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Chapter Text

The blinding halo of Suzuki’s light wreathed Mob as he gripped his left arm with intensity. He could feel the white-hot glow permeate his veins, spouting from his eyes, mouth, wherever it could vent itself. Dark lightning and violet flames crackled as he strained to draw in the energy cascading from Suzuki.

“If I can absorb it…”

Almost immediately, his body seized, and Mob grit his teeth together. It was endless, coursing through his bloodstream faster and faster as his senses filled with pure psychic energy.

“Don’t,” Suzuki said, dulled blue eyes wide in a rare display of shock. “You’ll just end up…”

Another surge of radiance, and Mob let out a cry as power erupted around him. His hands trembled, palm barely managing to stay open as everything in his body curled in on itself. The aura flared, sending piercing white and violet swirling into the air like a beacon.

Suzuki drew back from Mob as the pulsating purple in the veins snaking across his body ebbed and flowed. Through the haze of the blinding light engulfing him, waves of unmistakable fear washed over the young esper. But through the gaps of emotions, memories made their way through as well.

A woman, fair-haired and gentle, holding a tiny kitten. 

A woman, distraught and sobbing, pleading with her husband.

Opening the door she had left through, to find that there wasn’t much left of ‘home’ anyways. 

Bargaining. Regret. Betrayal.

How had someone managed to live such a painful life? Tears crawled at the corner of his eyes in empathy.

“You wanted to apologize, didn’t you?!” Mob croaked through his strain. “Then you need to do it, say it loud and clear!”

His tattered uniform began to char a deep violet at the edges as psychic flames lapped at his body, energy threatening to burst from every pore of his skin. He keeled, feeling his grip beginning to falter.

No, no! His fingernails dug deeper into his arm. Mob threw his head back, as if lifting a tremendous weight. He had to do this. He was the only one who could.

Mob knew that if he lost now, not only would he and Suzuki die, but everyone…

Tsubomi.  

Her name crossed his mind for only a second, but it was a remembrance. A remembrance that he still had a goal to achieve, something he wanted to do. Outside, back at Salt Middle School, she was still there.

And in a way, his goal was similar to Suzuki. He knew how the man felt, and his heart ached further. He steeled his grip and persisted.

Brilliant wisps billowed from his eyes and mouth as he managed to find a few more words despite the roaring burn ingrained in his throat. “That’s right. I also…”

“I also have someone I need to express my feelings to!”

The ground groaned and rumbled as Suzuki’s energy pulsed with a final heartbeat, and Mob stumbled back. 

It was like carrying a small star, tendrils lashing and crawling through his system with a weight that caused his bones to creak and muscles to scream.

It was too much, he realized with horror as the light began to slip between his fingertips like fistfuls of sand.

His barrier shattered with a deafening crash as his grasp was shoved away from Suzuki, psychic power overflowing and spurting like a severed artery. Suzuki’s outline was barely visible, but through his squint, Mob could see the man kneeled and still, stunned to the spot.

Mob tried to step forwards, to regain his concentration, but his senses were swamped. Left became no different than right.

Something crackled, tearing the air around him. Stone and rubble tore itself from the floor, rising into the electric air.

He’d failed.

Master. Ritsu. Hanazawa. Suzuki…

A force of a million tons bore down on Mob’s shoulders as his legs buckled, small stones engraving itself into his shins. He kneeled, teeth braced in a deep grimace.

Mob’s eyelids fluttered, the feeling of weightlessness causing his numb mind to spin. His knees dug into the ground, swaying in the sheer force of the energy around him.

 He couldn’t go unconscious. Not here. Not now.

Power flowed off of him like rivulets, the pressure pounding against his skull paramounting as at once, something massive freed itself from Mob’s hold. The building heat under his skin shot out all at once like a popped balloon, as his body went flying, tumbling, freefalling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Until it was still.

The long quiet flooded Mob’s ears, a high pitched drone whining away to fill the abrupt silence. It was suddenly calm and dark and cold.

Every piece of Mob’s body suddenly felt lighter, as if his bones were filled with feathers instead of lead. The roiling heat of Suzuki’s energy no longer coursed through his veins, and a sudden chilly breeze caused goosebumps to rise on Mob’s forearms. 

He felt hollow again, and his stomach churned with relief as he tilted his head gently upwards. A few frozen seconds passed uninterrupted, as Mob breathed in, then out. No burning sensation, no crushing pressure.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes.

Spots danced in front of his vision as he adjusted to the smothering shadows around him, a violently stark contrast to just seconds before. He blinked, bleary images of stars in the sky finally registering to his brain.

It was nighttime, somehow. Sundown had only just begun while he was fighting Suzuki, and yet the full moon hung directly overhead. How long had he been out..?

…out? Did he get knocked-

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No, no, no, not again.

Panic rose in his throat as the stars blurred out of focus once more. Mob whipped his head around, searching for whatever destruction his pow- he had caused.

His younger brother, life pooling onto the sidewalk.

Black Vinegar Middle School, unravelled in the air.

Waking up, free from Mogami’s prison after being torn to shreds.

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He could feel his bangs lift from his forehead, aura spiking at the memories branded into his eyelids. There had to be something to focus on, some hope.

His master was smart- he surely got everyone away from the explosion in time. Everyone had to be safe, his shishou would make sure of that. And they had Ritsu too. His brilliant younger brother would know exactly how and where to evacuate.

But..

 Ritsu would’ve been afraid of his powers. What if he panicked or froze? 

What if Mob had hurt him again?

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As his worry mounted, small fragments and shards of emotion poked through the metal box in his heart, and his chest began to rise and fall with a new frantic intensity. 

He had to get himself under control, he had to calm down, a small voice urged in his head. His master had taught him grounding techniques before- what were they again? There was too much anxiety clawing at his brain, too many thoughts to properly get a hold of.

Deep breaths, right? His master had done that once with him. In for five, hold for five, out for five. 

Mob sharply inhaled. 

Something flew down the wrong airpipe, and he began to gag and cough. He doubled over, choking on his own idiocracy and saliva. Tears welled up, not from any particular emotion, but sudden tension seizing his face as he tried to force his airways to clear again.

Whatever had been stuck slowly saw itself out as Mob’s chest heaved with each shaky breath he attempted. At the very least, it had taken his mind off of his panic. Somewhat. 

He paused, for a moment, to push his emotions back down, down, down. His hair settled back into a now-unkempt bowl cut.

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Suddenly, a new voice cut through the midnight air, a bright and bold contrast to whatever had been swirling inside of Mob seconds before.

“Hey kid, you alright? You shouldn’t be out this late. Could be dangerous, you should know that.”

Mob’s eyes snapped open, aura lashing out as his heart jumped in surprise. A strong wind picked up, but nothing beyond that. With a flicker of relief that nothing had exploded, the buzzing energy surrounding him died down to only a faint hum.

The confident voice spoke again. “Do your folks even know that you’re out here?” Mob picked his head up, searching for whoever was talking to him.

Perched atop a flickering streetlight was a young man, looking down at Mob with a self-assured grin. 

He had light, tousled hair, spiky eyebrows (that reminded him of Suzuki), and donned an aviator jacket with yellow goggles to match. With his face mostly backlit against the bright post, any other details were obscured.

Additionally, the fact that the man was on top of the streetlight to begin with wasn’t odd to Mob. Rather, the large, crimson wings that sprouted from his back that caused Mob to jump to the conclusion for a split second that he was dead, and the man was a spirit.

But no spiritual energy came off the man, no matter how hard Mob tried. This left him with more questions than answers.

The esper blinked up at the winged figure, before quickly glancing from side to side. Something caught his attention- an odd detail to notice for anyone else, but it was important to him.

The lamppost was fully intact. A bit worn down, but nothing about it was dented or destroyed or otherwise imploded, a usual telltale sign of his telekinesis.

And on that note, nothing else was either. The road- he was in the middle of the road, he realized- where he kneeled was not cracked or caved in. There was no glass littering the sidewalk, collapsed buildings, or any indication that any battle had ever occurred.

He’d fixed his destruction before, but even then it was still flawed. But his environment was fully intact. And when he took a quick moment to reach out and feel for his friends and brother, Ritsu’s familiar aura greeted him, along with a few other esper signatures. They were a way’s off, but alive.

Mob exhaled. If he wasn’t so numb and disoriented, maybe he could have even cried. Nobody had been hurt by him or the explosion somehow, and everything was fine. Wherever they were, everyone was safe.

But this realization opened a fresh new can of worms.

Now that he was finally becoming more aware of his surroundings, it became quickly clear that he was definitely no longer in Seasoning City.

Mob knew the city’s architecture by heart- he’d lived in it all his life. Its towering grey skyscrapers and wonderfully average infrastructure felt as comfortable as his skin. It was his home, and he’d always know if he was in his home, no matter how large Seasoning City was.

Wherever he was, on the other hand, felt off. 

Everything was too symmetrical, too bright and coordinated and put together. The road was smooth, bare of any potholes or cracks from years of wear and weather. And the streetlight, when he looked closer, was a different design to the ones from his city. The sidewalks were alien and the storefronts were alien and it was so, so obvious that he was nowhere near Seasoning.

He blinked a few times, trying to keep his racing thoughts confined to just a subconscious blur. The man on the streetlight leaned forwards, wings shifting to maintain balance.

“You know that man?”

Who? Mob noticed the small tilt of the winged man's head, looking to the right of him. The esper followed, gaze landing on- ah.

Touichirou Suzuki laid prone on the ground beside Mob, nothing but the tattered collar of his dress shirt remaining to cover up his form. His eyes were closed, his previous ghoulish, bulging veins now retreated. 

Something about him was almost skeletal now, cheeks hollowed and pale skin clinging to his bones. Using up so much energy at once had taken a clear toll. 

In such a quiet state, all Mob could see was an injured man, no longer a monster. Perhaps a dead one as well- that thought was dashed, though, as soon as he saw the gentle rise and fall of Suzuki’s chest- but still just as human as him or anyone else he could have ever passed on the streets. It was unnerving, in a way, but also pitiful.

Somehow, Mob found words. “Yes.”

“Was he bothering you? Being a creep?” the figure continued with a casual tonation. “I’ll take him in if that's the case. A hero’s job and all. You did a nice job knocking him out cold, I’ll give you that.”

Mob opened his mouth again on the verge of another affirmation, when he paused. Should he turn Suzuki in?

Obviously, his first answer was yes. He had hurt so many people, uprooted and destroyed countless lives in the pursuit of a delusional scheme. He’d tortured, brainwashed, manipulated, discarded others without as much as a second thought, and through the destruction of his battle with Mob, all he could do was laugh. 

The way he treated others, the Ultimate 5, Serizawa, his own son…

His stomach twisted. Then there were the unknowns that even someone as typically unobservant as Mob had to consider. 

He still had no clue where any of them were, or who the man on the lamppost was. It could be a trap from whatever was left from Claw to separate him from Suzuki. Mob felt exhaustion beginning to weigh in his veins as the adrenaline drained from his system. If it was some harmful Claw plot, there was no guarantee he’d be able to defend himself now.

But if Suzuki woke up, would the winged man be able to fight back if he attacked? His wings clearly indicated something supernatural, but Mob felt no further power. Flight alone wouldn’t be able to hold against an esper of Suzuki’s caliber. 

At the same time, would Suzuki attack in the first place? Could he even be able to after expending twenty years of stored energy in only a few minutes? What if the winged man was able to take him on?

Saying yes could be the ideal response in this situation though… there was room in Suzuki to grow, humanity and love and remorse that even Mob in his unyielding patience had nearly missed. A prison sentence could give him time for any form of redemption or change.

Or maybe he’d just be executed on the spot. That was more likely and much worse of an answer.

Mob really didn’t feel qualified to answer with the full truth, as twisted as that sounded to him.

When he found the others, he could ask Reigen anyways. His master would be much more knowledgeable on handling this matter than he was. 

It wasn’t like Suzuki was in any shape to wake up any time soon.

Thoughts still racing, he found himself shaking his head, the back of his neck prickling with sweat. “No… no.”

The lie came out like an oil slick between his teeth- disgusting, wrong, nothing at all like the silver that his shishou could weave with ease. But his head was buzzing and the words spilled regardless.

If his answer seemed sketchy at all, the winged man showed no sign of a large reaction. “Hm,” he hummed amusedly, one leg now dangling from his perch. “I’m interested to hear your explanation, then.”

“I-” Mob’s words tripped over his tongue. His hands gripped into his tattered gakuran. “We- we’re lost. Can you tell us what city we’re in?”

“Dodging the question a bit here, no?”

“N-no!” Mob shook his head, feeling the words leap from his throat earnestly. 

A pause, then a short laugh. “I was getting that feeling. You’re in Musutafu. That help?”

“A-ah..” The name didn’t ring any bells. Something uneasy sat in Mob’s gut. “I think. Thank you. Do you know how far from Seasoning City we are?”

The man’s voice hummed in thought. “...can’t say I do. Never heard of that city either. Is it in Japan?”

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Mob nodded numbly.

“Hm. Did somebody misplace you and the guy next to you with any sort of transport Quirk?”

Quirk?

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“I…”

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“I don’t…”

“Woah, hey,” the winged man interrupted, leaping from his perch. He landed on the road with two feet, hands out in an assuring gesture. Now closer, Mob could catch his golden-blond hair and eyes, a bit of stubble decorating the man’s chin. “You’ve probably had a long night. I can take you and your pal to the station, it wouldn’t take long to find you on the Quirk Registry. I’ll get you two home in no time.”

The esper’s shoulders sagged in partial relief. He had no clue on what the Quirk Registry was, but the promise that it could help was almost elating. If Mob had to guess, it was likely some sort of government database, right? It would make sense that it would have his address.

Hopefully that’s where Ritsu and the others were as well. His brother’s aura hadn’t moved at all since he last checked and was still awake and healthy, so it was likely that Reigen had guided his friends to the police. His master was responsible like that.

Suzuki’s chest rose and fell shakily, like an almost-dead leaf clinging to a branch. He would need medical attention.

“Could… could we get him to a hospital as well?” Mob asked meekly. “After- after we figure everything out.”

“Mmh, don’t see a problem with that.”

Carefully, he nodded before removing his uniform jacket and gently draping it across Suzuki’s unconscious form. With the dredges of psychic energy that he could still muster, he lifted Suzuki’s body off the ground, floating the man beside him.

“Yes please- thank you.”

Mob learned that the man’s name was Hawks, apparently a well known ‘Pro Hero’. His wings were a part of his ‘Quirk’, not some sort of psychic or spiritual energy. 

Mob didn’t ask any further questions about that.

As they walked (Hawks had offered to fly the two of them over to the station, but Mob declined due to his delicate motion sickness), Mob observed how Hawks carried himself- confidently yet casual, not unlike his shishou. Maybe they would get along.

Mob also was (teasingly?) ribbed by Hawks for levitating Suzuki, due to not having some sort of Quirk license. That didn’t exactly make sense to him, as he was pretty sure that there weren’t any official esper laws in place before. Maybe Musutafu had a more well-known esper population?

It still didn’t explain Hawks’ wings.

The police station was massive, larger than anything Seasoning City could ever host. The building was sorted into geometric shapes, an iron gate surrounding the structure. Hundreds of windows decorated the walls, a handful or so still lit even at the late hour of the night. 

Ritsu’s aura was inside. It was hard to register anything other than that as his vision swam again.

Suzuki’s body trembled in the air as Mob’s grasp faltered. Feeling his heart suddenly spike in his chest, Mob quickly took his mind off of tracking his little brother’s signature, and back to stabilizing the man beside him- albeit with more effort than he was used to. His weakness was finally catching up to him from hours and hours of expending his energy. 

Hawks’ hand grabbed Mob’s shoulder, carefully steadying him. “I’ll take him off your shoulders. Wouldn’t be right for a civilian to carry a burden like that for too long.”

He nodded dazedly as he slowly retracted his shaky hold on Suzuki’s body. The last thing Mob wanted was for the man to crack his head open on the sidewalk after everything that had just happened. 

Hawks caught on immediately, scooping up Claw’s boss in his arms easily. Mob was only a little envious of his casual strength.

They stepped through the station doors into a roomy lobby, sparsely decorated with a lone houseplant and a few neat rows of waiting room chairs. A built-in reception desk protruded from one of the walls, a wide window allowing a view into the office behind. If he hadn’t walked in himself, Mob could almost confuse it with a doctor’s office.

However, what would usually be a fairly spacious room on any other day felt like the interior of a shaken soda can. Maybe because of the small horde of a dozen and then some espers (plus an evil spirit) crowded around the receptionist’s glass window, talking over one another with vigor.

A familiar, wonderful horde.

He could spot Koyama, Sakurai, the other Seventh Division Scars who had fought alongside them. A group of espers around Ritsu’s age stood by Hanazawa and Dimple. A shock of red hair that belonged to Suzuki’s son, along with two of the previous Ultimate 5.

“Looks like there’s a full house today,” Hawks noted unconcernedly, setting Suzuki down on one of the chairs. “Couldn’t have been a villain attack, I would’ve felt that…”

A tuft of spiked black hair flashed from the center of the crowd. 

“Ritsu?” Mob croaked. 

Although his voice was quiet, it managed to carry to one set of ears- a head of unruly hair turned towards him, large hands wrung and fidgeting anxiously with the hem of his orange hanten.

“A-ah, Kageyama..” Serizawa replied with wide, relieved eyes. The man’s fussing paused, gratitude glowing from each facet of his aura. “You’re alive!”

More eyes drew and heads turned with a rush of voices that caused Mob’s head to spin.

“Kageyama!”

“Knew he could do it!”

“Is he dead?”

“ Nii-san! ” 

Ritsu’s voice soared above all the others as he shoved his way through the group, flinging his arms around Mob’s neck. He held his brother tight, tight as if he let go Mob would slip away again. And maybe he would, as Mob’s mind felt further away than ever in sheer relief from seeing his brother.

Mob’s legs buckled as he began to crumple, but was caught simultaneously by half a dozen concerned hands. Ritsu still held the hug firmly.

“Is… are you alright?” Mob whispered hoarsely.

“Yes!” Ritsu laughed, eyes red and shining with the beginning of tears. “I’m alright. We’re all alright.” He pulled back, hands still on Mob’s shoulders. “All of our injuries were healed. Our clothes are in shambles, though.”

“Ah.” Mob smiled tiredly, something warm curling around his heart. “I’m glad.”

They embraced for a silent, full moment, before Ritsu drew away. His younger brother’s hands were still trembling slightly as he wiped away a tear, something rare when it came to Ritsu.

“Kageyama,” Hawks hummed from behind Mob. “That’s a nice name. That’s your brother, then?”

Mob nodded, not looking back. 

As soon as Hawks spoke, every gaze in the room snapped up to the Pro Hero, auras surging. The sudden tension was palpable, and Mob could easily assume that all eyes were particularly on Hawks’ impressive wings. Hawks didn’t flinch.

“Oh, that’s Hawks, he’s a Pro Hero,” Mob explained, hoping what he knew was sufficient. He hadn’t ever heard of a Pro Hero before, but perhaps one of the others did. He wasn’t very well versed in the news to begin with, anyways. “He found me and Suzuki and brought us here.”

“Pops is here?” Suzuki’s son interjected, startling blue eyes narrowing in a furious gust of emotions.

Mob gestured to the chair where Hawks had set Suzuki down, head lolled in unconsciousness, Mob’s gakuran covering him like a threadbare blanket. The redhead stiffened, a tight breath sucked between his teeth.

“You brought him here unrestrained ?” he snapped, voice wavering. “What if he woke up?”

Serizawa took a step forward, sweat beading his forehead. “The… the president. Is he…?”

“He’s unconscious,” Mob answered. “He won’t wake up for a while.” 

Next to Serizawa, the other Ultimate 5 member (Minegishi, if Mob heard those Claw grunts correctly) huffed a sigh. “Not even exploding could stop him. I’m somehow not surprised.”

Serizawa relaxed slightly, but the others showed no such change. Suzuki’s son opened his mouth to speak again but said nothing, eyes glued fiercely to the floor. 

Before an awkward silence could swallow the room, Hawks spoke up.

“You really have a whole party in here, huh,” the Pro Hero mused. “Were you all looking for these two?”

“We were,” Ritsu replied. Although his face was still blotted a light pink from tearing up, he was more or less composed. “We got separated while evacuating during the terrorist attack. Thank you for finding my brother.”

Out of the corner of his eye, for the first time since meeting Hawks, Mob spotted a small frown on the man’s face. “Terrorist attack? When did that happen?”

Minegishi and Serizawa exchanged glances. Hawks’ odd answer caused a pit to sink in Mob’s stomach. 

Although they were no longer in Seasoning City, Claw’s attack had to have been broadcasted or reported on, especially since the Prime Minister was kidnapped by the organization mid-televised speech. Mob would’ve imagined that someone who claimed to be a Pro Hero for a living would be keeping an eye on such important news.

Ritsu paused in surprise, mouth slightly ajar and eyebrows knitted together. Shaking his head, Ritsu gave an apologetic smile. “Ah, sorry. I was just surprised that you didn’t hear about it, since-“

He was cut off by a door swinging open with a creak, and two figures walked out. One was a frazzled man with short, neat black hair in a collared shirt and dark tie, expression pinched in disgruntlement.

The other was unmistakably Reigen, his cheap suit and tie a bit rough around the edges, but intact. He kept a calm smile, one hand tucked in his pants’ pocket and the other waving about as he chattered easily with the other man.

“Of course, of course! Thanks for the information. I’ve got it all under- hm?” Reigen paused as he spotted his disciple surrounded by the others. He grinned, putting a hand up in greeting. “Oi, Mob, you made it! Knew you could do it.” 

Mob’s bleary eyes widened as Reigen began making his way towards him. “Wow, you really look dead on your feet,” he noted softer than usual, a tinge of something genuine in his voice.

“Shishou,” Mob murmured, taking one step forward, then another.

“Woah, hey, kid!”

Everything felt like jelly as he pitched forwards, tripping over his own feet. Darkness crept in as the world around him became an incoherent dream.

A shout. A pair of hands catch his ragdoll limbs.

For the second time in two days, Mob passed out in the arms of his master.

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 53%

Chapter Text

“Come on, be careful with him.”

Mob’s eyelids twitched as he blinked hazily. Bright floodlights pierced his vision, forcing him into a squint. A blob of green floated an inch in front of his nose.

“Hey, he’s coming to.”

He squeezed his eyes shut before they fluttered open again as bleary lights came into focus. He was still in the police station lobby, head tilted towards the ceiling. Dimple’s unimpressive face was staring back at him, red cheeks and purple lips as garish as always. But as Dimple opened his mouth to speak, Ritsu’s form pushed past the evil spirit, expression lit with relief.

“Nii-san,” Ritsu said fondly, scanning him up and down, likely for injuries. Dimple scoffed at being brushed off, but didn’t complain. 

Mob blinked with more awareness this time, eyes widening slightly. “A-ah, Ritsu…” he mumbled, slowly sitting up in the seat he had been placed in. His muscles ached as he moved, painfully sore as if he had ran another marathon. “How long…?”

“A few hours,” Ritsu clarified. Mob gave a small nod as he wobbled to his feet, tendons and nerves tense with pain. He gasped as his legs quickly gave out, but Ritsu came to his aid and caught him by the armpits. “Shige, take it easy! You’ve been through a lot.”

It seemed like people were steadying him a lot tonight. Or was it technically morning now?

Ritsu guided his brother back towards the chair he had slept on. Mob didn’t resist or argue as he was set back down, the pressure between his muscles relaxing. He was grateful about how much his younger brother cared for him.

“Hanazawa’s going to be back soon, then we can get out of here. Just a little longer.” Ritsu shot Mob a reassuring smile, before taking a few steps back. “I’m going to go help him. Don’t go anywhere, alright?”

Mob nodded, and Ritsu seemed to practically glow as he walked away. His always reliable, amazing younger brother…

“You’re up. How’s my favorite student doing?” Reigen’s voice piped as the man took a seat beside Mob, legs quickly becoming comfortably crossed. 

“Tired,” Mob answered slowly, unsure what else to say. 

“That’s a given.”

“Well… when I use my powers too much, I have a hard time staying awake afterwards.” His thoughts were still slightly sluggish, as if his brain was a few feet to the right of his skull, but at least his mouth still moved at a reasonable pace.

Reigen hummed thoughtfully, giving a small head bob in acknowledgement.

Mob stared glazedly forwards, the station lobby slowly registering to his senses. Everyone was still milling around, some chatting mildly. Most were either quiet or catching some sleep. Hawks was absent, and the tall man from earlier was in thoughtful conversation with Tsuchiya, whose scar was now curiously missing.

Suzuki hadn’t moved from where he was placed, but he was now dressed in a plain white shirt and sweatpants. Although his frame was still gaunt, his previously bulging veins had settled. “Why are we still here?” Mob asked.

“Ah.”

Reigen sucked a breath between his teeth- not the most comforting gesture. As he spoke, his words felt slow, calculated, careful. “We figured out a few things, after you passed out. It… might be a lot to take in though, and I wouldn’t want to spring it on you if you’re not ready.”

 His mind prickled with possibilities at Reigen’s answer. Dimple and Ritsu had said that his parents were alright, but were they hurt during Claw’s attack? During the explosion? Was the city completely destroyed? He’d failed to contain Suzuki’s energy, after all. 

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“What do you mean by that? What happened?” Mob pressed his master, posture stiffening.

“I know what you’re thinking, nobody’s hurt, but I still don’t want to stress you out.” Reigen answered calmly. It was almost awe-inspiringly jarring how easily his shishou could read him like a book. “You just fell over from sheer exhaustion after fighting against the boss of an esper terrorist organization . That’s nothing a fourteen-year-old like yourself should do in a lifetime . Personally, right now, I think you should try to get some sleep.” 

He paused as Mob opened his mouth for the beginning of a protest, pursing his lips together for a few seconds before sighing. “...but I know you’re going to badger me about it until I say anything.” Reigen leaned forwards, planting his feet on the ground. “So I’m going to make you a deal right now.”

“The officer over there,” he pointed to the tall man speaking with Tsuchiya, “was kind enough to find us a place to stay for the time being. We’re planning to head over right now. Get some rest until then, and as soon as we’re situated, I’ll spill everything. Yeah?”

It was a generous offer that sounded fair enough to him. 

“Ah. Okay.” Mob’s body sagged into his chair in relief. His thoughts settled as he began to fidget with his hands, sliding them between the grooves in his fingers. “I don’t think I can go back to sleep, though.”

Reigen fanned a hand in the air nonchalantly, giving his student a small smile. “Can’t blame you. Just try and close your eyes, or just take it easy for now.”

Mob nodded as Teru strode over, cobalt eyes still shining with life despite the late hour. “We’re ready to go, you two.” A keyring twirled around his index finger, jangling. “Officer Tsukauchi procured a motel room for the night. He said that we could look into more permanent lodging later tomorrow if we need to.”

“That’s our cue then, Mob,” Reigen said, standing up with a small grunt. “Think you can stand?”

“I can carry you with my telekinesis if you can’t,” Teru offered. “I still have plenty of energy in the tank.”

Reigen shook his head, sighing. “How you’re able to be so awake after everything is honestly beyond me.”

At Reigen’s comment, Dimple decided to float over, glowing body hovering a few inches above the man’s shoulders. “Maybe it’s because you’re old,” he offered with a wry smirk. Reigen squawked indignantly, batting a hand through the spirit’s gaseous form.

Mob gave a small smile. “Ah, that’s alright. I think I can move on my own.” Carefully, Mob gripped onto the slightly battered sleeve of his shishou’s suit jacket, using it as a secure hold. One foot planted on the ground, then another. With more effort than he’d like to admit, Mob hefted himself to his feet.

He still felt fragile, as if his muscles were dead leaves, quivering as they clung desperately to his bones. His legs trembled under the force of gravity, but after a few seconds of bated waiting, still held up. Mob released his grip from Reigen’s jacket, shaky but stable. 

Reigen gave an uncertain glance, but said nothing else.

Mob blinked, swaying slightly. Teru and Reigen simultaneously shot out a hand in preparation to catch him, but this time he didn’t topple. Finally relenting, he relaxed his weight against Reigen’s shoulder. “A-ah. I guess I could use some help," he eventually admitted sheepishly. "I just didn’t want Hanazawa to get in trouble for using his powers just in case…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay to ask for support!” Reigen assured his student, putting an arm around his shoulders with a pat.

“I know, Shishou,” Mob replied, causing his master to pause. He felt a bit bad for interrupting whatever wisdom Reigen was prepared to impart onto him.

“Of course! Of course,” Reigen recovered hastily, pointer finger waving up and down like a flag in the breeze. “I was just reminding you. You were just nervous about how our abilities would be affected by our surroundings, and wanted to look out for a friend. Nothing wrong with that!”

“So,” Reigen continued after a short pause, “feeling good enough to get moving?”

“Mhm.” Mob nodded.

Teru smiled before turning his head, cupping a hand around his mouth like a megaphone. “Ready to go, little brother!”

Even if he was across the room, Mob could spot Ritsu’s ears burn an undignified red. He politely ended his conversation with Suzuki’s son before joining their small group, shooting Teru a sharp look.

Mob glanced around at the rest of the espers in the lobby as they walked towards the exit. “Ah- aren’t the others coming?” 

“They’ve got their own places. Not exactly easy to fit twenty people into one room,” Teru replied lightheartedly. That made sense, now that Mob thought about it.

The police station doors swung open, and a rush of the chilled, late-night air blew over Mob’s skin. His arms pinpricked with goosebumps, and he quickly regretted not taking his gakuran’s jacket back from Suzuki before leaving.

Ritsu offered his hoodie- Mob declined. Although he was cold, the idea of his brother becoming sick was far worse.

Within seconds, the disconnect between Musutafu and Seasoning City immediately dug into Mob’s veins, as if he was an alien fish out of water. 

As Teru pointed them down the sidewalk towards their destination, Mob’s gaze floated to the empty streets. Shop signs and billboard screens glowed with eye-blearing light, but the windows lining the road were dark with absence. 

It was a foreign screenshot in time, and they were passing through it.

Besides a few offhand remarks from Dimple about their surroundings, they traveled in the silence. 

Fortunately, the motel was close enough, only a few blocks away. Supported by Reigen, (and eventually Ritsu, midway through) Mob was able to walk the whole way there. 

The motel was two stories tall, painted a plain beige with uniform doors and windows spaced evenly apart around its parking lot perimeter. Teru guided them to a ground floor door, inserting the key into its hole and swinging its door open

Nearly limp-legged and breathing harder than a short walk should have made him, Mob let go of his brother and master and made his way inside. Ritsu flicked on a light, revealing two beds and a couch, just enough to host the four of them.

Removing his shoes, Mob made his way to the couch. It was firmer than it looked and couldn’t be comfortable to sleep on. He hoped he could claim a bed before the others.

“Can I ask you questions now, Shishou?” he asked as he rubbed his fingers across the couch cushions.

Reigen let out a long breath, running a hand through his bleached blond hair. “If you’re not falling asleep any time soon… I guess it’s fine.” He perched on the edge of one of the beds, posture hunched forwards and hands folded in his lap calmly.

“So, where do you want me to begin?”

As soon as the last of the station guests filed out, Naomasa Tsukauchi collapsed onto the nearest chair he could find. Exhaustion burned behind his eyelids as he felt them droop once, twice.

The Ibuprofen he had taken before had helped, but his head still dully pounded like a small army of hammers. His Quirk had always caused him to feel a small tug in the back of his mind when he heard a lie, the faint feeling that something was wrong, like a too-wide grin with a few teeth too many.

It was subtle. Annoying, but unharmful. As if two fingers were pressed at the back of his skull. 

They had never caused a borderline migraine before.

Although , he supposed, he’d also never met a Reigen Arataka before, either.

Every other sentence out of that man’s mouth was an egregious lie even when it came to answering the simplest of questions. 

When he did tell the truth, it was no better. He gave the most absurd and outlandish answer possible, yet his Quirk sensed no discrepancies. Those moments made his head spin more than the lies did.

Being able to keep a straight face throughout the interrogation felt like he’d participated in his own Herculean trial. But he’d made it, secured temporary spaces for all of them, and settled things until sunrise.

But there was no way in hell he could proceed with this case on his own.

Naomasa drew his phone from his pocket, pulling up a contact. His finger hovered above the call button for a few moments, but decided against it and typed up a text instead. It would be rude to suddenly call at almost four in the morning.

I have a new case. I want your input whenever you’re available.

He sighed, sinking further into his seat as he tucked his phone away again. As much as he’d like to fall asleep for the next twelve hours, it was still the middle of his shift. After a moment of silent contemplation, he lugged himself back to his feet and towards the coffee machine. 

A small recharge before he filed the incident wouldn’t hurt.

Once he was situated back in his office, Naomasa leaned back into his chair, which creaked noisily at his presence. He could almost hear Reigen’s incessant voice chattering in his ear, even long after the man had left.

He looked down to see his reflection staring tiredly back at him in his steaming cup of coffee, his thoughts beginning to boil over at the bizzarity of his situation. Quirks could be odd, it was a given considering their nigh endless possibilities. People the size of buildings, faces with multiple eyes or mouths, voices strong enough to explode eardrums. He was used to that sort of strange.

He was not used to two dozen people showing up simultaneously and claiming to be psychics, ex-terrorists, or both, all with no knowledge of what a Quirk was in the first place.

Naomasa blew gently across the dark liquid, and took a small sip. It burnt his tongue a bit, but if it kept him awake, it was worth it.

Leaning forwards, Naomasa set aside his coffee to let it cool and powered on his computer. A startup jingle, then his face was bathed in the screen’s blue light, forcing him to squint as he blindly reached for and jammed the brightness key repeatedly until he wasn’t blinded .

What would he even count this situation as? Missing persons case? Quirk misusage? he pondered to himself numbly as he opened up a Word template. 

A Quirk had to have been involved, surely. There has to be someone out there with multiversal travel Quirk. He reached for another sip of coffee. I can search the registry later.

Bzzt. Bzzt. His phone began to vibrate, and his fingers seized up, nearly dropping his coffee cup. Hastily shoving it back onto his desk, Naomasa fumbled for the answer button.

“Ah- Toshinori,” Naomasa answered. “Thanks for picking up. I wasn’t expecting you to be up at this hour, though.”

“I apologize for not replying faster,” Toshinori replied, his low, tired voice coming through the speaker. “I was in a meeting with Nezu about this year’s curriculum.”

Naomasa chuckled. “It’s not any issue, really. I’m just glad I didn’t accidentally wake you up early. Are you alone?”

“Mhm. I just left Nezu’s office. I’m assuming this is serious, then?”

“Not as serious as it is completely bizarre.” Naomasa paused, then in the spur of the moment, added, “Actually, if it’s not too much trouble, could you get the principal as well? I have a feeling this case goes beyond the police force, and it’d be helpful for him to weigh in.”

The sound of shuffling and the faint knocking on wood. Toshinori’s voice was muffled, and Naomasa assumed that he had pulled the phone away from his face. There was a distant exchange, before another ripple of movement. Toshinori’s voice came loud and clear through the call.

“I have you on speaker now, if that’s alright.”

“That’s perfect, thank you. I’m assuming Nezu agreed?”

“Indeed,” Nezu’s voice answered with his familiar formal cadence. “I’m honored you asked me for assistance. I’ve been told there was a situation?”

Naomasa nodded, before remembering that they wouldn’t be able to hear that. “Yes. It’s… going to sound a little crazy, but I assure you it’s the truth.”

A low laugh from Toshinori. “I’ve trusted you with far crazier before. I’ll believe you.”

“And I as well,” Nezu agreed. Naomasa took a deep breath through his nose before proceeding.

“Well, at approximately midnight tonight, a small party of around twenty entered the station looking for directions, which was fine in of itself, but they were looking for a place called Seasoning City. A city that, when I checked, didn’t exist on any map or search result. They seemed equally as confused when I explained where they were as well.”

“Could it have been some sort of displacement or memory altering Quirk?” Toshinori suggested.

“I considered that at first, so I asked for their Quirks. They didn’t know what those were whatsoever. I explained to them, and every single one replied that they were an esper.”

“Hm..” Nezu pondered, and Naomasa could hear the noise of tea being poured in the background. “It could be possible that they are from a community who knows Quirks by another name. It may be extremely rare in this day and age, but rare does not mean unheard of.”

“But I’m afraid there’s more,” Naomasa continued with a heavy sigh, peeking over at his coffee. He reached for another sip. “None of them exist on any registry, no matter how hard I looked. One of the younger ones, a boy with spiked, dark hair, was particularly distraught when he found his home address didn’t exist, and a few of my pens bent clean in half. So at least they’re not lying about the esper part.”

He paused, taking a contented sip. “What was the most concerning, however, was the repeated mention of a terrorist attack at the hand of some organization known as ‘Claw’. Two of them there even… apologized for their involvement, and apparently the kidnapping of the Prime Minister as well.”

“Every Pro Hero across the country would’ve been notified if the Prime Minister had been kidnapped by terrorists,” Toshinori said, and Naomasa could hear the frown in his friend’s voice.

“Exactly. And when I asked them who they thought the current Prime Minister was, they replied with Hiroshi Yabe, who did not exist when I checked either. So I came to two different conclusions, one more outlandish than the other. Either there is a memory altering Quirk at play, or…” The detective bit his lip, hesitant to let his thought spill.

“They’re from another world entirely.”

A silence draped itself across the office, stifled only by the faint buzz of Naomasa’s computer. He tried to breath as softly as he could as he waited for the others’ response.

“I don’t think that’s too improbable.” Nezu broke the quiet, and Naomasa felt an odd sense of relief. “There are millions of different Quirks in the world, and an even more unfathomable amount of possibilities. Who’s to say there might be a Quirk out there capable of drawing from these possibilities?” he said, voicing the detective’s thoughts neatly. 

“If that second conclusion is the answer, there has to be at least some method of return out there that we could find. I can’t imagine something like that would be just a one way trip,” Toshinori added. “But if it turns out that they would be stuck here or it is the first conclusion, they should be given assistance to settle regardless while an answer is searched for.”

“I’ve provided motel rooms for the night,” Naomasa explained. “I told them in the morning I’d try to have them an answer, and both your affirmations help give me that. From there, though…”

“Who did you say this group is composed of?” Nezu asked.

Naomasa hummed in recollection. “About twenty people, mostly male. Roughly half were children, the youngest appearing about eleven or so? They were all in healthy condition with the exception of their clothing, which was tattered.” He paused. “A young boy and an unconscious, just about naked man joined the party later on, and was recognized by a few of the others. I would like to see if I could interview them eventually as well.”

“Hmm." The sound of something tapping against the wood name from the other side. "If it's not too much to ask, would you mind if I accompanied you? I’m quite intrigued to meet these people myself.”

Although this was rather in character for the curious principal, Naomasa felt his eyebrows quirk up in a slight surprise. “I don’t think that should be a problem. I won’t keep you any longer, then. Thank you both for your time and assistance.”

“It’s no problem,” Toshinori said. “You’ve helped me out more times than I can count, after all.”

“I shall see you in a few hours then,” Nezu concluded, the sound of movement brushing against the phone speaker. “Until we meet again, take care.”

“You too.” Clck. 

Silence again. 

Naomasa waited for a few seconds before lowering the phone from his ear and heaving a deep breath. That had gone far better than he had expected. At least he wasn’t going crazy.

Turning back to his computer, he decided that he may as well continue the case file. It wasn’t like his shift was ending anytime soon, anyways. He had plenty of time to work.

Chapter Text

72%

Mob stared numbly into the bathroom mirror, eyes tracing the exhaustion burned into his face. His skin was flawless and clean, body nearly radiant in good health. Every scrape and injury leading up to his fight with Suzuki was gone, all signs erased as if it had never happened in the first place, save for the dark circles that hung around his eyes. He wasn’t able to sleep very well.

His master’s words still echoed in his mind. They were in another world.  

Another world without espers and Seasoning City and his school and friends and home and family. Another world filled with superpowered ‘Quirk’ users and heroes, where these abilities defined individuals- something against everything Reigen had ever taught him.

And they were stuck as far as his shishou could tell. He had arranged with the police officer- Officer Tsukauchi- to meet up later that morning for future steps, but even his shishou admitted that he had no idea how to get back.

Mob knew what had caused all of this, and had told his friends as such. He’d failed to contain Suzuki’s energy. 

An energy that was so immense, it tore apart reality.

73%

He should’ve been able to do better.

The sound of a knuckle rapping across wood echoed in the small room. Mob blinked, startled at the sudden noise.

“Oi, Mob, some other people need the restroom too, you know?” Reigen’s voice said, muffled through the door. 

Ah. He’d spaced out. Mob unlocked the bathroom door, stepping out into the motel room. Ritsu and Teru were stood at the far end, shoes on as they chatted idly with Dimple. “Sorry, I lost track of time.”

His master gave a short laugh. “Oh, it’s no problem! Just don’t sit for too long next time- it’s bad for your circulatory system.” He paused. “Or. Something.” Reigen breezed past Mob, slamming the door behind him. Mob hoped that it didn’t wake any of their neighbors.

“Ah, Kageyama!” Teru chirruped as Mob made his way to the genkan. He equipped his white sneakers, which were surprisingly not as damaged as the rest of his apparel had been. “How’s your energy holding up?”

Mob nodded. “It’s better than before, now that I got some rest.” He glanced at Teru’s face, dark shadows cradling his eyes that mirrored his own. “You look tired,” he noted.

Teru gave an apologetic smile. “I stayed up doing research,” he explained guiltily. “Quirks, society, this city, I thought it would be important to know that sort of information. I’d consider myself a bit of an expert on this world now, if I do say so myself, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions if you have them.”

“I hardly count sleep-deprived web surfing as ‘expertise’,” Ritsu deadpanned, unimpressed at Teru’s claims. Although Mob was disappointed that Hanazawa didn’t get any sleep, some information would be better than none, and he was surprised that his younger brother didn’t take note of that.

“I think it was thoughtful of Hanazawa to do that,” Mob said earnestly, “even though I’m a little upset he stayed up for it.” He turned to the blond-haired esper, whose expression was an odd mix of shame and gratitude. “Please take it easy today.”

Teru laughed lightly. “Of course, Kageyama. Thank you.”

The sound of a flush, then the opening of the bathroom door. “Alright then,” Reigen announced, adjusting his pink tie, “let’s get moving, why don’t we? The others’ll be waiting at the station. Sooner the better, yeah?”

Mob agreed with his master. Their check-out time was approaching anyway.

A quick exchange of room keys later, they were out on the road. His master had managed to obtain a small handful of breakfast bars to eat as they walked, along with two bottles of water. It was a dry meal, but it did wonders to curb the beginning of the hunger growls in his stomach.

Not too long after finishing the bar and washing down the crumbs with the last of the water, the small party had arrived at the entrance of the police station. 

The parking lot was buzzing with more activity, officers and visitors alike passing through the sliding doors. As Mob entered the waiting room, he spotted the younger Suzuki with Serizawa, along with the rest of the ex-Scars and Awakening Lab kids (Ritsu had explained where they came from) sitting at whatever seats they could get.

Serizawa spotted them before anyone else. For a moment he paused fidgeting with his fingers as his eyes brightened. “A-ah, good morning..! Or- it was already morning before but… I… uh… I’m glad to see you!” the esper stammered. He was visibly shaking at the awkward interaction.

“Yo,” Suzuki’s son greeted with an indifferent wave, but unlike before at the Seventh Division or the Culture Tower, there was no fire behind his eyes. His expression was unreadable to Mob, but something uneasy curled up in his gut. “Took you long enough.”

“Serizawa, Suzuki,” Ritsu greeted.

Suzuki’s son cracked a smile, relaxing upon spotting Mob’s brother. “Formal as always, Ritsu! Although, I think after our adventure together, we can be on a first name basis, yeah? Same goes for you, Ritsu’s brother.”

“Well, it wasn’t like you were exactly being formal in the first place, Shou,” Ritsu muttered, trying the name on his tongue. Mob filed the name away for future reference. “Where’s Minegishi?”

The bridge of Suzuki’s son’s- Shou, he now knew- nose wrinkled. “They’re looking over pops. He’s still out cold, but I didn’t want to trust his old lapdog with keeping watch quite yet. At least Minegishi’s got more of a spine.”

Serizawa seemed to shrink in on himself, which wasn’t easy given his towering stature. Tension rippled briefly through the room as a small frown flickered across Mob’s face. Shou’s words had clearly hurt Serizawa.

Fortunately, Reigen took charge of the conversation. His shoes clacked against the tile as he flipped a finger towards Shou and Serizawa. “Hey, I think that’s a bit unfair,” his master retorted, any frustration in his voice carefully masked. “He’s going through a lot- we all are. It doesn’t mean you can just pick on him because life’s stressful right now.”

Shou replied with a blank, narrowed stare, but kept his mouth clamped.

“Oh- and, uh, Serizawa, right?”

The scruffy esper straightened, startled at the mention of his name.

“Y-yes? Sir!”

“If we have time after this meeting, I’d like to talk. Nothing serious, just an offer.”

“Of- of course!” Serizawa answered, posture as stiff as a board. “Thank you… uh- sir!” The door of Officer Tsukauchi’s office creaked open as he walked out, a tired smile on his face. Walking beside him on two legs was some sort of white-furred and well-dressed animal, a deep scar running down one side of its face.

He reached out subtly with his aura. It wasn’t any sort of spirit. Mob did a double, then a triple take. 

“Ah, good morning, friends! Officer Tsukauchi has told me all about your predicament.”

Make that a quadruple take. It talked.

Clearly, Mob wasn’t the only confused one. The animal-creature, catching the shock in the air, laughed easily. “I can’t imagine you’ve ever seen anybody similar to me before. I could be a bear, dog, mouse, who knows?” It- or he, Mob supposed- gave a small bow of his head with a pleasant smile. “But you can call me Nezu. I’m the principal of a school in this city along with being a close friend of Tsukauchi here, and I’m quite intrigued by your situation.”

Teru was the first to recover, flashing a brilliant grin. “Of course! U.A, was it? It’s a pleasure to meet you, regardless. What brings you here, then?” Mob had never heard of U.A. before. Hanazawa must have found out about it through his research. It was impressive that he was able to connect the school to the principal so quickly.

Nezu hummed. “Ah, so you’ve heard of us before! I was curious after being informed of this case, and Officer Tsukauchi believed that I could be of some help to him. Plus, it would be untruthful if I said I wasn’t completely fascinated by the possibilities you present.”

Ah, Officer Tsukauchi had also come to the conclusion of dimensional travel, Mob realized. At least it wouldn’t be as awkward if they tried to explain it now.

“Who wouldn’t be informed of the number one school in Japan for heroics?” Teru replied. “And we’re more than glad to have your assistance.”

“We can have further introductions later,” Officer Tsukauchi interrupted, gesturing towards the door he had just come through. “If you will, let’s take this to my office.”

As it turns out, cramming two dozen espers, plus Tsukauchi and Nezu into an otherwise small office was no small feat. Mob had somehow not been pushed into a far, obscure corner, instead being shoved practically right against the officer’s desk. Ritsu had obtained one of the two chairs that didn’t belong to Tsukauchi, and after a bit of convincing, got Mob to take a seat.

“So,” Tsukauchi began, hands folded on his desk, “I’ve taken the time to consult some associates about what might be going on here. We’ve come to two conclusions, both of which were likely caused by a mass Quirk usage. Either you’ve been affected by a memory-altering Quirk, or one that managed to displace you…” he took a long breath through his nose, “...through space and time.”

Silence hung low in the air. Surprisingly, Mob found his mouth moving before he had time to process it.

“We know,” he blurted, drawing stares from everyone in the room. “We know that we were displaced through reality. It wasn’t a Quirk, though. And our memories are fine. Dimple would tell me if something was wrong.”

“When the hell did that happen?” Koyama’s voice snapped from behind the young esper, tone harshly judgemental.

“W-well..! I- uh- sorry…” Mob quickly apologized, now staring down at his lap intensely. Shame burned in his cheeks. “I forgot to tell you. But Ritsu and Hanazawa and Shishou and Dimple already… know…”

Ritsu’s hand rested on his shoulder comfortingly. “Do you want me to explain for you?” he asked. Mob minutely nodded, embarrassed on how he had quickly shut down after letting his words run ahead of him. Ritsu gave another gentle pat, before looking up to Tsukauchi. “So it’s true you’ve never heard of Claw, nor their attack on the Prime Minister or Seasoning City?”

Officer Tsukauchi nodded, and Ritsu paused, hand resting beneath his chin. His younger brother was thinking, likely considering whether or not to directly involve them in the retelling if Mob could guess. It was thoughtful of him.

“In our world,” Ritsu was clearly not used to that phrase, “Claw was an esper terrorist organization. They launched an attack on our city to kickstart a campaign to take over the world, but the leader self-destructed in the process with enough energy to level all of Japan. The energy was too much for the world to handle, so it fractured and transported us, who were in the vicinity, to this city.”

“That’s a lie,” Tsukauchi immediately answered, and Mob felt sweat prickle at the back of his neck. “Or more accurately, not all of the truth. You’re withholding important information, aren’t you?” The officer leaned forwards intently.

Ritsu tensed, meeting Mob’s glance. Mob felt his shoulders relax as he gave his brother a nod. It was alright. They would be in more trouble if they kept on lying than if they came clean, after all. “Nii-san, are you sure…?”

“It’s okay, Ritsu,” he replied. Ritsu was still for a few seconds, before nodding in agreement, albeit begrudgingly.

His younger brother gestured around the room “I… we all tried to stop it, but the only one who could even challenge the boss was my nii-san. When… the boss almost self-destructed, Shige went back to try and save him. Absorb his energy.” Ritsu shook his head. “It didn’t work.”

Tsukauchi’s eyebrows creased in concern, perhaps. Although he didn’t object to Ritsu’s revision of events, he seemed more discontented about the full truth rather than the previous half-lie. The officer set his sights on Mob, who wished he could promptly shrink and vanish into his seat.

“You came in later than the others, with an unconscious man accompanying you. Was that man…?”

“Yep,” Shou answered bluntly before Mob could curl up and explode from the question. 

“And where is he now?”

“Left him with Minegishi. My old man’s still out, but he won’t be an issue any time soon. Four-eyes here made sure of that.” The redhead jerked a thumb towards Sakurai, who nodded in solemn affirmation.

“Your old… man?” Tsukauchi clarified, and Shou’s piercing stare hardened.

“And? It doesn’t matter right now. I took care of it,” Shou insisted. “He’s staying under our supervision. None of you know how to deal with espers anyways.”

“Your father is a terrorist and would be classified as a villain, which is within our jurisdiction to deal with, not a citizen,” Officer Tsukauchi explained with a level face. “What you’re doing would count as vigilantism, which is illegal. If he’s a danger, it’s the responsibility of the police, Pro Heroes, and government to take care of him.”

Shou scoffed out loud. “You’ve never even heard of Pops before five minutes ago, you’ve never dealt with him before, let alone a single esper. And he’s not a danger anymore, were you listening? Or does your ‘Quirk’ impact your hearing as well?”

“I don’t see what Quirks and espers have to do with this conversation.”

Palpable tension wove through the room, so heavy and thick Mob could feel it as his fingers dug tighter into the sides of the chair. The conversation was going in circles. He wished that they could stop arguing.

“The law still applies, familiar with it or not. Even weakened villains are taken into custody. There’s no saying that they won’t become a threat in the future.”

“You’ve never met Pops before. He’s going to naturally stockpile energy over time, even though four-eyes sealed his powers. There’s only one other esper in the world able to deal with that. How are you planning to get rid of that energy if you lock him away?” Shou scowled. “I’d love to hear.”

Ah, was Shou talking about him…?

Energy. Veins burning. A woman, pleading. The room rattled as his aura pulsed and ebbed anxiously, even as he tried to reign it back in.

80%

Reigen cleared his throat, pushing through the office to stand closer to his student. “Look, I don’t think it’d be the best idea to get into an argument right n-”

“It’s alright,” Tsukauchi interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose, but he somehow didn’t snap. How the detective still remained so patient was almost unnerving to Mob. “This conversation would have needed to happen eventually. But it’s far off topic from what I wanted to discuss with you.” He turned to Shou with a sigh. “Although it would be within my jurisdiction to arrest him, we can discuss what to do with your father later.”

“Fine,” Shou spat, and the argument finally died down. The shaking slowed to a stop as Mob’s grip on his seat finally relaxed. Reigen and Ritsu still stood diligently at either side of him like a distanced hug, both seemingly reaching a silent truce.

“So. Given your account, you said that a mass amount of energy brought you from your reality to ours, correct?” Officer Tsukauchi questioned Mob. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

“Yes,” he replied. Mob slowly raised his head, eyes barely poking through his bangs to meet the officer’s. “You’re taking this pretty well?”

Tsukauchi’s tense posture managed a calm smile. “When it comes to Quirks, there isn’t much you can rule out. But back to what you said- by that logic, you’d need a massive amount of energy to return then.”

“I could probably figure it out,” Mob said in a near-whisper. Officer Tsukauchi’s eyebrows quipped upwards as he sat further back in his seat. Mob was unable to read whether or not the reaction meant he had somehow said something wrong.

“Nuh-uh, no, no way,” Reigen blurted, his flying hands punctuating each word. “You could have died, Mob. And you almost did, if your story tells me anything. As your master and a responsible adult, there’s no way in hell I’d let you try that again.”

A knot of guilt tightened and Mob knew that his shishou was right. He bobbed his head silently in acknowledgement. Reigen planted a hand firmly on his shoulder.

“In that case,” Tsukauchi continued, “you’ll have to remain in our world until a method is found to generate enough energy to create another rift. Even so, it may take even longer to find a way that’s safe.”

“Which brings me to why I am here today,” Nezu piped up. Mob had nearly forgotten about the short principal. “I imagine I have made it no secret about my interest in this whole case. As such, I would like to provide assistance where I can. I can procure stable housing and a budget for you while you settle for the time being, if you so wish.”

“That makes it sound like we’re stuck here,” one of the Awakening Lab kids with a large slick of black hair muttered.

“We may as well be for now. There’s no telling how long a solution may take,” Ritsu replied. Mob felt a small chill run down his forearms at this prospect. “It’s a highly generous offer, but are you sure?”

“It would be of no issue,” Nezu assured. “And continuing into my second offer- I would like to extend an invitation to U.A. to all students in this room.”

A small, strangled noise from Teru. “A-are you sure about that?” he asked, his confident smile briefly rattled. “U.A. is one of the top schools in the world, the absolute best for heroics in Japan, not to mention its other courses. It would feel unfair to be admitted without previous qualifications.”

Nezu chuckled, remaining unfazed by Teru’s confused reply. “Of course! Just because you’re not from this world doesn’t mean you can’t keep up on your education. Other students have gotten in based on recommendation before, so it wouldn’t be any special exception. 

You would all be enrolled in general studies, and while I also extend the possibility of the hero course to you as well, you would still need to pass whatever exam any other student would require. In my eyes, it is perfectly fair. But, of course, I would not want to force you into this.”

Mob met eyes with his younger brother. Ritsu smiled. “I think it would be a good opportunity, so we don’t become rusty with our academics. It could also be a chance to practice our abilities freely under professionals.”

“Ah, you want to take the hero course, Ritsu?” Mob asked. Not that there was anything wrong with that- he was simply curious.

“Mhm,” Ritsu nodded. “It’s not often there are schools for those with powers such as ours after all, nii-san. 

“I agree with little brother,” Teru chimed in, eyes brighter than ever. “Honestly, I likely would have declined had it been just the general course- I’m not the most fond of the school system, after all. But I’ll always take any opportunity to be able to train and improve my psychic powers.”

“Same here,” Shou added, his voice noticeably flatter than Ritsu or Teru. “During that fight, when I challenged pops… I still have a long way to go.”

Another one of the Awakening Lab kids- a girl about Ritsu’s age with coral hair and a pink track jacket- gave a small laugh. “I have a feeling that U.A. will be a good learning experience, although I’m not sure about the hero course. For me, at least. Clairvoyance isn’t exactly suited for combat, after all.” The other Awakening Lab kids nodded.

“Ah, are you all clairvoyant as well?” Mob inquired.

“Nah,” said a boy with a messy head of blond hair. “Just Rei. We just don’t think the hero course is the best fit for us. Besides, pyrokinesis can be a… dangerous talent.”

“Oh, like Hanazawa,” Mob said earnestly, trying to connect the dots on what he implied. 

“Uh… sure..”

“Don’t forget that you’re still under my training,” Teru reminded the Awakening Lab kids. “I’ll be sure to pass on what I know.” A frown flashed across his face for a split second. “Although.. isn’t U.A. a high school? We’re much too young for that.”

“An exchange program,” Nezu easily answered. “That would be easy enough to explain. The curriculum will still stay within a middle school level, if that serves as reassurance.”

Mob considered his options. He liked the idea of the general course- maybe since U.A. was a higher end school, it would be better at teaching him math? It would be nice if he didn’t need to bother Ritsu all the time. He was beginning to feel guilty for interrupting his younger brother for math help constantly.

And the hero course… it wasn’t a bad idea, necessarily, but the word ‘hero’ implied fighting villains. And Mob was done with using his powers to fight others for a long time, especially after the whole ‘Claw’ fiasco.

“Would… would we have to fight each other? In the hero course,” Mob asked.

“Yes.”

A feeling of disappointment nestled at the back of his skull.

“…but only for training exercises, since hands-on experience will be best when it comes to honing Quirks- or in your case, psychic powers. Rest assured, it will all be in a controlled environment,” Nezu continued. Noticing Mob’s indecision, he continued; “Of course, fighting isn’t all the hero course is for. Students also train in rescue.”

Mob straightened in his seat a bit. “Rescue?”

The principal nodded. “Saving survivors from fires, floods, landslides, evacuating civilians, there are plenty of other ways to use your powers as a hero besides fighting against villainy.”

Reigen nudged him. “That sounds like something you’d like, eh, Mob?”

His shoulders felt much lighter. He had never considered that sort of work before, but the more he thought about it, the more he warmed to the concept.

“I’d… I’d like to learn how to do that.”

“As noble as ever, Kageyama!” Teru enthused, and Mob felt himself smile at his friend’s compliment.

“What about Mukai?” Tsuchiya spoke up, arms crossed. “She’s only eleven. I can’t see her being able to go to a high school, and god knows Claw wasn’t the best with her education. I’d only recently been able to find her a school before the Seasoning City attacks.”

Tsukauchi sighed. “You’re also a part of Claw?”

“Once, in the past,” Muraki clarified, his face stoney and stoic as always, but tone full of gratitude. “Master Reigen helped us see the foolishness in our decisions, and allowed us to break off from the organization. All of us in this room aided in the defending Seasoning City from Claw.”

“Ah. Reigen,” Officer Tsukauchi replied. Although his voice was calm, Mob noticed how his hand tensed at the mention of his shishou. Maybe he was stressed about the whole case? Some tea might help.

The officer released a breath and continued. “But back to Mukai. I’d be more than happy to find an elementary school for her, along with supplementary support if needed.”

Tsuchiya nodded, satisfied at Tsukauchi’s response.

“So if that’s all decided,” Nezu said, “All that would be left on your end to give us for the time being is information for the Quirk Registry.”

“Ah, Hawks mentioned that before,” Mob murmured. “What… exactly is it?”

“A database, of sorts,” Nezu began. “There are millions of Quirks in the world, some more dangerous or powerful than others. The Registry helps us keep track of every Quirk, its restrictions and uses, and of course, important information. For example, an address and contact information in the advent of a transport Quirk incident.”

“But we don’t have a Quirk,” Ritsu said.

“You are all espers though, correct?”

Ritsu opened his mouth to speak, when Reigen interrupted. “Of course! Of course.” Tsukauchi raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn’t argue.

“Regardless of how they are seen in your world, abilities such as yours are required to be monitored here. I have official Registry forms here, which should only take a few minutes to complete.” Nezu brandished a stack of papers, placing them down on the desk. Mob reached for one, eyes glancing over the document’s contents.

Name, age, address, prefecture… Quirk.

“If I don’t have a Quirk, what would I write instead?” Mob asked.

“Typically, you would write ‘Quirkless’. But given your psychic abilities, it would count as a Quirk in the eyes of the law. But as you cannot all place yourselves as ‘espers’, I would suggest coming up with something relating to your particular skill set if possible.”

“Ah, does it have to be unique, then?”

“That would be preferable, yes.”

Mob stared down at his paper, considering his options. Eventually, he picked up a pen and wrote ‘Telekinesis’. 

That should be creative enough, right?

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 83%

Chapter Text

Shou Suzuki wasn’t having a great time. 

Although, he hadn't had a truly good one since his embarrassment of a father claimed he wanted to take over the world and his mom left years ago.

Well. Things at least weren’t nearly as miserable as they were before, but that still didn’t mean that everything was peachy keen.

His mood had definitely tanked when his old man was brought into the station, completely unrestrained. While he supposed that some part of him was relieved his pops wasn’t dead , just because he was unconscious didn’t mean that he could be hauled around without any precaution.

Sure, he respected Ritsu’s older bro, but jeez . He was so forgiving and relaxed even after Shou’s father nearly burnt his master to a crisp then destroyed half the city.

He’d dragged Sakurai back to the motel they were staying at after that. Although the Seventh Division really wasn’t anything to fear or praise, he’d seen that cursed room the spectacled Scar had made. 

He’d asked (or rather demanded, but he was in too much of a sour mood to be any politer) if Sakurai could create a similar version of the curse on a smaller scale for his father.

“Curses are volatile and complex. It may take me a while to create a full seal,” the Scar had explained. Shou told him to continue anyway, and although the curse wasn’t completely set yet, Sakurai had said that he was about halfway before they left for the station.

Maybe that was why that detective was more apprehensive about Shou’s claims about his pops being powerless, since it wasn’t completely the truth. But that was still besides the point.

Minegishi and Serizawa coming along with him through it all was… fine, as well.

Although they had never interacted much, Shou knew that Minegishi was trustworthy at the very least. During the few times they had spoken, Minegishi was the only one out of the Ultimate 5 to show any hint of understanding about his disdain towards his father. 

They were observant, and could tell when they were being used. It was frustrating that they still stuck by his pops’ side by choice, but at the very least Shou could safely know that Minegishi wouldn’t turn on them.

Serizawa, though… Shou wasn’t sure what to make of him at the current moment.

The man practically worshiped Shou’s father, defending him at every turn and trailed behind him like a lost puppy at all times. He was gullible and a bumbling mess who seemed to cave in at even the weakest Scar’s remark, which while it made it easy to poke fun at or embarrass him, also made him infuriating to talk with. 

In the three years Shou had known Serizawa, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen the man make a decision on his own without at least running it by his pops for approval first.

But then, out of the blue, Serizawa had suddenly turned on his pops. Shou could easily guess why it happened, (Ritsu’s older brother strikes again) but it was still so sudden. It was difficult figuring out how he was supposed to feel about the older esper after that. 

But the way he continued to blubber and stammer apologies while following Shou restlessly still didn’t change. Through it all Serizawa still couldn’t grow a spine, so keeping him away from his father where he could be easily influenced became Shou’s decision.

And speaking of his father, Shou thought to himself as he finally exited the police station about an hour later, it looks like he’d be taken into custody after all. A dangerous villain, even if from another world, was still a dangerous villain, Officer Tsukauchi had said no less than twenty times already.

Shou eventually caved, and made a deal with the detective. He’d tell them how to handle espers and let his pops get arrested and detained, at least for the time being. In return, he’d be monitored, researched, and interrogated until it could be deemed whether or not he would be safe enough for any sort of probation. Similarly, the Seventh Division Scars and the remaining Ultimate 5 members would be taken in for questioning as well.

(But honestly, hell if he knew if that detective was being honest or not about the probation part. It would be easy to tell Shou to get him to back off, since he did spark an argument about the idea of throwing his pops in jail earlier. He was too tired to care about that anymore- he just wanted to know that wherever his pops would end up would be at least a bit secure.)

It was a simple enough deal, all things considered. They’d all gotten off extremely easy. But something, a small feeling at the back of his mind, still rang of fear.

His pops was uncontrollable. Everybody around him was another battery waiting to be used, just like he had with Serizawa. Even without his previous stockpile of twenty years of energy, his basic abilities were nothing to ignore. Shou had no clue what Quirks could do, but it likely wouldn’t be able to stop an esper of his father’s caliber. 

It was why he was so afraid to turn his pops in initially, he admitted to his thoughts. Too many unknowns, especially when dealing with a whole new world with totally different superpowers to their own. They were so confident, Tsukauchi stating with ease that they could detain his father despite having never seen firsthand the destruction and ruthlessness he had caused. 

Thinking back on it, Ritsu’s brother had probably decided against immediately turning him because of this same fear of the unknown that he had.

Shou had always hoped that he could turn his pops back to the light, get him to see how stupid world domination was. But then..

Raising his hand so easily against his own son, freezing him in a block of ice and striking him with lightning, throwing him across the room because he could. His pops was a madman, yet nobody in this new, stupid world was taking him seriously.

He’d feel better if he could be the one to watch over his pops instead of some random officer. But, he supposed he had to take what little respect he could get, to keep people just a little bit safer.

Shou sighed as he leaned against the wall of the station, hands in his pockets. Serizawa was still talking to that master of Ritsu’s brother, (he’d have to learn his name at some point), and hadn’t returned yet fifteen minutes later. He was tired and wanted to return to their motel room as soon as possible, but couldn’t leave quite yet without Serizawa.

“Hey,” Ritsu’s voice said, and Shou flinched slightly. The raven-haired esper had somehow appeared right beside him, head tilted slightly in a display of concern. “How are you holding up?”

“When’d you get here?” Shou asked, straightening his posture. 

“You were lost in thought. It really wasn’t that hard,” Ritsu replied bluntly. “I’m assuming you came to a conclusion with Officer Tsukauchi?”

“Yeah. He’s taking my old man in for the time being. I don’t know how long he’ll be locked up, but the sooner I get a clean answer, the better.”

“Huh,” Ritsu frowned. “I’d thought that you’d be more excited about your father finally being arrested.”

Shou groaned. “Me too, trust me. And maybe I should be. But… I dunno. Will they even be able to detain him? None of them were there or saw any footage, they have no gauge on how powerful he actually is. Maybe I’d feel more comforted if they were actually espers.”

Ritsu’s eyebrows creased in sympathy. “Ah. I understand completely.”

“...thanks,” Shou muttered, eyes tracing the patterns of the sidewalk. “It’s my task to deal with though, so I don’t want you or your brother worrying about him, alright?”

“Alright.” Shou could feel Ritsu’s careful gaze analyzing him up and down. “Were you informed where he’d be held for the time being?”

“Some station apparently designed for detaining villains. Not the absolute worst place they got, but hopefully the security measures are a bit better than an average prison. I don’t think I caught the name, though. And the detective said that if he’s deemed to not be a further threat there’s a chance for probation or parole.”

Ritsu’s eyes flickered briefly in a mild surprise as he nodded. “Ah. That sounds like a lot. Just… let me know if there’s any way I can help, alright?”

“Yeah, I hear you.” He pushed his weight off the wall, rocking between his heels and toes casually. “Would it be cool to switch topics for a little bit, though? I’ve already had plenty of conversation about my old man for today.”

His friend hummed in agreement, and the two stood in silence for a few seconds. “Nii-san and I both wrote down our Quirk as Telekinesis- Nezu said that family can have identical Quirks, and I figured that Telekinesis is a pretty good reflection of our abilities. What did you choose?”

“Decided to call it Stockpile,” Shou replied with a small shrug. “Put it down for both me and pops since being able to store and release energy is pretty unique for an esper.” He managed a mischievous grin towards Ritsu. “Won’t stop me from going invisible or flying, though! I want to keep them on their toes.”

“Just… make sure to be careful with that, then,” said Ritsu with an odd mix between amusement and caution peppering his voice.

“‘Careful’ hasn’t been in my vocabulary for years ,” Shou teased, putting an arm around Ritsu’s shoulder.

Ritsu offered a small, light laugh, before his expression sharply sobered. “But… seriously. I’d be careful.” He brushed Shou’s arm off gently, and the redhead took a small step back.

“Yeah, yeah, I get that. Don’t worry, Ritsu.”

Another moment of awkward silence. Shou felt bad for a moment about not having anything to really say.

“Mr. Nezu mentioned entrance exams take place about a week from now. We won’t be taking the written portion, but there is a physical assessment required for entry to the hero course,” Ritsu noted. “Do you have any thoughts on that?”

Shou shrugged. “It shouldn't be that bad, even without my powers. Fukuda- he was the one with the green sweater- was crazy overprotective about my health, so he made sure I kept up with that sort of stuff. Plus, I'm not too shabby with wrestling ei-”

His phone rang.

The conversation died on their lips as Shou’s bloodstream seized with ice. Ritsu gave a reassuring smile, but Shou could still see the worry laced in the esper’s eyes.

Shakily, tentatively, Shou removed it from his pocket and managed to read the caller’s name through his wobbling vision.

Minegishi.

Against his will, his body froze up as worries prickled and surfaced. Something was wrong, something had to be wrong, something had happened.

There were too many possibilities. 

Ritsu, reading the tension around Shou, gestured towards the station doors with raised eyebrows. Shou nodded, and Ritsu bobbed his head politely in silent response. He gave a small wave farewell, then ducked back inside. Now finally alone, Shou took a deep breath, then answered the call.

“Tell me what it is,” Shou said gravely as soon as he could hear the crackle of Minegishi’s connection. His free hand was clamped around his other forearm, fingernails digging into his skin anxiously.

“Suzuki,” Minegishi’s stoic voice greeted. “Your father has regained consciousness.”

He was awake. Shou’s heartbeat faltered for a moment as if under a wave of vertigo and he dragged his fingers down his arm in a slow, scratching motion. “When?” he asked, muscles tensing. “How long ago?”

“Just now.”

New energy burned through Shou’s nerves. 

Without even a curt ‘okay’ or ‘I’ll be there’, Shou hung up, not willing to wait a second longer. Shoving the phone back where it came from, he darted back into the station.

Sure, he was going to wake up eventually, but it felt too soon, somehow. Too sudden. He should have taken Serizawa and dragged them back as soon as that stupid interrogation was over. 

Sakurai’s curse hadn’t been completed yet either, Shou remembered with a grimace. He could almost see the image of the half-cursed seal sewn within the sleeve of his father’s shirt burning up futilely every time he blinked.

Shou burst into the station lobby. Serizawa was still talking with Ritsu’s brother’s master (another name he would need to obtain later) by the far wall, clutching something in his hands anxiously- some sort of business card? The two men are deep in some sort of conversation.

“Oi, Serizawa,” Shou shouted, drawing extra stares that he really couldn’t care less about at the moment. His heart hammered as if he was a rabbit about to bolt at a second’s notice- and maybe he was. “Get that detective guy. We’re leaving. Now.”

Serizawa made a panicked, strangled noise as he nearly dropped the business card. “A-ah, Officer Tsukauchi’s busy at the moment..”

Of course. He bit back a scream. Time for idea number two that had come into his mind all of three seconds ago. “Okay. Nevermind, then.” Shou pinched his brow, his patience rapidly dwindling every second he stood idle in this stilted conversation. “Actually, just stay here. I’ll trust nothing blows up, yeah?”

“W-why? What’s the problem?” Serizawa asked in his infuriatingly honest voice.

“Pops woke up, that’s what,” the redhead snapped, turning back towards the exit. “I’m going back. I don’t care if you follow or not, but I’m not waiting.”

“The president…? W-wait!”

Shou couldn’t stand around any longer. He felt his aura bubble up around him as he darted out, and drew it around his form. Light warped and shifted over him like pulling on a second skin, until he was completely concealed.

Finally hidden from the human eye, Shou kicked off the sidewalk as his body left the ground. Channelling telekinesis into every inch of his body, he raced back as quickly as he could. 

Back towards their tiny motel room. Back towards Minegishi. 

Back towards his father.

As soon as Shou burst into the room, he nearly skewered himself on a multitude of thorns.

The entire interior was crawling with massive plants, nearly all brandishing fierce barbs and carnivorous maws. They dug through the ceiling, crawling through the floorboards and walls like a parasitic worm. Minegishi stood at the heart of the space, their back to the doorway and focused intently on the figure entwined in their vines.

Shou let his psychic power dissipate, lava-lamp energy retreating back into its vessel. He sidestepped just as a piece of debris clattered to the floor with a spray of sawdust. “Yo. I made it.”

The plants rustled and retreated, creating a clearing for Shou to reach Minegishi. He stepped through the torn-up room, trying not to think about the extensive property damage. Minegishi turned to Shou as he approached, expression flat- as per usual for the chlorokinetic.

“Was the amount of plants really necessary?” Shou asked dryly, eyeing a particularly large flytrap to his right. “It’s like a small jungle in here.”

“It couldn’t be helped,” Minegishi said with a scowl. “As if you’ve never had your aura flare before either.”

“Only when I want to. Last time my powers acted up on their own I was eight,” Shou shrugged. Minegishi sighed, and Shou knew that their little banter was the least important thing on either of their plates at the moment. “Is he still up?”

Minegishi stepped to the side, their plants shifting to accommodate the motion. There, sitting calmly against the wall with hollowed cheeks and hands bound in thick vines, was his pops- ugly eyebrows and all.

As Shou approached, he took note of his father’s eyes. They had always been a stormy blue, much darker than Shou’s own. And yet, they were always visible even in the darkest of shadows, boring into your soul with the power that thrummed behind them- a shared trait the two of them had from their energy-storing abilities. 

But now? His eyes looked defeated. Withdrawn. As hollow and gaunt as his now-skeletal frame. Even when their gazes met, his pops’ unblinking stare didn’t hold the same power or confidence it had in the past thirteen years of Shou’s life.

“Shou,” his pops said at last, tone painfully neutral, as if he hadn’t just tried to take over the entire world literally yesterday. Shou’s glare narrowed.

“It’s over,” Shou replied. No reaction. “You know Claw’s done for good, right? And all of your bullshit schemes and plots.”

“...” His father’s head tilted downwards, eyes focused on a new, nondescript point on the ground. “...yes. I am aware.” There was a brief moment of… something behind his blank gaze. “The boy. The one who I fought. Is he..?”

“Ritsu’s bro is fine.” And if Shou was being honest, Ritsu’s older brother was probably the only reason his pops wasn’t six feet under already or abandoned as soon as they came to this current universe. But he didn’t tell his pops that. “Although I’m not sure why you’d care, since you were the one to try and kill him in the first place.”

“... I see.”

Shou’s fists balled at his side. He wanted to scream, finally let his floodgates burst, yell at his old man for everything it was worth. 

His pops was being so infuriatingly calm, despite the fact he had not only tried to take over the world and destroyed a good chunk of a city with his stupid plot, but also had his ass subsequently handed to him by a middle schooler, then nearly self-destructed, almost taking the rest of the country with him.

And yet here he was. Although he held nearly none of his previous authority, he was still as poised, calculated, and blunt as ever. More distant than normal, maybe, but it was nothing new to Shou. He’d lived with ‘distant’ as far as he could remember. But… that shift in his pops’ eyes when he mentioned Ritsu’s brother caused something in Shou to boil.

He’d just woken up and the first thing he could think to ask about was that kid he tried to kill. Not where he was, what had happened, not even an attempt at any pathetic excuse for an apology towards his own son who had suffered through his idiotic choices for years.

Shou guessed it was better than an alternative where his father tried to escape, though. And he very well could at any moment, as even though Sakurai’s partial curse smothered some of his father’s regenerating aura, it still dwarfed Shou’s own with its circuit board tendrils curling around the room. Honestly, he didn’t know why his father wasn’t trying to fight back, but knew he should be glad.

Shou turned away. “Whatever. The cops’ll be here soon anyway.” 

“It would only be right.” His father lowered his head, eyes closing in acceptance. 

Shou glanced at Minegishi. “Keep watch over him. I need some space away from this room.”

“As if I haven’t been doing that already,” they replied dryly with a tired shake of their head, but didn’t push the redhead further.

Maneuvering his way around the bristling plants, Shou stalked out of the motel room and stared at the clear sky overhead, taking in the vibrant blue.

It’s almost over, he told himself with less conviction than he would have liked. It’s almost over.

It took another hour before Officer Tsukauchi showed up at the room, Serizawa in tow. An hour, that to Shou, felt every second too long.

A small team of other officers followed behind Tsukauchi, each holding some sort of armored panel about the length of their torsos up like a barrier. Tsukauchi eyed the various carnivorous overgrowths weaving and poking out of the motel room door frame and walls, but decided against making any comment.

Serizawa’s eyes were wide, his unruly head of curled hair somehow even more frazzled than it was at the station. “Is… is he…?”

Shou wordlessly nodded, and immediately the policemen behind Serizawa and Tsukauchi moved in front, blocking their views. He held in a wince, hoping they weren’t planning to enter the room. It would be a perfect way to get eaten or strangled by Minegishi’s plants if they tried without notice.

Tsukauchi stepped forwards, the police parting to let him through. “Touichirou Suzuki?” he asked. A rustling noise, and the swelling of Minegishi’s aura lessened.

“He’s in here,” Minegishi’s voice answered. “I can bring him out in a second.”

The sound of motion. Footsteps. The wall of policemen swiftly surrounded Shou’s father, attaching their odd shields around him in a binding fashion. His old man didn’t fight the action at all. 

“What are those?” Shou asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the metal cords trailing from the black barriers like leashes.

“Not all villains can be kept under control with just handcuffs, or have hands for that matter. These restraints act as a catch-all for most villains, can block Quirk Factors, and cannot be broken out of with brute force,” Officer Tsukauchi explained, as his small force began to lead his father off. “I’ll be in contact about further questioning. Get some rest for the time being- we… can get you a new room.”

Shou grimaced, thinking of the now-ruined motel room. If only the rest of his resistance fighters had been transported with him. Higashio would have been able to patch it up in under a day. But he stayed quiet, nodding as his father was led towards the holding vehicle waiting in the parking lot.

Minegishi shifted to stand beside him, watching their boss be escorted away, but Serizawa pushed forwards, jogging a few steps into the lot with a sudden yell.

“P-President..!”

Shou’s eyes widened for a brief moment at the man’s sudden movement. What did Serizawa think he was doing?  

His pops paused, forcing his escorts to a standstill. “Serizawa,” he said coolly. “I never actually considered any of you as comrades.” He gave a small glance back. “There’s no reason to worry about me.”

The corners of Serizawa’s mouth trembled, and Minegishi strode over to the anxious man’s side, offering a tentative hand on Serizawa’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Shou’s father continued.

“You are in a new situation far from your old one. Because you lack self-confidence, others will find you easy to manipulate.” Although his pop’s voice didn’t waver or fluctuate in cadence, something new shifted in his typically-stoic expression. “Be careful from now on.”

Shou finally blinked, disbelief crawling its way into his veins. Words of sentiment… he can’t recall the last time his old man had said anything of the such- hell, if he had ever said anything of the such.

Sure, he’d given complements before, but they were always along the line of one’s power or potential. A method to create a desire for approval, to influence and bend others to his will. A concern about somebody’s well being, though, was completely alien to-

“Shou.”

His heart froze. Shou stiffened, but fought to not show his surprise.

“I had hoped to reunite you with your mother, but my pride severed that possibility.” His pop’s eyes narrowed, face contorted in what could only be read as a small display of regret. It was possibly the most emotion he’d displayed in years. “I’m truly sorry.”

The air stilled, and Shou’s mouth opened slightly as he attempted to articulate his emotions. 

It was the apology he’d wanted, yet everything was still so frustrating and cathartic and not enough yet too much at all the same time. 

Shou had spent years trying to get his pops to see reason, but one fight with Ritsu’s bro had managed to spark something greater than he’d ever managed. His pops hadn’t fought, hadn’t tried to escape despite the half-finished seal, accepted his fate, and had apologized . He was trying to change.  

Words found their way through.

“Don’t be,” Shou replied. “I still see mom every now and then.” His pop’s eyes widened, posture straightening as he lifted his head to match Shou’s stare. “She’s always asking me how you’re doing.”

Shou’s monthly meetings with his mom weren’t always in person, and conversation was often stilted and overly cordial, but his pops would always be a topic they came around to, no matter how much conflict flashed in his mom’s eyes. She had always pushed the question. 

She still cared for him, and it seemed like he still cared for her despite everything.

Shou’s hands tightened into fists, but kept his face neutral. “I wish I could’ve stopped you, before she found out what you’d become.” He took a few steps forward, energy rising. “We may be stuck here for now, but don’t you dare think this is all over!” he shouted. “When we get back, I’ll make sure you get a big earful from mom!”

His father quieted again, turning his back on them and tilting his head towards the sky with an air of wistfulness.

“...take care of each other.”

And then, he was gone.

Shou stood, staring out onto the lot for an unknowable amount of time. His shock slowly subsided, until it was left with nothing more than a humming numbness. Serizawa and Minegishi hadn’t shifted either, still shoulder-to-shoulder in silent solidarity.

Somehow, it was over. Years of fighting his father and Claw were finally over. But instead of feeling excitement or jubilation, a now-extinguished pit sat in his stomach that continued to crumble.

He’d been fighting for so long, always vigilant and on his toes, and that now that his cause for action was resolved, Shou felt… aimless, and it was more frustrating than anything. Justice had prevailed just like he’d wanted, but never had Shou ever actually considered what would come after.

What did he know besides plotting to take down terrorist organizations? How to manage them? That didn’t seem particularly useful when it came to normal society. 

He hadn’t grown up around kids his age who weren’t brainwashed, and his only support group had been his emotionally despondent father and his lackeys for so much of his life. 

Everything was uncharted territory, and Shou was lost in the dead middle of it.

What was he supposed to do with himself now?

Chapter Text

“Body… hah… improvement… fight…!”

“On!”

“Fight…!”

“On!”

“...fight…!”

“On!”

Mob puffed and gasped at the air, limbs pumping as he jogged along the sidewalk. The day was clear and sunny, the beach breeze bringing in a soothing chill. The past two days had been rather rainy, so Mob wanted to catch up with his training the moment the sun shone. 

He’d been jogging for twenty minutes straight- just about a new personal record- keeping in mind every tip about proper running form Captain Musashi had given him. Just because they were in a new world didn't mean he could neglect the Body Improvement Club’s wisdom, after all.

Beside him, Teru and Ritsu kept even with his pace, returning each chant Mob wheezed out with a much greater ease. Since Reigen and Dimple were out hunting for an office to rent, and Ritsu’s friend was apparently at some sort of interrogation, the three of them had the day to themselves to freely explore Musutafu.

They had been in this new city for three full days now, a little under half a week out from the UA entrance exams. Compared to the initial confusion when they had arrived, the past few days flew by much easier.

Nezu and Tsukauchi had found some vacant apartments in a nearby complex, allowing everyone who had been transported to live in fair proximity. Which, while nice, made being next door neighbors to Koyama and Sakurai a bit noisier than Mob would have preferred.

His shishou was also hard at work, making sure they were supplied with clothing that wasn’t their tattered outfits from fighting Claw, obtaining proper meals for five people, and convincing Teru to move in with them, saying that no child should be living without supervision. 

Which, honestly, was very wise on his shishou’s behalf- it hadn’t really sunk in for Mob that Teru has been living completely alone for years, until Reigen and Teru had their small dispute over where the blond esper would be staying. It made Mob realize that he really didn’t know that much about Hanazawa despite having known him for months already.

Reigen also wanted to start back up Spirits and Such, which didn't make too much sense given the fact that Musutafu had the lowest spirit population Mob had ever seen.

But when Mob brought that up to Reigen, his master immediately choked on his takoyaki and likely would have passed out if it wasn’t for Mob’s intervention.

“W-well, obviously, just because there’s a small population doesn’t mean there’s none,” Reigen replied between strangled coughs. “Besides, there’s always the ‘and Such’ part of the agency as well.”

That made sense to Mob, so he let it be. Although, he wasn’t much good at the ‘consultation’ side of the agency, so he wouldn’t be able to do as much as he used to. Hopefully Reigen would be alright with that.

Mob wheezed as the trio peaked a particularly steep hill, pace beginning to dwindle behind the others as his legs finally started to fully ache from the exertion.

“F-fight…!”

“On!”

His vision swam.

“...fight… fight… hgk-!”

The toe of his shoe caught on a crack in the pavement, and Mob pitched forwards nose-first. His knees buckled, and he would’ve completely smashed his nose onto the sidewalk if it weren’t for the twin auras that flashed to catch him.

“Woah there, Kageyama!” Teru chuckled as the bowl-cutted esper was slowly lowered to the side. Mob’s heart raced as he continued to pant, lapping up the air into his lungs greedily. He sat on the paved ground, leaning lightly against a nearby lamppost.

“Ah, Nii-san, your leg…” Ritsu kneeled by his brother, hands hovering above Mob’s kneecap. The top layer of skin was taken clean off by Mob’s stumble, and although not bleeding, still slightly stung as the wind blew against it. “We should go back, to get that cleaned up.”

“I’m okay, Ritsu,” Mob assured his younger brother, giving a small smile. “I was just pushing too hard. We can just take it easy for a bit.”

Ritsu frowned to signify his disapproval, but simply nodded in reply. “Alright. Just let me know if it hurts too much, okay?” With a small huff, he got back to his feet and extended a hand down to Mob. Mob accepted it readily.

“You know, Kageyama,” Teru mused as Mob shakily stood up again, “After the explosion with Claw’s boss, every single one of our injuries were completely healed, and I have no doubt that you were the one to cause it. Do you think you could possibly figure out how to recreate that?”

Mob hummed. “Maybe… I was trying to offload energy into anything I could find at the time, and I guess you guys were in range. I wonder if I could…”

His hand shimmered with hues of blues and purples as he lowered it to his skinned knee. He winced as his fingers brushed against the sore skin, and carefully allowed the psychic energy to seep into the wound.

It hurt a bit more than he expected, like the brief sting of alcohol on a wound, but the beginnings of new cells began to appear almost instantly. Mob sucked in a breath as his skin shifted and mended with the energy’s stimulation. 

And as soon as it had started, it was over, leaving nothing more than small, surface-level scratches in its wake. Although it was only a negligible injury he had healed, Mob felt the small glow of satisfaction at figuring out something new.

Teru laughed, patting Mob on the back. “Honestly, I don’t know what I expected. Amazing as always.”

Ritsu’s shoulders relaxed, as he adopted his older brother’s warm smile. But only a few moments later, he immediately straightened, gaze fixed onto something going on beneath them. “Huh, look down there.”

Mob followed where Ritsu was staring, down onto a beach he now realized they had been running by. While the sands were largely a pristine white, patches of garbage littered the particular area Ritsu held his sights on. Tires, broken furniture, and spilled trash bags piled upon itself, ruining what would have otherwise been a gorgeous view.

And curiously, among the piles of trash, Mob spotted the figure of a boy in a white t-shirt moving a rusted file cabinet through the sand with more ease than Mob could muster in a lifetime. He couldn’t help but feel his eyes widen in a mix of admiration and jealousy. 

Behind the boy was perhaps the most skeletal man Mob had ever seen- even more so than Suzuki. The man watched the boy from a distance, barking commands that Mob couldn’t quite make out.

“I wonder if it’s a sort of beach cleanup event,” Teru pondered with a tilt of his head. “Would you want to check it out?”

Mob checked his new phone. It was about 3 in the afternoon. He turned the device over in his hands, still unused to the extra bulk. 

Along with the jump in time to late February instead of November, they had seemingly bounced forward about a hundred years as well. Flip phones were nowhere in sight, instead replaced by a much more complicated (and twice as expensive, his master had lamented), streamlined design.

He’d seen Teru carry around a similar model before, but it had been too new for him to really care. But now it was unavoidable, and still extremely odd to him. He tucked his phone away, looking back to Teru and Ritsu.

“I think we have time to spare,” Mob replied. “It would be a good opportunity to use different types of muscles as well.” The Body Improvement Club had volunteered for a similar cleanup before, and Mob was 90% sure those were the exact words Captain Musashi had used to hype up the experience.

“Make sure not to over-exert yourself, Nii-san,” Ritsu reminded him sternly. “You’ve already been pushing your body plenty today, and I don’t want you to get hurt right before the exam.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let you know if I get too tired,” Mob assured Ritsu. 

Ritsu sighed fondly. “Of course. I trust you know your body the best out of any of us, after all.”

“Kageyama! Little brother!” Teru called with a wave. He was already partway down a set of steps leading to the beach, grinning ear to ear. Ritsu bristled slightly at the nickname, but kept up his amicable smile.

“Let’s go join him, why don’t we?”

Mob nodded, and the two brothers followed their friend onto the beach in tandem.

As they walked towards the duo still absorbed in their efforts, Teru raised a casual hand in greeting.

“Good afternoon,” Hanazawa greeted brightly, causing the skeletal man to snap to attention, two sunken in eyes regarding Teru in trepidation. “We were wondering if there was some sort of cleanup effort going on down here, and wanted to see if maybe we could pitch in.”

The boy in the white t-shirt didn’t respond, still laser-focused on moving the file cabinet towards a pick-up truck parked to the side of the road above them. The man, on the other hand, seemed to relax at Teru’s explanation and offered a gaunt grin.

“A-ah, no, it’s not that,” he explained. “It’s actually a training regime for my student, there. Although, I would be lying if I said I didn’t choose this specific task so he could give back to the community simultaneously as he worked.”

Mob’s eyes tracked the boy, watching as he pushed the cabinet uphill. Although his muscles weren’t as pronounced as the rest of the Body Improvement Club back at Salt Middle School, Mob could tell that they were definitely something to be envied. Or perhaps inspired by. 

Mob chose the latter as the boy managed to move the heavy cabinet into the rear of the truck, resting a few moments before jogging back towards the beach. The esper turned to the boy’s trainer. 

“Even if it’s not a public cleanup, would… could I help as well?” Mob asked, “I’d like to train my muscles too.” He pauses, then waved his hands in front of him frantically. “Un-unless that's too intrusive to ask, of course…!”

The thin man hummed to himself, having likely not anticipated the question. “I suppose there is more trash around beyond what I had assigned him…” He shrugged. “I don’t see any problem if you want to join in.”

Mob bowed his head in gratitude. “T-thank you for the opportunity!” 

He trotted over to a nearby tire, looping his arms around the inside and hefting with all of his might. His muscles trembled a bit at the surprising weight, but Mob successfully lifted the tire off the sand by a few inches, enough to begin moving it towards the truck.

Beside him, Ritsu picked up an old microwave with a huff, hoisting it in both arms as if it were a stack of books. “I’ll join as well,” his brother smiled. 

The white-shirted boy ran past the siblings with intensity, curly green hair bouncing with each step. Swiftly, he pulled two large tires out of the trash pile and began his trek back up the slope, quickly passing up Ritsu and Mob.

“It certainly looks arduous,” Teru noted, hand perched under his chin. “If it's not too much to pry, what are you training him for?”

Although Mob was halfway up the staircase between the beach and the road, the hint of pride in the trainer’s voice was unmistakable even from his distance. “My young student is interested in taking the UA entrance exams. As such, I’ve been training him for the past few months to be able to reach his goal.”

Ah, so the boy was taking the exams as well. Mob adjusted the tire to sling around his shoulder, already breathing fairly hard as he reached the peak of the hill. Tires were honestly much heavier than Mob had expected, and his was barely half the size of the two tires the green-haired boy was carrying.

While he marveled at the boy’s strength, Mob wasn’t sure what that would mean when it came to his own odds in the physical exam. If he couldn’t use his psychic powers, his chances of acceptance would likely get much, much lower. Although, it wasn’t like he knew what to expect anyways.

By the time Mob got to slowly loading his tire onto the back of the truck along with Ritsu’s microwave, the boy was already sprinting past again. But this time, it didn’t go as smoothly as before.

As the boy moved from the parking spot back to the steps, his foot misstepped and slipped at an odd angle. His ankle folded inwards, causing him to squawk and flail in alarm as his entire body toppled forwards. Mob didn’t wait even a second to react.

He tossed his tire to the side with one arm, outstretching the other as psychic energy raced to the tips of his fingers. The green-haired boy became enveloped in a light blue cloak of aura, his tumble immediately halting inches away from the steps.

Mob’s shoulders sank in relief as he let out the tense breath he had been holding. “A-ah, thank goodness…” 

He slowly straightened the boy back out, placing him back onto the steps right-side-up. Mob’s bangs fell flat against his forehead again as his energy carefully retreated back into his body. The boy didn’t react at all, now seemingly frozen to the spot and staring down at the steps unmovingly.

The esper’s body immediately stiffened again. Had he done something wrong? Was it considered rude to pick him up with his powers? He wasn’t sure if maybe an allergic reaction could be plausible, but they were in a new world, after all.

“Sorry, sorry!” Mob panickedly apologized, already fumbling to pick his discarded tire back up from where it crookedly laid against the truck. “I just- you were about to fall, and it’s a long way down, a-and I didn’t want you to get hurt at all s-”

“Was that your Quirk?”

Mob paused, baffled. “...huh?”

The boy whipped around, his previously focused expression replaced with starry-eyed awe. His freckled cheeks glowed red sheepishly, but he didn’t back down or draw away when he was caught. “Ah, I was just wondering if you had a telekinetic Quirk! Sorry if it’s an odd question though, haha.. thanks for catching me, anyways.”

“A-ah, yeah, I do,” Mob stammered, relieved that he hadn’t accidentally messed something or other up. With a grunt of effort, he shakily lifted the tire up onto the truck’s back, rolling it to rest beside the two others the boy had brought up. He allowed him to glow with a bit of pride at that- a few months ago, lifting even a few pounds would have caused him to sweat a small waterfall.

“That’s amazing!” the boy grinned. “Although telekinesis is fairly common, stronger telekinetic Quirks able to lift up a whole person like that are very rare, especially with only the training of an average civilian. Typically people only carry the abilities to lift small objects, or are much more restrained in the kinds of objects they’re able to lift. I don’t know any powerful telekinetic people, let alone telekinetic heroes. I mean, there are a few that claim that they do have telekinesis, but it’s pretty much always misclassified because telekinesis is commonly confused with the ability to attract certain types of material such as metal or rock…”

Ritsu moved to stand beside his brother, giving the muttering boy a thin, tired smile. “He sure is energetic when it comes to Quirks…”

“...although, I guess my mom has the ability to float objects towards her, but I’m not sure if that would count as an attraction or telekinetic Quirk… I suppose since there’s no particular discriminant between what she can or can’t float besides the size of the object, it would count as-” 

The boy paused his tangent, ears flushed with self-consciousness. “Ah, I got off topic… anyways, my notebook’s back down on the beach. Would you mind if we went back down there so I could ask you some questions?”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Mob glanced towards Ritsu, then returned the boy’s smile, albeit with far less enthusiasm in his expression. “That sounds fine.”

“Thank you!” He bounded back up the staircase, stopping just before the last step. “I’m Izuku Midoriya, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Mob paused. Ah, introductions. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Midoriya,” Mob replied politely. “I’m Shigeo… Shigeo Kageyama, but Mob is fine as well.”

“Mob, like an NPC?” Izuku asked with a small tilt of his head. “That’s a bit of a mean nickname, isn’t it? Are you sure you want me to call you that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t mind, I think it fits me. The idea of blending in isn’t bad, I like the concept of being just a normal person. It’s not like the nickname came from anywhere bad either, it was just because my friends noticed that my first name could also be read as ‘Mob’. But I don’t mind, however you refer to me.”

When he was younger, he and Tsubomi had been learning how to write their names. When he pointed out that her full name was a pun, she had replied that ‘Shigeo’ and ‘Mob’ could be read in the same way, and the nickname stuck after that. 

The fact that Tsubomi had been the one to bestow his nickname likely played a part in why he still continued to use it, but it wasn’t that much of a big deal to Mob regardless.

“Ah, I get that,” Izuku replied, eyebrows creased in sympathy. Before Mob could comprehend the display of pity, he continued. “Is that your sibling next to you, then?”

“Ritsu Kageyama,” Ritsu answered warmly. “I’m Shige’s younger brother.”

“Woah, I would’ve thought that you were the older one if you hadn’t told me..”

Ritsu laughed easily, unaffected by Izuku’s comment. “I get that a lot, don’t worry. I guess it just goes to show that height isn’t everything.” He tilted his head towards the beach. “But if you want to ask my Nii-san questions, let’s head back down, why don’t we?”

“Oh, right! Sounds good to me,” Izuku replied, and pivoted on his heels before practically leaping back down the stairs. Although this time, Mob noted, he took much more caution in ensuring his feet actually landed on the steps instead of a precarious situation in-between.

Teru and Izuku’s mentor were both still locked in conversation by the time the trio made it back on the beach's white sands. “All-M- Sensei!” Izuku called with an energized wave to his mentor, as he ran over to a nearby backpack situated beside a partially-caved refrigerator. “I’m going to take a break, if that’s alright-“ He froze, gaze locked onto Teru like a deer in the headlights.

The skeletal man turned to his student, giving a thoughtful nod in return. “Very well then, young Midoriya. You’ve been impressively ahead of schedule lately, anyways.” Mob could practically see the light that beamed from Izuku’s grin at his teacher’s comment.

“Ah, I see you’ve met the Kageyamas,” Teru noted. He didn’t seem to notice Midoriya’s wide-eyed stare, nor the way he initially tensed upon spotting the esper. 

“Ah, you’re not-“ Almost immediately, Izuku’s muscles released itself from any previous tension. He pulled a burnt and slightly beaten notebook from his bag, flipping open to a new page.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else. But… yeah! I feel bad for not noticing any of you sooner… I guess I got too absorbed in my training.” Izuku’s pencil tapped absentmindedly against the lined paper. “Mob- ah, this is Mob and his brother Ritsu, by the way- saved me from falling down the stairs with his Quirk.”

Teruki grinned. “That’s Kageyama for you. And it’s no problem! I’m Teruki Hanazawa, but you can just call me Teru. The three of us are all training to apply to UA as well.”

“A pleasure to meet you, then! I’m Izuku Midoriya, and- wait,” Izuku blinked. “You’re also looking to get into U.A?”

“Ah, yeah, the hero course,” Mob chimed in. “Are you training for that as well?”

“Yeah! It’s been a dream of mine for a long time…” the green haired boy reminisced with a smile. “But that’s great! I’m interviewing the Kageyamas about their Quirks in a second, would you mind if I asked you some questions as well?”

“Not at all,” Teru replied brightly. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

It took them a few minutes to get situated, with Mob and Ritsu using a brief show of telekinesis to bring over some crates for the group to sit on. It was a little odd seeing Teru not jump at the chance to assist with his powers, but it was likely because he hadn’t listed down any sort of telekinesis for his registry entry, Mob presumed.

Ritsu handed Mob a water bottle, which the older esper graciously accepted. The two of them sat perched on the edge of a still-intact wooden shipping crate, leaning shoulder to shoulder.

“So,” Izuku began, pointing the end of his pencil at Mob and his brother, “you both have telekinesis Quirks, correct?”

Ritsu nodded. “They’re both listed and named identically as Telekinesis, but Nii-san’s is much more powerful than mine.”

“But that’s only because you awakened only a few months ago, Ritsu,” Mob retorted softly. It was unfair for his little brother to compare himself to Mob when he’d held psychic powers for far less time. “You’re still really powerful even though you’ve only had it for a while.”

“Shige…”

“It’s true, and you know it.”

“Ah, really?” Izuku asked. Mob bobbed his head in confirmation. “I-I’m sorry if this is rude, but before then, you were…?”

“Quirkless, yes,” Ritsu affirmed. “Although Nii-san was born with it, I didn’t get mine until four or five months ago. But having a Quirk was not exactly the end-all-be-all I was expecting, if I am to be honest. It took me a while to realize, but powers really can’t get you everything you want.”

“Wait, actually?” Izuku asked incredulously, before shaking his head. “I’m getting away from our topic here, whoops. So… what does your Quirk entail? Can you simply lift items, or is there something extra to your powerset?”

“We can lift items and throw them,” Ritsu agreed, “as well as move and manipulate their parts. Like bending a spoon, for example.” Mob nodded in agreement for his brother’s explanation.

Izuku hummed, jotting down a set of notes in his notebook. “And would you say there is a limit to what you lift?”

Ritsu nodded. “The heaviest I’ve ever lifted up is two cars at once, but I think that was mostly due to adrenaline,” he admitted. Mob straightened at Ritsu’s account- when had his brother been in a fight that required him to do that? Was it against Claw? “But on most normal days, I’d say about a car’s worth.”

Midoriya’s eyes were glued to his paper as he continued to frantically write down the information. “And what about you, Mob?”

“A-ah…” Mob fidgeted with his hands, suddenly unsure how to reply. He knew that he wasn’t going to lie, but it didn’t make it any less awkward when his words left his mouth. “I… don’t think… I have one?”

“Huh?”

“I-I mean..!” He pushed his hands into his lap, feeling the sweat prickle up on the back of his neck. “I’ve never really tried to find it, and I guess I’ve never had any struggle lifting anything before, either. So, I-I wouldn’t exactly know where it is?”

“That’s amazing!” Something in Izuku’s eyes shone as his hand jotted down words even faster than before. “Are there any drawbacks to your Quirk at all, then?”

“I guess… if we use our powers too much, we can become extremely tired afterwards,” Mob replied thoughtfully. “And if we put up a barrier, we can’t attack at the same time.”

“A barrier?”

Mob’s throat felt dry at his quick slip-up. How would Ritsu quickly explain something away like a barrier? “O-oh-! It’s- we- we can put up a sort of layer of telekinesis, that can block attacks? It’s not invincible, though. It can break from too much pressure,” he fumbled, hands flying anxiously in a behavior he’d probably picked up from his master.

Midoriya’s scribbling continued, and Mob took the continued casualness as that his explanation had sufficed. “That’s perfect, thank you, you two!” His head bounced up to look at Teru. “So, what’s your Quirk, then?”

“It’s a bit of a complex one to explain,” the blond began calmly. He flicked his hand out, his sunspot aura dancing in his palm. “I can control and conduct energy to wherever I want it to go. For example…”

He extended a finger, the energy crawling up and forming into a miniature Air Whip. “...I can channel it into a whiplike weapon for me to use. I can also cause it to combust, augment the power of my speed, and even fill a tie with it to turn it into a sword. It’s fittingly called Energy Manifestation.”

Mob’s mouth opened slightly into a small ‘o’ formation. Hanazawa had been smart, to choose a broad enough name that could explain a large portion of his powers. Mob felt a little silly to have only gone with ‘telekinesis’, but Nezu did say to choose something that represented their abilities, and Mob did feel like he used that much more than the versatile skillset Teru often used in combat. 

Either way, Energy Manifestation felt like a good pick for Hanazawa. He smiled.

“Oh, wow!” Izuku marveled, flipping to a fresh, blank page before continuing his bulleted notes. For a moment, Mob caught the number 13 written onto the book’s cover.

…how many filled notebooks of Quirks did this boy already have?

“As for weaknesses and drawbacks… I’d say it’s about the same as Kageyama and little brother. Fatigue, exhaustion, general drowsiness from overuse,” Teru effortlessly continued, as if he had rehearsed for the conversation. “I’ve had it since a young age, though, so I’ve been working to overcome that hurdle since. What’s your Quirk then, Midoriya?”

Izuku paused, pencil freezing mid-character. “Oh! It’s… it’s a bit complicated as well, just like you said with yours. It’s a strength… enhancement Quirk that lets me compress… air? It’s a bit confusing, even to me..” he stuttered, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh, it’s… destructive, though, so I don’t like using it a lot. So I’ve just been training my general muscles as well,” he concluded, voice lilting towards the end to make his statement seem more like a question than a fact.

Mob could absolutely understand where Izuku was coming from, and found it nice to be able to connect that both of them were training their muscles to improve beyond their powers. “Ah, I get that as well,” he assured the boy with a small smile. “Don’t worry, it makes sense.”

“R-really? Thanks,” Izuku said with a nervous chuckle. “But, uh, anyways!” He finished up what he was writing under Teru’s page, and snapped his notebook shut. “Thank you, all three of you, for your time. I know it’s a bit of an odd hobby, but I love learning about the Quirks of other people, so this was super helpful!”

“It was no problem,” Ritsu replied. “We’re glad to be of assistance.”

Izuku’s mentor strode over, giving his student a firm pat on the shoulder. “Young Midoriya,” he said, “if you have concluded, I’d say it’s time to resume training again. There’s still time before the sun sets, after all.”

Izuku leapt to his feet, placing his notebook and pencil down on the milk crate he had been sitting on. “Yes, A- Sensei!”

“Do you mind if we join you as well?” Mob asked. “Your teacher said we could when we first got here, but if you have a schedule, I don’t want to intrude-”

“Not at all!” Izuku grinned. “Let’s train together!”

Mob’s heart warmed at the easy acceptance. “Right..!”

The four of them ended up transporting garbage from the beach to the waiting truck for the rest of the afternoon. 

Teru and Izuku had moved the fastest, carrying larger loads than either him or Ritsu had with relative ease. Mob had never realized how strong Teru actually was even without his powers before, and shone with admiration for Hanazawa during the whole workout.

Izuku had asked Mob why he wasn’t using his powers at all at one point. Mob explained to the green haired boy the same reasoning he had given to many people before- that psychic powers (or Quirks, in this situation) couldn’t give him everything, and he wanted to work hard for his dreams. Izuku had nodded, understanding of the esper’s aspirations.

By the time the sun hung low on the horizon, Mob’s phone had rang- a call from Reigen. They would have to leave. Waving farewell to their new companion and his teacher, the esper trio walked back to their apartment shoulder-to-shoulder.

Although sweaty, sore, and exhausted out of his mind, the sense of fulfillment radiated from every inch of Mob’s mind. As they sat around the small dining table and listened to Reigen’s energetic retelling of his office search, occasionally interrupted by Dimple’s snarky comments and Teru’s friendly additions, Mob couldn’t help but smile gently the entire time.

It had been a good day.

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 87%

Chapter Text

“Huff… hah… made it just in time..”

Izuku panted, hands gripping the straps of his bag tightly as he stood before the entrance to the one and only UA. He’d missed the first train, forcing him to take a different route than intended. Then, he’d gotten lost, needed to ask around for directions, then sprinted with all of the life left in his legs to the school’s entrance gates.

Still breathing heavily through his mouth, he began his way forwards again. The world felt unreal to him, as he stared up at the towering arches above him. He was at UA. UA! The hero school! But…

I was so worried about missing the exam, he thought to himself, that I didn’t have a chance to test out my new power…  

So what if he was going into the exam completely blind, with zero clue as to how to utilize One For All? He could figure it out… probably. He wasn’t even sure what the physical exam would entail in the first place.

The memory of All-Might holding out the golden strand of hair flashed back to the forefront of his mind, and Izuku could practically feel how it clung to the back of his throat as he awkwardly swallowed all over again. His stomach churned, and he covered his mouth.

“I may have swallowed the hair… but I don’t feel like anything great has happened to me yet,” he muttered to himself dryly. He hoped in all earnest that the last ten months hadn’t just been some massive joke. It wasn’t likely- All-Might would never do that to him-  but the thought still poked at his mind regardless.

“Stupid Deku,” a voice hissed behind him. Izuku stiffened, glancing back to see the eternally-pissed figure of Katsuki Bakugou stalk towards him. 

“Kacchan,” he murmured, surprised to see his childhood friend show up so late as well.

Bakugou was having none of that. “Get out of my way now,” Kacchan snarled, “before I set you on fire.”

Izuku yelped. Knowing that Bakugou was definitely one to follow up on that threat, he quickly rushed to do damage control. “Oh, hey, good morning!” he squeaked, a tight smile pulled across his face as he jumped to the side. “Uh… let’s just both do our best out there, okay?”

Kacchan ignored him, continuing past without sparing as much as a glance.

“G-good luck…!”

As Bakugou walked away, a trail of gossip followed him like wisps of smoke. 

“ I think that’s the kid who withstood the sludge villain. His name’s Bakugou, right? ”

“ Yeah, he’s the real deal. ”

Izuku blinked a few times, slightly shocked that Kacchan had allowed him to get off without a fight. Although, ever since the sludge villain incident, Kacchan had been taking it easier on him.

He shook his head rapidly. Guess I was just scared out of habit. But… I’m not defenseless anymore.

“Hey, Midoriya!”

Just peeking from over the steps to the exam entrance, Teru waved warmly towards the green-haired boy. Ritsu and Mob were a few steps behind him, accompanied by a fourth person- a boy with startling blue eyes and spiked red hair wearing a leather jacket.

“Ah, you made it!” Izuku greeted, relieved to see some familiar faces.

“We took a few wrong turns, but we’re hopefully still on time,” Teru replied with a small chuckle.

“Mmh, just about,” Izuku confirmed. “I got lost as well on the way here.”

“Anyways, what was that guy’s problem with you?” the redhead standing beside Ritsu asked flippantly. “That broody blond with murder in his eyes. You two know each other?”

Izuku choked on his saliva, not expecting to be asked so casually by a stranger about Kacchan. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing bad! We’re childhood friends, so I know him pretty well.. he’s just having a bad day, is all!”

“He threatened to set you on fire ?” the boy replied, with a small raise of the eyebrow.

“To be fair, that sounds like something you would do, Su- Shou,” Ritsu retorted, stumbling over the boy’s name.

“That was one time!” The boy rolled his eyes playfully, then turned to Izuku. “I’m assuming you’re a friend of Riichan here? I’m Shou Suzuki, but I prefer just Shou.” Ritsu shot Shou a cold glare that Izuku would have never expected from him of all people, but Shou returned with only an unaffected, shit-eating grin.

Izuku decided not to ask further about the implications of Shou possibly having set Ritsu on fire before. “Yeah! I’m Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you.”

“Nice! Great to meet you as well, Izuku,” Shou replied, skipping right over any form of last name formality. “If he ever bothers you again, let me know, yeah?” he asked with an unwavering confidence.

“No, no, don’t worry about that!” Izuku assured the boy, not wanting to drag him into any sort of issue involving Kacchan. “I’ve got it under control, trust me!” He glanced at his phone. “Let’s head inside before we’re late for the exam orientation.”

They nodded in synchronization, and Izuku turned back to the approaching entrance to UA. 

He was finally here, after ten months of training. He’d bled, cried, worked from dawn until dusk to train his body for this very moment. With all the work he’d put in, there was no way he could back down now.

Thanks to All-Might… I’m actually going to be a hero.

He took a grand step forward…

…and his foot instantly caught on the back of his other heel. For the second time in under a week, his balance rocked, and he felt his body tilt forwards unstably.

Or I’ll just die. That sounded reasonable.

He could hear faint shouts as the world blurred around him. There wasn’t enough time for him to even get out the semi-coherent hope that Mob or Ritsu could catch him.

Well. Goodbye, cruel world.

Everything became still.

Izuku’s eyes were still scrunched tight, every muscle in his body waiting for his impact against the brick floor. But it never came. 

Neither Mob nor his brother had stopped Izuku’s fall, he managed to register. Izuku could still clearly remember how it had felt to be caught by their telekinesis a few days prior- warm and weighted, like a blanket wrapping around his body. But this time everything felt weightless and empty, as if he were floating in zero-gravity.

A small laugh came from his right. “Heh… are you okay?”

Carefully, Izuku cracked one eye open to find himself hovering a meter off the ground. His legs dangled in the air, his whole body practically parallel to the paved path. He let out an undignified squawk, kicking his feet with a frantic anxiety.

A pair of hands held firmly onto his back and arm, guiding him back to a standing position. Izuku turned to find a girl standing beside him, her short brown bob shaking as she chuckled, watching his confusion.

She clapped her hands together. “I stopped you with my Quirk,” she explained. Another telekinesis Quirk? Izuku was getting lucky with those lately. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first, but… I figured you wouldn’t mind me catching you.”

Izuku stood in stunned silence, stomach still churning with the lingering feeling of weightlessness, along with the added fact that a girl was speaking to him, of all people. She grinned, not noticing his shock. “Isn’t this all like, way nerve-wracking?” she asked amiably.

His mouth hung open, contemplating a response. “Uh… I- uh-” No full words came.

“Well, guess I’ll see you on the inside,” the girl chirruped unconcernedly, giving Izuku a small wave. “Bye!”

And then she was gone. Izuku couldn’t move, couldn’t speak as his mind raced to comprehend what had just happened. A girl had just talked to him. Holy crap.

“Um…” Mob murmured, “I’m sorry I didn’t catch you before. I got distracted.”

Izuku numbly gave the bowl-cutted boy a mix of a motion between a nod and a shake of his head. “Uh- no! It’s…” His voice died on his tongue. 

Disbelieving laughter bubbled to the surface, drawing in a few judging stares from other examinees around him, yet he couldn’t find it in him to stop as it grew in volume.

“Wow,” Shou noted in a teasing deadpan. “Crazy much?”

The auditorium, to put it lightly, was massive.  

Or, at least it was to Izuku. It was easily three times the size of the one at his old school, brimming with rows of open seats from one end to the other. The majority were already occupied, with the group only finding the last few remaining towards the very back.

Izuku slid in, followed by Mob and Teru. Ritsu and Shou took two seats in the row above, with the redhead immediately leaning forwards and draping his elbows across the seatrest in front of him comfortably.

Ritsu straightened as two other boys walked towards them- one with a ridiculously high, propped collar and well-slicked black hair, and the other in a much more casual hoodie with a blond rat’s-nest similar to Teru. “Ah, Asahi, Hoshino,” Ritsu acknowledged. “I thought you said you both weren’t applying for the hero course?”

“Of course,” the one with the black hair shrugged. “It shouldn’t be that hard to believe that we changed our minds. We’ve both gotten stronger from Teru’s training, after all. It’s because of him we were able to pull off that fire tornado during-” he coughed. “-practice.”

Izuku smiled to himself, glad to find more friends around. If they knew Teru or the Kageyamas, they couldn’t be bad people. Leaving Ritsu to continue his conversation, Izuku took his seat and turned his attention forwards to the darkened stage at the forefront of the auditorium.

A voice scoffed beside him. Izuku’s fingers dug tighter into his fists, and he didn’t need to turn around to recognize that familiar tone.

“Of course I’m stuck next to you, Deku,” Kacchan spat, and although neither of them were making eye contact, Izuku could almost feel Bakugou’s dark red eyes burning holes into the side of his skull. “It’s like you’re some kind of goddamn leech.”

“A-ah, Kacchan!” Izuku stammered. “I- uh- there just weren’t a lot of seats, a-and I didn’t notice you there, I swear…!”

Bakugou snarled, and Izuku decided not to poke the bear any further, keeping his eyes trained onto the stage. So much for not being defenseless anymore.

Unfortunately, Mob chose that moment to speak up.

“You don’t deserve to be treated like that,” the bowl-cutted boy stated matter-of-factly, and Izuku resisted the urge to clamp a hand over his mouth. “Where you ended up sitting wasn’t your fault in the first place, and you were honest with explaining that. He shouldn’t have called you a leech.”

Bakugou’s eyes widened, and his head snapped towards Mob. “The hell did you just say?!” he growled. “What’s your damn business with Deku anyways? This has nothing to do with you!”

“It doesn’t mean I should sit by and let you belittle others,” Mob replied serenely. “I’m tired of people hurting other people.”

“You…!” Kacchan leaned over Izuku’s lap, teeth grinding together like a furious animal. Izuku tried to move to separate Mob and Kacchan from one another, but his hands were deftly shoved to the side by the furious blond. “...think you’re so high-and-mighty!”

Suddenly, the hairs on Izuku’s arm rose. The air seemed to weigh down around him with a new, oppressive pressure as if he was in the midst of a storm. It wasn’t from Mob or Kacchan, but…

His gaze drifted up to Ritsu, whose face was twisted into the, hands down, single-most murderous glare Izuku had ever seen in his life. It made every single one of Kacchan’s scowls seem like brilliant smiles in comparison. Fractured blue light dripped from Mob’s younger brother’s form as he eyed Bakugou intensely, a warning if he were to go on.

He did not want a fight breaking out and destroying his chances for UA right now, nor did he want to ruin it for anyone else- Kacchan included. Izuku waved his hands frantically, to try and get all parties involved calmed down. “Hey- hey! It’s no big deal! He was just looking out for me, no worries! Please don’t fight in here, we’re all friends right now…!”

A tense moment. Kacchan mouth shoots open to bark another retort. But as soon as he did, the lights began to dim with extremely fortunate timing. He huffed, roughly pushing off of Izuku’s shoulder to sink back into his seat, arms crossed.

And after a few seconds, Ritsu’s air of murderous intent faded away as well.

Izuku let himself internally sigh. Thank god nothing had exploded… although whether Ritsu or Kacchan would’ve been the one to throw the first punch was scarily beyond Izuku’s guess. To think the younger Kageyama had been so friendly and gentle just a few days before…

Mob’s hand placed itself gingerly on top of Izuku's wrist. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, something guilty stirring in his otherwise flat voice. “I didn’t mean to almost cause a fight.”

“No, no, you were just trying to defend me,” Izuku sighed softly. “But I know Kacchan better than anyone- we go way back. He won’t hurt me, and even if he did, I have my Quirk to defend myself, remember?”

He felt a bit bad for lying to his friend- Kacchan, in fact, had zero qualms about hurting Izuku if he wanted. And if he did, it wasn’t like Izuku knew exactly how to use One For All either. But Mob accepted his words, posture relaxing slightly as his hand slipped off of Izuku’s.

“Ah, okay. Just… please try to stand up for yourself. If… if you can.” Mob’s gaze downturned, unwilling to meet his. His voice became even quieter, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear around them. “I… used to be bullied as well. It hurts me to stand by and do nothing while others get hurt. You deserve better than to be called helpless.”

“Thank you, I will,” he assured Mob with a smile. “But please trust me when I say that I know Kacchan, alright? I can work things out, especially with him.”

Mob nodded, and the two fell back into a comfortable, close silence. Someone who’d stood up for him before… Izuku had never had that. Even his teachers never went out of their way to make sure he was alright after being tripped or burned.

“Boys will be boys,” they had always said.

Chnk. Chnk. Chnk. The auditorium lights blared to life in a rhythmic fashion, as the beginnings of an intense rock track began to play from the speakers. A shadowed figure rose up from the stage and- holy crap.

No. Way.

“Whaaat’s up, UA candidates?” a new voice began to hype, and it took all of two seconds for Izuku to recognize who it was. “Thanks for tuning into me, your school DJ. C’mon, and let me hear ya!”

The man on the stage turned to the audience with an ear cupped, only to be met with a deafening silence.

On any other day, Izuku might have cheered and screamed, but his throat was starstruck to the spot. That pointed yellow hair, shiny black jacket, those iconic directional speakers around his neck…

“Keepin’ it mellow huh?” he continued after a few seconds of silence. “That’s fine, I’ll skip straight to the main show. Let’s talk about how this practical exam is going to go down, okay? Are you ready?” He pointed dramatically back to the crowd, who still stayed silent. “Yeah!”

Izuku was ready to implode in his seat right then. “Oh my goodness, it’s the Voice Hero, Present Mic! So cool!” he gushed to Mob, hands pressed to his cheeks in awe. “I listen to his radio show every day of the week. It’s so crazy nuts that all of the UA teachers are pro heroes…”

“Ah, they are?” Mob replied with a patient smile. “That’s nice.”

“Will you two shut up?” Kacchan hissed.

Present Mic, ever unwavering, pointed to the massive glowing flatscreen behind him. “Like your application said, today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting ten‐minute mock battles in super‐hip urban settings.” The screen changed to show a simple image of seven different stations, each titled A-G. 

“Gird your loins, my friends. After I drop the mic here, you'll head to your specified battle center, sound good?” Silence again, as everyone shifted to look at their cards. It looked like Izuku would be testing at Battle Station B. “Okay!”

“I see,” Kacchan muttered beside him, causing Izuku to flinch slightly. “They’re splitting us up so we can’t work with any of our friends.”

Izuku glanced over at Bakugou’s card- he’d be at Battle Station A. “Yeah, you’re right.. Our examinee numbers are one after the other, but we’re assigned to different battle centers.”

“ Get your eyes off my card. ” 

Izuku squeaked, and did just that. Mob tapped him on the shoulder. “Hm?”

“Oh, you’re going to Battle Station B… I’m at E,” he murmured, glancing between their two cards. “Well, good luck.”

“B, huh?” Shou’s voice chirruped, and Izuku held in another yelp as he turned to find the boy’s blue-eyed stare grinning back at him. “I’ll be there too. May the best man win, yeah?”

Did Shou blink once at all while he was talking? He reminded Izuku somewhat of an owl. “Yeah..! Sounds good!” he replied good-naturedly.

Present Mic went on to explain the rest of the rules- there would be three types of robots, each worth a different amount of points depending on difficulty. By destroying the robots with their Quirk, contestants would earn these points, which would dictate whether or not they would get into UA.

Izuku absentmindedly chewed on his thumbnail as he mulled over the objective- One For All was an offensive Quirk, if watching All Might for years taught him anything. So, destroying the robots should hypothetically be no problem. If he charged in first and landed a hit on a robot before anyone else could, it would allow him to gauge the capabilities of One For All in his own body. Of course, that would only be the case if he could manage to get the Quirk to work in the first place-

“Excuse me sir, but I have a question,” an examinee a few seats up interrupted, raising his hand.

“Hit me!”

A light shone onto the boy, revealing a neat head of navy blue hair and a pair of smart-looking glasses. “On the printout, you’ve listed four different types of villains. Not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan’s most notable school. A mistake such as this won’t do.”

He then turned around to point towards… Izuku? “Additionally, you, with the green, unkempt hair.”

His throat went dry. “H-huh?”

“You’ve been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can’t bother to take this seriously, leave. You’re distracting the rest of us,” he stated with an intensity that made Izuku curl up in shame.

Izuku clamped his hands over his mouth, feeling his face begin to heat up. “Sorry,” he apologized meekly, shrinking back into his seat. Izuku hadn’t even noticed that he had been talking to himself. 

A light chuckle rippled across the room- the loudest the crowd had been all orientation. He could feel every eye in the auditorium glued onto him.

“That was uncalled for,” Ritsu murmured from behind Izuku. 

“All right, all right,” Present Mic said, hands waving in a ‘settle down’ motion. “Examinee number 7111, thanks for calling in with your request.” The image of a fourth robot, hulking with a series of glowing eyes, appeared behind the Pro Hero. “The fourth villain type is worth zero points. That guy’s just an obstacle we’ll be throwing in your way.

“There’s one in every battle center- think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It’s not that it can’t be beaten, but there’s… kinda no point,” he explained. “I recommend my listeners try to ignore it, and focus on the ones toppin’ the charts.”

“Thank you very much,” the boy concluded formally. “Please, continue.”

A smattering of hushed conversation echoed in the crowd. “Ah, I guess it’s almost like a force of nature instead of a tangible foe,” Teru whispered to Mob, who listened to his friend intently. 

“Or like an obstacle.. like from one of Ritsu’s video games?” Mob replied.

Present Mic grinned, spreading his hands out. “That’s all I got for you today! I’ll sign off with a little present- a sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, ‘A true hero is one who overcomes life’s misfortunes’. Mh-hm, now that’s a tasty soundbite.”

Izuku clenched his card with a new anxious, anticipatory energy. His whole body trembled as he fought the excited tears that threatened to surface. It was almost time… time for him to put all of his training to the test!

“You ready to go beyond? Let’s hear a Plus Ultra! ”

And with a final bout of dead silence, the crowd began to depart to their destination- the final test that would determine the next few years of their lives.

As he stood, waiting around the battle ground gates with the crowd of other contestants, Izuku found that the nerves were… much worse than he was expecting. Every muscle of his body couldn’t stop shaking as he stared up at the massive brick walls that held his entire future.

Okay! he thought to himself. Well! This is it. Time to put ten months of training with All Might to the test. Time to give it my all.

I will become a hero. Just like I always dreamed, I won’t let myself down!

“Jeez, you good?” Shou asked beside him, brow pinched in concern. “It looks like you forgot to piss beforehand.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just.. starting nerves! Y-y’know?” Izuku squeaked, glancing at the other examinees. Most were chatting leisurely, smiling calmly, and overall not visibly trembling like he was. Some even had special gear with them. “How come none of you guys seem nervous at all?” he asked, voicing his thoughts to Shou. “Are you just that confident?”

“Mmh, probably,” the redhead answered casually with a wide grin. “But I think for me it’s just because I’ve done things like this before, and I feel confident with my abilities. I bet plenty of other people here too are at a level that they’re sure in their skills and training.” 

Shou paused, then shrugged. “But I bet plenty here are just full of themselves as well. That tends to do wonders for their confidence, even if completely false.”

“A-ah, I see…” Izuku scanned the crowd, observing the rest of the people he was competing against, and… ah-!

The nice girl from before, the one with brown hair who had stopped him from falling flat on his face, was in the Battle Station B group as well. Although she wasn’t actively talking or interacting with any of the other contestants, her posture was relaxed and unburdened.

Izuku supposed that he should thank her for saving him back there. He began to weave his way towards her, when-

A firm hand clapped onto his shoulder. Izuku yelped and stiffened, slowly turning around only to see the blue-haired boy from earlier who had called him out in the middle of orientation glaring daggers into his skull.

He’s here too?!

“She looks like she’s trying to focus on the trials ahead. What are you going to do?” the boy reprimanded. “Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?”

“What?” Izuku squawked, flailing his arms. “No, no, no, of course not! I-”

Yet again, attention was dragged back to the two of them as the rest of the examinees turned to watch Izuku try and fruitlessly defend himself. He could hear their intense gossip, even as hushed and overlapped as it was from a distance.

“That’s the student who almost bit it out in front earlier. He practically wet himself in front of the lecture hall.”

“Dude, what a loser.”

“One less rival to worry about, I guess.”

Why do I feel like everyone’s already written me off?!

The boy huffed after a few tense moments, shooting him a warning glare before walking back towards the group. Next to Izuku, Shou let out a low whistle.

“Oof, tough crowd already, huh?” he asked sympathetically.

Izuku laughed anxiously. “Hahahah… yeah.. I’m surprised you’re still hanging around me, if I’m being honest.”

“Pssh, what?” Shou cackled. “Nah, I think you’re cool. I’ve made friends with people who were in way less optimal situations before. Just ask Ritsu how we met.”

Somebody else considered him a friend willingly ? Izuku’s chest briefly swelled with gratitude, and the pounding in his chest wasn’t nearly as loud as it was before. 

He opened and closed his mouth haplessly like a fish as he contemplated how to respond to Shou. “You… did you… set him on… fire?”

“Hah! You’re funny,” Shou grinned.

“Right! Let’s start!”

“Hm?” The two of them turned at the sound of Present Mic’s voice, spotting the Pro Hero perched atop a nearby watchtower. The man began to gesture wildly towards the brick gates.

“Get moving! There are no countdowns in real battles! Run, run, run, listeners! You’re wasting airtime!”

“Aight, see you later then,” Shou chirped, before vanishing with a brief orange glow. Where- what had he just…?

“Huh?”

Everything was quiet all of a sudden.

He looked back and forth, to find nobody else around. “Whah? Huh?” 

Izuku gasped, as he spotted the dust cloud of running contestants move further and further away from him. I’m already behind!!

Without a moment left to waste, Izuku kicked off, breaking into a frantic dash to try and keep up with the others. “Hey, wait up! Save some villains for me!”

He breathed heavily as he continued to push in a bid to reach the others. 

He had to calm down. Deep breaths. It would be fine- he had plenty of time to move into the city to find villains to defeat. He’d catch up eventually.

After all…

…I’ve got All Might’s power with me.

Scenes of battle flickered across a series of dispersed screens, bathing the otherwise darkened room in a blue light. The council of faculty watched the action intently, analyzing as the examinees tore through the faux villains.

“Clearly, the examinees have no idea how many villains are present, or their locations,” Nezu noted calmly. “They have limited time, must cover a vast area, and hunt down every last target.”

His eyes drifted to the scene of a six-armed examinee atop a building, surveying his surroundings. “Some use information‐gathering abilities to plan out strategies, while others rely on speed to pull ahead of their peers. Of course, remaining calm under pressure can be a huge advantage…”

On another monitor, an angry, blond boy stood among the smoking wreckage of robots. “...as can pure power and combat ability. The most successful students use a combination of all these tactics. They're the ones who rack up the highest scores.”

One of the teachers hummed to herself. “Hm.. I’d say this year’s group looks promising.”

“Well, there’s still plenty of time before it's over. The real test has yet to come,” another replied, pressing down on a red button mounted to the console. The ground began to shake, evident even from the distance the staff were situated at.

Plumes of dust and smoke billowed into the air, as buildings caved in and glass shattered with the emergence of the final obstacle. Eight, shining red eyes emerged from the cityscape.

“Let’s see how they react.”

The response was immediate. As soon as the growing shadows of the zero-point bot loomed above each battle station, looks of confidence shriveled to make way for terror, and screams of fear became visible as each contestant ran past the cameras.

Those whose dread stunned them to the spot were easily passed up by their peers, who hardly spared a second glance in favor of preserving their own lives. Although the behavior was to be expected, it was still a mild disappointment for the principal.

“Now things get interesting,” All Might mused, gaze focused onto one monitor in particular. “A person’s true character is revealed when they’re faced with danger.”

Two minutes remaining, the countdown read. Although it hadn’t been revealed to the contestants, these two minutes would be the most crucial portion of their entire exam. It would separate the true heroes from the crowd, determine who would pass or fail.

It was always Nezu’s favorite part.

As soon as the zero-pointer began to move, one battle station in particular caught his eye- B. One of the examinees was pinned beneath a piece of rubble that had been flung onto her leg during the robot’s awakening. 

Ochako Uraraka, Nezu recalled. Her Quirk- Zero Gravity.

She struggled to pull herself free, wincing in pain as other examinees darted past her without even slowing down. The last examinee who hadn’t run away yet was Izuku Midoriya, the only contestant who hadn’t scored a single point the entire test. 

He paused to turn back to the girl, watching as she shakily attempted to prop herself up on her elbows. A moment of hesitation passed, before he began to charge headfirst towards Uraraka.

And then, with reckless abandon, he leapt.

Brilliant red energy trailed behind the boy as he sprung into the air, far beyond the average human limit. He braced his arm, veins glowing with an unnatural light. His muscles bulged, his tracksuit tearing from the sheer power coursing through his body.

As the faculty watched the scene play out in anticipation, the air grew heavy with static. The monitor overlooking Battle Station E’s zero-pointer began to flicker, as the electric scent of ozone filled the room. Through the distorted screen, the image of a boy made its way through, dark hair standing on its end and flowing as if kept aloft by an invisible breeze.

With an eruption that shook the room down to its foundations, the two zero-point robots both exploded simultaneously.

Each caved in and crumpled, toppling over with the weight of their destruction. As each piece of metal collapsed to the ground in synchronization, smog drowned out the cameras, leaving its results shrouded in uncertainty. 

Eyes widened with small gasps. It had been a few years since a zero-point robot was destroyed, let alone two at the exact same time.

Nezu smiled to himself. The school year was already shaping up to be quite interesting, indeed.

Chapter Text

A week later, Mob found himself standing in the middle of their little kitchen, a pristine envelope clutched in his hands. U.A’s regal red seal looked back up at the esper, each edge of the emblem so smooth and flawless that Mob felt guilty at even the thought of accidentally ruining it.

The letters had come in the early hours of the morning, delivered with a knock on their apartment door. Three envelopes had arrived in total, one for each of the kids. 

Now, at nearly one in the afternoon, seven hours after the initial delivery, his was the only one left sealed.

“Are you going to open it, Nii-san?” Ritsu asked patiently, as he lifted a piece of tofu from his takeout bowl to his mouth.

Teru and Reigen were both seated on a small couch, and although their C-list movie was busy blaring on the television, both of their gazes were intently watching Mob in anticipation.

Hanazawa and his brother had already torn open their letters, both resounding acceptances. They had come with glowing holograms and congratulatory messages from Principal Nezu, who praised their performance and technique, and said he was excited to see them at UA in the coming month.

Mob was incredibly proud of Ritsu and Teru both passing, but still couldn't combat the feeling of anxiety as he looked down at his own unopened letter.

Compared to the other examinees, Mob hadn't done incredibly well. The amount of noise and action the entire time was nearly deafening as he fought to comprehend his surroundings. He'd hesitate every time he approached a robot, and it would immediately be destroyed by someone else. 

By the end, he'd barely managed to score a dozen points. Compared to the numbers in the high twenties and thirties other examinees had been shouting out and Ritsu and Teru's scores, Mob definitely hadn't earned nearly enough to pass.

“Are you nervous about rejection?” Ritsu asked, reading Mob’s worries like an open book. Mob nodded sheepishly. His younger brother smiled softly in understanding. “I’d be much more surprised if you weren’t accepted into the hero course, honestly. And hey, even if you aren’t, there’s bound to be more opportunities in the future. Failing one time doesn’t take you out of the running forever.”

“I know you're right,” Mob admitted, picking at the edges of the envelope. “And I know it's illogical to stay this way, but… it's how I feel.”

“It's not ‘illogical’,” Reigen quipped with a mouth full of ramen, pointing a chopstick towards his student. “All emotions are caused for a reason. Fear of failure is completely normal, even if it is unpleasant.”

“Right,” he agreed, turning back to the unopened letter. “Thank you, Shishou.”

Well, it wasn’t like not opening it would somehow change whatever answer he got. Carefully, so as not to ruin the wax seal, Mob pried the opening flap upwards. Inside sat a nondescript disc, the same one that had arrived in Hanazawa and Ritu’s.

He removed the device, and the moment it sat stable on the kitchen countertop, the hologram of Nezu immediately shone to life.

“Greetings, Shigeo Kageyama, ” Nezu’s projection smiled, hands carefully tucked behind his back. “You already know me- the one who could be a dog, a bear, or a mouse. But most importantly, I’m the principal of U.A, and I’m here to review your practical exam final results.

“While you have shown great control and potential with your abilities, you only scored twelve points over the course of the test. Which, unfortunately, is not enough to pass. ”

2%

Ah. Mob’s shoulder sagged, feeling a small pang of disappointment. He knew that he should’ve expected that outcome, but it still hurt. 

“Shige…” He could see Ritsu’s eyes gleam with sympathy, his younger brother’s hand slightly extending towards him in a gesture of comfort.

“But!”

The air stilled, as everyone waited with bated breath.  

“Before you walk away just yet, I want you to watch this clip we caught during the exam.” Nezu stepped to the side, and a new screen appeared beside the principal.

Although the footage was shaky and the rush of people running away made it hard to make out anything, the wild tuft of blue hair in the crowd made Mob immediately aware of what he was supposed to pinpoint.

He could still vividly picture the mad dash of the examinees when the zero-pointer had appeared in his mind, how the ground had rocked and debris had crumbled down around the contestants. Being much shorter and less athletic than the others, Mob had been easily tossed around, carried away in the crowd like a wild current.

It was loud. Overstimulating. His blood rushed in his ears as he tried to get his legs to move, when he’d been clipped by the side of an older, much more muscular examinee. Mob had tumbled to the ground, fiercely skinning his elbows as he tried to catch himself. Others passed him up, not giving even a small glance back.

92%

93%

But even through the haze of the panic around him, another examinee caught his eye- one with wild, vibrant blue hair that stood up in every-odd direction, as if an explosion had gone off an inch from his face. He was running with a limp, shouting a string of expletives as he frantically looked back towards the gargantuan zero-point robot.

Someone burst from the smoke kicked up by the robot, screaming at the top of her lungs as she dashed past. Her shoulder knocked against the blue-haired boy roughly, causing him to fall with a sickening crash. 

The boy gripped his shoulder, curling up in pain as he tried to struggle back to his feet.

94%

95%

96%

Mob’s eyes widened. Forcing himself onto his elbows and knees, he pushed his way back into a stumble. He ran crookedly towards the boy with a desperate arm extended, balance careening every which way as the ground rocked. 

A shadow loomed over them.

The foot of the zero-pointer barreled down towards the two examinees. Mob’s ears popped as the air pressure shoved down at their bodies. With a frantic grab, Mob’s hand clutched onto the other boy’s wrist, causing his eyes to shoot open in surprise.

A barrier wrapped around the boy and Mob, barely stopping the robot’s foot before it could crush them flat. Mob’s aura strained, as he fought to keep his shield intact with every last scrap of his stamina. 

Through his bleary vision, Mob could already spot fine, spiderweb cracks crawling up the walls of the barrier. The robot was not relenting. They were going to die if they stayed there any longer. 

97%

He had to get them out of there. 

98%

99%

They had to run.

100% 

A shockwave. The ground cratered around Mob and the boy as he raised a hand towards the robot. Energy crackled on his skin as his single wish echoed louder and louder- to protect this blue-haired boy, to remove the danger, to keep them both from death. What he felt at that moment was…

DESPERATION

The robot rocketed off of its feet, the grind of metal on metal rattling the two examinees to the core. 

Mob’s energy continued to push, to cave in the titan for everything it was worth, not stopping until it was twisted and crumpled into an unidentifiable scrap.  

As the smoke cleared, Mob dismissed the remainder of the barrier coating the two of them, powers on pins and needles as he stared down the remainders of the zero-pointer with the lingering trace of fear.

The danger was gone. He lowered his hand, power retreating as it fell limply to his side. Almost immediately, a dizzying pressure rushed to squeeze between his eyes, causing him to stagger.

Ah, that was a lot of energy, he thought to himself faintly as his arms and knees began to wobble. I still haven’t completely recovered since fighting Suzuki.

The world became a hazy dream after that.

Nezu paused the footage, lingering on a shot of Mob’s explosion, on his spiked black hair and glowing red eyes which Mob could tell were wide from panic, even at the distance the shot was taken at. “I believe this is you, is it not?”

“Woah, Mob, did you seriously-” Reigen sputtered, setting his ramen down on a nearby coffee table. “You seriously toppled that thing, didn’t you?” His master paused, before sinking back into the couch. “Actually, I’m not surprised.”

“I would not have believed that myself had I not been tracking your progress throughout the exam, ” Nezu chuckled. “You went back to save this examinee, even though you did not have enough points to pass and would not be able to gain any more by staying behind to rescue him. Which brings me to what I wanted to talk about: the practical exam was not graded on physical prowess alone, but also the ability of one’s own heart.”

The footage vanished, and Nezu took the center of the hologram once more. “Part of being a hero involves making selfless decisions to protect others. Decisions that, in this exam, have to come from a participant’s character, not because of any sort of order or command. As such, we have Rescue Points, which are awarded by a panel of judges.”

“That means you have a chance then, Kageyama!” Teru enthused, pausing his movie to lean in closer towards the kitchen.

“They watch over the exams, judging each contestant and granting points depending on heroic actions beyond just fighting villains. So, Shigeo Kageyama, I have the honor of delivering to you sixty Rescue Points, bringing you up to a total of seventy-two points in all!”

Mob’s jaw dropped, as he gasped softly. He’d… made it?

“Congratulations!” Nezu smiled. “And welcome to the hero academia.”

The hologram vanished, leaving a buzz of silence in its wake. Mob remained unblinking, his bug-eyed stare still trained onto where the projection had just been.

He’d made it, he’d made it, he’d made it because of a quick, spur of the moment decision born from his panic and desperation to save that boy. He didn’t even know his name, or fully remember what his face looked like besides that bright shock of blue hair. 

It all still felt so… unreal, to the esper, as he was left considering the news he had just received. He could feel the other’s glances on him, waiting patiently for his response.

But after a few seconds, his shishou decided to break the silence. Reigen leaped up from his seat, hands waving in an energetic flourish. “That’s it!” Shishou announced with a wide grin on his face. “This calls for celebration! I’m taking all of you out for takoyaki!” 

He snapped a finger towards Mob’s younger brother. “Ritsu! Call your friend, invite him along as well! Get Serizawa, get those Awakening Lab kids, get Dimple, wherever he is!”

Ritsu blinked a few times, slightly stunned by Reigen’s sudden outburst. “I can do that, sure. Why Serizawa, if I may ask?”

“Because, Ritsu,” Reigen began dramatically, “He just happens to be the newest employee of the Spirits and Such family!”

That came as a small surprise to Mob, as he lifted his eyebrows slightly. “Ah, when was that?” he asked earnestly.

“Since yesterday,” Reigen replied with a confident smirk. “I offered the job to him during our second visit to the police station, and since Dimple and I have found an office, he’s decided to formally join us!”

“Oh, really, that quickly?” Mob asked, impressed. 

His master coughed into his fist awkwardly. “ Well, the process of re-establishing the company and renting and fully setting up the space might take a month or two from now… but I can probably set up a site and do some casual freelance for the time being.”

“Ah.” Mob nodded. That made more sense to him, although he wasn’t nearly as well versed as his master was when it came to business.

Teru flicked out his cellphone, opening up to a messaging app. “That reminds me, could I invite Midoriya as well?”

“Who’s that again? He’s that green-haired kid you three met while on a run, right?” Reigen asked, and Teru nodded in confirmation. “Huh, did he get in as well?”

“Trust me, I still haven’t heard the end of it yet,” Teru chuckled.

“In that case, of course he can!” Reigen concluded chipperly. “It shouldn’t be any problem, especially with our new budget. “

“And yet, you’re still as stingy as ever when it comes to ramen toppings,” Ritsu murmured, although there was zero hostility in his tone. He glanced over to Teru, who was typing in an already-lengthy message to Izuku. “When did you get Midoriya’s phone number, anyways?”

“After the beach cleanup,” Teruki explained casually. “We’ve been keeping in touch since.” His phone chimed, and he smiled brightly. “He says that he’d be happy to join us. Where should I tell him to meet us up at?”

“Excellent question!” Reigen paused, before taking out his own phone. “...give me a few minutes.”

The outing was a nice one- the takoyaki and the weather were warm, and the sun shone the whole day. The nearest takoyaki stand happened to be at a nearby park, so Reigen, in a moment driven by nostalgia and the want for something scenic, ran out to grab the first picnic blanket he could find. The blue-and-white checkerboard cloth wasn’t the largest and could barely fit four of them, but Reigen puffed his chest out at the find regardless.

Shou, Serizawa (who now sported a navy suit and a neatly trimmed cut- Mob nearly didn’t recognize him at first), and Dimple were the first to arrive on the scene with an offering of green tea, and a few minutes later the Awakening Lab kids had shown up with some homemade onigiri on hand (since Kurosaki was apparently allergic to octopus).

Upon seeing Izuku jog over and fervently apologize about being late, Mob was sure to congratulate his friend about passing the exam, and extended the congratulations to Shou as well. 

Hoshino and Asahi, while they had both scored better than Mob in Combat Points, unfortunately fell just short of entry. Teru still clapped them on the back and told them to celebrate anyways, since it was a sign of their growth, and they were much stronger than they had been a few months ago.

It was a good celebration to Mob- it felt like every other victory he and Reigen had shared, and he liked it. It didn’t need wild fanfare or anything fancy, and as long as he was among his friends…

The early spring air blew through the trees, and Mob shivered to himself slightly. Somewhere, something subconscious in his mind saved the memory of the day deep inside. A day worth treasuring.

The next month or so came and went. It was amazing how so much, yet so little could change in the period between his acceptance and actually attending his first day of UA. Mob hadn’t felt any different, but logically, he knew that some things had to be.

The only one he could fully, confidently gauge would probably be his athletic ability- he’d been keeping up with the Body Improvement Club regiment after all, and by the day of orientation, Mob could say with a confidence that he could do two and a half bar pull-ups and nearly forty push-ups before collapsing. 

He could still see Captain Musashi’s broad smile and booming voice, urging him to push for greater heights in his mind. Mob hoped that he was making him and the rest of the club proud.

Teru had made sure they hadn’t skimped on training their psychic powers either, finding a local gym that was apparently dedicated to Quirk training. And although Mob didn’t necessarily need to train his abilities as much as the others did, he still watched Teru and Shou’s teachings patiently, taking in a few tips they had provided.

Spirits and Such officially launched their website a week into March. Only a few cases had come through, with only one or two having anything to do with an actual spirit or curse (to Dimple’s annoyance). But Mob saw Serizawa around much more, as Reigen continued to invite the man over for tea or just to hang out.

And, bit by bit, Mob found himself adjusting to the odd future they were in. The flat phone he now carried with him slowly felt more comfortably in his grasp, the buzzing electronic glow from the screens dominating the sides of skyscrapers felt less jarring with every passing night, and he’d even started flinching slightly less when a villain would disrupt his walk to the convenience store.

Although, being forced to stand by and remaining unable to help didn’t hurt any less. But there was nothing he could (legally) do except watch.

One thing that hadn’t changed, however, was progress when it came to getting home. Reigen continued to regularly call Tsukauchi, who always reported back that no, they don’t know how to create a portal and no, they can’t find anybody with a portal-making Quirk.

How much time had passed back home, Mob wondered. Has it been longer? Shorter? Just the same?

Were they declared dead?  

He pictured his mom and dad, learning that not just one, but both of their sons had vanished within a day. They’d come back to their home burnt down, fake skeletons lying in the ash. 

A ' tragic explosion’, someone would tell them.

23%

“Shige? Are you ready to go?” Ritsu’s voice asked from the genkan. Mob’s eyes snapped up, and he realized that he’d spaced out again. 

“Ah, yeah, sorry,” he replied, trotting over to where his white shoes rested by the door. He adjusted his tie again, making sure it hadn’t become crooked in the five seconds since he last touched it. 

Mob wasn’t the most well-versed when it came to ties, but he was fortunately surrounded by plenty of people who were. Despite his informal appearance he had when they met, Serizawa was extremely talented at tying neckties, and quickly offered his assistance- even faster than Teru. Mob wanted to be careful, so Serizawa’s help wouldn’t accidentally come undone somehow.

Compared to Salt Middle School’s uniform- which, while on a lower-budget level, had not been overtly cheap- UA’s had an almost untouchable level of quality. 

The jacket was tailored near-perfectly to fit his shoulders, the fabric likely worth more than the entirety of Mob’s wardrobe combined. He was nervous about even wrinkling such an expensive material as he bent down to tie his laces.

First the practical exam, the robots, and then the uniforms. It hadn’t sunken in until he’d held the uniform in his hands the sheer amount of money UA must have had. He couldn’t fathom how one school could afford to spend such an incredulous amount.

“Ready to go? Got everything in your bag?” Reigen patted his student’s shoulder. Mob nodded. “You remember where to go, right? Won’t get lost again?”

“We’ll be fine,” Ritsu said dryly, hand on the doorknob.

“Alright, alright,” Reigen took a few steps back, hands raised in surrender. “I’m just making sure. You’ll… call me if something goes wrong, right?”

Mob nodded again. “We’ll be alright, Shishou,” he reassured his master. “Dimple’s coming with us anyways. He’ll let you know if anything happens that we can’t handle.”

“Wait, since when?” Reigen eyed the evil spirit, who was floating right above Teru’s head with a disinterested look.

“I wanted to check the school out, see what made UA apparently the ‘most prestigious school in Japan’,” Dimple answered with an implied shrug. “Although, I don’t recall agreeing to being a messenger pigeon for you, Shigeo.”

“It’s because I trust you, Dimple,” Mob replied earnestly. Dimple blinked a few times, before huffing a sigh.

“Whatever. I’m just tagging along for some sightseeing, anyways.”

The door pushed itself open, and Shou’s teasing voice flew through. “Geez, you guys are taking forever . Guess I’ll just leave without you, then!”

“We’re coming, Shou,” Ritsu sighed, shaking his head tiredly. He fully opened the door, revealing his redhead friend, who was dressed casually in the uniform, tie partially undone and collar unbuttoned. 

Shou gave a wide grin, before pivoting on his heels towards the stairs. “Better keep your word then, Riichan!”

“Sometimes I wonder why he’s my friend,” Ritsu groaned, pinching his brow. There was no venom behind his voice. “Let’s get moving.” 

The entrance to UA was just as grand and massive as the last time Mob was there. He stared up at the shining golden emblem of the school that hung from a towering arch in awe as students milled around him.

“Damn,” Dimple noted, “whoever made this place must be rolling in cash.”

“Knew you’d be here!” Kurosaki’s voice chirped as she waved. Teru waved back towards the rest of the Awakening Lab kids brightly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Teru apologized. “You should’ve gone in ahead of us.”

“Nah, we didn’t get here too soon before you,” Asahi replied easily. “Rei told us when you’d arrive anyways. She’s getting better at guessing that sort of stuff.”

Kurosaki rapped a knuckle against her forehead twice. “80% accuracy. I’m getting there!”

The group approached the three-door entrance, one for each school year. Each was painted a rich red, a massive shining number on each signifying its designated year.

Ritsu pushed open the first-year door, holding it open as the others entered the building.

As the exterior suggested, UA was massive, and just as mazelike. The staircases and hallways seemed nearly identical to one another, the school minimally decorated and pristine in cleanliness. On his own, Mob would’ve easily gotten lost.

“Class 1-L… 1-L…” Rei’s hair floated lightly off of her scalp, as her eyes frosted over slightly. She blinked, before pointing down the hall to their left. “Down there, turn right, it's the last door on the left.”

Fortunately, they had Kurosaki. 

As they approached the door, Mob found himself dumbfounded at the sheer size of it- easily more than three times his height. That couldn’t be necessary.. but, Mob supposed, he had seen a Pro Hero the size of a building once during his daily jog. Maybe their teacher was really tall?

The paint on the door detailing the room name was noticeably brighter than the other classrooms they had passed. It was brand new, Mob thought mildly to himself. Principal Nezu had shelled out an entirely new classroom just for them. 

He wasn’t sure what to do with that information.

Teru slid open the massive door, revealing a sleek, modern-esque classroom with uniform rows of blocklike desks and swivel chairs, the walls a clean white. It all felt incredibly sterile compared to the schools Mob had been to in the past- were all schools like this in the future?

“It kind of feels like the Awakening Lab, in a way,” Ritsu murmured under his breath as he pulled a seat out from one of the desks towards the front.

“Nah,” Hoshino disagreed. “Mitsuura had way more personality than this. It reminds me more of that facility we were locked in. The Seventh Division, I think?”

“Maybe a mix of the two, then.”

“There’s no teacher,” Dimple noted helpfully, drifting over to the small podium situated at the front of the classroom. “Are you sure you’re not too early, or even in the right place to begin with?

“No, the letter we got following our acceptance told us to meet at our homeroom,” said one of the twins (Daichi, maybe?) who had been largely silent up until then, unfolding a piece of paper in his pocket.

“The teacher must be late,” the other twin (Kaito?) added.

Kurosaki paused. “I wouldn’t be too sure about-”

“ Whaaaat’s up, Class 1-L? ” a new speaker boomed, as a familiar figure slid into frame. The cheeky grin and slicked-up yellow hair akin to an exotic bird was unmistakable, as Pro Hero Present Mic sauntered into the room with both hands pointed in dual finger guns.

“Christ, dramatic much?” Dimple grumbled, unimpressed as he circled the hero’s head in observation. Present Mic’s smile remained unwavering, and Mob realized with a slight surprise that he likely wasn’t able to see the ghost at all.

So Quirks didn’t equal psychic powers.

Present Mic leapt onto the small platform at the front of the room, standing behind the wooden pedestal. “I’m Mr. Yamada, and I’ll be your host for this school year. Are you ready for the most action- and education!- packed year of your life?”

Ah- Yamada must be his actual last name. That would make sense that Present Mic wasn’t his real name. The rest of the class showed no reaction to Mr. Yamada’s enthusiasm, but just like the practical exam, did nothing to deter the Pro Hero.

“Now then, boys and girls, let’s take a seat for attendance. I’ll go around, and you all in the audience’ll give me your name, Quirk, and one fun fact about yourselves!” Everyone shuffled into a seat. Mob decided to take one behind Ritsu. “If we’re all situated, could I get a volunteer from the audience?”

Teru raised his hand.

“All right! Thanks for tuning in. We’ll work around the room from you then.”

“Most of you know me, but I’m Teruki Hanazawa,” Teru began. “I specialize in manipulating energy.”

“Awesome, great to have you with us today!” Mr. Yamada pointed towards Asahi. “Next!”

“My name is Go Asahi, the heaven-sent god of flames. I was born with the rare ability to summon and control a vast ocean of fire.”

Introductions were short since most everybody already knew each other. Nobody exactly bothered with the ‘fun fact’ part either, save for Shou who excitedly mentioned that he planned to own hamsters one day.

“Takeshi Hoshino, at your service. I possess the amazing power of psychokinesis.”

“Ritsu Kageyama. I use telekinesis.”

“We’re Daichi…” “...and Kaito. We’re the Shiratori brothers, and telepaths.”

“Rei Kurosaki! I’m clairvoyant.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Mob, and he felt sweat prickle along his back. Right, it was his turn. Name, Quirk, fun fact. Or maybe no fun fact.

“I-I’m Shigeo Kageyama,” he began. “I can also use telekinesis. Like Ritsu.” He looked down at his desk. Hopefully that was sufficient. “...thank you for having me.”

Mr. Yamada grinned, glancing at his wrist (which had a noticeable lack of any sort of watch). “Thank you for your answers! Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today, so let’s get a move on down to orientation!”

“That was fast,” Dimple remarked. “You hardly spent a full five minutes here.”
“No, it was longer than five minutes,” Mob corrected the spirit. “Today’s not a full day anyways, it’s just orientation. As long as we know where our class is, I think we’re fine for tomorrow.”

“Well, if you say so.”

As they exited the classroom, Mob stole a quick glance out of the massive windows, down onto the outdoor track. A class was already outside, gathered around a taller figure Mob assumed to be their teacher.

At first, Mob dismissed the class with the brief thought that it might be one of the older years, until he spotted a familiar tuft of green hair in the distant crowd.

Isn’t Midoriya’s class going to be late for orientation? Mob wondered to himself. But he didn’t have time to linger, so he continued onwards with the rest of his friends towards the auditorium.

He could ask Midoriya later, anyways.

Mob didn’t see Izuku again until after the school day was over. As he emerged from UA’s gates, he spotted his friend in the midst of conversation with a familiar, wide-eyed girl and intense blue-haired boy. They must be his classmates, Mob realized.

Izuku’s face burned a bright red as he spoke. Mob could easily relate, remembering how he’d stood in front of the entirety of Salt Middle School, frozen to the spot.

“Yo, Izuku!” Shou said with a small wave. “We didn’t see you at orientation with the other hero class. What’s up with that?”

“Oh, hey!” Izuku replied, perking up slightly. He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Mr. Aizawa- our homeroom teacher- decided to give us a Quirk assessment instead.”

“Already?” Teru asked, eyebrows raised. “Hm, sounds tough.”

“Are they also friends of yours, Deku?” the girl pondered. She smiled warmly, her cheeks flushed with enthusiasm.

“Oh, yeah! They’re all part of an exchange program here. I met them a week before the practical,” Izuku answered.

“Well, any friend of Deku is a friend of mine! I’m Ochako Uraraka,” she greeted, extending a hand. The tips of her fingers, Mob realized, had a small pink pad on each, like a cat’s paw.

The boy beside her adjusted the bridge of his glasses, expression as steely as he’d been before the practical exam. “Tenya Iida. Nice to meet you.”

“Hail and well met,” Shou replied, returning Uraraka’s handshake. He paused, glancing back towards Izuku. “Actually, you said you had a Quirk assessment, right? What even is your Quirk?”

“Oh, y’know, just strength enhancement,” Izuku said while lightly batting his hand back and forth dismissively. 

“Must be one hell of a strength enhancement Quirk, then. How’d you even manage to evaluate your Quirk without being sent to the hospital?”

“I-”

“What do you mean by that?” Mob asked. He’d immediately lost the conversation- the hospital?

Iida spoke up, rubbing his chin in contemplation. “During the exam, Midoriya used his Quirk to rescue Uraraka, who had been trapped beneath a piece of rubble. But, as a side-effect of the power of his Quirk, I suppose, both legs and his arm were broken.”

“But- don’t worry-! Recovery Girl patched me right back up! A-and I’m getting better at using my Quirk as well, believe me!” Izuku hurried to assure the esper. But none of his words registered to Mob’s ears.

“Your Quirk breaks your what ?”

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 26%

Chapter Text

In many ways, UA really wasn’t all that different from Salt Middle School.

The core classes were largely the same from their original world- English, Math, Japanese, and Science. There were extra courses on top of the main ones as well, including Health, Art, P.E. (something told him it would be more intense than their usual physical education classes back at Salt Middle), and even a Computer Lab class.

Mob, Ritsu, Teru, and Shou all had an extra course tacked onto their schedule as well- Heroics. Three times a week, every week, spanning two consecutive periods right after lunch, just like clockwork. It would mean that on those days they would need to stay over late at the school as well.

History was definitely the most different, with the world having gone through an extra two hundred years of Quirk-related history compared to the events Mob was familiar with.

But he couldn’t deny that it was interesting to learn more about the new world they had found themselves in as he listened to their teacher, a bulky and geometric man with skin made from literal stone, lecture their small class patiently.

The magic of education quickly wore off, however, as Mob stared down at the numbers on his worksheet, that seemed to dance and twist off the page with a mind of their own.

Even being taught by extremely intelligent heroes who came straight out of a Caped Baldy comic didn’t make math any bit easier, he thought to himself.

Ritsu glanced quickly back towards Mob’s distressed expression, and offered a reassuring smile and a nod. They’d go over the work together later.

The bell signifying the end of class rang out just as Mob tentatively circled his answer to the last question on the page. He knew that there was no chance that ‘x’ equaled 42.3, but he’d checked and double checked his steps to the point the numbers blurred on the page. Hopefully, lunch would help clear his mind.

“To the students who are participating in the hero course, please remember that you will be heading with Class 1-A to Heroics class, instead of rejoining 1-L this afternoon,” their teacher noted as everyone got up to head to the cafeteria.

Their first Heroics class.. it shouldn’t be that intense on the first day, surely, Mob hoped as he stood in line for his lunch, tray clutched with white knuckles. 

It was slightly intimidating to wait in line among the other older students, who stood with an air of confidence, all a good head or more taller than him. People with bird heads and rocklike skin surrounded him with varying levels of unusuality, all without as much as a lick of spiritual energy.

Tome would’ve thrived here, Mob thought to himself. Although, she definitely wouldn’t have been the most polite. Maybe it would be better off as a story when (if, a small part of him worried) they got home, it would at least be something she’d enjoy. 

Ritsu might need to be the one to regale it though- Mob wasn’t great at telling interesting stories.

A bowl of fresh curry was handed to Mob by a hero named Lunch Rush, whose robot-like face was covered by a large chef hat. The meal felt comfortingly warm in his hands, the scent of spices making his mouth begin to water.

“Smells good, doesn't it?” Lunch Rush asked with a bright thumbs-up.

Mob agreed with a small nod. He gave his thanks, before heading to a long table where the rest of his friends sat. Teru waved, inviting the bowl-cutted esper to sit next to him.

“Honestly, I’d expect such an expensive and high-end school to sell lunches for more than they do,” Teru noted as Mob slid into his seat.

“Maybe it’s because the tuition’s already so high?” Kurosaki replied. “This school’s more Western than you’d initially expect, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Hoshino agreed, pieces of rice falling out from his chopsticks’ hold as he paused thoughtfully. “But if this place is so expensive and exclusive, shouldn’t meals be free, then?”

“You know there’s never going to be such a thing, given the absurd amounts the school spends in the first place,” Ritsu deadpanned, pointing a spoon at him. “Especially since this year UA’s likely shelling out more than normal to watch us like lab rats.”

The table fell silent, nobody quite sure how to reply to Ritsu’s statement.

Mob took a bite of his curry- it almost reminded him of his mom's cooking. He swallowed. “What do you mean by that, Ritsu?” he asked his younger brother, breaking the awkward quiet.

“I mean, Principal Nezu’s made it no secret the main reason that we were invited to UA in the first place is because he’s curious what powers from another world look like,” Ritsu answered, lowering his voice as he leaned closer into the table. 

“And judging from the fact he created an entirely new classroom just for us and switched up all the teachers’ schedules just to teach us, along with providing everyone’s amenities, he’s investing quite a lot of money into us despite the fact that any moment we could be called up that a method to return home has been found,” Ritsu continued, shaking his head as he leaned back. “Nezu’s generous, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know how I didn’t register how obscure and odd his motives are until now.”

Mob turned back to his food, trying to wrap his head around Ritsu’s response. Was his younger brother calling Nezu suspicious? Had he not noticed red flags that were that obvious?

He lifted another spoonful of curry to his mouth. The utensil curled inwards, dropping the warm meal onto the table. His shoulders sank disappointedly, and Ritsu quickly raised his hand to correct the bent metal. 

“That’s true. I do see where you’re coming from, by that angle,” Teru agreed. “But nothing seems to be intentionally malicious on Nezu’s end quite yet. If you’re concerned, we can definitely keep a more cautious eye on the school. But,” he smiled confidently, waving a hand in the air flippantly, “even if he does intend to hurt or trap us, I don’t think he’d be able to.”

Ritsu sent a flat look towards the blond. “I still wouldn’t underestimate the possibilities of what Quirks are able to do, really, or how they interact with psychic powers.”

“Oh, this really is like the Awakening Lab!” Kurosaki exclaimed to the rest of her friends, eyes brightening. “Nezu’s kinda similar to Mitsuura, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, if Mitsuura was twenty times richer,” Asahi replied, pushing his empty bowl to the side. “But besides that, it really is just a research facility where we’re paid to have our powers monitored and trained by a more experienced person, like Teru.”

“And hey, push comes to shove? I’d say you all are pretty qualified when it comes to dismantling corrupt organizations looking to exploit psychic power,” Shou added with a wide grin.

“I.. suppose that’s true, but that’s not what I’m saying,” Ritsu interjected, brow furrowed. “I don’t think Nezu wants to take advantage of us or do anything ‘evil’. He’s doing this for his own self-interest? Yes. He’s doing this because he wants to do something along the batshit insane lines of Claw? No.”

“What are you trying to say then, little brother?” Teru asked, almost as a challenge.

“I’m-” Ritsu glanced over towards the clock hanging above the cafeteria. “It’s… a working theory,” he sighed. “I’ll tell you all if I get anything more concrete.” 

He leaned over towards Teru, whispering something to the esper. Teru blinked, cobalt eyes widening ever so slightly- Mob managed to catch that shift, at the very least.

As conversation came to a lull once again, Mob met his brother’s dark gaze. Ritsu reciprocated, giving Mob the ghost of a bone-tired smile, presumably an attempt at reassurance. 

It was a look that said ‘ later Nii-san, please?’ . 

He’d seen it in Ritsu before, after hard days with the student council or times where tests and work particularly stressed him out.

It was an expression of stress.

Mob couldn’t find it in himself to be soothed, and was disappointed (in himself, mostly) that Ritsu hadn’t felt secure enough to confide with him what was on his mind. Was it because of him, somehow? Or just something to do with their environment.

But not wanting to push his younger brother further into secrecy, Mob decided to drop the topic for the time being and focus back on his food.

Well, he figured, Ritsu would tell him when he was ready. Mob trusted his younger brother full-heartedly. 

After a few minutes, small talk picked back up, mainly a discussion on the teachers they’d had thus far along with some theorycrafting/bets on how Quirks would interact with psychic powers.

Unfortunately, the bell rang before he was able to finish- he’d been told plenty of times by his friends (read: Tome) that he was a slow eater.

Mob shuffled to his feet, followed by Ritsu as he approached the waste disposal area. He unloaded his tray, feeling slightly guilty as he watched the remainder of his unfinished curry vanish from view. As he turned to leave, Ritsu nudged his shoulder in passing.

“I’m sorry,” Ritsu apologized softly, “for not telling you what’s going on. But I’m not sure about everything right now, and I don’t want to give you false information.”

“Ritsu, it’s okay,” Mob replied in understanding.

“I promise, the moment I have anything concrete, you will be the first to know.” His brother put a firm hand on his shoulder, giving a sincere, collected smile.

“Please,” Mob insisted, placing a hand gently on top of Ritsu’s, “let me know if there’s anything I can do for my little brother, okay?”

Ritsu’s smile softened. “Okay, Nii-san.”

28%

As the four espers slid open the door to Class 1-A, they couldn’t help but catch the brief flash of surprise on the faces of the students as they stood in the doorway.

“This is the right place for Heroics class, right?” Ritsu asked, ducking his way into the classroom. Mob stepped in behind his brother, glancing at the staring student body.

“Oh, hey!” Izuku’s familiar voice piped up, as the green-haired boy waved brightly from his seat on the other side of the room. “If you guys were looking for 1-A, you’re in the right place! I wasn’t aware you guys would be having a joint lesson with us.”

“Not all of our class made it into the hero course, after all. And four students wasn’t nearly enough to warrant an entirely new Heroics class.”

“Woah, hey, Izuku!” Shou greeted the boy with a grin. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” The redhead peered towards the back of the classroom. “Yo, Izuku’s friends!” he remarked towards Iida and Uraraka, whose adjacent seats were tucked right at the back corner of the room.

“Suzuki,” Iida acknowledged, with a curt nod. “It is good to see you as well. I’m afraid there are no seats to spare for you four, a severe oversight on the behalf of this school.”

One of the boys towards the front, with bright orange hair and a black bolt-like streak, raised his hand. “I don’t mind giving up my seat for a bit! We’re just waiting for All Might to show up anyways. Sorry if I stared, I kinda was expecting him to show up instead of you all.”

“Nah, that’s fine,” Shou assured him. “Class is going to start any second, after all-”

“Who’s All Might?” Mob blurted, the words slipping from his tongue. Everyone stared at him wide-eyed. He could feel his ears burn a fervent red as he caught Izuku’s slack-jawed gape. He’d messed up, hadn’t he?

“I AM HERE…”

Mob jumped out of his skin as the door slammed open again, a giant of a man barging through the entrance. His golden hair was stuck up in two prominent tufts, outfitted with a bright red bodysuit with a flourishing blue cape trailing behind it.

The man’s eyes were cloaked in shadow and mouth widened in a blinding grin. He could only really be described as… intense.

“...coming through the door like a hero!”

A collective gasp shot throughout the room, as Mob’s previous statement was forgotten in favor of wide-eyed awe towards the newcomer. All Might made his way towards the front of the class, strutting in with a confident march.

“Now that’s All Might!” the orange haired boy enthused, leaning forwards in his seat.

“I can’t believe it…”

“He really is a teacher this year!”

“Woah, is that his Silver Age costume?”

“I’m getting goosebumps… so retro!”

“Welcome,” All Might’s booming voice began, “to the most important class at UA High. Think of it as ‘Hero-ing 101’! Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro, and what it means to fight in the name of good!”

A beat. No questions. “Now, let’s get into it. Today’s lesson will pull no punches…” All Might thrust out an arm, a flashcard with ‘BATTLE’ printed in bold English presented before the class. “Fight training!”

“Real combat already?” Teru wondered to himself, and Mob agreed with his friend’s sentiment. For day one of a school, that sounded… intense. From the sounds of whispers around him, Class 1-A was just as shocked. Izuku notably looked less than thrilled.

“But! One of the keys to being a hero is… looking good!” All Might pointed dramatically to the wall, as shelves of labeled storage units emerged from where they were previously hidden. “These were designed for you based on your Quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started.”

The students gasped, causing a buzz of excited chatter. Ritsu quietly raised his hand, causing All Might to snap to attention.

“Yes! Young…” the Pro Hero’s voice petered off awkwardly, but his unwavering smile remained plastered to his face as he kept up the confident pose.

“Kageyama. Ritsu Kageyama,” his younger brother corrected calmly. “None of my classmates from 1-L were ever given any sort of requests or knowledge about custom outfits.”

“Ah! Of course! Well!” All Might paused, tapping his foot in thought. “The PE uniforms will need to make do for now, I suppose. I will get into contact with your homeroom teacher to amend this oversight as soon as possible.”

All Might clapped twice, quickly adopting his exuberant persona again. “So get yourselves suited up, then meet me at Training Ground Beta!”

“Yes sir!” Class 1-A exclaimed in unison. 

Mob wasn’t sure what he was expecting when All Might told them to change into PE uniforms- a white t-shirt and red shorts just like Salt Middle School, perhaps. 

Just like the standard uniform, the dark blue tracksuit Mob received was made out of an equally expensive material. It was lightweight, breathable, and easy to move around in, good for athletics. And although on the surface it looked a tad too big for him, the tracksuit fit easily like a second skin as soon as he tried it on.

Teru hummed satisfiedly next to him, pleased with the palette choice. Mob was glad.

But even with the bold colors and massive ‘UA’ patterned onto the tracksuit, he still felt utterly plain compared to the rest of the glamorously dressed 1-A. Although, that really wasn’t anything new. 

As he emerged from the dark tunnel leading to Training Ground Beta, he couldn’t help but marvel at the intricate costumes of the students around him.

All Might stood at the entrance to the Training Grounds, hands confidently perched on his hips as he watched the students emerge in all of their glory.

“They say that clothes make the pros, young ladies and gentlemen. And behold! You are the proof!” the hero declared jovially. “Take this to heart. From now on, you are all heroes in training!”

Mob smiled up at Ochako, who had ended up walking beside him. Her sleek, pink and white hero costume reminded him of an astronaut. “Ah, your outfit’s really cool, Uraraka,” Mob noted with honesty.

She grinned ear to ear, mousey brown hair bobbing in excitement. “Thank you! It’s a bit smaller than I would have liked, but I’m pretty happy that they nailed pretty much everything else!”

“I’m sure you can get that fixed later,” Mob assured her. “The colors look really good together.”

“Now,” All Might announced, “shall we get started, zygotes?”

“Wait,” a student in a suit of white armor interrupted, raising his hand in a chopping motion- Iida, Mob recognized. “With all due respect, sir, we are still waiting on Midoriya. It would only be right to start once everyone is present.”

“We don't need Deku . There'd be basically no difference either way,” a blond boy with grenade-like gauntlets sneered. Kacchan, Mob vaguely remembered Izuku calling him once? 

It was a name that implied a level of closeness between the two boys. Mob frowned at Kacchan’s behavior, feeling the corners of his lip twitch as words began to bubble up.

“Sorry! Sorry, I'm here,” Izuku's voice quickly cried out from the entrance tunnel as he strode out confidently, dressed fully in his hero costume. 

His outfit was interesting, in Mob’s opinion.

It was a shade of emerald green from head to toe, and patterned similarly to the UA tracksuits, covering up the entirety of his face, save for his eyes. Two rabbit-like tufts of fabric stood up on the top of his head, neatly resembling All Might’s eccentric v-shaped hairstyle. A face mask resembling a grin rested across Izuku’s shoulders, obscuring his actual mouth.

“Ah, hey Deku!” Ochako chirped. “Your costume looks great! Not too flashy, y’know?” Mob nodded in agreement, unsure whether or not Izuku would notice.

“Oh, Uraraka!” Izuku blurted, covering his mouth in a flustered motion. “T-thanks!”

Their teacher’s face visibly pinched as Izuku walked onto the field. “Well-! Now that you’re all ready, it’s time for combat training.”

Ritsu raised his hand at the same time Iida did, but the young esper spoke up first. “Sir. We’re in the same urban setting from the entrance exams. Are we going to be fighting robots again?”

“Not quite,” All Might answered. “I’m moving you two steps ahead instead. While most of the villain fights you see on the news take place outside, statistically speaking, run-ins with evildoers happen more often in indoor spaces.”

“Are the losers going to be expelled like with Mr. Aizawa?” Ochako asked.

“How will we team up?”

“Isn’t this cape tres chic?”

All Might’s throat growled as his fist tightened, but his bright grin remained unwavering. “I wasn’t finished talking… listen up!” he barked, pulling out a piece of paper (a script, Mob realized).

The exercise, as All Might read off of his script, would be a 2v2 sparring match, with one team posing as heroes, and the others as villains.

The villains would guard a faux weapon, and the heroes would be given the objective of either retrieving the weapon or capturing the villains to win. And if the villains could defend the weapon for a certain time period or capture the heroes, they would win in turn as well.

It was Mob’s turn to ask a question as soon as instructions seemed to finish up. He raised his hand anxiously, hoping to not make All Might upset again. “Yes, young Kageyama?” All Might asked.

“So do we have to fight each other?”

Immediately, eyes were on him. Flat, unreadable stares from the rest of 1-A crowded Mob’s vision, causing him to subconsciously shrink inward. He bit his bottom lip and averted his gaze. He had asked something stupid, hadn’t he.

All Might’s mouth opened and closed a few times. “Ob- obviously, combat is inevitable when it comes to defending yourself from someone trying to stop your goal, whether you are a hero or a villain.”

Ah. Mob nodded, stomach sinking. He wasn’t really sure what he was expecting.

The Pro Hero coughed into his fist after a few awkward seconds, still smiling. “Of course, fighting each other is not the main focus of this exercise, but rather practicing the act of capture! Being able to subdue opponents is a crucial skill to learn for every new hero. And besides!” All Might flashed a thumbs up. “I’ll be sure to step in if anything becomes out of control.”

“Since that’s cleared up, time is of the essence. So, to determine teams, we’ll draw lots!”

A small smattering of murmurs rippled through the students, attention finally turned away from Mob. Beside him, he could catch Ritsu muttering to Shou about the poor design of the exercise. He found himself agreeing- even after All Might’s reassurance, the entire thing still felt incredibly intense for the first lesson of the school year.

The Heroics class lined up to draw ballots. Mob reached in, fishing out a card with the letter ‘C’ in a bold font. 

Teru leaned over, holding his own card. “Ah, you got Team C, Kageyama?” Teru asked. “It looks like I’m in H. A shame, really. But hey, maybe we’ll get to fight against each other!”

“Would that be a good thing?” Mob asked, not quite following.

“I’m just saying, I’ve grown a bit since our last fight. It would be interesting to see how we’d do against each other now. Although, it’s not like you’re going to lose,” Hanazawa remarked brightly.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Mob insisted. “Your technique is really good, and that’s a useful skill to have. You’re really smart as well.”

“You’re too kind,” Teru replied with a wide smile infinitely more genuine than All Might’s, seemingly flattered by Mob’s comment. “Either way, I hope you do your best, Kageyama.”

“You’re Team C as well?” a new voice asked, causing Mob to jump slightly as a girl with sleek black hair tied into a spiky ponytail approached the duo. “That would make us partners, then.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s me,” Mob confirmed, showing her his drawn card.

“Nice to meet you then. I’m Momo Yaoyorozu. You’re one of the exchange students, I take it?”

He nodded. “Shigeo Kageyama, but most people call me Mob.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy UA. I look forward to teaming up with you!”

The first two teams to go would be Team A as the heroes and Team D as the villains- Izuku and Ochako versus Kacchan and Iida. In other words, the exercise was already off to a bad start.

As the two teams were left to prepare for their matchup, All Might herded the rest of the teams to a room for viewing set up at a building not too far from the site of the exercise. 

“We should brainstorm before our match comes up,” Yaoyorozu said to Mob. “Try to analyze whatever layout you can glean from what we’ll get- look for blind spots, corners, any sort of detail helps.”

“Are you sure?” Mob asked her. “I’m not really good at picking up details.” 

Yaoyorozu grinned softly. “As I said before, anything helps. And don’t worry, we’re a team for a reason. We’re meant to cover for each others’ blind spots and fill in holes that the other can’t reach.”

“Ah, I suppose that’s true.”

A massive floating screen blipped to life on the wall before them, creating a beacon in the dark, windowless room.

Five monitors appeared shortly after, focused onto five different parts of the complex where the team of villains were stationed. Mob craned his neck upwards to look at the screen, his eyes trained onto the window the heroes were designated to enter through.

“Teams A and D, your time starts now!” All Might exclaimed into the small communication advice tucked into his left ear like an earbud. “Pay attention, kids. Think about what you would do,” he instructed the rest of the class.

Midoriya and Uraraka entered the building, with the latter whispering something excitedly to her partner. But without sound, the interaction remained unknown.They moved off-camera, and fully out of sight. 

Immediately, the sounds of explosions rang in the distance. Bakugo sped by another screen, teeth ground in determination as he was launched forwards by his Quirk.

The observation room fell quiet as activity quickly came to a standstill. The cameras flickered to new angles, and Mob quickly brushed over the new shots, taking what Yaoyorozu said to heart as Mob scanned the complex interior.

The hallways were really tight, weren’t they?

Izuku crept into frame, a birds eye view given of the narrow hallway he and his partner now stood in. 

A pause, then an explosion filled the hall with a blast of smoke. 

Izuku and Ochako flew back. When the green-haired boy stood back up, the smoke cleared to reveal half of Izuku’s costume’s mask blown cleanly apart by the sudden explosion.

Kacchan burst into frame, fists sparking and smoking as he growled something inaudible to Izuku. Although Izuku and Ochako were rattled by the sneak attack, neither looked seriously injured.

“A surprise attack from the start?” a boy with sharp red horns snapped, punching his fists together. Mob recognized him as Shou’s partner. “That’s just cheating! Bakugou, that’s so unmanly!”

Bakugou. That was his name. 

“In this case, it’s a viable strategy,” All Might explained. “He’s playing the role of a villain in a real battle now.”

Kacchan- Bakugou charged Izuku down, palms alighting with a new eruption only to be thrown over Izuku’s shoulder. The angry blond hit the ground with a rough impact, spittle flying as he visibly gasped for breath.

Bakugou forced himself back to his feet, snarling invisible words that couldn’t reach the crowd watching the trial play out.

“What was Bakugou saying?” the fierce, horned boy asked. “Can’t tell with the fixed camera positions and no sound.”

Conversation drowned out in Mob’s ears as he remained glued to the scene of the hallway. 

It was just training. Nobody would get hurt.

Bakugou’s palms crackled as his eyes shone with a furious light.

Nobody would get hurt. Nobody would get hurt. All Might said he was going to stand in.

A distant, muddled cheer rose around him. He couldn’t tell what they were saying.

29%

“Monsieur, Bakugou is on the-”

Another explosion. Bakugou blitzed forwards straight towards Midoriya, a fierce, propelled kick being barely blocked in time by the boy. Mob flinched.

Izuku reached for his roll of Capture Tape, but once Bakugou’s fists lit up once more, opted to run for the maze of complex halls instead.

Bakugou chased after for a few seconds, before coming to a standstill. He howled something inaudible feverishly into the void, stance poised and hostile as he began to search for his target.

“He’s letting his grudge get the better of him,” Yaoyorozu murmured to herself as she watched Bakugou tear a door off its hinges, standing inside the room for a few tense moments before continuing his manhunt.

“Midoriya’s going to get hurt,” Mob whispered subconsciously. 

“Those are some serious anger issues,” the lightning-haired boy from the classroom muttered, and Mob found himself agreeing. But besides a blind rage, Bakugou’s actions felt like a matter of driven pride as well that Mob was all-too familiar with.

The way he walked, targeted Izuku, charged in blazing with reckless abandon, it reminded Mob of the Scars from the Seventh Division before his shishou had intervened to bring them back to society.

It would make sense, Mob figured, in a world where superpowered people were far more commonplace than espers were, Quirks would heavily make up how others viewed each other. Like how Hanazawa and his brother had once been. How Claw had been.

Although it was to be expected, it was still disappointing. If his master had been watching as well, Mob knew that he would have had a few words to say of his own. 

Mob wasn’t good with words, though, so he continued to watch tensely. He had to trust that the teacher would step in if things went awry. It was his responsibility after all, Reigen would say. And being a hero was bound to come with plenty of responsibility.

Motion flickered on the top right screen, as Uraraka came into view on the floor that contained Team D’s weapon. She hid herself behind a pillar, peering in at where Iida and the weapon presumably were. 

“I guess that’s a plan,” Shou narrated, breaking the silence. “Get Bakugou on Izuku’s trail so his friend can go after the weapon.”

Suddenly, Ochako’s shoulders shook, as she let out a sudden laugh. Any element of surprise was quickly lost for Ochako, and she took a step back in worry. But that was not what concerned Mob at the moment.

Izuku peered around a corner, Capture Tape taut in his hands. 

Bakugou appeared at the other end of the corridor, grenade-like gauntlets now pulsing with a low, red light. Izuku turned, his mouth moving in a monologue as he spotted his old friend glowering at him.

Bakugou began speaking next in their silenced conversation, reaching towards a discreet silver pin tucked to the side of the accessory. Light ignited between the grooves of the gauntlets as he slowly pulled it out further, further, and further.

All Might reached for his earpiece. “Young Bakugou!” he roared. “You’re going to kill h-!”

An explosion rocked the viewing room to the roots of its foundations. Students careened and rushed to catch their balance, as an ear-deafening clap rolled throughout the training grounds. 

Brilliant, horrible light flooded the monitor as Bakugou and Izuku’s figures were swallowed up by the heat haze of the eruption.

A round of cries and expletives rounded the students, as All Might shouted frantically into his communication device. Mob’s eyes were pulled wide, lost in the massive explosion.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing the ground which was marred with soot, debris shattered and strewn around. 

Izuku’s form laid prone in the rubble, costume shredded and face smeared with ash. An angry red welt covered the length of his forearm, causing him to wince as he stirred.

“Come in! Come in, Midoriya!”

He struggled to prop himself up on his elbows, looking up at Bakugou as the blond boy approached with menace.

“Young Bakugou,” All Might warned gravely, “if you use that again, I will stop the fight, and your team will lose. To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting, whether or not you are a hero or a villain.”

Bakugou snarled something out, before bursting towards Izuku with a flurry of propelled explosions. He leapt with a fiery burst, before turning midair to land a point-blank burn on Izuku’s unguarded back. Izuku let out an invisible wail, stumbling forwards.

“This has gone too far,” Mob choked out, the air feeling thin in his chest as he watched. Everything felt numb as he was helpless to watch his friend getting hurt again and again.

32%

Without a moment to breathe, Bakugou rounded on Izuku again. He grabbed the boy’s elbow, and with a frightening strength, flung Izuku head over heels onto the hard ground in a move mirroring Izuku’s own from only a few minutes prior.

“This is a massacre,” Shou’s partner muttered in horror. “All he has to do is wrap Capture Tape around him, not kill him.”

“Bakugou’s not going to let up, sir,” Teru spoke up. “You should stop this before either of them get hurt.”

Although his body must have been aching and screaming for him to stop, Midoriya fought back to his feet once more, before bolting down the corridor. He shouted something to Bakugou, whose palms sparked with a new fervor. 

“They’re just provoking each other,” somebody stage-whispered breathlessly. 

All Might did not react to the growing concerns, back turned to the students with a stillness that made Mob’s skin crawl with prickles of frustration.

Midoriya and Bakugou charged.

“Listen to Kirishima! This is beyond practice!” Yaoyorozu shouted.

“They’re going to destroy each other! Sir!”

“This looks bad. You need to stop the match!”

“Please!”

The hero finally caved, grip tightening on his earpiece. “Both of you, st-!”

Izuku swung upwards. The ceiling shattered, and everything rattled with a tremendous pressure. Dust and plaster obfuscated the camera, and the only thing Mob could feel was absolutely sick.

Where Uraraka and Iida stood, the ground broke upwards, giving Ochako a chance to reach an outstretched hand towards an uprooted support pillar. She lifted the column, and with a fierce swing, sent the flying rubble streaking towards Iida.

And while the faux villain was distracted, Ochako jumped forwards, wrapping her arms around the weapon with a final, desperate grab.

Team A had won. But nobody felt like cheering.

All Might finally broke from his rigid stance, and shouted congratulations into his mic. Not once during the entire fight (Mob’s gut curled. Fight. It had been a fight, not practice) had the Pro Hero’s smile faltered even once.

“The hero team… is the victor!”

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 39%

Chapter Text

When the dust settled, the damage became quickly evident. One side of the complex had been torn to shreds from Bakugou’s gauntlets, the rest with a massive hole through the ceiling, courtesy of Izuku’s Quirk.

Ochako slid to the floor, whole body trembling with nausea. She clutched the ground like her entire life depended on it as Iida quickly threw his helmet aside to comfort his friend.

Bakugou stood speechlessly above Midoriya’s unconscious body. 

Both of Izuku’s sleeves were completely torn, his gloves and mask shredded and destroyed. 

One of his arms was an indistinguishable, angry red, already blistering and peeling from Bakugou’s explosions. The other was shattered, crooked at an undesirable angle and dark with bruising.

The losers were practically untouched, while the winners couldn’t even afford to stand.

40%

“You said,” Mob’s voice quavered as he stared at the destruction, “you would step in before anything like this happened.”

He felt numb, numb like the static beneath his skin. 

The rest of the class were in various stages of disbelief, some in awe, others in horror. Most eyes darted to him as he spoke up, watching him with a mix of unreadable emotions.

41%

“It was necessary for him to push beyond his limits, and further his resolve as a hero-in-training,” All Might explained, as if his answer was obvious. Mob sorely hoped he hadn’t missed anything. “His passion is what will allow him to go beyond, just as our motto says.”

What?

46%

“ Nii-san, ” Ritsu’s voice whispered, as his brother put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Take a deep breath, okay?”

Mob blinked, as he realized that his aura had leached from under his skin, smothering the room with its hazy, kaleidoscopic presence. His bangs had lifted from his face, floating upwards with an unseen force.

A few of his classmates had floated an inch or so off the ground, tense with the realization. Mob’s ears flushed, and he retracted his aura, gently lowering the other students back to the ground. “Sorry,” he murmured.

“You’re good, Kageyama,” one of the students assured him with a thumbs-up. Mob couldn’t find it in himself to reciprocate.

47%

Ritsu gave him a small, careful smile, before his expression fell flat. His younger brother’s jaw tightened with determination. 

He turned to All Might. “With all due respect, sir, that still doesn’t excuse the fact that Midoriya got severely injured during a training exercise, ” Ritsu grounded dryly. “It should not have continued past the gauntlet explosion, let alone Bakugou’s point-blank attack afterwards or anything beyond that. And your response implies that you knew that.”

“The emotions that drive young Midoriya help him strive in order to achieve the dream that the rest of you share. And that dream requires him to confront his-”

“And you are still a teacher, whose responsibility is to ensure the safety of the students. Your personal feelings for Midoriya shouldn’t outweigh his physical health, especially on the first day of class when neither student has had any instruction on the limits of using their powers against each other.”

“Sink or swim may be your tactic here, but that’s nothing more than just thoughtless teaching. As a responsible adult, you should have broken up the violent grudge between Bakugou and Midoriya the moment it became evident.” Ritsu stared down the Pro Hero intensely. “I’m disappointed.”

An uncomfortable silence settled heavily on the shoulders in the room. All Might’s grin strained, the corners of his mouth pulled tighter than usual.

“I… will consider your words, young Kageyama,” All Might replied, before taking his leave to retrieve the remaining three still at the battle site.

“This was such a poorly thought out class,” Ritsu scowled under his breath, shaking his head. “It would give Reigen a heart attack.” His gaze softened, as he glanced at his older brother. “How are you holding up, Shige?”

Mob replied with a small shake of his head, eyes downcast. His chest felt hollow, as if someone had reached in and carved out whatever was inside. He couldn’t get the image of Izuku’s arm, more angles than bones, out of his head.

“Do you need to step out for a bit?”

He shook his head again. “No, no. I just…” Mob swallowed. “I think I just need some time.”

All Might returned with Iida, Ochako, and Bakugou a few minutes later. Ochako’s eyes were watery and pinched, avoiding the stares of the others. Iida stood stony-faced as ever, with a completely neutral face hardened into his features.

Bakugou was uncharacteristically quiet. His fists were curled and teeth bared in a glower, but the hungry fire in his eyes was completely extinguished. It was looking into two dying, smouldering coals as the light slowly faded away.

“Well!” All Might boomed with cheer back in his voice, “Despite the results, the MVP of this exercise goes to young Iida!”

A smattering of confused whispers. The heroes won, Mob’s classmates wondered. Why wasn’t it one of the heroes?

Yaoyorozu remained poised, hand on her chin. “It appears fairly obvious. I can tell you why,” she mentioned to Mob. “It’ll be important for us to keep in mind when our turn for the practice comes.”

“Ah, really?” Mob asked cautiously. A few students’ heads perked up, as the class turned attentively to listen to what Yaoyorozu had to say. 

Her eyes flicked around the room, realizing that the attention was completely on her. She cleared her throat, before speaking with more volume. “Iida embraced the challenge- he was the only one who truly accepted his assigned role.”

“Bakugo's judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As Mr. All Might pointed out earlier, launching a large‐scale attack with his Quirk indoors was a foolish move- it could have been disastrous,” Yaoyorozu explained. “Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly thought out, considering the amount of damage that he received. He rendered himself helpless with just one punch.”

“As for Uraraka,” she continued, “She let her guard down mid‐battle, and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she'd treated the fake weapon as though it were real, she never would've risked using such an imprecise move.”

Yaoyorozu gestured a finger towards Iida. “Iida, on the other hand, was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He had a strategy, and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was foiled in the end. Although this was practice, Iida was the only one to take the scenario the teams were given seriously. The others didn't respect the spirit of the trial, focusing only on the training aspect when there was much more to it.”

Mob nodded along to his partner’s analysis, impressed at how neatly and quickly she had come to her conclusion. Similar inspired expressions were echoed on the faces of his classmates.

All Might stifled a cough. “Yes..! W-well, you overlooked a few things such as that young Iida could have relaxed a bit during the exercise… but other than that!” He flashed a thumbs-up. “You nailed it!”

Yaoyorozu smiled to herself proudly, allowing herself to accept the Pro Hero’s praise. “It is always important for one to start with the basics, and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That’s how you become a top hero.”

“Now then, let’s blow this joint!” All Might announced. “Keep in mind everything we saw and discussed, and let’s move on to the next match!”

The teacher reached for a blind grab of the team letters beside him, drawing two ballots. 

“Match two! Team C will be the heroes, and H will be the villains!”

Mob’s gaze jumped upwards at the mention of his team name, as he met Teru’s eyes. His friend smiled warmly, giving a small nod. A likewise dread crawled its way into his chest.

“It’s funny how fate works huh, Kageyama?” Teru asked. “I’m excited to put our rivalry to the test, then. It’ll even be just like how we met- although, I’d like to keep the top of my head intact this time, yeah?” He smiled weakly at the old memory.

It wasn’t nearly as amusing to Mob. The esper didn’t reply, words dead on his tongue. His disappointment was palpable, energy pulsing off of him heavily in waves.

He didn’t want to fight, not after Izuku and Bakugou’s battle. 

And although he disliked combat in general, he especially didn’t want to fight Hanazawa again- their first time was enough. 

His lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to swallow down acceptance of the matchup, which only caused a lump to rise in his throat. Hanazawa caught wind of his sour expression, smile falling to something much more sympathetic.

“I’ll be careful Kageyama, I swear. I’ll let you know if things go too far. Before All Might,” his friend promised, voice lowering in the second half of his statement.

Teru’s partner, a boy in a white karate gi with a massive tail that swung behind him, leaned into the conversation. “And hey- if it’s any consolation, I… don’t think any of us plan on our practice getting nearly as out of hand as Teams A and D.”

Yaoyorozu gave an affirming nod as well. “It shall be a battle of wits, this time around.”

 The tailed boy extended his hand in greeting towards the esper. “Mashirao Ojiro. Looking forward to training with you.”

“Ah. Shigeo Kageyama,” Mob replied with a minute nod. “And.. thank you.”

A few quiet seconds passed, before Ojiro bit his lip and retracted his outstretched hand. Mob’s face paled slightly at the realization of the missed social cue. His fingers twitched with the instinct to try and offer a handshake again, but decided to not make anything else any more awkward.

“Now, if introductions have concluded,” All Might proceeded, “Villain team, please begin to make your way towards your assigned building! Heroes, your five minutes to prepare begins… now!”

48%

Mob and Yaoyorozu stood outside of the new complex, both poured over the map All Might had provided them with. The layout was just as claustrophobic as the previous building, but much more vertical than horizontal.

“Did you manage to gather anything from observing the previous trial?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“Uh.. the hallways were… thin?” Mob tried, attempting to recall anything besides the sight of fragmented bones and charred rubble. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. It’s not much.”

“No, no, that’s perfect,” Yaoyorozu said, tapping a finger to the map. “Teams A and D had a much wider building, which actually allowed for more room than we’ll have in ours. And narrower pathways will therefore result in different battle strategies. With narrow halls, there’s only so much you can maneuver, making sneaking around while avoiding confrontation near-impossible. So, your detail helps bring the reality that we’ll need to adapt our strategy to the halls to the forefront.”

Mob blinked. “You got all of that… from one detail?”

“But I’m not even done with what your ‘one detail’ implies,” Yaoyorozu grinned. “ Never underestimate the tools that mundane facts can give.”

The plan went as follows, Yaoyorozu began- they would enter from a mid-level window and split up, with Mob investigating the top floors and Yaoyorozu the bottom, to maximize the ground they would be able to cover in the time they were given.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to split up?” Mob had asked. “If one of us encounters both of the other team, we could be cornered and captured.”

Yaoyorozu beamed. “Excellent point! But that could only work in the first place if both of the villains were on the offensive. Given the unease after the last match, I would bet that they’d choose to act more defensively this time around.”

“So they’d both… guard their weapon?”

“Perhaps. I can assume for Ojiro that he would want to guard the weapon, due to his Quirk utilizing more upwards mobility than horizontal, and being quite potent in more open areas where he can fully use his tail. It would be unlikely for him to try and pursue us in the hallways. Would you be able to say the same for Hanazawa?”

Mob pictured Teru in his head, barreling down the hallways with Air Whips blazing like he had at the Seventh Division. That was pretty in-character for Hanazawa.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. He likes to fight.” Mob paused. “But he’s not as violent as Bakugou.” The esper glanced towards the window Yaoyorozu planned to enter through, nearly a dozen meters off the ground.

“Hm. Do you think you’ll be able to lift us up to that window with your Quirk?” his partner asked.

“Um.” Mob swallowed. “Probably. I could definitely get you up there, but I tend to get motion sickness when I move myself with my tele… Quirk. I should be fine, though. The window’s not that far-”

The mic in their earpieces buzzed to life. “Look alive, kids!” All Might’s voice announced. “Show us you’re the embodiment of good and evil. Let’s go!”

A buzzer rang throughout the area. Their fifteen minutes had begun.

Yaoyorozu nodded to Mob, and he lifted his hand. His aura enveloped the two of them, as he willed their bodies to drift over to their selected window. He felt his stomach swoop as his feet left the ground, causing his insides to squirm with unease.

As they came to a soft pause at level with the window, Mob had to bite back the bile that rose in his stomach. With a quick flick of his wrist, the window opened, and Yaoyorozu quickly climbed through. 

Mob immediately followed, relieved to find himself back on solid ground. The nausea, thankfully, wasn’t too severe.

They had entered into a stairwell, the air immediately going cold with a concrete chill. Mob gave his partner a small bob of his head, to signify that he was alright.

“Keep in close contact with our comms,” Yaoyorozu said. “They will be vital. If you find the weapon, don’t engage and notify me.”

“Okay,” Mob replied. “Uh… good luck?” Yaoyorozu gave a small, acknowledging smile, before parting ways.

The moment he exited the stairwell, the sunlight faded away to reveal a dimly lit hallway. Mob blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. He could feel the pinpricks of another aura in the peripherals of his senses, a bright, sunspot-like presence that could only belong to Hanazawa.

A thin barrier hummed around Mob’s skin like fine armor as he crept forwards with one hand on his roll of Capture Tape. His recent ability to detect esper signatures could be useful in this scenario, but would that be cheating, since nobody else knew about it yet?
No, he was supposed to think like a hero, Mob reminded himself. If it had been a real threat, it wouldn’t be unfair for Mob to help his partner. He reached to activate his earpiece.

“Hanazawa’s somewhere on the upper levels,” Mob relayed to Yaoyorozu.

“Good to know, ” his partner replied. “Move carefully. Do you want me to come and assist?”

“No, it’s alright for now. Thank you for the offer.” Their communication ended, and Mob proceeded forwards.

The end of the hall branched into divergent left and right paths, stretching on in their dull monotony. For as much as the complex resembled the Seventh Division, it was somehow far less friendly- if you could describe the Seventh Division as friendly in the first place.

Mob chose the left route, picking up his pace as his vision sweeped the area. A few abandoned offices lined the walls, but none contained any trace of Hanazawa, his partner, or the weapon.

A few minutes passed before Yaoyorozu spoke again. “Second floor,” her voice whispered through the earpiece. “I’ve located the weapon. How long do you think it will take for you to get there?”

“Ah.. if I take the staircase, probably a few minutes.” He looked down at the tile beneath him, the back of his neck prickling. “I could try to break through the ground to get there faster, but that would alert the other team.”

“Play it safe- we still have eight minutes to spare, anyways. If they hid the weapon on a lower floor yet stationed Hanazawa on an upper one, they must have anticipated that we wouldn't enter from the ground fl-”

Yaoyorozu’s voice cut out. Mob stilled, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than he had been a few seconds ago. He pressed his back to the wall, and reached for his earpiece again.

“Yaoyorozu?” he tried, voice wavering slightly. “Yaoyorozu, are you-”

A swell of heat surged from the end of the hallway. He hardly had a second to throw up a barrier before his surroundings were engulfed in a roar of flames.

Even though he had blocked them from baking him to a crisp, he could still feel the oppressive ghosts of esper-laced flames boil beneath his skin.

As soon as it came, the inferno dissipated, and Mob let his barrier fall back to a low-energy layer. A soothing cool settled back over his senses as he gasped for a lungful of dry air. It had been so fast, but so incredibly intense simultaneously.

That had to have been Hanazawa, he was the only one on his team who was pyrokinetic. But where was-

The feeling of tape brushed against his wrist.

Mob’s barrier expanded in an instinct, as a familiar shock of blonde hair was shoved away from him. Teru grunted as his posture tensed, sinking into a pigeon-toed stance.

“Ah, s-” an apology nearly slipped out on instinct, before he caught his words. Hanazawa was supposed to be a villain, he reminded himself. Treat him like a Scar, or maybe Suzuki.

That was too cruel, he thought as he stared through his barrier at Hanazawa. 

A sparring partner, Mob decided, recalling the frequent sparring matches he watched between Teru and Shou. It was just their turn to be sparring partners.

He didn’t want to be sparring partners.

Smoke curled around Teruki’s arms as he stood up straight, a wild, self-assured grin on his face he hadn't seen since their first encounter- it was nearly uncanny.

Storm clouds, broken walls, statues flying, pressure, pressure, pressure-

“Not bad, Kageyama,” Teru crooned, his yellow, oil slick aura pulsing around him like a small sun. “But, unfortunately, I can't let you run away.”

Acting- Hanazawa was acting.

He’s really good at acting.

Mob blinked, swallowing down the old memory. “Ah. I’ll still need to get through.” Mob lifted the strip of his Capture Tape, holding one end in each hand. Teru lifted an eyebrow, aura warping into a dual set of Air Whips.

“Well then, you're just going to need to try and get past me!” Teru lunged, whip tip lashing towards the dark-haired esper. Mob’s barrier deflected the attack with a spray of sparks as he stumbled back a few steps. 

Teru lashed again, his weapon skidding off of the barrier and smashing into the wall beside him with a spray of plaster.

“Do we need to do this?” Mob asked, allowing his powers to disperse.

The hallways were thin, just like Mob had known- he couldn’t run past Hanazawa. He didn’t want to directly use his powers against him either- he was tired of pointing knives. 

Broken walls, home ec room, knives, knives, knives-

But if he could temporarily sheath Hanazawa’s..

Mob flicked his hand in front of him. His barrier flickered, before springing to life around Hanazawa. The Air Whips clashed repeatedly against the sides of the barrier, before returning to a neutral position.

Teru blinked, eyes slightly wide in surprise. He lashed his whip again, and was met with the same result as before. 

Taking the chance, Mob slowly approached his friend. The barrier warped as he walked closer, caving in to allow the esper to move closer to Hanazawa’s wrist. He unrolled his tape- it would be best if he could capture Hanazawa now instead of leaving him there, surely.. 

Hanazawa slowly backed up until his back was pressed against the walls of the barrier, confident smile still unfettered.

“Clever as always, as to be expected of my rival,” Teru chuckled, head tilted to the side nonchalantly despite his precarious situation. “But a lot has changed since we’ve last fought.”

Teru’s Air Whips retreated, as two yellow balls of energy crackled around his fists. Glowing tendrils coiled tightly around his arms, weaving up to his shoulders. It reminded Mob of-

His eyes widened. “That’s…”

Hands around his throat, a burning stomach.. an alleyway? Ritsu bleeding. Pleading.

Teruki swung with a right hook, causing Mob’s barrier to erupt into shards. Mob pinwheeled backwards, reeling from the psychic force of the exploded barrier. Teru quickly uppercutted, his Telekinetic Helix barely missing.

“Ah, close-!” Mob murmured softly. It was unlikely that Hanazawa would go anywhere near as far as Bakugou, but he’d seen his friend fight before- unlike Mob, Teru was far less careful about landing a hit or two on his opponents.

“A useful tactic, isn’t it? Not too different from my Air Whips, when I got down to it.” Teru mused, glancing down at his twin helixes. “Koyama was gracious enough to use it right in front of me, during training once.”

“—ama? Kageyama?” Yaoyorozu’s voice crackled, hardly discernible but still there. “Come in, Kageyama.”

A flicker of realization. How long had he spent sparring Teru instead of moving towards his teammate? He rushed to reply.

“Yaoyorozu!” he whisper-shouted through their comms. “I’m so sorry, you suddenly cut out-“ he narrowly dodged another swipe, “-and Hanazawa has been..”

Hanazawa was stalling him. 

“I’ll be right there!” Mob thrust his hand in front of him, pushing Hanazawa back several meters. He focused his powers onto the tile under his feet, feeling it break and fracture with the weight of his energy.

The floor split open like a gaping wound, creating a tunnel that led several stories down. Mob quickly leapt, catching his fall with a gentle push of telekinesis. “I’m on the second floor,” he relayed to Yaoyorozu. 

“I heard, and Ojiro did as well, but he doesn’t seem keen to leave the weapon unguarded. We still should have six minutes- I’ll find you. Don’t go too far.”

A crash behind him, as Teru’s aura flared up. The blond landed neatly, fists still braced with his Telekinetic Helixes. He surged forwards, one glowing spiral swapping itself for his roll of Capture Tape.

Mob whipped out his own, tape encased and shimmering in his aura. “I’m sorry, I’ll need to make this quick.” he said, flinging it forwards as Teru reached out with his own strip.

His Capture Tape reached its target first, and wrapped around Teru’s forearm securely. With a final tug of telekinesis to avoid being captured by Hanazawa’s own strip, Mob jerked the blond esper to the side, causing him to slam against the wall a bit harder than he would have liked. 

He flinched. Please, don’t be unconscious.

Teru’s tape roll tumbled out of his hand, and his sunspot aura retreated back into his body.

“Hanazawa has been captured!” All Might announced. 

“Nice work,” Yaoyorozu immediately followed through the earpiece. “I should almost be at your location.”

Teru lifted a hand to his right ear, presumably listening to Ojiro. His intense expression gave way to something kinder, as he smiled apologetically. Something tense settled in Mob’s gut, as he watched the seamless return to normalcy.

He never wanted to see Hanazawa like that again, he thought to himself subconsciously.

“I’m sorry, I hope my attempt was enough,” Teru relayed through his comms. A pause, then a small laugh. “Well, there’s nothing really stopping Kageyama once he figures something out. Do your best.” He removed his hand from his earpiece, and let out a small, satisfied sigh.

“A-are you alright?” Mob asked his friend, hands fretting uncontrollably. “I didn’t mean to throw you that hard-”

“It’s fine, Kageyama,” Teru assured him breezily, eyes light as per usual. “It’s far from my hardest, and I’ll heal from any bruises quickly. I might need to worry about a fever, though.”

“A fever?”

“Ah- it’s embarrassing,” Teru replied quickly. “You were asleep when I mentioned it to the others, during Claw’s takeover.” The sound of footsteps drew closer, signifying that his teammate was approaching. “I’ll explain it later. Good luck!”

“Kageyama,” Yaoyorozu said as she burst from around the corner, slightly breathless. “Do you think you can run the way there?”

Mob nodded. His stamina had been improving quite nicely as of late. 

“Excellent. I’ll explain the idea I have on the way.” She sharply veered on her heels, and Mob took it as the signal to get into motion. Yaoyorozu took the lead, Mob trailing behind ever so slightly as he looked to her to continue. 

The surface of her skin shimmered with a rose-tinted light, as two grenade-like tubes emerged from her palm. She showed the two objects to Mob without looking back. 

“A flashbang and a smoke bomb,” she answered Mob’s unspoken question. “We throw the flashbang in first. He’s already expecting us, so if he manages to avoid being blinded, the smokescreen should obscure whatever sight he has left. Then, we break for the weapon.”

“That’s a good idea,” he agreed. “Although, if Hanazawa is already captured, wouldn’t it be easier to wrap the tape around Ojiro instead? We could run around him and tie it to… his… tail?”

“Hm.. I like your way of thinking,” Yaoyorozu affirmed as she led him down a new corridor. “How about this- would you be able to go for the capture while I run for the weapon?”

“Yes, that sounds possible.”

“We’re approaching.” Yaoyorozu slowed her pace slightly, making quick eye contact with the esper. “There’s not much more in the way of surprise we could deliver, since he knows that we’re coming. I’m going to charge straight in, are you able to cover me while I throw the first pipe?”

“I can make a barrier around you- with telekinesis, that is,” he explained rushedly. “But you’d need to throw it first.” 

Yaoyorozu hummed in understanding, as she came to a determined stride. She peered around a nearby branch in the halls, glancing at the open room at the end of one. 

It was a much more open space in comparison to the rest of the building, sparsely decorated save for a few crates and support pillars. At the back of the room, a dark, warhead-like object sat. The weapon.

She frowned. “I don’t see Ojiro. It would make sense that he would take action in his own plans once his teammate was down.”

Mob nodded, and waved his hand. His barrier sprung to life around the two of them, and Yaoyorozu blinked quickly in surprise. “Ah. Sorry. It’s just so he can’t sneak up on us.”

“Ah, I see.” Her expression became focused. “Let’s move in for the weapon, then, and see where he springs out. How much can your barrier hold?”

“Um, enough. Probably.”

“Try to hold it for as far as you can, until we know for sure where Ojiro is.”

Mob nodded, and the two broke out into a run, towards their final goal. They weren’t even halfway across the room before Yaoyorozu looked up.

“From above!”

An immense pressure crashed down onto his barrier, as Ojiro swung his tail down onto the psychic shield. Mob startled, the thick tail breaking a dense crack in the kaleidoscopic surface. 

The boy bounced off, landing in front of Mob and separating the two of them from the weapon. Ojiro’s stance was low and poised, martial art training evident.

“Kageyama, lower your barrier!” Yaoyorozu cried, pitching one of the cylinders towards Ojiro. Mob quickly pulled it down, as Ojiro’s eyes widened. He quickly turned, massive tail crunching against the construct.

Smoke hissed out, before the bomb exploded outwards in a dense veil of smog. As soon as it began, Yaoyorozu rolled the flashbang right beneath their opponent’s nose.

“Don't look!” she hiss-whispered, and Mob immediately averted his gaze as a brilliant pulse drowned the room in light. 

A hand tugged at his arm, and Mob knew that their chance to succeed would be then. He grabbed for his roll of Capture Tape, extending it as he made out Ojiro's blinded figure in the smoke.

Yaoyorozu’s footsteps dashed past as she made her break for the weapon. Ojiro's silhouette perked towards the sound of her footfall, and Mob ran for his tail.

His aura surged around the tape, and Mob let it fly from his hands just like he had with Teru. He closed his hand into a fist as Ojiro’s tail swung around again, allowing the ends to catch on the tip. 

Mob pulled down, and with a rapid motion, the tape wrapped around the length of the tail. 

The smoke cleared. Intercoms crackled overhead.

“Young Ojiro has been captured! The heroes are the victors!” All Might boomed, accompanied by a small fanfare. “If all of you are unharmed, make your way back to the observation room for evaluation!”

Ojiro’s posture relaxed, as he smiled. Mob unwound the tape from his tail, allowing the roll to retreat back to its resting place on his belt. “Ah, well I tried. Good match.”

“You too.” Mob glanced over to Yaoyorozu, who patted the faux warhead twice in satisfaction. 

“Excellent job!” she complimented, and Mob’s throat felt warm at the praise. “And to you as well,” Yaoyorozu said to Ojiro, “you kept on fighting until the end. I respect that.”

Teru poked his head into the room, unpeeling the Capture Tape from his wrist. His face was flushed bright red, eyes half-drooped with what was likely a blooming fever. He gave a small grin. “That’s an improvement from the last match, I’d say,” he noted casually.

Ojiro’s eyebrows flew up. “Ah-! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, it’s just a psychosomatic fever. I tend to get them due to shock caused by losing or failing,” he waved it off. “When I first lost against Kageyama, I had one that lasted more than an entire weekend.”

Mob’s eyebrows creased. He didn't know that. “Really? I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s alright, really.” Teru glanced back down the hall he had come from. “Now, let’s get back before it actually gets any worse, yeah?”

Nobody needed any further persuasion after that.

“An excellent display of teamwork and strategizing from both sides!” All Might announced as the two teams entered the observation room, sans Teru. As soon as he stepped out of the building, he had been quickly ushered away by some sort of medical bot.

“Thank you, sir,” Yaoyorozu nodded. 

“You did great, Nii-san,” Ritsu whispered to Mob as he moved to stand by his younger brother.

“You used what you had gathered about your opponents and the last match to your advantage, to predict how the other team was going to behave. While this may not always be a viable strategy in real hero work, it was an excellent application of wits here!” the teacher announced. 

“Young Yaoyorozu and Kageyama, your teamwork and communication skills were impeccable, and your final strategy was especially creative. Although, Kageyama, you could strive to be a bit more active when it came to capturing your opponents. Your Quirk’s abilities are quite impressive, and you displayed that you had the ability to capture either of your opponents from the beginning. In a real event, every second with an active villain is a dangerous one.”

Mob gave a small nod, looking down. Even though he had managed to effectively use his powers to help his team win, he had been too tentative to take that route from the beginning. He could see All Might’s point, but Reigen’s words still rang true- never use his powers against other people.

That moral had been broken and questioned over the past few months, with his lessons he had gained from his encounters with Mogami and Suzuki. Action had occasionally been necessary, but it was action that had served a point and saved lives- or at least that was how Mob was able to justify it. 

What was being promoted at the school felt different, though, to the esper. Was fighting villains truly the only way to succeed? 

Ritsu nudged him, giving a questioning look. Mob squeezed his brother’s hands in reassurance- he wasn’t upset at All Might’s words. Just confused, a little. 

“And young Ojiro! I applaud you for your unwavering spirit. You stood your ground and improvised when your teammate was down for the running, and fought to the very last moment despite your difficult circumstances. Bravo to you, and to young Hanazawa! Now!” 

All Might reached for the next draw. “Let’s move on to the next match! Team E shall be the heroes, and Team J the villains!”

A small, excited exclamation from the two teams, and the exercise proceeded.

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 64%

Chapter Text

They weren’t going home.

The pieces continued to shift and click the longer time went on, the longer Ritsu had been observing the updates from Tsukauchi and Nezu’s curious behavior.

Although the principal seemed to be a large spender in general when it came to UA, he was shelling out a particular fortune when it came to their group of espers. 

The lofty budget and offered education was highly generous. The entrance exam with all of its robots straight out of a sci-fi movie was nothing that wasn’t offered to every other examinee. The perfectly tailored outfits that arrived a month later were… extreme, in Ritsu’s opinion, but they were a given for every other UA student as well, so he shrugged off any uneasy feelings.

The 1-L classroom door was so pristine, clean, and utterly new that they might as well have painted a massive red flag onto its surface right then and there.

They’d passed the other classrooms on the way to 1-L, and the comparison was stark. While the others were clean and tidy, there was still the tell of age in the slightly faded paint or the light scuffs in the nearby wall. 

1-L had no such sign of previous use, the sterile interior nearly glowing, desks unmarked, chairs still firm and fresh from whatever package it had arrived in. It had been specifically constructed to comfortably host nine students total- the exact number of the children of-age in their group.

A whole room specially constructed just for them- it implied permanency. And that was what concerned Ritsu.

Nezu was not only evidently incredibly intelligent, but had a cunning to him as well. Through their sparse interactions, Ritsu was practically able to see the wheels constantly turning in the principal’s head, filled with knowledge about them that even Ritsu likely wasn’t aware of.

The principal seemed to work closely with hero and Quirk politics, and definitely wasn’t one to start something if he didn’t think it would pay off in some form. He likely knew far more about their current situation than Ritsu or even Reigen, and that rat of a man reached out for updates nearly every single day.

The fact that Nezu had established a permanent, long-lasting classroom specifically for them meant that he knew that they would be trapped in the world for an extended while.

They’d already been stuck here for over a month, after all, with zero updates. What would be six, twelve, twenty more? Whatever authorities their case had been turned over clearly had no clue where to start. 

Nezu knew that from their first meeting, and Ritsu was beginning to come to that same conclusion. If they wanted to get home, they couldn’t just wait and depend on faceless and clueless officials.

He couldn’t propose his theory to Shige just yet, though. If he ended up giving his brother false information, Ritsu would never forgive himself.

Ritsu groaned as he shifted in his medical cot. He winced, sore muscle tissue spiking in a brief shoot of pain. 

He should have been able to do better- Shou had coached him on temperature regulation during their month-long reprieve before the beginning of the school year and his barriers should have been able to block the blunt of the damage. But when it came down to it, the difference between him and that scarred boy was… just staggering.

Ritsu had been partnered up as a villain team with a boy who had tape dispensers for elbows (not the oddest thing he’s seen, though). They had a decent strategy going, though, until the ground froze over and sheathed their shoes with a thick layer. 

The esper was quickly able to break his feet free with a burst of telekinesis and was about to prepare for combat. But before he could move, his entire body became trapped within a block of frozen ice.

His core temperature plummeted, his chest was left without much room to breathe.

There wasn’t much else he could do after that.

He had been thawed out by the boy afterwards, but the moments he had spent frozen solid then immediately returned to room temperature were, in fact, not healthy for his body. He went into shock afterwards, passed out, and…

Ritsu let out a sigh, pressing his eyes closed. He was tired, and really didn’t want to lie around in the nurse’s office all day, missing classes. And when he’d woken up again, he caught a glimpse of Shige’s livid expression- him being stuck in a cot was putting plenty of stress on his older brother as well.

He supposed he had All Might’s ingenious training exercise to thank for that. It wasn’t that he hated the Pro Hero or thought he was cruel, but All Might was… definitely not suited to be teaching a class of superpowered teenagers.

Case in point: although separated by a veil of white curtains, he could still make out the silhouette of Midoriya’s still form resting. The boy hadn’t stirred since Ritsu had arrived, and despite his Quirk-induced healing, his arm rested in a cast and his skin was still mottled with bruises and scrapes.

The door to the nurse’s office slid open with a clunk. Ritsu strained his eyes, hoping to make out whoever the newcomer was, but to no such luck.

“Young Midoriya, is he…?” a low voice asked, and Ritsu quickly racked his brains for who it could belong to.

It didn't sound familiar, but Ritsu only knew one teacher who referred to everyone with the title ‘young’. Although the voice wasn't the rolling thunder of All Might, Ritsu imagined that it made sense that his voice wouldn't always just be Like That.

The juxtaposition from the proud booming shouts he'd heard in class to the almost sheepish voice in the nurse's office was rather amusing to Ritsu, if his guess was correct.

“He's alright, so is the younger Kageyama. They're both resting right now,” the nurse, Recovery Girl, assured the teacher. “Bang-up job there, your class. Second day of school and that boy is already a regular! You should have stepped in earlier.”

Ah, so it was All Might.

“I…” All Might’s voice strained. “You’re right, Recovery Girl. I’m sorry.”

The nurse huffed indignantly. “Well, I’m not the one you should be apologizing to! Kageyama should be right as rain in an hour, give or take, but Midoriya is much too exhausted from his classes for my Quirk to fully heal him! I did some first aid, but he’s going to have to heal overnight,” she reprimanded him. “Seriously, All Might. I know that you gave him your powers and all, but you can’t spoil him!”

…what?

“I tried not to play favorites, but… I have nothing to say to that,” All Might sighed. “I wanted to consider his feelings, so I hesitated to stop the training match.”

“With the injuries those two boys got, I doubt I’d call it a training match at that point.”

“I know, I know.” The Pro Hero paused. “Although… could you please not talk about One For All so loudly?” he hissed. “Young Kageyama might hear.”

Oh. Ritsu wasn’t supposed to be hearing this conversation right now. It wasn’t like he understood what the teachers were talking about in the first place, but his skin still crawled with the forbidden knowledge.

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Natural-Born Hero,” Recovery Girl quipped. “Mr. Symbol of Peace. It’s not like you don’t know Kageyama’s secrets either.”

“It’s different,” All Might insisted. “Among the faculty, my… state of being is common knowledge. But only a few people know the truth about my Quirk. Because in the wrong hands… corruption and temptation would only spread further. The holders of this Quirk… it’s important that our responsibility is to protect mankind.”

“If that’s the case, being incapacitated every other day won’t exactly achieve that goal, will it?” Recovery Girl asked. Then, her voice softened. “It’s even more important for you to become a good mentor first and foremost.”

A deep sigh, presumably from All Might. “You’re right. I’ll need to make it up to him later.” A beat. “Him, and the younger Kageyama.”

Ritsu’s eyebrows quirked upwards slightly as he heard the explicit mention of his name. It wasn’t bad, necessarily, but Ritsu felt like his nii-san deserved more of an apology than himself.

“When am I not?” Recovery Girl chuckled good-naturedly. “I’ll see that you keep to that promise, then.” 

“Thank you, I give you my word,” All Might vowed. Ritsu heard the click of footsteps along with the soft shifting of fabric and, as the door shut closed once more. A stillness settled back over the office, and Ritsu allowed himself to let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

All Might’s ‘state of being’? Giving powers to Midoriya? It was all slightly baffling to the esper. He supposed that the answer was straightforward- Midoriya also had All Might’s Quirk, something was wrong with All Might’s health, and Ritsu had just heard plenty of secrets he wasn’t supposed to. 

But he still felt uneasy, as if there was more he wasn’t aware of. It had to be deeper than that, surely. 

Unfortunately, Ritsu had no clue where to even begin with that train of thought. 

His mind was still racing when he was discharged with a bill of good health and a handful of vitamin gummies forty-five minutes later.

Ritsu rolled his shoulder as he approached his classroom. It still ached with slight pins and needles along with the rest of his body, but it was nowhere near the frustrating pain he’d had earlier. Partly due to Recovery Girl’s Quirk, partly due to the fact that after he’d awakened his powers, he’d begun healing much faster than normal.

He slid open the 1-L class door, and was immediately met with nine simultaneous pairs of eyes. Faces lit up as they registered his presence.

“Oh, hey, little brother’s back,” Hanazawa noted, with an acknowledging nod. Good to see that Hanazawa had gotten over his fever and was back to his usual self fairly quickly, if the nickname meant anything.

One of these days, Ritsu was going to figure out a way to get back at that blond esper. 

“Ritsu!” Shige exclaimed, a pricelessly rare smile on his face, eyes gleaming. “I'm glad that you're alright.”

“Recovery Girl fixed me right back up,” Ritsu replied warmly. “I'm still a bit tired, but I'll be able to participate in the rest of my classes.”

“Great to have you back, listener!” Mr. Yamada crowed, jabbing an energetic finger towards Ritsu. “We were just in the middle of English class, so if you’d like to take your seat and let me know if you need anything, we can get this show back on the road!”

Ritsu nodded, and took his seat in front of his nii-san. A worksheet was sat on top of his desk, a basic review of English present-tense verbs.

“Now, can somebody in the audience tell me what verb completes this sentence?”

The last bell of the day rang and school finally let out. Class 1-L all stood with varying levels of synchrony, eager to finally go home. Mild chatter rose up as seats pushed in and shuffles of paper were filed away.

“Let’s go out to get some ramen together!”

“There’s that one hole-in-the-wall place Hanazawa recommended… right?”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“I second that.”

“Yo, Ritsu,” Shou greeted brightly with his wide trademark grin, as he slung an arm casually around Ritsu, practically dangling off of his friend’s weight. Ritsu winced slightly as Shou pressed against a sore point between his shoulders. The two began to walk towards the lockers side-by-side. “Serizawa told me we’re going over to your place for dinner.”

Ritsu straightened, gently prodding at Shou’s hand to loosen up. “Reigen said he wanted to try and make something tonight, since it’s typically either me, Nii-san, or Hanazawa who cooks. I’ve only seen him order fast food and takeout before, but he claims that he’s quite the chef.” 

He paused. “I guess there was that one time he took us to a barbecue shop, though. He’s pretty knowledgeable when it comes to meats.”

Shou snickered. “We’ll just have to wait and see what that’ll translate to, then.”

“I pray he doesn’t burn the apartment down.”

“Hey, Kageyama!”

Both Ritsu and his nii-san whipped his head around in synchronization. Teru waved, and Ritsu’s gaze flattened. There was only one person Hanazawa called ‘Kageyama’, and it unfortunately wasn’t him.

“You don’t mind if I borrow little brother for a minute or two, right?” Hanazawa asked Shige, who was a few paces behind Ritsu and Shou.

His older brother glanced back towards him, searching for permission. Ritsu gave a small nod- it was no trouble on his behalf, after all. “Ah… he says that it’s alright,” Shige replied. “Just make sure you’re both home in time for dinner. Shishou was really excited this morning, after all.”

“It'll be no problem, Nii-san,” Ritsu assured his brother, with Hanazawa giving a likewise nod.

“I don’t know about your brother, but I’m personally going to go on ahead, ‘kay?” Shou said, nudging Ritsu lightly. He cracked a smile. “I’ll see you back at your place.”

“Ah, I’m going to go with Shou as well,” Shigeo added softly. 

“Sounds good,” Ritsu agreed, as he turned to Hanazawa. “What did you need me for?” he asked.

The usual easygoing light in Hanazawa’s eyes faded, and his expression sobered. “Let’s go somewhere else. Private.”

The two made their way to the back of the school, where the dirt athletics field stretched before the track. Ritsu squinted in the late-afternoon sun, sight bathed in the glowing gradient of the setting sky.

Teru pulled him between two pillars, grip firmly on Ritsu’s shoulders. “I need you to explain.”

“Explain what? If I may ask.”

“What you said to me during lunch,” Teru clarified, crossing his arms. “To quote you, the whole ‘I don’t know if we’re getting home, Hanazawa’ comment specifically.”

“It’s… it’s a working theory,” Ritsu sighed. “But things were beginning to add up, and if I’m being honest, you’re the one I’d trust the most with the possibility.”

“ A working theory, ” Teru parroted dryly. Ritsu scowled.

“I need you to think about it for a moment,” Ritsu replied, before spilling his thoughts. The perfect outfits, the seemingly careless spending on Nezu’s behalf, the entirely new classroom that rang half a dozen alarms in Ritsu’s mind. How over a month had come and gone, with no progress to speak of and how lately, updates were slowly becoming less and less in depth.

“I think,” Ritsu concluded with a grave expression, “that they’ve given up hope that return is possible. Nezu seems to figure that, at the very least, and he’s likely smarter than any of the forces behind our case. I don’t think that we can sit around and just wait for an answer to solve itself if we want to go back to Seasoning City.”

“This problem was created by espers. And from the way I believe things are shaping up, it can only be fixed by espers.” Ritsu stared intensely into Teru’s dark blue eyes. “ That’s my working theory.”

Teruki hummed, brow furrowed. “I see what you’re saying. I don’t think it’d be a necessarily good idea to cut Quirk users completely out of the equation, though- the possible range of abilities out there are too varied to discount.”

“I never said to count them out,” Ritsu replied. “Only that I think that an esper would be the only one able to generate a gateway back.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, it just felt implied to me, but that makes sense as well.” Teru tilted his head. “Still.. I’ll help. It might still take a while, though, even if we decide to actively try and find solutions. After all, it took twenty years of stored energy being released at once to bring us here. I doubt we’ll gather that so easily.”

“It was less than twenty years. Shige compiled a lot of the energy into himself, along with everybody else nearby- that was why our injuries were healed afterwards in the first place.”

“My point still stands, little brother. It was still an immense amount of energy that nearly killed Kageyama, had he not let everything out.”

“There has to be a way out there that doesn’t require Nii-san to put his life on the line. And if my theory is true, we’ll have plenty of time to figure that part out.” Ritsu clenched his fists. “One way or another, I will get us home.”

“And knowing you? I don’t doubt that.” Teru offered a small smile, and the tension in Ritsu eased up ever so slightly.

“..thanks. Is that all you needed me for?”

Teru nodded. “I just wanted to ask you. Hearing that without any additional context was concerning, to say the least.”

“Ah, apologies.” Ritsu paused. “Oh- and Hanazawa?”

“Yeah?”
“Although it was late fall back in Seasoning City, it’s still the middle of spring here- your birthday’s on the thirteenth, right? We should… maybe do something, if you want to count this year’s date?”

Hanazawa laughed. “I appreciate the thought, little brother, but I don’t think I’m ready to be considered fifteen quite yet. I’ll wait for Kageyama. I’m still keeping track of the actual date back at home, anyways,” he replied, pulling out his old phone. “It’s almost Christmas there, so if anything, we should be preparing for that!”

Ritsu stifled a small chuckle. “Alright, just checking. I say we get started on the way back to the apartment, before it gets any darker out.”

“I’m in full agreement here,” Teru replied. “Let’s go.”

As they left the school grounds of UA, Ritsu spotted Midoriya standing beside All Might, a pensive expression on his face. Ritsu waved, and got a halfhearted one in return. Something had clearly happened there, but Ritsu wasn’t one to pry.

Or.. not intentionally, anyways. He thought back to what he'd heard in the nurse's office.

It had to have been important, Ritsu thought as he and Teru descended UA’s steps and the entrance arch of the building got further and further away.

Reigen got into some banter with Teru in the middle of preparing dinner, and a few seconds later they all smelled smoke.

Ritsu wanted to make a snide comment right there and then, but opted instead to help salvage the rest of the food. 

Dinner was alright. He definitely wasn't salty that Reigen had managed to only burn the tofu and nothing else.

“Hey, Shige, I'm surprised you didn't bring up what had happened in Heroics class yesterday to Reigen.”

“Ah, was I supposed to?”

“No, no, I was just surprised.”

…Ritsu would make sure to bring it up when they got home. Although he was a hack, Ritsu saw what had happened at the Seventh Division. UA deserved an earful after that disaster of an exercise.

Something seemed to change in the air from the day before, Ritsu reflected as the train doors slid open. He stepped out, followed by Shou and the others.

Eyes were on them, trailing the small cluster of students as they walked down the sidewalk. Small, awed whispers and too-warm grins from absolute strangers followed them like a wake in water.

Ritsu shot wary glances back, hands tight around the straps of his backpack. It was the uniforms, wasn’t it?  

But this hadn’t happened yesterday when they wore the UA uniforms out in public. A passing look, sure, but nothing beyond that. Something else had to be-

Well, he found the problem.

Swarming around the UA entrance was a swath of energetic reporters, numbers in the hundreds. Students who attempted to pass through the gates were stopped every five steps by another camera in their face and a waving mic. 

Ritsu grimaced, glancing back at the rest of his friends- there were nine of them in total, and there was a zero percent chance they would be able to pass through without being harassed by the news-hungry press.

“Geez, what’s this about?” Asahi asked, brow creased.

“Well, UA is one of the most prestigious high schools in this world, and many of the teachers are famed Pro Heroes,” Teru pointed out matter-of-factly. “Honestly, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner.”

“I bet it already has,” Ritsu sighed, shaking his head. “It’s likely only occurred during school hours up until now.”

“Ah, fun,” Asahi mused sarcastically. The pyrokinetic hunched his shoulders, staring unenthused at the crowd ahead of them. 

Before they decided to brave the horde ahead of them, Ritsu sent Shou a sideways glance. “You’re not just going to vanish on us. Come and suffer with the rest of the group,” he deadpanned to the redhead esper. Shou rolled his eyes playfully.

“Oh, no, wouldn’t dream of that in a million years, Riichan,” his friend retorted with an equal level of dripping sarcasm. Ritsu huffed lightly before nudging Shou in teasing.

“ Excuse me, you there! ” an opportunistic voice cried out, as a reporter rushed over to the group of espers with a recorder at the ready. A few others caught sight of them as well, and quickly followed suit. 

The friend group bristled, stilling in anticipation.

The reporter grinned, the whites of her teeth blinding as she held out her microphone towards Shige. About half-a-dozen extra boom mics leaned in overhead. Ritsu’s older brother blanched at the sight, and Ritsu knew that this would be going nowhere good. “What is it like, being taught by All Might?”

Ah, it was about All Might. Because of course it was. 

“Uh… I…” Shige’s eyes darted back and forth, flicking between the various cameras now trained on him, waiting for a response. Ritsu could feel his nii-san’s aura curl uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the beady-eyed cameras. “In.. tense?”

“Intense? Could you give us some further insight into what you mean when you say ‘intense’?”

Shigeo’s dark eyes met his brother’s with a silent plea for help as he bit his lip. “It’s… uh..”

It was a familiar expression that Ritsu saw whenever Shige was cornered by a rough math problem or somehow ended up with a sleeping cat on his lap and wanted to move (his brother tended to be a bit of a cat magnet). It wasn’t used often, but when it was, it was unmistakable.

Ritsu swiftly moved to stand by his brother’s side before anything could explode or break from Shige’s mounting panic. He gave the reporter a sharp look. “What my Nii-san means is that the Hero training has been intense so far as we get used to UA’s regiment.”

The reporter’s eyes lit up at receiving an answer, and Ritsu restrained a grimace at the greedy light that bled into her pupils. A few more drew closer at the prospect of a successful interview. “And how would you say that All Might has contributed to-”

“If you excuse us,” Ritsu interrupted, “We need to get to school. Please stop stressing my brother out.”

“It’ll only take a second for an answer,” the reporter insisted cheerily. “The people are dying to know the details!”

Ritsu didn’t allow her the gratification of another response. He took a step forward, as he began to move around the reporter. “ If you’ll excuse us ,” he repeated , “we need to get through.”

The reporter’s eyelid twitched as she slid in front of the esper, her free hand help up in a surrendering motion. “Now hold on young man-“

“Please,” Shige suddenly cut in, expression unreadable. His tone was firm, gaze focused straight ahead. “We don’t feel like answering questions right now, so please respect our wishes.”

The cameras surrounding the group faltered, clearly uncomfortable about the conversation they had captured on live television. 

Still smiling, the first reporter gave a small tut before wandering off to find a more receptive interviewee. The rest of the swarm around them quickly dispersed.

“Well, that was uncalled for,” Teru huffed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry they put you on the spot like that, Kageyama.”

Ritsu turned to his brother. “Are you alright?”

Shige, surprisingly, nodded with a strong level of sureness. “The cameras were a bit too sudden, but I needed to be assertive,” he responded with an unwavering voice. “It wasn’t right of that woman to continue to pressure us like that.”

Ritsu blinked, before he smiled fondly. His brother really was growing into his own. “Alright, just making sure. I don’t think anyone else will bother us, so let’s get moving.”

They made their way through the crowd with far more ease than before. As they approached the front entrance, Ritsu spotted the Class 1-A homeroom teacher leaned against an entrance arch, watching the hectic scene in front of him play out apathetically.

The teacher spared them a tired glance as they passed by. “Congrats on surviving,” he noted without emotion, before turning back to his entertainment. A few of them bobbed their heads in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, Kurosaki paused in her tracks.

She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, a visible shiver shifting down her entire body as her eyes squeezed shut.

The air churned with unsteady psychic waves, sheer wrongness nearly palpable to the espers who surrounded her.

“Kurosaki, are you alright?” Teru asked, tentatively reaching a hand out to the trembling girl. “Do you need to go see the nurse?”

Her shaking slowly ceased, and she looked up to him apologetically. 

She gave a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Ah, I’m fine, I'm not in pain. It’s just.. it’s a powerful premonition. They’ve been happening ever since I broke seventy-five percent accuracy.”

“And you didn’t tell anybody?” Asahi asked next to her, alarmed.

“No, they never meant anything bad before, and I really thought that they were just.. natural progression of my abilities.” Rei paused. She bit the inside of her lip, clearly considering her next words with caution.

“…something horrible is going to happen.”

A tense silence, as words ran dry in Ritsu’s throat. He wasn’t sure how to respond to Kurosaki’s statement- something horrible was going to happen? 

How soon? How bad would it be? Would somebody get hurt? Die? Where was it happening?

He couldn’t voice any of those thoughts, he found- only to stare ahead without comment, biting back the questions that swarmed at him like incessant flies.

A few seconds later, an alarm blared, and the ground trembled as a thick metal barrier rocketed up around the school campus and bathed the students in shadows. 1-A’s homeroom teacher stepped casually away from the barrier, largely unbothered by the whole event.

Great, Ritsu thought dryly. That was just what he needed.

“Do you have Heroics class again today?” Daichi asked curiously as Ritsu slid into his seat at the school’s cafeteria. He'd gotten a warm plate of curry that day, the smell of spices and fresh rice reminding him of home.

“Or is it an ‘every-other-day’ sort of course?” his twin continued, completing the question.

“No, we have it today as well,” Ritsu replied. “At least for the first semester, as a sort of ‘catch up’, since they seem to believe that we're unfamiliar enough with heroism to warrant it.”

“It's extra practice, I guess,” Shou shrugged. “Not like we've already fought and won against a terrorist organization filled with evil espers, or anything.”

“Our joint lesson is with 1-B instead of 1-A this time, though,” Teru added thoughtfully. “I believe it alternates.”

“As long as they don't have a Katsuki Bakugou, I think we'll be fine,” Ritsu reasoned.

“Ritsu,” Shigeo chided lightly. “Saying things behind somebody’s back in public isn’t right to do, even if you don’t like them.”

“Sorry,” he sighed. “His behavior towards Midoriya had just been… frustrating. I’m still irritated about yesterday.”

His brother’s voice quieted, as his eyes fell. “..I know.” 

“At least Izuku is doing alright,” Shou chimed in. “I saw him while we were trying to get into school this morning. He's out of a cast now and everything.”

“Ah, really?” Shigeo’s eyes brightened slightly at the good news. “I'm glad.”

“Yeah, pretty sure he's sitting a few tables from us right… nnnnow…” Shou leaned back, craning his neck to survey the cafeteria. “Mmhh, I'll just text him my congrats or whatever later.”

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you have his number?”

“Teru gave it to me, then I decided to make a group chat.” The redhead poked Ritsu’s shoulder lightly. “You really should check your phone more often. It takes you half a decade to reply to anything .”

“The notifications are distracting,” Ritsu retorted simply.

“Oh, since when was there a group chat?” Shigeo asked, pulling out his phone.

“Don’t worry, it really wasn’t all that long ago,” Shou replied, waving his hand back and forth casually. “But hey, now you know, r-”

A high whine pierced the air, as an alarm ricochet around the tall walls of the cafeteria. Conversation seized as students looked towards the sound, light banter quickly replaced with worried mutterings. Shigeo instinctively flinched, covering his ears tightly.

“What’s going on now?” Teru murmured, jumping to his feet with a defensive pose.

“There has been a Level Three security breach,” an automated voice declared over the PA system. “All students please evacuate outdoors immediately.”

One moment, the room was still. The next- a mad dash for the exit began.

At the announcement, a wave of panic rose up, as chairs were cast aside and tables shoved over. Students abandoned their meals, beelining their way towards the cafeteria exit. It was a sudden surge of the tide, as hundreds of students fled the room for their own self-preservation.

Ritsu pushed his seat back, standing up as his eyes darted around the chaotic room. Individual faces became a blur of fear as bodies pressed up against each other, forcing the group of espers into a raging current of people.

“A Level Three breach?” Hoshino shouted over the crowd, trying to nudge himself towards Ritsu. Asahi tugged on his friend’s arm in urgence, glancing back towards the evacuating horde.

“C’mon, I don’t think we should stay around and find out,” the pyrokinetic stressed, eyebrows knitted together in concern. 

Ritsu gripped onto the table, trying to stand his ground against the stampede. “Try not to split up!” he yelled. 

Somebody shoved against Ritsu’s side. “C’mon, move, move, move!” they shouted, knocking him out of the way. “I don’t want to die here!” 

The dark-haired esper stumbled a few steps back, creating a divide between him and the table that was quickly filled with other evacuating students. Quickly, he lost sight of his friends.

“Ritsu!” A small, yet still familiar voice called over the crowd, as Ritsu caught the sight of his nii-san’s bowl cut being carried away by the mob. His brother’s eyes were wide, fearful as he was dragged apart from his friends.

“Shige!” Ritsu cried, heart spiking. He quickly began to push his way through the flood of people, hopefully towards where Shigeo was. His feet tripped over another person’s shoe, and he quickly reached out to catch himself. His fingers slipped off the sleeve of a uniform, as another hurried student jostled him sideways.

The pace of the stampede slowed, as students began to shove at each other, fighting with every inch of their body to be the one to move forwards. 

Bodies surrounded every side, tugging and pushing at Ritsu. It was almost claustrophobic, as towering students, still shouting and crying, squeezed at his lungs and ribcage.

“Shit, Ritsu, there you are!” A hand latched onto his shoulder, and Ritsu whipped around to meet Shou’s blue-eyed stare, barely peeking out from between two students. Shou pinched his way through, holding on as tightly as he could. “I lost the others. This is insane!”

“Stay close, we need to get to my brother,” Ritsu replied tensely, pulling Shou closer towards him.

“Why? Do you know where he is?”

“Sort of.” Ritsu raised his chin, attempting to peek over the heads of the other students in hopes of spotting his brother’s trademark cut in the swarm. “This can’t be good for Shige..”

“We’ll meet him outside,” Shou insisted with a serious intensity. “If your brother could beat my pops, he can evacuate on his own.”

Ritsu scowled as the two of them were pressed against the wall. “Psychic powers don’t equate to a person’s character! Large, loud crowds stress Nii-san out, and I bet he’s already near emotional capacity from yesterday. In a place as packed as this, if he goes over his limit…”

A swell of thick, anxious psychic energy suddenly dredged the room in a wave of invisible kaleidoscopes as the ground began to rattle.

Bone-deep fear seeped into Ritsu’s mind as his and Shou’s auras prickled in response. The energy lapped into his senses, and he felt a wave of sensations that felt nearly alien to his body. They weren’t his emotions, but instead…

The crowd stilled. The hairs on Ritsu’s arms raised in cold anticipation. 

A moment of dead, dead silence, then the world erupted.

The school tile fractured. Students began to lift up into the air around them, floating towards the ceiling. Exclamations of new panic rose up, as limbs flailed haplessly in the zero-gravity conditions. 

Ritsu’s eyes widened, staring at the psychic explosion. “Nii-san…”

“Hey, wh-?” Shou started to drift upwards, knuckles white as he attempted to hold on to Ritsu, whose feet were still firmly planted on the ground. His grip slipped, and the redhead quickly found himself pinned to the ceiling along with the other students.

“Nii-san? Shige! Shigeo!” 

Ritsu whirled around to spot his brother, who stood crouched several meters away in a small crater, hands pressed over his ears and body utterly frozen. His brother's eyes shone with a solid glow, dark hair tousled and blowing with an intangible wind.

His heart leapt into his throat. Ritsu scrambled to his brother's side, hands hovering unsuredly around the esper. 

“Shige, I'm here,” he assured his brother, trembling slightly.

An old fear ashamedly crept into Ritsu's nerves, one he thought he had been rid of months ago. He didn't know what to do- what if he made it worse? Students were pinned to the ceiling, but what if they got hurt further?

He swallowed. No, no. It would be alright. He needed to have faith in Shigeo.

A small memory flickered at the back of his mind- from the last time his brother had had a panic attack. Reigen had taught them something a few weeks prior, which Ritsu begrudgingly absorbed. What was…?

“I call it,” the conman announced proudly, “3-3-3!”

Ritsu suppressed a huff. That was such a cheesy name.

Grounding. Grounding techniques. 

Right. Ritsu took a deep breath, feeling his shoulders relax despite his hammering heart. “Hey, Shige, I’m right here,” Ritsu repeated in a soft whisper. “I’m perfectly safe, see?” He gave a shaky smile. “Take deep breaths, alright? Can you copy me?”

Shigeo’s head tilted towards his younger brother, cheeks streaked with tears. Although Ritsu received no confirmation from his brother, it was at least a sign he was being heard.

In for five. Ritsu took an audibly deep inhale, filling his lungs with a swell of air. He could see Shige’s shoulders tremble in an attempt to mimic Ritsu’s breath. 

Hold for five. Ritsu waited, then blew out, making sure his moments were exaggerated enough to be seen. Shigeo followed suit. Out for five.

“Can you tell me three things that you see?”

“... The… floor,” his nii-san croaked, hands loosening their grip on his ears. “You… and… my uniform?”

“What about three things you hear?”

“Your voice… the alarm… and…” Shige’s head drifted up to where the rest of the student body remained pinned to the ceiling. Although a few alarmed voices still rang out, most were silent, eyes trained in anticipation on the two espers. “...I’m putting them in danger, aren’t I?”

“It’ll be alright, we have the teachers to protect us,” Ritsu insisted gently. “It’s okay to feel stressed right now. I’m your little brother, so I’m here to help you, okay? Can you tell me three things that you feel?”

Shigeo took another deep breath, as the glow faded from his eyes until two deep garnet pupils remained. His wild hair began to settle back into its usual bowl cut. “I feel… my feet, on the ground. Ah… I feel my uniform… and I feel…”

His older brother took another audible breath, letting the psychic tension thin in the air. “...thank you,” he whispered, face holding the ghost of a gratuitous smile as his eyes welled up with new tears.

The dense psychic energy flooding the room dissipated like fog to a fan, and the students slowly drifted back down to the ground. Brief exclaimations of relief rippled through the crowd as the students reoriented themselves.

Shige’s expression was blank, the lack of light in his eyes portraying a deep exhaustion. His breathing had thankfully settled back to normal, as his hands lowered back down to his sides.

“...do you need a hug?” Ritsu asked sheepishly, extending his arms with a lack of grace behind it.

A wobbly nod, as Shigeo crashed into Ritsu's arms, wrapping his brother with shaking arms. Ritsu returned the embrace, resting his head against his nii-san’s.

Shigeo’s shoulders shook, as soft sobs drifted their way out of his mouth. They were relieved, exhausted, so broken that Ritsu's heart twinged at the noise. His nii-san.. he hadn't cried like that in years.

The world came to a halt, as Ritsu held tightly to Shigeo. His brother sniffled and hiccupped, fingers digging into Ritsu's back as if it was his only lifeline. Ritsu closed his eyes, letting out a long breath that he hadn’t realized that he was holding.

Nii-san must have been incredibly stressed out to break down like this.

Ritsu knew that dozens of stares were on them, the ones who had caused the school to float, then return itself back to Earth again. He could hear muffled conversation, with Iida’s booming voice rising above the rest.

A false alarm, the blue-haired scholar shouted. There were no villains. 

They would be alright.

“Ritsu,” his brother murmured, “will we be able to go home?”

Ritsu swallowed. “Yeah,” he replied weakly. “I'll make sure of it.”

They would be alright.

Chapter Text

“You all set? All your homework done? Everything packed for the day?”

“Yes, Shishou,” Mob nodded, hoisting his backpack up onto his shoulders. He slid his white sneakers on, tapping each one to the genkan floor twice to make sure they fit snugly around his feet.

“A field trip, huh..” Reigen tilted his head back with a reminiscing smile. “I remember always looking forward to them when I was younger.”

“Ah,” Mob replied wearily, nodding. 

He unfortunately couldn’t share that same sentiment- ever since he was in grade school, on the nights of field trips, it always felt like a Herculean task to try to catch any amount of sleep. 

And so, with a little under five hours of sleep under his belt, he felt less than enthused at the prospect of the school day ahead of him.

“Can you even call it a field trip when we’re just going to another piece of school property?” Ritsu sighed, hand resting on the apartment door’s deadbolt impatiently.

Mob hummed to himself. “I mean, Mr. Yamada did tell us the drive would be a bit over ten minutes…”

Reigen gave a low whistle. “Seriously? The UA campus must be massive . I hope I don’t get lost.” 

“It’s not on campus,” Ritsu corrected, “just another part of the school.”

Reigen coughed into his fist. “Ah, yes, of course, I knew that!” He adjusted his faded pink tie, and with a flourish of his hand, jabbed his thumb towards the door. “Alright then, let’s get moving!”

“Wait, you’re coming with us?” Teru asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

His master huffed as if the answer was obvious. “Uh, yeah? I arranged a meeting with that teacher as soon as you three brought that lesson to my attention. Which,” he pointed an accusatory finger towards them, “by the way, I'm disappointed you didn't tell me about sooner.”

“Sorry, Shishou,” Mob murmured sheepishly.

The spiritualist waved his hand back and forth in a dismissive motion. “No, no, you did nothing wrong, Mob. I'm just frustrated that they'd do something like that in the first place. On the first day of school, no less! I would try to sue, but I bet they have all sorts of paperwork in place that gives them the benefit of the doubt in this situation.” He sighed loudly to himself, shaking his head.

Dimple drifted over, hovering over the conversation with a smug grin. “You know, if you really wanted, I could just possess one of them. Miiight make it easier for you…?”

“Dimple, you know the rule,” Mob warned firmly, and the evil spirit rolled his eyes with a scoff.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

“And anyways,” Reigen added, “while I do appreciate the offer, I doubt that Pro Heroes would take well to being possessed. Then they would be able to see you, and I really don’t want to have to explain that to them, not after all the hospitality Nezu has extended to us.”

“Fine, I’ll just tag along with Shigeo, then,” Dimple sighed in acceptance, moving to nest himself on Mob’s choppy bowl cut. “It’ll be more interesting than your crummy meeting, at any rate.”

Reigen shrugged. “Do what you like. It’s not like the office’ll be open today anyways. I already told Serizawa to take the day off.”

Dimple’s smile strained as a vein on his forehead ticked. “As if you could tell me what to do in the first place, asshole-!”

Mob smiled as he watched the back-and-forth between the spirit and his master. Although half the words shared between the two tended to be backhanded blows at one another, they seemed to be much closer than before, since starting back up Spirits and Such together.

“If you two are done,” Ritsu deadpanned, “I’d rather not be late. I don’t need Shou to have anything to hold over my head for the rest of our stay in this world.”

Reigen coughed, brushing off his suit. “Of course. Right then, onwards!”

Mob easily spotted Izuku as they approached the gates of UA. The green-haired boy was chattering excitedly with Uraraka and Iida to either side of him. Shou idled nearby, leaning against one of the school’s many statues that lined the entry and eyeing Izuku’s conversation with a faint interest.

“Huh, that’s Midoriya, right?” Reigen asked Mob as they walked in tandem. “Good to see he’s making friends.” 

The esper nodded. Shou’s head lifted up, and he shouted a bright greeting towards their small group with a wave. 

“Yo!” the redhead chirped, pushing his weight off of the statue. “Hey, Ritsu’s brother’s master! Why’re you here?” he asked, flipping his pointer finger at Reigen casually. The man smiled, flashing the visitor badge pinned to his suit jacket.

“I have a meeting today, so I decided to tag along. It’s not illegal to walk with them to school, is it?” Reigen replied, shoulders hitched in a shrugging motion.

“Ah, hey, good morning, Mr. Reigen!” Izuku chimed in, turning to the approaching group with his trademark wide grin. “You have a meeting here? About what? If- if that’s alright to ask, of course.”

“Just with one of the teachers. All Might, I think his name was? It’s kind of a ridiculous name choice, if you ask me. I thought all of the teachers used their real names here.” Reigen’s head tilted, and he sighed to himself. “He’s the Heroics teacher, right?”

Izuku’s mouth hung open slightly, somewhat aghast at Reigen’s lack of knowledge about the #1 Pro Hero in Japan. Iida and Uraraka stood on the sidelines, eyeing Reigen with curiosity.

Reigen smiled, oblivious to Izuku’s dumbfounded expression. “Anyways, I haven’t caught up with you in a while! Although, I certainly heard about your injuries from the first day..”

Izuku stiffened a bit, and laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, yeah, it’s all better now, though..!”

“Excuse me,” Iida interrupted, hand held up in a chopping position. “I do not believe we have met before. You are…?”

“Oh, you two are Midoriya’s friends, right?” Reigen’s hand whipped around exaggeratedly, before pointing to himself with an almost comical intensity. “Reigen Arataka, greatest psychic of the 21st Century! I’m Mob’s mentor and current guardian.” 

Even after over a month living in Musutafu, it still felt ever so slightly alien to Mob to hear his shishou introduce himself as his ‘guardian’.

The spiritualist handed Iida one of the many business cards kept tucked in his pockets at all times with a dramatic flourish, and the boy accepted it with a deep sincerity.

“An honor to meet you!” Iida replied with an equal enthusiasm, placing his hand with the business card over his heart. “Tenya Iida, first year at UA!”

“And I'm Ochako Uraraka!” Uraraka chirped from beside her friend.

“Hail and well met, then.” Reigen adjusted his grey jacket, turning his gaze back to the entrance. “Well! I won't keep you from your friends any longer. Keep an eye on Dimple, alright? Make sure he doesn't wander off.”

The green spirit scoffed, scowling. “Yeah, yeah. Jeez, would it kill you to have any faith in me? The threat of being exorcised by Shigeo is enough on my poor soul.”

Mob didn't reply to Dimple’s remark, since Izuku and the others weren't able to see him in the first place. But his lips still curled into a small smile at Dimple’s concern. He would never purposefully exorcise the spirit, of course, since he trusted him. At this point, it felt almost like an inside joke, and that felt nice to be able to hold close to his chest.

It was a proof of friendship, he supposed.

“Well then. As you were!” With a small wave, his shishou departed into the school building, leaving the gaggle of teenagers to their own devices.

A beat of silence passed, then Uraraka turned to face Mob with a broad smile.

“Wow, so he’s your guardian, Mob?” she asked enthusiastically. “He seemed like a cool guy! What’s he your mentor for?”

Mob stiffened at the sudden attention, and he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “Ah, well, I.. Shishou… I work for him, and he helps me control my powe- Quirk, in return,” he fumbled.

“You possess a job at an age such as yourself?” Iida questioned, fingers placed under his chin as he squinted through flashing lenses. “Be sure that you are not being taken advantage of. It can be a perilous trap to fall victim to.”

Ritsu nodded sagely beside Mob, but the bowl-cutted esper only gave a small smile in exchange. The image of a sunset on a bridge flickered through his mind. “Thank you for the concern, but it’s alright,” he assured Iida. “My master is a good guy.”

“Ah, and he’s a psychic, right? That sounds like such an interesting job..” Uraraka mused to herself. She tilted her head, brows scrunched with a question. “Although, who’s Dimple?”

 Right.

They couldn’t see ghosts. Reigen was far less careful with not talking to Dimple in public, so it really wasn't that hard for Uraraka and the others to pick up on that. Mob had never had a talk with his shishou about conversing with Dimple in public, but he tucked that topic away to bring up again later.

Mob suppressed a cough, glancing up towards the floating spirit. Dimple shot him a challenging glare, as if daring Mob to tell the truth. The esper’s mind briefly raced for a plausible explanation.

“Um,” he swallowed, “an inside joke?”

Dimple’s jaw shot open. “Oh, you asshole! ”

7%

“Shigeo Kageyama, report down to the principal’s office immediately. Shigeo Kageyama, report down to the principal’s office immediately.”

With a chime of finality, the PA system clicked off. All eyes in the 1-L classroom were quickly on him, and Mob felt sweat quickly beginning to prickle at the back of his neck.

“Well then, might as well make your way down there!” Mr. Yamada enthused, pointing his fingers towards the door. “We’ll make sure to catch you up with the broadcast when you return.” Mob gave a small nod, pushing his chair back stiffly before standing up.

“Ooh, are you in trouble, Shigeo?” Dimple mused teasingly, drifting by Mob’s shoulder as he slid open the classroom door to leave. “Get into a fistfight? Destroy a building?”

Mob shook his head discreetly, so as to not be seen or judged by others. Dimple huffed, trailing the esper through the halls.

“Nah, who am I kidding? You’re too staunch about your powers to make such a big splash like that.”

He suppressed a wince. Dimple really wasn’t too far off there, although it likely wasn’t for the reasons the spirit was expecting.

Although the corridors were fairly empty due to class being in session, the students who were currently roaming the halls each made no hesitation to sneak small glances at Mob as he passed through. Mob pressed an elevator button, doing his best to remain indifferent to it.

Hushed whispers, turned heads, it wasn’t unfamiliar to him, per se. Gossip tended to follow him throughout grade school, about him bending spoons and sending pencils gliding through the air. But that was much different than UA- back in Seasoning, even if he had extrasensory powers that nobody else did, it never affected how he was treated by others.

But now, even several days after the incident with the press break-in, he was still a topic of gossip- the plain-looking exchange student who managed to send a hallway full of people flying. Nobody knew what to make of him, so they made him everything instead- a target of awe, envy, fear, every emotion and feeling that Mob would never want attributed to himself.

Yesterday, a second-year student had even come up to him, complimenting his ‘Quirk’. Mob had no clue what to make of the interaction, and had given a hurried ‘thank you’ before booking it in the other direction. It was not his smoothest moment.

The elevator chimed, and he stepped out.

Nezu’s office was on the top floor of the school, a vastly empty room with a broad window overlooking the clear vista of the morning sky. Sitting at the lone desk right in front of the window was Nezu, paws clasped neatly on the wooden surface.

“Talk about ‘corporate’,” Dimple grumbled to himself as the two of them approached the desk.

“Ah, Kageyama! I’m glad you could find your way here,” the principal greeted, his grin broad and unfaltering. “I assume you know why I have called you here today?”

Mob paused, before nodding. “I think so, sir.” Nezu smiled, as he slid a small, metallic disk forward not unlike the one Mob had received with his acceptance letter. A hologram sprung into existence, as blue-tinted footage played out.

It was exactly the scene Mob was expecting. His form, kneeled in a crater of his own making, the video trembling and spazzing with interference. Bodies were plastered to the ceiling, as grainy shouts of surprise buzzed through the speakers. Although his aura was not visible through the footage, his hair still whipped wildly, eyes gleaming with an exuberance of energy. Dimple gave a low whistle at the display of ESP, but made no snarky comment.

“It took us quite a while to recover this scene,” Nezu noted as the hologram continued to run. “It appears that your ability has a fair impact on technology when unleashed.”

“Sorry,” Mob apologized, shoulders hunched shamefully. To his surprise, the principal only laughed jovially.

“No, no, it’s no problem! In fact, it brings up a wonderful idea,” Nezu assured the esper, flicking the hologram off. His beady eyes glinted. “I would like to evaluate your powers.”

Mob blinked. “My powers?”

“Or- let me rephrase. I would like to hold an evaluation of esper abilities. Since you have been limiting your powers due to the Quirk Registry, I have not yet had a chance to gauge the true capabilities of superpowered abilities from other dimensions. And based on what I have seen, you are all quite powerful, am I correct?”

“I guess so.. Hanazawa and Suzuki have a lot of experience, and Ritsu’s really strong for having only recently awakened his powers…”

“Ah, wonderful! I would love to hear about the intricacies of ‘awakening’ later.” The principal gestured a small white paw towards Mob cheerily. “I am aware of your friendship with Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida- have they informed you at all about the evaluation they received on the first day of school?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes, I think so.” 

“I will arrange for something similar between you and your classmates. Oh, isn’t this so exciting?” Nezu laughed, and Mob felt the hair on his arms stand on end.

“A-ah, yes?” Mob replied in tentative agreement, unsure what he was really supposed to say to that. Nezu was moving fast, and the furred principal left no room for argument.

“Seriously?!” Dimple shouted, jabbing a spectral finger towards Nezu. “You never willingly show your powers for anyone , yet all of that logic just goes out the window when this rat asks you to, doesn’t it?”

Mob fidgeted with his fingers, giving a subtle bob of the head to acknowledge Dimple’s outburst. “Is this today, or..?”

“No, of course not,” Nezu replied breezily. “I’ll get in contact with you in the coming days about when I wish to hold the evaluation.” He spins in his chair slightly, before adding, “oh, and Kageyama?”

Mob stiffened. “Yes, sir?”

“If your powers ever go out of control again…” Nezu concluded, “...make sure to let me know the time and location immediately, so I can begin recovering footage, alright?”

The esper blinked, confused. Somehow, Nezu was excited at the prospect of his powers exploding rather than fearful or angry at interrupting an evacuation. Although it was all a hoax in the end, if that security breach had turned out to be an actual threat…

“Oh, uh, of course, sir,” Mob replied, with a small nod. His gut twisted anxiously “I’m trying to get better at controlling them.. A-although, if they do, I’m sure that you’ll hear about it first before I’d be able to tell you.”

Nezu tilted his head back, and chortled lightly. “What a sense of humor! Thank you for your cooperation, Kageyama. Now, back to class with you, then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nezu.” Mob gave a respectful, quick bow to the principal as he turned around to exit the large office. 

“And before you leave,” Nezu added, “can you tell your friend that for future reference, I do not take very kindly to being called a rat?”

Dimple’s green form blanched, as his face scrunched up in disbelief. 

“ What?! ”

11%

The Heroics class for the day, Mr. Aizawa announced, would be unique from their last training. There would be three teachers overseeing the lesson instead of just one- himself, All Might (Mob hoped that there would be improvement), and another unnamed faculty member.

A small muttering scattered throughout the room, as students murmured to each other in surprise. Mob glanced towards the other espers from where they stood at the back of the room, and was met with small shrugs in return.

Even Ritsu seemed unsure of why they would have such a change to their class. Oh well.

A boy towards the front of the class with rounded protrusions making up his elbows raised his hand. “Sir!” he asked. “What kind of training is this?

Aizawa flashed a small card towards the class, the English word ‘RESCUE’ printed onto said card in a brilliant blue font. Despite the vibrant text, the teacher’s disposition was less than cheerful.
“Rescue training,” Aizawa replied tiredly through hooded eyes. “Shipwrecks, disasters, everything else inbetween.”

Mob recalled the spark of a memory from a month before. Nezu had said something similar to him, back at the police station. A chance to use his powers to save people without needing to turn them onto others.

 “Saving survivors from fires, floods, landslides, evacuating civilians, there are plenty of other ways to use your powers as a hero besides fighting against villainy.”

“That sounds like a nice change of pace, doesn’t it?” Ritsu whispered to Mob. He nodded in agreement.

The rest of the class seemed equally as excited, as 1-A immediately began to chat among themselves. Aizawa stared blankly at the conversing students, expression blank.

1-A’s homeroom teacher felt somewhat intimidating to Mob, even if he appeared overly disheveled and sleep-deprived. Aizawa’s face seldom seemed to change, with his emotions practically unreadable to the esper. Something about his unblinking, fatigued stare instilled a feeling of unease in Mob.

Or, maybe it was just because he wasn’t great at reading people. Either were valid explanations, honestly.

“Hey, I’m not done,” Aizawa interrupted flatly. The students stiffened, quickly humbling themselves as they turned their attention back to the Pro Hero.

“I know that you all are excited about the costumes, and you can choose whether or not to wear them,” Aizawa continued as a series of lockers slid out from the wall, each numbered. “But, keep in mind that they might limit your abilities as well. The training will take place off-campus, so we’re taking a bus. That is all. Start getting ready.”

Aizawa turned to leave, as the majority of Class 1-A quickly got to their feet, all enthused at the opportunity to wear their hero costumes again. 

Shou huffed a small sigh, putting his hands behind his head. “Gah, honestly, I’m jealous,” the redhead admitted. “It sucks that we’re not given costumes as well..”

“I take it as a positive sign,” Ritsu replied, “that we’re not going to be stuck here long enough to need them. The price for a personalized hero costume seems through the roof.”

“As if that’s ever stopped this school before,” Shou pointed out with a small smirk, before patting Ritsu on the shoulder. He glanced upwards at the crowd of students, who were quickly dispersing to head to their respective locker rooms. “C’mon, let’s get changed into our PE uniforms before we’re left behind.”

“The bus’ open layout…” Iida lamented, hands in knees, “...ruined my boarding strategy…”

The girl sitting beside the armor-clad student gave him an apologetic smile. “There was no point then, huh?”

“It’s the thought that matters, I guess,” Teru chimed in lightheartedly. Mob gave a small nod in agreement, before turning to stare out the window. He thanked his lucky stars that the road they were driving on was fairly straight and level- it would be unfortunate if the others got the opportunity to learn about his motion-sickness the hard way.

“And speaking of thoughts,” a green-haired girl beside Izuku added, “I have one of my own. I have a question for you, Midoriya.”

Izuku perked up, visibly surprised. “Huh? What is it, Asui?”

“I told you, call me Tsu.”

The boy’s face flushed sheepishly. “A-ah, right, sorry.”

“But that Quirk of yours,” Asui continued, “Isn’t it a lot like All Might’s?”

At that comment, Izuku appeared to nearly clam up as his eyes darted back and forth with anxiety. “A-ah, really? You think so?” He tilted his head away from his classmate, sweat visibly prickling on his skin. “Well I… uh… I guess they’re kind of similar…”

“Are you sure, Tsu?” the boy sitting next to Asui asked- Mob recognized him as Shou’s partner from the battle trials. “All Might doesn’t hurt himself when he uses his. There’s a difference there.”

Asui relented, and Izuku huffed a sigh of relief. It must have been stressful to be put on the spot like that, Mob sympathized. Ritsu did not give such a benefit of the doubt, continuing to eye Izuku with a slight trepidation.

“I always hear a lot about All Might,” Ritsu noted, “but I’ve never really seen him in action. What is his Quirk, exactly?”

Izuku’s previously panicked demeanor lifted instantly at the mention of the Pro Hero. “Wait, really? Ah, that’s such a shame!” he exclaimed, face practically glowing. “It’s amazing, really! One moment, there’s danger. And then the next, you know everything’s going to be alright.”

“You admire him a lot, don’t you?” Teru mused with a small smile. “I have somebody like that as well. He’s inspired me to become a better person, and has probably saved my life more times than I can count.”

Mob hummed to himself, glad that Teru had somebody he could look up to like that- oh, Hanazawa was looking at-

The esper’s ears burned with the realization that ah, he’s talking about me, isn’t he?

Izuku gave a grin in reply to Teru’s comment. “Yeah. He’s the reason I wanted to be a hero, after all.”

“But about All Might’s Quirk,” the red-haired boy beside Asui continued, “nobody’s really sure. He’s never given a name to it, but I think it’s some sort of strength-enhancing or air-pressurizing Quirk. The internet’s got all sorts of other theories, though.”

He sighed, tilting his head back with a toothy smile. “Still, must be nice to have a simple augmenting-type Quirk. You can do all sorts of flashy stuff with it.” He lifted his hand, and in a flash his skin and bones stiffened to resemble stone. “My Hardening’s pretty strong against others, and tough too. It doesn’t look like much, unfortunately.”

“Are you kidding me?” Izuku exclaimed. “I think your Quirk looks amazing! It’s definitely pro material!”

“I agree,” Mob piped up, giving a small bob of his head. “I’ve always wanted to be super strong like that. Your power is very impressive.”

“Really?” the boy replied, one eyebrow raised. “I’m flattered about what you’re saying about my Quirk, but strength is one thing, popularity is another. It’s much easier to become a popular hero with a flashy Quirk. Like yours!”

Mob blinked. “Me?”

“Yeah! The way you caved in the floor and caused the tape to fly during the battle trials was seriously manly! Or when you caused everyone in the hallway to float during the press freakout- I had no clue your power could do anything like that!”

The esper turned his gaze downcast, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. “Oh, well.. it’s not… that… I don’t really think too much about it, I guess,” he replied meekly. He didn’t even need to turn around to feel Dimple’s exasperated expression from behind him.

“Really?” Izuku asked incredulously. “But your Quirk is so powerful!”

“And the glow your Quirk makes is really pretty as well,” Uraraka enthused brightly. Ah, so they could see auras, but not spirits?

“If I recall correctly,” Asui croaked, “you took down a zero-point robot as well, right? We were in the same area for the entrance exam.”

“Oh, just like Deku!” Uraraka chirped, clapping her hands together excitedly. Eyes were on him now, and Mob didn’t want to crumble under the pressure just yet.

“I mean… well…” Mob glanced upwards through his straight-cut bangs. “Quirks… aren’t everything. There are plenty of things they can’t get for me, like muscles, or knowledge, or knowing how to interact in social situations. Someone very wise once told me that the truth behind one’s charm was being a good person, and powers can’t help you achieve that.”

“To have such a powerful Quirk, yet such a grounded ideal..” Iida murmured. “It’s admirable!”

“ What are you damn extras even talking about?” a voice growled from the seat behind them, causing heads to whip around. Arm draped around the back of his seat and face set in a permanent scowl, Bakugo stared at the group of conversing teens with contempt. “What the hell do you even mean, with ‘being a good person’ and ‘powers can’t help you achieve that’?”

“I just mean that they can’t be your entire personality,” Mob explained. “Because without our powers, we need to consider who we are. They’re just another skill, like singing or running.”

Bakugou snarled, standing up and borderline prepared to jump the small railing that separated him from the esper. “What’re you implying, smartass? You want to fight?!”

Mob jumped, hands raised in apology. “No, no, I was just explaining-“

“Well, if you’re done explaining, then listen here, you spare ,” the blond sneered. “Quirks are everything. Power is everything in this goddamn school. If you don’t have it, you won't succeed. If you popped into the hero course just to make friends, I recommend you rethink that decision. Scoot to the side and don’t trip up the ones who are actually going to make it to the top. ”

The bus fell to silence, as thick psychic tension permeated the air. Everyone stared between Mob and Bakugou, some jaws slightly ajar in shock. Teru sat stunned, as if someone had slapped him.

“What,” Ritsu’s voice hissed, aura coiling, “did you just say to my nii-sa-“

“Ritsu,” Mob interrupted, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, causing his aquamarine aura to dissipate. “Please.” He tilted his head upwards, to meet Bakugou’s dark red eyes with his own. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept what you’re saying.”

Bakugou’s nostrils flared as he nearly lunged over his seat. “Oh, shut the hell up with that ‘self-righteous- bullshit!” he roared furiously, palms popping with short starburst explosions. The poor girl sitting next to the fuming student leaned away warily, giving a scrutinizing glare.

“It’s not,” Mob disagreed with sincerity. “Having powers doesn’t make you a hero. That’s the truth.”

“ Oi, did you fucking hear me!? ” Bakugou snapped, teeth ground so tightly that Mob was half-expecting him to pop a blood vessel. “You piss me off. You think you can spout whatever you want, just because your Quirk is nice and flashy? Well, news flash, bowl cut- whatever the hell your Quirk is, it doesn’t hold a candle to mine!”

The blond punched the back of his seat, causing a spark of an explosion that charred the innocent headrest. “Mine’s leagues stronger than anything any of you losers can throw at me. This power’s gonna surpass All Might and make me the number one hero.”

“You're wrong,” Mob replied flatly, unimpressed with Bakugou’s show of aggression. “You won't be able to become the number one hero with only your Quirk.” 

He looked down at his hand, recalling the words of his master. “Being a hero requires heart and a determination to help others. Without that… it's not an achievable goal.”

“Are you mocking me, you worthless little-!?”

“As much as I'd like to listen to you squabble like little children, we're here,” Mr. Aizawa drawled from the front of the bus, bloodshot eyes pressed closed blearily as the Pro Hero looked out the window. “So calm down.”

“Wow, Bakugou really couldn’t get under Kageyama’s skin,” a boy with a shock of orange-blond hair noted with a teasing smile. “Talk about cliff-faced!”

“I don’t think it’s that hard,” another student added. “Given how his personality’s about as appealing as a burning garbage patch.”

Bakugou spat a long string of profanity-laced threats at the top of his lungs as he leaned forwards, but were rendered unlegible in the face of the rest of the smiling class. Midoriya shook his head slightly in disbelief, muttering under his breath.

“Jeez, is he a pain in the ass,” Dimple huffed. “Want me to possess him?”

Mob frowned, but gave no further comment. It would be likely that anything he would try and say would either go unnoticed, or be used to further stoke the teasing fire ignited between the 1-A students. And he didn’t want to give Dimple any further ideas, anyways.

He opted to stare out the window instead, following in the teacher’s footsteps.

Through the dense trees, a dome rose in the near distance, navy skeleton interlaced with massive panels that reflected the sky above it. As they pulled into the structure’s parking lot, Mob noticed a figure in a large astronaut suit and tinted helmet standing patiently, waiting for them in front of the entrance.

The doors hissed open, as the two classes filed off the bus. Eyes lit up with awe, as the students of 1-A spotted the waiting figure, who greeted the class with open arms.

“Hello, everyone, I’ve been waiting for you,” the figure addressed the group, voice muffled and distorted by built-in speakers. Mob shuffled around to the side, leaning forward to catch a look at the glowing expressions of his classmates.

“It’s the Space Hero, Thirteen!” Izuku enthused, hands pressed to his cheeks. “The chivalrous hero who’s rescued a ton of people from across the world!”

Next to him, Uraraka cheered. “Ohh! Thirteen is one of my favorite heroes!”

“Is that why you based your costume off of a space suit?” Mob wondered aloud, causing Uraraka to jump.

“Ah-! Sorry, didn’t see you there, Mob!” Uraraka apologized sheepishly. “You’re like some sort of ghost or something. But yeah! She’s been such an inspiration to me!”

“Let’s head in without any further delay,” Thirteen said. “I can’t wait to show you what’s inside!”

“Right!” the rest of the class shouted, as they approached the dome’s sliding doors. What the interior of the dome revealed could only be described further as ‘expansive’.

Stretching hundreds of meters across was a park-like setting, paved brick road leading to a center fountain before splitting off into various terrains- a desolate city, a tumultuous mountain range, a vast lake, and in the distance, Mob could even spot the faint flickering of flames.

The esper’s eyes widened slightly in amazement, a sentiment the rest of the class seemed to share as well. Thirteen paused, gesturing to the vast setting behind her.

“A shipwreck. A landslide. A fire, a windstorm, and et cetera..” The Pro Hero turned her back to the class, arms spread proudly. “I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, but you can call it USJ!”

Ah, like Universal Studios Japan. Mob nodded sagely.

Aizawa strode forwards, head tilted back towards his students. “Hey, Thirteen, where’s All Might? He was supposed to meet us here.”

“Actually, about that..” The two teachers’ voices became hushed, as Thirteen lifted three fingers. Although Mob was unable to make out what they were saying, judging on how Mr. Aizawa shook his head and sighed, it would be unlikely that All Might would turn up for the class.

“I suppose it can’t be helped, then,” the exhausted Pro Hero drawled. “Shall we begin?”

Thirteen nodded. “Although, before we start, let me just say one thing. Or two. Possibly three. Or four, or five.”

Mob could practically feel the gloom radiating off of his classmates. Thirteen relented, looking down at her gloved hand with a painful familiarity to the bowl-cutted esper.

“Everyone, I am sure that you have heard of my Quirk, Black Hole. It can be used to suck up anything, and turn it to dust.”

Izuku was the first to pipe up. “Yeah! You’ve used Black Hole to save people from all kinds of disasters, right?”

“That’s true,” she agreed, “but my Quirk could be able to kill just as easily. Some of you also have Quirks like that, right?”

The mood drained from the room, as Mob sucked in a small gasp at Thirteen’s words. He thought back to the Seventh Division, to his fight against Suzuki in the clouds above Seasoning City.. he thought back to how easily it would have been to kill everyone in the room, perhaps even more.

And he almost did kill somebody. The image of Suzuki’s twisted bones and bloodsoaked eyes burned at the back of his eyelids.

Thirteen continued pensively. “In our superhuman society, all Quirks are certified and stringently regulated, so we often overlook how unsafe they can actually be. Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly even if you're trying to do something virtuous such as rescuing someone.

“Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests, you have a solid idea of your Quirk's potential. And because of All Might's combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people.”

Mob snuck a small glance towards Midoriya, seeing the boy’s eyes shimmer in admiration. He looked back towards Thirteen, and for the first time since arriving in Musutafu, he felt seen.

“Carry those lessons over to this class.” Thirteen raised a finger in a solemn fashion. “Today, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about.”

“Ensuring the safety of others.”

15%

It was what he wanted. That was the precise reason Mob had agreed to the hero course, that was the exact ideal he had found in Mogami’s desolate world and had taken with him, nestled deep in his heart after his explosion of courage.

“I came here to save someone. I always thought these powers were of no use to anybody, but I’ll use them to save people!”

The Pro Hero’s hands dropped to her sides, and Mob could hear the smile in her voice as she took a bow. “That is all. Thank you for listening.”

The two classes erupted into a small cheer for Thirteen’s speech. Mob found himself clapping along, Thirteen’s words still echoing in his head.

“Quite the impression, eh?” Dimple noted, giving a small grin. “I can see what’s gotten you into such a good mood.”

Mob gave a short, acknowledging nod in return.

Aizawa took a few steps forward. “Right, now that that’s ov-”

A crackle of electricity, as the lights of the USJ flickered. A bulb burst, as the fountain at the center of the dome faltered. Confusion stirred, applause shifting into concerned murmurs. Both teachers immediately became on edge, as Mob spotted the other espers sink into similarly defensive stances.

“Everybody, stay together and don’t move!” Aizawa shouted as the fountain surface rippled. A rift tore itself through the reflection, dark shadow leaching into the air around it. “Thirteen, protect the students.”

A hand breached the newly-formed portal, as a figure emerged. Hands covered their face and neck, and decorated their slouched arms and legs with the ghastly taxidermies. Even from where Mob was standing, the ill intention oozed off of the newcomer like a thick oil slick, sending chilling pins and needles through his aura.

“Has training started already?” a student mused aloud. “I thought we were saving people..?”

Another shiver jolted itself through Mob’s spine as he stifled a gasp. “No, they aren’t supposed to be here,” he whispered in a small horror. Next to him, Izuku's brow furrowed as the boy began to take a step forward.

“I said don't move!” Aizawa barked again, sliding a pair of yellow goggles over his eyes. Izuku stiffened. “Those are real villains.”

Real villains.  

They were in danger.

19%

Beside the hand-covered figure, more villains emerged, numbers in the hundreds. Forms varied from humanoid to monstrous, like a parade of spirits emerging from the void. A hulking, bird-like creature dragged its way from the portal, pausing to stand beside the hand villain. 

As the villains filed out, the wisplike portal morphed and shrunk behind them, as two gleaming yellow eyes surfaced from its shadowy depth. It turned its gaze towards the two hero classes as it spoke.

“Thirteen and Eraser Head,” the shadow noted calmly. “Perplexing. According to the schedule we retrieved from UA, All Might should be here as well.”

“Of course they’re after All Might,” Ritsu muttered, as Aizawa scowled.

“So the press break-in from the other day was the work of these scumbags after all, huh?” 

The hand villain spread his arms as his army encroached. “Where is he?” he demanded. “I went through all of this trouble of bringing so many friends who’re eager to meet him. I can’t believe he’s not here.”

Something dangerous lurked in the tone of the villain’s smug tone. “I wonder if he’ll come out to play if we kill a few kids?”

The taut string of tension snapped, as the scarf draped around Aizawa’s shoulders sprung to life, hovering in rings around the Pro Hero. Thirteen positioned herself in front of the class, glaring down the approaching horde defensively as 1-A stared on in horror.

“Real villains?” the boy with the Hardening Quirk from earlier asked in disbelief. “No way… how could so many of them get into a UA facility this secure?”

Yaoyorozu moved to the front of the worried crowd. “Thirteen, why aren’t the alarms going off? Don’t we have them?”

The Pro Hero replied gravely. “We have them, but…” Despite the full-body suit masking her face and her heavy voice distortion, Mob could hear the apprehension and confusion in her tone.

“Did they only appear here, or did they surround the whole school?” another student spoke up, one with hair split between white and red, with a deep burn scar covering one side of his face. “Either way, if the sensors aren’t responding, that means that one of these villains must have a Quirk that’s masking their presence here.

The student continued, dual-toned eyes narrowing. “An isolated area of the school campus… during a time when a class is supposed to be here. They might be fools, but they’re not dumb.”

Teru took a step forward, followed by Shou. Their auras were blazing, bathing the students in impressive hues of yellow and orange. “But as planned as they may be, they’re slow, overconfident, lacking in any real tactic. It would be easy enough to take them down now.”

“You’re not fighting them,” Aizawa replied, a hint of something angry in his other monotone voice- whether it was towards the villains or Teru, Mob wasn’t sure. “You’re going to evacuate with the rest of them to get more help, I’ll hold them off.”

“You’re going to fight them on your own?!” Izuku blurted. “There’s too many of them! You won’t be able to nullify all of their Quirks, and.. your fighting style’s not suited for such big crowds!”

“He’s not going to fight alone,” Shou insisted, blue eyes humming with underlying energy. “We’re going to help.”

Aizawa interrupted roughly. “No, you’re not. You have no training, no experience, you’re just students. Turn around and go with the others. Now.”

“I may be a student,” Shou declared, “but I’ve been through a hell of a lot more than you’d ever know! And if there’s injustice, I need to fight it!”

“With all due respect..” Teru added, “...we’re not backing down. If we’re a school of heroes, we need to prove it.” 

Without another word, the duo launched themselves down the steps, twin auras curling with the anticipation of battle. As they reached the bottom, Teru unleashed a quartet of Air Whips, disarming and restraining two villains as Shou crashed into the third with a wave of energy.

Those two had been fighting Claw their entire lives, Mob knew. Although it was impressive to watch them fight with such abandon, a part of Mob felt saddened by it all as well. Aizawa scowled, and he turned to Thirteen.

“Get the rest of the students out of here,” he growled. “I need to make sure those two brats don’t die. And Midoriya?” Aizawa turned to face the green-haired boy. “If you want to be a Pro Hero, you can’t have just one trick.”

The Pro Hero leapt, soaring down the steep steps in a single bound as his scarf grappled for the wave of villains waiting nearby. Within seconds, he was locked into the heat of combat.

Although, Mob noted, the villains below seemed about as adept as the Claw grunts had been during the organization’s world domination attempt. He turned to see the class of 1-A quickly making their break for the exit with the opening the three combatants had given them. Ritsu placed a tense hand on his brother’s arm.

“Nii-san, I’m going to fight as well,” Ritsu said with a deep seriousness. “I can’t leave Suzuki behind.”

“You can’t be seriously thinking that!” Iida cried from behind them, expression furrowed severely. “We have explicit orders to leave this place!”

“Ritsu…” Mob locked eyes with his brother. “I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“I’m sorry, but this is a decision I want to make. It’s my power, and I want to choose to use it to defend this place.”

A tense moment passed, before Mob nodded slowly. As much as it hurt him, his brother was growing as well. Ritsu was brilliant and wise, and Mob placed his full faith in him that he knew what he was doing. 

“Please… be safe. If things go south, remember that it’s okay to run away, alright?” He folded his hand on top of Ritsu’s, as his brother stepped away with a small smile. Iida’s voice shouted louder, but was drowned out as Ritsu turned back towards the steps, and ran to help his friends.

All who were left standing at the top of the stairs was Midoriya and himself, both overlooking the madness from below, shimmering auras and thick cloth flying every which way. Iida had rejoined the fleeing flock, who drew further away with each moment.

“What are you going to do now?” Dimple asked, as he remained steadfastly floating above Mob’s shoulder. “Don’t want to get left behind, right?” Mob spared a glance towards the evil spirit. 

“I’m staying,” Mob decided. Both Dimple and Izuku stared at him in shock.

“Y-you as well?” Izuku stammered, green eyes wide as plates. “Are you sure, Mob?”

“These people came here to hurt others. I can’t let that go.”

“Well, aren’t you tenacious?”

28%

A new voice, belonging to neither Dimple nor Izuku swept the area, as a swirling shadow rose up around them, encompassing the walkway in a writhing storm. Two slit-yellow eyes peered down at them from the roof of their cage.

“The portal guy!” Dimple exclaimed, zipping up only to find himself meeting the dark fog like a barrier. “What the-?!”

“Your fighting spirit certainly lives up to your school’s reputation,” the smokelike villain mused. “Unfortunately, this is as far as you will go. We, the League of Villains, have a goal far beyond your understanding, but we’ll humor you. If you are so eager to fight, we’ll be sure to provide.”

Winds picked up, as the dark portal closed in. Visibility waned from across the walkway, to a meter, to half, as Mob lost sight of his classmates. Their shouts were still audible, barely over the howl of the enclosing darkness.

A blur of green light struggled itself towards Mob, as Dimple’s form poked through the smog. “Shigeo!” the evil spirit called, and Mob reached out a hand, praying to latch on to something, anything.

The ground fell from beneath his feet. The esper let out a gasp as he began to freefall, limbs flailing and twisting in the air. Left was no different from right, as the screams of his classmates became but another feature of the suffocating shadows.

A splash of blue shone beneath him, and then water filled his lungs.

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: 32%

Chapter Text

34%

Cold water lapped at his senses, as Mob’s body was tugged along by the sudden dive. His ears popped, whining and hissing with the unpleasant sensation of water filling his canals with a crushing pressure. Bubbles rose around him, tickling his arms and face as he sunk further into the lake.

In an instinctive moment, his barrier pulsed to life. The kaleidoscopic patterning shimmered in a protective sphere around the esper, as the water drained from the barrier to make way for breathable air.

The moment his head breached the water, Mob began to cough, expelling the lungfuls of water from his system as he gasped for breath. Feet firmly planted on the ground of his barrier, Mob allowed himself a few moments to reorient.

35%

Beside the shine of his barrier, only the inklings of light reached him through the water- he must be deep down, Mob realized. Mob closed his eyes, allowing his psychic antenna to read his surroundings- a dozen or so lifeforms were in the water along with him. He should try to rejoin the others as soon as he could. 

He couldn’t sense Dimple or any other esper auras nearby. He hoped that they were doing alright.

Something clashed against the side of his barrier, causing Mob to stumble, leaning against the side of it to catch his balance. Glowering from the other side was a shark-like man with fins protruding from his limbs, needle-teeth bared murderously.

“ Brat ..!” The villain gnashed his teeth against Mob’s barrier again, jaw seized like an iron clamp around the psychic energy to no avail. “Die already!” The esper blinked, steadying himself.

“I’m sorry, but I have to get through,” Mob said without sympathy, turning his gaze upwards. The shark villain roared in outrage, clashing against the barrier again and again, only to glance off. Mob raised his hand to his eye-level, and with a burst of his power, sent himself rocketing towards the surface.

Within seconds he breached the dark waters, soaring above the USJ lake within his barrier as he looked down at the lake. The villain surfaced, sneering grimly up at the esper as he hovered beyond his reach. A few moments passed before the villain dived back into the depths again with a growl.

The lake was massive, several hundred meters of calm blue across, a single white ship decorating the otherwise empty body. Mob let his barrier fall, eyeing two figures gathered on the ship’s deck. A tuft of green hair signified Izuku’s presence, another long-haired classmate standing beside him.

Mob darted towards the ship, stumbling onto the white deck as he released himself from his telekinetic hold. His stomach swam slightly, but Mob managed to swallow back the bile mounting in his throat. Izuku’s eyes widened as Mob landed, relieved to see his friend in one piece.

Next to Midoriya, Asui croaked. “Good to see you’re here as well, Kageyama.”

“Are you both alright?” Mob asked. “Are there any others?”

“Not that I know of,” Asui replied. “My Quirk allows me to move and see well in the water, so I was able to get Midoriya to safety easily. I was about to come get you, until you flew out of the lake. I didn’t spot anyone else.”

They must have gotten separated from the other students then, Mob deduced, as he stared off at the rest of the USJ’s various zones.

“Luckily this ship was here, but we’re stuck now..” Izuku murmured, peering over the deck railing. “I can’t believe this happened, but then again, it makes sense when you look at the big picture. They must have snuck in and stolen our schedule during the media break-in, just like Mr. Aizawa said.” His eyes narrowed, fists balled. “They’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t they?”

“At least All Might is safe,” Mob noted, in a small attempt to bring a silver lining to their situation. Asui and Izuku returned no such hopeful looks.

“I’ve been thinking about what Todoroki- the student with the burn scar- mentioned,” Izuku admitted, cupping his chin with one hand. “They’re not fools. These villains… they know how powerful All Might is. If they decided to attack in a situation where three Pro Heroes were supposed to be present… they had to have been sure enough that they could kill All Might.”

The esper’s eyes widened. “You’re not saying that..?”

“If he comes…” Izuku’s expression fell. “...I’m not sure if he could win.”

38%

The water beneath them shifted, as the faces and fins of around a dozen approaching villains emerged. Each wore matching scowls, human and shark teeth bared alike. The villains circled the ship, eyeing the teenagers hungrily like a predator to prey.

Izuku grit his teeth. “Looks like we’ll need to fight. Fortunately, we have an ace up our sleeve.”

“What is it?” Mob asked.

“It was obvious the moment I saw Asu- Tsu,” Izuku explained, sinking into a defensive stance. “They don’t know what our Quirks are.”

“He’s right, ribbit,” Asui agreed. “If that portal villain knew that my Quirk was Frog, he would have transported me to a fire zone instead of a lake, where my abilities are stronger. The villains likely tried to separate us to be safe rather than sorry, but they ended up choosing wrong.”

“So for all they know, the three of us could be insanely powerful,” Izuku concluded, pointing to the villains lurking in the lake below, who had paused circling them to glare at the three students with menace. “Look, they’re not climbing onto the boat, even though they definitely can- they’re unsure.”

“Ah, I see,” Mob replied, impressed at his classmates’ perception of the situation.

“We have time to strategize while they’re hesitating, then,” Asui added. “They’ll get bored eventually, and when they do, none of them will try to hold back. Although they’re clearly aquatic-based villains, we don’t know what their Quirks are either, after all.”

“Well, I’m able to use telekinesis,” Mob offered, allowing his aura to wreath his hand for a few seconds before dispersing. “I could probably move this ship over to shore, but I might get motion sick if we go too fast.”

“I saw you burst out of the water though, you were really fast then,” Izuku noted. “Were you feeling nauseous then?”
“A little bit,” Mob admitted, “but if I’m really focused, it’s not as bad.”

“My Quirk allows me to do what a frog can,” Asui ribbited. “I can jump really high and cling to walls, plus my tongue is flexible and can shoot out up to twenty meters. I can also secrete a slightly toxic mucus along with being able to spit out my stomach to clean it, but that isn’t nearly as useful.”

“I think that’s a really cool Quirk,” Mob nodded. Izuku hummed an eager agreement.

“It’ll be a big help, especially in a terrain like this.” Izuku looked down at his gloved hand, rolling it into a fist. “I have my super strength, but once I use it, I’m just about out of commission until I learn how to control it.”

Mob’s lips twitched into a small frown, recalling his friend’s shattered arm, bruised an angry purple and twisted at too many angles to count. It caused his gut to curl, hearing Midoriya talk about breaking his own bones as casually as if it was breathing or walking.

“Don’t use it, then,” Mob replied, slight pleading in his tone. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself again, not here.”

“I can’t sit by and do nothing, though,” Izuku retorted in a whisper. “We’re future heroes, we need to fight to protect what's important to us, no matter what it takes.”

But was it worth it? Mob opened his mouth to respond, when a jarring explosion rattled the ship. The low groan of creaking metal rang out, as the ground beneath the students began to skew sideways.

“ I’m beginning to get bored, ” a villain hissed from the waters below, as a massive clawed hand formed from the lake water retracted back into the depths. “I say we bring the fight to them. It’s not like they can do much once they hit the waves, anyways.”

Izuku grit his teeth, taking a step back as he grimaced down at the villains. “Crap, they’re sinking the ship..!”

“We don't have long before we're submerged,” Asui noted. “They're biding their time, though- they're confident that they'll win. If we can rattle them with one big move…”

Izuku perked up. “Mob, if I created a distraction, could you use your Quirk to propel the rest of the ship to land?”

Mob's mouth drew into a thin line. Izuku's self-sacrificial behavior caused a small twist in his heart. What was he trying to prove…? He shook his head.

“I have it under control, don’t worry,” he assured Izuku, raising his hand as he let his powers expand, swelling in the water around them as the ring of approaching villains were swept outward by a telekinetic push. Raged shouts from the villains reached the esper’s ears with ease.

“ The brat’s got a hydrokinetic Quirk!”

“What are you sitting around for? Kill them!”  

They had no more time to waste. Mob brought his power up around him, allowing it to coat the shipwreck in a glowing layer. It was like flipping a switch, how quickly his abilities sprung to his beck and call. With a tug, they propelled forwards, wind rushing as the boat cut through the water like a knife towards the lake shore. 

Izuku and Asui latched on tightly to the rails, squinting against the sharp breeze. Behind them, the villains quickly recuperated, the faster ones of the group dipping beneath the surface and jetting towards their ship.

A giant hand extended itself from the lake in front of them, from the villain who had split the ship in two earlier. Its claws poised and stiffened, as the aquatic limb crushed downwards. His aura concentrated into a quick barrier, causing the villain’s Quirk to clash against the shield with a spray of psychic sparks.

“ Haah? What the hell is this kid’s Quirk?” the villain sneered as he swung for another attack, only to be blocked by a spread of teal and violet. Izuku turned to shout towards Mob.

“They’re coming from behind!” the green-haired boy cried. Mob twisted his head to look at the back of the ship, where hands latched onto the deck from the rising water. 

Asui’s tongue wrapped around the unwanted wrists, as she flung them back into the water, which was slowly approaching the surface of their sinking ship. But for each hand she cast off, two more grabbed for the hope of boarding.

Mob’s mouth opened slightly, as he burst the water-claw in front of him with a strike of telekinesis. He guided his powers to blow off the other desperate villains, with barely enough time to generate a quick barrier to block another claw strike. They were still sinking.

“I can’t fight them off or defend while moving at the same time,” Mob gasped, as he wrapped his aura around the half-ship to raise it once more. 

Mob wasn’t fighting alongside espers, and he wasn’t used to it. One couldn’t provide the barrier while the other utilizes telekinesis, the people he was working with didn’t know the ins and outs of his power enough to suggest new tactics or cover weaknesses with ease.

It was different, and he had to learn. He turned to Izuku and Asui. “Are you two doing alright?”

“Keep moving, I can take care of it,” Asui croaked, giving the esper a small nod before turning back to dealing with the villains with the aid of her Quirk. The waves rippled a few meters in front of the speeding boat fragment, as a pillar of water rose before them like a solid wall.

Mob swallowed, trying to keep his forward propulsion as much as he could. He raised his right hand to eye-level, prepared to blow another hole through the Quirk-induced obstacle-

“Smash!” 

A rush of concentrated air pressure surged past Mob, causing his bangs to flutter severely in his eyes. The wall of water collapsed with a series of panicked cries, rocking the half-ship into the air as the lake swirled behind him. His eyes widened, and he turned behind him to where…

Izuku’s mouth was twisted into a smiling grimace, grasping his right hand with white knuckles. Two of his fingers were bruised and twisted, bent into fragments like broken sticks. 

And, for a brief moment like a lingering rainbow, eight spirits flickered around the boy, akin to the light of sparks from a fire. Mob blinked, and the spirits’ presences were gone.

Mob's voice was small as he spoke. “Midoriya…”

“You don't need to do everything, Mob!” his friend shouted determinedly. “Please, keep focused on escaping. I need to prove myself as well!”

Is that what Midoriya believes about himself? Mob wanted to reply, but knew that Midoriya had sacrificed his fingers to give them a distraction- he had to take advantage of the given opening. He drew upon his psychic powers, a thick, shimmering field of energy filling the space around him. 

With a final push, Mob forced his telekinesis forwards, as their ship half soared into the air. The lake shrunk beneath them as Mob looked to Asui, who nodded. He released his hold on the boat, creating a dense barrier around the flailing villains in the Quirk-induced whirlpool beneath them and lifting them into the sky.

Gravity began to take the trio as they fell downward, but Asui quickly leapt into action. She sprung off of the skewed railing of the falling ship, jumping towards Mob as her tongue lashed around Izuku’s waist. Mob felt his breath catch as he was grabbed by his classmate, tucked safely to her side as they flew up and away, towards the shallows of the wide lake.

He flexed his control over his powers, and with a swipe of his arm, sent the barrier cascading down towards the earth. Mob’s muscles tensed as he repeatedly reminded himself that those villains were not espers, they could not put up barriers, they have very, very fragile bones, and he would not like to break them.

As much as he disliked them, accidentally killing them would feel far worse. The barrier collided with the ground and released itself, scattering the hapless, largely unconscious villains about the brick path. Simultaneously, Asui touched down into the shallow waters around the edge of the lake, releasing the two boys in her grasp to stumble in the hip-high depth.

Mob gave a small, gracious nod to his classmate as he steadied himself in the waves. “Thanks, Tsu… ah-” His stomach churned, as the esper felt the all-too familiar nausea of motion sickness crawl up his throat.

He barely managed to scramble for land in time before his lunch was upchucked onto the patchy grass.

49%

“Are you feeling better, Kageyama?” Asui asked as she rubbed his back in a circular motion. 

Mob gave a small groan, but nodded regardless as he straightened himself. Asui took a few steps back, watching the bowl-cutted boy carefully for any lingering signs of illness.

He wiped the corners of his mouth. “I’m better now. Thank you again, Tsu,” he replied earnestly, giving her a small head bob. The two students then turned their heads in tandem to look at Izuku, whose droning mutters had continued to serve as a low ambiance since the moment they touched down.

“Can’t believe we managed… such a gamble… they could’ve..-”

“Midoriya, stop that,” Asui interrupted, causing the green-haired boy to stare at her in surprise. Even Mob’s brow lifted at the sheer bluntness of Asui’s words.

“Ah..?”

“Instead of reflecting back, shouldn’t we think about our next move? The longer we wait, the longer the villains have to hurt our classmates.”

“Y-you’re right,” Izuku admitted, before wincing in pain. His hand trembled, broken fingers shaking and segmented.

“Why did you do that?” Mob questioned, taking a step towards Izuku. His hand was extended slightly, as his aura felt over the fractured bones. He wondered briefly if he could heal them, but decided against it on the off-chance he accidentally hurt them further. “You shouldn’t need to put your body on the line like that.”

“I-I…” Izuku looked down. “I wanted to be of use.”

“Midoriya, did you think that you weren’t…?”

“I wanted to show that I could be a hero as well, just like you and Tsu. Because we’re here to become heroes, and a hero gives it all they have, when there’s lives on the line. Tsu was keeping the villains at bay, and you were keeping the ship afloat even though you said it made you motion sick..”

“And you think your powers are the only way to achieve that?” Mob asked, heart heavy. “You get hurt so badly every time you use them.”

“I know, I know, I’ve been told that before. But it’s the only way I knew I could contribute-”

“Your powers aren’t everything, Midoriya,” the esper chided. “They aren’t the only way you can be a hero.” 

Mob locked eyes with his classmate firmly. “You’re strong, and fast, and incredibly smart as well. Because of your knowledge, we were able to come up with an escape plan. You’re an amazing strategist, and it helped us defeat the villains.”

“I… well… I’m sure you wouldn’t have needed it anyways. You have such an amazing Quirk to begin with, Mob. You probably could have blown them out of the water easily without either of us.”

Mob shook his head. “I’m not very creative, and I’m not very good at coming up with plans on my own. I’m not particularly fit, or confident, or social, and I rely too much on my powers, so I’ve been trying to round myself outside of it.” He gave a small smile. “It’s the heart that makes a hero, not power. You’ve proved yourself since the very beginning.”

“...” Izuku brought his broken hand to his chest, face twisted in an unreadable expression. “...I’m sorry. Thank you, Mob.”

“It’s okay,” Mob assured his friend. “..do you have anything to use as a splint for your fingers?”

“Not currently, but…” Izuku wrapped a part of his outfit around his hand tightly, to minimize the movement of his broken fingers. “...this should do. C’mon, let’s try and get out of here as soon as we can, to get help.” He looked upwards, towards the exit. “If we move along the shore and avoid the plaza, it should be possible.”

The three turned their heads towards the somewhat far-off fountain where the villains had initially emerged. Sounds of battle reached the students’ ears as clouds of smoke occasionally rose up, followed by panicked shouts and bright, multicolored busts of esper auras.

“You’re right,” Asui croaked. “That way, we can avoid the villains that Mr. Aizawa and the others are fighting right now.”

Izuku hummed, creasing his brow. “Will they be alright? Mr. Aizawa’s a Pro Hero, but your friends are students as well, and they’re facing a lot of villains out there..”

“They should be fine,” Mob replied. “Hanazawa and Shou have been fighting long before I met either of them… ah, but I’m sure that’s not my story to tell.”

“Really? How old are you, even?” Asui asked. “You look much younger than the other students here.”

“Hanazawa and I are fourteen, Shou and my little brother are thirteen.” The esper paused. “We’re exchange students, though, so we’re still getting middle-school classes.”

Asui nodded, while Izuku’s mouth opened ever so slightly. “I see, ribbit.” She glanced back towards the exit. “Should we begin to move, then?”

“You can go on ahead.” Mob’s gaze lingered on the plaza as he took a step forward. “I need to check on my brother and the others, and make sure they’re alright.” They were probably fine, Mob figured, but a lot of villains did come from the portal, and it would be far better if he made sure to be more safe than sorry.

“I’ll come with you, then,” Izuku insisted.

“But Midoriya, your hand…”

“It’ll be fine,” he assured the boy. “I won’t use it again, I promise. I want to check in as well- Hanazawa, Shou, your brother, and Mr. Aizawa are all important to me as well.”

“I’m joining as well,” Asui added. “It’d be unwise for me to try and retreat alone anyways.”

Mob’s lips thinned as he ducked his head sheepishly. “Ah, Tsu, I’m sorry I forgot about that…”

“It’s no big deal.” Asui waded through the water towards the bank of the pond, peeking just over the edge of the nearby plaza. Mob took a grateful breath at the kind offers from the 1-A students, and followed suit.

A blaze of yellow streaked past the three of them as Teruki blew two villains back with a telekinetic explosion- one with spiked arms, and another with razorblade hair. Before they could retaliate, Aizawa’s scarf slung around the two villains and knocked them together, sending them sprawling unconsciously.

Mob glanced a bit further over the edge, and spotted a tag team on the opposite side of the plaza between Ritsu and Shou, blue and orange auras dancing between each other. He was aware that they had teamed before, during Claw’s takeover, but had never gotten to see the two of them in action up until now.

They worked well together, Mob thought to himself. 

A blur of green caught his eye, as a familiar spirit dashed over to the esper’s side with a brilliant grin. “Shigeo! Kid! You’re alive!” Dimple cried, small arms outstretched in relief. And for just a moment, Mob forgot that the others were unable to see spirits, and responded.

“Hey Dimple,” Mob replied, looking up at the evil spirit. Izuku and Asui gave him odd looks.

“Who’re you talking to, Kageyama?” Asui whispered, and Mob blinked sheepishly. It was the first time he’d ever accidentally referred to Dimple in public.

“It’s okay,” he answered, before realizing it wasn’t much of an answer to begin with. “He’s an ally, even if you can’t see him.”

Dimple gave an indifferent shrug to Mob’s chosen reply, as Asui and Izuku seemed to relax, satisfied with his answer. “Never thought you’d slip up, but there’s a first time for everything, I suppose,” the green spirit remarked snarkily. “The fight’s going pretty one-sidedly right now. For such a confident entrance, these villains kinda… suck. Not too different from Claw though, eh?”

Mob gave a minute nod, and Dimple floated down to his eye level. “What’cha doing down here, anyways? Seems pretty cowardly of you, given the fact you have more than enough energy at your fingertips to blow apart a small country if you so desired.”

He shot Dimple a small, warning glance, causing the evil spirit to scoff and back off. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Staunch as ever, Shigeo. There should be some students still at the top of the stairs up by the exit, they’re still staring down that shadow guy from earlier.” His gaslike, green body shuddered. “I’m pretty sure that guy’s able to see me, somehow.”

The portal villain was still by the exit? Mob tilted his head towards the far staircase, where the traces of dark wisps billowed just barely over the ledge in the distance. 

It was good that they didn’t immediately try to escape, then, but that meant that some of his classmates were still in danger. He gave Dimple a small, thankful hum, before turning to Asui and Izuku.

“There are still some people up where we teleported,” he relayed to them in a hushed tone, and Mob watched their eyes grow slightly wider. “I think Ms. Thirteen is still with them.”

“That’s good, at least,” Izuku muttered, eyebrows knotting together. “But that villain’s Quirk was extremely powerful. I’m not sure how they would be able to fight back if the villain decided to open more portals. Should we go to help them?”

“I think- hm?”

By the fountain, the hand villain grew impatient at last, as he charged at Aizawa with a greater speed than Mob was expecting. Aizawa and Teru tensed, with the teacher shooting out the ends of his scarf in hopes of grappling the villain. The rough cloth was caught, as the villain closed the gap further still, his pale, boney hand outstretched..

Brilliant yellow enveloped Aizawa, as the villain’s hand met solid barrier. A beat, as the villain’s fingers curled in frustration, head slowly, ominously lolling towards Hanazawa. The blond scowled in determination, stance pigeon-toed and tense.

“I may not know what your Quirk is…” Teru growled, “...but I can’t let you touch him!”

“Well, aren’t you multitalented?” the hand villain drawled, and Mob spotted Teru’s face pale, if even for just a split second. “If you’re so curious about my Quirk… how about I show you it?! ”

51%

The villain launched himself off of the barrier, streaking towards the esper and hooking his grasp around Teru’s arm. 

Hanazawa let out a strangled scream, as the villain’s grasp tightened around his wrist. A flare of oil-slick power surged through the area, as flames enveloped his body in a burning display of pyrokinesis. The villain stumbled back, snarling a curse as he drew his now-blistered hand away from the flaming esper. 

Teru’s fire died down, as he let his right arm dangle uselessly to his side. As he turned towards the villain, Mob caught a glimpse of the injury with a rapidly sinking stomach- the skin wrapped around his forearm was dry and crumbling away, as if it were loose flakes of ash blowing in the winds. What remained was the raw muscle beneath, angry and red and bleeding and Hanazawa was severely hurt.

60%

He was hurt, his muscle was exposed and his skin was flaking-  

Dimple drew away anxiously, and Mob felt a swell of psychic power push the lake water away from his body and force his hair to stand on end. Emotion began to poke through his steel box of his heart- not rage or anger or bloodlust, but pure, unrestrained horror instead.

“Mob…” Izuku murmured, the corners of his mouth twitching with a feeling that the esper was unable to decipher. His chest pounded, wide eyes still locked onto Teru’s wound.

Shou barreled through, sending a burst of bubbling orange energy towards the villain as Ritsu cleared a barrier sweeping around Hanazawa. The hand villain flew back, barely catching his footing before he slammed into the fountain from the redhead’s exploding power.

“Damn it, you pests,” the villain hissed, raising his other, uninjured arm before Aizawa’s scarf knocked around it and rapidly pulled him towards the Pro Hero. Aizawa’s hair whipped around him with ironclad conviction as he threw the villain towards the ground, causing him to fall to the dirt.

“Kageyama, how’s Hanazawa?” Aizawa asked Ritsu, dark hair falling once more as he glared down at the pale villain. Ritsu let his barrier fall, and Hanazawa steadied his footing, one hand still clutching his upper right arm.

“I’m fine,” Teru answered through gritted teeth. “His Quirk… I should have been more careful.”

“Oh.. oh wow, ” the villain whispered huskily. “You’re so cool… all of you… how impressive!” His shoulders shook as he stumbled back to his feet, gasping laughter quietly escaping his lips as it slowly, steadily devolved into deranged cackling. 

Then, he stopped.

“ But I am not the final boss. ”

A shadow rose over Aizawa. Three barriers sprung around him in unison.

61%

Three barriers weren’t enough.

68%

Each exploded into a shower of technicolor fragments, as the fist of a beast drove through the layers of barriers as if they were sheets of paper instead. 

A crunch, as bone met the floor. Aizawa’s goggles flew from his face, scattered a few meters away in two halves. The ground cratered as Aizawa’s face was pressed further against stone, arms splayed and hapless against the weight of the new villain atop his body.

The Pro Hero’s blood spattered across Shou’s shoes, as the redheaded esper took a cautionary step back, grimacing up at the new, muscular villain. A villain that- Mob’s memory supplied- had stepped out along with the others at the beginning, but had stood dormant up until now.

Whether or not that was just a cruel joke, Mob didn’t know. Didn’t want to know. He could only stare at the brutal scene in front of him, too stunned to tear up or cry out.

Asui and Izuku trembled beside him. “Mr. Aizawa…” the green-haired boy whimpered, eyes watery and wide, shining with fear.

76%

“Tell me, what do you think?” the hand villain taunted, surveying the horrified students who surrounded him. “This… this is the bioengineered, anti-Symbol of Peace, but you can call him Nomu.”

“You bastard !” Shou cried, raring up a charged attack. Ritsu ran to his friend’s side- no, Ritsu, you have to get away from-

The Nomu backhanded the approaching espers, fist crashing into Shou’s hastily braced position. His head knocked into Ritsu’s, flecks of blood flying between the two as they were thrown out of the way as if they were only annoying gnats in the villain’s eyes. Dust kicked up where the boys landed, shrouding their state in a smokescreen.

But Mob could feel their auras dim and quiver, and he didn’t need to see through the dust to know that they were… were…

Blood pooling onto the sidewalk. Pooling. Pooling. Pooling.

88%

“ Ritsu! ” Mob cried- he couldn’t stand around anymore. Izuku and Dimple shouted in unison as Mob leapt up from the lake, powers raging and writhing around him.

As he burst from the lake, eyes drew to him. His breathing heaved as his eyes darted around the brick-red plaza. 

Hanazawa, clutching his arm with his blue eyes wide with relief. Aizawa, face just barely lifted under Nomu's crushing grip, covered with scrapes and cuts and red life trailing down his face. The hand villain, jolted back by the sudden arrival.

Teru’s mouth moved as he said something to the frantic esper- Mob couldn't decipher what though, with how the sound was muffled and drowned out under the piercing ringing in his ears. His eyes locked with the settling dust cloud in the distance.

Shou sat up, nearly seizing immediately as his mouth clenched with a suppressed yelp- something was likely broken. Next to him, lying prone on the ground, was Ritsu. 

Eyes closed, lips slightly parted, and not moving.

94%

The ground cratered beneath him, as lead terror coursed through his brain. He wanted to scream, but his jaw remained clenched, empty fury roiling in his chest and forcing him to take one heavy step forward, then another.

The hand villain barked a dry laugh, and tilted his head back. “Looks like we have a new little hero! Although I'd love to see you give me your best shot, I have other goals besides fighting children.” His voice took on a dangerous lilt, almost like a smile full of razors. 

“Take another step, and we kill Eraser Head.”

95%

Mob froze, sucking in a gasp as his head snapped around to the 1-A teacher. The Nomu remained poised over Aizawa with one large hand clawed tightly around the Pro Hero’s skull, unblinking as the hand villain drew closer.

“ Much better. ” The villain paused to the right of the esper, posture self-satisfied. Behind the villain, the shadows twisted and warped until a second figure stood beside the hand-covered man- the portal villain, who'd transported them earlier.

“Tomura Shigaraki,” the portal villain hummed, finally giving Mob a name to put to the hand-covered face in front of him. “Thirteen has been put out of commission. Not all of the students were able to be dispersed, though, and one managed to escape the facility.”

Shigaraki paused, the villain’s words slowly sinking in for him, before raking his burned hand across his neck once, twice, four times, becoming more frantic with each repetition. “Kurogiri… damn it ,” he snarled. “That brat's going to find reinforcements, and we're not going be able to take on an army of pros! It's game over.”

Game over? Mob's eyes widened slightly as he looked over the two villains, the invisible wind keeping his hair aloft slowly dying down as he listened to the odd conversation at play. They weren’t just going to leave after coming so far, would they? The other shoe had to drop soon.

Shigaraki stalked several steps away, before heaving a rattled breath. He laughed softly under his breath, a horrible, choking noise, as Mob felt his stomach sink. “I can’t have All Might, I can’t have a proper fight, I can’t even kill a single, measly pest before my plans get ruined.” 

Red pupils flashed through light blue bangs and between the stiff, white fingers covering his face. “But I’m not leaving until I break All Might. I wonder how he’d feel if I wrecked his pride .” Shigaraki’s gaze fell towards the lake edge, on to a familiar head of curled green hair- no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-

96%

“Midoriya! You need to run!” Mob shouted hoarsely, eyes wild with disbelief. His friend startled, shame flashing through his expression as he held his undamaged hand to his chest. When had he gotten onto the shore?  

There was nearly no time to react. Shigaraki leapt forwards with inhuman speed, hands outstretched to wring both sides of Izuku’s neck. 

97%

Midoriya was going to die.  

Mob could feel the ice in his veins, the tremors that forced his mind to race as the world seemed to close in on him. In an instinct where his body moved faster than his mind, Mob’s hands shot out as his power unfurled and bloomed.

Like an iron cage, his aura locked around Shigaraki as the villain was left tethered to the spot. Izuku’s stare was hollow, as the boy stared in horror at the reaching fingers that hovered mere centimeters from his bare skin.

Izuku’s breath hitched. “Mob, I..”

A moment of stifling, unbearable silence passed. Then, Shigaraki began to laugh with a dry, crackling wheeze.

“ Hahahahah! I was right, you all really are so cool,” Shigaraki hissed, fingers twitching irritatedly. “But so, so annoyingly overpowered at the same time!” His voice flattened. “ I’m done with you. ”

Air rushed around him. Izuku’s head tilted upwards, blanched with fear. A voice rang out from somebody- he wasn’t sure who.

“ Kageyama, behind you! ”

98%

The blur of a dark fist made contact with the back of his head.

99̷̝̎%̶̛̺%̴̯͐%̷̭̑%̶̭̓%̴̖̽%̵̗̈́-̴̖̕

Pain.

Progress to Mob’s Explosion: ?̷?̶?̵?̷?̵?̶?̸?̴?̸?̶?̷?̸?̷?̷?̷?̶?̸%