Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Episode I

The Quirked World

As more and more planets find themselves dragged

into the conflict that has become known as THE CLONE WARS

the JEDI, once merely peacekeepers of the Republic find

themselves forced to become commanders.

Of the Jedi commanders of the Grand Army of the Republic

no two are more famous that Jedi Master OBI WAN KENOBI

and his former padawan ANAKIN SKYWALKER, who see

themselves called on to help in the conflict more often

On the planet Rathbin II the two Jedi, along with Anakin’s

new Padawan AHSOKA TANO and Senator PADME AMIDALA,

prepare to meet with Separatist representatives who hope to

find a peaceful solution to the conflict…

“I don’t like this,” Captain Rex said as they sat in ornate and, in his opinion, rather gaudy office. While some might have thought that his dislike of opulent places was a clone thing or a soldier thing it was actually a Kamino thing. Even in their private homes the Kaminoins believed that everything should serve a purpose and that embellishments such as color were just wastes. Rex didn’t QUITE go as far as his creators did, who preferred as muted of colors as possible; after all he dyed his hair blond. But he did believe that offices such as the one they were in now were pits where credits were tossed to die.

“Come on Rex, have a bit of optimist!” Anakin teased, leaning back in his chair. He looked utterly relax but everyone in the room knew he was anything but. Anakin had learned how to master the ability to appear relax in tense situations while keeping his sense of what was around him and the dangers they might pose in sharp focus. It was in private matters, with those he SHOULD feel comfortable around, where he couldn’t hide his emotions at all. Put him with a bunch of scared civilians and no matter his frustrations or worries he came off as collected. Put him with annoying Senators and he would brood but otherwise maintain his composure. Put him with the Jedi at the temple or the clones under his command and a keen eye could see the worry. Have him with Padme or Obi Wan and he became an utterly babbling wreck.

“You, an optimist?” Obi Wan said, a smile tugging on his lips. “Now I do fear that the end of the galaxy is coming.”

“I can be optimistic!” Anakin complained.

“Oh yes, of course,” Obi Wan assured him. “When it comes to being utterly reckless you are always telling me how ‘this will be fine, master’.”

“Exactly!” Anakin declared with a grin.

“But when it comes to everything else you are always looking for the negative, the downside.”

“That isn’t true!” he turned to Ahsoka. “That isn’t true, right?”

“I’m not getting in the middle of this, master” Ahsoka said; while she’d only been working with Anakin and Obi Wan for a few standard months she’d learned quickly never to butt into one of their squabbles. There was fun teasing and there was the headache that came from those two nagging at each other like an old married couple.

“A padawan is supposed to defend and aid their master in their time of need,” Anakin countered.

“Are you saying you are so weak you need me to help you against Master Kenobi’s watered down insults?”

Both Jedi began to sputter at those insults, causing Padme to roll her eyes before leaving her chair and moving  to stand next to Rex. “What has you so worried?” she asked. “Things seem to be going well. We got several concessions out of the Separatist committee and what we’ve given up I would have agreed to anyway. It will be a bit of a harder sell to the full Senate but I am sure I can make them go along with what we came up with.” She smiled; she was growing more and more used to talking with the clones and they with her, even if most were still stiff around her and far too formal.

“Two things are playing around in my gut… and I’ve learned to always trust it.”

“And those are?” she asked.

“Things are too easy,” he said with a shake of his head.

“And that’s a bad thing?” Padme asked.

“Yeah,” Rex said simply. “In war things don’t go easy. You have to fight for every advantage. No matter how perfect your plan is there is resistance. And if there isn’t that usually means you’re either in the wrong place… or you’re in the wrong place and it’s a trap.”

Padme though smiled, patting his arm. “We aren’t at war. That’s the point of these negotiations-“

“This is war, Senator. Just one with words instead of blasters. You are fighting to get gains on the battle field. The concessions are you losing some ground to gain territory other places. It’s a fight and it’s going too easily.”

She didn’t believe that for a second as, while happy with how things had gone, she would never say it had been ‘easy’ but she didn’t say that aloud. Instead she merely looked at him and raised a single eyebrow. “And the other thing that is bothering you?”

“I don’t like negotiated with things that don’t have faces.”

As if summoned by his comments the Separatist Committee entered the room. They were made up of two humans, a Sy Myrthian, and a rather plain and smooth looking droid whose head was a smooth ball with two pinpricks where its eyes should have been and a collar of thick black metal around its neck. The droid belong to Ny Karoo, a member of the Banking Clan who hadn’t been able to attend in person.

Rex scowled as the droid sat down and the collar flared, causing a hologram of Karoo’s head to form around the droid’s. Instantly the body language of the droid changed for rigid to the familiar fluidity of the Muun.

“We apologize for the delay,” Karoo said, raising its hand in a motion of apology. “Some matters came up that we had to deal with.”

“Completely understandable,” Padme said as she took her seat across from the rest of the committee members. “Now, I believe we were going to discuss humanitarian corridors. There are many beings on both sides of the conflict who wish to avoid risk to themselves and their families and I believe all of us don’t want to begin using innocents as hostages.”

“Actually,” Obi Wan said, having not taken his seat, “there is something else I think we should discuss first.”

“And that is, Master Jedi?” one of the humans, Tin Plobar, asked with a raised eyebrow.

Obi Wan smiled as he looked right at Karoo’s holographic face. “Why are you delaying us… Count.”

The droid sat there for a moment before it suddenly twisted, a blaster extending from its arm and shooting the Separatist committee members dead. At once Obi Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka had their lightsabers out, Rex going for his blaster while Anakin shoved Padme behind him. The droid turned and the hologram flickered, revealing the face of Count Dooku.

“And here I thought I might be able to draw this out a bit longer. I rather did enjoy discussing matters with you, Senator Amidala. Ny Karoo was so very kind to let me stand in his place for this and I must admit you were a fair negotiator. A shame we could not have interacted truthfully.”

“A pity you don’t have an honorable bone in your body.”

Rather than answer the droid turned away from Padme. “Tell me, Master Kenobi, how did you see through my disguise?”

“The way you kept reaching up to rub your chin,” Obi Wan said, not dropping his defensive stance. “A Muun would never do that, as touching one’s face is considered rude in their culture.”

“Ah, of course. It seems I’ve become forgetful in my old age. I would say that you would come to understand such things but I am afraid your time is short.”

Anakin frowned, pressing his lips together. “What is your game, Dooku?”

“Haven’t you guessed? There are many in the Separatist movement who believe that war is not the answer… they were willing to break away when the Republic was weak but with its clone army they have grown worried about the fighting. Whispers of wanting a truce, to find some way to bring about an quiet peace, have begun to crop out like mushrooms. But when word gets out that you killed several of the leaders it will make the rest fall in line, knowing that the Republic can’t be trusted.” The Count let out a sigh. “It is too bad you died in the explosion that followed. It would have been so wonderful to bring you to justice and learn of why you did such things. All the pity.”

And with that Dooku’s hologram head disappeared and the droid collapsed just as the glass windows were sealed with heavy blast shields, the lights cutting out so that the only illumination came from the drawn lightsabers.

“He’s going to blow up the building,” Anakin said.

“Yes, that was rather obvious,” Obi Wan said, looking about.

“Master, what should we do?” Ahsoka asked, eyeing up the now-covered windows. “Can we cut through the blast shields?”

Anakin though shook his head. “I don’t think so, Snips. Too thick.” He pulled out a comm. unit. “R2? Can you read me?” He frowned. “R2?”

“Jammed, General,” Rex said. “I can’t reach any of the troopers we left with the ship.”

“Then we just need to find a way out,” Anakin said.

“The ceiling,” Padme suggested. “We cut through that and make our way up. I doubt Count Dooku sealed off the entire building.”

“That might work,” Obi Wan said. “Rex, some blaster fire to weaken it. We can then use the force to create a hole.”

“Yes General,” Rex said, drawing his guns. “I knew this was going to turn out bad.” He fired several shots and Obi Wan and Anakin set to work tearing out bits of the ceiling, revealing the next room above them.

“Okay,” Anakin said, walking over and wrapping his arms around Padme, his wife looping her own arms around his neck. “Ahsoka, you help Rex up. As soon as we are up there we-“ He paused, looking at Obi Wan… who had begun to glow an odd blackish-purple. “Uh… is that some new trick they teach council members?”

“Not unless they’ve taught the rest of you,” Obi Wan replied, looking at the others who had also began to glow.

“Oh, I have a bad feeling about this,” Padme said just as the five of them seemingly blinked out of existence, the building exploding moments later.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Ooowwww,” Ahsoka moaned as she rubbing her rear; it wasn’t a dignified Jedi thing to do but honestly she was aching all over and really didn’t care at the moment. One moment they had been standing on solid ground and the next they’d been 8 feet off the ground… and rushing back towards it. “Are we dead?”

“If you feel pain you aren’t dead,” Obi Wan said, leaning against a wall and rubbing his forehead.

“One of the benefits of being alive,” Anakin stated. He was sprawled out on the ground and while he knew he should get up Padme was currently lying on his chest and frankly any chance for him to have her rest on top of him was rather nice.

“I’d like to know HOW we are alive, General,” Rex said as he patted himself down, making sure that he had all his weapons and gear. “Because the last thing I remember is that we were in a building about to blow up.”

“Does it matter?” Ahsoka asked. “We are alive!”

“It does if we are trapped on some hostile planet,” Obi Wan stated, bringing her good mood seriously down. “And considering I’ve never seen buildings like this before I would say there is a 50/50 chance of that.”

“We also were dealing with Count Dooku,” Anakin said, finally getting up.

“…70/30 then,” Obi Wan said. “At least Ventress hasn’t leapt out to attack us.”

“That is odd,” Anakin admitted, dusting himself off. “usually she loves popping up to flirt with you. I’m surprised she wasn’t hiding under the desk.”

Padme began to look about their new location as well. They were on a street though it was made of some weird dark material; nothing like the durasteel of Corusaunt or the stonework found in Thebes. Not even the hard-packed soil many planets had. It had painted lines on it that she couldn’t make much sense of other than them seemed to divide it in two. The buildings were also odd; tall and straight like Coruscant architecture but much smaller. There were also tiny buildings that looked like the shops one would find on Naboo, complete with odd produce in wooden square baskets. It looked all smashed together, like someone had taken several different planets and tried to mix them together to create a city.

“Careful,” Anakin warned her as she walked over to one of the smaller shops.

“It’s alright, Ani,” she told him. “There is no one around.”

“That’s what worries me,” Anakin said, looking at the empty streets. Despite the city looking rather complex it seemed utterly empty. In his experience people didn’t leave towns utterly empty and avoid of life without a very good reason.

“I wish it were night time,” Obi Wan commented. “Then we could see the stars and try and determine just where we were.” He looked at Anakin. “Have you tried radioing for R2 again?”

“No… good idea.” Anakin fished out the communicator. “R2?” Once more though he was greeted with quiet. “Just a moment…” He began to fiddle with the comm.. “This isn’t a jamming this time. We’re out of range.”

“Same,” Rex said, having tried his helmet’s comm..

“Everyone, come over here,” Padme said. “This is so odd.”

“What is it, Senator?” Rex asked, slowly moving towards her, his blasters out and ready. Obi Wan and Ahsoka had their lightsabers (thankful they hadn’t lost them when… whatever… had happened) while Anakin moved off to the side, trying to adjust the comm. unit in hopes of boosting the signal and reaching R2. It might end up frying the thing but if he did it right he could get it to cover the entire planet. Rathbin II wasn’t that large of a planet…

Padme held up a red fruit. “This looks like something we have on Naboo. Only…” she tapped it against the wall of the shop and it made a hollow sound. “It isn’t organic.”

Obi Wan took the weird fruit from her. “Rex, a knife?” The clone handed a blade over and Obi Wan cut into the fruit, revealing that it was mostly just air. “How strange… it seems to be made of plastic.”

“Why would they sell plastic fruit?” Ahsoka asked.

“Maybe whatever species lives here needs to eat plastic?” Padme ventured. “Though I must admit I don’t know why they’d make it look like fruit. To blend in maybe…”

“I can’t reach R2,” Anakin said, joining them. “Even if he’d taken the ship into high atmosphere I should have been able to reach him.”

“So we are definitely off planet. That is… worrisome,” Obi Wan said, rubbing his chin.

“And then there is the fact that we have no lost time,” Rex said, tapping his helmet. “My chrono reader didn’t even skip a second.”

Ahsoka frowned. “If we were taken why leave us with our weapons?”

“All really good questions,” Padme said, setting the fruit down. “I think we should-“

Anakin instantly moved in front of her, lightsaber swinging as he cut down a projectile that had been rocketing towards her. It was an orb, just a bit smaller than one of the training devices used to teach younglings how to wield a lightsaber, though it was black in color and lacked many of the normal features of the device.

The group was too concerned though with someone FIRING on them to really examine it.

“No blaster fire,” Anakin said as another two orbs shot at them rapidly, Ahsoka and Obi Wan slicing those up easily. “Just those weird balls.”

“So either someone is trying to merely capture us or we are dealing with rather primitive peoples,” Obi Wan said just as the wall beside them began to roil and shift. “Oh, that can’t be good.” He quickly wrapped an arm around Rex and leapt up, Anakin snatching up Padme while Ahsoka went on her own, the three Jedi leaping to the roof of a building just as the side of the shop they had been standing next to suddenly rushed out, closing around the spot they had been standing in moments earlier. “No, definitely not good!”

“Master!” Anakin said, pointing as the cement wall changed paths and began to rush towards them. “It’s trying to box us in!”

“Then let’s not be here when it arrives!” Obi Wan said and once more he pushed off, Anakin and Ahsoka leaping after him with Rex and Padme held on tight. The cement crashed into the building, sealing up the roof, but the five were on the ground and running once more, now forced to use their lightsabers as they hurried down the road to keep the orbs from striking them.

“If I could just get a moment I could see who was shooting at us!” Rex said as they ducked around a corner… and a projectile arced after them, bursting open as it hit Padme and wrapping her up in a thick net. “Senator!”

“I’m… I’m okay!” Padme assured them as Rex caught her. “It doesn’t hurt. I just-ugh!” she grimaced as she wiggled, her movements stilling. “I take it back… if I move it tightens.”

“Then let’s get it off,” Anakin said sternly only for Obi Wan to hold out his hand.

“Its too tight around her to use your lightsaber and we don’t know if it will crush her if we try to use the force to pry it off. Let Rex focus on getting her out while we deal with our pursuers.”

Anakin narrowed eyes before nodding. “Right. Rex, get the Senator out of that.”

“Yes General,” he said, reaching into his belt and pulling out a set of clippers that were used for dealing with droid wires, kneeling down and beginning to work on Padme as she tried to maintain her balance.

“Ahsoka, keep watch on that end. Anakin and I will defend this end.”

“Uh… master?” Ahsoka said, her voice tense. “I think I need you on THIS end!”

Anakin and Obi Wan turned to see that two fingers had appeared at the end of the alley. One was a man with long black hair, wearing golden goggles and with a gray scarf around his neck. The other was a woman dressed in a flesh-colored body suit and black leather that resembled Twi’Lik garb and holding, of all things, a whip.

“I don’t know how you naughty boys got in here but I’m going to make sure you are punished,” the woman said with a saucy smirk before releasing a pale purple smoke at them.

“Oh, I think we’re a bit too old to be punished, my dear,” Obi Wan said with his own smile before thrusting out his hand, using the force to send the smoke right back at the two. The man with the scarf quickly leapt out of the way, grabbing onto some metal attached to the building to his right to vault over the cloud while the woman’s eyes went wide in surprise that they shoved her attack back.

“Hmmm,” the man said, landing in front of them. “Let’s see you try that again,” he declared, staring right at Obi Wan, his hair rising up as if caught in an updraft. “Midnight!”

The woman fired off another cloud that went right by the man, parting around him like a river around a massive stone, only for Obi Wan to once more thrust out his hand and push the cloud back. That… clearly caused the scarf man to start in surprise.

“How…”

“Eraser! I thought you erased their quirk!”

“I did,” the man, Eraser, told the woman known as Midnight. “I don’t know how they did that!”

“I don’t know what a ‘quirk’ is,” Anakin said, stepping forward and spinning his lightsaber, “but I do know that you can’t block the Force. I also know that I’m not really in a good mood considering I almost got blown up so why don’t you tell me right now who you work for before I MAKE you tell me.”

“How about not?” Eraser said and suddenly his scarf launched out, startling Anakin so much he couldn’t leap away before it wrapped around him. “Instead why don’t you tell us how you got here?”

Obi Wan lashed out with his lightsaber, cutting through the scarf which instantly fell to the ground. “We suddenly appeared her, as strange as that might sound.”

“A teleportation quirk?” Eraser said, remaining tense and ready even as he looked in surprise at his destroyed scarf.

“Its possible,” Midnight said, walking forward, some of the aggression they had seen earlier leaking away. “Would explain how they suddenly appeared here and set off the alarms but didn’t trigger any other ones. Doesn’t explain how they are able to use their quirks still with you staring at them.”

“Again, not sure what a ‘quirk’ is,” Anakin said, pointing at the two with his lightsaber.

“What you just did to push away Midnight’s Somnambulist,” Eraser said as Midnight slowly walked towards them, lowering her whip while Eraser looked over his scarf.

“That, my dear, was not a ‘quirk’ or whatever you wish to call it. That was the Force.” Obi Wan stepped forward, Anakin frankly glad because he hated having to explain to the ignorant what the Force was. It always came off as stilted and made him cringe. “The Force in an energy that surrounds and penetrates all beings in the galaxy. There are some who are strong in the Force and can use it in all manner of ways.”

“…so a quirk,” Midnight said.

“It’s not this weird quirk thing you keep bringing up!” Anakin complained. “We’re Jedi, okay? We use the Force. Now I’m going to ask again: who are you working for? Dooku? Gunray? Did they do some weird genetic altering to you to let you shoot out that gas?”

“Forgeiners?” Midnight asked Eraser, ignoring Anakin’s question.

“Possible. But they’d have to be rather sheltered to not know what a Quirk was.” He let out a weary sigh. “Probably part of some backwater cult.”

“Excuse me?” Anakin complained.

“Whatever the case might be, they aren’t a threat!” a voice chimed out and Anakin turned to see a 2 foot tall rat-mouse thing popping out of a tall cylinder that had been sitting in the alley.

“GAAAA!” Anakin cried out, leaping back. He hadn’t even SENSED the creature was there!

“Hello there!” the white rat-mouse thing said pleasantly. “Sorry for all the trouble here. You must understand we were quite startled when you suddenly appeared on our training grounds.”

“Understandable,” Obi Wan said as Anakin tried to catch his breath; he didn’t know WHY he was so startled as he’d faced down bigger threats and more startling surprises but the weird creature had freaked him the hell out. Padme, who was finally free of the net, walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder while Rex and Ahsoka moved to stand with the rest of the group. “We, after all, did trespass here even if we didn’t mean too.”

“Apology accepted and please accept mine for rushing to attack you so quickly!” The white rat-mouse thing held out a stubby paw-like hand. “I am Principal Nezdu. May I present Kayama Nemuri-“ Midnight smiled, “-and Aizawa Shōta.” Eraser merely stared them down, still not relaxing. “They are two teachers here at U.A. High School.”

Obi Wan bowed slightly. “Greetings. I am Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. With me are Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Senator Padme Amidala.”

“Those are some interesting names and titles,” Nemuri/Midnight said with a smirk. “Quite the mouthful.”

Anakin huffed. “I could say the same thing, ‘Midnight’.”

“Anakin,” Padme chastised before looking at Principal Nezdu. “We truly are sorry to intrude. We don’t know how we got here and didn’t mean to cause any trouble. If you are able to point us to your nearest communications center we can call the Jedi Temple and arrange for someone to pick us up.”

Obi Wan nodded. “What planet are we on. I thought we were on Rathbin II but I know of no schools there.”

“…planet?” Nemuri asked.

“Yes,” Padme said.

“Earth,” she said slowly.

“I’ve never heard of Earth before,” Obi Wan said, rubbing his chin. “What system is that in?”

“The… solar system,” Nemuri said slowly, clearly confused.

“Like… after a sun?” Ahsoka said, crinkling her nose. “Who names their system Sun?”

“Well,” Nedzu said, looking at the interlopers with a bemused smile. “It seems we are all quite confused. Why don’t we return to my office and we can see if we can figure this all out, shall we?”

After a moment Obi Wan nodded, finally deactivating his lightsaber. That was a signal for the others to do the same, Rex holstering his sidearms. “Very well, Principal Nedzu.”

“Splendid! I have some lovely tea I think you will enjoy.”

“Why thank you!” Obi Wan said with a polite smile. “You know it has been far too long since I had a decent cup.”

“And isn’t that just a tragedy!”

“Oh no, there are two of them now,” Anakin moaned as Nedzu and Obi Wan began to walk out of the alley, discussing their favorite teas.

Chapter Text

“Anakin, please sit down,” Obi Wan said, glancing over at his friend. “You are making us all dizzy. This office is hardly big enough for you to go pacing about.”

“How… how can you be so calm about this?” Anakin said in frustration, waving his hands about. He knew he wasn’t acting like a good master to his Padawan. He knew that he should be calm and collected and utterly dignified. He knew that standing there in Principal Nedzu’s office that he should be acting like a diplomat… but frankly he didn’t care! Everything they had been told…

“I am distressed, Anakin,” Obi Wan assured him in a most definitely NOT distressed tone. Master Shaak Ti had sounded more distressed when they’d run out of regular Caf and she had to have the DeCaf instead. “But it does none of us any good to overreact.”

“Over… overreact?” Anakin said with a laugh. “I think I’m UNDERreacting, honestly!” Padme, who had been seated next to Obi Wan, quickly rose and tried to comfort Anakin but he merely just shrugged off the hand she placed on her shoulder. “We have somehow been transported to another world where nothing makes sense, people do the impossible, and we have no way to get home because this backwater planet doesn’t even know what Coaxium is, let alone have any! Tatooine had Coaxium, Obi Wan! Tatooine!”

“Anakin, its okay,” Padme assured him, trying once more to get him to breathe. “We’ll figure this out… but Obi Wan is right. We can’t just freak out… that won’t solve anything.”

Taking several breaths the Jedi knight finally nodded. “Right… yeah, you’re right.”

“We at least have each other, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said, managing a smile but it was clear she was shaken up by the thought that she might never see home ever again. For him and Obi Wan it was easier as they had spent the last ten years darting about the galaxy. For Ahsoka she was only a few months into her apprenticeship, still seeing the Temple as her home. And now… she would never see it again.

Anakin instantly grimaced, putting aside his own concerns, and went over to the couch his Padawan was sitting on, wrapping an arm around her in a way that he knew Windu and the rest of the council would have leapt upon as more signs that he wasn’t fit to be a Jedi. It was a small blessing then that Nedzu, Aizawa, and Nemuri didn’t even bat an eye at the action. In fact Anakin could sense through the Force that for them comforting his student like that was perfectly natural.

Maybe… maybe this world wasn’t so terrible…

“Yeah… and the five of us will figure out a way to get home,” he assured her, already thinking about what he would need in terms of supplies to begin work on a hyperdrive. The Coaxium was a problem but he was sure if he could just get the engine figured out…

It was naïve vain hopes. He knew. They all knew it. But he still couldn’t stop himself from thinking of such useless plans.

The five of them were seated in Nedzu’s office, alongside Aizawa, Nemuri, a man who dressed like a bounty hunter and only gave his name as ‘Snipe’, and a being that despite looking like an alien made of flat stone had informed them he was indeed human and went by Ishiyama. They were drinking tea and discussing both the galaxy they had come from and the planet they found themselves on now when Anakin had suffered his brief panic attack when the gathered teachers had admitted they’d never heard of Coaxium and that travel at lightspeed was seen as impossible.

Nedzu smiled as he looked back at Obi Wan and Padme, the latter taking her seat once more. “As startling as this is for all of you please remember that it is world shaking for us as well. Mankind was in the middle of exploring its Solar System when the Dawn of Quirks occurred and that caused us to pull back. To know that is another galaxy out there where spacefight isn’t just known but commonly used, where there in an entire government made up of thousands of planets? It is simply amazing.”

Obi Wan quietly nodded. He had looked at all the phones of space that Nedzu had been able to pull up and recognized not a single cluster of stars. He didn’t know how… but they weren’t even in their own galaxy anymore.

“I’m interested in this Force,” Aizawa said. He was on one of the other couches that had been brought into the office so that everyone could have a seat, slouching so much he looked ready to slide right off the furniture to the floor. Nemuri was seated next to him and Ishiyama was sitting in a chair, with Snipe and Rex both choosing to lean against walls; neither was trying to hide the fact that they were studying the other and their weapons. “You say what we do is impossible but all the powers you Jedi have…”

“All can be explained by the Force,” Anakin said. “And everyone has basically the same powers. You guys are… a grab bag.” He waved his hand at the teachers. “Knock out gas, erasing Quirks, able to move blaster fire at any visible target, manipulating cement…” He shook his head before pointing at Nedzu. “At least your power makes sense!”

“Thank you!” Nedzu said happily. “I do so appreciate when people see my value.”

“And this Force isn’t?” Aizawa asked. “Each of us has a single power. You Jedi have an entire catalog.”

“I must admit it does seem rather odd,” Ishiyama chimed in. “I can’t imagine having so many powers, vastly different and unconnected.”

Padme smiled. “Well, I personally find it rather amazing just how many people on this world have Quirks. It certainly isn’t like that where we come from.”

“The Force isn’t commonly used?” Nemuri asked.

“Oh no!” Padme said with a light laugh. “Less than 1% of people in the Galaxy are strong enough to use the Force.”

“Everyone is connected to the Force though,” Obi Wan explained.

“Even us?” Aizawa asked.

“Yes,” Obi Wan said with a quick nod. “I can sense you quite easily. For most of the Galaxy though the Force merely is a part of life, no different than gravity. They can’t alter it or affect it… it is merely there. A rare few however are more highly attuned to the Force and thus can manipulate it. We call them Force Sensitive.”

“And they are trained to be Jedi?” Snipe asked.

“Some are,” Obi Wan admitted. “Others simply live their lives. And some…” he trailed off, thinking of Dooku and Ventress. “Some use the Force for dark ends. The Jedi use the light side of the Force: to defend and protect and aid. Others use the dark side: for destruction and violence.”

“Same with Quirks,” Nemuri murmured.

“Is there a way to determine if someone can use the Force?” Nedzu asked, his tail wiggling in excitement. “For example, is there a test to see if I could use the Force?”

“There are a few ways,” Obi Wan said. “Anakin and myself would be able to sense of strong Force presence, especially if one was using the Force without realizing it. The other way, which we could not perform as I lack the equipment, would be a blood scan for Midi-chlorians.”

“Mid… what now?” Snipe asked, confusion clear in his tone.

“Midi-chlorians,” Obi Wan said with a sigh, one that spoke of a topic long discussed with little movement or growth. “A terribly misunderstood subject, I am afraid. Even among most Jedi they aren’t understood. Many misunderstandings too. To keep it simple they are microscopic organisms found in the cells of all beings. Those that are more in tune with the Force provide a better… well…. breeding ground for them. Thus one that has more midi-chlorians in their blood would show a better aptitude towards the Force.”

“Something to study later on, perhaps,” Nemuri said before Nedzu could open his mouth to ask for more information; she knew her employer and if he wasn’t cut off they’d be there for honors.

“Yes… yes I suppose so,” the Principal said sadly before looking at Padme. “So in your galaxy nearly everyone is Quirkless?”

“Yes,” Padme said. “There are species that have natural abilities different from others… faster, stronger, better senses. There is a species known as the Hutts that have developed flesh that can’t be damaged by blaster fire.”

“They also developed a lovely odor,” Ahsoka said with a scoff, Anakin chuckling at that.

“But that is for the entire species,” Padme finished. “Quirks are far more common here?”

“Very much so!” Nedzu informed her. “While at the Dawn of Quirks they were rather rare in this day and age 80% of everyone born possesses a Qurik! Even some animals have begun to gain quirks… it might shock you to learn that I have a quirk!”

Obi Wan gave a polite chuckle at that joke.

Anakin though grimaced. “Not sure that’s a great thing. Not the animal thing… rather I can’t imagine 80% of the population having Jedi powers.”

“Ah, but you have only seen the rather powerful Quirks my staff and I possess. Most quirks are actually rather weak.” He gestured at Padme. “For example, you could have been born with a quirk that allows you to change the color of your fingernails. Or allowed your hair to produce a mild static charge. Other people merely gain animal features. Some have quirks so passive that they might as well be quirkless… sadly that doesn’t stop discrimination against quirks and the quirkless.”

“Is there a limit to what they can do?” Obi Wan asked. “What about power levels? Is there a way to classify Quirks?”

Nedzu’s eyes flashed. “Oh yes.”

“I’m going to take a nap if he’s going to ramble,” Aizawa complained as Nedzu hopped up onto his desk.

“There are three classifications for Quirks, though there is much debate about if these categories should be more defined… I won’t get into that now as we have much to discuss still but it is rather fascinating.” Anakin mentally decided that he was going to find any excuse NOT to listen to Nedzu’s lecture (he’d sat through enough lectures from short little know-it-alls for a lifetime) while Obi Wan and to a lesser extent Padme looked rather interested; as such he began to look about the office, taking in everything. “The first is Mutation and it is probably the most common quirk type. Ishiyama was a bit incorrect when he said he didn’t know how he would handle two types of Quirks as technically speaking he does have two, even if the academics don’t want to admit as much. The first is his Mutation quirk, which altered his physical appearance. It is quite passive though so no one really thinks about it as a quirk.” He looked over at Ahsoka. “You, young lady, will be seen as having a Mutation rather than being an alien species and thus have no need to worry about people screaming in terror at the sight of you. You’ll get a few stares but that will quickly pass.”

Ahsoka shrugged at that. “Hey, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“The second are Transformation quirks. They allows someone to alter how they look or aspects of their form. For example someone might be able to turn their limbs into vines but then revert them back. Transformation has been considered a cousin of sorts to Mutations, and thus why I argue that merely lumping so many quirks into one of the other is a mistake. Why, there are people who have Mutation quirks and Transformation quirks! And finally there is Emitter, which I do believe is what we will claim the three of you have,” he gestured at Anakin, Obi Wan, and Ahsoka. “They can manipulate things, create things… as you can see it isn’t a great classification system. I for one have created one that has 12 different types though I am debating about adding two more…”

“Fascinating,” Obi Wan said. “I assume that there are subdivisions to those 12?”

“Why yes!” Nedzu said, excitedly. He went to gather his notes on his classification system only for Anakin to cut him off.

“Wait… what do you mean say we have Emitter Quirks?”

“Why, to explain how you do the things you do, of course!” Nedzu stated happily. “I would think you would prefer to keep a low profile and not be examined due to being aliens.” Something… dark… flickered in the principal’s eyes. “Believe me, I know what it is like to be seen as different and have humanity decide they must take you apart to understand why that is.”

Obi Wan nodded. “A thoughtful suggestion. It is becoming more clear we may be permanent guests on your planet. It would be best to blend in.”

“Indeed!” Nedzu stated.

“So you will be providing housing and an allowance to us, I assume?” Padme said and Anakin reached up to rub his face, desperate to hide his smile because he could tell from that tone Padme was gearing up for a debate and no matter how smart the rat-mouse-bear-dog was he wasn’t beating Anakin’s wife.

“Well,” Nedzu began, clearly surprised by her comment.

“Because I would think you’d rather us be cared for so we could properly learn about this world and find ways to fit into it rather than bumbling about. Far better we be given the time to have our cover stories created and be made convincing than to allow us to bumble about and reveal our existence… and that your school knew about us but didn’t say a word. One wrong move would destroy us all, correct?”

“…quite,” Nedzu said even as Nemuri let out a whistle of respect and appreciation for Padme’s line of thought. “Now-“

“Furthermore,” Padme said and what followed was the most bloodless savage battle any of those in the room had ever seen. Padme and Nedzu, once he got over his surprise at just how fierce the woman was, went back and forth for over an hour, finalizing everything from where they were going to live, access to the school, and what would and would not be allowed when it came to examining the new arrivals. Obi Wan occasionally chimed in, playing peacekeeper, but for the most part ‘The Negotiator’ allowed Padme to take the lead.

Finally a deal was fully struck. The group would get an allowance for food and supplies that could be attributed to their acclamation into the world. In exchange they would provide, via Anakin, some designs for technology that the school could then sell that would help improve Earth’s technology as well as help the school itself teach the students. All of them agreed to see the school nurse, someone called Recovery Girl, who would examine them but any samples taken would never leave Obi Wan’s sight and be destroyed once testing was done.

“Now, before we discuss your cover stories I suppose we should go over living arrangements,” Nedzu stated, seeing that all the teachers and most of their guests were growing tired. “That of course can be covered after we see Lunch Rush for some food, as I am sure you are all quite hungry. But I would like to nail down how many apartments we will need for you all so I can begin the process of securing them. You’ll want to be all close to each other?”

“Yes,” Rex of all people said. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving the Generals by themselves, nor the Senator.”

“Of course. So an apartment for you, Captain. One for Kenobi as well. Young Tano I believe should either stay with Kenobi or Skywalker; we can easily make the paperwork state that she is an adopted cousin. And Amidala and Skywalker will of course share an apartment.”

Anakin and Padme’s eyes went wide at that.

“Uh… why would… why would you think we’d share?” Padme got out.

Nedzu smiled, rather gleeful he could get revenge for Padme earlier startling him. “Because I would never demand a married couple be separated. That would be cruel!”

Anakin went utterly pale and Padme was as rigid as durasteel.

“I’m sorry,” Nedzu said with a smile that showed he really wasn’t, “was that a secret? I can never tell what is and isn’t supposed to be revealed when it comes to human mating habits… it is always rather confusing to me.”

Obi Wan cleared his throat. “Would you mind terribly giving us a moment of privacy?”

“But of course,” Nedzu said, hopping off his desk and motioning for the other teachers to follow him. “Let us go see what Lunch Rush can make for our guests… I am thinking it would be wise to have a wide selection, so they might sample what Earth has to offer. I am in the mood for a cheese burrito myself. Normally I don’t indulge but-“

The door clicked shut, cutting off the rest of Nedzu’s comments, leaving Anakin sitting out the couch unable to look at his former master.

“Is… is it true, sir?” Rex finally asked.

“…yeah Rex, it is.” There was no reason to deny it.

“Oh Anakin,” Obi Wan said, rising from his chair.

“Obi Wan, please,” Padme pleaded. “Hear us out. We can explain.”

The Jedi Master though shook his head in frustration. “What a fine mess… a fine mess. You couldn’t have denied it, Anakin? At least until we were sure Ahsoka understood she couldn’t say a word should we ever leave here this planet.”

“I would never tattle on my master,” the Padawan said fiercely.

“Thanks Snips,” Anakin said softly before suddenly snapping his head up. “Wait… you’re worried about Ahsoka telling?”

“Of course. Or at least I was. But she has given her word and I doubt she will break it. And that is assuming we ever find a way to leave and I have already begun to accept we never will-“

Anakin cut him off. “Obi Wan… what about you?”

“What about me?” he asked.

Padme spoke up. “Did… did you know about us?”

He looked at the two before a small smile formed on his lips.

“You knew?!?!” Anakin exclaimed, leaping to his feet. “How… how did you know? WHEN did you know?”

“Anakin, I have raised you since you were 10 years old. We have scarcely been parted for more than a few days, a week at most, until you were knighted and even then we were in contact constantly. Do you honestly believe I didn’t notice how you seemed to walk on air after returning to Naboo? When we were tasked with protecting the Senator I could feel the Force HOWLING with your desperate need to see her again. Then you return after escorting her to Naboo and you were so calm. It was clear as day to me what had happened.”

He paused.

“Also it wasn’t wise to have C-3PO as your witness. You’re lucky I deleted that memory from him before he blabbed it to the world.”

“I warned you that would happen,” Padme said with a slight smile as she glanced at Anakin. She stood up and walked over to her husband, taking his hand. “You… you truly don’t mind?”

Obi Wan let out a sigh. “At first… I admit I was upset. You must understand that I was raised in the temple, left there as an infant. The concept of marriage was something I thought about, I admit… there was a time I even-“ He swallowed before shaking his head. “That doesn’t matter, it will never come to pass. Even before we found ourselves trapped her… that choice was never an option for me. What does matter is that I was upset but mostly with myself. I thought I had failed you, that I hadn’t been a proper teacher.”

“Master,” Anakin said, taking a step forward. He had feared many things should Obi Wan learn the truth but him blaming himself? Anakin had never considered that and he couldn’t let it stand. “No. This-“

“I know, Anakin, I know,” Obi Wan said. “I meditated often during the start of the war, you must remember that. I was seeking answers. I didn’t find them there but I did through seeing you. Suddenly so many of the problems I had seen in you, that had made me fearful of you straying from being the Jedi I knew you could be… disappeared. Padme… she anchors you to the light. The only time I saw you waver was when you were forced to hide the depths of your feelings for her.” He smiled and walked up to the two of them, placing a hand on each’s shoulder. “Jedi are allowed things to remind them of where they came from. Emblems and trinkets and such of their culture. We do not scorn them for that. You were always different Anakin… and I came to see that you needed a different way to be a Jedi.”

Anakin swallowed. He’d always wanted Obi Wan to say that to him. To tell him that he understood and didn’t hate him for loving Padme. But even as he heard those words doubt filled him and drove him to speak. “What about what you said when we were investigating Padme’s near assassination? Or when you told me I’d be kicked out of the Jedi Order if I went after her on Geonosis?”

“Those were still true, Anakin,” Obi Wan said. “The Council would have forced you out of the Order. But… you misunderstood. That is my fault too… I was trying to be subtle-“

“And that isn’t my strong suit?” Anakin said with a slight smile.

“Well, I wasn’t going to say it…” he chuckled before growing serious. “I was not saying you shouldn’t love her… I was asking you to be careful how you did. In the elevator there were cameras all over. I worried you would say the wrong thing, it would be discovered, and I wouldn’t be able to cover for you. As for Geonosis?” He sighed, shaking his head as he thought about that flight after Dooku, when they’d escaped the arena. “Had you abandoned the chase for Dooku the clone troopers would have been forced to explain why. Padme was fine… we both sensed it. It would have been seen as you abandoning your duty and the Council would have seen your attachment to her as the reason for that. Master Windu and several of the more ardent followers of the Jedi code have been waiting for us to fail; yes, both of us. They didn’t like me disobeying Yoda and demanding I train you. Both of us have been watched, Anakin.”

“…you were protecting me,” Anakin whispered, his heart thundering as the secret wishes he’d made in the dark just before he fell asleep came true. How he had longed for Obi Wan to just UNDERSTAND.

“I have been protecting you quite a bit,” Obi Wan said with a sly smile. “Why do you think I never commented when you were late for meetings with me? Or covered for you when you were drawn away? I deleted comm. logs and made sure any holofeeds were scrubbed. You ensured I didn’t have much free time, Anakin, and there wasn’t much of that to begin with when it came to the war!”

Padme laughed at that. “We thought we were being so careful…”

“You were. I just… wanted to help.”

Ahsoka though frowned. “But why not just tell him?”

Anakin though was the one that spoke up. “Because if you didn’t know 100% it was true… you could lie without the Council realizing it.”

Obi Wan nodded, relieved Anakin had grasped onto his reasoning. “They would have sensed it if I knew I was lying. While I was sure you two were together I wasn’t sure. So stating you were merely good friends… that was the truth.” He paused. “From a certain point of view.”

Anakin licked his lips. “And… you truly don’t mind?”

“I truly don’t, Anakin. Half a decade ago? Oh yes… I would have been quite angry. But what happened with Dooku? The war? It made me see things far differently. Made me realize that the Jedi way isn’t always right. That there is more… gray in the world. But gray is not evil.” He squeezed Anakin’s shoulder. “I am only sorry that I caused you to fear my reaction.”

The younger Jedi looked at Obi Wan before suddenly lunging forward and giving him a hug, Obi Wan quickly returning it.

Padme, in turn, looked at Ahsoka and Rex. “And you two won’t say anything?”

“Who would we tell, Senator?” Rex asked and she blinked before realizing that… well, yes, trapped on this planet it really didn’t matter who knew. She was already coming to accept they might be stuck there forever, with no hope of ever returning to their galaxy. So why fear a scandal that could never come? The Queen? The citizens of Naboo? They were in a galaxy far, far away.

Ahsoka shrugged, leaning back on the couch. “Hey, Skyguy is already an unconventional teacher. What’s one more thing.”

“Thanks Snips,” Anakin said, finally releasing Obi Wan though he did keep his arm slung around his best friend’s middle. Honestly it felt like someone had removed a Hutt that had been squatting on his stomach; Anakin hadn’t felt so relaxed and relieved.

“No problem.” Her eyes lit up with mischief. “And hey… this means I can-“

“Nope!” Anakin quickly exclaimed.

“Why not?”

“Because you are not dating any boys, period!” Anakin scolded her. “As your master I forbid it.”

“Yes, because that worked for me,” Obi Wan teased him.

Ahsoka shrugged. “That’s okay… wasn’t just boys I was interested in anyway.”

Anakin’s jaw dropped at that before he pulled away from Obi Wan, threading his fingers through his hair. “I am NOT old enough for this discussion.”

He ignored the others as they laughed.

Chapter Text

“What has you so upset?” Nemuri asked, looking over at Aizawa who was slumped in his favorite chair in the teacher’s lounge, Hizashi across from him going over a lesson plan for the upcoming semester and humming lightly to himself. But rather than working Aizawa was just staring down at his hands, brow creased. She took a seat across from her old friend and said in a whisper, “Is it about our guests?”

“You don’t have to be subtle about it,” Aizawa stated. “I already told Yamada.” He waved his hand in the other hero/teacher’s direction. “Nedzu is going to let all the teachers in on the secret tomorrow so it was only logical for me to let him know now, so I could discuss it with him.”

Hizashi smiled. “What he means is he wanted to run all his little conspiracy theories by me.”

“They aren’t conspiracy theories,” Aizawa shoots back in annoyance. “I am not claiming they are a vanguard to an invading force or anything foolish like that.”

“You aren’t?” Nemuri asked as she sat down. “To be honest I thought that would be the first thing you’d go with.”

“Illogical,” he said shuffling up a bit in his chair so he could talk to her better. “There are far better and more cunning ways to infiltrate. It would be like me walking up to a criminal group and telling them I was a Pro Hero but I always wanted to know what it was like to steal cars.”

Nemuri was relieved that her friend wasn’t going down that paranoid route but still… “So what’s got you concerned?”

“The logistics of it all,” Aizawa stated.

“Nedzu is handling it,” Nemuri pointed out.

Hizashi though shook his head and smiled at Aizawa. “Yeah but he’s worried about everything the principal will miss.”

“What do you mean?”

Aizawa sighed. “You ever go undercover?”

Nemuri shook her head. “Not really my thing. I have enough trouble juggling being Midnight and Nemuri; adding a third persona is just asking for trouble.”

“Right. Well, I have. More than one mission required me to infiltrate an organization. The police will take all this time getting you the equipment, the failsafes, all that… and then forget what colors the gang wears so you show up with the wrong jacket.”

“…ah,” Nemuri said. “You’re worried about the culture shock.”

“Well, that’s why we need to make sure we lessen the culture shock!” Hizashi declared with a grin, raising his voice a few decibels higher than was comfortable for the others. “Make sure they understand how the little things work while Nedzu handles the big stuff.”

“I’m glad you see it that way,” Aizawa said, standing up. “I trust you two will have it in hand when you see them tomorrow.”

And with that he shuffled out of the teacher’s lounge.

“…I feel like we were just tricked,” Nemuri said, face screwed up in a mixture of annoyance and respect.

~MC~MC~MC~

Padme stretched as she slowly woke up. She’d had trouble falling asleep the night before, her mind active with all that had happened to them, and thus when she looked at the clock she saw it was already midmorning, far later than when she normally got up. Her mind was still active though, even after what sleep she’d gotten. Not just with the situation they found themselves in, of them being trapped on this strange planet. Padme kept thinking about everything that had been left behind. That had gone unsaid and undone.

She was surprised she wasn’t more upset that her entire career was gone, that all her hard work… it meant nothing on this planet. The bills she’d worked on, the alliances she’d made, the causes she’d championed… none of it mattered. And she knew that within a few months, maybe only a few weeks, others would begin filling in the gaps. Yet that didn’t make her sad. Rather it had been the thought that she wouldn’t see her family again, or if she did it would take years if not decades, that had caused her to toss and turn.

She knew she should have been worried about the war. Should have feared that Dooku’s plan would work and that the Separatists would believe she had killed the more open-minded leaders in a suicide attack. That the more war-hungry Senators of the Republic would push to extend the conflict, wanting revenge for her death. And yet… she didn’t focus on that. She didn’t worry. Because there were others that would take up her cause, on both sides honestly. And because she also understood, seeing this world that was so strange and different and filled with things she had thought were impossibilities… that she was just one small person in a vast universe and life wouldn’t end with her gone.

Rubbing her eyes she shifted to sit up. Padme knew such thoughts could be seen as nihilistic but instead she took them as a comfort. Ever since she’d been little she’d felt like she needed to bear all on her back. The different causes she championed. Naboo and its people. The Republic. If she took a moment to just breathe her mind would silently count all the lives that were suffering because she wasn’t working to help them anymore. But realizing she was only a small piece… it meant she could do whatever she wanted! She could relax! Here on this world she could be whoever she wanted!

It was freeing.

Perhaps what helped was the fact that Anakin and her could, at long last, be honest about their love. On Earth no one cared if they were together. Even those that had come with them hadn’t cared! And more than that… this world had heroes. Actual heroes. Like out of a story book! And Nedzu said that he would arrange for Obi Wan, Anakin, and even Rex to get their Hero License Exams so that they could be heroes here too. Which was good because Padme knew the boys and there was no way they’d be able to sit back and allow others to fight to protect the innocent while they sat by.

She laughed softly. It was like this world had been built for Anakin.

Speaking of…

Padme smiled and turned only to find his side of the bed empty. “That’s disappointing,” she mumbled. She was used to him leaving early, needing to sneak back to the Temple, but today they could have slept in and cuddled and only faced some ribbing from Obi Wan. He’d already teased them the day before, sarcastically asking how he could have been such a poor master… because Anakin was horrible at flirting with her (though she rather liked all his fumbling comments!).

Getting up Padme slipped on the bathrobe that had been left for her, thankful that at the very least the pajamas this world used were similar enough to what she was used to. The clothing was… odd… when it came to styles but she was sure she could figure it out.

Padme padded out of the room and down the empty hallway towards the living room, only for her shoulders to slump as she stared at the scene before her.

“We tried to stop him,” Ahsoka said from where she sat on a couch, flipping through what they’d been told was a ‘television’. “We were able to make some Caf at least.”

“I believe they call it coffee here,” Obi Wan said from the table he was seated at, a tablet that Nedzu had given him in one hand while he sipped his own drink. He had removed the armor from his robes and looked rather casual. If she ignored how the room looked she could believe that they were in her old Senatorial living quarters.

“Whatever,” Ahsoka said. “Want a cup?”

“Sure,” Padme said as she made her way into the kitchen. “But I’ll get it myself.” She looked at the counters and how decidedly empty they were that morning when compared to the night before. “Anakin…”

It had been rather startling how quickly Nedzu had been able to get them situated. By the time they had finished eating (Padme had rather enjoyed something Nemuri had said was an ‘American’ take on an ‘Italian’ dish known as ‘pizza’) the principal had happily told them that their apartments were ready and whisked them off to a building just a few kilometers away from the school. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Padme were staying in the middle apartment and the biggest while Obi Wan and Rex were on either side of them. It had only the most basic of furnishings but Padme was already thinking that if they were going to be trapped on this world it could be a lovely home.

“Anakin,” she tried again after pouring herself a cup of Caf, “did you really have to take everything?”

“I want to see how it all works,” Anakin said, never looking up at her. He was seated in the middle of the living room, a large sheet on the ground (thankfully) and the scattered parts of all their appliances lying around him as he fiddled with some box that Nemuri said could reheat food.

“We convinced him not to take apart the Conservator, ma’am,” Rex told her. He was dressed in full armor sans his helmet and Padme winced, feeling rather underdressed in her nightdress and robe while he looked ready for battle. “I let him look over my appliances.”

“Anakin,” Padme warned, “you will be giving Rex back everything by the end of the day.”

“Of course,” he said, fiddling with some wires. “It will be even better than it was. This planet really doesn’t understand energy output. I can get these things running at a fraction of the power needed. And if I could get a hold of some solar cells…”

“Just promise us you won’t blow up the apartment,” Obi Wan asked.

“I mean it,” Padme told him, looking down at her husband as he continued to take things apart. It was clear he was using Rex’s stuff as a guide to remember how to put their own appliances back together.

“It’s alright, ma’am,” Rex said from where he stood. “Honestly all that stuff… seems like overkill. Just give me a hot plate and I’ll be fine.”

“Oh no,” Ahsoka piped up. “Nope, not letting that happen. I am SO teaching you how to cook, Rex!”

Padme glanced at the trooper who was trying very hard not to let the fear show on his face over that idea and chuckled before walking over to sit with Obi Wan. “How did you sleep?”

“I didn’t,” Obi Wan admitted. “I will nap later. I chose to meditate instead.”

“Did it help?”

“…honestly? No.” He grimaced. “The Force is here on this world so that is a comfort. But I’ve never been so far away from other Force users. Yes, Ahsoka and Anakin are here but even when I was in the farthest corners of the galaxy there seemed to always be a Jedi out there somewhere. Now…”

“You were hoping there were others.”

Obi Wan nodded slightly, dropping his voice. “I know it to be foolish. There are planets where not a single person can tap into the force so it isn’t unusual. But… it would have been nice to discover someone hiding…” He quickly pulled himself out of his melancholy. “I have been taking the time to study this world and its history. It is rather… fascinating.”

“What have you learned?”

He set down the tablet so she could see. “Nedzu and the others were right… quirks are very common. And for the most part don’t affect much in day to day life other than sometimes determining what career path one goes into.”

“Or doesn’t,” Padme said, her good mood falling a bit. While none of their new acquaintances had said it she had quickly figured out that in this world one’s quirk determined much of their path in life… and what paths were closed forever. Just another way for some to lord over others. “What about powerful quirks? Nedzu said UA was a school for heroes.”

“It is and I admit how they handle their heroes is…” He sighed. “Honestly there is no way of me putting it without coming off as rude.”

“What do they do?”

Obi Wan went to a tab on the tablet, pulling up a holosite on the holonet (or whatever it was called here). “This planet’s land masses are divided up into countries, with there being no real central government. And each country has a list of heroes, ranking them so that there is a #1, 2, 3, so on.”

“So #1 is the most powerful? Most called on?”

“Yes,” Obi Wan said, pulling up a picture of a truly massive man with blonde hair, black eyes, and a huge smile wearing a rather… tight costume. “In Japan the #1 Hero is a man known as All Might. It seems his quirk makes him incredibly strong.”

“Hmmm,” Padme said as she looked over the information on All Might over. “According to this he is rather active in assisting people, protecting them from villain attacks.”

“Yes,” Obi Wan agreed, his face growing more solemn. “The problem that arises is with the rest of the list. As far as I can tell nearly every hero is worried more about marketing than they are about heroic; at least those on the list.” He pulled up Nemuri’s profile (though she appeared to be only in the Top 50) which had a list of companies she apparently had deals with to promote their products. “Some, such as our new friend Midnight, still actively work to be heroes in the most honorable sense of the world, even if they do trade on their actions for wealth and fame. Others-“ he pulled up the profile of a hero in the low twenties, someone called Silver Bullet, whose page was filled more with headshots and ads than details of crimes he had stopped, “-treat saving others as an afterthought.”

Padme scowled at that. “I have met more than one Senator who saw their position as being about lining their pocket rather than helping their people. I shouldn’t be surprised to find that here but it is… disappointing.”

“I know,” Obi Wan said, tugging on his beard. “It seems… abhorrent for those that claim to protect others to be more concerned with… selling soaps and having action figures made of them.”

“But that would be pretty interesting to have!” Ahsoka called out.

“No, it would not,” Obi Wan informed her. “A Jedi does not seek out wealth or material goods. A Jedi is not concerned with popularity.”

“I don’t know about that, if I can be honest General,” Rex said. “Far easier to win a battle when people are one your side.” He moved towards them. “If these heroes allow their quests for fame and fortune to get in the way of the mission then ya, you have a point. But if it doesn’t then what does it matter? In fact it might be helpful.”

“However could advertising for a…” Obi Wan looked at one of the ads, “Gut Buster Burger, whatever that is, be helpful?”

“Permission to speak freely?”

Obi Wan pressed his lips together. “Rex… you are permanently allowed to speak freely. We are not in a war anymore… and it is hard to be a General when there is only a single soldier and no enemy to fight.”

“Oh, there is always an enemy to fight, sir,” Rex replied before getting back to the topic at hand. “You don’t notice it because you are usually moving on after we free a village or a town but… a lot of those we save aren’t that trusting of the Jedi.”

“Well, I suppose there are some startled by what we do-“

“It is more than that, General,” Rex said, cutting him off. “When you go someplace it’s usually because you want to fix something. Even before the war you weren’t going out there just because you were interested in seeing the sights. You had a goal, you achieved it.” He shrugged. “I did the same thing at first. It was what I was created to do. But…” He grimaced at that point. “You didn’t see what it was like for people when you came by. There would be civilians that were happy to come up to us clones and offer us food and drink and shelter… that would suddenly go quiet when one of you Jedi came strolling by. They either had heard rumors you kidnapped babies or that you were secretly emotionless slime creatures who wore human flesh or… any other twisted thing. And it would bother than and terrify them and all of you did little to stop that, honestly.”

Padme sighed. “I have to agree with Rex on this. When I was working to be selected to represent Naboo in the Galactic Senate I had to attend so many parties and events. There was no purpose to them other than to mingle with people.”

“I know how to mingle,” Obi Wan stated.

“But you aren’t good at hiding that you don’t enjoy it,” Padme said. “I’ve seen you at events the Chancellor has thrown, Obi Wan… you always looks so stiff and serious. If I didn’t know you as well as I did I would have avoided you like you were a diseased womp rat.”

“Heh,” Anakin said with a snicker, turning to glance at them over his shoulder. “She has you there, Master.”

“Oh, does she?” Obi Wan said with an arched eyebrow. “And you are the life of the party, Anakin? That must be why you preferred to hide in your room during diplomatic feasts rather than making conversation.”

“Why do I need to chat with them when you are so much better at it?” Anakin asked.

Ahsoka though smirked, cutting in. “You just admitted he was bad at it so you must be even worse!”

“Some would say padawans should be seen and not heard.”

“Is that the case now?” Obi Wan asked, bemused. “I do wish someone had told me. Though I’m glad Qui Gon didn’t know about that little rule.”

They all, even Anakin, had a little chuckle over that.

Rex finally continued. “There is something to be said about being approachable, sir. I think some of you forget that.”

Obi Wan rubbed his chin. “Well, I suppose that you have a point there.” He lifted up the tablet which showed some heroine named Mt. Lady posing rather suggestively with a large pop bottle, the words ‘When you have GIANT thirst’ written in rather stylized letters below her. “Though I would prefer not to resort to such things-“

“If you wear that outfit I am joining the Dark Side,” Ahsoka teased.

“-I am willing to have an open mind.”

“The Force truly is working in odd and mysterious ways,” Anakin said, holding up an appliance he’d managed t put back together. “There, now I-“

There was an electric chime, rather similar to the ones used in Coruscant, and Padme got up and pressed the button on the screen near the door, revealing Nemuri’s face close to the camera.

“Good morning, Amidala. Do you mind if we come up?”

“Of course. Let me just get dressed.”

“I’ll get you some breakfast,” Obi Wan said, rising up from his chair and stretching. “Probably good for me to stop looking over everything anyway.”

Thus it was that 15 minutes later Padme walked out of her room dressed once more in the dress she had worn the day before, makeup in place (thankfully other than what held them that wasn’t too different) and hair perfect. When Nemuri, who was seated at the table with Obi Wan, glanced at her in surprise Padme merely smiled. “On my planet I was a queen and that required a lot of formal gowns, elaborate hair styles, and makeup. One learns to dress quickly.”

“She means she looked like a clown,” Anakin said.

“I did not!” Padme exclaimed, glaring at her husband.

“I love you-“ And he paused, glancing at Obi Wan because it was SO weird he could just casually say that, “-but it’s true.”

“It was the royal makeup of the Naboo,” Padme protested.

“Clown,” Anakin stage whispered to Ahsoka, waving his hand in front of his face.

Padme huffed and accepted the eggs that Obi Wan gave her, realizing that was probably the safest thing for him to try and make considering what appliances Anakin HAD left for them were too complex for them to learn on such short notice.

“I must admit I am rather surprised by your choice of outfits, Nemuri,” Obi Wan stated. Rather than the outfit they had seen her wearing the day before she’d arrived, along Hizashi, dressed in a knitted sweatshirt and faded jeans. While the new arrivals hadn’t seen him in his costume in person Obi Wan had seen pictures of ‘Present Mic’ and was rather startled to see him in a simple red t-shirt, leather jacket (though far different than his heroic one), and hair tied up in a ponytail.

“While there are some heroes who like to make their outfits little more than extensions of their normal selves-“

“Or the other way around,” Hizashi stated with a smile from where he sat on the couch, having moments earlier explained to Anakin what a blender was. “That’s how Shota is.”

“-a lot of us like to make our hero personas and our day to day personas be far different, that way we can blend in and live like everyone else.”

“I can see that,” Padme said. “That’s another reason why I had to wear the royal makeup-not a word, Anakin.” Her husband snapped his jaw shut. “I could easily swap with one of my handmaidens when I wanted to get away from the stress of it all.”

“So you really were a queen?” Hizashi asked, leaning back to address her. “Do I need to bow when I enter the room? I feel like I should bow.”

“No, there is no need for that,” Padme said with a laugh. “On Naboo the title of ‘Queen’ was given in elections and it was more ceremonial than anything. Often times people vote for a Queen, or a King because we can have those too, to honor someone who worked to help others. They get a few years living in the palace attending parties and let their council handle the actual running of things.” She frowned. “The Trade Federation forced me into taking far more of an active role than most queens ever take.”

“…I still feel like I should bow,” Hizashi said with utter seriousness.

“I know the feeling,” Obi Wan said with a light chuckle. “So, Nemuri, what brings you over here? Checking in on us?”

“Not quite,” the heroine said. “I first wanted to let you know that Nedzu nearly has everything worked out for you, Skywalker, and…” she paused, looking at the clone trooper, “I’m sorry, but I only got your first name…?”

“All I have,” Rex stated. “I suppose we never got around to it, did we? I’m a clone.”

“…somehow that is at once shocked and not shocking at all,” Hizashi stated.

Obi Wan chimed in. “We mentioned that currently, in our galaxy, there is a war between the Republic and the Separatists. While their army is made up of droids out is mostly made of clones.”

“Like, of different people?” Hizashi asked.

“My brothers and I are all cloned from the same man.”

“So you would use his last name,” Nemuri reasoned.

Rex and Obi Wan both grimaced. “That… wouldn’t be the best idea, Miss,” Rex finally said.

“The clones were made from the genetic template of a man named Jango Fett. A bounty hunter who not only fought for the Separatists but also tried to assassinate Padme.”

“So not the best name to toss about,” Rex added.

Hizashi frowned at that, tugging at his small mustache. “Wait, if he fought for your enemies why did you make the clones based on him?”

“That… is something I never really understood myself.” Obi Wan’s brow furrowed. “I meant to look into it but the War distracted me…” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “And now I may never know.”

Nemuri, deciding to leave the topic of Rex’s last name for a later time, merely reached over and pattered Obi Wan on the shoulder. “Well, no need to worry about that because we have a full day ahead of us.”

“What do you mean?” Ahsoka asked. “What are we doing?”

Hizashi thrust his arm up, pointing at the ceiling. “While fashion can be a bit wild in Japan we figured you guys would like to blend in a bit… and have more than one outfit. So we are going to take you shopping!”

The three Jedi and the clone trooper all looked down at their outfits, mentally thinking about how they all had closets back home filled with identical wardrobes.

“I… think we’ll be fine-“ Anakin began only for Padme to collapse in her chair, relief on her features.

“THANK YOU!” she moaned before looking at her friends. “I’m sorry, I really am, but… its embarrassing how you four run around in the same outfits all the time.”

“We… we don’t all the time,” Obi Wan said weakly, sensing he was about to lose this fight before it even really began.

“You do. Because robes don’t count as different clothing.” She stood up and clapped her hands. “Come on, up up up!”

“Can’t you do something about your wife?” Ahsoka hissed at her master.

“If you have a suggestion?” Anakin asked even as Padme grabbed the two of them and dragged them to the door.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author’s Notes: Next time we get the cast their Earth outfits and, in the words of one of my friends on Discord when I revealed what they were getting, “Oh no, their hot”

Also, much like I have done with other fanfics I write, occasionally I am going to put up plot bunnies that occur to me in hopes someone will adopt them.

Today’s begins when Bakugo and Izuku are really little, maybe 3 or so years old. While playing in a part there is a villain attack only for All Might to appear and save the day. The boys are FLOORED, especially when he stops to say hello to them, and they stick around to watch him do an interview. All Might states he only was able to catch the villain thanks to the help of his sidekick, Sir Nighteye. He tells the press that he couldn’t be the Symbol of Peace that he is without Sir.

And this interview… changes everything.

As soon as they get back to Bakugo’s place his tiny little mind is a whirl… if they are going to be heroes one of them needs to be All Might and the other Sir Nighteye. And Izuku quickly agrees that he will be that for Bakugo, that they will work together. And things change. Bakugo becomes more protective of Izuku and also asks for his advice. He likes when he mumbles because “My sidekick is coming up with ideas!” When Izuku doesn’t get a quirk at first Bakugo is horrified… until his father shows him footage of Nighteye fighting and he realizes Nighteye’s quirk doesn’t help him fight so Izuku doesn’t need one. When people try and bully Izuku Bakugo instantly stands up for him.

And when its time for the UA exam… Bakugo and a quirkless Izuku go together, working together. Bakugo purposely lets Izuku get some points, enough to make it in. The first day of class he makes clear that Izuku is his future sidekick. When they have to battle against each other on teams they forget they are supposed to compete and work together. Izuku tends to wear suits and invests in a smart phone for all his hero notes and he and Bakugo come up with code to talk on the battle field.

It is a story about them becoming true brothers in arms.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure this looks good?” Obi Wan asked, looking himself over in the mirror. He shifted from one foot to the other, tugging on the clothing he was wearing, half expecting it to change colors.

“Very good,” Hizashi said with a thumbs up. “If I weren’t in a committed relationship I would be asking you out.”

“I would turn you down,” he said only for his eyes to go wide. “Not because there is a problem with you asking me. It’s just, that is, being a Jedi-“

Anakin let out a laugh. “Look at you blushing, Master! I didn’t know you could get tongue-tied.”

Obi Wan took a calming breath, centering himself. “Yes, Anakin, you have discovered my weakness.”

“Let’s be glad Dooku isn’t here to find out about that or he’d be replacing Ventress with male Twi’leks!”

“Yes, because if he were here he’d also be cloning Padme and making up an entire army of her to face you.”

“To be fair, General, I think an army of the Senator would take down many of us,” Rex commented.

The Jedi master smirked at that before looking himself over in the mirror once more. “I have to admit I do like these clothing,” he said, tugging on the light brown jacket. It was made of a canvas-like material but looked rather nice; it didn’t make him look like some poor farmer from the agri-corps who made their shirts out of any discarded piece of fabric they could find. Under that he had a darker brown vest (but made of a rather soft and supple material) and then finally something Hizashi told him was a ‘turtle-neck’. All he knew was it came up rather high on his neck but he’d always preferred his clothes being tight around his throat. Qui Gon had gotten so annoyed when he’d requested new undergarments because they got stretched out. Completely the outfit was a pair of ‘blue jeans’ which seemed to be rather aptly named, and a pair of high quality boots.

“I figured since you have that whole college professor vibe that we should run with it,” Hizashi stated.

“You do have that,” Anakin said, sitting on a padded chair next to the dressing room. Hizashi had told them that the store had the best clothing for men and a lot of pro heroes shopped at the chain to get their casual duds.

“Do you even known what a college professor is, Anakin?” Obi Wan asked.

His former padawan scratched at his chin. “Well… no, but you totally have the vike.”

“Vibe,” Hizashi stated before walking over to a pile of clothing and tossing them to Anakin. “You’re turn.”

“Right, sure. You remember what-“

“You asked for?” Hizashi did finger guns. “Oh yeah! You like to tinker so they need to be heavy duty. Prefer darker colors. And the gloves. Though not sure why that’s a big deal.”

“Metal hand,” Anakin said from within the dressing room, taking off his normal glove to reveal the metal that made up his right forearm and hand that he waved above the door for the pro to see.

Hizashi’s eyes went wide at that and he let out a whistle. “Now THAT is something! There are support techs that would love to get a look at that!”

“I’ll make them another one… not in the mood for them to pick at this one.”

“You MADE that?” Hizashi asked in surprise. “I knew you were handy…”

“Oh yes, Anakin is very skilled,” Obi Wan said. “Prosthetics like that aren’t rare but they aren’t common so he wasn’t happy with what he was provided at first. He built that himself… the healers at the temple were just as eager to look at it as you are.”

Hizashi shook his head. “I mean it, Anakin… stuff like that is real important. Can you feel with it?”

“Not great but I get a general sense. Though the force helps, honestly.” They heard Anakin hopping about and then the rustle of cloth.

“It’s easy to forget you guys are from space,” Hizashi told Obi Wan softly. “Then you reveal that or those light swords of yours…”

“Yes,” Obi Wan said, “I can imagine that we are as much of a culture shock as all of you are to us.” He looked at his belt before picking up his lightsaber and tucking it into his coat, figuring that it would be better to keep it hidden. His tunic and other clothing was quickly stuffed in one of the bags that sat around; once he’d settled on that outfit Hizashi had sent in a request for similar designs and now Obi Wan had about 10 different outfits he would have to organize once he got back to his apartment. “I assure you I will find a way to pay you back for this.”

“Its okay, UA is footing the bill. And I am sure Nedzu already has thought up ten ways you can pay us back even before you give us some tech ideas.”

Obi Wan opened his mouth to say more only for Rex to walk out of another dressing room, arms full of clothing which he carefully set down before standing back up. “I’ll stick with these,” he said, gesturing to the simple blue t-shirt he was wearing which looked like it had been painted onto his muscular frame and the matching blue jeans.

“Nothing else?” Hizashi asked, looking at the pile.

“Won’t work good with my armor. With these I can strap it on real quick if there is an emergency. Will get too hot with the rest of this.”

Hizashi, to his credit, shrugged. “Hey, we want you to be comfortable.” He went to get the clothing only for Rex to suddenly reach out and grab his coat. “Uh… problem?”

“This isn’t normal fabric,” he said, fingering it. “Heavy… with something else.”

“Oh right,” Hizashi said with a grin, standing back up. “It’s armored.”

“Armored? Really?” Obi Wan said in surprise.

“It won’t stop explosive rounds but it does deal with bullets okay. Knives too.”

Rex poked at the inside of his cheek. “How do I get one?”

“Well, my Agency gets a support company to custom make them for me… one moment.” He pulled out his phone, something that Hizashi had mentioned the five would be getting as they would be rather handy to have on hand. “Okay, so fashion designers are always sending over clothing for free in hopes I’ll wear them on give them some free publicity. When a hero changes their costume design that is a big deal. New posters, new action figures, all sorts of things. Here are a few that I got recently… like any of them?” He began to scroll through the photos of jackets until Rex suddenly pointed.

“That one,” he said.

“Military style,” Hizashi said, looking at the photo and then back at Rex, imagining him in it. It came down to just above the knee, was a dark gray, and had plenty of armor in it. A lot of pockets too. “Yeah… yeah I think it will work. We might need to have you get fitted but I can arrange for it to be brought over. If you like it you can just have it! Better than it sitting in my closet.”

“Thank you, sir,” Rex said formally.

“Well, I’d ask for an armored jacket too but I like what I found!” Anakin said as he stepped out. He’d gone with browns like Obi Wan but much darker in color, near black. A heavy long sleeve tee and thick work khakis that wouldn’t tear as he worked on projects. He had on a dark coat that was made of a stiff and hardy canvas material, making it similar to Obi Wan’s but also vastly different; longer and with a larger collar. He’d put on a new glove and reached down to tug at his boots, making sure that they were straight before giving a little spin. “Well?”

“Very nice Anakin,” Obi Wan complimented. “Practical and fitting with people I see wandering about.”

“Thank you,” Anakin said with a smirk before tucking his own lightsaber in his jacket; he made a mental note to work out some kind of holster that would keep it from tumbling out. “What coat did you pick out, Rex?” He looked at the phone as Hizashi held it out. “Yeah, that will suit you well!”

“Thank you Ge…Anakin.” He frowned. “That is going to take some getting used to.

“Yes it will but we know you’ll manage,” Ahsoka said, alerting the men that the ladies were back. Hizashi went to write up the orders for Anakin and Rex, leaving the three new arrivals to stare at their female companions.

“I see you honored your Jedi roots,” Obi Wan said, looking over Ahsoka’s outfit. She’d gone with a sleeveless turtleneck in a chocolate color with matching gloves that went up to her elbows.

“We talked her into pants,” Nemuri said with a playful smile. “And out of the belly-bearing shirt.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Ahsoka pouted.

“I’m a teacher, Ahsoka, I like to look after my student. Especially the girls.”

“And you’re the +18 Superheroine?” she retorted.

“Which should tell you something.”

Padme shook her head. “They’ve been like this the entire time.”

“…”

“Anakin?”

“…”

Padme frowned, looking herself over. Nemuri had insisted she not worry about the cost of her clothing and gotten a number of outfits she could mix and match to give her a wide array of options. At the moment she had on a black long sleeve with a red knitted pull over, jeans that Nemuri assured her were ‘designer’ and a pair of matching sunglasses that the teacher had informed her she HAD to have.

“Do I look okay?”

“I think the problem is you look better than okay,” Ahsoka teased.

“…”

Padme chuckled and kissed her utterly out of his husband. “Glad you approve. Now then, shall we head back to the apartment?”

Nemuri shook her head. “Oh no… you guys need SO much more!”

“More… what?” Rex asked, worried.

“Everything!” Nemuri said in glee.

Rex didn’t need to Force to sense the danger he and the other were in.

~MC~MC~M~

“I still think you should have gotten something a bit more colorful, master,” Ahsoka said, glancing at Obi Wan as he fiddled with the new phone Nemuri and Hizashi had gotten him. They’d just left the mobile store, each of the new arrivals now sporting brand new phones that had already been set up with each other’s contact info as well as Nemuri, Hizashi, and Nedzu’s personal numbers.

Ahsoka was fighting the urge to look over the phone, more focused on observing the world around her. She didn’t have the situational awareness Obi Wan did so she couldn’t give the phone the focus she wanted to give it and still look around at all the different things around her. And she would have all her focus on the phone as it was an amazing piece of technology that managed to actually put what they had in their galaxy to shame. It was like a datapad and a communicator merged together. There were weaknesses, as she’d been warned that there were areas where she wouldn’t be able to connect to ‘the net’ and it held only a fraction of the data that a datapad could… but it was still nice to discover that this world wasn’t utterly backwards.

“I prefer function to form,” Obi Wan told her. Ahsoka and Hizashi had debated covers for her phone while Padme had selected several cheap but colorful ones that she could quickly change out to match whatever outfit she was wearing. Rex had been utterly overwhelmed by everything and finally just settled on a basic white cover that made his phone water/shock/drop proof.

“So what are these exactly?” Anakin said, having stopped to look at a small counter-shop. Hizashi couldn’t help but grimace as he turned to see just what had caught the man’s attention; Anakin had stopped at one of those Knock-Off booths. It was filled with merchandise not authorized by the different hero agencies… and not just because the seller wanted to make a bit of extra money. The booth mostly sold shirts and the depicted all manner of decidedly family-unfriendly images printed on them.

There was a chibi All Might flashing his winning grin… as he peed all over a knocked out Endeavour. Ryukyu in an outfit DECIDELY not approved by any of her support staff due to how it barely covered her up, the words ‘Save Gas/Ride A Dragon’ on it. There were the slapped together ones, such a shirt that was just a picture of Endeavour flipping the bird that had clearly been stolen from a photo some reporter had taken, and rather nice looking ones (still illegal due to lacking the rights to use the images) such as one of Gang Orca bursting through a wall, the style so nice that honestly Hizashi would have hired the artist to do some his merch if he could figure out who they were.

Thankfully it turned out Anakin wasn’t looking at any of the shirts and instead was examining a basket on the top of the counter.

“Oh, those are patches,” Hizashi said with a grin. He reached for one that had one of his own logo on it, his shades with the letters of his hero name making up the lenses, and flipped it over to find that it was official merch. “People like to get them and put them on hats and backpacks and stuff.”

“And coats?” Anakin said as he began to rifle through the basket and pulled out one that had Midnight’s M logo on it, shaped just like her belt buckle.

“Anakin…” Obi Wan said.

“What?” he asked. “It will let me personalize things. You don’t mind when Rex and the clones do it.”

“Yes but that is different,” Obi Wan argued.

Padme spoke up. “Maybe a few days ago but now?”

Obi Wan opened his mouth before clicking it shut. “…I suppose you are right.” He looked down at what he himself was wearing, to remind himself that he wasn’t exactly in standard Jedi clothing. “I’m sorry Anakin, I had no right to judge.”

His former Padawan stared at him for a long moment, startled that Obi Wan was giving in. He thought for a moment about teasing him only to mentally decide against that; his master had shown great maturity in backing down and it didn’t feel right to pick on him for doing the right thing.

So instead he said, “That’s okay, Obi Wan. This is… odd for all of us.” He looked at the patches. “I just think this would be something fun to do.”

“Perhaps whenever you meet a hero you get a patch?” Obi Wan suggested.

Anakin’s eyes lit up at that and he laughed. “That’s a great idea!” He began to dig through the basket. “Think they have some for the others?”

“Snipe perhaps but I doubt it,” Nemuri stated. “Yamanda and I are the most famous of UA’s teachers and get the most merch deals. Snipe has some fans but ones like Shouta? Not finding anything belonging to him.”

“Well, unless we commission it!” Hizashi teased.

Anakin began to lay out the patches, asking Ashoka and Padme which one’s they preferred while Obi Wan began to chat with Nemuri about their next stop; he wanted to get some books about the world so he could study up and find out more about Earth.

Rex looked around before leaning in towards Hizashi. “I need to hit the head.”

“Over there,” he said, pointing to a shop that sold comic books. “I’ve been in there before, they are good about letting people use the restrooms.”

Nodding his thanks and promising not to wander off Rex headed to the bathroom. He did near to use it but he also needed to step away for a moment to calm himself. All the choices were making his head hurt and he didn’t like feeling weak. He was a clone, one of many, and while he had done plenty to make himself stand out amongst his brothers he still could still look at them and see his own features. But picking out the clothing and his phone and hearing all the other suggestions that their new friends had given them… it was too much. It just reminded Rex that on this world… he wasn’t a clone. He was just Rex. The only one like him on the entire planet. Possible the entire solar system. Maybe… maybe even the galaxy…

It was too much. He needed to ground himself.

“P-please give that b-b-back!”

Rex tensed as he pressed on the restroom door and hear the youthful voice stuttering and stammering.

He could make out three men, around Anakin’s age or maybe a year or two younger. But close to his age, that was for sure. They were huddled around a figure who was on the floor, wearing dark clothing though Rex couldn’t see much else due to their bodies blocking the young man’s form. That he could tell though: the boy was young. Ahsoka’s age if he had to guess from his voice.

“Aw, does the quirkless baby want his special shoes back?” one of the men, whose head looked a bit like one of the frilled lizards Rex had encountered on Geonosis, said with a laugh. He was dangling a red shoe up, the heavy-set man to his right lightly tossing the other shoe in the air.

“You think we didn’t realize who you were? What you were?” the final man, who was rather tall and far too skinny to be healthy, cackled.

The first man leaned down. “I think they belong in the shitter. Just like you.” He turned towards the stall… only to slam into Rex, who had snuck up behind him.

“You have three seconds to return the shoes,” he warned them.

“Hey man,” the lizard man said, jabbing his finger against Rex’s chest, “no one tells me-“

Rex reached out, grabbing the man’s finger and snapping it.

“BITCH!” the man screamed, dropping to his knees. That was a big mistake as Rex grabbed the lizard’s head and drove it right into his knee, feeling the scaled snout crack from the blow. Lizard cried out, pressing his hands to his face, only for Rex to grab him by his shirt and haul him up… but only so he was in the perfect place for his fist to slam into his gut.

“Back off!” Fatty shouted, holding out his hands to reveal that the tips of his fingers had holes in them. He fired off blasts of air at Rex but the soldier dropped, lashing out with his foot into Fatty’s ankle, causing him to topple back. Fatty cried out, the winds swirling around him as he fell, and Rex stomped down on his hand, feeling the bones break and cutting off the winds. Rex snatched the shoe his opponent had been tossing from the air, placing with the other one on the floor before turning towards Stick, narrowing his eyes as the tall man tried to puff up to look tough.

“You… I’m going to get the cops!” Stick shouted.

“Go,” Rex told him. “I’d love to talk to’em.”

Stick glared at him. “You… you think they’ll care? He’s quirkless!”

“I care. And Present Mic and Midnight, who I happen to be shopping with? They’ll care.”

“Present Mic?” Fatty moaned. “No way you fucking know Present MIc.”

Rex held up his phone, pressing the contact button and hitting Hizashi’s number. After two rings the man’s voice filled the bathroom. “Hey Rex? You get loss?”

“Nah, just ran into some… fans.”

“Fuck, that is Present Mic,” Stick whispered, backing away from Rex.

“Need me to come in?” Hizashi asked worriedly when he heard that.

“We’re going! We’re going!” Stick cried out in fear, helping Lizard up, Fatty practically scrambling on the floor like a Kaminoian Crab in order to escape the restroom.

“Those three make Clankers look like geniuses,” Rex rumbled as he hung up before moving to check on the victim of the attack. “You okay kid?”

The boy nodded, slowly reaching out for his shoes. He was wearing a uniform of some kind, hands trembling as he reached for his shoes and began to tug them on. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder and he seemed unsure if he wanted to cling to it or use it as a potential shield.

“I won’t hurt you, okay?” Rex said, settling down on the tile floor. Thankfully it was clean so he wouldn’t have to hear the others tease him about getting his new clothes dirty already. “I’ll just sit here, okay? I’m Rex, by the way.”

The boy nodded, reaching up and rubbing the tears from his eyes, his messy green hair sticky up in all direction. “Mi… Midoriya. I’m Midoriya.”

Chapter Text

“Where is everyone?” Anakin asked as Padme grabbed his arm and began to lead him towards a small park across the street from the shops. He had just gotten done picking out which patches he wanted to get, going with Midnight, Present Mic, and a couple of designs he’d been told represented the city. He wanted to find out if they had racing in Japan so he could pick out a team he could root for; there were a few racers he’d kept up with during his training but he hadn’t been able to support them due to Jedi Code frowning upon material possessions.

“Hizashi took Ahsoka to check out some place that sold, for this world, older music.” Padme chuckled. “They put music on vinyl here, or at least they used to. Hizashi claims that makes the music sound better than the digital versions.”
“Hmm… never really got into music so I can’t judge. The Chancellor was always dragging me to operas and Obi Wan preferred that instrumental stuff with strings. Hope Hizashi is careful with what he picks out; I don’t want Ahsoka waking us up blaring something that sounds like Master Tiin screaming after he got kicked between the legs by oppie.”

“That is a… colorful description, Ani.”

He chuckled. “And very true. You could ask Obi Wan if he were around…”

“He went off with Nemuri to get some books on Quirk Theory and the history of this world. You know how he is.”

“Yeah, better her than us.”

“And Rex is handling something, he said it was fine and he’d catch back up with us.”

Anakin frowned at that. “He shouldn’t have separated from us. Not with us not knowing what dangers this world has.”

“He’ll be fine,” Padme assured him. “And if he isn’t… well, this world has plenty of heroes, doesn’t it? You don’t need to always charge in and save the day anymore.”

Anakin pressed his lips together at that. “But… I’m not going to be able to not help.” He shook his head in frustration, looking up at the fluffy white clouds that were floating up in the sky above him. “Somewhere out there the Republic is fighting to defeat the Separatists. People are dying Padme… and we’re stuck here.”

“You think that doesn’t bother me too, Anakin?” She asked softly. “You don’t think I keep thinking about it, wishing I could do something? All I want to do is find some way to contact the Republic, let them know we are here.” She sighed, shaking her head. “But we can’t. Even if we couldn’t… we can’t.”

“What do you mean?” he asked her, pausing at a small tree, leaning against it with his arms folded over his chest. “There might be ways for us to contact the Republic… it will take time, need to figure out some way to build a hyperdrive which shouldn’t be too hard, create an alternative to coaxium but considering there are people here that can generate fire at will…”

“Anakin,” she said softly.

“And if not then we can send out a satellite. Nedzu said they had space flight in this world they just stopped exploring when quirks came around. We send out one and keep broadcasting a distress signal. Maybe take a few years-“

“Try a few thousand,” Padme said.

“I can make it far shorter. I have some ideas I’ve always wanted to try-“

“Anakin, we can’t.”

He huffed. “Why? Why are you giving up getting off this planet? Why don’t you want to return?”

“I want to return,” Padme told him. “I want to see my parents again. My sister and my nieces. I want to see R2 and Jar Jar and Threepio and Bail and everyone else. I want to get back to work and let them know what Dooku did, how he tried to kill us. I want to stop the war and make the galaxy safe again. But only if we could protect this planet.”

“…what?”

“Think about it, Ani,” Padme said. “You said it yourself: there is a man here that can generate fire at will. What do you think Dooku would give to have him fighting on his side? How many Senators would demand we force Midnight to join the Republic Army because she could put the likes of Ventress to sleep? There are people who look like animals but have human bodies… the Hutts would pay so much spice to have them perform for them.” She reached out and cupped his cheek.

At once Anakin could see it. Nedzu locked up by the Separatist leaders, forced to come up with plans for them to take planets, tortured if he refused. Present Mic drafted to fight alongside clones, it made clear that if he didn’t they would find ways to make him fight. The Jedi arguing about quirks, some claiming they were clear signs of the Dark Side and needed to be destroyed because they went against their doctrine. The Hutts making heroines like Mirko and Midnight perform every day before returning to the dungeons at night.  The entire Clone Wars would become focused on Earth, all sides fighting for it, destroying every city, convincing the people they had to leave for ‘their safety’ and then having bombs put in their skulls to ensure they complied with their new masters, their powers to dangerous.

Everyone on this planet… would be made slaves.

His hand reached up to touch the scar hidden by his shaggy hair.

“You’re right,” he whispered. “You’re right, Padme. We… we can’t ever leave.” He looked around at children playing happily, businessmen and women going about their day, people shopping without a care. “We have to protect them.”

Padme smiled at that, shutting her eyes before she moving to hug him, Anakin returning the embrace.

“There… are good things about staying here too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Anakin… look around you. No one cares that we are hugging each other.”

He blinked.

“They don’t care,” he whispered.

“They don’t care. Heroes on this world… they can marry. Have children. It doesn’t matter.”

Anakin huffed at that even as a bemused smile formed on his lips. “They don’t care,” he repeated before grabbing her hand and dragging her over to a woman who was coming out of what appeared to be a hair salon. “Excuse me… I know this is going to sound weird but… I’m married.” He gestured at Padme. “To her.”

The green haired woman smiled at that. “Aw, that’s so sweet. Congrats you two!”

Anakin looked at Padme as the woman walked away. “They don’t care!”

Padme just nodded, smiling her own stupid smile. “They don’t care!”

The two hugged each other tight, not even needing to kiss, so relieved were they that, at long last… they didn’t need to hide.

~MC~MC~MC~

Had he been any other child Izuku would have been absolutely freaked out that the dark skinned man that had just utterly destroyed three teenagers had offered to sit with him outside while he waited for his mom to get done with her hair cut. Except… Rex was the first adult outside of his mother to actually show any interest in his well being and as such he had been more than happy to agree to the man’s offer.

That was how Rex and Izuku found themselves outside the sporting good shop, sitting on a wooden bench watching people walk about.

“That… was really cool what you did in the bathroom,” Izuku said only to gasp as he realizing just how that sounded. “I mean how you beat up those guys! Though, I guess I shouldn’t be cheering that on except they really weren’t that nice and-“ He swallowed. “I’m going to be quiet now.”

“It’s alright, kid,” Rex assured him. “Don’t mind at all.”

“You… you don’t?” he asked, surprised.

“Of course not. I’ve met plenty of people who like to talk. The Ge… Skywalker loves to do that though his is more jokes. And Kenobi is a fan of analyzing everything he sees. Trust me, I don’t mind if you want to talk.”

“Oh,” Izuku said softly. “Are Skywalker and Kenobi your friends?”

“…people I work with,” Rex said, figuring that was the safest way to word it. “Though we are close. Have to be, with all we’ve been through.”

“Right.” Izuku looked down at his red shoes, returned to his feet. “Thanks for helping me in there.”

“Was the right thing to do.”

“That… doesn’t mean that most people would have stepped in.”

Rex frowned at that. From what Obi Wan had learned from researching this world the kid wasn’t just being sullen. Quirkism, it was known as. People in this world found all sorts of reasons to look down on people and their quirks. If they were too weak. If they were too strong (if one couldn’t control them). If they weren’t ‘flashy’ or ‘impressive’. But the worst treated were the quirkless. It was why Nedzu had insisted Padme and him be listed as having minor quirks, as it would allow them to avoid many problems.

Sitting with Izuku and remembering how those three punks had treated the boy… Rex wasn’t sure anymore how he felt about lying about his quirk status.

“Most people aren’t willing to do what is right, I’ve found,” Rex stated. “It’s rare to find people who are willing to stand up in help. My brothers and I… many rely upon us to help them fight. And I don’t mind it but… they could fight back themselves, if they just stood up and tried. Could have stopped those clankers a lot quicker-“

“Clankers?” Izuku asked. “I’ve never heard of Clankers. Are they from Australia?”

“Huh?”

Izuku shifted. “I’m sorry it’s just… your accent… its Australian right. Or New Zealand?”

Rex didn’t know where either of those places was but he figured it was better than nothing. “Yeah. Australia.

“I don’t follow a lot of what happens there. There aren’t as many villains in Australia as there are in Japan.” The green haired boy suddenly perked up. “Your quirk is amazing, by the way!”

“My quirk?”

“Yeah! I’m not exactly sure what it is… I know it’s not a mutant quirk so I’m torn between emitter and transformation. Emitter seems the most likely but it’s possible you have a transformation quirk that just isn’t visible. Maybe-“

“I have a mutant quirk,” Rex said, remembering what Nedzu had told him. He had requested as much info as the principal had on the quirk he had assigned Rex; one didn’t go into a mission without as much info as possible. Rex had spent hours studying the documents, committing them to memory so that he could quickly rattle of the information as fast as possible. “And it didn’t aid me in that fight.”

“It… what?” Izuku said, trying to wrap his head around what Rex had just told him.

“My quirk is a-“ He didn’t need to fake the annoyance, “-increase in bladder function.”

“…does that mean your bladder is just larger? Or is it better at converting liquids into useful nutrients so you can drink more and produce less urine? Are you able to store it for longer without causing damage? Maybe-“

Rex’s eyes went wide as the boy went rapid fire before he was reduced to mumbling under his breath, hand twitching as his fingers curled into the position one would use to write things down. “Kid,” he said, waving his hand in front of Izuku’s face, snapping him out of his mutterings. “You back with me kid?”

“Y-yeah,” Izuku stammered, ducking his head. “I’m… I’m really sorry. I just really like quirks since I don’t have one of my own and I like to think about them-“

“Nothing wrong with that,” Rex said, cutting him off.

Izuku blinked at that. “But… but… everyone always tells me how creepy it is. How I’m just a stalker and that I also focus on quirks because I’m a worthless deku…” Izuku sniffed, lowering his head, wondering why he’d told Rex that. The man was so cool and had helped him despite being so weak… and Izuku had just told him exactly why that was a massive mistake. Why he should have just left him alone. He sniffed, tears welling up in his eyes. Stupid. He was so-

Rex reached over and gave his shoulder a shake, snapping him out of his depressed thoughts. “Kid, listen to me right now: anyone who thinks being passionate about something or wanting to learn more… they are the worthless one.”

Izuku snapped his head up, staring at Rex, eyes wavering thanks to his tears.

“You think that heroes aren’t passionate? You think they just get up and shrug their shoulders and only give it half their best? I’ll tell you right now… anyone that goes into a fight without giving it their all is going to end up losing, simple as that. And the best fighters? They know that battles can only be won with luck so many times. You learn and you plan if you want to get out of the battlefield safely… and you plan even more if you want to get your squadmates through. You plan, they plan… and you all get home. You aren’t weak for being passionate and getting information… they are.”

He’d never considered that before. Or he had but he just hadn’t… put it together. All the times he’d watched heroes he’d focused on what they could do to improve their quirks, how they could counter villain attacks, what they could have done to make a fight end quicker or minimize damage.  He had taken so many notes, done so much research, even said that it was for Future Hero Work… but he hadn’t put it together that it was okay because so many people told him it wasn’t. And yet here was Rex who knew Present Mic and who had taken out those three guys, telling him that he was strong.

Strong like Rex.

“Wait,” Izuku said, eyes widening. “If your quirk is just your bladder-“ Rex grimaced at that, “-how did you manage to take out those three guys?” Rex opened his mouth only for Izuku to begin talking again. “I mean, I know there are plenty of heroes that learn how to fight without the benefit of their quirks. Eraserhead basically fights quirkless and while heroes like Mirko have enhanced physical abilities they still need to know how to move and fight in order to win against villains. In fact a lot of heroes suffer because they rely too much on their quirks and don’t know how to fight without them or if it’s a bad matchup. Mt. Lady’s whole thing is growing huge but she doesn’t really know how to do anything more than stomp and punch. If she learned how to moderate her size and learn some fighting moves…” he trailed off, mind racing as he rambled to himself.

It took a few minutes to realize that he’d zoned out… and Rex was still there, watching him with a slightly bemused smile.

“Sorry,” Izuku said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and head.

“No problem, kid,” Rex assured him. “I could tell you were working something out.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Are… are you a hero?”

Rex looked right at Izuku and shook his head. “No.” The boy nodded. “Not yet.”

Izuku’s eyes went wide.

Rex chuckled. “Yeah… and I’m gonna be a hero without needing a flashy quirk. Just good gear and a good head on my shoulders.”

“I… I wish I could do that.”

The clone trooper thought of his little brothers. The young clones that hadn’t yet gotten their armor yet. Who were so desperate to prove themselves and so fearful they wouldn’t be able to. He thought of clones like 99, who had done all he could even though he wasn’t fit for active duty. He thought of the shinies who had their heads filled with training but didn’t know how to properly use it and what parts to toss away. He thought of all his brothers that just needed someone to give them a bit of help… and how he wouldn’t be there for them anymore.

And he thought about this boy that was seated right next to him. Who didn’t have brothers.

“You can, kid.”

Izuku stared at him, swallowing.

“What?”

“You can do it. You just need the proper training. Someone to help you out. Show you how to fight. How to defend. How to lead.”

“But I don’t know anyone that can do that,” Izuku whispered.

“Yeah, you do.”

“…you?”

“I got nothing better to do.”

“I… couldn’t…“

“You can. And you will. It won’t be easy. I’m not going to train you unless you are willing to give it your all. Promise never to give up and then when you almost do slam your fists into the durasteel and roar that you won’t.” He smirked. “But… I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think you have the passion and drive to keep going. Doesn’t matter if you don’t have a quirk at all.”

Rex reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder even as Izuku began to cry. Only… these weren’t tears of sorrow.

“Because… you too can become a hero.”

Chapter Text

“There are a few things we will need to discuss in order to prepare you for your exam next week,” Nedzu said. It had been a couple days after the fivesome had arrived on Earth and they had spent much of that time settling into the world they found themselves in. They’d shopped for things that would allow them to blend it, explored bits of the city, and even sampled their forms of entertainment. For many beings it would have been rather hard but thanks to the craziness that had been their lives before arriving on earth they had quickly gotten used to being on a completely different world. They still needed time to adjust to it so that they could fit in flawlessly but they weren’t panicking or freaking out as others might have.

Which meant it was time to begin helping them with the next stage of their resettlement.

“First I’m afraid that Tano will not be able to take the exam to get her Hero License.” Nedzu looked at the young woman (and for the sake of appearances Ahsoka had to begin to see herself as a human and not a Togrutan) and gave her a sympathetic smile. “I understand that you have had much training but that was as a Jedi, not a hero. And even then you simply are too young to take the Exam.”

“I understand,” Ahsoka said; her and the rest of the group had expected as much.

“That said I would like to suggest you take part in the next UA Entrance Exam. That would allow you to attend UA as a student.”

Anakin frowned. “She’s my Padawan though. I should be the one teaching her.”

“And you still will,” Nedzu assured him. “You will be able to teach her many things about the Force. However I do believe that learning how heroes operate will also be helpful.”

“He does have a point, Anakin,” Obi Wan said. “I do not doubt for a moment that you will teach her how to be a powerful Jedi. But it is just as important to allow her to learn as much as she can in order to grow. Think of it as how I allowed you to learn from the mechanics that repairs our starships.”

Anakin pressed his lips together, body tense. “I am still her master.” He let that statement hang in the air. “But… I am willing to allow her to try out UA.”

“Of course,” Nedzu said. “It is very common for students to have mentors before they come to UA. In fact that helps quite greatly. And after that they are allowed to do internships. Should you gain your Hero License you would be able to have Ahsoka intern with you.”

“Or another student, master,” Ahsoka pointed out. “Maybe someone who is into building?”

Anakin gave her a side eye glance. “Trying to get on my good side, Snips?”

“Is it working?” she teased.

“…fine!” Anakin exclaimed before jabbing a finger at Ahsoka. “But we are going to train extra hard for that exam. I will not have you fail and let Obi Wan tease me about it.”

“Because that is the most important thing,” Ahsoka said with a chuckle.

Nedzu waited to make sure they were done with their bantering before continuing. “Now, are you sure Amidala that you will not be participating.”

“While I know my way around a weapon I think I can better serve elsewhere,” Padme said. “I’ve always preferred using my words to win wars to flipping about and swinging lightsabers.”

“Not that you wouldn’t make an amazing Jedi,” Anakin assured her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. “If you could use the Force Dooku would have surrendered in days.”

“And you two would have been kicked out of the Jedi Order as there is no way you could have hidden your relationship,” Obi Wan teased.

Anakin and Padme shared a look before shrugging; both realized that was rather fair.

“So that leaves us with the three of you.” Nedzu waved at Rex, Anakin, and Obi Wan. “Each of you wish to take the Exam.”

“Aye,” Rex said with a nod from where he stood. He needed to take the exam so he understood just what Midoriya was in for.

“I think it wise for Anakin and I to do so,” Obi Wan said. “Otherwise we risk us getting into trouble when we rush out and help someone.”

“A wise decision,” Nedzu said . “So now we must focus on some very important aspects of the exam and being a hero.”

“Going over what will be covered?” Obi Wan asked.

“Strategies?” Rex suggested.

“How to disguise the Force as quirks?”

“None of the above!” Nedzu said happily. “No, we must work on your hero names and costumes!”

The two Jedi and the clone all stared at Nedzu blanked.

“…what?”

Nedzu beamed, looking all too excited. “But of course! What you go by and how you look determine what kind of hero you will be to the public. Why, it would do no good if you went by Lord Super Killer Death and dressed like a harmless rubber ducky, would it?”

“What’s a rubber ducky?” Ahsoka asked Padme who shrugged, having no clue herself.

“Of course we’ll also go over what support gear you want.”

“We have out support gear,” Obi Wan said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his lightsaber.

Nedzu nodded, waving his paw about. “Yes and they are very impressive but it doesn’t hurt to go over what other equipment you might like. Now then, Nemuri, Hizashi, and Higari will be meeting with you each individually to go over the aspects and help you figure out the different parts of your hero persona.”

The principal narrowed his eyes and the five SWORE that suddenly the entire office had gone dark, leaving Nedzu behind a screen of blackness so that he appeared twenty times bigger with glowing white eyes.

“And I am afraid this is mandatory.”

Obi Wan, Anakin, and Rex suddenly found white rubber ropes wrapping around them and dragging them into an opening in the ceiling that had just appeared out of no where.

“And have fun!” Nedzu said, everything returning to normal as he looked at Padme and Ahsoka. “Now, let us take about Tano’s entrance exam. While unlikely there is a chance you might earn a recommendation so let’s discuss that…”

~MC~MC~MC~

Rex landed with a thud in a chair that sat before Nemuri, who was dressed in her hero gear and looking at him with a smirk.

“Now, Nedzu has said that you need help choosing a hero name. I am here to assist so you can pick out the best name possible.” She smiled at him, running her finger along her bottom lip. “Now normally I let most of my students know that hero names can change as they go through their first year but you are going to more quickly run into the problem they have: once you have a reputation it is very hard for you to change your name. In fact I can’t think of the last Pro Hero that managed to change their name after they got their full License.” She sat down in a chair across from Rex, crossing one long leg over the other. “But don’t worry… I’m here to help.” She leaned forward, resting her chin on her open palm. “So tell me a bit about yourself…”

Rex nodded, deciding to treat this like a standard introduction meeting with any Jedi Knight who might have wanted to work with him.

“I am Clonetrooper designation CT-7567, now known as Rex. I was born on Kamino 10 cycles ago as part of the very first batch of clones. I was quickly assigned officer training and received the rank of Captain and led the 501 Division before we arrived here. I am proficient in multiple weapons and hand to hand combat-“

Nemuri held up a hand, eyes wide. “I’m… going to need a moment here.”

“Of course.”

The heroine tapped her pen against the table. “Now you’ll be wearing your full armor when you fight villains, correct?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Then let’s go with that. Do you have a problem with The Super Soldier Hero: Dualshot? It works with your two pistols and I figured since you aren’t fighting for the army you wouldn’t want to use the title of captain but we can add that in…”

Rex though merely nodded. “That works fine for me, ma’am.”

“Then we’ll mark it down!”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Honestly I wish we could just use your family name,” Nemuri told Anakin.

“What do you mean?”

“Skywalker,” Nemuri stated. “It just works so good as a hero name.” She paused. “Though… maybe not for you.”

“Huh?” Anakin said, confused.

“Well, you can’t fly, so you really can’t ‘sky walk’. Might want to be ready for some up and comer trying to get that name.”

“But… it’s my name.”

“Yes, yes, but it can’t be your hero name. Even if you COULD sky walk you can’t use your family name as your hero name. Just isn’t done.” She leaned back in her chair. “Anything else special about you other than the force?”

“Uh… I like to make things?” Anakin said, scratching the back of his neck. “Nedzu mentioned I should also get a support license since I’ll probably just end up building my own gear.”

“Okay, we can work with that. How about the Mech Making Hero: Sir Steel? Plays off you being a knight and that you like to make things.”

“…yeah, sure, whatever.” Anakin just leaned back in the chair and rolled his eyes.

~MC~MC~MC~

“No,” Obi Wan said with a slight smile.

“Come on now, I thought that was a good one!” Nemuri complained.

“I do NOT want to my ‘hero name’-“ While he didn’t do the airquotes Nemuri could just HEAR them in his tone, “-to focus on my beard, no matter how impressive it is to you.”

“So you don’t want to focus on your lightsaber, your mind reading, or your beard.” She huffed. “What can we focus on?”

“Well, maybe that I already have a good name that I’ve come up with.”

“No offense, Kenobi, but I’ve met pro heroes who have horrible names and they’ve lived in this world their entire lives. Spent a decade dreaming up what they want to be called. You-“

“The Diplomatic Hero: Negotiator.”

Nemuri blinked.

Obi Wan smiled.

“…I suppose that will do.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” he teased just before the rubber rope yanked him away. He found himself flying through darkness, spinning about yet somehow never getting hit once despite all his senses warning him that he was in a tight place, before suddenly he was pulled down again and found himself landing in a chair in front of Hizashi, who was wearing his hero costume. With a mad grin he clapped his hands.

“Hey there listener!” he declared, striking a pose with his finger pointing in the air. “Are we ready to talk heroic costumes?”

“…yes, Hizashi, I suppose I am,” Obi Wan stated, laying his hands in his lap.

At once Hizashi grimaced, shoulders slumping. “Sorry. I’m used to doing this with teenagers who are super excited to come to me and get advice on how to improve their costumes.”

“Of course, completely understandable,” Obi Wan said. “So you help design all the costumes for hero students at UA?”

“Well… kind of,” Hizashi said, grabbing a chair and sitting across from Obi Wan, pulling out a tablet and a stylist. “See, when they first get into UA we let them submit designs to the support class to get their costumes made. For their first costume we want them to make it on their own. Thing is these kids have spent 10 years or so dreaming of becoming heroes, thinking up their names and their costumes, how they want to be seen by the public and all that. That can mean that most of them have some rather… ingrained beliefs… when it comes to their costumes.”

“Ah,” Obi Wan said, catching on. “And if you just swoop in and tell them something is impractical…”

“Yeah, they will buck and snort like a bull. Better for them to get their costumes and realize quickly there are problems. For example, here is my first hero costume.” He pulled up an image of him maybe a year or so older than Ahsoka, wearing a more basic version of his costume. Missing were the shoulder pads and the device around his neck and instead he had a bullhorn on each wrist. “I was focused on the fact that I was going to be a long range hero so I figured I just needed to look cool. Problem was that Shota quickly made me realize there were ways around my quirk and I needed to be ready to fight. There were…” he chuckled, rubbing his bicep, “…a lot of bruises.”

“I can imagine. I’d also say you must have gotten hot in all that leather.”

“Noticed that, huh? Yeah, stuff I wear now all looks like leather but is designed to keep me cool in a fight. All changes I made. Not as much as Kayama.” He swiped through the tablet before finding the photo he wanted, turning it around for Obi Wan to see.

The Jedi’s eyes went wide. “My word!” he quickly shut his eyes.

The photo showed Nemuri in her first Midnight outfit, which had been a trenchcoat, a belt, big sunglasses… and her thong panties. Oh, there was a VERY tiny bar that went around her sizeable breasts, just barely managing to cover her nipples, but otherwise she was very much exposed.

“Yeah, the Hero Commission asked her to tone it down.”

“I should say so!” Obi Wan exclaimed, horrified. “She was barely older than Ahsoka there!”

Hizashi shook his head in amusement. “Yeah, that’s Kayama. Anyway…” Hizashi brought up photos of Obi Wan from when he had first arrived, dressed in his armored tunic. “I actually don’t think there is much we need to do to improve upon this. You have a good color balance and that armor you had seems to protect you well. Your arms, shoulders, and legs are well protected… is there anything for your chest?”

“Yes,” Obi Wan confirmed. “Originally I wore armor similar to Rex’s but with Jedi robes over the top of it. Much as you suggested with yourself and Nemuri I came to understand that having those robes were too much of a hindrance on the battlefield. As such I got Phase II clone trooper armor custom made that is hidden under my tunic. Anakin has much the same. It isn’t as strong as the outer armor but it does aid against blaster fire.”

“We’ll need to test it against bullets but that should be fine. The only issue is your head.” Hizashi waved his hand in the direction of Obi Wan’s face. “Now, it’s up to you but with that beard you are going to be super recognizable. If you don’t mind people noticing you that’s fine but-“

“I… actually have a thought about that,” Obi Wan said, holding out his hand. “May I?”

“Sure.”

Obi Wan took the pad and with the help of Hizashi figured out how to draw on the photo of him. “At one point, early on in my career as a padawan, I thought that my path led to being a temple guard. It was a noble duty, one I would have gladly taken on, but the Force led me elsewhere. I believe that I will bring them no shame if I borrow from their design.”

Turning the tablet back over Hizashi nodded as he saw the smooth white helmet Obi Wan had drawn, decorated with a golden version of the red emblem that appeared on Obi Wan’s shoulder pad armor so that the central beam went up the nose and forehead while the wings decoared the cheeks of the mask.

“Yeah… I think this will work.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Nothing changes,” Rex said firmly.

“Hey, wasn’t going to suggest any changes!” Hizashi was quick to say, holding up his hands. “You have a killer look! And I get it that you are a soldier and know what works best.”

“Thank you,” Rex said, feeling the urge to explain when he saw how worried Hizashi was. “I don’t mean any disrespect. My armor… I customized it myself.”

“You mean those markings? Anakin was telling me about that yesterday. How you and your brothers all chose your own ways to make the armor your own.”

“Yeah, but that wasn’t quite what I was getting at.” He pointed at the image of his armored self on the tablet. “See, when I first started fighting I was given Phase I armor. Good stuff… had life support system, could take blaster fire from everything but a straight shot, helmet had a lot of good tech. But… it was uncomfortable as hell. Made it hard for us to fight. So the Republic created the Phase II armor. A lot more comfortable… but less protection. I combined the two sets, taking my Phase I helmet and chest plate and altering them and then adding the Phase II stuff. So… no offense… but I’m the only one that will touch my armor.”

“In that case I suggest you talk to Higari about getting a support license so you can legally make your own armor.” Hizashi shrugged. “Otherwise I have nothing to offer.”

But Rex did lean forward. “Actually… I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“This world… it has good paint? I want to… add some things to my helmet.”

Hizashi nodded.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I honestly don’t care,” Anakin said with a shrug, lounging in the chair.

“Really?”

“Just keep it the same.”

“It’s a bit plain,” Hizashi commented.

“I don’t need something loud or flashy to get attention,” he said with a smile smirk. He leaned forward, pointing his finger at the ground. “When I want to get people to notice me… they notice.”

“…okay then, keep your Jedi garb as is.”

“Perfect.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Aren’t you cold?” Obi Wan asked Higari.

The man also known as Power Loader merely shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“Very well,” Obi Wan said. “I imagine you’ll want a look at this.” He took out his lightsaber. “Be very careful with that.”

“Right,” Higari said, looking over the lightsaber carefully. “May I?”

“By all means.” The hero activated the blade, giving it a few slow swings before moving to a sheet of metal and swinging the lightsaber at it. It cut through it and he moved onto another sheet, then another. He did so several times, some of the metal instantly being cleaved, others only getting melted gouges. “So you do have the equivalent to blast shields on this planet.”

“Apparently,” Higari said, turning off the lightsaber and holding it out to Obi Wan who took it back. “Any other gear you have?”

“Well, I have my armor.”

“Yeah, I’ve been looking over that. I think we’ll be able to replicate that well enough, making you new parts. Its rather interesting… its like metal and plastic merged together.  Very fascinating. ” Obi Wan nodded at that. “Now you do have two choices: if you can make the items yourself or hire a design company. Each has risks, of course.”

“What if I were to get Rex to make it?” Obi Wan asked. “He is, after all, trained to repair armor already and it shouldn’t take him much to fully understand how to forge new armor.”

“If he can do it? That will work for a while but the Hero Commission prefers you have a design company. They have deals with them and they don’t like getting squeezed out. Honestly I think that is part of the reason they hate vigilantes.”

“Yes, Nedzu mentioned them. I suppose I can see the logic in that… the Jedi Council would want to make contact with a Force Sensitive and train them rather than allow them to learn on their own.”

Higari, glad Obi Wan was willing to accept going to a design company eventually, let out a sigh of relief.  “Plus there is the benefit of being able to have a quick turnaround. As you rise through the ranks you get better treatment from the design and support companies so you can get your gear quicker. If your lightsaber were damaged they could-“

“I will be the only one building my lightsaber,” Obi Wan said, far fiercer than Higari had expected. The Jedi Master though quickly moved to apologize. “I am sorry… but a Jedi’s lightsaber… it is deeply important to them. It is their life. Kyber crystals… one can not use just one. To build a lightsaber is… the closest I can describe it for you to understand would be a religious experience. I have used sabers I haven’t created for myself and they never work quite like ones I have crafted myself.”

“I get it,” Higari said, holding up his hands. “I like to make my own stuff too… its why I have a support license. I suppose we can work to get you one as well… I might need Nedzu to look into the old laws, see if there is a limited license so you don’t need to do the entire test. That can be a monster.” He nodded. “But back to your other gear.”

“Right,” Obi Wan said. “I have some rations, a commlink that will now only work with Anakin and Rex-“

“I’ll get you one that works with everyone at UA.”

The Jedi Master bowed his head. “Thank you.”

He went on to show Higari everything else he had. His grapple spike launcher, holoprojector, holomap, and glow rod (which Higari stated they would also see about upgrading and improving); aquata breather and lightsaber repair kit (both would remain as is and in fact Higari asked if the breather could be one of the items the Jedi allowed UA to examine and patent), and beacon receiver (tossed away). Obi wan requested little else at the time being, stating that he would rather allow himself to get a few for what he might need rather than try and dream up things that wouldn’t end up being needed.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I’ll need this replicated,” Rex said, placing a power pack on the desk. “I use them to power my blasters.” He drew out the two blasters he was wearing; just that morning Snipe had done his license exam to be legally allowed to carry and Rex was glad he had passed so he might not walk around unarmed anymore.

Higari looked them over. “Right, these are interesting. I know there are heroes that make use of energy sources for their support gear… hell, my own mech armor uses such things. We should be able to rig something up. You want it to remain the same or to upgrade?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“We can give you more shots or more firepower.”

“Can you show me how to modify my blasters so I can switch between the two?”

Higari smiled at that. “I like how you think.” He rolled over to his desk. “Any other support items you need?”

“No but I’m going to need to know who I can get with that won’t mind me making changes to my armor. I want to make sure I won’t have any stiff collars throwing up a stink if I improve it.”

“I have a few former students who understand such needs. I’ll put you in contact with them.”

“Would they be able to make armor for someone else?”

“We can handle Obi Wan and Anakin,” Higari said.

But Rex shook his head. “No… if I were to mentor someone.”

“Take on a sidekick?” Higari considered that. “Once you have your license, sure.”

“Good.”

“Can I ask why you wanted to know?”

Rex merely smirked. “You’ll find out.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“We have prosthetics on Earth but… this is simply amazing, Anakin!” Higari said as he looked over Anakin’s artificial arm. “And you say that you have some sensation of touch?”

“I do,” Anakin said, rather proud of himself. “I oversaw the creation of it myself. It uses a synth-net neural interface and electrostatic fingertips to register touch. The original was far too spindly so I upgraded it to make it able to survive far more and allow me greater dexterity.”

“And there are no drawbacks?”

“I have to be careful with the crushing strength. Last measurement put me on par with a Wookie.” When Higari blinked Anakin merely smiled sheepishly. “Sorry… about 6 times the strength of a human.”

“Amazing. We have nothing this advanced, and certainly nothing that provides the feeling of touch!”

“I’m guessing you want to know how to make more of these?”

“If you would be willing,” Higari said earnestly. “There are countless people who are missing limbs… not just heroes but civilians… who would love to have something like this.”

Anakin licked his lips, feeling his own excitement growing. “They have legs too, where I am from. I know how to build them. Once I began researching for my arm I got sucked into bio-mechanics. It… helped me deal during the war.”

“Heavens…” Higari whispered before hurrying over to a computer that was custom made for his special metal fingers and he quickly typed in some commands. “This is a cousin of mine. Her quirk, as you can see, caused her fingers to fuse into shovels.” The image was of a red haired young woman whose wrists ended with shovels like what one could find on construction equipment. “I have made many things so she can get around her house but-“

“What if we created offshoots from her wrists that functioned like hands?” Anakin quickly suggested. “No need to remove her hands, as there is nothing wrong with her having that quirk, but a second set would allow her to live easier.”

“Or even a secondary set of arms!” Higari said, getting excited.

“It would require surgery, of course,” Anakin said, rubbing his chin in thought. “But we could do it. She’d need to undergo physical therapy as she’d gone years without fingers and hands and now she has an extra set but we could do it.” He frowned as he noticed something on the young woman’s file. “Organ donor?”

“Yes,” Higari stated. “A friend of her’s needed a kidney transplant… she’s doing fine but now Ginga wants to help out someone else if she can.”

“You don’t have cybernetic organs?”

Higari froze.

“What?” he managed to get out.

Anakin looked at the support hero. “I don’t know a ton about them, I admit… Obi Wan might have more info. But basically you create something similar to my arm but for an organ. You’d need to find metal that wouldn’t poison someone, I suppose, but that’s no different than what I use for my arm.”

“…is there anything you need for your exam?”

Confused by the change in topic Anakin shook his head. “No… Nedzu said you could help me schedule my support license as honestly I’d like to just make my gear myself. Obi Wan’s too. Rex can handle things on his own or will accept help but I would prefer to do me and Obi Wan’s.”

“Okay,” Higari said before rolling over to a phone and punching a few buttons.

“Yes?” an old voice said on the other end.

“Chiyo, come down to my lab.” He glanced back at Anakin. “I think Anakin Skywalker is about to change the world.”

Chapter Text

“I swear, I am so SICK of us having to study Kurosawa films!” Bakugo snarled as he stormed out of school, is palms sending small explosions behind him as he stalked towards the sidewalk. “I’ve already seen then ten times! I know more about them than our shitty teacher! He’s actually making me hate them!” He let out a violent snort as he continued on his way from school. “I only have to do it because of you extras!” he snapped at his tagalongs who were following just behind him. “I swear, I am so mad the next person I see is getting punched in the face so fucking hard their grandparents will feel the explosion!”

Izuku waited an extra five minutes before clamoring out of the empty dumpster he’d dove into when he’d heard Bakugo coming. While he was his closest friend Izuku knew that sometimes Kaa-chan needed to blow off steam… and blow UP on people. And at the moment, for the first time in ages, Izuku had better things to do than trying to get his best friend to see reason.

Sneaking his way home, Izuku entered his apartment and darted into his room, tossing his book bag by his bed and putting several of his notebooks on his shelf before opening his closet and looking over what he had in there. He had no idea what Rex might want for them to do so he wasn’t for sure what would be the best clothing to wear for their first day of training. He’d only mentioned that they would meet at Dagobah Beach (and had gotten an odd look on his face when Izuku had suggested it as the perfect place for what he needed).

“That area is a trash heap,” he muttered to himself. “After the city lost its funding to clean it up and that storm sent all that garbage onto it everyone just began to dump anything they didn’t want anymore there. No one goes there if they can help it so I guess that makes it a good place to train… but it also isn’t the best place to have freedom of movement.”

Realizing he only had about a half an hour left to get dressed and head down Izuku finally settled on going with layers he could easily strip off as well as packing a pair of shorts he didn’t mind getting dirty or torn. He also quickly threw in some thin gloves his mom had gotten him to wear during the winter that might help if he needed to paw through the garbage. That finally settled he hurried out the door, not bothering to leave a note as he’d already let him mom know he’d be back at supper time.

Dagobah wasn’t fair from his house but it was just far enough that he didn’t go there often. There were plenty of other parks he could head to if he was in the mood for fresh air and considering some of the bullies that liked to bother him it was better to be close to home if he needed sanctuary.

So he wasn’t worn out at all when he finally arrived at what had once probably been a rather nice beach and was now an utter garbage pit. He hurried down the steps when he spotted Rex sitting on a car that was more rust than auto, checking over something that resembled a gun but looked rather sleeker.

“You’re here!” Izuku exclaimed.

“Told you to meet me here,” Rex commented, putting his blasted back in its holster. At his feet were a couple of bags.

Izuku nodded. “Yeah but I’m used to people telling me they’ll meet me somewhere and not showing up. Or if they do they claim they didn’t actually want me to show up and get upset.” Rex just stared at him, utterly startled by that admission. “Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bugged you about that.”

“You absolutely should have, kid,” Rex said firmly, making a snap decision. This poor little greenie might have been Ahsoka’s age but there were clone cadets that had only been made 3 years ago that had more backbone that him. The kid had been beaten down far too much if he accepted such treatment as acceptable and Rex knew that it was ending now. “You ever have anyone pull that poodoo on you again you give me a ring. I’ll gladly talk with them.”

“It’s fine!” Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands about frantically. “I mean it… no big deal at all! I just make things sound worse than they really are! Really!”

“Mmmmhmmm,” Rex murmured slowly, deciding to let that go… for now. “Alright, well looks like you dressed good for training. Old clothes?”

“Yeah. Wasn’t for sure what we would be doing but figured I might get dirty.”

“Oh, you’ll be getting dirty!” Rex said with a smirk that had Izuku feeling just a touch nervous. “You know what I called the new recruits? Shinies. Because their armor was all nice and neat and clean. Straight from the factory. A real soldier? You were able to tell them because their armor had dents and scuffs and scratches and were covered in grim.” He looked down at Izuku and said in a voice that was half teasing and half chilling, “I’m gonna get you to skip the shiny phase.”

“Oh… okay,” Izuku said. “I guess that makes sense. I know there are heroes who don’t like to get dirty-“

“You ever have to work with people like that you be prepared for them to do nothing,” Rex said, cutting Izuku off. “Good s… good heroes are in the trenches getting dirty. They don’t care if their gear is covered in muck as that is better than a civ being covered in blood.”

Izuku rapidly nodded at that. “Yeah! Totally get that!” He looked around the beach. “So what are we going to do? Clean up this place to build up my muscles?”

“Why would we do something foolish like that? This beach is perfect!” Rex held out his arms and looked at the mountains of junk.

Izuku… just blinked.

“It… it is?”

Rex glanced over at Izuku and forced himself not to sigh. He understood where the kid was coming from; after he had gotten done being interviewed (interrogated) by the UA staff he had done his own research into this world and its heroes and he had a rather good understanding how things worked and how one rose up in the ranks of hero society. Izuku’s confusion had just shown him that he was right and he had to quietly remind himself that while he was going to train Izuku like he would have a cadet the teen wasn’t a brother. He was a civvy and he needed to remember he had that mentality.

“Who are the current Top Ten Heroes in Japan?”

Without missing a beat Izuku happily declared, “Gang Orca, Ryukyu, Yoroi Musha, Slammoth, Crust, Edgeshot, Best Jeanist, Hawks, Endevour, and All Might!”

“And what do you see nearly all of them having in common?”

Izuku frowned at that, unable to stop himself from muttering about the heroes. “They all have different types of quirks. Mutation, Transformation, and Emitor. They live in different places too. Country of origin… maybe but… no that…” He began to think about their quirks, this time going from 1 to 10. “Strength amplifier, fire, flight and wings, fabric manipulation-“ Izuku stopped as it dawned on him. “Nearly all of them are known for their direct attack approaches!”

“That’s right,” Rex told him and Izuku beamed at the praise. “Everyone except Hawks, Edgeshot, and Crust focus on direct offense.” He paused, wanting to make sure Izuku was paying attention to what he was going to say. “Now, of all the crimes committed in Japan this year, what percentage do you think were stopped by the Top Ten together.” Rex knew that was a rather complex question he was asking but Izuku had shown that he was a bright guy and he was sure he could figure it out.

“Okay, so there are roughly 1,219 heroes activate in Japan right now, though that isn’t the actual number as many hero rankings group teams together as a single unit. So that means the Top 10 account for less than 1% of the total hero population. But they’re are also far more activate. Roughly a third of all heroes are rescue heroes…” He began to do the mental math, remembering All Might’s crime fighting statistics, the crime rates in Japan, and other factors before declaring, “The Top Ten account for 15% of all crimes prevented.”

“Good kid,” Rex said with a smile. “Except its not even half that. You were right when you said they were 1% of the Hero Population… they account for roughly 2.7% of all crimes stopped or prevented.” Rex made a mental note to thank Obi Wan again for helping figure that out.

“But…” Izuku said in shock, jaw hacking down, “but… how can that be?!? All Might-“

“Actually brings the amount up by a lot. I should have removed him from the equation, actually. In fact if you get rid of him, Endeavour, and Hawks you end up at barely .5%.”

“That… no!” Izuku exclaimed. “How-“

“How many muggings does Crust stop?”

Izuku blinked, startled by the question… because at once he got what Rex was getting at. “They only handle major crimes.”

“Exactly,” Rex said. “The news loves to show the flashy crimes… and the flashy heroes. All Might punching out some crimmy who is trying to blow up a city block, Hawks taking down some kidnappers. They don’t cover the 10 muggings that Ingenium stops in a single night and he is one of the flasher patrolling heroes.” He patted the car he was leaning against and Izuku came over, hopping up onto the hood, resting his feet onto the bumper. “Don’t get me wrong, sometimes flashy is needed. I’ve dealt with whole armies before. Armies. And some of the people I’ve fought with had amazing abilities. Ones that felt utterly impossible. Those powers… sometimes they turned the tide of battle for us. Took out threats that would have taken a thousand fighters to deal with. But… there was only a handful of them. Most of the battles were fought with people like me. Who just had their guts and their skills.”

“Okay,” Izuku said slowly. “That makes sense. But… what does that have to deal with this beach?”

“You ever seen battlefields before, kid?”

“I’ve watched a lot of hero fights,” izuku told him.

“And what did they end up looking like after a few minutes?”

“Well, it depends on the hero. With All Might there are a lot of craters if the villains dodge his blows or if he’s forced to hit them into buildings. With Endeavor he tends to burn down things or melt them. Hawks doesn’t do a lot of collateral…” He trailed off and Rex smiled as Izuku realized just what he was getting at. “It’s not clean.”

“No. No it isn’t.” Rex waved at the beach. “That’s why this place is perfect. It’s a battlefield already torn up. A street that has seen a villain fight. You don’t have a quirk, kid, which means you can’t leap over or punch your way through an obstacle. You need to learn how to get through. How to dodge, roll, sneak.” He nodded towards the garbage. “You are going to go through that. You’ll learn not to fear the sharp points and the wet puddles but see them as opportunities to escape, hide, and counterattack.”

“Well… yeah!” Izuku said, warming up to the idea. “That sounds like a great way to train!”

“Yeah,” Rex said, his smile turning a bit more… sinister. “And to motivate you…” He lifted up one of the bags he’d brought with him and pulled out an overly ripe tomato.

“You’re… going to throw those at me?”

“Yup. And you know what they’ll represent?”

“A wound?”

“Nah,” Rex said, tossing the tomato lightly up and down. “See… these things represent a person you can’t save. Every hit? That is a child that died because you were a bit too slow. A woman who won’t see her family again. A man who won’t ever come home. Because that is what matters… you don’t avoid hits to protect yourself. You avoid them so you can protect others.”

“…right,” Izuku said with a nod.

“Then… GO!”

Izuku raced towards the first pile of trash, weaving quickly to avoid Rex’s throws.

~MC~MC~MC~

As Anakin, Obi Wan, Padme, Ahsoka, and Rex went about their lives, adjusting to their new reality on Earth, others were discussing them.

And… the matter of their deaths.

“I’m afraid I simply can’t not agree, Master Jedi,” Chancellor Palpatine said with a sad shake of his head. “Nor can I authorize the release of such a statement.”

Mace Windu though merely continued to stare right at the Chancellor. Beside him sat Yoda and behind him Kit Fisto and Plo Koon stood, solemn and grave. The four Jedi had come to the Chancellor’s office with grim news, the kind they knew would upset the leader of the Republic.

They had been prepared for shock. Despair. Maybe even fright.

But complete dismissal?

“Chancellor,” Mace began, “I understand that this news affects you… just as much as it affects us. Senator Amidala was your protégée. You and Skywalker had a close friendship. But denying the truth will not bring them back.”

“You are certain they are dead then?” Palpatine asked. “You have their bodies?”

“Remains seen, we have not,” Yoda admitted. “But clear, the truth is. Gone, they are.”

“It seems to me that Master Kenobi and Anakin have gotten out of such situations before,” the Chancellor stated. “I am sure you can think of five different situations right now within the last ten years where we lost contact with them.”

“While that is true,” Plo Koon stated, “we knew where they were this time. The building they were in exploded.”

“And yet no remains were found,” the Chancellor repeated.

The Jedi were silent.

“Tell me, Master Jedi… can you not sense when one has passed on?”

“It is… if there is a strong bond between Jedi they can feel it when one passes.”

“And yet you have not felt Kenobi and Anakin pass.” The Chancellor smiled slightly at that. “So either you were not close to them… or they are not dead.”

“While I understand your wishful thinking, Chancellor, we cannot cling to hope when all evidence points to their deaths,” Mace stated.

But the Chancellor pressed on, steepling his fingers together. “We believe this was a Separatist trap, correct? That it wasn’t an accident?”

“Deliberate, it appears to be,” Yoda confirmed.

“The lost of Senator Amidala and two Jedi of such renown would be a rather grave strike to moral for the Republic and at the same time a rallying cry for the Separatists. And yet they have not said a word about it. Our spies state that they have made no move to capitalize on this. Now… why would that be?” He smiled. “Could it be that our missing five heroes are in fact still alive?”

“Chancellor-“

“And according to this most recent report,” he pushed a data pad over to the Jedi, “the Separatist negotiators that met with the Senator are still alive.” He smiled. “How very… odd.”

“We will need to investigate these claims ourselves,” Mace said.

“Of course,” the Chancellor said with a polite smile. “But until you can provide me more solid evidence I am afraid I cannot agree to cause a panic.”

The Jedi nodded and moved to leave, though Yoda lingered. “Mourn, so do we. Them well, wish for we do. Accept what happened though, we must.”

And with that he shuffled out.

Palpatine waited until he could long feel their pathetic presences leave the area before he allowed his smile to truly fall and the rage he was feeling bubble over.

Sealing off the room from any prying eyes Palpatine donned his robes before turning on the secure holocommunicator . He only had to wait a moment, for his apprentice knew better, no matter the time on whatever planet he was on, to keep him waiting.

“What is thy bidding, my master?” Darth Tyranus asked, bowing his head.

“How goes the search Skywalker and the rest of his party?” he snapped.

“I am having our forces scour the planet, my lord, but I have found no trace of them.”

“Then send Ventress to look if your droids can not find them,” he growled. “I want Skywalker found.”

“My lord, it is entirely possible that the explosion-“

“It. Did. Not.” He glared at his apprentice. “Skywalker is the Chosen One. He would not be slain in some mere explosion. Now FIND him and report back to me once you do! All depends on us finding him!”

“Yes, my master.”

Once the holo shut off Palpatine rose, feeling the Dark Side roll around him like a hungry predator, seeking to snap up some tender prey. It made him feel strong, powerful… but he did not bask in the feeling.

Skywalker had to be found.

That was all that mattered.

Chapter Text

“Kenobi-San,” the representative for the Hero Commission said formally with a slight smile, nodding as Obi Wan entered the conference room.

“Greetings,” the Jedi said, giving a slight bow; Nedzu had been teaching him about Japanese customs, such as honorifics (which he hadn’t run into that much, come to think of it), the proper way to address people (last name unless you were very close to them), and ways to show respect. Considering that many of the customs were rather similar to Jedi customs Obi Wan had no problem at all following them. While the Jedi didn’t use honorifics there were plenty of cultures that did or had unique naming devices, such as Padme with her royal last name of Amidala. The use of last names was quite common (something Anakin always seemed to forget, thus causing him to get annoyed when people called him merely ‘Skywalker’). And bowing… well that was just polite. “May I?” he asked, gesturing towards the seat.

“Of course,” the representative stated. He was a short man with a flat top; quite literally, his head was flat and his hair had a glint like ebony. “I am Fukumoto Chimon and I am with the Hero Commission.” He smiled at that, giving the lightest of laughs as he gestured at the badge pinned to his suit. “Naturally.”

“Naturally.”

“Now then, I should explain that my quirk is known as Autowrite; it allows me to instantly produce copies of conversations I have with people. This naturally makes me rather in demand with the Commission when it comes to interviews and record keeping. I will be asking you a series of questions about yourself and your Quirk. Afterwards you will be taken to the testing ground. You will be observed going through the course and seeking to complete a series of objectives; some of which you will be told, others that will remain hidden. All of this will be observed by the Commission. While the course in important please do not think this interview is a casual thing… it is very helpful for us to understand who you are.”

“Of course. Completely reasonable,” Obi Wan said, folding his hands before him. Nedzu had warned them all about this as well, stressing that the Hero Commission didn’t merely care about heroes, sadly, but heroes that were marketable. He’d pointed out the logic of it when Anakin had become rather… annoyed… at the thought: the Jedi Council had been funded by the Republic but was very much only a tiny fraction of their budget, with much of their funding coming through donations. Jedi were called in to aide systems yes but they didn’t police planets as heavily as heroes had to protect Japan. And the Jedi did not require much; their vows meant that they did not require as much as heroes did. Thus the Hero Commission needed far more money to run their organization and heroes were part of the way they gained such wealth.

“According to your records you grew up in Great Britain where you were trained by a man named Qui Gon Jinn.”

“Yes,” Obi Wan said, sticking to the story Nedzu had prepared for them. “Qui Gon was not a… traditional hero as you would recognize but he believed in justice all the same. He was a wanderer, believing in allowing… his instincts to guide him where he was needed. Naturally this led him into situations that would be quite difficult for those not properly trained. I learned much from him in how to handle dangerous situations.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan swung his lightsaber, easily dealing with the hail of bullets that were being fired at him by the 3-Pointer Robots. Squad, heavily armored machines that moved about quickly thanks to their large treaded wheels, the Robots were firing at him as he quickly made his way across the shattered field he’d been dropped down in. He was thankful that the bullets that were used on Earth weren’t like the slugslingers some in his galaxy liked to use; try and deflect one of those and they shattered into shrapnel. The bullets here melted and fell to the ground the instant they touched his saber’s blade.

The License Exam had two parts: first he had to locate where a group of civilians were being held within a war-torn city. Next, he would need to make his way through that location, saving as many civilians as he could while minimizing damage to infrastructure. And through all this he would have to deal with a villain attack, apprehending the cause of all the destruction.

He understood why this was a challenge for many students wishing to get their hero license. It required quick thinking, a use of multiple skills, and forced one to not only come up with plans but adapt them quickly. The Commission, as Aizawa had warned them, would cheat. They would alter their own strategies based on his actions in order to try and get him to fail. Because they wanted to see not just how well he did when achieving victory but how he recovered from failure. It was similar to the trials to become a knight… sometimes one learned more about themselves not succeeding. Anyone could hold onto the Light when victory came easily. But when all was lost?

Obi Wan smiled slightly as he darted forward as a group of 3-Pointers needed to reload, cutting them apart before taking a moment to focus on force signatures. The problem with the Commission using the robots was that it made it quite easy to find the civilians, as he didn’t need to sift through the life forms he was detecting.

A Robot sprang at him but Obi Wan thrust out his hand, using the Force to not just merely perform a Force Push but to also strike the very air, creating a small wind tunnel that ripped the 3-Pointer apart and sent chunks of it flying into other robots that had been moving to pin him down, destroying them as well.

“Well… that feels familiar,” he muttered to himself before heading to where he felt the highest concentration of life.

~MC~MC~MC~

“When did you first decide you wanted to be a hero?”

Anakin looked down at his hands for a moment, gathering himself. While he understood WHY Nedzu had gone the route he had the hours spent with the white rat-bear-mouse-whatever going over his life history had been… unpleasant. And using those memories to craft a new backstory for this world had been painful to say the least. But better to have something he would easily remember rather than a complex tale that had no basis in reality.

“My mother was a slave. Forced into servitude by gangsters who saw her little more than property. When I was a boy I met a man, Qui Gon Jinn. Though he would have probably never called himself a hero… I thought he was the greatest. He was able to free me and swore to train me to use my quirk, for it was similar to his and his student. He… he died battling a villain and his student, Obi Wan Kenobi, became my master, teaching me all he could.”

Anakin looked at Fukumoto, holding his gaze, making sure he understood.

“I wasn’t able to save my mother. She died before I could save her.” When Nedzu had pressed the issue, causing Anakin to admit to his greatest failure… and what he had done after… he had expected him to be disgusted or to say he couldn’t be a hero. But instead the principal had offered him tea, allowed him to rant and cry and rant again, and just listen.

And then told him he was to have bi weekly appointments with the school therapist, Hound Dog.

As much as Anakin hated the mind healers at the temple Hound Dog had been different. He’d only had three sessions with him but already Anakin felt more grounded than he had in years. The hero offered advice, never judged, and helped Anakin work through his issues. And he was coming to see he… had many issues. Ones that he needed to work through if he wished to be a good husband, a good friend, and a good mentor. It had been Hound Dog who had helped Anakin quickly see that dwelling on how his mother died wasn’t healthy and instead he she dwell on the better times… and what it would be like to see her again.

“What do Jedi believe happen to those that pass on?” Hound Dog had asked them.

“They become one with the Force.”

“So you will see your mother again, won’t you? You will meet her in the Force. And you won’t be able to be separated again.” The therapist had smiled at that. “So what you have to ask yourself is… what can you do so that when you meet her… she will be proud of you?”

(After that session Anakin had felt a great pressure come off his chest… and dealt with his friends complaining about him suggesting constantly THEY go see Hound Dog. But why not?!? Obi Wan clearly had issues when it came to his emotions, Padme was a workaholic, Rex was struggling with a sense of individuality, and Ahsoka… he was sure she could benefit. Anakin was buying up psychology books and reading them in his spare time; very fascinating)

“But…” he said, bringing himself back to the present, “I swear on her memory that in Japan… I will fight for every single person. I will be the hero my mother didn’t have. The hero she would be proud of.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Several massive 0-Pointers rose up, raising their massive fits to crush Anakin like an insect.

But there were people in the tower just beyond the robots. And while it might be a test… if he didn’t pass this one he couldn’t help all the ones that weren’t actors. That truly did need his help.

Anakin used the Force to leap up, landing on the arm of one of the 0-Pointers before rushing up its length, slashing with his lightsaber at key points along the machine that he knew were its weak points. That was the problem with people who built droids while only focusing on how to attack… they didn’t realize just how many failures there were in its defense. He simply didn’t get it… he’d understood that when he was 5 years old! A hollow groaning sound filled the air as Anakin reached the head and he thrust out his hand, using the Force to find the optics of the robot.

He squeezed

The 0-Pointer’s glowing eyes exploded, leaving it blind.

With a smirk Anakin lashed out again, slicing into one shoulder just as the robot was reaching for him. That caused the machine to sway, colliding with another of the 0-Pointers and taking it down, the Jedi Knight leaping to the final one before throwing his lightsaber, hacking off a massive chunk of metal above the optics and causing it to crash down, obscuring its view. This prevented it from seeing him leap away, using the Force to retrieve his weapons before he landed and watched as the robot stumbled about, striking itself in the face as it clumsily tried to undo the damage he had done, only to trip on its fallen brothers.

Anakin turned and raced towards the tower.

~MC~MC~MC~

“You must understand that it is unusual for someone to wish to become a hero with such a useless quirk.”

If Rex really did have the quirk that made his bladder more efficient he might have been offended. If he hadn’t been used to people looking at him as less than nothing, good only for killing, he might have been offended. If he didn’t have a kid who was waiting for him to get done with this test so he could train him, because that brilliant boy had also been told he couldn’t be a hero, he might have HAD TIME to be offended.

As it was though Rex merely leveled Fukumoto with a cool stare.

“I think it’s unusual that someone who spends their day sitting in a safe little office and not risking their life to protect freedom gets to decide who is worthy.” He leaned forward and poked the table with his index finger. “Ya want to run that Exam with me?”

Fukumoto swallowed and shook his head.

“From where I sit the most important thing a hero can have is the drive to save others. To see a dangerous situation and not wait around for someone else to handle things but be willing to rush into danger, knowing they might die at any moment, but also knowing others WILL die if they don’t. Do I prefer if the ones around me are trained? Of course. That’s why I train every day. But I will take courage and lack of armor over the best gadgets in the world and a weak heart any day.”

~MC~MC ~MC~

Rex never took out his blasters the entire time he rushed towards the tower, which his thermal reader was telling him had the trapped civilians inside. When he saw the clankers and how utterly slow they were and how their weapons were unprotected from sabotage he had decided that for the first part of his exam he would go without firing a single shot from his blasters.

HIS blasters.

That… was an important distinction.

A boot to the optics of one of the 3-Pointers. A quick bit of rewiring to the painfully privative programming. A download of the virus that was supposed to only work on hacking into door locks but now he saw worked on the Commission’s clankers.

Within a few minutes Rex was riding on one of the 3-Pointers, having it fire upon its brothers. When it began to run low on ammo he set it to self destruct before finding another clanker and taking it over. Sometimes he even got sneaky, using the droid to get past patrols so they didn’t even bother fire. All to get to the tower and, finally, allow him to remove his blasters.

It was time for Rex to rescue the civilians.

~MC~MC~MC~

“What would you say is the one trait that separates you from other heroes, Kenobi-san?”

Obi Wan thought that over carefully. He had a feeling he knew what Fukomoto wanted him to say: something about his flashing and powerful quirk. The Hero Commission seemed to love that sort of thing. He hadn’t missed the fact that the Hero Rankings tended to have a wide diversity of quirks represented. Offensive ones, yes, but varied. All Might wasn’t Endeavor who wasn’t Hawks who wasn’t Best Jeanist. The first person with anything that might resemble All Might’s strength enhancing quirk was ranked in the high 30s. Same with fire manipulators. And in the case of Endeavor those were sidekicks or heroes that worked for his agency; he controlled the fire quirk users in Japan. So the rep wanted to hear why Obi Wan was different.

But… that wasn’t who he was. He wasn’t flashy. And on this new world he wouldn’t change who he was just to please them.

“When I was being trained there was a man who had created a fight style, completely original to anything you or I or anyone else on this world could imagine. I was very impressed by it and thought that meant that he was the greatest hero I had ever met. But a very wise… man… told me that while he was great… I was better than him. I couldn’t understand that. May I?” he gestured towards his lightsaber and the rep nodded, curious what he was getting at. Taking out the lightsaber Obi Wan moved away from the table and activated it. “My style of fighting is very defensive. Redirecting attacks, tiring my opponents out, causing them to make mistakes. I was told that the hero I had admired was the creator of his own style, yes… but others would eventually come along and improve upon it. Add things, take away others, make it better. While I… was the master of the style I had selected. One many had learned about but none had perfected as I had. My teacher was very firm that no matter what happened there would never be one as skilled as I was. I was the master of that form, from now till forever.”

He deactivated the lightsaber.

“That is what makes me different. Others might have flashier quirks… but none will be better than I am at what I choose to do.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan focused, eyes shut though that didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of everything around him. He had met more than one criminal who thought that it would be easy to take a potshot at him while he was concentrating on lifting something with the force. That usually ended up being their last mistake. He was merely getting rid of one sense to focus in on the Force… and the Force told him everything.

At that moment he knew that the people he had rescued 5 minutes ago were leaving the tower, their fearful cries turning to casual conversation. They were actors, paid to help in this exam. They were very good… there had only been a slight sense that something wasn’t genuine when he’d encountered the first batch, pinned in the burning tower. Now he didn’t even pay it any heed.

He zeroed in on one person who had been huddled close to someone that was pinned under a bit of the ceiling. “Here,” he said, grabbing some rebar and handing it to them before moving on to someone with blood smeared on their forehead. He had to admit these actors were very good… real blood, situations set up to make it appear they actually were trapped, one had even had a quirk that made their body into a putty like substance so that they could stab items into their body and make it look like they actually had been impaled. “Begin working on loosening that bit.”

“I… I can’t-“ the man began to stammer but Obi Wan merely looked back at him, flashing a friendly smile that he realized the actor wouldn’t see because of his mask. Hmmm, something he’d have to get used to.

“You can. I know you can. You survived this and now you can help your friend survive. I need to help this person and I don’t think your friend there wants to wait till I finish. They need you to be a hero today.”

“…right,” the actor said and began to work on freeing the pinned victim while Obi Wan began to check over his next rescuee.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Why is it important to prioritize the rescue?”

Anakin thought about that for only a moment. “Because failing to rescue others is how you create more villains.”

That… surprised Fukumoto. “I’m… what?”

“Do you know why people become villains?” he asked. “No one is born evil. It is what we go through that makes us good or evil.” He paused. “When I was very little there was a slave who would rush back to our masters any time they caught us doing something wrong. At first it was because they were trying to win favors for themselves. A bit of extra food. An easier assignment. But as time went on they did it because they LIKED hurting us. It made them feel like they had power. They didn’t hope the whip but they felt like they did.

“I’ve dealt with people who went down the path to the… well, we always called it The Dark Side.” He remembered well Obi Wan’s words at that moment and while he’d never really understood them as a Padawan, thinking that it was just another case of the Jedi trying to strip him of his emotions and make him something that wasn’t… him… the Clone Wars had allowed him to finally understand. “Fear leads to Anger. When someone suffers they feel a loss of control. They are hurt. A business burns down. They-“

He saw his mother tied up and tortured by the Tuskens.

“-lose someone they love. It makes them scared. Fearful. And sometimes that makes them angry. They want control back. They want to feel safe. How dare they be made to feel scared? Weak? They want to be strong! So they blame something. Someone. And that helps… for a time. But then you need more. Anger though leads to Hate. You no longer have a reason to be angry… everything that person or that object or that system does makes you angry until you just hate them. Until the mere thought of them existing makes you just feel… hate. And Hate… leads to suffering. Because you can’t live like that. It just… burns you out.”

He smiled. He had to mention that to Hound Dog their next session.

“If I focus on capturing a villain rather than saving a father trapped in a car wreck and they die… their child is going to be scared. Their world has been turned upside down. And then they will be angry at me… at all heroes… and that fear has become anger. That anger becomes hate. And hate…”

He trailed off.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I’m… I’m scared,” a young boy whispered, staring at the dark stairwell. Anakin had made sure that it would hold, checking it over to ensure it was structurally sound, and was now using it as the main corridor to get everyone out of the tower.

“Its okay to be scared,” Anakin said and at once he felt the actor’s mood change, hints of annoyance and anger suddenly flowing through the boy. He had an idea why; in this world heroes were supposed to be these grand figures that behaved more like droids than people. Just smiling happy figures who rushed in and gave speeches about hope. It was a bit like how people assumed the Jedi were… how he himself had once thought they were. Before he realized that for all their talk about detachment and the like… they were still people. “There is nothing wrong with being scared,” he assured the actor, treating him like he would anyone else. “What matters is what you do after.”

“Do… after?” the boy said and Anakin had to hand it to him… he was good at masking his real thoughts. Without the Force Anakin wouldn’t have ever thought he wasn’t anything other than a scared child.

Anakin placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “When something scary happens this is what you should do: take 10 seconds to be scared. To be frightened. To worry about what is happening. And then… when you reach 10… you take a breath and tell your fear that you will deal with it later. You don’t dismiss it. And you don’t forget it. But you wrap it up and bury it until the thing that is making you scared is gone. Because you need to keep going. Because the only way you can get rid of what is making you scared is to move forward. Can you do that for me?”

The boy waited for a moment before finally nodding and heading down the stairs, allowing Anakin to finally keep going.

~MC~MC~MC~

“What is the first thing you’d like to do as a hero?”

Rex, his helmet sitting on the table, met Fukomoto’s gaze and answered in a clipped tone, “Get the rest of them to realize how bad they are at doing their jobs.”

The rep laughed at that. “Oh, a fire in your belly! Wanting to prove you are better! That will play well!”

The trooper didn’t bother to correct the rep. Because he didn’t care about the rivalries between the heroes. He was only getting his license so he could help protect people without getting into trouble. No, what he meant, that the media-focused commission rep didn’t get, was that so many heroes were terrible at dealing with fights. They came in with a plan and as soon as things began to not go their way they would freeze up. If a villain had a quirk that didn’t work well against their own they would hold back, waiting for backup. They weren’t creative, weren’t clever. They only liked fights they could win.

Rex knew though that one couldn’t fight like that, not if they wanted to actually win battles. Because you could only go so long picking and choosing your battles before you discovered that the only ones left were the ones you were going to lose.

~MC~MC~MC~

He was making his way towards the body lying on the ground when every instinct he had began to scream danger. So far evacuating the citizens had been rather easy, with him mostly needing to get people out of the rubble or past fires that had sprung up and down to the lobby. There had been some injuries that he had treated (or begun to treat before the actor said that he’d done enough and they could skip ahead) but otherwise things had been going well. He had found a few people that he could get info out of to learn how many people were in the building and on each floor and added 10 to the number just to be safe. He’d been able to put out a few smaller fires and determine that the structure wouldn’t collapse. He’d also taken time to recover some files that had looked like they had been rifled through, figuring that might earn him some extra points on the test to determine WHY the attack had happened. Over all a good routine search and rescue.

But as he stared at the fallen form on the ground he tensed. The figure was slumped against a wall, their quirk causing them to look like a large aquatic creature. But there was nothing around them that would have explained why they were out of it. Nor any wounds on their body.

Rex slowly pulled out his gun.

In an instant the figure leapt forward, Rex managing to leap away as he realized that this wasn’t a downed citizen… this was someone playing as a villain trying a sneak attack.

~MC~MC~MC~

“What is your biggest regret?”

Obi Wan took a moment to center himself.

“Not being fast enough.”

The image of his Master being pierced in the chest because he hadn’t been quick enough to keep up with him flashed in his mind.

The thing people forgot when it came to fulfilling a dying wish… was someone had to be dead.

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan dodged as the oddly dressed hero fired blue fabric at him. The man, looking like his entire costume was made up of ‘blue jeans’, was firing threads at him. Obi Wan lashed out with his lightsaber, taking out the threads, only to gasp when he felt his own tunic began to tighten around him. The figure… his quirk allowed him to control clothing! It was such an unusual power to have but it was highly affective!

‘Best Jeanist,’ he realized, cursing himself for not researching the man more.

The hero was forcing him to not be able to attack and defend properly; it was hard to swing a lightsaber when one’s arms couldn’t move and their legs were being slammed together. The denim threads now were wrapping around him, keeping him locked up tight, and Obi Wan struggled a bit before he deactivated his lightsaber.

“That was quick,” the denim wearer said. “You are impressive.”

“Thank you,” Obi Wan said with a smile. “So are you. I can imagine twenty different uses for your powers right now.”

“It is rather powerful when one plans ahead.”

“Very much so,” Obi Wan said. “Congrats. Now then, you clearly wish not to hurt me but to take me to someone so… by all means… let’s go.”

That… threw Best Jeanist off.

“I’m sorry… what?”

“You have captured me, not killed me. That means you wish to take me alive. Either you have a plan or you work for someone who does. Either way the only way we can move on is to, well, move on.” Obi Wan smiled a charming little smile. “So… lets.”

“You… aren’t going to try and escape?”

“Oh, I will very much escape,” Obi Wan said. “There are many ways. The tracking beacon I have. The call I am putting out through… my Quirk… to my friends. Or me simply escaping on my own. But it does us no good to remain her and jeopardize innocents. So… let’s go.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Not being fast enough.”

Anakin saw his mother so weak, trying to tell him she loved him, only to die in his arms.

~MC~MC~MC~

He grabbed onto a piece of debris with the Force and hurled it in the air at the man that was flying around the outside of the building. He was warmed with a gun but it was clear that he wasn’t used to that, it being something he didn’t like but had to use; most likely for the test. He kept taking pot shots at Anakin, and while he was managing to deflect them he was tiring thanks to everything he had been doing.

“You’re fast,” the winged man said, firing off, of all things, a flurry of feathers. Anakin tried to get them all but a few got threw… and suddenly he was slammed into a wall, groaning in pain right before the feathers lifted him into the wall. “But not fast enough.”

“Then I’ll just have to slow you down!” Anakin said fiercely. “Because I refuse to give up!”

“I can tell,” the winged man said… before slamming Anakin one more time, causing him to see stars.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Not being fast enough.”

Brothers… so many brothers… gone because Rex hadn’t reached them in time. Shinies that just wanted to do their part but were now dead, not even getting names because of his failures as an officer.

~MC~MC~MC~

Rex groaned, rolling his shoulders. He looked up at the tower where his attacker had been, the hole he’d leapt out of once it was clear that the man’s skin was so thick it wouldn’t be affected by his stun setting (and he doubted he was allowed to use lethal force on the black and white fleshed man). He’d thrown a flash bang and decided to get out of there, knowing that it was useless to fight a battle he had no hope of winning. The grapple had held his weight and allowed him to repel down but his shoulders were killing him.

But he finally reached the ground he was surprised to see Fukomuto waiting for him.

“You passed, Longshot. Your quick thinking to escape a dangerous situation while ensuring that all the civilians escaped harm saw you through. Congrats.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Your ability to use your situation to gather Intel while also prioritizing the innocent was brilliantly done. You Pass, Negotiator.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Your determination to never give up, even in the face of death, shows that you are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Congrats, Sir Steel.”

Chapter Text

“Ya did good, kid,” Rex said, placing a hand on Izuku’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t feel like I did good,” the green haired teen said, causing Rex to chuckle at his comment. “I know you say I’m learning but I got tagged a lot today!” He pulled his shirt out a bit to show off the multitude of fruit splotches on it. Said shirt for some reason said ‘Pants’ on it though Rex had never really gotten fashion choices; for him unless it was armor it really didn’t hold his interest. And even then he’d never gotten into decorating his armor as much as some of his brothers did.

(Which was saying something considering that, though Rex didn’t realize it, nearly 63% of clones would point to him as having the most unique armor in the GAR)

“And it was less than you got tagged yesterday,” Rex pointed out.  The two of them continued along on the sidewalk, not really running into anyone as Dagobah Beach wasn’t a tourist attraction and there really wasn’t any businesses near by that people liked to frequent; the beach didn’t stink but it WAS an eyesore with all its metal rubbish. “Thing ya got to remember is you’re just a tubbie at this point. Haven’t even gotten your armor yet. It is expected for ya ta get tagged. That’s how ya learn to deal with it when you get tagged for real. I’d be worried if ya didn’t get hit.”

“Really?” Izuku said, surprised.

“There were some of my brothers who were quickly selected for tech work. Not fighting but manning computers and the like. Some would ask for field training anyway while others waved it off, thinking it didn’t matter. Thing is that when you face off with the enemy they don’t care if ya aren’t meant to be on the battle field… they will still put a bolt in ya all the same. My brothers who waved off that training? When things went to hell they lost it. They were as bad as the civvies. You need to learn how to take a hit. That’s why we spar.”

“Right,” Izuku said, rubbing his shoulder. They’d done that yesterday as Rex argued that they needed to alternate what they did with training; the body needed time to recover and the mind needed to be thrown different things so it didn’t develop bad habits. That was part of the reason why Rex was thinking about asking Ahsoka to come down to help them train, or see if Nedzu could point him to some civvies looking to become heroes that would like to practice their hand-to-hand. “What are you thinking for tomorrow?”

“Finally time for you to get in some target practice.”

“Really?!?” Izuku said with a grin, eyes lighting up in anticipation. He had been hoping for a while now that Rex would let him begin using a blaster, having been so utterly impressed with how the man was able to fire off crack shots, mind instantly going to heroes like Snipe, but Rex had been holding off, saying (and rightfully so) that Izuku wasn’t built for a blaster quite yet. The thing had a kickback if you didn’t know how to hold it properly or lacked the muscles to handle it.

Izuku had instantly understood that. He’d theorized that Kaachan’s quirk had something similar; when it had first come in he’d become irritable (more so than usual) after he really showed off. Considering the blasts he could generate it only made sense that he was suffering kickback too. He’d tried to suggest different stretching exercises but Kaachan had barked that he wasn’t interesting in Izuku helping him jerk off which he hadn’t understood back then because they were 6 and he didn’t think Kaachan really got it either but he had-

“Kid,” Rex said, giving him a light tap on the shoulder.

Izuku grimaced, realizing he’d been mumbling. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing wrong with thinkin’ but remember what I told ya.”

“Any sound can give you away,” Izuku repeated.

Rex nodded before saying with a huff, “When we make your helmet I’ll have to put in some kind of dampener to make sure you can mutter without alerting anyone. I don’t think we’ll be breaking you out of that habit.”

The way Izuku lit up at the idea of his armor never failed to make Rex smile. The Prime had taught them all that armor was the most important thing in the world. Much like the Jedi with their lightsaber, armor meant that you were ready to serve and protect. Tubbies would whisper about when they would get their white plate. Shinies would care for it, making sure it didn’t have any damage. Troopers would see every dent and every mark as physical proof of what they had done. Seeing the green haired boy so excited to get his own armor… it filled a spot in Rex’s heart that he’d feared would remain empty forever. It reminded him that while he didn’t have his brothers with him there were others he could pass his knowledge onto. Who could fight the good fight.

Finally making it to Izuku’s door Rex smiled as the kid promised to be at the beach bright and early the next day before darting inside; school was out for a two week break and that meant they had even more time to train. Rex turned to leave… only for a soft hand to press against his bicep.

“Rex?” Midoriya Inko said with a voice that, while seemingly soft and gentle had a bit of steel to it. He turned to look at the woman who, while perhaps a bit on the heavier side due to her age, clearly had a bit of steel in her as well. “Thank you for all you have done for my son. He… ever since you’ve taken him under your wing it’s like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.”

“He’s a good kid. Bright one too. Just needs a lucky break.”

Mrs. Midoriya nodded at that. “Well, I was wondering… you have a bit of a travel after you get done with your training with him. That must put dinner time a bit late for you.”

“Sometimes, ya,” he said. Usually he just made himself an instant dinner; microwave it and he got some grub that was far better than the C-Rations.

“I was thinking that it might be more convenient for you to eat here, with us. That way you and Izuku wouldn’t have to rush through your training just so you could get back to have something to eat. And if you needed to rest up a bit you’d be able to sit…”

Rex considered politely turning her down. He was a soldier. She was a civvie. Yet the words he’d told the Generals a few weeks ago rang in his head: the Jedi sometimes forgot that the civvies were people too. That they needed to interact with those that they were planning to protect.

As such Rex smiled. “Don’t suppose you have extra tonight?”

Mrs. Midoriya nodded. “I do, in fact.”

“That thank you ma’am, I’d be glad to join ya.”

“Inko.”

“Thank you, Inko.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Anakin frowned as a reported shoved a microphone in front of his face. “Excuse me, I’d like to ask-“

“Sir, I’m willing to talk to you but let me finish getting this villain to the police,” he said, gesturing at the man who had a quirk that caused him to be able to produce broken shards of glass from his shoulder blades.

The bastard had decided to begin running around a crowd of people lining up to get tickets for some concert, cutting up a lot of them. Anakin had been in the area doing a patrol (which was still taking some getting used to but that was what heroes did in this world) when he’d spotted what was going on and quickly moved to yank the guy away. It hadn’t been much of a battle, seeing as Anakin was able to use the Force to lift the guy up and hold him in place. He hadn’t even needed to take out his lightsaber, choosing instead to just bring the man in close and try out the new taser that Powerloader (he’d been told to think of the man by his hero name so he wouldn’t slip when people asked him about his support gear) and him had set up in it. It had worked rather well, knocking the guy out and now Anakin just wanted to get the criminal to the police and check to make sure that the bystanders hadn’t been hurt too badly. Thankfully medics had arrived pretty quickly and were seeing to the victims so Anakin was hopeful everyone would be coming out of the whole ordeal in one piece.

“Just a few questions!” the reporter tried again and Anakin forced himself not to grind his teeth. Now he understood why Obi Wan had gone with a full face mask; Anakin had gone with just a cowl that covered his hair and the upper part of his face meaning he had to be VERY careful with what facial features he made. Maybe it wasn’t too late to make some adjustments…

“Fine,” Anakin said, using the same voice he adopted when Master Windu would complain that he was being far too loud in the halls as he described to some other Padawans and Knights why the newest in hyperdrive engines wouldn’t be as galaxy-shaking as the marketing departments were claiming they would be.

“You are one of the three new heroes that were given a chance to take the License Exam?”

“Yeah,” Anakin said, forcing himself not to smirk when the reporter clearly waited for him to say more and the awkward silence filled the air.

“…Sir Steel, I believe you name was. What can you tell us about your quirk?”

“Well, you can see it in action,” Anakin said, gesturing to the criminal he was floating into the waiting police van. “You’ll want to get some cuffs on him… he won’t escape but if he wakes up before you arrive at the jail he could cause some headaches.” The officers nodded and took out some quirk suppressing cuffs. It was only once he was safely inside and restrained that Anakin finally let go of the villain and turned to the reporter. “Now, if that is it-“

“What are your thoughts on Mirko’s chances of cracking the Top Ten during the next Pro Hero Rankings Event?”

“I…” Anakin was thrown off by that. “I don’t know Mirko so I can’t say.”

“Is that so?” the reporter said with an odd… glint… in their eye.

“What Sir Steel means,” a voice called out above them, “is that he hasn’t had a chance to work with her yet so it would be unfair to judge her. After all, you wouldn’t want him to give her a lower ranking than she deserves.”

“Hawks!” the reporter called out and Anakin looked up at the Number 3 Pro Hero and the man that had given him so much trouble during his Exam. He landed effortlessly, folding his wings up before waving to the people that were moving to gather around. “Hawks, what are your thoughts of Sir Steel’s work so far?”

“I’ve only been able to browse his case file briefly but if he is as good as he was on his Exam I know he will be giving me a run for my money!” Anakin felt a huff coming on at the preening but bottled it up, not wanting to have Obi Wan chiding him for giving off a poor showing to the masses. “Now, if you’ll excuse us I need to discuss something with Sir Steel… lend him a few pointers.” Hawks winked and everyone began to talk amongst themselves as the winged hero leaned in. “That roof up there, can you make it?”

“Yeah,” Anakin said, deciding to show off just a bit. Rather than use his grapple he used the Force to leap up and grab onto a window, quickly scaling up the side of the building, hearing the crowd gasp in surprise and delight at his actions.  He was about half way up when he saw Hawks flying past him and he picked up the pass a bit, unable to handle being shown up by the other man.

Arriving at the roof Anakin flipped over the edge and easily landed, looking about as Hawks settled in to sit down against the edge. There were times when he looked at the sky of this world and missed his fighter. And that of course made him miss R2; he wondered what the little droid was doing now. Had he waited for him at the ship, ready for Anakin return even as the building blew up? Or had he flown off when it was clear that Anakin wasn’t coming back, to spread the word of what had happened? He supposed he’d never know.

Hawks patted a spot next to him and Anakin walked over, settling in beside him.

“Not a fan of the press, are you?” Hawks finally asked.

“You can tell that?” he said dryly.

“You hide it well,” Hawks teased and Anakin smirked at that.

“So, what brought you by?”

“Can’t check in on a new hero?”

“You are in the Top Three. I doubt very much this was just a casual visit.”

“You don’t think that top pros can’t take time out of their busy schedules to see how the next group of heroes are doing?” Anakin gave him a flat look. “Not buying that for a second?”

“And not just because I can sense that you are lying to me,” Anakin said. “I looked up the Top Ten and they tend not to play nice with others.”

Hawks laughed at that. “Come on now, the Top Ten is the Top Ten because they are so nice and great!”

“Like Endeavour?” Anakin asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

“Of course you’d go with that burning bastard,” Hawk snarked. “Not a fan of him? Yeah, I get it. He rubs people the wrong way.”

That wasn’t why Anakin had a problem with Endeavor. Obi Wan had been researching much of the world… Padme too. Even Rex and Ahsoka to a lesser degree. Anakin had been careful to make it look like he didn’t care and was letting them figure things out and tell him what he needed to know. It was something he’d done often as a Padawan in order to get out of long tedious study sessions with his Master; Anakin knew if he showed any aptitude for studying Obi Wan would simply make him do more of it.

But the thing was that Anakin actually didn’t mind at all studying and researching. He just liked doing it his way. Obi Wan tackled tasks like some grand collector needed to find every single piece of some rare collection, with every bit of data something he could lock away. Padme attacked knowledge like it was a foe; to her learning something was like battling an Opie to get them to break so one might begin training them. But for Anakin research was just another tool. Sometimes he might put them away for years before needing them but they were still tools, those bits of knowledge.

Knowing that he would be acting as a hero in this world meant that Anakin had taken to studying up in private the heroes of the world. It was no different than Rex or Cody giving him readouts on the troopers so he understood what their strengths and weaknesses were; the last thing one wanted was to be in the middle of a battle, need a slicing expert, only to discover that the entire squad was made up of heavy artillery.

But Anakin didn’t tell Hawks what he’d found out about Endeavor. How the man had more civilian injuries and deaths on his record than the rest of the Top 10 combined. Or the mysterious nature of his eldest son’s death during “training”. Or how Endeavour reminded him greatly of many of the slave owners he’d encountered in his youth who saw not just their slaves but all around them as lessers.

He didn’t say a word of that.

Instead he merely said, “If you look at the Top Ten most of them don’t like to work with others. All Might has only had one sidekick. Others have more sidekicks but no true allies or partners. The first team you can find is the Wild, Wild, Pussycats.” He shook his head. “So pardon me if I think you sought me out form something other than a chat.”

Hawks glanced at him and while he was trying to remain aloof Anakin knew at once the man was anything but. “I actually like the low ranked heroes,” Hawks said. “They are honest. The Tops… they tend to be frauds. You ever look at All Might’s pictures back from when he first appeared and now? The smile is so utterly fake once you know what to look for.” He shook his head at that before looking up at the sky. “You’re going to find out a lot of things are fake when it comes to heroes. Question is if you really give a shit.” He chuckled at that.

“What else you got for me?”

The winged hero paused, looking at the city beyond them. “Just a piece of advice, that’s all. Just a piece of advice.”

“And that is?”

“Stay small. Stay free.”

“Oh?” Anakin asked. “Tough at the top?”

“Yeah,” Hawks said. “You won’t listen but believe me… the bigger you are the more eyes are on you. The more people want to have a say in how you do things. Today you were able to stop that criminal. Tomorrow someone is going to tell you that you can’t because it’s too risky for a big shot to get involved because you might get sued by someone who purposely put themselves in danger. Or that it isn’t good for your PR to be handling such small things, you are meant to tangle with bigger villains. You suddenly have schedules and deadlines and goals you have to meet. No time to save this person or that… you’re needed at this photoshoot or to do an interview. And even if you don’t listen they begin to make life difficult for you because you just happened to go after a villain who has a powerful family or who the Commission has deals with or it breaks some treaty with the Underground…” he shook his head. “Believe me… Stay Small. Stay free.”

Anakin remained on the roof even after Hawks flew off.

‘I’m going to become a Jedi and return and free all the slaves’

He hadn’t done that. Hadn’t even thought of his childhood wish in ages. Because he’d come to understand that Jedi had to obey the will of the Council, the Senate. That there were treaties with the Hutts and missions that were seen as more important…

Anakin clenched his fist, feeling the Force swell around him, making the bits of garbage of the roof rising and tremble in the air. Even on another WORLD he was restrained from doing what was right!

Or… was he?

He looked down at the costume he was wearing.

“…I’m going to need a new costume… and a mask.”

Chapter Text

Nemuri raised an eyebrow as she walked into the teacher’s lounge to find everyone crowded around the edges of the room, trying to be comfortable as they could as they worked on grading papers or setting about making their lesson plans. Occasionally someone would glance over to the center of the room, where Obi-Wan was seated at a table, head down as he worked.

“I’ve heard of ‘a mountain of books’ before but I think that’s the first time it actually wasn’t being overblown and dramatic,” she said to Yamada who was sitting on the floor next to the couch, upon which Shota was curled up in his sleeping bag.

To her surprise the normally boisterous man darted his eyes in Obi Wan’s direction before wincing and going back to his work. “Shhh… he might notice you.”

“Okay, do I want to know?” she asked.

“Everyone is scared of Kenobi,” Shota stated, his words muffled thanks to how bundled up he was.

“Oh, and you aren’t?” Yamada complained.

“Zzzzzzz.”

“You aren’t asleep,” the blond complained. “You just said Zee zee zee zee zee.”

Shota mumbled something that sounded like ‘talking in sleep’ and then rolled so his face was pressed into the cushions of the couch.

“You coward you are just hiding too!”

“Okay, so what has everyone scared of Kenobi?” Nemuri asked when Shota didn’t respond.

Yadama shuddered. “It started innocently enough. He came in here to get some coffee, though he called it ‘caf’, and overheard Shota and Kan talking about the Shota’s latest ‘logical ruse’.”

“Do I even want to know?” she asked.

“Probably not but it helps you understand what happened,” Yamada stated. “Apparently his class has been having problems with instinct vs. factual reasoning.”

“You mean ‘okay, there is no logical reason someone would do this but my gut tells me they did’?”

“Exactly. So he decided to give them a test. Multiple choice.”

“And?”

Yamada smirked slightly. “Every answer was B.”

“…oh that is just cruel.”

Yamada nodded but his smile quickly fell as he looked over at Obi Wan. “That’s what Obi Wan said… to clean it up.”

“To clean it up?”

Yamada nodded. “I don’t know what language he began to speak but I could tell from the tone those were curse words.” He let out a huff. “Alien swears… what a world we are living in now.”

“Shhh!” Higari hissed.

“Sorry,” Yamada whispered, looking to make sure Obi Wan hadn’t noticed him. But Nemuri could see that the Jedi was engrossed in his studies. “So anyway after he gets done swearing he marches up to Shota and says he’s a horrible teacher.”

“…what?”

“Yeah, shocked all of us too. Said that to train someone you have to have a foundation of trust and that Shota was making it that his students wouldn’t trust him if he lied to them like that.”

Nemuri grimaced; honestly she hadn’t ever thought about that but there was a logic to it. She wondered how many times a student had been going through a hard time and wanted to turn to their homeroom teacher for advice… only to feel they were unable to because he had shown himself not to be trustworthy. UA already had a problem with students feeling like they had to never show weakness; Nemuri had dealt with it when she’d been a student and she knew it hadn’t gotten any better. The feeling that the adults not only wouldn’t care but would use your ‘weakness’ against you. She knew back when she had been a student there had been times when people thought because of how she dressed that meant she was ‘easy’ and tried to force her to do things… how many of their students now dealt with the same thing but didn’t want to admit it because they feared Shota wouldn’t keep his word to stay quiet.

Suddenly Shota’s ‘logical ruses’ that the teachers always chuckled over didn’t seem that funny anymore.

“Shota didn’t like that, I take it?” Nemuri asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah and he did the normal Shota thing: scoff, roll eyes, explain how Obi Wan didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“Except he does,” Nemuri stated. “He trained a Padawan.” She’d made sure to learn what the terms the Jedi used meant; it was only polite.

“And apparently taught a bunch of classes too at their temple. He… honestly at first I kind of wanted to record it because he began to just tear into Shota like… well, like how Shota tears into people most times. It was the oddest sight in the world.” He shook his head. “Laid out everything wrong with the logical ruses, how they were massive mistakes in teaching a student. Said that a teacher should always be honest about why a student had to do this thing or that, so they understood the purpose. At some point Snipe decided that it wasn’t any fun anymore and tried to come to Shota’s defense, asking if Obi Wan was just a perfect teacher.” Yamada frowned at that. “The look in his eyes when he said that no, he had failed Anakin many ways and he was trying hard to make up for that…” Yamada shook his head, banishing those thoughts. Nemuri didn’t blame him; whenever she heard about a young pro getting hurt she took it as a sign she had failed at being a proper teacher. “Anyway, after that Obi Wan began to ask all sorts of questions to each of us and our answers… weren’t to his liking.”

“Thus the avoiding him.”

“Yeah. He left, came back with all the text books we use to teach the kiddos, and began to get to work. On what… well, I’d ask but he already attacked me for how I teach English…” He grimaced, not wanting to get into it any further. “The worst part is that he never raised his voice. I mean… it was like getting scolded by your dad.”

“Well, maybe YOUR dad,” Nemuri teased. “My dad liked to have family therapy nights where we sat around and he played the bongos.” With that she got up.

“Where are you going?”

“To join Obi Wan’s bongo circle,” she said with a smirk before walking over to where the Jedi was hard at work. “Mind if I sit here?”

“By all means,” Obi Wan said, waving at the chair. “Also Yamada is exaggerating. I didn’t scold him at all. Merely suggested that it would be wiser to use texts that his students would actually enjoy.”

Nemuri blinked at that. “You heard that?”

“When one spends several months on the battle field and ten years dealing with the scum of the galaxy one learns to keep their senses open.” He paused, looking up at her. “It’s how one stays alive.”

“Situational awareness. Shota is always preaching that.”

“Does he lie and say it is worthless and then scold his students for listening to him?”

“You are being unfair.”

“Or perhaps I am speaking for his students who have been too beaten down by him to respond back.”

Nemuri held up her hands in surrender. She knew Shota was a great teacher, that he did all he did because he loved every student and just wanted them to survive, but she could tell that Obi Wan wasn’t in the mood to hear that at the moment. “Not looking for a fight.” Obi Wan nodded and returned to his work. “So… texts the students would enjoy in English class?”

“When Anakin came to the temple he only knew Hutt and Basic. There were several other languages he needed to learn.” Obi Wan pressed his lips together. “My mistake was trying to teach him how I was taught, with dry bland text books. He struggled greatly for a year or so until I noticed him looking at podracing article written in Bocce, which he DIDN’T know at that point. But he was familiar enough with the topic…”

“Ah,” Nemuri said, nodding her head in understanding. “So basically use something the students understand already to teach them.”

“Correct. I merely suggested that instead of using the works of some dead playwright that he might select a novel they would enjoy. Perhaps a biography on a hero they all know. Something where they have a basic understanding…”

Nemuri finished, “…so they can build on that to learn the language.” She huffed. “Huh. That’s a good idea.”

“I don’t know why Yamada is so scared about it.”

“I get the feeling you didn’t explain it as politely as you did with me.”

“I am nothing BUT polite,” Obi Wan said with a stern yet teasing tone.

Nemuri merely chuckled at that. “Well, perhaps the rest of the teachers aren’t secure enough to ask but what could I do differently in my class?”

Obi Wan merely stared at her. “To help with that I’d need to know a bit more…”

“I teach Modern Hero Art History.”

“That… is an interesting topic. What is the purpose of it?”

“Image,” Nemuri said. “Society runs on how it views its heroes… and the best ones learn how to manipulate how others view them in order to get the narrative they wish to be told. By having them study how heroes have been depicted in different mediums such as paintings one can learn the patterns and how to tweak them.”

“Hmm,” Obi Wan said, leaning back in his chair. “Something I would have never considered but it has potential.”

“Many of my students fail to see that until they’ve already graduated,” Nemuri said with a smirk. “I admit I get a bit smug when they tell me how much they wished they had paid attention in class.”

“I don’t see why. If it were me I’d be shamed and humiliated.”

“Oh, they are bothered by it-“

“I meant you.”

That caused Nemuri to pause. “Pardon?”

“A teacher who cannot get their student to see WHY something should be learned has failed on a fundamental level. A teacher doesn’t force knowledge into a student’s head and expect them to retain it. OR rather I should say that GOOD teachers don’t do that. No… a student is like a loth-cat, who must be lured from its hiding spot with scraps… but when you do they will curl up in your arms. You must tease your students to get them to want to learn and then feed that desire till it becomes their addiction.”

Nemuri could see why Yamada and the other teachers had been so leery of Obi Wan. While he never came off as rude the way he spoke… it made her feel like a student again, having made a fundamental mistake and been forced to deal with a favorite teacher explaining their error. It was… humbling. And annoying. And anger inducing. And a touch terrifying.

But Nemuri also ran around in a modified dominatrix outfit; she had a high threshold for all those emotions.

“Well, any suggestions on how I could get them to see that sooner? Because I do explain all of this to them the first day. Usually they are pretty good but as we go on they get bored and forget.”

Obi Wan pressed his lips together. “Do you merely study art?”

“That is the class. What do you-“ She blinked. “Oh. Oh! You mean make art themselves?” He nodded and at once her mind began to race. “Of course! I could ask them to do some art themselves, to try and tell a certain story about themselves, and let them see how difficult it can be… but also beneficial! Or maybe get in contact with local artists and ask them to help… UA could pay them and offer to display their work. Artists who capture the first images of famous heroes become in demand… maybe get the business class involved…”

Obi Wan smiled at her excitement. “There, that wasn’t as terrible as the rest of them made it out to be.”

Nemuri nodded, Obi Wan already holding out a pad of paper and a pen, and she quickly began to scribble down ideas while he went to back to work on whatever he-

“What are you working on, anyway?” she asked.

“Ah, yes… well Shota did make a good point right before he grew tired of talking to me and said he was going to take a nap. He said that it was easy for me to judge when I didn’t understand just everything he had to do. So I am going through all the text books you use to teach future heroes so I might better understand what UA does so I might make better informed suggestions.”

“Really?” Nemuri said, surprised. “I would have thought you’d be too busy trying to build up your career as a hero.”

But Obi Wan shook his head. “Before the Clone Wars broke out I had told Anakin that I was ready to take a sabbatical from being a wandering Knight. I wanted to teach more at the temple… some of my fondest memories are of Master Yoda teaching us all when we were younglings and I would have rather enjoyed doing that. Perhaps not the infants… but some older younglings. Yes… I remember how life was like back then and think I could help.”

“How interesting!” Principal Nezdu exclaimed, popping up from between a stack of books on the table. Nemuri jumped but Obi Wan merely raised an eyebrow at the principal and his appearance. “You know, Obi Wan, I have been thinking that UA needs to change a few things when it comes to teaching students… the school board is so focused on flashing quirks and loud special attacks. They forget that a hero must be sly and smart as well! Now I can’t just make the changes… but if enough teachers made small alterations…”

“I’d be happy to help advise, Principal Nedzu.”

But the rat-mouse-bear-dog merely smiled, eyes gleaming. “I have a better idea…”

“Oh no,” Ken whispered.

“…did you know…”

“Please don’t,” Yamada whispered.

“…that we need…”

“Principal…” Higari moaned.

“…a new Heroics Teacher?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Padme frowned as she looked over the newspaper before finally giving up and turning back to her meal. Glaring at the paper and sifting through its contents for a fifth time wasn’t going to change anything, something she was just going to have to accept.

Even if she didn’t like it.

‘This world is far too focused on heroes,’ she thought to herself as she stabbed at the salad she’d decided to try out; it resembled one made on Naboo except the leafy bits were green rather than purple, which was just odd. It tasted good though, so that was all that mattered. She tried to focus on her meal only to slowly find her eyes sliding back towards the newspaper she had grabbed, scowling at the headline that talked about ‘The Dashing Hero-Danger Tooth’ opening up a new agency in the area. The article dominated the entire front page, though the rest of the paper wasn’t much better as it had taken her till page 6 to finally find an article not about heroes and villains.

And she’d asked the newsstand for a paper that focused on politics.

‘He didn’t lie though,’ she thought as she speared wet looking red slice of something and drew it to her mouth. It tasted a bit like an Alderan Tomato only it was far smaller. ‘This paper is all about politics. It’s just everything is couched in relations to heroes.’

She’d wanted to find out more about this world and its political climate at the moment. What the system was like, what it focused on, what was being done for the poor and needful? Who exactly WERE the poor and the needful? Where was this society failing and what could she do to help improve it? Maybe not as a Senator or whatever their equivalent was but she was sure there were plenty of charities and outreach programs that could use her help. It would be nice to get her hands dirty again… or at least dirty with the right things. The last few years she’d been stuck dealing with bills and committees and meetings. But before the Senate, before being queen, Padme had been working with relief groups and planting trees and delivering aid to the needy. She wanted to do that again here!

But her search had led her to find nothing more than a society that seemed to revolve around heroes. Not even quirks… heroes.

‘Bills being passed are either directly about heroes and villains or are discussed only if they matter to them. Raising taxes? It’s to allow for heroes to build new agencies or to repair damages from fights. Foundations to help at risk youth? It’s a hero doing it. Elections? Which candidate has gotten the endorsement of a hero or worked for them or went to school with them!’ She shook her head in disgust. ‘This is everything the Separatists claimed about the Republic when it came to the Jedi made true: the entire world stops and waits to see what a handful of people with amazing abilities can do.’

Padme sighed and shoved the paper away. It would do no good to get upset… even though that was exactly what was going on.

‘I’m bored,’ she thought morosely. ‘Obi Wan is happy enough going over the history of this world, Ahsoka spends her time studying because she wants to try to get into UA so she can get her hero license…’ While Anakin, Obi Wan, and Rex had been able to just take the exam Nedzu had said that Ahsoka would have to do it like most children did in this world; the padawan was actually rather excited for the challenge. ‘Anakin is working on… something.’ Her husband had come back a few days ago saying he had a project in mind and disappeared for hours on end to work in the lab the school had given him for his own tasks. Honestly Padme wasn’t for sure if she wanted to know why he needed different metals, plastics, and crystals. It was better than him telling her the latest theory he’d learned about when it came to mind healing; someone, she blamed Yamanda, had shown him streaming audio books and now he listened to them while he worked. ‘And Rex is out training that boy he met.’ Padme sighed. ‘And I don’t have anything to do.’ She stabbed at the last bit of her salad. Today she had lain in bed till ten and then just wandered around. While it was nice to finally take a break and be lazy after years of rushing about that just wasn’t her and-

An explosion filled the air and at once Padme was on her feet, scanning about for danger.

To her left she heard people crying out, another explosion going off, and Padme raced forward, nimbly weaving through the confused and panicked onlookers, twisting around a corner only to stare in shock at the sight before here.

Buildings were on fire all around her, the heat of the flames striking her in the face as the wind blew into her. People were looking on, unmoving, at the sight of a large black muddle of black slime that twisted and swayed in the middle of the street. People were crying out about how horrible it was and for a moment Padme didn’t understand… until she saw part of the mass shift and she spotted a set of overly-large teeth and sickly yellow eyes. She leaned back, appalled at the sight of the creature; normally Padme tried to not judge beings by their looks, as there were plenty of aliens that looked so vastly different from her and she knew in their eyes she was hidious. And yet there was something in the way the slime creature’s mouth twisted that made her skin crawl…

“Somebody save him!”

At the same time the onlooker said that bits of the slime shifted and she saw that the… person? There weren’t aliens on this world only people. People with quirks. This was a person with a quirk, that was all. A person… who was in the process of suffocating a blond boy with his body.

And seemed delighted doing it.

Padme’s eyes darted around. Everyone was just standing there, watching. She spotted three people in wild clothing that might have been heroes but they couldn’t have been because they were just standing around doing nothing. No… something else then. She thought about calling Anakin or maybe the school but… they wouldn’t get there in time. She could tell the boy was flagging, having clearly been captured by the slime being before Padme had shown up and thus been suffering from a lack of oxygen for a while.

Someone had to do something.

‘Mom,’ Anakin, little Ani, when she had first met him, back when she was a queen and he was just a slave boy who wanted a friend, said in her memory, ‘aren’t you always saying the biggest problem in the galaxy is no one helps one another?’

Padme burst out of the crowd.

“What are you doing?!?” one of the garishly clad onlookers called out. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

She ignored them. She’d survived facing off with Sith Lords she would survive this.

The road was torn up a bit because workers had been doing repairs, she could see that now. They had left their tools out, probably hurrying off when the fires had started. Which worked perfectly for Padme. She grabbed a large wrench and moved towards a fire hydrant, thankful that Ahsoka had asked Hizashi what it was during one of their walks around the city.

Her childhood spent playing around the lakes of Naboo and dealing with the goo-spitting frogs that loved to spray their sticky glue-like mucus on anyone that got near flashed through her head.

‘Only one way to get rid of slime safely,’ she thought to herself as she slammed the wretch’s head onto the nut on the side of the hydrant. “HEY!” she shouted.

The slime villain turned towards her and leered. “Hey…” he said lustfully.

Padme merely glared and pulled with all her might.

The fire hydrant exploded with a blast of water that struck the slime villain dead on. At once the creature cried out, body rippling and growing clearer as water mixed with its sticky body. Bits and pieces of it flowed away and while much of it got larger and for a brief moment Padme feared she’d made a mistake… only to see that no, while it was getting bigger its body was becoming less solid, less sticky. The blond boy was water logged and looking very angry but he still was able to begin ripping himself free.

Padme moved again, leaping over puddles and grabbing his wrist.

“Hold on!” she roared and braced her legs before giving a hard pull.

“I can… I can do it myself!” the boy shouted by Padme refused to listen, instead pulling with all her strength…

And suddenly she was falling back, the boy landing on top of her as the two of them landed hard on the ground, making Padme’s vision swirl for a moment. She groaned, shaking her head, only to look up to see the slime villain towering over her, glaring at her now with enraged eyes. He was working to expel the water, to return to his original form, and because some fool had closed off the fire hydrant, thus allowing him to begin to refuel.

“You want to die with him?!?” he roared. “Let me help you!”

A large form suddenly dropped between Padme and the slime monster.

“You… will not harm her!” the muscular new arrival declared. “For I am here!”

“All Might…” the boy Padme had saved coughed.

“DETROIT SMASH!”

The blow he delivered splattered the slime villain against a wall and caused every fire to whiff out from the winds he created with a single punch. The smoke cleared and the sky even seemed brighter after the strike.

And then the cheering started.

“All Might! All Might! All Might!” the crowd roared and Padme looked around to see more heroes had arrived but they were just as focused on Japan’s Number 1 Hero. She couldn’t blame them… he was an impressive sight, all things considered. The boy she had saved was looking at the hero with wide eyes, for a moment his emotional shields down before they snapped back in place and he did his best to look aloof and uncaring. But Padme had seen it. He-

“What were you thinking?!?” someone shouted and Padme found herself spun around by one of the garish onlookers. “You run in there without thinking? You should be arrested for interfering!”

Padme stared at the man, confused and annoyed. “Excuse me?” she snapped, forcing his hand off her shoulder.

“You had no right to rush in here! You civilians need to learn your place and let us heroes handle things! Look at all this water… you going to pay for it? And what if-“

She cut him off. Her body ached from being thrown, she was drenched, there were bits of slime clinging to her face and hair… and now the man who it turned out WAS a hero was trying to lecture her?

No… no she wasn’t going to put up with that.

“Better than what YOU did!” she roared, startling the hero and the other two that had been gearing up to lay into her. “At least I tried to do something rather than stand around!”

“It wasn’t a good matchup,” a woman in a purple skin-tight outfit set.

“Oh, would you have told that boy’s family at his funeral that you were sorry but it might have strained you to TRY and do something?” The third hero opened their mouth but Padme just scoffed. “You made mistakes and now you’re upset because you got shown to be playacting at being heroes.”

“We are heroes… where is your license?”

“I’m not a hero,” Padme admitted. “But neither are you. A hero… a real hero? They don’t wait around when people are in need. A real hero races towards danger, without thought, while others run away. They don’t stand around and give lectures after everything has been done. They don’t care about ensuring they get an easy victory. They save people.”

The crowd was stunned. The heroes quiet. The boy she saved staring at her with a look of… well, she couldn’t quite place it.

“That… is enough,” All Might said, walking up to her and wrapping an arm around Padme. She let out a squawk of protest but he was already speaking again. “I will handle this one… please see to the crowd.”

And then the Number 1 hero JUMPED into the air, dragging Padme with him, and it was only all the times she’d flown with Anakin and he’d forgotten that she didn’t really enjoy going into death spirals that kept her from screaming.

Thankfully All Might quickly landed on a roof and Padme yanked herself away, placing her hands on her knees and sucking in several mouthfuls of air.

“I… I am very sorry,” All Might said. “But I needed to get you away from all of them and that was the fastest way to do it and to ensure we weren’t followed. After that speech everyone was going to want to talk to you. The press, government officials, the heroes’ PR firms-”

“…okay,” Padme admitted. “Not happy but I see your point.” She shot him a dark look. “You going to get mad at me too for what I did back there? Tell me that I should have waited for another hero-“

“No,” All Might said softly and then he slowly slid down, sitting on the roof, back against the small wall on the lip of the building. “Years ago a… very important person in my life told me what you told those heroes back there. That a true hero races towards danger. They do it without thinking. It is as natural to them as breathing.” He smiled but unlike how it had been after the battle or in the photos she’d seen of him or on all the merchandise… it was a genuine smile. Soft and sincere. “I have lived my life by her teachings.” He glanced up at her. “You remind me so much of her.”

“Thank you?” Padme said softly, not sure what else to say.

“Hmm… Nighteye would be very cross with me for being so brazen. I don’t even know your name. But… well, I am not a subtle person.”

All Might gestured at the spot next to him and after a moment Padme moved to sit down next to him, feeling utterly tiny next to his massive form.

“I’m Padme,” she said. “Padme Amidala. Or I suppose Amidala Padme in Japan.”

“Hello Amidala. I am Toshinori Yagi. I would let to tell you a story. I am the 8th Holder of my Quirk, One For All. And… I hope…”

He paused.

“…that you might honor me in being the 9th.”

Chapter Text

"Ah! You must be Tano!"

Ahsoka turned and smiled at the older teen who came to a skidding stop before her. She had very long purple hair and bright eyes that almost sparkled in delight. More than that though the young woman glowing so brightly with the Light Side of the Force that Ahsoka would have thought her a Jedi if not for the fact that the Force wasn't coming from her. Rather the Force was drawn towards her like a moth to a flame, happily dancing about her form. It swirled about her and whispered to Ahsoka that it wanted to protect the older teen from darkness and if it couldn’t save her completely it would at the very least provide her with ways to remain unstained by it.

"Hado, right?" Ahsoka asked, standing up from the bench she had been sitting on. Principal Nedzu had told her that he was arranging for one of the soon to be UA second year students to meet with her and show her around town. The principal’s exact words had been, “While it is wonderful you have a family you simply can’t spend your days around such old people!”

Anakin and Padme had utterly sputtered at that and Rex trying to point out that he was only 10 didn’t sway Nedzu in the slightest. Obi Wan, for his part, had merely smirked and asked Anakin how he liked it.

"That's right!" Hado said, peering at Ahsoka intently. "Wow, you look so amazing! Do you mind if I..." she gestured at her montrals and then her lekku.

Ahsoka grimaced, leaning back a touch. "I'd rather-"

"Oh, of course!" Hado said quickly. "I'm sorry... i just get so excited about mutations caused by quirks. I find them so fascinating... I think it’s because my family has never had any other than our hair color and that isn't that interesting at all. You can just dye it if you want, really. Please, if I'm getting pushy just let me know... my friends always do and I don't mind."

Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. And its fine... they just can be really sensitive if you don't know how to handle them properly." her mind flashed to times in the creche where over eager playmates would tug on her lekku, making her squeal in shock. "These aren't that bad..." she gestured at said lekku before bringing her hand up, "but these are called montrals. They basically serve as sensory organs."

"Really!?!" Hado said, eyes lighting up. "That is so cool!" She paused. "What do they do then?"

Ahsoka laughed. She couldn’t help but find Hado utterly charming thanks to her excitement. Even though she had only left the temple a few months ago it felt like ages since she’d been around people with carefree joy. "They let me sense people."

"Okay, now I really am jealous!" Hado began to circle around Ahsoka. “And your skin is such a lovely color… it really suits you well, you know?”

“Thanks,” Ahsoka said, rubbing her arm.

It felt rather odd to get compliments on her looks; usually whenever someone said she looked pretty it was a Separatist General trying to taunt her, much like how Obi Wan and Ventress would do their weird flirting thing. Not bad but… odd. Jedi usually didn’t compliment each other on their appearance. It wasn’t frowned upon and there was nothing in the code against it but there were unwritten rules when it came to Jedi that such vanity was wrong. She remembered how some knights had actually frowned at her when she’d complimented a friend on a well fought saber duel, seeing that as inappropriate.

“Well, I like your hair a lot,” Ahsoka said, deciding that she rather liked giving compliments to people just as much as she liked getting them. It was nice to be able to praise someone. “I honestly always wondered what it would be like to have hair… I really can’t style these too much.” She gestured at her montrals and lekku. “But you can cut your hair short or have it done in different styles… Padme is always changing how her hair is. Up, down, braided… she just has so many choices and sometimes I wish I had that. There are times where I’d like the freedom to change how I look.”

“Get noticed?” Hado asked. “Or fade away?”

“Both, honestly!” Ahsoka admitted to the older teen.

“Well, we can work on that today, if we get some time,” Hado said. “Principal Nedzu asked me to let you try out your Quirk… he thinks we might have some stuff in common so I might be able to help you. And you might be able to help me!” She quickly added that last part. “I don’t want you thinking I have everything down and understood when it comes to my quirk. Not that I’m some novice either but… sorry, just trying to say we can help each other.”

“I get it.”

“Good.” They walked around the side of the building before Hado approached a small wheeled vehicle with a canopy top. It was rather square in shape, not at all sleek. Ahsoka was sure Anakin would scream bloody murder over such a vehicle existing if he were to see it and she quickly decided never to let him know about it. “It’s a bit of a drive to the practice field and I got permission to use this. Hope you don’t mind.”

“I’m all for it,” Ahsoka said, figuring she couldn’t be any worse than how Skyguy sometimes got. Settling into the passenger seat Ahsoka watched as Hado turned on the vehicle, surprised that the engine was rather quiet. They went off with a slight jerk but otherwise it was a smooth drive; Ahsoka could have probably overtaken it if she ran using the Force to enhance her speed but it was nice to just be able to relax.

“So who is Padme?” Nado asked.

Ahsoka opened her mouth only to quickly shift her jaw about, as if chewing on the truth and turning it into the half-lies she and her fellow arrivals had to tell to keep themselves, and this planet, safe. “She’s my cousin’s wife.”

“Oh, there is a story there,” Hado teased. “You hesitated, don’t deny it. What’s going on?”

Deciding to go with, as Obi Wan would say, the truth from ‘a certain point of view’ Ahsoka stated, “Anakin, that’s my cousin who has been helping me learn my quirk, hid that he got married. He was afraid that Obi Wan would be upset.”

“Padme some wild child or something?”

“She was a politician.”

“…ah,” Hado said. “Yeah, that would explain it. My friend Mirio… Togata… he’s always getting on me and Tamaki for not being more trusting of government officials. Well, I’m not as bad as Tamaki but sometimes I think he just says things to get Mirio amped up. Punishment for Mirio dragging him off to meet new people. As for me… well, I love the guy but sometimes he’s a bit too trusting.” Hado turned around a corner and the vehicle sped up. “So Anakin and Padme got married in secret?”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka said. “We lived on an island… very isolated. And the people there were very strict on how people were supposed to act.” She quickly added, “With good reason! Obi Wan, Anakin, and I all share very similar quirks and they are really powerful so we have to be careful how we use them. But Anakin was worried how people would react to him marrying Padme… the Council was against attachment, you see.”

“…no, not really. You mean you couldn’t date or marry?”

“No,” Ahsoka admitted and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Despite teasing Anakin about her being able to date now she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. It was rather like presenting someone with food they had never had before or even considered something they could eat; some might jump at the chance to try it but others would still turn their nose to it. Ahsoka wasn’t sure what she wanted.

“I can’t imagine that. I mean I know going into the hero business means my dating options are going to be really strained… I can’t just pick someone up off the street for a fling because it might ruin my reputation. Oh! Not that I would do that anyway but… yeah, you get the idea.” She turned another corner and Ahsoka could see a large sports field looming before them. “And Obi Wan… is he Anakin’s dad or something?”

“Brother,” Ahsoka said. “But he raised him since he was ten. His mom couldn’t and neither could Qui Gon… that’s who raised Obi Wan.”

Hado thankfully didn’t ask about Qui Gon Jinn or why Anakin’s mom had been out of the picture. “But things are good?”

“Yeah. Obi Wan knew Anakin was married… he doesn’t care. It’s been a massive relief for Skyguy.”

Hado chuckled at that. “I can imagine.” The pulled up to the field and Hado turned off the vehicle before stepping out, motioning for Ahsoka to follow. “You good in what you are wearing?”

“Yeah.” She’d gone with a basic t-shirt and shorts, as well as the most comfortable footwear she’d ever found. Honestly if they found a way back to the Jedi Temple she might not leave Earth only because of the ‘sneakers’ not being in their Galaxy. Padme had mentioned as much about her own shoes, much to Anakin, Rex, and Obi Wan’s confusion. Kayama had agreed with them though so Ahsoka figured it was a female thing.

“Alright, so Principal Nedzu didn’t give me much of a rundown on your quirk… he likes to be sneaky like that, get people to figure things out on their own. Mind explaining it?”

“Sure,” Ahsoka said, feeling she was on more stable ground than discussing her ‘family relationship’ to the others. “So I just call it ‘The Force’. It allows me to manipulate myself and others in various ways, both mental and physical.”

“Okay, that sounds interesting,” Hado said. “Like what exactly?”

“For mental… well, I’m not very good at those parts but Obi Wan is an expert. He can give you a command and you’ll believe that it was your own thought. For example he might-“ she waved her hand in Hado’s direction, “and go ‘You want to get me a glass of water’ and you’d believe you needed to get him a glass of water and go do it.”

“That… sound scary,” Hado admitted. “I’m sure he doesn’t abuse it.”

“No, it’s against our Code. As for Physical…” she looked around and spotted for the first time that the vehicle they had come in had a bag full of different balls in it. Holding out her hand and focusing the bag slowly lifted and floated over to her. It was rather wobbly but it came all the same, much to Hado’s surprise.

“Wow,” Hado said, impressed. “I see what you mean.”

“As for myself the physical aspects allow me to boost my strength, speed, agility, all that stuff. I can run faster, leap higher, move quicker, dodge and roll.”

Hado laughed. “I’m glad I won’t have to face you in the Sports Festival! And the mental?”

Ahsoka smiled at reached into the bag, pulling out a squishy white ball. “I’m going to turn around. I want you to throw this at me, okay?”

Thankfully Hado didn’t question the odd request and instead simply took the ball and squeezed it once before nodding. Ahsoka turned and walked several paces before closing her eyes and focusing…

…and then easily leapt in the air, hand darting out for the ball and smacking it away from where it had been heading.

Hado clapped. “That was amazing!”

“I… actually was trying to catch it,” Ahsoka admitted with a weak smile. “I still need to practice.”

“Still, being able to dodge like that will be a big help in hero work.” Hado tapped her chin with her index finger. “Okay, so I think I can work with this. So my quirk is called Wave Motion. It allows me to convert my own vitality into spiral shockwaves. They aren’t very fast so they don’t work well on distant targets or nimble opponents but I can use them to enhance my speed and make my punches and kicks hit harder.”

Ahsoka nodded. She saw exactly why Principal Nedzu had chosen for Hado to help her out: her quirk allowed her to do similar things as The Force. It wasn’t quite like it but that was actually a good thing in Ahsoka’s opinion, as it would allow her to try out against someone different and, in turn, see if she could figure out new ways to use the Force different from her Master or Master Kenobi.

“Alright,” Ahsoka said with a grin, “let’s get started!”

~MC~MC~MC~

“I… was hoping that we would do this ourselves,” All Might said, following after Padme as she got off the train and consulted her phone. She was dressed in a plain hoodie with a baseball cap and sunglasses while Japan’s Number One Hero was in his skeletal form… and hating the fact that he’d been forced to show it to her. “There is this beach I know where I thought I could help you prepare your body…”

Padme looked over at him and smiled. “And that will be lovely but I want some information first. I want to understand your quirk better.”

He had been disappointed when Padme didn’t instantly accept but realized that only by going along with what she said would he finally get her to become his successor. Still… “I’ve had One…. It for decades.”

“And yet you don’t know much about it,” Padme said, finally finding where they needed to go on her map app and heading away from the station, All Might hurrying after her as quickly as his worn out form could. For someone so short Padme could move FAST! “You are offering me something amazing, Yagi… and I don’t want to let you down.”

All Might smiled at that. “You could never-“

“But I could,” Padme said, cutting him off. “But not being the absolute best hero I can be.”

They had talked for several hours after he’d made his offer, with him explaining everything about One For All and just what it could do. He had been surprised to learn that she didn’t have a quirk, even though she’d told him that her records stated she did but it was so minor that it wouldn’t matter; apparently she claimed her spleen was a different color than it should be. In the end though she had agreed, much to his relief.

She just reminded him so much of Nana. It… it felt right to give her One for All. Like he was righting an injustice that had been caused by his sensei being forced to pass her quirk on far too soon.

But his relief at finally finding someone to pass his quirk to had dampened when Padme had begun asking him questions. How did the quirk work exactly (“Well, it stockpiles and makes me stronger”/”But what does that mean? Do you get stronger the less you use it? Or more??”/”I… get stronger thanks to my quirk.”) what were the draw backs (“This form isn’t because of my quirk, its because I received a grave injury and I am missing several organs”/”Hmmm.”/”What?”/”I might be able to help with that…”), and just what would it do to her (“Can I shift like you? Or will I instantly bulk up?”/”Well… I’m not entirely for sure…”).

He… didn’t mind that she wanted to know about his quirk. After all, he had asked Nana questions about it… though as he thought about it at that moment, following after Padme as they made their way into the city, all he could really remember is asking her how to punch things harder. Padme just… took things even farther. Which was good! Very good! It meant that she was going to be a great hero! All Might knew that at times he could be a bit… basic… when it came to thinking things over. The old American saying, “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” rang through his head. He knew that there were plenty of heroes who thought him a big stupid oaf because he tended to try and handle most things by throwing punches. But he wasn’t stupid… he just knew his strengths and weaknesses. He wasn’t a strategist… he was someone that quickly assessed situations and came up with plans. Padme though… she clearly loved to think twenty steps ahead and that was fine. Probably far more than that. It meant she was going to be able to save so many people!

If only it didn’t require this trip.

“I must warn you again, this man is…” he stopped, looking around to make sure the old man wasn’t about to smack him with his cane. One could never be too sure with the former teacher. “He is someone that can be rather frightening. Very intense…”

“I’ve dealt with Anakin while he was on a sugar high AND trying to prove to Master Windu that he was wrong about being able to modify a clone blaster. I’ll be fine.”

All Might honestly didn’t know what half of those words meant but he merely nodded his head and prayed they would get out of this in one piece.

The elevator was broken so they were forced to make their way up the stairs, something that had All Might wondering if he could get away with going into his muscle form, even if just for a minute. But knowing what might be coming he decided it would be better to keep every second available to him, just in case. Padme didn’t seem to mind other than to comment what a shame it was that the government wasn’t doing more to give people better housing. He’d noticed that she did that a lot, concerning herself with the welfare of others. While determined at the moment and thus not paying him much attention, when she’d first found out about his true form she’d tried to drag him to a hospital, declaring even after he’d assured her that he’d seen the best doctor that she still wanted a second opinion. It made him smile a touch… it had been a while since he’d had something protective of him not because he was the Symbol of Peace but because he was a person.

Padme was going to be an amazing hero.

They just needed to survive today…

“Careful,” Padme suddenly said and All Might stopped, staring at the cracked open door to the apartment. All Might swallowed and prepared to shift into his heroic form but Padme held out her hand, asking him to stop while she carefully swung the door open…

…revealing Gran Torino lying on the floor, blood all over and his intestines hanging out.

“No…” All Might whispered. “This… he can’t-“

“I’M ALIVE!” Gran Torino shouted, leaping up suddenly.

All Might heard a girlish squeal but seeing as Padme never opened her mouth he realized with a blush it had been him.

“Gran…” All Might finally managed to get out, pressing his hand to his chest. “You scared us.”

“You scared me, stranger,” Gran Torino said, getting up and clutching his cane. He was shaking horribly and had a half befuddled and half grumpy look upon his face. “Bursting in here while an old man is sleeping. You should be ashamed!”

Padme folded her arms over her chest. “Do you always sleep in… red sauce and sausages?”

“Don’t question me, Missy! Now, are you my granddaughter or the cleaning lady. Damn it all I can’t keep you all straight. And who are you, big fella?”

All Might frowned. “I am… its Yagi, Gran.”

“Yugi? Little Yugi? You got big. Tell your grandpa he still owes me 20!”

“Yagi, Gran,” All Might repeated. “You remember me… don’t you?”

“Eh?” Gran said, tilting his head.

All Might felt his stomach (or what little was left of it) drop to his feet at the sight of his teacher brought so low. He stepped forward, hand raised, but Gran just continued to stare at him with confused eyes, causing Yagi to drop his hand to his side and sigh.

“We… can we help you clean up?”

“I knew you were the maid!” Gran said happily, shuffling away. “Get to work, both of ya… and next time wear your uniform.”

Padme walked over and offered her arm to Gran while All Might hurried to get some paper towel. “Here, let me.”

“Ah, thank you! You are a pretty one. Nice rump on you too.”

“I also spent a year at a hospice, helping care for people with dementia and other memory problems,” Padme said with a smile. “So I know when someone is faking.”

Gran stopped before letting out a laugh, his shakes instantly gone. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t you! Yagi, you actually did something right for once! This one is sharp.”

“She also doesn’t take kindly to rude old men thinking their age allows them to be cruel,” Padme said, ripping her arm away from Gran.

“Retired pros need their fun!”

“If this is your idea of fun the world is safer with you retired.”

All Might’s eyes went wide at that and he stopped cleaning in order to try and keep Gran from attacking Padme for the insult. But his old teacher merely smirked and nodded.

“Feisty too. She does remind me of Nana. Yagi, leave that on the ground, we’ll clean it up later. Come on, sit, sit. Lying on the floor put a crimp in my back.” He hurried over to the living room and settled himself in an arm chair. “So, you have questions about One for All, huh?” Padme settled on the couch, All Might joining her a moment later with his hands smelling of ketchup. “Smart of ya. Let me guess… the big oaf here only gave you the most basic of instructions?”

“Yes.”

“Figured as much.”

“Which is why I wanted to meet with you,” Padme said. “To tell you how horrible of a teacher you are that you never bothered to tell Yagi about such a powerful quirk.”

All Might began to cough up blood.

Without even flinching Padme grabbed some tissue and handed it to him while staring down Gran, eyes intense and almost burning with passion and fury. If All Might didn’t know better he’d swear Padme already had One For All. “The fact that he’s become the Number One Hero in Japan and the Symbol of Peace is a testament to his strength… despite your lackluster teacher.”

Gran raised an eyebrow at that.

“Gran… Padme doesn’t-“

“No,” Gran said, all serious. “She isn’t joking. She meant every word. And… there is truth to what she said.” He sighed, looking down at his hands. “Yagi is the Eighth Holder of One For All. Nana was the Seventh.” He leaned back in his chair, hand reaching up to rub his chin as he looked out the window. “She was the best flyer on the planet… and a cunning warrior.” He paused. “And she was a good friend.” He let out a soft sigh, sinking down in his chair. “When she died… I trained Yagi here as per her last request. But I wasn’t ready. The hurt was… too fresh. For both of us. There are a lot of things I should have told you, kid… but I couldn’t. And it just got easier to not say a word.”

Padme nodded softly at that while All Might was stunned. Never had he heard Gran apologize. The man was fierce and strong, demanding one learn quick. His methods were cruel and brutal but utterly affective. And yet…

“So don’t you think it’s time to start talking?”

“…yes,” Gran admitted. “Yes, I think you are right.” He shift so he was sitting straighter again. “Now then… let’s talk about what One For All can do. You have a quirk?”

“No,” Padme said. “My records say I do but I lied.”

“Smart,” Gran said. “Quirkism is a problem that’s only gotten worse. Yagi here had it bad but nothing like it is now.” He paused. “And you two don’t realize how lucky you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“One For All is called a stockpiler quirk but Nana and I figured out that was wrong. That’s not what it does. One For All… it doesn’t stockpile it expands. Stockpiling would see the quirk grow and then when you use it you burn out what you had. One For All just keeps growing. It is always getting stronger. Right now, believe it or not, Yagi is stronger than he was when he first walked into this apartment. Every second One For All is getting more powerful. And while it can absorb other quirks and add them to its power… bodies that have quirks can’t handle it for long.”

“…do you mean…” All Might whispered.

“Yeah…” Gran said. “We blamed ourselves for her death. I kept saying it was All For One’s fault but I know you blamed yourself and I blamed myself, honestly. But… you saved her kid, by taking that quirk. One For All needs an empty vessel… that’s why you’ve held it for decades and were fine. Nana… she was dying. You actually saved her life, as weird as that might sound. Kept her from at least not having One For All burn her out.”

All Might coughed again, staining the tissue with blood, even as his vision wobbled.

“…alright, enough of the waterworks!” Gran declared, making All Might start at his sudden change in attitude. “We need to get… what’s your name again?”

“Padme.”

“Hmmm… good name, doesn’t rhyme with anything insulting. Yeah, we need to get Padme here ready to accept One For All. You going to have her build up her muscles?”

All Might nodded. “Yes. I am thinking about cleaning up a beach-“

“Meh, no beaches near here and I’m not going to travel. Might miss my shows. We’ll focus on more tradition workouts. Also need to build up her stamina and her flexibility… work on bone density as well. I have a few ideas.”

Gran’s eyes twinkled and All Might wondered just what they’d signed on for.

Chapter Text

“Master, did you hear me? They are coming.”

He looked down at and frowned. “Padawan, calm yourself-“

That caused the messenger to smile a bit. “I’m a knight, master.” He pointed to where his padawan braid should have been. “See? Not even a stub.”

“…no,” he said with a chuckle. It was a deep sound, rumbling from his chest, and yet oddly light to his ears. How often had his laughter been taunting, mocking, filled with dark delight at the failure of others? So much so that the sound of a simple chuckle over an amusing mistake startled him almost as much as the sight of the supposed knight before him. And it was supposed because as he looked at the young one he couldn’t help but shake his head. “Are you quite sure? Because I believe you are not a knight yet. Someday, perhaps…”

“I assure you I am!” The other Jedi thankfully took no offense to his comment.

“You look like you belong in a youngling class… or a crèche.”

“Maybe you’re just getting old, Master.” The knight smiled at that only for it to fall as he looked ahead. “They are coming… we have to be ready.”

“Who is coming?” he asked, trying to remember why they were there, what they were supposed to do, who they were fighting-

And then he heard it.

It was a sound he would never forget. No matter how long he lived he knew he’d never forget it.

The blasts of a Mandalorian jet pack.

“No…” Yan Dooku whispered, looking about at the gathered Jedi. “No… this… not again… we can’t-“

“Cut them down!” someone shouted and even though he knew no one had shouted those words before Yan could only watch as the gathered Jedi ignited their lightsabers and rushed forward, calling upon the Force to attack the Mandalorians that had just landed.

“Stop!” he screamed, chasing after them. “They aren’t the ones we want! It was a set up! A trick! We were given the wrong information!”

His pleas fell on deaf ears. The Jedi began to attack the Mandalorians. Many knights fell. The young one he had been talking to. Old veterans who had said this would be their last mission before they retired to a life of quiet peace and reflection in the temple. Knights in their prime and newly minted masters. But… for every Jedi that fell three Mandalorians died, cut down viciously as the Jedi moved to avenge the fallen and stop the killers who hadn’t been killers at all.

Yan rushed towards one master who wouldn’t stop hacking away at a corpse, grabbing him by the shoulder and giving him a hard shake. “What are you doing? He is dead!”

“Why do you care?” Obi Wan Kenobi asked with venom in his voice. “That never stopped you before.” His eyes blazed yellow and thrusting out his hand he sent Force Lightning into Yan’s body, making him scream in agony. “The noble Dooku!” his grandpadawan taunted. “Mourning the Mandalorians he killed, talking of how the Jedi lost their way… and then sending out armies of droids to slaughter millions. Turning innocent beings into Dark Apprentices. Admit it… Tyrannus… you only wish you had killed MORE!”

Yan was flung down to the ground, body twitching, and when he turned he saw a group of Mandalorians… all with the faces of his own dead padawans.

Count Dooku’s eyes opened once more and he took several deep breaths. He was in his room, the fine silk sheets and his expensive pajamas soaked with sweat so that they clung to his skin. He grumbled in frustration; not the kind that could fuel his power, making him strong enough to do what he never could as a Jedi. Just… frustration. The annoying kind. There was a reason why Sith didn’t go around stubbing their toes or hitting their funny bones.

“Count Dooku?” a protocol droid asked, shuffling into the room. “Are you well?”

“I’m fine,” he grunted, slowly shifting himself up.

“Would you like me to change the sheets?”

He considered that before deciding… no. While he hated the feeling of everything sticking to him the act of getting up, changing his clothes, and waiting for the droid to put new sheets on would only wake him up all the more. And he had a busy day ahead of him.

“No, thank you,” he said. He knew many felt there was no need to be polite with droids but he’d never seen the harm in it. He was polite with his enemies for the exact same reason.

“Perhaps something to help you get back to sleep? It is important for you to be well rested. It is said that certain teas can encourage pleasant dreams-“

“There is no need, Sixtee. Go back to recharging.”

“Yes Count,” the droid said, shuffling out of the room and leaving Dooku sitting on his bed, propped up with pillows.

Pleasant dreams.

Sith did not have pleasant dreams.

He settled back down, deciding that he would attempt to fall asleep again and if that failed he would move to some light reading. He had awoken plenty of times ever since he had Fa… since he had decided to open himself up to the full power of the Force (he hated the term ‘Fallen’… such a negative term; he preferred awakened but considering he was trying to get back to sleep…). But he knew that soft thoughs would not await him when he finally drifted to sleep. Sith did not have pleasant dreams. He could almost hear his master cackling at the thought, declaring such a notion to be foolish.

‘A Sith does not have time for such weak things. They are always striving for more… dreams are for the weak that will never gain what they desire.’

Though that didn’t explain why he couldn’t just sleep without dreams… why he had to suffer through nightmares over and over again.

“What a lonely existence it must be that you can’t even find comfort and solace in yourself.”

Dooku’s eyes opened up and he snapped his head to his right, staring at the painfully familiar figure sitting near his bed.

“You certainly can’t find peace with others-“

Dooku thrust out his hand, sending out bolts of Force Lightning at the intruder.

“I don’t know what kind of trick this is,” Dooku warned, “but it was a sad and poorly thought out one. Know that you will be punished greatly for it and then I will hunt down those that…”

He trailed off.

The intruder was still sitting there. They hadn’t even flinched. The only damage his attack had done was burn the chair he was sitting in.

“Come now, my master,” the intruder said with a teasing smile, “I am the first friendly face you’ve seen in nearly a decade and that is how you react?” He shook his head, clicking his tongue. “For shame.”

“You… are not here,” Dooku declared, getting out of bed.

“I most certainly am.”

“No, you are not.” He looked around. “What is this, a hologram? A projection?”

“You know you shield everything in your rooms to prevent such things. I personally think you are being far too paranoid but then again I am not a Sith Lord.” He paused. “I was only killed by one those master you now bow to.”

“And that is proof you aren’t here.”

“I don’t see how.”

“Because Qui Gon is dead!”

The Intruder… Qui Gon… merely looked down at himself. “And yet… here I am, my master.” He smiled that infuriating smile of his, the one Dooku remembered his padawan flashing whenever he had decided to utterly ignore him and his orders and do whatever he wanted. It honestly made Dooku pause and consider, for a moment, that Qui Gon really was there.

“You’re dead,” he repeated.

“The Sith are always searching for a means to continue on after death,” Qui Gon stated. “Unless I am wrong?” Dooku didn’t say a word and Qui Gon continued. “Is it so hard to believe that it truly exists? That there is a way for one to not lose themselves within the Force and retain their identity?”

Dooku almost asked him if that’s what he did before feeling utterly foolish. First because clearly if he was there then that is what he had done. And second because Qui Gon was dead and not sitting there talking with him.

“Leave me be,” Dooku declared, turning away from the blue-tinted figure. “I am in no mood to talk to you.”

“That’s not what you said on Naboo,” Qui Gon said and Dooku froze up. “Even though my ashes had been taken back to the Temple to be interned there you still wished to visit the funeral pyre. Queen Amidala allowed it, did she not?”

“She did…” Dooku found himself whispering, unable to bring himself to turn and face the intruder. He had always remembered that kindness… it was why when his Master had insisted she die to further their goals he had, for the first time, truly stopped and considered disobeying him. He had caused pain to so many others but he had never forgotten the young Queen and her soft offer to accompany him to the pyre and her acceptance when he asked to be left alone.

“You tried to meditate but you couldn’t. Because doing so would cause you to feel our broken bond and it would finally be confirmed that I was gone. And you wished we had talked one last time, even if it was just to hear me mock you for cutting your hair-“

Dooku twisted around and stared at Qui Gon. No one knew that. No one. He hadn’t spoken the words aloud… he’s wept them into the Force itself.

“Qui Gon…” Dooku whispered.

“Hello Master Yan,” his padawan said with a smile.

“…how?”

“Very easily yet also the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. That is why it took me over ten years to complete it. And also why no Sith will be able to ever achieve it. They can create ghosts that haunt temples and ruins and watch the actions of the living… but they will always be prisoners.” He paused. “And before you say a word it is something Jedi can’t do either. At least the Jedi as they are now. I always agreed with you on that, even if we differed in opinion on what actions to take to correct it.”

“You always wanted to fight the system… I tried to change it from within…” he pushed himself up so he was sitting once more. “I was wrong.”

“As was I,” Qui Gon said. “Jedi… Sith… we are all dealing in absolutes and don’t even realize it.”

“You… said this was easy yet hard…”

Qui Gon nodded. “For one who embraced the Light upon their death it is the strongest beacon calling you home. I never knew my family but I imagine it was the same feeling a child has when they are on the last leg of a journey that will let them see their parents again. It calls to you… wraps you up and soothes your worries away.” He let out a content sigh. “Even now I can feel the call.”

“And yet you have resisted it.”

Qui Gon nodded. “That is the key. To retain your sense of self you have to desire it not for yourself in any way. It can’t be because of unfinished business or a desire for justice or anything like that. Instead it has to be wholly for others.” He looked past Dooku and smiled sadly. “Tahl is there. I know they say that when you join the force you completely lose who you were but I don’t think it’s like that. I think it means you join with all others, becoming more than yourself. You don’t lose yourself… you gain everyone else. We would be together at last, joined in ways that I can’t even dream of… but I remain.”

“For your padawan.”

“Yes,” Qui Gon said before shooting him an annoyed look. “You couldn’t have merely kept him locked up? That arena was tasteless.”

“It wasn’t my choice,” Dooku admitted. “I told Skywalker and the Senator that as well. Gunray desired them dead and wanted a show-“

“And so the man that left the Jedi because he was tired of senseless slaughter caused by those from on high not caring decided to allow senseless slaughter-“

“Enough,” Dooku said, cutting him off. “Why are you here, Qui Gon? Are you here to plead with me to stop all this?”

Qui Gon smiled at that. “When have I ever been able to get you to listen to me, Master?”

“Hmmm… I suppose knowing that proves you are Qui Gon.”

“I suppose it does.” His former padawan folded his arms over his chest. “While I would delight in you returning to the light I understand that you must go where the Force takes you.” He paused. “I didn’t understand that with Xanatos… things could have been so different if I had only stopped and seen beyond the labels we place upon ourselves. Light… Dark… we all have such things. It is foolish to believe that we are all one or the other.”

“A surprising statement,” Dooku admitted.

“Death makes one see the world differently,” Qui Gon admitted.

“Then if you are not here to uselessly plead for me to turn off the path I am going down… why have you come? Why use a power that has never been recorded before… and come to see me of all people?”

“To merely pose two questions: What is the plan?”

“Pardon?”

“What is your plan? What do you seek to gain from all this?” Qui Gon held out his hands. “For someone who left the Jedi because he was disgusted by the Council allowing tragedy to happen you have been rather eager to cause such tragedy to occur by your word. How does it go, that old proverb… he who slaves Rancors...?”

Dooku shot him a dark look. “Needed losses. I do not enjoy them.”

“A sith loves death. It feeds them.”

“…yes,” Dooku admitted. “But I only use the ways of the Sith to further my goal.”

“And that is?”

“The galaxy is corrupt,” Dooku stated. “You know that… your padawan knows that. It is why I had hoped Obi Wan would join with me. I still hope he will see the wisdom in my actions. The only way to correct the path we find ourselves on is to shake the Republic out of is lethargic slumber. This war… it is a thunderbolt to all of existence. Nothing will ever be the same. My Master will destroy the rot that exists… already the Trade Federation and the Banking Clans and the Techno Union have found themselves devastated by war. Those that were willing it and allowed horrors to occur because it didn’t affect them now taste the ashes in their mouth. This war will end but the people will never forget. The same with the Jedi. They have realized that we can not be the passive weapons of the Senate… we must be proactive. We were given access to the Force to rule… to shepherd the nerfs to their pens for their own safety. Ages ago the Jedi led the Republic. The Chancellor was a Jedi. Senators were selected first and foremost if they could tap into the Force. That time must come again. But we can’t be weak… we can’t mute ourselves to the power that is available to us. To use only the Light is like fighting with a single leg.” He smiled. “Soon Skywalker will Fall… and when he does the Chosen One will bring balance to the Force. Light and Dark blended into one. He will be the Commander of our new Forces. Dark Jedi not bond by a Code that prevents us from saving the Galaxy. The Grand… Inquisitor… my master has decided he will be.”

“Hmmm,” Qui Gon said.

“What was your second question?”

“Oh… a trifle,” Qui Gon said, waving his hand dismissively.

“Don’t do that,” Dooku warned him. “That is Yoda talking and neither of us wish to discuss that troll.”

“True,” Qui Gon admitted. “Very well… what is your master’s plan?”

Dooku stared at him, waiting.

“It wasn’t a difficult question.”

“I… just told you.”

“You told me your plan,” Qui Gon said. “Not your master’s.”

“My Master’s plan is my plan.”

“Is it?” Qui Gon asked. “Palpatine-“ Dooku winced at Qui Gon saying his Master’s true name so casually, “-has been focused on Anakin since he first met him.”

“No different than you,” Dooku pointed out.

Qui Gon gave a shrug, accepting that point. “You are an… interesting choice to be his apprentice.”

“Why?” Dooku asked. “I am strong with the Force. Willing to listen to his ideas where other Jedi would have turned him away or tried to slay him needlessly. And I have trained myself to be a true warrior while so many other Jedi saw the art of the lightsaber as an outdated thing, little more than ritual. It is why it has been so hard for the Jedi to defeat my troops… and it has allowed them to remember what they once were.”

“Yes.” Qui Gon smirked. “And I suppose you being rich, the leader of an entire planet, and having ties to several figures needed for his plan didn’t influence him at all.” Dooku opened his mouth but Qui Gon kept talking. “Though I suppose he does deserve some credit… there are few Sith Lords that would choose an Apprentice 20 years their senior.” Qui Gon glanced at him. “If fact I can’t think of a single one.”

“You do not know the history of the Order of Bane.”

“No, of course not,” Qui Gon said. “I am sure there are records of many Sith who chose apprentices who had a far greater chance of dying of old age before they could complete their training.”

Dooku glared at him. “I have another 40 years at least.”

“Yes… but none of those will be in your prime. Though… how odd is it that before you Palpatine selected that young Zabrak and you a young Dathomirian. Why not select someone far older… older than you… like your master?”

“What are you-“

“I think you know exactly what I am suggesting, Master,” Qui Gon said sadly. “And if you can not open your eyes to it…” He stood up for the first time since appearing and moved to look out the window. “That wasn’t a dream, by the way.”

“Pardon?” Dooku said tersely, put on edge by what Qui Gon had suggested.

“What you saw… you on Galidraan, unable to stop the Battle.” Qui Gon finally turned towards him. “Those who embrace the light more than the dark… their reward is to join with the Force. But for the Sith? For them awaits something far worse. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. They aren’t pretty words, my master, or a mantra the Jedi use to justify releasing their emotions… they are a warning of what awaits you. In death… you will know only suffering… forever trapped on Galidraan.”

There was a bright flash of light, so intense Dooku closed his eyes…

…and when he opened them again he wondered if it wasn’t just him awakening once more from yet another dream.

He wanted to believe that. To push aside all he had heard and cast it as merely his sleep addled brain playing tricks on him.

And yet…

Dooku rose and took hold of the communicator. It was one that could only reach a single person and he had spent much of his own money, a good half of it purely to direct third and fourth and even fifth parties to see it made, so that only he and one other knew of its existence.

He held it, rubbing his finger along its surface, before finally pressed the button.

“Asajj.”

She answered without a second’s hesitation. “Yes my Master?”

“Find the most skilled Slicer you can. I don’t need them to be part of the Separatists… they can be neutral or even Republic. All that matters is that they are the best.”

“It will be done, my Master,” Asajj asked. “And… when I do?”

“Tell them I have a job for them.”

“And that is?”

“Hacking the database of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.”

Chapter Text

Nemuri’s sigh echoed through the nearly empty teacher’s lounge and she rubbed the back of her neck before shifting in her chair in a desperate attempt to find a better position. Or, at least, one that wouldn’t leave the muscles in her neck utterly aching.

“You know, the students always complain that we give them homework to torture them. What they fail to realize is we are masochists who like to torture ourselves!”

Obi Wan laughed at that. “Yes… Anakin always complained about doing meditation, saying it was boring. Of course it’s boring… every young Jedi thinks it’s boring. Not a single youngling, padawan, or newly made knight enjoys the idea of meditating. But they have to learn and the master can no longer complain about it the moment they get a padawan so they have to suffer through it. And many times have to do it twice… once to teach their student and then to release all their frustration when they don’t sit still!”

Now it was Nemuri’s time to laugh. “Yes, I can see that with Anakin.” She sighed and tapped the pile of paperwork she was working on. “Honestly I’m half tempted to make everything multiple choice and force everyone to grade other students’ papers right in class.”

“And why don’t you?”

“Because art is subjective and it needs to be in your own words. If I do multiple choice or true and false… that defeats the entire reason to discuss it.”

“Ah, of course,” Obi Wan said before looking down at the lesson plans he was working on. “Do you ever feel as if we are prisoners and our cells are made of school work?”

“Around this time of year?” she asked. “Oh yes.” It was nearing the end of the school year and final exams were fast approaching and that meant everyone was stressed. Students, teachers… even Nedzu. Oh, he hid it well but she’d seen him twitching a bit when it came to working with the teachers on the End of the Year exams, his hyper advanced brain being pushed to the limits to come up with ways to test every student that would allow the teachers to understand what they had learned, what they still needed to be taught, and do so in the shortest time possible. “Sometimes I just want to throw all these papers aside and curl up and take a nap. Just a small one, nice and quick.” She let out a yawn. “It never feels like I get enough rest.”

“I know the feeling. I was always being scolded by the healers for not getting enough rest, that I needed to stop using the Force to keep myself going because the crash would be all the worse.” He chuckled. “Honestly… being stranded on this planet had resulted in the most rest I’ve had since I was 10 years old.”

Nemuri rasied an eyebrow at that. “Preparing lesson plans… no, that’s not right.” She pointed at the paperwork he had in front of him. “Creating an entirely new way to teach the Heroics Class, fighting with the school board, learning about this world, AND patrolling… and you find this peaceful?”

“Not peaceful,” Obi Wan correct. “Just… not as difficult as what I was living through.”

“Do I honestly want to know what your life was like before you came here?”

“…probably not, if only because I sense you’d be trying to figure out how to travel to my galaxy and attack the entire Council for all they allowed.”

She snorted at that. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Nemuri rolled his shoulders. “So, you never had any down time? Constantly flying from planet to planet, fighting evil and saving beautiful women?”

Obi Wan merely smiled back, not fazed by her teasing. “Almost always. I did have downtime.”

“And what did Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master, do in his downtime?”

“I read,” Obi Wan said. “I liked to cook but that was hard during the war. Which was always annoying because honestly there was only one other cook in the entire galaxy whose food I truly enjoyed. The Temple had fine cooking droids, don’t get me wrong, but you need a personal touch, especially when that can infuse the Force into a meal.” He leaned back in his chair, a wistful smile on his face. “Everyone but Anakin and Qui Gon were horrified by it. I took Mace once and while he enjoyed the food he thought it was utterly undignified for someone they were considering for the Jedi Council to eat next to ship jockeys while the cook would come out and hug you with his stained apron.” Nemuri found herself smiling at just how light and at ease he was speaking of his favorite restaurant. “The food wasn’t healthy in the slightest. Greasy, coated in salt, very fattening. But… sometimes that was what you needed.”

“…get up,” Nemuri said.

“Pardon?” Obi Wan said, clearly startled.

“You’ve made me hungry and reminded me of a place me, Hizashi, and Shota love to go to but I haven’t been able to sneak away to in nearly a year. So we are going out and getting some supper.”

“…well then, lead the way.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Anakin hurried towards the turbo lift… elevator. It was an elevator. Eventually he’d learn that; of course it had taken him years to get out of the mindset of using Huttsee and insteaduse Basic and now he had to relearn everything all over again so that ‘eventually’ might actually mean “decades from now when you’re as old as Obi Wan”. He shifted the large box he was carrying, constantly jerking one direction or the other it so he could see around it, thanks to all the parts he’d crammed in there so that they were only not spilling out thanks to the Force. “Hold the elevator!” he called out as he saw the doors beginning to close and he let out a sigh of relief when someone reached out and caught it, keeping it from closing and letting Anakin step inside. “Thank you,” he said, taking a breath.

“No problem, General.”

“Rex!” Anakin exclaimed with a grin. “I didn’t even realize it was you!”

“I figured as much,” the clone said with a slight smile.

“Well, thanks for that,” Anakin said, shifting the box so that it rested on his hip. “How are things… feels like I hardly ever see you anymore.” He blinked as he replayed just what he had said over in his head. “Not that that’s a bad thing! You have your own life and I’m thrilled you’re filling it up… and not that I don’t want to see you, never think that… okay, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Just a bit.”

Anakin let out a weary sigh. “Sorry, long day. But in the best possible way. It has me all jazzed up. You know what I mean?”

Rex smiled at that. “Yeah… yeah I do, sir.”

“Hmm, of course you do now,” Anakin teased. “Have yourself a padawan yourself!”

“Not callin’ him that,” Rex said as the elevator opened to their floor. Rather than head to his apartment though Rex moved towards Anakin’s, knowing that he’d never manage to get the door open and would be too stubborn to just set the box down and open the door like a normal person. “I’m teachin’ him. He’s my student.”

“How is he doing, by the way?” Anakin asked.

“Real good. Kid is hungry to learn. I am workin’ ta break him out of his bad habits.”

“Oh?”

“Ahsoka… remember how at first she was so desperate for your approval she’d agree with a plan before even considerin’ it?”

“Yeah,” Anakin said as he set the box down on the dining room table… of course he and Padme never actually dined there, usually choosing to sit on the couch or at the bar in the kitchen. Thus it had become another workspace for him, filled with all sorts of black bits of machinery and cloth. “She grew out of that quick, went to trying to press boundaries, see how much I’d let her get away with.” He shook his head. “Still doing that here. Two days ago we were supposed to be practicing Force leaps and somehow she decided that meant also finding every tall building she could and leaping off of them to see how quickly she could slow herself down.”

Rex grimaced at that. “Ugh, I never liked it when any of you Jedi did that.”

“Yeah and I didn’t like it when she did a swan dive off a tower, even if she did have a grapple on her.” He sighed. “But we were talking about Midoriya?”

“Right. Well he’s so eager ta please and wants ta be a hero so much that he has no sense of self preservation. Just throws himself at any situation. I’ve set up a few situations where a normal cadet would hesitate but he just rushes in. He’s gonna save a lot of people… but gonna get hurt just as much.”

“If he had force powers I’d say he was a Jedi,” Anakin said.

“Trust me, I considered that… but he’s done nothing to show he’s like you.”

Anakin nodded. “Yeah, Obi Wan and I meditated when we first got here… the Force is here but unless someone is shielding REALLY good there aren’t any people that could be Jedi. So, you are working to break him of that bad habit?”

“Yeah,” Rex said, leaning against the kitchen bar. “He’s getting better… once I get him to use that brain of his to actually stop and think about himself and not just others. He’s scary good, sir.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.” Anakin paused. “And how’s Inko?”

“…good,” Rex said.

Anakin smirked at that. “Because you’ve been spending a lot of time with Izuku’s mom. Your training gets done by 6 and yet you don’t get back here till 10… always full, looking relaxed…”

“She’s a good woman. Very inviting. Wants everyone to feel comfortable.”

“Right…” Anakin said, deciding not to push it. All the psychology books he’d been reading recently had told him that sometimes one needed to push people to realize the truth… and other times you needed to let them figure it out themselves and pushing would only delay the process. He had given Rex a nudge but he clearly didn’t want to talk about it so Anakin would let it go… for now. “Any plans for tonight?”

“No,” Rex said. “Inko and Izuku have some thing at their school… teachers meet with the parents? Not for sure. They asked if I wanted to come but I said I’d be fine.” Anakin didn’t miss how Rex reached for his phone, knowing that the Captain had given the two his number and wouldn’t want to do anything that might keep him from answering their call. By the Force if the man didn’t wake up and ask Inko out on a date soon Anakin was going to Jedi Mind Trick him into doing so. “So I figured I’d just stay in.”

“Want to hang out with me?” Anakin asked. “We could find a movie or something to watch. I’m on my own tonight and was going to order in.”

Rex considered that before frowning. “Something we can eat with actual utensils?”

Anakin laughed; Rex still hadn’t gotten used to chopsticks. “Yeah, there is this place that makes pasta I was thinking of trying.”

“I’m in,” Rex said and Anakin pulled out his phone, putting in their order, figuring he’d get a ton so there would be leftovers. “Where is everyone else?”

“Obi Wan sent a text… Nemuri is taking him to some restaurant.” And that was a joyous thing as he was going to have enough trouble getting Rex to realize he needed to ask Inko out… Anakin didn’t want to deal with getting his former Master to work up the guts to begin dating Nemuri. They made a cute couple even if Obi Wan didn’t realize it and the heroine would be good for Obi Wan, get him to loosen up a touch. “Ahsoka went out with some friends.” He wasn’t sure how much he liked her hanging out with the 2nd year hero students but Nedzu and the rest of the UA staff had assured him that they were all good kids. “And Padme is training.”

Anakin still smiled at the memory of Padme bringing Yagi over the first time and flat out telling Anakin, “This is All Might, he wants me to have his quirk and become his successor”. The poor man had coughed up so much blood Anakin had been prepared to go to a blood bank for more. When he could finally breathe he had sputtered about the secret and Padme had flatly informed him that Anakin was her husband and she wasn’t hiding anything from him. As for Anakin he’d been surprised by all of it but once he really began to think about it he’d decided that Padme was of course the perfect person to be the Symbol of Peace. She was smart, confident, knew how to work with others, and gave with all her heart. He had quietly told her many times that if things had been reversed he’d have been a horrible Senator… and she’d have already been a Jedi Master. Her getting All Might’s quirk? He was fine with that.

Plus… Anakin had always thought Padme was a bit too skinny and could stand to put on some muscle.

He mentally winced and checked to make sure he hadn’t let that thought pass on to anyone who might be listening through the Force.

“Just the two of us then,” Rex said, bringing Anakin back to the present.

“Yup. I was going to just work on my project but I can skip a night.”

“If I can ask sir… what have you been working on.”

Anakin sighed at that. On one hand he wanted to keep it a secret… on the other he always worked better when he had someone to bounce ideas off of. And the two people he’d normally talk to about this would tell him no, this was an insane idea, and try and get him to stop. Rex… it wasn’t fair because the man was loyal and thus wouldn’t move to speak up against his plans but still Anakin wanted someone who would actually stop and listen to what he had to say.

“So I don’t patrol as much as Obi Wan,” Anakin said. “He is really trying to build up a rep so it makes sense him teaching at UA.” For the last few months Obi Wan had been quite active, with the media catching wind of the hero who didn’t just stop villains but talked them down. The biggest news story had been a hostage situation at a dentist’s office. Obi Wan had gone over there and while the other heroes had wanted to bust in Obi Wan had asked for 10 minutes to just talk to the man. After those 10 minutes he’d been invited inside and an hour later brought out a man who wasn’t a villain… just someone who’d had a bad week and reacted badly to the medicine he’d been given for a tooth ache. While some had bemoaned how it wasn’t flashy many others had pointed to the fact that no one was hurt, there wasn’t any property damage, and the culprit had submitted willingly to police. Later Obi Wan had spoken at his trial and gotten the man’s sentence commuted to therapy and community service… while that hadn’t been covered as much those that did pointed out that Obi Wan hadn’t merely defeated a villain he’d stopped the creation of one.

“I don’t patrol much at all myself,” Rex said.

“But you are busy training the next generation,” Anakin said.

“So are you.”

“Yeah,” Anakin said. He didn’t get to train with Ahsoka as much as he’d like, as she was experiencing this world and he didn’t begrudge her that. They had training sessions often, more than Rex had with Midoriya, but when he compared it to his time as a padawan with Obi Wan it simply never felt like it was enough. “But it’s more than that. I… have come to realize that I am still not the man I want to be. All my life I’ve been… a slave.” How he hated that word. “Even when I was with the Jedi… I was a slave to their code and the Council. Not able to do what I wanted, be with the people I loved. I once dreamed of returning home and freeing all the slaves… but I wasn’t allowed to do that because of politics.” He squeezed his mechanical fingers together into a tight fist. “And now the Hero Commission… just another Council. With their own rules on what I can and can’t do. I’m tired of playing games, Rex. It’s time to do something that matters.”

“What do you have in mind?” Rex asked and Anakin waved him over to the table.

“Sir Steel… and I hate that name so much, screw Nemuri for saddling me with it… is good for a public face, to explain what I do. Obi Wan is talking about setting up an agency for all of us, so that we can pool our resources… I’m going along with it but don’t tell him it’s because I’ll be giving him more money than he gives me.”

“The prosthetics and the like?”

“Yeah,” Anakin said with a slight smile. The first of his new artificial limbs were being produced and already the Hero Commission and the Japanese Government were drooling over what he had managed to make. Soon other countries would be too. Obi Wan’s agency was going to be a way for Anakin to hire outside people to handle the business side of things, so they could funnel the money into new projects like replacement organs and the like. He also wanted to work on droids… his heart ached at the thought of Artoo. “But anyway, that is going to be my public face. Something for me to point to when people ask what I do with my days.” He waved at the table. “This… is what will keep me occupied.”

“…you’re going vigilante?” Rex asked.

“Yeah,” Anakin said, running his hands along the materials on the table. “As a Jedi and as a Hero… I’m trapped in being what other people expect me to be. And I didn’t mind that… still don’t mind doing that because I have a good support system now. You, Obi Wan, Ahsoka, Padme… even some of the teachers and Nedzu. You keep me grounded while not holding me down, if that makes sense.”

Rex shook his head. “I’ll leave all that shrink stuff to you.”

Anakin chuckled; he knew he was getting a tad obsessed with psychology but it was just so interesting! It helped explain the dreams he had, the emotions he was feeling… he finally understood releasing his emotions to the Force. Obi Wan… he hadn’t known how to explain it because he’d been doing it all his life. The Jedi didn’t mean “don’t feel anything”. They meant “Control your emotions and don’t let them control you”. It was no different than pod racing… the bad racers let the course control them, reacting to what was there. The great ones used every bump and obstacle to their advantage. Same with emotion… he was passionate and that was okay! But he couldn’t let his passion drag him along. Rather he needed to hone it and direct it and then, once settled, release it.

And that was exactly what he was doing now.

“I need to be doing more. Help people the way I know I can.” He almost said “I know is best” but his sessions with Hound Dog and his own studies had shown him that no one knew what was best… when he’d discussed it with Obi Wan his brother had admitted that the Council had fallen into that trap. “And I can’t do that as a hero. I understand why the Commission exists but it’s not structure for me it’s a cage.” He smiled as he held up the chest piece he’d been working on. “This will let me do more.”

“It’s… very black,” Rex said.

Anakin nodded. “Yeah. One of my greatest fears is falling to the Dark Side. Becoming like the people that killed Qui Gon, who took my arm, who have threatened Padme and Obi Wan and Ahsoka. But I’m not going to run from that fear anymore… I’m going to use it. The Sith… they dealt in fear. Jedi make criminals fearful even if they didn’t mean to… and this is going to do the same.”

“So… you’re going to dress up as…”

Anakin nodded as he held up the piece that had taken the most time. This world… it didn’t have the tools and equipment of his galaxy. But him and Power Loader, after many trials and errors, had been able to not merely replicate certain things… but make things his galaxy had never seen.

Igniting the lightsaber he looked at the crimson blade created by Light Side infused red kyber crystal.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Are you okay?” Nemuri asked, giving him a slight shake. “Obi Wan?”

The Jedi Master could only stare at the restaurant in shock. The grayish white floors. The red booths. The large windows that looked out at traffic. The to-the-point waitress that had asked what they wanted and told Nemuri to head over to booth three. The counter that sat across from a large opening in the wall where the kitchen was.

“This… this is Dex’s!” Obi Wan exclaimed.

“Yes,” Nemuri said, confused. “I told you I wanted to take you to my favorite-“

“No,” Obi Wan said, cutting her off. “I mean this is Dex’s… I’ve been here before.” He shook his head. “Not on Earth… where I’m from. This is literally just Dex’s!”

Nemuri found it her turn to be confused. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive! I mean the waitress isn’t a droid but everything else… this is Dex’s!” He looked outside, just to confirm they were still in Musutafu. “I… I don’t…” The Negotiator, the youngest Jedi to ever join the Jedi Council, the first Jedi to defeat a Sith Lord in a thousand years… found himself utterly speechless.

Nemuri looked about the restraint, concerned. “Is that a problem?”

“no… no its fine. Lovely. I loved Dex’s. I just… how is it here?”

“Maybe it just looks a lot like it? I mean… I’m sure there are things that look the same in every galaxy.”

“Perhaps,” Obi Wan said, reaching up to rub his beard in thought, his surprise slowly bleeding away as he grew to accept her suggestion. Yes… it was entirely possible for there to be two establishments that resembled each other… and while it was odd they were both called Dex’s it wasn’t like that was an unusual name. He’d already found several people with the name Mace, Rex was in fact a highly common name in this world, so perhaps-

“Nemuri!” a voice called out and Obi Wan whipped around… and stared in shock as the familiar four armed, mustached, heavy set Besalisk waddled out from the kitchen, his holey and stain covered shirt barely hiding his gut. “It’s been too long!”

“Hello Dex!” Nemuri said, giving Dexter Jester a hug.

“…how?!?!” Obi Wan exclaimed.

Dex looked past Nemuri and blinked before grinning. “Obi Wan! What daya know! What are you doing here?”

“What… what am I… I…”

Dex grimaced. “Think we might want to sit down for this,” Dex said, leading them over to a booth, the two humans taking one side while Dex wiggled onto the other. Only later would Obi Wan realize how close Nemuri was sitting next to him but at that moment he was too focused on staring at his old friend. “So… I bet you have some questions.”

“A few, Dex!” Obi Wan said incredulously. “Did you get transported here too?” He swallowed. “Is… do you have a ship? Does anyone else know about Earth?”

“Er… not quite. So… here’s the thing,” Dex said awkwardly. “I...” He waved one of his hands about. “I have a quirk.”

“…of course,” Obi Wan muttered. “Of course you do. Why am I not surprised?” he rolled his head skyward before taking a calming breath. “What is your quirk?”

“Well, it allows me to be in multiple places at once. Right where I need to be. I find I’m attracted to those that need a friend. I wake up and suddenly I am in another galaxy. Restaurant is always the same… it seems to follow me around or grow right from the ground wherever I end up. Believe it or not but until the day you walked in this place I had never been on Coruscant. Oh, I’ve been in the Republic many times… Outer Rim, the wilds, and other galaxies all together. But one day I find myself on Coruscant opening up and you come in. As for Earth I only showed up…” he itched at his chin, “well, about a decade ago? When Nemuri and her friends needed a place to eat.”

Obi Wan just leaned back in the booth, shocked. “And it’s just you and the restaurant?”

“Yup!” Dex said before sobering. “I’m sorry Obi Wan… I can’t take you back home. I would if I could, believe me! But it don’t work like that! It’s not even a teleporting thing… right now…” he focused, “I’m also on Coruscant, cooking up an order of fried tubers. And I’m in the Outer Rim dealing with some bounty hunter who wants just club soda to get blood out of his jacket. I’m in all those places at once.”

“So its like a cloning quirk,” Nemuri said, hiding her own shock that her old friend was Obi Wan’s old friend.

“I suppose so.” He paused. “I can get messages to people, if you want.”

Obi Wan opened his mouth… before snapping it shut. “…no, Dex. No. As much as I’d love to tell the Council we are alive… they would try and find a way to get us home and that would risk Earth.”

“Yeah,” Dex said. “That’s why I never bring up my quirk. Enough crazy people out there would try and use it. But hey! At least I can let you know how everyone is doing!”

“Yes… yes there is that.” Obi Wan reached out and patted his friend’s hand. “I’m sorry… it is delightful to see you Dex. I should have said so.”

“You had a shock! Happens even to a Jedi! Like the new clothes, by the way, really suit you. So you’re that Negotiator that’s running around? Makes sense, now that I know the truth. You need to tell me all about it…” He trailed off before getting a twinkle in his eye. “Another day. You two enjoy you date.”

And once more Obi wan found himself sputtering.

But… Nemuri made no move to leave their side of the booth.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan rubbing his chin, staring out at the obstacle course that had been set up outside of the city.

“What’s wrong?” Anakin asked, moving to stand next to his friend. While Obi Wan was required to be on the observation tower for the upcoming Recommendation Exam, due to his new position with UA, Anakin had tagged along purely out of curiosity’s sake. Padme was off with her new friend Yagi while Rex had decided against coming due to Izuku; honestly Obi Wan got the Captain’s thought process. Izuku was going to be trying to get into UA without a Quirk and he would have to deal with plenty of people looking for any reason to dismiss his accomplishments. Rex seeing the Recommendation Exam, even if it was far different from the Entrance Exam, would lead to acusations that he had an unfair advantage.

Anakin and Ahsoka honestly didn’t care what people thought as Anakin knew his padawan was amazing and would be in the Top 3 for scores when all was said and done.

“Obi Wan?” Anakin asked again, giving him a nudge. Both were dressed in their Jedi garb, knowing that for official events such as this it was expected for heroes to be in costume. Neither honestly minded.

“Sorry, just lost in thought. What can I do for you, Anakin?”

“You can answer my question which was about you being trapped in your mind.” He smiled slightly. “Which happens far too often Master. You must be careful or people will begin saying you are old.”

“I am old, Anakin,” Obi Wan said.

“No, you’re merely older than me. And not by that much, honestly. 36 isn’t that old, especially for both this world and Jedi.”

“What was the line from that movie Yamada showed us last week? It’s not the years it’s the mileage?” He sighed, rubbing his chin in thought once more. “Sometimes it feels like I am older than Master Yoda, thanks to all I’ve seen.”

“I’ve seen about half of what you have master and I am still young at heart,” Anakin teased.

“You certainly have the maturity of a youngling,” Obi Wan snarked right back.

“How my master wounds me! Have you figured out how to blend sass with lightsaber swings yet? You could have a Form named after you. Kenobi: the way of the bitchy.”

“Bitchy?!” Obi Wan huffed. “I don’t think I like who you’ve been hanging out with lately, Anakin. It is giving you a foul mouth.”

“Well, considering it is Hawks I guess its more of an f-o-w-l mouth.” He flashed a smile and Obi Wan rolled his eyes at that. “Get it? Because his quirk-“

“I get it, Anakin,” Obi Wan said dryly.

“So, what has you all gloomy?”

Obi Wan made for the elevator; while he would need to be back up in the tower to watch the exam it wouldn’t be for another few hours. “I just can’t help but feel that we aren’t using the best selection process for the students.”

“What do you mean?” Anakin asked.

“Well…” Obi Wan said as Anakin pressed the ground floor button. “We are focusing too much on the physical. Yes, there is a written exam for knowledge but a student who wins the practical exam, unless they completely fail the Written, will get into UA. The reverse isn’t true. The teachers don’t want to admit it but it has been stressed to them by the school board that they want the flashiest of quirks. And many of these recommendation students have other schools seeking them out. UA has a stellar reputation thanks to having alum like All Might and Endeavour but there are plenty of other schools out there that are eager to catch up. The board doesn’t want a flashy quirk user to go to another school so the Practical is given the most weight.”

Anakin frowned. “Okay, so I get a bit of your point but if they do really good at the practical stuff doesn’t that mean they are going to be a better hero?”

“Not necessarily,” Obi Wan said. “There is more to hero work than just rushing in and fighting a threat.”

“Are you sure you aren’t confusing heroes with Jedi, Master?” Anakin smiled. “I don’t see All Might going to have to settle a dispute between a mining company and a space colony.”

“No, you’re right,” Obi Wan admitted. “But there is more to being a hero than throwing punches. You have to think strategically. Take you, for example.”

“Me?”

Obi Wan reached out, hitting a button to keep the elevator doors closed. “You have a keen mind for strategy, Anakin. And you excel at adapting to changing situations. That is why you moved up the ranks so quickly in the GAR… yes, there are Jedi who are older than you and more experienced. And yes, you are powerful in the Force. But it is your mind that made you such a great General.”

“…t-thank you,” Anakin stammered. “I… I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”

“Perhaps,” Obi Wan said, “but never be dismissive of your own abilities. The only reason I am so hard on you is because I know how utterly talented you are, Anakin. Had we remained in our Galaxy I know you would have not merely made history… you would have altered its course.”

Anakin shuffled a bit, embarrassed by the praise.

“But,” Obi Wan said after a few moments, “you would have never gotten that chance if the Council had stuck with their original decision for you not to be trained.”

Anakin nodded. “They never got off the fact that I was so old when you found me.”

“And their testing didn’t work for someone like you.”

“Yeah, that…” he trailed off. “Ah.” He pointed a finger at his Master. “I see where you are going. One Size Fits All doesn’t work for Jedi or Heroes.”

“No,” Obi Wan said, finally opening the doors. “That is why I have already begun to work with Nedzu to fix the Entrance Exam.”

“What did you do?” Anakin said in an accusing tone.

“Merely suggested a fourth round… after all, there are three rounds for the Recommendation Exam why not more for the standard exam? Something that deals with Heroics but allows for those that don’t have the flashiest of quirks to be able to show how talented they are.”

“Can you tell me what it will be?” Anakin asked.

Obi Wan shook his head. “I don’t want Ahsoka to have any idea. Don’t get me wrong… I think she will pass it easily. I just want her to be as surprised as everyone else. And if I thought you could resist the urge to tell her I’d have brought you on to help me develop it.”

“Then I’ll just have to wait until next year to fix all the mistakes you make,” Anakin teased.

“Quite,” Obi Wan replied with his own smile.

~MC~MC~MC~MC~

Inasa was feeling great.

He had done well on the written exam, though he had gotten a small talking to from Present Mic for being a bit too loud when he’d finished. The hero had been polite about it, telling him there was nothing wrong with being excited, but the other student might need time to focus on their own tests and didn’t need him distracting them. He’d quickly (and quietly) apologized and headed out into the hall, asking others how they did as they joined him. A rather beautiful dark haired woman had been next out and had told him that she thought she’d done rather well and was glad she had practiced while a man with glasses had scolded him for his outburst. He hadn’t been able to talk to many others as they’d all been called for the practical exam, which Inasa had done rather well with, managing to make it to first place over Endeavour’s son.

Speaking of…

“Hello!” He called out, rushing to the pro hero and his son as they stood off to the side. “I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you how great you were in the race! You were so very close to beating me and-“

“Shoto, come,” the Number 2 Hero in Japan said. Despite the flames that were still swirling around him, making the air shimmer with heat ripples, his voice was as cold as the arctic.

Nearly as cold as his eyes.

Inasa actually took a step back as Endeavour’s son spared him a single look, hardly even fleeting, before he too walked off. He hadn’t even honored Inasa with a single word.

“Can you believe they are going to let someone like that in?” another potential student whispered, though not quite low enough for Inasa to miss.

“Well, he did get second,” someone else said.

The first scoffed. “Doesn’t matter if he got last… that’s Endeavour’s kid. Face it, we are all competing for three slots, not four. They’re going to let Ice Prince in for sure.”

Inasa didn’t hear what else they had to say. It was like there was an ocean roaring in his ears. All his life he had believed that it took a certain type to be a hero. Someone brave and strong and honorable. Someone with a fire to do what was good but also possessed the kindness needed to be a hero. A hero did not hate.

And yet… he could tell… there was so much hatred in Endeavour.

Inasa swallowed.

And he was finding… that he was hating the man and his son.

How… how could he hope to learn to be a hero if every day he had to be around someone that made him feel not as heroes did? How could UA be the right school for him if they allowed… no, they had already accepted… someone with such coldness and hate within them.

He took a breath and moved towards the gate.

“Excuse me,” a kindly voice said, startling him from his thoughts. He turned and found himself staring at a short (well, compared to him nearly everyone was short) man with brownish red hair and a full beard wearing a tunic-like outfit, white armor, and with a white faceless helmet tucked under his arm. “I know you are excited to see your family and let them know how you did but you still have the Interview.” The man smiled and motioned for Inasa to follow him and it was only out of politeness that he did so.

They entered a rather non-descript room, one that looked rather plain for such a prestigious school like UA. There were two simple red chairs, slightly bowl shaped, and a table with a file that Inasa knew had to be his own records. He sat down without a word, his thoughts so utterly conflicted.

“I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Obi Wan Kenobi, also known as the hero The Negotiator. I will be the Heroic Teacher for UA this year.” Inasa blinked at that; he hadn’t heard of The Negotiator before and he had taken the liberty of studying up on the Top 100 heroes in Japan. Was UA hiring someone who wasn’t that high in the rankings? Or was he from another country? His accent was British so perhaps- “You did rather well on the written exam,” Mr. Kenobi said with a smile. “And you won the practical exam though I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to inform you that the practical isn’t all about placement. In fact according to Nedzu there have been students who got dead last but still became a Recommended Student because while they didn’t even beat any other potential students how they went about running the course impressed the teachers.”

Inasa swallowed. “That’s… good.” He took a deep breath. “I’m glad to hear that. It will make me revoking my application to join UA all the more easier.”

That made Obi Wan pause. “Oh? And why would you do that?”

“I think it won’t be a good fit for me.”

“Well, while I will admit to being disappointed I won’t stop you if that is truly what you wish. But would you mind telling me exactly what led to this decision? If it is a fault of ours then I hope to correct it for the next student.”

Inasa was about to ask Obi Wan to just respect his privacy when he felt himself grow calmer. All the tension and worry that had been bleeding into his brain, making him doubt everything he had thought about UA and the world of heroes began to dribble back away and he felt himself able to think once more. And the teacher was smiling at him, open and honest. Nothing false. Nothing fake. Just him.

“I encountered an already selected student for UA and found them to be… well, not right for the school.”

“Interesting,” Obi wan said, rubbing his chin. “As far as I am aware no one has been selected yet. I know I have not made my selections yet.”

Inasa, trying to be vague, only said, “It is clear they are going to be selected. Due to reasons outside of the test.”

“Ah,” Obi Wan said with a nod. “Of course. Well, I don’t see why their selection, if you are correct and they have been selected without my knowledge, should affect your choice in schools.”

“Because I hate them,” Inasa stated bluntly. “I know I’ve only just met them but I hate them. And a hero should not feel hate.”

“Yes and no,” Obi Wan stated.

“Yes and no?”

The Heroics Teacher nodded. “You are correct and incorrect at the same time. From a certain point of view.”

“From a certain point of view?”

“There are steps towards what my old teacher taught me was The Dark Side. Fear is the first… fear leads to anger. Anger then leads to hate. And finally hate leads to suffering.”

“Which is all the more reason why I shouldn’t attend UA!” Inasa exclaimed. “A hero can not feel hate and I feel it for that student. If I were to come here I would know nothing but hate-“

“And thus it is better to give into your fear,” Obi Wan finished.

“Yes… I mean no.” Inasa frowned, brow furrowing at that comment. “What?”

“You don’t feel hatred, not really. If you felt hate you would have sought to destroy that student. Get me to not select them or tried to injure them so they couldn’t be a hero… or at least trained as a hero but then used those lessons for evil. But you didn’t… instead you are leaving while allowing them to continue down their path. That isn’t hate, Inasa… that is fear. You are afraid of how you might become.”

“I…” He swallowed, having not considered that. “I suppose you are right. But-“

Obi Wan though held up his hand. “Fear is the Path to the Dark Side… but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t feel fear. We are all living beings. All of us feel fear. We feel anger too. Hatred even. But the trick is to control those emotions rather than allowing them to control you. That is the mistake villains make… they allow their fears and angers and hatreds to control them instead of the other way around.”

“So… you think I should attend UA? To conquer my fear that I will become someone that feels hate? To learn how to truly because a hero who does not know hate and inspire others to feel the same?”

“Well, I think you shouldn’t remove your application. As I said no one has been selected yet.”

Inasa laughed, embarrassed that he’d gotten ahead of himself but accepting Obi Wan’s statement all the same. “Right… the interview?”

“Quite. Now, let me ask you about your childhood…”

Chapter Text

“I wish I could have brought my armor.”

Rex snorted at that. “Kid, we haven’t even made you your armor yet.” Izuku opened his mouth but Rex quickly held up his hand. “Ya get it when you’re ready for it, kid. Armor is an important thing… it is your life. It is what makes you who you are. Each piece means you have all the better chance of coming home. And what you do with that armor, how you make it your own… that is just as important. It’s not something to rush into. When its time the two of us are going to design it, forge it, and customize it.”

“I know,” izuku admitted. “I just-“

“I get it,” Rex said, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a quick side hug. “I remember how I was when I was training, so ready to get my armor. You’ll have your own set soon enough but enjoy being a tubie for a little bit more, okay?”

Izuku bobbed his head. “Of course.” The boy shifted his backpack. “You’re sure there won’t be a problem with this stuff?”

“I ran it by Nedzu. Turns out that while you can’t bring weapons to the exam you are allowed to bring gear if it will ‘support you’. Someone was foolish and didn’t take the time to consider just how much one could bend the rules with that.” Rex grinned, a sharp smile that spoke of cunning and mischief. “We’re gonna make them regret that. My friend Anakin calls it “Getting a rule named after you”.”

“Right,” Izuku said. “I just hope I’m able to manage it… we’ve only been practicing-“

Rex cut him off once more. “You’ll be more than fine, kid. I know ya will.” The two of them stopped and Rex gently directed Izuku to stand before him. “What ya need to do is get out of your head. It’s a great tool but you get lost in it.” He tapped Izuku’s forehead. “Remember, that brain is your best asset but anything you have can backfire if you don’t respect and understand it.”

“Right,” izuku said with a firm nod.

“Now… what are the Rules?”

The green haired boy looked right at his teacher, all nervousness gone as he began to recite the Rules. “The life of an innocent outweighs anything else. Protect my brothers so they can protect me. Destroy the enemy in front of you so they don’t become a knife in your back.”

“Exactly,” Rex said, pressing his hands on Izuku’s shoulders. “You are gonna be amazing out there. I have no doubt. But know that even if you weren’t… I’d still be proud of you.” He paused. “You are not longer Midoriya Izuku to me. You are vod.”

Izuku’s eyes began to well with tears. Rex had taught him a few words of the secret language he and his brothers had used. Terms and phrases of great importance. And he understood what Rex was giving him. Vod… he was his brother. Perhaps not in terms of blood but in terms of battle. Rex was accepting him as someone he’d allow to fight at his side.

“Vod,” he whispered back.

“Now… go show those showboats what you can do.”

“Yes sir!” Izuku said, giving a sharp salute before rushing up the stairs. Rex shook his head before pulling out his phone.

“Yeah, I got him there. Test is gonna be a few hours so I’ll wait here.” He paused. “…I love you too, Inko.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Ahsoka looked over her outfit, rather glad that she was at least allowed to wear her normal Jedi outfit for the exam. If she got into UA she knew that she would have to wear one of their gym outfits, something she really wasn’t looking forward too. From what she had seen they just weren’t comfy. Stupid sleeves…

“Ready for this, Snips?” Anakin asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, Master.”

“I hope so. I’m counting on you to show up these quirk users… we’ll never hear the end of it if we let them beat us. Everyone at the Temple will laugh at us until they choke.”

“How would they ever find out?”

“Oh, don’t doubt the Council’s ability to find out about our failures,” Anakin warned her. “I swear one of Master Yoda’s force powers is finding out all the mistakes I make just so he can cackle about them. Demented little troll…” He grumbled the last part and Ahsoka couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Alright Snips, go do us proud.”

“Absolutely, Master,” Ahsoka said, breaking off from her Master and heading through the gate of UA. While she had passed through there many times over the last 9 or so months going through in that moment felt so very different. Maybe it was because she was walking towards the next step of her journey. Or maybe it was more to do with the fact that she was surrounded by so many other hopeful teens, some of whom would be her classmates too.

Assuming she did a good job.

She was so focused on her thoughts that she almost ran into another student, catching herself just in time from ramming into her. Of course spinning around startled the girl, making her squeak in surprise and stumble forward right into another student with green hair. Ahsoka and the girl both reached out when they saw the greenette began to stumble, his head heading right towards the stone steps of the school…

…but then he snapped his arms out, caught himself, and then shoved himself back up before sweeping his eyes about, falling into a defensive position. Ahsoka leaned back, watching as he scanned the area for threats. It was a gaze she’d seen many times from the clone troopers…

“Midoriya?” she asked.

“Uh… yes?” the teen asked.

Ahsoka grinned. “I’m Ahsoka… I’m a friend of Rex.”

At once the confused boy’s face split into a green. “Oh! You are the girl Rex was telling me about! He said you can do all sorts of amazing things! Read minds and move things with just a wave of your hands… of course everyone can move things by batting them about but you don’t actually touch them. That is so amazing! Is your quirk affected by how close you are to the item? Or its weight? Do you have to actually see it in order to lift it? If I went behind a building but you knew I was there could you lift me up?”

Ahsoka merely smiled at Izuku, having been told by Rex how his new apprentice loved to ramble on about quirks. “Well, maybe later I’ll let you watch me and take some notes but we should get to the written exam.” She turned to the young woman she’d bumped into. “Sorry about hitting you, by the way.”

“Oh, that’s perfectly fine!” she said. “I’m Uraraka.”

“Ahsoka Tano. Or Tano Ahsoka… sorry, I’m not from Japan so still learning the while naming system.”

“Perfectly fine,” Uraraka told her with a smile. The three of them began walking up the steps. “Your Japanese is really good for not being from here. Though your accent does give it away. Are you American?”

“Yes,” Ahsoka lied, remembering her cover story. “Well… I was. My parents died when I was really young so my cousin, Anakin, took me in. Him and his wife are American. Of course considering how much time we spend with Obi Wan and Rex it’s a wonder my accent isn’t a jumbled mess.”

“I can’t imagine having to be around so many different languages. I bet you’ll ace our English class then.”

“Maybe,” Ahsoka said; it had taken her a month of intense study to learn how to write in Japanese and not Basic.

“So have you heard much about the exam?” Uraraka asked. “I know there is a written and a practical and that the practical is worth more points but that’s about it.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “Obi Wan won’t let me know. Which is fine; I don’t want to be accused of cheating.”

“Why would Mr. Obi Wan know?” Uraraka asked.

“OH!” Izuku exclaimed. “Rex was telling me about him! He’s the new Heroics Class teacher, right?”

“You know one of the teachers already!?!” Uraraka asked.

“Yeah,” Ahsoka said with a smile. “Obi Wan helped trained me, along with Anakin. We all have similar quirks.”

“That is amazing!” Izuku said as they entered the auditorium. “I know Rex is friends with all of them but to have an actual teacher…”

Uraraka though was beginning to feel down. “Wow… I had no one to help me with my quirk except a councilor. And that was only for a few visits. You two trained with people, one of whom is a teacher?”

“Hey,” Ahsoka said, placing a hand on Uraraka’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great, even without training.” She paused. “Why don’t we team up?”

“Team up?” Uraraka said, confused. “During the practical?”

“Yeah. We can discuss our quirks and figure out how they work together and then team up. Help each other out.”

“Is that allowed?”

Izuku was the one who spoke up. “Why wouldn’t it be? Heroes team up all the time! And Rex is always saying that you need to work with your squad… we’ll be a squad of shinies!”

“A squad… I like that!” Uraraka exclaimed.

Ahsoka grinned and the three placed their hands on top of each other, sealing the agreement.

~MC~MC~MC~

“So, is there anyone you are interested in?” Nemuri asked as she slid into the seat next to Obi Wan.

“Other than Ahsoka, you mean?” Obi Wan asked, leaning forward in his chair as Yamanda gave the final instructions to the teens. “Midoriya Izuku is going to be shocking a lot of people.”

“What do you mean?”

Obi Wan smirked at her. “Come now, my dear, do not tell me that you didn’t go over the packets Nedzu provided us on the potential students.”

“There were over two hundred of them, Obi Wan.”

“A trifle, I assure you.”

“God I hate you sometimes,” the pro hero complained.

“You don’t mean that,” he teased.

“No, I don’t.” She waited for him to say something but Obi Wan remained silent. “Are you not going to tell me?”

“Just tell her already, Kenobi,” Kan complained. “I want to focus on the students, not her trying to weedle the information out of you.”

“Very well,” Obi Wan said with a mock sigh. “Though it only encourages you all not to do the research yourself.”

“I for one am delighted that someone actually went over the research I provided!” Nedzu said, popping up from the seat cushions of the sofa Aisawa had been trying to sleep on.

“Wondered why that was so lumpy,” the quirk eraser grumbled before moving over to a loveseat instead.

“As for what Obi Wan is referring to,” NEdzu said, moving to sit next to Nemuri, “Midoriya Izuku is quirkless.”

THAT got everyone save Obi Wan’s attention.

“A… quirkless applicant?” Kan said. “Has that… ever happened before?”

“I believe…” Nedzu bobbed his head back and forth, “…45 years ago? Give or take. They didn’t get in. But I think young Midoriya is going to impress everyone. He has been training with Kenobi’s friend Rex.”

“And quirks aren’t everything,” Maijima said with a shrug. “After all, I have a lot of support students who don’t use their quirk for their assignments… just brains and skill.”

Nemuri glanced at Obi Wan. “You think he can do it?”

“I know the Force allows me to do many amazing things,” he said, “but I have also seen the bravery of normal beings. And the clones… they have shown themselves to be the equal of many Force Users. With Rex training him I think Midoriya will do quite well.” Present Mic finished up the instructions and led the students towards the outdoor cityscape field that would serve as the location for their practicals, dividing them up into one of four large groups.

“Well…” Nemuri said, not quite knowing what to say. “Anyone else you are interested in?”

“A few,” Obi Wan said. “Kuroiro Shihai has the ability to merge with and take control of anything dark or black in color. With proper training that could prove to be a very powerful quirk.”

“And I thought you were all about the Light Side of the Force,” Nemuri teased.

“Shadows aren’t evil… only those who use them for dark deeds are,” he said. “I think you should pay attention to Yaoyorozu Momo.”

“I remember hearing her name,” Nemuri said. “She’s the one that came in 5th place for the Recommendation students?”

“She is,” Obi Wan said. “I think she will make it in easily here. Her quirk reminds me of yours… a completely different use, of course, but the base is the same when it comes to generation.”

“Oh?”

But Obi Wan merely smiled and turned back towards the screens and Present Mic told the kids to go. At once Ahsoka and Izuku were racing forward, several other students realizing that there would be no countdown and chasing after them.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Nemuri complained, all the teachers focusing on the exam.

Chapter Text

“This is sadly familiar,” Ahsoka muttered to herself as she held out her hand, using the force to shove a One Pointer into a Two Pointer, causing both of them to break apart. Glancing to her left she saw that Ochaco was going for a similar method as her, only in her case she was tapping the robots, causing them to float high into the air before bringing them smashing down. “I really wish I had my lightsaber.” She had tried to convince Obi Wan to let her bring it but he had said that since it would have been seen as an offensive weapon it wasn’t allowed.

“What’s a lightsaber?” Ochaco asked.

At the same moment Izuku, never looking up from the guts of the Two Pointer he currently was wrist deep in, added, “I said the same thing about my blaster.”

“Rex got you a blaster?” Ahsoka asked, surprised.

“Yeah. It’s just a small hand held but I’m real good at it… I could have actually gotten some points by now if I had been allowed to bring it.” He began to mumble to himself as he moved to a different section of the Two Pointer.

“What’s a lightsaber and what’s a blaster?” Ochaco asked as she avoided a strike from another One Pointer, tapping it and sending it flying. They had ended up in a town square and had been swarmed by the robots.

“It’s a sword made of energy,” Ahsoka said, wincing and hoping that Master Kenobi wasn’t listening as he would have a fit if he heard her describing it like that. “Cuts through most things real easy.”

“Blaster is a gun that shoots energy,” Izuku stated before moving over to his backpack and dumping out the contents.

“Yeah, I guess those would be helpful but isn’t this about showing off our quirks?” She released the One Pointer and sent it smashing to the ground.

“It’s about us proving we have what it takes to be heroes,” Ahsoka countered. She grit her teeth as she focused on a Three Pointer that had suddenly spotted them, fingers curling into claws as she slowly began to press them together, feeling the force respond and press on the Three Pointer. It was made of strong stuff though and all she really managed to do was dent the metal in enough that it couldn’t move anymore… but it could still fire on them she so she began to look for more droids she could throw to intercept its rockets. “And a hero uses every tool in their arsenal. What if you encounter a villain that isn’t affected by your quirk?”

“I… I guess I’d call for help?”

“Or you have something else that can take them down,” Ahsoka said. “A weapon.”

“Case in point,” Izuku said and the two ladies’ eyes went wide as he hefted up the Two-Pointer’s Tail Cannons, which had been stripped down and fitted with a shoulder brace and a trigger. Ashoka shook her head; of course Rex would teach Izuku how to turn the Villain Bots’ weapons into something he could use. More than one trooper had saved thesmelves by snagging a Battle Droid’s fallen blaster, which was why the Separatists had began moving to integrate their droids’ weapons right into their bodies. Rex, in turn, along with several of the Alpha Clones, had begun advocating figuring out how to creating tools that could take a droid’s arm-integrated blaster and turn it into something they could use. Clearly he, and she suspected Anakin, had managed to do just that.

Smirking Izuku knelt down and fired on the Three Pointer, destroying it with ease. He stood up and Ahsoka saw he now had two jerryrigged blasters attached to his belt. Reaching down and grabbed two more of the smaller blasters that he’d made, he tossed one to Ahsoka and the other and Ochaco, who fumbled with hers a bit.

“Okay, let’s get some points and see if anyone needs help.”

“With these?” Ochaco exclaimed even as Izuku began to hurry down the street, the larger weapon now resting on his back while he took out one of his new guns.

Ahsoka smiled, seeing Rex’s training as Izuku began to do his sweep of the area, firing on Villain Bots that were loudly moving about side streets and alleyways. “They might be uncivilized but they’re do the trick.”

“Uh… I’ll just hang onto it… in case you two need it.” Ochaco wasn’t really comfortable using the gun Izuku had made her, feeling like it was cheating. But she also didn’t want to say that to her new friends, fearful they would leave her behind if she didn’t go with their plan.

Izuku suddenly dropped, pulled the cannon up, and fired at a mob of One Pointers that had turned the corner towards them, causing the Bots to explode. Those that weren’t completely damaged Ahsoka shot, so that by the time they were close enough for Ochaco to use her quirk there weren’t any that actually needing destruction.

“Come on, I hear more fighting,” Izuku said. “We need to make sure that the other students aren’t hurt.”

“Right,” Ochaco said, feeling a bit better about that line of action. “Prioritize the rescue.”

With that the three hurried on, Ahsoka and Ochaco making sure to allow Izuku to get more shots in so he could catch up with their totals.

~MC~MC~MC~

Momo tossed the disc at the Two Pointer that had been rushing her, smiling as the Villian Bot seized up before crumpling into a heap. The discs were something that the security detail that escorted her around when she went shopping used; they were basically throwable tasers, good for dealing with people that liked to do hit and runs. While she’d never had that happen to her it was always a worry and the discs would knock out someone who tried to flee the scene of a crime.

Or, if one amped up the voltage a touch, take down the Villain Bots.

The other nice thing was they were small so she didn’t find herself getting worn down creating a bunch of them. That, combine with the shock staff she had made, was helping her net a ton of points.

Which was good because she was NOT going to fail this exam.

She hadn’t been happy when she’d learned that she had placed fifth in the Recommendation Exam and thus was required to do the Entrance Exam if she wanted to get into UA. While she had done well on the test and the interview with Vlad King had been pleasant the race had given her some trouble and while she had been in the middle of the pack her father had done some research after the fact and learned that UA weighed it far higher than the other parts of the Recommendation Exam.

No matter… she’d just ace the Entrance Exam.

“Heads up!”

Momo looked up and quickly dove away as a Two Pointer crashed down beside her, a teen with spiked red hair and a craggily looking face flashing a sharp smile as he pulled himself from the wreckage. “Sorry about that! This one was attacking some kid made of metal, had him pinned down. I was aiming to just push it away but went a little too hard.”

“It is fine,” Momo said and after a moment she offered him a hand to get out of the wreckage. “How are you on points?”

“28 so far, you?”

“33.”

“Good numbers but I’d like to get some more.” He paused. “Hey, want to team up for a while?”

“Team up?”

“You know, watch each other’s backs, no kill stealing? What’s your quirk, by the way?”

“I can create non-organic items so long as I know their components,” she answered.

The red head grinned even wider at that. “Okay, that is awesome! I can harden so I’m all about punches and tackles but I can also serve as a wall so you can set up for some take downs! You provide me some stuff to deal with long range and I’ll watch out for you!”

Momo pursed her lips, considering that for a moment. It was… odd… to think about working with the other teen. They were competing against each other, after all. But on the other hand if they both got in they might well be classmates. And later allies and partners working to take on villains. Her father and mother always talked about making the proper connections and developing relationships… she’d always seen that as things for the boardroom but why not here?”

“Okay,” she said. “Yaoyorozu.”

“Kirishima.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Tenya grit his teeth as he drove his leg into the Three Pointer, watching the metal buckle and some screws pop but otherwise not break. It actually made sense… the teachers clearly wanted the students to be able to take the Villain Bots down with a few hits but the higher scoring ones needed to be a touch more difficult. It wouldn’t do if someone were able to just rush around and take out Three Pointers with ease. A level of-

He saw something flash in his glasses and he turned to see two Two Pointers rushing him, far too close for his liking. He tried to weave away but one managed to get a limb in his way and Tenya toppled over, fighting off a cry as he hit the ground. He felt the asphalt grind into his cheek, tearing off thin layers of skin, but he wasn’t too concerned and didn’t let it bug him; thanks to his quirk he was used to road rash and the like. He quickly got to his feet only to realize that either through some cunning of the AI or dumb luck they’d managed to drive him into a dead end alley.

“Not a lot of room,” he said, reaching up and adjusting his glasses. “But perhaps-“

One of the Villain Bots exploded.

He blinked at that and the other one slowly turned to where its companion had been moments ago, only for the Two Pointer to suddenly begin to wiggle and thrash as it rose in the air. Tenya’s eyes went wide; he didn’t remember Present Mic saying that the Villain Bots could fly! That added a whole new set of complications, as well as the worrying thought that UA would fail to let their potential students know vital-

“Hey!” someone called out from the mouth of the alley. “Mind taking this thing out?”

Tenya shook his head before nodding, bursting forward with a rush of speed and kicking the Villain Bot, shattering it. Looking around he saw a student with orange skin and a white fleshy… well, not quite horns but something similar in shape… on her head. A few feet away was a girl with a round face who was using a quirk to send the Three Pointer he had been fighting into the air before sending it crashing down, destroying it. And kneeling down in the street taking out several One Pointers was a green haired boy who-

“HEY!” Tenya said, zipping over to the kneeling student and ripping the guns from his hands. “What are you doing?! It is against the rules to bring weapons into the entrance exam! You should be immediately disqualified for this action. Stay here while I alert one of the teachers-“

“Hold up, big man,” Ahsoka said, shaking her head and a smirk on her lips. “No need to freak out. Izuku didn’t bring those weapons he made them.”

Tenya paused at that. “Oh…” he instantly deflated, feeling rather foolish. “Of course. That is your quirk. Are you related to Yaoyorozu? She can create weapons and such-“

At once Izuku’s eyes lit up. “Wait, really? How does she do it? Does she need matter to create it? Well, I suppose she would need matter of some kind because the laws of physics make it clear you can’t create something from nothing. I’ve researched a lot of quirks and never run into one that let someone fully break the laws of physicals. There are people who appear to do so, like Mt. Lady, but I think with her quirk she merely has a super dense smaller form that is our size and when she grows she’s merely expanding that denseness to reach giant size. Which if that is the case she could be a really affective hero by actually NOT growing… if her bones and skin are in fact super dense and her atoms more tightly pressed together when our size she could hit harder and survive strikes that would take any of us down. Honestly-“

“Sorry, he apparently gets like this,” Ochaco said, jogging over to them. “We saw someone with a quirk that lets them create glue and he went off for three minutes about all the amazing things they could do.”

Izuku blushed at that. “Sorry, I just really like quirks. I don’t have one myself-“ And it was a testament to Rex’s training that he didn’t shrink down anymore when he admitted that, owning who he was and knowing that he had gifts and skills even if he didn’t have a quirk, “-so I really like watching other people with quirks and learning more about them.”

“Wait,” Tenya said, holding up his hand. He knew he was being rude but what Izuku had just said… “You don’t have a quirk? But how did you get those weapons?”

“Oh, you’re able to bring Support Items with you. I brought the stocks and handles and triggers that can integrate with the Villain Bots’ weapons.”

Tenya looked down at the guns he was still holding. “You… that must be against the rules.”

“If it were,” Ahsoka said with a huff, “we’d be doing this course naked.” Tenya sputtered at that and she snagged the guns from his hands and passed them back to Izuku. “Listen, we’re going around picking up people who want to work together to take down Villain Bots. If you’re interested you can join.”

Tenya though shook his head. “No… no, I think not. I am not sure, it will require research, but I know that Izuku’s use of weapons here must be against the rules and I cannot have any penalties he gets affect my score.” He’d already failed the recommendation exam he wouldn’t fail this one. “I must look after myself.”

“Okay,” Ochaco said with a smile. “If you are sure.”

Tenya nodded, giving them a bow before jetting off, seeking out more Villain Bots.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Interesting group,” Ken stated, leaning forward as he watched a teen that could copy quirks snag one from a pink girl who was able to spray a mild acid, using it to take out some of the Villain Bots. “Anyone in particular you want to place a claim on, Aisawa?”

The homeroom teacher for 1-A merely narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“In other words there is someone but he doesn’t want to tell you,” Nemuri teased. “Afraid you’ll snag him yourself.”

“Oh come on, I’m not gonna do that. You know the rules… we agree on the number of students we can claim and then it’s a back and forth and debate.” Ken looked over at Nemuri who nodded; that was how all the teachers did it. Her and Snipe were the Homeroom Teachers for the upcoming 2-A and 2-B students; the year before they had sat down and worked out who would get who over a large dinner at Dex’s, at times laughing and other times nearly coming to blows over what their classes’ make ups would be.

“Well, if he doesn’t get into the hero class I want Greenie,” Higari stated. “That was smart to turn the Villain Bots’ weapons into things he could use.”

“How did he know we were having Villain Bots though?” Ectoplasm asked.

Nedzu chuckled at that. “Oh, it is quite obvious if one does a bit of digging. UA has not changed on the entrance exam works in years… one would only need to talk to a upperclassman or even a graduate and they’d be able to find out.” He paused. “Or have a mentor who is friends with a teacher.”

“I cannot confirm or deny that I told Anakin and Rex what the battle part of the exam would be,” Obi Wan said. “And if I did I told them to only supply the information if pressed, not to volunteer it. IF I told them. Which I am not confirming.”

“Is that allowed?” Ken asked.

“Know your enemy,” Nedzu stated. “It shows great thought to seek out what you’ll be facing before you enter a battle.”

“Well, I want Greenie if he doesn’t get into the hero class,” Higari repeated.

“He’s getting in,” Nemuri stated. “He’s in the top twenty for Villain Points and him, Ahsoka, and the Float Girl are the top three for Rescue Points.”

“Whoever takes Greenie will have to take the other two as well,” Snipe stated. “I can tell already they are going to be a package deal. You don’t-“

“I’ll take’em,” Aisawa stated.

“Seriously?” Ken asked, startled that after making such a show of not wanting to claim students this early Eraser would claim three.

“Too many heroes don’t know how to work together,” Aisawa stated. “And I already know I’m going to end up with some loners who think they can do it all. Those three will be able to teach them something.”

The principal held up his hand. “Now then… they have tasted victory,” Nedzu said as he watched the students in the different arena move about, the time reaching the final minutes. “Let us see how they do against certain defeat.” He lightly pressed a button on his control panel, almost as gently as one trying to tap an egg yolk back in place. “Release the Zero Pointers.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“ooooooh that can’t be good,” Ochaco said, slowly turning from the One Pointer she had taken down towards the explosions and dust clouds that were rising up behind her. Izuku and Ahsoka joined her, as did several other students, in watching as a truly MASSIVE Villain Bot arose from the ground, towering over the buildings. Though it only had large glowing red optics all of the potential students felt as if the massive machine was glaring down at them.

“A Zero Pointer,” someone whispered.

“What do we do?” someone else said in worry while others began to flee in terror.

Ahsoka stepped forward.

“You aren’t going to fight that thing!” Ochaco exclaimed in a panic.

“No,” Ahsoka assured her, “but we have to distract it so everyone else gets to safety.” She had seen the students panic and knew that people were going to get hurt if someone didn’t step up. Clearing her throat she bellowed out, using the Force to project her voice, “STOP!”

While many of the students continued to run others stopped their rush to get away and turned towards her, though they were leery of the Zero Pointer that was still lumbering towards them.

Calling upon her experience in the Clone Wars and directing soldiers Ahsoka quickly came up with a battle plan. “We have to make sure everyone gets to safety! Izuku, you distract it! If anyone else has long rang quirks use them… we need it focused away from this road. This is our main path out.”

Izuku was already prepping his cannon. “Right.” Rex had always taught him that one did not leave the field of battle until every one of their vod was safe. And while the potential students weren’t his vod they might one day be. He would not abandon them.

“I… can help,” a girl with horns said, her words halting though Izuku could tell from her accent it wasn’t because of fear.

“Okay… I’ll take the left, you the right. As soon as I have it focused on me you begin attacking, okay? Keep falling back though… we don’t want to get pinned.” The girl nodded and ran off, Izuku going in the opposite direction, firing one of his blasters wildly purely to give the other teen time to get set up.

“We need to check to see if anyone is trapped in the side streets!” Ahsoka called out.

Tenya instantly stepped forward. He had begun to run from the Zero Pointer but hearing what Ahsoka had said had made him feel ashamed of his actions. “I am fast enough to check. I can go.”

“If you are willing,” another teen with a slightly smug look on his face said, “I can copy your quirk… two is better than one, right?”

“Right,” Tenya said with a firm nod, allowing the other teen to touch him, engines forming in his legs. “Fascinating…”

“Go!” Ahsoka called out before turning back to the others. “Everyone move steadily but carefully! There might still be other Villain Bots around. You see one work together to quickly take it down! This isn’t about points anymore, this is about us all leaving safely. If you see someone pinned or trapped call for Ochaco or myself. If there is anyone with a strength quirk let us know!”

Ochaco nodded. This… this is what she wanted to do with her life. A hero, yes… but a rescue hero. Helping those that were helpless or scared and trapped.

She would show UA she could be the best.

“No one gets left behind,” she declared even as the girl with horns began to attack the Zero Pointer, drawing its attention away from Izuku.

With that the potential students began to slowly make their retreat.

~MC~MC~MC~

In another one of the testing areas Tsuyu knew she was going to die.

When the Zero Pointer had activated she had been dealing with a Two Pointer and the massive robot had allowed her opponent to get in a cheap blow, slamming her through a window and into a building. The Zero Pointer’s progress had caused part of the building’s front to collapse; she could see outside but none of the holes through the rubble were big enough for her to get through.

And now… the Zero Pointer had turned and was heading her way.

She struggled to rip bits of concrete and rebar away but it was all lodged so tightly that she couldn’t do more than wiggle it weakly. And the Zero Pointer was coming closer… closer…

Tsuyu saw other teens running past her but if they did notice her they didn’t care to stop. She’d given up trying to call out for help and grimly continued to try and free herself…

…even as it was becoming clear that wasn’t going to happen.

She sent a silent prayer to the Heavens, hoping whoever was listening would watch out for her family.

“HEY!”

Her eyes snapped open as she saw a blonde boy with a fierce scowl suddenly grab another student… and point at her.

“Get that fucking extra out of there!”

“What?” the other teen said.

Bakugo snarled at the shitty extra and his stupidity. “You fucking heard me? You fucking deaf as well as stupid? Get her the fuck out of there, now! I saw your quirk, you can-“

The other teen thought ripped himself away from Bakugo’s grasp. “I’m getting the hell out of here and you should too!”

“YOU FUCKING SHIT HEAD COWARD!” he roared before turning towards Tsuyu. “Hey, Frog Bitch! You working to get out of there?”

“I am… but I don’t think I have enough time.” She looked past him at the Zero Pointer.

“Oh, I’ll get you fucking time,” Bakugo said, eyes flashing. “Just keep digging yourself out.”

And with that he walked TOWARDS the Zero Pointer.

“A hero… a real hero? They don’t wait around when people are in need. A real hero races towards danger, without thought, while others run away. They don’t stand around and give lectures after everything has been done. They don’t care about ensuring they get an easy victory. They save people.”

He didn’t even know her name. All he knew that while all those pathetic heroes that were merely stepping stones to him becoming the Number 1 hero had stood by with their thumbs up their asses… she had raced in and saved him. Whatever her quirk was it must have been pathetically weak if she didn’t even bother to use it… but she still had worked to save him.

Because heroes weren’t cowards.

All Might didn’t run.

She hadn’t run.

Bakugo wasn’t going to run.

Because he wasn’t a coward.

He… was a fucking hero.

Gritting his teeth he stared right up at the Zero Pointer and roared, “DIE!” and began launching his blasts at the Zero Pointer…

…only for a buzzer to sound and everything to stop.

“…what the fuck?” Bakugo said, softly which was surprising to him.

“Well done, everyone!” Present Mic called out over the speakers. “The exam is over! Please make your way to the locker rooms to change. We have one final bit of business before we are done for the day.”

Bakugo growled as he looked at the Zero Pointer. Fucking time limit… he would have destroyed that shitty robot if only-

“Hey.”

He turned and was surprised to see the hero Extoplasm standing next to him, several of his clones helping the Tsuyu out of the building, moving rubble so she could get out.

“Exam’s over.” The hero paused, looking back at Tsuyu. “You did good. You did real good.”

Bakugo scoffed… but didn’t say anything else as he walked off.

~MC~MC~MC~

“…this year…” Nemuri whispered.

“Yes,” Ken agreed. “They are going to be something else.

Obi Wan though merely leaned forward. “Now let’s see how they handle the final test.”

“Wait, what?” Higari said, startled.

Obi Wan and Nedzu shared a look… and all the teachers felt a shiver run down their spines.

Chapter Text

“So, how did it go, Snips?” Anakin asked, looking up from the latest psychology book he’d been going through (he wasn’t a fan and unless the next chapter got better he’d probably abandon it) as Ahsoka walked back into the apartment and dropped her bag onto the gorund. Padme was curled up in a recliner, going over some information Gran had given her, having gotten the entrance exam as a day off from her training so she and Anakin could spend time with the Padawan. Anakin was personally of two minds of that: on one hand he liked spending time with Padme. On the other… she was seriously getting into killer shape and he loved seeing her come home after a hard day of training and needing a rub down from him.

“I assume Obi Wan isn’t going to be joining us?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin, confused by that seemingly random comment, shook his head. “No, he said he’d be at UA helping to go over the results. Its going to take a lot of man power to figure out-“

“Woman power,” Padme chimed in.

“-who is moving on.” He smirked. “Don’t worry Snips, you’re getting in. If you don’t then I’ll personally annoy Obi Wan. I’ve been learning about this thing called “The Song That Never Ends” and I think that might make for a nice torture device…”

Ahsoka though merely forced Anakin to get his feet off the couch so she could take a seat. “No, I don’t want to bug him about how I did. I want to tell him he is an evil, evil man.”

“Oh?” Padme said, raising an eyebrow and setting the papers she’d been browsing off to the side.

“Yes… did he tell you about the extra exam he threw at us?”

“Nooooo,” Anakin said slowly. “What did my master do now?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Izuku dumped the blasters onto the table, making his mother let out a squeak.

“You should NOT be carrying those around!” she exclaimed. “They are dangerous.”

“They are,” he agreed, looking to Rex. “I didn’t trust the school to take them apart.”

“Good thinking,” Rex said, looking over how Izuku had turned some clanker bits into a pair of pistols. “Never trust anyone but yourself to handle your weapons.”

“I destroyed the cannon I made but these guys I figured we could salvage the pieces you gave me. Maybe use them for my actual blasters.”

Inko smiled at that. “Oh, do you think you are getting in?” While she wasn’t entirely comfortable with her son going to UA and becoming a hero the days and nights she’d spent with Rex discussing what it was like had eased some of her fears. Rex was a licensed hero and he assured her that he and his friends would take Izuku under their wing, make sure he was probably cared for until he knew the industry so well he’d be able to stand on his own. Yes, there would always be worry about his safety but she’d also come to understand that there would be danger no matter what he did. The world they lived in… it was a dangerous place.

Rex had decided one weekend to take her for a walk while Izuku browsed a collectables store, looking for new hero merchandise. They had sat down in the mall and Rex had begun to point out every danger. Not even people using their quirks… where fires could start. Structural problems that could cause the roof to collapse. Electrical issues. Honestly it had terrified Inko just how many things were out there that could hurt her son. But, as Rex had pointed out, she couldn’t keep him tucked away forever. And Izuku was taught how to avoid those dangerous. You didn’t go playing around an open flame. Didn’t touch a down power line. By having him go to UA he would be able to learn how to better survive out in the world. Yes, he would be putting himself in danger but he would also be able to know how to get out of danger far more.

She’d always worry… but knowing that he would be supported made it easier to embrace her son’s desires.

“Yeah, I think me and my friends did really good. Though the last part of the exam came out of nowhere.”

“Last part?” Rex asked.

~MC~MC~MC~

The door slammed open to the Bakugo home and Katsuki stormed in, his normal glower even worse as he made his way up the stairs, not even bothering to remove his shoes.

“OI! Brat!” his mother shouted from the living room. “How did it go? You get in or you fuck it all up?”

“Shut up hag!” Katzuki snarled. “Of course I’m getting in!”

“Hell yeah you are!” his mother called out. “Knew you would be able to do it! You hear that-“

But Katzuki went into his room, slamming the door shut and flopping onto his bed. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to his mother. Wasn’t in the mood to go over the exam or how he was getting in UA (and he was fucking getting into UA, he just knew it… how could they not want him!?!). No, his mind kept going to the shitty secret final exam of the day…

He growled as he stared up at the ceiling before his anger left him and all he could do was stare at the paint and think.

~Several Hours Ago~

Denki frowned as he poked his head out the door. He had been told that he just needed to do one final follow up and then he’d be all set to head out, which he was excited to do because he wanted to celebrate with his family. He knew he hadn’t done the best on the written exam, considering he’d only been about 2/3rds of the way through before he’d been given the 5 minute warning and thus just scribbled in all Bs for his answers, but he’d done rather well on the practical; he’d lost track after about 30 but that had been halfway through. The Zero Pointer had been scary but he’d been able to get safely back to the starting line so he figured that had to be a good thing. He was ready to head home, tell his parents how he’d done, and worry about what class he’d get into for the next week.

Except he’d been told about the interview, sent to a door… only to find that rather than leading to a classroom or an office it just went outside.

He glanced back to make sure he hadn’t gone the wrong way only to hear someone sniffling.

“Hello?” he asked, taking a further step outside. He scanned the area before finally spotting a young woman, maybe a year or two older than him, curled up near a bench, her head pressed against her knees and arms wrapped around her legs. “Hey… are you okay?” he asked, able to tell she was crying.

At once the woman started, head snapping up as she stared at him with wide wild eyes.

“Stay away from me!” she cried out.

“Okay… okay… I can do that,” he said quickly, holding out his hands to show he wasn’t going to come any closer.

~MC~MC~MC~

Mina slowly sat down on the ground, keeping her distance from the clearly upset young man. “Do you mind if I just sit right here then?” she asked softly, keeping a smile on her face. Every bit of her wanted to run up and take the poor guy’s hands in her own and tell him it would be alright but she had a feeling that doing so would only make things worse.

“No one… no one understands,” he whispered. “They think… they think I’m a villain.”

He held up his hand and Mina saw it glowing with a decidedly not nice looking green.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I know what that’s like,” Hitoshi said, letting out a huff. “People just see your quirk and they think you are a villain. Not willing to actually give you a chance.”

The woman curled in on herself all the more. “Maybe they’re right though.”

The dark haired teen though shook his head. “Nah… I prefer to just work ten times as hard. That’s why I just did the entrance exam… I only got 5 points and that was dumb luck but I… yeah, I’m not getting into the hero course but I wanted to show everyone I could stand with them, you know?”

“But you didn’t make it,” the upset girl said, fiddling with the very nasty looking orb in her hand. It was filled with something that was bubbling and Hitoshi was REALLY hoping she was careful with it as he had a feeling he didn’t want to be around if that thing burst open.

“Yeah… but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’ll just keep going.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“I’m just… tired.”

Ahsoka nodded. “I get it. I know you might not believe me but I get it. Its hard sometimes.” She could sense the turmoil the blond man before her was feeling. His eyes were glowing orange and there was a hint of sulfar in the air that had been growing stronger the more he spoke. “But that’s why I find people to talk to. To work with. Who can help me and I can help them.”

“I don’t have anyone like that.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“You could have me,” Mineta said with a grin as he moved closer, fingers trembling at the sight of the woman’s big round boobs that were singing a siren song, asking him to grab them.

“I said not to get any closer!” the woman cried out.

“Aw, its okay…” Mineta said, reaching out. Just an inch more…

~MC~MC~MC~

“I can’t do this,” the man said, smoke beginning to pour out of his pours. “This stupid school… these stupid people!”

“Please~” Ochaco pleaded, forcing down her fear as she saw the upset man get even more aggrevated. She thought she had calmed him down but now he was even more riled up and the smoke grew darker and thicker. “Let’s just talk, okay? No need to do anything rash…”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Maybe something drastic is the only way people will understand!” the woman shouted as she thrust out her hands, causing plasma to drop from her fingers.

Izuku’s heart was racing but he held his ground. “You do that and you prove them right! And don’t let them be right! The people that bullied you? That called you a villain? They’re the villains! Your quirk is amazing! I can think of a hundred uses for it.”

“You’re just saying that,” the woman snapped.

“No, I mean it,” Izuku said, waving his hands about desperately. “Okay… do you want to talk hero work or the public sector? Or private? I have a lot of ideas. Are you artistic? With those plasma drops you could do a ton of metal working!”

“Metal work?” the woman said, confused.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Hey, I said back up!” Katzuki snarled, explosions popping from his fingers.

“You’re just like the rest of them!” the woman screamed.

“I am not like ANYONE else but me! I’m not some shitty extra! Now back the fuck down!”

“You… you just want to hurt me!”

“Damn right I do! If you don’t-“

There was a blast of light and Katzuki squeezed his eyes shut and shielded his face, leaning away from the suddenly explosion.

When he finally felt like he could open his eyes he found the woman that moments ago had been sobbing now standing there, her face impassive.

“I lied,” she said. “I told you I had a heat quirk but I had made clear that others thought my quirk was villainous. It was a nuclear quirk, triggered by emotions. You just blew up 6 square blocks and with the winds blowing as they are contaminated another 11.”

“…this was another fucking test?!?” Katzuki shouted.

“Yes,” the woman, who he now realized was an actor, said simply. “You will get your results in a week.”

“No, fuck that! I’m taking the test again!”

“No, you aren’t.”

He flexed his hands, explosions blasting from his palms. “I’m doing it fucking again!”

“There are no do overs in the real world. Be thankful you only killed hypothetical people.”

When it became clear that no matter how much he cursed her out or screamed at her she wasn’t going to back down Katzuki let out a snarl of rage and stormed off.

It wasn’t till hours later, alone in his room, that the ramifications of what might have been struck him like an arctic blast.

~MC~MC~MC~

“No… they want me to be a villain?!” the woman screamed, leaping to her feet. “Then I’ll be their villain… not that they’ll live long enough to realize it!” She held the orb high in the air.

“Wait!” Hitoshi exclaimed, showing far more emotion than he normally did. “What’s in the orb?”

“It’s-“

He seized control of her.

“Set that down so there is no risk of it doing anything dangerous,” he said, having been thinking of what command he could give during the entire conversation. “Or anything that could harm anyone, including yourself or me.” Robotically the woman did so. “I want you to sit down and remain there until I tell you to,” he said, moving towards the door. He didn’t want to leave her, afraid that his hold would break, but he needed help-

The door opened and a man in a tan tunic and white armor appeared.

“Careful,” Hitoshi warned him. “She has a device-“

“I know,” Obi Wan stated. “Its just a smoke bomb. It’s okay.” He placed a hand on Hitoshi’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Its okay. While in this scenario that was a small thermal detonator in reality it is just a smoke bomb. But it won’t go off now.” He paused. “But were this real you would have just saved 572 lives.”

Hitoshi didn’t even realize he’d let the woman go till she came up to him, turning him to see that her tears were gone and there was a smile on her face.

“You… are going to be a wonderful hero.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“But I failed,” Ochaco said softly. “I didn’t stop him.”

“Sometimes we do fail,” Present Mic said. It honestly surprised her how soft spoken he was at that moment; rather than being bombastic and loud he had begun to talk in a low near whisper the moment he had come in to let her know it had all been a test. “We of course want to save everyone. Civillians, villains, our fellow heroes. But… there are times where we have to make a hard choice. You floating him up would have ensured that he couldn’t unleash the smoke and choke out everyone. Yes, he would have burnt out and died himself and there was a risk to yourself but you prioritized everyone else first. That was good.” He paused as they reached the main gate of UA and Ochaco finally noticed that there were other teachers also quietly talking to people who had been doing the exam, as well as older teens that she wagered had been actors as well. “But you know what the most important thing is?”

“What’s that?”

“Learning from this.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“So by moderating how hot I make my plasma I could have it do etching itself on just burning through the metal?”

“Yeah!” Izuku said excitedly, scribbling away in his notebook. “And you could do some many different things there. With patterns you could make portraits in steel. Or maybe do abstract work. And if you were able to keep the edges melted-“

“Well,” a voice said in amusement, causing Izuku to turn to see a small white figure in a suit smiling at him, “I suppose congratulations are in order, Young Midoriya. You are the only person who distracted your opponent long enough that they didn’t even think to switch to being beyond reasoning with.”

At once the woman Izuku had been chatting with leapt to her feet and bowed. “I am so sorry, Principal Nedzu! We just-“

He waved her off. “it is more than fine! In fact I am rather pleased! It seems Kenobi didn’t take into account Midoriya’s love of quirks! We’ll have to consider that for next year.”

“Oh!” Izuku said, eyes wide. “This was a test!”

“It was,” Nedzu confirmed with a grin.

~MC~MC~MC~

“And you failed,” Recovery Girl told Mineta, dragging him to the infirmary, the boy out cloud after his actor had forgotten that they were just pretending and actually used her quirk on the lech when he had decided to cop a feel.

~MC~MC~MC~

“But it felt like there was no way to win,” Denki complained to his actress.

She shrugged. “Sometimes there isn’t. I was told at a certain point I had to decide that I was going to cause destruction, no matter what you said to me. Honestly if not for that you would have convinced me to stand down if given about another 10 minutes… that story about you in school and your bullies was a good one to go with.”

Denki rubbed the back of his head. “Thanks. I… get what its like.”

“I’m sorry you had to go back to there for this,” she told him. “And yeah, in the end I blew up-“ Not really but that wasn’t the point, “-but you did everything you could up to that last point. A bit panicky in the end but… you did good. Be proud.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“It was designed to test you,” Aisawa stated as he led Ahsoka out.

“To see how we handled a hostile situation where using our quirks aggressively would cause a disaster.” She shrugged. “Or the Force.”

“Exactly,” he said. “Too many heroes think all they need to do is throw a punch or perform some special move and that will win the day. They forget that many times being able to talk things out is the best.”

“Like a suicidal person,” Ahsoka reasoned. “Or someone just having a bad day.”

“Exactly,” Aisawa stated. “More villains are created because of a single bad moment and not having someone there to help them. This year… we want to begin working on changing that. A new kind of hero.”

Ahsoka nodded. “Right.”

She paused.

“You are going to regret having me in your class. You know that right?”

“I’m already regretting it, Snippy.”

Ahsoka groaned as he flashed her a creepy smile.

Chapter Text

“Izuku, package!”

He heard Rex let out a chuckle as he leapt up from the couch and darted towards the front door but he honestly didn’t care if his mentor found his actions amusing. This was too important.

Because there was only one thing that his mother would be calling him about.

…okay, many things but he wasn’t expecting any of the hero merch he had ordered recently to show up so that meant that it had to be his UA letter.

“DUCK!”

It wasn’t Rex who shouted that but rather his mother and Izuku instantly ducked… only to yelp and leap in the air as she threw one of the many soft squishy balls that had become a permanent fixture in their apartment right at his feet, tagging him on the ankle.

“You get hit?” Rex called out from his spot in the living room.

Izuku didn’t even think about lying, knowing that things would only go worse for him if he did. “Yes but-“

“But what?” Rex asked, his tone making it clear that he would not accept any weak excuses.

“You weren’t the one that threw it.”

It had been part of their training, to help improve Izuku’s situational awareness. At any time, at any point, Rex would throw a ball at him and it was up to him to make sure he didn’t get pegged by it. The ball didn’t hurt; it was so soft that honestly he could do more damage to it by batting it away too hard than it would ever do to him. But that wasn’t the point… Rex didn’t want him hurt, he wanted him to understand that an attack could come at any time.

He let out a groan.

“You realize how foolish that comment was?”

“Yeah,” Izuku admitted. “Danger can come from any place. From anyone. You never said that you would be the only one throwing the ball.” He looked at him mother, flashing her a betrayed look, but she merely smiled, giving a slight smile. “Mom…”

“No, Rex is right,” Inko replied. “And while I’ll never be happy about you being a hero at least I can make sure that you are ready and can stay safe.”

“You told me to duck!” Izuku complained.

“Oh? And villains will always be honest with you?”

Izuku ducked his head at that and sighed. “No.”

“You know the rules,” Rex said firmly.

Izuku looked back towards the living room, his mentor still not having gotten up. “Rex… but its my UA letter!”

“Yup. And think of how much better you will be there when you have another run under your belt. Especially when you are really pushing to get it done.” He could hear the amusement in Rex’s words.

Izuku hurried to get his shoes on, not even tying his laces but rather stuffing them into his shoes before he darted out the door, though he did reach down and snag his hip pouch and clip it on before he began to sprint as hard as he could. He felt the wind on his face, the lights flashing past his eyes as he ran under the streetlights that were already coming on, and the feeling of the ground on his feet; not slamming against it like many would have expected. No, that was the mistake so many people made when they ran, thinking they needed to strike the earth hard. A warrior and a fighter knew that you used to ground to drive yourself forever but nothing else. His feet only brushed against the ground as much as they needed to.

He was going to break his record.

“I used to worry about him going out on his own,” Inko admitted as she watched her son begin his lap. Pegged by a ball meant one lap around the block. “Was afraid of what would happen even in the daylight. Now?” She looked out at the darkened sky. “I’m not sure how to feel about how I feel.”

“You feel grateful that your son is strong enough to handle himself,” Rex said, glad that Izuku had been smart enough to grab his hip pouch. If he hadn’t Rex would have made him do another lap, saying that the previous one hadn’t counted. The pouch held a taser, pepper spray, and a combat knife, all that Izuku could grab in seconds. All he was trained to use. “And you still worry,” he added. “But that’s why you do things like this… so that you know he’ll always be ready.”

Inko nodded at that, letting out a soft sigh as Rex came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. It had been nearly a year since he’d come into her life and she was grateful for him.

In fact…

“Thank you, Rex,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said simply.

She smiled, knowing him far too well. “Do you know what I’m thanking you for?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I learned that when someone thanks you sometimes its best just to accept. After all, they could be thinking you did something you actually didn’t do.”

Inko shook her head, not for the first time wondering just what kind of life Rex had lived that he would develop such opinions. “I’m thankful for you, Rex. For what you’ve done for all of us.” She snuggled up into his hold. “Izuku… I’ve never seen him like this. He’s going after his dream, yes, but you’ve gotten him out of his shell. I was always so worried about him but never knew how to approach him. I… I know things weren’t great at his school. That he was hiding how bad the bullying was getting because he didn’t want to upset me. But I could tell. His life became his room. Hiding in there, doing nothing that couldn’t be done in there. Then you come along and… he’s going outside. He’s willing to head out on his own. We used to go shopping and if he spotted kids his own age he would duck his head and avoid making eye contact. Now he meets their gaze without fear.”

“He’s a good kid,” Rex said. “I’m not sure about everything there is to know about being a hero… I might have my license but I’m a soldier. But…” he gave her a slight squeeze, “…I think between the two of us we can make him a good hero. A real good one. Someone that doesn’t think being a hero merely posing for pictures. Who understands that sometimes things don’t go as planned and you have to fight tooth and nail to take a disaster and make it just a bit better.”

Inko nodded at that. “I know what that’s like,” she said. “Maybe I should have been more open with him about what life can be like.” She sighed, shaking her head, thinking about her job, her marriage, Izuku’s quirkless status… and how she hadn’t shown him that there were goods and bad to all of it. Izuku would ask about her day and she’d just tell him it was good, not letting him know about the struggles and the victories. She had a feeling that he knew that his father wasn’t in America working and she wished she had been honest with him sooner, as the lie now was a wall that she wasn’t sure how she could bring down. And his quirkless status… and how Rex didn’t care-

“DONE!” Izuku shouted as he entered the apartment. Inko moved to pull away from Rex but he merely kept holding her and to her surprise her son merely looked at them for a moment before glancing. “The package?”

“On the table,” she said finally and Izuku quickly hurried over and pulled out the package that had the UA Logo emblazed on it, ripping open the padded envelope… and frowning as he pulled out a small circular disc. “What is this?”

“Holographic message disc,” Rex said.

“I’ve never heard of that,” Inko said only to yelp as the device activated, revealing the glowing blue form of a bearded man in robes.

“Hello there,” the man said, Rex smiling at the sight. “I am Obi-Wan Kenobi and this year I will be your Heroics Instructor. But what is important today is that we will be discussing how you did on the Entrance Exam, MIdoriya Izuku.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Ochoco nearly quivered as she stared at the hologram. This was proof that she was making the right decision because the little projector was probably the most expensive thing in her family’s home. They weren’t poor; she knew that some people who had heard about her life thought she lived in a rundown shack where they could only get shoes by stealing them off the feet of homeless people. Her family’s life was comfortable and modest… but she wanted it to be so much more. Her parents had done so much, struggled to provide for her… she wanted to do the same for them. And UA produced heroes that got big endorsement deals. After all, the holoproject, tech that would take her parents a year to save up for (not that they would want one, see it as a waste of money) was mailed to students. Purely to deliver a message.

Others would have been angered by such a flaunting of wealth.

Ochoco hungered for the ability to do just that.

(Even if she knew that wasn’t the right way to feel and was not how a hero should be)

“As I am sure you remember the exam was broken up into several parts. First was your written exam, where you achieved a score of 85%.”

She glanced at her parents and saw they were all smiles. Ochoco wasn’t though; she knew she should have done better but there had been sections such as world languages that had given her some problems.

“The next was the Practical Exam. There you defeated 18 One-Point Robots, 8 Two-Point Robots, and 5 Three-Point Robots. This gave you a score of 49.”

Ochoco worried her lip at that. It sounded like a decent number… but she had no idea what that was in comparison with. Perhaps she had gotten 49 points when compared to everyone else who had gotten 200! Or was it like the scoring of the test and it had been expected that students get 100? 49 was a failure grade. Was it bad that she had gotten a ton of One-Pointers and not a lot of Two and Three Pointers? She had been focused on just defeating whatever robots she could find but maybe she should have sought out bigger and more powerful ones-

“But that wasn’t all you were being judged on.”

Her self-chastising thoughts came to a halt at that admission.

~MC~MC~MC~

Tenya frowned as he stared at Mr. Kenobi, wondering what he could mean by that. What else would they have been judged on? Perhaps style… that made a bit of sense but still didn’t seem right. Maybe speed? He could see bonuses being given out for how quickly one took down a Villain Bot; after all, a hero that let a villain rampage could lead to civilians being hurt-

“Unbeknownst to you all there were Rescue Points,” Mr. Kenobi stated. “These points were awarded based on our observations on how well you assisted your fellow exam takers. While called “Rescue” they were also awards for working with another testee to take down a Villain Bot.”

Something people didn’t realize was that because he could move faster than most people he could also think faster as well. He had to; it was similar survival. If he wasn’t able to react when doing a quick turn or coming up to a stop he was likely to crash. So ever since his quirk had come in he had trained himself to process things faster, to take his senses and tune them so that as soon as something registered he would instantly be able to analyze it and determine what it meant and the best course of action. Of course this led to its own problems as it meant that Tenya could end up thinking quite literally a mile a minute. It was why he cared so much about the rules: they were the guardrails, the boundries of where one could think. Because he knew that without rules it would be far too easy for him to begin thinking about the world around him and question why he should do certain things and not others.

And that was the kind of thinking that led to villains.

So when Mr. Kenobi had mentioned the rescue points Tenya instantly knew what he was getting at and felt great shame. His brother had told him many times that every hero, no matter what role they took in an operation, had to prioritize the rescue. It did no good to defeat a villain if that cost people their lives; why have heroes then to begin with?

He hadn’t even thought about that thought during the Practical and he mentally chastised himself for that. He should have thought of that, should have considered that UA would want heroes that served and protected and didn’t merely try and hit harder than everyone else. After all, even All Might with his great strength did what he could to save others. His first appearance as a hero had been rushing into a burning building to save innocent people, carrying them on his shoulders to safety. No villains, no enemies, not even a fight. Just a rescue.

And Tenya had forgotten all about that.

~MC~MC~MC~

Eijiro could only watch on, feeling like everything, every moment of his life, had built towards this moment. Much like his own quirk, how he had to focus it and harden it, one step at a time to reach its peak, so too had every instance, every triumph and mistake, led him to the very second he was living.

“You received 35 Rescue Points, 4th best out of all the students who participated. Of special know, young Kirishima, is your work with Momo Yaoyorozu. Your impressive teamwork with her allowed you to take on far stronger and greater villains than you would have faced before.”

He nodded at that, even though he knew Kenobi couldn’t see him doing it. Working with Yaoyorozu had just felt… right. They had formed a perfect team of offense and defense. She hadn’t thought him as weak or merely a shield just as he had never even considered her little more than a weapon to throw at their foes without a care for her safety. They had done well together and he hoped that he would be able to work with her again and perhaps find other students that would fit well with his style.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Well, what do you know, brat! That’s the highest score for anyone! And hey, you even got a bunch of Rescue Points!” She slammed her hand down on his shoulder but he was too used to her being so energetic to be rattled by the strike.

“We never doubted you for a second,” His father said softly, a smile forming on his lips.

“Well, I doubted him a little but only when it came to him being able to do anything but be a showboat!” She let out a massive laugh that made Katsuki’s ears hurt. And that was saying a lot considering how many explosions he’d heard in his life. “So, what weakling did you save?” she asked.

Katsuki though didn’t say a word. First and foremost because he’d decided to do a bit of digging about Frog Bitch… purely out of curiosity, of course. And he’d found that she had been one of the top athletes at her old school, having managed to win several trophies despite having to miss a lot of different track and field meets; he wasn’t sure what was up with that but from the footage he’d found on line it wasn’t because she got the jitters. She was no weakling.

As for the second reason?

Because he knew what was coming next.

“Now, while there was a possibility that you were informed about the Rescue Points from former students of UA… there is simply no possible way you were aware of our final test.” Kenobi folded his arms over his chest. “This test, that was implemented just this year, examined how you did in a situation where violence wasn’t the answer. Where the usual flashy quirk would not help you. In fact… it would cause harm. Because a hero is more than fancy flourishes. A hero must be able to save people with their brains as well as their brain.”

Katsuki sunk down in his seat with a huff… but didn’t grumble or dispute what the teacher was saying.

~MC~MC~MC~

“While some may argue that it wasn’t fair of us to not tell students of either the Rescue Points or the De-escalation Exam, UA did so because a hero must always remember that it is for the innocents that we exist… and that danger can come at any time. And sometimes that danger is an innocent who just needs a bit of help.”

Hitoshi stared at the hologram, feeling his throat seize up. He didn’t want to hope… hope was a danger. Hope was a threat. Hope only set you up to be crushed.

…and yet Mr. Kenobi was saying things to him that he had long thought himself. That he had longed to shout to others when they told him he couldn’t be a hero because he had a villain’s quirk. Or that his quirk wasn’t interesting enough to save people.

He had tried out for UA assuming he would, at best, get into the General Education class and work his way towards the Hero Class. He’d thought that was going to be the case for sure when he got done with the practical, having only managed to defeat a few One Pointers and that was only because he’d grabbed a pipe and bashed them. But then he’d encountered that teen…

“Because of your quick thinking you were able to prevent your civilian from harming themselves and others. You managed to do so both through the use of your quirk and your own quick thinking. As such, you have been awarded 60 Deesclation Points, which have been added to your final score.”

Hitoshi stared at ranks that tabulated his Villain, Rescue, Exam, and De-escalation Points and fell down onto his bed.

16th place.

There were 20 seats open at UA.

16th…

~MC~MC~MC~

“Congratulations, Ahsoka,” the hologram said with a smile. “You took First Place for the entire exam group. You will be receiving soon your school uniform and an information package and in two weeks you will be joining class 1-A. This… is your Hero Academia.”

The hologram of Obi Wan paused.

“Now turn around and give me a hug so I can celebrate.”

She turned… and blinked to see Obi Wan not standing behind her but instead in the kitchen, struggling with a box of matches, a cake that had been decorated to have the UA logo on it sitting on the counter.

“I know I can get these lit!” he complained as he struck one against the box only for nothing to happen.

“Master, I don’t think a celebration cake requires candles,” Anakin said as he dished out scoops of ice cream.

“I did the research, Anakin, and it most certainly does! How else is she supposed to blow them out if they aren’t lit? It was very clear that she needed to do that.”

“And why does she need to blow them out? We can just keep them unlit.” Anakin stuck one in the cake. “There. Nice and easy.”

Obi Wan thrust his hands out wide. “And how is she supposed to make her wish?!?”

“Everyone knows the only way to get a wish is to break a bird’s bones!”

“…that is disgusting, Anakin!”

“Its practical!”

“There is my Master and my Heroics Teacher,” Ahsoka said with a shake of her head, Padme only able to watch on and sigh as the two grown men argued about candles.

Chapter Text

Episode II

The Rise of New Heroes

Having accepted their fate of being trapped on the planet

Earth our heroes have begun to settle into their new roles,

seeking ways to continue on with helping the innocent and

the defenseless.

Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi has become the new Heroics

Professor at UA and has already sought to make changes

to help the school raise a new kind of hero. And Padme

Amidala-Skywalker works in secret with All Might in

preparation to take his quirk, One For All.

As for Ahsoka Tano, padawan of Jedi Knight Anakin

Skywalker, she begins her own journey: to be

a student at UA and become a full fledged hero…

“There is no emotion, there is peace,” Ahsoka whispered. “There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity.” She took several calming breaths… and realized that she was utterly failing at releasing her emotions into the Force. Honestly she had a feeling she was about 10 seconds away from falling to the Dark Side… all because of her Master.

“One more picture,” Anakin pleaded, holding up his phone.

“Master, please!” she begged, adjusting the strap on her backpack. “You’ve already taken 48 pictures. Yes, 48… I counted.”

“But in those ones you weren’t wearing your shoes!” Anakin complained. “The outfit wasn’t complete!”

Ahsoka glowered at the school uniform she was wearing. “And believe me, Master, I am not thrilled in the slightest that it is complete.” She tugged on the sleeves of her jacket, wanting to do nothing more than to rip the offending apparel off. “Ugh, how can you stand wearing things like this?”

“You wear gloves all the time,” Padme said from the kitchen counter, sipping her caf while she watched on with a bemused look. The traitor was doing nothing to stop this and when Ahsoka became a Sith she would be the second to fall.

“Yes but those are different.”

“…of course,” Padme said with a smile before looking over at Anakin. “Leave her alone and let her head off to school.”

“But all the child rearing books say that the first day of school is important and I need to make it a celebration,” he complained before his brow rose up. “OH! I almost forgot!” He dashed off to the kitchen and after a moment returned… holding a pink plastic lunch pail with horned equestrian animals on it. “So I made your favorite-“

Ahsoka’s eyes began to twitch but checking the Force she confirmed that no, her Master wasn’t screwing with her or playing a joke… he honestly thought this was how he should behave.

“Ani,” Padme said, “I think I need to look over those child care books you’re reading. I think you might have grabbed the wrong ones.”

As he squawked in protest Ahsoka decided to make her escape, grabbing the lunch pail and hurrying out of the door, calling out a goodbye to all of them…

…only to race towards the stairs as she saw Obi Wan’s door begin to open.

“Bad enough I have to dress like this and there’s a good chance my master is going to try and sneak into the school to check in on me,” she muttered as she entered the stairwell and used her Jedi skills to begin leaping from floor to floor. “But I am NOT walking to school with one of the teachers!” because she could just HEAR Master Obi Wan stating that it was only logical for them to go together and she should join him on the walk.

The journey to UA didn’t cause any problems though she did get a lot of people looking at her. At first she thought it might have been because of Anakin’s stupid lunch pail but after the first one wished her good luck she realized it was because they knew she was a UA student and they were memorizing her face and looks… because one day she might be a famous hero and they would be able to tell their children of meeting her.

It was an… odd feeling. Jedi did not crave such attention which was great because as the War had truly swung into full gear they hadn’t received it. Oh, they were noticed… but not for the ways Ahsoka would have preferred. But here? Here she was a potential hero, one that might save all the people around her… and they in turn would be buying shirts with her face on it.

She shook her head. “Focus on today,” she reminded herself as she got to UA’s gates and stepped through.

“Hey!”

Ahsoka turned and smiled as she saw Ochaco and Izuku hurrying to join her.

“So you got in too?” Izuku exclaimed, utterly beaming as he gripped the straps of his backpack.

“Yeah… 1-A.”

“Us too!” Ochaco exclaimed. “This is so great! We’ll be able to be study partners!”

“It’ll be nice to have people in class that we already know,” Izuku said as they continued up the steps and into the school itself. “I was worried I wouldn’t know anyone…”

Ahsoka sensed a bit of a lie in his words and that wasn’t even from her prodding the Force for his intentions. She knew that Izuku was quirkless and that in this world the quirkless were discriminated against and treated like garbage… so she could see why he would have had no problem being able to fade back into the crowd and not face people who knew who he was and were ready to judge him.

Of course that just made her all the more determined to stand at his side.

“Do you know where we need to go?” Ochaco asked, pulling out an old fashion paper map of the school. “I tried to look last night but couldn’t make heads or tails of it…”

“I know where to go,” Ahsoka assured her, turning down a hall. The First Year homerooms were all on the first floor and close to the entrance so it was a short walk. “I’ve been here before.”

“That’s right!” Izuku exclaimed. “Rex was telling me how you and your family stayed at UA for a little while when you first arrived here.”

“Why did you have to stay here?” Ochaco asked.

Ahsoka opened her mouth to begin telling one of the many lies she and the rest of her group had created to cover their tracks when it came to their otherworldly existence, only for a loud stern voice to give her an out from having to explain things.

“There is only one way to properly sit at a desk and I assure you that kicking your feet up on it is NOT how to do so properly! How can you hope to be a proper hero when you can’t even respect the furniture?”

“Its fucking furniture, dipshit!” another voice snarled and Izuku tensed as he realized it was Kaa-chan. “Furniture doesn’t have feelings!”

“They might,” Ahsoka said with a smirk as she entered the classroom, Ochaco and Izuku right behind her. “People didn’t think animals could get quirks… yet the principal shows that was wrong. Trees were living things… its possible one had a quirk that allowed it to remain sentient even when it was turned into a desk. You never know.”

“What kind of idea is that, Shithorns?” Bakugo demanded only for the guy who had been lecturing him to spin around and zip right over to the three newcomers. “Hey!” he shouted, not used to being ignored.

“I must apologize to you at once!” Tenya said rather loudly, giving a quick bow. “I scolded you for your actions at the exam but it is clear you understood better than I what the teachers were looking for. Team work, saving others… a hero must remember these things always! I allowed my quest for points to blind me to what it means to be a true hero. I am sorry I did not see what you saw!”

“Uh… no problem,” Ochaco said with a cheerful smile. “Uraraka Ochaco.”

“Ashoka Tano.” She paused. “Or Tano Ashoka. Sorry, still learning how you guys do names here.”

“Ah, you are a foreigner!” Tenya said, having finally risen from his bow and adjusting his glasses. “It is no problem. If you have a question about customs please feel free to ask… it is the only way we learn. Oh, and I am sorry, I am Ida Tenya.” He turned to Izuku. “And you are?”

“Oh! I’m-“

“DEKU!”

Izuku blanched as Bakugo leapt from his seat and charged at him, explosions popping from his hand. “What are you doing here?!? I thought I wouldn’t ever have to see you again after I left that shit school we went to! Are you fucking stalking me, you little creep?”

“N-no!” Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him rapidly. “I did the entrance exam-“

“How could you get in here without a quirk?” Bakugo demanded. “Did you have one and hide it, to show me up? Is that it? Are you trying to make me look like a fool?” Izuku winced as Bakugo brought his fist up to Izuku’s face and he could feel the heat of his explosions, knowing that his friend was preparing for another one. Rex’s training kicked in and he prepared to leap back, shifting his weight while preparing to pull Ochaco away-

Ahsoka grabbed Bakugo’s wrist and twisted it hard.

“It’s called personal space,” she warned, bending Bakugo’s hand away from Izuku’s. “Ever hear of it?”

“Hey!” Bakugo roared, swinging a punch at Ahsoka who dodged it. “This is between me and Deku!”

“And I don’t care,” Ahsoka said, jerking his arm downward before bringing her knee up to slam into his face. But Bakugo had been training since he was 4 to be a hero and one simply hold and a reverse weren’t going to take him down. He easily dodged the blow and moved to strike Ahsoka in the side only for her to block the hit with a stiff forearm before going for a leg sweep.

“Enough!” Tenya shouted, trying to get between the two of them. “This is not the way one should behave in class!”

“Stay out of this, Four Eyes!” Bakugo roared, moving to try and blast Ahsoka with his quirk only for her to spin around his arm before grabbing him just above the elbow, forcing his hand back so that his hand was right in his own face. While his quirk made him resistant to his own explosions it didn’t protect his eyes from the light he generated and he cried out as he was hit with the equivalent of a flashbang.

“Four Eyes? Shit Horns? Deku?” Ahsoka asked with a taunting smirk before throwing Bakugo back towards his desk. “I’m sure villains are going to cower when it comes to your wit.”

“You…”

“Ahsoka, please!” Izuku begged, stepping in front of her and trying to get her to back away from Bakugo. “That’s just how Kaa-chan is…”

“Then he needs an attitude adjustment,” Ahsoka said. “I’ve fought Sith that were more pleasant than him.”

“Did you just say the Shit you’ve fought is better than me!?!” Bakugo roared.

“Sith,” Ahsoka stated. “Sith. And yeah.”

Bakugo glared at her before finally twisting away. “Whatever… I don’t have time for you if you think Deku is someone worth defending. Just another extra I’ll have to crush.”

“Great to be in class with you too,” Ahsoka snarked before taking a seat.

“That… was amazing!”

Ahsoka  turned to see a red-haired boy had entered the classroom with a few others and all of them were looking at her with stars in their eyes.

“So manly!” Eijiro declared, both fists clenched and close to his chest while he flashed a sharp smile. “Those hits… the way you countered… I’ve never seen anyone move like that!”

“It was nothing,” Ahsoka said smugly.

Denki shook his head. “No way! That was just… wow! It’s like you already have hero training!”

“I do, actually,” Ahsoka admitted. “Izuku and I have been trained by my family.”

General introductions were made, names flying around Ahsoka that she knew she was going to struggle to remember for a while, but eventually more students began to come in and Izuku and Ochaco took seats beside her while the rest of their class filtered in. Ahsoka studied them, trying to determine their quirks and their training but unlike back in her galaxy she had no prior research on species to fall back on, making it honestly impossible for her to tell what they could do.

‘Someone might look utterly intimidating,’ she thought as she glanced at one tall young man with 2 sets of arms and a mask that covered the lower half of his face, ‘but have a really gentle personality while the softest speaking person could have a deadly quirk.’ She thought of Ochaco who looked utterly bubbly and soft, reminding her of some of the crèche masters she’d had… but had shown that with her quirk she could easily take out an army of droids if given a bit of cover fire. ‘I need to keep my senses open and not let my judgment cloud-‘

She blinked as she saw a sleeping bag slither into the classroom.

The rest of the class kept talking and goofing around but Ahsoka was focused on the new arrival and soon Izuku and Ochaco were as well. A few others, such as a young man with a lizard-like face and pale green fur on top of his head, noticed her gaze and soon half the class was focused on the sleeping bag

“Well,” Aizawa said, uncurling himself and standing before his desk, “that was quicker than previous classes. Not good enough though… if I had wanted to kill you I could have gotten half of you dead before you’d realized it. Hope for you… but not much.” He stared at them with tired eyes. “Not much at all.”

“Excuse me!” Tenya said, raising his hand even as he spoke. “But who are you? Why are you here?”

“I’m Aizawa Shota and I’m your homeroom teacher. Now put that hand down you’re going to strain something.” He let out a sigh as half the class let out gasped of shock though he did notice that Ahsoka was rolling her eyes; this was why he hated meeting students before the first day of class; ruined his mystique. “Now then every seat is full so that means all of you are here so I’m not going to waste my time taking attendance. Instead I want you each to head to the locker rooms and get your gym uniforms.”

“Sir?” Ochaco said, raising her hand nervously. “According to the handout we all go we’re suppose to go to the orientation-“

“You will find that the teachers at UA are giving a lot of leeway when it comes to how they handle their classes. I don’t have time to let you waste an hour doing the school cheer. You’re here to be heroes so we’re going to see if you have any potential.”

He stared at them.

“Go.”

The class scrambled to their feet and hurried out the door.

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan frowned when he noticed a certain group of seats empty in the auditorium. “Principal Nedzu,” he said softly as Hizashi, in the opposite of ‘soft’, greeted all the students and welcomed them to another year at UA. “We seem to be missing an entire class.”

“Ah yes,” Nedzu said calmly from his seat. “Aizawa’s class. He never has them attend.”

“Never?” Obi Wan asked, brow furrowing. “But every student must attend. We provide them important information.”

“Shota feels that it’s a waste of time,” Nemuri whispered.

“And you just allow this?” Obi Wan pressed the principal.

“I believe in allowing all teachers to have room to educate their students in their own way. I trust Aizawa to help mold his class into the best heroes possible and as such I do not wish to stand in his way.”

“…very well then,” Obi Wan said. Nedzu smiled… only to blink as Obi Wan stood up and walked away.

“Where is he going?” Nemuri hissed, the other teachers glancing up as Obi Wan strolled past them.

“If I had to guess I’d say he’s going to confront Aizawa. My comment about allowing teachers to do as they wish clearly has influenced him to do as he wishes!”

Nemuri shivered at just how DELIGHTED Nedzu seemed by all of that.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Now then…” Chiyo Shuzenji, the woman known as Recovery Girl, said with a bemused smile on her face, “I must admit this is unusual for me. Normally I have to drag heroes into my office for a physical… you come here of your own free will? Oh ho ho ho! I think I like you, Padme!”

The woman in question smiled at that, bowing slightly. “Thank you, Shuzenji.”

“Oh, call me Chiyo! We’re both young lasses, aren’t we? All that formal stuff is for old bitties!” Padme, to her utter credit, merely smiled at the 60+ woman claiming she was young; after all, there were species who lived for a thousand years. To Master Yoda everyone was an infant compared to him!“Did I ever tell you about when this fool got injured?”

Yagi, in his Small Form, grimaced. “I… don’t think we need to go into that-“

Chiyo smacked him on the shin with her cane (which looked like a syringe because, as Padme was finding with Earth, when a hero picked a theme they STUCK with it) and Yagi winced. “Oh, don’t act like that hurt much! All For One hurt your guts, not your legs! Unless you are hiding another injury from me-“

“NO!” Yagi cried out, waving his hands rapidly in front of him.

“Hmmm… then let me tell my story before I give you another exam!” She turned to Padme. “This big lout, after he fought All For One, had most of his stomach missing, part of his lung, and a bunch of other organs scrambled up. Now, he actually did the smart thing and came to me for help, though my quirk could only do so much.”

“I know,” Padme said.

“Well, first day he was perfectly fine… next day though I walk into his room and find him trying to get that stupid spandex suit of his on because he wants to help out some hero with a collapsed freeway!” She turned and shot a dark glare at Yagi who blanched. “He couldn’t even bend down without half his intestines squirting out of his backside and he wanted to go fight crime and save people!”

“It wasn’t that bad…” Yagi claimed but Chiyo merely shook her head and he ducked so neither woman could see his face.

“I didn’t even bother startling him… I just stood there, watching him bounce around… until he tripped and fell on the ground and ended up rupturing his spleen!” She clanged her cane on ground. “That cost him an extra week in my care. It’s the same with so many other heroes… thinking that everyone else needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap while they can do whatever they want because they are ‘special’.”

“Sounds like my friends and my husband,” Padme said. “Anakin loves to throw himself into dangerous situations without thinking for a moment how dangerous things might be… or how he just got out of a dangerous situation. And Obi Wan… I swear that man is allergic to medics.”

Chiyo shook her head. “Sounds about right.” She suddenly grabbed Padme by her shirt, yanking her down so she was eyelevel to her. “Remember how stupid they are and don’t begin thinking they are people you should model your life around, got it?”

“Got it,” Padme said, finding herself squeaking out the words. She had faced down Sith Lords and maniacal generals and yet… Chiyo terrified her.

“Good, dearie!” Chiyo said, at once all smiles. “Now then, let’s look you over. Already doing the smart thing, coming to me to make sure your body is ready to take on All Might’s quirk. You’ve been eating the vitamins I gave you?”

“And sticking to the diet,” Padme said. The vitamins, something that Chiyo had mixed up herself, were designed to help with her bone density while the diet had helped her already build up muscle as she had worked with Gran Tranio and Yagi. “Though I could do without what it did to my digestive track.” Padme grimaced, remembering how one time a bathroom trip had resulted in Anakin going into a panic thinking the Hutts had invaded.

“The unwritten horror almost every hero faces, dearie. We need our high protein diets to build muscles… and that comes with a cost.” She smiled at that and motioned for Padme to hop up onto an examination table. “You of course are having it a bit easier than most. You already have a stronger bone density than the average woman and you seem better suited to metabolize nutrients. I doubt my vitamins would work as well as they are on anyone but you.”

Padme nodded at that; Nedzu had informed Chiyo about Padme’s true originals, which had helped them design a nutrient routine to help her prepare to accept One For All. Nubians were well known in the galaxy for their ability to gain nutrients from their diets. Naboo, in its ancient times, had suffered many droughts and famines due to the wild weather cycles that came from her hollow core. As such the people had evolved to survive on little… and with food plentiful were able to use those nutrients even more. There was a reason why so many Nubians lived well into their hundreds and could survive injuries that would kill others. She still remembered how shocked Ani had been when, during their visit to the lake house, Padme had leapt from a second story window and landed with ease on the stone floor below, not even wincing.

“Hmmm, let me see…” Chiyo said, taking Padme’s arm and examining it, wrapping a tape measure around her bicep. When they had startled Padme had thought she was rather fit but Yagi and Tranio’s training had seen all parts of her explode with muscle. “Good development… muscles and veins are good…” She undid the tape though Padme couldn’t help but flex a little, watching as the muscles in her arm danced. “Shirt up.”

Yagi turned with a blush and Padme rolled her eyes; honestly he saw more when they worked out but for some reason Yagi always reacted every time she bared her belly like a blushing school boy. She just didn’t get it…

~A Few Months Ago~

“And if I catch you lusting after my wife I’ll turn your remaining lung into hamburger!” Anakin snarled, using the Force to lift a terrified All Might (in MUSCLE FORM) off the ground.

“Anakin!” Obi Wan pleaded, having grabbed a hold of the Jedi to try and drag him away. Ahsoka and Rex had each grabbed an arm but were barely slowing him down. “Remember you training! Fear is the path to the dark side!”

“Like fear of men lusting after your hot wife!” Ahsoka added.

“NOT HELPING!” Rex shouted.

~MC~MC~MC~

Chiyo tapped Padme’s abs. “Defined well.”

That was putting it lightly. She was sure that she’d have given her old friends nose bleeds if they could see her ripped she was now.

As for the friends who were on Earth…

~MC~MC~MC~

“I am so training with you!” Ahsoka declared as she saw Padme come back from a run, belly exposed and shorts hugging her curves.

~MC~MC~MC~

“You certainly are showing dedication,” Obi Wan said while glancing away politely, blushing slightly.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Would be proud to have you fighting beside me,” Rex stated with a simple nod.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Anakin, stop!” Padme said as her husband kissed her shoulder. “I need to shower… I’m all sweaty!”

“Mmmm… I like you sweaty,” he said as he ran his hands along her hips. She should have seen it coming… Anakin had grown up a slave and for slave women unless you were a Hutt’s pleasure thing the ones that survived were powerful and strong.

As Anakin began to lead her to the bedroom Padme wondered just what Shmi had been hiding under her baggy clothes…

~MC~MC~MC~

“All in all… I’d say it is now a matter of when you want to actually do the transfer,” Chiyo said.

“You mean it?” Yagi asked.

“Anything you do now is just going to help matters, of course. The more she works out and prepares her body the quicker she’ll become used to the quirk. The choice is up to you both, of course.”

Yagi turned to her but Padme shook her head. “No… not yet. While I am willing to take your quirk, Yagi, there is no reason for you to give it up to me right now. Your time limit is still several hours and the country still relies upon you. You could have several years before you have to give your quirk to me… I am willing to wait.”

Yagi smiled at that. “Thank you, Padme. That… is why I know you are the perfect person to take one quirk… one day.”

Padme nodded. “Besides, if Anakin can get that artificial lung and stomach working…”

The Number One Hero waved her off quickly. “Let us not dwell on that possibility until it becomes one.”

She shook her head at that. Ever since her and Anakin had brought up his work in making the artificial organs Yagi had been quick to not want to discuss it; she could understand why, as false hope was a cruel poison.  Still, she knew Anakin was getting closer; according to him he’d already gotten an artificial kidney made and was just waiting for final testing before releasing it onto the market.

“Well, whenever you do decide to take his quirk I would suggest-“ her tone made it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion at all, “-that you do it with me around, so we can make sure that it reacts properly.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Yagi said with what was, for him, a smile. “After all, when I received it from Nana I adapted almost instantly. And Padme has had the same level of training I had!”

“Yes but as Gran informed us One For All is a stockpile,” Chiyo reminded him. “And you have been stockpiling power for decades. If Nana had held onto One For All until today and it was you asking for it I’d say the exact same thing.” She shot him a look. “You know that it’s gotten stronger, right?”

“Of course… once Gran Tranio told me.” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “And looking at some of the old tapes of when I started out… I just assumed it was me getting better with it. But I am stronger. Even with my injury I doubt my younger self could defeat me in a battle.”

“So Padme is ready, more ready than you were, but she still could have a bad reaction.”

“Padme is also in the room,” the former Senator reminded the two heroes. “And she’d like it if you didn’t talk about her like she wasn’t.”

“Heheh… sorry,” Yagi said bashfully.

“Right,” Chiyo said, not apologizing but dropping the topic completely. “You two better head on out. I need to be ready for Aizawa’s class.”

“What do you mean?” Padme asked.

“First day of school and he’s first year homeroom teacher this year. Class 1-A. Someone is going to be injured. Several someones if he hasn’t gotten a lot of sleep.”

Padme narrowed her eyes at that. “Ahsoka is in that class.”

Yagi and Chiyo both shared a look as Padme, lightning quick, pulled out her phone and dialed a number that picked up barely before the first ring went through. “I’m fine, Ani,” she said. “But you need to come down to UA… I think Aizawa is going to do something stupid.”

Chapter Text

"You didn't come to the ceremony," Aayla said with a frown, standing in door of the cramped office.

"I was busy," the owner of said office said, not bother to look up from her datapad.

"We're all busy," the Jedi Knight argued though there was no heat in her words. "But we made time."

"You were able to make time because I kept working."

Aalya winced at that; the snark was familiar but was the wrong voice. It was painful to hear someone else making such a comment. But she didn't say that out loud and instead forced herself to smile. "Well, I know it wasn't redecorating." She looked about the tiny space. "I know we aren't supposed to care about personal belongings but at the very least they could have given you someplace to put your datapads."

"I like it like this," the Jedi healer said simply, not bothering to look up as she checked some boxes. "Why bother putting things away when I'll just need them again?"

"Bant..." Aalya said with a sigh, finally moving into the room and sitting down on the... well, it wasn't actually a chair, more a hard lump with a cushion on it. Honestly Aayla had no idea what it was but it wasn't comfortable. She couldn't help but wonder if that is why the Mon Calamari had chosen it in the first place, wanting any surprise guests to leave as quickly as possible.

"These ones," the healer said, gesturing at a pile to her right, "are request forms. More bacta. More medkits. More pain relievers. Always more... there is talk of converting unused quarters upstairs into storage rooms because we want to be better stocked but we got through everything so quick that I doubt we'll need them." She pulled out other data pads. "Patient files. I can't even file them anymore because they have to be constantly updated. Injuries. Fatigue. Stress. Requests for prosthetics. For mind healers." She shook her head. "Death forms."

Aalya looked at the fellow Jedi. Truly looked at her. Her once rather vibrant skin had began to become lifeless... not gray but certainly not as bright and cheerful as it had once been. It reminded Aalya of some of the knights she knew who were already developing gray hairs even though they were only in their late 30s or early 40s. She sat at her desk like the entire temple was being pressed down on her spine and when she did look up her eyes lacked the fire they had once held.

Bant and her weren't close. Bant was close with Quinlan and thus Aalya had done some missions with her so they were able to chat but they weren't close.

And that was the problem because what Bant clearly needed was a friend. A close one. And the person best suited for that job...

"A Jedi doesn't fear the truth," Bant said, clearly sensing her conflict. "If you have something to say to me i'd have you say it now."

"You should have come to the ceremony," Aalya said.

"You said that already," Bant commented. "Unless you are trying to mind trick me... which isn't working and is rather too late to do."

The blue skinned Jedi just shot a glower at the healer, who didn't even blink. "If it’s because it was so public we can do something private. I can contact some people-"

"Who?" Bant asked, cutting her off. "Reeft is in hiding thanks to angering off the Bounty Hunters Guild. I don’t even know if he heard anything. Garen is too busy trying to reclaim… I honestly don't know what planet and how sad is that? And your Master is handling this all about as well as I am."

Aayla grimaced at that; Quinlan Vos had isolated himself even more than usual, refusing to take even Aayla's calls. It was only because he would send the occasional insulting message to the council telling them new and rather impractical ways to fornicate by themselves, that let her know he was alive at all.

“You are shipping out how soon?” Bant pressed.

Aayla didn’t squirm. Jedi did not squirm. But she certainly didn’t feel comfortable with the way the older Jedi was staring at her.

“That’s what I thought.”

Aayla sighed and tried one more time. “He was your friend-“

“My best friend,” Bant countered. “The person I was closest too. He was my brother, Aayla. All Obi wanted to do was be a Jedi Knight. That’s it. He never expected to be on the Council or be famous or be seen as anything more than a normal Jedi. He wanted to travel and help people and find new creatures and record their lives for the galaxy to know. That’s it. And then Jinn-“ Because no matter how it had ended between the two of them Qui-Gon Jinn had hurt Obi Wan in his youth, time and time and time again, and Bant would NEVER forgive him. Not for her deceased master’s sake, not for Obi Wan’s sake, not even for her own sake. She would never forgive the bastard. “Jinn tries to toss him aside so he can train Anakin and then uses his dying breath to DEMAND Obi train the boy.”

Obi Wan hadn’t meant to reveal that to her. It had come after a particularly hard day during Anakin’s training, when the boy had somehow managed to cause all the cafeteria droids to go on strike. Obi Wan had gotten drunk in her quarters and revealed that as Qui Gon lay dying he had only given Obi Wan YET ANOTHER COMMAND. Bant wasn’t sure Obi Wan even remembered telling her but that didn’t matter because Bant would never forget.

“And he did train him… he did a good job of it too. Not that the Council helped.” Bant let out a huff when Aayla blanched at that. “Oh stop. The Council might seem like they are living embodiments of the Force but they aren’t. They are living beings, flawed and full of contradictions and mistakes, no different from the rest of us.” Bant shook her head. “Oh the mistakes…”

“Bant…” Aayla warned.

“What are they going to do?” Bant asked with a bit of dark humor. “Kick me out? Oh no, I won’t have to watch people I care for die every day for a war we shouldn’t be fighting! How terrible.” Bant let out a scoff. “They did NOTHING to help Obi Wan… no, it was worse than that. They did everything to make things worse on him. All that pressure on him and Anakin… no different than Yoda meddling to get Jinn to take Obi Wan. They all knew Obi was going to be a powerful Jedi but they played their little games because they expected him to fix Jinn all on his own. Just like they expected him to train Anakin all on his own. And win this war all on his own. They are probably waiting for him to figure out how to come back to life all on his own!” She swept her hand out and sent datapads crashing to the floor, their screens cracking.

Aayla backed away, eyes wide before she steeled herself and stepped forward once more. “You need to release your emotions into the Force, Bant. You are letting them control you.” And how wrong it was for her to be telling the Master that.

“…maybe,” Bant admitted and that was the best she was going to do when it came to that matter. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I refuse to make them feel better about getting my best friend killed.”

The Jedi Knight stared at the healer before sighing. Other knights would have been startled by Bant’s outburst. A few might have even begun to go for their lightsabers, fearing she was falling. But one didn’t learn under Quinlan Vos and not get used to Jedi skirting dangerously close to the Dark Side.

And she could tell… Bant was right on the edge.

“I’m going to get us a spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. We are going to meditated in an hour. Okay?”

Bant stared at her and both females understood how odd it was for the younger, who had grown up knowing Bant as a Knight that would offer guidance, to suddenly find herself needing to command the Healer. Still, Bant finally gave a slight nod of her head and Aayla left, hoping that she could offer Bant a bit of comfort.

Back in her office Bant held her head in her hands, sucking in gulping breaths. The edge she was standing on was crumbling and the darkness below was yawning up to claim her. She knew it and she didn’t know how to stop it.

“Obi Wan,” she whispered into the Force, “I could really use you right now…”

There was a knock on the door and Bant’s head snapped up.

“…come in?” she said, her stressed out mind causing her to imagine that her friend was there, ready to tell her he was alive and well… or perhaps not well. She saw him as a walking charred skeleton, flesh cooked on his bones, eyes melting in his skull as he lurched towards her-

The door opened and Obi Wan’s corpse wasn’t there.

“Ah, I hope we are in the right place. We were told this was the right place but one never can be too sure.”

Bant frowned as she stared at the golden protocol droid that was shuffling into her office.

“Tell me, are you Jedi Master Bant Eerin?” the droid asked. After her emotional breakdown the oddity of what was happening caused her to only be able to numbly nod. “Wonderful! We are in the right place. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart… oh, Artoo, would you get in here?”

A blue astromech droid rolled in and Bant at once felt like she was on stable ground once more.

“Artoo,” she said softly before getting up and walking over to the droid, kneeling down beside it. “I am so sorry… none of us even thought about you.”

They should have. Artoo went everywhere with Anakin so they should have checked in on what had happened to the little droid. Obi Wan had always spoken fondly of him and his quirky yet determined personality and the times Bant had spent with Anakin and Obi Wan during the War had always seen the droid around, trilling and beeping rather happily.

“Oh, that is quite fine, Mistress Eerin,” C-3PO stated. “When Master Anakin and Mistress Padme didn’t return we decided to come back to the temple.”

“Mistress Padme?”

“Yes!” Threepio declared happily. “Master Anakin originally created me for his mother but after her passing I went into the care of Mistress Padme. She in turn gave Artoo to Master Anakin. Which makes sense… I am not suited at all for a battlefront while Artoo always has it in his head that he can save the galaxy.”

The droid in question let off several beeps.

“Enough of that, Artoo, this is our new Master you are talking too!”

“You’re… you’re new master?” Bant said, confused.

Threepio nodded, or as best as he could nod. “Yes… per Master Anakin’s instructions we were to first pass to Master Kenobi until Mistress Ahsoka came of age. If that was not possible we then were to go to you.”

“Anakin… willed you to me?” Bant said, oddly touched.

Artoo trilled.

“Would you stop that, Artoo? We should be glad we aren’t to be scrapped! Going on and on about how Master Anakin and the rest were teleported away will not endear you to our new Mistress. She will think your processor-“

“Teleported?” Bant asked, confused. “Artoo, what do you mean ‘teleported’?”

Artoo began to deep and Threepio translated quickly. “I’m sorry to bother you with this, Mistress Bant, but Artoo has gotten it into his head that Master Anakin, along with Master Kenobi, Mistress Padme, Mistress Ahsoka, and Captain Rex, were not killed in the explosion but were teleported away before it happened. He claims that he has evidence but he refuses to show me-“

Bant cut him off. “Artoo… can you show me?”

Artoo rocked back and forth before he activated his hologram projector… and Bant gasped as she saw the small forms of Obi Wan, Anakin, and the rest of their party in the conference room where they had been talking with the Separatists.

“Artoo!” Threepio exclaimed, scandalized. “Did you hack into their security cameras? That is highly improper! Mistress Bant, I apologize for this. Normally-“

Bant tuned Threepio out, watching as the Jedi realized that they’d walked into a trap. She saw them move to escape only for the explosion to take out the cameras. But right before… “Artoo, rewind and play at 1/10th speed.”

The droid did so.

Her best friend moved like he was caught in sap, every movement agonizingly slow…

…a flash of light.

An empty conference room.

The explosion.

“They weren’t in the building,” Bant whispered in shock. “They’re alive.”

Two hours later Aayla marched to Bant’s office, ready to drag the healer to meditate.

But Bant Eerin wasn’t in her office.

She would never be seen at the Temple again.

Chapter Text

Shouta let out a sigh as he watched the students make their way to the practice field. They were behaving like all his previous classes did, chatting and laughing and bouncing with nervous energy. They were all FAR too loud though that might have something to do with the headache he had; Hizshi was always telling him it was his own damn fault for going out to patrol the night before classes started as overusing his quirk always strained his eyes, left him tired, and gave him a headache. Many of the other teachers always took a day or two off before classes started but that was exactly WHY Shouta had to patrol extra hard. Villains weren’t stupid… at least the ones that the world needed to be worried about weren’t. They paid attention and realized that when school started the number of heroes out and about decreased so it was the perfect time to go on the attack. Shouta made them regret them.

The cost was a headache and a grumpy mood but honestly that was how Shouta felt most days anyway so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

This year though… he just knew that things were going to be different. Not even an hour into the year and he could tell he was going to have a lot of problems with this batch of students. First there was the quirkless kid, Midoriya. He’d been trained by Captain Rex which meant he knew his support items… and the boy was smart. His results on the written exam showed that, with only Bakugo managing to score higher than him. Then there was Tano… she had powers but not a quirk and honestly the Force still rubbed Aizawa the wrong way. The Jedi… they had multiple powers that didn’t work like quirks at all and Shouta really didn’t like having to deal with that mess. He wished that he could have shipped her to Vlad’s class but he’d volunteered to take her. And Nedzu wouldn’t let him go back on his word.

Rat bastard.

Then there was the fact that he had far more Recommendation Exam students in his class than normally. Usually the students that failed to get the Recommendation Spots would simply transfer to another school, as their sponsor would be more than willing to put in a good word and get them in. Nine times out of ten the Recommendation Students weren’t there because of talent but because of who their parents were or who they knew. Little Princes and Princesses.

But this year?

“We can’t keep our teacher waiting!” Tenya said (and Shouta made a mental note that he had to remember to call him Ida) in a rather firm and overly loud tone; clearly he hadn’t listen to his brother about proper ear protection and was already suffering some hearing loss.

“We’re going, we’re going!” Shoji said, using one of his hands to talk for him.

This year though? A lot of the Recommendation Students had decided to try to actually get into UA properly after failing the first exam. That meant there was more drive than Shouta was used too… but also more mines he was going to have to deal with. His friend’s brother. An heiress. The daughter of a famous Japanese actress. The Number 2 hero’s son. And that didn’t even take into account that he’d been warned to expect a rich brat from Gen Ed to come and demand that he be put into the class purely because of who his mommy and daddy were.

His headache was already getting worse.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he said and while the students did quiet down it took them a few seconds longer than he’d have preferred. Something to work on but hopefully today’s lesson would instill a bit of fear into them. “We’re going to be doing an Assessment Test.”

“OH!” Yoarashi cried out and Shoata wondered just how MANY of his students this year had hearing problems. “What strange and wondrous tests will we have to perform in order to prove ourselves to you?”

“…we’re going to start with throwing some baseballs.” Shoata’s eyes drifted to the bag right next to him and he could practically hear all of the eyeballs in the class slooooooowly creak as they glanced at them as well. “You most likely remember this from your years in middle school.” The students seemed a bit too shocked to say anything so Shoata decided to continue on. Looking over the group he decided to go with the student that would best demonstrate just what he wanted to happen. “Bakugo.” The blond narrowed his eyes and Shouta mentally sighed; wonderful, another brat with an attitude. “I want you to use your quirk. Throw the ball as far as you can.”

“Is that all?” Bakugo asked with a scoff, grabbing the ball and moving to the line. At once his entire demeanor changed, going from quiet arrogance to raging determination. Winding himself back in what was an utterly horrible stance in Shoata’s opinion, the blond grit his teeth and screamed “DIE!” before snapping his arm forward, an explosion from his palm sending the ball rocketing, quite literally, across the field.

The class all gasped at that, utterly shocked at just how far Bakugo had thrown the ball. Good.

“This test is all about using your Quirks to the fullest, to show you just how they can enhance your abilities.”

“Awesome!” Kirishima exclaimed! “This is going to be so manly!”

“Manly nothing!” Ashido chimed in. “This is going to be fun!”

Shouta had been waiting for the perfect moment and now he’d been given it. Time to truly see what his students could do. “Fun?” he asked. “Do you think being a hero is all fun and games?” The smiles slowly fell of the students faces. “A hero dedicates their lives to fighting evil and saving the innocent. It isn’t about having fun. People who become heroes just because they are bored or want to entertain themselves endanger the people they are supposed to be protecting.” He narrowed his eyes. “I think you need to understand that there are consequences for everything. As such the person with the lowest score after the entire assessment will face expulsion.”

“What?!?” several students screamed in shock.

“I think I made it rather clear,” Shouta said. “Now then-“

“How is this even fair?” Tano demanded, jaw set. “There are quirks that have nothing to do with throwing a baseball or… running laps or whatever else you are going to have us do! So despite being accepted into UA you can choose to just kick us out because you decide a quirk isn’t worth it?”

“Its about the person, not the quirk,” Shouta said with a bit of bite, annoyed that Tano had decided to speak up. While he’d dealt with loudmouths before she was basically protected which meant he couldn’t kick her down to Gen Ed for lip. “If they can’t figure out how to use their quirk properly then I am not going to waste my time with them.”

“So our entire hero career is based on a single teacher’s opinion?” Tano fired back and Shouta began to understand just how she and Skywalker had ended up a pair. “We don’t even know what the tests are! You could create one that would work for everyone but Blasty over there-“ she waved at Bakugo, “-and get him kicked out because you have a problem with blond hair!”

Bakugo’s eyes flew open and he clenched his fists together, roaring, “Fuck you, Shit Horns! I’d beat even that test!” He waved his hands at Midoyira. “If anyone is getting expelled today it’s that quirkless piece of shit Deku!”

“That’s enough,” Shouta snapped, activating his quirk before Bakugo could begin firing off explosions. “I’ve explained the rules and you know the penalty for losing. If you want to be a hero you should take this seriously. Now then-“

Tano though cut him off, looking utterly shocked. “You… you just heard that bigot attack Izuku because of his quirk status and you aren’t going to do a thing?”

Now at the end of his rope Shouta glared at Tano. “I-“

But the little Jedi girl actually KEPT TALKING OVER HIM. “So you drag us out here, tell us that the exam we worked so hard to pass means nothing, and now decide that throwing a baseball really far is more important than not being a hateful brat?” She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. “Is it too late to transfer to 1-B? Maybe the teacher there won’t be a quirkiest.”

Shouta took a step forward, the command that Tano wouldn’t have to worry about that at all because she could go right to Gen Ed on his lips, damn having to deal with Nedzu and Kenobi, when someone else decided to chime in.

“Now now, Ahsoka,” Kenobi said as he walked towards them, a cocky little smirk on his lips. “It truly isn’t fair to Mr. Aizawa to say such things. You haven’t even given him a chance to respond, have you?” The Heroics Teacher shook his head. “You can’t demand someone say something if you don’t allow them to speak.”

“Sorry Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka said at once, dropping her eyes to the ground.

“You must also remember that Mr. Aizawa is NOT Anakin. While he allows you to be more… loose… with your tongue than most pa… most students that doesn’t mean that Mr. Aizawa will be the same way.” He came to a stop before Tano and the girl was clearly trying not to squirm under his gaze. “Such lip will only get you in trouble, little one.”

“Yes Master Kenobi,” Tano said.

Kenobi smiled and nodded. “I believe detention is in order for your behavior. If Mr. Aizawa is busy I will be more than happy to oversee it.”

Aizawa debated demanding that he take the Tano girl but decided that this was probably a Jedi thing and thus Kenobi was better suited for it. “Works for me. Maybe all these kids should get detention so they learn not to speak out of turn.” The students began to protest and more than one glared at Ahsoka who gaped at him. Good… she needed to learn that actions had consequences.

“Oh, I don’t think there is any need for that,” Kenobi said. “After all, you’ll be busy with this one’s detention.” He waved his hand at Bakugo who snapped his head in Kenobi’s direction. During the scolding Tano had been getting the blond had been all smirks but now his good mood was gone.

“My detention!?! What the fuck did I do old man?”

Kenobi though merely smiled patiently. “While she was wrong in how she handled it Ahsoka wasn’t wrong that your attitude towards you classmate and their lack of a quirk was wrong.”

“He’s just some shitty nobody!” Bakugo snarled. “Who cares about him? He shouldn’t even be in UA!” He turned and glared at Midoriya who gulped and opened his mouth to say something though Kenobi cut him off.

“I wasn’t aware you had been given your teaching license,” Kenobi said mildly. “Nor was I aware you were on the staff of UA. Was I misinformed?”

Bakugo muttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” Kenobi said with a teasing smile. “Could you say that a bit louder.”

“…no,” Bakugo said, dragging each letter out of his mouth kicking and screaming.

“Ah, good. I’d hate for my ‘old age’ to begin affecting my memory. So now that we’ve established that you have no say who is and isn’t in UA we can establish that this school has zero tolerance for bullying, especially when it comes to one’s quirk status.” He looked at Shouta. “Something I NATURALLY assume your homeroom teacher was about to address with you.”

Shouta hadn’t been planning to address it with Bakugo. While he didn’t agree with the boy’s comments nor like how he had spoken out so loudly and violently about Midoriya being in class he also knew that the green-haired boy would be facing such comments all his life. He would get no favors if he was coddled by his teachers… he’d need to learn to handle them on his own. Bakugo’s own opinions… well, there would be ways to handle that but he been willing to let them slide this one time to see how the quirkless boy reacted.

Kenobi had ruined that.

“Bakugo, detention after school,” Aizawa said. The blond grit his teeth and shot a murderous gaze towards Midoriya, then Tano, and finally Kenobi. “Now then, if we are done wasting time we can get back to our assessment-“

“Actually,” Kenobi said with a smile, cutting him off, “I came to collect the students for the assembly. You must have forgotten about it.”

“I didn’t,” Shouta said, letting out a dismissive scoff. “They are here to be heroes, not attend pep rallies. If they want to needlessly cheer as people tell them how amazing they are and how many good friends they will make during their years here they can attend any of the other hero schools out there. I am here to make sure they have the will and the drive to become heroes. And more than that I am here to make sure that they are able to save people and save themselves.” He cast a look at the students, making sure they were paying attention. “Too many heroes go out who aren’t prepared for what this job entails and that means that innocent people get injured. And that’s assuming they don’t die themselves because they were too full of themselves. They have been told all their lives that they are special, that they are the best. They aren’t. They aren’t ready… but maybe if they listen to me they will be. Because I refuse to go to another funeral with a casket that is too small.”

The students shifted and squirmed and Shouta mentally sighed. He didn’t like being the big bad boogeyman who crushed dreams but that’s what these kids needed. There were plenty of people out there that wanted to coddle them but heroes needed to understand just how difficult a life dedicated to protecting the innocent was. He’d rather they hate him and live than love him till they took their last breath… which would come far too soon.

He was so… so tired… of funerals.

“Of course, of course,” Kenobi said with an apologetic smile. “You are right, of course.” He looked away from Shouta and addressed the class. “Being a hero… it is a hard life. One without remorse. Without reward. Without regret. A path has been placed before you… the choice is yours alone. It will be a hard life… but you will find out… who you are.”

Shouta noticed that several students looked nervously at Kenobi while others dismissed it instantly, putting it out of their minds. Those ones he’d have to watch out for. But the few that took in Kenobi’s words, truly considered them, and then met his gaze without forgetting? Even if it scared them? Well… there might just be hope for the class yet.

“Of course the assembly changed this year,” Kenobi continued, now looking at Shouta again. “I haven’t attended a ‘pep rally’ myself but there wasn’t much cheering once we got started. The students were given instructions on the different warning systems the school has, introduced to Hound Dog, and educated on the different support groups there were available to them.” Kenobi’s gaze became a bit flintier. “Because what good is surviving this world if your mind and spirit are utterly broken. Why, I’ve seen many people die by their own hand because they thought there was no one there that could understand… and we need the students to know that we do and are there for them.”

Shouta stared right back at Kenobi. While he agreed with what he said… he didn’t like how the man was using it as a weapon against him.

“I suppose I’ll just need to cover that in my first Heroics Class, since you’ve decided to do Quirk Testing in Homeroom.” Kenobi smiled like it was a happily little agreement between the two of them and moved to stand next to Shouta. “Ahsoka, please be mindful of your instructor. You are not all wise, young one.”

“Yes, Master Kenobi,” she said before going up to the baseball.

“Will you really expel one of them?” Kenobi asked softly.

“…no,” Shouta admitted. “It’s a logical ruse to make them do their hardest. I want to see what I have to work with. I inform them at the end of the class.”

“Ah, of course,” Kenobi said, stroking his beard as he watched Midoriya take up the ball. “Of course, I imagine it will make your job more difficult.”

“What do you mean?” Shouta asked.

“Well… the best way for one to teach someone is to build a bond. One based upon trust and respect. A student must know that they can rely upon their teacher. To tell them what they are weak in so they can find ways to improve, what they are scared of so they can overcome it, what they worry about so they can be relieved of the burden.”

He never looked at Shouta.

“And how can any of these students ever trust a man who lied to them the very first day they met him?”

“I don’t need them to trust me,” Shouta replied. “I need them to listen to me.”

Even he didn’t believe that.

Chapter Text

“Odd to see you dressed like that,” Padme said as she walked down the street with Yagi, moving along with the rest of the crowd as they all made their way towards the different office buildings that they worked at. “I’m used to you wearing baggy t-shirts and jeans.”

“I wear those when there is a chance I might need to fight a villain because they don’t tear apart when I take on my muscular form,” the skeletal man said, reaching up subconsciously to adjust his tie. He was wearing a nice suit and with it tailored to fit his skinny frame he actually didn’t look as sickly and worn down as he normally did. Padme had always been worried for him when he was in his smaller form, as he looked like he was ready to topple over at any moment, but wearing his suit he looked just like anyone with a leaner frame. “Today I’ll be able to quickly access my suit if need be so I can wear this.”

“You should look into getting suits made that can stretch,” Padme commented. “Doesn’t that one superheroine, Mt. Lady, have a suit that grows with her?”

“Not the shoes,” Yagi commented but he was already thinking about what Padme had said. “And that isn’t a bad idea… if I kept it very generic no one would put two and two together.” He coughed and Padme shot him a concerned look. “I’m fine,” he tried to assure her. “My throat was dry.”

“Did you remember to drink your breakfast today?” she pressed.

“I thought I was supposed to be mentoring you,” Yagi said in a teasing tone. “You don’t need to mother me.”

“Someone has to. Recovery Girl certainly doesn’t.”

Padme wasn’t exactly pleased with the superheroine who oversaw Yagi’s health; it had become clear to her that the woman was just trying to keep him stable rather than helping him get better. That was something Padme would never approve of and as such she had sought out other doctors to help out Yagi. They couldn’t reveal that he was All Might so they’d claimed he was injured years ago in a car accident. Yagi hadn’t liked that, or going to see the other doctors at all, but had changed his tune when one had suggested getting him on a liquid diet that would help build up his strength once again rather than just keep him functioning. They had put them in contact with a nutritionist who specialized in people that could no longer handle solid foods…

“Here,” she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out what looked like a child’s drink pouch. “Drink that.”

“I’m fine,” Yagi said even as he took the pouch. After a few moments of trying, and failing, to stab the straw through the pouch he meekly handed back to Padme, letting her do it, before he began sipping on his breakfast. It was rather tasty, having been designed to have a fruity flavor without being too harsh on his intestines or his taste buds which had begun to suffer from athropy thanks to his rather bland meals.

“I want you get your strength up,” Padme repeated. “Anakin said that he is about 8 months away from having the artificial lungs finished and after that he plans to work on the stomach. But you need to be ready for the operation and that means no more coughing up blood.”

Yagi smiled around the straw. “Recovery Girl has stated that my going into my All Might form aggravates my injuries. Soon that won’t be a problem.”

Padme though shook her head. “Yagi… if you were willing to take a few months off…”

But he cut her off. “Anakin already stated that even with the new organs he is making me-“ And it still made his mind spin that in a year he’d have functioning lungs again. They’d be robotic, of course, but they’d work like his regular lungs! Or at least how they once had. No more feeling winded in his smaller form, no more coughing blood, no more fluid rattling in his chest! And a stomach… in a year and a half or so he might be able to go to restaurants again. Eat a hamburger! And with both of those he could begin getting his smaller form to gain strength. He would never be peak again. But… he could be normal. “-they will only work for this form. Becoming… you know…” he glanced around, as the crowd had grown thick again, “will strain them too much.”

“He could work something out,” Padme assured him. “I’m willing to wait until you are ready, Yagi.”

He tossed the finished pouch into a trash can. “And I am ready now. Or will be very soon. I will… I will miss One For All. Don’t think otherwise. But… I have held it longer than any other bearer. And I can feel that it is ready to be passed to you.” He smiled. “I dreamed of Nana a few days ago… I don’t remember what she said though. I think she might not have said anything at all. But what I do remember is her smiling at me and patting my hand before motioning for me to follow her. There were other people… those that came before I think…” He paused. “Don’t worry, I don’t mean that they wanted me dead. I think… I think they were telling me my time was over. I have been the Symbol of Peace for a long time but now it is your turn.”

Padme smiled at that. “And you will still be helping me,” she reminded him. Her hand drifted down to her purse once more and the tiny capsule that was stuck in it. Within was a single pile, made from one of All Might’s hairs. When she’d learned that One for All was passed on through DNA she had consulted with Recovery Girl and Gran and they’d been able to create a pill that would allow her to gain the Quirk. More than that according to Recovery Girl; rather than the 24 hour period that Yagi had been forced to go through before he gained his powers Padme would receive them within seconds, the chemicals in the pill speeding up the process. The pill would grant her instant transfer. “That’s part of what we are working on today, remember?”

Yagi nodded. “Yes… and hopefully you won’t have as radical of a physical transformation as I now have!”

“I don’t think Anakin would mind,” she admitted.

“Oh?” Yagi said, surprised.

“Ani… Ani was born a slave. His mother was the one person that was a constant for him. But he was always around other slaves. They weren’t for pleasure or anything of the like, thankfully… they were workers. And for slaves to survive… you have to be strong.” She chuckled. “Before we came here Anakin was always trying to get me to work out more. Not jog or the like… lift weights, do squats. He wanted me to bulk up.” Though it was hard to tell thanks to her wine-colored suit jacket Padme flexed an arm, feeling the muscles she’d built up over the last 8 or so months dance under her skin. “He’s liked the results so far.”

Yagi chuckled at that.

It took them another 10 minutes to finally reach Might Tower. The massive skyscraper was the headquarters for All Might and not just in terms of him fighting crime. It was a massive and impressive building yet also rather understated in Padme’s option… if it weren’t for its height and the planet with its two rings upon the top it would have looked like any other skyscraper. It rather fit All Might well, all things considered.

“That’s a lot of floors for one person,” she said with a teasing smile.

“While some of the floors are dedicated to my offices, workout rooms, and other areas I need for stopping villains much of the rest is set up to handle everything needed to manage the All Might brand.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t like it that so much of hero culture is wrapped up in public appearances and merchandise but it is an element I have to deal with. If I just ignored it someone else would be doing it. This way I can ensure that the money goes to the right places.” His mood became far more cheerful. “There are several charities that I run that are well known but also several that aren’t… I like to keep things quiet, so they can actually do their good work without becoming flooded with attention. Every t-shirt, every poster, every action figure helps me pay for all I do to help others.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Padme stated as they made their way towards the Tower, Yagi pulling a badge up from under his suit and holding it up to a security guard who had a mutation quirk that made his head look like a bear.

“Hello Yagi,” the man said.

“Dango. How is your grandfather doing? Get over that cold?”

“He did but now he has a sprained ankle. I swear his quirk is bad luck!” The guard looked over at Padme. “Who is your friend?”

“Skywalker Padme,” Yagi stated. “I’m training her… she’s part of the secret project All Might is working on.”

Dango looked about before whispering, “I hear he’s getting a new sidekick.”

“Is he?” Yagi said, flashing a slight smile.

“You… wouldn’t have any insider information on that, would you?”

Yagi though merely shook his head. “All I know is that he requested I find someone with experience in politics.”

“Hmmmpf. You’re no fun, Yagi!” the man teased, straightening up. “Okay, remember to get her to Myoga to get her employee id badge. Nice to meet you Skywalker!”

“Nice to meet you too!” Padme said quickly before following Yagi inside.

It took about an hour for Padme to fill out all the forms and get her ID badge. Officially she would be doing what Yagi had told Dango: working for the All Might Agency to navigate the political scene of Japan. Of course there would be an entire team doing that soon and Padme would be able to focus on Hero Work… though she still planned to have a hand in that department’s tasks. Once a Senator…

Following the instructions Yagi had given her she arrived at his office where Yagi was going over some forms, murmuring to himself before signing off on them. Taking a seat across from him she waited patiently, used to being forced to ‘cool her heels’ as Ahsoka called it while other political and officials worked. More than one time she had been forced to wait an hour for the Chancellor to get done with some sudden crisis that had sprung up that demanded his attention but wasn’t so serious that she needed to jump in to help.

She sighed as she thought of Chancellor Palpatine. She hoped that the old man was doing well, that he wasn’t letting the belief that she had perished drag him down too much. He was a strong man who had suffered many blows in his life… but every time he’d managed to rise up. The difference though was those had come when he was younger, and when he hadn’t had the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. She truly hoped that he was doing okay, that he wasn’t letting what happened crush him.

“Are you okay?” Yagi said, drawing her attention.

“Fine. Just thinking about someone from back home.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it Yagi… let’s focus on today.”

“Right. So I want to spend the next few weeks getting you established here, both as Padme and as a hero. Tomorrow we’re going to bring in Madame Mode… her family has been designing costumes for heroes for generations so she’ll be able to help you pick out the perfect outfit. She’s American so that will upset the Japanese government… so expect that to be the first crisis you deal with.”

Padme nodded. “I’m thinking about a wig,” she admitted. “Something to change my hair color. Obi Wan had a suggestion… I’m not sure if you’d be up for it…”

“What is it?”

“To the public I am going to be a hero who has All Might’s powers, brought in by All Might, and clearly close to All Might. They are going to ask questions about that. He suggested we simply… embrace it.”

“Oh?”

Padme shifted in her seat. “Based on our ages… Obi Wan suggested that we say that All Might is my father.”

Yagi let out a little sharp gasp and for a moment she was afraid he’d send blood all over the place but he quickly recovered. “Father?”

Padme grimaced. “If you don’t want to-“

“No… no, it isn’t that,” he said quickly. “I just… never considered that. I suppose, with our ages, it would fit.”

“If I got a blond wig or found some way to change the color of my hair while acting as a hero we would look more alike. It would explain why we have similar quirks, at least as far as the public knows.”

Yagi leaned back in his chair, considering her idea carefully. There was certainly merit to the suggestion… it seemed like if he spent even 5 seconds talking to any hero it was assumed he was in a relationship with them. He knew there were entire websites dedicated to cataloging his ‘torrid love affair’ with Endeavour. The public would assume that Padme and him were connected somehow and if they came out ahead of them and said she was All Might’s child…

“How do we explain you never being seen before?” he asked.

“Things can be forged. You had me living someplace else due to how powerful my quirk was. My mother passed away when I was young… that could even explain your decrease in patrolling these last few years; it wasn’t because you were hurt its because you were spending more time with me. It also protected me against your enemies. But now that I’m grown I can begin learning the family business.” She paused. “It would make the transition from you being the Symbol of Peace to you leading the Might Agency with me as the Symbol far easier. People wouldn’t accept easily a random new hero… but the daughter of All Might?”

“Yes…” Yagi smiled as he truly began to consider the idea. “People would ask questions about All Might suddenly having a young female hero take over everything. Assume… horrible, vile things.” His smile turned to a glower for a moment but then it was gone. “But my daughter? That would be acceptable to many. A comfort, really.” He paused. “But… would you be okay with that? It would mean lying…”

Padme chuckled. “Anakin and I lied about being married for months. And when I first met him I lied about being a mere handmaiden. At this point it would be odd not to lie.”

“Then I suppose we will go with it.”

“Good,” Padme said. “So, what else for today?”

“I want you to meet a friend of mine, Detective Tsukauchi, today. I’ve set up a meeting if you are okay with that.”

“Of course!” Padme said with a smile. “I’d love to meet your friend!”

“Tsukauchi is one of the few people in the world to know the truth about my quirk and my injuries. He is my best contact in the police and I want you to know him as well as I think he will be a great help to you.” He looked at the forms on his desk. “I do want to give you a tour of the tower but other than that I don’t have much planned.”

“Good, because I do have some ideas,” Padme stated. “I wanted to begin working on filling my department and I already know who I want to reach out to.” She pulled a document out of her purse and handed it to Yagi, who scanned it… then scanned it again.

“Padme… this man…”

“I know,” she said. “He calls himself a villain.”

“He doesn’t merely call himself a villain he declares it openly!”

Padme had known this would be a hard sell for Yagi but she’d come prepared. “He might call himself that but his actions aren’t of a villain… they are at best a petty criminal.” She pulled out several more sheets of paper and passed them over. “He robbed a store… that was known for price gouging people in a neighborhood that had been under a boil water advisory for a month. He defaced a statue… of a hero who its rumored molested some of his fans. He did break the law but he never sought out to hurt anyone innocent. Most of the government databases don’t even know who he is. I only found him through… research…”

~Three Weeks Earlier~

Padme sat on the toilet, lazily scrolling through the recommended Youtube videos, seeing if there was anything interesting.

“Huh…” she said, clicking on a link…

“Padme!” Anakin whined, knocking on the door. “Come on, its time for your workout!”

“In a minute!” She groaned. “Stupid all protein diet…”

~MC~MC~MC~

“He’s still a criminal,” Yagi argued.

“He wanted to be a hero,” Padme stated. “He said so in his first videos. But he couldn’t get into a hero school so he settled for a small high school… and their hero studies program wasn’t great. He repeated classes and didn’t have the best grades but I think that was his teachers’ fault, not his. He truly wanted to do good work.” She pulled out her phone and cued up the video she wanted Yagi to see. “I need someone that understands how to talk to people… someone good at PR. His videos don’t get a lot of views but that is because they are focused on his crimes… which are bland and boring. But look at how he edits them.”

She slid the phone to Yagi and he watched for several minutes, his frown lessening.

“You talked about the charities you run… about helping people. What better way to help the world then taking someone who thinks all they can be is a villain and bringing them back to the side of heroes?”

“You… truly want to do this.”

“I do.”

“…very well, you can interview him.”

“Good,” Padme said, standing up. “Because I told him to be here at 10:30 so he should be be-“

The phone rang and Yagi shot her a look before answering it, telling the person on the other end to send the man up.

After about 2 minutes a dapper looking man knocked on the door, looking a bit nervous. “H-hello?”

Padme winced; of course the man would be nervous! She’d told him to come to the Number 1 Hero in Japan’s office because they needed to talk! Hurrying over she offered her hand.

“I am sorry about that… you must think you are in trouble. It’s the opposite… my name is Padme Amidala and I want to talk to you about a job, Tobita.” She paused. “Tell me… do you still want to make a difference? To help the world? To be a hero?”

The man known online as Gentle Criminal felt his heart clench as he took Padme’s hand.

Chapter Text

Obi Wan smiled as the students walked into the classroom he’d selected to teach heroics in.

It wasn’t the normal classroom that was used. When he’d looked at the one used the previous year he had been utterly disappointed. It was far too… sterile… to serve his purpose. It reminded him of Kamino and that had made him shudder and feel disgusted. He had never liked how the clones were raised, kept in a world of durasteel and muted colors. He’d argued that they needed to upgrade the facility, to make it so one didn’t feel like they were forever living in a trooper’s helmet but he’d been overruled. There wasn’t the money or the time, he’d been told.

Insanity. They claimed they were better than the Separatists because they actually fought for what they believed in rather than hiding behind their droids. But that was exactly what they had been trying to turn the clones into: droids. They even gave them serial numbers rather than names. It was why Obi Wan had, very early on, asked his men to pick names for themselves. Why he had startled so many in the Jedi Council by being the first General to allow his men to decorate their armor however they wished, so long as they stuck to the orange that denoted their division. Why he had spent his own money to get Pricker the lessons he needed to become a tattoo artist, so that he could give the clones something that would identify themselves amongst their brothers… and why, in a spot NO ONE would ever see, he had a small tattoo himself of the 212th’s unofficial symbol: a droid’s head crushed under a trooper’s boot.

He didn’t know why people were shocked by him being so at ease with his troopers… his master had been the biggest rebel in the Order. His grandmaster had been one of the Lost 20 and before that had been a rebel himself, disobeying Yoda time and time again. And he’d raised Anakin. He merely was better than all of them at hiding his more rebellious nature.

(And he was sure somewhere Master Yoda was remembering everything Obi Wan had done in his youth and snorting at that)

If he had believed in giving the clones a place to learn and grow that was warm and inviting then of course he required the same thing for his new students. As such rather than the typical classroom he had gone with a small lecture hall, with raised seat that were numerous enough that his students could easily sit apart from each other and lounge if they wished. He’d demand they pay attention, of course, but he’d learned with Anakin that sometimes a student learned better when they were comfortable. The front of the hall was large enough for him to do demonstrations and there was a door that lead to a hall which was connected to one of the school’s gyms, ready if he decided that the day called for them actually practicing physically.

But… not today. He had decided that already.

He watched as the students looked about, confused by the large area, not quite sure where to sit, and couldn’t help but smile at their befuddlement before waving a hand at the chairs.

“Sit wherever you wish,” he told them. “We’ll do introductions once you are all settled.”

It took about 2 minutes for everyone to take a seat, with some even getting up once they’d settled in order to join someone else, looking to him for guidance or permission and receiving it with a slight nod of his head. Finally though they were all in their seats and Obi Wan stepped forward.

“Hello there,” he said cheerfully. He was in his full set of robes, which he was sure must have been odd for them, but he’d wanted to have something that… grounded him… when he met with them all. This was his first class, after all, the very first students that he would be teaching at UA. “Before we go on any further I think it best we introduce ourselves. Please state your name, your quirk, and one interesting fact about yourself.” The students all blinked at him, save for Ahsoka who was watching him with dry amusement. “I’ll start. My name is Obi Wan Kenobi… or Kenobi Obi-Wan as you would say in Japan. My quirk is known as The Force and I have a passion for the study of exotic reptiles.” Ahsoka muttered something about Krayt Dragons and he shot her a looked. “Ah, a volunteer,” he said, gesturing at Ahsoka.”

She scoffed by rose up all the same. “My name is Tano Ahsoka. My quirk is a variation of The Force and I rather enjoy swimming even though my Guardian, Anakin, is horrible at it.”

“To be fair Anakin did grow up in the desert.”

“Do you know each other, Mr. Kenobi?” a pink woman asked.

“We do,” Obi Wan stated. “I raised Anakin because he has his own variation of The Force and when he took in Ahsoka I helped… supplement her training.”

“By that you mean you didn’t let me just run around throwing rocks,” Ahsoka teased.

“Quite,” Obi Wan stated. “Now then, who is next?”

The introductions went rather quickly after that, with students raising their hands and volunteering to be next once they saw that Obi Wan was going to be rather casual with whatever they wished, or did not wish, to say.

Uraraka Ochaco. Gravity Quirk. And apparently she knew how to reshingle an entire roof.
Ida Tenya . Engine. He could recite PI to 32 decimal points.
Kirishima Eijiro. Harden. Able to juggle.
Todoroki Shoto. He had… paused before finally stating his quirk was Hot/Cold. And had stated his height as his interesting fact.
Bakugo Katsuki. Explosion. Had received the highest grade point average for his entire elementary and middle school days every year.
Yaoyorozu Momo. Creation. Stated she could recite PI to 33 decimal points which had caused Tenya to blink before he had admitted his respect for that.
Shinso Hitoshi . Brainwash, though he’d been reluctant to admit it, looking down at his shoes before meeting Obi Wan’s gaze with utter fierceness when he declared his quirk type. When no one had reacted Hitoshi had finally admitted that he liked watching cat videos on Youtube.
Yoarashi Inasa. Whirlwind. Apparently had once won a junior singing contest and demonstrated for the class some music from Pre Quirk musicians known as ‘Gilbert and Sulivan’. To Obi Wan’s amusement he’d noticed Katsuki mouthing the words as Inasa sang about being a general.
Ashido Mina. Acid. She had managed to read every one of the Twilight books even though they had been thought destroyed 40 years earlier as crimes against humanity.
Kamakiri Togaru. Sharp Blade. Loved collection insects and commented on his butterfly collection.
Shoji Mezo. Dupliarms. Stated that his favorite food was squid ink pasta.
Yanagi Reiko. Poltergeist. Had been rather disappointed in Twilight as she thought that ‘Cullen should have eaten Bella’.
Tokoyami Fumikage. Dark Shadow. Could identify an apple’s type just by smelling it. He’d also been rather startled when Obi Wan had asked if Dark Shadow wished to share anything with the class. The dark quirk had been utterly startled by that, sharing a quick conversation with Fumikage before admitted they while apples were fine they actually like the smell of grapes.
Komori Kinoko. Mushroom. Stated that if she hadn’t have been able to become a hero she might have become a Pop Idol.
Kaminari Denki.Electrification. Had the record for shorting out the most blocks in a city in a single week. Obi Wan wasn’t sure WHY he was proud of that but he was.
Jiro Kyoka. Ear Jack. Preferred vinyl records to other kinds of media storage.
Asui Tsuyu. Frog. Had once found a clown dead in the woods but it was okay because she was pretty sure it had been evil. Obi Wan was… concerned… that most of the class nodded in agreement with that assessment, with even Katsuki declaring, “Everyone knows clowns are fucking evil!”
Aoyama Yūga. Navel Laser. Enjoyed clothes shopping and “montaging” , whatever that was.

The only person not to volunteer, who Obi Wan had to call on, was Midoriya.

“Uh… Midoriya Izuku. I… I’m-“ he muttered in a quick and quiet voice, “quirkless. For interesting fact I have a rare misprinted All Might-“

“Quirkless?” Kaminari exclaimed. “Did you say you were quirkless?”

“…yes?”

“But… you’re in the hero course!”

“… yes,” Midoriya said, shrinking in on himself.

“You were there when Blasty blurted it all out,” Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes.

“Shitty Deku got in on a technicality or affirmative action or some fucking tripe like that!” Bakugo declared.

Obi Wan narrowed his eyes. “Bakugo, if you insult and mock your classmate again you will receive detention.”

“I’m not insulting the little freak!” Bakugo bellowed. “I’m telling the truth! He’s just a fucking loser without a quirk who thinks he’s better than he really is-“

“Like you?” Ahsoka snapped back.

“You’re comparing me to Deku?!?”

“And finding you don’t stack up. Considering you can’t go 10 seconds without screaming at someone how did you ever pass the final part of the entrance exam?”

“Listen here, Shit Horns-“

“Bakugo,” Obi Wan said sternly, narrowed his eyes at the young man. “I mean it. Detention if you insult anyone again. Ahsoka… one more word. Just one.”

The two glared at each other before settling back in their chairs and Obi Wan made a mental note to talk to Anakin about his padawan and her temper and… oh, who was he kidding? With Anakin he’d probably think Ahsoka was too nice and teach her new Hutt Curses.

“Yes,” Midoriya said, drawing attention back to himself. His essence in the Force flared out with confidence thanks to Ahsoka speaking up for him, making him square his shoulders and stand without slouching. “I don’t have a quirk. And I will be a hero.”

“Dude… why ya so nervous?” Kirishima said, a large smile forming on his lips. “That is so MANLY!”

“I agree!” Yoarashi said rather loudly, pumping his hand up into the air. “To have such drive and passion to do what is right, even when so many would say you can not? That is the will of a true hero!”

“Hey!” Kaminari said in a panic. “I have nothing against quirkless people! I… I just thought that UA required you to have a quirk, that is all.”

“Quirk, quirkless, villain quirk, heroic quirk… none of it matters,” Tokoyami said sagely. “All of us dance along the edge of the abyss which cares not who we are.”

“…what he said,” Asui replied simply.

Once that was done Obi moved to the table that was in the center of the lecturing area and pressed a button, causing a screen to slowly lower down behind him. “Now then, for today’s class we are going to observe some footage of heroes in action. These clips will show a wide variety of crimes a hero will see in their career: simple muggings, hostage situations, block-destroying villain attacks, rescues, so on. What I would like you to do is list everything that did wrong.”

“Wrong?” Ida said, raising his hand in the air. “Sensei, clearly you are mistaken. Unless they failed to stop the villains how can you say they made a mistake?”

Obi Wan considered that for a moment before crumpling up a piece of paper. “My goal is to use my quirk to throw this paper into the trash can.” He focused and the ball easily lifted from his hand, floating over to the trash can… only for him to suddenly send it flying about the room, causing people to scream and cry out as it divebombed them. Some ducked, others tried to bat it away, and others merely watched in surprise. Finally though the ball fell into the trash can neatly.

“Would you say that I was successful in throwing that away? Or that while I achieved the goal I utterly failed in doing it neatly?” The class stared at him, the answer rather clear. “A hero is just a person. Flesh and blood, no different than any of us. They aren’t perfect and there is always room to grow. Even I can learn, to realize I have made mistakes. The same with any hero.”

He looked about the room, gauging their reactions. He of course expected Ahsoka to understand what he was getting at, as it was very common for Padawans to review missions with their masters, going over the high points and the lows. Not just their own but of other Jedi, to learn and grow from the trials and errors of others. He was a bit surprised to see Midoriya nodding in agreement; oh, he knew that Rex had been training the boy but the Captain had also admitted that Midoriya had a bad case of hero worship, much like the rest of the world. Then there was Todoroki. He didn’t nod his head in agreement or scowl in disgust… rather he just sat there, staring at Obi Wan. He would have thought him utterly emotionless if he couldn’t feel swirling in the Force his well hidden surprise… and pleasure.

He knew. He understood. Heroes weren’t perfect.

But it was just those three.

In fact everyone else in the class was staring at Obi Wan as if he had declared that the sun set in the east, rose in the west, and that the best way to live was the fill their lungs with salt water.

“I know it is difficult to accept that heroes make mistakes. From the moment you were born you were told that heroes were… larger than life figures. That they were all knowing beings, perfect in every way.” Obi Wan had heard as much said about Jedi back in his galaxy. “But heroes make mistakes. They are flawed. A good hero learns from their mistakes. A great hero learns from the mistakes of others before they repeat their flaws. That is what we are going to do today… yes?” He pointed at Kamakiri, who seemed to be vibrating in his chair, wanting to be called on.

“I thought we were here to learn how to be heroes. Not… study tape and fill out forms! How are we supposed to save people if we aren’t going around learning how to fight.”

“You will be learning to fight,” Obi Wan assured him. “I am not trying to make it seem like all we will do is sit in here. But just as you can’t drive a car without learning how to turn it on, you can’t be heroes without understanding how to save lives.”

“Then let us go out and fight!” Bakugo yelled, leaping to his feet. “Come on, this is fucking ridiculous! Maybe these fucking extras need the special ed courses… Deku does, that’s for sure… but I don’t!”

“So you believe you are without fault?” Obi Wan asked, raising an eyebrow. “That you are already a hero.”

“Of course not!” Bakugo declared, honestly surprising Obi Wan. Apparently for all his hot-headedness the boy did know his limits. “But I’m here to learn how to be a fucking hero and you don’t stop bad guys by sitting in a chair studying footage.”

“No… but you do learn how to be a better hero than those out there by doing so.”

THAT caused Bakugo to pause and Obi wan reached up, stroking his beard to hide his smile. He had him.

“Every great hero learns from studying those that came before. Ahsoka, Anakin, and I all use a… support item… called a lightsaber. It is a blade of energy that can cut through many materials. It is very effective when coupled with our quirks. When I was a student there were six forms. Think of them like martial arts… judo isn’t the same as kung-fu, for example. There was a seventh but it was seen as villainous and no hero should use it… until one man, Mace, developed a version of his own that was seen as heroic. As for me I mastered Form III, which was designed entirely around defense. It uses as little energy as possible so that I can tire out a foe with little risk of exposing myself. I sought to master it after… well…”

He stopped, remembering a face of red and black with burning yellow eyes, and the gasp of his master.

“…I sought to master it. I studied the form, watched old battles that used it, practiced it again and again until it became as natural as breathing for me. I didn’t even truly understand what I was doing until Mace and I discussed it. He commented that everyone said he was a great hero because he had created a form. However he felt I, who had taken a form everyone knew and made it my own so that I not only stood above my peers but all those that came before… was the one that was truly great.

“That is what we are going to do here in this class. I am going to teach you all to surpass every hero that lives now… and lived since the dawn of quirks.” He pointed at Ida. “Your brother… he is Ingenium?”

“He is,” Ida said with pride.

“He is a great hero?”

“He is.”

“I will help you go beyond him. The same for each of you. You will learn from those that came before so that when you become heroes you will already be planets beyond them.”

Bakugo sat down.

“Heh, why didn’t ya just say that?”

Obi Wan chuckled.

“Now… let us begin, shall we?”

Chapter Text

“Alright, quiet down,” Aizawa stated and at once the class fell silent. After the day before, with the man making it clear that he expected them to be attentive and at the ready for anything, none of the students were going to get on his bad side by refusing an order. Even Bakugo, to Izuku’s surprise, quickly fell silent. Of course for as brash as his friend could be Izuku knew that in the end he DID follow the requests of teachers… to a point.

Though Izuku wondered how long that would last. If their homeroom teacher didn’t do enough to prove himself, to make it clear that Bakugo should… well, not respect him as Izuku had come to realize that his friend didn’t respect people so much as group them into the categories of Enemy, Challenge, or Worthless… listen to him, then Bakugo would not.

Aisawa looked about the room. “Hmmm… only six of you realized I was here before I said a word. Tomorrow it will be 15 or you’ll all get detention.” Moans filled the air at that but their homeroom teacher didn’t even react, just staring them all down with the same bored gaze that he always seemed to wear. “In the field there will be times that you will be forced to work with an inexperienced hero. When each of you begin fighting villains YOU will be the ones that don’t know what to do and makes mistakes. It is the duty of an experienced hero to quickly correct those mistakes and cover for any errors. You watch out for the weaker heroes and make sure they know what to do. And when they fail… you fail.” He shot them all a dark look. “Do you understand?”

Izuku quickly nodded, as did the rest of the class, but he could already tell that many of them were thinking about just who would be the weakest links and need to be kept an eye on. He shrank down in his chair when he felt Bakugo glared daggers at the back of his head, even though Izuku had actually noticed Aizawa coming in and quickly fallen silent. A glance over at Ahsoka though made him feel a bit better as she merely rolled her eyes and smirked at him.

“Now then, with this being the third day of class we need to handle some… frankly busywork.” Aizawa let out a tired huff. “I want you hellions to decide who is going to be your class president and vice president.”

The class erupted into chatter once more and Aisawa just stood there before finally activating his quirk, causing everyone but himself and oddly Ahsoka to stiffen; Izuku didn’t know why she didn’t go silent when her quirk was erased. Maybe it was the extra training she went through with her mentor Anakin?

“Enough,” Aizawa stated. “While it is true that Class President and Vice President are good titles to have on your resumes when you begin applying to hero agencies they aren’t the be all, end all. They also require you to take on extra work… if you don’t think you can handle that speak up now.” He paused, letting that sink in. “There is nothing wrong with admitting what you can’t do. Good heroes understand their limits. You have till the end of homeroom to decide. Keep it down, I’m going to take a nap.”

And with that the man walked over to his desk, pulled out a sleeping bag, and promptly curled up into it and went to sleep.

“…is it wrong I kind of want to shave him?” Ahsoka asked.

Ashido gasped before pressing her hands to her mouth, giggling like mad.

“Tano!” Ida exclaimed. “That is not proper at all! We must show our professor the respect he deserves!”

“Like the respect he shows up by going to sleep rather than teach us?” Ahsoka asked and Izuku couldn’t help but mentally nod his head in agreement at that.

“While I know that there are many that can pull off such a bold fashion statement,” Aoyama said with a saucy little smirk, “I don’t think that our teacher is one that can do it.”

“He does have that ‘sleepy bum’ thing going for him already,” Shoji said… or at least Izuku assumed he did. It was hard to tell, what with the student creating a mouth on one of his arms rather than speaking from his… did he even have a mouth under his mask? ‘And if he doesn’t how does that work? Does he still eat food like everyone else? Where is his esophagus? And if he doesn’t eat food like the rest of us how does he get nutrients?’

“Enough!” Bakugo roared, firing off several small explosions to get everyone’s attention. “The only answer is to make me Class President! I’m the best in the class!”

“Oh yes, that will work out real well,” Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes. “You have such WONDERFUL patience…”

“I have the patience of a saint you stupid bitch!” Bakugo roared.

“Yeah, so saintly,” the orange teen replied.

“I’ll fucking kill you for that!” Bakugo leapt forward only to be restrained by Asui and Kirishima, who pulled him back even as Ahsoka folded her arms over her chest and flashed him a condescending look. “Let go of me you shitty extras! I’m going to blow that smirk right off her face!”

“Show of hands,” Ahsoka said, “who thinks that our class president should have the restraint NOT to threaten to murder a fellow classmate because they paid them a compliment?”

Bakugo glowered at them all and Izuku knew that, had this been their old middle school, everyone would have kept their hands down. But this was UA and many of the students in their class had been the top dogs at their own former middle schools and thus weren’t cowed by glares. At once nearly 3/4th of the class raised their hands.

“You shitty fucking extras!” Bakugo snarled, finally freeing himself from Asui and Kirishima’s grasp. “What, you think YOU should be class president, Shit Horns?”

Ahsoka though quickly shook her head. “No. No no no no no!” She waved her hands about. “I have enough on my plate! I don’t need that placed on me!” She shuddered. “I’ve seen how Master Kenobi gets when trying to lead entire battalions… I am happy to just remain a student, thank you very much!”

Bakugo blinked at that, surprised by her comment before he scowled. “You think you are so much better than us that you can’t be bothered being our class president?”

The orange teen stared at him for a long moment before looking at the others. “Okay, while someone else deals with the Exploding Menace’s delusions who here has done the whole Class President thing before?”

“I have!” Ida declared, chopping his hand stiffly through the air.

“Great. Could you please go over what is actually EXPECTED of a Class President?”

“Of course!” Ida declared before adjusting his glasses. “A class president takes on many roles. They will assist their teachers in managing the class, including but not limited to field trips, all school events, and volunteer programs. They act as a representative to other classes and the public; for example, if we needed to arrange something with Class 1-B it would be the class president who would do so.” He began to tick off points. “Class President and Vice President look after the well fair of their fellow students, making sure that they are healthy not just physically but mentally and spiritually as well. They also-“

Izuku looked over at Bakugo who had begun to look more and more disgusted the more Ida talked. As he began to describe sharing circles Bakugo turned and stomped back to his seat, sitting down with a huff.

Ahsoka nodded when Ida finally finished. “Are there any other former class presidents that want to chime in?”

Yoarashi leapt to his feet. “I have nothing to add!” he shouted. “But I would like to thank Ida for his detailed explanation! Well done!” He raised his hands above his head and began to clap, several others finally joining him.

“Alright,” Ahsoka said, having decided to take charge. “So assume that everything Ida said is going to be a lot worse for whoever is Class President and Vice President. We are hero students so they are going to expect more from us, including this. And this isn’t going to be fun and games either… like Mr. Aizawa stated if one fails we all fail… so if the President isn’t up to the task it affects all of us.” She narrowed her eyes, sweeping her gaze over the class. “Now then, who does NOT want to be considered?”

“Uh… I think I’d like to be left out,” Ochaco said, raising her hand. “I’m looking to be a rescue hero so I really don’t need to build up any more prestige.”

Ahsoka nodded. “Okay, so you can help record all this.” She pointed to the white board that hung in the front of the room. “Write down everyone who isn’t interested.” Ochaco nodded and quickly hurried over, grabbing a marker and writing down herself and then Ahsoka’s name. “Anyone else?”

Izuku thought about it before deciding not to say a word; while he wasn’t for sure if he’d be the best person for it, due to a lack of experience, he had no problem doing it if the class decided to pick him.

Asui and, surprisingly, Bakugo were the next, with the Frog Girl stating in a matter-of-fact tone that she dealt with enough coddling when it came to her siblings and Bakugo declaring that “Frog Bitch is right, I’m here to be the best not hold your fucking hands”.

Jiro, whose ears were audio jacks, was next to say she had not interest, followed by Kamakira and Kaminari. Shinso just said dryly that he didn’t care who they picked and laid his head down, going to sleep, while Yanagi quietly admitted she wasn’t interested. That opened the floodgates of people deciding that they didn’t want the extra work, Ochaco hurrying to write the names down.

It was Todoroki who was most surprising, as he simply stated, “My father would want me to be Class President” before confirming to Ochaco that he understood that he was requesting NOT to be on the ballot.

In the end that left Aoyama, Ashido, Ida, Komori, Yaoyorozu, Yoarashi, and Izuku as the only ones left who were interested in either position.

“Okay, so how do we decide who to go with?” Kaminari asked. “Battle? They could battle. We have 7 people so if someone else wants to throw their name back in we could have a sparring tournament!”

“I don’t think skill in the ring should determine who is Class President,” Yaoyorozu stated. “This is more administrative than anything.”

“Well, why don’t we tell people what we’d do if we were president?” Ashido said with a beaming smile. “And then everyone can vote!”

Ashoka looked around. “Anyone have a problem with that?” When the rest of the class shook their heads she began to point to people and ask why they wanted to be class president. It was… interesting to say the least. Aoyama and Ashido seemed to think it would be all fun and games and while a few people grinned at their suggestions for days out having fun he could tell that much of the class was thinking about how it would affect their futures as heroes if they didn’t have a professional Class President. Ida had to be cut off by Ahsoka when he began to ramble about all he would do to ensure they did their best while Komori surprised him as she seemed as bubbly as Ashido but also brought up a lot of good points, such as stating that she would ask about who were the class presidents for Classes 2-A, 2-B, 3-A, and 3-B and get suggestions from them. Yaoyorozu stated that she had some business experience so that would come in handy but also stated that if she wasn’t selected she would be happy to help out whoever was chosen. And Yoarashi dramatically declared that he would help them become the best heroes ever.

“Uh… I don’t know if I’d be the best person for this, honestly. But I would give it my all, if you selected me.” Izuku smiled and quickly sat down, ducking his head nervously after that.

In the end he managed to get a few votes but the picks were clear. Komori became Class President while Ida just managed to squeak out past Yaoyorozu for the Vice President position.

“Good,” Aizawa said the moment they had selected, causing them all to jump. “That means we can get started early with today’s task.”

“And what is that, sir?” Ochaco asked.

Aizawa sighed, it clear he wasn’t looking forward to what was going to happen next, and Izuku felt worms swirling in his stomach. Was it going to be a test? Something that would determine their future? Maybe-

“Its time for you to get your hero costumes.”

Chapter Text

Tenya wasn’t surprised that he was the first one out of the changing room. Even with him taking a few extra minutes to double check every latch and buckle on his costume he had still beaten everyone else in getting out to gym. Of course he had an advantage they didn’t, in that he had experience with his costume.

“Oh!” Kirishima exclaimed, emerging from his changing room and rushing over to Tenya. “Your outfit is amazing!” Tenya found his normal steely resolve breaking slightly and he smiled at the praise. “I didn’t think about you having a ton of armor… I thought you’d go for something sleeker. Tight fighting and al that. But I guess when you are going at high speeds you need to protect yourself.”

“That is correct,” Tenya stated. “The armor of course is smooth and aerodynamic to help me achieve the speeds I need to maintain but it is also designed to protect me.”

“Bugs in teeth?” Kirishima asked, glancing at Tenya’s helmet that was tucked under the tall teen’s arm. The Engine-Quirked teen grimaced for a moment, which earned a grin and a laugh from Kirishima. “Yeah, I bet a lot of people don’t think about that. I know that I had to think carefully about my hero costume… when I use my quirk my skin gets hard and spiky. It isn’t as bad on my legs but my upper body gets real bad. Thus-“ he waved at his exposed chest.

“My quirk forces similar choices,” Yaoyorozu stated as she stepped around the corner from where the girl’s locker room was. Tenya wished in that moment he had put on his helmet, as it would have hidden the sudden blush that came over his face at the sight of his classmate and her very revealing outfit. While he was used to Aunt Nem and her costume she was, well, Aunt Nem. There was nothing appealing about her to him. But Yaoyorozu? “Thanks to me needing access to my fat deposits my parents decided this would be the best outfit for me.”

“You’re… parents?” Kirishima asked, clearly surprised.

Yaoyorozu smiled softly at that. “Yes. They worked with the best specialists to determine that this would be the best outfit for me and my quirk.” She glanced at Tenya and he knew at once she was silently begging him not to correct her. “Honestly I wish I could have gone with armor like you.”

“Bugs in teeth,” Kirishima said with a smirk.

“It is also to deal with the dangers of falling,” Tenya said. “You know how painful a scrapped knee can be imagine it at 60 miles per hour.”

“Eeesh,” Kirishima declared with a grimace. “You must be used to that armor, having gotten it on so quickly.”

“This is the first time I’ve worn this,” he admitted before hurriedly adding, “I am not bragging though! I only know how to put this all on quickly because it is based on my brother’s armor!”

Kirishima blinked at that before he smiled. “Oh! I should have recognized the design! You’re brother is Ingenium, right?”

“He is!” Tenya said with pride. “Because our quirks are so similar I decided to go with similar armor. Alterations, of course, since our engines are in different places, but close.”

“Heh, that makes sense!” Kirishima stated. “Oh, looking good Tano!”

Tenya turned to see Tano walked over to join them, though she didn’t look to be in the best mood. Her costume was dark blue in color, very muted but that made sense considering her orange skin and white head. It was a sleeveless body suit with a small shirt and a brown belt with white armor on her chest and back as well as white boots and bracers. All of those had orange accents upon them that matched her skin. Hanging off her belt was a silver cylinder, her only visible support item.

“Thanks,” she admitted, rubbing her bare arm. “Though I wish I could take this armor off.”

“You didn’t choose to have armor?” Yaoyorozu asked, raising an eyebrow.

“My… cousin said I had to have it and Master Kenobi agreed. They haven’t liked that I didn’t have armor for a while now and used this as an excuse.” Seeing their looks she let out a sigh. “I’m not used to fighting in armor. I’ll have to adjust everything.”

Tenya found himself interested in everyone’s reasonings for their outfits but didn’t really get a chance to say much as a steady stream began to leave the locker rooms and thus he was left with only his own thoughts. Some of the outfits seemed rather outlandish in his opinion (Why was Yanagi wearing a short bathrobe?) and others looked impractical (Aoyamo and his cape… Tenya would never understand the love of capes, having even thought All Might’s caped costumes were rather foolish and wasteful; grandma Edna would have had a fit if he wore a cape!). A lot showed off more skin than he thought was proper (and not just the women but Bakugo with his bare arms).

Just when he was beginning to feel overdressed though Midoriya exited decked out in his outfit.

He too was wearing armor, but unlike Tenya who left from above his knees to his pecs unguarded Midoriya’s entire body was covered in plate that was as white as fine china. Under that was a black body suit and just like Tenya he had a helmet under his arm though his was more bullet shaped. A set of holsters were on his hip, each with a small gun, and on his back was a black gun that looked like nothing Tenya had ever seen before.

“What the fuck is all that, Deku?!?” Bakugo demanded. “I’ve seen your shitty drawings of your dream costume… what the fuck is that?”

“Well… uh… I drew those when I was three years old. I changed my mind as I trained.”

Bakugo opened his mouth to say something but before he could Yoarashi popped up between them, wrapping an arm around Midoriya and giving him a shake. “That is more than okay! When I was 5 years old I thought my hero outfit would be based around birds! No one knows what they should do when they are a child!”

Tenya swore he saw Bakugo’s eye twitch.

“I suppose with you not having a quirk armor is a smart thing to have,” Ashido said.

“That is very rude to bring up!” Tenya scolded her.

Midoriya though merely smiled. “No, it’s okay. I don’t have a quirk… my mentor made me realize that it’s better to accept that. ‘Never deny who you are… that way no one can use it against you’.”

Tano chuckled at that. “Rex has been listening to Master Kenobi.” She walked over and looked Midoriya over carefully. “Been a while since I saw standard Trooper armor.”

“Standard armor?” Kaminari asked.

“Yeah,” Tano stated. “Where I’m from many of the… er… heroes wear standard armor like that.” She looked at Midoriya again. “But usually they customize it.”

“I’m a Shiny,” Midoriya stated and Tano merely nodded.

“What’s a shiny, Izuku?” Uraraka asked.

Midoriya smiled, tapping his breastplate with his armor. “See this armor? It’s a plastoid-alloy composite. See how it clean it is? It hasn’t been in battle yet. So I’m a Shiny. When I’ve been in a fight then I can be considered a trooper and troopers are allowed to begin customizing their armor.”

“That’s so manly!” Kirishima exclaimed. “A rite of passage!”

“Customize?” Tenya asked. “You mean like different colors?” He supposed that made a bit of sense… some heroes, such as All Might, had gone through several different outfits; he knew that while most heroes tried to keep their hero outfits the same, so as to not cause their agencies problems with them having to update publicity stills and website graphics, others like to change up their costumes to help boost merchandise sales.

“Yeah,” Midoriya stated. “It’s a rite of passage. When a trooper has proven themselves able to stand with their brothers and defeat their enemies they are allowed to make the armor their own. The more experience you get the greater allowance is made for you.”

Ahsoka reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “This is Rex in his armor.”

Tenya looked over to see a man in armor that clearly was of the same style as Midoriyas but was also vastly different. An armored kilt-like piece, dark blue paint… it was like an evolution of Midoriya’s armor.

“Is that Dualshot?!” Shoji asked as he looked at the image. “You are being mentored by Dualshot?”

“Who the fuck is Dualshot?” Bakugo demanded.

“He’s a new pro hero,” Ahsoka said. “He hasn’t fought much crime because he’s been training Izuku but where I’m from he was one of the best heroes. Master Kenobi, him, and Sir Steel work together.”

“Bull shit!” Bakugo complained. “If he were so great we’d have heard of him! And no fucking way would someone who’s an actual pro want to train fucking Deku!”

“I assure you-“ Kenobi said from behind them, his words colored with slight amusement but also with enough cold aloofness that made Tenya instantly spin and stand at attention, “-he is a skilled warrior. And he has been training Midoriya.”

“So maybe don’t speak out on thinks you don’t understand, kid,” Aizawa stated, moving to stand next to Kenobi.

“I’ll fucking-“

“One more word and its detention,” Aizawa declared.

Bakugo stared at him for a long moment, explosions flashing in his eyes… but not on his fingers. And that had nothing to do with their homeroom teacher’s quirk.

“Aw, look at all you cuties!” Kayama gushed, the R-Rated Hero smiling as she swept her eyes over the students. “Isn’t always so nice to see the little ones dressed up in their costumes?”

“They aren’t trick r treaters,” Aizawa complained. “They are future heroes.”

“Can’t they be both?” Kayama teased.

Kenobi held up his hand. “Now, you might be wondering why all three of us are here.” The class all nodded, careful not to speak up because they knew that doing so would upset their homeroom teacher. “Today we are going to give your hero outfits a… stress test… as it were.” The class all frowned, glancing at each other. “This is the first time you are wearing your costumes. Some of you presented detailed instructions on what you wanted your costume to be like… others gave a basic description of your powers to the support companies and they designed what they thought would be best. But what they think works may not be best for you.”

“They only care about flashy designs and not keeping you alive,” Aizawa grumbled.

Tenya saw several students suddenly begin pulling on their outfits, nervously looking about.

“Now, now, no need to make them scared,” Kayama stated though somehow she made her comforting words sound saucy and dangerous. “For most of them there will be small tweaks.”

“But,” Kenobi said, still looking at them, “for others there may be large changes.”

Aoyama raised his hand. “But what if we don’t want to have a change?” He waved his cape. “I for one am pleased with the design I have!”

“That might be,” Aizawa said, “but you won’t be pleased when you are wearing it at your own funeral.”

“We will work with you to make sure that the changes meet your approval. But there are things you aren’t even aware exist that you might wish to incorporate into your costume.”

“What do you mean?” someone, Tenya couldn’t tell, asked.

Kayama, much to Tenya’s surprise, lost her confident smirk. She glanced away from them, biting her lip, before she quickly forced herself to look strong and powerful once more. As for Aizawa he seemed bored while Kenobi… well, he didn’t look angry. Stern. That was probably the better word for it. Stern.

“There is a student in Class 1-B who has an invisibility quirk,” Kenobi stated. “The support companies decided that despite there being DNA-infused fabrics the best idea was to give her boots and gloves.” The students blinked. “JUST boots and gloves.”

Tenya blushed as he realized what Kenobi was saying… while other students frowned, Ashido asking what did it matter since she was invisible.

Kenobi shot her a look. “Being invisible won’t keep you from freezing in winter.”

“Or a villain grabbing something they shouldn’t,” Aizawa added.

“…oh,” the pink girl said weakly.

“Excuse me,” Yaoyorozu said, raising her hand. “What are DNA-infused fabrics?”

Kayama answered. “It is a recent invention… only about three or four years old. Using a bit of your blood and hair a support company can create fabrics that react to your quirk.”

Kenobi nodded. “In the case of the student in question the outfit will be invisible as well, meaning we can provide her armor that is hidden under the fabric and it will be invisible, providing her with much needed protection… as well allow her gloves and boots to be invisible and thus remove the need for her to ditch those as well.”

“OH!” Midoriya exclaimed. “Is that what Mt. Lady’s outfit is made up of?”

Before Keonbi could answer Kirishima spoke up. “So you mean if I had a shirt that was DNA-infused it would harden with my skin?”

“Most likely,” Kenobi said. “I am told there are some variations but it does work. It might also just stretch with your spikes.”

Tenya saw several of his classmates perk up at that.

“Now then, we are going to be doing some standard exercises; running, climbing wall, and general obstacle course work. Throughout the class we will be calling each of you over to give our impressions of your costumes and what changes and improvement can be made… as well as get your opinions upon them. For those of you with support gear this will be your chance to try them out and determine if they meet what you need.” He smiled. “Now then… let us begin.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Remember, we don’t want to destroy any themes they are going for,” Nemuri said ten minutes into the class.

Shouta rolled his eyes. “Themes are for the vain and lazy.”

“Ahem,” Nemuri said, gesturing towards her own outfit.

But Shouta merely shrugged. “That is only a theme because you tell everyone it is. Change your bodysuit from flesh color to something else and no one would be able to tell you are supposed to be based on a dominatrix. I’m talking about heroes that go so far onto theme that it becomes impractical.”

Obi Wan, who had been the one Nemuri had been addressing, finally chimed in. “I will remember. I know that things are different on this world than they were in my galaxy. And even then there were plenty of people who found ways to stand out.” He paused, rubbing his chin. “Midoriya’s armor is based on Mandalorian Armor. One Mandalorian, Jango Fett, was the template for all the clones. The Mandalorians are far more decorative with their armor than even the clones. Colors stand for their beliefs, they have a wide array of weapons, and I have met many who worked to greatly alter their armor, as it is passed down through families and thus a son or daughter might wish to push themselves beyond father or mother.” He chuckled. “There was one who decorated his with bones of beasts he slew, with two great horns coming off the top and a cloak held in place by a beast’s skull.

“But it is important to me that these children be given the protection they need. It was a mistake the Jedi made. Our robes are a part of us, ceremonial… and that worked well when we lived in a time where a lightsaber was only drawn for demonstrations within the temple walls. But on the battle field they tangled up limbs and got in the way…” He tapped his own armor. “So changes were made.”

“Well, I’ll be here to make sure you don’t make all these little cuties bland and dull,” Nemuri said with a smirk. “Ready to call the first one?”

“I think so, yes,” Obi Wan stated. “Todoroki.”

As the teenager with half red/half white hair walked up Nemuri leaned in. “He is the son of the Number 2 hero… I doubt we’ll be able to make many changes.”

Shouta nodded. “He also refuses-“

“To use my fire,” Todoroki stated simply, showing that Aizawa hadn’t been whispering as low as he thought he had been. “And I won’t.”

Obi Wan nodded. “Of course.” Shouta shot him a look but Obi Wan merely shrugged, not looking away from Todoroki. “You have decided it is not best for you. It is not for me to judge that. Quirks can be used for good and for evil and if you feel that using your fire is a danger then I, and everyone else, have no right to force the issue.” He paused. “I can not say if you should use it as I don’t know enough about your quirk but if you ever decide you wish to try let us now.”

Todoroki, for a brief moment, seemed startled by that. Startled for him, at least, as his eyes widened just for a moment before he became cold and aloof once more. Obi Wan found it rather impressive… had Todoroki been a Jedi he would have complimented him on his mastery of his emotions.

“Is your costume working well?”

“It is as my father wished.”

Aizawa frowned. “Your father isn’t the one that has to wear it. And your father doesn’t have an ice quirk.”

“You don’t have to request anything,” Obi Wan said. “But… should you mention something and the school decide that it would be wise to have it as a part of your costume then we could demand it be added. Your father would have no say. And you wouldn’t be blamed.”

“Perhaps a bit of shielding on your left arm?” Nemuri asked. “We could make it ice themed. White armor, crystalline in appearance?”

“…if you thought that best.”

Obi Wan smiled. “I will contact the support company.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“You mentioned that DNA infused fabric,” Kirishima stated. “If it could work with my skin, protecting it…” He paused. “I mean, I don’t feel much when my skin is hardened but if I’m not running around like that 24/7 its gonna get a bit nippy.”

“Yes,” Nemuri said with a chuckle,” that can be a problem on late night patrols.”

Kirishima blushed at that. “Right.”

“We can look into it.”

The teen nodded before looking at Obi Wan’s shoulders. “And, uh… the gear I have look cool but…” He reached up and rubbed his cheek. “They keep bouncing into me when I swing my arms. Could I maybe get new shoulder pieces like yours?”

There was a cry of pain and they all turned to see Shoji waving one hand about, Midoriya looking down at his chestplate.

“Of course,” Obi Wan said, having a feeling that clone trooper armor would be a popular request.

~MC~MC~MC~

He frowned as he looked at Yanagi’s outfit. “The robes are a bit short… are you okay with that?”

The girl was quiet for several moments. “I thought about having them be longer but they might get in the way.”

“There are ways around that,” Aizawa stated. “You are mostly going to use long range attacks but there are close quarter styles that wouldn’t require you to use your legs much.”

Obi Wan nodded. “And there are fighting styles that would allow you to stay in place, conserving movement.” He paused, stroking his beard in thought. “Do you carry anything on you?”

“What do you mean?” the quiet girl asked.

“Well, what if you found yourself in a room with nothing to use your quirk on? What would you do?” She stared at him. “My quirk is similar to yours.” He held out his hand and Yanagi watched as he lifted up one of the sparring dummies that had been set up and easily lifted it into the air before thrusting out his hand, sending it flying into a wall. “And my student, Anakin, also has a similar quirk. He suggested once that one could carry loose bits and pieces… nuts, bolts, those sorts of things, that could be used as weapons if trapped. What if we gave you a few pockets that would contain such things?”

“OH!” Nemuri said, eyes lighting up. “Ribbons!”

“Ribbons?” Aizawa said warily.

“Yes! Ribbons with metal filaments to make them super strong… similar to the capture tape we use in exercises! She could have them tucked in her robes and if forced into close combat fling them out to wrap up her foe.”

Yanagi bobbed her head up and down. “Yes… that might work.”

“It would stick with your ghost theme but also offer you protection… and allow you to have longer robes.” Nemuri giggled. “Oh, the boys are going to love the thought of you haunting their dreams!”

Obi Wan and Aizawa shared a look.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I’m not getting rid of the collar!” Ashido declared before Obi Wan could say a word. “It’s fashionable and it goes with my Alien Queen vibe. That’s gonna be my hero name, by the way: Alien Queen.”

Nemuri though frowned at that. “I don’t know… with your looks it might not-“

But Obi Wan cut her off. “There will be time to discuss that later. Actually I was going to suggest sleeves.”

“Sleeves?” Ashido asked. “Why would I need sleeves?”

Aizawa looked over her shoulder. “Todoroki? Use your quirk on Ashido’s upper body.”

“WHA-“ the pink girl got out just before she was hit by a wave of cold. Obi Wan caught her as she fell forward but at once she was shivering, teeth chattering away. “Ok-k-k-k-kay. I s-s-s-s-see your p-p-p-p-point!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Ida stood perfectly straight and at attention. “I believe that it would be wise to add some sort of armoring along my stomach and thighs!” he declared loudly. “Not full plate but is there a ballistic weave that might work?”

Obi Wan nodded… and wondered if he shouldn’t introduce some meditation classes in order to get the students to calm down a bit.

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan hadn't been sure if Yaoyorozu would come to them or not; on one hand he did find her outfit to be rather distasteful for someone so young but he also knew that many species didn't shy away from their sexuality. Even Ahsoka, a Padawan, had bared her midriff. And Master Aayla had never liked wearing Jedi Robes, choosing to don leathers that showed off much of her skin. So he had been ready for Yaoyorozu to bypass them completely and was rather pleased when she came up to them, rubbing her arms awkwardly.

"Do you think that the DNA infused fabric would work for me?" she asked, looking at Aizawa. "I know I need to access my skin in order to use my quirk-"

"If it doesn't there are other options," her homeroom teacher stated.

"Like?"

He flashed a rather creepy smile, in Obi Wan's opinion. "Velcro."

Yaoyorozu blinked at that before letting out a groan.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Feh, I don't need any changes," Bakugo declared with a huff. "My outfit is perfect!"

"Very well then," Obi Wan stated. "I was only going to suggest modifying your bracers-"

"You think I'm fucking weak?!" the blond roared. "I can handle my fucking quirk! Just because you have some shitty quirk and have no hope of being a Top Ten hero-"

Obi Wan waved his hand. "You want to stop screaming at me."

Bakugo blinked, his rant halted. "I... want to stop screaming at you."

"You want to go sit down for the rest of the class and think about why accepting help is a sign of weakness.”

"I want to go sit down for the rest of the clas and think about why accepting help is a sign of weakness."

Obi Wan watched the boy almost robotically walk away before looking at Nemuri and Shouta. "Perhaps not the proper use of the Jedi Mind Trick-"

"Actually I'm wanting to swap with you," Aizawa commented, eyes wide with surprise and admiration.

~MC~MC~MC~

Shinso looked at them with heavy eyes. "I... honestly wasn't for sure I was getting in so I kind of threw this together."

"Its good," Aizawa stated. "Dark colors work well... I assume you want to do underground work?"

"I'm up anyway," Shinso admitted. "Insomnia."

“Don’t limit yourself,” Obi Wan said. “You would make an excellent negotiator for hostage situations.”

"You need something that will allow you to take on far away targets," Nemuri stated.

"I'm not good with aiming things," he admitted. "I couldn't even fire off a kosh ball."

Obi Wan's brow furrowed at that but thankfully Aizawa spoke up, saving him from looking like a fool. "I have an idea... I want you to meet with me Saturday, if you can. I want to try something with you, see if you'll be good at it."

The purple haired teen nodded quickly.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Not calling on Midoriya?" Aizawa asked as he watched the quirkless teen work with Ahsoka and Uraraka. The two girls would lift up things in the air using the Force/quirk and Midoriya would then fire at them with his blasters. After about 5 minutes of that he had called for them to up the stakes and they had began throwing the items at him, forcing him to dodge and fire at the same time.

"Trooper armor is something that doesn't come from a support company," Obi Wan said. "Rex and Anakin forged that... he'll go to them. Same with Ahsoka." Thankfully Ahoska hadn’t pulled out her lightsaber yet; all three teachers knew they’d have some disappointed kids when they rejected requests for their own.

Nemuri watched as several students glanced at them before returning to their exercises, clearly wanting to be called on to discuss their costumes. Those that already had were quick to tell their friends the suggestions the three teachers had made and slowly what had been seen as scolding from the teachers had become a chance to really improve their hero outfits.

“This is going to be an interesting year to be sure,” Nemuri said with a smile.

Chapter Text

“Well,” Quinlan said, leaning back in his chair, “that was something.”

Bant leaned forward, dropping her voice to a whisper. “But do you-“

“Why are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Whispering? Why are you doing that?”

“Because I… don’t want anyone… to hear me?” she said slowly.

Quinlan laughed at that, the sound like a thunderclap to the Mon Calamari’s senses. “Please! No one can hear us! You think I chose this booth because of the cushions?” He paused at that. “Okay, I chose it because of the cushions too because they are damn nice but I also chose it because this booth has sound dampeners. If you need to talk about private stuff this is the place to do it!”

The bar that Quinlan had insisted they have the meeting in was a dark seedy place that one found on almost any planet that had a shadowy underbelly. She wasn’t quite sure such establishments were built so much as they grew like mushrooms after a heavy rain, popping up complete with liquor that would curl one’s toes and shifty bartenders who didn’t care who you were so long as you didn’t cause any trouble. The booth Vos had selected was in the far back corner, under a light with half its bulbs burnt out. But the cushions weren’t ripped and the table had been clean and when she’d been given an aqua it had actually come in a clean glass.

Bant frowned all the same though at Quinlan’s cavalier attitude. “But can you be sure? What if someone has it wired up or something?”

“You’ve been reading too many holodramas, Bant,” Quinlan said with a smirk.

“She is wise to be cautious,” the third member of their party chimed in, his gravelly voice making Bant’s skin feel like it had been hit by an electrical probe. “You are much too lax, Vos.”

“And here I’d have thought you’d like that!” Quinlan retorted, glancing at the Duros who was nursing his drink. “You are always complaining about the Jedi being too cautious! ‘I hate waiting for them to stumble into my traps’.”

Bant forced herself not to shudder at that reminder that the third member of their little group had a reputation of being willing to go against Jedi. While there were plenty of criminals willing to put hits out on knights it was rare to find a being that was able to do so with success.

Cad Bane was such a being.

“One can exist in the middle,” he stated and though his tone was sharp Bant didn’t sense any true rage or hate from the duros bounty hunter. Quinlan had assured her Bane was a ‘good little blue egg’ and that he’d only taken the contracts to hunt down Jedi because it was his job.

“After all,” he’d told her when she’d first raised the issue while Bane was getting a drink at the bar, “the Council has had me do just as shady shit.”

That had gotten her to shut up; the Council was still a bitter subject for Bant and Quinlan knew it. Damn him but he did. And it worked well.

Bant decided to get things back on track. “But you believe me, right?” She stared at Quinlan, trying to project through the force not only her belief that it was real but why she did. That it wasn’t sadness over Obi Wan’s death that was driving her to grasp at straws but rather hard fact. He had been in that room, there was a flash, he was gone, then the explosion. She had seen it and she needed Quinlan to see it as well.

“Sometimes Jedi think everything can be explained by the Force,” he said with an almost lazy tone. “That there aren’t any true mysteries left in the universe… just actions of the Force that we don’t quite understand.” He lightly tapped the datapad that lay on the table. “But that isn’t true. There are other powers out there that are just as alien to us as the Force is to most of the Galaxy. It’s arrogant to think that our power is the answer to everything.”

“…then…” Bant said, needing to hear the words.

“Damn it all, Bant,” Quinlan said with a frustrated groan. “I mourned for the bastard and now you show me it was all for nothing!”

She let out a sigh of relief. “He isn’t dead.”

“…no, he isn’t,” Quinlan finally stated. “But,” he quickly added, “that doesn’t mean we can begin throwing parades just yet. Obi would have let us know if he were alive and well… so whatever took him isn’t letting him get a message back.”

Bant chanced a glance at Bane who merely scowled at her. “If you are wondering if the Separatists took them… I have no idea. We don’t go around and have dinner together and discuss our feelings. There are no play dates between me and my clients.” He paused. “And even then… I’ve not gotten work from them for nearly 4 months.”

“You haven’t?” Bant asked, surprised. “Why not? You’re the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.”

Bane had been ready to say something biting to her before she added that last part. It caused him to lean back and nod. Bant wasn’t lying either… Cad Bane had been a well known name in the Republic for over a decade. He and Jango Fett had battled it out for the title of Top Bounty Hunter for just as long. The only reason the Republic hadn’t hired Bane was his costs were far too high. Having him bring in someone, dead or alive, was more than the gross output of some planets. The Separatists though seemed to be hemorrhaging money, throwing it out like mad, and thus could afford his high rates.

“Yeah,” Bane said with a slight smirk. “But the thing is…” He paused, jaw working as he chewed on his words, considering them carefully.

It was Quinlan that spoke. “Something is going on with the upper leadership of the Separatists. Namely from the turncoat whose name rhymes with Blueku.”

Bant motioned for him to continue.

“I’m not sure what is happening myself… it’s all very hush hush. Most nobody on either side realizes it.”

Bane chimed in. “You have to look for the little things… the pieces that separately tell you nothing… but together point to only one thing.”

“What do you mean?” Bant said. Solving mysteries, unless they were medical, had never been her strong suit in her training.

“Dooku has an apprentice that he sends out to deal with troublesome Jedi.”

“Asajj Ventress,’ Quinlan stated. “I haven’t seen her in a while.” The way he smiled worried Bant greatly.

“That’s because he has her doing other things. Not normal things. When she wasn’t running around sparring with the likes of you and your kind she is sent out to deal with the Separatists generals, to make sure they understand that when they take a planet they are to hold it. But the generals… they are getting lazy again. They aren’t worried. Orders for certain ship types also aren’t being put in… ships that Force users prefer. Ventress isn’t ending up in dangerous areas that would see her vehicles destroyed. Training droids are still being ordered… in fact at larger quantities.”

“Ventress isn’t getting the normal fights she used to get,” Quinlan mumbled.

“And tech too… hacking equipment. Dooku is worried about something and he’s sent his apprentice to investigate. And until he finds out what it is… he has put a hold on all bounties. Nothing for me to do.” He shook his head in annoyance. “And that is a problem.”

“Why not find something else to tide you over?” Bant asked.

“You think I haven’t tried? You think I enjoy spending my time with you? The Republic won’t pay me because they fear that I will sell their secrets to the Separatists.”

“And you wouldn’t?”

Bane smiled at that. “Maybe… if things were assured. But right now either side could win… and I don’t like biting the hand that gives me my credits.” His smile fell. “But your Republic doesn’t understand that and you Jedi are too noble.”

“Not me!” Quinlan said with a beaming smile. “I have no problem paying Bane.”

“I wondered why he was willing to spend time with you,” Bant teased before looking over at Bane. “Dooku and the Republic though can’t be the only people willing to buy your services.”

“They are though… now they are. This war… its changed things. No Separatist General is willing to hire me because they know that Dooku can pay enough to have me stop whatever contract I’m currently on and go do his work. And they don’t want to have to wait… impatient lot, all of them.”

“The Hutts?” Bant asked, curious.

“The Hutts have an agreement with the Republic. They don’t want to have them accuse them of breaking the treaty by working with me. The Pykes don’t want to get involved with any of them, either side. Hiring me could piss off Dooku or make the Republic think they’ve sided with him.” He leaned back in the booth. “So I’m stuck with Vos.”

“I’m paying you well,” he stated. “And from the Council’s own slush fund… that has to make it all more tasty for you.”

Bane considered that. “Yeah… yeah it does.”

Bant wasn’t surprised. When Jedi went on missions, at least before the war, it wasn’t unusual for them to get gifts passed to them. All of these were turned over to the Council unless they could justify keeping them; sentimental value only and it had to pass several investigations to ensure there was no attachment that could lead to the Dark Side. A photo. A small knickknack. Obi Wan had a bowl of river rocks. All the rest was then sold off, sometimes back to the very people who had given up said items (it was utterly classless to give someone money… but give them a relic you buy right back? That was dignified), and the funds put into a slush fund that all Jedi could draw on. Bant herself had used it to help buy a ship for herself, Threepio, and Artoo, as well as the investigators needed to find Quinlan. Thankfully she’d been able to track him down within a day, before the Council realized what she was doing and cut her off; that was the trick they normally used to get Jedi back in line.

But Quinlan wasn’t most Jedi and as such the Council wouldn’t think much of him draining so much to get Bane to talk with them.

“So we need to figure out exactly what happened to them,” Quinlan said. “It might be the Separatists… but it could also be the Republic.”

Bant WISHED she could have been shocked by that. She truly did. But the War had shown her so much about the galaxy… and there were days where she honestly understood the Separatists wanting to go it on their own.

“Only way we find out is looking into that spot where they disappeared,” Bane said, pulling out a toothpick and sticking it between his teeth. “And that isn’t gonna be easy. The Separatists… if they have this footage… they are going to be investigating themselves. The planet will be locked up tight.”

“You can’t get us through?”

Bane shook his head. “No… this going to require something else…someone else.”

Quinlan and him shared a look.

“What?” Bant asked.

Her fellow Jedi smirked though at the Bounty Hunter, never turning his head towards her. “You think they will work with us?”

“They are in this to help the Republic… but they aren’t loyal to the structure of it all. That was the whole reason they were created. Damn… they might as well do it just for fun.”

“Then it’s to Kamino then,” Quinlan reasoned. “That will take some time… I should withdrawal more funds, get you paid now.”

“You should,” Bane agreed.

Bant looked at Bane, confused, as Quinlan got up. “What is on Kamino?”

“Not what… who. The Republics even dirtier secret.” He leaned forward. “Have you ever heard of Clone Force 99?”

Chapter Text

“So, what are you going to be doing today?” Anakin asked as he set a plate in front of Padme.

Or, rather, the serving platter he set before her.

“Well, first off I’m going to be trying to digest this meal!” she replied, staring at the massive breakfast Anakin had provided her. What appeared to be a full carton’s worth of eggs; scrambled, fried, and hard boiled. Bacon piled up like lumber. Sausage in both patty and link forms. Toast from half a loaf of bread. A bowl of each of their favorite cereals… and she was pretty sure Obi Wan’s too (and it still amused her that for all his serious Jedi Ways he loved the cereal that featured the breakfast-stealing rabbit). A bag of apples that had been cored and sliced. Coffee, Orange Juice, Tea, and water. “Anakin…”

“You are getting ready to take Yagi’s quirk,” Anakin said simply. “Your body is going to need all the calories it can get in order to be ready for that and that means eating a good breakfast!”

“I can’t eat all this much!”

“Well, eat as much as you can and I’ll give out the rest.”

“…to who?” she asked with a teasing smile even as she selected some toast. “I doubt there are homeless people on the street begging for bacon.”

“You never know,” Anakin said with a smile just as Ahsoka came in from her room, yawning. “You were up late.”

“I was not,” Ahsoka said only for Anakin to shoot her a dark look. “Okay, I was up a little late playing video games but I’m fine.”

“You aren’t fine, you are tired. You need your sleep in order for your body to recover from all your training from the previous day.”

Ahsoka shot him a look as Padme handed her some of her breakfast. “I am going to burn your therapy books.”

“…you are only lashing out due to your lack of sleep,” Anakin said simply. “Which proves my point.”

“Gah!” Ahsoka exclaimed in frustration. “Fine I’ll… bury them in sand!”

Anakin just stared at her. “Huh?”

“Bury them in sand.”

“And?”

“You hate sand.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes you do,” Ahsoka said. “Because it’s rough and coarse and gets everywhere.”

Anakin just stared at her blankly.

Padme, for her part, frowned even as she munched on some of Obi Wan’s cereal (and swore never to admit that it was very good). “You don’t remember saying that to me?”

“Saying what?” Anakin said in confusion.

“You compared me to sand. How I was soft and smooth?”

He crinkled his nose at that. “I did?”

“You don’t remember? It was when we were at the lake house.”

“I remember finding you pretty but I don’t remember anything about sand.”

“…are you serious right now?” Padme complained. “You don’t remember talking about how you hate sand.”

“Not at all. Sand is sand. I mean I prefer not wandering around in the stuff… and yeah it does get everywhere… but it’s not that big of a deal.”

Rex chose that moment to enter, Obi Wan just a step behind with Nemuri trialing after them both. “What isn’t a big deal, Anakin?”

“Sand,” he said.

Rex growled low in his throat. “Bloody hell, I hate that stuff. It’s rough, and coarse, and gets everywhere.”

Padme and Ahsoka looked at each other and then back at Rex.

“What?” the clone trooper said.

“How did you know that?”

“About sand?” Rex asked. “Every brother knows about it. Horrible stuff. Give us muck any day-“

“See!” Anakin proclaimed. “You probably heard it from Rex and confused it with me.”

Padme stared at her husband. “I think I know the difference between you and Rex.”

“Do you? Everyone says we look alike.”

“The hair, I believe,” Obi Wan commented, snatching a particular bowl from Padme. “Silly rabbit, Trix are for Jedi.”

Padme though was so befuddled by everything that she could only stare at her husband in shock. “Ani…”

“Padi…” Anakin said with a sugary sweet tone only Padme was so flustered by everything she wondered if that really was her nickname and she’d forgotten that too. Anakin leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Don’t ever share embarrassing stories with Ahsoka again.”

“You… you…” Padme sputtered.

“Thanks Rex,” Anakin said.

“Not quite sure why you wanted me to say that, Anakin, but no problem,” the trooper said.

“Just teaching people a lesson.” He looked over at Ahsoka who was staring at him with a mixture of surprise, annoyance, and respect. “So Snips, what are you up to today? Other than being tired after playing video games?”

“We are heading to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint,” she said, quickly bouncing back from Anakin’s prank; she was honestly used to her master pulling crap like that; unlike Padme who really only saw Anakin as all gooey and soft.

“The… what now?” Anakin asked, confused.

“The USJ is designed to simulate different disasters that might happen,” Nemuri said as she grabbed some fruit from Padme’s platter; it had become a rather common thing for her to join the group for breakfast, ever since her and Obi Wan… well, in Anakin’s opinion they were dancing about becoming a couple but his master was too stupid to realize it. “Floods, earthquakes, fire, so on. It allows heroes in training to practice in controlled environments.”

Anakin frowned at that. “Is that safe?”

“Controlled environment,” Obi Wan echoed. “It’s perfectly safe, Anakin. I went through the simulations myself. At the highest setting. We did worse when you were a Padawan.”

Ahsoka let out a huff at that. “It’s not like we’ll be actually participating. Obi Wan convinced Mr. Aizawa to have this be just a demonstration.”

“He was right,” Nemuri admitted. “We have been rushing students through it these last few years… you need the fundamentals first. We’ve had some injuries-“ Anakin started at that, looking ready to grab Ahsoka and run away as quick as he could, “-caused by students not knowing their limits. Straining muscles, quirk fatigue, so on. Nothing they didn’t recover from but it wasn’t wise of us.”

“It’s no different than how you learn to use a lightsaber,” Obi Wan said.

Anakin, remembering those days of starting out with lightsabers that couldn’t even cut anything and were little more than expensive glow sticks, scowled at that before looking at Ahsoka… and suddenly being filled with dread at some of the injuries she could have gotten if she had performed the moves he had tried when he was a Padawan to Obi Wan. Worse for her because she would have been much littler than him…

“Baa baa baa!” Baby Ahsoka cooed as she gummed the lightsaber.

“Coo, or coo not. There is no babble,” Yoda told her.

“Are you okay?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shuddered. “Obi Wan, I am sorry I was such a reckless Padawan.”

“…I don’t know what brought that on but thank you?”

Padme decided to just ruefully eat her breakfast.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Sand is annoying,” Yagi stated as he waited for Padme outside the changing room. He had on one of his All Might outfits, one of the ones designed to stretch when he went from his frail Skinny Form to his Hero Form. Thus it wasn’t a baggy mess though he still wasn’t pleased with it. He still felt too fragile. Too thin. Too beat up. He felt his age. It was part of the reason why he was so hopeful that Anakin’s artificial organs would work… and why he was willing to give up being All Might for them. He would miss being a hero but a few hours as a hero barely managed to make the rest of his time as a sickly man worth it.

“Don’t you start,” Padme groused from the changing room, causing Yagi to chuckle. “I swear, ever since we were able to be open with our marriage Anakin has gotten far too…”

“Playful?” Yagi asked.

“That’s one word for it.”

“I suppose that is how married couples are,” Yagi stated. “Or at least the good ones.” He thought of some of the heroes he’d met, who’d married for fame or money or… darker reasons… and how they never seemed as happy as the ones that married for friendship or love. “And you do prefer not having the hide, correct?”

“Yes,” Padme admitted. When she had fully committed to taking on Yagi’s quirk she had brought him into the secret of her and her friend’s (‘family’ her mind whispered) origins. It was only fair… she knew his biggest secret he should know her’s. Yagi had been rather startled that she was an alien but had accepted quickly enough and besides a few questions about her world hadn’t ever really treated her any different.

“I can’t imagine being a hero and being told that you couldn’t be with the person you wanted to be with,” he said. “It seems so… odd to me.”

Padme sighed. “The Jedi… they have a long history of doing battle with the Dark. Not just dark siders but their own darkness. Anakin doesn’t talk about it much… I don’t know how much he knows of their history, to be honest, but I did some research after the Trade Federation Blockade and many of their rules were to try and keep them from falling to the darkside. Based on what caused the greatest of them to turn from the Light. But I think they went too far… I just never said a word because it didn’t feel right. After all I didn’t have their powers so how could I judge them? But being here, in this world, where there are heroes mightier than the Jedi… I see that while they had the right idea they went in directions that only caused heartache and grief.”

“That doesn’t mean that didn’t have some wise ideas,” Yagi stated. He thought of many of the young heroes, the ones that were desperate the climb up the ranks… for all the wrong reasons. “People… people think I’m naïve. They tend to forget how old I am. I’ve been a hero for nearly 30 years but there are people who think I’m not even 30 years old. So they think I am young and I’m stupid and I don’t notice things.” He paused, smiling slightly at that. “I admit I let them think that at times. It gets me out of a lot of trouble… and pesky annoyances. But I see how the hero society currently is, Padme. Too many are in it for glory or fame. I think of villains like All For One and wonder just how many heroes currently trying to get into the Top Ten would turn tail and hide if he were still around. The Jedi… their rules of having no possessions… I wonder if the world wouldn’t be a better place if heroes were like that. More concerned with saving others than their next paycheck or sponsorship deal.”

“Maybe we can learn from each other,” Padme said. There was a long pause. “Did you… ever think about getting married yourself?”

Yagi was quiet for a long time.

“You don’t have to answer.”

“…thank you,” he said softly. “It’s… an old hurt.” Especially the fact that he had never been a father. That… that hurt him greatly. “I… wouldn’t mind… once my time is done as All Might… to adopt.”

“Adopt?”

He nodded. He hadn’t actually thought about it but the moment he’d said the words they felt RIGHT. “I was an orphan. Nana… she was more than my teacher… she was what I imagine a mother being like. I would like to be that for a child. The father they never got.” He paused. “I know you are a woman grown, Padme, and you were the one to suggest we say that you are All Might’s child but-“

Padme chose that moment to step out of the dressing room and Yagi nearly coughed up a belly full of blood. For all the right reasons.

The outfit had been designed to resemble his original hero costume while not being a clone of it. The blues were much lighter than he’d ever worn before; not quite a baby blue but also not the dark blues that Yagi preferred. But that worked well with the dark golden colors that bordered on burnt in terms of tone that served at the main highlights of the costume. There was no white but rather a pale gray that shimmered like silver as it ran up her chest and to her shoulders, trimmed with red. The same crimson color made up her mask and the blonde wig she’d selected came down around her face and to her shoulders with two small tuffs that, while not as large of Yagi’s own hair in his All Might form, still spoke of their connection.

“Well?” she asked. “What do you think… dad?”

At once Yagi bulked up to his muscular form.

“I think the world is ready to meet my daughter,” he said huskily, holding his hand out to her.

~MC~MC~MC~

“This is going to be SOOOOO cool!” Ashido proclaimed, bouncing up and down in her seat only to let out a yelp when the bus suddenly took a sharp turn and she ended up falling into Jiro’s lap. “Well, that wasn’t cool… but this is going to be cool!”

“You can get off of me any time,” Jiro said dryly and Ashido let out a weak chuckle and quickly got off her fieldtrip partner.

“Sorry… but aren’t you excited?”

“Ecstatic,” Jiro said blandly.

“…aw, you truly are excited!” She twisted in her seat so she could look behind her at Ahsoka and Uraraka. “Are you two excited?”

“Would you fucking stop asking people that?!” Bakugo snarled from the back of the bus. “Who the fuck cares if Shit Horns and Round Face are excited?”

“We are SOOOO excited,” Ahsoka said in a mocking tone. “In fact we should squeal and giggle about it the entire rest of the ride. OMG. LOL. Stickers and unicorns!”

“Fuck you Shit Horns!” Bakugo roared.

“Learn some new insults, Boom Boom!” Ahsoka fired back.

“This is going to be a long day,” Shinso muttered to himself, not even bothering to open his eyes as he tried to use his backpack as a pillow.

“Well, it’s going to be interesting,” Midoriya said, trying to be diplomatic about the situation. Yes, it had been a little… extreme… how excited Ashido was getting but he could also understand why she was excited. “The USJ is one of the premier training arenas in the world. It’s not just for UA students… plenty of pros like to go there and try out new super moves and develop rescue strategies.”

“I’m going to be underground,” Shinso countered. “I’m going after drug pushers and thieves. Stopping murderers and rapists. I’m not going to be rushing into burning buildings.”

“You don’t know that though,” Midoriya countered. “What if you discover an arsonist in the middle of burning a building down? Or a drug lab explodes? What do you do?”

“Call for back up, like a sane hero should,” Shinso argued. “My quirk isn’t designed for dealing with natural disasters and elemental threats.” He finally cracked one eye open, shooting a dark look at Midoriya. “What am I supposed to do, brainwash the fire?”

“No,” Midoriya admitted, “but you can learn how to deal with the situation. Figure out how to get out of there safely. That’s something.”

“…hmm, maybe,” Shinso said only to start when Yoarashi suddenly popped up from behind them, placing a large hand on each of their shoulders and giving the two a shake.

“Midoriya is right!” he declared. “A good hero must be ready for anything! You may believe that you are destined for the Underground but perhaps your true talents will lie in something else! Same with me! Same with everyone else! We must be prepared for that and this field trip will do just that!”

“Would you fucking extras shut up already?” Bakugo roared. “This isn’t any big deal! We aren’t even gonna get to run any of the simulations ourselves! We might as well be in class watching it on fucking TV!”

“That isn’t true though,” Yaoyoruzo stated. “Mr. Kenobi told us that we’ll be going through the scenarios.”

“After the fact,” Tokoyami replied. “We will merely be witnesses to the final carnage of darkness rather than battle within the shadows of destruction ourselves.”

“What Bird Shit said!” Bakugo proclaimed. “They don’t fucking trust you extras to be able to handle some shaking ground and some drizzle so those of us that CAN handle it are getting fucked over.” He huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “I should be learning how to be a hero, not watching glorified stunt shows. It’s because of you weaklings that they are doing this!”

“Or maybe,” Aizawa called out from the front of the bus, “it’s because not a single one of you has shown the maturity needed to gain our trust to do this. You can’t even stay quiet on a bus and you expect us to throw you into the tidal wave simulator or see if you can rescue civilians in the earthquake zone?”

“But didn’t UA normally start with the USJ training the first week for first year students?” Yaoyorozu ask. “I remember reading up on that when I was researching the school.”

“Yeah, we used to. And by the end of the year you lot WILL have run through it all. But it’s been decided that the first time you go there you should have an understanding of what you will face, that way you can be mentally prepared.”

“Obi-Wan’s suggestion,” Ahsoka muttered, Midoriya nodding in agreement.

“I can fucking handle it!” Bakugo roared, leaping from his seat, tiny explosions forming on his fingertips which caused those seated in front of him to quickly duck away lest they be caught in the blast zone. “You think I can’t? I bet I could do better than fucking you!”

“And you’ll have a chance to prove that,” Aizawa stated. “Next time you go. But this time you are going to watch several pros run through the course so you can see what they do. And then we’ll walk the disaster zone and see how good your situational awareness is.” He paused. “I take it back… there won’t be a next time if you don’t sit down and be quiet.”

Bakugo trembled at that, outraged, but after several moments he finally took his seat.

“That goes for the rest of you too,” Aizawa stated. “I don’t want any trouble from any of you. This isn’t a game and it isn’t a chance to try and earn bragging rights. This is a simulation of life and death situations and you WILL respect that.”

And with that the bus fell silent.

Chapter Text

"So, what do you think of them?" Nemuri asked, settling down next to Obi Wan. While Aizawa was down in one of the main USJ enviro-domes with his students, watching as Thirteen and guest hero Kamui Wood showed how someone weak to fire should deal with a 3 alarm blaze, Obi Wan had decided to stay up in the control room, monitoring the students.

"Excited," Obi Wan said. "Eager. Hungry to get out there and fight."

"I get the sense that you aren't... thrilled with that," Nemuri said, glancing over at him.

Obi Wan sighed. "They have no idea what the world is really like. How much they are going to look back at this time, when they were safe and protected and there were others who could shoulder the burdens they are so eager to take on... and long for them desperately."

"Come on, being a little glum there, aren't you?"

"Look back at yourself when you were their age. Did you truly understand what it was like?"
Nemuri's smile fell. "No... no I didn't." She slouched in her chair. "Back then we all saw it as a game. Like... you have video games in your world?"

"Not the kind here," Obi Wan stated. "But I know of them thanks to Snipe."

"Snipe?" Nemuri asked, intrigued.

"When we'd arrived on Earth Snipe showed us the different gaming consoles that existed, figuring that we needed to keep ourselves entertained. I'm not sure what to think of them... I enjoy some quite a bit but others are a bit too... absorbing."

"Ahsoka and Anakin?" Nemuri asked.

~Two Weeks Ago

"Stop kill stealing!" Padme screamed, sitting cross legged on the couch, a headset with mic pressed against her cheek as she gripped her controller. "I swear if you snipe another person I am going to hunt you down and violate you with the rustiest blade I can find!"

"Then get better!" Dustinator314 said over her headset.

"Oh, I am better! You're just too pathetic to actually make a kill on your own!" She snapped her head towards Anakin when he made a little noise from where he sat in the armchair. "WHAT?!?"
"...I can't decide if I'm scared or aroused," he admitted.

~MC~MC~MC~

Nemuri gestured towards the students. "When I was their age it all seemed like a video game. People didn't die... not really. NPCs died. We were... we were the heroes of the story." She shut her eyes. "It wasn't until Oboro that we realized just what being a hero meant."

Obi Wan nodded, not pressing her on who Oboro was; he could tell that just mentioning his name caused her distress, as her signature in the Force flickered with grief.

“They think they understand what it is like. That they’ve watched enough heroes fighting villains that they know what to do already. That the ones who died… they were careless or stupid or weak.” Obi Wan shook his head. “So many Jedi Knights died during my life and there are very few I would have ever placed myself above… I still can’t for some.”

“Obi Wan…”

“Master Sifo-Dyas was blessed with visions of the future. I am too, though not nearly to the level he was. And mine came in dreams while his would appear in his mind during his waking hours. It made him one of the greatest saber masters in the order, for there were times that he could see one’s attack before they made it.” He shut his eyes. “We still don’t know how he died but I truly believe he was betrayed by his closest friend, Count Dooku.

“Master Yaddle was wise… but also kind. Master Yoda did well with the younglings but for the newly made knights she was the one you went too… I was told as much by other knights. I never got a chance to speak with her because she died suddenly. We still don’t know what caused her death.

“My Master, Qui Gon Jinn, was a rebel and a maverick. People think he hated the rules and wanted to do things his own way but they don’t understand him at all… Master Qui Gon respected rules but only those that made sense to him. He had his own honor code and would never break that. He was a skilled duelist and one of the sharpest minds I’d ever met. Until I became a knight he had the best closure record in over 150 years.”

“Obi Wan…” Nemuri said again.

But he continued on. “People say he died to a Sith. But he died because of his hubris. He believed that he could defeat that Sith Lord… I think he was ashamed at how he needed to be helped when he first confronted him. His master had always believed the Sith would return and thus Qui Gon was willing to accept before anyone else that they had. And he knew the Dark Side. It was… a personal thing for him, to deal with those that strayed from the light. So rather than wait for me he charged ahead… and I had to watch him be stabbed because of that.”

Obi Wan waved at the window, gesturing at the students. On the monitors she could see that Bakugo was screaming about something while Inasa merely stared him down with a cocky smile that was clearly revving the explosive blond up. Aizawa was doing his normal thing of allowing the students to push to the very edge of the boundaries before snatching them back while the rest of the class watched, some trying to get Bakugo to calm down while others stared in rapt attention.

“Look at them all. Ida is too obsessed with rules. He’s rigid and unbending… which means that every time pressure is put on him it will cause cracks to form. If he doesn’t see a mind healer soon he is going to snap and when he does he’ll either leave the hero business behind or do something he’ll regret. Denki has allowed people to call him stupid so much that he believes it himself and thus he doesn’t even try, which only creates a self fulfilling prophecy.” His mouth twisted at that and Nemuri knew there was a story there. “Uraraka believes she can just be a Rescue Hero and thus doesn’t really need to know how to fight… I hope Ahsoka can get it in her head that the medics are the ones that see the most fighting because a Hero who doesn’t go into combat doesn’t save lives… they cart away the dead. Bakugo… I am half tempted to allow him his wish to try one of these simulated disasters. Perhaps send him into the avalanche zone. Let him see what happens when the world refuses to back down just because he screams and rages.”

“That’s why they are here though,” Nemuri said softly. “To learn.”

“Yes… and we are here to send them off to be injured. To be broken and beaten. To die.”

Nemuri finally shook her head and stood up, grabbing Obi Wan’s hand and tugging him up. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Pardon?” Obi Wan said, confused as she suddenly snapped out of her quietness and thus broke him out of the melancholy he’d begun to feel.

“You’ve made me rather depressed with all your talk of what the future holds. And thus the only way to move past it is to focus on the present. And I plan to do just that… and get you to do the same.”

Obi Wan glanced back at the windows of the control room. “But we should really-“

“We should really go get something to eat!” Nemuri said with a teasing smirk, batting her eyelashes at him. “Come on now… I can tell you are someone who has lived his entire life doing exactly what they were told. Don’t you just for once want to be naughty?” She nodded towards the door. “Let’s go play hooky.”

Obi Wan considered what she’d just said for a long moment before flashing a smirk that so many Separatists knew all too well… and had come to fear because it usually meant that things were about to shift from victory to failure.

“Well then, my dear, lead on. You can be my guide to… naughtiness.” He used the force to snag his carry-all.

“First we need to get changed. I don’t want to be mobbed by fans today. Would defeat the whole purpose of us sneaking off.”

“Of course,” Obi Wan said. “Though I suppose that will give me time to compile all the tales of when I wasn’t a perfect little Padawan.”

Nemuri laughed at the two left the control room.

A half hour later they were completely off campus.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Thanks for coming out with me for this, Rex,” Anakin said he switched lanes. They’d finally managed to get out of the city and onto some roads that weren’t choked full of cars and thus Anakin was allowed to cut loose. The car was brand new, bought with the first check he’d gotten from the Japanese Government for his prosthetic foot design. He’d wanted to start with organs, as there were people that were dying out there right now without them, but it had been pointed out to him by his friends that the technology was new and unproved. And Anakin didn’t have a medical degree… yet. Nedzu had been pleasantly surprised to find out that all five of the new arrivals had enough knowledge to get several different doctorates… each. Anakin had already gotten one in engineering and he knew that Obi Wan had gotten one for teaching. Even Ahsoka could, technically, have gotten one in engineering (“No one is your padawan and doesn’t learn some things,” she’d teased).

But soon he would have his medical degree (about a year, tops, according to Nedzu) and by that point enough people would have tried out his prosthetics to see that they were worth the time and money.

He grinned as he reached down and grabbed the gear shift. The car had been an automatic when he’d gotten it but Anakin had that very first night worked to modify it. It now could shift between automatic and manual and had all sorts of extra switches and buttons that allowed him to tinker with the engine while driving, getting it to do exactly what he wanted.

Case in point…

“Uh… sir?” Rex said nervously as they went past 170 miles per hour.

“Come on Rex, you’ve ridden with me before,” Anakin said.

“In large troop carriers and star ships. Not open top cars.”

“You sound like Obi Wan.”

“The General is a wise man!” Rex said, sounding panicked as Anakin took a sharp turn, hands fluidly moving to the gear shift while he locked the steering wheel in place and flipped two switches before going back to the wheel. Rex let out a little moan or that might have been the car’s main structure, it was hard to tell. Anakin frowned a little as he checked over the dashboard, seeing that the engine was running a touch too hot for his liking. He began to think of ways he might be able to cool it down- “SIR!”

“What?” Anakin asked, almost bored.

“The GPS says we past our location.”

“Huh.” Anakin shrugged and whipped the wheel hard, feeling the joyous sensation of every organ in his body shifting as the car did a 180. Rex gagged but didn’t throw up which was nice because while Anakin hadn’t finished redoing the interior of the car (never something that bugged him that much, honestly, as he was all about the power and the ability to control it) he didn’t want to have to deal with a ride back in heavy traffic tainted by the smell of Rex’s half-digested breakfast.

Rex practically threw himself out of the car when Anakin came to a stop at the little wooded area. Anakin was far more leisurely, taking the time to flip everything off and check over the gauges and dials before getting out. He ran his hand over the body of the car before frowning at the tires. “Already almost bare,” he muttered. They had been brand new but his tests of the car had left them needing to be replaced. That made him sigh. “I really need to begin looking into hover technology. I can’t believe this world has people that can fly or run at super speed and they still use wheels.”

Rex, hands pressed against his knees, gave a weak nod. “Right.” He finally stood up and glanced at Anakin as he made his way to the trunk. “So, vigilante costume?”

“More like armor, to be honest,” Anakin stated as he grabbed one of the bundles that he’d tucked back there and began to lay them out on the back seat of the car. “I based it on designs I came up with for the Phase 2 armor.”

“Which no one went with,” Rex reminded him.

“Only because the Senate thought it was all too expensive,” Anakin stated. “And you are one to talk, Mr. Phase 1 Helmet.” Rex chuckled at that, having already gotten over the drive. He was good like that, able to bounce back after such experiences rather well. “And this is an even better design. All sorts of little tricks and traps set up for villains. And comfortable as hell… if these work I want us to see about installing them in your armor. Midoriya’s as well.”

“What did you add?” Rex asked.

“Micro enviromental units that adjust based upon your body temperature,” Anakin stated. “Problem with most internal cooling systems is if you are doing nothing you get too cold and then you have to turn them off. Then on again when you begin fighting. This adjusts automatically. Hot and cold so works well in snow. Air recycler. Ability to fully seal the bucket. Floatation bladders in key spots for aquatic work. Still working on a jetpack that can do all I want…”

“Why black?” Rex asked, fingering the long cloak that would finish off the outfit.

Anakin slipped off his lightsaber and picked up the second one he had completed on earth. “Fear is the path to the Dark Side, Rex. But ironically…” he let out a sigh, “and it this took me a long time to realize… but one of my greatest fears is the Dark Side itself. Not those who use it… but me using it.” He swallowed, looking down at the lightsaber. “I remember how scared I was when Maul chased me and Qui Gon to the ship. I could tell that Master Jinn was trying to hide his worry but it was leaking out and I was trying so hard to run… and then he caught up to us. I remember being terrified of him.

“Obi Wan… he doesn’t know that when I was 12 I hacked into the archives and viewed the footage of Maul killing Qui Gon. I just… had to see it for myself. And even though I saw Obi Wan kill him I still feared that he might return. To take Obi Wan from me. He nearly killed my master as well. And he did so gleefully, Rex. He was enjoying it.

“And… I get it. That’s the worst thing. I get now why someone would turn to the Dark Side. You guys might like to joke about my therapy books but Hound Dog and I have been talking a lot and all of that has let me see how if Qui Gon and Obi Wan hadn’t found me… I could have ended up just like Maul.”

Anakin activated the lightsaber, looking at the red blade, before quoting an old pre-quirk movie Ahsoka had insisted they watch.

“The Sith terrify me, Rex. Its time criminals share my dread.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“…I want to deck your master in the face.”

Obi Wan shrugged. “Yes, many people have that reaction to Qui Gon.”

Nemuri shook her head as she and Obi Wan walked down the street, trying to decide where they wanted to eat. They had plenty of choices as many people had gone to the All Might press conference, interested in what big news the hero had to share. Obi Wan wasn’t interested at all, considering he knew that it was to introduce Padme as All Might’s ‘daughter’ who he had decided to train to become a hero. Padme would do just fine without him there; she didn’t need his moral support to get through the event.

“He left you alone in a war zone, Obi Wan,” Nemuri said. “And the other Jedi… they did nothing to help you!”

“My actions-“

“Were correct!” Nemuri exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “Children were dying and you said yourself that a Jedi Master had been gravely injured there. And Qui Gon left you all alone? He was a horrible teacher.”

Obi Wan opened his mouth to defend his old master before slowly shutting it, truly thinking about what Nemuri said. “I suppose we all put our mentors on pedestals. I know Anakin does with me… I’ve heard him claim that I am the best duelist in the order and I’m wiser than Master Yoda… I am just a Jedi who tried to find his way through life when it seemed like the force was always trying to find new ways obstacles to throw in my way.”

Nemuri shook her head. “The Force and Qui Gon Jinn.” She huffed before finally spotting a restaurant. “Let’s try that.”

“A steak house?” Obi Wan asked.

“Normally I prefer light meals but your master’s shitty teachings have me annoyed. I need something juicy to sink my teeth-“

Obi Wan stopped, twisting away from her.

“What is it?” Nemuri asked, suddenly on high alert.

“Do you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?”

Obi Wan focused and Nemuri did the same, pushing away the other sounds around them as they stood on the sidewalk, looking for wasn’t right, what was out of place…

She suddenly heard it: a soft whimpering sound.

Obi wan darted forward, into a small alleyway that Nemuri was sure Aizawa would have frowned upon, seeing it as a choke point. The clean streets they had just left were at once gone and she was amazed to find piles of trash that had long been forgotten about, wet cardboard boxes… and a tall man wearing a leather jacket and rubber gloves, a set of tentacles wiggling out of the neck of his shirt, looming over the child they had heard. The man wasn’t making a sound, clearly knowing that the little girl was distressed, but that didn’t mean he was being gentle with her. It was clear, from the way he loomed over her, that he wanted to do nothing more than rip the little one from her place behind a dumpster and drag her away. Nemuri’s sixth sense, developed from years of dealing with similar situations, screamed that the girl wasn’t safe with the man.

“Hello there,” Obi Wan said cheerfully.

The man whipped around and Nemuri frowned as she stared at his face. She wasn’t sure if it was because of his quirk or just a hard life but his nose looked like it had been crushed into his face and his eyes were sunken in too, like a corpse.

When the man didn’t answer Obi Wan took a step forward. “And just what is the problem here?”

The man glanced at them both before trying to flash an easy smile. It was like taking a dead cow’s lips and pulling them away from its teeth.“My daughter ran off… just trying to get her.”

“Oh… I don’t think so,” Obi Wan said, still smiling, still keeping his tone light. “Even if I believed that she was your child I would never allow you near her.”

The man’s good natured tone changed, his sunken in eyes narrowing as he took a step forward. “You don’t have a say in this matter-“

Obi Wan’s hand came up and Nemuri tensed, ready for him to throw the man back with the Force. But instead he merely waved it in front of him. “This isn’t the girl you’re looking for.”

“This… isn’t the girl I’m looking for.”

“You are going to leave now.”

“I am going to leave now.”

“You won’t ever bother us or the child again.”

“I won’t bother you or the child again.”

“Move along.”

“Move along…” the man muttered, Nemuri pressing herself against the wall so he could pass. She looked back at Obi Wan but he had already moved to sit down on the ground near where the girl was, though she noticed that he allowed enough distance so that she didn’t feel boxed in.

“My name is Obi Wan Kenobi,” he said gently.

The little girl looked down at her hands, which were currently fisted around the material of her thin dress. It took a moment for Nemuri to realize that it was a hospital gown and Nemuri had the sudden urge to rip off her jacket and swaddle the poor dear. She must have been freezing… while it was an average fall day it was hardly weather for such a flimsy garment. Her little pale toes were scrunched up and her long silver-white hair fell like a curtain around her tiny frame. A stubby horn poked out of her forehead and it seemed like every moment she sat there she was trying to shrink into herself.

“Eri,” she whispered. “I’m Eri.”

“It is good to meet you Eri,” Obi Wan said. “Do you mind if I sit here?” The little girl shrugged, never lifting her head.

It was traumatized child aid 101. If they weren’t suffering a life threatening injury then it was better to let them do things on their own time. Trying to drag them out, even if it was for their own good, would only cause them to either run or fight and that could get them even more hurt. No… let the child dictate how things went.

Nemuri walked over and sat next to Obi Wan, making sure her movements were slow and telegraphed.

“I’m just going to wait right here with my friend, okay?” she said gently.

She had a feeling it might be a long night.

~MC~MC~MC~

“You know, normally I don’t agree with Blasty,” Ahsoka said, “but I do wish they’d let us take a crack at these rooms right now.”

Izuku shrugged. They were waiting for Thirteen to prep the next room and thus been allowed to chat amongst themselves. Ochaco had gotten into a conversation with Komari while Kirashima was trying to get Bakugo to talk about something other than how much he hated everyone. “I mean it would be fun but I understand why they don’t want us too. They are still learning what everyone’s quirk can do.”

Inasa, who’d been listening in, shook his head. “What we can do! Please get it right Midoriya! It is not all about quirks… you have shown us that!”

The green haired teen blushed at that. “I… I don’t know about that…”

“Come now!” the wind manipulator declared. “You have shown us that quirks aren’t the only thing needed to be a hero. I know that I myself have realized that I failed to take flexibility into account… the way you have moved through the obstacle course Mr. Kenobi set up for us… you were like an armored serpent! It was most impressive!”

Ahsoka chuckled at that. “He’s got you there.”

“I just-“

Everyone started when alarms began to go off.

“I thought I told you to silence those things,” Aizawa stated from where he was curled up in a corner.

“We did!” Ida declared. “I must talk with the manufacturer… if their system is faulty-“

“Its an emergency alarm, you fucking idiot!” Bakugo said, taking out his phone to see what had caused everyone’s devices to go off as one.

Ahsoka took out her own phone only to go pale.

ALL MIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE ATTACKED

CULPRITS CALL THEMSELVES “THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS”

ALL HEROES CALLED IN FOR RESCUE AND EVACUATION

MULTIPLE CASUALITIES REPORTED

~MC~MC~MC~

Author’s Notes-

The Readers Last Chapter: Oh man, the USJ is happening! The League is going to attack Ahsoka and Izuku’s class!

Mr. Chaos, standing in golden armor, holding up a mini sun: The USJ is going to be attack? Who decided that?

Chapter Text

“Well well well…” Kizuki said as she walked up to the familiar face that was standing at the edge of the swelling crowd, “what do we have here? You spend so much time behind that desk I thought your quirk caused you to be rooted to it.”

Miyagi merely reached up and adjusted his glasses. “I do have a life outside of news.”

“You could have fooled me.” The blue skinned woman glanced at him before looking about the crowd. “Seriously, you MUST tell me why you are here! I thought you’d moved beyond fighting in the trenches for a story.”

“Is that mockery I hear in your voice.”

“Only for that opinion,” Kizuki countered. “Everyone knows that the best way to get a story is to be right in the middle of it. No reporter ever truly captured the hearts and minds of their readers… or I suppose viewers in your case… by hiding far away from the action.” She smiled at him but only for a moment, her eyes turning once more to scan the crowd, to try and identify everyone in attendance. “So tell me… what made you decide to come out here for this.”

“All Might,” Miyagi stated.

“Well of course,” Kizuki said dramatically. “There must be more to it than that though!”

“Maybe his station just ran out of reporters, “ Tokuda said, the laid back reporter gliding up to the two. “Or maybe he decided he wanted to be here for whatever big announcement All Might is about to make.”

“Oh come now, it has to be more than that,” Kizuki teased, flashing Tokuda a smile that was a bit more predatory than it needed to be. Of course considering the history the two of them shared, with multiple scoops stolen and restolen from each other, that was to be expected. Honestly Tokuda would have been more worried if Kizuki had been all sweet and kind to him without any ulterior motive.

“This is going to be huge,” Tokuda stated. “Don’t deny it… you know that this is big.”

“You know I love chasing stories, no matter how small,” Kizuki reminded him.

“True,” Tokuda stated. “But all three of us know that All Might doesn’t do press conferences. The big guy likes to shoot off press releases from his hero agency. Unlike most heroes he’s not interested in giving us all soundbites. His last interview was years ago… he’s gone through five different costume changes since then! Big lug likes to dick with us.”

“You should be more respectful,” Miyagi said with a bit of disapproval coloring his words. “All Might is still the Number 1 hero.”

“You think I’m mocking him?” Tokuda stated. “The opposite! The man would rather be saving lives than giving interviews… I have no problem with that!”

“Yes yes, every hero should be like All Might,” Kizuki said with a roll of her eyes. In actuality she rather liked that there were so few heroes like All Might as it made it easier for her and her… associates… to work towards their perfect world when there were so many heroes willing to look the other way. Some even held sympathies with them, though they couldn’t ever admit it aloud. All Might simply was too straight laced to ever be a help to her and her association; he probably looked both ways before crossing an empty street and always used a coaster when drinking his plain milk. “So what do you think this is about?” Her eyes widened. “OH! You think he’s retiring?!”

“Never,” Tokuda stated.

“Don’t be so sure,” Miyagi stated. “All Might is getting up in years. He’s been active for three decades now… he must be in his fifties.” Thanks to how secretive All Might was and how well he had aged it was rather difficult to tell how old he was.

“So?” Tokuda asked. “Have you looked at the man? He still looks as fresh as when he first debuted!”

Before any of the reporters could say another world a dull roar filled the air and they looked up to see All Might stepping out of the building he’d clearly been waiting in. It was some nondescript office building, most likely chosen because it wasn’t affiliated with anyone or anything so there would be no claims of the hero using his status as the Symbol of Peace to give them a competitive boost. A small stage had been set up in front of the building and several people in suits, most likely from his agency or the Hero Commission most of the reporters assumed, were already seated as All Might approached the podium. As for All Might himself he wore his traditional red and blue outfit; his Modern Look as the Hero Fans were prone to calling it.

“I am sorry to keep you all waiting but now I am here!” he declared at the reporters. Though many of them jaded and hardened by their years of hard work in tracking down stories they still burst into cheers like they were children at the circus. He waited until everyone was quiet before he began to speak again. “Ever since I debuted in America there have been questions about me. I have read some of your theories… very amusing!” He grinned at that and some reporters laughed while others, who had made careers off those theories, shifted from foot to foot nervously. “I have in the past remained silent, as I have been more focused on being the Number 1 Hero and the Symbol of Peace.”

He paused.

“But now… I would like to tell you a bit about myself.”

The reporters all went utterly quiet. Tokuda sprouted several cameras from his body in order to get plenty of good shots while Miyagi took out a notebook and pen to scribble down information. Kizuki for her part merely hit the record button on her phone, wanting a copy of whatever All Might had to say.

“Many have wondered about my personal life. And many of you also know the only times I have ever spoke out against rumors were when someone tried to link me to another hero. I have always maintained that such falsehoods can cause aspiring young heroes to face burdens they should not. But… there is another reason.” All Might took a breath. “I was married.”

Every reporter would later swear it felt like the earth had stopped rotating.

It was a testament to how shocking the news was that no one even THOUGHT of screaming out a question.

“I will not reveal her name,” All Might said softly, the silence allowing his voice to carry all around them. “While she is gone now I do not wish to drag those that loved her into the gossip and scandal that can come from such a relationship.”

The utter PAIN in All Might’s voice made some of the battle hardened reporters want to weep. Others cursed their own professions for driving All Might to hide the relationship.

Others… were already planning to dig up any dirt they could on Mrs. Might.

“But… a piece of her lives on.”

The sadness and plotting disappeared.

“I have called this press conference to introduce you all to her.” He waved his hand. “Please say hello to Star Might… my daughter.”

The reporters began to scream out the held back questions at last thanks to THAT little revelation but at once went quiet again when they saw the woman in question walk out of the office building. She was a short woman, made even smaller by just how huge All Might was, but no one would ever DARE claim she was tiny. They could see from her tight costume that she was strong; if All Might hadn’t stated his wife was dead many of the reporters would have asked if the dead woman had been Mirko (a common theory when it came to who might share the Symbol of Peace’s bed). Her long blonde hair trailed behind her as she walked with confidence and grace to the microphone, pausing only to share a hug with All Might which caused a thunderstorm of camera flashes to go off. When they finally let go All Might stepped back and the woman, Star Might, stared out at the crowd.

At once Kizuki was struck by how confident All Might’s daughter appeared to be. There was none of the shyness or awkwardness so many young heroes had when they had their first interviews. No… Star Might stood there with the dignity of a queen. She made no move to deal with the reporters screaming questions at her; where others would have been flustered she merely stared them down, a mountain against a raging sea, the only movement she made being the quirking of a single eyebrow.

After about two minutes the reporters grew quiet, realizing that Star Might wouldn’t say a word until they acted like professionals. When they were able to restrain themselves to whispers she nodded and finally spoke.

“Thank you all for coming,” the woman stated. “My father and I thought it best that I answer a few questions, so that you might better understand who I am.”

The reporters began to shout again and once more she stayed silent until, at last, they all went silent and allowed each other the rare journalistic respect that sometimes flared up in their community and took turns in calling out questions.

“You are really the daughter of All Might?” one reporter asked.

Star Might merely said, “yes” and said reporter ducked down, embarrassed that he had wasted his chance on such a dumb question. She wasn’t rude about it but unlike All Might, who would have most likely repeated the very statement he had just given, his daughter merely confirmed before waiting for the next question.

“Where have you been all this time?” another reporter asked.

“With my mother at our home.”

“And where is that?”

“Naboo.”

Kizuki frowned at that, filing away the name so she might look into it. The Meta Liberation Army prided itself on knowledge, for it was said knowledge that allowed them to continue their work. To have a place exist that none of them had ever heard of be the home of All Might’s child? That was… worrisome. And for Kizuki it was already becoming an itch that she couldn’t quite scratch away. She wanted to know more about the place, where it was and who else lived there. What stories could they tell? Did they know who Star Might was? Did they know who her father was? Were there other secret hero children that lived there or had it been a place to hide away from the entire life?

“Why have you decided to reveal yourself now?”

Star Might’s smile dimmed slightly. “When I was growing up my family knew that I would be a target because of who my father is. He wanted to protect me and my mother so we kept ourselves away from the larger world. But I am able to handle myself now and with her passing I’ve decided that I should enter the larger world.”

Kizuki wanted to ask about that but someone else called out, “But you two have met before?”

“He’s my dad,” Star Might said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And Kizuki supposed for the young woman it must have been. She wondered what life with All Might as a father would have been like. Did the Symbol of Peace tuck his little girl into her bed and read her stories? Did he change stinky diapers and deal with spit up on his costume? There had been some who had noticed All Might decreasing his time patrolling; a decade ago he would spend days without sleep assisting in all manner of things but now he would be spotted only sporadically. It was why so many thought he was preparing to retire. But if he had a child…

“What will you be doing now that you’ve come to Japan?”

Star Might smiled. Every reporter had a feeling they knew the answer to that question, based on what she was wearing, but they wanted to hear her say the words. NEEDED her to say the words.

“I’m thinking of joining the family business.”

The crowd exploded at that, screaming a thousand questions at the young woman. She weathered it all, not leaning back or flinching from the sheer volume of the cries. Instead she merely allowed it to wash over her, unmoving, unflinching, and for many reporters they couldn’t help but wonder, even as they screamed out their questions, if this was a vision of their future, of the next-

“I hope you don’t mind!” someone called out in a raspy voice, causing the reporters to grow quiet. “I said I hope you don’t mind but I have a question I’d very much like to ask.”

Kizuki, Miyagi, and Tokuda all turned to stare at the new arrival. He was a young man, maybe in his early twenties, with pale skin, dusty blue hair, and wearing rather plain dark clothing save for his bright red shoes. Oh, and the many grasping dismembered white hands that clutched at his arms, legs, head, and face. He emerged from a swirling portal of black and purple, several other rather nasty looking figures following behind him.

“I want to know who you think you are!” the man shouted. “And I don’t mean your silly little name of Star Might. That is just… so derivative. You couldn’t think of something better for your player handle? I guess not having a string of numbers behind it is pretty good but come on!” He reached up and scratched at his neck. “No… what I want to know is how you think you can march in here with your Level 1 gear and try and join the second greatest Raiding Party there is! That is just beta level stuff right there!” He threw his arms out wide. “I mean, come on… some of us have the decency to actually try and grind to level up! And you just want to leech off All Might there like you have XP Share on? Pathetic.”

“Are we really going to be talking about costumes when you are wearing hospital scrubs and hands?” Star Might asked simply, folding her arms over her chest. For his part All Might moved towards her, his smile falling a bit but remaining there.

“You should know that sometimes the best gear doesn’t have the best texture graphics,” the new arrival said. “Posers are the ones that go to the Online Store and buy all the shiny new gear with daddy’s credit card. I earned my haul… no loot boxes for me.” He paused. “Well… except for one. NOMU!”

From the back of the steadily growing group of figures came a truly massive figure. Seven feet tall, their skin was a deep purplish black with pale pinkish red scars around its biceps. The face was pointed and beak-like, yet also very wrong. It wore a part of cargo pants and skull-shaped knee guards, the rest of its body bare. But most startling was the top of its head: rather than a scalp everyone could see its exposed brain, a set of eyes jammed into the wrinkles.

“This, All Might, is a prize I got from a Loot Box. A really good one… it’s a hero killer. And its gonna start by making your daughter an orphan!” The new arrival grinned from behind his hand mask as he looked a the crowd. “And I’d say all you little NPCs were going to get a front row seat to me killing the Symbol of Peace but… I think my party members could go for some easy XP. League of Villains? Kill’em all!”

Tokuda dove out of the way as several villains rushed forward, Kizuki rolling out of the way as well. Miyagi she lost track of but she didn’t bother to worry about that, more concerned about her own life at that moment. She watched as the massive monster villain, Nomu, rushed forward into the crowd of reporters, either blowing them aside or trampling others that were flung out of the way by his arms, only to meet All Might head on, the shockwave from the two slamming into each other nearly knocking her off her feet. A police officer was trying to make their way towards the new arrival, raising up his gun, but the leader of the villains suddenly darted forward, grabbing the man’s wrist. Kiguri stared in shock as the man began to scream, his hand cracking and crumbling like it was made of talc. The villain quickly grew bored of his screams and grabbing the man’s face.

“Would you look at that,” Kizuki said in amazement, mind racing as the police officer’s head crumbled into dust, leaving only his twitching body as it crumpled to the ground. “How does it work…” she whispered, edging closer only for a villain to suddenly be in front of her, leering at her as his eyes, on stalks, took her in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the villain asked, raising up a blade-like claw. His hands were scythes merged with flesh and she could tell they were rather sharp, already dripping with blood. “Don’t you want to interview me?”

“Yes, actually,” Kizuki stated before reaching out and slapping her hand against the villain’s chest. He looked down, confused, before he let out squeaky little sounds of pain. “Oh, the article I could have written about you,” she bemoaned as the villain stumbled back, pressing his claws to his chest just before it exploded in a shower of blood and guts. “What a waste.”

Kizuki quickly crawled on her hands and knees to a tipped over car, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to her. Which was easy enough, seeing as everyone was in a panic. All Might was having trouble with Nomu, who seemed to be taking him blow for blow, while his daughter had rushed forward and begun attacking other villains; nothing as impressive as her father but then again it was possible her quirk wasn’t like his at all. Kizuki wondered what ability she had. What was she hiding, refusing to reveal. Something weak and pathetic? Or was it so powerful that she was afraid to-

Something exploded to her left and Kizuki snapped out of her thoughts, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.

“What is going on down there?”

“Far more than we expected,” she told the man on the other end. “Some brat showed up looking to pick a fight and it’s looking like he might be able to back up his words.” She shook her head. “This is going to cause a lot of problems for us if we don’t shut it down now.” She knew that every time a villain went off half cocked, using their quirks wildly to cause harm, the sheep that were the common people would whine and complain and demand there be even more restrictions on quirks. Never mind that if they all worked together they could have actually dealt with the problems themselves… no, they were scared of their power and abilities and thus demanded everyone else be restrained as they restrained themselves.

“What do you suggest?”

“Call in anyone with a good reputation that is friendly with us, sir,” she said.

“I agree. That is the only option we have. We can not allow these villains to ruin our hard work,” Re-Destro, head of the Meta Liberation Army, declared.

And with that, without either side truly realizing it, The Meta Liberation Army declared war on All For One.

Chapter Text

Padme knew what it was like to face defeat.

Her campaign to become the Queen of Naboo might have been a roaring success but that was only because she had done so much good work in so many horrible places. Volunteering at hospitals where children died on a daily basis because of lack of equipment. Visiting planets that had suffered manufacturing disasters that ruined their environment. Watching as others gave into despair as things never seemed to get better before finally dropping out of the good fight, leaving her to battle on alone.

And her reign as Queen?

Well… the history books had been long written about that nightmare. Oh yes, many praised her for doing the impossible and keeping the Trade Federation from fully taking over the planet. But all Padme remembered was the work camps hidden in the forests, the starving citizens who hadn’t understood why any of that had happened to them, and the peaceful ways of the Naboo torn away and replaced with a need for war. While they would never field a grand army the fact that they allowed Republic scientists to work on new weapons of war upon their soil…

And then there had been the War.

The War. Despite how much she protested to everyone that she was against it time and time and time again she’d found herself sucked right into it. It sometimes had felt like there was some sinister force that was manipulating things behind the scenes to get her into the worst places imaginable just so she could be killed for some dark purpose.

The Separatists should not have achieved the victories they did. Even with their droid armies that could be manufactured quickly they had destroyed their ability to make credits. What planets joined them weren’t buying up their goods and services and the republic certainly hadn’t been. And yet time and again she had seen the Republic pushed back, defeated. Clones treated little better than droids themselves, forgotten about within hours of their deaths. Jedi going from the keepers of peace to the generals that the public looked upon as failures. Senators cursed and hissed at for failing to stop the War.

Yes, Padme knew what it was like to face defeat.

That is how she knew… All Might was losing.

“What?” the Number One hero said as he found Nomu able to counter his strike with one of his own.

Shigaraki let out a laugh. “Did you think it was going to be a cake walk? I wasn’t underleveled for this boss raid, old man! Nomu’s Shock Absorption means that he can take any hit you send his way and just tank it! But you can’t do that with one of his hits!”

All Might merely continued smiling. “Then I will just have to keep trying till I find a weakness!”

But Padme could tell… he wasn’t as confident as he tried to make it seem.

“Come on, get inside,” she said, directing more of the crowd into the office building. “Go down the stairs to the basement… its reinforced so you should be fine. Hurry!” She waved for more to continue down before moving away, ducking around rubble and debris to keep an eye on the fight without attracting attention to herself. The street where they’d been holding the press conference had become a warzone, with cars flipped over, the road torn up, and buildings crumbling. One blow by Nomu had sent Yagi into a building, causing it to collapse, and Padme prayed there was no one inside of it. But she couldn’t hold that hope… not with the bodies of reporters and civilians littering the ground, taken out by Shigaraki and his forces. The pale man in question was alternating between mocking All Might, cheering on Nomu’s blows, and leaning down to turn the injured and dying into dust with a touch of his hand. The rest of his group were just enjoying causing pain and suffering, reveling in the cries of fear and screams of agony.

Padme clenched her jaw.

“Yagi…” she whispered, reaching into the hidden pocket of her costume, “forgive me.”

She took the Pill and swallowed.

At once it felt like she’d grabbed onto a life power cable. But rather than be fried her body felt energized, sucking in the power and then directing it out. Padme panted, clutched her knees as she doubled over, breath coming out in gasps.

“Look at what we have here…” she heard and even though she could tell the voice was close it sounded so far away. “All Might’s kid… heh…” It was Shigaraki, she could tell that even without seeing his form. “Cowering like a little bitch? Or are you just camping, waiting to steal the kill? Well… I can’t have THAT!”

And then… the lights began to flash in her vision and she heard HER.

“This power has been entrusted to the next generation by many people, praying that it would work for the good of all. That One for All would bring peace to the world. Yagi has carried the torch for so long… far longer than the rest of us. But his time is over. Now… it is your turn.”

“Let’s see if hero brats crumble like everyone else!”

“Tell my boy he was right. You are going to be the greatest of us, Padme.”

Padme caught Shigaraki by the wrist.

“You first,” she whispered before snapping the appendage, causing the villain to howl before she kicked him hard, sending him flying away from her before she leapt into the air, rocketing toward Nomu who had been grappling with All Might, slamming down feet first into him and breaking the hold due only to the fact that Nomu hadn’t been expecting her.

“Pa…” All Might began only to catch himself. “Star Might…”

“Hi dad,” Padme said with a smirk before turning towards Nomu, eyes narrowed even as she continued to grin. “Mind if I join in?”

“Not at all,” All Might said as he moved to stand with her. “But I must warn you… this one is hard to beat.”

“I’ve faced worse,” Padme stated, catching a glimpse of her reflection in a window. She was taller… where before she looked like a child next to Yagi now she easily came up to his shoulders, which was impressive when the man was well over 7 feet tall. Her muscles had become far more defined, not bulging out to be certain but she had suddenly gained 10 years of hard training in only moments. And to truly mark her as All Might’s successor her eyes had changed to black and blue, just like his own.

Her smile grew bigger as she turned towards Nomu.

“What do we know?” she asked.

“He can absorb my blows,” All Might said. “And he can hit hard.”

“And he can heal,” Padme stated.

“Hmm?”

“Even with Shock Absorption it should be taking damage. But it looks just like it did as you two fought.”

“That shouldn’t be possible,” All Might said as they waited to see what Nomu would do next. But it was just standing there, watching them. “Shock Absorption shouldn’t allow it to heal…”

“I think this thing has more than one quirk,” Padme said.

“That… that’s not possible.”

Padme just quirked an eyebrow and gestured at herself.

“…fair.”

“NOMU!” Shigaraki screamed, emerging from where Padme had kicked him, his broken wrist pressed to his chest, blood leaking from his lip.

“Young Master Tomaru, we must go,” one of Shigaraki’s allies said, coming to him.

“NO! I’m not backing out of this raid! That’s how you get banned from the fucking server!”

“You’ve been hurt… I must see to you-“

“We can still do this…”

A cry went up and Padme turned to see several new heroes rushing towards the scene, taking out the villains that had strayed too far from the center of the battle.

“The game has changed. We must go.”

Shigaraki let out a strangled scream of frustration. “If I didn’t need you to get me out of here I’d dust you! Go!”

The man nodded and portals began to form around them.

“We can’t let them escape!” Padme said, blasting herself towards Shigaraki and the man that seemed to be made of black clouds.

“Another time, hero bitch!” Shigaraki said as he stepped into the portal. “Nomu! Kill everyone you can!” At once the massive monster lunged forward, stomping on a downed civilian, now focused on just doing as much damage at he could rather than just taking on All Might. “Going to leave them to die?” Shigaraki taunted, just his head visible.

Padme turned on a dime and rushed back towards All Might, who was struggling to stop Nomu from attacking. There was never any doubt what her choice would be.

‘Has to have a weakness,’ she thought to herself, looking over Nomu. All Might kept pounding on him, trying to drive Nomu away from the injured that littered the streets. The other heroes were working to take out the other villains, giving her and All Might the space needed for their fight… but they weren’t slowing Nomu down. Distracting, redirecting… but he just kept coming. “What am I missing?” she whispered as All Might bellowed “DETROIT SMASH!” and punched Nomu right in the head, clearly hoping that the exposed brain might be the weak spot. But the villain only staggered before striking All Might right back and he didn’t have the healing quirk the villain did. She grimaced as All Might staggered, clearly aching after the blow. “He can just take the blows-“

Blows.

Padme ran as fast as she could, cocking her fist back.

“ALL MIGHT!” she shouted and just as she expected he shifted, allowing her a chance to smash the villain.

She didn’t.

Padme leapt over Nomu, landing behind him before jumping onto his shoulders, hands wrapping around his neck.

He absorbed blows.

So she wouldn’t push.

She’d pull.

With a hard CRACK! Padme snapped Nomu’s neck.

At once Nomu fell to the ground, body twitching but still alive.

“We need something to hold him,” Padme said. “Cuffs strong enough to hold you. He’ll heal from that and I don’t watch him able to move around when he does.”

“Right,” All Might said.

“All Might… I…”

“It’s okay,” he assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling softly. “We’ll discuss it later. But… I’m proud of you.” He paused, looking at some of the reporters who’d managed to remain hidden during the fight. “But now… I think you need to address them.”

“Right,” Padme said before putting on her most confident smile, turning to the reporters that had remained during the battle. In a sharp clear voice she called out, “Do not fear, citizens! For WE are here!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Obi Wan focused on his breathing even as he felt the sweat beading on his forehead. He didn’t force his body to ignore the pain but rather he merely accepted that there was pain and then moved beyond it. That was the way of the Jedi, as he had been taught since he was a child in the crèche. One did not ignore something, hoping it would go away. They accepted that it was a reality then moved beyond it. And it served him well now, as he called upon the Force to hold up tons of steel and concrete, keeping it from coming crashing down upon him and the others who hadn’t been able to escape the building’s collapse upon the alley.

He looked down at Nemuri only to force his eyes back up. She was alive, he could feel it, and that was what was important. Not the blood that was smeared on her forehead or how the only movement she made was the shallow rise and fall of her chest. She was alive and that was what truly mattered. But she wouldn’t be alive if he let the building finish what it had started and crush them all.

He had to hold it up. For him. For Nemuri. For the little girl-

Something happened outside, he didn’t know what, though it sounded rather explosive, and suddenly steel and stone he had thought was secure and thus hadn’t been held by the Force began to crash down towards them.

Obi Wan held up his other hand, crossing it over his right to catch the material, and he felt his very being burn as his extended his conscious into the Force, asking it to aid him. To give him the strength needed to do this. He was the only one that could save them.

‘No,’ the Force whispered.

Suddenly the debris shifted but not towards him. No… it was being pushed back.

He slowly turned, eyes widening, as Eri held out her hand, tears leaking from her squeezed shut eyes, face twisted in concentration as she mimicked him.

The rumble was pushed from them.

‘There is another.’

Obi Wan only allowed himself to feel shock for a moment before he held up his own hands and joined Eri in slowly expanding the space they were trapped in. Dust particles floated in the air and cracks of light began to form as they both pushed, Obi Wan slowly moving towards Eri, seeing that the strain was still there but it wasn’t as bad as it had been before. He shifted his body, making contact.

He nearly fell down as he felt IT.

A cord… a connection thick as durasteel… snapped into place. Not physical but not quite mental either. Far greater than that. One end anchoring itself to his very being, the other reaching out and wrapping around the girl beside him.

‘The Force,’ his Master’s voice stated in his mind as the Force Bond formed between Obi Wan and the girl he’d only met minutes earlier, ‘works to bring together… those that belong together.’

“Qui Gon…”

Eri slowly opened her eyes, staring at him. With a final push the rubble collapsed around them, not a single piece landing near them, and Obi Wan blinked as the sun shined down on them.

“…you’re mine,” she whispered in awe. “You’ve always been mine. And… I’ve always been yours.” She smiled and lifted her hand up to him. “Master.”

Obi Wan smiled at her as he reached down and took her hand, swearing to never let go. “Yes… padawan.”

And the Force SANG in triumph.

Chapter Text

There was something seriously wrong about Kamino.

Bant had felt that way even before she had stepped foot onto the planet, back when she’d heard about it from Obi Wan. A planet hidden from the Jedi yet who claimed that they were working for the Jedi? It didn’t make any sense and if not for the war she knew that her friend and others would have questioned it more. But the need for the cloners to continue supplying them troops meant that the Jedi, even if they had the time, couldn’t afford to look to deeply into them lest they annoy their allies and cause them to decide that maybe credits weren’t enough to keep them in a war being fought by two sides that they had no stake or interest in.

“You okay?” Quinlan asked as the two of them made their way down one of the few barren halls of the housing facility.

“Yes,” Bant said softly, managing a smile. “Just… thinking.”

“About what?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Meh, tell me now,” Quinlan said with a smirk. “It’s a long walk to their quarters and there is nothing to see but these ugly walls.”

Bant frowned at that. “Shouldn’t we be a bit more… stealthy? You told me the Kaminoians have been weird before about letting Jedi just talk with certain clones. And this is Clone Force 99…”

“Yeah, the long necks get all twitchy if you ask to just wander about. I hear Shaak Ti is still forced to march about with an honor guard around here. But Bane and I made sure there would be enough distractions to keep them all nice and busy.”

“What… did you do?” Bant asked slowly, knowing that with Quinlan one ALWAYS had to double check on his decisions to go off plan.

“Don’t worry, everyone will live,” he assured her before mumbling under his breath, “assuming they don’t go down to the third level for another 20 minutes…” He smiled at her after that and Bant wondered how much of that last comment was true and how much of it was him just trying to get a rise out of her. When she didn’t take the bait though Quinlan merely asked, “So what’s the problem?”

“I don’t like being here… everything is… wrong.”

“You sense it too then?”

“I don’t know how Master Shaak Ti stands living here,” Bant said with a frown. “The Force… its… stale.”

“Stale?”

“Like bread left out too long.”

“hmmm… I always equated it to an odd hum… a great orchestra but there was one flute playing this weird buzzing noise. There is something wrong but it takes you a while to notice.”

“Did you really think that or are you stealing that from someone?”

“I thought it.”

“Because there is simply no way you know what an orchestra sounds like.”

“…maybe Obi said it first but he was right about it!” Quinlan shook his head in annoyance. “But yeah, I get it… there is something off about this place.”

“Its all artificial and fake,” Bant complained. “You notice that we haven’t met a single old Kaminioan? Or a child?”

“Retired or in school.”

“I don’t mean here, Quinlan… I mean ever. No Jedi has ever met anyone other than an adult of the same age among the Kaminoians.”

“…you think they-“

“Are all clones themselves, yes,” Bant said. “Or genetically modified. I’ve noticed a few of the older adults have issues… their skin has some cracking at the joints, their eyes are a bit watery.” She waved towards one of the walls. “This is an aquatic planet with no land masses. So they should be an aquatic race. But look at their bodies… they aren’t designed for swimming. No webbing, no fins. They only have lungs but with those thin bodies they wouldn’t be able to stay under water for long. Not at the deep depths that would offer protection.”

“…you think they altered themselves.”

“And they are having issues. There are problems. But they don’t seem to care.” She frowned. “I wonder… is the Lama Su that Obi Wan met a year ago the same one here.”

Quinlan raised an eyebrow at that. “That is rather dark and suspicious thinking there, Bant.” He smirked. “You are making your Uncle Vos so proud.”

Bant huffed at that. “You’re only three years older than me. And then there are the clones. I get that they need things to be sterile, because they are doing delicate work… but even the living quarters are so… plain. I don’t feel like I’m walking towards someone’s home.”

Her friend’s smile fell. “It’s a droid factory.” She snapped her head around. “They give them Droid Names, Bant. CC-1557 and all that. All looking the same, all taught the same moves, and if need be they make variations. Models for flight, models for healing. Living, breathing droids.”

“…and we command them without a second thought.” Bant felt faint and Quinlan grabbed her arm. “By the Force…”

“I know, I know,” he whispered, pausing in the hall. “It freaked me out too. Why do you think I gave up commanding troopers so quickly? I touched one of their helmets and saw their lives and I was disgusted.”

“We have to stop this…”

“One mission at a time,” Quinlan told her. “First we find Obi. Then we get him to help us stop this sith shit of a war. Then we deal with these long neck bastards… and any Jedi who think this is still the way of the Force.”

Bant managed a nod at that, her mind still racing at the implications she’d accidently stumbled upon. It was horrible and nightmarish to think about but Quinlan was right… they are a job to do. Bane was waiting for them and Obi Wan was out there somewhere, waiting for rescue. As much as it hurt her heart to allow this… injustice… to continue on she accepted that she couldn’t really do anything about it at the moment anyway.

But she could save her friend.

“Now, remember what I told you about these four,” Quinlan said with as they finally reached a door that stood out from all the others thanks to the spray painted ‘99’ on it. “They are an acquired taste. They’ll get the job done but their methods are… different.”

“I’ll manage,” Bant said, palming the door control… just in time for three mouse droids to come flying out of the entryway, letting out panicked squeals just before they struck the wall. They were durable little things though so they merely bounced and rolled away as quickly as they could.

“HA!” A deep, guttural voice called out; it sounded similar to the clones but… different. It was odd to hear, especially after hearing the same voice over and over again as she had listened in to log entries from the clone medics. “I win!”

“Wrecker,” another voice, closest to standard clone voice but still slightly different, said in exasperation, “the contest was to hit a target with a knife. That was a mouse droid.”

“And you didn’t even hit the target,” a third person, their voice far more condescending, stated.

The first person, Wrecker, let out a huff at that and suddenly Bant found herself staring at a wall of muscle. “Aw, come on! I so too would have hit the target if the door hadn’t opened… huh.” Wrecker looked down at her. “Boys, we got company!”

Quinlan chuckled and entered the rooms, which unlike everything else in Kamino had a very ‘lived in’ feeling. Spray paint applied to the durasteel, furniture that Bant knew wasn’t from the quartermaster of Kamino, different trophies including droid parts scattered about…

“You okay, General?” a long haired clone with half his face decorated in a dark gray tattoo asked, walking up to her.

“I’m fine,” Bant assured him with a smile. “Just… your quarters are the first time I’ve felt at ease since I landed on this planet.”

“Heh, course they are!” the biggest of the clones declared, walking past her and throwing himself onto a couch that groaned under his weight. “Its great! Best chairs and couches around!”

“I believe she is referring to more than just our furniture,” another clone, this one with a cultured accent and yellow-tinted specs, stated.

Quinlan waved his hand towards the group. “Bant, this is Clone Force 99. Hunter, Crosshairs, Wrecker, and Tech. The best and the worst that Kamino has to offer, depending if where you are standing.”

“And sometimes that doesn’t matter,” Crosshairs said with a smirk, moving to a corner and crossing his arms over his chest.

Bant went over what she knew of the four. Clone Force 99, aka The Bad Batch, were an experimental group of clones. The Kaminos had decided to try out, on a smaller scale, altering the genetics of Jango Fett to see if they could improve upon the standard clone cadet. They had succeeded… and failed. Succeeded in the fact that the group was far more gifted than the typical clone battalion. Hunter was the greatest tracker in the GAR, rivaling the Jedi and sometimes, according to Quinlan, surpassing them. Crosshairs had the cool detachment and patience made of durasteel needed to be a sniper, holding the Galactic record for distance. Wrecker was able to accomplish feats of strength that would make many alien races that prided themselves on their toughness shuffle awkwardly. And Tech was an utter genius who could break down code or hack into the most protected systems in the Galaxy.

They were failures because in order to get them to that level of skill the Kaminioians had been forced to not tamper with anything else, meaning that the natural obedience most clones had when it came to following orders didn’t exist. They were wild, antagonistic, and willing to do whatever THEY wanted to get a job done.

Bant BASKED in their conflicting personalities, savoring how the Force sang around them.

“So, what can we do for ya, Vos?” Hunter asked, drawing Bant out of her thoughts. “I have a feeling you aren’t here for a social call.” He paused. “Gonna pay me the credits you owe me?”

“Yeah,” Quinlan said, reaching into a pouch on his belt and pulling out a handful of credits, tossing them to Hunter. Though the clone was clearly startled by that he rapidly launched his hand out, catching them from the air smoothly.

“Okay…” Hunter said slowly as he pocketed the creds, “something is wrong.”

“You heard about what happened the Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Pad-“

“Yeah, we heard about it,” Crosshairs said, cutting him off. “Hard to miss it.”

Tech chimed in. “Roughly 14 standard months ago they, along with Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Senator Padme Amidala, and Captain Rex were killed in a Separatist bombing.”

“They aren’t dead,” Bant said quickly.

Hunter glanced at her before looking over at Quinlan. “She serious or just wishful thinking?”

Quinlan tossed a small data reader to Tech, who wheeled his chair over to a computer terminal and plugged it in. After a moment the footage of the bombing began to play. “You’ll need to slow it down to-“

“There,” Crosshairs said suddenly, moving towards the screen and hitting pause. “They vanish just before the explosion.”

“What?!?” Wrecker said, shoving Crosshairs out of the way. “I don’t see anything but fire!”

“I didn’t see anything either,” Hunter admitted.

“I DID,” Crosshairs warned. “Tech, replay and slow it down, just as Vos said.”

Tech did and Bant watched as, frame by frame, her friend and his group moved… then disappeared… then the explosion.

“How interesting,” Tech said, leaning back. “Do you believe the footage was tampered with or that there is some device we are unaware of at work? Some sort of… teleporter?”

Bant shrugged. “We don’t know and that’s the problem. The Republic isn’t allowing anyone to head in and investigate. The Chancellor… I’m sure he has his reasons but we can’t do anything to actually look into things.”

“And that is where you 4 come in,” Quinlan informed them. “We have a ship that can get us there. And a pilot… Cad Bane.”

Hunter frowned at that. “The Bounty Hunter? We heard word he was being courted by the Seppies.”

“That seems very likely,” Tech stated. “Hmmm…” he began to tap away as the computer that was mounted on his gauntlet, adjusting his glasses; Bant guessed he had something built into them that was allowing him to see screens. “According to this Bane has stopped working for the Hutts recently due to disagreements in how to handle Jedi looking into the slave trade… the Hutts were the ones urging caution.”

“I’m paying him good credits to help us,” Quinlan said. “And before you ask I trust him… the Separatists aren’t looking to increase their forces.”

“They aren’t?” Crosshairs asked, frowning at that. “Doesn’t sound like them… they love throwing away credits.”

“Something has happened… something that has spooked Dooku.” Quinlan frowned. “You gentlemen wouldn’t have heard anything about that, would you have?”

“Who ya callin’ a gentleman!?!” Wrecker snapped, leaping to his feet, Hunter putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Us. He was calling us it.”

“Oh… heh, well that’s okay!” The large clone laughed and settled back down on the couch.

Hunter just shook his head before looking at the two Jedi. “We’ve heard bits and pieces. The Seppies have been getting… nervous. The Count is spending more time in his castle rather than going out into the field. Not meeting with planets that are debating if they want to stay or go. Not making surprise appearances to scare Generals who aren’t giving it their all into sticking with the cause.”

Crosshairs pulled out a toothpick and stuck it between his teeth. “And then there is that bald fem he has running around, the one with the red lightsabers.”

“Asajj Ventress,” Bant supplied.

The clone who clearly got his name from the crosshairs scar over his right eye (or had he gotten the scar after claiming the name?) narrowed his eyes at that. “Yeah, her. She hasn’t been seen for a few months.”

“And do you like that or hate that?” Quinlan asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I want another shot at her,” Crosshairs stated and Bant had a feeling that he wasn’t being metaphorical with that comment.

“The point,” Hunter said, “is that the Seppies aren’t acting like they were at the beginning of the war. Something has spooked them…”

“One moment,” Tech said, giving up using his wrist computer and instead moving to the main one in their room, tapping away at the keyboard. “I just want to check a few things.”

“What are you thinking?” Hunter asked, leaning closer to Tech.

The bespectacled clone frowned. “Crosshairs, that incident at the smelting factory was how many weeks-“ Crosshairs, rather than answer, grabbing the keyboard and entered in the date himself. “Thank you,” Tech said, not disturbed at all by his brother’s actions. “Now then…” Tech said as a graph appeared on the screen, “this shows the ebb and flow of the war when it comes to Separatists actions. I have been going over it, trying to see if I can find any patterns that would help us determine when we should make a push and when to prepare to defend.”

“We let him do that because it means more fun fighting!” Wrecker called out helpfully.

“Now then, as you can see here for the first 6 months of the war the pattern was fairly standard. Move to take territory, lose territory… similar to what you would see with the Republic and our own successes and failures during the War.”

“But there is a change,” Bant said, pointing to the graph. “A sudden drop and then the gains decrease. And while they have been losing territory it has been slower.”

“Because they aren’t stretching themselves out,” Hunter said. “They are committing, forcing us into more sieges.”

“And it all centers right here…” Bant said, pointing at one point on the graph just before the drop. She quickly looked at Tech who nodded. “Right when Obi Wan disappeared.”

“Indeed. Within three months of their disappearance the war shifted, with far less daring strikes, less dramatic pushes, and far more holding of territories.”

Hunter rubbed his chin. “If the Seppies had captured them and found some way to use them they wouldn’t be so cautious. They would be pushing hard.”

“What if they are preparing for something big?” Quinlan asked. “A strike on a core world?”

“We’d see evidence,” Tech said.

“Like?” Bant asked.

“Food!” Wrecker called out, surprising them all.

“You can eat later,” Crosshairs grumbled.

“Not me! The Seppies! They need to feed their generals, right? And they need stuff for their droids, don’t they? But they aren’t buying up a ton of stuff, are they?”

“He’s… correct,” Tech said, clearly surprised by Wrecker’s insight. “I have been pressing for High Command to look into such things… and to protect our own supply lines. You can learn much about Army Movements from their supplies.”

“So they aren’t planning things… which means they have no idea what happened to Obi Wan and the rest either,” Quinlan said with a frown. “Meaning they are just as confused as we are.”

“Which makes it even more important we find out what happened,” Hunter stated.

“You’re in?” Quinlan asked.

“Why do you need us, anyway?” Hunter pressed. “You have a pilot who happens to be a bounty hunter… and you two are Jedi…”

“I’m just a healer,” Bant admitted.

Vos chimed in, “And I’d feel better if it weren’t just me and the Duros known for trying to kill Jedi.”

“Wait, what?” Bant said, having not known THAT about Bane.

“It’s fine,” Quinlan said in a tone that made it clear to her that it wasn’t fine at all but he didn’t want to admit that. “But getting to the facility itself where the explosion occurred is the problem. We need you four to help us out. The Separatists hold the planet and scouting tells us that they have heavily secured the area-”

“All right!” Wrecker said, smacking his fist into his open palm. “Finally some action!”

“Hmmm,” Crosshairs said, leaning against a wall, chewing on his toothpick. “I suppose I have to commend you for being smart enough to go to the best.” He glanced at Hunter. “What say you?”

“I say we’re in.”

“YES!” Wrecker said. “I’m gonna go pack!” She heard the large man run to his bunk, muttering about needing his tooka, and Bant wondered just what she was getting into…

~MC~MC~MC~

“You are doubling my pay,” Bane said once they had gone to lightspeed. Clone Force 99 was decked out in their full armor going through their packs and duffels, all of which they had told the jedi they had to have if they couldn’t take their ship, The Marauder. While it was a powerful ship, admittedly, they needed something far more stealthy, thus Bane’s Xanadu Blood was chosen.

“Oh yeah?” Quinlan asked with a smirk. “Why is that? Considering how much I’m already paying you…”

Bane growled and gestured at a doorway. “You left me with him!”

“Mistress Eerin!” Threepio declared, shuffling over to her as quickly as he could. “I am so pleased to see you. Captain Bane refuses to listen to me about the need to upgrade his navi system; he claims it is good enough for what he desires but the foul language it spat at me…”

“Can’t see why it’d do that,” Crosshairs commented drily.

Bant sighed, recalling all her calming techniques. While Threepio had his uses the fussy droid could get on everyone’s nerves. The problem was that Artoo for some reason refused to go anywhere without the golden protocol droid and thus they were stuck with him.

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Quinlan admitted, Bane nodding after a moment before going over to check his weapons.

Artoo wheeled over to Bant, bumping into her. “Don’t worry, little guy,” she assured him, “we’ll find Obi Wan and Anakin soon. And everyone else.”

“Breee boop bree!”

“I quite agree, Artoo,” Threepio stated. “Mistress Bant has made a promise and she will hold to it. Though why we are bringing a child with us on such a dangerous mission-”

“A child?” Bant said, blinking. “What child?”

“Why, this one!” Threepio said, walking over to a crate, knocking on it with his hand… and causing it to open, a young human girl with blonde hair who was dressed in the style of the Kaminoians to tumbling out.

At once everyone was on their feet.

“What is THAT?!” Wrecker asked.

“It appears to be an adolescent female. Origin… unknown,” Tech said.

“Thank you, that was so helpful,” Bane growled.

“Uh… hello,” the girl said with a weak smile and a wave. “I’m Omegah.”

Quinlan frowned. “How did you get on board?”

“Oh,” Omega chuckled, “that was easy!” But rather than continue she ran past the Jedi right to the Bad Batch. “I had to follow you… I’ve wanted to see you again for so long!”

“See us… again?” Hunter asked.

“Yes,” Omega said. “You don’t remember… we were all little… but I do.” She began to point to them. “Hunta, Tick, Ricka, and Rosshaar. Clone Force 99.”

“Well, you met us,” Crosshairs said. “Now time to get you back-“

“But you can’t!” Omega pleaded. “We belong together!”

“Look kid,” Hunter said slowly, trying to keep things calm. Bant was glad for that as the last thing they needed was a little girl throwing a temper tantrum around so many weapons. “I don’t know why you think you need to be here but-“

“Vode stick together!” Omega declared fiercely. “They separated us but we’re together again.”

“…oh my,” Tech whispered.

“What?” Wrecker said, confused. “What is it?”

“Clones are always grown in batches of five.” He silently pointed at himself and his brothers… and then Omega.

Bant’s eyes widened.

“This is nice but unless you are paying you aren’t allowed on my ship,” Bane said. “I’m sure there is a rock we can drop you off on…”

“You need me,” Omega said, turning to glare at Bane. “If you want to find your friends.”

“They aren’t-“

Bant cut him off. “What do you mean, Omega?”

The girl smiled.

“I know the codes to get into the computer system… the one for the building Master Kenobi disappeared in.”

Chapter Text

Episode III

The Gathering Light

It is a time of monumental change on

the planet Earth, where the five friends and

allies of the Republic find themselves. Padme

Amidala has taken on the quirk One For All, her

First step towards becoming the new Symbol

Of Peace

But it is the discovery made by Obi Wan Kenobi

that truly shakes all the travelers thought they

knew of the planet. For the Jedi Master has found

Eri, the sole Earth-born Force User on the planet

Now under the protection of the Jedi, Eri finds

herself at the premiere hero school, safe

at last…

Anakin thundered down the halls of UA, not even bothering to apologize to anyone who had to leap out of his way.

“Skyguy!” Ahsoka called out, still dressed in her school uniform. Anakin moved past her, not even bothering to stop, and Ahsoka let out an annoyed grunt. She began to hurry along with him but went at more of a controlled jog, forcing Anakin to slow down a bit. He shot a glare at her but Ahsoka had been around him enough, and even before that had just enough attitude, not to be phased by that look and after a moment he let out a sigh of frustration. “You willing to listen now?”

Anakin let out a huff, still using his long legs to cover as much distance as he could. Ahsoka was the only student still lingering about but he noticed several UA staff, including one tall muscular woman with blond hair, watching them. He paid none of them any heed, focused instead getting to the Nurse’s office. “How is Padme?“

“I’m fine.”

Anakin stopped short then turned around to face to face the tall blonde, blinking as she smirked at him, arms folded over her chest.

“…Padme?”

“Hey Ani,” she got out before Anakin wrapped her in his arms, giving her a hug. “Ani!” she scolded as he moved to twirl her… only to stumble a bit and then bop his head into her own. He let go of her at once and Padme winced, watching as he rubbed his cheek. “Yeah, there’s a bit more of me,” she commented, gesturing at her new muscular form.

“That’s gonna… wow.” He looked her up and down, taking her all in. “It’s weird not to look down at you,” he said, staring her right in the eye. She was as tall as he was, a truly massive change.

“I can go down to how I used to look,” she told him. “I’ve tried it out… I’m a bit more muscular no matter what but I don’t tower over half the people I meet or have arms and legs like tree trunks.” She paused, looking down at Ahsoka. “Though I do enjoy it now… I get why Jedi like to loom.”

“Believe me, I can’t wait for a growth spurt that lets me do that,” Ahsoka said with a smirk.

“Let me-“ Padme began, ready to release her heroic form, only for Anakin to suddenly sweep her into a kiss, his hands roaming along her muscular form. “Ani!” she gasped when he broke off. “Ahsoka is watching.”

“Snips, go play hopscotch or something,” Anakin said lustfully, his fingers gliding along Padme’s abs.

“First, what? Second, ugh,” the Padawan said in disgust.

“Ani…” Padme warned again and finally Anakin let her go with a pout. “Later,” she promised.

He grinned at that before his smile fall, looking about. “What is going on? You said I needed to get here, that there was an attack…”

“There was,” Padme said before quickly adding, “I’m fine. All Might and I… well…” She gestured at herself again only to slap away Anakin’s hand when he moved to touch her once more. “Focus, Ani!” she said in exasperation.

“Right… right.” He shook his head. “Casualties?”

“Some,” Padme admitted. “Some group attacked us, a whole bunch of villains. Some reporters were hurt, a couple killed. But it could have been a lot worse. That’s why I’m still looking like this… All Might brought a few people here and I’m on official business.”

“It happens,” Anakin said softly, not referring to the ‘official business’ part of her comment. “You can’t blame yourself.”

Padme and Ahsoka shot him a look of disbelief.

“…I don’t brood,” he said defensively. “Okay, so… if everything is settled and okay why call me down here? Ahsoka’s message made it sound like there was some emergency.”

“There… kind of is…”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Master.”

“Hmmm?”

Anakin tried again when Obi Wan didn’t look at him. “Master.”

“Yes Anakin?” Obi Wan said, distracted.

“So, I think-“

“No no, my dear,” Obi Wan said, reaching out and taking a block, setting it down next to the rest. “See, this one should be the base. Much too big to set on the other ones. Try it now.”

The little girl sitting on the floor with Anakin’s master nodded and began to stack the blocks up. It was… admittedly rather adorable how she stuck her pink little tongue out in concentration, focusing on settling a block down on top of the one Obi Wan had chosen for the base.

“Master,” Anakin said slowly, “I know in our galaxy it was the norm but on Earth you can’t go kidnapping children.” He paused. “Honestly, saying that out loud I don’t think it should have been the norm for the Jedi either.”

“I didn’t kidnap her, Anakin,” Obi Wan said, selecting another block and beginning his own tower like it was the most natural thing in the world.  “And the Jedi don’t kidnap children. You weren’t kidnapped.”

“No, Qui-Gon just won me in a podrace.”

“Yes he… wait, what?” Obi Wan snapped his head around, staring at him. “He what!?!”

“Won me in a podrace. I’ve told you this.”

“…no, you did not!” Obi Wan exclaimed with a curse. “I thought he did some deed for Watto and he freed you… wait, why didn’t Qui-Gon free your mother…”

“If we ever see him again we can ask,” Anakin huffed.

~MC~MC~MC~

In the Force Qui-Gon shuddered

~MC~MC~MC ~

Anakin got back to the point at hand. “When I left this morning you did NOT have a toddler.”

The little girl frowned at him before splaying out one hand and then extending the index finger on her other hand.

“See, she’s six,” Obi Wan said. “Not a toddler at all.” He smiled at the child who flashed a bright smile before she went back to her blocks.

“Unless Nemuri’s quirk allows her to birth babies really quick I think this is a child you found and kidnapped, master.”

“My quirk can do a lot of things,” Nemuri said from the corner of the room, where she was in a hospital bed watching the entire scene before her with amusement, “but that isn’t one of them Skywalker.”

“Then I stand by the kidnapping.”

“I didn’t kidnap Eri, Anakin,” Obi Wan said, finally looking back at him. “I found her.”

“And took. We need to focus on that last part!” Anakin exclaimed only to wince when Eri at once cringed at his raised voice.

“Anakin!” Obi Wan said firmly, at once moving to lift Eri up, cradling her in his arms. “Please don’t raise your voice around Eri.”

“Sorry,” he said only to shake his head. “And I am sorry but Obi Wan you kidnapped a child. We need to get her back to-“

“Don’t,” Obi Wan said rather darkly, much to Anakin’s surprise. Obi Wan stared at him for a moment before looking at Eri. “I think it’s time for Nemuri to take a nap, don’t you agree?”

“Yes Master,” Eri said with a nod, though Anakin saw that she had begun to smack her lips together and blink.

“Why don’t you keep an eye on her while I talk with Anakin, okay? And when she gets up we’ll get something to eat and you can ask him all the questions you want, okay?”

“’kay,” Eri said as Obi Wan walked over to a bemused Nemuri, who held out her arms and took the rapidly dozing child, letting her snuggle in close.

“I mean you too, my dear,” Obi Wan told Nemuri. “You need to rest as well.”

“I’d argue but-“ Nemuri let out a yawn. “Don’t think that you can keep coddling me though, Kenobi.”

“Perish the thought,” Obi Wan teased before, in a move that was utterly mind blowing to Anakin when it came to his stuffy old master, he tenderly reached out and stroked Nemuri’s hair. The heroine smiled before settling on the bed, Eri curled up against her, and Obi Wan walked over to Anakin, guiding him out of the room.

“Wow,” Anakin whispered before they stepped out of the room.

“What?”

“For you that was basically making out.”

“Please Anakin,” Obi Wan said. “Nemuri is a friend.”

“Yeah and Padme is just a ‘pal’ of mine,” Anakin snarked. “Just two buddies that get naked all the time.”

“Anakin…”

“Master, at some point the two of us are going to have a long talk about your inability to read people.”

“And what does that mean?”

“It means there are signals and there is “Hi Obi Wan, it’s me Nemuri, watching me put my ankles behind my head while wearing no clothing, that give you any ideas?”.”

“Anakin!” Obi Wan said, absolutely scandalized.

“Oh calm down you old woman,” Anakin teased. “Its not different than Ventress. I swear if you had just offered to sleep with her she’d have turned from the Dark Side.”

“I don’t think I like you being so open about such things,” Obi Wan complained.

“Nemuri though? She’s good for you. When she gets healed up take her on a date. I can lend you some books on intercourse so you know what to do.” He had… well, after his wedding night he’d done a lot of studying on the matter and Earth had even more literature on how to make it pleasurable for both parties and last more than 20 seconds. “There is one that Padme really likes-“

“I have been with women before Anakin,” Obi Wan said. “Jedi are allowed to engage in such acts. It is merely attachment-“

Anakin made the ‘talkie talkie talkie’ motion with his hand, one of the many Earth gestures he’d come to love ever since learning about them.  “Yeah yeah yeah. Can we talk about the child you kidnapped?”

“I didn’t kidnap her, Anakin!” Obi Wan said in frustration. “She doesn’t have a home.” He paused. “Or rather one I would allow any child to go back to.”

That sobered Anakin up.

“What happened?” he asked, looking through the glass at Eri and Nemuri fast asleep.

“We found her being chased by a man who claimed to want to return her home. The fear I sensed off of her Anakin… it was terrible.”

“…that’s not all, is it?”

Obi Wan rubbed his beard. “That hospital gown wasn’t one we gave her. She was wearing that Anakin. The bandages too. Shuzenji tried to do a few tests on her and the sight of a needle…”

Anakin swallowed at that. “Whoever had her… was torturing her?” Obi Wan barely nodded and Anakin was quiet for a while. “The Hutts… they weren’t good masters. But even Gardulla wouldn’t consider torturing a child. There was no point in it, even if they misbehaved. Just damaged the slave they would become.” His brow furrowed, eyes narrowed. “Where is the bastard?”

“Dead,” Obi Wan said simply. “Crushed when the building we were next to collapsed during the attack Padme was a part of.”

Anakin nodded, taking a moment to release his anger into the force, his Master not commenting. Since their arrival to Earth Anakin had gotten better about letting go of his anger; Hound Dog’s sessions had been a massive benefit to him. In a world where there were so many powers and he could see just how hatred could twist people into something rather dark it had gotten easier to learn how to release his anger rather than store it within his-

“She is Force Sensitive.”

THAT startled Anakin.

“What?” He looked at the little girl. “Obi Wan… she can’t be. I would have-“

“She has the strongest shields I’ve ever found,” Obi Wan said. “I don’t know if it is related to her quirk or if her strength in the Force is connected to shielding but until she uses the Force she appears to be completely Null.”

“But you-“

“She helped me brace an entire building.” He paused before turning, placing a hand on Anakin’s shoulder and the young man felt the older Jedi lowering his shields.

Anakin closed his eyes and focused on the training bond that still existed between him and his master. In his mind it was like a fuel line, solid but also able to bend and move, not breaking if twisted even slightly. He followed it from his own mind to Obi Wan’s and saw other bonds… many of them sadly dark and wispy due to the distance between his Master and those that he had made connections with. There were small ones for Padme, Rex, and the staff of UA. He saw one that seemed to be growing even as he watched it and nearly broke out of his examination when he realized it belonged to Nemuri. There was one for Ahsoka that was a half formed training bond, which made sense since Anakin and Obi Wan at this point basically co-trained Ahsoka.

And then… just as thick as his own… there was one for Eri.

The moment he touched it a cord of pure white light suddenly rocketed into Anakin’s very being and he gasped as he felt the little girl connect to his own mindscape. Not a training bond but rather a sibling bond; he’d heard of knights who had had the same master having sibling bonds but never-

“You see?” Obi Wan said, drawing him out of his examination.

Anakin nodded, taking a moment to center himself. He prodded the bond that had just formed between him and Eri and got flashes of contentment and peace… but only because before that was pain and fright.

“I know,” Obi Wan whispered. “I felt the same way.”

“Master,” Anakin whispered, “what I’m feeling… it makes me wish I was a Sith so I could have an excuse-“

“The same,” Obi Wan said to Anakin’s shook. He whipped around to stare at his master, wondering if he’d heard him wrong. “Anakin… I understand where you are coming from, I truly do. But… we can’t give in to that anger. Not for the sake of the world or even ourselves… but for those that depend on us.” He waved his hand towards Eri’s sleeping form. “Do you think she would be comfortable if she saw me use my lightsaber to take apart the ones that tortured her?”

“Hmmm,” Anakin said, folding his arms over his chest. “No…” He thought of Padme and how she would react if she saw him do such a thing. He had nearly lost her after he’d killed the Tuskens… he had seen the terror in her eyes even as she tried to comfort him. If he did something like that again she wouldn’t be able to follow him.

Anakin shuddered and reached out for Eri’s bond again, feeling her light chase away the darkness that had begun to grow in his mind.

He smiled slightly. “She’s a cute little bug, isn’t she?”

“And one that is going to need a lot of help,” Obi Wan said. “She has a quirk, Anakin.”

“She isn’t just Force Sensitive?”

“No and her quirk is… powerful.” At Anakin’s raised eyebrow Obi Wan sighed. “Its called ‘Rewind’, or at least that is what Nedzu has decided to label it. It allows her to, well, rewind something.”

“How clever,” Anakin said dryly.

Obi Wan though didn’t smile. “Properly used… it might be one of the most important quirks ever created.”

“How do you figure?”

“Anakin… it’s entirely possible she could have healed All Might.”

THAT made Anakin start. When Padme had revealed the truth to him about the Number 1 Hero Anakin had been sworn to secrecy… and then Padme had promptly gone to Obi Wan, knowing Anakin needed someone other than her that was in on the secret, lest her blurt it out to Ahsoka or Rex. Obi Wan had studied All Might’s injuries with Anakin as he’d worked to create his synth organs and knew the damage that had been done.

“I don’t know if she could have reattached your hand had she been there right after your duel with Dooku…” Obi Wan said slowly.

Normally Anakin would have made a joke about how his new hand was so much better, having all sorts of add ons and additions that his flesh and blood hand didn’t. But this time he didn’t, as he was far too stunned by Obi Wan’s admission to make jokes.

“That’s… wow,” Anakin said slowly.

“Yes… but therein lies the problem,” Obi Wan said. “You know well Anakin that having power and being able to master said power are two different things.”

Anakin winced at that. He remembered well his early training, where trying to levitate small objects had resulted in him giving them a bit too much oompf and turned them into projectiles. He honestly would have needed a new hand sooner if Obi Wan hadn’t been there to tackle him out of the way when his summoning of a ball turned it into a slug rocketing towards him.

“I haven’t dug too far, out of respect for her, but I’ve gotten snippets of memories. I believe that when her quirk first began to appear she… might have killed someone.”

“How… how could she do that though?” Anakin said. “You are rewinding something…” His eyes widened. “Unless she rewound someone back so far-“

“They never existed,” Obi Wan said. “Or were reduced to genetic slime. Yes.” He glanced at Anakin out of the corner of his eye. “Its okay though… the Force will warn me if such a thing happens.”

“And we have another option!” Nedzu declared, popping out of Anakin’s jacket, much to his surprise.

“HOW DO YOU GET IN THERE?!?!” Anakin exclaimed as the principal happily wiggled his way free and landed on the ground beside them. “Force, its like dealing with a furry Master Yoda…” He began to pat himself down, making sure that there weren’t any other principals hiding in his clothing.

“While there isn’t much we can do about the Force and will need to rely upon you for that UA is the premiere school for Quirk training and thus the perfect place for Young Eri to learn how to use her quirk.” Nedzu easily leapt onto a chair so he could stare into the room. “Aizawa’s quirk will be perfect for canceling out her quirk should it go wild. And of course Recovery Girl will be there to help anyone that might get hurt during her training.” He turned and smiled at Obi Wan and Anakin. “But that isn’t actually why I am here. See, Anakin was quite right… you did technically kidnap her.”

“I-“

“Yes yes, it is a very good thing that you took her away from that situation. Believe me-“ Something… dark… flashed in Nedzu’s eyes and both Force Users felt like they had been bathed in cold Hutt Slime, “-I know something about being experimented on.” At once Nedzu was chirper again. “So I am delighted you were able to save your daughter from that, Kenobi. We just need to get the paperwork filled out and records created.”

“I appreciate any help you…” Obi Wan trailed off as he caught onto what Nedzu had said. “Wait… daughter?”

“Why yes!” Nedzu said happily. “Kenobi Eri… it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“Principal Nedzu,” Obi Wan said quickly, “Eri isn’t my daughter… she will be my Padawan when she comes of age.”

“Yes, I remember our talks about that. You wait till a Force User is around 10 or so on average to make them a padawan learner. Eri though will have several years to wait for that. But I’m afraid the government doesn’t recognize ‘padawan learner’ as a legal status. But daughter? That is easily handled!”

Anakin watched, rather amused, as Obi Wan began to plead with the Principal in a decidedly non-Obi Wan way. “There must be a better option… a ward of the school or-“

“Oh, I considered that,” Nedzu stated. “But that would mean having to reveal WHY young Eri is a ward of the school and the less people that know about her being here, the better. From what you have learned the people that held her are not the kind that will take her disappearance lightly and will want to find her again… such a powerful quirk! And if they learn she has the Force? No… we must keep this between ourselves. And the best way to hide her is to make her someone else. Eri is a common enough name so no one will think much of that. And as your daughter it will explain her being at UA.”

“But… but…” Obi Wan sputtered. “Daughter? Why not… cousin?”

“We can’t claim another lost cousin who has the same quirk,” Nedzu stated. “If you had been a touch older or Miss Tano younger I would have insisted she be your daughter. It is questionable enough that you and Anakin share a quirk with his cousin. Another won’t do and before you ask saying Eri is Ahsoka’s sister won’t do. No, she has been too clear she is an only child. No… it must be by blood and it must be more direct. It can’t be your sister… we already established you and Anakin are only children, adopted by the same man. People will wonder at a third and so young. They will want to know where her father is. No… this is safer.”

“We’ll need to change her look,” Anakin said, rubbing his chin. “Cut her hair… obviously get her new clothing. Padme will help with that. Obi Wan will have to come, father/daughter bonding.”

“Anakin!” Obi Wan exclaimed.

“Come now, Master, don’t you want to get a mani/pedi with your kid?”

“I don’t know what that is,” Obi Wan groused.

Nedzu smiled. “Yes! A wonderful idea, Anakin. Hmmm… perhaps you can help me with this. We need a good reason why she didn’t come with you five when you first arrived…”

“She was staying with family until we were settled,” Anakin reasoned. He suddenly paused. “Principal Nedzu… was there ever a time where Nemuri wasn’t active for a few months.”

“Why yes. She got injured during a large battle with The Screaming Loons… a terrible name, I agree, but they were a dangerous gang. She couldn’t patrol for several months… oh. Oh! And the timeline actually DOES work rather well…”

“Anakin…” Obi Wan said slowly.

“Do you think she’d agree?” Anakin asked.

“Why, I think she would!” Nedzu said. “Especially knowing it would protect Eri.”

“Anakin…” Obi Wan tried again.

“We’ll have to get the timelines right…”

“No,” obi Wan said firmly. “No. We are not going to-“

~MC~MC~MC~

“So I’m an uncle?!?” Hizashi exclaimed happily, staring at Eri who was cradled in Nemuri’s arms.

“Honorary,” the heroine Midnight stated, cuddling her ‘daughter’.

“So six years back when you were injured… the story is you were actually pregnant?”

“Yup,” Nemuri stated. “Obi Wan and I agreed to raise her in private but with him joining UA and Eri getting older we decided it was time to come clean about our relationship…”

Obi Wan held his head in his hands.

Chapter Text

“Sir,” Bubble Girl called out as Mirai moved through the main lobby of his office, “we have some information about-“

“No calls,” Mirai said coolly, marching past her.

“But there is word that the Shie Hassaikai-“

“They don’t matter,” Mirai declared.

Bubble Girl tensed before suddenly leaping to her feet, creating bubbles that Mirai could only assume had some rather noxious odors in them. She narrowed her eyes, ready to attack, and Mirai let out a huff, pausing at his door, one hand against the frame.

“I’m still me,” he assured his sidekick. When she didn’t stop he said, “The All Might Bobble Head on the upper right shelf is a custom.” Though that was their key word to let her know that he was himself, a fact only the two of them knew, Bubble Girl still stared him down. “I meant that they don’t matter right now.” He let out a weary sigh. “I have… other things on my mind that I need to focus on before I can hope to focus on our case.”

He could feel her eyes on him.

“I’m glad you were so quick to react, though,” he said. “You know what I am like and a deviation from the norm would normally signal that I was replaced. I just…” And oh how he hated having to say the next words, “…am not mentally prepared to deal with our cases at the moment.”

There was a long moment of silence and then Bubble Girl let out a sigh of her own. “I’ll go dispose of these.”

“Thank you,” he stated. “Gather up everything you hear and have it ready for me for tomorrow. I’ll look at it then.” With that he went into his office, shutting the door before letting his eyes roam over all of his All Might collectables. The posters, the statues, the toys, the lunchboxes and pens. Action figures including rare never before produced ones. A tribute Christmas album on both CD and Vinyl. Plushies and keychains.

A thousand beaming smiles swarmed around him.

‘Toshi… what have you done?’

Mirai went over to his desk and sat down, booting up his laptop (NOT the one that was connected to his agency… even with the best protections in place someone with a hacking quirk could have easily got in and that was something Mirai couldn’t afford) and taking a moment to pull out a water bottle and a some aspirin; he felt a headache rising and wanted desperately to kill it dead before it could explode across his skull. By the time the pills were down his computer was up and running and he pulled out the news articles about the newest hero.

There she was, smiling in victory next to the Symbol of Peace himself: Star Might, the just revealed daughter of All Might.

‘Lie,’ Mirai thought to himself. ‘Toshi would never have been able to hide her from me. Not unless he hadn’t known about her himself. And the press conference made clear that he knew about her and was protecting her. So she isn’t his daughter…’

It was a clever ruse. People would wonder why they had similar quirks so claiming that she was a blood relation would certainly help with that. She resembled him a bit, what with the same hair and the black and blue eyes, but that could have easily been faked. He himself knew of at least three different people within a 30 minute drive of his office that had quirks that could alter hair colors, skin pigments, and eye color. Ordinary citizens and criminals made use of them, with the former paying good money to get the latest trend (a decade back All Might’s hair had been all the rage) while the latter used them to hide after a major crime spree. So he could believe that Star Might had gone to such a person, getting her hair changed to match Toshi’s.

The Quirk though…

‘You found a successor,’ Mirai thought to himself. ‘An unknown to give your quirk to.’

He should have been happy. His falling out with his friend had been caused by All Might refusing to do exactly that. Believing that he could just continue on as if nothing had happened rather than accepting that All For One had hurt him too greatly and he needed to rest… lest he die. Mirai had SEEN him die.

But… Mirai wasn’t happy.

‘I offered you the perfect successor. And yet… you chose this woman. Who is she, Toshi? Why is she so important that you gave her your quirk?’

He narrowed his eyes.

‘And is she worthy of it?’

~MC~MC~MC~

Sidekicks quickly made themselves scarce as Enji raged.

The only consolidation any of them could feel was that the Number 2 Hero had at least learned the news in one of his training rooms and not the office; while much of the Endeavor Agency was designed to withstand heat and flames the raw power that Enji was pumping out would have reduced much of his specially made office to slag.

“A daughter?!?!” Enji roared. “A fucking DAUGHTER!?!?!” He slammed his fists down into the ground, more flames churning from his flesh, whirling about him in a chaotic cyclone of outrage. “That beaming lying bastard!”

He had worked so very hard… so very hard! Found the proper woman to marry, produced child after child until he’d found one that had the quirk that he desired. Flame and Ice… and though normally it would have angered him to believe that ANYONE had flames more powerful than his own he was delighted that Shoto did.

Assuming the brat would actually USE them.

He could feel his fires within him and even stunted due to lack of use Enji just knew that they would be powerful when his son finally stopped his rebelling and embraced his destiny. He would be the most powerful hero ever and cement their legacy for all time. Enji had already begun to scout out women Shoto could be with, whose quirks would only add to their family’s dynasty. A wind quirk or an earth quirk… perhaps lightning. Fire, Ice, and another elemental… if done properly he would be seen as the father of a long line of powerful heroes, worshiped as gods among the weak and scared citizens of the world.

And then… that grinning blond bastard had shown up with his DAUGHTER…

“That cheating, underhanded, fraud!” Enji roared, whipping around and attacking a training dummy, not even bothering with his flames but instead pounding it with his fists. He imagined that every hit was knocking more teeth out of All Might’s smug face. “Hiding that child, making us all believe that he was all of his line! And then announcing her like that!”

Already there were some calling her the next Symbol of Peace. Enji was sure that when the rankings came out she would be in the Top Ten. In a single press conference he had taken all of Enji’s hopes and crushed them down.

He would show All Might. And the rest of the fucking world. He would just go all the harder! He’d been lax… coasting now that Shoto was old enough to attend UA. But he needed to work even harder!

Endeavor paused.

Perhaps… perhaps it was time to also seek out a new bride… a back up plan if Shoto proved too weak.

In his mind Star Might’s grin flashed.

And what greater revenge… then taking All Might’s daughter…

~MC~MC~MC~

“Star Might…”

The man known as Stain smiled as he stared at the image of his idol’s daughter, standing triumphant and proud with her father after defeating the villains that had tried to slay the Symbol of Peace. For the first time in ages he felt true hope.

He had wanted to become a hero after seeing All Might only to become disgusted by the so called ‘heroes’ that were being churned out by Hero Schools that treated the entire thing as a chance at fame and money. Models and celebrities who cared more about the cameras than they did saving their fellow man. Men like Endeavor who were little more than glorified villains who were allowed to maim and kill because the government wanted to use them for their own ends. All disgusted him and had made him realize that the world needed to return to a time of true heroes.

Thus he had created his Revival of Heroics Doctrine, his path of the true hero. Not quite a religion but rather a set of tenements that preached what it meant to be a true hero. And later, when he had found people unwilling to listen to what he had to say… he had discovered his true self: Stain, the slayer of false heroes.

But Star Might? The child of All Might?

He smiled.

“You are a true hero… I know it,” he said to himself, watching the replay of her first battle on his phone. How she had worked first to protect the innocent, then engaged that strange villain in order to protect others. He had been startled at first by her snapping his neck but when it had been made clear that the villain, Nomu, was still alive and had a healing quirk he had been pleased with her cunning. She was a true hero but also knew that sometimes heroes had to go to extreme measures to shake people out of their apathy. That sometimes the only way to get people to open their eyes was to startle them.

Star Might had done that.

Oh yes… he would be watching her career with great interest…

~MC~MC~MC~

‘If that bastard weren’t already dead…’

Kai was not in a good mood at all. He knew that he was supposed to be calm, collected, in control of his emotions. He was the acting head of the Shie Hassaikai and thus was supposed to be the rock that everyone else leaned upon.

And yet in that moment, with the news coming at him so quick he could barely keep track of everything… all he wanted to do was tear every one of his useless minions apart atom by atom and reassemble them into something that would actually be fucking competent.

‘Eri,’ Kai thought to himself with bitter disgust. ‘You problematic little brat… you just couldn’t stay still, could you?’

How she’d managed to get away he had no idea… it didn’t matter now, of course. Where in times past he’d sought to learn how she had escaped so he might fix up the weaknesses and ensure that they couldn’t be used ever again now it was… useless. Meaningless.

Because the girl was dead.

Cameras had shown her disappearing into an alleyway, chase by Cho, and then the League of Fucking Villains had attacked and reduced the buildings to rubble. Many dead. Just more proof of how evil quirks were and how the world would be so much better without them… and yet the key to seeing that dream become a reality was gone.

Kai grit his teeth together before pulling out his phone. “Who are they?” he demanded, not even giving a greeting.

The Information Broker he had hired to look into the new group, to his credit, didn’t stammer as he answered. “The lower level members are just your standard thugs. You can find them on any street corner.”

“Are any of them one that have worked for my organization?”

“They are a few. I’ve sent over the names.”

Kai smirked darkly at that. He would enjoy teaching the drug pushers and money hustlers why it wasn’t wise to betray the Shie Hassaikai. They believed that they could have their protection and then work for these upstarts? Oh… Kai would make examples out of them. Their suffering would be long, their deaths prolonged, and in the end their meaningless lives would amount to one thing: lessons for everyone that you did not ever think you could have split loyalties. Not with him in control.

“And the others?” Kai asked.

“That… is where things get interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“The warp gate creator and the one called Nomu… there are no records of any one person having those quirks or appearances.”

Kai frowned at that. “Villains that have been hidden by birth?”

“Or,” the Broker said, “something else. I am getting some… interesting information out of my contacts with the police. Nothing I can share at the moment-“ Kai growled at that; he hated when information holders played games like that, “-but if what I am hearing is true then it changes things greatly.”

“And that is?”

The Broker clearly considered how much to say. “Made to order villains.”

“…hmmm,” Kai said, leaning back in his chair, considering just what the Broker was suggesting. He knew that breeding for certain quirks still happened, despite it being seen as illegal by nearly every government in the world. But this… if what Kai was thinking was true… that would change the game… “And their leader?”

“Shigaraki?” the Broker asked. “Someone with delusions of grandeur, using the past to try and build himself up.”

That… made Kai frown. It wasn’t like the Broker to give such a statement. It almost sounded like an opinion but he knew the man and he dealt with facts.

When he said as much the Broker let out a huff. “Have you never heard the name Shigaraki before?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Hmmm… you should study up on your history.”

“That’s why I have you.”

“True,” the Broker stated. “Shigaraki is the name of a Boogeyman. A supposed criminal overlord from the Dawn of Quirks. I had to dig hard to find that and ended up deleting everything I found but yes… the name of the Boogeyman.” He quickly added, “He’s long dead and certainly isn’t this boy. No… this is no different than a villain choosing to use the name of a long dead criminal to try and build up his prestige.”

“Then he should be easy to crush.”

“Perhaps… but those he’s gathered around him-“

“That is my problem. Keep digging.”

Kai hug up and looked about his office.

‘You cost me Eri… I will make you pay, Shigaraki, or whoever you truly are.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Rikiya stood in front of the window that looked out on a park that was just outside the office building he had selected to run his empire. He knew down there were children that were playing silly little innocent games. Tag. Dodgeball. Maybe throwing balls or playing on jungle gyms.

He also knew that none of them were able to fully use their quirks freely because of the restraints placed upon them by their foolish and fearful society.

It was for them that he did all this.

“What do you make of her?” he asked the members of his inner circle that were currently meeting with him to discuss the attack.

“Star Might?” Chitose asked, it clear that she was smirking. “Oh, I have SO many questions about here! All Might has been a naughty boy, hiding her from us…”

Tomoyasu let out a scoff. “We don’t care about what All Might does in the sheets. All that matters is if this Star Might will stand with us or against us.”

“She’ll stand against us, of course!” Koku declared. “All Might is too much of a stooge of the Hero Commission to have a daughter that will be anything but the same!”

“We thought he was too much of a goodie goodie to even have sex,” Chitose pointed out. “And yet now we know he was sneaking around having secret children.”

“Child,” Tomoyasu stated.

“That we know of!” Chitose pointed out. “He could have more out there… and we don’t know what Star Might will be like. After all… we are all upstanding members of society who would NEVER work against the government…”

Chitose had a point and Rikiya nodded in agreement. “Yes… we need to keep an eye out, see if she truly is her father’s daughter… or if his hiding her away created cracks we can exploit. A young woman like that, thrust into the spotlight?” He chuckled. “Chitose, perhaps you should seek out making friends with her?”

“Oh, now that would be delightful!”

“What of the League of Villains?” Koku asked. “Their acts can not stand. That attack… it is making people talk about the wrong things.”

“They will be dealt with,” Rikiya stated coldly. “Our sources state that most of them are low life dregs. The homeless, the petty thieves, the desperate wretches who think that they can make more of themselves if they follow with these few that make grand promises.” Rikiya placed his hands behind his back, still staring out the window. “I want to know every single one who managed to escape. Their names and what they do when they aren’t making trouble. Their families, their friends, anyone they might have met even in passing. And then I want hits put on each and every one of them.”

He turned and glared at his inner circle.

“When you are breeding a race horse you put down the weak mares that will give you weak foals. If we want a great society we must put down the weak that would threat us. I want the League of Villains to serve as our investigators… letting us know who must die.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Fucking cheaters! All of them! It was supposed to be a raid party and it became PvP!”

The man known as All For One (for he had gone so long not using his first name that it was meaningless to him, much like one of his favorite villains from the old pre-quirk Sci Fi films he and his brother used to watch… moronic redemption at the last minute utterly ignored) let his student rant and rave. Despite all he had done to try and get Shigaraki to understand patience the boy was still, well, a boy, and prone to fits such as the one he was having. And while it would have been easily for All For One to make the boy calm down, using his very presence to make him clamp his jaw shut, sometimes what the child needed was a chance to vent.

“Bringing in that bitch… who the fuck was that?!?” Shigaraki demanded.

“All Might’s child, apparently,” All For One stated, more to himself.

And that… concerned him.

He had worked hard to monitor All Might. It was how he’d come to realize that he was injured, weakened by their great final battle. That he had managed to wound the man just as he had wounded him. He knew that such an injury was worse than just a physical wound; it was a wound upon his soul. All For One had one himself… the damage of All Might’s strikes had left his face such a ruin that the only way to save him was to sacrifice all of his face from his upper lip to the top of his skull. The good looks that he’d used to charm so many were gone. His eyes were forever trapped behind flesh left scarred and swollen. He could hear so at least he hadn’t lost that but still… it was a horrible thing, to have an injury that limited you.

‘He was a painter who had lost his hands. A musician rendered deaf.’ The quote about that pre-quirk villain once more flowed through All For One’s mind. That is what All Might had done to him… and what he had done to the pesky holder of his brother’s quirk.

He had prepared for this moment for years. Even before his battle with All Might he had been prepping Nana’s grandson to be the ultimate weapon against his foe. Their battle and their mutual injuries had only further motivated him to prepare the boy. He had thought that All Might, in his arrogance, had refused to do similar.

‘And I was wrong,’ he thought darkly as Shigaraki continued to rant. ‘I should have looked into him more… should have investigated his past. Seen this child coming.’ He frowned, thinking on what he had been told of her. ‘Has All Might given her One For All? Or… or is it possible that it has duplicated? Passed down to her and now splintered into two? Or created a Child Quirk?’

It was his worst fear, that his brother’s quirk might find a way to either further elude him.

“Do not look at this as a failure, my boy.”

Shigaraki frowned at that, his anger ebbing down. “Sensei?”

“Think on it… the daughter of All Might is inexperienced. This was her first battle. We weren’t prepared for her, yes, but now we will be. And… now she becomes not his strength but his weakness.”

He smiled.

“After all… what could be worse than losing one’s child?”

“…of course.” Shigaraki cackled that yes. “Yes… I just need to gather together better party members. Then isolate and destroy. Break her off from the Boss and drain her HP. And when I do that will remove his shields…”

All For One tuned the boy out, his mind racing with his own thoughts.

He would claim Star Might. Use Quirks and torture and all manner of other items he had at his disposal to break her. Turn her into his ultimate lifeform. The greatest of Nomu.

‘How sweeter would it be to destroy you All Might… with your own child?’

Chapter Text

“It is a shame that we’ll have to get rid of this pretty hair,” Padme said as she gently ran her fingers through Eri’s mane. The little girl was curled up on her lap like a kitten, having passed out from exhaustion from the crazy day. Padme was honestly ten seconds from joining the youngling, fighting off yawns as she focused on stroking the white silky hair. It was only her years of getting through boring Senate meetings that kept her from just conking out right there. “But its too obvious, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Obi Wan said, sitting in his recliner, Nemuri resting on the floor beside him, half-lying against his legs. “It will be hard enough with her horn but combined with her eyes and her hair?” He shook his head. “No, we’ll need to give her a completely different style.”

“It might be nice for her,” Anakin commented from Obi Wan’s kitchen, where he was getting everyone drinks, Rex hovering nearby mostly because he didn’t know what to do with himself. “After I was freed remember how excited I was to get my padawan braid? It was something I knew I could have never gotten when Watto was my master.” And how it showed how much Anakin had grown that he was able to openly talk about being a slave. He and Hound Dog had spent months dealing with his issues concerning his childhood and the young Jedi had come to understand that while he could never rid himself of his past he could, at the very least, own it. Let it never be used against him if he accepted it and moved past it. No different than how many of the teachers at UA owned what had happened to them in their childhoods.

(Nedzu especially had proved to be a wonderful hero to talk to, much to Anakin’s surprise. The Principal knew what it was like to be trapped in a cage and have forever the scars. While he still didn’t like the bear-mouse-rat popping up all the time or his mind games he was someone that Anakin could talk to and find understanding)

“I never understood the appeal of hair,” Ahsoka commented from the dining room where she was working on her homework, Hizashi having offered to help her out while Shouta was grumbled in the corner, looking to everyone like he was asleep yet chiming in suddenly if he felt Hizashi was giving Ahsoka the answers rather than guiding her to them.

“I think she’s a bit young for us to shave her head,” Padme said with a faint smile. “But a color change and a new style would be nice.”

Obi Wan kept staring at the little girl. “It was mentioned that there are people that can alter such things with their quirk?”

“Yeah,” Hizashi stated. “Some real good professional ones… there is always some actor or actress that wants to try and make something the new ‘it’ thing. Nem, you know of anyone?”

“A few,” she said. “I could call them-“

“I’ll cal Tens,” Shouta said from his little corner.

“Tens?” Anakin asked as he began to walk around, handing out drinks. Normally he hated it when he was expected to serve but at the moment it was just nice to have something to do. Rex followed after him like a duckling, glancing occasionally at Eri and getting… twitchy.

“Iida Tensei,” Nemuri supplied.

Ahsoka frowned at that. “Is he related to Iida? Well… I mean-“

“Yeah, Listener,” Hizashi said with a grin. “He’s his big brother.”

“He’s his father in every sense of the word,” Shouta grumped. “Their parents are never around… Tensei raised that boy.”

“We can get into the Iidas’ horrible parenting another day,” Nemuri said; it was clear to the Jedi and their companions that this had been an old fight for the threesome. “Why do you want to call Tens?”

“I assume there is a good reason,” Obi Wan added, “seeing as we agreed to keep the truth about Eri among as few people as possible.”

It had been debated how much to tell the staff and in the end the fewer who knew the cover story of Eri being Nemuri and Obi Wan’s secret love child was just that the better. Even Yagi wouldn’t be told the truth as while the man had hidden the knowledge of One For All for decades on other things…

Shouta, Nem, and Hizashi all shot Obi Wan a dark look. “Tens is our friend,” Nemuri finally stated. “If it hadn’t been for Tenya he’d be teaching with us. But raising a child, setting up a hero agency, and starting as a teacher would have been too much.”

“He plans to start at UA once Tenya graduates,” Hizashi added.

“Of course,” Obi Wan said at once, dipping his head. “Apologizes.” He glanced at Shouta. “But why call him and not use Nemuri’s contacts.”

“Her’s work for fame seekers and routinely talk to the gossip rags. We are going to have enough vultures going mad when it comes out Nemuri has a kid we don’t need one slipping that she changed their hair and eye color. Tensei, more than any of us, deals with vigilantes who know of unlisted salons where they do such things and will stay quiet for the right amount of money.”

“…unlisted salons?” Ahsoka asked only for Shouta to shoot her a look. “I’m just saying it sounds… silly.”

“It isn’t,” Shouta said. “There are undergrounds who use them too if they are doing undercover work.”

“It’s a good idea,” Padme said. “We give her some dark hair, either match Obi Wan or Nemuri’s coloring… “

“Blue,” Nemuri said. “Eyes that is. Obi Wan and I both have that. As for hair lets go with something darker than Obi Wan’s. Not sure if we should do my hair color… would be odd to suddenly have a Mini Me running around.”

Anakin finished handing everyone their drinks and plopped down next to Padme, getting a glare from her for bouncing Eri, but the little girl merely murmured in her sleep and reached out, grabbing Anakin’s finger and holding it tight.

“You okay there?” Ahsoka asked as she saw Rex hovering.

“Yes sir,” Rex said.

“Rex…” Ahsoka said slowly.

The captain sighed. “It’s the baby Jedi, sir. We were all trained what to do if we encountered one in the field and having her here and not scooping her up is making me… itchy.”

“You were?” Obi Wan asked, surprised. “I suppose that makes sense but what were you supposed to do?”

“One brother was to break off instantly and gather them and get them to safety. All missions were abandoned. If they had training we were to get them to the Temple and if they didn’t they went straight to the Chancellor.”

THAT made everyone blink.

“Rex… why would you take a youngling with Force abilities to the Chancellor and not a Jedi?”

“I… don’t know.” He frowned, screwing up his eyes. “But they drilled it into us. A baby Jedi went to the Chancellor.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Padme said, shifting slightly to look over at Rex. He was standing in the far corner, fighting every urge to grab Eri and hurry to a spaceship they didn’t actually have. “The Jedi would make more sense…”

“There is something we are missing there,” Hizashi said with a frown. “And there is no chancellor around to asked.”

“Meaning Rex is going to slowly lose his mind because he can’t fulfill his training?” Ahsoka asked.

“Thanks, Ahsoka,” Rex grumped.

Anakin though looked at Padme. “What would happen if the Chancellor wasn’t available? Like he was sick or missing?”

“We’d elect a temporary chancellor.”

“Well… since for us we have no idea where Chancellor Palpatine is, I move that the only senator here be voted as Emergency chancellor.”

“Ani, I don’t think-“ He shot a look at Rex and she sighed. “Fine, I vote for myself, no one opposes. I’m Chancellor.”

At once Rex’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Huh… that actually worked.”

Obi Wan nodded. “We’ll need to file that away for later. And you’ll need to remember to command Rex to accept Nemuri and I as Eri’s guardians.”

“Mommy and daddy,” Nem teased, causing Obi Wan to blush slightly. “Papa? Dada?”

“Please stop.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Palpatine wasn’t desperate.

If anyone had tried to claim as much he would have showed them just how slow he could truly be, making their torture last years. He was the Lord of the Sith… he did not react like all others did. He had plans upon plans, counters to the counters of his counters. He understood all of his enemies so well that he could predict everything they would do. The Jedi danced to his song, not realizing he was leading them to a cliff. The clones were his loyal minions just waiting for a single command. The Republic was already his Empire it just didn’t realize it yet.

Palpatine wasn’t desperate.

It was merely because he wanted to ensure he left no path unobserved that he had come to quiet high rise apartment in the middle of Coruscant’s banking district.

It was an apartment that was held in his name, one he had purchased just before the Clone Wars to serve as his home when he retired, or at leas that is what he had claimed. He had never actually entered it, always telling people that he would only cross the threshold when his work was done and the War was over.

The stupid fools ate the lie up with a spoon.

The moment Palpatine entered he felt the emptiness of the space that had NOTHING to do with the lack of furniture. It was a hollow spot in reality, void of everything.

Just as Palpatine had intended it when he’d set up his safety measures.

Walking over to a closet, knowing that he wouldn’t be disturbed, he knocked on the false wall before taking hold of it with the Force and tugging slightly, causing the durasteel that had been painted to appear like wood to groan before it slid open, revealing the polished ebony box. From the pockets of his robes he pulled out three layer gloves and carefully lifted the box out, walking to the center of the room and setting the object in the very center. He was careful to make sure that it was only touching the ground, which had been carefully built from wood from Myrkr.

Opening the lid of the box with his hand he quickly yanked his fingers back, staring at the contents.

Within was the long, stretched out skull of a Muun. An unhealthy one, to be sure; one could tell that just from how the bone was pitted, eaten away by disease.

Lowering himself to the ground, resting on his knees, Palpatine waited.

“Ah…” a voice whispered and Palpatine watched as from the skull rose a shadowy wraith, half formed and waivering like a bit of cloth caught in a strong breeze. “I wondered if you were just going to leave me trapped in there rather than seek out my knowledge… my apprentice.”

Palpatine stared at the Sith Spirit of Darth Plagueis. “You would have me believe you would ever share such information with me willingly?”

“I did so in life, my apprentice,” the dead Muun’s spirit stated with a casual air, like they were once more seated in his office at the Banking Clan’s Coruscant office drinking tea.

“And then I killed you,” Palpatine said simply, not in the mood to mince words.

“And then you killed me,” Plagueis repeated, giving a shrug. “Yet here we are. You obviously want something Sidious… so speak.”

Palpatine grit his teeth. He hated, truly hated, how Plagueis always made him feel like a child. It didn’t matter how old he got he was always looked down upon… quite literally so. It was one of the reasons why he had purposely waited until Plagueis had been lying down before he lashed out… he wanted his last memory of the Sith Lord to be looking DOWN upon him, rather than up.

And yet, even in death, Darth Plagueis was looking down upon him.

“Come now, I have all of time to wait in that box you locked up skull in… but I believe you do not. Now, you summoned me… what do you want?”

Seconds ticked by.

“Skywalker,” he finally got out.

Plagueis chuckled at that. Palpatine hadn’t forgotten that laugh… the light, ‘huh-huh-huh’ sound the Muun made when amused by something. “Why am I not surprised. You have hungered for the child since you first learned of him. How long has it been… is he a man yet?”

Palpatine didn’t answer that question, saying instead, “Skywalker has disappeared. There is no trace of him.” He leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “Did you-“

“What? Take your precious new apprentice?” Plagueis laughed at that, which caused his form to rippled and tremble, like it was fighting to remain together. It probably was, honestly. “You know that isn’t how it works. I can not truly interact with the world anymore. I am completely isolated… and not just because of your little box. I could not have claimed him, even if I desired to.”

“And you do,” Palpatine stated. “You know his power-“

“Power means little. Your little pet, Maul… he had power. How well did that work out for him?” Plagueis’ spirit shook his head. “No… power is nothing without something to guide it. After all, the greatest energy source is nothing without a kyber to direct it.”

He hated when his master talked like that. Using riddles and metaphors rather than just giving him the answers he sought. “But do you see him? Can you find him?”

“Hmmm,” the Muun said, amused. “Oh yes… I see him.”

“Where?” Palpatine demanded. When the other Sith didn’t answer he rose up. “I asked you where!”

“And what will you do?” Plagueis taunted. “Kill me again?” He shook his head. “No… I think I will prefer to return to the dark, knowing that no matter how hard you try… you’ll never find him.”

And with that the Spirit disappeared.

Palpatine stalked towards the skull of his dead master. He reached out… longing to hurl the damn thing across the room and into the wall or smash it against the floor or throw it out a window.

But in the end… he simply slammed the box shut with a snarl.

~MC~MC~MC~

Eri wasn’t quite sure what to think of everything going on.

She didn’t have much experience when it came to things that didn’t involve her being poked, prodded, or tested. She had vague memories of being tucked into bed and read stories but that was about it. Almost every memory she had was of the lab and the man in the scary mask.

So being held by Nemuri, who she had learned was going to be her new mama, while the funny man with yellow hair picked out different outfits and declared every one of them would be cute?

That was… strange.

But a good strange.

“It would work with her hair color,” Tensei said with a smile. He and Tenya had joined them after Eri had seen the underground stylists he had suggested. It kept startling the little girl to see a flash of redish-brown and realize that was her hair. She did love how short it was, cut in a little bob that she liked to swish about because it made her head so light.

She reached up and touched her left temple, feeling the new little horn there. That was also going to take some getting used to.

(“And its safe?” Obi Wan had asked when the stylists, a thin little man with golden teeth, had suggested having his partner use their quirk to create a second horn for Eri.

“Oh, absolutely. There are a lot of people who do it. Mostly cosmetics… symmetry and all that. It won’t be connected to her quirk and as the other horn grows you’ll need to come back but it will look lovely on her!”)

“What do you think, Eri?” Nemuri asked, bouncing the girl slightly.

Eri looked at the two dresses Hizashi and Tensei had picked out before pointing at them both, not wanting to upset either of them.

“Its on UA’s dime so why not!” Nemuri declared.

~MC~MC~MC~

“You know,” Padme said as Obi Wan looked over the toy section, stroking his beard as he looked at the brightly colored plastic and cardboard, “I expected you to scoff at the idea of getting Eri toys.”

“Not at all,” Obi Wan said. “Children need mental stimulation. Every one of these will help her develop and grow. Dolls allow her to act out her emotions in a self contained environment. Games teach strategy and patience.”

“And stuffed animals?”

“Well those are just for comfort,” Obi Wan said.

“Padme?” Anakin called out, holding out a stuffed alien that was brown in color with a long neck, rectangle-like head with large eyes, and a glowing belly. “Does this-“

“Senator Geborp?” Padme said, surprised as she stared at the ET doll while Ahsoka held out a blue furry… thing… to Eri that she promptly hugged.

~MC~MC~MC~

“…no Rex,” Shouta said, pulling the clone trooper away from the gun section.

“She’s of age.”

“If I ever meet you trainers I’m going to have a LONG talk with them about proper child care,” the erasing hero complained.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Through here, Madam President,” Mera stated.

The head of the Hero Public Safety Commission nodded and stepped into the conference room only to find the man who had managed to somehow get an appointment with her, despite the fact that she did NOT take appointments, was not seated at the conference room table but rather was standing, back turned to her, arms folded behind his back. His fine white suit was perfectly pressed, without a single wrinkle, and his posture was utterly straight, filled with determination and strength that so few had. Honestly it made the President wish she could convey such strength just by standing.

“Have you ever truly stopped and considered this piece?” the man said, his voice cultured and refined.

The President, interest piqued, walked over to find the man was staring intently at a rather famous piece of art: The first appearance of All Might.

“From my research this piece doesn’t actually depict the very first time All Might ever debuted. That was an apartment fire, where he managed to save 45 people despite his quirk being utterly useless in that situation.”

“Yes,” the President stated. “There are pieces of that but since it wasn’t a villain attack people tend to gravitate to this image.”

“It is rather interesting, is it not?” the man gestured at the image. “Rather than show him saving lives what do we see? The Symbol of Peace… in the act of violence. Lifting up a car… no… not lifting it.” He shook his head. “Smashing it against this rock here. While one man cowers and another flees. Perhaps they are villains… or perhaps they are the public, fearing the power of this man who just wants to protect them. That… is how things are for all great powers, isn’t it? Everyone fears the mighty… when al they want to do is protect.”

“Something tells me you aren’t here to discuss art.”

“And why not?” the man asked. “Art tells us so very much about a society. It is the ultimate way to express one’s self. To reveal truths you wish to speak but can’t… or perhaps not even realize that you are saying.” He gestured at the painting again. “Take this piece. It tells me all I need to know about Japan.”

“And that is?”

“That All Might is the pillar you’ve built your world upon. You are frightened of his strength yet you still find comfort in him. Much like… a parent, I suppose. Yes. A parent.” He turned to the President. “All Might is dying.”

She started at that.

“Come now, you must see it. He patrols less and less. Is quick to leave the scene of crimes where once he would linger. He is trying to force more time into a smaller vessel. To do more with less. He is dying… and when he is gone the pillar will be removed. The children will be orphans. And… what happens to this society of peace you have built then? When those that fear him…” he gestured at the fleeing man in the picture, “no longer have anything to keep them from turning back?”

The President swallowed. “And you have a solution?”

“A few… if you are willing to consider hearing them from a stranger to your lands.”

“…very well,” she said. “I will hear them out, Mr…”

“Thrawn,” the man said with a small smile. “I am Thrawn.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Is that all we need to get for your daughter, Mr. Kenobi?” Tenya asked as he loaded the last of the bags into the van Nedzu had given them for their shopping trip. While Obi Wan hadn’t been originally sure about having his student along for the trip, worried it would be awkward for him to be around so many of his teachers, Tensei had assured him it would be fine; Tenya had grown up around Shouta, Nemuri, and Hizashi and as such it was more odd for the young man to see them as his instructors rather than honorary aunts and uncles.

“I believe so,” Obi Wan said, holding Eri close to him while Shouta and Hizashi argued over how to install the booster seat in the back of the van. With Anakin insisting he drive them back to UA, complaining that Hizashi drove like ‘a little old lady who doesn’t know how to get an engine even warm’ Obi Wan had insisted they get the booster to give her extra protection.

“Actually,” Nemuri said, “I think there is one more stop to make.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“So, going to complain about taking a child to a place like this?” Ahsoka asked as the group made their way towards the diner. It was mid afternoon so the lunch rush was over, which was good considering the size of their party.

Tenya though shook his head, a faint smile forming on his lips. “I remember there were days where Tensei would bring me here to surprise Uncle Shouta… you have noticed that he tends to get by on his jelly pouches, right?”

“Ugh, yes,” Ahsoka said. “Nearly as bad as my master eating bugs all the time.”

Tenya gave her a quick glance but then moved on form that comment. “I’ll admit it isn’t the most impressive of establishments but I have some wonderful memories here. I do hope that young Eri will as well.”

“You don’t get to call her ‘young Eri’,” Ahsoka teased as the door to the diner opened with a chime. “Not when you have only 10 years on her.”

“Obi Wan!” Dex called out as he saw the group. “And Nem! And who is this little gal?”

Eri looked up at Dex before squeezing Obi Wan’s hand harder, biting her lip.

“This is our daughter, Eri,” Obi Wan said. “We’ve decided that we have enough stability in our lives that she can stay with us at last.”

Dex, to his credit, only blinked for a moment before flashing a sly smile. “Of course, of course.” He squatted down, which was hard for him to do with his bulk, and smiled at the little girl. “Aren’t you a pretty thing. Come on, I’ll fix you up something special!”

Eri gave a small nod as her new family was led to a booth, Dex snagging a table to put beside it so everyone could sit together.

~MC~MC~MC~

Snipe let out a sigh as he stepped into his apartment. Even though it was the weekend, the students back home and UA empty, there was still plenty to do. Not helping matters was the fact that Midnight, Eraser, and Mic had all left him to go play with Midnight and Negotiator’s kid. That meant more stuff fell on him…

It was fine though. He kept telling himself that. He was lucky to have gotten this job… after he’d ended up in Japan, utterly confused how he’d gone from Tython to there, why everything was so different…

Jedi stuff. That was the only answer.

He sighed, checking to make sure his guns’ safeties were on. That wasn’t why he was annoyed… he still meant to corner Kenobi, to see if he could help him out, since his quirk was so similar to…

“You’ll never ask him,” he muttered. “You don’t want the answer he might give.”

Removing his hat and his poncho he paused when he heard a rattle and tensed… only to sigh when a small metal ball rolled out from behind the couch.

“Nice try,” he said as he adjusted his mask, wishing that whatever had brought him to Earth had allowed him to keep his beskr. He missed his helmet so much. “But I see you.”

Grogu let out a gurgle as he toddled over to him, hugging his leg.

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you to,” Din ‘Snipe’ Djarin said with good humor, lifting his charge up and giving him a hug.

Chapter Text

“I don’t quite understand why you wanted this list,” Danjuro said, looking over at Padme. Yagi was mixing up some drinks for them (coffee for Padme who lived on the stuff, the same for Danjuro though with plenty of milk and sugar unlike Padme’s pure black, and a protein drink Recovery Girl had gotten him on to prep him for the coming surgery to replace his lungs with Anakin’s new artificial ones, not that Danjuro knew that) at the drink bar he gotten installed in Padme’s office. “I would have thought that our best bet would be to have Star Might do her first interview with a reporter that was more friendly to All Might.”

“That’s exactly why I want her with a reporter that is going to be doing more hard hitting questions,” Padme said. “Thank you Yagi.” She took her coffee and took a long sip, not even reacting to how hot it must have been. Honestly it was impressive… and a touch horrifying. Especially since he knew that was her 5th cup of the day. “If we want the world to know that Star Might is serious about being a hero we can’t have her doing puff peaces with reporters just looking to spend some time with her. No… I want her answering the hard questions. Not only so that people know she’s serious but also because it will show her smarts.”

“Hmmm… that is true,” Danjuro stated. “Going toe to toe with a cut throat reporter looking to try and destroy her would show that she is not just a glorified celebrity trading off her father’s fame.” Danjuro accepted his coffee from Yagi. “The question is-“ He took a sip only to pause, looking over at Yagi in surprise. “This… is delicious!”

“Thank you,” Yagi said with pride. While he couldn’t actually drink most things due to just how much damage his stomach had taken he could still taste beverages and a guilty little secret of his was that on his days off he would work to create the most palette delighting drinks he could, just so he could savor them before spitting them out. It was a preparation for when he would get his new stomach and COULD drink all of them to his heart’s content.

Danjuro took another sip before setting the glass down. “As I was saying the question is… is Star Might up for it?”

“She is,” Padme said, a hungry look flashing in her eye that made Yagi rather nervous. She had told him a bit about her life before arriving in Japan, how she had been a Senator and had loved the thrill of the debate. How there were days where she loved nothing more than arguing with someone and attacking them with facts. He had a feeling she had been starving for a good fight for a while now and wanted to find the toughest reporter she could get in order to satisfy her craving. Just as when he got his new stomach his first meal most likely would not be the simple thing that Recovery Girl would demand he have, so too did Padme want her first meal to be… filling.

As the two began to go over which reporter would be best for the Star Might interview (and Yagi made a note to remind her to make a touch clearer divide between herself and her heroic persona if she didn’t want everyone to figure it out) he began to look around the office.

There had been several changes made to the space since Padme had officially moved in. While she still had a desk it was no longer the focal point of the room, having been moved to a far corner. The windows had heavy curtains on them as she had mentioned that even with glass that was supposed to be able to survive a blast from Endeavour (something that happened a bit too often for Yagi’s taste though he’d never admit aloud that) she would not work with a clear sightline for an assassin. That wasn’t to say the room was dark, as Padme had gotten her husband to help install lighting that was so unobtrusive even now Yagi couldn’t spot all the sources. But it made the room feel nice and warm and could also be adjusted depending on what she needed. One night Anakin had arrived because Padme had been working late and he and Yagi had discovered the lights down to what Anakin called ‘fireplace level’ and Padme asleep on the couch.

That was the other thing: the furniture. Padme had been adamant that she wanted everyone to be comfortable in her office and thus had used the large budget Yagi had gotten for her (he needed to spend it on something; even donating nearly 90 perfect of his royalty checks he still was a multi millionaire several times over) purchased plenty of different furniture. Firm loveseats perfect for doing business from, as they offered the right support. Plush couches great for relaxing on during a lunch period or after work. “Yagi’s Chair” as she called it, commissioned by her after she’d gotten Recovery Girl’s notes on his condition that was designed to support his body and had a massage feature that would warm and vibrate his muscles. Plenty of padded benches and backless chairs so that if someone had a mutant quirk they would be able to sit comfortably. She’d been introduced to every single person who worked at his (well, their’s but Padme herself was still getting used to that) agency and made sure her office would be comfortable for all of them.

It truly made him smile how considerate she was.

The walls of the office were decorated with different nature scenes, some so large and lifelike that it felt like Yagi was looking out a window. There was a fish tank with an automatic cleaning and feeding system. Padme’s office was… life itself.

There was a reason why there were days when he only stepped into his own office for a few moments, just to grab his paperwork, and then retreated to her oasis.

“Well, I think that we have a game plan,” Danjuro said with a smile, standing up.

“Let me know when you are ready to put everything up online,” Padme said. “By the way, how goes convincing your friend to work for us?”

Danjuro blushed at that. “La Brava is… used to her privacy. But I think I am close.”

“Remind her that we’ll get her immunity for any crimes she committed before working with us,” Padme said and Yagi forced himself not to start at that; he knew about the offer but it still surprised him that he, of all people, was offering criminals a chance to escape justice.

“I will,” Danjuro said with a bow before heading out of the office.

“He’s happy,” Yagi stated.

Padme nodded. “This has been good for him. We talked the other day… he was really depressed when he couldn’t become a hero. This though… it lets him help.” She sighed, shaking her head. “His quirk is amazing though. I think he could have been an amazing hero if he got the right help.”

Yagi nodded. “It is unfortunate that so many aren’t able to achieve their dreams.”

“It’s the system. I mean-“

He quickly cut her off, knowing she was preparing for a rant. “Do you have the list of villains you want to try and bring in?”

Padme instantly switched gears. “And some vigilantes as well.” She frowned as she got up and walked over to her desk, grabbing her laptop. “I’m worried, Yagi. The reports the Hero Commission sent over… I don’t think they realize just what the data is saying. I used to have to comb through thousands of flimsy to try and figure out why one senator voted one way when it went against their stances from just… days earlier. I’m used to finding things people are trying to hide.”

Yagi moved to the love seat, sitting next to her as she brought up the data. “Stain?” he asked in worry, seeing the sketch of the serial killer. “You-“

“No.”

The word was said with all the firmness of fine Detroit steel.

“No,” she repeated. “We only bring him in if it’s in handcuffs. What I mean is he has me worried. The Hero Commission is only worried about the heroes he’s killed and I get that… that’s big news. Twenty heroes killed because of him. And the bits of manifestos he’s leaving at the crime scenes… he’s not right in the head.” She pulled up another tab. “But it’s not just heroes he’s going after.”

Yagi’s brain sputtered to a stop.

“Fifty… seven?” he whispered.

“Most were criminals. He killed them quick but… they weren’t villains. Just petty thieves, drug addicts, pickpockets. And he’s killed ten vigilantes. The Hero Commission doesn’t report on those because to them their lives don’t matter but…”

“Yes, this is… worrisome,” Yagi admitted.

“I want to try and contact a few, bring them in… if only for their own protection. We talked about a rehabilitation program for vigilantes and small time criminals… with Danjuro being our test run I want to bring in a few more.” She pulled up some screen shots of people. “Shuichi Iguchi. Hates heroes so it might be a hard sell but that’s because the daughter of a hero, Twist Top, led a bullying campaign against him that eventually caused him to drop out of high school. He only recently began to pop up stopping crimes. I think though that if we stress that he won’t have to work with All Might or Star Might but instead we want to try to set up a new scholarship he’d listen. Then there is…”

Yagi smiled as Padme continued on.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Master, shouldn’t we be training?” Ahsoka asked as she weaved around a slow moving family.

“We are training,” Anakin said. “This is a stealth mission.”

“We’re in the middle of a crowd.”

“Being VERY stealthy.”

Ahsoka shot him a dry look. “Master, I don’t think this is an actual training session.”

“And what makes you say that, oh Padawan of mine?” Anakin said with a grin. “We are off on our own. Dealing with something neither of us have ever had to face. Something new. Something dangerous. We’ll be flying and falling and very likely getting very wet. That sounds like an adventure to me.” He gave a casual shrug. “But if you think you know more than me…”

“I do think though that it can’t be called a training exercise when we are going to an amusement park.” Ahsoka gestured at the massive gate for “Space Port Omega”.

“Come on, Snips, its gonna be funny! We can point at all the things they get wrong.” He leaned down and whispered. “We can tell them that we’re actual aliens and see if we get a discount…”

“Master… what is going on?”

Anakin stared at her for several moments but when Ahsoka didn’t let up he finally let out a sigh and gently guided Ahsoka out of the crowd that was moving towards the gate, finding a park bench and motioning for her to sit down. “I know I said we were going to do training but… I’ve been thinking about things recently. About how we’ve been living our lives. And not just how we’ve been on Earth. Before that.”

“Is this something from one of your shrink books?”

“Yes and don’t interrupt.” He jabbed his finger at her. “Or make that face.” Ahsoka’s annoyed glower instantly disappeared. “You… know how I grew up.” It had been hard, admitting to his Padawan what his childhood had been like. Honestly it was hard to even think about it, let alone talk about it. What he’d gone through… it had taken several months of therapy for Hound Dog to get Anakin to understand that he hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t been weak. Neither had his mother. They didn’t deserve what happened to them either. He hadn’t made a mistake in a past life or done something as a baby that got him with the slave chip in his leg. Sometimes horrible things happened for no good reason.

Hound Dog had also gotten him to let go of his guilt in leaving his mother. He had hated doing that for so long, thought of how he should have done things differently. ‘Survivor’s Guilt’, Hound Dog had told him. Everyone had it. Hound Dog talked of heroes who had lost civilians and been unable to continue on because of the grief. Of victims of villain attacks who allowed themselves to fall into anger and hate. When Anakin had brought up the Dark Side and Yoda’s teachings that ‘fear led to anger’ Hound Dog had nodded; he didn’t agree with how strict the Jedi were, as he said fear and anger and hate were natural (and Anakin had felt such a weight lift off his shoulders at that) but that they needed to be properly controlled and used. Anakin had let his fear that he’d done something wrong drive him for too long.

It… felt good to get it all out in the open. He and Obi Wan had discussed it a few months back and the conversation…

“I know what it’s like, Anakin. That violation.”

Anakin shot Obi Wan a heated look before taking a breath. “I’m sorry Master but… no. No you don’t. You don’t understand what’s it’s like-“

“I was a slave.”

Anakin’s entire world suddenly shifted, like one of the great sandquakes that would come about when a Kryatt Dragon burrowed nearby.

“W-what?” Anakin choked out.

“When I was a boy no one selected me to be their padawan. So I was sent away to the Agricorps to become a farmer.”

“But Qui Gon-“

Obi Wan shook his head. “He was hurt from his previous Padawan, Xanatos, Falling. He refused to take another Padawan. I only found out when I was on the Council that several Masters considered me and were going to ask me but Yoda interfered. He wanted to… use me to fix Qui Gon.” Obi Wan sucked in a breath; perhaps he needed to talk with Hound Dog himself. He’d only found out that little tidbit a few days before they’d gone to the peace talks and he had refused to say a word to his grandmaster. And now he’d never be able to speak about it to him and find out WHY.

“I don’t understand… did the Agricorps… did the Jedi…” Anakin felt sick.

“What? No. No!” Obi Wan shook his head quickly. “We were attacked by pirates. I was taken. I…” his hand rubbed against the back of his head, where his skull met his spine and Anakin’s eyes widened. He didn’t know if having his chip in his leg had been better or worse.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Would you have listened?” Obi Wan asked softly. “You didn’t ever want to talk about it.”

Anakin had to admit that Obi Wan was right about that. “I wish you had.”

“I wish so too. I think… things would have been better.”

“…yeah,” Anakin admitted.

“And you were brought to the temple so young,” Anakin said, “and you were trained to be a Jedi since you could toddle about.” He paused. “I wish R2 were here. I had him upload some baby holos from the archives-“

“Oh please, no!” Ahsoka exclaimed in horror, causing Anakin to laugh.

Once he’d settled down Anakin said, in a softer voice, “I have been thinking about Eri. Nemuri mentioned how sad it was that she didn’t get to do so many fun things a child is supposed to do. First day at school. Shopping for toys just because your parents want you to have one. Running in the park until you can’t breathe. All these little things. And I realized… well…”

“We never got that either,” Ahsoka said quietly.

“Ah.” Anakin rubbed the back of his head. “Listen… being a Jedi… it has been great. It truly has been. But this last year has made me realize there is more to it than that. And I’m not just talking about Padme and me. We’ve… we’ve gotten to do so much, being away from the Council and the Temple. And look! None of us have Fallen. We aren’t sending out Force Lightning from our fingers or wearing all black-“

“You do wear a lot of it though.”

“I wear dark browns,” Anakin argued. “The thing is… I realized that you and I missed out on a lot of things. And now you are at UA preparing to be a hero and I’m still training you to be a Jedi and I... well… I just don’t want to have it where 20 years from now you look back and wonder why you wasted your life constantly training and never living. Because what is the point of saving others if you can’t find a bit of joy for yourself?”

“So… amusement park?”

“Amusement park.”

Ahsoka considered him for a moment before offering him his hand as she got up. “If you throw up on me I am never going to let you live it down.”

“Me, throw up? I’ve flown customized starfighters that were able to pull out of 90 degree free falls!”

“Yeah but that spinning ride that looks like tea cups might be a bit to wild for you. Maybe the kiddie coaster?”

The two laughed as they headed towards the gate.

~MC~MC~MC~

“And classes are going good?” Rex asked as he and Izuku jogged around the park, waving to Izuku’s mom who was sitting on a bench drinking from a water bottle. Inko had joined with them as well, having a rare day off and deciding she wanted to see what the fuss was about, but after about 20 minutes she’d finally decided to take a break, a bit startled that her son and her boyfriend would jog for an hour most days and at greater speeds.

And with full packs.

Still, she had decided that she wanted to build up to their levels. She’d seen some of the looks that Rex got from people and remembered back when she’d gotten all the stares and attention. A life spent behind a desk working on legal briefs had caused her to get a bit… soft… but nothing that she couldn’t fix if she got into a routine.

“Yeah!” Izuku exclaimed happily as Rex shifted from going along the circular path when he saw a family of four strolling along, moving towards the trees. Izuku followed, mimicking his movements as Rex darted quickly around the trunks. Bobbing and weaving, they made their way through, never allowing themselves to remain still for a second. “I’m glad you warned me about Mr. Aizawa. I think I would have had a panic attack about him if I’d gone in blind.”

“Yeah, we had trainers on Kamino like that, who thought it was funny to confuse us and see what happened.”

“Kamino?” Izuku asked. “Kamino Ward?”

“Uh… no. New Zealand base.” Sometimes Rex just wanted to admit to Izuku that he wasn’t from Earth, that he was from another galaxy, and not have to hide anything from the boy. But then he remembered the dangers of doing just that and how it might paint an even greater target on his back. It was frustrating though.

The two of them burst out of the woods and onto a field where some kids were playing football (or soccer… honestly, Rex didn’t get why so many things on Earth had multiple names). “But training is going well?”

“Yeah. Mr. Aizawa had to ask Snipe to help out with my training, since he doesn’t use guns all that much.” Izuku frowned. “I think there is something… bothering him. He looks at Ahsoka sometimes and I think he’s ready to ask her a question but then he stops. Same with Mr. Kenobi.”

“Leave it be but watch it anyway,” Rex stated.

“Isn’t that the opposite of each other?”

“Nah,” Rex drawled. “You don’t go poking into it but you also watch for other signs.”

“Oh, passive investigation. I-“

A football flew at Izuku and it was only his training with Rex that allowed him to grab it before it smacked him in the face.

Turning to find where it had come from Izuku paled a bit as he saw just who was walking up to him.

“Look at this, guys! The little weakling finally showed his face again! We’d thought you’d finally done the smart thing and offed yourself!”

Izuku swallowed, struggling to control himself in the face of Kachan’s old friends.

“Well, aren’t ya gonna introduce us to your new friend? Or is he the John that’s buying you? Only thing you’d be good for anyway.”

Taking a breath Izuku said, “This is-“

“I don’t care,” Rex said coldly.

That made Izuku stop short.

“Why would I care about these pathetic wastes of flesh?” Rex asked, thinking back to all the times he’d encountered Asajj Ventress or any of Dooku’s other minions. Remembered how dismissive they were, how cold and unfeeling to others. He channeled all that and mixed it with his own training to stare down the brats that had insulted his protégée. “Let me guess… you think Midoriya is beneath you because he doesn’t have a quirk. Right?” He took a step forward and the boys all moved back, suddenly realizing that they weren’t dealing merely with Izuku but a grown man. One with muscles and a cold stare. “Long fingers. Extra pointy nose.” He waved his hand at the other two. “Honestly I don’t care what your quirks are but they have no combat worth what so ever. Not to say quirks are everything.”

At once Rex grabbed the football from Izuku and produced the knife he always kept strapped under his shirt, running it along the surface of the ball. Not damaging it… just stroking.

“Also, you aren’t that smart. Deciding to be bigots right in front of me when you have no idea who I am. Perhaps I’m a serial killer on the side, studying all your faces, memorizing every detail. You live around here, so it should be easy to find your homes. Pay a visit to you…” He took another step closer and the boys began to tremble. “You know, I used to watch the fish when I was growing up. They would swim around, get into schools for protection because they were so weak. But the moment something bigger and stronger came along… they’d scatter.”

He tossed the football back at the long fingered boy who let out an ompf of pain when it struck him in the sternum.

“Midoriya is in the hero program at UA. You four are going to, at best, hold down minimum wage jobs and die when you’re in your forties from heart attacks or drug overdoses. Why the hell would I care for a moment who you were?”

The bullies just stared at him.

“Run.”

With that the boys fled.

“…you’re visiting with Hound Dog tomorrow.”

“Wha… what?” Izuku exclaimed, startled.

“And I’m gonna talk with Obi Wan, see if we can get some mental and emotional training for you kids. how to play mind games, deal with tense situations… you froze up and I’m not going to have that happen again. You’re better than that.” He sheathed his knife. “Come on.”

“Uh… yes sir,” Izuku said, head swimming as they continued their run.

Chapter Text

Katsuki grinned sharply as the training robot came out. Finally… FINALLY he was being allowed to cut loose and actually use his quirk in a fight!

He’d understood what Kenobi was doing after that first class. It made complete sense to study up on past heroes and figure out where they had gone wrong. It was a bit like what he and Deku used to do, before the nerd had gotten all obsessed stalker. When they had been kids they’d both sit on the couch and watch competition videos of great hero battles and figure out what they could have done differently. Deku… the annoying little nothing had just sucked all the fun out of it because he become so focused that they could only get through a few minutes of video. Constantly wanting to replay it over and over, stopping just as Katsuki was about to get to a part he really wanted to examine because he ‘so needed to see what that bystander was doing!’ And if he didn’t get his way he would begin muttering up a storm and playing up the guilt…

The final time they’d done it together he’s nearly blown the TV up, he’d gotten so frustrated with the bastard.

Katsuki had still kept up with notetaking. Only difference was he was smart about it. That was the difference between him and Deku (well, one of MANY): he knew how not to be creepy about it. Where Deku would pull out his notebooks and ask a thousand questions Katsuki would watch, observe, and document later. Yeah, he might forget a few things… but at least he didn’t come off as an intense weirdo asking every little thing that popped into his head!

So Kenobi having them study tape? That made sense. Dunce Face and Raccoon Eyes, who had begun trying to latch onto him just like those fucking extras from his middle school, had seemed utterly shocked by that and proved they had no hope. But at least Shitty Hair had gotten into it, even if he was annoying with him constantly trying to engage him in conversation, asking Katsuki’s opinions and then giving his own.

Then when they’d been able to use their quirks it had been for training but again Katsuki understood that. Everyone thought he was just a natural with his quirk; they didn’t know how he spend most of his days off from school practicing his quirk. It wasn’t as simple as ‘shoot out explosions’ like everyone thought. When he’d first gotten his quirk he’d had little control of it, result in him destroying a lot of things around his house and nearly blasting Deku into space because the nerd startled him. He had spent hundreds of hours learning how to just flick his wrists to send the explosions where he wanted them to go. How to direct the attacks. Figuring out how to create bigger and bigger explosions as he worked to great his super moves. But also how to go small… he was so close to being able to blow out locks with just a swipe of his finger…

Kenobi’s practice actually made sense. Target practice. Seek and destroy, which he had to admit he had grown to love and wished they did more, where he had to find a target in a cityscape in a limited amount of time, looking for clues. Personalized ‘puzzles’ that pushed him to get creative with his quirk, like one that had frustrated him to no end because he couldn’t reach a target until he realized that he could take out a lamppost (they had just been studying when Collateral Damage was needed) in order to hit it.

But… there was something about being able to cut loose!

“DIE!” he roared as he launched himself forward, waiting til the last moment before he thrust out his hand, sending out a blast the size of, and with the force of, a semi truck. The humanoid-looking robot was engulfed in flames and Katsuki grinned to himself as it disappeared.

BZZZP!

He cried out in shock as the bolt of energy shot out of the blaze, clipping him in the shoulder. It didn’t hurt… it was the surprise that he’d gotten clipped more than anything. His blast should have reduced the robot to slag but there it was, marching out of the flames with an arm raised.

“Target acquired.”

“Target this, fucker!” Katsuki roared, shooting out another blast. The explosion shook the field only for him to gasp when two more shots fired from the inferno, hitting him in his other shoulder and his side.

“Bakugo, reset,” Kenobi said in his ear piece.

“I can take him!”

“Yes, I know you can, but you need to reset.” Kenobi’s tone brokered no argument. “The shot to your side would have left you bleeding out if it were at full power. You lost that round. Try again.”

Katsuki growled but moved back to the starting box, allowing the robot to move back to its own starting spot. The moment he was given the go ahead to start he braced his legs and fired off twin explosions, igniting the entire field.

A bolt from the robot’s wrist gun caught him in the belly.

“I know, I know, fucking reset!” Katsuki snarled, not letting Kenobi even say a word.

After three more failures he was about ready to blow up the entire training field… assuming he had any sweat left.

Taking a moment to rehydrate (and already wondering if it wouldn’t be smart to get some kind of support item that would allow him to drink something heavy in electrolytes while in the middle of a battle… maybe a kick ass mouthguard? He’d originally ruled against it because Deku wanted one but now with his armor…) he scoffed when Frog Girl came up to him and sat down.

“It’s rigged,” she said simply.

“No fucking shit,” he snapped, frustrated.

“Mine is producing extreme cold so I can’t get near it,” she stated. “What about yours?”

“I just need to figure out how to blast the fucker apart,” he said stubbornly.

Frog Girl shook his head. “I think he’s trying to teach us about bad matchups.”

Bad matchups.

Those two words haunted Katsuki (not that he would ever admit it). He had nearly died to that slime fuck because the dumbass heroes had stood around, not wanting to look bad in front of the cameras, because they couldn’t pull off a quick rescue. Needed to fucking work for it. It had taken HER to save him.

‘A real hero? They don’t wait around when people are in need.’

He had recognized her the moment he saw her at the press conference. Star Might. All Might’s daughter. The hair was different and midway through battle she had seriously bulked up… but he recognized the face.

Her first heroic act had been saving him… and telling everyone what a real hero did.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said, standing up and walking towards the battle field once more.

“Uh… your area is that way,” Frog Girl told him, pointing in the opposite direction.

“You think in heroics the villains are going to tell you ‘stay only in this one spot’? Fuck no! A hero goes where they are needed. There is a chilly bitch this way and I’m perfectly suited for the job!”

She stared at him for a moment before giving a determined nod. “Right. I’ll take the heat resistant one.”

“Damn straight,” Katsuki said with a nod before entering Frog Girl’s section of the battle field.

What followed was a proper battle.

It wasn’t easy. While the robot radiated cold it was super fast, clearly designed to counter Frog Girl’s agility. Katsuki had been forced to keep on the move and when he’d gotten clipped on the side of the arm he had been ready to think that Kenobi was just fucking with them all and made the damn things impossible to beat. But a bit more effort on his part had led him to be able to shatter piece by piece the robot and after a tough 8 minute fight he’d finally taken down his opponent.

Returning to the resting area he saw Frog Girl emerge looking a bit winded but victorious. Which was good because if she couldn’t keep up then she needed to get the fuck out of his way. She tossed him a bottle of water and he downed it, ignoring Kenobi as he walked over to them. Katsuki knew the bastard was about ready to scold them for swapping but he had all his arguments ready-

“Good work you two. Go work on targeting. Bakugo, might I suggest working on smaller explosions? That would allow you to do targeted attacks and save your sweat for fights where large blasts are needed. Not all criminals need a full blast… many will fall to a smaller explosion, allowing you to take out more on average.”

That… actually was a good idea. Bigger wasn’t always better. He remembered Dunce Face trying to pad out an essay to twice its required length, thinking that if he overloaded it with stuff he’d HAVE to get an A. Present Mic had returned it with a D+, telling him that he’d lost his point halfway through and yet still failed to fully answer the question on the importance of preferred pronouns when it came to respecting civilians and fellow heroes.

Any fool could go huge. It was what had gotten All Might and Endeavor into the Top Two Spots. But number 3 was Hawks and while flashy he was also cunning and smart. Katsuki knew he was destined to be Number One because he could do big but also be smart about it.

Small blasts. Controlled. Similar to the lock picking he was working on. Maybe a scatter shot of multiple small explosions?

Hmmm.

Still, he looked at Kenobi, waiting for the blow to come. The scolding. With Katsuki it was either that or constant praise. Kenobi didn’t fawn all over him like the useless fuckers at his middle school that let everyone get away with whatever they wanted because they thought they’d remember and let them ride their coattails later.

“Yes Bakugo?” Kenobi asked.

“Nothing to say about us switching robots?”

“Not at all. It was very clever.” Kenobi smiled. “I’ll admit the lesson was supposed to be about dealing with an obstacle you can’t get passed but your solution worked well. A good thing to remember in real life, that you can depend on others to help you.”

“What?!” Katsuki exclaims, jerking back to Kenobi like the bearded bastard hid tried to stab him with a sword. “What the fuck are you talking about? I don’t need anyone’s help!”

“Asui defeated your robot, just like you defeated her’s. You helped one another.”

“I bailed her out, sure. But she…” Katsuki opened his mouth to say more only to shut it. He didn’t know what the fuck to say.

“Heroes help each other all the time,” Kenobi stated. “Villains, more often than not, are the ones that go it alone.”

“There are villain gangs all the time!” Katsuki snapped. “They work together because they are weak.”

“True… but they don’t go back for each other if one is hurt. They abandon them.”

He didn’t know if Kenobi had seen his Entrance Exam when he’d saved Frog Girl. He had a feeling the bastard had and was hinting at something.

“Its not a matter of strength,” Kenobi stated. “Look at it without any emotion. Just raw facts. One hero against ten means that the hero has 20 to 60 seconds to take out an opponent before reinforcements arrive. Two against ten mean they either have 40 to 120… or can take out the villains and prepare to save even more people. Do more.”

“…hmmpf. Maybe.” That was the best that Kenobi was going to get out of him.

He walked off… and if he waited an extra moment for Frog Girl to join him well… it was only because he wanted to make sure she didn’t get into any more trouble.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Alright, settle down,” Aizawa stated, the class instantly shutting up. They had been around their home room teacher enough to know that when he told them to be quiet it was in their best interest to do just that; failure meant pop quizzes, lost weekends writing essays, and Hell Marathons in the training arenas. None of the students of Class 1-A were interested in any of that. “Now then, the Sports Festival is coming up. This is a chance to show off what you’ve been learning so far. Not just to your families but to Hero Agencies all across Japan. How you do in the Sports Festival will determine your chances of being asked to take on an internship.”

“What if we don’t get any offers?” Kamakiri asked.

“There are plenty of agencies who accept any student who is interested in doing an internship.” He paused, Ahsoka seeing that he was clearly mulling over just how much to tell them. She’d noticed that he did that a lot, considering his words carefully and only giving up the bare minimum. It reminded her of the Jedi Council, where the Masters would at times not even utter a word and let Master Yoda or Master Windu speak. “So normally we let kids figure this out after their first internship… let them make mistakes.”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. She was sure ‘and laugh at you behind your back’ was what Aizawa really wanted to say.

“Not all of you will get offers,” he stated. “And there is no shame in that. Plenty of great heroes don’t get offers their first Sports Festival. But some of you will… and some of you might even net someone high up in the Hero Rankings.”

The class began to murmur excitedly amongst themselves, wondering just who they might get. Ahsoka heard Bakugo huff that he was so getting All Might or Endeavor while Shoji said that he’d love to get someone in the Top Ten because they would help out a ton.

Aizawa shot them all a dark look and they fell silent.

“Don’t be blinded by the titles,” he said coolly. “Your internships are about helping you develop as a hero. And that won’t happen if you are just going for fame.”

“What do you mean, sensei?” Ochaco asked.

“Verbal pop quiz,” Aizawa stated. “If I were a student in this class would I be smart picking Endeavor for my internship?”

At once Izuku’s hand shot up. “No sir,” he said. “Because your quirk is not an offensive one and your fighting style doesn’t work with Endeavor’s. He uses different fire attacks and while you can use your capture weapon for long range strikes and I suppose I should consider if you’d even have it as a first year you-“

“He gets it, Deku!” Bakugo roared, slamming his hands on his desk. “The Hobo and Endeavor would be a shit fit. Explosion and stealth don’t fucking mix!”

“Correct,” Aizawa stated. “Though I am the teacher here, not you Bakugo.” The explosive teen slumped in his chair and grumbled. “Last year’s 1-B class had a student get offers from a lot of heroes but they picked Edgeshot because he’s in the Top Ten. They learned less from him than the ones that got no offers and went with one of the ‘charity agencies’ as they so lovingly called them. Because he was focused on the glory and didn’t consider if his quirk or fighting style would work with Edgeshot. Even the best pro can only do so much with a bad matchup.”

“Then how do we pick?” Yoarashi asked… rather loudly.

“You can go one of two ways,” Aizawa stated. “The first is to pick someone that compliments your greatest strength and helps you develop it to greater heights.”

Ahsoka thought of her and her friends. Her and Izuku were already doing that with Anakin and Rex… she supposed she could intern for someone with telekinetic quirk. And Izuku might do good with Snipe or someone else that used guns. Or a stealth hero. As for Ochaco she would do well with Master Kenobi or Anakin who understood lifting and weightlessness....

“The other option is to pick something you are weak in and want to develop.”

That had merit too.

A Jedi was supposed to admit what their weaknesses were. To understand them and work through them. During the Clone Wars padawans had been placed with Masters that would help correct their weaknesses while still complimenting their strengths. Jedi that were similar to them yet had also moved past the faults they shared with their padawan. It was why she had been placed with Anakin rather than Obi Wan; while both her and her master tended to be reckless Ahsoka had been bad at adapting plans. If things began to go badly she tried to dig herself out rather than find another way around. Skyguy had taught her how to shift. For all those that claimed he just rushed in her master was a genius when it came to quickly looking over a situation and figuring out how to course correct.

But being a hero was different from being a Jedi. Earth was completely different form her galaxy in terms of what she was going to have to deal with. And that meant new strengths and weaknesses were popping up. If she were to focus on reducing her weaknesses then she’d need to find someone who either knew how to defend against long range attacks or, better still, perform them with support weapons. For Ochako the reverse was true in Ahsoka’s opinion. She desperately needed to learn hand to hand. And Izuku?

…honestly combat wasn’t a problem he had at all.

“PR?” she muttered to herself before growing quiet.

“Alright, I don’t have much left for you this class. So you can talk amongst yourselves.” He instantly held up his hand. “Talk. Not shout. Not scream. Not create such an ungodly noise that Yamada would tell you was too loud.” Aizawa let his gaze shift over all of them before he finally dropped his head down onto his desk and began to nap.

It took a few tries for the class to properly break up, as several times they would get a touch too loud and Aizawa would shift, but after about 5 minutes the class had managed to divide up into small groups. Ahsoka naturally moved to sit in the corner with Ochaco and Izuku, as was common. Near them however were Yaoyorozu, Ida, and Yoarashi; Izuku dragged Shinso over though the dark haired teen looked like he’d have preferred to have just taken a nap much like Aizawa.

“I am very excited for the Sports Festival!” Yoarashi declared, somehow managing to sound loud even at a quiet whisper.

“Me too,” Izuku stated. “I have watched all of them since, well, I was able to!”

“Its going to be important for all of us to do well,” Yaoyorozu stated. “The internships, yes, but also setting up our public perceptions.”

“What do you mean?” Ochaco asked.

The tall girl glanced over at Todoroki, who had remained by himself when the class had broken up. “The public has long memories. When Endeavor failed to beat All Might’s record in the Sports Festival First Round Race he became so angry that he nearly burned several students before he was stopped. That hurt him when he became a pro as people already knew he was hot headed.”

“You shouldn’t speak about our classmates’ families like that,” Ida said sternly while Yoarashi glowered at Todoroshi.

“I’m merely stating a fact,” Yaoyorozu said. She paused and added in a softer voice, “It is a chance to prove ourselves to others. That we belong.”

“What do you mean?” Izuku asked.

“Its nothing,” the girl said quietly.

It was, of all people, Shinso who spoke up. “We also have to give it our all if we want to remain where we are.”

“Remain where we are?” Ochaco repeated.

The dark-haired teen nodded. “When I applied to UA I thought there was little chance of me getting into the Heroics Program. The test is… was biased against people with weak quirks.”

“That’s not fair,” Ida stated. “UA would never discriminate.”

“And there is no such thing as a weak quirk,” Izuku commented. “It would be better to say that they were discriminating against non-physical quirks.”

“UA does not discriminate!” Ida complained once more.

Ahsoka flashed him a dry look. “Please tell me how brainwashing helps defeat robots.”

Shinso… didn’t smile… but he did flash her a look of gratitude. “If not for the final test I wouldn’t have made it into 1-A. I was prepared for that though because the Sports Festival offers students a chance to earn a place in the Heroics Program… or be dropped to General Studies.”

“Seriously?” Ochaco asked. “You mean if we don’t do good as some glorified Track and Field competition we could lose or place in 1-A.”

“It is harsh,” Yoarashi stated, “but it also makes sense. A hero must give it their all. Go out every day without hesitation. If they do not then innocents could be hurt. This will be us on a national stage, showcasing our drive and will. If we don’t give it our all then do we deserve to be heroes?”

“Well… no pressure,” Ahsoka joked weakly, feeling a fluttering of nerves.

“I do not think any of us have to worry,” Ida declared as the bell rang, signaling it was time for lunch. “All of us how been working hard and Mr. Aizawa would not allow us to slack off. If we show the same dedication at the Sports Festival as we show in class then even if we do not do well we will still keep our spots.”

“I should look up how many people have changed classes,” Izuku said as they all moved to grab their bags from their desks. “See how common it is.”

“OH!” Ochaco exclaimed. “Let’s all have lunch together and go over ideas and strategies! I know Ahsoka and Izuku eat with me all the time but you guys can come too! Yaoyorozu?”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” the taller teen said. “But I insist you call me Momo.”

“Tenya,” Ida stated.

“I have already told Izuku he can call me Inasa so the rest of you can as well!”

Shinso looked at them before letting out a dry huff. “Hitoshi is fine. But only if I’m awake.”

“Great!” Ochaco cheered. “Sports Festival Planning Committee is a go!”

They all moved towards the door only to blink when they found their way barred by a crowd of students.

“Uh… hello?” Ahsoka said, frowning as she looked over the assembled students. It was an odd crush of people, ones that she could tell at a glance wouldn’t normally have been together. But most startling of all was the sheer loathing that radiated off of all of \them. The Force screamed with their desire to tear into them, remaindering her of dreams she still had of a great Sabreguth moving in towards her, so large it could swallow her whole. A hunger to consume them. “Can we help you?”

“Just sizing up the competition. Oh yes… sizing you up nicely.”

Ahsoka frowned as she tried to figure out who had said that only to look down and find a little purple gremlin lifting up her skirt.

“GAH!” she screamed, lashing out and kicking at the demented little thing. But the imp managed to dodge her attack and flip away, landing and staring at her with a put-upon look.

“That’s how you treat people admiring you? How are you going to be a sexy hero if you don’t let guys get a peak?”

“By not being a sexy hero and just being a hero.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Inasa demanded, moving to stand next to Ahsoka, his gaze dark. “I will not allow you to harass my best friend!”

“We only began calling each other by our first names 2 minutes ago,” Ahsoka whispered.

“And in those two minutes we have become best friends!” Inasa countered before glaring at the group, gaze especially lingering on the purple menace.

“Just checking out the competition,” the boy stated. “Sports Festival is coming up and it is the perfect chance for us to move up and claim our rightful spots in the Heroics Course.”

“Mineta’s right!” someone said.

“Never thought I’d hear that,” someone else muttered.

The purple kid, Mineta, slowly looked at the gathered group. “I mean, some of you obviously deserve to be here but the villain and the affirmative action kid?”

“Huh?” Momo said.

“He means me,” Izuku said softly.

“How dare you!” Tenya exclaimed, stepping forward. “Mi… Izuku has every right to be in this class! He passed the exam and Aizawa allowed him to remain.”

“Because he probably had no choice,” someone shouted.

“Fucking extras!” Bakugo roared from the back of the class. “Even if Deku is the fucking worse he’s still better than the rest of you combine!”

“…thanks?” Izuku said, not sure if that was a compliment or not.

“WOULD YOU FUCKING MOVE?!?”

“Think you can just tell us to go? Like we’re your minions?” Another student called out.

“Stuck up snobs.”

“Assholes.”

“Some heroes they’ll be.”

Ochaco tried to play peace maker. “We just want to eat-“

“What is this?” someone further down the hall called out and everyone turned to see a blond teen looking at them with a dark smile. “Thinking on ganging up on 1-A? I must admit that is a good strategy… everyone knows class 1-B is the greatest.”

“Shut up Monoma!” someone in the crush of students declared. “Everyone knows 1-A is the best!”

“Yeah,” Mineta exclaimed. “I can’t wait to knock out the quirkless kid and take his spot. Be nice to be finally around some hot looking women.”

“That so?” Hitoshi asked.

“Yeah it-“

Mineta froze up.

“Go to the bathroom and slam your junk with the toilet seat.” Mineta, robotically, began to walk away. “Before anyone says a word he did just claim every girl in Gen Ed is ugly.”

The women in the crowd instantly decided that Hitoshi was an okay person and the guys didn’t argue as they didn’t want either Hitoshi or the Gen Ed girls coming after them.

“Hitoshi,” Aizawa called out tiredly, “detention for using a quirk on a fellow student.”

“Worth it,” the dark haired teen said with a shrug.

Chapter Text

“I told you, I’m retired.”

Padme merely shrugged as she looked over the menu. They were in a restaurant that managed to straddle the line between fine dining and casual eating. You sat down, placed your order, and had a quiet conversation that didn’t disrupt everyone around you… but you didn’t have to wear expensive suits and dresses. She would have been fine doing that (though she enjoyed wearing her stylist jeans and her sweater, hair held back thanks to a hairband), but her companion would have rather died than put on a suit or tie, by his own admission.

“Then consider this a chance to eat on Yagi’s dime.” She glanced up at the old man seated across from her. “Come on… you know you want to.”

“…heh, maybe,” Torino said with a chuckle, looking over what the restaurant had to offer. “Not afraid your husband will be jealous of you eating with another man?”

“Oh, he’ll be very angry.”

Torino laughed at that. “Going to rant and rave?”

“If you so much as looked at me in a sexual way he’d use his Quirk to squeeze your throat till you couldn’t breathe.”

THAT made Torino chuckle again… until it slowly dawned on him that despite Padme smirking at him she was DEADLY serious. “Wait… what?”

“He doesn’t even need to be near you,” Padme stated. “Obi Wan has a similar quirk and told me once that with enough focus he could make you feel like you were being strangled from across the planet so long as he knew where you were.”

Torino swallowed, checking to make sure he still COULD. “Well… that is… horrifying.”

“You know,” Padme said, her voice taking on a breathy tone that normally would have made Torino wonder if he should invest in some little blue pills. But knowing her husband could choke him with a thought ruined that desire completely. She reached over, eyes half-lidded, a soft smile forming on her lips as she continued to speak, “If Anakin believed I actually might be attracted to someone he wouldn’t even bother with the strangling. His quirk… it lets him do SO many things.”

“That… that so,” Torino said nervously.

“Yes,” she cooed. “He can rip your mind apart. Burst blood vessels. Force you to do all sorts of horrible things. All in the name of keeping me…”

Torino stared at her… before smiling.

“Oh, I knew I liked you for a reason!”

Padme at once straightened. “I had to pretend to be my own handmaiden many times. I’ve learned how to prank people, Torino.”

He guffed at that. “I like it, I like it!” He shook his head.

“By the way?” Padme said. “I wasn’t lying about what Anakin can do. In fact an old friend of mine, Clovis, he got a bit too close and I think Anakin was ready to go full villain on him. Considering he got me poisoned…”

“That makes him a shitty friend but point taken.”

“Don’t worry, Anakin isn’t like that anymore. Coming to Japan and working with Hound Dog… you know Hound Dog, right?”

“Asa Inui’s son,” Torino stated. “Good kid though I always thought he focused a bit too much on trying to live up to his mother’s legacy. She did some amazing work at UA… of course I’m a bit biased as she helped me get over Nana’s death. Anakin seeing her son then?”

“Anakin… well, he had a bad childhood. Had to leave his mother due to his quirk and she died before he could truly reconnect with her. They loved each other and… she died in a villain attack. It caused him to have issues with relationships and… I shouldn’t say more, its his story to tell. The point is though that he had a lot of issues when we first got together but being here has helped him work through them. Made him see that he can trust me to not leave him. That allowing others into my life isn’t a betrayal, just like he can have people in his.”

“Hmmpf. We need to stop discussing this, getting to heavy and mushy.”

“Very well.”

But the old man couldn’t help but ask, “So… he’s not watching right now?”

“No no… he said he wanted to do some patrolling. Normally he does it during the day-“

“Saw him on the news rescuing those people from that overpass collapse. Sir Steel… it’s a horrible name.”

“Blame Midnight,” Pamde said. “Anyway, he said he wanted to begin mixing it up, do some night time patrols. Honestly I think him and Obi Wan and Rex are tired of the press. Back home we didn’t need to deal with being hounded over every little thing they did to help the people.”

“Always been a problem,” Torino stated. “There are heroes that get into this job for the fame… they are the ones that don’t last long. One bad mission and the crumble. The ones that manage to make it through the decades are the ones that actually try to avoid the limelight.” He paused. “Yagi and you included. You use the press and the tv appearances to your benefit but if you didn’t have to have them you wouldn’t.”

“Then Obi Wan will never quit then, that’s for sure,” Padme teased. “But like I said, Anakin is patrolling tonight and Ahsoka will be in her room for hours playing her video games.” It had been her friend/Rex’s student Izuku that had gotten Ahsoka into playing video games as a stress relief. Anakin was all for it, understanding better than most that sometimes meditation came through different things. He himself tinkered and if Ahsoka liked to strap a headset on and play games online against strangers, trading trash talk and discussing their lives and issues… well, Padme wouldn’t stand in her way.

Torino looked down at his menu, humming a touch at that. “I can get a doggy bag, right?”

“You can,” Padme said.

“Good because I’m ordering steak and lobster.” He glanced up at her. “You realize how long its been since I had either steak or lobster? And now you are letting me have both? Oh… this is gonna be good!”

Padme smiled; the only thing he could have done to complete the picture would have been if he had rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. “Well, I’m glad I can make you happy.” She waited a few moments before asking, “Why is it you enjoy tormenting Yagi?”

“Because he makes it all too easy,” Torino said without a second thought. “The big lug… he’s smarter than he lets the public know. You’ve seen that. He lets them all think he’s some big dummy that only knows how to punch things. It takes brains to use his quirk.”

“You have to constantly be in control of yourself,” Padme stated. “Relearn how to do things. What was once easy is now difficult and what was difficult is now done with ease.”

~Earlier…~

“Well,” Anakin said as he looked over at Padme, who was sheepishly staring at the refrigerator door that was dangling from her fingers, “I can fix this.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Padme complained. “Stupid quirk! I should be able to get a snack without destroying the apartment.”

“You destroyed the fridge,” Anakin pointed out. “That’s it.” He walked over and took the fridge door, hiding the fact that he had to hold onto it a bit tighter and with more effort in order to keep it aloft (he might have loved the fact that Padme was stronger and loaded with muscles but that didn’t mean he wanted to be a fragile snowflake when compared to his wife). “I can fix this.” He set the door down and looked over the fridge. “You know, I don’t like how long it takes this to cool down food. I bet if I rewired the freezer-“

“Anakin, please don’t try and fix our appliances. I am still convinced that you turned the toaster into a droid.”

“I did not,” Anakin said, using the Force to toss away the toast the device popped out which had the words ‘Yes You Did’ toasted into it.

~MC~MC~MC~

“People forget what its like to just develop a quirk. For so many of us it comes in when we are young, sometimes so young we don’t remember life without it. For you and Yagi your quirks are always growing, developing, increasing in power. When I was training him there were days that he seemed to have completely mastered One for All only to come to me the next day having no idea what to do; all oafish and bumbling and the like.” He shook his head. “Every day Yagi woke up just a bit stronger.”

“Yeah,” Padme said.

“You have to be smart to deal with a quirk like that. You can’t just stomp around with it. Yagi… the boy is smart. Far smarter than he lets people realize. That’s what makes him dangerous against so many villains: they see him smiling and spouting out his catch phrases and think that’s all there is to him. And then he does some cunning move that totally neutralizes the threat.”

“You ever tell him that?” Padme asked, surprised by the fondness coming from Torino. Many times when he and Yagi talked the former was complaining and the latter was shrinking down upon himself with nerves.

“Hell no!” Torino exclaimed with a laugh. “Would give the boy a big head. Besides, like I said… he’s too easy. For as smart as he is he falls for every one of my tricks. Has this weird blind spot when it comes to his mentors and his teachers. Me, Nana… everyone who taught him at UA, to be honest. He just gets all awkward, like he was when he was a kid looking for his place in the world.”

“Some would say it’s cruel to do that to him.”

“Some would say that even the Symbol of Peace needs to be reminded that he’s mortal.” Torino shrugged. “Giants don’t care about the pain they cause ants. Not unless the ant bites back.”

“So you are a biting ant.”

“One who is getting steak and lobster!”

Padme shook her head at that as the waitress came over to take their order.

“You are trying to butter me up,” Torino stated.

“Is it working?” she asked.

“I told you, I’m retired. Done teaching. Only do hero work if I have to… and some days I’m ready to just let my license lapse. The whole thing is a bitch, you know? Keeping up with the testing they require and all that…”

Padme raised an eyebrow.

~One Week Earlier~

“I’m here to get my hero license,” she told the clerk at the desk. Padme was dressed in her Star Might outfit, blond wig held in place, mask firmly plastered over her eyes, One for All thrumming happily just under her skin.

“Of course!” the clerk said, gobsmacked.

“So where do I go for the written-“

“Can I get your autograph?” the clerk asked. “And a picture?”

“Well, I suppose… but I do have the written exam-“

“Oh, we can get someone to take that for you!” the clerk said to Padme’s confusion. “Rin! Come quick! It’s Star Might!”

~MC~MC~M C~

“I’m done. Whatever you want to ask me to do… I’m done. I’m ready to retire.” He sighed, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ve seen too many people die. Strangers who I swore I’d never forget are now just shadows I see out of the corner of my eye. Friends that should have been around long after me, who I’d trade my years to have back for a day.”

“There are only two problems with that,” Padme said, keeping her face utterly neutral. It was her “Senator Face”, something that the Chancellor had shown her was needed in order to survive the world of politics. To be able to act as if everything was right in the world even as madness swirled around everyone. “First… people like us?” She gestured at the two of them. “We don’t get the happy little retirements.”

Torino frowned at that. “You think you can go on forever but give it time and you’ll feel the weariness seep into your bones.”

“Before I came here,” Padme told him, “I was a queen. I watched my home be invaded purely because greedy… people… decided that they wanted to make more money off of us than they already had. We were peaceful. We didn’t even have heroes. I became queen because I worked hard to aid the less fortunate; I had no training, not knowledge of warfare. And yet somehow I found myself with a blaster in my hand leading the charge into my own palace in order to free my people.”

“…you were a queen?”

“I was,” Padme said. “And now I am not. Because as soon as the crisis was over I surrendered my crown. I had seen death and destruction and I felt that I was… done.”

She paused.

“That lasted about… oh… three months?” She tittered a bit, remembering what had come next. “Everyone assumes that the Queen who replaced me begged me to become a Senator. Or that the people pleading I step up and take over. A lot of people assume that it was Chancellor Palpatine after the man who replaced him in the Senator had that speeder accident and the position opened up again. But the truth is that I tried to live a peaceful life. I went to my family’s lake house and tried to just relax. Considered writing a book about what I went through. Take up… sculpting. Or painting. And for the first few weeks it was wonderful and I enjoyed it. But as time went on I began to feel myself growing restless. The need to be back out there again, doing something to help the world and my people… it began to grow like dough rising in the sun. Until I couldn’t ignore it and I begged the Queen to give me SOMETHING to do.

“I think the same is true with you, Torino.”

She paused as the waitress brought their appetizers. Padme had gone with a large salad while Torino had gotten a creamy soup. The server assured Padme the next course would be coming soon, most likely worrying that she wouldn’t be able to eat all of it for Padme had placed a LARGE order. Of course she had no idea that One for All meant that Padme had to eat three times what she once had in order to fuel her body. While technically she could have gotten by with a normal meal eating extra meant that One for All was able to do more than simply increase her strength; it could augment her body, increasing her muscle mass, making her bones denser, and overall allowing her to survive using the increasing power of the quirk. Yagi had admitted to her that in the 6 years after his battle with All For One he had been forced at first to plateau his strength and then actually begin dialing it back. But Padme, if she ate right, would be able to keep pushing the power of the Quirk, to discover just what it could do.

“I’m enjoying my retirement very much, thank you.”

Padme though merely stared the old man down. “Yes, because someone who was content with their lives would stage their own murder just to scare the Number 1 Hero in Japan.”

“I told you its fun to prank Yagi!”

“Or you were getting so bored that anything that offered you a bit of excitement…”

The old man glowered at her, dipping his spoon in his soup and taking a sip, lingering on it though that had nothing to do with savoring the taste.

They said nothing as they ate, their main courses soon arriving.

“Let’s say that I agree with what you are suggesting…” Torino said slowly, cutting into his steak. “Let’s say that ever since you and Yagi showed up and asked for my help I began getting the itch to do something more.”

“And let’s say that you heard that I am looking for people to work at the All Might Agency…”

Torino nodded, switching to his lobster, cracking it open and forking out some white meat that he dipped in some liquid butter. “Yes, let’s assume all that. What exactly do you think I might be doing? Because I’m gonna warn you now… I have some demands.”

“And those are?”

“ I enjoy sleeping in late.”

“And late for you is?”

The old man’s jaw worked for a moment. “…7:30am. Sometimes 7:45.” When Padme smirked at that Torino grumbled, “You get up early for decades so you can go teach at UA and its hard to break out of old habits.”

“Hours are flexible. Honestly most of the work would happen after lunch.”

“I don’t want to deal with crowds. Or politicians. I’m done messing around with shit like that.” He pointed his fork right at Padme. “I mean it. I’m sick to death of having to shake hands with government types.”

“Then you should leave now since I use to be a Senator.”

“I have no idea what that is supposed to mean but you’re different, kid.”

Padme took the compliment. “I’ve assembled my team and working with one member, Tobita, has made me realize that there is an opportunity to help people that society has let fall through the cracks. Ones that have been told that their only choice was to become a villain… but only because the voices calling that out were the only ones they could hear. I have begun to bring in a few people who WANT help but are at risk of going back to their old ways. I need someone that can-“

“Baby sit them?” Torino asked.

Padme though shook her head. “Put the fear of whatever god they might worship right into them.”

That made the old man laugh. “Pranking people and getting paid to do it? Scaring them and making them paranoid wrecks so they have no choice but to stay on the side of the law?” He flashed Padme a slightly deranged smirk. “And I get to be around Yagi and watch him squirm as he tries to hide the fact that we know each other? Oh kiddo… why didn’t ya say so sooner?”

“If I had you wouldn’t have gotten your meal.”

“…fair enough!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Ahsoka grinned as she leaned forward on her bed, controller gripped in her hands as she moved her character along a side street. “You in place, Dustinator314?”

A gruff raspy laugh filled her headphones. “Of course I am! Been stationed for a while now waiting for you to hurry up. Could have done a few speed runs in Table Menace in the time it took you to get your gear set up, Sidewinder.”

“And that’s why I’ll have to save your behind!” Ahsoka teased.

“Would you two shut up and get ready?” Black Mambo snapped. “I got work tomorrow and I’d rather not have this turn into an all nighter.”

“Sucks to be you, old man,” Dustinator314 cackled.

Ahsoka though shook her head. “I hate to admit it but Mambo is right. I have a thing tomorrow.” She almost slipped up and said she had a school thing but caught herself at the last moment; she didn’t want anyone knowing how old she actually was. While she enjoyed hanging out with the group and playing games online she didn’t know what kind of creeps they might be in real life and didn’t need them getting all pervy just because she was still in school.

The Sports Festival was the next day and Ahsoka knew that Anakin and Padme would want her to get a good night’s rest but honestly the best thing for her was playing the games. She wasn’t tired and if she tried to rest up she’d just begin worrying about the whole thing. It was so odd, because it wasn’t that important, considering what she’d dealt with before. It wasn’t a life or death battle. Her actions wouldn’t determine if her troopers came home or were left to rot on some planet that would never learn their names. It might affect her internship but even then she knew that Rex, Master Kenobi, and Anakin would all be willing to take her on; hell, if she begged Padme would get All Might to make an offer!

And yet… she found herself thinking about it constantly. What it would entail. How she would do. What she-

“You fuckers ready?”

Ahsoka smirked at Dustinator314’s comment. “Yeah… let’s do this.”

~MC~MC~MC~

His brother’s first sports festival.

Tensei had been looking utterly forward to it. He remembered what it was like… the race, the group battle, the one on one matches. Never knowing who you might take on. It might have been someone that you had never met… Tensei had dealt with that his first year, when a cocky little Gen Ed student with burning red eyes had for the first time made him feel slow. It could also be someone they knew oh so well, like his third year when him and Hizashi had put on a barn burner of a batch that saw them taken to their full limit. He had wondered just what Tenya would discover during his own Sports Festival.

He’d been so eager that he’d decided to race through his last patrol of the day, eager to get it over with, mind racing (pun completely intended) with all his thoughts about his brother and his big day.

So he hadn’t been paying attention.

And now… that had proven to be his undoing.

“Ingenium,” the hero killer Stain declared, looming over Tensei with a demented leer. His eyes were wild with madness and he kept running his tongue along the blade he’d used to slash through a gap in Tensei’s armor, savoring his blood. He would have shivered in disgust if he still had the ability to move. “You are but the latest in the Ida family to call yourself ‘heroes’. You clad yourselves in gleaming silver armor, believing that its purity can help you hide the foul sludge that coats your souls. But just as a rotted peach will reveal its corruption if one simply presses on it slightly, so too will I show the world the truth of your family with this act.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Tensei hissed. He was trying to stall for time, hoping one of his sidekicks would notice that he was late getting back and send out help. And yet at the same time he hoped it was another hero instead because he didn’t want any of the young up and coming heroes he was mentoring to try and face the hero killer.

Prioritize the rescue. And while he wished to be rescued he also understood that if he had to die here to save his sidekicks… that was what he would do.

“The great Ida Dynasty!” Stain exclaimed. “That is why you are a hero. Not because you wish to be, not because it is fate or destiny, and certainly not to aid in those that need help, like a true hero. You have taken on this mantle in order to raise your family up. Like lords in the dark times, caring only for your family name and not the small people that you crush!”

“That’s not true,” Tensei said, grimacing as he struggled to try and get SOMETHING other than his face to move. But he was frozen stiff, body betraying him as he lay on the ground, staring up at the Hero Killer.

“Your parents… they had you and your brother purely to continue on the bloodline. There is no love and certainly no heroic notions within them. You are the foul fruit of a diseased tree.” Stain raised his blade up and Tensei realized that the time for talk was over. He’d done all he could and now Stain was going to finish their fight. “And I will prune the tree, one branch at a time!”

Keeeerrr-puuuh

Keeeerrr-puuuh

Keeeerrr-puuuh

Stain slowly turned, Tensei staring along with him, as a demon stepped from the shadows. He was coated in black, from his thick soled boots to his armored arms and legs to his long black cape and his helmet and mask that looked like the skull of some monster from a forgotten age. He was towering, a foot taller than the hero killer, and every inch of him screamed power. Tensei, even if he had been able to move, would have still been frozen in shock and terror at the sight before him and he wondered if Stain had merely been the doorman, opening the portal for something far worse to step through.

And then the new arrival spoke, voice deep and dreadful.

“Do not fear, Ingenium. For I. Am. Here.”

Stain suddenly snapped out of his daze, raising up his sword. “Oh? And who are you? Another fake hero come to aid this fraud?”

“No,” the figure said, lifted up his hand, a silver and black cylinder grasped between his fingers. He moved his thumb and a beam of crimson shot from the shaft. “I… am Vader.”

Chapter Text

Author’s Note: Yes, before anyone asks, next chapter finishes Stain vs. Vader. BUT because it also includes the morning after and this chapter has something that needs to take place at night… well, I pull a manga and cut away from the action.

“And there still are no sightings of Knight Eerin?”

Yoda shook his head sadly as he and a few other Masters made their way through the streets of Coruscant. The Grand Master of the Order was seated in his hovering chair, which was the only way he was able to keep up with the long strides of Mace Windu and Kit Fisto. He knew he was getting stares from the citizens of the Capital World and that grieved him very much. It hadn’t been that long ago, maybe 90 some odd years, that Yoda had commonly walked amongst the people the Jedi served. And now they looked upon him like he was something out of a picture book; a foreign thing not of the Galaxy. And he only had himself to blame for that.

The only reason they’d decided to leave the Temple that day was that Kit had arrived back on the planet with his Clone Troopers and Mace had decided to meet with him at the barracks rather than force Kit to find transportation. And it had been Yoda himself, looking about and realizing that it was a rare day where the air felt fresh on Coruscant, who had suggested they walk back to the Temple.

They had both looked at him so oddly and that should have been his first clue that he had fallen so far when it came to-

“Master?” Mace said softly, or softly for him, and Yoda realized they must have asked him something.

“Elsewhere, my mind is. Apologize, I do.”

“Do not apologize, Master,” Kit said gently. “If your mind drew you to something then it must have been important.”

Yoda smiled at that. “Old I may be, not wise in all things it makes me. Wander off, my mind can.”

“What were you thinking of?” Kit asked, pressing Yoda to speak. “We might be able to help.”

The old Jedi let out a sigh. “For you to help, too late I fear it. Separated from the world, I am.”

“What do you mean?” Kit said.

Yoda looked about them as they passed a shop selling different flowers from mid realm planets. “Sweet Shop, that once was. Go to them, I would. Many fruit candies, purchase them I would. Slip them to padawans and younglings, I would, when needed they were.”

Kit smiled at that, a beaming white grin that always lifted Yoda’s heart. Even in this time of death and war Kit could still smile. “I remember that well. I once got hurt in saber practice and you gave me a few sweet and sour yellow candies.”

“Gone, it now is,” Yoda stated. “Realized, I did not. Ordered the candies in the end, I did. Delivered they were… Pick them myself, I did not.” His ears drooped as he wondered about the owner, Mil Nogon, a polite humanoid with a bald head and large glasses who had loved to talk to Yoda about how he made the candies whenever he visited. He had been Yoda’s friend and he… didn’t even know if Nogon was alive. “Leave the Temple, I do not.”

“You leave many times,” Kit argued. “You travel the galaxy.”

“Do as Jedi, I leave. For pleasure? Contentment? Do these, last I can’t remember.”

Mace, at long last, spoke, “It’s the same for all of us. This War… its left us so busy. I went to Deppa the other day and asked if her Padawan needed help with Form V. She looked at me… her Padawan had been knighted 3 months ago. I hadn’t even realized. I wasn’t there for a ceremony… off on some planet that has probably changed hands three times since.”

“Longer than that, this problem has been for us,” Yoda said. “Focused inward, we were. Not outward.” He slumped in his chair. “Why Knight Eerin left, I feel.”

“Bant is a different situation,” Kit stated. “Her grief over Obi Wan-“

“Release it, allowed she was not,” Yoda said, holding up a clawed hand. “Returned to duties too soon, she was. Never left, she was. Failed her, we did.”

“The war…” Mace said weakly but Yoda could tell that even to his own ears it was a poor excuse.

“Consume us, it does. Excuse though? No.” The Grand Master let out a sigh, the three of them stopping their walk. “Like a Sarlacc, this war is. Instantly killed, we are not. Slowly digested, we are.”

“That... is not a pretty picture,” Mace muttered, “but I won’t deny that its accurate.”

“But the War has gotten better,” Kit pointed out.

Yoda murmured in agreement at that small victory. The War HAD gotten better. It had entered into a bit of a stalemate, with the Seperatists not pushing as they once had to claim new planets. And the Chancellor had, oddly enough, not pressed the Jedi to attack. In fact it seemed that the death of Young Skywalker was still wounding him, as he had decreased the amount of meetings he called with the Jedi. As such clone deaths were down as were injuries and deaths to Jedi Knights and Masters. It had allowed some Jedi to begin training non-Force Users to take on the roles of Generals, dealing with the command structure issues that had been plaguing them. And then there were the investigations… Yoda had heard that Commander Tarkin was being looked into for abuses of power when it came to his treatment of those directly under him. Things that hadn’t been able to be done due to the rush of the war.

Still…

“To be made, a change must be,” Yoda said suddenly.

“Master?” Kit asked.

“Dead, young Obi Wan is. My Great Grand Padawan, was he. Know him well though, I did not.” It was a startling realization. He could rattle off many things about Obi Wan like his scores from classes long taken and his favorite Saber Form. But the holo he had most enjoyed? His favorite meal? A color he liked? Yoda knew none of that. “Learn, I should have. Learn… I will.”

Because Yoda realized that he hadn’t allowed himself to release his grief at the young Jedi’s passing.

He had failed Obi Wan. He had failed Coruscant. He had become so busy with all his many duties in the Temple and the Council that he had forgotten he wasn’t merely protecting the galaxy… he was a part of it. It was too late to connect with Obi Wan, but he would learn OF him. And in turn he hoped to relearn the world he lived in.

“Hmmm,” Yoda said wiggling a bit as he gave an impish cackle. “Diner near the temple, Obi Wan and Skywalker would go to. Greasy food, very fattening and unhealthy it was.” He paused. “Desire some, I do.”

“A Jedi does not desire,” Mace said but Yoda merely stared at him and the dark skinned man groaned. “I’m going to have to work extra hard to get rid of the pounds you are about to add to my frame!”

Yoda cackled again as he led them to Dex’s Diner.

~MC~MC~MC~

Palpatine had left his opulent office behind.

Rid himself of the finely woven robes that were made of a silk so smooth that it was like he was wearing liquid shadow. The scent of Nubian Rosewood that his servants knew he enjoyed was no where to be found. The soft music he likes to listen to when he is all by himself working on Senate work is absent as well.

As it should be.

The Dark Side of the Force was powered through extreme emotion. The Jedi assume that it was only hatred and anger that allowed a Sith to reach their full power but there were other ways as well. Other emotions. Taking strength from one extreme or the other in order to fuel themselves. Gluttony was one; there were records from the Sith Empire of Dark Siders who would gorge themselves on food till their bellies ached, while around them others starved, slowly wasting away, so weak all they could do was watch from their spots on the floor, unable to even snatch a bite. Others were the starved, using only the Force to continue going and thus falling deep and deeper into the Dark Side. Another tale told of two sisters, twins. The first had fallen after she had been raped and thus the second had found a way to strengthen them both. She would find the most desirable of men, ones that filled her with a heat. She was a natural whore, addicted to sex. So she would find those men… and use the Dark Side to force them to rape her sister while she herself was chained up, forced to watch while devices kept her from reaching release. Still others would go to such lengths as finding something they grew utterly attached too… and then forcing themselves to slaughter it to fill them with self loathing. He had heard of one Sith who posed as a doctor, using the Dark Side to cure others, taking their pain into them so that every moment was agony… and then have their patients injured again.

All of those were… good. But Palpatine had of course found a better way.

To fuel his powers he moved between the extremes of pleasure and pain.

In his life as Chancellor Palpatine he had only the best. His fine clothes and his wonderful office and specially prepared food and his hobbies like opera. He would have art work that had been meant to be viewed by the masses brought to him so he might study it all by himself before destroying just a tiny piece, something only he and the artist would have noticed, so that any others who ever saw it would never know its full beauty. He would commission musicians to create Operas that he was the sole listener of. There was a rare nerf, with white fur and violet spots, that was nearing extinction; he once a month had a steak made of its meat even though it had been outlawed. He drank the finest in wines and slept on a bed that warmed his body while the air of his residence was scrubbed clean so that he didn’t take into his lungs a single breath he didn’t control. Over-indulgence and the galaxy burned all around him. It made him powerful. Made him strong. He had taught Tyrannus that and the man was working to become a pale copy of his master.

But in his life as Darth Sidious he wore only robes that caused him to break out into horrible rashes all over his body. He ate vile tasting food that made his stomach rebel, so that when it did come out of him (both ends often) its black oily mess burned him. The warehouse he was currently in stank of the most vile of pollutants and the screeching of the rail lines that ran far too close to the building made his head ache.

As it should be.

Going from one extreme to the other STRENGTHENED his ANGER. He HATED that he had to do this. That he couldn’t just wave his hand and find Skywalker. And that raw rage and hate fueled the Dark Side ritual he was performing. The glowing symbols on the ground pulsed with power as he chanted, throwing his hands into the air as he called upon the Dark Side of the Force to reveal to him where in the galaxy Skywalker had gone. No… not called. Demanded. He demanded like the Emperor he would soon be. He commanded the Force to obey.

The Dark Side coiled and hissed and he snarled and whipped it like a disobedient beast.

But it did not provide him with the vision of where Skywalker has ended up. No planet is shown. No building where he is staying.

Instead it howled and threw him back against a wall so hard her felt his shoulder dislocate.

Sidious slowly got up, jaw clenched as he saw that the ritual circle had been broken by that outburst. He wouldn’t be able to perform it again for at least a week; too dangerous to find the innocent blood he needed for the elixirs that would open himself up fully to the Darkness.

So he did the only thing he could do: he lifted up his hands and screamed as he unleashed all his rage. Lightning burst from his fingers making them bleed. Metal crumpled around him like tissue paper. The floor buckled. Every inch of him ached.

That did not provide him answers either.

Even the Dark Side did not know where Skywalker was.

He could only think straight when he’d released all his rage and frustration into the Force. Only then did his thoughts clear and he could focus on matters at hand.

The bounty hunters he had hired had found nothing. No trace of Skywalker. Nor had the detectives and sleuths he had asked to investigate around the planet where Skywalker had been last seen. No signs of who had taken the boy.

He had just… disappeared.

Palpatine couldn’t even take solace in the idea that perhaps Skywalker was being tortured. Such things would move him closer to the Dark Side, yes, but needed to be handled properly. The Galaxy was full of Dark Jedi who had broken their vows to remain in the light and while that was always a delightful treat to see his sworn enemy Fall a Dark Jedi wasn’t a Sith. Not anymore. They were like children that screeched ‘I am a pod racer!’ while dashing about their parents’ legs. It would be possible for Palpatine to mold Skywalker into a Sith if he became a Dark Jedi but it was be far better and the boy far stronger if he were to Fall on Palpatine’s terms.

Oh… he had such PLANS for the boy!

“His love is his weakness,” Palpatine found himself muttered as he got to his feet and began the task of setting out the explosives that would destroy the warehouse and any trace he had been there. He was unconcerned about any investigation… there were accidents all the time. “Have his padawan turn her back on him… to abandon him. She can’t turn to the Dark Side, that may cause him to cling to the Light, or worse have the two remain united and attempt to overthrow me. And she can’t merely die… if I need to I can kill her but it would be far better if she abandoned him. His Master? He can die. Kenobi can die. By his hands. His beloved Clones… make him see them as little more than the puppets that they are. Mindless. Expendable. Until he one day thinks of them and realizes that they are all dead by his orders. And the Senator.”

Palpatine smiled at that.

“Oh yes,” he murmured as he thought of just all the things he could do to her. He had been careful to breed the obsession into Skywalker, to make him believe that he DESERVED his precious Padme. That she was his by right. With just a bit more effort he could twist him from loving her to desiring her and that would make all the difference. He would so enjoy watching on the holos as his Apprentice forced himself onto his wife again and again, taking her as she screamed at him and tried to fight back-

But none of that mattered if he could not FIND Skywalker!

It was a distraction, this disappearance. He wasn’t blind to the fact that people were beginning to notice that he wasn’t putting his full focus on what they felt were the truly important matters. But all of this, the entire war, would be for nothing if he did not have an Apprentice. His Apprentice. Skywalker.

He would find him and he would make the boy suffer for distracting him.

And he would destroy all who had kept them apart.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I can’t believe that worked,” Quinlan muttered as Bane set his ship down on the surface of Rathbin II. The droids had all stood down once given the instructions, allowing them to fly to the surface of the planet without any problems. Bane had been cautious but when his scanners had shown no forces being marshaled to capture them he’d brought the ship within walking distance of where the building Obi Wan had last been seen in once stood. He looked over at Omega who was looking a bit too smug. “How the heck did you get those codes?”

“No,” Bant said, cutting in before Omega could answer, “we already heard that story.” Omega had been quite open letting everyone know how she had managed to get into the computers and get the codes needed to get past the Separatist blockade that surrounded the planet. She had… questions… about why the Kaminoians had codes for a Separatist blockade but that would be something she’d deal with later; Obi Wan was what mattered now. “I want to know WHY you got the codes.”

“I knew you were going to need them,” Omega chirped as she checked over the pack that Hunter had customized for her, so that it fit her much smaller frame. “And when I saw you were going to see my brothers I knew I had to get them so I could help!”

“You knew to watch for our arrival?” Bant pressed as she adjusted hr robes, Bane opening the door and letting the ramp go down so they could exit.

“No,” Omega said, suddenly growing nervous.

Hunter and Tech shared a look. “Have… have you been spying on us?” the Leader of the Bad Batch asked.

“…no?” Omega said weakly.

Hunter just rubbed his face but it was Crosshairs who answered, “We can deal with little sis-“ and no one missed how Omega BEAMED at him calling her that nor how Crosshairs flinched at said smile, “-and her snooping later. We have a job to do.” And with that he stepped onto the ramp and began to look around, searching for a good vantage point.

“Right,” Hunter said. “Wrecker, you stay here with the kid and the droids. Tech, you’re lead on this. Vos, Eerin, Bane-“

“I know what to do,” Bane said coldly, fingers going to brush the handles of his guns.

“I can come,” Omega pleaded. “I got the codes!”

“But you don’t know how to hack into a mostly destroyed security system,” Hunter said. “Tech does. You did your part, now let us do ours.” He patted her on the shoulder and Omega slumped at that but nodded.

“Sides, with how things go for us things will go sideways soon and we’ll be able ta fight!” Wrecker declared, Omega beaming at that.

“Oh no, no fighting for you,” Threepio said, gently moving to guide her away form the door as the others went out, “we can focus on your lessons! What would you like to start with first? I am well versed in over 57 different educational modules and-“

“For all that people call me cruel,” Bane muttered as he glanced back at the ship.

“Aw,” Quinlan cooed, “is someone getting a soft spot for the kid?”

“No,” Bane said simply, walking towards the ruined remains of the building that was supposed to have hosted peace talks. Bant swallowed as she stared at the tangled mess of melted durasteel and charred timbers.

“We saw the footage,” Hunter stated, coming up next to her. “They weren’t in there when this happened, General.”

“I know,” Bant said softly. “But they could have been.”

There wasn’t anything more to say about that and thus the group set to work. Bane and Quinlan stood on the outer edges of the wreckage while Hunter and Tech set to work making their way through the desolation, Bant using the force to help them squeeze through areas a bit too tight to move through or that looked unstable. The entire time Bant could feel Crosshairs looking at them all through his scope, making sure they were safe.

“Should we call for Wrecker?” she asked at one point when the two stopped at a section, quietly debating if they needed to go further. “He could lift all this up.”

“No… I think we are good here,” Tech said as he knelt down and pulled a wire from his wrist computer and plugged it into a charred looking terminal. “I just needed a port that hadn’t been fully damaged. A bit of a spark to get it running and then we can begin.” He tapped a few commands and she saw some lights flicker on the terminal.

A whine filled the air.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Hunter muttered.

“While I can not determine exactly what is causing that sound I can confirm that, based on my expertise, that you are correct and it doesn’t ‘sound good’.” Tech pulled the cord out but the whining continued. “I believe I might have activated something.”

“What’s going on?” Quinlan called out from the edge of the wreckage.

“Tech…” Hunter hissed.

“I do believe that a tactical retreat would be best.”

“MOVE!” Hunter roared and the three of them dashed through the twisted durasteel, Bant throwing her hands out and using Force Pushes to slam metal out of their path. Behind them the whine was growing louder and she could feel the buzz of electricity in the air. That only made her move all the faster, the two clones right at her heels as they burst out of the wreckage and made towards the ship which was already powering up; Quinlan stood on the ramp waving for them to hurry up, Crosshairs just ducking in.

“What the hell, Bant?!” Quinlan shouted.

“I don’t know but we can figure it out after it stops doing… whatever it is doing!” She leapt onto the ship, Hunter tossing Tech right after her before diving in himself, Quinlan slamming the panel inside to close it up. Bant panted as she came to a stop on the ground, struggling to catch her breath. She looked up and stared at the others…

…and saw everything in a blackish-purple glow.

“Oh, that can’t be good,” she managed to say before all her senses exploded. She grabbed her head and screamed into the madness but just as quickly as it began it was over and Bant was back in the ship’s main area… and said ship was rattling hard.

“Hold on!” Bane roared from the cockpit, Hunter moving to assist. Bant struggled to join him, catching Wrecker grabbing onto Omega and bracing both in a corner as he cried out in delight while Artoo screeched and slide across the floor. When she reached the cockpit she saw that they had somehow ended up high up in the air, the ship struggling to remain there as they dove towards the ground. In the back of her mind Bant found herself wondering how the hell the dusty oranges of Rathbin II had been replaced with green trees and blue water but before she could question that move Bane flicked some switches and the ship shuddered violently…

…and then leveled out.

“Good work,” Quinlan said as they began to descend.

“It isn’t me,” Bane said, already rising from his seat and pulling out a blaster. “We’re stuck in a tractor beam or something. Its drawing us back down to the ground.”

“This smoothly?” Hunter said, shaking his head. “Impossible.”

“Unless you have a better idea,” Bane snapped. “Now then… everyone be ready.”

“Alright!” Wrecker proclaimed, setting Omega down and grabbing his massive gun. “I was beginning to think this was going to be boring!”

They all prepared themselves, Quinlan moving towards the control panel once more the moment the ship stopped and settled. He glanced at them all and gave a quiet nod, moving towards the button that would open the hatch-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“What was that?” Crosshairs said slowly.

“I believe someone is knocking on the door,” Tech commented.

Quinlan and Bant shared a look before he hit the button, allowing the door to open.

There, floating in front of them, was a woman.

She was BIG. That was Bant’s first thought. Wrecker big. Tall with massive arms, a broad chest, and thick legs. Muscular to the point that it made Bant at once self-conscious. She was a human, with long blonde hair that swept back from her head and despite her build had an elegant face. She was wearing a rather loud outfit done up in reds, whites, blues, and golds, with a long cape draped over her shoulders. But what Bant noticed most of all was her smile. Brilliant, beaming, full of hope.

“Hi there!” she said with a rather direct mid-core accent that Corillians tended to have. “Welcome to Lake Michigan! I’m Star and Stripe… you folks mind telling me how you suddenly appeared out of no where while I was training? Because I think my bros are going to have a lot of questions about that!”

Chapter Text

Stain took in the new arrival for just a moment before a smile formed once more on his lips. “You are not the first sheep to come wandering away from the flock, seeking me out to avenge those that I have culled. You believe yourself on some noble quest, some mission to right a terrible wrong. But you are no such savior!”

He pointed his sword right at Vader’s chest while reaching up with his other hand to lick a little blood from his forefinger. He heard Ingenium grunt behind him; the paralysis had been wearing off and Stain didn’t feel like trying to deal with two heroes. He’d barely managed to surprise the gleaming “hero” who had come racing to his faked call of distress… if Ingenium were allowed to move again he wouldn’t allow himself to be trapped the same way again. And Stain could not afford the false hero to escape and ponder their confrontation, letting the other fakes know just who he was and what he could do. He survived by being in the shadows, the phantom that could come at any time with his scythe to reap the sinful. He could not be dragged into the light; not if he wished to complete his task to craft a better society.

“You are not hero. You are a plague rat, rushing from home to home, spreading your infection before moving on your way. And I am the doctor that will burn away the corruption you have spread! I am the rat catcher who lays his traps and allows the vermin like you to happily scurry your way inside only to catch you and drown you. I will cut away the infection that has root in our society, so that all that remains is the healthy tissue that might grow again!”

He stared at Vader, tongue lazily licking his lips. He knew that people thought he did that to be disgusting or offputting, to force people to tense or be on edge, but in reality it kept them distracted while he studied his foes for weaknesses. They stared at his tongue and thus never saw his eyes scan them. Every hero was different and the reason why he had gotten so good at culling the false heroes was that he took his time to learn how to eliminate them. He was not the hunter that wandered into the field, waiting to see what might stumble upon his blind. No… he learned about his prey. Would find the weaknesses in their gaudy armor, the sections that did not protect and instead became their doom. Sometimes it was a place where he might cut into the tender flesh and gather up the blood he needed in order to use his quirk. Other times it was something that allowed him to trip a false hero up, using their need for attention to trap them and allow him the time to get to their flesh.

The arms and the legs looked to be Stain’s best bet. Vader’s chest was covered with some kind of armor and his head was completely covered with his helmet. But the arms and legs had some kind of flexible material, something he could easily cut into if he got the chance. The glowing red sword was troubling but Stain had dealt with heroes that tried to use weapons to take out his sword. He wrapped the hilt fully in leather and his gloves, while looking old and ragged, were actually designed to protect him from extreme temperatures, meaning that he could stab someone with a heat or ice quirk without worry of damaging his hands.

Yes. The arms and the legs. Get around Vader’s guard, nick him, take his blood, and then claim the false hero along with Ingenium.

“You think you are the hero?” Stain asked as he continued to point his blade at Vader, studying him carefully, deciding on how he would battle. The man was large so he most likely went with hard hits, using his blade like it was a bludgeon rather than an elegant weapon. “You don’t even hide your darkness! A carrion bird who lurks in the shadows, waiting for the easy meal. Did you watch as I injured your ally hero? Did you allow poor Ingenium to be wounded before you acted, so you might claim all the glory for yourself? I can see it written all over you… the darkness. The sin.”

Stain launched himself forward.

“Let me take it from you!”

He swung his blade, waiting till the last moment before dropping his left hand from his katana to go for one of the many knives he kept on his person. When the blow was met he would-

Stain stumbled, crashing to the ground.

Vader calmly turned, now between him and Ingenium, saber still raised. Stain, for his part, looked at his katana, seeing that a good 9 inches of it had been cleaved away.

He hadn’t even felt the strike!

“Sheep, rat, bird,” Vader stated. “You must make up your mind.”

He said not another word. And for Stain that was the greatest taunt of all. No noble speeches. No declarations that he would stop him. Just mocking his desires, however brief, and then looking down on him.

Stain rose up.

“Then let us see what you really are.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Rikiya leaned back in his chair, a glass of Pre-Quirk brandy held in his hand. Perfectly aged and one of the few things he honestly could say was better than what they had now. With the dawn of quirks people were far too quick to use their abilities to speed up the process of making fine drinks and that always affected the flavor. It was… an annoyance. Everything his group worked for was about the strength of their society thanks to quirks and how rather than hiding from them they should embrace them. Yet he could not get a good whiskey or brandy or rum that was made after the Dawn of Quirks… or at least as good as what had come before.

It was something he’d have to ponder. Perhaps it was merely an issue of training? Yes… yes that might be it. People weren’t allowed to properly explore their quirks and that is what caused them, when using their quirks to create the wonderful drinks, to end up with weaker products.

He pulled himself from his thoughts, looking at the two lieutenants before him. “What have you learned about the League?”

Kizuki was the first to speak, which wasn’t shocking as she loved to share information she had dug up. She had gone after the project like a pit bull ripping into a bag of popcorn.

“Most of the villains that were captured were known criminals. Thieves, arsonists, nothing of major interest. They apparently joined up thanks to postings made on online forums; a few are claiming they thought it was going to be a flash mob or the like and were startled when it turned into a full assault. But not true heavy hitters… no well known criminals or established villains took part.”

“So either hastily thrown together at the last moment or someone wishing to test them out and see how well they did,” Rikiya muttered. “None connected to us?”

“I have checked several times; other than a few who worked for associates of our own companies no. I had the closest connections as a few were snitches that I’ve used to get stories from.” Kizuki looked up. “I’ll eliminate them if you wish but I’d rather not. They are just all so interesting and useful.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “No. They know nothing of us so they can live. And it might be useful if we need more information.” He took another drink, Kizuki helping herself to a glass. “You said most of them… then there are a few…”

Kizuki nodded rapidly. “Three in particular are rather interesting!” She laid out photos of the ones that had gotten her excited. Pointing to the first, a pale-haired youth with severed hands grasping onto his body, she stated, “he is the apparent leader of the group though if he is the head of the League or just a commander I haven’t been able to determine yet. My gut tells me its something in-between.”

“He has a powerful quirk,” Rikiya commented, “but his youth is a strike against him. And from what I’ve heard he was rather impulsive. I would have put him-“ he pointed to the man whose head was coated in purple… fog? Energy? It was hard to tell, “-as the leader.”

“No, reports were very clear that he obeyed the commands of the leader, Shigaraki.”

That made Rikiya pause. “You have a name?”

“Yes,” Kizuki said with a sharp smile. “I was able to confirm that multiple people heard at least three of the League of Villain members call out that name.”

“What do we know of the Shigaraki family?”

Here Kizuki’s smile fell. “Little,” she said with a pout. “Someone has done well to cover their tracks.”

He wasn’t surprised she was upset. Kizuki believed that no one should have secrets… save her.

“According to medical records the family is dead,” she continued. “Died out just before the Dawn of Quirks.”

“Meaning that they aren’t actually dead,” Rikiya stated. “Obviously,” he added with a smirk. He pointed at the other two photos. “What of these two?”

Chikazoku spoke up, the first time since he’d started the meeting. “I hacked into the police departments database… it was rather easy, even without my skill. A child could have done it and I am disappointed our tax dollars go towards such shoddy protections.” He glowered, disappointed he hadn’t been given the challenge he desired. “Nomu,” he pointed to the truly monstrous looking villain with the exposed brain, “is causing a stir.”

“How so?” Rikiya asked.

“Blood work was naturally ordered when he was brought in.” That was a common thing with all arrests now; with people that could shapeshift, change their features, shift to different forms, and other ways of concealing themselves the police needed to often resort to DNA to confirm the person they had was the one they wanted. More than one person had been arrested for a crime only for it to be found that the real criminal had disguised themselves as the sap. Even getting a speeding ticket could result in a blood test.

“And what was found?”

“Nomu is four people.”

Rikiya raised an eyebrow at that and Chikazoku laid out several photos.

“According to the DNA tested he is this man here, Ringo Nori.” The photo in question was of a man with sandy blond hair and overly large lips. “But he also has the dna of these three other men.” He gestured at the three photos in questions, each of a vastly different figure. “All four have been reported missing or wanted by the police for at least 6 months.”

Kizuki leaned forward in her chair. “A quirk that merges people into one being?”

“Or someone experimenting with quirks,” Chikazoku replied. “Based on the appearance of Nomu I believe that he was genetically altered. The police and the Hero Commission are coming to the same conclusion.”

Rikiya’s lips pressed together at that.

“That makes them a great threat to our goals, if true.” He stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the city below him. “The entire purpose of our organization is to develop a world where quirks are celebrated, not hidden away. We are the most successful species this planet created and quirks are just the next step in our evolution. To tell a child they can not use their ability to fly or to produce plasma from their fingertips or any other quirk is to cripple them. The government wants us all to be restrained.

“There was a story I read when I was young. It was of a society where the desperate need to make everyone equal led to them creating ‘handicaps’ on those that were blessed. A smart man had to wear an earpiece that would disrupt his thoughts. The beautiful had to wear hideous masks. The strong were forced to don weights that would pull them down to the ground.” He paused, swirling his drink. “I read that story and saw it as a roadmap for the society we are now in. The Government is so concerned about fairness… what will stop them from cutting off our legs, so we are now equal with those that do not have them? Gouge out our eyes so we are not seen as ‘mocking’ the blind? We work to free ourselves of these self-made handicaps.

“But the Nomu… that is not evolution. It is not the natural order. It is something foul. A mockery of what we strive towards.”

He turned and glared at the two.

“I want them dead.”

“We are working on that,” Chikazoku assured him. “We have reports that the Warp Gate creator has been spotted in Kamino Ward. Once we narrow it down we will have the base for the League of Villains.”

“See to it then,” Rikiya said. “But get some rest… tomorrow is the Sports Festival.” He paused, a smirk forming once more on his lean features. “it is always so nice to see UA adopt our beliefs without even realizing it.”

~MC~MC~MC~

‘Form IV,’ Anakin thought to himself as he battled Stain. ‘Good and bad.’

Their duel was probably one of the strangest ones Anakin had ever had. Because Stain knew that Anakin’s lightsaber could cut through his katana he was focused on feints and misdirects, trying to find a way through his defenses and manage an attack that would actually wound him. Thus neither of them had managed to land a true blow. Anakin wondered what Obi Wan would think of such a duel; knowing his master he would have been rather impressed by it, bringing up which technique involved shutting off a lightsaber during the duel only to rapidly reactivate it. It certainly was similar.

‘Stain is using Form Iv, though he doesn’t realize it,’ Anakin thought to himself. ‘Aggressive. Quick. Always in motion.’ Normally that would be a problem for Anakin as his preferred form, Form V, was better suited for multiple opponents rather than one and the flurry of attacks made his own chances to counter attack not as plentiful. ‘But the alley is hampering him,’ he thought. ‘And luckily Obi Wan taught me enough of Form III…’

He was wearing the man down, forcing him to get sloppy. That was what Anakin needed. Stain would fall, he could feel it, so long as he-

Stain suddenly leapt back, dropping his katana. Anakin at once realized what he was doing and raised his blade only to curse himself, remembering his master’s warning about slug slingers and how dangerous it could be to try and deflect a shot from one of those. Thus he dropped his own lightsaber and raised his hand, using the Force to catch the five knives that Stain sent his way. He just managed to stop them but when he looked up Stain had already fled, making him mentally curse.

“T-thank you,” Ingenium got out and Anakin turned to him, remembering why he’d attacked the Hero Killer in the first place.

“Are you well? Where are you hurt?”

“He got me on my leg but I’m fine, Vader,” the hero said.

Anakin grimaced. He had meant to declare he was ‘Invader’, as he thought it sounded intimidating and was a play on the fact that he was an ‘invader’ when it came to Earth. But the stupid oxygen recycler on his suit had fritzed, causing the ‘in’ to be cut off, leaving him ‘Vader’. And he couldn’t just go correcting it now, it would sound stupid.

“You are still unable to move,” he said.

“I think he used his quirk to freeze me in place.” Anakin nodded his head at that. A quirk like that did align with the reports on the hero killer and how all of his victims showed little signs of injury save for the blow that killed them. “I… can move my toes so I think it is wearing off.”

“Very good,” Anakin said, rising up. “I’ve contacted the police… they will be here in a minute so I need to leave.”

“Wait!” Ingenium called out as Anakin turned. “Why… why did you help me?”

“Because no one else could.”

And with that he left the hero be, hoping against hope he might find the hero killer once more.

Chapter Text

“WELCOME TO THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!”

The crowd roared and Hizashi grinned at the sheer volume the audience was able to get to. As much as he loved his radio show, and he truly did, there was just something that made his blood thunder in his veins when he got to play off an audience. When one got in the right grove they could manipulate them into gasps, cheers, screams, and cries. It was like an instrument, knowing just which buttons to press to get exactly what he wanted.

At a slightly lower voice (which was saying a lot for him) he declared, “Today we will be focusing on the First Year Students here at UA as they compete in a series of challenges to show case their skills and talents to all of you watching here at our stadium and the millions watching at home! So let’s welcome them all now for the Opening Ceremony!”

Muting his mic he glanced over at Obi Wan who was seated next to him, Eri currently on his lap watching the students as they began to parade into the stadium proper. Behind them were all sorts of toys and activity books to keep the little girl entertained when things hit the natural lulls the Sports Festival would have peppered throughout. Though at the moment Eri seemed content to just watch the students.

“Thanks for joining me up here,” Hizashi said with a grin. “I was going to try and force Shota up here, if only for the amusement factor, but honestly you’re going to be able to offer better insight. He’s a bit biased when it comes to his Hell Class. Or a bit too judgmental. Depends on his coffee intake.”

Obi Wan waved him off. “Perfectly fine. I think all of this would have been far too stimulating for Eri. Besides, I think it best to avoid being around Anakin at the moment.”

“Oh? You two have a fight?”

“Not at all.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“WOOOO!” Anakin shouted, waving an orange foam finger in the air.

“Is that your dad?” Shoji asked, looking up at the stands as Class 1-A made their way towards the podium that had been set up in the middle of the stadium.

“My guardian,” Ahsoka said, utterly embarrassed. She looked at Izuku. “Can we switch? Rex isn’t screaming his head off.”

“No but he did tell me that if I don’t do well its just an excuse for extra lessons.”

Ahsoka grimaced; Rex was treating the Sports Festival like it was cadet training and warned that if cadets failed to score well during such tests they had to do extra lessons… grueling exercises that made them wish that maybe they’d just been injured while trying to complete the exam. Hikes with full packs. Swimming against fast moving rivers. Reverse mountain climbs. All designed of course to make someone better but that didn’t mean they wanted to be a part of it.

“Nevermind,” she muttered.

“Come on,” Ashido said with a grin, “its cool that your guardian is getting so into it!”

“Go Ahsoka!” Padme cried out, her face done up in orange face paint. She and Anakin suddenly ducked down before putting out foam hats that resembled her montrals.

Ahsoka gripped her own head in her hands and fought the urge to scream.

“I hope they enjoyed this chance to cheer for you,” Monoma said with false kindness as he hurried to move next to them, “because it is the last chance they will have for you and all of Class 1-A. This is where the world learns that you are nothing more than frauds and fakes and that it is us, Class 1-B, who are the true future! Does it bug you?” He suddenly was RIGHT next to Ahsoka, practically draped over her shoulder. “Does it fill you with dread that everyone is going to learn what you truly are? Do you tremble with the knowledge that your time at the top is about over and you are about to crash down? Does it? Does-“

Monoma crumbled to the ground.

“Sorry about that,” Kendo said as she grabbed Monoma by the ankle and dragged him away.

“You should invite him to target practice,” Ahsoka muttered, causing Izuku to panic and begin waving his hands about, trying to tell her that he would NEVER do something like that.

“Welcome, everyone!” Midnight called out from the stand and podium, cracking her whip to get everyone’s attention. “Thank you for coming to the Sports Festival. I so do love seeing you eager children ready to get all hot and bothered!” She flashed a saucy smirk and Ahsoka wondered how Midnight could go from that to putting on puppet shows for Eri to help the little girl go to sleep. “Now then, before we begin with the first event we will hear from the First Year’s chosen representative: Yaoyorozu Momo!”

“I’m glad its her and not me,” Uraraka commented softly.

It had been a big deal with Aizawa had said that their class needed to pick a speaker who would welcome everyone to the Sports Festival. Most of the class had wanted the honor, knowing that any attention one got would only help with furthering their careers after they got out of UA. It had been Izuku who had finally suggested that they give it to someone who hadn’t had a chance to shine. Todoroki and Insai were their recommendation students, Komori and Iida their class reps. Izuku himself had removed himself from the running because he’d ended up with the highest score for the entrance exam; it had gone without saying he was also worried about getting TOO much attention, what with being Quirkless, and that annoyed Ahsoka to no end but she’d respected his choice. In the end Yaoyorozu had been selected as the best option of those left as she had the most experience with public speaking, having done several Public Speaking Contests in middle school and even made it to the national finals.

“Thank you,” the tall teen said. “I know that today is going to be entertaining for you all watching but remember that for us this is merely the next step on our journey to becoming future heroes. Do not cheer for merely one of us. Cheer for us all. Because one day we hope to be your heroes when you need them.” She dipped her head slightly, raising it just as the audience burst into cheers and applause.

“Feh,” Bakugo grumbled. “That’s just loser talk. If it had been me I would have let all these extras know they stood no chance because I was the best. And the audience would see that they were witnessing the next Number 1 Hero.”

“Well, hopefully the first event isn’t one for humility,” Ahsoka snarked.

“What did you fucking say, Shit Horns?!?” Bakugo roared, moving to stand right in front of her, screaming in her face.

“All those explosions must be making you deaf, Boom Boom,” Ahsoka responded, folding her arms over her chest and staring at Bakugo while using her best impression of Master Windu’s “I am staying calm and collected because otherwise I might beat your ass” look. “I said I hope the first event isn’t one for humility because you’d be in last place.”

“Humility is just something weaklings cry about because they can’t back up any boast they might make!” Bakugo shouted. “I’m going to be number one and you, your little Deku boyfriend, and that Round Face shadow of yours are going to be walking out of here with nothing!”

“Or,” Ahsoka said, eyes narrowed, “you’re scared because you know that Monoma was at least right about you: everyone is going to see what a fraud you are.”

“The only fraud is-“

Bakugo’s rant was drowned out by Present Mic speaking over the speakers. “It is time for the first event!”

“This isn’t over,” Bakugo warned.

“I’m trembling,” Ahsoka said with utter dryness.

“You know,” Uraraka stated, “you wouldn’t fight as much if you didn’t go out of your way to antagonize him.”

“Oh, I should just meekly roll over whenever he decides that because he doesn’t want to release his anger into the Force?” Ahsoka said sarcastically. “That will be wonderful training for when we have to deal with villains.” She smirked at that. “Dealing with Bakugo is just training for all the loud mouth pieces of crap we’ll have to deal with when we’re officially heroes.”

Uraraka wanted to ask… several things, including what Ahsoka meant by ‘Releasing his anger into the Force’ as what did Ahsoka’s quirk have to do with any of that, but was cut off by Present Mic’s voice.

“And now its time for the first event: The Obstacle Course! Competitors will be racing out of the stadium and battling their way through a series of, well, obstacles!”

Obi Wan’s voice chimed in. “It does seem rather self-explanatory when you word it like that, doesn’t it?”

“Quite!” Present Mic declared dramatically and Ahsoka snickered at that. But her face fell into grim determination when she saw the large door light up to her left, the glowing bulbs upon its frame flashing white before going red, pulsing like a heartbeat. “Competitors will use that door to leave the stadium, moving along several of our training fields before returning here!”

“ Remember that only those that complete the course in the designated time limit will be making it,” Obi Wan added.

“Of course we won’t be telling the students just what that time is!” Present Mic teased. “That way they are giving it their all til the very last moment!”

Ahsoka glanced over at Izuku. “Okay, what do you think?”

“The door is the first obstacle,” Izuku said. “We all rush it and get jammed.”

“Then we either need to be the very first…” Ahsoka smirked.

“What are you-“ Uraraka asked only for the lights on the door to begin flashing between red and white.

Ahsoka tensed, crouching down, before the lights suddenly went green. The moment they did the students were rushing towards the door and the Padawan Learner used all her skills to duck and weave through the throng of bodies. She had a few chances where she could have burst ahead, overtaken a few students, but that wasn’t what she was going for. Rather she needed the crush to occur, to lock up most of the first wave of students. Already she could hear cries and yelps as students found themselves pushing and shoving each other in an attempt to wiggle towards the other side of what Ahsoka now saw was a tunnel. Which worked out better than she could have hoped. Putting on a burst of speed she used the Force to leap up and began to run along the wall, taking four steps before she felt gravity begin to pull at her. At that moment she leapt to the opposite wall, taking another few steps before leaping back to the first wall and diving over the heads of the crush of students. Looking about she saw she was one of the first to make it out and grinned-

And instantly felt a wave of cold go through her as Todoroki blasted above her, freezing the ground in the tunnel and just outside, leaving everyone frozen to the floor.

“HEY!” several people roared but Todoroki didn’t even bother to apologize. Ahsoka growled in her throat before thrusting her hand down, using two Force Pushes to shatter the ice around her so she could move before plunging her hand forward, eyes narrowed as she focused on Todoroki’s shoes.

The two-toned teen suddenly bobbed and Ahsoka was greeted with the sight of his utter shock as she yanked at his shoes, causing his body to twist in the air before he slammed down on the ground. Ahsoka smirked even as she ran forward, waving her hand to send a spray of ice and snow in his face.

“And Todoroki looked to have been trying to take out every other competitor!” Present Mic exclaimed. “Too bad he didn’t count on Tano using her Quirk to yank him back!” He paused. “Wait, is that allowed?”

“Technically it is!” Nedzu said, popping up next to Obi Wan. “See- GAAA!”

Eri had suddenly appeared behind him, grabbing the principal and giving him a hug.

“So soft…”

Obi Wan chuckled as Nedzu, unable able resist Eri’s cuteness, allowed her to cuddle him despite his normal dislike of being touched. Of course it helped that Eri was cooing about how wonderful he was... “As Principal Nedzu was stating students are not allowed to use their quirks to harm one another. However, Ahsoka merely used hers to pull on Todoroki’s shoe, which is a distraction but allowed. If it weren’t that Todoroki would have been disqualified for using his ice to freeze everyone.

“That is something all students must remember,” Obi Wan said over the loud speakers, “they aren’t the only ones with quirks. Nearly everyone has one and have no problem using them… oh my.” Obi Wan chuckled. “And it seems that two of the students wish to prove me wrong… you should also remember that the world isn’t just quirks.”

Ahsoka turned to see Izuku launch out of the tunnel, having used his wrist-mounted zipline to fly above the others. Following him was a pink haired girl with goggles on her head that had… well, it looked like she had on jet shoes and honestly Ahsoka wondered why she hadn’t considered such a thing existing.

“For those curious,” Obi Wan stated, “all students were allowed to put in requests for support items to add them in the Sports Festival. Of course many do not, believing that their quirks will get them through, but Midoriya and Hatsume have just shown them the error in thinking like that.”

“We ALWAYS have a few first years who find out that little detail!” Present Mic said with a laugh. “And as watchers of previous Sports Festivals will tell you that is something they won’t forget next year.”

Ahsoka cursed at that. She had made the same mistake. ‘I just assumed because I’m only allowed my lightsaber during Master Kenobi’s class and training with Anakin that I couldn’t have it during the Sports Festival… and I have a feeling I’m going to regret not having it with me this time.”

There was movement to her right and she saw the small purple pervert kid that had confronted her and the rest of her class earlier in the week overtaking her, bouncing on the purple balls that grew from his head. He threw them out with admittedly impressive accuracy, leaping from one to the next and using that to make up for his shorter legs to quickly overtake Ahsoka’s lead as they raced towards a large suburban training area. Behind her Ahsoka could hear more students making it out of the tunnel and using their quirks to try and get back to the front of the pack. There was a cold wind as Todoroki once more blasted himself through the air on frozen jets and based on the bellowing screams she knew that Bakugo had also-

The ground all around Ahsoka began to crack and buckle as the Force SCREAMED danger and she leapt back, causing the purple kid to cackle… only before he let out a wail as a massive hand burst from the ground, sending him spiraling back towards the stadium. Ahsoka watched, barely noticing that Todoroki had come to a stop beside her along with Hatume, Izuku, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and several others, as the massive Zero Pointer from the Entrance Exam pulled itself free from the ground.

Followed by a second.

And a third.

And a fourth.

And from the craters they dug themselves from came spewing out an army of the One Point, Two Point, and Three Point robots.

“And the contestants have made it to the next part of our challenge, which we love to call “Robo Inferno”!”

“And by that you mean you love to call it that,” Obi Wan teased.

“I’m getting serious flashbacks right now,” Ahsoka muttered to herself, hand going to her hip before she remembered yet again she had no lightsaber.

“die die die die diE diE diE dIE dIE dIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!” Bakugo roared as he blasted over their heads, slamming his palms down onto the head of one Zero Pointer and sending a blast that had it rocking.

Todoroki, not to be outdone, thrust his hand down against the ground and the cracks that hadn’t spawned bots let off wisps of frost before a massive blast of cold ripped through the earth, freezing up the Villain Bots.

What followed was several minutes of madness as all the students began to attack the villain bots. Ahsoka used the force to slam the droids into each other while she spotted Tsu having caught up and using her tongue to fling droids into the air where Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow was ready to rip them apart. Inasa let out a laugh as he made presence known; creating funnel clouds that tore the robots into bits. Ashido was showing off how much more potent her acid could be, melting droids with admittedly pinpoint accuracy. Kamikari was hacking them to bits while Yaoyorozu-

“IS THAT A GATLING GUN?!?!” Present Mic exclaimed as the tall teen, panting slightly before she crammed an energy bar in her mouth, leapt onto the wheeled platform of the weapon she’d made, kicking on the brakes and let out a scream as she began to fire on the droids. Ahsoka had never seen the normally reserved and collected young woman look so… maniac… as she fired on a Zero Pointer, reducing its head to scrap.

“Ah, we were working on that,” Obi Wan stated. “For those that don’t know Yaoyorozu can create object so long as she fully understands their basic make up. She has been pressing herself to get more advanced and this is her latest endeavor.”

In the stadium Padme looked over at Anakin. “He encouraged her to make a Gatling gun?”

Anakin nodded. “I don’t know if I should be proud of him taking a page out of my book or fearful that if he ever turned to the Dark Side he’d kill us all.”

“I heard that, Anakin,” Obi Wan said over the loud speaker.

“HOW?!?” Anakin shouted, waving his hands in the air.

“What’s this?” Present Mic exclaimed suddenly. “Two students, Midoriya and Hitoshi, have already made it through and are racing to the next challenge.”

“How?” Momona called out. “There are still villain droids!”

But Ahsoka knew. ‘Rex always told me that sometimes the Seperatists will send out waves of droids just to distract us. That the best way to defeat them is to not fight them at all. To get around. Izuku and Hitoshi must have snuck around them all while we were fighting them, using us as a distraction.’ She smiled grimly. ‘Clever.’

At once Ahsoka raced towards where Yaoyorozu was, waving at Shoji, Kendo, and Iida. “Come on!” she said as she raced towards the back of the weapon. “We push, you fire!”

“Right!” Yaoyorozu declared.

“What if something tries to come from the sides?” Iida asked.

“…Tokoyami!” Ahsoka shouted. “Team up?”

The bird-headed student considered her for a moment. “The only way to face the darkness sometimes is with others at your back!”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Kendo said as she grabbed onto the back of the Gatling gun, Tokoyami leaping behind Yaoyorozu. With Iida in the middle and the rest spread out around him the four students began to push hard, rolling Yaoyorozu forward as she mowed down droids while Tokoyami and Dark Shadow worked to both clear a path and prevent any surprise hits. Several other contestants, seeing what they were doing, moved to run behind them, helping to deflect any shots from the sides so that Dark Shadow could focus on swooping around the front to knock away deactivated droids.

“GET SOME!” Yaoyorozu screamed in delight as she fired.

“I’ve never seen her so… passionate… before,” Shoji stated.

“I like it,” Kendo said with a smirk as she watched the tall teen blast a Three Pointer.

Back in the stadium Padme watched as Ahsoka helped her quickly patched together team get through the first obstacle. “That was smart of her. Too many of the students are forgetting that they technically aren’t competing against each other yet.” She pointed to one screen that showed that two Gen Ed students using their quirks to hinder each other. They couldn’t actually attack one another but they could keep throwing obstacles at one another, causing them to trip up or fall or miss their attacks as they tried to get past some of the Three Pointers.

Anakin nodded. “Too many people don’t realize that you need to work as a team.”

“That’s a powerful statement, coming from you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Padme glanced at her husband. “Only that you have a bad habit of thinking you need to put the entire galaxy on your shoulders?”

“… maybe,” he admitted.

That startled Padme. “What HAVE you and Hound Dog been talking about in your therapy sessions?”

“Come to one and find out,” Anakin said but it wasn’t nearly as snarky as one might have expected. “I was reading up on couple’s counseling and I think it would be great for us. Sure, normally people that are having relationship problems do double’s counseling and we’re rock solid but there are a ton of things we could always improve upon. I mean, we’re both heroes-“

“Shhhh!” Padme hissed. “Secret identity, remember?”

“See!” Anakin exclaimed, waving at her. “That’s why we should have a few sessions. Let me text Hound Dog-“

Padme grabbed his wrist as he moved to pull out his phone. “Let’s wait till after the Sports Festival, okay? I bet he’s super busy.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Hound Dog carefully balanced the playing card on top of the castle he had made with the rest of the deck, pulling back and smiling to himself as he looked at his hard work.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Are you sure they won’t mind?” Padme and Anakin heard a voice say near them. “They might be holding those seats for someone.”

“They are,” Rex said. “Us. Anakin. Padme.”

“Rex!” Anakin said with a grin, leaping up and gesturing for his friend to come over from the stairs he was walking down. “I was afraid you were going to miss the entire Sports Festival.”

“Sorry about that, I had to step in and deal with some criminals that thought it was wise to cause some traffic accidents.” The Clone Captain let out a sigh. “You know how it is.”

Padme opened her mouth to confirm that she did before remembering that the public wasn’t supposed to know she was a hero. So instead she said, “Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much. They had to get through a narrow tunnel and then deal with some droids. Izuku snuck around while Ahsoka created a team and had them fight their way out. They are moving towards the next obstacle right now.”

“Good,” Rex said before gesturing at a green haired woman who was just behind him. She was looking at Padme and Anakin in concern, most likely startled by Padme’s face paint. “This is Midoriya Inko.”

“H-hello,” the green haired woman said, ducking her head against her shoulders. “I hope we aren’t brothering you…”

“Of course not!” Anakin said happily, shifting so that he was now further away from the aisle, figuring that Inko would much prefer being close to the stairs. He had met plenty of people who didn’t like to be boxed in; troopers especially who did not feel safe if there wasn’t the ability to quickly move. “You’re Izuku’s mother, right?”

“That’s right,” she said as she sat down next to Padme. She blinked and then smiled bashfully. “Oh, are you Ahsoka’s parents?” The moment the words were out of her mouth her brow furrowed, clearly confused at how a couple so young could be parents.

“Guardians,” Padme stated. “Ahsoka lives with us because of her quirk. Anakin has a very similar one, as does his brother, so they have been helping Ahsoka train so she can use it.”

“But I think you want to focus on the next part of the Sports Festival,” Anakin said, pointing to the screen. There it showed the students, as they finished up the last of the kilometer run, reaching a large yawning canyon with pillars that rose up throughout it.

“Oh my,” Inko whispered.

“And the first students have reached The Fall, our next obstacle!” Present Mic declared.

“It looks like our support-using students Midoriya and Hatsume are two of the first to arrive, along Hitoshi. But they have plenty of people looking to catch up, with the team led by Tano as well as Todoroki, Bakugo, and several other students only a few seconds behind.”

Present Mic took over when Obi Wan paused. “For The Fall students will need to get across the canyon, using ropes or- OH! It looks like are frontrunners are looking to impress again!”

Sure enough Padme, Rex, Anakin, and Inko saw that Izuku had used his wrist zipline to secure himself to Hatsume, the girl let out a gleeful cry before she activated her rocket books, launching the two of them across the canyon.

“YOU AREN’T BEATING ME, DEKU!” Bakugo roared, thrusting his hands down and causing a massive explosion that catapulted him into the air. He twisted past Izuku and Hatsume, angling so his explosions caused them to wobble and drop down to a pillar.

“Worry about other people, Blasty!” Ahsoka called out as she waved her hands in the air before yanking. The result quickly became clear as a cloud of grit and dust rose in the air, Bakugo screaming in outrage as it got in his eyes and caused him to missing his mark, falling too soon and landing on one of the pillars.

“Oooohhh I don’t think Katsuki will be pleased with that,” Inko commented even as Ahsoka began to force leap from one pillar to the next. Tsu, Iida, Inasa, and Shoto were using their quirks to allow them to quickly move along the ropes while Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were slightly behind. But it was Yaoyorozu who had Anakin leaning forward as she pulled out a vest and a grappling hook gun, donning the former before firing the latter into the opposite cliffside, latching it onto her vest before taking a running start and diving down. The grapple hook gun instantly began to retract, yanking her easily across the gap. She reached the top just as Ahsoka, Izuku, and Hatsume landed from their leaps, Ahsoka pausing to offer Yaoyorozu a hand up while Izuku and Hatsume disengaged themselves. Rather than move on though Izuku turned and made sure that the others that were crossing weren’t having any problems. He made sure to clear a path for Iida while Ahsoka used The Force to help Uraraka, who had just begun along the rope, balance properly so she could run better. Tsu smiled as Hatsume and Dark Shadow moved in front of her just as Shoto made it across, the frog quirked girl shivering but managing a smile. Inasa, for his part, had at some point grabbed Hitoshi and flung him over his shoulder and made it the rest of the way, the purple-haired teen looking grumpy at needing help but still nodding in thanks while Inasa laughed.

“It seems that several of the Class 1-A students, along with Support Student Hatsume, have decided to work together!” Present Mic declared.

“Very wise of them,” Obi Wan stated. “As with the previous obstacle working together will ensure that more of them make it to the next round. It isn’t well known but UA has had at least two times in its history no 1st Year Students make it through to the second round. By working together they better their odds-“

At that moment Bakugo surged forward, blasting over the heads of his classmates before going into a dead run. Shoto was a close second and used his ice to make that even closer, so that he and Bakugo were in a dead heat. Ahsoka, Izuku, and the rest of the group that had made it across gave chase while other students worked to get across the divide.

“And we have a real race, folks!” Present Mic shouted. “Bakugo and Shoto of Class 1-A are neck and neck with each other, switching off between first and second while our Team Work Teens are working to narrow the gap. But if they think they can just race to glory they are sadly mistaken, for they have come to the final obstacle-“

Bakugo and Shoto took a hard turn into what looked like an open field, getting only a few feet before the ground under them exploded, sending them flying into the air with the two forced to use their quirks in order to prevent them from crashing to the ground.

“-The Minefield!”

Chapter Text

Obi Wan frowned as his cell phone buzzed and he quickly muted his mic before he turned away from the windows. “Hello Anakin? Did you get lost looking for the UA?”

“No I did not get lost,” Anakin retorted.

“Because that happens surprisingly often, I must say.”

“Its not my fault!” Anakin whined. “Have you ever noticed that half the streets in this country are named after planets from where we are from? I got distracted by a Tatooine Street and ended up in Musutagu’s Gay District!”

“Come now, Anakin, now need to be rude about that. I think it is lovely that there are areas where people who LGBTQ+ can gather freely. Society is accepting-“

“WHY ARE THERE EXPLOSIVES!?!?”

“…as far as I know there are none in the Gay District. I suppose someone could have planted some. Do I need to alert Present Mic?”

He could hear Anakin grinding his teeth. “Master, I am not in the mood for your playful banter. Why, oh why, did you decide in your grand wisdom to try and BLOW UP MY PADAWAN!?!”

“Ah… the Sports Festival,” Obi Wan said smoothly. “They are harmless.”

“I just saw some purple kid with balls on his head get launched 20 feet in the air.”

“Hmmm,” Obi Wan spun back around and reviewed the footage on the monitor on the desk. “How odd. With his weight and size he should have gone 30 feet easily. Must be something about his quirk that adds extra mass-“

“Master!”

“It is fine, Anakin,” Obi Wan assured him. “The mines are calibrated to fire off based on one’s weight and are mostly smoke and a concussive force.”

“Concussive as in concussion!” Anakin exploded.

Obi Wan sighed. “They are very similar to the ones we used to train you, Anakin. In fact they are actually dialed back from the ones you used before your knighting.” One of the ways the Jedi would train padawans was through the use of similar concussive mines that would force them to react quickly to sudden changes.

“I had the Force, Master,” Anakin stated slowly.

“And so does Ahsoka.” Obi Wan watched as the students tried to figure out how to get through the minefield. “Ah, one moment, it appears young Todoroki is trying to fly over…” Obi Wan flipped a few switches in the booth and suddenly the Ice Quirk user was sent flying when the mines began to explode below him. “Had to switch them to proximity.”

“I’m going down there and getting Ahsoka out of this.”

“Don’t be a mother tooka,” Obi Wan complained. “She is fine. In fact she will be more upset with you not trusting her than she will be about these mines.”

“She can only be upset with me if she is alive!” Anakin complained. “I am-“

“Anakin, one moment.” Obi Wan turned and smiled at Eri. “Would you like to say hello to Anakin?”

Eri smiled and held out her hands, accepting Obi Wan’s phone. “Hello?”

“…hey baby sis,” Anakin said, his tone instantly switching to softer and lighter. “How are you?”

“Good,” Eri said. “I’m coloring and playing with blocks.”

“What are you coloring?”

Obi Wan turned back to Hizashi. “That will keep him distracted until they are done with the first round.”

Hizashi chuckled at that. “Already learning to use the little listener’s cuteness as a weapon, huh?”

“Anakin is a softy when it comes to younglings. How he grew up… children were to be protected.” He didn’t get into any more details; while Anakin was more open to talking about his time before the Jedi, as a slave, it was still HIS story and Obi Wan would not show him disrespect by sharing the tales without second thought. “How are the students doing?”

“About as well as can be expected,” Hizashi stated. “There are a few trying to rush through the minefield but they are quickly seeing that they’ll end up flying if they try that. So slow and steady has become the mantra.” He glanced over at Obi Wan. “I actually muted my mic a bit ago because there was nothing really to report… not with the explosions going off all the time.”

Obi Wan chuckled at that before narrowing his eyes. “Well, it seems that some are figuring it out.”

Out in the minefield Izuku remained in a squatting position despite how it made his calfs and thighs burn. Around him people were crying out but he paid no attention to that, instead focused on using the long metal pole he’d strapped to his back ever since the Robo Hell section to prod the ground in front of him.

‘The explosions can be triggered by a sudden increase in pressure or by detecting proximity,’ he thought. ‘But only if that proximity is directly above them… otherwise all the mines would instantly be going off. The blast radius is directly proportional to the weight of what activates it… that’s why Kaachan and that purple kid from Gen Ed went flying the same distance.’ He had been watching as others attempted to get through the minefield, remembering Rex’s training on how to deal with a situation just like the one he now found himself in. Gather intel, observe as much as you could, then begin going as a steady pace. Not too slow… shinies who were too cautious were sniped. But not too fast as those that hurried were only rushing to ensure they blew up into tiny bits sooner. It was all about moving but at the correct pace. ‘Now then… to test a theory,’ he thought as he used the 5 foot long pipe to tap the ground in front of him, sweeping it to his right and le-

There was a small POP and the ground blew up roughly… but only sent up a small cloud that barely got a foot off the ground.

‘Yes!’ he thought, ecstatic. ‘I was right!’ Finally rising to his feet Izuku began to carefully walk through the minefield, tapping the ground with the pole. Whenever he set off one of the tiny explosions he purposely headed to that spot, knowing that it was now safe. All around him his fellow contestants were trying to bull rush their way through the field and sent flying. Kaachan in particular seemed to be trying to ignite the entire field, roaring as he forced himself through after each explosion. He was being sent back… but for the most part he’d figured out that if he timed things right he only lost half the distance he had gained, allowing him to make steady progress. Todoroki was making an ice bridge, having figured out that if he went slow enough it wouldn’t trigger the mines. Yaoyorozu and Tsu were working together to throw out poles to destroy the mines and also create a rope bridge to try and sneak across. Shinsou had noticed what Izuku was doing and was now doing a similar tactic only he was tossing pebbles. He had Uraraka right behind him, keeping watch lest someone came flying at them and caused the mines around them to go off.

Soon, after about 5 minutes, he was nearing the end of the field. Kaachan and Todoroki were gaining on him and he had a feeling that they would probably end up beating him to the end but that was fine with him.

‘If I can get in the top three,’ he thought to himself. ‘A quirkless kid managing to keep up with the two most powerful students in 1-A? No one will be able to deny Trooper training after that!’ He set off another mine, now only about 15 feet away from the end. To his right he heard Kaachan roar as he rushed forward one more, mines exploding all around him, while to his left he could, see out of the corner of his eye, Todoroki finishing the last few bits of his ice bridge. ‘Almost-‘

“What is this!?!?” Present Mic cried out and Izuku looked back, eyes widening. “Tano Ahsoka has used her quirk to gather up twenty mines and… no… she wouldn’t!”

Izuku watched, dumbfounded, as Ahsoka took a few steps into the minefield, took a breath… and then ran towards the pile.

The explosion that followed nearly sent him tumbled and Ahsoka let out a war cry as she was flung through the air, twisting like a corkscrew as she zoomed over Kaachan’s head before landing with a roll. She sprung up and flashed them all a cheeky grin before to raced forward, Kaachan screaming out curses before he blasted himself across the field, shrugging off explosions while Todoroki ran across his bridge and dove off, forming a quick ice slide before he went off in pursuit.

Izuku forced himself to remain calm and finish the last 15 feet before taking off in a sprint, Yaoyororu and Tsu the closest ones to him. While the taller girl could cover a greater distance than him thanks to her longer legs Izuku had been running for nearly a year with Rex and thus it was nothing for him to put on a bit more speed and blast into the arena, panting as he crossed the finish line and got 4th place.

“What the fuck was that?” Bakugo screamed at Ahsoka, who merely stared at him with a look of utter boredom. “Fucking stealing my moves so you can take my victory!”

“I wasn’t aware you had a patent on launching yourself forward, Blasty.”

“Listen here, Shit Horns!” Bakugo roared, getting in her face, explosions popping on his palms. “That was my fucking victory and everyone knows it.”

“What everyone knows is you are a baby throwing a tantrum because things didn’t go your way,” Ahsoka taunted. “The entire stadium isn’t seeing a passionate student; they are seeing a brat upset because he didn’t get a lollipop. Wonder how many pros are going to want you to intern with them after seeing you unable to accept losing to a girl.”

“All of them will want me you bitch!” Bakugo roared. “No one gives a fuck about you! Thinking you are the best? How about I wipe that fucking smile off your face right now! You and me can go right here and I can put you in the dirt where you belong!”

“That’s enough,” Aizawa said coolly as he walked up to them. “The rest of the competitors are coming so get out of the way.”

“Thanks sensei, glad to see that you are there to protect us when our classmates threaten us in front of thousands. Super heroic of you,” Ahsoka said dryly before turning and walking off. Kaachan was already storming away to the guy’s locker room so neither saw Aizawa wince at Ahsoka’s parting comment. Izuku, for his part, decided to make himself scarce lest he get yelled at as well, which meant he didn’t see the way Aizawa’s jaw twitch at his hasty retreat.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Tempers were just up,” Ishiyama stated as the rest of the students began to make their way in. “Heat of the competition and all that.”

“You justifying us doing nothing about Bakugo using his quirk to try and intimidate another student?” Aizawa asked, voice low and, for those that didn’t know him, sound utterly bored. But for Ishiyama he might as well have been stuttering and trembling. “Or dismissing that she was right?”

“…you know how these things are,” Nemuri said, walking up to join the three as the student now truly poured into the arena, the crowd’s cheers tampering off but still loud enough that they could talk without being overhead.

“Yeah, I do,” Aizawa stated. “I know what its like for UA to favor only the strong and the powerful and ignore everyone else. And now I find myself doing the exact same thing.” He settled his head deeper into the folds of his capture weapon. “We complain about how heroics nowadays is just a massive popularity contest and then let students like Bakugo do whatever they want because they have an impressive quirk that will draw attention.”

“There is more to him than that,” Nemuri said. “He is intelligent and passionate-“

“If it had been one of the Gen Ed students coming up to Tano and claiming she was a cheat and using their quirk next to her would you, or would you not, have put them to sleep?”

Nemuri was silent.

“I thought so,” Aizawa said, slinking off to check on his students… and wondering if any of them would actually let him know if they needed help.

Kenobi’s words about trusting him chased him the entire trip.

~MC~MC~MC~

“…let me go down to the field, Padme,” Anakin said, eyes narrowed as he watched the loud mouth blond who had gotten in his Padawan’s face stalk off. “I swear I just want to chat with him.”

“Let’s go,” Padme stated, standing up.

“I mean it, I just- wait, really?”

She narrowed her eyes as she checked to make sure her jacket was straight, needing to do something with her hands. “He just screamed at our kid. If her teacher didn’t give him at least detention for that I might reveal a few things right here.”

Anakin tried to process that, for once, his wife wasn’t trying to keep him calm and rational. And what she had just said… “Wait, our kid?”

Padme let out a huff of frustration. “Come on Anakin she’s basically our daughter at this point.”

“Wait… no,” he shook his head. “I’m just teaching her-“

“Like Rex is teaching Midoriya?”

“Yeah!” He turned to the clone. “Just like that.”

“Izuku is vod,” Rex replied. Inko, who had been taught some of the mixture of Mandalorian and Jedi phrases that made up the Clone Language, smiled at that and squeezed his hand.

Anakin blinked at that. “Well… that’s… that’s great for you Rex.” He hadn’t be told that Rex saw the kid as a brother (as clones really didn’t think in terms of fathers and sons) and already he was mentally revising the list of those he needed to protect in his head with that bit of news. Still, he had other matters to deal with and turned back to Padme. “Okay, so… maybe not that but-“

Padme sat back down and took his hands. “Ani?”

“Yes?”

“She lives with us.”

“Right.”

“We make sure she is fed and clothed and help her with school work.”

“Right.”

“We celebrate her successes, help her through failures, and discipline her when she does something wrong.”

“Okay.”

“We guide her to become an adult.”

“Yea.”

She smiled. “Ani, that’s what parents DO.”

That made him study her for a long moment.

“…nah. That’s just what J-“ he stopped, remembering that Inko wasn’t in on the secret (though, considering how she was holding Rex’s hand Anakin thought it might be time to let her in much as they had All Might), “-what we do with our students. Obi Wan did that for me!”

Rex spoke up. “Took care of ya? Raised ya?”

“Uh huh.”

It was Inko who finally said, “That makes him your dad, Anakin.”

“…oh.” Anakin slumped down in his seat. “Obi Wan’s my dad.”

Padme patted his head. “Took you long enough.”

Anakin stared out at the field. All his life he’d wanted a dad. His mother had told him he had no father when he asked and at first he had believed that she just didn’t want him to know who it was because he was dead or had been sold to someone else. The former because it would be too sad, the latter because it would put ideas in his head that she didn’t want; Anakin had met slaves that held the delusion that some grand hero was coming to save them (Anakin had preferred dreaming he himself would become that hero). But later on he’d come to realize she was telling the truth, that he had no father, and that had bothered him greatly. He felt like he was missing something in his life, a key piece that should be there.

He’d thought Qui Gon might fill that role but then the Sith had stolen him away. The Chancellor… well, he clearly WANTED to be Anakin’s father figure but he been more like a kind uncle, listening to him before sending him on his way. Obi Wan… Obi Wan…

“Obi Wan’s my dad,” Anakin whispered before glancing at Padme. “If you’ll excuse me.”

He didn’t even wait for an answer before using the Force to launch himself above everyone, people gasping in surprise.

~MC~MC~MC~

“You okay?” Uraraka asked Ahsoka as she paced the changing room.

“Fine,” Ahsoka muttered to herself. “Annoyed.”

“Bakugo does that,” Uraraka admitted. “He has a very punchable face, you ever notice that?”

“I have,” Ahsoka stated.

“I am not one to suggest violence without reason,” Yaoyorozu stated as she swapped out her shoes, lifting the left up to inspect the destroyed bottom thanks to the mines tearing them up. Many of the girls were in the same position.

“…and?”

“That’s it,” she said with a smirk.

“I personally think his crotch looks rather punchable,” Jiro stated dryly, getting all the girls to laugh.

Uraraka looked over at Ahsoka. “But you are okay?”

“Yeah, I am. More annoyed at myself than Bakugo, believe it or not.” She shook her head in frustration. “He made me get angry… I should have better control.”

“I think he thrives on that,” Tsu replied. “I’ve told him plenty of times to back off and while he rants and raves he always comes back to talk to me later.”

Uraraka and Ahsoka shared a look. No one quite understood HOW the plain speaking girl had become friends with Bakugo but whenever he needed a sparring partner he would choose her and if anyone from another class insulted her he was always quick to leap to her defense. And in turn they had never seen Tsu ever snap at him… not that she snapped ay anyone, honestly.

“Nothing wrong with passion!” Ashido said with a grin.

Ahsoka decided to stay silent; after all, she’d spent most of her life being told that passion was a bad thing only to have a master who practically bathed in it and a grandmaster who tried to hide his own passions and now was dating the X Rated Superheroine.

“Attention students!” Hizashi called out. “All those that made it to the second round are to report to the main arena for Round Two! You have-“

There was a sudden crashing sound over the PA.

“Anakin?!” Obi Wan’s voice cried out.

“DADDY!” Anakin sobbed and then there was the cacophony of bodies hitting the ground.

“What the f-“ Hizashi began only for there to be more bangs.

Then…

“Hello!” Eri chirped. “Daddy and Anakin are hugging and Mr. Hizashi is confused. Uh… could everyone go to the Arena now like he said? Thank you!”

“Not arguing with that,” Uraraka said with a chuckle.

“By the way,” Yaoyorozu said as she moved to walk beside Ahsoka, “thanks for the help in the first round. You can call me Momo, if you want.”

“Ahsoka,” she replied with a grin.

~MC~MC~MC~

“That was very impressive how you got through the first round,” Inasa said with a grin, clapping Midoriya on the back as they walked towards the arena entrance. They were the last ones to leave the locker room as Izuku had needed to look over his gear and Inasa had come in later than most of their class. “I liked those wrist wire devices… very smart use of support gear.”

“Thanks! I’m surprised you didn’t beat me though. I thought for sure you’d be right there with Todoroki and Kaachan.”

Inasa chuckled. “I ended up working with several other people to get through the minefield and that slowed me down. Not that I mind… I still got into the next round and that will be my chance to shine.”

“Well, it will be a team battle,” Izuku stated.

“Oh?” the taller teen asked, surprised. “You are sure?”

“Yeah. Every year its basically the same. I’ve been watching the Sports Festival on TV since… well, since I can remember. For the first years there is the race, then some kind of team battle, and that determines the tournament bracket.”

Inasa at once was beaming. “Then let us agree to work together! I want your mind on my side and not against me!”

“Of course, Inasa!” he declared; pretty much after the first day the wind-quirk teen had told Izuku to call him by his first name. “Your quirk has a lot of applications… we can’t plan until we know exactly what we are facing but-“

The two paused when they heard a sniff and slowly began to continue on until they found, hidden in a doorway, Iida hugging a man that looked to be in his twenties, tears running down his cheeks.

“I am sorry,” he whispered, “I am getting your shirt wet.”

“Never apologize for that,” the older man said, catching Izuku’s eye and silently twitching his head to the right. Izuku, realizing he was asking for them to back up and give Iida some privacy, retreated a few steps. “Come on, I think I hear some of your classmates… I’d like to meet them.”

“Oh. Of course.” After a moment Iida and the other man emerged, the teen looking like his normal self other than his slightly red eyes. “Ah, Midoriya and Yoarashi. May I present my brother, Iida Tensei.”

“Nice to meet you,” the elder Iida said, holding out his hand to shake theirs in turn. “Sorry about delaying my brother.”

“Is everything okay?” Izuku asked. He’d never seen Iida so emotional before and frankly it scared him. What could rattle the bedrook that was Iida?

“Yes, of course-“ Iida began only for his brother to cut him off.

“Just a close call,” he stated. “Everyone is going to know about it anyway… I was attacked by the Hero Killer last night.”

“The HERO KILLER!?!” Izuku and Inasa both cried out in shook.

“Yeah,” the older Iida said, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling.

“Tensei, you should not make light of that!” Iida scolded. “You were hurt!”

“A scratch,” Tensei stated, lifting up his shirt to reveal the stitches on his side that did NOT look like a scratch. “I’m fine. This was proof I need to redesign my hero costume anyway… and you should too.”

“Midoriya and Mr. Kenobi have both offered to help on that,” Iida stated. “He uses a new kind of armor plating that is far more flexible.”

“Oh really?” Tensei said, intrigued. “I’ll have to check it out.”

“Talk to my mentor, Rex,” Izuku stated. “He’s sitting with my mom and my friend Ahsoka’s guardians… look for people with orange face paint on.”

“I’ll do that!” Tensei said.

Inasa spoke up. “HOW did you survive the Hero Killer? Not that I am not saying you aren’t a great hero…” Everyone knew how proud Iida was of his brother and no one wanted to insult either of them.

Tensei chuckled again. “No need to apologize. Honestly I didn’t survive… not on my own, that is. Not claiming I’m a ghost or anyone.” He wiggled his fingers and went “oooooo!” before growing a bit more serious. “It was a vigilante who saved me.”

“Tensei, you should not-“ Iida began.

“Everyone is going to find out eventually,” he repeated. “This way I make sure I control the narrative. Not let it get twisted that a good man is dismissed or treated as a criminal.” He looked at the two teens. “A new vigilante, named Vader, saved me. He attacked Stain and held him off. I checked… he’s not registered so what he did was illegal… but honestly considering it saved my life and gave us the best info on how to defeat Stain? He’s a hero in my book.”

“Tensei,” Aizawa said, approaching them, “stop distracting the students. They have the next round.”

That made Tensei laughed, something Izuku realized he did quite often. Maybe to make up for Tenya never laughing? “Look at you, actually caring about this thing!” His smile fell after a moment. “Sho?”

“We’ll talk later,” Aizawa said, Izuku’s brow furrowing. What was he missing? “Let’s go.”

Izuku and Inasa shared a shrug and joined Iida in following after their teacher.

Chapter Text

“Well now sweeties, it looks like we have a good group of strapping, eager, vibrant youths!” Nemuri purred, fondling her whip.

“Just so you know,” Present Mic said casually, his microphone muted, “I find this utterly disturbing.”

“Truly?” Obi Wan asked.

“Gay as sunshine,” the hero said with a smirk. When Obi Wan shot him a look he merely chuckled. “Don’t tell my husband, he’s a massive homophobe.”

“I would never dare,” Obi Wan joked. “But this bothers you?”

“Disturbs,” he stated.

“And why is that?”

“Growing up… you had friends, right? Really good friends?”

Mindful that there were little ears listening that might repeat what he was saying Obi Wan chose to be careful with his words. “My quirk manifested at birth so my parents gave me away to be trained when I was very young.” He looked down at his hands. “I remember… little things. My mother’s shawl, for one. I… I think I have a brother. Or had.”

“He didn’t have… your quirk?”

“No. It can be very rare. Sometimes it breeds true… but not always.” He shook his head; now was not the time to discuss the history of things like the High Republic… or the darker moments of the Jedi Order, like during the Great Sith War where Jedi were encouraged to not so much have children but rather breed like cattle. It was well hidden and Obi Wan had only learned of it thanks to Qui Gon’s own research, but it hadn’t been uncommon for the Jedi Council in those days to… well… encourage two knights or masters who were strong in the Force to fornicate in hopes of creating a child even stronger in the Force. It was a dark, shameful thing and Obi Wan sometimes wondered how the Order had managed to rise back up into the light when they had come so very close to falling to the Dark Side.

“So you were adopted by, uh, Quig Gon?”

Obi Wan chuckled at that. “Qui Gon Ginn. And no, not right away. For us we were raised in a group, a ‘clan’ as we called it, until a Master came and selected us to be taught. I had many friends. They are my family.” His smile fell as he thought of them. All so close to his heart but especially Bant and Quinlan. His little sister, who had made a pledge with him to always be at his side, and his big brother who frustrated him and drove him mad but who he missed terribly every day. He wondered what the two of them would think of him in this world.

‘I have broken the Code,’ he thought to himself. ‘I love someone… allowed myself to become attached to Nemuri. And Eri… as much as I protested it when Nedzu suggested it.. she is my daughter now and I will protect her. I embrace Anakin breaking the code and I wager soon he will be adding to our flock. Ahsoka will never become a true Jedi Knight and I do not seek to correct that.’ He paused, his smile returning. ‘Bant would just ask if I was happy and Quinlan would laugh til he soiled himself.’

“Right,” Present Mic said. “Now I want you to imagine one of them, someone you would NEVER want to be with romantically, tormenting you by flirting ALL the time.”

“Ah… so she’s your Quinlan,” Obi Wan said. When Present flashed him a look Obi Wan stated, “It had less to do with him being male and more his… hygiene.”

“Its good to take baths,” Eri mumbled to herself from where she sat at Obi Wan’s feet.

Hizashi chuckled at that before blinking rapidly. “Oh crap, I wasn’t paying attention. What’s the next event?”

“You don’t know?” Obi Wan asked. “I sent you an email.”

“Was that the long thing with bullet points?” Obi Wan nodded and Hizashi chuckled, wave his hand dismissively. “Sorry, I never read anything with bullet points. Nothing good ever came from them.”

“You are a kindred spirit, Hizashi,” Anakin said as he entered the announcer’s booth, several trays for the concessions stand that the business classes were running clutched in his hands. Behind him Padme, Rex, and who could only be Midoriya’s mother Inko entered as well, also carrying food. Eri, for her part, instantly ran to Obi Wan and leaping onto his lap, cuddling close to him. “You are now my uncle. Or cousin. I’m still figuring out the family tree thing. Its rather twisted at this point.”

“I could always assign you to document it,” Obi Wan said as Anakin brought over his food. It was greasy and fattening and unhealthy. He was pleased.

“You can’t give me assignments anymore,” Anakin said before kneeling down. “Hey… want to help me eat these chicken nuggets? I think I have too many.”

Eri peaked out to look at him. “Is it okay?” she glanced over at Inko, it clear that the new arrival was who had made her suddenly skittish.

“Of course. Ms. Midoriya is a nice lady,” Anakin said.

“Oh. Is she Izuku’s mommy?” Eri had met Midoriya briefly but had fallen in love with the quirkless young man, delighting that he asked her so many questions and didn’t mind when she did the same to him. When Anakin nodded she at once pulled away from Obi Wan, allowing him to pick her up, the two settling at a small table that was set up in the corner of the booth where the others were laying out the food.

“Are you sure its okay for us to be up here?” Inko asked. “I wouldn’t want either of you to get in trouble.”

“Meh, no big deal at all,” Hizashi declared. “So long as you don’t cheer when that light is on-“ he pointed to an ON AIR box above his head, “-we’ll be fine.” He spun in his chair and accepted a foam container before noticing just how much food there was. “Uh… going to get cramped in here though if we add any more…”

“No, just us,” Anakin said as Padme grabbed five of the foam containers and began to eat with a gusto.

“Wow,” Hizashi said; he wasn’t privy to Padme’s little secret and didn’t know she needed a ton of calories to maintain her Star Might form. “Well, we have about 20 minutes before I actually have to begin announcing so I’m going to eat this pizza as quickly as I can and all of you can tell me what the heck I’m supposed to be commentating about.”

“You… don’t know?” Rex asked.

Anakin piped up as Eri nibbled on a nugget. “Obi Wan sent out the emails?” He leaned down to his new baby sister. “He does that. Very long and boring.”

“They aren’t very long and boring,” Obi Wan protested. “They are highly informative and-“

Anakin pretended to make snoring noises.

The Jedi Master glowered at him. “You have gotten far more brazen ever since we came to Japan.”

“Helps there is no Council breathing down my neck.”

“Hey, real fun but… Second Event?”

It was Rex who answered. “Apparently under the field here there is a three story building. The students have to divide up into groups of four and attempt to either avoid other students coming at them to steal the headbands they are wearing or do the stealing themselves.”

Hizashi blinked at that. “Huh… that actually sounds like a ton of fun!” He beamed. “And the cavalry battles were getting a little stale.

“I thought we needed to try and showcase something other than brute force,” Obi Wan reasoned. “Far too much of the Sports Festival in years’ past was focused just on which quirks were the showiest or most powerful. There is far more to hero work and this will allow the students to showcase their stealth, speed, and cunning.”

He paused before smirking.

“And… there might be a few surprises…”

“Of course there are,” Anakin mumbled.

~MC~MC~MC~

“So we’re agreed?” Izuku asked his friends.

Midnight had just informed them all of the next event and what they would have to do. A large maze-like building would rise up and they’d all be given 5 minutes to station themselves within in before the event began. Everyone, based on where they finished in the first event, would be given headbands worth points. They were to go about either trying to claim more headbands to increase their total or hiding so theirs weren’t taken. The four teams with the highest point values would move on to the next round. Assuming, of course, they survived the 30 minutes.

Izuku’s mind was racing at the thought of it all. Stealth. Planning. Knowing when to pick your battles and when to retreat. He’d never seen anything like this at the Sport Festivals of the past and that honestly made him a bit giddy as it meant that he could be bold. He’d made a splash in the first round but if he truly impress in the second then it wouldn’t matter his standing in the final round; there would be heroes that saw his cunning and remember that.

Uraraka bobbed her head rapidly. “Yeah. While it would be fun to work with you two it makes more sense for us to be on separate teams. Makes sure that we can all get in.”

Ahsoka looked about. “Only 16 of us will be able to move on to the next round. So its going to be tough for all three of us to get in… better to at least have one of us.”

“We’ll all get in!” Uraraka declared, raising her fist in the air and Ahsoka just smiled at that, wishing she had her friend’s confidence. The Clone Wars had taught her that even if you wished really hard and gave it your very best sometimes you just didn’t win. It was a horrible thing but it was true and trying to pretend otherwise would help you in the slightest.

“There’s also the fact that if we are all grouped together then our points will be merged,” Ahsoka stated, thinking of the headbands. They’d been told they would only receive them when they finalized their teams, which meant that they had to consider that as well. ‘Izuku was in the Top Ten and I got first. And Uraraka was in the top 30. That means we are going to have a pretty hefty point total… something that is going to be tantalizing for the other students.’

“Well, I need to go see about finalizing my team,” Izuku said. “I have some ideas… I need to run them by Inasa. Bye girls!” he gave them wve and hurried off through the crowd of students who were mingling about, trying to figure out what teams they wanted to be on.

“What about you?” Uraraka asked as she turned to go. “Any ideas?”

“A few,” she admitted. “Not telling though.”

Uraraka shot her an annoyed look before shrugging and waving, hurrying off to find her own team.

‘I have to be smart about this,’ Ahsoka thought to herself, watching as the students animatedly chatted with each other; some where trying to convince others that they were the best pick while just as many did the opposite, pitching them and their teams to the ‘strongest’. Bakugo was screaming at a bunch of business class students that he wasn’t going to select losers like them while Inasa was desperately telling everyone he was already on a team with Izuku and they’d need to talk to him if they wanted on the team; Ahsoka narrowed her eyes when many students pressed on, clearly thinking a ‘quirkless nobody’ couldn’t possibly be the team captain.

Idiots. She couldn’t wait to see Izuku take them all out.

Ahsoka shook her head and began to scan the crowd. ‘This isn’t about raw power. This entire event stinks of Master Kenobi’s handiwork. He wants us to focus on the other aspects of our quirks. Infiltration. Plotting out attacks. Being able to hide and being able to perform sneak attacks. That means I need a whole other skillset… bingo.’

She ran up to her first team mate.

“Shinso!”

“…yeah?’ the purple haired teen said with a lazy glance.

“You have anyone yet?” she asked hopefully.

“No…” he paused. “Wait… are you asking me-“

“You’re perfect!” she exclaimed before looking about, hoping no one else had noticed. “You’re perfect,” she said in a softer voice. “We’re going to be in enclosed quarters; massive attacks aren’t going to work. We need to be smart about this. Cunning.”

“…then pick Midoriya,” Shinso stated.

“We’re splitting up.”

“So I’m just his understudy?” Before she could protest he shrugged. “Whatever. Works for me.” She gave him a side eye and he let out a sigh. “I get it. Really. Midoriya is quirkless and I have a villain quirk. Both of us want to prove what we are capable, make a good impression. Though I might be better because people are going to go after him hard while they know unless they can sneak up on me I’ll be able to use my quirk.”

“And you are a great close range fighter,” Ahsoka stated. “One people don’t expect to be able to-“

“Yeah yeah,” Shinso said with a shrug. “No need to give me foot rubs, I’m in.” He looked about. “Who else are we taking?”

“All depends if I can get the next person I want…” Ahsoka scanned the crowd before finally spotting her target. “Come on!” she waved for Shinso to follow as she weaved through the other students, ignoring a few who called for her to stop; she didn’t want to be rude but they wouldn’t work for her strategy. “Momo!”

“Ahsoka!” the tall teen said with a smile, seeing her approach. “I imagine you’ve fielded a lot of offers?”

“Only a few,” Ahsoka stated. “Most people seem to be focused on Todoroki and Bakugo; they were in the lead for most of the race and they have the most obvious powerful quirks.” She paused. “Which is good enough for me because I have a team in mind and it doesn’t involve either of them.”

That caused Momo to raise an eyebrow. “I’m assuming you want me to join up with you?”

“If you would.”

“…lay out your strategy then,” Momo stated.

Ahsoka considered that for just a moment. ‘If she already has a team then she could be seeking to figure out my strategy so she can counter it and take my headband. But what she doesn’t know is my main strategy all hinges on her. If I can’t have her on my side then I’ll go to Plan B… so no harm in letting her know…’ Out loud Ahsoka stated, “Everyone is going to be running around trying to claim headbands. Mine is worth 10 million points. That is 1/4th of the total point spread. For me this isn’t about hunting… it s a siege.” She could see that Momo was already figuring out just what she was getting at. “Shinso will be able to help us deal with some of the trickier students but our main focus will be defense. Find a place to hide, build up traps, and hold out till time runs out.”

“That’s a good plan, I just-“

Ahsoka cut her off. “If this is about showing off and making a good impression the third event will be your best bet for that. Izuku said that it’s always a tournament-“

“No no,” Momo said, now being the one to interrupt. “Its only… I know how to make many things but I’m not sure I can create things complex enough to help you.”

“You won’t need to,” Ahsoka said. “Because if you’re in our last recruit is going to handle all that.”

“Well then,” Momo said, “I guess I should say… I am not.”

She paused.

“Kidding!” She beamed. “I’ve always wanted to play a joke like that. Was it good?”

Ahsoka, who had seen right through her ‘joke’, merely smiled. “Yeah, you got me real good with that one.”

“Wonderful!” Momo cheered, which for her was rather reserved and dignified. “Now we’ll need to find our final member.”

“Well then, you lovelies are in luck,” a familiar, and grating, voice declared and Ahsoka and Momo looked around before remembering they were looking far too high. Both looked down to find Mineta leering at them, tongue darting out to wet his lips. “You just found your final partner.”

“…no,” Ahsoka said, using the force to lift Mineta up, the lecherous little pest kicking his arms and legs rapidly. “Just no.” She gave him a Force Shove and the boy went floating away; honestly she was tempted to ask Momo to make a bat so she could try using him as a Piñata but decided that might be a bridge too far.

“Good,” Shinso said, walking up to them, “if you had selected the grapist I would have turned on you.” He jerked his thumb behind him. “Got our final partner.”

Ahsoka sighed at that. “I hope you didn’t already make a promise because I wanted-“ She stopped as she turned and saw just who Shinso was suggesting. “Oh… huh.”

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out once I realized you were going after Yaoyorozu.”

“Please, call me Momo.”

Shinso sighed at that. “…Hitoshi. Anyway-“

“And you can call me Mei!” the Support Student declared, getting right in Momo’s face. “Oh, you and I are going to make SO many babies for Ahsoka!”

“She means inventions,” Shinso said dryly.

“And maybe later we can sneak away and make out.”

That caused the purple haired teen to frown. “That I… I don’t know what that actually means.”

“It means what I said,” Mei declared. “You got soft lips and I don’t believe in foreplay.”

Momo began to blush bright red at that.

“Right,” Ahsoka said, “lets go get registered with Midnight so we can begin talking strategy.” She looked at the rest of the crowd. “Because with who we are facing we are going to need to be ready.”

Mei beamed. “And remember, safe words are for cowards!”

Chapter Text

“So what’s the plan?” Ashido asked, bouncing on her toes rapidly.

“First for you to knock that the fuck off,” Katsuki snarled, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and forcing her to stand still. “We only have another two minutes before we have to get set up!”

“Right,” Tsu stated with a nod. “So what is the plan?”

Katsuki glanced at her before pressing his lips together. At least she understood it was time to get serious. “We want to do more than just make it to the next round.”

“Right!” Kirishima declared, fist balled up and held up in front of his face as he flashed a sharp grin. “We want to win!”

“No,” Katsuki stated.

“…no?” Kirishima said, deflating slightly.

“We want to fucking DOMINATE!” Katsuki answered with his own iron grin.

“THAT’S why I wanted to be on this team!” Ashido cheered. “Yeah, friends are nice and all but we are going to be heroes and I want to be one of the best!”

It was only because she had, wisely, said she wanted to be ‘one of’ the best and not ‘the best’ that kept Katsuki from tearing into her. There was no problem with people wanted to be great heroes… so long as they realized that they wouldn’t be THE best. After all, how could one be Number 1 if there was no Number 2?

Kirishima grinned. “Alright, so what are ya thinking?”

“Bull rush,” Katsuki stated. “I take the lead because I’ll be able to blow out anyone that gets in front of us. Frog Girl, Raccoon Eyes, you are going to be on the sides. Anything that slips past you deal with, and you watch out as we move through any crossways. Shitty Hair, you are the fucking rear and you are NOT going to let anyone sneak up on us!”

“Hey, you know you can count on me!” Kirishima declared.

“Anyone know of any of the quirks from the other classes?” Tsu asked.

“Why the fuck would I care about those extras?” Katsuki demanded.

“Because if we know what they can do then we can beat them even easier,” she reasoned. “Know thy enemy.”

Ashido frowned. “Then shouldn’t we focus on our classmates?”

Katsuki though knew INSTANTLY why Tsu had suggested what she had. “We know what they can do… but they know what we can do. That means it will be a longer fighter… letting some of those shitty nothings that couldn’t get into our class slip into the next round.”

“Oh!” Ashido stated, bobbing her head rapidly. “Right… well, I know a few people…”

Before she could say too much more Midnight called for them to make their way to their starting points. They would all be starting at a door on the lowest level but would have ten minutes to get set up so they could prepare. For Katsuki that meant getting to the top floor as quickly as possible so that they could charge down, driving everyone into dead ends and choke points to claim their points.

He smirked as he led his team to their starting area. Oh, he was going to show EVERYONE why he was the best in the entire damn school!

~MC~MC~MC~

Aoyama grinned as the timer counted down to zero and they were able to begin.

“Remember the plans, chers amis!” he called out as they moved through the hallway. The building reminded him of an industrial office; when he had been learning to master his quirk he had spent his time…

Well, it reminded him of those times.

The walls were covered in tacky motivational posters, telling people to ‘work smarter, not harder’ and ‘respect is given AND earned!’ and trite like that. There were water coolers and plants (but they were clearly fake and it made him shudder at how tasteless that was) and the like to make it a bit more homey. But... the floor was made of hard cement and the walls were unpainted drywall. The doors featureless gray things. He didn’t know if it was because their teachers wanted the students to get lost as they tried to make their way through the building-maze… or if they were just too lazy to set anything else up. He leaned towards the first because why bother with the posters? Especially ones that were so hideux?

He shook his head. He needed to focus for once on the mission and not the charme.

His team had spent their ten minutes running about scouting the floors, figuring out where everyone was located. The plan was as simple as it was genie. Tano had the most points overall thanks to her first place finish. It didn’t matter who she partnered with that was a given. So the wisest move was to hammer on her as quick as he could before retreating. Everyone else would be coming to her as well but if they were first they could escape before anyone realized she had lost her headbands.

It was a shame to eliminate her but in order to be the best one sometimes had to be a bit sauvage.

“You are sure they are this way?” Kamakiri asked.

“Positive,” Shoji stated, forming a mouth on one of his arms. “I saw them setting up here.”

“Hmm… a decent place I suppose,” Aoyama said, trying to remember the layout of the building and just where they were at the moment. “Still, it will become the enclume while we are the marteau!”

“…what?” Awase from Class 1-B asked; he had been a last minute addition when Aoyama had been unable to find a final member for their group.

Aoyama rolled his eyes. “Anvil and Hammer,” he repeated. “Now then, we are nearly there!”

They passed by another row of potted plants and were just about to turn a corner when they heard the ‘click click click’ sound coming from just behind them. They turned, confused, only to stare in utter shock as the plants SHIFTED, leaves reaching out to wrap around each other before yanking themselves together. It took only about 20 seconds, the entire time Aoyama and his team standing there dumbfounded, for the plants to form into a 6 foot tall… thing.

That was the only way to describe it. A thing made of plants and pots. Bipedal in nature but still plastic plants and pots.

The bottom of one that made up the thing’s right arm dropped… and revealed a cannon.

Guns. It was also made of guns.

“Quoi dans le monde?” Aoyama managed to get out just before the plant began to fire on them, forcing them to dive until an office for cover.

~MC~MC~MC~

Izuku stopped at the corner, holding out his arm to keep Inasa and Ida from continuing on. Thankfully the two had quickly decided that with his training it was best for him to take the lead. They hadn’t asked what he was doing when he had led them to a bathroom and smashed a mirror, selecting a piece and wrapping it in a torn off part of his sleeve.

Now though the two watched as he carefully held the mirror out, looking down so that he could see what lay around the corner via the reflection.

He held up his fist and rotated it once, twice, three, then four times, never unclenching their fingers.

The agreed upon signal: Stop. Four Enemies.

Both of the taller teens stayed absolutely still, understanding that they weren’t the best in this situation.

So instead Inasa merely held out several of the items that Izuku had made in the bathroom, allowing the boy to look them over and decide what would be best. They had a plan for each one of them, with Izuku even coming up with plans that could be communicated silently purely by HOW he took an item.

He selected a bag with his left hand.

At once Ida took the other items from Inasa and moved to watch their rear flank while Inasa in turn prepared himself, body loose and ready even as his mind felt like a taunt violin string.

Izuku carefully held the bag in his hand, knowing that if he squeezed it he would end up cutting open his palm thanks to the bits of glass that were wrapped up inside the cloth. He gauged its weight for a moment before quickly darting out from behind the corner, so low that he would be easy to miss, and throwing the bag side arm before returning to the safety of the wall.

All three could see what was happening in their mind’s eyes. The bag soared in the air above the other team’s heads, making barely a sound. That is until it landed, the mirror shards cracking and breaking as they slammed into the cement floor.

The team around the corner cursed and twisted about, looking for the source of the sound.

At once Inasa leapt out from behind the corner and fired off gusts of wind, sending the other team flailing. Ida finally revved his engines and rushed in, delivering a few quick chops to their necks. They had all learned about pressure points from Kenobi and Ida found that such knowledge was VERY useful for him as it fit well with his quick fighting style.

Once they were down Izuku was on the move, not just grabbing headbands but also checking them over to see if there was anything useful. This group had managed to get one headband that was worth 1000 points so that was a nice plus but Izuku barely even looked at it as he inspected each carefully.

“We did very good!” Inasa declared and though he tried to keep his voice low it still came out rather loud in the empty halls.

Ida nodded. “Yes… this was a good start. If we keep this up we will be able to secure our spots easily.”

Izuku though had moved to removing one of the downed student’s shoes.

“I doubt they hid anything in their shoes,” Ida said, adjusting his glasses. “Though… that might not be a bad idea?” He looked over the headband he’d been given. “Nothing says we have to wear these on our heads…”

Izuku nodded absently at that, yanking off the person’s socks. “Yeah, we should tuck the headbands someplace where they aren’t easy to grab.”

“What… what are you doing?” Inasa asked as Izuku moved onto the next student and removed their shoes and socks too.

“You ever try and run barefoot?” he asked. “You have to build up to it because even with calluses feet tend to be soft nowadays unless you have a quirk that toughens them up.” He gestured at the downed students. “They aren’t going to be happy when they wake up and I don’t want them coming after us. And we don’t have time to tie them up and stash them someplace-“ He removed the third student’s footwear and already moved to the last, “-so we take these and we hide them. That way if they do come after us they are going to have sore feet. And with others fighting there is going to be debris so that will keep them even more cautious.”

“…that is scary,” Inasa whispered and he wasn’t referring to the lack of footwear.

It was even scarier when Izuku refused to tell them why he wanted to keep the shoelaces.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Aw man!” Mineta complained as he and his… team… made another push at Uraraka. Mineta had been forced to bribe his way onto a team and it wasn’t the selection of lovely ladies he had wanted, but they were working well as his wingmen, helping him get close to the lovely gravity girl before him. “I was hoping you’d have some other babes with you! That way I could comfort you all when I knocked you out of the Sports Festival!” He lobbed from of his sticky balls at her, Uraraka diving out of the way before they hit her.

Of course that’s what Mineta was hoping for; they were driving her away from Tokoyami, who had been forced to try and help Jiro when she had been caught by another team made up of some other Gen Ed students.

“I mean, that earjack girl is okay but I can tell she’s a total butch,” he declared.

“Dude,” his partner, he didn’t know his name, complained, “my moms are gay-“

“That is so fucking hot,” Mineta stated, “and we can talk about it later!” He grinned as he took a step towards Uraraka. “But right now we need to talk about a trade. I’m supposed to be after your headband… but maybe if you are nice-“ And even the most sexually stunted being in the universe could understand what THAT was a reference to…

~MC~MC~MC~

In the Jedi Temple Master Yoda suddenly looked up, frowning before shivering in disgust.

~MC~MC~MC~

“-we can work out a deal where you keep it.”

“Seriously?” another one his partners stated. “Listen, you little freak, we want to win, not help you jizz your pants.”

Uraraka merely stared Mineta down. “I would rather remove my breasts with a barely warm curling iron than let you get near me.”

That caused the purple grape to lean back before narrowing his eyes. “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to beat you in a fight-“

And that’s when he was turned into a popsicle.

“I am new to this… friends… thing,” Todoroki said, stepping out of one of the offices, “but am I right that a friend doesn’t let their friend be treated like that?”

“Very right,” Uraraka declared.

“Holy shit!” one of Mineta’s partners screamed in shock. “You got fucking Todoroki on your team!?!”

“Oh yeah,” Uraraka said, stepping forward and rolling her neck like Ahsoka did right before she began to use her fists.

“How did you get him?!?”

“I can be persuasive.”

~Earlier~

“Hey Todoroki,” Uraraka said with a smile, bouncing up to him, “want to be on my team?”

“…okay,” the two-toned teen stated.

“Cool.”

Everyone else that had come to him had begged him to join. Pleaded. Challenged him. Demanded. A few had tried to bribe him even. But only Ochaco had just come to him and asked.

Asked… like he was just anyone else. Nothing special. Nothing different. Just anyone else. He had seen it many times in the last few minutes and hadn’t realized how much he LONGED to be seen as just like everyone else til it had happened.

“Does this make us friends?” He asked, an eyebrow raised.

“If you want to be,” Uraraka chirped. “I’d be happy to be friends with you!”

He didn’t smile. Smiling was for the weak, as his father would say.

But he did feel something… flitter… in his heart. An odd sensation.

He hoped he didn’t have food poisoning.

~MC~MC~MC~

“So we’re sure that people haven’t been reincarnated from our world here, right?” Anakin whispered to Padme, Eri still on his lap though she was done eating and now was focused on looking over his prosthetic hand. He’d removed his glove, not feeling subconscious about it anymore. With so many different quirks running around having metal figures didn’t alert people that you had made a mistake. Eri liked to lift up his fingers and then set them down, watching the joints. Obi Wan had bemoaned that she was going to end up like him and have projects all over their apartment and Anakin had decided to look into some model kits the two of them could put together.

“I don’t think we ever discussed that,” Padme commented as she finished off another of her burgers. If before she had developed a big appetite thanks to her training taking on One For All had left her ravenous.

“We’re discussing it now,” Anakin stated. “Do you think this world is a place where people from our… home… can be reincarnated?”

“Well, the Naboo don’t believe in reincarnation. Do the Jedi?”

“There has been some debate,” Anakin stated. He had been forced by Obi Wan to attend some Jedi Debates before, which he honestly didn’t mind despite the dry material as it was the only time he saw Jedi truly becoming passionate about things. Seeing them nearly screaming at each other or becoming smug assholes with barely veiled threats and barbs… those were the times when Anakin didn’t feel so utterly different from the Jedi. He hadn’t really looked into the subject though until the death of his mother. “It is said that all beings come from the Force and we return to the Force when we die. Some believe that we merely join with it and all sense of self is gone. That the Force has grown stronger because more and more are added to it. But others believe that it is possible to come back, that the Force will allow people to be reborn. For those that suffered to be rewarded with another chance. For those that want to learn more to experience something new.”

“Hmmm,” Padme said. “I don’t know if I’d want to try living again if I couldn’t remember what came before.” She paused. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I think the Grape is Clovis.”

Padme narrowed her eyes at him. “That was a LOT of build up just to insult someone I used to date.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” Anakin said with a smile only for Padme to grab his good hand and begin to squeeze. “Sorry, sorry!” He whimpered.

Eri continued to just fiddle with his hand.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Here they come,” Shinso stated, looking down at the small tablet. On it he had several different screens he was flipping through, each one showing different parts of the super structure the Second Event was taking place in. Tapping one he got the screen to increase in size, allowing him to see Bakugo and his team coming right towards where they were held up. “Wish we could have made a few more of your plant droids,” he told Hatsume.

“My babies did their work!” she declared. “And so will my other ones.”

“You good, Momo?” Ahsoka asked, checking over the wall that they had made from doors and other bits of material they had gathered from the structure. So far no teams had managed to get to the barrier itself but she knew it was only a matter of time… and that if anyone was going to make it that far it would be Bakugo.

“Rather well!” Momo said with a smile, helping Hatsume assemble a few more gadgets. The two were working splendidly together, with Momo creating whatever Hatsume came up with while Hatsume taught the hero student just how to put things together to create some truly complex and crazy devices. It was saving her a ton of energy as it was easier to produce raw goods than fully operational devices. The cameras that looked like motivational posters and the potted plant droids just being two of her creations.

There was an explosion about 20 feet beyond the barrier.

“Here they come!” Ahsoka shouted. “Arm up and let’s do this!”

Shinso shot a look at her as he manned his station. “I’ll admit, I thought you were going to have me focus on using my qurik. But this?”

He settled in an office chair and grabbed the handles of the gun that Hatsume and Momo had set up.

“This does put a smile on my face.”

“Extra points if you get one in his mouth!” Ahsoka said as she took up her own position.

For Bakugo and his group they had been moving through the hall finding it littered with a few groaning bodies and a lot of damage. Shattered walls that led into offices that had been torn apart, rooms that were coated in-

“Is… is that blood?” Ashido asked nervously, glancing into one room where there was a LOT of dark red stains on the walls and furniture.

Bakugo though scoffed at that. “If it is then it just means that extras that don’t belong at UA learned their place.”

“Well,” Shinso commented as he head that, Momo taking over the tablet, “he remains a ball of sunshine.

“Then lets light things up!” Hatsume said with a manic grin as she grabbed a controller and flipped some switches.

In the room the desk began to shake and tremble, causing Kirishima and Tsu to slowly back away. “That doesn’t sound good, ribbit.”

“No… no it does not…” Kirishima stated as the desk split open, revealing a series of cannons. “MOVE!” he roared as he hardened his body, the rest of his team getting behind him as the weapons began to unload on him. But rather than lasers or bullets it was instead random office supplies that began to crash into him. “What is this?”

“Blunderbust!” Bakugo roared.

“What?” Ashido cried out, covering her ears.

Bakugo rolled his eyes before dropping to the ground, thrusting out his hands. “Wide stance unless you want to be a eunich, Shitty Hair!”

Kirishima let out a yelp and stretched his legs out wider, giving Bakugo enough space to fire off two explosions that destroyed the desk cannon, reducing it to burning timbers.

“Come on, idiots,” he snarled as he got up. “Not sure who decided to set this up but I feel like making someone pay for it all the same.” He snapped his hands out, palms popping with mini explosions. “We just have to keep going as hard as we can and we’ll be able to break these fools!”

He stepped back out into the hallway and after a few moments the rest of his team followed him.

“I think this is the farthest anyone has gotten,” Ashido commented, looking at the new hallway they were heading down. The damage was gone and once more the halls looked very plain and, for lack of a better word, normal.

“Of course!” Bakugo snapped, flashing a dark grin. “As if we’d be stopped like the rest of those losers.”

“Oh, that sounds like a challenge,” Ahsoka said, leaning forward slightly.

“T-Minus 30 seconds,” Momo replied.

“We’re locked and loaded,” Hatsume declared, patting two cylinders that were next to Ahsoka and Shinso.

Bakugo continued to lead his team forward, turning the final corner.

“Hold…” Ahsoka warned the others.

“That… doesn’t look normal, ribbit,” Tsu said, tilting her head as she stared at the barrier that blocked off the hall about 20 feet beyond them.

Bakugo scoffed. “Pathetic, hiding like-“

Two small sections flipped open, revealing barrels that began to fire off rapidly before he could even get off another word.

Bakugo’s body shook for several moments as he was hit multiple times before Kirishima yanked him back around the corner.

“Bakugo!” Ashido wailed dramatically, clutching at his shirt. “I swear I will tell your story!”

“Knock it off you fucking wimp!” he snarled, pushing her back. “Its just paint balls.”

Tsu though frowned. “I don’t know…” she leaned in and sniffed him. “Doesn’t smell like paint.”

“Oh?” Kirishima asked before leaning down and sniffing at Bakugo’s shirt, which was covered, along with his arms and face, with red goo. “Huh, it really doesn’t.”

Ashido leaned down to get a good whiff. “Yeah.”

“Would you two stop sniffing me?!” Bakugo roared, shoving Kirishima and Ashido away. “What the fuck is this stuff then?”

Tsu touched a bit of it. “It remains me of something… I can’t put my finger on it...”

“I think you just-“

Bakugo glared at her. “Do NOT make that fucking joke!” he stood up. “Alright, then I just need to destroy those guns… easy enough.” He flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders. “Time to huff and puff and blow their house down!” He leapt out from behind the corner and held out his palms. “DIE!”

Nothing happened.

He had just enough time to stare dumbly at his hands before he was fired upon again, Tsu this time using her tongue drag him back to safety.

“Ah,” she said, with a grimace, running her tongue along her top teeth. “Antiperspirant. That’s what it is.”

“What?” Ashido asked.

“Deodorant!” Kirishima exclaimed.

“More than that… one that stops sweating.”

Bakugo’s brow twitched. “Those fuckers set up guns to steal my quirk!?!”

“Maybe we just thought you were smelly!” Ahsoka called out.

“SHIT HORNS!” Bakugo roared, leaping around the corner only to gag suddenly.

“Point,” Shinso declared.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Well, they seem to be doing well,” Padme stated as she watched the feed from the booth, Present Mic hyping up all the action as he gave rapid fire updates for those watching in the stadium just what was going on. Anakin was currently munching on some popcorn, delighting in what Hatsume had put together and already wondering if they could adopt her while Rex was being rather smug about Izuku’s strategy though Padme got the sense there was more to it than he was letting on.

“Yes, they are!” Nedzu declared as he popped out of Anakin’s popcorn bucket, sending kernels all over.

“STOP DOING THAT!” Anakin roared.

“No,” Nedzu said simply before leaping out of the bucket and walking over to Obi Wan. “Oh, I do believe it is time for Phase 2.”

“Phase 2?” Hizashi asked.

The Principal grinned a bit too sharply. “Oh yes. Kenobi?”

“Of course,” Obi Wan said, flipping a switch.

There was an ominous hum… and then a sound all the travelers were VERY familiar with.

CLANK CLANK CLANK

Anakin’s eyes went wide and he leapt to his feet, hands going for his lightsaber as Super Destroyer Droids began to march into the stadium. It was only Obi Wan grabbing his wrist that made him stop.

“Hello there,” Nedzu said, turning on Obi Wan’s mic, “Principal Nedzu here. It is time for Phase 2 of our second event. May I present… the Hunters.”

Chapter Text

“Uh… should we be worried about that?” Hitoshi asked. Principal Nedzu’s announcement had just played for all of them, which had caused Bakugo and his team’s assault on their makeshift stronghold to halt. Which Ahsoka and her team were glad for as while it was hilarious watching the exploding teen constantly be sent flying back as he got nailed by their paintballs they did need a chance to reload. Both their guns and Momo, who needed to quickly down some more of her emergency food bars in order to be able to generate more equipment for Mei.

“Depends on what the Hunters actually are,” Momo reasoned between bites. “I mean obviously they are going to be an obstacle but at least they aren’t the villain bots… far too big to get in here.”

Ahsoka though wasn’t as for sure as her newly minted friends. The Force was warning her that there was trouble coming. Not danger… other than the standard kind one got from a competition but not the death dealing warnings that she’d dealt with since becoming Anakin’s padawan.

‘Yet it feels… familiar…’ she thought to herself, trying to work through just what the Force was trying to tell her. While both her Master and Obi Wan were known to get Force visions (though Anakin handled them far different from his own Master from what Ahsoka could tell) her Force abilities had never been those of the mind. Or the minds of others. She could do the standard Force Suggestion and the like but it would never be her strong suit.

‘You are a Togruta,” Obi Wan had recently reminded her when she’d shown frustration in being unable to use the Force to detect injuries; it had been one of her weekend lessons and she had been failing miserably. “It is only natural this would be difficult for you. Who we are affects our ability to use the Force. The culmination of all our existence and our genetic selves lead us to the correct path. Being Stewjoni gives me a more natural inclination towards the Cosmic Force… much to the annoyance of my master.” He’d smiled at that and Ahsoka had too; Stewjoni were known for being very focused on ‘the bigger picture’ and plotting and planning… making them utterly insufferable at times. “You are a Togruta… a hunter. A predator. So naturally your Force abilities are more combat focused. Don’t despair at that… use it.”

Ahsoka took a calming breath and allowed the world to flow around her. Just as she had learned eventually Force Injury Detection by considering it a battlefield medic skill so too did she now tune into the world and see how the Hunters were affecting the battle. She sensed Uraraka and her team fighting with some students from 1-B. Izuku leading his partners through the halls. The-

Her eyes flew open.

“Battle Droids,” she whispered.

“Battle what now?” Mei asked, confused.

But Ahsoka was already moving towards one of the small holes in their barrier. “Bakugo! Listen to me-“

“You going to fucking surrender now, Shit Horns!?” Bukugo demanded, causing Ahsoka to roll her eyes.

“Listen, we need to work together here,” she told him. “Truce and all that.”

“Ah, I see,” Bakugo said with a dismissive sniff, peeking his head around the corner. “You realize we’re about to shatter your defenses and you are desperate to save face! Well, maybe if you toss out your headbands I’ll consider it.”

“No you idiot!” Ahsoka snapped. “Listen, there are-“

“Idiot?” Bakugo snarled. “I’m the idiot? Because I didn’t fall for your brilliant scheme?” His tone was mocking as he said the last two words.”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” Ahsoka complained. “The Hunters are-“

“Aw, is that what is scaring you? If you can’t handle whatever teddy bears the rodent is sending our way-“

“They are Super Battle Droids!” Ahsoka snapped. “Machines built for war and destruction. Top of the line!”

“…that it?” Bakugo said dismissively. “We took those things on during our entrance exam and they were nothing then. And while you probably regressed in skill I’ve only gotten stronger.”

Mei raised an eyebrow. “You have to be impressed with his confidence.”

“Or his delusions,” Hitoshi stated.

“Ahsoka,” Momo said, drawing her attention away even as Bakugo called out how his team was going to take her and her allies out, “what exactly are Super Battle Droids?”

Before she could answer though they heard it.

CLANK CLANK CLANK

“Bakugo,” Tsu called out, “something is coming!”

“Must be those stupid Hunters the rat was going on about. Come on, let’s take’em out!” Ahsoka listened as she heard the sounds of her classmates moving into position…

“Target acquired,” a familiar robotic voice declared that had her at once going for her lightsaber only to remember it wasn’t with her.

There were a few explosions… and then Ashido came racing around the corner, eyes wide in panic as the tall, dark blue form of the Super Battle Droid marched towards her, raising its arm and firing off stun blasts that she just barely managed to dodge.

“That,” Ahsoka stated. “That is a Super Battle Droid.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“MOVE!” Izuku shouted as he led the charge through one of the larger areas of the building. He spotted Uraraka and her team trying to deal with the Hunters that had them pinned down, several headbands already wrapped around the robot’s arm as it fired on the students. Dark Shadow was hovering over Tokoyami who’d gotten clipped by a stunner, which hadn’t knocked him out but had left him dazed and disoriented, while Jiro was trying to sneak up on the robots; the lack of any headbands on her made it clear just who had gotten attacked first by the Super Battle Droids. Todoroki had formed an ice barrier for himself and Uraraka to hide behind, the former firing off at the droids that only pushed them back but didn’t actually hurt them while Uraraka had been forced to just throwing whatever debris she could at the attackers.

“Izuku!” she called out.

“Inasa, you go left. Ida, to the right. Get to the corners of the room, bunker down, and stay there!” Izuku charged forward, spinning some piping he’d picked up and slamming it down on one Super Battle Droid’s arm so that the limb trembled and shook, sending its blast off wide. He spun around the Hunter, dodging a swipe it made at him, before driving the pope into the joint of its arm, causing sparks to shoot out. But Izuku continued to press on and eventually the arm popped completely off, allowing Izuku to grab it before he rolled towards the barrier.

“Todoroki, the floor!” he shouted and after a moment the quiet student nodded and fired a blast of ice at the floor, creating a sheet that caused the Hunters to begin slipping and sliding. “Inasa! Whirlwind! As many different directions as you can!”

By that point Ida had come over and was helping Jiro look over Tokoyami, making sure he was okay. “He’s coming out of it,” he assured Dark Shadow who nodded in relief.

“It is time for my Super Move! My very first one!” Inasa said with a laugh. “Tornado Alley!” He thrust out his hands and several different gusts of wind, coming from different directions, began to push the Hunters about the floor, causing them to spin and careen about. Izuku, during that time, had figured out how to trigger the blaster in the arm he still had and fired on the Hunters. While the Stun Blasts didn’t do much to hurt them it did add to the confusion, causing the Hunters to begin striking each other.

After a minute or so all of the Hunters were down.

“Lousy clankers,” Izuku muttered to himself before going to see if he could salvage any parts from. “Jiro!” he called out, yanking some headbands off and tossing them to her.

“Thanks,” she said, looking at the bands before holding half of them out. “Here… you deserve some.”

“Keep’em,” Izuku stated. “We’re more than good.”

That made Tokoyami frown, blinking his eyes as he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “We have more than you…”

“We’ll be fine,” Izuku assured them. “Ida, how much more time do you think we have?”

“About 6 more minutes,” the tall teen stated after a moment.

“Alright, then probably best we all stick together. People are going to be getting desperate and I bet the Hunters will be more active in terms of attacking us.” Izuku stood up and tossed Uraraka one of the droid arms, the young woman catching it and looking it over. Unlike during the exam she didn’t argue at all with him, accepting the weapon with a nod. The Second Event was showing her she desperately needed a long range weapon. “Ida,” Izuku said, tossing him a weapon as well. “With Inasa and Todoroki using their quirks it will be too dangerous for you to use yours.”

Ida considered the weapon for a moment before nodding.

“So we’re following him?” Todoroki asked.

Uraraka nodded. “Izuku is one of the best strategists I’ve ever met and he’s been trained by the pro hero Dualshot. We follow him.”

That was all Todoroki needed to hear.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Let me in let me in let me in!” Ashido pleaded and after a moment Ahsoka nodded, the girl diving into the bunker. “Tsu! Come on!”

But Tsu merely shook her head before using her tongue to snag the headbands that she, Bakugo, and Kirashima had, tossing them to the acid producing girl.

“Hey!” Bakugo roared. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Now we don’t need to worry about them,” she pointed out. “We can fight those robots without needing to focus on protecting our points.”

Bakugo considered that before smiling a rather sharp grin. “Oh… yeah,” he said in a delighted growl before turning back towards the robots. “DIE!” he roared as he began to fire off explosions, Kirashima hardening himself as he began to throw punches while Tsu leapt onto the ceiling, working to draw fire away.

“Thanks,” Ashido said, hand pressed against her chest as her heart thundered. “I am going to have a phobia about robots, I just know it!”

“It will be fine,” Ahsoka said before handing her headbands to Hitoshi.

“Going out to help the idiot?” the purple haired teen said dryly.

There was a boom and Ahsoka looked up at the roof.

“Just making sure he doesn’t bring everything crashing down on us.”

Mei tossed her a sword that she and Momo had crafted. It wasn’t at all like her lightsaber, feeling more like a using a baton, but Mei had gotten some plasma to run through its edge so that it was super hot and thus would cut in a similar way to her light sabers. “Show’em how well my babies work!”

“Will do,” Ahsoka said with a cheeky grin before leaping out of the bunker, slicing at one of the Super Battle Droids that had gotten a touch too close for her comfort. Another fired at her and she cursed herself as she was forced to duck, having forgotten until the last possible moment that weapon couldn’t reflect bolts like a lightsaber could. While she was glad for the weapon it was screwing up all her reflexes and muscle memory, forcing her to think a bit too much about what to do at all times. That slowed her down and she utterly hated it.

“Trying to steal the spotlight, Shit Horns?” Bakugo snarled as he fired over several more explosions, caving in a wall for his trouble.

“I’ve always had it,” she taunted. “Can’t steal what always belonged to me.”

“Fuck you!” Bakugo roared. “You’re just a stepping stone for me! I’m going to be the Number 1 hero in the world, not you, and there is nothing you can do to stop that! You are so far away from the spotlight it looks like a star to you!”

“You know,” Ahsoka said as she swung the sword and took off the leg of one of the Super Battle Droids, causing it to fall to the ground in a heap, “you keep calling us stepping stones.” She drove the blade down into the main body of the droid and then twisted to the left, slicing through the metal though she did have to put a bit more effort into it than she would have if it had been her lightsaber. Honestly Ahsoka was learning to never disrespect her weapon ever again.

“Because that’s what you are!”

“Stepping stones are something that lies in front of you.” She smirked. “Meaning that we are already ahead of you and you are having to play catch up.”

“…you think you are better than me you fucking bitch?” Bakugo roared as he sent out a series of quick explosions at another squad of Super Battle Droids that had been attracted by the sounds of battle. Limbs went flying, which Ahsoka caught with the force and sent flying back at the droids, cracking the metal against their armored torsos and hidden heads.

“Well, you are the one saying it…”

“You are not fucking better than me!” Bakugo shouted as he leapt suddenly forward, grabbing at one of the Super Battle Droids and, in an admittedly impressive display of his quirk, created a micro explosion that ripped its arm off, allowing him to send a bunch of nitroglycerin into the droid’s torso before kicking it away, causing it to stumble into several more droids that were caught in the explosion. “I will be the greatest hero ever!”

“…will,” Ahsoka taunted.

Bakugo let out a scream of rage but before he could do any more the Super Battle Droids all shut down and a deceptively happy chime sounded in the building.

“And that… is… time!” Present Mic declared. “All students please come out now and we will give you your scores!”

“And I wouldn’t bother being sneaky about collecting any fallen headbands,” Obi Wan stated and Ahsoka heard the distinct yelp of Mineta from General Studies.

“Now we’ll see which of us is the best,” Bakugo warned her, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stomped off.

“One day he’s going to forget to wear his explosion proof jeans and blow his dick cleeeeeeean off,” Hitoshi muttered as he emerged from the bunker, Ahsoka chuckling at that as she lead her group to the exit, Ashido joining them since Bakugo had stormed off so quickly that he’d forgotten to wait for her.

“So, how do you think we did?” Momo asked.

Hitoshi was the one who answered. “Does it matter? So long as we make it to the next round I’m good.”

Mei nodded. “The last round is always one on one fights in a tournament style! That’s where you truly get to make a splash!” She rubbed her hands together in glee. “Oh… me and my babies are going to do such amazing things…”

Ahsoka though tuned them all out. ‘Hitoshi’s right. All of this was just the buy in to get to the true meat of the Sports Festival. The final tournament is where I’ll get a chance to truly show off how skilled I am.’ She took a breath. ‘Adventure… excitement… a Jedi craves not these things.’ She could hear Master Yoda repeating those words to her and all the other younglings in the crèche when they had gotten a bit too rowdy playing their games. She understood that it was Jedi’s duty to serve the people and that the current hero system was far too focused on fame and glory.

Yet…

‘I want to win,’ she thought to herself. ‘I want to prove to everyone that I am the best. That I have the skill and talent needed to be a hero in this world… a good one. A great one.’

She knew that it could be seen that she was no better than Bakugo, wanting to be on top. But in her heart she knew she was different from the explosive brat. He wanted to just be all by himself on the top with everyone groveling at his feet. She had no problem bringing others along with her, so that they all could be at the top. Mei, Momo, and Hitoshi? She had done all this for them as much as herself. Same with Uraraka and Izuku. She wasn’t a loner… and she was nothing like Bakugo.

That’s what she kept telling herself the entire time she walked back out of the building.

By the time she was out she almost believed it.

~MC~MC~MC~

Uraraka was getting excited.

Midnight was announcing scores and it was becoming more and more clear that her team was the one that was going to make it to the next round. Too many students had already had their scores read and Uraraka and her team was still on the top of the pile.

‘Now I just need to get ready for the next round,’ she thought to herself, glancing over at her team mates.

“There is a taste of despair in the air,” Tokoyami stated.

“I taste cinnamon,” Todoroki said. “I think its from the treats people are buying.”

That made Uraraka laugh. “Good one.”

“What was? The treats?”

That made her giggle again. “I never realized how funny you were!”

“…no one’s ever said I was funny,” he murmured.

“Well, you are.”

“…I like how you cut your hair,” Todoroki stated.

“Thank you!” Uraraka said with a beaming smile, Todoroki’s own mouth twitching at that.

“Coming in with 3,750,000 points… the team of Tano, Shinso, Yaoyorozu, and Hatsume!”

“AWWWWW YEAH!” the girl from the Support Class cheered, pumping her fist in the air. “My babies beat you aaaaaaaaall up!”

“That puts them ahead of us,” Jiro stated.

“We’re still in a good position. There aren’t enough team that can beat us,” Uraraka reasoned out.

“And also coming in with 3,750,000 points… the team of Bakugo, Kirashima, Ashido, and Asui!”

“NO!” Bakugo screamed in outrage. “No fucking way do I tie for first place with Shit Horns!”

Midnight smiled at that. “Well blondie, you’ll be quite happy to know that you are right.”

Bakugo instantly puffed up at that. “I knew there was a fucking mistake! As if I could be tied with Shit Horns.”

“Oh, you are tied with her,” the heroine stated. “its just that it isn’t for first.”

“…WHAT?!?!” Bakugo screamed.

“In first place, with an impressive 5,800,000 total is the team of Midoriya-“

“DEKU!” Bakugo roared, explosions bursting from his hands that caused everyone around him to jump. “You fucking beat me?!? Me?!?! How the fuck did your-“

Midnight, by that point, had released her knock out gas and Bakugo crumpled, Kirishima catching him just before he slammed into the ground.

Uraraka was just as startled but for the opposite reason. While she knew that Izuku was cunning he had been at a massive disadvantage when it came to this event. Even with a powerful team he would have been targeted; she herself had been attacked more than once, along with Jiro, because people had seen Tokoyama and Todoroki and believed them the strongest members of her foursome and thus the two girls were the better ones to go after. She looked towards Izuku and wondered how he had done it.

“As I was saying: the team of Midoriya, Ida, Inasa, and Hagakure!”

Uraraka frowned, trying to figure out just who Hagakure was. The name didn’t sound familiar so-

“WE DID IT!” a girl squealed and Uraraka turned to see Izuku floating in the air. Her eyes went wide, wandering just what was going on, but then the voice declared, “That was such a brilliant plan! I can’t believe it worked!”

“We were only going to slow you down,” Izuku said as he was set down and he looked at… nothing. “But we worked wonders as a distraction! And there was nothing saying we had to hold onto our own headbands…”

Uraraka could only stare before she shook her head, Ahsoka walked up to her with a bemused little smile. “You ever get the sense that if Izuku had been found by someone other than Rex he could have destroyed us all?”

“Every day,” Ahsoka admitted.

“And there you have it folks!” Present Mic called out. “The final 16 students who will be competed to be champion of the UA 1st Year Sports Festival! And by that I mean they are in their first year, not that this is the first year we are doing this. Though I suppose since they are 1st years for them this is their first sports festival-“

“Who let him eat sugar with his lunch?” Aizawa complained.

“-and of course in Canada the whole thing would be flip-flopped.”

Thankfully Mr. Kenobi took over. “And now we can announce the brackets for the tournament! These has been generated randomly… good luck.”

“Well,” Ahsoka said dryly, “this is where the fun begins.”

Chapter Text

Even though it had only been a year and a half since she’d reforged her relationship with Anakin and Obi Wan it often felt like the three of them had been friends for decades. It was such an odd sensation, how they’d managed to fit so well together. Before arriving on Earth, with the chaos of the War, they’d still managed to find time to be together. Her and Ani… well, that was obvious. But also her and Obi Wan. She loved Anakin, she truly did, but she also understood why there had been the whispers that she and Obi Wan were romantically involved. Anakin would suffer through many of her favorite things, and suffer he did and make clear of said suffering, but in Obi Wan she found a companion who enjoyed such things. Trying out new restaurants, classical music, the works of Odam. While Obi Wan hadn’t been able to spend much time as he might like on Coruscant they had been able to share such things via messages and calls. They had made it work. And as for Anakin and Obi Wan… well, she remembered Anakin’s griping comments about how Obi Wan had made him feel stifled and coddled and how those had disappeared after his knighting and especially after Ahsoka had become his padawan.

On Earth however everything had burst out. It reminded her of Dewlip Blossoms after a night rain; the small little flowers suddenly letting their petals peel back until they were three times their original size, revealing riots of color for all those that glanced at them. Anakin and her were able to be an actual couple and with no War constantly dragging him away spend time together. Indeed it was more her training with Toshi that interfered more than Anakin’s work as a hero and an inventor that kept them apart. Anakin and Obi Wan also had forged a stronger bond with no more secrets between them… and Obi Wan relaxing a bit thanks to Nemuri (who Padme had found to be a good friend as well). And as for her and Obi Wan they were now able to sneak off to try out a new restaurant that he had heard of or spend hours debating a book that Nedzu had suggested for them.

‘He’s like the brother I never got,’ she thought to herself with a smile.

And him being her brother meant that… well… she sometimes delighted in his suffering.

“I LOOOOOVE your armor,” a twenty-something woman in a rather tight t-shirt gushed as she pressed closer to Obi Wan.

“Well… thank you-“

“And your accent just makes everything sound so distinguished,” another woman said to his right. “I’ve been to five Sports Festivals and never have I felt the words… penetrate me… like yours do.”

“Well… that is… wonderful,” Obi Wan said, words stilted.

“I just wish they’d show you on the big screens,” a third woman said. “It’s a crime we can’t actually see you when you are doing commentary.”

“What do you do at the school?” another asked.

Obi Wan forced himself to smile; Padme had seen him use that one when he had a pushy Senator ask if he could come to a meeting even when Obi Wan was covered in soot and grim and had been unable to wash up after a grueling campaign. “I teach the heroics class.”

“Oh, a teacher,” the woman said with a long breathy sigh.

“Can you give me an autograph?” the first woman asked, pushing herself back up to the head of the line.

“Well yes, of course-“ He blinked when the woman pulled down her shirt to expose her cleavage. “I… uh…” He glanced towards her, eyes pleading for help.

Padme though merely waved at him and went to get in line for some snacks, leaving Obi Wan to deal with his fan club.

“I hope you’re recording all this Nedzu,” she said softly, not at all startled when one of the TV screens in the hallway suddenly flickered and the words “I’LL SEND YOU A COPY” briefly appeared.

Walking off she began to look around trying to figure out what she wanted to snack on. She had thought her hunger pangs were bad just training but with One For All thrumming in her veins it was like a gorge had suddenly opened up in the bottom of her stomach and there was nothing she could do to fill it. Well, other than eat.

‘Honestly, how did Toshi survive just drinking those food pouches?’ she thought as she stood before a booth selling traditional Japanese bento boxes and another selling “American Cheeseburger” that looked to be the size of R2. ‘I wonder just how much of his time limit he would have kept if he had just eaten properly.’ According to Chiyo the ‘embers’ of One For All were still rather strong in Toshi and while eventually he would be rendered quirkless it was possible that he’d be able to enter his All Might form, and maintain it for roughly the same timeframe as he had before, for another year.

She was about ready to get Obi Wan (if only so he could stand in one line while she stood in the other) only for her thoughts to be pulled away from food and to something else entirely. Thanks to her time in the Senate Padme had learned how to pick out conversations from the chaos and clatter that was life. A million voices all bickering and fighting… and sifting through those to find the only one that mattered. Obi Wan had once said, upon seeing her do that, that he wondered just how powerful in the Force she was; while not enough to be a Jedi all living beings were connected to the Force and thus it was possible that she was able to tap into it from time to time.

Whatever the case she knew how to sense an important conversation and listen in to it.

And what she was hearing was not making her pleased in the slightest.

“This little rebellion of yours has gone on fair enough, Shoto,” a stern rumbling voice growled. “I have allowed your childish actions to go on because I had hoped that UA would show you just how utterly moronic they were. But you stubbornly refusing to see reason is no longer merely affecting your growth.”

It wasn’t anything utterly drastic. A bit harsh, yes, in terms of word choice, but Padme had heard plenty of parents say similar things to their children. Her work in relief efforts and the underprivileged had made her witness so such talks many times. A parent upset that their child wanted to leave home or refused to honor the traditions of their family or not wanting to take over for their father or mother when it came to running a business. The old and the young battling against one another to determine the path their lives went on.

It was a tale as old as time in Naboo, where the young always pushed to grow and evolve and the elders looked to the traditions of the past. Plays were written about such things. There was a popular song where an old woman and her young granddaughter bickering about such things. It was something Padme herself had wondered about, in concern with her own views. Would she remember when she was old and gray that she used to be a rebel and a fighter? Or would she become like so many of the elders she had once fought against and believe that SHE and SHE ALONE was the one to reach the line of perfection and all those that came after her were rushing off a cliff? She looked at Ahsoka and Padme worried she would soon become like her own mother, complaining that Ahsoka needed to slow down, settle down, take it easy.

But the man talking now… while his words were so much like what she had heard it was the tone that alerted her to the deeper problem.

Abandoning her need for snacks she walked down a side hallway, rather startled to find that what she had thought was a man talking in a low voice nearby was actually a man bellowing rather loudly far away. Turning a corner she found herself staring at the Number 2 Hero, Endeavor, looming over one of Ahsoka’s classmates, Todoroki Shoto. He had been on Ochaco’s team and done very well in the First Event though Obi Wan hadn’t been pleased that he was using only half of his quirk.

It seemed his father was feeling the same way.

“When you go out there you represent our family. You represent me! And your weakness reflects upon me!” Endeavor glared at the boy who merely continued to stare at him with dead emotionless eyes. “Do you hear me, Shoto? I am tired of you acting out this way. You will use the quirk that I gave you. You will win the Sports Festival and utterly decimate your foes!”

“I will win,” Shoto finally said. “With my ice.”

Endeavor reared back and Padme’s eyes went wide when the hero punched the wall right next to Shoto’s head.

“I swear to you that if you fail in this… lose to those pathetic little weaklings… I will ensure that you regret it. Do not think you cannot be replaced.”

“You have no more children,” Shoto simply answered. “I am all that is left.”

“For now,” Endeavor said. “But there are options. You mother cannot do her duty-“ And for the first time Padme saw Shoto show a hint of emotion as his eyes narrowed, “-so it is in my right to find another wife. Already I am reaching out to Might Agency…” He let that comment hang… and Padme felt her stomach curdle at the thought. “But there is still hope for you… but only if you do what is best for you. Win. None of these weaklings can come close to you. That screeching hot head… the quirkless boy-“ Padme bristled at how vile he made the word ‘quirkless’ sound, “-that gravity girl… I have never even heard of her family so they must be less than nothing. And that orange freak-“

“Her name,” Padme said, making her presence known, “is Tano Ahsoka.”

Endeavor turned and stared down at her with dark eyes. They reminded her of a doll’s, showing no emotion at all. Cold. Lifeless. Standing utterly against the flames Endeavor produced. Those that burned so hot and so wildly… surrounding two orbs that were utterly dead.

“This doesn’t concern you,” he said and then turned back towards Shoto, clearly assuming that she would walk away.

Padme instead stepped forward. “You mocked Ahsoka? That makes it my concern.”

“And just who are you?” Endeavor asked.

‘Who am I?’ The thought bounced in her head. She had been thinking about it for a long time. Ever since she’d arrived on Earth and been able to shed away the lies and the secrets. To no longer fear what the Senate or the Jedi Council would think Who was she? Who did her heart want her to be?

“I am Amidala Padme,” she said. “Ahsoka’s mother. My husband is Skywalker Anakin, the pro hero Sir Steel. My brother is Kenobi Obi Wan, pro hero Negotiator and UA’s Heroics teacher.” She took another step forward, looking right up at Endeavor. “And I’m not walking away.”

The heat of the flames Endeavor produced grew hotter and she felt One For All thundering in her veins. It was as if a multitude of hands were pressing themselves onto her body, steadying her as their owners whispered that all she needed to do was show Endeavor JUST how powerful she truly was.

But the #2 hero in Japan merely stared at her for a long moment… before brushing past her, knocking her in the shoulder with his bulk before he stormed off.

“You didn’t need to do that,” Shoto said quietly. “I know how to deal with my father.”

“That doesn’t mean you NEED to deal with him,” Padme answered back once Endeavor was gone.

“No one has ever stood up to him,” Shoto said and despite how bland his tone was she could detect a pinch of surprise in his words.

Padme smirked. “I’m not just anyone.” Her smile fell though when she looked at Shoto. “I’m sorry… you’re his son, I shouldn’t-“

“No,” Shoto shook his head. “No… you should have. Someone should have… a long time ago.” He frowned. “I do not wish to speak of it.”

There was so much she wanted to ask him. About his home life. About his training. About what having a man like Endeavor be the one to guide a child through their adolescence must be like. But she knew that it was Shoto’s story to tell and his right to tell it. He deserved that much. It was clear that so much of his life had been taken from him; that his father had ensured there were almost no choices that were his own to make. Padme wouldn’t do the same by forcing him to speak.

So instead she asked, “Do you know what he meant about reaching out to the Might Agency?”

For the first time since she’d begun to talk with him Shoto showed true honest emotion: disgust.

“Have you ever heard of Quirk Marriages?”

“I can’t say that I have,” she admitted.

“They’re illegal now. A family would find another in desperate need for cash and purchase their child, usually a girl, for the purpose of having her sleep with their own child in hopes that the two quirks would create something more powerful.”

Padme felt her stomach twist in revulsion. On Naboo such practices had existed but they had been in terms of lineage and social standing. Centuries ago there had been ‘breeding books’ that families would keep, much as loma racers would for prized stallions. They would showcase their family ties and barter off second sons and daughters to other families in order to increase their prestige in society. It had torn apart families when a child refused to be treated as little more than lifestock and seen bitterness and greed grow amount the elite and nobles.

It had eventually reached the point where The Six, the most powerful and ancient of the Nubian families, had only married amongst themselves, taking turns sending sons to court to marry the Nubian Queens of old. But the desperate desire to only have the strongest of bloodlines join their own had been their downfall when they’d become so inbred that when Gray Sickle had finally swept across Naboo all of The Six and the Royal Family had been wiped out while the more ‘common’ Nubians had easily pulled through. Where the ‘poor’ and the ‘imperfect’ had merely suffered from a day of two of misery The Six had died over the course of an agonizing month. After that the role of Queen had become democratically voted by and Naboo had worked to turn away from such petty things.

‘But to do it with quirks…’ Padme thought to herself.

Shoto kept speaking. “My father has the most powerful Fire-Based Quirk ever recorded. He has always held that he should be the Number 1 Hero. But he cannot match All Might. So he found a poor family who had a history of Ice Quirks and arranged to marry their daughter…”

Padme wanted to sweep the boy in a hug but knew it would only startle him. “Oh…” was all she could say.

“My eldest brother died trying to prove himself his successor. My sister and brother only gained my mother’s quirk. I… hold both.” He looked at her with solemn eyes. “I will not use fire though. I refuse to. They are his. The Ice is my mother’s and though she…” he shook his head. “I’m sorry, we have gotten off point.”

“It’s fine!” Padme said quickly, trying to assure him.

“No, you asked about my father and the Might Agency. I only now have heard of those thoughts but I believe I know the answer: he wishes to purchase Star Might so he might have children with her, in the hopes of producing another heir should I continue to rebel.”

Padme grit her teeth. “It will never happen.”

“…perhaps,” Shoto said. “But you do not know my father. He can be persuasive-“

Without a thought Padme entered her muscle form, clothing stretching to accommodate her larger frame and added height.

“Oh…” Padme said, realizing what she’d done. She looked at Shoto who was stared at her in shock (or, from what she’d learned, was shock for him). “You… didn’t see this.” She quickly returned to normal.

“You are Star Might…” Shoto whispered.

“I am,” Padme said. “Please don’t tell anyone. Especially your father-“

“He’d never believe me,” Shoto admitted. But there was something else there. “I would love to see him meet you again.”

That caused Padme to smirk. “Yeah… things aren’t going to work out how he thought.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Todoroki-“

“Shoto,” he said and she understood how big of a deal culturally if was for him to ask her to call him that.

“Shoto… I know what it is like to stand in-“ she almost said ‘a great man’ but caught herself, ‘-someone else’s shadow. To have their hopes and dreams placed on your shoulders. So if you ever need to talk…”

It took him a long moment but then he reached into his pocket up and pulled out his phone. Padme, rather quickly, typed in her contact info before handing it back, the young man bowing. “Thank you,” he said. “I must go… I need to prepare for the next round.”

“Of course,” Padme said, giving her own bow before walking back to the food court. Obi Wan was there and she couldn’t help but snicker at how he was holding several buckets of popcorn in his arms.

“Ah yes, mock a poor man,” he said dryly and Padme smirked before grabbing two of the buckets from him. “Where ever did you go?”

“I had a chat with someone… Obi Wan, as a friend… would you help me with something?”

“Of course.”

“I want to destroy the Number 2 Hero.”

Obi Wan blinked.

~MC~MC~MC~

As Shoto and Padme both left neither noticed a single side door, which led to a broom closet, slowly crack open.

A shaken Izuku stepped out, eyes wide.

Chapter Text

People thought that Shota didn’t care.

They saw how he held himself, how he interacted with people, and they assumed that he didn’t care about anyone or anything. ‘Misanthrope’ was the word they threw around if they wanted to be clever. ‘Heartless Bastard’ if they were lazy.

Shota didn’t do anything to make people think otherwise. He wanted people to think he didn’t care.

When people knew you cared about someone that person because their way to hurt you. To attack and wound you. He’d seen it so many times with new underground heroes who didn’t get that their line of work was different from what UA taught. He and Nemuri had gotten into long debates about marketing and the like and how there was too much of a focus on it. Because it made all hero students think they needed to be loud… and then the first person would die. And if the hero was lucky it would be themselves. Because dying was easy… living with the guilt that you’d gotten your mother, or your father, or your siblings, or your spouse killed? That ate away at you.

And the worst… was the death of a child.

It was why he did all he could to not bond with his classes. Or rather never let people realize he was bonding with them. Because that would make them targets. And he would rather die a thousand deaths than see any of his students crushed or maimed or torn apart.

So he remained aloof. Disconnected. Built up his walls so he could protect them while keep away from them. For their own safety.

But… watching as Midoriya clearly struggled with something while Todoroki brooded in a corner, lost in thought, and Bakugo growled and snarled under his breath due to his VERY clear case of Imposter Syndrome that he hid under layers of bravado?

Kenobi’s words, about his students trusting him, echoed in his head.

‘What’s good about protecting them from a distance if that means you aren’t there when they tear themselves apart?’ he thought as his students prepared for the final event of the Sports Festival.

Pushing himself away from the wall he decided to try Midoriya first. He had been the one he pegged as possibly needing the most help at the beginning of the year. Quirkless kid? Yeah, he was going to be a bundle of nerves and issues which was insane because plenty of heroes fought quirkless. Hell, his own style was based around NO QUIRKS. And while Midoriya had done surprisingly well in the Entrance Exam (to the point that Shota had already decided even before the first day that unless the kid truly screwed up royally he deserved his spot in his class) he had still kept an eye on him.

But Midoriya had built himself a good support network. Tano, Ochaco, Inasa. Iida was coming along and he got along well enough with Yaoyorozu. Even Todoroki seemed to do a bit better around him… though he wondered how much of that was because the boy’s clear drive to be the best meant that he didn’t see Midoriya as a threat.

‘Which is a massive mistake,’ he thought to himself. ‘Wonder if after the first two events Todoroki is looking at things differently.’ The supposed ‘weakling’ of Class 1-A had managed to do well in the first event and then had shocked everyone and utterly decimate the competition in the second event. ‘He knows how to make allies… he sought out that girl from Class 1-B because he knew she would have the perfect quirk for that competition. He planned ahead and was able to come out on top.’

Which was going to make trying to talk to him all the harder.

‘He sees plans within plans. Wheels within wheels. He’s going to question everything I ask him.’ He let out a sigh at that before steeling himself for what might be a difficult conversation. Shota had interrogated thugs, pimps, and drug addicts and knew how hard it could be at times to get proper confessions from them. He had little doubt that Midoriya was going to be even more trouble.

He barely noticed when Asui and Jiro were called to head to the arena, the first of the matches for the day. He knew he should have but both of them could handle themselves just fine. Both were rather calm and collected, the right temperaments for heroes, honestly. As bad as it was to say sometimes a teacher needed to look away from the students that they knew they could leave alone and not worry about. That allowed him to focus on the ones that did need his help.

“What’s the matter, kid?” Shota said. The kid didn’t jump as much as he might have suspected… clearly he had known that Shota was walking over but not that he was planning to talk to him. ‘Good special awareness… even if it doesn’t speak well that he didn’t think I’d want to speak with him.’

“Mr. Aizawa,” Midoriya stammered. “What was that?”

“I asked what the problem was,” he said. “And don’t try and claim that everything is okay. I can tell something is bugging you.” That caused the boy to squirm a bit but at least he didn’t try and claim that everything was fine and that Shota was jumping at shadows or the like. “Not about the event, is it?” Even as he asked he knew that his guess was wrong; he had seen students worried about the final event and the worry that was currently plaguing Midoriya didn’t reflect that at all. No, this was something outside of the Sports Festival.

The green haired boy looked down at his hands. “Mr. Aizawa… if you knew someone was in trouble and needed help… but they wouldn’t appreciate you helping them… what would you do?”

That caused the teacher to settle down onto the bench Midoriya had been sitting on. “I assume this isn’t a round about way of asking for help yourself?”

“Well, I guess about the problem I have with knowing someone needs help?” Midoriya stated. “I mean I don’t need help in the first place… if that makes sense?” He frowned. “I mean I do need help its just the original source of the help needing didn’t come from me it came from someone else and that isn’t me trying to dance around the fact that-“

“I get it,” Shota said, cutting him off and causing Midoriya to scrunch down his head into his shoulders. ‘How the hell is he able to take command in the heat of battle with no problem but he gets so flustered and tongue tied when just sitting on a bench?’ Out loud he said, “What’s the problem, kid?”

“I… can’t say. Because-“

“Yeah, the person might not like it.” He let out a tired sigh. Evasive, just like he’d thought. Still, at least the boy was talking with him. That was a plus. “Okay, let’s take this a step at a time. Is the person doing something that will get them in trouble.”

“No,” Midoriya said before frowning, wringing his hands together. “I mean, they might think they are but they aren’t really! Not at all. No one-“ He cut himself off.

‘So whoever it is… they are trapped in a bad situation.’ That made things a bit harder, honestly. Shota had dealt with enough women who were beaten by their husbands, left bloodied and covered in bruises, only to plead that ‘they didn’t mean it’ and cry that Shota couldn’t arrest their husbands because ‘it was my fault’. ‘Abuse then,’ he thought to himself, trying very hard to not look about the room. Because Midoriya’s worry had come on rather quickly, meaning he must have learned something… and it had to be about one of his classmates. ‘And with everyone’s families in attendance… it’s child abuse.’ He hoped he was wrong but he had a bad feeling that he’d hit the nail on the head. ‘The Sports Festival is supposed to be where the students get to show off… but parents get it into their heads this is their only chance to make a name for themselves.’ He had been forced to step in more times than he liked to count when a parent began to scream at their child for not getting any further in the competition.

He sighed. This… this was going to be hard.

“Midoriya… believe me when I say that they are going to be grateful that you helped them. Maybe not at the beginning… but they will eventually realize that you only did it out of the best of intentions. And they will thank you for it.”

“Even if we can’t help them?” Midoriya asked softly.

“Kid, I can deal with an abusive parent.”

“…even if they are a hero?” he asked in a small voice.

Shota’s shoulders slumped. “Fuck.”

There were only two students in his class with heroes for parents. Tenya he wasn’t worried about because even though his parents were neglectful asshats Tensei was his guardian in all but a legal sense and Shota KNEW that his friend wouldn’t be abusing his brother. That left the other…

Todoroki.

Fucking Endeavor.

‘Damn it,’ Shota thought, ‘no wonder the kid is a bundle of nerves.’

He had encountered plenty of students who wore rose tinted glasses when it came to the hero community. They saw it all as a game where the heroes always won, the villains were defeated, the only harm was a few empty buildings, and the good guys were good and the bad guys were wicked. It was something he worked hard to drive out of his students, so they understood the gray of it all and the filth that was under the shine.

The heroes didn’t always win. Sometimes the villain got away. Those buildings were filled with soft squishy people that would die from an attack no matter if it were hero or villain who sent it out. How there were villains who were only villains because they had no choice… in some classes he would actually go through the entire roster, one at a time, and explain how one bad choice could have turned every student into a villain. And how some of the most brilliant heroes were just bullies and thugs who had government authorization to beat people up.

And Midoriya had apparently uncovered that the Number 2 Hero was abusing his son.

‘Fuck,’ he thought to himself.

“Tell me who it is,” he said, needing Midoriya to confirm it. But the boy just shook his head, tears gathering in his eyes. “I promise you that I’ll help,” he said.

That caused Midoriya though to sniff. “Everyone says that.”

The sad thing was that Shota knew he wasn’t being glib. “I think I already know who it is. I just need you to confirm…”

“It’s… it’s okay though!” Midoriya stammered. That caused Shota to frown and he opened his mouth to tell him that abusing a child was NEVER okay only for the green haired boy to continue. “Someone is helping him!”

“They are?” he asked slowly.

“Someone… really important.”

“Mmmhmm,” Shota said, not believing him.

“Its true.” Midoriya looked down at his lap. “That’s… the other thing.”

“What other thing?”

“What do you do… if you know a secret? A really big secret. Like… the biggest secret in all of Japan.”

Shota frowned. “I get that this abuse is-“

But Midoriya cut him off, blurting out, “I know who Star Might really is!”

‘…this problem child...’ Shota thought, feeling a headache building. “And I assume that this isn’t merely, “She’s All Might’s secret daughter?” Midoriya bobbed his head up and down; yes, there was a headache building. He had suspected ever since he’d seen the news report that there was more to Star Might than the Number 1 hero was telling the public. While Shota hadn’t dealt with All Might before the man was famously secretive about his life outside of being a hero. He didn’t reveal his real name, he was never spotted out in public, and at best people knew he owned a white t-shirt and blue jeans after a single incident where he’d fought a villain. But otherwise… nothing.

It was almost Underground level of paranoia and protection and he had to admit… it impressed him. Most Daylight Heroes loved the spotlight and did all they could to let everyone know they existed. And while of course All Might had his giant gaudy tower and his action figures and his breakfast cereals and three Christmas albums (Shota would NEVER admit that he actually enjoyed listening to them… ever) the man revealed very little of himself. There was no All Might Manor. No autobiography… not even a brief history on a web page. People knew he had gone to UA but it had been discovered, rather surprisingly, that he had gone under an assumed name; if Nedzu knew the hero’s true name he wasn’t saying (and Shota had little doubts the rat had figured it out).

All Might guarded his secrets… and Shota respected that. Others might assume that it spoke of some grand threat but he assumed it was a case of him wanting to protect himself. Understand that the more you ruffled the feathers of criminals and villains the more they would seek a way to hurt you.

No different than Shota with his students.

‘Revealing he has a daughter though… that is asking for trouble,’ he thought. ‘So why do it?’ Out loud he said, “And can I assume from the way you are acting that there is something… different about Star Might?”

Midoriya worried his lip.

“Kid,” Shota said softly. “Is it a danger to you or anyone else?”

“To her,” he whispered before adding, “she can change her form.”

At once Shota understood. ‘The ability to look different… that would be a game changer.’ Hero masks and costumes had originally come about, after all, to hide the identity of heroes. To protect their loved ones. Now it was just a fashion statement or a way to get attention. But before there were Hero Agencies and deals so one could hire security to protect their families… there had been masks. ‘If Star Might can change her form… All Might can too. That’s why he never has been seen in public… he probably looks completely different.’

“What… what should I do?”

Shota looked down at the problem child. “Kid… listen. I’m guessing you found out by accident. This is… big. Really big. So if you need to talk to anyone about it you come to me, okay?” He paused before pulling out a notepad and a pencil and jotted down his number. “This is my personal cell. You ever feel like you are going to lose your mind you call me, okay?”

“I-“

“I mean it,” he said firmly. “I won’t be mad. No matter the time or what I’m doing. I will be if you tell anyone else. You’re right… this is very important. I’ll find a way to let Star Might know that you know, okay? But we can’t tell anyone else.”

Midoriya shifted.

“…who else did you tell?” he said with a sigh.

“No one!” Midoriya said quickly and from the panic in his eyes Shota believed him. “But… Todoroki knows.”

…

…

…

“Fuck,” Shota muttered.

~MC~MC~MC~

Anakin winced as he watched Asui easily dodge Jiro’s latest attack, managing to get behind her and wrap her up with her tongue. If the girl had been a bit stronger she would have been able to fling Jiro right out of the ring but she lacked just the amount of muscle to do that and as such was only able to drag her closer to the edge.

“Bad matchup,” he muttered to himself.

Obi Wan nodded, making sure his mic was off even as Hizashi gave play by play of every move that was happening. “If she were another close range fighter Jiro would have the edge… or if she had put in for support gear. But many students want to prove that they can battle with just their raw quirk.” He rubbed his chin and Asui dodged an attack from Jiro’s earjacks, easily leaping over them before firing off her tongue again. “She will not forget this lesson.”

“What would her support gear have done?” Anakin asked.

“When Jiro plugs her jacks into something she is able to project her heartbeat out as a physical sonic attack.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. “And she DIDN’T want to have those available?”

“As I said, she wanted to prove herself. But Asui needs no support gear to keep her agility-“

Suddenly the Frog-Quirked girl rushed in close, delivering a few quick hits that drove Jiro skidding back right over the line.

“And the winner of round one is Asui Tsuyu!” Hizashi cried out, the girl tilting her head before giving a slight wave to the crowd before going to check on Jiro, who looked mildly put out by her lose but accepted a hand up. Hizashi switched off his mic with practiced ease before stating, “That’s good… real good. While a few heroes like to see the losers defiant and full of bluster most want them to be gracious in their loss. That will net her a few more requests.”

“Requests?” Padme asked, having decided to play with Eri so Obi Wan could focus on commenting and Nemuri could remain down on the field to ensure that any students that went too far were quickly stopped before they caused true damage. They were seated on the ground where she was teaching the little girl a Nubian Balancing Game.

“The Sports Festival isn’t all just having fun and showing off for the heck of it,” Hizashi told her. “Pro heroes watch the Sports Festival, especially First Years, to determine if there is anyone that they want to put out a request to have intern under them. Usually there aren’t that many for First Year, mind you, but we do get a few. The later years tend to be about proving yourself if you had a bad first year and had to go with one of the regular internship routes… we have hero agencies that will accept any student so everyone gets an internship but those don’t have the prestige that getting a ranked hero to pick you does. So first year establishes yourself, second year is about showing what you’ve learned, and third year is all about giving the public and the hero community one last chance to see what you can do.”

“And any hero can put in a request?” she asked.

Anakin, sensing what Padme was thinking, decided to pay attention as well. After all, he was a hero too (even if he barely patrolled most days as ‘Sir Steel’, with the cover story being that he was focused on his artificial organs and the truth being he was running around as Vader to try and clean up the streets the proper way).

“Yes,” Hizashi stated. “I’ve put in a few myself! Not always…” He shook his head in amusement. “Heroes and students all tend to make the same mistake. They all focus on the flashy or the famous. Students get their internship requests and instantly look at where a hero is ranked. Never mind if the hero is actually a good fit for them. We had about 4 years ago one student whose quirk was water based, long range projectile stuff. They decided to intern with Ironnail, who specializes in close range fighting. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes its good to work with a hero that can help you with your weakness… but they need to be willing to teach you how to deal with said weakness. That happens too… a hero doesn’t bother to think about what they can do to help a student. They just want them for… I don’t know, fame or to screw over a rival-“

“That’s horrible,” Padme said.

Obi Wan nodded. “Which is why we are going to do a few meetings on internships before we let the students decide. And I will be making sure to reach out to any heroes that request a student and make clear that they are expected to actually teach them. No photo shoots or autograph signings.”

“Oh, next match has been decided,” Hizashi said, turning on his mic. “Alright folks I hope you didn’t get tired out by that thrilling action because we have another scorcher coming to you! It’s the teen that looks to explode onto the scene, Bakugo Katsuki, taking on the shadowy skullsmasher, Tokoyami Fumikage! Why don’t you tell us a bit about their quirks, Kenobi?”

Anakin got up from his chair and walked over to Padme, who smiled as Eri stuck out her little tongue, focused entirely on trying to balance a few rods so she could plunk a ball on top of them without it falling into a cup. Padme had once tried to explain the game to him but honestly she’d lost him when she’d gone into how it was supposed to represent the balance of nature and all that.

“You’re thinking of taking an intern?” Anakin asked softly.

“Not me,” Padme stated. “Toshi. I’m not ready to begin teaching a student… I’m still learning all this stuff myself.”

“Doing better than me,” he said. “You patrol a lot more than I do.”

“You are working on your organs which is a big deal,” she said softly. “Anakin, those artificial organs and limbs are going to change so many lives. You are going to save more people than most heroes will in their entire careers! Don’t ever doubt that.”

“Yeah,” Anakin said… refusing to mention Vader. It wasn’t that he wanted to lie to his wife; he didn’t even see it as lying as it was more, in his opinion, just not telling her the full truth. But he needed that release. His life from the age of ten til they had arrived on Earth had been action and excitement. With the death of Qui Gon Obi Wan had been made into the Council’s go-to Jedi for negotiations. Sometimes he wondered if they had done it just to punish the two of them for going against the Council’s orders. But the point remained that they had been sent on a lot of wild missions and that was the norm for him. After that had been the Clone Wars… and then suddenly he found himself with nothing to do. He was on a single planet that might have had villains but also had plenty of heroes to shoulder the burden. Japan alone had 56,000 active heroes… that was 5 times the number of Jedi and that was in a single country!

Anakin had gone from feeling like he needed to be a thousand places at once to feeling utterly in the way.

“And Bakugo has done it!” Hizashi exclaimed, drawing Anakin’s attention back to the match. He saw smoke drifting from the arena floor and the blond student smirking, hands stretched out as he looked across the battlefield towards Tokoyami, who had been sent crashing past the out of bounds line and into a wall. “In a stunning show of skill he managed to take out Tokoyami and move on to the next round! We told you there would be fireworks but I don’t think anyone imagined they’d be as bombastic as that!”

Anakin frowned, looking up at Obi Wan who merely caught his eye before nodding ever so slightly.

Yes… Bakugo’s win… and the way he had done it… was concerning.

Chapter Text

“Bad match up,” Izuku stated as he watched Ida and Ashido prepare to take each other on before looking down and setting to work on making sure his blaster rifle was prepped and ready. While he couldn’t wear his armor he HAD gotten permission for support gear in the form of his guns… all set to stun, of course.

“Yeah,” Uraraka said with a shake of her head. “This one isn’t going to last long at all.”

Ahsoka didn’t say a word, having already sensed what was about to happen…

“Tenya doesn’t stand a chance,” Izuku said.

“Yeah, he’s going to win… wait, what?” Uraraka frowned as she glanced over at her friend. “Huh?”

Ahsoka chuckled. They were gathered in a small dining area that had been set aside for Class 1-A to eat in if they were part of the final round of the Sports Festival. Everyone else who’d failed to make it were allowed to go and get a bite from one of the booths or stalls that were set up around the sports arena. But those still competing needed to remain near the locker rooms (both to ensure they made it to their matches and to prevent any chance that they might find a way to cheat by smuggling in something not authorized) and thus the room. Ahsoka was tucking into some pasta, a suggestion from her master who had found that it was the right balance of filling without making her feel bloated, while her friends had ignored their meals to focus on the next match up.

“Tenya. He’s going to lose.”

Uraraka frowned at that. “How can you say that?”

Izuku opened his mouth before taking a moment to consider just what he wanted to say. “Okay, why do you think Tenya is going to win?”

Now it was Uraraka’s turn to think over her words carefully. “Ashido seems nice enough and its clear she really does want to be a hero…” Ahsoka could feel the conflict in Uraraka and finally the young woman blurted out, “She doesn’t have the training Ida has, okay?”

Izuku though merely nodded. “Yeah. Tenya was trained by his brother for years and he has studied hard to learn how to use his quirk.”

“He’s also smarter than Ashido,” Uraraka added, clearly feeling like they were on better ground with the conversation.

Ahsoka nodded. “She tries but you can tell that while she wants to get good grades but the few times I’ve seen her studying she gets easily distracted.”

“Exactly. But Ida is able to recite facts like its breathing air!” Uraraka grinned, shaking her head as she clearly thought about all the times Ida had leapt to his feet and called out a bunch of rules that the class (or sometimes a teacher) forgot.

“Yup,” Izuku said with a smile.

“So all that training and all those smarts means he’s going to win.”

“Not at all,” Izuku said calmly, causing Uraraka to deflate.

“What?” she asked again.

“Take pity on her and explain,” Ahsoka said with a sigh, patting Uraraka on the shoulder.

Izuku nodded. “All those reasons you listed? They are why Tenya is going to lose against Ashido.”

“Because he has training and because he’s smart?”

“Because he has a strict set of moves that he is unwilling to deviate from and an inability to improvise.”

That caused Uraraka to frown, trying to wrap her head around what Izuku was saying. But Ashoka remained quiet, knowing that it was better for Izuku to explain.

“So Tenya is like one of the training robots we have, okay? He’s programmed to do certain things and only those certain things. He took his brother’s lessons too seriously and thought those were the ONLY way to fight. He memorizes moves and strategies but when it comes to things in the heat of battle?” Izuku shrugged. “Ashido is the opposite. She is very good at coming up with things on the fly. She has to, to cover for her difficulties in planning ahead. Now there are times where Tenya’s methods would make him the winner… if they had to complete a certain task or race each other for example. He would beat her. Hostage negotiation?” Izuku bobbed his head back and forth. “Honestly they both would be bad picks but Ashido would be the worst. I wonder how she did on that final part of our exam. She never talks about it but I could see her doing okay with the first part and panicking during the second half when things were supposed to go to hell. Tenya I know did the reverse, because he admitted he questioned her about why she was there and upset her but then he began to comfort her and when she went nuclear he was prepared to race her out of the city and sacrifice himself. Honestly that test was a really good way to reveal one’s flaws and-“

“Okay,” Ahsoka said, cutting him off because he was going into a ramble. “So the gist of it is, Uraraka, that because he’s so inflexible Tenya isn’t going to be able to deal well with Ashido in this situation where they are going one on one.”

“Exactly!” Izuku declared. “Ashido is going to begin improvising, coming up with strategies that seem completely out there and that will throw Tenya off. He will struggle with that and she’ll take advantage. The only way he could win would be the startle her right out the gate but if he can’t within the first… 20 seconds?... then Ashido will win.”

Ahsoka turned towards the television, popping more noodles into her mouth as she watched Ida and Ashido square off. And right away she could tell that Izuku’s prediction of the only way for Ida to win would not come to pass; he was being far too cautious, clearly wanting to see what Ashido would do. Which meant she had no problem firing acid at him, which he kept dodging… only for him to find his running surface coated in super slick goo that allowed Ashido, who was FAR more confident sliding around in her puddles, to rush up to him, spin him around like they were toddlers playing a swinging game, and send him sliding out of bounds.

“…wow,” Uraraka muttered to herself. “Exactly as you said.”

“Well, not exactly,” Izuku said. “I mean Ashido could have done so many other things-“

Ahsoka tuned him out as the screen flashed, showing her face… next to a blank square.

“The invisible girl from 1-B,” Ahsoka muttered to herself before smirking. “This will be fun.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Tough break for your brother,” Anakin said to Tensei. They were all still in the announcer’s booth, having decided that while it was fun to cheer for Ahsoka in the stands now what she needed was the ability to focus and not have Anakin and Padme distracting her with their shouts.

“This will hopefully be a good lesson for him,” Tensei stated. “He underestimated her… probably thought because I’ve been teaching him for years that he had an advantage.”

“Maybe,” Anakin said, not wanting to pile onto Tensei’s brother. The man was a good egg and his brother, while a bit… stiff… seemed decent enough. Honestly Tenya reminded him of the mask that Obi Wan put on when around politicians: acting all prim and proper and with a massive durasteel beam shoved up his ass. The only difference was that Obi Wan only wore that mask to deal with people he didn’t enjoy being around… after they were gone he could be witty and funny. Well, funny for a Jedi. And he had gotten a lot better ever since they’d been stranded on Earth. “But it doesn’t help that he knows her.”

“What do you mean?” Tensei asked.

“When you know someone long enough and learn what they can do it causes you to already begin developing strategies when you spar.” Anakin leaned back in his chair, thinking about the times him and Obi Wan would practice duel against each other. “If one is more experienced than the other that means they can predict what you are going to do and counter it before you even finish your strike. If you’re both in sync? You can fall into rhythms, so its more like a dance. But if someone suddenly changes things… it would be like the music changing suddenly and you were doing a… I don’t know, some sort of shuffle when you should be hopping.”

Tensei instantly understood, pointing right at Anakin. “Yes, that’s exactly right! When I try to teach Tenya new things I start off with our regular sessions and suddenly toss in a new move. It always throws him off.”

“Because he can’t adapt well. That’s what happened here. He knows that girl… Ashido?” Tensei, who had been better paying attention to the names, nodded. “He’s seen what she can do so he probably was already thinking about what her quirk could do, what his could, and coming up with all those plans… based just on the information he had. But when she went and changed things…”

“Out of bounds,” Tensei said with a shake of his head.

“I encountered it all the time back home. Its why I ended up usually working with Rex… he was the only c… hero… that I knew other than Obi Wan that could put up with me improvising on the spot. Too many others wanted to follow their training and all the different tactics.”

Tensei sighed at that.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to get you down,” Anakin said hurriedly. “Tenya seems like a good kid-“

“Its not that,” Tensei said. “I worry about him, that’s all. I’ve seen heroes like him before, you know? They are… okay, this is going to be a horrible analogy.” He reached over and grabbed some of the bags of treats that Hizashi had dumped on the table for them to nibble on. “Tenya is this pretzel rod. Firm, solid. Can hit something hard.” He knocked the rod against the table. “Now, there are heroes who are more like this piece of licorice. People assume they are going to fail because they have no strength to them.” He smacked the table with it.

“But pretzel rods can’t bend,” Anakin said simply. “I can twist that licorice into a knot, untie it, and other than maybe a few tears its fine. But bend the rod-“

“Snap,” Tenei said. “There are so many heroes that think they can go out there with all they have studied and all their plans… there is this one, Sir Nighteye. Genius detective and that isn’t with a quirk to enhance his smarts. But no one wants to work with him because he’s so rigid that he’s impossible to deal with at times. And… well, I shouldn’t tell you this so it remains between us… but there are a few heroes who do work with him, despite everything, not just because he’s a genius and able to crack cases really good but they want to be there when…” He snapped the pretzel rod in half before setting it down. “That’s what I’m worried about with my brother. He’s going to believe that he knows how to do everything because he’s wicked smart and can plan out all these scenarios… and the first time he has a civilian die on his watch he’ll shatter. Either just… dig himself into a hole and never come out or do something reckless and stupid and ruin his entire career.”

Anakin was silent for a long moment.

“Master Yoda… the head of our… group…” He hated being vague with Tensei but he hadn’t been let into the secret yet, “…was against Obi Wan training me. Said I was too old and hadn’t been given the methods needed to use the Force. My quirk.” He quickly added that last part. “Obi Wan and Ahsoka and I all have similar quirks. A lot of people back home do.”

“Heard of that,” Tensei murmured. “Quirk Similarity Syndrome, theorized to be due to close relations and environmental influences.”

Anakin had little doubt Nedzu was the reason that theory was about. Just for him and his family, most likely. “Right. Master Yoda… he had this firm belief that because our Quirks are so powerful that you need the right mindset. That you have to be a certain way. And maybe he’s right… sometimes I wonder if they had trained me like Obi Wan what my life would have been like. But then I remember others-“ Other Knights, he wanted to say, “-and how they had such problems when things got bad-“ Like in the Clone Wars, “-they couldn’t handle it as well as I did.”

And he hadn’t handled it well at all, looking back at it with his new understanding of psychology.

‘Honestly if I hadn’t gotten out when I did I don’t know if even my support network would have kept me from Falling.’ He didn’t like to think about that… about turning to the Dark Side and becoming like the monster that had stolen Qui Gon from him… but now on Earth he could see that was a deadly possibility. That the loss of life and the grind of the Clone Wars would have made him push farther and farther with what he could do until he finally took a step too far and… well, perhaps not fall to the Dark Side. Maybe it would have been more like leisurely strolling downward. ‘But I could have fallen.’ He wondered if any other Jedi had fallen since they’d left, the burden of the War pressing down on them til they too broke like pretzel rods. He hoped not but he couldn’t be sure…

“I think… there needs to be a mix of the two. Solid and smart and able to follow the rules… but also know when the break them. Control of your emotions but know you HAVE emotions.” He shrugged. “My suggestion? Get him a teacher that is the exact opposite of him. Kid will hate it at first but he’ll learn a lot.”

Tensei slowly nodded at that. “What’s your hero agency?”

“Huh?” Anakin said, surprised by the sudden change in topic. “Uh… I let Rex handle that.” With Obi Wan teaching and Anakin secretly running around now as Vader he hadn’t done much with the agency the three of them had set up for their hero work… honestly Anakin didn’t even know its name.

“Right,” Tensei said with a smirk, getting up. “Cool.”

Anakin wondered why he felt a shiver of dread at that.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Hey, good luck, okay?” Hagakure said, bouncing in place. While Ahsoka couldn’t see her face and hands she could see the rest of her fine and she could also tell from the woman’s tone that she was rather excited by the chance to fight her.

“Same to you,” Ahsoka said, sticking out her hand and letting Hagakure grab it for a firm shake.

“I wish we weren’t taking each other on,” Hagakure said and Ahsoka could sense she was pouting. “Just… so many reasons why.”

“Why’s that?” Ahsoka asked, curiously.

“Well, there is the whole Class 1-A and Class 1-B thing. I know that Monoma is the loudest about how we are eternal rivals but there are others in my class who think the same thing. Do you have that?”

“…Bakugo would be the closest but he competes with everyone equally.” ‘And hates them too,’ she thought.

“Oh yeah, that makes sense!” Hagakure said with a laugh, finally breaking off the handshake. “But I just don’t get it… we’re just students, after all. What’s a letter supposed to mean? That’s why I agreed to work with Midoriya… and I was the key to their victory!” She pumped her arm in the air. “I’m gonna have internships lined up for sure after everyone saw and heard that I was the key to our team’s victory!”

Ahsoka smiled. Izuku had been rather loud in telling people, as they’d called out to him after the second event, that Hagakure had been instrumental in their victory. Of course he’d also praised Tenya and Inasa as well… and those he had taken on… and the staff for making such an ‘original and interesting event’…

“But also?” Hagakure said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I hate that one of us is going to get knocked out. Heroics is so dominated by men… and a lot of the female heroes either need to be sex kittens or utterly anti-woman in order to move up in the ranks. I wish we could have eliminated the boys instead.”

“What a wonderful show of sportsmanship!” Present Mic called out. “And while I am sure our audience is loving this what they would love more is some FIGHTING!” He yelled the last part out with a rather cheerful tone but Ahsoka sensed the rebuke clear as day and grimaced, realizing that she had Hagekure had been standing in front of everyone just shooting the breeze for a good 5 minutes. The two of them bowed to each other before turning away, heading to their respective sides of the field.

‘She’s right though… it does suck that one of us will be eliminated. Not really a chance to show off…’ And what was truly bugging Ahsoka was the fact that, if Hagekure did what she thought she would, then she would lose rather quickly. ‘Maybe though…’

“I want a good clean fight!” Midnight declared, cracking her whip. “Begin!”

At once Hagakure touched something on her gym uniform and she completely disappeared.

“Aw man!” someone called out and Ahsoka turned to see a familiar purple head sticking out in the crowd. “I thought she’d have to strip naked to do that! Boo! Boo! Boo-“

“Permission to hit him?” Ahsoka asked Midnight.

“Denied,” the teacher said.

“What if it was Eri?”

That… made her teacher’s eyebrow twitch before she touched her comm. unit. “Ectoplasm, get rid of the little perv in the front row.”

Ahsoka smirked as she saw from the corner of her eye the Grape get suddenly yanked out of his seat.

That settled she turned her attention to the seemingly empty field. “Hagekure, I want us to really show off!” she called out. “They’ve seen your quirk… here is mine!” She closed her eyes, reaching into the force… and easily caught Hagekure’ invisible chop. Ahsoka felt the girl’s shook as she opened her eyes before leaping over a kick the girl tried to give her. “Good… a lot of people don’t think of doing that.” She used her arm to block another strike before saying, “Let’s show them what two badass women can do? Really show them.”

Hagekure paused and Ahsoka wondered if she understood what she wanted… and then the teen broke off and deactivated the invisibility on her uniform, falling into a defensive stance.

“What is this?!” Present Mic called out. “Hagekure has returned her uniform to being visible!”

“Of course she has,” Obi Wan stated. “Ahsoka’s Quirk allows her to sense her, so the invisibility is useless here. The two of them are going to spare… and from what I gather Ahsoka will not be using her quirk either.”

Present Mic’s voice raised in excitement. “A true one on one mix martial arts demonstration! This is something special, folks!”

Ahsoka made a note to thank Present Mic and Master Obi Wan for helping her with this. With the Force she would have been able to find Hagekure and throw her from the ring within seconds. It would have hurt the girl’s chances of becoming a hero because everyone would just assume she got lucky with her stealth and not that Ahsoka had an unfair advantage. By turning it into an actual spar that gave both a chance to show they were more than their quirks.

The two began to trade blows, switching between kicks and punches. Hagekure, Ahsoka would readily admit, was very good. Most likely Obi Wan’s influence as she could feel the rawness in her skill. It was something she’d just begun to learn, probably always assuming her quirk would allow her to sneak attack a foe and never considering one could find her. Of course Ahsoka was already coming up with all sorts of different ways to find her even without the Force… a Heat Detecting Quirk, or someone that created fog or dust particles. Lasers. Pressure sensors in the floor. She reasoned that Izuku could come up with twenty more ways to counter the other teen. So she needed to learn to fight and she was.

She just wasn’t as good as Ahsoka.

The Padawan didn’t drag out the fight. That wouldn’t be fair to Hagekure. But she also didn’t squash her like a bug. Instead she stuck to a saberless version of Soresu. Defensive. She got in a few hits but for the most part it was all about wearing down Hagekure, letting her be flashy with her strikes while Ahsoka weathered them all. A blocked kick, a duck under a punch, a spin move. All to make Hagekure go all the harder and faster, leeching away her energy until-

Ahsoka suddenly grabbed the other girl by the wrist, threw her over her shoulder, and then spun and delivered an open palm to her stomach. Hagekure stumbled back over the line and the crowd erupted into cheers.

“And Tano Ahsoka has done it!” Present Mic exclaimed. “In a stunning battle of wits and brawn she reverses Hagekure and drives her over the line! Tano moves on to the next round!”

“Good match!” Ahsoka said, offering Hagekure her hand.

“You think this is the end?” Hagekure asked. “You made a powerful enemy today.” She paused… and then giggled. “Just kidding, could you IMAGINE?!?” She laughed and took Ahsoka’s hand, the two walking off the field together with their heads held high.

Chapter Text

Ochaco kept staring at the screen.

Her friends thought she was preparing for her upcoming match and in a way she kind of was… except it wasn’t the kind of strategy building that they all probably assumed she was going over. No… it was something else.

‘Ahsoka’s match with Hagakure was AMAZING!’ she thought, a smile slowly forming on her lips. ‘The way those two fought? It… it was beautiful.’ She had never truly seen people fight like that… or if they did there were always quirks thrown into the mix. Yes, Mr. Kenobi and Mr. Aziawa had them spar with no quirks but what Ahsoka and Hagakure had done had been so much faster…

“Man, you sure lucked out!” Ashido said with a grin, suddenly popping up next to her and making Ochaco jump.

“What?”

“You lucked out. Your opponent. You are going to have this won in seconds!”

“What are you talking about?” Ochaco asked, confused.

“Well, you have Shinso,” the pink girl said brightly. “Don’t get me wrong, his quirk is sooooo cool and he really knows how to use it but… it’s easy to beat if you know what to do.” Ochaco continued to just stare at the other girl, so startled by the sudden conversation she’d been rendered mute. Ashido though thought her silence meant she was confused and thus quickly said, “Come on, you have to have thought of it! You’re smarter than me, after all! Just get some cotton or some tissues and stick them in your ears! Can’t hear him, can’t fall under his power. I’d say just don’t say a word and maybe that would be easy for you but for me I’d just blurt out an answer and-“ She held her hands out in front of her, letting her eyes unfocus, “-uuuuuhhhhh,” she said in a drone. Just as quickly she snapped back to normal. “You got this in the bag!”

“Yeah…” Ochaco murmured to herself.

“I mean, I guess the only other easy draw would have been Midoriya-“

Ochaco snapped out of her daze, eyes narrowing dangerously.

At once Ashido began to panic. “No! I didn’t mean like that!” She said hurriedly, waving her hands in front of her face. “It has nothing to do with his quirk! Or that he doesn’t have a quirk at all! Its just… he won’t be able to use his guns, will he? Or his armor? That’s what gives him his advantage! He is scary great with them and I certainly want to take him on with any of those but he won’t have them for this… well, maybe he will, I’m not for sure. Can he bring his guns?” She looked at Ochaco and seeing how she was still staring her down blurted out, “Do you like him?”

“What?” Ochaco said slowly.

“MIdoriya? You like him right? Sorry… I didn’t mean to insult your crush-“

An orange hand came down on Ashido’s shoulder and she slowly tilted her head up to meet Ahsoka’s eyes.

“You want to walk away now,” Ahsoka said and Ochaco knew she wasn’t using her quirk at all. It was just raw intent.

“…okay,” Ashido squeaked. “I’m sorry… I really am! I’m not a quirkiest I-“

“Go,” Ahsoka said firmly.

Ashido ducked her head, smile falling as she hurried off.

“I honestly don’t think it was a quirk thing,” Ochaco stated.

“I honestly think she believes that,” Ahsoka amended, sitting down. “I think a lot of our classmates think they are understanding to the quirkless… and don’t realize just how quirkist they are.”

“What do you mean?” Ochaco asked.

“You ever notice how they pull their punches when sparring with him?” she asked. “They think he’ll break if they use their full force. And if we are entering anywhere that might be the tiny bit dangerous they always glance back at him, checking where he’s at. That’s-“

“Civilian Protection 101,” Ochaco murmured in surprise.

“Even I do it,” Ahsoka admitted. “Though its for all of you... but I still try and catch myself.”

Ochaco swallowed. “I… I don’t-“

“Not during spars,” Ahsoka assured her. “Because you know how dangerous he is. But everyone else… all they see are the quirks.”

“That’s… ridiculous!” Ochaco exclaimed. “Mr. Aizawa basically fights quirkless and I looked up his record… he has the most arrests of any hero in Japan! It just isn’t talked about because he goes after low-level thugs! And Mr. Kenobi doesn’t use his quick all that much…”

Ahsoka nodded. “He does have his support item, his Lightsaber, but anyone can use that, quirk or no quirk.” She chuckled, leaning back on the bench. “I wish I could get Rex to come down and do a demonstration. He fights quirkless… his quirk is utterly useless in a fight or in anything really. So he’s like Midoriya. And Rex is… he’s scary good. I think if he wanted to he could take down Ma… Mr. Kenobi or Anakin. Give him time to study them and he’d take down half the Top Ten.”

The idea that had been slowly forming in Ochaco’s mind crystallized. “Yeah…”

She got up and moved out of the room.

“Thanks, Ahsoka!”

The orange teen blinked at the sudden departure, calling out, “Welcome?” even as Ochaco hurried down the hall to the boy’s locker room. She wasn’t surprised to find that only Hitoshi was in there, hands folded on his lap, eyes staring at a wall.

“Hey, Hitoshi!” Ochaco said with a smile.

“…hey,” the gloomy teen said. “Midoriya didn’t send you, did he? Because I kicked him and Inasa out when they were getting too loud.”

“No… but also kind of?” Seeing his look she waved at the bench and he, with a sigh, finally motioned for her to sit down. “Listen… I know how your quirk works.”

“Yeah,” Hitoshi said. It could have been a question or a statement, it was hard to tell with him.

“I know how to beat it. And… you know how my quirk works and how to beat it.”

“Don’t get tapped.”

“Right.” She paused. “You getting tired of the school treating us like showdogs that need to perform for everyone?”

“Since the Entrance Exam,” Hitoshi muttered.

Ochaco smirked.

“Want to flip things on their head?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Anakin shot a dark look at Principal Nedzu. “Not popping out of my clothing?” he asked as the principal popped out of a vent and landed on the desk where Obi Wan and Hizashi were going over their notes for the next match. Obi Wan in particular was interested in how one student, Shinso, would do; he had taken a shine to the boy, apparently.

“I realized that doing so may lead you to passing me off to young Eri,” Nedzu said, gesturing to the girl who was currently flopped on the ground in a boneless heap, taking her nap. Almost everyone else, other than Obi Wan, Hizashi, and Anakin, had left so she could sleep in peace; Obi Wan and Hizashi had to do announcing and Anakin thought he could fix their wiring to make it far better. It was a tangled mess and offended him. “One cuddle was enough for me.”

Obi Wan chuckled at the reminder of the time Eri had gotten a hold of the principal and began to hug him like he was a stuffed animal. “I think Anakin would do far worse than that…”

“I don’t know, seems like the perfect punishment to me,” Anakin muttered, still not trusting Nedzu to not find SOME way to burst out of his clothes even just standing there. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Oh, I heard some things as I was-“

“Snooping?” Hizashi suggested.

“-patrolling,” Nedzu said with a dark gleam in his eye that made clear to all of them that if they wanted to wake up in the morning with all their body parts they would agree with them. And Anakin, having already one part of him that could easily detach, was in no mood to press his luck. “I heard some rather interesting things and I am curious to see how the next match goes. And this is the best seat in the house.” Obi Wan grabbed a chair with the Force and dragged it over to the principal, Nedzu happily sitting down and watching the field.

Hizashi and Obi Wan merely shrugged before the former turned on his mic. “And we are back for the next match folks! And this one is going to really be a contrast in differences! Its going to be a clash of night and day when Shinso Hitoshi takes on Uraraka Ochaco!”

“Both have vastly different fighting styles,” Obi Wan stated, “and different desires when it comes to hero work.” Anakin smiled at that; while Hizashi was treating the entire thing like a sporting event (giving him flashbacks to all the podraces he had competed in and the announcers that did all they could to hype up the crowd and get them roaring and cheering) Obi Wan was dropping little bits of information that would help potential hero agencies realize just how well suited the students would be for internships. “Shinso is looking for a career in the Underground while Uraraka has set her sights on becoming a Rescue Hero. And both are well suited for those paths.”

“But they won’t be looking to hide in the shadows or rescue anyone today!” Hizashi declared. “No… it will be a knock down, drag out, wham bam fight for the ages!”

Down on the field Shinso and Uraraka stepped into the arena, Obi Wan and Hizashi growing quiet so that Nemuri could explain the rules. The two nodded before bowing to each other, moving to their separate ends of the arena floor. Cementoss gave a nod that he was ready to step in if things got too dangerous and Nemuri raised her hand, dropping it.

At once Uraraka and Shinso… raced towards each other and began to trade kicks and punches.

Nedzu began to chuckle as Hizashi commented on the action, cheering on the different moves they were using… but clearly waiting for quirk attacks that just weren’t coming.

“It seems, folks, that both Uraraka and Shinso have decided to showcase their hand to hand combat!” Hizashi finally said.

The crowd began to murmur at that.

“USE A QUIRK!” someone shouted, close enough for Anakin to hear it. “BAD ENOUGH THAT ORANGE CHICK DIDN’T USE HER’S-“

Anakin at once ripped the mic away from Obi Wan.

“Anyone that believes that Quirks are the only thing that make a hero are fools,” he said darkly, eyes narrowed as he scanned the crowd, trying to find the loudmouth that had insulted his Padawan. “A hero must use every part of them in order to protect others. The fact that Ahsoka and these two have done so well to master Hand to Hand combat means that they will be far better heroes who can save more lives. You want to be entertained? Go watch a movie. UA is supposed to be about training heroes, not providing cheap entertainment to ungrateful jerks.”

The only sound in the arena were the grunts and strikes from the two.

“Thank you, Anakin,” Obi Wan said dryly, taking back the mic. “That was very informative.”

“It was!” Nedzu said, suddenly popping up in front of Obi Wan and snagging the mic. “That was hero Sir Steel, who has been slowly building up his reputation in Japan. And I do believe many seasoned heroes, especially those in the Underground, will agree with him fully. While it is true that we put on the Sports Festival to showcase the talents of our students they are far more than their quirks! We teach them how to discover clues, comfort the injured, provide medical assistance, and solve crimes. While it is only villain fights that end up on the news most crime is far less flashy. We try to show all our students that… of course there are some students who never learn and simply rely upon flash and little substance.”

He paused.

“On a completely unrelated note UA would like to welcome alum Endeavor to the Sports Festival!”

Cameras turned away from the fight Uraraka and Shinso to show the glowering face of Endeavor.

“Oh, that is just mean,” Anakin muttered with a smirk. He couldn’t help in delighting in the man’s clear annoyance ; his wife was being mentored by the Number 1 Hero, after all, and while he thought the rankings were silly he would root for her over Endeavor all the same.

Anakin and Obi Wan were different in many things but their dislike of the press was something both shared. He and Obi Wan believed in getting the job done and being with those they cared for… not dealing with reporters that wanted to ask them a thousand inane questions. He did what he did because he wanted to protect people… not for fame and fortune.

Inui had made the comment once that he was surprised that Anakin didn’t care for the finer things in life. He had stated, as politely as he could, that many people that came from his situation sought out those things to try and distance themselves from their poor past. Anakin though had stated that it wasn’t lacking for material goods that he hated as a child… it was not being able to stay with those he loved or have them stay with him. The friends that had disappeared because their masters sold their families. The kind faces that disappeared, never to be seen again. His own mother. He didn’t miss a single item from his world… no, what bugged him being on Earth was not seeing his clone troopers again. The Chancellor. The mechanics in the temple who’d swap stories with him. If Obi Wan or Ahsoka or Padme hadn’t come with him he’d be tearing the planet apart to get to them.

Items were items.

People mattered.

“And would you look at that!” Hizashi exclaimed and Anakin broke from his thoughts to see that Uraraka had managed to suddenly twist out of a hold Shinso had put her in and bring him to the ground, restraining him and locking his body in place. Nemuri was suddenly at their side, looking over the hold before nodding and tapping Uraraka on the shoulder. “In a stunning 10 seconds Shinso nearly got the win with an impressive Kalamara Hold only for Uraraka to turn it around into the Titus Lock Maneuver! That is some advanced Year 3 moves we just saw some first years perform!”

“I believe in allowing my students to move on to more complex methods of fighting once they’ve mastered the basics,” Obi Wan stated. “Both Shinso and Uraraka are quite skilled… while the entire class has already reached Year 2 material they are part of a select eight who have moved onto Year 3 in terms of holds and restraints.”

“You heard it here first, folks!” Hizashi proclaimed. “Class 1-A and 1-B might be some of the most advanced Year 1 students we’ve ever had at UA! Now, because some of you might have missed it,” he flicked a couple switches and the big screens in the arena began to replay the final few moments of the match, “Obi Wan and I will go over just what happened.”

“As you can see here,” Obi Wan said, using a stylist to draw digitally on a still frame of Shinso grabbing onto Uraraka’s hair, forcing her head back, “Shinso showed good situational awareness and was able to use Uraraka’s hair to allow him to drive her into position for his strike here…”

~MC~MC~MC~

“That was amazing!” Uraraka said with a grin as she and Shinso headed back to the locker rooms. “You have to show me how you broke out of that ankle lock! I thought for sure I had you!”

Shinso smiled ever so slightly at that. “Thank you. And you did very well with your palm strike.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Nothing worse than what I’ve gotten before,” he told her. “But it is fine.”

As they walked to their separate locker rooms to meet up with their friends neither noticed Shoto watching from the shadows.

‘Father… you made clear what needed to happen here,’ he thought.

“This will be your chance to show your strength and power,” Endeavor told him coldly, eyes narrowed and mouth barely opening as he gave his command. Because there was no doubt that was exactly what he was doing: commanding Shoto. “The Sports Festival is where your legacy will be made. That orange girl managed to beat you in the first round. And then a team that had a quirkless boy on it defeated you in the second. But this… this is where you will win. You will win. You will end your childish rebellion against me and you will use your fire to win. You will make this entire nation whisper in shock at your power, Shoto… it is the only way you will ever become the hero you were meant to be.”

And Shoto had been ready to do just that… though not with his fire. No, he had been ready to win with his ice, to show all and especially his father that he didn’t need the flames. That he could win with just his ice, the last bit of his mother than he still had. That he didn’t need Endeavor.

‘But… even if I did use only my ice… using it just at full strength… that is still my father’s way of doing things.’ He thought of the many reports he’d seen of damaged buildings and injured bystanders because his father sought to make his flames hotter, his bursts bigger, to draw more attention to himself. ‘If I were to just attack with a glacier… it would still be his method.’ He watched the replay of Uraraka and Shinso’s fight as it played again, Mr. Kenobi going over the finer points that the people at home might have missed. ‘I want to be a hero that is different from my father.’

He took a breath… and walked into the guy’s locker room, going right up to Kirashima.

“So, you and I, huh?” the red-headed hero said with a grin. “This is gonna be an epic fight! Can your ice break my defense?” He held his fist up in front of his face.

“What did you think of Uraraka and Shinso’s match?”

Kirashima blinked at that, surprised by the change of topic, before his mouth split into a wide grin. “It was so MANLY! I mean, the way those two went at it!? And they didn’t use their quirk… Mr. Kenobi is always getting on us to learn the fundamentals and I was willing to put in the work but seeing those two go at it full blast? Man… I can’t wait for next class now!”

Shoto nodded.

“Would you… like to try that?”

“…what?”

“For our match.”

Kirashima’s eyes slowly widened. “No quirk sparring? Hell ya!” He pumped his fist in the air. “You hear those people complaining? They didn’t know what they were talking about… that was some amazing fighting! We can show off our skill AND back up our classmates! That is the manliest of manly ideas!”

Shoto… smiled.

It was small.

Barely there.

But he smiled.

‘Father… I will show you what hero I going to be.’

Chapter Text

The First Year’s part of the Sports Festival had been turned completely on its head and Shota couldn’t help but feel utter PRIDE in his class sticking their tongues out at all attending and watching and declaring, “We aren’t your monkeys, this isn’t your circus anymore”.

What had started with Uraraka and Shinso had infected the rest of the students. Todoroki had taken on Kirashima and the audience had clearly thought they were in for an epic showing of quirks, considering how much Endeavor had been hyping up his son in the press. But then the two of them had gone into a long sparring match, never even considering using their quirks. The stadium had been shocked by that, watching on as the only visible quirk usage was Japan’s Number 2 hero screaming his head off demanding that Todoroki use his quirk already and stop ‘embarrassing me and your family with this failure!’

Then, either in a show of solidarity or because they both thought it would be hilarious, Inasa and Hatsume from the Support Class had used half of their match to have Hatsume demonstrate all her inventions while Inasa merely ducked and weaved and avoided her explosions before she’d bowed and stepped out herself. That at least had given a bit of spectacle to those watching that just wanted flashy explosions but it wasn’t the jaw dropping battles they’d clearly expected to come. Instead it had been a lesson in the importance of Support items as well as using evasion to your full advantage.

‘Very important things to know… and things the public dismisses as being worthless,’ Shota thought to himself in a huff. ‘Until a hero is injured or dies because they relied only on their so amazing offensive quirk.’

Currently Midoriya and Yaoyorozu were finishing up their match, the final one of the first round, and they had decided to make it a bit more interesting in that they were using weapons. Yaoyorozu had created two bow staffs with her quirk, tossing one to Midoriya before the two had gone at each other, Midoriya removing his guns and setting them to the side. The crowd had gotten far more into that match than they had Todoroki’s win over Kirashima and it amused Shota to no end that the teen with the flashiest quirk had probably, in the eyes of the audience, the most ‘boring’ match.

And to make it all the better Kenobi and Hizashi were, to borrow a British term Shota had once heard, taking the piss out of everyone. Just when the crowd looked ready to boo or holler out their complaints over how the matches were going one of them would bring up how a move was ‘so important’ to a hero and their work. That it allowed them to take down criminals without property damage or restrain someone who wasn’t a villain but merely had their quirk acting weirdly due to someone else’s quirk. Shota had more than once seen some loudmouth get out of their chair, ready to scream at the students to do something (and he made a mental note to talk with Nedzu about that… these were students and not trained performers and didn’t need loudmouths screeching at them as they competed) only for Kenobi to suddenly begin commenting about how amazing their actions were and shut them right down.

It was glorious.

‘These kids are making enemies right and left,’ he thought with a dark grin, one that had those around him slowly edging away. Down below Midoriya managed to disarm Yaoyorozu and she declared that she was defeated, the two bowing respectfully before walking off together. ‘I knew they were going to be special.’

~MC~MC~MC~

“Get Nedzu on the phone!” Saku snarled in frustration, watching on the screen as the Year 1 Sports Festival became an utter mockery. “Tell him to either fix this now or we’ll fix it for him!”

“Might I remind you, Saku,” The President of the Hero Safety Commission said coolly, “that you are not in charge of this organization. And you certainly do not give orders to ME?”

Saku flushed at that, still clearly angry but also sane enough to realize that he was one step away from finding himself in a world of pain. “I would… never assume to command you,” he said quickly. “I was speaking to Mera-“

“I speak with Mera, not you,” she replied. “And I will decide when we need t contact UA.”

That caused Saku’s temper to flare up again, though this time he kept it more in check. “But you must see what an outrage this is! The Sports Festival is about showcasing future heroes and here they are, not taking it seriously! They should all be expelled! Every last one of them!” He shook his head in disgust. “That quirkless boy should have already-“

“Careful now,” Thrawn said, reminding them all he was in the room still, “it wouldn’t do good for someone who is supposed to be dedicated to the safety of our society to be seen as only caring about certain people within it.” He smiled as he picked up his tea cup, taking a slow pull from him, ruby eyes burning even as every action he took spoke of utter control and calm.

That’s what frightened the President more than anything: that Thrawn could do with a soft word what others couldn’t with a bellow.

“As for your concerns with the Sports Festival I fail to see the problem.”

“Fail to… fail to see the problem?” Saku demanded, waving at the screen where the first match of the second round was taking place. “Bakugo has one of the most powerful quirks we’ve seen in ages… and he’s currently not USING IT!” He slammed his hand down on the table, causing the glasses and cups to tremble.

“He seems to be enjoying himself,” Thrawn said simply. The President had to admit that he was right on that account; the blonde was grinning fiercely as he and Tsuyu traded blows.

“I don’t care if he’s having the time of his life! This is supposed to be about showcasing the best of the upcoming generation of heroes! The First Years always draw in interested viewers who want to see something completely new and different but now the ratings are tanking!” He held up his phone and the President winced as she saw the numbers that were far below what they were the year prior. That was troubling because it meant that there was a chance that people wouldn’t tune in the next year to see the students in their Second Year Sports Festival… that one always saw a decrease in viewers as it was as people tended to either watch the First Years for the new quirks or the Third Years to try and determine who might be the next popular hero-

“Come now, you can’t have it both ways,” Thrawn said simply.

“What are you talking about?”

“You claim the Sports Festival is about showcasing future heroes… and then claim it is about ratings. One has to be what is most important to you.”

“Both are important and they go hand in hand!” Saku challenged.

“And that, good sir, is where you are completely and utterly wrong,” Thrawn said with a slight smile. He waved his hand towards the TV screen, where Tsuyu was attempting to put Bakugo in a choke hold only for the blonde to twist around and, through sheer raw strength, wrap his arms around her middle and slam her hard into the ground. “I have taken the time to look at most of the crimes that were stopped by heroes within the last 5 years. Nearly 80% of them never appeared on the news. Many involved limited quirk usage by the heroes or the villains. When they did see a quirk used it was usually the hero.”

“And?”

Thrawn reached over and grasped Saku’s water glass. “This is empty.” He then suddenly hurled it across the room causing it to smash against a wall.

“What the hell!?!” Saku cried out in shock.

The blue-skinned man smirked slightly. “You will get a new glass, won’t you? That got everyone’s attention and alerted them to the problem.” He then looked over at one of the attendants, lifting up his tea cup. At once she came over and refilled it. “And I have gotten more as well. The same result… one was just overly dramatic.”

“You are a fool!” Saku declared and the President quickly glanced towards Thrawn, worried on how the man would react to that comment. She knew he was prideful and didn’t take well to insults; someone had once made the mistake of mocking his choice of clothing and he had proceeded to calmly explain to the woman how it was clear that her children weren’t those of her husband and he had already sent all the findings to her spouse. “You come in here and think you can talk to me about what matters? I have been doing this job for 10 years!”

“And you’ve been doing it poorly, that is clear,” Thrawn merely replied, never bothering to raise his voice. “Unless your quirk allows you to appear to be a grown man and you are in fact a child then you have little understanding of what the Hero Commission should be doing.” He leaned forward, a slight smile growing on his lips. Sharp. Cutting. Like a cold blade. “We are about promoting the safety of our society. Ensuring that the public is protecting. And as I just stated most crimes do not see quirks used and those that do are usually by the heroes. And quirks are dangerous. I am not denying that one should learn how to use their quirk but it shouldn’t be the only thing that a person uses. It would be like a carpenter using only a hammer when screws and saws are needed.”

“What are you talking about?” Saku complained. “Why are we talking about carpenters? These are supposed to be young heroes and instead of using their quirks they are… are wasting our time!”

“You mean they aren’t entertaining you,” Thrawn replied and the President grimaced at how he hit that fact so squarely. While she hadn’t said a word she did agree with Saku that this was hurting the ratings for the Sports Festival… and just considering that made her wince that she was more concerned about viewers like they were producing a movie rather than the young heroes being able to effectively battle villains and protect the innocent. “Let us be clear on that. Your concerns are not about these youths but because your life has left you with little joy and thus you need to be entertained by children risking their bodies in what ends up being a meaningless contest.” He reached and selected his tea cup, taking a sip of it. “I, on the other hand, am rather delighted that these students decided to make the Sports Festibal no longer about your enjoyment but growing as heroes.”

Thrawn waved towards the television screen where the next match was beginning. The President looked to see that it was the pink skinned girl, Ashido according to the records she had, and Tano Ashoka. The latter was one the President had been keeping an eye on due to how unusual her records were. She had appeared rather suddenly, 20 months ago roughly, her and her family asking for asylum from UA. Apparently they came from a small remote island (and the President was eager to find out where but Nedzu was blocking her every attempt to learn) where many of those living there had similar quirks. Known as ‘The Force’ it allowed for all sorts of actions, making them all rather powerful. Her guardians were Skywalker Anakin, Sir Steel, and Amidala Padme who had recently begun working for All Might.

(The President had the theory that the island was where Star Might had grown up, with Tano’s family being selected to help prepare for her arrival)

Skywalker’s brother (half, the President assumed) was Kenobi Obi-Wan, The Negotiator and new Heroics Teacher for UA. Also, much to the President’s surprise, he had apparently been in a secret relationship with hero Midnight and they had a child, Kenobi Eri. And rounding out the group was Captain Ceetea Rex, the hero Dualshot. Captain Rex just also happened to be training the first Quirkless Hero Student UA had ever had, Midoriya Izuku.

‘According to reports she’s worked to make friends with many in her class as well and is well liked by the staff. And her quirk…’

Yes, all of it meant that she was keeping a close eye on Tano.

“There are many ways one can learn about the measure of a person. Through how they dress, the art they surround themselves with, the friends they keep and the enemies they make. But find me a master at their craft… a sculptor, a blacksmith, a writer… and tell them to create outside of their chosen expertise… and you will see who they truly are. It is easy to be brave when you are the best at something… but remove that from someone so that they suddenly find themselves a novice once more… and their character is revealed. These children… they have shown that they are true heroes. They do not care about the petty desires of men like you, Saku. They care about growing stronger and show that they are not merely shackled by a single quirk.”

Saku had become red with rage. It wasn’t Thrawn’s words that were angering him, the President could tell that. Rather it was how Thrawn was treating him, seeing the entire discussion as almost tedious. The disrespect was driving the man into a rage.

“Of course you wouldn’t see the importance of all this! You wouldn’t have even made it past the first round! Your quirk merely changes how you look!” He jabbed his finger right under Thrawn’s nose.

“Please do not invade my space,” Thrawn said simply. “This is your finally warning.”

“I’ll do whatever I want you-“

Thrawn, lightning fast, grabbed the man’s finger and snapped it like one would a pretzel rod.

At once Saku was on the ground, screaming, but Thrawn wasn’t finished in the slightest. He was out of his chair before the President could blink, wrapping a hand around the back of Saku’s neck before driving the man’s face down into the ground, causing his screams to turn into gurgling wet sounds. Thrawn drove his knee into the small of the man’s back before latching onto the wrist of the hand that hadn’t suffered a broken finger and pulling hard, making the President wince as she saw him easily dislocate it.

“You threatened me and refused to deescalate. Thanks to the Hero License I obtained for my self it is in my right to detain you. And should I decide to use excessive force… well, that is me merely apprehending a villain.” He leaned down and whispered, “And all this… without a quirk.”

He slammed Saku’s face down onto the ground one more time before he rose, brushing off his white suit before turning to the President.

“Would you like to call for security… or should I?”

The President swallowed and pressed a button to signal her staff, Thrawn returning to his chair like nothing had happened.

~MC~MC~MC~

Enji grit his teeth as he marched out of the Sports Arena. His hands were balled up into fists and the air around him was distorted thanks to the heat he was producing.

Taika was used to seeing the warning signs of an upcoming explosion.

When he’d graduated from UA’s Business Program 23 years ago he’d assumed that he would find some agency in need of someone that could answer phones and make copies and slowly work his way up the ranks. Learn from the old timers until it was time for him to take over. That was how it was in the Hero Community, where family connections were what mattered. Sons took over for their fathers and had children of their own to take over for them. Starting out meant either finding a mentor or working as hard as one could. Live in a tiny apartment, eat barely-a-meal meals, make do with a cracked cell phone. Work towards a comfortable life in his late 40s. That was the plan.

However, being in the right place at the wrong time had change the entire direction of his life.

He’d only stopped off at the restaurant in order to get out of a sudden downpour. They’d been rather firm though that they didn’t want him loitering, and thus he’d been forced to buy a drink that would utterly destroy his budget for the week. As he’d waited through he had heard shouts… followed by a blast of heat and the cry of patrons. Without thinking he’d poked his head into the main part of the restaurant to find Endeavor ranting and raving, sprinklers going off thanks to the fires his body had sent out all around him. The hero (not even 10 years into his heroic career but already in the Top 10 in Japan) had become upset over… something… his agent had said (Taika honestly couldn’t remember what it was, it was so long ago) and had become so overheated that his quirk had begun to go into overdrive. Steam had burst from his body as the sprinklers tried to deal with his flames and he had been looming over the startled and stuttering agent when Taika had found himself heading towards his table.

Even years later he didn’t know what had caused him to think it was a good idea to talk to Endeavor. Even back then the man’s temper was well known. But Taika had, explaining that perhaps it would be better for them to go outside rather than keep making a scene. Enji had glared at him but finally agreed and four different garbage cans had been reduced to slag before the man had gone from full rage to merely brooding anger. And with that change had come the ability to think and process what had happened, leading Enji to ask Taika how he wasn’t roasting from the heat he was giving off.

Taika’s quirk allowed him to convert heat into energy. It hadn’t been much use because it took a great amount of fire to equate just a single cookie’s energy production. And Rescue Hero Work had never been an option, as he’d explained to Enji later when he’d shown his prosthetic left foot.

But… it did make him the perfect person to handle Endeavor’s outbursts.

Within a week he’d gone from working at an agency for a minor deep sea expert hero to being Endeavor’s personal aide and assistant, weathering the heroes rages and tempers without fear.

And at that moment Taika was using all he had learned to keep his boss out of another sticky situation.

“How dare they ask me to leave!” Enji snarled in anger, pacing back and forth, glancing back at the Sports Arena. His flames were so thick that he looked to have more of a full bushy beard than a mustache and he weren’t in his hero costume Taika was pretty sure that the ground under his feet would have begun cracking and breaking.

He also didn’t mention that ‘ask me to leave’ was quite a spin, as Enji, after letting off an explosion of flames as he glared at his son and his refusal to use his fire OR his ice, had been approached by Ectoplasm and informed that he needed to either leave of his own power OR be forced to leave.

“We’ll see how that rate likes it when I yank Shoto out of his precious school! UA will be destroyed when the Hero Community realizes what he’s been doing to the students…”

“I would advice against that,” Taika said, not even flinching as Endeavor twisted around and glared at him. He was long used to the man sending him foul looks and glowers.

“You want me to let this insult go unanswered?”

“Of course not,” Taika stated. “But there are ways to get back at someone that don’t risk your reputation.” Enji’s fires lessened and Taika decided to push on. “Everyone knows you left but they don’t know why… just that you had to leave. I’ve already asked the Agency to find us some active villains. You head out and make a big show of defeating them. The press will be alerted, of course, and you will tell them how Nedzu alerted you to a threat that only you could handle.”

Enji glared at that. “Give the rat credit-“

“He will be boosting you up and won’t be able to do anything about it.” Taika didn’t dare smile… Enji had injured more members of his staff when they smiled as they talked him down. That made him think they were talking down to him, mocking him. But conversely one couldn’t get angry, as that would make Enji think one was trying to ‘control’ him and would get him mad. No… the trick was to be firm but neutral. Even with his quirk the man could still hurt him. “Nedzu’s smart… he wouldn’t risk contradicting you if you said that he gave you information. You were frustrated because you knew you needed to go, wanted to see your son, and unfortunately the villains cost you the chance.” He motioned for Enji to follow him and after a moment the hero thankfully did so. “We play it up and people will eat it up.”

“And dealing with Nedzu?”

“We put out to the other agencies how you won’t be selecting a single intern this time. No one. All Might never takes interns, neither does Hawks. We reach out to Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Crust, and Yoroi Musha. Bring up our own concerns for how UA handled the Sports Festival. Suggest that perhaps it would be wise to make a statement.”

Enji slowly nodded at that. “Ryukyu and Gang Orc won’t listen… they’ll take some 2nd and 3rd years. But the rest of the hero community, when they hear that so much of the Top Ten aren’t going for Interns from UA… they’ll avoid the school like the plague.”

“And allow us to convince Nedzu to make some changes.” Taika paused. “It… will mean hurting Shoto’s chances-“

“Then do it. He wants to rebel then he will know the costs.”

And with that Enji stormed past Taika.

“Now… find me a villain.”

Chapter Text

“Well this sucks,” Uraraka complained.

Ahsoka glanced at her friend. “What does?”

“Me having to take on Izuku,” she said sullenly, watching as Inasa and Todoroki marched into the arena. Both of them were oddly quiet and introspective, though that was rather normal with Todoroki. But Inasa’s normally loud and brash attitude, though of course tempered with his natural friendliness, wasn’t on display at that moment. No… he was almost brooding as he walked into the arena and his bow to Todoroki was far stiffer… and shallower… than was the norm for him. Ahsoka didn’t know what Inasa’s problem was with Todoroki but it was clear that there was no sense of friendship with the other teen. Which she could kind of understand; Todoroki seemed rather standoffish. But she’d also found he was really funny, with his ‘I am acting like I’m not joking when I’m joking’ sort of way.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Ahsoka said. “If you had taken on Inasa and him Todoroki then we could have guaranteed that at least one of us was getting into the finals. Now there is a chance it will be none of us.” That wasn’t exactly true… Ahsoka had a feeling it would be her vs. Bakugo in the semi final, if the way the brackets were playing out were any indication, and she planned to take down the smug ass hard. Still…

“I wasn’t talking about that!” Uraraka exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. They were seated in the girl’s locker room, waiting for their next matches to begin, all alone since they were the only women left in the tournament. “I mean I have to face Izuku!”

“…and?” Ahsoka said, confused.

“He’s going to clean my clock!” she exclaimed.

Ahsoka stared at Uraraka for a moment before she began to snicker.

“Its not funny!” Uraraka said with a pout. “Izuku has been training with a pro hero for over a year with a focus on hand-to-hand combat!”

“You could always ask him to use your quirk to even things up,” Ahsoka suggested.

“I couldn’t do that though,” she complained. “it would just make everyone see that I had no hope of defeating him without my quirk.” She then added, in a quieter voice, “He’d probably still end up beating me. He’s suggested a few different ways to use my quirk… probably figured out how to beat it too.”

Ahsoka gave a helpless shrug. “Be glad it isn’t involving guns then?”

“Ugh!” Uraraka complained. “Yeah, I could do without that!”

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide as she saw on the screen Inasa grabbed Todoroki around the middle, the two-toned teen’s eyes going comically wide for probably the first time ever as the much larger teen drove him out of the ring merely by bullrushing him. The crowd was utterly startled at the defeat Todoroki suffered, going utterly silent.

‘I don’t see why though,’ Ahsoka thought. ‘Inasa was a recommendation student too. He deserves to be here just as much as Todoroki. Just because his father is a Pro doesn’t mean that he is some elite hero himself.’

“Well… here I go to meet the executioner,” Uraraka said morosely.

“It’ll be fine!” Ahsoka said cheerfully. “Just have fun!”

Uraraka managed a nod at that.

“You’ll do great!”

“Uh huh!”

“Long drawn out match!”

The spar lasted 50 seconds, ending with Izuku throwing Uraraka out of the ring.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Oh my,” Inko said, pressing her hand to her mouth as she watched the replay of Izuku’s match. “That was…” She glanced at her boyfriend, Rex merely smirking with his eyes twinkling with pride. “I mean… I knew that you were teaching him how to be a hero but I…”

“You still thought, even after all this time, that he was still your little boy,” Rex said, no judgment in his tone. “That he was weak and would need help. That he would always be last.”

Inko hung her head in shame at that… because he had hit the nail right on the head. “I know its wrong to say, because he’s my son… but without a quirk…”

Obi-Wan was the one that answered her, turning his chair away from the announcer’s panel and smiling softly, comfortingly. “Its fine, Mrs. Midoriya. There are many people who, even when it is their own child, still hold onto fears and prejudices.” He paused. “There are plenty of children who are given up because their powers are something that their parents can’t handle. They are taught to fear them, to loathe them, and then they suddenly have a son or daughter who have the very thing they are taught make them evil or weak or useless and… well, sometimes I suppose even love can’t always win out.”

Rex let out a huff. “And its hard to get it through people’s heads that what you were once isn’t what you are now.”

“You speaking from experience?” Present Mic asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I am,” Rex confirmed. “Me and my brothers went through rigorous training. I… didn’t do so well. And if you didn’t pass your tests then you got swept out of the program.” The way he said those final words had Inko’s heart clench; she had a feeling being swept out didn’t mean he was given some money and a pat on the shoulder as he was show the door. While Rex didn’t like to talk about it and she never pressed him she knew that his childhood hadn’t been a typical one. “Point is my brothers did what they could to hide that I was having problems until I could figure things out… which I did.” He shook his head, letting out a huff. “Turned out they were giving me the wrong things to focus on. That ain’t the point though. I began to excel… but my brothers still saw me as needing help. Even though I went on to become a captain I’d still have shiny new grunts come up and try and fight battles for me. They’d heard about me and were concerned. I couldn’t be mad at them… but that didn’t mean I wasn’t frustrated with how they treated me.

“Same thing is true with Izuku, isn’t it? You still see him as that little boy who was told he was quirkless and got picked on all the time and came home with scratches and bruises. You want to protect him… even after seeing what he could do out there you want to protect him, don’t you?”

“I do,” Inko admitted. “And I know it goes beyond a normal parent. It’s just-“

“Hey, hey,” Present Mic said with a smile and, surprisingly enough, a calm and quiet tone to his voice. It was so odd for Inko that a man that was used to screaming and yelling could be so quiet. “The important thing is that you realize it. For a lot of people they can’t even see what they are doing until it is far too late… if at all. You at least realize you’ve been making mistakes and that it has been coming out of a place of love. All you need to do is work on a way that allows you to show the little Listener that you want to protect him but also that you understand that he is growing up and coming into his own.”

Inko managed a weak chuckle at that. “You make it sound so easy.”

“I do?” Present Mic stated, confused. “I didn’t mean too… I was thinking I was being a bit too harsh.”

Inko smiled at that, even as she resolved to have a talk with her son after the Sports Festival.

~MC~MC~MC~

“I’m really sorry!” Izuku said for the tenth time. Tears were running down his cheeks, teeth pulling on his bottom lip.

Uraraka merely looked at him… and laughed.

“Its fine!” she exclaimed. “That was amazing though! I thought I had you and suddenly the way you twisted around me and grabbed me… I didn’t even feel you snag my arm and suddenly everything went upside-down!”

“Yeah… but I am sorry. Really. I didn’t mean-“

“Izuku?” Uraraka said, placing a hand on his shoulder as the two of them stopped in the tunnel that led back to the locker room. The only one also there was Tokoyami, who was sharing some popcorn with Dark Shadow, muttering about how it was ‘a mad banquet of darkness’ to see if he’d get a burned piece. “Its FINE. You were amazing out there. You are very skilled at Hand To Hand Combat.”

Izuku blushed slightly. “I’m better at shooting but we don’t have that at the Sports Festival.”

“What a wonderful idea!” Nedzu declared, suddenly popping out of Tokoyami’s popcorn. To the student’s credit he merely stared at the principal before continuing to munch on his treat. “We really should branch out more to showcase different tactics when it comes to hero work. A sharpshooter contest with both quirk and non-quirked demonstrations would be a lovely way to allow students who didn’t make it into the later rounds to show off!”

“I… I don’t know about that…” Izuku said, face growing red in embrassment.

Uraraka instantly bobbed her head. “Yeah! Snipe could be the announcer for that, since he knows so much about guns! And you could do it so many different ways! Accuracy! Speed! Trick shot!”

“Oh splendid, splendid!” Nedzu declared, wiggling out of the popcorn, doing a little flip and landing easily on his feet. “All of those could be done! I imagine, thanks to your training with Captain Rex, you could do quite well in that Midoriya!”

“No, seriously, there isn’t-“

Uraraka could continued on. “And what about with quirks? Same could be done as with the non-quirk showcase. I get Ashido would love to show off throwing her acid!”

“Of course!” Nedzu said, looking rather giddy. “I like the way you two think.”

Izuku though wasn’t as engaged as the others were, clearly flustered at the idea that he might cause changes to the Sports Festival. Which in Uraraka’s opinion was just silly… if it was a good idea then one should go with it!

“What about distance?” she asked, remembering how Izuku had mentioned that he was very skilled with a sniper rifle. “Set up at one of the testing facilities…”

Tokoyami suddenly spoke up. “You shouldn’t limit yourself to just shooting and targets either.” Everyone turned to him and he shrugged. “You want to be a rescue hero, Ochaco… why not have some kind of obstacle course, similar to the first round, but you need to get to a downed civilian. Allow people to showcase their skills to heroes from those agencies looking for interns. Weave through obstacles, deal with distractions. Each person goes on their own, with no idea how the course will be.”

“…wonderful!” Nedzu proclaimed, eyes sparkling. “Quite wonderful! Young Midoriya, you still have your final matches so please focus on those. I think I will talk with your friends.”

“I… uh…”

Uraraka merely smiled, patting his arm. “Its okay, you get mentally prepared to take on Inasa.” She turned and followed after Nedzu, Tokoyami falling in step beside her.

“Ochaco,” Nedzu said, “I know that you wish to get into Rescue Work… that involves a lot of planning, sometimes spur of the moment and sometimes brainstorming sessions.”

“I suppose so…” she said.

The principal smirked. “Well… I am thinking you might benefit from some private lessons from me…”

She didn’t know why but she swore she heard Aizawa begin screaming.

~MC~MC~MC~

Katsuki stormed up to Shit Horns, who rather than doing anything to actually prepare for their fight was instead just… sitting on the ground. Eyes shut. Breathing steady. Utterly still.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” he demanded, glaring at her, little explosions popping from his hands. “You think that you are so much better than me that you can just sit there and take a nap instead of preparing to face me? Huh? You think you are so amazing you don’t need to prepare at all for our match!?”

Shit Horns slowly opened a single eye, regarding him with a lazy stare. “I have to know… just how do you function believing that the entire world revolves around you?”

“What the fuck did you just say?” Katsuki demanded, leaning in and screaming in her face.

“I said-“ Shit Horns stated before using her quirk to shove him back a few feet, “-that you believe the world revolves around you. That’s all you ever talk about. How everyone’s actions must be a slight against you, or a reflection upon you, or be connected in some way TO YOU. Do you believe that we all go home at night and lie in our beds and think about the great Bakugo? Or do you even consider that we have lives outside of you? In your head do we just power down like the training robots and don’t start living again until you grace us with your presence?”

“If you were smart you’d think of me! You’d know that I am the best person here and I’m going to be the Number 1 Hero in the entire world!”

Ahsoka slowly unfolded her legs before standing up. “Then I’m afraid I am going to have to disappoint you. See… when I go home I don’t ever think about you, Bakugo. You don’t enter my mind. And not just then either. When I’m having lunch with my friends or doing training or playing a video game… I’m not thinking about you. Never does the thought of your cross my mind.”

“Bullshit!” Katsuki declared. “You just don’t want to admit I’m to best!”

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “You don’t matter to me. All those people watching… even if you win the Sports Festival they will forget about you within… a day maybe? Perhaps even sooner. They will go to work and spend time with their families and friends and enjoy their hobbies and you’ll just be yet another interesting distraction, like a billboard or a dog they spotted on the train.” She rose up, forcing him to lift his head up to better look at her. “And that eats you up inside, doesn’t it Bakugo? I know you grew up with Izuku. That you were once his best friend. And that he spent so much time focused on you… as did everyone else at your school. Bakugo the amazing, with his grand quirk… oh, he is going to be the best hero ever. But now you find that Izuku has other things on his mind. Other interests and desires and likes. He doesn’t have time for you anymore. And our classmates aren’t falling over themselves to worship you. The teachers don’t cut you breaks. And what must REALLY burn you… is that no one spares extra time thinking about you.”

She leaned in.

“Even though you spend EVERY waking moment thinking about us.”

“You… you fucking think I worry about you?!” he screamed.

“I didn’t say that,” Ahsoka replied. “I said you think about us. About what we think of you. Say about you. Every moment you live you are thinking about us and our reactions to you. Except, as I said, all that time is wasted because none of us give you a second thought.”

And with that she pulled away.

“And that terrifies you, doesn’t it?”

“FUCK YOU!” Bakugo roared even as she walked away from him, not even flinching when two large explosions popped in his palms. “You think you got me all figured out? You think you know me? You know fucking nothing about me! You hear me! Nothing! I don’t give a shit what you think about me because I know that you are meaningless! Another no-nothing who is going to fall by the wayside as I climb the rnaks! You hear me! SHIT HORNS!”

But she was long gone.

Chapter Text

Years ago, when she had been in her own galaxy, when she’d lived solely in the Jedi Temple, and when she had based her entire belief system on what a good Jedi was on the words of the masters and not her own thoughts and experiences, she had asked Master Yoda a question.

It was a big question. So big that her 4 year old frame has felt like it was going to burst if she didn’t ask it. Like it was crowding out everything in her mind and body until it was the only part of her and she didn’t want that. Didn’t want it to consume her. She couldn’t focus on anything else but that. Not her history lessons. Not her language classes. Not even lightsaber practice. Just… the question.

So… after a session on meditation… Ahsoka had approached Master Yoda, the oldest and most decorated of all Jedi in the entire order… and asked him a question.

She could see now, with age and maturity, just how audacious her question had been. It was something that Masters debated for years, to the point that while they were supposed to be serene and peaceful… they would still refuse to talk to others who disagreed with them. Jedi had nearly gone mad trying to learn the truth of it. They would leave the mortal world and return to the Force STILL not knowing the answer. Master Yoda himself most likely had struggled with the question himself for ages. But she’d come to him with all the trust and faith that children had, and asked it anyway.

“Master Yoda? If we are tools of the Force… does that mean we have no free will?”

They had just learned about Free Will in their philosophy class, the first lesson for determining if something was alive: was it able to act of its own free will? A droid couldn’t go against its programming, after all, so while sentient they weren’t alive. But Ahsoka had been troubled by that question, unable to unlodge it from her brain. Did she have free will?

Master Yoda had merely chuckled at her question, patting her arm. “Tools? Hmmm… with your crèche masters talk too, if speak such a way they do.” He then chuckled again but Ahsoka had grimaced, not wanting to get the crèche masters in trouble. “Tools we are not. Unthinking a tool is. Unable to listen, it is. To understand. To question. These things, do they can not.”

“But the Jedi let the Force guide their actions,” Ahsoka had pressed. “The best Jedi open themselves to the Will of the Force. So… how can I be a good Jedi and have Free Will?”

Yoda had looked at her for a long time and just when she’d begun to worry that she’d upset him and had been preparing to apologize he spoke. “Truly wonderful the mind of a child.” He had smiled at her and patted her hand and at once Ahsoka had felt reassured even though he hadn’t answered her question. There simply wasn’t any way to feel worry when Master Yoda was around, especially back when she’d been a youngling. Where other Jedi was so big and powerful and fierce, even at their most calm, he was always a small little rock of comfort. “Listen to the Force, a Jedi does, yes. Tell all though, does the Force? No. Tell it does not.” He paused, considering her for a moment. “To this way go, tell you I can.” He gestured towards the door… then gave her the slightest of nudges with the Force, causing her to let out a squeak. “Or push you, I can. The former the Force is. Suggest is does… but options you are given, not commands. Through the door, go you can. Or not.”

It had made sense then and it made sense now, though it had grown and changed just as much as Ahsoka had herself. From that simple idea that the Force suggests, not demands, to the realization that the Force would try to guide you to a path but it wouldn’t tell you what that path was. And sometimes it was a path that made no sense to you. And more disturbing sometimes it wasn’t the best path. Oh, perhaps for the Galaxy it might be… but not for her. The Force whispered that the life of a civilian, while beautiful, didn’t outweigh the lives of a planet and thus one should be willing to sacrifice one to save the many. But… when you were looking at that one being and held their life in your hand… that was a different story entirely.

‘And yet,’ Ahsoka thought as she walked into the arena, ‘it feels like there is no choice at all here. That I was led to this very moment and never really had any free will to avoid it.’

Because coming at her from the opposite side of the stadium was Bakugo.

‘Izuku doesn’t realize that I’ve been listening to his stories about ‘Kaa-chan’,’ Ahsoka thought darkly to herself. ‘Or at the least he thinks I’m taking them at face value. But even without knowing what he’s like… I could have told him that they weren’t friends.’ Ahsoka set her jaw. ‘Bakugo is a bully. He’s a violent thug who thinks that the world must do whatever he says and he can, in turn, do whatever he wants. That he is the king and we are just the ‘stepping stones on the way’.’

She narrowed her eyes.

‘He’s about to learn how wrong he truly is!’

~MC~MC~MC~

“Why not just turn it to one of the other events?”

Rikiya seethed as he watched the two first year UA students enter into the arena for the Semi Finals of the Sports Festival’s final event.

“I mean… so what?” Kizuki asked as she lounged in his private viewing room, the massive screen meant for airing movies projecting at that moment the UA Sports Festival. She had a martini in her hand and was half slouched in her chair, boneless but still managing to look refined and dignified. “A few foolish children decide to waste their time.”

“On a national stage they are making a mockery of their quirks. They are hobbling themselves. They might as well lop off their own limbs to the hoots and hollers of the crowd.”

On the screen Tano spun around to avoid Bakugo’s first charge, moving to try and grab his arm and put him in a submission hold only for the blond to twist back around and strike her in the stomach. She didn’t go down though, instead responding with a strike of her own that clearly surprised Bakugo.

Neither used their quirks. Why he didn’t know. Didn’t care either.

Kizuki though clearly wasn’t seeing the problem of what was going on. “They get a bit of attention for a few moments and then everyone will be running stories about the Second and Third years. They will be forgotten… if not seen as the worst of the lot presented this year.” She sipped her drink. “Would you like me to run an article about them? Oh, I could make is so acidic…”

Rikiya considered that for a moment before shaking his head. “Not with UA supporting them. Those teachers… they are encouraging this travesty.” He looked at the media master. “What do you know of them?”

Tano went for a leg sweep but Bakugo leapt over it, putting him in range to deliver a devastating knee hit… but he didn’t get a chance as Tano had clearly been ready for him to avoid her strike and as such had kept going down, lying flat on the ground and rolling to get over to his side before she snapped back to her feet with a show of agility that was jaw dropping. She clapped him on the ears, causing him to stumble, and then went on the offensive once again.

“Well, Present Mic you know of, of course,” she stated with a shrug. “He isn’t actually hiding, what with his radio show.”

“Yes,” Rikiya muttered. “And he has shown to be rather liberal in his views about the quirkless.”

Present Mic had often sang the praises of those that fought just beyond using their quirks, much to Rikiya’s irritation. He didn’t have a problem with heroes learning how to use all parts of themselves to fight, of course. He wasn’t an extremist. There were a few people out there that felt that everything should be done with just a quirk and that your entire existence should revolve around them. He wasn’t short-sighted like them and was quick to squash such people like bugs when he was forced to deal with them. They gave his cause a bad name, trying to latch onto it.

No… he believed that ALL parts of one matters. Body, mind, quirk. To neuter one was the neuter yourself.

“And the other?”

Bakugo screamed out something as he managed to grab Tano’s wrist and hurl her over his shoulder. She landed hard onto the ground and rolled just as he went in for a stomp, skittering away like a frightened ant as Bakugo brought his foot down again and again in an attempt to take her out.

“The new Heroics Instruction, Kenobi Obi-Wan,” Kizuki said, finally sitting up straight. “He is a VERY interesting one.”

“What have you found out about him?” Rikiya asked. He didn’t like new players in the game unless they were on his side.

The reporter eyes practically sparkled like a child on their birthday. “He suddenly appeared in Japan just under two years ago along with his brother, Skywalker Anakin.”

“Different names?” Rikiya asked.

“Apparently something common where they are from. A small… well, from what I’ve heard it is more of a cult than a community. Seeking out people that have a similar quirk to the rest of the group and training them. They have others who don’t possess that similar quirk but they either work in the military or are brought in via marriage. Amidala Padme, or Skywalker Padme as she seems to switch between the two, has a rather weak quirk, as does Captain Rex who is apparently their major domo, as far as I can tell.

“Anyway, they arrive and begin making connections. Skywalker is developing bio-mechanical organs and limbs with Powerloader… they already have begun testing on arms and legs, based on one he made for himself.”

Rikiya filed that away. While it wasn’t a result of a quirk he saw the great benefit to such work for his own goals. Far too many people had powerful quirks but were hampered by their mutation quirks or were injured learning about their quirks. With the ability to give them back regular lives… well, it would only strength his cause. Remove the fear that such quirks caused.

But he shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. “But what of Kenobi?”

Tano leapt over Bakugo’s head, startling the teen as he hadn’t expected her to be able to clear him so easily. She struck with a fist into his side, making him grit his teeth before she made a false swipe at his face before going once more for his stomach, getting in a hard hit that doubled him over. She refused to let him have a moment to breathe though, moving to strike him again and it was only Bakugo leaping back that saved him from the flurry of swings she sent his way.

“I am getting there,” Kizuki said with a pout she probably thought was cute. Rikiya was far too used to her doing such things, though, and merely waited for her to continue. “But you must understand the amazing group. Amidala now works at Might Tower as a liaison to the government AND developing an outreach program to help reformed villains.”

Once more Rikiya found himself filing information away. ‘Villains are the greatest cause of Quirk Fears in the public… if they were to disappear our cause would have one less hurdle to deal with.’

Bakugo grinned as he grabbed onto the fleshy white and blue pieces that were part of Tano’s head and squeezed, causing her to cry out. He held on and forced her head towards his knee, slamming it into her right eye. But when he went to do it again Tano, with a savage scream, was on him, not so much striking him with punches but clawing at his face like an animal, forcing him to let go. Tano, for her part, growled low in her throat and rushed him, absorbing one strike before finally getting in close enough to drive her fist into his face with a sickening pop.

“Kenobi though… seems to have visited our fair lands before.” She leaned in and whispered, despite them being the only two in the room, “Midnight and him met a few years ago and the result was a child.”

“Midnight has a child?”

“A daughter with Kenobi. She was raised by him these last few years but now has moved to UA. Kenobi Eri. They are highly protective of her, you can understand, but I’ve managed to get photos.”

“Hmmm,” Rikiya muttered. That wasn’t much use… only if Midnight or Kenobi became a threat to him but even then he had no desire to hurt a little girl. ‘That is what makes us different from the villains… they seek out destruction, reveling in it. I revel in the power of my quirk. What it allows me to do. The freedom of it. There is nothing glorious about slaughtering the innocent… after all…’ He smirked. ‘How are they to learn their place is they are dead?’

“Oh, and Captain Rex is the one that trained that quirkless boy that caused all this.” She waved her hand. “But that secret child… oh that is a delightful bit of-“

“Kenobi is connected to Midoriya?” Rikiya asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Well… yes.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how much he’s interacted with him but-“

Rikiya glowered at that. “So that’s why he’s singing the praises of the quirkless… he has skin in the game.”

Kizuki sighed. “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s a minor fluke. A blip in the news cycle. Its not like it will change things. Heck, they’ve probably ruined their chances at getting internships.”

“Not with Kenobi and Present Mic filling their ears with how great this is,” Rikiya stated. “And Nedzu is most likely already calling in favors to ensure they get more offers than First Years normally do.” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like this… not at all.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Ahsoka panted as she looked down at Bakugo, who was still struggling despite her knee planted right in his back. When he’d grabbed her lekku the jolt of pain… well, it had triggered something in her. It had been agonizing and blinded her and she’d just… reacted.

She remembered what she had done but it was foggy. Clouded. She remembered once, when she’d been very small, a crèche master has shown all the younglings the Jedi Mind Trick, so they understood just what it was and how to defend their minds not just from it but other forms of attack. After all, one couldn’t stop something if they didn’t understand it. It had been very carefully done, with other masters watching and no one made to do anything embarrassing or painful. Ahsoka had been told to sit in a blue chair. She remembered how the suggestion had clouded over everything else, to the point that she didn’t even realize she was moving until she was in the chair. And afterwards it had been almost dreamlike trying to remember it. They had been warned not to attempt it without a master with them as there were some people that became addicted to the feeling.

It had been like that. Like someone had given her a Force Suggestion. ‘Beat Bakugo’.

And she had. He was pinned to the ground and even as he snarled and growled like a beast he couldn’t move a muscle. Midnight came over and counted him out and the crowd cheered (though she knew that they would have been bellowing far more if she had used the Force and Bakugo his quirk). Still, she had won.

…but she didn’t feel like she had won at all.

She walked back to the locker room, her body not feeling like her own. It wasn’t until she realized that Anakin was there, along with Padme, that the dam burst open.

Ahsoka, with a strangled sob, rushed to them, allowing the two to hug her as she broke down crying.

She wondered if Padme understood what was the matter.

She wondered how her master would help her.

Because the fact was clear.

To beat Bakugo…

…she had tapped into the Dark Side.

Even though she hadn’t used the Force. Even though she had ONLY used her own skills… she had given into fear and anger. Fear that she would lose to him and disgrace herself. Anger that Izuku’s tormentor would notch another victory. And when he had grabbed onto her lekkus all that anger and hate had burst out of her and she’d savagely took him down. And she had enjoyed it. Found it the most wonderful thing in the world. Wanted to do so much more. To ignore the silent agreement that they would only spar and instead just brutally destroy him. Feel his body slowly break before she reached into his mind and tore apart all that made him him.

She had wanted all of that.

It wasn’t the Jedi way.

Ahsoka sobbed as she desperately clung to Anakin.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Come on, get to the good stuff!” someone in the bar called out, jeering at the screen. “I wanna see the little baby heroes blow each other up!”

“I don’t know,” someone else said as Kurogiri washed a glass and put it back on a shelf, “I wouldn’t mind if they just tossed out that blond bastard and let the orange chick wrestle with the one with the huge tits!” He laughed at that, the sound echoing about the room thanks to his mutation causing him to have three mouths, one in the center of his face and two others on his cheeks. “Did you see that pert little orange ass of hers bounce? Get her some implants and she’d be fun for a ride!”

“Heh!” the first one said, warming up to the idea. “I hear they teach baby heroes how to handle a hard pounding, in case they are ever caught. Just means that they can take a good dicking without sobbing!” The two broke down into laughter. “Fuck, I could-“

He never finished as he and his friend were left briefly screaming before collapsing into dust.

“Don’t… talk about her that way,” Tomura rasped as he brushed off the barstool one of the men had been sitting at, plunking himself down.

“Those were our latest recruits,” Kurogiri reminded him.

“Then we need to get better ones,” Tomura said, staring at the screen as it replayed the fight Tano had just had with Bakugo. “They are idiots.”

“Why did you care about them talking about the girl?”

Tomura smiled. “Look at her. At first I thought she was a nobody… another NPC that just goes through the motions. Like those generated soldiers in those battle games that are just there to make the battlefield look more cluttered but don’t actually do anything against the enemies. But then she cut loose…” He smiled. “Oh… that was poetic destruction.”

“I suppose so.”

“Kurogiri… find out about her quirk. Find out about her past. Her likes. He dislikes. What she likes to do for fun.”

Tomura smiled.

“I think I just found my Player Two.”

Chapter Text

Izuku shifted as he stood in front of his mother and Rex, unable to stop himself from moving.

“It’s gonna be okay, kid. I wouldn’t have told ya this if I knew it would make ya nervous.”

The green haired teen flashed a weak smile. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I just…”

“You weren’t ready,” Inko stated.

“Yeah… I thought there would be one more round and that would be that. Not… this is it. All the marbles.”

Rex and Inko had come in to break the news to Izuku before anyone else did: Ahsoka was pulling out of the tournament.

They had assured him she was fine, that she wasn’t hurt (‘physically’ he thought to himself, ‘not physically hurt. But you know that emotional pain can sometimes be so much worse, don’t you?’) she just needed to have some extra time to work through some things. Recovery Girl had agreed with her guardians and thus it was being announced to everyone that she was pulling out of the tournament.

‘That might hurt her internship offers,’ Izuku thought, ‘but probably not that much. She still nearly made it to the final round and sometimes people just need to pull out because of issues. It happens often enough.’ That didn’t mean he wasn’t still worried about his friend. ‘I wish I could talk to her. See what happened out there.’ He was worried about her… wanted to make sure she was okay. Would rather being doing that then think about the fact that…

“I know it’s a lot to take in, baby,” his mom said with a smile, reaching out and stroking his cheek. “But this is just another match in the end.”

“Except… it really isn’t, is it?” Izuku asked. “This is now the final round. If I win… I win the Sports Festival.”

“…yeah,” Inko admitted.

Izuku was glad there was no one else in the locker room save for his family. He didn’t want anyone to see him sucking back tears. He had done so well since starting UA, using Rex’s breathing exercises to try and keep control of his emotions. But at that moment he just wanted to break down crying.

Because he was in the finals.

Because he might lose.

Because he might WIN.

Because he didn’t want to embarrass Rex or his mom.

Because they’d come and let him know about the change personally.

Because he was worried about Ahsoka.

Because he was taking on Inasa.

Because-

“So, I have a few ideas on how to beat that wind boy.”

Izuku snapped out of the spiral he’d been going down thanks to his mother’s voice.

He looked at her to see her smiling… and a calculating look in her eye.

“He’s bigger than you… but it doesn’t look like he’s faster. So you have the edge there. And other than when he took on that Todoroki boy he seems rather nice and pleasant so he’ll fight fair. I assume you want to do the same thing… it would be easy to trick him, of course, but you want to win fair?”

“…yeah,” Izuku said, wiping his eyes. “Yeah, I do. He wouldn’t mind if I tricked him… probably laugh at it… but there are going to be people who claim that I only won through underhanded tricks. If I am going to win them over I have to do this fair.”

“You know that there are people who won’t accept you won even if you two do everything fair and honest,” Rex pointed out. “They will always claim that you only won because Inasa didn’t use his quirk.”

“I know,” Izuku said. “But that just means that I need to win them over next year. And the year after that. And then when I’m a hero!”

Rex let out a huff, smiling as he patting Izuku on the shoulder. “Good, vod… real good.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Eri tugged on Obi Wan’s tunic.

“Yes?” he said, turning in his chair and looking down at the girl. “What is it, Eri?”

“…don’t let the big boy hurt Izuku,” she said after a moment.

“The… oh, you mean Yoarashi.” He shifted so he was leaning down a bit closer to her. “Its just a sparring match, Eri. I promise everyone will be okay.”

But Eri shook her head before flashing at Obi Wan a look that he was VERY familiar with. It was Padme’s ‘I am being serious, don’t you DARE patronize me’ look and he wondered just when Eri had learned that. Of course it also reminded him of Satine’s ‘You brought this lightsaber to my planet!?!’ look or Nemuri’s ‘Those were MY candy bears, Obi Wan’ glare.

‘Perhaps all women simply know how to do that,’ he mused.

“Don’t let that big boy hurt Izuku,” she said sternly.

Rather that parrot back to original platitudes Obi Wan reached down and picked her up, setting her on his lap. “So you like Izuku?” he asked.

“Yes,” Eri said with a nod. “He feels… nice. Safe.” She smiled, a small but joyous look. “A cinnamon roll.”

“Oh, so he’s a cinnamon roll?” Obi Wan said with all the seriousness in the world.

“Mmmhmm.”

“And what about the big boy?” he asked.

Eri frowned at that. “He… he’s nice. Feels nice.” She screwed up her eyes a bit in thought and Obi Wan realized with a start that she was using the Force to get a sense of the students. That wasn’t the surprising part, of course… rather it was that Eri’s shields were SO strong that he didn’t even realize she was doing it. She was casting out a wide mental net into the Force and he couldn’t even detect it.

‘She could be just as powerful than Anakin!’ he realized. They had no way to test her, to find out her potential strength. Not with what they had on hand. All they could do is watch her grow… but Obi Wan was coming to suspect that Eri was going to be the most powerful Jedi ever. ‘Sometimes I wonder if this isn’t Master Qui Gon’s final joke against me. Every padawan I will take will be absurdly powerful.’

“Popcorn,” Eri finally stated.

“Hmmm?” Obi Wan asked, knowing she wasn’t saying she wanted something to eat.

“He’s like popcorn,” she said, opening her eyes and looking down at his hand, reaching out and playing with his fingers. Tugging on them, lifting them up and then setting them down. Obi Wan let he do as she wished, not trying to guess why she was so interested in his fingers. He remembered in his own childhood that he would become fond of the oddest things. And Master Yoda had remarked more than once that he had, as a toddler, loved to get down on his belly and look at the old master’s toes.

“Is he?” Obi Wan asked.

“Yes,” Eri commented. “Loud. Pop pop pop. And scary.” Obi Wan nodded at that; Padme had made popcorn a week ago and Eri had burrowed into Anakin in terror at the sound of it. “But good. Nice.” After she had settled down she’d been delighted by the treat, happily munching on it and saying that it was a ‘good scary’.

“So perhaps he won’t hurt Midoriya then.”

“Better safe than… worried?”

“Sorry,” Obi Wan gently corrected her. “Better safe than sorry. And its no different than when Anakin and I spar. Remember?” Nemuri had brought Eri down once to watch the two of them engage in lightsaber practice; she hadn’t seemed frightened at all then.

“They don’t have the Force,” Eri stated. “Can’t tell that something might hurt.”

Obi Wan blinked at that. “Ah… well, don’t worry.” He shifted her and she turned her head, following where he was pointing with his other hand as the little girl stubbornly refused to let go of his thumb. “See down there? Nemuri will protect them.”

“Momma,” Eri replied. “Momma will protect them, papa.”

Obi Wan felt something flutter in his heart at that. Eri had… been rather careful in how she addressed him.

“Of course,” he said. “Momma will protect them.”

And with that he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

‘Well Qui-Gon… if you are able to hear me in the Force… it seems you finally got what you desired. Anakin can’t decide if I am his brother or his father… and I freely admit that Eri is my daughter. I am attached… and I feel it anchoring me to the Living Force, rather than driving me to Darkness.’

~MC~MC~MC~

“Of course it does, Obi Wan,” Qui Gon said, smiling as he watched the two. He knew his padawan wasn’t quite ready to see him yet but… that was okay. One day he would be.

Eri suddenly snapped her head and stared RIGHT at him.

“Well… hello little one,” Qui Gon said in a whisper, surprised when Eri smiled at him, it clear she SAW him. “Could you not let your papa know I’m here… he’s not quite ready to see me.”

Eri nodded and after a moment wiggled off of Obi Wan’s lap as Present Mic came back into the announcer’s booth. Eri walked over to building blocks and began to work on building up a little archway for the toy car Anakin had gotten her to drive through. Qui Gon, for his part, happily sat down on the ground.

“Now then… would you like to hear some stories about when I raised Obi Wan?” She opened her mouth only for Qui Gon to press a finger to his lips, causing her to just nod… but shoot his a questioning look. “Ah… I am Obi Wan’s master. Which, I suppose, means I am his papa… and your grandpapa.” He smiled and Eri, nodding in acceptance of that, continued to play. “Now then…” Qui Gon said, launching into his favorite tale about Obi Wan… and how his snoring had once caused a Hutt to think the human was trying to sing to him.

~MC~MC~MC~

Izuku smiled as he walked over to Inasa, bowing to him.

But when he rose up he was startled to see the taller teen had already left the bow, a smile on his lips.

“No, Izuku… we can do better than that.” And with that he reached over and gave Izuku a hug, slapping him on the back. “We will do this now… and when this is over. Because I want the world to know that you are my friend!”

“And I am yours,” Izuku confirmed before stepping back. “Now… want to put on a show?”

Inasa raised an eyebrow… before laughing. “But of course! Let us show them all what we can do!”

“I was thinking Western… 10 paces?”

“Ha! Even better!” He leaned in close. “My father still wishes I’d make my hero costume look like an American cowboy.”

“Well, this won’t help.” With that the two of them turned, back to back. It made clear the height and size that Inasa had on him… but that didn’t matter to Izuku. Because he had PLANS. “1.”

“2.”

“What is this?” Present Mic called out over the intercom system. “It appears that Midoriya and Yoarashi have decided to treat this like a traditional western duel! Ten paces folks… and then the battle begins!”

“3.”

“4.”

“This will certainly make this final battle rather interesting,” Mr. Kenobi stated.

“5.”

“6.”

“The tension is building folks… but I don’t know if want to see what happens when it finally breaks!

“7.”

“8.”

“For those of you who were looking for the best UA’s First Years have to offer…” Mr. Kenobi continued, “you are about to see it.”

“9.”

“…10!”

And with that both of them whipped around and raced towards each other.

Inasa thundered towards him, arms held out and ready to snag him. But that was what Izuku was hoping for and at the last possible moment he leapt up. And just as he predicted Inasa suddenly swung his arms out to try and snag him from the air… only to realize a second too late that Izuku had purposely made his jump shallow, dropping back to the ground and sliding between Inasa’s legs. His friend tried to spin around but Izuku had already twisted around and with a hard kick drove his shoe into Inasa’s ankle.

The larger boy let out a cry as he suddenly found himself unable to support his own weight.

“And Midooriya delivers a devastating kick to the start of the match!” Present Mic cried out. “Yoarashi is teetering, trying to right himself…”

Inasa waved his arms about, trying to regain his balance, but Izuku didn’t bother to wait around and watch.

‘The only way you know a foe is down is if they are dead,’ he thought, though the words were in Rex’s voice. ‘If they are down they can’t harm you. If they can’t harm you they can’t stop you. If they can’t stop you they can’t keep you from protecting your brothers. All that matters is the vode. The vode have your back, just as you have them. Never leave a knife that might stab your brother in the back.’

Izuku moved around to Inasa’s side and delivered a spin kick to Inasa’s head.

His friend JUST managed to bring his arm up to keep the blow from striking.

But… that was okay. Izuku didn’t mind that he’d done that. Because Inasa had used one arm to block the blow… with gave him one less arm to try and keep himself from falling.

Already moving even as Inasa shoved his leg away Izuku pivoted before bringing both his fists down hard onto his friend’s back, right between his shoulder blades. Inasa cried out in pain but it was the strike to the ground that truly had to hurt, based on the way he gasped.

At once Izuku leapt onto his back, forcing one of Inasa’s arms behind his back while slamming his knees down onto the opposite shoulder. He pinned the arm with his other leg before grabbing onto Inasa’s head with his arms and yanking him upward.

“What is THAT?!?!” Present Mic screamed, nearly making Izuku let go due to how loud he had gotten. “I’ve never seen a hold like that!”

“It’s the Kashyyyk Hold,” Mr. Kenobi said in far more calmer tones. “It is used to hold down larger and stronger opponents. It uses one’s bulk against them.”

Izuku struggled to hold on, feeling his muscles screaming in protest as he pulled up a bit more. Just a moment-

Inasa suddenly managed to grab him by the ankle and yank him off.

He rolled on the ground only to quickly leap back to his feet, seeing his friend already running towards him. Izuku fought the urge to run and instead held his ground.

‘You are the wall,’ Rex’s voice whispered in his mind. He remembered the lessons well… the terror as Rex had raced at him, warning that if he flinched he would have to run laps. It was one thing to know that he needed to stay put but it was another when he had such a large foe coming at him to keep himself from darting away. ‘The wall protects the civvies. That is our purpose. They can’t protect themselves so we must protect them. You are the wall…’

Inasa charged closer.

‘…until you are the gate, swinging close and locking the trap!’

Izuku sidestepped JUST as Inasa’s fingertips ghosted along his shoulder.

He snapped his leg out, tripping Inasa up once more. As the larger teen fell Izuku dropped to the ground, wrapping his legs around Inasa’s throat and locking his ankles as he began to squeeze.

“Now that is a rather familiar hold!” Present Mic declared. “And a dangerous one… though usually one not used by men.”

“Which is rather foolish,” Mr. Kenobi said. “While that hold is preferred by female heroes it is still a powerful move for a hero to have.”

“One could argue even more devastating for a man to use, seeing as few would expect someone like Izuku to use it…”

Inasa reached up, desperately trying to go for Izuku’s ankles, to try and rip his legs apart and free himself. But Izuku just roared out to the sky and tightened his grip, bracing his arms against the ground and shifting his weight so he could pressing his calves and knees harder against Inasa’s head.

His friend suddenly dropped and rolled, catching him off guard and causing his face to slam into the ground. The pain jolted him and caused him to let go… and that was enough for Inasa to break free of the hold and once more scramble to his feet. Izuku scrambled to get away but Inasa was on him FAR too quickly, lifting him up by the shoulder before punching him hard in the stomach.

“A crippling blow from Yoarashi!” Present Mic exclaimed even as Inasa drove his fist once more into Izuku’s belly. “And another one!”

“Midoriya will need to do something quick if he hopes to win this match.”

Izuku gasped for air before going for Inasa’s head.

‘Those that call it fighting dirty just don’t like to admit that they didn’t have the guts to do what needed to be done.’

He hooked his fingers into Inasa’s mouth, making his friend gag even as he jerked hard on his cheek.

It was enough to cause Inasa to drop him and once more Izuku was moving, getting under the larger teen before he lashed out with his leg. But Inasa leapt over the strike and then shifted to avoid the one he tried to send to his side. Izuku delivered two more kicks before going into a tuck and roll, moving beyond Inasa and forcing him to lunge forward.

This time… Izuku didn’t dodge.

He felt the wind blast out of him as his friend wrapped him up. But he had just enough focus to wiggle upward, squirming up along Inasa’s right shoulder before wrapping his one arm around his neck and the other covering the other teen’s eyes.

“Now, what hold would you call that?” Present Mic asked.

Mr. Kenobi paused. “The winning one.”

Midnight’s whistle blasted shrilly through the air. “Yoarashi has stepped out of bounds!”

His friend stopped struggling and looked down… finally realizing what Izuku had been doing the entire match. Every hold, every move… and been to distract the larger teen so that he forgot where he was, never realizing he was inching closer and closer to the out of bounds line.

Until it was too late.

At once Izuku found himself whipped around, Inasa laughing and clapping him hard on the shoulders. “Well done! That was truly amazing! I didn’t even realize what you were doing!”

“It… it was just something I came up with-“ Izuku began only to be cut off by someone in the audience.

“What a gipe!” the man, who had a mutation quirk that caused his hair to have a metallic sheen to it. “That quirkless nobody would have never won if that kid had used his powers! I came here to see something amazing, not affirmative action!”

Izuku lowered his eyes at that.

Inasa… did not.

“YOU DARE?!?!” he roared, pointing his finger right at the man. “You think you can just stand there and insult my friend? Insult all he has done? Even if I had used my quirk he would have still beaten me! Because he is that good!”

“Or you’re that weak!” the man said, clearly embarrassed that he’d been called out and not wanting to be made a fool of any more. “I could take out that quirkless punk easily-“

There was a crack and the man went down… revealing Rex, his hand having chopped the man right on the back of the neck.

“You went down pretty quick alright,” he said before going ramrod straight and bringing his hand up in a salute.

Izuku, tears in his eyes, lifted his head at returned the gesture.

Perhaps the stadium wasn’t roaring with cheers as he’d always imagined when he was a kid.

Maybe there were more murmurs of doubt that he would have liked.

But none of that mattered as Izuku saluted his mentor.

Midoriya Izuku.

Winner of UA’s Year 1 Sports Festival.

Chapter Text

Episode IV

The Growing Darkness

The present collides with the past!

The heroes of Class 1-A, having completed

the Sports Festival prepare for the next stage

of their educations: Internships

But what they do not know is that the ones

that they will soon see as their enemies are

already on the move. Displeased by their

actions they seek to force them to adhere to

their views on how heroes should behave

And as these bastions of the Old Guard move

into position the current and future enemies

of society make their own moves to prepare

for the futures THEY desire…

“So doc,” Cathleen Bates said, sitting down on a table (and quickly applying a Rule to make it able to support her weight) with her arms folded over her chest, “what do we know about the new arrivals?”

She had removed her mask and tied her hair up into a messy bun, not wanting it to get into her eyes. Cathleen still had her costume on but the cape had been removed and hung up; she’d snagged a quick power nap and could speak from experience that the material used to make her cape was utterly amazing at dealing with all sorts of problems… but instantly because a wrinkled mess the MOMENT she laid down. She’d even tried to apply a Rule to it and the damn thing stubbornly found ways to wrinkle all the same the moment she let her head hit a pillow. That left her just in the main bodysuit she wore, a bit too casual for what they were potnetiallly dealing with but she honestly didn’t care.

“They are rather interesting,” Doctor Richard Stark said, leafing through the papers on his clipboard. He was old school, always doing everything with paper and pen, because his quirk allowed him upon touching any document that he had written to enter into his mind without him needing to actually read it. He gestured towards the bank of cameras that showed off the group of eleven. All but the little girl were in the same matching interrogation room; the child, who had finally told them she was ‘O-Me-Ga’, was in one of their waiting rooms. Still being carefully watched incase she had an aging/deaging quirk but allowed a bit more free reign. At the moment she was watching tv, occasionally touching the screen. “What are your thoughts?”

Cathleen fought back a groan; she HATED it when the Doc demanded she give her theories.

But seeing the man just stand there, not even looking at her, left the young woman huffing before she began into her thoughts.

“Multiple mutation quirks. All of them save for those two-“ she pointed at the two metallic beings, “-are clear fighters. Even the girl shows signs of training.” She paused. “Are those two humans or robots? I would assume robots but the gold one at least has far more personality than I’ve ever seen. I don’t think it’s a suit…” She shook her head, realizing that the Doc wasn’t going to answer her questions until she finished. “So those four there are clearly family… brothers I’d wager, maybe even quadruplets. The biggest one most likely as a strength quirk but I’m not sure about the others. Then there is the pretty one…” She couldn’t help the small smile that formed on her lips; she had a type and that one was hitting everyone one her boxes HARD… and she wanted him to hit HER box hard… “I can tell that he is far more dangerous than he lets on. And he’s still letting on a lot.”

The Doc nodded. “Interesting. Very interesting. Horribly wrong for the most part but you ARE getting there, Cathleen.” He smiled even as she glowered at him. “I mean it. Most heroes don’t even get a tenth of what you see. Its merely piecing it together-“

“Doc, do the Sherlock Holmes thing later and tell me what to expect. I imagine our guests are tired of waiting.” She said that even as she saw two of them were currently meditating, looking rather peaceful. Same with one of the brothers, the one with the crosshairs scar over his eye. But the one with the tattooed face was clearly casing the room while the one with the glasses was sleeping and the large one was pacing and demanding someone let him out.

“The brothers aren’t brothers,” the Doc said. “They aren’t even quadruplets. Their genetics are far too close… oh, there are differences but they are basically the same person with a few tweaks.”

“How does that happen?” Cathleen asked.

“We don’t know. More concerning is the fact that NONE of them have a quirk.”

“Seriously?” Cathleen asked, surprised. “9 quirkless… or is it 11?”

“Nine and that’s the final thing. Those last two ARE robots… but the most advanced I’ve ever seen. That’s why I’ve made no move to examine either of the… honestly I’m worried I might break one of them if I tried and that would be like tearing up a classical painting.”

“But are they dangerous?” Cathleen asked.

Once more the Doc smiled. “That is a good question… and it speaks well for you. Most would have dismissed them as not a threat due to a lack of quirk.”

“The big one is stronger than me when I don’t give myself super strength.” Cathleen’s quirk, New Order, was the source of her power and ability to be a hero but that didn’t mean she was a weakling. She worked out daily, training up different parts of her body so that she wouldn’t NEED to use her Quirk all the time. She knew how someone, with the right moitivation, could become stronger. She constantly teased her boys when they decided to slack off about how if they just put in one more rep, one more cycle, one more lap, they could be stronger too. “The one with glasses… I don’t understand what a quarter of his gear does and I’m willing to bet it will cause all the other lab boys fits. I can’t figure out the other two yet and what they bring to their unit but they must have some specialty.”

“Their unit?” The Doc asked.

Cathleen smirked and gestured at the screens. “Matching armor. Yeah, they are personalizing it but it matches. That’s a unit. Those two-“ she pointed to the woman that looked to have a fish mutation quirk… despite the fact that the Doc stated she didn’t have a quirk… and the long haired man. “They are a unit. Not sure where the others fall into place but we have two different teams working together… and that is rather interesting.”

“It is,” the Doc said and Cathleen rolled her eyes; of course he already knew that. Doc loved to test her. Admitedly it made her a better hero, using her brain and being creative, but sometimes she did wish he’d just be straight with her. “So… who do you want to talk to first?”

“The pretty one,” Cathleen said with a grin. She couldn’t help it! She had a type!

“Should have figured,” the Doc said as Cathleen stepped out of the room.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Sorry about the delay,” the tall blond woman said as she entered the room. She wasn’t as gaudily dressed as she had been before but was still wearing her eyesore of a body suit. “When they told me you hadn’t eaten anything yet I decided to bring you something.” She gestured at the tray loaded up with weird foods. The only thing that looked like a food product he’d ever seen was the nerf burger. “I figured we could split it… I can always order more.” She paused. “And it proves we aren’t going to poison you.”

“Smart,” Cad Bane said, tilting his head at the large woman.

“I’m Cathleen, by the way,” she said with a friendly smile. “Also known as Star and Stripe. Unless you already knew that.”

“And why would I know that?” Cad asked with a scoff; of course he’d get someone arrogant enough to believe that he knew who they were.

That caused Cathleen to raise an eyebrow. “Just saying. Usually I get recognized.”

“Not by me,” Cad said darkly. “And I have little time for showboats who only care about fame.”

“Oh, there is a story there,” Cathleen said with a smile as she grabbed what looked like a tuber cut and dipped it into some red paste. She munched on it, leaning forward in her chair. Cad found it interesting she wasn’t upset by his comment. “Come on… I can tell you are someone who enjoys telling stories… tell me that one.”

Cad considered her for a long moment before shrugging; until he found a way out of this place he wuld need to play their games and the woman seemed genuine enough. Certainly better than the gangers or the Jedi he’d dealt with. She was smart enough to eat the same food as him to prove it wasn’t poisonous. Of course she had no idea that he had the cures for nearly every known poison tucked away on his person, hidden in his boots and in his coat despite them checking all his clothing over.

“One time me and another bounty hunter, Jango Fett-“ And there was no reaction to mentioning Fett… that was telling, “-met up with a Bith bounty hunter, Culler. He was making a name for himself, letting everyone know how dangerous he was and how he could capture any being that got on the wrong end of someone with credits. Culler tells us he has a job he’s been asked to do and makes a big show of being willing to let us be ‘support’ if we want. No credits for the job… get ‘exposure’.”

“Seriously?” Cathleen complained as she cut the nerf burger into bits. Cad didn’t see any rhyme or reason to the cuts so he didn’t think she had only poisoned part of it. “Come on… that is just stupid as all get out. Pay people what they deserve, that’s my motto. You two were going to do work for him and he can’t even give you enough to pay for your supplies?”

Cad knew she was his captor. He knew that. And yet… he couldn’t help but feel a bit more respect for her. Still annoyed she was holding him captive but more and more it was looking like she was just some government official doing her job and not setting them up for punishment.

“Well, we turn him down and he makes a huge scene about how we’ll never amount to anything because we have no idea how to actually branch out and work with others.”

He paused.

“Half a cycle later we learn that he’d dead on some no-name planet. See, that big bounty? Came from the brother of the Wookie he’d brought to the Hutts for a fat price. The brother and his friends took their time too. Pulling off little bits of him rather than whole arms.” Cad shook his head. “Never get so famous that your enemies can find you easily. No problem with a reputation but never be so loud that you can’t even step outside your ship without a blaster in your face.” It had been a lesson he’d been trying to beat in Boba, quite literally, for the entire time he’d mentored him. The boy didn’t want to hear it though, believing that since he was his ‘father’s son’ he should be already known and able to call the shots. Cad had explained once after he’d left Boba bloodied after messing up a simple task that he needed to stop getting so defensive about being a clone… that was the best fucking army in the galaxy! He could easily make himself look like one of a million other beings! He could get close to Jedi, Senators, planetary leaders, and kill them without anyone ever knowing. But no… Boba had to be original and different and special-

“Did… did you say another PLANET?” Cathleen asked.

Cad stared her down. “Yeah…”

“…you’re from outer space?”

“Everyone is from outer space,” Cad said automatically even as his brain began to race. He had wondered what was wrong with the world they found themselves on. What was different about it. He hadn’t been able to figure it out… until that moment.

It had no space-traveling capabilities.

“Oh,” Cathleen said slowly.

“Oh,” Cad echoed her.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Hhmmmm.”

At once Class 1-A went silent.

Aizawa smirked at that. Just barely but it was there. “Only took you 3.1 seconds to quiet down. Good. Now we need to work on you realizing I am approaching so you can already be quiet before I even open the door.” Walking over to his desk he set down the heavy box he was carrying, rolling his shoulders slightly to work out the kinks. “Now then, you all did reasonably well at the Sports Festival. Everyone made it to the Second Round and we had a good representation in the Final Round. And no one from the other classes did so well as to boot any of you out of class so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Several students began to cheer at that only to get dark looks or, in the case of Denki, shouted declarations from Bakugo to ‘shut the fuck up’.

“But he just said we didn’t have to worry!” Denki whined.

“About this time! But now that we’ve impressed him he’s going to jack the expectations sky high, you idiot!” That caused Denki to go utterly pale and ramrod stiff.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. The kids were learning.

Good.

“Sensi!” Ida called out, hand shooting straight into the air. Literally. It was perfectly straight. Just looking at the boy’s posture made Aizawa want to slouch in protest. “Does that box contain our Internship Requests?”

“It does,” Aizawa stated and the class began to talk rather loudly again. Every time. Every time he said something. Seriously. “Quiet!” he snapped and the students, to their credit, went silent. “They do. Now, usually for First Year we get a handful of students that get requests while the rest of you select from the lists of Agencies that are willing to take on any interns. This year however all of you got at least one request.”

What he didn’t mention was that despite the showing they had given they had gotten far less offers than normal. Especially from the top heroes in Japan. And Aizawa knew why: Endeavor.

The hero had been rather vocal in telling Nedzu that he wouldn’t be taking any interns from UA this year, choosing instead to focus on other schools. He had clearly thought that his threat would get the rat to change things, perhaps expel Midoriya because Endeavor was a quirkist. But Nedzu had merely stated that it was disappointing that Endeavor was too busy but he understood the need to find students better suited to his… style. And that this would allow many new and upcoming heroes to finally get a crack at UA students.

‘Everyone knows that some of the deepest bonds young heroes make are during their internships. Especially their first. Endeavor’s little stunt got the other Top Ten heroes to do nothing but that just means that rising heroes are going to get a crack at UA… and that will matter in a few years.’ He hid his smile. ‘And… there is the matter of All Might…’

He pulled himself from his thoughts has his students clamored all around him. This time he let them jabber about that for a bit longer. Honestly they had earned it. He remembered what it was like, worrying that you wouldn’t get a request… and when you didn’t feeling like you were lower than mud. Yet another cruelty of their profession.

“That said,” Aizawa stated, “I would suggest all of you also look over those agencies.”

“Why, sensi?” Yaoyorozu asked politely.

“Just because you get an offer doesn’t meant it’s a good fit for you,” Aizawa stated. “Too many hero students only look to see who is the highest rated hero to select them and go with them. They don’t bother to think about battle methods, quirk typing, or who could help them strengthen a weakness.” He pointed out Bakugo. “You got 517 requests. One of the highest was Flicker. Would you take that internship?”

Bakugo opened his mouth… only to snap it shut and actually consider the question. “…only if everyone else was such a loser that it would make me look weak going with them. Because Flicker is too much into his looks for me.”

Aizawa was impressed… the boy was learning. Flicker was highly ranked but he was all about style and showing off. The only reason one could truly call him a hero and not a poser was that Flicker actually donated most of his pay to charities and did a lot of community outreach. But he wasn’t a hero to go into big clashes… and thus was horribly suited for Bakugo.

Maybe there was hope for him yet.

“Now then,” he said, “we’ll be going over these in Hero Studies with Kenobi. Both of us will be there to help you select the best choice for your Internship.” He shot them all a cold stare. “And I want you to think hard about your internships. They will affect you for the rest of your hero career. If you select the right one it can help you strengthen a weakness. Or fine tune a strength. Teach you something you don’t know or help you…” He shut his eyes in pain, “god help me… go… plus… ultra.” He couldn’t believe he’d walked into that one.

The class all looked at him with smirks and grins and at once Aizawa felt a bit of fear run down his spine. Damn it, he hoped none of them had recorded that.

“Anyway,” he said, quickly going back into his aloof teacher mode, “the internships aren’t to be taken lightly. You will have one week to think it over.” That had been something Kenobi had pushed for HARD. He said it was insane to demand students decide within a day or two something so important. Aizawa had agreed with him and the two had implemented the change.  “But before we get into that we’ll be having Midnight take over the class because I suck at this next part.”

“Sensi?” Ochaco said in confusion. “What is it we are doing?”

“Something very important!” Nemuri declared as she burst into the door… as she did EVERY year. Seriously, he could see the dents in the walls from her forcing the door to open too fast. “Something that will be just as important to your futures!” She held up a white board. “Its time… to select your hero names!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Good soldiers follow orders.

He wasn’t for sure WHY that had been floating through his head recently but it had.

No… no that wasn’t true. He understood exactly WHY that thought kept going through his head.

‘If good soldiers follow orders is the reverse true… does following orders make you a good soldier?’

Commander Cody let out a sigh as he walked along the ruined streets of the city of Itho. It had not been the greatest place to begin with, before the war. Cody could tell that in an instant. A place where those went there only if they had no other choice. And those that stayed… well, it reminded him of the barnacles he’d sometimes see on the vessels in Kamino that the long necks were always fretting about. Disgusting little things that clung to their sleek and polished ships and cities and that required their droids to chip away at almost constantly. Hard people that clung to the rock and refused to budge. The town had maybe 20 buildings at most, all a touch too small but that was due to the Dilphians being rather short in stature but the barnacle people made do, crouching down or modifying the buildings to suit their own needs.

Why the Separatists had wanted some backwater Outer Rim planet Cody didn’t know. Why the Republic wanted it… he didn’t know. It wasn’t part of either group, as far as he could tell. Most likely the only reason they were there was because the Separatists wanted it and when hadn’t the Republic craved something that the Seppies had…

He grimaced. ‘Careful there… that is sounding a bit treasonous.’

That had been happening more and more, he’d noticed. Over the last year or so his thoughts had been… bitter… towards the Republic.

‘So many brothers lost, all for so little,’ he thought as he checked to make sure that there was nothing left over from the battle that might cause them problems later. General Tapal had been rather firm in that. He had warned that if they left even a single unexploded frag grenade then the damage it caused would stain them forever, even if they never learned of it. He had commanded the entire area swept just before he’d left to return to the Jedi Temple; something about selecting an apprentice or Padawan, Cody couldn’t remember. ‘And I should remember,’ he thought to himself.

That was happening too. Forgetting details. Being unable to focus. His mind wandering.

‘And you know why,’ he thought as he passed by some civilians, who quickly hurried away from him. It didn’t matter that he currently had his bucket off or that he wasn’t doing the sweep with the crisp precision that he’d normally demand of his brothers, they still ran. He hoped it was just because they were criminal scum who were afraid of what he might do to them but he knew it was most likely that they remembered him and his brothers storming into their lives and leaving carnage in their wake. ‘You know why you’ve lost your taste for all of this.’

“You… look like you could use a drink.”

Cody whipped around, hand going for his blaster, only to pause when he saw just who had spoken to him. The figure was dressed in blacks but over that was a worn dark brown cloak, barely more than a blanket with a hood attached to it, and clasped in his hands was a cane that he leaned against. It wasn’t even really a cane… it more looked like a piping for some electrical system than a proper cane, what with the odd bits and pieces attached all over it. He saw a bit of metal at the bottom of the cloak where his boots should have been and mentally grimaced; a cripple. They’d run into a lot of people like that in Itho, who used whatever they could to still function. Cybernetic arms and legs that looked to be worse than not just missing the limbs. Cody had given a ration bar to a little girl who had been missing a hand and made do with a hook not even an hour ago, wishing that he could give her back her life. Or, perhaps, a better one.

“I’m on patrol,” he said.

“That seems like something far too… menial… for someone of your command,” the cripple replied, his voice smooth and cultured, quiet yet also commanding great attention from all that heard it. The words though… before Cody could bristle at that, to comment that NO task was too menial if it meant protecting the civilians, the cripple shook his head. “I’m sorry, that came out horribly rude. I just noticed that you are rather high up in the Republic army, aren’t you? A… captain?”

“Commander,” Cody said gruffly.

“Apologizes, I just learned of you all a few days ago… the war hadn’t touched where I was and I only just arrived on this planet. Please… let me get you a drink.” He gestured at the building behind him and even though Cody knew he shouldn’t… “For what you’ve done for us… I think man that is willing to sacrifice all for an ideal… should at least be able to have a drink.”

That was how, an hour later, Cody found himself sitting at a table with the cripple, a Zabrak named Seris Madreth, drinking some watered down booze (not synthahol… no, this was the real deal) and swapping stories of what they had seen.

“…rather rusty but… it did the trick all the same,” Seris commented with a soft chuckle, Cody joining in. “Still… I didn’t find what I was looking for.”

“And what were you looking for?”

“Someone I used to know. You wouldn’t believe me.” Seris looked down before slowly looking up. “or… maybe you would. I get the sense that you know more than one would expect when it comes to losing someone.”

“I… yeah,” Cody said. “This compaign… we lost a lot of brothers. Same with all the campaigns, honestly.”

“But its something else, isn’t it?” Seris asked quietly. “Or… someone else?”

“Yeah,” Cody admitted. He took another sip of his drink; it wasn’t nearly strong enough to get his buzzed so he wasn’t sure why he was spilling his guts out to the stranger. Maybe because he was ‘Commander Cody’ and that meant there wasn’t a single member of his battalion he could truly talk to because he had to always be in control. They needed him to be strong and steady and unyielding and couldn’t see him as a person. “About… I don’t know, over a year now… there was this peace negotiation. I should have gone but… I didn’t. Thought it was better if I handled the men. And…”

“And you lost someone?”

“Yeah,” Cody said again, gruffly. Rex… and Obi Wan. The two beings in all the galaxy that Cody could allow see the real him, even if just in private. Who didn’t demand that he always be the poster boy for the GAR. Gone in a damn attack at a peace summit. It sounded like a bad joke. “And now… well, things have changed.”

The 212 had been dismantled and absorbed into various other Battalions. Cody had ended up with the 16^th, the Iron Battalion, and they were good boys… but they mourning their original Commander, Rigor, and he never really got to develop a relationship with them like he had had with the 212^th. Or with Tapal. He was a good man, a cunning warrior, and Cody was proud to serve him…

‘But he’s not YOUR Jedi,’ he thought bitterly. ‘You let your Jedi die.’

“Things change… things change,” Seris commented softly. “Yes… I know that well myself. And yet I find that even understanding that change will come… I still cling to what once was.” He let out a sigh and sipped is own drink, reaching down to run his finger through a drop of spilled booze. “That’s why I’m searching for Kenobi. He is someone-”

Cody’s head snapped up. “Kenobi? Obi Wan Kenobi.”

“Yes,” Seris said, tone curious. “You’ve… heard of him?”

“I have,” Cody said, swallowing. “I’m sorry to tell you but… he’s dead.”

Seris leaned forward. “Truly? That is disappointing. I know he’s been reported dead already but I had hoped to find him before whatever took him finished the job. Have you seen the body? What state-“

“What are you talking about?” Cody asked, confused.

“You don’t know?” Seris asked. “Of course you don’t… why would you? Its not something the Republic wants to talk about. A grave embarrassment.” He leaned in and whispered, “The explosion that they say killed Kenobi… it was a cover.”

“A… cover?”

“Yes. I’m not for sure what but… it is a cover. To hide him. To explain why he has disappeared.” Seris shook his head. “And it isn’t the Republic that is doing it.”

“The Separatists?” Cody asked, heart sinking into his boots. “They have the General.”

“That is my belief,” Seris stated. “Its why I began this journey. To find Kenobi.”

He paused.

“You are welcome to join me, if you wish.”

“What?”

Seris chuckled. “I’m gathering up a small team to find him. Your skills would be most welcome.”

“I can’t… I can’t leave,” Cody said at once. “My men-“

“You mean to tell me that your General is captured and in danger and you aren’t willing to save him?” Seris pressed.

Cody narrowed his eyes at that. “I would do anything to help him. But I have to do it right… alert High Command-“

Seris laughed, his tone mocking. “High Command knows that Kenobi isn’t dead. They have always known. They just don’t want to admit it. How would it look to the Galaxy if they couldn’t even protect one of their greatest generals? Why… you might have Jedi wondering if they shouldn’t leave the field entirely if they are at risk… and where would the war be without them?” Seris paused. “And you… aren’t going to claim that the High Command would NEVER keep things from you…”

Cody didn’t. He knew that High Command kept secrets. He had always calmed himself by thinking that they had to… that there was a reason why they didn’t tell them everything and that was okay. That he just needed to know what he needed to know.

But now…

“Come now, Cody… you are one man. In battle you can only do so much… and there are millions literally like you. You disappear today and they will mourn for a few hours and then another will take your place. You will be forgotten in a week. And you won’t be able to change what happens in this war. You’re too… small. But… with me? You are one… and that might make all the difference.”

Good soldiers follow orders.

But following orders… didn’t make you a good soldier.

Or a good man.

Cody rose up.

“You have a ship.”

“I do,” Seris said. “My brothers are waiting for me there. They are helping me. We’ll needed a few more but… we can see about collecting them along the way. We’ll also get you new armor… that will stand out a bit too much.” He nodded to Cody’s armor and he nodded; yes, it would raise questions. Seris rose and walked towards the door, leaning heavily on his cane and after only a moment Cody moved to follow.

“You never told me… how do you know General Kenobi?” Cody asked.

“Oh… we go very far back. All the way to Naboo,” the red and black skinned Zabrak said, glancing over his shoulder at Cody. “We met on Naboo. I was there when his master died. I think… yes… yes I do think I wouldn’t be half the man I was… if not for… Kenobi.”

Chapter Text

“You can’t just go with your own name,” Uraraka said, though to Shoto’s confusion her tone was light and there was a smile on her face that made him think of the sun on a warm day. “These are our hero names!”

Shoto frowned at that. “I have never considered what to call myself other than my name.”

“Never?” Ida asked. While most of the large group were seated on the ground he had chosen a chair, sitting prim and proper.

Uraraka seemed just as startled. “Haven’t you ever thought about what you would call yourself when you became a hero?”

“I assumed my father-“ Shoto stopped himself after that. He didn’t want to admit that for much of his life he had known that anything involving him being a hero would require approval by his father… assuming he was even allowed to take part in making a choice. The same with his costume, his agency, all of that.

‘But that all changed after Toya and mother,’ Shoto thought to himself. ‘I could no longer follow his path after that.’

Yoarashi, strangely enough, was the one that first spoke up. “Well, it won’t be his name. It will be yours.” He flashed a large smile and while Shoto didn’t return it the larger teen’s grin never dropped. He had been… odd… like that, ever since the Sports Festival. Yoarashi had been rather cold to him for most of his time at UA. Not challenging him like so many other people tried to do (Bakugo being the number one culprit but others in the class had taken to testing themselves against him, seeing him as some sort of gauge to determine their growth and power) but rather acting like he didn’t even exist. That he was no different than a piece of furniture.

At first Shoto hadn’t minded that. Found it actually rather refreshing. But after Uraraka had decided they should be friends Shoto had quickly become concerned that Yoarashi would treat her like that as well. And his… friend… didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

But not only had the taller teen remained friendly with Uraraka… he had suddenly become a lot friendlier to Shoto.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

That was how Shoto had found himself part of a large group of students, going over hero names. Him, and Uraraka, of course (He’d walked right up to her the moment Midnight said they could work together to brainstorm names, not even bothering to say a word as he knew he wanted to spend the rest of the class with her). Of course Uraraka had called out for Jiro and Tokoyami to join them, seeing as the four had been a team during the Sports Festival. Shoto hadn’t minded that at all, nor Uraraka calling for her two best friends to join them. Tano had brought Yaoyorozu and Shinso, while Midoriya had brought Ida and Yoarashi. Thus somehow Shoto, who had never been one to be part of the crowd, found himself part of the largest group in 1-A, with half the class taking over the back of the room.

“Don’t worry about it, Todoroki,” Tano said with a sharp smirk, shaking her head slightly, “I never thought of hero names either.”

“You didn’t?” Midoriya asked, surprised. “Why not?”

“Is this something to do with the island you grew up on?” Uraraka asked.

At once Ida spoke up. “It is very rude to press her on this! Tano’s culture and beliefs shouldn’t be dissected.” He began to chop his hand up and down in time with each of his points, making Shoto tilt his head in confusion. He’d seen the larger teen do that before but didn’t quite know why. Perhaps it was part of his quirk? He found himself subtly mimicking him as he did so, staring at his own hand as it went up and down.

Tano merely smiled. “Its fine, Ida,” she assured him. “And yes, it is Uraraka. Back home we didn’t have heroes like the rest of the world does. Instead people with my work all worked to achieve a rank.”

“A rank?” Yaoyorozu asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, students are known as Padawans. Or Padawan Learners. We are mentored by Knights, the next level.”

“OH!” Midoriya exclaimed. “That’s why Anakin took the name Sir Steel, right?”

“More like Midnight forced him to take it,” Ahsoka said with a smirk. “After Knights there are Masters. Those are Knights who have either fully trained a Padawan or demonstrated use of their quirk in such a way that they can be considered… well… masters of that. And finally there is the Grand Master.” She gave a soft shrug. “So yeah, never considered hero names myself.”

“No big deal,” Shinso muttered. “I was too focused on proving to everyone I wouldn’t become a villain to ever bother thinking of hero names.”

MIdoriya grimaced at that. “I used to think of hero names but… well…”

“Too much like All Might?” Uraraka teased and the green haired boy blushed at that.

“That’s why we’re all going to work together,” Yaoyorozu said with a happy smile. “We’ll help each other come up with hero names. Even those of us who have thought of them before… sometimes something sounds good when you are just thinking about it but when others hear it and you realize that it isn’t as impressive.”

“Right!” Uraraka declared.

“I still don’t see why I can’t use my name,” Shoto stated.

Midoriya quickly spoke up. “Privacy.”

“Hmmm?”

“Well… you don’t want to always have people following you around asking for autographs, right?” He looked at the others. “I mean, it sounds great being a hero and having fans but I don’t know if I’d want it ALL THE TIME. What if I want to go shopping for new shirts? Or if I want to go see a movie? I try to go only for my fans to want to talk with me or take pictures.”

Ida shifted a bit. “My brother and I sometimes run into that. While he doesn’t hide who he is, does plenty of interviews out of his armor, usually he is able to walk around without getting pestered. But the few times he does…” Ida glanced down. “When I was very little it used to upset me when strangers would come and get very close to him.”

“My parents aren’t heroes but they are rather wealthy,” Yaoyorozu commented, “so we get a lot of attention. I often couldn’t be left alone because I could have been a target.” She nibbled on her lip. “Many times I wished I could have just been able to swing on a swingset without all the paparazzi taking photos.”

Shinso suddenly said, “And then there is All Might.” The others all turned to stare at him. “He had a daughter and he had to lie about her existence.”

“I never even thought about that,” Yaoyorozu murmured. “Heroes are targets for villains… but so are their families.” Her eyes suddenly went wide. “I need a mask.”

“What?”

“A mask!” Yaoyorozu declared. “If people can see my face they’ll instantly realize who I am!”

Tano frowned at that. “Yeah… I know that Obi Wan and Anakin and Rex all use masks for their hero costumes…”

At once Midoriya pulled out some paper. “It wouldn’t have to be a full mask either,” he said, sketching away. “Thinking about your fighting style and your costume what if you went with a ninja motif? Then you could get away with a mask that covered the lower half of your face.” Shoto leaned over and found himself utterly surprised by the green haired boy’s skill. Within a minute he had a rather accurate sketch of Yaoyorozu, a mask coving her mouth and nose. “We could do a hood too, if you wanted, but it would fit well with your costume and you liking to use handheld weapons.”

“Oh… oh I love it!” the tall teen declared happily, taking the drawing and holding it up for everyone to see. Shoto had to admit that it was a great design: striking, memorable, but also clearly functional. “And you’re right, that would work perfectly with what I like to wear! And certainly covers up more skin than my first outfit! Will you come with me after school to talk with my family’s costume designer?”

“Of… of course!” Midoriya stammered. “I’d love to.”

“You shouldn’t forget to let Hatsume know too,” Tano teased. “She will want to add all sorts of gadgets to that thing. Or get a matching outfit.” That caused Yaoyorozu to blush though Shoto wasn’t sure why that was.

‘My father doesn’t bother to hide who he is,’ Shoto thought to himself. ‘He gets angry if people don’t realize that he’s Endeavor. Takes it as an insult.’ He glanced at his reflection, the dark red scar on his face and his two-toned hair making it clear to all who he was. Even if he wore a mask everyone would know he was the son of Endeavor-

“Hey,” Jiro whispered softly, causing him to whip his head in her direction. “Listen… not my place to ask but… have you ever considered makeup?”

“Makeup?” Shoto asked.

“Yeah. They make some really good stuff that can hide burns and such.”

Shoto blinked at that. He had never considered actually hiding his scar. He had done little to keep people from seeing it, wearing it as penance for being Endeavor’s son. A reminder to himself every time he looked in a mirror who he was.

And yet…

“And they make some great hair dyes too!” Uraraka said. “I mean, if that’s what you are worried about. I was going to suggest it to Midoriya before I found out that he wears a full helmet.”

“Yeah,” Midoriya said with an awkward laugh, tugging on his wild green locks. “They are kinda memorable…”

Shoto looked at his reflection again. ‘I bear this scar to remind me of the pain my father caused… but if I could remove all that made me look like Endeavor…’

“Todoroki?” Jiro said. “I didn’t mean to offend. I just-“

“Jiro?” he asked politely. “What do you know about contact lenses?”

~MC~MC~MC~

“What the fuck is wrong with my hero name?!?!” Katsuki roared, glaring at Tsu who didn’t even bother to look up from her white board.

That was something that… well, he didn’t know if it annoyed him or pleased him. He was used to people cringing and starting whenever he yelled and frankly it was super annoying, so it was nice that Tsu could handle a little noise. Unlike the rest of the so called ‘hero students’ in their class she wasn’t going to shrink and snivel if someone wasn’t sweet and cuddly around her. He sometimes wondered if the extras that were his classmates even realized that villains weren’t going to talk nicely to them.

On the other hand… he did like seeing people stand down when he just said a word.

But Tsu didn’t.

“Its horrible,” she said, tilting her head as she considered her white board for a moment.

“It is not!”

“King Murder Explosion sounds like something a 4 year old created to try and sound tough,” Tsu said, causing Katsuki’s eye to twitch.

“IT DOES NOT!” he roared.

“It… kinda does,” Kirashima replied.

“You’re outfit has nothing ‘kingly’ about it,” Ashido said before holding out her board. “Tsu?”

“…no,” she said with a shake of her head, Ashido pouting as she wiped away ‘Pinkie’. After Midnight had said that Alien Queen wasn’t a good name for her (getting the oddest look on her face and for some reason looking at Shit Horns) she’d been trying to figure out a new hero name for herself… and failing.

Tsu had been one of the first to get approval for her’s and she’d helped Kaminari get his, which had led other extras to walk over and ask for her help. Apparently she had a good eye for what was appealing as every name she said worked was instantly approved by Midnight.

Katsuki had been spending the last ten minutes arguing that his hero name was the greatest ever.

“What’s wrong with King Murder Explosion?”

“Lots of things,” Tsu said casually. “Would you like overall or break it down by word?” When Katsuki didn’t say a word, so angry at her not praising his brilliantly chosen name, she shrugged. “Okay, by word first. King is a bad word to start with. Instantly makes people think you are trying to be a snob. That’s part of the reason why Midnight rejected Alien Queen.”

“I thought it was because Midnight said it was scary,” Ashido said, still bummed that her name had been rejected.

“Oh, it was. And that’s why King Murder Explosion was rejected too.”

“I’m gonna be a fucking hero!” Katsuki snarled. “I’m not here to cuddle babies!”

“Who do you think heroes are saving all the time?” Kirashima said with a laugh, instantly having Katsuki’s hackles raised.

“You fucking laughing at ME, Red Riot?!” he snarled, trying to make Kirashima’s nickname sound utterly insulting. But the red-haired teen merely shrugged, not affected in the slightest.

Tsu pressed her index finger to the side of her face. “I mean, you want to be popular, don’t you? That means having people actually WANT you to rescue them… people are easily scared though so they won’t understand that you are a true hero and their best bet at saving them, ribbit. They can be dumb like that.”

Katsuki glowered at that but conceded her point. ‘Fucking civilians get scared off by the dumbest things… heroes too.’ His mind went back to the Slime Villain. Everyone standing around, watching as he slowly suffocated… until Star Might had saved him.

“Alright then,” he finally ground out, “So King Murder Explosion is out.”

“Mmmhmm,” Tsu said with a nod. “Murder really sealed the deal. Maybe try and find a new catchphrase? You can’t trademark ‘Die!’, now can you? Don’t want knock off shirts and hats out there.”

“Fuck no I don’t want that!” he exclaimed, a touch embarrassed he hadn’t thought of that. All Might got all his attacks trademarks and people loved to have them on their clothing… his parents had dealt with that enough in their jobs. He should have thought about that. “Alright then, fine. Forget the fucking name. Its stupid anyway.”

“Sounds like something my cousin would have come up with during her goth phase,” Kaminari stated.

“Fuck you!” Katsuki roared.

Tsu looked over at Ashido, considering her for a long moment before scribbling something on her white board. “There.”

“Nebulady?” Ashido said.

“Space themed so it still fits your “Alien Queen from another world” theme but not as scary. Also works as a play on your quirk since when you thicken your acid its nebulous. Which also works for you since you can do Limelight, Support, or Rescue Heroics. Not defined by one.”

“…Nebulady… I like it!” Ashido grinned, springing up and running over to Midnight.

Tsu turned her attention to Katsuki. “Want me to pick one for you?”

“I can do it myself,” he growled, looking at his white board.

“I know… but if you get it done NOW we can discuss training.”

Katsuki shot her a side-eye at that. He knew she was playing him…

“Grand Nitro,” she finally said. “Works with your quirk, has prestige, but not as snobby as King.”

He considered her for a very long moment.

“…whatever,” he said, even as he wrote it down.

~MC~MC~MC~

“Wait, what’s wrong with Ear Jack?” Jiro asked.

Izuku waved his hands about. “Nothing! Nothing at all! It’s a great name!” He paused. “Its just… that’s the name of your quirk.”

“Yeah,” Jiro said, staring at him like he’d just declared the sky was blue.

“Well, you know about the Hero Information Act of 20XX, right?”

Jiro just stared at him.

“Oh!” Tenya said, adjusting his classes. “I remember that. It allows for journalists to access records on Pro Heroes.”

“Passed after Shoowaysha Publishing sued to obtain information concerning All Might after his return to Japan,” Izuku stated. “The Act states that papers are able to put in a request for the records of any hero outside of the Top 50 without any roadblocks or waiting periods, so long as the one making the request is able to provide enough information on the hero in question to prove that it is for proper research. Unless they get a marker on their file that prevents that but to do that on your own…”

“Records?” Inasa asked startled. “So you mean-“

“Well, level 1 is just name and basic facts. But level 2 would be home address, school records, whatever the Hero Commission has records of.”

“Home address!?!” Uraraka said, horrified.

“Yeah,” Izuku said with a grimace.

Tensei pressed his lips together in a fine line. “My brother mentioned that. He wanted it expanded to the Top 100 but he hasn’t been able to have much luck getting them to listen to his appeals. They say it doesn’t matter due to him having a Marker.”

Ahsoka raised her hand. “What’s a Marker?”

Before Izuku could say a word Tensei stated, “A Marker is a lock on your file. As Izuku said it can take a lot to get one for yourself without aid from a government agency or organization. My brother got one since he acts as my legal guardian, what with our parents out of the country. Any hero with a child can get a Marker now… it came about due to an attack on the heroine… Nana I believe?... that saw her husband killed.”

“Oh!” Ahsoka exclaimed. “That must be the paperwork Obi Wan was filling out! Anakin had to help him… only time I’ve ever seen him be the one help Obi Wan with documents.”

Izuku nodded. “Yeah, though he should have been covered by UA.” The others looked at him, confused, and he added, “If you teach at a Hero School you get a Marker as well. Honestly I think that’s part of the reason Mr. Aizawa teaches here.”

“Okay, so that’s… really bad,” Jiro said, glancing down at the drawing Izuku had done for Momo, clearly rethinking her own choice for costume. “But what does that have to do with my hero name being my quirk’s name?”

“One of the ways to get Level 2 clearance is to know what a hero’s quirk is,” Izuku said with a shake of his head. “So by providing your Hero Name and Quirk name they can instantly gain Level 2 Clearance. That would get them personal information as well as all records about your quirk. How it works, known weaknesses, so on.”

Momo swallowed at that information. “That… that can’t be right.”

“They would reveal that stuff?” Inasa asked, just as shocked.

“Government…” Shinso muttered, shaking his head.

“But… this would be only for reporters,” Ahsoka pointed out. “I mean, I’m not a fan of them finding out that information but there are ways to deal with that. Threats to blacklist them from interviews or delaying them through legal means…”

“Right,” Izuku conceded. He hated how relieved his friends all looked… hated he had to ruin their relief. “The cost of getting legally listed as a newspaper is 140,000 yen.”

“…what?” Uraraka squeaked out.

“I looked into it.” Izuku didn’t want to admit he’d actually saved up for over a year, thinking about getting listed as a newspaper just so he could request all the hero records he wanted. “There is little oversight… you can pretty much just pay the money and fill out the forms and get accredited.”

Tenya looked utterly pale. “That… that can’t be right, Izuku. Clearly you are mistaken-“

“You think Izuku is mistaken about something involving heroes?” Ahsoka shot back.

“Why did no one ever do something to stop this?” Inasa asked.

“Why would they?” Shoto said. “After all, how many people would think about it?”

“Izuku did!” Momo said, sounding utterly frantic. “That means anyone with a bit of money could learn who we are, where we live, get our medical records…”

“What mad darkness this is,” Tokoyami said, Dark Shadow wrapping around him and nodding in agreement. “They set us up for death and despair while selling us our own coffins.”

“It’s not that bad! I mean, they can find all that out but only if they know what your full name and your quirk is,” Izuku pointed out in a hurry. “Which is why you shouldn’t make your hero name your quirk’s name.” He let out a sigh, seeing his friends were still worried. “Its not the best solution but… as far as I know no one has put two and two together. Only I have and now only you guys know. We just need to keep it to ourselves until we can do something about it.”

“Oh, we’ll be doing something about it!” Momo said with a dark look, glancing over at Tenya who nodded. “I’ll be talking with my parents about my… concerns… about such things.”

“As will I,” Tenya assured her. “And thus I think we should focus our hero names.”

“And not using our quirks for inspirations,” Jiro said with a shudder… only to turn and glance at Shinso who was writing on his white board. “Seriously? Mindjack?”

“You aren’t using Earjack and its not my quick,” he reasoned.

“Maybe,” Izuku said, “but you might want to be careful about broadcasting what your quirk does…” He sighed when he saw everyone looking at him again. “I promise I’m not trying to be difficult. I just want everyone to be safe. Best Jeanist has been dealing with some issues recently because everyone knows his quirk uses fibers.”

“Okay, Izuku, what are you thinking for your hero name then?” Ahsoka asked.

That caused him to smile. “Longshot. In honor of Rex and because, well…” he blushed, “I’m quirkless. Me becoming a hero… it’s a longshot.”

Jiro made a face. “I hate you so much right now because that is so good.”

“Come on, we can come up with names for all of you! We just need to focus!” He looked at all his friends, the teens finally nodding in agreement. “Alright, so…”

As the time to the end of the class ticked by (and the presentation of their new Hero Names) everyone soon figured out just what they wanted to go with. Some had been easily enough, some had been rather difficult and required multiple attempts to get them JUST right, but Izuku slowly began to decrease the number of his groupmates who were namely.

Tenya eventually went with Ingineer, which was similar to his brother’s name but also different enough that he could build up his own career. Tenya wanted to honor is brother, especially after the close call he’d had with Stain (not that Tenya wished to discuss that with everyone).

Jiro took a lot of time, as she had always assumed she’d just be Earjack, but eventually they’d hit on Vibeout. Just musical/sound enough for her but didn’t truly hint at what her quirk was.

Tokoyami had already decided that Tsukuyomi would be his name and Izuku had LOVED his thoughts on that. Yes, the moon was associated with the night but Tokoyami’s powers had nothing to do with the moon; in fact the moon would HURT as much as aid it when it came to its light, meaning that criminals would be focused on the wrong thing! It was brilliant!

And it had been Tokoyami who had led Momo to her name. While discussing his ideas he mentioned that he had found one name he’d considered only to realize it was a goddess name, not a god. It came from an old pre-quirk novel about a world of fantasy and magic and while dealing with shadows also worked for her newly made theme as she was the goddess of ninjas: Chirasu.

Inasa had apologized for already having the perfect name but Izuku had waved him off; Gale Force DID just fit him perfectly.

As for Shoto…

“You like it?” Uraraka said as she held up her white board for the two-toned teen to see.

“Yes,” he said and the slight smile he gave her was, in Izuku’s opinion, just as bright as one of Uraraka’s blinding smiling. He stood up and bowed to them before going over to Midnight, the heroine looking over the board before nodding, making it clear that Solarfreeze was a future hero.

(Shoto had asked to have something not related to fire and suggested instead the sun. Fires burned… but the sun reminded him of his mother laughing in the summer as she made it snow around him)

“I’m glad everyone was able to come up with a name,” Ahsoka said, still tapping her white board.

“We’ll figure yours out,” Izuku assured her.

“Even if we have to skip lunch,” Momo assured her.

“Or meet up after school,” Tenya suggested.

Jiro shrugged. “Well, we’re still going to do that anyway, right? Tokoyami and I want to check out Chill Beats for some new workout grooves…”

Izuku smiled as he watched everyone rapidly fall into discussing their plans for the next few days. “You did this, you know?” he told Ahsoka, leaning in and whispering to her softly. “This is all you. We came together because you brought us together. Got us all balancing. The-“

His eyes went wide.

Ahsoka’s did too.

Both scrambled to grab their whiteboards, writing the same word.

FULCRUM

Chapter Text

Obi Wan idly thumbed through his phone, flicking open different Apps. While he knew it would have shocked many people back at the temple, as he had long stated that he wasn’t a fan of technology, Nemuri and Hizashi had managed to get him to understand just how wonderful the smart phone was. It was rather like a data pad but not limited in what it could hold. Video, articles, novels, even audio dramas and ‘podcasts’. He was rather fond of those last ones; he had decided to learn more about the world he lived in after Nemuri had teased him about not knowing any of the references she made (stating that even Eri, with her sheltered upbringing, knew more than him). But he didn’t have enough time to actually WATCH the movies and shows that Nemuri had assured him were needed in order to fully understand the human condition.

Thus, podcasts.

The ability to listen to someone discuss a film, not just what it was but also the making of it, the actors involved, the directors and writers… it allowed he to quickly process everything. And he had to admit they were rather entertaining. He’d taken to putting in the wireless earbuds that Hizashi had gotten him for ‘Kissmas’ or whatever the holiday was called when he did his katas or worked on his saber forms.

He was considering a series that covered the movies that centered around the Earthling fear of the 13th day of any given Earth month falling on a Friday when Snipe, who had been seated next to him, let out a groan.

“I mean it buddy… the nanny cam showed you trying to slip out. That’s why I called. You know you can’t leave unless I am there.”

The man paused.

“I know you can hear me. And I know you noticed those fish that had been set up by Mrs. Rill in her place. DON’T even think about it!”

Another pause.

“Alright, I have to go…” He shut off his phone before letting out a groan. Obi Wan didn’t say a word, figuring the masked hero would do a bit more if he truly wanted to talk to Obi Wan. Sure enough…“So,” Snipe whispered, leaning in towards Obi Wan, “I have a question about the Force-“

“Bastards!” Sekijiro snarled as he stormed into the teacher’s lounge. He didn’t bother slamming the door shut behind him, he was that angry.

Obi Wan glanced at Snipe but the man shook his head, making it clear that whatever he wanted to ask could wait. That settled the Jedi Master (was he still a Jedi Master? That was a debatable question. Considering he and Nemuri had decided to take their relationship to the next level, seeing as, in her words ‘we have a child now, should see how one creates one’ if the council ever did learn about him he’d be kicked out…) turned to the homeroom teacher of 1-B and grimaced as he saw the thunderous look on his features. “Ah… you have looked through the internship requests?”

“Not a single one from the Top 10 for ANY student and nothing from the Top 25 for any of the First Years. And do you know what I was told when I pressed several old friends?”

“I imagine the same thing Hizashi was told,” Obi Wan stated. “Namely that they were approached by a certain hero they couldn’t name that suggested that UA’s recent actions had shown that Top Ranked Heroes should focus on other schools.”

“What you mean,” Sekijiro growled low in his throat, “is that prick Endeavor is throwing a hissy fit because Nedzu kicked him out of the Sports Festival and is using all his political leverage to try and embarrass UA!”

“Well, I suppose I could mean that,” Obi Wan said with a shrug and a soft smile.

Snipe shook his head. “He seriously did that? I know he’s a fragile little man but UA is his alma mater.”

“When it comes to Endeavor the only loyalty he has is to people who have done something for him recently,” Aizawa grunted, letting everyone know he was in the room. Obi Wan hadn’t forgotten, of course… the homeroom teacher for 1-A was so very odd in the Force, feeling like a dark spot in it. Not in an evil way though… more like a nice place to tuck yourself away for a nap. He remembered there being such a little room back in the crèche for younglings when they got headaches. Utterly quiet and cool and dark so that one could sleep away the pain. Aizawa was a living version of that.

“And you don’t have a problem with what he’s doing? The games he’s playing with our students? Damn it Eraser, he’s trying to ruin their careers before they even begin!”

“On the contrary,” Aizawa said dully, hair falling over his eyes, “I’m ecstatic.”

Snipe snickered at that.

“Would you be serious?” Sekijiro snarled.

“I am serious,” Aizawa said, finally uncurling himself. “I am half tempted to send him a fruit basket.” When the other teachers just stared at him he let out a sigh. “What is the number one complaint we all have when it comes to internships?”

Obi Wan looked at Snipe and Sekijiro (and he should REALLY find out Snipe’s first name… he didn’t know why the man guarded it so carefully… similar to why he always covered his face; one would almost think he was one of the Mandalorian ‘Way Followers’ that Satine had always complained about) and saw at once their features change to that of understanding. Still confused though Obi Wan looked to Aizawa, waiting for him to elaborate.

“When students get their internship offers they are supposed to meet with us so we can try and guide them to hero agencies that will help them grow. While we can deny a student if we feel that an Agency is a risk to their safety for the most part we are powerless to actually stop them from making their choice. And nine times out of ten most students look not at what an agency can bring but its ranking.”

“Ah,” Obi Wan said, understanding at once. “They believe that just because one is popular then they would be a great teacher for them.” It was, sadly, a problem he himself had had when he was young. When he’d first reached the point where he could be selected as a padawan he had thought that he would deny any that asked him because he was waiting for Master Yoda to select him as a Padawan. And if not him then one of his students.

‘I can only imagine what my life would have been like if Yan Dooku had asked me to be his padawan,’ he thought to himself.

“While it isn’t very common for the first years we usually get at least someone in the Top 20s who will pick out a first year student. That causes not only that child to get an overinflated ego but also make ripples throughout the rest of the first years.”

Snipe nodded. “Kids will begin ignoring our advice and just picking the highest ranked hero. Or ask if we can send letters to All Might and ask him to take them on.”

Sekijiro huffed. “Two years ago I had a student actually want to do NO internship because she thought it would look better to do none than to do a ‘worthless internship’.” He looked at Aizawa. “That was the first time I ever busted a student down to Gen Studies before you.”

“I know,” Aizawa commented. “It was the only time I truly felt proud of you.” He glanced over at Obi Wan and Snipe. “The point though is that this is a good thing. The students will actually be able to focus on picking out good internships that help that grow and not just focus on what they think is “trendy” or “hip” or “cool”.”

“…never use slang again,” Sekijio said.

Snipe though frowned. “There is a problem though with all of this… while I understand where you are coming from with the first years this is going to hurt the Second Years and especially the Third Years.” He held up his hands to stop the two other teachers from speaking. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You two only see things mostly from the first year perspective… but I have third years who need to make connections. That aren’t going to be able to simply make their own agents. They need to join other ones, get set up as sidekicks. This is going to hurt them.”

“Then we make sure it doesn’t,” Obi Wan stated.

“What do you mean?” Sekijiro asked, frowning.

Obi Wan merely smiled back. “Its rather simple. Yes, the Top 25 didn’t focus on UA. As such we make this not “They are avoiding UA so the school must have failed”. We instead make it “They didn’t pick UA… because they aren’t worthy to”.”

That had Sekijiro’s frown instantly changing to… well, not a smile as Obi Wan wasn’t for sure the man COULD smile but it was far less stern and severe than it had been. “Hmmm… that could work. There are plenty of younger heroes that are looking to rise up in the ranks… if we spin this right we could make it seem like the Top 25 are completely out of sync with reality.”

“A bunch of old men and women who aren’t in touch with the public anymore,” Snipe added.

“And when they see the ones that DID decide to stick with UA rising in the ranks we make it clear when they come crawling back to us that we aren’t interested.”

Obi Wan stroked his beard. “Of course I would NEVER suggest that Nedzu blacklist everyone in the Top 10 from having any connection to UA… and make clear to the many Support Companies that they must pick the premier Heroics School or someone who will be retiring in a few years…”

Aizawa considered that. “I don’t like the politics of the hero society-“ Something that Obi Wan could agree with though he hated ALL politics, “-but I do like sticking it to those fools.”

“That is the hazard of such games like this: it is rather dangerous when they get twisted upon you.” Obi Wan shrugged. “Of course what truly matters is helping our students grow, which is why I will be holding counseling sessions with all of them the rest of this week, to go over what their thoughts are and which agencies they should attend.” At once Sejikiro and Aizawa agreed to attend as well, to help Obi Wan with the students. After all, while he was their teacher he didn’t see them every single day and not for as long as the home room teachers did. They would have insights that Obi wan simply wouldn’t.

It took some back and forth but it was decided that Obi Wan would meet with each homeroom teacher over the next few days, starting with First Year since they was so new for them, and compare notes. Packs would be created with suggests and gameplans made for helping guide the students towards the agencies that would help them grow.

Snipe leaned forward. “And I suppose if someone were to begin plotting how to hurt Endeavor for this?”

“Oh, I could never be a part of such a thing,” Obi Wan said, stroking his beard. “So uncivilized.”

“Good thing no one ever said that about me,” Snipe replied.

~MC~MC~MC~

Uraraka frowned as she looked over the packet Kenobi had handed her.

“I should have seen this coming,” she finally said as she closed it. Kenobi and Aizawa had given her time to read it, even offering to let her come back the next day but… “I’ve thought the much myself, honestly.”

“Really?” Aizawa asked, sounding surprised. Well, he sounded bored but not AS bored as usual. “You have been rather clear that you wish to be a Rescue Hero.”

“Yeah,” she said. “But Izuku and Ahsoka have been pretty forceful in telling me why it was foolish to think that just because I was going into the rescue field that I wouldn’t need to defend myself.”

“What did they say?” Kenobi asked, clearly interested.

Uraraka managed a faint smile. “Ahsoka stated that people don’t wait to begin bleeding out when its safe for Rescue Heroes to come in. Many times those critical moments are when the fight is still going on, meaning a Rescue Hero needs to rush in to protect the civilians and that puts them in the middle of the danger.”

“And Midoriya?” Aizawa asked.

Uraraka grimaced. “He pointed out that a villain that was out to hurt heroes could stage an attack in order to draw out a Rescue Hero. Or could go to the scene of a disaster and take advantage.” She shut her eyes. “When I told him no one would do that he brought up Stain… and Muscular.”

He’d actually done more than that. Izuku had pulled up photos of both men’s work. The bodies of heroes that were twisted about to make a statement, to prove Stain’s dark beliefs and preach them to the world… and the Water Hose Heroes and what Muscular had done to them. The final photo had been of them with their son during happier times, Izuku asking if she wanted that for any children she would have… or her parents. Or her friends. For them to be left behind because she refused to fight back.

“And it makes sense, when they brought that all up,” Uraraka stated. “Villains… they don’t have honor codes. They don’t stop just because someone got hurt in the crossfire. And there are enough of them that are twisted enough to see that as an opportunity.” She paused before shaking her head. “Don’t get me wrong! I think Rescue Heroes are very important! They don’t get the credit they deserve! People talk about Civilian Stats and the like all the time. A hero is really good at it or is really reckless. What they don’t mention is that those numbers live or die based on the teams the Heroes have helping them! And we are taught to ‘prioritize the rescue’ but its been years since All Might went into a burning building! And Endeavor? Best Jeanist? Even Hawks is more focused on flash then saving people and-“

Uraraka blushed.

“Sorry. I… went a bit overboard.”

Aizawa though shook his head. “NEVER apologize for being passionate about saving people.” She smiled at that, looking down at her hands. “So, we laid out two options for you.”

“Right. Weapons or hand to hand.” Uraraka looked up at the two of them. “Hand to Hand.”

“Do you mind me asking why?” Kenobi asked. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, just curious about your reasoning.”

“Well… my quirk,” Uraraka said. “It’s all based around my hands, right? So I was thinking that if I learned how to fight hand to hand I could…”

“Could what?” Aizawa pressed.

“Maybe… develop a fighting style around my quirk?” She grimaced, hating how arrogant that sounded. She hadn’t even completed her first year of UA… she hadn’t even mastered the basics of Hand to Hand, and she was already thinking of making her own fighting style? It was insane and stupid and-

“Hmmm… smart,” Aizawa said, cutting off her mental chastisement. “People tend to think of a single way to use their quirk and that is all they ever consider. You are already thinking outside the box, how to adapt it and truly make it your own.”

She stared at him, shocked, before flashing a bright smile.

“And you think Mirko is the hero to do that?” she asked.

“She created her own fighting style based on her quirk,” Kenobi answered.

“And she might help you better operate around certain… personality types,” Aizawa mentioned.

~MC~MC~ MC~

Aoyama for once wasn’t smiling brightly as Aizawa and Kenobi stared him down. Oh, he was trying… but the way they were looking at him made him feel like a bug that had been caught to be studied.

“These packets go over what we feel were your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your path so far in UA,” Kenobi stated. “What we want from you now is to look these over and then, if you are ready, we will discuss why we selected the internships we did as our suggestions for who you should work with. These aren’t a demand… but we want you to truly understand how important this is?”

Aoyama nodded at that.

“It is your choice,” Aizawa finally said.

“…is it?” he asked softly. “Is it ever?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Tenya frowned as he studied the packet, taking his time to carefully look over each sheet. He’d have preferred to do a full read through followed by note taking, pro-and-con lists, and a reexamination but he didn’t want to waste his instructors’ time. They had said that he would be able to study the packet at his leisure later but he wanted to take advantage of their knowledge.

But…

“My brother isn’t in here,” he said.

“I know,” Aizawa stated. When Tenya looked up his homeroom teacher merely met his stare.

Finally Kenobi replied, “For some people internships are about enhancing their quirk. Fine tuning it. For others however…” he paused, clearly thinking over his words careful. “It is about taking what could be a weakness and making it into a strength. We feel that while your brother understands your quirk very well… so do you. For your internship, and to be a better hero overall, what you need is to develop one of your shortcomings.”

“My ability to… adapt in the moment,” Tenya read, looking over the top page. He looked up at his teachers and nodded. “Very well. You both are more experienced than I and as such I will trust your judgment. Who should I go with?”

Kenobi… smiled.

“Have you ever heard of Sir Steel?”

~MC~MC~MC~

Hitoshi just frowned as he looked at his packet.

“Its just a single sheet that says, “Eraserhead”.”

“You have a problem with that?”

“No. Just glad I can now spend the rest of my time napping.”

Aizawa nodded. “Me too.”

The two went off to capture a few winks of sleep, Obi Wan pulling out his phone.

“I wonder how they will resurrect Roy the Paramedic…”

~MC~MC~MC~

“This is my father’s doing.”

Aizawa and Kenobi shred a look.

“…Todoroki,” Shoto’s homeroom teacher finally stated. “While it is true that none of you got heroes that were highly ranked none of the staff blame you.”

“I didn’t say you blamed me,” Shoto replied. “I said that it was my father’s fault. He was very vocal in informing me for the last few days that my actions at the Sports Festival disrespected him and that UA fostered such feelings. He also made comments that were rather quirkist and at one point began to discuss Star Might for some reason. It mostly focused on her hips and their ability to produce children.”

Uraraka had told him how much she enjoyed him being open and honest. How it was so refreshing that he just said how things were and ‘didn’t dance around them’. He didn’t quite understand that last part, since he never danced, but he could see why people would like honestly and decided to try it more.

Kenobi raised an eyebrow at that. “Well then… as you will see in your packet-“ he gestured at the file that still lay untouched on the desk, “-we believe that where you are at your weakest is-“

“Using my fire,” Shoto said, cutting him off.

“No,” Aizawa said.

Shoto stared at them. He blinked. Just once.

He was rather startled by all that and would need to apologize for being so demonstrative.

His homeroom teacher leaned forward. “A hero that can’t comfort a scared child worried about their injured parent or keep a panicking civilian calm is worthless out in the field. A hero needs to be able to interact with the public… not photoshoots or anything worthless like that, but actually make connections with them.”

“And its not just civilians,” Kenobi chimed in. “Many underground heroes work to develop relationships with minor criminals. Not villains… criminals. The ones that, while breaking the law, do little harm.”

“Why?” Shoto asked, confused. “A villain is a villain.”

“And that’s what we want you to be able to explain to us when you get done with your internship.” Kenobi gestured at the packet. “Third page.”

Shoto frowned and opened up the folder and went to where his teachers had suggested. Staring back at him were two men, one dressed in a parka, the other a tank top and shorts. Except the one in the parka had their clothing bright orange and red with their eyes glowing brightly while the one in the summer gear had blue skin and icy hair.

“Frostburn and Sunbite,” Shoto said slowly, looking over the information. While at first it would appear that they had been selected because of their quirks and the teachers’ comments were once more people trying to trick him into developing his fire he saw that there was more to them than that. A brief bio explained that Frostburn had been a petty criminal until Sunbite had found him. He’d worked to clean up his record and eventually get accredited as a hero. Now they were a team though much of their work seemed to involve community outreach. Shoto tilted his head when he noticed that the two were married.

‘Homosexual heroes, one of whom is a former criminal, the other with an ice quirk. Father would hate this.’

He looked up at Kenobi and Aizawa.

“I will intern with them.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“I am not comfortable in my own skin?” Momo asked.

“That is correct,” Kenobi stated. “If I might be frank with you?” She nodded her consent. “I get the sense that you have had very little say in your life and how you approach your quirk.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your costume,” Kenobi stated. “You clearly are not comfortable exposing so much skin yet you originally chose a costume that did just that. And even when we introduced you to the bio-weave that incorporated your own DNA I am told by Power Loader it took several attempts to get you to consider something that wasn’t so revealing. Now, one might think that this was similar to Midnight… yet you do not go out of your way to be flashy and attention getting. Quite the opposite. You are willing to lead but more often are willing to step back.” He paused. “Yaoyorozu… just how much control do your parents have over your choices?”

She didn’t say a word.

She knew that was an answer in and of itself.

“Which is why,” a new voice said and Momo turned to see Midnight entering… with her and Kenboi’s daughter on her hip, “you will be interning with Eri and I.”

And with that she thrust the little girl into Momo’s arms.

“…what?”

~MC~MC~MC~

“This is who I will intern with,” Asui said, passing over a print out of the request form from the Poison Sting Hero-Scorpius.

Obi Wan and Aizawa took the form and looked it over. “Very well.”

Asui nodded and left.

“…well, at least we don’t have to admit we had no idea what advice to give her,” Aizawa admitted.

“I simply can’t get a read on that girl.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“Its okay,” Izuku said with a smile, “Rex has already agreed to allow me to intern with him.”

He hadn’t been surprised to receive barely any internship requests. Many of the bigger name heroes were not putting in offers to UA and he knew that even with him winning the Sports Festival there were plenty that felt the victory wasn’t real. That it wasn’t a true win and that this year there was no 1st Year Winner of the Sports Festival. He’d accepted that and moved on; it was on them for not seeing what he could do and he would make sure when they realized how wrong they were he would be humble. ‘A trooper doesn’t care for the glitz… a trooper… a vod… cares for every life he can save.’

“I am going to recommend against that,” Obi Wan stated.

“Huh?”

Aizawa chimed in. “You have shown that you are very skilled in all that Dualshot has trained you in. Marksmanship, situational awareness, attack planning and adjustment. Your only weakness is your lack of a quirk and even then you have turned that repeatedly into a strength. People underestimate you. They think you aren’t a threat. They suffer for that.”

“Which is why,” Kenobi said, passing over a form… with his own picture on it… “that I would like you to be MY intern. To learn how to control your emotions and use your intelligence to achieve victory.”

Izuku bit his lip and worked hard not to cry.

~MC~MC~MC~

Ahsoka frowned. She had thought that she would be meeting with Obi Wan and Aizawa but instead the room was completely empty. Literally. There wasn’t even a table or chair in there. Just a square room.

“Am I dog? A mouse? A bear? No, its just me, Nedzu!”

The principal… just appeared out of thin air.

One moment Ahsoka was staring at the empty floor and the next her principal was before her, wearing a smile.

“And I am going to be the hero you intern with this year!”

“…do I get a choice?” Ahsoka asked.

Nedzu laughed. “Oh my my my… no.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Katsuki frowned as he stared down Kenobi. He was ready for what the man was going to say… how he was going to claim that he had all sorts of weaknesses that he needed to work on. Temper or attitude or any of that bullshit his mom was always bitching about. The old hag. But the only weakness he had was that he had a bunch of losers around him that wanted to drag him down. Well… he didn’t fucking care about any of that! He was going to be the best pro hero ever, the one who replaced All Might! So what if none of the Top Ranked Heroes wanted him to intern… they were just scared of him!

Kenobi passed over not a file or a packet… but a legal form.

“In order for you to take on this internship you must sign this form, agreeing to all the terms.”

Katsuki glowered at the man, wondering what game he was playing. Still, instead of snarling at him he decided to read over what the form said.

He found himself… surprised.

A hero wanted him to intern with them… but only if he agreed to never reveal just who it was. Only Kenobi, that stupid hobo teacher, and the Principal could know. If he revealed it to anyone the internship would be canceled and if he did so after the fact… well, the amount of money in penalty fees would ruin him, his parents, and probably his neighbors just through being nearby.

Still… he found himself curious. And he didn’t have to accept… he just needed to agree to stay silent.

Kenobi nodded, taking the form and putting it away before handing Katsuki a thin folder.

Inside…

…was a picture of Star Might.

~MC~MC~MC~

Author’s Notes: to head off the people complaining that Padme took Bakugo after what he said to Ahsoka (I hear you now, Flippy, we can discuss it on the Discord, sis!) my reasoning is this: Padme sees an enemy and her thought is “How do I fix them?”. Yes, she was made at Bakugo, but once she called down everything changed for her and she decided she would be better served repairing him.

Chapter Text

“Tell me… what have you found, my apprentice?”

Asajj knelt before him, head lowered but not as much as would have been proper. Her shoulders were too high and her posture screamed defiance. Anyone else in his presence, knowing the power he held, would have pressed their forehead to the ground and groveled for mercy even before they said a word. Even if they knew he was pleased and he was about to reward them. But Ventress? Ventress never showed such weakness.

‘Good,’ Dooku thought to himself, rather pleased. ‘It is a weak apprentice who fears their master.’

“Kenobi, Skywalker, and the rest disappeared on the planet.”

“I know this,” he said coolly.

“Patience, my master,” she replied, glancing up at him with bemused eyes. “Isn’t that what you taught me?”

He had and it was interesting to see his own lessons being flung back at him. Still, even if she was right there was an order that needed to be maintained. “I also taught you not to waste time, Ventress. Every moment matters.” He allowed the Dark Side to thrum within him. “You never know how few you actually have.”

“Of course,” Ventress said, dipping her head in submission. He wasn’t fooled by that though… Ventress was like a Kozaki Black Wolf. Oh, they would come to one they had bonded with and would follow their commands… but they would forever be looking for a sign of weakness. And the moment there was one? They would sink their jaws into the soft flesh of the one who thought they could truly control them. Which is how a Sith Apprentice should be. Able to show deference to their master but also always looking for weakness so they might strike. It allowed the Master to remain strong and aware of all that was happening, prepared at all time to fight back.

It was so easy to become lax as a Sith Lord. The Dark Side… it encouraged a glut in all things, including sloth. The ancient Sith texts that he had read before his fall, when he’d been obsessed with the coming Darkness, had spoken of Sith Lords who fell not because of the Jedi and the lightsabers but their inability to control themselves and their urges. An apprentice forced one to remain shape.

‘What a sad existence,’ a voice in his head that sounded far too much like his long lost padawan said with a sigh.

Dooku didn’t allow himself to scowl at that thought. There was no room to doubt… not when he had Ventress kneeling before him, ready to attack if he gave her an opening.

“For what I have gathered the Chancellor has been seeking out in private any information concerning unusual anomalies concerning the disappearance of Skywalker.”

It had been a dangerous thing, letting Asajj know that the Chancellor was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. The most closely guarded secret in all of the galaxy… something to be held on tight to, that knowledge. But Dooku had already decided that his time with his Master was coming to an end and as such some daring was needed.

“Only Skywalker?” Dooku asked, wanting to make sure that Ventress wasn’t hiding anything.

“He never mentioned Kenobi or Amidala’s names.”

“Interesting…” Dooku murmured. Of course he knew the plan was to turn Skywalker to the Dark Side so he might be the new Field Commander of an army of Jedi who embraced the Dark Side of the Force, willing to do what needed to be done in order to protect the galaxy. But there were plenty of other Jedi who would have done, had he truly been killed. While Skywalker had shown himself powerful in the Force and ripe for Falling there were plenty of others that Dooku could see taking his place. As the War went on more and more Jedi would forsake their vows and without even realizing it turn away from the light. Not Fall… but disgrace and betray the Light Side. It was the entire plan, after all… to turn them into a true fighting force that could remove the corruption of the Galaxy, with a Sith Lord leading them all.

The Sith, after all, had started out as Jedi…

For his Master to be so obsessed with Skywalker when he had shown time and again how willing he was to abandon a failed project at the drop of a hat… that was concerning.

“What else have you learned?” he asked, knowing that Ventress wouldn’t have come to see him personally if that was all she had obtained.

“A few things,” she said, a slight purr in her voice. “Three to be precise.”

“Go on,” Dooku said, not willing to play any games.

But Ventress seemed to be in a feisty mode. “Kenobi’s closest friend, some Jedi Healer named Bunt-“

“Bant,” Dooku said, cutting her off. “Jedi Healer Bant.” He remembered her well; while he had kept his distance from Qui Gon when he’d trained Obi Wan, knowing that his Padawan was still dealing with the failures of Xanatos and didn’t need Dooku there to throw it in his face that the boy had been trouble (he had seen his own faults in the boy and knew that he would Fall… ironic, now that he thought about it) he had kept a close eye on Kenobi. The boy seemed to drag misery towards him and yet was so deep in the Force that, depressingly, he would never turn. ‘Oh… what I could have done with him.’

‘Yes… if only you had remained in the Light,’ Qui Gon’s voice replied solemnly.

“Bant,” Ventress continued, “has disappeared from the Jedi Temple. And Quinlan Vos has as well.”

Two of the people closest to Kenobi within the order. His brother and sister in all but blood. That was intriguing.

“And… Clone Force 99 has gone awol.”

Doku raised an eyebrow at that. “They aren’t known for following orders.”

“But they’ve never disappeared like this. NOTHING can be done to find them… and your master is concerned.” She paused. “Because the last known location of them was in the same system as where Skywalker and Kenobi disappeared to.”

Now that… was interesting.

Very interesting.

“You have done well.”

“I have,” Ventress confirmed with cheek. “And… I’m not done, my master.”

He stared at her hard. Both knew what she said next might very well change things forever between them.

“Rathbin II… did you select it?”

He frowned. “No…” he said slowly. “My master did. We needed a planet where it would be difficult for the Republic to get to if they wished to investigate the attack while also close enough to draw Skywalker and Kenobi in.” The plan had been to blow up the building, most likely have the meddlesome Senator killed, and Kenobi and Skywalker attacked by their droid army that was waiting for them. They would be captured and Skywalker tortured until he Fell. But the explosion had been too large and the entire group had died-“

“I thought so. Rathbin II is an innocent little planet… when one doesn’t look into how it gained its name.”

“And by that you mean…”

“It was once Rathbin III.”

“The Rathbin system only has 2 planets.”

Ventress raised her head up. “The Sith made it that way.”

“… a destroyed planet,” he murmured to himself, thinking of the asteroid belt that separated Rathbin I from Rathbin II. “And… Rathbin III?”

“Legend states it held a Sith Stronghold… dedicated to the movement of matter… and life. They sought to be able to send their warriors across the galaxy in seconds, appearing behind enemy lines and beyond defensive walls.”

“And… perhaps they succeeded,” Dooku murmured. He strode towards Asajj… motioned with his hand for her to look upon him. “You have done well… you have served me loyally and you have worked beyond your abilities. Long have you sought this… and now… I give it to you.”

Dooku paused.

There would be no coming back from this now. With this act he committed himself fully. His Geonosis.

“ Henceforth you shall be known as Darth… Fatale.”

Asajj stared at him in shock… for a second. And then a smile formed on her lips and the dark side roared in triumph.

“Yes… my master.”

Dooku looked down at her and… he wasn’t quite sure how he felt. He had expected the moment to feel grander. A clear sense of leaving one age and entering another. He had been able to mark so many points in his life by the relationship of Master with Apprentice. Yoda selecting him to be his Padawan and how that had been the time to put away childish things and become a true student of the Gorce. Yaddle unofficially seeking him out during his times as a knight and being the first not to shame him for refusing to take on a Padawan. She had understood that he simply wasn’t ready and that he needed to explore the galaxy and understand HIMSELF and his place in the Force before he could help another. She had understood.

(‘Did she understand why you decided to pierce her heart with your lightsaber?’ Qui Gon asked.)

His taking on of Rael which had only proven that he was too young to have an apprentice, for he had been unable to help the boy fully understand the ways of the Jedi. Qui Gon, who in Dooku’s eyes was as the Jedi SHOULD have been: not servants of a code but servants of the Force itself. Komari Vosa, who remained even after his fall a reminder of the dangers of committing too much to one’s emotions and allowing them to control someone…

(‘She loved you. And you used that as a weapon against her. Once to destroy her life, the second to end it. Will you do that again with this one? She craves a master… she would give herself fully to you, if you but asked…’ Qui Gon murmured)

Dooku’s face fell into a scowl.

“Leave us. Consider our next steps. Consider this a test to see if you truly are worthy of the title I have given you, Lady Fatele.”

“Yes, my master,” Asajj… Fatele… said softly. Far too softly than he’d ever heard her before. Too much respect, too much thanks.

It burned him worse than a lightsaber.

Once she was done Dooku left for his quarters, activating all the security devices before he… lit his lightsaber.

“So,” he purred at the darkness, “how is this being done? A trick of the Force to play with my hearing? Disguising some machine to make me hear alone that voice? Ventress didn’t hear it… she is a good actress but not that good.”

“Ventress, is it now?” the voice of his former pupil said, teasing but not in the overly playful way so many of the younger jedi adopted in their attempt to find some emotion that they might cling too. No… Qui Gon had always, even at a young age, had the temperament of an old man when it came to jokes. “I thought she was Fatele? Of course I could see preferring her true name… Fatele, my master? No some of your best work.”

Now he could hear the voice all the clearer and crisper and that made Dooku grow more confident. If whoever was trying to unsettle him believed that this had been a fine decision they had made a grave mistake.

“You are here, aren’t you?” he said, refusing to reply to the voice’s comments.

“I have always been with you,” the voice that sounded so much like Qui Gon said. “Through the darkness and the light. Though sadly there has been more darkness than I would have ever preferred… but more light than you’d care to admit.”

“The voice is too clear. Too crisp. So it isn’t mechanical. The Force then. Let me guess… another Fallen Jedi my Master took on? I have come to see thanks to his obsession with Skywalker that he is willing to toss me aside.” That had been a bitter pill to swallow but Dooku was used to disappointment, especially when it came to Masters.

“Why would I side with the man that killed me?” the voice asked even as Dooku prepared to draw back his lightsaber. “Of course… I wonder why you did.”

There was movement to his left and Dooku spun around, plunging his blade forward.

His delight in finally finding the mysterious speaker died when he stared into the eyes of his beloved Padawan.

“Just a few inches down and you’d have struck me where your master’s mad dog had,” Qui Gon Jinn stated, looking down at where Dooku’s saber had stabbed him.

“No…” Dooku whispered, turning off the blade. “No… I didn’t…” he waited for Qui Gon to fall, to collapse in pain, to moan as his life ended only now it was all Dooku’s doing.

But Qui Gon merely stood there, serene and peaceful like a true Jedi. Confident and bemused as no Jedi could be.

“How… how can this be?” Dooku said, all his confidence leaving him as he stared at his Padawan. Because he knew in an instant that this was no trick. He could FEEL Qui Gon in the Force. He might have an odd shimmer to his form, the world just behind him visible even with him blocking it, but it was him. One could use the Force to do many things but they couldn’t fake the connection between Master and Apprentice as he felt in that moment.

Qui Gon let out a sigh, one he was familiar with. It was the sound so many Masters made when their Padawans said something so foolish and the answer was so obvious that one couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was being taught in the crèche. A Master LONGED to hear their Padawan make that sound when complaining about their own Padawan, as it meant they finally understood what they’d put their teachers through.

“Come now, my Master. What is the goal of all Sith?” He folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes. “Not the lies you tell yourself about power or control or the death of all Jedi or ruling the Galaxy. What is the true goal of the Sith?”

Dooku couldn’t stop himself from answering, “To conqueror death.” He stared at Qui Gon and knew at once while that was the answer… it wasn’t what he had done.

“Such a thing is impossible,” Qui Gon confirmed. “No one can live forever. All things end.”

“The Sith have managed to continue on after death,” Dooku argued. When he’d first begun to worry about the growing threat to the galaxy his first fear (and he could admit now it was a fear… as much has he looked at his master’s ways with scorn he could admit that fear had been his first step towards the dark side) he had assumed that the threat would come from an Ancient Sith. One that had found away to freeze themselves, perhaps with ice or some lost method that allowed them to slow their aging to that of a sun or star. Perhaps one that had imprinted their mind upon a cybernetic brain; there were references to some Sith that had sought to become ‘more machine than man’ without losing the ability to tap into the Force. And in his studies he had learned of Sith Spirits, who were little more than ghosts that continued on long after death.

“A pale imitation that even the wraiths would admit do not come close to what they desired,” Qui Gon said, slowly walking past Dooku towards the small table he kept in his room where he might enjoy a cup of caf in the morning and truly be himself before he had to put on the persona of ‘Count Dooku, Separatist Leader’. “Trapped forever to a single location or to a single object. Unable to move, to explore, and until called upon they know only the endless quiet.” He paused before he settled down in a chair. “I am far beyond that.”

Dooku found himself sitting down across Qui Gon.

“I have learned the secret to maintaining my sense of self while in the Force. And as such… I have become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

He wanted to argue against what Qui Gon was saying… but the fact that his dead Padawan was pouring him a cup of tea was proof of what he said!

“Can anyone learn this power?” Dooku found himself asking.

“Not from a Sith,” Qui Gon told him with a soft smile.

“So it is hopeless then,” Dooku replied, at once feeling his anger begin to churn. “You’ve come to taunt me because of what happened with your Padawan and Skywalker?”

“I’ve come to you because I love you, my Master,” Qui Gon said. Dooku had only heard one other Jedi speak that way to him and her words had been filled with lust and delusion. “And I want to save you. Do you remember what I warned you about? What fate awaits you?”

He did. His nightmares had been filled with Mandalore.

“And it is far worse for one who draws others into the same darkness. Asajj Ventress… she was a good person once. I believe she can be again.”

“She is Sith.”

“She has no idea what a Sith is,” Qui Gon argued. “She is a lost child.”

“Ventress has lived decades, Qui Gon, and in that time-“

“She has not even reached 30.”

THAT made Dooku blink in surprise.

“You truly didn’t know. I’m not surprised. I doubt she even realizes it. She was ripped from her home, sold into slavery, found bya nearly mad Jedi and taught piecemeal bits of the Force before he died and she blamed the Order for betraying a man that did all he could to cover his tracks and make it look like he died. And now she has come to you, someone who is strong and powerful but also can offer her a home…”

“I am no one’s father, Qui Gon,” Dooku replied. His padawan merely smiled softly at him and Dooku narrowed his eyes. “I have made my choice.”

“Nothing is eternal save the Force. Even choices.”

Qui Gon paused.

“You’ll never find them.”

“Who?”

“Obi Wan and Anakin. Nor Captain Rex, Padme, or Ahsoka. They are forever out of your grasp. The same as your master. The Force saw to that.”

“Then they are dead?” Dooku asked, knowing that would upset his master greatly.

But Qui Gon shook his head. “They live. They thrive. Anakin no longer must hide his marriage and he and Padme are allowed to let the flame that is their love grow without fear of it being snuffed out or exploding. Ahsoka will become a hero. Rex has moved beyond his brothers and will have what they could only dream of: a life. And Obi Wan…” Qui Gon smirked. “I must congratulate you, my Master… you are a Great Great Grandmaster yet again.”

“Kenobi has another apprentice?” Dooku asked, surprised.

“He does. His daughter. Eri Kenobi.”

Dooku frowned. “You would only tell me this if there truly was no hope of ever reaching them.” Because he knew that claiming this ‘Eri Kenobi’ would help him break Kenobi.

Qui Gon, as if sensing his thoughts, shook his head sadly. “As I said you and your master will NEVER reach them. They are no longer part of the game you are playing.” And before Dooku’s eyes Qui Gon began to fade away. “We will speak again, my Master.”

But just as he began to disappear, leaving only the tea and the pulled out chair as proof of his existence there, Dooku heard him say one final thing.

“And you will have enough problems…with what the Force has brought HERE.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Kalifa ran.

Or she tried to.

It was hard when her leg was screaming in pain. The shot the Trandoshan had fired hadn’t been clean at all, ripping through her calf and leaving every step she took a test in pained endurance. One she was losing. Every step made her slower, weaker. She had to find some place to hide, to heal… but that was the rub. In order to find a place to hide she had to keep moving… and moving was what was slowing her down, allowing her pursuers to catch up to her-

A blast struck her in the shoulder and Kalifa screamed as she went down hard, face slamming into the dirt and overgrowth. She tried to yank herself free only for the heavy foot of the lead Trandoshan to kick her, forcing her to roll over and face the hunting party.

“Good,” the leader said; Kalifa vaguely remembered hearing one of the other hunters call him Dar. “I so enjoy watching your eyes when your kind dies.” He took his gun and pressed it to her temple.

“Hold on,” another of the hunters said. “Maybe she’d be willing to trade.” He looked down at her, face twisting into what was most assuredly for him a cruel leer. “How about it, little one? We let you go if you tell us where the rest of the prey is?”

“I’m… I’m dead either way,” she spat. She wouldn’t betray Jinx or O-Mer. She could do that for them at least.

“Well… when you’re right,” Dar said and Kalifa shut her eyes only for him to jab the barrel of his gun into her wounded shoulder. “What did I tell you?” he snapped. “I want to see your eyes when I kill you.” Kalifa gasped in pain as he prodded the wound again. “So keep those eyes open… or I will make this last-“

And then Dar was ripped away, flying through the air, and Kalifa forced herself up.

A Jedi.

It had to be a Jedi.

One had finally-

It wasn’t a Jedi.

Or at least the figure before her wasn’t dressed like any Jedi she’d seen before. Black pants and overshirt with a white undershirt. Very plain. Very non-descript. Nothing like the Jedi robes she would have expected. And they didn’t fit the new arrival at all, being too short and showcasing much of their skin. Skin, Kalifa realized with growing horror, that was horribly scarred. The hands, the legs, even the mouth. Only the top of the figure’s head looked somewhat healthy but that was punctured with strange bits of metal, as if the figure was trying to hold his head together.

He caught Dar with one hand and frowned, the move pulling on his burnt skin.

“I don’t know where the hell I am or who the hell you are… but I do know that the way you are tormenting that kid reminds me a lot of my father.”

And then the man held up his hand and unleashed a glut of blue flames that left the Trandoshan hunters screaming in terror and agony.

Several tried to escape, fleeing from the flames, but there was sudden movement from the green and a blonde human girl wearing a strange white and blue outfit burst out of the forest, metal blades flashing as she gleefully cut into the hunters before they could take a step.

“I hate my father,” the burned man said before igniting the hand that was holding Dar, causing the Trandoshan to let out a strangle cry. He lasted only half a minute before he was little more than bones and ashes, the former crumbling as the burned man dropped him. “Fucking hell, even out of the city people are shit.”

“Aw, don’t be so glum!” the girl declared. “Look, we made a friend!” She turned and Kalifa swallowed as the blonde lifted up one of her bloody blades and licked it clean before flashing a sharp smile. “You do want to be friends… riiiight?”

Kalifa swallowed before nodding. “If you can get me and my friends out of the place I’ll be your friend for life.”

“Hmmm… someone with fucking sense,” the burned man said even as the blond clapped her hands in delight.

“Leave her be, both of you,” a third voice said. “She’s hurt and been through a lot. This is the kind of person Stain told us needs to be protected.”

Kalifa turned and stared at the final new arrival. They were tall, with weird blue pants, boots, a white undershirt, and a Corillian Salmon colored overshirt. The figure was tall and muscular but had large painted lips and wore a pair of glasses over their eyes that were tinted.

“Don’t worry, kid… Big Sis Magne is here.”

She paused.

“Wherever here is.”

Chapter Text

“Ah, Midoirya!”

Izuku started when he suddenly found his path blocked by the overly exuberant Aoyama. Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at seeing him pop up in front of them; it was like looking at a weird distortion in the Force that caused one to see two opposites that never belonged together suddenly come together. Izuku with his wild green hair that never seemed to be able to be tamed vs. Aoyama who would take the longest coming to Heroics Class because he needed to put just the right amount of gels in it. Izuku who when away from class loved simple t-shirts with odd words printed on them vs. Aoyama who was always talking about the latest fashions with Ashido. Izuku who buckled down and studied hard and gave it his all and Aoyama who seemed to treat class as something to simply shrug his shoulders at. Izuku who was always so open and honest about his joys and miseries vs Aoyama who…

Who…

Ahsoka frowned.

‘He’s lying,’ she realized. ‘About everything. I can feel it in the Force. Everything… is a lie.’

“Uh… hi Aoyama,” Izuku said, startled by his sudden appearance. “What can I… do for you?”

“I was hoping you could give me some information, mon ami,“ he said with what Ahsoka was sure was supposed to be a charming smile. But all it did was remind her of the preening Senators that would ask to have their pictures taken with her and her master, wanting a chance to appear on the holonet with ‘The Hero Without Fear’ but then would say they were honored to meet ‘Anakin Skywalker and Assboka Tampo’.

She swore some of them did it on purpose.

“Uh… sure,” Izuku said. “I noticed you had some trouble on that assignment Present Mic gave us-“

“Non non non,” Aoyama said quickly, waving his hand about. “Nothing about such trivial things.”

“That assignment is a quarter of our semester grade…” Izuku muttered but Aoyama just kept talking.

“I just met with Prof. Kenobi and he suggested to me a certain hero you are familiar with for my internship.”

“Oh!” Izuku said, eyes going wide. “Of course! Uh… so who did he suggest?”

Aoyama let out a tittering laugh. “Why, the hero that you’ve been mentoring with! Dualshot!”

Ahsoka called upon every ounce of Force Training she had not to react to that.

Izuku swallowed. “R-Rex?” he got out.

“Oh, is that his name?” Aoyama said and Ahsoka felt herself bristle at that.

Ever since they’d arrived on Earth Ahsoka had been watching Rex and she’d come to see how poorly they’d all treated him… and the clones in general. The fact that not a single jedi had ever thought about giving them names and instead forced the Clones to come up with their own was… wrong. While she had no problem with them doing that if they wanted to, as it seemed like a lovely cultural thing, to earn a name for yourself from your brothers, it shouldn’t have needed to come into existence in the first place. They were Jedi, dedicated to protecting all life… and they had treated the clones like droids. Giving them serial numbers and pointing them at the next threat. Even Ahsoka, Obi Wan, and Anakin, who had been far better than many when it came to actually connecting with their clone troopers, had fallen into the trap of forgetting that they were people.

‘Recovery Girl was horrified that we never did anything about the accelerated aging,’ she thought as Aoyama prattled on about the selection process and the heroes he had thought would want to select him but apparently weren’t looking for hero interns this year… or at least not from UA. ‘As soon as she found out Rex’s physical age she was poking and prodding him so she could figure out how to fix whatever the Kaminoians had done to him.’ And more shocking had been the fact that she’d figured out how to fix it rather quickly. Just a few nutrients and chemicals triggered a reaction that caused the genes that were causing the accelerated aging to shut off and allow Rex to age normally. He would live a long full life and not be a wrinkled husk within 20 years.

It had been so simple.

‘So why didn’t we think of that?’ Ahsoka thought bitterly.

There was so much they hadn’t considered when it came to the troopers. What life was actually like for them, being born and bred and raised purely to fight a war they hadn’t started. What life was like where all they knew was battle. And what life would be like after the battle was done. What would happen to them? Would they be able to have lives outside of the Army? Be able to have families? Children? Hobbies and interests? She looked at Rex now, who was apparently dating Izuku’s mom (though izuku always got tongue-tied when that got brought up so she could never confirm it) and had been learning how to cook and spent just as much time exploring the world as he did being a hero for it…

…and Aoyama couldn’t even learn his name.

Ahsoka didn’t scream. Didn’t rage. Those weren’t the Jedi way (‘You are a Jedi. You are still a Jedi. Even if you are becoming a hero and you touched the Dark Side to defeat Bakugo… you are a Jedi…’) so she didn’t resort to that.

Instead… she smiled.

“So,” she said in a sweet voice that would have had anyone with half a brain realize that they were in danger and needed to begin backpedaling (or fleeing) as fast as they could, “what is it you want to know?”

“Well,” Aoyama said with what she was sure he thought was a charming smile, “I didn’t get that many offers-“

‘So most likely none,’ Ahsoka thought, remembering how poorly he’d done at the Sports Festival.

“-but Prof. Kenobi suggested that Duelshot would be good for me to train with. Something about helping me with my weaknesses.” He reached up and flicked his hair with the back of his fingers. “So I was curious about him… after all, I am not quite sure what weaknesses he can aid with, unless we are referring to the control I have with my Navel Laser.” He turned JUST so he could look over his shoulder at Izuku. “So… what is he like? What are his interests? His hobbies? How dashing is he when he uses his special moves?”

Ahsoka inwardly cackled. The only ‘special move’ Rex had was to take his gun and club an idiot with the butt of it.

Izuku began to stutter at that. “Uh… well.. I m-m-mean Rex-“

Ahsoka lightly flicked her fingers, using the Force (gently… gently…) to clamp Izuku’s mouth shut. “Well, you should be asking me, Aoyama… I’ve known him far longer than Izuku.” Which was technically true… she’d known him for a few extra months.

“Oh! Of course, that is brilliant and correct!” he said in delight, clapping his hands. “Please tell me all you can! What can I expect from him?”

“Well… like you he uses armor for his hero costume.” Aoyama nodded quickly at that. “And he does like to stand out in it… back home everyone that wore armor like Rex would customize it.”

“Ah, of course. A way to show one’s flair!”

The only ‘flairs’ Rex had were the ‘flares’ that he kept in one of his pouches to signal for people… or blind optics of droids. “Exactly,” Ahsoka said smoothly. “He also likes to stand out when it comes to things like his hair.”

“Wonderful!” Aoyama declared. “We can share grooming tips! I am seeing now why Kenobi selected him for me! Thank you, Tano. Thank you Midoriya!” He bowed to them both before prancing (yes… yes he actually pranced) away from them.

Izuku tugged on her arm and Ahsoka finally released him from the force grip. “What are you doing!?!?” he hissed, looking ready to go chasing after Aoyama. “You made him think that Rex is only concerned with his looks! He’s going to chew him up and spit him out!”

“Exactly,” Ochaco stated, startling the two.

“How long were you listening?” Ahsoka asked.

“For a while. I was practicing my stealth. I figured that was something else that might help me out in the field… that’s why I’m debating on getting a costume that can change colors… go from bright and colorful if I need to be spotted in a disaster site to something dark and harder to see if I’m sneaking into a place still swarming with villains.” Izuku looked ready to ask her more about that because, honestly, it was a good idea, but Ochaco continued on. “Look, the best thing for Aoyama is to get chewed up and spat out.”

“Huh?” Izuku said, confused.

Ochaco let out a sigh. “There is no way my week with Mirko is going to be fun. She is going to put me through the paces. Insult me and mock me. I’ve been watching some of her interviews and I just know when I walk into her agency she’s going to get on me for having no muscle at all and then probably have me run laps or do push ups and sit ups.”

Izuku blinked at that. Ahsoka was impressed by how much research Ochaco had done.

“But the crazy thing is… I am looking forward to it.” A smile that was just as much crazy as it was determined tugged on her mouth. “The only way for me to become a better hero is to get better and she is going to make me be better. That’s why all of us were given heroes that can help us with our weaknesses. Aoyama needs to learn that heroics isn’t a game. He is treating it like he’s a model going to a photo shoot. From what I’ve seen from you, Izuku, Dualshot will have Aoyama going through bootcamp. He’s going to understand he has to take this seriously.” She shrugged. “Maybe it makes him want to quit and do something else. Sad but better he learn now than after a mission goes wrong and people are dying. But it might also snap some sense into him and get him to realize what is really important.”

Ahsoka could only stare at her friend his shock. That was… rather mature of her, in terms of how to look at the internships. And also rather fierce.

Something of those thoughts most of have shown on Ahsoka’s face because Ochaco added , “I know everyone thinls that just because I’m a rescue hero that I have will be dealing with getting people out of rubble and the like. Honestly I thought that was all I would be doing too. But I realize now that… well, that could be the case. I could make that my sole focus. But… can I truly call myself a hero if I can’t save everyone?”

“Fuck no you can’t.”

Ahsoka turned and fought a groan as she saw Bakugo walk by them. She had been doing her best to avoid him after their fight and for his part he’d been staying quiet and not engaging her… but seeing him still made her feel like she’d eaten a batch of live worms. The nervousness of what she’d done when she’d fought him, how she’d given into her anger and brushed up against the darkside, flowed through her veins.

“A hero, a true hero? They rescue everyone. Even if it isn’t easy. Even if it means they themselves might get hurt. Even if it isn’t an ‘easy win’.”

And with that… he just walked off.

“…well, yeah,” Ochaco said. “Exactly that. I want to get stronger so I can rescue everyone. I want no one to ever get left behind!”

“Right…” Ahsoka said before looking at Izuku. “Did he seem off to you?”

“Thanks guys, great talk,” Ochaco muttered.

Izuku’s eyes went wide. “No! And I mean that to you, Ochaco because yes Ahsoka, Kaachan did seem off but-“

Ahsoka tuned out Izuku’s rambling.

‘What he said… that was true. All of it. A hero… a Jedi… they do what they do because they want to help others. “Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi craves not these things!”. I would have thought Bakugo would be the first person to dismiss that… to care about being flashy and powerful and famous and not… saving others.’

“-understand it but kind of wish I’d gone with someone else.”

Ahsoka blinked, coming out of her thoughts and glancing at Izuku. “What was that?”

“Oh. I… well, I know you knew him growing up but its just… I got Prof. Kenobi and I don’t know if that’s a good fit now.”

“Of course it will be!” Ahsoka proclaimed. “He’s one of the most gifted tactical minds in the galaxy!” She threw her arms out wide. “He doesn’t like being considered that but everyone knows it! And he’s so skilled at negotiating… that’s why everyone calls him The Negotiator! You and him are going to get along great!”

“Maybe,” Izuku said, scuffing his foot against the ground. “Its just…” he adjusted his backpack straps… they were nearing their split off point, where Ochaco would head off to the little apartment she had whileI Izuku would head to the train station while Ahsoka would turn back around and go to her place that was near campus. And Ahsoka had a feeling that the conversation they were having needed far more time than they had. “I don’t know. I feel like I should be doing more.”

“Obi Wan suggested it,” Ahsoka reminded him. “He suggested you intern with him. That means he thinks there is something he can teach you.”

“…right.”

The three parted and Ahsoka began to walk back to the apartment she shared with Anakin and Padme. ‘Izuku can hone his planning with Obi Wan. Mirko will help Ochaco with fighting. Rex is going to get Aoyama to take this seriously. Everyone is getting an internship designed to make them better heroes.’

She paused.

‘So… what is my flaw… that Nedzu is going to help me fix?’

~MC~MC~MC~

Stain looked over the Hero Rankings carefully.

The small apartment he’d set himself up in wasn’t his own. But the owner wouldn’t mind because they were never coming back. They had died… not to a villain, though that would have been tragic as it meant a hero failed in their duty. A hero’s holy and noble mission was to protect the innocent. Stain was hard on such heroes BUT there were ways for them to redeem themselves in his eyes. Recently a younger hero, Saberwolf, had been unable to save a bank teller that had been shot. Simply hadn’t arrived in time to stop the bank robbers. Stain had watched as the hero had attended the funeral and talked with the victims mother. There are been more cameras than Stain would have preferred but… he would only keep an eye on Saberwolf, to see how they turned out. If they were going to follow the Path of the True Hero.

But the owner of the apartment that Stain was currently staying in hadn’t died because a hero hadn’t been notified in time or they had failed to get him medical attention. No… he had died because of the recklessness of a hero. Flamestroke had been battling some anarchists who delighted in blowing up buildings and decided that she wanted to show off a new supermove of hers, never thinking that those that liked to blow up buildings might actually keep explosives on them.

The blast had thankfully been contained by the heroine… but it had still caused a microquake that, one street over, caused a sinkhole that had swallowed up Hiramo Han’s car and led the office worker to become impaled on a bit of piping.

The Hero Commission had taken a week to reveal the true cause of the sinkhole, arguing in the papers that it could be any number of factors before finally admitting it had been Flamestroke. For her part the heroine hadn’t gone to any funerals or met with any loved ones. Instead she had briskly blown off attempts from reporters to get comments and only issues the standard boiler plate apology notice that appeared buried in all the local papers. No one even noticed she had been so lazy about it that it still said (INSERT NAME HERE) rather than Hiramo’s name.

That had been three weeks. Flamestroke had been given three weeks to prove that she could learn. She hadn’t… and so she had died. She had cursed him the entire time, letting him know all the horrible things she was going to do to him. The heroine had portrayed herself as passionate and fiery, as was fitting someone with a fire quirk, but he wondered what people would have thought if they had realized just how filthy her mouth actually was. The disgusting things she’d suggested she’d do to him… sexually violent. She’d cursed him and taunted him and been oh so brave… until he’d pulled out his knife and her rage had turned to terror.

Stain might have paused… but the image of Hiramo’s corpse, impaled on that pole, had stuck with him and he had struck true, killing her and leaving her to be found. Hiramo’s death had garnered a small article, an afterthought, long after his death. Flamestroke had gotten a front page article but that was only because of Stain himself… he wasn’t for sure how to feel about that.

‘Of course… she was also given so much attention because of-‘

He paused, looking down at the small brown tabby that was nuzzling against his leg. Stain reached over for the sandwich he was eating and ripped off a chunk, holding it out to the kitty who happily nibbled on the meal.

The cat had belonged to Hiramo. When Stain had taken over the man’s apartment, using it as his latest hideout, he had found the poor thing waiting by its empty food dish. It had hissed at him and even bit his finger when he’d reached out to him but now the cat cuddled up to him whenever he could.

Stain reached over and gently scratched the cat’s head, causing it to purr before it settled next to him and shut his eyes. He didn’t know if he would be able to find him a new home easily… he didn’t want him harmed too.

‘Another victim of the decaying hero society,’ he thought bitterly. ‘How many cats and dogs are out there, waiting for owners that will never return home because of the failures of heroes?’

He looked back at the notebooks he’d been go through. They contained all his information on the false heroes, the ones that needed to be culled so the True Heroes, the ones that were waiting to burst through the muck that was the corrupt Hero Society, could rise up. Several different ones were currently on his radar…

His eyes paused on the one for Ida Tensei.

‘A mistake,’ he thought to himself. ‘That… was a mistake.’

Stain was man enough to admit when he was wrong. He’d gone after Ignenium because of who his parents were, feeling that the fruit of a diseased tree would be diseased as well. But even then he had been… unsure. It had more been a matter of convenience then him being a target that Stain hungered to remove from the world. His failure to defeat him thanks to the arrival of Vader had caused him to go back, to see if he could find a different way to defeat the hero… and then begin considering his choice.

‘He is not like his parents. He reaches out to Vigilantes and Criminals, offering them help. A chance to become honest members of society. And then there is his brother.’ He looked at the images he’d pulled up at the library of Ida Tenya. ‘The Spare created to ensure that the Ida Dynasty lived on… and yet Tensei saw him not as a rival but as a child. He raised him… as much a father to him as the man who created him…’

So Stain had decided to leave Tensei alone. A mistake brought on by his own hubris. He had managed to cull so many that it had blinded him, made him sloppy. Much like his prey, he could admit. But… Vader had shown him how wrong he was and as such had helped him realize what parts of him needed to be sharpened once more.

‘He is my whetstone,’ Stain thought. ‘Helping me become all the more able to complete my task. I must thank him… before I challenge him again.’

He smiled at that before he looked over the notebook for Flamestroke, using his knife to slash a line through her name. He would burn the book later, to hide the evidence… not that he cared if anyone knew what he did. No… he was quite thrilled. Rather it was a matter of him not needing anyone to realize where he was and start a foolish drive to try and stop him.

It was why he would need to leave soon… his failure to kill Tensei, despite him now accepting that failure, meant that heroes would begin flooding into the city, trying to catch him. Opportunities to cull a few more of the braggarts… but also too far of a risk.

It was a balancing act.

He gently reached down and lifted the cat into his lap, stroking its fur, before looking over the notebooks.

‘Flamestroke though did aid me in this. She showed me the truth I knew but was unwilling to admit out of fear. I have been removing the diseased flesh… but the infection is still there. It must be fully cut out if I am to save the limb that is this part of Hero Society. For if I allow that infection to remain… it will only cause more to become diseased.’

And with that… Stain picked up a new notebook with a single name on it. The name of Flamestroke’s mentor. The one she had interned for and worked as a sidekick with until their falling out.

ENDEAVOR

Chapter Text

“I hope I have everything,” Ochaco said for the fifth time, crouching down to check through her bags.

Kaminari, who had been close by, frowned at that. “What’s the big deal? If you forget something I’m sure your agency will let you run to a shop and get something. Or if its simple enough I’m sure you can bum it off someone.”

“Bum it off?” Ahsoka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well yeah. Like if you forget a toothbrush or your underwear.”

“…wow,” Shinso said, staring right at Kaminari with just a single eyebrow cocked. Ahsoka fought back a snicker at that, as for Shinso that was basically like clapping his hands against his cheeks and making the biggest ‘O’ face ever.

‘Honestly, he has the emotional control of a jedi,’ Ahsoka thought.

Kaminari frowned, turning to stare at Shinso. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, what’s the big deal?”

“You would share underwear?” Shinso asked.

Izuku crinkled his nose. “It’s the toothbrush that I’m sticking on.”

“What’s the big deal with sharing a toothbrush?” Kaminari asked, confused. “You put toothpaste on it when you use it… that means you are cleaning it when you clean your teeth.”

“That’s… not how that works,” Ochaco said.

“It totally is!” Kaminari exclaimed. “That’s science! Same thing with bath towels!”

“Aren’t you failing science?” Jiro said, glancing away from the conversation she’d been having with Momo.

Kaminari face faulted at that. “Why do you have to bring that up?” he whined. “We’re having a nice discussion!”

“I am not sharing a toothbrush with Mirko,” Ochaco complained. “And how would it even work with underwear? She and I aren’t even the same bra size!”

Kaminari frowned. “Can’t you just… shift things?” He reached up and, cupping his hands, moved them up and down.

Jiro stared upward towards the heavens while Ahsoka and Ochaco just shared a look. It didn’t miss Ahsoka’s notice that Izuku was glancing about anywhere but the girls… and especially their chests. It made her wonder just what was going through that head of his.

“How aren’t you worried about making a good impression?” Ochaco asked Kaminari.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused. “We already made our good impressions… we made our great impressions! They asked us to be their interns… they wouldn’t have asked that if they didn’t want us they wouldn’t have asked.”

“YOU IDIOT!” Bakugo roared, suddenly popping up next to Kaminari and making the electrical-quirked teen nearly leap out of his shoes. “We still need to make a good impression on the heroes! You think they will let you stay for the full internship if you slack off?! Use your fucking brain, you idiot!”

“Come on, they wouldn’t-“

“YES THEY WOULD!” Bakugo bellowed, causing Kaminari’s hair to be pushed back. “If they can’t trust you to remember your pajamas you think they will trust you to remember the proper gear in the field? Capture gear or equipment to take down a villain? For fuck’s sake, at this point I wouldn’t trust you to remember to wipe your shitter before you pulled your pants on!”

Kaminari’s eyes went wide at that, swallowing nervously. “They… they wouldn’t really think that, would that?”

“Of course they fucking would!” Bakugo snapped. “And if you fuck up this internship they will make sure to let EVERYONE know how bad you did! A good internship can spread the word and help you get a better one in Second Year… and if you fuck this up you won’t even get a pity request!”

Ahsoka remained quiet. While she wasn’t a fan at all of how Bakugo was saying it… she had to admit he had a point. Kaminari was treating the internship like it was a vacation. So were several other classmates, from the way Ashido has suddenly begun to look over her bag.

‘Its like how it used to be in the Jedi Order,’ she thought to herself as even those that were prepared like Izuku began to double check their packs. ‘A Master selecting their Padawan from the younglings… and failure to do so could see you shipped off to the Corps.’ That had always been spoken of with terror among the Padawans; the ultimate failure, to be reduced to being just a lowly farmer. ‘And even if you were selected we worried about who we would get.’

A Jedi wasn’t supposed to crave fame and glory. They were supposed to work for the good of the Republic and the Galaxy. But that hadn’t stopped the Younglings from whispering at night about who they desired as their master. She had always been jealous of anyone who suggested Master Plo Koon; she would have LOVED for him to be her master but knew that such a thing was virtually impossible. Only 17 Jedi in the last century had been allowed to take the Youngling they discovered on as their Padawan. It was feared that the attachment would cloud the lessons. For her she had dreamed of the likes of Master Windu, who while stern was also said to be the greatest warrior the Jedi had ever brought about. Later, when the War had begun and just before the way Padawans were chosen was changed she had considered Master Kenobi.

‘The Sith Slayer,’ she remembered the Younglings all whispering. ‘One of the youngest masters ever and certainly the youngest Jedi in three generations to be given a seat on the Council. He had beaten even Master Windu!’ Obi Wan’s life had read like a holo adventure. Sent to the Agricorps only to meet with Master Qui Gon and deal with the Dark Jedi Xanatos. Master of Form III. Precognition so powerful that Master Yoda himself helped in his training.

Everyone had wanted to be his apprentice and while she had been mildly disappointed that she hadn’t been selected (and when Obi Wan had thought she was his new apprentice she had, for a very brief moment, considered lying and saying she was in hopes that by the time the council learned of her deceit it would be too late and she’d be ‘stuck’ with Obi Wan) she was pleased with having Anakin as her master.

‘Except now I won’t be training with him,’ she thought, coming to the present. ‘Now its will be Nedzu I must train with… and I have no idea what that will be like…’

She tapped down her worry and focused on the moment. That was what everyone in her life, Jedi or not, told her. Focus on the here and now, don’t get lost in the thousand futures.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Mr. Aizawa said, causing the entire class to grow quiet. Though he didn’t smile at how quickly they had piped down Ahsoka could feel his approval in the Force. “Now then, I was going to give you an entire speech about making sure he take this seriously but it seems Bakugo decided to pepper his cursing with some actual knowledge for once.” Bakugo looked ready to explode at that insult but quickly shut his mouth when Aizawa flashed him a quick look. “So I am instead going to remind you all that you don’t even have a full year under your belt. You are still first year hero students. Yes, you have learned a lot and have improved beyond how you were when you first came through this gate…” He gestured at the gates of UA, “…but you still have a lot to learn. So don’t go getting a big head thinking that you know everything. In other words: shut up, listen to your mentors, and do exactly what they say. And if you think you know better than them and should do something different remember the age old saying: no, you aren’t.”

He stared at them.

“End of speech.”

Several of the students opened their mouths to speak… only to clamp them shut and glance at their homeroom teacher.

“Good, you’re learning,” he muttered. “Your hero suits have already been sent to your agencies and I have confirmation that they were received. I am sure at least one of you will have your mentor claim they didn’t get them. I’ll leave it up to you how you handle that.”

“I don’t like that he told us that,” Kamakiri whispered. “That seems like something he’d prefer to have sprung on us.”

“I like to do my own logical ruse,” Aizawa stated, “I don’t help other people do theirs. Alright, enough of this. You have my number if you run into any problems. Use it. I’d rather you annoy me with nothing than not use it and end up hurt.”

Sensing that truly was the end of the speech the students of 1-A began to break up, making for the different train stations, taxies, and other modes of transportation that would see them to their destinations.

“Good luck!” Ochaco said, hefting her duffle bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “Remember, its going to be tough! We picked these heroes because they can help us break out of our weaknesses! So its not going to be easy.”

“Right!” Izuku declared though Ahsoka smirked all the same; Izuku might have been the only one in the class to pick someone that would focus on his strengths as much as his weaknesses. Of course that didn’t mean it would be easy for him at all. “Remember to send a text to the group chat as soon as you can!” He waved to the others before moving to catch up with Aoyama and Tenya; they would be going together to the agency that Anakin, Obi Wan, and Rex had set up for themselves.

Ahsoka, for her part, pulled out her phone and opened the message that Principal Nedzu had sent her, the email time coded so she couldn’t use the link embedded in it until that particular moment. After a few moments her phone went dark and she heard a familiar voice declare, “Am I a rat, a mouse, or a bear? Why, I am your Hero Mentor for this semester! Now, first things first… you must find my agency! I find that a good scavenger hunt always works well to get the brain pumping. You will need to collect the following items and take them to the address listened in the email you are now receiving; only then will you get the next clue!”

Ahsoka merely shook her head. “I should have seen this coming.”

“Yes, you should have!” the recording chirped.

~MC~MC~MC~

Tenya frowned as he checked the address he had been given for the third time.

“Are you sure this is right?” Aoyama said, looking over the building that they’d been dropped off at, bags sitting on the sidewalk. “This can’t be right, can it?”

“I… don’t know,” Tenya said, mouth pressed into a firm line.

Tenya knew that he didn’t have the same viewpoint as others did when it came to hero work. While not as rich as Yaoyorozu or Todoroki the Ida family was still rather well off and his home had been a luxury condo that was worth more than many of this classmate’s houses. And as for his brother’s Hero Agency it was quite a bit larger than those of heroes his brother’s age and certainly far better equipped. And that was his brother doing things on his own; his parents had pressed his brother to use their Agency but Tensei had wanted to make it on his own.

Sometimes he wondered if that was part of the reason why they were so distant from him and his brother.

But still the large factory-like structure before them wasn’t the kind of building he’d ever expect any reputable hero to use as their agency. There wasn’t even a sign advertising that it belonged to heroes!

“Maybe this is one of Aizawa’s logical ruses?” Aoyama said, swallowing as he looked at the structure.

Izuku though shook his head. “Nah. They just wanted something cheap so they could pool their money on other things.” He picked up his bag and motioned for the two to follow him.

“This… is where you trained with Dualshot?” Aoyama asked, staring at the building in utter confusion. But that befuddlement left him after a moment and he suddenly began to grin. “Ah! But of course! Perhaps it looks ugly but that it was makes it beautiful! Like a mole upon a model’s cheek! One must look carefully to see the beauty!”

“Nah,” Rex said, Izuku forcing himself not to smile as he saw his mentor emerge from the dark doorway wearing a pair of blue jeans and a plain white tee. The emblem for the GAR, the hero association from where he had grown up and later served before moving to Japan, was emblazed on the front; Izuku already had three pairs of the shirt himself in Red, white, and black. “Its ugly because doing the work we do? Its ugly. And for the next week can the ‘Dualshot’ stuff. While you are with me its Captain Rex.”

“Of course it is,” Aoyama said, swishing his hair back with a flick of his hand. “But that is why we must work to bring some beauty to it!”

“…right,” Rex said slowly. He looked to Izuku. “Vode.”

“Vode,” Izuku answered back, giving a salute. While he and Rex had become more casual around each other (it was hard not to when it was pretty clear Rex and Izuku’s mom were dating and, in Izuku’s opinion, were very likely heading towards marriage even if the two of them didn’t see the signs), there were still some things that were needed to be done properly. Father, friend, fellow hero? Rex was vode. Would always be vode. And Izuku would honor him as such.

“You two get in there… Anakin is in his workshop waiting for Iida and Obi Wan is ready for you on the roof.” He looked Aoyama over and Izuku winced; his classmate was wearing what his mother would have called his ‘Sunday Best’ and Rex would have called ‘useless gear only fit for Senators’. He didn’t quite get what that was referencing but Izuku knew that Aoyama wasn’t setting himself up for a pleasant time wearing such things. “Drop your stuff just inside the door. I haven’t done my morning routine yet and you are going to join me.”

“Of course!” Aoyama declared with a grin doing as commanded. “I am more than happy to see what your routine is! I personally like to start by washing my face…”

Izuku tried hard not to groan as he entered the agency but failed and that earned him a confused look from Tenya. “Rex’s idea of a routine and Aoyama’s is vastly different. Right now he’s doing ‘No stretch runs’ because ‘you don’t get the luxury of being able to stretch before a surprise attack so you have to learn how to move with tight muscles.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Tenya commented. “My brother likes to get up and lift weights early in the morning, since he obviously will be running much of the day. I currently focus on running since I am still trying to improve my speed and stamina but eventually I think I will begin doing the same as him.”

Izuku nodded. “That’s why I always beg off doing things after school… I like to get in as much sleep as I can before I get up at 4.”

That caused Tenya to twist around and stare at Izuku in surprise. “You get up at 4? I understand dedication-“

“I’m quirkless, Tenya,” Izuku reminded him as they made their way past Sango, the bored secretary that Obi Wan, Anakin, and Rex had hired to watch over The Last Battalion Hero Agency, and through a door. Tenya stopped and stared but Izuku was already beginning to weave his way through the large open obstacle course that the three heroes had set up; Izuku had only been able to use it a few times, since it had only recently been completed, and he was hoping he had more time to go through it and learn all the tricks. “I have to work twice as hard to be seen as half as good as the weakest quirked person.” He held up his hand before Tenya could say a word. “I know you don’t think that way about me but the rest of the world does. And I want to be the best I can so I work four times as hard so I can be on your level.”

“That is… horrible,” Tenya said before suddenly stopping and standing ramrod straight. “Izuku, you are one of the brightest and most dedicated people I know. I swear to you that when I am a hero I will dedicate time to help not just you but all quirkless people, so they do not suffer from the discrimination you were forced to go through.”

That made Izuku panic, waving his hands about wildly. “You… you don’t have to do that!” he stammered out. “Its not that big of a deal… its just the way things are!”

“My mother once said,” a new voice said, their voice echoing throughout the obstacle course, “ that the problem with the galaxy is that no one helps one another. I think she was only half right… the problem with the galaxy is that half of the people think its easier not to help… and the other half are too embarrassed to accept help.”

The man that walked up to them was… tall. Very tall. And while he did have a scar over his one eye he was still a handsome looking man which made Izuku’s ‘I’m not quite ready to say I’m bi’ sense go haywire. He was dressed in black jeans and a dark shirt, right hand covered by a glove but at the very end he could see a glint of metal that had Izuku REALLY wanting to ask if that was part of his quirk or not. While he hadn’t met him yet Izuku knew at once the new arrival was Ahsoka’s cousin and guardian, Anakin Skywalker.

“Take my advice, Izuku,” Anakin said with a slight smile. “Never wave off help.” He held out his hand to Tenya. “Skywalker Anakin or Anakin Skywalker where I’ve from.”

Tenya… bowed.

“I am honored to learn from you, Skywalker-Sensei!”

“…uh huh,” Anakin said, quirking an eyebrow and glancing at Tenya before shaking his head and retracting his hand. “Come on, let’s get started. Midoriya, Obi Wan is on the roof.” He pointed to a set of stairs and Izuku nodded, hurrying up them and leaving Tenya talking to Anakin about what they would do first.

When he opened the door he was startled to find rather than the tar-covered roof and view of the city that lay beyond there was instead green.

Endless green.

Izuku took a step and then, when his foot landed on the soft soil softly ground his foot back and forth to check to see if he truly were standing on dirt or if it was just an illusion. Once sure that what he was seeing was real Izuku continued along the path, marveling at the greenery that surrounded him. Short trees with leafy branches that formed an emerald canopy over his head. Grasses that grew untamed, needing no cutting and instead allowed to rise up however tall they wished. He heard the chirping of birds and was startled to realize that instead of cars driving by all he heard was the silence of the forest he found himself in. It was as if he had been teleported to someplace else entirely!

“Sound blocking,” Kenobi said to him from around a bend and Izuku hurried along the path, jaw dropping at the pond (A POND!) that was in the middle of the forest, a small island upon it which Obi Wan was sitting in the lotus position on. “Power Loader assisted us. The walls block most of the sound and special devices on the tops of them help with the rest. It means I could scream my lung out and only anyone here would hear.” He cracked an eye open and smiled at Izuku. “Not that I would want to though I admit a few times during this Semester I have debated it.”

“How… how did you do all this…” Izuku asked, looking about.

“The building is as tall as it appears. The soil goes down several feet into the building itself, allowing the trees plenty of room to spread their roots. The pond isn’t terribly deep but enough for some fish to have a nice place to swim.” He waved his hand towards the waters and Izuku could just make out some of the large gold fish that were swimming about. They weren’t like the ones a child would see at a grocery store or at a carnival. They were large and bold things that swam up to Izuku, staring at him for a moment before darting off for other parts of the pound.

“This is… amazing,” Izuku said. “Was there a particular reason you chose these trees? Do they help you when it comes to your quirk? What about the pond? I know your Quirk is similar to Ahsoka’s and she never mentioned needing water to help her but maybe it’s a secret? Is it a secret? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t ask that. But if it is do you have ways to help you while you’re out in the field and away from the water? I was thinking-“

Obi Wan held up a hand and Izuku fell silent.

“It isn’t needed for my Quirk but it does assist me.” He waved his hand. “Back where I was raised we had a place called the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Even though all of Coruscant is a massive city where there isn’t even a speck of green to be seen the Room of a Thousand Fountains brought the natural world to us. It was a place that always let me find peace and thus I built this place here, my own small piece of it.”

“Oh!” Izuku said, instantly getting what Obi Wan was getting at. “It allows you to feel comfortable.”

“Exactly,” Obi Wan said, smiling softly. “Tell me, Izuku… do you know why I asked you to be my intern this week?”

Izuku frowned. “I thought you said it was because you wanted to work with me due to my planning.”

“Oh, it absolutely is,” Obi Wan said with a pleased smile that at once had Izuku breathing a bit easier. “But,” his heroics instructor continued, making Izuku stiffen, “I also wanted to work with you on an issue I myself had when I was your age. An issue I have even now.”

“And… what is that?” Izuku asked.

“Self doubt,” Obi Wan stated. “When I was your age I was filled with utter terror that I wouldn’t be a… hero. It was what I had always wanted and I worried that I wouldn’t achieve-“ He stopped. “Well, I can’t really call it a dream. It was more that I felt it was what I was meant to do. But that fear that I wouldn’t become a- hero caused me to do things that only hurt my chances. Risks that I wouldn’t have taken. Acting out without thought. And as these failures made things more difficult for me I in turn moved towards more extreme acts.

“When I trained Anakin in how to use The Force it was after the death of my Master, Qui Gon Jinn. I knew so many were watching me, waiting for me to fail, and as such it affected my ability to connect with him because I once more allowed my self-doubt to creep in.”

Obi Wan motioned for Izuku to take a seat and, without a second thought, Izuku knelt down in the dirt by the pond. Obi Wan smiled at that, pleased, though Izuku didn’t think it was much… one didn’t train with Rex without learning how to handle dirt.

“I want to train you because I see in you the same fear and self doubt and I don’t want it to hold you back. Your emotions are powerful tools… a mistake many who learn how to use The Force make is that they believe that they must be emotionless. Anakin certainly still has his days where he believes it. Instead what one must do is learn how to master their emotions, rather than let their emotions master them.”

Izuku grimaced at that. “Yeah… even with all the work Rex and I have put in I still feel the urge to cry sometimes when something emotional gets to me.”

“Yes. There is nothing wrong with feeling joy or empathy or sadness,” Obi Wan reassured him. “In fact I would say those are very good things to feel.”

“Even sadness?”

“Sadness allows us to understand that things aren’t right in the world,” Obi Wan said. “It lets us know of an absence.” He paused before flicking out his hand, using his quirk to cause some water to splash onto Izuku. “Stop,” Obi Wan commanded and at once Izuku froze. “Feel the wind on those wet spots. Describe it as simply as you can.”

Izuku frowned. “I feel it against them. Its… uncomfortable. Clinging to my skin. Cold-“

“Cold,” Obi Wan said with a nod. “Yes.” He paused. “Except… cold isn’t actually real.”

“Oh!” Izuku said, eyes widening. “I remember this! There isn’t technically, in science, ‘cold’. Rather cold is the absence of heat. We don’t measure how cold something is we measure how warm something is, how much heat it has.”

“I have found that sadness is, in most cases, an absence of joy and happiness. Sadness lets us know that we are lacking something or have lost something. But just like we don’t want to remain out in the snow we don’t want to remain in sadness.”

“And just like we don’t remain under a desert sun we don’t remain in happiness.”

“Exactly,” Obi Wan said. “Too much of any emotion can break us so it is important to understand emotions and how to properly handle them. That is what I am going to teach you.” Obi Wan shut his eyes. “Now then… let us begin with meditation…”

Chapter Text

“Sir Steel!” Tenya said as he walked alongside the pro hero. “I must thank you for agreeing to this internship. My brother spoke highly of you-“

“Yeah, Tensei is a good egg,” Sir Steel commented. “And its Anakin, okay?”

That caused Tenya to blink in surprise. “It would be highly improper for me to address you so informally. It belittles all your work as a pro hero-“

“Uh huh, sure,” Sir Steel said as they moved into one of the messiest garages that Tenya had ever seen. It was filled with different mechanical parts and stank of motor oil and other fluids. The cement floor was stained in a multitude of blacks and grays, like a patchwork of filth. While there were places on the wall to hang tools, and plenty of them were, there were just as many tools lying scattered about. He saw several cars in various states of dismantling and repair, from a rusted out skeletal frame to a mint 2XXX Grim that just needed a final wax. Some of the robots that UA had used for the exam were in a corner next to what looked like a red little trashcan with a dome on top. “Listen, I get that there are times to be respectful. But we are going to be working together closely, Tenya, and that means that we need to be comfortable with each other. There can’t be barriers between us.”

Tenya wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. He didn’t think that showing respect was creating a ‘barrier’ but on the other hand he could see that having familiarity between him and the hero would make things easier.

“…very well… Anakin.”

“See, wasn’t hard at all,” Anakin said with a smile, patting Tenya on the shoulder. “Now, I thought about giving you the tour of the place, showing you your room and all that, but I figure with your quirk you are someone that likes to get moving.”

Actually Tenya would have liked to take the tour right then, as it would be nice to understand where he would be staying for the next 7 days, but he didn’t speak up and correct the hero. He had his limits.

‘And… I must admit… it would be nice to show what I can do.’ So Tenya set his bags down and went ramrod straight. “I am ready whenever you are!”

“Great,” Anakin said before looking over Tenya. “You like those clothes?”

Tenya looked down at his dress shirt, slacks, and polished shoes. “I thought to make the best first impression-“

“No, no,” Anakin said, waving his one hand about. “I mean is it going to be a problem if they get dirty? And are you comfortable in them? Move around easy in them?”

That confused Tenya all the more. “I won’t wear these while patrolling.”

That caused the hero to sigh. “If I didn’t know you weren’t joking…” he muttered before looking up. “Alright, sorry Tenya. I’m used to Ahsoka and how she will banter right back at me when I get snappy. We are going to be working in the shop today and its going to get messy. I want to make sure you don’t want to change into some different clothes.”

Tenya blinked at that. “Sir… I mean Anakin… shouldn’t we be patrolling? Fighting crime? That is why I am here.”

“We are here to make you a better hero,” Anakin said, sounding a bit more confident. “And part of that is helping push your quirk to the next level. To do that we are going to figure out how to make you even faster than your brother. To have you breaking every record there is. But-“ he held up his finger, “-there is no way we are going to poke and prod your engines without an understanding of how they are when compared to regular engines. So you are going to help me work on the motor on the Snapper.” He pointed to the one car that was half way done, its engine held by chains up in the air. “And we’ll see how much you know before we begin looking over you. What’s similar, what’s different. All that.”

“Yes Sir!” Tenya said, at once understanding. “And I am sure I will be fine. How messy could it get?”

Anakin just shot him a dry look and Tenya forced himself not to grimace.

~MC~MC~MC~

Ochaco adjusted the straps of her backpack before heading into Mirko’s private gym. The rabbit hero was currently delivering every kind of kick she could to a padded pillar, a smirk on her face as the thing wobbled with every strike.

“So…”MIrko said, barely sparing her a glance, “you’re my new fucking intern.” She didn’t even bother to stop her workout. “I was impressed by how you fought in the Sports Festival… I’ll admit that. But I’m going to tell you the truth flat out: I only sent that offer in because Endeavor told me not to and I wanted to piss him off. I have no time for pampered little princesses so you better realize that this is going to be hell week for you. I fucking hate heroes who think that the job is just about posing for photos… I got no problem with fans but you better do some shit to actually deserve it. You’ve got the benefit that you want to be a Rescue Hero and they aren’t huge in popularity but that’s about that. I’m going to treat you like shit and we’ll see if you survive.”

Ochaco… dropped her backpack and walked over to the pillar.

“My family lives paycheck to paycheck,” Ochaco stated, as casual as if one were discussing the weather. “My father does construction work and I don’t mean that he sits in an office and barks out orders to the crew. I mean we are short staffed nearly every day because he can never get a full crew and needs to rely upon day laborers. And they are unreliable, even the great ones, and then half the time they don’t make it past lunch. So he goes out there and hauls lumber himself and after 8 hours he goes and does all the work he was SUPPOSED to be doing while he was making sure that the project remained on time. My mom has bad knees from smoothing out concrete while the sun made her neck blood red. We couldn’t afford babysitters so my first memory is playing with some bent nails because they were the only toys I had while my dad was screaming at the guy with the jackhammer to hurry it up.

“I didn’t get the latest gadgets for my birthday. And I never wanted them. Because I knew that just getting me a book or a doll meant my parents sometimes didn’t get to eat dinner for a few nights. My shoes were held together by duct tape and I wore dresses my mother patched up from discount stores that still smelled of cigarette smoke. My hair was cut outside and one year I grew it out just so I could sell it for a bit of pocket change. And I didn’t even spend most of it because I couldn’t bring myself to waste it on the movies or an arcade or the like.

“It is taking EVERY ounce of willpower I have not to take that suit-“ she pointed at the case that was sitting near the wall, the one she knew UA had sent Mirko, “-and sell it at a pawn shop because I know for a fact it is worth more than what my parents make in five years. Pampered princess? I’m not the one with a private gym. I worked out in parks, climbing trees and practicing my quirk where the dogwalkers couldn’t see me. You think your cursing is going to make me all aflutter? Do you realize how much I have to censor my fucking language thanks to spending most of my life surrounded by hard-smoking, hard-drinking, pounding steel in the morning and pounding your mom’s pussy at night construction workers? I talk like I’m fucking used to and those cunts at UA would shit golden bricks that they’d then demand my parents use to build them another rec center because the last one had a bit of a draft.

“You are surrounded by the rich of the city… I bleed the poor of the forgotten. So take your preconceived notions that got dredged up just because I bummed some makeup off of one of my friends so I for once looked a bit pretty and shove them up that hole right below your little white cotton tail. Then take it out and shove it up the other one. Might actually help you calm the fuck down and act like a fucking teacher.”

Mirko… laughed.

“Oh… you and I are gonna get along just fine!” she declared, motioning for Ochaco to join her. “Now, you did good in the Sports Festival, like I said, but you need to learn how to fight dirty. Rescue Heroes go into the muck and the shit so you need to be ready to sling it. How do you feel about horrific testicular damage?”

“I mean I want to be a Rescue Hero so I can always rescue them from their pain.”

MIrko slung an arm around Ochaco’s shoulder. “This is going to be the best fucking week of my life.”

~MC~MC~MC~

Shoto stepped off of the bus, the door barely managing to close behind him before the drive raced out of there. He understood why… when he’d informed the driver of where his stop was, after he’d kept riding for over two hours, the man had let out a groan. The camp where he would be staying for the week was the very last stop on the man’s route and he’d kept him from being able to go home early.

Still, he was there.

And he didn’t know how to feel about that.

His internship wasn’t taking place at any agency. He could have handled that as he had been to plenty of them during his life. He’d trained nearly every day at his father’s, first through acceptance and then through silent begrudgement. And his father had seen fit to take him to many agencies when he had been younger, to show him off. While that had tapered down a bit after his scarring he had still been sent out to be presented by his father as his heir.

He knew the ins and outs of most agencies. The lobby with art in frames showcasing posters of the heroes or news clippings of their greatest deeds. The desk with the too perky secretary who had a finger on the panic button just in case. The private gym where the only one using the mats was the hero. The office where paperwork was done. The Support Lab where equipment was maintained. All of that.

What he found at the Sun and Snow Ranch wasn’t an agency at all.

The main building he approached was huge. Three stories tall and spreading out so wide that it was larger than some of the buildings at UA. Yet it also felt… comforting. Like a home. He was reminded of the best times in his life, before his mother had gone away, before his brother had become so bitter he couldn’t stand to look at him, before his sister had become so beaten down by life that all she could do was freeze her own smile. Before Touya…

It felt like that. Warm and happy.

Walking through the front door he found Frostburn and Sunbite already waiting for him. Not in their hero costumes but in casual clothing. Both in blue jeans and hiking boots, Frostburn wearing a plaid shirt while Sunbite had on a t-shirt that declared ‘Sun’s Out, Guns Out’ with an picture of a flexing man. Shoto didn’t quite get WHAT the shirt was trying to say but then again he didn’t get what purpose most shirts that had graphics on them were meant to actually mean.

“Todoroki, right?” Sunbite said with a smile.

“Who else would it be?” Frostburn said dryly though not with as much venom as he might have expected. “Welcome to the Sun and Snow Ranch. We’re thrilled to have you for the week.”

“Thank you for accepting me as your intern,” Shoto said, giving a polite bow. “I am ready to assist you however I can.”

The two heroes though glanced at each other before shrugging. “Sure.” Sunbite said. “So, why don’t I show you around while Frost sees to our other guests?”

“You have other interns?” Shoto asked. He had figured there would be sidekicks, as his father had plenty of those. He had never known how to deal with them as none of them acted the same. Some tried to befriend him, some tried to use him to get on his father’s good side, and a few had tried to order him around like his father did. Those last ones never lasted… at the Endeavor Agency or as heroes. So he had been expecting sidekicks but not other interns.

“Oh no, not at all,” Sunbite said happily, patting Shoto on the shoulder. “You want to meet them?” Shoto gave the barest of nods as he didn’t know if he actually wanted to meet the other guests but figured it couldn’t hurt to do so. “Frost, what are they doing now?”

“Getting ready for horseback riding. We should be able to catch them before they head out.”

With that the two heroes led Shoto through the ranch, breezing past several large conference rooms… or what Shoto assumed were conference rooms. They had chairs and tables but also had blocks and toys set up inside. After a few minutes they reached a back door and Frostburn opened it to reveal a gaggle of people gathered around a bunch of horses and ponies, all of animals wearing saddles and having brightly colored ropes and reins.

“Hey squirts, ready to ride out?” Frostburn asked and several of the gathered children turned and smiled at him.

Shoto’s eyes widened.

Every single one of the children had burn scars.

There was a little girl who didn’t have any hair on her head because of the scarring on her scalp but DID have a rather pretty looking headband with a butterfly pin on it. Another boy couldn’t open his left eye due to his scarring. Others had their mouths twisted in odd angles due to the burns while others had bandages on that were soaked with medicines that Shoto recognized all too well.

“Their school caught fire...” Sunbite said gently as Frostburn chatted with the kids; some had been a bit more skittish with his arrival. “Not a villain attack… just a tragic accident. No one was killed but a lot of the little ones suffered burns. When we found out we decided to give them a week at the Ranch, to take their minds off things… some are really subconscious about how they look…”

Shoto didn’t even realize he had been reaching up to touch his own scarred face until he felt his hand on his cheekbone.

“Listen… if this is too much we can-“

“Let me help you,” he said at once to a little boy who was struggling to get onto the small pony that he’d claimed as his own. “Where can I grab you?”

“Here,” the boy said, pointing at his right side. “Left hurts.”

“Yes,” Shoto said, remembering how tender his scarring had been even weeks after it had happened. He didn’t offer any sympathetic words, remembering how much he had hated it when people tried to comfort him after his own injury. He had just wanted to move on and everyone kept reminding him of it, their ‘kind words’ just ripping the wound open again and again. Telling him about their own trauma because that made them feel better. So instead Shoto asked direct questions, refusing to dance around the issue, and then moved on.

He carefully placed his hand on the boy’s left hip and under his right arm and hefted him up.

When the little boy smiled at him Shoto realized that in all the years he’d seen his father act as a hero… NO ONE had ever smiled at him like that.

Ever.

He felt something flutter in his heart before he moved on to quietly help the next child.

~MC~MC~MC~

“…nope.”

Momo frowned as she looked over her outfit. “No?”

“Nope,” Midnight said before looking at her daughter. “What do you think?”

“Too stiff,” Eri replied and much to Momo’s confusion Midnight smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I don’t understand,” Momo said. “What is wrong with the clothing I am wearing?” She gestured at her outfit. She had been told it was professional without being too glamorous. A crisp jacket, white shirt, skirt and panty hoses, flats but ONLY because with her height if she wore heels she would towered over everyone.

Admittedly… she did feel a touch overdressed when compared to everyone at the agency. She had come in expecting Midnight to be in her hero costume, much as she was at school. But instead she had been wearing a baggy sweater that just barely hide the shorts she was wearing, slip on boat shoes, and had her hair done up in a messy bun with strands sticking up all over. She’d honestly feared that she had arrived at the wrong time but Midnight had just welcomed her in. If not for the two men she saw wearing suits she would have felt like she’d dressed for a wedding only to find everyone in their pajamas.

“At this Agency we have a rule,” Midnight said before turning to one of her sidekicks. “Loona, what’s the rule?”

“Dress for success,” a woman whose mutation made her look like a bipedal wolf said with a lazy yawn. She was wearing all black: leggings with the toes cut off, a ripped skirt, a belly bearing top, and a black choker. She looked like she should be at a rock concert. “But only if it makes ya comfortable.”

“Exactly,” Midnight declared. “And while there are some that enjoy dressing like that…” she waved at the suit wearing men who, for some odd reason, had begun to slap-fight each other, “…others are far more comfortable in other clothes.” Momo found her eyes drawn towards a red-skinned woman wearing a black tank top and pants that hugged her ample hips who gave a gap-toothed smile at her. “Did you actually pick that out yourself?”

“My… my maid did,” Momo admitted. She always hated to admit she had servants as it seemed to turn people off rather quickly. They treated her differently when they were reminded how rich she was. Suddenly stopped seeing her as a person and instead as a rich girl who had everything done for her rather than-

Momo blinked.

“Oh,” she said suddenly, blushing. “I… didn’t pick these myself…”

“And this week is getting you comfortable in your own skin,” Midnight said. “So the first thing we are doing is going shopping. Millie, Loona, you want to join us for some shopping? The boys can handle things here.”

“Why not?” Loona said with a lazy shrug.

“I am so in!” Millie declared happily, her chirper attitude startling Momo as it went so against her dark look.

“We’re…going shopping?” Momo asked. “But I thought this week was supposed to be about training me to be a hero.”

“Yaoyorozu? Can I be blunt?” Momo nodded her head. “You are right where you should be in your first year. In fact you’re probably ahead of where you should be. Some of the stuff you created at the Sports Festival? That was amazing.” She smiled and placed a hand on Momo’s shoulder. “But do you know what else I noticed?”

“No.”

Midnight’s smile became more sad. “During the first task, when you were manning that Gatling gun? You didn’t care what others thought. You didn’t think about what you were wearing or how to hold yourself so you looked professional. You just were… you. But in class, from what I’ve seen and from the footage Obi Wan showed me… you sometimes freeze up because you are worried about how you look. That you aren’t utterly perfect.”

Momo didn’t say a word.

Mostly because she knew, deep down in her heart, her teacher was correct.

All her life she had been taught how to act. That there was a certain way that she must hold herself, a certain way to behave. All in the name of not harming the reputation of her family. That as a female hero she needed to look a certain way. That while it was nice that she was smart her greatest weapon was her looks. She utterly hated it but it seemed that all of society had been created to say “No, this is the way it must be”. When her breasts had first begun to develop her parents had talked about how they hoped for a particular cup size as media research showed that heroines needed large breasts but not too large; already her mother had whispered that during the summer she should consider getting implants to put her ‘over the edge’. That she needed to have hips and a nice posterior but not TOO big and thus she was forever dieting. When a quirk councilor who had served her family for years had suggested she pack on 30 pounds to better aid in her quirk he had been fired and another found that worked to keep her at her ‘ideal weight’.

“I… I don’t know how,” Momo whispered, utterly terrified.

“And that’s what we’re going to work on,” Midnight assured her.

~MC~MC~MC~

Katsuki pulled the hoodie over his head before ducking into the side entrance of Might Tower. There was a man taking a cigarette break though he doubted very much that the man was ACTUALLY out there to smoke. ‘More likely just a guard to make sure that only I get through this door,’ he thought as entered the building only to find another keypad. Typing in the code he’d been given (having spent the night before repeating it over and over to ensure that he remembered) he felt the room suddenly shift and realized that it was actually an elevator. A rather large one too, oddly enough.

He counted off the floors as he rose up through the Tower, doing his best not to freak out. He had worked very hard to rid himself of his more… extreme… fan boy tendencies, seeing how they had caused Deku so many problems growing up. But still… he was in Might Tower! Might Fucking Tower!

For one brief insane moment he considered breaking the contract JUST so he could take a photo and show it to Deku. It would make the nerd probably have a heart attack out of sheer joy.

But he contained himself.

‘This is fucking important! I’m going to be interning with fucking Star Might… and considering how close she is with her dad that means All Might is going to be helping out! The current Number One, the next Number One… and me.’ He smirked. ‘The future Number One.’

When he’d talked to his father last and Star Might had been brought up the old man had been worried about mentioning the new heroine’s name. Clearly he thought that doing so would set Katsuki off. But he’d informed the man that he was fine with Star Might being Number One… it just meant there was no longer any rush for him to claim the top spot. He could take his time so that when she did hand it over to him he was so established he could break All Might’s records!

It certainly didn’t matter that Star Might had saved him.

Not at all.

Not in the slightest.

The elevator dinged and Katsuki stepped out into a beautiful office. That was the only word for it… beautiful. It made him pause as he just took it in. There was something so… natural about it. Even though they were so high up that he could see the entire city stretching out before him he still felt like he taken a step into some earthy home. Still an office but… utterly comfortable. One where he could easily curl up beside the wall that was designed to resemble a waterfall with a large fishpond at the bottom and read a book in peace. Instantly he decided that when he was famous he was going to make the first thing he splurged on be making an office just like the one before him… or perhaps better. Some controls to change the ceiling to look like the open sky would be nice…

“Hey!” he called out but far softer than was the norm for him. “I’m here…” He walked further into the office, past a series of couches, only to pause when he saw an old man face down on the ground… “Okay, why the fuck are you sleeping in a puddle of ketchup and sausages?”

“I’M ALIVE!” the old man suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet.

At once Katsuki shot how his hand and fired off an explosion.

The old man… easily dodged it.

“Quick to react, aren’t ya?!?” the old man taunted.

“Who the fuck are you?” was Katsuki’s only response as he sent out more of his sweat.

“Kids today have no manners!” the geezer declared, suddenly appearing behind Katsuki and swinging his leg right at his head. Katsuki caught the limb but any sense of satisfaction was wiped away when the man merely twisted and sent his other leg into his middle, both freeing himself and sending Katsuki toppling backwards. “An old man can’t sleep in his lunch in peace?”

“What the fuck?” Katsuki gasped before springing forward, moving to snatch up the deranged man. He didn’t know if he was a villain or some delusional nutjob but either way he wasn’t going to let him get any farther! He grabbed onto the man’s wrist, twisting his arm before he flung the old man over his shoulder. Katsuki pivoted on his toes, ready to take advantage of the old man being flat on his back.

Instead he found the geezer on his feet, smirking before he lashed out with his open hand, clapping Katsuki on the side of the head and causing him to cry out in pain.

“You think just because you learned some basic throws that you can take me out, sonny? Seriously, there is a reason why that is taught within the first few days of Heroics!”

“DIE!” Katsuki roared, moving to grab the front of the man’s shirt.

Only to blink when he found his hands encased in oven mitts.

“Good, now go make me a sam-itch!” the old man said with a laugh, causing Katsuki to grit his teeth as he tore the mitts off. “Aw, I didn’t get a chance to put the frilly apron on you!”

“…what the fuck?” Katsuki said only to see the old man make a KISSY FACE AT HIM.

His eyes widened but only for a second.

Then they narrowed as the red bled over everything.

“MOTHERFUCKER!”

But that made the old man laugh as he dodged him. “That an offer? I admit its been a while… might need one of them blue little pills.” He suddenly zipped around Katsuki and drove his foot into his back, sending the teen to the ground. “Now… say “Harder daddy”.”

Katsuki let out a scream and tried to buck the bastard off of him.

“What. Is. Going. On.”

Even though the pressure didn’t lessen Katsuki could tell, even without looking, that the fight had gone out of the geezer. And he understood why as he looked up to see Star Might standing there, arms folded over her chest, a single eyebrow raised. Behind her was All Might who… oddly looked worried and nervous?

“I’m sure there is a legitimate reason,” the Number 1 Hero and Symbol of Peace said from behind his daughter, only to wince when the geezer turned to look at him.

‘What the fuck?’

“Of course there is a reason, ya blond doofus!”

“Then,” Star Might said, not cowed at all, “please. Share.”

“…if you can’t figure it out-“

“Try again,” Star Might said, cutting him off.

“Well,” the old bastard said, his confident tone not nearly so, well, confident, as it had been before, “it is important to teach-“

“Do I smell ketchup?”

At once the old man leapt off Katsuki’s back.

“I was startled?”

Star Might merely continued to stare him down and finally the old man hurried over to a cabinet and pulled out some paper towel and a spray bottle. “I thought you’d like it after your kid-“

But once more Star Might cut him off, leaving Katsuki confused. ‘Star Might… has a kid?’ He frowned. ‘All Might hid that he had a daughter… maybe she is doing the same thing? But seems too young to be a parent…’

“Just a little fun…” the old man muttered. “Fine… All Might, come and help an old man out.”

Katsuki was left staring in shock as the Number 1 Hero suddenly disappeared. There was the feeling of wind blowing past him and when he looked back he saw All Might on his hands and knees helping scrub up the ketchup.

Wearing a pink frilly apron.

“…what the fuck?!?”

“Yeah, that’s a thing,” Star Might said, walking over to him and offering her hand. “Hello Bakugo, nice to meet you again.”

The teen found himself… well… oddly moved that she remembered him. It must have shown on his face because she smiled.

“A hero should remember every person they saved… and every one they didn’t. The latter to get us to be better… the former to remind us WHY we do this.” She paused. “And honestly you were the first person I ever saved in Japan.” She smiled and broke off the handshake. “Now then, we need to get started on your internship. From what I saw at the Sports Festival you know how to handle yourself in a fight… though I do think we need to work on your control.”

“What does that f… what does that mean?” he said, catching himself.

“Why throw a punch when a tap on the shoulder will do?” Star Might asked and Katsuki was at once reminded of Tsu and what she had once told him about managing his explosions. Why waste all his power on riff raff?

And hell, he was up for any challenge. It might actually be fun to see how little he actually had to put into his blows to take down enemies.

“Alright… what’s first?”

Chapter Text

“Ah, Miss Tano!” Nedzu said with a smile as Ahsoka entered into his office. Not his school office, which she had been in many times. And not his private office for that was a place for himself and ONLY himself. No one else. No, this was his hero office, where he did his work as a crime fighter. “Tell me, and please be honest, what did you think when I asked you to intern with me?”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at that. “So, going right into it, I guess?” She gave a shrug. “Okay… I was surprised. I honestly forget you are a hero, sir. What with how busy you are.”

Nedzu smiled at that, or rather made his face take on the appearance of a human smile. Something that didn’t come naturally for him and had required a lot of practice on his part. He smiled because rather than claiming he couldn’t be a hero because of his looks… her surprise had come because of what he did. It was nice when people understood just how much work he did as the principal of UA. It wasn’t all popping out of places and finding new ways to legally torment his staff, after all.

“Some would argue that the greatest heroes are teachers. They mold the minds of the next generation… care for them, comfort them, stand with them as they rise up.” He chuckled before gesturing for her to sit. “Ah, but I am still a hero. I just don’t run around in a costume like your parents.” And he saw her shift at that and made a mental note to get Hound Dog to talk with her about the shifting the familiar roles in her life. With Padme accepting that she was Ahsoka’s mother and Anakin only needing a slight push to get him to verbally admit what everyone already knew Ahsoka would need to… well, he was getting ahead of himself. “Instead I have found other ways to be a hero. Look at this.”

He reached over and turned his computer screen so Ahsoka could see the footage that was currently being streamed live to it. He watched, pleased at how quickly she was able to figure out just what she was seeing.

“Live bodycam footage,” he said, though he could tell she’d already figured that out. “A sex trafficking ring is being destroyed right now. A former student of UA contacted me… not a hero student, someone in the general education class who ended up working for a law firm… asking for my help on the case. I couldn’t help but say yes.” He forced himself to remain calm as he said the next words. “I know what it is like to be trapped and have no hope of freedom.”

Ahsoka managed a nod at that, watching as the police took down the villains. They all had weak quirks which was why no heroes were needed in order to deal with the gang. Which made things nice and neat, in Nedzu’s opinion.

“That is the problem with heroics, I have found… people naturally assume it is rather flashy and dramatic and there for all to see. And why not? The news only shows those fights that are truly daring and spectacular. Children don’t spend their time going online and watching videos of heroes doing paperwork.” He stared at her, studying her carefully, looking for the micro-expressions that even her Jedi training wouldn’t have been able to prevent her from revealing to him. “But people forget all the little things. The dry and tedious acts that must be done in order to keep the world spinning as we know it. Those behind the scenes that keep order.” He chuckled. “It is easy to forget but big flashy villains? They aren’t the norm, even for the criminal underworld. They are the extreme. The sudden virus that strikes us hard and leaves us sick and must be fought with medicine. But these kinds of criminals?” Nedzu gestured at the screen. “They are far more natural. The norm.”

He could see it in her features. Practically read her like a book, despite her being an alien from a galaxy far, far away. Despite her Jedi training she had fallen into the same bad habits as so many of her other classmates: always looking towards the future, dreaming adventure and excitement. A jedi wasn’t supposed to want such things, according to Kenobi, but Tano did. And she knew it too.

Good.

It meant she at least had some sense of self-awareness.

“You come from a predator species, Tano,” Nedzu said and the young woman snapped her gaze at him. “Oh, it was easy to tell. Your teeth are sharp. Your eyes are on the front of your head rather than the sides. Your body, even without your Jedi training, is built for the hunt. The chase. You have… thousands of years? Tens of thousands of years?... of instinct screaming in your veins to go and find your prey and claim it. That is hard to snuff out simply because the Jedi tell you to release your anger. Because it isn’t anger that drives you. Or even a need for cheap thrills. For you such things are as natural as breathing.

“But… a great hunter knows how to take such desires and temper them. To work them into something far more… proper… for this modern world. To take the need to stalk one’s prey and turn it into something truly heroic.” And then, much to his own surprise as Tano’s, he reached out and patted her hand. “Once I had to decide what I wanted to be. Only to realize the answer: I wanted to be a WHO. Not a what. Anyone can be an animal, a monster, a predator, a hero, a savior. But only I… could be Nedzu. Perhaps its time you stop thinking of being a hero or a Jedi… and decide who Tano Ahsoka should be.”

And with that Nedzu’s tone grew chirper.

“Well, let’s get started, shall we? I think going over some case files of some cold cases would be quite fun!”

~MC~MC~MC~

Aoyama collapsed next to Tenya, gasping for air. It made the taller teen honestly rather concerned; this wasn’t the normal dramatics he was used to from his classmates after they had to do some exorcises. He was used to Ashido flopping down in a chair and dramatically whining that she was sore all over and she couldn’t move… only to suddenly burst into action if Momo brought out some treats to share with the class or if someone reported on some gossip from a website that she had to hear.

But Aoyama wasn’t lying there giving overly dramatic little sighs and moans. Instead he was just… laying on the ground, chest rising and falling, skin flush and eyes glassy. Tenya looked up from the engine piece he was cleaning and waved his hand in front of Aoyama’s face but there was no reaction.

“Its fine,” Izuku said, not opening his eyes. He was sitting crosslegged, body utterly still, looking frankly far better than either Aoyama or Tenya.

It made the taller teen rather jealous.

While he wasn’t completely out of it like Aoyama Tenya still felt out of his depths thanks to Skywalker and his training. After they had looked over the engines in his legs Skywalker had brought him over to a dirty, rusty, grim-covered car and informed him that they were going to be spending much of the week working on the engine.

“I don’t think you want us just poking about your legs, experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t,” Skywalker had informed him. “So we are going to work on the car so you understand how it works. How all of it comes together to do what it does. That way you are more comfortable working on your own engines and getting them to peak efficiency.”

That would have been well enough… if not for the fact of how dirty the work was.

Tenya’s clothes were utterly ruined. Covered in grim and oil and rust stains. The first time he’d gotten some lubricant on his face he’d tried to go clean up but Skywalker had told him to get back to work, as they didn’t have time for Tenya to run to the sink to wash up every time he got a bit of gunk on him. And Tenya had soon understood what he meant as it seemed like every ten seconds he was getting another drop of oil or smear of grease on his skin. He could feel it everywhere and it made him feel utterly disgusting.

Still… he did as asked. He understood Skywalker’s logic and wouldn’t question the older hero.

In contrast Izuku looked utterly calm. Peaceful even.

And utterly clean.

“So Aoyama,” Izuku said and Tenya found that there was something… odd… about the way his friend was speaking. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it though. “What exactly did Rex have you do?”

“Eeeeeeeeee,” Aoyama managed to get out.

“Ah, the Suicides,” Izuku commented.

“The what now?” Tenya asked, startled.

“Suicides. Intense training. It differs from person to person, depending on their endurance levels. For me I have to run a mile and then do 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 situps, all the while declaring verbally how to take apart, clean, and reassemble my blaster. If I falter I have to start all over again.”

“You… you have to do all that?!” Tenya asked, aghast.

“Well, for the first round. That’s why they are called Suicides and not Suicide.”

“I do not like that term,” Tenya grumbled. “It is highly disrespectful to mock such things.”

“Yeah, Rex offered to change the name after he found out how many times I’d actually considered committing suicide but-“

“Izuku!” Tenya exclaimed, eyes going wide in shock.

“Uh… can you… uh…” Finally Izuku sounded a bit more like himself and Tenya dimly realized that what had been throwing him off was that his friend wasn’t stuttering the entire time. Wasn’t getting excited either. His voice had been kept on an even keel, calm and collected.

Or it had been until he’d let slip that little piece of information.

Aoyama suddenly snapped his head toward Izuku only to wince, clearly still in pain. But he still turned towards Izuku and said, “You… tried to kill yourself?”

“What?” Izuku said, suddenly sounding rather panicked and, much to Tenya’s relief even if he wasn’t in the mood to feel relief at that moment, like himself once more. He waved his hands about desperately, eyes wide and full of desperation. “No! No I would… I would never do that! Never!”

“But you said-“ Aoyama got out.

“I only thought about it!” Izuku told them. “I mean… everyone thinks about it, right?”

Tenya didn’t say a word. He certainly hadn’t ever thought about killing himself.

“…how far did you get?” Aoyama asked, voice sounding oddly stilted.

Izuku looked like he was ready to leap up and flee but the way Aoyama was staring at him had the young green-haired hero pinned to the floor, unable to even think about moving. So instead he opened his mouth, Tenya ready for more stammered denials-

“I… wrote up a will,” he said. “Details on what my mom should do with my stuff. I didn’t think about my body… I hadn’t decided how I would do it. Every option seemed bad.” Tenya opened his mouth to say… well, he wasn’t sure WHAT… only for Izuku to continue. “I wanted it to be quick, if I were to do it, which I wouldn’t, I assure you!” He grimaced at that and Tenya hated that he seemed more concerned with convincing them of that then the mere idea that he’d ever considered ending his own life. “I know how I am and I would just overthink it so it had to be quick. Sleeping pills wouldn’t work because I’d be worried about the dosage and probably just end up vomiting them up. And I didn’t want to hang myself because what if I did it wrong and I got stuck? Which is silly, I know, but I didn’t want to do that. And then I had to think about how I would be found because I wouldn’t want anyone to be scared when they saw my body-“

Tenya hated everything. Hated everything so very much. Hated that his friend was more concerned about sparing others than the idea that he had been so miserable that he had been ready to die.

“-but its okay because I don’t think about that and Rex demanded I go see a shrink when he found out and-“

A beeping filled the air, startling them all, and Izuku let out a groan as he looked at the watch her was wearing; Tenya dimly realizing that it was the one blasting the alarm. He was about to ask his friend what that was about when the door opened to the training room they were all in and Kenobi stepped in.

“I’m sorry,” Izuku said pathetically to Kenobi. “We just-“

“It wasn’t his fault,” Tenya said, leaping to his feet. “You will not punish him for… whatever he did.” He narrowed his eyes, DARING their heroics teacher to say a word.

But Kenobi merely looked them over before nodding. “Very well. Midoriya, why don’t we head back to the garden. There are some evening flowers that I need help cultivating.” Izuku nodded and quickly followed after Kenobi.

“…you think you know someone…” Aoyama whispered.

Tenya merely swallowed, still staring at the door, his mind a buzz with all he had learned. He knew that Izuku had lived a far different life than he had. Indeed, he knew that most of his class had gone through their younger days in far different ways than he had. Some might think him a bit naïve but he knew he had lived a privileged life, even with the hardships he had gone through when it came to his parents (or lack thereof). But to know that Izuku, who seemed to have been born to be a hero, emerging in the world just waiting for a costume and a hero name, had not only thought about killing himself but actually begun making plans…

“The world… it is cruel,” Aoyama continued. “We think it cruel for only ourselves… and then life decides to show us that it can be cruel to all. That our own pain is not unique.”

Tenya glanced at the tired teenager that was still lying on the ground and suddenly wanted to at once ask him about what he had done before coming to UA… and dreading what he might say.

He started when a hand fell on his shoulder. Hard. Ungiving.

Turning, he was startled to see Skywalker standing there, a pensive look on his face.

“When I was young… I dreamed of freeing my people,” he said. “Of breaking their chains and at long last letting them know what it was like to walk in the sun without fear. I… never got to achieve that, Ida. I allowed others to tell me what kind of… hero… I was to be.” He squeezed the young man’s shoulder. “I am not like the Council. So… what do you want?”

Tenya thought of Izuku. He thought of Ochaco who seemed to always be hungry but made do with the free meals UA gave all students, never buying anything else. He thought of Aoyama who had hinted of dark memories that were hidden behind his dazzling smile. He thought of Momo who was always afraid to be herself. Of Todoroki who didn’t even seem to know who he was. Of Hitoshi who had been told since the moment his quirk appeared he could never be a hero.

He thought of Vader… the vigilante. A man he should hate because he was just as much a law breaker as any villain. Who thought he knew better than society…

…and because he’d done that he’d saved Tensei’s life.

“…I want to be the hero that saves those ignored by all others. The hero that sees them.”

Skywalker nodded.

“Well then… let’s get to work.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“…are we going to talk about it?” Izuku asked.

“Do you wish to talk about it?” Obi Wan said, never looking up as he worked on replanting one of the flowers that had begun to become crowded in its original spot. It was clearly delicate work and Izuku was more than willing to allow the hero to focus on that while he handled the easier task of watering.

“I… feel like I have to,” Izuku said. “I failed.” He gestured at the watch that Obi Wan (and it was so weird to call the man that; he’d insisted on it rather than Kenobi) had given him, which was calibrated to monitor his heart rate and other things to see how his emotional control was going. While Rex had been able to break him out of a lot of his bad habits he still found himself worrying often about things and trying to handle situations and that in turn made him worry about HOW he was handling the handling and-

The alarm went off.

“Do you know why I gave you that, Midoriya?”

“Well… to deal with my emotions,” Izuku stated. “I know that you were showing me meditation and Ahsoka has mentioned how heroes from your homeland need great emotional control and Rex has been working with me on my emotional control-“

Obi-Wan held up a hand and Izuku snapped his mouth shut. But the hero was also smiling softly and not in a leering, insulting way, so that had him rather confused. He was used to teachers telling him to be quiet, to stop his rambling, but that wasn’t what Obi Wan was doing. He wanted him to pause but it didn’t feel… judgmental.

“Rex has worked on your emotional control,” Obi Wan said. “Yes… you’ve mentioned that… several times.” He smiled again and his tone somehow managed to be teasing and kind at the same time. It reminded him of Ahoska and Ochaco and how they would banter with him; he honestly hadn’t ever had an adult speak to him in that matter. “In fact you brought it up the first time, after meditation, without prompting.”

“Well… meditation is about controlling ones emotions, right?”

“Its about seeking peace,” Obi Wan corrected. “I have emotions, Izuku. Anakin loves to claim otherwise but I do. I feel frustration. I feel anger. I know sadness and I know joy. Meditation does help me work through those emotions but it also allows me to work through other things. What did I tell you was my biggest concern for you?”

“My… my sense of self-worth,” Izuku stated.

“And what does emotional control have to do with that?”

“…oh.” Izuku looked down at his hands before returning to watering. “It was a test.”

“A cruel one, I admit,” Obi Wan stated. “But I needed to see where you were at. You believe yourself to be so flawed in many places, Midoriya… and that caused you to accept that I was testing you on something that didn’t need to be worked on.”

“But I set off the alarm-“

“While discussing a rather sensitive subject… and we will be coming back to that. But what you felt was natural. Like I said… I feel emotions too. To control your emotions is not to eliminate them. What you are doing is preventing them from controlling you. I wanted to see though if you would speak up in your defense… you did not. And that tells me much of where you are when it comes to your self-worth.”

His teacher paused.

“My teacher, Qui Gon Jinn, made me feel many times that I was worthless. I don’t think he even realized that he was doing it. And to be fair to him the way I was raised… well, it’s a long story that we don’t have time for but I will say that someone I put my entire faith in used me as a tool to help Qui Gon. Instead of saying that he was a grown man and I was a little boy and should never have been used in such a way. It wasn’t until I began to train Anakin that I began to see the flaws in my own training. Anakin was getting hurt many times because he wanted to prove himself to the world… he felt like all were judging him based on his childhood and how he came to us. I was always getting hurt because I wanted to prove myself to Qui Gon… and I feared that if I didn’t take such risks, if I didn’t push myself as hard and as far as I could, that I would be cast aside. And… perhaps I would have been.”

And there was a story there, Izuku knew it. But he also knew it wasn’t his place to ask.

“But it took me a very long time to realize that I shouldn’t have ever had to fear that. That I deserved to feel safe. To feel like I was worthy. A failure on my teachers… and in myself.”

“Rex-“

Obi Wan cut him off. “I know. I’m not accusing him of anything. But I think, based on the comments you made to Ida and Aoyama, that you have had other people in your life that failed you.” Izuku just looked down once more. He didn’t know what he would do if he looked at Obi Wan in that moment. “You deserve to be happy, Midoriya,” Obi Wan said gently, making the boy swallow. “You deserve to have choices without worrying that people will turn away from you just because you didn’t ask them first how you should live your life. You shouldn’t have to fear you are a pawn in someone else’s game. You are Midoriya Izuku… and the world is better with you in it.”

Izuku managed a nod, both of them ignoring as the watch screamed an alarm once more.

~MC~MC~MC~

Tomura frowned as he signed out of the game, not even bothering to say goodbye to anyone, before getting up and moving out of his room, heading down to the bar.

“Is something the matter, Master Tomura?” Kurogiri asked from his normal spot at the bar, polishing a glass. “I thought you were going to play that new game of yours.”

“Not tonight,” Tomura complained. “Just NPCs on there.”

“You didn’t get in a fight with… SenatorBitch11… did you?” he said the screen name with such distaste that Tomura could practically taste the bile himself. For a villain Kurogiri was very posh and hated swearing.

“Nah,” Tomura said with a shake of his head, thinking about his rival. “Even if I did I’d have just kept playing.” While he hated SenatorBitch11 she also was a great opponent to test himself against. She kept him sharp, not just in his gaming skills but in how to trash talk. “She doesn’t play on Mondays anyway.”

“Then what about that gaming group you were considering joining. The Serpents?”

“Sidewinder has a school thing so we have to wait a week,” Tomura complained; he liked the Serpents… he’d even changed his screen name from Dustinator to KingKobra to fit their theme. He sat down at the bar and stared at the other man. “You learn anything else about that hero student?”

“Ah, Tano-“

“Miss. Tano,” Tomura said sharply. “Remember, Kurogiri, soon she will be Mistress Tano so you should already practice showing her respect.”

“You truly believe that she will join us?” Kurogiri asked.

“Why wouldn’t she, once she learns what we have to offer? She clearly isn’t shoving her head up the Hero Commission’s ass. She sees them for the pathetic wastes of space they are. They like to act like they are the true power of the world, the ultimate good, but they are just the NPC faction that has the law on their side but are really trying to take out the hero. Her supporting that quirkless kid showed that.” He paused, scratching at his neck. “Hmmm… she friends with him?”

“From what our spy has told us, yes,” Kurogiri said and that made Tomura grit his teeth in frustration; while there was a spy at UA Sensei refused to inform him of their name. He had claimed that it was better for him not to know as it wouldn’t expose their asset. Tomura… kind of understood that. After all, if he knew that one of those hero brats was really their mole he might make a different dialogue choice and that could lock him out of the golden ending. But it still annoyed him to no end that he didn’t know where the info was coming from. It made him feel like he was still a child that needed permission to look up walkthroughs on the Big Bad Internet. “Just friends.”

“Good,” Tomura stated. That meant he didn’t need to deal with the messiness of her having puppy dog eyes for someone else. “We could use that. Quirkless kid like that must have been bullied like shit-“ he ignored the other man’s wince at his cursing, “-growing up. That’s why he’s got a chip on his shoulder. But that also means if we give him what he wants… what about other friends?”

Kurogiri bent down and pulled out a folder. It was so horribly old school it made Tomura’s teeth hurt. “Uraraka Ochaco. Wants to be a Rescue Hero.” Tomura considered that. On one hand Rescue Heroes tended to have weak quirks and rescued people with even weaker ones. On the other hand… well, you didn’t hear often about Rescue Heroes being corrupt pieces of shit or stooges for the Hero Commission. In the World of Chaos that he and Sensei wanted to create Rescue Heroes really didn’t have a place… but that didn’t mean they COULDN’T. After all, one still needed healers in their party. A nice white mage... “Her parents run a construction company but aren’t wealthy.”

“Barely getting by,” Tomura said, a smile slowly stretching across his lips. “We give the Quirkless Kid-“

“Midoriya Izuku.”

“Right. We give him a quirk and offer the girl cash. Make them nice and happy. Tano would be able to keep her friends and suddenly I have a true party.” He looked around the empty bar; after their failed attack on All Might Tomura had kicked most of the hired goons out and dusted the few that couldn’t take the hint. Recruitment needed to get back up and running… true recruitment. “Speaking of… how goes replenishing our ranks?” After all, while he had his eyes on a few to be part of his true party there were plenty of RPGs where you had extra fighters, just in case something happened.

“Poorly,” Kurogiri admitted.

“…well? Do better!”

“The Master and I are both working on it.” And that gave Tomura pause. If Sensei was having problems… “It seems that two different groups have been making it clear that to side with us is to side against them. One is… well, they do not label themselves as villains but rather as a… society. An order of Quirk users who believe in freedom to use quirks.”

“The same as us!”

“Not truly,” Kurogiri admitted. “They merely believe all should be able to use their quirks but want to keep the structure of the world as it is.”

Tomura frowned. He wanted to destroy everything and see what happened next. Not replace the Hero Commission and the Government with another Commission and Government. “Great… and the other?”

“The Yakuza.”

“…the fucking mafia?!” Tomura declared. “Oh fuck off!” he snarled when Kurogiri winced again. “You mean to tell me the fucking mafia is going to be causing us problems?!?! I thought they were dead! Absorbed into the other villain groups.”

“They have not. And the Master is not sure why they have declared a blood feud with us.”

“Fuck,” Tomura said, scratching at his neck. ‘So… its like one of those massive RPG games. I’m the new guy arrived in the world and we got all these other groups running around. This Pro-Quirk group. The Yakuza. Stain and his following.’ They were causing them problems; Tomura had even been asked by one of the Stain Followers the other day if he was interesting in JOINING in the ‘Movement’. It was only because he didn’t want to get banned from his favorite gaming store that he didn’t dust the bastard right there. ‘And of course Star Might and her actions,’ he thought bitterly.

All Might’s kid had decided that she needed to ‘save the world’ and not in a ‘stop villains’ sense. Oh, she was doing that… but she was also creating outreach groups for trouble youths and offering to sponsor parolees… basically poisoning the watering hole where all the best potential villains could be found. It was annoying.

‘But that just means it’s a challenge,’ he thought to himself, idly tapping his fingers against the counter (very careful not to have all five touch at the same time). ‘Alright… so open world RPG. I went out in the field, gathered some weak NPCs to fight for me, and charged in with one really strong Preorder Bonus, and thought I could take down the Main Boss. And I got beat back, blacked out, lost half my pocket change. And now because I did that all these little sidequest groups have no respect for me and think I’m easy pickings.

‘What I need to do is prove that I can stand against them before I begin taking them out. They’ll earn me XP and loot and maybe even unlock some party members… at least until I get Tano and her friends on my side. Hmmm.’ Part of him considered, just for a moment, if it would be possible to turn the entire 1-A Class to his side. That would be fun… but no, that had been his mistake the first time. Start small, level up.

So that meant seeing the groups that were going to be causing them problems not as problems… but side missions. Complete the Yakuza Campaign, get some new gear.

The only question he had though was… how?

‘As much as I might want to go marching into their territory and cause problems I need to be smart about this. Actually think of ways to take them out. And also begin building their respect and fear in me.’ He thought of how Sensei was able to get people to obey purely through reputation and a few choice words and knew at once that was his only way to win. That he had to never truly display his raw power to make people obey. Tomura HUNGERED for that kind of respect.

What he needed was something that would make his reputation. Something that would show that the League of Villains was not to be messed with…

His mind went to some of his favorite games. There was always moments in the big Role Play Games where the hero proved themselves to be the only one that could defeat some threat that left others shocked and broken.

Tomura’s hand twitched.

“Kurogiri… contact sensei… I need some Nomu.”

Chapter Text

Yoda, grandmaster of the Jedi Order, sat in the council chambers, listening as Jedi gave their reports on the War.

He should have been pleased by all he was hearing.

The War had ground to a halt. The Republic was making slow and steady gains; there were some that demanded that they race in and reclaim every planet but the Jedi had preached caution. They had become too thinly stretched and that was what had caused some planets to be recaptured agaun and again and again. There were some where it felt like just as they liberated one half of the sphere the other half was taken over by the Separatists. But now they were able to take care of the planets that they freed… and actually stick around and FIX them. Kit Fisto had mentioned that there was a planet dealing with a drought and he had some ideas to use their tanks to break through the thick bedrock and get to the underground waterways; normally the Council would have told him no-

‘Normally?’ he thought to himself. ‘Normal that would not be. Normal to help, it would! To not help, abnormal it is. Aid all, a Jedi should… worry about next campaigns, we should not.’

He wondered how it was that they’d so quickly become consumed by holding territory instead of caring about those that lived within them.

There had been a few planets where, instead of rushing in with an army and ‘liberating it’ they had been able to open lines of communication. Talk with actual living people and not droids that were programmed by species that had long forgotten how to be people and become just walking pieces of their businesses and corporations. And when they Jedi Knights and Masters had talked to those people and learned that they just wanted out of the Republic and weren’t interested in fighting the Republic they had quietly signed peace agreements with them. There were too many Senators hungry for battle; they would never accept such things. But with the Chancellor so distracted as of late (and Yoda made a mental note to check in on the man at some point, to see if he could do anything for him) the Jedi were able to do such things under the radar. Agreements that they would leave the planets alone so long as they left the Republic alone.

Surprisingly all had so far kept their word.

“Does anyone have anything they’d like to add?” Mace asked and Yoda frowned at the blue holographic image. How long had it been since they’d all been together? There had been plenty of times where one of their number was off planet, taking care of something, but now it was a good week when half of the Council was on planet together. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d all been together… maybe when Obi Wan had been assigned to protect Senator Amidala?

It felt like forever. It felt like only moments.

“I would like to raise a concern I have when it comes to the civilian officers,” Plo Koon said. “I have learned that there are many who see our troopers as less than… human. Refusing to address them by their chosen names, verbally attacking them for their choices in hair style or tattoos…”

“That is troubling,” Mace said, steepling his fingers in front of his face. “Their choices are sanctioned by the bylaws of the GAR-“

“It does not matter if they are sanctioned or not,” Depa said fiercely; of course few were surprised that one of Mace’s padawans would be passionate despite Jedi frowning on such things. “It is their right as a people. We allow our fellow Jedi to honor their heritage… why not the clones?”

“Do they have a heritage though?” Ki-Adi asked. Depa turned to stare at him but he held out his hand, asking for calm. Yoda found it very sad that he had to ask for that… while they would debate amongst each other often in times past there had always been a friendliness to it. But now it felt as if they were all forever on edge. “I only mean that they are young… and they have no true home…”

“Heritage and culture do not spring up from the ground like mushrooms after a rain,” Plo Koon stated sagely. “They must start somewhere… we are bearing witness to it. And we should allow them to discover such things on their own… nurture such feelings without interference. Which is why I would like to discuss better guidelines for the non-clones joining the GAR.”

“There are some Jedi that could do well with a refresher,” Mace commented. Yoda wasn’t surprised that he took the side of his padawan.

“I have heard troubling news as of late concerning some Jedi and how they treat their clones,” Saesee Tiin said gruffly. “That they are putting them at a far greater risk than they do the non-clone GAR members. They forget that the clones, despite looking the same, are individuals and not interchangeable… or replaceable.”

“That is most troubling,” Shaak Ti stated. “One only needs to see them when they are not in battle to know that they feel deeply. They love their brothers… they love the Republic.”

“And while there are some that are bothered by it,” Depa said, “they love us.”

“That is dangerous,” Saesee commented. “It is hard to remain unattached when someone else shows deep love for you.” He held up his hand. “I am not arguing that we must disrespect the clones. Or put them in harm’s way. But to love…”

“A Jedi is taught to love all life,” Plo said softly, his voice like the comforting rumble of a much needed rain storm. “It is easy to forget that attachment does not mean self isolation. There are some who believe that we would continue on without a second thought if we saw one of our fellow Jedi savagely killed. They do not understand that we mourn them. That we should mourn them.”

Yoda could tell that some of the other Council members didn’t like being spoken too like they were still younglings in the crèche. And yet… Plo’s words were no less true.

Mace nodded. “We must remember that our troopers deserve the same respect we would give our fellow knights and padawans.”

‘Respect our knights, do we?’ Yoda thought grimly. ‘Feel like it, it does not.’ They had been in the war for over a year and the mood in the Temple was… tired. Everyone was tired. Exhausted. Longing for some kind of break. Some way to put aside the war and the trials it brought them and just… rest. It was why no one gave Plo any complaints for his clear love for his troopers; indeed, many openly stated it was likely he would have adopted them if he could. Other Jedi as well had grown fond of them… Knight Secura was probably the most infamous, as the disappearance of her master had caused her to become greatly attacked to her Commander, Bly, so that the holonet whispered they were lovers. Other Jedi had taken up odd hobbies, so that their rooms were no longer the Spartan places that they had been before the war but instead bursting with different items. Possessions.

Yoda wasn’t immune to the weariness either. It affected him as well, making him feel his years more and more. His species could easily live to 1000 years and with the Force aiding him he could live 200 or more years beyond that before he even began to slow down! Or… at least… he had been. Before his life had become nothing more than meetings, politicians, battles, and death.

‘Long it has been, since teach younglings I have,’ he thought, remembering the joy he had felt in molding the next generation of Jedi. But he had spent much of his time on the battlefields… and if not there then in the Council Chambers debating what he would be doing in the field. Then there was always the Senators that wish to meet with him… all keeping him from the class rooms and the children that needed him. ‘Smiling faces. Little ones that need someone their size,listen to their fears they need…’

He suddenly had the terrible image younglings being taught not the ways of the Force but battle techniques. Classes spent discussing troop movements and how to manage supply routes. Of students not hoping for Masters who were smart or kind but rather focusing on those with the best battle records.

‘Lost, we already have,’ he thought, shutting his eyes in grief.

So lost was he in his thoughts that he didn’t even realize the meeting was over until Plo Koon stepped up to him, his calming presence in the force at once recognizable. Every Jedi felt different in the Force and also had a different way of describing how they felt it. Mace had once told him that Jedi were points of light… not a single light but many points. The Shatterpoints illuminating them, allowing him to tell who was who no different than ancient space captains charting courses by looking at the stars.

For Yoda all those in the Force reminded him of nature. Mace was the dark cave that could hold horrors… but also protect one from the elements. Dooku had been the sea, calm on the surface but dangerous under the gentle waves. Obi Wan was (and it hurt so much to think in past tense when it came to his favorite great grandpadawan… he would have been Mace’s replacement and been one of the most respected Grand Masters ever…) the Mountain. Imposing. Steadfast. But also hold a serene beauty. It offered security simply by existing; perhaps that’s why Yoda had been so shaken by his death, for it was like looking out one’s window to find a mountain range suddenly gone. Plo Koon was like a still pond in a quiet forest glen: inviting, serene, welcoming, but also hiding great depths. To be near him was to feel the Force settle and quiet, allowing one to hear it. He was the owner who calmed their pet so a curious child could pet it.

“What is bothering you, Master Yoda?” Plo Koon asked.

“Bothered by many things, I am,” Yoda admitted before easing himself from his chair. “Long have I lived. Seen things, I have, that you will not. Come again, they will not.”

“I know you are referring to good things,” Plo stated. “But there are many bad things that we should be glad will never come again as well. That is the nature of time and life.”

“Mmmm, perhaps,” Yoda murmured.

The other Jedi considered him for a moment. “Normally, if you were a youngling, I would press you to join me in meditation before we went over what your thoughts were. But… you aren’t a youngling, are you?”

That made Yoda chuckle. “Young, I am not.” But his smile slipped. “Why I teach the younglings, that is. Forget you are old, they make you. Think it, you would not, surrounded by their youth. But make you feel young, they do. Many months teach them I have not. Old I feel.”

Plo nodded at that, joining Yoda to look out the window at the Coruscant skyline. “I know this war derailed your plans…”

Yoda nodded. He had only discussed it with a few on the Council but he had come to the decision that it was time for him to graceful leave the Jedi Council. To allow others to step in while he would end his days focused solely on the teaching of the Younglings. While he had been teaching the basics in Force Sense he wanted to have a chance to truly aid them all. He had been considering the crèche, where the babies were kept; it would have been delightful to be around such innocent and open beacons in the Force. Mace had agreed to take the role of Grandmaster but he had admitted his own reservations, feeling that he was better as Head of the Council while having someone like Plo Koon be the new Grandmaster. As for Yoda’s seat he had planned to offer it to Obi Wan… a final way to ask for forgiveness to the boy he now saw he had wronged greatly. While he would never regret him and Qui Gon being brought together how he had handled it was terrible and giving the boy that had been cast out of the order a permanent seat on the Jedi Council would have been the final way to show Obi Wan that he BELOGNED. Not show to the Temple… all knew that he was Jedi… perhaps the grandest example of one of them, if the likes of Yoda were removed. The future, Obi Wan had been. Only he didn’t see it. Always doubting he was. Always too humble.

His ears drooped. “Changed, they did. Stay on, I must, till end the Clone Wars have. Upheaval, it would be, to do so now. Shaken already, faith in the Jedi has been.” He let out another sigh, clutching onto his cane. “With death of Obi-Wan…”

Plo sighed at that. Yoda had still pushed for Obi Wan to join the Council, despite the fact that he would have only been a master for a few months at most. It was feft that he needed to be there for while many had been shaken when it came to their faith in the Jedi the reports of Obi Wan and Young Skywalker had made them famous and beloved. After Depa had faced off with General Grievous and been put in a medically induced coma to try and save her life her seat, it had been decided, would be given to Obi-Wan. But they had been unable to truly make it official. The seat still sat empty, as Depa had politely refused to take it when she had been healed, feeling that she was needed in the field and could not be a proper Council member and support her troops along with her new Padawan. She still attended the meetings though, but as an ‘advisor’.

‘Why so outspoken she is, that could be,’ Yoda thought. ‘Free to speak her mind, she is? No longer care how thought of, she is? Or to have her seat never returned to her, she is attempting?’

“Since you aren’t a youngling,” Plo said, “I will instead ask you this, Master Yoda: what do you want?”

He almost scolded Plo for asking him that question. “A Jedi craves not things.” Yet he stopped himself and considered the question carefully.

What did he want?

Obi-Wan walked into the Council Chambers, brushing off his robes as he did so. “You will not believe what I have gone through!” he teased even as Young Ahsoka rushed to Plo Koon, hugging him despite it being utterly not the Jedi thing to do. Not that Yoda minded for Obi Wan knelt before him and Yoda squeezed his hand, tears in his eyes as he stared at his favorite student. “I am sorry I am late… but rest assure Master Yoda that this time has been a happy one. A peaceful one.”

A dream. That was all it was. But it was what he truly wished for: to know that Obi Wan was safe and happy. He knew that it was impossible to maintain one’s sense of self after joining the Force but sometimes he wished that he would hear his boy’s voice one more time…

His stomach rumbled.

Even though he couldn’t see his face Yoda could sense Plo’s bemusement at that. It was a simple bodily function yet it felt unnatural for the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order to have his tummy gurgle. It made Yoda chuckle, his dark thoughts disappearing, released into the Force as he shook his head.

“Food, I desire.”

“Then perhaps we should visit Dex’s.” When Yoda glanced at him Plo replied, “I may not be able to dine there but I have come to enjoy the atmosphere. It feels like a focal point of the Living Force. And I know you enjoy it as well.”

Yoda had felt the same way too when he’d first gone there… it was why it had become a guilty pleasure of his. Nearly twice a week he would go down there, often taking another Jedi with him just to see their reaction. Younglings that were scared about becoming Padawans breathed a bit easier. Knights shaken by the War finally settled themselves as they munched on comfort food. Masters were shocked at Yoda being insulted by the waitress droid and him bantering right back.

“Yes… yes… Dex’s we shall have.” He chuckled as made his way out of the Council Chambers, Plo following after him.

~MC~MC~MC~

Darth Sidious studied the mask carefully.

It was a Dark Side Torture devise but also something that could be used by the Sith to amplify their powers. Micro needles were embedded throughout it, waiting to be deployed once the mask was fully on. For a Jedi the needles would strike their nerves and cause they to feel pain until they allowed themselves to tap into the Dark Side, at which point the pain would lessen. But, as would be explained to them later once the mask was removed, they didn’t truly ‘Fall’. No… it was all designed to make them feel everything that came from ‘Falling’ without actually doing so. It was a torment to show them that for how smug they were that they were rooted in the Light they were not. They could easily turn to the Dark Side… but wouldn’t get the comfort that came from ‘Falling’.

(And how Sidious HATED it being called ‘Falling’. He had tortured Dooku for many hours the first time he had claimed he’d ‘Fallen to the Dark Side’. One didn’t Fall to the Dark Side because that made it sound like they had failed. No… one Turned to the Dark Side… or better yet… Ascended)

For Dark Siders however the Mask would put them into a deeper state of using the Dark Side, allowing them to delve further into it and perform abilities that they wouldn’t be able to normally do.

That was the trick of the Dark Side… one always had to keep pushing.

‘Foolish Jedi believe that one simply commits a single act and they are forever in the grasp of the Dark Side. They do not understand the dedication one must have to continue on.’ Sidious sneered at that; the Jedi had no understanding of the Force. The reason why the Light Side always lost was because they were lazy. For all their talk of the Dark Side being the easier path it was the Jedi who had it simpler. Simple obey their rules and you were a Jedi. For the Sith… every day one had to find a new way to gather power. Because what worked the day before weakened.

It was why Sidious had slowly expanded his “friendships” with the Jedi. Where before merely being around his hated foes and having to pretend he didn’t mind their presence strengthened him as time had gone on the boost he got lessened. Like some brainless dolt trying to strengthen their muscles more weight needed to be added. Thus… he needed to spend more time with them. Have meals with them. Ask them for advice. Flatter them and learn about them. At times grow to… like them. Or rather aspects of them.

‘If I don’t slaughter them soon I may need to consider tempting one with a relationship,’ Sidious thought with disgust. The idea of lying with a Jedi made him want to take his lightsaber to his genitals… but the forced torture WOULD strengthen him even further than he was being strengthened now by merely being ‘close friends’ with the likes of Master Yoda and Master Windu. Male or female… either would work. And if he corrupted them…

He banished such thoughts from his mind. If he could just find Young Skywalker then he wouldn’t need to resort to such things. The power he would gather from Order 66 and turning the Jedi’s precious Chosen One to the Dark Side would be enough.

He had come to one of his secret hideaways in the very depth of Coruscant. The building had been built into the very bedrock of the planet and Sidious could feel the bones of the native species that had once roomed the planet just behind the walls, screaming at how their native hunting grounds had been turned into a world of lifeless steel. The howled and cursed at him for they knew he was the leader of the usurpers and oh how they HATED him.

It was the perfect place for the newest ritual he had found.

Sidious slipped the mask on. No micro needles popped out, already sensing how deep into the Dark Side he was and thus began the process of helping him dive deeper into the Force. As he did so he felt the relic he had gathered struggle against him, trying to fight off what he was about to do. It was foolish of it… that was its purpose, after all. But forcing it to bend to his will was part of the ritual and he gleefully forced his desires upon it and the small statue of a shapeless blob.

“Show me Anakin Skywalker’s potential.”

The ritual wasn’t like the ones he’d done before, which would tell him where the boy was. No… this one would give him glimpses of what might be. What might come to pass. If he were dead he would see nothing… but since Sidious knew that his future apprentice was alive (he would have FELT IT if he had died… he would have!) then this would show him glimpses into the future. Or, rather, what might come to be for his future. And hopefully that would guide him…

The first image made Sidious scowl behind the mask.

Anakin Skywalker, dressed in Jedi robes, hair cut short but face still clean, sitting in the Jedi Council Chambers, a look of utter serenity on his face as he discussed with pathetic Jedi younglings the ways of the Force, the brats asking him what they should do.

‘That is the danger of this,’ he reminded himself. ‘It will show you false visions in hopes of getting you to release it.’ He focused on the statue and forced more of his hatred into it, causing the vision to vanish.

The next sight he saw was of Skywalker with Sith yellow eyes, standing behind him as Sidious sat on a throne made from the bones of the Jedi. But more importantly he saw himself young again, the two of them having learned the secrets Sidious’ master had tried to hide and thus able to control life and render them both immortal. Sidious, eternally young, with his utterly loyal apprentice. It was everything he could ever hope for… proof of his dream becoming a reality-

‘Do not mock me, trinket!’ Sidious mentally snarled as he blasted the relic with more of his power. Another false vision, showing him getting all he desired… that told him right away it was fake. Life wasn’t easy. One didn’t get all they desired. They had to claw for every piece and there was always a cost. Him and Anakin standing together like father and son ruling the Galaxy? No… no that would all come to pass but the vision was too easy. There should be scars and wounds. Jedi that escaped like light breaking through a heavy curtain. That was reality. Victory… but at a cost to remind you of what came before. ‘Show me Anakin Skywalker!’

There was the briefest of pauses… and then he saw it.

Skywalker… holding a red lightsaber.

Cloaked in black armor that reminded Sidious so much of the armor of the Siths of old. Despite the full mask he was wearing he could tell at once that it was Skywalker and Sidious cackled in delight at that. Finally… finally a true vision! His apprentice was alive and he would-

He stopped as the vision became clearer and he saw more.

Saw Skywalker… with Kenobi.

Not fighting. Not battling. Not at each other’s throats in eternal struggle as was the way of the Jedi and the Sith.

No, they were standing together in the ruins of some urban area, a great looming threat coming towards them. A figure with a scarred face, dressed in black, a mask upon his face that made it clear that even without a lightsaber he was Sith… or someone who was very dedicated to their ways. Skywalker said… something… Sidious couldn’t hear his words over the winds that were whipping about all around the two and Skywalker lifted his crimson saber up. The red beam stood out amongst the darkness and with it Sidious’ conviction that Skywalker would turn to the dark side-

Kenobi activated HIS RED LIGHTSABER.

“No… no no no!” Sidious roared as the vision disappeared as he raged. Around him the building shook and the relic shattered in his onslaught; he vaguely heard a sigh of relief as it do so. “Liar… another false vision. Kenobi would never fall… that Jedi is so horribly rooted in the light side of the Force.”

He’d known that Tyrannus had tried to turn Kenobi to the Dark Side. Had planted the seeds that they might work together to defeat Sidious, with Tyrannus hoping to bring Kenobi to the Dark Side. And he had to admit… the man would make a power Sith. Others may have scoffed, thinking he was too lacking in emotions but Sidious knew there was a difference between having little emotion… and having great control. And Kenobi had great control. But despite all he had suffered the fool refused to simply TURN.

‘A waste,’ he thought and not just about Kenobi. ‘Skywalker… I am no closer to finding you but I will, my boy. You must meet your destiny head on and I swear you will. I will find you… nothing will stop me.’

But as he rose he couldn’t help but wonder… how?

~MC~MC~MC~

“Yoda!” Dex called out from the kitchen as the Jedi Master entered the diner. “I was wondering when you’d next come in for a bit to eat! Take a seat, I’ll be right out! Usual spot should be open for ya and if not I’ll get it open!”

Yoda glanced at Plo and felt a bit of disappointment that the other Jedi didn’t react to Dex’s casual greeting. One of his favorite things recently was seeing how other Jedi reacted to Dex not using his titles or showing any real sign of respect. Some squawked, some huffed, some got angry and defensive on his behalf. It was utterly amusing and Yoda loved it. Especially when Yoda would praise “Master Dex” and his art of cooking.

An old Jedi had to have his fun…

But Plo merely looked about before quietly nodding to himself. “A wonderful place.” He glanced down at Yoda. “Not even the Room of a Thousand Fountains can rival this.”

“In the Force, special this place is,” Yoda said with a nod. He wasn’t sure WHAT it was about Dex’s Diner… but it was special. The Force was powerful there. Not the Light. Not the Dark. The full Force. It was like he had closed his eyes while in a dark room only to open them to find himself in a wild jungle.

“It… makes you realize… what we’ve been missing,” Plo said, sounding unsure of himself. But Yoda understood.

“Realize it, since deciding to reconnect, I have,” he admitted as he went over to his favorite booth. The waitress came over to ask if he wanted a child’s booster seat and Yoda merely smirked while Plo chuckled; it was an old joke between them all and Yoda enjoyed many times watching Jedi begin to cough when he happily accepted. Mace had nearly died from the shock of it, much to Yoda’s bemusement. Especially when the waitress would bring him crayons and a piece of paper to doodle on.

It felt so good to be at Dex’s. To be amongst the people of the world. To feel the Force as it truly was.

The cook came over and Plo shifted over to allow Dex a place to sit. He didn’t mind at all that Dex was hot and sweaty from his work and once more Yoda wondered at what might have been had he been allowed to retire and Plo and Mace left to run the order.

“Look over the menu,” he told the masked Jedi. “I’ll put your food in something that will keep it warm until you get some place where you can eat.”

“Thank you,” Plo said.

“Let Dex decide, you should,” Yoda said with a faint smile. “Good at that, he is.”

Dex chuckled. “I just know what people need, Master Yoda.” He paused. “Speaking of… I think you are in need of something. Can tell you aren’t feeling the greatest today.”

“Hmmm, wise you are.” Sometimes Yoda wondered if the cook was Force Sensitive. Not enough to be a Jedi but there were plenty in the universe that had enough of the talent…

Dex looked about, back and forth, clearly weighing something. “You Jedi… you have something you’d be willing to swear on… something that would keep you from never breaking your word?” He asked the words in a soft, hushed whisper.

“Why do you ask?” Plo asked, making sure to keep his words calm and open, showing no judgment.

“Because I have something that would cause a lot of problems… but I think would give you two some relief.” He glanced at Plo Koon. “That little Jedi… Ahsoka… she talks about you. Cares for you greatly.”

Yoda didn’t miss that Dex was using the present tense.

“…connection to the Force, swear upon it, I would.”

“As do I,” Plo said.

Dex nodded before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. It took Yoda a moment to realize it was a photo. It was so odd to see such things printed; even at his age he was far too used to holos. But there it was… and its image forced such thoughts about the benefits of holos vs. paper aside.

It was photo that showed Obi Wan standing with a rather beautiful looking dark-haired human woman, arm wrapped around her while in his other arm he held a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes, two little horns sticking out of her head. He was dressed in odd clothes but he looked rather happy and relaxed. Dex was beside him, beaming, and on his other side was Anakin Skywalker, holding Senator Amidala in front of him, chin resting on top of her head. Skywalker looked so peaceful and relaxed that Yoda, for perhaps the first time, saw what Qui Gon had seen in the boy over a decade ago. Young Ahsoka was wearing a strange uniform and was doing an odd gesture with her middle and index finger, winking as she did so. Beside her was a very tall blonde man with his hair sticking straight up and a gloomy looking man with his face half buried in a scarf, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. Finally there was a clone trooper and based on his hair Yoda wagered it was Captain Rex, standing with a boy and a woman with green hair, his hand firmly on the green haired child’s shoulder while his other hand was clasped with the woman’s.

Yoda drank in the photo.

“They… they are alive?” Plo whispered.

“And thriving,” Dex confirmed. “You’ll never be able to reach them… they are so far away that even if Master Yoda started traveling when he was just a little guy he’d be long dead before he got a tenth of the way there.”

“You’re in the picture…” Plo asked.

Dex merely smirked and the Force hummed throughout Yoda. “Ah… I’m special.” He patted the photo. “But they are happy.”

He paused.

“Want to hear what they’re up to?”

Yoda nodded, drinking in the sight of this great grandpadawan. He looked… so at peace…

“Obi Wan is teaching… see, on this world people have things called Quirks…”

Chapter Text

Katsuki frowned as he looked over the stack of papers that Star Might handed him. “What is this?” he asked.

Had literally anyone else heard him in that moment they would have been utterly floored. His tone was so… respectful. Not simpering and meek, as those were two things that Katsuki could never be. But none of the usual rage and fire could be found in his tone. The dismissing of someone because he thought himself better than them? No… he spoke to the new hero with a growl but one controlled, like an old dog who wanted to just take a nap but wouldn’t actually bark or bite when you passed by them.

They had just gotten done with a workout, Katsuki admittedly impressed with the gym that All Might and Star Might used. While the Number 1 hero hadn’t joined them (stating that he’d already worked out and needed to take care of some other things… while oddly looking a touch nervous when he glanced at his daughter and Gran Torino) it was clear that his workout room was designed for him, to help him improve his already great strength. But… it also was designed to do other things too. Work on speed. Endurance. Stealth. Dodging. Deflection. Katsuki in particular had loved the machine that had multiple swinging arms that forced him to constantly be on the defensive, blocking blows; he was able to dial it up to as fast and as hard as he wanted and while a few times he’d been sent to the ground with his head ringing he’d quickly found the right pattern to fall into a healthy rhythm… and then began to slowly crank it up.

Even better had been the misters, filled with a neutralizing agent, which made his sweat just… sweat.

No more having to worry about blowing up gym equipment if he got a little too into his work out routine.

But now he was showered and dressed and sitting at the desk in the office that Gran Torino had gruffly told him was going to be his for the next week. It was a plain thing, with no decorations but a nice desk and computer all the same, and Katsuki couldn’t help but imagine it being far bigger and decorated with all his awards and trophies given to him by a thankful nation.

“These,” Star Might told him, “are cold cases.”

Katsuki frowned at that. “Cold cases.” He narrowed his eyes when she opened her mouth. “I know what f… what cold cases are.”

“Wonderful,” she said with a grin.

And turned to leave.

“Hey!” Katsuki shouted. “What the fu… what is this?”

“I thought we just covered that,” Star Might said as she continued out the door, forcing Katsuki to get up and leap over his desk in order to give chase. “You aren’t that quick on the uptake, are you?”

“I’m quick on the fucking uptake!” he snapped. “But I do want to know what the deal is when you dump this shit on me and then walk away!” He waved one of the slips of paper about. “What am I supposed to do with these?”

“Some heroes have an entire team helping them,” Star Might stated. “A Man In The Chair who talks to them, people looking into ways to defeat a villain-“

“Fucking losers, all of them!” Katsuki snapped before finally remembering himself. “If you can’t save people on your own you aren’t really a hero.”

Star Might merely continued walking and Katsuki had the oddest sense she was mentally chuckling at him.

“What do you want me to do with the cold cases?” Katsuki asked.