Work Text:
The call comes in just as Shoto stops a runaway moving truck from colliding with a crowded storefront. His eyes go wide at the caller ID and he brings the phone to his ear.
“Hawks, what’s going on?” Shoto asks as he checks to make sure the driver isn’t too shaken from running into his ice barrier.
“Yo, Shoto, a massive landslide’s buried a section of Warstar Highway. Need you to get over there ASAP and sort it out. It’s turning traffic into a doozy. Don’t worry, I’m sending over some help too.” The voice of the HPSC president on the other end of the line is a little too cocky for someone issuing disaster relief instructions, even for Hawks. It’s like he’s trying to speak through a toothy grin.
It isn’t for Shoto to question. A patrol car is already pulling up, so he is free to take this next case. “I’ll be there. Just send me the coordinates.”
“Already done. Enjoy.”
Before Shoto can ask what he is supposed to enjoy about a landslide, the line goes dead. All that’s left on his phone is the geolocation data Hawks pinged him. He gives a smile and a wave to the gathering crowd before igniting his left foot and taking off in the direction of the highway.
“Go get ‘em, Shoto!”
“I love you! Gimme an autograph next time!”
How long had it been since someone called him Endeavor’s son or Dabi’s brother to his face? How long before it turned into whispers, and then smiles, and then cheers? Six years since graduation and Shoto knows he is on the right track. Each day and night of patrolling, of rescuing, of showing the world who Shoto Todoroki was, brought him closer to who he wanted to be.
With an added blast of cold air from his right foot, the two sides mix into a burst of Flashfreeze Heatwave that propels him even faster to the disaster zone. He wants to find out what Hawks is up to as quickly as possible. It’s not often his boss delivers orders directly.
Within three minutes, it comes into view: a massive section of the mountainside collapsed and covers at least seven lanes of highway. Even from his vantage point in the sky, traffic is backed up almost out of view. He scans the edges of the landslide and is nearly blinded by the sun reflecting off an old friend.
Shoto touches down on the dirt-strewn pavement and gives a nod as the figure approaches him.
“Ah, Shoto, it’s a relief to see you here,” Iida says.
“Fast as always, Iida. What’s the situation?”
“Please, it’s ‘Ingenium’ right now. We must both work to uphold the pride and dignity of our positions as pro heroes, especially one of the top ten such as yourself.”
Over half a decade as a pro and calling his former classmates by their hero names is something Shoto struggles with. Then again, he’s the one who chose his first name as a title. He mutters a friendly apology as Ingenium fills him in.
“Looks like we’ve got our hands full,” Shoto says, “Though Hawks said to expect company. I’m guessing it’s not just you?”
Ingenium gives the air a few stiff chops. “He said the same to me. How vexingly vague of him. Nonetheless, let us both do our utmost while—"
“You guys!”
They both look up to see the source of the interruption. Floating down from above is Uravity, with Chargebolt and Earphone Jack securely tethered to her for transportation. Shoto notices Tsukuyomi flying in not far behind them.
“You’re here as well?” Iida says. He and Shoto exchange glances. “You don’t think…”
“I think we’ll find out why Hawks personally requested us soon enough.”
Earphone Jack sends a few vibrations through the mounds of rubble and confirms no one is buried underneath. The group then sets to work clearing debris and redirecting traffic, but their suspicions grow with each passing minute and each new arrival. Cellophane is next to show up, then Anima, riding on the back of a stag. Before long, nearly the entirety of the pro heroes who used to make up U.A.’s famous Class A are gathered in one spot for the first time in eight years.
With one or two glaring exceptions.
“Where’s Dynamight?” Uravity asks, floating another boulder for Sugarman to punch out of the way. She looks around as though he will spontaneously appear in a massive explosion, but the only new arrival is a news helicopter lingering in the air. Even Can’t Stop Twinkling has joined them.
“He should’ve beaten me here,” Shoto says, “It’s not like him to fall behind. I’ll check it out.”
He pulls out his phone and brings up the speed dial list. It takes a few seconds of ringing before a voice comes alive on the other side.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Dynamight shouts over the sound of his own explosions. The booms in the background come in the same telltale intervals Shoto has come to associate with Bakugo’s flight.
“Where are you? I assume you’re supposed to be here with the rest of us.”
“YOU THINK? HAD TO GO AND PICK UP A PACKAGE ON- HEY, SHUT UP OR YOU’LL RUIN THE SURPRISE- HAD TO PICK UP A PACKAGE ON THE WAY. WE’RE INCOMMING.”
Shoto’s curiosity wins out over the pain in his ear. “What package?”
“DON’T WORRY, WE’RE ALMOST THERE. IN FACT, IF YOU CAN’T HEAR ME BY NOW, YOU NEED TO GET YOUR EARS CHECKED.”
“I can definitely hear you.”
“I MEAN IN PERSON, DUMBASS!” Dynamight hangs up on him immediately after and Shoto pockets his phone. Despite the ringing in his ear and the whirl of the helicopter, he does hear the distant booms to the north that signal his friend’s incoming.
Then the ground in front of him explodes.
Pavement and rock fly in all directions, and a smokescreen of lingering dirt obscures the culprit. Shoto’s first thought goes to a villain- Dynamight would not and could not fire off an explosion at them from that distance. What villain would be idiotic enough to attack such a massive group of heroes like this, though?
Fire covers Shoto’s arm as he holds it up to meet the new arrival.
Realization and shock put out the fire just as fast.
A yellow cape flaps in the breeze. A dark suit glows with circuits and coursing energy. Eyes shining brighter than Shoto ever remembers stare back at him. Before him is the culmination of Class A’s ultimate effort- a victory far greater than the one they had eight years ago.
Izuku Midoriya has returned.
“Omigosh, Todoroki, I’m so sorry! I almost hit you!” Midoriya says, his arms flailing, and before Shoto can respond, the dam breaks loose.
“You see I’m still getting used to the suit and while it’s super easy to control I’m just learning how to properly release the precise output of power in fact it’s a lot like One for All that way so I need to be extra careful not injure myself and especially others and that’s why Hawks thought a straightforward landslide cleanup was the perfect safe environment to test the suits capabilities and my ability to control it that way when there’s an emergency like a villain attack I can—”
Shoto calms Midoriya’s muttering with a hand on his shoulder.
“Midoriya- no- Deku,” Shoto says, his voice coming out so much shakier than he anticipated, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Deku gives him a smile that would put All Might to shame. Uravity rushes over, throwing her arms around him and Shoto backs up to give them space.
“Incoming!”
Dynamight lands with the subtlety of a cruise missile. Any dust still in the air is instantly blown away as the final member of Class A crashes down. He rolls his shoulder a few times as he makes his way to them. “You idiots gonna stand around and chat or are we getting this job done so we can have a proper celebration?”
Shoto would take the admonishment to heart if Dynamight’s face wasn’t also plastered with a massive, utterly sincere smile.
“That’s quite the package you brought with you,” Shoto tells him.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m on track to be the Number One Hero and Number One Delivery Man. How’re things here? Did you manage to get anything done without us?”
“We’ve already confirmed that—” Before Shoto can finish, a great roar erupts from overhead and the ground begins to shake. He looks up to see part of the mountainside break off and fall toward them. A mass of trees and stone the size of their old school building barrels toward not only the heroes, but a number of civilians who’ve yet to be directed away from the danger zone.
Shoto steps forward, ready to suspend the earth in a mass of ice. A grenade-shaped gauntlet stops him.
“Look,” Dynamight tells him, the single word tinted with pride.
Deku is already in the air, teeth gritted and fist raised. The suit crackles with green electricity that reminds Shoto of the days when his friend still held that greatest of powers and burdens.
And then the fist connects.
“SMAAAAAASH!”
The boulder breaks into hundreds, thousands, of pieces. Most are merely the size of pebbles, but several larger chunks survive and are about to rain down on them.
Shoto and Dynamight leap into action. It is instinct by now. A decade of rivalry and friendship between them means that each knows exactly what the other will do next. Shoto hears his comrade rocket into the air, blowing apart half the chunks with pinpoint blasts, while he builds up and compresses the fire in his fingers until they glow red.
“Flashfire Fist: Hell Web!” A dozen beams of fire erupt from his fingertips, crisscrossing in the air until they create a burning net that incinerates the remaining rocks. Deku and Dynamight land to cheers from the gathered onlookers, more than one muttering if that’s really the Izuki Midoriya.
“Thanks so much you guys,” Deku stammers out, “I’m sorry about that. I couldn’t quite get the angle of the punch right to completely destroy it.”
Bakugo gives a sharp sigh and slaps his friend on the back. “Don’t sweat the small shit. It’s what we’re here for. How’s the suit feel?”
Deku’s face lights up. “It’s perfect! For all the technology Melissa and Hatsume managed to include, it still feels barely any different from my old costume.”
“Hell of a lot easier to move around in than that freakin’ tank All Might wore, I bet.”
Deku gives an enthusiastic nod as the rest of Class A starts to surround him, crying, cheering, and congratulating. If any of them missed his entrance, they certainly saw his first smash since U.A.
Red Riot throws an arm over his shoulders. “We knew you’d be back, man!”
“MIDORIYAAAAAAAA,” Grape Juice’s waterworks put Deku’s to shame. He hugs his friend’s leg like a dog seeing its owner for the first time in years.
“Alright, give him some damn space,” Bakugo says, waving away the group, “We’ve got a job to do. The Welcome Back party comes later. You ready, Deku?”
Deku stares at his hand and Shoto wonders what could possibly be going through his head in a moment like this. After a few seconds, he closes his fist and looks around at the gathered heroes.
“Let’s do this!” Deku shouts. The air breaks with a chorus of cheering.
There is an electric buzz that courses through Shoto as he gets to work. He is sure the others feel it as well. What should be monotonous labor as they clean up debris and secure the roadway is instead all nerves and excitement. Deku’s boundless drive and optimism had always been a morale boost for the class during their school days, and he more than brought those old feelings back with him. They are done in half the time it would normally take, and yet by then the highway is instead blockaded by something new.
“Uh, buddy,” Cellophane elbows Deku in the ribs, “I think they’re here for you.”
An armada of news vans and the vehicles of regular fans have converged on the single greatest story of the year. Questions fly, cameras flash, and teary-eyed shouts of joy ring out. Even for them, this was media attention unlike anything they’d seen since the fall of All for One. Tsukuyomi shrinks back, muttering something about a ‘Mad banquet of light’.
Dynamight begins walking towards the gathered crowd. “Damn vultures. Don’t worry, I know how to get rid of them.”
“No, Kacchan,” Deku grabs one of his gauntlets, “Let me handle it. You’ll fall out of the Top Ten at this rate.”
“What was that? There’s no way a few stupid interviews can stop me from becoming Number 1!” Bakugo shakes him off and clicks his tongue. “Whatever, go on then. Mustache is right. They’re here for you anyway.”
Shoto feels a twinge. He missed this.
JNN BREAKING NEWS: DEKU IS HERE AGAIN
The reports are true, folks. Pro hero Deku, aka Izuku Midoriya, has come out of retirement. Just this afternoon, he joined his old classmates from U.A. High School to clear a landslide from Warstar Highway. Who can forget when this living legend saved us from the wrath of All for One eight years ago? I dare say there is not a person alive who wasn’t glued to their screen as Deku parted those dark clouds over Japan.
How then has the great hero returned when he was reported to have lost his quirk two years later? Our very own Rin Miyagi was on the scene to interview Deku about his return to the stage of heroics.
Miyagi: We’re all excited and relieved to see you back, Deku. Please tell us, how did this happen? Is One for All not gone as you told us six years ago?
Deku: No, I still used up One for All during the battle against the League of Villains. What was left of my quirk faded away by the time I graduated. However, All Might came to me with the second opportunity of a lifetime: this experimental suit that allows anyone to become a hero.
Miyagi: That suit does look very impressive. What can it do?
Deku: The suit is meant to replicate many of the powers I had during my time carrying One for All. While it was primarily built for strength and speed, there are other features such as repulsors for flight.
Miyagi: You never actually got the opportunity to officially become a pro hero, instead joining the prestigious U.A. faculty after your time there as a student. What is like to finally achieve this lifelong dream?
Deku: To call it a dream come true wouldn’t do it justice. This would have been impossible without the support of my friends and family. They put their faith in me to use this, and I promise them that they will never regret it. With that said, you’re correct that Principal Nezu was kind enough to offer me a teaching position after my graduation, and it would be inexcusable if I suddenly quit and abandoned my students. For now, I plan on splitting my time between teaching and easing my way back into being a hero.
Miyagi: One last question. This might be the first time your whole class has gathered since graduation. How does it feel to work together with your old schoolmates again?
Deku: Actually, one of our classmates transferred shortly after the war, so it’s been even longer. With that said, it’s quite a nostalgic feeling. We rarely have the opportunity to meet outside of work, so I can’t help but look forward to saving others alongside them again. These aren’t only the greatest heroes one can hope to work with, but the best friends someone can ask for as well.
Miyagi: Thank you, Deku. I think everyone can agree the world will be a safer place with you protecting us once more.
Shoto turns off the TV as the program ends. Reflected back in the black screen is Class A gathered together with All Might and Aizawa-sensei, drinks in hand.
Ashido jumps out of her seat without spilling a drop. “Woo! Welcome back, Midoriya!”
“Welcome back, Midoriya!” the others chime in together. They raise their glasses, clinking them together before downing them.
The party is held in Troy, the makeshift fortress cobbled together to house 1-A just before the final battle against the League. With most of its blueprint copied wholesale from that of Heights Alliance, it feels like Shoto just stepped back into his high school days.
While their old dorm is still used for U.A. students living on campus, Nezu gave the class exclusive access to Troy for the rest of their lives. He ordered it to remain standing so they would have a place away from the media, villains, and the world. A microcosm for themselves. Now, it is a place for decompression, respite, and private rendezvous.
And parties, of course.
The common area is flooded with ballons, food, and a banner hanging from the ceiling that’s scribbled over with messages of love and congratulations from each class member to Midoriya. Most of the decorations are last-second purchases or created by Momo. Six years of paying into the suit fund, but almost none of them knew exactly when it would be ready until he was already wearing it.
Shoto wants to give his first friend a proper congratulations, but Midoriya is already surrounded by half the class. Better not to overwhelm Midoriya any more than he already must be. So Shoto sits back and observes the madness of Class A reunited, just as he was want to do when they were in school together.
Jiro strums a buoyant tune on her guitar and Mina wastes no time showing off the most recent dance moves she’s learned. Shoto doesn’t recognize the music, but Kaminari and Hagakure must, since they’re already singing an out-of-tune duet to it.
“Need a refill, Shoto?”
Shoto looks up from the couch to see Momo holding a full bottle. “Ah, thanks, Momo.”
“I know you’re not one for big parties, but I hope you’re enjoying it.” She tops off his glass and offers a reassuring smile.
“You know I am. This is how I enjoy parties. And I hope you’re not too busy worrying over the rest of us to enjoy the party yourself.”
She puts a hand over her mouth and giggles. “This is how I enjoy parties.”
“Oh yeah, Sato delivered!” Ochaco yells, as the Sweets Hero rolls in the largest cake Shoto has ever seen. A white, three-tiered monstrosity of pastry and icing.
“It’s not my best work,” Sato says, scratching his cheek meekly, “Didn’t have much time to go all out, but enjoy!”
Most of the class rushes over, eager to get a slice for themselves. As though a cake like that could ever run out. Shoto is content to keep seated for now, and Midoriya uses his break from the center of attention to sit beside him.
“You look like a villain attacked you.”
Midoriya smiles through the exhaustion. “There’s so much catching up to do with everyone.”
“How do you feel?”
“Excited. Tired. A little hungry.”
“Take it, then.” Bakugo shoves a plate full of cake into Midoriya’s hands. “Figure you didn’t need to deal with another damn crowd today.”
Even now, even after those years of therapy, his right arm shakes just a bit as he passes the food along. Despite that, Shoto knows for a fact that Bakugo would have cut off his rehabilitating limb and tossed it into the embers of One for All if it kept them burning. They were here now because of Bakugo just as much as Midoriya. The suit was his idea, and no one contributed more of their salary to the pot than him. Shoto wonders how much of that drive was fueled by friendship and how much was fueled by penance.
“Wow, thanks, Kacchan!”
Shoto raises an eyebrow at Bakugo.
“Get your own, Icyhot. I don’t see your name on the cake and banners.”
Midoriya scarfs down the offering immediately, but through the delight, Shoto notices tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Midoriya?”
His friend wipes the burgeoning tears away with one hand and the icing off his mouth with the other.
“Back at U.A. I remember thinking how blessed I am,” Midoriya says, “But I had no idea how true that really was. Thank you so much.”
“Just helping a friend get what he deserves.”
“Bakugo’s right. You gave so much.” Shoto looks at Midoriya’s scar-covered hands and knows the first of those marks appeared because of him. “Too much. We wanted to give something back.”
Bakugo grins. “Now you can help this half-assing bastard pick up the slack, Deku. Can you believe he’s only Number 5 after all these years?”
“If I recall, Aizawa-sensei mentioned something about your recent comments to some bystanders.”
“Shut up! They were in the way. How else was I supposed to keep those idiots from getting steamrolled?”
Again, Shoto feels a twinge.
The party calms as everyone eats and drinks themselves into exhaustion. All too soon, they quietly slouch on the couches and chairs. Shoto knows that the end is near, and he is not the only one.
“Ugh, this sucks!” Ashido punches the air and kicks out her legs in her seat.
Momo tilts her head. “Oh my. What’s wrong?”
“It takes something huge like Midoriya finally getting his suit for all of us to hang out, and now we gotta leave soon! It’ll be forever before I can see most of you again.” She sinks deeper in her chair until she is practically parallel with the floor. “I wish it could be like this more often.”
“Why not?” Shoto asks.
The room is silent and still. All eyes turn to meet his. Bakugo looks at him with knowing suspicion but says nothing. Shoto realizes they are waiting for him to elaborate. To properly explain why the realities of adulthood and employment and heroism can suddenly be ignored.
He clears his throat.
“Class A has always done its best work together. We push each other forward. When one of us stumbles, we pull our friend back up. Even now, we’re here because Class A never leaves anyone behind. Why walk away when we can keep doing what we’re best at?”
“A team up,” Shoji surmises, and Shoto nods. A few faces in the room break out in wide smiles of realization. Others grimace, unsure of what to make of his suggestion.
“You’re a damn sap, Todoroki,” Bakugo says, shaking his head. Shoto notes, however, that he did not reject the idea.
A bony hand gently clasps Shoto’s shoulder. “Young Todoroki,” All Might says, “It’s a splendid thought, but even today, team ups are rare and none close to the size you’re proposing. Too many clashing personalities spell doom for teams.”
The last person Shoto thinks would repudiate All Might speaks up.
“Times have changed,” Midoriya says, now standing. “These days, heroes are more cooperative than ever. They’re willing to put aside ego and celebrity for the good of all. Even Kacchan.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean!”
“Working together is how we saved and won eight years ago, and it’s how we can do the same thing today. I agree with Todoroki,” he says, and Shoto feels something like pride well up. “Think about it. There’s already lots of short-term teams up, like how Iida, Tsu, and Yaoyorozu are working with Uraraka. And then there’s long term ones like Jiro and Kaminari.”
Jiro practically falls over herself at the comment. “What? No! This idiot just opened his agency next to mine!” she says, pointing to a cackling Kaminari.
Midoriya keeps going. “Plus, lots of teams don’t break up. Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods have been working together in the Lurkers for almost a decade.”
“It helps when you’re married,” Bakugo adds.
Shoto feels like there’s something in that comment he could tease Bakugo mercilessly about but keeps it to himself.
“Still, I think it’s a great idea, Todoroki! Think of how much more easily we could coordinate. Not to mention,” Midoriya self-consciously rubs the back of his head, “Well, seeing everyone like this more often would be nice too.”
It is Bakugo’s turn to stand up.
“We’ll need to be serious about this if we want it to be more than some shitty marketing stunt. That means a big enough office and the staff to run it. We’re talking time, effort, and dedication. No room for anyone who doesn’t want it or can’t keep up. I’m not gonna waste my time in a cushy social club.”
Bakugo jumps up on the table and drags Shoto and Midoriya with him. He holds a fist in the air.
“Well? Who wants in?”
Twenty other fists rise to meet his.
“Yeah!” they shout as one. Even those who were unsure about the prospect appear convinced by the two men who always pushed the class forward the most.
“What about a name for this organization?” Iida asks.
The room explodes. Any exhaustion from the party or landslide is forgotten in a fervor of ideas.
“Macho Rangers!”
“The Xenomorphs!”
“The Sparkling Knights!”
“High Voltage!”
“Rain or Shine Heroes.”
“GREAT EXPLOSION MURDER GOD DYNAMIGHT AND THE REST!”
“Uh, the World Rockers?”
“The Abyss Watchers.”
“Harem Squad!”
“U.A. United.”
“Hero Bakery!”
“All apt suggestions,” Iida says, slipping naturally back into his old role as class president. Each name is written down onto a whiteboard behind him.
Where did he even get that from? Shoto thinks.
Iida continues writing. “Personally, my name for our team would be ‘The Heroes who Stand for Truth and Justice’.”
The class looks around awkwardly, the bombardment of insane ideas quicky sobering them up. Already their team is at an impasse.
And then Momo raises her hand.
“If I may? Given that it’s Class A putting this together, why not ‘A Agency’?”
“Oh, like our old band!” Kaminari says.
“Let’s put it to a vote,” Iida suggests.
After a few brief rounds of raised hands and thumbs down, ‘A Agency’ comes out on top.
“I can’t wait to see what you make of it,” All Might says.
“You all will have more work to do than ever, come tomorrow,” Aizawa adds.
Kaminari grabs another drink. “But tonight, we par-tay!”
The whole class cheers and continues the celebration with an energy far beyond what they had even at the party’s start. Shoto grabs a slice of cake as Midoriya and Bakugo approach him.
“You know, I always used to think that the day All Might offered me One for All was the best day of my life. It was the day my dream became real,” Midoriya says, “But it’s not the best day anymore.”
Bakugo smiles widely. “Let’s get out there and show the world something new. We’re gonna murder them with teamwork and heroics like they’ve never seen!”
“Yeah. We’ll show them just who we are,” Shoto says.
It took eight years since that great battle, but Class A had returned, and they would go even further beyond.