Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first thing that was striking about that girl, at least in Setsuna’s mind, was how fucking tall she was.

Granted, this was U.A’s recommendation exam. If there was one place where people like her would show up, it would probably probably be here. The boys’s part apparently had Endeavor’s son and some guy who almost totaled the race track with his tornadoes, so…

...she had to be a foreigner. The features were very much like the ones seen on Hollywood actors and the like, but much more… what was the right word here? Marbly? Probably not it. If someone however told Setsuna that this giant girl – towering over every other participant with her mane of ashen white hair and a still gaze of faded blue eyes, like that of a tranquil sea – was sculpted out of stone, out of pretty white marble, she’d be willing to believe them.

Alright, she could gawk at her incredibly hot schoolmates later. There was a test to be won. “ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! HOPE Y’ALL READY FOR A RUN OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!” Note: gawking at your favorite pros was probably not recommended, but holy shit Present Mic in the flesh. “I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS AMAZING AUDIENCE! GET READY TO RUN!”

The written part of the exam was one thing, but now awaited a bigger challenge: an obstacle course over the length of three kilometers. Quirk usage well permitted. Setsuna rolled her shoulder with a sigh. On that field, she was going to lag behind a little bit. She prided herself on her overall form, but that was before her classmates could launch themselves hundreds of meters forward with their flashy powers. Apparently Endeavor Jr. and Tornado Guy cleared their course in a matter of seconds.

Less thinking, more running. “TAKE YOUR PLACES! ON MY MARK…!” And then they were out, racing forward at breakneck pace. The rich girl with an updo ponytail – she arrived here in a limo, for crying out loud – was the one who wasn’t running; hers was a more ingenious method by using a… skateboard? When the hell… less thinking, more running.

The first obstacle was a sandpit to jump over. Easy enough. The white marble girl cleared it first with a graceful leap and legs for days. Setsuna was right behind her, separating into a bunch of parts to avoid jumping entirely. The rich girl chose to pole vault the damn thing. Where did she get the pole? Why was she running with her hoodie open? Questions for later. Others lagged behind almost immediately. The lizard prodigy couldn’t help but chuckle. She knew this would be tough, and prepared accordingly. It seemed so did the other two.

The second obstacle: a length of monkey bars over a body of water. Another one Setsuna could just cheat through, much to her delight. So could the rich girl – now she was using her momentum to propel herself through the water on a surfboard. The white marble girl chose to go for it the old-fashioned way, clearing two bars with each movement. She ended up third, trailing just behind Setsuna and the rich girl. Much to the lizard’s dismay, those long legs to die for made a lot of difference. At the third obstacle they were all going neck-in-neck, seemingly energized by the spirit of competition.

The last obstacle: ball shooters. A softball passed right before Setsuna’s nose. An inch further and she would probably go home purple in the face. She opted to simply detach her head and make it float above the shooters’s effective range, propelling the rest of her body forward. Such remote control was still something she was working on, but the run here was as straightforward as it could be.

The rich girl used shields now, two sets of heavy European plates to keep her head and upper body safe, though at the cost of some speed. Speaking of her upper body, wow. Like, wow. She lost her hoodie somewhere along the way, so now Setsuna could see how her Quirk worked – she simply conjured items from her body. Talk about a blessing. Well, blessings. Holy shit, were those even real-wait, don’t get distracted.

The white marble girl, meanwhile, simply bulldozed through the ball shooters. One of them hit her directly in the neck with such power Setsuna’s first instinct was to feel her own. Nothing. She didn’t even flinch, didn’t make any sound. There was no way to catch her now. There was no way to catch the rich girl either – she switched back to a skateboard immediately once out of range of the balls. Setsuna bit her lip as her head reattached and then surged forward in one final attempt to catch up with them.

She finished third, whole two seconds after the rich girl and three and a half after the white marble, collapsing behind a finish line and struggling to find her breath. Oh fuck, oh shit, that was the hardest she ever pushed herself… and still only third. That was just U.A for you – the cream of the crop as far as Hero Schools went.

“Are you alright, Tokage-san?” The soft voice must have been the rich girl’s. She blindly took the hand offered, now able to appreciate the upper class beauty in front of her. Oh goodness, if she wasn’t struggling to not black out from sheer exhaustion right now, she’d already have like six pick-up lines available.

“I think I jus’… need a breather… or seven...” She mumbled. “You guys… are amazin’...”

“Oh no, it’s nothing special. I just made sure to prepare, is all.” Setsuna would probably be angrier with the booby angel propping her up at this word choice if her entire life wasn’t flashing before her eyes right now. “Your Quirk is quite amazing, if I may say so myself.”

“Heh… oh… sugar honey ice tea...” And then she slumped in the rich girl’s grip as consciousness left her.

----

She awoke in an infirmary bed with a startled gasp.

“Awake already?” The elderly voice came from behind a curtain, revealing a tiny grandma in a white labcoat. Setsuna stared blankly. “It’s not even a first day of school and I’m already getting customers.”

“...oh, uh… I blacked out?”

“You did.” Well, talk about an embarrassing first impression. “I appreciate the effort you put in the recommendation exam, but try not to make it a habit.” ...wait, a habit? Setsuna stared even more blankly. The tiny grandma – Recovery Girl, U.A’s school nurse – presented a tiny envelope marked with the school’s emblem. “I’ve been authorized to give you this once you come to.”

“...ma’am, are you s-saying that… I made it?”

“Fifth and last to make it, yes.” ...okay, Endeavor Jr. and Tornado Guy probably took the first two spots, but… did that mean Honenuki didn’t make it? That would be a shame. They went to the exam together and all that. “If you are wondering about the details, Young Inasa declined the spot in class for personal reasons. U.A normally only accepts four recommended students in total, but your performances were quite spectacular, if I may say so myself.”

“...even in spite of me blacking out like a wuss?”

“Yes.”

“Can I voice my extreme joy at my admission?”

“Once I sign you out of the infirmary, yes.”

----

“HONENUKI I MADE IT!”

The skull-faced boy had just enough time to catch a flying childhood friend giggling and squeeing right into his arms. Three merry-go-rounds later Setsuna dropped off, still bouncing in excitement – and just now realizing that Honenuki wasn’t on his own. She recognized both the rich girl – Yaoyorozu, was her name – and the white marble girl, standing a little aside from the group.

“Congrats—“

“Oh my god, but I almost didn’t! I don’t know whether to punch or to kiss that Inasa bloke, honestly!”

“Why not just say “thank you”?” Yaoyorozu suggested, the slight change in her face suggesting that she didn’t get Setsuna’s struggle with the conundrum. The lizard prodigy pouted.

“I wanted to get in on my own merits, not because he left at the drop of the hat.”

“Funny you mention that, apparently he’s going to Shiketsu.” Honenuki shrugged. “He and Todoroki butted heads for a bit.”

“Oh yeah, where’s the Lil’deavor?”

“He left as soon as the results came in. A real stick in the mud, honestly.” Setsuna grinned. “...oh come on, Tokage, it’s a figure of speech—“

“Yeah, good we didn’t muddy it up~”

“Godfuckingdamnit, I walked into that one. Uh, sorry, Yaoyorozu.”

“Oh no, it’s quite alright. I… am having a bit of a trouble processing your conversation with Tokage-san, is all.” The white marble girl was silent, eyes idly looking up at the twilight. Maybe she was just shy? Who knew?

“So, what’s with the group up?”

“I figured that we can all grab a bite or something, to celebrate us getting into U.A. and all that. Asked Inasa about it, but he said he couldn’t possibly join us since he didn’t qualify.” Setsuna raised an eyebrow.

“I think that’s a splendid idea. Even if we do not end up in the same class together, socializing like that can go the long way.” Yaoyorozu nodded with a smile. The lizard prodigy stared at the angelic being in front of her before Honenuki elbowed her in the ribs with a chuckle. “Do you have somewhere in mind?”

“Well, there’s McDonalds’s nearby, if you feel like having a go at American food.”

----

“Can I ask you a question, Maria-san?”

The ashen-haired giantess was identified as Maria Muradasilova, half-Russian, half-German, with a hint of Finnish ancestry. Much to her embarrassment, Setsuna had no idea where Finland even was. Maria spoke little, in no small part thanks to her flimsy grasp of Japanese, taking dainty bites out of her dish of choice.

...how did you even spell Muradasilova? “Yes?” Another reason why, at least in Tokage’s mind, she must have spoken so little was due to self-awareness how weak her voice made other people’s knees. Yeeeesh. Between her, Yaomomo – a cute nickname Setsuna thought up on a spot, much to Yaoyorozu’s flushed embarrassment – and any other classmates she had yet to meet, this was shaping up to be… uh, an interesting three years.

“Why did you not use your Quirk during the test?”

“She didn’t?” Honenuki raised an eyebrow. Maria’s face was still as she wiped the corners of her mouth with a provided piece of paper. “Wait, how can you tell, Yaoyorozu?”

“Quirk usage takes energy of the user most of the time. I have learned to sense the subtle airshifts that occur during usage. As we remained quite even for most of the race, sensing them was not an issue.”

“...huh. Didn’t know that was a thing.” Quirks without a perceptible effect were rare. Even those with low output and a niche function had some kind of visual representation in how they affected the user or the environment around them. Could Maria have one such Quirk?

The white marble shook her head. “Forlorn Quirk.” The other three stared at the foreigner, trying to make sense of that cryptic message.

“...do you dislike using it?” Setsuna suggested with a frown. Their eyes met, and it took her all of her willpower to not have her face redden like a Christmas light. And yet, despite the direct eye contact, it didn’t seem like they were actually looking at each other. The white marble wasn’t blind, but it seemed like she was gazing somewhere else, an imperceptible void ahead.

“Yes.” Maria’s eyes left Setsuna’s face as she focused on her burger. “Great curse.”

“...to think of your Quirk as a curse...” Yaoyorozu seemed sympathetic, but unsure what to do. “I am sorry this befell you.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Honenuki offered a smile of his own. “There are some weird Quirks out there, but it’s not like you can’t use them for good. I mean, I can soften things. Seems innocuous enough, but you know what they say about creativity.”

“Oh, or what about Best Jeanist?” Setsuna suggested, trying to get back into the spirit of things. “Fiber control means he can do literally anything with anything.”

“Is that right? I thought he can only control cloth fibers.” Yaoyorozu tilted her head slightly.

“Nope. All fibers. I saw him stop an entire collapsing building by manipulating the foundation~”

“So yeah. Don’t worry about it, Mura” Honenuki stopped, clicking his tongue. “Da-shi-ro-wa. Ain’t no Quirk that defines you. It’s the other way around.”

“You think so?” The other recommended students nodded resolutely. Maria’s face was still for a moment before she smiled. Setsuna shuddered despite herself. Something about that smile was both completely captivating and absolutely terrifying at the same time. “Maybe, but not mine.”

----

“...hey, Juzo?” Honenuki craned his neck to look at Setsuna. After saying their goodbyes with Muradasilova and Yaoyorozu, the two of them were taking the same train home. His childhood friend was awfully quiet. It seemed that the other two recommended students had left quite an impression on her. “I think I’m in gay hell.”

“What, that bad?”

“Whatever god sculpted Yaomomo, he must have beat off to it.” Honenuki was thankful there was nobody else sitting nearby, or they would be getting weird looks already. “...and whatever god sculpted Maria, he must have been terrified of her sheer greatness.”

“We haven’t even met our classmates yet.” Setsuna groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

“I know. I’m a woman dying of thirst, though...” Levity gone, the lizard girl was back to looking uncharacteristically sullen again. “...I keep thinking of what she said about her Quirk.”

“How it’s cursed?”

“...yeah. I wonder what happened that she’d even think that. Honestly, if she just said something like “there was no need to use it” or something—“

“—then you’d think she’s an arrogant stuck-up.”

“Oh god, I would. Sounds a lot like Lil’deavor.”

“I don’t know if this is the most clever or the stupidest nickname you’ve ever come up with.” Brief silence. “...well… I’m glad we both got in. Here’s hoping we can end in the same class.”

“Word. Oh, that’s my stop.” Shaking out the bad thoughts, Setsuna stood up and marched over to the door with a brisk step. “Tokage of the Brotherhood of Gays, sounding off.”

“I should record you one day.” Honenuki rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “I’d have blackmail material for days.”

“No you wouldn’t, ‘cause you love me~”

“Alright, alright.” The doors opened. “Hey, Setsuna!” The lizard girl turned over to see Honenuki raising his fist slightly with a grin. “To our heroics.” She grinned back and returned the gesture.

“To them.”

----

Japan felt… peaceful.

It was a stark contrast from the last few years of her life. Frankly, she was having a hard time adjusting, and not just because of the language barrier. That seemed easy enough to cross.

It was simply weird living in a world so disconnected from the old one. In a world past dreams, far away from the ruins of Cainhurst… far away from the ruins of Yharnam… far away from everything that once defined her. Now, under the guidance of one of Master Gehrman’s apprentices, she was to begin again.

Maria sighed, looking at the peaceful sea, before opening her journal and beginning to write. No doubt Adeline wanted to hear from her...

----

Lady Maria Muradasilova of House Cainhurst, Clocktower Crest. Quirk: Blood Manipulation! She can alter the properties of her blood, both inside and outside of her!

Chapter Text

“Forty eight… forty nine… and fifty~”

Today was the big day. The day. Her day. Today, Setsuna began her course on heroics. Raising up from her sit-ups and wiping the brow off sweat with a soft sigh, she looked at her new school uniform, just ready to be put on. “Look out, world. Tokage is on the rise~”

One goodbye to her pet geckos and then one to her parents later, she was on her way, stepping with a lively bounce. It was still a little unreal to think about. Here she was, strolling over to the best Hero School in Japan as if it was just another boring day in junior high. The train was packed with people, friends and strangers alike. She made some small talk with her friends from junior high, all of them heading for different schools. Lots of encouragement was had. No sight of Honenuki though… did he decide to choose an earlier train? Hopefully his plan wasn’t to oversleep on the very first day of school. Them recommendation students had to be held to higher standards.

“Out of my way, extra.” A gruff voice reached her before a boy in a matching uniform – with sandy blond hair and a confrontational look, yikes – passed by. She wasn’t even in the way, so he probably said it just to act tough. Talk about a terrible attitude. She should know better than to talk back to him though—

“The only guy acting extra is you, buddy.” ...ah, cripes. The boy turned to look at her with a thundering look of someone this close to snapping and going on a murder spree. A real charmer. “...what? Just saying like it is.”

“You want to go? I’ll put you in the fucking ground.”

“Scary stuff. You kiss your mom with that mouth?” Setsuna had a bad habit of speaking before she thought much of it. The blond jerk’s eyes were this close to bugging out from sheer indignation. Finally, deciding that starting a fight on the first day of school might not have been the smartest thing in the world, he turned back on his heel and stomped off towards the gate. “Wow, what a douche.”

“I HEARD THAT, SNAKE LADY!”

“It’s Lizard Lady, thanks much!” ...well, she just made her very first enemy in U.A. long before she even started any education. “...good going, Tokage, just torpedo yourself from day one.”

----

Fortunately, the blond jerk was not a part of her class.

“Hey, Tokage! Over here.” Honenuki called her from his seat, already set up with bare necessities. Most of the class seemed to be present already, currently chatting between each other, looking vaguely ominous – what was it with blond boys in this school? – or trying to make themselves look smaller. Aw. That mushroom girl was cute. No sign of the white marble though…

“Sup, softboy?” He rolled his eyes with a groan, accompanied by another guy’s brief chuckle. “Hope I’m not late.”

“Nah, made it just fine. Dunno if you’ve heard, but Muradasilova will be a part of our class.”

“...what kind of fucking name is that?” The boy from earlier, with spiky hair and a headband, looked incredulous. “So we’ve got three foreigners?”

“Three? Oh yeah, hey there, name’s Tokage. Cool headband.”

“Awase, and likewise. But yeah, there’s Pony over there” Awase pointed towards a big-eyed blonde with two prominent horns – at least this one didn’t seem like a jerk. “and Rin there.” Next he pointed at a serious-looking brunet with a braid. “But yeah, Murawhat?”

“She’s half-German, half-Russian.” Awase stared at Honenuki imparting wisdom about his fellow recommended student as if he was a talking manferret instead. “And has Finnish ancestry.”

“...what the shit is Finnish?” Unfortunately for him, there was no more time for socialization: their homeroom teacher made his way in. Maria was right behind him, forced to bend slightly as she entered the classroom. “...oh… that the shit...”

“Alright, class, take your seats.” Sekijiro Kan, better known as Vlad King, announced. Before the white marble left for her seat – in the far left corner in the back – she and him conversed briefly in some unknown language. She left for her place soon after, attracting stares from their entire classroom. No small wonder – not only she wore a boy’s uniform, likely because there were no sizes to accommodate her, well, size; but she rocked it.

“Don’t let your eyes pop out, Tokage.” Honenuki whispered with a grin, almost making her jump in her seat. Setsuna shot him a dirty look.

“I am pleased to welcome you in U.A Hero School. My name is Sekijiro Kan. Some of you may know me better as Vlad King.” Their homeroom teacher introduced himself. “I will be your class’s homeroom teacher for these three years. Before we begin, I would like to say one thing: you all came here from various walks of life, but with a single purpose: to become a someone who protects the weak, saves lives, and upholds justice. Whether you think of being a hero as a job, a calling or a duty, never forget to hold yourselves to these lofty ideals.”

“No Quirk is villainous or inappropriate for hero work, though some may make your progress easier than the others.” A moment of silence. “It is entirely up to you to refine yourselves and, with our guidance, emerge into the world as its pillars. That is all.” Everyone was still silent. “I… do apologize. I am still a little unused to this entire thing myself.”

“Teacher is good!” The two-horned girl – Pony, Setsuna recalled her name was – called out resolutely, in an extremely thick American accent. “We believe!”

“...your faith is appreciated.” For a moment the class was mired in awkward silence. Mr. Kan cleared his throat. “Either way, I would like for every one of you to come up to the stand and introduce themselves to the class, Quirk and all. Let’s start with the first row on the right.” Oh, so Maria would introduce herself last. That made sense, given the language barrier. The first to go was a redhair with a ponytail, stepping up lively with distinct tomboyish energy.

“My name is Itsuka Kendo. I hope all of us can get along just fine.” She smiled pleasantly. “My Quirk lets me enlarge my hands. I know it’s not very flashy, but it suits me just fine.” After Kendo went others.

“Name’s Kaibara, pleased to meet you. My Quirk lets me rotate my body parts.”

“S-s-shoda. I, uh… I hope you won’t mind be being around. I can apply extra oomph to a b-blow with my Quirk… er, kinda sorta.”

“Manga Fukidashi. I’ve a speech bubble for a head.” A brief chuckle from the class. “I can make onomatopoeias with special effects.”

“Kamakiri. Am here to be the most badass of badasses. I can grow blades on me.”

“Kodai. I can shrink or grow stuff.”

K-k-k-kinoko… um, Komori.” Aw, poor her. Setsuna’s protective instincts flared in full force. “I, um… I w-want to be an I-Idol Hero, a-actually… I can, um, grow mushrooms… b-but I have mush to learn on t-that...” ...did she just…?

“Tsuburaba’s the name, memes are my game. Quality pun right there, Komori.” The mushroom girl squeaked and blushed red. “Pleased to meet ya all. I can blow air barriers.”

“Rin Hiryu. I, uh, I’m from China, so please don’t freak out if I start muttering nonsense. My Quirk lets me grow scales on my body. They come in handy for offense and defense both.” Oh hey, a fellow lizard.

“Bondo. Hi everyone. I can make glue. Well, uh, it comes from these.” The giant pointed at his unusual face and the multiple holes in it.

...oh shit, it was her turn. Setsuna made her way to the front. “Hey everyone, Setsuna Tokage. Pleased to meet you. I can do this~” She gestured towards her left hand… and then let it detach with a dry “pop”. “Breaking down is my specialty~” There were more than a few incredulous looks being cast her way.

“Please refrain from Quirk usage in class.” Mr. Kan spoke with a sigh. The hand reattached no problem, with her owner not at all worse for wear. “Next.”

“Awase, hey there. I can weld stuff together, living or not.”

“Pleased to meet you, classmates. I’m Neito Monoma.” The ominous-looking blond introduced himself with a dramatic flourish. Alright, Entrance Jerk this was not. “I’ve intentions of making my class greater than all others. I hope we can work together to that goal. As for my Quirk, I am able to copy other people’s Quirks for usage.” That got the class to erupt in chatter, and not all of it seemed very supportive. Setsuna could kind of see why. To Monoma’s credit, he was taking all this in stride.

“Alright, settle down, everyone. Remember what I said.” Mr. Kan spoke again, his tone ever so slightly heavier. “Next.”

“I’m Pony! I’m not good with Japanese, sorry! Please be good to me.” She was adorable. “I can take these off!” Here she tapped her horns for emphasis. “And play them. Um, no… con...trol them, yeah!”

“Reiko Yanagi. Most kind greetings. My Quirk lets me manipulate objects not unlike ghosts of yore.

“Dames, Sirs, I am Jurota Shishida. My Quirk allows me to transform into the form of the beast. I hope we can get along well.” Something seemed wrong. Looking over to the left corner, Setsuna could see Maria very noticeably stiffened when their resident yeti was introducing himself. What was that about…?”

“I’m Juzo Honenuki. I can soften inorganic things into mud. Pleased to meet you.”

“Kuroiro. Within me dwells the unspeakable black. With it, I can merge into anything black.” Oh hey, they had both a goth and a chuuni. Somehow, the realization put Setsuna at ease.

“SUP’, GUYS?! I’M TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU.” ...wait, what? “I can go hard like steel! I like manly and heroic things!” That name was so incredible the lizard girl didn’t even have it in her to make a hard-on joke. What a legendary person, this Tetsutetsu… but now everyone’s eyes settled on the remaining student to yet introduce herself.

Maria slowly rose from her seat and made her way to the podium, eyes briefly looking over the class. Setsuna gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. Much to her dismay, all the white marble did was tilt her head ever so slightly in confusion… which made everyone present look at the lizard girl instead, Vlad King included. Slowly, she lowered her thumbs-up, trying not to spontaneously combust from embarrassment. Man, high school was hard.

“My name is Maria Muradasilova.” In an instant, everyone’s eyes were on her. Tsuburaba turned redder than Kendo’s hair. Okay, so it wasn’t just her who felt like it. “My Japanese is still weak. Apologies. My Quirk...” She hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances with Mr. Kan, and then nodding to herself. “handles blood.” Handles blood? Was it something like their teacher’s blood control? A bit spooky, but what was so cursed about it…? Vlad King stood right there for comparison, even.

Regrettably, Maria elected not to say anything else, merely bowing her head down and returning to her seat. “Alright, everyone. Grab your PE uniforms and head out outside. We need to start with a Quirk Apprehension Test.”

----

First an entrance exam – apparently non-recommended students had to fight giant robots? Setsuna could only be happy they got off light – and now another one right out of the gate? It seemed U.A just didn’t mess around.

At least the uniforms were kind of comfy. “We’ll do a number of exercises to determine your overall Quirk performance.” Mr. Kan said, gesturing towards the assortment of sports gear placed around the courtyard. Although most of it seemed to have been cleaned up just fine – there were robots riding all over U.A. and it was just… the coolest – there was still a bunch of marks that indicated Class A’s earlier presence here; chiefly large black marks not unlike of soot and melting ice crystals.

“...so apparently one of A can just explode things. Alright, yeah, no big deal.” Tsuburaba muttered under his breath, eyes wandering to and fro.

“The ice must be Todoroki’s...” Honenuki mused idly, slowly stretching.

“While I will be recording all results, don’t think of this as a competition.” Mr. Kan clarified, picking up a softball not unlike the one that were used in the recommendation exam. “All I want to see are your capabilities and your ease of handling your Quirks.” On instinct, Setsuna’s eyes wandered towards Maria. Standing head and shoulders above the others,taller even than Kamakiri and Bondo and perfectly still, she listened without a word.

“Let’s begin with the ball throw.”

----

There were eight tests in total. None of them had Maria use her Quirk.

Granted, now that she knew what it was, Setsuna could see it not being very useful for physical tests. Then again, clever application of even the weakest of Quirks could go a long way. Some were better for a particular activity, some weren’t.

The ball throw was a straightforward affair. Kendo outshone everyone with her huuuuuge hand right at the start, but others weren’t slouches. Kaibara’s arm, spinning like a drill, sent it far far away, as did Yanagi’s gentle telekinesis. Kodai made the ball slightly smaller for a satisfactory throw as well. Setsuna herself did good, detaching her hand and letting it fly further away than a simple throw would carry it. Maria, for her part, simply reeled back and threw the softball with strength befitting someone that fricking tall.

Next was the grip strength. Again did Kendo shine, but the runner-ups were different. Honenuki softened the ball to grip it more easily. Shishida and Bondo’s natural strength lent itself to a high result, as did Tetsutetsu’s (what a legendary name).

Fifty meter dash was dominated by Tsunotori dropping on all fours and surprising the competition with a burst of speed, but the results were more even all around. Distance run was taken by her again, but again, the runner-ups changed once more. As they went through exercises, a firm trend established itself pretty soon: there was one or two masters, three or so runner-ups, and then there was a gap between the rest of them.

Some never really ventured into those first two honored groups. Komori seemed to be struggling, as did Tsuburaba. Setsuna felt for them – they made it into U.A after an already grueling test of wits and skill, so to perform less than optimally now that they’ve been admitted must have brought them no small amount of embarrassment.

Maria performed consistently in the upper half of the class. With nothing but her physical aptitude – and she had lots of it – she placed just behind the specialists. “That was so manly!” Tetsutetsu cheered from the sidelines, watching their white marble clear the sandpit jump with nothing but some running distance. “Muradashirowa’s killing it!”

“Ugh, that doesn’t get any less of a mouthful anytime soon.” Awase grumbled. “But she’s yet to use that Quirk of hers.”

“Mm, yes.” Monoma looked thoughtful. “To not use your Quirk on a Quirk Apprehension Test… I’m hearing she did not use it for the recommendation exam either.”

“...to be fair, she’s built like she came from another planet entirely.” Rin hummed, idly stretching out the kinks. “She might not even need it.”

“Yeah, it’s called Europe~”

“You’re not as funny as you think, Tsuburaba.”

“Whatcha talkin’ about, memelords?” Setsuna approached the boys with a wave. The tests have concluded, and it seemed they were just waiting for Mr. Kan to announce the result. For now he and Maria were conversing in an unknown language once again.

“Wondering about German-on-Russian engineering.”

“What, Maria? She’s great, isn’t she?” It wasn’t like she hasn’t heard them regard her hesitance to use a Quirk with apprehension, but sometimes playing dumb yielded better results. “You lot already having crushes?”

“Bite me, Tokage.” Awase groused with a blush.

“Kinky. Where?” Watching the headband boy sputter and backpedal was a delight. “Kidding, kidding. But yeah, she’s great. She left me and Yaomomo from class A in the dust is what she did.”

“Did she really not use her Quirk through the exam?” Tetsutetsu asked.

“Not that I know of. Yaomomo said you can “feel” when someone’s using a Quirk nearby you even if you can’t see or feel the effects.”

“That sounds spotty.” Kaibara raised an eyebrow.

“No, Tokage’s quite right.” Monoma smiled. “Not everyone is capable of it, but it’s a kind of a talent, if you will. I expected nothing less from Class A’s smartest.”

“Oh yeah, she did ace the written part—“

“Okay, so is it just me or is Maria-san basically the poster child for the “mysterious transfer student” trope?” Manga piped up with an interruption, his speech bubble shaping into a thinking cloud. “From far away, unknown background, tall dark and mysterious… well, tall white and mysterious...”

“Emphasis on tall.” Yui showed up out of nowhere. “...she’s very tall.”

“You think, Kodai?” Awase rubbed his temple in annoyance.

“Guys, come on, don’t lose the trail!” Manga shook his head, the bubble wiggling to and fro. “If somebody told me Maria-san’s cut out of some video game, I’d believe it.”

“What kind of game?” Before anyone could dwell any further on that, Mr. Kan recalled them back for the final briefing. The results were solid across the board; Setsuna ended up seventh. Honenuki was sixth, Maria – fourth. Manga, Shoda and Kinoko closed out the lineup.

“I’d like to stress once again that this isn’t a competition.” Aizawa might have expelled a student already – and had a reason for it beyond his harsh whimsy, since due to Maria’s sudden recommendation Class A had one student too many – but Kan liked to think he held more reasonable methods. “Think of these results as guidelines on what to improve on your part. Either way, that’s all for today. Return to classes for your primers on the school year. Class dismissed.”

Setsuna stayed a little behind, watching Maria converse with their homeroom teacher again and thinking back to their interactions after the recommendation exam, of her words and her smile so alluring and so bone-chilling, of her gaze that seemed to be looking somewhere else. Somewhere deeper.

The game she came from was probably a horror. Or a horror-themed otome game.

Chapter Text

“Hey hey, Maria!” The ashen giantess looked up from her phone – an ancient piece that seemed just about on the verge of usefulness – to see an approaching Pony, waving to her with a big friendly smile. Disregarding the urge to cut and run – after all, she wasn’t nearly as beastly as Shishida, though she probably had to work on that instinct as well – she offered a smile of her own, but it wasn’t very much of a happy look. Smiling was still something Maria had to master.

Most of her classmates let her keep to herself during the lunch break. Both Setsuna with Honenuki and Momo came by to say hi, but didn’t stay for very long. Whether it was out of apprehension or because they respected her tendency towards solitude didn’t matter very much to her. Pony, being half-American, likely flew right in the face of these Japanese manners. “Can I sit here?”

“If you wish.” Maria nodded, gesturing slightly towards the other seat opposite of her. The horned girl plopped down with the same friendly smile. “Can I help you?” The blonde’s smile lessened slightly. There was something more on her face now, something not unlike concern. She’d seen this look back during the eat-out with her fellow recommended students.

<Do you speak English?> Maria blinked at the sudden change of language. She could, and she handled it better than Japanese so far. Still not perfect, but probably much more capable for communication.

<Somewhat. Do you wish to use it in our conversation?>

<Wow, you talk so old-fashioned. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.> Pony beamed. <It should be easier for us to talk. Setsuna figured you could use some help with socializing with the others, if you like.>

<...is that so?> Maria craned her neck to where the aforementioned lizard girl was sitting, together with Honenuki, Kendo and Monoma. <Her concern is appreciated, but I do not know if I am much for conversation in the first place. I do not wish to be a problem.>

<It’s not a problem at all! I figured me and you could be Learn-Japanese buddies, too! Monoma said he can help!>

<And what about Sir Rin?>

<Oh no, he’s pretty solid with his Japanese already, so we would be lagging behind him.> The blonde shrugged. <I guess having the same characters for writing helps.>

<I see—>

<Wanna sit with us?> Oh. Well, that was fast…

----

“...and it seems she’s asking Maria to come over.” Monoma hummed, idly listening in on the conversation via Setsuna’s detached ear and translating the conversation from afar. The lizard girl made a strange, choked sound as her hearing piece returned to her and reattached itself with a soft “POP”.

“You okay, Tokage-chan?” Kendo looked on in concern, raising an eyebrow at Honenuki holding back his laughter.

“Her gaydar’s at high alert, don’t worry about it.”

“...her… what?”

“S-so…!” After elbowing Juzo in the side, Setsuna summoned her smile back on again, trying to retake the hold of the conversation. “Uh… how’s class? I mean, how’s U.A so far?”

“Well, we’ve only been here for a few days, but so far it’s a standard high school fare.” Kendo hummed, taking a sip from her juicebox. “Apparently we’ll have a heroics class tomorrow. Did you know All Might himself will be running these?”

“Huh. Is that right?” Monoma raised an eyebrow curiously. “I suppose that’s just U.A for you. They don’t skim on anything.” Meanwhile, the slight mire of hushed conversation indicated a movement in the cafeteria. Indeed, the sight of a huge giantess being led by hand by a cheerfully skipping half-American attracted conversation. For her part, Maria seemed all but immune to gossip, letting Pony lead her with no issue and no embarrassment present.

Setsuna took a deep breath. Alright. Just calm down. This was your idea to begin with. You’re doing it to help the stoic white marble interact and socialize with the class. It’s fine. “Pardon the intrusion.” Maria spoke softly, taking a place near Monoma while Pony sat on the opposite end near Honenuki.

“Mission complete!” The blonde smiled proudly. “Friendmaker Pony, reporting!”

“Good to have you, Muradasilova.” The skull-faced boy nodded hello as well.

“Well, I’m glad we can make an effort to make you feel more comfortable among us.” Kendo said with a smile.

As the conversation evolved over time, so did the giantess get more talkative – but to that end, she had to switch to English to express herself better. The combined force of a native speaker’s knowledge of the language and Monoma’s ability to express Maria’s thoughts to the others proved invaluable in making some sense of her.

Maria proved more talkative in English, yes, but – much to Pony’s obvious frustration, and Monoma’s minor interest – remained somewhat secretive of herself despite that. Still, with some gentle prodding the five of them managed to pull out some interesting tidbits – like the fact that their giant classmate held a noble title. <Believe me when I say that a title of a Lady held little value even in the ancient times, let alone now.> Somehow it didn’t surprise Setsuna at all that Maria thought little of it.

“Still, I suppose that is some heritage to be proud of.” Monoma suggested with a smile. The ashen giantess shook her head, and her eyes for a moment took on a steely glint. To his credit, he realized that it might have been a sore subject somehow. “But we understand if you might not see it that way.”

<Thank you kindly. It meant very little indeed. Truly, if not for my relation to the Princess of the Castle Cainhurst, I would have been relegated to a position of a faceless courtier.>

“Guys, what’s courtier?” Pony asked with a slight tilt of her head. Honenuki eyed the horns nearing his face for a moment with a gulp.

“A royal servant, if you will.” Monoma replied. “Most of their group was formed from minor nobles.”

“Wait wait, hold on. Related to a princess on a castle?” Setsuna chimed in with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, Maria. What is Castle Cainhurst?” The giantess was completely silent for a moment, as if mulling over the words to use. Nobody rushed her, fortunately, but the expectant eyes were inevitable, not unlike…

<My birthplace, deep in Finland.> She replied, but her delivery was more stilted this time. <Far away from ventures of civilization, hidden at the end of the world. Think nothing of it.>

“It is a little hard to believe, but if there’s someone who would come from a castle, it would be you.” Kendo sighed with a smile before a concerned frown marred her features. “...are you uncomfortable with the topic?”

<Quite. I’ve already spoken too much.>

“Alright, everyone, new questions.” As the discussion turned to more mundane matters, Setsuna couldn’t help but think. A castle “at the end of the world”, relation to its ruler, in an age where monarchies were long a relic of the past – and a “cursed Quirk”, something that Maria refused to use even here, among fellow heroes-in-training… she wondered: would others be allowed such leeway? Wasn’t the whole point of being a pro using their Quirk to the utmost to save people and stop villains? No Quirkless hero came to her mind, beyond fictional ones.

“Oi, Tokage.” Honenuki could now freely repay the elbow nudge from earlier. Setsuna blinked, brought back from her thoughts. “You’ve been awful silent for a while.”

“Ah, well, just… uh, just thinking of a good question.” Nobody but Pony (“Makes sense!”) seemed convinced of that explanation. “...come on, guys, don’t look at me like I’m a t-rex or something.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Kendo, bless her redhaired heart, seemed like the caring and supporting type, but it was a little difficult to explain the conundrum Setsuna found herself in. She was about to anyway, at least until Maria slowly rose from her seat. “Maria-san?”

<I think my presence might be ill-welcome at this table.>

“Oh god, no, I just…” This was becoming a disaster and then some. And she was the one outed as the person that wanted Maria to join them in the first place. “You’re fine, I’m just feeling really s-s-scatterbrained today.”

“No kidding.”

“Honenuki, you can sass me when I’m not falling apart.”

----

In the end, Setsuna had to take five to not explode on the spot.

A faceful of water helped in cooling down, but she still felt jittery as she looked up at her face in the mirror. There seemed to be no one else present in the bathroom, at least… but what the fuck was going on with her? This couldn’t just be teenage hormones. They wouldn’t leave her this scatterbrained.

Was it the hormones and her worries? But even then, what could be done? Maria was still very much a stranger, someone whom she – and the others, for that matter – knew for just a short time. How could she help, if she barely knew of her predicament to begin with?

...maybe it was the fear she felt when they conversed back then, at that smile so beautiful and terrifying both, it had to be alien in nature. Maybe she was that thirsty to be stepped on. Maybe there was something else to it…

...maybe it was just a fever. “...are you kidding me?” She grumbled to herself, feeling at her forehead. Hot. Great, fantastic. Not even a week in and she already had to take a break…

“Tokage-chan?” Ah. Kendo. Bless her again. The redhead approached her after closing the doors, looking on worriedly. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“I’m… not.” Setsuna forced herself to stay upright, running a hand over her face. “I don’t know what’s going on with me today...”

“Want me to take you to the infirmary?” Oh man, Recovery Girl wouldn’t be pleased with seeing her again so soon. Then again, it wasn’t like it was her fault this time. The lizard girl looked sideways, rubbing her arm for a bit before she nodded. “I probably shouldn’t pry, but… does it have something to do with Maria-san?”

“I mean, short of poisoning my bento, she probably has nothing to do—“

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Did Honenuki say something I need to punch him for?”

“Only that you’ve been acting strange around Maria-san today.” Setsuna let out a weary sigh. No, there probably was no need to be punching anyone. He was as worried for her as Kendo here, even if he wasn’t as obvious about displaying it. Maybe she really needed to just lie down and think of Finland. Or not, given that this was related to Maria once again…

----

Surprisingly, there was a familiar face in the infirmary.

“Yaomomo?” Indeed, the Class A’s recommended student was there resting on one of the beds as well. “Feeling ill too?”

“Well, yes.” The brunette seemed sheepish to admit her weakness. “Strange thing. I was feeling just fine earlier, but then I suddenly felt a little feverish.”

“That makes the two of us. Uh, is Recovery Girl not around?” Setsuna took the liberty of taking one of the free beds and shooting a weak thumbs-up to Kendo. The redhead didn’t look very convinced, but decided to leave the matter be.

“No, she left for a bit. She should be back soon.”

“I’ll make sure to pass you the notes from the classes.” Kendo smiled. “Get better, Tokage-chan, Yaoyorozu-san.” And soon it was just the two of them. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Setsuna kicked off her shoes and lied down, entertaining herself by gazing upon the ceiling in search of anything interesting.

“...say, Tokage-san… can I ask you something?”

“What’s up?”

“Have you… been thinking about Maria-san recently?” The lizard girl stiffened, remaining silent for a time. “Please, don’t take it as an impertinent question. I don’t mean to imply that you might—“

“Alright, alright, please don’t finish that sentence. But, uh, yes. Why?”

“Well, so have I. I’m not sure why, exactly…” Momo looked on sheepishly. “Today’s been rather troubling, however, the fever and all...”

“It is one hell of a coincidence, huh? Honenuki’s fine though, so maybe there’s no conspiracy against recommended students after all.” Setsuna relaxed slightly with a chuckle.

“So is Todoroki-san… from what little I’ve seen him anyway.”

“Proves my point. So, uh… wanna hang out sometime later in the week?” Sure, there might have been rivals by design, but even rival heroes had to work with each other now and then. Villains and disasters did not discriminate, after all. Plus, maybe that would help in clearing her head off the strange white marble giantess that’s been on her mind recently.

Some small part of Setsuna’s brain told her that might have been a wise decision.

----

The crescent was waxing.

Maria nursed the mug of tea, letting the soothing warmth keep her fingers away from the biting cold. Tonight was inordinately chilly for this date of the year, especially for sitting outside and overlooking the world below from the cliff. Alas, nothing quite kept the mind fresh as the merciless elements. It reminded her of the few parts of home she was still fond of.

…

The fevers of Setsuna and Momo were on her. The symptoms were weak, and would go over time. It was likely that they would be right as rain the following day. Still, it was through her lack of care that they had to suffer through these episodes in the first place. She should have clarified, for the powers that were responsible might have not understood the finer nuances of human interaction. It was fortunate that tonight the Moon was at its weakest...

Maria looked up at the shining crescent. “Flora.” Something slid over the fluorescent surface, as if a spider skulking in the dark. It was hard to make out the shape from that far away. “Your concern is well appreciated, but you should not reach out to those who are not a threat to me.”

A pulse, a ripple in the perfectly porous surface of the Moon. “The world outside the nightmare is nothing both of us know. We must treat it with kindness and reverence.” Another pulse, and a glimmer. “I know. You too have been cast away. Perhaps this was what Master Gehrman’s plan all along, to accustom me to you, and likewise...”

It was hard to believe all of that happened not even a year ago… slowly, she rose from her seat and finished the tea. The Moon shone upon her, as if longing already for her presence. “I will see you tomorrow. Stay strong. Upon the Full Moon shall we talk longer.” It was fortunate that her staying quarters were in such a place. Sir Kan was nothing if not welcoming of her predicament, even managing to secure a place for her in this esteemed academy of heroics after retrieving her from the vestiges of the nightmare. There was no doubt in Maria’s mind there must have been a price for that.

Hopefully he would not be overburdened with his act of kindness.

Chapter Text

Setsuna ran her gloved hands over her hair.

The fever of yesterday was gone without a trace, as if it never happened. She confirmed with Yaomomo that the Class A student too was back to healthiness. Just in time for their first ever Heroics class.

...and it was indeed All Might in the flesh – wow, he was even bigger from up close than on TV! - that was going to be running that class. She hid it better than most, but to say she was excited would be an understatement. The lizard girl had just about enough decorum kept inside to not excitedly bounce in place. Others didn’t care much for appearances: Pony and Tetsutetsu were the ringleaders of this circle of adoration. According to the former, All Might enjoyed popularity in America still, long after he returned back to Japan.

About the only person who didn’t seem that interested was the familiar ashen giantess, merely regarding the No. 1 Hero as if he was a curious sight and nothing more, not comprehending the sheer gravitas of All Might himself being in the same room as them. Then again, if she lived deep in Europe until recently, she might not have heard much of him.

...either way, today was Heroics class, and so everyone and their mom (except for Tsuburaba, who seemed to realize how out of place he looked among them) looked stylish. It was up to every student to set out the parameters for their ideal costume and, with time, Quirk evolution, and gained experience, perfect it over time.

Her scaly bodysuit might have felt a little trite compared to others – Monoma literally decked himself out with a dress suit and a dozen of clocks, and then there was Maria’s gothic leather ensemble with a feathered tricorne – but she liked it that way. Either way, the plan of the class was a two-on-two bout divided into Heroes and Villains. The latter were in possession of a nuclear bomb, and it was up to the Heroes to infiltrate the building and capture the bomb and slash or the evildoers within the time limit. The teams would be decided by throwing lots.

The Villains had some extra time to prepare, which mirrored how often Heroes had to go in blind; and so, after a few more questions – including one about the two totaled buildings; apparently Class A was throwing its weight around again – everyone was ready to go.

And as fate would have it, Setsuna’s partner in hero’ing was none other than the white marble herself, as the first pair, no less! The random number chance chose Kamakiri and Rin as their opponents. This was meant to be the battle of the scalies, apparently. Well, whatever happened, she had to put her mind into it. No getting distracted with your teammate, she thought with a frown. It got so bad you got a fever from this distraction yesterday; no need to repeat that.

Now, with Kamakiri and Rin preparing their villainous scheme inside the building, all the two of them could do was to wait for the signal and then do their best. Maria was still as a statue, regarding the exterior of the block with a measured look. “Focus on bomb. I will do battle.” She said, beginning to roll her shoulders.

“It’s probably going to be a one on one anyway. They wouldn’t leave it unattended for us to capture.” Setsuna replied, rubbing her chin in thought. “Kamakiri might be a hothead, but that probably just means they’ll send him to fight you rather than Rin.”

“Whoever it is, I will prevail.” There was no ounce of arrogance or boasting in her voice. She just stated it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then again, perhaps it was just how she spoke – with hardly any emotion to her name. “I do not think they will move the bomb, so we can also capture them.”

“Is it even within rules to do that?” Maria shrugged indifferently, eyes entirely on the prize. Maybe that was for the best; Setsuna might have felt better than earlier, but she wasn’t sure how she would react at being looked at with those terrifying alluring eyes. “A-anyway, here’s to good luck.” She extended a hand for a fistbump, but did not look to see if it was reciprocated, only sucking in a breath when Maria returned the gesture.

“Nervous?”

“A little bit.”

“Fear not. If you will, spare an eye. I shall show you a sporting hunt.”

----

Kamakiri wasn’t a scaredy-cat.

He hoped he wasn’t, anyway. He most certainly wasn’t afraid of the foreigner girl. All this poise and posturing would inevitably fall once he showed her some proper fighting. Kamakiri chuckled darkly, idly rubbing his left mandible.

“Tokage’s probably going to be trying to sneak past us while Maria makes some noise.” Rin rolled his neck, regarding the one-to-one model of a nuclear bomb. Spooky, if not for the fact that it was completely hollow inside. “Think you can take her?”

“Do birds fly?”

“Well, someone’s certainly feeling confident...”

“Nothing to be scared of. If Murawhatever doesn’t feel like showing off with her Quirk, I’ll just show off with mine.” A blade grew out of Kamakiri’s elbow with an audible SHING! “Ain’t gonna quake before her just because she’s tall and speaks alien.” Rin resisted an urge to sigh. Kamakiri was nothing if not competitive; maybe a little too much for his liking. Whatever Maria threw against them didn’t matter in the long run, because it was Tokage they had to watch out for. All she needed to do was touch the model.

They were kind of dealt a short stick there, honestly. Whoever was going to fight Setsuna, they would find it an uphill battle. Neither his nor Kamakiri’s Quirks really lent themselves to defense. He could shoot scales, but only what little was gathered in his gauntlets. “Belt-feeding” them wasn’t something he figured out yet.

The siren announced the beginning of the clash. “Anyway, you do your martial arts thing. I’ll go hunt myself a foreigner.” Kamakiri grinned, skulking down the staircase. This time, Rin rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“...you can probably just ask her out for dinner or something...”

----

In certain ways, Togaru Kamakiri was a very familiar sight to Maria.

The way he moved, the way he looked, the way he postured and growled, the scraggly black cloak he used for a hero costume – it felt so very familiar… beastly. Perhaps that’s why Shishida unnerved her so much. His beasthood seemed to be entirely within his faculties, able to be tapped into with a thought and then forsaken equally easily.

To have someone so openly confrontational was a nice change of pace, although beasts Maria was familiar with were generally not much for talk. “Hope you’re ready, big girl. I’ll be sending you back on a stretcher.” Kamakiri raised his arm, letting the blade grow out, slowly. A Quirk as direct as they came. Ah, if only she had a blade of her own to countermeasure this curious offense.

Sadly, Rakuyo was lost to her and Mr. Kan suggested to hold on with asking for a new blade. No technology would be able to replicate a delicate Cainhurst touch, sadly. Maria rolled her shoulders and put up her dukes. “Ready when you a-” He was ready near-immediately, dashing forward as one more blade grew from the other arm, slicing with ferocity. She stepped back with a frown, remaining just shy of his range as she sized up her opponent again.

“Real nice of you to be so flippin’ courteous, Miss Hero.” Kamakiri sneered, sharpening the blades on one another with a savage grin. “Hope you’re gonna get off your high horse soon enough.”

“...what does the horse—“There was no time what this particular sentence meant, the mantis boy was upon her with wild slashes again. Maria frowned, figuring out the sense of his chaotic movements. He threw his power around without a care and without fear, like a beast would. Yes. This she could fight. Kamakiri swung his armblade with fierce power – and then stopped.

She grabbed it, and his eyes widened in surprise. She grabbed it,with one arm, confidently, without fear of losing her fingers. His blades weren’t that sharp yet, and the thick leather she was using in her costume was dulling he impact – but one had to be mad to try and pull that kind of stunt without a hardening Quirk of some kind. “Guess you mean business.” But he wasn’t afraid, and wasn’t planning to. The blade retracted and Kamakiri stepped back. “But you can’t catch all of them.”

His ragged cloak exploded into black ribbons, and a mass of mantis blades came charging down upon Maria.

----

“Holy shit!” In any other situation, Kendo would probably chide her classmates for the inappropriate language – especially when they were in presence of a teacher, and what a teacher – but it was hard not to be a little amazed at the spectacle before them.

1B was all gathered in the observing room, privy to a spectator’s view on the battle. Everyone’s eyes seemed to be on grandiose, bombastic conflict between Maria and Kamakiri. She would sometimes look towards how Setsuna was doing and what Rin was up to. The former was particularly hard to follow, having split into numerous parts on entry and scouring the building with childish ease. It wouldn’t be long before she found the bomb.

Rin’s worry was understandable. “It’s like watching two cats fight.” Monoma hummed, regarding the fight with utmost interest.

“More like tigers. Kamakiri isn’t playing around.” Awase muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Sabretooth tigers.” Yui piped in. Kendo bit back a chuckle. What an astutely laconic observation. Not inaccurate though. Despite Maria not using her Quirk – not in a way that was visible, at least – there was no impression that she was holding back. Each of her movements was done with purpose. On the other hand, Kamakiri was going wild with his blades.

“It’s very graceful though, isn’t it?” Monoma again. “Kamakiri may look like he’s posturing and Muradasilova may not be using her Quirk, but they’re putting their heart and soul into the fight. I’m a little envious, actually.”

“Neither of them are doing much to actually complete their mission though.” Shishida pointed out with a frown. “It’s very impressive and all, don’t get me wrong, but we should probably focus on Lady Tokage and Sir Rin.”

“C-can Rin even do anything to s-stop her?” Kinoko asked quietly.

“Hit her, I guess? Ow!”

“You earned that slap upside the head, Tsuburaba.” Honenuki chuckled, watching Kuroiro retract his hand with a grouse.

“...touche. But, uh, I guess Tokage can’t stay in pieces all the time, right?”

“Rin can also shoot scales from his gauntlets.” Yanagi pointed out. “His is a limited supply, but if he were to strike Tokage-san in the eye—“

“Ouch.”

“Yes. “Ouch” is one way to put it.”

----

Finding the bomb – and its fellow scaly guardian – proved easy enough for Setsuna.

There were two approaches to this task: a meticulous search that, while successful, would take too much time, or banking on Rin’s anxiety and just sending a bunch of parts all over the place, expecting he would deal with an errant piece no sweat. Then, following which part of her was still missing – and hurting, she had to work on that – would bring her to the target.

Sure, Rin was going to be aware that she was coming, but Setsuna was already banking on him behaving in a particular way – and sure enough, the aching of her left side led her right to to the leftmost room on the last floor. He was right there by the bomb, tapping it lightly as if it would help alleviate some stress. A perfect target to mess around with. Slowly, Setsuna split into more pieces, her “main body” remaining close to the ground as her little minion army went out, crawling upon walls and the ceiling, just out of sight.

Even with that jiangshi-esque mask on, she could tell he was sweating bullets there. And so, one fragment flew just past him, and then another, and another. “Tokage, this isn’t as funny as you think this is!” He barked, swatting away the bits swarming around him with purpose. He wasn’t using his gauntlets, likely hoping she’ll grow impatient and emerge to try and secure the bomb. She had to land her hand on it, and that Rin would be able to swat out of the air.

Unless… she recalled the separated chunks, consciously making them return in three different ways so that Rin wouldn’t go after her. In a straight up fight, she would be at a disadvantage, so her main bet was to freak him out with unusual approaches. So, if she needed a hand, she could always make one~

The chunks formed together into a rough facsimile of a palm. The ruse was obvious if you gave it a longer look, but between him being unfamiliar with her costume and his general nerves, a short look would be all but sufficient…

----

Kamakiri wasn’t a scaredy-cat… but he could not find the air in his lungs either.

He made a critical mistake early on, and now was reaping what he had sown. It seemed like a good idea on paper: Muradasilova couldn’t grab all the blades if he just turned into a porcupine. Unfortunately, he overestimated his ability to produce them. He put the tall foreigner on the defense with his attacks, yes… but soon the blades became brittle and growing more proved a tall ordeal.

All Quirks had physical limitations of one’s stamina. If you overused it, it would become weaker, unavailable, or even actively hurt you from the strain. Kamakiri never ventured into the latter territory, thankfully… but it was a cold comfort against his opponent, who was in peak condition to whoop his ass. The fact that she hadn’t actually used her Quirk wasn’t honestly as aggravating as the fact that he clipped her once, and it barely did anything.

Save for when she intentionally grabbed his blade to prove a point, he hit her once this entire fight. How could someone so tall be so fucking hard to hit? “Are we done?” She asked, dusting her coat off with the same impassive look. Fuck no they weren’t, but Kamakiri couldn’t even muster a quip, his whole body dripping from sweat. She could probably just push him over at this point. Still, he stood up, growing one more blade from his left arm, no longer than a kitchen knife.

“Very well. Come forth.” It annoyed him that she didn’t even deign to trash talk him, or to boast or to do anything to show her interest. Or maybe she was interested? It still felt to him like she was just going through the motions. Sure wasn’t holding back, but… ah, fuck it! Kamakiri roared and charged forward in a mad dash to hit her. She frowned and leaned forward a little before making a single long step to meet him, fist-to-abdomen first.

The mantis boy’s eyes almost popped out of his skull as he went taut, the leather knuckles digging into his bared upper body. A pained sound tried to came out, but there was nothing but a silent wheeze before he crumpled onto her arm, his consciousness leaving him. Maria sighed and grabbed him before he slumped onto the floor, gently sitting him up against the wall and using the capture tape to get him out of the competition.

At this point it really was just a formality.

----

“...holy shit.” Kendo had no strength to chide herself after seeing how Kamakiri folded like an accordion from the blow. No one could blame her; most people in the room were trying to pick their jaws off the floor. Even All Might’s smile seemed slightly smaller.

“He’ll be eating through a straw for a few days...” Manga stammered, the speech bubble quivering in awe and fear of the spectacle in front of them. Again, everyone’s attention was on the battle – or the aftermath of thereof.

“But again, all this was just smoke and mirrors.” Shishida counterpointed, one of the few to remain with a clear head. “Their entire fight is superfluous to the conflict at hand.”

“I mean, Kamakiri wouldn’t let her just leave...” Kaibara pointed out. The furry student shook his head.

“True, but he was the one who willingly set out to seek her, and her specifically, out. Rather than ever entertain the thought of dealing with Lady Tokage first, who is a much more formidable adversary in this battle, he went straight for what he perceived to be the biggest challenge.”

“And paid for it.” Yui concluded with a nod.

“Either way, Rin’s in trouble.” Tsuburaba concluded with a nod. “Tokage’s got a head on her shoulders – except when she doesn’t – so she’s probably been messing with him for a while now...”

“...that’s exactly what she’s been doing, yes.” Reiko pointed out with an eyeroll. “But the spectacle got everyone’s attention instead.” As if to emphasize her words, the feed in the bomb room cut to Setsuna hugging the bomb with a toothy grin. She was missing a chunk of her torso, formed into a fake hand currently giving Rin a very clumsy noogie. Just like that, the first match was over – with a decisive Hero Team win.

Chapter Text

Setsuna had no choice but to reaffirm her earlier statement – whatever higher being sculpted Yaomomo, they could not possibly have enough fun with it.

It was meant to be a simple casual outing between friends, some kind of venture to get to know each other better than before. They had yet to have any joint lessons with Class A, and it didn’t seem like these would be very common to begin with. Thus, with the proposition she made to her fellow recommended student in the infirmary in mind, the two of them agreed to just go and windowshop in Kamino.

Yaomomo’s boots were probably worth more than her entire outfit. Then again, who could forbid her showing off a little? She was just wearing them, and rocking them too. She was rocking her entire ensemble, in fact, but that was neither here nor there. “Good afternoon, Tokage-san.” She greeted her with a small smile and a nod. Setsuna resisted the little instinct screaming at her to run for the hills.

“H-hey. Glad you could make it.” She couldn’t help but feel ever so slightly quaint in her T-Rex tee. “Looking good.”

“I figured I should try to be presentable.” She probably didn’t mean anything mean by it, but Setsuna once again couldn’t help but feel ever so slightly quaint. “Shall we go then?”

Off they went, entertaining themselves with pleasant small talk. As the lizard girl expected, this was only a first time Yaomomo set out on such a trip with anyone. They turned heads – well, her taller peer did, Setsuna didn’t kid herself – semi-frequently, but the Class A girl seemed oblivious to the fact, her attention divided between a friend by her side and the road ahead.

As it turned out, Yaomomo was as smart as she was pretty-no, beautiful. As she explained, her Quirk was only effective if she knew the molecular structure of an object she wanted to create. Setsuna smiled and nodded, a little ashamed to admit she didn’t know what “molecular” meant. “It’s fortunate that my parents run a pharmaceutical company.” Yaomomo said. “It helped me get interested in chemistry and biology, and from there I could begin training my Quirk to the utmost.”

“And look at you now, ready to take U.A. by storm.” The taller girl blushed ever so slightly. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Well, your encouragement is welcome, and I trust in your ability as well, but… there are some amazing people in my class that make me think my recommendation might have been a bit of a coincidence. You know of Ingenium, yes?”

“Sure do. You could even say I’m up to speed on him~” Yaomomo tilted her head ever so slightly in visible confusion. Setsuna made a mental note to not try with puns ever again. “...er, yeah.”

“Well, his brother Tenya attends the class, and he has the speed to spare. We also have Shiozaki-san, with her vine-like hair, Midoriya-san with his utterly destructive raw power—“

“Wait, I think I’ve heard Juzo – I mean, Honenuki – mention that name before. Wasn’t he the kid that broke his arm punching a city block-sized robot?”

“Correct. He says he has trouble controlling his Quirk.” Setsuna flinched. It had to be crazy strong if he still didn’t have a grip on it by the time of admission. “I hope he continues to improve though. We also have Bakugo-san, although… hm...” Yaomomo’s expression spoke of extremely hesitant concern. “his attitude could use some work.”

“...wait, lemme guess. Sandy-haired asshole that calls people extras?”

“Oh, so you’ve met him already.”

“Kinda sorta. He told me to beat it on the first day of school.” The taller girl frowned.

“I’ll make sure to have a talk with him about respecting our peers – for all it’s worth.” Setsuna shook her head with a chuckle, leading the other girl to a crepe stand nearby.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but don’t bother. He sounds like the type of guy that would only just tell you off for it.”

“He would.” It was time for a well-deserved food break. After all, windowshopping and trying not to say something dumb when in presence of such a girl did take the energy out of you. As they enjoyed their snacks, Setsuna watched the crowd pass by. All these strange people, with strange names, strange Quirks… the urban jungle. Yet, things were orderly even if loud and slightly chaotic. There was something beautiful in this organized chaos, full of life and hero advertisements. The life-sized billboard of Mount Lady right on top of one of the office towers was a nice touch.

<Ah… excuse me.> A male, slightly scatterbrained voice in English interrupted the idle observation. Setsuna turned to regard the man, obviously a foreigner by face alone. A little pasty and wiry, with a mane of messy black hair and beady eyes going to and fro, he seemed like a model nervous wreck – and yet his countenance was overall composed and sunny. Honestly, she wouldn’t probably spare a guy like that in a crowd much of a look. <Can I have a moment of your time?>

<Can we help you, sir?> Yaomomo replied in her own English, accented but no less fluid for it. The man’s smile growing ever so slightly seemed to indicate they might have been the first people in a while to address him in English.

<Ah, I’m so happy to meet an English-speaker. I’m in need of directions.>...what was up with his shirt? Idly munching on her crepe, Setsuna couldn’t help but notice how bizarre the thing the foreigner wore was. It was an ordinary black tee, but with a design so weird and illogical it could have very well been made by an infant playing with paint. It looked a bit like a giant eye, now that she thought about it…

Well, whatever the “School of Mensis” was, their logo sucked. <I have this address here. I was supposed to meet the associate in Kamino Ward, but I appear to have gotten a little lost.> Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, the foreigner chuckled softly as he presented the dirty sheet of paper. <So far it seems like most people I meet here choose to avoid me instead.>

<This is the Quirk Research Institute, I believe. Its branch in Kamino, at least.>

<Oh yes, I’ve been told to look for QRI. I should have asked for a full name. Silly old chav, that Micolash.> Setsuna quirked an eyebrow.

<Well, you can reach it by heading over there, past the Rei Cinema and into the Feto Avenue. Then you’ll have to take the third alley to the left.>

<I could not have asked for a more detailed instruction. Thank you kindly, young miss!> How old was this guy, actually? Something told Setsuna he couldn’t be much older than them, in his twenties at best… and yet she couldn’t help but think he was much, much more venerable. She wasn’t sure why she thought that, but it was the thought that inspired little confidence. <Mergo bless you!>

<Ah… thank you.> After saying his goodbyes, the two girls watched the strange man go on his merry way. The back of his shirt depicted a wall of eyes – a literal wall made of eyes, as if the front wasn’t creepy enough – and a sentence in an unfamiliar language.

Et ipsa scientia potestas est.

“That was… weird. And creepy.” Setsuna summarized, shaking off the goosebumps. Yaomomo didn’t say anything, merely nodding as she watched the man go. “You okay?”

“Yes, don’t worry about me. I’m just trying to find the logic between the wall of eyes and the sentence.”

“...don’t tell me you could read it.”

“Well, yes. It was Latin, a language ever so helpful for learning science.” Of course she knew the language, and of course she made it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world. If she wasn’t so great, Setsuna would start feeling a tiny bit jealous by now.

“So what does it say?”

“And knowledge itself is power.”

----

The weird episode with the foreigner aside, the outing was a smashing success.

Yaomomo even suggested that they do it again sometime, maybe with some more people. Setsuna didn’t necessarily mind an idea of going out with a larger group, even if Honenuki teasing her through the entire thing was a dreadful prospect. Speaking of, here he was, texting her if she prepared the homework for the coming Classic Lit class on Monday.

Yikes. She didn’t. One quick question of “hey, can I drop by real quick” later, Setsuna sighed, looking out the window. The sun was beginning to set, and the train ride home was uneventful, with hardly a soul in the car. As her thoughts started losing focus, she couldn’t help but think of the strange foreigner from earlier. What was it about him that unnerved her? Was it really only a shirt? Or was it the things that could not be seen, his “aura” if she were to call it somehow?

It felt stupid pondering this, but there were some things that just didn’t add up. Why ask them, two random high school girls, rather than literally anyone else? Even if the man really had little luck in finding someone speaking English, wouldn’t the police or even a pro-hero on patrol be able to help? Some food for thought, but she wasn’t very hungry to begin with. Of course.

Maybe she was just more tired from their walkabout than she thought. Oh well. Juzo better had some hot cocoa on standby…

----

The recent days seemed unusually packed with events, Momo thought.

Ever since she and Tokage-san had a chance encounter with the strange foreigner, it seemed as if new things kept happening. The voting for a class rep was to be expected – somehow she became a Deputy President, with Iida-san taking the lead role – but the media making it into the school grounds? Certainly not. As if to make matters worse, the gossip around the students seemed to find a more insidious plot there.

A declaration of war, they called it.

She would probably not give it much thought, but these few days had her in a contemplative mood more often than not. Ever since that strange fever, in fact. Odd. She hadn’t felt worse since that day, nor did her concentration falter much – so why did she drift off into ennui the moment there was nothing to be done?

“Yaomomo-chan?” Momo’s eyes snapped open as she regarded Uraraka-san looking at her with confusion and concern. “Are you okay? You’ve been spacing out the entire ride to USJ.”

“Oh, um… please don’t mind me. Maybe I’m just coming down with something.”

“Again? Didn’t take you for a sickly kind of person, mon cherie.” Honestly, Momo wished that Aoyama-san stopped throwing random French phrases into his speech. “Still, that might affect your performance. You could probably be excused just taking a break.”

“I couldn’t possibly. I can’t afford to keep leaving classes because I’m feeling slightly under the weather.”

“That’s Yaoyorozu for you.” Satou-san cheered from his spot. “Model student extraordinaire!”

“Still, don’t push yourself if you’re gonna pass out. We’re only starting.” Momo took Uraraka-san’s advice with an uneasy smile. Maybe she was just overthinking things, as she tended to do. It was just a class, and she was going to do her best in it.

...so why was she getting this strange feeling of uneasiness as their bus rolled up to the USJ dome?

----

“I’ve yet to figure out why Lady Muradasilova seems so at edge around my presence.”

Setsuna hummed, listening to 1B’s Vice Prez’s plight. True, Maria was a bit off whenever Shishida was nearby. The lizard girl didn’t feel confident enough to ask her about it – it might have been some deep-seated issue the white marble might not have been ready to divulge.

“You think she’s a racist or somethin’?” Awase suggested. “Like one of them CRC assholes?”

“Oh God, I hope not.” Manga shook his head fervently. “She has no trouble talking with me or Pony though. Or the scalie over here.”

“Wow, excuse you—“

“Yeah, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.” Kendo nodded, brow furrowed in worry. “This seems to be something else.”

“But that’s what’s been bothering me.” Shishida sighed in defeat. “What could it possibly be that makes Lady Murada—“

“Honestly, just call her Lady Maria at this point.” Awase shook his head. “She doesn’t seem to mind it much, and it’s less of a tongue-twister.”

“Well, ‘Lady Maria’ does roll off the tongue nicely.” Setsuna hummed idly. Honenuki marked a chuckle with a cough. “Speaking of, where is she? She disappeared right when the lunch break started.”

“Monoma said that she went over with Mr. Kan. Apparently the Principal called them in about something.”

“And where’s Monoma?” Kendo made a face. The lizard girl raised an eyebrow, but continued nevertheless. “It’s not like 1A is present. They went out to the USJ.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s currently boobytrapping the entire 1A classroom.” Manga chortled. The redhead gave him a look, and then slowly rose from her seat.

“I know you’re joking, but I… should probably go look for him anyway. See you in class, everyone.” The group presented watched her go.

“Hmm… Lady Tokage, Sir Honenuki. Perhaps you might have an idea as to why Lady Maria might be tense around my personage?” Shishida picked up the briefly abandoned topic. Setsuna tapped her chin in thought, eyes idly moving to Juzo.

“We don’t really know much about her.” The lipless boy replied, tone thoughtful. “She’s minor nobility, lived in a castle, thinks her Quirk is cursed. At this point everyone in clas could tell you that.”

“Maybe you look like a werewolf to her.” Kuroiro chuckled, passing by the group with his lunch tray. Awase shot him a dirty look.

“Dude, don’t be an asshole. Besides, Shishida looks more like a yeti than a werewolf.”

“Now who’s the asshole?” The aforementioned presumed werewolf waved it off with a chuckle.

“I get those a lot, it’s nothing. I don’t think I follow your train of logic though, Sir Kuroiro.”

“That’s because none of you ever read gothic literature.” The jet-black face smiled mysteriously. “A remote castle at the end of the world? A woman of impeccable countenance so pale she probably reflects in the moonlight, who claims her inner power to be the accursed workings?”

“...what does that even mean—“Kuroiro hushed Manga’s befuddled question with a tap to the speech bubble. Setsuna watched it turn from cloudy to jagged in a second with some amusement.

“Just saying. It feels almost too much like a coincidence. In gothic lit, the enemy is either a ghost, a werewolf, or a vampire.”

“Come on, Kuroiro.” Honenuki rolled his eyes exasperatedly. “First of all, werewolves don’t exist.”

“People with Quirks do however. I’ll remind you we have a blood manipulator for a teacher, and Kamakiri is literally right there.” Here Kuroiro pointed over to the table where the mantis boy was, currently chatting it up with Bondo and Pony.

“So someone who looks like a werewolf would make her tense?” Shishida pondered. “Now that I think of it… she all but turned into another hallway midstep when she saw Mr. Inui a few days back.”

“I think she’ll get used to it eventually.” Honenuki said. “I hope she will. Wouldn’t want anyone in the class to feel uncomfortable.”

“I know she will.” Setsuna mirrored the sentiment with a hum. “A vampire, huh? I guess she looks a bit like a countess-don’t even say anything, Honenuki.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about~”

----

One would think that a sudden appearance of villains – real villains – would make for the main event of the day.

They showed up without a warning, just casually appearing in the middle of the USJ as if this was their plan all along. They numbered in dozens, easily outnumbering the class and the teachers. The three leading the attack stayed back a little, but just catching a passing look at them made Momo feel queasy.

The huge muscleman with a bird beak and an exposed brain, the man who looked like a cloud of dark mist – and the third one, covered in mummified hands, hunching forward slightly and looking ahead with a glare so utterly vile it couldn’t possibly belong to a human being. And yet, there was no mistaking it, even as Mr. Aizawa told them to stay back as he went to engage the group, all by his lonesome.

These were real villains, with real ill intentions… so why was she feeling so oddly at ease despite the looming threat, as if this was a mere calm before the storm? Even when the Mistman cut off their way of escape – introducing himself and his associates as the League of Villains – Momo didn’t feel fear; merely grim determination to take them down.

“Do not take it personally.” Black Mist Man said, without a hint of sincerity. Thirteen, the Black Hole Hero and the overseer of the USJ, stood between the villain and them, ready to apply their destructive power – and that was when the second portal opened. This one, this one Momo felt the terror from, even though the men(?) emerging from it looked overall less imposing the mean collection of thugs in the League’s employ.

Judging by the slight narrowing of the Black Mist Man’s eyes, this wasn’t a planned event. “Oi, what the fuck’s going on, Mistface?” Bakugo barked at the villain. “You need so many extras that you had to take turns comin’ here?!”

“I dunno, that’s already way too many baddies...” Kaminari replied nervously. “Even if they don’t look very… threatening?” Indeed, the collection of short and masked persons in rags, each of them only distinguished by the weapon they held, had nothing on the group from earlier. And yet, Momo felt uneasy as they poured out in a regular phalanx, in a parody of uniformity.

They wasted no time engaging the League’s men in complete silence, and soon the plaza became a chaotic battle. Five more figures emerged from the second portal – not unlike the mist-like warps the League came from. The first three appeared to be supersized versions of the little masked men, bloated and weighty, each with a massive weapon to their name. The fourth one was tall and gaunt, but completely obscured by their cloak.

The fifth one came last, and Momo’s eyes turned as wide as saucers. “...what devil is this…?” She heard Shiozaki hiss in a bout of indignation. She was inclined to agree, if only because this was a very familiar face she was seeing down the plaza. Even with the huge cage on his head and the robust robes of a vintage university student, there was no mistaking the serenely nervous face behind it.

The man she and Tokage-san gave directions to the other day was there, apparently leading a villain attack right in UA’s heart – and that made Yaoyorozu Momo much more anxious than she would have liked.

Chapter Text

Shigaraki Tomura’s day went from 100 to 0 really fucking fast.

The quest seemed so easy: grab minions, warp to the dungeon via Kurogiri’s Quirk, beat the shit out of the final boss via Nomu. Boom, quest complete. So much EXP from that you could swim in it. A more hesitant man would consider possible what-ifs, but Shigaraki was too far ahead to bother with such details.

So obviously the details ruined his day. First, All Might was nowhere to be seen. A bunch of brats, some low-level mobs to beat up more for fun than anything else, a few elite mooks the teachers. Alright, fine, he could adapt to that. If there was a way to rub failure in All Might’s stupid face, he would take seven before killing him.

...but then some cage-faced NPC showed up with his own assortment of flunkies, and things went to shit in a matter of seconds. Nomu remained motionless, ready to be ordered. Kurogiri was still at the staircase, looking as stumped as the students and the other educator (Eraserhead was showing off in the meantime, flying between his minions and NPC’s minions. Pretty cool showing, Shigaraki had to admit). He scratched at his neck, and then some more, frustration mixing with the momentary relief.

And then the NPC opened his stupid fucking mouth, using some kind of technique to enhance his stupid fucking voice. “Most kind greetings, U.A! I am Micolash, a representative of the School of Mensis! If you would please spare me a moment of your time...” Alright, no, fuck this. Shigaraki motioned for Nomu to lift him up, now seated on the giant shoulders. He took a deep breath and… “See, I seek no quarrel with your school. I’m sure there’s many a kind souls among your ranks that—“

“KUROGIRI! RESET THE FUCKING AGGRO!” Shigaraki shouted as loud as he could. The cage-face gave him an incredulous look, clearly upset with being interrupted. Let the fucker be upset, Shigaraki thought. Fortunately, his warp specialist was well-informed about the lingo the up-and-coming villain used, and so, using the element of surprise, warped the UA group around the dome, into the various zones. Sure, one of the teachers was still with them, but that’d still scatter them, right into the loving embraces of his goons.

With that out of the way, Shigaraki shuffled off Nomu and gave the cage-face a look. “Now… let’s have a chat, you lousy NPC.”

----

The Landslide Zone’s name was self-explanatory, really.

“So, what’s the plan, ladies?” Kaminari asked, nervously assessing the menacing group of no-goods approaching them.

“Try not to die.” Jiro replied dryly, holding onto the length of iron pipe Yaomomo procured for her. That wasn’t exactly how she – or any of the class, probably – imagined the class to go, but there was no point deliberating over it now.

Shiozaki demonstratively cracked her knuckles as her vine-like hair flared, ready to defend herself and her classmates. To Jiro’s satisfaction, a few of the encroaching villains flinched on reflex. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” She intoned, with a look of steel. Christians were scary, Jiro thought.

“What the fuck does that even—“Before one of the villains – the boggle-eyed guy with blue hair – could finish the thought, the vine shot forward and wrapped around the no-gooder. “H-hey! Get ‘em, you lot!”

“Don’t you order me around!” The bull-headed villain nonetheless charged forward with little regard of strategy, letting the students scatter easily. Before he could turn, Yaomomo tripped him up with a steel pipe of her own, letting him stumble inelegantly into the wall and get his horns stuck. “Son of a—“

“...you know, I feel stupid for having worried about these goobers.”

“Try not to jinx us, Kaminari.” Jiro cast a look at Yaomomo. Though the tall peer of hers seemed to be doing fine, something was bothering her all day – and she did catch her staring at the cage-faced villain in disbelief. This wasn’t fear, it was more like… surprise? Did she see that guy somewhere before? Another villain charged in, and she was happy to introduce him to the business end of the pipe. “Especially since we’ve yet to see these weird midget things.”

As if on cue, once the villain she knocked down was back up on his feet, the quiet “thwip” and the following soundless gasp made him fall backwards with the crossbow bolt sticking out of his head. Jiro blinked, a little late to the realization before another bolt went flying towards her instead. Kaminari was quick to the rescue, throwing himself towards her to knock both of them down on the ground, the bolt embedded in the rock mere centimeters further away.

“What was that about jinxing?” He laughed nervously as they got back up to size up the new enemy: about a dozen of short men in metal helmets shaped like jester hats, faces obscured behind expressionless masks, and various instruments of murder prepared to kill hero and villain alike. Right behind them was one of the masked giants, toting around a huge cleaver.

And, much to the students’ understandable worry, all of them were looking at Momo. “Do you mind?!” The bull-headed villain barked, having finally freed himself from the wall. “We’re trying to kill some brats here!”

“Doing a killer job here.” Jiro groused, rolling her eyes.

“What the hell are those lil’ midgets anyway?!” The boggle-eyed villain asked from behind the confines of Shiozaki’s hair.

“Ask questions later. You’ve seen that they won’t hold back.” Yaoyorozu finally spoke up, clutching the pipe in her hands ever so harder. “We won’t kill you, or at least try not to unlike them.”

“Are you suggesting we ally with these sinners?” Shiozaki frowned, watching as the masked group began making their way down the cliff.

“We might not have a choice.”

----

Nothing about this situation made sense in Aizawa’s opinion.

The villain attack at the heart of UA’s facility was a possibility, yes, but it was always a single-digit-percentage possibility. It was more likely that an enterprising villain group would rather attack one of the educators or students while outside of school. It made for a much safer shot at becoming known.

To have two villain groups attack the same place at the same time, and immediately come to blows about the situation was nothing short of unthinkable. It made Aizawa’s job much easier – if nothing else – as he stormed through the scores of small-time thugs and masked men. Unfortunately it was a cold comfort still; he recognized some of the people from the League as small-time villains, more known for bank heists than serious terrorism, but the ringleaders were a complete mystery to him. As for the other group, this School of Mensis, here he was in complete dark.

The little men had no Quirks to erase, no sign of personality, they didn’t even make the slightest sound as they suffered damage or threw out attacks. The one masked giant seemed to be coordinating its lesser brethren, barking out commands in a language Aizawa didn’t know – nor was he sure if he wanted to know it. The ringleaders of both groups seemed to be arguing, though it was obvious that only one side – the handy guy from the League – was invested in the argument. Their lieutenants remained by their sides, remaining completely silent and motionless. The giant muscled thing with an exposed brain was already unnerving enough, but the tall figure completely covered in a cloak was a complete unknown – and Aizawa hated unknowns.

More worryingly, it seemed that the Black Mist villain succeeded in dispersing the students. Eraserhead knew his class, he knew Thirteen was with one group, at least, and he was more than certain that neither the small-time thugs nor the masked men would give them much trouble – but it was hard not to be worried all the same. Fortunately, it seemed the ringleaders cared little for their minions, happy to bicker and let Aizawa dwindle their numbers little by little.

The masked giant wasn’t indifferent however, finally stomping towards him with a battle cry. Eraserhead readied his scarf, watching the giant cleaver make a sudden motion and stepped back – right into a grip of one of League villains. The pug-faced man chortled, his grip tightening on the hero’s torso as the masked giant stomped over to them.

“I dunno what’s going on here, but I ain’t going down without taking down one of you—“Aizawa didn’t let him finish, throwing the back of his head against the villain’s face, and then again. The pug-face’s grip lessened just enough for him to squirm free and avoid the falling cleaver. Despite its disuse and rust, it went cleanly through the body and bone, bifurcating the villain in one strike, letting the halves fall apart with a sickening squelch. Eraserhead frowned, watching the giant dislodge the weapon from the ground and set its sights on him again.

----

The situation at the Flood Zone was overall much less dire than Izuku first expected.

Sure, they were on a ship and surrounded by villains with various aquatic Quirks, but they had Thirteen on their side! Plus, their group was pretty strong overall even without them. Well, they were. For all of the amazing power One for All was, it didn’t help much if he couldn’t use it effectively.

“We can’t just float with Ochako-chan’s Quirk; they can probably shoot us down from the water, ribbit.” Tsuyu said, watching the mean selection from the deck.

“Fighting in water isn’t very good either.” Thirteen nodded, assessing the situation. “And we can’t afford to just sit on the ship.”

“Honestly, sensei, we might have the best shot at fighting them on the ship still.” Kirishima countered with a grim face. Koda was nearby, coming to a realization that the basin had no animals to call to. “Short of catapulting ourselves out of here somehow—“

“I, uh, I actually have an idea—“

“Let’s wait with the arm-breaking until we’re out of options, Midoriya.” Thirteen chided the green-haired boy gently. Deku looked on sheepishly, but agreed with the assessment. “Unfortunately, I can’t just suck away the water from here, not all of it. At best we’d just impair them slightly.”

“And if someone gets caught in the vacuum, too…” No one finished Uraraka’s thought. For a moment the group of heroes was silent, listening to villains outside jeering and taunting them – and then the screaming started. “Oh no...”

“The little dudes.” Kirishima squinted, watching the scores of little masked men attack the villains in water, firing upon them with crossbows and crude firearms. The few unfortunate thugs were already drifting back-up, the others dispersed and fired back at the assailants, their focus temporarily broken.

“Why did they come here in the first place, ribbit…?”

“They’re distracting the villains, at least, but we’ll still have a hard time leaving… unless...” Thirteen’s eyes wandered over to Tsuyu, then to Midoriya before they shook their head. “...ah, dang it. I can’t endanger you kids like that.”

“With all due respect, sensei” Izuku spoke up, nodding. “we all knew when we came here that we would have to fight villains sooner or later. If I have to break an arm to save us, then I’d break both and ask for seconds.”

“That’s—“

“Super manly! Yeah, Midoriya’s right!” Kirishima nodded fervently. Something told both Tsuyu and Ochako that this wasn’t the word Thirteen had in mind. Still, desperate times sometimes called for desperate measures…

“Aizawa will kill me. Alright, listen up. The plan goes like this...”

----

“Mr. Shigaraki, I don’t think our goals misalign.”

“The School of Mensis” was still a stupid name, but that Micolash NPC wasn’t looking for a fight, apparently. Could have fooled him. “The fate of the Pro-Hero Society disinterests us. We have loftier ideas in mind.” Micolash said with a conciliating smile. Shigaraki wasn’t stupid enough to not notice the cage-face spoke from a really tall horse.

“Oh yeah? And you just so casually busted into my raid like you knew it was happening. You think I’m a moron?”

“Ah, but that is simply the benevolence of Mergo and of Kos, some say Kosm. To have a fateful meeting with an ally of convenience… that too lies within their purview.”

“Stop… look, whatever, I don’t fucking care. Just make your minions stop killing my minions and we’re golden.”

“Naturally, if you would be so kind to assent to a request of mine.” Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed dangerously low.

“Don’t push your luck, NPC. The only reason Nomu isn’t turning your fucking cage into a piece of modern art is because I’m a patient man—“

“You certainly are, what’s with the scratching.”

“—and I don’t fucking appreciate being ordered around.” That got Micolash to laugh.

“Order? I thought this is a mutual agreement. Your men’s lives are spared for a request of mine, and we part ways in good spirits.” Shigaraki hated to concede, but he needed as many bodies to throw at All Might as possible once he showed up. Whatever, assuaging the freak would do, even if he hated to.

“Alright, fucking fine. What do you want?”

“Perfect. See, I know for a fact that there are persons of interest among this year of Hero Course students to me and my group. I had a pleasure of meeting them both a few days back; real pleasant young women, those—“

“Get to the fucking point.”

“I am looking for one Yaoyorozu and one Tokage. One of them belongs to this class, a gorgeous lass of tall posture and raven hair, held high in a ponytail.” Shigaraki didn’t really care for individual students. All they were good for was to die for his amusement and to rub it in All Might’s stupid fucking face. Getting one abducted by some creepy cult guy worked just as well.

“You’ve heard the man, Nomu.” The giant crooned lowly. “Now go fetch the bitch.” In an almost an instant, it was gone in a mad sprint towards the closest zone. It would search through all of them until it found the person of interest, and deliver it before Shigaraki with tacit indifference. Micolash watched it go with an impressed hum.

“Quite a formidable fellow, that Nomu.”

“Damn straight. He’s here to kill All Might, he’s gotta be strong enough for it.” Kurogiri reappeared nearby, regarding the unlikely ally with a frown before turning to Shigaraki. “How’s it look?”

“All students and Thirteen have been dispersed, Shigaraki Tomura. We should make haste however; it might only be a matter of time before they try to break through to summon reinforcements.”

“That’s your fucking job, Kurogiri. Make sure none of them leaves.” The Black Mist Man didn’t reply, merely nodding, passing another glance at Micolash and his mysterious aide before vanishing again. “The obvious things I have to explain to him...”

“You might want to explain why you left yourself open.” The two villains turned to see one of the masked giants fall down on its face. Eraserhead was prowling towards them, the golden mask on his eyes unflinchingly staring them down as the scarves fluttered around him.

“Ohoho, a true Pro-Hero! How exciting!” Micolash clapped, not looking very perturbed. Shigaraki bit back a curse, scratching his neck again.

----

If there was anyone to send out to run to get help, it would be Iida.

From the top of the Mountain Zone the group at the peak had a good look at Todoroki casually dispatching both the League goons and the masked men of Mensis. “You sure he’ll be alright?” Mina asked with a frown.

“Fucking Half-n-Half, showing off right now...” Bakugo growled under his breath. “You lot fucking ready or what?!”

“Yeah, I’m… just… about finished...” Sero grunted, finishing the last touches with the tape. “There. This is the dumbest thing we’ve ever done.” Iida – their designated carrier pigeon – didn’t look very convinced of the idea, but the reasoning was sound. Even with his super speed it would be hard to escape the Black Mist Villain’s warping Quirk – unless he wasn’t aware that Iida was coming.

Thus, an outright inane plan to slingshot Iida to the entrance was born. Sero provided the materials for the slingshot, Mina some aerodynamics with her acid, and Bakugo – extremely reluctantly, since his first idea was to fight their way out – an extra push with his explosions. Todoroki was a bonus, taking care of any villains trying to reach them at the foot of the mountain.

“Fucking finally. Get in here, Four-Eyes, I wanna blow” Bakugo ignored the barely masked snickering from Sero and Mina, more nervous than anything. Fucking extras and their anxiety. “you up.”

“I’m well-aware you are, Bakugo-kun.” Well, this was the best idea they had. Even though the goons below were easily dispatched, they didn’t know the capabilities of the ringleaders, and it would still take too long. Taking one risk now was a better option than risking things going pear-shaped over time. Thus, the youngest of the Ingenium line was ready to become a living projectile. “Alright. Pull.”

“Don’t you go dying on us, Prez, you hear?” Sero grinned as he and Mina tugged the tape backwards until the elastic material was stretched to the utmost.

“Right. I’ll Recipro-burst in the air to maintain momentum and try not to fall on landing.” Iida nodded. The helmet didn’t show it, but he was becoming less and less sure of this outrageous idea. “Even if the villain tags me with his Quirk, it might not be strong enough against the kind of speed I’ll have with your help.”

“That’s the plan, yeah. Don’t go losing limbs though.” Mina nodded, looking towards Bakugo. There were already exploding sparks on his palms, and he looked entirely too pleased with the idea of tagging Iida with a boom. “Alright, Sero, Bakugo. On three.”

“One...”

“Two...”

“DIE!” The two let go off a tape a mere moment before Bakugo let loose with the explosion. Iida bit back a pained groan as the momentum propelled him forward through the air, struggling to maintain the upright position. He saw the plaza from below, with Eraserhead engaging the ringleaders, and the giant muscleman running towards the Landslide Zone at a breakneck pace, but he couldn’t distract himself now. The Black Mist was looking his way, but either the surprise or the skepticism kept him from attacking right away, and that was Iida’s chance.

“Recipro-BURST!” The sudden burst of additional speed almost sent him spinning like a windmill before he repositioned and landed just outside the exit, bursting through the glass door to the villain’s utter consternation. Now all he had to do was to keep this momentum… and get help.

Hopefully this help would come here fast enough.

----

“You know what, once this is over, I think I’ll retire from the whole villain business.”

The individual masked men were fairly nonthreatening, without much physical power or even proficiency in using their weapons. The giant leading them was another story, as strong as it was stubborn, swinging its cleaver without a care.

“Less talking, more fighting.” Kaminari quipped, zapping the remaining small masked assailant. Now it was just the four of them and the two remaining villains against the masked giant. It was strong, but it was correspondingly slow to booth. They could pretty much run circles around the thing.

“We need one decisive blow.” Shiozaki said with a frown, watching it snap the vinehairs around its arm with barely an effort. “Something that will fall the beast in an instant.”

“Can’t you make a cannon or something, Do-Anything Lady?” The boggle-eyed villain asked Yaomomo, throwing Quirk gusts of air at the giant.

“Not right now, and it seems smart enough to know I would try it.”

“Yeah, any reason why it and the little guys are going only for you?” The bull-head grunted as the cleaver swing clipped the tip of his horn.

“I don’t know.”

“Like it matters!” Jiro grumbled, letting loose another blast of sound. The giant stopped for a moment, but resumed its trek shortly after. “Son of a- Kaminari, can’t you zap it?!”

“I could, but it’s a one shot only! If it doesn’t work, I’ll just get in the way!”

(Un)fortunately, the answer to the question arrived from the outside. A giant black hand stopped the masked assailant’s swing in mid-air. The people present gawked at Nomu as it peered down at the cleaver-wielder before simply throwing them away, right into the wall with a sickening crunch. The beak-face watched the mask-face crumple, then slowly turned to regard the group.

And just like the masked assailants, it seemed Momo was a target of interest to the League’s strongman.

Chapter Text

“Thank you for appearing so soon.”

Kan nodded stiffly. Maria made no move whatsoever, regarding the little furry thing across the desk – the principal of U.A. - in complete silence. They weren’t alone; a few more educators were gathered to review the proceedings. In a corner sat a police copywriter, prepared to write down the transcript of the discussion. There was a lot to discuss.

Though Nezu never stopped smiling, Maria knew better than to relax. There was a particular reason as to why she was called here. The reason she was admitted through recommendation – from one of U.A.’s own teachers, no less – went undiscussed due to how sudden the decision was. Now that the school year began in earnest, one could easily sit down and explain the situation in full. There was a lot to discuss.

“We will be using an automatic translator for convenience’s sake. Is that acceptable, Miss Muradsilova?” Nezu asked, gesturing to a little robot on the desk, ambling to and fro. She nodded after a moment of hesitation, suddenly feeling the dryness in her throat grow uncomfortably. She briefly looked towards Vlad King, and he offered a reassuring nod of his own. It was unlikely U.A. would get rid of her so late in the year after she had already proven herself. This was just a technicality, to better understand just where a girl like her came from.

It wasn’t a comfortable procedure, but there was probably nothing ill-willed about it. “Then let’s get right to the brass tacks. You received a recommendation from Kan Sekijiro, one of our educators here at U.A., and that is not something we would treat lightly. We would like to understand the circumstances that brought you all the way here from Finland.”

“I understand. Should I start from the beginning, sir?”

“If you please.”

----

As it turned out, their temporary alliance wasn’t worth shit.

Micolash was more than happy to let Shigaraki and Eraserhead duke it out – a fight that the up-and-coming villain was severely disadvantaged in. He wasn’t the slowest, but he might have as well been running in jelly against his opponent. Eraserhead was a cool bean, nothing like All-Might, but Shigaraki soberly noticed he would be more impressed if he wasn’t strung up in the air by that scarf right now.

“Marvelous! I am beyond impressed!” The NPC, naturally, did little to help still, even clapping in face of the spectacle. Aizawa shot him an annoyed look, no longer needing to keep his Quirk-erasing glare on Shigaraki with his wrists immobilized. He had a first row presentation when he turned one of his fibers to dust, and so decided not to take further chances. “They make you tough as a samurai even these days!”

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you mumble about having “business” with my students.”

“Well, I’m not secretive about it.” Micolash smiled ever so pleasantly. “Though I wouldn’t call my business with them something they would regret. In fact, we believe—“

Aizawa didn’t let him finish, closing in as much as the scarf would allow him, and throwing out a vicious kick. The cage-wearing scholar made a show of dodging with a flourish, surprisingly nimble for his outfit. He was tempting fate, coming closer to where Shigaraki was tied up, as if inviting Eraserhead to take more chances to hit him. The educator was more than happy to indulge him, and he still had yet to find purchase. Micolash made no effort at fighting back however.

“Majestic! Overwhelmingly appealing!” Aizawa had yet to figure out if the man was genuinely impressed or just taunting him with exaggerated praise. Micolash’s cloaked lieutenant remained motionless where they stood, which honestly was concerning Eraser even further. “But can you strike true before the time is up?’

“The time would be up if you fucking untied me already…!” Shigaraki barked from his inconvenient spot… right before the black mist cut through the fibers and let him drop inelegantly to the ground. In came the Black Mist Man, regarding the situation critically. “Fucking about time.” He growled, rubbing his freed wrists while still sprawled on the ground. “Stat rep, Kurogiri.”

“I am sorry to inform that one of the students got away.” Almost instantly the hand villain’s eyes went bloodshot, seen even under the hand on Shigaraki’s face. Slowly, he sat up and started scratching at his neck… and scratching… and scratching… Aizawa bit back the curse and let Micolash skitter away with a taunting chuckle as he focused his eyes on the two. “U.A.’s reinforcements are likely to arrive soon.”

“Kurogiri… you’d be fucking dead if you weren’t my ride home...” Shigaraki made a sound that could not belong to a human being, scratching to blood, and then some. “We were supposed to get in here, kill All Might, and be done with this fucking raid already! How can you let one fucking brat just leave like it’s fucking nothing?!”

“Ah. You Heroes keep impressing me.” Micolash hummed curiously from his spot. Aizawa glowered at the two still. He did hear something like Iida’s engines above for a moment, so presumably he was the one that slipped past.

“And you, fucking…!” And suddenly, Shigaraki was as calm as a morning dew, picking himself back up and idly dusting himself off. “Well, doesn’t matter. We’ve got the quest item already.” Aizawa made a mistake of letting his eyes wander where the villain’s went… right as the titanic Nomu came over with a haymaker, bowling Eraser over almost nonchalantly.

Before he lost consciousness from the sudden blow, he could only notice that the giant carried Yaoyorozu on his shoulder.

----

A little earlier…

“You must be out of your mind!” Jiro snapped angrily at the suggestion the boggle-eyed villain made. Apparently the giant beakface before them was designed to kill All Might, so their group – students and two-bit thugs – could barely have a hope to slow the thing down, let alone defeat it.

So of course one of these bastards suggested that they leave Yaomomo to the wolves by having that “Nomu” carry her off. “Look, kid, that freakozoid will take your friend with him either way; but he can do it over our bloodied bodies or not!”

“That doesn’t make it right!” Kaminari had her back, but Shiozaki and, more startlingly, Momo herself didn’t look too sure of the idea. The vine-haired girl watched the giant approach passively, and it almost seemed like she had some kind of idea in mind…

“No… I’ll go.” The raven-haired beauty apparently decided to martyr herself, even though she looked terrified out of her wits, just barely keeping herself together. “It may not be right, but it is the only way to keep you safe.”

“Yaomomo, I swear-”

“It will be alright, Jiro-san.” Momo managed a wry smile, her eyes never leaving the slowly-approaching behemoth. “If they want me specifically, it’s likely not because they want to kill me.”

“How can you be so sure?!” The giant lumbered forward, now within arm’s reach of the girl. The two villains cleared out of its way, Kaminari seemed rooted to the floor with fear, and Shiozaki still looked coolly at the monster, sat down on a nearby rock.

“I have to have faith.” Something in Nomu’s thoughtless expression seemed to brighten up, as if it found something amusing in Momo’s words before it scooped her up with one arm, the grim like an iron vice. Jiro bit her lip in frustration and anger both, watching the giant sprint away with her friend in tow – only to notice a green vine creeping up the monster’s ankle, growing from the ground.

“We can follow them to wherever this satanic creature is taking Yaoyorozu-san.” Shiozaki said, one of her vinehairs piercing the rocky ground. “I suggest our wayward sinners come with, for their own good.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Kaminari blinked. “Those two goobers?”

“If they have a change of heart, their overall sentence might be reduced. It’s doubtful they will able to escape or come back to the League’s good graces.” The two villains looked at each other with apprehension before the bull-head nodded. “Very well. Let us depart.”

“...God, I hope you’re right, Shiozaki.” Jiro picked up the previously discarded iron pipe and squeezed it, knuckles slowly turning white. “I hope you’re right.”

----

“Welcome again, Madam Yaoyorozu.” Micolash smiled ever so pleasantly, his features partially obscured by the cage he wore on his head. Once she picked herself up from the ground, having been inelegantly dropped by the Nomu, she had enough poise to give the scholar a cool, bemused look.

“I see you are quite fluent in Japanese, after all.” She hissed, stealing a passing glance at the unconscious Eraserhead. Mr. Aizawa seemed miraculously unharmed otherwise, but there was nothing she could do for him at the moment without the villains taking notice.

“Oh no, don’t misunderstand. This celestial headwear” Micolash tapped the brass of his cage for emphasis. “grants heightened insight, enough to translate for both me and the others. If I were to take it off, we would probably have to switch back to English.” There were still the League villains to be concerned about – the Black Mist man seemed impassive, but the very air around Shigaraki distorted with his murderous aura. “But now that I have you before me… ah, ‘tis what spiritualists would call an enlightenment.”

“Should have just raided a fucking soapland if you’re that horny to put out...” Shigaraki muttered. Micolash cast him an incredulous look.

“Truly?! Mr. Shigaraki, you wound me! I am not a base creature you take me for.”

“You know what you are? A fucking liar.” Suddenly the air grew thicker with tension. Nomu was still motionless and soundless behind Momo, she realized, and felt a cold sweat run down her spine. “You were talking up you truce, and then you left me to get GG EZ’ed by Eraser there.”

“Ah, please forgive me, I just couldn’t help but marvel at the spectacle before me—“

“You know what liars don’t get? Their ends of the fucking deal.” Shigaraki straightened up. “Nomu. Grab the bitch.” Momo was seized by the giant again, held up like a prize trophy in a single hand. Oh no. This was definitely not a part of her (admittedly desperate) plan. She expected an actual truce between the two villain groups, and an opportunity to distract them further while holding out for help. “So, you cage-faced NPC. Which side do you think her guts will pop out once Nomu starts squeezing?”

“...Mr. Shigaraki.” For the first time since his appearance here, Micolash’s easy-going smile vanished. “Don’t push your luck. An honored deal will go a long way for you and the League.”

“Or maybe you’re fucking bluffing. I told you, didn’t I? That I’m bothering to humor you is entirely on me. You don’t get a fucking say in things anymore.”...well, the villains were distracted still and the giant had yet to start turning her into a stress ball. Cold comfort, but maybe they could tear each other to bits first.

“...listen here, you snot-faced buffoon-” Shigaraki didn’t give Micolash a chance to mount a retort, swiping his hand forward. All five fingers landed on the ornate brass… which started dissolving and turning to dust all around the incensed scholar. “No… no, no no...” Micolash swerved back, watching his headwear crumble to nothing all around him. Some of the ashes mixed into his hair, the other stained his robes. <What have you done…?> When he spoke, it was back in English.

“Sorry, NPC, can’t understand you. Talk Japanese.” Shigaraki chuckled almost lightheartedly, waving sputtering Micolash off before his glare settled back on Momo. “Nomu.” The girl started squirming desperately, but it was fruitless to try and wrench herself free from the titanic grip – which was slowly but surely beginning to tighten around her body.

<You mustn’t! This girl has been touched by the Moon!>

“Kurogiri, get him to shut up. I’m watching a snuff film here.” The Black Mist man flicked his wrist at the scholar, the warp launching at breakneck pace. Momo watched with widening eyes as the Mensis representative was thrown away from the action to parts unknown, his face warped in primal rage. Before he disappeared, he cried out a single word.

<MARIA…!> And then he was gone. For a moment there was nothing but silence cut through by Momo’s increasingly more frantic breathing as the grip tightened all over her torso.

“What a drag. I almost don’t want to kill you at this point, missy.” Shigaraki idly scratched his neck. The girl’s eyes briefly lit up with confusion – and hope – before that too was dashed to the ground as the villain laughed with a wheeze. “But that’s what Nomu’s for.” One of her ribs gave way with a horrid crack as she gasped out in pain, struggling in the grip once more to no avail. “I saw that flash of hope in your eyes. You think you can hold out until some big hero shows up to save the day?”

Another rib cracked and this time she screamed in pain and her eyes teared up, only vaguely aware that the cloaked lieutenant of Micolash’s began slowly approaching them. “Tough shit. Even if this raid’s a complete wash, we’ll at least get some consolation prize. Imagine the look on All Might’s big stupid face when we return him to you. Think he’ll be fucking pissed~” Shigaraki cackled, obviously having the time of his life as he watched her struggle.

Third rib, another scream. “And about fucking time. That piece of shit hero society needs a big-ass wake-up call; and you’ll be our alarm clock, one scream at a time—“

And then the singing started.

----

As U.A.’s educators mobilized out to USJ to combat the villain threat, Maria stayed behind, frustration welling up within her. She couldn’t come to assist as a student, even though it was none other than the accursed Mensis making its way to Japan. Vlad King assured her they will get things under control, no matter what villain lurked in USJ right now, but...

1A’s Iida’s frantic relation left no room for doubt. Masked men of various sizes, a gaunt tall cloak, and Mensis’s chief scholar, the madman wearing a cage on his head. Mensis was here, and something told her they were here for a specific reason.

...and if Mensis was here, it could have very well meant that the others would follow suit. And yen to peanuts, it was likely all of them were here because of her.

“Oh, there you are!” Maria’s head startled back to see Setsuna approaching her. The school corridor had cleared out past the lunch break, so it was just the two of them. “...Maria? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“...USJ was attacked.” The lizard girl blinked, as if making sure that she wasn’t being pranked, but no, there was nothing but absolute certainty on white marble’s face.

“...holy shit. Isn’t 1A having class there right now?”

“Iida broke out to let U.A. know. Teachers are en route.” But that wouldn’t explain why Maria seemed so spooked. Sure, that was grim news – Setsuna could only hope 1A would be alright – but it almost seemed to her like the tall girl was taking the news personally. Make sure she’s settled first, then fish for info, she thought.

“Alright. They’re professionals. They can handle those villains, I’m sure of it.”

“...I doubt that.” Well, that was more than enough ominous. Setsuna shook her head and reached out to grab Maria’s hand in-between her two.

“It will be alright. We have to believe it will be alright. Now come on, I’ll sit you down before you pass out from stress.”

“...I apologize—“ Setsuna tutted disapprovingly, slowly leading the taller girl back to nearby bench.

“None of that, Maria. Have faith, alright?”

The lizard girl didn’t see the bigger picture, but she had to concede. At the moment, there was nothing that she could do but cross her fingers. If that All Might was as strong as everyone said, perhaps he would be able to defeat whatever monstrosities Mensis brought with itself to USJ. The other villain group was almost an afterthought for her. She had to hope.

But after Yharnam, it was so difficult to hope.

----

“...what the fuck is that?” Shigaraki clicked his tongue as he watched Micolash’s cloaked lieutenant approach, carrying the distorted tune on its… lips? If he were to guess, it was something like a lullaby – but the glitchy reverb and the slight off-key to the voice made it anything but the kind of song that you fell asleep to. Unnerving. This was probably what people in the loony bin listened to.

“Shall I warp it away, Shigaraki Tomura?”

“It’s… it’s fine. Like I care for a shitty autotune.” Shigaraki waved off Kurogiri with a casual look. If this was the cloaked figure’s Quirk, there didn’t seem to be any side effects to the thing. “Nomu, just pop her like a grape already.” He groused at their beak-faced strongman. When there was no sound of a body being popped, Shigaraki swerved to face the creature. “You hard of hearing, big guy—“

Nomu was motionless, eyes fixated on the strange figure making its ponderous approach. Its mouth was slightly open as it stared as hard as it could. So was the bitch, Shigaraki noticed, but in her eyes there was abject terror. Her lip quivered and irises went to and fro without rhyme or reason. Nomu’s grip on her loosened before she inelegantly dropped to the ground, but she made no move to get clear, as if paralyzed with fear.

The cloaked figure slowly shed its cover and Shigaraki’s eyes bulged out in disgust. The thing was tall and gaunt, wearing what might have been some old-school dress once, but now became unrecognizable from the sheer amount of dried gore and overall wear and tear. Its hands were clasped together at the midsection, but fuck all of that.

What the fuck did that thing have for a head? “...Shigaraki Tomura. We should go.” He almost jumped, swerving to look at Kurogiri. It was rare to see the Black Mist appear so… disturbed. Sure, he wasn’t the most expressive, but body language spoke a lot even without a face to even it out. Shigaraki looked back to The Thing, its pulsating mass of what seemed like a clump of aborted fetuses, to countless eyes bulging all over that nightmarish surface, to two huge arms growing out from the sides of its “head”.

It sang. For a moment it felt like he could understand the lyrics before they devolved into garbled gibberish, the kind of noise that had no sense, that existed only to fry your brain. “Make it stop...” He heard the bitch whimper on the ground, and Nomu seemed to agree with the assessment, crooning like a wounded animal as it clutched its head in pain. The thing sang, and it was pissing him off.

“Shigaraki Tomura-” He launched himself forward as he ignored Kurogiri, feeling nothing but frothing rage. Whatever this fucking rare mob was, he was going to dust it and throw the ashes in Micolash’s stupid face. Now if only that vine could stop getting in the way—

Shigaraki snarled in rage as the ground under his feet gave way and he flopped inelegantly onto the rocky surface face-first as his Father clattered to the ground. There was a length of thick vines wrapped around his left ankle and right wrist. The culprit: that Christian-looking slag in a white robe. “Shigaraki To-” Before Kurogiri could assist, the sudden suction brought his attention as he tried to resist it. Oh no. Talk about the worst possible time.

Thirteen was right there, keeping him in place with their Quirk. “I won’t let you!” He shouted defiantly, ready to aim his Warp, only to suddenly find the suction dissipating, as if it was only meant to bring him in range… just in time for two of the students to leap forward, bowling him over. One of them wrapped a length of rope – wait, no, tongue? - around him while the other seemed content to just hold him down with his weight.

“We’ve got him, Teach!” Kirishima called out, eyes briefly wandering to where Shigaraki was just done dusting the vines keeping him in place. Shiozaki was smart to discard them fast enough – and just in time for an unlikely ally, one of the League thugs, to throw a gust of wind right into the ringleader and knock him off his feet. Betrayal might not have been manly, but the redhead was happy to see some of them turned over the new leaf.

“You piece of shit-” Shigaraki wasn’t given the time to recuperate, a loud blare from Jiro’s Quirk keeping him in place and drowning out that really weird and unnerving tune. A flash of green lightning – Midoriya was right there, leaping right under the Nomu stamping its feet in rage and confusion to grab Yaoyorozu and get her out of harm’s way.

Yet, despite the chaos and the noise, the Thing’s singing never ceased to be audible to neither her nor the Nomu as it ambled towards them, singing this terrible lullaby. The League’s beast howled and dropped down onto its knees, clawing at its head, tearing out bloody chunks with no regard for its pain. Momo stared as her throat ran dry and her heart threatened to burst out of her chest in sheer panic, heedless of the fact that Midoriya just got her out of there or that he was talking to her right now, or that his leg was broken. There was only one point of interest now for her.

...there were eyes – countless, countless eyes – on the Nomu’s brain.

Chapter Text

It’s been three days since “The USJ incident”.

The Hero Society at large was on fire. To have not one, but two villain groups (a rarity in these days to begin with) attack the most prestigious hero school in Japan, on their own ground, was nothing short of audacious. It was a spit in U.A.’s face. The ringleaders and most surviving members of the so-called “League of Villains” were apprehended (with special treatment for the two who decided to turn coat), but the mysterious ringleader of “The School of Mensis” vanished without a trace, and his… “lieutenant” wasn’t much for talk to begin with.

It wasn’t much of a physical threat; even once it did start getting physical from agitation, it couldn’t hold a candle to the Nomu. As it flailed, more unnerving details about it were revealed: the numerous lamprey-like mouths under the decayed mass of flesh it had for a head, and how some of the eyes never stopped looking at Yaoyorozu Momo and the League’s Nomu, even with its “face” in the dirt. Eventually, it stopped flailing and let itself be escorted out, almost docile.

Yet, it never stopped singing.

As far as casualties went, Yaoyorozu got the worst of it. Not only did she suffer several broken ribs – it was a miracle none of them pierced any organs – but whatever it was that the “Eyebrain” did to her still had an effect on the student. There was no Quirk at play, which was reason enough to worry all the more. Otherwise, the only other injury among students was Midoriya’s (and self-inflicted, to boot). Aizawa was slightly concussed, on top of that.

The Nomu was determined as completely brain-dead after incarcerating it, its exposed brain pulsing with countless eyes blankly staring ahead with no real direction.

Still, this attack left many questions and not a lot of answers – and the media would not let it rest all too easily.

----

Setsuna sighed, looking out the window.

Currently in Mr. Kan’s car alongside Maria – who insisted on joining the proceedings – it was her turn to show up at the questioning at the police’s behest. She might not have been at the USJ, but other than Yaomomo, she was the only one who had a good look at Micolash the other day. And Yaomomo, well… she hasn’t fully recovered from her injuries yet.

How did it end up like this? Just a few days ago she thought her biggest worry would be her Modern Lit homework. Now Yaomomo was in the hospital, Maria on tenterhooks, and the mire of Mensis in the air. One would think the other big shot villain – the one that could apparently turn anything he touched to dust, scary stuff – would be talked about more, but no, barely a footnote on the news bar.

She looked back to the white marble. Maria, in a button-up and waist-high pants, has been drumming her fingers on her thigh ever since they got in. Those faded blue eyes, normally almost unnaturally serene, now had more life in them than ever before – but it was a cascade of negative emotions shining within them, and Setsuna hated every shimmer of doubt and guilt that she saw.

Maria kept thinking it was her fault that Mensis showed up in the USJ to begin with, and she couldn’t get her to drop that inane line of thought. The lizard girl even questioned Mr. Kan about it, but he didn’t tell her very much other than that it was a “delicate matter”. Not much luck there. “...hey… you okay there?” Still she had to try. Maria’s fingers stopped and she turned stiffly to regard her.

“Yes. Am I bothering you?”

“Well, no. I mean, a little, but that’s because you look bothered yourself.” Talk about an awkward conversation. Setsuna could swear she saw Mr. Kan shooting them an odd look in the rear-view mirror. “Chin up, Maria. You’re not the one who’s going to get grilled by the police.” She tried lightening up the mood with a joke, but the white marble merely cast her a rueful look.

“I would much prefer it, honestly.” She went on to ask Mr. Kan a few questions in a different language. After getting the response – now that she could hear it in detail, Setsuna concluded that their teach had a heck of an accent whenever he wasn’t speaking Japanese – Maria nodded and looked out the window. The lizard girl felt her brow furrowing in frustration. She had to do something to take the white marble’s mind off all this…

----

Somewhere else…

“I told you to go eat shit.” Shigaraki hissed from his cell. His limbs immobilized in a way that would prevent him from decaying the cuffs, he found himself a target of questioning from the coppers. There were a few pro-heroes on standby too. No All Might, but the next best thing, looking surly from behind his giant fire eyebrows, filled in for him.

Truth be told, Shigaraki was willing to entertain the cops for a while. Yes, the raid proved to be a complete wipe, but the only reason that came to be was because of that lousy NPC and whatever it was that he did to his Nomu. Sensei gave him the best Nomu on hand, and it was lost to some piece of shit singing a creepypasta lullaby. The itch on his neck was unbearable, and he couldn’t even hope to appease it.

He could tell them all about the League, and his goal of shitting all over the Hero Society – but then they started asking about the cage-face, and all the goodwill on his part vanished. “That fucker is dead meat next time I see him.” He snarled. “Not only does he steal my fucking thunder, he wastes my Nomu with some weird Lovecraft shit, and you idiots can’t even capture him right!”

“Mr. Shigaraki, can you perhaps be more reasonable about it?” The lead copper – Tsukauchi, Shigaraki recalled – was doing a good job at being the “good cop” compared to Endeavor the “bad cop” leering at him from the corner of the room. “The more we know about this Micolash, the more likely we can capture him – which seems to be something the two of us want in equal measure.”

“I told you already; he had a bunch of fuckboys in masks and that fucking… thing. He called it Maria.” The League ringleader shrugged weakly. There was something, now that he thought about it. “You know how an average villain wants to go against the grain, right? Fuck up the existing order of things?”

“Foolishness.” Shigaraki felt something in his face twitch at Endeavor’s first words since coming here. “You shouldn’t kid yourself. You’re just a punk with too much time on your hands.”

“Big words from the world’s biggest runner-up.” He grinned when the fiery eyebrows creased in anger. “You don’t know shit, Endeavor, living in your cozy Pro-Hero life.”

“Back on track, shall we?” Tsukauchi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You were getting at something, Mr. Shigaraki.”

“The things I said? Uprooting your shitty glass tower? That cage-face wanted nothing to do with it. He said their group is above such things, the fucker. All he wanted was to put out with that titty bimbo.” Tsukauchi raised an eyebrow. Eyewitness reports indicated that Micolash held an unhealthy amount of interest in Yaoyorozu Momo, but the reasons for that remained unknown. “Something about her and some other slag being “touched by the Moon” or some other shit.”

“And you haven’t the slightest idea of what that might mean?”

“The slightest.” Well, at least they got something. Whatever “touched by the Moon” meant still eluded Tsukauchi, but perhaps these answers could be found in due time…

----

Momo looked out the hospital window.

The doctors haven’t been able to tell her how long it was until she could leave. While her body was on the way of complete recovery within a few days, something about her mind left the hospital staff stumped. “Irregular readings”, they said. She had some ideas what that could be, not that she wanted to think much about it.

The image of the Nomu clawing apart its eye-ridden brain was hard to forget.

Still, recent discoveries put her at ease, however slightly. Apparently the person who was turned into a Nomu had their mind scrubbed clean to become an ultimate muscleman, a blunt instrument with no will of its own. That made sense, she thought. If its brain was empty, then it must have been extremely vulnerable to… whatever it was that the strange creature christened “Eyebrain” did. Momo was only paralyzed with fear, and fighting off an urge to vomit – no clawing her head apart.

...but then why was that? The others present were unnerved and disturbed – except Shigaraki who instead turned even more homicidal – but everyone at the scene acted as if there was nothing otherwise extraordinary in this unsettling lullaby. Micolash said something about being “touched by the Moon”, but this wasn’t a riddle she found an answer to yet.

...why was that?

Two figures slid into the corner of Momo’s view. “Hey, Yaomomo.” Jiro greeted her with an uneasy smile. She was accompanied by Midoriya in the quaintest shirt she had ever seen; a plain white tee that simply said “Shirt”. She would never peg him for someone with that high a level of irony. “How are you holding up?”

“On my way to recovery, I hope.” She smiled at the two, taking a moment to have a sip from the mug nearby. “The doctors still can’t ascertain when I’ll be leaving the hospital, but my prognosis has been overall positive.” She looked down at Midoriya’s crutches. He broke a leg while rescuing her, but didn’t think a moment of it. Granted, his Quirk did involve a lot of broken limbs – hopefully he would manage to figure out a way to limit his power output. “What about you, Midoriya-san?”

“Oh, this? I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” As always, he offered merely a sheepish smile. “I should have the cast off in a few days. Still...” There seemed to be something bothering him, she could tell.

“Penny for your thoughts, Midoriya?” Jiro raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Well, I’m still worried about why the Eyebrain was focused on both Yaoyorozu-san and the Nomu. They couldn’t be more different, right?” The only people outside of the hospital who were privy to the knowledge about the “irregular readings” were her parents and Mr. Aizawa. She’s been cautioned not to mention that too often if she could help it.

“I don’t really know what to tell you, I’m afraid.” She shook her head with a sigh. “But, either way, I hope I can recover before the Sports Festival.”

“Will there even be a Sports Festival?” Jiro asked, idly playing with her earcord. “Two villain groups just strutting into the USJ have the media breathing fire down U.A.’s neck.”

“Yeah, this is the first such a situation happened to the school.” Midoriya nodded. “...but I guess they would want to show that they have things under control? If the security is increased, maybe if there’s one of the top ten pros on the premises, it might keep people feel secure and confident.”

“I mean, those League guys are done for” Momo couldn’t help but notice that the green-haired boy shifted slightly on his foot, face strangely apprehensive for a second. “but the Mensis? They’re nutcases. I wouldn’t put it past them to just try and storm the arena.”

“We should try and be optimistic.” Momo smiled reassuringly, trying not to think what would happen if Micolash and his strange allies did try to do that.

“Guess we should… you’re amazing, Yaomomo.” Jiro chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s you who got the worst of it, and yet you’re still so cool about the whole thing. Anyway, guess we’ll be going. We’ve spent too much time here, others must be getting anxious.” Momo blinked.

“...others?”

“Oh yeah, the whole class is here.” Midoriya nodded with a grin. “Even Kacchan showed up. We’re just walking in pairs to not cause too much noise. The nurses were already giving us a bit of a stinkeye...”

“Some guys from the 1B showed up, too. The lizard girl—”

“Tokage-san.”

“and the lipless guy—”

“That’s Honenuki-kun. Ow.” Momo couldn’t help but chuckle softly when Jiro bumped Midoriya with an elbow. So they dropped by to see how she was holding up? Nice of them to—

… “Did… perhaps a tall girl with white hair show up with them?” Jiro and Midoriya looked at each other in confusion.

“No one like that, no.” Well, she might have been busy. Perhaps she and Mr. Kan had to take care of something? Maybe she just didn’t deal well with seeing bedridden acquaintances? She could probably just ask Tokage-san and Honenuki-san once they came in…

----

Class 1B’s preparations for the Sports Festival began poorly.

“You’re in the way, extras!” Setsuna sighed, watching as a familiar sandy-haired asshole showed up, casting glowers and killing glares all over her class – as well as the other U.A. students that showed up at the doorstep. 1A became celebrities after the USJ, having fended off not one, but two villain groups. That kind of experience wasn’t normally received even among third-years.

As Bakugo pushed not too gently through the crowd, she let her hand pop off and floated it over the commotion – catching an incredulous look from Kendo and a further incredulous look from 1A’s octopus guy – and over to where she spied a fellow recommended student. Yaomomo seemed not at all bothered by the noise, just kind of sketching in her notebook, from what little Setsuna could see (after popping her eye off).

Once Momo looked up to see a floating hand, the lizard girl gave her a remote wave and a thumbs-up. Aw. That got a smile out of her, and even a little blush. At least she could lift her spirits a little. Ever since she left the hospital, she’s been a little distant. Whatever happened to her at the USJ still haunted her, and it irked Setsuna that the best she could do for the girl was to joke around like that.

Still, small things also helped, didn’t they?

“Excuse me.” A familiar voice reached her – and quite a few other people wondering who was the owner of such a strongly accented voice. To Setsuna’s amusement, quite a few people also flushed red at hearing said voice. The crowd parted before Maria like the sea parting before a cruiser, hushed whispers and gawking present.

“Ah, Maria, perfect timing.” Monoma, of course, was leading this scouting mission into 1A’s capabilities. He and Bakugo looked about ready to throw hands, much to Kendo’s – and that cute broccoli Midoriya’s – exasperation. “Please explain to this explosive boor why 1B is supe-and she’s not even listening.” Indeed, the white marble instead beelined to Momo’s desk with a few more “Excuse me”’s as she navigated among befuddled 1A’s.

“Holy shit, she is tall...” The earcords girl mumbled and Setsuna couldn’t help but snicker a little. From what she could see, Maria leaned down to exchange a few words with the ponytailed peer, too quiet for her to hear. It seemed the two of them reached the consensus and—

She made a sound before she thought about it, and suddenly way too many eyes were on her as the lizard girl flushed in embarrassment. “...Finnish touch?” Honenuki popped up into view with a knowing smile.

“Shaddap right now...” The crowd parted again before the white marble, now holding Setsuna’s severed hand with a slight smile. Oh God, that was extremely flattering and kinda hot, but didn’t she realize how it looked in front of all these people?! “I, uh, I could get that back myself, you know.”

“I simply figured I could give you a hand.” ...I cannot be mad at her, Setsuna thought even as Maria reattached her hand back. Well, she still had to do the deed herself, but the gesture was nice. As the white marble leaned down to do so however, her expression shifted into something much more serious. “Meet me at eight in the evening, in front of the school gate.” ...this probably wasn’t a date. Wonder if this was the news she passed to Momo earlier…?

“...oi, Sequoia. Who do you think you are, strolling in here like you own the place?” Oh no. It seemed Bakugo found a new target to glower at (Kendo currently dragging knocked out Monoma away probably had something to do with it), the crowd parting before him as he met them in the corridor. Maria met him with a cool look of her own.

“That’s not a crime, last I checked.”

“Can it, Skullface.” Maria remained silent, regarding Bakugo with disinterested curiosity, like a big dog watching a small chihuahua try and pick a fight through a fence. “Well? You’re just gonna stand there and make doe eyes or are you gonna fucking say something?” Nothing, silence. If Setsuna didn’t know any better, she’d think the white marble is just doing this to piss him off.

“Bakugo-kun, don’t antagonize our fellow students!” The 1A’s class rep showed up, in all of his square glory, to try and reprimand the ornery bomber boy. Maria met his bespectacled gaze, and the two of them exchanged a nod before she turned on her heel and left.

“Yeah, you better fucking run!” ...except she wasn’t going anymore. She didn’t turn back to face him, but her step froze as if caught on a photo. The air itself grew tense and still as the crowd quieted down, watching the imminent confrontation. It didn’t come to be, as Maria resumed her stride. But, before she went, she had one more thing to say.

“Everyone is a skipper in fair weather.”

----

The last thing Setsuna expected at this mysterious meeting at night was Vlad King and his car.

“Thank you for coming.” Maria greeted her two peers with a nod. “Please, get in.”

The ride wasn’t very long, maybe fifteen minutes, but the destination was curious to say the least: they were going outside the city, to a protruding cliffside overlooking the hustle and bustle of civilization below. There was a single bungalow nestled on top of it, creating a rather picturesque imagery – but this likely wasn’t what Maria had in mind when she invited them to join her on this evening excursion.

“I’ll have to ask you to keep mum about what you’ll see here.” Mr. Kan spoke up, voice leaving no room for doubt. “This will have to remain a secret between the four of us.” Setsuna and Momo cast each other worried looks. The teacher addressed Maria in Finnish again, to which she replied with what was likely a crisp “yes” and stepped out of the car, walking over to the edge of the cliff as she stared at the full moon hanging in the sky.

“Alright. Out the car we go.” Yet, the three of them didn’t join the white marble at the edge of the cliff. “Not yet,” he said. Setsuna cast a brief look at Momo: nothing seemed to indicate she wanted to run for the hills. She looked back to Maria, who was speaking into the ether in the foreign language, eyes glued to the porous surface in the night sky.

...was the moon always this big?

...did… something just pass over its surface?

“There was a reason for your fevers back then.” She almost jumped when Maria switched back to Japanese, turning to face them. Her face had that rueful smile, the kind that both excited and terrified Setsuna – even if she was steadily leaning into the latter emotion as seconds passed. “Just like there is for Mensis to target you.” The strange shadow on the moon grew and changed shape, and then…

And then it was here, and among them.

“...please, welcome my friend from the stars.” Maria gestured towards the hideous thing that has just touched down as if it was landing after flight, and not just popped into existence next to them. It… well, Setsuna didn’t really have words to describe Maria’s “friend”: it had no face, a mane of tentacles shaped into a “hairdo”, and its body was nothing but an emaciated skeleton, its spine bending and twisting into shapes that couldn’t possibly be human that split into several whip-like tails coiling around like a bunch of snakes. It was also the size of a small bus, which somehow was the least unusual of its qualities.

The fact that she was surprisingly at ease near it honestly worried her more than the monster(?) itself.

“Flora is my kindred spirit, of sorts.” Maria explained, as the creature with most misleading name imaginable leaned in to receive a headrub, like the world’s most terrifying dog. “She has been accompanying me on my journey through life, through thick and thin of the cold Scandinavian fog. Through her spiritual caress were the two of you marked. “Touched by the Moon”, as the Mensis madman would say.” Setsuna turned to look at Mr. Kan, almost expecting him to snicker under his breath and all of this to be a huge, huge prank – but no, there was not a hint of levity to be found on his face.

“...what… who is Flora?” She heard herself asking, throat dry. Maria smiled thinly. “And why did she… mark… us?”

“Out of protectiveness. She thought you might have ill intentions, ever since you began accompanying me more often.”

“...I… we were just hanging out though. Like, c-come on, why on earth would I or Yaomomo have ill intentions towards you?”

“A misunderstanding that I have explained. Too little and too late though.”

“No good deed goes unpunished...” Mr. Kan sighed and shook his head. “Maria explained to me that you were fortunate that the marking happened when the moon was at its weakest, in waxing crescent. You only got off with a fever.” He let that news hang in the air for a time, not opting to continue.

“...what about Honenuki-san?” Momo asked, her expression steady and firm. Setsuna had no idea how she managed to have it in face of… well, this faceless creature, but she was envious of her composure. “He is still a part of our group, isn’t he?”

“Only women are subject to the marking. I would not have thought that Mensis would find you however, in this sea of men.” The white marble’s expression turned thoughtful. “Fate, perhaps. A wrong roll of the dice.”

“...we can’t tell him about this either, can we?” Setsuna asked.

“It’s best that only those involved know.” Mr. Kan said. “Previously it was just me, but since the two of you got tangled in this mess, you deserve to know the details.”

“...yeah, right, t-that’s fair...”

“As for the “who”…” Maria smiled ruefully once more. “Flora is what most of this world would refer to as an “extraterrestrial”: an alien and a guest to our not-so-lone island in space.”

Chapter Text

Maria’s staying place was quiet and quaint.

Setsuna idly took in the interior of the cliff-hanging bungalow. A lot of it was old-fashioned, in that weird Victorian slash Steampunkish aesthetic, right down to some old lady curtains hanging in the window. A closer examination revealed them to be adorned in rose motifs. The whole place looked like it belonged to someone much older and mature than her tall peer – though thinking about it, Maria was probably the most mature of all first years. Or the one who made the best impression of maturity, anyway.

After saying goodbyes to Flora – apparently the “alien” couldn’t stay around in “its material form” for long even on full moons – the four of them stopped for tea. The lizard girl already got a text from her parents, asking just where on earth she was at this late an hour. After assuaging them with a not-so-true message that she stayed up late at a friend’s place to study (not necessarily false, she was learning a lot tonight after all), she returned just in time to smell the pleasing aroma coming from the antique porcelain teapot.

“Emperor’s Bride. My favorite.” Maria explained with a slight smile, pouring everyone a cup. For a moment nobody said anything as she took her seat next to Vlad King, across her recommended peers, with a fancy coffee table between them. “...Master Kan, sir. Is it fine if I explain the whole situation to them?”

“You already introduced them to Flora. It can only get more mundane from here.” Vlad King replied with a hint of amusement, watching Setsuna and Momo cast uncertain looks at each other. Maria nodded sheepishly.

“...so… the reason why you’re here, then, rather than in a Hero School in Europe?” The ponytailed girl was first to ask. The white marble nodded again, regaining her composure. “...if you think we deserve to—“

“Naturally.” O-oh. Momo felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“I-if you say so then.”

“You can probably just tell them what you’ve told the faculty.” Vlad King spoke up. So the school staff knew too? Made sense. Maria mulled over those words for a bit before shaking her head.

“...no, I think they should hear the full story. If… they want to, of course.”

“Why wouldn’t we want to?” It was Setsuna’s turn to speak up, and put on a reassuring smile of her own. “...look, all of this is still a lot to take in, but I like to think we’re somewhere between “friends” and “good friends”. And friends look after each other, even if things get ugly. Whatever you’ll tell us, we’ll be behind you.”

“I wonder...”

“Have just a little faith in us, Maria.”

----

Somewhere else, in a darkened alley…

“Aren’t you quite bored with stabbing this corpse?” Micolash tilted his head questioningly, watching the man sink his katana in the body of a pro-hero for yet another time. The killer is silent, choosing to ignore the madman who walked up to him in the night of the hunt, neither villain nor hero.

Stain would be content with a single stab, but these regeneration types could be tricky to finish off for good. The last thing he needed was for the not-quite-dead fake to strike him with his back turned. That could come later. He would not be dying to a half-assed “hero” anytime soon. “I can see from here he’s well done, my good man. I’d say you’re just entertaining yourself at this point.”

“What is your business with me?” Stain rasped at the madman. Micolash tapped his cage – a new one, freshly molded from divine brass after the last one was so tragically lost to Shigaraki’s childish tantrum – thoughtfully.

“What is it indeed…”

“Before my patience wanes, old man.” Ah. So behind that intense, malefic glare there was a hint of understanding. Though out of the two of them it was the infamous Hero Killer who looked much older – no doubt a result of self-inflicted deformities – Micolash had behind him numerous lives worth of knowledge. “I do not kill civilians, but if you continue getting in my way—“

“Ah, but I am here as an ally. A curious researcher, if you will. Mr… Akaguro, wasn’t it? Your Quirk interests me, for lack of a better word.”

“What of it?”

“Quirks based on blood are the purest of powers bestowed upon us frail mortals. Blood, this lifewater upon which creation itself is based… through it, ascendance opens before us base critters of the earth.”

“I don’t donate to cults.”

“Cult? You wound me, Mr. Akaguro.” Micolash laughed softly. “We are researchers, scholars, scientists, dare I say. We seek transcendence from the shackles of mortality.”

“Then there is nothing left to discuss. Be on your way.”

“Surely there’s—“ The knife came out in a blink of an eye, the sharp combat blade embedding itself in the wall an inch from the scholar’s head. Micolash blinked, aware that his entire life just flashed before his eyes. He barely even saw it being flung. “...compelling argument, that.”

“Good. Away with you, old man.” Stain watched the weirdo skitter away for a time before digging his blade one more time in the definitely dead pro-hero’s body before going over to retrieve the knife. He already entertained the whackjob for far longer than necessary, but something told him this wouldn’t be the last time he would see him. Whether this Micolash would be so benevolent on their next meeting remained to be seen, but Stain was adamant that nothing he would say would sway him. His was a decided path.

And if he had to cut down a cult of madmen on his way, then so be it.

----

“Tokage. Eyes on me.”

Setsuna blinked, watching Monoma snapping fingers in front of her face with an annoyed look. He wasn’t the only one looking at her, though others seemed more concerned and confused than anything else. “Look, if you need to take five, then do so. We can manage the planning without you.” The blond continued, concern seeping into his voice as well.

“I’m… fine. Just lost in thought, is all.” Setsuna shook her head. “Carry on. Where were we?”

“Monoma said that we should throw the race.” Tetsutetsu groused. “Which is super unmanly, let me remind you.”

“It’s not “throwing the race”, it’s “preserving our strength”. Look, most of 1A are overachievers. They’ll go in guns blazing and try for the first place.”

“Yeah, because they want to look good. You know, for the internships?” Honenuki countered with an annoyed look of his own. “If we slack behind, no one will give us the time of day.”

“T-to be fair...” Komori piped up quietly. Setsuna’s protective instincts flared up full force. If there was one way to bring her attention back to speed is to focus on the cute mushroom speaking for herself. “The race has l-lots of contenders. The entire first year, i-in fact.”

“Komori’s right. There are only, what, forty two places to qualify to the second round?” Awase nodded. The mushroom girl blinked and shrunk a little further.

“That’s n-not what I wanted to—“

“I mean, if we stay in the middle of the pack, that should work, right?” Shoda pointed out. “Some of us will get closer to the top, some of us will be a bit in the back… just make sure all of us can get in.”

“Forty two is exactly our two classes and some two guys from other courses.” Kaibara hummed. “I’d rather not get anywhere near Mr. Bomberman and his Icecream buddy, so hanging back works for me.”

“I doubt Bakugo-san shares the spirit of companionship with anyone in his class but himself.” Yanagi sighed, shaking her head. “Let alone someone he perceives as a rival.”

“Lil’deavor I can get” Setsuna hummed, getting a few of her classmates to snicker at the nickname. “but what’s his deal with Midoriya?”

“Wait, I thought his name was Deku.” Tsuburaba blinked in confusion.

“No, it’s just an insult Bakugo calls him with.” Kendo shook her head with a frown. “Means ‘useless’.”

“I did hear him ranting something about how De-Midoriya is a “quirkless loser” the other day...” Manga piped up, his speech cloud filled with the emoji of thought.

“Dude literally breaks his arms whenever he punches shit.” Awase shook his head incredulously. “He could probably give All-Might a run for his money with how strong he punches.”

“Apparently he’s a late bloomer.” Shishida hummed. “Which, while rare, isn’t impossible.”

“Imagine having such a fragile ego that you can’t get over the fact a guy finally got his Quirk...”

“Can we not talk about Bakugo, thank you?” Kodai groused, rubbing her temple at the growing headache. A few people gave her odd looks, surprised at a sudden burst of verbosity from the normally taciturn brunette.

“He’ll be gunning out for the first place, so we can not pay him any mind for now.” Monoma nodded. “...speaking of not paying any mind, just where is Muradasilova?” The normally hard-to-miss tall presence was indeed nowhere to be found in class. Everyone’s eyes wondered to Setsuna and Juzo searching for an answer.

“Last I’ve heard she went over to the support course.” Honenuki nodded, idly tapping his chin in thought.

“Support items for someone who’s not using a Quirk?” Kamakiri raised an eyebrow. “Like what, a batarang?”

“Don’t be rude.” Komori bumped him with an elbow. “...t-though I guess I’m kind of curious too...”

“Any guesses, Tokage?” Awase peered over to the lizard girl.

“I have a few, but they’re a little out there...”

----

This was the first time Power Loader saw Hatsume look genuinely stumped.

“...a sword?” She repeated, blinking at the tall hero course student from 1B. Dang, was she tall. She’s heard stories, but seeing her up close was something else – but now all this excitement for prospective development (just how much gear could she outfit her with?!) was dying away with this blunt question.

Well, she was kind of flattered that someone would go to her with even something as mundane as a simple sword, but… “I have the necessary recipe and materials listed out here.” Maria explained, gesturing with the piece of some really ancient parchment. Did she want her to cast it in an Edo-age smelter or what? “I have been told that you are the most gifted of the support course—“

“Aw, sheesh, making me blush here...”

“and I already have both Master Kan and the Principal’s clearance for it as well.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, Muradasilova, what is the sword for?” Power Loader decided to sate his own curiosity. “Your Quirk is something like Vlad’s, right?”

“To an extent, yes.”

“Oh, you mean like a ritual blade to flashily spill blood with?” Hatsume suggested, oblivious of how suddenly the hero hopeful went tense at the idea. “Well, if you want an equal copy of what you got tucked there, then I’ll give it my all. Maybe spruce it up with some extras… alright, fine, don’t let anyone say that Hatsume would shirk from a challenge! Let’s see your baby!”

...right. This one was just overly excited, likely meant nothing wrong by her statement. “To answer your question, Professor Maijima, I suppose it would count as a vanity project.” Maria explained, unrolling the ancient scroll on the table. Already was Hatsume looking all over it, nodding and humming to herself as she assessed the specifications of the blade. “If Quirk usage of mine comes to be, the blade will not aid it in any fashion.”

“Okay, this is looking more and more interesting by the second...” Hatsume muttered to herself. “Who made the original, by the way? That’s the kind of design a two-bit artisan wouldn’t figure out...”

“I am afraid to say that I do not know. These blades came to my homeland before my time, and stuck with those few who were not swayed by more standard of designs.”

“Well, if it’s a vanity project, then Hatsume can handle it in her spare time.” Power Loader nodded. Normally he’d shoot that kind of thing down, but the Principal’s approval was hard to deal with. Nezu worked in mysterious ways, sometimes.

“Understood. Thank you for indulging me. Though...” Here Maria turned to look at the support prodigy. “Please do not add anything unnecessary to the design.”

“Aw. You sure? If I slapped some engines into the main core, you could have remote blades for cool points—“

“Hatsume.” The pinkette pouted slightly, then shook her head.

“Alright, alright. But only because you asked so nicely, got it? And...” Her smile widened slightly. “there’s something you’ll have to do for me as well.” Maria tilted her head in confusion.

“What is it that you need?”

“Welllll...”

----

“Hey, Tokage. A moment?”

Setsuna looked up from her phone. The day was over; all that was left was to go home and prepare for the next one. A week away from the Sports Festival, the class as a whole had yet to decide on their course of action: whether to follow Monoma’s school of thought or rather go all-out right away.

“Hm? What’s up?” As always, she and Honenuki were taking the same train home. The lipless boy seemed thoughtful himself, and she could think of a few reasons why.

“Is everything alright?”

“Peachy-keen, why?”

“I don’t know if spacing out at least ten times in class counts as peachy-keen.”

“I, uh, just had lots on my mind recently.”

“Concerning Maria?” Honenuki was nothing if not perceptive. She hated that she had to weasel her way out of this, to not tell him what’s been eating at her. Yaomomo seemed better composed than her, at least. Just try and play it off, she thought, forcing a chuckle.

“Told you I’m in gay hell. What about you?”

“...Setsuna, for crying out loud. Don’t change the subject.” She looked away, biting her lip. She really wanted to spill. Honenuki was a friend, and he was far more composed about things than she was. Maybe he could even figure something out to make things easier slash better? Something, anything?

“...it’s… well, we’ve been talking a bit recently. She shared some secrets from her family life.” It wasn’t entirely false, but she still felt dirty, making this up as she went. “Personal girl stuff, you know.” Honenuki cast her a look that told her he saw right through this little deception. And yet, he didn’t press on. For a moment none of them said anything.

“Maybe you guys should just… go out somewhere?” Setsuna blinked at the suggestion. “I know, I know, that’s quaint stuff. But hey, if she’s feeling down – and you too are feeling down that she’s feeling down, don’t even deny it – then that’s one way to bring her spirits up.”

...it wasn’t that easy, but perhaps it was a good start. Damn it all, wasn’t she Setsuna Tokage, the party-going socializing soul of the conversation? This moping had to go! And she would invite Yaomomo as well, and all the other girls from class! And hell, maybe even 1A girls too, while they were at it! “...well, someone’s suddenly fired up.” Honenuki chuckled, watching spirit of socializing manifest in his friend once more.

“...you know what, Juzo? I needed that pick-me-up.” She nodded with a grin. If there was one way to get Maria – and herself – to stop thinking about the grim north, and the crazies who wanted to mess things up, then a pleasant distraction might have been it. Even if that Mensis thingamajig was around the corner, so was every other villain in the streets! If they cowered before every punk, what were they even doing in a hero course to begin with?!

“Also, for your information, Awase’s kinda cute.”

“Thought you’d be more into Kuroiro.” Honenuki chuckled.

“I might have been if he wasn’t a shameless chuuni.” The two of them shared a laugh. “So yeah. Just invite her over for a coffee or something.”

An invite Maria would get.

----

T-Rex added 6 contacts.

Magical Mushroom: o:

Kung-Fu: tokage-chan? what’s up?

T-Rex: figured we can make a girls’ chat

T-Rex: been thinking we could go hang out

Spooky Girl: Tell us more, reptile planner.

T-Rex: hope you guys can help out here, don’t have anything in mind ^-^;

Rodeo: shopping?

Magical Mushroom: actually there’s this cute maid cafe near the train station

Beegsmol: voting for the maid cafe

Kung-Fu: dunno, sounds like a small place

Kung-Fu: will we all fit

Magical Mushroom: it should be fine (ᵔᴥᵔ)

Magical Mushroom: they’ve got this fancy victorian aesthetic too, so maria-chan should like it too

Beegsmol: maria is only sama

Spooky Girl: She is yet to respond however.

Rodeo: oh, she training

Kung-Fu: training?

Rodeo: kendo :)

Kung-Fu: pony?

T-Rex: oh, kendo as in sword training

Rodeo: :)

Kung-Fu: well, now i feel stupid

Magical Mushroom: thought the same thing, you’re fine c:

Rodeo: yeah, saw maria at training hall

Rodeo: thrusting wooden sword

Rodeo: super fast!

Beegsmol: wait you don’t thrust in kendo, do you

Spooky Girl: Not to my knowledge, no.

T-Rex: i’ll go get her

T-Rex: how does saturday afternoon sound?

Rodeo: ok :)

Magical Mushroom: 4 pm?

Kung-Fu: sure thing

Beegsmol: same

Spooky Girl: Fine enough.

----

Setsuna had a couple of ideas why Maria would be sword-training out of the blue.

For all she knew, she could have been doing it daily, but given the recent developments… and here she was trying to not think of all these horrible implications. Still, she set out with a purpose in mind. “Maid cafe” might not have been her first choice, but she did ask for input, so… anyway, back to business! She would get the white marble to lighten up just a tad, even if it killed her.

...well, maybe not that far.

She slipped into the training hall, devoid of people but Maria herself, in her full hero getup. It seemed she was taking this shadowboxing (shadowslicing?) session one hundred percent seriously. The tricorne hid her face in a faint shadow as she stared ahead, the wooden blade raised in her right hand, the cutting side on top. Her left was behind her back, and the unseen enemy before her.

Setsuna knew that Maria trained in swordplay for several years now, but it was one thing to hear about it – and another to see it in action.

The first blow came with but a flick of the wrist, the blade swiping down diagonally. The lizard girl forced herself not to blink, barely able to keep up with the blinding speed as more slashes – no doubt powerful enough to carve a training bot in two, but never clumsy or brutal – followed. Maria’s movements were like a dance, a fast-paced chorus of movements. Whatever adversary was in front of her, she never lost sight of him.

The wooden blade suddenly swerved, as if she was deflecting an attack – and then her left hand came in, thrusting forward with savage ferocity. Unlike the blow that felled Kamakiri at their first Combat Training class, this one was meant to kill; her fingers were open as if to rip into flesh, and tear out a huge chunk on the way out. Setsuna felt a chill down her spine. Maria was as beautiful as she was deadly.

She told them all about the dangers she had to face, first with her fellows, then on her own, finally with Mr. Kan.

Maria shook off the imaginary gore and followed with another flurry. Each single movement could have been shown as an exemplary action pose in a drawing manual. Manga would go gaga over this, Setsuna thought, herself feeling like she was about to go gaga in her spot. The white marble was incredible. She knew that already, but seeing yet another confirmation of the fact was something else.

Some part of her had to remind the lizard girl the amount of sweat, blood, and tears that came with the fact.

Maria suddenly stopped, making Setsuna tilt her head in confusion before she realized: the thin hairtie that normally held her tall peer’s ponytail up came undone during one of the flourishes. The white marble grumbled, muttering under her breath as she took off her tricorne and bent down to pick it up.

Oh lord, was she even more beautiful with her hair down.

----

A quiet clatter in the corner of the training room alarmed Maria to the presence of another.

She looked up sharply, cursing that her hair was getting in the way at such a vulnerable moment – but there was no danger, only curiosity. It was Setsuna, her jaw on the ground as she stared blankly at… her?

The awkward silence persisted for a time. Slowly, the discarded part floated back to the lizard girl’s face, now accompanied with a growing blush. “Ah. Hello.”

“H-hey.” Another moment of silence. “N-nice… uh, nice moves.”

“Thank you. I… have not touched anything like a sword in a while. I am still a little rusty, I’m afraid.”

“I wouldn’t be able to swing it without tripping my own two feet.” Setsuna giggled nervously, skipping a few steps forward. Just play it off as being in awe of her ability. “S-so, wanna go out?” oh goddammit

“...beg your pardon?”

“I m-m-mean, I’ve, uh, ahaha, er...” dammit, Setsuna, get a grip “just wanted for us girls to have an outing, is all.”

“Just the two of us?” yes

“Oh no, all of us 1B. Maybe invite Momo along, too.” God, was she ever grateful that Maria was utterly oblivious to any signs of infatuation. Setsuna hoped she was, at least.

The white marble smiled slightly. “I would not mind it, I suppose. I just don’t think I am much for such outings.”

“Well, you won’t know it ‘til you try it, right? We’ll need someone cool and serious to balance us out.”

“Cool, you say?” She seemed vaguely amused about that particular word. Oh. Right. From up north. Nothing like a pun to dig oneself deeper. Still, she got better about recognizing them. Setsuna distinctly remembered Maria’s confusion when Kamakiri was quipping to her back at the mock battle. “When shall we go then?”

“Saturday, 4 PM? We hashed it out in the group chat, too.”

“I shall have a look. I hope you do not mind if I take a while to reply. I am backwards with technology.”

“Oh no, don’t sweat it. We’re just happy to have you.” A beat. “I, uh, guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Tomorrow it is.”

Chapter Text

Casual outings were a novelty to Maria.

Cainhurst was a rigid society lost in time, countless eons behind other civilizations; a blood-soaked snowglobe hidden deep in the North. People there were divided into castes, and by castes did they live. Inter-caste casual interaction was largely unthought of, especially the kind that Setsuna proposed to her yesterday. Still, Maria was nothing if not flexible, able to adapt herself to the new conditions relatively easily.

Now if only the Mensis could stop menacing her and her peers…

It would behoove her to look presentable; thus she settled for a necktie and a vest, a selection of muted colors of the earth brightened up by the brooch pin at her neck. Adding a jacket would probably be too festive. At first her plan was to shorten the sleeves of her shirt, but as she assessed her scarred arms, marked with claw, tooth, and steel, she came to a conclusion: her peers… friends, she hoped, needn’t see this.

It was fortunate that today was a day off. Dressing up a touch was nice to do once in a while. Plus, at least it wasn’t a rigid dress with an uncomfortable amount of cleavage...

----

If Maria hadn’t shown up like she did, Kinoko might have thought she was being overdressed.

Expressing herself to her peers was still something she was working on. Everyone in her class was friendly enough, even the intimidating-looking Kamakiri, but through her own insecurities, she couldn’t always capitalize on that. Plus, her Quirk of controlling mushrooms and her desire to become an Idol Hero did not gel very well with her peers back in the middle high. Some doubt remained still, even as she picked out her polka dot dress, cut in a cute lolita fashion – Kinoko’s favorite.

Pony was the first to show up and already did her heart sink – the half-American girl wore an anime tee of all things. The blonde fancied the dress, at least, but goodness: would she just stick out like a sore thumb? As the others arrived, that feeling was only exacerbated; between Yui’s simple turtleneck and skirt, Setsuna’s T-Rex tee, and Itsuka’s leather jacket-sundress combo, it was beginning to look like a lost battle.

“We just need Yanagi-chan and Maria-chan at this point.” Kendo hummed, checking her watch.

“Honestly, that you can call her -chan with a straight face… I’m kinda envious.” Setsuna chuckled.

“Indeed. Maria is only -sama.” Yui piped in with an ever correct assessment. The lizard girl laughed a tad nervously. “Will Yaomomo come?”

“Sadly no. Family business, apparently.”

“She’s amazing.” Kinoko sighed. “Back on her feet so soon…”

“That’s a recommended student for you~”

“Tooting your own horn, Tokage-chan?” Setsuna snickered, hoping that her concern remained unfounded by the others. Momo herself said she was fully recovered, but that could only be tested if Mensis attacked again. But enough about that. She didn’t need those worries, other didn’t, and Maria sure as hell didn’t. A text provided a welcome distraction. “Looks like Maria and Reiko will be arriving together shortly.”

“Oh yeah, I see them!” Pony said, attention at a road nearby. It seemed the white marble was descending down the pavement – but not quite alone.

There was a Reiko on her shoulders, piggybacking with the most color class B had ever seen on her face.

“Apologies for our tardiness.” Maria, decked out like she was going to a school prom and not to a casual outing with friends – Setsuna heard Kinoko breathe a sigh of relief for some reason – greeted the group with a nod. Reiko remained silent, trying and failing to hide most of her face behind the taller girl and the collar of her own wider turtleneck. “We had to deal with Reiko’s sprained ankle.”

“Oh dear. Are you okay, Yanagi-chan?”

“Y-yes. Just… well, slightly embarrassed.” The Poltergeist user replied quietly. “I stumbled over a cracked pavement.”

“She insisted to go even in spite of her inability. We treated the wound” Maria gently took her off her shoulders and onto a bridal carry – which predictably made Reiko even redder in the face. There indeed was a cold compress wrapped around her left ankle, the sleeve of her pants slightly rolled up. “and then had to deal with patrolling heroes that seemed to have found something untoward in our conduct.”

“...that might have qualified for some kind of PDA...” Yui hummed.

“Is it really that big of a deal?” Setsuna frowned, watching as the white marble gently set Reiko down on the ground and how the Poltergeist girl winced upon having her feet touch the ground – and curbing the irrational sense of jealousy brewing inside of her. “Better to carry her than if it were to go worse. The festival is only a week away.”

“Well, the better thing would be to stay at home, I think… but I’m happy you came, Yanagi-chan.” Itsuka smiled slightly, offering a helping hand to replace Maria’s. “It’s a little flattering.”

“Is the cafe far from here?”

“Oh no, not at all.” Kinoko smiled, her shiitake-shaped irises flashing slightly. “I’d be happy to lead you guys there.”

----

“I don’t know how I can take to being called “Mistress”...”

While the maids working the cafe referred to all female patrons as “Mistresses”, it was obvious some of their group took to that differently. Setsuna wouldn’t say she saw Maria blushing, but the white marble was almost cutely flustered still. “You are a bit of a mistress, aren’t you?” Yui, in particular, seemed to enjoy teasing the tall girl about things like that.

“No need to tease her like that.” Itsuka chuckled softly. “I imagine maid cafes aren’t exactly commonplace in Finland.”

“I would not say so, no.”

“Well, how do you find this one?” Kinoko, uncharacteristically confident and energetic – not that Setsuna minded, quite the opposite – piped in with a smile, taking the menu cards from the maid waitress with the cutest set of dog ears under the sun and dispensing them between her peers. The cafe offered a fairly standard selection of snacks, but the magical atmosphere of the place made one forget about it as they got embroiled in the Victorian clime.

“Quaint. It has a charm.” The mushroom girl beamed happily at Maria’s confession. “It is a bit of a nostalgia trip, I suppose.”

“How do you figure?”

“Cainhurst was a bit behind the times. We might not have had maid cafes, but actual maidservants did attend most socialites of the castle.” The white marble explained, looking down at her coffee. “I suppose the getups of those maids were somewhat more conservative, though.” Her eyes trailed briefly to one of the waitresses’s skirt.

“It still feels weird to hear about, honestly.” Kendo hummed thoughtfully from over her own coffee. “It’s almost like a whole another world.”

“I… suppose I cannot argue with that.” Maria’s gotten better at pretending not to be tense in casual conversation, but so did Setsuna get better at reading the tall girl. Considering what she’d been told a few days back, she could see why Itsuka would make that comparison – and why the white marble wouldn’t take kindly to it.

Pony, bless her soul, changed the topic after a moment of awkward silence. “Excited about Sports Festival?” She asked.

“Not particularly.” It wasn’t the response any of them expected – even Yui and Reiko wanted to strut their stuff a little bit – so Maria decided to explain her sentiments in detail in light of surprised looks from her peers. “I understand that the purpose of the festival is for pro-heroes to scout out prospective interns, correct?”

“I mean, it’s not like it’s just us and 1A there.” Setsuna shook her head. “The main purpose is just to go beyond, really. There’s nine other classes who probably don’t care for anything but a good time.”

“There’s also all kinds of tournament-unrelated stuff.” Kinoko nodded. “...but it still doesn’t explain why you wouldn’t be… uh, interested.”

“I have no intention of taking an internship.” Silence. Maria felt her brow furrow in both confusion and frustration.

“...why?” It got so bad, even Yui’s earlier teasing all but disappeared. The white marble wished there was some grand reason behind her decision, but the truth was such: no pro-hero could give her the kind of education Master Kan could. Since he was an active teacher in U.A. however, he could not offer internships of his own. Maria finished her coffee with an annoyed look. All of them knew what her Quirk was, too; was it really that strange?

“I am no hero material.”

“I do not believe so.” Reiko shook her head resolutely. “I cannot understand your reasoning, but I am certain you could be an excellent hero if you wanted.”

“What makes you say that?” That gave the Poltergeist user pause, as it did all of them. Setsuna felt Kinoko shrinking in her seat, as if sensing that the good mood they had was going away, and offered a hand for her to squeeze for reassurance. “Why do you think I am a hero material?”

It’s such a simple question, and yet the girls at the table besides Setsuna struggled to think of an answer. As they did, the lizard girl and the white marble exchanged glances. Neither of them said anything. “W-well, what are you doing at the Hero Course then?” Kendo flinched once the question left her lips, realizing it might have come off as rude. “I mean...”

“It was Master Kan’s recommendation. A course this intensive would help me refine myself and put my mind at ease.”

It took her a moment to realize she didn’t mean to say that last part out loud. “...are… is something troubling you, Maria?” Kinoko asked quietly, vaguely aware that Setsuna next to her went stiff as a board for some reason. For the first time since coming here, the white marble looked to be at a loss. “I, well, er… if you don’t want t-to talk about it, that’s fine… just, well… if we can help you in some way...”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Kinoko, but this is something I must face on my own. Please, do not worry about me.” She couldn’t win this battle. Opting to slowly shuffle out of her seat and rise to her feet, she offered her peers a weak smile. “I should get going. Thank you for your time. Can I trust you to get Reiko home safely?”

“Maria...” Pony made a small, sad noise. The white marble flinched, but didn’t stop, offering the group a goodbye nod before she excused herself, watched by six pairs of eyes. For a moment no one said anything.

“...should we… go after her?” Yui suggested, a little uncertainly.

“We shouldn’t be too nosy...” Reiko sighed, but it was obvious she wasn’t very enthused about her own words.

“Any idea what’s eating her, Tokage-chan?” Setsuna’s first instinct at the question was to jump out the window, but she calmed the roaring thoughts well enough, offering Kendo a weak shrug. “Sorry for asking you, but… you and Honenuki-kun are basically her best friends in class.”

“Oh no, don’t be sorry. It’s just… I wish I could tell you.” I wish I could tell which of the horrors she witnessed, she took part in, was the one that shook her the most. I wish I could offer actual comfort beyond platitudes, beyond a simple “I’m sorry”…

Their class rep took the growing anxiety on her face the wrong way, but for once it worked out in Setsuna’s favor. “I didn’t know it ate at you too.”

“Well, she is a good friend. Still, she should be fine.” The lizard girl sighed. “I just hoped that we could use this outing as a diversion, you know. Just to hang out.”

“I’m sorry… that’s my fault, I-I-I picked the maid cafe...” Rather than let her blame herself, Pony simply offered Kinoko a hug. The mushroom girl squeaked in surprise, going as red as her dress.

“No one’s fault.” The blonde shook her head resolutely.

“Yeah, we all agreed to it anyway.” At least there wasn’t much movement in the cafe, so no one gave them odd looks, but Kendo still felt a little uncomfortable. “...should we head out either way? It is getting a little late, and we still need to ferry Yanagi-chan back home.”

“...sorry about the trouble.”

----

There was fresh, untainted blood in the air.

Her time spent in Cainhurst and Yharnam helped her refine the sense of smell. Or, perhaps, both places were so blood-soaked it just became second nature to recognize what were tainted dregs of the beasts and what was pure lifeblood.

A small amount she would choose to ignore, but this was no small amount. This was the kind of blood spill that involved grievous injury or death. This was a calm neighborhood, nearby the most prestigious Hero School in Japan. Who would be reckless enough to commit grievous, life-threatening crime so close, with the evening only starting to set in? Then again, it did not stop the League of Villains, nor did it stop the Mensis from tagging along. Maria was aware how it was supposed to go: she was supposed to notify the Pro-Heroes and stay back herself. She was a student, with no power. She didn’t have her Hunter outfit nor did she have Rakuyo.

And yet, whether disturbed by her moment of exposure against her peers at the cafe or simply morbidly curious, she walked into the alleyway from where came the scent of a dying woman – and another, scent of self-righteous rage. She wasn’t afraid, she didn’t run. Whoever was being killed in that alley was beyond help.

Only from this distance could she hear the wet, squelching noises of a knife being dug into flesh. One final thrust, the knife sunk in the throat of the fallen Pro-Heroine, and the murderer rose to meet her, hunched over the corpse as if interrupted from a cannibalistic meal. Tall and gaunt, with a mane of wild black hair, the jagged red scarf, not unlike blood, a long headband made from a frayed bandage…

A black combat suit, self-made, a katana of a familiar design, knives upon knives hidden in seemingly the most impossible places… and an aura of malice, pure and focused. He looked at Maria with little surprise, cold and analytical despite the feral first impression he gave out. She saw people like this man before – and they were allies as often as they were enemies.

It seemed the nightmarish man did not deem her a threat – but he was still cautious, understandable enough. “Who are you supposed to be?” He rasped, assessing the strange woman (teenager?) at a blade’s length. There were no weapons on her nor did she look to be hostile, but anyone who would approach him so brazenly, in the middle of the hunt, had to be mad like the old man from a few days back – or have a plan.

“No one of notice.” She trailed her eyes down, to the victim. “Has this woman slighted you?”

“She was a fake. Someone who would take on a mantle of a hero without understanding what a hero is supposed to be. She chased fame, fortune, and glory.” A man on a mission, then? Maria hummed noncommittally. The man was a true believer – or perhaps he liked the sound of his voice too much for it to be healthy.

“Are you a villain then?” The way the man shifted and his body tensed ever so slightly, it seemed being called such was a sore spot for him.

“A necessary evil. Fake heroes, self-serving villains… I dispose of both. I suppose the latter are smart enough to stay hidden from my wrath however.” The man straightened out and looked the girl – she could not have been older than eighteen despite her height and the intensity of her look (a fake-in-the-making?) – in the eye. “What brought you here, girl?”

“The scent of spilled blood. ‘tis rare, in this civilized world, especially when blood is spilled with purpose like yours.” Stain shifted slightly, giving in to curiosity. The girl was… different. She was not defiant or terrified, she neither attacked him nor ran away. She spoke of spilled blood being what lured her here, yet there was no excitement or revulsion to be found on her face or in her voice.

It felt as if she was recounting something from her past through his presence. “Carry on with your hunt then, and afford the woman here the decency of a funeral.” And now she was acting as if she was letting him go rather than being a sheep meeting a wolf, in its own den to boot. There were way too many disturbed people bothering him in recent days – but intuition told him that recalling the old man to her would bring more harm than good. He had no use or taste for killing children, even if they were growing to become his prey. All he could do now was to retreat and plan his next hunt.

“You are an odd one. What is your name?” Still he gave in to curiosity. Perhaps that was the plan all along – the girl hoping to distract him with small talk while other fakes closed in on his position to try and capture him. Yet, Stain dismissed the possibility soon after it came to his head. No, there was no such thing here.

“Maria. I have a feeling we shall see each other again, fellow hunter.” The girl’s lips quirked up just slightly in a thin smile. “And, perhaps, you will entertain me with a clash of blades for a sporting spar.”

Once he left without giving his name – somehow, it seemed the girl had no idea who he was and neither did she pry for it – Stain realized what seemed so strange and familiar to him regarding this “Maria”. The same quality was possessed by the old man.

Mind and demeanor that belied physical age.

----

Tsukauchi had to force himself not to snap his pen in half.

Hero Killer just claimed another victim, so short a way from U.A., and the one who found the body ended up being none other than Maria Muradasilova. He met the girl during an investigation of the USJ Incident, and quickly found her to be surprisingly insightful on the matters concerning the School of Mensis – if disturbed by her adamant belief the group had to be scoured clean from this earth. According to Vlad King, she had prior experiences with the madmen.

Now, these two things wouldn’t have much in common – beyond the girl’s uncanny ability to attract mystifying problems – if an eyewitness report from a few days back didn’t speak of Mensis’s ringleader hanging nearby a place where one of Stain’s earlier victims was found.

There was some connection between the Hero Killer and the Mensis, and Tsukauchi dreaded to see just how far that rabbit hole went. For now he had not to balk at the calm, unnervingly calm relation of her meeting with Stain. She was among the only people who had any meaningful discussion with the man, however brief; sadly, there wasn’t much that could be discerned from it beyond confirming Stain’s motive.

Muradasilova’s past was considered confidential, available for reviewing only for the U.A. staff – which raised almost as many questions as her ability to stay composed against a hardened killer like that.

“If I may, officer...”

“Yes? Do you have anything to add, Muradasilova-san?” Tsukauchi watched the tall girl look thoughtful for a moment. Then, something of a guilty expression flashed on her face.

“Should I have tried to stop this man?”

“No, of course not. Considering the circumstances of your meeting and the fact that you are but a freshman student, you did the safest and most rational thing you could have done.” The officer shook his head. “You could not have predicted that you would meet a villain, and his victim was already dead by the time you arrived. There was nothing more you could have done.” Judging by the unsure look on her face, she might not have agreed with the assessment right now.

“Officer, I… how many people did this hunter claim?” That was another thing that bothered Tsukauchi, how Maria referred to Stain as a “hunter”. She described him as such during the first hearing and he could kind of see why she would use that word – especially since her grip on Japanese still was a little slippery – but now it seemed as if the word held some special meaning to her.

First he wanted to ask her about it, then to try and dodge the question. Yet, something told him she would not let up – and after surviving a meeting with someone like Stain, she deserved that much. Vlad King told him she didn’t keep track of the news feed very much to begin with. “Seventeen dead and twenty two crippled pros.” Maria did not respond, only settling for a terse nod. “I’ll stress again, you did all you could. Stain’s a dangerous man who had fought off pros with years of experience. That you survived is the most important.”

----

The next day awoke Maria with a pulsing headache.

Whatever was going to happen in these next few days, and she just knew she wasn’t prepared for it in any shape or form. The festival was around the corner, the eyes of the public bound to watch her and her peers intently, like birds of prey. All the while she had to think about the sheer disbelief on the other girls’s faces when she laid it bare how little heroism mattered to her.

Heroes were only needed whenever a tragedy struck, after all.

Vlad King didn’t give her an earful, but perhaps he should have all the same. It was like a hero hopeful to butt into problems – but she didn’t come to that alley to save or stop anyone. She came because the waft of blood awoke something in her – something shameful, yet nostalgic and longed for. For a moment she wasn’t in a Japanese suburb, but amid the corpses of beasts, fending them off to save both herself and the hapless old man who survived the plague for this long.

The man turned either way.

...by the stars, she had half a mind to tuck herself in and skip the day – but that was just unbecoming of her (and it would result in getting an earful for certain). Shuffling out of the bed, she slicked her hair back and took a deep sigh. Just because she didn’t see herself a hero material did not mean she could afford to slack in the course. And who knew? Perhaps she would find some meaning in this mundane regimen of life. It certainly made for a more exciting fate than being stuck with being an accountant or a waitress.

So locked was she in her thoughts, she did not notice nor expect Setsuna tacklehugging her before class.

“I was so worried!” She really was worried; this was certainly the first time Maria saw her so distressed, holding onto her blazer tightly as if she was about to disappear. “I saw the news, I thought my heart would jump out of my throat…!” But Maria wasn’t used to such situations either. No one held so much concern for her, or at least not so outwardly. Master Kan learned from the best to measure emotions, and so did she learn from him.

But, at the end of the day, she was still supposed to be a teenager, wasn’t she? “I apologize. ‘twas not my intention to give you or the others a fright like that.” She winced slightly at how stuffy her response was, but it seemed to have worked just fine: Setsuna looked up at her with a wry smile, blinking away tears.

“Look at you… just treating it like it’s nothing...” Her smile lessened slightly as she stepped away, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I should have known this would be nothing to you. It’s just…”

“Please, you needn’t explain yourself.” Maria replied, trying to sound soothing. “I shall be more careful in the future either way. It’s only natural to exercise caution, isn’t it?”

“Right… I’ll take your word for it.” Setsuna sighed. Boy, was she grateful this was early morning and no one was here to see them. She’d probably still throw herself at Maria either way, but at least no one would give them lip. “Just… please make sure you hold yourself to that? I don’t think I can take spitting my heart out the next time like that...” Maria tilted her head slightly.

“...did you… actually do that?” The two of them stared at each other in silence. Setsuna finally broke the ice with a little giggle, shaking her head.

“Come on, let’s get to class. The Festival’s just around the corner – and even if you don’t care for the internships, you’d still want to give you all, wouldn’t you?” Healthy competition? Yes, she could do that.

“...I suppose I would.” A faint smile danced on Maria’s lips as she followed.

Chapter Text

The Sports Festival was something else.

As It turned out, ten classes worth of freshmen, all decked out in U.A.’s sportswear, made for quite a crowd of personalities and characters. Even as Maria stuck out of the 1B crowd and attracted looks from fellow competitors and audience both, she did not let it bother her, merely examining the stadium where the festivities would occur. The torches were lit, like on the ancient depictions of the Olympics – competitions of athletics and fitness of the bygone days, when powers like Quirks were mere fantasy.

She caught sight of Hatsume waving excitedly at her from what presumably was the Support Course group, and returned the wave with a slight smile. “Look at you, making waves in different classes.” Setsuna teased her with a light bump of an elbow.

“Mei was willing to humor my request, is all.”

“Is it what I think it might be?” Maria tensed ever so slightly before nodding. The lizard girl offered a reassuring pat on the shoulder – by detaching her hand, of course. “Right. I trust you know what you’re doing.”

“Ugh, what’s this guy’s deal?” Kaibara grumbled, eyes trailing to one of the General Course classes. Maria looked there too, appraising the wild mane of purple hair and a look of a perpetually tired academic, leveled at them with a sneer.

“Hm? Oh, that’s Shinsou.” Setsuna hummed. “He showed up once Kendo carried Monoma’s unconscious butt back to class.”

“Don’t remind me...” Their Class Prez sighed wearily. Somewhere, the copycat flinched ever so slightly.

“He’s got a bone to pick with hero courses, from what I’ve seen. Straight up walked to Master Exploder over there” Setsuna gestured vaguely towards 1A’s group. “and declared war.”

“...I don’t know if he’s a complete idiot or just that brave.” Kuroiro groused from behind them. Maria hummed noncommittally, meeting Shinsou’s look for a moment. Whatever this trouble was, they could certainly figure it out in due time. “Right. Now Mr. Bomberman has to make a grand speech for the opening.”

“Wait, why him?”

“Scored first in the entrance exam.”

“That’s not fair. I didn’t know you guys get special privileges.” Setsuna chuckled softly.

“As long as he doesn’t say something stupid...” Kaibara’s eyes trailed over to Shinsou and the rest of his class, all of them intently staring at the Explosion user casually strolling out from his group, hands in pockets and the most disinterested look on his face. The podium was ready, with Midnight overseeing the stage. The lizard girl shifted in place, sensing the tension in the air. Everyone’s eyes were on Bakugo right now.

The Explosion user tapped the mike with a disinterested look. “I pledge… to be number one of this festival.” Setsuna blinked, then she blinked again and looked towards 1A’s mortified expressions. It seemed their rival hero class knew exactly what Bakugo would say. Predictably, the stadium – both the audience and the competitors – erupted in an outrage, completely ignored by the number one of the entrance exam.

“Dude, calm down...” Tsuburaba looked helplessly at Tetsutetsu furiously gnashing his teeth with sounds not unlike a car crusher. Pony had to keep a bristling Kamakiri in place, too. Shamefully(?), Setsuna was torn between indignation and amusement. From what little she knew about Bakugo, that was just about the thing he would have said – and given his track record, apparently had a good chance of delivering on a lofty promise like that.

Maria hummed curiously. “Got something in mind, Maria?” Setsuna asked.

“This gauntlet he threw… I think I’ll go and meet it.”

“Well, I don’t mind you giving your all.”

“Even if circumstances may pit us against each other?”

“...I’ll deal with that as we go.”

----

The first order of business was the race.

They were to run four kilometers worth of an obstacle course, beginning at the stadium exit and circling around. Maria recognized the first difficulty of the race easily enough – there wasn’t enough space for all groups to move through the exit smoothly. Sadly, the only liberty they were allowed right now was to pick a position in their group only. Non-hero courses were up in front – likely to give them some semblance of the fighting chance.

It was only now that Maria noticed that Mei was positively outfitted with all kinds of equipment. “Is that… allowed?”

“Apparently support course students can bring whatever they made with themselves.” Monoma hummed in response, a critical eye assessing how different the pinkette was compared to her peers – if only because she was the only one wearing any gear to begin with. “I guess Hatsume’s a risktaker, field testing her equipment in an event like this.”

“What about the others?”

“Please. Nobody but her kids themselves that they can go past the first round if they’re not from the hero course.” Despite the scathing words, the copycat’s tone was far away from smug. “The entire event is skewed in our favor, just like the entrance exam is skewed towards dumb flashy Quirks like Bakugo’s. Whoever performs best is most likely to catch the eyes of the pros for the internships.”

“And you still plan on staying in the back?” That got Monoma to smirk.

“The only part that matters is the finals. Everything else is just to tire you out.” She wasn’t there when 1B planned how to approach the race, but Setsuna did tell her the class was divided between wanting to give their best (while not getting too close to 1A’s powerhouses) and taking it easy. It wouldn’t have mattered much to Maria – but with the gauntlet thrown she had to pick it up.

Something about Bakugo rubbed her the wrong way, and she wanted to make sure he would not see his pledge fulfilled.

Thus, once the countdown ended and the race officially began, Maria forced her way forward with purpose, not as much running as striding through the crowd parting before her. Those that would not do so, she had more direct means of coercion for.

“Welcome aboard.” She hummed with a slight smile, feeling not just Setsuna, but Kinoko latch onto her. The mushroom girl squeaked and mumbled an apology, but the lizard girl was unapologetic with her giggling. Maria didn’t expect it any other way, trying not to smirk to herself at Monoma’s indignant scoff from the back.

The three of them picked up the pace, leaving the chokepoint behind and immediately getting introduced to the next obstacle. “Holy shit, are those giant robots?!” This time it was Setsuna’s turn to be indignant, sizing up the veritable army of metal menaces – the infamous Robo Inferno. The robots actually came in all shapes and sizes, but the three giants towering over everything else definitely had most people’s attention. One of them craned its neck at the first group of the arrivals.

“TARGETS SIGHTED… LOTS!” It announced with a mechanical reverb, elated to find new victims. Predictably, most non-hero course students were thrown into disarray already, and even a few of hero hopefuls didn’t look too sure of themselves right now.

“They brought three Zero-Pointers…?” Kinoko’s voice was even smaller than the usual. Maria frowned, beginning to think that recommendation students might have had it a touch easier compared to the ones who took the exam. Not that it stopped the big unknown of the recommended group, charging forward with a look somewhere between disinterested and annoyed.

As if to make a statement, the giant iceberg smashed right into the encroaching Zero-Pointer, cutting it in two neat halves. Todoroki was off at the lead, leaving behind himself the wreckage of a giant robot for the rest of the competition to contend with. Quite a few of them weren’t stopped – even as Maria navigated between smaller bots with catlike grace, she spotted Bakugo, Mei and another 1A student simply fly over the robotic villains – but otherwise it was complete chaos from the word go, especially since Todoroki was resourceful enough to freeze the rest of the competition in their tracks too, to varying results.

“Hold on tight.” Neither Setsuna nor Kinoko had to be told twice – nor did they have time to wonder how Maria was managing to go through the ice with such ease, leaving behind the whole metallic ordeal. They were up there among the leads – though still nowhere near Todoroki or Bakugo. It was a straightforward run now, and in that the white marble seemed to have few equals. They caught up to Mei easily enough.

“Hey there! Showing off, Lady Maria?” The pinkette greeted them with easy-going whimsy, not at all phased bout the two passengers on the tall girl’s shoulders.

“Am I? You’re the one who made light of the robots over there.” The Support Course’s genius beamed proudly.

“Hover Soles and the Jet Pack~ A perfect duo of babies for that kind of situation.” Setsuna eyed the clunky boots on pinkette’s legs. Made sense these were some fancy tech. “So, you two are from Maria’s class? Need any babies for your hero work?”

“A-are you throwing us a sales pitch in the middle of the race?” Kinoko stammered, looking behind. Most of the other competitors were en route to meet them, using their Quirks to catch up. Their class’s Honenuki and 1A’s Iida seemed to be the frontliners of the effort.

“Well, y’all gonna leave me in the dust soon, so might as well! By the way, how good is your sense of balance, Maria?”

“Decent enough, why?”

“Good! Have fun with the tightrope ahead!~ And remember you owe me a dance!”

“She owes you a what?” Before Setsuna could get an answer for her question, Mei slowed down, seemingly on purpose – and let the other challengers contend with the Maria Train. “No, wait, she owes you a what?”

----

This is nice, Shinsou thought from atop 1B’s Yeti guy.

While he did decide to take a page from Tokage and the other girl’s handbook, it ultimately boiled down to luck. He managed not to get stuck after Endeavor Junior flexed on every other competitor and even then Shinsou avoided getting heckled by the villain bots. He had just enough time to see the back of the giant three-person-express before Hero Courses started catching up.

Luckily, one of the challengers was Shishida, who came with an added perk of turning into a convenient mode of transportation.Even more luckily, the others didn’t stop to check why their peer had suddenly stopped stiff after the brief exchange of words with Shinsou – but with his bestial power and agility, keeping in the qualifiers should prove easy enough.

He could only really show off in the finals – so that was the task ahead, to go that far. If nobody decided to pull the rug from under them and cut the number of qualifiers, top forty two looked like a plausible proposition.

...here was hoping the obstacles ahead wouldn’t prove too much for a brainwashed yeti.

----

So far, the race was proving trivial enough for Shouto.

Taking to the pole position was easy enough once he squeezed through the crowd – making generous use of that tall 1B girl’s passage – and then it was nothing but smooth sailing. Neither the robots nor the ice would hold his peers for long, but all he needed was a victory, not a crushing one (no matter what his old man would say). A victory achieved only thanks to the ice part of his Quirk.

Bakugo was always going to be competition, but even he was a fair distance behind – which was unfortunate, because The Fall was something that was bound to slow Shouto down, unlike the Explosion user who could just fly over the damn thing. The whole course was rigged for flight-enabling Quirks, really. Well, no matter. He could keep his grumbling to himself – all that he needed to do now was to cross the chasm.

Which proved easy enough, but he had competition right on his tail. “Feelin’ chilly, Half-n-Half?!” Bakugo barked right behind him. Shouto threw the ice wall behind him without looking – not the best option, since the Explosion user just skimmed past him and returned the pleasantries with a blast to the face, timely blocked by another small iceberg. “Maybe you should use that fucking fire of yours!”

Don’t get riled up. There would be time for that. Bakugo pulled ahead, blasting away – he could catch up to him easily enough. No sight of Midoriya, so he could cross that off his laundry list… but not the aforementioned tall girl clearing the chasms on foot with childish ease, while carrying two more people on her back to boot. Sure, he might have been handicapping himself, but he had something to prove – the sight of someone doing that for kicks irked him.

Well, whatever. Even a titan like the tall girl must have had a limit to her stamina, especially with extra weight on her shoulders…

----

While this wasn’t how Setsuna envisioned her participation in the race, fuck, was the feeling of wind in her hair amazing.

“Yikes, Todoroki looks shroo-miffed!” Kinoko squeaked as they closed in to the Fire-Ice user. There was something of a war declaration on his face, even as he stopped wasting time and set off after Bakugo. There was a whole lot of them being passed around recently. “...also, h-how on earth are we in the top five?”

“Would you rather I slow down?”

“Heck no! You’re the best, Maria!” That got both the white marble and Setsuna to chuckle in unison. “...I’m still sorry for leeching off your s-success like that.”

“Nothing for it. It makes things interesting, at least.”

Both Kinoko and Setsuna expected their traversal through The Fall – a series of rocky platforms connected only by tightrope and with a looming chasm underneath – to be much slower than this, and certainly not that Maria would ran across it with no difficulty at all, perfectly balanced in spite of the two of them – of fairly different sizes – throwing off her stability.

There was a lot of confused screaming, mostly on the mushroom girl’s part. “Man, I’m not sure how can they top that...” Setsuna muttered quietly, idly looking back to see the others clear The Fall at varying degrees of speed.

“H-hey, don’t jinx us!”

“I mean, we’ve had giant robots and a bottomless pit! What are they gonna throw at us next, a minefield?!”

“...there is one ahead.” Indeed, the last obstacle of the race sprawled ahead. Bakugo and Todoroki were having a fight in the middle of the minefield, managing to avoid setting off any on their way to the finish line. Their pace slowed down quite a bit, but without any drastic measures, they would be shoe-ins for the first two places.

“...kick my jinxing butt later.” Setsuna stammered, holding onto Maria tighter at the very telling sign that the white marble wasn’t slowing down despite the minefield stretching before them. “So, uh, what’s the plan?”

“We run through this minefield.”

“D-d-do you accept constructive criticism?” Kinoko squeaked.

“Hm?”

“T-t-t-that plan sucks.” Maria chuckled despite the criticism – and didn’t slow down in the slightest. “H-hey, seriously, um…!”

“All that I ask is that you keep those two and other challengers off us.” A tall order, but they weren’t the ones brazenly running into the minefield. “I shall be your chariot to victory.”

----

Midoriya had a plan.

It wasn’t the best plan in the world – frankly, it was just short of suicidal – but it was the only plan he had. If he were to even dream of reaching the top ten, let alone to win the race against such competitors as Kacchan or Todoroki, he had to be smart. He got through the Robo Inferno, he pulled through The Fall – all that was left was the minefield.

A minefield full of stun landmines that were here to throw people off by the huge knockback they produced – but what if that knockback was used for mobility instead?

Thus, having dug up enough of them to make a stash, and with the piece of a Villain-Bot to use as a board, All-Might’s new protege threw himself forward, letting the course do his job for him.

As it turned out, the fight for the lead was a little more crowded than expected. “Cute broccoli incoming!” He recognized the voice of 1B’s Tokage as he flew above the grand total of five competitors, three of them traversing in a group. The tall one – Muradasilova, was it? - had her eyes on the track the entire time, stepping around the mines with catlike grace.

As he passed by to the first spot, he realized that she was outpacing both Kacchan and Todoroki, even with the other two girls on her back. “Oh fuck no! Get back here, Deku!” His childhood friend was the first to shake off the stupor, blasting away in hot pursuit. “And get the fuck out of the way, Sequoia!—“

What followed was a floating hand punching Kacchan right in the throat.

Izuku couldn’t afford to look back, trying to focus on the track ahead – and not a litany of curses and explosions – mines setting off – in the back. Just like that, Kacchan got set back a number of places. Todoroki was still there though, and Muradasilova was not slowing down in the slightest. The Fire-Ice user pulled on ahead, shielding himself from the attacks thrown by Tokage and the other girl. He would catch up soon enough.

Which was something Izuku had to rely on for this next stunt to work.

Yet, before he could get to it, his own throat grew uncomfortably tight inside. Midoriya choked and stumbled, passed by Todoroki and then by the trio – wait, no, he was hanging in mid-air now. “Hey, sorry.” He heard the unidentified girl’s sheepish voice. Huh. It seemed Muradasilova was holding him by the scruff of the neck like an ornery puppy.

...what? “Try not to swallow too hard, but, uh, there’s a shiitake mushroom growing in your throat right now.” Oh. O-oh. “It’ll go away soon enough, but, uh, once we stop I’ll treat you to a lozenge, a-alright?”

“Kinoko insisted we carry you as recompense for suffocating you like so.” Izuku shuddered at the thickly accented voice, even with the knowledge that she wasn’t looking at him right now. “Considering you almost blew us and Todoroki up to kingdom come, a “thank you” might be in order later.”

“Come on, Maria, don’t rub it in.” Tokage snickered, idly looking back and listening to the encroaching litany of curses and explosions. It seemed Bakugo wouldn’t be able to outpace neither Honenuki – who’s been trailing in the top ten the entire race – and 1A’s vinehair girl at this point. Oh man, serves him right. “He would have won if we weren’t around here to mess things up~”

Izuku finished fifth, behind Muradasilova, Tokage and Komori.

----

Bakugo was, for lack of a better word, furious.

It was bad enough that Deku one-upped him in this cheap, shitty way, and bad enough that Half-n-Half got away with a clean win – but then some 1B extras showed up to get in his way. Before he could properly recover, the top ten was closed for him. That, of course, was rankling Bakugo something fierce.

Sequoia and her lizard girlfriend made it personal now. Bakugo didn’t lose. Losing was for chumps and wusses, for not-so-Quirkless lying nobodies like Deku. That he had to be carried to the finish line like a shitty chihuahua was a cold comfort to Katsuki at best. He could dismantle that slimy nerd in the second round, then show both Sequoia and Lizard the what-for in the finals.

After all that bile in his mouth, Half-n-Half would be an almost pleasant conclusion.

----

“You alright, Shishida?”

1B’s Vice Prez – ranked 20^th in the race, not half-bad – blinked at the question, turning to look at Tsuburaba (32^nd). “You look like you left the oven on.”

“What? Oh, uh… don’t mind me. I’m just...” It felt strange to admit, but Shishida’s memory of the race was… spotty. He recalled himself talking with the General Studies guy, and then… nothing, with only vague recollection of running and jumping. He came to at the landmines, but Shinsou was in the back, trying to catch up with the others. It was eleven spots that separated them, after all.

“...you sure you’re okay, man?” Awase (12^th) raised an eyebrow.

“...yeah, I think I just… I probably ran myself ragged and that’s why I’m blinking out like that.”

“You think it’s the fur?” Shoda (30^th) asked. “It’s probably trouble to run when you heat up with it on.” Some eyes went towards Kuroiro (34^th), the other premier recipient of attracting too much sun. The vantablack boy shrugged.

“No, I think Shinsou pulled a fast one on you.” Monoma (38^th) shook his head, eyes trailing to where said General Studies student was, currently just kind of standing by and trying to ignore Natsume (35^th) trying to get him to converse. “I’m guessing his Quirk can let him take control over the other’s body.” 1B boys shuddered. That was a prime villainous Quirk right there.

“So… some kind of brainwash?” Awase asked uncertainly. The copycat nodded.

“Shinsou’s been riding on your back the entire time, Shishida, at least until the minefield. Guess some kind of decisive force is needed to knock the brainwashed guy out.”

“He’ll be less able to use that power in the next round, I hope...” Kaibara grumbled, watching the rankings. Muradasilova carried Tokage and Komori to the top five basically by herself. Apparently the lizard girl got to punch Master Exploder in the throat so hard he fell out of top ten though. Talk about a performance.

“Should we… tell the others?” Tsuburaba suggested uncertainly.

“Certainly. Just make sure 1A doesn’t know.” The group groaned once Monoma’s true colors resurfaced for a moment, a devilish grin and all.

----

Momo (18^th) was, overall, displeased with her performance.

Her fellow recommended students showed their ability in a resounding display of dominance. Todoroki won, Maria and Tokage were right behind him, Honenuki just a few places further back… meanwhile, she barely cleared the top twenty. What went wrong with her run? Did she overuse her Quirk and lose some of her stamina? Was she not determined enough? Were other competitors simply more spirited instead?

She wasn’t just a recommended student either; she was 1A’s ace. She had to act like it. “Something eating you, Yaomomo?” She almost jumped, hearing Jiro (33^rd) approach her.

“Ah, um… n-not particularly. Just mulling over my performance, is all.” The earcords girl hummed in amusement. Momo realized this might have been a sore spot for her classmate. “N-not to say you underperformed or anything...”

“Don’t sweat it. I’m happy to get to the second round, is all. You shouldn’t worry about it either.”

“S-shouldn’t I? I could have done better...”

“All of us could. Well, other than Todoroki.” Jiro offered a reassuring smile. “You’ll show them what you can do in the second round, and in the finals, too.” Oh. Was she suggesting she would make it that far? Momo felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Well, now she couldn’t afford to fail that expectation, could she?

“Wonder what they’ll do for the second round...” Kaminari (24^th) piped up with a slight head tilt. “Tried picking 1B’s brains, but the blondie over there all but hissed at me.”

“Yeah, Monoma’s got a bone to pick with us for some reason.” Jiro nodded, eyes trailing over to Uraraka (19^th) gushing over Midoriya’s (5^th) performance. Then there was Bakugo (11^th) looking this close to exploding from sheer indignation. “I’d be more worried about the Tower of Japan over there though.” She gestured towards the runner-up, standing head and shoulders above her classmates.

“Well, if nothing else, 1B’s not lagging behind.” Kaminari hummed, looking over to the giant roulette wheel spinning on the giant screen beginning to slow down, little by little. It skipped over “Cavalry Battle”, it passed languidly over “Capture the Flag” and finally stopped… at “Dodgeball”.

Some distance away, Setsuna’s eyes shone with utter glee.

Chapter Text

The rules of dodgeball were simple enough.

Two teams, twenty one people each. Forty one balls to throw, divided evenly between them. The team captain who picked a first team member had to contend with having one ball less. Quirk usage was permitted for everything except directly attacking the other side. Balls stopped by Quirk effects would not count as foul and would become anyone’s to pick.

To spice things up, each player was assigned a point value based on their performance in the race. Starting from ten points for the last two – who would be team captains – and growing all the way to two hundred for the second place. The first one had a special bounty on their head – ten thousand. These points – added to their performance in the match – and the vote of the unseen jury would decide which top sixteen students would qualify for the final round of the tournament.

Now, it was Reiko and 1A’s Aoyama’s (41^st and 42^nd) turn to cast their lots. One rock paper scissors later – Setsuna had to squint at the sheer sparkliness of the blond guy – Reiko was first to choose. Somewhat predictably, her first choice was Todoroki, and no amount of Monoma’s slighted scoffs would change that.

“Mademoiselle Yaoyorozu, please~” Aoyama called out. The eyes of all students wandered over to 1A’s recommended student, and it seemed Momo herself was surprised at being picked so soon. Realizing that she might be causing a scene, she joined her classmate with a sheepish blush. Setsuna shot her a thumbs-up.

“Setsuna.” Oh hey, speak of the devil. The lizard girl joined Reiko with a grin.

“Then I shall have Mademoiselle Tokage’s mystifyingly tall friend~” This time, everyone’s eyes wandered over to Maria. The white marble rose her eyebrow ever so slightly before joining Aoyama’s team. Setsuna’s grin lessened ever so slightly – that wasn’t an opponent she wanted.

Little by little, the teams filled out. After their brief fishings into the other class’s pool, both Reiko and Aoyama seemed content to stick to their classmates. It made sense to Setsuna – even disregarding how the two groups might not have recognized the other’s Quirks, it was a simple gesture of solidarity to solidify the rivalry between two classes. 1A was seen as better and more learned, having had real experience fighting villains at the USJ – 1B wanted to catch up and show they had their own tricks too.

Curiously, the last person to be picked – even after Shinsou and Hatsume, who went to Aoyama and Reiko’s teams respectively – was Midoriya. Setsuna briefly recalled all the stories involving the use of his Quirk, and how they would inevitably end in a broken limb or two. The green broccoli didn’t seem too bothered by it – except for the slight flinch when an unmistakable by now “Deku!” growled out of Bakugo’s throat as he approached.

----

Bakugo was already livid – now he was approaching cyclopean rage.

He was supposed to beat that lying cheat of a nobody in this round, not buddy up with him! Trust Frenchie to put you in a situation like that… ugh, why couldn’t this be some other competition? Stuff where he could just go on his own and win on his own – as he should?

“Bakugo? You good, dude?” Stupid Hair asked him. The blond scoffed and replied with a non-committal grunt. “Alright. We were talking about how you’ll probably be our star player.”

“Terrible attitude aside, if you lob an explosion ball, I don’t think anyone in the other team can catch it on reaction.” Pikachu piped in with a grin.

“I’ll show you some terrible attitude—“

“Yeah, that’s all fun, but if we don’t handle Todoroki-kun first” Round Face’s turn to prattle, apparently. “we can throw all we want. They’ll just fortify.”

“And we should probably keep Midoriya’s throws of death as a last resort.” Tail Guy now. Bakugo felt something in his face twitch. Making plans around Deku? With Deku as a fucking centerpiece?

“Todoroki and Monoma both. His Quirk lets him copy other Quirks.” Oh yeah, Sequoia was here too, because today was just the worst. Ugh. How was he supposed to show them up like the extras they were if they were supposed to work together, somehow?

“Man, good thing you thought ahead, Aoyama.” Weird Lips laughed, clapping Frenchie on the back. Watching the blondie almost fall over from the clap brought some kind of strange pleasure to Bakugo, cold comfort it might have been. “If we didn’t have Muradashilova here, we’d be going in blind.”

“I do not doubt Todoroki might be willing to tell all about your Quirks in return.” The tall extra hummed in what seemed like amusement. “If they can get him to talk, I suppose.”

“Yeah, Lil’deavor isn’t exactly the soul of the party.” Racoon Eyes grumbled, arms folding on her chest.

“That nickname is so golden though.” Pikachu snickered. “Who started it?”

“I think it was Tokage-chan from 1B.” Frog Face tapped her chin. Why were they talking about Half-n-Half and his dumbass nickname to begin with?

“Either way, shall we focus?” At least Ponytail spoke some sense. “We have only five minutes to prepare a strategy. Maria-san” She turned her attention to Sequoia. “Can you give us a brief summary of your classmates’s Quirks?”

“Naturally. ‘tis only sporting.”

----

“I don’t know, man… turtling like that isn’t very manly...”

“If you want Midoriya to take your head off, Tetsu, be my guest.” Monoma grumbled. 1B’s proceedings were considerably smoother than their rival class’s – if only because Todoroki was quick and to the point when discussing his classmates. Even the copycat could appreciate that. “Fortifying with Todoroki’s ice will do just fine.”

“Until Bakugo blows a hole in your palace, Elsa.” Awase groused, eyes looking briefly towards the spiky mop of sandy blond hair over there. “We won’t see that coming if we just fort up like that.”

“I don’t see how we can take him out fast instead though.” Rin shook his head. “From what Todoroki said, he can basically turn on a whim in the air, if he’ll even bother to dodge and not blast the balls out of the sky.”

“Kaibara could throw a curveball. Or a drillball, more specifically—“

“I’ll drillball your lights out, Tsuburaba.” Kaibara grumbled dismissively. “That’s not how my Quirk works.”

“Oh, oh! I have something for that!” Natsume piped up, her dreads bouncing up and down with her. “If we slap some rocket babies on those bad boys, we can send them packing!”

“We could just have Shoda punch some balls.” Yui suggested, ignoring the snicker both Tsuburaba and Setsuna made.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Itsuka nodded in agreement. “If a ball suddenly speeds up in the air, that’s bound to catch some of them off-guard.”

“What if we slap rocket babies on that, too?!”

“Why… are you calling them babies?” Manga immediately regretted his question; the look in Support Course student’s eyes was nothing short of manic. Before she could launch into a tirade, Setsuna’s disembodied hand came to silence her before she started talking.

“We shroom probably pick up the pace.” Kinoko pointed out. “We’ve got like five minutes left.”

“We take out Yaoyorozu first, right?” Bondo asked uncertainly. Monoma tapped his chin in thought before shaking his head.

“No, I don’t doubt they expect that. Ideally, we should eliminate her in the mid-game once there isn’t enough bodies for her to hide behind. We can leave that to Tokage or Yanagi, since they can just hold onto a ball near-indefinitely.”

“I… have doubts if I am nimble enough to not avoid swift death by a softball.” The Poltergeist user looked down sheepishly.

“You don’t need to avoid anythin’, Captain!” Tetsutetsu grinned, pumping his fist up. “They said you’re only out if it hits you below the shoulders!”

“Are you… planning to block balls with your face?” Yui asked before realizing a little too late how that might have sounded to some people: both Setsuna and Tsuburaba were already on the floor laughing.

----

Shinsou’s experiences with dodgeball tended to gravitate towards “see how long you can last against the entire class”.

When you were the guy in your class designated as “villain in the making”, your face tended to attract projectiles on every PE lesson. Hitoshi wouldn’t call it “bullying”; more like a subconscious instinct to let loose on someone the others were afraid of. He prided himself on being pretty good at dodging these, for the most part.

Of course, that was without Quirks in the equation.

Idly bouncing the rubber ball off the ground, he watched 1B, Todoroki, and the annoying Support Course lady take their positions. They took a bit longer discussing their battle plan, likely trying to take more things into account. 1A, for all of Yaoyorozu’s goodwill, seemed more of a hotheaded sort. Bakugo in particular looked ready to throw grenades rather than balls, just standing on his own and angrily letting his projectile slip from one hand to another.

Shinsou was probably low on 1B’s priority list – even if they already had a general idea of how his Quirk worked by now – but it was probably best to take cover behind someone big and dumb. Kirishima and Satou looked ready to jump face-first of incoming projectiles to shield Yaoyorozu from elimination, so those two were out. Maybe the skittish guy – Koda, was it? - or the edgy bird guy?

“Alright, competitors! Get ready!” He heard Midnight call out to the field. Nearby him, Midoriya’s grip on the ball tightened. Maybe he would do. “Get ready… get set… BEGIN!” Or maybe…

Maybe just dropping down would do. Half a second later, the icy hell began.

----

Todoroki watched the balls bouncing off his ice wall return to the other side of the field.

The problem with throwing a giant glacier for defense and calling it a day was that this wall had two sides. Only a few of their team could climb over it in one way or another; the others had to take risk and use only the partial defense he provided; a waist-high barrier across the field and a full-body wall for himself.

It worked, to an extent: Asui’s sneaky curveball from below found no purchase, as did Sero’s tape fling. Good. Todoroki’s role in the battle was entirely defensive: he was the guy with no projectile on hand. That suited Shouto just fine, honestly. “How the h-hell do you not freeze to death with this?” Monoma grunted from behind clacking teeth, still getting used to the interesting duality of the borrowed Quirk.

“Practice.”

Both teams shrunk quite a bit even after the first wave of throws. The first 1B he saw out was Komori – easy points for anyone with half-decent aim, sadly. Kamakiri and Bondo joined her soon after as the biggest targets on hand. On the other side, Koda and Jiro were out, and so was Kaminari after his attempt at throwing his own curveball. Natsume managed to slap one of her inventions on her projectile and tossed it right at Yaoyorozu – but Kirishima’s face was happy to take the hit instead.

“Don’t steal my moves, bro!” Tetsutetsu hollered, launching a ball he just stopped the same way a moment ago. What seemed like a dead-on elimination found no purchase: Shiozaki’s hair held onto the ball firmly.

“Shoda!” Yui’s ball – bigger than the rest – was passed to the Twin Impact user, and punched towards 1A with due diligence. It sped up midair right on time, and it found its mark: Iida was sent backwards by the impact, his dodging slide just a touch too slow.

“I fucking see you, Chubby!” That was Shoda’s first and last score this match – Bakugo’s Explosion-powered toss nearly bowled him over. Todoroki looked to the other part of the enemy team’s field: the General Studies guy and Midoriya were doing a pretty good job of dodging oncoming balls, few that they were. One of them brushed over the green mop of hair – and ended up outing Hagakure behind the two of them.

He sent the wall of ice to shield Yanagi from an oncoming Sero fastball. “Much appreciated!” She called out, still trying to manipulate her ball through the chaos to drop and hit the right person at the right time. Tetsutetsu also shot him a thumbs-up, but that proved to be his undoing: Satou nailed him right in the chest in this moment of distraction. Back in their side of the field, Kendo was a star, easily seizing thrown projectiles with her enlarged hands and returning them full force. Kirishima took the first and the second one right to his noggin again, but the third one went the other way and slapped Ojiro’s tail-tossed ball right out of the air.

Bakugo fastball zipped past his head and struck someone in the back. Judging by the string of curses in Chinese, it was probably Rin. It seemed he was still in the game though – the ball struck his nose rather than anywhere that would get him ringed out. Cold comfort for what seemed like a prodigious nosebleed. “Natsume’s tending to him. Don’t get distracted now, Lil’deavor!” He heard Tokage call out. Wait, what did she just call him?

----

Momo bit her lip in frustration.

With the right prep time, she would be able to come up with a winning strategy even against such a strong team like the one they were pitted against – but there was no prep time, and Todoroki’s ice was pretty much instant. It wasn’t perfect, but its mere presence threw any kind of overwhelming force in jeopardy.

They’ve just lost Sero, so their array of technical throwers was getting smaller too. “Well, this is looking to be in our favor.” It seemed Momo’s worry could not be found in the others, certainly not Maria. The slight smile she wore even as she caught another of Kendo’s thrown balls did inspire some confidence, at least. “Although hitting Setsuna at all might prove a hassle.”

“The puzzle girl?” Shoji was another of their pillars. As it turned out, having six arms helped a ton in dodgeball. “She’s tempting fate with those nonchalant dodges.”

“Do not mistake it for weakness. She plays her part as a distraction and assassin both.” One of Shoji’s tentacle arms reformed into an eye to look up. Indeed, the upper half of her head and a right hand still holding a ball floated high above the field, waiting for a perfect opportunity while her other parts ran interference here and there, helping pass balls among her teammates. “Leftward, Aoyama!”

“Merci beacoup!” Their team captain swiveled to avoid Awase’s throw, just barely avoiding flopping inelegantly on the ground. A little to the side, Ojiro had less luck – Shishida’s toss struck the tail before it could grab onto the ball.

“If we can get Todoroki out, it should be open season!” Mina slid past, jumping right over a throw and returning the favor with her own – Kuroiro could not get out of the way in time. Maria hummed, almost absentmindedly reflecting a throw with a shield Momo provided for most of the team. “If” was a big part of Ashido’s sentence. Another Bakugo fastball screeched with the fury of the heavens and punched right through Tsuburaba’s air barrier. (“Son of a biiiiiscuit!”)

...wait a second.

“How secretive of you, Yui… get ready to raise your guard up. Itsuka will unleash hell upon us shortly.”

“Bigger hell than before?” Kirishima slurred a little uncertainly, the tactic of taking hits to the noggin beginning to be a little much despite the Hardening Quirk. Momo frowned in confusion.

“How do you figure, Maria?”

“...ah, beans.” Shoji seemed to have caught on too. “There’s less balls than there should be, and Kodai can shrink items.”

“Which combined with Itsuka’s ability to launch multiples with her enlarged hands...”

“...will stop dead cold before God’s will.” It seemed Shiozaki was willing to take the bet, her vines flaring defensively. If anyone could easily catch a cluster of oncoming projectiles, it could be her. “They can try their worst.”

“I, uh, I think we should probably spread out instead.” Satou pointed out. In the corner of their eyes, Kendo was reeling her arm back, ready to throw. Maria frowned, ready to dodge and catch the oncoming projectiles. Catching two should be easy enough, maybe three wasn’t out of her ability.

Only once she heard Manga’s loud BANG!, did she realize that the plan was a touch more complex than that.

----

Using 1A’s ace as a distraction was such a Monoma plan, Reiko could not believe that it actually worked.

Todoroki was a vital part of their defense, and probably why she was still in the game now that Tetsutetsu was out, but his giant displays of power were meant to be smoke and mirrors. So were she and Setsuna distractions in their own right; two “invisible” hands hovering above the field to keep 1A on their toes. The three vital parts of this grand strategy were Itsuka, Yui – and Manga, hanging way in the back the whole time.

Little by little, taking advantage of the initial chaos, Yui shrunk a few of the balls left around by the fallen allies and opponents both, passing them to Itsuka here and there. For the moment of the throw, aimed at Yaoyorozu and people congregating around her to keep her shielded from elimination, Manga would let something with a punch loose. This wasn’t a foolproof strategy – it relied on three people staying in the game, and there were a few people on the other team who could avoid or resist such an attack – but since they already got this far, they could very well use it.

Now, with both Pony and Shishida just getting eliminated, it was a now or never blast. “TAKE THIS!” Itsuka-launched cloud of metaphorical death was let loose, spurred on further by Manga’s explosive onomatopoeia. The attack was so strong, it raised a giant cloud of dust that obscured all vision between the two teams – and kept Reiko from seeing a defiant return throw hit her forearm.

“Ah… curses.”

----

Izuku’s instinct telling him to drop dead on the ground worked like a charm before the encroaching cloud of death.

He could have tried to Smash it away, but at best he would have to contend with the broken arm for the rest of the match – at worst he would just get beaned in the face and have a broken arm. Having Natsume around would have helped – it seemed she could treat Rin’s broken nose just fine with one of her items.

Now that he rose back to his feet, their side of the field was decimated. Kacchan was still here, of course (“You missed your target, Yaoi Hands!”), he saw Asui-san and Shiozaki-san hold on – but the others? Everyone else in that group was out for the count. So was Shinsou-kun, though it seemed he did what he wanted to do, judging by the slight smile dancing on his lips as he helped carry Aoyama-kun off the field.

One more person held on, and she did so in a manner defying expectations.

“Oh you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!”

“Language, Awase!” There stood Muradasilova-san on one leg. The other, bent in half, held one of the balls thrown her way in the pit of her knee. Two more were in her hands, with arms slowly uncrossing from her chest. The fourth one was between her teeth, held perhaps the most securely of all of them.

Slowly, she unfurled from her defensive position, passing the projectiles in her hands to Midoriya and Shiozaki before grabbing the other two. “Good effort… but your guard was pried open.” She smiled thinly. What did she mean by-where was Todoroki-kun?

“...who the fuck just knocked Half-n-Half out?!” It seemed Kacchan was incredulous, too. Maria left 1B with little time to ponder, tossing her first fastball of the match – and removing Monoma from the equation with an air-taking strike.

“And now… the hunt is on.”

----

“Okay, holy shit, who knocked you out of the match, Todoroki?”

Shouto, for his part, wanted to say “Tokoyami” - because it was the bird-headed student’s Dark Shadow who did the deed – but something did not add up. He knew that Tokoyami’s Quirk was a little more whimsical than he was, but he was still not the kind to pass around childish, blood-boiling nicknames like the one Tokage gave him.

“After Kendo kicked up all that dust, it was hard to see anything.” Jiro followed after Kaminari’s incredulous question. The Fire-Ice user shrugged. “You know you don’t have to play hard to get.”

“I’m not sure.” He replied curtly, trying to skip on the conversation. “Lil’deavor”. The first time he was just incredulous something like that existed – now he was getting anxiously angry with it. “It doesn’t matter.” What did matter was his further participation in the tournament. He absolutely could not afford to be out of the running before even reaching the finals. He could already feel the conversation with the old man brewing on the horizon – and it was making him really, really upset.

“...you, uh… you okay though, dude?” Jiro asked again, a little gentler this time. “Didn’t think you’d be the sore loser type.”

“You probably don’t have anything to worry about, even.” Kaminari chuckled. “What’s with you being the cornerstone of 1B and all that.” The worst thing was, Kaminari was one hundred percent spot-on. If there was a jury presiding over their performance, a significant boost to the entire team’s defensive capabilities was invaluable. He would be a shoe-in for the final sixteen.

But what if he wasn’t?

“...I’ll go get some fresh air.” He said and excused himself, ignoring the worried looks of his peers and Kaminari’s weak “we’re on fresh air right now...” trailing behind.

----

“Prez, please tell me you have some smart ideas on hand.”

In hindsight, Maria was always going to be a problem. Never in an obvious, expected way like Bakugo was – a more insidious, subtle kind of issue altogether. The kind that everyone almost forgot about after the wipe-out of Yaoyorozu’s group – at least until someone managed to out Todoroki, followed by Monoma getting the daylights punched out of him with the Finnish Fastball.

With their defensive abilities suddenly crippled like that, Maria wasted no time eliminating both Awase and Honenuki in short order to drastically even the odds. “I’m working on it, Tokage-chan...” Itsuka grunted, seizing another batch of fastballs thrown their way. Yui and Manga cowered behind her, Hatsume tempted fate by testing her gear and its dodging abilities against an increasingly more irate Bakugo, and Setsuna still remained out of reach with her Quirk. Apparently she managed to eliminate Uraraka after she narrowly escaped the onslaught with her Zero Gravity, so there was that, at least…

“Stop fucking hiding, you 1B extras!” Bakugo barked with another toss. He was getting stronger and stronger, and though Itsuka was pretty good at catching the oncoming balls by now, a single misstep would eliminate her – and leave her class wide open. Rin, with his nose patched up by Hatsume’s Fix-It-Paste (Fixes It!), dived under the oncoming Midoriya throw. It was an ordinary kind of throw – the only reason Rin had trouble dodging was because of his disturbed sense of balance from an earlier hit to the face.

Of course, something told the redhead that if Midoriya finally used his Quirk, she would not be catching that ball.

“She shoots, she… doesn’t score, bugger!” Hatsume was the current star of their line-up, dodging attacks with surprising grace, further boosted by her gear – but she could not return fire to save her life without the aid of her tech. Shiozaki seemed nonplussed, remaining largely in a single spot using her hair to catch and return oncoming balls. As far away from Bakugo as possible, flinching ever so slightly whenever the Explosion user would come closer.

Alright. This was something to work with. “I need Bakugo closer to Shiozaki. A lot closer.” She muttered, almost fumbling the catch.

“Open to suggestions how to do that-jeepers!” Manga squeaked and ducked low under Asui’s tongue throw. “Preferably before we all die here?!”

“...I’ve got something.” Whatever Setsuna’s mouth had, she didn’t sound too sure of it. “But it’s going to be dirty.”

“I’m pretty sure Monoma will be eating through a straw next week after Maria’s throw.” Kaibara grumbled. “It can’t get much worse.”

“Not for us, anyway...”

“...Tokage-chan, why are you staring at Midoriya…?”

----

Itsuka’s defense was surprisingly impregnable (although her hands must have been sore by now).

Maria frowned, aiming for Kaibara’s arm. No purchase there. Aiming for Kendo’s legs did little to help either. “Bah. Trying to take Hatsume out is a waste of time.” Shiozaki scoffed, still yet to commit to a throw with any of her vines. The Support Course representative was more than happy to remain uncatchable with her gear.

“At this point they’ll have to stop the match, won’t they?” Asui questioned, low to the ground. Kaibara’s throw just narrowly missed Midoriya. “Kendo-chan’s a handful like that.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Kaminari-san.”

“I would be surprised if that is the end of things.” The two 1A students could barely perceive the movement of Maria’s arm as it flung high up, at where Setsuna’s hand floated with her own ball. Just barely. She had to be tired of coordinating multiple body parts like that soon enough… “Itsuka is nothing if not resourceful. They must have one final trick up their sleeve.”

“...honestly, Bakugo-chan’s close to losing it himself.” The frog girl pointed out. Indeed, the Explosion user’s patience was visibly waning. Each of his throws, while sharp and destructive, was just a little sloppier than the last one. “If he keeps at it, ribbit!” The fastball brushed past her scalp. On the other side of the field, Kaibara bit back a curse. “someone will eventually get him.”

“Good riddance to that. He has been nothing if not uncooperative with Momo’s plan.”

“Yet he still stands where Yaoyorozu-san fell.” Maria had to conclude that Shiozaki had the right of it, much as it rankled her. Bakugo was a combat savant with excellent tactical savvy. If they met in the finals, it would be a heated battle at the very least. Still, showing off his hand like that made it easier for Maria to prepare for the inevitable showdown… “As long as he remains in his part of the field, all should be well.” As if to jinx all of them, Shiozaki’s words had the opposite effect: the Explosion user was approaching them without meaning to, with more explosive throws as he rapidly shifted to where Midoriya was.

Setsuna seemed unusually pleased with herself, even as she was outed of the competition. A similar expression Maria saw on Shinsou’s face before he left – before he eliminated Todoroki with Tokoyami’s hands. Kaibara’s drillball came the very moment Shiozaki’s vines shrunk away from the encroaching explosions Bakugo used to get around.

“Smile for the camera!” And just like that, their last person with defensive capabilities was out; Ibara only managed to bring up her arm to shield herself from the throw – but that still counted as an elimination. Another one for Maria was caught in a firm grip. Sen didn’t get to enjoy his score for long – Bakugo outed him a moment later.

“Fine, make me do everything fucking myself! What else is new?!” He drawled, sending another one and railing Rin out of the running. His eyes bloodshot and teeth bared in a bestial snarl, he set eyes on the people still hiding behind Yaoi Hands (Weird Eyes was doing her own thing, he couldn’t care for her). About time he pried that stupid last group of extras open like a can of sardines.

He knew Deku’s been eyeing that prize the entire match, looking to squeeze his way into the finals like a slimy scumbag that he was. He didn’t need Lizard’s confirmation – even if it was nice to have it. It was time to end this needless farce, and it would be him doing it. Not Sequoia. Not Frog Face. Not fucking Deku.

That was the plan until a crack of thunder – not unlike the effect of Deku’s Quirk – sounded off but Katsuki was quick to tell the ploy: 1B’s Cloudface was trying to pull a fast one on him and fake him out with a distraction! “You think that’ll work, you damn extra?!” The explosive toss had Yaoi Hands buckling. One more, and it had to be now, right now, it couldn’t be any other moment—

His wrist was seized. “Do you realize how annoying you are?” Sequoia. What the fuck was she doing? They were in the middle of a match, and she had the balls to stop him? He was so angry, he looped right back into serenity. It was incredible. “The match is over.”

...what?

“...the fuck do you mean—“

“She means it’s a tie, you maniac!” He heard Cloudface holler from the other side of the field, but the sound was distant and muffled. At this point, Bakugo had only interest in the cold, judgmental look that Sequoia was daring to give him.

“The match is over. You seem to have mistaken the ending siren for something else.” The gray eyes narrowed. “As blood-addled beasts do.”

“The fuck are you—“ He freed his hand with a scoff. Alright, big fucking deal. Guess he was robbed of one more opportunity to show these extras up. He had the finals for that. He did so much work for that shitty team, there could be no other way he wouldn’t be getting there. “Keep your shitty poetry to yourself, Sequoia. And watch your back.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“What the fuck do you think?” She smiled in response. Bakugo felt something in his face twitch.

“I will see you uphold your barking. May your bite be half as effective.”

Chapter Text

Shigaraki was in hell.

Being chained up and strung up like a piece of beef jerky sucked enough. Getting his first raid so totally wiped by some cage-faced NPC and a bunch of brats sucked enough.

Having a very, very obnoxiously chatty guard for company made him want to dust himself on the spot. That the stupid U.A. festival was on the telly right now was just a cherry on top of this shitty cake. “So, you’ve got any types, Villain-san?” He asked with the same obnoxiously cheery smile on his dumb stretchy face. Shigaraki cast him a withering glare. “Like, you have to be rooting for one of those kids at least, right?”

“I tried to kill like half of the fuckers.”

“That’s too bad, I suppose.” Chuckling, the guard munched on a bunch of chips. This was some real fucking unprofessional guarding, Shigaraki thought. “You’ll be stuck here for a while, might as well get a favorite.”

“Listen here, you shitty NPC—“

“Oh! My daughter is into those NPC things!” What? Oh sweet baby gods, did he have to correct this old man’s lingo? Was this what Shigaraki Tomura was up to these days? “I don’t really get it myself, but she can stare at those bar codes for hours and hours.”

“That’s… that’s UPC. That’s not a guy, that’s a fucking bar code, how can you even confuse the two?!”

“I suppose they’re a little bit like people; each one looks just slightly more different—“

“No they’re not!”

...this was going to be a long stay.

----

The jury had an hour-and-a-half intermission to come to a decision regarding the final sixteen contestants.

While some of them were understood both by their peers and the audience as shoe-ins, there was still a number of spots that had to be figured out. What would matter more: the points or the jury’s verdict? None of this really mattered to Maria at the time, currently trying to waddle her way through the crowd of adoration to get some yakitori.

“You sure showed up that blond dumbass!”

“That catch was so cool though! Not even the six-arms guy could manage!”

“She finished the race second with two people on her back! Two!”

“The only guy before her was that Endeavor Jr. guy! That guy’s just a right monster!”

“Just got eliminated from the second round no sweat though. What happened?”

“I think it was the guy with a Stand. The one with a bird head?”

“Maria-san, I love you!”

“C-c-can I have an autograph?”

...it was a big crowd. “Please make way. Please make way...” Yet she continued at this ponderous pace, sticking out due to her height. Luckily, some pros on patrol were happy to help.

“Alright, people, don’t crowd her like that!” A gruff man with a square jaw and giant armbands called out, clapping to get people to listen. Some of the crowd gravitated towards the other two: a man in a wooden costume and a blonde with purple horns and a matching bodysuit. The latter in particular took to the switch of attention like a fish to water. “You good, kid?” The man approached once he himself swiveled out of the few fans that came to see him and not the new hotness on the pro-hero scene.

“Much appreciated, sir. ‘tis hard to go around with that kind of crowd.” Maria nodded.

“Good show so far. You’ll probably have people from the top ten baying to get you under their wings even if you don’t go far in the finals.” Her slight frown did not go unnoticed. Guess this one wasn’t much for fame?

“I will keep that in mind, sir. Good fortune on your patrol.” Not much for talk either despite the flowery, antiquated speech. She resumed on her way to the yakitori vendor – and insisted to pay even despite being offered “on the house”. If Mt. Lady wasn’t busy signing autographs and preening for the cameras, she’d probably take offense to that.

----

“Has anyone seen Komori-chan?”

The group playing “Who am I?” looked up at Itsuka. The 1B prez looked to be beside herself with worry. “Nobody had seen her after she left our class’s seats.”

“I guess she might be just walking around?” Tsuburaba, with a sticky note on his forehead saying “Yoroi-musha”, replied with a tilt of his head. “She’d be easy to lose in a crowd like the one outside.”

“She’s been down in the dumps the whole match.” Kamakiri (“Captain Celebrity”) added with a nod. “No small wonder, getting into the second round fourth and then punking out first like that.”

“Oh, you mean the mushroom girl?” Ashido (“Best Jeanist”)’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Ouch. Hope Blasty McSplode didn’t hit her too hard with that fastball.”

“Bakugo’s in it to win it.” Kirishima, his head slightly bandaged up, (“Societal collapse”) sighed. “And he’ll walk all over you to get his win. But no, haven’t seen her anywhere. Need help to look for her, Kendo?”

“No, I already have Tokage-chan and Monoma helping me out. Thanks though.” The redhead smiled slightly, but that didn’t last long and the worry creased her brows again. “…I’m sure she hadn’t left the premises...”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t worry.” Kamakiri shook his head. “She’ll be back on her feet in no time flat.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I don’t want some buttwipe to harass her while she’s recovering.”

“Honestly, Prez, no one can blame Komori for getting outed like that. She had big points on her head – and Bakugo was the first to toss a ball.” Tsuburaba smiled reassuringly. “As long as she recognizes it herself, no harm done, she’ll be fine.”

----

Komori Kinoko was decidedly not fine.

It wasn’t actually because of her abysmal performance. Well, it was the reason why she was wandering around the festival grounds like that with no goal in mind, but, at the end of the day, there would be another time. And hey, maybe someone did take notice of her. She did knock Midoriya out with that one shiitake…

...but speaking of Midoriya, here he was with Todoroki having a very confidential heart-to-heart.

Why that discussion was happening eluded Kinoko’s intuition – but it was definitely not something she should have been here for. The first thing she should have done was to make herself scarce as quietly as possible and leave them to it. Yet she stayed, and she learned terrifying things not just about Todoroki himself – but about his family and the dysfunction within.

And that might have been something normal. Maybe Todoroki just wanted to confide in someone, maybe it was just a weight on his chest for a while. After all, having a No. 2 Hero for a dad must have been demanding, right? And it was, but not in the way Kinoko would have expected.

Just casual, homely abuse.

The mushroom girl didn’t consider herself easily angered or quick to throw hands, but with every little bit of Todoroki’s story, she felt her blood heat up in indignation. The burn scar? A helping of boiling water spilled by his tormented mother in a moment of weakness. The reason for said torment? A loveless Quirk marriage, and each of her children meant to be a tool – discarded when proven useless – to further unrealized ambitions of their father. The ambition? To become Number One of the Hero Rankings. To defeat the undefeated that was All Might; if not himself, then through his progeny.

That was why Todoroki did not use his fire part of the Quirk. He threw all ice he could have thought of, but the fire was not his. It was his father’s, and he’d rather jump off a cliff than use something from him. From Endeavor. From No. 2 Hero of Japan. From a domestic abuser who drove his wife mad and his youngest to seething hatred.

...Setsuna’s nickname. Oh gosh, Setsuna’s nickname for Todoroki was all wrong now. He even mentioned it in his discussion with Midoriya, almost spitting it out like it was glass. People did not see Todoroki Shouto, they saw a smaller Endeavor that used ice rather than fire. Oh no, this was all wrong…

Yet, Midoriya seemed determined to prove Todoroki wrong – and Kinoko could tell from the sheer conviction in his voice that he was going to, one way or another. By beating him, perhaps? By showing him that he cannot rely on just his ice to overcome opponents?

Her thoughts went over to how he fumbled during the dodgeball, and how Maria carried him like a lost puppy to the finish line. Somehow, these contrasting images did not make his conviction any lesser. Darn it – she had to find Setsuna and explain how bad that nickname was without actually detailing why…

----

“You still owe me a dance, remember?~”

Maria sighed, eyeing Mei shamelessly latched onto her shoulders in a piggyback ride. They attracted stares, but at least being back inside the stadium meant there were no adoring fans to crowd them.“There is a high chance we will not meet in the finals. How to have it for certain?” To her worry, the pinkette’s lips quirked knowingly, almost smugly.

“You don’t need to worry your huge self about it—“

“...you did not rig the brackets, did you?”

“Perish the thought! It would make things much easier, but I’m not that kinda girl. I can’t be a respectful mother of many many babies if I cheat my way into it.” That was… an interesting metaphor, to be sure. “...I only rigged one fight in a bracket.”

“...Mei...”

“It’s fine~ You’re basically going to the quarterfinals with no sweat.” While the white marble had some issues about being offered a free pass like that, the other part of it was far more curious.

“Oh? You would rather not try and go beyond to sell your products more?” Hatsume giggled and slipped off Maria’s back.

“And risk getting tagged in the face by Blasty McSplode? Nah. Ten minutes is all I’ll need to sell a product.”

“And will I see the script you have prepared for the occasion?”

“Nnnnope. Improv is best prov~”

----

The list of the final sixteen was revealed.

Some of the positions on the list were obvious; the others quite a bit less so. “Told you you’ll make it.” Kyoka gave Momo a grin and a thumbs-up. 1A’s ace smiled back a little uncertainly. There was no reasoning given for their passage beyond what could be observed from the match itself – but she trusted the jury to be impartial and objective.

Sixteen names lined up the jumbotron, complete with their photos and their Quirk names.

MURADASILOVA, Maria BAKUGO, Katsuki KAIBARA, Sen KODAI, Yui

HATSUME, Mei TODOROKI, Shouto ASUI, Tsuyu TOKOYAMI, Fumikage

SHINSOU, Hitoshi KENDO, Itsuka YAOYOROZU, Momo SHOJI, Mezou

MIDORIYA, Izuku SHIOZAKI, Ibara TOKAGE, Setsuna MONOMA, Neito

Momo looked nervously between her fellow contenders. Setsuna offered a thumbs-up. All that was left was to see what the brackets were going to be and—

“Excuse me!” Her and others’s eyes wandered to where Tokoyami was. It seemed something was on his mind. “May I speak?”

“Something the matter, Tokoyami?” Midnight inquired with a slight headtilt. The bird-headed boy seemed to be considering whether not to go through with what he had to say before swallowing that bitter pill.

“...I… would like to retire from the proceedings.” ...what? The audience hushed in confusion at the statement. Midnight’s head remained tilted even as she gestured at him to continue. “I… have been told that I was the one to eliminate Todoroki from the match in the second round, but… I’m ashamed to admit that I have no recollection of that happening.”

“Maybe you just forgot about it in the heat of the moment?” Someone suggested in the back, but it seemed Tokoyami was committed to his decision.

“I cannot continue this fight in good conscience if I cannot confirm I was the one doing the fighting.” His head hung down. “I am sorry to disappoint.”

“Are you certain of your decision, Tokoyami? No one will fault you for wanting to continue.”

“Unquestionably, Midnight-sensei.”

Tokoyami’s name replaced by Satou’s after a short scramble for the vote, all was set to reveal the brackets. Momo caught sight of 1B’s Monoma flinching ever so slightly, as if he wanted to step up and say something too. Well, it was too late to back out now – they were the best sixteen students U.A. had to offer. Yet, only one of them would be walking out of this competition with a gold medal.

----

1. KAIBARA, Sen – TODOROKI, Shouto 5. MURADASILOVA, Maria – HATSUME, Mei

2. SHINSOU, Hitoshi – MIDORIYA, Izuku 6. YAOYOROZU, Momo – TOKAGE, Setsuna

3. BAKUGO, Katsuki – KODAI, Yui 7. SHIOZAKI, Ibara – ASUI, Tsuyu

4. MONOMA, Neito – SATOU, Rikido 8. KENDO, Itsuka – SHOJI, Mezou

----

“...shit.” Yui didn’t have much else to say at who her opponent was going to be.

“You think you’ve got it bad, Kodai?” Sen licked his lips nervously, staring at the cold face of his opponent on the jumbotron.

“That makes three of us.” Monoma sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Satou’s Quirk wasn’t really something he could copy... “Should have quit while I still could.”

“Quit? But you’ve made it this far already.” Itsuka pointed out with a frown.

“Coasting on someone else’s Quirk, Kendo. Even I have a limit to my audacity.”

“Don’t sweat it, dude.” Setsuna offered a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “It’s what your Quirk does. No need to beat yourself up over it.”

“Guess at least Maria-sama has nothing to worry about.” Yui hummed, watching the exasperation on the white marble’s face as she was talking to the Support Course girl – cheerfully inconsiderate of said exasperation.

----

Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed.

It seemed the tall brat – holy shit, she was pretty tall – shared a name with Cage-faced NPC’s personal creepypasta monster. He might have been willing to pass it off as a coincidence – even if non-Japanese names were kind of in short supply around these parts – but something told him that the two were related in some manner. The Eyebrain was almost as tall, even.

It probably explained why she looked so fucking out there every time the camera shot showed her. “Aha! So you do have a type, after all.” He forced himself not to roll his eyes at the chatty guard’s dumb dialogue tree.

“Fuck that. She just sticks out like a sore fucking thumb.”

“Can’t argue with that, I suppose. Guess she might not be from around these parts?”

“What, did the extremely un-Japanese name not give that away?” Before they could get into another pointless conversation, someone knocked on the door. Both Shigaraki and the guard looked toward the unlikely interruption. Once a familiar cage popped into view, the Decay user felt his face twitch in an unnamed rage.

“Pardon the intrusion.” It was none other than the Cage-faced NPC himself, just strolling into the arrest in his stupid dumb outfit as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He even closed the doors behind himself. “I hope I’m not interrupting the watch, gentlemen.”

“...who...” The sheer audacity of this entrance seemed to have caught the guard in a stupor. At least he wasn’t being stupid chatty anymore. But how did that NPC get here? Shigaraki recalled Micolash and his goons warp in to the USJ just like he did, but neither he nor the Eyebrain seemed to have a Warp quirk…

How did not a single copper bat an eye on that?

“Not to worry, my good man. I’ll be gone in a jiffy, once I extricate this hooligan you have on hand.”

“Extri… hold it right there!” The guard fumbled towards the desk – no doubt to press some alert button hidden under it or other, Shigaraki thought – but a well-thrown kitchen knife stopped him right as rain, going through the palm and ripping an anguished scream out of the man. Micolash wasn’t the one throwing it – that was the blonde schoolgirl with a big, manic grin poking from behind the vintage academic robe; another knife danced between her fingers with the ease suggesting expertise in using these.

“Hey, Mico-san, can I go be friends with the old man?” She asked with an excited lilt. The grin turned into a pout when Micolash shook his head.

“Patience, dear Himiko. I’d like you to stay here in case Mr. Shigaraki proves testy.” Oh, “testy” did not begin to describe the growing rage within the Decay user. Cage-faced NPC that put him here in the first place suddenly shows up again to free him as if nothing happened?

This time he was going to grab past the stupid cage and turn his face into a crater. Yet, before he could even begin planning how to do that without getting shanked by Micolash’s JK bitch lackey, another familiar face swirled into the view.

“Shigaraki Tomura.” Kurogiri nodded hello. Shigaraki felt something in his face twitch again.

“The fuck are you doing being buddy-buddy with that shitstain, Kurogiri?”

“Oooh, he’s feisty! I wanna be friends with him too!”

“I understand you must be confused.” Without pause, the Black Mist man threw his hand towards the guard’s, keeping it locked in place and away from the alert button in a small warp portal. “But we will be allying with The School of Mensis for the foreseeable future.”

“Did you drop on your fucking head, Kurogiri?! That piece of shit is why we’re here to begin with! He wrecked our Nomu! Sensei’s Nomu!”

“I cannot be held responsible for being presented with a tabula rasa of a brain like that of your strongman’s.” Micolash scoffed, waving off his anger without a care. “The darling Maria of mine is an extremely potent enabler of knowledge, I will have you know.”

“Why the fuck is it even called that?! Kurogiri, just… just cut me up in two like a turkey. Maybe that’ll wake me up.”

“Oh oh, I’m down! Hey, Mico-san, Kuro-san, can I?~”

“Patience, Himiko.” Another pout, but it seemed she cared enough for Micolash’s opinion to stay put, opting to simply plop down onto the desk and focus on the telly instead, chin propped on her hands. “Now then, I expected this kind of ungrateful response. Fortunately, your teacher himself spoke up on the matter.” The Cage-face produced a phone from his voluminous sleeve, handing it over to Kurogiri. “The honor is yours, Mr. Kurogiri.”

The Black Mist man took a moment to take the phone from Micolash before turning on the recording. From there spoke the voice of Shigaraki’s mentor – and he knew for a fact that a chump NPC like the Cage-face could not be able to replicate it. This was real.

Which stung, but he would never suspect the Sensei of foul play towards him. It was just a bitter pill to swallow – a Phoenix Down to get him back into action. And boy, did he have plans for the action.

----

Sen sighed, watching the arena ahead.

In just a few minutes he and his opponent would clash in battle as the very first fight of the finals. Normally, he might have been enthused about it; close-quarters fisticuffs were his jam. Even if this was someone like Blasty McSplode or Muradasilova, he could still give them a piece of his mind (since throwing them out of bounds likely wasn’t going to happen).

So the brackets ended up giving him the one opponent he didn’t want.

Sen didn’t kid himself – he had to get incredibly lucky to even get close to Todoroki, let alone take a swing at him. On an open field, with nothing to hide behind or use to his advantage, he could as well throw stones (if he had any to begin with!). Lil’deavor looked especially pissed off coming to the arena, so that too would likely not help Kaibara any. Oh well. Might as well try and fake it ‘til he made it. Who knew? Perhaps whatever was pissing Todoroki off so much – he had a feeling it wasn’t him – it would cause him to slip and leave himself open.

His folks back home probably watched this with a bated breath. Time to make ‘em proud. Announced by Present Mic as “The Giga Drill Breaker Kaibara Sen!”, he had to live up to this epic name. He stared down Todoroki, and was stared down in return. “Well, let’s make the most of it.” One final stretch later, he was all primed to begin.

The first fight of the tournament began with a thunderous roar of the enthused audience, watching Kaibara close in surprisingly quickly as his arms began spinning, ready to unleash a can of whoopass on his opponent. Todoroki refused to move from his spot, looking down, taking a deep breath – and uttering a single sentence.

“Sorry about that.”

Then it was ice. A lot of ice.

----

“Hey, what the flying fuck?!”

“Language, Awase!” Kendo’s chiding fell on deaf ears; everyone’s eyes were glued to the giant glacier jutting out of the stadium. Kaibara was probably stuck somewhere inside that glacier.

“...I hope Kaibara’s okay though...” Honenuki blinked, as if to confirm that he wasn’t seeing things.

“Yeah, I don’t think Lil’deavor’s a killy type.” Setsuna blinked, but for a different reason; Kinoko prodded her with a frown.

“Can you… um, stop calling him that?”

“Hey, uh, you good, Komori? You’ve been antsy all afternoon.” Kamakiri tilted his head slightly to look at the mushroom girl.

“I’ll be fine. T-thanks for the concern. But yeah, please stop with the Lil’deavor thing…?”

“I mean, uh, I’ll try, sure. But why?”

“Feels rude.” Kinoko shrugged weakly. “He’s his own guy, right? Not just… like a smaller Endeavor.”

“He sure feels like one.” Kuroiro huffed. “I haven’t seen him crack a smile yet.”

With the fight called for Todoroki, it was time for U.A.’s favorite bonebreaker to step up to the plate. “Midoriya! Break a leg out there!” Tetsutetsu called out with a thumbs-up to where 1A sat, reciprocated with a sheepish “T-thanks!”.

“I know it’s a figure of speech, but dude.” Tsuburaba rolled his eyes with a light chuckle. “That’s like the worst possible figure of speech for that guy.”

“He shouldn’t have to break anything for Shinsou.” Monoma shook his head. “I don’t doubt Tokoyami already filled him in on what happened during the match.”

“...wait, what happened?” Rin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Shinsou taking Todoroki out with Tokoyami’s hands, right?” Yui guessed.

“Bingo. If Midoriya has any braincells at all, he’ll be wise to Shinsou’s tricks.”

----

Izuku was pointedly not wise to Shinsou’s tricks.

He knew his opponent’s Quirk – Tokoyami filled him in on it before a match – and he knew how to counteract it: by not replying to Shinsou’s taunts. Unfortunately, Shinsou’s taunts were well-placed.

Now, with his body rebelling against his will as he was being made to walk off the stage, he could only scream in his mind. Talk about an embarrassment of a match! Even the 1B guy from a match with Todoroki earlier made an effort – and here was he, being so easily dismantled by an opponent everyone predicted to be easy pickings for a Hero Course student.

...which is why he didn’t expect for his fingers to snap and snap him out of the stupor right before he stepped out of bounds.

----

“...how on earth…?”

“Ugh, I’ve heard those fingers snap from all the way over here.” Manga flinched at the sound.

“That’s what he did?! Wait, but how did he do that?” Shoda blinked in confusion. From what they’ve gleamed of Shinsou’s Quirk, the brainwashed person was completely locked down to his commands. Breaking fingers with that much force would no doubt bring Midoriya back – but only Shinsou could possibly have given him that command, obviously contrary to his interests.

“I’ve got nothing.” Monoma frowned, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Midoriya’s Quirk… what is it again?”

“Super strength.” Pony piped up. “Like All Might’s!”

“Then he would be at no ability to break from this hex on his own...”

“Freak accident? Sometimes your body moves when you don’t want it to.” Honenuki hummed thoughtfully. “Like how your arm can spasm all of a sudden if left idle for too long.”

“...I’d get that checked, Honenuki.”

“Don’t give me lip, Kamakiri.”

“Ha, you said “lip”-ow!” Tsuburaba rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Kuroiro slowly retracted his hand. “Well anyway, Midoriya won’t make that mistake twice.” Sure enough, despite Shinsou getting physical with his opponent Midoriya proved capable enough to throw him out of bounds. He would be the one facing Todoroki in quarterfinals, the poor sap.

...which meant it was time for Yui to take the stage. “Give him hell, Kodai-chan.” Kendo smiled and offered a fistbump to the brunette, returned a little uncertainly.

“Show him the cold furies of Cocytus.” Reiko chimed in with her own encouragement. This one only got a confused headtilt before Yui reflected and settled for a slight smile instead. Her classmates watched her go down to meet her opponent.

“I want her to win so badly...” Setsuna sighed once she was out of earshot. Her attention was distracted by Maria continuously staring down the arena; specifically where Midoriya was just leaving.

----

“ALRIGHT, LISTENERS! WE BRING YOU A REAL BANGER FOR THIS THIRD MATCH!”

Aizawa wished he could be anywhere else but in the commentator booth. With Mic taking full reigns of the… well, mike, the audience was guaranteed to be as hyped for the matches as they could be. That, of course, came at the expense of his and Vlad’s eardrums. 1B’s homeroom teacher was handling it with exceptional poise though, and especially considering that Kaibara was thoroughly dismantled and Kodai looked to be going the same way.

Perhaps not as thoroughly, but it didn’t get more thorough than “get stuck in a glacier the size of a Might Tower”. “In the 1A corner comes the growling prowling beast! Savage, unrelenting, with the ego the size of a dump truck and tough to match! First in U.A.’s entrance exam, the ultimate hand grenade looking for redemption after the last two rounds – I give you… BAKUGO… KATSUKI!”

“...Yamada, are you advertising a hero hopeful or an indie wrestler?” Kan shook his head with a mirthless chuckle. It seemed the mike caught his comment, judging by the chuckles in the audience – and the murderous look Bakugo gave towards the commentator booth. Mic carried on without a pause.

“In the 1B corner – she’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll throw large things in your face! One of the pillars of the second round, don’t mistake her quiet demeanor for meekness – she is out for blood like the best of them! Make some noise for… KODAI… YUI!”

“I will take that mike away from you if you keep being dumb with it.” Aizawa grumbled. The audience tittered with laughter again. Unlike her opponent, Yui looked nonplussed – even with an insurmountable obstacle standing before her and the quarterfinals. At least Bakugo didn’t seem to be out for blood like Todoroki was – just kind of generally annoyed.

Oh well. Fake it ‘til you make it.

Chapter Text

Yui had no chance.

She knew as much even as she charged forward to meet her opponent. She might not have been as hopelessly outmatched as Sen was, but unlike him, there wasn’t much she could do on an empty field. There were some ideas she had in mind, but they would require just a moment of prep time and getting really close to someone who could explode her face.

Bakugo was deeply unpleasant, but that didn’t make him a fool. “Die.” The explosion blinded Yui and sent her stumbling backwards, struggling to regain her footing. In came another, and another. At least all the kicked up dust was making things less visible for him – and Yui needed an element of surprise bad. “And don’t think you can hide behind all that!”

Perfect timing for her enlarged jacket to bowl him over.

----

“Am I crazy or is Kodai hanging on?”

“Wonder how long that will hold.” Monoma muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Smart thing to make use of the uniform, but he doubted she had much of anything hidden in the pockets to use. “Bakugo won’t fall for that kind of trick twice.”

“Maybe if she can grab him—“

“Pretty huge “if”, sadly.” Kendo sighed. Monoma had the right of it – the Explosion user kept Yui at a distance after shaking off the enlarged jacket. His explosions did tear up a lot of the arena, so she could pick up the bits lying around for projectiles if nothing else…

“But even if she does, making Bakugo’s jacket bigger won’t slow him down much.” Kuroiro pointed out. “Even if it weighs more as a result, he can probably just blow it up or whatever.”

“What if she made it smaller?” Some of the eyes wandered towards Maria as she observed the battle. Yui was just blown away by another explosion. “Make it constrict him. Sever the blood flow in the arms. Deliver a physical blow to a solar plexus in the meantime.”

“Pretty sure he can just blow that off too.”

“And no offense to Yui-chan, but… uh, she’s not very strong.” Kinoko sighed wistfully. She was doing her best, but Bakugo was on whole another level. It didn’t even look like he was putting in much effort.

“...okay, the fact that we just glossed over Maria suggesting Kodai murks him like that is either hilarious or terrifying.” Awase forced a dry chuckle. Another explosion – and once again Yui was on the floor. This time she visibly struggled to get up.

“Dude, cut her some slack, man...” Tsuburaba grumbled, shaking his head. “I know we’re supposed to be Plus Ultra, but this is just petty cruelty.”

“Guess bullying Miro… Mino...” Pony’s brows furrowed. <Greenie isn’t enough for him.>

“Man, even Pony is upset, suddenly switching to English...” Honenuki sighed.

Somehow, it seemed similar opinions circulated among other audience members. Not just from other students, but also from civilians, from reporters, even from pro-heroes watching the proceedings. What started off as discontent became anger and indignation, rallying in their fury against Bakugo. They called him a bully, a beast, a thug. A villain in the making.

As they did, Setsuna took notice of a curious thing: Maria tapping her fingers on her arm in increasing agitation. Her eyes were closed, but she was growing tenser with each decibel. Whatever bothered her? Was the crowd too noisy or—

“Heikkohenkiset typerät...”

“B-bless you?” Kendo replied nearly on autopilot, only realizing her blunder after the words left her mouth; her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. “Er, uh...”

“Either you sneezed or cast some black magic on Bakugo.” Kuroiro raised his eyebrow questioningly. The white marble had enough decency to look sheepish for a moment before shaking her head.

“Apologies. This crowd is driving me insane with agitation.” Maria’s eyes – much sharper than the usual – looked at the other spectators. “It seems the very adage of this school was lost on them.”

“What do you mean?”

“Neither Yui nor Bakugo are going easy on the other. It would be a disservice to their opponent. Ignorants in the audience think our classmate some kind of delicate flower – when they really should know better.” Her glare grew heavier. Before she could continue, the words rang out from the commentator booth. It seemed Aizawa shared her opinion, though he was the first to shame the public. Having a microphone certainly helped. “Besides… she has a plan.” Maria’s eyes closed again, satisfied with how quiet the public went.

“...man, now I feel bad.” Tsuburaba mumbled. Pony seemed less convinced, still glaring daggers at the Explosion user.

“You are not a pro-hero yet, and you are Yui’s classmate. Your worry is understandable.”

“Wait, roll that back: what kind of plan?” Awase raised an eyebrow.

“The debris, of course.”

----

Bakugo’s giant explosions did end up helping Yui a little bit. Just a little bit.

She was absolutely at the end of her stamina though, so this was going to be a one shot only. If that didn’t work, tough luck. What few pieces of debris she threw before for testing it out got annihilated in explosive bursts – but Bakugo had yet to look up.

And so, as she threw another batch of pebbles, she threw the other high up, her movements obscured by the dust cloud. Praying her fingers don’t miss each other from the shakes, she let loose. The front batch was destroyed easily enough, but he couldn’t suspect the ones above, right? Even if her aim was off, all she needed was for a single pebble to bonk him on the head and put him out of commission. Right? Right?!

Which was why when Bakugo’s hand suddenly aimed up, without even looking at the sky, Yui’s heart sank. “Nice try.” One explosion later, there was nothing but harmless dust falling down on the arena. It didn’t matter that she had to push him to the limit – even through the blurry vision she could see his hands shaking from exertion – if her attack did nothing.

Before she could contemplate on it, the ground gave out from under her feet and everything turned black.

----

The fight after proved significantly less exciting.

Monoma was out of the ring in less than a minute, his footwork insufficient to outwit the roided-up sugar rush monster that was Satou. As he was finally seized and shoved off the concrete, the blond could only be thankful his opponent didn’t resort to punching his lights out instead.

He passed by Maria on his way out. “Good luck out there, Muradasilova.” He said. Her opponent might not have been very dangerous, but it felt like the right thing to say. Her reaction did take him off guard however – it was a chuckle, and an almost embarrassed one as opposed to the sonorous wistfulness she normally used. She and Hatsume seemed to be good friends, so perhaps she just didn’t want to be reminded that she had to take one over her?

As he made his way back to the seats, he could still make out Present Mic’s heated introduction. “1B’s very own Snow White! Does she even see her opponents from that up high?! Coming from the snowy Finland plains, she carried two classmates to victory during the obstacle course and then sowed fear in their hearts with frigid fastballs! Give it up for… MU-RA-DA-SI-LO-VA MARIA!”

Monoma felt at his throat on instinct. “Welcome back, Sir Monoma.” Shishida greeted him with a nod. “Apologies for your loss.”

“Nah, he did fine.” Kamakiri pointed out with a grin. “Almost rang Mr. Diabetes out with just footsies alone.”

“Dude, Mr. Diabetes?” Tsuburaba cast him an incredulous look. “And I thought Tetsutetsu’s the king of inappropriate sayings.”

“...I said I was sorry...” The Steel user grumbled from his spot. In the meantime, Present Mic continued.

“In the other corner, the rising star of the Support Course! You’ve seen her dodge fastballs like the best of them! Let’s see if she can dodge her way to victory with her outstanding gear! Make some noise for HATSUME… MEI!”

“Hatsume doesn’t seem phased in the slightest...” Reiko hummed curiously.

“She taunted Blasty McSplode right to his face.” Kuroiro chuckled. “I doubt she knows what fear is.”

“I guess support gear would give you some advantages...” Shoda rubbed his head in thought. “But that’s not going to help for combat, right?”

“Depends what she’s packing.” Setsuna chimed in. “Most of her stuff was mobility-based, save for that salve for Rin.”

“Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

----

As the signal rang out, Mei’s smile only widened. Maria did not rush her, taking a moment to crack her neck leftward, then rightward.

“Well then… may I have this dance?” The white marble’s lips quirked in a smile of her own, watching Mei produce a bite-sized earpiece from one of her little bags.

“At your leisure, ma’am.”

----

The moment Hatsume turned on her voice enhancer, Setsuna had to bite her hand not to burst out laughing.

“That’s… a new record for audacity.” Kinoko commented quietly, as taken off-guard as the lizard girl – and the two of them already had some kind of idea what Hatsume planned to do. The others? Less so.

“...is… she... making a fucking sales pitch?” A freshly returned Kaibara – despite being frozen shut in a glacier, he had barely an injury to speak of; Todoroki helping him thaw out after the fight helped – asked incredulously.

“I’m more surprised Maria is indulging her.” Rin shook his head with a slight chuckle. Within the first two minutes, Hatsume demonstrated a jetpack, hover soles, a capture gun, and hydraulic bracers – in response to Maria’s kick, two poles shot out from the ground, propping the Support Course student up to avoid it. It seemed she had more to show off still.

“Okay, some of this stuff is pretty cool.” Awase nodded approvingly. “That capture gun feels like the kind of thing you should have already seen on every other pro, honestly.”

“I can see why they wouldn’t carry it though.” Shishida shook his head. “Whether if it’s due to Quirk limitations or plain vanity, a net like that is not always going to be effective.”

“I can already see the headlines.” Manga chortled. “All-Might stopping a robbery with a dinky spiderweb.”

“A lot of it is pretty clunky, too. Can’t imagine someone like Mt. Lady or Uwabami wanting to be caught wearing it.” Kinoko hummed thoughtfully.

“Girls are weird.” Yui, another freshly returned student, quipped with a furrowed brow. Kendo sitting nearby could only offer a slight chuckle.

----

“By sweet child of Kosm’s...”

That utterance was already unsettling enough, but the way Cageface stared at the tall lady honestly just made Shigaraki’s face twitch. Sensei made some very compelling arguments – and he was going to follow his instructions even if they seemed dumb – but it did not make Micolash’s weird fascination with some of these bitches any less creepy.

“She’s pretty~” Micolash’s lackey had to join in on the commentary, of course. “First time seeing a girl this tall, and it’s… it’s something, I’ll tell you that much.” Ew.

“No small wonder, dear Himiko. This is none other than the lost relative of Her Grace Queen Annalise.” Micolash nodded with a smile, attention briefly taken by some of the documents strewn on the desk. The guard continued struggling uselessly in Kurogiri’s portals, some color having left his face – likely from bleeding out from the girl’s thrown knife. “That would explain quite a few things.”

“So what? She related somehow to that other bimbo from the USJ?”

“Not quite so – and would you please cease with this uncouth language?” This time Micolash shot him an annoyed look. Shigaraki blew a raspberry at the scholar in response, his locks currently being undone by Kurogiri. “I already told you I have no such interest in these lasses.”

“Shouldn’t have waltzed in here with your fucking compensated date.”

“Hey, you shut your cute chapped mouth.” Toga grumbled. “I’m with Mico-san for purely professional reasons, pinky promise~”

“Sure you are.”

“...please do not antagonize our allies, Shigaraki Tomura…?” Kurogiri suggested with a resigned tone. Shigaraki, now with his wrists finally free, replied with a noncommittal grunt, rubbing his ailing hands together – and then finally putting them to his neck to ease his itchiness. “Why is it so important, Mr. Micolash?”

“As you know, I have been looking for the moon-touched lasses; however, I wasn’t able to ascertain how did their contact with the Moon Presence came to be.” The scholar gestured towards the taller of the students on screen, currently mildly inconvenienced – mostly of her own volition – by the other’s deployable adhesive. “Now, Maria’s presence here answers that question, and opens more exciting ones to be solved.”

“And Moon Presence is…?”

“In the simplest understanding, an extraterrestrial. An alien, if you will.”

“I know what that fucking word means, NPC.” Shigaraki growled, his skin coming off at where he scratched at an alarming rate – not that it stopped him. “Also, bullshit. Aliens don’t exist.”

“Don’t they now? Then how do you suppose Quirks came to be?” That stopped the scratching. Toga’s attention too was had, eyebrow raised at the curious question (also, the “fight” was kinda boring, honestly). “The story of a glowing child is but a fabrication; a simple tale for simple minds to put them at ease.”

“That’s… okay, that’s bullshit. Nothing you’ll say can convince me, alright?” Shigaraki threw his hands up in exasperation. Let the NPC believe what he wanted to believe. “Riddle me this: how the fuck did you even come here?”

“Oh, just a few tricks up my sleeve.” Micolash chuckled, regathering the documents and putting them on his person, hidden within the volumes of the robe. “I shall leave that to the constables to figure out. The mystery is the part of the draw, after all.”

“Hey, Mico-san? What about the old man?” Toga asked again, gesturing vaguely towards the guard.

“I kept you waiting long enough. Do as you like with him.” The blonde’s happy “Yes!” was accompanied by a panicked groan of the guard himself. “Now then, Mr. Kurogiri shall lead you to our getaway vehicle. I shall extricate the darling Maria from her own confines and meet you there.”

“Yeah, sure, you do you. And thanks. I guess.”

“I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity to pay me back one day. Think nothing of it.” Shigaraki shrugged, putting on the mummified hands as Micolash left the room.

As it turned out, the poor bastard guard still had a lot of blood to get shanked out of him, to Toga’s utter delight.

----

“And that… concludes my lineup of support items! If I caught your eye, support gear firms, you know where to find me~” Mei announced proudly as the battle dragged into its tenth minute. Maria was impressed – she really did make it in a single round.

“Satisfied, Mei?” The pinkette grinned as she accepted the offered hand, the two of them headed for the edge of the stage. Though the general public might have been confused by the proceedings – upset even – it didn’t seem like either of them minded it much.

“I dare say~ I wouldn’t have such a positive reaction without a willing dance partner, you know.”

“You humble me. All eyes were on you.” Mei chuckled and twirled to be in front of Maria, her hand slipping out of the gentle grip.

“I don’t know about that. Perhaps I should have enlisted someone less striking.” The two exchanged bows – or rather Mei imitated Maria’s, a touch slower and clumsier than the other girl. “But a deal’s a deal~ See me somewhere after the festival, I’ll have your baby ready for you.”

“Much appreciated.” Thus, with an uncaring hop, Mei Hatsume eliminated herself from the finals.

----

Setsuna and Momo were both next.

The lizard girl had a rough understanding of why Maria would go so easy on Hatsume after chiding people asking Bakugo to do the same for Yui – they probably cut out a deal. The white marble would be her willing guinea pig for the world’s most unexpected sales pitch, and in return the pinkette would forge her the kind of blade she was looking for.

Well, no point in going easy on Yaomomo. Setsuna too was in it to win it. “It’s a battle of recommendations, listeners! In the 1A corner is the smartest girl in school! With a Quirk like that, you’ve gotta be! I give you… YAOYOROZU MOMO!” Judging by the determined look on Momo’s face as she entered the arena, it seemed they had the same idea.

Perfect. “In the 1B corner is a girl that’s all over the place, literally! She’s got a firm head on her shoulders – even if it’s currently floating away! Make some noise for… TOKAGE SETSUNA!” With that kind of entrance, she had to do her best, hadn’t she?

The two met. Setsuna grinned, rolling her shoulders. “Loser buys coffee for two?” She called out to Momo. 1A’s ace blinked and smiled impishly, undoing the top of her uniform to let more of her skin breathe – and to have more space for her Quirk’s usage.

“I will have a Vienna then.” She replied, letting a length of iron pipe materialize from her belly. The lizard girl’s grin only grew as she craned her neck. Cheeky lip, huh? Certainly a far cry from the prim and proper Yaomomo she was familiar with. Guess the spirit of competition was back with them once again.

“Then you better work for it, Yaomomo!” Tossing her uniform’s top high up for a dramatic effect, Setsuna let her arms separate in two rows of chunks each, set up like a score of attack drones.

----

Monoma hummed curiously, assessing the two combatants clashing.

Predictably, Tokage elected to keep her distance and use her Quirk for ranged combat. Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, armed with a pipe and a shield of her own creation, steadily advanced towards her, blocking oncoming attacks with the sheet of steel.

“Okay, so… no offense to Kodai, but is this the first fight without a clear winner?” Honenuki mused, watching the proceedings.

“None taken.”

“We almost had an upset with Midoriya and Shinsou.” Kendo pointed out. “But otherwise...”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Kaibara grumbled, but there wasn’t any annoyance in his voice; he understood he had no chance against his opponent.

“More like a frosted liver—“ Tsuburaba yelped once Kuroiro bonked him on the head again.

“Yaoyorozu can do anything, but these items take time to pull out, right?” Bondo chimed in quietly. “So Tokage-san should be able to blindside her...”

“If she doesn’t take too much time taunting and teasing, that is.” Monoma hummed in response, hands clasped together. “They seem to be on good terms, so she might be going easier on her without realizing it.”

“Eh, don’t think so.” Awase shook his head. “Tokage’s always trying to psyche people out when she fights. Yaoyorozu seems good with prep time, but it’s hard to prep for being brained with body parts.”

“And even if she can defend herself, Setsuna can avoid her attacks at the same time.” Reiko said. “She could drag the fight out until the time limit or until Yaomomo-san gets impatient with her and blunders in the process.”

“What happens then? They play Rock, Paper, Scissors or what?” Kamakiri rolled his eyes dismissively.

“The fight is decided if one side is incapacitated or rung out.” Maria said. “And to that end, Momo needs not to distinguish which part of Setsuna is rung out.”

“...wait, but doesn’t that put Tokage at a disadvantage?” Manga chimed in with a tilt of his head – then accidentally bumping the thought cloud into Pony’s horn and reeling back with a yelp.

“It shouldn’t. She can control every of her pieces just fine.” Honenuki shook his head. “...unless, of course, she couldn’t.”

“Some kind of sensory overload? Or plain head trauma?” Shishida pondered. His answer was answered soon enough when the small canister Momo threw into the air exploded in a flash of blinding light. “Well, that answers that question!” He grunted, having had enough of a reaction time to close his eyes before the flashbang went off. Others were less fortunate; he could hear Kuroiro’s half-screech, half-groan and Kodai’s little whimper.

“With her senses temporarily scrambled, she will have a harder time controlling the body still on the ground. Momo can force her out of the ring with her sheer strength alone.” Maria continued. Kinoko sitting nearby only just now realized that her eyes remained open through the entirety of the flash, not looking any worse for wear.

“She can still separate to escape, can’t she?” Monoma posited, rubbing his eyes with an arm.

“If her desire to win is stronger than her sense of shame.”

----

Setsuna was in a pinch.

Her plan of attack consisted of “find weakspot, pelt weakspot” and not much else. Yaomomo shielded hers quite well – literally so. That surely must have meant her offense would have been limited however, right?

The lizard girl thought so until the flashbang went right into her face and the world became fire. Ouch. Yaomomo really wasn’t playing around, was she? Trying to coordinate with nothing but white noise in her head proved difficult, but she could already tell her body was being forced off the stage. The other girl dropped her shields to do so, her grip on Setsuna’s waist surprisingly tight.

Well then. That was a problem. Her options were thus: give up the fight or separate – and risk some serious indecent exposure. Oh well. Sometimes you had to be in it to win it—

Except her waist was still in place – or rather, Yaomomo was still clutching it without budging. “I need only a single piece!” Momo called out, rushing forward even as Setsuna’s chest and legs escaped from the grip. The now bare waist continued splitting into more and more pieces – but there was a limit to how small they could become, and Momo still held onto one…!

“...did you glue me to your fingers?!” She asked exasperatedly, torn between being offended and impressed.

“Not for very long…!” Rather than run all the way to the edge of the arena – and risk getting kicked out herself by approaching Setsuna parts – Momo simply reeled her arm and threw; way stronger than the lizard girl expected her to. Her waist, with the dissipating adhesive’s remains still plastered on it, landed harmlessly on the grass past the arena.

“...well, talk about an embarrassing loss.” Setsuna mumbled as she stared blankly at her errant body part, even as Midnight announced Momo’s win.

----

The fight between Asui and Shiozaki went in favor of the thornette.

For all of the former’s agility, it seemed the literal wall of thorns proved insurmountable to Tsuyu. Ibara remained largely static, letting her hair do the fighting for her. Seized and apprehended, it was only a formality for Asui to be declared the loser.

Meanwhile, Kendo and Shoji’s fight turned out to be an exciting slugfest. “Hit him in the pancreas, Kendo!” Tetsutetsu cheered as the two competitors exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. The fight was as straightforward as it could be – Shoji’s range and multiple arms pitted against Itsuka’s power.

“W-why the pancreas?” Rin hesitated to ask. Unfortunately, the Steel user was too caught up in his cheering to reply.

“Gotta say, I expected her to try and haul Shoji off the ring instead.” Setsuna hummed. If she was miffed about her loss against Yaoyorozu, she did not show it. “But I guess he’s a bit too big and fighty for that, huh?”

“That is not an adjective, Tokage.” Monoma groused. “But you have the right of it.”

“But isn’t she fighting a losing battle here? Even with those huge hands?” Tsuburaba sighed. “Like, six arms is hard to survive when you only have two.”

“Here’s where the difference in approach to pro-hero work should show.” Shishida replied. “Lady Kendo is an accomplished martial artist explicitly training to be a battle hero. Sir Shoji, for all of his intimidating presence, seems more geared towards rescue.”

“You say that, but I’d rather fight, say, Snipe-sensei than Thirteen-sensei.” Honenuki hummed. On the arena, a giant fist sent Shoji almost skidding off the concrete.

<Kick him in the jewels, Itsuka!> Pony was fully on-board with cheering alongside Tetsutetsu.

“Yeah, what she said!”

Emboldened – if somewhat embarrassed – by the cheering, Kendo advanced to the quarterfinals.

----

The very first match of the quarterfinals – Midoriya versus Todoroki – proved to be… a bit of a doozy.

“Hey, so… I might actually feel bad for Bakugo now.” Awase gulped as they watched both competitors get carted off the completely totaled arena. Midoriya let loose with his Quirk, and Todoroki had to match him. The results were, uh, they were explosive.

“No kidding...” Yui mumbled. “...I hope Midoriya’s okay.”

“Recovery Girl can bring him back from this, I don’t doubt that.” Honenuki nodded. “...though, honestly? It felt like most of his damage was self-inflicted.”

“It did kind of feel like he was trying to lose.” Tsuburaba scratched his head, looking puzzled. “Whatever he did, he got Todoroki to use his fire.”

“Endeavor sure got fired up about that, too...” Setsuna hummed, watching where the Number Two Hero was just a moment ago.

“He sure did...”

“...okay, Komori, are you… okay?” Kinoko blinked, hearing the unusual gentleness in Kamakiri’s voice. He wasn’t the only one giving her a look – there were a few more looks cast her way, most of them concerned, and just a little spooked. “You were looking more like a mushroom cloud than anything for a moment.”

“...oh. Um, sorry. I might have just been thinking too much recently...” She tried to wave it off with a sheepish laugh, but the effect seemed to have been middling at best.

“Got shroomthing on your mind?” Manga suggested.

“That was terrible, Fukidashi. To the Tsuburaba bin with you.” Kuroiro grumbled, shaking his head.

“Sorry to worry you guys. I’ll be fine, I promise.” The mushroom girl rose from her spot. “Think I’ll just go walk around for a bit. Good luck on your fight, Maria.” The white marble, having been lost in thought herself, stirred slightly in her seat before nodding a silent thanks. Thus Kinoko made herself scarce.

“...it feels like there is some secret she knows and is unwilling to share.” Reiko sighed, eyes trailing from Kinoko’s back to the arena where Cementoss and U.A robots both fixed the arena for the next bout.

“First she tells Tokage to knock it off with the “Lil’deavor” thing, now she’s looking like she’s planning to ambush Endeavor with a kitchen knife...” Awase rubbed his head in thought.

“So she has a beef against Endeavor then?” Bondo suggested.

“That’s kind of sudden though, isn’t it? And even then she wasn’t against the nickname for Todoroki earlier.” Setsuna pointed out. “She even tittered when we were talking about the race strategy in class.”

“Endeavor is kinda easy to hate, admittedly...” Rin sighed. “No offense to the guy, but he’s not exactly cultivating a friendly image.”

“I’ve read an op-ed the other day that talked about how popularity rankings affect hero rankings.” Kaibara said. “Apparently Endeavor wouldn’t even be able to cross top 20 if that was all they took into consideration.”

“But they don’t though. Being a pro-hero is not a beauty pageant.” Kendo returned with a frown. “Like him or hate him, he works himself to the bone.”

“Most solved cases, right? More than even All Might?” Pony asked quietly. Their Class Prez nodded.

“Ruthless efficiency over all else, including the behemoth that is public opinion.” Maria hummed, lips quirked in vague amusement. That didn’t last however; once she rose from her seat, it was a frown instead. “I suppose something in that particular case did not agree with Kinoko’s sensibilities.”

“Wait, where are you going? Bakugo and Satou still have to fight first.”

“I imagine they won’t be long.”

----

They weren’t.

They would have been even shorter if Bakugo wasn’t stewing in his anger. This led him to almost being tagged by the Sugar Rush train – which did nothing to stem his fury.

Fortunately, Weird Lips had all the maneuverability of a dump truck. Deciding to make use of the Copycat’s plan – and actually get it done, because Bakugo wasn’t an extra coasting on other people’s work – advancing to quarterfinals proved easy enough. Of course, that wasn’t exactly satisfying his pride.

That scumbag Deku did something to get Half-n-Half to go all out. Was it something he said? Or did he somehow hit Icyhot hard enough to make him fear for his chances of winning? Didn’t matter now. A logical part of Bakugo’s brain said he should have been grateful to Deku for finally giving him the route to the proper fight he craved.

Of course, being grateful to Deku for anything was illogical in itself, and so Bakugo was only growing angrier as a result. Whatever. “Curious a man who scorns his triumph so.” And of course, he had to pass by Sequoia on his way back to the bleachers. For a change, she didn’t have to lift a finger to advance; apparently Weird Eyes had other ideas.

He cast her a withering look. “You will do as you like. May it carry you to the finals.” Honestly, he still wasn’t sure if she was being encouraging or dismissive. Opting to hold words – they were lost on a weird foreigner like her – he merely flipped her off on the way back.

Maria watched him go with a slight tilt of her head. No doubt she would be seeing him in the finals unless Todoroki proved his match – but one beam of light did not an illumination make. It would no longer be a long and arduous road to fully embrace his heritage.

Midoriya seemed to have a peculiar talent for making things more difficult for himself – but his powers were also just a little too strange to pass them off as a mere Quirk. She could investigate that later. For now, it was time to see just what Momo would prepare against her…

...and if that determined look on her face would last.

Chapter Text

Shigaraki knew for a fact that the place was supposed to be stuffed with coppers.

While the original plan was likely to get him and Kurogiri locked in Tartarus, they wanted to ask the two of them some questions first. Shigaraki’s heard stories; it was meant to be a prison for inmates for whom death penalty was considered too good.

He couldn’t help but feel slightly touched. Not a bad accolade for someone whose first raid ended in a complete wipe. “I’m guessing this is a result of your Quirk, Mr. Micolash?” Kurogiri asked, gesturing towards a score of uniformed men littering the corridor. All of these were local guards – and all of them were left either whimpering to themselves on the floor or staring blankly ahead. Micolash hummed to himself.

“A side effect. I certainly did not expect the average mind to be so feeble in this day and age.” He replied with a chuckle. The Eyebrain shambled behind him uncaringly, some kind of low droning song on its lips. In a manner of speaking. “We’ve barely been here for half an hour, and yet—“

“...wait, roll that back. What do you mean “barely”?” Shigaraki’s eyes narrowed at the scholar.

The gunfire interrupted further talk – but it wasn’t aimed at them. “Stay back, stay back, stay back…!” Someone’s panicked screaming was heard nearby, going a volume higher with each used bullet. Then came a click. And another click. And another few clicks, each accompanied by increasingly more incoherent rambling.

Then it was screaming, and a distinct sound of flesh being ripped off a person’s body. Toga’s cheeks flushed and her breathing quickened, each of her steps now with a little bounce. “Oooh… someone’s going at it~” Shigaraki cast her an incredulous look that didn’t leave until they found the source of all this ruckus.

The guard – Shigaraki remembered this one in particular due to the rows of little horns all over his face – was prepped up against the wall, his shoulder torn to shreds alongside most of his left arm, made into a meaty pulp by a mighty bite. The biter was silver-furred and emaciated, with no clothes on their back. Its jaw wasn’t even half-way lupine like Shigaraki might have expected; it resembled some cartoon monster stretched out to nightmarish proportions.

It was also twisted ninety degrees, which made the cartoon monster comparison even more accurate. “Ah. I did not expect some denizens of the Nightmare would tag along with us.” Micolash commented, undaunted that this weird creepypasta monster was feasting away like that, claws digging into the cooling body and mighty chomps interwoven with wet squelches.

“...Mr. Micolash, we should probably be honest with each other.” Kurogiri commented in return. “Even though we have Master’s approval, I cannot in good faith have you for an ally and endanger Shigaraki Tomura with the unknown at the same time.”

“I’m not a kid, Kurogiri.” Shigaraki grumbled, even as they went past the nightmarish feast. “If Sensei is cool with this guy, then I’ll try to be cool with this guy.”

“Besides, it is like I said earlier – the unknown is a part of the draw.” Micolash chuckled, continuing undaunted even as the creature behind finally took notice of fresh prey. The scholar seemed to have eyes around his head. “Himiko, dear, as we’ve talked.”

“Gotcha, Mico-san~” The blonde turned to face the lunging beast. Two knives – one in its throat, the other at its wizened kneecap – flew from her sleeves in fluid motion, crippling the creature before it could come anywhere close. It roared in pain and indignation both, one spindly arm trying to stop the blood loss and the other uselessly swiping forward.

“We should expect more wayward critters on our way back. Hopefully Edgar had no trouble procuring us a getaway vehicle.” Oh. So Micolash’s lackey didn’t have a getaway vehicle yet.

Shigaraki would trust Sensei with his life – but maybe the old man was a little too trusting of these lunatics.

----

The third fight of the quarterfinals began slowly.

Momo was not lacking in physical strength, but she doubted she could force Maria to budge the same way she forced Tokage-san. Neither was the taller girl looking to entertain merely dancing with her like she did with Hatsume-san. She offered a reverent bow, and then… strode forward with purpose, daring Momo to take a first move of the fight.

Something about that stride struck a wrong chord with her.

Something about it felt… familiar. All too familiar. As her focus drifted from the fight and centered on the past, even as she produced a sword and shield, she remembered. She remembered the crushing grip of the Nomu, the song of the dead stars that followed…

Why did Micolash call that thing “Maria”?

Why did the Maria before her stride so similarly to the mangled monstrosity from the USJ? Surely this must have been her own mind playing tricks on her, no? She charged in to shake off those bad thoughts, hoping to bash her opponent with a shield. Her footwork was sloppy – Maria had no trouble avoiding the attack, stepping aside and depriving her of the saber she procured for offense. Momo barely noticed the moment of disarmament – in an instant, her hand grasped nothing. “Something is weighing on you.” The white marble hummed, examining the conjured weapon with an experienced eye.

“I expected better from you than distraction by small talk.” Momo repositioned with a huff. Maria remained silent, twirling the sword in her hand. “No small wonder, when I have an opponent like you – of course it’s weighing on me.”

“Is it just that, Momo?” Well, she was perceptive if nothing else. She knew all about her episode at the USJ, after all. Momo’s lips pursed together, even as she created a spear and thrust forward. No purchase; Maria parried the blow with the sword almost nonchalantly. Then another, and another, and she never stopped looking concerned for her, visible even through her cool mask. “Or are you perhaps thinking of the USJ incident?”

Momo flinched despite herself. That was all the answer the white marble needed, disarming her opponent off the spear with an elegant flourish. She discarded her own – well, Momo’s own – sword in short order, cracking her knuckles ever so slowly, and ever so loudly. “There is no cure for seeing things meant to be unseen.” She said, approaching with purpose once more. The brunette scoffed, materializing a length of fishing net to throw at Maria. Curiously, it seemed this gave the taller girl pause – though less due to being tangled up and more from seemingly unrelated reasons, as if it invoked something to her.

An opportunity was an opportunity – Momo could not afford to hesitate against such an opponent. “One can only endure – and I will do my utmost to help you—“ Maria did not finish, only managing to cast off the net and block the incoming shield bash. The hit stung against her arm, and her opponent did not hold back either. A small shape in Momo’s other hand she recognized to be a can of pepper spray, shielding herself with her arm and with a step back. Momo pressed the attack, both determined to win and likely not wanting to hear more of those painful memories of hers. This time Maria held onto the shield – and forced the other girl down along with it.

Momo’s vision filled with stars for a moment as her head hit the back of her own shield. Not planning to give up just yet, she opted to cast the sheet of iron aside and stumble back, attempting to get back on her feet – only for Maria to sweep the ground from under her with her long leg and have her fall back down with a startled gasp. “There is no shame in fearing the unknown. ‘tis a natural reaction, really.”

“That’s irrelevant to our fight, Maria!” Momo felt frustration dwelling in her voice. By all means, it felt like the white marble was taking pity on her right now, and she didn’t need that. By all means, she bumbled her way through the dodgeball part and then had enough clarity of mind to defeat Tokage-san at her own game – but against such an overwhelming, unrelenting presence, how could she remain confident and in control?

“It is, and it will be relevant for the fights that are yet to come.” Slowly, all seven feet of Maria crouched down next to her. She offered Momo a hand. “I can only apologize for not taking notice sooner.” The brunette stared dumbly at the offered limb. By all means, they were still fighting here. “Come visit me after this is over, if you please. I will familiarize you with the Mensis and their wretched rituals in detail.” Yet, it felt like the match was already decided.

Momo felt her spirit drop, even in spite of the soft smile that the other girl offered to her. “Good fighting, Momo.”

----

The last fight seemed skewed in Shiozaki’s favor.

A blanket of thorny hair seemed like a natural defense against someone whose only power was enlarging their hands. Still, Kendo was nothing if not resourceful. Plus, she was the last 1B rep in the tournament besides Maria. She didn’t doubt her tall peer would advance all the way to the finals – whether she would be fighting her or Shiozaki – but Itsuka still wanted to strut her stuff a little bit.

Thus, rather than try and wrestle with the thorny hairs, she merely clapped. And again. And again. Each resounding smack was enough to generate a resounding BOOM!, vibrating through the vines and rattling her opponent. It wasn’t elegant or even all that efficient, but it did what Kendo wanted it to do. Still, Shiozaki would not be so easily defeated, shifting her hair around the arena in an attempt to shield herself from the sound. Some had to be discarded, thrown under Itsuka’s feet in an attempt to slow her down. Yet, once Shiozaki's defenses faltered, they would not reconstitute themselves so easily – an opening that the redhead could use to a winning effect.

...even if her hands still hurt like hell. Thorns were no joke.

“Hey, congrats!” Tetsutetsu greeted her with a grin. Other congratulations from the rest of the group followed. The brief intermission would allow semi-finalists to rest before the coming conflict, and for Kendo to bask in being the other 1B student that got so far. Despite 1A's prior experience with real villains, it seemed her class wasn't too far behind in terms of skill and drive.

Maria, conspicuously, was nowhere to be found. “If you're looking for Muradasilova, she and Yaoyorozu left a bit earlier.” Kaibara explained, idly stretching in his spot. Itsuka's eyes wandered towards Setsuna in search of further answers. The lizard girl shrugged, looking like something was on her mind as well.

“As long as she doesn't miss out on her fight, she'll be fine.” Rin shrugged as well, happy to watch the cleanup process. The UA robots and Cementoss still had their work cut out for them – after all, Todoroki and Bakugo had yet to completely total the arena, again. “You hang in there, Kendo.”

“I'll do my best.”

“Hey now, don't dismiss her like that!” Awase shook his head. “Muradasilova might be seven feet tall, but she's not the martial artist in this scenario.”

“Itsuka did overcome both Shoji and Shiozaki despite all odds stacked against her.” Reiko nodded along. “If anyone of our class can overcome the pale lady of the wintry castle, it would be her.”

“Torn who to root for.” Yui piped in.

“Well, whoever wins I hope they kick 1A's ass!” Kamakiri cut off further deliberation with a confident grin. Monoma nodded along, looking like a proud father at the mantis boy's proclamation. Kendo resisted an urge to rub the bridge of her nose in growing annoyance.

----

“Thinking Lil'deavor and the huge girl in the finals. Bet you a thousand yen?”

Kamui Woods couldn't help but roll his eyes a little. Now that the brilliance of photos and adoring fans went away, Mt. Lady returned to being her usual petulant self. Truth be told, their guard duty on the festival premises hadn't really seen much action or excitement. Aside from the minor incident with the tall girl with a foreign name, it was just as calm as an event like that should be.

Which was good, at least in Shinji Nishiya's view. There was a reason why “May you live in interesting times” was considered a curse. His work partner didn't seem to be of the same opinion. “You can't just take the most likely bet and expect people will accept the gauntlet, Takeyama.” Death Arms shook his head with a chuckle.

“Oh please.” The blonde scoffed, popping another takoyaki ball into her mouth. “They're all crazy strong, and even some of them from quarter-finals were. The do-anything lady? That kid that breaks his fingers?”

“Oh right, Midoriya.” Death Arms remembered; he was the one to chide the kid for throwing himself at a villain – with a hostage, no less! Considering the sheer degree of destruction mere flicks of his fingers could do, charging the Sludge villain was probably the better option.

“One of the classes was a target of a villain attack, too.” Kamui nodded, happy to discuss more professional matters (well, they were still gossiping there, but no one was perfect). “They have the kind of experience most hopefuls don't get until they leave their schools.”

“Apparently All Might didn't even need to clean house when he got there.” Mt. Lady hummed, examining another takoyaki. “Something about the villains turning on each other?”

“Still a dangerous thing for kids to get involved with.” Death Arms shook his head. “Good thing they came out of it only with some bruises.”

“So... bet you eight hundred yen, maybe?”

“Takeyama, please—“

“I shall take you up on that offer.” A fourth voice approached the three pros. It belonged to a jolly-looking man in a gray button-up, open to reveal a golden shirt with white “The Executioners” plastered over It. Mt. Lady's eyes wandered to the man's bushy golden hair and sideburns, a rarity in these parts. “If I'm allowed to do that, of course. I did barge into your conversation uninvited.”

“It's on!” One enthusiastic handshake later, the stranger looked questioningly at the other two pros at the scene. Having found a curt nod from Kamui and a shrug from Death Arms, he refocused back on his betting opponent.

“I couldn't help but overhear: you believe the son of Endeavor and young Muradasilova to meet in the finals, yes?”

“That's about right.”

“Then I shall trust the lad with an explosive temper to meet her there instead.” The stranger nodded. “The redheaded lass is a formidable fighter, but she just so happened to be pitted against the best of this tournament; a class in itself.”

“You seem to have a rather high opinion of her.” Kamui nodded, eyebrow raising ever so slightly behind his mask. The stranger chuckled wistfully, eye turning up to where the screen showed the faces of the four semi-finalists.

“I've met my fair share of people over my journeys across the world.” He said, eyes shining with clarity as he regarded the photos. Only the one named Kendo Itsuka smiled in an earnest manner, as opposed to the mocking grin of Bakugo Katsuki and expressionless looks of both Todoroki and Muradasilova. “The people like her are easy to tell apart, even if they may look different and speak different languages. All of them are characterized by this... gentle arrogance, if you will.”

“I don't follow.” Death Arms furrowed his brows. Something about the way the guy speaked... “...I don't suppose the phrase “School of Mensis” mean anything to you?”

“Mm? Aren't those the villains that attacked the USJ? Why, are you expecting them to come here to the festival?”

“I sure hope not.” Mt. Lady scoffed. “...and they'd have to be mad to try it with all these heightened security measures.”

“If they do show up, they will be dispatched with due diligence. You can rest assured, sir.” Kamui's voice was just a touch uneasy; they might have spoken too much about the details concerning the security around the festival. It seemed the blond stranger was unconcerned, looking vaguely amused.

“Mad, you say...? Well, I certainly would not want to meet any of their ilk. Either way, I shall hold you to your bet, Miss Heroine. For now, please excuse me.” With a parting nod, the stranger turned to leave.

“Ah, wait. What's your name, guy? I need to make sure you don't skip on me after you lose the bet.” Mt. Lady pointed out, to Death Arms's chuckle. The stranger turned back with a radiant smile, a little too wide for Kamui's liking.

“You can call me Alfred.”

----

“You took your sweet time, Micolash.”

Shigaraki regarded Cage-face's getaway driver; a boring-looking guy with glasses. Not much to look at, except the world's most baroque aerosol can he was using to spray one of the encroaching weird creepypasta monsters. Whatever mix was inside seemed to do the trick: the slug-like thing with far too many eyes to consider healthy screeched and retreated from the cone of particles.

...why the fuck was it singing like a church choir?

“You can thank Mr. Shigaraki's testy disposition, my friend.” Micolash, of course, remained cheerfully uncaring of his associate's annoyance. In the background, the Eyebrain was feasting on one of the deceased guards, its lamprey mouths stuffed full of raw flesh and scraps of clothing both. “Either way, excellent work. This van will do us well.” He tapped the armoring of the prison truck lightly.

“Are you certain no one inside is the wiser to your tricks?”

“My own allies here aren't.” Shigaraki resisted an urge to cuss at him. “Now then, shall we be off? We have a fair share of planning to carry out.”

“Shotgun!” Himiko called out with a grin, slipping inside the driver's cabin. Edgar watched her go with a slight glasses adjustment. Micolash certainly had a talent for finding disturbed dregs of society to help their cause...

“I do hope you will answer our questions regarding this operation... and whatever else you are planning in the future, Mr. Micolash.” Kurogiri said quietly, watching the scholar open the back door of the van for them before he gestured behind them. Creatures defying description prowled here and there, some ambling directionlessly, some squabbling among each other. The few that enjoyed the idea of approaching them were swiftly dissuaded by the Eyebrain's presence there.

“I suppose it is only fair now that we will be partners, is it not? For now, try this on for size...” Micolash had a look at the building overrun with nightmarish monsters, with bodies of guards both inside and outside beyond saving, with all the splattered blood and ichor. This was once a simple block at the edge of town, where dangerous criminals would be temporarily held until being shipped off to their prisons. A place packed to the gills with armed guards given the authority to use lethal force in case the worst happened.

And somehow, Micolash simply waltzed inside like he owned the place. Now, with a snap of the scholar's fingers, Shigaraki could finally see why.

In a few seconds, the beasts and the unnatural tinge in the air vanished as if they were never there – and then things were silent. It was as if the entire building had just been enveloped in a nightmarish bubble cut off from reality until now. “...hey, what the fuck did you just do?”

“Gave us a reason to hurry it up with our daring escape. Off we go, Edgar, Himiko!” Micolash clapped the side of the van, ushering the Eyebrain in with the other hand. The boxy vehicle coughed up to life. Shigaraki growled under his breath, hopping in afterwards with Kurogiri closing the procession – just in time for the tires to screech and the doors to close.

Nobody on the heroes's side was the wiser – and that really puzzled Shigaraki fierce.

----

The fight between Todoroki and Bakugo was a fierce and explosive spectacle.

It also could go either way, Izuku thought, currently watching the fight on a telly as he still recuperated from his self-sustained injuries. Recovery Girl gave both him and All Might an earful for his stunt. Breaking fingers that were already broken? Even her Quirk could only go so far. Thus, the two of them were told that she would refuse to heal him if he kept getting into these dumb situations out of his own volition. They had to find a way for Izuku to continue refining his powers that wouldn't involve such degree of trial-n-error.

Some of his friends – now that was a thought! - came by to visit; Uraraka and Iida (though he had to leave shortly due to a sudden phone call) and Asui. Encouragement, mostly – being able to keep up with Todoroki was no mean feat, after all. But then, a less familiar face showed up. “Uh, hey. Can I come in, Midoriya?” He recognized the girl with a bowl cut as 1B's Komori, the one who put a mushroom in his throat during the race. Ah. Ouch.

“Er, go ahead. I mean, if Recovery Girl doesn't mind—“

“Y-yeah, I cleared it up with her already.” Kinoko nodded sheepishly as she shuffled inside the infirmary, a little pack of mint lozenges in her hand. “First of all, here you go. I promised I'll treat you.”

“O-oh, there's no need for that, Komori-san...”

“Shush.” Seeing that the mushroom girl (was that too rude to call her as?) would not be swayed, Izuku felt himself slumping in the bed – and fed lozenges. “Anyway, how are you? You banged yourself up pretty bad fighting Todoroki, didn't you?”

“Oh, t-that? That's my usual.” Midoriya laughed awkwardly, eyes wandering towards the telly. It looked like Kacchan had Todoroki on the ropes. The Fire-Ice boy refused to use the hot part of his Quirk, held back by his own hangups. Well... at least Izuku managed to get him started on self-reflection, but it had to be a long and arduous way yet. Kacchan wouldn't be too happy with it... even now, he was trying to get Todoroki to fight him some more even with his opponent dead to rights. Midnight-sensei had to use her Quirk to get him off Todoroki—

“Midoriya!” Izuku squeaked in surprise, eyes returning back to an annoyed-looking Komori.

“S-sorry, I got distracted—“

“Yeah, I noticed. Look...” Kinoko looked unsure for a moment, idly brushing some of the hair off her face. “...I overheard you and Todoroki talking.” Predictably, he went as taut as a string in an attempt to pretend he had no idea what she meant. Midoriya wasn't the best at subtlety, was he?

“I, uh... w-what do you mean, Komori-san?”

“Don't... you know what I mean.” Izuku slumped in the bed again. “I won't tell anyone. I know it'd do more harm than good...” Kinoko pulled up a chair for herself, looking torn over her decision still. “but I just wanted to let you know and... well... ask if I can help any.”

“I...” Guess it was no use trying to play dumb. He didn't know Komori very well, but he had to trust her when she said she would keep this secret to herself. “Sorry.”

“You're fine. Just... tell me if there's anything that I can do. And try not to break yourself so badly trying to help other people in the meantime, alright?”

“...no promises on the latter, Komori-san.”

----

After brief cleanup of the arena came the second semi-final of the tournament.

No doubt the destruction would be lesser this time around, although Alfred couldn't help but wonder just how far Muradasilova would be pushed in this bout. The redheaded lass had fight and spirit in her the likes of which the brunette from earlier lacked (to say nothing of the crazed inventor even earlier). She would be the princess's first serious opponent of this festival. Frankly, he wasn't sure why a Vileblood like her was here on this island. It was not like them to run from what they were. Why, she had yet to showcase those sordid powers of hers.

Alfred knew enough about the Cainhurst Vilebloods to be puzzled by this – and enough still to conclude that it didn't matter. The only good Vileblood, after all, was one ground to powder with holy purpose. For now however, his orders were to observe and report to the Healing Church on the movements of both hers and the Mensis, the accursed meddlers, and to ascertain just how badly this situation has gotten out of control by now.

Perhaps, gods willing, they would be able to put this city to the torch... ah, just like the olden times he never got to participate in, the tales of the Executioners's gallant legend, and of Saint Logarius's great sacrifice... he would make their old master proud yet. The order might have been dying out, but he would make sure it would go out in a blaze of glory.

And if his assessment of the youths at the festival was correct, the “yet” would come sooner than later...

Chapter Text

Itsuka took a deep breath.

She managed to beat Shiozaki by the skin of her teeth and had an even fight with Shoji earlier. So far, her luck had given her opponents that were difficult, but not insurmountable. (poor Kaibara...) As she watched Maria approach the ring from her side, that feeling wavered a little bit. Unlike Itsuka, her opponent had it easy so far; Hatsume threw the fight and Yaoyorozu was dismantled with ease. The redhead wasn't sure why, but 1A's ace for a moment looked like she'd be anywhere but in a ring with Maria during that fight. Word got around that the Eyebrain on Mensis's payroll shared the name with their schoolmate.

Well, whatever would happen, Kendo planned to own up to it. Winner or loser, she would be a fighter either way.

“Ready when you are, Itsuka.” Maria said, rolling her shoulders. Ready when she was, huh? Her opponent might have been tall and strong, but she hadn’t yet fought someone with a know-how of hand-to-hand. For someone who aimed to name herself Battle Fist, Itsuka liked to think her hand-to-hand was adequate enough. She managed to defeat a guy with six arms and a girl with thorns for hair. She could manage Maria too. She hoped.

Thus, she wasted little time getting in close and personal.

----

“Go, Itsuka!” Pony cheered from her spot, bouncing on the seat excitedly. Setsuna watched her vibrate with a little smile.

Not that the half-American was alone in her sentiment. It seemed most of 1B were on-board with Kendo actually coming out on top. None of them disliked Maria – even Kamakiri turned his earlier gripes with her into grudging respect – but it seemed her easy victories so far did not make for an exciting narrative to the onlookers.

“She’s super frugal with her moves.” Kuroiro pointed out in an annoyed tone. Obviously he was referring to the white marble currently letting Itsuka be on the offensive. She moved little, sticking to the middle of the arena and feeling out her opponent. The redhead, in return, remained relentless with her punches and kicks. She could not be accused of reckless movement however; it was obvious she was respecting her opponent’s ability.

In many aspects, this was as close to a no-Quirk martial arts competition as it would get. Not everyone enjoyed the spectacle – one of the main draws of the finals was to show off the Quirks of people involved – but 1B seemed energized about it nonetheless. “This must be the first time during this tournament that Muradasilova’s been put against someone challenging.” Monoma hummed, assessing the fight with a critical eye.

“I like to think we gave her some trouble, at least…” Manga grumbled, a pouty emoticon showing up on his cloud. Yui hummed a moment later in addition.

“Her own ability aside, it was never quite a straightforward duel for her.” Shishida pointed out, taking a moment to clean his glasses. “But now she cannot even use her opponent’s Quirk against them. Lady Kendo’s does not leave a lot to work with.”

“And she can kick ass even without it!” Tetsutetsu nodded along. “Look at her go! Kick ‘er in the liver, Kendo!” The tide of the fight seemed to be turning against Maria. Though her defenses were solid, it seemed Itsuka could push her to the edge of the arena little by little through her own efforts.

“I need her to teach me this kung-fu shit.” Kamakiri mumbled in amazement. Rin snorted.

----

Itsuka felt she had a good bead on Maria’s abilities by now.

Of course, that was without her opponent’s Quirk – but the white marble remained unwilling to use it, even as she slowly stepped back, inching towards the edge of the arena. If she cared to try and get to the finals, then it would be high time for her to try and use it. Assuming that Maria would be pushed that far, all bets would be off, not that it changed Itsuka’s gameplan much.

Maria was a pinnacle of physical form – but her martial form was sloppy at best. What worked against Kamakiri back at the first Combat Training would not against someone with a gameplan and proper form (not to toot her own horn too much). The white marble’s movements were sharp and crisp, but they did not belong to someone who was used to fisticuffs. A swordsman, perhaps. Some of the movement translated between these two, but it obviously was not the same thing.

It would be prudent to use her Quirk, even if Maria didn’t want to use hers – but Itsuka believed in fair play. It might not have been exciting to the onlookers, but it would do the job. She could strut her stuff against Bakugo in the finals. It certainly helped that fair play was yielding the necessary results she wanted.

The indomitable Maria Muradasilova, thought to be an unassailable fortress, was this close to being eliminated – and she would be the one to do it. Perhaps it was arrogant to think that, but Itsuka had yet to encounter any real resistance from her classmate.

Which was why she might have reacted a little too strongly when Maria tried to pull a fast one on her and throw her out of bounds.

It was a sudden movement, with a flash in the white marble’s eyes. A movement that meant to replicate Midoriya’s when he used it against Shinsou earlier. Good effort, but the two boys were comparable in size. Here, Maria towered over Itsuka, which made the grip a little too sloppy. Desperate, perhaps. Strong – but not strong enough for Kendo to be unable to break it. Of course, she was taken off-guard. Her hand enlarged without thinking.

And thus, Maria Muradasilova went down, knocked back parallel to the edge of the arena with blood coming out of her broken nose. Itsuka barely kept herself in the bounds with an agile leap, her green shoes landing just short of the line. That was close.

...ah. Beans.

----

The moment was very well captured by the telescreen.

Alfred went tense in his seat. Blood went flying from that blow. Not a lot of it was spilled during this tournament – most combatants seemed to have good control of their Quirks, those two in the beginning aside – but now it was a Vileblood’s countenance being defiled by such a plebeian strike. Very satisfying to watch, if you asked him. He hoped the internet would provide it in the highlight reels.

...this was also the moment of truth. Nothing slighted these vampires more than an offense to their appearance, be it a scathing word or a lasting injury. This broken nose was nothing, certainly nothing big enough to incapacitate the vixen, but it would be enough to set her off.

Because if it wasn’t enough, then perhaps the Mensis went truly mad and lost their twisted way assailing a girl hauntingly similar to the Vileblood elite. Perhaps the world worked in such strange, indecipherable ways that coincidences like this could happen?

“Kendo Itsuka is out of bounds! The winner is Muradasilova!”

Or… perhaps he had finally found what he was looking for.

----

Itsuka wasn’t sure what happened.

She was hurled off the stage once the ground literally exploded from under her feet, concrete blocks propelling her away and onto the grass. Did Maria do this, somehow? Did she finally use her Quirk? But that wasn’t what it did! She called it “blood manipulation”, something similar to Vlad King’s, but ever so slightly different, ever so slightly off. Kendo could imagine such a Quirk being used to affect solid physical objects, theoretically.

But it didn’t explain much. She wasn’t harmed; a few bruises from the fall, but it was nothing to fret over. Honestly, Maria looked way worse off. Not only was her nose still bleeding, broken from the earlier blow, but something about her body language… was off…

It took her a moment to look at Kendo before the ground exploded, but something in her eyes… something was not right. It was a mixture of fear, of indignation, of rage, of… revulsion? It didn’t belong on a human being, she thought. Maria was pale, paler than the usual, even as she shakily rose to her feet, struggling to control her breathing. Little by little, panic settled in her irises even as she fixed her nose with a sickening crunch, not looking like the pain or the blood on her face bothered her in the slightest.

...Itsuka saw Maria upset before. Angry, perhaps. This was different. “Are… are you okay?” She asked dumbly. Their eyes met for a moment – and then the white marble bolted, running towards the bleachers as if the dead chased her.

----

Now that the semi-finals were done with, Aizawa had enough time to analyze the fight between Muradasilova and Kendo to conclude that the foreign girl would become a problem sooner than later.

Kan’s reaction of muted shock could be sufficient, as would Muradasilova’s sudden departure from the arena. Some of her blood fell down on the concrete floor where Kendo stood. Muradasilova could manipulate it even after it involuntarily left her body and with enough force to pull concrete blocks apart. “Well, Bakugo’s got his work cut out for him, after all.” Mic, with the mike down for the time being, observed dryly.

“Not if I can help it.”

“...what? Do you mean to call off the finals? I mean, that looked like a freak accident to me, like Midoriya’s fingers—“

“Kan.” 1B’s homeroom teacher flinched when Aizawa called him. “This wasn’t supposed to happen, was it?”

“No. I don’t think it should have.” For a moment no one said anything.

“Is she diagnosed with PTSD?” Honestly, Kan would not be surprised if she did. He would not be surprised if most participants in the blood-soaked nightmare of Yharnam had it. His face must have told Aizawa enough. “And you didn’t see fit to bring it up during the evaluation.”

“I had my reasons.”

“You can explain them to Nezu soon enough.” The principal was an understanding creature, but Aizawa was right that Kan omitted something very important during the briefing. If he mentioned it prior, chances were that Maria would be denied further education in U.A, and he would lose an easy way to keep track of her.

With Mensis present in the vicinity, she needed a safe haven more than anything now. Kan nodded stiffly and excused himself out of the booth. Mic watched him go with a concerned frown.

“You’re acting like these kids don’t have issues by the bucketful.” He said, but his words lacked conviction.

“He should have said so earlier. We have a counselor for that, Yamada.” Of course they had issues. His own class was rife with them, between Midoriya’s crippling (the pun was killing him) need to go in despite all odds, Todoroki’s barely-hidden contempt for his father (he had to get to the bottom of this) and Bakugo’s… everything. (ugh, where to start on this one…?)

“And you really think it’s PTSD?”

“Her blood was spilled which caused her to use her Quirk without thinking on it. The camera close-ups have a good shot of Muradasilova’s eyes from that moment.” Mic lowered his shades as Aizawa brought in the shot for their private viewing. “You tell me if this is a rational look.” No. No, it wasn’t. Mic hesitated to call it a human look in the first place.

“...so… she hates bleeding to a point of freaking out, but her Quirk is blood manipulation? Yeah, I can see why she’s not eager to use it.” There must have been something else to it, Aizawa thought. This was good enough for an initial case, but…

“Quirks can flare up in case of extreme emotions, but at the same time… it looked like Muradasilova had enough clarity of mind to restrain herself by directing the Quirk to the ground rather than off the surface.” Mic’s eyes widened in growing understanding.

“You think Kendo would be hurt badly by that flare up otherwise?” The description of Muradasilova’s Quirk suggested that her preferred methods of shaping her blood included sharp and pointy applications. Such were considered the best for the feral villains found in Finland. In Yharnam. In Cainhurst. The implications spoke for themselves. Aizawa’s eyes hardened.

“...I think she’d be dead, Yamada. And I don’t like that thought one bit.”

----

Maria clutched the sink as hard as she could, struggling to control her breathing.

There it was. The cursed heritage of Vilebloods, rearing out in a moment of weakness. And why? Because she was struck? Because the thought of bleeding seemed like such a distant memory that dredging it up awoke her base instincts? Because her deep-buried arrogance of a Cainhurst noble, thought gone through first rigorous training and then the nightmares of the hunt, decided to show its face?

Perhaps Maria herself was to blame for trying to surprise Itsuka – but it would be cold comfort if her control slipped and the blood flared upwards, into the soft flesh of her classmate. By Old Ones, I almost killed her.

Arrogant. She was arrogant in thinking that this was all beyond her, that she had outgrown the cursed snowy plains, that the arrival of Mensis would not rankle her. Arrogant in thinking she could lead Momo and Setsuna through these new discoveries while she herself barely functioned as a human being.

Her knuckles were bone white and the sink threatened to give out from under this unfair treatment with a creak of protest.

Arrogant pampered buffoon of a vampire

Maria did not hear the doors quietly opening, still refusing to look at the mirror. Her breathing was more even. She thought. Maybe.

Bloodthirsty tick in human skin

Someone was approaching her.

Master Kan should have left me in that fucking clocktower

Maria swerved, her hand seizing the sneaking stranger’s neck and lifting them to the wall with ease, buzzed up with adrenaline and stress. The other arm pulled back, ready to punch the offender’s life out-

Setsuna. The lizard girl mustered a smile and a wave, even with her throat in an uncomfortable iron grip. The white marble went completely still for several heartbeats before releasing the other. “Ouch. You can get really handsy like that, huh…” A joke. An attempt to lighten up the situation, even as she rubbed at her neck.

…

… “...do you… are you okay?” Setsuna’s question was quiet and soft. Maria’s lips quirked in a mirthless smile. “...it’s rhetorical, but… like… you know what I mean.”

“...I am not.”

“...can… I do something to help?”

“...I do not know.” Setsuna nodded before approaching her. Something in her expression spoke of momentary hesitation, at least before she wrapped her arms around the taller girl and squeezed, holding her in this tight hug. Maria stared, unsure how to take this. “...but you do not need to concern myself with—“

“Hush. I’ll concern myself all I like.” Setsuna huffed. “...I might not know what’s eating you, but I’m your friend. The least I can do is to give you support.”

“You really do not need to—“

“It’s okay to hurt, Maria. It doesn’t make you any worse or lesser.” The lizard girl seemed resolute. “...you’ve gone through more than most. It’s fine to feel weak or helpless, I think. You can’t be indomitable forever. I mean, I think even someone like All Might has those moments.”

“...I almost killed her, Setsuna. I saw a beast bearing down on me, not a classmate in a friendly bout.” Setsuna flinched slightly, but refused to let go of her. “...they will look into this, and give Master Kan grief over it. This is no place for me.”

“If Blasty McSplode can hack it out here, so can you.”

“Setsuna, this is different…” Her face was suddenly seized, cheeks squished by two disembodied hands. The lizard girl stepped back from the hug with a frown, shaking her head.

“Even if you told Itsuka all this, I know she would support you wholeheartedly. We all would. It was an accident, okay? You kept it together either way. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“...I can only hope you’re right…”

----

The fight for the third place didn’t last long.

Todoroki might not have been at his best, but the difference between him and Kendo could not be discounted. She got in close a few times, even managed to slug him once, but the volume of ice thrown at her in return quickly put her on the backfoot and immobilized her in short order.

Bakugo didn’t think much of it, or that Yaoi Hands didn’t look dismayed when leaving the arena. Guess some people just accepted they lost like the extras they were. Sometimes you were given a shit hand, pun not intended. Not that it mattered to him much. He had a bigger fish to fry.

The biggest, in fact. You could not miss Sequoia in a crowd even if you tried. Her fight with Yaoi Hands came real close. It looked to him like she finally used her Quirk there. At this point, Bakugo would settle even for marginal usage. He would be beating the smug out of her either way. The sheer gall to go into a hero school and then act like you were better than everybody else just because you didn’t use your Quirk? What kind of backasswards logic was that?! At least Half-n-Half had some dumb reasons for not using his fire, not that Bakugo liked it.

Oh well. Icyhot was a good enough warmup. Time for the main course. He emerged into the arena, ramrod straight and a competitive glint in his eyes. He was winning this tournament, and he was showing everyone just what the difference between him and them was. He was Katsuki Bakugo, the new No. 1 Hero to surpass All Might.

…

Sequoia was taking her sweet time getting here. Now that I thought about it, Present Mic didn’t call her to the stage like he called him. His eyes wandered to Midnight – it seemed she was consulting someone through an earpiece.

...no. No, she wouldn’t . Bakugo felt the muscles in his face go taut and nails dig in to his palms. That cowardly tree of an extra…! She was bailing on him?! She was bailing on the finals?! On the fucking finals?! After all that high-and-mighty talk?!

“Muradasilova decided to forfeit! The winner by walkover is Bakugo!” Midnight announced, rising the flag towards his side of the arena. At least the crowd seemed as upset about this as he was. And boy, was he upset.

“Bullshit! The hell did she go?!” He barked, stomping over to the teacher. Midnight didn’t look like she planned to sate his curiosity, her and Cementoss leaving shortly after and letting Bakugo stew in his anger.

----

“Wow, that’s fucking weaksauce.”

The ham radio in their prison van continued to relay the happenings of the Festival. Shigaraki wasn’t particularly interested – at least until it turned out the tall bitch Micolash was head over heels for decided to pussy out of the finals.

“I wonder why that was.” Kurogiri hummed, more to keep up the conversation than out of actual curiosity.

“It is puzzling. Did she suffer some kind of injury during her earlier fight?” Micolash pondered, face a cocktail of conflicting emotions. In its corner, the Eyebrain trilled quietly to itself, rocking back and forth.

“Man, wish we could have watched the telly instead…” Toga grumbled from the loudspeaker. The system jury-rigged by Edgar allowed them to have a two-way conversation despite the sheet of reinforced steel between them.

“I guess that Bakugo kid is happy about it, at least…” The bespectacled acquaintance of Micolash’s joined her shortly after. Just in time, the medal ceremony came about – and it was none other than All Might handing out the prizes. Shigaraki’s face twitched.

“Sate my curiosity, Mr. Shigaraki.” Micolash regarded him curiously. “Why is it that you hate this All Might with such burning passion?”

“Why don’t you?” Before the Cageface could get pouty about the rhetorical question, the League’s ringleader continued, scratching at his neck as he went. “He’s the top of this shitty Hero Society, the giant final boss that’s keeping all of us under his heel. Can’t remake this world into something proper without dusting him.”

“You do realize you might be in the minority with your opinion?”

“There’s a ton of people like me, Cageface. Obviously you don’t go around telling people about it, just like you never put milk before cereal.”

“Hey!” They heard Toga’s indignant scoff. Shigaraki opted to ignore her, instead listening to All Might congratulating… Kendo? Did they skip Big Princess altogether? That was hilarious.

“But yeah. You saw how many party members I brought with myself to the USJ.”

“With all due respect…” Micolash rolled his eyes slightly. Shigaraki growled. “You brought in common thugs who would kill for a dusty copper. I dare say you did not think your plan of assault through.”

“We had Nomu, until a certain someone slapped his shit with twenty SAN checks.” The Eyebrain continued trilling to itself. In the background, All Might was giving out a silver medal to that Half-n-Half kid.

“My point being, I could not quite figure you out. You said you went there with an idea to slay All Might and throw the Hero Society in disarray… but now that you have said it again, it feels like you are not quite honest with yourself.”

“What is your point, Mr. Micolash?” Kurogiri inquired, his tone a touch more tense than before.

“Mr. All For One let you go on this excursion for a reason: to learn. Not about All Might or the generation he might foster in the future, but about yourself.”

“What, you’re a fucking self-help book, too?” Shigaraki groused. Their ride took them off clean asphalt and somewhere bumpy. The van had no windows to guess just where they were. Just in time to hear how pleased the “Bakugo kid” was about his win – which was to say, not a whole lot.

“...petulant brat…” Edgar muttered from the loudspeaker, accompanied by Himiko’s little giggle.

“You could learn a lot from Mr. Bakugo, actually.” Micolash pointed out. “Perhaps not in terms of colorful vocabulary, but in conviction. Why, you can feel his determination to achieve the goals he set out to do even here, with only the radio to tell us about it.”

“...determination, huh…?” What Micolash was talking about felt like his usual nonsense, but some gears were already turning in Shigaraki’s head. That Bakugo kid was angry. He was furious, like a thrashing beast. The commentary from a studiospeaker even confirmed his thoughts: they had to chain the guy to the podium. Someone like this seemed like the kind of guy they could think to recruit.

“I, for one, am happy to see you taking this seriously.” The scholar nodded with a smile. “Heroes can grow and evolve, then why cannot villains like yourself?”

“...yeah, yeah. I’ll think on it. Where the hell are we going anyway?” This time Micolash’s smile turned just a little too wide.

“To a place of learning, Mr. Shigaraki.”

Chapter Text

Things in 1B have been quiet after the Festival.

They were for Setsuna, at least. After a weekend left to lick their wounds and rest after their herculean effort at the competition, she had yet to receive any word from Maria. Walking her out of that bathroom after her bout with Kendo was the last time she saw the white marble that day. They parted in good spirits, and it looked like Maria was ready to take on the finals…

...only for Midnight to declare her resignation from the fight. Bakugo won by default. She didn’t even receive a second place; Todoroki and Kendo were bumped up a spot each.

Maria did not return messages, she was not in the group chat. All Setsuna – and Kendo, who was getting increasingly antsy about it, too – had was the word from Vlad King that the white marble was fine. Or, at least, as fine as she could be. There was something off in the voice of their homeroom teacher. It seemed something was amiss.

The incident really rattled her – in a way that she hadn’t seen her rattled since the USJ. Even then it wasn’t quite on the same level.

The least she could do now was to help Kendo out. They hanged out on Sunday, having a little classmate date with ice-cream and a score of people coming over to offer them congratulations for the festival. It seemed both of them attracted their fair share of fans – Itsuka more than Setsuna. A lot of them were quick to reassure the redhead that she did as well as she could, considering she had Endeavor’s son on the other side of the arena.

Setsuna instead got to hear a whole bunch of puns about her meticulous battle plan falling apart. All in all, it didn’t feel like Itsuka was quite through with her worries yet, but she seemed to have appreciated the thought. They parted with a hug and a smile.

Now, it was time to return to the dull existence of a student. Making sure to steer clear of Blasty McSplode stomping through the gate like he was about to throw hands at it – guess some people just didn’t rest that weekend – she spotted Kaibara waving to her. “Yo. How goes?”

“Better than some.” Setsuna shook her head, gesturing towards the sandy-haired asshole barking something at the xerox of Tetsutetsu from 1A. (Kirishima, was it?) The Drill user made a grimace.

“Had some middleschoolers approach me on the train here. Told me not to worry about losing so hard in the finals.” Setsuna failed an urge to snicker. Kaibara shot her a dirty look. “Yeah, yeah, real funny.”

“I mean, hey, it’s still publicity! Gotta use what you can get for the internships.”

“I’ll keep “got bodied by Lil’deavor” off my portfolio, thanks.”

“Don’t let Kinoko hear you say that.”

----

The class was the usual pre-teacher appearance hustle and bustle. Maria was still missing.

“She normally arrives with Kan-sensei anyway.” Honenuki assuaged Setsuna with a gentle gesture. “I’m sure she just crashed the moment she got home.”

“Hmmm…” She hadn’t really told anyone what happened in that bathroom, not even Kendo. The redhead looked towards the door now and then with a worried frown on her face.

“Setsuna. Maria’s been high-strung the entire tournament. She didn’t show it until it spilled during her fight with Kendo.” The Softening user shook his head, giving her a sympathetic look. “I’m sure she’s fine now. I just hope she takes it to heart.”

“...what do you mean?”

“She’s gotta use that Quirk of hers.” Kamakiri cut into conversation with a grouse. “Like, that’s the whole point of being in this school, right?”

“It…” Reiko shuffled in close, looking unsure whether to continue. “...is it our place to question her? I am certain her reasons for abstaining are sound.”

“Quirkless Pros exist only in fiction.” The mantis boy grumbled. “And if she’s going to keep bottling it up like that, someone is gonna get hurt, either her or some poor sap she’s fighting.”

“Kamakiri’s right. Now that’s a rare sentence to make.” Kuroiro popped in the background.

“You wanna say that again, inkblot?!”

“Whatever it was that she did in her fight with Kendo, it was her Quirk – and it looked like she didn’t control it.” Honenuki shook his head. “It’s not even like Midoriya’s Quirk, that one weird accident with Shinsou aside.”

“I can only hope she is alright…” Reiko sighed, eyes trailing to the doors: Vlad King had just made his entrance, with a big cardboard box in his arms. There was no sight of Maria with him.

“To your seats, class.” A little hustle and bustle of nineteen people moving about later, 1B’s homeroom teacher’s eyes went about the class, stopping briefly on Itsuka and then on Setsuna. The lizard girl flinched. “First of all, congratulations on your first Sports Festival. I don’t doubt all of you have gone beyond, and honored the motto of this school. Make sure you don’t let it get to your heads, of course – there is plenty of work to be done yet.”

Vlad King gestured towards the box. “Inside are the internship offers sent from all four corners of Japan. I’m pleased to say that the numbers are even among between your class and 1A.” Monoma resisted an urge to scoff. A draw was not a win yet. “The first block of today’s classes will be used for you to get familiarized with the offers – and prepare for the special afternoon class with Midnight.”

“S-s-special class?” Tsuburaba stammered before he could think on it. A few people snickered in the background.

“You’ll be picking your hero names. 1A is going first in the morning hours.” Tension filled the classroom. Hero names? Wasn’t that a little early? Some, at least, didn’t look worried – Kendo and Kamakiri seemed to have some ideas in mind. “Use the extra time to think on yours.”

“...Mr. Kan…? Is… Maria okay?” Kinoko’s voice cut through the ambient silence. Most eyes wandered to the mushroom girl before trailing over to their homeroom teacher. Vlad King’s face was impassive.

“...she’ll join us for the afternoon class.” Setsuna couldn’t help but notice that this wasn’t exactly a yes or no, but the response seemed to have lessened some of the worries among the class. “Right. Kendo, Shishida – can I trust you to handle the internship flyers?” The teacher’s eyes went over to the lizard girl. “Tokage. A word outside, if you will.”

----

Ryo Inui, the Hunting Hero Hound Dog, and U.A.’s very own counselor had his work cut out for him.

He was used to people doubting his ability to offer meaningful help to the visiting students, what’s with his rough-n-tumble look. The giant growling dog in a muzzle being an accomplished counselor helping hero hopefuls (and not only them!) sort out their problems with ruthless efficiency? Truly, U.A. had it all.

This time however, it was a special case.

Maria Muradasilova sat across him, taut as a string and doing her hardest to avoid eyecontact. Not the first time Inui saw her do that – they could not pass each other in the hallway without the 1B student diving into a side corridor. He had a general idea why that was: the report Kan provided for the school faculty regarding his recommendation of Muradasilova spoke at length about heteromorphic villains with lupine features running rampant in her homeland.

Kan was visiting an associate in Finland at the time and became embroiled in the grueling story full of traumatic experiences culminating in him becoming the girl’s legal guardian in Japan. In hindsight, Muradasilova having PTSD should have been expected – but Vlad never specified that she suffers from one. Inui could believe that too: some people had an uncanny ability to resist tragedies and continue even in spite of the hardships.

Except what Muradasilova had instead was an ability to pretend she was fine – until she wasn’t.

Aizawa provided him with a detailed recount of her bout with Kendo at the Festival, supported by Kan’s tacit approval. Vlad would later go on to ask Inui a few things to ensure the process would be going smoothly. Muradasilova would not be counseled alone: two people of her choosing would be selected to accompany her, if they so desired.

Given what he saw of her, those two being Yaoyorozu and Tokage made sense. They were the closest to her at school, and it seemed that she was more at ease with their mere presence nearby. 1A’s ace was currently sitting next to her, offering Muradasilova a reassuring smile, her hand holding the other girl’s.

“Right. You think you’re ready now, Muradasilova?” Inui queried. The tall girl shifted slightly in her seat before offering a curt nod. “Alright. Before we begin, I would like to assure you that nothing we’ll discuss here will leave this room, unless you want it to.”

“Understood, sir.” She replied with a clipped tone, refusing to look anywhere near him. Yaoyorozu nodded along, looking determined to be her friend’s emotional pillar.

“...and before we begin getting to the bottom of this, I want to stress that you are not in danger of expulsion. Nor should Kan be in trouble either.” That got her to perk up a little with disbelief. “Although I imagine the Principal gave him the dressing down already.”

“...I see. That is a relief.” Muradasilova nodded, some of her tension escaping with a sigh. Yaoyorozu held her hand a little stronger. “It would be a disservice to ruin my guardian’s life with my unwanted presence.”

“Don’t think for a second that you are a guilty party here.”

“...if you say so, sir.”

“Now… I understand that I might look threatening to you. Why don’t you tell me about what sparked this apprehension first.” Maria stirred slightly before nodding. If she was to spend time on these counseling sessions, she had to get it into her head that Hound Dog was not a scourge-addled beast of Yharnam. Easier said than done, even as he demonstrated how different he was from their ilk.

But sometimes the blockade inside one’s head just would not let go no matter what one did.

----

Nemuri Kayama reclined in her seat, watching 1B think hard on their hero names.

The class with 1A she would consider successful. There were a few duds – Bakugo, obviously, but also Ashido and it seemed like both Iida and Todoroki decided to hold off from taking the names they initially planned to – but otherwise it was a collection of fresh and inspiring names that could both reassure civilians in peril and look good on an ad.

There was one issue. Shiozaki’s chosen hero name was “Maria”, a reference to the Virgin Mary. For an ardent Christian like her, it made enough sense. Of course, given that one particular student in 1B shared a name with Ibara’s chosen moniker, Midnight advised her to consult with Muradasilova so that they wouldn’t step on each other’s toes.

Of course, that was before that heartbreaking conclusion to the Festival. Now, all Kayama had to work with was an instruction not to press Muradasilova on her hero name much. Or at all. Indeed, the tallest of 1B spent no time even considering the name, her eyes long stuck on a spot just above the blackboard. She made no movement, still like a statue. Most people had since left her to it, but it was obvious her classmates worried for her.

It seemed that Muradasilova came to appreciate their concern. At least there was that for her.

The whole school faculty knew that the girl had come from a turbulent background, but it seemed Kan obscured the finer details from them. Or perhaps Muradasilova herself was not aware of her own limitations. It was up to Inui to figure out if she could continue the education here, although Kayama couldn’t help but worry for her. Although Muradasilova was a model student, both in theoretical and practical matters, she lacked perhaps the most important quality that a hero hopeful should possess: drive. Determination. The desire to become a hero in the first place.

She could see why Kan suggested she applies here – but there was only so much you could do without that desire.

“Alright, everyone! Who’s going to take this first leap and show off their new me to their classmates?” She called to the students. Kamakiri rose from his seat half a second before Kendo did. “First come, first serve~ Go ahead, Kamakiri-kun.” The mantis boy made his way to the podium with his board hidden from view. Judging by the toothy smirk on his face, he was mighty pleased with himself.

“Get ready to get your socks rocked off. Hack-n-Slash Hero… Jack Mantis!” He announced, presenting the board. “The “mantis” part is self-explanatory, and there’s this one Jack who was good with blades like yours truly—“

“Oh my god, Kamakiri!” Tsuburaba threw his hands up exasperatedly. “You can’t just name yourself after Jack the Ripper!”

“Actually… no, this is perfect.” Midnight nodded approvingly. “There’s a market for bad boys who disrespect authority even on the pro-hero scene. Just make sure to keep it to your kayfabe, Kamakiri-kun~”

“Ha! Up yours, Tsuburaba!” The googly-eyed boy grumbled under his breath. Setsuna spotted Rin begrudgingly slipping Kaibara a one thousand yen note under the table.

----

Kendo’s name was much more straightforward.

“I still need to figure out the moniker, but… Battle Fist.” She smiled, presenting her board. “I know it’s painfully straightforward, but—“

“But nothing, Kendo-chan! Simple is best!” Itsuka tinted red at Midnight’s praise. It seemed the rest of the class agreed with the sentiment. Others followed after the first two, emboldened by their success – but not everyone has found it.

“Mushroom Hero: Gnocchi Nyokonyoko!” Kinoko announced proudly, her board adorned with a cutesy fly agaric instead of an exclamation point.

“How… do you spell that?” Yui asked uncertainly. The mushroom girl blinked, then blinked again, mouth opening, then closing.

“I, uh… I mean, I just said it, so…”

“It’s a cute name, but it might be a bit much.” Midnight nodded. Kinoko deflated with a little “oh”. “But don’t be discouraged, Komori-chan.”

Next came Monoma, with a daring flourish and elegant caligraphy. “Dashing Hero: Lupin the Fourth—“

“Sorry, Monoma-kun, that’ll get you copyright-struck.” The blond made a face.

“Phantom Thief, then?”

“...that’ll do!”

----

Little by little, everyone picked a name for themselves.

Setsuna’s mind was admittedly drawing a blank. “Lizardy”, in hindsight, might not have been what she wanted to pick – but Midnight and her classmates liked it, so she stuck with it for the time being. She had three years to change it, after all. At least Honenuki’s “Mudman” made a reference of sorts to his Quirk.

Then there were Reiko and Shishida who had to carefully explain their hero names and what cultured things they were based on, Tsuburaba who ended up not picking anything (“Aerosmith will get you copyright-struck, too.”), Yui’s “Rule” (how did it have to do with anything?), Awase’s “Welder” (well, that’s almost painfully straightforward for a change!)…

Kinoko settled for “Shemage” – cute and clever – Kuroiro picked “Vantablack”, Tetsutetsu stuck to his guns with “Real Steel”… it felt like most people in their class had an idea they wanted to stick to. It made Maria’s complete silence stand out even more. Once Bondo introduced his hero name, she remained the only one still left (Tsuburaba aside). Slowly, the white marble’s eyes moved past the one spot in classroom she surveyed all that time and towards her own board.

“...do you have an idea for yourself, Muradasilova-kun?” Midnight asked gently. Maria remained still and silent. “I suppose there is no rush for you to pick—“

“...actually… there is something on my mind.” Normally Setsuna would snicker at the sight of Manga almost jumping out of his seat, but she was pretty sure she was barely holding herself together in hers. “Please give me a minute. I would like to make sure the name is correctly written.” Yet, she didn’t grab her pen, putting the board down and then slowly running the underside of her index finger over her teeth.

Thus she wrote with her own blood, not looking inconvenienced about the notion in the slightest. “And not just in a manner of grammatical correctness.” Setsuna swallowed, sensing the slight timbre of a mirthless laugh. The reactions varied: Itsuka paled, Monoma frowned, Kamakiri mumbled “that’s not what I meant…” under his breath. Soon Maria was finished with her grim writing, walking over to the podium.

Slowly, the board turned – and Setsuna felt like she had just swallowed a rock.

Vlad King had approached her in the morning hours with the quick rundown of the events.

Maria was prescribed counseling with Hound Dog. The review of her earlier fight with Kendo seemed to suggest that she might be suffering from PTSD of sorts. Due to their school counselor’s unique appearance however, it was agreed that Maria would be allowed to pick two people that – given the right circumstances – would participate alongside her, at least until she got used to Hound Dog.

Naturally, Setsuna agreed without a second thought, and she knew that Yaomomo would be down for the idea as well. It was one thing to learn about her backstory and what she went through by means of a dry account, and another to experience them in person. She’d try her best for her – because she knew the reverse would apply if the circumstances were different.

But now…

“This is perhaps not something fitting for a hero – but I believe honesty with oneself is important as well. Thus, this name.”

But now, as she stared down the crimson red “ Vileblood ” , Setsuna wondered if she could actually help at all.

----

One of the suggestions Maria received during the counseling session was to use her Quirk to “destress”.

Hound Dog described it as letting an air out of a balloon that’s about to burst, but not to a point where too much of it will escape and render it flightless. It was a sound idea, she thought. Ever since she left the nightmare behind, her Quirk was unused in an outwardly fashion. It was not quite true that she completely abstained from usage, but never did the blood she used left her body.

But that just didn’t seem to be enough. Thus, outwardly practice.

It was how she stumbled upon Iida; with an outstretched palm upon which danced two lances of blood, each a couple of centimeters wrong. “...ah, Muradasilova-kun. Good to see you.” 1A’s class rep greeted her with a nod. Something seemed to be stilted even in his already stilted personage. They haven’t interacted much, but Maria had heard that he had a bit of a reputation as a “robot” among her peers. “How are you holding up?”

“...how are you?” Of course, Iida had understandable reasons to be uneasy. The morning news spoke all about it.

The Hero Killer Stain crippled Ingenium – Iida’s older brother and a hero of immaculate repute – as his recent victim. Although Tensei Iida survived the altercation, the damage he sustained rendered him paraplegic and unable to continue in his hero duties. The Ingenium line of heroes came to a sudden end, with their remaining scion still a mere student.

To his credit, Iida seemed composed about it. “Thank you for your concern. It is what it is – and I have to continue the best I can. Still, you must not neglect your own plights, Muradasilova- kun .” Maria wasn’t sure how public the knowledge of her getting counseling was, but it was presumably something easily put together, especially by someone as smart as Iida.

“Of course. I shall endeavor to better myself. If you do not mind me asking, have you decided on your choice of internship?”

“Ah, I think I’ll be going with Manual’s office.” Not a name she was familiar with. Perhaps it would behoove her to get educated on these names before she settled for one office to deal with. Her earlier plan presumed she would weasel her way out of internships somehow, but after the disastrous fight with Kendo and everything that followed after, Maria decided she could not afford this kind of mistake again.

She gave Master Kan enough grief. Enough. “Would you tell me something about this Manual?”

“Ah, right, I suppose you might not be fully familiar with Japanese pros yet.” Iida gave her a quick rundown of Manual: water Quirk, kind if unexciting, believes in public service and giving a good example to his fellow Pros. Frankly, it seemed like interning under him would be a plain experience, devoid of excitement and risk… if not for one thing.

Manual’s office was located in Hosu City – and that was where Stain was last spotted. Where Ingenium was crippled. “I figured I should seek an experience that best familiarizes me with the boring parts of being a pro.” Iida concluded his exposition, idly adjusting his glasses. “The last thing I would want is to feel the burnout from the mundane tasks.”

“I see the logic in that.” 1A’s class rep seemed like a reasonable fellow – but his older brother, a model hero, almost lost his life to a bloodthirsty villain who sought to dispose of “fakes”. The whiplash would drive even the most logical minds to irrational action. And frankly, Maria had interest in Stain herself. Something about him seemed awfully familiar even back when they first met. He was a fellow hunter of sorts, but she felt a strange sense of kinship with that ghoulish man that went even beyond that.

Follow the scent of blood, and it shall give you answers. “...do you suppose Manual would accept another application?”

----

Setsuna stretched in her bed. It was a lazy Sunday morning; one last day of respite before they would begin their internships. Their very first lick of being a pro was just ahead.

When she first came to U.A., she never expected to have difficulty choosing who to intern under – but it seemed she caught an eye of a fair number of Pros. U.A. was willing to provide internships for those unlucky not to catch interest, but it seemed no one in neither class was put in such a situation this year.

Eventually, she settled for Majestic. Perhaps it was a little presumptuous of her to just take a hero from Top 20, but hey! He was the one who forwarded the invitation in the first place. Might as well go for it. She wasn’t the only one either; apparently Rin caught the attention of Ryukyu herself. Interning under a No. 9 Hero was as good as it was going to get for a baby-faced freshman.

Well, Todoroki was apparently interning under Endeavor, but that was neither here nor there.

Some other notable internships she recalled were Yui and 1A’s Shiozaki under Mount Lady and Kamui Woods respectively, Tetsutetsu and his 1A xerox under Fourth Kind, Kendo and Yaomomo going to Uwabami…

...Maria accompanying Iida to Hosu with Manual.

Curious choice on her end, Setsuna thought, but at the same time she was happy to have the white marble attend any internship at all. After their talk in a maid cafe, it felt as if she would not even entertain the notion. Yet, it seemed that Maria was getting better. The “Vileblood” thing set off alarm bells at the time, but turned out to be just a first rocky step to her betterment.

...Setsuna hoped so, at least.

----

The sword’s name was Rakuyo.

It was an ancient design. Mei would give it… five hundred years at the very least, and even that might have been a generous estimate. Not that it stopped it from being efficient. After all, the common wheel didn’t exactly change much ever since some guy in the prehistory made a first ever copy.

Maria was unwilling to elaborate much on its history, but the parchment she gave the inventor came with additional notes. Rakuyo was considered a rarer of two exotic blades used by the people of Cainhurst, Finland. Its design demanded greater dexterity and could only be mastered by the skillful or the stubborn. That made sense, Mei thought. It was, after all, two swords made into one – and dual wielding was always more difficult, no matter if it was two swords or two wrenches. Rakuyo at least made things easier for the user by transitioning from a twinblade held in one hand to a gunto and a dagger. One for the dominant hand, one for the off-hand.

Mei, ultimately, was not a swordsmith. Her main strengths came in hydraulics and electronics, things that generally were not weapons on their own. It tickled her pink that Maria would approach her rather than look for some professional, but she wasn’t sure if the materials she used for the production would keep up with the ancient steel of the original design. It was not Cainhurst’s own, instead imported from Japan – but trying to find any history accounts from before Quirks was something only for the strong of will.

Reinforced plastics, carbon steel alloys, what few nanites she could get her hands on – all of this applied together created a sword that was tough, bendable, sharp, resistant to corrosion and the elements. No additional elements were added to the design, as Maria wanted. It certainly lacked flair that normally characterized Mei’s other creations, but there was something nice and elegant in it too. It certainly was an interesting experience for her.

Now, 1B’s mysterious student was here to retrieve it. Just the two of them in the workshop on a Sunday afternoon. Power Loader let Mei tinker with stuff even on weekends, although under surprisingly stricter conditions than during the week. Considering that it was a courtesy, pinkette figured she can try and hold to these regulations, at least. If it meant getting to work extra hours, spending time figuring out new inventions and patents… what was some restraint to it if not a prize to be paid?

“Well, here it is.” Mei gestured to the sheathed blade resting on the workshop table. She even made a scabbard for it, an electromagnetic wonder that protected the blade from damage and had a sharpening function in case the sword ever went dull. Well, a double scabbard, considering it was a twinblade and all. She didn’t really think to make it all fancy; it was more of an afterthought once the blade itself was complete.

Maria ran her fingers over the boxy case. Inside was a faithful copy of her old shame. That sword kept her company for what felt like a better half of her life – until she cast it into a well, exhausted with the horrors she went through. Back then, Rakuyo felt like a tumor, like an unwanted growth that she got rid of before it could take control of her. Now the nightmares were returning in full force, ready to corrupt this world of hope and promise.

She was no longer a scared fledgling. She was a protector and a huntress. Beasts were hers to skin. “Wanna give it a test run?” Mei’s voice came almost as if through the fog. Maria blinked, turning back to the pinkette. “Power Loader said we have a few old Villain Bots in the storage, if you’re interested.”

“I do not doubt the quality of your craft, Mei. Your word is enough for me.”

“...well, it’s not enough for me.” Maria’s head tilted, watching Mei deflate. What a strange look for her, to seem so defeated. “I… normally I’m pretty confident with my stuff. You know how I am, and all that. A sword like this? That was a first for me, and I can tell it meant a lot for you to have it back.”

“A demonstration would put you at ease, then?”

“...well, I don’t want it to break the moment you try to hit some villain with it. My babies should be tougher than that.” Maria nodded. It seemed only fair. After all, no amount of favors could equal getting Rakuyo back. She could test how compatible the new sword was with her Quirk later however. There was no need to give Mei a needless scare. For now, she had to make sure if her edge was still there.

“Lead the way, then.”

----

Mei saw Maria move before.

She watched her effortlessly move through thick ice and robot scrap both, with two people on her back, no less. She saw her balance on tightropes, and then dash through a minefield with perfect poise.

All of that felt like sluggish waddling compared to the movement she presented now.

The old Villain Bots were n’t really a threat to even the clumsiest of hero students, but it didn’t make Maria’s show any less impressive. Or was it her baby’s show? Probably a shared effort. Point being, both blades of Rakuyo could cut through Villain Bots like butter. It seemed Maria herself was surprised by how sharp they were, but she never stopped flowing like water, moving from one to another in a blinding show of martial skill.

Damnit, Mei’s Quirk enhanced her sight, and she still had trouble following the spectacle.

She stood there among the wreckage, the gunto and the dagger clicking together to create a twinblade. It twirled in Maria’s hand before she raised it to assess it from up close. “It is an artisan’s work. I could have not asked for a better replica.” Those cool eyes turned towards Mei. “I am forever in your debt, Mei.”

“Ah, well… y-you don’t have to make it sound this urgent…” Odd. She never got like this. Praise was nice, but she never felt like she had nothing to say or like her tongue got stuck in her throat... “Just make sure you don’t break it, alright? I mean… you know how to handle swords better than me, probably… and stuff...”

“I would never. ‘tis a gift that must be treasured for as long as I draw breath.” The blade split apart in two as Maria walked over to place each end in the case. “Perhaps it might seem inconsequential to you, in the grand scheme of things, but I cannot overstate how important the Rakuyo has been for me. For better or for worse.”

“Alright! Well, the test run went smoothly, so I guess all should be well. So!” Mei walked over to Maria with a thumbs-up. “You give it your all on the internships! And let me know if you ever need any new baby for your heroing needs!” The taller girl blinked, and then smiled, offering a nod of understanding. Mei expected things to end there.

That all two meters of Maria would bend down, take her hand in hers and gently press her lips to the top of it… well, less so. “It would be my pleasure.”

Chapter Text

Enji Todoroki clicked his tongue in annoyance.

It’s been over a week since Tomura Shigaraki, Kurogiri and Eyebrain were freed from their temporary holding cells and then vanished without a trace. What little evidence could be gathered from the crime scene – although Endeavor would frankly consider it a slaughterhouse more than anything – pointed to The School of Mensis’s involvement.

It made sense for them to want to extract their lieutenant, laconic she (he? It?) might have been, but the report from the USJ – and Shigaraki’s own begrudged words – indicated that LOV and Mensis had no love lost for each other. The two making use of a prison break chaos could be discounted too; no other prisoner escaped. Some died, presumably killed by the… things that were found at the scene.

The Nomu’s history could have been traced easily enough once a sample of its DNA was put under investigation. A two-bit thug was turned into a terrifying warmachine meant to take on All Might. Its mind however was scrubbed clean of any thought or memory, and made it more vulnerable to whatever it was Eyebrain did to it at the scene.

The creatures found at the cells were human once, too, but the initial results found on a particularly notable specimen – the one whose life was cut short with a knife thrown right into its throat – had the investigating team scramble their brains in confusion.

It was old. Older than Quirk history as they knew it.

And now he had to deal with the internships on top of that. At this point, it seemed likely that his errant son would be getting field experience in investigation procedures for the next week. The closest thing they had to a trail was going into rural areas, nearby the mountain where Wild Wild Pussycats operated. A joint venture between Flaming Sidekickers and those four was probably the most efficient way of covering the most terrain in the shortest amount of time – and finding better clues as to what Mensis and LOV were both up to.

Hopefully, a desire to be a hero would trump over Shouto’s petty rebellion and finally have him using his fire in earnest…

----

Setsuna wasn’t sure what she expected when she first visited Majestic’s office.

The guy rocked a wizard aesthetic, complete with his Quirk making it look like actual magic. He was only in his 30’s, so she didn’t think it would be a boring place, especially not with a sidekick that looked like an actual wizard hat someone slapped on a human being. “Big Hat Logan”, she recalled his name being. Still, it must have been something respectable, right? Majestic was just at the cusp of entering Top 10, the cream of the crop all heroes aspired to become one day.

Nope. It was a veritable score of saucy pin-ups all over the walls of his office. Her eyes found themselves wandering, recognizing some of women on the walls from, uh, confidential sources. Yeah, that might have been why he had yet to hit Top 10... “Tokage-chan, perfect timing!” There he was, having just finished putting on his sunglasses like he was waiting for a specific moment to shield his eyes from her. His hair was cut short and face adorned with an uncaring stubble. “I do love me a punctual intern.”

“S-sir.” Setsuna straightened up when addressed, the grip on her suitcase tightening a little as she forced herself to stare anywhere but at the posters. She didn’t even know Miss Joke did modeling…!

“Nah, none of that. Kannagi-san when offduty, Majestic when on patrol.” The man shook his head. “But first of all, thanks for choosing me. Don’t doubt you’ve had plenty of offers to choose from.”

“Well, I figured that my Quirk is the closest to yours from what I could gather.” It wasn’t a 1-to-1 comparison, but both involved manipulating a number of small elements at once. “So where to go but to the Pro where I can learn the most under, right?”

“Careful, some would accuse you of buttering up an old dog for an easier time at the internship.” Majestic chuckled, offhandedly sending her a document and a pen with a conjured disk. “Now, make sure you look this over carefully.”

“What’s that?”

“Just a few checkmarks for you to fill – or not. I’ve got a busy schedule, and not all of it involves exciting hero stuff.” Setsuna raised an eyebrow, looking over the positions on the list, just below the “I agree to participating in” headline.

Advertisements. Talk-shows. Photo ops. Game shows? Stand-up comedy? Stand-up comedy? “The way I see it, you hero hopefuls have plenty of time to figure out the nitty-gritty of the show-business part of being a pro. Some of my colleagues oftentimes use interns for stuff like that without their input, more like extra props than anything.” Majestic shrugged. “And some of this stuff gets really stressful, too. You have no idea how many times I’ve been raked over the coals for messing up a line at the game show.”

“...well… you know our school’s motto, don’t you, Kannagi-san?” Setsuna smiled impishly. “...and honestly, stand-up sounds grand. I’d never have the courage to try it on my own though.”

“Lucky for you, second-to-last day of your internship involves a stand-up competition. If you dare.” Oh, did she ever. “But for now, let us go on patrol! I’ll see you at the entrance in half an hour.” Majestic rose from his seat, grabbing a hat that previously rested on his desk and putting it on with a dramatic flourish. “Big Hat Logan will show you to your room. If you need anything, feel free to ask him.”

“Got it, Kannagi-san. And looking forward to working with you~”

----

Momo’s first impressions of her internship were decidedly less impressive.

Credit where it was due, Uwabami was disarmingly honest as to why she picked her and Kendo for the internship: because of their looks. The redhead seemed particularly disappointed with the reveal. No small wonder: she made it all the way to the lowest podium during the Festival, so to be told that her martial skill meant so little… at least in her case, Momo’s performance was much less impressive.

Before they could even get the lay of the land, the snake-haired heroine was already herding them to the studio. Their hair was done up, their makeup applied, their hero costumes touched up to accentuate some of that “gifted cuteness”, as Uwabami put it.

...admittedly, Momo kind of liked the drills. Unfortunately, before they could shelf this experience under “a one-of-a-kind event to think of later”, already they were going to another photo op. And another. And another. Uwabami was a busy person, it seemed, and the cosmetics industry loved her for it. Even once they finally got to go on patrol, most of their time was spent awkwardly standing aside while the pro they “interned” under basked in the glory of adoring fans.

Admittedly, they received some fans of their own, and it kind of felt good to be acknowledged – most people approaching them seemed to be taking in account their Festival performance first and everything else second.

...most.

To Uwabami’s credit – Momo resisted an urge to pinch herself at the notion – she was quick to keep the more unsavory “fans” off them. The one with a flat nose and a receding hairline, with arms like two loaves of bread, was not too gently “escorted” away by the genuine fans. Another one, with eyestalks and an overbite, almost jumped out of his pants when one of Uwabami’s snakes snapped its jaw at him.

Guess she did care for them, after all. In a sense.

----

Kinoko hoped for an internship with Uwabami, if she was being honest.

Her desire to become an idol heroine meant that she would inevitably have to get familiarized with the commercial side of the business. Popularity and celebrity status helped in becoming known – and thus, being able to bring a smile to as many faces as possible. Lucky Itsuka and Yaomomo, going to her.

Kinoko sighed in resignation. Of course Uwabami wouldn’t pick a mushroom girl. Duh. Instead she was going off to rural areas where you could barely even get to with a train to begin with. First going with a bullet train, then switching between no less than three local railways… at least she wasn’t going alone, even if 1A’s Koda wasn’t much for conversation himself. Apparently the Pro he interned under lived nearby her own.

The Fungal Heroine, Elizabeth. Semi-retired after a long and distinguished career all across Europe, now content to live out the rest of her life as a Pro by protecting the small folk of rural areas. A Quirk that let her root herself in place, like a sturdy mycelium, lent itself to no small amount of lives saved back in her heyday. And yet, Elizabeth always seemed to shy away from the spotlight even back then, let alone now.

The Hero Ranking last year listed her below the Top 2000. That far down. Kinoko haven’t even heard of her until she received her internship offer.

Her plan to hitch a ride with Maria and Setsuna was catching up to her – and she was reaping its fruit little by little. Those two got to show their stuff later afterwards. All she did was get eliminated as the very first person in the Dodgeball round. As far as most Pros knew, she was just an opportunistic little gremlin who dropped off the moment she stopped leeching off others.

...ah, nothing like self-loathing to start the internship with.

A quiet rustle. Kinoko blinked, realizing she was hunched over in her seat and straightened up almost like a person waking up from a nightmare. Next to her, Koda sheepishly offered her a granola bar. “...ah. Um, t-thanks.” To be honest, she was a little hungry. And, well, it was a distraction from that dangerous thought spiral she was in just a moment ago. Koda nodded, the gentle concern on his face giving way to relief.

He was alright, she thought.

----

“Muradasilova-san, I’d like to ask you a favor.”

Maria’s eyebrow rose. The introductions with Manual went smoothly enough. They went over the patrolling schedules, some basic ground rules, and the like – nothing too difficult or complicated. Yet now, it seemed that the man in a blue helmet with a fin had something on his mind. Iida was not present for this discussion; Manual’s secretary was showing him around the premises.

“I have a reason to believe that Iida-san might have picked my agency for ulterior motives.” Ah, so that’s what this was about. At least he was nothing if not perceptive, but that made things more difficult for her.

“Sir?”

“The Hero Killer was last spotted here, in Hosu City. It’s likely he’s still around, looking for new victims.” Manual’s eyebrows furrowed. “I presume you know who his last victim was?”

“Iida’s brother. Are you suggesting he would be rash enough to try and seek the Hero Killer for revenge?”

“It’s a possibility that I cannot discount. I will talk this over with him soon as well, but… I would like you to keep an eye on him, just in case. I realize this is a breach of trust, but… at the end of the day, us heroes have a responsibility to uphold. We cannot let our personal feelings get in the way of that.”

“I see. If you think this is necessary, then I shall not leave his side.” The air escaped from the pro-hero as he let out a relieved sigh.

“Sorry for putting this extra responsibility on your head, Muradasilova-san. Good luck willing, it won’t amount to anything.” Maria nodded, already aware that this was not going to be the case. She would be tagging along with Iida, though she had yet to decide if she would be trailing him in secret or openly. “But for now, try not to think too much about it. This patrol shouldn’t be anything extraordinary.”

“Of course, sir.”

“...although I suppose you might be sticking out a bit with your hero costume.” Maria shifted slightly in place. Manual’s outfit was very much a modern aesthetic expected of a pro-hero, and Iida’s armor had enough technology in it not to consider it archaic. Her leathers, in comparison…

Oh well. She did not care for what was considered an acceptable fashion statement. Manual seemed to pick on that quickly enough. “Er, don’t take this the wrong way. Just making an observation.” He said sheepishly. “Anyway, we’ve probably kept Iida-san waiting long enough. Shall we be off?”

“Sir.” She nodded, picking up the boxy high-tech case. It must have been a new addition to her costume that she had yet to personalize, Manual thought, not giving it further thought.

----

The Nomu were an interesting experiment to consider, Micolash thought.

Now that the Mensis’s odd “rivalry” with the League of Villains turned into collaboration, they could sit back and plot their next move. Shigaraki had ideas about recruiting Stain for the cause, but the scholar was quick to discourage him from it. Given how the Hero Killer reacted to his proposal, and Shigaraki’s own hair-trigger temper, it would become a bloodbath before it became a rapport.

They didn’t really need a Hero Killer to use his ill repute however. The plan was simple enough: send the Nomu to Hosu and let the feeble minds connect them to Stain by association. After all, there were no coincidences in such matters. Certainly, the Hero Killer wasn’t spotted with backup before – but things could change, and who could possibly be better to offer aid to his cause than two of the most infamous villain groups in Japan right now?

Admittedly, Micolash didn’t really care for any of that – but for now, he played along with Shigaraki’s fantasies. It granted him access to some of the lesser Nomu made by Mr. AFO’s doctor – a charming fellow named Ujiko – and thus let him examine these creatures in better detail. And, as a show of goodwill on Mensis’s part, they would be upgraded with some of their own blueprints.

The Nomu had raw brawn – but they still needed brains.

Micolash was not the kind to shirk from a challenge, poking around at the brain of the pale, four-eyed Nomu with a set of tools. Before his eyes were opened to the eldritch truth, he considered himself a respectable chirurgeon of all fields, able to pick apart even the most puzzling of organisms apart. In his spare time, he’d been trying to impart this knowledge to Himiko, with… mixed results. There was such a thing as “too much enthusiasm”.

And while he worked the blessings of Kos and Mergo onto these soulless husks of the League, so did Ujiko agree to lend a hand and give the darling Maria some of this brute strength in return. He would be sending her someplace else – after a familiar trail.

Acquiring the moon-touched lasses was only a matter of when rather than if. He had no doubts about that.

----

While the hero hopefuls had their internships, the rest of UA continued the mundane school life. Well, as mundane as it could get with Hatsume around.

At least, that was what Power Loader would normally say, but it seemed something had the pinkette down in the dumps. Not the usual string of technological failures, no; Hatsume was very much not the kind of an inventor to get discouraged by things blowing up. If anything, things blowing up only spurred her on to do more, no matter how much of a mess she would leave afterwards.

The UA robots might have been designed for cleaning duty, but Power Loader couldn’t help but pity them a little bit.

Even still, it seemed like today’s been a rough day for the prodigy. He wasn’t really equipped to deal with emotional turmoil, and it might have been something minor or… ah, curses. “Hatsume? Something on your mind?” Might as well give it a shot. Her head didn’t really move from the desk where it rested, pink dreads all over her face.

“Not really, prof. I’ve been dry as a desert the last few days.” Well, that certainly was a cause for concern. Hatsume wasn’t the kind to let other people’s jeering get in the way of her success – and there was a lot of jeering every time the development studio would fill out with smoke from another failed “baby” of hers – but perhaps even her boundless energy had a limit.

“You’ve been sleeping well?”

“Three power naps a night, as always.” ...he had to poke that Shinsou from general studies about trying to get her proper sleep for once. “Normally I do extra work between them, but… nada this time.”

“So what’s eating you?”

“I think…” Mei didn’t continue immediately, forcing herself up to a proper sit and fixing some of the errant hairs off her face. Her eyes, usually laser-sharp, lacked much of that clarity today. “I think I have a crush, prof.”

Ah. Well… not what he expected, he’d give her that. “Like… I think that’s what it is. The whole butterflies in your stomach thing, and how you’re distracted and can’t think of anything but that person… not even my precious babies…”

“Muradasilova?”

“Yeppers.” A moment of silence. Mei blinked and looked up sharply at Power Loader. “Wait, how did you—“

“It’s not exactly rocket science.” The teacher shook his head. “Nevermind that. I’m the last person qualified to give advice on stuff like that, anyway.”

“...well, I’m the last person I expected to have a crush.”

“That’s not how it works, Hatsume.” Power Loader’s early career had him going helmetless. Because of this, he developed a habit of pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration whenever the antics of his colleagues exasperated him.

...thank God for that helmet, or he’d have no nose left at this point. “Look… you won’t be seeing her at all this week because of the internships, so use that time to think this over. Soul-search. Make sure it’s not some brief infatuation with Muradasilova and if you still think that way by the time she comes back, then you’ll go from there.”

“Right. Uh, that makes sense. I think.”

“Now… go get some rest. You have a day off.” Normally, Mei would be the first to protest the notion, but… honestly, maybe she needed another power nap or seven. “And before you go, find Hitoshi Shinsou from 1C and tell him he’s got my permission to use his Quirk on you. So you can actually sleep like a proper human being for once.”

----

The Hero Killer was in this city.

In this very city did he put a knife to his brother, to the previous Ingenium. To a good man who was a model hero, who was the last person one could call a “fake”. That Tensei survived at all was a miracle, but cold comfort at best. Tenya’s mind was made up. There would be vengeance.

...now if only he could escape Muradasilova’s notice, somehow. Manual already showed how discerning he was with telling his intentions in interning under him – but it seemed he wasn’t certain this would work, because the tall girl kept close to him like a hawk. Not that there was a chance to seek Stain in Hosu now. The city was calm. A couple of minor villains purse-snatching and robbing stores; nothing that would take longer than a handful of minutes to resolve. He partook in one such foiling himself, catching up to one of the robbers and putting him down on the ground.

The other almost got the better of him once he pulled a knife out – only to have his arm thrown out of socket by Muradasilova’s ruthless kick.

Something drastic would have had to happen. A disaster like a collapsed building, perhaps, and only at evening hours like the ones now. Only then would he be able to slip out to search for Stain. Of course, that would involve shaking Muradasilova off first…

“I presume you are looking for Stain on this internship?” Especially if she was going to be so direct about it and just approach him with such a blunt question. Tenya’s brows furrowed behind his helmet.

“I don’t know what you mean—“

“You need not lie. I am not begrudging you for it.” The two of them stood to the side, idly observing Manual discussing some matters with other local pros. Tenya remained silent, although he was unable not to tense up. “Frankly, I seek Stain myself.” That, however, was surprising.

“What? What for?” Muradasilova took off her tricorne, idly turning it in her hands.

“The pro-heroine killed near UA – I met him there.” Tenya did not rush her with the explanation; it seemed obvious enough to him. “I was unable to do much to help her. Yet, me and that hunter of heroes talked, and… something about him unsettled me.” He couldn’t fault her for not doing anything, right? It sounded as if she stumbled upon this event without her costume or the properly made-up mind. It was akin to walking on an angry dog in an alley and being unsure how to avoid the confrontation with it.

“You seek to… talk to Stain?”

“Obviously not just that if you plan on throwing yourself at him in righteous zeal.” A hint of a dry chuckle danced in her voice before her expression straightened. “Something about Stain is awfully familiar about certain things from my past, back in Finland. Perhaps it is a mere coincidence – but I must learn who this man is.”

“...I see. Does Manual know?”

“Perish the thought. All I promised him is that I will not leave your side.” Ah. Well, technically she would be upholding that promise if she went along. “...of course, none of this matters if we cannot find an opening for our search.”

As luck would have it, that was exactly when the League of Villains and the School of Mensis launched their offensive – punctuated by an explosion from one of the nearby office buildings.

----

“Excellent work patrolling today, Mudman!”

Honenuki took off his helmet with a sigh, taking another of Slidin’ Go’s compliments with a quiet nod. The guy was definitely a fan of positive reinforcement. Maybe a bit too much, considering they haven’t really done much of notice. There was one jaywalker, one , and he immediately turned himself in once he spotted them. Slidin’ Go seemed satisfied to let the guy off with a stern warning and little else.

So far there wasn’t much to do, but Juzo reasoned that this was the usual for most Pros. It might have sounded exciting on paper, but quiet patrols like these were the norm, not the exception. Some attributed it to All Might’s empowering influence as the Symbol of Peace, likening him to an ancient mythological creature of old: Atlas, a titan who held the world on his shoulders.

“I have to say, excellent idea to imitate my Quirk.” Slidin’ Go laughed, leading Honenuki inside the office. It was well into the evening hours. Normally, Juzo used his Softening to swim through affected surfaces, but that wouldn’t fly on a busy street. Or any street, really. The more softened the material, the longer it would take it to regain its original properties – and at some point, it would just become an indistinct slurry.

Thus, he settled for a new approach; softening just enough of the pavement to mimic Slidin’ Go’s mode of traversal. It was a bit of a touch-and-go – he’d never been so grateful for his helmet than the first few times he fell face-first after measuring the power output wrong – but little by little he minimized the damage to the slightest of slits in the pavement; the kind that turned back to normal after only a minute or so. “Just figured I could try something more economic, sir.”

“All the more excellent! And here I thought you were simply imitating yours truly.” Slidin’ Go laughed, tapping the vending machine. “You have a bright future ahead of you, Mudman. Iced tea?”

“Sure thing. Thanks.” This was actually the first time he walked inside Slidin Go’s office – they first met in the local branch office of Shoowaysha Publishing; apparently his internship provider was a regular customer – ever since they began. Not much of notice here, just a shelf stuffed with books of all kinds, the vending machine, a small TV with a news channel on, depicting a terrorist attack on Hosu City, and—

...wait, what was that last part? “Oh. That can’t be good.” Slidin’ Go took notice as well, having a sip of his iced tea. The villains shown on the live feed casually shrugged off blows from local pros at the scene. They looked a lot like… that brain thing from the USJ footage...

“...oh shit.” Juzo found himself whispering before he thought on it. “...that’s… that’s the League of Villains.”

“Endeavor’s got his work cut out for him, doesn’t he? Hosu’s usually his jurisdiction.” Slidin’ Go nodded, tossing Honenuki his can of iced tea. “Normally he would be first to the crime scene though… I wonder what kept him.”

“...should we head there, sir?” This was only a prefecture over for them. Juzo knew that there was this unwritten rule between some of the pros not to step on each other’s toes – that led to glory-seeking and competing over what should be a joint venture of providing public safety and disaster relief – but this looked like a larger-scale disaster than the usual.

...plus, some of his friends were there.

“I’m sure the local pros can handle this, but I understand your concern, Mudman!” Slidin’ Go didn’t look like he was all that concerned, having a jolly good sip of his iced tea. “Remember, evil is always afoot! We must be vigilant as we care for our own little patch of land.”

And then his secretary all but burst inside the office, looking positively spooked. “S-sir, Slidin’ Go!” She stammered, struggling to breathe. “C-cu-Kizuki-san is in Hosu… at the scene…!”

Honenuki raised an eyebrow – and then some more once his eyes trailed over to Slidin’ Go almost choking on his tea. “I d-d-don’t know if the pros c-can keep her from doing something really stupid, sir…!” Before Juzo couldn’t even begin to wonder what on earth was that about, the pro regained his poise and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Perhaps your concern is well-justified this time, Mudman!” Whoever this Kizuki was, the notion of her being on the scene was enough to completely shake Slidin’ Go, confident posture or not. “Shall we head there and exercise vigilance to the utmost?”

----

Somewhere else in Hosu City, a man with sideburns smiled to himself – and hefted his holy hammer onto his shoulder.

Chapter Text

Stain’s eyes rose to meet the two in the alleyway.

For him, it was a hunt like any other; another fake to dispose of and move on. He planned to make it his last in Hosu before relocating – it seemed as if something bad was about to shake this city to the core. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in some overbearing villain’s nonsense. It seemed he was a little late: the explosions and sounds of combat were already ringing through the streets. He had to be done with this one.

As luck would have it, he was interrupted. The two figures looked like night and day even in the darkness of the alleyway. The shorter one had full armor, not unlike Ingenium’s, and he barely held his abject rage in place. Stain knew the shining fake had a younger brother – it seemed he was coming to exact vengeance. Some hero, then. Wasn’t there screaming and fighting? Weren’t his talents better used there, to help the helpless? It seemed this one was going to get a taste of his sword next.

The other, taller, wore old-fashioned leathers and a tricorne. Unlike Ingenium Jr, their presence was calm, impassive even. She was the one who approached first, with a measured step. Stain felt the fake underneath him trying to wriggle out of certain death, but he would not be getting anywhere for the time being; he saw to that.

“Hunter of heroes Stain. We meet again.”

“Maria, was it? I see you’re wearing a fake’s clothing in earnest.” She didn’t bother hiding the case on her back. Perhaps there hid the blade she wanted to use for the “sporting spar” she mentioned back then. The girl chuckled mirthlessly.

“Do not misunderstand; I had this garb with me long before I came to this land. Now… I see your next victim is yet to expire.” Ingenium Jr stirred in place. Stain didn’t need to see his face, hidden behind that helmet, to tell her words affronted him. It was only a matter of time before he set off to try and strike him.

“Why? Would you rather do the honors?” He let acidic sarcasm drip into his voice. The girl’s lips quirked in vague amusement, but before she could get back at him, Tenya stepped forward, body shaking with anger.

“You… truly you live up to your name, villain.” He spat out. Stain’s eyes were on him and Muradasilova seemed content to let him talk for now. “How dare you speak of fakes when you’ve struck down Ingenium… a hero of peerless reputation?!”

“What’s it matter to you, boy?”

“You crippled my brother for life, you filth! You crippled a good man over your wretched worldview! It’s unforgivable!” He was off in a burst of speed, aiming to take Stain’s head clean off. Maria watched with narrowed eyes. Perhaps it was soulless to let Iida be a test subject of this particular experiment, but she didn’t worry he was in danger. His armor would protect him from the worst of it, and Stain would take his time going in for the kill if he thought she held no hostility for him. Which was the case, for now.

He was fast.

Had she blinked, odds were she would miss the moment Iida clattered inelegantly on the ground, his helmet falling off. The knife in Stain’s hand was freshly soaked in blood. “ Why, you…!” It seemed to have been a glancing blow; Iida was still raring to go as he scrambled to his feet…

...and then he toppled back down with a surprised grunt, and did not raise again. At the same time, Stain took a sampling of his blood off the knife with his tongue . It seemed this was his Quirk. “To be a hero is a life of sacrifice, boy. It is a constant battle to help others before you help yourself. Hardly any hero I’ve seen meets these standards in this day and age… but none had come at me with murderous intent before.” Stain droned, his eyes between the bloodied knife and the girl.

Something in her expression had changed to… recognition. “You came here seeking to kill me, boy, to avenge your brother. Vengeance is not what heroes do.”

“You crippled my brother over your petty crusade! How dare you—“

“Silence!” This time Stain swerved to look at Iida. Maria watched this with furrowed brows. His Quirk was meant to strike directly at another, to use their own blood against them. Why, that sounded almost like… surely not though. “You have no leg to stand on, “hero”. You’re chasing the same foolish trends that plague this country. No more.” But the outfit, and the sword… the demeanor of his…

...was that why this man was so familiar? Confusion and recognition gave way to indignation. Was it truly the case? She needed hard proof. She needed to make sure this man was what he was.

“Now… I do not wish to kill a child, even as stubborn and foolish as you. You and your friend will leave quietly.” Stain hanged over Iida like a ghoul, aiming the sword downward at his throat. “Or you can suffer an inglorious death, like fakes before you.”

“Now… I don’t think that will be happening.” That was a cue of an attack. An obvious one, Stain thought, dodging the beam as he swerved to face her. No, that was no beam… blood? It came from her palm, through the leathers of her glove. A lance with a sharp tip. No doubt he would feel it if it could hit him… but now the fight was over before it begun. She already saw what his Quirk did, and still she decided to be unwise with her own.

A flick of his tongue and the girl collapsed without a word, having just enough time to use her other arm and avoid losing teeth from the fall. The boy behind him cried out in alarm. Stain sneered. “It seems I had a wrong idea about you. You are as fake as those two. Perhaps even more.” Frankly, he had hopes that the girl was something else – but she was still a hero student who came here assisting Ingenium Jr in his quest of righteous vengeance. “All this posturing and cool facade… worthless. At least your friend is honest about his feelings.”

Maria was silent. Stain felt something in his face twitch. Not even an acknowledgment? He should know better than to approach her – she could presumably still use her Quirk even if paralyzed, if he understood its workings correctly – but the sheer audacity of this girl was rankling him more than it should. “ Have you any last words, girl?” He asked, his sword rising to deal a killing blow.

She laughed. Stain’s knuckles whitened as she laughed, laughed unabated, laughed unrestrained, laughed as if she had just heard the world’s greatest joke. This was not one of her earlier chuckles, barely audible to a keen ear. She was having the time of her life seconds from expiring. “I cannot believe this… truly, this was the truth all along.”

She rose to her feet without an issue. Stain’s sword flicked, hoping to lop her head off, but she was fast enough to escape with even her hair unruffled. Slowly, she straightened out, an earnest smile – and held out her case, letting it open and then clatter on the ground as she took a hold of her own sword. “You were so familiar, fellow hunter. Why, it was almost as if you came from that same blood-soaked realm as I did – but surely that could not have been it, could it?”

“...what are you talking about?” Stain growled, eyes briefly flicking to the fakes behind him. Still on the ground paralyzed, and as confused as he was. He had his own questions: how did her Quirk fight off his paralysis so quickly? Blood manipulation or not, this was not how Quirks worked. Not any normal ones, at least...

“Still you play coy with me, hunter of heroes? Despite the sword that you carry, the apparel that you wear? Despite your cursed Quirk made to strike at blood itself?” Her smile vanished as her twinblade – plastic, but high-quality and reinforced; not a blade he could break easily – broke into a sword and a dagger. “How you got here before me matters not. The Old Ones know that your ilk has done such boggling things before.”

“I think you’re mistaking me for someone else, girl.”

“And I think your tongue is ought to be cut off.” She pointed at him with the sword, the dagger turning in her other hand. Stain looked at dead eyes staring him down, and for the first time in a long while, felt unease growing within.“Prepare yourself, you Cainhurst dreg. Tonight is your last hunt.”

----

Frankly, Tenya wasn’t sure what was going on.

He and Muradasilova first arrived at the alley just short of Stain killing another pro hero. Native, was it? He didn’t know much about the man, other than he was as helpless against the Hero Killer as everyone else. Now, Tenya knew just how that ghoul accomplished killing and crippling so many. With his Quirk, all he needed was to draw blood once. Most hero costumes were made to enhance Quirks, to provide an ease of movement. Defensive measures were taken by a specific niche of pros, and even then they were tailored to handle environmental hazards, falling debris, common Quirk types. His costume was an exception to the rule, but it didn’t matter if Stain could outmaneuver him so easily.

He only needed to draw blood once. Combined with his ambush tactics, no one was safe even if they were wise to Stain’s Quirk.

But now… now Muradasilova just rose from her paralysis as if she just tripped on the pavement. Now she talked as if Stain was an old acquaintance, and not a welcome one to see. “Cainhurst dreg”? “Old Gods”? What on earth was going on? Her entire demeanor changed in an instant, too. She was determined to kill Stain where he stood; the difference being, it seemed like she was a lot more dispassionate about this than Tenya could hope to be.

His body was still locked down, and Native wasn’t faring much better. Stain’s attention was on Muradasilova however. Tenya saw unease in his movements, but his instincts were sharp: he dodged a stab from the girl’s sword, and another from the dagger. The alleyway didn’t leave much room to maneuver except perhaps backwards. Maria’s expression was still as she advanced with calm, almost nonchalant poise. Stain’s free wrist flicked and two knives came flying for her throat. She swatted them out of the way, reconnecting her sword into a twinblade and stabbing forward. Yet, her free hand reached for one of Stain’s knives embedded in the wall and threw it right back at him.

Assaulted on both fronts, Stain took to the walls, bouncing up and sideways to avoid the attacks (Tenya sucked in a breath when the knife whizzed just above his head). He spun in the air, bringing his steel boot down on her head. Maria grunted, narrowly avoiding the blow, but losing her tricorne as it fell from the kick. “I’ve had enough of you madmen recently.” Stain growled, stomping on the hat to make a point. Maria’s eyes narrowed dangerously low.

“So you admit to your collusion with the Mensis, too?”

“Bah! I’ve no time for the likes of that old man. You’d get along, I feel.”

“Cur. Is there any low my imperious aunt won’t stoop down to?” Stain did not entertain further talk, charging in to meet her – only to suddenly swerve and toss another knife right at Tenya. His eyes widened, the blade looking poised to dig right between them… only for something green to blink into the view and take the blow for him. The same green thing suddenly zipped forward, crackling with green lightning – and slugged Stain right off his feet with a cry of “SMASH!”.

“...Midoriya.” Maria muttered, watching the green-haired boy land and then wince at the knife embedded deep in his arm. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“A-are you okay?!” Despite having a length of steel digging into his limb, it seemed Deku’s first priority was their well-being. It helped that Stain was taking his time getting back up, likely pondering what kind of freight train just sent him backwards a good few meters.

“Iida and the pro are still paralyzed. The Quirk of that ghoul.” Maria gestured with the twinblade towards the Hero Killer. “I surmise it will wear off in time. Is this a new development?” She tilted her head towards Midoriya and his green lightning, eyes still set on the villain.

“What? Oh, uh, yeah, I guess. A-are you injured your—“

“No, and you should waste no time. If you can use this new mode of yours effectively, then I ask you get them to safety.” Stain’s cue, Maria noticed with grim amusement; he leapt right back to his feet, teeth gnashing in growing frustration.

“You are not going anywhere with those fakes.” He growled, charging forward. The chipped katana met a Rakuyo of the future, the two blades clattering together in a test of strength. Stain had plenty of it, no doubt further enhanced by his zeal. “Unless it’s in a body bag!” His other hand sprung forward, aiming to strike her right in the temple. Maria’s head swerved down as she pushed back against him, opting to grip his punching arm at the wrist and throw him against the wall.

The last time she tried that, her opponent was just a bit too short. Not this time. Stain hissed as his back hit the wall – and then sucked in a breath when she drove her boot right in to his midsection. “Go, Midoriya. Do what a hero would.” Maria said dispassionately. “And leave us hunters to our courtesies.” Her leg pulled back, and then snapped up, bringing Stain down to the ground with a vicious kick. The Hero Killer struck the ground, still conscious enough however to roll away from the coming stomp as he scrambled to his feet deeper into the alley, hatred oozing from every pore.

----

Gran Torino’s experience as an internship provider could have been going worse.

Toshinori forwarded him a boy he picked for his successor. The old hero saw him on TV. The Bonebreaker Deku. The Reckless Green. Izuku Midoriya, who could barely hold One For All in him without falling apart at the seams.

Toshinori was a terrible teacher, Gran Torino thought. Fortunately, Midoriya made up for his lack of brawn with brains and an ability to catch on quickly. It would be a long way before he would be able to use this power effectively, but even 5% of it proved enough to turn him into an agile combatant and not a one-time artillery strike. It was a long way to go before Midoriya would hit fifty or even twenty percent – but it seemed he had the basic grip on this “Full Cowl” of his now.

Perfect time for a League attack, wasn’t it?

The bullet train the two of them were using for transport was attacked by a winged Nomu smashing into the side of it. Gran Torino launched it right outside and told Midoriya to stay put – but now the old hero ended up in the middle of a warzone against the monstrosity and its friends. A total of three Nomus roamed about in Hosu right now; the black one reminiscent of the USJ specimen, the winged one, and the one with four eyes.

...but something was off about them.

Now that he had a good look at the winged monster, its eyes were mismatched; one dull and empty, the other deep blue and bulging out of its socket. It also had a rough stitch across its entire torso, as if someone cut it open beforehand. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the black Nomu tossing one of the local pros aside; its arms were covered in some kind of rune script and its brain swarming with eyes. These ones were sharp and alert unlike the ones found on the USJ Nomu, warning the creature of incoming attacks as it swerved aside to punt another pro away.

It seemed like the League of Villains and the School of Mensis made up.

The winged Nomu threw its head back, its screech muffled by its gasmask before its blue eye shone and a meteor-shaped lance of energy hurtled towards Gran Torino. Not fast enough to catch him; it seemed that at least the creature wasn’t very adept at using its Quirks. If they were such. The Nomu charged forward, hoping to smash into the old hero, but it was nowhere near as fast as it believed itself to be. It received a Jet Kick for its troubles, tumbling down on the asphalt. That didn’t keep it down for long, and it seemed Gran Torino’s stunt attracted attention of the previously quiet, four-eyed Nomu running towards him on all fours. No discernible oddities about this one…

...but at least he got backup this time. “SLIDIN’ KICK!” A flash of purple came into view as a barrel-chested figure of Slidin’ Go punted the four-eyed creature backwards. The Sliding Hero was not alone, accompanied by some other hero Gran Torino didn’t recognize. “Be at ease, honorable elder! We have arrived at the scene!”

“Don’t you “honorable elder” me.” The old hero grumbled, watching the four-eyed Nomu rise to its feet and the winged Nomu join it, a flash of intelligence passing across their countenances as if they were thinking of a strategy. “We’ll need more firepower than that.” The black Nomu in the background was still plenty of trouble for the local pros, too.

...and he still needed to find Midoriya – because something told him that kid just could not help himself in not being a hero.

F ortunately, the firepower part solved itself fairly quickly as another joined the battle, leaping out of nowhere with a crushing strike. The winged Nomu sensed danger to fly aside, but the four-eyed one did not see the giant stone hammer come quickly enough. The blunt instrument of war brought the monster down on the asphalt and turned its head into a cloud of re d mist, gray matter and bone shrapnel flying in all directions. The body twitched and spasmed, as if rejecting the notion of its death, before it became still.

The hammerman, a young man with sideburns in a gray garb and slightly too wide a grin for Gran Torino’s tastes, turned to look at the three heroes. “ Room for one more, gentlemen?”

----

T his particular alleyway stretched into a labyrinth of smaller passages – and the one they were at had a dead end.

Maria regarded Stain dispassionately, the dagger part of Rakuyo dripping with the blood of a Cainhurst dreg. It was a slight wound, too slight for her tastes, but it was enough to send the Hero Killer running. Perhaps he decided that it was not worth it entertaining her anymore, planning to retreat and consider another hunt for the future. Maria planned to stick to her word and ensure this would be his last.

Now, it was just a matter of skinning her quarry. Stain had nowhere left to run, though he made sure not to make it easy to chase him; one of his knives cut open her cheek (she stopped the bleeding without a second thought, but it still stung against the cool evening air) and the other almost struck her heart, stopped only by the quality of a Hunter’s leather. It seemed he had finally ran out of projectiles, with only that shoddy Chikage knockoff of his left.

She would be breaking that chipped blade before breaking him.

“We had our fun, quarry.” She intoned quietly. “You refused to fall back on your accursed Cainhurst tricks; I suppose I can appreciate such foolhardiness.”

“Quarry? You seem to be taking this more lightly than you should.” She could appreciate his defiance too. It was no fun to cut down a terrified beast, suddenly reminded of its frail human origins. The ones that were too full of bravado; those were the amusing ones. “But I suppose with your head this screwed up, it’s inevitable.”

“I have enough clarity of mind to cut you down and mail your head to Annalise.” Her voice grew heavier. Stain took notice, shifting slightly in place. His left eye was closed, flooded with blood from the eyebrow cut she gave him – but perhaps he could turn this around, somehow...“How is that for a queenly offering? A head of her new bloodhound to mount on the wall.”

“And you think I am here for you? That you have not grown beyond her notice?”

“You dregs will satisfy yourselves with any warm blood while waiting.” Maria strode forward, the sword and the dagger singing at different rhythms to catch him unawares. Stain stood his ground, but did not push back for a counterattack. He hated to admit it, but the girl had him beat in swordplay and matched his tenacity with her madness. If he wanted to get the better of her, he had to return to his predatory roots… and surprise her.

T hank god for the full moon; it let him see her clearly. “You’re eager to spill blood yourself. Exciting, isn’t it? The hunt’s dulled your sense of justice.”

He had to get her riled up and play along with her nonsense. Not that difficult, given that she was growing more and more indignant as they fought, as if his very presence offended her. “You dare, blackguard?” Her voice turned to a gravelly rasp. Another two strikes; two flicks of her sword wrist. He dodged under the first one and felt some of his hair fall off from the second.

“And if you really must know, the queen decided she would rather take interest in some of your peers.” That got Maria to go very still in an instant, eyes widening. It seemed he was on a good track to well and truly anger her. An enraged opponent was faster and stronger, and their Quirk could flare up beyond what they were normally capable of. An enraged opponent was also more reckless and predictable – and easier to kill that way.

He had one last knife hidden on his person. He had to make good use of it. “Anyone will do. With the queenly powers on hand, there is no shortage of bounty to be found.” Stain summoned a smile on his face, licking his lips. “We can start with Ingenium Jr, and move on from him. Perhaps to the girl who was already touched in the head from the USJ?” She moved like a furious snowstorm, a snarl rumbling in her throat. The flurry of slashes pushed him back against the wall, faster and stronger and more relentless. A lesser man would have fallen, but Stain instead saw an opportunity.

She fell into the rhythm. Now he just needed to create an opening. Perhaps something to do with Maria reconnecting her blades into one and charging back in, aiming thrusts instead of swings. There was fire in her eyes, the likes of which he hadn’t seen yet; the malicious, all-consuming flame of indignant rage. Perfect. “Perhaps the girl with pink dreadlocks instead?! Or the redhead?! Who do you think is most fit for such ascension, Maria?!”

His blade suddenly came undone; an upswing of the twinblade broke it into a cloud of steel shards, glimmering in the moonlight. She was snarling like a beast, in a language he did not understand. Now, with only the handle of his katana left in his hand, it was a now or never. The twinblade rose and then suddenly slammed down, knife-first. It seemed she planned to stake him like a vampire she took him for, right through the top of his skull. Stain brought the handle up with a growl, letting it deflect the blow. Just barely did he avoid death, and the sharp plastic still nearly lopped his cheek off, leaving behind a nasty vertical cut, right to the corner of his lips.

But his other hand gripped the last knife on him, a letter-opener sharpened to be a stiletto for pressing moments like this – and drove it right into her throat, past the silk of the cravat. The next few seconds might very well have been an eternity. The sharp twinblade was right at his skin, right at his face. If his strike was any less lethal, she would no doubt would be able to slice once more, and let his face peel off like a grotesque mask.

But, as she first went still with a quiet gasp, and then slowly looked down at the knife and the silk turning red, it seemed victory was his after all. The twinblade slipped from her grasp, cutting his thigh on its way down as if to spite him one last time, and clattered on the cold ground. Only then did Stain let go of the knife, as if unsure if she wouldn’t exact vengeance, and felt his adrenaline starting to slip, resting his back against the wall. It was over, even if the girl was slow to topple.

...it could be over for him soon too if his bleeding wounds weren’t taken care of. It seemed he would be staying in Hosu a few days more. The girl took one step towards him, then two steps back and toppled onto the ground with a choked sound. Stain wasn’t sure if the blow actually was lethal for her, but it would certainly stop her long enough for him to escape, blood manipulation or not. There was no more time to waste and no telling if other fakes wouldn’t show up. He loathed to leave a hunt unfinished, but those were the breaks.

He started limping forward, hoping to walk around her so that she would not grip at his ankle to slow him down even now. Yet, it seemed her hand was still grasping at nothing. The other reached for the knife, but did not pull. It seemed she had enough clarity of mind to keep herself from bleeding out even now, for all it would do for her.

...but then she spoke back in Japanese, barely a wisp of a voice. Stain stopped despite himself, feeling that unease from earlier creeping back into him again. Even though her words should have been barely audible, he heard them clearly. Too clearly.

“...o Flora… of the moon… of the Dream…”

The next thing Chizome Akaguro knew, something defying description slammed him right through the wall.

----

Izuku Midoriya followed the bloodtrail, feeling his heart crawl up more and more into his throat with each step.

He loathed to leave Muradasilova to fend for herself, even if it looked like she had an upper hand against Stain, but she had the right of it – neither Iida nor Native were in any shape to linger there any longer and be at risk. Fortunately he didn’t need to go very far; the pros, both local and from other cities, were pouring into Hosu to try and get the situation under control. Gran Torino would no doubt give him an earful, but he did the right thing, all things considered.

He had a feeling Muradasilova would not be fast enough to block the knife that almost ended Iida’s life. The Engine user looked particularly downcast, even as he was propped up against a wall next to Native, the two of them receiving treatment from paramedics at the scene. Izuku didn’t even really register the knife still in his arm until an exasperated paramedic pointed it out.

Of course, that could not be the end of things, even with his wound cleaned and bandaged up. There were no pros who could give chase, most of them busy with escorting civilians and handling the trio of Nomu (three of them?!) causing this havoc. It would be a perfect opportunity for Stain to slip unnoticed, if not for Muradasilova’s keen tracking sense. Still, he could not leave her to it! For all Izuku knew, she might have been already dead!

...wait, no, he could not think like that. He would be saving her – and if need to, he would keep her from crossing the line and killing Stain as well. Iida’s plea to stop her came from the heart, and from the realization of his own hubris. He came to that alley to kill Stain himself – but seeing Muradasilova commit to the idea, not even out of revenge, but out of some strange unknowable disdain, opened his eyes to his own foolishness.

...it certainly helped that he was in no real shape to go after Stain to begin with. Thus, Izuku dashed through the alleyways, trailing the blood left behind, his body crackling with green lightning. Whose blood was it? Maria’s? Stain’s? Someone else’s? Something else’s? Through the labyrinth of confusing alleyways did he find more and more of it until he reached a dead end full of metal shards and debris.

...what was once a dead end.

Something… odd-shaped bulldozed through the wall, and the coming walls after. Izuku swallowed nervously, following the trail. Little by little, he ended up on one of the main streets, the bloodstain trailing across the road in a wide smudge as if someone was bodily dragged through the asphalt. That someone was currently lying in a broken window of a clothes shop, motionless with only the slightest twitches whenever the other figure slammed their fist down on them.

It was Maria brutalizing Stain, not the other way around. Slowly, her fist reeled back ready to deliver another blow. It seemed Izuku’s presence was felt however. The Hero Killer’s broken body was dropped into the rubble as she turned to face the green-haired boy. Her cravat was soaked with blood, pristine white now deep red. Plenty of it stained her leather coat as well. No doubt it came from the thin wound that cut past her cravat; the injured flesh pulsing and writhing with each labored breath she took. So were her gloves and her boots crimson, in particular the one she used just a moment ago.

There were teeth and bits of skin etched into the glove. Her face was stained with sprinkles of blood and her eyes cast withering thunders. Yet, she smiled, she smiled a little too widely. “Midoriya. Yet again you cast yourself into danger.” Her voice was different too, coming out with barely a whistle, and yet all too audible. “Luckily, I am almost finished. Your presence is unneeded.”

“I beg to differ.” Izuku swallowed his shock and fear, staring Maria down in return. “You’re planning to kill Stain?”

“Have you an objection?” He didn’t need to answer that question; the thunders in her eyes lessened a little, letting the understanding shine through. “Of course. A hero is to save. A hunter is to hunt. Those two are incompatible, are they?”

“I don’t want to fight you, Muradasilova-san.” He shook his head. “Please, just… come with me. You need medical attention.”

“And leave this bloody rag to recover and menace the good folk once again?”

“...I have some rope with me.” Izuku sheepishly gestured to the little bag one of the paramedics gave him. Most of it was medical supplies in case Maria’s condition was severe, but… “I assure you, he won’t be going very far – and… he probably won’t see the light of day again either.”

“...ah. The gaol on an island. I have heard of it. So you think leaving him to rot is better than the sweet release of death?”

“...not just for him, I think.” Maria’s eyes narrowed. “I, um… I don’t know what you’re going through or anything of the sort, but… killing him will get you in trouble… probably out of UA… and, well…”

Maria knew her peer was right, on an intellectual level. This was no Yharnam or Cainhurst, where dealing death to another was just a natural process of life. This was a civilization of hope and progress, where even villains seemed content to follow the thin frames of colorful, costumed conduct. Stain was an aberration, an exception rather than the rule.

But that exception was why he had to perish right here and now, her heart told her. Tartarus would not hold him for long, not with the likes of Mensis already eluding capture by mystified police force and heroes both. What if they decided to release all of the society’s dregs at once, for mere distraction from their ploys, and cast this country into chaos? How many lives would be forfeit if she listened to Midoriya when all it would take was a push of her blade to end this nightmare for good?

…

She swerved back to Stain with a snarl and a vicious kick. Izuku did not see the Hero Killer get hit, but he heard it – and then saw his body crumple sideways, face bloodied beyond recognition with most of its teeth missing. It seemed most of this work was done by Maria’s hands rather than by blade. Izuku felt his heart crawl into his throat again. This was… this wasn’t right, not even to a villain like Stain.

“He is yours, Midoriya. May I not regret this decision later.” She picked up her sword, suddenly looking much older and more tired than she ever did, and sat herself next to the broken window with a weary sigh.

Such was the end of the Hero Killer’s hunt.

Chapter Text

It was chaos all around in Hosu.

Honenuki and Slidin’ Go arrived to the scene fast enough – the Softening user could put his earlier training at sliding along to a good use – but it seemed they were the first of the backup to come here. Three freakish brainthings did as they pleased, with the black one holding off an entire group of local pros while the other two tried to sneak up on the elderly flying hero trying to fight them off.

Of course, then this new guy introduced himself by straight-up killing the four-eyed Nomu with a giant stone hammer and then trying to chat them up as if they were having an afternoon outing. Juzo resisted an urge to throw up, instead focusing on the winged Nomu flying backwards. “Nasty things, these.” Alfred flipped the dead Nomu over with his boot. “And tampered with by the Mensis, to boot.”

“I’m sure killing this one was uncalled for, good… citizen?” Slidin’ Go seemed unsure how to address the man.

“Ah, yes, do pardon me this brusque entrance. I shall introduce you to my license once we resolve this problem.” Alfred’s eyes narrowed. “Although I can’t help but be worried. This one fell all too easily.”

As if to jinx them, the Nomu whose head was splattered in such graphic detail suddenly lurched up to its feet, and then dropped on all fours, its body shaking and convulsing with unnamed pulsations. “Ah. There it is. And here I thought the Mensis is making this easy for us.”

The winged Nomu took a moment of their distraction to launch another meteor projectile at the group. The energy bolt struck Slidin’ Go right in the chest, sending him flying backwards, right into a nearby wall. “Right, less chatter, more action! Kid!” Juzo almost jumped, hearing the elderly hero at the scene address him. “You stay back. Check on Tokoname, make sure he wasn’t hit too hard.”

“S-sir!”

“And you. Alfred, was it? Any idea what’s going on with that Nomu?” The man with sideburns hummed, watching the vexing movements right under the muscled body. Something struggled inside it, as if it was trying its hardest to break the confines of flesh and emerge as a creature of its own. A parasite of sorts, having grown weary of its base disguise?

“I believe… it is ascending.”

A curious flower suddenly emerged from the bloody stump of the Nomu’s head; a pale thing with four petals and eerily radiant, with a fluorescent glow. Then, the rest of the body came apart, shedding its flesh like one would first unbutton and then shed a jacket. Juzo did not dare look – hearing sinews and bone undo themselves was plenty enough for his imagination. The creature seemed to have trouble shedding all of its disguise however, the lower parts of the Nomu giving it some kind of bother.

It made no sound beyond an indignant chuff when Gran Torino decided to skip the pleasantries and kick it right in the flowerlure. His intuition proved correct; the creature writhed only in the sounds of the Nomuflesh and bone falling apart like crumbling pieces of a building, falling sideways like a man who tumbled on his own pants.

If it wasn’t an eldritch centipede the length of a small bus, the sight might have been funny. The Winged Nomu wasn’t deterred by its companion’s strange transformation, harassing Alfred with meteor projectiles and keeping him away from the centipede. It seemed Gran Torino was on his own against the creature.

Fortunately on Juzo’s part, Slidin’ Go seemed unharmed. Out cold, but without any injury to tend to. Which meant… he had to go and help out. He had to go and help in fighting a terrifying centipede with too many legs and tendrils and with its main body being an elongated spine of that poor Nomu sap, blue like a glowstick…

...well… no one ever said being a hero would be easy.

----

“Good work patrolling today, girls.”

Momo sighed, taking Uwabami’s praise with a pinch of salt. It’s not like they were doing much of anything during the patrol, beyond the usual routine of getting swarmed by adoring fans. The one purse-snatcher they found turned out to be an Uwabami fan himself, deciding to turn himself in without a fight. Not that Momo disliked the idea of villains deescalating, but…

She felt a hand gently pat her on the shoulder: Kendo offered her a sympathetic look. The two of them stepped after Uwabami to her office; a small and homely place at the second floor of the office building. The snake-haired heroine was waiting with three sushi sets, ushering them in to the coffee table. “Now, you’ve been interning under me for three days now. I would like to hear your thoughts on the experience so far.” She said, a cheeky smile dancing on her lips. Momo felt her body stiffen. Was that a trick question? Would Uwabami send them back to UA with a negative review should they be honest with her?

“It’s… certainly not what we’ve expected, Uwabami-san.” Kendo decided to get them started. “I mean… you did tell us right at the beginning that you picked us more for our looks than our… well… anything else…”

“I guess we expected things to be more… in line of what we’re being taught at school.” Momo picked up the pace, avoiding eyecontact with either of them. “Fighting villains, helping civilians out with their problems…”

“Understandable.” Uwabami hummed, idly twirling her chopsticks. “This is a sentiment that most of my interns had so far. They think it’s not what they signed up for when applying to a hero school… but what does it mean to be a hero, girls?”

“...being a hairspray model?” Momo asked before she could bite her tongue. Kendo considered bumping her with an elbow before relenting. It was a bit of a shared feeling. Fortunately, Uwabami seemed to take this in good spirits.

“It’s about being a symbol. Take All Might, for example. You know his moniker, “The Symbol of Peace”, yes?” The two students nodded, unsure if they were following this train of thought. “It’s said All Might’s mere presence in Japanese heroics is what causes the low crime rate and pushes villains back. He is that much of a deterrent. Now, I’m nowhere near that level of notoriety myself” The snake-haired heroine tittered. “but I aspire to be a symbol of peace of my own. I want the people in the street to see me and think “it’s a good thing pro-heroes keep the bad guys at bay”.”

“And, uh, how does that relate to what we’ve been doing?”

“...well, being a hero doesn’t pay the bills.” Uwabami sighed. “But it’s also something to do when there is no need for us to be on the scene. Keeps you busy and doesn’t let you fall into a slump.”

“That makes sense… I think.” Kendo concluded. They’ve heard of the crisis going in Hosu right now on their way back to the office – they could only hope the people on the scene were okay – but it was several districts away from their location. It was likely the neighboring cities had already sent their own reinforcements by now. Uwabami smiled.

“Well, there’s only so much modeling you can do before it becomes stale… so how about some community service next?” She said. Her two interns perked up in surprise. “A primary school in the district requested that we visit to have a talk about conduct with strangers. Would you like to help me out?”

“O-oh! I mean… yeah, sure. That sounds great.” Itsuka nodded with a smile. Momo opened her mouth to voice her support for the idea before something in the window, past Uwabami’s seat, caught her attention… and her chopsticks clattered on the table as she felt her throat going dry and eyes widening.

Because right outside, clinging to the window… was the hideous, maligned form of the Eyebrain and its many, many eyes.

----

“Fighting feral werewolf things” was not what Shouto had envisioned for his internship.

Normally his old man operated in Hosu, but his presence was requested to try and tackle the case of the elusive School of Mensis. He might have been a terrible human being, but Endeavor’s track record on investigating procedures was second to none (even if he hated it being called that for obvious reasons; naturally, Shouto was all too happy to use the term), beating even All Might’s. If there was anyone who had a shot at cracking this open, it was him.

With only a token force of his sidekicks left at his usual stomping grounds, he collaborated with Wild Wild Pussycats – locals in the area with a respectable track record of their own – and a police forensics team to get to the bottom of this. Shouto was tagging along, so he got to meet some of the Flamin’ Sidekickers as well as the cat-themed team a little closer. Honestly, he could stand to know Burnin’ a little less; she was, uh, excitable.

Unfortunately, there was only so much Shouto could do in helping the investigation; everything was clearly planned out from start to finish even before he joined the team as an intern. A Quirk of raw destructive power had no place at a scene like this, so all he could really do was stand around awkwardly and try not to flinch whenever Pixiebob cast him a flirty look.

Things have changed when a heated call from Hosu spoke of a large-scale villain attack. It seemed his old man planned to leave a part of the group here to continue the investigation while he took a few people with him to combat the threat. That was the original plan.

Instead, they were jumped by an entire zoo’s worth of horrors.

Creatures that seemed to exist only in fiction shambled out from seemingly every direction in the forest, as if prompted by some kind of trigger. Shouto recognized the small masked men, but this time they were mixed with other, much more unnerving sights. Creatures similar to the body found at the holding cells toted about torches and split grins, more traditional werewolves prowled behind them, baring gnarled teeth and ink-blank fur…

...then there were men. Or parodies of thereof.

Their clothes were old and in bad shape; most of them looked like they belonged in a b-movie slasher adaptation of a Christmas Carol. They carried axes, torches, wooden shields, old guns… one of them even rolled around in an ornate wheelchair and with a gatling gun for an armrest. Endeavor’s bandaged sidekick (Kido, was it?) was quick to knock him out with a thrown marble, at least.

...the worst thing was, none of them appeared to be coherent or sane. All of them rambled about the beasts, the hunt, the cursed blood. The sheer cacophony of panicked and raspy voices intermingled with growling and screeching of the actual beasts they had for companions… it was unnerving, to say the least. Almost as if they were all… possessed by something.

“Dammit, hold still…” Another sidekick in a happuri (Onima, was it?) grumbled, holding down one of the horde members. The man squirmed defiantly, even after being deprived of his rusted saber.

“Tainted blood, all of you! Nothing but beasts!”

“Yeah, I’ve heard you the first time! Ouch, that sonuvagun bit me!” At least the evacuation of the forensics team was going smoothly; Wild Wild Pussycats were experts at disaster relief. Combined with Shouto’s ice and their own Quirks, it proved easy enough to make a pathway leading to safety. Now all they had to do was to contain the villain horde here. As a demonstration, one of Pixiebob’s earthly golems pinned down a group of Split-Grins, happy to keep them in place in spite of their indignant screeching.

“Ah, this one’s a biter too!” Burnin’ seemed to be having fun, at least, keeping down one of the more bestial men – complete with thin fur and a wild mane – in place as she fumbled for the handcuffs. The man in question almost snapped her fingers off a moment go with an improvised bear trap knuckleduster, and now was trying and failing to do the same with his own teeth. Why was this man half a beast, as if his transformation Quirk just turned off halfway?

This was a lot to think about. It was easy enough to get distracted as the battle raged, especially if his job was to stick to the backline and make sure none of the mob made it past his ice. Perhaps a bit too much—

“Half-n-half bastard!” One of the horde sneaked past, lunging towards Shouto at surprising speed with a length of a hunting knife. He could see the raw hatred and madness in the man’s eyes, so completely divorced from reality, the poor sap could only find peace in this meaningless bloodshed. He never came close to the student; a fireball sent him hurtling sideways and away.

The thrower scoffed behind his flaming beard, letting the madman be captured by another of Pixiebob’s golems. “Try not to space out, Shouto.” Fire-Ice user only offered a noncommittal grunt in response, watching his old man move back to work.

----

The eldritch centipede proved unable to escape a pit of liquid asphalt.

That, at least, put one threat away for now. Juzo had himself to thank for that, not to toot his own horn. The creature had numerous legs and plenty of strength, but not enough to gather in a single burst to escape the pit, like what Manga did during their very first combat training. Back then, Fukidashi launched himself out of quicksand with a BOOM! onomatopoeia. This centipede, although terrible in appearance and armed with ranged attacks it utilized to get back at him (unsuccessfully), lacked such means.

Luckily he didn’t need to do much more here, instead able to focus on the black Nomu that finally decided to confront them. The local pros were out cold though it seemed the creature did not kill any of them, at the very least. Unluckily, this one seemed to be the strongest of its kind; its mere physical aptitude enough to deflect blows from Alfred’s giant hammer. The runes on its arms glowed in dull red, alighting whenever the limbs would clash with either the bludgeon or Gran Torino’s kicks.

Combined with the winged Nomu’s ranged harassment, the fight had entered a gridlock. Slidin’ Go still showed no signs of coming back and oh dear that’s a fist. Juzo narrowly avoided a giant black fist by sinking into the ground underneath him. The Nomu seemed determined to give chase, but Alfred’s blow pushed the creature back, its braineyes locking on the man with hateful zeal.

“There you go, charcoal monstrosity. Come forth and strike me down with all your hatred.” He taunted the Nomu with a cocky smirk. It warbled and bowed its head down, preparing to charge like a bull. In the background, the winged Nomu got Jet Kicked into a street lantern. “On my signal, friend. I’ve a cunning plan.” Alfred called, his hand shifting ever so slightly on the handle of his hammer. Honenuki didn’t get a good look at it prior to re-emerging from the asphalt, but it looked a lot like a guard of a sword...

The Nomu charged with a deafening bellow. Alfred stood his ground, waiting as the creature approached him with blinding speed, its eyes – previously an asset to combat multiple enemies at once – all laser-focused on his person in a bout of candid rage.

“Now!” Juzo didn’t need to discuss the plan at length, sending the softening wave between the two. The Nomu stomped right into the growing quicksand, and for a moment it seemed that its strength would be able to save it from falling victim to it, but its anger did not leave it much balanced. The creature tumbled and fell on one knee, struggling to reorient itself from its failed charge.

At the same time, Alfred’s hammer made a little click – and from the handle and the rock left on his back emerged a length of a silver sword, decorated with intricate patterns. That very blade was driven handle-deep into one of the eyes on the Nomu’s brain. Alfred’s cocky smirk turned into an unhealthy grin as the creature howled, the eye exploding into a cascade of blood.

“Have at you!” He pulled the blade up and across the entire head of it. Nomu wailed in agony, its runes flaring with bright red as it flailed its arms around, trying to keep the man off it. Alfred stepped back with a pleased hum, not even bothered by the fact that one of its arms left a scratch mark on his cheek. Juzo fought off another gag reflex, watching how the blood gushed from the injured beast’s brain, its surviving eyes going to and fro in complete disorientation.

He also watched Alfred rub what blood got on him into his gloves, his demeanor not at all unchanged even as the gray leather began emitting a dull noise, a drone akin to some industrial machine. He didn’t even bother to wipe his face off, a strange sense of elation dancing on his lips instead. “Now that I have this cursed blood in my hands, it is only fair to return it.” He said, more to himself than to anyone else. The Nomu did not sit idle, finally dislodging itself from the asphalt pit and jumping back. The runes on its arms seemed to be going off, glowing at random intervals with no rhyme or reason as its eyes tried to focus and reorient themselves.

“Hunter Tools: Executioner’s Gloves.” Alfred intoned, throwing his hands forward and letting the blood on his gloves warble, the drone expanding into a rumble, and then an incensed roar. From the tips of his fingers, taking the blood with them, emerged a trio of red phantasmal skulls. The ghoulish projectiles flung themselves at the Nomu, impacting the creature and exploding into a cloud of red mist.

J uzo didn’t get to witness just what it was that they did; the winged Nomu crashed nearby him, struggling to take off. Not thinking much, he opted to sink it as well, letting the liquid asphalt do its part again. Gran Torino ensured it would not escape, kicking it right into the slurry and getting it stuck. “ Excellent work, gentlemen.” Alfred hummed, assessing the fallen black Nomu with his hammer at hand. Blood and ichor no longer seeped from its brain and eyes – these seemed to have healed from damage – although it was finally out cold for good. “Confound those Mensis madmen, that they have found such physical support… ah well. To the pits of hell with you, monster.” Undeterred by the fact that his opponent was unconscious, Alfred raised the hammer above to deliver the coup de grace…

...only to have it batted out of his hands by a Jet Kick. “The fighting’s over, sonny.” Gran Torino groused, regarding the confusion on that blood-covered face with growing annoyance. The centipede in the pit seemed to have given up on trying to escape, only making annoying chuffs from the hole it was stuck in. “And you’re yet to explain yourself just walking in and killing one of those Nomu without prompting.”

“Was our heated battle not enough of a prompt for you, sir? Though considering it was but a flesh puppet of the Kin-creature in that hole… I doubt if any of these Nomu truly live.” Hm. Now that was a thought the elderly hero hadn’t considered, not that it made Alfred’s gleeful willingness to deal lethal blows any less unnerving. “Well, suit yourself. We should make sure the creatures are still restrained if we mean to take them in peacefully however.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

----

Momo’s memories of the second encounter with Eyebrain were blurry.

She remembered Uwabami kicking the creature out of the window it just broke through, using its disturbed sense of balance against it. Then she and Kendo were told to evacuate the building. Her brain scrambled to reboot itself for full functionality, needing the redhead to tug her along. The evacuation seemed to be going smoothly at first, at least, until an important bit of insight struck Momo.

Eyebrain was here for her.

It cornered her on the fourth floor when she was helping an old man with a bum leg. Attacks on hero agencies, even of minor heroes, were considered too much effort to be worth it. That, in turn, encouraged civilians – both private citizens and firms – to live in the same building even in spite of any would-be difficulties in transportation (Uwabami’s building didn’t have an elevator, for one), simply because it was more safe overall.

A villain attacking a hero agency either had a grudge – and such villains were in relative minority, despite everything – or was completely insane.

Momo’s brain scrambled again as she saw the Eyebrain force itself into the living room, the doorframe creaking in protest as it came undone. It warbled quietly, eyes scattered across its nightmarish head, and posture bent to try and not hit the ceiling. It was larger this time; its wiry frame from the USJ now bulged with disproportionate muscles, some too large or too small. The remains of its dress were now just an unrecognizable rag covered in grime and old dried blood. Its body grew, and no one bothered to replace the torn clothing.

In one of the tendrils growing from its “head” lie one of the snakes from Uwabami’s hair.

God, why was her head filled with so much noise right now? She couldn’t afford to stand there when there were other lives at stake! Even if Eyebrain sought to capture her alive, it probably had no reservations from killing and maiming anyone in its way. She couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen if it caught up to her and Kendo in the middle of a civilian group.

“Get behind me, sir!” The old man did not have to be told twice, nervously brandishing his walking cane for self-defense as he huddled in the corner. Momo took a hold of her own created steel pipe, for all good it would do for her. Eyebrain warbled in something that could almost be taken for amusement before it shambled forward. The moment it was mid-step, Momo charged forward with a desperate battle cry, aiming to strike the hideous flesh of its “head”. No purchase: the creature easily seized the weapon. That was one part of her plan; using an obvious attack as a distraction for the real blow.

Maria familiarized her with some of the creatures Mensis could and would use in their next encounters. She specified two types of such: the Beasts and the Kin. The former were infected with an all-encompassing Blood Quirk that destroyed reason and transformed bodies into werewolf-like monstrosities. Some took it worse than others, she understood. The latter, meanwhile, “ascended” to their new ghoulish forms through a pursuit of the “eldritch truth”, willing or otherwise.

The Beasts were weak to fire. The Kin hated electricity. Momo had a taser in her spare hand.

The moment the voltage struck the creature, Eyebrain recoiled with an ear-piercing screech, eyes all over its head turning into tiny little pinpricks. It did not stumble quietly, its other hand throwing an open bony palm at Momo. The heroine was thrown back, feeling the air leave her lungs. She crashed a few meters back, cushioned by the old couch in the living room, but it did little to dull the numbing pain spreading all over her body, most particularly from the bloody gash across her belly. At least nothing was broken, she thought.

Though the noise in her head refused to let go, she just saw that unknowable horror get hurt by her own means. She could fight it. She could defeat it. She could protect herself and those it would try to hurt by getting to her.

Unfortunately, her triumph was short-lived; Eyebrain was stumbling forward with its eyes stuck in a hateful glare. Perhaps it had different ideas than to seize her, now that she’s proven more of a threat than the last time. Momo forced herself off the couch, producing another pole – this time a plain aluminum sasumata that she wasted no time forcing against the creature with a push, the U-shaped head of the polearm locking against Eyebrain’s waist to keep it pressed to the doorframe. The tendrils growing from its head lashed out, just short of hitting her.

The materials seemed to be giving way to the creature’s strength however, the aluminum polearm starting to bend in protest… only for Eyebrain to suddenly lurch back to the entrance. Two giant hands seized the creature by the rags of its dress and threw it right out of the apartment. “Thank god you’re alive!” Itsuka rushed into the room. Momo felt her knees threaten to buckle and give out under her from relief. They were not out of the woods yet – she could hear Eyebrain’s indignant warbling still as it gathered its bearings from the sudden toss – but perhaps this fight was not lost.

“Kendo-san… please take care of the civilian.” Momo said, supporting herself on the fatigued polearm. Redhead nodded, going over to retrieve the old man, but then her eyes settled on the other girl, taking notice of her injuries and how shaken she seemed. The way Yaoyorozu worded herself, it seemed like she planned to confront the villain on her own. Before Itsuka could voice her protest, Momo guessed her train of thought. “The villain is after me. If I go with you, it’ll follow us to the civilians.”

“Dammit, Yaomomo, you’re hurt!”

“It’s me or the innocents.” The brunette’s mind was made up. She could not let others nearby that thing. Escaping through the doors wouldn’t be possible however; it was right there, slowly trying to force its way back into the apartment. “...though I’ll need your help to distract it, Kendo-san.” Itsuka bit her lip. This wasn’t right, leaving her to fend for herself against this horrid monster of a villain, but…

“...I’ll be coming right back for you. Don’t you dare get killed, alright?” Momo nodded, her arm taking a moment to create a fishing web with sticky ends. She threw it at the doorframe, keeping the Eyebrain from entering their room. It screeched, clawing at the web; it wouldn’t hold very long. “...so what’s your plan?”

“First, I need to get to the roof…”

----

Momo gathered her bearings, looking at the defibrillator before her.

It was as utilitarian as it could get, not at all like the automated resuscitation models civilians could use to save someone. This kind of technology was only utilized by trained professionals. An amateur like her could, at best, make things worse to a resuscitated patient.

Good thing she wasn’t planning on resuscitating anyone.

Kendo tossed her up a story (the building had five beyond the ground floor) to reach the roof while she evacuated through the window with the elderly man in tow. Eyebrain could choose to either scale the steps or climb upstairs, the same way it arrived here first when it ambushed them in Uwabami’s office.

...God, was she alright? She hadn’t asked Kendo at all about their internship provider…

…

Later. She had to stop that creature first. She could worry about everything else later. She had to stop it. No one else at the scene could; there was no telling when the reinforcements – either from outside pros or Itsuka herself – would arrive. It was her hunt to—

“Hunt”? Momo hissed, feeling her head still thrum with the ambient noise. Focus. She had to focus. She held the defibrillator in one hand, unfolded for now. It was coming.

Eyebrain’s form punched through the roof doors, swiveling out of the staircase with a warble. She saw it in detail already, illuminated by the lights in the building, but now, with only pale moonlight, it somehow became more unnerving as a semi-shadowy silhouette advancing towards her. She could only be thankful that its muscle augmentation left its body in a state of disarray. If it was half as built as the USJ Nomu, she would have no chance of holding it off.

Momo narrowed her eyes at the thing, clutching the unfolded defibrillator in one hand as the other produced another sasumata, pointing the U-shaped head at the villain. Her vision was starting to fail her – all of this has been pretty taxing on her lipid supply. Between her physical exhaustion and the drone in her mind beginning to pick up the pace again, this was her one last shot.

Eyebrain shambled forward, unafraid of the polearm even as she forced it against its waist again. This time the tendrils hanging from its brain joined its arms’ efforts to bend the weapon in two and render it useless, even as Momo used her weight to try and keep up the illusion of a hopeless struggle. Still, some of its eyes wandered to the curious item. They’ve been through this before with the strange bolt device she used to fend it off before. Thus, it needed some other means of reaching the moon-touched girl. Something other than this dumb brute strength it was given, more of a curse than a boon from how its body was thrown into chaotic disarray, unable to compliment the sublime eldritch truth and this brutish science devoid of finery into a harmonious whole.

It needed to speak with the moon-touched girl the only way it knew how; with a melody. Eyebrain relented its physical pursuit, stepping back – and initiating a tune. The discordant song came; an effort to reach an understanding. The girl froze, her eyes widening. The polearm clattered out of her hands as she stumbled backwards and fell on her tush, staring up at the encroaching creature.

Slowly, Eyebrain approached her, stilling its base instincts to exact revenge or to feast on the eldritch truth no doubt hidden within the girl’s brain. It had its instructions, and it was going to fulfill them. It reached for the item in the girl’s hand, hoping to disarm her to make sure she would offer no further resistance. A small box, two little plates connected by a cable of sorts—

The girl lashed out with a scream, pressing both plates to its arm and squeezing against the flesh as hard as she could. A little high-pitched whine from the doodad and it zapped. Eyebrain recoiled with an indignant screech, and again once the girl pressed the plates to its leg, now not only sparking with electricity, but still hot from the earlier use.

It fell, and Momo followed with the defibrillator, a cocktail of extreme emotions obscuring her better reasoning. It didn’t matter where she would press the device to; all she needed was more volts. She pressed to the horrid creature’s horrid head, and zapped. And zapped again. Her own screaming was deafened, not just by the monster’s pained warbles, but also the drone in her head reaching an apocalyptic crescendo. Either her head was going to explode into red mist or she would fry this thing first.

She wasn’t sure how many times she zapped the thing before it stopped moving, or how many times after. She wasn’t sure when did her ears fill up with blood, whether from shattered eardrums or something much more insidious. The stench of fried… something permeated the air and invaded her nostrils as she slowly stumbled off the… dead… body…

…

Oh God. She killed it.

The drone in her head disappeared. Her vision clouding red was back to normal. Even her hearing seemed as good as it could be, given the blood still seeping from her ears.

She killed someone. It didn’t matter that it was an incoherent villain who could not be reasoned with. She killed it. Him? Her? That was a dead body right there, reeking of fried flesh. Its eyes were glassy and empty. Those were the eyes of a dead person.

Momo’s lunch crawled up into her throat.

Itsuka found her a few minutes after, struggling to stay on all fours above the pool of blood and vomit, crying silently as her whole body shuddered in a feverish spasm. Nearby was the body of the villain, still and unmoving and reeking of fried flesh. One didn’t need to be a forensics expert to tell what happened here. “I’ve got you, Yaomomo…” The redhead spoke softly as she knelt by the other girl. Momo clung to her, exploding into a choked sob. Itsuka held her gently, but firmly, giving her all the time she needed to recover. If she could. The ambulance heli would be here shortly.

Only the pale full moon bore witness to this event.

Chapter Text

Kinoko felt weary.

The last few days felt like an action movie on fast-forward. A life of a hero would no doubt feel like that at its most busy, but she was nowhere near that level yet, or even nowhere near a place where such a feeling would feel justified. She wasn’t the one in the thick of it, the one who fought terrible villains, who suffered grisly injuries. Yet, she felt that she was sharing some of that pain with her friends.

It’s been two days since the Hosu Incident and the assorted attacks from the School of Mensis. The media barely talked about anything else; no small wonder, considering just how much happened overnight.

The coalition of League of Villains and the School of Mensis (now abbreviated to LOVSOM by one group, SOMLOV by another, and puzzlingly called “Muv-Luv” by some satirists) sent out three Nomu into the Hosu City to wreck indiscriminate havoc. It was a miracle that no one (beyond one of the Nomu) died in the process, though multiple pros at the scene suffered injuries. At the same time, Mensis’s recently freed lieutenant “Eyebrain” was spotted in another prefecture attacking Uwabami’s hero agency. It grievously wounded the heroine, and it seemed one Momo Yaoyorozu sustained serious injuries. The villain perished in the attack; all evidence pointed to Momo being the one who did the deed.

Elsewhere, Endeavor with his sidekicks and Wild Wild Pussycats were ambushed by a group of minor villains believed to have ties to Mensis. Some minor injuries among the pros, a few fatalities among the villains. None of them exhibited much in the way of coherency or sanity; some more monsters than men.

And amid all that chaos, the Hero Killer was brutalized by unknown perpetrators and easily captured afterwards by local authorities. It seemed almost inconsequential in the grand scheme of things; barely a footnote in this seance.

Even in the early morning hours did they continue talking about it, the sound and image just a little off on Miss Elizabeth’s ancient TV. The Fungal Heroine did not have an agency building, operating from her private home. It was a cozy place – and Kinoko could let loose with her spores the way she just couldn’t anywhere else – even if the rural area proved as unexciting as she first expected.

Yet, now she could only stare at the same nuggets of information repeated over and over by the same talking media heads, and feel her nails dig into her palms from frustration.

----

“The Hosu incident left us with more questions than answers. Two of the most notorious villain groups in Japan in recent memory decided to join forces to menace the populace, even in spite of the School of Mensis’s ringleader’s earlier assurances from the USJ Incident that his organization holds no interest in disturbing our society.”

“With all due respect, Miyagi-san, Mensis makes Instant Villains look like a bunch of melancholics. This Micolash is a lunatic in every sense of the word, and his followers are hardly any better. I hesitate to call them “villains”, even. “Beasts” or “animals” might work better...”

“It has been reported that there has been no progress on communicating with the villains – who apparently spoke plenty of beasts themselves – that attacked the Flamin’ Sidekickers…”

----

“This press conference won’t take long.” Koku Hanabata, the chairman of the Hearts and Minds Party, announced with a firm voice and a stern look. “We all have seen what happened in Hosu, and it was only a miracle that nobody died in the process. However, this attack showcased some very prominent weaknesses in the pro-hero system that my party has been talking about ever since its inception.”

“The civilian populace must be able to defend itself in case the pro-hero force proves unsatisfactory against the villains. These Nomu I understand to be mindless creatures that simply follow the will of the SOMLOV – which makes it all the more galling that they proved such an obstacle to the Hosu force. The only way innocents can defend themselves in such cases is a loosening of our Quirk laws that will allow them pro-activity.”

Hanabata’s brow furrowed further, silencing any budding questions from the reporters. “There is a vested interest among the current rulers of Japan to maintain this status quo. They would even go as far as to hire an alleged pro-hero from Vatican City. Vatican City! Can you imagine such a ridiculous assertion being published with a straight face? The man vanished without a trace afterwards, and it is only thanks to Shoowaysha Publishing’s Chief Kizuki’s efforts that we have insight into this “Alfred”. He is a two-bit thug and a bloodthirsty executioner, to put it in kindest of words…”

----

“What do we know about Momo Yaoyorozu?” The talk-show presenter posited a question to the paid audience, tapping the screen where the student’s face was displayed; a photo from the school festival’s finals. “UA, in its typical elitist fashion, was unwilling to disclose information about her. Luckily, we know plenty from the festival and our generous informants.”

“A recommended student, first in the theoretical and fourth in practical parts of the exam. Quirk: Creation. The name is self-explanatory: it allows for creation of any items she can think of. If her morals were not in place, she would be able to destabilize the markets with all the counterfeits in the world.” A few people in the studio laughed at the notion. “But considering that the School of Mensis fashions itself as some kind of an academia, we have to wonder: perhaps Momo Yaoyorozu’s Quirk was tampered with? Perhaps that is why the Eyebrain set its sights on her specifically? To acquire a Quirk so powerful that it had to be made up from scratch?”

“Senjou-san, perhaps this is simply an example of the Quirk Singularity theory?”

“If this was a stuffier show, Honto-kun, you’d be asked to leave.” A laugh in the studio. “We know Quirk Singularity is considered hokey by most experts, respected or otherwise, but for the time being we should entertain it as a slim possibility. After all, it’s either that or a custom-made Quirk created by a bunch of crazy villains…”

----

“Endeavor-san, how will you comment on the attack during the investigation?”

“No comment.”

----

Thread Name : The End of the Hero Killer?

*

Quirky27 wrote : ok, so almost no one on tv talks about it, but didn’t they capture stain during the hosu incident?

spinninglizard wrote: “ unknown perpetrators” is some conspiracy theory bullshit; dude took down ingenium and all those other fakes

crushmemamamiruko wrote : lol spotted stain-pathizer. GTFO

TheFluffyOne93 wrote: not a stain fan, but lizard’s right; those nomu guys weren’t anywhere near where they found him

TheFluffyOne93 wrote: that finger-breaking kid from ua school festival and the two-meter lady with a tongue-twister name found him, apparently

spinninglizard wrote : for real? wtf

NotHarryDresden wrote: one of the cops on the scene said stain got hit with something real big; yeeted him right through a wall, apparently

Quirky27 wrote: so what happens to stain now? tartarus?

crushmemamamiruko wrote: totes :v guy killed seventeen people and crippled like twice that many

crushmemamamiruko wrote: maybe deathrow

Quirky27 wrote: wonder if that “real big” thing was just made on the spot to cover up for the ua kids

spinninglizard wrote : wouldn’t fucking surprise me

spinninglizard wrote: but if some students could beat him up, then I guess stain wasn’t as tricked out as we thought

crushmemamamiruko wrote: *as you thought

spinninglizard: gonna own up to it, forgive a guy for synching with the guy talking about sham society

AllMightHatesAltRight wrote : stop the presses, an edgy reactionary kid turned to good

----

Two lances of blood danced on Maria Muradasilova’s bare palm even now, in a hospital bed.

She hated hospitals. She visited far too many such places already, although not really as a patient. Rather, she took sight of what some of her peers and superiors considered “enlightenment”. In one such hospital did she say goodbye to a friend who lost her humanity; not that Adeline was the only one put in such a plight by the esteemed ministers of the Healing Church.

...no doubt they would follow the Mensis’s trail and find her here too. Unlike the madmen, their methods were much more straightforward and ruthless. She’s heard stories of what happened to Old Yharnam. She participated in one such story, watching with tacit indifference as a fishing hamlet was defiled and destroyed, taken apart like a clockwork mechanism and never put back together. In pursuit of the eldritch truth, and the Great One washed ashore that could provide it, the Healing Church abandoned its humanity in ways they did not expect to.

She participated in one such story with tacit indifference until she could no longer take it.

Now she was stuck in this hospital bed, the beneficial fluid injected right into her veins to restrengthen her and a pearly white bandage wrapped tightly around her neck. She had no other major wounds, although the old scars on her arms gave the doctors a pause. Some of them, she heard them say, did not make any sense whatsoever.

Some seemed to be older than their owner.

The rest of her internship would be spent here, in this hospital bed. Although her regenerative ability was enough to let her walk, the doctors wanted to have a closer look at her just to be sure. So were Midoriya and Iida staying with her, although for obvious reasons they had different rooms. It was fine. Staying alone with her thoughts was fine. She could dwell on them, on the what-ifs.

Did she do a good thing by letting Stain live?

“Pardon the intrusion, woof.” A deep voice reached her from the doors. Maria turned to see a tall dog-man in a suit, one hand in a pocket. There was also a dejected Manual trudging behind him. “I trust your recovery has been going well?”

“...well enough. Who asks?” Her voice was still shot, much to her annoyance; it felt surreal hearing herself speak with such a strange tone. Apparently Stain’s knife might have scraped the larynx and caused some damage. Nothing too serious or long-lasting, at least.

“This is Kenji Tsuragamae, Hosu’s Chief of Police.” Manual introduced the dogman for her. Maria’s eyebrows narrowed ever so slightly.

“Chief constable. I see I am in trouble.” Tsuragamae made an amused growl, shaking his head.

“That remains to be seen, woof. I’ll be fine on my own, Mizushima-kun.”

“A-ah… right. Please don’t be too hard on her, sir…?” Manual cast her a sympathetic look before making himself scarce. Maria’s expression softened before she turned her head towards the window. For what seemed like an eternity nobody said anything.

“Answer only one question, Muradasilova-kun. Would you, should Izuku Midoriya not stop you, follow on your plan and kill Stain?”

“I find it likely.” Barely any hesitation. Not a hint of regret. The girl in the hospital bed seemed completely nonplussed by the idea of taking a life. “Midoriya made a logical appeal to the laws of this land, although the longer I stay here, the more I wonder if I should have not listened.”

“And why would you want to kill Stain?” Maria did not answer, but the corners of her lips tightened. “See, I understand Tenya Iida’s reasoning, even if I do not agree with it, woof. He sought Stain out to avenge his crippled brother. You have no such attachment to the man, yet you actively pursued him and then brutalized him.” Silence. Tsurugamae scratched behind his ear. “So why go through all this effort?”

“You say there is no attachment, but I recognized him for a familiar face.”

“Someone from Cainhurst?” The lances of blood dancing on Maria’s palm bent and intertwined with each other before collapsing into a crimson heap. Slowly, her eyes turned to the chief of police. “Everyone at the scene mentioned you referring to Stain as a “Cainhurst dreg”.” The girl’s lips turned into a thin line. “Chizome Akaguro is a Japanese national, Muradasilova-kun. He has no relation to any group abroad, let alone from Finland.”

“You have no way to know that.”

“Do you?” Silence. Obviously she didn’t, but it seemed she planned to remain stubborn. Tsurugamae sighed. “Now, don’t think I’m here only to admonish you. You stopped a dangerous villain that eluded capture for a long time, and prevented further death and injury. On a personal level, I can only thank you.”

“But?”

“But the fact remains that you have gone beyond what you were legally allowed to do and there is no easy way to sweep such an incident under the rug, woof.” Right. If there was some pro at the scene, Stain’s defeat could have been attributed to them, but the only one present was Native, barely in a position to fend for himself at the time. “You will no doubt be lauded for your accomplishment, but it will get you in trouble with the law. That is the last thing a hero hopeful needs.”

“Do you have any proposals for my punishment, chief constable?”

“There are some, woof. After consultations with Kan-kun and the rest of the UA faculty, I believe we have found something appropriate. They will introduce you in detail once your internship concludes.” The chief of police’s stare hardened. “That being said, try not to make this a habit. There is only so much you can be excused of, woof. If you find yourself killing a villain as a student, no matter how justified you might think it is, the school will not be able to protect you.” Such respect for life, Maria thought with a furrowed brow. Even the scoundrels were allowed to live, although some argued that languishing in Tartarus was anything but.

“I will follow your and the school’s judgment.” She finally said, turning back to the window. “Hopefully this will be for the best.”

----

In a different hospital…

Momo felt numb. Her physical wounds healed easily enough and her energy returned with little difficulty, but the mental scarring would no doubt last. It was just like after the USJ. Same villain, even. At least Eyebrain wouldn’t menace her any longer.

She killed it, so…

She killed it. She killed a person, even if they were an utterly incoherent villain. Whatever it was, it must have been human once – and she killed it. It happened to pros, of course; not all villains could be taken alive. Sometimes it was a conscious decision. Sometimes it was an accident. Most heroes who had taken a life weren’t looked down upon, unless the circumstances behind such a deed were murky.

As far as Momo knew, she went past self-defense. If her opponent was anything else than a horrid eldritch creature, she would not be excused by any court. She would be shamed and sentenced, expelled from UA, barred from ever getting to be a hero.

Both Itsuka and Uwabami came to visit her. Her schoolmate got out of this ordeal unharmed, but it was obvious that the others’ injuries didn’t let her sleep; there were bags under her eyes even as she tried to put on a brave face. Unlike Momo, this was her first such experience in the field.

As for Uwabami, a left half of her head was bandaged up, the two snakes remaining in her hair small and meek. To get rid of the third one, Eyebrain pulled on her hair and skin. A non-insignificant part of her scalp came undone in the process, although she was quick to assure Momo it looked a lot more dangerous than it turned out to be.

“I suppose I will have to shelf modeling for a bit.” She laughed, shaking her head. Despite the bandage and the hospital gown, she seemed as lively and beautiful as ever. Certainly contrasted well enough with Momo’s own haggard look – with loose unkempt hair and eyebags of her own – even as the girl tried for her own uneasy smile. “How are you feeling, Momo?”

“I… have been better.” She flinched, seeing Uwabami’s smile lessen. “S-sorry, I did not mean…”

“You have nothing to worry about. After being attacked by such a villain, I think everyone would deserve some slack.” For a moment, no one said anything. Momo wished that would be the end of things, but as she saw Uwabami’s expression soften into some kind of compassion – and pity – she felt something crawl down her spine. “You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened either.”

“...I killed a person, Uwabami-san. I don’t… even if it was self-defense” Which it wasn’t, Momo swallowed the bitter words that almost slipped from her mouth. “I still went too far.”

“You killed a dangerous villain when your own life was threatened.” Uwabami’s expression was firm in its reassurance. “I doubt you enjoyed it, but you had no choice.”

“How… how can you say that?” Perhaps Eyebrain was no longer human, a creature without a will of its own like the League’s Nomu, but did that give her the right to kill them? “I can… I have a Quirk that lets me create anything! I-I could have done literally anything else t-to—” Momo squeaked in surprise when she found two arms holding her in a hug.

“...Momo. You did all you could. I won’t fault you for it. No one will.” Uwabami’s voice was gentle, but equally firm, even as her hands stroked the girl’s hair to try and soothe her. Momo felt her voice hitch in her throat, felt turning it into an ugly, choked sob. “I’m sorry I could not be there for you when things were at its worst. I’m sorry you had to go through this alone.”

“I… Uwabami-san…”

“That you feel so strongly about this means you understand what you did very well – and that you will do all you can so that it never happens again. You’ll be an amazing hero one day, Creati.” Uwabami sighed, feeling her own weariness and how out of character she must have looked to the girl. After all, she only picked her for her looks, didn’t she? “I just hoped that you wouldn’t have to worry about it until much later…”

At the doorstep, Itsuka decided that this was probably not a good time to visit.

----

Setsuna was not at the center of any of these events, and yet she felt like she went through a warzone herself.

It felt like just five minutes ago when her biggest concern was picking up the routine for the stand-up competition. Not that she was sitting on laurels during her internship; Majestic was busy both as a patrolling pro and a business-savvy walking ad. She was learning as she went, taking his advice and trying to mimic some of his moves by applying them to herself. The general idea was similar, after all.

And then, one fateful evening, Juzo texted her simply with “check the news”.

Hosu was under attack, with Honenuki himself having taken part in fending off the Nomu. Hero Killer Stain had been apprehended, but apparently not without wounding Maria and Midoriya(?) first. Elsewhere, Momo had to kill one of Mensis’s monsters that went after her, and Kendo was under the same pro-hero too. Gone was the air of carefree adventure, the first lick of the real deal while they were still students. It was probably nothing special for Maria, but for the others… they became adults overnight.

And here she was, trying to think of a stand-up routine.

Obviously, blaming herself for any of this was pointless; she couldn’t exactly just ask the villains to not do their villain things. And yet, she just couldn’t help but ponder at how radically different their experiences were. Did others have such harrowing experiences? Was she the only one allowed the luxury of just playing around like that? The worst thing was, she couldn’t even visit; Majestic’s schedule might have been full of fun stuff, but it didn’t allow much leeway. He himself stressed that while it might be tough, they still had to do their own jobs first.

Setsuna thought that made sense. She didn’t like that conclusion.

At least she could still text both Juzo and Itsuka. The former’s pro decided to let him rest a bit while the latter’s was indisposed at the time, thus relegating Itsuka to office work to keep the agency clean. The two of them seemed to be doing alright, at least. Kendo was slow to talk about Momo though, and there was no contact with Maria whatsoever.

Just a few more days, and she would be able to get to the bottom of this.

----

“Still thinking of the Hosu incident, young lady?”

Kinoko nodded with a weary sigh before looking up at the Fungal Heroine walking by her side. Miss Elizabeth truly resembled a mushroom in near-entirety. A boletus edulis, if she had to guess. With a brown cap for hair and a thick mushroom stem for a body – she didn’t even have mouth or ears! Just a pair of small eyes – she truly owned up to her moniker. The stumpy limbs seemed almost inconsequential to her biology, and Kinoko already saw them retract into the stem; Miss Elizabeth had stepped into a rapid river to rescue a cat that tumbled into the water, unflinching as she retrieved the soaked fuzzball.

“S-sorry. I know I shouldn’t be distracted on patrol…” Not that there was much to keep track of. The sleepy rural surroundings, in a town that couldn’t be bigger than a thousand people, didn’t really lend themselves to high-octane action of disaster relief and chasing villains.

“It’s understandable. Your friends were in danger, and involved with some unsavory elements.” Elizabeth didn’t seem disappointed with her, at least.

“You, um… you seem to know a lot about them. Er, the Mensis, I mean.” The Fungal Heroine hummed, watching a tractor pass on the road. A driver – an old man with bear paws – waved at them. Kinoko sheepishly returned the gesture.

“A little bit. With age comes knowledge and experience. I did think they were but a distant memory though.” Elizabeth’s nonexistent brow furrowed. “Whatever it was that brought them out of hiding, it must have been a significant thing indeed.”

“Do you… can you tell me something about them?” This time the small fungal eyes looked down at Kinoko curiously. “I… think they’re after some of my friends. Well, I’m certain of it, I think. I want to help, if I can.”

“You don’t think your school will protect them?” The girl didn’t reply, but it seemed her silence was enough for Elizabeth. “Young lady, such knowledge comes with consequences. Not everyone is equipped to handle it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said, young lady. Not all minds can bear the findings they stumble upon. The Mensis are not ordinary scholars; they dabble in things some would consider unnatural.”...this felt like a reference, a strange thought intruded into Kinoko’s head for a moment. “You have already seen that whatever they touch ends up worse for it.” She knew that back when they first showed the mugshot of Eyebrain after the USJ incident. Normally the newscasters were not shy about showing villain photographs. The society has long since been used to monstrous visages. Some heroes like Gang Orca even built a reputation on it.

That the first showcase of Eyebrain was preceded by an apology for censorship was telling enough.

“...even still…” Kinoko took a deep breath. First this Todoroki drama, now this… “I want to help however I can. A hero’s job is to bring smiles to people’s faces – and I can’t do that if I can’t help them, can I?”

“Sound logic, young lady. However, The Mensis was never meant to be fought by heroes. It is a group that precedes Hero Society. It might even precede Quirks themselves, in a manner of speaking.” Kinoko blinked, then blinked again. An organization that long-lived suddenly just appearing in Japan out of nowhere? And barely anyone has heard of them? “I see you’re not so certain about this anymore.”

“W-what? Oh, um… I mean, it’s a lot to take in…”

“And that is only a tip of the iceberg. Like I said, not all minds can handle it, shrewd or otherwise.” Elizabeth nodded. “I say: if you still think you want to take this burden onto your shoulders, young lady, ask your friend Maria for details. It seems she is most intimate with their workings.”

----

The internships have come to a close.

Maria rolled her shoulders, idly feeling at the bandage wrapped around her neck. She would have to wear this thing for a while yet to ensure the wound healed up properly. An annoyance more than anything, it robbed her of the usual voice and had her speak in a crippled whisper. Perhaps this was one part of her penance for getting too reckless against a foe she knew that had nothing to lose.

Unrelated to Cainhurst? What a laugh.

A curious presence awaited at the school gates; 1A’s homeroom teacher, a scruffy man with a long scarf wrapped around his shoulders and neck. Most students passed by him nervously – among them some of his own class – but it seemed he was waiting for a specific person. Most likely her.

Indeed, all it took was crossing the school grounds. “Muradasilova.” Maria went still, but did not turn to face the teacher yet, letting the last few stragglers slip by them. Soon it was quiet. “I trust you had a visit from Chief Tsurugamae during your stay in the hospital?”

“He spoke of punishment agreed upon with the school. Are you my supervisor for the matter, Aizawa, sir?”

“Much as I’d rather boot you out of the school myself, that’s what Nezu settled for.” He glowered from his place. “I hope you understand that this is not the kind of second chance most people would get.”

“Of course. I am blessed by your benevolence.” It was hard to tell if she was being sarcastic with him, which honestly annoyed Aizawa more than blatant sarcasm would. “Whatever is it that I am to do?”

“For starters, your end-of-semester exams are both considered failed, effective immediately.” Maria stirred slightly, finally deigning to turn towards him. “Though you are of course still to pass the theoretical – and be in the top half of your class for it.”

“Practical?”

“Failed. There will be a remedial course in the future.”

“Anything else?”

“Community service under Fourth Kind. Consider it an additional internship, starting tomorrow after school. This is on top of your normal studies, of course.” Aizawa let her digest the information. “You’re expected to bring a glowing recommendation with you if you wish to stay in this school.”

“Understood.”

“And if what happened at Hosu happens again… there won’t be a third time.” With that, Aizawa slunk off back to the school. Maria watched him go with a furrowed brow. There won’t be a third time… perhaps it was a good thing that Stain was in captivity. Hopefully no villain would rouse her ire like he did during her penance. And, should the Mensis be so bold to make a move… self-defense was only that.

Self-defense. Perhaps she could make do with that.

Chapter Text

Once again was 1B abuzz with early morning gossip. And Monoma’s raucous laughter.

Itsuka looked like she’d rather be anywhere but near the man, the bags under her eyes a reminder of her internship and unslept nights. She was better, at least. “What’s up with him?” Awase asked for her, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“You know how Blasty McSplode interned under Best Jeanist?” Tsuburaba answered with a question of his own, producing a phone with a smirk. On the screen was an angled shot of Bakugo, telling someone unseen off. Something was amiss however. “He brought a lot from the internship, looks like.”

“...okay, that is amazing.” Itsuka laughed quietly, shaking her head at the exploding bush of hair compressed into a flattop not unlike Best Jeanist’s own hairdo. Over her shoulder, Kamakiri peered over with a frown.

“I hate the guy, but man, that is a crime.” He grumbled, idly running his hand through his spiky hairdo. Kendo tried imagining the mantis boy with a composed haircut like the one on the photo. It seemed impossible. “...how are you holding up by the way, Kendo?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean—“

“You and Yaoyorozu had a run-in with a villain from the USJ, right?” Tsuburaba questioned. The redhead’s shoulders sagged slightly. “...are you guys doing okay?”

“I… well, I haven’t thought the villain much… it was mostly Yaomomo.”

“Pony said hi to her in the hallway, and she almost jumped out of her shoes.” Awase’s face was uncertain. “...and it was the same villain that messed her up at the USJ, too, right?”

“Mhm.”

“I guess she and Muradasilova can have therapy sessions together. Any idea what she’s up to though?” Tsuburaba questioned, eyes wandering around the class in search of the tall girl. Maria was nowhere to be found. Kendo only offered a helpless shrug.

“I’m sure they’ll pull through! Those two are some manly stuff!” Tetsutetsu butted into the conversation, slamming a coursebook on Itsuka’s desk. The redhead shot him a bemused look, but it seemed the Steel user was too much in his element to take notice. “And we need to make sure we’ll be on their level!”

“...are you suggesting a study session, Tetsu?”

“Well, duh. The exams are coming and while I know we’ll all ace the practical, the theoretical is… ehhhh…” All the steel of the world could not help weak grades. “So I was thinking we do some class-wide study sesh. Invite some 1A, too, if they want!”

“If you can find a muzzle for Monoma, sure.” Awase rolled his eyes slightly. “But I’d be down.”

“Well, check me out. I do my studying solo.” Kamakiri shook his head.

“You don’t have to be edgy about books, you know—“

“It’s cool. The invite’s still there if you want to join us.” Tetsutetsu wasn’t stymied, nodding along.

“...Tetsu, and where would we be studying?” Itsuka sighed. The Steel user blinked at their Class Prez once, twice. “Especially if it’s meant to be the whole class.”

“I, uh… I haven’t thought about that yet.”

“Well, I’m not edgy, so I’ll help you out with looking for it.” Tsuburaba offered with a grin. Kamakiri flipped him off with a growl.

----

Maria seemed the same old, barring the bandage around her neck – and how it changed her voice into a whisper.

It was still a deep, resounding whisper. Despite sounding like she could barely put audible words together, they still were easy to decipher. Perhaps she kept using her Quirk for that purpose? Given the myriad abilities it could already do, Setsuna wouldn’t rule it out.

Overnight, she became a counselling partner to both Maria and Yaomomo. Her 1A peer’s woes were at least easy enough to decipher; shock from the events of that night when she had to kill the Eyebrain. As far as students went, only she and Itsuka knew, and she suspected Maria figured it out easily enough. Such knowledge was not meant to leave Hound Dog’s office, of course.

Momo did her best, but it was obvious she was not cut from the same unwavering cloth as Maria. Not that it was a knock against her; it seemed she was handling it as well as she could, given the circumstances. Setsuna could not even imagine herself in the situation like what happened on top of Uwabami’s office. After the therapy session, Momo took her for a walk to stress something of great importance: sooner or later, the Mensis would be coming for Lizardy as well.

Setsuna was truly lucky so far, but that could only get her so far.

With a head full of thoughts she found the unusual scene at the cafeteria: Maria approaching one of the 1A tables. Judging by the broccoli commotion, it seemed she wanted to discuss something with Midoriya in private, much to some light teasing from some and Iida’s insistence that such matters are best resolved after class to have more time to digest them.

As they went, another curious sight caught her attention: Support Course’s Hatsume peering out from behind a corner and biting her lip in frustration.

----

Izuku’s brain was complete mush.

Why on earth did Muradasilova approach him right in the middle of a lunch break and asked to accompany her to a “private place”? Even from his spot, he could see Kaminari’s thumbs-up; not that Uraraka or Asui didn’t tease him about it either. Well, it certainly wasn’t anything like that, he reasoned. It was probably something regarding the Hosu Incident. Stain, perhaps? But then it felt like they had that issue figured out on-site already, then how—

“Do you make it a habit to mumble to yourself like that?“ Izuku startled with an undignified squeak, seeing Maria’s vaguely amused smile. The two of them stood at the school rooftop.

“S-sorry about that.”

“Hm. It is like you are two different people when in action and outside of it. Curious finding, that.” He did get that a lot, too. For a moment none of them said anything before Maria turned towards the grate wall, hands clasped behind her back. “But that is enough levity for now. I seek to question you on some matters that I was not able to during the night in Hosu.”

“...s-sure.” Izuku swallowed nervously. “W-what is it, Muradasilova-san?”

“...tell me about your Quirk.”

Izuku stiffened. “...what… what do you mean?”

“Your Quirk I understand to be super strength that grants you enhanced physical aptitude. Correct?” Midoriya nodded, and only realized that Maria would not be able to see him doing that a moment later. She continued anyway. “But during the School Festival, I could not help but make an observation when you and Shinsou fought. You shook off his hex, seemingly without any input but your own – which would be impossible due to how Shinsou’s Quirk operates.”

Slowly she turned to face him, the slight smile replaced by a firm frown. Appropriately, the sunny weather began giving way to an incoming storm cloud, darkening the skies behind her. “So what is your Quirk, Midoriya?”

“I… really don’t know why that happened. I mean, I figured that it might have been a freak accident. I mean, er, like, have you seen a d-dog sleep sometimes? Their legs kick up sometimes, a-and…”

“Midoriya.” Izuku swallowed again. “You are a good man, but a lousy liar – and my patience is running thin.”

“...I… really don’t know.”

“You do. That you refuse to tell me means there is more to your Quirk than you simply being coy with it to catch your foes unawares – and you are hardly that kind of person.” She took a step forward. “I have met my fair share of people secretive about their natures, and oftentimes they hid their ill intentions in such a fashion. I would loathe to find your kindness and heroism to be but facades.”

“...there’s no facade about that. I don’t think so, at least.” Even when defending his convictions, he felt the need to be at least a little polite about it. Maria would smile if not for the gravity of the situation. “I will be a hero. It doesn’t matter what my Quirk is.”

Before she could press him on this further, the doors to the rooftop opened up with vigor and a titanic form of All Might – clad in an awful yellow suit and carrying a small packed lunch – emerged from the staircase with the unflinching smile. “Ah, Young Midoriya! Young Muradasilova! I hope I’m not interrupting anything of notice?”

“A-all Might?! Is that a…”

“Oh, this? Well, it’s a lunch. For lunching purposes. Unless, of course, I just interrupted yours—“

“We’re fine, sir. I am just about finished with Midoriya.” The pale eyes stared at Izuku with disdain. He refused an urge to shrink in place. “For now.”

----

Things were grim at the Endeavor Hero Agency.

“...sir? Any word about Onima?” Having just finished the usual review of his sidekicks’s activities and the assorted paperwork, the Flaming Sidekickers crowded around Endeavor like baby ducks around their mother, desperate to know what became of one of their numbers. Enji Todoroki had no good news for them.

“He’s still locked up. The doctors are constantly monitoring him.” He said, making his way through the crowd to his office. “You’ll be the first to know if there’s any development.”

One could reasonably accuse Endeavor of being incredibly cold-hearted about the fate that befell his sidekick, but Enji believed directionless anger yielded no results. The sooner he got to the bottom of this case, the sooner it would be possible to find a cure for Onima, if one even existed.

The School of Mensis made it personal now.

Things started out innocently enough. One of the manbeasts they fought a few days back bit Onima. The sidekick at least realized something was going wrong, locking himself up in a small room some time after the bite and urging his family to contact the authorities to take him in . Then he lost his ability to talk, human speech replaced with incoherent snarling and growling as he slammed and clawed at the door . It felt like someone suffering from rabies, but the doctors who later had to strap him down to the bed said something else was the cause.

It was a Quirk. A strange, unknowable Quirk that infected the victim’s blood and robbed them of reason, beginning the transformation into one of the monstrous creatures they fought in the mountains.

They have found no purchase in trying to communicate with the appreheneded villains so far, but Enji knew the one who bit Onima was Quirkless – which bred some unnerving questions. How did that man come in possession of that Quirk? Or perhaps… how did that Quirk possess him?

It seemed the “sickness” transferred only through a bite. Cold comfort should the Mensis unleash more of the madmen somewhere else. It took only one infected to get the chain going and considering the dire consequences of it all… Enji dared not imagine. Until the cure was found, the Mensis would be top priority. Their lair had to be found and their ringleaders apprehended. That made the League of Villains top priority by association, although it seemed they were mere hangers-on to the real power party of the two, Nomus or no.

A t least Stain was dealt with… and perhaps he had to start there, considering who took him down…

----

Maria sighed, examining the envelope she got from Aizawa.

This was going for Fourth Kind’s hands only. Inside was no doubt a set of instructions regarding handling Maria’s second “internship”. Whatever it was going to be, she believed herself ready for it. No doubt it would lack the usual flair or excitement. It was going to be work. Hard, thanksless, boring work – but what were heroes if not public servants?

I t was a test, and she could not afford to fail it. She already gave Master Kan enough grief. No more. Just for that reason, she would achieve what was asked of her.

This time, there were three lances of blood dancing on her palm.

“Ah, hey, there you are!” Her attention was caught by Mei approaching her at the school gate. It seemed the inventor was running; her breath was short and it seemed she carried some sort of package in her hands. Maria’s eyebrow rose. Unusual for Mei to approach her – usually it was the other way around. Even then, she barely saw the pinkette outside of the development studio. “...oh, uh… how’s your throat?”

“It looks more grievous than it actually is.” Maria nodded hello. “Have you a need of me, Mei?”

“...kind of. Yeah, I guess I do. Uh, bear with me for a second.” Maria’s eyebrow rose again. The last time she saw the inventor be this sheepish, it was when she bestowed the new Rakuyo onto her hands. She could understand the nerves, being Mei’s first created sword – so what was eating her this time? Did it have something to do with the box she turned in her hands?

She didn’t rush her. There was still time to get to Fourth Kind’s agency. “...so… uh… pleasegooutwithmemaria!” Mei sputtered out, bowing low and presenting the box. The white marble blinked, then blinked again. “I k-know y-you and Midoriya had lunch and that’s probably a sign my chances are right out, a-and you’re still recovering from that wound, but if I don’t confess my heart will explode out of my chest, a-and I just can’t help it—

A pair of strong, cool hands gently held onto her shoulders. Mei squeaked. “You need not prostrate yourself before me.” Slowly, the pinkette straightened back up. Maria was bending down so that they could maintain better eyecontact. “My outing with Midoriya was academic only, so you need not worry about that.”

“...ah… that… I mean, does that mean—“

“However… I am in no position to accommodate you. This week will be a busy one for me.” Slowly, Maria stepped back. Mei felt her shoulders tighten up again. “If you wish to go out with me somewhere, I see no reason why we cannot do that after this week concludes.” The pinkette blinked. Did… did Maria not realize what she was talking about? Was something lost in translation? Even despite her growth in Japanese, some phrases might have slipped by her yet, probably…?

...oh thank God. She was this close to imploding on the spot. “Y-yeah. Sure, that sounds good. I mean, I don’t really do that normally, but you’re a friend a-and… yeah. Uh, how did Rakuyo do on the internships, by the way?”

“It was spotless.” Maria offered a slight smile. “I trust it will hold fast with me for a while. Now then… I’ll see you tomorrow at school. Take care, Mei.” And so the white marble left the pinkette with a cocktail of emotions going through her head right now. She made sure the inventor was out of sight before her shoulders sagged and she pulled out her phone, wondering who to contact about this.

Romance. To think it would befall her here, and from Mei of all people…? “She deserves better than me…” Maria sighed to herself, thumbing through her number list – and heading towards her internship.

----

Elsewhere…

Shigaraki was beside himself. Once again the media dogs were talking about Mensis, and only Mensis. Oh, sure, the League was mentioned in there, but it seemed he and his party were considered mere NPC’s that played second banana to what those idiots perceived as the PC’s.

Despite the fact that the Nomus turned the entire Hosu into their playground until some third-party help (who the fuck was Alfred?!) arrived, LOV remained obscure, Mensis’s sloppy seconds. The whole plan of using Stain to boost their popularity didn’t pan out either – as far as anyone cared, the guy was just knocked out in a corner, apparently by “a large unknown assailant”. They didn’t even bother covering it up in a sensible manner – the people who found Stain were All Might’s shitty fanboy and Lady Whatsherface. Guess she was looking to get back into form after her embarrassing performance at the Sports Festival.

T he only two reasons he wasn’t busting out of this silly dungeon together with Kurogiri yet were that Sensei seemed to have faith in Micolash and his stupid nonsense… and that he hadn’t a slightest clue where the fuck they even were.

“I stopped questioning it a while ago!” Of course, Micolash’s compensated schoolgirl date was no good to tell him something noteworthy – but she wasn’t the worst at Mario Kart, so the two of them could at least shoot the shit against online normies. To think Buttfuck, Nowhere would have such a good internet connection… “But it’s super convenient whenever things get too heated and heroes and cops show up, just ending up here.”

“You don’t care at all where you are right now?”

“Do you, Shiggy?”

“Call me that again and I’ll cave your face in.” Toga pouted back.

“No you won’t, ‘cause no one else around here even knows how to hold the controller properly~” She sadly wasn’t wrong. Kurogiri didn’t seem to have a clue, as adults his age seemed to do and neither did Micolash’s lackey with his fancy bugsprayer can. As for Micolash himself, well, Shigaraki would rather swallow a cactus than play with him. “Chin up, Shiggy! I’m sure things will go your way before long!”

“Yeah, how long is “before long”, huh?” He only got a slight shrug in response. Toga’s Baby Mario was gunning for the first place while his Waluigi struggled to break into the top half of the race. Sadly it was him getting Mario Kart’d this time. Oh well, not the first and probably not the last time that happened. He had the skills to bounce back from such a crippling setback, he just needed to focus…

...so naturally, the Cageface burst into the room with all the subtlety of a dump truck. “I b ring grim tidings!” Shigaraki hissed, feeling his controller start to turn into dust as he held onto it a little too thoroughly.

“Ouch, that’s a third one this week.” Toga hummed, not at all bothered by the event as she rode to victory. The League’s ringmaster sucked in a breath, quietly counted to five, and then rose to his feet to meet Micolash’s anxious visage.

“This better be good, Cageface.”

“Good? Oh, it is a disaster, Mr. Shigaraki!” Ah. Well, fuck them sideways. Tomura started scratching at his neck, his eyes threatening to bulge out of his skull. “The thug with a hammer that got in the way of our Hosu campaign – why, ‘tis an Executioner!” Whatever the context was, Micolash seemed to be taking it one hundred percent seriously. Even Toga’s attention wandered over to him.

“And that means…?”

“That the old enemy of ours has made a foothold in this land of opportunity, using this brute as their means of coercion! This calls for drastic measures!” Shigaraki’s skin peeled off as he scratched and scratched, feeling his annoyance grow into anger. Why was he supposed to stick with this nutter if all that gave him was his whining and complaining and sitting on his thumbs all day? Him just going “ours” like some other weirdo group was the League’s problem was just an icing on the cake.

“Why the fuck do we care? Not like they can get in here anyway.”

“Oh, but they could reach things of interest.” Micolash was not swayed, shaking his head with dramatic fervor. “Obviously they are here because of the moon-touched lasses and the Vileblood princess, but they might yet seek things out that you strive for.” Shigaraki’s scratching slowed down a little. “I imagine so, at the very least. You would seek to impose a new world order after you topple the Hero Society, correct?”

“...I guess? Yeah, I guess that sounds nice.” He hadn’t really thought that far ahead yet, to be honest, but it seemed like a logical conclusion of a post-All Might world. Someone had to be on top of that, too, right?

“Well, the Healing Church would rather burn this land to the ground than let you have your way.” Micolash’s tone was serious and devoid of his usual whimsy. A startling case of being out of character, Shigaraki thought. “They are fanatics and zealots, with mad ideas about the concepts of the world.”

“Like us, Mico-san?” Toga suggested with a vaguely amused look. Micolash scoffed so hard he almost hit Shigaraki with his brass cage.

“Perish the thought, dear Himiko! We have no need for such base methods and goals! We’re scholars, visionaries! We seek a higher purpose—“

“So it is like us.” Shigaraki’s quip was unappreciated, too, but the League’s ringleader continued before Cageface could get uppity with him. “So what’s the plan? So far you’ve just talked about how unstoppable those Healing Assholes are.” Now Micolash instead looked stumped.

“I am yet to devise one… for now we, and our goals, should be safe. The devils are slow to work due to their celestial bureaucracy, so I expect we have some time yet.” The scholar tapped his cage in thought. “A commune with the Mother Brain, perhaps… and with the young Mergo, to seek a solution to this quagmire… I shall keep you updated.”

Just outside the room, out of sight and out of mind, Edgar took notes on his little notebook.

----

Fourth Kind wouldn’t say he got along with Aizawa much.

Thanks to his reputation as a Chivalrous Hero and how he operated, their methods were fundamentally at odds. He confronted evildoers in an open field, and when he wasn’t doing that, he made sure to better the lives of those around him with simple work, something most pro-heroes seemed to turn their noses at. Aizawa, in turn, skulked in dark alleys and neutralized criminals and villains, leaving them tied up on a street lantern for the authorities to pick up.

Such contrasting personalities simply could not work well together, and Fourth Kind was grateful that they never had an opportunity to test that in practice. He did, however, respect Aizawa’s work, especially since the man also moonlighted as a teacher at UA. If Aizawa had a request, then that meant something serious was afoot.

And considering he was the reason Maria Muradasilova was now at Fourth Kind’s desk, it was something serious alright.

He was familiarized with the Hosu Incident and the details surrounding the downfall of Hero Killer Stain. Good that this filth was taken off the street; bad that it was done by a fledgling without even a provisional license. The giant hole in the wall nearby was their only clue that someone else threw hands at Stain , but otherwise nothing else to go with. The only pro nearby that could have this shuffled on them was Native, who almost got killed himself. Thus, there was no easy, convenient way of sweeping this under the rug. Frankly, Fourth Kind was surprised no media vultures showed up to pester Muradasilova or the other kid that was found there.

H e mulled over the contents of the letter, sometimes taking his eyes off to have a look at the girl. She stood perfectly still in a boy’s uniform (was she a delinquent, too? Didn’t think these still persisted in Hero Schools), her eyes wandering around the office. There wasn’t much to look at in here, frankly – Fourth Kind preferred to keep an austere front – but whatever kept her at ease.

C ommunity Service after classes. Something inglorious and boring, a chore for an up-and-coming hotshot. Fourth Kind always thought the Hero Schools did not prepare their graduates for the boring reality of life – and that “boring” was what they strived to achieve. The two dumb kids he got for the internship proper were such hotshots, but they were also easily moldable into something more respectful and appreciated by the community. No doubt they would take his lessons to heart.

This one was different, and for the first time in his career, Fourth Kind wasn’t sure if his firm touch was going to do. “Alright, Muradasilova. Did you do any community service before?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re about to learn then. Grab the safety vest, some gloves, and a trash bag. I expect you to come here from tomorrow on in your hero costume, too.” Maria’s eyebrow rose ever so slightly, but she saw fit not to question the instructions, heading towards the rack with the mentioned items. Not a peep of protest. Guess she did understand she was here for a punishment.

Now to hope a week of picking up trash from the suburbs would get vigilante ideas out of her head…

----

The sight of the Chivalrous Hero and the two-meter-tall UA student would no doubt turn heads even for those who did not expect them.

Leaning against a nearby wall just out of sight, Chitose Kizuki smiled and twirled a pen between her fingers.

Chapter Text

Chitose Kizuki, MLA codename “Curious”, lived for the big scoop.

Specifically, a big scoop that could help the efforts of the Army and the legacy of Destro. MLA was content to stay in the shadows and slowly influence the populace through meticulous, gradual work. There was no rush. If Grand Commander Re-Destro couldn’t make it, no doubt his successor would achieve the ideal MLA longed for: unabated Quirk use, unrestrained by archaic laws.

...of course, Chitose still wanted it to be something exciting, something that specifically made her heart race so hard it could compete in F1 races. Her codename wasn’t for nothing, after all, and she got curiouser and curiouser throughout the years. Re-Destro approved this direction, too, even if his suggestion was to seek raw, direct interviews; material fresh from the mouth of babes. It had to be still warm, like a freshly killed man.

Things were getting stale for a while now. There was only so much excitement one could gather when the Symbol of Peace still loomed above men and women, heroes and villains, the strong and the weak – the ultimate sign of Quirk oppression, an insurmountable wall that would keep the divide between the privileged and the downtrodden until his death.

Chitose had no doubt that the MLA would outlive All Might. The question was if the patience of individual members would.

And then, as if a sign of things to come, the League of Villains and the School of Mensis spat on the order of things with all the irreverence they could muster. She was there in Hosu, watching the Nomus enhanced with strange and revolting powers that could not quite be considered Quirks wreak havoc. She heard all about their attack on Endeavor and the Flaming Sidekickers, and the strange sickness plaguing one of their number. And though Hero Killer Stain turned out to be a dud, a mere footnote on the info bar, the thing that put him through several walls wasn’t. Chitose believed it existed, and a journalist’s intuition, even dulled after ascending to the top of Shoowaysha, told her that it must have had something to do with Mensis.

And if that thing didn’t, then Maria Muradasilova certainly did.

What a fascinating biography she had. UA’s recommended students weren’t always interesting, but this particular batch had a few noteworthy names, even among the ones who chose not to qualify. To think this Inasa kid would throw away going to the best Hero School in the country… even then, a son of Number Two Hero and a walking experiment of Quirk marriages gone successful? A daughter of two pharmaceutical moguls with an absurdly versatile and powerful Quirk? The other two were almost insultingly boring in comparison; while their Quirks were nothing to scoff at, it seemed UA just picked them at random.

And then there was Muradasilova, recommended by one of UA’s teachers. Nepotism of sorts? No, it was even better than that. Apparently, the girl hailed from the far reaches of Northern Europe. There was no shortage of Hero Schools in the region she could go to; if not in Finland, then perhaps in Russia or Germany. The sky was the limit – and yet, she ended up so far to the East. UA was one of the best schools in the world, true – but that was still quite a bit of distance to travel.

What made her go all this distance?

The mysteries did not stop there. The girl knew of Mensis before anyone else did, and spoke of them at length during the police investigation of the USJ incident. (it was nice, having an informant on the force~) She was the highlight of the UA Sports Festival, too, showcasing feats of physical aptitude seemingly without ever using her Quirk until the now-viral semifinals and the disgraceful conclusion to her journey for the gold. And yet, even a cursory look around the net was enough to tell Chitose that Maria did not lose fans for it in the slightest. Instead it contributed to her exotic allure. A student with confirmed noble blood, from so far away in the world most in Japan might not have even heard about the place? A peerless beauty cut from white marble (ah, were Chitose ten years younger...) as statuesque as she was martially able?

And then she took down Stain, and her legend exploded.

Chitose’s informants were worth their weight in gold, able to confirm that – “large unknown assailant” aside – it was Muradasilova who put an end to what dozens of pros couldn’t. She nearly killed Stain, too; now that would be the kind of scale-tipping event that could get her introduced to the MLA, presumably after she was spirited away from prison… of course, public opinion was a fickle mistress. Some believed it was indeed Muradasilova (and Midoriya – perhaps it was worth having a look at him, too?) who did the deed; others were willing to believe that the LUA (it got annoying, repeating “large unknown assailant” all the time) was either some underground hero or Hero Commission’s personal wetworks man making themselves known. Others still, already friendly to the MLA’s cause, thought Stain got the taste of his own medicine and was ambushed by Hosu citizens.

Judging by what she knew and what she had seen of Maria, Chitose didn’t doubt it would be easy to get the interview out of her, even if it was to make an annoying media vulture go away. Of course, first she needed to divert Fourth Kind’s attention. That was only a matter of a single phone call; then she had to hope her actors were swift enough to escape the Chivalrous Hero for a time.

And with no one in the way… she could have her golden interview.

----

This was a quiet affair.

After the excitement of her previous internship, even after it’s been cut short, Maria had to agree that this was comparatively slower and more mellow. This experience was comparable to what most of her peers had during their internships. The Hosu Incident was a unique event that befell only a few of them, be it directly on-site or through unrelated attacks, like what befell Momo and Todoroki.

What startling contrast.

Not that she minded this chore. There were worse punishments out there, and the repetitiveness of picking up trash helped her steer her thoughts someplace less foreboding. It also helped that Fourth Kind wasn’t just her supervisor and participated in the effort himself. The two of them had plenty of neighborhoods to clean off the trash, though it didn’t look like there was anything to clean here. Discernment was a virtue for this enterprise, to look under every bench and peruse every bush.

...perhaps she was giving it more thought than it needed.

“Good effort!” It seemed Fourth Kind was pleased with her progress, too. Or maybe because she didn’t complain about it. “The reason why you’ll be wearing your hero costume from now on is to be recognizable to the onlookers. They have to know pros do something other than look good on the TV!”

“Will it not invite questions from them, particularly about my outfit? It differs from the usual hero fare. Some might recognize me from elsewhere.” Like the Hosu Incident footage, but she didn’t finish that thought out loud.

“Then you shake them off with perfect poise. You’re at work! You can’t let any onlooker distract you.” Right, that made sense. She wasn’t sure how well she would perform in such a situation, but only time would tell. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to find out too soon…

Of course, things just weren’t this easy. “Help, thief!” A sharp cry for help alarmed both her and Fourth Kind. The Chivalrous Hero scoffed, seeing the obvious culprit: a man with a shark fin on his neck running away with a purse, no doubt snatched from the young woman with a bob cut. She was the one crying out for assistance.

“Tch, here of all places…” Fourth Kind grumbled, putting away his trash bag.

“Shall we give chase?”

“No need for the two of us for a single purse-snatcher. You keep doing your work, Muradasilova!” She didn’t get the opportunity to discuss this further; the Chivalrous Hero was already off to apprehend the thief. No doubt it would be a sight for the criminal, to have a four-armed bruiser in a safety vest bearing down on him.

And now, with only Maria left at the square, it would be easy for anyone hiding just out of sight to accost her – like the blue-skinned woman approaching her planned to. She carried herself with confidence, like someone who knew what they wanted from life. Somehow, the black sclera of her eyes or the uncanny colors of her skin and hair – they reminded Maria of 1A’s Ashido, a bit – were not the most unnerving bits of her presence.

It was a self-assured, predatory smile – and the pen twirling between her fingers, tapping against a little notebook. “I don’t think that ugly vest suits you, Maria Muradasilova.” The white marble did not deign to reply, giving the woman only a single look before focusing back on her task at hand. “Something with more chic, perhaps, like those vintage leathers of yours?”

“Can I help you?”

“Perhaps. I’m looking for a visceral recount of what happened in Hosu. A little bird told me you might have been there.” Maria resisted an urge to scoff and roll her eyes. No doubt the curious woman was looking for emotion to capitalize on.

“My internship took me there. Anyone could have told you such.”

“Oh, but could they tell me about your reasons for choosing such a place?” Silence. “Because, you know, there are plenty of people who would commend you for your actions that night.”

“Ah. You mean Stain.” Maria shook her head. “I was only fortunate to find him already broken, as Midoriya can attest. I’m certain you have heard of the large unknown assailant responsible.”

“I can’t say so. I don’t know anyone who can – and yet they exist, somehow.” Chitose’s lips quirked in a vaguely amused smile. “Schrodinger’s Assailant, if you will. They most assuredly exist, yet Stain is found brutalized with punches, and with little bits of leather here and there, perhaps from your costume?”

“Clearly the assailant must have been in leather, too.” The woman knew, Maria thought with growing annoyance. It wasn’t exactly a “mystery”, but it seemed most were willing to keep their curiosity to themselves, perhaps for fear of Hero Commission getting involved in this or because they weren’t as curious as the others. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is still much work to be done.” Maria circled the park with her arm.

“Dear Maria – it’s fine if I use your first name, right? - you’re not being as slick as you think you are.” The woman teased with a smug smile. “We both know how it went, yet you stubbornly refuse to take credit for your deed. Now, I understand why someone else would shirk from such a thing. They could be afraid of consequences of unlawful Quirk usage. They could be humble. They could simply think it was a fluke and they do not deserve the credit for their achievement.”

Maria was silent, choosing to ignore the woman and get back to work – yet her lips tightened into a single straight line. “But you’re different.” Curious smirked. Her phone pinged; most likely her secretary to inform her that Fourth Kind was on his way back. She had a whole week to work with Maria – but it was good to sow the seeds right away and then nurture them than wait for a perfect storm. “You’re not a Japanese national. You don’t adhere to the rules of uniformity. You’re the nail that refuses to be hammered down. Just why would you turn down such splendor and fame?”

Slowly, Maria went still, and then straightened up in full. Curious blinked and felt her heart skip a beat, and not in a fun way – that girl was really, really tall. “You’re standing on a candy paper.” Oh. Well, that gave her a scare. The woman sheepishly moved a few steps back, letting Maria collect the thing. “There is no pride in collecting trash like this. It is simply work that must be done. I find pleasure in qualities surrounding it instead, like the quiet surrounding bereft of nagging harpies.” Curious had long grown thick-skinned enough to weather insults like this, but it seemed Maria was now in the mood for talking. Thus she made a mock-indignant scoff, feeding into the girl’s monologue.

“Similarly, no dog-catcher relishes seizing and putting down rabid hounds, unless such is their mode of pleasure. No ratkiller enjoys burning the vermin down by the dozens. This work is done for no one else will do it. Most wish merely to be compensated for it adequately, no matter what the society thinks of them and how it denigrates them. Theirs are stories to be told, not mine.”

“So you think you need no compensation for your efforts? That your “mode of pleasure”, such as it is, is sufficient enough for it?~”

Maria flinched. Curious smiled. Jackpot. Yet, her triumph was short-lived. “Oi! Get away from my intern, you media vulture!” An angry, annoyed Fourth Kind stomped over to the scene, two of his arms carrying a knocked-out sharkfin man and the third – a purse of Curious’s secretary. “I won’t have you harassing her!”

“I’m not doing anything, Fourth Kind-san~” Maria offered no commentary as the woman gleefully slipped away after a tense talk with the Chivalrous Hero. The woman whose purse he returned seemed uncharacteristically glum about getting her possession back. Perhaps the reporter sent her and the sharkfin to divert Fourth Kind’s attention then?

Unimportant. Yet, even as she returned to work, two lances of blood danced around her knuckles, growing out like claws. “Hope she didn’t give you too much trouble?” Fourth Kind inquired, eyes briefly wandering down to the lances. “Your Quirk’s acting up.”

“No. And this is my therapy method.” These lances seemed a touch too pointy for his liking, but he was willing to believe her. Plus, that way, at least she wasn’t piercing the trash bag. “I think I said something to her that I shouldn’t have.”

“They sent the worst one after you, Curious Kizuki herself. Didn’t know she’s still in the field, being a chief exec of Shoowaysha…” Fourth Kind shook his head. “If she comes over again, either ignore her or call me. Don’t let her rile you up; she’ll make the most sensational nonsense of even the smallest nuggets.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. We’ll finish earlier today, but for now – back to work.”

Elsewhere, back in her car, Chitose finished listening to her recorder with a smirk.

----

Juzo stretched in his spot.

It was a Heroics Class, and the name of the game was “relief race”. He and four more of his classmates had to navigate through the treacherous pipeline maze of Ground Gamma, searching for the location of the disaster beacon.

Ground Gamma looked like a good place to use his Quirk in, though not necessarily for high-speed maneuvers. Without a helmet, he would no doubt bang his head on one of the pipes the moment he slipped up. At least he didn’t have to worry about Kamakiri and Shoda getting in the way – those two would most likely take the upper route. Maria and Kodai could pick one of the other. Some Quirks would be more favored than others – Setsuna easily won her group, for one – but they could only find out who would win through grit and determination. Plus Ultra, and all that.

Before long they were off. His training with Slidin’ Go paid off; he was traveling through the pipeline maze with relative ease. The dull thumps coming from above must have been Shoda bouncing from place to place with his Quirk, and the grinding and thrashing behind him was either Kamakiri choosing to cut his way through or…

He narrowly dodged a piece of a pipeline falling from above as it clattered nearby. “Apologies.” It was all he got as Maria passed by him, cutting a bloody swath through the terrain. Quite literally so, in fact; it seemed she was using her Quirk to rip and tear her way through Ground Gamma. Some of that blood even stayed behind in uneven splotches. Some of it sprayed out with each slash which, Juzo surmised, was not how this normally worked. Even the lances they saw during the School Festival were clean and sleek.

He was no therapist, but it seemed something was on her mind.

In a bit of an unsporting behavior, Maria’s swings were wide enough to keep him from trying to overtake her without getting in danger of getting diced. He could presumably look for another route, but that came with a risk of getting lost in the labyrinth of pipes. The more manageable idea was to trail her until things got more spacious and then zip by her… and right on cue, they emerged from the maze and into the open space. Shoda was in the air, having flung himself up with his Quirk. Kamakiri was behind them, hopping from a surface to surface and screaming bloody murder. No sign of Kodai – guess she was the weak Quirk out of their five, kinda like Bondo was during Setsuna’s round.

He heard Maria click her tongue in annoyance before the “blades” in her hands pointed downward – and suddenly she lurched forward in a bloody explosion, propelling herself through the air. “Oh, now you decide to not be Batman?!” Kamakiri quipped from the back. Honenuki bit back his quip when he was left behind in a red mist, the visor of his helmet dirtied by the deep crimson.

Something was definitely amiss.

In the end, Shoda had the upper hand, though Maria finished right behind him. It seemed she hadn’t used her Quirk like that in a while, misjudging the amount she needed to stick the landing in full. Or maybe because the copious blood loss made her a little woozier than normally; enough to have her sit down and repeatedly insist she was fine to her classmates and All Might both (“I have no need for a stretcher yet”, followed by what Juzo assumed had to be swearing in Finnish).

Honenuki would never forget the aftermath of Maria’s race: crimson shapes and streams slithering towards Maria from all over the grounds, spooking a few people fierce and slipping through the leathers of her costume, reddening the material as they sunk through. What Juzo wiped off his visor was included in there, too, so he got to feel how someone’s blood moving on his arm felt like.

It wasn’t pleasant.

----

Maria grumbled under her breath, resting on an infirmary bed.

She was fine. Her blood loss was temporary, and any worry about what she spilled becoming infected or stale unsubstantiated. The cursed lifeblood of a Cainhurst descendant resisted natural laws of the world with extreme vengeance. What would threaten to disturb the integrity of a Vileblood could not last for long, even if it was logical for it to do so.

...she was fine.

She could have been better. That this media vulture riled her up so, Maria just couldn’t explain. She should have been better than this. To think she would fold so easily… and no doubt this Kizuki would return to menace her today as well, and in the coming days too.

Of course, she could just tell her everything – that Stain was a Cainhurst rag sent here no doubt to menace her, and that her only regret was not crushing his skull to powder – but she was trying to avoid getting in trouble. Her treatment of that dreg was how she ended up doing community service in the first place. Perhaps it was unfair, but she knew the why of it: she overstepped her competences.

She would be able to weather the storm – but Master Kan had enough grief. The school had enough grief. Her classmates had enough grief.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why her Quirk refused to cooperate with her. It wasn’t anything as extreme as Midoriya’s arm-breaking (and he seemed to have figured out a way around that), but she’s been thinking too much about unimportant things. Plus, she was more than a little rusty with proper usage. Even against Stain, she didn’t do more than a single lance – and then stopped her blood from flowing out from that twice-accursed neck wound.

Stupid bandage.

And now, she had an unexpected visitor. “How are you feeling?” Vlad King sidled up on a stool. Maria herself had long stopped lounging, opting to merely sit crosslegged on the cot. Her coat, hat, and boots were in the corner. She had to talk a nosy robot out of taking the former out for laundry first. The blood would sink in and disappear in time.

“Uninjured, for the most part. I apologize – I seem to have given my classmates and All Might a bit of a scare.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking about.” Of course. Maria scowled, then reflected on that and chose to simply look away.

“I will persevere, sir.” She stated blankly. Kan was not convinced – she was persevering for a while now, and ever since the Sports Festival, each time she reaffirmed her strength of will felt less convincing than the other. There was only so much one could do with sheer grit, even as unflinching as that of a Cainhurst hunter.

“This is the first time you consciously used your Quirk in this quantity since Finland.” She made no movement or sound. “What changed?”

“I… suppose I have been restless.” Maria took a moment to continue, first staring at the ceiling lamp, then somewhere outside the window – anywhere but to avoid Vlad King’s stare. “And I have been recommended by Hound Dog to try and make a habit of using my Quirk. Perhaps I used too much of it.” “Too much” felt like an understatement. Kan knew that, though she hated using it, Maria’s control of her blood was impeccable.

“Aizawa’s internship idea isn’t giving you too much trouble, I hope?”

“Not the internship itself. I have been accosted by a journalist in search of details about Hosu.” Maria’s expression was uncertain. “I… felt a need to speak with my heart, though I did not act on it.”

“About Stain?”

“It felt like the right thing to do, yet…” Vlad King shook his head.

“From what I’ve heard, she would keep pestering you until you said something that, put lightly, would be difficult to walk back.” Maria hummed in assent, though her eyes seemed to disagree with the notion. “...I know there’s a lot on your mind, Muradasilova. Not just about Stain, but also the Mensis. I will promise you this much: we will find them and we will stop them.”

“Can you?”

“Perhaps not in the way hunters would… but I dare say heroes are quite good at capturing the villains.”

----

Setsuna sighed, watching the afternoon sky on her way out of school.

Maria gave them all quite a scare. Twice over, considering not only she almost passed out from blood loss, but then she amended that problem by summoning her blood right back from the grounds. Guess that even for all the myriad uses of her Quirk, it came with certain logical limitations. By all means, she should have been happy to see Maria use her own special power, especially after all of her apprehension regarding its origins.

And yet, she felt queasy instead – maybe it had something to do with how the white marble left the school grounds in her hero costume.

Where was she off to in such a getup? She mentioned offhandedly that she would be doing some extra work for the next week, but refused to clarify. Obviously, a hero’s costume was needed for hero work – which while exciting, could get dangerous, especially for someone who already went through a hairy internship.

There was another presence to distract herself with though. “Hey, Yaomomo!” She called over to 1A’s ace. It seemed the taller girl was feeling a little bit better than yesterday. If anyone needed a pick-me-up, it was Momo.

“Ah, Tokage-san. Good to see you. Is Muradasilova-san okay? I’ve heard there was an incident during your Heroics Class…”

“Yeah, though it didn’t look like it at first.” Setsuna chuckled, shaking her head. “Whatcha standing here for though?”

“Oh, just waiting for my family driver.” The lizard girl blinked. Right. Rich people. “I normally come back home alone, but… given the recent events, I was encouraged to take a different mode of locomotion for a few days.”

“Want me to wait with you?”

“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother—“

“Too bad, I’m waiting with you.” Momo made a half-embarrassed, half-annoyed face, though the latter part softened when Setsuna tittered. “Change of topic: ready for the exams?”

“I… honestly haven’t thought much about them yet.” Setsuna’s eyebrow rose. That definitely felt out of character for someone as studious as Momo, though she did have a lot on her mind recently. “I’m certain I can prepare for the theoretical, at the very least. Some of my classmates aren’t feeling too sure of themselves on that front, so I suggested tutoring them.”

“Sounds good. How many?”

“...well, actually, most of the class.” Momo smiled slightly. “I’m fortunate that I have the space for it.”

Setsuna’s braingears stopped with a screeching halt… and then started running at double the pace. “...hey, Yaomomo… how big a space are we talking?”

“Oh, uh, do you mean the measurements or—“

“Just in general.”

“...well, it would be in my parents’ mansion.” She nodded, her brow furrowing. “Probably in the dining room, since it can easily accommodate up to fifty people and the acoustics are arranged so that everyone can hear each other even from the other end of the table.”

“Soooo… what if I told you that some of my classmates planned a study sesh, but couldn’t figure out where to place, give or take, ten to fifteen people to study effectively?” Momo blinked. “I mean, we’ll probably prep our own material – and we’ll have to keep Monoma in check, so he doesn’t go bother you guys—“

“Tokage-san, I would love to tutor all of you.” Ah. This must have been what people who looked at the rising sun felt like, Setsuna thought: the hopeful warmth, further helped by Momo’s radiant smile. “...frankly, if I may be so selfish, I welcome this as a challenge. I… I had a lot on my mind recently, and… well, something like this for a distraction would be delightful to have. If you don’t mind me using you in such a fashion, Tokage-san.”

Setsuna bit the inside of her cheek to fight off the urge to make a really tasteless joke. There would be a better time for it. “So, it’s a deal, then? I’ll let the others know.”

“It’s a deal.” The two of them shook on it for a good measure, just in time for a limo to roll up in front of the main gate. “We’ll figure out the details tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”

“It’s a date~ Take care.” As Setsuna watched the Yaomomo Limo ride off, a smile kept growing on her face. It wasn’t until it disappeared behind the hill that she pulled out her phone and picked Tetsutetsu’s number. “You’re not gonna believe what I’m about to tell you, Tetsu~”

----

Elsewhere, through the darkened alleyways, echoed a pitter-patter of a child’s bare feet.

Chapter Text

Kizuki came to visit Maria this afternoon as well.

This time, despite the leather of her uniform reminding her just what it was the blue-skinned journalist would ask her, the white marble was in a better place to ignore her. Two things helped: Fourth Kind’s increased vigilance, which let him fend Kizuki off faster… and, ironically enough, adoring fans.

It seemed there was quite a number of people even in this sleepy neighborhood that recognized her, be it from the Festival or from other, less desirable places. They were infrequent, but it made Kizuki’s attempts more difficult; something that Maria did not mind in the slightest. A group of middle-schoolers came to gush about how “cool” and “awesome” she was at the Festival. A middle-aged couple offered her thanks for “keeping the streets clean” with a conspiratory wink from the husband. One blushing highschooler asked for her autograph even (Fourth Kind was willing to lend her a handkerchief for it).

It was, overall, a dull experience; the kind that helped scrub the mind clean from errant thoughts. With her focus entirely on the work, she could briefly forget about the problems that troubled her. She could forget about the coming exams or the threat of Mensis… it was a nice feeling. This time, they worked late into the evening hours. Tomorrow morning she would rise to meet a new day, and then return here in the afternoon. Four more such days to go.

“Good work today, Muradasilova!” Fourth Kind nodded. The two of them were back at the agency, depositing the trash collecting equipment after delivering the bagfuls to the right set of containers. It seemed the Chivalrous Hero wasn’t satisfied with sorting the trash between its types; papers from one neighborhood had to go to that neighborhood’s container as well.

“Tomorrow at the same hour, sir?”

“That’s about right. I’ll make sure Kizuki doesn’t follow you back home; I asked another pro to keep an eye on her.”

“Ah. That is appreciated, sir.”

“You’ll have to learn how to deal with her kind before long if you want to hack it out as a hero.” Fourth Kind warned her. “It’s the kind of science that even longtime pros struggle with, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not good at it yet.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Muradasilova. Grab a protein bar on your way out to recover.”

“Sir.”

As the girl left his office, Fourth Kind had to conclude that he was getting really tired of being called “Sir”.

----

Elsewhere…

“Looks like there’s been a development.” Shigaraki looked up from his newest timekiller of a game to regard Micolash’s lackey. As it turned out, the game had no dedicated pause button – and held a player character merely a second away from death.

“Ouch.” Toga, stretched on a couch nearby, could only giggle at her unlikely new friend’s misfortune as he narrowly avoided dusting another controller. Shigaraki took a deep breath and rose from his spot.

“What is it? Are we finally getting to do something?”

“That is indeed the case.” Edgar nodded. “Micolash’s council with the Great Ones opened new paths for our advancement. To that end, we will require your help.” Here, he gestured towards both young villains. Himiko’s eyebrow rose.

“That’s new. Mico-san doesn’t really need me for anything like that.”

“Like I said, new development.” Edgar shrugged. “You have been with us long enough to know that the ways of the Great Ones are not always easily deciphered, young lady.” Toga’s cheeks puffed up. “And while this is no doubt new for you, Mr. Shigaraki, they have plans for you in the near future, too.”

“So why isn’t Cageface telling us all this?”

“The council is exhausting for mortal minds, even as refined and experienced as ours.” Another shrug. Edgar smiled thinly. “I say we should let him rest. It is through his plea that you will partake in something greater.” Shigaraki’s hand wandered up to his neck, feeling the urge to scratch again – before it slipped back down.

“...alright. So what’s up?”

“The Mother Brain wishes to make contact with you first, to ascertain that her predictions are accurate.” Edgar bowed and gestured towards the exit. “I shall lead you two to her.”

----

This time, Maria was lured into an alleyway by a feeling of overwhelming despair.

It was not like the first time with Stain, when there was something tangible to smell. This time, it was the aura in the air, the way it bent and changed its unseen shape. And even then, she would have perhaps ignored that deadly fragrance in other situation. People were subject to despair for various reasons; sometimes minor, sometimes grievous. Some bounced back in an instant, others languished for days and weeks… others still let themselves submerge in it, hopeless and tired. Perhaps she was so inured in her own pain that now that she was trying to fix it, her own subconscious lashed out against her decisions?

But such auras were commonplace – except when they smelled of prepubescent youth.

What could have happened to a child this young to invoke such a visceral, overwhelming feeling? What could they have gone through that their fear and pain were all but gone, replaced with grim acceptance of their meaningless existence? What inhuman experience could have possibly subjected a fledgling like this to such a state of mind?

Maria had a few ideas in mind, but such monstrous conclusions simply had no place in this organized world of hope – until tonight.

She approached the child with a cautious step. The girl – six years old, perhaps a little older – watched her with shaking eyes as she cowered by the errant trash bags and leftover debris , red irises watching the slightest of her movements. Her hair was white and wavy, but dirtied gray from the grime of the alley. The single horn sticking out of the right corner of her forehead crackled with unseen yet discordant energy. The girl wore something that resembled a dirtied hospital gown… and the bandages…

Maria went still.

The entire length of the girl’s arms was covered in bandages (presumably the same was true for her legs). Some procedures would no doubt require this, but the girl didn’t look clean and cared for enough to be a hospital escapee… unless, of course, she escaped from a place that was a hospital in name only… or a laboratory…

Lady Maria, I am a robin.

Ah. There was an unwanted thought from the past. Maria’s breathing stilled for a moment as she regarded the girl. The red eyes seemed too skittish to stop anywhere for long, but it seemed the bandage around the huntress’s neck, sticking out from under her cravat, kept drawing her attention. The white marble had no idea how to handle such a situation, but the girl obviously could not be left to fend for herself. Perhaps something to try and put her mind at ease…

Maria loosened the cravat, letting the girl see the bandage in more detail. “I suppose we match, little one.” She spoke gently, trying for an uneasy smile. The girl made a little sound; it was hard to tell what it was meant to signify. “Have you been here for long?” The girl shook her head slowly. “And why would you hide in this alleyway?”

“...I… I think it’s better for everyone that way…” The girl replied in a weak, barely audible voice. Rage flared somewhere within Maria. Whoever it was that tormented this girl – no doubt for “science”, if her outfit was anything to go by – had yet to receive their just desserts. That would not do.

“When I was your age, I was told that a warm abode and a filling meal were good for me.” Still, this wrath could wait. For now, she had to play the part of a hero and a decent person. Perhaps do it double time, seeing as the girl’s “caretakers” did not have it figured out.

“...abode?”

“A home. A place to live.” The girl’s brief bout of curiosity deflated as she curled up against the wall.

“...home is warm. The bed is comfy… and I get a lot of toys to play with… though I never open them…”

“No, little one. Your home is luxurious. It is rich and comfortable – but it is not warm. Not from what you have told me. Not from what I have seen from you.”

“I’m s-sorry… y-you should go, Miss… before you get in trouble…”

“...I’m not the one who will be in trouble, little one.” The girl flinched with a whimper, likely thinking Maria referred to her. The white marble reflected, cursing the slip-up. She was more furious about it than she suspected of herself. “Neither will you.” For a moment no one said anything. Maria sighed, reaching into her coat and rummaging there briefly. Before long, she produced the protein bar she grabbed on her way out of Fourth Kind’s office. “Are you hungry, perhaps?”

“...a little bit…” As if on cue, a small rumble came from the girl’s tummy.

“It’s not much, but I hope it will be to your liking. It’s apple-flavored, too.” Anything to put the girl’s mind at ease, she reasoned. It helped that the girl really seemed to be starving, wolfing the bar down once she actually gathered enough courage to have a bite. “What’s your name, little one?”

“Her name is Eri – though I have to wonder what the likes of you would want with her.”

Maria rose sharply from her spot to regard the smiling intruder, briefly taking notice that the girl didn’t seem too scared of the man – so it was someone she knew and, presumably, trusted on some level. That, of course, raised questions why she trusted this particular man. Maria knew she didn’t.

Because the blond stranger with sideburns wore an unmistakable attire; the garb of an Executioner.

----

Eri wasn’t sure why she ran.

She made attempts to escape before, but she would always be captured; if not by her father, then by his men. All of them would always say the same thing: running was pointless and dangerous to the people outside. She was born with a cursed Quirk that could only do harm. Only her father could do something else with it. Something painful and terrible, but… it was better if she suffered rather than others, no? Especially since these efforts had an end goal in sight. If enough Quirk-dampening, Quirk-erasing medicine was developed, then other kids with their own cursed Quirks could be safe? So could be their families, too.

Eri knew death, and that the brief moments hanging in the void before her father would put her back together , without a body or mind or soul, would drive most people insane. Was she crazy? Maybe a little. Sadly, her Quirk could not be used on herself – that particular escape route was closed for her. How many times did she die and come back to life? A lot. How much of her blood was used for her father’s goals? A lot. It was not yet a number she knew.

If she suffered, then others did not suffer. If she bore this burden, then no one else would get hurt… and yet she ran.

Maybe it was because of Mr. Alfred? He was a recent addition to the household; a representative of someone her father did business with. She was the main commodity in these dealings – yet the sunny-faced man never treated her as such. The others were wary of her, trying to give her a wide berth. Some whispered that they took pity on her, that perhaps her father was being unfair and unkind to her – yet they did their part in ensuring she would not leave the premises of the compound.

Mr. Alfred was weird. He did nothing to stop her father from continuing with his project, yet his warmth and kindness were genuine. Mr. Alfred was happy to talk to her, tell her about the world outside. He was the one who instilled in her the idea that this suffering had an end. That, eventually, her body would not have to be broken down and reassembled anymore.

“It is your cross to bear – and, eventually, you will reach the mountaintop you were climbing all this time.” He said to her once as he led her to the “surgery room” for another dose of her blood. “I’ve known many a noble folk who gave up their lives and minds for the greater good. I would shake their hands in reverence if they were still with us.” Alfred then lit up with a radiant smile. “But perhaps I will be able to shake yours at the end of this climb.”

Eri found some comfort in being an enlightened martyr for the cause – but sometimes not even that was enough to lift her spirits. Yet, this boundless energy spurred her to try and make her escape. Maybe she could get away…? But where would she go to? That thought hit her soon after she slipped out of the compound – and eventually, she resigned herself to languishing in this dirty alleyway, away from prying eyes. That way, if her father found her, no one else would be in trouble.

...but then she was found by this woman.

The woman seemed surprised to find her here, but still tried to be nice to her. Was she one of the “heroes” she kept hearing about now and then? But her outfit wasn’t bright and colorful and her smile didn’t seem much. Not that Eri knew how to smile, so perhaps all smiles looked the same to her… still, the woman made an effort to try and put her at ease. But then… Mr. Alfred found them, and the woman’s demeanor changed in an instant. Eri shuddered and curled up, holding tightly onto her half-eaten bar. It felt as if the alleyway was filled with a sudden, biting chill.

The woman was in trouble… this was exactly what Eri feared would happen…

----

“Vileblood.”

“Executioner.” Maria regarded the man cautiously. He carried no weapons on himself beyond what could have been hidden in his coat. The tools used by the order were large and unsubtle, difficult to conceal from the public, but it would be foolish to assume he came to a beast’s den with no hunting tools. Then again, perhaps he did not expect to meet his quarry here, while retrieving a defenseless child.

“I suppose this meeting was long overdue. I just didn’t expect we would have witnesses for it. You know, Eri, you gave everyone back home quite a scare.” He addressed the girl with a smile.

“Have you come to retrieve her to your lab, butcher?”

“It’s not my lab, though yes: it’s long past the time young patients should be allowed outside—“

Alfred jerked back, feeling a torrent of blood leave a cut on his cheek. The vile creature in front of him didn’t wait even a minute to resort to violence, a lance of blood seeping out of her palm. “You will go back to the hellpit from whence you came.” She all but snarled at him. Clearly, the Cainhurst heritage could not deign to be challenged by even the simplest of requests. He readjusted a step backward, his eyes wandering to the shuddering Eri.

“You’re scaring the young lady here.” She was, Maria realized, but her rage bubbled up and outside when confronted with this audacious Executioner. The sheer gall…!

“You dare shield yourself with this child? Has the Healing Church gone to new lows of depravity when I wasn’t looking?” That got his smile to lessen a tad. Maria would have preferred it gone, but perhaps the Executioner was simply too insane to register her words properly.

“The Healing Church will be the future of mankind, Vileblood scum. That being said…” Slowly, the man’s shoulders relaxed as he held out his hands in a placating gesture. “We can do battle some other time. Though improbable, it seems both of us want good for Eri.”

“You will not leave this alleyway with her.”

“You are under an assumption that Eri will be taken home by force.” The man smiled thinly at Maria before he offered the girl a more radiant, genuine look. The whiplash was hard enough to have the white marble hiss. “And obviously, the answer is quite different, isn’t it, young lady?”

“...I…”

“I understand why you would run. It feels like we’ve talked about it at length so many times now.” The man laughed quietly, shaking his head. “But remember: everyone has their own cross to bear. Plus, I imagine your father might be cross about your escape.”

Something changed in the girl’s demeanor, Maria noticed, the moment her “father” was mentioned. The girl froze and clutched at her gown, eyes widening further. “I will be honest with you: I have my personal reasons to want this woman dead, but I imagine she would be no one of notice to your father. An innocent, if you will.”

“That is enough!” Maria snarled, stepping forward as her voice tore at itself. Some blood reddened the bandage on her neck, but she could not care less. The Executioner shot her an unimpressed look. “You blackguards will unhand this child before I wrench her away from your gnarled, dead hands! I will not have a bootlicker of a dead sorcerer violate the innocent—“

The mirthful shine in the Executioner's eyes vanished. Maria recognized the oncoming danger, but chose offense over defense. There was nowhere to escape to, and if she wanted to spirit the child away, it would have to be over the Executioner’s dead body. He brought no weapons of his order with him, and whatever blade might have been hidden in his coat would not save him against her righteous fury. Lances of blood rose from her palms, ready to cut the insolent gnat to ribbons…

...only for a sharp CRACK and a loud BANG to stop her dead in her tracks. Maria stirred, the pulsating pain coming from somewhere around her midsection. It wasn’t bleeding – she had enough clarity of mind to amend that – but… it seemed these were no ordinary bullets... “I was hoping I would be able to fight you at your best.” The Executioner drawled, a small modern pistol freshly drawn from the confines of his coat. “But since you insist on being rude and untoward, I shall treat you like the scum that you are.” Another few CRACKS and BANGS jostled Maria, making her take a step back. She looked down: four bullet wounds, all around the midsection. The leather of her outfit did well against claw and blade – but it seemed bullets had an easier time dealing with it.

“Now then, best we make ourselves scarce, Eri.” And just like that, the killing intent was gone as he looked at the girl with a sheepish smile. Maria snarled, forcing herself to lunge forward now that the Executioner’s attention was diverted. He didn’t even bother looking back, firing three more times. This time, she was stopped, her knees growing weak and her focus starting to slip, making the wounds bleed ever so slightly. She reached out one last time – and was laid down on the ground with one last bullet in the pistol clip.

The girl made a weak, resigned sound of protest as the Executioner scooped her up into his arms. The gun wasn’t loud, but no doubt someone took interest in such a sudden noise. Of course, by the time a hero or constables showed up here, those two would be far away – and Maria would start to actively bleed out. “Wait… damn you…” The man did not deign to look at her, but Eri did, even as they walked further into the alley, slowly slipping out of her’s vision.

The girl looked… disappointed.

----

“You killed her…” Alfred hummed at the accusation. The compound wasn’t far away by now, though avoiding prying eyes proved difficult even at this late hour. Perhaps he shouldn’t have made his face so public during the Hosu Incident – but who was he not to fight the beasts whenever they appeared?

“I think we’ll see her yet, Eri. I would be surprised if she didn’t survive this.” The modern gun loaded with holy bullets of quicksilver. Perfect for beasts, and not just the ones with fur and canines – but some beasts required more than petty blessings. “The likes of her ilk are quite tough, for better or worse.”

“...you called her a Vileblood.”

“That’s because she is one.” He nodded. “A most terrible group, though I once thought they were gone by now. Some must have survived.” Eri gripped the cloth of his coat tighter.

“...why is her blood vile? Is… her Quirk cursed, too?”

“That implies your Quirk is a curse, Eri.”

“Everyone says it… father says it… my mama said it…” Ah, that poor girl. Her Quirk could be used for such great things, and here she was, being used for base experiments of some yakuza thug (who wasn’t her father; apparently the real one vanished due to Eri’s Quirk) because her mother saw fit to throw her away. With her potential, she could have been among the most blessed of Kin applicants; help the human race find deliverance so much sooner. Unfortunately, his role was limited here; he was merely an observer and her caretaker, sent here on the orders of the Grand Vicar. That a Vileblood happened to be in the area was a happy little coincidence.

“I think they say so because they’re afraid of your power – but I’ve seen scary things, Eri. You’re hardly such.” He nodded. “Your Quirk is a blessing. I believe it could do a lot of good.” Right across the street was the stronghold of Shie Hassaikai. He would have to return the girl to her “father”, witness another smear of blood that used to be a hapless lackey who let Eri slip away, perhaps be told off in that condescendingly polite manner Chisaki was so fond of.

One day, Alfred reasoned, the Healing Church would have no need of this man and his villainous ilk. “All you need to do, Eri… is to carry your cross some more.”

----

Back in the alleyway, Chitose Kizuki was elated, even as she picked the emergency phone for an ambulance. The girl bleeding out on the ground in front of her seemed to be doing surprisingly well for someone who got shot eight times in the gut at nearly point-blank and had an old throat wound reopen on top of it all. Either Alfred was using some odd bullets, or she was just that tough.

Ah, the look she gave her before she passed out; that realization that Chitose was listening in on the entire conversation and could, should she have different priorities, step in to prevent the child from being spirited away. Even through the fog in her eyes, Curious could feel the bubbling hatred ready to spill out like a tidal wave. This hatred would motivate her to do the right thing, no doubt.

Not that Alfred’s side of it was a slouch. He never denied any accusations of the girl being an escapee from some shady facility. He served some strange group known as The Healing Church, and whoever the “dead sorcerer” was, such a mention was enough to drop him mellow demeanor. It was likely to assume that this Healing Church and the School of Mensis had some history with each other. Rival groups? A splinter faction that went off to do its own thing?

Even outside searching for a perfect plot to further MLA’s goals, this was the kind of scoop most enterprising journalists would kill for – and it was the kind that would require multiple hands on deck. Luckily, Chitose had plenty of eager beavers in the ranks of Shoowaysha to use for that purpose.

And to think she learned all of this just because the hero Fourth Kind sent after her turned out to be a MLA sympathizer himself… he even asked for her autograph. Cute. She checked Maria’s pulse: still beating strong, even in spite of her current state. Perhaps she could maintain her vitals out of sheer hatred for the Church and the Executioners, Chitose wondered.

Now, awaiting the ambulance and idly stroking the girl’s hair, she typed in the number of one of her most trusted agents. “Evening, Yamamura. I’ve a little errand in Finland for you~”

----

Shigaraki peered into the abyss with obvious apprehension.

Supposedly, the Mother Brain that they were supposed to talk with together with Toga was at the bottom of the infinite black, and the only way to get there was with a rickety-looking elevator holding on a chain. It looked like a cage. What the hell was wrong with this place?

“That looks kinda cramped though…” Toga complained, eyeing the cagelevator with a suspicious look. At least he wasn’t the only one with doubts. Where did Kurogiri go, too? It felt like he hadn’t seen him all day. Or night. At this point, Shigaraki wasn’t sure if the place even had actual time to begin with.

It was a thought.

“Both of you have been requested at the same time.” Edgar could only offer a shrug. “The ways of the Great Ones are fickle and unknowable at a glance.”

“What’s unknowable is why are you herding the two of us into what looks like an obvious trap.” Shigaraki groused. Micolash’s lackey scoffed. “Or why you’re herding the girl into it, at least.”

“The girl’s name is Himiko, thanks much.” She turned to Edgar, poking her cheek in thought. “Though Shiggy kinda has a point here.”

“Look, I’m not the one making the rules.” The man scoffed again. “You can take it up with Micolash once you return. I may have no love lost for either of you, but if he considers you important enough to allow you congress with a Great One, then I have no choice but to obey.” Shigaraki grumbled under his breath. Suck-ups like that always got on his nerves. It seemed this little tangent was enough for the girl, though.

“Alright. Hopefully it’s not a boring meeting though.” Some idea spawned in Toga’s head, judging by the mischievous glint in her eyes.

“...no, you cannot stab the Mother Brain.” Edgar guessed her train of thought easily enough. Himiko deflated with a little “poopy”, pouting again. Shigaraki resisted an urge to scratch at his neck, opting to finally slip inside the cagelevator. The sooner he got this over with, the better. Toga joined him with a little giggle, her attention reinvigorated. This was definitely too cramped. “And try not to stab Mr. Shigaraki either, for your own good.”

“I wasn’t planning to! ...unless he’s into consensual stabbing.”

“There’s nothing fucking consensual about being shanked, you crazy bint.”

“Depending on who you ask, really~”

“Right. I shall lower the elevator then.” Edgar approached the lever, pulling it forward. The doors of the cage closed and the two villains descended into the abyss. The sturdy chain could easily hold two people in the elevator. Edgar supposed that it could even hold three, if they wanted to get really cramped in there. Not that it mattered much, seeing as it would be its last ride.

His Quirk was not something that had much application beyond battle. It certainly did him no favors when infiltrating Mensis. That had to be done entirely through his own wit and charisma, although it helped that the head of this blasphemous group was a vapid fool, currently bound and gagged in his very own office.

Now, the summoned greatsword – covered in holy runes – that grew in place of his arm would do the job it was brought into this world for, and slay unworthy beasts that this world called “villains”. One swing of the holy blade later, the chain of the elevator was severed. Edgar had taken care of the Mistman earlier; a good hit to the back of the head worked wonders even for someone so seemingly intangible. He was forbidden from killing the three, but the moment he spirited Micolash away from the stronghold he made with his Quirk, it would no doubt start collapsing on itself and bury them here.

It could take the rotten brain and the imagined Mergo with it as well, for all he cared. The Executioner’s public appearance was a sign of action. It was time for the Healing Church to destroy the Mensis, and acquire what it was that they were looking for. Anything in the way would be burned and destroyed – for the progress of ascension could not be stopped, and certainly not by a parade of costumed buffoons.

The moon looked blood red today.

Chapter Text

“Absolutely not, Tetsutetsu!”

Setsuna rolled her eyes, watching Monoma throw a fit, yet again, about 1A. Ever since she lucked out in getting Momo’s help in finding them a cozy place to study for the exams, the biggest task in the classroom was convincing their errant Phantom Thief to actually join them. It wasn’t like with Kamakiri who preferred studying on his own – Monoma didn’t mind a group session. It was the particulars that ground his gears, instead. (not that Tetsu was easily stymied)

“Dude, they won’t bite you.” Kaibara rolled his eyes along with her. The blond scoffed at the words, throwing out a dramatic pose.

“You cannot possibly know that!”

“Besides, it’s not like we’re going to be competing with them forever.” Rin pointed out from over his desk. “I know there are hero rankings and all that, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t mind having someone like Uraraka or Shoji help out with disaster relief.”

“Kodai and Tokage are literally right here!” Yui was the third to roll her eyes, obviously wanting nothing to do with this conversation.

“Yeah, no offense, Lupin the Fourth” Monoma winced at the sound of his rejected hero name coming from Setsuna’s mouth. “but I can’t exactly grow more hands than two. Now please excuse me.” It seemed Kinoko wanted something from her, judging by the light tug on her blazer and a gesture to come outside. They still had some time before the homeroom began, so…

The mushroom girl looked positively antsy once they came out to the hallway. “What’s up, Kinoko?”

“Okay, so, um… I meant to ask Maria that, but she’s not here yet… and, well…” The shorter girl fiddled with her fingers nervously for a bit, taking a moment to gather her bearings before she continued. “...how much do you know about… this whole Mensis business?” Setsuna blinked, surprised at the question. Out of all of her classmates, Kinoko struck her as about the last one to probe for such details.

“Uh, mostly what Maria told me… and what we saw on TV.”

“Can you… tell me more? I… well, I don’t know how, but… I’d like to help.” The lizard girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. This wasn’t the kind of knowledge she could just share all willy-nilly, not without Maria or Kan-sensei’s permission – and even if she did get such a permission, just how much would she be allowed to divulge? Kinoko guessed her doubtful thoughts soon enough. “If… that’s fine, I mean.”

“You’re… probably better off asking her once she gets here.” Setsuna shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know if I’m verbose enough for explaining that stuff.”

“Maria won’t be in class today.” The voice of Vlad King reached them both; their teacher had a rather somber look on his face. Setsuna blinked before a realization hit her.

“...sensei? What… happened to Maria?” Kinoko asked quietly, eyes wandering to try and find their tall peer behind him, somehow. Vlad King sighed.

“...get inside, you two. I’ll explain everything there.”

----

Maria became intimately familiar with yet another hospital bed. A second one in a span of two weeks.

Apparently she only came back to consciousness once the doctors were already finished pulling the bullets out of her and then fixed whatever happened to her throat. She had vague recollections of her stitches reopening once she got heated up. No small wonder she did, considering the Executioner got away with the girl.

There was a young girl somewhere nearby. A subject of horrific experiments so inured in them, she would rather accept them as reality than endanger anyone else. A girl under direct watch of a bloodthirsty butcher who, unusually for his kind, seemed to treat her as an actual person rather than a mere piece of meat to conduct science with. That might have honestly made it all worse.

Maria’s fist clenched. She got taken off-guard by the butcher’s honesty – and eight bullets he shot into her. Not mere lead or iron; quicksilver. Effective against those taken by the scourge of the beasts, and some of the more eldritch happenings. She was neither, but for an Executioner no doubt she was worse than the two combined.

...of course, she still got shot eight times. A wooden sword could kill as readily as one made of steel.

At the very least, Fourth Kind wasn’t upset with her. If he were, her position at the school could have been in jeopardy; as far as he was concerned, she did as a hero would and only got surprised by the villain’s sudden appearance. It seemed his anger rested squarely with the journalist harpy, though Kizuki pleaded gleeful ignorance. “I only found her after the fact, of course”, she claimed without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Were Maria not strapped to the bed – mostly at her own insistence, so that she wouldn’t get restless and start wandering around the hospital and give exasperated doctors scares – she would probably throw that woman right out the window.

Master Kan visited her earlier, both to check that she was okay and to exchange information with her. The presence of the Healing Church was a fact now, and it seemed they were already off to nefarious plans. The Executioner’s earlier appearance at Hosu fighting off the efforts of Mensis and the League didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn on the good people of the Hero Society given enough provocation. Villains fighting each other were villains still.

She already received a phone call from Setsuna, too. Some of 1B and Momo would be visiting her later to check on her. Nice of them to do that; this time Maria’s hospital location and circumstances could have been disclosed, at least. She could use a warm company, honestly. At first, she thought she would have settled for another bout of solitude, but that just made her vulnerable to dark thoughts and that blue-skinned harpy prowling outside her room, just waiting for an opportunity to capitalize on her weakness.

They would see the scars covering her arms, but at this point, perhaps Maria kept a few secrets too many from them.

Another group of visitors was the police, interviewing her about what befell her. It turned out to be the same detective she reported her first meeting with Stain to. Small world. He was accompanied by a plain man in a suit, a rather dull-looking personage with only sharp pointy ears to distinguish him. After the detective was finished, the suit remained. It seemed he had something to say. Maria’s eyes narrowed as they followed his and found them regarding the layer of scars covering her arms.

“Ah, apologies. I didn’t mean to stare; it’s just that injuries like these are rare on a hero hopeful.” It didn’t sound like he was much apologetic, but Maria was willing to accept that for now. “Either way, I would like to take a bit more of your time, if you don’t mind.”

“A private matter? Something that you would rather not let a detective hear?” The man laughed, shaking his head.

“Oh, it’s nothing quite like that. I just find discussing such matters eye-to-eye to be a preferred alternative.” Ah. Well, that wasn’t ominous at all. Maria wished these people voiced themselves directly and to the point instead of dancing around things with a ballerina’s grace.

“Matters being?”

“I believe we might have found the ones housing your enemy.” Maria’s back straightened up in an instant. The man couldn’t help but smile. Predictably, the girl’s attention was fully on him and his words now, as it should be. “I’m not at a luxury to reveal too much to you yet, since I’m but a messenger; it was however agreed upon that you should be informed.”

“And who seeks them out?”

“The Hero Public Safety Commission, of course. My name is Takahashi, and I was appointed your aide for this endeavor.” Takahashi smiled. Maria couldn’t help but feel there was something sinister behind that grimace, considering the man’s introduction. “We shall keep you updated on the investigation while you recover. After that, we would like to ask for a favor in return.”

“...and what could you possibly want from a student like myself?”

“Information, naturally. You appear to be the most informed about both the School of Mensis and this Alfred among our numerous sources, having already offered assistance on them after the USJ incident. This, no doubt, comes with experience, yes?” Maria’s lips were a long thin line. Her silence seemed to be enough for the man. “I understand you might not be too keen on revealing something so important to a stranger such as myself, so I will not rush you. However, if what you said to Detective Tsukauchi is true, then there is a young girl out there who’s yet to be saved from the clutches of her captors.”

Maria closed her eyes, slowly, and mentally closed to five. “I shall visit tomorrow, Muradasilova-san. I hope you will be able to answer at least some of our questions then. Now then” Takahashi smiled and bowed. “I shall be off.”

S he didn’t watch him go, mulling over the choice of his words. She didn’t need to be reminded of her failure to save the girl from the Executioner’s clutches, yet that man was insistent to rub salt into her fresh wound. Was it to spur her on to act? She heard of the name of the Commission in passing as the administrative organ behind the heroes. To hear it be involved in such a delicate operation…?

Not that she knew much at the moment.

----

Shigaraki stared at the giant rotting brain. The giant rotting brain stared right back.

For a supposed “Great One”, the creature seemed only great in size. Its entire decaying body was covered with eyes, some of them rotten, some of them mismatched. Some were too big, some were too small. It lacked any other organs; no mouth, no ears, no nose, no nothing. Well, it had a pair of spindly arms, emphasis on “had”; something all but pulverized the right one into nothing, and the left one was bent and broken as if the Brain fell from a great height. Its six fingers twitched weakly, unable to grasp anything but the solid ground beneath them. Shigaraki wondered if perhaps the thing was dropped into this pit.

Odd, considering how much the old Cageface gushed about this disgusting thing.

His first instinct was to dust it, but Toga pointed out the Brain seemed to be the only thing giving out light in this pitch-black darkness, however dim that light was. They actually found it by following the sound of its chipped breathing, though Tomura didn’t want to dwell too much how the thing breathed to begin with. Considering the broken arms and the thorough rot all over its body (matter?), it must have been suffering.

The realization that the Brain was a prisoner of Mensis rather than their, well, brain… now that put everything about the School in a new light. Made all the much more sense that they saw fit to get rid of them like that.

So now they were stuck here, with only a giant eye-covered brain for company. No sight of Kurogiri, either; Shigaraki supposed that asshole four-eyes killed him beforehand.

Sensei told him to trust Cageface. Sensei wasn’t wrong. That just didn’t happen.

...but what if he was? Could he be wrong? Maybe he was just taken off-guard by the Mensis’s bullshit? Anyone would be caught flatfooted by these crazies, even him.

None of this made sense. What was the Mensis’s plan to begin with? What did they seek to accomplish? Cageface kept prattling about those two bimbos from UA, but what would even happen should he get his mitts on them? Not like it mattered to Tomura much, but it just felt off…

The brain blinked, slowly. Its eyelids – now that was a thought Shigaraki didn’t want to think too much about – made a heavy sound, like a carpet being beaten off the dust in slow motion. “...what’s the time?” Toga asked weakly, sprawled on the ground nearby and staring up into the unending void.

“Three seconds since it blinked.” She made a disgruntled noise, kicking up her legs. “Don’t ask me dumb questions, you won’t get dumb answers.”

“I’m just… you know, trying not to go crazy in here, Shiggy. Still can’t believe Mico-san would just… do that.”

“You’ve heard the four-eyes, “no love lost” for us. They ditched us like a used-up rag.” Toga stirred on the ground again, slowly curling up. Right. Guess this was more of a shock to her than it was to him. He recalled how the two made their entrance into the cell where he was held, all sunshine and smiles like a pair of friends. “Sorry about that, I guess.”

“I guess... it was too good to be true. Mico-san… Micolash seemed to just enjoy having me around, though. Didn’t want anything from me, either.” A pause. Shigaraki idly felt at the itch growing on his neck. “I’d just… go out, make friends, and he’d always welcome me back in here… there… wherever this place is.”

“Cageface talks a lot about blood. You drink blood. Maybe he wanted to keep you around for science or some shit…”

“I mean, not really, not even that. Never had to use my Quirk or anything…” Shigaraki hummed, aware he didn’t actually know the girl’s power. The itch to scratch at his neck subsided as he reclined in his own spot. Nearby them, the brain blinked again. “...what’s your Sensei like?”

“Huh? What’s that about?”

“You know, when we were busting you out and then he spoke up on the phone. I was kinda sorta listening some of it.” Himiko shrugged. “Was just wondering if he’s… cool? I dunno. Told you, I’m trying not to lose it in here, even if Brain-san’s alright—“

“You’re definitely losing it if you’re thinking that.” Shigaraki groused, tenting his hands together. His earlier attempt at decaying the ground to see if they could slip out of here found no purchase; whatever the ground was even made of – honestly, he wasn’t sure if there was any ground under his feet right now – it resisted his touch. “...Sensei’s… Sensei, I guess. He basically picked me off the streets when no one else would, and raised me and stuff.”

“Oh, so he’s like… your dad?” Shigaraki hissed, feeling a sudden headache manifest. What was that all about?

“...yeah… I guess, yeah.” He grunted once the feeling abated. “...I’d probably rot in some ditch if it wasn’t for him. Guess he can’t save me out of this one though…” For a moment no one said anything. The brain blinked for the third time. “...what about you?”

“People don’t really accept my way of life for some reason, parents included.” Toga shrugged. “It’s weird, you know. Quirks are part of you, right? But what happens if they tell you to never use yours, ever?”

“I think I’d go nuts.” Himiko flinched slightly.

“Mhm… so I was told not to use my Quirk, because it wasn’t cute, because it was creepy… but I wanted to, really really hard… and so I used it when I just couldn’t hold it.” She smiled dreamily, looking as if she recalled a pleasant memory from the past. “And ever since then… I’ve just been living a normal life.” Shigaraki hummed, refraining from a snarky response. “And Micolash seemed to get it, you know. I don’t really get a lick of the things Mensis is about, but…”

“I get it, I think.” To think Tomura would be playing therapist for a crazy schoolgirl with a knife fetish... well, no matter who she was, she was someone like him; rejected by this putrid society, someone who just wanted to live to what her heart told her. She might not have wanted to destroy everything like he did, but at the end of the day, those were just semantics.

Both of them – and that stupid brain – were just prisoners, waiting for a chance to bust out of their cages. “...well, none of this really matters if we can’t get out of here.” Himiko hummed in agreement, sprawled flat on the ground yet again.

The brain blinked for the fourth time.

----

It was decided that Maria’s second internship would be adjourned prematurely.

While this meant that she was back to having free time – just in time to perhaps join her peers for that class-wide study session Setsuna and Momo mentioned – she couldn’t help but feel strangely apprehensive. Was it really alright to let her go so quickly, specifically because she failed to uphold what being a hero was all about? Despite the glowing recommendation from Fourth Kind, it felt hollow. Unearned. It didn’t feel right.

Her hunter self fought fiercely with the hero self that had yet to establish itself in her conscious in earnest. She tried to save Eri because in her she saw the countless patients of the Healing Church that she didn’t save, not because it was the right thing to do. And conversely, would she react with such hostility if the man presented before her wasn’t the ancient enemy of Cainhurst? It was a perfect storm of a situation, where her hunter self fed her hero self.

How would she react should the situation be different? What if the girl was “merely” bruised and her caretaker “merely” a surly father about to discipline an unruly offspring? Then again, Maria reasoned, she would probably be able to deal with a garden-variety scoundrel – even if that could possibly give her trouble. Putting such a thug through a wall would no doubt get her a dishonorable discharge from her internship duty, even if done in good intention.

And to top it all off, something told her that Aizawa just wasn’t going to be satisfied with such a recommendation.

For now, she had to deal with Takahashi’s arrival. Her wounds were mostly healed by now. This time, at least, her throat was back to normal. Good. Hearing a different voice come out of her lips after living with hers for so long… that just didn’t feel right. “The group housing Alfred is a yakuza organization by the name of Shie Hassaikai, or Eight Precepts of Death.” He explained, offering her a paper document describing some details of the organization. “Are you familiar with the term “yakuza”, Muradasilova-san?”

“The old rogues of Japan, dating back to a world without Quirks. In decline, from what I have heard.”

“That’s the gist of it. Hassaikai is one of the remnants that survived both the Quirk onset, the tumultuous era of unease, and even All Might himself. It stands to reason they’re a cautious sort.” Takahashi nodded. “The group has been under our notice for quite some time, but there was nothing criminal we could investigate… but, with your meeting with the girl, perhaps we have finally found a beachhead.”

Maria blinked, not sure if she understood the meaning behind the words. The knife-eared man opted to continue. “Now, you said that Alfred and his group answer to another organization during the earlier questioning. The Healing Church, yes?” She nodded. “What can you tell us about it?”

“The Mensis split off them. They are both a religion and a scientific endeavor, much as you can call their transgressions against another “science”.” Maria sighed, taking a slow breath. Just talking about it was making her antsy. “To my understanding, their primary draw was using special blood for ministration to cure ailments and woes.” Takahashi’s eyebrow rose as he checked something in his little leatherbound notebook, not just at the information, but also the odd tense switch. “To that end, I fail to understand what they would do here in the first place, let alone allied with petty rogues.”

“Define “special blood”, if you will.”

“I do not know the specifics. My old master… he believed it to be the blood of extraterrestrials.” Takahashi scoffed behind his notebook. Maria hated to tarnish the First Hunter’s name like so, but there were certain things that this world was not ready to know yet. Thus, she used this diversion beaded in truth to change the topic of the conversation; to her success, judging by the man’s annoyed look. “I would wager that any particularly potent blood, not necessarily one used for the purposes of the Quirk, might have attracted them to this realm.”

“Judging by our records on Micolash, it seems Mensis seeks such Quirks as well. He was reported meeting with the Hero Killer some time back.” Takahashi tapped the notebook with his pen. “Back to the topic at hand… do you know the girl’s Quirk?”

“No, she did not use it during our meeting.”

“It is likely that it fulfills the requirements you outlined for a Quirk this Healing Church would take an interest in. The girl does not figure in an official Quirk registry, though the right investigators are on the case to figure out the whereabouts of her parents for information.”

“One thing eludes me, Mr. Takahashi.” The official raised an eyebrow in a silent question. “The Executioners are among the least qualified of the Church’s servants when it comes to these blood rituals. Their skills are to destroy, not to create.” Maria looked out the window, a thoughtful expression dancing on her face. “Let alone to be a guardian of a young ward – unless the Church fears something might necessitate killing the girl.”

“What are you saying, Muradasilova-san?”

“...perhaps it is the Hassaikai who conduct these revolting experiments, whatever they might be. It would be unusual for the Church to support them indirectly like this, but perhaps they seek to keep a lower profile after the Mensis’s arrival.” A curious notion, but perhaps not an implausible one, Takahashi thought. Shie Hassaikai had a background in drug smuggling, so perhaps whatever the products of the experiments on the girl were were used to generate income. Now that was a vile thought. “And should the Hassaikai prove too troublesome, the Executioner can simply kill the girl and leave.”

“So, to wit, you believe that it’s the yakuza who are behind the experiments and the Healing Church is merely offering them assistance, whatever it might be.” Takahashi hummed, writing down another thought in his notebook. “Presumably, they get the results of these experiments out of the deal.”

“Whatever that is, it must be a miraculous formula. The Healing Church I was familiar with would rather burn rivals and their work to the ground than let them conduct these experiments.” Maria hummed, a slight, almost hopeful smile, slipping onto her lips. “Perhaps they are struggling too much to afford such wastefulness… so perhaps, at least, there is no fear of the girl dying any time soon.”

“That’s a comforting thought.” Takahashi rose from his seat. “That will be all for now. Your insight has been very helpful to the cause, Muradasilova-san.” Curious that she would flinch at the word “insight”, however slightly.

“As long as it helps you in freeing that girl.”

“I’ll return to ask some more questions. Perhaps the next time we meet, you’ll be out of your hospital bed.” He smiled, offering a bow. “Best wishes to your recovery.”

----

This wasn’t Setsuna’s first time in the Yaoyorozu mansion, but it didn’t make walking up to the giant brass gate any less impressive.

This was, however, Monoma’s first time, and he was obviously struggling not to say something positive about his rival class right now. It certainly didn’t help that 1B was much appreciative of the effort Momo put in educating them for the purposes of the coming exams. “I’ve never felt so smart in my entire life”, Setsuna heard Tsuburaba say the other day, and barely resisted an urge to burst out laughing.

...just how rich the Yaoyorozus were to begin with?

This was also Maria’s first time here, fresh off the hospital bed. She wore long sleeves again, the only one out of their whole group. “Now this is a place fit for a queen.” For someone like her, this was no small praise. Monoma made an anguished sound in the background.

“Right? I’m pretty sure Tokage’s jaw fell off when she first came here.” Kaibara commented idly. Setsuna shot him a dirty look, and he only had the weakest of shrugs for her in return.

“Don’t worry about it, Setsuna.” Yui patted her on the shoulder. “Mine would fall too if it could.”

“Awright!” Manga pumped his arms into the air before approaching the intercom. “I’m stoked to kick Prince Ganji right in the taint, show him right up!”

“It’s “Prince Genji”, Fukidashi-san.” Bondo helpfully corrected his short classmate. Manga’s speech bubble turned into a stormy cloud as his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

“Honestly, probably a good thing that we’re taking turns with 1A.” Awase muttered, eyes wandering over to Monoma for a moment. In Kendo’s absence, he was the next go-to for pacifying their errant Phantom Thief, should the need arise. “And even more honestly, Yaoyorozu’s a saint, willing to humor all of us like that.”

“I think she’s just in her element like that.” Setsuna smiled as the gates opened before them. It probably helped her distract herself from bad thoughts too, though the lizard girl didn’t say that out loud. Maria hummed in vague curiosity. She was the last to enter the estate grounds. Setsuna opted to wait for her. Yui shot them a questioning look as the rest of the group ascended the stairs to the mansion, but didn’t wait; it seemed the two had some private discussion to attend to.

“...apologies for bothering you like this—“ Setsuna immediately hushed her with a detached finger.

“I’ll remind you that you got shot eight times like two days ago. You’re the last person who has to apologize for anything right now.” Maria looked like she disagreed with the assessment, but Setsuna wasn’t planning on relenting yet. “I’ll say it however many times I have to; none of this is your fault. You’re my friend. You’re their friend.” She gestured vaguely towards the mansion. “You’re a good person, Maria.”

“...well… I meant to ask something less dire, actually.” Oh. Way to read the room, Setsuna thought with a light slap to own forehead. “...although thank you. It… is good to have that reassurance.” For a moment, no one said anything before the lizard girl groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

“Sorry for ruining the mood.”

“...honestly, this awkwardness might lend itself to a more natural conversation about… matters of the heart…” Oh. Right, that. Maria called her a few days back about something that sounded like someone asking her out, but didn’t specify the details and then stated she will continue later on, once she summons enough courage for it. To listen to her stutter and backpedal was a surreal experience for Setsuna. “...I realize this is paltry compared to other pressing issues, but…”

“It’s an issue altogether, and one I can actually help with somehow. So…” Setsuna’s lips quirked in a smile. “Who’s the lucky person?” Maria made a face.

“Mei. She confessed her feelings to me.” So that went beyond a simple crush and into full-on real territory. “And I was insolent enough to weasel my way out of answering with claiming linguistic ignorance.”

“You think it’s serious on her part?”

“It looked so to me.” Then again, Setsuna was willing to bet that Maria’s understanding of romantic nuances might have been lacking. Maybe if Hatsume courted her in a more antiquated fashion, but the lizard girl couldn’t imagine her speaking in such a manner. “I will have to give her a response sooner than later.”

“I, uh, I’m guessing this is not a two-way street?”

“...I don’t know. I have not even… it was not even on my mind.” Maria looked vaguely uncomfortable when admitting to this. Setsuna could certainly understand why she was slow to engage in such things; she had plenty on her mind already. “I value her friendship and her craft, and… I suppose I could see myself in a position of her sweetheart, somewhere in the future.” The lizard girl shifted slightly in place, feeling a strange sensation of… jealousy? spreading throughout her body. Surely she wasn’t jealous… r-right? “...perhaps.”

“...you know, there’s probably a non-insignificant amount of people in this school crushing on you.” Setsuna hummed. “Hatsume just went for it first. You might have to let quite a few people down in the process.”

“...no hunt can prepare for such a challenge.”

Chapter Text

I tsuka had to wonder just how did she end up first on the theoretical.

The midterms earlier seated her at the lowest podium, behind Shishida and Monoma, but it seemed that the additional help from Yaomomo helped her in turning the tables on the phantom thief. Conversely, it seemed that 1A’s presence was enough to throw off his groove; even still, he ended up third. Maria was fourth and Honenuki rounded up the top five.

The rest of her class struggled a little more. “I can’t believe I made it.” Awase (19 ^th ) mumbled to himself, staring at the returned theoretical. “ Yaomomo’s both a saint and a miracle worker.”

“Yaomomo, huh?~” Tsuburaba (20^th) grinned teasingly. The headband-wearing boy flushed.

“S-shut it! It’s just easier to say than Yaoyorozu, is all…”

“Don’t let Monoma hear you or he might legit have a stroke.” Kamakiri (12^th) shook his head, eyes wandering over to the still-out-of-his-groove blond.

“Well, the hard part’s been dealt with!” Tetsutetsu (15^th) pumped his fist up with a grin. “Now all we need to do is beat up some robots and it’s off to the summer camp!”

“Where did you hear it’s going to be robots anyway?” Rin (10^th) asked with a raised eyebrow.

“From Kendo. She has a friend in a senior hero class, turns out, and they told her that it’s always robots.”

“...you just jinxed us.” Yui (8^th) said quietly.

“You say that, but what else are they going to do?” Kaibara (18^th) piped up from his spot. “I bet they have some custom nasties made up for the exam, but otherwise it’s probably going to be robots.”

“It shouldn’t be anything quite as dreadful as the Zero Pointer monstrosity.” Reiko (11^th) hummed. “...perhaps they have made a breakthrough and developed a new type of a metal menace altogether.”

“What, like a Zero-and-a-half-Pointer?” Manga (7^th; he himself couldn’t believe it!) inquired with a thinking emoji in his speech bubble.

“I bet we can beat it up no sweat!” Tetsutetsu’s enthusiasm just couldn’t be stymied after conquering what he thought to be the more difficult part of the exams. “Real Steel doesn’t fold easily!”

“I thought folded steel is stronger than normal?” Pony (17^th) asked quietly. Honenuki bit back a laugh, imagining Tetsutetsu being folded like an origami crane.

“Alright, class, settle down.” Vlad King walked into the classroom, watching the students take their seats. “First of all, congratulations on passing to all of you. I’m sure all of you did your very best.” Setsuna (9^th) shifted a little uneasily in her seat; she barely studied to begin with, if she was being honest. In the back, Maria shifted in her own seat, though for different reasons. “Now, you might have already heard how the practical part of your finals will look like.” Their teacher let the thought hang in the air for a little bit before continuing. “Gear up and come outside. The buses will transport you to the training grounds.”

----

Elsewhere…

Kurogiri searched everywhere through the crumbling fortress of Mensis. The last thing he remembered was falling for an obvious trap and getting the lights knocked out of him by Edgar. How much time has passed since he came to? Where was Shigaraki? Why was the fortress collapsing on itself to begin with?

This betrayal from Mensis was entirely expected; yet, something told him that something about it was a part of Master’s plan. Someone like him would no doubt tell the real intentions of these faulty scholars. But why go through all this trouble? What did the Mensis gain from this betrayal to begin with?

Well, none of this would matter if he couldn’t find Shigaraki in time.

It seemed that the fortress was a part of Micolash’s Quirk. With his absence, it would stand to reason that it would start collapsing, considering its nature seemed different from other physical Quirks. It was not something like a fire-making Quirk, which would leave behind flame that could, given the right circumstances, spread on its own. Micolash appeared to be the “core” of the fortress; without him, the entire thing just couldn’t function.

Not that it stopped the local critters from trying to kill him on every corner. Most at least seemed content to focus on the rank-and-file of Mensis, both the masked men and the few scholars that passed by without a word. Their bodies were scattered all over the crumbling corridors and halls. Would this happen from Micolash’s initiative? It seemed counterproductive at best.

Narrowly dodging another of the split-grinned creatures and using a warp gate to fling a piece of debris right between its eyes, Kurogiri’s steps quickened. Where on Earth would Shigaraki even be?! There had to be a place in this accursed castle which would keep him caged, somewhere where Decay wouldn’t find purchase...

Something blinked into Kurogiri’s field of view, something completely at odds with this entire infernal hellscape, accompanied by a cry of an infant: a black baby stroller. One of the straggling beasts, this one a more conventional werewolf, attempted to take a lunge at the stroller, only to find itself impaled and then tossed aside by a giant curved blade, almost as long as the beast was tall.

Another creature, the owner of the blade, emerged from seemingly nowhere, as if it dripped off the wall and formed from shadows. This one Kurogiri struggled to describe even as it filled out the corridor with its frame, both towering and skeletal, imposing and sickly. With six arms and an old hooded shawl wrapped around the figure, it was hard to tell just who – or what – hid under these layers.

Without pause, it cut a falling piece of debris into four parts before it could hit the stroller, the bits of rock harmlessly landing away from the baby. The creature wasn’t satisfied with this level of protection yet, slowly enveloping the stroller with its massive robe. It moved in complete silence despite the jewelry it was adorned with. Now, Kurogiri realized, it was sizing him up as yet another threat to the baby. Was this creature the Gigantomachia of Mensis, perhaps? Their trump card? Would such a thing be abandoned so callously?

Perhaps there was more to this “betrayal” than he first assumed. “...I mean no harm. I’m merely looking for my own ward.” He stated quietly, maintaining the eye-contact (presumably) with the creature. It remained motionless, blades at the ready. “... if you know where I can find a young man covered in hands, then please, tell me.” The creature’s head slowly inclined down, as if it was seeking the opinion of the baby hidden under the layers. Kurogiri remained as patient as he could be, even with another piece of the ceiling collapsing right behind him.

T he creature’s blade reached out – slowly, without a killing intent – and extended towards Kurogiri. It didn’t seem like it was using it to show him the right direction; instead, it seemed the Warp Gate user was expected to touch the blade. In light of his massively limited options, this madness seemed reasonable enough. He tapped the flat part of the blade, feeling it thrum with strange energies – before he recoiled with a startled gasp. If not for his Quirk, no doubt he would cut his hand on the edge.

There was knowledge in his mind now. “... I see.” He said quietly, memorizing the coordinates passed by the contact, trying to ignore that dull pain spreading throughout him, from the brain and downward. The creature tilted its head. “Then, if you wish to come with, the path shall be open – and then further still, out of this fortress.”

The creature watched him create a portal, its head inclining down again before it opted to follow. At the time, a gentle laugh of a child accompanied them as they crossed the portal.

----

Elsewhere still…

“...what do you mean, Mr. Chisaki?” Alfred could not help but feel his lips tighten in apprehension. At the table sat the ringleader of this roguish outfit and Eri’s uncle, hands tented together. It seemed his attention was mainly on the shogi board as he considered his next move and the Executioner was merely a secondary distraction. His opponent, in a white raincoat and a plague doctor-like mask, remained silent.

Alfred was summoned here about a matter concerning Eri. Now, he had to make sure he didn’t mishear. “First of all, it’s “Overhaul”, not “Chisaki”. The boss corrected him with only the slightest of annoyed tinges in his voice, although not annoyed enough to actually look at the Executioner. “This is only an umpteenth time I told you this. Second: you are relieved from your duty as Eri’s caretaker.”

“...on the grounds of…?”

“On the grounds of “the boss said so”, nitwit!” A little puppet-like shape – with a beak of its own; these seemed to just be the Hassaikai’s fashion – shook its tiny fist at Alfred. Overhaul shook his head.

“It’s fine, Mimic. He deserves to know.” The tiny puppet huffed, but decided not to push the issue. Alfred knew this routine very well; Mimic – or Irinaka – played the bad constable together with others while Overhaul – Chisaki – was the good constable instead, offering (condescending) diplomacy and a reasonable tone. And yet, he took an awful long time to actually pick up the conversation, first moving one of the pieces on the board.

“Long story short, you’re a bad influence on Eri. I’ll dispatch one of the rank-and-file grunts on the position instead.” Alfred blinked. He? A “bad influence”? He was the only one who still cared about the humanity of this girl in the first place! “Putting hopeful ideas in her head will only give her and this entire operation trouble.”

“I’m sure she’s not planning to run anymore. Not after the incident with the Vileblood.” The man in a whitecoat – Chrono, real name Kurono, because Japanese wasn’t confusing enough for Alfred yet – moved a piece on the board.

“This incident – or rather, your measured response to it – is why there is storm brewing on the horizon. Mimic.” The little puppet bounced over to a nearby desk, picking up a folder. The first photo Irinaka pulled out of it was a shot from one of the surveillance cameras located on the outside of the Hassaikai compound; a monochrome depiction of a winged man flying through the air.

“You know who this chicken is, sonny-boy?!” Mimic barked, slapping the folder against Alfred’s leg. “This is only the third-best pro in the country, just casually flying by like he’s on a fucking joyride!”

“...that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” Overhaul moved a piece on the board before he turned to regard the Executioner.

“If that doesn’t concern you, then I’ll remind you what Grand Vicar Laurence said is your job here.” Alfred’s eyes narrowed. “You are the Healing Church’s liaison with us, and nothing else. You are overseeing the operations concerning Eri, and nothing else.” Alfred’s eyes narrowed further. Chrono stopped mid-moving the piece, eyes wandering towards the increasingly agitated Executioner. “The Hassaikai appreciates the partnership with the Church, and the technology provided to make the process easier – but I made it clear that internal issues will be solved among us.”

“...this is…”

“Eri is mine, Executioner. Your master will get his due once we refine the product – but until then, you are not to approach her until I say you can.” Silence. “Are we understood?”

“He asked if we’re understood, dumbass!” Mimic growled once Alfred proved tardy to answer. Overhaul did not rush him. The man was a hothead, with sick ideas of zealotry plaguing his brain – but he was smart enough to know that defiance would yield him no fruit. This was the only way to try and get back to his role as Eri’s caretaker, not that the boss planned to give him this privilege again. These romantic types, however, oftentimes clung to their hopes and ideals, no matter how futile it was; it helped in pulling them on a string.

Alfred himself knew that while he was given a right by the Grand Vicar to take Eri off the Hassaikai’s hands “should the need arise”, his wrath did not constitute for enough reason, and neither was the girl’s suffering. Grand Vicar had splendid ideas for the future of humanity – but to make such an omelette, one had to break eggs first, and Eri was considered an acceptable egg to break.

“...very well.” He ground out from behind his teeth. Chisaki focused back on the shogi board.

“Good. You’re dismissed.” Alfred turned to leave, only to have one of the rank-and-file thugs bounce into him as he ran into the office. Overhaul slowly looked towards the entrance, the shogi piece having just been put on the tile. There were some curious hive spots dotting his face, even past that ugly bird mask.

“S-sorry to intrude, boss, sir!” The thug prostrated himself in a pose of supplication right next to the Executioner, his head slamming down on the wooden floor. “T-the guy at the main door…! H-he claims he’s from the Church!”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Alfred’s eyebrows rose even further. Overhaul looked back to the shogi board, sighed, and slowly rose to his feet. “You win this one, Kurono.” Chrono merely nodded before rising after the boss. “And? Anyone can claim that.” His voice didn’t turn even slightly different, but the air around him certainly did. It was a subtle change, something akin to a cat that moves from idling about to finding its victim.

“H-h-he gave me this, s-sir!” The lackey lifted a tiny trinket, a badge made out of metal and adorned with a gemstone, shaped like an eye. Chisaki wouldn’t have thought twice of such a thing if he saw it on the storefront or worn by some vapid teenager if not for one detail about the gemstone.

Within the precious thing swirled the very cosmos. “Executioner?” Alfred frowned, regarding the trinket. Overhaul didn’t take it yet, no doubt expecting something to go off the moment he did. Alfred was being asked for reassurance in this particular case.

“This belongs to a member of the Choir. There is no possibility of it being a trap.” There was, naturally, but Alfred wasn’t under an impression that Grand Vicar was tired of his yakuza pets yet. The Choirman had to have approached independently, perhaps concerning a separate issue. He had little contact with these, as did most hunters of the Church; they usually kept to themselves as magisters and doctors of the institution. Theirs were the ideas that pushed towards ascension.

...so what on earth was one doing here, in this base hellpit? “Right. Mimic, see him inside. Chrono, make sure Eri’s nowhere near.” Overhaul pocketed the badge and turned to look at Alfred. As for you” The bare hand tapped the lackey’s shoulder. The man didn’t even get to see it coming, too busy hoping he would be spared Chisaki’s wrath.

Instead, he exploded into a ball of gore, his body all but atomized into a crimson stain on the floor. A horrible death, though presumably quick enough that the thug felt it only for a fraction. Overhaul grunted in displeasure, flicking the errant red off his fingertips. “you clean that mess up.” The three yakuza ringleaders left Alfred in the room with the bloody stain, heedless of his fists balling into fists.

----

The final exam involved fighting against the UA staff.

A total of ten pairs would square up against ten teachers. To make things fair, the educators would wear special gear that would slow them down and drain their stamina. Supposedly, they added half of the user’s body weight to them. Then again, apparently Hatsume made them; if anyone could make this thing work, it was her.

“That’s anime AF though!” Manga seemed in good spirits even despite the grueling task ahead. He and Pony would be fighting their Maths teacher, Ectoplasm.

“I know, right?!” Pony nodded along. The two of them were given some time to prepare before the battle. They had one of two objectives to fulfill: either capture the teacher by using the provided handcuffs or escape the battle grounds through a designated gate. Thirty minutes seemed like enough to get that handled… right? “So… what should we do?”

“Well, I bet even with those weights on, Ectoplasm can beat us up easily, so… make for the gate?” That made sense for Pony, but she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed with the notion. They were training to be heroes; they couldn’t just run away from every threat, real or else. Manga caught her frowning. “Something on your mind, Tsunotori?”

“...maybe we should try and capture him?” A question mark showed up just behind the comic page-like mask that her teammate wore. Realizing that she’d have to explain her reasoning beyond the “it’s the right thing to do” spiel, Pony nodded resolutely. “I think Mr. Ectoplasm expects us to try and run. They said that the matchups were made to explode…” She took a moment to think if this was the right word. “explode? Our weaknesses.”

“Exploit, yeah.” Ah, she was off by a little, looked like. “But then won’t we have a hard time trying to fight him then?” They didn’t specify what these weaknesses could be, but Manga had a guess: the two of them were mostly long-ranged fighters who didn’t do well up close, and Ectoplasm could create numerous clones of himself, anywhere and with little warning.

“I guess we’ll figure it out?”

“...okay, this is kinda crazy, but you know the motto of this school.” Manga offered her a fistbump and an unseen grin. “Go beyond?” Pony beamed happily, returning the gesture with an enthusiastic “Plus Ultra!”.

----

Awase didn’t imagine himself having to fight his own Principal, even for an exam.

What would Nezu even do? Maybe he had some crazy moves he would put on him and Tsuburaba both? Or maybe he’d just sic Villain Bots at them? And how did Ground Gamma benefit him or inhibit them? “Got a master plan?” The Air Barrier user queried with a hum.

“Not really, no. Trying to figure out where the gate out of here might be.” Yosetsu grumbled, trying to make sense of the layout before them. “This place’s a maze, and neither of us have the kind of Quirk that’ll let us bulldoze through.”

“We could capture him easily once we get to him—“

“If, Tsuburaba. I refuse to believe Nezu of all people would go down like a chump to the two of us.”

“Ehhh… I don’t know about that. Plenty of great pros aren’t all that good in a fight.” Awase shot him an unimpressed look.

“Name one.” Kousei opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

“...uh…”

“Yeah, exactly. Nezu might look like my sister’s plush toy, but he’s not the principal of UA for nothing. I just… don’t know what he’ll do against us.” It seemed the principal was happy to explain it himself, in a manner of speaking.

Because the moment the starting signal rang out, Ground Gamma started collapsing all around them.

----

Apparently it was more difficult for UA to create the right kind of matchups for their class than 1A.

Honenuki had a general idea why he was pitted against Power Loader; Support Course’s supervisor’s Quirk allowed him to destabilize ground and create pitfalls with his claws, limiting Juzo’s mobility on the otherwise plain empty field. What about Kodai though? If it was about her needing additional items to boost her Quirk, of which there were none in here? But that only spoke about the unfavorable arena, not the particular weakness she would have against someone like Power Loader.

Guess they were covering bases by picking the right grounds for the fight too. “We should run.” Yui nodded, gesturing towards the gate. Their opponent made no attempts at sneaking around, happy to stand right in front of it. Honenuki nodded along. Trying to capture someone who could so easily affect the terrain would just get them bogged down, especially if he was careless about using Softening.

“Got anything we can distract him with?” Yui hummed, tapping the cap of her costume – and then jostling slightly in place, producing a couple of bolts and screws.

“Tried to smuggle in a car.” Her brows furrowed in a look that Honenuki had to assume was disappointment. “Vlad-sensei caught me.”

“...a car? Like, the whole thing?”

“I picked a wreck off Takoba Beach when it was still full of clutter.” She shrugged. “For special occasions. I tried to smuggle it for the festival, too.”

Juzo made a mental note to never piss Kodai off.

----

Fate must have been laughing at Kinoko today.

The teacher lineup for the exams was different compared to what 1A went through. Present Mic was taken off the roster once he almost turned the earphone girl deaf with his Quirk. Recovery Girl was told that he was given a terrible dressing-down. Since then, he was replaced with Hound Dog; Rin and Kaibara were taking him on.

The other missing teacher was All Might. Apparently there was some pressing business he had to attend outside of school just before the exams (and apparently both Midoriya and Bakugo who fought him got put through terrible paces, too), so a replacement had to be found post-haste. For a moment, Kinoko feared that she and Kamakiri – her unlikely partner for this fight – might have to take their chances another time. And yet, they found someone who, for this purpose, could perform almost as well as the Number One Hero.

Kinoko wished it was literally anyone else than Endeavor.

She wasn’t sure how flammable Kamakiri was, but her mushrooms definitely were at a disadvantage against fire. Any humid air would dry out from the temperature, making producing spores difficult. And, of course, the fact that it was Endeavor standing there, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here, rankled her fierce.

She doubted Midoriya would go around telling people about this and it seemed unlikely the staff knew anything, either. This was just a big, unlucky coincidence. She briefly wondered if she’d make the news if she choked Endeavor out with a mushroom before shaking her head with a frustrated huff. This was not the time for levity. Whether she liked it or not, that hot flaming piece of crap stood between them and passing, and the summer camp.

“...alright, Komori, I’ve had it.” She blinked, turning to see Kamakiri scowling at her from behind his domino mask. “Ever since the festival, you’ve been bristling the moment someone mentioned Endeavor over there.” He gestured with his beard towards the giant flaming figure at the gate. The exam was just about to begin as the two of them assessed their chances. “Now you look like you’re about to try and kick him in the dick. What’s up?”

“...it’s nothing.”

“...Komori, I don’t mean to be an ass for once, but if we fail because of your hate boner towards the guy—“

“Look, it’s fine. I promise.” She huffed, shaking her head. “I’m just… I’ve been mush stressed last week, with what happened to Maria, and the exams, and… had a lot to think about.”

“Yeah, and right now we need to figure out how to take this brick shithouse down. Like, right now.” Kamakiri shook his head. “So if you have any ideas, I’d love to hear ‘em.” Then, in an uncharacteristic display of concern for another being, he put his hand on Kinoko’s shoulder. “And once we pass, spill what’s on your mind. Scream it into the clouds or tell someone you trust. Or some shit.” He grunted, looking away annoyed.

“I, uh… didn’t expect that from you, Kamakiri.”

“Let’s just say that I have experience about not speaking my mind when it mattered. Also, you didn’t hear that pep talk from me, or I’ll make pickled shrooms out of you, capiche?” Kinoko smiled wryly.

“Capiche, shroom. And… thanks for that. I’ll try.”

“Damn straight you will. Now, let’s plan this out before he burns this whole block down.”

----

As it turned out, Maria had to fight after all.

Aizawa seemed just a touch unsatisfied with her overall performance. Or, perhaps, she was simply expected to fight even in spite of the fact that she would fail the exercise either way. A hero’s job was to take the impossible odds and face them with a cheeky grin, as befitting the example of the Symbol of Peace. How ironic that All Might could not be here to adhere to these beliefs, instead replaced with Todoroki’s irascible father. Hopefully Kinoko and Kamakiri would be fine.

There was no doubt a connection between the Number One Hero and the young man with green hair who he seemed to be particularly fond of. She had no opportunity to find Midoriya and press him for further info and it seemed she would not be able to do so during the summer break. Those fortunate enough to pass were going somewhere to further refine their skills and socialize with their hero peers.

Apparently no less than four people in 1A have failed their finals.

And now, she and Monoma were picked to face her master in a martial test. They were either to capture him or to escape past his notice. The phantom thief seemed confident enough in their skill, at least. “I do have to wonder why Vlad-sensei though. Well, it’s obvious on your part, but I feel like I’m lacking insight about my presence here.”

“It should not matter either way.” She shook her head. “As I am fated to fail this test, feel free to slip by unnoticed while I engage Master Kan in battle.” Monoma tutted disapprovingly. Maria’s eyebrow rose.

“That sounds like something someone from Class A would do, Maria.” He smiled wryly. “We either win together or lose together. Besides, I expect Vlad-sensei knows the way you think enough to not let me get away so easily.”

“That so? Then how do you plan on engaging him?” This time, Neito’s eyebrow rose.

“How do you mean?”

“You would like to copy my Quirk for this exam, correct?”

“With your permission, of course.” There would be times when Monoma wouldn’t be able to get such, but for the time being, he wanted to keep things civil. The two of them strove to become heroes, and he doubted those who failed the practical would just be left to languish in obscurity for the summer. That seemed greatly at odds with a school whose motto was “Go Beyond”, no?

“You will not have it.” Well, that… changed things. Monoma blinked, feeling something in his gut twist with a growing recognition.

“Why is that, Maria?”

“You know this Quirk to be cursed. It is not so just because of my opinion; the finer workings of it would no doubt cause you harm.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. The copying lets me understand the nature of the Quirk enough to use it competently.”

“No, Monoma. Not this one.” This time Neito couldn’t help but frown. There were no doubts many facets of handling that Quirk, but it certainly wasn’t any more complicated than some other Quirks in class or among 1A. Speaking of whom...

“I’ve copied Todoroki’s Quirk before. I’m sure I can—“

“No, Monoma. I will not repeat myself again.” Was this the reason they were paired together? Because the staff – or, perhaps, Vlad-sensei specifically – knew that Muradasilova would not let him copy her Quirk and therefore inhibit them both?

Neito might not have looked like it, but he worked out hard to compliment the nature of his Quirk. He learned some martial arts, parkour, kept up in shape. He might not have been as built like Tetsutetsu or as rigorous as Kendo, but he did his best. Without a Quirk to copy, he was functionally Quirkless. It was a realization that hit him upside the head many a time, even despite his efforts not to think about it.

And now, Muradasilova refused to play ball. “Stick to the plan and you will get to go to the summer camp.”

“You don’t have a plan. There is no plan to make when you won’t let me help.” His annoyed look was met with a quiet glower. Monoma refused to budge. “All of us will go to the summer camp, as we should. You will fail this exam because of external circumstances, not because you were inadequate. That won’t cross you out.”

“Why do you care?”

“What do you mean, “what do you care?”?!” Monoma threw his hands up into the air exasperatedly. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re my classmate. I like to think you’re also my friend. You’re my fellow hero in training, and with this we can get a one-up over 1A, too—“

“Ah. There it is.” Neito felt as if someone slapped him, recoiling with a betrayed look on his face. “That nonsensical jealousy plaguing your thoughts, that this is some sort of a competition between our two classes.”

“That’s not… I mean, that’s only one of the reasons—“

“Enough, Monoma. I will buy you an opening.” She turned to face Vlad King, cracking her knuckles as she regarded their – her – opponent. “And you will use it if you wish.” Neito resisted an urge to just pat her back and acquire her Quirk that way. No doubt she would see it coming – and, judging by her firmness of the matter, wring his arm out of his shoulder.

“...and if I won’t use it?”

“Then you will fail.”

----

Elsewhere…

“That is how I found you.” Kurogiri concluded the report. Shigaraki nodded along, eyes sometimes wandering to the giant floaty shape that arrived with him. For some reason it was making baby noises from somewhere within the robe it wore.

“Alright. Time to get the hell out of here. You coming, Toga?” Himiko hummed, having just finished saying her goodbyes to the Mother Brain. For once, it did not involve stabbing its eyes with a knife; she merely held the broken hand of the Great One for a bit in a comforting gesture. “And you, weird… thing?” He tilted his head at the creature. It inclined its head back at him before it made a slow movement, approaching the Brain.

“I believe Mergo and his wet nurse wish to accompany the Mother Brain in its last moments.” Kurogiri explained. The earlier contact with the bladed creature – to think it would be a wet nurse of all things – let him understand the unspoken and unheard language of these beings. A handy skill, although he hoped that the dull pain thrumming through him would pass sooner than later.

“Once this shit comes crashing down the pit, you two won’t survive that. Hope you know that.” Shigaraki pointed out.

“Maybe we could take Brain-san with us?” Himiko suggested, perking up at the idea. Kurogiri shook his head.

“Even if we were so inclined, I cannot transport a creature this large through the portals.” He explained. Toga deflated almost in an instant. “...but, once again, you have our gratitude.” Shigaraki shrugged, a tinge of annoyance dancing behind the mummified hand on his face.

“Can’t exactly get even if you’re just gonna die here.” And then, the child(?) hiding inside its wet nurse’s clothes laughed, the way little children laughed when something fun and welcoming happened in front of them. Shigaraki wasn’t exactly an expert on that, but even he knew something about that childish trill was off.

“It seems they are confident of their survival, unlike the Mother Brain. We will hear from them yet.” Right. Kurogiri was the one with the newfound language skills, so Shigaraki had to trust him on that. Yet, something caught his curiosity. The mistman talked plenty about what those two wanted, but what about…?

“...Kurogiri. Is the Brain saying anything?” He asked quietly, regarding the horrid creature sprawled in this endless void. It seemed as if its purpose was to die a horrible, ignoble death, after its captors already probed it for whatever it was that they wanted. At the very least, it would not be dying alone…

“...I cannot tell. What comes out sounds like garbled static. But… I think it wishes you and Toga fortune.” Fortune, huh…? Slowly, Shigaraki approached the rotting brain. Somewhere, pieces of debris from up above started falling out into the pit. It wouldn’t be long before this entire place was buried, and all who stayed here along with it.

He tapped the brain matter just above the biggest eye, with one finger, ignoring how revolting it felt. “I promise you this; you’ll get to wring Cageface and Four-Eyes’s necks in hell yet.” Slowly, the brain’s eyelids fluttered once, as if in understanding. He stepped back to where Kurogiri was opening the portal. “We’ll grind them to dust and use them as an example – so that the Hero Society knows it’s next.”

Chapter Text

Enji Todoroki clicked his tongue in annoyance.

There was a lot on his mind in recent time, some good and some bad. Good: Shoto was growing out of his stupid teenaged rebellion. It was a slow process, but he was finally using his fire. Hopefully he would grow comfortable enough with it to use in earnest before long.

Bad: there was no sight of Mensis anywhere. After the Hosu incident and associated happenings, they vanished into thin air, likely to plan their next move. An attempt to sound out the antiquely-dressed henchmen for information was fruitless; most have been wasting away in their solitary cells, screaming bloody nonsense about the Hunt and the Beasts. Neither was the investigation conducted together with Wild Wild Pussycats successful; the trail ended seemingly at a seaside cliff, with no discernible way of going anywhere else without a ship. They even asked for Selkie’s assistance on that front to check for possible underwater lairs – stranger things have happened – but that too didn’t go anywhere.

Worse: Onima might have been gone for good.

The doctors overseeing his case compared the disease to late-stage rabies, except there seemed to be no easily discernible way of stemming its progress. His easy-going sidekick’s light voice turned into a hoarse growl, his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets, his teeth grew into lupine canines… he was changing. He was changing into something, most likely something like the monstrosities accompanying Mensis’s henchmen.

This was a doing of a Quirk – and there seemed to be no way of reversing the process. To that end, Endeavor reached out for Eraserhead’s assistance to see if his Erasure could do something about it.

He knew Aizawa to be an unflappable type, so seeing him so thrown off when his gaze didn’t do much of anything was certainly an experience.

Truly, it seemed as if the Quirk plaguing Onima was something else. Something that fused with him, for lack of a better word, that rode under his skin like a parasite leeching off another organism. Aizawa’s Erasure could only suppress its amount in Onima’s blood – but not reverse its effects or even bring any kind of clarity to his sidekick’s mind. By all means, Onima was legally dead.

Enji figured that there must be someone who could know something of this plague. With the lack of Mensis figures to wring the info out of, he planned to turn to a particular student at UA, who seemed to have prior experience with the School. As luck would have it, UA forwarded Endeavor with an invitation, although for different reasons: he was to participate in a final exam of the semester for fledgling heroes as a mock-villain to capture or escape. It would certainly be an interesting experience, and one way to take his mind off recent events. These children needed a cold reality check to reiterate how much they still had to learn.

But then it turned out that he was one of two replacements for the second class’s exams. One of these replaced mock-villains had a Quirk that was unfit for the exam… the other was All Might. All Might. The number one hero, the Symbol of Peace, so loudly and publicly announced to be now a teacher at Japan’s most prestigious hero school… couldn’t make time for his students to help in their education? Why, just what could have possibly kept the best hero in Japan?

Endeavor wasn’t here because UA wanted to make use of his experience and ability. He was here because he was “the next best thing” to fill in after All Might. The very thought alone was having him gnashing his teeth.

And now, it turned out, the kids he was given to educate couldn’t put together a coherent strategy to come out on top. While mock-villains were pitted against students in a way to exploit their weaknesses, it seemed he would not have to try very hard to begin with. The stamina-draining wristband did nothing to stem him on that front. Curious about the girl being so fired up about trying to strike him with her mushrooms though. It seemed she had it out for him for whatever reason. That too earned only a scoff from Enji.

Personal feelings or misgivings could not compromise a hero’s work – especially not a fledgling hero whose career had yet to begin in earnest. He would be happy to put these two in their place.

----

Predictably, Monoma was not having a good time.

Without Maria’s Quirk, he couldn’t do much more than mildly inconvenience Vlad King – or even try and escape from this clotted blood prison he was in, pinned to the ground by the giant splash of the hardening liquid. Maybe he would be able to force his way out of this trap, or maybe he would just gnash his teeth in frustration and watch Vlad King and Maria exchange blows.

Maria’s Quirk usage was precise and flavorful, full of flair that the normally reticent Muradasilova didn’t reveal freely. It would certainly be a delight to observe in a less compromising position than the current one Monoma had to endure. In comparison, Vlad King forwent any fanciness, going for simple, tried-and-true maneuvers. He might not have been as quick on his feet as Maria was, but he made up for it in bulk and experience.

If anyone knew the limit of Muradasilova’s ability, it was him.

“This would be much easier for you if you accepted Monoma’s help, you know.” Maria snarled at the calm words of their teacher, dashing in to try and give him the hands. A sturdy blood wall met her efforts before it pushed forward, forcing her back. “There will come a time when you won’t be able to deal with things the way you’re dealing with them now.”

Maria replied in a foreign language, voice dripping with icy rage. Finnish if Monoma were to guess. He picked up a few words from her here and there, mostly when he could hear her muttering to herself about something and by researching it on his own. The one sentence in particular he managed to decipher in its entirety.

“You’re doing this on purpose”.

A foot-long dagger of blood was flung across the air, passing just by Vlad King’s left ear. Maria used the distraction to close the distance and throw out a vicious kick aimed to fold her opponent in two at the abdomen. Monoma saw how powerful her strikes were, even if they weren’t her strongest suit. They ripped the air apart with their ferocity and raw force.

Vlad King let her hit him – and didn’t look any worse for it even when he used the opportunity to seize her by the lapels of her outfit and headbutt her of all things. Maria hissed, recoiling back from the hit, only to get punched right in the gut. Before the sensation of pain could reach her, Vlad King’s fist enveloped in a red liquid, enhancing the blow and sending her flying back. The white marble tumbled inelegantly on the ground, landing nearby Monoma’s trapped form. Her tricorne fell off her head in the process and her hair came undone into a wild mane.

“Muradasilova, let me help.” Neito grunted quietly as Maria gathered her bearings. Vlad King seemed to be in no rush, content to stay where he was and block the only way out of here.

“I’m fine. I’ll break you out of this so you can run—“

“No, let me help. We’re both going to pass this.”

“I do not care to be another number in your grudge.”

“This is the last thing on my mind right now!” Monoma felt his jaw tighten. Were they going to do this song and dance all over again? “You… you want to be a hero, right?! I know you’ll say you won’t, but I know this is an outlet for you to put your mind at ease. We can weather it together. Not just me – the whole class!”

“You know not of what you speak.” She broke the blood prison with her elbow. Neito grunted, feeling his limbs relax and spring free from their confine-induced numbness. This wasn’t a feeling he could get used to yet – no doubt Vlad King would still try to pin him down again. She didn’t stay close for long, getting back to her feet and making some distance between them; guess she was determined to try and win this solo.

“At least tell me why. Why are you so hell-bent on not letting me help you?”

“I’ve said it enough times, haven’t I? Mine is a cursed Quirk, Monoma.”

“No, you don’t get to play that card anymore. “Cursed Quirk” – that doesn’t mean anything!” Slowly, Maria straightened up and craned her neck to look at him. Monoma was aware that they were doing the opposite of what they should be doing, that being trying to apprehend or escape from Vlad King, but at this point he’d had it. He was going to get to the bottom of this right here and now. This wasn’t about competing with 1A or anything stupid like that anymore.

H e saw Midoriya do this with Todoroki; get him to go all out even at the risk of losing himself. Whatever he said struck a chord with the Fire-Ice user. The situation was different here ; Maria used her Quirk more freely than a few months back, but still refused to think of it as anything else than a great curse that made her an exile to the world and a right monster. More selfishly, she refused to work with Monoma when the only way he could contribute was to use her Quirk. Were this a different situation, he would be able to have one or two more other Quirks stored – but this wasn’t it.

So he had to piss her off – and hopefully help her with whatever demons bothered her in the process .

----

“Sir Tetsu, we need a plan post-haste.”

Tetsutetsu gnashed his teeth in frustration, feeling his steel starting to go brittle. He wasn’t sure how long he and Shishida were they trying to push past Cementoss, but it certainly felt long enough. For someone like Real Steel, used to punching his problems until they went away, facing an opponent he couldn’t hope to punch was a frustrating experience to say the least. The entire arena was made of concrete, from which Cementoss could pull at will. They could be sitting here all week and he’d still have enough to spare.

The problem was, neither Tetsu nor Shishida had that much time. “We’ve tried the direct approach for ten minutes… and I fear I don’t have much more strength in me left.” Jurota’s voice was apologetic as if he was the one who had this hare-brained idea to begin with. Tetsu was furious with himself. “Practical won’t be a problem”, he said, like some complete dumbass.

Kirishima and some other guy from 1A failed their fight against Cementoss – was it their turn next? No, wait, he couldn’t think like that! Who was he if not Real Steel?! He was going to punch Cementoss in his stupid square face (and apologize later once he stopped seeing a genuine villain in a mock-villain), somehow. “Okay, so… got any ideas, Shishida?” He asked, suddenly realizing that his voice came out a lot less confident than he thought it would. The class’s Vice Prez nodded, a wistful look behind his glasses.

“It will be more of the same, I’m ashamed to admit – but it might just be different enough to give us the edge we need.” I’m the one who should be ashamed, Tetsu thought with a grimace. He was the one to push for the “punch first, think later” strategy, thinking that their raw strength would do. Boy, was the egg on his face huge. Shishida went along with it without a peep – but he was the smart one out of the two of them. If he had a plan, it was better than anything Tetsu could think of.

“Hit me, Prez.”

“How hard can you make yourself? Defensively, I mean.” Tetsu’s eyebrow quirked.

“Hard enough to walk off a cement block dropping on my head. I think. Never really did the defense stuff much.”

“Alright, Sir Tetsu – we’ll be having a quick lesson on trajectory.”

----

Setsuna could only gnash her teeth in frustration.

Thirteen had both her and Reiko locked in place, though for different reasons. Splitting herself into smaller parts – something she did at the beginning of every fight, without fail – proved mistaken the moment her pieces began disappearing down the teacher’s fingers. She hastily reflected by making the pieces larger – but that only made it easier for Thirteen to keep them in front of herself. The suction of Black Hole made it impossible to maneuver in any capability. Currently all Setsuna could do was to hold on for dear life against the railing, resisting an urge to start cussing up a storm.

Reiko, meanwhile, seemed largely resigned to all of this. The Poltergeist girl wasn’t the kind to be very emotive (although Yui had her beat there), and what emotions she displayed she hid behind her flowery speech. She looked less furious and more annoyed – most likely because her telekinesis just didn’t have enough force to punch through Black Hole. She managed to throw a few things before Thirteen put them both on the backfoot. Her grip was close to slipping off the railing – she wasn’t as athletic as Setsuna.

And to think Thirteen was going easy on them, even without the stamina-draining accessory on her…

“I guess we did our utmost.” Reiko hummed.

“I mean, if you’ve got any aces up your sleeve, I’m dying to hear ‘em, Reiko-chan…”

“Mmm… your heart might skip a beat if I do.”

“In a fun way or…?”

Rather than reply, Reiko let go off a railing, and Setsuna’s heart less skipped a beat and more went completely still. Before she could summon a voice in her throat to ask her classmate what on earth was she thinking, two things happened in quick succession, followed by a single realization.

One, Thirteen let out a startled gasp and closed her fingers once Reiko’s body approached her. Two, she stopped using her Quirk as a result of that. Setsuna was no longer under the effects of the suction, her bits – no longer restrained by the raw power. The realization came to her even before she made it a conscious thought.

Thirteen had a powerful Quirk that could give the likes of Todoroki or Bakugo a run for their money – but she explicitly wasn’t a combat hero. If someone could avoid her Quirk and get up and personal with her, she’d be easy pickings. Reiko made a sound of vague discomfort as she bounced off Thirteen’s space suit, obscuring her vision for the briefest of moments. Setsuna was upon in that moment of weakness. Her arms were missing pieces – which hurt like hell – but they were functional enough to put Thirteen in a headlock.

A pair of cuffs clanged on the teacher’s wrist a moment later, having been floated in by gentle telekinesis.

----

Kinoko was running out of ideas.

Obviously this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, even with Hatsume’s doodad on Endeavor’s ankle, but it felt like neither she nor Kamakiri could even take the slightest inch. She hoped to try and disorient him with some magic mushrooms, but those stupid flames didn’t even let any spores go into effect. It was fruitless, and the increasing heat had her sweating bullets as she struggled not to pass out.

Kamakiri fared a little better; he managed to take a swing at Endeavor during their first attempt, but since then he’s been the one taking the mock-villain’s direct blows. No. 2 Hero didn’t use many flames for direct offensive, instead preferring to box them in with all this fire and let the heat drain their stamina. It almost felt like Endeavor didn’t think they were worthy of him going serious (or as much as he could with the bracelet).

He was, however, indeed built like a brick shithouse, and Kamakiri looked like he was about to puke up his guts from another blow to the abdomen as he struggled to pick himself back up, using his blades for support. Kinoko couldn’t help him; a wall of fire kept her away from interfering.

...was this how Todoroki looked when Endeavor hit him back in a day?

…

No. She was letting her anger get the better of her. She had to think, to try and figure something out. A hero could always fight their way out of a troublesome situation. A hero could always give their best smile to the less fortunate. She was here because she wanted to make people smile. Kamakiri was here because he wanted to keep people safe and put bad guys behind bars.

They were UA’s students. They were the new generation and her thoughts were starting to go from this heat and she had to—

“UA went to the dogs.” Endeavor’s voice – hard and cold, at odds with his fiery Quirk – was like a bucket of water dumped down on her head. “Anyone can get in these days, apparently, no matter how uncut for this work they are.” Kamakiri burbled out a snarl, but it barely crawled out of his throat. “Still I hoped you would surprise me, show me some of this Plus Ultra. I will leave disappointed.” A single kick; Kamakiri didn’t even make an effort to dodge, likely unable to even move from his spot. The blow launched him into the air and into one of the windows. Endeavor took his time to reach him, lazily floating into the air with his flames. Even from that height, Kinoko could hear his voice, laced with cold disdain. How could a man with such a fiery beard be so frigid?

“I’ll leave disappointed because the teachers will coddle you. They will tell you you’ll have time to grow yet.” He didn’t so much throw Kamakiri down to the ground as merely dropped him down a story. A crack. That sounded like a broken arm. Kinoko felt her brain starting to halt again, but for different reasons. She had to get there. Do something. Endeavor wasn’t a teacher, he didn’t have the mentality, the understanding; he could seriously injure him! “And you will be reassured that you can be great heroes yet – until you become yet another faceless, mediocre benchwarmer.”

Kamakiri tried to rise to his feet again, but this time Endeavor pushed him back down with his foot, keeping him pinned. Kinoko bit her lip, summoned what spores she could to cover herself in a protective layer of caps – and pushed through the flames. The heat licked at her face and legs, tugged at her clothes, was like a suffocating blanket. When she emerged, her hat was lost and her hair was singed. And it also felt like she had a burn on her calf. Ouch. Don’t matter.

Endeavor’s cold blue eyes settled on her. Kinoko’s star-shaped irises met him with all the resolve she could muster. “And the thing about benchwarmers is that they always come in groups.”

----

“You know nothing about me, Monoma – yet you dare make light of me like this?”

Neito swallowed nervously. Now that Maria’s attention was on him only, with Vlad King only a distant memory, she looked so much taller and more menacing than ever before. Their teacher’s eyes were sharp and alert, even if his stance relaxed. It seemed he knew what Monoma planned to do, even if it didn’t feel like he approved of it. The blond might have agreed with his assessment now that he walked into the lion’s den so brazenly – but he couldn’t walk it back.

“Answer the question, Muradasilova. Why is your Quirk cursed?” Still he sharpened himself, steeled his resolve. This was a now-or-nothing. He wasn’t going to be passing this exam anyway; the least he could do is try and fix this mess.

“I will not entertain this nonsense.”

“Why? Because you don’t want to?”

“Because this is not a matter of an afternoon chatter, or something I would share with you. This is bigger than you can perceive.”

“You’re not that big, Muradasilova. You’re barely taller than Bondo.” Though he managed to summon his usual smooth smile, he felt his growing indignation. Maria always had trouble working out the drive for hero work despite her spotless conduct. She treated her stay at UA as a grim necessity rather than a hard-won dream. Monoma barely made it in, even while liberal about borrowing Quirks from other applicants. He almost shared Shinsou’s fate, and he imagined 1A’s Hagakure also had a hard time when her only power was being invisible.

And here was Muradasilova; a titan with a powerful Quirk, 1B’s star, the stoic foreigner with a thick accent that turned heads of half the school. Here she was, looking poised to throw it all away out of… what, self-loathing? Spite? Some kind of indescribable feeling?

“You’re not that big, but your horse stands pretty tall.” Back in a day, Kamakiri used that quip against her and she didn’t understand it. Her grip on the language was much better now, to Monoma’s satisfaction.

“...insolent fool.” She glowered, looking as if she considered which of his bones to break first.

“Your Quirk is just that. It’s a Quirk. It’s not any more different than mine, or Vlad-sensei’s, or anyone else’s. I don’t care for the history behind it. It’s your power, Muradasilova. It cannot be cursed.”

“Cannot? You have… I will not…” Slowly, she let the air out of her mouth. Before she could say anything more, Monoma opted to continue.

“You’re right. I know nothing about you. Nothing but one thing: you’re a good person, no matter how unassailable and aloof you make yourself out to be.” Maria flinched. Was he making progress? “...and if your Quirk truly is cursed, then I want cold hard proof before I call it such. And even that… even that doesn’t mean you can’t seize it for yourself.”

“...what is the point of these platitudes, Monoma?”

“This is your power. No matter what you think of it, it’s yours, and it’s something you have to live with. It can be something you can use for good. If it is cursed, it doesn’t matter.” A moment of silence. Maria sighed and shook her head. “Because you’re you.”

“Charming.” Monoma resisted an urge to quip at her. This wasn’t going to be a one-and-done deal. This was something that he – and the others – would have to repeat multiple times. Just like Midoriya didn’t get to Todoroki immediately, neither would he to her. But… with enough time, enough perseverance… “I do not have it in me to be upset with you. I understand you mean well.”

“Then let us help you.” She did not reply to him, instead idly wringing her hands together. The klaxon announced the end of their exam. Having not captured the villain or escaped from the premises, the two of them failed. Vlad King’s expression was inscrutable as he silently listened in to the conversation. Maria did not turn to regard Monoma anymore, her shoulders rising in a shrug.

“I will consider it.”

----

“...what did you just say?”

Honestly, Kinoko wasn’t sure if she really said it. The combination of growing heat, her budding frustration – with Endeavor and with herself – and her exhaustion loosened her inhibitions. In a normal setting, no matter how much she might have hated his guts, she wouldn’t let herself say it.

But Endeavor’s words and his disdain were cutting into both her and Kamakiri like knives. Doubly so into her, who was privy to things she shouldn’t be and which painted a whole different image of the country’s Number Two Hero. And now, fresh out of options how to defeat this monstrous mock-villain and with her anger bubbling past her heart, she asked him a question. A simple question.

“Did you hit Todoroki like that too?”

She truly didn’t mean to. Kinoko understood that this wasn’t the kind of stuff you said lightly, even with strong evidence (she figured Shoto had no reason to lie to Midoriya back then). If that ever got out to the public in any serious capacity, Endeavor’s career could be over, and the blowback, regardless of his fate, would hit his family as well. The last she wanted on her conscience was a collateral’s worth of Todorokis.

But right now, with her vision starting to dim from the heat and the exhaustion and with that giant brick shithouse in front of her staring her down like she was an insect to crush underfoot, Kinoko could not give less of a damn.

“You’ve heard me, Endeavor.” She gritted through her teeth, uselessly raising her fists in a sloppy combat stance. His expression was inscrutably cold, even as he turned his attention fully towards her, letting Kamakiri breathe a choked sigh of relief as he took his foot off him. Kinoko had no idea if her classmate was still conscious, let alone ambulatory. This was something that was going get her in hot water – it certainly didn’t help her chances of passing…

...but at this point she just wanted to get all this bile out of her throat before it choked her to death. “I asked if you hit Shoto Todoroki like that too.” Honestly, she was surprised her voice was so calm, given the situation. Endeavor had the power and the influence to sink her future down the toilet. She could possibly be a janitor for the rest of her life. If he felt particularly petty, Kamakiri could get hit with that too, or even her family.

But what was a hero if not someone who went against the impossible odds? Plus, she really was at her wit’s end.

Endeavor loomed over her, powerful and silent, with only his eyes speaking of his emotion. It seemed he was assessing just how much she knew, letting her continue. Kinoko was vaguely aware she and Kamakiri had a few more minutes before the timer ran out, for all it mattered now. “I didn’t mean to overhear. It was a sad little accident that I did. It felt so unreal, you know. Number Two Hero in Japan being all of these terrible things?”

“But Todoroki kept talking. About his mom. About his siblings. About how you would make him puke up his breakfast for “training”. Because your efforts alone weren’t enoki to beat All Might.” Endeavor’s face twitched. Ah. That hurt him the most. Not even being told of all of his sins by a complete stranger had that effect. “I don’t know Todoroki much. We’re not even in the same class – but he had no reason to lie to the guy he talked to about this.”

“I believe him over whatever story you’ll try to tell me, Endeavor.” She looked up sharply to meet those cold blue eyes. The stony exterior cracked slightly, but not in the way Kinoko would have wanted; instead the Number Two Hero looked… annoyed. This time her cheeks puffed up indignantly.

“Good, you’re done prattling.” He said before unceremoniously lifting her up into the air. Kinoko squeaked in alarm, her feet dangling off the ground. “I have no need to explain myself to you, girl. What’s done is done.”

“You don’t even deny it—“ She got jostled when he lifted her up higher, the other hand reeling back. Rather than punch her, it seemed he planned to give her some of his flames, a ball of fire slowly growing on his palm.

“You should look forward to your future – or its lack.” He continued. “Letting emotions get the better of you when you have a villain in front of you to defeat… you dare to call yourself a hero? UA’s been coddling you children, I see.”

“Get shroomed, Endeavor!” She hissed, throwing her hand in a desperate punch to try to get him to let her go. She might as well have been hitting a wall. “If I’m no hero, then you’re a straight-up villain!” Kinoko choked with a startled gasp; suddenly there was a giant hand around her neck. Endeavor reflected on that a moment later, his grip becoming less crushing but no less oppressive.

“You cannot begin to understand what being a pro-hero is about. Among other things, it’s about hard work and sacrifice. Let me demonstrate.” The flaming ball in his other hand had finished growing. This was it, then…? Kinoko grit her teeth and closed her eyes, ready to accept defeat – only for a single “click” to stop Endeavor right in his tracks. The fireball audibly dissipated, making her open her eyes.

On Endeavor’s wrist rested a pair of handcuffs, no doubt brought there by a dull blade growing out of Kamakiri’s forehead. It seemed he dragged himself over to the scene, his face and cloak covered in dirt and soil.“Demonstrate this, asswipe.” He croaked out before his face fell and he passed out.

Chapter Text

Vlad King had a rough idea as to why Aizawa requested a staff meeting after the exams.

The exams, for the most part, went well. Everyone in his class did their utmost to outwit the mock-villains, either by escaping from the premises or by capturing them. Some of these might have been down to luck and strange circumstances, but a win was a win. Sometimes, once they all would become respectable pros, this luck would accompany them to some of their cases. The important part was not to rely on it as a crutch, and keep refining their skills to ensure you could stand on your own.

Everyone but Maria.

He loathed to fail Monoma – especially considering that he opted to try and talk sense to her rather than selfishly escape on his own; something that he wouldn’t be able to do either way – but he was a collateral of a larger problem. Maria had a lot on her mind recently; between Stain, the Mensis, the Healing Church, the girl under the guardianship of an Executioner… her own Quirk she deemed cursed. Kan knew that his knowledge of Yharnam and Cainhurst was lacking, merely second-hand account of what Master Gehrman would have told him back in a day and what few experiences he had with the outer layer of it all. It seemed he was one of the lucky few of his students to avoid getting tangled up in this madness at a larger level.

However, now he had to explain this to the staff, and hope his arguments were enough to outweigh Aizawa’s footage. Maria was shown taking a moment to make up her mind before going into the alleyway where she first found Stain. Click, next video: her fight with Kendo at the Festival, where she nearly killed her with an outburst of her Quirk. Click, next video: Native’s body cam which first showed him almost dying to Stain, then Maria and Iida arriving to the scene and the following – her consciously chasing Stain even after the Hero Killer chose to make himself scarce. Another clip, seemingly the most innocuous one: an excerpt from one of Heroics classes in which the sharp blades of her Quirk kept Honenuki from overtaking her until the area got more spacious.

“Muradasilova demonstrated a startling lack of willingness to cooperate with her classmates, to use her Quirk as anything else but as a way to vent her frustrations, and finally” One last video: of her standing there and calmly explaining why she will not lend Monoma her power, failing them both in the process. “actively sabotage the exam effort of another student. Unlike another example of that behavior, the Bakugo-Midoriya team, she made no effort to try and get that attitude fixed.”

Aizawa turned off the projector and set the remote down on the table. “Combined with Inui’s diagnosis that she suffers from PTSD as a result of events before her admission to UA, I find it irresponsible at best and actively dangerous to herself and other students at worst to let her continue the education here.” For a moment no one said anything. Vlad’s face was impassive, even as other members of the staff regarded him with various expressions. All Might looked the most sympathetic to the situation, bless his heart. Others were more inscrutable in what they thought.

“Kan, I’ve said it many times: I do believe you’re a better teacher than me. However” Aizawa’s voice took on a heavier tone. “you have omitted crucial details concerning Muradasilova and have so far been unwilling to elaborate beyond what you and her told us at the official hearing at the beginning of the year. Do you deny that accusation?”

“...no. I do not.”

“If there’s a good reason – and by that, I mean a comprehensive explanation without any faults – for that, you would be wise to explain it to the forum. Otherwise, I will be filing an official claim to relieve you of your duty as 1B’s homeroom teacher. That is all.” Eraser took a seat, letting the silence take the teacher lounge. All Might, in his powered-down form, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“If that’s alright with you, Kan-kun, I would like to hear what the rest of the staff has to say about this first.” Nezu nodded, having just jumped out from Aizawa’s capture scarf. Vlad nodded back without a word. “Thank you very much. Ladies first then: Kayama-kun?” Midnight hummed at being called up to the stand, a contemplative look on her face.

“Muradasilova is definitely a curious case.” She started, her nails beginning to drum on the table. “As a teacher, I can definitely say she is studious and makes no trouble for herself or her classmates, even if she’s not as active as, say, Yaoyorozu or Iida. As a hero, however… her resolve is lacking. She has no drive to be a hero which, arguably, is the most important part of being one in the first place. Even those who join the profession for less valorous reasons would like to keep realizing themselves. Muradasilova… just goes through the motions.”

“Remind me, Kayama” Snipe piped up from his spot, craning his neck slightly towards the R-Rated Heroine. “did she really write her hero name in her own blood?”

“That she did – although I don’t think that was meant to be her hero name, after all.”

“Vileblood.” Cementoss hummed. “I recall this word being used during the first hearing. A word of reminder, Kan?”

“A society of Cainhurst, the place from which Maria originates.” Vlad nodded, mulling over how to explain this in a reasonable manner. Aizawa watched him gather his thoughts like a hawk. “Vilebloods were the nobility of the place, with a heritage of various blood-based Quirks. While they originally held a different name, they eventually adapted it for themselves to wear it as their own, heedless of their detractors.”

“Huh. That’s a bit like Midoriya’s “Deku”, innit?” Mic questioned curiously. All Might shifted in his seat again.

“Writing it with your own blood is a bit on the nose though.” Snipe chuffed.

“To wrap it up… I agree with Aizawa, although” Midnight raised a finger for emphasis. “given her connection to the Mensis it would be prudent to keep her under close watch even if she’s not a student.”

“I had an idea to introduce the students to school dorms, given the recent happenings.” Nezu hummed. “Perhaps we might apply that idea just for Muradasilova-kun for now, as a test drive of sorts. Next up, Yamada-kun.” Mic nodded, lifting himself up to a more proper seating position from his earlier slouch.

“I think she should stay. Both classes are stuffed with kids full of problems – and while Muradasilova’s problems might be the worst, I’ve a feeling that shutting her off from her classmates will just make things worse.”

“She might lack a hero’s drive, but she is certainly stubborn.” Ectoplasm nodded. “...and I can see her acting on her own should she stop being a student.”

“That’s a voice against her.” Aizawa countered with an annoyed look. “If she cannot follow the rules of the society, she risks ostracism and arrest.”

“To try and help Yamada out, I think he is a proponent of socialization as a tool to help Muradasilova soften up and become more open to her surroundings.” Inui said, his voice still coming out like a raspy growl despite the calm delivery. “And to that end I’ll agree with him. She has a fair share of friends in both classes, and generally gets along well with most. Furthermore…” Hound Dog hesitated. “her absence is bound to affect Momo Yaoyorozu negatively as a side-effect.”

“Did we ever figure out just what is it that the Mensis wants with Young Yaoyorozu and Young Tokage?” All Might spoke up. Inui shook his head.

“I believe Muradasilova might have a clue, but she’s been tight-lipped about it.” Hound Dog’s eyes wandered to Vlad as he spoke those words. 1B’s homeroom teacher’s face remained impassive.

“Kan, there are only so many secrets you can keep.” Snipe’s voice dropped slightly in a warning.

“I… am not at a liberty to reveal more than I already did.” He choked out eventually, one hand coming up to rest on his forehead, elbow on the table. “Honestly, the truth… it’s so out there, you might just ferry me to the psych ward straight away.”

“Why don’t you try us, Kan-kun?” Nezu wasn’t stymied, the same polite smile on his face. “You’re talking to a super-intelligent animal purpose-bred for his job. I’d say we have high tolerance for the strange.” Vlad didn’t resist an urge to snort in grim amusement.

“...Principal, can I have your word – and everyone else’s word here – that what I’m about to say will not leave this room, much less reach Maria or any other student?”

“Of course. Take your time.”

----

In one of the UA gyms, Togaru Kamakiri was working out some anger.

Less slashing at the target dummies and more just slamming them with dull blades until they broke, he had a lot on his mind ever since the finals. It was good that they passed, even though it was a fluke and a half. Neither he nor Komori had any chance against Endeavor; it was only because of what she said that he got distracted. Even then, Kamakiri didn’t know if he truly was so thrown off or if he let him put the cuffs on him instead.

It was because of what Komori said that here he was at the gym, feeling like he’s about to lose his mind.

Endeavor was a model for him; someone he aspired to be in the future. Togaru didn’t kid himself; he could not be someone like All Might; someone who smiles defiantly in face of danger, who reassures even the most distressed souls that everything was going to be okay. He knew that the way he looked and carried himself just did not gel with that all-loving hero shtick. Kendo could try that, he thought, but not him.

Endeavor being right behind All Might as a Number Two of the rankings gave him hope that there’s a place for the likes of him in this business. His Quirk wasn’t exactly applicable for much beyond cutting things up. Sure, he could use a dull blade to catch someone or use them to hold up a piece of debris – but his power was growing deadly knives, at the end of the day. It was not the kind of power an average hero had.

He’s been told time and again that he was bound to end up as a thug skulking in dark alleyways. With his attitude, with his Quirk – how could someone like him even think of being a hero? Togaru was nothing if not stubborn though, and muscled his way into UA. All this time, he looked towards Endeavor for inspiration. Number Two Hero might not have been very sociable or popular, but he got shit done! He held the highest number of cases resolved, more than even All Might. He worked himself to the bone, provided results, kicked bad guys’s asses and saved the day.

Togaru Kamakiri wanted to be Endeavor so bad… until today’s afternoon.

He had no idea how Komori came to know any of this – she even said she just overheard it by accident – but he had no reason to assume she was just talking out of her ass. What for? To piss Endeavor off, sure, distract him and maybe buy Kamakiri some time to try and make something on his own. Yet, she saw how beaten up he was. Number Two certainly didn’t pull punches on him. Frankly it was a miracle he stayed conscious for as long as he did.

And even if it was just hot air, Endeavor could dismiss it as nonsense. If someone accused Kamakiri of burning anthills under a magnifying glass, he’d call them an idiot and refuse what was an obvious falsehood. Except Endeavor didn’t. He chose to skip the question altogether, pontificating about coddling and hard work and what not. He never denied any of what Komori accused him of. Why not? Did he just… not see any of this as wrong or something?

And Togaru wanted to be him?

If he could shed skin, he’d do so in a heartbeat and burn it away. It now felt dirty, filthy. He wanted to be such a piece of shit all this time. What would happen if he didn’t learn any of this? Would he too become such a person?

Kamakiri didn’t consider himself a good person, not by a long shot. He didn’t consider himself to be a bad guy either, however – and what Endeavor did, hero or no hero, was what bad guys did. This was why he was just mindlessly hacking away at the training dummy, blinking away frustrated tears, heedless of his knuckles running red with blood. He just needed to punch and hack and slash all of this away. He had to, or he would just go insane – whichever hit him first.

“...oh gosh, Kamakiri.” Togaru swerved wildly to come face to face with Komori, staring at him with widened eyes. “...you’re bleeding.” Once the buzz in his ears died down, Kamakiri blinked, as if making sure he was seeing correctly, and then deflated with a frustrated grunt. “How long have you…?”

“...’s nothin’.”

“Don’t give me that bullshroom.” He’d bark a laugh at her mushroom puns getting in the way of cussing if he wasn’t so tired and sore. Kinoko approached him with a frown. “I think that’s enough of that.”

“Get lost, Komori. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.” He wanted to flip her off, to tell her to mind her own business… but today’s been tiring in more than just physical ways. With a grunt, he slumped down to a sit, now only a little shorter than the girl in front of him standing straight.

“No I’m not.” For a moment neither of them said a word. Kinoko finally let out a slow, weary sigh.

“I’ll get a first aid kit and then we’re going to Recovery Girl, alright?” Togaru made a noncommittal grunt in response. The mushroom girl returned with the red bag soon enough, getting to work on cleaning his hands off blood first. Kamakiri hissed at the tingling feeling.

“How long have you been here?”

“...dunno, lost count.” Kinoko hummed, for a moment opting to just work on cleaning. Once all the blood was taken care of, she moved on to disinfecting and bandaging. It was just a temporary solution to keep things under control until they visited Recovery Girl. Good thing she found him so soon to begin with. She had to thank Nejire-senpai for pointing her in the right direction later. “...hey, Komori.”

“Shroom?”

“Is… all that stuff you said to Endeavor…” Kinoko’s frown softened. She didn’t know that much about Kamakiri’s childhood heroes, but someone like Number Two was a lot like him in a lot of ways. No wonder he’d look up to him as a model. No wonder he was so crushed right now. This is my fault, some small part of Kinoko poked in her brain before she chose to ignore it. She wasn’t the one behind these terrible events.

“I only overheard it by accident. If… well, Todoroki probably won’t tell you, but you can try asking Midoriya. He knows I know.” A beat. “Maitake is Todoroki had no reason to lie about any of this.”

“...right.” Silence again, at least until Kinoko was finished bandaging Kamakiri’s hands. Then, a single wet drop fell on the bandage. “...guess that whole “don’t meet your heroes” shit is true, after all…”

“...I’m sorry, Kamakiri-kun.” Togaru chuffed, shaking his head vigorously and blinking away tears. God, he was about to start blubbering in front of Komori of all people. Was he going to get even more pathetic and embarrassing? “...it’s… it’s okay to cry, you know. I won’t judge you.”

“...I just…” His hands now free, Togaru shuffled to sit crosslegged, putting them on his knees. “...fuck, I don’t know what I just. This shit’s fucked up and it’s… I…” He looked down, feeling the inevitable embarrassment gather at his eyes. Fucking fuck, why did he have to—

A pair of small arms wrapped around his back. “...shh. You’re fine, Kamakiri-kun. I get it. I really do.” Kinoko said softly, opting to give him a hug. Togaru flinched, but did not pull back, opting to let the mushroom girl do his thing and hoping she won’t take long. It did feel nice, though. Warm. Kinda happy.

He returned the hug without thinking, but it seemed Komori expected that. “...once we’re back from the infirmary, want to grab shroomthing to eat?” Kamakiri was not crying. He so wasn’t. His eyes just got sweaty from all this pounding on the training dummy. And maybe from just having someone to turn to with his frustration. Not that he’d admit to it to anyone.

“...yeah… s-sure.”

----

Maria put down her phone with a sigh, staring at the night city from up high. Next to her, the ghoulish form of Flora perched like a faithful dog, listening in on the conversation.

Takahashi was on the other side of the line to inform her that she would be having a meeting concerning a strike at the yakuza stronghold somewhere in the coming days, possibly as early as tomorrow. She would be introduced to the pros taking part in the operation, provide information of her own on the Hassaikai’s mysterious benefactors… and then they would get to work.

To that end, Takahashi did stress she would not be participating in the operation herself, not even having a provisional license. Frustrating, but she was willing to swallow her annoyance if it meant the justice would be done. At the very least she was assured that she can remain in the wings while the pros proceed with the operation. In case anything went south, they would reach out to her.

Flora crooned, offering her head for brushes and pets. “Aren’t you needy today.” Maria smiled, a slow breath slipping from her lips as she felt at the tendrils crowning the Moon Presence’s featureless head. “...perhaps this is the turning point for me, that operation. If this precious life can be saved… it might not deal with Mensis or the Church or Annalise’s butchers…” She sighed, looking up at the pale moon alight in the night sky. “It could be a start of a new path. An anchor that will keep the ship of mine in place for once. For good, maybe.”

Monoma probably hated her guts, not that she could blame him. Some barriers refused to topple, even when nothing seemed to be holding them up but her own spite. Though Master Kan already told her all of them were going to the summer camp for further training, she was also warned that her in particular was going to be under closer surveillance of the teachers. Apparently 1A’s Aizawa wanted her to give up the position of a student.

It was another hard-won battle Maria put Master Kan through. Though some of the other teachers came to his aid, the slightest tipping of balance in the other direction would spell doom not just for her, but for his position in the school. That, in turn, would jeopardize the education of her whole class.

…

“Flora. Do you think there is a place for me in this world of hope and promise?” She asked her unlikely companion. The Moon Presence had no answer to that question. Hers was the position of an observer and a guardian of sorts. As agreed with the last caretaker of the Hunter’s Dream, she would detach herself from that dimension and watch over the young huntress. How long was this going to be, Flora did not know.

As payment, Gehrman and his name would be erased from the consciousness of most and the Dream would perish, damning Yharnam and its neighbors to a nightmarish reality. Maria perhaps was once envisioned to be a piece of that nightmare, but something changed Gehrman’s mind. Flora did not bother asking. Having been chained to this endless battle for a long time, she relished the opportunity to see more of the world. It certainly helped that some of the Great Ones abandoned Yharnam, likely not finding it as potent a breeding ground for their children as they once expected. So did Mensis go away and the Healing Church retreated from the land to plot a new scheme.

It felt like human millennia had passed.

“...and do you think that this place could be shared with another?” That too was a mystery for the Moon Presence. Human courtship eluded her thoroughly. From what she could see, plenty of her fellow lasses had interest in her, but either chose to keep it down and away or dismiss it as brief infatuation. Maria too once had such a soulmate, at least before she was sacrificed for the good of mankind, by the esteemed ministers of the Healing Church.

That Adeline became a willing Blood Saint, welcoming her ascension for the betterment of her fellow men, did nothing to assuage the void in Maria’s heart. “I… forgive me, Flora. I have been more emotional than it is proper recently. I just… want to hope, to have this path I can follow. Save this child. Find myself. Become… a hero, even.” She accepted a nuzzle from her companion with a slight smile. That certainly was something. A way to go beyond, perhaps.

Perhaps.

----

Elsewhere, the way to go beyond crumbled.

Takahashi eyed the bespectacled stranger in front of him, from over the phone. On this phone displayed a photo of his family; of his beautiful wife, her kooky but well-meaning father that lived with them, and a pair of twins, both aged six; wonderful sunny children. A third one was on its way – his wife was in the sixth month of pregnancy.

The phone wasn’t his. It was the stranger’s.

“Now, since I imagine you are quite attached to your family, Takahashi-san…” The man, who only introduced himself as “a member of the Choir”, spoke softly, but his eyes were cold as ice; nor was he alone. A quartet of four wide-shouldered gentlemen accompanied him; each of them with a plain, pale face devoid of emotions. Two of these flanked Takahashi at his seat, not letting him escape too easily. “I would like to explain the steps for you to take.”

Whoever this man was, he knew where his family lived, and likely had no scruples to make use of this knowledge. The official swallowed nervously. “Make sure you swallow your sushi roll first. I’d loathe for you to choke.”

Whoever this man was, he had no fear of the Hero Commission – and if he sought to intimidate him specifically, then he must have wanted something to do with the Hassaikai case.

The four gentlemen remained perfectly still, their flat faces displaying no emotions whatsoever. They sat with perfect poise, completely straight-backed, their fish eyes following every of Takahashi’s movements. One of them came in a wide-brimmed hat; another had a walking cane. It didn’t feel like they needed these implements much.

“I understand you have a case to make against this particular criminal outfit… hm, what was their name again? Six Precepts?” Takahashi couldn’t even hope to call for help; he was immediately escorted to a private lounge of the sushi bar. A massively convenient locale for the VIP’s, like a pro-hero who wanted to just have a quiet lunch in peace, was now his cage. “You don’t have to give me the specifics, of course. I’ll just say this: I can offer you a better case, against a more notorious criminal.”

…

That… Takahashi didn’t expect. The bespectacled stranger smiled wistfully. “I see I took you by surprise, Takahashi-san. Please don’t misunderstand: I am a man of integrity, and so is the group that I represent. We will give you something in return for what you had. Considering the recent news feed, I think you might enjoy the result of this exchange.”

The official wasn’t stupid. The stranger might have been generous, but Takahashi was still expected to comply. His family was still on the line. “Now… I understand you have to go through the necessary procedures and stage the raid anyway. Here is what we shall do about that.” The stranger smiled, and there was no joy behind it . “Do not worry: should you perform adequately, we won’t meet ever again.”

----

Hawks, real name obscured to the public at large, reviewed the case files with a raised eyebrow.

A recent investigation into a dinosaur of a yakuza group went to some interesting places. He was asked to have a scouting flight just above the compound where this Shie Hassaikai business was supposed to operate. He had some vague memories of the name, from a while back. His old man might have done some business for them.

Nothing concerning illegal experimentation on minors though.

Honestly, his involvement so far was minimal, but Lady Chairman did stress this was a more clandestine kind of operation. While they were conducting a raid, complete with a number of policemen and the commanding Hero Commission officer, Kirihito Takahashi, things were expected to be calm and quiet. The Hassaikai was expected to not know much if anything about the incoming operation which would make it easier to sweep in and secure the girl – Eri, aged six with a question mark – from the compound.

The difficulties were obvious from the word go.

First, they had no description of the girl beyond a spoken account of one Maria Muradasilova. A growing name on the street, that one; not just from her background as a recommended student at UA from all the way back in Finland, but from everything that she’s been up to in Japan, including allegedly putting an end to Hero Killer Stain. That one was a headache and a half, since there was no easy way to sweep the incident under the rug or credit it to a pro.

Of course she’d be the one to spearhead this operation, even as she sat ramrod straight at the table with the other pros. A curious selection, Hawks thought; Fat Gum made sense, since he had experience with drug dealers – what was the Hassaikai’s main source of income – and Kamui Woods would help a lot with apprehending more ornery criminals, coming in a package deal with Mt. Lady in case they needed heavy artillery. Fourth Kind though? Takeshita, that lovable goober? Slidin’ Go of all people?

Obviously, Muradasilova commanded a great deal of attention, being still in a UA uniform among the parade of costumed heroes and police officers.

Difficulty number two: the Hassaikai had some kind of unknown ally, which they only knew under the name of “Healing Church” which in turn employed a group known as “Executioners”. Alfred, the chummy guy with a hammer seen at Hosu, was one of their number – and the one who put a full pistol clip in Muradasilova. She identified him as the captive girl’s guardian.

They didn’t know much more than that. The research commenced through the use of Commission’s wisest internet trawlers gave them some general information; the Healing Church was a subsidiary group to the seat of power in Vatican City, though only loosely subordinate to what Hawks understood to be a leader-in-name-only. The group was, as befitting their name, healers; applying a variety of experimental treatments to help the ailing. Their main ground of operation appeared to be Scandinavia, but their groups were also found in the Middle East and in smaller doses all over the world. They couldn’t gleam much more than that: it seemed a lot of information concerning the group was confidential.

An obvious question arose: why would such a seemingly benevolent organization need a paramilitary arm literally called “Executioners”?

“Executioners were originally in employ only to combat the threat of Cainhurst – my homeland.” Muradasilova explained, her voice carefully neutral and her face impassive. Hawks could commend her on a good poker face, even if there was a couple of small tells that betrayed the storm of emotions brewing just underneath the surface, like the fact that she always tilted her head to the left when agitated. “If one of them aids a mere rogue group as a liaison, then it means the Healing Church has fallen on hard times. However, they would still have more men – and else – for other enemies. Whether we’ll find them at the yakuza stronghold, I cannot say.”

“This entire operation smells funny.” Mt. Lady grumbled, shaking her head. “We only have a single spoken account about that supposed abducted girl, a yakuza group with a backing of some kind of unknowable Illuminati, and now you’re telling me they might have a small army waiting in the wings for us?”

“The girl does exist.” Slidin’ Go pointed out. “It’s a bit hard for me to wrap my head around it, but we have the document on her. Give us a refresher, Takahashi-san?”

“S-sure.” Difficulty number three, Hawks thought as he reclined in his seat with a cheerful irreverent air about him.

Takahashi might have been compromised.

The Number Three Hero wouldn’t claim to know all employees of the Commission, but the first impression he had of him over the phone was that of confidence. Arrogance, even – of someone completely assured they were going to crack the case wide open. And yet, now it seemed he shrunk on himself whenever someone so much as addressed him in a louder voice. That wouldn’t be happening without a good reason. “The girl’s name is Eri Modoshi, aged six. Her last name was later changed to Chisaki, most likely by her new legal guardian, Tetsuo Chisaki, the boss of the Hassaikai.”

“What happened to her parents?” Takeshita asked softly.

“According to the report, her father perished in wake of Eri’s Quirk awakening, although the details are unclear on what happened.” Takahashi browsed through the file, casting a single – oh so sneaky, he must have thought – glance at Hawks. “Her mother left her in Chisaki’s care afterwards.”

“That sounds more like running away from responsibility.” The winged hero hummed all too conspicuously, playing his part of the easygoing fool.

“Regardless, her Quirk is registered as “Rewind”. It’s a mutation.”

“Mutation? She did not have particularly distinguishing characteristics besides a single horn.” Muradasilova’s eyebrow raised.

“Takahashi-san means that Eri-chan’s Quirk is an aberrant, not that she’s a heteromorph.” Kamui Woods interjected with a shake of his head. “I suppose that might have gotten lost in translation.”

“An aberrant Quirk is the one that has no logical explanation; a one in a million case of a Quirk having nothing to do with the Quirks of her parents.” Fourth Kind added with a nod. Maria’s eyes alighted with a strange wistfulness.

“A curse, then. A mark from the stars placed on an unsuspecting child to haunt them.” She shifted on her chair, arms folded. “I can see why the Church would take interest in her, besides their usual proclivities.”

“You make it sound very Quirkist, you know that?” Mt. Lady sighed, shaking her head. “Anyway, what does that Rewind do?”

“We’re not sure.” Takahashi replied. “It involves reversing the flow of time, but the exact specifics are not listed here. We do know the general Quirks of the Hassaikai ruling body however, chiefly…” The police officer turned on the projector at the official’s prompting, displaying a selection of faces belonging to members of the yakuza. Takahashi brought attention to the one in the middle, a sharp-eyed man with short black hair and a red beak mask he used to obscure his features with. “Kai Chisaki, the Hassaikai’s number two; villain name Overhaul. In light of Tetsuo Chisaki’s absence from the public life, we have to assume that Overhaul took over and is the brains of their operation.”

“Right, can I?” Fat Gum spoke up before shuffling out of his chair (with some difficulty) and taking a spot next to Takahashi, presenting a couple of dart-shaped bullets hidden in a see-through baggy. “We had a situation a few days back in Osaka; a couple of street punks had guns loaded with these bullets. Didn’t get to use them, luckily, but apparently they got them from a middleman in touch with the Hassaikai… which leads us directly to this case.”

The rotund hero looked at Takahashi. “What are the results of the lab test? What’s in these?” Hawks leaned forward in his seat, watching the official really, really want to say what was in these darts – and instead trying to come up with a convincing lie to sell.

“It… appears to be some kind of a Quirk dampener. The ingredients, uh… look to be plant-based, with a hint of an animal component.” Takahashi squinted, having a better look at the list. “...some table salt? All of it appears to be rather haphazardly made, but we’ve tested it on a willing subject, one of the Commission’s members. Their ability to create smoke was greatly diminished, from being able to fill up the whole room to just a two liter bottle.”

“That just sounds like Quirk dampening medication. Well, ingredients aside… it would be bad if the Hassaikai distributed such a thing illegally, but otherwise there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about that.” Slidin’ Go hummed. “Unless that effect persists for a long time?”

“It’s about an hour.”

“...Takahashi-san, that seems like a lot of trouble for what appears to be an ordinary drug bust.” Hawks smiled mirthlessly, watching the dread creep down the official’s spine. “The initial summary made it sound as if Eri-chan was somehow connected to the drug trafficking – presumably through the experiments with her Quirk – but now it sounds a lot like two separate incidents.”

“We should still ensure the girl’s safety, Hawks-san…” Takeshita pointed out with a frown. “She shouldn’t be raised by the yakuza to begin with.”

“See, that makes sense – except the Hassaikai’s boss took the girl in no strings attached. Criminals can be parents too. If the documents are sound and there is no connection between Eri-chan and the drug trafficking, we can’t take her off the Hassaikai’s hands.” Muradasilova’s earlier calm demeanor gave way to burbling rage as she glared daggers at the back of his head. She definitely believed in doing what was right, law and order be damned. Hawks could appreciate that sentiment – and in any other situation, he would be happy to back her up.

“Sure, there would still be charges for drug trafficking – if we can connect them to the Hassaikai in the first place. Any small fry in the street can use their name as a shield if they spent five minutes on the internet searching for plausible criminal fronts; particularly the old ones that haven’t done much in recent memory.”

“...what are you saying—“

“Unless, of course, we don’t know the whole story still.” Takahashi looked like he was about to jump out of his skin; Hawks’s eyes were on him the whole time.

“It sounded pretty comprehensive to me.” Mt. Lady hummed, shaking her head. Slidin’ Go made a sound of acknowledgment. “...though you make it sound like the raid’s over nothing, Hawks.”

“W-w-well…” Takahashi finally spoke up, putting away the file. “We still need to go through the necessary procedures. Bureaucracy, y-you understand…”

“We could at least get that Alfred guy. I mean, I think we should make sure that we’re not missing anything anyway, but he’s the one who shot our student here.” Fat Gum pointed out with a huff. “Something’s fishy about all this. Are you sure the Hassaikai doesn’t know about the raid?”

“Even if they don’t know, they’ll mobilize once they see a hero and police force outside their gates.” Fourth Kind’s glare was heavy as he regarded both the unusually nervous official and Muradasilova shaking with rage. “I suppose we could lock them up for resisting. The yakuza hates having its authority challenged, even if there’s no intent behind it.”

“...isn’t that just entrapment?” Takeshita pointed out with a scoff.

“Either way, all of you shall be updated with a text message soon.” Takahashi cut off further chatter, regaining some of his earlier fervor. Was it because he was about to escape scrutiny, Hawks wondered, and found it likely. “We suspect the operation will take place tomorrow or in two days.”

“...this is all wrong. You said you will make sure the girl will be rescued – yet you find excuses to avoid committing to the idea?” It was easy to forget when she sat there in an unassuming school uniform, but now that she rose to her feet, fists planted on the table, she certainly stood tall. Even when she was leaning forward, she dwarfed most people in the room – and certainly dwarfed Takahashi who shrunk in on himself. “What devilry is this? Why should we care these incidents are unrelated? The scoundrels have a helpless child in their clutches, performing experiments on her very flesh that would have the finest torture technicians blanch – and you dare say she might not be rescued?”

“Sit down, Muradasilova.” Fourth Kind’s voice was firm and unwavering. The girl cast him a withering look. “I said sit down.” A tense staredown lasted for a couple of seconds before the student slowly, stiffly, but returned to her chair. “Takahashi, I would like to have a talk with your superiors after this is all over. For now, make sure to keep us updated. The girl will be saved. The drug traffickers will be apprehended. I swear on my name of a Chivalrous Hero – and I will hold all of you here to uphold this promise yourselves.”

----

Edgar checked his phone. It seemed everything was set up in place for the Healing Church to establish a beachhead in Japan, eliminate Mensis out of the equation, and cast suspicions off of the Hassaikai in a single swoop.

Sinking the Cainhurst vampire on top of it all was just a bonus.

Chapter Text

Setsuna sighed, pocketing her cellphone.

Maria seemed to be busy; some urgent stuff was occupying her even now, during the last few days before the summer camp. Still, it sounded as if she was in good spirits, at the very least. “Hopefully good fortune will befall me soon”, she said all mysterious-like. Of course, that meant that she couldn’t join her and the others on their outing to Kiyashi Ward; a group effort to stock up on necessary materials and just have plain ol’ fun before the summer camp.

It might have been an adventure, but Vlad-sensei already warned them they had a lot of work ahead of them.

Before long, she ended up on her own, thinking what was it that she needed to take with her. The group divisions were what she expected them to be (with one exception – it seemed there might have been something between Kinoko and Kamakiri, and that was just the silliest, most amazing thing). She hoped Juzo would join her, but it seemed he needed to grab some mountaineering equipment (supposedly the summer camp was happening in a mountainous area, but Vlad-sensei didn’t give them much more than that), so he tagged along with Kaibara and Awase for that purpose. Elsewhere, Pony and Manga were just goofing off together, skipping to a merch store hand-in-hand, followed shortly by Kuroiro. Shishida and Shoda hit a bookstore, Tetsutetsu and Bondo went to grab some clothes, Kendo – on top of following Monoma, since apparently 1A had the same idea and were just a few streets over from their location in a different shopping center – perused some MRE’s for emergency rations, and so on.

Setsuna was on her own, which was annoying – but hey, it gave her freedom of movement. They had a whole day to get the important things done, so she could do some things of her own beforehand, grab something to eat, the works.

“Wow, you’re one of the UA Festival kids. I’m a big fan!” Before she could plan it out in further detail, a cheery voice approached her, followed by an arm in a black hoodie landing on her shoulders and wrapping around. The man was a bit taller than her and lanky, but that arm still came with a lot of strength behind it. It almost sounded like an anti-fan to her.

And hey, getting up so close and personal with a stranger, even the one you admired, was a bit creepy. “Hey, dude, warn a lady before you do that.” She coughed, gathering her bearings before looking up to meet the man’s hooded face. “You know that’s rude—”

Setsuna’s heart went still.

The face under the hoodie was dry and chapped, desperately in need of some lotion. Crowned with a mop of pale blue hair peeking from under the hoodie and adorned with a pair of blood red eyes, it made for an unpleasant impression. This wasn’t why the lizard girl was in hard reboot mode right now.

She saw that face before, on a news report.

“Don’t you worry, Tokage-san.” Tomura Shigaraki grinned mockingly, clearly enjoying the terror she was experiencing right now. “I won’t take a lot of your time.”

----

Maria sighed, pocketing her own phone.

A shame that she couldn’t join Setsuna and the others on the outing to the mall; it seemed the Hassaikai raid was being conducted the same day and hour. Hopefully they had fun out there. She had other things on her mind.

The meeting concerning the operation details listed some of the Hassaikai members’s Quirks, chief of them the leader, Overhaul. The Quirk had the same name as his villain moniker, and it was an ability to disassemble and reassemble anything at will, living or dead, organic or not. It could be used in a myriad of ways, including even healing and reviving others.

Including breaking a young child down for parts and then putting her back in shape, good as new – and doing it for as many times as needed.

“I don’t know if you should be here, honestly, but if it’s any consolation, it’s super fishy for me too.” Fat Gum offered her a protein bar. “It’s just too many pieces falling together in place for it to be unrelated to each other.”

“...cold comfort in knowing that if we cannot rescue her, sir.” The operation was as clandestine as such a large gathering of force could be. As far as Maria knew, the authorities didn’t even evacuate the immediate surroundings of the Hassaikai compound. She watched the fortress peeking up from behind the uniform white wall adorned with a traditional Japanese gate, the only perceivable way of entry. She would not be invading this castle; her job was to stay in the back and watch things happening. Already a dubious proposition considering the strangeness about this whole operation.

She took the bar after a moment of deliberation. “...is there a chance that the rogues and the Commission made some kind of arrangement behind our backs?” The rotund hero scoffed, munching on his own bar. Some distance away a young man in a white hood – Fat Gum’s sidekick and her senior at UA, Amajiki – was busy muttering to himself in-between the bites of off his takoyaki .

“It’d have to be bigger than me.” Despite the joking words, the hero’s tone was serious. “Scratch that, bigger than Mt. Lady. I can’t think of any example in recent history where the Commission would cut a deal with a whole villain group like that. Key witnesses happen on occasion though.” He rubbed his chin in thought. His group was positioned near the ambulances and the police coordinating team. They had a good look at the main gate where the leading force – Kamui Woods, Fourth Kind, Slidin’ Go and Takeshita in front; with Mt. Lady and Hawks in the back and the police cordon around the whole endeavor, with the plainclothes police detective and Takahashi himself about to ring the bell to the gate. “You think that Alfred guy might want to cooperate?”

“Not on our lives, sir.”

Maria had a feeling this wouldn’t become a battle – so why was the pit in her stomach so cold and clammy?

The gate opened slowly, outward. From there emerged a single person, the leader himself. His beak was replaced with a plain black facemask, and so was his jacket with a furcoat gone, with only a black shirt and a white tie on his upper body. If not for the face covering, he would be insultingly plain, even with the sharp glare of his eyes. No one accompanied him, although Maria could see a number of men further past the gates. They seemed wary, but no one was doing anything out of the ordinary.

“...hm. Didn’t expect this many guests.” Chisaki hummed thoughtfully, regarding the costumed parade in front of the compound with a trained look of minor confusion. “What’s this about, officer?” He addressed the plainclothes detective, pointedly making a show about ignoring both Takahashi and the heroes in front. Maria forgot what his name was, though he carried a respectable mane of hair on his head.

...it was obvious the raiding group did not expect such a calm reception. The cold pit in Maria’s stomach got frigid. “ This is a search warrant for the premises, on the suspicion of illegal drug manufacturing and abduction of a minor.” The detective was the first to regain his cool, presenting the document to Overhaul’s face.

“Hm. That it is. Mind if I have a closer look, officer?” The document was passed over to Chisaki’s gloved hands after a moment of hesitation and an approving nod from Takahashi. “Right… mhm… well, I suppose that document’s genuine.” It was handed back shortly after. “So is the whole group going to be coming or…? Because I don’t think we can handle that many.”

“You’re being awful confident for someone accused of kidnapping a child.” Fourth Kind glowered from his spot, all four hands balling into fists. Chisaki did not even deign to look at him.

“If you mean my daughter, then I would like to apologize for any trouble she might have caused.” He mused, idly scratching at his temple. “She has a tendency to run away now and then. Kids, you know.”

“Your honeyed words are—“

“Fourth Kind. You will stay in the back with the rest of the group.” Takahashi stressed as he turned to look at the fourth-armed hero, face pale like parchment yet reinvigorated with some kind of determination. The suited bruiser rumbled, but chose to listen. “Detective, take ten of your men. Kamui, Takeshita, Slidin’ Go, you’re with me.” Slowly, his eyes wandered back to Chisaki. “...I’m sure we can get to the bottom of this in a peaceful manner.”

Unknowing to him and the rest of the people at the front gate, a single red feather was tucked inside the backpocket of his pants.

----

Out of all possible plans for her afternoon, “being held hostage by a murderous villain” was not Setsuna’s first idea.

Shigaraki was quick to remind her that even if she got lucky and escaped before he could put all five fingers on her neck, or even tried to be sneaky and send one of her body parts flying away for help, someone else would simply get it instead. After all, they were in a crowded mall right now and scores of people walked by them without a care in the world. “How many do you think I’d be able to kill before someone stopped me, hm? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty?”

Setsuna dared not respond, and honestly she wasn’t sure if she could; her throat was dried up and any sound she wanted to make did not leave her mouth as anything but a silent cry for help. “Lucky for you, I just want to talk.” Shigaraki had her seated on one of the hallway benches. It seemed no one found it strange that the two of them walked like that. Maybe they just thought he had his arm on her shoulders and didn’t at all come close to choking her out?

“...well… I’m all ears.” She finally croaked out, avoiding eyecontact. “What’s up…?”

“There you go. Just a nice and easy chat between friends, mm? Now…” Luckily for her, Shigaraki did not force the eyecontact either, a thoughtful expression peeking from under his hood instead. Not that he was spacing out; his middle finger was hovering just above her neck in case she felt like having ideas. “Let’s talk about Mensis.”

“W-what about them?”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you that.” Shigaraki hummed, the middle finger hovering over her neck going still as if he changed his mind and was about to commit to the killing. Setsuna forced back an urge to swallow. “See, everyone talks about them like they’re some hot shit, and nobody talks about the League. Whose Nomu were in Hosu making a mess of things?”

“...I t-t-thought you guys are working together.”

“Doesn’t make this any less annoying. I’m committing so much time and energy to this shit, and all we get is an info bar? The hell’s wrong with that?” Shigaraki reached under his hood to scratch at his neck. Setsuna did not dare look anywhere near him, but she could hear the dry skin coming off from the furious scratching. “And the worst thing is, nobody knows what they want. They overshadowed that Stain fuck, they overshadowed us… and nobody has a clue what that whole outfit’s about.”

The scratching stopped. “So I figured, you or that Yaoyorozu bint might know. Maybe your big tall friend told you some deets, hm? I’m dying to know.”

“A-are you sure you’re the one dying here?” She stammered before biting her tongue. The pregnant silence persisted for several seconds in during which Setsuna made her goodbyes to her friends and family, cursing her big mouth not staying shut in a situation like this.

It seemed Shigaraki really only wanted to talk though, with only an annoyed grunt signifying what he thought of her backtalk. “Help me out here, Tokage.” He said quietly, tilting his head to look at her. “What does Mensis want with you?” By all means, she had no choice but to give him some info. It was that or dying, since she doubted he’d take rejection to his face. Of course, that meant betraying what she promised; that the findings Maria blessed her and Momo with would be blurted out to a third party – and what a third party, too.

The one cold comfort was that no one was going to take a murderous villain like Shigaraki’s words for anything but hot air… maybe. “...so… uh… we might be here a while. You’ve got any water?” The villain only gives her a furious glower in response. “...yeah, I figured. Uh… right, hm… basically, everything begins with aliens…”

----

The girl – Eri – looked nothing like her alleged father figure – Chisaki.

Kamui Woods understood that well enough; he was merely a surrogate, or claiming to be one, for the Hassaikai’s boss. Said leader was curiously absent through all of this. The old-fashioned office where Overhaul led them to for a chat was most likely his, and it didn’t gel at all with Chisaki’s more utilitarian fashion sense. The whole compound was crawling with yakuza rank-n-file, although most of them seemed happy to give them a wide berth; neither did they stop the search of the mansion conducted by the police.

It certainly made for an awkward setting; two pro-heroes (Slidin’ Go was assisting the police team), a detective, a Commission official on one side – and a yakuza leader, his two aides standing in the back – one lean and handsome with arrow-like hair, the other buff and with a nose like a crushed tomato, growling under his breath – and a six-year-old girl with white hair, wearing a dress that seemed a number too big for her, sitting in a special chair just for her.

No matter how pretty that dress was, it did not hide the girl’s bandages peeking from under her sleeves and the hem of the skirt.

“Like I said, Eri has been adopted by the Boss, but since he’s hospitalized right now, I’m the one looking after her.” Chisaki explained, presenting a folder of documents. “The papers are filed in the Boss’s name.”

“What about the bandages?” The police detective asked with a frown.

“Eri has trouble controlling her Quirk. As you no doubt know” Overhaul set his eyes on Takahashi. The official shrunk in his place even as he perused the documents. All of them were genuine, or at least convincingly faked. It was about what he expected, considering the recent happenings. “her Quirk is an aberrant and poses great threat to all when used, including her. I hope that as she grows, she won’t need these bandages in the future.”

“Why not just go to the hospital?” Takeshita pointed out. Chisaki rolled his eyes dismissively.

“I’m certain this would go over well: a yakuza officer with a child covered in bandages asking for assistance in public. I would be arrested before I could introduce myself.” The detective huffed under his breath. “Tell me I’m wrong, officer.”

“...I suppose you would be looked at with scrutiny, yes.”

“And then what would I tell the Boss once he wakes up? “I’m sorry, Pops, I got your daughter taken away because of our background as yakuza”?” Chisaki tented his fingers, passing a brief glance at Eri. The girl sat on her little throne stiff as a statue, small hands balled into fists on her lap. “The likes of us are considered scum by you “good” people, even if we’ve put villainy behind us.”

“...that remains to be seen. We’re yet to get the investigation’s results.” Takahashi objected meekly. Kamui noticed the arrow-haired aide glare daggers at the official at the statement. Yet, Chisaki did not look particularly alarmed or even smug or triumphant.

“Truth be told, we still have some of the old equipment the past Hassaikai used for drugmaking. However, it’s since been repurposed.” The detective frowned. Rather refreshingly honest from the yakuza, so that meant he hoped whatever he was about to say would fly next. “You’re aware of our partnership with the Healing Church, yes?”

“...yeah, one of their numbers shot up a UA student.” Takeshita pointed out, hoping for this to be the beachhead they needed to get the yakuza to flounder. No purchase; Overhaul had a good poker face even without the mask on. “The guy you were housing, mind you.”

“...hm. That’s news to me. It’s true that he hasn’t returned here yet though.” Chisaki hummed, scratching his temple in idle thought. “No idea why he would do that.”

“Your daughter” Kamui loathed using the word, but for now they had the villain in a good mood; playing along would perhaps cause some kind of slip-up from him. It was obvious the girl was terrified of Chisaki and would not speak up for herself. She would not speak of any abuse or experiments she was being subjected to. “was found by the student on her run.”

“Is that right?” Eri shrunk even further into her seat. Shinji resisted an urge to growl in frustration. If they had some kind of irrevocable proof that the girl was abused, they would be able to take her off Chisaki’s hands right here and now (though not without a fight, of course). With his Quirk being able to disassemble and reassemble anything, the bandages on Eri’s limbs, the knowledge of her Quirk, and the Quirk-dampening bullets… all of it was a perfect storm of coincidences.

Yet, Takahashi’s report spoke of something else entirely. Why? Was there a mistake in the lab test? What happened? “Well, I’d be happy to turn him over to the authorities if we find him before you. Like I said: we put our villainy behind us.” For a moment no one said anything.

“...and the deal with the Healing Church?” The detective picked up their last avenue, still maintaining to hold onto his inscrutable expression better than the pros’s increasing frustration and whatever the hell Takahashi was up to.

“Medication.” Chisaki gestured towards the gruff aide who offered him another folder of documents. “We’re reusing the drug-making machinery to make mixes as ordered by the Church’s directives. In here.” The folder contained the medicine descriptions, the necessary ingredients, all that stuff. The detective wasn’t a medical professional to tell if any of this was real or hokey – but an old yakuza outfit making illegal meds for some shadowy “church” felt too audacious to be real. Yet, Chisaki seemed utterly confident in that his spiel will do and convince them to call off the raid.

“We’re gonna need a copy of that folder, as well as the information about Eri and her Quirk.” The detective said, perusing through the folder. “...and some explanation for all of this yesterday.”

“Of course. Kurono, tea for the gentlemen and for Eri. How do you take yours, young lady?” The girl swallowed nervously when met with what seemed almost like a genuine smile from Chisaki.

Her own felt as if it was carved from raw rock. “…s-strawberry w-with sugar… Papa…”

----

“What’s taking them so long?!”

How long has it been since Takahashi and his team disappeared inside the confines of the yakuza fortress? Half an hour? An hour? Longer? Were they dead already, killed by the treacherous rogues and the agents of the Church? Why was everyone else here so calm and collected about it? The unrest between the remaining heroes, officers, even the paramedics – it was palpable, visible like a horrendous fog.

All of them except for the man alleged to be the Number Three Hero, looking like he was here on a cheerful picnic and not in the middle of a would-be raid on the stronghold of ill-reputed characters. A part of Maria’s ire was reserved for him. “I’m sure they’ll let us know if something goes wrong.” Mt. Lady appeared annoyed, but there was a tone of concern somewhere underneath the haughtiness. Maria understood that the size-changing heroine was close with Kamui Woods, currently in the middle of that lion’s den.

“If they’re not coming out of there with the kid in tow, I might just put Takahashi through a wall.” At least Fourth Kind shared the student’s frustrations. “Something’s wrong about this whole ordeal.”

“It almost feels as if we were set up, no?” Hawks chuckled from his spot, ignoring the daggers glared at him by the white marble.

“...Hawks, if you know something we don’t, this would be a good time to share.” The four-armed hero glowered in kind. These combined gazes found no purchase as the winged hero only offered them a shrug.

“It’s a recent thought. All of this feels like it, doesn’t it?” He made a gesture towards the gate. The surveillance camera watched them intently, but otherwise the Hassaikai left no force outside. It seemed they were confident the heroes would hold onto the rules of conduct and not intrude as long as things remained peaceful. “I wonder who approached who first and just what it was that they offered…”

His position shifted slightly on the lamppost where he was perched. Well. How about that. That was certainly a bargaining chip. “Well, we better get ready.”

“Wha-we’re going in?” Fat Gum frowned, and then frowned further once Hawks shook his head.

“Nope, it’s a wash. Takahashi and the others should be coming out shortly though.”

“...you slipped a feather into his pocket, didn’t you.” Hawks offered Fat Gum a smile.

“Well, who can say. Maybe it’s just my avian intuition.” Slowly, he stood up on the lamppost, stretching the wings out with a yawn – and maintaining perfect balance on what experienced acrobats would have trouble standing on.

“That is it. I’ve had with this incessant secrecy!” Maria growled, taking first few steps towards the gate. Fourth Kind’s arm stopped her before she could go too far, holding onto her shoulder with unwavering firmness. Still she tried to shake it off to no avail. “We came here to rescue a child from villainous clutches, not to negotiate with these scoundrels!”

“Technically, Muradasilova, you shouldn’t be here in the first place.” Hawks pointed out with a shrug. “It’s a special kind of situation, so it’s a good thing there won’t be any fighting to make this any more sketchy.”

“I care not for the protocol! You call yourselves heroes yet you let this farce happen?!”

“Believe you me, I’d be the first to go there if we could, and the others would be right behind me.” Fat Gum clearly didn’t enjoy the sound of his own words, shaking his head. “But even heroes have to follow the law. If we had tangible proof that Eri-chan’s connected to the drug trade—“

“...Takahashi. He was bought.” The realization struck Maria like a bolt of lightning, judging by how ramrod straight she went, eyes widening in the acquired insight – and then narrowing dangerously close to mere pinpricks as she gnashed her teeth. “That rat bastard… he read the report wrong on purpose...”

“W-whoa, hold on, that’s a bit much to claim.” Mt. Lady pointed out. Maria did not listen, and the realization of the official’s folly gave her additional strength. Fourth Kind realized half a second too soon that her body heated up like wildfire before she lurched forward and out of his grasp. “Hey, wait, that’s—“

She didn’t reach the gate, and not just because a blade made of sharp red feathers crossed her path. “A hunter is to hunt, huh…? But a hunter is no predator, are they?” She passed Hawks – how did he get here so fast?! - a single withering look, struggling not to rush through the feather blade the Number Three Hero held in his hand. It was no swordsman’s stance. She would call it sloppy if she weren’t so close to the man.

It was casual yet it didn’t feel careless. Lazy yet frighteningly active. The man could cut her down in an instant if he so desired. Maria was fast. Hawks was faster. “You knew all along, you vulture.” She snarled. He didn’t offer a comment beyond a shrug and a cold look that matched the frigid wastes surrounding Cainhurst. That man… that man was dangerous.

The gates opened, and in them stood Takahashi’s entourage. “The girl! Where is she?!” Maria growled towards the official, feeling her fury grow even greater when he shrunk away from her righteous wrath. Then, all of that evaporated once she saw just who accompanied the group instead of Eri. The man was bound by Kamui Woods’s Quirk, thick branches holding onto him and preventing any movement beyond the neck up. Pushed forward by the hero, he looked positively haggard in a plain shirt and pants, with a mop of black hair and a rueful smile.

Without the robes of a scholar and a brass cage on his head, Micolash looked almost human. <Ah, Her Majesty. I could not have asked for a better welcomer.> He spoke in English, in a conversational tone as if he wasn’t a captive passed around from one group to another. <Though I doubt we will get to converse much of all, seeing my current predicament.>

<I don’t see why not, at some later date.> Hawks cut in with a cheerful grin and his own perfectly unaccented English, as if he wasn’t still holding the blade of feathers between the group and Maria. “And the girl, Takahashi-san?”

“...Chisaki’s her legal guardian. Drug-smuggling turned out to be a joint agreement with the Healing Church to produce experimental treatment for the ailing. Paperwork is correct and legally unchallenged. Alfred is at large; the Hassaikai will offer assistance to look for him.” The official’s voice was clipped and stilted, almost robotic. He pointedly avoided looking anywhere but his own shoes.

“...you sold Eri’s innocence for this.” Maria’s voice, though almost like a whisper, carried all too far. Still, she stepped away, letting the rest of the group carry the proceedings. All of this was making her numb. Was this how Hero Society operated? Or did the Healing Church hear of the raid ahead of time and subverted Takahashi for their cause?

...none of it mattered. The girl was still hidden inside the yakuza compound, and now her captors were legally free to do as they pleased with her. There was nothing she could do to help her. Nothing that would not get her or Master Kan in trouble, that is. But were heroes not supposed to butt in when no one else would? Were they not meant to help the helpless?

Or was it just smoke and mirrors?

----

By all means, Shigaraki should have been more annoyed with this nonsense.

Apparently there was a whole host of weird eldritch monsters who decided to make Earth their playground. Also, Quirks might have come from them rather than evolved on their own. Apparently, societies so old they did not figure in the dustiest history books received plenty of their benevolence, for better or for worse. He couldn’t even accuse the lizard bint of lying through her teeth – she spoke genuine truth, and not just because he could kill her at a drop of a hat.

The Brain of Mensis could have been explained away as some misbegotten Nomu-esque experiment, but he saw Mergo’s wet nurse from up close. He heard Mergo himself (herself? Itself?). These things existed and apparently, after getting bored of their original stomping grounds of Yharnam, Finland, decided to spread out. Their goal? To produce an heir of sorts, as they could not reproduce on their own. That, in turn, raised a question why there were so many of the fuckers out there to begin with if it was such a hassle.

Of course, the one that Micolash took chief interest in, the one that made the lizard and the other bint “moon-touched”, was an exception to the rule. “It goes a bit beyond my brain, but I think the Moon Presence wanted to give humans a fighting chance against the worshippers of the Great Ones.” She explained with a weak, helpless shrug. “But now she’s not doing that since Yharnam got deserted.”

“This is such a fucking drag.” Shigaraki grumbled. “What was the purpose of you two getting touched to begin with? And how did Micolash even figure it out?”

“You’re his buddy, you’d know it better than me.” For someone a finger away from a messy death, the girl sure gave him plenty of lip. “Apparently it was an accident though. What that guy would want with us… I dunno, dissect us for science.”

“...well, I guess I have a rough idea of it all, at least. It’ll do.” For a moment none of them said anything. The atmosphere grew a touch lighter, but Setsuna knew better than to relax.“...anyway, I said I won’t kill you so I won’t. You won’t be so lucky next time we meet, of course.”

“...so what are you planning?” Shigaraki smiled mirthlessly and suddenly pressed the middle finger to her neck. Setsuna’s entire body went still – but nothing happened; the other four fingers were missing from the grasp.

“You’ll know soon enough.” This time her grit didn’t carry her through it; the girl fell off the bench and onto her knees, shaking with the realization that her entire life just flashed before her eyes. “See you.” And just like that, Shigaraki was gone, blending into the crowd as if he wasn’t here to begin with, leaving her on her own to figure out what happened.

…oh God, she was going to throw up.

“Setsuna? Where have you been? And who was that just now?” Honenuki’s voice reached her as if through a thick fog. She did not dare move her head, afraid she might just do something extremely untoward if any of her muscles move even an inch. “...Setsuna? Oi, what’s wrong?” Juzo’s exasperation gave way to concern as he knelt by her.

“...bathroom. G-gonna puke.” Setsuna didn’t even realize she was crying, just bunching her hands up on her lap as inelegant tears dropped down.

Chapter Text

Kan regarded the madman from a safe distance.

Micolash remained placid in captivity, not at all bothered by his current imprisonment. Conversational, even, if a little resigned. From what Vlad could understand, the reason for that was betrayal.

[Edgar abandoned the ways of the Mensis scholar – although I suspect he never held such ambitions to begin with.] Micolash hummed, speaking in quiet English. Next to him, a small translator bot conveyed the meaning of his words and changed them to Japanese, for the benefit of both detective Tsukauchi and Vlad himself. [Considering I found myself held by the allies of the Healing Church, I suspect that is his true flag of allegiance.]

“Looks like we have to say thank you.” Vlad groused, obviously sarcastic. “...any idea where he might be right now?”

[I did not see him at the premises of the Hassaikai. Granted, they made sure my stay there was rather secretive, considering the circumstances…] Micolash made a gesture as if to scratch his cheek before looking down dejectedly at his cuffs keeping him bound. [But to think I would be traded for a girl Her Majesty came to rescue… that is certainly puzzling. Ruthless, I would say.] Vlad resisted an urge to curse. Maria told him all about the failed raid, bile spewing out of her mouth as she ranted in righteous anger. He understood her frustrations quite well, even if he could also get why having Micolash in their captivity “outweighed” a life of a single girl.

Kirihito Takahashi was found dead today morning, having jumped from a tenth story building. It was obvious that he was the main reason why the raid had gone wrong. The investigation of the Hassaikai incident was taken over by the Nighteye Hero Agency, previously pushed away from it. It seemed the Healing Church took steps to prevent less easily compromised minds from joining in on the research. Unfortunately, with the official stamp of the Hero Commission on this case, it would take some time to undo Takahashi’s doings. By that time, the Hassaikai could have very well vanished off the face of Japan and taken the girl with them.

Of course, this couldn’t be their only problem. Tomura Shigaraki, Micolash’s unlikely ally, was found prowling in Kiyashi Ward shopping center and almost killing Tokage in the process. [I believe both he and dear Himiko suspect me a two-faced liar and manipulator now.] Micolash sighed resignedly. Vlad and Tsukauchi exchanged glances; the murderous Himiko Toga did vanish in mysterious circumstances a while back. Guess it was good to know she could be found among the League now. [And I am not exactly at a liberty to explain myself to them.]

“Do you have any idea what the two of them might be up to now?” Tsukauchi asked. The scholar shook his head. Before they could continue their questioning however, a curious transmission reached the detective. Someone was approaching the cells. Someone stomping with fiery anger. “...Kan-san, we have Endeavor inbound.” Vlad had an idea why; one of the Flaming Sidekickers succumbed to the Beast Scourge. The Number Two Hero planned to question either him or Maria about it, but it seemed he opted to go right for what he perceived to be the source of this misfortune.

As far as Vlad knew, the Mensis merely adopted these infected strays for their own purposes. Their methods of ascension held primary interest in the brain, though perhaps Micolash saw fit to prevent Toga (and even Stain, to no avail) from falling into hands of the Healing Church…?

The doors to the cell opened. “I won’t take long.” Endeavor glowered, bending down to fit into the room and then stomping over to the captive villain.

“Todoroki.” Vlad warned with a sharp tone, but the flame-bearded hero ignored him, grabbing Micolash by the lapels of his shirt. To the scholar’s credit, he was not at all intimidated by the flaming countenance.

[Have we met?] A distinct click from the wall. A gun turret, normally installed to prevent captive villains from anything funny, was now aimed at Endeavor instead, threatening to open fire should he do something further untoward. It might not have been anything like the systems placed in Tartarus – but not even the Number Two Hero was bulletproof.

“The cure for that blood plague of yours. Where is it?”

[The Beast Scourge? I would wager there is none.]

“Don’t test my patience, villain.” The grip on Micolash’s shirt tightened, but the scholar was not at all intimidated.

[I’m afraid you will have to ask the Healing Church about that. If you can catch any of them, that is.]

“...Endeavor-san. Let go of the prisoner.” Tsukauchi commanded with an even voice. The Number Two Hero slowly turned around to give the detective a frigid cold glower – before doing exactly as ordered and letting Micolash flop back in his spot. Todoroki took a few steps back, clearly not at all pleased with this lack of development. “...you believe the Church might have a cure for this “Beast Scourge”, Micolash-san?”

[That is my hypothesis. Whether it is true, I cannot confirm.] A rueful smile danced on the scholar’s lips. [...however, since we’re already talking about the Church, please allow me to give you some advice. My plans have been ruined due to their boorish interference, and I figure I should be a good sport about losing and give you some headway.]

“You’re being insolent is what you are.” Endeavor gruffed, but stayed in his spot. Vlad’s eyes hardened as he regarded the scholar.

[First of all, Mensis is... was a plucky group of small influence.] Micolash hummed, a hint of a smile dancing on his lips again. [We had some power, yes, enough to intrude into the USJ after we caught wind of the League doing the same – and some more still to stir unrest in Hosu. However, we are merely a splinter faction of the Church. Theirs, even in the current day and age, are superior assets. If they decide to wage war against the Hero Society, it will not be an easily fought conflict.]

“They can try their worst.” Endeavor didn’t look convinced, but there was unease on Vlad’s face. Micolash was absolutely right. Even in decline, the Healing Church had access to power Mensis could not hope to match. Perhaps allying with the League – a group that preferred direct confrontation – was the first step to their downfall to the ones who preferred secrecy.

“And the second piece of advice?” Tsukauchi continued the topic with a frown.

[That concerns the League. We might no longer be allies, but take heed, heroes, constable: Mensis holds storied history. In the past, we have come into contact with associates that would be dangerous to have in this modern world.] Micolash’s smile widened. [And while young Mr. Shigaraki still has ways to go, his is the charisma that will summon these haunts to Japan.]

----

The villains recruited by Giran didn’t look like much, Shigaraki thought.

There were three of them, though it seemed two of these came in a package deal, standing side by side. The third one – instantly recognizable due to looking like a piece of burnt beef jerky – seemed content to mind his own business while the other two preened for the metaphorical cameras. Kurogiri remained behind the bar, busying himself with cleaning a shotglass while a little further in the back, Toga sipped on the milkshake, perched on top of the desk and kicking her feet up in the air.

“Unimpressive locale, that.” The girl – obviously the leader of the two – spoke up haughtily. Her voice was too high and too shrill for the pompous air she applied it with, Shigaraki thought with growing annoyance. She couldn’t be taller than five feet (even on heels of her boots), in thick red-rimmed glasses and long pigtails that went at odds with the military-patterned coat-dress mix (about as long as Toga’s skirt) of hers and the magician’s cape on her shoulders. “Provider, are you certain this is where we were supposed to be headed?”

Giran, browsing through some leaflets and newspapers in the lounge of the bar they used for a hideout, offered a crooked grin. “That’s exactly right, ma’am.”

“And the mist creature?” The man – pale, dour, in a thick military greatcoat adorned with skull motifs at the bottom of it – growled, eyes fixed on Kurogiri with barely hidden disdain. The mistman, for his part, didn’t even deign to look back at him.

“His name is Kurogiri, soldier boy. Best keep that in mind.” Shigaraki drawled. He didn’t care if the new recruits had some weird racial hangups – those skulls looked a lot like CRC insignia, now that he thought about it – but they would better not get in the way of the main mission.

“Don’t mind Faust here. He comes from an archaic age.” The girl assured with an insincere smile. The military-dressed villain growled, his hands balling into fists. The gloves he wore were full of metal studs, Shigaraki noticed. Probably something to do with his Quirk and not just the typical tough guy wear. “Still, you are not quite what I expected from a self-proclaimed ally of Mensis. What became of Micolash and his designs?”

“Captured. We’re continuing his plan.” The girl’s lips quirked downward. Shigaraki resisted an urge to start scratching away at his neck. “And to that end, I’m gonna need all hands on deck.” The beef jerky in the background snorted derisively. “Except for that asshole in the back. You can send him away, Kurogiri.”

“A man can’t even introduce himself without being dismissed by some punk leeching off that crazy group? What a world we live in.” Beef Jerky drawled back, coming into view next to the soldier boy. His clothes felt a touch too small for him, and the patches of burnt skin were all over him. Shigaraki had to wonder how the guy even walked around without catching all diseases of the world. “I see you’ve got Toga over there too. Crazies flock together, huh.”

“Hey, Dabi!~” Himiko waved over with a grin. “Been a while.”

“The hell kind of name is Dabi?”

“The hell kind of name is Shigaraki?” Dabi shot back without a pause. Tomura’s fingers stopped drumming on the bar as he straightened up on his stool. Kurogiri cleared his throat with clear warning in mind, though his eyes remained on the shotglass.

“Alright. Let’s say I don’t tell you three to fuck off. Why do you want to join the League then?” The girl rolled her eyes.

“I couldn’t care less for this childish endeavor of yours – but I have a debt I owe the old scholar to. I will trust you to execute it properly.” Annoying, grating, he should just dust her and be done with it—

Shigaraki slowly exhaled. “And you, Major Hardass?” He looked at the dour soldier.

“...I accompany Madam. I have no further goal in mind. Except one, I suppose.” It was kind of impressive how someone this stoic-looking could exude such malice. “The destruction of the unnatural creatures we encounter.”

“He’s racist, in case you didn’t catch that.” Dabi shrugged, not at all shirking from a thundering glare he was given.

“As long as that doesn’t get in the way of our goal. If that happens, you’re out.” Faust glowered at Shigaraki next, but slowly opted to acquiesce with a heavy nod. “And you, Beef Jerky?”

“Let’s say our goals coincide and leave it at that, Handyman.”

“I really don’t like you.”

“I don’t like myself either, and you don’t see me bitching about it.” Satisfied with the backtalk, Dabi’s attention wandered elsewhere, to Kurogiri. “Bartender, you serve any Nicolashka in here?”

“If Tomura Shigaraki wishes for you to stay, then yes.”

“Sure, just put all the fucking pressure on me, Kurogiri. Thanks a ton.” The League ringleader grumbled, scratching briefly at his neck. “...whatever. Party members are party members. Just don’t get in my way, or Toga’s, or each other’s. And Giran” Here he addressed the bespectacled man. “I hope to God you’ll find someone who talks a lot less next time.”

“I’ll have a fresh batch ready before the plan is a go. Don’t worry about that.” The broker’s smile was a little crooked as he lit a cigarette with his gun-shaped lighter. “...although no promises on the “talks less” part.”

----

The cafe was a quiet place somewhere downtown. If Setsuna didn’t know any better, she could even call it a date.

As it was, she and Maria just kind of stared at each other, unable to glue a conversation together. It was actually the white marble’s idea to meet up somewhere quaint to rest up and use their final day before the summer camp to put themselves at ease. That was easier said than done, of course, considering the things the two of them went through yesterday.

This was Setsuna’s first such experience: a close shave with death. It didn’t feel to her as if Shigaraki left her with the answers he was seeking; she shared these feelings to the police yesterday evening. Conversely, Maria remained safe, but those she wished to help did not; the red tape and the machinations of the Healing Church prevented the yakuza raid from happening. Setsuna saw it talked about in a few news channels; more specifically, how the official from the Hero Commission in charge was responsible for this mess – and then took his own life once it was over.

She couldn’t help but wonder if someone didn’t help him with that.

“...are you… excited for the camp?” She almost jumped hearing Maria address her from over her coffee. Sitting there in her long-sleeved shirt, she didn’t look nowhere near as confident and cool as Setsuna knew her as. So was her tone of voice tentative, uncertain. The lizard girl could certainly appreciate the attempt at small-talk though. No doubt it wasn’t Maria’s strong suit, yet here she was, trying her best.

“...y-yeah. I mean, it’s going to be tough, you know, but that’s UA for you.” She regained her poise fast enough, stirring her coffee with a spoon. “Guess I’m wondering how it’s going to look.”

“I asked Master Kan about it before his departure. It seems the faculty is determined to keep it a secret.” All they knew was that the summer camp was going to be happening in a mountainous area over a course of several days. Now that Setsuna thought about it, Shigaraki’s rude intrusion made it unable for her to buy the necessary supplies. Shoot.

“...speaking of that… what’ll happen with Micolash now?” Maria’s lips pursed.

“He will remain in captivity while independent forces continue investigating the Hassaikai.” She barely resisted spitting the last word out. No small wonder, Setsuna thought; those were the yakuza villains who held that small girl hostage. “...depending on what he will tell them, he might avoid Tartarus.”

“And then?”

“Mensis is finished, it looks like. That does not mean the Healing Church will not repurpose their assets if they can get their hands on them, of course.” A moment of silence. Maria took another to drain her coffee to the end. “I find it unlikely that they will not come here in force before long. I held hope that the Executioner might be a lone man – but with the Choir’s presence here, all bets must be off.”

“...you think they’ll come after me and Yaomomo, too?”

“If only…” Maria chuckled mirthlessly, shaking her head. “Even when in decline, the Church does not let go easily. Now, with the fake legitimacy provided to them by the thrice-accursed knife-ear, they can operate just within legality.” The weak smile slipped off her lips. “I suppose not being the dominate party of the land will still hamper them some, at least.”

“You said before that they ran Yharnam unopposed.”

“That they did, although frictions in the Church made various groups of it compete with itself for supremacy.” Setsuna shook her head in disbelief. She and Momo both heard that story before, but it still felt completely improbable – and she had seen a genuine alien just fifteen minutes before that the same day, too. “If they make a public appearance, we will hear of them before long… but, for now, I suppose I cannot think of that. I have enough to think about it.”

“...Maria, it’s not… it’s not your fault for not saving that girl.” The white marble looked to have a different opinion, shaking her head.

“If I were able to be more decisive, quicker on my feet… we would escape before the Executioner could find her.” Maria smiled sadly. “Setsuna, I appreciate your words more than I let on – but the truth is, I failed her and I cannot fix my mistake.”

“There will be another time yet. There has to be. Hope dies last, no? It springs eternal?”

“...perhaps for another, but…” The smile vanished. “Eri went through indescribable torment. Her captor killed her so many times, she no doubt does not know that number. Hope died along the way for her – and the last spark of it was dashed by my hands—“

Setsuna reached out, holding Maria’s hand with her own. “You’re not the one who’s exploiting her. You’re not the one who chained her in captivity, who keeps her there. You’re not to blame for this.” Her face was resolute, even as she squeezed that cold palm with her hands. “You were once a hunter and now a hero – and both times you stand against evil, protecting them with your power, with your compassion.”

Something in Maria’s face changed – but before either of them could take note of it, a third presence made herself known. “You know, for someone this cool and confident you could really use a self-confidence boost.” A familiar blue-skinned woman in a Shoowaysha Publishing hoodie pulled up a chair for herself. Setsuna blinked, taking a moment to recognize Chitose Kizuki. She showed up here and there, usually grilling someone about a scandal or pushing a more sensational type of journalism. Kind of an unpleasant personality, but charismatic. Setsuna was ashamed to admit that she read a few of her books a few years back, and found them quite fun, in a popcorn entertainment kind of way .

“...harpy.” It seemed Maria was not a fan however, not that the older woman was stymied.

“Don’t worry about hosting, I already ordered a coffee for myself~”

“I do not remember inviting you.”

“And who’s your cute friend?” This time Setsuna forced herself not to sputter as a pair of inquisitive eyes regarded her with unashamed curiosity. “Mm… you’re one of the recommended students, no? Maria’s classmate? Friend? Girlfriend?~” Her face flushed red to the tips of her ears.

“I, uh—“

“Kizuki.” That got the woman to look back at Maria; the white marble glare was positively murderous. “Say your piece and leave. If I find you harassing Setsuna or any other of my classmates again, I will be far less forgiving.”

“So fierce. Alright, alright.” Kizuki raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I won’t take long either way. Just wanted to offer sympathies about a raid. I imagine you’ve been chafing quite a bit about it. To that end, I’d like to offer you – both of you, if you want to take your girlfriend – an invitation.” She produced a card for Maria to read: DETNERAT NEW COURSE OPENING, further adorned with an address and a date of the event, some days after their summer camp was supposed to end.

“Detnerat? I’ve heard of them.” Setsuna hummed curiously, furiously trying to distract herself from being called Maria’s girlfriend again. “They’ve been making support items for civilians with troublesome Quirks.”

“That’s exactly right. A word is, they’re planning to branch out someplace else.”

“And that concerns us how?”

“Oh, it’s just an excuse to put on your best coat, enjoy some free samples, and mingle with the country’s elites.” Kizuki chuckled, sipping her coffee. “You can consider it my apology for bothering you earlier – and something to distract yourself after all your hard work as heroes-in-training.” Maria looked at the card, fighting off an urge to let her Quirk turn it into scrap paper and throw it into the harpy’s face. She doubted this was a genuine apology for earlier hounding – but perhaps she had some heart of her own too, and this was way of caring?

“...we cannot attend without a chaperone either way. But, I suppose, I will consider it. Setsuna?”

“...bwuh?”

“Miss Kizuki seems to enjoy the idea of you draped around my shoulder as a prized trophy for the powerful of the land to ogle. Would you like to humor her by accompanying me, if we were to go?”

“I never said any of these things~” Kizuki rolled her eyes with an amused smile, watching Setsuna open her mouth and then close it, and then open it again, her face the prettiest shade of tomato red.

----

“Whatcha thinking about, Monoma?”

Neito looked over from the bus’s window and up, towards Fukidashi asking the question with a question mark in his speech cloud. “Not much. Melancholic, is all.”

“I hope you’re not upset with Kendo for karate-chopping you again.” Awase, a seat over, chortled. “You kind of let it happen to you.”

“Oh, that? No, it’s fine. 1A just happens to be a convenient way to vent some frustrations in a non-threatening way.” No, the worries on his mind concerned someone from his class for a change; the tall girl in the back reading a book and letting Tokage sleep on her shoulder. He and Maria hadn’t spoken at all since the Final Exams, and it seemed she was content to avoid looking at him or even stay anywhere near, judging by their seat placements.

This was an issue they would need to resolve. Monoma knew that his Quirk was considered something of a touchy subject, but most of the class so far gave him a permission to copy their Quirks. A reassuring thing to have. Still, he had to the get to the bottom of this “cursed Quirk” nonsense and—

“...oh my God. You’re crushing on her?” Manga lit up in an understanding. Neito looked up at him with a blank expression. “I… I mean, totes understandable, considering it’s Lady Maria we’re talking about.”

“...why on earth would you think that?”

“Clearly you were staring at her with an intensity of a sun for shits and giggles.” Kuroiro pointed out with a dry chuckle.

“T-that’s not… I mean… I was just thinking.”

“About her, duh—“

“Guys, come on. You’re acting as if he’s the only one in the class.” Kendo reproached the three with a shake of her head. Next to her, Kodai hummed in assent. The gentle chiding made the boys back up, each of them flushed; not as flushed as Monoma himself, of course.

“I really don’t have a crush on her or anyone, Kendo.” Neito muttered quietly, opting to avoid eyecontact with everyone present.

“And that’s also fine. Just… take it easy, alright?” Whenever she wasn’t knocking the lights out of him, Itsuka was alright, he thought. It was a blessing they had such an easygoing Class Prez to talk to. Iida might have had better administrative skills, but neither he nor Yaoyorozu were people persons, no matter how hard they tried.

Their bus came to a stop. “Alright, class, we’re here. Out the bus you go.” Vlad King announced. Out of the whole group, he was the only one in a hero costume. The students still wore their school uniforms, likely presuming that the bus would take them directly to the location of the camp. Instead…

“Uh… did the bus break or…?” Kaibara asked, overlooking the turn of the mountainous road where they’ve stopped – and the thick forest underneath.

“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t be stopping here – but this year’s been anything but ordinary.” Their homeroom teacher explained, setting his eyes on two strange figures near the road railing; one small and energetic, the other powerful and muscular. “It’s been a while. Nice to see you again.” Vlad bowed hello. That was the signal for the two to begin their show to the stupefied students.

“We’ve come to lend a paw and help~”

“Coming out of nowhere…”

The two struck a fabulous team pose. “Wild, Wild Pussycats!” For a moment no one said anything. The two pros looked at each other and then back at the students. Vlad cleared his throat.

“The Pussycats will be the pro hero team overseeing your summer camp.” He explained. It seemed no one in his class was a fan – a shame, that. The four of them did a great job in their respective field, though the blood hero supposed their specialization as mountain rescue specialists might have kept them from a public eye and the big city. “The other two members are welcoming Class A, but you’ll get acquainted before long.”

“So, er… where’s the place we’ll be staying?” Tsuburaba risked a question, watching the two pros grin between themselves in a way that could only be described as malicious. The lady with green hair pointed all the way towards the horizon, in the thick of the mountainous forest.

“It’s all the way over there, nya~ All you need to do is to trek through the forest. If you want to make it for lunch, you’ll have to be, let’s see… Tiger, what’s the time?”

“Nine o’clock, Ragdoll, on the dot.”

“And the lunch happens at twelve thirty. Three and a half hours to get there. Easy as catching fish in the barrel~”

“...you want us to navigate a lush woodland, no doubt filled with traps, in three and a half hours.” Reiko repeated blankly. “With no directions other than a vague fingerpoint and none of our hero equipment.”

“Thanks for explaining how bugfuck insane this is, Yanagi.” Kamakiri grumbled, then grunted when he got elbowed in the ribs by Kinoko.

“Vlad-sensei, are you… sure this is…” Shishida’s question didn’t quite reach its end, as his eyes wandered to a different spot. Kan followed the student’s eyes with a growing frown. The students were not supposed to grab anything with them on this test, not that ordinary equipment would be of use in making their way through the Beast’s Forest. He expected Pixie-Bob would launch his errant class off the road any minute now.

Yet here Maria was, a familiar case tucked under her arm and Setsuna still draped over her shoulders, none the wiser and enjoying her sweet slumber. “Over there, is it?” She drawled, pointing towards the direction with her chin.

“There’s a daring kitty. Going somewhere with that box?” Tiger growled. “It seems you might not be taking this seriously.”

“To the destination point. And on the contrary, sir: with this box can I be serious in earnest.”

“And your sleepy friend?” Ragdoll seemed more amused about the situation. She didn’t know either of the classes had such a daredevil.

“Ah. I believe she is starving for a good lunch.” Maria flashed a wry smile. “Cheerio.”

And just like that, she vaulted over the railing, descending down the forest. “Hey, Vlad-sensei: why is Maria so nuts?” Awase asked dumbly. Kan resisted an urge to snort at the question. “...and can we take another route to the lodge?”

“That, I’m afraid, won’t be happening~” Ragdoll giggled, giving a thumbs up somewhere in the air. A few seconds later the ground exploded from under the students’ feet, sending them hurtling down the forest. “Remember, three and a half hours if you want lunch!~” She called down the treeline.

“This is our private area, so you can use your Quirks to your heart’s content!” Tiger bellowed after her. “Show us some fangs, cubs!”

Kan sighed, watching Pixie-Bob descend from her surprise spot a moment later . “ You’ve got a fierce one in your class, Kan!” She tittered, joining the other two Pussycats. “Even that Bakugo firestarter waited patiently for the signal.”

“She’s been working out some frustration recently.” Kan hummed, watching the landslide the blonde Pussycat conjured. The small brown spot must have been Shishida turning beast mode.

“Defeated Stain, survived eight point-blank gunshots, participated in a failed yakuza raid… quite a distinguished resume, on top of all the other stuff she did prior to coming to Japan.” Tiger pondered aloud. “Does it come with arrogance, I wonder?”

“It might seem that way, but rather… I would say it’s simply being unfamiliar with the ordinary world.” Vlad sighed. “It’s been a slow process – but I think she’s on her way to acclimate.”

“We might have to put her in timeout for using additional equipment, nya.” Ragdoll pointed out, idly checking the firestarter’s position. She and her sleepy friend were a fair distance away from the rest of the group and progressing at a steady rate, even despite having to deal with Pixie-Bob’s golems on their own. Who knew? Maybe they would even make it for lunch, after all.

“Right, I have the necessary approval form for it. It’s not like 1A Aoyama’s belt, but it fills a similar niche of crucial equipment.” Kan sighed, presenting the document. Honestly, Nezu was being way too lenient for him, considering the close shave a few days back. But then again, he did just tell them that aliens exist and may very well have interest in Japan before long.

In such a grand scheme of things, a single sword of bygone design was inconsequential.

Chapter Text

Setsuna awoke to a pleasant smell of food and a gentle rustling of pages.

She knew that Maria was reading a book shortly before she used her as an impromptu lounger, but that food definitely didn’t smell like the prepackaged stuff. She was cursing herself the entire morning for not grabbing something to eat amid all the excitement of going to the summer camp; all she had was a hastily made sandwich with peanut butter of all things.

...did she sleep all the way to the camping lodge? “Rise and shine, Setsuna.” Maria’s voice, like smooth silk, made her want to do the exact opposite and just fall back into the Sandman’s clutches. It seemed the white marble was expecting such, slowly pushing the source of the pleasant smell in front of her. Setsuna cracked an eye open, watching the delightfully-prepared bento, all for her—

...she really slept all the way to the camping lodge. “...you carried me out of the bus.” She stated blankly, feeling her face beginning to tint red. Maria hummed, turning another page. “...oh gosh, you did…” She whined, hiding her head under her arms.

“You must have been quite exhausted to not notice, with all the jostling.” Another hum. Now that Setsuna thought about it, why was it so quiet in here…? “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Guess not… everyone will be talking about it. Hatsume might just snap my neck once we meet again.” That got the white marble to chuckle and to put away her book. “...where is everyone, by the way?”

“I wager they are still en route to the lodge.” Setsuna blinked, then blinked again – and slowly sat up straight, realizing the two of them were in a giant mess hall, no doubt the lodge’s. Save for the two of them – and a woman in a distinctive Pussycats outfit milling about, looking over the prepared bento boxes in the corner – there was no one else here. “Though it looks unlikely they will reach us for lunch, and Madam Mandalay refused to let me gather a few of these bentos for consolation.”

“...h-hold on. We’re in… that’s Mandalay?” She stared blankly at the woman in a red outfit. “...we’re… Pussycats will be our teachers for the summer camp?”

“Are you a fan?”

“Are you kidding? A huge one!” Setsuna grinned. “They’re some of the best rescue specialists out there! Holy smokes, that’s… they’re the single most rated hero team, all the way in top 50! All the heroes who form teams still hold individual rankings, but they made it in as a whole! A-and they compliment each other so well, and—“

“You’re only the second green-haired kid today who’s been a fan. Funnya that.” Mandalay approached them with a laugh. Setsuna let out a small indescribable sound, somewhere deep from her throat. “Although the other one was a bit more in-depth about it.”

“M-m-ma’am Mandalay, er, hi, er… a-a-autograph?”

“See me later and I might think about it. For now just enjoy your lunch. You’re the only two who made it here on time. Your friend here carried you all the way to the lodge.”

“...of course you did.” Setsuna shot Maria a look. The white marble laughed more earnestly.

“Guilty as charged.”

----

Ibara Shiozaki needed, first and foremost, a thorough shower.

“I can’t feel my leeeeegs…” Hagakure whined from somewhere in the back, followed by a weak “whey” from Kaminari. Despite the time limit imposed upon them by the Pussycats, they’ve only arrived at the lodge somewhere around five thirty in the afternoon. It seemed 1B was similarly spent; the two classes have arrived in roughly the same time… with two notable exceptions.

“Oh my… looks like the mighty class A lost this fight, after all!” Monoma, despite having lost his uniform’s tie and looking like he was dropped in a gully, mounted a triumphant grin. Somewhere in the back, Kirishima was already shielding Bakugo’s eyesight from the usual 1B sore. “We got two of our numbers to arrive on lunch, and from what I can hear, none of you titans managed to do the same! How strange is that?!”

“You wanna say that to my face, you punkass leech?!” Of course, Bakugo could still hear Monoma despite everyone’s best efforts. At least Kendo was more than happy to haul the errant phantom thief away after giving him the usual treatment and an apologetic look to the rival class.

“Alright, that’s enough of the sideshow.” Eraserhead seemed in a worse mood than the usual. Or maybe he was always this grumpy? “Grab your things from the bus and put them in your rooms. You’ll get dinner and a bath after, then off to bed you go. The training begins tomorrow.”

“Uh… sorry to ask, but whose child is this?” Midoriya’s voice. Ibara hummed, eyes wandering to the boy in a red cap with horns, glowering at them as if they were Sodom and Gomorrah. Such anger in such a young man… whatever happened to him? Mandalay introduced him as her nephew, Kouta. Midoriya, bless his heart, made an attempt to say hello and… was punished for it.

“W-why would you punch Midoriya in the junk, Mandalay’s nephew?!” The boy did not reply to Iida’s question, opting to storm off back to the lodge. On his way there, he nearly stumbled into a familiar presence, already changed into a more casual getup. With a growl, Kouta punched Muradasilova right in the thigh, unable to reach higher, and stormed back inside. She watched him go with what seemed like mild amusement.

“H-hey, guys. Welcome back.” Tokage called over from the tall girl’s other side, looking particularly sheepish about her presence there among the victors. Ibara hummed to herself, opting to extend her hair out to give Aoyama and Uraraka something to hold onto while the two of them tried not to topple over from Quirk overuse. Her eyes met Muradasilova’s for a moment and the two exchanged nods. Perhaps this was as good time as any to talk with her about the hero names. From what the thornette could gather, Muradasilova did not pick any hero name after all, and though Ibara suspected she would not mind the overlap, it still behooved her to talk to her about it.

Perhaps after the bath.

----

Kouta was furious.

He didn’t ask for any of this. No less than forty wannabe jerks throwing their power around in an attempt to be “heroes” for a week here? How stupid was that? Couldn’t they do it in one of their stupid hero schools or something? He had to tolerate them for a whole week.

Most of these at least seemed happy to not bother him, so at least there was that. As always however, there were exceptions. The annoying guy with green hair he punched in the balls he would catch around giving him concerned looks. The heck was Mr. Hero concerned here with? Kouta didn’t need his pity. The guy probably was trying to use him as an exercise to later know how to preen for the cameras better. The thought alone was making the boy want to puke.

The tall lady, however, was different. Annoying, too – and more persistent, but not openly, like Midotwerp. She wouldn’t approach him or give him looks, but Kouta would always find her in the way, doing something innocuous, like she was trying to piss him off. First she arrived ahead of everyone else with her girlfriend – show-off – and then just went on to read a book like she wasn’t here to train but to enjoy some leisure time. He punched her too, though honestly all he might have gotten from it was a bruise on his knuckles – he might as well have been punching a rock.

And there she was again, on the entrance steps to the lodge, just sitting around as if she had nothing to do. From what Kouta knew, her class was currently taking a tour of the hot springs, so why wasn’t she there? Staring at the moon like she was talking with it or something…

...she was actually talking to the moon. Kouta blinked. That wasn’t the language he knew – Aunt Shino told him the lady was from somewhere in Europe originally – but it was definitely a conversation. She would make these brief pauses as if she was waiting for the unseen other party to give their input before resuming her magic speech. Was she touched in the head too or something? Did those stupid hero schools just take anyone they could find off the street? Or rather, seeing as foreigners like her probably weren’t readily available in Japan, did they bring her from wherever she came from for her just to be stupid here?

…no doubt she would ask where he was going if he passed by her. He couldn’t afford someone like her knowing where his secret base was. But going back would mean inevitably having to interact with some of these other jerks in the lodge… better the devil you know…? Might as well give it a try.

“Going somewhere?” She asked absentmindedly even before he passed her. Kouta resisted an urge to scoff.

“None of your business.”

“A child on his lonesome in this dark forest?”

“I’ve done this a squillion times before. Get lost.” Kouta huffed, resuming his trek by her. Rather than get discouraged however, the tall lady jerk merely chuckled under her breath.

“No doubt about that – and yet I must insist. You will have an easier time escaping tomorrow, once all of us are preoccupied with training.” Another reason why she was so annoying was the set of big adult words she kept using, no doubt to piss him off and confuse him. She was right though, much as it chafed him to admit. “You have a lot on your mind, no?”

“That’s also none of your business. You can keep talking to your moon for all I care, just leave me alone.” She hummed, something in her eyes changing. Didn’t feel like she took it personally; it was more of a curious gleam.

“You seem to have a low opinion of heroes, do you not?”

“What gave that away? You people throwing your powers around, so eager to use your Quirks and be “heroes”… it’s stupid and sickening.”

“Perhaps a little.” Kouta huffed, trying to mask how that response, that tacit admission, took him off-guard. What was that lady playing at here…? “Though, myself, I would not consider it something to look forward to.”

“Why not? Then you can be a hero and fight villains like all of you want.”

“And what if I told you that I am no hero at all?” He should have known better than to take the bait. She was probably about to break into some kind of stupid speech about good and evil or something to justify herself or not, but…

Kouta looked up at the moon, and he could have sworn something just blinked across the porous surface, for a fraction of a second. Choosing to dismiss that as some weird exhaustion side-effect, he took a seat at the stairs, a fair enough distance away from her and her stupid long arms. “I wish to become a hero, yes – though not for the reasons you might think. See, I was… a hunter, once.”

“...a hunter? Like, of animals?”

“...something to that effect. It was a dark period in my life. By being a hero, I can start anew.” The tall lady sighed, looking back at the moon. “I thought so, at least.”

“And what changed?”

“Some scoundrels from that time came to Japan. Maybe you have heard of them before.” So it was still down to heroes and villains, huh? Kouta recalled when the Pussycats were attacked by some weird motley crew of men and monsters alike. He didn’t see the news report, but Aunt Tomoko told him about it. At least, a part of it, the kind that wouldn’t let him have nightmares at night.

The conversation didn’t really gel well for a moment, the two of them just sitting awkwardly in silence. “...so, why aren’t you in the hot springs with the others?” Kouta asked, opting to try and make a good effort. The tall lady shrugged ever so slightly.

“I opted to shower instead.”

“You won’t get a second chance to dip there, you know. From what I’ve been told, anyway…” She chuckled, shaking her head. “...what?” Rather than offer more words, she simply rolled the sleeve of her shirt. Kouta stared, for a moment not sure what he was looking at before his eyes widened.

The entire arm of the lady was covered in scars of varying sizes and lengths. The boy didn’t have a vocabulary to describe what might have caused them, but he knew the word for a number too big to be quantified: lots. It was less an arm and more a thick scar tissue that formed another layer of the skin. “I do not wish to sully the others’s enjoyment with my unsightly presence there. Consider it arrogant of me – but I feel like these scars would distract the other girls from taking it easy.” Slowly, she straightened her sleeve back on.

“...you weren’t a very good hunter, were you?” Kouta huffed, and only a small part of him screamed at him to slap himself upside the head. Yet, surprisingly, the lady took it in good spirits, shaking her head with a chuckle.

“Hopefully I will be a better hero. Now you answer a question of mine. What… were your parents like?” Ah. There it was. All that lofty backstory and still nothing but smoke and mirrors to keep talking about this hero nonsense. She must have sensed he was about to storm off since she chose to reflect on the word choice. “Do not misunderstand, young one. I know your parents were a team of heroes who perished in the line of duty – I overheard Midoriya talk about them with Madam Mandalay earlier” That twerp with green hair? He had to make sure to punch him in the balls again. “but I do not know anything of them as people. Kouta, was it? I am not asking about the Water Hose – I am asking about your father and mother.”

…

He blinked, fighting off the urge to start sweating from his eyes. Yup. That was most definitely that. “...why do you care? You didn’t even know them until today .”

“That is why I am hoping you can indulge me – and tell me something about them, so I can have this insight. If that is okay with you, of course.”

Kouta decided that it was okay – even if it felt strange admitting it to himself.

Just at the doorstep of the lodge, Ibara Shiozaki shuffled back inside, a smile dancing on her lips.

----

The next day…

“I don’t understand how you can look like you’ve slept eight hours every day, Tokoyami…” Kaminari groaned, trying to get his errant bedhair under control. The bird-headed student shrugged. This came with practice, of course.

“Enough chitchat. Like I said, the training begins today.” Of course, their homeroom teacher had no time or patience for his class. Nothing new there. “First of all: Bakugo, here.” The Explosion user was tossed an eerily similar ball from all the way back at the beginning of their UA education. “It’s been a while since you threw that. I want to see how much you’ve improved.”

“How much I’ve improved, huh?” Bakugo being Bakugo, he took the challenge with a wide feral grin, reeling back and aiming towards the sky. “Then you better watch real close.”

With the traditional cry of “DIE!” it went off, careening through the sky at breakneck speed. It certainly felt as if it was a stronger throw than what Tokoyami remembered from the orientation test… and he was right, though not in the way he thought he was.

“What the heck? That’s barely any better than on the orientation!” Sero exclaimed in surprise. This sentiment was shared by the rest of the class, though Bakugo himself only settled for muted shock masqueraded as his usual anger.

“You have certainly grown in form and skill, and a little bit in terms of physicality. However, you didn’t have an extensive Quirk training before – which is what we’ll be doing.” Eraser smirked, leading them towards the clearing a short distance away from here. “Quirks are a lot like muscles: if you overuse them, they tear and then heal up and get stronger. If you underuse them, then they will become weaker. The only logical conclusion is, of course, to break yourself for training.”

1A stared at the pandemonium in front of them; a panorama of 1B students, each subjected to their own brand of training in a chaotic landscape of pain and torture. “We begin right away.” The first thing that attracted eyes was what looked to be a wooden sauna building overflowing with mushrooms – not that it made other regimens less esoteric. On the horizon, a stream of onomatopoeias flew right into the air, punctuated by terrible screaming. Awase was putting together dummies from wooden blocks at rapid pace, later cut down by Kamakiri’s relentless attacks. Elsewhere still Shoda was wailing away at Tetsutetsu. A little higher up, Bondo was less releasing and more vomiting his glue all over the slope, looking like he was about to become one with the earth. Tsuburaba, blue in the face, kept filling more and more balloons with air.

Wherever the 1A students looked, someone was having a hard time – even the quaint little corner of Shishida and Kaibara doing old-school reps with Tiger encouraging them on. The beefiest of the Pussycats turned towards the group. “Plain power-up types are with me! We’re doing it the old-fashioned way here!” Midoriya squeaked from somewhere in the back.

Guess it wasn’t going to be Plus Ultra without giving it your all, was it…?

Some of the training regimens were more serene than the others however and, despite the morbid imagery surrounding it, it didn’t get more serene than Muradasilova’s showing; the tall wonder of 1B sat in a lotus position on the ground, lances of blood growing from her bare abdomen – the only thing of her that was bare from under a rolled up undershirt; it seemed she was determined to keep covering up her limbs – and forming complex shapes all around her. Sometimes they would flicker and explode in a small burst of fire, letting the fiery tongues track all the way down to her body. She would catch fire and then breathe out and let it dissipate. That effort was somewhat mixed: a bit of her UA gym uniform was singed, and there was a light burn on her left palm.

Her eyes remained closed the entire time and outside of her breathing, she was entirely motionless, letting her lifeblood speak for her. “Just doing her best impression of a statue, huh?” Bakugo grumbled.

“She s-sure is chiseled like one.” Kaminari stammered, accompanied by Jiro’s unimpressed snort. Tokoyami looked back to check – she too was beet red in the face.

“Hey, but why is her blood on fire?” Ashido asked uncertainly. “Or am I seeing things from a lack of sleep?”

“That’s probably the least weird thing about her.” Uraraka sighed, herself still suffering from such. “And hey, it’s not like we don’t have weird Quirks in our class too. Now who wants to suffer, you lot?” She was only met with an unimpressed “yaaaaay” across the group.

----

O f course, this wasn’t the end of their difficulties. The delightful dinner of yesterday was but a distant memory; this time they had to arrange it themselves.

It occurred to Maria that she had no idea how to prepare curry. “Alright, everyone, let’s organize away.” At least Itsuka could commandeer them to prepare something worth eating. 1A over in their own corner was already toiling away; it seemed Todoroki was a star in helping get things heated up with his fire. Hm. Trying to follow his example would probably not do.

Before long, things were set up, with Maria’s token assistance. The curry looked rather appetizing for something that’s been done by starving amateurs, she thought. “ I died and went to heaven, it’s so good!” Kaibara was happy to shovel it right into his mouth, and he wasn’t the only one. Despite the tiredness of the group – they were stretching their limits to the utmost; in comparison, it felt as if she herself barely did anything to train – the enthusiasm remained up high. Hopefully it would persist until the final day of the summer camp.

...but then why was she getting this… strange premonition of incoming misfortune?

“You good, Maria?” Awase bumped her lightly with an elbow. The white marble blinked, looking down at the headband-wearing classmate of hers. “You spaced out just now.”

“Ah. Apologies, I—“

“You’re fine, dude. Dudette? You’re fine.” Tsuburaba flashed her a tired thumbs-up. “No need to apologize all the time, you know.”

“Seriously. You’re so cool and confident-looking, and yet you apologize like Midoriya; as if the world itself was out to get you.” Kuroiro pointed out with a dry chuckle. Maria’s lips quirked in a weak smile.

“Perhaps the haunts of the land seek my presence and I do not wish to invoke their ire.”

“Pardon the brash reply, but I do not doubt most ghosts would be wary of you.” Reiko mused from over her spot. “Especially with your recent sanguine developments.”

“I’m afraid ‘tis nothing new for me.”

“With how rarely you’ve used your Quirk before, everything you do with it is news to us.” Rin chuckled. “But hey, glad to see you start using it more freely.” Maria hummed, letting her eyes wander. She wasn’t sure since when Kinoko and Kamakiri grew so close, but it was an amusing picture to witness, two radically different people chat each other up over the curry with such warmth and energy despite the hellish training they went through.

Elsewhere, a familiar red cap came into her view – followed by a familiar green mop of hair. Her brows furrowed. “Pardon me.” She excused herself from the table, idly rolling her shoulders and opting to follow. Midoriya did not seem like the type who enjoyed being punched in the groin, so it seemed he must have had some business with Kouta. His heart was in the right place – but he was a huge fan of heroes, no doubt about to explain what a great deal they were to someone who didn’t want much to do with them. That was a fight waiting to happen; and honestly, Midoriya suffered enough injuries already to not need another one .

H er trip took her through the forest and onto a small cliff overlooking a larger part of the woodland. She made sure to remain comfortably behind, overhearing Kouta’s irate tone and Midoriya’s meek and apologetic a bit away from the naked rock, staying just out of sight. Though her figure would no doubt attract attention otherwise, a distraction of another person worked wonders, sometimes.

She waited a bit until after Midoriya dejectedly went away before making herself known, ascending to the top of the slop. “I told you to get lost, you—“ Kouta swerved with a furious look, looking about ready to toss the curry plate at her before he realized who it was. “...how did you find this place?” Maria sighed, watching his anger less deflate and more maintain itself at a steady level. No doubt he was still angry – but it seemed he wasn’t angry with her specifically. That was as good of a conversation starter as any.

“I followed Midoriya’s trail. I had a feeling your discussion would turn sour.”

“Anyone could have told you that.” The boy huffed, opting to put the plate down and sit on the ground, resting his chin in his hands, looking at the forest. “I should have punched him in the balls again.” Maria chuckled.

“May I accompany you for a time?”

“Do as you like. Sheesh, at this point everyone in the country will know about my secret base…” Ah. So this was Kouta’s place of respite that only he – and now she and Midoriya – knew of…? “Can’t keep a single secret in a Hero Society, I guess…”

“Believe me, that is not as difficult as you might think. I do not doubt you will refine that skill as you age.” Kouta hummed noncommittally. Maria opted to sit at the edge of the rockside, a respectable distance away from the boy. “And for all of Midoriya’s faults, you can trust him not to give your position away.” The only response she got from him was an unimpressed “yay” and an eyeroll.

“...so what’s your game?” He asked her after a moment of sitting in silence. Maria did not turn immediately to face him, but the idle kicking up her feet against the rock stopped. “Do you chat up every kid ten years younger than you like that? People might think you’re a creep or something.”

“Perish the thought. I approached you for different reasons. Selfish, I suppose, but nothing you need to worry about.” Her shoulders sagged. “...I… know a girl, give or take a year older than you. A precocious thing, kind, but saddled with terrible circumstances.”

“...how terrible are we talking?” Kouta opted to shuffle in closer, eyebrow raised.

“Held in captivity of terrible scoundrels. Experimented on like a common guinea pig.” His eyes widened, not at the words or the story, but at the change of emotion on the lady’s face. She was always so calm and icy, with an occasional chuckle, and yet, now she was barely holding herself together, her jaw tight and her eyes glowering with hatred. “...I failed her, Kouta. I could have saved her from a terrible fate had I been… a little faster, perhaps. A little more decisive. A little more ruthless.”

“This is no doubt not what you wish to hear – but I suppose I am selfishly hoping not to fail you as well, when the time comes.”

“...I mean… I don’t… no one’s experimenting on me or anything.” He muttered, not sure what else to say. It was difficult to understand her; not just through her flowery words, but the unknowable intent of hers as well. “So you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“...can I… nonetheless, can I extend an aegis of protection over you?” At this point she must have been using these big made-up words deliberately, to keep herself calm. Kouta made a noncommittal grunt, not sure if his agreement mattered here; she seemed determined to commit to it.“...there are vile figures out there, Kouta. Not what you might know as “villains”, no; they will approach you with radiant candor, instead, and clothed in the immaculate white. They shall be saints at a glance, and writhing insects underneath their guises. And so… I ask that you look to the moon, young man.”

“...what about it? It’s just the moon.” And there certainly wasn’t anything on it. It was starting to hide after showing off its face a few days back, and before long it would become a crescent.

“It is just the moon – but its presence can illuminate the way through the dark. Take heed, Kouta: it shall be your guardian. I hold it responsible for it.”

----

Elsewhere still, dark forces gathered outside of the heroes’ view.

“Ehhh… this really isn’t a cute look at all.” Toga pouted, regarding the gear Giran got her. It would help her with using her Quirk to the utmost – or rather, gathering blood for it – but it looked cumbersome and ugly and she’d rather not.

“Toga-chan is excellently cute, like a Smart!” A towering man in a ragged coat obscuring most of his features flashed her a thumbs-up. “You’re gonna get ‘em, like: vroom vroom, up the ramp and into a somersault!”

“You make no fucking sense, Roadkill.” Dabi groused, overlooking the forest through binoculars. The man named Roadkill huffed, thick dark smoke escaping through the back of the coat. “How long will you be planting these, Kalma?”

“Longer if you keep pestering me.” The girl in the red glasses remained motionless and with her eyes closed, seated on a protrusion of bleached bone, shaped not unlike a giant open palm. A scepter in her hands moved as if directing an orchestra. Right behind her stood her glum bodyguard, hands clasped behind his back.

“By the way, Dabster, are we gonna come down there now or what? I’m itching to get my tires into gear!”

“Call me “Dabster” again and you’ll be going to a junkyard. Besides, we’re waiting for the rest of the group.”

“That’d be us! Sorry for the wait, sunshine.” Three figures approached the cliffside from the back; the one talking was a broad-shouldered figure with long auburn hair and triangle shades, carrying a large package on their back. The figure on the left was thoroughly unremarkable; a plain man in black, with matching sunglasses and a military crew cut. The one on the right was positively ghoulish in contrast, ambling behind in a depraved take on a gimp outfit, with only his gaping mouth visible. Toga waved at the three with a grin.

“Alright, now we can go.” Roadkill said, excitement dripping from his voice.

“No we can’t. We’ll go once everyone’s here.” Dabi hummed, lowering the binoculars. “If we’re doing this in a small team of elites, we’re going to make sure everything goes according to plan. Won’t have one of you assholes going off-script.”

“Awww, you care for us, don’t you?” Himiko giggled, watching the burned man roll his eyes dismissively.

“Not on your life.”

“Done. All of the sentries are in place.” Kalma said quietly, her eyes opening before she regarded the three newcomers with a critical look. “Faust, get a choice cut for our starving friend.” The soldier only followed his mistress’s gaze when she finished speaking, regarding the gimped-up villain with revulsion before making his way further in the back, to where some of the supplies were gathered.

“Choice cut…? But work… but that sounds nice…” The ghoulish figure stammered, shamelessly salivating at the notion.

“Guess the way to a man’s heart is always through a stomach.” The auburn-haired figure chuckled. “At least he’s more talkative than our friend in black there.” The man in black remained silent, walking to the edge of the cliff to have a look himself, wordlessly gesturing for the binoculars.

“A “please” would be nice.” Dabi drawled, but opted to humor the man. “Anyway, tomorrow’s the night. We show those kids down there how fragile their peace is… and we do it with pomp. All for the brighter future.”

----

The next day...

“A test of courage?”

“That’s exactly right, nya!~” Maria’s question was met with an enthusiastic nod from Ragdoll. “A hearty competition between two teams of enterprising kittens! One hides in the forest, the other traverses the path and tries not to jump out of their shoes when they get scared!”

“No touching the contestants! Otherwise, anything goes!” Pixie-Bob joined her with a nod of her own. “Get creative, kittens. Show the other team who’s boss. After 1B goes first scaring 1A, you’ll switch places!”

“The team who makes the other piss their pants more wins!” Tiger concluded, the absurd words spoken with utter gravitas. Not utter enough to keep Jiro from shuddering with disgust, at least. Others were less concerned with that encouragement of unsanitary conduct however.

“Aw yeah, that sounds boss! Lemme at ‘em!” Ashido pumped her fists into the air, grinning from ear to ear.

“Sorry to ruin your fun, but the remedial group will be having further lessons at that time.” Eraserhead’s announcement was met with an expression from the pink-skinned girl Maria could describe only as “postmodern”. But wait, would that mean she also had to attend these classes? She wasn’t a part of the remedial group, despite failing, but perhaps Eraser wouldn’t let her prance around all willy-nilly.

Her eyes met with the educator’s. A glower of red, but he didn’t say anything to her, opting to instead drag the weeping 1A students to their cruel fate and leave the rest of them be . “...well, at least Monoma went on his own.” Setsuna hummed, grabbing a bottle of water with a disembodied Quirk and then passing another one to Maria.

“I wonder if I should join them.”

“I mean, you failed because of unrelated stuff, not because you didn’t do well at the exam.” She kind of did though, didn’t she? The incident with Monoma was her fault entirely… “And if Eraser didn’t say anything, then you should be in the clear.”

“Hm.”

“...besides, I can’t wait to see you scare the pants off 1A.” Setsuna snickered. “You don’t even need to use a Quirk for it. We can give you a flashlight and you can scare them with mere presence alone.”

“That seems lazy more than anything. I would think they are better than to be scared of parlor tricks like these.”

“Don’t deny that you’re not scary.” Maria rolled her eyes with a chuckle. Perhaps a little. “But hey, blood flying about is going to be one heck of a scare, too. Up to you, really.”

It sounded like harmless fun, and a practical way of applying her Quirk that would not end in a grisly fight. Perhaps Setsuna had the right of it. And yet, she could not help but think of the words she said to Kouta yesterday, and to an uneasy feeling accompanying her all afternoon. It felt as if the Forest itself watched her and the others, waiting for their weakness before it would try to claim her.

Perhaps there were real beasts in this forest, too…

Chapter Text

“Excellent work, Kodai!” Honenuki chuckled, flashing Yui a thumbs-up.

“What he said. You’ve been a star so far.” Kendo gave her a thumbs-up of her own, with a wide grin to boot. “I don’t know if Jiro will be able to sleep tonight, especially with Maria ahead of them.”

“Could have gone without stabbing me in the eye.” The brunette grunted, rubbing her left eyelid. Still, a smile danced on her lips as well. This was fun. Obviously they were trying to scare the life out of each other here, but it was just a healthy, fun competition. No doubt someone like Koda or Hagakure (who notably took to the scare a lot better than her earjacked friend) could make her life flash before her eyes yet, so they couldn’t get too cocky.

“Alright, I think the next two are coming soon. Get in position, Kodai—wait.” The two girls looked at Honenuki’s sudden frown. “...what’s that smell?”

“...burning.” Yui frowned in kind. “...a fire? Todoroki?”

“...no, that’s… that’s from somewhere else.” Kendo swallowed nervously. “Not Maria, either… did something dry catch fire in the fore-Juzo, duck!” The sudden shift in tone told Honenuki the matter was serious. He opted to sink down the ground as the air whirled just above his head. A second later, and he would no doubt lose it from the rusted length of a sword right above him.

The arm holding the sword – terribly emaciated and sickly gray and was that bone sticking out of it?! - retracted slowly as the assailant came into view. “...what on earth…” The figure was lanky, horribly injured, and with only rotting rags for clothing that didn’t even maintain their decency. And yet, it seemed the figure did not care for it, perhaps because there was nothing to care for; gray pelvic bone was about the only thing visible from that part of the body.

The assailant, Itsuka realized with growing dread, was dead, and has been for a while, judging by its sorry state. “...t-the hell is this?” Honenuki swallowed once he reappeared next to the two girls, watching the zombie shamble into view, its head bobbing back and forth like a broken doll.

“...one behind us.” Yui hissed, wide eyes trained on another corpse coming out of the woods. This one was picked clean of decayed flesh, shining with white bone and carrying a wooden staff. Judging by the strange sharp bit at the end of it, it might have once been a polearm of some kind. “W-what do we do?”

“Shit… we need to get to the clearing, or at least to the midpoint, to Ragdoll.” Kendo said, growing out her hands a little bit. Worst case scenario, she could grab the two of them and leg it, but there was no telling how many more villains were out there – because these were the real deal.

The zombie with a sword screeched an ear-piercing warble and lumbered forward.

----

One moment all of them were looking forward to their fun activity of the evening, the next – all of it crashed down in an instant.

“The villains, here?!” Ojiro exclaimed. Izuku gritted his teeth at the horrible sight: two villainous figures emerging from the woods, utterly confident and purposeful. One of them – the auburn-haired one with shades – used their package, a giant slab of metal, to strike Mandalay from behind and knock her out cold. That was how the two of them announced their presence to the students and the other two Pussycats; with the hero on the ground, at their mercy.

The other figure was currently fiddling with their coat. “Pleased to meetcha, League of Villains, all that jazz. I’m sure you’ve all heard it by now.” He grumbled, clearly having an issue with his clothing. “Gimme a hand here, Big Sis?”

“I told you to take it off beforehand.” The villain named Big Sis shook her head with a chuckle, idly grinding the metal slab against Mandalay’s bleeding temple.

“But I wanted my big entrance, dazzle ‘em like a new luxury car unveiled at a gala… ah, fuck it!” The villain opted to throw his hands up and… catch fire, emitting a terrible screeching noise as he did. The coat burned off in a dramatic fashion, revealing a hulking figure that resembled a horrid cross between a man and a car; thick exhaust pipes grew from the man’s shoulders and his feet came equipped with two small wheels each, like a pair of terrifying rollerskates. Dressed like a biker, some of his skin seemed instead replaced with mismatched, black-and-red carbody.

The villain hunched forward with a violent twitch, his face – with mismatched eyes, to boot; one tar black, the other, bigger, resembling a red turn signal – adorned with a murderous grin. “You kids ever been in a car accident before?!~” He lurched forward in a blinding burst of speed, leaving behind a cloud of thick smoke belching from the shoulder-exhausts. Before he could reach the students, the ground exploded from under his feet, sending the villain careening backwards.

“Class Prez!” Pixie-Bob turned her eyes towards Iida. “Escort your classmates to the lodge! Let Eraser and Vlad know we’re under attack!” Normally that kind of task would be done by Mandalay, but it seemed the villains knew that as well. Keeping them in the dark made things more confusing for the students – which made them easier prey for these evildoers, as well. “Two villains, might be more out there! No fighting back!”

“Well, maybe it’s just the two of us. We’re kind of a big deal.” Big Sis chuckled, pulling up her slab of iron. The other villain recovered from the earlier tumble, now perched nearby.

“Don’t get too cocky, villains!” Tiger set off forward, and given a further push by the Earth-Flow boost. The car villain laughed, setting forward to meet the Pussycat – only to suddenly swerve with a screech of his tires and beeline towards Pixie-Bob instead. Big Sis was less lucky, her and Tiger tumbling back in a battle.

“We can’t stay around! 1A, off we go!” Iida commanded. And yet, Izuku Midoriya did not move, struck with a terrible realization. Earlier that day, Kouta vanished during the dinner. There was only one place where he could have gone to. “Midoriya, we need to—“

“Go without me, Iida!” The green lightning bounced off before Class Prez could stop him. “Pixie-Bob! I know where Kouta is!”

“Wha—?!” Midoriya was gone before she could stop him either, but her eyes briefly wandered towards Mandalay, still out cold on the ground. At least the villains lost interest in her, but—

“Lights on me, pretty thing!” But she had a giant freakshow of a car to contend it with first. It seemed some men just didn’t know how to take the first “no”...

----

“W-w-what’s going on, Jiro-chan?!”

Kyoka wished she had an answer to that question. One moment the two of them were on the lookout for 1B and their scare antics – and then a genuine zombie, complete with a nauseating stench, nearly bit her fingers off and left a bloody gash across Tooru’s arm. Watching the blood just “float” on her invisible classmate was a distressing view, to say the least. At least she could give her some kerchiefs to try and stem the bleeding with.

The entire forest was buzzing with inhuman howling and screeching; whoever was behind this night of the living dead clearly had no good intentions in mind. Most seemed to be coming from behind them, and the midpoint where Ragdoll was supposed to be was just ahead. If there was anywhere they would be safe, it would be with her. Of course, that placed them closer to the forest fire. Kyoka wiped the sweat off her brow with a grunt. The midpoint was supposed to be a small clearing and—

“Halt!” The two girls stopped, staring uncertainly at the unfamiliar man in a military greatcoat. He cast a withering glower at them, hands clasped behind his back. “Any further and you will be going into the raging inferno. Turn back at once.”

“Y-you’re the villain behind all those zombies?!” Hagakure shook her invisible fist at the man, assuming – Kyoka thought – a combat stance. The man did not move nor respond, regarding the two of them.

“You have better chances against the dead than the flames, and I seek not your bloodshed. I came here for a specific reason.”

“Yeah, sorry that I don’t feel like trusting you!” Jiro looked back behind herself nervously. No zombies on their tail, but the villain was right, much as she loathed to admit it; at least they could push their way through them unlike the fire. “Where’s Ragdoll, huh?!” No response. Kyoka growled under her breath.

“W-w-what do we do, Jiro-chan?” It seemed that while Hagakure was better at weathering jumpscares, actual action gave her pause; the opposite of hers. Not that Kyoka was calm, but she felt strangely comfortable in this thoroughly uncomfortable situation.

Before they could agree on a plan of action, three more people ran into the clearing; the 1B kids. Jiro recognized Bondo – he was carrying the pudgy guy with a punching Quirk on his back – though not his plain-looking friend with black hair. “Jiro, Hagakure! Are you alright?!” The plain guy asked hurriedly.

Two things happened in succession. First, the two (it seemed the pudgy guy was knocked out) noticed the villain in the clearing. Second, the man’s stony countenance changed in an instant. “Creature…” He hissed – and leapt towards the boys, two gloves full of studs aiming right for a stupefied Bondo.

“Jiro-chan!” Tooru passed her a phone that Kyoka struggled to catch, knowing what the invisible girl had in mind. One plug later, she could only hope the three wouldn’t go deaf from the incoming soundblast; she was kind of out of options here. Aiming Hagakure’s bubblegum pink phone (with a cute bunny sticker, to boot) like a pistol, she let loose; the WUB distorted by the device’s inadequate capability went right for the villain and made him jump back with a rattled look.

“Thanks for the save!” Kaibara called out, trying to shake off the temporary deafness. Oh, geez, that was going to get disorienting. Bondo stumbled back, making sure to shield his unconscious classmate as Jiro stepped forward, ready to give her improvised sound gun another go as the villain recollected himself, now openly casting glowers at all students, and not just the Cemedine user. “...what?!”

“It should pass soon! Keep an eye on that creep!” She shouted, watching the villain roll his shoulders. Sparks danced around his gloves – guess he must have had some kind of electrical Quirk, like Jammingwhey. Now that they’ve pissed him off, guess he wouldn’t let them go so easily like a moment ago.

“Death it is then.” He intoned with ice in his voice before dashing in.

----

Kalma hummed, idly munching on a length of licorice.

So far the operation was going smoothly; the Vanguard Action Squad spread out in search of their objectives. Dabi and Twice distracted the pros at the lodge; Magne and Roadkill – the Pussycats. Her minions roamed about, Faust included, hunting down whoever they pleased. The Nomu – filthy monstrosity, nothing like her own craft – was to neutralize the errant Pussycat at the midpoint and then seek out the “Y”; one of their objectives. “B” and “T” were sought out by Moonfish and their laconic friend in black, with Compress playing interference should they fail. In the havoc of it all, Toga had to gather some blood samples for further use.

Obviously, this plan didn’t particularly scream “Micolash” to her, but then again, he was the one who sought out these League ruffians for partnership. Perhaps one too many eldritch revelations finally loosened something in his eye-laced brain. Perhaps Dabi had the right of it, and Shigaraki’s group had nothing to do with the endeavors of Mensis. Not that it stopped him – or her, for that matter – from making use of the situation.

“Are you sure you don’t want a bite?” She asked her unlikely prisoner, trapped behind the bars of bone in a small cage. The boy shook with fear, but had given up calling for help by now, resigned to his current fate. Nobody was coming to save him when there was so much going on. Not that Kalma sought to do harm to him. It might have been something that struck Shigaraki’s fancy, but she was more behaved than that, certainly.

Receiving no response, Kalma shifted in her bone seat, one leg moving over the other. “If all goes well, we should be done before the next hour. You can go home then.”

“...why…?” The bespectacled girl craned her neck to look at the boy. He shook with fear – but also with indignation. “Why do you always have to mess things up…? Why do you stupid people, you stupid heroes, and villains… throwing your powers like that, making things bad, every frickin’ time…!”

“Speaking from experience, young man?”

“...my parents died because of a villain like you… who just came in and did what he wanted.” Kalma scoffed. Surely she was better than some run-of-the-mill street thug. “And now you’re just going to be doing the same… killing whoever you want with your stupid Quirk!”

“It might seem that way to you, as you’re yet young and inexperienced. In time, you will see that this night was necessary.” A grieving child wasn’t exactly a logical person, she reasoned. Let him say whatever he wanted; the sooner he tired out, the sooner she would have quiet in this place to continue overseeing the operation through her minions… one of which was just smashed to bits by a bolt of green lightning.

The one keeping watch of her position. Of course. There was always one overeager hero in the crowd, wasn’t there?

Kalma sighed, turning her head to watch the green-haired boy make himself known on the cliffside. “Such pain in the neck.”

“Kouta, are you okay?!” And he didn’t even deign to acknowledge her first. Vexing, and more than a little annoying. “Release him at once!” Ah, there they went. Kalma tutted, the bone seat of hers turning with her as she regarded her opponent. Unremarkable. Arms covered in scars. High on Shigaraki’s personal kill list. Izuku Midoriya, Quirk name: Super Power. Shameless All Might fanboy.

A drone with no restraint or self-preservation. Kalma’s lips quirked down. “Before you go around making lofty demands like that, how about introducing yourself?” Before he could lurch forward, she flicked her scepter upward, the previously-harmless cage of bone now becoming a trap as the sharpened ends gathered around the young boy, threatening to kill him in an instant should the enterprising hero hopeful think himself fast enough. He gasped, eyes widening like saucers.

“What do you want with him?!”

“He is a hostage, obviously. Until your arrival, I considered letting him go once we’re done here in this forest. So, if I were to kill him right now… who would be to blame?” The hero hopeful grit his teeth, clearly wanting to rush forward, but having enough clarity of mind to know what that would mean.

“...I said let him go.” Kalma smirked, an amusement dancing on her face. It seemed all this power just could not be properly utilized if there were innocents in the way. A hero’s greatest weakness seemed to be those they would normally save. How ironic was that?

“Perhaps, if you answer a couple of my questions.” The hero hopeful silently weighed the options of informing her and continuing to be stubborn before nodding, casting withering glowers at her. “Good, you can pay attention. First of all, licorice?” Kalma offered, gesturing with the second half of the black stick. No response, of course. Forgive her for trying to be welcoming. “Onto the proper questions: where can we find the children named Yaoyorozu, Tokage, and Bakugo?”

----

Himiko was the kind of person that fell in love easily.

It was just one of her weaknesses that she couldn’t help; if she took notice of someone her type, she was going to follow that person around and make sure to be them, if possible. To meet them, to cut them, to drink their blood, to kiss them and to cuddle them as she stabbed them – the notion itself was making her legs weak. She thought Stain could be someone like this, at first, but she didn’t get a good look at him back when he showed up in the news feed, beaten and bloody. Normally these would be the things that would get Himiko going – but on the screen, he was nothing but a broken doll, left to disuse. Sad.

There was a couple of cute people in the forest. She planned to make an introduction to the girl with a round face and her froggy friend, but the undead creatures summoned by that snotty girl chased them off. She couldn’t share a stage with some zombies, that’d take the spotlight off her! With a huff, Himiko moved forward, trying to find someone on their own. Sounds of fighting, some crackling of burning trees, the howling of the zombies – it was a cacophony all around.

But then she caught one howl different from the others – it was a screech of fruitless frustration, utter helplessness. She went over to investigate. If someone or something was making a sound like that, then a second party had to be with them, and likely the cause of that anguished utterance.

What she found made her heart skip a beat.

It was the girl Micolash was so interested about, and she was even taller than on TV. She was also covered in blood; her entire lower jaw was adorned with wonderful red streaks, spilling out of her mouth and down her shirt, changing the dull gray into a vibrant crimson in fantastical patterns, spilling down her pants and onto her shoes. And yet, she stood so tall and so proudly; holding off the struggling zombie with both arms by its skull. It screeched and bellowed in indignation. Toga spied its arms, broken and torn off, lying about. It screeched in fear, trying its damnedest to escape the iron grip.

The beautiful bloody creature sighed, slipped her thumbs into the empty sockets of the skull, cemented her grip on it – and squeezed.

Himiko swallowed nervously, fighting off the urge to salivate, watching how the old brittle bone became powder in what seemed like an instant. The zombie twitched and squirmed for a few more times before it went still; all that was left of its head was a piece of the mandible, now uselessly clattering about. Maria’s face and shoulders covered in the bone ash did nothing to take away from her utter beauty as she let the zombie crumple on the ground, idly wiping her hands off the stuff. Then she ran them over her face, fingers moving through her dirty snow-colored hair, through the bushy ponytail…

Then their eyes met; sickly vibrant gold quivered before the cool tranquil sea pale. “...hm. What does a felicitous nymph like yourself do in this forest all by her lonesome?” Oh sweet lord, her voice…! This was the one! This had to be the one! Himiko was right here, utterly smitten, fighting off an instinct in her head telling her to flee from a girl – from a woman – not unlike a brilliant star. Who cared that she was the only one on the “do not engage” list Shigaraki gave them?! “Surely you are not behind the living dead prowling the forest, are you?”

Thank God for that stupid mask she wore, or she’d see her drooling and that just wasn’t cute at all. “N-nope. W-wow, uh… give me a moment to compose myself, ‘kay?”

“Take your time.” And she didn’t even rush her! “Are you with the League of Villains, perhaps?”

“Sure are~ I’m Toga, Himiko to my friends~” She fumbled for the knife, hating how sweaty her palm was right now. She was here to do a job still, after all, even if she could mix business with pleasure – and a blood of someone like this beautiful creature was going to be something she would treasure forever. “You’re… well, you’re not cute, but I’ve half a mind to pin you to a tree and make out with you.”

“How forward. Is the knife necessary for that though?”

“I know, it’s a bit of an acquired taste~ I’m sure we’ll get along before long though. I want… I really want to lick all of that blood off you… ehehe, but here I go, blabbing about. Look what you’ve done to me, and on our first meeting, to boot~” For an imperceptible moment, something in Maria’s face shifted. Himiko figured this must have been her survival instinct. People generally did not take to being stabbed kindly, not even cool and handsome ones like her. It was something she had come to terms with, and continued on despite it.

But then that beautiful creature smiled a most beautiful predatory smile, and all of her worries turned to nothing. “I have done nothing yet, you little coquette.” Slowly, she shifted into a fighting stance. “But if you come any closer, I just might.”

----

Kousei Tsuburaba had no idea what it was like to be a fly between three squabbling spiders, but his current position had him think he was getting there.

On one side was a terrifying villain (as if the zombies running around weren’t bad enough!) in gimp gear, looking like a B-movie horror monster, currently trying to dice them up with his freaky teeth, growing at disturbing angles and intervals. On the other, two titans of 1A; one of them beyond incensed he couldn’t let loose right now.

“Get back here, small fry!” Bakugo barked, watching the villain disappear into the treeline.

“Don’t be fooled. He’ll be coming back before long.” Todoroki was at least cool about this situation – and his defensive abilities could actually stop the freaky teeth from turning them into sushi. Kousei didn’t kid himself; if one of these blades came after him, the best his air barrier could do would be to slow it down. “Tsuburaba, anything from the back?”

“Still clear! Wait, no, one zombie on our tail!” One of the living dead shambled out of the forest, carrying its broken arm as a weapon. It didn’t get to go very far – one of the blade-teeth zipped above the three students and ripped it in two. Kousei gulped, watching the decayed body come apart with the ease he would open a hard candy wrapper with.

“Do not… flesh is mine… don’t interfere…” The villain mumbled as he emerged from the treeline upside-down, his voice somehow all too audible to Tsuburaba’s tastes. “But work… but so hungry…” Using his teeth to prop himself up at a bizarre angle, it was obvious the guy had plenty of experience.

“C’mere real close and you’ll get a knuckle sandwich, punkass!”

“The hell does he mean saying “work”…?” Kousei gulped. Todoroki frowned, erecting another wall of ice to shield them from the barrage.

“They’re not here just to sow chaos, like at the USJ.” The Fire-Ice user’s mismatched eyes wandered over to Bakugo. “...they’re here for someone.”

“...Blasty McSplode?”

“I heard that, Googly Eyes!” The villain disappeared behind another wall of ice, biding his time. “And the fuck would those punks want with me?!”

“Now here’s a million-yen question.” Todoroki mused, eyeing the way they came back from. “We can try and retreat, but there’s no telling how many zombies or other villains there are out there.”

“Maybe we can find someone else to help us out. Most of my class should be in the forest still…” Tsuburaba gulped. Shit, how were the others doing? He had no way of knowing that…

And then, something not too far away from them exploded, and then again. And again. Something big, huge was making its way towards them, turning trees into mulch and cutting its way through the woods with childish ease. Kousei’s throat turned dry. What now?! At least the villain looked similarly distracted at the new arrival, craning his neck to have a look (in a manner of speaking).

He caught the sight of 1A’s Shoji, his top gone somewhere along the way, running as if the dead (the metaphorical ones) chased him. Someone was on his back, supported by his extra arms. “Bakugo! Todoroki! Give us some light!” He called out desperately. Tsuburaba could finally recognize the person he carried; Yanagi?! She looked out of it, and probably not just because of an impromptu bandage made out of a black tank top around her head. Wait, but she was with Tokage! Where was—

Behind Shoji and Yanagi crawled a monster; a giant shadowy shape with malevolent red eyes and huge claws. Inside of it writhed a bird-headed form of Tokoyami, futilely calling out to keep his Quirk from rampaging. “GET BACK HERE, GNATS!” Dark Shadow hollered with righteous fury, swatting the villain aside in the middle of it all as if he were a mere fly.

...shit. They had some big fish to fry here.

----

Momo’s legs felt as if they were lead.

It was a Nomu. A Nomu right in the middle of the forest, approaching them – approaching her – with countless chainsaws for arms. It had two free hands; one of them was pinning Awase by the face against a tree. The 1B boy was limp in its grip – did the Nomu kill him…? No! She couldn’t think like that! B-but…

Aoyama was with her, trying and failing to maintain a brave face against such a perilous foe. She thought the zombies were bad enough, and one of them cut her at the forehead, forcing her to close one eye from the blood seeping from above – but they were enemies that the three of them could have defeated, and maybe make their way to the midpoint or back to the clearing.

But then the Nomu introduced itself by sawing one of the trees in half – and then slamming Awase against the severed trunk. Unlike the USJ one, this one had no eyes and a gag in its mouth; it was smaller, yet no less bulging with powerful muscles. Each of its tool arms whirred threateningly. This was not why Momo could not bring herself to move an inch right now.

This Nomu spoke. “Moon… touched… lass…” It spoke three terrible words, its eyeless gaze upon her. How many more of these monstrosities were going to come after her?! How many more people would suffer because of this accidental mark Flora left upon her and Setsuna?!

“Mademoiselle… run. I’ll buy you some time.” Aoyama said quietly, shaking like a leaf yet nonetheless slowly straightening up. Awase’s arm twitched slightly – it seemed he was not dead, thank the gods, but the Nomu still had him in its grip.

“W-what about Awase-san…?”

“For all of his terrible predicament… I would wager this Nomu is different from the one from the USJ. It is here for a reason. For you.” Momo gulped, coming to terms with the statement – spoken by the usually easy-going, flamboyant Aoyama of all people. “...I cannot guess why, but it should leave him once it gives chase. I’ll… slow it down as best as moi can.”

“B-but—“

“It can be all of us dying here or just me. I dare say the latter is an excellent deal. Now go.” Slowly, the Nomu started stomping towards them. It did drop Awase as it went, at least, uttering those three horrible words again, “moon touched lass”. Momo swallowed, watching the monstrous creature approach them. “Go!” Aoyama’s voice was reaching her as if through a thick wall. She had to move, she had to get away, b-but she couldn’t leave him or Awase a-and—

“Hey, asshole!” And then the cavalry arrived in two swift punches; one glistening with steel, the other thick and bestial. The Nomu was not an ordinary villain to be so easily defeated by a surprise attack – but the blows threw it off-course, making it crane its neck to look at the newcomers. “Pick on someone your own size!” Tetsutetsu hollered, swiveling to get between the two 1A students and the Nomu. “How’s Awase?!”

“H-he’s still alive! I don’t know his state though…!” Momo’s voice left her throat, yes, but it didn’t feel like she was speaking at all. This entire situation felt like a movie on fast-forward. Shishida shoulder-tackling the Nomu in his beastly form, ripped out of his shirt, felt almost as an afterthought.

----

Sen Kaibara generally didn’t get very excited about things.

Not that he didn’t want to do them – he wanted to be a hero, and to pursue his photographer hobby – but nothing quite did it to him like a brawl. By all means, he should have known better than to get excited when facing a terrible villain from a terrible group. CRC? Really? That was dirt-low.

And yet, here he was, with a defiant grin on his face as he threw another corkscrew punch. The villain huffed, opting to block this one as well. Didn’t block the sudden kick that threw his chin up. The military man recoiled, glowering at the student. Jiro was in the back, ready to give Sen another boost if needed, but they both agreed to limit it to emergencies – the narrow area of the path meant she would catch both him and the villain in the blast. His ears were still ringing after the first one.

“Protecting this thing, barely human that it is… you are wasting your powers!” The villain snarled, reaching out for Sen with an electrified hand. Not a punch, a grab; Kaibara realized too late, his shirt seized by the villain. “There is so much more you could have done with them” Headbutt. Sen’s head jerked back as he saw stars before the villain gripped his neck, the sparks on his gloves dancing with greater ferocity. “yet you aid the monsters!”

WUB

The two separated, Kaibara rolling back to safety as the villain gnashed his teeth, futilely shielding himself with his arms. “I see only one monster here!” Jiro shouted, aiming her impromptu sound enhancer. Hagakure’s phone was giving out sparks, not used to such great power coursing through it; it didn’t have much more juice in it.

“You are coddled children… you cannot understand why mine is a righteous mission! But I will educate you yet.” The villain was not deterred, opting to advance back at their position. Before he could go far, a spray of cement-like glue splattered before him, just short of his feet.

“I don’t… I don’t care what your deal is, but first it was just me… and now it’s them…” Bondo didn’t look nearly as big as he usually did, Kaibara thought, but he still stood a head taller than the villain. “I won’t let you hurt them!”

“Then come forth and stop hiding behind your allies! We shall settle this in a proper manner, man-to-creature!”

“Don’t, Bondo, that’s what he wants…” Sen hissed. “You might be tough, but you’re not a melee fighter.”

“...I have a plan. It might work.” Kojiro said quietly. Jiro shot him a surprised look, even as the glue giant stood in front, a short distance away from the villain. His quiet and gentle nature lent itself to some inquisitiveness when interacting with others, and figuring out when they spoke important things and when it was just chatter for chatting’s sake. Not that Bondo hated talking – even if he wasn’t good at it – but he could tell when someone talked too much.

And though he carried himself as a straight-backed military man, this villain loved the sound of his own voice. Perhaps enough to get distracted at a critical moment. “...what have I ever done to you?” Bondo called, shaking his head. “You hate me this much, b-but… what for?”

“This is not for you to understand, creature. All you need to know is that yours is a cursed existence – one that I will help you free yourself from. Consider this a parting gift from a better man.”

“You fu—“ Bondo stopped Jiro’s curse before she could utter it, one large hand in front of her.

“I don’t understand. I do want to, though. I want to know w-why I am worse.” The villain scoffed, looking like he was about to dash in and end the conversation there – but he stayed in place, something of a piteous look on his face.

“Have you looked in the mirror? Have you heard the fearful gasps of the passersby as you walked down the street? Have you ever been looked at with fear and revulsion? I am certain that is the case.”

“I… maybe.” Bondo rubbed his chin, trying to strike a thoughtful look. “I cannot think of anything specific, but—“

A single, sudden squirt of glue from a single hole only. A precision attack he worked on in his spare time; something that he wanted to figure out how to do, but wasn’t sure how it would help him until a few moments ago. The splash of Cemedine went right for the villain’s eyes, hoping to blind him for a moment and let Kaibara or Jiro put him out of commission after.

The villain tilted his head slightly, just enough to let the harmless bit of glue stay on his cheek. Bondo’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. “...you thought you could have gotten the better of me, creature? Even after my pity, my compassion, you sought to use this moment of reflection to so treacherously strike at me?” A single spark from his glove was all it took to disperse even that little bit of glue off his face. “Death might be too good for you – but it is what you shall have—“

Bondo was right, however: the villain liked to talk a bit too much. His dash towards the students coincided with a huge hand coming out of the forest to punch him right into the tree and off the path. Rather than impact against the trunk, he sunk into it like jelly. “Sink him, Bondo!” He heard Honenuki exclaim as he and Kodai emerged from the treeline; Kendo was there a moment earlier, having just landed on her feet. The glue giant nodded – and this time wasn’t shy about the amount of Cemedine used, trapping the villain between the softened tree and the thick layer of glue.

“Good work on distracting him.” Itsuka nodded, watching the rest of the group. “Good to see you all in one piece, too. Is Shoda-kun okay?”

“Should be peachy!” Hagakure shot the redhead an invisible thumbs-up from the back.

----

Setsuna could not feel her legs.

It wasn’t that she had lost them or anything (well, one of the zombies carved a piece out of her thigh, so she opted to discard it rather than let it fester), but, well, Rin was heavier than she expected, and she had to lug him around before another of the dead men tried to get the better of them. One of them already threw the Chinese student against a tree, though Setsuna could at least distract the creature with a piece of her head. It seemed the zombies still liked their brains, just like in fiction.

...she was going to be nursing that headache for a while.

Something strange caught her attention; two girls perched behind one of the bushes. They were staring at something with great intensity, but Setsuna recognized them for fellow students from 1A. Asui and Uraraka, was it…? The latter whipped around to look at her with wide, alarmed eyes before her face relaxed – only slightly however. “Shh.” She put a finger to her lips. Setsuna nodded, looking behind herself to check for errant zombies before putting Rin on the ground and joining the other two.

“Tokage-chan, is it?” Asui nodded, something in her expression… off as she briefly regarded the lizard girl. “…you might not like this.” Setsuna frowned, peeking from behind the bush to get a look, expecting a particularly odious zombie or the villains’ meeting place (they had to have one, right?).

Instead, her heart went still.

In the small clearing there were two girls. One Setsuna did not recognize; she had sickly golden eyes, two messy buns of blond hair, and an unhealthy, manic grin. The cardigan and the rest of her school uniform looked a touch too small, as if they were a middle-high uniform for a girl that looked to be about her age or maybe a little older. There was a knife in her hand she used to draw on the other girl’s body as if she would draw with a crayon on a piece of paper, cutting the other’s shirt and flesh with gleeful irreverence. The equipment on her seemed almost like an afterthought; it was obvious she was with the villains.

The other girl Setsuna knew all too well.

Maria was covered in blood – the lizard girl wouldn’t dare guess how much of it was from her earlier preparations for the test of courage and how much of it was genuine, given the villain’s proclivities with a knife – her hair undone in a messy wave, seated against the tree. The manic blonde was perched on her lap, giggling to herself, lapping the blood off Maria’s face and neck and cleavage with such disgusting thirst as if she were a real vampire after a long withdrawal.

The villain girl’s lips traced up, to Maria’s, biting not too gently. The white marble grunted, but did nothing to stop her, letting the blonde savor another sanguine threat as her lower lip bled. “W-w-w-what are we doing, sitting here not helping her?!” Setsuna whispered harshly, feeling her throat grow drier than a desert.

“...just watch.” Uraraka’s voice was solemn, resigned, and for a moment the lizard girl wanted to slap her upside the head. But then… she watched Maria reach out for the villain girl’s chin. The blonde didn’t look alarmed, even as her knife sunk into the white marble’s side.

They kissed. They made out, tongue and all, heedless of the blood between them. The blonde villain looked to be at the top of her pleasure, eyes fluttering up in gleeful, unabashed pleasure. Maria did not show her eyes to her, but the kiss was – looked – genuine. “Good girl.” Setsuna heard her say, purr, and fought off a gag reflex. What… why…? How…?

Uraraka tugged her away before she could watch any more of this horrid show. “...you okay, Tokage-chan…?”

“...I’m gonna throw up. It’s n-not happening. It can’t be.” Setsuna stammered, her voice like wallpaper coming off from moisture and rot. This wasn’t Maria. This had to be some kind of trick, wasn’t it? Maybe the villain’s Quirk did this to her…? She wasn’t that kind of person. She wasn’t with the villains.

“Guess that’s one way how the villains found the camp, ribbit…” Asui posited, and for a moment Setsuna wanted to slap her upside the head as well. “...we should try to fall back. Ochako-chan, you can carry the 1B guy more easily…?”

“...should be able to. What if they hear us though…? Muradasilova’s… kind of a monster in a fight.”

“We can’t confront them, especially if Tokage-chan’s friend is out of it.” Asui frowned. “But there’s no telling what’s behind us at this point.”

“...I… you take Rin, and I…” Setsuna could barely speak, let alone form coherent plans. What made her think this was a good idea? “...I’ll distract them.”

“W-what? No, they’ll kill you.” Maybe they would. Maybe Maria would just skewer her with a bloody lance and that would be the end of things – but she needed to confront her, to ask her why. She had no idea what might have pushed her to work with these villains, but she needed to know. She knew her plight at being unable to save the girl from the yakuza was genuine. She knew she faced terrible villains and would stand in defense of another without a missed beat. Then why…?

Before Setsuna could dwell on that any further, two things happened in quick succession: a sharp sound of a roaring flame followed by the villain girl’s agonal scream.

----

Himiko was on cloud nine. Ten, even.

Their fight didn’t last long; it seemed that Maria was just a touch sloppy from her earlier conflict with the zombies. Before long, she had her on the ground, at her mercy. It almost felt too good to be true, too easy – was she trying to goad her into some kind of a trap? And yet, it seemed the day truly was Himiko’s here. Before she could stop herself, she was on top of the other girl, trying and failing to contain her excitement.

Sure, it annoyed her a bit that there was no reaction to being stabbed with a knife other than a mild grunt, but hey, everyone had flaws! No one was perfect. Himiko herself was a messy eater, for example. Plus, what Maria lost in pain reception more than made up in other things, like the smooth tone of her voice or how her blood tasted like heaven itself. No wonder Micolash called her a princess, with such energy inside her.

She was also a very good kisser. Or maybe Himiko was so blitzed out of her mind that she couldn’t tell, but it certainly felt good. Maybe… just maybe, perhaps she’d like to come with her? It felt as if Maria was someone quite like her; someone who once tried to fit in and live a fake life. The tall girl was better about it than her, but her true feelings shone through their meeting. Shigaraki wanted to see if he could convince that Bakugo kid to his cause, and he wanted the moon-touched girls as an insurance against whatever the Healing Church was up to. Who knew, maybe they too could be persuaded to join the League?

Maybe Maria was her very own catch. “Good girl.” A soft purr as they’ve separated, blood mixed with saliva. Her pale face held no blush, but her smile was just the prettiest thing, it made Himiko see stars. She wriggled the knife in the tall girl’s side, enjoying the squishy sound it made. “But will your allies not care you are not returning yet…? They might yet think you have turned coat.”

“Nothing like it. I’m just skipping around, collecting blood samples~ Like yours~” Right, she needed a properly contained bit of it. The needle of her equipment sunk into Maria’s other side, gathering the vibrant red into the vial. The tall girl shot her an annoyed look.

“You certainly took your time with it. Well, I hope it serves you well.”

“I’m sure it will~ But speaking of that… wanna come with?” Seeing the raised eyebrow, Himiko elaborated, hoping she wasn’t stuttering words out of excitement. “You know… you’re a lot like me. This hero business, seems like you’re chafing against it, when all you want to be is free… free to live a normal life as you like, you know?”

“Like yours?”

“Yeah, exactly!~ Maria-chan, you just know me too well...~” Again with that brief change in her look. Well, Himiko couldn’t fault her; it was a bit of an endeavor to just leave your old life and go on with a new one. “...we could go on dates and paint our nails, and have smoothies together, and kill together, and kill each other a little, a-and I’d drink your blood, and you’d drink mine… and we could kiss more and cuddle a-and maybe even… ehehe, I’m getting flushed just thinking about it.” A bloody finger rested on her lips, shushing her. Himiko resisted an urge to suckle it off the red.

“I can certainly follow your lead, dear Himiko. Where should we go?”

“Oh, you know, to the evacuation point~ Dabi might grouse that I didn’t get more blood, but hey, I brought an amazing new girl with me. I think that evens out~” Himiko slipped off her lap, rising to her feet – pulling the knife and the needle out of the other girl’s body in the meantime – before she offered her a hand. Maria gingerly took it, even if she was a little slow to get up. Perhaps Himiko had too much fun with her, huffing with exertion as she used both arms to pull her up to her feet. “...I just… I love you so much, Maria-chan~”

The tall girl’s smile seemed slightly off this time, and were she less distracted by everything else about her, Himiko might have taken notice. “Himiko, darling. One more word before we go.”

“Mm?~”

“Burn.”

Himiko blinked, not sure if she had heard her correctly. And then, something got stuck in her throat. Something of a… burning sensation, crawling from her belly and to her limbs, up her neck and into her mouth… to her ears and eyes and nose, something like… something like fire.

A gout of flame erupted from her mouth, like a dragon’s fiery breath. Himiko doubled over, the unbearable pressure of that awful hotness threatening to pop out of every orifice, even the ones with something in the way… she managed to pull her head up to look at Maria, only vaguely aware that her ear was full of this fire too, threatening to spill out and consume her.

Maria did not smile, did not smirk triumphantly at having fooled her. There was no expression on her face at all, even as she stood straight before her. Only her eyes spoke of her emotion, cold like the deepest pit of the darkest sea. She looked at Himiko with disgust, with revulsion – like an insect she wanted to crush underfoot.

The blonde recoiled back, forcing herself to stand back up straight, the fire refusing to go away as it sped through her body, ravaging her insides, burning her limbs, searing out her very being – and then the gust erupted around her head, obscuring her vision in the fiery pain, so tortuous, so encompassing, there was no good way to describe it.

Himiko Toga screamed.

Chapter Text

Through the forest ran a single man with a capture scarf on his neck.

After fighting off the villain that ambushed him at the lodge – actually just a clone of a villain, which raised questions how many such clones with such firepower ran around to begin with – Eraser left Vlad to hold the fort, defend the students at the lodge, and see just what he could do. The villains were smart to knock Mandalay out, depriving their side off communication. Pixie-Bob’s Earthflow could cover much more ground, but throwing it around blindly meant little if the students were still scattered around the forest, likely fighting off the other villains. The undead puppets swarming between the trees must have been one of the villainous Quirks at hand, keeping them further distracted.

Eraserhead swerved wildly, his eyes glowing crimson red – only to find two 1B students emerging out of the woodwork, in a rather sorry state. [Eraser teacher!] Pony Tsunotori and Manga Fukidashi, both of them banged up. They were propping each other up; it looked like the latter’s leg was broken while the former had a bloodied impromptu bandage on her abdomen. Looked to be done from the boy’s shirt, given how neatly ripped up it was as opposed to the girl’s generally torn clothes. [T-there’s villains everywhere and Manga’s leg’s broken and I don’t know how many and there are gosh darn zombies all over and…!]

[Settle down, Tsunotori.] He replied evenly in his own accented English. The girl must have been hopped up on adrenaline to just ignore that stomach wound of hers. Reminded him of a certain single kid from his class. [That needs medical attention. Any villains right behind you?]

[I’m fine sir, no sir!] Of course she’d say she’s fine; didn’t even skip a beat for it, even as the red pooled at the shirt cloth, threatening to spill out.

“Pony, you’re… fucking bleeding out…” Manga groaned, his head lolling back slightly as he went a little more limp on her shoulder. Guess he must have been rattled earlier. Concussion? “Aizawa-sensei, she’s… I’m fine, jus’… you know…”

“You’re both coming with me. Fukidashi, I’ll need you to do something for me once we get to the lodge.”

“If I don’t black out, sure.” For the time being Aizawa had to prioritize these two. The other students might have been in danger – certainly were – but he was not at a luxury to go any further into the forest with two vulnerable students.

Yet, before he could get any further… [Teacher, behind you!] Eraser swiveled back, sensing an oncoming blow. An ordinary attack, but his eyes flashed red, just in case. The leg of the assailant stopped on his arm before the villain bounced back, landing on his feet. All black, complete with sunglasses, tactical and utilitarian gear. If Aizawa were to make a guess, he’d call the man in front of him a mercenary. His scarf set off to seize the villain, but the man was quick on his feet to avoid the oncoming attack, and a few more times after that. Eraser watched him take a brief look at the students and scoff dismissively.

[The children can go.] Heavy Korean accent in his English, a combat stance reminiscent of old-school Taekwondo. No points for guessing where the villain came from. Aizawa’s eyes narrowed. [I was to capture one of these – but that is beneath me. You, however… you have my attention, Eraserhead.]

[How nice of you.] Aizawa groused, the scarf lashing out a few more times. [And how should I trust you won’t attack them with their backs turned?]

[There is no guarantee.] The man was refreshingly honest, eyes idly wandering to Pony gritting her teeth at him. [But, one warrior to another, I have distaste for killing children. You will have to trust me, Eraserhead.]

[If you think we’ll leave Eraser Teacher to some no-good rattlesnake, then—!]

[Tsunotori. Go. Make sure Vlad checks that wound of yours. Fukidashi.] Aizawa shifted around to ensure the villain would not be able to easily reach them in case he had second thoughts. [Once you get to the lodge, I need you to shout these words into the sky…]

----

“...thank you. I am humbled.” Tokoyami picked himself off the ground.

What just moments ago was still a terrifying spectacle came to a sudden end. Bakugo and Todoroki’s Quirks were perfect to neutralize the rampaging Dark Shadow – though not before it brutalized the villain in the gimp gear, knocking him through a score of trees so large it left behind a giant tear in the earth. The bits of his teeth still lied scattered all over it, but there was no fear the villain would be back to menace them; not after such an overwhelming display of power. Encasing him in a prison of ice and air barriers was just there to be sure.

“What now? You think the villains are after Bakugo?” Tsuburaba questioned Todoroki with a raised eyebrow.

“The fuck would they want—“

“Whatever it is that they want, they’ll be gunning for you.” The Fire-Ice user shook his head, ignoring Bakugo’s outburst. “You can’t go out there willy-nilly.”

“Watch me, Icyhot!”

“We have a big enough group to ward off the zombies, at least.” Shoji continued the topic, ignoring the annoyance popping up on the Explosion user’s face, complete with bulging veins. “No idea about the villains though. If this guy was enough to keep you three in place, then the others might be as dangerous if not more so.”

“And we need to watch Yanagi too.” Tsuburaba nodded, eyes wandering to the pale girl held in Shoji’s extra arms. “So… which way to the clearing?”

“This route should loop around, but there’s no telling what’s waiting in the wings. I think we should—“

Before Todoroki could lay out the plan, a scream reached them – and it was coming closer, complete with the nauseating stench of the burning human meat. “...what the fuck… Icyhot, did you—“ A figure came out into the clearing, having run through the scar in the earth left after Dark Shadow’s rampage. It was difficult to make out details, especially considering the upper body of the figure – a girl, if the uniform was anything to go by – was engulfed in bright yellow-red flames. She screamed, dashing forward as if blind, trying to extinguish herself with the remains of her cardigan, rubbing it on her body like a safety blanket.

The horrific scene didn’t last long; the girl was still quick on her feet to escape from their view, running towards a direction only she knew. Someone was chasing her. Someone very familiar. The tall figure of Maria Muradasilova – covered in blood, hair loose, with stab wounds all over her, and almost casually picking the bits of the gimp villain’s teeth as improvised weapons before dashing after the burning girl – could not be mistaken for anyone else.

Her eyes briefly met with Todoroki’s, and she flashed a savage grin, before disappearing in her chase after the girl. The silence that fell onto the woods after was disconcerting, to say the least. “...Tsuburaba, was that…”

“...a crazy Finnish lady. Yeah. I saw her too.” Kousei, for his part, surprised himself at how calm his voice was. Eerily so, almost. “...I want to say I pity the villains, but—“

“But nothing. We must stop her before she commits to an unspeakable offense.” Tokoyami’s voice had a strange quality to it. Shoji shook his head.

“We still have Yanagi to take care of, and Bakugo is one of the villains… targets…” Oh. The way his voice drifted off did not sound good. Tsuburaba followed his eyes to where the explosive personality of 1A stood just a moment ago. Emphasis on past tense.

It was as if he vanished into thin air.

----

Kalma tapped the earpiece, listening to the feed. Mr. Compress was a professional, and a cultured man to boot; she expected positive results from him to fill in where Moonfish and the Korean failed.

Furthermore, Dabi just confirmed that the Nomu seized another of their morsels. Two out of three was not a bad result at all. “Well, looks like we’re done.” And right on time, her licorice sticks were running out. Midoriya fixed her a vexed look. She wasn’t exactly doing much with him; mostly summoning some of the sentries in the area to play with him while she bid her time. There wasn’t much he could do to stop her, not with a hostage a brush away from death she could kill at leisure.

The boy went quiet, at least, so that was one less thing to worry about. “Now, I shall return this young man back into your heroic embrace.” She chuckled mockingly, watching the gears in Midoriya’s brain come to a screeching halt at the realization. The heroes have lost this battle, ever so important.

“W-who did you capture?!”

“You expect me to tell you?” Of course not; he was just stalling for time. “I will give you some advice, young hero; not all can be saved. It’s better to accept that fact early than suffer burnout.” Midoriya grit his teeth. Kalma enjoyed grinding down such stubborn fools like the one before her. She did not consider herself a barbarous villain who killed whoever they pleased, but some pleasures of this shadowy life could not be replaced.

The horrible, discordant shout going into the sky – coming from somewhere near the lodge, give or take – the permission for the students to defend themselves, authorized by Eraserhead himself, screamed out in desperation by one of the students… all of it came too late. “Now, I shall be taking my leave. The cage will lower itself in five minutes. Do not try to extract him earlier than that, unless you wish to have his blood on his hands.”

With a mocking curtsy, she turned to leave the hero and his gnashing teeth before a strange premonition washed over her. In this pale moonlight, someone else – something else – was watching this charade from their hiding spot. Of course. They were here to seize the moon-touched children; of course the Moon would seek to prevent them from doing so. It had its own designs on them.

She swerved wildly, aiming her scepter towards the incoming threat. Bone growths shot out from under the very earth, but they found no purchase in striking the rail-thin assailant. The creature was fast, if nothing else. It was faster than her, even without eyes to guide it.

Then, the moment the nameless moon presence slammed her into the rocky wall, all became darkness.

----

Magne’s been in some bad scuffles before, but this one might have been the worst yet.

Of course, her previous brawls were usually in vastly different environs: indoors, crowded, among petty thugs and d-listers. Plus, she was usually on her own. Roadkill was… enthusiastic, and really distracting.

All in all, fighting a real pro, cream of the crop member of the Top 100 – it was exciting, but boy, was Tiger not gentle with her at all. “Give up yet?!” And escaping his Quirk was next to impossible. Magne would offer a quip if she could gather enough breath to speak.

At least Roadkill was doing better, even if the other Pussycat was getting the hang of his wild charges, redirecting him with earth ramps and ruptures. Not that the crazy car guy minded, burning through them with the same enthusiasm. “I hope this is as fun for you as it is for me, Pixie!~”

“Sorry, I don’t like my men this clingy!” Ah. Hero-villain banter. How quaint. Magne grumbled, watching as the two remained a comfortable distance away from her fight with Tiger. If Pixie-Bob could come any closer, she could try magnetizing her over, but Roadkill was not making it particularly easy. At least Compress mentioned he’s got the “B”, and so did Dabi confirm seizing one of the girls they were looking for.

...of course, this triumph was going to be a cold comfort for those who were left behind. Hopefully the others were doing better, at least.

----

Truth be told, Aizawa wasn’t used to enemies who actually knew martial arts.

Most villains, from petty alley lurkers to monsters who could give Top 10 a run for their money, relied on their Quirks and the experience of unlawful life. Some were just tough and strong enough for that to be sufficient. Not that Aizawa wanted to toot his own horn, but he figured he had a good enough bead on your average villain.

The man before him, with his crisp strikes and straight-backed form, was more akin to a martial art competitor than someone who would invade a high school camp to kill children. He claimed it was beneath him, but then what was he doing with the League? Aizawa had to surmise there were others in the invading group with his task that he could – and chose to – relegate to while he indulged in this want of his. Numerous villains, and presumably not the chaff that invaded the USJ. Tsukauchi filled him in that Himiko Toga was among the League, but who else was lurking there?

[Good form. Most heroes lack that kind of dedication to the arts of the body, Eraserhead.] The Man in Black nodded approvingly, throwing out another barrage of kicks. Aizawa still couldn’t figure out what his Quirk was, or what exactly was up with him to begin with, spinning the capture weapon in response. Yet again, he escaped the tape with a snake’s agility, closing in with a series of crisp blows.

[So what’s your game here?]

[Tagging along with these miscreants is how I could find a worthy opponent.] Really? That was it? Aizawa’s brows furrowed as he ducked and weaved between the boots and gloves before throwing out his one, accurate strike. The Man in Black recoiled, but did not stay in place long enough to be captured; bouncing backwards and just out of the range of the tape. The teacher growled and recalled his capture weapon.

[There are much less bothersome ways of looking for a fight.]

[Not with a real pro-hero they aren’t. You are the apex predators of hero society, the kind that fight only when an arrogant upstart like myself would challenge you.] Steel shone at the tips of his boots before Aizawa swerved backwards, avoiding the foot-long knife protruding from the leg that carved a chunk out of the nearby tree. [To live to the fullest is my calling; and to do that, now we fight to the death!]

[And your boss will just let you do as you please, huh?] Another bladed kick; this one grazed his cheek and left behind a bloody gash. Aizawa returned the favor by smashing his opponent’s glasses right on his nose, making him stumble backwards with a groan. And again, that wasn’t enough to go for the (metaphorical) kill: a swipe from the other leg took the ground from under Eraser’s feet. The teacher bit back a curse and tumbled back in a roll, eyes glued to his opponent.

Though the broken shades hurt his face, it seemed the Man in Black was content. [I am still holding the most dangerous of you all pros in place. I think they will cut me some slack.]

----

“Stop panicking, Twice.”

“You starting shit?! How can I not panic?!” Two distinctly different tones from a single voice – that was Bubaigawara in a nutshell, jiggling and gesticulating in his spot. Giran did mention he had some screws loose, but boy, he could have stood to mention no indoor voice. Dabi’s expression resembled the face of someone who chewed on a single piece of gum for far too long. “You’ve heard Toga-chan screaming too! She’s as good as dead! We’ve gotta go get her!”