Chapter Text
5th April 2159
U.A. Grounds
U.S.J.
13:26 (1:26 PM)
“WHERE IS HE? We went through all this trouble to bring so many on this quest! Ughh, he should be here! ‘three-man-team compromised by Aizawa, All Might and one other faculty member.’ I see only Eraserhead and ‘additional’ Thirteen? Maybe he will show up if we kill a bunch of kids.”
Pale man with blue hair screamed, scratching his neck as Shouta leapt down the stairs.
Midoriya said something about his fighting style not being suited for fighting groups…
Damn, the child wasn’t wrong, but they definitely need to add some lessons on when comments like that should and should not be said. Because that was definitely the former situation. But to ease the kid's worries, so he starts escaping with the rest of the class, Shouta shouted.
“No hero is a one-trick pony!”
At that moment, he needed to blink, and the warper disappeared.
But he couldn’t focus on that as much as he should.
Those words at the beginning.
Those were his words.
From no longer than half an hour ago.
There must be a mole.
But who was it?
He couldn’t think about it anymore as a pale-looking man pinned Shouta in the moment he blinked. Erasure Hero's elbow started to decay.
Shota jumped backwards, and the fight continued.
6th April 2159
Musutafu General Hospital
Hero Ward
7:43 (7:43 AM)
The first thing Shouta saw when he woke up was blackness. He probably would panic, if not the fact of the itchiness of bandages all over his body, including his eyelids. Probably precaution after what happened on that damn field trip.
He tried to sit up.
Because no cane hit his aching head, he knew he wasn’t in the Recovery Girl's office.
Blindly, he felt for the button to call the nurse.
After a minute or two, he heard footsteps and the sound of opening doors. Two people. One of the patterns he recognised a little too much to his liking. The bubbly young male voice shouted from the direction where the unknown step pattern stopped.
“Oh, Mister Eraserhead, you’re awake. It’s good. We need to take some tests and in a week-”
“I want to be discharged as soon as you can remove the bandages covering my eyelids. And please summon someone dealing with the attack on the U.S.J. so I can relay important information from that day. I also request a quick update on the health status of Thirteen and my students, Dr Shimoko.” Shouta ignored the nurse he assumed was there, instead addressing his unofficial ‘personal’ doctor at Musutafu General directly.
“... I cannot refuse you, unfortunately. The only thing I can tell you about Thirteen is that their recovery will take at least three months. No student was sent to us, but we were informed to relay to you that ‘seat eighteen’ was taken with All Might to Recovery Girl’s office. Detective Tsukauchi should arrive in about thirteen minutes, as I called for him as soon as we received the signal from your bed.”
The old woman sighed, and Shouta, even without his sight, could swear that she rolled her eyes somewhere in the middle. Sometimes, he pitied her role as his physician, until he remembered that she volunteered every single time.
And uhhh, of course, it was Midoriya who needed professional healthcare after the attack.
How the teen didn’t gain any quirk control for the last ten years, Shouta didn’t know.
And shoot him, but he didn’t buy the ‘late bloomer’ story - if that was true, why would that blonde oaf take interest in the child?
Moreso, Shouta knew laziness when he saw one…
“And about eyelids… You will be scarred around your right eye, but except for that, we should be able to take off some of the bandages today. But rest will need to wait until Recovery Girl says so…”
Damn it. Shouta could hear smudgeness in Shimoko’s voice.
Then she left the nurse to list all his injuries. One of them was a concussion, but he hoped it wouldn’t undermine his statement about there being a mole in the class.
6th April 2159
Musutafu General Hospital
‘Hero Ward’
8:15 (8:15 AM)
“Something similar was said by four of your… students,” Tsukauchi said.
Aizawa didn’t hesitate. “Jiro, Shoji, Midoriya, and Tokoyami. Or Dark Shadow, technically.”
Detective blinked. “Yes. How did you—?”
“Jiro and Shoji have superhearing. Midoriya was closest to the stairs. Dark Shadow mentioned ‘hearing the shadows.’ And you paused on the word ‘students.’” Aizawa shifted, wincing. “So. How are we handling it?”
Tsukauchi’s shoulders dropped. With his vision finally free from bandages, that told Aizawa everything.
“Their statements were stamped unreliable because it was only those four in a highly emotional, traumatising incident, three of which have mutations, even if Tokoyami’s are vestigial only, and my statement will probably be overlooked because I had a concussion, right?”
Naomasa nodded.
“Expected.”
“But,” he added, “I informed Nedzu. He thinks he can bypass the HPSC. Something about Tashikawa laws.”
Aizawa froze. Then he started snickering. After a few seconds, he started fully laughing: sharp, painful bursts that made his bandaged body complain.
Naomasa tensed.
“Is… something wrong? I’ve never seen you react like that.”
Aizawa forced the laughter down. “Better than wrong. Tashikawa laws apply when hero students become direct targets in an active investigation.”
The detective frowned.
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning,” Aizawa said, “top‑ranked heroes have to take those students into their agencies for protection. Normal lessons - remotely, heroism - directly below them at their discretion. They can’t refuse unless they’re also targets.”
His eyes widened. “And All Might is.”
“Exactly. He’s excluded. Everyone else in the top ten? Fair game. Probably, they will also take Ryukyu as she is eleventh.” Aizawa let his head fall back. “And most of them either graduated from U.A. or owe Nedzu a favour or two. Except maybe Hawks, but he will look out for any suspicious behaviour regardless. Either for ‘the game’ or because he is in the HPSC pocket.”
Naomasa snorted. “If the Commission didn’t hate Nedzu already, this will do it.”
Aizawa didn’t disagree.
6th April 2159
Asaminami Ward (Hiroshima)
Usagiyama “Mirko” Rumi Apartment
14:11 (2:11 PM)
“You want me to do what?!”
Rumi was nearly sure her neighbours would be annoyed by her again, but she didn’t care at the moment. Her right foot was just stomping fast in answer to her mood.
“U.A., in reference to the Tashikawa Convention, requires you to temporarily protect two randomly selected students subject to Convention provisions within your agency.”
She heard the Commission dog sighing on her! Sighing!
“But I don’t have agency! That’s my shtick as being the first heroine without one!”
“Technically, you have a one-man agency without a permanent place of operation, so we can give you a paycheck.”
“Technically, shittically! Do you see me acting as a babysitter for two teenagers?”
“You think we want that? Nedzu forces our hands and-”
Rumi heard some commotion in the background before a new voice picked up the phone.
“Hey, Rabbit Ears. They force the same for everyone at the top. U.A. used Tashikawas for all their all first-years.”
“I don’t care, Hawksie! I don’t have agency, don’t have staff to oversee them! And what, for how long, should I stay in one place? I’m THE freelancer in this job!”
“I know, I know, Rumi. But think about it that way - you get the two first-years, which you can beat as a training…”
Rumi calmed for a moment, hearing an argument in the background about ‘Hawks, you shouldn’t say that’ or something.
“You know what? Okay. But I will take them on patrols as if they were interns.”
The guy who talked to her before Hawks hijacked the line answered that:
“This… this is the best we can get from you, yes? Agree, but you are restricted to Aki when patrolling with them until three weeks into it, if it even lasts that long. The Aki in Hiroshima, so no special detours to Kochi or Oita’s wards with the same name. After three weeks, you can patrol the whole city with them. Good enough?”
“Ughhh, I don’t want again, but yes, if I need to.”
The call ended, but she saw she had an unanswered call from Nedzu and an SMS from him as well.
/Special meeting tomorrow at 9:00 in U.A. Don’t be late, Tiger Bunny/
“Fuck.” Rumi muttered under her nose, seeing her old nickname from the times she fought in illegal fighting rings.
9th April 2159
U.A. Grounds
Assembly Hall
8:35 (8:35 AM)
Izuku didn’t know what it was about. When all of his classmates arrived in the classroom, the chirpy voice from the intercoms informed them that they needed to go to the assembly hall.
That itself wouldn’t be weird, if not for the fact here were only his classmates and what he assumed must be class 1-B.
On the podium were three people.
Vlad King - the Blood Hero, Mysterious Mammal Hero - why is the principal here? Was it about Shigaraki paraphrasing Aizawa-sensei? - and… mummy? Was that Eraserhead?
That would mean that Vlad King must be the homeroom teacher of 1-B.
But what it could be about if-
“Shut up, Deku! You’re muttering again!” Kacchan slapped him on the back of his head.
Jeez, Izuku couldn’t keep himself silent for a moment and probably distracted everyone like before the entrance exam!
“Ekhm!” Chimarea cleared its throat, snapping everybody's attention. From Izuku’s perspective, the principal looked weirdly amused. “First-year heroics students.”
Izuku looked around as everybody tensed. He couldn’t blame them, especially his classmates, if they caught him using exactly the same words Aizawa used before they took the bus to the U.S.J.
“I regret to inform you that due to the attack on the U.S.J. four days ago,” Mr Principal continued. Izuku definitely didn’t hear regret in the white mammal's voice. If everything he seemed… pleased? “You have been placed under the Tashikawa Convention.”
A ripple of whispers spread through the hall. Izuku knew what Tashikawas were and was definitely caught off guard by implementing them. But from the confusion among other students, Izuku saw that only the other ones that heard about them were Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Iida, Aoyama and three students from class B he didn’t know.
Makes sense, they weren’t in use since… like forty-five years? So, since before All Might even started middle school!
He couldn’t judge people from 1-B, but he was surprised that Aoyama knew about them. Maybe a fellow hero nerd, even if he didn’t look as such?
“After this assembly, you will leave the premises individually, in vehicles that will transport you to secure hero agencies. Until further notice,” the principal went on, “your regular classes will take place remotely - through the school platform on the devices we will provide to you.”
Izuku saw as his French-coded classmate flinched. Weird… But maybe he was anxious about leaving their parents without previous notice? Oh no… he just realised how his mother will feel when she hears that! From what he saw around, the anxiousness was slowly catching everyone.
“Your hero training, on the other hand, will be supervised by the pro heroes running your assignment agencies as they deem fit. After the situation resolves, we will put you through placement tests, both practical and theoretical, to see if, where and how much you will need to catch up to your peers and curriculum.”
Izuku wondered how they assigned them, but didn’t ask as he assumed it’d be explained in a moment. He was right, as after a short sip of water, Principal Nedzu continued:
“The agencies were assigned by random draws, from Prominence Agency to Dragoir Agency, and the number of students sent to each was adjusted by agency capabilities, from two for the smallest to eleven for the biggest. Who you will share agency with that will protect you will be learnt after arriving. It may cause… some small inconveniences.”
That made Izuku double-take. He didn’t remember that being so random and with so much secrecy… And why All Might… Ah, his secret form and probably also being seen as another target under that investigation…
Realisation of reason didn’t mean Izuku was glad with the lack of chance of spending the next few days in Might Tower… He hoped it would be just days, because if it were longer, he feared the stress would be too much for his mom to handle!
“Your clothing and other necessary belongings will be delivered to your assigned agencies by this evening at the latest.”
Izuku saw one blonde guy from 1-B raising his hand.
“Yes, Monoma?” Vlad King asked.
“Why do we, as Class B, need to pay for something connected to Class A?”
This time, it was Aizawa's time to talk.
“You’re not ‘paying’ for anything. Class A was targeted; you may be too. Those are protective measures until the situation calms down.”
Blonde just frowned at Eraserhead’s explanation.
Izuku would never say it out loud, but he couldn’t help thinking he’d just found someone with an even worse inferiority complex than Kacchan.
“Any more questions?”
After about two minutes of silence, the principal said,
“In that case, please follow your homeroom teachers.”
Aizawa and Vlad King gathered their classes, and they all started walking in the same direction. After a while, they reached a large parking lot.
Honestly, Izuku had no idea which part of campus they were on.
Cars were waiting for them. A lot of cars—easily three times more than there were students. He could’ve sworn he heard Uraraka mutter something about “needing to learn where they get all that money from.”
“In seating order, each of you goes to a car and sit in the back,” Aizawa sighed.
“Class B, do the same, but start from the opposite end,” Vlad King added.
They did as they were told. When it was Izuku’s turn, he climbed into one of the cars, only to realise that from the back, the windows were completely blacked out, and the front of the car was blocked off.
“Class A, seat eighteen, right?” a voice from the speaker asked.
“Y-yes, sir.”
Silence followed. A few minutes later, the engine started, and Izuku left the U.A. grounds for who knew how long.
9th April 2159
Aldera Ward (Musutafu)
Midoriya’s Family Apartment
9:23 (9:23 AM)
Inko was pacing back and forth, listening to what they were informing her on the phone.
“My baby will be without me for how long?! And no information, no way of refusing?!”
After a few calming breaths, during which the Commission official explained it to her for the fifth time, she asked:
“For how long do I need to prepare his clothes that you will get today? Any other essentials?”
Not too long after, the call with the woman ended, and Inko stopped holding back classic Midoriya tears.
9th April 2159
Aldera Ward (Musutafu)
Bakugou’s House
9:23 (9:23 AM)
“Okay, the brat’s clothes and some essentials. That’s all?” Mitsuki asked.
“Yes, madam.”
“They’ll be ready when you come to pick them up,” she said, hanging up.
After that, Mitsuki walked into her son’s room. The brat had thrown away his suitcase because “he doesn’t need one for the next three years.” Yeah, she could see just how much of his arrogance he’d gotten from her. She’d done something similar once, and she still remembered how her own parents had handled it.
She pulled out the pink name patches with Katsuki’s name—she’d had them ready for months just in case—and some garbage bags, then started “packing” the brat’s things. A little humility might straighten him out.
It had worked on Mitsuki, so why should her son be any different?
Masaru started snickering in the background.
“What the fuck is so funny?”
“...You said that last part out loud.”
“So?”
“Nothing,” he answered a little too quickly.
Mitsuki frowned, temper flaring.
“Are you sure you don’t want to try that answer again?”
9th April 2159
Watarai Town (Mie Prefecture)
Uraraka’s Construction Company Office/ Uraraka’s flat
9:23 (9:23 AM)
“We would help, but our daughter's belongings are mostly at her apartment, which you’re funding”
“...”
“What do you mean U.A. doesn’t… Please, wait a moment, sir.” Aoi Uraraka sighed, muting the phone for a minute before she shouted: “Ouchi, come here.”
“Yes, dear?”
“You remember the address Ocha was renting?”
“The U.A.-”
“It wasn’t funded by U.A,” she cut her husband. “I need it because they put her on some protection program because of the incident on Thursday, but they need someone to prepare clothes and other stuff.”
Her husband frowned, realisation catching his face.
“Yes, I have it written as we wanted to surprise her after her first festival… Even have the spare keys. I will book the tickets for the bullet train.”
As he walked to the next room, muttering about their daughter, Aoi unmuted the call.
“I will message this number in a few more minutes with the address in Musutafu, but we will be able to prepare it. But it will be ready not sooner than in four and a half hours.”
After the call ended, Aoi muttered under her nose, while both of her hands caught her head.
“Ochako, you dumbass of a daughter”
In that moment, her husband came back
“We need to go. The train leaves in seven minutes.”
They ran towards the train station.
“So… we don’t have exactly how to ground her,” Aoi said as they caught the train at the last minute. “But we definitely need to raise her allowance if she rents a one-room flat out of it.”
9th April 2159
Unknown Location
Car carrying Uraraka
9:27 (9:27 AM)
Ochako sneezed, wiping her nose. Suddenly, she felt a shiver on her spine.
“What the fuck did I fuck up?” She muttered under her breath.
Then she remembered that white rat-like thing - that was their principal, according to Deku-kun - said something about sending their things later that day.
To get those, they needed to call…
“Oh shit, they know.”
This time, Ochako didn’t lower her voice.
9th April 2159
Minato Ward (Tokyo)
Prominence Agency
9:55 (9:55 AM)
Enji was never superstitious.
But if fate exists, it definitely was on his side.
Because how differently he could describe that by random chance his masterpiece was sent here?
With ten other hero students, but that wasn’t something Enji could do anything about.
Now that he could double Shouto's training.
He will need that, because from what Enji saw, the second place in the recommendation exam wasn’t a fluke, as Shouto was again second on their first day exam, from what he got in his paperwork.
His masterpiece wouldn’t be second. He created it to be better than him.
As those thoughts were following through his head, eleven cars were parked under the building.
He quickly looked over the student files on his desk to remember family names.
Maybe some of them would be a good fit for a sidekick to his masterpiece after graduation. Maybe that brat who was first in the public entrance exam - Bakugou.
Shiozaki and Jiro also looked promising. Both of their quirks were powerful; what a pity they wouldn’t be compatible with his masterpiece’s one as spouses. A potential mix of Vine or Earphone Jack with Half Hot Half Cold would only lessen Shouto’s inner power.
He knew Iidaten heir wouldn’t stay as sidekick, but he, with that martial artist type - Kendo and Ojiro - could spar with Shouto. They wouldn’t push him in quirk combat, but there will be times when a villain will be using a quirk when you wouldn’t be able to - and in that scenario, those three would be good enough.
And there were four he didn’t know what he could use them to push his masterpiece, but a few new hands for paperwork would never hurt.
It wasn’t like he wouldn’t train in some form or way, Kodai, Shoda, Koda or Kuroiro, but sending them mostly to paperwork could be easily explained by the fact that Enji thought the Tashikawas would last longer, and their turn in more physical training just hadn’t come yet.
Or he will send them to his sidekicks, and then make all the students do paperwork?
After all, bureaucracy takes more time from the heroes' schedule than active combat.
He definitely could work with that.
9th April 2159
Minami Ward (Fukuoka)
Red Feather Agency
18:03 (6:03 PM)
Keigo was a simple guy. He wanted everybody to be happy, to have a world where heroes would be annoyed with the lack of work.
He hoped he would help achieve that someday.
But it definitely wasn’t today, as he watched three cars stop at his agency parking lot.
It wouldn’t be a problem if not for the two meetings he had at the weekend.
First, on Saturday morning, Nedzu wanted to discuss and choose students who will be guarded by each hero, as it turns out, by using the fortune wheel.
Sounded easy.
Well, surprise, surprise!
There probably was a mole, at least one from class 1-A, who was selling information to villains.
And if that wasn’t enough, yesterday he was summoned for a meeting with Madame President, who straightly ordered him to undermine students' trust towards U.A.
For now, he adjusted the invisible mask. The one he was wearing since commission trained him. The one that wasn’t physical in any way or shape.
“Hey, little birdies! As you know, I’m Hawks, and you three will need to stay here for some time!”
The pink one, Ashido, as his documents said, and the pointy-teeth grenette - Tokage, stared at him with awe, while glue dispenser guy - Bondo - shied away.
His feathers caught the fastened heartbeat of all three of them - but not in a way that someone lying felt.
He already felt tired, even if nothing in his posture or face showed it, but at least he - probably - didn’t get a traitor to overwatch.
Small victories, Keigo.
Small victories.
9th April 2159
Koganei City (Tokyo)
Genus Agency
9:47 (9:47 AM)
Tsunagu watched as a toddler-sized teenager oogled his three schoolmates, while the second boy - Awase - just swore five times during the last three minutes.
Tsunagu loved his job. And he also loved to take rough, frayed delinquents and tailor them into a shape that is suitable for the field of heroics, like a fitted pair of jeans to a person. But there was a reason he had only chosen one at the time.
He just hoped Asui, Komori and Tsunotori would meet the expectations he had towards the students of his alma mater.
But more than all, he wished none of the five that were sent to him was selling information to villains.
In the best scenario, it would turn out nobody was, or at least nobody knowingly - some bug in the phone or that half-French student’s belt.
The whole situation for Tsunagu was just too similar to Mino’s case.
She sold them after their class graduated, but… it still was treason towards all of their friends.
Tsunagu preferred not to think about why, at class reunions, there are only eleven of them. Why were only he, Shinya and Juzo active as heroes, even though Juzo decided to return to being a sidekick.
But those thoughts came every once and then.
And with the current situation with at least one traitor in 1-A… Tsunagu could only hope that none of the students would be forced in future to kill one of their classmates.
No repeat of ‘Gold’.
And even if, that they wouldn’t be in love with them.
9th April 2159
Tatooine Ward (Musutafu)
Lurkers Agency
9:25 (9:25 AM)
Shinya just showed the rooms to his bunch. He didn’t get any of the stealth types, unfortunately, but he was hopeful towards the bunch he got… as long as none of them will be another Mino Miyako.
But he didn’t feel off with them around like with Mino.
None of them looked like the type of person who would sell their friends for a little amount of money and some drugs. Or to be a type of person who will spiral from then to become a full-time supervillain.
To be truthful, Mino also didn’t look like the type, even if her presence made Shinya uneasy, but he hoped that his observational skills now were better than when he started high school at an early age of thirteen.
He never understood his best friend's feelings towards this woman, but that could partially be explained by his being aro/ace.
Shinya saw three students gathered at the main office after they left their school supplies in their new rooms.
“Because of the movement today, you have a free day for accommodation. Some of your classmates will arrive at their respective agencies in the evening, and the classwork will be easy to make up in the next few days. If you want something that isn’t here, ask one of the other staff members or me. From time to time, you can see here Kamui Woods and Mount Lady. That’s all.”
“Yes, Edgeshot-san!”
Shinya watched as Shishida, Tokoyami and Sato relaxed a little, but still were stiff because of his presence.
Tomorrow, they would pray that they would relax a little more.
Shinya believed that the mole hunting would turn out successful, but if not… he would make sure that none of the three boys would end up crippled like Koshiro. Lifeless corpse as Burota. Observing their closest ones killed like Jumata, and break like her, ending it all.
And he will make sure that if the worst comes, they will be able to stay shoulder by shoulder against their fake friend, so that they won’t take the burden of killing alone like Tsunagu was forced to when he protected Shinya’s life.
No other generation will be smeared in blood while glorified as shiny ore.
9th April 2159
Nishi Ward (Sapporo)
Sturdy Agency
15:23 (3:23 PM)
“I hope both of your journeys here were satisfactory!” Suzuki said to his two new protectees.
“It was manly!”/”Totally manly!” they spoke in unison… Honestly, if Shield Hero didn’t know otherwise, then he would swear that those two were twins.
“I guess the private plane that took you here from Tokyo was a great experience,” he smiled, looking over the two teens.
“Yes, sir!”/”It was manliest flight ever!”
He hadn’t yet decided, and definitely didn’t want to be rude, but those two seemed too straightforward to be traitors. Unless they didn’t know they were ones. But if that was the case, the mole hunt would conclude faster than slower, and, what would make him cry tears of joy, allow no one to get punished, as no malicious intent would be here!
Yes, Suzuki definitely hoped one of them would turn out to be an unaware traitor. Life would be much, much easier that way! Investigation would be quick, and no future would be destroyed by something like that!
One emotional tear found its way to Ketsubutsu’s graduate eyes when he watched the passion of Kirishima Eijiro and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu.
“Your spirits are already sturdy! Okay, boys! What do you think about little sparring until your belongings arrive? I'm sure your bones need some exercise after such a long journey!”
“Yes, sir.”/”I would appreciate it, sir” Both of them spoke in unison again. “You are very manly, Crust-san!”
Now, more tears appeared in Suzuki's eyes as he clutched one hand over his heart. This passion! This strength of youth! How could he answer with anything less than everything he had?
He will make sure those two will have the strength to support their fortitude!
Three minutes later, two unconscious teens and a very confused number six hero were found by Suzuki’s brother, Chinen.
“Did you forget that those are first-years and you are one of the top bracket?”
“...Maybe?” Suzuki answered hesitantly.
“You know that now we need to buy them new school uniforms, right?”
9th April 2159
Asaminami Ward (Hiroshima)
Usagiyama “Mirko” Rumi Apartment
(Temporary, Main Office of Usagi Agency)
17:57 (5:57 PM)
Rumi watched as the green-haired kid stuttered a greeting toward the girl-next-door type, who started blushing in response.
Oh dear god, not only did she get a twig, but the second one was lovey-dovey with him?
From Eraserhead’s note attached to the boy’s files, Midoriya had gotten some attention from the big guy and—for some reason—hadn’t trained his quirk for the last ten years to keep from hurting himself with some sort of undescribed backlash, then lied about his late-bloomer status. His attitude didn’t match the “cocky lazy kid” archetype at all; it read more like “weakling” or “socially awkward.” Uraraka, on the other hand, behaved more or less according to the info she had gotten—this time without any note from their teacher.
She hoped the awkwardness wasn’t an act, because if it was, the kid was a better actor than that mohawk guy from last year’s “Best Movie” Oscar. Rumi was far more concerned about the girl. Very poor background, last-minute info about her lying to her parents about U.A. funding her apartment, and the fact that—even with that—she hadn’t applied to any of the few dozen U.A. aiding programs (free lunches, leftovers for dinner, etc.) that her homeroom teacher should have informed her about. That felt shady.
Something didn’t add up for Rumi in both situations. Why attach a note to one file and not to the other, even if it was just a simple “I didn’t find anything suspicious about her”? Why wasn’t Midoriya sent to a quirk counsellor or given a support item to reduce the backlash, whatever it is? Why had Uraraka listed nausea as a side effect of overusing her quirk without any way to reduce it—pills, training plans, anything—or, more importantly, any way to replenish the water and electrolytes she would lose if she vomited? Give her a water bottle or something! At least she had pressure points used in her costume… Right, costume. The girl’s costume didn’t even have pouches—just the design looking like ones on her belt! Even Rumi’s costume had pouches, however hidden they might be.
Those were her thoughts as she walked downstairs to pick up those two for her apartment.
“See, Deku-kun, you were right, it is Mirko!” the girl announced, making the boy blush. Dammit, they BOTH were lovey-dovey, not only just the girl.
“Yeah, you got it right, kiddo. Now hop-hop after me to my apartment as I don’t have agency, but still, for god’s sake, you brats, I’m forced to babysit you two.”
Teens followed her silently. After they reached her apartment, she showed where teens could leave their school supplies.
“Okay, so. My guest room’s a training room now, so one of you gets the couch, and the other gets my spare futon,” Rumi said, jerking her thumb toward the living room. “Midoriya—your stuff should get here in about two hours. Uraraka… if you’d told your teachers earlier, they would’ve just sent you home first, and you’d be back here with your own crap already.” She snorted. “So your things, lovingly packed by your parents, will crawl in around four. I’m smaller than you, but I can dig up a spare set of unders and uppers. For the rest, Sprout’s about your size and will probably lend you something for one night… unless it’s not your style. But remember, he’ll be sleeping in the same room~”
She let the last words hang, just to see it happen: first the girl, then the boy, both going bright red like a pair of overripe tomatoes.
“U-u-uraraka, you can um… borrow my shirt and yhh some pants when they get here” The boy, surprisingly, was first to recover, however, becoming even redder with each word.
“T-thanks Deku-kun. And I will appreciate your h-help Mirko-san,” the girl stammered after a moment.
“Off clock, it’s Usagiyama, for shortness, Usagi will be enough… technically, I wouldn’t be off clock when you are here, but you get the drill, I guess”
“Yes, Mir- Usagi-san”, both of them answered quickly, voices overlapping, even with catching mistake silmutaneusly. Rumi didn’t know why that made them blush again, but whatever.
Then she showed them the rest of her apartment, the place with already delivered laptops in her office for schoolwork, her training room, which, to be honest, was created not only from the guest room but also all other apartments on this floor and all of the one above, as it was redesigned to her needs, and of course the living room where she already placed the futon next to the old couch she didn’t remember ever sitting on…
Huh, she definitely spent very little time here… Maybe the one and only pros from that whole Tashiwaka, or however that was named, bullshit would be the first time spending time in the place she rents for a living…
“I see you’re awkward around me, choose who sleeps where, talk or something. I will be training until Sprout’s things arrive. Oh, and keep it silent at night because the walls here are very thin and well…” she pointed at her ears, and then she left.
Rumi heard the exact moment when both teens realised what she implied, and snickered as she entered the training room.
She wasn’t usually the teasing type, but for now… She needed to kill some time while she was restricted to patrol Aki. Nothing ever happened there, so at least she can have minimal fun where she can get it.
Maybe, just maybe, that whole Tashikawa thing wouldn’t be as terrible as she thought, however bad it will stay.
9th April 2159
Higashiyama Ward (Kyoto)
Muusha Agency
13:22 (1:22 PM)
Kanemitsuemonnosuke Yoroi, or as he was better known, Yoroi Muusha, was too old for this nonsense. At the age of eighty-five, he should be retired, but his workaholism didn’t let him leave the field. Yoroi cursed himself, watching three younglings who were now put under his care.
None of them looked like they would work for All For One - the name, even if not mentioned by anyone, nearly screamed itself by the sole existence of the multiquirked monster. Yoroi must remind himself to point it towards All Might - he couldn’t prove it, but was nearly sure that blonde symbol was from the same line of heroes that his cousin, from his mother’s side, Daigoro Banjo, was part of.
After Banjo was killed, Yoroi lost sight of the Holders. But he had suspects.
En ‘Gakuen’ Tatuyai and Goroma ‘Spearthan’ Sekarato both showed a sudden spike in their strength and meta-output not long after his cousin’s demise. But Goroma died not long after that, without anybody else gaining a powerful boost. A year later, Yoroi was at the funeral of Smokescream Hero, and saw there Stelar, a black-haired heroine whose legal name was Nana Shimura, that shown capabilities that anyone lacked after Spearthan's death.
Yoroi wanted to get in contact with her, but he was busy, firstly with the ongoing investigation of child traffickers, then with his sweet Sakura’s pregnancy and birth of Yahiro and Kanata, his amazing twin daughters, when the news of the death of Stelar’s husband, and not long after her too, reached him.
All Might, or as he remembered from boy time at U.A., Toshinori Yagi, looked like a normal strength enhancer quirk with a muscle growth side effect. But after Stellar's death, All Might transferred for boy’s last term of high school to some school in America. From then on, day after day, the youngling showed his own strength, ever growing over an already horrendous amount, and Yoroi was nearly sure he found Eight.
When Yagi came back after eleven years, Muusha was again distracted. This time, his family was murdered as revenge for the Yakuza family he was trying to dismantle.
Years passed, and every time he tried to reach him, either something more important at the moment stopped him, whether it was a terrorist organisation, gold-gen fiasco or something as simple as his declining health, and thankfully, he won the fight with cancer, or Yagi himself wasn’t reachable.
But that was only memories of an old man, who was too much stucked into past. The future should be much brighter, and Yoroi should focus on it.
He wondered if All Might considered one of his wards a candidate for One For All. He saw a possible great synergy between the young Yaoyorozu heiresses' Creation. Giving it to Monoma could give them a second All For One - this time fighting on their side, and without quirks lost by others, with all the benefits of gaining them. Shoji's regenerative capabilities, overall mass and versatility connected with such a massive stockpile?
If that quirk-stealing bastard was still alive, that combination could have given him a gorgeous amount of pain.
Was Yoroi petty? Maybe.
But what other reaction could anybody expect from someone whose meta-ability, or quirk as youth called them now, was stolen as he was still a teenager? Thankfully, HPSC at this time was still in its infancy, so faking a quirk to become a hero was more or less easy. And now, after that many years, nobody questioned him in that regard.
9th April 2159
Midori Ward (Nagoya)
Mitasugu Agency
11:45 (11:45 AM)
Susugu hated his job. But he wasn’t ever the one to quit. The bet was a bet, and he definitely wouldn’t lose to Taishiro! He even proved that he is a better hero than him, being in the top ten in rankings, while Fat Gum was placed around the late fifties!
Now the job had gotten a bunch more difficult, as he needed to watch over two teenagers, when one or both could be a villain plant inside U.A. What was even more fucked up, Susugu couldn’t even be sure for how long!
But he wouldn’t break! Taishiro would buy him that yacht they bet on, and it won’t be any other way around!
Ugh, now time for the punishment for his former bet loss, which, for some goddamn sake, became so popular when he was in U.A. that he was stuck to it as his public hero persona.
“Wash wash washa washa!” Susugu greeted Aoyama and Kamakiri.
“G-good m-morning Wash-san.” The blonde greeted him, somehow sheepishly. Huh, he's supposed to be the ‘attention seeker’, not ‘shy guy’... Was the unannounced movement that much? Poor kid.
The… freak just scoffed. If someone from those two were a traitor, it would surely be a mutant bastard. Now, not only would he need to be a part-time babysitter, but also a zookeeper? Eh, heteromorphs.
Damn, he hated those. Everybody thought of him as one of them because of that stupid costume, which made him hate muties even more!
He will make sure the bug will be squished, and the blonde one will probably calm down without it around him.
9th April 2159
Okuto Island
Okuto Aquarium
14:58 (2:58 PM)
Kugo watched as cars left the ferry. Honestly, he didn’t understand why Nedzu ordered students to stay in cars even when the sole buoyancy of sea travel told them all where they were sent. Moreso because he was sure that those two boys, Crust, were able to leave those cars and see each other before they were taken by a private plane to Hokkaido. Maybe because there were fewer than seven possible ways of leakage in the amount of two? Kugo wasn’t sure.
The cars stopped, and students left. No one looked surprised by seeing him, which only furthered his confidence that all of them realised they would be under Gang Orca’s care.
He quickly revised the list of students in front of him.
Kaminari Denki - electric quirk, overusage made him ‘stupid’. Kugo already had a tally on him to check if that wasn’t a simple act. High priority on his secondary mission of finding the leakage.
Sero Hanta - mutation allowing the production of tape from elbows. He needed to check if the kid didn’t show signs of bullying - nothing on his papers showed that, but nothing showed that it happened in Kugo’s files either when he was a boy’s age.
Hagakure Toru - invisibility, potential confidence issues connected with it, and easy use for spying. However, no obvious motive - Kugo needed to check if she could be coerced in any way or shape.
Tsuburaba Kosei - solid air constructs, depending on breathing. Some minor fights in elementary school were found on his record. His disinherited uncle was a small-time villain-herotuber. Another high priority on Kugo’s list.
Fukidashi Manga - reality-altering quirk, if not for his heavy drawbacks, would be very easy to become one of the strongest heroes on the planet… even if not by the public eye because of obvious heteromorphism. Would that be the reason why the boy could be a possible mole? Probably, so another on Kugo’s list.
Honenuki Juzo - a recommended student, with the ability to change solids into liquids. Cocky, from an upper-class background, so no possibility of coercion or bribery. Since the third year of elementary homeschooled because of bullying connected to his appearance. Kugo didn’t see him as a possibility unless there was some sort of blackmail.
Last but not least, Reiko Yanagi - telekinesis quirk, edgy, ‘spooky’. An orphan who was never adopted, now living in a group home in Musutafu. That reminded Kugo of that girl from his sister-class, Mino. He didn’t want to assume, but the backgrounds were too similar. If in 1-B was also a mole, he would unfortunately bet on her. High priority as well.
Kugo led them inside the rooms they will be in for the time being. He chose to temporarily move his hero work here from his agency because of the Tashikawas. Aquarium was closed because of renovation, so for at least a month, contact with the outside world they would have would be by monitored ways only- either by Kugo, his sidekicks or Nedzu himself when they use the provided laptops.
He promised himself that he wouldn’t be as blind as his sister-class teachers seventeen years ago.
No other ‘golden generation’ will be created on his watch when gold is smeared in blood, death and grief.
9th April 2159
Nishi Ward (Niigata)
Dragoir Agency
15:03 (3:03 PM)
If Ryuko must be honest, she wasn’t too fond of having two males in her agency. But she couldn’t do anything with that. It wasn’t like she had something against the gender itself - it would just be unease having suddenly two boys in the agency where alongside her were working only women.
It’s not like she deliberately chose that as hiring policy, but it somehow happened, and Ryuko wasn’t thinking about changing that anytime soon.
But here there were: Sen Kaibara and Hiryu Rin.
They looked like a pair of good kids. She hoped they weren’t the traitors Nedzu asked to look for. She wasn’t part of ‘golds’ herself, being a year younger than most of them, except that genius, Kamihara, but she could see with her own eyes what could be the worst-case scenario.
She saw how her senpais' years were slaughtered, and how devastated the survivors were when the woman who was to blame for it was discovered.
How Moashi-senpai decided to leave being a full pro hero and returned to being a sidekick - if she remembers correctly, now a part of Nighteye Agency.
How devastated were Hakamada and Kamihara.
How changed Sakamata become.
But that wasn’t as bad as something that came later.
How society has forgotten about that.
And now history could repeat itself? Ryuko wouldn’t allow it. But if something slips her grasp, now she has the power to make people remember. So no one will dance to the same song ever again.