Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She wasn't quite sure when it had gotten this out of hand- honestly it started off pretty innocently. Just a tee shirt- it had started as just a tee shirt and somehow it had turned into this.

--2 years before--

“Look! They’ve got our gear!” Mina yelled across the small store inside the mall; it was known for having the gear of small time heroes- some rookies and a few lucky sidekicks.

It didn't surprise her all that much that they had the gear for the big three of their year- it was pretty well known around Japan that Deku- Ground Zero, and Shoto were destined for great things. They had merch on the walls since they were still in school.

But seeing her own merch on the wall- this was a first. They had their own section labeled 3-A, which was almost unheard of since most of them had signed on as sidekicks- with the exception of a few who had decided to go abroad- and the even smaller number who had taken their chances going ‘pro’ with indie groups rather than attach themselves to a bigger pro’s already flourishing career.

Statistics said the hero’s who had done that would fail within a year- but honestly statistics said they shouldn't have had to face villains only a few months into their first year. Statistics said none of them should be alive.

And if anyone could say fuck you to the statistics- and kick ass in spite of them. It was her former classmates.

She grinned- pulling a few of the shirts off the shelves.

She already had a Deku shirt- she had been the first one to buy one when they hit the shelves- it laid in her dresser- well worn from cheering on one of her closest friends.

“It’s so cool- seeing all of my friends! I hardly see half our class anymore but it's nice to know they’re doing well enough to end up here!” she replied while rifling through the shirts.

She settled on grabbing Mina’s Alien queen shirt- while Mina grabbed her ‘Gravity can't hold me down’ tank top. She scanned the shirts grabbing one of her own in two different sizes to send her parents- undoubtedly they would wear them every day and she once would have flushed at the idea but now it filled her with pride.

Her hand had hesitated over the last one.

But she quickly pulled it into her stack and made her way up to the register.

Mina continued looking around after her- pulling each one off the shelf clearly wanting to buy them all but it wasn't as if their hero work paid the best. At least not while they were still sidekicking.

Ururaka thanked the world for small miracles. She didn't exactly need to be teased for buying her own merch- or for buying merch for hero’s she hardly even talked to anymore over buying Iida’s or someone else's she was clearly closer to.

The cashier was a smiling teen boy who asked for her autograph and she had laughed and nodded- reaching out to sign the paper he thrust at her.

It sticks with you- all of it- seeing your own face on a tee shirt- watching the joy in someone’s eyes as they meet one of their heroes. It reminded her why they did this. Why they trained so hard- worked so much- and risked everything.

And that- was only the beginning.

They had finished their day at the mall and bid each other a good night- Ochako making her way back to her small one bedroom apartment- stopping only to grab some food on the way. She settled into her room- spreading out her shirts on the bed in front of her while digging into her dinner.

She was exhausted- and had patrols in the morning but she smiled down at her new clothes- proud of the people on them.

Her own face smiled back at her- and mina’s grinned. It was only the last one that’s scowl stood out.

“Ground Zero” was emblazoned across the chest and a large red X adorned the chest. She wasn't even sure what compelled her to buy the shirt.

It wasn't as if Katsuki was ever all that nice to her- he mellowed their last couple years at school. Finding balance between his desire to be the best and learning how to work in a team. He was still a lone wolf- but it seemed he had softened a bit. Letting a small group of friends absorb him.

They weren't friends- but in a class that small you got to know everyone fairly well. She would like to say when they graduated they had a mutual appreciation of the other’s skill set.

It didn't explain why she was staring down at his shirt- or why when she dressed to finally go to sleep she pulled the shirt over her head and cuddled into her blankets.

But she tried not to think about it too much.

Chapter Text

It had been three months since she had been accepted at Gunhead’s agency as a Pro and sometimes it still blew her mind. She hadn’t gotten used to it yet- but in her defense it was a huge change. She had moved halfway across the country for her sidekick gig- which was thankfully closer to home but- it felt like it put her a world away from all her friends who weren't stationed close by. She had seen Mina and Iida more than anyone as they were working at agencies within a half an hour.

It was weird to be back so close to UA. Back in the same city she had learned the building blocks of who she was as a person- back in the same halls she had done her internship so long ago.

Then there was the job itself- it was easy to get used to someone else being in charge. That had always been one of her greatest downfalls as a hero- she was a great team player but being part of a team often meant following directions which maybe- she had gotten too good at.

Now her decisions were up to her.

Life or death laid in her hands.

There was nobody else to rely on- no Deku- no Pro guiding her way.

It wasn’t so much terrifying as- a sobering reality. It was all in her hands now- and she couldn't afford any mistakes.

That was why she had signed up at this gym- she heard they ran the most rigorous programs in the city and if she was going to up her game that was the program she needed to be in. she couldn't afford to get soft.

She signed in at the front desk and looked around- there were a few partially familiar faces- a few Pros and sidekicks she had seen around the city or on TV before. Nobody she knew too well at first glance.

She checked her watch- she had a half hour to warm up before she met with her training group. It was run by the former pro hero Explodo who had taken too much damage in a fight a few years prior- making him mostly deaf in one ear.

She admired him for pushing through the rehab necessary to reach this point- the coverage had made it seem like the man would never walk again with the damage to his spinal cord. Even Recovery Girl had only been able to do so much.

But now he ran the most intense boot-camp for Pros around.

She was excited and nervous for the class; but she knew it was only going to be worse if she went into it tense so she spent her time stretching out.

Five minutes before the class began a voice rang out behind her; “well look who it is.”

A chill ran down her spine.

She wasn't nervous- well ok. Maybe she was but it had nothing to do with the man behind her and everything to do with the class she was about to put herself through.

She spun around to face him- plastering on a grin.

“Bakugou- I didn't know you went here.” she forced a smile.

Of all the people she could have run into- he was the last one she wanted to see. If she remembered correctly- and she did- he had gone indie right out of school. Accepting the Pro Hero mantle immediately.

People said it couldn't be done- said it shouldn't be done- but just one short year later Katsuki had opened his own Agency- recruiting heroes and sidekicks from all around japan. Many of their former classmates found themselves within his ranks.

He had worked his way through the hero charts as well- last she checked, pulling in at an impressive 19- overshadowed only by Deku who managed a 17.

Few in the rest of their class managed to even rank- she herself had only broken the 80s following a large very publicized bust earlier that month. But the advantage did belong to those who went pro much faster than her.

The numbers weren't what mattered to her in the end. But she couldn't deny making such an impact on them at their age- was bound to do great things for his career.

Not that she followed it- or at least that she wanted him to know that she followed it.

She was just- amazed.

If she was being honest- at the guts it took to do all the things he had done in the last few years. To defy expectation and go pro right away- to start an agency right out of school, to climb the ranks and breach the top twenty all before turning 22.

There were so few who had done it- and when Katsuki claimed he was going to be number one all those years ago.

She had believed it.

And here he was- making it happen.

And what was she doing?

She was staring at him like an idiot while his lips moved, taking in none of what he was saying.

“Um- i'm sorry what did you say.” she asked embarrassed- shaking her thoughts away and refocusing on the conversation in front of her.

“Still a Space Case I see.” he countered with a smirk- causing a flush to dust her cheeks. “ I said- this is the gym everyone from the Zero agency goes to- it's the closest to our building and we worked out a payment system that gives us a substantial discount.”

She nodded- the Zero agency was right around the corner- how had she not considered that when picking the place?

“I hear your agency is doing well.” she commented- placing a hand on her hip and checking her watch once more- only one minute until she was due in bootcamp but it would be rude to just walk away.

“Surprised?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Not at all.” she replied- “but i have a class starting- right now I have to get to.”

Katsuki nodded “ Pro-Hero Bootcamp?” he asked.

She nodded in response.

“Should be over in about- an hour?” he asked- taking her smile as an affirmative. “My number is still the same- feel free to call me if you want a real workout.”

And before she could even say anything- he was walking away towards the boxing section of this floor.

Her watch beeped on her wrist and she cursed- rushing off to the training room that was assigned for the boot camp.

Of all the people she thought to herself while pushing open the door; it had to be him.

Chapter Text

Ururaka had returned to her new apartment- disappointed and unsatisfied by her days' workout. The group had been nothing but kids shooting for a Pro status which would have been all fine and dandy four years prior when she was a headstrong UA student desperate to prove herself.

But the point was she signed up for a class meant to teach her things she didn't already know- and found herself in what felt like Eraser Head’s remedial physical training classes.

She threw herself onto the couch- wishing she had spent her only day off for two weeks doing something- anything more productive than she had.

One bright thing had come of the day- she thought to herself- smiling back on running into Katsuki at the gym she picked up her phone remembering his words.

                               -To Katsuki Bakugou
                                  Is there a word that means the opposite of exhausted?

She penned hitting send before she could psych herself out and tossing the phone into a nearby chair. Deciding she would still shower off the little bit of sweat she had worked up during the class.

She crossed to her room- pulling out a worn tee shirt at random and a pair of leggings before starting the shower.

It was good to wash the day away.

Honestly she thought it would have been bad enough to have such a disappointing day but frankly- that hadn't been the worst of it.

Hiding her growing problem as she liked to call it from her friends had been somewhat easy. After all she did have her own apartment which left her with a great deal of privacy. In addition to not having too many friends around it was easy to forget that she had grown- a bit too interested in a certain pro hero.

If anyone picked up on it- which nobody really had- despite Deku’s comment in passing about her knowing quite a lot about what Katsuki was up to in one of their phone conversations- she would deny that it was anything outside of professional admiration.

After all- Deku did have his walls plastered with All Might posters the last time she went to go visit him.

She wasn't that bad.

It wasn't her room anyway- just her closet that looked like a Ground Zero museum.

It had started out innocently enough- just one tee shirt. But it was comfortable and it looked nice on her and she had struggled from that point on not to keep buying them.

And to not keep tabs on what the hero was doing- because it wasn't like anyone could deny that what he was doing was impressive. He inspired awe in many people around her. Their class knew of course- from the very beginning that those three were going to be a force to be reckoned with.

But by all accounts she should be following Deku this closely- they were better friends after all. They spoke on the phone at least once a week. Had monthly get togethers now that they were in the same city again.

Maybe that was why.

The mystery.

The fact that she had no idea how he managed to be so full of self confidence. When the rest of them were crumbling under the weight of the city around them. All the pleas of children waiting up at night begging for a hero. All the villains robbing banks and killing innocents keeping them up at night.

And Ground Zero- he seemed unshakeable.

It was something she admired.

Professionally of course.

Uraraka turned the shower off- toweling off and drying her hair. Slipping her oldest most worn Ground Zero shirt over her head. Smiling at the memory of buying it and fiddling with the worn hem.

They gave her comfort on her darkest days. When she felt like maybe she had gotten into this for the wrong reasons. When she listened to her friends list off their driving forces for becoming a hero and realizing that when it comes down to it hers is as selfish as can be. When she thinks maybe she won't ever be strong enough. Fast enough. Good enough.

She pulls the shirt over her head and reminds herself.

That people believe in her.

That if nothing else- her hero had respected her enough to give her a fair fight and treat her as an equal.

Her phone buzzed from the chair and she picked it up to check the response, snickering to herself.

                                       -From Katsuki Bakugou
                                        Told you that class wasn’t going to do it for you; Cheeks.
                                        When’s your next free day? I'll show you a real workout.

She made her way to her bedroom- plopping down onto the bed with a sigh before typing out her next reply.

                                       - To Katsuki Bakugou
                                       next Thursday. I was hoping you would have forgotten that nickname by now.

It had always made her blush.

She laid there; waiting for the next reply which much to her surprise came almost instantly.

                                        From Katsuki Bakugou
                                        Never. Meet me at the gym. 2. Don’t be late.

Ochako drifted off with thoughts of piercing red eyes floating around in her mind. Unable to think of a good enough response she had settled on replying in the morning. Eyelids fluttering shut; smile still etched on her face.

Chapter Text

Ochako thought she would have spent more of her time nervous- but turns out she didn't have a second to spare until Thursday morning when everything hit her like a train.

It manifested itself in freaking out about all of her workout gear- which she knew wasn't really the problem but she managed to find fault with at least three different outfits. Throw one shirt into the trash and glare at the rest of them.

It wasn't until she was almost going to be late that she settled on just wearing all black and threw a hoodie on over it before rushing out the door.

She made it to the gym with about four minutes to spare- already a bit out of breath from running the last two blocks- she made her way to the desk to sign in.

She glanced around the first floor of the giant gym. The building had seven floors and she had been daft- and busy enough not to ask Katsuki which floor he wanted her to meet him on.

“Lost?” a voice rang out behind her and she turned to face him.

“Not at all.” she countered- “supposed to be meeting some big shot here that’s gonna show me how it's done. You haven't seen one around have you?” she teased.

He smiled at her.

Falling easily into the teasing rhythm that their class had established all those years ago. Most of their rivalries faded into friendly competitions by the time they had graduated. All spite gone from most conversations.

Deku and Katsuki were the exceptions to the rule; but Uraraka had found that most of their class easily teased one another- pushed one another- and respected each other.

It was easy to fall back into that; Though it wasn’t something the two of them had ever had. Deku had been a deterring factor for them. Sometimes she was thankful for that- almost positive if she had managed to talk to him more- this stupid- admeration would have become apparent to him. She wasn't all too good at hiding her feelings back then. She just had to hope she was better at it now.

“Looks like he stood you up; Cheeks.” he teased back. “Guess I’ll just have to take his place for the day. Try to keep up.”

He led her over to the boxing ring- slipping easily into the gear as she struggled slightly with putting her gloves on. This was something she had seen done many times but had never done herself.

It wasn't exactly a workout that called out to her- you needed two people first off and she had never really had a solid work out partner. Of course she could sign up for classes but they usually required a consistent schedule in order to be able to attend and her schedule was anything but predictable.

It seemed like a waste of money when it came down to it.

Katsuki- seemed like this came as naturally to him as breathing air. But then again what didn't? It was almost exhausting to watch sometimes- how easily things came to him. She had never truly seen him struggle at something before.

“Swear i'll go easy on you the first round.” he teased; “no quirks- wouldn't want to blow the place down.”

She nodded; having assumed as much.

He bounced around- teetering on the edge of her reach- clearly waiting for her to make the first strike.

It was unlike him.

Or the him she had known all those years ago.

The Katsuki she had gone to school with all those years ago was filled with explosive rage he was willing to take out on anyone around him.

This Katsuki was calculating- as smart as he always had been but in a different way.

No denying they had all grown in the past years but it was something left off every blog- every fan article. The dark chill in his eyes as he focused on nothing but his own movement and hers.

She knew the fight was lost before she even swung.

But that didn't keep her from swinging anyway.

It took several minutes before she tapped out- lying again exhausted on the floor. Arms sore from a solid round- core aching- thighs tight.

He wasn't lying when he called this a real workout.

But better than that it had been exactly what she had been looking for. It forced her to make split second decisions- no thinking- no relying on anyone else's input just fast reactions that sometimes had consequences she had not intended.

She had to trust herself.

“Lasted longer than I thought you would.” he chuckled- extending a recently ungloved hand to her and hoisting her back to her feet. “Made me think a few times there”

She rolled her eyes.

They both knew this was an uneven fight- but nonetheless she did catch a glimmer of sweat falling down his cheek.

At least she had given him a bit of a match.

“You’ll do better next time.” he offered.

“Who says there will be a next time?” she countered- sucking water down like it was air- the burning in her lungs finally quenched by the cold liquid.

“If you can't handle it I understand, I’m sure they’d love to have you back at bootcamp.” he supplied.

She cringed at the thought.

“I’d be better off just picking fights with small time baddies.” she scoffed.

He ran his hands through his hair- looking more sheepish than she had seen him before. There was a look on his face she couldn't quite place.

“ I’ve got a meeting to attend in ten- but; we could do this again.” he offered.

She smiled and nodded her head in agreement; if she made it home she would have time to pre register for the limited time Ground Zero action figure that was releasing tomorrow night. Rather than take the time to put on her civilian attire and attend the release herself.

“You have my number.” she replied; picking up her duffle and starting towards the door.

“I expect at least two rounds next time Cheeks!” he yelled after her before heading to the other exit.

That could have gone much worse she thought to herself- she hadn't said anything that could be considered embarrassing.

Maybe she could do this whole- being sparring partners thing.

After all it still wasn't like they were exactly friends. It wasn't as if she had much opportunity to make an ass of herself if she was busy dodging punches every few seconds.

She wasn't sure what she was so nervous about to begin with.

It wasn't like she really had anything to hide.

It was no big deal.

And it wasn’t like he was ever going to find out.

Chapter Text

It seemed like the vacuum left by All Might’s retirement was never going to be filled at times; Mirio did a decent job of detering all the would be baddies to a point but once the world knew that All Might was stoppable it seemed like they lost their abandon. They attacked recklessly and more often for the few years following All Might’s defeat.

Endevor had stepped away from hero work the year that he had been pushed back into a number two position by just another kid.

The amazement they had with him that first day they met in class had never changed; Mirio ran the second largest hero agency in Japan- beaten only by the Endeavor Agency in number of heroes on retainer.

Though many insisted this was because of Mirio’s strict qualifications for those who worked with him.

Quality over quantity seemed to matter to him more than anything.

Which was why when she opened her email and received an invitation to join in on their recon team- it seemed almost too good to be true.

It was true she did love working at Gunhead's agency- and that she had not even applied to work at Mirio’s agency- but in recent months she had grown to think perhaps this was due to her own self doubt and her comfort with being somewhere she had already proven herself.

In these months she had been training with Bakugou she found she was questioning herself less- spending more time working alone- fighting villains she would have previously called for help on and winning.

She opened the email.

            Dear Urravity;

We hope this letter finds you well; as you may know there are rumors of a villainous cell operating within our city. It is due to this reason we are taking in new recruits from a variety of agencies. We have hopes that this new five person team will assist us in apprehending the leader of this cell and bringing them to justice. This will also serve as your entrance test if you wish to join our agency when this task force disbands. Of course you would be more than welcome to remain with the Gunhead Agency if you so wish. This temporary transfer has been approved by your agency’s superiors. Please reply within 24 hours. We look forward to working with you.

                                                                                                                                                                                           From the desk of Lemillion

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Lemillion
                                                                                                                                                                                                         

She stared at the email for longer than necessary- this was more than she had ever hoped to have. This was every hero's dream agency. As far as she knew only one student from their UA class had managed to gain entry into this agency and nobody was even a bit surprised when Deku received his invitation straight out of school.

The agency was brand new at that point but well known for being selective in the students it chose. Lemillion himself had requested Deku.

Of the top twenty heroes 11 of them worked for this agency.

She had never dared hope for an opportunity like this.

She penned a thank you- assuring them she would love to join their task force and would gather information from Gunhead about when she would have her paperwork though.

She laid back on her bed- staring up at the ceiling with a grin.

This was the dream.

This was her dream.

And it was going to happen all due to her own merit- not based on anyone else’s work.

They must have seen the bust she made the week before.

Her ranking had risen four slots from the heavily publicized drug bust she made uptown.

It had been luck- she had told herself but there was no denying she had worked hard for this.

She had earned her place.

And she was going to prove to everyone that she deserved to be on this team.

Chapter Text

Uraraka woke up the following morning to her phone buzzing and hazily answered.

“Hello?” she asked- eyes still heavy and hooded with sleep.

“You’re late.” Katsuki replied causing her to shoot out of bed- glancing at the clock on the wall she cursed herself for not setting her alarm the night before.

She had gotten so wrapped up in all the news she had almost forgotten she was due for an early morning run with Katsuki today.

“Fuck.” she muttered- shooting across the room and randomly throwing clothes about to find ones appropriate to wear.

He laughed and she hated how it made her heart pound a bit faster than it should have.

“I’m picking you up; be ready in five.” he replied hanging up the phone before she could argue.

She threw on random workout clothes flying into a full panic- she had to shove anything incriminating into the closet right now. She chucked her laptop- and her tee shirt from the night before.

Running around her room and chucking the new Ground Zero pop vinyl- which really was the cutest fucking thing -right into the closet.

“Shit.” she cursed under her breath- glancing around her room trying to find anything that didn't belong. She wanted to just burn the whole place to the ground but instead she slipped into her sneakers and grabbed her hoodie before running out the door and locking it firmly behind her.

She let out a sigh of relief as she ran down the stairs only to run into Katsuki at the base of the floor level.

“Hi.” she sighed- out of breath already.

“Getting a head start without me cheeks?” he teased

She huffed in reply- “you know full well I was asleep when you called.”

“Well hop on-” he countered- tossing her a helmet and nodding his head towards the street where his bike was parked.

She almost passed out.

She would literally kill for this bike.

It had the Ground Zero logo slapped on the side- with red x covering the front of the bike. Honestly- it might be the coolest thing she has ever seen.

“New?” she asked- after all she had never seen it at the gym before.

“Nah.” he replied “just doesn’t get much use going from the gym to the academy. Its only two blocks and I’ve got legs. “

She nodded- “well thanks for picking me up- I hope I’m not too far out of the way.”

He shrugged it off “not at all.”

He straddled the bike- pulling his helmet over his head and sitting there- expectantly for her to do the same.

She internally cursed herself for letting this happen- normally she was religious about setting her alarm but- she had been distracted and now she had to get onto Katsuki’s bike and try to pretend it wasn't fucking awesome.

Uraraka put the helmet on her head before hopping on behind Bakugou - wrapping his hands around his mid section just in time to feel the engine thrum to life.

They made it to a trail near by- one they had run before that had left her exhausted; but that had been a month ago and she had done more work since then. She looked forward to proving she could hold her own on the terrain.

They fell into an easy rhythm- neither of them much for talking while they ran. She pushed herself harder than she normally would have had she been with anyone else. With most people she had less to prove.

But with Katsuki- she didn't want to disappoint him- or worse for him to realize that he could do with a much better work out partner than her and move on as quickly as he had shown up.

He beat her to the summit of the small mountain the trail lead to- but not by nearly as much this time. Sucking down water from a bottle he stashed in his bag- tossing one to her when she finally crested the hill.

“You’re getting good cheeks.” he commented- something lingering in the air around his smirk.

She sucked down the water like her life depended on it but flashed him a smile back. “Not as good as you Bakugou- I’ll never be sure how you do it.”

“Been doing it longer than you.” he replied with a shrug.

She nodded.

She would admit that her decision to take her physical hero training hadn't come along until they started in UA. much later she assumed than Katsuki himself who had shown up to class already gunning for the top. So much to prove and the skills to back it up.

She had envied him then.

His commitment to every word he spoke.

Even if it was rude. He never spoke without intent.

“You know- our agency is talking about taking on some new recruits this coming season- in the market for some new sidekicks and even some-” Katsuki started but Uraraka got excited and cut him off.

“Bakugou! I got so distracted I almost forgot to tell you! I got an invitation to consult at Le Million Agency! They said if all goes well it could be a permanent position. Can you believe it? Me! At the top hero agency in Japan?”

She grinned from ear to ear and he turned to face the skyline before speaking.

“You’ll do great.” he said- taking another long sip from his bottle. “When do you start?”

“I don't know yet- I’m supposed to talk to Gunhead today. I only got the letter last night.” she replied- brimming with pride.

There was so much she wanted to say.

She wanted to thank him- for helping her train.

She wanted to ask if he got an invitation himself- but she doubted it. As the head of his own Agency it wouldn't look great if he was leaving in order to help another Agency.

Instead she just smiled- waiting for her breath to even out- staring out at the skyline and marveling at how Katsuki fit into it so beautifully.

“Proud of you, Cheeks.” he offered after a while before taking off back down the mountain.

She stood there a moment- mulling over in her mind how it didn't quite sound like he was proud of her. How it sounded like there was something else hiding behind those words- but soon his head disappeared beyond the trail head and she scurried to keep up.

It was probably nothing.

Chapter Text

Ochako messed with the hem of her newly assigned gear; the tactical team had decided that her usual bubble gum pink would need to be augmented for the stealth portions of this mission and she had been allowed to re-make her new costume she would temporarily use while working with this team- with a strict direction that most of the costume must be black.

She struggled harder than she wanted to admit with this but settled on a similar shape- swapping out the pink and black of her suit for black and dark gray. She had decided to forgo the sleeves as they were as well as the boots hoping for more stealth from her sneakers and also range of movement from her free arms. The zippers and accents were made with an army green and it wasn't until she got her completed outfit back that she realized how similar her new outfit looked to Katsuki’s.

Given the parameters of course there was very little she could have done- but she hoped that nobody else noticed her mistake.

She stood outside the offices they were due to meet in any moment- trying to calm her nerves. It was going to be fine. She deserved this. She reminded herself taking a deep breath before pushing the door open.

Whatever she had been expecting when she opened the door; it was not what she received in fact opening the door to see the Number One Hero in Japan simultaneously holding Deku and Kirihima in a head lock with either hand while Yoarashi yelled for them to behave was probably the last thing she expected of today.

“Um- Hi.” she said raising a hand to salute the man who should as of today be her boss.

Miro flushed and released the two younger boys who rubbed at their necks but laughed nervously along with their commander.

“Kirishima was just trying to say that Crimson Riot was a better hero than All Might and- well” Deku shuffled slightly in place while shrugging as if she knew how it would have escalated from that statement to a brawl between team members.

She laughed- “you guys really never will change.” she teased, crossing the room to the table and taking an unoccupied seat.

The boys looked embarrassed enough by their actions but to be honest she really had missed them. Seeing Kirishima was a surprise but a pleasant one, she hadn't seen him since graduation but she had been following his career. Mostly due to its close ties to Katsuki’s.

But the man had done well enough for himself. Had signed with Katski as soon as he opened his Agency, he ranked just above her nationally though she had been closing in on him in recent weeks.

“Kirisima; glad to see you’re as hard headed as always.” she teased as he took a seat across the rounded table from her.

“Comes with the territory.” he replied- hardening his hand to make his point.

She shrugged in reply.

She did suppose it wasn't surprising that he stayed exactly the same. There were very few things Kirishima needed to work on while they were in school. He was strong; smart; and he cared about people more than most people she knew.

Though he disguised it as a love for masculinity; she had always known he and Katsuki would end up on the same team. Neither of them were as challenged by anyone else.

Honestly she was surprised that he was here if he had gotten the same offer as her. She doubted that Katsuki would let him go if he knew it meant he might lose his Lieutenant.

She took a moment to scan the room- noting that it was filled with the five people that had been promised when she received her email. But she was surprised that Mirio was intending to join the team himself rather than observe. She was sure he had many things on his plate and began to worry about the severity of these criminals if they needed this much man power.

Obviously Deku and Kirishima she knew well, and the other hero in the room, Yoarashi she knew in passing. He went by the hero name Gale Force now and he settled into his chair beside Deku.

He was overly formal- something the media often teased him for but his power was unsurpassed- his control was impressive and often all that held him back was his difficulty with bending rules and not following protocol to a T.

All situations needed to be handled differently and Uraraka truly believed the moment Yoarashi learned this was the moment he would be unstoppable.

She reminded him of Iida in a funny way- all rules and protocol. Uraraka believed that perhaps if Yaorashi had spent his formative years with their rag tag group of misfits- perhaps he would have learned faster what was holding him back.

She was thankful to have him on the team.

It appeared that Deku was the only member of the team currently employed with Lemillion; which again was not surprising considering their acceptance policies.

Uraraka wondered if these were the people she was up against for a slot at the agency.
Miro stood up at the head of the table leaving one seat empty; and began to speak.

“As you all know there have been rumors of a villainous cell emerging here in Japan. I am here to tell you all that those rumors are sadly true.”

A file folder slapped down in front of her and she opened it to the first page- holding the contents of her stomach down at the sight of the body on the page.

“What you may not know is what we have gone to great lengths to avoid you knowing.” he started but was interrupted by the door sliding open and revealing another face that Uraraka was less familiar with.

“Ah- IQ; how kind of you to join us.” Mirio said with a teasing lilt to his voice.

She smiled back at him taking her seat.

“It appears that the tasks I was assigned this morning took me a small bit longer than intended.” she replied pointedly staring at him.

“Well for anyone else they would have taken days.” Mirio countered. “Myself included.”

She nodded in reply not bothering to open her briefing packet.

“For those of you who don’t know this is my second in command; IQ. she will be leading this unit and providing me with information on how all of you do in regards to performance.”

IQ gave them all a small wave; Deku nodded to her knowingly and Uraraka made a mental note to ask him more about her later.

After all; in all her research of Lemillion agency she had never known that Mirio had a second in command. Many believed that if he did; that title would go to Deku himself but there was no hurt in his eyes at the declaration. Meaning he must have known this before.

She brought her attention back to the briefing as it continued.

“As i was saying- we have gone to great lengths to conceal the details of these crimes. The cell is targeting children who do well in their placement- apparently it has become clear to them that if heroes can not be killed after they are trained- that they must kill those with the potential to become the next great heroes.”

A stoic silence hung over the room.

“We have informed all the academies- and I have taken special care to include Alumni from the three schools who have been affected by these villains. The students have begun their first year or have been tentatively accepted pending their testing results at some of the schools.”

She scanned the room; everyone seemed equally as shocked by this information apart from the woman Mirio called IQ.

Though she supposed if she really was second in command she must have been briefed previously.

“The schools have increased their security- and we have worked out security measures that will only be known by the headmasters or mistresses of these schools; the five members of this team; and myself. “ Mirio stated, “ we are confident this will stop the killings; or put them off enough that they will mess up. And when they do that; we will catch them”

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

“Please look over your files; you will be required to turn them in before you leave to go home today. We will meet back up tomorrow. When you leave please stop by the front desk and receive a cell phone. These phones will be for case work only- they will only be programmed with the numbers of people who are knowledgeable about the case and anything said on these phones will be recorded. They will also be used as a tracking device in case for some unfortunate circumstance we get separated or worse, taken prisoner. “

Uraraka nodded.

“I look forward to seeing what work you do. I have high hopes for each and every one of you.” Mirio stated. “Now I must be going- duty calles.”

With that he slipped out of the room through the floor as if it was a normal way to leave a conversation and they were alone again.

She stared intently at the file.

Five dead.

Five.

Five futures snuffed out long before they had a chance to burn brightly.

The information and suspects list was scarily low and she knew there would be a lot of work involved in this task.

She took a breath to steel herself before closing the folder; unable to look at the bodies of the children strewn across the page any longer.

“Uraraka!” Kirishima’s voice rang out- interrupting her foggy thoughts. “ Deku and I were thinking we might get a better handle on this if we did it over pizza?”

She shook herself from her morbid thoughts and nodded.

“Pizza- yes pizza sounds great right now.” she replied with a grin.

“Great!” Deku exclaimed; “what do you say Yoarashi? Would you care to join us?”

“Perhaps next time. “ Yoarashi replied- “ though I thank you for your offer. I believe I will do my best work here in an office setting rather than in one of amusement and jokes.”

“Next time then” Deku replied, returning Yoarashi’s bow and slipping out of the room followed by Kirishima and Uraraka.

“What a case.” Kirishima added running his hand through his course spiked hair. “ I gotta say this is not what I was expecting.”

Uraraka nodded in agreement; she had to say this hadn't been quite what she was expecting either.

“Well; my house is nearby if that works for everyone?” he asked as they made their way to the elevator.

They nodded in agreement- making small talk about how they had been since school. How they were enjoying their agencies. Avoiding talking about the case where prying ears might find purchase on information they should not be privy to.

All the while her mind raced with the facts of the case.

Turning them over again and again inside her head.

How did they have five deaths and almost no information.

It baffled her that they had so little to go on at this point. That the world would allow such terrible things to happen to children so young.

This case was going to take everything she had.

But at least she was surrounded by people she could trust.

Chapter Text

It hadn't occurred to her to even think that Kirishima might have roommates- but of course when he stuck so close by school with so many friends nearby it made a lot of sense. And it turned out; as a group they rented out the penthouse of the building closest to their agency.

Kirishima, Denki, Sero, and Katsuki.

It made sense. It was almost obvious.

It did not however prepare her for the sucker punch in the gut that was Katsuki emerging from the bathroom as they entered- with only a towel hung low on his hips- small droplets of water running down his arms from his shower.

Nothing- she thinks- would have prepared her for that.

“Hey boss.” Kirishima chirped at his best friend; chucking his stuff casually onto the kitchen table- “we’re gonna order pizza, preferences?”

“I’ve got patrols- and a phone call with one of the stupid investors who doesnt like how we ‘handled’ the incident last week with all those fucking lowlives- apparently you’re not supposed to call them scumbags on TV or some shit.” he growled; pausing outside the door to what Ochako assumed was his bedroom.

“Ah- late night.” Kirishima replied; shrugging off his absence like it happened all the time. She had to assume it did- it took a lot of time and effort to run an agency after all- she was constantly shocked by how much free time Katsuki seemed to have.

“First day go good? Thinking of abandoning me already?” Katsuki asked- half teasing.

“Never.” Kirishima countered- “you’re the one who encouraged me to accept.” he countered.

Ochako was trying to keep her eyes focused on anything that wasn't the v leading deep into Katsuki’s towel; but she found herself drawn back.

“ be stupid not to.” Katsuki replied- shifting his gaze to her finally- her voice got caught in her throat. “ don't get too busy with these losers cheeks; couldn't lose my favorite sparring partner.”

He smirked and they were right back to their banter like before. “Course not; can't let you get soft now can I?” she teased knowing full well she was the one they were hardening.

“A true travesty.” he countered before slipping into his bedroom and leaving the three of them to pour over their files in peace.

“ honestly it's pretty disgusting!” Kirishima declared making it a few pages into the brief-

She couldn't help but agree- the images that strewn the page turned her stomach. These kids weren't even attacked with some sort of quirk- they were dissected- mutilated. Torn apart limb from limb in a way no recovery hero would ever have hopes of fixing.

They were intentionally targeted- stalked- and dismembered.

This took time- it took effort- and it took more than one person.

It was like their high school years all over again- watching overhaul tear people apart but this- this was worse.

It didn't seem to be a snap of a finger- they never intended to stitch these children back together- they tore them apart and left them abandoned and alone.

She couldn't imagine facing this kind of evil their first year at UA.

“They seem to target the strongest members of each class- they single them out and wait until they’re alone and then they attack. They use knives- maybe swords? I'm unsure about what would make cuts like these. It will make it even harder for them to be tracked. You don't have to register a knife like you do a gun or a quirk.” she swallowed her disgust as they poured over the pages.

Deku nodded in agreement.

“ kids like this are smart- It would be impossible for someone to have tricked Katsuki or Todoroki into following them into an alleyway. Even harder without fighting back- I wonder how they manage this without causing a big scene.” he added noting that each picture showed a relatively clean crime scene apart from the victim's blood.

There were no signs of quirks being used on either side- despite the fact that these kids had strong quirks of their own. They were fighters- weren't they? Aiming to be heroes at the top schools in the world? So why- why wouldn't they fight back?”

“Nobody’s gonna get me in an ally without getting a mouthful of flames.” Katsuki growled from behind them and they all hurried to cover their work.

“Top secret eh?” he prompted and they all nodded. “Well I'm off anyway- don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

“So we can still burn down the building?” Uraraka teased.

“Or call all the neighbors fucking ingrates while yelling through their doors?” Kirishima added

“ or -” Deku started but was cut off.

“I fucking hate every single one of you.” he glowered at them halfway out the door.

“Love you too Blasty.” Kirishima yelled back through the now closing door and the three of them laughed.

It was hard to laugh while knees deep into case files of dead teens.

But Katsuki brought it out in them.

It was strange.

He was so much different than how she remembered him. So different from how she had imagined he would be all these years.

It was like she had this one image of him as Ground Zero- strong hero- unstoppable in the face of danger. Someone she had grown to idolize in the past years and this entirely different Katsuki who picked her up for hikes and kept her on her toes in the ring and then there was this Katsuki- with his towel low and his defenses lower- almost smiling in his own house and she struggled to put them all together into one person.

But whatever was happening- she found.

She liked them all- no matter what Katsuki he was.

She didn't have time to think about that now though- not with all these lives in danger. Right now her mind needed to be a far away from Katsuki as it could be- she couldn't afford her knees turning to jello right now; thanks.

Whatever she was feeling- it needed to take the back burner- for now- maybe forever.

Not that it mattered much anyway.

She doubted she was even on his radar.

At least in the way she was starting to think maybe she wanted to be.