Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Before Nedzu was the principal of UA, he was a pro hero. Before he was a pro hero, he was a little known about quirked animal, treated with zero respect–it’s funny how much difference a slip of paper makes. Before then, he was known as Subject #021, but he also responded to rat. Right now however, he was just annoyed.

He’s been annoyed for a long time in reality, but never to this extent. Just an hour earlier he received a call he’d been long expecting and equally dreading. It was from the HPSC chairwoman–a woman just as cunning as him, but with twice the power. For a long time she’s been trying to pry control of UA from his paws, and for a long time he’s been able to hold his ground. 

How things can so quickly change.

A few months ago the HPSC made a few well placed “donations to re-election campaigns” and suddenly a new law was being passed that gave the HPSC powers to “advise the treasury on issues pertaining to the funding of institutions critical to the future of heroic society.” Which really meant they bribed politicians into giving them control over UA’s funding.

Now Nedzu didn’t have to contend with just empty threats, they had an undeniable power over him, one she so openly flexed during their meeting. 

Nedzu’s always been good at reading people, it’s a skill he's proud of, and one he had to learn to survive in the past. It’s a skill he didn’t need during the call.

Her threat was clear as day to anyone with ears, if he dares to go against their wishes, his funding will dry up.

That’s how he finds himself here, in a small teahouse on the outskirts of Musutafu, staring into his cup of tea, wishing he too could float away like steam rising from a kettle.

It’s a nice place really, tucked away in a quaint building, ran by a mother and son, plus it has good tea, there’s not much more he could ask for. If it was just a little closer to UA he would have gone before, but right now that was a good thing.

“Nedzu-sama?” The voice startled him from his thoughts, he should have been paying more attention to his surroundings, he’s supposed to be a pro.

He looked in the direction the voice came from, it was a shorter kid–which meant nothing compared to Nedzu–with green hair and matching eyes, his face covered in a speckling of dots. Nedzu recognizes him as the owner’s son and the person who served him the tea he’s been staring into so coldly.

What really startled Nedzu wasn’t the kid's voice though. No, it was something much more off-putting, something he didn’t notice when he first was seated–too deep it thought to think to look. The way the kid in front of him carried himself was too similar to how he’s seen others, too purposeful to be a coincidence. 

The ever so slight slouch, eyes that quietly scanned his face for a threat, carefully put on expressions, the unrelaxed, but not stiff muscles. These were the signature traits of an underground hero.

Nedzu knows that’s not a skill you just learn, it’s something you acquire over time without even realizing, derived from a necessity to blend in. It’s something no teenager should ever have had to learn.

This kid definitely had his attention. “Yes?” Nedzu responded.

The kid clutched a notebook in his hands and held it out to Nedzu, “Can you sign my notebook please?”

Ah, a fan. That wasn’t something he saw coming. In today’s day and age, part of being a hero means putting the public at ease, even if it has the unfortunate side effect of heroes being modern celebrities. He was never able to escape from that fate. “Of course I will.”

Nedzu accepted the notebook from the greenette as well as the pen held right behind it. He looked at the cover and noticed the title, “Hero analysis for the future No.13”. Right below it his name was written in the same chicken scratch, Izuku Midoriya.

Normally Nedzu wouldn’t snoop around in other people’s things, he's never been that type of person, but the title alone, combined with the kid’s careful disposition, was enough to pique his interest. He flipped open the notebook and was greeted by a glossary. Some of the names on the list surprised him, but most shocking was the name of one of his very own employees, Eraserhead. He quickly checked the page number and flipped to it in the notebook. An average civilian shouldn’t even know he exists, let alone have enough information to fully analyze him.

Nedzu’s shock was amplified when he saw the quality of the work in front of him, this wasn’t amateur in the least. It not only detailed exactly how his quirk worked, but his fighting style, support items, usual patrol route, and other facts no normal citizen should know. He wasn’t just shocked, he was scared, if information like this got into the wrong hands it would have catastrophic consequences.

“Midoriya-kun, how do you know any of this? Information on underground heroes is supposed to be classified.”

Nedzu had a bad feeling. He could rule out any coincidence by this point, either the owner’s son is a villain, or he’s going to be a great hero. There was no in-between. Still, he waited for a response before making any assumptions.

“I, uh… I always liked watching heroes, and I, uh… started running out of heroes that I haven’t analyzed, so I started trying to keep track of the underground heroes in the area, since there’s nothing online or videos that I could find of underground heroes. And I uh… yeah.”

And suddenly all the carefully fortified walls the boy had put up shattered. He was really expecting a response with a little bit more confidence behind it. He could tell it was the truth from his face alone, as disappointing as that was. He had gotten his hopes up for a bigger mystery than a studious hero fan. 

Still, if he knows the kid can be trusted then he might have a better idea than reprimanding him for stalking, because despite his now sheepish demeanor, if the kid was skilled enough to get this information on Shouta of all people and make analysis this professional, then maybe he should consider making this boy his student. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Of course, Nedzu would never make something so simple.

“Midoriya-kun, this analysis is very impressive, you know. I’ve seen plenty of professionals who wouldn’t be able to do work this good.”

“Really?” the greenette said.

“Yes, really Midoriya-kun.” Nedzu closed the notebook and handed it back to Midoriya along with the pen.

Midoriya accepted the book back, but hesitated, “You didn’t sign it.”

“I’m well aware of that Midoriya-kun” he said with a smile showing all his teeth, “Tell me, do you want to be a hero one day?” Nedzu gestured Midoriya to the seat opposite him.

Midoriya warily took the seat before responding, “I did for a long time, but I don’t know if I can anymore. I still want to be useful though, which is why I’m practicing my analysis. I think if I get good enough then I can still help people, even if I can't be a hero.”

“You most certainly can Midoriya-kun, but tell me, why can’t you become a hero?”

A pause, and suddenly his demeanor shifted back to seriousness just as fast as it had been broken. Nedzu could feel the eyes burning into his skin, but couldn’t see them studying him. And just when Nedzu thought he had figured him out too.

Eventually the walls came down once more, and as if they were never there his old embarrassed self appeared once more. With a hand rubbing the back of his neck, he finally deemed Nedzu worthy enough to answer, “I don’t have a quirk.”

This time he could see the kid trying to find a reaction to the information, but he wouldn’t find any change, no one would. Any pro worth their salt knows how to school their features when they need to–though apparently that doesn’t just apply to pro’s now.

“That’s interesting to hear, Midoriya-kun. If you don’t think you can be a hero then I assume I won’t be seeing you at the upcoming entrance exams?” Nedzu said

“No, I’m not trying for the hero course. I know I won’t stand up against the other contenders.” Midoriya said, “But I’ll still be taking the exams for the gen-ed course, UA’s the top school in that too.” He quickly added on.

As much as Nedzu would like to argue that the exams aren’t biased, he knows it’s not true, it’s just another example of when he capitulated to the HPSC out of fear of retaliation. That being said… “Well Midoriya-kun, you won’t be needing to take those exams, I know you’re smart enough to pass them from what I’ve already seen. Instead, I would like you to join me on the day of the hero course exams. I would love to see how your brain works in real time. If you’re willing, I would have you analyze students competing for the course. If your work meets my standards then, and only then, will I sign your notebook.”

“Really? You’d do that?” Midoriya said with a huge smile plastered on his face.

“I’m a creature of my word, Midoriya-kun.” Nedzu said before glancing at his watch, “Now, I have somewhere to be so I must take my leave. I’m certain you’ll be seeing more of me in due time.”

When he said certain, he meant it. A mind like this wouldn’t escape his paws so easily, he just needed to test it first.

“Oh yes! Sorry Nedzu-sama, I’ll go get you your check.” Midoriya said. He quickly scurried out the booth and ran over to the back of the small store.

He returned moments later with a piece of paper in his hands, but found the booth empty. A wad of cash sat on the table and a note written with Midoriya’s own pen laid beside it, “See you at UA on Thursday, 9:00 AM -Nedzu”.

Midoriya was left with more questions than he had before, like when did he write that, and how did he disappear so fast. Still, a dopey grin remained stuck on his face, Nedzu was just so cool.

-

Nedzu opened the door of his car and hopped in. It was a regular black government vehicle, retrofitted to accommodate his needs. The pedals were higher up, the driver's seat was smaller, the wheel was closer, and there was a divider cutting off the front and back sides of the car.

There were some other features, like bulletproof glass, unslashable tires, thick metal walls, and a heavily filtered oxygen supply, but those are present in every car a hero drives. It’s one of the few good ideas the HPSC’s had.

He’s currently heading back to UA. He would have liked to stay and chat longer, but the entrance exams are just days away and work still needs to be done.

That being said, he doubts he would have learned much more. He could tell there was a piece of this puzzle he was missing. The explanation of him being quirkless, while a revelation, wasn’t enough alone to explain what he saw in there. There was more to it, something he could tell he wasn’t going to get out of him with questions alone.

Nedzu mulled over the interaction for the entire drive to the campus and on the walk to his office, examining every word like a clue. Nothing made sense.

When he did finally push open the doors to his office, he was greeted by another file of paperwork stacked on his desk. Just before school starts is always the most hectic time of the year, most of the paperwork would disappear if it wasn’t for the hero’s practical, but changing the exam to something less dangerous isn’t in the cards for him.

How he wishes he still had more of that tea.

-

Izuku placed the cup down in a bath of suds, “and then he left a note telling me to meet him on Thursday,-” Izuku grabbed the lone sponge and started circling it around the inside, “-isn’t he the coolest?”

“Oh, dear, that's just great,” Inko said. “I’m so glad someone is finally recognizing your talents.” She sprinkled a garnish onto one of the sides she was plating.

Inko knows she’s not the “somebody”, she never has been.

She has many regrets as to how she treated Izuku over the years, ever since he was first diagnosed quirkless she started acting as if his dreams would never be anything but. She knows it was wrong of her to do, she was just so concerned over his safety that she never stopped to realize that she was doing more harm than good.

She’s glad she didn’t stop him from pursuing his analysis too, she’s never seen him more happy than when he comes back from watching a hero fight, always carrying a notebook in his hands and a wide grin on his face. At first she was totally against the idea, running to the danger goes against every fear she’s ever had. But after sitting him down one day to try and get him to stop, she had her first look inside one of those notebooks in years. She was expecting it to be the same as when he first started as a kid, a couple crude drawings, rudimentary information you could find online, talking about how great they were. Instead she was met with walls of information so detailed she couldn't understand half of it.

She realized then that he was more serious than she first thought.

She made a compromise with him after that, she would let him keep doing what he was doing as long as he made a few promises. One, never intervene in a hero’s fight, two, never get too close to the danger, and three, make sure she knows when he’s going out and when he gets back.

He agreed and that was that, except, Inko knew it couldn’t be like that forever. She was still mother henning him, and acting like he couldn’t protect himself, even though she knows he’s more capable than her.

She’s glad Nedzu’s challenging him more, from just the brief relaying of the interaction she's able to tell he’s more capable of handling her son’s future than she ever would have been.

“Can you take this to table five?” Inko said

“Of course.” Izuku grabbed the tray from his mom and left.

She would have taken it herself, but she didn’t want her baby to see her like this. She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at the pinprick tears at the corner of her eyes, then blew her nose.

He wasn’t her baby anymore, he’s able to handle himself now, she knows it’s time for her to accept that.

-

A man in dark gray clothes and a slightly lighter scarf around his neck pushed past the grand wooden doors and into Nedzu’s office, “You wanted to see me?”

“Ah, Shouta, please sit down. You’re going to want to hear this.” Nedzu said.

Aizawa, begrudgingly, did as he was told. His boss was usually right when it came to things like this. Actually, when he thinks about it, it’s not just usually, and definitely not just things like this. He’s never seen Nedzu be wrong about anything ever.

“Well, what is it?” he grumbled from behind his scarf.

“Straight to the point, you never change Shouta.” Nedzu chuckled to himself. He then started to regale the man about his day earlier, leaving out the part regarding the HPSC. At first Aizawa was confused, why would he care about where he got tea? But as he continued the underground hero realized just why he’d been called in here.

“You're telling me that I’ve been stalked for who knows how long by a random kid who now has more information on me than most heroes-” Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose, “-and you invited him to watch the exams?” the hero said, exasperated.

“Of course I did. It’s not every day you find a mind as bright as his.”

Shouta pushed his face further into his scarf and left the room. This was above his pay grade.

-

A cool breeze swept in over Dagobah Beach, a strong salty smell overpowered Midoriya’s nostrils.

He threw what should have been the final piece of scrap metal he was carrying onto the ground and collapsed beside it.

He was panting for breath, sweat running down his forehead and into his eyes.

There were only two days till he's supposed to meet Nedzu and the stress was getting to him. He would normally have left the beach by now, taken a shower, eaten dinner, and been laying in bed.

He couldn't do that today, instead all he wanted to do was feel that familiar burn in his muscles until he was too exhausted to think anymore.

Midoriya knows he has no reason to stress, Nedzu had no reaction to his quirklessness, and he was being given an offer millions would never dream of getting.

But that was the thing, what did Nedzu see in his notebook that could have impressed him so much. Everyone in his life has either thought it was weird, creepy, or both. No one has ever been impressed by it, much less think it was anywhere near professional grade.

He just knows he’s going to ruin his chance.

Nedzu’s going to realize he’s a fraud, and ban him from UA forever for tricking him. There’s no way he could ever write an analysis good enough to impress him.

Nedzu is like an idol to him, right below All Might. He’s the best analyst to ever do it, known to figure everything out about a person from a single second of footage.

He could never do something good enough to impress Nedzu, he’s just a fraud that stumbled his way into something half decent, nothing near professional.

Midoriya stood back up and wiped the sweat from his brow. Thinking about this wasn’t going to get him anywhere but a panic attack. Instead he picked up the piece of scrap and started walking again.

Repeating this over and over again, refusing to stop until his body makes him.

-

Nedzu was getting less done than he wanted to.

The clock was already nearing midnight and every employee save Hound Dog had already clocked out.

Even he would soon be retiring for the night.

Nedzu however? He was still sitting in the same chair he was hours ago, searching and scanning page after page of personal information for some sort of answer.

Why did Midoriya carry himself like that?

It’s the question he's been asking himself ever since he first noticed and one he still has no answer for. He's supposed to be the best analyst in the country for crying out loud, and somehow he can't figure out this random teenager?

Things just weren't adding up.

He started by going through Izuku's academic history as early as 1st grade. Every grade he's ever had, every comment ever left by a teacher, and every write up he's received were sitting on the monitor in front of him, but he was only left with more questions.

At first, he believed the purported record. After all, why wouldn't he trust the dozen teachers he's had over the years, except there was just one thing that was off.

Despite the intelligence he saw on full display at the tea house, he'd reportedly never scored higher than a B on any assignment in any class since fifth grade. Even the worst students would occasionally stumble their way into an A eventually, but not Midoriya? Nedzu didn't think it likely.

Then there was the issue of the comments and reports.

Nedzu wasn't blind to quirkless discrimination, he’d had to fight tooth and nail to permit their attendance at UA.

But this wasn't just plain discrimination, it reeked of conspiracy. He finds it hard to believe that every single teacher would individually describe him as “Someone who frequently shows violent behavior towards peers and often gets into fights.”

He knows a lie when he sees one, and that was the biggest one so far.

Sadly, the write ups told the same story, a middle school delinquent who picks fights with innocent students.

There was always the slightest chance Nedzu had misread the boy, although he heavily doubted it. Still, he would give the kid a quick math and reading diagnostic before the exams started, just to be sure.

If all goes well then he'd have a new student and a reason to start looking into Aldera.

There had to be someone there, likely an administrator, who'd orchestrated the whole thing, it's just too unlikely everyone acted individually.

But why?

There's plenty of people who hold some grudge against quirkless people for one reason or another–a sad fact about today's life, it's like people forgot quirks didn't always exist–but the explanation didn't sit right with him.

He just needs more evidence. There had to be a reason greater than a simple disdain for his existence.

There was something going on at Aldera, he was sure of it. He just hoped it was contained to the single school.

For now however, Nedzu needed to make himself busy, there were only two days till the hero exams started and he still had much to do.

-

Midoriya didn't realize just how much time had passed till he looked to the sky and saw the moon staring right back.

It was kind of beautiful.

The moon was full tonight, and as if nature herself was in awe of their beauty, the clouds parted to either side of the sphere, letting the light drown the beach in a momentary dawn.

But it was equal parts cold as it was pretty. Without the constant burn in his muscles, he started to shiver.

Midoriya decided enough was enough, he could only stall for so long. Regardless of what anyone thinks of him, he's getting into UA. He's already made up his mind.

He just hopes his mom hasn’t already walked a trench into their flooring. She knew he'd be out later than usual today, he warned her beforehand, but it was nearing one AM which was way later than he’d normally be out.

If he came back sick from the cold and humidity of the beach, she'd never let him out again.

Midoriya hobbled over to where his bag was sitting, just on the bottom step of the stairs leading into the beach. He grabbed a water bottle from it and took a long swig before throwing it back in.

He was suddenly wishing he had brought a jacket with him today, but he wasn’t so fortunate to have that kind of foresight.

It was then, that for the first time he saw just how much progress he’d actually made. There was only a single pile of garbage left, he almost felt bad leaving it so close to finished, but he knew he’d be back for more tomorrow.

Instead he chose to savor the clear eye lines towards the shore.

He remembers just how far away this seemed when he first started the project. He thought he’d never get it done, but he kept at it, chipping away more and more with each passing day, and as the trash made way to white sand, his arms grew with muscles.

That was always the intention of it, to get stronger. Doing something for his community is only an added benefit. He knows he’d never have been able to work out at a gym, there’d be too many people that recognize him, that’d hate to see a quirkless deku do something good for themself. Even if he could, he would never be so greedy as to make his mom pay for a membership, he already knows how much they’re financially struggling, even if she tries to hide him from it.

Izuku pushed his hair up from his face, the locks drenched with sweat, and grabbed his bag from where it was sitting, swinging it over his shoulder.

He should be getting a move on. He doesn’t want to get on a bad sleep schedule right before he’s supposed to be meeting with Nedzu.

With that, he ascended up the concrete steps and past the beach, only stopping momentarily to look back at his handiwork. The reflection of the moon gently resting on the ocean behind the barren sands was a truly special sight.

He hopes he gets to have more days like this. Despite the stress of his future meeting with the principal, it’s been a good day.

He only hopes the coming ones will be as nice.

Chapter Text

His day was not going well. But how could it?

Nedzu, the famous pro hero and best analyst to ever do it, said to have a level of intellect rivaled by none and the principal of the most prestigious academy in all of the word. That Nedzu is the one, who for some reason undecipherable to Midoriya, chose him of all people to extend an offer to?

Part of him doesn’t believe it, the offer could be a figment of his imagination created out of delusion and feckless dreams rearing their head.

The other half of him however, knows that it's not true; the weight of the situation too heavy a burden to forget.

He could still turn around, tell his mom he was mistaken and leave it at that. He knows she'd prod at him for answers, but he could win her over. Lying to her isn't anything new.

Midoriya sighed and pulled his hood a little tighter, continuing to walk towards whatever fate lie ahead. He could see the imposing building in the distance, his dream school, a building he never thought he'd be having second thoughts about.

The note Nedzu left said 9:00 AM, it was still over an hour before then, but he couldn't just sit around in his room anymore letting the stress consume him.

He left early, giving his mom a hug and responding to her call of good luck with false confidence.

He knows how to fake a smile.

Before he even knew it his feet carried him to the famous UA barrier, an imposing wall nigh impossible to break through. There was a lone gate in the middle of it, anyone without a valid license would have it shut in their face–many videos of it cutting off overzealous civilians have gone viral over the years.

Midoriya strolled over to a little screen on the edge of the gate, it had a pop-up on it that read “Request Access”. Midoriya warily clicked on the button after a final second of hesitation.

A few moments later, an intercom Midoriya didn't even realize was there coughed to life, “Ah, Midoriya, It's good to see you again. It appears you're early.” That was unmistakably Nedzu's voice talking to him.

That means there's a camera somewhere, but for all the careful scanning he did none were visible. It doesn’t matter anyways, knowing it’s location wouldn't help him. 

A green light flashed on the screen beside him telling him his request was accepted.

“Please come in, Midoriya. I'll meet you at the entrance."

Welp, it's too late to back out now.

Midoriya took his first step past the gate, he half expected it to stop him anyways, but it didn’t. Things could never be that simple.

He let his feet carry him even further beyond the barrier, if he was in a better state he would have stopped to appreciate the courtyard–he knows a younger version of himself would have awed at the statues depicting their most famous alumni–but he was not in the right mind for that. Instead all he could do on the way was stare at his feet and go over the endless possibilities he's already memorized, trying to find some case he missed. They all end poorly.

Either way, he knows being stuck in his mind and muttering to himself is no way to make a first impression. Even if he knows he'll never see any of the people here again, it's better safe than sorry.

Midoriya took a deep breath and stepped his way inside the building. He never dreamed he would be here, he thought the feeling of standing inside the building he's dreamed of since childhood would be more dramatic, that something would change inside him and the cloud in his brain would part. They didn’t. They never do.

Somehow his dreams feel more feeble than before he planted himself inside the building, nothing had changed, but in his mind the difference was drastic. There was something about coming so close to your dreams that makes them feel so much farther away. What he knows is that he needed to keep his head in check and eyes focused on whatever could keep it that way. He knows how it goes when he fails, he's familiar with the spiral and each of its various twists and turns. 

He started to count the number of tiles on the floor, his go to strategy. But then he felt a pair of eyes land on him. He looked where they should have been coming from, but nothing was there.

He must have been mistaken. It must be his paranoia.

-

Messy green hair, green eyes with equally sized bags under them, the short stature and compact frame.

Going by Nedzu’s brief description he knew he had to be looking at Izuku Midoriya. Apparently Nedzu wanted him to see it too, see what had allured him enough to try and have a personal student for the first time since all those years ago.

Since he was Nedzu's pupil.

Aizawa, to be frank, was suspicious of the kid. After all, being told a kid old enough to be in his class was skilled enough to stalk him for what must have been weeks without once being noticed. He couldn't help but take it with a grain of salt.

That, and one other thing. Something that's been giving him a gut churning feeling ever since he first saw the kid.

Those eyes.

There's a phrase that the eyes are the window to the soul. He hopes, for Midoriya's sake, that it's not true. Those eyes are razor sharp, dissecting every detail that comes into his field of vision with unprecedented scrutiny.

Maybe Nedzu was right–not that he would ever doubt the man–but Aizawa can't help but see parts of himself when he was that age in the boy.

He remembers being in his shoes, nervous as all hell and hoping to make a good impression. The only difference was he chose to count ceiling tiles instead, all 232 visible from the entrance.

Maybe they're more similar than he's giving Midoriya credit for.

Either way, he sees what Nedzu had as clear as day. There was undeniably something greater inside that boy, something heroic, he just needed to be let out.

-

312… 313… 314… 315… 316.

There were 316 tiles on the floor visible from the school's entrance. The information was not helpful.

His hands were sweaty and his mind was in shambles. He kept his feet planted, just as he had before, except this time out of fear he'd fall over the second he moved.

He could swear the tiles started to move. They circled, and swirled in a hypnotic pattern, he never wanted to throw up more.

He was nauseous and sweaty. It's never been this bad before, his anxiety. All the times he ignored the voice in the back of his mind caught up to him and now he couldn't stop it from running, running farther and farther away, until it got so far it could no longer hear the weak calls for it to stop.

He needed something, anything, to focus on, to give his mind pause for just a second, enough time to reel it in and never let go again.

And that's exactly what he got.

A pair of footsteps, tiny quiet footsteps. Footsteps barely audible from where he stood, footsteps just noticeable enough to drag him away from his mind, footsteps belonging to none other than the man he'd been equally excited and dreading to see, footsteps belonging to principal Nedzu of UA.

Each step was agonizingly slow, like a taunt–or maybe he just had a small gait. He was still at the far end of the entrance hallway and by the look of it over a minute away.

The silver lining is it gave Midoriya time to calm down. He swiped his palms on his pants and pulled his hood down. Long easy breaths in and out, six of them, not that he was counting or anything.

Even if he knows how this ends, it can't hurt to try making a good second impression. The last one barely counted anyways, he was working at the time and the conversation was cut short.

Now Midoriya was in Nedzu's domain and he felt like it, perhaps it was the fault of the building itself–he doesn't have very many good memories from school.

It was then that he realized it was probably rude to make Nedzu walk all this way just to turn around the second he gets here. He should have met him half way–realistically three quarters. Any normal person who isn't a social nightmare would’ve, but not him, of course he'd go messing it up before they even reached him. But by this point Nedzu was almost there and starting to walk would be too little too late.

“Midoriya-kun, it's good to see you again.”

Ah, the talking part. How could he forget about the talking part.

“It's good to see you again too, Nedzu-sensei.” Perfect, one line clean and simple, he didn't even stutter. Maybe this would go better than he thought.

“I see you've taken to calling me sensei already, but it's entirely unnecessary. You can drop the honorifics if you'd like,” Nedzu said.

Midoriya rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, a slight pink tinge on his freckles. “Of course, you can do the same for me then.”

“Thank you, Midoriya,” Nedzu said, “Now, I’m sure you noticed, but I walk a lot slower than you on account of my size. Do you mind giving me a ride?”

“I- uh, what…”

-

For all the time Midoriya spent worrying about how this meeting would go, never once did the idea cross his mind that he would be carrying Nedzu on his shoulder.

“So, how’d you first get into doing analysis?” Nedzu asked.

Apparently riding on someone's shoulder isn’t that awkward of a situation for Nedzu then. He wonders how often he does this.

“I…” Midoriya thought about it for a moment, “When I was a kid I saw my mom watching the news and there was a video of All Might playing on the TV. I thought he was the coolest hero ever. After that I begged my mom to watch more videos of All Might saving the day. I remember staying up for hours hunched over her laptop watching all the clips we could find. The next day I started writing down everything I remembered from the videos in one of my notebooks so I could show all my friends at school. I guess that was the start of it.” Midoriya said.

“Were you interested in other heroes at that age?” Nedzu asked.

“Of course, in fact after I was done writing about All Might I started trying to find out as much as I could about all the heroes I could, my second favorite at the time was Sir Nighteye, but that was only because he was All Might’s sidekick.”

Nedzu made a noncommittal hum, “And when did you start analyzing underground heroes?”

And the walk continued like that, meaningless small talk only ever interrupted by Nedzu to tell him which turn to make or to ask questions. Midoriya didn’t even realize they’d made it to their destination until Nedzu was hopping off his shoulder and leading him into a room.

He’d completely forgotten about all the stress he was feeling just minutes ago, the room it had once taken up in his mind replaced with recountings of his childhood. Honestly he felt kinda silly for worrying so much.

“This is my office, please take a seat.” Nedzu gestured to a wooden desk that looked entirely out of place.

The room was grand to say the least. Nedzu’s desk was stately and the big window behind it brought refreshing natural light into the room. The real eye catcher however, was the imposing glass cabinet taking up more than half the left wall, filled entirely with blends of tea Midoriya’s only ever heard of.

He decided not to comment. Instead Midoriya followed Nedzu’s lead and sat in the desk he was offered.

“I’m glad you came early, Midoriya, it gives you time to do a quick test I designed just last night,” Nedzu said “There’s two parts, but you can’t do the second till later on.”

“I thought you said I wouldn’t be needing to take the exams.” Midoriya said with a frown.

“I was referring to the gen-ed exams, sadly I still need to give you a test to permit your entrance, it's school policy.” It was technically the truth, but just barely, more of an interpretation one could make of the rules than the one meant.

Technically is Nedzu's favorite way of interpreting the rules. 

What Nedzu really wanted from the exam wasn't to fulfil some rule, it was to see just how smart the boy in front of him really is. “The exam is much shorter than the ones you would have taken for gen-ed, there’s only ten questions.”

“There’s only ten?” It sounded too good to be true, there had to be something to it.

“I’m an animal of my word Midoriya, now if your ready-” Nedzu grabbed a packet off his desk and scurried down to Midoriya’s level before handing it to him, “-you can start now. You have one hour.”

Midoriya scanned through the packet, and as he was told only ten questions were there, no multiple choice. Hell, half of them didn’t even have multiple parts.

It seemed too easy, too simple. Some were math, some were reading, some were writing, each of them were complex and required multiple steps or paragraphs to solve or explain.

But there wasn’t anything too hard, nothing he didn’t know how to do.

He was already on the back page after only twenty minutes, things seemed to be going too well.

And that's when they stopped going well.

The final question in the packet, the shortest one by far, yet one so entirely impossible it felt like a joke. It read: Tell me a hero fact I don’t know.

How the hell was he supposed to do that? The smartest being in all of Japan seriously expects that he, Izuku Midoriya, is capable of knowing something he doesn’t? It felt like a joke, he stared at the text for what must have been minutes, willing it to change. It wouldn’t.

How could a question like that ever be put on a test? He knows Nedzu said he wrote it himself, but surely he knows better than to make an impossible question, it doesn't even have anything to do with a subject. The question wouldn’t gauge anything he learned in school, so why put it there? There had to be a reason, he just knew it, but there was nothing he could find, no secret written in plain sight.

There was still half the time on the test left, but given the rest of his lifespan he’d still only have nine out of ten questions answered.

He placed his pencil down and started looking around the room. Nedzu was watching him. He looked back down.

Thirty minutes turned to twenty and twenty turned to ten. The space remained blank. His mind remained full.

Five minutes.

Four minutes.

Three minutes.

Two minutes.

One minute.

Zero seconds. He was done. He wasn’t closer to an answer than when he began either, if anything he felt farther, so, so much farther.

He kept looking down. At some point Nedzu grabbed the paper, not that it matters anymore, he failed. Each second passed slower than the last, he was despondent. He didn’t even realize he was being talked to till a hand was placed on him.

“Midoriya.”

He looked up. Nedzu was smiling, Midoriya was not.

“You scored very well, a nine out of ten is nothing to scoff at. I see you left the final question blank, do you care to explain why?”

Does he care to explain why? Nedzu already knows the answer, why ask? 

“Because it’s an impossible question.” Midoriya said matter of factly.

Nedzu made another humming noise, “And why do you think that?” he said.

What's with these meaningless questions? Midoriya knows Nedzu knows the answer, he knows every answer to everything. That's why it was left blank, that's the answer to his stupid question.

He's trying his hardest not to be rude, but Nedzu was starting to get on his nerves. “Because you made it that way.”

“I see.” Nedzu said. “Well, come along then. I promised you I'd let you watch the hero course exams didn't I. We'd better get going, they should be starting soon.”

What. Was he really letting it go? Midoriya was certain Nedzu would reject him then and there, telling him a nine out of ten wasn't good enough to meet UA’s strict academic standards.

He needed to reconsider a lot now. Was Nedzu serious about letting a quirkless person like him attend UA?

It was hard to believe. Maybe there was hope for him after all; for the quirkless kid with big ambitions, whose only fault is believing in himself too much. Maybe he too could live his dreams, maybe he too could go to UA.

“Are you coming?”

“Huh,” Midoriya looked to the door, he completely forgot what he was supposed to be doing. Nedzu was holding it ajar for him with a smile on his face, this time Midoriya could reciprocate it. “Sorry, I spaced out for a second.” Midoriya rushed to Nedzu's side, his grin never once leaving.

“It's perfectly okay, Midoriya,” Nedzu said. “There's no rush. That said, you wouldn't mind giving me another ride would you?”

Midoriya chuckled and crouched down to give the principal better access. “Lead the way.”

Nedzu scurried up Midoriya’s side and onto his shoulder with a finesse only gained through repetition. He really wonders how often he does this. Somehow it felt less weird than before. Nedzu called out a direction and Midoriya followed, there wasn’t any small talk between the two this time, but the silence wasn’t tense or awkward, it was familiar and comforting.

Eventually they arrived at another door and just as he had before Nedzu hopped down and led him inside. This time they weren't alone.

There was another man in the room, there wasn’t anything identifiable about him, but he knows UA only hires heroes as teachers and there was no reason for some other staff to be here. That means whoever he was looking at was a hero, likely underground or someone who carefully hides their civilian identity.

He had black hair and eyes and his outfit fit the dark aesthetic. There was also a yellow… thing on the floor. Midoriya couldn’t quite make out what it was, he thought it was a sleeping bag at first, but one of those would have no reason to be here.

“Ah, you brought the kid.” The dark haired person said.

“Of course I did Shouta, I told you I would.” Nedzu responded.

Shouta… that name, he knows he’s seen it before. Had he written it?

“Eraserhead?” Midoriya questioned.

“And I see you weren’t downplaying his observational skills either,” the now identified man said.

So it was him. That revealed a lot actually, for one he’s the hero Nedzu chose to flip to in his notebook, he didn't think about it at the time because there didn’t need to be a reason for it, but there was one now. More importantly, it explained why he always looked so tired when on patrol. He thought he might have some sort of sleeping problem like insomnia, he did consider the possibility of a day job, but a teaching gig at UA was not something he had in his cards.

Either way, Eraserhead was standing in front of him now and he wasn't exactly sure of what to do. 

His first instinct was to ask the man some questions he was unable to figure out while observing him, but none were really important. They were moreso topics of curiosity that would have no impact on his greater understanding of the man than they were anything relevant to his analysis–if they were he'd have bothered for an answer long before now.

Still, he couldn't pass up the opportunity right in front of him, he just needed to figure out the right approach.

Was there anything he needed to know?

That's when it hit him, ever since he was a child there was one question whose answer has always eluded him, or at least that's what he'd like to think.

And now with someone capable of giving him a definitive answer standing right in front of him he knew he had to ask.

“Eraserhead,” he got the man's attention, “can someone without a quirk become a hero too.”

-

For all the respect Shouta had for the man, he couldn't help but curse Nedzu. He’d lauded him about this boy for damn near an hour altogether, recounted every detail down to the color of his teacup, but somehow forgot to mention he was quirkless.

There's no way he didn't do it on purpose, he was playing with him.

If he'd know, he would have mentally prepared himself for a question like this. 

He woke up this morning expecting an easy day of watching prospective heroes play adult and complaining about the exam being biased. That's what normally happened and what he prepared himself for, instead he's being asked to comfort some kid he just met and answer a complex question about his world views.

That said, if he was so easily thrown off by a single question he wouldn't be a very good hero, his whole job is dealing with the unexpected. He just would have liked some early warning.

“No," he told the kid, "Not one people would know about at least. It's a tough world, some people are born with more useful abilities than others and while it may be tough it's crucial you understand that,” He said.

He could see the heartbreak in his eyes, but he wasn't done, he always leads with the bad news.

“That said, being quirkless isn't in of itself a disqualifying factor. I've seen plenty of wannabe heroes come into my classroom and not all of them made it to graduation. All of them, for one reason or another, were people I deemed unworthy of the hero title, so I expelled them.”

Midoriya's eyes widened at the new information and he made a little gasp.

“If a quirkless person were to make it through my doors and they were to show an upstanding commitment to their heroic duties, then it would be my duty as a teacher to foster their abilities so that they too could become a hero. I don't subscribe to the idea that a hero needs a quirk, but I am also realistic enough to realize they have an inherent disadvantage to their peers. For all the advancements in technology there are some quirks you couldn't copy and even if you could it would have its own limitations compared to being born with one. If you train hard enough, play to your advantages, keep a good head on your shoulders, and never give up, then you could be a fine hero.”

God he hopes he was encouraging enough, the last thing he wants is to break someone's dreams, but staying tempered by reality is important. A quirkless person could never punch like All Might, shoot fire like Endeavor, or fly like Hawks, there's no point in lying to the kid, it could only lead to future heartbreak.

This was so above his pay grade.

-

Does he really mean it? Could he really have been a hero? He doesn't know what to think.

Every turn he's taken in his life the one constant was that his dreams were dreams and could only ever stay that way–though some might have phrased it harsher. 

So why now? After so long having wished he'd been given this answer, after having already given up on his dream and found a new one, why now is he being told he can be a hero?

It’s not fair. It would be so much simpler if he ended it at no. He could move on, he’d accepted that answer long ago, but now he’s being told he could and it’s just not fair.

He knows it’s irrational, but he’s almost more angry at being told yes than he would have been with a no. Where was the yes when he needed it, it was always no, from his mom, friends, teachers, strangers, anyone who is anyone said no, why couldn’t they have said yes, why only now after having given up for years is it suddenly yes.

He clenched his fists and his fingernails pricked at his own skin, they threatened to draw blood, but he couldn’t care less if they did. He wouldn’t cry, not now. He could later, but not now.

He wouldn’t cry.

He tried to gather himself, he was angry, sad, happy, and every emotion in between, he was mourning for a lost version of himself, one that died years ago in the halls of Aldera and in his own house, one that could never come back, one whose dreams are finally able to become reality, a reality they will never see.

He needed to move on, he will move on. He was able to move on before so why is it so different now, why is it so hard? Has he ever really moved on?

He thought about it, he always told himself he had. He rarely even thought about how he would be a hero anymore. Except that wasn’t true, he was lying to himself even then. When he started analyzing it wasn’t because he just wanted to help heroes, it’s because he wanted to be one. And when that dream died he lost himself in his work, trying to salvage even a single piece of him that still believed, he thought that maybe one day he would run into a hero that would rekindle that lost part of himself.

He just didn’t think that would be today.

Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was.

He needed to move on. He would figure it out later, he had to, right now he had work to do and he would get it done.

Midoriya released his hands from their clutches, took one long breath, and put on his smile. He was ready. He could do this, he would make it through today.

He walked to the giant window on one side of the room, there was a view of a whole city below him. He knew UA was rich, but having a whole mock city for the entrance exams is an unprecedented level of wealth.

“Do you remember what I told you the other day?” Nedzu said from behind him.

Midoriya thought back on their interaction.

“...I would like you to join me on the day of the hero course exams. I would love to see how your brain works in real time. If you’re willing, I would have you analyze students competing for the course. If your work meets my standards then, and only then, will I sign your notebook.”

His notebook. He forgot to bring it.

He was mentally cursing himself the second he remembered. He only had one job, show up with his notebook. Instead he spent the entire time he had to prepare stressing over nothing and forgot to do the one thing he was asked of.

“You know," Nedzu said, "I do keep extra notebooks. This is a school afterall.”

Right. They were in the most prestigious academy in all of Japan, of course they would have a notebook he could use. 

He turned around to ask his principal for one, but he already had one in his hands. He even had a pencil for him. He sheepishly accepted the supplies with a thank you and turned back to the window he was gazing through before.

“So what do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Just pick a few students, around three. All I want you to do is analyze them like you would any other hero.”

It was that simple, he could do that.

“The practical exams will be starting momentarily-” Nedzu appeared in the right side of his vision and pointed down to a small cube against the wall. “The students will be emerging from there any second now.”

And as if it were responding to his voice the box he was now looking at unfolded itself and revealed a group of prospective students just as he had been told.

So this was it, UA's practical exam. He was kinda excited.

He always thought he would be one of the people down below, but he has no regrets being up here instead. He started looking more closely at the would be students below, there were a few interesting people with obvious quirks. Then something caught his attention.

Spikey blonde hair. It couldn’t be, except Midoriya knows all too well that it not just could be, but almost definitely would be.

All doubt was erased when small explosions were created from his hands. He was propelling himself forward into the city, but Midoriya felt frozen.

Kacchan.

He was really here.

Chapter Text

Keigo Takami, officially, was given up for adoption at age seven. Maybe he did something wrong, or maybe it was his parents fault. Maybe they couldn't take care of him anymore, maybe one of them died, maybe they just didn’t love him anymore. There's many reasons why someone could be put up for adoption, all that matters is that there was one.

Because unofficially, Keigo Takami was taken in by the Hero Public Safety Commission at age seven. It's a truth he's had to live with ever since that day and one that no one else can know about.

Not that anyone cares to know about Keigo Takami, he was last seen nearly two decades ago and there's no reason to start looking into him now. Someone people do care to know about however, is the number three hero Hawks.

And that causes problems.

Even since he hit the top ten speculation started running wild about who he is. Most heroes are either blasé about their civilian identity, like Endeavor, or are able to blend in out of their costume, like Best Jeanist.

Hawks however, there's no way someone like him would go unnoticed. Even if he didn't have giant, bright red wings on his back advertising his location like a neon open sign outside a crappy gas station, which is a big if, it's not like his hero costume covers any of his face. He would be incredibly identifiable out of his costume, so of course people started to wonder how they had no clue who he was.

None of the theories he's seen are even close to the truth. He's sure at least someone on the internet had said something close to it, but they would be dismissed as a conspiracy theorist. It's not that they aren't all conspiracy theorists, because they are, but most like to consider themselves too smart to be one–even though their own guesses are just as unfounded as the ones they dismiss.

Honestly, he's not sure why his identity needs to be a secret. Sure, he gets why the commission needs their role left unsaid, but what he doesn't get is why everything else needs to stay quiet. Surely his name couldn't be linked to them.

Keigo blew the bit of hair hanging in his face up. It was a sweaty mess at the moment, quirk training always took a lot out of him. He could use a haircut soon, but by the time the commission processed any request for one, his scheduled one will have already come and gone.

What he could really use is a day off. He knows this regular training is supposed to help him, but even the most extensively trained heroes have to have some days off, right?

He sighed, and got up from where he was slouched against the wall of the gym.

After making sure he still had all his feathers with him he headed out of the room. The commission's new group of trainees are supposed to have the next time slot and they aren't to know about him just yet.

He's still not sure how he feels about it. He knows he's being silly for doubting the commission, they're the ones who made him into a hero after all, he couldn't have done it without them. At the same time however, he feels sorry for the kids. He knows they're not being gone easy on and even if they chose this path–which he has some doubts about–they deserve to have more input in their futures.

Hawks stopped himself from going down that train of thought any further. The commission is good, just like they were to him, any other interpretation of their morality is unfounded and wrong. He shouldn't be having doubts, doubts are for those without confidence and he was trained to be confident.

The kids will be fine, and if they aren't then… Hawks sighed again, he wasn't going to do anything about it.

-

Ever since Midoriya was a child, there’s always been one person, aside from his mother, who's been a permanent fixture in his life, since before even their quirks came in–or at least some of them did. He was his first true friend and they were connected in a way he wasn’t even with her.

Kacchan.

It’s because of that connection that he should have expected this. He’s always wanted to be a hero, they both did, and when he sets his sight on a goal he isn’t one to back off from it in the slightest. He always presses forward, going through whatever or whoever may get in his way. His motivation and drive are like none other and that’s what drew Midoriya to him.

It’s sad that he was seen as an obstacle. He understands, really, he does.

Kacchan couldn’t be seen loitering with a quirkless person, it would make him look weak and looking weak would slow him down. If he wanted to be a hero then he would do what it takes even if it means going through him, and that’s okay.

Despite how his hands shake and his palms sweat, it’s okay, he isn't scared, he has no reason to be.

He’s sure Nedzu noticed the reaction, but from here he wouldn’t be able to tell from what, and if he hadn't said anything already then he likely wouldn’t. That’s good, it means he can act like nothing happened, things can stay normal.

In reality, their relationship is… it’s complicated, more than he wants it to be at least. He doesn’t hate Kacchan, he doesn’t even dislike the guy. If anything Midoriya still has some childish admiration for his once friend despite his clear disdain towards him.

So while at times–more like most the time–Kacchan would do something the greenette really wishes he hadn’t, he can’t dislike him for it. He’s sure anyone as focused as him would do the same.

Still, he can’t help the shiver he feels looking at him or the slight trembling in his legs. But it’s fine, it just means his body hasn’t caught up to his brain yet. He knows it's fine what Bakugou’s done, normal even. So even if his body shakes, his mind is firm. Just the way it should be. Everything’s fine.

Right now he’s standing in UA, next to Nedzu of all people, it was something he could never have dreamed of doing just a week ago, so how couldn’t he be fine.

Really, when he looks at it that way he’s doing more than fine, fine enough to make up for any past mistakes his friend made.

He knows he shouldn’t focus on the past, today is for the future, his future. No matter how intertwined their upbringings were, they couldn't be farther apart. Kacchan’s actually reaching his goals, he switched them.

Even if they do both end up going to UA, they aren't going to interact. Kacchan's going to get into the hero course, there's nothing he's more sure of than that, but Midoriya? He's going to get into gen-ed, that is, if Nedzu's an animal of his word, which he has no reason not to be, but it’s not like any of his teachers have ever had a reason not to be.

Maybe in the far future they'll end up interacting again. Maybe he'll be an analyst, helping the heroes. More likely though, he'll end up as a civilian needing to be saved or a fan asking for an autograph.

It's for that reason that he has to choose to not analyse Kacchan.

Sure, Kacchan would be easy, but he would be holding onto a relationship that's already sank. It's for the best that he lets go.

Midoriya could feel himself start to calm down as he turned his gaze to the rest of the pack. There were some interesting people there. A few of them had obvious mutations that would help with the exam, some had mutations that didn't appear to do much, and some had nothing that stood out.

He decided he would pick one of each. To get the easy one out of the way first, there was someone with a really interesting quirk that gave them multiple arms. Or… no, they weren't just arms, there were other appendages like ears, eyes, and mouths forming at the ends. Midoriya could feel himself getting excited, that was sure one interesting quirk.

He still needed to hold back his excitement, there were still two others he needed to choose. For the non-obviously helpful mutation his choice was actually really obvious–there weren't many which stood out as much as hers. She had bright pink hair and skin and yellow horns sticking out the sides of her head. He wondered what her quirk was that made her look like that.

For his third choice it wasn't so easy, most of the people down there had no obvious mutation so selecting someone was a hard choice.

He was having a hard time with his selection when one person jumped out at him. There wasn't really anything unique about him, but he had an aura to him that was familiar for some reason. He had dark lavender hair and even from a distance he could see the eye bags on him. Midoriya had his choice.

-

Shinso doesn't know why he even bothered to show up.

He's known for years that he had no chance at being a hero, but he thought if he showed up to the exams he might get one anyway. His dreams were crushed the second he learned they weren't facing people.

He had no reason to continue after learning that. He should have dropped out the second he found out. His scores on the exams were probably good enough to get into gen-ed, but something inside him wouldn't let him go along with that plan, so he stayed in despite it.

Did he really want to be a hero that badly? Hitoshi sighed, of course he did. He's always known that he did, but he didn't have to recognize it if he didn't want to.

Walking into the exam sight was oddly sad. He didn't know why at first but the reason became clear, he was watching what could have been his future if he was born with a different quirk, a heroic quirk.

It’s not that he believes in such things as heroic, or more importantly, villainous, quirks, because he doesn't. What he does know for fact however, is that there is a type of quirk that is treated more heroic and a type of quirk society sees as belonging to a villain. His falls firmly into the latter category.

Shinso clenched his fists and walked with the rest of the pack into the city, maybe if he was lucky he could score a point or two, but he didn’t think it was likely. If he used his quirk he could probably get them to score points on his behalf, but it wouldn’t work. There’s no way to prove he was using his quirk on them and even if there was it would go against the rules. They were pretty explicit that getting in the way of others would be disqualifying and there’s no real interpretation that wouldn’t count brainwashing as disruptive to whoever he used it on.

He was about to walk into an alleyway when he felt someone watching him, it wasn’t one of the others down here with him, he was sure of that. Someone was observing him and he pretty quickly found out from where. There was an obvious viewing box along the left wall of the arena, probably for staff to watch from, it must be one of them. The gaze left after a while, but he still felt cold. He doesn’t like being watched.

He thought that would be the end of it and it did seem to be for a long time, that was until it came back, this time it didn’t leave. There wasn’t even that long left in the exam, he couldn’t be sure of the exact time, but there had to be just minutes left on the clock. There must be someone more interesting to be watching, like the asshole with the explosive quirk, but the eyes just wouldn’t leave him.

There had to be some reason he was being watched, but he wasn’t doing anything worthy of their time. Maybe they found out about his quirk and decided he needed to be watched just to make sure he doesn’t turn villain out of nowhere. He thought UA was better than that.

Oh well, it’s not like it changes anything. If they want to waste their time watching someone do nothing then it’s their right to do that, maybe after the exam they could watch grass grow or maybe if they were good they could watch paint dry. Shinso laughed at the thought.

He stopped laughing when the ground started shaking, for a second he thought it was an earthquake, Japan gets plenty of them, but then he saw it. A robot taller than any of the buildings in the city, what the fuck was UA thinking. Sure the exam has to have some level of danger, but that could kill somebody if they aren’t careful.

He grit his teeth and started running towards the danger, he isn’t sure why but his body just knew it was the right thing to do and god he wishes he was more fit.

He knows there’s no chance he could take that thing down, there's not even a chance he could help someone else do it. He would be useless, or worse a hindrance. Still, he kept running towards it despite every sense of logic he has telling him to turn around.

He saw a pile of rubble, or at least, it looked like a pile of rubble and for the most part that's what it was, but there was something struggling under it. He quickly identified it as a person. They were trapped.

All the exhaustion he had moments prior vanished into thin air, whoever that was under there was directly in the path of the robot. Why was no one helping her? Everybody was running the other way, part of him wanted to go with them, no one would blame him for doing it.

Shinso grit his teeth and started running opposite the flow of people. He knows he can't run away.

Turning around now would not only be betraying her, but also betraying himself. There was no hero for him when he needed one. He didn’t need it to be a real one, all he needed was someone willing to help, but no one ever did.

If he didn’t help her now when she needs it most, then how could he have any right to have expected any when he needed it? He knew he needed to try, even if he fails he knows he needs to try.

He ran to her side as fast as he could, he could see the real fear in her eyes, he could see them begging for help. She was trapped under a chunk of concrete that was pinning her down. If there wasn’t other rubble by her sides holding it up she would have been crushed.

It looked heavy, so much heavier than he could lift, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn't try. “I’ll help you,” He said, he didn't know if he was trying to comfort her or himself.

Shinso rubbed his hands together and gripped one side of the concrete. If he could lift it up just a little she could slide out, she would be okay.

With all the might he could muster he pulled up on the chunk of rock as hard as he could. The jagged edges were cutting into his hands and drawing blood, but that’s okay. He’d give up a lot more than some skin for her safety.

He was slipping, he could feel it. The rock wouldn’t move. He was lifting with his legs, arms, and every muscle in between trying to get that thing off the ground, but for each attempt at lifting it only felt harder. His hands were shredded, but he could not care about himself less at this moment. Any second the zero pointer would be on top of them and he will have failed.

Every moment until that point that isn’t spent trying to save her, no matter how small, will be another million years of regret.

Shinso grit his teeth again and adjusted his hold on the rock, trying to lift it again.

The shadow of the robot was now covering them and he wasn’t any closer to saving her. The foot was in the air and he wasn’t any closer to saving her. The foot was crashing down and he wasn’t any closer to saving her. The buzzer rang, the foot stopped, he failed. 

He failed, but she was safe. That’s all that matters.

He took a step back and for the first time truly noticed just how much blood was staining the rock, it must have been sharper than he realized.

Eventually heroes passed him, but he barely noticed them. They were helping her, he couldn’t, he was pathetic, all he could do was become a second victim.

When someone tapped on his shoulder he was caught off guard, it’s not like him to be like that. “You should go see Recovery Girl about your hands,” Whoever it was pointed down to near the entrance, “You did good kid.”

They were lying to him. He didn’t do good, he failed. He doesn’t care about his score on the exam, he failed what he truly cared about at that moment, he failed to protect her. If this was real she would be a red mist on the ground and so would he.

How could they say that? How could they think deserves to have his hands healed when they are so red? How could they not see how he just let that girl die?

His heart was pounding in his chest and his lungs were forcing the bitter air into his throat.

He felt something wet land on his arm. Was it raining? He looked up at the sky, but it was clear. He was crying. He doesn’t remember the last time he cried.

At least she’s safe now. At least the real heroes are here. 

He has so much work to do.

-

Aizawa was standing by Recovery Girl. He snuck away from Nedzu’s box pretty early on, not that anyone cared, they were much too focused, but sadly he is too now, because that purple haired kid, he did something incredible out there. It wasn’t just that he was the only one who tried to help that girl, but he was willing to die for it.

It’s only an exam, but it must have been real for him. Aizawa can tell he was really willing to die to save another person’s life. Not many people are like that. Sure, they’d all say they would, but when push comes to shove all of them would have run away the second they realized they couldn’t lift the rock.

It’s also a problem. He shouldn’t have done that. Sometimes when you’re a hero you can’t save everyone, sometimes you need to walk away so you don’t die with them. He was too willing to die, it’s like he didn’t care.

Somehow he has a feeling Nedzu’s going to make this his problem, but truthfully he doesn’t mind this time, he was already willing to do that.

Another thing that’s worrying is that he wouldn’t go to Recovery Girl. Aizawa knows he was told to, anyone with an injury is, but he was just standing there staring at his hands and crying.

He may not have a class yet and that kid probably won't even be in it, but he can smell a problem child from a mile away and he most certainly is one.

Aizawa sighed and started walking towards the kid. He made sure to stay silent, not that it mattered. If he was wearing his capture scarf he'd have just grabbed the kid and walked him to Recovery Girl himself, it's not like he was willing to go on his own, but since he wasn't wearing it this required some tact.

He stayed silent as he approached the kid, positioning himself behind them, “Kid,”

Aizawa got exactly the reaction he was looking for, the kid flinched and snapped his head backwards to look at him. That means he actually has his attention, if he'd approached normally he would have been heard, but not listened to.

“Go to Recovery Girl or I'll drag you there,” Aizawa said, “You can mope about failing later.”

Some might call him insensitive for his approach, but he would call it logical. You don't get to mourn those a villain has killed while you're still there, you'll die if you do. If you want to be a hero then you can't be emotional until you're safe and at home. Then you can take a day off and cry yourself to sleep, but until then you need to keep an even head or you'll just become another victim.

“Well, what are you waiting for, a starting gun? When I said go, I meant it.” God Aizawa hates dealing with children, somehow he knows being a teacher wasn't his calling. How the rat convinced him to be one is a mystery to even himself.

This was above his pay grade.

-

Nedzu, if anything, is a careful man. If he can be a step ahead then he's already found out how to be two. So when Midoriya chose Shinso Hitoshi as one of his candidates he already knew how it was going to go.

Or at least that's what he thought.

So when, against all the preconceptions he had, Shinso Hitoshi rushed in to help Uraraka, he was a little shocked to say the least. Not that he let it show.

Instead he readjusted his calculations, filing away the new piece of information and letting it guide him a little.

Except maybe he didn't let it guide him enough, because when he didn't move, not even with the zero pointer right on top of him, that was enough to make him let out a little gasp.

Of course, the exam ended before he could be crushed, the inlaid cameras with facial recognition software in the zero pointer's feet made sure of that. But still, he was surprised. He honestly might be having a harder time analyzing him than Midoriya right now.

Speaking of, Midoriya still has his nose in that notebook. From the few peaks he's taken already he knows whatever’s being written is going to be a high quality. 

He's pretty sure Midoriya didn't notice when Aizawa snuck out of the room. Or maybe he did, there wasn't any reaction to seeing him down there after all. Not that it matters, he's was going to pass either way, he just doesn't know it yet.

It's one of the things Nedzu's kept all of his staff, bar one, unaware of. He's going to love seeing their reactions when they learn about Midoriya.

What he's not going to love is the media’s. If, or rather, when they learn he has a personal student, they're going to have a heyday, and when they learn he's quirkless they're not going to be as kind as him.

He can see the headlines now, “UA Principal Degenerates Own School, Accepts Quirkless as Personal Student,”

He knows it won't be able to stay quiet forever, he has to submit UA’s updated attendance information to the department of education and Nedzu has a sneaking suspicion the HPSC’s going to be looking through it. Bad press for UA is good news for them.

Nedzu sighed, wishing he had a cup of tea in front of him. God he hopes he wins whatever battles inevitably come of this.

But on the topic of his soon to be personal student, they still don't know about that. To Nedzu's knowledge they still think they'll be going into gen-ed, what a waste of a mind that would be.

He also didn't let him know that the analysis was the second part of their exam. It would be easier to figure that out than the prior, but Nedzu's still reasonably certain he doesn't know.

Welp, it's not like he can tell him until after they finish writing, so it's going to be more waiting for Nedzu. It's fine, he's a master of the long-game, he knows how to be patient.

But while he's waiting it couldn't hurt to do a little research of his own. If the HPSC's trying to find bad press for him, then it wouldn't be unfair to do the same, would it?

He opened the staff laptop he asked Aizawa to bring here, he made sure all staff laptops are just as secure as anything he’d use for himself.

He quickly signed into his account and got to work, or at least that's what he'd have liked to have done, but he didn't know where to start. His first thought was to go through recent press releases, but he already knows there's nothing of use there.

He could search through articles, but no one's doing serious investigative journalism of the commission in today's society.

He briefly considered trying to hack into their internal records, but that would both be a crime and unlikely to yield results–not that it matters if it did, because, again, jail. It was another easy no.

So instead of doing any of that, he went with another option. He started reaching out to his contacts.

He doesn't have many who would be able to help and fewer who would be willing to, but if even one of them could find some dirt on the commission it would be enough. It probably helps that he's willing to promise heavy compensation.

Nedzu sent a few messages and sighed, something he found himself doing increasingly frequently, then closed his laptop–of course he made sure to close everything else first, he can't be having evidence left behind after all. 

Never he's not as good at being patient as he would like to be, but it's something he can work on.

Though, as it turns out, he didn't have to work on it for long, because after only a few minutes of waiting Midoriya closed his notebook and told him he was done. That made Nedzu very happy, he decided waiting wasn't his strong suit after all.

It's not that he can't be patient, he's been waiting years to do something about the commission, but having nothing you can do but wait, yeah, it's not a feeling he likes. It's not Midoriya's fault either, while his completion will give Nedzu a distraction for a good while, he's not what the waiting is about, it's always been about the commission.

He decided it was best not to think about them for the time being, it's not fair to himself or Midoriya. Speaking of, Nedzu decided it's finally time to tell him what this has all been about. He's been looking forward to watching Midoriya process his request since they first met, and in his true rat-like nature, he'll make sure the reaction is entertaining.

“I have to come clean with you Midoriya, when I told you your test has a second part, this was that second part,” Nedzu said “You see, I never intended on letting you go into gen-ed.”

Nedzu deliberately paused there, making sure he fully absorbed that service statement. He can tell Midoriya was struggling to put together how the statements were related, but more than that, he could see the overwhelming defeat of his features. It was such a perfect sight, some might call him evil for thinking that way, but he knows better than to indulge himself too much and so, before Midoriya could interrupt he finished his statement. 

“I never wanted you to be in gen-ed, because I want you to be my personal student.”

Nedzu could feel the smile creeping onto his features despite his best efforts to stop it. Yes, the reaction was perfect, the emotional rollercoaster at its perfection, such a beautiful sight. 

“I-you, you want me to be your student?” Midoriya could barely stutter out a response.

“I've told you I'm an animal of my word, no?”

“Well yes, but… why?” There was a desperate tone in his voice, it was so sweet to hear.

If it was anyone else Nedzu would have played around more with the truth before giving it to them, but he knows the importance of that answer for Midoriya, so as much as it pained him he had to give it to him straight.

“When I looked into your notebook and saw the analysis you had on Shouta, I knew you had a special talent. Today, you have proved yourself again. I can tell it's hard for you to believe, but trust me, if you didn't have talent I would never have let you into this building today. You are one of the best analysts I have ever seen and at such a young age. I know that under my guidance you will be a true force in hero society, so the real question is, why wouldn't I?” Nedzu said.

And Nedzu may have known Midoriya was socially awkward at best, but he didn't expect him to be this bad at taking a compliment. If he'd have known he would have given one sooner.

He had his hands on his face trying to cover the bright pink tinge all over. He was failing badly.

Nedzu could hear him muttering something muffled behind his hands, but could not make out what he actually was saying.

“Would you care to repeat that, without the hands this time.” Nedzu said.

Midoriya did eventually retire his hand to his sides, still blushing, but this time more sheepishly. “Do you really think my analysis is that special?”

“Of course I do, Midoriya, or do you still doubt me?”

Midoriya quickly refuted that last part, of course he trusts him, “But, I wasn't even able to figure out the quirks of everyone I analysed.”

“No, you couldn't, could you, but truth be told I wouldn't have been able to either. At least, not with the same resources you were working with.” Nedzu said, “Shinso didn't use a quirk a single time during the exams, but I know you still wrote down plenty, didn't you?”

-

Shinso, so that was his name. For all the many things he was able to learn about the people, names weren't one of them. It's not like anyone’s wearing a uniform with their name on it.

Though, it doesn't seem that it was an issue, it appears Nedzu already knows everyone he was studying.

“Of course I wrote a lot for him, he was super interesting. The way he ran in there to save that girl was so cool, but…” Midoriya paused, “I wasn't really able to analyze his fighting style or quirk or anything, the most I was able to try to dissect was his mindset. I made some guesses as to what quirk he may have, or why he didn't use it, but I have nothing concrete.”

“And I look forward to reading what you have written, Midoriya, but you must stop doubting your skills when you did as good as I could have.” Nedzu said.

And another surge of pink came flooding Midoriya's features, sure, Nedzu already admitted that even he couldn't have found out a quirk, but does he really think that their work could be equal in quality? Midoriya can't help but not believe it, because believing it means he has to accept that everyone else has been wrong. He has to accept that he was wrong.

It was only ever meant to be a hobby, he wasn't supposed to be going to UA at all, let alone become Nedzu’s student. It's just a little hard to believe, that's all.

Yet even if he tells himself he doesn't believe it, he can't deny the very real smile on his face. He's just going to have to get even better, until he's so good he has no choice but to believe he's Nedzu equal and maybe some day even a superior. He might be dreaming a little bit too big with that last one, but the point still stands.

He has so much work to do.

-

If he was still the same person he was a week ago, he would have never left Nedzu alone. He would be asking every question he could imagine, then imagine new ones to ask.

He would fill up as many pages of his notebook as he could and savor every last word said until he inevitably was forced to leave.

Instead he willingly left the principal with a simple goodbye–by Midoriya's standards a simple goodbye consists of at minimum four compliments and well wishes–and left without a second thought.

The only proof the meeting ever happened was the notebook in his hand and the enormous smile on his face. He can't remember the last time he smiled this much.

If he went home now he would never be able to relax. He'd tell every customer in the cafe about his day and stay up all night thinking about how awesome Nedzu is.

He decided he would take a detour before going home. He might still do those things, at the very least he'll tell his mom, he couldn't not do that. But before he thought about doing any of that, there's something he's been meaning to do for a while now, something he wants to get done before school starts back up again and god he can't remember the last time he was excited for school.

He needs to finish cleaning the beach.

There should only be about half a pile left, it's nothing he couldn't knock out in a few hours. It only took him around three yesterday for the same amount.

The real question was, what’s next? He's been so used to working towards this goal that it's hard for him to know what to do without it. Of course there's the obvious answer, he was just told he's going to be Nedzu's personal student and while that's nothing but exciting, it's not exactly the same as cleaning the beach.

The beach wasn't being cleaned because he wanted the beach clean, he has no real attachment to Dagobah Beach other than the one gained through his hours cleaning it. The reason he was cleaning it was because it helped him get fit, something he direly needed–not that he won't still need it, just because he’s going to UA doesn't mean he's suddenly not quirkless.

But once it's done, what next? He’s been getting used to having muscles, even if they’re not super visible with his small frame, but without a beach to clean he won't be able to maintain them the same way as before.

He's going to have to research how to work out when he gets home isn't he? It's not something he's ever done before besides the basic stuff in PE. He'll also have to consider his body weight, what he's eating, his frame, Midoriya was gaining a new respect for people who figure out all this stuff, it must be tiring.

Maybe he could ask Kacchan what he does, but he doubts he'll get a better answer than “Die shitty nerd!”, or something along those lines.

Midoriya sighed when he realized he'd already made it to his destination while he was muttering to himself. He has a bad habit of zoning out and not even realizing it.

He set his notebook down on the steps–he wasn't worried about it getting stolen, people don't go to the beach–and made his way into the beach.

The breeze felt amazing on his face, it was the perfect temperature today. He was ready to work up a sweat.

That is, until he heard something that sounded like crying. It was a human cry too. They sounded sad, but in pain, that’s good. Midoriya almost wanted to leave, he was definitely invading somebody's privacy. At the same time however, he knew he wouldn't. After all, UA is a hero school and even if he isn't in the course he knows better than to think he deserves a position there if he isn't able to help a mysterious sad person.

They were behind the trash, it must smell terrible back there. Midoriya was careful to walk loudly enough for them to know he was coming, after all, if he was sad he wouldn't want someone sneaking up on him.

As he rounded the corner the noises stopped, but that doesn’t mean he did, it's too late for that.

When he finally laid his eyes on the mystery person, he saw a pair of their own purple ones, rimmed with red, staring back at him.

What the hell was Shinso doing on Dagobah Beach?

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya. Shinso mulled the name over. When he went to Dagobah Beach he was sure he'd be left alone, but alas, he failed to account for the chance of a weirdo who would willingly go to the beach for any reason other than his own.

Apparently he was cleaning it–he noticed the lack of trash when he was finding somewhere to cocoon himself, but didn't have the mental capacity at that moment to realize what it meant.

“You're a weird person, Midoriya.”

That's another thing, the insistence on the lack of formalities, he was too nice. It was kinda overbearing. He said something about how friends shouldn't need to be so formal–because apparently friendship isn't something that needs consent.

Midoriya squawked and lightly shoved Shinso in the shoulder. Shinso decided he smiles too much. 

“You think so, but I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for me you'd still be crying behind that pile over there” Midoriya said in a playful tone while pointing to the aforementioned pile.

“Yeah, it's hard to cry when you have your own personal circus following you around.” This time it was Shinso’s turn to shove Midoriya.

Midoriya just laughed off the comment, “I'm glad I could be of assistance.”

Shinso could feel his own smile starting to creep onto his face despite his best efforts as a plot started forming in his head. He patted down the sand beneath his shoes while Midoriya was babbling about something or other.

He didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence before he dived forward and tackled the shorter boy into the sand.

Tiny laughs escaped from the group as they started rolling around, trying to get on top of each other.

It didn't take long for Shinso to realize just how much stronger Midoriya is compared to himself.

Shinso struggled to stay on top, but eventually Midoriya got a leg hooked around his side and used the appendage to trap Shinso for just long enough to roll them over and get him in a pin he couldn't escape from.

When all was said and done he was stuck, wheezing, with Midoriya on top of him. He had so much sand in his green hair, but Shinso knows his own couldn't be fairing any better.

“How the hell are you so strong?” he got out between breaths.

“I train a lot,” Midoriya gestured around the beach they were on, “as you can see.” he playfully added. 

“Get off of me you freakishly strong asshole.” Shinso said.

Midoriya mockingly saluted Shinso, but obliged and rolled himself off the taller kid, laying himself down on the sand beside them.

“We should be best friends.” Midoriya mused aloud.

“Not a chance in hell, Midoriya” Shinso retorted, but he knew there was a smile on his face. He hasn’t had this much fun in years.

“Think about it a little first,” Midoriya laughed, “I’ll give you a day or two to come around.”

“I don’t think you’ll like my answer then either.”

“We’ll see,” Midoriya stood up and patted the sand off himself, “In the meantime you can help me finish clearing the trash off this beach, that is, unless you want me to always be stronger than you.”

Midoriya offered a hand to Shinso, which he accepted with little hesitation before yanking hard and pulling Midoriya back into the sand next to him. They were back at it, Midoriya was struggling for purchase in the sand while Shinso, this time more prepared, took full advantage of the moment of shock to get on top of him and pin him down. “You might be physically stronger, but it’s even now. Maybe one day you’ll reach my level of skill.”

Shinso could barely get out that last sentence without laughing, though it looks like Midoriya was having the same issue.

“Maybe one day, but until then how about you get off me.” Midoriya said, he bit back a laugh when Shinso returned the salute from earlier.

This time Shinso was the one offering the hand to the other, which Midoriya accepted just the same, but without the yanking.

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer, if you were being serious. I need to get stronger,” That was hard to admit, but after his failure to lift the rock earlier he knows it’s true. Midoriya probably would have been able to save her.

Midoriya recognized that look in his eyes, “Don’t be so hard on yourself Shinso, you did your best to save her.”

“Yeah, I kno-” Wait a second, Shinso doesn’t remember seeing him at the entrance exams. How the hell would he know about that? “Are you stalking me or something?”

Midoriya just chuckled, “I can’t get anything past you can I. I didn’t get a chance to mention it earlier, but I was watching you during the exams. You did really well, even if you probably aren’t going to pass.”

Ouch, that hurt, but it was true, he probably wasn’t going to pass. It still doesn’t explain how he was watching, or where he was watching from.

He was about to walk into an alleyway when he felt someone watching him, it wasn’t one of the others down here with him, he was sure of that. Someone was observing him and he pretty quickly found out from where. There was an obvious viewing box along the left wall of the arena, probably for staff to watch from, it must be one of them.

Oh. OH. Shinso pulled Midoriya in and lowered his voice, “How the hell did you get into a viewing box, Midoriya.”

Izuku snorted and pushed himself away, “Why must you assume the worst, do you think I'm some criminal who broke into UA? I was invited.”

“Like hell you were, not even the media is allowed to watch the event, so how did you get in?”

The suspicion was written clear as day on Shinso's face, it was pretty funny. “Nedzu invited me to take a special exam, he wants me to be his student.”

Shinso had to check twice he didn't mishear the person in front of him, and two more times to reprocess what he said. Surprisingly the message didn't change, “He what.”

-

It was really funny watching the expression on Shinso's face switch from confusion to doubt, then back to confusion before finally settling on acceptance. 

Midoriya knew it would be rude for him to laugh at Shinso’s rapidly changing countenance any more than he already has today, so he held himself back–for how long he could manage doing that is an entirely different question.

“You know Shinso, you don't have to believe me. I'd love to see your face when you see me at UA.”

Shinso flicked Midoriya on the forehead, “I believe you, I just don't get why you're so certain I'm getting in. My scores on the test couldn't have been that good.” That was partially a lie, while he's not certain of anything, he knows he did well on the test. He studied for it more than he trained for the practical.

Midoriya covered his temple with his hand, “That hurt Shinso.” That was also a lie, but it was an obvious one at best, the megawatt smile on his face was a dead giveaway.

“You're a bad liar Midoriya.”

Izuku just stuck out his tongue in response.

Shinso sighed and turned away from the childish sight, walking towards the final pile of scrap and trash still on the beach. “So where are you taking this stuff anyways?”

Midoriya, noticing he was being left behind, ran to catch up, “Grab some and follow me, I’ll take you.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”

-

Letting Midoriya goad him into carrying whatever he had in his hands now was a terrible idea. It was a weird shaped piece with no great hand holds on it and neither of them could tell what it was from. What he did find out about it however, is that it’s pretty fucking heavy, damn near twice the weight of the toaster-oven he was originally going to carry.

That being said, he wouldn’t complain about it. He could tell what Midoriya was carrying is still heavier than his own object and giving him more to tease about could only be a bad idea.

He’s just glad the walk to the dump isn’t a long one, if he had to walk any further he’s sure his legs would give out. He doesn’t know how Midoriya isn’t gasping for air, or at the very least sweating. He could tell the boy was strong, that much was obvious from their first match, but still, he didn’t expect the boy to be this much stronger than himself.

He has more work to do than he thought.

After getting Midoriya’s help to lift the piece into the bin they returned to the beach with friendly chatter. Of course, he wouldn’t let Midoriya trick him into making the same mistake as last time, he may want to get stronger, but he knows he has to pace himself.

Shinso selected the piece he was going to bring last time and immediately he could feel himself wanting to put it down for something heavier. It’s not that he’s gotten any stronger or less exhausted than last time, but after seeing what Midoriya was carrying he felt kinda pathetic. He had his arms around a full refrigerator from the other side of the pile. He was short, which meant he had to take small steps so his legs didn't hit the bottom of the fridge, it was kinda like a waddle. “Do you need help with that?”

Midoriya peaked his head around the side of the fridge and smiled at him, “Nope!”

At least it looked like it was taking effort, if it wasn’t he would feel even weaker, not that he doesn’t already feel that way.

“Your loss.”

Despite him previously telling himself he wasn’t, he did put the toaster-oven back down, only to stack a broken microwave on top before picking it back up. He might have stacked another piece on top if he had room, but as is the top of the microwave was sitting just below his chin.

“Let's go, I guess.” Shinso muttered.

“Really, I thought we might just stand here holding these for a while,” Midoriya retorted.

“Oh shut up,” Shinso shook his head and walked over to the exit of the beach, “You should try to catch up, unless you really want to hold that fridge for longer than you have to. It’s your choice.”

Midoriya stuck his head around the side to spot Shinso and started hurrying towards him–not that any person with eyes would really describe his speed as hurrying. It was funny to watch either way.

Shinso waited for him by the exit and sat his trash down to give his arms a moment to rest. He picked it back up when Midoriya got to him anyway, so it was only a twenty or so second break, but an appreciated one nonetheless, they wouldn't have any more respite until they got to the dump. He feels kinda bad for Midoriya, but choosing a fridge of all things was his prerogative.

He let Midoriya lead the way from there, he could have gone faster on his own, but suffering is better with a friend. And at what point did he start thinking about Midoriya as his friend? He didn’t mean to do that. Oh well, at this point he can only hope it’ll go better than the other times.

Watching Midoriya be forced to lean around the fridge every few seconds to make sure he wasn’t about to run into anything was kinda cute, not that he would ever admit that, even with torture.

The walk to the dump took a lot longer than the last run did, but with his partner in grime barely being able to walk it’s no surprise it went that way. Honestly he’s kinda shocked Midoriya didn’t need to put it down and take a break, he wouldn't have objected if asked.

When they made it to the dump Shinso had to help Midoriya lift the thing over the wall of the dumpster. It makes sense, if he was able to do that on his own Shinso would have to suspect he has a strength quirk or something.

Shinso thought on that last point during the walk back, he has no idea what Midoriya’s quirk is. Part of him doesn’t want to ask because he knows he’s going to have to give up his own if he does, but at the same time he doesn’t think Midoriya is the type of person to judge him for it. Eventually he bit the bullet and asked anyway, he just hopes he isn’t being rude.

“So Midoriya, I was thinking,”

“Yeah?”

“What’s your quirk?”

He wasn’t expecting Midoriya to freeze like that. For a moment the look on his face betrayed the calmness he was trying to show, was it fear? The calmness was fake at the very least, that much was clear.

“Why are you asking?”

It was definitely fear. He might be able to smooth over his features, but his voice carried the truth behind it. He wouldn’t comment on it, Shinso understands what it’s like more than Midoriya could know.

“Well I was just thinking that you’re really strong, but I don’t think you have a quirk that would help you with carrying stuff, so I was just curious what it is, that’s all.” Shinso said.

“I’m not as strong as you think, that old fridge was gutted, probably for the copper. People do that all the time. It could only have been about 150 pounds.” Midoriya explained.

“That’s still a lot, you know, especially for the distance you carried it and for the fact it doesn’t have any hand holds on it. But that still doesn’t answer my question, what’s your quirk?”
-

His throat felt dry, dryer than the sand he left behind on the beach. Why does he have to ask?

He’s not going to lie, it would be a betrayal to both himself and the rest of the quirkless community to do that, but he was hoping he could get away without being asked, he doesn’t have to disclose it voluntarily.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Shinso, he really does, but he’s trusted people before and he got burned.

Here goes, “I’m quirkless.”

Somehow each second that went by without fists or snide remarks felt like a miracle.

“Huh, that’s cool. Sorry for assuming you had a quirk, I guess. I’ve never met a quirkless person before.”

Interesting. It wasn’t the response he was expecting, that’s for sure, most people his age either have a bad reaction, which is most of them, or have nothing but pity for him.

Shinso wasn’t either of those, it was refreshing.

“You probably have, most of us just try to blend in though.”

Shinso hummed at him, “I thought most quirkless people were old.”

“Most are, but there’s more of us in the current generation than people think.” Midoriya said.

“I didn’t know that, but I guess you would know better than I do, huh.”

Midoriya chuckled despite himself, “Yeah, I probably would.”

“I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I think I understand what it’s like.”

Midoriya let out a sad laugh, “You're right, I don't.”

-

Shinso fidgeted his hands around before settling on putting them in his pockets, they can't distract him there. He's trying to figure out how to word what he says next. It's only right he reveals what his quirk is after what he just said, he can't really take it back now, but it won't be enough, he needs to say more.

Or maybe he just wants to say more. It’s nice to have someone who’ll understand what you're saying, who won’t look at you with pity when you tell your sob story. He doesn’t think midoriya’s like that.

Shinso took a deep breath, “When I was a kid I found out pretty quickly what it's like to not be wanted.”

Midoriya looked at him, shocked, it's a fair reaction to the statement, it really did come out of nowhere. Shinso just kept his eyes locked on the ground in front of him.

“Neither of my parents really wanted me, I was an accident.” Shinso sighed, talking about his life has always been hard for him, but he needs to get this off his chest. “They still tried to be good parents, sometimes, but other times it would be like I didn't exist, like it was easier for them if I never happened.”

“Then my quirk came in. The first time I used it was an accident, I was talking to my dad when it happened. My quirk lets me mind control someone when they respond to a question I ask. I think I was asking him about dinner, it was something trivial, that much I know. Anyways, when he responded he fell under my control. Of course, I didn't know this at the time, so I couldn't release him. He stood in place for a couple minutes before I got my mom to check on him. We were bringing him to the hospital, when I finally passed out from quirk exhaustion, it was my first time using it after all. They pretty quickly put together what had happened and when I woke up I was locked in my room. I didn't leave for a week. They would slide meals under the door occasionally but it was never enough. That was my life for the next few years.” He said.

“I’m living with new people now, fosters. They're not the best, but compared to everyone else I’ve been placed with they’re angels. I’ve been with them for a few years now and I try to play nice with them, but I can’t think of them as family. They’re just the people I stay with. I think they think of me in the same way, I’m the kid they graciously rescued from the foster system that they get to brag about to make them look like better people. I don’t really care about that though, as long as I get three meals a day, a roof over my head, and a bed to sleep in, then I’ll stay as long as I can.”

He barely got to finish getting the words out of his mouth when a small body crashed into his own and pulled him into an embrace. Was this a hug? It felt a little aggressive for a hug, but he couldn’t deny it helped. It was so unlike himself; that he didn’t hate it. He decided that just this once he could return the favor, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Midoriya.

Did hugs always feel this good? Was this what he was missing out on?

He wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but by the time it ended he was already wishing it was a little longer.

Midoriya had to tilt his head upwards to look him in the eyes, he looked like a sad puppy with tears in his eyes, “Shinso, that's so sad.” He was virtually whining his complaint.

“Sorry for trauma dumping on you. I just wanted to get that off my chest and I figured you would understand. I didn't know what you've been through, but the way you looked when I asked about your quirk, I know something happened. I'm not going to ask you to share it with me if you don't want to, now or ever. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you don't need to wait a full two days for an answer to your earlier question.” Shinso said.

The way Midoriya scrunched his nose when trying to remember what Shinso was referring to was cute, and the immediate change in his demeanor when he remembered was like a child being told they can get a candy bar. “You'll be my best friend! I knew it, you're a huge softie!”

Shinso flicked Midoriya in the head for the second time that day, “Just because I agreed to that doesn't mean you get to start calling me a softie, or do I have to remind you exactly who the one was who started crying when I told them a sad story.”

“But it was so sad Shinso, you can't blame me for that.” Midoriya stretched the word to second, it was partly endearing, but mostly childish.

“Yeah, yeah, get over it, you're embarrassing me.”

“Aww, does someone have a hard time talking about their feelings?”

“Oh, shut up.”

The rest of their walk to the beach continued as normal, with light banter between the two. Getting everything off his chest was a good feeling and knowing he can fully trust Midoriya was just the cherry on top.

They made over a dozen more runs throughout the day, taking the bigger stuff first and getting a bunch of the smaller things at a time. When all was said and done the pile that was once towering over them was gone–towering was maybe a strong word, but it felt like it.

“So what now?” Shinso asked.

“Round three?” Midoriya raised his eyebrow in challenge.

“Not a chance in hell,” Shinso said, “I wouldn't want to hurt you.” he teased.

“Mhmm, I'll have to take your word for it. But if you're insistent, then I do have another plan. You should come over to my house.”

The sun was already setting, if he stayed out any longer he'd miss dinner. “I'm not sure, maybe another time, it's getting pretty late.”

“Then you can stay the night, I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind.”

Shinso filed away the fact that he only mentioned a mother instead of parents, but didn't focus on it, there was a much bigger thing to focus on, like the fact he just got invited to stay the night. He's never been invited to a sleepover before, most of the kids at his school would have loved nothing more than to stay away from him as much as possible, yet after having only met Midoriya today he's already being asked.

Actually, has Midoriya ever invited anyone to a sleepover before? He said he was quirkless, and while Shinso doesn't care about that he also doesn't care for villainous or heroic quirks, but he's seen how people treat him because of that. Unless he went to the most accepting school in Japan there's no chance he would have had it any better than himself.

Well, they say confidence is key and if there's one thing he knows about Midoriya it's that he has confidence in spades.

A former version of himself would have called his next decision reckless, but today he's hopeful. This is the first real friend he's had in… well, ever, and he's not going to let the offer go to waste.

“I'll call my guardians.” He muttered.

-

Midoriya didn't tell him he lived above his mom's tea house and he most certainly forgot to mention that she's the damn best cook in all of Japan. Her katsudon was the most delicious thing he's had in all of his life and he couldn't stop himself from eating until he couldn't take another bite.

“Thank you Midoriya-san, it was very delicious.”

“Oh dear, you don't have to be so formal, you know, if you're Izuku's friend then you're practically family. You can call me Auntie if you'd like.”

He can see which side Midoriya gets his personality from, that's for sure.

“Sorry… Auntie,” Shinso said.

“Now, now, you don't have to apologize, you know.” Inko said.

“Err, yes, sorry ma'am. I mean Auntie.”

Inko just smiled at him, “You'll learn dearie.”

“Now, you should go upstairs with Izuku, I'll clean up the bowls. I laid out a spare futon for you, I'm not sure if it's big enough, but I have plenty of blankets to make up for it.” Inko said, “Unless you intend on sharing the bed with him.” she teased.

Shinso's face went flush red, “N-no, of course not.”

Inko tittered at him, “Go along then, you don't want to keep Izuku waiting.”

Shinso coughed into his hand to clear his throat and took a moment to let the blood stop rushing to his cheeks.

“It's not like that.” he muttered too quietly for Inko to hear. He's suddenly so glad Izuku already went upstairs so he didn’t have to hear her say that. She’s so embarrassing.

It really isn’t like that, sure he might think some of his attributes are endearing and kinda cute, and he might be the first person he’s truly felt safe around since he knew better than to give implicit trust, and maybe he was capable of cheering him up when he was sad, and maybe he pushes him to get stronger, and maybe his hug was the first one he’s had since he was a child, and maybe he misses that embrace, but that’s just normal friend stuff right? Right? And normal friends wouldn’t get flustered at the idea of sleeping in the same room as each other, because that’s a normal friend activity and he’s not flustered, why would anyone think that he’s flustered?

Because of how unflustered he was it was very simple for him to go upstairs and unflusteredly open the door to Izuku’s bedroom and very unflusteredly see all of his private things that he has in there.

“Are you okay Shinso? You look pink.”

“Do I? I don’t think I do. Must be something with the food, yeah, the food, it was really good.” Smooth.

“You sound really weird right now Shinso, you know that? Are you okay?” Izuku asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m A-Okay. Mhmm”

“Alright” Midoriya said suspiciously, “Well if you’re so okay, then you can go look through all the stuff my mom brought in here for you. When I told her I was inviting a friend over she kinda freaked out, I think she’s worried that I don’t have any friends, but I have at least one now.” Midoriya shot his signature smile Shinso’s way and damn it’s a good smile, he didn’t notice how much just seeing it make you want to do the same–not that he ever could do the same, smiling as wide as he does has to hurt your face. “Anyways, most of the blankets and the pillows are in here now, so you know what that means?”

“I don’t think I’m as experienced in sleepover activities as you are, Midoriya.” Shinso said.

Midoriya sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “It means we’re building a pillow fort,” Midoriya grabbed a pillow from the pile next to his bed, “But first-” Midoriya slung the pillow across the room and hit Shinso square in the chest with it, “-Pillow Fight!”

-

Pillow fight was a bad idea. A very bad idea. He doesn’t know how Midoriya is so fast at throwing them, or how he makes catching them seem effortless, or how he gracefully dodges when need be. Shinso feels rather sluggish in comparison, even if he knows he has at least above average reflexes.

He must have been hit nearly three times as much as Midoriya was, which all things considered is better than he had any right to have done. He wonders how often Midoriya has pillow fights, but it can’t be that often, he needs a second person for a pillow fight and Inko really doesn’t seem the type.

At the moment there was a tentative cease-fire between the two of them, so they were taking the moment to relax and lay down on the scattered mess of blankets and pillows they now had cluttering the floor.

It was peaceful, just the two of them laying in a comfortable silence, no need to have their guards up or to shut off the outside world. He could get used to this, this tranquility.

He let himself close his eyes and just listen to the ambient noises in the room, the hum of the ceiling fan, the slow breathing from Midoriya, his own heart beating in his chest.

He was out before he even noticed sleep claiming him. Pillow forts would have to wait till another day.

Chapter Text

When Shinso woke up he was alone. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened last night, to remember just how much his life had changed in the span of a single day.

A lot happened when he looked back on it. The UA entrance exams where he failed miserably, meeting Midoriya because he’s a weirdo who cleans beaches, cleaning the said beach, eating the best damn food he’s had in years, the pillow fight, falling asleep next to Midoriya. Wait what. He’ll choose to ignore that last one, it wasn’t even important, he didn’t even mean to think about that.

It’s funny to think that just yesterday he was looking at the entrance exams like they’d be the pinnacle of his entire life, yet on the same exact day he could comfortably say something much more important happened to him, in a good way. 

Because that’s what Midoriya does, he happens to you. He’s not someone you could possibly ever match the energy of, the personality of, or the positivity of. He isn’t someone you could try to expect, because the second you think he’s at his limit he goes a step farther. But all the same, just being in his presence was enough to flip his entire world on its head.

It’s like the world was slowly drained of color ever since he turned four years old, slow enough that it was impossible to notice until one day everything was gray and he couldn’t tell the difference, he couldn’t remember what having color was like. Then someone happened to him, and like nothing the world’s lights were turned back on and he could see everything again, the deep greens in his hair, the freckles splattered on his cheeks, the light in his eyes, and the bright red of his shoes.

Somehow failing the exam wasn't the end of the world, it wasn’t the end of his future. When he looked at his hands he didn’t see the blood staining them in a dark maroon that trickles down to his wrists and pools on the ground, he didn’t see the hands of someone who failed to save an innocent person in the way of danger. He saw hands that tried their best, hands that may have come up short, but still gave it their all and will one day do better. He sees hands that don’t need to be rough with blisters and scars, because he now knows that there are those willing to take that punishment for him, and in turn he knows that there are those–or really only one–who he would do the very same for.

Or maybe he’s getting his hopes up. Maybe he’s overreacting, but somehow, some way, he can see a future with a lot of green in it.

For now however, he needs to get the hell up and get the hell in the kitchen because he can smell Inko’s cooking from a mile away and he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

-

“Oh, Shinso, you’re awake!” Midoriya walked over to him and started dragging him towards the table, “Sit down, my mom’s almost done with breakfast, you have to try it.”

How the hell does he have so much energy first thing in the morning, if he didn’t know better he would have to assume he was chugging energy drinks as part of his morning routine. That said, he doesn't actually know Midoriya well enough to prove he’s not, so the theory still stands, albeit on slightly shaky ground.

“I can walk on my own, you know.”

“Oh come on Shinso, you’re way too slow,” Midoriya replied, “You should be more excited, my mom’s cooking is the best.”

He couldn’t disagree on that point, her cooking was really good. That said, there is really no reason for Midoriya to be dragging him like he was, getting to the table slightly faster wasn’t going to change when she was done cooking. Not that he actually minds the touch, Midoriya has surprisingly soft hands for the amount of physical labor he’s done and it feels nice to have him there. Shinso lightly smiled and went along with it.

When Midoriya let go of his hand the spot he held felt cooler, like something was missing that had never been there before. Before meeting Midoriya he never knew that someone's touch could feel comforting, all he knew was the pain and torment it could bring.

He feels like a child for wanting to hold his hand more, to have a physical touch to remind him of his safety. He knows he shouldn't ask, it would be weird at best and creepy at worst. Sure, it's clear Midoriya has had similar experiences to his own, he couldn't not have, but he seems so much more put together than himself. He wouldn't need someone to hold his hand, would he? And even if he did, would he want it?

He knows he's just trying to justify his own cowardice, asking wouldn't be hard and Midoriya seems too nice to say no, but that's also part of the problem. He wouldn't want to make Midoriya uncomfortable because he's too nice to say no. 

It would also be really, really embarrassing to ask. He would never be able to live it down even if Midoriya never brought it up, which he definitely would. 

Shinso sighed and sat down at the table, there was a nice ray of sunlight hitting his back which made him feel warm, it was nice, not physical, but nice. They were downstairs in the cafe part of the building, it wouldn't open for a while so that during the rest of the year Midoriya would be able to leave for school without having to go through the morning rush. Shinso thinks it would be nice to have a guardian who cares enough about his comfort to consider his wants when making their schedule.

“Something up, Shinso?”

He turned to face Midoriya, “hmm?”

“You sighed is all, are you okay?”

Shinso sighed again, “Yeah, I was just thinking about how much better your mom is than any of the guardians I’ve had,” it was technically a lie, the sigh was about wanting to hold hands, but he definitely didn’t need to know about that.

It’s weird for Shinso to have somebody who he's willing to be so open with–okay, his response was still technically a lie since he did ask about the sigh, but the lie is still a truth, one that he wouldn’t have told anyone else.

He finds it kinda concerning that he’s so willing to divulge his secrets to Midoriya after only having known him for a day. As little as he knows about friendships, he’s seen them before, and he’s never overheard people at school being this open. Then again, most people at his school probably haven’t gone to the beach to cry before.

Midoriya hummed at him in acknowledgment. It was all the response he needed, just an acknowledgment.

Midoriya knows by now that life at home isn’t great for him, it’s not a shock to hear him complain about it anymore. All he needed was an acknowledgement he was being listened to, not a response laced with pity or schadenfreude, yet that always felt like something so far out of reach for him.

“Can I tell you something, Midoriya?”

“Of course!” and there’s his bubbly personality again, it’s nice to see.

“When I first met you I was so ready to hate you and just for a second I think I did. You were just so cheery and it was unbearable, your smile, your eyes, your face, everything about you I was predisposed to hate from the second I saw you. Yet somehow, you started to grow on me. Every attribute that I thought would be grating was refreshing and before I knew it I had completely forgotten about what I was crying about and was agreeing to be your best friend. I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you, for making it impossible for a man to cry in peace and making a fool of yourself with me on the beach.”

Before he had a chance to react Midoriya was already diving out of his seat to pull him into another hug, his body crashed against his own and his grip was tighter than last time, he’s pretty sure Midoriya muttered something into his chest, but he couldn’t hear it past the layer of clothing and the rush of blood flowing to his face.

He was too shocked to reciprocate it this time, shocked in a good way, but shocked nonetheless. Before he could fully register what had transpired Midoriya was already backing off him with his face as equally red as his own. Shinso thought he looked like a tomato with his green hair. A cherry tomato.

He was waving his hands in front of him and muttering a storm of apologies for the action, it felt so unlike him to do that, he needed to cut him off, “You don’t need to apologize for hugging me, Izuku.”

"Sorry, You’r–You called me Izuku!” He was practically beaming, Shinso knows he said he was quirkless, but if he didn’t know better he would have to think he had the ability to produce light with his smile.

A fresh new wave of blood started pumping to Shinso’s face. “Did I? Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sure it made you fe–” He really should have been expecting surprise hugs by now, but he was too distracted by his own internal alarm bells to pay attention. He’s not complaining, he found out pretty quickly that Midoriya gives good hugs, even if he doesn’t have many others to compare to. Aside from when he was little every hug he’s ever received felt stiff and cold, an action made from an obligation rather than a genuine want to give one. Midoriya isn’t capable of hugs like those, his are made from an impulse, one he pays very little thought to before listening to and diving in.

It’s for that reason he keeps leaving them looking beet red, not that Shinso cares, he looks cute like that.

Midoriya retracted slightly from the embrace to look up at Shinso and lightly flicked him on the nose, “You should keep calling me Izuku, you’re my best friend after all.”

Oh boy. Shinso can start to feel himself get a little light headed from all the blood rushing to it, any more and he swears his head’s going to pop off from the pressure. “Yeah, whatever you say Izuku.” He could barely register what he was even agreeing to other than that he wanted to, paying further thought to would take too much of his focus away from the overwhelming sight of cuteness in front of him. He swears he’s going to faint.

The way he lightly squealed and nuzzled his head back into his chest was the killing blow. He must be in a dream, there’s no other explanation to how he ended up becoming friends with Midoriya. Or maybe he died during the entrance exams and ended up in heaven, that was a strong possibility. He wonders what he did while living to deserve an afterlife like this.

“Earth to Shinso,” Midoriya was waving his hand in front of Shinso’s face, trying to get his attention.

“Huh, what.” Shinso snapped out of it and saw a very concerned looking greenette standing in front of him, “Sorry, I zoned out for a second, what happened.”

“Nothing, you just worried me,”

“Sorry, Mid- Izuku,”

That earned him a smile, he likes earning smiles, “You know, if you're calling me Izuku, it’s only fair you let me call you your first name too.”

That’s when Shinso realized that despite the two’s sudden closeness, they don’t really know as much about each other as he likes to think. It's only been a day and while that was plenty of time for him to start spilling his heart to the boy, some things were skipped along the way, for example, Midoriya doesn’t even know his first name.

“You can call me Hitoshi if you want, I guess.” He tried to play it off cool, he doesn’t think he was successful, but at the same time Midoriya was probably more excited to be on a first name basis than he was.

-

“Hitoshi,” He tried the name out, to see how it felt on his tongue. It felt good, like a puzzle piece that slot into place perfectly. “I like it.” he concluded out loud.

Then, with an almost devious look on his face he tried another name, “Toshi.” he smirked at him and it got exactly the reaction he thought.

“You are not calling me that.”

"Why not, Toshi?” He raised his eyebrow in defiance.

“You're playing a dangerous game, Izu.”

He could feel his heart flutter in his chest. Izu. Maybe nicknames were a bad idea, or maybe it was too good of an idea. His face must be red right now.

“Or maybe I should call you my cherry tomato, you look like one right now.”

Flutter was no longer an apt word to describe how his heart was behaving. It was now beating and beating and beating, faster and faster and faster. Cherry tomato. My cherry tomato.

He's going to faint.

-

What the hell was he thinking when he said that? It was as if the words were ripped from his throat before he was able to realize just how much he wanted to take them back. My cherry tomato?

It sounds like something disgusting he would hear his guardians say, but somehow it felt so good to let out. My. There's no real way to interpret it other than being possessive, my cherry tomato. It was supposed to be a stupid throw away joke, a crappy pet name you would hear in an old, cheesy romcom. Why the hell was he thinking about romcoms?

Maybe this was actually hell, where he was destined to ruin the one good thing happening to him. That made more sense than heaven.

Before he could apologize for overstepping, the door to the kitchen opened and the flood of delicious aromas poured out and into the dining area.

“Oh, Shinso, you’re already up.” Inko lightly smiled while bringing a serving tray over to the table.

“Are you two okay? You guys look red.”

“We're fine ma’am, nothing’s wrong at all.” Shinso stuttered out.

“I thought I told you to call me Auntie,” she teased.

“Sorry ma'am,” Shinso replied, “Auntie, I mean.”

Inko tittered, “Shinso dear, you don't have to call me Auntie if you don’t want to. Trust me, it won't hurt my feelings.”

“It's okay, I can call you Auntie. I just keep forgetting.”

“Whatever you say, dearie.”

Inko retreated back into the kitchen after dropping off the food.

It's a good thing, being called dearie is embarrassing. Just like when he called Izuku his little cherry tomato. Why the hell did he do that?

He'll apologize later, for now, food.

He looked at the assortment of foods in front of him, the platter smelled so delicious. What stood out to him was how American it all was. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns. It wasn't what he was expecting, not that he isn't sure it'll taste great.

“Why's your mother making all this?” Shinso gestured in the general direction of the food.

“Hm,” Midoriya looked over to him, “Oh! My mom's always made American food. She says my dad liked it when he was still around because he was always going on business trips to the States. I guess it just became a staple in our house, I forgot it wasn't common or I'd have told you. Have you had American food before?”

“Yeah, a couple times, but I doubt I've had anything as authentic as this. Most places around here that have American food are pretty obviously compromising on the authenticity of it.” Shinso said, ”I don't think most Americans are eating as much seafood on their burgers as the places around here would like you to believe.”

That got a chuckle out of Midoriya. It feels nice to do that.

“You’re right about that. I think my mom's the only person in the whole City who knows how to make it right I've told her she should put it on the menu before, but she doesn't think it goes well with tea.”

“Mhm, it probably doesn't.”

Midoriya sighed, ”Yeah, I know.” Midoriya grabbed a plate and fork off the board, “You should dig in, it's really good.”

-

Shinso mimicked what he saw Midoriya doing, when he put eggs on his plate, Shinso did the same, when he put bacon, Shinso was sure to follow. When he was done filling it up he couldn't see the surface of the plate anymore. In his eyes that's a good thing, if it tasted even half as good as it smelled then he would regret leaving any room.

He took a bite, then another, then another. It was so unbelievably good. He couldn't stop himself from gorging his face until he was full. He doesn't know how Midoriya isn't fat if he gets to eat food like this everyday.

Somewhere between the eggs and the hashbrowns he forgot he wanted to ask about his father. He said “when he was still around” which means he isn't present anymore. There's two things that could mean, but sadly one feels much more likely than the other, he doubts the quirkless have it any better than he did.

“Your mom is such a good cook.”

“I know! I’ve tried to get her to teach me before, but whenever she does I always end up with something burnt.”

Shinso snickered, “I can totally see that happening, it feels like something you’d be bad at.”

Midoriya gave Shinso an incredulous look, “What does that mean!”

“It means you’re a bad cook. Izu.”

“You wouldn’t be any better. Toshi.”

Just like that they were locked into a staring contest, one which didn’t last long before they both burst out laughing.

“Are you two boys doing okay in here?”

They both snapped their heads to the door that Inko was peeking out of.

“Yes, Ma- Auntie.”

“Aw, you remembered. Now you two should hurry along, I’m opening soon.”

Midoriya looked up at the clock on the wall, “Crap, you’re right. Sorry, let’s go Toshi.”

Midoriya sat their plates back onto the tray and delivered it to Inko before grabbing him by the arm and rushing him upstairs. Apparently that’s the only way he’s allowed to move in the Midoriya household. It could be worse.

When they were back in Izuku’s room he didn’t really know what to do. He hasn’t had many friends before. Last night all they did was throw pillows at each other before passing out.

“Why didn’t your mom eat with us?”

“Hm? Oh, I think she made herself a serving to eat in there while she was prepping for opening. She does that sometimes, it depends on how long it takes her to make breakfast.”

“And why the hell did you call me Toshi in front of her.”

“Aw, are you embarrassed, Toshi?”

“Not a chance in hell, Izu.”

Midoriya smiled, “So anyways, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know, I was hoping you had a plan.” Shinso said.

Midoriya just shrugged at him, “Normally I would help my mom, but she told me she doesn’t want me working today, something about how yesterday was a big day and I should take some time off. Really I think she wants me to be with my friend. I haven’t invited anyone over since before I was diagnosed as quirkless, so she’s really excited I have a friend now.” There was a tinge of reminiscence in his eyes, he was probably remembering somebody. Shinso knows what that’s like. “I’m not complaining about spending more time with you, but I don’t want her to do everything by herself.”

“I think you’re stuck with me now, Izu. Your mom doesn’t seem like the type to let you get away with working now.”

Midoriya sighed, “Yeah, you’re right. I wouldn’t be able to get into that kitchen if I tried.”

“You wanna go to the park or something?”

That got Midoriya perked up, “That’s a great idea! I have something I want to try while we're there.” Well, he obviously couldn’t have been that cut up about being kicked out of the kitchen.

“What is it?” Shinso asked.

“You’ll see when we get there, Toshi, but first you should go home and shower, you stink.”

“You do too, you know that.” Shinso retorted.

“Less than you, now get moving, Toshi, meet me in the park in an hour, I’ll be waiting.”

-

Izuku was right, they both stunk. It’s what happens when you hang around a dump for multiple hours then go to sleep before showering. He was also right that he needed to go back home, none of Midoriya’s clothes would fit him and changing back into his own would defeat the purpose of a shower. He was also right that they definitely both needed to shower before they started going around in public, it would be rude not to.

Still, it doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it.

He was getting used to being away from his guardians, or more importantly, he was getting used to being around Izuku.

If he didn’t tell them he was staying the night with a friend, they probably wouldn’t have noticed he didn’t show up and when he goes home now he has no intention of announcing himself. He doesn’t need them to see him, he just needs to shower, get changed, and leave. No more, no less.

So when he opened the front door he did it quietly, and when he closed it behind himself he did it even quieter. When he went to his room he was quiet, when he chose an outfit from his closet he was quiet, when he went to the bathroom he was quiet, and when he closed the door behind him and locked it he took a let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He didn’t even know if they were home, not that he cares where they are.

It’s just that after having seen the world with color again he can’t bear to remember what it was like before. They are the before.

-

“Toshi!” Izuku cried.

He saw how Shinso groaned while walking towards him, “Could you be any louder? I don’t think enough passersbys turned to look at you.”

“Oh, shut it, Toshi, you’re supposed to say it’s good to see you too.”

“I saw you an hour ago.” Shinso flicked him on the forehead, again.

“That’s such a long time,” Midoriya whined before pulling him into a hug. He likes giving Shinso hugs, he feels nice to hug.

He noticed how Shinso smelled like lavender, he wondered if he chose it because of the color of his hair. Or maybe he just likes the smell of lavender too, it’s a very real possibility.

“So, Toshi?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“Remember yesterday, when you were explaining how your quirk worked? You said if someone responded to a question you could mind control them.”

“That is how my quirk works.” Shinso can already see where this is going, it’s so like Midoriya to do this.

“Can you mind control me? Pleeassee?”

-

Shinso sighed mentally. How could he possibly say no when he uses his puppy dog eyes. It’s so unfair.

He’s never been asked this question before, yet with Midoriya it wasn’t only expected, but somehow he was excited too. Maybe it was secondhand excitement from Midoriya, or maybe it’s that Midoriya trusts him enough to get mind controlled.

“Are you sure you want that?”

“Of cour-” Midoriya wasn’t able to finish his sentence before his eyes went gray and his hands fell to his sides. He never noticed how much Midoriya talks with his hands.

“Go walk over to that tree and come back.” Shinso pointed to a lone tree a dozen or so yards away.

He hopes that’s enough to satisfy Midoriya’s curiosity. He knows would keep getting pestered to do it again if he didn’t at least give a command.

When Midoriya hobbled his way back to where he started, Shinso told him to wake up.

“That was so cool! Do it again!”

Or maybe it wasn’t just for curiosity, maybe he was just a freak. That would make two of them.

“If I use my quirk again, I’m gonna make you embarrass yourself. Maybe I’ll go make you hug those joggers over there,” Shinso pointed to the duo of runners making a lap around the park.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh I would, I’d even make you wake up while you're over there this time, maybe in the middle of the hug.”

Midoriya whined another complaint to Shinso about how unfair that would be, “Plus, I only like to give you hugs to you, Toshi,”

Shinso coughed into his hand. Why does he have to be so embarrassing? “On second thought, let’s go somewhere,”

“Where?” Midoriya asked.

“I don’t know. Is there anywhere fun around here?” He was trying to distract himself from the other’s comment, it doesn't seem like Midoriya was too bothered by it.

“Ooh, there’s an old arcade around here somewhere. They were supposed to close after a bad flood last year, but a bunch of fans donated money to keep the doors open. They have a sign on the wall with the names of everybody who donated, me and my mom are on there!”

Somehow that’s the most Midoriya story of all time, he can’t just sit back and let something be a problem, he has to step in and help. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was the reason his mom donated to it.

“That sounds fun, let’s go.”

Chapter Text

When they got their acceptance letters, they opened them together. They both got in, just as expected. Shinso into gen-ed and Midoriya into… Well, they weren't entirely sure what being Nedzu’s personal student would fall under, but he got in, which is what matters.

To celebrate, Inko made them a feast fit for a king. It was delicious, of course. After they ate, Shinso stayed the night again, where they finally got around to making those pillow forts Midoriya promised him. He felt childish the entire time, but he had to admit it was fun.

The day before UA started up is when he finally had to go home. It was honestly weird for him to go to sleep in his own bed after having stayed away from home for so long. He missed Midoriya, but they promised they'd see each other again at school. He can wait, waiting is easy. Going to sleep was the hard part. Shinso always struggled with insomnia, but, somehow, sleep never eluded him at the Midoriya household. He wasn't so lucky as to have that follow him back. 

At some point he gave up on his chances of getting a good night's sleep and played crappy mobile games on his phone for the rest of the night.

He knows he'll regret not trying to sleep harder in the morning.

-

UA high. He knows he was just here a few days ago, but he couldn't truly appreciate what that meant then–at the time he thought he would never be allowed back in. Somehow, some way, he was wrong and not only did he get in, but he got in as Nedzu's personal student. He still can't truly wrap his head around what that means.

He was more excited than he's been in his whole life–and he knows a thing or two about being excited. There's so many possibilities of what he could do on the first day, none of them are that interesting, but he's excited anyways.

Shinso told him not to wait for him, so he went right to Nedzu's office when he got there. He understood why Shinso wouldn't want him to wait, they would be arriving nearly half an hour apart, but still, he wouldn't mind waiting if it meant they got to see each other again before lunch.

Nedzu was waiting for him in his office–or technically, now classroom.

“Ah, Midoriya, it's good to see you again. I take it you're excited to start, you seem much more cheery than last I saw you.”

Midoriya set his backpack down on his desk and flashed his signature smile towards the principal. He had a different desk than last time, he thinks it fits in much better with the rest of the room. “Of course I'm ready,” Midoriya unzipped his bag and flashed a few fresh notebooks, “I even came prepared this time.”

“That's good, you'll be needing one of those today.” Nedzu gestured toward the notebooks Midoriya was zipping back away, “Or, seeing as you wrote so much for only three students last time, you may need more than one, at least for now.”

Midoriya looked at Nedzu with a confused look on his face, “I thought you would be doing orientation today?”

“Oh, I will be! You, on the other hand, will not. After all, today should be a gold mine for an analyst and I couldn't dare let you miss it for orientation.” 

A new wave of excitement crossed Midoriya's features, “Really!”

Nedzu nodded, “I can cover anything important when you get back.”

“So, who will I be analyzing?” Midoriya asked. It was a fair question, after all, all the other students should be at orientation he’d be skipping. Unless, maybe it was a teacher, except that also doesn’t make sense. Nedzu wouldn’t make him skip orientation to analyze someone he could work on any other day and he wouldn’t need multiple notebooks for one person.

“Class 1-A, of course.”

And as if Nedzu was reading his mind he was answering the next question before he could even ask it, “Shouta’s their teacher and I’m sure you could guess how boring he would find orientation, it’s as if he has no idea of the thrills of rules and regulations.” Nedzu shook his head.

A small laugh escaped from Midoriya, it's so like Nedzu to describe rules and regulations as thrilling. Midoriya could imagine how Eraserhead would feel about that description, he only met the man in passing for a few moments, but it was clear he wouldn’t put up with anything he deemed as a waste of time. There's no way orientation could be seen as anything other than a waste of time to a guy like him.

“He makes his class do a quirk apprehension exam on the first day to gauge them, all I want you to do today is get a feel for his class. You won’t need to introduce yourself if you don’t think you should, but I am leaving the decision to you. Shouta’s been told you’ll be watching, so he’s prepared in case you do. You will have to acquaint yourself with them eventually.” Nedzu explained.

Midoriya nodded, “I think it would be best if I don’t introduce myself today, I need to focus on taking notes for now.”

“I think that’s the right decision, but don’t be afraid to change it if need be. A plan too rigid to change is never a good plan.” 

Midoriya agreed with the principal, “and where are they doing the exam?”

“It's in the P.E. grounds. I won't be able to take you to your destination this time, but I have prepared a guide for you.”

“Who is it?” Midoriya asked.

“Yagi Toshinori. He's not a pro hero, so you wouldn't know him, but he works for All Might’s agency. He wanted to watch the students on behalf of the number one, I figured you could go with him.”

This Toshinori sounded really cool–not just anybody gets to work for the number one agency–but Midoriya was also slightly confused, “Why would All Might care about class 1-A?”

“Oh, I haven't told you yet have I? All Might will be teaching at UA this year.”

“He's what!”

-

So this was class 1-A. Midoriya recognized a few of the faces from the entrance exam, but most of them he hadn't seen before.

Kacchan was also there, but Midoriya tried to ignore him for the time being. He'll have to have a talk with him eventually, they're going to have to work together in the future if anything Nedzu said is worth going on. 

But as interesting as the class was, this Yagi Toshinori seemed even more interesting. He kinda looked like All Might, but not really. If All Might was a grape then this Toshinori would be the raisin version of him.

He was so skinny and oddly angular for a normal person. He was also wearing clothes that must have been at least two sizes too large.

He's definitely a weird guy. They had a small chat on the walk to the grounds, it wasn't about anything important, mostly school and school related topics.

Nedzu did say the guy worked for All Might’s agency, which is nothing short of the dream job for Midoriya. He wonders what he did to impress All Might. All Might runs a uniquely slim operation for a top hero, let alone the number one. He's only ever had one sidekick, Sir Nighteye, and even he doesn't work there anymore, so saying that he works for the All Might agency is a very big deal.

Midoriya considered asking what he does for work, but it looked like the students would be starting soon. He would just have to remember to ask later.

Nedzu didn't tell him much about the class during the extra time they had–and he asked. One thing he did get out of the rat however, is the names and faces of the students.

Not that he needed the info immediately, because the first person to step up to the plate was someone he was well acquainted with by now, Katsuki Bakugou. Kacchan.

Eraserhead handed him a ball, Midoriya couldn't hear what was being said from the distance, but what he did hear was the massive explosion he let off seconds later, throwing the ball in his hand far, far away and into what must have been forest.

There were no notes needed. Midoriya knew all too well the power of a quirk like that–or more specifically, the power of that quirk.

Toshinori seemed to be amazed at the strength and it was a very fair reaction. Kacchan has never been anything but strong for as long as he knew him and his explosions have always been beautiful–even when they were meant as a threat they still managed to captivate him.

He's surprised the school had a ball capable of surviving one of Kacchan's strongest attacks, but then again, this was UA, it would really be more surprising if they didn't.

Kacchan walked back into the rest of the group of students. Midoriya wasn't the best at lip reading, and from the distance it only became harder to make out what he was saying, but it was clear from the expression on his face he was proud of himself. He already knows he's better than everyone else, even before they've had a chance to compare.

Another student with tall spikey red hair, Kirishima if he remembered correctly, put a hand on Kacchan's shoulder and was promptly shrugged off. It didn't seem like the action deterred him in the slightest, his toothy smile remained plastered on his face and he kept following around and talking to the blond, who in turn only looked to be getting more annoyed.

“What do you think of young Bakugou?” Toshinori asked.

“Huh,” Midoriya spun around to face the taller man, he almost forgot he was in company. (Of course he knew there was someone with him, but in the same way he knows there's strangers by him on the train, it's not really front of mind and certainly not a situation where he's expecting to talk to them, even if they were just a few minutes ago.)

“He's very strong, I wouldn't be surprised if he was the top student.” Midoriya responded.

“Really?” Toshinori sounded surprised, “He does have a lot of power, I won't deny that, but do you think it's alone enough to be the best?”

Midoriya sighed, “I guess I haven't seen the rest of them go yet, but I'm not expecting any of them to have more raw power than Kacchan.”

“Kacchan? Are you two familiar?”

Crap, he didn't even realize he did that. He's so used to calling him Kacchan that he never even thought to call him anything else.

“We went to the same middle school.” Midoriya said. He decided that everything before then would be better off left unsaid.

Toshinori hummed in acknowledgement, "and are you two friends?”

“No.”

It must have been something about his tone, because despite his best efforts to sound indifferent to the question, it seemed Toshinori knew not to press further. “Do you know any of the other students? I know you watched the exams with Nedzu, did any of the people you choose make it?”

“Two of them did, Mezo Shoji and Mina Ashido.” He chose not to mention Shinso, honestly, he thinks he's more upset that Shinso didn't get into the hero course than he was. He seemed very acceptant of it, like it was predetermined he wouldn't get in. It's not fair, the exam wasn't fair.

“That's more than I would have thought, you must have an eye for talent, young Midoriya.” Toshinori said.

He knows it was supposed to be a compliment, but it felt like an insult about Shinso, the one who wasn't talented enough. He was the one who wasn't lucky enough. Sure, skill matters, but past a certain point skill alone can't cut it and if your quirk isn't suited to the exam then your fucked no matter how much talent you may have.

He didn't have an eye for talent, he had an eye for powerful quirks.

“Do you think the entrance exam was fair?” Midoriya asked.

“The world isn't fair.”

Midoriya knows damn well that the world has never been fair, but the world isn't the entrance exam and it sure as hell shouldn't be. “Was the entrance exam fair?”

Toshinori looked hesitant to answer, like he knew something he wasn't supposed to say. “No, young Midoriya, it was not.” Toshinori said, “But you must not hold it against the students who did pass. Each of them earned their spots with their own efforts and skill.”

“And what about their quirks?” Midoriya realizes his tone is more accusatory than it should be, but the answer he received was far from satisfactory.

“Naturally, those with the strongest quirks were at an advantage in their field.”

“And what of those with strong quirks who wouldn't be able to use them because of the rules of the exam.”

“The world isn't fair, young Midoriya.”

“But it can be. The exam doesn't need to be biased.”

“But it is. The world isn't fair, young Midoriya.”

-

Nedzu was backstage. This would be his first time meeting the new students face to face. All the classes were still gathering in the auditorium, so he had a little time before he had to give his speech, but not much.

He doesn't need any more time though, he was prepared for anything. At least, he thought he was, but when his phone started ringing and he looked at the number he realized just how Ill prepared he really was.

Why now?

A little more time would have been nice on second though. He needed to take this.

“Nemuri, I need to leave the room. If I'm not back in time try to stall for me.”

“Yes sir.” she responded.

“Thank you, Nemuri.” She was always one of his most loyal staff members, sometimes too loyal, but if it's to his benefit then he won't complain.

Nedzu scurried out of the auditorium and shut himself into an empty classroom.

He took a deep breath and hit accept.

“This is a really bad time, you know.” Nedzu said into the phone.

It really was, not only did he have things he needed to do, because those could be put off of if necessary, but he was in a really bad location. Anyone could listen in if they wanted to, but going all the way to his office to where it's sound proofed would be impossible now.

“Oh, come on Mr. Principal, I'm sure you want to know what I have to say.” the voice on the other side of the line replied.

“Hurry up, and you can call me by my name, Kagerou, I have no time for your games.”

“Okay, jeez Nedzu, there's no need to be using mine. Can't a man have a little fun.”

“This isn't fun, Kagerou. This is work.”

“You're as serious as always, Nedzu, you haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. But if this is work, then I would much appreciate if you used my work name.”

“I get to call my students by their names, but if it makes you feel better, I'll call you Giran.”

“Aw, do you still think of me as a student, you do know I graduated over two decades ago now.”

“Yet you still act like a child. Give me the information I asked for.”

“You're so demanding, do you use this same tone with your students? I heard from the grapevine you've picked up one of your own this year.”

“I would like the information I asked for, now.”

Nedzu could hear Giran laughing, it was really annoying. “I would like the payment you promised first. You know how I work, Nedzu, I get paid first.”

“I'll transfer the money to your account when I'm not busy. I have a speech I need to give, one I would be giving right now if you hadn’t interrupted me.”

“Is it orientation? I remember that stupid speech, half the auditorium was asleep by the time you finished yapping.”

“You were always a problematic student when you attended, I think you might still hold the record for the number of times I've had a student sent to my office. Maybe if you paid more attention during orientation you would have had more respect for the rules.”

“I still made it to graduation though, I couldn't have been that bad.”

“Give me the information already, I need to go.”

“Fine. If you don't pay me then I'm never working with you again.”

“That works for me.”

“Oh shut up Nedzu, you know I'm the best broker in the whole underground, if I wasn't you wouldn't have sent me that message.”

“The information please.”

Nedzu could hear Giran sigh from over the line, “Fine, whatever,  I couldn't find much on the HPSC anyways. They keep their secrets more hidden than any players I have to deal with.” Giran said, “There are a few things I found, but they're not connected. For one, when I was investigating the buildings they publicly own, I noticed that Hawks kept going between them much more than any hero should. I followed him and found out he’s living out of a building owned by some shell company ran by the commission. I had somebody stake it out for a while and caught undercover commission employees going to and from his residence. I'm not sure how useful any of that is, but it’s leverage at the very least.”

Giran was right on that front, while Nedzu has no real interest in Hawks, if the commission is using him for something, then Nedzu can leverage that fact to get concessions.

“What else did you find?” Nedzu asked.

“Orientation can’t be that important to you, can it? There’s no need to rush me” Giran mused.

“I’m paying, talk.” Nedzu spat out.

“Yeah, yeah, you do realize I could just not tell you things if you keep up that attitude.”

“Mhm, I’m sure your regular clientele are usually much more courteous than I’m being.” Nedzu shot back.

“Whatever,” Giran said, “Anyways, I found that they’re plotting action against your school, though I'm sure you already suspected that based on your request. I wasn't able to find anything else important related to that thread, and trust me, I would tell you if I did, because despite your bad attitude I do care about my high school at least a little bit.”

Nedzu could feel his anger rising inside of him. How dare he act like he cares about his alma mater, if he did he would turn himself in and confess to all his crimes. Nedzu knows he’s better than this, letting some failure student get to him so much.

“I know you have more Giran.” Nedzu said flatly.

“I was getting there, Nedzu. The only other thing I found was that the commission has active dealings with some villain with a large criminal network. It seems like they're trying to gain something from them. I wasn't able to find out who, no one in the know was willing to give a name and I’m not extending myself even further for an answer when I’d be doing it for a hero. That’s all I have for you.”

“That's plenty, thank you Kagerou. I'll have your payment to you before the end of the day.” Nedzu clicked hang up before Giran could gripe any further.

Nedzu hates dealing with criminals, but sometimes they are able to get him a lot more than any above board broker can. He especially hates dealing with Giran. Hearing him on the other side of the line only reminds him of his past failures, but as he said, he is the best broker in the underground, which means if Nedzu wants information, Giran is his man.

Nedzu sighed, a lot of what he said was concerning to say the least, but most of it wasn’t unexpected. They’ve not so secretly been plotting against UA for years, and hearing they’re dealing with criminals isn’t something Nedzu thought was above them. Hearing Hawks has something to do with them was unexpected, but not damning by itself.

Nedzu decided it would be best to wait till he’s alone to dissect everything Giran told him, right now he has a speech to give. 

-

The previous events weren't the most exciting. Sure, the fifty-meter dash was great for analysis, and the grip strength test was a great chance to get a better look at people who wouldn't have done as well in other areas, but the standing long jump didn't show off all that much new stuff compared to the previous tests and having repeated side steps as an event seemed a little unnecessary. (It definitely didn't help that it was the only event Mineta had done good in so far, that guy seemed like a creep.)

During the long stretches of down time Midoriya was getting to know Toshinori better. He didn't seem like a terrible guy and he seemed to be just as into watching the class as he was.

By the time the ball throw was coming up for real, Midoriya found himself getting excited again. It's the only test he's seen that shows how someone's quirk can affect their environment. It was also just cool. Apparently Toshinori had talked to Aizawa the day before, so he already knew the remaining three events, distance run, seated toe touches, and sit-ups. They sounded incredibly boring. He would still make analysis of course, the last two sounded like a great time to really put his pencil to paper and write down all the thoughts he hasn't had time to in the previous events, since quirks wouldn't be so directly helpful in them.

Midoriya watched as the first contestant stepped up to the plate. He was a bulky guy, very tall. His costume looked really cool and his quirk was awesome in the other events. His name was Yoarashi if Midoriya was remembering correctly. He was one of the students from the recommendation exams, along with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu.

From what Midoriya has seen his quirk seems to be some sort of air manipulation. At the very least he's sure it’s more than simple wind control, which on its own would be a powerful quirk. Midoriya can see why he was recommended for the course, his quirk is so strong–not that the man himself is slacking, to Midoriya it's obvious he's put in incredible amounts of work.

Yoarashi grabbed the ball in his hand and with deep concentration on his face he pulled his arm back and slung the ball forwards at an immense speed, the bang was so loud Midoriya was forced to cover his ears out of reaction. Did it break the sound barrier? It's not impossible with a quirk like that, but more importantly it all but confirms his quirk is a lot more powerful than just the winds. Midoriya is going to have a lot of studying to do when he gets back.

When Midoriya looked back up he noticed how the entire class, Yoarashi included, had covered their ears the same as him, in fact even Eraserhead seemed taken aback by the noise.  The only person who didn't flinch was Toshinori, he actually seemed rather amused by the display.

“That's one powerful quirk, that's for sure.” Toshinori muttered.

“Yeah.” Midoriya couldn't help but agree.

-

Hawks paced back and forth in front of the gym’s entrance. Today would be his first day training the kids, he was only told yesterday they’d been deemed ready, by who he doesn't know. It’s not that it matters who approved of it, it could be some random staffer, or it could be the chairwoman herself. Either way it's an official order and the commission is always right.

He was trying to psyche himself up for it, but he couldn't stop the doubts that kept coming back to his head. There's a reason he earned the nickname birdbrain when he was their age–it always felt like an insult.

He was forced to stop his pacing when some faceless staffer he couldn't care to learn the name of opened the door to the gym and motioned him inside.

There were five of them. Tiny, frail, scared.

Every muscle in Hawks’ body was telling him to run, to fly away into the clouds and never return. He knows he can't do that.

He could sense the admiration they felt for him, the awe of being in his presence. It made him feel disgusting. They shouldn't feel that way.

He already knows what's going to happen, he can already see their fates. An order is an order, he has to obey. He's going to torture these kids, he's going to inflict senseless violence on the weak for the senseless goal of making them stronger. The commission can call it training all they want, they can use whatever word they want. Nothing will change the outcome, nothing will change the cuts he's going to leave all over their bodies, nothing is going to change the bloodshed, nothing is going to fix their broken bodies crumpled on the floor, too scared and weak to stand back up.

After today he'll never be the hero he once was, after today he'll have stooped to the same level as every villain he's ever been told to take down. After today he’s- After today he. After today. He's told himself what will happen after today more times than he can count, every time he has to go against his morals he tells himself what will happen after today. It's easier than living in the moment. It's easier than accepting the fact that it's already the case, the sheer fact he's willing to do it is enough to make him feel like a villain.

Hawks sighed, an order is an order and the commission is always right.

-

Mineta Minoru. To say Midoriya didn't like him would be an understatement. It's obvious what he's been doing and it's disgusting. The entire time when all of his classmates have been trying their hardest to make it through the events, he's been lusting after every female student out there.

Every attempted peek under a skirt, every not so subtle ogle, every “accidental” touch. He's lecherous in every sense of the word and the polar opposite of what people need from a hero.

He has no right to have made it through the entrance exams when someone like Shinso was right there, someone with a much more heroic heart.

It's clear that during the entire exams he's been making all the female students feel uncomfortable. Even the boys clearly didn't like him, in fact the only person who hasn't shown an outright disdain towards him is Kaminari, but he seems more like a dunce than a pervert.

Toshinori obviously saw it too, the ill-fitting behavior of Mineta. He never raised a word about it, the same as everyone else. Midoriya never raised a word about it, the same as everybody else.

He kept hoping Eraserhead would step in, wrap him up in his capture scarf and throw him like the ball–maybe not so literally, but he should have done something.

He's done waiting for an adult to step in, or a student braver than himself. He's done seeing a problem right in front of him, one no one else is willing to solve, and not stepping in to fix it himself. If he didn’t step in, then how could he have any right to question Mineta’s place? If he lets clear injustice go on, then how could he be any better than the person committing the injustice.

He will be better than Mineta.

Midoriya took a step forward and a hand fell on his shoulder.

“Young Midoriya.”

Midoriya shrugged off Toshinori's touch, “I need to do something.”

Toshinori seemed hesitant, but he retracted his hand, “Then go. Don't let me stop you.”

Midoriya took another step forward and around the corner he’s been watching from. It seemed the class didn't notice him, but Eraserhead was as sharp as ever. Midoriya’s glad he didn't comment, or even signal to his class that someone was approaching. He just kept instructing as usual.

The class was still facing away from him when he made it to them, it was for the better. He doesn't want Kacchan to make a scene when he sees him.

Mineta was ogling a girl in a red costume, it was very exposing, but it made sense for her quirk. Her name was Yaoyorozu.

Midoriya placed a hand on Mineta’s shoulder, “I think you should come with me, Mineta.”

Mineta flinched from the touch.

It seemed he finally got the class's attention. Kacchan almost looked surprised to see him, maybe it was because he was wearing a UA uniform, maybe he just never thought he'd have to see him again. There was also anger on his face, a lot of it. It's not unusual.

“I'm not going with you asshole, you just wanna look good for the girls.”

Midoriya grabbed Mineta by the arm, “You're coming with me, Mineta.”

“Hey, get off me!” Mineta used his other arm to grab a ball off of his head.

Midoriya reacted quickly and grabbed his other arm too. “Your first reaction shouldn't be to use your quirk on me, it's not a good look. Drop it.”

Not only was Mineta a total pervert, he was also incredibly childish. If his first reaction to being grabbed by a civilian is to attack them then he would never have gotten far.

“No way, you can't make me.”

Apparently he was also stupid, sure Midoriya may not be able to touch the ball, but he sure as hell was stronger than Mineta. Midoriya forced his hand holding the ball to the floor and yanked his hand back up, leaving the ball stuck on the ground. “You should really have seen that coming, you've only had your quirk for a decade.”

“Oh shut up asshole, I'm not going with you.”

“You really don't have a choice in the matter, Mineta. You've already made up my mind about you, if you had any remorse I might have let you go, but you went and threw it all out the window. You're coming with me.”

Despite Mineta’s many protests, Midoriya was very easily able to pick him up, he was very light. He had both of Mineta's arms in one hand, which he held out stretched in front of him. “This would have been easier if you followed me.”

He kept trying to struggle, but it was futile. To imagine someone like him got into the hero course, he couldn't even beat a quirkless kid.

Midoriya walked away like nothing happened, which was met by a few cheers from the girls. He made the mistake of looking back, Kacchan was mad, very, very mad.

They're going to have to talk later.

-

Being back in Nedzu's office was a comfort–well, as long as he was able to tune out Mineta's complaints, which he was doing well at for the most part.

Not feeling the eyes of the hero students on him anymore was nice, having attention on him has never been good. How the hell was he going to explain this to Kacchan, actually, how the hell is he going to explain this to Nedzu.

Eh, he'll figure it out when Nedzu gets back from orientation. For now he needs to finish his notes.

He let Mineta go a while ago, but he was keeping somewhat of an eye on him. He didn't seem like he was trying anything anymore, which is good, having one of his balls stuck in Nedzu's office would be a pain in the ass to fix.

He was sitting quietly in one of the seats across from Midoriya, Midoriya was sitting across from him. He would rather sit at his desk to be perfectly honest, it was a pain to write in his notebook like this, but it would do–he had to write like this out there anyways. He made a mental note to invest in better notebooks.

Eventually the door clicked open and Nedzu came inside. “Oh, Midoriya, you're back already.”

Midoriya pointed at Mineta, “I wouldn't be if it wasn't for him.”

It was then that Nedzu noticed the second person in the room. “Mineta Minoru. Shouta did warn me about him after the entrance exams, I suppose you noticed it too?”

“Are you saying you knew about his… perviness… already, and you still let him in.”

“It was a difficult decision, but we decided it would be best to give him a second chance and take action if he showed the behaviors again.”

Mineta interrupted Nedzu before he could say any more, “I haven’t done anything wrong. He just randomly attacked me when I was minding my own business.”

“Mhm, is that so Mineta?” Nedzu said, “Because if you could present me with any evidence to ascertain the validity of your claims, I'd be more than willing to believe you. If you cannot, then I can pull up the cameras. You do know that all of the campus is recorded 24/7, correct. Or no, you wouldn't, would you? Your teacher made your class skip orientation, so I guess you wouldn't have heard that yet.”

“I- I… uh. He attacked me, it's the truth and I tried to defend myself but he hurt me.” Mineta said.

Midoriya took a deep breath. He wouldn't let Mineta's lies get to him. If what Nedzu said is true, then his innocence will be proven very easily, or more importantly, Mineta's guilt.

“I think you should review the cameras.” Midoriya said.

Nedzu smiled at him, “That's a wonderful idea. Do you have any objections, Mineta?”

“N-no sir.”

“Good.” Nedzu replied.

Nedzu went to his desk to retrieve the laptop and brought it back to the group. His fingers moved at lightning speed across the keys and seconds later the camera feed was pulled up and right in front of them.

The video was damning. No one in the room dared say a word until both of them had exited the camera’s shot.

“That was a most informative video, wouldn’t you two agree?” Nedzu asked.

Neither of them answered.

“Mineta, your conduct towards your peers is unheroic and I simply can’t ignore it, but you, Midoriya, you shouldn’t have stepped in the way you did. It would have been best leaving this matter to the administration and not involving yourself so directly.”

Midoriya tilted his head down in shame. It was clear watching the video that he wasn’t acting properly either, but still, no one was doing anything. How could he be blamed when he was the only one to help?

“Still, this is a learning opportunity for you Midoriya and as long as there are no more repeat incidents like this I may be able to let it slide. I chose you as my student because I know you have an immense potential and it’s clear your morals are what led you to action today. Still, you acted out of line today and you should remember that. It would be best you think more carefully next time before leaping into action like you did.”

“Yes sir.” Midoriya said.

“And as for you Mineta. Your conduct today as well as what we observed during the entrance exams, combined with your past record in middle school, leaves me with no choice but to punish you.”

Mineta looked to be seething, “Yes sir.” he said through gritted teeth.

“As for your punishment, I think it would be best if you were no longer in the hero course.”

“What! Principal, you can’t do that to me. Give me another chance, I promise I’ll never do anything again. I swear it.” Mineta pleaded.

“I’m afraid you’ve already been given too many chances, Mineta. I’ve made the mistake of not punishing delinquents hard enough and I won’t make it again.”

“No! I need this spot, how else will anyone ever like me!” Mineta was crying. Really?

“If you believe you need to be a hero to be liked, you're mistaken, your best course would be to change your behaviors first, then see where it gets you. UA offers free counseling sessions with our school therapist, I’d be more than willing to help you schedule a session.”

“I don’t need some stupid therapist, I need some stupid female to realize how great I am.”

Midoriya couldn’t help but cringe at that. He really should have guessed based on everything else, but apparently Mineta’s sexist too. Now Midoriya definitely doesn’t feel any remorse.

“Get out of my office, Mineta. You can finish out the rest of your day as planned, but tomorrow you’ll be having a different schedule, understood.”

“Whatever.” Mineta crossed his arms and walked out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

“I’m not done with you either, Midoriya. We need to talk.” Nedzu said, ignoring Mineta’s clear disrespect.

“Yes sir.” Midoriya responded.