Midoriya by the way! Nice to meet ya!”

The newcomer raises an eyebrow. “Hitoshi Shinso,” he says. “And I only have your word on that. I sure hope that you’re right though ‘cause that guy’s attitude does leave me a bit disillusioned.”

“Nah, don’t worry about him,” says Satoru, waving his hand dismissively at the explosive blond who scowls as he rubs his shoulder.

“Hmm. Nonetheless, those of us who didn’t make the Hero Course are stuck in General Studies and the other tracks. There’re quite a few of us. Did you know that? Depending on the results of the Sports Festival, they might consider transferring us into the Hero Course. I understand the reverse is also possible for you. Scoping out the competition? For a General Studies kid like me, this’ll be the perfect chance to knock you off you pedestals. Consider this a declaration of war.”

Satoru reaches up a hand and removes his sunglasses, flashing his Six Eyes at everyone present. “A declaration of war, eh?” he says and grins, sharp and feral. “Challenge accepted.”

So daring, both of them. Izuku isn’t surprised by his brother’s response. That feral grin and the way his eyes are bright with anticipation and currently on full display, quite a few of the students are swooning where they stand as a result, is pretty intimidating.

“Hn.” Shinso closes his eyes. “Then let’s see what happens.” He turns and walks away.

Izuku watches him go until another loud voice sounds. It’s a silver-haired boy who says he’s from Class 1-B but he only barely pays attention to his words, his gaze fixed on both Bakugo and his brother. He realizes what they are both doing. They are both focusing their sights on the top, on the gold, and they aren’t letting the words of anyone else stop them.

“I’m heading for the top,” says Bakugo when his classmates start protesting about his words creating haters for their class. “Why should I care?”

“Yeah. We’re all aiming for the gold,” says Satoru. “But, at the same time, it’s just a school competition. We’re still gonna be friends and classmates after it’s all said and done. Though I’m gonna kick that guy’s ass one way or another.” He points at Bakugo who glares at him.

“You’re not gonna win against me, Snow Head,” he snarls before he tenses and abruptly looks away and Izuku wonders at that. It seems as if Bakugo still can’t really meet Satoru’s gaze for some reason but Izuku decides against worrying about that.

Satoru grins at him, sharp and feral, his still exposed eyes glittering with anticipation. “Bring it on, Walking Explosion. Bring. It. On,” he challenges.

Izuku hangs his head with a long sigh.

He decides he won’t worry about that as he thinks about his conversation with All Might earlier that day. To find out All Might can only do his hero work for thirty minutes now is a surprise but, at the same time, he supposes there would be consequences to him going overboard with his Quirk during the U.S.J. incident.

He also can’t help but think about All Might’s words, about how he wants Izuku to show the world that he is there. It’s nerve wracking to say the least, especially since he is competing against so many skilled individuals and he still hasn’t quite got a handle on using his Quirk. He is able to spread it evenly throughout his body and is able to use it at about five percent now but that’s basically it. And he gets hurt only if he forgets to do that at the last second like he did when he went to help All Might at the U.S.J.

Not only that but he is also going up against Satoru.

He already knows of how strong Satoru actually is. Just because he didn’t get the chance to practice with his Quirk while he was on house arrest doesn’t discount what he did during the U.S.J. There was no denying he used his Quirk with such skill during the incident at the U.S.J. that it took Izuku by surprise.

And he might end up going against him during the Sports Festival. It’s nerve-wracking to say the least.

He feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to find Satoru grinning down at him. “Man, you’re like a ball of nervous anxiety over here, Izuku,” he says.

“Um, well, I guess I’m just nervous,” Izuku admits.

“You don’t gotta be. You’re gonna do great. By the way, Suguru is still up for teaching ya hand to hand fighting skills so we’re coming up with times to meet up so we can train together.”

“Oh, uh...thanks, Amajiki,” says Izuku, glancing at Amajiki who gives him a short nod.

“Of course,” he says. “We can talk later about setting up a good time, since I have no doubt all of us are going to want to train on our own to prepare.”

Izuku knows that’s true. The last thing any of them want is to reveal their entire hand to their competition. Even though Satoru is right about this just being a friendly high school competition, that doesn’t change the fact that everyone is aiming for the top, aiming to take home the gold, and is going to give it everything they’ve got. They wouldn’t be heroes in training if they didn’t give it everything they’ve got.

He finds he’s looking forward to learning more about fighting hand to hand because it can come in handy if he can’t use his Quirk, like if he’s facing someone like Aizawa or if he can’t figure out how to regulate the amount of power he puts into his Quirk to a level his body can handle. And, since he is still learning about how to actually regulate the control of his Quirk right now, though Satoru’s exercises are most definitely helping, it would be good to have that extra knowledge to help him.

A few days after the announcement of the Sports Festival spreads throughout U.A. like a wildfire finds Izuku, his brother, Amajiki, Togata, and Hado gathering in a park not far from Izuku’s and Satoru’s apartment. Amajiki is currently doing some warm-up exercises while Hado is sparring with Togata nearby and Satoru is…

“Satoru, put down the bag of gummy bears. That’s your third one today,” Izuku deadpans, holding out a hand toward his twin.

“But they’re so good,” Satoru whines but reluctantly hands over the bag and Izuku places them aside.

“Honestly, it’s a wonder how you don’t have cavities,” he says with a shake of his head as he turns his gaze toward Amajiki who is moving over to join him now that his stretches are over with. Since Izuku and Satoru finished their stretches already, since they arrived at the park before the other three, they were just waiting patiently.

“All right,” Amajiki says as he stretches his arms above his head. “Are you ready?”

“Um, sure. But how are you gonna teach me?” Izuku asks curiously.

Amajiki cracks his neck and smirks. “Well, I either kick the ass of your brother and you learn by watching,” he begins.

“I’m not gonna lose, you idiot,” Satoru scoffs.

“Or we can just jump right into it and you can learn by doing by just fighting me right away,” finishes Amajiki.

Izuku gulps. “Y...You mean fight you? B...But I don’t know anything ‘bout fighting,” he stammers out.

“It’s true. He can’t even throw a punch correctly,” Satoru points out.

Izuku’s face goes red. “Satoru!” he cries as he kicks at his brother’s shin, pouting when his brother’s Barrier catches the kick.

“Well, we’ll go with the first option then. Satoru, shall we?”

Satoru grins and lunges at Amajiki without a word and Izuku can only watch with wide-eyed amazement as the two start exchanging blows, punches and kicks, so swiftly that he can barely keep track of who is where or who is striking who. But, as he focuses more, he notices how Amajiki is holding his own. He is parrying and blocking, he is moving lightly on his feet as if dancing to avoid certain attacks, all the while not taking his gaze off Satoru for a second.

But Satoru is the same way. His gaze, currently covered in a black blindfold, is fixed solely on Amajiki as he parries and blocks and kicks and punches and smacks and moves just as swiftly. They are fighting as if they’ve fought like this before, Izuku realizes with a jolt. They are fighting as if they already know how the other is going to fight, how the other is going to move, how the other will react to certain attacks.

But they’ve only known each other for a few weeks, since we started at U.A., so how are they fighting as if they know each other far better than they should?

It doesn’t make any sense but there is no denying they seem to have a very intimate knowledge of how the other fights, how the other reacts, how the other moves.

In the end, though, Amajiki manages to get past Satoru’s defenses and Izuku is shocked when the black-haired boy proceeds to sweep Satoru’s legs out from under him and promptly pins him on his stomach. Satoru’s arm is pinned behind his back and Amajiki’s legs are pinning Satoru’s to the ground as well.

“I win,” says Amajiki with a grin.

Satoru huffs, a pout crossing his lips. “You just got lucky,” he grumbles.

“Sure. That’s it.” Amajiki chuckles as he releases Satoru’s arm and jumps to his feet.

“Whoa, that was amazing,” Izuku breathes. “You both were fighting like you’ve fought before, like you knew how the other was going to react the entire time!”

Satoru and Amajiki exchange glances, a knowing gleam in Amajiki’s eyes while a faint knowing smile crosses Satoru’s lips before both fade as Satoru shrugs. “Eh, guess so. So, anyway, what did ya learn from that, Izuku?”

“That you guys move way too fast,” Izuku deadpans before he taps his finger to his lip as he considers what he saw. “But I also noticed that you were both very light on your feet and you never took your eyes off each other, even when you were blocking or parrying the other’s strikes. You moved like...like...noodles, so malleable that you were able to adapt to the other’s attacks well enough to either block or parry! Wait, Satoru...why are you laughing?”

Satoru is, indeed, laughing. He’s laughing so hard he’s literally on the ground.

“First the frozen taiyaki and now noodles? What is with you and comparing things to food?” he exclaims around his hysterical laughter.

Izuku’s face goes red. “I...They’re perfectly good comparisons!” he protests but that does absolutely nothing to stop his brother’s hysterical laughter.

“Ignoring the idiot, that’s some good observations there,” Amajiki comments. “So you do wanna try your hand at putting what you observed in action?”

“Uh, erm, I’m kinda...nervous,” Izuku stammers out, wringing his hands together. “I...I mean...Satoru isn’t wrong when he said I don’t really know how to throw a punch so…”

“Then we’ll start with that,” Amajiki says as he holds up a hand. “Just punch my hand. Show me what you do know.”

“R...Really?”

“We may as well start somewhere, right?”

“R...Right.” Izuku takes a deep breath and, readying his fist, he darts forward and slams a punch into Amajiki’s palm.

Amajiki blinks at him. “There was absolutely no force behind that punch at all,” he says while Satoru is laughing even more hysterically on the ground.

Izuku flushes. “Uh, I’ve never punched anyone before,” he admits.

“Mm, I can tell.”

Izuku flushes even deeper at that.

“You need to put some more force into it,” says Amajiki. “Put your whole body into the punch. Yo, Satoru, quit laughing and help me give an example to your brother.”

Satoru, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, scrambles to his feet while grinning. “Man, that was the most wussy punch I’ve ever seen,” he exclaims.

“Satoru!” Izuku cries.

“Hey, I’m your big brother! It’s my job to make fun of ya,” says Satoru with a laugh as he tilts his head toward Amajiki. “Okay, let’s get on to that example.”

Amajiki turns to face Satoru and throws a punch toward him. Izuku immediately takes note of how he steps forward and turns his shoulders and his waist in order to throw his whole body into the punch. Even though the punch is caught by Infinity, that doesn’t stop Amajiki from stepping back and bringing up his other arm just in time to catch the punch Satoru retaliates with.

“Always be prepared for your opponent to retaliate too,” Satoru says as he retracts his own fist. “Never assume your punch is gonna connect ‘cause it could be blocked or avoided and your opponent may use your own attack as an opening to launch their own attack.”

Izuku grips his hand into a fist and nods. “Right,” he says. “Can I try again?”

“Sure,” Amajiki says and turns to face him.

Izuku darts forward, this time making sure to put his whole body into the punch as he swings his fist forward, driving it toward Amajiki’s face. Amajiki easily dodges out of the way but Izuku swiftly steps back and brings up his arm just in time to catch the fist Amajiki throws back at him. It collides with his arm but Amajiki doesn’t stop there as he lashes out with his leg, hooking it around Izuku’s and yanking. Izuku yelps as he loses his balance and goes tumbling to the ground.

“Be aware of everything about your opponent, Izuku,” Satoru adds as he crouches down beside Izuku, tilting his head to the side. “When you’re actually fighting someone, you need to be prepared for anything.”

Izuku, wincing as he rubs his back, sits up. He supposes he should have expected that. Just because they decided to start with teaching Izuku how to punch doesn’t mean he should have assumed that was all they were going to do. He jumps to his feet and takes a deep breath, raising his fists. “Let’s go again,” he says. “Don’t hold back!”

Amajiki raises an eyebrow. “All right,” he says and lunges at Izuku.

What comes next is probably the most one-sided Quirkless beatdown Izuku has ever experienced but he doesn’t complain because he gets to see Amajiki’s skills up close. Even if he’s on the receiving end, and is only just barely managing to block some of his strikes, being able to actually witness someone’s, who is clearly very skilled with hand-to-hand combat, skills firsthand is very educational.

He winces as he finds himself thrown over Amajiki’s shoulder like a ragdoll and crashes hard into the ground. “Ow,” he groans as he rolls onto his stomach and scrambles to his feet as Amajiki pivots to face him.

A yelp sounds off to the side and he turns his head to see Togata running toward Hado who is scrambling out of the bush he, somehow, ended up in.

That distraction costs him and he yelps as he finds himself on the receiving end of a roundhouse kick to the side that sends him flying off his feet. He rolls a few times and groans as Amajiki lowers the foot.

“Distractions are costly when you’re fighting. Keep focused on your opponent but don’t blind yourself to your environment either. There is a delicate balance between the two that you gotta find,” Satoru calls as Izuku scrambles to his feet and peers at his brother because that’s actually incredibly sound advice. Actually, a lot of the advice Satoru’ been giving him since he found out about Izuku’s new Quirk has been sound.

He really is acting like a teacher. I wonder if he’s gonna be a teacher and a hero after we graduate.

He yelps as he only barely manages to lift his arm up to catch the punch Amajiki aims at his face but winces when Amajiki’s foot crashes into his stomach with enough force to send him flying straight into Hado and Togata, knocking all three of them straight into the bush Hado just climbed out of.

“Suguru,” Togata protests as the three of them struggle to untangle themselves.

“My bad,” Amajiki says, though he sounds faintly amused while Satoru is howling with hysterical laughter again.

Hado is giving Satoru a long, annoyed look and, leaning towards Togata, murmurs something too quiet for Izuku to hear. But whatever it is has Togata nodding his head in amused agreement.

“S...Sorry,” Izuku stammers out as he finally manages to untangle himself from Togata and Hado and scrambles out of the bush with the two taller teens following suit.

“It’s fine. Wasn’t your fault,” says Togata. He grins at Amajiki and adds, “You know what, why not the three of us against you, Suguru?”

“Three on one?” Amajiki raises an eyebrow. “You really wanna get your ass kicked again, Yuji.”

“Hey! This time, I’m gonna win ‘cause I got my buddies to back me up!”

“You couldn’t win even if Satoru over there was helping you,” Amajiki says.

“Oy!” Satoru whines in protest. “I can totally beat ya, Suguru.”

Amajiki just smirks at him before he turns his gaze back to Izuku, Togata, and Hado and holds out his fists. “If you want to try it, go ahead,” he says.

Togata cracks his knuckles and casts a glance at Hado and Izuku. “You up for helping me out?” he says.

Hado hums then shrugs. “Okay,” he says.

Izuku hesitates, uncertain. “Um, I’m literally just learning so I dunno how much help I’d be,” he admits.

“Go for it, Izuku. You can learn by doing too,” says Satoru cheerfully.

Izuku gives his brother a long look because his brother sounds way too cheerful with that statement and he has his phone in his hand. “You’re gonna record, aren’t you?” he deadpans to which Satoru just grins and nods. “Of course. How are we twins again?”

“I’ve wondered that every single day since I met you two,” Hado deadpans.

“Yeah, you’re like way different from each other but I guess that’s to be expected considering...ow!” Togata winces when Hado calmly bonks him on the head while Izuku tilts his head to the side, wondering what the pink-haired boy was about to say.

At that moment, a phone rings. It takes a moment for everyone to realize it’s Satoru’s and he answers it. “Hi Mom!” he says brightly and tilts his head to the side. “Whoa, it’s already that late? Didn’t even notice. Okay. Izuku and I’ll head home soon. Love you.”

He hangs up and tucks the phone away, turning to Izuku. “Mom wants us home,” he says.

“Oh, okay,” Izuku says and jogs, or rather limps, over to where his backpack and his water bottle and his towel are resting. He aches everywhere and he’s pretty sure his bruises have bruises but he feels like he’s learning a lot. Learning by actually doing, and by observing Amajiki’s moves up close and personal, is really helping.

“Do you want to meet up again on Saturday for another session?” Satoru asks.

“I won’t be able to come on Saturday,” Hado admits. “Nejire and I are going to be practicing with my Quirk that day.”

“Mirio and I are gonna be training Saturday too so I can’t make it, sorry,” says Togata.

“Oh, uh, it’s okay,” says Izuku. He kind of figured all of his classmates would be training on their own more so than with others in preparation for the Sports Festival. The fact that Amajiki is still willing to train with him is a surprise though.

“I can still meet up with you though,” says Amajiki. “Tamaki is on an extended mission with Fat Gum in Osaka till late that afternoon and I’m pretty confident in where I am with my own training. So I can still help out. Besides, beating Satoru is fun.”

Satoru sticks out his tongue at Amajiki who completely ignores it. He doesn’t ignore it when Satoru promptly drapes himself over him though and kisses him on the cheek. He just calmly wrenches Satoru over his shoulder and slams him back first onto the ground.

“Suguru!” Satoru whines as he scrambles to his feet and pouts.

Amajiki rolls his eyes and, stepping forward, wraps his arms around Satoru and kisses him on the cheek. “Just don’t do that,” he deadpans.

Satoru’s pout vanishes and he happily throws his arms around Amajiki as well and kisses him back, though he immediately locks lips with Amajiki.

“Get a room,” Hado deadpans.

“Um, we gotta get home, Satoru,” Izuku reminds his brother.

“Well, I could always just teleport us home,” Satoru comments as he pulls back from Amajiki.

“Satoru, you’re not supposed to use your Quirk in public.”

“Aww.”

“Honestly.”

. . .

Suguru yawns as he makes his way to his house. It’s been a week and a half since the announcement of the Sports Festival and Suguru feels like Izuku is making great strides in learning how to fight without the use of a Quirk. He can throw a punch better now and he’s getting better about anticipating how his opponent is going to react and getting stronger with his kicks and his punches. He even managed to land a blow against Suguru today.

He muses to himself that there is something rather fulfilling about seeing his classmate get stronger and better with fighting. He wonders if this is how Satoru felt back in their last lives when he saw his students get better and stronger themselves.

I wonder...if I hadn’t walked away from the jujutsu world in my last life, would I have followed the same path as Satoru? He doesn’t know. Truth be told, he never gave much thought what he would do after graduating from Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, other than constantly defeating and absorbing cursed spirits and protecting those who needed protecting.

It was different back then. It was a darker place back then.

This is a different world, a different age. Maybe the path of a teacher is a path he can walk in this day and age.

“Suguru, you’re back,” Tamaki says quietly as Suguru enters his house and, kicking off his shoes, moves into the living room.

He freezes upon seeing his parents there.

Ever since he regained his memories of his past life during the U.S.J. incident, Suguru has been avoiding his parents whether it is by staying shut up in his room or leaving for school before his parents wake up and getting home while they are still at work. He won’t eat dinner at the dining room table when they are home, instead eating several hours later in the confines of his own room.

He just can’t. Every time he looks at his parents in this life, he is overwhelmed with memories of his parents from his last life.

He still sees their bodies. He still sees the blood. He still sees the cursed spirits under his control tearing through the remnants of his home. He still sees his parents’ blood staining his own clothes.

He can’t get those images out of his mind and, every time he sees his parents from this life, that image is superimposed over them.

“Suguru, sweetie…” His mother, Hitomi Amajiki, says with a bright smile as she rises to her feet.

Suguru takes a step back. “I...gotta go,” he manages to get out and bolts. He grits his teeth as those memories, as that image, surge through his head. Tears well up in his eyes as he tears his way down the hallway and slips into his room, slamming the door behind him and stumbling toward his bed. He doesn’t even make it. He just crumbles to the ground beside the bed and, turning, rests his back against it. He draws in a shaky breath and releases it, trying to calm his pounding heart, trying to will away that bloodstained memory and the image it is superimposing over his parents.

His heart aches. His head hurts. He realizes he’s crying when the salty tears fall away from his chin but all he can do is bring his knees up to his chest and bury his face into them. Trembles pass through his form as he continues to desperately try and will away that bloodstained memory, as he tries to not think about his parents from his last life whom he actually unleashed his cursed spirits on, whom he murdered.

It’s so hard, so very hard.

“Suguru?” Tamaki’s voice sounds through the door. “A...Are you okay?”

Suguru lets out another choked sob but doesn’t respond as he clutches at his head. He can’t. If he even tries to speak then he’s sure the fragile grasp he has on his emotions will shatter. He will shatter. He’s already breaking apart at the seams just from those memories, that bloodstained image, alone. He doesn’t think he can speak without those seams tearing themselves apart even faster.

He’s been dealing with this ever since last July. Back then, they were only nightmares. Back then, they were just phantom images brought on by his fears. Back then, that’s what he assumed to be the case anyway.

But now he knows the truth. Now he knows those bloodstained phantom images aren’t phantom images. They’re memories of actual events, of things that actually did happen, of tragedies that actually occurred, of murders Suguru actually committed with his own two hands.

“Suguru,” Tamaki calls again. “Suguru, I’m coming in.”

Suguru doesn’t respond even as the door opens and a sliver of light snakes into the room nearly overwhelmed by Tamaki’s form. He closes the door behind him and approaches Suguru who doesn’t lift his head, who doesn’t remove his hands from his temples. He draws his knees even closer to him but resists the urge to close his eyes, knowing he will bear witness to those horrifying memories again if he does.

“Suguru?” Tamaki says quietly, gently. “It’s okay.”

Suguru shakes his head. It isn’t. He knows it isn’t. The deeds that he did in his last life. The blood that he stained his hands with. They won’t go away. They’re scars seared into his soul that he’s forced to relive, that he’s constantly being forced to relive every single time he closes his eyes.

He thought it was okay, that he was getting over them, that he could just push them to the back burner and not think about them. All those memories were a lifetime ago after all. He can’t change them. He can’t undo what he has done and he tried so very hard to push them aside because of that fact.

But seeing his parents…

It hurts. It hurts so much.

“Suguru…” Tamaki begins.

“S...Satoru,” Suguru stammers out because, right now, he doesn’t think he can calm down without his one and only, without the person who knows, better than anyone, what he is going through because he was there for quite a bit of it. “Satoru…”

“Do you want me to call him?” Tamaki asks gently.

Suguru nods slowly.

“Okay.” Tamaki moves away and Suguru barely notices it when his brother removes his phone from his pocket and dials a number.

“Hey, um, this is Satoru, right?” Tamaki says nervously. “Um, I’m Tamaki, Suguru’s brother. Um, Suguru isn’t...doing so good right now…” He breaks off and adds, “O...Okay.”

Suguru barely notices when Tamaki moves the phone closer to him, though he does lift his head ever so slightly when he hears Satoru’s voice calling his name.

“Hey, Suguru.”

“Satoru?” Suguru manages to get out shakily.

“Yo,” Satoru says but there is no denying the concern in his voice. “Your brother said you’re not doing so good right now. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Suguru swallows as he shakily reaches for his phone and, turning off the speaker, rests it against his ear. “N...No. It’s just...can you talk? Just...about anything?”

“...Sure. Well, I found this new pastry place a few blocks away from my apartment. It’s got French style desserts and its crème brulle is amazing! It’s so sweet but Izuku doesn’t like it ‘cause it’s too sweet, well according to him anyway, and…” Satoru says and Suguru finds himself slowly relaxing as his boyfriend’s soothing voice washes over him. It’s so odd that just listening to Satoru talk about sweets, of all things, is enough to calm him down.

Tamaki lets loose a soft, relieved breath as he sits back on his heels before he rises to his feet and walks out of the room. Suguru faintly hears him reassuring their parents that he’s calming down while urging them to not check up on him right now. He’s grateful for that. He’s sure that, even with Satoru’s soothing voice talking with him, he will still unravel again if he has to come face to face with his parents.

But, even if the traumatizing memories of his past life are still haunting him, at least he has Satoru. At least, he isn’t alone.

. . .

Yuji winces as he finds himself hitting the ground yet again and huffs as he scrambles to his feet. “Let’s go again,” he says firmly to which Mirio, a bright laugh escaping his lips, nods his head in agreement and holds up his fists.

The two of them have been sparring for the past several hours and, while Yuji is proud of himself for managing to hold his own against his brother for as long as he has during each fight, he’s still disappointed that he can’t beat him. It seems like the only one who’s been able to beat Mirio is Suguru and Yuji doesn’t know if that’s Suguru’s past life coming into play or not.

Truth be told, he doesn’t even know much about Suguru’s past life. He only knows about the bastard Kenjaku who was using Suguru Geto’s body in his last life, something he didn’t actually find out until much later in the Culling Game. Seeing Suguru again after regaining his memories had definitely been hard to handle after the adrenaline from the attack on the U.S.J. finally faded away but, after reassuring himself that his childhood friend wasn’t Kenjaku, he was able to get over it slowly.

As it is, he knows part of his own past life is coming into play a little bit in his training with Mirio. This time, though, he doesn’t have cursed energy or Sukuna or anything like that. This time, he just has the strength that he had in his last life, except it can be boosted because of the Quirk that was awakened within him when he was four.

In the face of his brother, that strength just isn’t enough though.

Then again, this is the same young man who beat every single student in his class back at U.A. High without using his Quirk. Yuji is pretty lucky he’s managing to avoid getting knocked on his backside more often than he actually is. He has no doubt that would happen if Mirio was using his Quirk though so he’s taking what he can get.

They continue to spar with Mirio easily catching all of Yuji’s attacks but Yuji does what he can to break through his brother’s defense. He sidesteps to avoid a punch aimed at his face and manages to catch the second punch before throwing one back but Mirio dances out of the way in time.

In truth, fighting Mirio reminds Yuji a bit of fighting Todo back in his last life. There is no denying the student who randomly claimed Yuji as his ‘brother’ in his last life was an incredibly skilled hand-to-hand fighter who is probably on the same level as Suguru. It was thanks to Todo’s instruction that Yuji was able to learn how to do a Black Flash in his last life.

He wonders if he can do something similar in this life. He doubts it because Black Flashes require cursed energy and Yuji is pretty sure cursed energy doesn’t even exist in this new world. Or, at least, he hasn’t noticed any signs of it and he can’t be sure he will notice any signs of it even if it did exist. He’s pretty sure the only reason he was able to see and access cursed energy is because of Sukuna, and because the long amount of time Sukuna spent within Yuji left an imprint that allowed Yuji to maintain that ability even after Sukuna transferred himself to Megumi.

But, since Gojo – Satoru – hasn’t said anything about the existence of cursed energy in this new age, and his Six Eyes should have revealed that truth right away, Yuji is pretty sure cursed energy just doesn’t exist anymore.

Either way, thinking about his last life brings back those nightmares he’s been dealing with since last July, nightmares he now knows are memories.

He yelps when a swift strike to the chin throws him backwards and off his feet. He peers up at his brother as he holds his chin when Mirio walks up to his side, a grin stealing its way onto his lips.

“You got distracted,” he says as he holds out a hand toward Yuji who takes it and pulls himself to his feet.

“Ah, sorry,” Yuji says with a laugh.

Mirio studies him for a long moment. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“Uh, yeah, why?” Yuji says with a frown.

His brother studies him for a long moment. “Right before I hit ya, your eyes got haunted like you were seeing something pretty bad that only you could see,” he admits. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Really.” He isn’t, not really. He doesn’t think he ever will be, not with those scars lacing his soul, not with the dark memories hovering on the back burner of his mind. But he doesn’t say that out loud. No, he focuses on the now.

He, Megumi, Gojo, and possibly even Nobara have been granted second chances in a world where sorcerers and cursed energy don’t seem to exist, or exist in such small quantities that it isn’t a threat anymore. And Yuji finds he wants to make the most of this new life he’s been given so he can’t let his dark memories of his past life interfere with that.

He can’t and he won’t.

“Really, I’m fine,” he reassures his brother in the hope of erasing that worried look in Mirio’s eyes while also hoping to convince himself of that fact too.

It works with Mirio, though he can’t say for sure if it worked with him, as he nods. “All right. If ya ever wanna talk, you know you can talk with me! But, for now, you wanna go again?” he asks.

“Yeah, sure,” says Yuji and, pushing aside those memories once again, he focuses on the now because, right now, living his life without regrets is what is most important. And, right now, becoming the best hero he can possibly be so he can live his life without regrets is most important.

. . .

Megumi studies his back in the mirror, eyes tracing over the various tattoos inscribed in black ink upon his back and around his stomach. Finding the tattoo associated with each of the shikigami he had in his last life is easy enough. Divine Serpent is wrapped around his stomach with the head resting by his belly button. Divine Dogs are coiled around each other on the upper right of his back while Rabbit is right beneath them. Nue is resting with its wings tucked against its body on the upper left of his back while Toad rests right beneath it and Elephant stretches the length of his lower back.

But the biggest one is the one that dominates the middle of his back around his spine, a cocoon-like lower body stretching from the middle of his back between Toad and Rabbit to right above Elephant’s curved back while its upper body stretches upward between Divine Dogs and Nue. The four wings protruding from its eye sockets brushes the tops of Divine Dogs and Nue while the tail-like appendage curves upward, cutting behind the eight-handled wheel tattooed partially behind but mostly above the head right on the back of Megumi’s neck.

Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.

Or, as Megumi has taken to calling it whenever he isn’t about to summon it, Divine General Mahoraga. It’s his most powerful Shadow Beast, and it’s eerily similar to the shikigami that he tried to tame back in his last life. That Sukuna was able to tame after he took over Megumi’s body in his last life.

He shakes his head as he shoves that thought, those memories, out of his mind because it doesn’t matter right now. His past life doesn’t matter right now because this life is what he is living, this life is what he needs to focus on.

And he is beyond grateful to know that he isn’t alone, that Yuji and Gojo and, possibly, Nobara were all given second chances, were all reincarnated into this new, Quirky age.

His eyes trace over Mahoraga’s tattoo and he lets loose a soft breath as he reaches for his shirt and puts it on. In truth, while he is confident he can control Mahoraga in this day and age, he still has bad memories associated with the Divine General, mostly because the Divine General is the reason why Sukuna was able to get past Gojo’s Infinity enough to kill him.

And Megumi is still suffering from the nightmares associated with that moment. He doesn’t think they are ever going to go away, even more so now that he knows they aren’t nightmares but rather memories.

But I can push them aside. He can and will focus because, right now, they aren’t important. This is a new life. This is a new age. Everything he dealt with and suffered in his past life doesn’t matter anymore, no matter the fact that the scars are still there.

“Megumi! You’re taking forever!” Nejire’s voice whines from beyond the door and Megumi lets loose another soft breath.

Nejire reminds Megumi a little bit of Tsumiki. While Tsumiki was not nearly as airheaded and easily distracted as Nejire, they both are very kind and compassionate. And Megumi does care for Nejire. She is his sister in everything but blood and that’s all that matters.

Megumi doesn’t want the same fate that befell Tsumiki to befall Nejire but, at the same time, he knows Nejire is training to be a Pro Hero too. She has a powerful Quirk, and a powerful drive and determination, and she is strong in her own right. She isn’t one of the three most powerful students of her year for nothing after all.

Nejire can take care of herself but, at the same time, Megumi wants to get strong enough to be able to fight alongside her, to protect and save who he wants to save. He may not have quite the same view on being a hero that his sister does but he does follow his conscience and that is what guides him to save others.

“Megumi!” Nejire protests.

Megumi sighs as he finishes drying his hair and, tossing the towel into the hamper, he leaves the bathroom, giving his impatient, pouting sister an exasperated look. “I wasn’t in there for that long, Nejire,” he says.

“Still too long,” Nejire says before she pokes his arm a few times. “Hey, hey, you think you’re ready for the Festival tomorrow?”

“I’m as prepared as I can be,” Megumi says.

“You’re gonna do great! Hey, hey, you gotta try and win!”

“I’m going to do my best.”

Nejire beams at him and slips into the bathroom while Megumi makes his way into the kitchen, inclining his head in silent greeting to his parents.

He may be suffering from the nightmares of his past life but, at the very least, this new life is already looking to be far better and Megumi is grateful for that.

. . .

Chapter Text

In the 1-A Prep Room, nerves are frayed, anxiety is high, and uncertainty and slight fear are mingling together. At least, within one Izuku Midoriya, that is the case. He can’t help but wring his fingers together and take several deep breaths and release them slowly as he attempts to calm down his nerves and push past his anxiety and release his uncertainty and slight fear. It’s slow going but he seems to be making some progress anyway.

Today is the day of the U.A. Sports Festival. Today is the day that Izuku puts into practice everything he’s learned ever since the school year began. He’s learned quite a bit from Amajiki during their training sessions, even if he doubts he is anywhere near Amajiki’s or his brother’s or even Togata’s or Hado’s level, and he learned way more about his Quirk because of Satoru.

Those exercises Satoru gave him to do and those lessons on Quirk control that Satoru passed on to him from his own Quirk counseling sessions while he was growing up is helping. Izuku was able to actually spread One for All evenly throughout his entire body without much hassle during those exercises and was even able to release a burst of One for All’s power with a flick of his finger and not break a finger.

Of course, accidentally shattering the kitchen window as a result of that test meant a lot of fast talking and a severe scolding that both he and Satoru had to endure from their mother but Izuku felt it was worth it to learn how to control his power without breaking something. He hopes he can keep it up during the course of the Sports Festival but, at the same time, he knows he does have what Amajiki taught him to fall back on.

Even if he isn’t quite as confident about fighting someone else with just his fists, he knows he can still do that.

He takes another deep breath and releases it.

“Midoriya…” Todoroki’s voice cuts into his thoughts and he has to resist the urge to yelp in surprise.

Judging by the snickering that’s erupting from his brother, he failed to do that.

“Todoroki, please call us by our first names,” Satoru calls from where he’s leaning against the wall and his snickering fades away, not looking the slightest bit fazed even though everyone else seems to be incredibly nervous. Well, Amajiki isn’t and Izuku is pretty sure Hado is just really good at hiding it if he is feeling nervous at all. “Even though I know you’re talking with my cute baby brother, it could still get confusing.”

Izuku groans and glares at his brother. “I. Am. Only. Two. Minutes. Younger. Than. You!” he exclaims in annoyance.

“And your point is, my Cute Little Baby Brother?” Satoru says, raising an eyebrow.

“You are annoying, my Giant Asshole Big Brother,” Izuku retorts and, while some of his classmates gasp in surprise, Satoru just barks out a laugh. Ignoring his laughing twin, Izuku turns his attention back to Todoroki, swallowing because he’s rather close and he’s even more gorgeous up close.

Focus, Izuku, focus!

“W...What is it, Todoroki?” Izuku curses himself for stuttering.

“Objectively speaking, I’m stronger than you. More capable,” says Todoroki.

Izuku jolts in surprise. “Uh huh? Uh, sure…” he begins.

“All Might’s got his eye on you, doesn’t he?” says Todoroki and, while Izuku tenses, he goes on, “Now I’m not about to pry into why that is but I will beat you.”

“Ohh, a declaration of war from one of the strongest in the class?” Kaminari says with a grin.

Kirishima moves over to stand by them, a frown on his lips. “Hey, man. Why pick a fight now? We’re about to go on,” he protests.

“I really don’t care. I’m not pretending to be anyone’s friend here,” says Todoroki.

Izuku hesitates for a long moment, then says, “Todoroki, I’m not sure why you felt the need to tel me you’ll beat me. You’re clearly stronger and I can’t measure up to most of the others here in skill. Objectively speaking, even…”

“Don’t be so negative, Midoriya...er Izuku. No need…” Kirishima begins.

“But,” Izuku cuts him off, not intentionally but he isn’t even really paying much attention to what anyone else is saying. He’s just focusing on getting his own thoughts out. “Everyone, even the kids from the other courses, are aiming for the top. And I’m...well...lemme say this. I’m not gonna fall behind. I’m going for it too with everything I’ve got!”

Todoroki tilts his head to the side. “Right,” he says.

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “Yo, Suguru,” he calls and Amajiki, who is seated at one of the tables, tilts his head toward him. “Ready to lose to me again?”

“Challenge accepted,” says Amajiki calmly though with a competitive gleam in his eyes and he and Satoru glare at each other with that competitive fire flaring unseen between them.

“Man, is that another declaration of war?” says Kirishima in surprise.

“To be fair, those two have been competing against each other since the entrance exam,” Kaminari admits. “I was in the same arena they were in and I saw ‘em basically decimate pretty much every single robot they came across. It’s a wonder I got enough points at all.”

“Sorry about that,” Amajiki says. “But I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”

Satoru grins at that.

“Let us head on out. It is time for our class to enter,” says Ida firmly as he chops his hand down and, as the students of Class 1-A gather around the entrance and follow Ida and Yaoyorozu out of the room, Izuku clenches his hand into a determined fist.

“ I need you to tell the world ‘I am here’.”

“I’ve got it, All Might,” Izuku whispers as he walks after the rest of his classmates in the heart of the gathered students while his brother moves to his side, blindfold firmly in place and a determined grin on his lips.

“We’re gonna do great,” Satoru says.

Izuku nods in agreement.

“It’s U.A.’s Sports Festival,” Present Mic’s familiar voice sounds as Class 1-A makes their way toward the doors they will use to enter the main stadium. “When our fledgling heroes compete in a ruthless grand battle! First up, you know who I’m talkin’ about. The miraculous rising stars who brushed off a villain attack with their steely willpower! The first years of the Hero Course! It’s Class 1-A!”

Izuku follows the rest of his classmates into the stadium where thunderous applause echoes from the audience and he gulps because he was not expecting so many people to be cheering him and his classmates on. “Whoa, what a crowd,” he stammers out.

“And we’re expected to put on the best performance we can in front of so many spectators!” says Ida. “I suppose this is merely one more necessary skill if we hope to become heroes.”

Satoru is waving at the crowd, not looking the slightest bit fazed by it.

“They’re really giving us too much credit but we won’t let it shake us, right, Bakugo?” says Kirishima.

“Nope. Just gets me pumped up,” says Bakugo with a grin.

As the rest of the classes are introduced, Izuku spots the indigo haired boy as well as the silver-haired boy, both of whom called out their class two weeks earlier. He swallows nervously as he refocuses his attention on the stage as the rest of the students gather in front of it. The R-Rated Hero Midnight is making her way onto the stage with her long blue-black hair falling down to her waist as she swipes her flogger whip to the side.

“Now for the athlete’s oath,” she declares.

“R-Rated? Should she really be in a high school?” Tokoyami deadpans.

“Shut it,” Midnight says firmly. “Pipe down! Your student representative, from Class 1-A, is Satoru Midoriya!”

“What?” Izuku whips his head around too stare at his brother.

“That doesn’t surprise me. He is the one who scored the highest on the U.A. Entrance Exam,” Ida comments, adjusting his glasses.

“Yeah, the Hero Course’s exam,” one of the General Studies students says with a slight sneer.

They really don’t like us. Izuku swallows. He has no doubt Bakugo made that dislike worse because of his words two weeks earlier. He finds himself himself hoping Satoru won’t do the same.

Amajiki snorts. “Guess this means you gotta make a speech. I’m kinda glad you beat me out by one point now,” he says.

Satoru just laughs as he strides toward the stage. “I’m just glad it wasn’t the walking explosion. He’d probably get everyone all pissed at our class again,” he says as he hops onto the stage and, snatching the microphone out of an amused Midnight’s hand, turns to face the crowd.

“Yo, everyone!” he says brightly. “Everyone’s probably expecting some really big speech, or that athlete’s oath or whatever. Yeah, that ain’t my thing so I’m just gonna say this! We’re all trying to be the best heroes we can possible be so, whether you’re in the Hero Course or Support or General or Business, don’t be afraid to go all out and don’t hold yourself back ‘cause I’m not gonna. I’m the strongest here! Everyone, show the world that you are just as strong and give it everything you’ve got!”

Cheers erupt from the crowds as well as the students while Izuku stares because Satoru told the entire world he was the strongest but, at the same time, motivated everyone else to give it their all too. He can hear it in the determined cheers of the rest of the students gathered around him.

“That arrogant bastard…” Bakugo growls.

“Hey, it got me pumped to show I’m just as strong as he is,” says Kirishima.

“I’m surprised that he managed to sound arrogant and motivational at the same time,” Togata comments.

“He does have that charisma about him,” Amajiki admits and Izuku muses that he’s probably right about that.

Satoru tosses the microphone back to Midnight, who catches it with an amused look in her eyes, and hops off the stage.

“Nice speech, even if there was boasting in it,” says Togata.

Satoru grins. “Just speaking the truth,” he chirps.

“Arrogant bastard…” Bakugo growls and winces when a rock smacks him upside the head.

All eyes turn to Satoru.

“What? That could have been anyone.” Of course, Satoru is tucking away the hand that is glowing blue from the application of the Blue side of his Limitless Quirk as he says that.

No one says anything, mostly because Midnight is starting to talk again about the first event, which turns out to be an obstacle race.

“Oh?” Satoru grins.

“Oh?” Amajiki raises an eyebrow.

“Oh hell yeah.” Bakugo grins sharply.

“Hmm.” Hado tilts his head to the side.

“Heck yeah. Sounds like fun.” Togata grins.

Izuku, for himself, is nervous again but he swallows and pushes that nervous feeling aside. He can do it. He knows that he can.

He takes a deep breath. He just has to make sure to only use five percent of One for All, and spread it evenly throughout his body. He knows he can use One for All to increase his speed and, if he is quick, he should be able to jump over people to get ahead if he needs to.

Just keep to five percent. Do not go over five percent.

“It’s a race between every member of all eleven classes,” says Midnight. “It’s a four kilometer lap around the stadium itself. Our school preaches freedom in all things! So long as you don’t go off the course, and that does include flying over the course itself, anything is fair game!”

Satoru pouts. “That means I can’t just teleport to the finish line,” he says.

“That means I can’t use my manta ray and just fly over everyone,” Amajiki mutters.

“Mm, I can’t use Nue all the way across then,” Hado muses thoughtfully.

“Racers, to your positions!” Midnight declares and, as every single student moves to the starting position, Izuku takes another deep breath and releases it.

I can do this! He activates One for All and spreads it evenly throughout his body, feeling the warmth wrap around him like a shawl but regulating it so that it’s only at the percentage his body can handle. He crouches down, only slightly aware of the crackling green lightning wrapping around his form as he prepares to take off. He’ll jump over everyone if he has to. That’s not the same as flying over the course after all.

Watch me, All Might.

“Ready!” The line turns green. “Start!”

. . .

Ice surges forward in an instant, freezing the entire tunnel and everyone in it as Shoto tears away from the crowd of students, skating forward on his ice as swiftly as he possibly can until he’s clear of where his ice ends. Once he’s clear, he takes off running, ignoring the shouts of surprise and annoyance echoing behind him.

“Yowch! I’m all frozen! Can’t move!”

“So cold!”

“That bastard!”

Shoto briefly glances over his shoulder, more to see who manages to avoid the ice since he has no doubt someone will. He isn’t surprised to see Bakugo exploded his way through it, Yaoyorozu created a pole arm that let her avoid getting frozen, Kirishima seems to have just broken through with his Hardening. A bird-like creature made from solidified shadows surges out of the tunnel and Hado, who is holding on to its talon, lets go to land on the ground right in front of the ice and take off running after Shoto and a grotesque bone-white manta ray does the same, allowing Amajiki to bypass the ice as well.

Satoru literally just glides swiftly around the various frozen students with a feral grin on his lips and Shoto picks up the pace at the realization that all of them, but especially Satoru, are getting far too close to him. Satoru is literally moving so swiftly that Shoto has to throw up a wall of ice just to slow the white-haired Midoriya twin down.

He does catch a glimpse of the younger Midoriya twin, with crackling green lightning surging around his form, bouncing over the ice with impressive speed before he does that. He hums as he keeps on running, conjuring up more ice when the last ice wall is repelled so violently by crackling red energy that it sends shattered shards of ice flying toward him.

He just keeps on moving. “I expected it from our class but more made it past than I thought would,” he comments as he moves.

He erupts into a clearing after conjuring up another wall of ice right as a bunch of massive dark-green robots erupt out of the ground in the clearing. He swipes his hand forward, immediately freezing the two directly in front of him and darting between them without pausing for a second.

An explosion of energy erupts behind him and he casts a glance to see Satoru tearing through the debris that was once the frozen robots, a maniacal grin still on his lips. “You gotta do better than that, Todoroki,” he calls cheerfully.

“Then try this one for size,” Shoto calls back as he pivots and, dropping to the ground, sends another surge of thick ice flying straight toward Satoru while also completely engulfing the clearing, and quite a few of the robots, in ice before jumping up and bolting. He is hoping Satoru’s Quirk won’t be able to last too long if he keeps on throwing powerful attacks to keep him at bay but, at the same time, all his ice seems to be doing is keeping Satoru right behind him. Satoru is still managing to keep pace with him, tearing through the walls of ice as if they are just flimsy pieces of paper with that same maniacal grin on his lips.

Just keep moving. Don’t focus on Satoru. Just make sure he doesn’t get ahead of you.

Shoto unleashes his Quirk behind him again upon hearing the ice explode and feeling the shards slam against his back. They don’t hurt because they’re so small and Shoto doesn’t let them distract him at all.

He hums to himself as he moves. While he vowed that he would beat Izuku Midoriya due to the fact that All Might has his eyes on the younger Midoriya twin, he muses that he should have probably done the same with Satoru Midoriya as well. There is no denying Satoru is extremely powerful and, while he is arrogant as was the case with his athlete’s oath, the sheer power he is unleashing to keep pace with Shoto does help to support his arrogant declaration of him being the strongest.

He bolts around the curve and skids to a halt upon reaching a massive chasm of pitch-black darkness dotted with various stone pillars of varying sizes with thick wire stretched taut between them. This must be the next obstacle and he, using his Quirk to conjure up another ice wall behind him, darts toward the nearest wire. He jumps onto it, freezing it with his ice and skating across it swiftly.

His ice wall explodes behind him and Shoto grits his teeth. He won’t be able to use his ice that well to stop Satoru from catching up to him since he has to focus on not falling off these wires. He can only hope Satoru won’t be able to fly over this area and, judging by the fact that he doesn’t see Satoru in the air above him, something tells him he can’t.

Maybe it’s to ensure that it isn’t that easy for those with flying Quirks to just fly over these obstacles. That makes sense because those with flying-based Quirks would have a very easy time to get through all of these obstacles without actually going through them. That’s probably also the reason behind that rule that Midnight told them before the race began.

But it gives Shoto the chance to create some more distance between him and Satoru Midoriya and, right now, that’s what he needs to focus on.

He passes the chasm and bolts, heading toward the next obstacle. The chasm obstacle did slow him down a bit and he can hear some of the other students are starting to catch up. He is definitely hearing Bakugo’s explosions and he has to wonder if Bakugo managed to surpass Satoru who’s been on Shoto’s heel since the race began.

To his surprise, Satoru is suddenly at his side, literally gliding backwards with his hands folded behind his head. “That last obstacle sucked. Would’ve been a hell of a lot quicker if I could’ve just flown over it,” he complains.

“And yet you caught up to me,” Shoto deadpans as he whirls around and swipes his right hand up with the intent to freeze Satoru. Satoru dances out of the way and points his finger at it and Shoto only barely manages to throw himself forward in a roll to avoid the crackling red energy that repels the ice away with such force that it is torn into tiny pieces.

He throws more ice at Satoru as he increases his pace. He has to keep moving and he has to delay Satoru for as long as he possibly can.

He nears the final obstacle and bolts toward it, grimacing at the realization that it’s a minefield. He won’t be able to just skate his way through that on his ice, not unless he wants to create a path for the rest of his classmates, and the other students, to use to catch up. He starts moving as swiftly as he possibly can around the mines.

I get it. This puts whoever’s leading at a disadvantage. But, at the very least, Satoru will probably be just as delayed by this as I am.

“You bastard!” A scream sounds and Shoto only barely manages to avoid Bakugo when he comes exploding toward him. “Your declaration of war was to the wrong person!”

Shoto surges forward, grabbing Bakugo’s arm in an attempt to ensure he doesn’t get past him and ignores the small explosions that erupt toward him. He still doesn’t know where Satoru is but, at the moment, the one he is most worried about is Bakugo.

Bakugo snarls as he struggles to get past Shoto, who’s irongrip on Bakugo’s arm is preventing either of them from really making any headway. They both gasp in unison as they are suddenly yanked backwards with such force that they nearly go flying straight onto a mine.

Releasing Bakugo’s arm, Shoto immediately freezes the ground beneath him so he doesn’t trigger the mine he ends up landing on while Bakugo, with a scream of frustration, doesn’t react in time and crashes right on the mine that explodes and sends him flying backwards several more meters.

He whips his head around in time to see Satoru giving him a two fingered salute as he glides swiftly only a few meters in front of Shoto. Shoto tears off after him, conjuring up a path of ice that he glides across as swiftly as he possibly can before he lunges upward and grabs Satoru’s arm. His sudden weight does bring Satoru down and, while he manages to land in between two mines, Satoru huffs in annoyance as he tries to break Shoto’s grip free.

An explosion of pink erupts behind them and Shoto and Satoru jerk their heads up in unison in time to see Izuku flying over their heads while clinging onto a metal plating for dear life before he descends. He descends so rapidly that Shoto doesn’t get the chance to react when Izuku flips around in midair and promptly slams the metal plating right on the mine right between where he is due to land and where Shoto and Satoru are still trying to get past each other.

The resulting explosion sends Shoto and Satoru both stumbling backwards as they are momentarily blinded by pink smoke but, before Shoto’s vision can clear, Satoru manages to break free from his grip and darts forward.

Shoto scowls and hurries forward as well, using his ice to create another path that he skates along as swiftly as he possibly can to get past the last of the minefield. Once he’s clear of the minefield, he jumps away from it and bolts toward the finish line.

He is getting closer and closer when, suddenly, something rams into him and he goes flying. He winces as he crashes into the ground and, scrambling to his feet, he is in time to see Amajiki jumping off the head of the serpentine bone-white grotesque dragon a few meters in front of him. Amajiki gives him a nod and bolts toward the entrance while Shoto, with a huff, also jumps to his feet and follows suit.

He bursts past the entrance to the stadium to see confetti raining down and he scans the area, watching as Amajiki moves over to join Satoru while Izuku is gazing around with huge eyes.

A screeched curse sounds behind him as he moves away from the entrance and he turns in time to see Togata tearing out of the entrance hall with a satisfied grin on his lips followed by a serpent made out of solidified shadows that is currently wrapped around Hado and guiding him into the stadium. They are both followed by a pissed off Bakugo who careens past the entrance with explosions tearing through the air behind him.

“Soo who got here first?” Togata says.

“Izuku did,” Satoru says as he promptly drapes his taller, lankier body over Izuku who yelps as he finds himself doubling over from the sudden weight. “That plan with the metal plating and basically exploding your way over the competition was absolutely brilliant! Man, I wanna be upset that ya beat me but I can’t ‘cause that was just so amazing!”

“It was a well thought out plan,” says Amajiki. “It also distracted enough of our classmates that I was able to use Rainbow to get past ‘em without ‘em realizing it.”

“I just realized I beat ya, Megumi,” says Togata with a grin.

“By three seconds,” Hado deadpans as he raises his shirt and waves a hand to dismissive the solidified shadow serpent and it imprints itself back across Hado’s lower stomach before he lets the shirt drop.

“So when did everyone arrive after Izuku?” Togata asks curiously.

“Satoru was second, I was third, Todoroki was fourth, you came in next followed by Hado and Bakugo came in seventh.”

“Ha!” Satoru grins and ignores the glower that crosses an annoyed Bakugo’s face.

Shoto hums as he studies Satoru. “You literally stayed on my heel throughout the entire race,” he says.

“Of course I did. I’m the strongest here! But you definitely had me on the ropes ‘cause you didn’t let me get past ya no matter what I did,” says Satoru with a grin.

“Doesn’t that mean he’s stronger than you?” Hado deadpans.

“Nope!”

“How does that make any sense?” Togata says in bewilderment.

“Yuji, it’s Satoru. He never makes sense.”

“Can confirm,” Amajiki says with a nod.

“Suguru!” Satoru whines with a pout crossing his lips.

More and more of the students return. Ida, who ends up in tenth place, seems disappointed that he hadn’t made it sooner while Yaoyorozu seems satisfied with coming in thirteenth place, just barely beating out both Kirishima and that silver-haired student from Class 1-B. Asui and Shoji come in next followed by an orange-haired girl and then Uraraka and Ashido.

“Man, nineteenth place. That’s like nowhere near you guys,” Uraraka says with a pout as she gestures to the top seven who arrived. “That trick with the metal plating was pretty awesome though, Deku!”

“Uh, right…” Izuku says nervously.

Koda comes in next followed by Jirou, two students from Class 1-B, Kaminari, another 1-B student, Hagakure, and five more students Shoto recognizes as being from 1-B as well. The indigo-haired boy who declared war on their class two weeks ago, Hitoshi Shinso, is literally carried in by three 1-B students.

“Ha! That’s hilarious,” Satoru exclaims as he points to Shinso and laughs.

“That really is funny,” Togata says with a snicker and, while he doesn’t laugh like Satoru, there is an amused smile on Amajiki’s face while Hado is just rolling his eyes but there is faint amusement in their depths too.

The last remaining members of Class 1-B, and a pink-haired girl with goggles resting over her eyes, make their way into the arena. By Shoto’s count, that should be forty two students. He wonders when the cut off for the number of students for the next round is going to be.

“Racers cross the finish line one after the other. We’ll go over the standings later so catch your breath for now,” Present Mic calls as Shoto takes a few deep breaths and releases them.

It isn’t long before all the students are gathering in front of the stage and Midnight strides over to join them, her glasses resting on her head. “The top 42 from this qualifying round will move on,” she says. “But for those who placed lower, don’t worry. We’ve got another way for you to show your stuff. And now the main selection really begins. The press corp’s going to be jumping out of their seats so give it all you’ve got!”

She gestures to the rotating screen that is what showed them what the first event was going to be as she adds, “Now on to the second event. I already know what it is, of course. Dying of suspense? Next up is…”

The rotating screen stops on the words Cavalry Battle.

“Cavalry Battle?” Kaminari says warily.

“Cavalry Battle, huh?” Satoru muses.

“To we’re teaming up but how exactly?” Asui says, touching her finger to her chin.

“Participants will, on their own, form teams of two to four members each and get into a horse and rider formation,” Midnight explains. “The rules are fundamentally the same as those of an ordinary cavalry battle. Snag your opponents’ headbands while guarding your own but with one exception. Each of you has been assigned a point value based on your ranking in the last event.”

Shoto hums as his eyes travel to Izuku. Something tells him that this point assignment has something different in mind for the person who got first place.

“So the point value of each team depends on its members,” Tokoyami says.

“I’m about to explain that so just shut up already,” Midnight exclaims in annoyance. “Anyway, yes! And your individual point values start at five, at the bottom. So the student who took 42^nd place is worth five points, 41^st is worth ten, get it?”

Shoto does the math. That means that, since he got fourth place, he is worth 195 points. He peers toward Satoru and Amajiki, knowing they are worth 205 and 200 respectively and he hums because that does make then targets. At the same time though, he still has this feeling that the person in first place is different from the rest.

“Our first place participant,” Midnight goes on, “is worth ten million points.”

And there it is.

Izuku pales considerably, eyes wide. “T...Ten million?” he stammers out.

“Hoh?” Shinso murmurs from nearby while Satoru tilts his head to the side and Amajiki hums in thought. Hado raises an eyebrow while Togata frowns, tilting his head to the side in concern. Everyone else is giving Izuku incredibly determined looks while Izuku seems to be getting paler and paler with each passing moment.

“The higher ranked students are the ones to aim for. This survival game is a chance for a comeback. It’s anyone’s game,” Midnight declares. “There’s more suffering for those at the top. As you must have heard countless times since enrolling at U.A., this is Plus Ultra! After taking first place in the qualifiers, Izuku Midoriya has got ten million points.”

While everyone is staring Izuku down while Izuku trembles and grips his hands into fists, Midnight goes on with the explanation of the rules. “The match will last fifteen minutes. Each team’s points are determined by its members, as was said earlier. The rider will wear a headband displaying the total number of points. Until the match ends, you’ll all compete to grab each other’s points and maintain the ones you have. Any headbands you grab must be worn around the neck or higher but the more headbands you’ve got, the harder they’ll be to manage. More importantly, even if your headband is taken, and even if your horse formation is broken, it’s not over ‘till it’s over!”

Everyone is going to be on the field at the exact same time. Shoto hums to himself as he scans his classmates and considers how to do this. Yaoyorozu will be an ideal candidate to have on his team because of her versatile Quirk and if he can ask Ida to join him then he will have the speed but he needs someone to help with offense.

His eyes travel to Hado. There is no denying Hado’s skill with his Quirk are exceptional. He commands the Shadow Beasts attached to him rather well and that will work well with offense. He decides he will ask. The worst Hado can say is no after all.

“Quirks are allowed,” Midnight goes on. “So it’ll be a brutal battle. However, it’s still a cavalry battle. Maliciously attacking another team with the intent of making them fall will get you a red card and that means you’re out of the game. You’ve got fifteen minutes. Time to form your teams!”

“Only fifteen huh?” Shoto turns and walks toward Yaoyorozu. “Yaoyorozu?”

“You want to team up?” Yaoyorozu asks and, when Shoto nods, she hums and nods. “Okay. Who else are you considering?”

“Ida and Hado.”

“Speed and offense. That will work rather well.”

Shoto nods his head in agreement and, turning, he makes his way over to join Hado. The black-haired boy fixes dark blue eyes on him as he comes to a stop beside him. “I want you on my team,” Shoto deadpans. “I think your Quirk can be helpful with offense if you’re willing.”

“Who else is on the team?” Hado asks.

“Yaoyorozu and, if he’s willing, Ida.”

“Defense with Yaoyorozu and speed with Ida. Not a bad set up. Sure. If we can beat that,” Hado says as he points toward where Satoru Midoriya is currently draping over Amajiki who is rolling his eyes and pushing at him while Togata laughs, “I will be happy.”

“You don’t want to beat Izuku?” asks Shoto.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I do. But it’ll be satisfying to beat Satoru too.”

Shoto hums and muses it will be, considering Satoru’s proclamation and the fact that he is backing up his claim with his actions, or so he showed during the obstacle race anyway. Beating the one who claims to be the strongest does feel like it’ll be satisfying. But, at the same time, he is also aiming for those ten million points from the kid whom he has already declared war against.

Either way, he doesn’t plan on losing this Cavalry Battle. He will get to the next round, and he will do so with just his mother’s Quirk. It doesn’t matter that his old man is watching. It doesn’t matter that his old man wants him to use his other side because he won’t. He doesn’t need it. He will win without it one way or another.

. . .

“So it’s us three?” Yuji asks as Suguru finally manages to get Satoru to let go of him, though Satoru is just laughing it off. He really does remind Yuji of the teacher he had in his last life and he really is glad that this life is far better than his last one.

“Megumi seems to have joined Todoroki’s team,” Suguru says, pointing and Yuji turns to find Megumi is, indeed, standing with Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Ida. Izuku, who is hovering nearby, looks disappointed as he stares at Ida’s back while Uraraka is talking with him. It looks like Izuku is having some trouble finding people to be part of his team but, considering the major target he has on his back, Yuji can understand why.

“I’m surprised you’re not with your brother,” he comments, glancing at Satoru.

Satoru shrugs. “I’ve gotta let him stand on his own and I know he understands that,” he says. He clasps his hands together and smiles. “Okay! Let’s see if we can find a fourth person to join our little team!”

“Yo.”

Yuji jumps with a yelp and whirls around to see the indigo-haired boy with the perpetually tired purple eyes standing a few feet away with his hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform pants. “Oh, hi! I didn’t even…”

Everything drifts away.

He yelps when he feels a sharp smack upside the head and, clutching at his head with a whine, he tilts his head to the side to find Satoru at his side, fixating his blindfolded gaze on Shinso.

“Brainwashing,” Satoru says calmly. “Capable of taking control of the mind of anyone who responds to you and able to keep that control for a pretty long time so long as something doesn’t shock that person out of your control. The longer you maintain control, the more likely you can cause damage to your own brain though.”

“How…?” Shinso begins.

“I’ve got really good eyes! I’ve known all of that about your Quirk since you used it on Yuji here,” says Satoru with a shrug. He grins and adds, “But I like ya! So why don’t ya join our team?”

“Seriously, Satoru?” Suguru deadpans.

“Hey. His Quirk is really incredibly helpful. We can get bands without having to fight or anything like that if we want to, and they won’t even know, which will just be funny as all heck.”

“You would find that funny.”

Satoru shrugs. “I am who I am. So what do ya say, Shinso?”

Shinso studies him for a long moment, a hum escaping his lips. “It’s not every day I get someone who is capable of literally knowing my Quirk as thoroughly as you do just by seeing it used once. You’re interesting, Satoru Midoriya. All right. I’ll join your team,” he says.

“Great!”

“So how are we gonna do this formation?” asks Yuji.

“Shinso, you be the rider. Suguru, you, Yuji, and I will be the horse. I’ll pass on my Infinity to our entire group and that should allow us to ghost by this challenge without really any trouble,” says Satoru thoughtfully.

“In other words, you’re going to be looking pretty and not doing anything,” Suguru deadpans.

“Aww, you called me pretty,” Satoru gushes and grins when his boyfriend swats at him but, since he isn’t holding him, Infinity catches it.

“Your Infinity?” Shinso echoes.

“Yup.” Satoru holds out a hand. “Watch, try and touch my hand.”

Shinso frowns but holds out a hand and tries to touch Satoru’s. He seems surprised when he can’t, when his hand is stopped literally centimeters away from Satoru’s hand. “What? It’s like a barrier?”

“Basically, yeah. My Quirk lets me manipulate space down to the atomic level so what you’re really touching is the infinity that’s between us like Achilles and the Tortoise. It’s not really stopped but it looks and feels like it. As a result, nothing can touch me or anything I’m touching unless I want it to.”

“Powerful,” says Shinso as he retracts his hand.

Yuji clasps his hands together. “Okay. We should go get our headband and get ready,” he says brightly.

Shinso hums but jogs over to join Midnight to get the headband and, once he has it in hand, they create their rider-horse formation. Yuji is carrying Shinso on his shoulders, not looking the slightest bit fazed since he’s carried more than just Shinso before. He could probably carry Suguru and Satoru too, though he might have to apply his Quirk if he did that just because of how much taller and more muscular those two are.

Satoru is on his right while Suguru is on his left, though Satoru’s arms are coiled around Yuji’s neck so he can touch him as well as Suguru and Shinso, thus allowing him to pass on his Infinity to cover all of them.

“I didn’t know you could do this,” says Yuji.

“It’s automatic that anything I’m touching will be engulfed with Infinity. I did the same thing during our Combat Trials, remember?”

“Oh, right, yeah. I do remember that.” Yuji turns to gaze at the rest of the teams that are forming as Shinso wraps the headband around his forehead.

Along with Todoroki’s team, Yuji also sees that Bakugo is with Kirishima, Ashido, and Sero while Izuku has finally managed to make a team with Uraraka, Tokoyami, and a pink-haired girl with goggles resting over her eyes. The rest of the teams all range from being four students to a few with only two students.

“This is gonna be absolute chaos, isn’t it?” Shinso deadpans.

“Yup. And it’s gonna be fun to watch,” says Satoru. He tilts his head to the side. “Suguru, you got grabbing headbands, right?”

Suguru holds out a hand to his side and a winged bone-white creature with a skeletal body and a long misshapen tail flies out of his shadow and lands on his shoulder. “Yeah,” he says.

“Formed your teams? Made your plans? Too bad if you haven’t!” Midnight calls. “Here we go. The countdown to this brutal battle royal! Three! Two! One! Start!”

As expected, everyone dashes directly toward Izuku.

“Let’s avoid ‘em and pick off headbands from the outskirts for now,” says Satoru.

“Sounds like a plan,” says Yuji as he quickly darts around the edges of the room with Satoru and Suguru easily keeping pace with him while Shinso scans the area from his perch above them. Once they near some people, Suguru waves a hand and his Nightmare surges forward and swiftly snatches some headbands straight off the heads of a few of the teams who are so focused on Izuku that they don’t even notice the Nightmare’s appearance. Once the Nightmare flies back to join them, Satoru must have dropped Infinity just enough for the Nightmare to get close enough that Shinso can grab the headbands and drape them over his neck.

They repeat this process a few more times while Yuji keeps his eye on the rest of the competition as he weaves his way around them. Izuku is in the air, propelled there by hoverboots resting on his feet while Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is providing decent offense that is keeping the other team’s long range attacks from connecting.

It’s about seven minutes into the match that Yuji notices something is off. “Uh, guys, our class isn’t doing so hot,” he says.

“What do you mean?” Satoru asks curiously as they dart around another team but, since they don’t have a headband, they ignore them.

“It looks like the majority of our class don’t have their headbands, from what I can see,” Yuji says and yelps upon seeing scales sail through the air toward them. The scales stop mere centimeters from them and Yuji stares, going cross-eyed, at how close they are.

“Seriously, Yuji?” Satoru says with a laugh. “You know how my Infinity works. Why were you so surprised?”

“Wasn’t expecting scales to come flying outta nowhere,” Yuji mutters with a pout as he quickly hurries through the scales that are literally being thrown to the side without once touching any member of the group. Suguru sends his Nightmare flying at the 1-B student’s headband and Yuji swiftly darts away the instant the Nightmare snags it and flies rapidly toward them.

Nearby, an explosion of ice erupts, freezing several teams in place while a familiar serpent made out of solidified shadows surges forward and uses its fangs to snag quite a few headbands on its trip around the various frozen teams.

“Hado working with Todoroki is definitely working for ‘em,” Yuji comments and tilts his head up. “Hey, how many headbands do we even have?”

“Mm, I’m counting four plus our own,” says Shinso. “Whoever took Class 1-A’s headbands probably got around the same amount and it looks like Todoroki’s team was able to get the same amount. But if any team gets Izuku’s headband, and holds onto it, they’ll automatically get to the next round.”

“Mm, I don’t think we even need to get more bands but we may as well keep at it,” says Satoru.

“There’s Bakugo. He seems to be trying to blow up that kid from 1-B who seems to have taken his band,” says Suguru suddenly.

Satoru blinks and turns his head and Yuji even follows his gaze. He is just in time to see a blond 1-B boy brush his hand against Bakugo who had thrown an explosion at his face and, when Bakugo’s team whirls around, the blond proceeds to throw an explosion right back into Bakugo’s face.

“Ha! Karma!” Satoru yells and bursts out laughing.

Yuji wonders how that happened, or if that kid has some sort of Copy Quirk. From what he’s heard, Yuta was able to copy Cursed Techniques back in Yuji’s last life and he finds it rather interesting that there is someone who can essentially do the same with Quirks in this life. But he decides that isn’t important right now and pushes it aside. Maybe he can talk with that guy later but, for now, he focuses on steering his team clear of the remaining teams trying to get their headbands.

It’s not as if any of their attacks are getting through since Infinity is literally blocking everything.

“That is really overpowered,” Shinso deadpans.

Suguru casts a glance at Satoru. “You seem tired though,” he says.

“Ah, I’m fine,” Satoru says with a light laugh as he waves his hand but, when Yuji studies him, he notices there are small indications of exhaustion in the sweat that beads on his forehead and the way he is shaking a little bit.

“Satoru?” he begins.

“Just a few more minutes. I’ll be fine,” says Satoru and, when Yuji frowns at him, he adds, “My Quirk energy isn’t quite Limitless. It’s close but not quite there yet.”

“Oh.” Yuji is so used to seeing his teacher using his power without any consequences, without any side effects, without experiencing exhaustion or any of the negative effects of using too much power. Back in his last life, Satoru’s power was always Limitless. He guesses it isn’t quite the same in this life but the fact that Satoru is able to actually keep his Infinity up for as long as he has is impressive.

“The last ten seconds,” Shinso says a little while later as they find themselves nearing where the encirclement of ice dominates a good chunk of the corner of the field.

“We have enough to move on, I’m sure,” Suguru says.

The last ten seconds counts down before “Time’s up!” sounds from Midnight.

The instant that sounds, Satoru lets loose a breath and drops Infinity. Once Shinso is on the ground, Suguru moves to Satoru’s side and lets the tall white haired teen lean against him. The points are being added up as everyone either stands, or sits, where they stopped when the battle ended and catches their breath.

“All right! The results are in,” Midnight declares. “In first place! Team Todoroki! In second place, Team Shinso!”

“Second? Nice,” Yuji says with a grin.

“In third place, Team Bakugo,” Midnight adds.

“Ha, beat him again,” Satoru says with a tired grin.

“And, in fourth place, Team Midoriya!”

Yuji is absolutely positive he hears cries erupting from beyond the ice wall they are standing beside.

“Yup, that’s Izuku,” Satoru admits, amused. He lets loose a long breath as he pushes away from Suguru and gives him a smile. “Thanks, Suguru.”

“Of course,” Suguru says with a smile back at him.

As the match ends and everyone is told they are going to take the lunch break before getting into the afternoon festivities, Yuji follows Satoru and Suguru toward the entrance to the stadium. Shinso has wandered off somewhere but Megumi does join them.

“You didn’t join our team,” Satoru says with a pout.

Megumi shrugs. “Todoroki asked me first and I agreed,” he says.

“How did you get first place?” Yuji asks curiously.

“Ida’s Quirk made him move faster than the eye can see and Todoroki was able to snag Izuku’s ten million point band,” says Megumi. “And I was able to use my Divine Dogs to keep them at bay so they couldn’t take it back. That Dark Shadow was able to take Todoroki’s band that was around his head though, which I’m guessing is how they ended up in fourth.”

“Whoa. But, man, that was absolute chaos right there,” says Yuji.

Megumi hums in agreement.

“Hey, you guys, do you know where Izuku is?” Uraraka asks as she moves over to join them.

“I thought he was with you,” Satoru says and, when the brown-haired girl shakes her head, he hums and pivots. “I’m gonna go try and find him. I’ll see ya guys later.” He darts off, slipping through the crowd, though Yuji has no doubt he already knows where Izuku is because of his Six Eyes.

For now, he decides he will get something to eat and start preparing for the upcoming round, even if he isn’t sure as to what to expect. He’s determined though. He’s going to do the best that he can and, maybe, even get to the final round and take home the gold. That will be nice but, at the same time, he knows he’s up against pretty tough competition. It’s not even just Satoru, it’s also Suguru and Megumi as well as Bakugo and Todoroki who are powerhouses in their own right.

But I’m gonna do the best that I can and see where it takes me.

. . .

“Those first years are doing pretty good.”

“Yeah. They’re pretty strong.”

He glances toward the screen that is currently showing the aftermath of the chaotic Cavalry Battle of the U.A. Sports Festival First Year Stage, tilting his head to the side as dark purple eyes study the damaged stage. He muses that it’s just like when he was participating in the Sports Festival back when he was at U.A. and he wonders if the next round is going to be one on one matches like it was with him.

“Plasma!” Edgeshot’s voice calls out and he turns as his mentor, and the hero he is currently working as a sidekick with, moves over to join him.

“Yes?” he says calmly.

“How’s the report going?”

Plasma holds out the report to his mentor. “Finished it,” he says and casts a glance toward the television screen. “Sorry. I would’ve delivered it to you sooner but I got distracted.”

“The U.A. Sports Festival, huh?” Edgeshot says in amusement. “Yeah. It’s always interesting to watch that. It’s why I scouted both you and Iron Maiden.”

“Yeah.” He knows that.

“Go ahead and keep on watching. I don’t have anything for you to do right now, Plasma, so you are okay to watch the rest of it,” Edgeshot says.

“Thank you.” He will admit he is interested himself and he moves over to sit on the couch, curling his legs beneath him as he leans against the armrest.

It’s so strange though. That strange feeling has been prevalent within him for years, ever since he was born, ever since he was old enough to realize he was different from everyone else around him. Sure, he is part of the majority of this world’s population who has a Quirk but that isn’t what makes him different.

His memories are what make him different.

Ever since he was old enough to retain memories, he’s known. He’s probably even known before then, probably even known ever since he was born as a full human in this Quirky new age.

He isn’t the same as the other Quirked humans around him, not when he has the memories of another life coexisting alongside his own, not when his soul is far older than anyone else. Not everyone else can say they have a soul that centuries old. Not everyone can say they remember everything their soul remembers.

But he has always been different. He’s always been special. He knows it. He may be fully human in this life but he wasn’t always fully human.

But he doesn’t mind this new life. He doesn’t mind being human. This life is so much different from the one he once led.

His eyes watch as the R-Rated Hero Midnight announces the sixteen competitors that are going to move on to the next round and he smiles faintly upon seeing that his half-brother is one of those that is moving on. Hitoshi is the son of his mother and another man but he is grateful that his father didn’t treat Hitoshi badly because of that fact. He wouldn’t have been happy had his precious brother been treated badly because of that.

He still harbors regret and guilt over the loss of the brothers he had in his last life after all. Losing all of them still hurt and he is still haunted by the memory of losing them.

But then the rest of the team Hitoshi was part of is announced and he jerks upright so sharply that he nearly goes toppling off the couch as his eyes land on him.

On the pink-haired boy who was introduced as Yuji Togata.

Yuji…

He presses a hand to his chest as he gazes at the pink-haired boy who bears such an unkindly resemblance to the little brother he lost in his last life. It’s not as if really anyone survived the final showdown in his last life but losing Yuji hurt more because of the fact that he claimed him as his little brother.

And yet he is there, on the television screen. The same pink hair, the same brown eyes, the same bright smile.

It’s him. He knows it’s him.

“Are you okay?” one of his fellow sidekicks asks and he realizes he’s crying.

He quickly wipes away the tears. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says as he gazes at the pink-haired boy who may very well be just like him, may very well be the reincarnation of the beloved little brother he lost in his last life.

He needs to confirm that. He has to. If Yuji Togata really is the reincarnation of Yuji Itadori from his last life then he knows exactly what he will do. He will protect the reincarnation of his little brother and, this time, Choso Shinso will not fail.

. . .

Chapter Text

The hallway is quiet as Izuku stands across from Todoroki, uncertain of what to think about the cold, stoic expression on the dual-haired boy’s face or the way he is studying him intently. His expression betrays nothing of what he is feeling and Izuku can’t help but shift nervously and swallow as he tries to push aside that anxiety that’s welling up within him.

“Uh, you wanted to talk? A...About what?” he stammers out and, when the other boy doesn’t respond for a moment, he swallows again and adds, “Um, well, the dining hall will be packed if we don’t hurry...um…” This guy’s nothing like Kacchan or even Satoru. The intimidation is really colder too.

“You overwhelmed me,” Todoroki says finally, his voice as calm and cool as his face. “So much so that I broke my own pledge.”

Own pledge? What is he talking about?

“Ida, Hado, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Uraraka, none of them felt it. In that last instant, I was the only one feeling that pressure. I experienced All Might’s true power up close, remember?”

Izuku realizes he’s referring to the U.S.J. incident when they all witnessed All Might’s true power up close when he defeated the nomu and sent it flying.

“So what’re you saying?” he asks.

“I felt the same pressure coming from you.” He lifts his head and fixes his piercing dual-colored gaze on Izuku as he asks, “Are you All Might’s secret love child or something?”

Pure silence descends as Izuku stares, as his jaw falls. “Am I...what?!” He shakes his head rapidly as he adds quickly, “Nah, I well...I mean I’m denying that, obviously, if I were really his kid, I’d try to deny it. So I realize I don’t sound very convincing here but, no that’s not it...uh, but, you’re forgetting something. I have a twin brother so why would you think that?”

Todoroki studies him for a long moment. “Truth be told, even if it isn’t the same kind of pressure and power and intimidation, there is no denying Satoru Midoriya does have power that, while not on par with All Might, is definitely up there in terms of its pure strength. So it is a possibility. Nonetheless, saying ‘no, that’s not it’ is an interesting response. There’s definitely something you’re hiding. I’m sure of it.”

Izuku swallows because he knows he is hiding the truth about where his Quirk actually comes from but it’s not like he can actually tell that to anyone, let alone the very student who basically declared war on him earlier that day.

“You know my father is Endeavor. The second greatest hero of all time. So if you’re somehow connected to the Number One guy then all the more reason for me to crush you,” Todoroki adds, his tone as serious as his eyes. “My dad...he’s a powerful bastard who only thinks of becoming stronger. Yeah, he’s gone all out to make a name for himself as a hero but he’s always seen that living legend, All Might, as a roadblock and an eyesore. My father could never beat All Might on his own. So he came up with another plan.”

Izuku frowns, not sure what Todoroki is getting at. “What’s this about, Todoroki? Why are you telling me this?” he asks.

“Quirk marriages. You’ve heard of them, yeah?”

Izuku swallows because he has heard of them. They’ve existed ever since the dawn of the age of Quirks but all the stories he’s read have discussed how, in recent years, they’ve become greatly frowned upon. He’s starting to get a very bad feeling of what the dual-haired boy is getting at with his words.

“They started becoming a problem during the second or third generation after Quirks appeared. Strong individuals would choose a partner and force them into marriage for the sole purpose of passing on a strengthened version of their own Quirk. Those earlier generations were lacking in ethics. With his wealth and fame, my father made my mother’s family agree to the marriage, all to get his hands on her Quirk. Raising me as a hero who could exceed All Might, just to fulfill his own ambitions. I hate it! Being no more than a tool for that human garbage.”

He raises a hand and rest it over the burn scar around his left eye. “As I remember it, Mom was always crying. ‘I can’t stand to see that left side of yours’, she said before throwing scalding water in my face,” he adds.

Izuku freezes, horror flooding his veins.

“In short, not using my left side against you was my revenge on him. Never using my rotten father’s Quirk...no...by rising to the top without using it, I’ll have denied him everything,” Todoroki says firmly.

Izuku swallows as he listens to Todoroki’s words. Just listening to those words, he muses that he and Todoroki most definitely live in different worlds. It’s rather surprising and, even though they’re both aiming for the top, they’re still so very different.

“Your connection with All Might...keep it to yourself if you want. Either way, I’ll rise above you with just my right side,” Todoroki adds as he turns and starts walking away. “Sorry for wasting your time.”

Izuku swallows but swiftly darts after him even though he doesn’t really know how to respond to that but he feels like he has to say something. He has to. He has to respond. “I’ve…” He cuts himself off, takes a deep breath and tries again, “I’ve always had help. No matter the situation, I’ve only come this far because other people helped me.”

He thinks about his brother, his first supporter who is the first one to ever tell him he could be strong without a Quirk. He thinks about Uraraka when he first met her and about Aizawa and about his classmates and about Hatsume and about his mother. He thinks about All Might, who is the first adult to ever actually tell him he can be a hero.

“All Might...I wanna be like him,” Izuku goes on. “For that, I halfta become the strongest! Might seem like a lame motivation compared to yours but I’m not gonna lose.” He fixes a firm gaze on Todoroki when the dual-haired boy glances back at him. “All the people who’ve helped me, that’s how I’ll repay them! Let me return your declaration of war with my own. I’m gonna beat you!”

Todoroki holds his gaze for a long moment and Izuku holds it as well, firm determination going through him at his declaration.

Finally, Todoroki closes and, turning his head, walks away but, for some reason, Izuku just knows Todoroki accepted his declaration even if he didn’t outright say it.

But he will stand by his words. He will find a way to defeat Todoroki, for the sake of everyone who has helped him get as far as he has.

. . .

Satoru closes his eyes as he rests his head against the wall, his mind replaying what he just overheard between his brother and Todoroki. Listening to the revelation of the Quirk marriage that resulted in Todoroki’s birth, listening to the revelation that Todoroki’s father is very much like Satoru’s own father back in his last life. It’s shocking, shocking to know that there are families in this new age who are actually rather similar to the Clan families that existed in the previous age.

It’s sickening to know that such families still exist, that there are still families who don’t care about their children, who only see their children as tools, as weapons to be used to achieve power and fame. Endeavor using Todoroki as his weapon to achieve his ambition is very much similar to how Satoru’s own family in his last life raised him to be a living weapon, the living God among men, all for the sake of the Gojo Clan’s own ambitions.

It seems we are more alike than I ever thought possible, Todoroki.

Of course, this life is different but the memories of his last life are still constant reminders of the family he once had and the expectations he once had to live up to.

Being the strongest wasn’t an option in his last life. It was the destiny fostered on him from the very instant he was born simply because he inherited the Limitless technique and was the first in over four hundred years to be born with the Six Eyes.

It seems like it’s very similar for Todoroki. Being strong isn’t an option for Todoroki either. It’s been forced on him from a very young age because of his father.

They really are similar.

He casts a glance at Bakugo who is gritting his teeth and glaring at the wall, having overheard that entire conversation along with him. He studies the blond. “Telling anyone ‘bout what we overheard probably won’t be a good idea,” he says.

“No fucking duh,” Bakugo growls as he stuffs his hands into the pockets of his gym uniform pants and, pivoting, storms off. “It doesn’t change shit. I’m still gonna beat him no matter that whole tragic backstory or whatever the hell I just overheard.”

Satoru pushes away from the wall and pivots as well. “See you later, Kacchan,” he says with the usual mocking lilt to his tone when he says that last word. “If we end up going against each other, I’m not gonna hold back.”

“I’d be fucking pissed if you did, Snow Headed Bastard,” Bakugo retorts as he storms off, slouching slightly and Satoru walks off in the opposite direction. Both of them still have some time before the next round begins and, while he isn’t sure as to what Bakugo will be doing, he’s going to do his best to not think about what he just learned, and how eerily similar Todoroki’s past is to his childhood in his last life.

He makes his way toward the arena a little while later when lunch is over and raises an eyebrow upon seeing all of the girls in Class 1-C and all of the girls in his own class are dressed in cheerleading outfits. A boy with purple ball-shaped hair and Kaminari are grinning while Satoru drags a hand over his face.

“Oy! Ochaco! What the hell are you wearing?” An amused yell erupts from the audience followed by cackling and Uraraka’s face goes bright red when a ginger-haired girl that causes memories to surge through Satoru’s mind leans over the edge of the railing with her phone held in one hand. She is being held by a girl with light pink hair and cloud-shaped earrings to ensure she doesn’t accidentally tumble over the railing.

Uraraka groans and buries her face in her pom-poms. “Nobara is never gonna let me live this down,” she whines.

Yaoyorozu just hangs her head. “How did I let myself get fooled by Kaminari’s stupid prank?” she groans.

“How the heck did we get fooled?” an auburn-haired girl with fox-like ears poking out of her head exclaims as she throws her pom-poms down.

“I am murdering that purple-haired bastard,” a girl with long brown hair says to which the auburn-haired girl comments on how that isn’t exactly something a future hero would say. But, truth be told, Satoru can definitely understand where those girls are coming from with their rather vehement responses.

“Those idiots,” Jirou growls.

“Still time before the main event. No sense in sitting around,” Hagakure says and starts cheering with her pom-poms as she adds, “Why not just go with it? Could be fun.”

“You’re enjoying this, Toru,” Yaoyorozu comments.

“Hope everyone enjoys this little recreational competition,” says Present Mic over the intercom and Satoru muses he must have just missed the announcement of that. “Once that’s over, we’re on to the final event. Between the sixteen members of the four winning teams, we’ll have a formal tournament! A series of one-on-one battles.”

Satoru wanders over to join Izuku, Suguru, Yuji, Megumi, Uraraka, Ida, and Asui, noticing Shinso is hovering nearby with curiosity in his perpetually tired indigo eyes. “So one on one battles, eh?” he says.

Yuji leans toward him. “Isn’t that what the second event during the Kyoto Goodwill Event was supposed to be?” he whispers.

Satoru just grins but doesn’t respond. He knows he sneaked in the option for baseball being the second event in the Goodwill Event in his last life, mostly because he felt his students needed time to unwind after that disastrous team event involving those cursed spirits. It was definitely a good idea in his opinion.

“A tournament, huh? So we’ll be up in that ring I see on TV every year,” Kirishima says with a grin.

“Was it a tournament last year too?” asks Ashido.

“The format’s always different but most years involve some kind of head to head competition,” Sero explains.

“The matchups will be decided by drawing lots,” Midnight says as she holds up a box with ‘Lots’ written on it. “Once that’s settled, we’ll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself. It’s up to each of you sixteen finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength. Now let’s start with the first-place team…”

It doesn’t take long for the matchups to be decided and Satoru studies the list, raising an eyebrow upon seeing he’s up against Tokoyami. He casts a glance at the short boy with the black bird’s head and tilts his head to the side, already knowing quite a bit about Tokoyami’s Quirk simply because, since it’s sentient, it’s always active and thus Six Eyes automatically perceives quite a bit about it and feeds it directly into Satoru’s brain.

He studies the list, noticing that if he wins against Tokoyami, he’ll be up against Suguru in the next round. He grins at Suguru. “Best make it to the next round, Suguru, so I can beat ya again in our match,” he says.

“Challenge accepted,” Suguru says with a grin and they gaze firmly at each other with sparks flaring between them. Just because they’re together as a couple doesn’t mean the competitiveness that’s always been between them since their last lives is just going to go away.

Kirishima laughs. “Don’t count me out just yet, Amajiki,” he says with a sharp-toothed grin.

“I never do,” Suguru says simply.

“It looks like we are up against each other, Izuku,” Ida says, adjusting his glasses.

“Uh...yeah…” Izuku squeaks, looking incredibly nervous.

“Yaoyorozu, huh?” Megumi murmurs. “That might prove difficult.”

“Who the heck is Shinso?” Ashido says in puzzlement.

Shinso smirks and closes his eyes but says nothing.

“I’m up against Hatsume Mei?” Yuji says, peering around until his eyes land on the pink-haired girl with yellow goggles resting on her head. “Wait, isn’t she in support?”

“Should probably not underestimate her,” Megumi says.

Yuji laughs. “Yeah, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea,” he says.

Todoroki casts a glance toward Sero but says nothing even as Sero tries to hide the nervous gleam in his eyes with a confident smile.

“Uraraka?” Bakugo echoes and Uraraka lets out a tiny squeak of fear.

“Oy, are you Togata?” Hatsume says suddenly, sidling up to Yuji who jumps with a yelp while Megumi starts and Satoru, having already noticed Hatsume’s flow of Quirk energy approaching them, gives them both amused looks.

He gets a glower from Megumi in return but just grins at him. Megumi huffs and, rolling his eyes, looks away while Hatsume is happily guiding a confused Yuji away. Yuji casts a confused glance at both Megumi and Satoru to which Satoru just shrugs and Megumi raises an eyebrow as if to ask what Yuji expects him to do about this.

The recreational games begin but Satoru decides not to participate. Instead, he makes his way out of the arena as he considers his upcoming match against Tokoyami. Going all out against Tokoyami will be best but, at the same time, he needs to be careful because Dark Shadow is incredibly agile and powerful in his own right. He also needs to tone down on the use of Red and Blue simply because he doesn’t want to hurt his classmate.

He has far more experience with his Quirk simply because it’s so vastly similar to his cursed technique that, while some things are still difficult to translate, he’s pretty much got a handle on the vast majority of his power. The fact that he’s able to use Purple even though he’s not even sixteen yet is a testament to his previous knowledge but, at the same time, knowledge of how to use his Quirk and the stamina and energy necessary to use his Quirk aren’t the same thing. He did pass out after using Purple after all, and he hadn’t even applied his full power at the time.

He doesn’t have a limitless amount of Quirk energy like he did with cursed energy back in his last life. He has to remember that, has to remember that he is actually, at the moment, limited on what he can do. Thankfully, he doesn’t even need his full power in these upcoming matches, not even against powerhouses like Suguru, Bakugo, or Todoroki. He can still beat them even without his full power because he is still the strongest.

“Oy, you!”

He blinks, tilting his head to the side as a Quirk energy that his Six Eyes perceives as like iron flows nearby, and turns to find Nobara Uraraka striding toward him. The expression on her face is one that makes him think of his old student in his last life but he pushes aside that feeling as he raises an eyebrow.

“What?” he says.

Nobara studies him for a long moment, brow furrowing and a scowl twisting her lips. “Do I know you from somewhere?” she asks. “’Cause it’s really annoying me that I seem to recognize ya but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out from where.”

She doesn’t remember but, at the same time, it seems like a part of her does. Satoru muses that knocking her head first into something hard might be the only way to have her regain her memories of her past life, since that’s how it worked with Megumi, Yuji, and Suguru. But, at the same time, that still isn’t the best way to go about that.

“Well, we did meet when your sister introduced us back when the school year first began,” he points out as he sticks his hands into the pockets of his pants and leans back on the balls of his feet.

Nobara scowls at him. “That’s not what I meant,” she snaps. “I know I know you from somewhere so you better tell me right now.”

Satoru gives her an amused look. She is just as feisty as she was in his last life. If he wasn’t already convinced Nobara Uraraka is Nobara Kugisaki reincarnated then this interaction would have been a dead giveaway. “Oh? And if I don’t? You’re too tiny to do anything,” he teases and grins when Nobara scowls at him again.

“Say that again and I’ll kick your ass,” she snaps.

“Say what again, midget?”

She looks like she is one breath away from lunging at him.

“Nobara, what’re you doing here?” Thankfully, what stops Nobara from slamming herself into Satoru’s Infinity and getting knocked on her behind as a result is the arrival of Uraraka herself. She, still dressed in the cheerleading uniform, moves over to join her sister with puzzlement on her face.

Nobara huffs, folding her arms across her chest. “Just talking with your classmate here but he’s being annoying,” she says.

“I get that a lot,” says Satoru with a grin, “mostly from my brother, and Megumi and Suguru.”

Uraraka looks amused. “Well, you know you don’t have to talk with him if you find him annoying,” she says.

Nobara huffs. “I’m trying to get an answer outta him but he’s being really stubborn,” she says.

“To be fair, you only asked me if you knew me from somewhere and it’s not like I know the answer to that so…”

“Then why didn’t you just freaking say that?” Nobara shrieks in annoyance.

“’Cause you threatening me, even though you’re so tiny that I feel like I’m being threatened by a cupcake, is hilarious!”

It’s probably only Uraraka’s quick intervention that prevents Nobara from lunging at a grinning Satoru, and getting knocked on her behind when she runs full-force into Infinity. Uraraka wraps her arms around her sister’s waist and holds her back while trying desperately to calm her down.

“Did you really have to agitate Nobara, Satoru?” she protests, peering at Satoru.

He shrugs. “Probably not but her reaction is funny,” he says. He gives the sisters a two-fingered salute and, pivoting, strides off. “Good luck against that walking explosion, Uraraka! When you kick his ass, I am so recording it and cherishing that memory forever!”

“Uh, you think I can win?” Uraraka calls.

Satoru casts a glance over his shoulder and gives her a nod. “Of course you can. You’re strong in your own right, Uraraka, and your Quirk is definitely strong enough to beat even someone like Bakugo.” He walks off without another word.

. . .

Izuku takes a deep breath and releases it as he sits in the waiting room as the recreational games are drawing to a close in the main arena. He’s up against Ida and he knows of just how much at a disadvantage he is in terms of speed so he will have to utilize the five percent of One for All has best he can against his friend while also keeping out of his reach as best he can. That’s where it’s going to get difficult since Izuku is still attempting to figure out how to use his Quirk to increase his speed like All Might does.

He rubs his temples as he takes another deep breath. If he manages to win against Ida then he is either going to go against Togata or Hatsume in the next round and both of them are pretty strong or resourceful in their own right. And that might prove to be difficult but he shakes his head and focuses because, right now, Ida is his upcoming opponent.

The door opens and Izuku looks up to find his brother leaning against the doorframe, head tilted to the side. His hair is slightly spiked due to being pushed up by the blindfold wrapped around his eyes but Izuku always gets the feeling his brother is studying him critically whenever he’s looking at him. Or, perhaps, studying his Quirk with those Six Eyes of his.

“Uh, Satoru, what brings you here?” he asks.

“Just checking up on ya. Your match is first after all,” Satoru says as he makes his way deeper into the room and, grabbing the chair on the other side of the table, turns it around and sits on it backwards. He folds his arms over the back of the chair and rests his chin on his folded arms. “What’s up?”

“Just nervous,” Izuku admits, fidgeting. “I’ve seen how fast Ida is capable of being when he used his speed to get close enough to me for Todoroki to take my headband and I just...I dunno how I can even go against that kind of speed.”

“Depending on the rules, I think you don’t really gotta fight against him. Ida has only ever seen you use your Quirk during the Combat Trials too, right? And, since you didn’t really use it during those trials, he doesn’t know much ‘bout it so you’ve got that going for ya.”

“Like an element of surprise?”

“Bingo!” Satoru fires off a finger gun at him and Izuku giggles. “You’re gonna do great, Baby Bro. I know you will ‘cause you’ve gotten so much better at handling your Quirk since you got it.”

Izuku smiles and ducks his head. “It’s thanks to you,” he says quietly. “You’ve been helping me with my Quirk since before you even knew what it actually was and it’s thanks to you that I was able to figure out that I needed to spread it throughout my body evenly and needed to do so at a percentage my body can handle. With your Six Eyes, you even helped me figure out what that percentage was.”

“Six Eyes really is a godsend sometimes, even if I do still gotta keep my eyes covered often or else risk being overwhelmed,” Satoru muses.

“Still though, you’ve been such a great teacher to me since you found out ‘bout my Quirk so thank you.”

Satoru seems to tense slightly at that, then relaxes and smiles ruefully. “A teacher, huh?” he murmurs. “I guess… Well, either way, good luck out there, my tiny baby bro.”

Izuku gives him an annoyed look. “Don’t call me that, my giant asshole bro,” he deadpans to which his brother just laughs at him and jumps to his feet. He waves a hand at Izuku and leaves the waiting room while Izuku watches him go and smiles faintly.

Talking with his brother really did wonders on his anxiety and he finds himself relaxing. He may not be quite as confident in his ability like Satoru is but he does feel a bit better.

I can only do my best. That’s all I can really do.

As he hears Present Mic announce that the recreational games are over and the main event is about to start, he gets to his feet. Turning on his heel, he walks out of the waiting room and heads toward the tunnel leading toward the main arena.

He’s surprised when All Might, currently in his true scrawny form, meets him in the tunnel.

All Might smiles at him in greeting. “You seem to be getting a decent hang of One for All,” he comments.

Izuku shifts. “A little,” he admits. “Satoru’s been a great help but I still can’t really use more than five percent, that’s what Satoru figured is my limit right now.”

“Oh? How did he figure that?”

Izuku shrugs. “His Six Eyes feeds him so much information about the flow of Quirk energy that, when I was practicing with it with him, he was able to figure it out based on what Six Eyes showed him while I was using One for All. I’m still a bit uneasy about it but I’m grateful I am still able to spread it throughout my body evenly so I shouldn’t be at risk of breaking anything but it still feels dangerous, as if I could fall apart if I lose focus. I feel like I’ve gotten lucky with everything though.”

“That’s because you’re always trying your hardest, my dear prince of nonsense,” says All Might as he whacks Izuku upside the head. “You’ll never be a hero looking so mopey!” He shifts into his buff form as he jerks a thumb toward the bright smile crossing his lips. “That’s when you gotta smile! You’ve come this far so show some bravado, even if it’s fake. Never forget that I’m expecting big things from you.”

No pressure, right? But Izuku nods and, plastering on a smile, turns as Present Mic starts announcing the first match.

He makes his way into the arena and toward the stage where Ida is also striding while adjusting his glasses. Izuku takes another deep breath and plasters on that smile again as he focuses on Ida while Present Mic announces the two of them to the audience.

“The rules are simple,” Present Mic goes on. “Win by knocking your opponent out of the ring, immobilizing them, or getting them to say ‘I give up’! Bring the pain! We’ve got our good old Recovery Girl on standby. And fight dirty if you must. ‘Ethics’ have no meaning here! Well, of course, going for the kill is a no-no. You’ll be disqualified because a true hero’s fists fly only when in pursuit of villains!”

“Well, it looks like we’re first,” Ida says.

Izuku nods.

“I am planning on going all out, Izuku,” Ida says firmly.

“I know,” Izuku says and, taking a deep breath, releases it as he prepares himself. He has to put his all into this match, into all of his matches, because he won’t hold himself back.

“Ready!” Midnight declares. “Start!”

Izuku already knows this match is going to be speed based because that is the nature of Ida’s Quirk so he is quick to hurry away from Ida when he surges toward him. The engines in his legs propel him forward at such speeds that Izuku only barely manages to get out of the way before his friend can collide with him.

Use only five percent. Spread it throughout your body evenly. C’mon, Izuku, you can do this! He starts running, even though he knows that’s probably not exactly the best thing to do against someone who’s as fast as Ida is, but he focuses on spreading One for All evenly throughout his body as he does so. Crackling green lightning erupts around his form and, when Ida tries to grab him, he jumps. The force of the One for All powered jump sends him careening all the way to the other side of the ring and he only just barely manages to avoid going past the boundary line.

He’s also grateful he doesn’t break his legs from that jump as he twists in midair and, pointing his hand, he flicks his finger. He’s come to realize he can actually send a burst of air pressure from his fingers when he flicks them, hence the broken window back home, so he decides to use that against Ida.

Keep my power at five percent but fire off these air bursts rapidly. That should keep him distracted and, hopefully, that can help me. Izuku does that, firing off bursts of air pressure with a flick of his finger as he starts hopping around the ring while keeping his power flowing through him evenly.

He knows he probably looks funny, hopping around like a bunny, but it seems like he is managing to stay out of Ida’s reach. In fact, him hopping around like a bunny and him firing off bursts of air pressure with a flick of his hand is forcing Ida to divide his attention between catching up to Izuku and avoiding those bursts.

He just needs to keep this up and try to get in close while he’s at it. He lands in a light skid and jumps into the air when Ida runs toward him before, flipping over his head, fires off a burst of air pressure. Ida manages to dodge out of the way but Izuku, realizing he can take advantage of that, fires off two more bursts of air pressure one after the other. While Ida is able to avoid one of them, the second one comes so swiftly after the first that he isn’t able to dodge it. With a yelp, Ida is sent flying and crashes hard into the grassy lawn beyond the boundary line.

“Tenya Ida is out of bounds. Izuku Midoriya will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares as she waves her flogger whip toward Izuku as he lands in the middle of the ring.

He grimaces because his arm is shaking but he ignores it. He is glad he didn’t break anything but he gets the odd feeling he might have used a bit more than the five percent he is supposed to be using. But, since he didn’t break anything, he ignores the faint pain erupting in his fingers as he makes his way over to join Ida.

Ida sits up and grabs the glasses that must have fallen off when he hit the lawn. “I was not expecting that. Good fight, Izuku,” he says as he puts his glasses back on and, when Izuku stretches out a hand toward him, he accepts it and pulls himself to his feet.

“Thanks,” Izuku says. “I, well, I wasn’t quite sure if my plan would work but I’m glad it did.”

Ida adjusts his glasses. “Still a good match,” he says. “We should get back to the stands so the next competitors can come out.”

“Right.” The two friends make their way out of the arena and toward the stairs that will take them to the stands where most of the rest of their class are watching the matches.

“Not a bad match, Izuku, Ida,” Uraraka says with a thumbs up.

“You’ve gotten so good with your Quirk,” says Satoru as he drapes his lanky tall form over Izuku who yelps as he finds himself doubling over from his twin’s weight.

“T...Thanks but can you please stop doing this?” he groans.

Satoru just laughs but straightens up. “So Yuji’s up next, right? Against that Hatsume girl you partnered up with for the Cavalry Battle. Any idea what to expect?”

“Well, Mei will have access to all of her support items so Togata might be at a disadvantage ‘cause of that,” Izuku admits. “But he’s pretty strong, even without his Quirk giving him an added boost to his strength, so if he can use his strength and his speed, and boost it with his Quirk, then he should be able to get to Hatsume and get her out of the ring before she can use her support items against him.”

“Uh, I dunno if that’s what’s going to end up happening though ‘cause look,” says Hagakure and Izuku, Satoru, and Ida turn to find Togata is currently decked out in various support items, and is adjusting some of the items resting around his wrist or his ankles.

Hado has his face buried in his hands. “Yuji, what the heck are you thinking?” he deadpans.

“Wait, I thought only support kids can have support items in these matches,” Amajiki says in puzzlement.

“Anyone can have a support item if they get approval from it beforehand, or they are the ones to create it themselves too,” says Satoru as he throws himself into the seat beside Amajiki and promptly leans against him. Amajiki rolls his eyes but wraps an arm around Satoru’s shoulders, a small smile crossing his lips.

Hado casts a glance at them but says nothing as he return his gaze to the arena. “He might get disqualified for that, unless Midnight-sensei decides to let him use those items,” he says.

Satoru grins at him. “Worried ‘bout your future boyfriend, eh, Megs?”

Hado’s eye twitches. “Amajiki, would you…?” he begins.

Amajiki swats Satoru upside the head.

“Thank you,” Hado deadpans even as Satoru whines in protest and Amajiki simply inclines his head in acceptance of the thanks.

Izuku takes his seat on Satoru’s other side, studying the arena. He knows that he will be facing off against whoever wins this match and, truth be told, he isn’t quite sure as to who will end up winning.

As it turns out, he doesn’t have to worry because, the instant Midnight not only gives her approval to let Togata use those support items as a way of ‘evening out the playing field’ in Togata’s own words but also starts the match, it becomes clear who will win.

After all, Hatsume literally just spends the next ten minutes of the match showing off her support items as if she is selling them to the biggest buyers. All it is, is one big sales pitch with Togata being the unfortunate model for the items being sold.

It’s enough to send Satoru into a fit of giggles while Hado buries his face into his hands and Amajiki is trying, and failing, to hide his own amusement.

After ten minutes of this sales pitch, during which Hatsume shows off every single one of her support items, she calmly strides past the boundary line, clearly content with what she has done.

“Mei Hatsume is out of bounds. Yuji Togata will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

Togata seems surprised but then he laughs. “Well, if ya just wanted to show off your items, ya could’ve just told me that, Hatsume-chan! I definitely would’ve helped ya,” he says with a bright smile.

“He’s so bright,” Hagakure muses.

“And he doesn’t seem upset at all that Hatsume basically used him as her model for her items,” Jirou murmurs.

“Sunshine incarnate,” Satoru says with a serious nod and, casting a glance at Hado, adds, “You sure know how to pick ‘em, eh, Megs? What’s with the dark and gloomy always going for the sunshine incarnates?”

Hado’s eye twitches. “Amajiki…?” he begins.

Amajiki, amusement in his purple eyes, promptly swats Satoru upside the head and both he and Megumi ignore the whine escaping the elder Midoriya twin’s lips.

Izuku sighs at his twin’s antics and gives Hado an apologetic look. “Sorry ‘bout Satoru, Hado-kun,” he says.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to annoyances like that,” Hado deadpans, waving a hand at Satoru who gives him an indignant look for that.

Togata rejoins them in the stands and throws himself into the seat beside Hado. “Man, that was pretty fun,” he says with a bright smile. “If Hatsume had told me what she was gonna actually do, I definitely would’ve had much more fun with showing off her items!”

“You are such a pure bean,” Hagakure gushes.

“Sunshine incarnate,” Satoru says with a sharp nod.

“I can totally agree with that,” Ashido says.

Togata’s face goes bright red. “S...Satoru...Ashido-chan...Hagakure-chan,” he protests as he buries his face into his hands but the two girls just giggle and Satoru grins.

“Who’s up next?” asks Izuku.

“Todoroki and Sero,” Ida says and Izuku turns in time to see Sero and Todoroki making their way onto the stage as Present Mic announces them.

The instant Midnight starts the match, Sero lashes out, unleashing his tape and wrapping it around Todoroki, clearly intent on throwing the dual-haired boy out of the ring. But, before he can, Todoroki’s head shoots up and Izuku’s eyes widen at the cool, dark look that suddenly crosses Todoroki’s face right before ice surges forward so rapidly that it literally very nearly clips the entire first row of Class 1-A’s stands.

Izuku stares at the ice hovering mere centimeters away from him, feeling the cold wafting off it.

“Holy shit. Even I’m feeling the cold and I have Infinity up,” Satoru exclaims, staring at the ice hovering mere centimeters away from him too while Amajiki, Hado, and Togata are staring with wide eyes.

“That power…” Yaoyorozu whispers in amazement.

“Hanta Sero is immobilized. Shoto Todoroki will move on to the next round,” a currently half-frozen Midnight declares.

“Good try,” one audience member shouts and, before long, the rest of the audience are chanting that.

Todoroki moves toward the glacier and rests his left hand on it but, as he starts melting the ice, Izuku frowns because he looks really sad as he thaws Sero out.

Todoroki…

. . .

Megumi makes his way toward the tunnel that will take him to the arena once the stadium is completely thawed out. He considers who he is up against and muses Yaoyorozu’s Quirk is incredibly versatile. She can create anything and that may be a bit of a hindrance but, at the same time, if Megumi attacks swiftly enough then he may be able to get her out of bounds before she can create anything. His best bet will be to use his quicker Shadow Beasts, probably Nue or even Great Serpent. Toad will also be able to grab her and throw her out of the ring quickly.

He hums to himself as he nears the mouth of the hallway and, once Present Mic announces that the next match will begin now that the stadium is thawed out, he makes his way onto the field. He keeps his face calm, even though he is positive he hears both Satoru and Yuji yelling out their encouragements from the 1-A stands.

Once Present Mic announces both him and Yaoyorozu, Midnight raises her flogger whip. “Ready! Start!” she declares.

Megumi lifts his shirt just enough, deciding that summoning Great Serpent will be the easiest because it’s the one he can uncover the quickest. As the tattoo surges away from around his stomach and solidifies into the form of the giant serpent, he sends it flying rapidly at Yaoyorozu who gasps but manages to catch the serpent’s attack with the shield she managed to create. It’s enough to stop the serpent’s attack but not enough to stop the serpent from shoving her all the way to the other side of the ring and past the boundary line.

“Momo Yaoyorozu is out of bounds. Megumi Hado will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

“Awesome job, Megumi!” Yuji yells from the 1-A stands.

“Great job, Megs!” Satoru yells.

Megumi’s eye twitches as his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Honestly, why must both of ‘em be so loud? But, truth be told, he doesn’t mind that much because at least he has them with him again. At least, they were both granted a second chance just like he was. At least, he can repay Satoru back for everything he did for him in his last life, and he can, maybe, explore those feelings he’s been carrying for Yuji ever since his last life.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still loud and embarrassing because they are. They really are.

He makes his way back into the 1-A stands and, walking over to join Yuji, promptly smacks him upside the head.

“Ow! What was that for?” Yuji whines with a pout.

“Embarrassing me and being too loud,” Megumi deadpans. He pauses upon seeing Satoru is still leaning against Amajiki then adds, “Amajiki, can you smack Satoru for me too?”

Amajiki proceeds to do exactly that and, when Satoru whines at him, he just shrugs as he gets to his feet. “I guess it’s my turn now,” he says.

“You better win ‘cause I’m looking forward to going against ya in the next round,” says Satoru.

“You seem to believe you have already won your fight against me, Satoru,” Tokoyami says as he folds his arms across his chest.

“Well, yeah, I am the strongest after all!”

Tokoyami closes his eyes and hums. “Arrogant to a fault,” he deadpans.

Megumi sighs but he can’t deny that Satoru is proving himself to be just as strong as he was in their last life.

“I dunno what to expect going up against Amajiki,” Kirishima comments as he also gets to his feet and, cracking his knuckles and grinning, adds, “But I’m sure it’s gonna be a manly fight! Wish me luck!”

“Good luck, Kiri,” Ashido calls and Kirishima turns and jogs out of the stands as well.

Megumi turns his attention to the arena again. He doesn’t really know much about Suguru Amajiki, only that he is the reincarnation of the young man Satoru claimed as his ‘one and only’ in his last life, so he isn’t too sure as to what will actually happen in this coming match.

Truth be told, he only knows so much about Suguru’s Quirk because of what he saw at the U.S.J. but seeing those nightmarish creatures surging forward out of the other teen’s shadow and surging toward Kirishima the instant Midnight began the match is still as terrifying as ever.

“Man, Amajiki’s Quirk is scary,” says Ashido. “Powerful but scary.”

Kirishima is holding his own against the Nightmares though, using his Hardening to slam his fists into the various grotesque creatures and send them flying but the swarm that is surging toward him is overwhelming to the point where Kirishima just can’t keep up. He manages to take out quite a large number of the small Nightmares and a few of the medium-sized ones but even his Hardening doesn’t really do much against a massive bone-white Chinese dragon-like Nightmare that literally lands its full body right on top of him. He is able to hold it up but the weight does drive his Hardened form straight into the ground itself, thus immobilizing him within the stage itself.

“Kirishima, can you move?” Midnight calls.

Kirishima tries to get out of the hole he ended up in when that dragon-like Nightmare tried to flatten him and groans at the realization that he can’t. “No, I can’t move,” he exclaims.

“Eijiro Kirishima is immobilized. Suguru Amajiki will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

Amajiki, who is currently lounging on the head of the dragon-like Nightmare, peers toward Midnight and tilts his head to the side before shrugging. The Nightmare lowers its head and Amajiki hops off it before moving over to join Kirishima, peering at him and then glancing at Midnight, gesturing toward Kirishima and saying something Megumi can’t hear.

Midnight looks amused but nods and, as Amajiki leaves the stage, Cementoss moves forward and rests his hands on the stage, using his Quirk to split the stage in two just enough for Kirishima to wiggle free from the hole he ended up in.

Amajiki joins them in the stands and Satoru snickers. “I can’t believe you literally dropped your dragon Nightmare on top of Kirishima like that,” he says.

“Well, because of his Hardening, I wouldn’t really be able to make a dent by fighting him directly so I had to rely on my Quirk. And, since he was managing to knock out all of my other ones, I figured if I had my heaviest Nightmare land on him, he might not be able to move with it on him. I wasn’t expecting my dragon to be heavy enough to actually drive Kirishima into the stage itself though,” Amajiki admits with a sheepish smile and Satoru bursts out laughing.

Megumi suddenly hears muttering and he turns to find Izuku scribbling away in his notebook and he can almost see words spiraling around his head even as his words blend together so thoroughly that he can’t make out what he’s saying.

Jirou and Kaminari are also looking at Izuku in concern while Yuji tilts his head to the side, puzzlement in his brown eyes. “Where did that even come from?” he says bewildered.

Megumi shrugs.

Bakugo is twitching with annoyance and he whips his head around suddenly. “Shut the fuck up, Deku!” he yells.

Izuku yelps and, as his face goes red, he quickly hides it in his notebook, mumbling out what Megumi supposes is an apology.

Bakugo suddenly dives to the ground to avoid the chair that goes flying at his head.

All eyes turn to Satoru.

“What? That could have been anyone,” Satoru says even as he not at all discreetly deactivates his Quirk and lowers his hand. He also completely ignores the string of curses Bakugo snarls at him as he jumps to his feet. “Well, it’s my turn now!”

“Good luck, Satoru,” Izuku calls.

“I don’t need it but thanks!” Satoru slips out of the stands while Tokoyami, muttering about how Satoru is being incredibly arrogant, follows him.

But Satoru has proven that he can back up his arrogant claims with his skill. He may have some drawbacks, because all Quirks have drawbacks as Megumi was quick to find out once he compared his Quirk to his technique from his last life, but he doesn’t seem affected by them at all. Megumi has to wonder if he’s overpowered simply because his Quirk is so similar to his old technique that, when he regained his memories, he was able to translate what he knew about his technique to his Quirk or not.

Yuji leans toward Megumi. “Pretty sure this match is gonna be quick,” he says. “I mean Tokoyami is pretty strong, from what I saw during Satoru’s and Suguru’s fight during the Combat Trials, but if he can’t even land a blow against Satoru, it doesn’t make a difference. Right?”

“Probably,” Megumi agrees as he turns his gaze to the arena as Present Mic announces Tokoyami and Satoru, the latter of whom is grinning as he strides toward Tokoyami who remains completely stoic.

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares, swiping down her flogger whip.

As expected, Tokoyami immediately goes on the offensive, sending Dark Shadow flying rapidly toward Satoru who leans back on the balls of his feet but doesn’t even move. Dark Shadow is caught mere centimeters away from Satoru’s form and he studies the shadow creature hovering mere centimeters in front of him. Dark Shadow retreats and starts attempting to attack Satoru from all different angles but all of his attacks keep getting caught.

Suguru stands up and leans over the railing, shouting, “Quit standing there and looking pretty and do something, you idiot!”

Satoru gives Suguru a two-fingered salute in response to that and darts forward, slamming a fist straight into Dark Shadow’s head. Megumi realizes Satoru had to have dropped Infinity in order to land that blow, and Tokoyami clearly noticed that as well because he’s sending Dark Shadow in for another attack. But Satoru is too fast. He’s probably using Blue to completely avoid Dark Shadow’s attacks while also landing his own punches and kicks straight into the shadowy creature.

“So Dark Shadow is solid given that Satoru is able to actually land blows against him even though they don’t look solid. So that means Dark Shadow actually isn’t made of shadows but rather solidified kind of like Hado’s Shadow Beasts. But, based on what Tokoyami told me ‘bout his Quirk back when we teamed up, Dark Shadow does have a bit of a drawback but it doesn’t seem as if Satoru needs to take advantage of that. I have no doubt he already knows about Dark Shadow’s weakness because Six Eyes would have showed him that and…” The rapid muttering sounds again and Megumi turns his head to see Izuku, once again, scribbling in his notebook while the muttering blends together so much that he can’t even begin to decipher what the green-haired boy is saying.

“Shut up!” Bakugo screeches.

Izuku yelps and, his face going red with embarrassment, he mutters out an apology as he buries his face into his notebook.

“What’s your problem?” Yuji says in puzzlement. “It’s not like Izuku was bothering anyone but you. I mean I wasn’t bothered anyway.”

“He was being rather quiet with his observations so as to not disturb his classmates, thus showing much consideration so I do not believe your words were necessary,” Ida says.

“Yeah, he definitely wasn’t bothering me,” Uraraka says, though there is no denying the nervous look in her eyes and the way her hands are clenched into fists.

Oh, yeah, she has to fight Bakugo in the final match of this round. Megumi finds himself hoping the girl will be all right even though he has no doubt she can kick ass. If she really is the younger sister of the reincarnation of Nobara Kugisaki then Megumi has no doubt she will be able to hold her own against even someone like Bakugo. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t nervous and Megumi doesn’t fault her for being nervous either.

“He wasn’t bothering me,” Jirou says with a shrug.

“Me neither, ribbit,” Asui says.

“You’re disturbing us more than he is,” Megumi deadpans, giving Bakugo a glare. Just in the way the explosive blond has acted since the school year started, it’s clear that he’s a bully and Megumi can’t stand bullies. He’s beaten up his share of bullies in elementary and middle school and he won’t hesitate to do the same here at U.A. if it means stopping the bullying from happening. But, since U.A. has a zero tolerance for bullying, he doesn’t think he has to worry about acting on his own like he did in middle school.

But if he does get the chance to actually fight Bakugo then he is definitely not going to hold back but, based on the way the tournament is structured, he won’t be able to go against Bakugo unless he manages to get to the final round. And, considering he’s up against Todoroki, who successfully froze half the stadium in a single attack, chances are low he will get his chance. Of course, he can always try to bust out his most powerful Shadow Beast but actually controlling him might be a bit difficult. It’s easier to control his Shadow Beasts than it was to control his shikigami in his last life but Mahoraga is different. Mahoraga has always been different.

It’s really a wonder as to how Megumi even still has access to Mahoraga to begin with, or as to how Mahoraga became a Shadow Beast attached to him to begin with. That’s still something Megumi hasn’t quite figured out but, then, he’s still trying to figure out why all of his Shadow Beasts are basically just a Quirk version of his shikigami to begin with. They are even summoned pretty much the same way, most with the hand gestures he used in his last life.

But, then again, Satoru and Yuji both have Quirks eerily similar to the abilities they had in their last lives, with Satoru’s Limitless and Six Eyes basically being transformed in its entirety into a Quirk.

He shakes his head because, right now, attempting to analyze his Quirk probably isn’t the best thing to do.

He turns his gaze to the arena and sighs upon seeing that Satoru seems to be having the time of his life beating the ever living daylights out of Dark Shadow without even bothering on using the vast majority of his Quirk. In fact, he’s only using Blue to stay out of reach of Dark Shadow’s claws whenever the sentient shadow goes to attack him but is literally just beating Dark Shadow with his own hands and feet. He finally manages to land a kick hard enough into Dark Shadow’s face to send them flying backwards into Tokoyami before he uses Blue to surge forward and crash another kick into both Dark Shadow and Tokoyami, sending both of them careening past the boundary line.

“Fumikage Tokoyami is out of bounds. Satoru Midoriya will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

“Hard to believe that whole fight only lasted five minutes,” Sero says. “That’s some amazing fighting skills there!”

“And he didn’t even really use his Quirk, from what I could see,” says Jirou.

“He was using half of it,” Izuku says absently as he scribbles in his notebook. “The Blue aspect of his Quirk is something he uses to move very quickly.”

“That was pretty cool,” Ashido says and, jumping to her feet, adds, “Welp! It’s my turn now! Don’t know who this Shinso person is but I’m sure I got this in the bag.”

Yuji blinks. “But, wait, doesn’t Shinso’s Quirk…”

Ashido walks out of the stands without even acknowledging if she heard Yuji or not.

“...and she’s gone,” Yuji finishes with a sigh.

Megumi casts a glance at him. “You know what Shinso’s Quirk is?” he asks.

Yuji nods. “Well, he explained it to me when he joined my team during the Cavalry Battle,” he admits.

“You should let Shinso be the one to tell people about his Quirk, Yuji,” Suguru says. “Who he wants to know about his Quirk is his decision after all.”

“Oh, yeah, right. You’re right.” Yuji mimes zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key and Megumi muses that was rather cute of him.

And the instant that thought crosses his mind, he flushes and quickly shoves it aside. He is beyond grateful Satoru hasn’t returned to the stands yet because he has no doubt Satoru will notice the slight flush and will tease him mercilessly. That’s the last thing he wants so he simply pushes that thought aside and focuses his attention back on the arena where the second to last match of the first round is about to begin.

. . .

Chapter Text

Hitoshi Shinso makes his way out of the tunnel and toward the stage, hands tucked into the pockets of his gym uniform pants. He’s up against the pink-skinned girl from Class 1-A who seems to be someone who talks quite a bit so he suspects that this match is going to be incredibly quick. All he has to do is get Ashido to respond to him, preferably quickly after the match begins to ensure that she won’t be able to attack him with her Quirk.

He isn’t too sure as to what her Quirk is, since he didn’t get the chance to see it in action during the Cavalry Battle, but, considering how confident she seems and the way she is grinning at him like she already has the match won, he finds it doesn’t matter. This girl’s too confident and there is a very good chance she’s underestimating him too.

He only listens with half an ear as Present Mic announces him and Ashido once they step onto the ring and stride forward to stand across from each other.

“So you’re the kid from Gen Ed who got into this round, eh?” Ashido says, stretching her arms above her head with that grin still on her lips. “Don’t know what your Quirk is but I’m sure I’ve got this in the bag.”

“You’re pretty confident,” Hitoshi comments, tilting his head to the side and studying her with perpetually tired purple eyes.

“Ready!” Midnight begins as she raises her flogger whip.

“Are all of you idiots in Class 1-A just as arrogant?” Hitoshi asks casually as he activates his Quirk.

“Start!” Midnight declares.

“Hey, we’re not id…” Ashido trails off, her eyes blanking as Hitoshi’s Quirk takes affect and he smirks while the crowd murmurs to each other in puzzlement. Since so few know about his Quirk, since it isn’t a flashy one, they don’t know of how it works or what it does and he is planning on keeping it that way. He doesn’t plan on being a limelight, flashy hero. He plans on going the underground route so the less people who can figure out his Quirk, the better.

But, for now, he may as well end this match right away.

“Turn around and walk out of the ring,” Hitoshi says calmly.

Like a robot, Ashido slowly pivots and strides away until she’s on the opposite side of the boundary line.

“Mina Ashido is out of bounds, Hitoshi Shinso will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip toward Hitoshi while he releases his control on Ashido who blinks and gazes around, puzzlement clear on her face.

“Huh? What? What just happened?” she says as she whirls around, her eyes widening once she sees she’s on the wrong side of the boundary line.

Hitoshi is already striding toward the edge of the boundary line, tilting his head up and glancing toward where his classmates are seated. While some of them are cheering him on, he knows there are still several who won’t be cheering him on. Those are the many who see Hitoshi’s Quirk and automatically view it as a villain’s Quirk.

It’s a stigma he’s been dealing with his entire life. The vast majority of everyone who finds out about his Quirk automatically view it as a villain’s Quirk and don’t even attempt to listen to him when he tries to insist that he can be a hero with this Quirk. It gets to the point where he just gave up on trying to explain matters with words and resolved to prove that truth with his actions.

He will become a hero. He may not have been able to pass the hero course entrance exam, only because it’s geared more toward those with physical Quirks, but he knows that if he can make it as far into this tournament as he possibly can, and maybe even win it all, then he may be able to get transferred into the Hero Course.

However, his next opponent is either going to be Uraraka or Bakugo from Class 1-A and either of those matches can go either way. He doesn’t know enough about either of those students to know if they will respond to him quickly, like Ashido did, or if he will have to push several buttons to get them to respond.

Thank goodness his half brother taught him how to fight without a Quirk because he might need to fall back on that if necessary. Of course, against Bakugo’s Quirk, that will be incredibly difficult and, against Uraraka, the instant she touches him, it’s all over. But he’s glad he did get approved to include his bo staff should he need to use it in the upcoming matches.

For now, he simply makes his way to the Gen Ed section of the stands and doesn’t respond to the few of his classmates that actually congratulate him on his win. He can hear the vast majority of them murmuring to themselves about his so-called ‘villain Quirk’ being incredibly scary but ignores it as he takes a seat.

His phone, that he retrieved from his locker before going to the stands, vibrates and he pulls it out, smiling faintly once he sees it’s a message from his half-brother.

Choso: good job making it to the next round

He smiles as he quickly types a response and sends it:

You: thx. Next match wll prob be harder

Choso: you will be fine

You: thx Choso

Choso: of course. By the way, do you know

Yuji Togata?

Hitoshi tilts his head to the side at that question. His half-brother knows he got into the Gen Ed course of U.A. so he should already know the answer to that question. The only thing he knows about any of the Class 1-A students are the skills some of them have showed off during the course of the festival so far and, while Yuji Togata has shown himself to be really strong, he hasn’t really learned much beyond that.

You: we’re not in the same class. I only know

what I’ve seen

Choso: oh. Right. Sorry. He just

looks really familiar to me and I

thought you might know more

about him. Forgot you weren’t

in the same class

You: it’s ok. He seems like a nice kid I guess

and he’s pretty strong too

Choso: I see. Thank you. Good

luck on your next match

You: thank you

Hitoshi tucks his phone away while wondering why his half-brother is curious about Yuji Togata. He supposes he could just be curious because of the fact that Togata has managed to make it to the one on one matches of the Sports Festival, and cleared through his first match pretty quickly. Granted, that was only because his opponent decided to use him for her sales pitch so it wasn’t really a match but still.

The next competitors make their way onto the stage and Hitoshi turns his attention to the arena as he watches Bakugo and Uraraka approach each other. Bakugo is slouching, the very picture of arrogance as if he knows he already has his match won, while Uraraka’s face is set in determination. They are both introduced by Present Mic, with him basically declaring that Uraraka is his personal favorite of the two.

Then Midnight raises her flogger whip. “Ready! Start!” she declares.

Uraraka surges forward in an instant and Hitoshi hums, nodding his head in approval upon seeing her keeping low to the ground. Even though Bakugo throws an explosion right at her and sends her careening backwards, she just gets right back up and charges at him, still keeping low to the ground. Bakugo keeps throwing explosions toward her but the smoke that is generated does blind him a bit to Uraraka’s movements.

All she needs to do is touch Bakugo and it’s all over.

She even uses her jacket to try and distract Bakugo and attack him from behind but he is quick and manages to whirl around and throw an explosion right at her. She is sent flying backward even as more pieces of the stage are torn away as a result of the explosion. She crashes into the ground but her fingers brush even more of the debris.

Hitoshi hums and tilts his head upward, only marginally surprised by what he sees up there.

Uraraka dives forward again but Bakugo throws another explosion at her and she winces as she is blown backwards.

“What kind of match is this?” Nirengeki Shoda says with a frown. “He’s literally toying with her.”

“That’s so messed up,” Chikuchi Togeike exclaims and she scoffs, adding, “but what can I expect from the guy who insulted all of us a few days ago?”

“Is...Is this really okay? Why aren’t they stopping the match?” Kojiro Bondo whispers.

Hitoshi rolls his eyes upon hearing several other people in the stands, including heroes themselves, are demanding that the match be ended or yelling about how Bakugo isn’t acting befitting a hero or shouting that he should just throw her out of the ring already and that he’s toying with her. They are clearly underestimating Uraraka, clearly seeing her as weak in the face of Bakugo’s strength, and Hitoshi shakes his head.

“Wow. What idiots,” he deadpans.

“What’re you talking about?” Bondo says, peering at him. He’s one of the only ones who doesn’t treat Hitoshi badly because of his Quirk so he decides to explain himself to him.

“I mean Bakugo is not holding back against her ‘cause he sees that she’s a strong opponent but no one else sees that ‘cause they’re automatically dismissing Uraraka’s own strength. And why? If it’s ‘cause she’s a girl then that’s even more messed up.”

He tilts his head toward the announcers booth where Eraserhead cuts off Present Mic’s voiced agreement to tell off the hero who was spouting nonsense about Bakugo toying with Uraraka. “Eraserhead sees it,” he says. “And, honestly, everyone in the audience should have seen it themselves.”

He points upward.

Bondo looks up and gasps.

After all, anyone would be surprised to see an entire debris field hovering above the stadium, having drifted up there due to the power of Uraraka’s Quirk.

“It’s exactly because he wants to win so badly that there’s no room for carelessness or holding back,” Eraserhead finishes.

“She literally took all of those attacks just to set up that,” Hitoshi finishes calmly as he leans back in his seat.

Uraraka, panting and wiping the sweat from her face, raises her hands and gazes firmly at Bakugo. She clasps her hands together, touching the pads of her fingers together, and the debris field surges downward swiftly like a meteor shower of debris.

“Hell yeah! That’s how you do it, Uraraka!” A yell erupts from the 1-A stands and Hitoshi glances toward it, humming upon seeing the white-haired form of Satoru Midoriya standing up and cheering Uraraka on.

It might have worked, if Bakugo hadn’t had one last trick up his sleeve.

Hitoshi wince as the massive explosion Bakugo unleashes from the palms of his hands tears through the entire debris field and sends a shockwave of pure heat surging all throughout the stadium. Every single piece of debris is sent flying in all directions, though most of them go flying outside of the stadium and none of them seem to hit any of the members of the audience.

“What power!” Nirengeki exclaims.

Uraraka does try to continue the fight but it’s clear she’s used too much energy and she can’t continue. She tries but she ends up collapsing and can’t move.

“Ochaco Uraraka is unable to continue. Katsuki Bakugo will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

“Shame. Uraraka should’ve won,” Hitoshi mutters.

Bondo casts a glance at him. “You’re up against Bakugo next,” he says.

He hums. “I’ll be fine,” he murmurs.

“Good luck,” Bondo says.

“Thanks.”

Togeike leans toward Bondo. “Why do you talk with him? Aren’t you scared he’s gonna brainwash ya and make ya do something you don’t wanna do?” she asks, giving Hitoshi a coolly snide look.

Bondo tilts his head toward Togeike. “No ‘cause he’s gonna be a hero so why would he do that?” he says.

“You’re too nice for your own good. Hopefully, that won’t take advantage of that,” Togeike says with a huff.

Hitoshi frowns but ignores the fact that Togeike literally just referred to him as a ‘that’ and ignores the faint hurt. He should be used to this. He’s been dealing with this ever since the stigma attached to his Quirk became known, ever since the vast majority of everyone he’s ever meet started seeing him as a villain in the making because of his Quirk.

Even his own parents didn’t really like him because of his Quirk to the point of making it a rule that Hitoshi couldn’t speak at all and the punishment would be the muzzle. He hates that thing and he hates that he basically grew up being forced to be mute because he didn’t want to be forced into that muzzle.

Choso never did that. Choso never once treated Hitoshi badly. Choso never once forced him to be silent. Choso even encouraged him to talk, even encouraged him to practice his Quirk on him. Choso understood what Hitoshi was going through because his own Quirk could be seen as a villainous Quirk too just because of what it deals with. After all, any Quirk that deals directly with something like blood is going to have a dark stigma attached to it.

But Choso still made it. He still prevailed. He still got into U.A. He still graduated from U.A. He still went on to become a Pro Hero and the sidekick to one of the top ten heroes in all of Japan.

And Hitoshi aspires to be just like his half-brother. Even if his Quirk has a stigma attached to it like Choso’s does, he is going to do exactly as his half-brother did and become a Pro and prove everyone who ever thought that he couldn’t become a hero wrong.

And his first step into doing that is to get as far into this tournament as he can possibly get and get into the Hero Course.

Unlike Choso, who had the powerful Quirk that allowed him to take out enough robots to get the necessary points to get into the Hero Course right away, Hitoshi doesn’t have that. His Quirk may be pretty powerful in that he can command anyone who responds to him to do anything he wants but it’s still a mental based Quirk. It can’t do anything against robots.

So the Sports Festival is the only route Hitoshi can take.

And he is going to do everything in his power to make it as far as he possibly can, and even aim for taking home the gold himself. He will make Choso proud and he will prove all of his classmates, and everyone who ever thought he couldn’t be a hero with his Quirk, wrong.

. . .

It’s twenty minutes later that the second round begins, mostly because Cementoss has to fix the ring that was torn to shreds due to Bakugo’s Quirk. That gives Izuku some time to calm down his nerves, which doesn’t happen, and come up with some semblance of a plan, which also doesn’t happen. Truth be told, he spends the entire twenty minutes in the waiting room, pacing and nervously wringing his hands together.

Togata is going to be a tough opponent. There is no denying that. His pure physical strength without his Quirk is already impressive but adding on his Quirk just makes him even stronger than ever before. His punch was able to throw Shigaraki into the water of the Flood Zone at the U.S.J. and that was a good ten meters away from where they were standing at the time. And Izuku isn’t even sure Togata was using his Quirk at the time.

If he wasn’t using his Quirk then Izuku can only imagine how far he can punch someone if he does use his Quirk.

And he still is having trouble regulating the use of his own Quirk.

But, at the same time, he knows he has to win this match. He has to because if he does then he will very likely be up against Todoroki in the next round and he needs to fight Todoroki in the next round. After seeing how sad Todoroki looked while he was thawing Sero out, after recalling everything Todoroki told him, after realizing that Todoroki was literally only using half of his full power this entire time and yet still wanted to win this whole thing. He knew he had to fight Todoroki next.

To think that Todoroki is only using half of his true power and all because he doesn’t want to have anything to do with his father, because he wants to disavow his father of everything. And yet he is also in the middle of a tournament in which everyone else is giving it there all and Izuku just can’t fathom why. He just can’t understand why Todoroki would weaken himself in the middle of a tournament where everyone else is trying their hardest to be the strongest they can possibly be.

So he hopes he can get through to Todoroki but he has to get through this next match if he wants to do that. He has to win against Togata if he wants to stand a chance at fighting Todoroki and showing him that his desire to win this entire tournament while only using half of his power makes it seem, to Izuku, that he really isn’t serious about disavowing his father of everything.

After all, if he wants to be strongest, stronger than his father, then why would he not use his full power? It’s his power, after all.

He takes another deep breath and releases it as he casts a glance at the television screen. The stage is almost rebuilt so Izuku figures he should head on out there. He is still nervous but, thankfully, he does have the attacks he used on Ida. That should help. He isn’t sure as to how well Togata will be able to withstand those but he is going to put his all.

He has to get to the next round. He needs to fight Todoroki.

Todoroki was so sad when he thawed Sero out.

Izuku wants to help him. He has to help him, even if his help isn’t wanted, because that is what a hero is supposed to do.

He leaves the waiting room and heads toward the tunnel that will take him into the arena, listening to Present Mic announce the start of the second round and his and Togata’s arrival. Togata is grinning as he waves at everyone with excitement in his brown eyes and Izuku can’t help but smile at his friend’s, and isn’t that still a surprise?, lips.

“So we’re going at it, eh, Izuku?” he says brightly.

“Sure looks like it,” Izuku says as he takes a deep breath and clenches his hands into fists. “I’m not gonna hold back.”

“I wouldn’t want ya too,” Togata says as he shifts into a starting stance and raises his fists.

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares.

Togata is on the move in an instant and Izuku only barely manages to activate One for All and spread it throughout his body evenly and use five percent to dodge out of the way. The way Togata moves is incredible, since he is quick to pivot and drive a fist straight toward Izuku’s side. He doesn’t know if it’s being powered up by Togata’s Quirk but he finds he doesn’t want to find out this way so he is quick to hop backwards to avoid it.

He raises his hand and, making sure to keep the percentage of his Quirk at five percent, fires off a couple of flicks of air pressure at Togata. Togata is quick though, dodging around each one with insane agility that suggests he is actually using his Quirk since Izuku doesn’t think he’s seen Togata be this agile without using his Quirk before. At least during the times he trained with Togata in the weeks leading up to the Sports Festival he’s never seen that and, since Togata couldn’t use his Quirk while they were training together since it was in a public place, he would have seen that.

But that just means this agility and this speed is because of his Quirk. That means if any of those punches connect then they are likely to be powered up by his Quirk and Izuku doesn’t fathom getting sent flying ten meters. That’d probably result in him slamming into the stadium walls and that would hurt.

So he focuses on avoiding Togata while firing off flicks of air pressure in the hope that one of those flicks will actually hit. He grits his teeth because his arm is starting to grow tired and he knows that some of his flicks are actually using a bit more than just five percent so he focuses on dialing it back down to five because he can’t afford to break anything right now.

Actually using the exercises Satoru taught him while in the middle of a fight isn’t easy but Izuku is managing just as he is managing to steer clear of Togata’s fists and his feet. Togata’s face is set in determination but he is still smiling as he pivots again and drives a fist toward Izuku who yelps and only barely manages to use One for All to bound out of the way of it. The bound does take him to the other side of the clearing any he winces as an ache appears in his legs.

Damn it. Went over five percent again. Gotta stay consistent. Gotta stay at five percent.

He hops out of the way again to avoid Togata and fires off another flick of air pressure that Togata dodges swiftly to avoid.

“Not bad,” Togata says with a grin as he surges forward and thrusts a fist forward. Izuku manages to dodge out of the way, only to realize it’s a feint when Togata drops to the ground and uses his leg to sweep Izuku’s legs out from underneath him. He yelps as he tumbles to the ground but manages to roll out of the way before Togata can pin him down.

He scrambles to his feet and jumps to the side to avoid Togata’s fist but he pivots and successfully crashes a roundhouse kick straight into Izuku’s side. It must not have been powered by his Quirk because Izuku doesn’t go flying. He does get sent tumbling off his feet though and, once again, has to roll away to avoid getting pinned.

He grits his teeth. Togata really is strong and he’s probably up there with Amajiki and Satoru in terms of his hand to hand fighting skills. What can I do?

Togata lunges toward him as he jumps to his feet and fires off a few more flicks of air pressure, wincing as his fingers throb. He ignores the pain as he jumps out of the way to avoid Togata’s fist when he dives toward him after having avoided the bursts of air pressure. He just needs to get one flick of air pressure in and that should be enough. It was with Ida so it should be enough with Togata.

He winces when Togata gets close enough to slam a fist into his stomach. This one must have been powered by his Quirk because Izuku is sent flying backwards. He gasps as he realizes he’s sailing dangerously close to the boundary line and, spreading One for All throughout his body, he twists his body so that his feet land against one of the torches at the corners of the arena. Using that as a springboard, he bounces off it and surges forward with green lightning crackling around his form.

He cannons into a startled Togata and both of them go sailing backwards dangerously close to the boundary line. They both tumble to the ground and Izuku, scrambling to his feet, jumps to his feet and dives forward and pushes Togata with all of his might while he’s off balance as he tries to get to his feet. He yelps as the push sends him tumbling backwards past the boundary line and onto the grass beyond.

“Yuji Togata is out of bounds. Izuku Midoriya will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip down.

Izuku lets loose a soft breath and, jumping off the stage, moves over to join Togata who is laughing as he sits up.

“Man, I lost. Good luck on your next match, Izuku,” he says as he jumps to his feet and holds out a hand toward Izuku.

He gives him a small, nervous smile. Even though he is nervous about possibly going up against Todoroki in the next round, if Hado doesn’t manage to defeat Todoroki in the next match, he is also determined. If he does get the chance to fight Todoroki, should Todoroki make it to the next round, then he is determined to get through to the other boy and save him from himself.

“Thank you,” he says.

It doesn’t take long for him and Togata to make their way back to the stands. It doesn’t surprise him that both Hado and Todoroki aren’t there. Since his match with Togata didn’t exactly damage the stage, the next match is going to begin pretty quickly so Izuku only has enough time to take a seat beside Satoru and pull out his notebook before Present Mic is announcing the next two competitors.

“Todoroki and Megumi, huh?” Satoru muses.

“Megumi should be okay but, at the same time, Todoroki is like insanely powerful with that Quirk of his,” Togata comments.

Izuku gazes at the arena where Todoroki and Hado are facing off against each other. Both of them have the same stoic expression on their faces. Both of them appear to be sizing each other up as they wait for Midnight to begin their match.

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip down.

Ice surges forward in an instant but Hado is quick, tearing off part of his shirt and hooking his thumbs the instant his left shoulder blade is exposed. The bird-shaped tattoo on his left shoulder blade surges free and Hado grabs its talon as it flies him away from the ice that would have frozen him solid in a second.

“Whoa, he got Nue’s tattoo exposed and summoned Nue really quickly,” Togata comments.

“That’s the downside of his Quirk. In order for him to summon his Shadow Beasts, he has to have the tattoos on his back or stomach exposed, which is why he was quick to tear off part of his shirt so he can expose those tattoos. Summoning that winged beast, er I guess it’s called Nue?, was a good move ‘cause it gives him better maneuverability to avoid Todoroki’s ice while in the air,” Izuku says as he scribbles in his notebook while watching as Todoroki sends surges after surges of ice that surge upward toward Hado as Nue carries him around the various glaciers of ice attempting to trap him.

Todoroki darts forward and swipes his right hand up, running along the ice that he conjures up before conjuring up more once he reaches the top, sending it sailing forward to crash into Nue. Nue is sent flying and Hado is sent flying with him. They both slam into the glacier on the other side of the stage with enough force to crack it.

Nue vanishes but Hado, sliding down the glacier’s slope, immediately tears his entire shirt off and clasps his hands together to form the shadow puppet of a dog. The dog tattoo on his right shoulder blade surges free for his skin and solidifies into two solidified shadow dogs, though one is oddly white while the other is black. They both surge forward as Hado darts after them, his hands already forming the shadow puppet of a snake and his solidified shadow serpent surges forward as well as Todoroki’s ice surges forward and freezes the dogs. The snake spears through the frozen dog and crashes into the ice wall that Todoroki conjures up as Todoroki darts around it and swipes his right hand toward Hado.

Hado cartwheels to the side to avoid the ice as his frozen dogs and his serpent vanish and he angles his hands to form the shadow puppet of a toad before jumping backwards as the solidified shadow toad hops forward and sends it tongue sailing toward Todoroki. Todoroki skids to a halt and jumps to the side, swiping his right hand toward the toad but the toad vanishes before the ice that Todoroki conjures up can freeze it.

“Holy shit. Todoroki is beating every single one of Megumi’s Shadow Beasts without even breaking a sweat,” Togata breathes but, when Izuku casts a glance at the pink-haired boy, he notices the boy’s eyes are fixed on Hado’s chest for a long moment. There is a blush on his cheeks too and it’s only when Satoru points out he’s blushing that he lets out a little squeak of embarrassment and quickly tears his gaze away from Hado’s chest.

Satoru snickers.

A crash sounds and Izuku snaps his head back to the stage to see Hado skidding backwards but angling his skid so that he hits one of the still melting glaciers rather than skid past the boundary line. He jumps to his feet and dives out of the way to avoid the ice that surges toward him as he angles his hands to form the shadow puppet of a rabbit and a multitude of various solidified shadow rabbits surge forward. Even though quite a few of them are frozen by the next surge of ice that Todoroki sends toward them, there are many more that just surge over their frozen comrades and surge toward Todoroki. He has to send more and more ice to try and freeze all of them as he jogs to the side, slipping between two glaciers and shifting his right foot forward.

The ice surges forward and, while several rabbits are caught by the ice, it still manages to get close enough to Hado that Hado is only barely able to dive to the side to avoid getting frozen by it. He barrel rolls to his feet and grits his teeth as he scans the area, as he studies the various glaciers filling the arena, as he realizes he is running out of places to run.

He curses and holds out his hands, clenching them into fists as he raises them one above the other as if he is holding a wheel at one and seven and his lips part.

“Holy shit, is Megumi actually gonna summon Mahoraga?” Togata blurts out and Izuku blinks, wondering what that is and how Togata knew that.

Satoru frowns at that. “He’s getting desperate if that’s the case,” he says.

But Hado suddenly stops. He freezes and Izuku frowns in concern at the way he tenses up, at the way he suddenly just stops. And that brief moment where he just stops is all Todoroki needs to send a surge of ice forward like a battering ram that crashes into Hado and sends him flying through the gap between glaciers and straight past the boundary line.

“Megumi Hado is out of bounds. Shoto Todoroki will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

Togata jumps to his feet and bolts and Izuku is a bit surprise when Satoru is on his feet and hurrying after him. They both vanish out of the doors leading into the stands before anyone can even ask where they are going.

Izuku turns his gaze to the stage, watching as Todoroki, releasing a breath, walks away from the stage while the medibots move to pick up Hado. He hopes Hado is okay and, as he studies Todoroki, he can see that the other boy still seems very sad.

He clenches his hand into a fist. I’ll find a way to save you and make you see that you shouldn’t be weakening yourself by only using half your power if you truly wanna be the best hero you want to be. I’ll get through to you, Todoroki. I will.

. . .

Satoru follows Yuji into the infirmary as the two of them make their way toward Megumi who is sitting up on the hospital bed with a disgruntled expression on his face. Whether that’s because he lost even though he was doing really well against Todoroki or because of Recovery Girl using her Quirk on him, Satoru doesn’t know.

“You did really well out there, Megumi,” Yuji says as he sits down on the chair on the right side of Megumi’s hospital bed. “But, at the end there, you froze. What happened?”

“You were about to summon Mahoraga but you froze and stopped yourself at the last second,” Satoru comments.

Megumi huffs and closes his eyes, resting back against the pillow behind him as he tilts his head back. “It’s stupid,” he mutters.

“What happened?” Yuji asks again, resting a hand on Megumi’s arm. “I mean I can understand why you’d bust out Mahoraga considering Todoroki was basically taking out every one of your other Shadow Beasts and that one probably could have won you the entire match. And you seemed confident when you were about to summon it before you froze.”

Megumi doesn’t respond for a long moment. “My control over my Shadow Beasts is far better than my control over my shikigami in my last life,” he says. “My Quirk Counselor explained it that my Shadow Beasts are like shikigami but they’re more like familiars that are attached to me through the tattoos I was born with and, because they are attached to me from birth, I shouldn’t have any problem controlling any of them, including my Quirk’s version of Mahoraga. But, when I went to summon him, I just...ugh, it’s stupid.”

“Whatever happened is not stupid,” Yuji scolds.

Megumi raises an arm and covers his eyes with it as he murmurs, “I just couldn’t help but remember my last life, the last time I saw Mahoraga be used, when Sukuna used it against Satoru and...I just...froze because I found myself just reliving that scene, reliving what happened to…” He trails off and Satoru, realizing what the other boy is about to say, lets out a soft sigh and reaches out a hand.

He pauses then completely drops Infinity and reaches out his arms instead, wrapping them around Megumi who tenses for a moment before relaxing. “You had a flashback,” he says. “It’s not stupid, Megs. It happens with any traumatic event, even if those events occurred a lifetime ago. You can still be triggered by something that can bring such memories back to the forefront. You’re not the only one.”

“I get ‘em too,” Yuji admits. “Like when I’m training with Mirio, he’d move a certain way that reminds me of Todo and the next thing I know, I’m reliving the last time I fought alongside Todo during Shibuya and it’s terrible to relive something like that.”

“We’ve all been through a heck of a lot of shit in our last lives,” Satoru says with a huff. “It’s annoying as hell but it’s not like those scars will ever go away. It sucks but that’s just the way it is. We just gotta deal with it as best we can but having others to support you does help a great deal.”

Megumi lifts his head and peers at him. “That was surprisingly wise of you,” he notes, tilting his head to the side. “Are you feeling all right?”

Yuji snorts and covers his mouth in an attempt to hide it.

Satoru rolls his eyes behind his blindfold. “Haha,” he deadpans. “I am plenty wise!”

“You weren’t wise when you were twenty nine. What makes you think you’re wise now at fifteen?” Megumi deadpans and Yuji’s hand smothers part of the snickers that escapes his lips.

“Oy!” Satoru pouts at that and, while Yuji snickers again, Megumi’s lips quirk into a slight smile. “Ha! I got ya to smile though!”

Megumi rolls his eyes. “You’re an idiot,” he deadpans.

“Oy!” But Satoru can’t help but smile since he does miss this, this interaction with the two other teens who were once his students in his last life. It’s a bit different since he is the same age as them but that just means he doesn’t have to worry about being the adult in the situation since he’s not an adult. Granted, he wasn’t really much of an adult in his last life but still.

“Only you would smile at being called an idiot,” Megumi adds with a roll of his eyes. “How does Izuku put up with you as his twin?”

Satoru grins and leans back in his seat. “Truth be told, it’s mostly ‘cause of that fact. We’ve been literally inseparable since we were born. Regaining my memories of my past life really didn’t change that. So, in spite of my quirks, we’re still really close.”

“Was that a pun?” Yuji says in amusement.

“If it was, I’m gonna punch you,” Megumi deadpans.

Satoru laughs at him. “As if you could,” he teases.

Megumi gives him an annoyed look and raises his hands, clenching them into fists and adopting the same pose he had in the stage. Satoru tilts his head to the side, vaguely wondering if he actually will do it in the middle of the infirmary just because he’s annoying him.

Yuji, laughing, clasps his hands over Megumi’s clenched ones. “You are not summoning Mahoraga in the middle of the infirmary just ‘cause Satoru’s annoying you, Megumi,” he says with a shake of his head.

Megumi huffs but lowers his hands but his lips do quirk into a smile. “Yeah, yeah,” he says.

Yuji cheers. “I haven’t seen that smile in a long time. It’s nice to see it again,” he says brightly.

Megumi looks away. “Too bright,” he mutters.

“Sunshine incarnate,” Satoru says in a singsong voice and, while Yuji whines in protest, he adds, “Man, you sure know how to pick ‘em, eh, Megs?”

Megumi glares at him and raises his hands again. “With this treasure, I summon…”

“No, no! Do not summon Mahoraga here!” Yuji exclaims, grasping Megumi’s hands and practically yanking them down while Satoru, laughing, jumps to his feet.

“Well, I’m off. My match is next. I can’t wait to beat Suguru again!” he says brightly as he turns and walks off.

“Megumi, please tell me you were just joking when you were about to summon Mahoraga both times,” Yuji is saying as Satoru walks away.

“Of course I was, mostly. He just annoys me still even in this life.”

“But you still care about him.”

“He may not be my father figure in this life but, yeah, I do. I guess I still see him as family.”

“Then that makes him your brother!”

“...Yeah, I guess so...Would explain why he’s so freaking annoying too. How does Izuku put up with that?”

“The world may never know.”

Satoru snickers as he leaves the infirmary and heads toward the corridor that will take him to the main arena. He can hear the cheering as well as Present Mic declaring that the stage is thawed out and the next match of the second round is about to begin. He stretches his arms above his head and cracks his neck as he strides out of the corridor.

Suguru is making his way up from the other side, cracking his neck and studying him. “How’s Hado?” he asks.

“Just a bit shaken ‘cause of a flashback but he’s fine,” Satoru assures him as Present Mic announces them to the rest of the audience. He smirks at Suguru as he adds, “But you do know I’m not gonna hold back.”

“Oh I know,” Suguru says with a smirk as he holds out his hands to his side and his shadow writhes behind him while Satoru grins as he prepares to activate his own Quirk. “I don’t plan on holding back either.”

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip down.

Satoru surges forward in an instant, using Blue to move swiftly to avoid the surge of Nightmares that Suguru sends toward him. Various grotesque creatures, some bulbous while others are skeletal and others still are serpentine or winged or with hooked claws or sharp teeth, swarm forward and Satoru has to leap into the air to avoid most of them. It’s almost as if Suguru is sending his entire assortment of Nightmares at him.

It kind of reminds him of the Night Parade but, since that leads to very bad memories he doesn’t want to relive, he shoves them aside as he uses Blue to dodge around the various Nightmares surging upward toward him while blasting several more with a burst of Red as he moves.

Suguru, riding on the back of a grotesque manta ray, jumps off it and surges toward Satoru who dodges swiftly out of the way to avoid the punch and the kick Suguru aims at him. He is literally using his Nightmares as stepping stones to keep up with Satoru in the air and Satoru whistles at that because that is impressive.

“Man, that’s hot,” he says and grins when Suguru stumbles at that, face going red, and very nearly misses the next jump. He manages to right himself and, with a scowl of annoyance, gestures and Satoru yelps and quickly throws himself backwards to avoid the hookworm-shaped Nightmare that flies right at his face. Sure, Infinity would have stopped it but still.

Satoru flips around to avoid more Nightmares and points at them, unleashing an explosion of Red that surges forward and repels several Nightmares away with such a force that they shatter into atoms. He flips in midair and, applying another aspect of Blue to two Nightmares that are surging toward him, he slams them into each other so hard that they also shatter upon colliding with each other.

Suguru flips backwards and huffs as he lands on top of his manta ray. “You’re as strong as ever, Satoru,” he says and raises a hand. “Maximum! Uzumaki!”

Every single Nightmare that’s in the air around Satoru, with the exception of the manta ray Suguru is still standing on, surges back toward Suguru and immediately spirals together in the air above Suguru’s hand until a massive orb of pulsating Nightmare-fueled energy is hovering above Satoru. Satoru huffs in annoyance at the fact that Suguru is using his most powerful attack against him.

“Fine then. You wanna play that way? Then let’s play that way,” he says as he clasps his hands together and extends his arm with his pinky and his index finger outstretched while the rest of his fingers are folded before, as Suguru unleashes Maximum! Uzumaki at him, Satoru extends his middle finger.

“Hollow Purple!”

The explosion of purple-tinged energy rushes forward at the same time that the power of Maximum! Izumaki surges forward and they both crash into each other, erupting in a massive explosion whose shockwave slams into both Satoru and Suguru, sending them both flying downward while also throwing every single person in the audience backwards, some flying over their seats while others fly into the walls behind them if they happen to be standing up. The windows on the announcer’s booth shatter as both Present Mic and Aizawa are blasted backwards and every single light encircling the stadium completely shatters from the massive pulsating shockwave that slams into them.

Satoru flips around in midair and, using Blue to slow down his descent, lands lightly on his feet while Suguru, who managed to summon another Nightmare to catch his fall, also lands lightly on his feet. Both of them are still in the ring and they both surge forward at each other as if their last attacks didn’t just destroy several portions of the stadium itself. A manic grin is on Satoru’s lips and Suguru’s own lips are pulled back in a smirk as they collide with each other and their match immediately erupts into a full out brawl that carries them back and forth across the stage.

But, at the same time, there is no denying that both of them did exhaust themselves with those last attacks. And there is no denying that the only thing keeping Satoru conscious and running is just pure adrenaline. He has no doubt the same thing is going on with Suguru, which is why most of their attacks seems to be a little sloppy but they’re both still going at it.

Satoru manages to take their brawl close to the boundary line though. He doesn’t have to actually win this fight against Suguru. All he has to do is get Suguru past the boundary line and he’ll win so that’s what he concentrates on. As they continue to brawl, Satoru is very much aware of where they are on the stage and, when they get close to the boundary line, he lets Suguru pin him.

Suguru is startled by Satoru going limp beneath him that he doesn’t react in time to Satoru bringing his knee up sharply and ramming it into his stomach before proceeding to grab his arms and throw him over his head. He winces as he hits the grass hard, and on the wrong side of the boundary.

“Suguru Amajiki is out of bounds. Satoru Midoriya will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip down.

Satoru scrambles to his feet and peers around the stadium, blinking. “Whoa,” he says upon seeing the damage done by Uzumaki and Hollow Purple colliding in midair. “Yeah…I guess we should count ourselves lucky we didn’t blow up the entire stadium itself.”

Suguru snorts as he gets to his feet. “We certainly came close,” he deadpans and Satoru, studying the damage done to the walls surrounding the arena, the lights encircling the topmost level of the arena, the shattered window of the announcers booth itself, muses he’s right. It’s really a wonder the stage itself wasn’t blown to pieces from the force of that explosion.

The stage itself promptly collapses.

Satoru and Suguru peer at it, then at each other, then back at it.

“How in the hell…?” Suguru begins.

“I have no idea,” Satoru admits.

. . .

Such power…

Shoto, picking himself up from where he’d been blasted backwards into the stone wall behind him when Satoru and Amajiki’s Quirks collided with each other in midair, gazes at the damaged arena. The walls are cracked, the stadium lights are pretty much all broken, the announcer’s booth window is completely shattered, the stage itself collapsed in on itself, though how that happened when the explosion didn’t even reach the floor of the arena, Shoto doesn’t know.

He scans the audience, noticing quite a few audience members are climbing back into their seats while others are leaning toward each other. They are probably discussing what they just saw and Shoto doesn’t blame them. He doesn’t think he’s seen such pure power on display like that, except during the U.S.J. incident when All Might was fighting. The power just displayed here is on par with All Might’s and both Satoru Midoriya and Suguru Amajiki are only fifteen years old.

He narrows his eyes as he considers the rest of the tournament. His next match is against Izuku but if he does make it to the final round then there is a good chance he will end up fighting against Satoru. Of course, this is supposing Satoru can beat either Shinso or Bakugo, depending on who wins the next match, but Shoto is pretty confident, based on what he saw, that Satoru will make it to the final round.

But, since he does see Izuku as a powerful contender himself since All Might clearly has his eyes on him and that means he must a great deal of potential, he knows his next match is going to be a challenging one. Izuku has been doing well in the tournament, even managing to avoid breaking anything as he did during the Quirk assessment test. He has no doubt Izuku is going to come at him with everything he’s got.

And Shoto will beat him, using only his mother’s Quirk. He will. He will disavow his father of everything by not using his father’s Quirk in combat. That is his promise and he is not going to falter from it.

“Well, that was certainly an explosive match,” Present Mic declares half an hour later once they managed to fix the stage, and the damage done to the walls. “Uh, we weren’t able to fix the lights so thank goodness it’s still bright and sunny out here! So let’s move on to the next match, ya dig?!”

The audience does cheer but Shoto doesn’t think the next match is going to top the one they all just witnessed. As Present Mic announces the next competitors, he watches as Bakugo and Shinso make their way onto the newly rebuilt stage. Shinso looks the picture of relaxed while Bakugo is scowling as he flicks his eyes around the arena, occasionally looking up at the lights encircling the top of the stadium.

He’s probably thinking about the last match.

Not that Shoto can blame him. He’s pretty sure quite a few people are thinking about the last match.

He should really focus on his opponent though. Shoto isn’t quite sure as to what Shinso’s Quirk is, only that it did cause him to coast through his last match without even having to fight Ashido at all. The fact that Ashido just turned around and walked right out of the ring is a bit of a surprise but must have to do with Shinso’s Quirk. Maybe he can make others do what he wants them to do somehow.

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares.

Bakugo sends an explosion careening toward Shinso who dodges out of the way, surprisingly very agile as he moves. He seems to be talking, based on what Shoto can see on the screen depicting an up close view of the match, but he can’t hear what he is saying. Judging by the way Bakugo’s face is morphing into anger, it must be something pretty bad.

Another explosion surges forward. This one manages to hit Shinso dead on but, while he is sent flying backwards, he manages to avoid getting knocked out of the ring by digging a bo staff Shoto didn’t realize he had on him into the crack the last explosion created in the stage’s floor. He swings around the bo staff and says something else and that anger morphs into pure rage before Bakugo opens his mouth.

And freezes.

His entire body goes slack.

“Whoa. It’s Shinso’s Quirk in action yet again!” Present Mic exclaims.

Shoto hums as he listens to Aizawa explain about Shinso’s Quirk, how extraordinarily powerful it is, and why he is probably one of the most ideal candidates for the Hero Course but, because of how irrational the entrance exam is, Shinso lost a spot in that course. And, given that he must have just ordered Bakugo to moonwalk right out of the ring and Bakugo actually obeys, Shoto can readily agree that his Quirk really is a powerful one.

“Katsuki Bakugo is out of bounds. Hitoshi Shinso will move on to the next round,” Midnight declares.

That means Shinso will be going against Satoru Midoriya. Hmm. I can’t even begin to figure out just who would win that match. But I do have my own match I have to worry about now. He turns his gaze to the 1-A stands because he knows that, once the third round begins, it will be him versus Izuku.

And it is definitely going to be his most challenging match out of this entire tournament.

Sure, Hado did give him a challenge but there is just something about Izuku that suggests he is going to bring an even greater challenge to Shoto. But that’s fine because if All Might has his eyes on Izuku then Shoto needs to beat him. He has to win and prove to his father that he doesn’t need that old bastard’s Quirk to be strong, to be the best, to be the hero he wishes to be.

And that is his goal.

He turns and, ignoring the screech of absolute fury that erupts from within the arena, he makes his way toward the stairs as he mentally prepares himself for his next match.

. . .

Chapter Text

Izuku makes his way down the corridor, taking a deep breath and releasing it as he moves. He’s still incredibly nervous but, considering who’s he up against and the fact that Todoroki has dominated the competition ever since it started, he has every right to be nervous. Even though his friends and his brother believe in him, that doesn’t mean he’s going to have an easy time because he isn’t. But, at the same time, he does have his determination to help Todoroki to open his eyes and save him.

He has to do this. It’s what heroes do after all.

His classmates did wish him luck on the upcoming match, with Satoru reminding him to keep the usage of his Quirk at a lower level. He must have noticed, and he probably did because of his Six Eyes, the way Izuku’s control of the percentage of One for All he was using kept fluctuating during his last two matches. And his concern isn’t a surprise. Satoru has always been protective of Izuku ever since they were little and that hasn’t changed as they grew older.

But Izuku is determined to get stronger in his own right. When he got his Quirk, he thought that he would finally be standing at the starting line right alongside his brother. He didn’t expect that, once he actually started down the path, Satoru would outstrip him but he has. His last match against Amajiki is proof that he has already outstripped Izuku in terms of strength and power without even really realizing it.

There is no denying Satoru’s power is incredible and Izuku knows he actually does have a long ways to go if he wants to even get close to catching up with his twin.

He lets loose a soft breath as he thinks about Satoru’s last match, about the sheer power he unleashed that literally destroyed a good portion of the upper levels of the stadium and threw practically everyone in the audience either back into or over their seats. Sure, that was mostly because of Satoru’s full power colliding with that powerful attack of Amajiki’s but still.

There is still a drawback to that powerful attack though, as Izuku found out pretty quickly when Satoru nearly passed out after reaching the stands and remained a bit incoherent, and Amajiki did pass out. Even though Amajiki regained consciousness during the thirty minute break between the quarter finals and the semifinals of the tournament and Satoru regained his coherency doesn’t change the fact that using such a powerful attack did drain them both immensely.

But the fact that Satoru was able to use such a powerful attack and still remain somewhat conscious, even though the last time he used such an attack, at the U.S.J., did knock him unconscious. Then again, he was also injured when he used that attack at the U.S.J. so the differences could simply be that.

Either way, Satoru’s power really is amazing and Izuku knows, as he is now, he doesn’t hold a candle to his brother’s flame.

“Hey.”

Izuku shrieks in utter shock as the sudden appearance of the Number Two Hero Endeavor stepping out in front of him startles him right out of his thoughts.

If Endeavor is phased by Izuku’s shriek, he doesn’t show it as he turns to face the much smaller boy. Truth be told, Endeavor is even taller than Satoru and, really, there are so very few people who are taller than Satoru that he’s met that it’s pretty surprising. He doubts Satoru would be intimidated by Endeavor just because he really isn’t intimidated by anyone, or at least it never seemed that way while Izuku was growing up with him.

He, on the other hand, is very intimidated by Endeavor.

“There you are,” Endeavor says.

“W...Why are you back here?” Izuku stammers out.

“I saw what you did out there,” says Endeavor. “That amazing Quirk. Creating such a force with just a flick of your finger. In terms of power, it seems on par with All Might’s Quirk.” He points at him as he says that and Izuku freezes.

“W...What are you getting at? I...I have go get going,” he stammers out, swallowing his nerves and trying hard to push aside his misgivings. He doubts Endeavor actually knows the truth, since he wouldn’t have phrased his statement quite like that if he did, but he knows he has to keep it from him more than anyone else here.

“My boy Shoto,” Endeavor goes on as Izuku moves to walk around him. “He has a duty to surpass All Might.”

Izuku tenses.

“His match against you will prove a valuable test,” the Number Two Hero goes on, “so give it your all. Put up a good fight against him.”

Izuku grits his teeth, his thoughts going to the revelation Todoroki revealed to him earlier that day, about what Endeavor did, about Endeavor only treating him like a tool, a weapon to be used to surpass All Might, and he can’t help the anger.

“That’s all I have to say,” Endeavor adds as he turns around. “Sorry for my bluntness.”

Izuku grips his hands into fists then forces them to relax. “I’m not All Might,” he says finally.

“Well, of course you’re n…” Endeavor begins.

“Right, of course I’m not.” Izuku turns and gives Endeavor a firm glare as he says firmly, “And Todoroki isn’t you!”

Without even waiting for Endeavor to respond, he turns and strides away with hands gripped and face filled with determination. He is now more determined than ever to open Todoroki’s eyes to the truth, to help him to see that his power is his own, that he can’t disavow his father of everything if he doesn’t try to win this whole thing with his full strength. He can’t truly be number one if he’s only half-assing it, as his brother would say.

He strides toward the stage as he listens to Present Mic announce the start of the semifinal match and then introduces him and Todoroki. Todoroki is walking toward the stage as well with a coolly stoic expression on his face. Neither of them are even phased by the cheers erupting from the audience and Izuku doesn’t even really acknowledge the fact that he can hear his brother screaming out encouragements from the 1-A stands. All he sees right now is Todoroki. All he knows is his determination to get through to his classmate.

That’s all that matters right now.

“You ready?” Todoroki says.

Izuku takes a deep breath and sets his face into one of determination as he shifts into a starting position while activating his Quirk and spreading it evenly throughout his body as he’s been practicing on doing ever since his brother started helping him learn control. He feels the familiar warmth wrap around him like a shawl as green lightning crackles around his form and faces Todoroki firmly.

Keep it at five percent. Don’t go overboard.

“Ready! Start!” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip down.

First he’s gonna come at me with that ice. It’ll be risky if I let him fire off that power freely. As soon as this starts, attack! He raises his hand and prepares to flick his finger, making sure on keeping the power he is using at the level he can use it at. He can’t afford to break anything right now, even in the face of someone as powerful as Todoroki.

The ice surges forward as Izuku expects it to and he fires off a burst of air pressure with just a flick. He is glad when his finger doesn’t hurt so he decides to try and get closer, firing off more bursts of air pressure as Todoroki sends more ice surging toward him. He ignores the pieces of ice that flow by him when he tears through it with his flicks.

His fingers are aching and he grits his teeth and dials down the amount of power he’s using as he tears through another glacier that surges toward him. Form what I’ve seen, Todoroki’s fights always end in a flash. He did use a great deal of his power against Hado though and I did notice that he was a little sloppy toward the end there. I’m pretty sure if Hado hadn’t froze then that last attack might not have actually connected since it was off.

He studies Todoroki as he dodges around another surge of ice and fires off another flick of air pressure tot ear through it. He notices there is some ice behind him, probably as a way of ensuring he doesn’t get blasted out of the ring should Izuku manage to get close enough to hit him with a flick at point blank range like he did with Ida and Togata. He must have analyzed Izuku’s own matches too if he’s prepared for something like that.

During Hado’s match, Todoroki was starting to tremble toward the end there as if he was starting to feel the cold and Izuku realizes that he must have a limit to how much cold his body can actually handle. He can’t just continuously throw ice attack after ice attack without feeling some sort of side effect after a while.

It’s just like with Satoru. Quirk energy isn’t limitless. There is only so much power one can actually unleash before they start feeling the side effects of overusing their power. And, in Todoroki’s case, since he’s only using half of his power, his limit must be far lower. After all, if he does overuse his ice and starts feeling the effect of the cold then he can always just use the left side of his Quirk, his fire, to warm himself up, thus increasing the limit of his Quirk energy by a decent amount.

Izuku dodges another surge of ice and fires off another flick, managing to keep his percentage at five that time, and the burst of air pressure tears through the ice. He can prolong this match for as long as possible because if he does that then Todoroki will start feeling the side effects of overusing half of his Quirk. And Izuku may be able to get through to him, may be able to help him to realize that using his full power is what he needs to do if he truly wants to become the strongest, if he truly wants to be number one.

If he can’t use his full power then Izuku will win. He will surpass Todoroki and get stronger in his own right.

“So you’re trying to stretch the match out?” Todoroki says. “Not happening. I’ll end this quickly.”

More ice surges forward, far quicker than before, but Izuku manages to fire off a flick of air pressure, wincing when his fingers throb. Even though the burst of air pressure did tear through the ice, he knows he went a little over the five percent because of the throbbing pain erupting in his finger. It’s still not broken, for which Izuku is grateful, but he knows his body really can’t handle more than five percent right now.

Dial it down, Izuku. He takes a deep breath and yelps when the ice erupts in front of him and Todoroki runs up it and dives toward him. He manages to jump backwards to avoid it, since that was too close, and barely manages to dive out of the way to avoid the next surge of ice. He grits his teeth because the ice is two close and he slams his fist forward before he even realizes what he’s doing.

He hears the crack before he feels it and hisses in pain as the ice erupts around him with far more power packed into that punch that he wanted to actually pack into that punch. He hadn’t meant to use one hundred percent of One for All in that last attack but he panicked and now he’s paying the price of overdoing it.

Damn it. Okay. It’s okay. Just use my other hand but dial it back. Don’t do that again. Don’t use a hundred percent again.

“That was far stronger than your earlier attacks,” Todoroki, who is shielding himself from the flying debris, says. “Are you trying to tell me to stay back?”

Izuku grits his teeth, ignoring the pain erupting up his right arm. He’s way more than just his Quirk. He’s got excellent judgment, execution mobility, everything about him is strong!

“Only defending and dodging? I guess you managing to avoid actually hurting yourself until now is pretty impressive though, even if that’s all you’re doing,” Todoroki comments.

Izuku studies him and frowns upon seeing that he is shivering. There are faint trembles going through his body, just like toward the end of his match with Hado. He’s reaching his limit.

No one’s Quirk energy is limitless. Even Satoru’s isn’t right now in spite of that being the literal name of his Quirk.

And Todoroki is most definitely reaching the limit of what he can do with only half of his Quirk.

“Sorry for all this,” Todoroki adds, turning his head slightly as he releases a frosty white breath. “I appreciate it though, Izuku. Thanks to you, he doesn’t look too happy.”

Izuku narrows his eyes.

“You’ve broken one of your arms so I think it’s time we ended this,” Todoroki adds and ice surges forward again.

Izuku jerks up his left hand and, focusing on only using five percent, fires off another flick of air pressure. He is grateful to see that it works, that he doesn’t break his finger, and that the flick of air pressure does still tear through the ice and sends pieces of it flying in all directions. The force of the flick, while not nearly as powerful as the one that broke his arm, does still send Todoroki skidding backwards a few meters.

“Who says I’m done?!” Izuku yells.

Todoroki grits his teeth. “Why keep this up and risk hurting yourself more?” he demands.

“You’re shivering, Todoroki,” Izuku says firmly. “Quirks are still just physical abilities. No one’s Quirk energy is limitless. You must have a limit to how much of that cold you can bear! But then you could always use your left side to thaw yourself out, right?”

Todoroki narrows his eyes.

“Everyone’s giving it their all! To win, to achieve their goals, to make it to the top! And you’re gonna win with half your power? I still haven’t put a scratch on you! Gimme me everything you got!” Izuku yells, clenching his left hand in determination. “Come at me!”

. . .

Shoto narrows his eyes as he gazes at the determined younger Midoriya Twin, at the way he is facing him with determination shining in his eyes, at the way he clenches his left hand while his right hangs limply at his side. He just doesn’t understand why the other boy is going this far, is risking injuring himself further.

Shoto…

He shakes away that familiar voice but the words still echo in his head anyway.

That’s fine. You’re not…

But, for the life of him, Shoto can’t remember what came after that. He doesn’t know why he forgot what came after that but it does feel really important and he doesn’t know why. But that isn’t important right now so he shoves the thought away, focuses his entire attention on the boy standing across from him while thinking about Izuku’s words.

“What are you planning?” he demands, finding himself angry over those words. “Everything I’ve got? Did my bastard of a father pay you off or something?! You’re pissing me off!” He surges forward in an instant, knowing the other boy won’t be able to deal with him at close range. If he can just land a solid hit then he might be able to end this.

Just because Izuku’s words are pissing him off doesn’t mean he wants to drag this one and risk the other boy hurting himself even more. No matter how angry he is right now, he does still want to be a hero and heroes won’t let anyone else hurt themselves like this. He has to end this.

He is surprised when Izuku dances to the side suddenly and slams a sharp punch into his gut before whirling around and crashing a roundhouse kick straight into the side of his head. He is sent flying backwards and only a quick one handed handspring prevents him from crashing into the ground. He whirls around and only barely manages to dance to the side to avoid the kick aimed at his stomach and then jerks his head to the side to avoid the punch that comes flying at his face. But Izuku is quick, twisting his body and slamming a knee straight into Shoto’s gut before grabbing his arm and wrenching him over his shoulder and slamming him straight into the ground.

Shoto gasps as the wind is knocked out of him and he slams his right hand into the stage and ice rushes upward and Izuku is only barely able to throw himself backwards to avoid getting caught in the ice. Another flick of air pressure tears the ice to shreds and Shoto, scrambling to his feet, shields his face from the flying ice shards and dances to the side to avoid Izuku when he comes at him.

“So now you’re on the offensive?” he says as he swiftly dodges the flurry of blows Izuku is launching at him and wincing because his movements are getting slower, sloppy, and he’s having a very difficult time avoiding the flurry of blows. The way Izuku is fighting, while incredibly sloppy and with a lot of power packed into each punch, does remind Shoto of how Amajiki fought when he saw him fight during the Combat Trials. Izuku doesn’t have the same footwork, or the same strength behind each punch, or even the same coordination but he is managing to nearly land several hits.

He already knows why. It’s because he’s weakening. His movements are slowing down due to the amount of cold his body is currently experiencing.

But he ignores it as he sends another surge of ice forward, panting as frosty breaths erupt past his lips.

“It’s not just you that’s slowing down! Your ice is weaker too,” Izuku yells as he slams his left fist forward and Shoto shields himself from the sudden shattering of his ice. He skids backwards several meters and only a quick swipe of his right hand to conjure up ice behind him stops him from skidding out of the ring.

Izuku is panting and, though he is still holding his left hand in front of him, it’s trembling and Shoto can see the pain in the other boy’s eyes. He doesn’t think the other boy’s arm is broken but he can see its trembling.

Then again, he, himself, is trembling too. That cold…

He shoves the thought away as he lets out another frosty breath. “Why’re you going this far?” he demands.

“Just trying to meet expectations,” Izuku yells as he charges forward. “A smiling, dependable cool hero! That’s what I wanna be!”

Shoto…

Shoto freezes at that familiar voice echoing in his mind.

“That’s why I’m giving it everything! For everyone! Your experiences...your determination...I can’t even begin to imagine what all that’s like but if you become number one without giving it your all, then I don’t really think you’re serious about denying him everything!” Izuku yells and Shoto freezes again.

. . .

“Get up! You won’t be able to defeat third rate villains, let alone All Might, if you get knocked down by a hit like that!”

Shoto was crying, crouched on the ground after the last hit caused him to throw up and had him clutching at his stomach in pain.

“Stop it, please, he’s only five years old.” That familiar voice, the familiar voice of his mother, sounded as she crouched beside him.

“Yes, he’s already five. So get out of my way!” The slap knocked his mother away from him and Shoto gasped in shock over that.

. . .

“Shut up!” Shoto yells, though whether he’s shouting at the memory that is rushing to the forefronts of his mind or at Izuku’s words, he isn’t quite sure. All he knows is that he can’t unsee that scene as it plays through his mind on loop.

. . .

“I hate him, Mommy! I...I don’t wanna be like daddy! Someone who bullies my mommy! I don’t wanna be like that!” Shoto cried as he lay curled up in his mother’s lap while his mother gently ran her fingers through his short dual-colored hair.

“But you want to be a hero, right?” His mother whispered. “That’s fine. You’re not…”

. . .

Once again, what comes next doesn’t return with that memory and Shoto doesn’t know why he forgot what actually came next. He stumbles back as Izuku surges toward him, yelling, “That’s why I have to win! I have to surpass you!”

Shoto tries to send some ice toward his opponent but Izuku tears through it and unleashes a flick of air pressure that slams into Shoto, sending him flying backwards.

. . .

He peered over the railing, watching as three kids played down below, kicking a ball between them. The only girl had little red streaks in her hair while the boy’s hair is pure white and then there is the smallest boy who Shoto knew was the eldest had just been knocked off the ground. But he just laughed it off as he got up.

Shoto couldn’t help but gaze at those turquoise eyes set in the face of the smallest boy who, nonetheless, he knew was the eldest.

He winced when he felt a hand grasp his arm and yank him away from the railing. “Don’t look at them, Shoto,” his father said as he practically dragged the smaller boy behind him. “You brothers and sister...they belong to a different world than you.”

. . .

Shoto crashes into the ground and goes rolling several feet, only just managing to avoid getting thrown out of the ring by the ice he conjures up right behind him. He winces as he slams back first into that ice and lets out a sharp gasp.

. . .

“Mom...I know It’s not right but I can’t do it anymore. The children. They’re...like him more and more every day! And Shoto...his left side. Sometimes I look at him and hate what I see.”

Shoto peered through the opened door to the kitchen at his mother, frowning in confusion.

“I can’t raise him anymore. I shouldn’t raise him…” his mother whispered.

“Mommy?” he said in puzzlement.

His mother’s eyes snapped toward him and the only thing Shoto saw was the sheer madness erupting in his mother’s eyes before agony tears through his entire face.

. . .

He scrambles to his feet as he glares at Izuku, as he tries to ignore those memories, as he tries to ignore the phantom pain erupting around his left eye. “I’ll…” But he can’t finish that thought for some reason as he finds himself quickly dodging out of the way of the punch that Izuku aims at him.

His movements really are incredibly sloppy and weak and he’s having so much trouble thinking clearly or reacting quickly.

His mind just won’t stop.

. . .

“Where’s Mommy?” Shoto could still feel the pain in his bandaged left eye but he ignored it in favor of asking the question that was on his mind ever since the incident happened.

“She hurt you so I had her put away,” his father said and, with a scowl, added, “The fool...during this crucial time in your development no less…”

Shoto glared at him with his uninjured eye. “It’s all your fault,” he hissed, unable to keep the fury and the resentment out of his voice.

. . .

Shoto jerks his head to the side to avoid the next punch Izuku aims at him and jumps backwards as he glares at Izuku. “I’ll show my father…” he begins.

“It’s yours!” Izuku screams and Shoto freezes. “It’s your quirk, not his! It’s your power!”

Shoto stares, eyes widening.

. . .

He is curled up in his mother’s lap, gazing with wide-eyed fascination at All Might as he gives an interview on television. “Yes, Quirks are naturally passed from parent to child. However, that’s not the only thing that matters. It’s not just blood ties. Instead, one must recognize and appreciate oneself! That’s what I mean when I say it! When I say ‘I am here’!”

“But you want to be a hero, right?” His mother said gently. “That’s fine. You’re not...bound by his blood. You decide who you want to become.”

. . .

Shoto gazes wide-eyed at Izuku as those words he’s been missing suddenly surge through his mind, words he forgot, words he should not have forgotten. Why did I forget that? Why?

But he knows that those words are, nevertheless, true. He decides who he wants to become. His power, just as Izuku said, is his own.

There’s a whoosh as, for the first time in years, Shoto activates the left side of his Quirk. Flames rush away from his left side, completely engulfing that side of his body and successfully sending the necessary heat throughout the rest of his body to thaw out the portions of his body overwhelmed by the excessive cold from earlier.

“I thought you wanted to win? Dammit. So why’re you trying to inspire me? Which one of isn’t taking this seriously now?” Shoto says and, lifting his head, can’t help the manic grin that stretches across his lips as he locks eyes with Izuku. “But I wanna be a hero too!”

Izuku grins at him. “Incredible,” he says.

Shoto raises his left hand to wipe some sweat from his forehead. “What’re you smiling about?” he says. “With your injuries, and in this situation, you must be crazy. It’s not my problem what happens to you now.”

Izuku grins as green lighting crackles around his form and he shifts into a starting stance as he raises his trembling left hand. It’s clear he’s determined to continue the fight and, even though the injuries he’s suffered don’t seem to be quite that severe, Shoto knows that he still has the advantage now that he’s using his left side.

He sends as urge of ice rushing toward Izuku who is quick to hop like a bunny around it without using his power to blast through it like last time. It’s clear he’s trying to get close but Shoto already knows that this match is over, that it’s his victory.

He brings his left hand back.

“Izuku…” he says quietly as he swipes his left hand forward, sending a surge of fire rushing forward “Thank you.”

Cement blocks suddenly erupt in front of them but that does absolutely nothing as Shoto’s flames rapidly heat up the cooled down air and the resulting explosion tears through every single cement block and conjures up a shockwave that tears through the walls and sends everyone in the audience flying either into their seats, over their seats, or into walls if they happen to be standing up.

Smoke rushes upward and completely fills the entire arena and Shoto, panting, watches as the smoke clears away, as the last of the debris lands on the ground with a clatter, as the results of the match become known.

Izuku is laying slumped against the stone wall at the far end of the arena, covered in burns, bruises, and scrapes but laying on the wrong side of the boundary.

“Izuku Midoriya is out of bounds,” Midnight, who is getting to her feet nearby, declares as she swipes her flogger whip down. “Shoto Todoroki will move on to the final round!”

Shoto lets loose a soft breath, gazing at Izuku’s motionless form.

A surge of power suddenly erupts and he jumps when Satoru is suddenly there, crouching by Izuku’s form and gazing at him. His blindfold is actually resting around his neck and Shoto freezes as he finds himself on the receiving end of Satoru Midoriya’s beautifully vibrant and mesmerizing, and currently blazing, blue eyes.

Satoru gently gathers Izuku into his arms and gazes coolly at Shoto, the challenge is there but, more than that, there is the protective fury that sends a cold chill rush down Shoto’s spine. Even though he knows part of the result of his match isn’t entirely his fault, he also knows that Satoru probably isn’t seeing it that way right now

That protective fury in those beautiful eyes of his…

It reminds Shoto of another set of eyes that also blazed with such protective fury, except never aimed at him.

No, those familiar turquoise eyes blazing with protective fury were always aimed at his father, and always from the person standing protectively in front of him.

Satoru’s protective fury reminds Shoto so very much of his protective fury that Shoto can’t help but feel the familiar twinge of grief surge through him. But there is nothing he can do but hold Satoru’s gaze, knowing fully well that there is a very high chance he will be facing off against Satoru Midoriya in the final round.

Satoru turns and swiftly darts off, not even giving the medibots time to even get close to his brother.

Shoto watches him go but, since there’s nothing he can do to assuage Satoru’s protective fury, he simply turns and walks away from the ruined stage. He really does hope Izuku will be okay though, since it’s not like he meant to actually injure the other boy as badly as that. It’s been so long since he last used his flames, since he left, that he can’t really regulate them that well.

He makes his way into the corridor and pauses upon seeing Endeavor standing there with his arms folded across his chest.

“So you’re not gonna tell me to get out of your way this time?” Endeavor says with a grin. “Without control over your flames, going all out is dangerous. But you’ve finally put aside your childish rebellion. You’re ready to replace me, to surpass me, even. Work at my side after you graduate. I will guide you down the path to supremacy.”

Shoto doesn’t respond for a long moment, then he looks down and lifts up his left hand to study it. “I haven’t put aside anything,” he says. “As if I could be turned that easily. It’s just, in that moment, in that instant, I forgot all about you.”

Endeavor tenses in surprise at that.

Shoto walks past him as he adds, “Whether that’s good, bad, or something in between, that’s something I’ll have to think about.”

And he does. He really does. There is so much he has to think about now.

. . .

“Whoa, that was rather amazing!”

“Incredible. That sheer power. And that Midoriya kid really held his own.”

“He got pretty badly injured though but only towards the end.”

“Yeah, he was controlling that power of his pretty well before the end, well, somewhat. I mean he did end up breaking his entire arm.”

He stops in his walk as he listens to the pedestrians on the sidewalk talk about the most recent match of the U.A. Sports Festival and tilts his hooded head toward the nearest screen that is currently showing highlights of the most recent match. His eyes linger on the boy with dual-colored hair who is standing at the heart of the stage with smoke spiraling around him.

“Well, that sure as heck was an explosive match, eh?”

He casts a glance at his companion who is grinning at him with interest sparking in her wide pink eyes. “Yeah,” he says and glances toward it and huffs, sticking his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat. “Hard to believe the kid finally used those flames of his.”

“Oh?” The woman grins at him as she brushes strands of blonde hair out of her eyes. “You almost sounded proud there, eh, Dabi?”

“Shut up.” He starts walking again and she, laughing, strides after him, her longer strides easily allowing her to keep up with his. “Why do you keep showing up out of nowhere anyway? I know I owe ya a debt but your constant random appearances are annoying.”

She laughs at that. “You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re annoyed by me constantly asking ya the same question over and over again. If you would only answer me, you wouldn’t have to worry ‘bout that,” she says as she skips ahead of him and whirls around to face him, winking at him and adding, “So are ya gonna answer me now, Dabi? What kind of girls do you like?”

He brushes past her. “None of your business, Yuki,” he says with an exasperated sigh.

Yuki Tsutsumi laughs as she spins around and strides after him again, her long blonde hair swinging behind her. “That still isn’t an answer,” she says with a grin. She gives him a peace sign at her eye and winks at him, adding, “I could always make that my payment for the debt ya owe me.”

“Kind of a cheap payment all things considered.” After all, Yuki did save Dabi’s life ten years ago during the massive fire breakout at Sekoto Peak. While Dabi was more than a little pissed by the woman’s intervention since he couldn’t exactly go back to his family when they thought he was dead and he couldn’t prove to his father that he was strong enough to handle the drawback of his Quirk, he does still owe her.

And she is the one who helped him to come to terms with what was happening, with the fact that his actions were only driving him further away from the family that he wanted to protect.

“ Protecting your family is one thing but doing so at the cost of your own health really is a shitty way to go about that, y’know? How the heck can ya protect your family if you kill yourself? If you’re really a big brother then you gotta act like it.”

Thanks to her, though it did take more than a few conversations with the brash, outspoken, incredibly confident young woman, Dabi was able to pull back from his previous desires to get stronger to become the perfect weapon his father wanted even if it costed him his life. He knows part of him did all of that because he wanted to get his father’s attention off his baby brother but the majority of it was really the overwhelmingly insane need to be the strongest weapon his father wanted. It was only through multiple talks with Yuki while he was healing due to a friend of Yuki’s who had a powerful healing Quirk that helped him that he was able to get somewhat past that insanity.

Still though, a part of him still hates his father. He doesn’t think that part of him is going to go away no matter what.

But, as he casts a glance toward the television screen where his baby brother is walking away from the stage at the conclusion of his match, he knows that hate isn’t directed at his baby brother. Maybe, at some point, it was. Maybe, at some point, he did resent and hate his baby brother for taking his place. Maybe, at some point, he did hate that his father cast him aside to focus his full attention on his baby brother.

But, truth be told, those feelings really didn’t last long. His initial reaction when the baby boy was brought home a few days after his birthday was to attack him, and thus resulted in his father barring him from ever going near the boy. But, then, one day while his father was out of the house, he sneaked into the room where his baby brother and his mother were located. His mother was, understandably, wary of having him close by the baby after his initial reaction.

But he calmed down after that initial reaction and realized he literally tried to attack a baby. And that just left him feeling incredibly bad because, in spite of his temperament being much like his father’s and a part of him being a bit unhinged at the time, he was still just a kid.

And, when he finally saw his baby brother for the first time after he calmed down and his head cleared, all he saw was this tiny, defenseless, helpless baby.

He still remembers when his mother left the room after he entered it. He still remembers when he lifted the baby into his arms, more out of curiosity than anything. He still remembers when the baby opened up bright dual-colored eyes, gazed at him, and promptly smiled.

The baby smiled at him even though he nearly attacked him only a few days beforehand.

He smiled at him and Dabi remembers how his heart clenched, how he was so overwhelmed with surprise and warmth, how he literally just collapsed right where he stood and just cradled the baby, the innocent little life, close to him.

That’s how his mother found him that day and, while she was a bit frantic when she reentered the nursery as if she hadn’t realized she left Dabi alone with the baby, she was also completely shocked by the tender way Dabi was holding his baby brother.

That’s when things changed for him. That’s when he became so determined to get stronger on his own, to move past the weakness of his body’s not being made to handle the heat from his flames, to prove to his father that he could still be the perfect creation his father wanted. That was when he became determined to live up to his father’s expectations and surpass them but not for himself, not because he wanted to be strong, but so that his father wouldn’t turn his attention to that innocent little child Dabi remembered holding in his arms that day.

It failed and he nearly lost his life as a result.

He never even really got to say goodbye to his baby brother that day. He just left. He left his family to go train without even telling anyone that he was leaving.

If it hadn’t been for Yuki, Dabi doubts he would even be here right now. He still doesn’t even know how the heck Yuki found him, or even managed to get through his excruciatingly hot flames to reach him. He suspects it has to do with her Quirk, even if she doesn’t really talk about her Quirk that much.

But he does owe her for that. He knows that. After all, Yuki saving his life did give him the opportunity to find some way to get stronger but, instead of using that strength to prove to his father his own strength, use that strength to protect that baby brother.

After all, it’s just as Yuki said. It may have taken him years to finally acknowledge what she said is true but he knows it now. He is the big brother. He needs to start acting like it and keep his baby brother safe in anyway that he can.

“Yo, Dabi, ya still in there?”

Dabi jerks himself out of his thoughts and turns his head to find Yuki grinning at him. “What?” he deadpans.

“You were so lost in thought, you almost ran into that pole,” says Yuki and Dabi turns and blinks upon realizing he really is dangerously close to a pole.

He steps around it and huffs, rubbing his eyes and wincing. He still has burn scars from that incident ten years ago and, while the ones on his hands are small compared to the ones that litter his collarbone, chest, stomach, and thighs, they still sting every now and then.

She grins at him and tilts her head to the side. “What now? Gonna speak with Giran again?” she asks.

Dabi huffs and tilts his head back, turquoise eyes fixed on the sky. He ignores the way strands of pure white hair fall over his eyes. “Nah. Last time I spoke with him, he wanted me to team up with that crazy assassin and I can’t stand him,” he deadpans.

“You saying that ‘cause of his attitude, or ‘cause he actually took on a bounty for the head of some innocent kid?”

“Tch, both.” Dabi may be many things, a borderline villain and a bounty hunter for hire, but he has his limits, he has his lines he won’t cross and the thought of actually hurting kids makes him angry. After all, the vision of the world that a certain Hero Killer wants doesn’t involve the harming of innocent children and Dabi does agree with some of the Hero Killer’s rhetoric.

Heroes who save and protect and defend others only for the sake of their own fame and their own power and to line their own pockets aren’t true heroes. And, since such a thing describes his father almost down to the T, Dabi can readily agree with that statement. He’s bore witness to that actual truth because of his bastard of a father.

He does take on bounties, if only because he’s good at them and it does help him to get by without drawing too much attention from the heroes, but there are some that he refuses to even touch with a ten foot long pole. Any bounty involving a child are among those.

He casts a glance at Yuki. “Hard to believe a vigilante such as yourself would even know about Giran,” he says.

She laughs. “I do things my own way so I make a point of having connections everywhere ‘cause that can only help me out,” she says with a wink. She turns her head and adds, “by the way, I heard along the grapevine that the Hero Killer was last seen in Hosu City.”

Dabi raises an eyebrow, “And this interests me why?” he deadpans.

“’Cause he successfully attacked and paralyzed Ingenium.”

Dabi frowns. “He didn’t kill him?” he says.

Yuki shakes her head. “I guess he decided to leave him as a warning,” she says. “Pretty tasteless if ya ask me ‘cause Ingenium is one of the few heroes I actually respect. But I ain’t foolish enough to get in the way of the Hero Killer. I’m gonna head on out. Later, Dabi. Next time we meet up, I better have an answer.”

She skips off, slipping into a nearby alley and vanishing into its shadows.

You’re not gonna get one. Dabi rolls his eyes but keeps on walking, occasionally casting a glance toward the television screen where the second match of the semifinals is about to begin now that the stage has been rebuilt.

Satoru Midoriya versus Hitsohi Shinso.

He studies the tall, lanky white-haired boy he recalls was the one that ten million yen bounty was placed on the year before. He may be tall and the power he showcased in his earlier matches may be incredible but he’s still just a kid and Dabi still finds it annoying that someone actually tried to have him killed.

He turns his head and keeps on walking but passes upon feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. He tilts his head to the side as he pivots ever so slightly to partially face the newcomer, his eyes taking in the young man’s dark blue eyes, the black hair, and the sleeve of zodiac tattoos spiraling aroudn his arm. “You’re pretty good at sneaking up on others, eh?” he says.

“In my profession, you have to be,” he says with a smirk.

“Uh huh. Any particular reason why you’re sneaking up on me? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I don’t got a bounty on my head.”

“Nah.” The man leans back on his heels. “Giran said he wanted us to team up but, since you didn’t seem like you were gonna take him up on that offer, I decided to speak to ya and see if I could change your mind.”

“Heh. You can’t.” Dabi turns his head away. “I don’t go after children and you’re attitude is really annoying too.”

“Hn. Even if the target is a certain Number Two hero?”

Dabi tenses but forces himself to relax as he narrows his eyes. He does harbor such hate and resentment toward his father but he honestly didn’t think someone would be stupid enough to actually place a bounty on his head. He doubts even someone as infamous and powerful as this assassin can actually take him out though.

Besides, a part of him wants to be the one to take him out.

But, truth be told, that part of him is small in comparison with his desire to keep his baby brother safe.

“Nah, you can have that one,” he says as he pivots.

“Not even for thirty million yen?”

“Nope. I don’t care enough about that bastard that I don’t even care ‘bout the money.” He strides off and, without looking over his shoulder at the assassin, adds, “good luck though, I guess. You’re probably gonna need it, Toji Shimura.”

. . .

The final match of the semifinals is about to begin and Izuku, unfortunately, has to watch it from the confines of the infirmary. Even though he managed to avoid breaking his bones too badly, his right arm is still in a cast because he exhausted himself so Recovery Girl isn’t able to heal him entirely. He is thankful that, aside from some bruises from his collision with the wall and some burns from when Todoroki’s flames rapidly heated up the cooled down air and the resulting explosion hit him head on, there were no serious injuries.

That didn’t seem to stop Satoru from threatening to beat the ever living daylights out of Todoroki though. Izuku tried to insist that wasn’t necessary, that it was partially his fault. But, given he’s an incredibly overprotective brother, Izuku has no doubt his words flew right over his twin’s head. He really hopes Todoroki doesn’t end up seriously injured in his match, since he has no doubt Satoru is going to ensure that he makes it to the final round just for the single opportunity to thoroughly beat the ever living daylights out of Todoroki.

He listens to Present Mic announcing the start of the second semifinals match and glances toward the door when All Might makes his way into it, currently in his true form. “Hey All Might,” he says quietly and looks down. “I’m sorry. I know I was supposed to show the world that I was there but...I just...Todoroki just looked like he needed help and…”

“I know,” All Might says as he takes a seat by the bed. “You wanted to save him so you meddled and, yes, it costed you your place in the tournament but meddling when your help isn’t wanted is the essence of a true hero.”

“Yeah...I guess…” Izuku glances toward the television screen.

“Do you want to head back to the stands to watch this match? Recovery Girl did say you were good to leave if you wanted to,” All Might says.

Izuku shakes his head. “I’ll miss the match if I leave now,” he says.

“What do you…?”

Izuku points to the screen right as Midnight swipes her flogger whip down and declares, “Ready! Start!”

Not even a second later, before Shinso even has the opportunity to open his mouth, Satoru unleashes a blast of Red that crashes into Shinso and sends him careening out of the ring. It all happens in the matter of only a few seconds.

Everyone is stunned quiet at the quickness of the match as Midnight, shaking herself out of her shock, declares, “Hitoshi Shinso is out of bounds. Satoru Midoriya will move on to the final round.”

“That was quick,” All Might comments.

“Satoru’s really mad ‘cause of what happened with Todoroki,” Izuku admits as he picks at the threads of his hospital blanket. “So he ended this match quickly ‘cause he wants to fight Todoroki as soon as possible. I’m glad Present Mic is calling for a half hour break though ‘cause it’ll, hopefully, give Satoru time to calm down.”

“What happened wasn’t entirely Todoroki’s fault,” All Might says.

“I know. And I’m sure Satoru knows that too but, right now, he’s just really mad ‘cause I did end up hurt. He never likes seeing me hurt.” It’s the truth. Ever since they were kids, Satoru always got upset whenever Izuku would get hurt and he couldn’t stop it, like if Izuku’s bullies caught up to him while Satoru wasn’t around him for some reason.

“I suppose I can understand that. Come on. Why don’t I walk you back to the stands so you can watch the final match with your friends and cheer your brother on?” All Might offers.

Izuku nods and, getting off the hospital bed, shifts the sling that is currently holding his cast-covered right arm. He glances at it and grimaces. “I didn’t mean to break this either,” he admits. “I just...kinda loss that control for a split second during the match.”

“You did really well nonetheless, Young Izuku. You were able to regulate your Quirk and only use it at the current percentage your body can handle for the vast majority of the match, and still hold your own against Todoroki in spite of his overwhelming skill with his own Quirk,” All Might says as he leads Izuku out of the infirmary. “You’re coming a long way so you should take pride in how far you’ve come since the entrance exam.”

“I can’t take all the credit, All Might,” Izuku admits with a soft smile as he thinks about the real reason why he has come as far as he has. “Satoru’s teachings are the real reason why I’ve come as far as I have. He’s amazing, he really is. Not just in the fact that he took to teaching me like a fish takes to water but also with his control over his Quirk and his own fighting skills.”

“He is pretty strong,” All Might agrees.

Izuku hesitates as the question he’s been thinking about for a while now pops into his mind and he turns to All Might. “All Might, you originally became a teacher at U.A. to find a successor, right? Everyone’s fighting with all they’ve got here. Their unrelenting spirits...I can feel how strong they all are. So I’m thinking that…”

“That maybe I should find someone else to replace me? Is that it?” All Might asks.

` Izuku peers at him but nods slowly.

“It’s true. The students here are all exemplary heroes in the making,” All Might goes on. “’One for All’ is a lattice of power. If someone with a preexisting Quirk were to inherit it, he would become an undeniable sueprhero with super strength on top of his original Quirk’s power. Your brother, for example, would be infinitely stronger than he is now.”

“Then…” Izuku begins.

“But, I too, was born Quirkless.”

Izuku freezes and gazes up at All Might with wide eyes.

“And being Quirkless back in my day was also rare, though not as rare as it is now,” All Might adds. “My master, that is my predecessor, possessed a Quirk but she still believed in me and took me under her wing.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” Izuku asks in surprise.

“You never asked, even though I was expecting it.”

The more Izuku thinks about it, the more he realizes that he actually never did ask what All Might’s original Quirk was before he inherited One for All.

“At first, you just reminded me a lot of myself but you’ve already exceeded my expectations more times than I can count. In my heart of hearts, I belie there’s something special in you, and you alone.”

Izuku lowers his head, feeling tears well up in his eyes but managing to blink them away. “I’m sorry.”

All Might just smiles patiently at him but says nothing to that, instead saying, “Anyway, the tournament’s still not over. We’ve got one more match left so let’s get you back so you can watch with your friends and, like I said before, cheer your brother on.”

Izuku scrubs the tears away and nods. “Right.”

. . .

Chapter Text

Megumi makes his way down the hallway, sipping at the can of melon soda in his hands. They still have fifteen minutes before the final match is due to take place and, while Megumi doubts the final match is going to go as quickly as the last match of the semifinals match, he is curious about how it will go about. After all, it is two of the most powerful members of his class who will be going at it, and one of them is the reincarnation of Satoru Gojo.

He is pretty positive Satoru is going to win but he may be a bit biased since he knows Satoru is the reincarnation of the strongest sorcerer back during the age of jujutsu before the age of Quirks even dawned and remembered everything about his past life, including every single skill he’s ever learned. And he’s been doing really well to translate the skill he had with his technique into harnessing the full power of his Quirk, as was evident when he unleashed Hollow Purple without exhausting himself too much earlier in the festival.

But, at the same time, Todoroki has proven himself to be an incredibly powerful opponent with an immense control over his Quirk. Not only that but his match with Izuku revealed that his control over his flames is pretty good too and, after he pretty much blew up the entire stage with both his ice and his flames, that proved that he was incredibly powerful.

He sips at the melon soda as he rounds the corner but pauses upon seeing Ida hurrying his way. There is a hint of panic in his face and he only barely manages to stop himself from running into Megumi. “Oh, Hado, I’m sorry. I did not see you there,” he says as he adjusts his glasses.

“No, it’s fine. Something wrong?” Megumi asks.

“Unfortunately, yes. I have to leave early. Something came up that is very important,” says Ida. “I’ve already told Izuku and Uraraka so they can explain to the rest of the class if they ask.”

“Is everything all right?” Megumi asks because panic isn’t the only thing that’s clear on Ida’s face. There is also shock, anger, and grief. Something terrible did happen but what that something is, Megumi doesn’t know and won’t know unless Ida tells him. He isn’t one to pry but, at the same time, his conscience is driving him to help in someway and he always follows that. He wants to help Ida somehow but he can’t unless he knows what’s going on.

Ida adjusts his glasses and lets loose a soft breath. “My brother was attacked by a villain in Hosu City,” he says quietly. “So I am hurrying to the hospital to check up on him.”

“Oh.” He was right. It is pretty bad. “I’m sorry. I hope everything is okay.”

Megumi may not be the most emotionally competent person in the world but he likes to think that he’s gotten better, especially after regaining the memories of his past life. He hopes he does come across as reassuring though but, when Ida gives him a small smile and a quiet whisper of gratitude, he realizes he did.

He watches as Ida hurries away and hums as he considers what the other student just told him. His brother is Ingenium, as he found out when Satoru guessed that truth on the day of the media’s break in and Ida confirmed it, and Megumi has to wonder who attacked him.

Hosu City...Why does that name sound familiar anyway?

He frowns as he walks toward the 1-A stands, throwing away his now empty can of melon soda as he walks. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes why that name sounds familiar: it’s the same city that the orphanage the Hado Family found him in was located. It’s the same city where he was abandoned when he was too young to remember what his real parents looked like.

The Hado Family doesn’t know anything about his birth parents but, quite frankly speaking, Megumi doesn’t even care. If his real mother didn’t care enough about him that she would just abandon him at an orphanage then good riddance. He has a better family in the Hados after all.

It’s really eerie how similar his childhood in this life is to his last life, and yet still vastly different too. In his last life, his mother and his father abandoned him and his stepsister Tsumiki to fend for themselves and Satoru Gojo, at the tender age of seventeen, stepped in to be his and his stepsister’s legal guardian to prevent him from being sold to the Zenin Clan. And he became like a father to Megumi and did what no other adult ever did for him and his stepsister: he stayed.

In this life, the Hado Family are the ones who found him outside the orphanage where he was abandoned and took him in. He never did find out why they took him in, why they just decided to pick up a random orphan at an orphanage in Hosu City – which is a great distance away from where they lived in Akita – and why they decided to actually adopt him legally. They also did what no other adult in this life did for him: they stayed.

And he knows that he loves the Hado family now as much as he loved Gojo in his last life. But, at the same time, he doesn’t really say so out loud in this life just like he never really said so out loud in his last life. At the very least, he doesn’t think he was as big a brat for the Hados in this life so that’s got to count for something.

He shakes his head because he knows the reason why he started thinking about his real parents is because of the mention of Hosu City. And, right now, that isn’t important so he shoves the thought out of his mind. In truth, anything dealing with his real parents isn’t important right now because they aren’t his family. They never were.

The Hados are his family. That’s all that matters.

He slips into the 1-A stands and moves over to take a seat beside Yuji who gives him a bright smile.

“You made it back in time,” he says.

“I still have ten minutes before the break is over,” Megumi reminds the pink-haired boy.

He laughs as he rubs the back of his neck. “Ah, yeah, right. Man, hard to believe the entire Sports Festival is almost over and, man, I wish I’d done better but Izuku over there took me by surprise,” he says, gesturing to Izuku who is chewing on the ends of a pen he is currently holding awkwardly in his left hand. His notebook rests open on his lap in front of him and Megumi vaguely notices that it’s running out of pages.

Izuku looks up at the sound of his name. “Uh, huh?” He blinks at them owlishly.

Yuji grins at him. “Nah, just commenting about how you took me by surprise when you literally cannoned into me and then just pushed me outta the ring during our match,” he says.

Izuku’s face goes red. “Ah, sorry ‘bout that…” he begins.

“Nah, man, it’s cool. I wasn’t cracking on ya or nothing like that. We had one heck of a fight,” Yuji says.

“Speaking of one heck of a fight, I noticed you put what I taught you into action against Todoroki,” Amajiki comments, leaning toward Izuku who lets out a little squeak but nods his head in agreement.

“Um, well, when Todoroki got in close, I kinda thought he was only doing that ‘cause he thought I couldn’t fight that well at close range just ‘cause of how I was using my Quirk so I’m pretty sure I took him by surprise when I used what I could of what you taught me,” he admits.

“You were a little off balance in some of your hits from what I could see but I think that was more because of the ice, and because of your broken arm probably distracting you,” Amajiki says. “But, other than that, you definitely learned what I taught you pretty quickly. Good job.”

Izuku’s face flushes in embarrassment. “T...Thank you,” he says.

“But I gotta say that last part of your match was intense,” Ashido says, leaning forward with a big grin on her lips. “I mean how the heck did you cause the entire stage to blow up?”

“The air around the stage was incredibly cold because of how much ice Todoroki was using so when he suddenly used his flames after creating even more ice, that caused the already cold air to heat up rapidly, thus causing it to expand, thus resulting in the explosion that tore apart the stage,” Yaoyorozu says.

“Whoa, you’re like so smart, Yaoyorozu,” says Ashido.

Yaoyorozu’s cheeks heat up but she smiles. “Thank you,” she says.

“I’ve gotta ask though. What is with you Midoriyas and blowing things up?” asks Sero, raising an eyebrow.

“To be fair, the stage didn’t exactly blow up during my fight with Satoru. It just sorta collapsed, and we still don’t know how that happened,” Amajiki admits with a sheepish smile.

Megumi rolls his eyes as he leans back in his seat and tilts his head back, raising a hand and pointing at the shattered remnants of the lighting system that used to encircle the top most level of the stadium. “You may not have blown up the stage but you did cause that,” he deadpans.

“Not to mention shattered the window of the announcer’s booth. Don’t think they even bothered on fixing that,” Jirou says.

“Something tells me Aizawa is pretty peeved about that. He certainly sounded peeved when he and Present Mic were commenting on yours and Satoru’s match,” says Kaminari with a light laugh. He glances at Bakugo who is seething silently in his seat a row down and adds, “gotta say I’m surprised Bakugo’s last match wasn’t nearly as explosive as his first one was.”

“Shinso’s Quirk is like crazy powerful. He even knocked me outta the competition like without any effort at all,” says Ashido with a slight whine and a pout on her lips. She taps her finger to her lips and adds, “Still don’t quite know what happened. I just remember him calling our class idiots and of course I ain’t gonna let that slide so I started to tell him off and the next thing I know, I’m on the wrong side of the boundary. I could have sworn it felt as if my feet were moving without me even knowing it.”

“Well, Aizawa actually explained it during Shinso’s match against Bakugo,” Hagakure says thoughtfully.

“He did?” Kaminari echoes with confusion in his eyes.

Jirou rolls her eyes. “You would’ve known that had you been paying attention, idiot,” she deadpans and, while Kaminari whines in protest, she adds, “It’s Brainwashing, numbskull. If someone responds to him while he’s using his Quirk then he can take control of their mind and make them do whatever he asks of them, like how he commanded both Ashido and Bakugo to walk out of the ring and they obeyed.”

Bakugo snarls out a furious curse at the reminder while Megumi can hear Kirishima trying to reassure him that it’s all right.

“I mean I’m sure anyone could’ve fallen prey to that powerful of a Quirk,” he adds with a sharp-toothed reassuring smile.

“Satoru didn’t,” Yuji says, tilting his head to the side.

“Satoru didn’t give Shinso time to even open his mouth, let alone say anything that he would respond to,” Izuku says with a soft sigh of exasperated fondness as he scribbles another note in his notebook then, using his teeth to recap the pen, puts it aside and then puts his notebook aside.

“Izuku’s right. I’m pretty sure Shinso didn’t even get a chance to blink before he was blasted outta the ring. That was, by far, the quickest match in this tournament, probably even faster then my own match against Todoroki,” Sero comments. “I, at least, managed to get an attack out before I was frozen solid. That was still overkill though.”

“He looked pretty pissed too,” Asui says, touching her finger to her chin. “I guess that could’ve been ‘cause of what happened to Izuku ‘cause we all saw him basically teleport to Izuku’s side in a split second after Midnight announced Todoroki’s victory.”

“He did what?!” Izuku exclaims, reminding Megumi that he was unconscious at the end of his match with Todoroki so he wouldn’t have seen his brother literally teleport to his side all the way from the 1-A stands.

“I didn’t even know he could teleport,” says Uraraka.

“W...Well, I’m pretty sure he actually just used the Blue aspect of his Quirk since the Blue aspect of his Quirk is attraction and if he applies enough of his strength into Blue then he can attract himself anywhere instantaneously, which does give off the illusion of teleportation since teleportation does follow a similar manner of traveling from one spot to another instantaneously and, since where I was had been in his line of sight, it was easier for him because he had a clear visual of where he wanted to go. Thus it may not have taken nearly as much power to do that as opposed to, say, going from one end of campus to the other, which would explain why he didn’t look tired in spite of the fact that he was still overcoming his exhaustion over using that powerful attack of his during his fight against Amajiki and…” Everything else Izuku says erupts in a mutter storm that spirals around his head as he tilts his head to the side and taps his finger to his lips as he speaks while the entire class is staring at him in surprise or concern. But, since he isn’t really speaking that loudly, Megumi isn’t bothered by it and it’s clear the rest of the class isn’t bothered by it either.

“Shut the fuck up!” Bakugo screeches.

Well, most of the class anyway.

Izuku yelps and ducks his head, face going red. “S...Sorry,” he says.

Yuji gives Bakugo an annoyed look. “Dude, seriously, what the heck is your problem?” he says.

Megumi gives Bakugo an annoyed glare too then turns his attention to Izuku. “Don’t listen to him,” he says. “We weren’t bothered by you talking.”

“And that was a pretty thorough analysis,” Amajiki comments.

“Really?” Izuku looks at him in surprise.

He nods.

Izuku smiles brightly then hesitates then says, “Uh, well, I kinda did an analysis on your Quirk too. Uh, s...sorry ‘bout doing that without permission but, uh, well, Quirks have always fascinated me so I kinda really like learning all I can about ‘em.”

“You analyzed my Quirk?” Amajiki asks, raising an eyebrow with curiosity in his purple eyes.

The green-haired boy nods slowly, ducking his head. “S...Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind. But can I see it?” Amajiki asks curiously and, when Izuku glances at him in surprise, he adds, “Not many people are curious about my Quirk, ‘cause they find it scary, so it’s refreshing to find someone who finds it interesting.”

“I find your Quirk interesting,” Yuji protests.

“I said not many people, Yuji, not everyone,” Amajiki points out to which Yuji blinks.

“Oh.”

Megumi sighs and shakes his head at his pink-haired reincarnated friend. He really is so much like the Yuji Itadori Megumi got to know in his last life but he finds he doesn’t mind it. At least this Yuji is still happy. At least this Yuji is still smiling. At least this Yuji isn’t weighed down by the scars of what Sukuna used his body to do.

He may still have the scars but, since they were a literal lifetime ago, they don’t seem to weigh as heavily now.

Just like the scars Megumi carries from what Sukuna used his own body to do, while still there, don’t weigh heavily either.

“Uh, if you really want to, okay,” Izuku says shyly. “Um, maybe we can wait ‘till after the festival ‘cause I think the final match is about to start.”

“All right,” Amajiki says.

Megumi turns his attention to the arena down below as he settles back in his seat and listens to Present Mic announce that the final match of the U.A. Sports Festival First Year Stage is about to begin.

. . .

Satoru stretches his arms above his head and cracks his neck as he makes his way toward the stage. He is far calmer now than he was earlier and that’s probably a good thing because, earlier, he was all prepared to just beat the ever living shit out of Todoroki for what happened to his twin. Now that he’s calmer, he is sure he can hold himself back from beating the ever living shit out of Todoroki.

That is not to say he’s going to hold back because he isn’t. He just probably won’t go as far as to Hollow Purple Todoroki’s ice straight out of existence. The stadium probably won’t be able to withstand another Hollow Purple, especially without something as powerful as Maximum! Uzumaki to, at least, block some of the damage.

Besides, he’s pretty sure his own body probably won’t be able to withstand him using two Hollow Purples in the span of less than a few hours. The fact that he was able to use Hollow Purple without completely passing out, in spite of the fact that it did drain him rather thoroughly of Quirk energy, is a major surprise. Sure, he was out of it and didn’t really pay any attention to the Bakugo/Shinso match but he was still conscious.

Poor Suguru ended up passing out upon reaching the 1-A stands, having spent way too much Quirk energy to power his own powerful attack.

It wasn’t the same as back in the U.S.J. Back in the U.S.J., both Satoru and Suguru unleashed their most powerful attacks while high off the adrenaline of the battle, in Satoru’s case, or fueled by sheer desperation as well as adrenaline, as was the case with Suguru. And neither of them put their full power into their most powerful attacks either.

In truth, Satoru did hold back a bit of his full power when he launched his Hollow Purple at Suguru’s Uzumaki and his Six Eyes were quick to tell him Suguru had done the same. They were only using half of their full power in those attacks they threw at each other and still managed to destroy every single light on the top level of the stadium and the announcer booth’s massive window while also gorging scars into the walls of the stadium itself and blast pretty much everyone out of their chairs.

Satoru figures if both he and Suguru had used their full power then they probably would have obliterated an even larger portion of the stadium, if not the entire stadium itself, and probably both end up unconscious for a lot longer than the thirty minutes it took them to repair the stage and get through Bakugo’s match against Shinso.

Speaking of Shinso, Satoru makes a mental note to apologize to him. He was so pissed during his match with Shinso that he didn’t even give the indigo-haired boy a chance. He literally just blasted him out of the ring the instant Midnight started the match without even giving Shinso a chance to use his Quirk. That felt a bit unfair, in Satoru’s opinion, but he was just so angry over what happened to his twin that he just wanted to get to his fight with Todoroki already.

Todoroki is approaching him from the other side of the ring. Even though his face remains stoic, there is an undercurrent of wariness in his posture and Satoru smirks. He is glad to see that he is making the other boy wary. It means the other boy won’t underestimate him. It’s not like it will matter. Satoru is still the strongest here and he is going to win.

“Looks like it’s just us, eh, Todoroki?” Satoru says with a grin.

Todoroki nods. “You don’t look like you’re about to murder me anymore,” he notes.

“Eh, I’ve calmed down,” says Satoru with a shrug. “Still not gonna hold back but I ain’t gonna beat the ever living shit outta you either.”

“Should I feel grateful?” Todoroki deadpans as they both listen to Present Mic introduce them to the audience, even though the audience’s roar of excitement suggests they might not even really be listening to him. They seem like they just want the match to start already.

“Ready!” Midnight begins, raising her flogger whip.

“Feel however you want. I’m still gonna be the winner,” says Satoru with a sharp, feral grin.

“Start!” Midnight yells, swiping her flogger whip down.

It doesn’t surprise Satoru at all when a massive glacier just as large as the one that froze half the arena during Todoroki’s match against Sero surges toward him. He doesn’t let it faze him because Infinity ensures that the ice doesn’t even touch him. It does encase him on all sides but he was already shifting into the prime position to use Red so it doesn’t matter.

“Not bad.” He points and fires off an explosion of Red that tears straight through the ice, repelling through it with such force that it shatters into atoms and leaves behind a wide tunnel that Satoru surges through in an instant using Blue. He surges straight out of the ice with a sharp grin on his lips as he fires off a blast of Red, powered down so as to now actually hurt Todoroki, at the dual-haired boy.

Todoroki throws up a thick wall of ice that catches Red and, as the wall of ice is repelled so violently that it shatters, Todoroki skates around it and sends another surge of ice toward Satoru. Satoru jumps into the air, flipping over the ice and, using Blue, grabs Todoroki and sends him flying to the other side of the arena by easily attracting him to the glacier he created. Todoroki wince as he slams hard into the glacier to leave a human-shaped hole in the ice. He pushes away from the ice and ice surges away from the glacier in a sloping bridge that Todoroki quickly runs across.

Satoru easily dodges out of the way of the battering ram of ice that Todoroki sends at him from the end of the bridge and fires off a burst of Blue straight into the bridge of ice, causing it to implode inwardly and send Todoroki careening toward the ground. He manages to summon a slope of ice that he lands on and he skates to the ground.

Ice erupts upward but Satoru easily uses Blue to dodge the various spikes of ice that spear toward him. “You’re not using your fire,” he comments as he dodges around another spear. “Any particularly reason why? I mean I’m not holding back so why are you?”

Todoroki grits his teeth as Satoru, dodging around another spear, uses Blue to swiftly travel to just behind the dual-haired boy and crash a roundhouse kick straight into Todoroki’s head. He stumbles to the side but, before he can send another surge of ice, Satoru is there, raining down a flurry of blows that Todoroki is having a difficult time countering. He is managing to block many of the kicks and punches but isn’t able to find an opening to launch an attack back at Satoru.

Satoru slams a fist toward Todoroki’s face and, when Todoroki jerks his head to the side to avoid it, he brings himself closer and rams his knee straight into the other boy’s stomach. “Ya know, if you don’t use your fire, you’re probably not gonna win,” he comments as he lands a sharp knee to Todoroki’s chin that sends him stumbling backwards several feet.

Todoroki frowns at him.

Satoru leans back on the balls of his feet as he sticks his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Well, whatcha gonna do? More ice? Or are you gonna use your fire?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. “Either way, I’m gonna win so may as well go all out ‘cause I’m sure I can withstand anything ya throw at me.”

Todoroki narrows his eyes. “You are nothing like your twin, you know that,” he deadpans.

Satoru grins at that. “You probably won’t be surprised at all to hear that I do get that a lot,” he comments. He removes a hand from his pocket and stretches it out, gesturing with two fingers toward him. “C’mon now. That all ya gonna do? Are you really that weak?”

Todoroki bites his lip.

Satoru raises an eyebrow because the dual-haired boy looks conflicted and lost. He has to wonder just what is going on in that head of his.

“C’mon, Todoroki! You can do this!” A scream erupts from the stands and Satoru, recognizing his twin’s voice, pouts.

“Aww, Izu! Why cheer for my opponent instead of me?” he whines and blinks when Todoroki shifts his right foot forward and ice rushes forward. He raises his hand and points, obliterating the ice with a single application of Red and surging through the shattering remnants of the ice.

Todoroki raises his left arm, that is suddenly engulfed in flames, but stops. At the very last second, he completely extinguishes the flames and Satoru, blinking in puzzlement, shrugs but takes advantage of the matter to slam a blast of Red directly into Todoroki’s chest. He may not know why Todoroki decided, at the last second, to not use his fire but it’s not like it matters to him.

Todoroki may have decided to hold back against him but Satoru didn’t.

He is in this to make it to the end and take home the gold after all.

The blast of Red sends Todoroki careening backwards, straight past the boundary line to crash hard into the portion of the glacier at the far end of the stadium. He slumps to the ground while Satoru lands lightly at the center of the ring.

“Shoto Todoroki is out of bounds. The winner of this years’ U.A. Sports Festival First Year Stage is Satoru Midoriya!” Midnight declares, swiping her flogger whip toward Satoru as the audience roars with excitement.

Satoru gives the audience a two-fingered salute as he grins.

Less than fifteen minutes later finds Satoru in the Class 1-A stands as everyone waits for the stage to be rebuilt so the awards ceremony can begin. He is currently draped over his exasperated twin, whining over the fact that Izuku had cheered Todoroki on instead of him and Izuku, flushing, is stumbling over an explanation of the reason why.

Satoru huffs as he finally straightens up. “I mean if it’s just ‘cause you like him like him and find him gorgeous, I guess I can forgive ya. Now you just gotta ask him out on a date and you’ll be all set,” he says brightly and bursts out laughing when Izuku goes bright red and, squeaking, starts rambling out what are probably supposed to be protests but are really just an incoherent jumble of words.

“How are they twins again?” Megumi deadpans.

“Megs, I know you know where babies come from,” says Satoru in a singsong voice after he gets control of his laughter. He waggles his eyebrows as he adds, “But if ya want me to tell ya, okay. I can always do that.”

Megumi glares at him, cheeks red with embarrassment, and raises his hands.

“No, no, not even as a joke, no,” Yuji says firmly even though his brown eyes are sparkling with amusement as he grabs Megumi’s hands and wraps them up in his own.

“Aww, you’re holding hands. Sunshine incarnate and dark and gloomy. Why does that always happen?” Satoru says, tilting his head to the side.

“If that always happens, who’s the sunny one in our relationship ‘cause it’s most definitely not you and I don’t fit the bill either,” Suguru deadpans.

“Your relationship is two idiots in love,” Megumi deadpans even as he lowers his hands and, still flushing, slowly pulls his hands free from Yuji’s.

Satoru and Suguru exchange glances, then shrug. It’s not like they can actually deny that. Back in their last lives, they were always called idiots, usually by Shoko and Nanami, and that was primarily because they were a lot alike, even if Suguru was far more subtle about it than Satoru was. Of course, that was all before the incident with Riko…

Satoru shoves that thought, that memory aside.

Uraraka laughs. “You guys are funny,” she comments. “Congrats on your win, by the way, Satoru.”

“Thanks! By the way, I’ve gotta track down Shinso. I gotta apologize to him and I gotta congratulate him on knocking that walking explosion off his high horse and get all the deets. Sucks that I don’t really remember that fight so I gotta know what happened,” says Satoru.

“You were there for it though,” Hagakure says with a frown.

“Eh, I may not have been unconscious like Suguru but I wasn’t exactly aware of, well, pretty much anything after my fight with Suguru. Don’t think I regained awareness ‘till just before Izuku’s match was gonna start or around that time.”

“You did look kinda outta it when you and Amajiki came back to the stands after your match,” Kirishima says, concern in his eyes. “I mean Amajiki passed out almost as soon as he sat down and didn’t regain consciousness ‘till just before the semifinals began.”

“Overuse of our Quirks,” says Satoru. “We may have held back our full power but we still overdid it.”

“Wait, wait, wait, you held back?” Ashido exclaims while everyone else in the class are staring at Satoru and Suguru with shock while Bakugo whips his head around so fast he probably gave himself a mild case of whiplash.

Satoru shrugs. “Yeah. If Suguru and I used our full power, there’s a good chance this stadium wouldn’t have withstood the collision and Suguru and I probably would’ve ended up comatose for quite a while.”

“Really?” Kirishima says.

“Eh, that’s what my Six Eyes tells me anyway,” says Satoru with a shrug. “My Six Eyes told me that Suguru was holding back and I already knew I had to hold back ‘cause I already knew what my limit was.”

“Whoa. I’m kinda scared to see what would happen if you used your full power,” says Ashido.

“Or if Suguru used his full power, considering how powerful that Uzumaki attack of his was,” says Sero with wide eyes.

“Still. That was a pretty badass fight! So manly!” Kirishima exclaims with a bright smile.

“How many sunshine incarnates are in this class, I wonder? I’ve counted three so far,” Satoru says, tilting his head to the side and, while Kirishima and Yuji laugh since it’s clear Satoru is referring to Kirishima as one of them and always already called Yuji ‘sunshine incarnate’ to his face, Izuku goes red and squeaks in embarrassment.

“Satoru!” he whines. “Stop calling me that.”

“To be fair, I didn’t. I was just asking a question. But you are sunshine incarnate!”

“If he’s sunshine incarnate, what does that make you?” Asui asks, tilting her head to the side.

“Chaos Gremlin,” Megumi deadpans.

“Chaos Gremlin,” Yuji says with a giggle.

“Chaos Gremlin,” Suguru says.

“Uh, yeah, I kinda agree with them,” Izuku admits.

Satoru shrugs, laughing lightly. He can’t even argue against that because it’s not like they’re wrong. “They’re not wrong,” he says brightly and, pivoting, strides off, adding, “I’m gonna go track down Shinso before the awards ceremony. Later! Izuku, get Todoroki’s phone number! You know you want to!”

“Satoru!” Izuku shrieks after him but he, laughing, just swiftly leaves the stands.

He strides down the hallway, clasping his hands behind his back and whistling a little bit as he moves. Six Eyes is already showing him the location of the various flows of Quirk energy and he’s able to quickly pinpoint who each flow belongs to, even though his eyes are currently covered by the sunglasses he exchanged his blindfold for after his match with Todoroki.

Finding the Gen-Ed stands is easy enough and finding Shinso is even easier because he’s outside of the stands, currently leaning against the window and gazing out it with his phone resting against his ear. Whether he knows Satoru is there or not, he doesn’t know as he approaches and cuts off his whistling so he doesn’t interrupt Shinso’s conversation.

“...took me by surprise. But he looked rather pissed so I guess he didn’t want to prolong the fight,” Shinso is saying and, pausing as if listening to the response of whoever he’s talking to, adds, “Yeah, he’s just as protective as you are, Choso.”

Satoru freezes. Choso?

Of course he recognizes that name. It’s the name of the Death Painting Womb that used to work for Kenjaku but, according the Yuji of his last life, turned to Yuji’s side toward the end of the Shibuya Incident. He was the one who helped to guard Master Tengen during the Culling Game before Satoru was freed from the Prison Realm and did help them a great deal during the games and the showdown in Shinjuku. He never did find out what happened to him because of what happened with him and Sukuna but is it just a coincidence that the person Shinso is talking to has that same name?

He doesn’t think Choso is a common name. Sure, he can be but it just sounds unique to him.

He shakes his head. Choso was a half-human half-cursed spirit who survived for over a hundred years simply because he and his ‘brothers’ were kept in stasis within the cursed warehouse on Tokyo Jujutsu Tech’s campus. He supposes that if Choso did survive the entire conflict against Sukuna and Kenjaku than he could have survived the over four hundred years its been since the age of jujtusu came to an end and the age of Quirks dawned. But, since he doesn’t know as to what actually happened after Sukuna killed him, he has no clue as to who even survived that entire conflict.

He just knows Yuji and Megumi and Suguru were reincarnated along with him, and there is a very good chance Nobara was reincarnated as well. And, from what he’s read about reincarnation, it usually only happens when a soul has unfinished business. What unfinished business his former students had, Satoru doesn’t know. He isn’t even quite sure what unfinished business he’s supposed to be finishing in this life either.

He shakes the thought away as he listens to Shinso finish up his conversation and hang up and then he approaches. “Yo Shinso,” he greets.

Shinso starts, then glances at him. “Oh, Midoriya,” he says neutrally.

“Call me Satoru. Less confusion.” Satoru doesn’t bring up anything about the brief conversation he overheard, since it’s none of his business even if he can’t help but feel immensely curious over the mention of that name, and instead focuses on the real reason he tracked Shinso down.

“I just wanted to say sorry ‘bout our match being so quick,” says Satoru. “Pretty sure I didn’t even give ya a chance to show your own strength beyond your strength with your Quirk.”

“I didn’t even get the chance to blink,” Shinso deadpans.

Satoru laughs sheepishly at that as he rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, I was pretty pissed and just wanted to get to Todoroki so I was kinda dismissive of ya as a result. Sorry ‘bout that. But, hey, we can spar sometime in the future. Kinda like a rematch ‘cause our actual match was really too quick.”

Shinso studies him and hums but finally nods. “No Quirks?” he asks.

“No Quirks,” Satoru agrees.

“Hmm, all right. That sounds good.”

“Great! By the way, I just have to know. What happened with your match against Bakugo? I only know you won but I was pretty...out of it during that fight,” says Satoru.

Shinso studies him then hums and says, “I pretty much called him weak who couldn’t hold a candle to you or your brother and he got pissed and start yelling at me, which is all I needed him to do. But, since he managed to hit me with an explosion before I got him to respond to me, I was a little...petty. I ordered him to moonwalk out of the ring and he obeyed.”

There is a moment of silence, then Satoru collapses on the ground with howls of hysterical laughter erupting from his lips. Now he is definitely going to be rewatching the Sports Festival because he has to see that now.

“I like ya, Shinso!” he exclaims around his laughter. “Man, I wish we could’ve fought now ‘cause you’re a cool guy!”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Satoru, Shinso,” a voice calls and Satoru tilts his head back to find Aizawa walking toward them. He pauses upon seeing Satoru on the ground, raises an eyebrow, but apparently decides against asking as he adds, “the awards ceremony is about to begin. As this years’ winner, you’re required to be there, Satoru. And, since both you and Izuku are sharing third place, you’re required to be there as well, Shinso.”

Satoru scrambles to his feet and stretches his arms above his head. “Glad to know Izuku is getting recognized for his skill, even if he and Todoroki went way overboard,” he comments.

“I do not want to hear anything from you about others going overboard,” Aizawa deadpans as he pivots, adding, “I’m still finding tiny shards of glass in the announcer’s booth from after your match with Amajiki.”
Satoru laughs sheepishly at that.

Aizawa lets loose a soft breath and shakes his head and keeps walking while Satoru and Shinso hurry after him.

. . .

The Awards Ceremony of the U.A. Sports Festival First Year Stage takes place at the heart of the U.A. Stadium and, while Choso is a bit disappointed to not see Yuji on any of those podiums, he is proud to see his half-brother standing on the third place podium alongside a green-haired boy with freckles on his cheeks and his right arm in a cast and sling. The dual-haired boy with dual-colored eyes stands on the second place podium while a very familiar white-haired teenager with eyes currently covered by dark sunglasses stands on the first place podium.

He looks like Gojo.

There is no denying that the teenager on the first place podium does indeed bear an unkindly resemblance to the Satoru Gojo from Choso’s last life, albeit a younger version. The height is there. The snow-white hair is there. The way he is covering his eyes is eerily reminiscent of the Satoru Gojo who attacked Choso, Jogo, and Hanami in the Shibuya Station during the Shibuya Incident. This time, though, it’s dark sunglasses whereas it was a blindfold back in Choso’s last life.

But, since Choso did join the side of the sorcerers in that final battle, mostly to try and ensure Yuji was protected and he didn’t lose Yuji like he lost his other brothers, he never had to actually fight against Gojo again.

From what he saw of the Festival, it really isn’t a surprise that the Gojo lookalike won. The sheer power he unleashed, that is also eerily reminiscent of the power Satoru Gojo utilized in Choso’s last life, definitely took the cake of the strongest Quirk at this festival and probably ate it too. Even the youngest son of Endeavor wasn’t able to defeat that power, even if he did manage to hold his own for a while against him.

“Now lets move on to the awards ceremony,” the R-Rated Hero Midnight declares and, gesturing toward the third place podium, she adds, “In third place, we have both Izuku Midoriya and Hitoshi Shinso since they both proved themselves worthy of sharing this spot. In second place, we have Shoto Todoroki. And, in first place, the champion of the U.A. Sports Festival First Year Stage, Satoru Midoriya.”

“Even though that green-haired kid broke his entire right arm during his fight against Todoroki, they’re still giving him third place?” Blazer, one of Edgeshot’s other sidekicks, echoes.

“He only broke his arm toward the end of the fight but he was doing pretty well beforehand,” says Choso.

“Eh, I guess.”

“Now for the medals! Presenting them this year is...you know who!”

Booming laughter erupts and Choso watches as Al Might, himself, appears at the top of the stadium and jumps downward.

“I am here with the medals,” All Might declares.

“He’s everyone’s hero, All Might!” Midnight declares at the exact same time, thus making the moment a bit awkward since she did, accidentally, talk over All Might a bit.

Choso snorts as he leans back, watching as All Might moves over to Hitoshi and Izuku and gently places the bronze medals over their shoulders. When he hugs them, Choso is absolutely positive he seems to hug Izuku a tiny bit longer than Hitoshi. He also notices, from the way the camera zooms in, that Izuku actually has tears in his eyes.

All Might moves over to Todoroki and drapes the silver medal over his neck, saying something the microphones don’t pick up but Todoroki has a serious and conflicted expression on his face as he rests a hand on the medal. All Might draws him into a hug and, releasing him, approaches the first place podium and drapes the gold medal around Satoru Midoriya’s neck before drawing him into a hug too.

Satoru is smirking the entire time and Choso, recalling the beginning of the festival when Satoru literally declared that he was the strongest out of everyone there but that everyone else should prove that they are just as strong and give it their all. That athlete’s oath had been both boasting and motivational in a way that did remind Choso of Satoru Gojo from the little time he was able to get to know the strongest sorcerer back in his last life.

“Well, he certainly proved that he was stronger than the rest of the competition,” says Blazer.

“He is quite arrogant though,” Edgeshot says as he makes his way into the lobby and takes a seat on the armrest of the couch. “He does back up his arrogance with his skill but such arrogance can still be costly.”

Choso tilts his head toward him. “Are you thinking of scouting him?” he asks.

“Mm, I’ll send in a nomination only because I am curious but I suspect quite a few of the top heroes are going to be curious about him too just because of the sheer power he showcased during this tournament so I suspect they will send nominations too,” says Edgeshot.

Choso casts a glance at the television screen where the camera is panning out to take in the rest of the students and his eyes linger on Yuji’s pink-haired form. “Hey, Edgeshot sir,” he says.

“Yes, Plasma?” asks Edgeshot.

“May I make a request on who to send a nomination for?”

“You know I take the opinion of my sidekicks into consideration. Who were you considering?”

“Yuji Togata.”

Edgeshot hums as he looks at the television screen. “The little brother to Mirio Togata, huh? He did prove himself to be incredibly strong and agile during his fight against Midoriya in the quarter finals and may have even made it further if he hadn’t been taken by surprise by Midoriya. All right. He does sound like an ideal pick to do an internship with me.”

Choso is glad for that because it means that he can be reunited with the boy who is very likely the reincarnation of his little brother from his last life. And he can start working toward keeping the younger boy safe as he should have done in his last life.

He refuses to fail this time.

. . .

Katsuki follows the rest of the extras into the classroom. Now that the Sports Festival is over and done with, he has no doubt he and the other extras are going to get the next few days off to recuperate. It’s not like he’ll need much time to recuperate considering the only match that he had to put any effort into was the one against Round Face. He didn’t even really get the chances to do anything during his match against that Brainwasher and he’s still incredibly peeved about that.

He knows he had the power and the skill to get further in the competition. He just knows it but, because he let that Brainwasher rile him up, he couldn’t really show off the strength and skill he had. Not making it to the semifinals, not getting the chance to actually face off against, and potentially beat, both Todoroki and Snowy Head, is a very bitter pill to swallow.

He hates it. He is supposed to be the best, supposed to be the one who will surpass All Might and become the Number One hero, and yet he wasn’t even able to hold his tongue against someone who was just spending his part of their fight trash talking. And, even though now he knows why that Brainwasher was doing that, it’s annoying as all hell to know he walked into that trap. He made the same mistake Raccoon Eyes made, and got knocked out of the tournament the same way.

No, it was even worse because he can hear the rest of the annoying extras teasing him about the fact that Brainwasher made him moonwalk out of the ring. In truth, he can hear Snow Head’s hysterical laughter erupting from two desks behind him and he grips the sides of his desk tightly, so tightly it’s really a wonder it hasn’t exploded yet.

Damn it! This wasn’t how that was supposed to go. I should have made it further. No, I should have won!

And yet he didn’t. And yet he didn’t even make it out of the quarter finals. It pisses him off so much to know that he had so much to show and yet couldn’t actually show any of it.

“Congrats on getting first, Satoru,” Dunce Face says with a grin. “Pretty much all of your matches were absolutely insane!”

“Well, considering he destroyed the entire lighting system of the stadium and the announcer’s booth window during his fight against Amajiki, yeah, I’d say so,” Raccoon Eyes says with a light laugh.

Snow Head laughs as he leans back in his seat. “I can’t take all the credit for that. Pretty sure it wouldn’t have happened if Suguru hadn’t thrown Uzumaki at me,” he says with a grin at Bangs who simply shrugs.

“Pretty sure it would have been worse had I not thrown Uzumaki at you,” he says simply.

“To be fair, you threw Uzumaki at me before I threw Hollow Purple back at ya so, really, it’s your fault.”

“Hmm.” Bangs clearly doesn’t have a response to that. Katsuki supposes Snow Head isn’t wrong but he shoves the thought aside because agreeing with the Snow Headed Bastard is not something he likes doing.

Even so, just because he wanted to actually fight against Snow Head during the course of the tournament, he will admit, if only to himself, that it’s still hard for him to look Snow Head in the eye. He tries if only to get over the reason why he has such trouble but it never really works out that well because every time he looks Snow Head in the eye, he can’t help but think back to last July.

He can’t help but think back to when he saw Snow Head laying in a pool of his own blood.

Just because Snow Head survived doesn’t mean the image didn’t stay, didn’t sear itself into Katsuki’s brain.

He shakes his head, shoving the thought away and burying it.

Aizawa makes his way into the classroom, bandages still wrapped around his face as he turns to face them. “In light of the festival, you’ll have tomorrow and the next day off,” he says, much to the surprise of the class. “Scouting reports and such from the pros will be waiting for you here after the break. So look forward to that as you enjoy your time off.”

“Scouting reports, huh?” Katsuki murmurs and narrows his eyes, wondering if he will get anything due to how terribly he did in the festival itself. He’s still so very annoyed by that and he can’t help but grip his hands into fists.

He knows he is strong and he will prove it the next chance he gets. He isn’t going to take this loss laying down. No. He will prove to the extras, to his teachers, to Deku, to that annoying Snow Headed Bastard that he really is the strongest, that he really is the best, that he will be the one that will surpass All Might. He will.

One way or another, he will.

. . .

Chapter Text

The streets of Shizouka are jam packed with various pedestrians hurrying toward their destination and Nobara grimaces as she is bumped into for the millionth time as she and Ochaco struggle to navigate their way to U.A. After having the last two days off, during which they mostly relaxed and spent time with their parents who managed to save up enough money to come up and visit, they are now heading back to school.

Nobara will admit she is proud to be heading back to school as the winner of the U.A. Sports Festival Second Year Stage and, while she is a bit disappointed that her sister hadn’t won herself, she is proud of how far Ochaco got. And, truth be told, when in the face of such power as that of Satoru Midoriya, she doesn’t think anyone could have won against him. Not after, during the video of the first year stage she watched with her sister and parents, she saw the sheer power he unleashed during all of his fights but especially in the ones against Amajiki and Todoroki.

The fact that Satoru Midoriya won isn’t a surprise because of that fact but Nobara can’t get over the fact that she still feels like she knows him. Every time she sees him, she is overcome with this sensation of annoyance but also nostalgia and even brief happiness that comes from those nightmares that are still haunting her every now and then. She knows some of those nightmares from the cycle are actually more dreams and, yes, some of those happy dreams show that it isn’t just the teens she’s having a good time with. She was also having a good time with the older man that Satoru Midoriya resembles greatly.

She huffs and shakes her head, scowling as she shoves those figments aside. She doesn’t want to think about those dreams because it will only invite the return of the nightmares that are connected with those dreams. For now, she just wants to bask in the aftermath of her victory at the second year stage of the Sports Festival and get to her Work Study after classes.

The fact that she got a Work Study even though she only just barely got her Provisional Hero License right before the Sports Festival, due to the fact that the licensing exam only occurs twice during the year – once during the spring and the other during the fall – is still a surprise. The fact that Edgeshot, whom is the hero she did her internship with during her first year, actually sees such potential in her in spite of the black mark on her record is still a surprise.

But she is grateful for all that Edgeshot has given her. He is a kind and just and very patient mentor who is willing to spar with her while also willing to give her constructive criticism on her Quirk and how she uses it. He is also very quick and agile and quiet, able to take down villains so swiftly and so silently that it leaves her rather mystified.

“Hey, Nobara, are you okay?” Ochaco asks, peering at her and Nobara, humming, gives her a faint smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says as she ruffles Ochaco’s hair and snickers at the huff of embarrassed protest that leaves the younger girl’s lips. “Just thinking ‘bout my Work Study after school today, that’s all.”

“Work Study?”

“Yup. I dunno if they’re gonna talk with you ‘bout the Work Study ‘cause you usually can’t do a Work Study ‘till you get a Provisional Hero License, which usually doesn’t happen ‘till your second year at the earliest,” says Nobara.

Ochaco tilts her head to the side. “Sounds interesting,” she says.

“It is. Oh, we’re here.” Nobara leads the way onto U.A.’s campus and heads toward the main building with Ochaco hurrying after her. They slip into the main hallway and she spots him, the white-haired boy she still feels she’s seen before, and she frowns.

“What’s wrong?” Ochaco asks.

Nobara huffs as she runs a hand through her short hair. “Nothing. Just can’t stop thinking about how much I feel like I know Satoru Midoriya from somewhere and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why,” she says with a huff. She knows it isn’t even just Satoru Midoriya. It’s also that pink-haired boy Yuji Togata that she ran into right before Ochaco’s entrance exam.

It’s even in that black-haired boy who is currently moving over to join Satoru along with another black-haired boy and Togata. She does recognize them, only because of the videos she was able to see of the first year stage of the Sports Festival as well as what she saw during the recreational games, as Megumi Hado and Suguru Amajiki. But Hado is just like Togata and Satoru Midoriya, someone that she really feels like she recognizes but can’t figure out from where.

“Uraraka, uh, good morning!” The green-haired boy standing next to Satoru, whom Nobara knows is his twin brother Izuku, says with a kind smile.

“Izuku!” Ochaco jogs toward him and Nobara follows. “Good morning. How was your two days off?”

“They were pretty nice. Mom kinda yelled at me for going overboard against Todoroki though,” Izuku admits sheepishly.

“She didn’t yell but she definitely gave ya the ‘I’m disappointed in you’ lecture. Don’t feel bad. She did the same thing to me,” says Satoru with a grin as he leans back on the balls of his feet, his hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform pants. He is wearing dark sunglasses today and, when they slide partway down his nose, Nobara sees those beautiful eyes that are still so very reminiscent of the young man from her nightmares.

She shoves the thought away. “Well, even if ya did go overboard, kudos for winning the whole thing,” she says with a grin.

Satoru grins at that. “What about ya? You were in the second year stage, weren’t ya?”

“Yup. I won the whole thing,” says Nobara.

“Awesome.”

“I was so proud when I heard about that,” Ochaco says with a grin. She taps her fingers together as she adds, “I wish I could’ve done better but trying to beat Bakugo wasn’t easy at all.”

“You literally dropped a debris field on his head. Even if he did blow it away, that was still pretty badass,” Togata exclaims with a bright grin.

“The fact that the walking explosion went out like a bitch while you went out like a badass just makes it even better,” says Satoru.

“Satoru, don’t call Kacchan a bitch,” Izuku scolds.

“I didn’t call him a bitch. I said he went out like a bitch,” Satoru says with a shrug. He pauses then, snickering, adds, “Or, more or less, he moonwalked out like a bitch.”

Togata snickers. “Yeah, that really was funny,” he says and nudges Hado, adding, “Wasn’t it?”

“I suppose,” Hado murmurs but his lips do quirk in the beginnings of a half-smile before it fades and Nobara is, again, struck with a sense of nostalgia.

What is this feeling? Why does it feel like I’ve seen an interaction like this before? And why do I feel sad all of a sudden?

Her head is starting to hurt but she ignores it as best she can as she asks, “Wait, moonwalked out? What’re you talking ‘bout?”

“Bakugo went up against Hitoshi Shinso,” says Amajiki. “Shinso’s Quirk lets him brainwash anyone who responds to him. He, somehow, got Bakugo to respond to him and, when he brainwashed him, he ordered him to moonwalk out of the ring. He was pretty mad.”

“He was so pissed I’m surprised you didn’t hear his enraged scream at the stadium where the second year stage was taking place,” says Satoru with a laugh. “Yeah, Shinso’s a cool guy!”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause he not only beat Bakugo but he also made Bakugo embarrass himself on live television,” Hado deadpans.

“You know me so well, Megs,” says Satoru with a grin and laughs when Hado attempts to swat him only for an invisible barrier around the tall boy to stop the swat.

Togata laughs.

“We should probably get to class or we’re going to be late and Aizawa’ll probably have our heads,” Amajiki comments lightly.

“Shit, you’re right,” Satoru says with a huff. “I don’t want to be on the opposite side of that disappointed stare again.”

Izuku gives his brother a long look. “Don’t even lie. You weren’t even fazed by that disappointed look the last time you made us late,” he says and walks off while Satoru, laughing and not even bothering on denying the smaller boy’s words, strides after him.

“I should go too if I don’t want to be late. Later, Ochaco. Have a good day,” says Nobara as she ruffles Ochaco’s hair even as she watches Satoru and his twin walk away with Hado, Togata, and Amajiki swiftly darting after them.

Her brow furrows and she shakes her head, huffing quietly in annoyance as she listens to Ochaco tell her to have a good day before she turns on her heel and starts heading toward the stairs that will take her to the hallway and where Class 2-A’s classroom is located.

. . .

“I had all of these people talking to me on the way here,” Hagakure is saying when Satoru, Izuku, Megumi, Yuji, and Suguru make their way into the classroom. Pretty much everyone is out of their seats and gathered around each other as they talk excitedly about how they were approached by so many people who were congratulating them on how well they did during the Sports Festival.

“All the grade schoolers kept telling me ‘good try’,” Sero says with a grimace.

“Good try,” Asui says and Sero’s pout deepens even more.

“One little event and suddenly the world’s got its eye on us,” Kirishima comments.

Satoru saunters toward his seat but stops and peers at Bakugo over the tops of his sunglasses. “Ya do a good moonwalk, eh, Kacchan?” he says and walks away, laughing, when Bakugo snarls and proceeds to blow up his desk in rage.

“Satoru,” Izuku groans as he chases after him. “Please stop antagonizing Kacchan.”

“Not gonna happen, Izuku,” says Satoru as he throws himself into his seat and leans back against the chair, though not enough to bother Yaoyorozu who is seated behind him. He casts a glance at Todoroki who seems oddly calmer and not nearly as cold and serious as he was before the Sports Festival. He is also gazing at Izuku contemplatively but stops when he sees Satoru watching him.

Satoru smirks at him. “You see something you like?” he says teasingly and, while Todoroki blinks at him with puzzlement in his dual-colored eyes as if he can’t figure out what Satoru means, Izuku is groaning in absolute mortification and burying his face into his arms.

“What does that even mean?” Todoroki says in puzzlement.

“Oh my poor summer child,” Satoru says as he leans closer to Todoroki while Kaminari, who must have overheard, is snickering at the random meme. “Don’t ya worry. I’ll help ya figure out what I’m talking about easily enough.”

“Okay…? Thanks?” Todoroki clearly doesn’t understand what Satoru is talking about but Satoru, remembering the story he overheard during the Sports Festival, kind of figures Todoroki is very under socialized. He knows he was back when he was growing up in his last life due to his family’s traditionalism and strictness and the fact that he had a ten million yen bounty on his head from the moment of his birth. And, while Todoroki doesn’t have to deal with a bounty being on his head, his childhood still is very eerily similar to Satoru’s own in his last life.

Suguru and Shoko helped Satoru to learn how to socialize, how to be an actual teenager, how to love and be human.

Satoru finds he wants to help Todoroki do the same.

“No problem. How about, after school today, you, Izuku, and I can go to the arcade? I hear they’ve got some new games I’ve been wanting to try out.”

“An arcade?”

“Yup. It’ll be fun.”

Todoroki hesitates, brow furrowing in puzzlement. “I’ve never been to an arcade before,” he admits.

“Yup. That settles it. We’re going. Hey, Uraraka, Ida, Asui, do you wanna come to the arcade with me, Izuku, and Todoroki after school today? Suguru, Megumi, Yuji, you guys can come too if you want!” Satoru calls cheerfully.

“That sounds like fun. Sure,” Uraraka says.

“All right, ribbit,” Asui says.

“I’m afraid I have plans but thank you for the offer, Satoru,” Ida says quietly with an incline of his head to show his gratitude at the invite.

“I’m game. What do you say, Megumi?” Yuji asks, turning his head and flashing Megumi a bright smile that Satoru already knows is going to get Megumi to cave. There is just something about the sunshine smiles of kids who are sunshine incarnates that can cause pretty much anyone to just melt and agree to do whatever it is the sunshine kid wants them to do.

Sure enough, Megumi sighs. “Fine. But I gotta let Nejire know ‘cause we were gonna walk home together after school,” he says.

“That sounds fine to me,” Suguru says.

“Great. Ya up for it, Todoroki?”

Todoroki hesitates again but finally nods. “All right,” he says and Satoru, mentally, cheered while Izuku is burying his face even deeper into his arms as if attempting to become one with them. Satoru has no doubt he is just embarrassed at the thought of spending time with the boy he finds gorgeous but Satoru is a nice brother so he’s going to do what he can to set those two up since it’s clear Izuku does have a crush on Todoroki.

The door opens and everyone is quick to get into their seats as Aizawa, no longer with bandages around his head, makes his way into the classroom. “Morning,” he greets as he moves to stand by his desk while everyone intones their own good mornings.

“Good to see your bandages off, Aizawa-sensei,” Asui says as she touches her finger to her chin.

“The old lady’s treatment was excessive. But never mind that. There is one thing that I must discuss with you before we start,” says Aizawa as he scratches at his left eye. “As a result of the Sports Festival two days ago, Principal Nezu has deemed it appropriate that a new student be added to our roster. There will be no other changes beyond that.”

“A new student?” Uraraka echoes.

“Is that why there is a new desk behind mine, Aizawa-sensei?” Yayorozu asks after politely raising her hand.

“Yes,” says Aizawa. “He will be starting the Hero Course as of today as a result of his placement within the Sports Festival.” He turns his head and adds, “You may come in.”

Satoru grins as the door opens and Hitoshi Shinso makes his way into the room, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants as his unruly spiky indigo hair flares up all over the place and his perpetually tired purple eyes casts a glance from one person to the next.

Bakugo is snarling in fury.

“Hello,” Shinso says with an incline of his head. “I’m Hitoshi Shinso and I am joining your class today. However, I am not here to make friends.”

Izuku lifts his head off his arms and Satoru peers at his brother’s face and snickers at the determination shining on there. Something tells him that his brother may have just taken that as a challenge for some reason.

“Go ahead and take a seat behind Yaoyorozu, Shinso,” says Aizawa and the indigo-haired boy nods and makes his way down the aisle, past the scowling Bakugo, and slips into the desk behind Yaoyorozu.

“Now then, today we’ve got Hero Informatics class and a special one at that,” Aizawa adds and, while everyone tenses, they relax a moment later when he adds, “You’ll be coming up with your hero aliases.”

Everyone cheers at that and Satoru tilts his head to the side as he considers that. Being a sorcerer back in his last life didn’t come with choosing actual aliases. It’s not like it mattered because most of their work was done in the shadows and didn’t require them to have aliases. So coming up with an actual aliases to go by now that he’s working toward becoming a hero is going to take some thought.

Aizawa activates his Quirk, successfully intimidating the entire class into going quiet though it doesn’t affect Satoru due to his classmates blocking Aizawa’s view of him. He’s glad for that since he has no clue as to how Aizawa’s Erasure Quirk would affect his own Quirk, specifically his Six Eyes since, unlike in his last life, Six Eyes is actually powered by Quirk energy in this life. They may always be active but they are also always powered indefinitely by his Quirk energy.

But, since he has no idea as to how much of his sight comes from his Six Eyes and how much is his regular eyesight, he isn’t eager at all to see what happens if his Quirk was erased.

“But first, concerning the pro draft picks I mentioned the other day, it’s based on who the pros think will be ready to join the hero workforce after another two or three years of experience,” Aizawa goes on. “So you could that it’s a way for them to show interest in your futures. But there’s ample time for their interest to wane before you graduate. And any and all offers can be arbitrarily revoked. It happens quite often.”

“So if we’re picked now, that just means there’ll be higher hurdles in the years to come,” Hagakure says.

“Yes. Now here’re the complete draft pick numbers,” Aizawa says and, as the list of numbers appears on the screen behind him, Satoru leans forward and whistles upon seeing that he has over five thousand nominations. Todoroki is right beneath him with over four thousand and even Suguru has just shy of four thousand nominations himself. He notices that, in spite of the fact that Izuku and Shinso ended up sharing third place, Izuku only got less than fifty nominations and he wonders if it’s because of how Izuku’s match against Todoroki actually ended.

Shinso doesn’t have any but that can be because he wasn’t part of the Hero Course until today.

Bakugo has over a hundred but it’s still nowhere near close to the numbers Satoru, Todoroki, and Suguru have.

“There’s typically more of a spread,” Aizawa admits as he gestures to the screen. “But our top two, and a quarter finalist, stole most of the spotlight.”

“Gah! They’re in a whole other league!” Kaminari exclaims.

“Hey, at least I got some nominations,” Yuji says brightly and, reaching over to poke Megumi, adds, “Looks like you got some nominations too!”

“Looks like the walking explosion didn’t get a whole lot,” Satoru comments. “Everyone must’ve been far too distracted by him moonwalking outta the ring that they just forgot to send one in or something.”

“Shut the fuck up, Snow Headed Bastard!” Bakugo yells as his desk explodes beneath him.

Aizawa sighs at that.

“Well done, as always, Todoroki,” Yaoyorozu says quietly.

“It’s mostly just my father’s influence,” Todoroki deadpans.

Uraraka is shaking Ida’s shoulders as she gazes at her number of nominations and Ida is saying ‘yes’ over and over again.

Satoru casts a glance over at Suguru. “Beat ya again,” he calls with a grin.

“Careful or your ego is going to get bigger than Bakugo’s, Satoru,” Suguru says with a smirk as Satoru lets out a gasp of protest.

“I will never have an ego bigger than that walking explosion. His is like the entire Pacific Ocean! How dare you compare mine to that!” he says as he rests a hand on his heart with feigned shock and gestures toward Bakugo when he says ‘that’. He gets a curse for that but ignores it.

Suguru grins at him but says nothing.

“With that settled, whether you were picked or not, you will all have a chance to work alongside the pros,” says Aizawa as everyone goes quiet again. “It’s true that you all have already experienced more than most but seeing the pros in action and taking part yourselves will still be worthwhile training.”

“That’s where our hero names come in. I’m so excited!” Yuji exclaims.

“This is really getting fun,” says Uraraka with a bright smile.

“They’re only tentative but you still want to pick something appropriate,” Aizawa begins.

“Or else you’ll know true hell!” The door slams open at those words and Satoru watches along with the rest of the class as the familiar form of Midnight strides into the room with her glasses resting on her head. “The name you pick now may be what the world ends up calling you. That’s happened to plenty of pros out there..”

“Midnight!” Half the class exclaims.

“Yes, true enough. And Midnight here will be assessing the sensibility of the names you pick. I’m no good at that,” says Aizawa as he reaches down to pick up his yellow sleeping bag. “What future do you see for yourself? The name you choose will bring you ever closer to cementing a certain image because names are capable of reflecting one’s true character. Like with ‘All Might’.”

Izuku looks up at that and, as the pieces of cardstock are handed out, Satoru leans toward his brother.

“I’d advise against choosing All Might Jr,” he teases.

Izuku goes red with embarrassment. “S...Shut up,” he protests, swatting at Satoru with his cardstock and Satoru, leaning back, laughs and studies his blank piece of cardstock. A hero name, huh? What do I want the world to know me as?

Truth be told, living in a world where no one knows who he is is surreal and yet a welcoming relief. People don’t know Satoru Midoriya in this age like they knew Satoru Gojo in the last age and that anonymity is very refreshing. His decision to be a hero was made well before he regained the memories of his last life and, while the hero he wants to be has changed slightly since he regained his memories, he does still want to protect and defend and save people. But he just has a slightly different philosophy on what it means to save others.

Still though, he knows the kind of hero he wants to be. He may only want to save those who are prepared to be saved, since he feels those are the only ones he can really save, but his power is infinite. He may not have grown enough for his well of Quirk energy to become infinite but he knows it’s getting there. His Six Eyes analysis of his own Quirk has revealed that his well of Quirk energy is getting deeper and deeper with each passing day.

Infinite, huh? Maybe not quite that but Infinity has a nice ring to it. Hmm, or maybe Infinitum. It’s Latin for infinity and, since part of my Quirk is actually called Infinity, it’ll differentiate it from that.

Satoru smiles faintly. He knows what he wants to be his hero name. For him, it feels perfect.

. . .

Fifteen minutes later finds everyone getting ready to present their names but Yuji keeps staring at his cardstock with a frown as he attempts to figure out what he wants to call himself. All his life, he’s been strong, he’s been someone wants to help others, he’s been someone who wants to live his life without regrets. Even before he regained his memories of his last life, he’s wanted to do that and yet he can’t think of any names.

Naming himself after his Quirk just doesn’t feel right, considering Power Boost just doesn’t sound that cool or inspiring and kind of sounds funny to him. And, while it is the name of his Quirk, it just doesn’t seem to fit him as a person.

But what does? He taps his pen against his cardstock and peers at Megumi, wondering if his friend is having any difficulty choosing his own hero name. He is surprised to see that Megumi is already done but, when he leans over to get a look at the name, Megumi gives him a long look and moves the cardstock out of the way.

“You’ll find out with everyone else,” he says.

“Aw, c’mon, man. Maybe it’ll help me figure out my hero name,” Yuji protests with a pout.

Megumi huffs. “Well, have you considered something from your last life?” he asks quietly so only Yuji can hear him. “That’s how I figured out my hero name.”

“You did?”

He nods. “Since my Quirk is basically a Quirk version of my technique, my Shadow Beasts are basically a Quirk version of the shikigami I had in my last life.”

“Yeah, I know that, so…?”

“Those who summon and control shikigami in Japanese folklore are known as onmyoji but there are others names for onmyoji and I just picked one of those that I felt fit for my hero name. So what about your last life defined you?” asks Megumi.

He sounds like he already knows but Yuji wracks his brain, going through the memories of his last life that are spiraling around the ones he has made of this life. He shoves aside all of the bad memories of the Kyoto Goodwill Event or Shibuya or the Culling Game or Shinjuku and focuses only on the good. He focuses on the time he spent training and learning with Megumi and Nobara. He focuses on the time he spent with Satoru and Nanami. He focuses on the good memories with Maki, Panda, Inumaki, and, after Shibuya, Yuta. He focuses on the good memories with the Kyoto kids, including Todo claiming him as his brother, and even on the few good memories he had with Choso, who also claimed him as his brother. That still perplexes him but what can he do? It’s what Choso thought and nothing could sway his mind away from that thought.

But as he considers those memories, he finds himself thinking about Todo and Nobara and the Kyoto Goodwill Event comes to mind, as well as the fight against Kechizu and Eso.

His eyes widen as he realizes something. The one thing he was capable of doing, that he even considered possibly being able to do in this life. Even though he can’t because cursed energy seems to be nonexistent, and one needs cursed energy in order to perform this attack, it’s still an attack that really defined him.

He grins. He has his hero name.

He quickly scribbles it down.

“Let’s finish up. We can start with whoever’s ready,” Midnight calls, startling everyone who jerks their heads up and stares at her with surprise.

“It’s like a formal presentation?” Kirishima echoes.

“I’ll go first!” Yuji exclaims because he can’t help but be really proud of his hero name. He jumps to his feet and jogs forward, spinning around to face his class. “I thought long and hard and realized I needed something that defined who I am, even if I’m the only one who understands what that definition is! That’s who I am!”

He holds up the cardstock. “I am the hero Black Flash!” he declares.

Megumi smiles. Something tells Yuji that Megumi knew that’s what he was going to choose.

“That’s a unique name but I can tell it is very significant for you,” says Midnight.

“It really is,” says Yuji as he lowers the cardstock and smiles softly. “It really is.”

He makes his way back to his seat and sits down. “So, Megumi, your turn,” he says brightly.

Megumi huffs. “Fine,” he says but gets to his feet and moves over to stand in front of the classroom and holds up the cardstock. “The Beast Taming Hero: Mystic,” he says calmly.

“Mystic?” Midnight echoes.

“In Japanese folklore, onmyoji were the ones who were capable of summoning and controlling shikigami and, since my Shadow Beasts are very similar to shikigami and mystic is another word for onmyoji, I felt it fit.”

“Very well thought. I approve,” says Midnight with a big grin.

Megumi walks back to his seat.

“My turn!” Ashido jumps to her feet and jogs forward, thrusting her cardstock up. “Call me Alien Queen!”

“From the sequel? Is it because her blood was super acidic? That’s terrible,” Midnight exclaims.

“Tch.” Ashido walks back to her seat.

Well, mine and Megumi’s were good but Ashido’s was a little...weird.

“Can I go next, please, ribbit?” Asui asks, raising her hand.

“Tsuyu!” Midnight smiles brightly and nods.

Asui hops to her feet and makes her way to the front of the classroom, holding up the cardstock. “I’ve had this thought out since elementary school. Call me Froppy.”

“So cute!” Midnight exclaims. “It makes you sound like you’d be easy to get to know!”

Kirishima jumps up and jogs to the front, placing his cardstock down. “This is me! The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!”

“Red Riot? Could this be an homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot?” Midnight asks.

“Right.” Kirishima nods. “I know he’s from back in the day but Crimson’s the kind of hero I wanna be.”

Midnight chuckles as she picks up the cardstock and studies it. “Just know that bearing the name of your personal hero comes with a lot of pressure,” she says.

“I’m ready for that!”

More and more students jump up. Jirou goes with the Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack while Shoji goes with Tentacle Hero: Tentacole and Sero goes with the Taping Hero: Cellophane. A lot of the names that are being presented are rather creative now that Yuji thinks about it.

Ashido finally settles on Pinky, which Midnight approves, while Kaminari comes up with a unique play on words by combining charge with lightning bolt to form Chargbolt.

Hagakure is really straightforward with Invisible Girl.

“You’re all doing great! Let’s keep ‘em coming!” Midnight declares with a big smile.

Yaoyorozu goes up next. “I hope to do justice to this name. I am the Everything Hero: Creati,” she says.

“How creative!” Midnight exclaims.

Todoroki goes up next and, to Yuji’s surprise, he just chooses to go by his first name.

“Just your name? Really?” Midnight says in surprise.

“Yeah,” Todoroki says.

Tokoyami goes up next. “Tsukuyomi,” he says.

“God of the Night!” Midnight gasps in delight and Yuji muses that is a pretty good name.

Koda reveals the name he chose is Anima, which Midnight finds is perfect.

Bakugo jumps to his feet and storms up to the front of the classroom, slamming his cardstock down next. “King Explosion Murder!” he declares.

“No good. Try again,” Midnight deadpans while Yuji stares.

“Really?” Satoru deadpans from the other side of the classroom, sounding so disappointed and annoyed and so absolutely done all at the same time. It kind of reminds Yuji of how Satoru sounded back in their last lives when he found out Yuji ate Sukuna’s finger.

“Really,” Megumi and Yuji deadpan in unison with each other and then exchange glances and Yuji snickers at the realization that they responded with the exact same tone as they did during that exchange in their last lives.

Uraraka goes up next and presents her name as Uravity, which is a unique pun on her own name and on what he Quirk is all about.

“That went smoother than expected,” says Midnight as she scans the class. “All that’s left is Bakugo’s revision, Ida, Shinso, Amajiki, and the Midoriya twins.”

Shinso stands up and moves to the front of the classroom while Yuji finds himself glancing at Ida who is clenching his hand into a fist as he peers at his cardstock. He hums at the anger in Ida’s eyes but turns his gaze to the front of the classroom as Shinso starts talking.

“I know I’m new to the class but I’ve had my hero name picked out since elementary school,” Shinso says quietly as he holds up the cardstock. “From the Latin word meaning ‘control’, I am Imperium.”

“That is simply perfect,” Midnight exclaims.

Ida slowly gets up and moves to the front of the classroom and, though he won’t meet anyone’s gaze, he shows everyone that he picked his own name as well.

“Are you sure?” Midnight asks to which Ida nods mutely and quickly hurries back to his seat.

What is going on with him? Yuji frowns in concern.

Suguru goes up next. “I wasn’t too sure what I wanted my hero name to be,” he says finally. “But I realize I wanted to be a hero that will set people at ease when I arrive in spite of the fact that my Nightmares are incredibly scary to look at most of the time and they are incredibly dark. So I thought, maybe, my name could reflect that since my Quirk can’t so, from Latin word meaning ‘light’, I chose Lux.”

“Oh, the opposite of what your Quirk is. I like it,” says Midnight with a big smile.

“You wanna go up first, baby bro, or do you want me to go up?” Satoru asks.

“Stop calling me that,” Izuku says with a sigh and, poking his pen at Satoru, adds, “You’re the big brother so, of course, you gotta go first.”

Satoru laughs but jumps to his feet. “Sure thing,” he says as he skips to the front of the classroom. “Mine was simple enough to figure out ‘cause I kinda just took my Quirk’s name for part of it. I’m the Limitless Hero: Infinitum.”

Megumi hums. “I kinda figured he’d pick that too, though he went with the Latin word instead,” he murmurs.

“Sounds good to me,” says Yuji with a big smile.

“I like it. Good job,” says Midnight to which Satoru gives her a two-fingered salute and strides off toward his desk.

Izuku takes a deep breath then makes his way to the front of the classroom, gazing at his cardstock before turning it around and showing it and Yuji is surprised by what is written on it.

Deku...

“Huh? Are you sure about that, Izuku?” Kirishima asks.

“Yeah,” Izuku says. “I always hated it. But then someone helped me to see it in a new light. It took me by surprise but it made me happy. This will be my hero name.”
Yuji smiles and turns toward Megumi. “Guess there’s inspiration behind that name, huh?” he says.

Megumi nods in agreement. “Whoever called him that though was a real jerk but at least he’s seeing it in a different light,” he says.

Yuji nods and, grinning, adds, “Don’t go beating up the person who calls him that, eh? Don’t wanna earn yourself the title of delinquent at this school too.”

Megumi bonks him on the head for that.

Yuji just laughs because it was so worth it.

“Your internships start in a week,” says Aizawa as he climbs out of the sleeping bag he was dozing in while the hero names were being decided on and presented. Bakugo’s is the only one that hasn’t been decided yet for reasons. “For this all important decision, I’ll be handing out personalized lists to those who were drafted. You may choose from among those who scouted you.”

He holds up another piece of paper as he adds, “For those who were not drafted, the list I am going to pass out contains forty agencies from all over the country willing to accept interns. You will choose from that list. Each has a different specialty and region. Give your choice some real thought.”

“I’m going for major crimes in the big city,” says Kirishima.

“I’d like a place where I can deal with floods. Wonder if they’ve got that,” Asui says.

“Submit your choices by this coming weekend,” Aizawa adds, startling everyone who now has to make their decision in only two days.

Yuji gazes at the personalized list of nominations and his eyes widen when he sees one of them. “Holy shit. Edgeshot scouted me!” he exclaims.

“He did?” Megumi asks, turning his gaze from his own personalized list to glance at Yuji.

He nods with a big grin. “Yeah. Edgeshot’s the Number Five hero! That is awesome. I definitely going with him,” he says. “What about you, Megumi?”

Megumi glances at his list and hums. “I don’t know yet,” he admits. “None of the heroes who’ve scouted me really speak to me.”

“Who are you going with, Ida?” Uraraka asks from behind them.

“Manual,” says Ida without hesitation.

“Manual? Isn’t that the Normal Hero who’s stationed in Hosu City?”

“Yes. It’s fine though.”

Megumi frowns at that and glances at his list. “Hosu City…” he murmurs.

“Something up, Megumi?” Yuji asks.

Megumi glances at him then lets loose a soft breath. “I guess...Hosu City was where the Hado Family found me and adopted me,” he says. “So I guess...a part of me is a bit curious about the place where I was born ‘cause I really have no memories of my life before the adoption. But I dunno if choosing an agency there just ‘cause of that curiosity is a good idea.”

“Hey, look at it this way, you’re gonna have to see the less flashy side of the hero business at some point, right? So why go with a flashy hero right away? And if you get to satisfy your curiosity at the same time then that’s good too,” says Yuji. He peers at Megumi’s list and adds, “Oh, wait, look, there’s another hero from Hosu City: Spirit Taming Hero: Ryu. Hey, his name’s a lot like yours, eh?”

“Ryu? That sounds like one of the auspicious beasts Ino was able to summon in our last lives,” says Megumi.

Yuji gasps, eyes widening. “You don’t think…?” he begins.

Megumi picks up the list and stares at it intently. “If there are others like us then I’d like to know. I’ll go with Ryu and see. If it is him, there’s no telling if he remembers though,” he says.

“True. I mean we had to literally smash our heads against something hard to remember ourselves, which sucked big time. But if it is him, let me know,” says Yuji. “Whether he remembers or not, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, sure,” says Megumi as he goes back to scanning his list and Yuji, smiling, does the same thing, more out of curiosity than anything since he is already sure of his choice.

. . .

Suguru hums as he scans his own personalized list. There are so many names to choose from but he’s already mentally cataloging them into their specialties and deleting anyone with specialties that won’t really help him. Going the Underground route has been something he’s considered doing since it does allow him to operate in the shadows and, with his Quirk, that would be better than if he was in the limelight. After all, he wants to put people at ease but his Quirk doesn’t make that easy since his Nightmares are literal fiendish beings taken straight out of horror films and, well, nightmares.

He remembers growing up with his brother, Yuji, and Mirio. Even though he always had Tamaki, Yuji, and Mirio in his corner, that doesn’t mean he didn’t still have days were his classmates would be mean to him. Kids are cruel and they always find something to pick on others and, for Suguru, his Quirk was a prime target for that.

He doesn’t know how many times he’s walked into classrooms only for his classmates to start yelling about how they better behave or he’s going to sic his creatures on them. Or how many times he would try and take Yuji’s advice and make some more friends only for them to literally run away after calling him creepy.

He’s always been anti-social because he doesn’t like interacting with others but, truly, the fact that no one would even give him the time of day is part of the reason why he acts like that. It’s actually a major part in the reason why he only ever hangs out with Yuji and Mirio and Tamaki when Yuji literally drags him out to join them and why he prefers being secluded within his own room.

Kids can be really cruel. They never once thought he could be a hero, always saying his Quirk was more suited for a villain because of how scary it was. They always teased him and taunted him, saying things like how no one will want to be saved by him because he controls monsters, that he will scare everyone with his monsters and that he can easily use his monsters to kill.

That always hurts because Suguru has never wanted to kill anyone. He’s never wanted to hurt anyone. He wants to save people, to protect them and defend them, to use his strength to protect and defend and save the weak. That’s what the strong are supposed to do, that’s what heroes are supposed to do.

But his classmates never saw that. His classmates just took one look at his Quirk and decided he was a villain in the making who could never be a hero because his Quirk is too scary.

Maybe that’s why a part of him wanted to the Underground Route. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about scaring anyone. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about people being too scared of him to let him save them. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing his Quirk and think he’s a villain. Then he could be the hero he wants to be, even if it means operating in the shadows.

He scans his personalized list again. There are a few Underground Heroes on the list too but he’s a bit surprised to see there are a few heroes from the Top Ten on his list. Yoroi Musha, for one, whom is a skilled warrior whose Quirk, from what Suguru has seen, allows him to manipulate metal, probably to create metal-based support items. That would explain the armor and why he’s called the Equipped Hero.

But if he can create support items with his Quirk then he must know how to use them, which suggests that he may not entirely rely on his Quirk. Relying on one’s Quirk is a surefire way to be predictable and anyone can use that predictability to their advantage. Perhaps learning from someone who doesn’t seem to rely on their Quirk will be beneficial for Suguru who tries not to rely on his Quirk too.

“Hey Suguru!”

Suguru calmly lifts his personalized list up just in time for Satoru to hop onto his desk and cross his legs. “Yes, Satoru?” he says.

“Who’re you going with?” Satoru asks, taping the personalized list with curiosity on his face.

“I’m thinking Yoroi Musha,” Suguru says as he rests the personalized list on Satoru’s lap. “From what I’ve seen, he doesn’t seem to rely on his Quirk and I think it’d be good to learn from someone who doesn’t ‘cause that’s what I do.”

Satoru hums and tilts his head to the side. “Yo, Izuku, does Yoroi Musha rely on his Quirk? Asking for a friend,” he calls.

Izuku looks up from where he was listening to Uraraka saying that she was planning on going with Gunhead for her internship and tilts his head to the side. “No, he doesn’t,” he says. “His Quirk, Metal Form, allows him to take metal and reform it into anything he wants and he typically uses it to craft armor and weapons, hence why he is known as the Equipped Hero. However, since that is all his Quirk can do, he has taught himself a vast variety of different fighting styles to compensate for the fact that his Quirk isn’t quite as combative as one would think. He knows how to fight with a wide variety of weapons and, in his youth, he was one of the best hand to hand fighters in the country. But, since I have seen him take down villains with just his hands and feet recently, he is definitely still up there as one of the best hand to hand fighters. He’s also an incredibly honorable who believes that a hero should be brave and selfless, a role model and someone who should be respected, and they must act befitting that role, thus…”

The rest of what Izuku says devolves into a mutter storm that has Todoroki, Uraraka, and Asui staring at him in concern.

“If ya ever want information on any hero, just ask Izuku. He’s a hero fanboy whose thirteen journals is chalk full of observations that are really incredible,” says Satoru with a shrug.

“I’d say that analysis of Yoroi Musha is pretty incredible too. Did he take the time to actually do the research into these heroes?” asks Suguru.

“You’d be surprised,” Satoru says with a light laugh. “Truth be told, a lot of what he knows comes from just his observations alone but, sometimes, he does go more in depth in his research if a hero strikes his interest. You should see the notebooks he has on All Might alone.”

“Wait, plural?”

“Pretty sure he’s halfway through his third notebook on All Might alone.”

Suguru stares.

Satoru laughs. “Yup. My baby bro is one smart bean,” he says brightly, and loudly.

Izuku cuts off his mutter storm and groans. “I’m. Only. Two. Minutes. Younger. Than. You!” he exclaims in frustration.

“I know, baby bro,” says Satoru brightly.

Izuku’s eye twitches.

Suguru stands up and leans forward, gently kissing Satoru on the lips. He blinks in surprise at the sudden kiss but kisses him back, which means he’s completely unprepared for the smack Suguru delivers to the back of his head.

“Ow!” Satoru pouts as he pulls back from the kiss while Izuku gives Suguru a thankful look. “Suguru! Using me like that just to smack me! How could you? I’m so hurt.”

“No you’re not,” Suguru deadpans with a faint smile.

“No I’m not,” Satoru admits with a light laugh as he leans in and kisses Suguru again.

“So who are you going with, Satoru?” Suguru asks as he, after kissing Satoru back, retakes his seat.

“Probably Hawks. Hard to believe he sent me a nomination ‘cause I’ve heard he’s like really busy and stuff and doesn’t really send out nominations that often.”

“He sent one to me too,” Tokoyami says. “Thus if you do go with Hawks, we will be doing our internship together.”

“Cool! We work well together, eh? Oh, by the way, did I ever apologize to Dark Shadow for beating the ever living shit outta them? ‘Cause I’m sorry for beating the ever living shit out of them.”

Dark Shadow materializes and gives Satoru a thumbs up. ‘It’s no problem, Satoru! It was just a competition after all, like you said,’ they say.

“Glad to see you’re not mad at me, Dark Shadow,” says Satoru, giving him a salute in return to which Dark Shadow giggles and, giving him a salute back, vanishes back into Tokoyami.

Suguru chuckles. “Well, I’m sure you’ll learn a lot interning with the Number Three Hero,” he says.

“Probably. I wonder if I’ll annoy him or not,” says Satoru thoughtfully.

“You annoy everyone so probably,” Megumi deadpans from the front of the classroom.

“Megs,” Satoru whines. “I’m so hurt by that. So hurt!”

“No, you’re not,” Megumi deadpans.

“No, I’m not,” Satoru agrees with a laugh while Suguru shakes his head, amused by his boyfriend’s antics. It really is so like the Satoru he became friends with during his first year at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech back in his last life, and yet there is still an undercurrent of maturity within Satoru that, while incredibly small, is nonetheless there.

Suguru doesn’t think anyone got away from the entire chaos that was their last life unscathed and without having grown up, even if it’s only a little bit. He may not have lived to see what happened after his failed attack on Tokyo Jujutsu Tech but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own scars, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t forced to grow up quickly, that doesn’t mean he got out unscathed.

But he has no doubt Satoru went through worse. He doesn’t know the whole story, since Satoru hasn’t quite spoken about everything that happened after Suguru’s death, but he can surmise from the haunted scars in Satoru’s beautiful eyes that it was pretty bad. The only thing he knows for sure is that Satoru was killed, and by the hands of Sukuna of all people, and Suguru doesn’t even know just how the heck the King of Curses ended up incarnated.

He needs to get that story at some point but, since he suspects that story is a very long, and very traumatizing one, he will wait until his boyfriend, his one and only, is ready to tell it. It’s his story to tell, and probably Yuji’s and Megumi’s since they are Satoru’s students from his last life so they probably know a good deal about what happened.

So he just focuses on the now. Right now, he is a hero in training who wants to be the best hero he can possibly be. Right now, he wants to live his life and walk a better path than the one he walked in his last life.

And, right now, he wants to have that ‘what could have been’ with Satoru.

Classes end for the day and Suguru walks out of the classroom with backpack in hand when his phone rings. He pulls it out and answers it, resting it against his ear. “Hello?” he says.

“Hey Suguru,” Tamaki’s familiar quiet voice says.

“Oh, hey Tamaki,” Suguru says as he tucks his phone in between his ear and shoulder as he adjusts his grip on his backpack. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to let you know that, uh, I’m gonna be in Osaka for the next two weeks. Fat Gum wants me to do a couple of missions with him for our Work Study before I get too involved with mid terms and all that,” says Tamaki quietly. “Um, s...sorry but that means I’m not gonna be able to see you off on your internships next week.”

“That’s fine,” Suguru assures him.

“If...If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure, Tamaki. Your Work Study is just as important,” Suguru says.

“O...Okay. Um, have you decided on who you’re doing your internship with?” Tamaki asks.

“Yeah, I’m probably gonna do it with Yoroi Musha. I hear he doesn’t rely on his Quirk and he’s a great hand to hand fighter so it’d be nice to learn more from him ‘cause that’s the kind of hero I want to be, someone who won’t rely on his Quirk and be willing to use other methods to fight,” says Suguru.

“I think you’re gonna learn a lot from him,” Tamaki says quietly. “I finally got to see your performance in the First Year Stage and you’ve gotten so strong. I’m so proud of you.”

Suguru flushes at that. It’s not that he doesn’t get praise from his brother, he does and Tamaki has a tendency of thinking Suguru is better than him even though Suguru has constantly insisted that isn’t true since Tamaki isn’t one of the top three students of his year for nothing, but it’s still leaves him embarrassed but warm and happy too. It just means he’s doing something right if his brother, whom he has always looked up to as a role model, is praising him.

“Your fight with your friend was pretty, uh, destructive though,” Tamaki admits.

Suguru chuckles. “Yeah, we kinda went overboard,” he admits. He notices he’s nearing the entrance to the main building and stops, since he and his friends are going to head out for the arcade in a little bit and that’s where they decided to meet.

“Uh, yeah, that was going overboard by quite a bit,” Tamaki says. “Uh, not that it wasn’t strong ‘cause it really was. That friend of yours, Satoru?, is crazy strong.”

“He really is. Pretty sure he doesn’t know how to hold back much either,” Suguru says. He knows that Satoru was holding back during their fight but, still, using half of his full power is clearly still very destructive. And, since Suguru was only using half of his own power, he can only imagine what would have actually happened had both he and Satoru used their actual full power.

There probably wouldn’t be a stadium left, for one, and he and Satoru would probably have ended up comatose for a while, for another. That’s probably the best case scenario.

“Are you leaving for Osaka soon?” Suguru asks.

“Tomorrow morning,” Tamaki says. “Mom and Dad are making dinner. Will you be joining us today?”

Suguru hesitates. He still finds it very hard to be around his parents without those memories coming back, without seeing the blood staining his hands. He doesn’t know if he ever will be able to interact with his parents again and that does hurt more than anything. He loved his parents in his last life, he really did, but he still murdered them, all to further an ideal, a goal only brought about as a result of his overwhelming desire to create a peaceful world for his fellow sorcerers, no matter the cost, and his own spiraling sanity.

Even though he knows this life is different, that doesn’t ease the ache, that doesn’t erase the scars, that doesn’t get rid of the guilt.

But, at the same time, he knows it’s hurting his parents in this life. And he does love his parents in this life.

“I...can try,” he says finally because he wants to try. Maybe, just maybe, if he can start slowly interacting with his parents again then, maybe, he can move past the tragic memories of his past life.

He doesn’t know how well it will go but when he hears Tamaki express his relief as well as say that their parents will be happy by that decision, he finds himself hoping it will go well.

“Suguru!” Satoru yells.

“I gotta go, Tamaki,” Suguru says. “I’m going to the arcade with my friends. Can you let Mom and Dad know?”

“Yeah, sure. Have fun, don’t forget to call Mom and Dad, or me if you can’t talk with them, and let us know when you’re heading home.”

“I know, I won’t.”

“Bye Suguru, have fun, love you.”

“I love you too, Big Brother.” Suguru hangs up and, tucking the phone away, turns as Satoru walks over to join him with Yuji, Hado, Uraraka, Asui, Todoroki, and Izuku right behind him. Izuku seems to be deep in thought but he snaps out of it when he accidentally runs into Todoroki’s back. He flushes and quickly apologizes while Todoroki reassures him that it’s okay.

Satoru opens his mouth.

“Shut up, Satoru,” Izuku grumbles.

“Did I say anything?”

“It was an accident!” Izuku grumbles.

“I didn’t say anything!”

Suguru shakes his head in amusement but slips to his boyfriend’s side and, sliding his hand into it once he ascertains that Infinity is down, he adds, “We all know you were thinking it.”

Satoru whines at that but there is no denying the amused smile on his lips that suggests he really isn’t upset by that insinuation simply because it’s true.

The group leaves the main building and, as they head away from U.A. and into the city, Suguru relaxes. His talk with Tamaki may not have been a bad one but it did serve to, accidentally, bring those dark memories to the forefront again. So he is grateful to be holding Satoru’s hand and be surrounded by his friends because it helps him to focus. It helps him to relax. It helps him to temporarily forget.

. . .

Chapter Text

It’s the start of internships and everyone is gathered at the train station as they prepare to go their separate ways to their internships laying scattered all throughout Japan. All of Class 1-A are holding their cases carrying their hero costumes in their arms as they bunch up together in front of Aizawa right in front of the line of terminals.

Megumi shifts his grip on his case as he casts a glance at Ida. The dark-blue-haired boy is uncharacteristically quiet as he holds his case at his side, his face stoic and lacking any emotion., which is a surprise, especially considering the news that dropped a few days ago about the attack on Ingenium whom Megumi knows is Ida’s big brother. He would have thought Ida would be far more emotional or, at least, show some indication that the attack is affecting him.

Maybe he’s just good at hiding it. Maybe he’s just wearing a mask.

Megumi doesn’t know which it is and he’s also not the best person to talk about expressing one’s emotions, considering it took until he saw his father figure die for him to admit to himself that he really did love him. So, yeah, he is probably the worst person to talk to about emotions or expressing them.

But, at the same time, Ida has become a friend. Maybe he’s not as close with Ida as Izuku and Uraraka are but he does see Ida as a friend. He decides that if he gets the opportunity then he will check on Ida as best he can during his internship. Since Pro Hero Ryu is stationed within Hosu City, that should make it easier for him to check on Ida. He may have the other boy’s phone number, only because Uraraka suggested they all exchange numbers after the incident at the U.S.J., but there’s no guarantee Ida will answer, or if he will even get the chance to call during his internship.

Still though. To think that a Pro Hero as strong as Ingenium was taken down by a man known as the Hero Killer. It’s a shock, even more so when the news spread that Ingenium isn’t the only Pro Hero to be successfully attacked by this alleged Hero Killer. The fact that Ingenium survived when the others didn’t makes Megumi wonder if it was a coordinated attack meant to leave a message. Why else would the Hero Killer leave Ingenium alive and not any of the other heroes he’s attacked? It doesn’t make sense otherwise.

“You’ve got your costumes, right?” Aizawa says as he shifts his weight onto one foot. “Wearing them in public is strictly prohibited but don’t drop them.”

“Yeah,” says Ashido.

“And don’t slur your ‘yeah’, Ashido,” Aizawa deadpans. “All of you, be on your best behavior. Shinso, stay. The rest of you, go.”

Shinso, shifting his grip on his own case, moves over to stand by Aizawa while Megumi heads in the direction of the train that will take him to Hosu City. Uraraka and Izuku head in that direction too, though he knows they are heading for Ida who is a few paces behind him. Megumi slows down as well and glances over his shoulder, frowning at that stoic mask on Ida’s face as he stops and turns slightly. He still doesn’t show his face to his friends, probably trying to hide the anger radiating in his eyes.

“Ida,” Izuku calls. “If it ever gets to be too much and you need to talk, just say something. We’re your friends.”

Uraraka nods in agreement.

Ida schools his expression into one of reassurance, no matter how fake it feels to Megumi, as he finally turns to face his friends. “Sure,” he says and, pivoting, strides off.

Megumi doesn’t think Ida even sees him as he strides past but he does notice the look of absolute fury that crosses the other boy’s face. He steps aside and watches him go, frowning with some concern before he turns to Izuku and Uraraka.

“I’ll check up on him when I can,” he says. “Since our internships are in the same city.”

“Thank you, Hado,” says Izuku, relieved.

Megumi nods and, turning, makes his way toward the train. He passes the terminal and slips onto the train a few paces behind Ida. He doesn’t try to talk with him now even as he takes a seat in the same compartment as him and rests his case on the ground beside his seat.

“You’re going to Hosu City too?” Ida asks, keeping his voice casual while that stoically calm mask has been placed over his face again.

Megumi nods, leaning against the window and gazing out it, dark blue eyes watching as the train starts to pull away from the station. “The hero I’m doing my internship with is in Hosu City,” he admits.

“Oh, who are you interning with? I do not believe I asked.”

“Ryu.”

“Hmm. That was a good choice, since his Quirk is kind of similar to your own.”

And he might be the reincarnation of one of the allies I had in my last life when I was a sorcerer. But that is really the third reason for why he took this internship. The first one is due to his own curiosity and his own conscience guiding him to satisfy that curiosity and learn more about where he actually came from before he was adopted. The second one is exactly what Ida said, Ryu’s Quirk really is similar to Megumi’s own so he can probably learn quite a bit from him.

Since Hosu City is in a ward of Tokyo, it’s a two and a half hour train ride. Most of it is passed in silence, with Ida occasionally breaking it to ask Megumi a question about his internship but those are few and far in between. Once the train comes to a stop, Ida is quick to leave it and Megumi follows suit. They both leave the station but split in separate directions due to the hero agencies they are interning at being in different parts of the city.

Ryu’s agency isn’t so much an agency as an office, located next to a pretty busy park with a bakery resting on one side and a bookstore resting on the other. It’s a pretty unassuming building but, as Megumi enters it, he’s only partially surprised by how lively but disorganized it is on the inside. There are papers flying everywhere and people running around like chicken’s with their heads cut off.

He sidesteps one of those people and makes his way toward the center of the chaos where a stressed-looking woman is typing rapidly at a computer. “Um, excuse me?” he says.

The woman looks up and blows strands of pink hair out of her face. “You’re Megumi Hado, right? Ryu’s intern for the week?”

He nods.

“Second floor, first door on your right. Ugh. I am so punting Ryu into oncoming traffic. Why did he have to wait until the last minute to have us do these reports?” the woman grumbles.

“He certainly is spacey, no wonder he’s like a little brother to most of us ‘cause he definitely is airheaded enough to be one,” a young man calls from nearby as he tries to gather the paper that is flying everywhere.

The woman huffs. “Kid may be twenty four but he needs all the help he can get,” she grumbles.

“You like him though,” a young woman says.

“...Shut up. He’s annoying.”

“And yet you still help him.”

“Once again, he always needs help so…”

Megumi decides to leave the two women to argue as he swiftly makes his way to the stairs and jogs up them before heading for the indicated office. He knocks on the door. “Excuse me? I’m Megumi Hado, here for my internship,” he says.

There’s a crash and then the door opens and Megumi steps back as he gazes at the person standing in the doorway. It definitely looks near identical to Takuma Ino from Megumi’s past life: the same slender build, average height, and incredibly disheveled brown hair. He’s even wearing the same black beanie on his head, though the costume he’s wearing is dark blue with lighter blue fingerless gloves covering his hands and black boots.

“Yo, welcome, welcome,” he says brightly as he opens the door wide and gestures. “I’m Takuma Yoarashi, Hero Name Ryu! It’s nice to meet ya.”

He certainly has the same enthusiasm as Ino did, and even shares the same first name. Is that a coincidence? It’s not like it was a coincidence with every other person Megumi has met who shared the same first name as someone from his last life. The only exception is Nobara Uraraka and that is only because, since she isn’t showing any signs of remembering, there is no way of knowing if she really is a reincarnation or not.

It doesn’t seem as if Ryu is a reincarnation, or remembers, either, unless he just isn’t bringing attention to the fact that Megumi looks like one of the students he did look after as best he could during the Shibuya Incident in Megumi’s last life.

“Hello,” he says politely. “I’m Megumi Hado, Hero Name Mystic.”

“Awesome name! Okay, go ahead and put your stuff down and I’m gonna give ya a tour of the agency! It’s not much ‘cause I literally just formed this agency like last year so it’s still really new and we don’t got a lot of people yet,” Ryu says brightly as he moves toward him as Megumi puts his case down. “After that, I’ll show ya where you’re gonna be staying for the week and then, if it’s not too late, we can go on patrol.”

Megumi nods and, as Ryu slips past him into the hallway, he turns and follows him out of the office.

. . .

Choso darts down the sidewalk, meandering around the various citizens as his purple eyes fix on the villain trying to escape. One hand goes to the earpiece resting in his ear and he taps it and says, “He’s approaching third, Iron Maiden.”

“Copy that, Plasma. I see him. Edgeshot, sir. I’m gonna take him down,” Iron Maiden’s voice calls through the earpiece.

“Copy that. Plasma, be ready just in case backup is needed,” Edgeshot says.

“Understood.” Choso jumps to the side into an alley and, swiftly scaling the wall to the roof, starts jumping from rooftop to rooftop while keeping his gaze fixed on the sidewalk. The villain is still hurrying down the same sidewalk, though he does slow down upon realizing Choso is no longer behind him.

That means he isn’t prepared at all for the droplets of blood that erupt in front of him, transforming into blunt-edged nails that rain down on every part of his body. Iron Maiden is there in an instant, hammer in hand as she tosses more blunt-edged nails in the air and slams into them with the hammer one after the other in quick succession. They surge forward, striking at very parts of the villain’s body and, while he manages to dodge some of them, they are coming toward him so fast that he can’t dodge them all.

Choso has to admit he is impressed by Iron Maiden’s control over her Quirk. The fact that she can manipulate the iron in her blood to create nails, or really anything made of iron but she just prefers nails, and then manipulate where they go is pretty powerful. She may only be a second year student at U.A. High but she is definitely getting closer to being a Pro with her skill.

It’s really a no wonder Edgeshot saw potential within her.

The more he thinks about, the more he muses that if Iron Maiden is the reincarnation of Nobara Kugisaki then that would explain why his brothers weren’t able to last against her and Yuji’s combined assault. While he still grieves the loss of all of his brothers – he had actually gone to the site of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech a few years ago to see if, perhaps, any of his brothers survived last four hundred years only to find that there was absolutely nothing left – he supposes he can understand why it happened.

At the time, he didn’t know he had sent his brothers to actually fight and kill his own little brother.

If he knew from the beginning, he doubts he would have sided with Kenjaku or the rest of the cursed spirits who were working with him.

He winces as Iron Maiden, taking advantage of the villain trying to swat the nails away before they hit him, darts through the swarm of nails to crash the hammer straight into the villain’s gut. She then brings her knee up and slams it into the villain’s stomach before delivering a sharp uppercut that knocks the villain out cold.

Choso hums as he taps the earpiece. “She didn’t need any help,” he says.

“She really has gotten stronger,” Edgeshot comments, amused. “I’m nearing your location. Go ahead and help apprehend the villain, Plasma.”

“Understood. Plasma out.” Choso taps the earpiece again before he swiftly scales the side of the building and walks over to join Iron Maiden, crouching beside the villain and snapping the Quirk-suppressant cuffs around his wrists.

“Tch, child’s play,” Iron Maiden says with a huff, brushing strands of ginger hair out of her eyes. She is currently dressed in a long-sleeved dark blue shirt that exposes her midriff and dark blue shorts with knee-high black boots. Around her waist is a wide dark gray belt attached to which are little pockets where she keeps spare nails so she doesn’t have to use her blood to create them that often as well as a holster for the hammer she uses in conjunction with her nails. Around her orange eyes is a pair of lightly tinted sunglasses that are currently resting on the bridge of her nose as she peers at the unconscious villain.

“We should get back to the agency while the authorities handle this. I hear Edgeshot’s intern is showing up today,” Choso says as he rises to his feet as the police approach to take control of the situation. He will admit he is excited to see if his beloved little brother really was reincarnated, and finally be reunited with him.

While they may have started out on the wrong foot when they first encountered each other in their last lives – that is to say Choso did try to kill Yuji when they first encountered each other in their last lives – they were able to get past that. In those waning weeks leading up to the final battle, Choso truly stuck to his decision to protect his little brother and make up for what happened in Shibuya. Even if it was rough at first, Choso feels that Yuji did come to see him as a friend, and a brother, by the time the conflict reached its climax. At the very least, he is sure Yuji did come to care for him almost as much as he cared for him.

He doubts anyone will ever care for his beloved little brother as much as Choso does so he finds himself really hoping that Yuji was granted a second chance as well.

He still doesn’t quite know as to how he was even granted a second chance, why he was born a full human in this life in spite of the fact that he was half-cursed spirit in his last life. He would have thought that would have prevented such a thing as reincarnation from happening but he’s glad it didn’t, and he’s glad that he actually is a full human. He is glad to get rid of the half of him that was cursed.

He may have the memories of his time as a half-cursed spirit half-human Death Painting crammed into his head along with the memories he’s made in this life but if that’s the price he had to pay to become fully human in this life then he’s more than willing to pay that price.

It doesn’t take them long to reach the agency and, once they slip inside, Edgeshot moves over to congratulate them on their takedown of the villain. He gestures toward the lobby as he adds, “My new intern is going to be arriving soon so I figure we should get comfortable for introductions.”

“Sure, sure,” Iron Maiden says as she strides toward the armchair and promptly drapes herself across it.

“That cannot be comfortable,” Blazer, who is seated on one of the couches already, says.

“It surprisingly is,” says Iron Maiden with a shrug as she picks up one of the bottles of water resting on the side table and opens it.

Choso, taking a seat on the couch opposite of Blazer, glances toward the door as it opens.

“Um, hello?” The newcomer says.

Edgeshot moves toward the doors. “Hello,” he greets. “I am Shinya Kamihara, Hero Name Edgeshot. Welcome.”

“It’s so awesome to be here. You’re one of my favorite heroes. I’m Yuji Togata, uh, Hero Name Black Flash. It’s nice to meet you,” the newcomer says cheerfully and Choso straightens up slightly while Iron Maiden raises an eyebrow.

“Come and I will introduce you to my sidekicks and my Work Study student,” says Edgeshot and he leads the way away from the door and Choso gets to his feet as Yuji comes into view. He immediately takes in the boy who may be the reincarnation of his little brother, takes in the messy short pink hair, the brown eyes, the slim but still strong frame.

Yuji suddenly freezes, his brown eyes blowing wide the instant they land on Choso. His jaw drops and he stares before he blurts out loudly, “Choso?!”

Choso beams brightly because that, alone, tells him Yuji really is his little brother reincarnated and, more importantly, he remembers. “Little brother,” he says as he makes his way swiftly forward and grabs Yuji in a bone-crushing hug.

“Seriously, you really gotta stop calling me that,” Yuji grumbles but Choso is happy when he does hug him back. “But how…? What…?”

Edgeshot coughs. “I take it you two know each other,” he says.

“Of course. He is my little brother,” Choso says.

“I thought you only had one brother,” Blazer says in puzzlement.

Yuji groans as he pushes Choso away with a sigh. “This is why you gotta stop saying things like that,” he says as he runs a hand through his pink hair. “Um, well, it’s kinda complicated but, uh, I guess we’re kinda like...spiritual brothers?”

Choso frowns but, the more he thinks about it, the more he can see that as being true. After all, in this day and age, they do not share the same blood because they were not born from Kenjaku, like Yuji was, or had Kenjaku’s blood infused within them, like Choso was. But they are still connected because their souls remember each other, their souls still bear the memories of the life in which they were related by blood. So them being spiritual brothers really is an apt description of their connection.

“Yes, that is true,” he says. “We are connected spiritually.”

“That makes absolutely no sense but whatever. Yo, Togata, nice to see ya,” Iron Maiden says with a wave of her hand.

“Nice to see you too, Uraraka,” says Yuji with a wave of his hand but there is a hint of sadness and regret and shock crossing his eyes and Choso immediately wraps his arms around his little brother and draws him close again, cradling him close. “Ack! Man, you’re like really clingy right now, Choso.”

“I’ve missed you, little brother,” says Choso.

Yuji sighs.

“Call me Nobara by the way. Otherwise, you’re gonna get me and Ochaco confused when we’re together. Pretty sure that already did get confusing for ya the last time we were together,” says Iron Maiden. “Or, while we’re working, Iron Maiden ‘cause that’s my hero name.”

“Iron Maiden, huh? It fits,” Yuji muses.

“For now,” Edgeshot says, “why don’t you go put your stuff down and get changed? We’re going to go on another patrol and you’ll be joining us.”

“Okay, Edgeshot, sir,” says Yuji.

“I will show you to the room you’re staying in, little brother,” Choso says and immediately starts guiding Yuji away before the pink-haired boy can say anything.

“I can walk on my own, Choso,” Yuji exclaims but Choso just keeps on guiding him beside him, not really wanting to part with the little brother he has finally been reunited with. As if realizing he isn’t going to let him go anytime soon, Yuji sighs but doesn’t protest or fight much as he walks after Choso down the hall.

. . .

Suguru makes his way down the stone path winding through the beautiful garden of cherry trees and koi ponds as he heads toward the traditional building laying at the heart of it. There is a raised wooden veranda encircling the outside of the building with sliding wooden doors resting at the top of the stairs the stone pathway leads to. There are statues of Shinto gods resting throughout the garden along with various other plants and bushes dotted with colorful flowers.

Suguru is only a bit surprised by how traditional Yoroi Musha’s Hero Agency is but it is beautiful and calming. It reminds him a bit of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech back in his last life, just not quite as widespread and with far less buildings and the only torii gate he sees is the one he passed to enter the garden in front of the main building.

He smiles at the nostalgic memories this place brings back and he’s glad to see this place brings back the good memories and not the bad ones. He shakes his head as he focuses and makes his way up the stairs and passed the front doors into the genkan where he removes his boots and makes his way further into the house.

“Welcome,” one of Yoroi Musha’s sidekicks greets as Suguru steps onto the tatami mat just beyond the genkan and she joins him. “Yoroi is in his study but he’s expecting you.”

“Thank you,” Suguru says and, once the sidekick directs him to the study, he follows her directions and makes his way deeper into the building, the familiar smell of tatami mingling with the wooden smell permeates the air and further calms Suguru as he moves. He slips past a few sliding doors and screens until he reaches the study.

Yoroi Musha rises from where he is seated behind his desk. He is an elderly man with a long white beard and pale orange eyes with black sclera who is currently clad in a full set of traditional Japanese armor that Suguru realizes probably dates back to the Heian Era over nine hundred years before the dawn of the age of Quirks. It looks authentic too and he has to wonder if it is, and just how it was preserved so well for over thirteen hundred if it is. There is also a red cape wrapped around his torso and a helmet covering his head with a large horn jutting upwards.

“Welcome,” Yoroi Musha says in a deep voice. “I am Yoroi Musha. You are Suguru Amajiki, yes?”

“Yes, sir,” Suguru greets with a polite bow. “I look forward to learning from you.”

Yoroi hums and inclines his head. “Respectful. Good. Please, retire your belongings to your room and get changed. I wish to show you around my agency and then we will go on patrol. What is your hero name?”

“Lux, sir,” Suguru says.

“Very well, Lux. Let us begin the internship. From here on out, we will only refer to each other by our hero names as if we were on the job. That is your first lesson. Hero names are to show the world what they can call while also keeping your private lives private.”

Makes sense. Suguru inclines his head again and, turning, leaves the office. A sidekick comes up to him and directs him to the room where he will be staying for the week and he heads toward it. He places his stuff on the tatami mat filling the room and goes to change, slipping into the simple yet practical hero costume. It works for him because of the simple fact that it allows him to fight with his hands without having to worry about any part of the costume getting in his way. Plus it ensure that people underestimate him.

If he does decide to go the Underground Hero route, that can only help.

He still doesn’t know if that’s what he wants to do though but he’s going to learn what he can from Yoroi Musha for now. He is sure he still has time before he makes his decision on which path to actually follow.

After he changes, he rejoins Yoroi Musha in the main room of the agency and the older man hums as he studies him before he nods. “A practical costume,” he says. “May I ask why you chose to go with a practical and simple costume?”

“I don’t rely on my Quirk, sir,” says Suguru, “so I chose my costume so I can have an easier time taking the fight to the villain with my own fighting skills.”

“You don’t rely on your Quirk? It’s not as common as you would think. A lot of people, whether in your generation or the one before yours, have a tendency of relying far too heavily on their Quirks. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders it seems, Lux. That’s good. I’d like to see your skills firsthand later. I did see your skills during the Sports Festival so I know you do have skill but I’d like to see them up close.”

“I don’t mind,” Suguru says. “Fighting someone with experience with hand to hand fighting is only going to help me learn more.”

“Indeed. Come. Let’s begin the tour.”

Suguru follows Yoroi Musha as he leads the way around the agency, introducing his three sidekicks – Bolt, Rosethorn, and Heavystep – and showing him where the training rooms, the kitchen, the showers and bathrooms, and the meditation rooms are. Apparently, Yoroi Musha recommends that his sidekicks use those meditation rooms whenever they have a difficult day, or just need to clear their heads.

“And you can use them too if you need them,” Yoroi Musha says, casting a glance at Suguru. “I can see in your eyes that you probably could use it so if you wish to use it before you go to sleep tonight, you may.”

Suguru hesitates, since he isn’t too sure if it will work, but it’s a nice gesture. He didn’t even realize his eyes were showing how tired and haunted he is. It’s not like he’s been getting much sleep in the past few weeks since he regained his memories of his past life, since he started avoiding his parents, since he started training extra hard just to try and ensure he was too tired to dream when he finally did sleep.

That still didn’t exactly help because the nightmares still intruded upon his mind, still left him waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, shaking, and trying so hard not to scream and wake up his entire family.

The fact that he’s been tempted on calling Satoru when that happens makes him feel bad, since he knows Satoru needs his sleep too, and is likely dealing with the same thing. He doesn’t want to be a burden and make it worse, even though Satoru has already told him he will be there for him this time.

He can handle it. He’s sure he can handle it.

“Thank you for the offer. I appreciate it,” he says out loud. He doesn’t know if he will take him up on that offer but it’s nice to know that it’s there.

Yoroi Musha hums. “Here’s a bit of advice too, young one, from an old guy with much experience like me,” he says with a faint smile as he turns to face Suguru. “Don’t carry your burdens alone. If you have someone who is willing to share your burdens with you then share them or they may become too heavy and can break you.”

Suguru looks away. His eyes really must be far more expressive than he thought if Yoroi Musha is giving him that kind of advice. He knows that what the hero is saying is true because he’s dealt with that. He’s dealt with carrying a burden that become too heavy that it ended up breaking him. That breaking is what caused him to spiral and that spiral is what lead to him becoming the mass-murdering curse user he was in his last life.

Even if that is a whole other lifetime ago, even if Suguru hasn’t done anything like that in this life, that doesn’t change the fact that he did do it before. It doesn’t change the fact that those scars and those dark memories are still there. They aren’t going to go away.

“Thank you,” he says instead. He casts a glance at the meditation room and contemplates whether it will be worth it to, at least, try and clear his head in there tonight. Maybe it will help him to put those nightmares to rest so he can get some sleep.

He doesn’t know if it will work but it’s an idea anyway.

Once they are done with the tour, Suguru follows Yoroi Musha, Bolt, Rosethorn, and Heavystep out of the agency, all of them slipping on their shoes once they get to the genkan. They make their way down the street, with Rosethorn and Heavystep heading in one direction while Bolt remains with them.

“For patrols, you always have to keep alert,” Yoroi Musha says as they walk. “But also don’t forget that you are the representation of justice and safety to the rest of society. You serve as a role model and a protector and a defender to the civilians who look to you to keep the peace. Remember that.”

Suguru nods.

“Bolt, I want you to take Lux with you to patrol downtown. Show him the ropes so to speak.”

Bolt salutes. “Yes sir,” he says before he turns to Suguru. “Let’s head out. Downtown’s not far from the agency so we should be able to get through it before it gets too late. We don’t normally get a lot of crime right now but keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything. And remember you can’t use your Quirk without permission.”

“Understood,” Suguru says and follows Bolt as he leads the way toward downtown.

. . .

“So this is Hawks’ Agency, huh?” Satoru says, peering up at the massive building rising up toward the heart of Kyushu as he and Tokoyami make their way toward it. Both of them are still clad in their U.A. uniforms and carrying their cases with their hero costumes resting in it. It took them five hours to reach Kyushu and that’s only because they got a bullettrain that was nonstop from Shizuoka to Kyushu.

“Yes, it would appear so,” Tokoyami says. “I am glad we made it before it got too dark.”

“Glad we caught a decent bullettrain route,” says Satoru as he skips on ahead. “C’mon, Toko! Let’s get inside. I’m eager to meet Hawks!”

“Please do not call me that,” Tokoyami says with a sigh.

“Okay, Fumi!”

“Not that either.”

Dark Shadow pokes their head out of Tokoyami’s stomach. ‘Yeah, only I can call him Fumi,’ they say firmly.

Satoru gives him a sloppy salute. “Sure thing, Dark Shadow. I’ll figure out something to call him on my own,” he says.

“How about Tokoyami?” Tokoyami deadpans.

“Nah, too boring.”

“...How are you and Izuku twins again?”

Satoru laughs as he folds his arms behind his head, case resting behind his head, and spins around so he’s walking backwards, Six Eyes allowing him to be aware of everything around him far beyond the flows of Quirk energy. His Six Eyes really does perceive quite a bit, it’s just the Quirk energies are what stand out the most and thus is what Six Eyes mostly focuses on when it comes to feeding his mind information.

“People ask me that all the time, y’know,” he says with a faint smile. “Sometimes, they don’t seem to believe that Izuku and I are twins but Mom can attest to the fact that we are. Auntie Aki can too ‘cause she was the one who, basically, delivered us.”

Tokoyami hums and tilts his head toward the building. “It would not due to show up late to our own internship, Satoru,” he says.

“Eh, I call it ‘fashionably late’,” says Satoru as he pivots and walks up the steps and slips into the lobby once the doors slide open in front of them. Tokoyami join them and they are meet by a young woman who directs them up the stairs, telling them they are expected and Hawks is waiting for them on the top floor.

“Thanks,” Satoru says and heads toward the elevator with Tokoyami quickly hurrying after him, huffing as they move.

“You do realize you walk far faster than I do,” he says.

Satoru peers down at the shorter, far shorter, boy and tilts his head. “True. I do got longer legs. Eh, guess you just gotta walk a bit faster, eh, Little Legs,” he muses.

Tokoyami peers up at him and gives him a deadpan look. “Did you seriously just call me Little Legs?” he says.

“Could’ve called you Tiny Bird.”

Tokoyami sighs as he hangs his head. “I am going to have to deal with this all week, aren’t I?” he deadpans.

“Yup.”

“...Wonderful…”

Satoru laughs at the pure sarcasm that echoes in his classmate’s voice and turns around as the elevator comes to a halt. Once the doors open, he leads the way out of it and down the hallway to the office that the receptionist indicated belongs to Hawks.

He knocks.

“Come in!” A cheerful voice sounds and Satoru raises an eyebrow. He can’t help but feel a bit surprised by how much that voice actually does sound a bit like his but he shakes the thought away. It’s not like they could have the same voice. That’s just plan weird so he shoves the thought aside as he makes his way into the office.

Hawks is tall, by Tokoyami’s standards, but short compared to Satoru but then there really aren’t a lot of people who are taller than Satoru. And it’s not like he even notices if they are like Endeavor or All Might. He isn’t someone who gets intimidated by someone else’s height after all. Hawks has ash-blond hair swept messily backward with some of the front tufts sticking up in arcs above his head with thick eyebrows and faint stubble on his chin. He has golden-brown triangular eyes with two small black triangles just below his tear ducts and in the top corners of his eyes and large bright red feathered wings jutting out of his back and currently folded.

He is dressed like an aviator with a black shirt with a wavy golden pattern over which is a modified tan jacket with a high collar and slits over his shoulders as if to accommodate his wings with white fur along the cuffs and black gloves. There is a pair of yellow headphones resting over his ears and rounded blue-tinted visor protecting his eyes.

“Yo, you two must be Satoru Midoriya and Fumikage Tokoyami. Nice to meet ya, I’m Hawks,” Hawks says with a bright smile.

“Nice to meet ya too,” Satoru says brightly.

“Hello,” Tokoyami says with an incline of his head.

Hawks tilts his head to the side and strides toward them. “Well, why don’t we head out? Let’s just get straight into it! I usually do patrols all around Kyushu, and say hello to the civilians,” he says. He winks and adds, “You don’t want ‘em thinking you’re unapproachable ‘cause you won’t interact with ‘em or they won’t ask ya for help.”

“Got it. I’m usually good with people,” says Satoru.

Tokoyami turns toward him and deadpans, “People will recognize you only because you basically blew up the stadium during the Sports Festival,” he deadpans.

Satoru laughs at that. “It was only the lighting system...and the window of the announcers’ booth. And, to be fair, Suguru was also partially responsible for that so…” He shrugs and leans back on the balls of his feet, peering at Hawks over the tops of his sunglasses. “Anyway, do we change into our costumes?”

“Yup,” Hawks says. “You’ll be staying here for the week too. Your rooms are on the next floor down. Go ahead and put your stuff away, get changed, and meet me in the lobby.”

“Sure thing!”

“Very well.”

“Man, the two interns I picked have like opposite personalities,” Hawks muses as Satoru and Tokoyami leave the office and head back to the elevator to take it to the floor below.

Once they drop off their stuff and get changed into their hero costumes, with Satoru swapping out his sunglasses for his blindfold that he ties securely behind his head, they head for the lobby.

Hawks studies them once they join him and hums. “Nice costumes,” he says. He clasps his hands together and adds, “Well, from here on out, we’re only going to go by our hero names so what’re they?”

“I am Tsukuyomi,” Tokoyami says.

“Infinitum,” Satoru says.

“Neat. Okay. Let’s head out. I’m gonna be scouting from the skies but I’ll be just within sight so if you end up running into trouble, I’ll be there to help ya out. Remember, ya can’t use your Quirks in public unless you have explicit permission to do so ‘cause you don’t got your licenses yet,” says Hawks as he leads the way out of the agency and onto the sidewalk beyond.

“Understood,” Tokoyami says while Satoru just shrugs. He already knows that.

Hawks gives him an amused look and spreads his wings and shoots into the sky, leaving behind several stray feathers as he wheels around in air and points to the right and flies off.

“I guess that’s the direction we go in,” Satoru muses and starts heading into it as Tokoyami walks after him.

It is after several blocks that Tokoyami finally breaks the silence, turning his head to look at him. “You don’t seem to be paying attention,” he notes and he’s not wrong. Satoru has been keeping his gaze fixed on Hawks to not lose sight of him while Tokoyami has been glancing back and forth and paying attention to all of their surroundings.

“There aren’t a lot of flows of Quirk energy in this area right now,” says Satoru. “And the ones I’m sensing aren’t that strong nor are they active plus they aren’t even close to our location. The closest group of Quirk energy flows that are decently strong but still not active is a group over there.” He points toward the building caddycorner from where they are standing where a small group of teenagers are leaving the building.

“How do you know this?” Tokoyami asks in surprise.

“My Six Eyes,” Satoru says, pointing at his blindfolded eyes. “It’s the one part of my Quirk I can’t turn off so I’m constantly perceiving the flows of Quirk energy around every single living person along with so much more, like that.” He steps to the side to avoid walking into the pole his Six Eyes perceived as right in front of him even though he hasn’t lowered his head once.

“That is rather impressive,” says Tokoyami.

“Eh, more of a headache than anything. It’s why I gotta keep my eyes covered as often as I do ‘cause the flows are even stronger and more packed with information if my eyes are uninhibited.” Not to mention having his eyes exposed is part of the procedure to use Purple and, back in his last life, his Domain Expansion. He finds himself curious about whether it’s even possible to do a Domain Expansion with Quirk energy and what that would actually do.

He’ll have to think about that later because he knows, for a fact, his Domain is probably the most powerful weapon he had in his arsenal in his last life, even more powerful than Hollow Purple. And if he truly wants to be the strongest in this life, and be the best hero he can possibly be, then having access to Infinite Void could really help with that.

But figuring out if he can expand Infinite Void with Quirk energy, and figuring out what the consequences of doing so are, is something he will have to deeply consider. He already knows of how badly his Domain can affect humans after only using it for point two seconds during the Shibuya Incident so using it for far longer will likely have more drastic, and probably permanent, consequences.

At least, while using it with cursed energy, it likely would have.

Using it with Quirk energy is a different story just because the two energies aren’t similar at all.

But he will worry about that later. For now, he has a patrol to focus on.

. . .

Out of all the places to end up, Izuku was not expecting Gran Torino, the hero he decided to do his internship with upon realizing the man was the one who trained All Might himself, to be living in a shabby old apartment that looks like it is a breath away from just crumbling in on itself. He was expecting an awesome guy living in, at least, a decent home that isn’t in a state of disrepair so this is a bit of a surprise.

Do I really have the right address? He pushes open the door and pokes his head into the darkened room beyond. “Uh, hello?” he calls. “I’ve come from U.A. High School. My name is Izuku Midoriya. Pleasure to meet…”

His eyes land on the figure laying on the ground surrounded by something red and freaks.

“Ahhh, he’s dead!” he shrieks.

The old man jerks his head up. “I’m alive,” he says.

“He’s alive!” Izuku lets out a breath of relief.

“To slip and fall while carrying ketchup-covered sausage links. How clumsy of me,” the old man says as he gets to his feet, resting his cane on the ground and Izuku frowns in concern because he doesn’t look very steady on his feet. In fact, he’s wobbling. “And who are you?”

“I’m Izuku Midoriya. I’ve come from U.A.,” Izuku says again.

“What?!”

“I’m Izuku Midoriya!” Izuku increases the volume of his voice.

“And who are you?” Gran Torino says.

Well, this isn’t going well. He’s All Might’s teacher so I knew he’d be old but really?

“I’d like to eat lunch,” the old man says and promptly plops onto the ketchup-covered ground and Izuku just stares.

“Lunch?” he says.

“Toshinori!” Gran Torino says.

“That’s not my name!” Izuku exclaims and groans because this really isn’t going well right now. He turns around and pulls out his phone. “Excuse me. I have to make a call.” At any rate, I’d better let All Might know this guy’s off his rocker…

“Fire of an attack. Show me your One for All.”

Izuku freezes.

“I’d like to know to what degree you can control it.”

Izuku whirls around, surprise going through him. What’s with him? This sudden change… “Um, well…” It’s not like he can’t do it. With the exercises in control Satoru gave him and the fact that he figured out where he was going wrong with activating it, he knows he can do it but firing off an attack indoors against a frail old man? That just doesn’t seem right.

“Nice costume,” Gran Torino comments from where he is currently studying Izuku’s costume with a hum of approval leaving his lips. “Put ‘er on and come at me! Who are you again?”

Izuku groans and drags a hand through his hair, turning his gaze to the ceiling and mentally musing that he may have just found someone who drives him up the wall more than his brother, and he’s only known Gran Torino for not even half an hour yet. He makes a note to not mention this to Satoru since he will probably just laugh at him.

“All Might doesn’t have much time left,” he says finally, lowering his head and frowning at Gran Torino. “I’ve gotten some level of control over One for All, I can spread it throughout my body and I can use about five percent now without risking my body. But I know I need to get stronger, I know I need to get better control so I can use more than simply five percent. That’s why I don’t have time to mess around with you, sir.”

He turns, about to leave, but stops when there’s a sudden rush of air surging past him. He jumps back and gasps as Gran Torino crashes into the wall on top of the doorframe and perches there with a smirk crossing his lips.

“Then I’ll tell you once more. Come at me, you neophyte!” He lifts his head and peers down at Izuku who is gazing at him with wide eyes. “The way you used it during the Sports Festival was a pretty good show of that low level of control you said you had, even if that low level of control failed during the latter half of your match against Todoroki. I have to say that it’s not bad but something tells me it wasn’t that justice-obsessed fool All Might who taught you that. That just doesn’t sound like him but I guess I could be wrong.”

Izuku knows he isn’t wrong. It wasn’t from All Might that he learned how to control his Quirk at the five percent he can handle it. It wasn’t from All Might that he figured out how to spread his power evenly throughout his entire body. None of that came from his mentor.

That all came from his brother.

“You’re not wrong,” he says finally. “What I learned about control, I learned from my brother.”

Gran Torino hums. “Your brother, huh? Ah, yes, the elder Midoriya twin who won the entire Sports Festival. Well, either way, I guess it falls to me to properly watch over you and teach you more so put on your costume.”

Izuku swallows but finally nods because he is starting to realize that this old man really is All Might’s teacher. They both act similar and they both phrase their statements the same way. The influence is there.

Once he’s changed into his hero costume, he faces Gran Torino and takes a deep breath. “Okay,” he says as he activates One for All and spreads it evenly throughout his entire body. “I’m ready. Um, but, is this okay though? To be honest, I’m still not that great with this power. I mean I can use it at five percent but if I go over that limit then the limb I’m using it through starts aching and I know if I’m not careful then I’ll end up breaking something and if I end up getting careless and use one hundred percent, Gran Torino, you’ll be completely…”

“Man, you sure do talk a lot, don’t ya?” Gran Torino deadpans and surges away, shouting, “I’m getting impatient.”

Izuku whirls around, trying to keep the incredibly fast old hero in his line of sight but he’s too fast and Izuku winces when feet slam into his back and send him careening forward. He manages to stay on his feet and, remembering Gran Torino’s words from earlier, turns his head. “We’re really fighting? I thought you just wanted a demonstration,” he protests.

“Seems you couldn’t perceive my true power before,” says Gran Torino as he lands on the microwave and crushes it. “To choose this little wet blanket as the ninth successor? All Might’s a novice among novices.”

Izuku grits his teeth and jumps backwards, trying to find an opening but all he gets is another kick to the back and then the front and then the back again.

Too fast! Probably on par with Satoru. What kind of Quirk is this? No, forget that. With nowhere to hide, this is time to leisurely analyze his abilities. I’ve got to stop his movements somehow.

He activates his Quirk throughout his body and whirls around as Gran Torino comes careening towards his back and slamming a fist forward in a smash that he hopes will hit. He thinks it does but when he suddenly finds himself slammed backfirst by Gran Torino, he realizes it didn’t.

“Trying to analyze and predict?” he says as he pins Izuku down. “So stiff and your awareness is a mess. So you end up like this.”

“But...I was sure I had you,” Izuku protests.

“No because I saw the way you fought in the Cavalry Battle and the tournament. I was sure you already figured it out, based on that,” Gran Torino says. “The respect you have for All Might, that sense of responsibility, they’re shackles holding you back.”

“Shackles?” Izuku echoes.

“’I have to get stronger quickly’, you say. It’s true time is not on your side nor on your enemies’. And they won’t wait for you to get stronger.” He gets to his feet and grabs his cane as he turns around. “You’re thinking of One for All as something unique.”

As something unique? I mean I know it took me some time to realize that Quirks are just an extension of our bodies, and that was only because my brother helped me to realize that. But is Gran Torino referring to that or something else? “So what should I do?” he says instead.

Gran Torino hums and casts a glance at him over his shoulder. “You’ve gotta find that answer for yourself. I’m heading out to buy some grub,” he says and, as he walks past the door, he adds, “Clean up the place for me why don’t you?”

“Wait, what?”

But Gran Torino is already gone and Izuku is left in a living room and kitchen left in a disarray with debris everywhere.

He sighs as he gets started on cleaning while his mind latches on to Gran Torino’s words. My respect for All Might is holding me back? But what does he mean by that? What am I missing?

. . .

Chapter Text

Suguru winces as he finds himself pinned to the ground with his arm bent behind his back and muses that Yoroi Musha really is an incredible hand to hand fighter in spite of his age. They’ve been sparring for about an hour now and Suguru hasn’t been able to get past the hero’s defenses to land even a single blow. In spite of his bulky frame, Yoroi Musha is rather agile in his movements and capable of predicting how Suguru is going to attack and moving in response to it in an instant.

Must be the years of experience. He scrambles to his feet and whirls around, holding his hands up in a ready position as Yoroi Musha steps back. He is no longer in the Japanese armor he typically wears as his hero costume when he’s working or on patrol. Now he’s dressed in a white kimono over black hakama pants similar to what Suguru is wearing.

“You do have skill,” he says as he also shifts into a ready position. “Quick on your feet, capable of predicting where I am going to move before I do, but you are still lacking in experience. You don’t really spar with others, do you?”

“I do spar with Mirio every now and then and I was training with my boyfriend and his brother before the Sports Festival,” Suguru admits.

“I see. You should do that more often because that will give you experience without actively putting you in the middle of an actual conflict,” says Yoroi Musha. “However, there is another thing that is causing you to lose to me.” He darts forward and, while Suguru manages to dodge out of the way, he isn’t prepared for the sharp jab to his side or the way the older man hooks his leg around his own and yanks, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“Your eyes are still haunted and tired,” Yoroi Musha says as he lowers his leg while Suguru scrambles to his feet.

He grimaces because the hero isn’t wrong. Once again, he didn’t get much sleep the night before in spite of the fact that he did end up going into one of those meditation rooms. It was relaxing, peaceful, and did help him to clear his mind but it was only a temporary fix. So much so that the instant he closed his eyes that night to sleep, the very memories he managed to clear from his mind came flooding back.

It’s really a wonder he’s managed to last as long as he has against Yoroi Musha when he really is only operating on a couple of hours of actual sleep.

“Did you go into the meditation room like I suggested?” he asks.

“I did and it helped, until I went to bed,” Suguru admits. “Everything I was trying not to think about just came flooding back.”

“Sounds to me like you have some trauma in your past. I will not press but talking about such matters will only help.”

“There aren’t many people I trust to talk about it with, and the ones I do trust already know,” Suguru admits as he rubs his temples. It’s true that Satoru definitely knows the majority of what happened to Suguru, even if he is only somewhat aware of how bad the spiraling was and how bad the break ended up being. He saw the aftermath, the consequences, and he was there for most of the events that lead to that end result.

“Perhaps they don’t know the whole story then,” Yoroi Musha says. “But you can take my words as you wish. Trauma affects everyone differently and how anyone should handle their trauma is different from one person to the next. But keeping it bottled up is not the best way to handle it. The more you bottle it up, the stronger it will get until it comes bursting out and there is no telling what the consequences of that burst will be.”

Oh, I know of what a possible consequence of the bottle bursting is. Considering his bottle has actually burst on him in his last life, he knows that all too well but he does appreciate Yoroi Musha’s attempt to help. It may not be exactly what he was expecting when he came in to spar with his mentor but it’s still nice.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you,” he says out loud.

“Of course. Are you ready to go again?”

Suguru raises his hands up.

“Yoroi Musha sir!” A shout sounds and Suguru starts and turns as Rosethorn darts into the room with light purple hair flowing behind her back.

“Yes?” Yoroi Musha says.

“We’ve got a hostage situation in progress at the Tokyo Plaza Ginza,” Rosethorn reports. “They have demanded that their companions within Tartarus be released in exchange for the hostages. They have declared that they will kill one hostage every hour until their demands are met.”

“Cowards,” Suguru says.

“Indeed. Very dishonorable to hold the lives of innocent over the heads to get what they wish,” says Yoroi Musha. “Nonetheless, it is something we should take care of quickly and efficiently. Rosethorn, get Bolt and Heavystep ready and we will head out right away. Lux, go get changed and come with us. This will be good experience for you as well.”

Suguru nods and, turning, darts off to his room. He slips into it and swiftly changes into his hero costume before leaving, his shadow writhing with anticipation and he tilts his head toward it. He notices it does that whenever he’s about to do something that might require him to use the Nightmares living within the pocket dimension inside his own shadow. It’s almost as if his Nightmares know and are eager to be let free to fight.

He doesn’t know if he will be able to use his Quirk to help though. Since he doesn’t have a license, he will need explicit permission form Yoroi Musha in order to use his Quirk, and he doubts he can use too much of his power as well. This hostage situation sounds like it is going to require a great deal of stealth and subtlety after all.

It doesn’t take them long to reach the Tokyo Plaza Ginza, a massive fourteen story building with many windows that allow in the natural daylight to illuminate the terraces encircling each floor. There entire corner is currently blocked off with caution tape while various police officers and police cars are stationed in front of the crowds of people who are standing by to watch the scene.

Yoroi Musha, once again clad in his hero costume, strides through the crowd, though most of them part upon seeing him, and approaches the officer. He holds out his hero license as he says, “What’s the situation here?”

The officer holds up the caution tape to allow the hero in and, once Yoroi Musha assures him that Suguru is with him as an intern, he is allowed through as well. The sidekicks follow suit but immediately spread out and move toward the other officers as the one who let Yoroi Musha in drops the caution tape.

“I’m Detective Hikaru Matsuda,” the officer says as he leads the way toward the base of the massive building. “I’m the lead detective in charge of this operation. What we do know so far is that there are currently ten hostages being held on the fourteenth floor of the building. The villains have called themselves the Volcano Thieves and they are demanding that their leader be released from Tartarus in exchange for the hostages. They say they will kill a hostage every hour their demands are not meant, and that was forty five minutes ago.”

So there’s only fifteen minutes left before they kill a hostage. Suguru frowns and studies the building, taking into account the various windows and the brightly lit terraces. His eyes travel to the top of the building and he hums. “Couldn’t someone get into the building from its roof without them noticing?” he asks, pointing to the roof.

“They have access to the surveillance system and, unfortunately, there are cameras on the roof,” says Matsuda, casting a glance at him and then turning his gaze back to Yoroi Musha.

Suguru isn’t so sure if Matsuda meant to be so dismissive of his suggestion but he does feel a bit irked by it. He shakes his head. He is just an intern who hasn’t yet gotten any sort of hero license after all. He’s just there to observe and learn and, if given explicit permission, help but that’d probably be in a limited capacity if they did ask for it.

“Do we have eyes on the situation?” asks Yoroi Musha.

“Unfortunately not,” says Matsuda. “With their control over the surveillance system, they will notice the instant we attempt to hack into the surveillance system to get eyes on the situation. As a result, we are dealing with matters blind at the moment.”

“How do we know the hostages are even still alive?” Suguru says, brow furrowing.

Matsuda doesn’t answer him as he turns and studies the building and Suguru resists the urge to scowl because he is sure his question is a good one.

Yoroi Musha casts a glance at him, then turns to the detective. “Lux does have a good point. How do we know the hostages are even still alive?” he says.

The detective casts a glance at the hero. “We only have their word to go on,” he says.

Suguru turns his gaze to the window and frowns because that doesn’t sound like good odds. If they give in to the villain’s demands and free their companion then how do they know that the hostages will be let go if they don’t even know if the hostages are still alive?

But he can get eyes on the situation. He has the necessary Nightmares that can slip in undetected and give him an accurate visual of everything going on up there. He turns to Yoroi Musha. “Sir,” he says and, when the hero turns to him, he adds, “I can get eyes on the situation.”

“You?” Matsuda sounds derisive. “You’re just a kid. Let us adults handle this matter.”

Suguru bristles. “I am a Hero in training,” he says stiffly and returns his gaze to the hero who, at least, is giving him a considering look. “My Quirk lets me summon and control creatures living in a pocket dimension located within my shadow and some of those creatures are small enough that they won’t even be noticed if they slip in and they are able to communicate with me through a sort of telepathic link, through use of images usually, and that should be enough to see what is happening.”

Yoroi Musha hums then nods. “Do it,” he says and, when Matsuda opens his mouth to protest, he adds, “he may be a child but he is a hero in training and this is his internship. He should get the opportunity to learn by doing rather than simply watching. This is probably the least dangerous thing he will be doing so go ahead. You have my permission to use your Quirk to help get eyes on this situation.”

Suguru nods and, stepping back, holds out a hand and his shadow writhes before a small winged creature pops into existence on his shoulder. He turns to it and silently directs it to the fourteenth floor while also insisting that it remain unseen.

The creature spreads its skeletal wings and flies off, shooting off so fast that it’s but a blur before images appear in front of his mind. His Nightmare got in through a crack in one of the windows and is now perched on another window that has a view of a large open space in which are ten individuals currently gagged and bound with two individuals walking among them.

“Ten hostages, just as the villain said,” Suguru says. “And two villains.” He briefly describes the villains.

“It is two thirds of the Volcano Thieves,” says Yoroi Musha. “But if there are ten hostages then getting to them without alerting the villains to what we are doing will be difficult, unless… Lux, do you have any more creatures that are capable of being subtle like that one?”

Suguru wracks his brain as he considers his arsenal of Nightmares. It’s just as extensive as the arsenal of cursed spirits he had in his last life – he’s almost positive all of the cursed spirits he died with in his last life were just converted into the Nightmares – and hums. “A few but none that are big enough to actually be able to get the hostages out.”

“That’s fine,” Yoroi Musha says. “See if you can use your smaller ones to sneak into surveillance room, since you seem capable of controlling them through long distances.”

“So long as they’re within about half a kilometer from me, I can control them,” says Suguru.

“Impressive. And they don’t have to be in your line of sight?”

“No.”

“Hmm, any drawbacks?”

“They aren’t as powerful in the daylight and if I use too many then it drains my stamina quite ab it. The last time I used too many at once, I passed out once the adrenaline from the fight went away,” Suguru admits, thinking back to his fight against Satoru during the Sports Festival.

“We want to avoid that,” says Yoroi Musha. “Okay. For now, only send out some of your smaller ones that are still strong enough to retake the surveillance room. After that, we can blind the villains to our movement.”

“Understood.” Suguru turns his gaze to the building as he silently directs his Nightmare into locating the surveillance room. It’s right within the security post between two clothing shops next to a fire exit and Suguru, splaying out a hands, sends several of his small but fast Nightmares hurrying forward. All of them are rather grotesque to look at so Suguru isn’t really surprised when Matsuda recoils with disgust on his face or some of the officers jump back with yelps of fright when they surge past them.

But they vanish pretty quickly. Since they are capable of traveling through the shadows, they are quick to dive into the nearest shadow and use that to make their way swiftly through the floors without being scene. So long as they stick to the shadows and avoid any patches of light, no one will see them.

The telepathic link he has with them allows him to see where they are moving and it isn’t long before they reach the fourteenth floor and, once again using the shadows to their advantage, converge on the security post and slipping past it into the surveillance room laying beyond. There are two villains in the surveillance room and none of them are prepared for the sudden assault of grotesque creatures straight out of a horror film.

“It’s clear,” he says.

Matsuda stares at him.

“Shouldn’t you have your men hack into the system now?” Yoroi Musha says pointedly.

“Ah, yes, of course.” Matsuda quickly shakes himself out of his surprise and starts issuing orders to get their own eyes on the situation and get the cameras turned off so they can move without attracting any attention.

“Good work, Lux,” says Yoroi Musha as he pats Suguru’s shoulder and strides toward the building. “Stay here. We will handle the rest.” He pauses then hands him an earpiece and adds, “If your Nightmares notice any changes in the movement of the enemy, let me know immediately.”

Suguru takes the earpiece and fixes it around his ear. “Yes sir,” he says and watches as the hero hurries toward the main building with his sidekicks and several officers moving with him. He turns his attention to the building and focuses on the telepathic link he has with his Nightmares so he can keep his own eyes on the situation and give warning if it’s needed.

Thankfully, he doesn’t have to worry about that but he does get to watch Yoroi Musha in action.

He really is incredibly skilled in his hand to hand fighting but, at the same time, he is also skilled in the use of the weapons he uses his Quirk to create. He literally manages to take out one of the villains with numb chucks that he creates with his Quirk while using thin wires he created with his Quirk to completely tie that villain up.

Impressive.

His fight against the other villain isn’t nearly as impressive mostly because it just takes a quick swipe of a bo staff he had on him that takes that villain out.

The police then rush forward to apprehend the villains and free the hostages and Yoroi Musha turns and gazes directly at one of the Nightmares resting just within the floor. He gestures and Suguru, realizing he’s telling him to recall his Nightmares, does as he’s told. He figures that, since the entire matter has been handled, he doesn’t have to worry about keeping his Quirk active anymore.

He deactivates his Quirk and the Nightmares melt into the shadows as they are returned to the pocket dimension within his own shadow.

“Quick and efficient,” Matsuda comments as he moves over to join Suguru. He studies him and adds, “Your control of your Quirk is pretty impressive too. Sorry I was so dismissive of you earlier.”

Suguru turns to him and shrugs. “It’s fine. I guess I can kind of get where you’re coming from,” he says. He is only fifteen and, while this is an internship meant to give him real world experience, that doesn’t mean he isn’t still a kid in the eyes of others.

But he is glad to have been of help and that his help helped to apprehend this villains and keep those hostages safe. That is all that matters.

. . .

“So how did this happen?” Yuji asks as he sprawls out across the couch and peers at Choso who is currently seated with his back against the couch and his head tilted back to rest on the cushion inches away from Yuji’s face. It’s currently early in the morning on the second day of internships and Yuji, up early due to his own curiosity, had been quick to track Choso down. The fact that Choso was up was a bit of a surprise but, then, Yuji doesn’t really know too much about Choso’s sleeping habits or anything like that.

Not with how chaotic everything was during the Culling Game and then when the final battle was being planned out. It’s really a wonder he was able to get to know anything about the half-cursed spirit that claimed him as his little brother. And, since Choso seems to be fully human in this life, there is no telling how different his life is now.

“I am not sure,” Choso admits. “As you well know, I didn’t survive the battle against Sukuna.”

“Yeah…” Yuji is still pretty pissed by that. Choso had entered the fight against Sukuna not long after Yuji and Higurama entered the fight but, unfortunately, Sukuna managed to get the best of him. And, because Yuji was so focused on finally taking Sukuna down, he never actually got the opportunity to see if Choso survived until much later, when he was dying himself.

They may have won that final battle but they lost everything as a result.

But Yuji doesn’t want to think about that so he violently shoves those memories out of his mind and buries them as far down as he possibly can. It’s just like Satoru said: they are just memories, phantoms, and they can’t hurt him anymore. All they can do is remind him of things he can’t change but nothing beyond that.

“The next thing I know, I am waking in the arms of my mother in this life. I remembered everything from the moment of my birth, which I think may have been a consequence of being half-cursed spirit in my last life and being granted a second chance. But, since I was fully human, I wanted to live my life to its fullest and without regrets, just as you would have done.”

Yuji smiles faintly, remembering telling Choso that back when they were attempting to get clear of the massive surge of cursed spirits Kenjaku unleashed to cover his escape during the Shibuya Incident. “So you became a hero?” he says.

Choso smiles faintly. “I was greatly influenced by you and your desire to help and protect those who need it,” he admits. “And, perhaps, a part of myself thought that, maybe, you were given a second chance too. And if anyone was going to become a hero in this day and age, it would be you so I entered the field in the hope that you were reincarnated as well and would set out on the path of becoming a hero too.”

Yuji blinks, surprised by that. He didn’t think he actually influenced the former half-cursed spirit that much. “Didn’t realize I influenced you that much,” he admits sheepishly as he rolls onto his back and covers his eyes with his arm, a light laugh escaping his lips. “Well, better you an ally than an enemy, eh?”

“Yes, indeed. And I am glad that you are still around. My other brothers, unfortunately, did not survive the last four hundred years.”

Yuji tilts his head toward him and lowers his arm. “They didn’t?”

“No, they did not,” Choso admits, purple gaze still fixed on the ceiling. “I went to the sight of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech but there was absolutely nothing left. Nothing but forest and some ruins buried beneath undergrowth as if that place has not been used in a very, very long time. Tengen’s Barrier was also completely gone or, at least, I didn’t notice it at all.”

“So, like, it’s all gone? Cursed energy? Cursed spirits? It’s gone?”

“I don’t think it’s gone, per say. I just think it is such low quantities that it’s no longer a threat and is greatly overshadows and overpowered by Quirk energy that lives within everyone who has a Quirk,” says Choso. “The Six Eyes would know in an instant if cursed energy was still around though so he would be the only one who would truly know.”

“Satoru never did say that he perceived any cursed energy and I would’ve thought he would tell us once he found out me and Megumi had our memories of our last lives,” says Yuji thoughtfully. He wracks his brain but he can’t, for the life of him, remember if Satoru did tell him and, even if he was rather irresponsible and forgetful in their last lives, he doesn’t think Satoru would have forgotten to tell them about something as important as that.

“So the Six Eyes truly is alive in this age, then?” asks Choso, turning his gaze toward Yuji who meets his gaze and nods. “It’s Satoru Midoriya, isn’t it? The boy who won the Sports Festival? He may have had his eyes covered but there is no denying the power he showed is eerily similar to the power of the Six Eyes from our last lives.”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Yuji says with a faint smile. “Was a surprise but I was so glad that he was still alive. I guess...the guilt…”

“You blamed yourself for what happened to him?”

He nods and is only marginally surprised when Chose reaches out a hand and gently runs it through his short pink hair.

“You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” he asks.

“I still feel guilt, I still feel like Sukuna was my responsibility since I was the one that ate the first finger to begin with and, yet…”

“In the end, you did beat him.”

“Yeah and still lost everything as a result, myself included. Maybe we did win but I think the cost we had to pay was way too high,” says Yuji. He lets loose a soft sigh and turns his gaze to Choso as he adds, “But it doesn’t matter now. It’s like Satoru told me. Those are only memories and they can’t hurt us anymore. We’ve got a new life so why dwell on things we can’t change when we should focus on the lives we’re living now?”

“Indeed. That’s surprisingly wise from the Six Eyes.”

“Why does everyone say that? Satoru can be plenty wise.”

Choso turns and gives him a long look.

Yuji falters and laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Y...Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he says. “Still though, he was the best teacher I ever had in spite of how odd his methods were. Either way, so back to the now, how has this new life been treating ya?”

Choso smiles faintly as he leans his head back against the couch cushion again and lowers his hand. “Well,” he says. “I have another little brother. Well, half-brother but he’s still my brother thus he is still family like you and I love him.”

“Really? Who?”

“His name’s Hitoshi.”

“Shinso? You mean our new classmate is your half-brother? You don’t look alike at all.”

Choso snorts in amusement at that. “I have no clue as to why I was basically born with the same appearance I had in my last life and the only thing I really share with my parents is my eye color. Hitoshi, on the other hand, took after my mother since he had a different father,” he says. “He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah, pretty standoffish if ya ask me. He literally came into our class last week when he was transferred and told us he wasn’t there to make friends,” Yuji muses.

“Do try and make friends with him. He really could use it,” says Choso. “Friends that won’t judge him for his Quirk like pretty much everyone back in our hometown always did. Our own parents always judged him for his Quirk. Father may have accepted him as his son but he never accepted his Quirk when it came in, which is utterly ridiculous.”

“I’ll say. That’s stupid of ‘em. He’s gonna be a great hero with that Quirk. Just think of all he can do. He could get villains to just surrender, he could calm civilians down. The options are limitless!” Yuji exclaims and, with eyes set in determination, he adds, “I’m gonna find a way to become his friend and show him that his Quirk is an awesome one that will definitely make him a great hero.”

Choso smiles faintly. “I have no doubt you will,” he says.

“Well, you two look cozy.”

They both turn their heads to find Nobara, currently in her hero costume, standing there with her arms folded across her chest and amusement in her orange eyes. Behind her are Blazer and Edgeshot who are watching the scene with curiosity and amusement, respectively, in their eyes.

“We were bonding as brothers would,” Choso says with a nod.

Yuji laughs a little. “Spiritual brother, Choso,” he says.

“It is the same thing.”

“It’s not...You know what, I’m just not gonna argue that.”

Edgeshot chuckles a little bit. “Come, we are going on patrol,” he says.

“I wish to patrol with Yuji,” says Choso immediately.

Man, you really haven’t changed much, have ya? “Doesn’t matter to me but shouldn’t you call me by my hero name?” Yuji asks as he sits up and swings his legs off the couch. He stands up and smooths out his hero costume as Choso also rises. He notices that Choso’s hero costume is really very similar to what he wore in his last life. He is wearing a loose light tan rob that covers his torso, arms, and legs over which is a purple gi-like vest covering his torso in a ‘v’ shape with the bottom section reaching past his waist and a round purple scarf around his neck with brown boots. There is the familiar blood mark extending across the bridge of his nose and Yuji wonders if that’s connected with his Quirk or if it’s just a cosmetic choice.

“Very well, Black Flash. Mine is Plasma,” says Choso as he stretches his arms above his head.

“Iron Maiden, go with Plasma and Black Flash. You three will head west while Blazer and I will head east. Let us meet back here in two hours,” says Edgeshot. “Remember, Black Flash, you cannot use your Quirk.”

“Got it,” Yuji says with a nod.

The five of them leave the agency and, as Edgeshot and Blazer go in one direction, Nobara, Choso, and Yuji head in the opposite direction. They move down the streets with Nobara scanning the area with one hand resting on the top of her hammer and Yuji can’t help but smile at the familiar sight. Nobara and her hammer were a common sight back in his last life and it is just another indication that Nobara Uraraka really is Nobara Kugisaki reincarnated, even if she doesn’t remember.

Yuji finds himself hoping that if she does regain her memories then she doesn’t regain them the same way he did. For one, that hurt like hell and, for another, she will probably want to beat the ever living shit out of him and Megumi once she gets over the massive concussion such a collision would give her. She would probably try and kick Satoru’s butt and Satoru would just laugh at her as her attempts fail, which would only infuriate her more.

But, at the same time, Yuji does miss his Nobara. He shakes that thought away because, right now, that isn’t what he should be focusing on.

“Yo, Plasma, why don’t you hit the rooftops?” Nobara says, peering at Choso. “You have an easier time traveling across the rooftops. Black Flash and I can continue the patrol from down here.”

Choso hesitates, peering at Yuji, but finally nods. “Very well,” he says. “Stay safe, little brother.” He turns and darts off before Yuji can, once again, ask him to stop calling him that. It’s going to fall on deaf ears anyway but he hopes that, maybe one day, Choso will actually listen to him.

It’s not that he minds it. He actually doesn’t. It’s just that it’s awkward in this day and age. In his last life, once Yuji got over the confusing fact that Choso actually is related to him by blood – which is a can of worms he really doesn’t want to open up again – he did come to slowly accept him as a brother but, really, it was much in the same way that he accepted Todo constantly calling him his brother too. Which is to say that he really just accepted him as a really close friend but didn’t try to stop him from calling him his ‘little brother’.

Now, it’s just awkward because they aren’t related by blood this time around. In fact, the only connection they have is in the memories they both have of past lives that are already over and done with.

But talking Choso into doing anything is like talking a brick wall into moving. It’s not going to happen.

“He keeps calling you that,” Nobara comments idly as she folds her arms behind her arm. “Spiritual brother? Really?”

“It’s complicated,” Yuji says with a long sigh because he knows that, even if Nobara did remember, she wasn’t around when Choso changed sides, or even when Choso made his first appearance. No because, for the latter, she was in a different part of Shibuya and, for the former, she had already had her ill-fated encounter with Mahito.

Yuji bites his lip. He hates Mahito. He really does. He finds himself hoping, praying, that Choso is the only cursed spirit who was reincarnated because just the very thought of Mahito being reincarnated makes him inexplicably angry.

“Yo, I didn’t mean to make ya upset or nothing,” Nobara says with a frown.

Yuji, realizing his anger is showing on his face, shakes his head and gives her a small smile. “Nah, it’s not you. I just...got some things I’m dealing with that I haven’t come to terms with yet, that’s all,” he says.

“Mm. Some baggage that’s troubling ya?”

“Basically, yeah.”

“Eh, can’t say I don’t understand. Probably isn’t the same but I got the same thing. It’s really annoying ‘cause I can barely sleep most of the time ‘cause of it.”

Yuji peers at her. “Nightmares?” he asks curiously because if Nobara really is Kugisaki reincarnated then, maybe, she was having the same nightmares Yuji and Megumi and Suguru were having too.

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

Yuji shrugs. “Lucky guess?”

Nobara studies him intently in a way eerily reminiscent of her namesake as if she knows he’s lying to her but can’t figure out what the truth is. She doesn’t get the chance to ask when a crash sounds nearby followed by a sharp scream.

Nobara whips her head around. “Shit. That doesn’t sound good,” she says and, removing her hammer, darts in the direction of the crash and Yuji quickly hurries after her. They both dart down the street just in time to see a car go flying straight into the building beside them.

A tall villain with long snow-white arms that bend and stretch like rubber is raging in the heart of the plaza they are standing on the edge of. He grabs some trees and benches and other cars as he tosses them in all places and his eyes are wild.

“Shit. I think this is a result of Trigger,” says Nobara with a groan.

“Trigger?” Yuji echoes.

She nods with a scowl. “It’s a highly addictive Quirk-amplifying drug that increases the power of a Quirk but can cause the user to lose all reason if they either take too much, or are suffering from withdrawals. Don’t know which one it is with this one. Ugh. And here I thought Edgeshot beat up the drug ring last month. Guess there was still a straggler or something.”

“Did you help with that?” Yuji asks curiously.

“Yup. It was my first mission as Edgeshot’s Work Study student. Pretty tough too but we got it done. As for this, well, this might be beyond our skill level,” says Nobara with a scowl.

Choso drops onto the ground beside them, causing Yuji to yelp but Nobara isn’t even fazed. “I’ve got it,” he says as he clasps his hands together and the blood marks across the bridge of his nose suddenly gain two vertical lines on each of his cheeks that extend past his eyes before he shoots off swiftly. He clasps his hands together as he moves and a beam of blood surges away from his clasps hands and bends and twists in a way similar to Piercing Blood but, instead of cutting through the villain, it actually twines itself around the villain’s legs and condenses. The villain yells as he tumbles off his feet and crashes into the ground.

Choso is already on the move, jumping onto droplets of blood that he uses as stepping stones like when he fought against Kenjaku during the Shibuya Incident back in their last lives. He jumps off a droplet and twists in midair when one of those arms fires at him and clasps his hands together, sending off another charged up beam of blood that spears straight through the villain’s hand and pins it to the ground.

“Whoa,” Yuji says in amazement. He is just as proficient at manipulating blood in this life as he was in his last life but, at the same time, Yuji notices that the blood, while malleable, seems a bit more solid now than it was in his last life. Or, maybe, that’s just how he’s perceiving it from his vantage point.

“He’s got this in hand,” Nobara comments, watching as Choso dives downward and slams his feet straight into the face of the villain, driving him into the concrete and knocking him out cold as the winding blood wraps around his form. The only injury the villain seems to have suffered is the one through the hand when he tried to swat Choso out of the air.

Nobara makes her way over to join Choso and Yuji, shaking himself out of his surprise, swiftly follows suit. They both reach Choso and villain as Choso is hopping off his massive body and studying him, humming as the massive body suddenly shrinks a great deal, leaving behind a young man probably around the same height as Choso himself.

“The drug must’ve worn off,” Nobara says. “We should let Edgeshot know.”

“I already did,” Choso says, tapping the earpiece resting in his ear. “He and Blazer are dealing with their own Trigger-influenced villain though.”

“Another one? God damn it. Where the heck are they getting the supply?”

“We may have missed someone when we took down the operation last month.”

“God damn it! Wait, if there is one fighting Edgeshot and then this one, how do we know there aren’t more?”

“We don’t.”

“Great, just freaking great.”

Yuji glances between the two of them. “Um, well, it could just be two of ‘em,” he says.

“Highly unlikely, little brother, but possible, I suppose.” Choso turns and waves a hand and Yuji turns as a couple of officers move toward them to apprehend the villain. The three of them move away from the scene and Nobara stretches her arms above her head and hums.

“Well, that was entertaining,” she comments as she tilts her head to the side. “I guess we should…”

The attack comes out of nowhere and Yuji’s eyes widen in utter shock when something spears through Nobara’s stomach before she has a chance to react. Her eyes widen as blood erupts form her mouth before the items, the blades Yuji realizes in horror, yank her and throws her. She goes sailing to crash, headfirst, into the building at the far end of the plaza.

“Kugisaki!” Yuji doesn’t know why that name is what erupts out of his mouth but it does. It tears free from his lips before he can even think about what he is saying.

“Flesh…” That word comes from a man wrapped up in black bandages like a straight jacket with a mask covering the top half of his face and blades protruding from his teeth that he fires at Choso and Yuji.

Choso shoves Yuji out of the way and clasps his hands together, vertical lines spreading from the blood marks across his nose on both of his cheeks. “Piercing Blood!” he shouts as the beam of blood surges forward rapidly and batting away the various blades that are surging toward him. He grits his teeth as he jumps back to avoid a blade that got past the writhing beam of blood.

“Black Flash! Check on Iron Maiden,” he shouts as he fires off another Piercing Blood.

“But…” Yuji begins.

“Go! I’ll handle this guy. Get Iron Maiden’s phone and call Edgeshot. Tell him Moonfish is in the central plaza!”

Yuji scrambles to his feet and, swallowing, nods, whirls around, and bolts. Be safe, Choso. And, Nobara, please be all right.

. . .

Nobara remembers.

The cycle of nightmares surges through her mind, slotting into place alongside the memories she’s made in this lifetime. They fit so perfectly as if they are memories and she knows that they are. She isn’t sure why now she knows they are but she does. Perhaps it’s because they fit too perfectly for them to be anything but memories.

But, whatever the reason, she now understands why she recognizes Togata and Hado and Satoru Midoriya. It’s because she does know them. She does.

She fought alongside them. She learned with them, and from them. Togata and Hado, they are Yuji and Megumi, her classmates from a whole other lifetime ago. And Satoru Midoriya is Satoru Gojo, her teacher from a whole other lifetime ago.

Back before the age of Quirks, back when cursed spirits and cursed energy existed, back when jujutsu sorcerers existed to combat those threats.

She remembers.

The little village out on the countryside.

She remembers.

Fumi and Sayuri and her wish to, someday, be reunited with both of them in Tokyo, a wish that never came true.

She remembers.

Roppongi and the detention center and training with the second years to prepare for the Kyoto Goodwill Event.

She remembers.

Maki. Beautiful and strong and such a fierce fighter, Maki was such an inspiration to Nobara, someone that she looked up to a great deal, a role model who helped Nobara to become an even stronger fighter. And the beautiful young woman that Nobara will admit, if only to herself, she had a slight crush on.

She remembers.

The Kyoto Goodwill Event that ended up rather badly with the appearance of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Even if that conflict ended with Gojo pretty much annihilating the cursed spirit, it had still been pretty difficult to deal with.

She remembers.

The first time she ever used Black Flash when she and Yuji went up against Kechizu and Eso while they were dealing with a supposed curse at a bridge that ended up dealing with one of Sukuna’s fingers.

She remembers.

Shibuya where everything went to hell in a handbasket the instant word of Satoru Gojo being sealed had spread. She remembers when she was told that she didn’t have to go and help but she went anyway and how she encountered a clone of Mahito, the special grade cursed spirit capable of interfering with one’s soul.

Mahito is also the one who killed her.

She remembers.

She remembers looking Yuji straight in the eye after Mahito managed to touch her while she held the spot where he touched her. She remembers giving him a small smile and reassuring him that it wasn’t all bad.

And then there was a flash of crimson and then absolutely nothing.

And then the cycle always repeats. The nightmare always end with that scene and begin again with pher in that tiny village out on the countryside.

But she remembers.

That cycle isn’t just nightmares. That cycle is memories showing her the life she led before she life she is leading now.

“...bara! Nobara!”

Yuji’s familiar voice sounds and Nobara’s eyes snap open. She groans as her head throbs and she can taste blood in her mouth. One hand goes to her stomach where that blade had pierced her and, while she knows she is losing blood, she can’t really feel anything. She lifts her head to find Yuji gazing at her with concern in his brown eyes.

She gives him a bloody smile. “What’re you looking so concerned for? I’m fine,” she says, ignoring the blood that’s falling from her lips.

“You were stabbed in the stomach, Nobara,” Yuji protests.

“Iron Maiden,” she corrects. “We’re still on the job, y’know.”

“But…”

She studies him and debates whether to check if he remembers or not. Now may not be the best of times but, when she glances over her shoulder and sees Choso absolutely wrecking Moonfish and sees that Edgeshot and Blazer have showed up, she knows she doesn’t have to worry. They will handle matters

She turns her gaze to Yuji and tilts her head to the side. “You know, Yuji, it wasn’t so bad,” she says.

Yuji’s eyes widen.

“Last thing I ever said to ya, huh?” Nobara comments and raises an eyebrow when tears well up in Yuji’s eyes and start sliding down his cheeks. “And you’re crying.”

“I’m sorry but...but...you remember?” Yuji whispers, scrubbing at his eyes to to wipe the tears away.

“Yeah. Ugh, got a raging ass migraine right now but I remember.”

Yuji peers at the wall behind her and grimaces. “I guess if you do have a past life then hitting your head on something really hard is a way to regain those memories,” he says with a shake of his head. “Same thing happened to me and Megumi.”

“So Hado?”

“Yup.”

“And Satoru Midoriya…?”

“...is Gojo-sensei reincarnated, yeah.”

“Man, who else?”

“Well, Satoru’s boyfriend Suguru is also a reincarnation and so is Choso over there but you never got the chance to meet Choso and none of us met Suguru, though Megumi did know about him so he must’ve died before we started at that school,” says Yuji.

“Yeah, probably, I guess.” But Nobara finds she is glad to know her classmates and even her teacher were reincarnated in this world. Even in the brief time she had come to know them since they all met in the June before the shitshow at Shibuya, and even if Gojo did annoy the hell out of her, a part of her did come to care for them. Yes, even Gojo in spite of not really knowing him that well and him annoying her. He was still a good teacher, even if his methods were very unorthodox, and he definitely had the same energy as Nobara and Yuji in certain cases. The three of them definitely got on Megumi’s nerves more often than not but it was all in good fun.

A crash sounds and Nobara peers over Yuji’s shoulder in time to see Plasma, or she guesses Choso is his real name, landing on the ground in front of them and darting toward them. “Edgeshot and Blazer have it handled,” he says as he reaches out a hand and rests it on Nobara’s stomach, eyes narrowing in concentration. Blood erupts from his palm and flows into Nobara’s stomach, causing her eyes to widen at the warmth that suddenly floods through her.

“What’re you doing?” Yuji asks.

“Do you remember how my blood was incredibly poisonous in my last life?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s the exact opposite now. There’s a healing agent in my blood in this life. I can’t really use it that often since it takes a great deal of the Quirk energy infused directly into my blood and usually leaves me feeling the side effects of severe blood loss,” says Choso. “But this wound is pretty severe. She won’t make it to the hospital.”

“What about you?” Yuji asks in concern.

“Don’t worry, little brother. I’ll just be dealing with the side effects of severe blood loss but I can survive long enough to reach a hospital from that, and will be just fine after a blood transfusion. Iron Maiden, on the other hand, is a different story.”

Nobara huffs but she can tell that Choso’s Quirk really is doing its job rather well because, even though her head is still throbbing as if someone is hitting it repeatedly with her hammer, she doesn’t feel as dizzy and weak as earlier. When she looks at her stomach, she notices the wound seems to be closing itself as the blood that erupted from the wound seeps into her skin and vanishes. The wound closes completely and the last of the blood vanishes as well, not even leaving a scar in its place.

She reaches out a hand and touches her stomach. “Whoa, not even a scar. That’s pretty impressive. Never knew you could do that,” she says, peering at Choso and grimacing because he doesn’t look good at all.

In fact, almost as soon as he retracts his hand from her stomach, he crumples to the side and Yuji only barely manages to catch him before he hits the ground.

Another crash sounds behind them and Nobara turns to find that Edgeshot has finally managed to knock Moonfish out, though not before Moonfish apparently managed to throw Blazer through a building. Blazer is crawling out of it but it’s clear one of Moonfish’s blades did pierce his shoulder.

“Choso?” Yuji whispers, nudging the unconscious black-haired young man but Choso doesn’t respond.

“Edgeshot! Blazer!” Nobara shouts as she pushes herself to her knees and winces because her head really is throbbing right now and that shout didn’t really help.

Edgeshot gets to her side in an instant and kneels down beside Choso, resting a hand on his shoulder. “What happened?” he asks.

“No...er, Iron Maiden was stabbed through the stomach by that villain,” says Yuji. “But Ch...er, Plasma used his Quirk to heal her but passed out afterwards.”

“Blood loss. There’s a reason why he doesn’t really use that aspect of his Quirk that often since it can be very dangerous for him,” says Edgeshot as he reaches down and gently lifts Choso’s unconscious body into his arms. “I’ll take him to the hospital. Blazer, will you handle explaining matters to the authorities?”

“I got it,” Blazer says.

“Iron Maiden, you and Black Flash can go ahead and head back to the agency. Everything is handled here,” says Edgeshot.

“Will C...Plasma be all right?” Yuji asks as he gets to his feet and holds out a hand to Nobara who waves it away and gets up on her own. She does sway violently and groans because her head really is hurting right now. “Also, I think Iron Maiden needs to go to the hospital too. She kinda did crash head first into a stone wall.”

Edgeshot moves closer and examines her critically before nodding in agreement. “I am sure Plasma will be fine. Both of you, come with me,” he says.

Yuji remains at Nobara’s side as she follows Edgeshot away from the plaza. She casts a glance at him and smiles. “Now I understand why your hero name is Black Flash,” she comments.

Yuji laughs a little bit. “Well, I was rather proficient with that back then,” he admits.

“Mm. So please tell me that creep Mahito got beat.”

Yuji’s laughter fades and he sighs. “Well, kinda,” he says and, when Nobara stops briefly to give him a questioning look, he adds, “he kinda got absorbed by Kenjaku, the guy who organized the entire incident at Shibuya, but I did beat the ever living shit out of him beforehand. Pretty sure he was crying by the time Kenjaku absorbed him.”

“So he went out like a bitch?” Nobara barks out a laugh at that and, even if that causes her head to throb even more, she finds she doesn’t mind. To hear that the bastard who murdered her literally went out like a crying little bitch after Yuji beat the ever living shit out of him is just poetic justice in her eyes.

“Yeah, it was rather satisfying even if it couldn’t bring you or Nanamin back,” Yuji admits.

Nobara gives him a sympathetic look since she knows of how much her friend looked up to and respected Nanami. “Hey, maybe, he got a second chance too,” she says.

“I dunno if he did since I haven’t seen any sign of him but I guess if he did then, maybe, he is off enjoying his life in Malaysia or something.”

Nobara snorts. “More power to him if that’s the case,” she says. “So was Gojo ever unsealed?”

“Yeah. Took nineteen days but we finally got him unsealed.”

“Good. What about that bastard Sukuna?”

Yuji grimaces. “We did end up defeating him but, well, it was costly.”

Nobara peers at him, noticing the grief and guilt in his eyes. “How costly?”

“We...pretty much lost everyone, Nobara,” Yuji says quietly. “Sukuna even managed to take out Gojo.”

“He did what?!”

“Yeah. Long story there that...I don’t know if I really want to relive it right now but...yeah…But, like Satoru said, our memories are just memories, phantoms, and they can’t hurt us. And, well, all of that happened in our last lives so they can’t be changed so why let it bother us now, right?”

Nobara hums in agreement. “Yeah, true. I mean the scars are gonna be there and I’m pretty sure my nightmares aren’t gonna go away just ‘cause I know now they’re memories but this is our life now,” she says. She grins and adds, “And I’m working hard to become a great hero!”

Yuji grins at her. “So am I, so is Megumi and Satoru too.”

“Black Flash, Iron Maiden, are you two okay?” Edgeshot asks as he drops back once he realizes they had stopped walking and were no longer following him.

The two reincarnated sorcerers turned heroes in training exchange glances and then turn to face the Number Five Year.

“I think we will be, eventually,” Yuji says and Nobara nods her head in agreement.

Edgeshot studies them, clearly trying to figure out what they mean by that before he nods. “Let’s keep moving,” he says and starts walking again and Yuji and Nobara follow suit.

. . .

Chapter Text

“So you have seven of these beasts tattooed on you and can summon them at will so long as their tattoo is exposed?” Ryu asks as the two of them make their way across the rooftops of Hosu City while scanning the streets for any sign of criminals. He is studying Megumi out of the corner of his eye as he moves and Megumi has to admire how he’s able to do that and not trip over something and also keep his eyes on the city itself.

“Yes,” he says.

“Mm, that explains the costume ‘cause it leaves your back and stomach exposed, thus leaving your tattoos exposed,” Ryu comments. “I don’t have to worry about that with my Quirk but I do gotta keep my face covered if I wanna use it, and I can only use one Auspicious Beast at a time. Is it only those seven though?”

“I’ve only gotten seven,” Megumi admits. The truth of the matter is that the seven tattoos on his skin weren’t all there at the moment of his birth. When he was born, he was actually born with the Divine Dogs tattooed on his right shoulder blade but, as he grew older, he started gaining the others. Mahoraga was the last one he got, just last year. But if this Quirk really is the Quirk version of the Ten Shadows Technique he had in his last life then he has no doubt he will be getting Deer, Ox, and Tiger at some point. But, right now, he only has the seven.

“Hmm. Your tone suggests you think you might get more.”

“I think I might end up getting ten total.”

“Ten, huh? Sounds interesting.” Ryu jumps onto another building and comes to a halt as Megumi joins him. He turns to face him as he adjusts the beanie resting on his head and gives him a faint smile. “Okay so this patrol’s been pretty boring so far, which is actually a good thing ‘cause it means there hasn’t been any other incidents.”

“Other incidents?” Megumi remembers what happened during the Sports Festival and asks, “You mean the Hero Killer?”

“Yup. We’ve been on high alert ever since the attack on Ingenium. Even his sidekicks have been doing patrols more often than ever but, so far, there has been no sign of him. I’m taking that with a grain of salt though ‘cause, while I wouldn’t mind if the Hero Killer just up and disappeared never to come back, that’s unlikely to be the case.”

“Probably not.” Megumi turns and scans the street, brow furrowing as his eyes land on a familiar armored person walking along the sidewalk alongside the familiar form of the Normal Hero Manual. He moves to the edge and crouches down, studying Ida as he moves.

“Friend of yours?” asks Ryu as he joins him.

“Yeah,” says Megumi.

“Hmm, that armor makes me think of Ingenium,” Ryu says as he studies Ida as he and Manual come to a stop at the corner of the shop. Ida is glancing back and forth rapidly but Megumi is too far away to hear what either he or Manual are saying to each other.

“Yeah, he’s Ingenium’s little brother,” says Megumi.

“Really?” Ryu tilts his head to the side as he studies Ida. “Him being in Hosu City is worrisome then. Tell me, do you think he’s the kind of person who would go after the Hero Killer on his own out of a need for vengeance?”

“No.” Megumi’s answer is rather quick but that’s primarily because of what he knows about Ida. Ida has always been a rule follower with a massive sense of responsibility. He is always the kind of person who will say something if he catches someone breaking a rule and help them to understand that what they’re doing is wrong.

But, at the same time, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Ida this angry before. He can still remember that mask of absolute fury that dominated Ida’s face when they were in the train station three days ago. Even now, he can see the tension in Ida’s body, can see the way he is clenching his fists.

“Or, at least, that’s what I want to say,” he admits finally. “But, honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think even those who know him well knows of how he’ll react in this situation.”

“Mm, fair enough. It’s never easy to lose someone, especially if you care about them,” says Ryu. “My little brother and I lost our parents when my brother was only five and it was hard for me. I was only fourteen and suddenly saddled with taking care of my little brother because the foster family we were placed with were terrible drunkards who only cared about the money they were getting from the government to take care of us. Really, kinda sounds like a villain origin story, eh?”

“Kind of. And yet you’re still a hero,” Megumi says.

Ryu taps his finger to his lower lip in thought. “Yeah, true,” he says. “Honestly, I guess it’s kinda ‘cause I’ve always believed that one needs to proceed through life the right way. In spite of the hurdles thrown in my way, I knew I had to focus on taking care of my brother and not worry about the bad circumstances I was living in because taking care of my brother was the right path to follow. He is the only family I have left after all and I love him a great deal, so much so that I became a hero to be a role model for him. He is following the same path.”

“He is?”

“Yup. He’s attending Shiketsu High. I don’t know why he didn’t want to attend U.A. even though he did get accepted after passing the recommendation exam with flying colors but he just said that he felt it was better for him to go to Shiketsu instead so I supported him wholeheartedly,” says Ryu.

Megumi hums.

“Either way, just because I didn’t give in to the my own feelings because I had someone important to focus on, not everyone handles their grief the same way. Trauma affects everyone differently and how they handle it is different from one person to the next.”

Isn’t that the truth. Megumi can’t even say he’s really handling his own trauma, other than constantly shoving it aside and focusing on the now, on his current life, and he isn’t sure that is a good way to handle that. But it’s not as if he has any other way to handle it. It’s not like he can talk with a therapist and talking with any of the others who were reincarnated with him, and remembered their past lives, is out of the question.

He is able to interact with Yuji and Satoru well enough but the instant he starts thinking about his past life is the moment when he can’t even look either of them in the eye, especially Satoru. All it does is bring those dark memories back to his mind, all it does is serve to remind him of those scars. Even if neither Satoru nor Yuji held what happened when Sukuna took over his body against him, that doesn’t mean Megumi hasn’t held it against himself. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still blame himself for being too weak to withstand Sukuna taking over his body, that he was too weak to control Sukuna like Yuji was able to do as quickly as he had.

“Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up any dark memories or nothing like that,” Ryu adds quickly.

“No, you’re fine,” Megumi murmurs. He figures his guilt or his self-loathing must have appeared on his face. He shoves it aside as he refocuses his attention on the street down below, watching as Ida and Manual start walking again.

“Do you wanna go talk with him? I’m sure Manual won’t mind if we do a joint patrol for the rest of this area of the city,” says Ryu.

Megumi hesitates but it’s not as if he knows what to say to his friend. He is terrible at expressing his emotions or talking about them so how can he be of any help for someone who is grieving himself?

His phone vibrates at that moment and, when Ryu gives him an amused look, he shrugs and pulls out his phone and taps the screen.

It’s a message from Izuku.

Izuku: hey Hado. Getting ready to pass

through Hosu City now. How’s it going?

“A friend?” Ryu asks.

“Yeah. He’s getting ready to pass through Hosu City so he decided to check up on me,” Megumi says. He has no doubt Izuku is checking up on Ida too but, judging by the way Ida is more focused on scanning the streets, he isn’t going to be checking his phone right now. There is no telling if he even has it on him honestly.

He quickly types a response though.

You: it’s fine. Ida is doing

good from what I can

see

Izuku: that’s good. He isn’t

responding so I was getting a

little concerned

You: I’m close by and he’s

patrolling right now so

he might not have his

phone with him

Izuku: at least there’s that. Thx

for telling me

You: ur welcome. I said I’d

keep an eye on him after

all

Izuku: ya, you did. Thx again

You: ur welcome. How’s your

internship going?

Izuku: really well! :) I think I’ve

gotten a way better control than

I had previously with my Quirk

Megumi hums. He knows his friend did have a decent control over his Quirk even if he did go overboard during his fight against Todoroki. He doesn’t know much about Izuku’s Quirk, only that it seems to enhance his body similar to how Yuji’s Quirk works and he seems capable of unleashing his Quirk in bursts of air pressure like he did against both Ida and Yuji.

He’s about to congratulate him, since how else is supposed to respond to that?, when an explosion erupts. He starts and whirls around as smoke erupts from the plaza he can see resting in the distance. Flames are erupting and he, tucking his phone away, glancing at Ryu who is cursing as he scans the area.

“There are a lot of civilians there,” he says.

“Can I use my Quirk? I can get us there quickly,” Megumi says, raising his hands.

Ryu glances at him. “All right but only to get us there. Once we’re there, focus on evacuating the civilians and leave me to handle the threat,” he says.

“Understood.” Megumi clasps his hands together, hooking his thumbs to form the shadow puppet of a winged beast, and Nue’s tattoo erupts free from his skin and spreads its solidified shadow wings. He grabs one of the talons and gesture toward the other talon and Ryu, eyeing the massive bird warily, grabs the talon.

Nue shoots into the air and swiftly flies toward the plaza, easily angling its wings to glide down an alley between two buildings before swooping upward to avoid the plume of flames that erupt in front of the three of them. As they clear the smoke, Megumi’s eyes widen upon seeing the creature that is currently terrorizing the heart of the plaza. It’s exposed brain and dark blue skin and bird-like face…

Nomu!

“What is that thing?” Ryu gasps as Nue swoops down and, once they are close to the ground, he lets go and lands in a crouch on the ground with Megumi landing right behind him.

“It’s a nomu,” says Megumi swiftly. “Like the creature that attacked us at the U.S.J. Careful, it might have multiple Quirks.”

“Got it.” Ryu yanks his beanie over his eyes. “Mystic, focus on evacuating the civilians. Guide them to safety. Only use your Quirk if you need it to evacuate the civilians.”

“Understood.” Megumi turns and darts toward where a couple are gathered nearby, clutching at each other. One of the flying nomus surges past them, its wings slicing through the building and Megumi, clasping his hands together to form the shadow puppet of a toad, and, once the toad tattoo jumps free from his skin, he sends it forward. It lashes out with its tongue and wraps it around the family, yanking them away from the falling debris.

Once they are clear, he dismisses the toad and points to the alley they are standing by. “Hurry. That one looks free of debris,” he says.

“Thank you,” the father whispers and darts off.

Megumi turns and starts scanning the area for anyone else that needs his help. He will always help whoever he can, even if it’s not fair to others, but that is just the way that he is. He can’t save everyone so he can only focus on those who are closest to him.

He does manage to get several more free when he catches sight of a flash of white and he whirls around in time to see the familiar armored form of Ida surging past the mouth of the alley he just directed some civilians to. He frowns as he wonders why Ida is heading away from the scene of the attack.

His mind flashes back to the mask of fury on Ida’s face at the station, at the way he was clenching his fists earlier, at the tension and anger in his body, at the fact that he was constantly looking back and forth as if searching for something.

Or someone.

Ida, are you seriously…?

But Ryu’s words echo back in his mind. Trauma affects everyone differently and how they handle it is different from one person to the next.

He curses at the realization that there is a very real chance that the Hero Killer was spotted, and Ida is going after them. Why else would he be running away from the attack rather than toward it? Why else would he have been looking around as if searching for something in particular?

He whirls around and bolts down the alley. He will always follow his conscience and, right now, he can’t in good conscience leave someone he does see as a friend alone when they are heading straight into the heart of danger where they could get hurt. Even if it means leaving without telling Ryu, even if it means ignoring Ryu’s orders, that’s fine.

Megumi has always followed his conscience, both in his last life and now, and he is not about to stop now.

. . .

Izuku jumps onto the edge of hole in the bullettrain that the nomu made when it came careening through it and gazes out at the city of Hosu with wide eyes. Smoke is billowing into the sky, several places are on fire, and Izuku has no doubt it’s probably way worse closer to the where the smoke is thickest. Not only that but Gran Torino is somewhere down there, having tackled the nomu straight out of the train.

But to make matters worse, this is Hosu City.

Both Ida and Hado are doing their internships in this city and, that means, they are just as in trouble from this attack as the civilians are.

“Everyone, please, remain calm,” the stewardess says. “Please return to your seats. We need you to stay clam and wait for heroes to…”

Izuku activates his Quirk and crouches down as the green lightning flashes around his form. “Sorry but I’ve gotta go,” he says and, ignoring the man’s protest, he jumps out of the stopped train and starts running.

This one had a different body but the same sort of exposed brain. Maybe they’re siblings? Anyway, I’ve got to find Gran Torino. Please be all right. He ignores it when the yells at him to come back because it’s dangerous.

He jumps off the train tracks and, using his Quirk, starts hopping from building to building until he reaches the street. He swiftly makes his way through the massive crowd of panicked individuals as they flee the scene. Some of them are giving him puzzled looks, probably wondering why he’s heading toward the scene of the fighting, but he ignores them as he moves.

That guy really looked like nomu. If it’s as absurdly powerful as the one back at the U.S.J. then not just Gran Torino but this whole city is in trouble, including Ida and Hado. Their interships were here.

He grits his teeth as he moves, as he considers what his next course of action is. He could start helping with the evacuation, since maybe that’s what Ida and Hado are doing, but that thought is completely dashed form his mind when he hears a voice calling out Ida’s first name.

“Tenya!”

Izuku skids to a halt at the edge of a plaza engulfed in complete chaos. There is a massive nomu that looks like a slightly smaller version of the one who attacked the U.S.J. who is currently throwing a hero in one direction. There is another one who is flying through the air with another hero clutches in its talons.

And then there is Manual who has a panicked expression on his face as he scans the area with gritted teeth. “How could he run off at a time like this?” Manual says through gritted teeth and Izuku’s eyes widen because he realizes not only is this Ida’s mentor but he just said Ida ran off somewhere and that isn’t like Ida at all.

“Mystic! Where the heck did you go?” A new voice sounds and Izuku gasps upon seeing a man wearing a beanie as a mask jump forward and holds out his hands. “Kaichi!” Horns with spiraling patterns etched into the side erupt from the glowing green light surrounding his hands and fires away, surging through the air and crashing into the side of the big nomu.

“Mystic!” the hero yells again.

That’s not...Hado wouldn’t just leave either? What’s going on? I can’t see either Ida or Hado just running off like that, especially not in this kind of trouble.

But then it hits. This is Hosu City. This is the city where the Hero Killer’s last attack was located.

This is the city where Ingenium was injured.

It was all over the news after all and, while Izuku is a bit upset that Ida never actually came to them to tell them about what happened, he also can understand why it would be hard for him to talk about it. But, at the same time, he just can’t see Ida as someone who would actually run off recklessly like this.

“Damn! What’re these guys made of anyway?” one hero says nearby.

“I was told they have multiple Quirks,” the hero with the beanie mask calls as the blue glow around his hands vanishes and then he holds out his hand again. “Reiki!” He surges forward as watery blue light engulfs his entire form and Izuku might have been more impressed by how he seems to flow swiftly through the air as if he was made from water if he wasn’t still so concerned.

Ida is in the same city that his brother was attacked in.

It may be a long shot but there is a chance that he may have gone after the Hero Killer himself.

Izuku wracks his brain as he tries to figure out if there is any indication of where the Hero Killer would be. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes the news did reveal possible locations. The vast majority of the Hero Killer’s attacks took place in alleys or darkened corners, well away from the populace.

Very secluded.

So I’ll look through the alleyways. I’m sure I’ll be able to find some sort of lead.

He whirls around and bolts, slipping into the alley and hurrying down it. It’s like a maze in this area of the city but he simply keeps on scanning each alleyway he comes back as he makes his way further and further away from the scene of the fighting.

He is more than a little surprised when he ends up running into someone while searching. Both of them stumble backwards and, while they both manage to stay on their feet, they both seem a bit surprised to see each other there.

“Hado?” Izuku says surprised.

“Izuku?” Hado says in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” They both ask the question at the same time.

“Well, I mean here in particular ‘cause I know your internship took place here,” Izuku adds quickly.

“Ida came in this direction,” says Hado. “I have reason to believe he might be trying to track down the Hero Killer. It would make since ‘cause my dogs did find both Ida’s scent and the scent of someone who smells of blood, which I can definitely see as belonging to the Hero Killer.”

“Dogs?”

He waves a hand where a black dog is bounding toward him and Izuku realizes this is one of his Divine Dogs. He didn’t realize the Divine Dogs could track but he supposes he should have because they are dogs and some dogs are known for being excellent trackers.

The dog peers up at Izuku and barks and he gives it a little smile before he grows serious. “We have to move though,” he says, since he suspects that they don’t have a lot of time. Thankfully, since they do have these dogs who are capable of tracking people, that is going to cut down on the search time.

“Let’s go,” Hado says and, with a bark, the dog bounds off and Hado and Izuku quickly hurry after it.

“Hado, can you use one of your Shadow Beasts to fly? We can move faster if I can use some of my power to speed myself up,” says Izuku, glancing at Hado.

He nods and hooks his thumbs together to form the shadow puppet of a winged beast and Nue bursts free from his back and spreads its electrically charged wings. He grabs its talons and it flies into the air while Izuku, powering up One for All to the five percent his body can handle, jumps into the air and starts bounding from wall to wall, zigzagging swiftly down the alleyway with Hado flying overhead.

“I see them!” Hado shouts and Nue guides him swiftly toward the alley Izuku is approaching.

He surges toward that alley and, the instant he spots the Hero Killer, he surges into the alley and slams a fist straight into the Hero Killer’s face. The Hero Killer stumbles back and then Nue is there, crashing an electrically charged wing into the Hero Killer who hisses in pain as he jumps backwards to avoid more electrical burns.

Hado lands on the ground beside Izuku as Izuku shifts and holds his fists up.

“Izuku?!” Ida, who is currently laying motionless on the ground with blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder, gasps. “And Hado? But why?”

“It was on TV,” says Izuku. “How sixty percent of the Hero Killer’s victims were discovered around blind corners in deserted areas so I’ve been scouring the back alleys near the Normal Hero’s agency, close to the center of all the trouble, looking for you! I ran into Hado who was doing the same thing. He’s the one who spotted you first.”

“Can you move?” Hado asks. “You should get out of harm’s way, preferably to the road so you can try and find some pros to help.”

“I can’t move,” Ida says. “He cut me...that’s likely his Quirk.”

“Tch.”

“They were talking about that so he needs to cut you to get it to work?” Izuku murmurs as he scans the area and grimaces upon seeing there is another hero the familiar form of Native, and he grimaces. He turns to Hado. “Can you help carry Native out of here while I get Ida?”

Hado nods.
“Izuku, Hado, don’t interfere!” Ida yells. “This has nothing to do with you.”

Izuku turns to him with a frown. “What are you saying?”

Hado narrows his eyes as he holds his hands out and clasps them together, forming the shadow puppet of a toad and a solidified shadow toad appears and lashes out with its tongue. It wraps it around Native and yanks him into its mouth before hopping down the alley. “There, that gets Native out of the way. Let’s get Ida and get out of here.”

“No, I told you! This has nothing to do with you,” Ida yells.

“Friends show up to save you. A good idea for sure. But it’s my duty to kill those two and if we’re forced to fight then, naturally, the weaker of us will be culled,” Stain says and Izuku grimaces at the sheer pressure that exudes from him while Hado takes a step back and narrows his eyes but there is tension in his form too.

This guy’s not like the attackers at the U.S.J. Those are the yes of a killer. Izuku swallows. He may have Hado’s help but he doesn’t think he will be able to get out of here with just Hado. They need more help.

He subtly pulls out his phone and proceeds to send his location to every single classmate on his contact list. Whether that will help or not, he can only hope it does because they need more help. Even if he and Hado can keep Stain away from Ida, doing that while also getting Ida out of there will be even more difficult.

They need Pros to get there and Izuku can only hope his classmates, if anyone responds, will bring Pros with them.

“Hado, we’re probably gonna have to fight,” he says, glancing at Hado.

“I figured that,” Hado says as Nue vanishes and reappears on his back. “He’s going to attack and if we try to take Ida and run, he’ll only attack our backs. If one of us can keep him distracted, the one might be able to get Ida and get him out of here but that’s a major ‘might’ right there.”

Izuku nods in agreement. “If we take him on together, we should be able to draw some time for help to get here,” he says, “and that should prevent him from attacking our backs.”

“Agreed.”

“No! Run! This is none of your business!” Ida yells at both of them.

“What’s a hero supposed to do when you say crap like that?” Izuku says back. “I’ve got a lot to say to you but that’ll have to come later because, it’s like All Might said, giving help that’s not asked for is what makes a true hero!” He lifts his fists as he says that and fixes a determined gaze on Stain while Hado shifts his hands in front of him and clasps them together, shifting them to form the shadow puppet of a snake.

A giant snake made out of solidified shadows erupts after its tattoo leaves Hado’s stomach and surges forward and Izuku follows suit. Stain is quick though, managing to dodge out of the way of the snake and swing his blade toward Izuku but Izuku drops down low and surges past and underneath him. Stain twists around but Izuku is already launching himself into the air, flipping over and aiming his fist.

“Five Percent Detroit Smash!” he yells as he slams his fist straight into the back of Stain’s head with enough force to throw him forward and nearly off his feet.

The serpent then surges forward and crashes into Stain and sends him flying backwards into the fire escape while clasping its jaws around him as if to keep it pinned. Izuku lands on the ground and grins at the realization that he managed to land a hit without hurting anything, that he managed to actually attack another person without going over his limit.

Stain’s blade stabs straight through the head of the serpent and Hado stumbles back as he scowls and dismisses the serpent. It vanishes, that tattoo reappearing around his stomach, as Stain perches on the fire escape. He grins as he raises the blade to his lips and swipes his tongue across it and Izuku gasps as he suddenly finds himself falling onto the ground.

“Izuku!” Hado says and surges forward, bending his body backwards to avoid Stain’s blade when it swipes toward him and, once he’s past Stain, pivoting and lashing out with a foot. It nearly clips Stain’s side but he dodges out of the way as Hado flips backwards and brings his hands together to form the shadow puppet of a dog.

The dog tattoo on his back pulls free and both solidified shadow dogs materialize and surge forward, jumping forward and attempting to lodge their teeth into Stain. Stain swipes at them and, while one dog bites down on the blade, the other dog gets kicked in the face by Stain that sends it flying to the other side of the alley.

Hado runs forward and, jumping into the air, spins and crashes a kick straight into the face of Stain before flipping over and slamming a fist into his face that sends him stumbling backwards. He lands on a dumpster and, using it as a springboard, jumps off and, flipping in midair to avoid the dagger Stain throws at him, slams both of his feet straight into Stain’s shoulders and drives him straight into the ground.

Whoa. Izuku gazes in wide-eyed amazement at Hado’s skill. He is definitely on par with Amajiki, Satoru, and Togata in terms of hand to hand fighting skills. He would have to say Hado probably surpasses Togata but it’s still impressive to see him take the fight to Stain as best he can while still managing to avoid the other’s many blades.

“Don’t let him ingest your blood,” he shouts at Hado when he sees Stain swipe a dagger toward Hado and, while Hado twists out of the way to avoid it, the blade still cuts into his leg. He responds by slamming his foot down on Stain’s arm and, when Stain hisses in pain, he kicks the blade out of the way and jumps back but not before Stain stabs him in the calf with the sword he got free from Hado’s dogs.

Hado hisses in pain and stumbles back and darts forward but Stain is already swiping his long tongue over the blade and Hado hisses as he finds himself slamming hard into the ground, a curse escaping his lips.

“Not bad, both of you,” says Stain. “But you both lack power. You,” – he nods at Izuku – “tracked my movements and exploited my blind spots and planned to bring me down. That’s how you moved.”

He nods to Hado. “You, on the other hand, took me by surprise by not relying on your Quirk even as you used them to get close to me and predict my movements as well. Not bad. So many fools out there are nothing but talk but you two...I think you two are worth keeping alive.” He focuses his gaze on Ida. “Unlike this one and that other one that you rescued earlier. I can deal with him later.”

Stain gets closer to Ida, pointing his blade at him.

“No! Ida!” Izuku yells.

An explosion of flames erupts forward and Izuku gasps as the heat washes over his form while Stain jumps backwards to avoid it.

“One after another, so many interruptions today,” Stain comments.

“Izuku, learn to write more specific directions. I was almost too late.”

Standing at the mouth of the alley, with flames engulfing the left side of his body, is Shoto Todoroki.

. . .

Shoto lets loose a breath as he studies the scene in front of him, taking into account Ida’s motionless and bleeding form, Hado and Izuku who don’t look like they are capable of moving, and Native who had been poking his head out of a random shadow toad at the mouth of the alley. He had been quick to ask Shoto why he was there but Shoto simply told him to wait because the pros were coming and entered the alley.

He really was just in time too.

“Todoroki, you too?” Ida gasps.

“But how’d you…? Your left and…” Izuku begins.

“You sent out your location to everyone, remember?” Hado says with a grimace. “Todoroki must have realized you were asking for help, which is why he came here right away.”

“He’s right. Since you aren’t the kind of person who would send such a random thing as your location, I knew it had to be you calling for help.” Shoto shifts his right foot forward and sends a surge of ice forward to push Stain back while also grabbing Izuku and Hado and bring them over to where Ida is laying as he moves forward. They both slide to the ground beside Ida as he adds, “Don’t worry, in just a few more minutes, the Pros will be here.”

He sends a surge of fire rushing forward at that exact moment when Stain rushes toward them, forcing Stain to jump up and backwards to avoid getting burned by them. He steps forward so he’s standing protectively in front of his three classmates as the flames continue to coil around his left arm.

“It’s as the reports say but you’re not killing anyone today, Hero Killer.”

Stain glares but says nothing.

“Todoroki, don’t let him draw blood. Pretty sure he paralyzes his opponents by ingesting their blood. That’s how he got us,” Izuku calls.

“Explains all the blades,” says Shoto as he adjusts his stance and holds out both hands, fully prepared to use either side of his Quirk to help. It’s just like what Izuku yelled at him back during the Sports Festival. It’s his power and he is not defined by the blood that runs through his veins. He decides who he wants to be, the kind of hero he wants to become.

“So I’ve gotta keep my distance…” He doesn’t see the blade coming until it’s already slicing through his cheek and he winces but ignores the blood welling up from the wound.

“You’ve got some good friends, Ingenium,” Stain says as he surges forward and Shoto, silently cursing, immediately conjures up an ice wall on his right side. Stain must have thrown his blade up because it comes sailing down, distracting Shoto who is only barely able to conjure up some flames to stop Stain from licking the wound on his cheek.

That was close. He’s strong.

He sends another surge of flames at Stain to keep him at bay.

“Why…? All three of you? Just stop it!” Ida stammers out. “I’ve inherited my brother’s name. I have to do this! He’s mine to…”

“Inherited his name? That’s weird.” Shoto slams his right hand down and conjures up a massive glacier that rushes forward. “’Cause the Ingenium I know never made faces like that. Guess your family’s also got a dark side to it.”

“Todoroki…” Izuku whispers.

The glacier is suddenly cut to pieces as Stain tears through it. “Obstructing your own vision when up against an opponent faster than yourself...poor strategy indeed,” he says.

“You’d like to think so,” Shoto says as he yanks his left arm back as flames engulf it but hisses in pain when three blades suddenly lodge themselves in his arm.

“You’re not bad either,” Stain says as he surges downward.

Crackling green lightning erupts above his head and Shoto’s eyes widen slightly as Izuku crashes into Stain and promptly drags him through the wall.

“Izuku!” he shouts.

“Somehow I can move again just fine,” Izuku shouts back.

“So it has a time limit?” asks Shoto.

“No, he got hit after me and I still can’t move,” says Ida.

Stain slams his elbow into Izuku’s side and he gasps as his grip loosens and he’s sent flying to the ground while Stain flips and lands in a skid a few meters from where Izuku lands.

“Get back, Izuku,” Shoto shouts and, as Izuku lets out a little squeak of surprise and quickly scrambles out of the way, he sends a surge of ice toward Stain. His arm is killing him right now with blood seeping from the wounds but he does his best to ignore it. He has to ignore it because, right now, taking care of Stain is more important.

Stain scowls and darts forward only for a massive surge of solidified shadow rabbits rush forward in wave after wave to completely engulf the other side of the alley. Shoto turns to find Hado kneeling on the ground, panting while blood seeps from the wound on his leg as his hands are clasped to form the shadow puppet of a rabbit.

“Wait, you got hit after me. How…?” Ida begins.

Izuku stumbles over to join them. “He tasted our blood and paralyzed us but Hado and I were the first to break free. I can think of three possible explanations, either the effect is weaker the more people he uses it on or it’s about how much he gets or it’s effectiveness depends on blood type.”

“Blood type? I’m A,” says Ida.

“I’m O,” Hado says.

“So am I,” Izuku says. “So it must not last as long for those with O blood type, which would explain why both Hado and I were able to move first even though Ida still can’t move. Though it’s not like knowing that will helps us.”

“My rabbits should keep him occupied for a little bit longer,” says Hado as he shakily gets to his feet only to stumble when his calf gives out. He curses. “Damn. That stab wound ended up being a lot deeper than I thought.”

“If we work together, we can get them both of out of here before Stain gets away from those rabbits,” says Shoto while holding his arm.

Several rabbits are suddenly sent flying and Hado grimaces as Stain tears free from the massive surge of rabbits. Several launch themselves at him but he just casually tears through them as if they are little more than flimsy pieces of paper.

“Damn it. He’s a lot faster with that blade than I thought. My rabbits should have kept him busy for a bit longer,” Hado says with gritted teeth.

“We’re gonna have to just hold him at bay and keep dodging,” says Izuku. “Todoroki, you’ve got too much exposed blood. I’ll draw his attention while you provide rear support. Hado, can you help with that?”

“Yes,” Hado says as he raises his hands and clasps them together to form the shadow puppet of a snake. The snake tattoo pulls free and rises up in its solidified shadow form and surges forward as Izuku surges forward as well.

Shoto watches them go, preparing to support them with his fire and ice as he considers Ida and what’s happened with him. Ever since the news broke about what happened to Ingenium. Shoto has been keeping an eye on him. He remembered seeing all that pent-up resentment on Ida’s face and he knows just how much such grudges can cloud a person’s vision.

He remembers his reunion with his mother during the day they had off after the Sports Festival. He remembers approaching her and how surprised he was when she went from crying and apologizing to smiling and offering forgiveness.

I’ve been able to move on, eyes unclouded, because she said she wanted me to be happy, to save people. At any point before that, I never would’ve dreamed of choosing my dad’s agency for my internship. It’s not that I forgave him. I doubt I ever will. It’s just that I want to witness and experience for myself what makes him the Number Two Hero out there.

He thrusts his left hand forward, sending a surge of fire toward Stain.

No matter how much of a scumbag he is, I had to see for myself the decision-making and intuition that’s made people label him Number Two. It was as simple as that. So simple yet I couldn’t see it.

“It’s your power!”

Izuku’s words echo in his mind. They still resonate so strongly within him and he knows he still owes Izuku a great deal for opening his eyes, for allowing him to see what has been right in front of him this entire time. Izuku fought him with every single skill he had, with so much determination, and all because he wanted Shoto to realize the truth he’s been denying.

That thought that is still so very simple but one that he couldn’t acknowledge because of that pent-up resentment, because of that grudge that was blinding him.

He can only hope that Ida can do the same, can open his eyes and look past the grudge and the resentment that is clouding his own vision.

He sends another surge of fire forward and winces upon seeing Izuku get cut.

“Stop it...I can’t...take it…” Ida stammers out.

Shoto grits his teeth and grimaces upon seeing Izuku fall to the ground as Stain swipes his tongue over the blade that just cut through Izuku’s ankle.

“Sorry, Todoroki,” he calls out.

“I can’t...This is…” Ida whispers.

“If you want to stop this, then stand up!” Shoto shouts as he watches Stain dodge around Hado’s serpent as well as his most recent burst of flames and wall of ice. “Never forget who you want to become!”

Flame engulf his left arm and he sends it flying toward Stain who dodges out of the way before swiping his blade to the side to cut through part of the serpent that attempts to attack him from the side. He flips in midair and throws more blades toward them but the serpent immediately surges between them to catch the blades before it dissipates.

Hado stumbles back and grimaces. “I’m running out of energy. I don’t know how many more times I can summon my Shadow Beasts,” he says.

Shoto grimaces. All Quirks have drawbacks, limits, and it’s clear Hado is starting to reach his. At the same time, Izuku is still down for the count and Shoto knows if he keeps this up then he is going to start running out of energy too. But he still tries, sending fire and ice surging one after the other after Stain.

Stain manages to avoid both of his attacks and Shoto grits his teeth when Stain surges toward him with his blade raised to slash toward his arm. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you? Relying too heavily on your Quirk makes you sloppy!”

“Todoroki!” Izuku yells.

He’s a monster! Shoto grits his teeth but Stain is too close so he knows he won’t be able to dodge.

“Recipro Burst!”

White flashes in front of Shoto’s vision as Ida successfully kicks Stain’s blade hard enough to snap it in half before slamming another kick straight into the side of Stain’s head that sends him flying backwards.

“Ida!” Izuku yells.

“So that guy’s Quirk wore off you too,” says Hado as he slowly, shakily, rises to his feet.

“That guy’s Quirk isn’t so great after all,” says Shoto.

“This had nothing to do with any of you so I’m sorry.” Ida lifts his head and, though his glasses are gone, his eyes are still flaring with determination. “That’s why I swear I won’t let you three lose any more blood here!”

Stain barks out a laugh as he holds his broken blade to the side. “It’s no use pretending. A person’s true nature is not so easily changed,” he says. “You’re a fake who prioritized his own selfish desires. A cancer on this society warped by ‘heroes’. Someone needs to correct the system.”

“And you need to realize that humans are selfish, idiot,” Hado says coolly as he shifts into a starting stance.

“You sound like a fundamentalist too,” says Shoto. “Get with the times. Ida, don’t even think of listening to his so-called reasoning.”

“No,” Ida says quietly. “He’s right. I have no right to call myself a hero. Still, I won’t let him break me. Because if I break then Ingenium’s really dead.”

“You’re hopeless,” Stain says coolly and surges forward but Shoto sends another burst of flames flying at him in the effort to get him to stay back.

“We’re out of our league here,” Hado says with a grimace as Stain dodges out of the way.

“Yes but I don’t think he’s going to let us leave,” says Shoto with a grimace. “He went through a clear change a minute ago. He’s all fired up too.”

“He’s tenacious,” says Hado with a scowl. “I might be able to summon one more Shadow Beast. Even though none of my beasts have had any effect, this one might.” He holds his clenched fists one above the other in front of him as if he’s grasping a wheel at one and seven, adding, “With this treasure, I summon…”

The blade come out of nowhere and Hado hisses, stumbling back as they spear all the way through his arm and blood erupts from the wound.

Shoto grimaces. He isn’t too sure what Hado was about to summon but, at the same time, he doesn’t think Hado can do it anymore, not with the pain flaring in his eyes and the way he can’t lift his arms with the blades speared through them. The blades look like the jagged ones that are lodged into Shoto’s arm so removing them himself will probably only make the wound worse.

There has to be something else they can do.

“Todoroki!” Ida yells suddenly and Shoto turns toward him. “Can you regulate temperatures?”

“I’m not really used to my left but why?” asks Shoto.

“Freeze my leg for me without blocking the exhaust pipes,” Ida says firmly.

“Stop interfering!” Stain yells as he throws more blades at Shoto but Ida dives forward and hisses in pain when the blades sink deep into his arm.

“You stay down too!” Stain hisses as he throws another blade that slams into Ida’s arm and pins him to the ground.

“Ida…” Shoto begins.

“Just do it quickly!” Ida shouts back.

Shoto pauses but nods and rests his hand on Ida’s leg, freezing it but leaving the exhaust pipes exposed.

Ida bites the blade lodged into his arm and rips it free with his teeth, throwing it aside and scrambling to his knees. “Recipro Extend!” he yells as he surges into the air.

At the same time, with crackling green lightning surging around his form, Izuku rushes forward from the other side of the alley.

Shoto grins. “Go,” he says, watching as Izuku crashes his fist into Stain’s face at the same exact time Ida crashes his leg straight into Stain’s side.

Stain whirls around, swiping his blade downward only for a solidified winged beast to surge forward and grab the blade in its talons, wrenching it free and flying off with it.

Shoto glances to his side to see Hado. He’s panting with beads of sweat on his forehead and blood still dripping from the wounds in the arm the blades are still poking out of but his hands are clasped to form the shadow puppet of a winged beast.

He turns and watches as Ida yells, “I will defeat you! This time for sure! You, as a criminal, and me as a hero!”

“Keep him on the ropes,” Shoto calls, flames engulfing his left arm as he waits for his chance.

Ida whirls around in midair and kicks Stain sharply in the side again as Shoto unleashes a torrent of flames that rushes forward to slam into Stain. He then shifts his right foot forward and sends up a surge of ice to catch Ida, Izuku, and Stain, causing the first two to slide down to join him and Hado.

Shoto remains steadfast but stops upon noticing that Stain is out cold and not moving on top of the glacier he is laying across.

“He’s out cold, right?” Izuku asks.

“Let’s tie him up and get him to the main road,” Shoto says finally. “See any rope we can use? If I keep him on ice, he’ll probably shatter his own body the second he wakes up.”

“If we can’t find any rope, I might be able to summon Great Serpent again to keep him restrained,” says Hado in spite of the pain and exhaustion in his eyes.

“We should take all of his weapons too, just in case,” says Izuku and Shoto nods his head in agreement. That is probably the best idea.

It doesn’t take them long to get to the main road after they tie up Stain with some rope they managed to find, though Hado is limping badly and still bleeding from the wounds in his arm, Izuku is limping and unable to put pressure on his ankle, Ida is supporting both of them, and Shoto is also still bleeding from the wounds in his arm even as he drags Stain behind them.

Native, who must have regained movement at some point and got out of Hado’s Toad, immediately moves over and gets Izuku onto his back so Ida can focus only on supporting one of his friends. Hado is murmuring that he’s fine to walk on his own but Ida insists on him letting him do this.

“Sorry, I’m supposed to be a Pro but I wasn’t much help at all,” Native says.

“Don’t sweat it. It would’ve happened to anyone in a one-on-one against the Hero Killer and his Quirk. He’s so strong,” Izuku says.

“Even in a four-on-one, we just barely won because he screwed up,” Shoto says. He has no doubt about that. Stain was so annoyed that he forgot about the effect of his Quirk wearing off Izuku, which Shoto is quick to point out as he adds, “He just couldn’t react in time to either attacks.”

There’s movement and Shoto blinks in surprise when there’s a blur of yellow and then a small old man is suddenly slamming his feet right into Izuku’s face.

“I told you to stay in your seat!” the old man exclaims.

“Gran Torino!” Izuku says with a wince.

“Well, I don’t know what happened here but glad to see you’re still alive,” the old man, Gran Torino, says as he lands on the ground.

“There you are!” A shout sounds and Shoto turns as a young man with disheveled brown hair and a beanie resting on his head bursts out of an alley and immediately hurries toward the group, frowning at Hado. “Oh shit. You’re like really injured!”

“Ryu? You’re here too?” Hado says in surprise.

“Yeah. Endeavor sent me and a bunch of other heroes to this alleyway. Was not expecting to see my intern here and, holy shit, is that the Hero Killer?!” Ryu exclaims as he whirls around to stare at the Hero Killer’s unconscious form before he shakes his head and whirls around, adding, “Get an ambulance over here and help me to restrain the Hero Killer.”

“Oh, yeah, the nomu,” Hado says.

“Endeavor’s taking care of it,” says Ryu as he moves over to help the other heroes take care of the Hero Killer.

“Izuku, Todoroki, Hado,” Ida says suddenly and Shoto, Hado, and Izuku, who is climbing of Native’s back but trying not to put too much pressure on his ankle, turn toward him. He bows his head as he adds, “The three of you...You were wounded because of me. I am so terribly sorry. I was blind. I lost sight of everything.”

“I’m sorry too,” Izuku says. “I couldn’t tell at all that you were so upset about it and I’m supposed to be your friend. Hado knew.”

“I had a feeling,” says Hado. “Losing someone you truly care about and love can cause you to blind yourself to everything around you, even if it means losing sight of the path you are walking or just giving up on the path you were walking.”

Ida peers at him at that.

Hado turns his gaze away. “You aren’t the only one who’s felt that way after losing someone you love. You just blinded yourself to your path. I know someone who gave up entirely, which can be just as bad but for a different reason.”

Ida studies him for a moment and Shoto hums, wondering if Hado is talking from personal experience or not. Maybe he knows someone that happened to but it’s not like it matters right now. He turns his gaze to Ida and, while he is sure that Ida is going to need some time to come to terms with this, he decides that getting him to focus on the now should help.

“Get it together. You’re the class president, aren’t you?” he says.

Ida scrubs the tears from his eyes. “Yes,” he says.

“Get down!” Gran Torino suddenly screams and Shoto whirls around, eyes wide as the flying nomu suddenly surges downward and its talons grab Izuku around the middle, startling everyone as it flies away.

“Izuku!” Shoto shouts, watching with wide eyes as the nomu flies away with the green-haired boy he is slowly starting to see as a friend.

There is movement and then the nomu suddenly freezes in midair. Shoto gasps as movement sounds and then Stain is surging upward into the air to crash into the nomu. He slams a blade straight into the brain of the nomu with one hand while grabbing Izuku with the other and all three of them go plummeting to the ground.

“Both this sham-filled society and the criminals who wield their power in the name of petty mischief are targets of my purge!” Stain declares. “All for the sake of a better society!”

The other heroes are talking about what they should do when the familiar voice of his father sounds as Endeavor makes his appearance. His eyes widen upon seeing the Hero Killer but, before he can attack, Gran Torino stops him.

“You fake!” Stain yells, whirling around and facing them all and Shoto’s eyes widen at the sheer presence that is exuding off the Hero Killer.

Ida trembles

Hado takes a step back, dark blue eyes wide.

“If I don’t fix it, if someone isn’t stained with blood, if I don’t reclaim my hero status!” Stain takes a single step forward as he fixes his piercing, madness filled gaze on them. “Come! Just try me, you fakes!”

The sheer pressure, the sheer intimidation, is enough to send Shoto stumbling backward and off his feet and he knows he isn’t the only one because Ida collapses beside him and Hado is collapsing on his other side with huge eyes.

“This intimidation... It’s on par with Gojo but for a whole different reason,” Hado whispers quietly.

“The only one allowed to kill me is All Might! A true hero!” Stain yells and then goes still.

Shoto stares because, even though it’s clear Stain is out cold, it was also clear that he was prepared to stand against them all.

. . .

Chapter Text

“So you are okay, right?” Satoru leans against the window and peers out at the bustling stretching out in front of him as his phone rests against his ear as he waits for his brother to respond. It’s the day after his brother sent his location through the Group Chat that was established between all of Class 1-A without any context whatsoever. When he got that message, Satoru nearly just up and teleported all the way to Hosu City in spite of the fact that he doesn’t have the full control over his teleportation now that he had in his past life – and was liable to end up teleporting himself into a ditch nowhere near his desired location – because he was panicking. It’s really only thanks to Dark Shadow holding him down so he didn’t attempt it and Hawks managing to talk him out of the panic attack that came about because of his concern for his brother that he didn’t end up doing exactly that.

He’s always been protective of Izuku ever since they were little and that protectiveness only grew after Izuku’s Quirkless diagnosis and everyone started treating him badly as a result. He doesn’t think he will ever stop being protective of Izuku even though he knows Izuku has the power to protect himself now in spite of his lack of self-preservation in certain cases, such as when he’s trying to help someone. Such as when he hurt himself trying to help All Might at the U.S.J. and hurt himself trying to help Todoroki during the Sports Festival.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Satoru,” Izuku reassures him. “S...Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you but I didn’t have any time to explain anything and I just needed to get help to my location as quickly as possible. I just figured if any of our classmates were close by then they could either come and help, or send some pros to help.”

“What exactly happened, Izuku?” Satoru asks as he pushes away from the window and starts walking down the corridor toward the lounge where he knows Tokoyami is currently relaxing. They don’t really have anything to do right now since Hawks is doing an interview in one of the lower offices of the agency.

“It’s a bit of a long story. I’ll tell you later.”

Satoru hums but finally nods. “Okay. Did anyone show up to help you? I mean the Group Chat practically blew up with everyone asking you if you were all right or what was happening but no one said anything about being close enough to help.”

“Well, Hado was already there and Todoroki showed up so that helped,” says Izuku.

Hado being there isn’t too much of a surprise since his internship was in Hosu City, though why he was at the sight of whatever danger prompted Izuku to send his location out to the Group Chat is another question he doesn’t have the answer for. Todoroki showing up is a bit of a surprise and, while Satoru is still puzzled by the lack of information on what actually happened, he can’t help but tease his brother.

“Aw, so he played your Knight in Shining Armor, eh? How adorable,” he says.

A squeak erupts through the phone. “That’s not...He...What?” Izuku stammers out.

Satoru barks out a laugh. “I bet you enjoyed seeing him show up like a knight rescuing his princess from danger,” he teases.

“That’s not what happened!” Izuku protests.

“Well, since I got no context, I’ve gotta figure things out with what little I know so I guess he did think he was saving his precious princess who saved him. Oh, did you confess? Like say ‘oh my darling Knight, thank you for saving me. I have liked you for a while now,’” Satoru says in a fake sugary sweet tone of voice.

“S...Satoru! That’s not...I don’t...He...uh…” Izuku is stammering so much now that Satoru can barely make out what he’s saying but he has no doubt his brother is beet red right now and he snickers.

“You do know I’m gonna be making up outlandish stories ‘till I get the real one for no other reason than I can, right?” he says.

A loud groan of exasperation erupts over the phone. “Yeah, I know,” Izuku grumbles.

“So did you confess that you like Todoroki?” Satoru asks.

“Satoru!”

“C’mon. You do find him gorgeous and you did go out of you way to help him just ‘cause you wanted him to be happy so why not ask him out on a date?”

“That’s not...I...He...But…” Izuku is stuttering so badly that Satoru is pretty sure he just caused his brother to short circuit, which is hilarious. He can’t help but laugh at that as he slips into the lounge and wanders over to the empty couch.

Tokoyami peers at him from where he is flipping through a book on an armchair while occasionally grabbing an apple slice off the plate on the table next to him. He tilts his head to the side but, apparently, decides against asking why Satoru is laughing like a madman right now.

“You are way too easy to tease, Baby Bro,” he says with a grin.

“I am only two minutes younger than you,” Izuku says with a sigh. “Anyway, I do gotta go. I’ve gotta call Uraraka next.”

Satoru raises an eyebrow since he knows that Izuku does find Uraraka pretty too and, unable to stop himself from one last tease, says, “Oh? Todoroki and Uraraka? My, my, who would’ve thought my baby bro would be a player?”

“SATORU!” Izuku shrieks with sheer embarrassment coloring his tone and Satoru has no doubt his twin is inventing a new shade of red right now.

He laughs again. “All right, Izuku. I’ll talk to you later. Tell your future boyfriend or future girlfriend, whichever one you choose, that I say hi. Bye!” He hangs up before he can hear Izuku’s response to that but he has no doubt it will be along the same lines of his response to Satoru calling him a player.

Of course he’s just messing with his brother. It’s his prerogative as his brother to mess with him and tease him after all.

“Do I wish to know the context of that conversation I overheard half of?” Tokoyami asks.

“Well…” Satoru begins with a shit-eating grin crossing his lips as he flops onto the couch and stretches his long legs out in front of him.

“That answers my question. No. The answer is no,” Tokoyami deadpans.

Satoru laughs again and tilts his head back when the door opens and Hawks makes his way into the room.

“Yo, everything okay with your brother?” Hawks asks as he moves closer.

“Yeah. He said he’d tell me the whole story later,” Satoru says. “But he’s okay, which is good. Looking back, I have no doubt I would have teleported myself into a ditch in Chiba if I tried to go to my brother while panicking like that.”

“That is literally like sixty five kilometers away from your desired location,” Hawks deadpans.

“Exactly my point. Would not have been fun to have to backtrack that far,” Satoru says with a huff of annoyance. He really needs to work on his teleportation again when he gets the chance just like he has to consider whether it will be possible to get his most powerful ability, his Domain Expansion, into his arsenal yet again. But he will have to think more deeply about that one since he has no idea as to what would happen if a Domain can be expanded with Quirk energy instead of cursed energy, if that’s even possible.

“Still though, I’m glad to know that everything’s okay,” says Hawks. He clasps his hands together and smiles brightly as his wings flare out behind him. “All right. Now that my interview is over with, I’ve got a mission I want you guys to join me on. One of my sidekicks reported that there’s a string of burglaries going on in downtown so we’re gonna go and track down those villains.”

Tokoyami puts his book down and, snagging the last apple slice off his plate, stands up as he pops it into his beak. “Very well,” he says and turns, adding, “I’m going to get changed.”

Hawks casts a glance at Satoru who doesn’t move from his spot on the couch and raises an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to get changed too?” he asks.

Satoru peers at him over the tops of his sunglasses and shrugs. He changed into his hero costume when he woke up, since it’s pretty comfortable to wear, so all he really needs to do is replace his sunglasses with his blindfold and he’ll be fine. “Eh, I’m pretty much already ready to go,” he says as he removes his sunglasses and closes them, hearing Hawks take a swift intake of breath when he catches sight of his eyes and smirking.

“Yeah, people always react like that when they see my eyes,” he muses as he tilts his head to the side, Six Eyes already feeding him quite a bit of information from the various flows of Quirk energy within several kilometers of the agency. That area does include downtown, from what Six Eyes is able to perceive, and Satoru hums because two particular flows of Quirk energy stand out to him.

They feel oddly familiar to two flows of cursed energy in his last life. One is perceived as molten like lava, so eerily similar to Jogo from his last life, while the other is perceived as very earthy, so similar to Hanami from his last life.

He shakes that away as he removes his blindfold and wraps it around his eyes. It’s not possible that they are the same because Jogo and Hanami were cursed spirits, not human, and Satoru is pretty sure only humans can be reincarnated. Of course, something else could have happened to cause a cursed spirit to be reborn in this world but he shoves that thought aside because he’s thinking too much on this.

Just because the flows of Quirk energy feel so eerily similar to the flows of cursed energy his eyes perceived in his last life doesn’t mean they are the same. The two individuals could just have Quirks that are very close to the cursed techniques both Jogo and Hanami had.

“Just so you know, there are two pretty powerful Quirks in downtown: a lava-based one and a nature-based one,” he adds as he jumps to his feet and stretches while Hawks peers up at him with curiosity in his golden-brown eyes.

“How’d you know that?” he asks.

“Six Eyes.” Satoru points to his blindfolded gaze. “I can perceive the flows of Quirk energy within a massive range and it feeds my mind all sorts of information about those flows. It’s the one part of my Quirk I can never turn off.”

“Mm, sounds powerful,” Hawks muses and he tilts his head to the side. “That sounds like the villain duo Nature’s Curse but I can’t know for sure yet. Anything more to go on for that nature-based one?”

Satoru tilts his head to the side as he goes through all the information Six Eyes fed his mind while his eyes were uninhibited for that brief amount of time while surprised that Hawks was actually asking for that information. He doesn’t think anyone’s actually asked him for more information on what his Six Eyes perceives.

“They’re capable of manifesting and controlling anything associated with the ground like trees, leaves, vines, flowers, stuff like that,” he says as he finds the information he was searching for. Filtering the information really is so much easier now that he has his memories of his past life than it ever was beforehand. “They’re stronger in daylight ‘cause the sunlight gives their Quirk a pretty powerful boost but they’re weaker at night because the strength of their Quirk is decreased dramatically in darkness.”

“Good to know ‘cause that does confirm that it is Nature’s Curse. Unfortunately, it’s not late enough for them to be affected by the night but if we can get them into a shadowed area then that could help to decrease the strength of their Quirk, possibly anyway,” says Hawks thoughtfully. He turns as Tokoyami, clad in his hero costume consisting of a black robe covering his entire body and falling down to the middle of his shins and black knee-high boots, makes his way into the lounge to join them.

“Okay, so we’re likely dealing with Nature’s Curse,” Hawks adds as he leads the way out of the lounge and Tokoyami and Satoru walk after him. “Nature’s Curse is a villain duo who have been making a bit of a ruckus in Kyushu for several months now but are incredibly good at getting away before the pros show up. They’re good at hiding but they have powerful Quirks and Infinitum’s own Quirk just fitted in the missing pieces of what we were missing when trying to determine the second member’s Quirk. We thought they were just capable of manifesting branches and using them to fight but if they really can manifest anything associated with the ground then they are even more dangerous.”

“So it’s two villains? What do we know about them beyond their Quirks?” asks Tokoyami.

“Hotaru Fujita, Villain Name Jogo, and Akio Shiozaki, Villain Name Hanami, have been together for a decade now,” Hawks says as he leads the way down into the lobby while Satoru tenses at the mention of those two names. Of course he will recognize those names since they are the names of two of the Special Grade cursed spirits he fought at Shibuya, and once before when it came to Jogo. He was the one who killed Hanami and he never did find out what actually happened to Jogo after he was unsealed.

Is it just a coincidence that these villains chose those names? He doesn’t know. It just seems odd that the two villains who make up Nature’s Curse have villain names that are identical to the names of those two cursed spirits from Satoru’s past life and also have Quirks that are perceived as near identical to the cursed techniques those cursed spirits had.

“Once again, do not engage and do not use your Quirks unless I give you permission to do so,” says Hawks as he leads the way out of the agency and, spreading his wings, flies into the air, adding, “Follow me.”

He turns and flies off, leaving Satoru and Tokoyami to quickly hurry after him.

“It is probably a good thing we are as close to downtown as we are because I do not think we would be able to keep up with him otherwise,” says Tokoyami as they move.

“Well, without our Quirks, no,” Satoru admits. He could probably easily outstrip Hawks if he was able to use his Quirk but, since he doesn’t have permission nor does he have a hero license to use his Quirk in public, he can’t even test that out.

They make it to downtown and continue to follow Hawks as he flies deeper into downtown. He’s probably scanning the area from the skies and Satoru finds himself scanning the area from the ground, Six Eyes easily filtering through the various flows of Quirk energy as he tries to locate the ones that stood out to him so starkly back at the agency.

He finds them and skids to a halt, prompting Tokoyami to skid to a halt to avoid running into him.

“What is it?” he asks.

“They’re close by,” says Satoru. “I don’t know how Hawks completely missed them but…” He lashes out a hand and grabs Tokoyami’s immediately covering him with Infinity right as the ground erupts in front of Tokoyami and roots surge toward Tokoyami. At the same time, a spout of pure lava erupts in front of Satoru and surges toward him.

Both attacks collide with Satoru’s Infinity and the lava one conjures up a massive plume of smoke that Satoru waves away. He only found out when he regained his memories that his Infinity actually can slow down smoke and other gasses to the point of it seeming as if they are blocked too. So, while he isn’t in danger of inhaling that smoke, it does still block his visual eyesight but that does nothing to block Six Eyes.

“Holy shit. Did you seriously just throw freaking lava at my face? Rude,” Satoru says as he finally manages to wave away the smoke and studies the figure standing in front of him.

It’s a young man, probably in his mid twenties, who is incredibly short and stocky with light skin and cropped red hair and dark orange eyes. He is wearing a loose black shirt with quarter-length sleeves and matching pants and shoes with a spotted yellow cape over that along with a white scarf. He really does look a great deal like Jogo from Satoru’s last life, just without Mount Fuji on his head.

Funny that I don’t even know if that is because of Yuji calling Jogo Mount Fuji Head or not. Satoru decides to just blame his reincarnated student since Yuji was the first one to actually call Jogo Mount Fuji Head in his last life. As it is, it does look like he have gauntlets around each of his hands that are shaped like volcanoes.

“I see your attitude hasn’t changed,” the villain says with a sneer curling his upper lip.

“Oh? And how would you know my attitude?” Satoru says.

“I know a great deal, Satoru Midoriya. Or, should I say, Satoru Gojo?” the villain says coolly as he holds up his hands.

Satoru narrows his eyes behind his blindfold as he shifts so his back is against Tokoyami’s. “Don’t think we’re gonna get outta this without a fight. Best get Dark Shadow ready, Tsukuyomi,” he murmurs.

“Roger,” Tokoyami murmurs back, though there is a puzzled note in his tone. He probably heard the villain, Jogo’s, words.

“So you are Jogo, huh? Hard to believe you’re here, and a human no less,” Satoru says with a mocking lilt to his tone. “How does that feel? To be an actual human?”

“Shut up,” Jogo snarls, eyes flashing with rage.

“Jogo, calm down.” That voice comes from behind Satoru and he casts a glance over his shoulder at the tall young man standing in front of Tokoyami. He is tall, probably a little bit taller than him, with snow-white skin, branches growing out of his head like antlers and green eyes. He is wearing baggy black pants held up with a white sash over which is a white kimono over which is a haori that is white on one side and green with a red flower pattern on the other.

That has to be Hanami. But how is this po ssible? Cursed spirits aren’t like humans. This can’t be reincarnation so what is it?

Jogo takes a deep breath and relaxes it, then fixes his dark orange eyes on Satoru. “Maybe I am human,” he says, “but I still have the power to defeat you!”

Satoru tilts his head to the side. “The only way you can even remotely get close to scratching me is if I fought you blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back,” he mocks.

Jogo snarls. “You are as insufferable as ever,” he hisses.

“I’m fifteen. It’s a teen’s job to be insufferable,” says Satoru with a shrug and snickers when he hears Tokoyami’s sigh of exasperation.

“Please do not antagonize the villains, Infinitum,” he scolds as he hangs his head.

“Eh, it’s not like they can even touch us. So long as I’m holding you, your protected by Infinity. And, since this is technically self defense, it’s not even illegal for me to be doing this,” says Satoru with a shrug.

“You aren’t the same guy I fought last time,” Jogo growls as he raises his hands and lava surges away from the gauntlets on his hands and flies forward to crash into Satoru’s Infinity.

He raises an eyebrow as he waves away the smoke again. “Man, Todoroki’s flames were even hotter than that. I actually felt his flames but I didn’t even feel nothing from that. Man, you’ve gotten weaker,” he taunts and grins at the rage that erupts into Jogo’s eyes.