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Chapter Text

Katsuki didn't know what was going on that day, but he was 900% sure that something was going to go wrong. Looking at the big UA door he felt a little bit intimidated (not too much, just enough to show respect), but there was also something else. It was like someone shifted everything slightly to the left: you don't know what it is exactly, but you know it's there and it's annoying.

It infuriated him to no end: that was the day of the UA entrance exam, it was supposed to be the beginning of his story, of his glorious rise to fame and power...but something was out of place. Katsuki glanced  at every square inch in front of him, but saw nothing too scandalous. However, that feeling didn't go away. 

It persisted during the written test (passed without a problem), during the practical test (A walk in the park) and even when he returned home. He was certain, very sure, that something had gone wrong during that day, during the exam. But he couldn't really tell what. 

The hag began grilling him with questions about the exam ("A fucking joke"), people he had met ("What do I care about those extras?"), and stuff like that. The blonde at one point couldn't take it anymore and exploded, "You hag, will you cut it out! I've already had a shitty day, let me be for five fucking minutes!" 

His mother, as usual, answered him in kind,  "What gives, brat! What's with you today, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?" 

The blond sighed, "At this point, I guess so. I've been feeling off all day, all fucking day long, and it's driving me crazy." 

His father peeped out from the kitchen, "Oh dear. Do you have any idea what it could be?" 

"If I knew, I would have solved it by now, wouldn't I, you old geezer?" 

His mother smacked the back of his head, "One: talk respectfully to your father! Two: now the day is over, you have nothing more to worry about. It happens to everyone to have days that are a little...less rosy, let's say." 

The boy huffed, "Whatever. I'm going to my room to rest, if you're looking for me," And without waiting for a reply he disappeared into the hallway. 

The following week was one of the longest that Katsuki ever had the displeasure of experiencing. Seven days of wearisome waiting, made so by that damned feeling that not only had not gone away, but it had gotten worse: every step, every breath, every minute of training was filled with the expectation of something, with the anxiety that at last the safety would go off and everything would explode. The blond began to have restless sleep, and towards the end of the week he was starting to have difficulty keeping his quirk under control, something that would normally be unthinkable for him. 

It all came to an end on Sunday night: Katsuki had just finished dinner and was about to go to the shower, when his mother's voice rang out from the doorway with such force that the knick-knacks shook: "KATSUKI! COME HERE NOW!" 

The blond was already on edge, so he darted to the doorway without question and with the quirk that was starting to act out, "What's going on? What are you yelling about?" 

The woman waved an envelope sealed with red wax: "The letter from UA is here! The exam results!" 

Katsuki did not scream expletives, did not snort, did not comment on her mother's excitement: his anxiety was already sky-high, the arrival of the letter took it beyond what is considered healthy. So he simply snatched the envelope from his mother's hands and opened it there, on the spot, without even sitting down. 

From the envelope fell a sheet of paper and a metal disk, which immediately lit up in a holographic projection of Principal Nedzu, in all his cryptic glory. 

"Am I a mouse, a dog, or a bear? What is certain is that I am the principal of UA, and I have the results of Bakugo Katsuki's exam with me!" 

The entire family huddled around the projection, listening with bated breath

"During the theoretical part of the test, you managed to pass with a superb 90 percent correct answers! A remarkable achievement, if you ask me." 

His mother shook his shoulder excitedly, but the boy batted her away and went back to listening

"As for the practical exercise test, I must say that I am impressed! You managed to accumulate 77 villain points, placing you first in the overall ranking!" 

As he spoke, he displayed the aforementioned ranking: at the top was Katsuki's name, a 77 next to it and a 0 under the category "Rescue Points" whatever that meant. However, the blond was with his gaze set on something else, specifically to the name immediately below his own. 

Midoriya Izuku. 

His ears began to ring. The principal's voice congratulating him had become muffled, as had that of his cheering parents. The only thing he could see were those letters, that damned name he had hoped to have left behind. 

Midoriya Izuku. 

Deku

A flood of memories made their way through his mind, all the times before that nerd, that asshole, that Villain decided to do the right thing and disappear from their lives. The elementary school days, the times he had to stop him, all the threats, all the times he stood up to him. 

Deku should have been just a specter of the past, a shadow to be told to posterity when he would be No. 1. 

Instead, it had come back to haunt him. 

In HIS school. 

Bakugo violently jerked away from his mother's embrace and ran into the garden, to the sandbag he had hung from the tree and began to blow it up, shouting insults and expletives at the face drawn on it. 

At the villain who ruined his mask of invincibility and, for the first time in his life, caused him genuine terror. 

"Mom! I made it! I passed!" 

At their home in the Tokyo suburbs, Midoriya Izuku was caught in a hug by his tearful mother

"Izu! My baby boy! I am so proud of you! Let's have Katsudon tonight to celebrate!" 

The boy raised a fist in the air before remembering something: "I have to call Auntie and tell her about it!" 

Inko chuckled, "I'll get cooking while you warn her. Remember to thank her, mister!" 

Izuku nodded and went back to his room, picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number: after a few seconds a woman's voice answered, cold and terse: "Hello, who is it?" 

"Auntie, it's me!" 

The voice immediately softened, "Oh, good evening Izuku. It's unusual for you to call me at this hour, has something happened?" 

The boy hopped on the spot, "The results of the entrance exam came in! I passed! I'm going to UA!" 

There was silence for two seconds, and Izuku immediately felt his enthusiasm fade: his aunt was extremely critical of heroes, and she was not afraid to express it openly, especially whenever the boy announced his dream. Sure, she had been the first to believe in him and help him control his quirk, but if there was one thing she did not like, it was heroes.

The boy swallowed, "Auntie? Are you still there?" 

There was a flick of a cough on the other end of the phone, and a sigh, "Yes, yes, sorry Izuku. So, you've decided you're serious about this hero thing, huh?" 

The boy nodded to himself, "That' s right. I've always wanted to do it, and I know you don't like them...but that's also why I want to be one! With so many flawed heroes, there's a need for actual ones!" 

Izuku was pretty sure he heard his Auntie shake her head, "The real heroes are the dead ones, Izuku. The one today is a clown show that juggles with human life." 

The greenie didn't falter, "I know, Auntie, you say that often. And that's why I want to be a hero! A real one, like those in the stories you used to tell me!" 

There were two more seconds of silence, and Izuku feared he had offended her when he heard a giggle on the other end of the receiver: "Sometimes I can't tell if you're more naive, idealistic, or just plain stubborn. But regardless of what I think about heroism, I am proud of you. The admission rate at that school is very low, and you managed to pass. You did a great job." 

The greenie blushed, scratching the back of his head with a smile, "W-well, it's only t-thanks to you and your training, Auntie..."

"Don't start with the self-deprecation, mister. If it were only my merit, there would be me in your place in that class, don't you think?" 

The boy chuckled at the woman's serious tone, "Auntie, I think you're a little too old for UA..." 

"I'd like to say I'm offended, but I know better than anyone how old I am. Anyway, I'm proud of you, Izuku. I really am." 

The greenie wiped his eyes before he could start crying for real: "T-thank you so much. And thank you again f-for everything you did for me, Aunt Salem." 

The woman chuckled, "Oh, it was nothing. Come on, go celebrate mister. I have a meeting I can't miss." 

"Okay! Good night!" 

"Good night Izuku. And congratulations."

The woman closed the call and turned to look out the window, the stars shining in the sky above the clouds. Below her, when the sky cleared, she could see the lights of the various cities scattered across the Japanese islands. 

The loudspeaker blared, "We are about to land at Nara Central Airport. The local time is 9:15 p.m., the weather is stable. Please remain in your seats during the landing maneuver." 

The woman took a glass of wine from the small table placed next to her seat and swirled it a couple of times before drinking it all. There was no sense in wasting it, good as it was. Besides, it was a gift from Inko, and it would have to be centuries, literal centuries, before Salem wasted a gift from that woman. After all, Izuku called her "Auntie" for a reason. 

The plane descended, dived under the clouds, touched its wheels to the runway and, after a minute, stopped. The woman got up from her seat and picked up her bag, at the same time nodding to the subordinates she had brought with her: they took their suitcases and adjusted their uniforms nicely. Salem gave a small smile and exited the plane. 

Waiting for her at the airstrip were two people, a man and a woman dressed sharply. These paled noticeably when they saw her come out of the plane: her skin porcelain-white and furrowed with red scars; she was wrapped in a long black and red dress, with veils that made her look like a specter made of pure darkness; her white hair was pulled back into a low bun, adorned with jewelry made of rubies and black metal. Her eyes, crimson with black sclera, looked at the landscape below her like it was unworthy of her attention. 

Salem descended the stairs with calculated slowness, enjoying the awe of her future partners. The first rule for a profitable deal is a good first impression, and she was undefeated in this field, the merit of millennia spent terrorizing an entire planet. 

As soon as she was within earshot, her expression softened considerably and she slipped into the courtesy usual in ancient courts, "I am terribly sorry to have inconvenienced you at this hour, I hope you have not lost sleep." 

The two individuals before her seemed to relax a little, and the man immediately bowed, "Of course not, Mrs. Hexe. Oh, this is my wife Kurumi." 

The woman nodded, "Honored, ma'am." 

Salem returned the gesture, "The honor is mine, Mrs. Yaoyorozu." 

The man nodded his head, "Well, what would you say if we walked to the car? Mrs. Hexe must be exhausted, and we still have a long evening ahead of us." 

Salem nodded with a smile. As she followed Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu toward their limousine, she could not help but think back to what she had managed to build in such a tiny amount of time. 

After all, what is 11 years to an immortal?

Chapter Text

It happened at the park the first time. 

Katsuki was with two of his friends and was looking at the kid in front of him with irritation: unkempt green hair, cheeks dotted with freckles, large emerald eyes shining with tears. Deku was shielding a little girl, protecting her from the blond boy's attentions.

"Kacchan, th-that's not how a-a hero acts! I-I can't l-let you continue!" 

The child gritted his teeth, "And what do you know about how a hero acts? Go back to mommy, quirkless Deku!" 

The little boy shook his head, so the blond, to let him know he wasn't kidding, took two steps forward and punched him in the gut: the nerd doubled over, holding his stomach with both hands and gagging.

Katsuki chuckled, "If you don't leave now I'll use my quirk next time!" 

The greenie did not respond, his body beginning to shake. Bakugo's friends began to laugh, "Hey, look! Deku is crying!" "What's the matter, did that hurt?" 

The blond gave a triumphant grin, but that disappeared when, instead of sobs, the blond heard gasps coming from the greenie. All the boys took a step back, and the girl gave a shriek when she saw a pitch-black substance literally being vomited up by the boy.

At first it was little more than two drops, then a spit, then he began to vomit steadily until a black puddle formed at his feet. The greenie stopped after a couple of minutes, slumping to the ground shaking and with black rivulets pouring out of his mouth. 

The little girl immediately backed away, getting up terrified and running away as fast as she could. The three bullies remained frozen in their spots, undecided whether to follow the little girl's example or stay to continue teasing the shivering nerd on the ground. 

Katsuki swallowed, then swallowed down the fear bubbling in his throat and approached the greenie lying on the ground, his hands popping, "What kind of quirk is that? It's gross! It's a disgusting quirk, like you!" 

When his shoe touched the puddle, however, his bravado mask disappeared in a flash, shattered by a shriek and a jump back that landed him on his butt. The reason?
The black puddle had begun to bubble up. 

The three bullies backed away in horror, watching the liquid begin to recede and, in the center of the puddle, a white skull starting to emerge, followed by a mass of black fur studded with bone spines. Wide paws equipped with sharp claws pounded the ground, giving the monster stability as it shook away the last blobs of liquid. 

With a snarl, the monstrous wolf opened its eyes; Bakugo felt his blood begin to run out as he saw the two red orbs, glowing like burning embers and devoid of any form of humanity, scanning their surroundings and then locking onto him. 

The beast stalked the three boys with a bloodthirsty gaze, approaching with slow steps. Katsuki was convinced that at least one of his lackeys had wet themselves, but he could not blame them. 

The blond, gripped by desperation, reached out his hand and created the biggest explosions he could manage: these were similar to the pops of firecrackers on New Year's Eve, as big as a tennis ball and very loud. The monster recoiled back with a whimper, and for a wild second Katsuki thought he had scared it away. 

His hope was short-lived: the monster quickly recovered from its fright and stood up on its hind legs, towering over the boys and showing how much more like a werewolf it was than an actual wolf. The mouth full of sharp teeth opened, letting out a bellowing growl that plunged the three bullies into terror. 

Katsuki felt tears roll down his cheeks as the monster continued to approach. However, before it could attack, a white flash appeared in front of it and hit it with such force that its head smashed into the ground. 

The three children looked wide-eyed at the hero in armor as it turned to them and asked, "Are you all right?" 

Feeling safe again, Bakugo's lackeys burst into tears, babbling about how scared they were and how they were going to die; the blond, for his part, had the misfortune of seeing Izuku still lying under the tree, and saw red.

"DEEKU! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU! YOU'RE A VILLAIN! A VILLAIN!!!" 

The hero grabbed the blond before he could assault the other child, "Woah, woah, stop right there. Why don't you explain the whole situation first?" 

The three bullies began to screech about what had happened. The hero felt his headache begin to rise, but he had grasped the general gist of the situation and now his attention was on the trembling greenie on the ground. 

He slowly approached and put a hand forward, "Hey kid...are you with me?" 

Bakugo ran toward the hero with palms popping, "What are you doing! He's a villain! Defeat him, isn't that your job?" 

The man gave him a hard look, "Stay right there. There is no villain here, this looks more like a quirk accident to me." 

The blonde looked at him like he said the sky is green, "What do you mean? He used his quirk, he attacked us, he is a villain!" 

The hero shook his head, "That's not how it works. But for now my priority is to make sure your friend is not hurt, his quirk seems to have exhausted him." 

Bakugo gritted his teeth and looked at the two for a second longer before hissing, "He's. Not. My friend." And with that he turned on his heel and walked away, followed closely by the other two children. 

The hero sighed before taking the greenie in his arms and shaking his hair from his forehead, "Hey little guy, how are you?" 

Izuku coughed away the last remnants of black sludge and opened his eyes, "In...Ingenium?" 

The hero gave a laugh: "In person. You had a bad day, huh? Come on, let's go get your mom." 

The child nodded and collapsed exhausted in his arms, on his tongue still the taste of ooze.

The second time was at his home. 

It had been two weeks since his quirk awakened, and his situation at school had plummeted: Bakugo and his lackeys had spread the rumor that Izuku was a dangerous villain, and that he wanted them to be eaten by the wolf he spat out. His classmates had taken to shunning or insulting him, some even pushing him off tables or out of rooms. The professors were no better, with many seemingly ignoring him or giving him detention for the most trivial things. The discovery that his hair was starting to bleach did not make things better, and some began treating him like an infectious disease. 

The greenie was sitting on the couch watching some documentary about heroes while his mother was preparing dinner. The woman was doing her best to support her son during this time, but it seems that many counselors didn't even want to try once they knew about his accident, or gave up when the child could barely get out two black spits. Not even those advised by Ingenium himself seemed to know what to do. 

The woman turned to the child, "Izuku? Do you want to help me set the table?" When there was no answer, Inko turned to look, "Izuku?" 

The child had curled up on the sofa and was looking at the screen listlessly. The woman lowered the stove fire and approached her son, "Izuku...baby, is everything all right?" 

The greenie pulled up with his nose. With two fingers he pinched a strand of white hair and looked at it intently, "I hate this." 

The woman sat down next to him, "Oh, Izu...I know it is very difficult. Your power is complicated...but it will work out." 

The child shook his head, "No. I will always have this power and I will always be a villain!" 

Inko clutched his son tightly, "A villain? My darling, you are not a villain! Who told you that? Someone at school?" 

Izuku put his hands in his hair, "It doesn't matter who said it, because they are right! I'm a villain, I only know how to hurt people! I should be in jail!" 

The woman began to feel her eyes swelling with tears, "Sweetheart, that's not true! You are such a sweet child who wants to help others, you always help me at home, you study hard! What makes you think you are a villain?" 

"I'm angry!" 

Inko looked at the expression on his son's face, who looked increasingly hysterical; swallowing softly he replied, "Okay...it's only natural that being called those horrible things makes you angry, honey-" 

The child shook his head, "NO! It isn't! Heroes never get angry, only villains get angry! Because if you get angry you hurt people, and therefore you are a villain!" 

Inko brightened up, finally understanding what was eating away at her son; with a small smile she put a hand on his back, stroking it in small circles, "Izuku...it's natural to get angry. Everyone gets angry from time to time: you, me...even heroes. There's nothing wrong with that." 

The child looked at his mother with eyes swollen with tears; she continued, "The important thing is to be able to understand that you are angry and be able to stop before you do something bad. Villains are not bad because they get angry, they are bad because they hurt other people." 

Izuku began to tear up, clutching even tighter to his mother, "I want them to stop..." 

The woman placed a kiss on his forehead, "I want that too. And sooner or later they will." 

The child's figure shuddered from the silent sobs, and the woman began stroking his back, "It will be all right, Izu..." The sobs did not stop, however: on the contrary, they began to get worse, to the point that the boy seemed to be convulsing. Inko felt fear stop her breathing and clutched her son's shoulders, "Izu?" 

The child was holding his mouth with both hands as black liquid began to ooze between his tiny fingers.The woman began clapping his back and moving away his arms, "Izu, spit it out! If you hold it in, you risk choking!" 

Izuku could take it no more and obeyed: a torrent of black liquid came out of his mouth, much more than the first time, so much that it looked like it was going to cover the entire living room floor. The child held his throat, coughing out the last drops, while his mother stroked his back in circles. 

Like two weeks earlier, the liquid soon began to bubble up and retreat in on itself. This time, however, instead of a skull or mass of hair, what came out was a white hand, followed by an arm, a shoulder and, soon, the entire body of a woman who slumped to the ground coughing like she had water in her lungs. 

Inko clutched her son tightly to her, looking in terror at the figure who sit up on her knees: her skin was as white as milk and crisscrossed with red marks that looked like veins or tendrils; her hair was as white as her skin, long to mid-back and still damp with black liquid; her eyes, crimson with black sclera, were darting across the room before falling on its two occupants and widening. Inko paid no attention to the fact that the intruder was naked, frightened as she was. 

The woman tried to articulate a sentence before bursting out coughing, "Where...am...I?" Inko took a deep breath, cursing her poor grasp of the English language; without stopping to pet her son, she replied, "I-I-I don't know w-what you just asked me...b-but you won't lift a f-finger against my son!" 

The intruder brought her attention to Inko, looking at her with widened eyes; after a few seconds she replied, "You...t-this is y-your house?" 

Inko knew it was irrational, but she could not help but feel relieved to hear the intruder speak her language. After a deep breath, she replied, "Yes, this is my house. But now tell me, who are you? What do you want to do to my son?" 

The woman looked at the child in Inko's arms, staring intently before replying, "I...think I'm...lost." 

Inko ordered Izuku to remain seated in the kitchen while she showed the other woman the direction to the bathroom (she had just realized she was naked, and did not want to destroy the child's innocence so soon). To the mother's enormous relief, the woman seemed more confused than hostile, so she allowed her to use the bathroom to wipe away the remaining black slurry. She also wanted to give her some clothes but the other refused them, saying they were not necessary, before locking herself in the room. 

When he saw his mother return, Izuku began to wring his hands, "I'm sorry, Mom..." 

Inko gave a small sigh and stroked her son's head, "Baby boy, I'm not angry with you. Of course, this whole situation has me a little...scared, but it's not your fault." 

The greenie kept his gaze down for a few seconds, then spoke again in a low voice: "Are you...going to send her away?" 

The woman sighed, "I don't know yet Izu...she doesn't seem bad so far, but it's still too early to talk."

Inko went back to taking care of dinner, while Izuku picked up a paper and began to draw on it in crayons; a few minutes passed like this before a voice from the room called their attention, "Sorry to keep you waiting." 

Inko turned, and had to stop herself from staring: once clean and groomed, the intruder was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her hair, now clean, was gathered in a bun at the back of her head, her eyes were looking intently at her surroundings, and her black nails had been neatly manicured and looked like claws. She wore a long black and red dress, and when she walked she seemed to glide along the ground. 

The woman sat down, while Inko served dinner to her son and sat across the table, looking the other straight in the eyes. Izuku was looking at the two women alternately, and stiffened for a second when the silence was broken. 

"My name is Salem." 

The woman spoke with a serene expression, bringing a hand to her chest as she introduced herself. Inko watched her for a few seconds before replying, "Okay...Salem. Forgive me for being so abrupt, but I need to know: what are you?" 

Salem stiffened at the question, but quickly found her composure: "I'm afraid...I'm afraid I don't understand the question." 

"Two weeks ago, my son" The child gave a shy greeting to the woman, who returned it with a nod "used his quirk for the first time, spitting out a monstrous wolf the same way he spit out you, and since then everyone has been calling him villain and insulting him. I want to know what you are, if you are dangerous, how you behave." 

Salem stood still for a few seconds with her eyes wide open before she put her hands together and took a deep breath, "Okay...this is a lot to process. Let's do one thing at a time...what is a quirk?" 

Inko felt her eye begin to twitch, "Oh dear..." 

Salem was not panicking. 

I mean, she was Salem! The queen of darkness! The force that has terrorized Remnant for millennia, manipulating entire kingdoms, leading men to betray one another while she enjoyed it all from her castle. She was intelligent, powerful and, above all, immortal! After living for literal millennia, there was nothing that could scare her anymore!

...Okay, she was panicking. But she could not be blamed. 

Being defeated by a bunch of kids and chained to the bottom of the pool of destruction to suffer for eternity had already put her in a particularly bad mood. Whoever had come up with this idea must have been particularly sadistic (yes, I'm looking at you, Ozpin).

When she felt the pool begin to empty and the chains loosening, the witch felt happier than ever and, growing impatient, she had swum to the surface, eager to get back to breathing and walking...

And she had found herself in an apartment, in the company of a terrified woman and child. Being confused is completely justifiable. At least they were well-mannered people, having even offered her a hot bath and clothes, which she had declined (she could make herself a robe whenever she wanted, but the thought was appreciated)

Ten minutes later she was listening to the most absurd story she had heard since the days of the gods. Humans endowed with superpowers, she could live with that, it wasn't much different from what she was used to; but to be summoned by one of these powers? Belonging to a four-year-old child? In a society where that of HERO is a profession remunerated by the state?

She was already starting to miss her wine stash. 

Taking a deep breath, Salem turned to the woman in front of her, "If...if I hadn't re-emerged in your house, I would have had a hard time accepting everything you've told me as true. I must confess that I am still a little bit...shaken, by this whole situation." 

The woman raised an eyebrow at her, "That was an odd way to put it...as if you hadn't been born fifteen minutes ago. I mean, you've already given yourself a name." 

Salem could not refrain from smiling, "You are smart, more than I expected. It's true, I wasn't just born: whatever your child did, it's more like a summoning." 

The child widened his eyes, "I summoned you?" 

The witch felt something stirring in her, something she had not felt in millennia; something she believed had died along with her daughters the day she had first fought with Ozma. Keeping her tone cordial, she replied, "That's right. In the place where I was before, I was...kind of queen." 

The boy's big emerald eyes filled with stars, and he immediately started muttering to himself at the speed of light; the most Salem could grasp was "cool" and "commanding monsters." 

His mother raised an eyebrow at her, "A queen? Seriously?" 

The witch sighed, "I had a complicated history. Queen, witch...it doesn't matter now, does it?" 

The woman sighed, "I guess not...but you will forgive me if I still have some doubts." 

Salem nodded, "Of course. Ask away." 

"First: again, what are you? Second: Do you know anything about the monster Izuku created? Third: What are your intentions?" 

Salem shuddered as she sustained the woman's steely gaze before her, and realized that, for the second time in her existence, she felt uneasy; only the God of Light had succeeded in that before, and even then it was for a few minutes. 

'All this time in the pool of destruction must have softened me.'

The witch straightened her back, "These are three difficult questions...let's take one at a time." 

"First, I am a human...a very old one, but still a human. Long ago I was bestowed with an...extremely powerful regenerative power, shall we say." 

The woman raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?" 

In response, Salem took a knife from the kitchen and brought it to her hand. Before she could get on with her plan, she turned to the child, "Kid...Izuku, right? For your own sake, don't look." 

The greenie closed his eyes, so the witch brought the knife to her wrist and, without even blinking, cut off her hand in one clean stroke. Under the woman's horrified eyes, a blackish mass began to form from her wrist, which soon grew and reformed her hand in perfect condition. 

Salem spent a few seconds loosening her new hand before addressing the woman again, "I'm sorry about the knife." 

This one swallowed, "O...Okay. So you can...heal yourself from all the wounds you receive?" 

Salem nodded, opening the tap water and cleaning the knife, "Yes. I can be reborn from a single piece left around, but of course it takes me a while to-" 

The sentence was interrupted by something slamming hard against her at thigh level: looking down, she saw that Izuku had clung to her and was looking at her with wide eyes

"This is incredible! That' s an amazing power! Exactly how long does it take you to regenerate? Do your vital organs start working again right after they are recreated? How do you feel when your brain is not yet formed? Are you immune to disease? Can you not age? Are you actually immortal?"  

It took Salem a good two seconds to grasp the meaning of the flood of words that came out of the little boy's mouth, but when she did, she could not hold back a genuine laugh. 

"O my gods, how many questions!" 

The child immediately stopped and turned red as a bell pepper, while his mother looked mortified, "Izuku! Excuse him, when it comes to quirks and powers he can't help himself." 

The witch ruffled the greenie's hair, forgetting for a moment that she was Remnant's terror and slipping into a relaxation she had known little in her life: "No problem, I like smart kids! To answer your question..." 

She winked at the child, "Yes. I am immortal." 

Izuku lit up, and Salem was sure she could see sparks in his eyes; the child hopped on the spot and asked with all the enthusiasm she could muster, " You' re really immortal? How old are you?" 

Fortunately, the witch had already put the knife in the sink, or she would have ended up dropping it. The child's mother sprang to her feet and returned him to his seat, mortified beyond belief, "IZUKU!!! These are not things you should ask a lady!" 

Salem, for her part, had been so shocked that, for a few seconds, she stood motionless, staring into the void; in her state, her self-control failed, and she began to snicker, then giggle, until she laughed heartily, holding her belly with her hands and clinging to the edge of the kitchen to keep her balance. 

It was like she was rediscovering all those things that her hatred for Ozma had made her forget. In that laughter, she rediscovered the pleasure of living. 

She calmed down after a good minute, wiping her eyes with a finger and catching her breath. Feeling her cheeks hurt, she replied to the greenie who was looking at her worriedly, "Uuuff, I can't even remember when was the last time I laughed like that. Izuku, your mother is right, it' s not nice to ask such things to a lady."

Then she added with a wink, "But I'm over ten thousand years old."

The child brightened, while his mother huffed out a laugh, "I'd call you a liar, but my knife would have something to say about that." 

After that she became serious: "Rather, what can you tell me about the creatures created by Izuku's Quirk?" 

Salem brought a finger to her chin, "At this point...um, may I see one?" 

The child immediately closed in on himself, lowering his gaze to his knees. Salem furrowed her brows, "Hey, what's wrong?" 

Izuku swallowed, "My quirk...I don't like it. It's bad." 

His mother stroked his back, "Sweetie, that's not true. The other kids at school are just jealous." 

Salem looked at the scene in front of her with a furrowed brow: 'To be insulted for a power...I knew humanity wasn't this great, but even in Remnant I've never seen anyone get scorned because they have one semblance rather than another...except maybe for Oz's lackey. But never to this extent!' 

The witch approached the child and knelt before him, placing a hand on his knee; when he turned his attention to her, she spoke calmly, "You know...a long time ago, when I was still a queen, there was a story. The story of how humanity was born." 

Izuku wiped his nose and stood listening as Salem began to narrate, "Long ago, before man walked the earth, there were two brother gods: the god of light, the eldest, and the god of darkness, the youngest."

"The two spent their time discussing how the earth should be: the god of light created flowers, fruit, grass, all living matter; the god of darkness created fire, drought, famine, all the misfortunes that destroy life. The two went on for eons until, tired of their bickering, they decided to cooperate for one last creation, their masterpiece."

"This creation had the power to both create and destroy; they gave him the knowledge to understand the world around him and, most importantly, he was given the power to choose what to do with their destiny. As you may have guessed, this creature is humanity." 

The witch smiled, petting the child's curly hair, "Mankind chooses how to use the gifts they have been given, to create or to destroy. No matter how destructive a power is, or how evil it may seem: you can use it in any way you like, and no one can tell you anything about it. Okay?" 

Izuku nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Salem stood up and clapped her hands, "Do you feel up to showing me now?" 

The child rubbed his belly, "Um...okay...but it's kind of gross..." 

Inko shook her head, "Don't worry Izu, we are grown women. It takes more than a little slime to scare us." 

Izuku nodded and got up from the chair. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths and tried to concentrate, squeezing all his features in a sign of effort; after a minute spent like that, he gave up and caught his breath, "I can't..." 

Salem brought a finger to her chin, "What did you feel when you used it the first few times?" 

The child wrinkled his hands, "Well...I was very angry...or sad...and the first time my stomach hurt and I was scared..." 

The witch widened her eyes: 'Monsters...negative feelings...no way.'

With newfound determination, she put a hand on the little boy's shoulder, "Izuku, listen carefully. Imagine before you a big tree, bright and flourishing, full of fruit and flowers." 

The greenie stood looking at her for a few seconds but obeyed, closing his eyes and concentrating; Salem continued, "Do you see it?" 

"Yes, Mrs. Salem. It is very beautiful." 

The witch nodded, "All right...now, destroy it." 

The boy's mother widened her eyes but said nothing; the child swallowed, "D-destroy it? B-but it's so beautiful..." 

Salem sighed, "I know, dear, but it is necessary. Imagine the bark turning black, the leaves burning and falling, the fruit rotting, the flowers withering." 

The child whimpered shyly but nodded: he focused with a deep breath and, after barely a minute, gave a gasp bringing his hands to his mouth. Salem smiled, "There it is! Don't hold it in, spit it out!" 

Under his mother's astonished eyes, Izuku vomited the black slurry onto the ground as Salem stroked his back. The puddle soon turned into a wolf similar to the one from two weeks earlier, and its red eyes squared the three people in the house. 

When they stopped on Salem, the monster seemed to freeze. The witch stared at it with her mouth wide open, which soon became a smile and an incredulous laugh: "I can' t believe this." 

The wolf growled at her, but Salem responded with a look that made him retreat into himself; with slow steps, she approached him with her hand outstretched and without taking her eyes off it, "Sit down." The greenies shuddered when they heard the sharp tone of her voice, and so did the monster, who obeyed without a word. 

The witch stroked the white skull, smiling like a mother with her child. With her free hand she beckoned Izuku to come closer, "Come here." 

The greenie swallowed and obeyed, approaching with his heart threatening to burst out of his chest; Salem smiled at him, "Izuku, your power is extraordinary." 

The child did not take his eyes off the wolf, who seemed to target him, "W-what...what is this?" 

"This is a Grimm."

The two greenies swallowed, "A...Grimm?" 

"That's right. Remember the story I told just now? The one about the brothers gods?" 

"Yes...what about it?" 

"Well, before they created humans, the god of darkness created something else...something that shared his desire for destruction." He turned a glance to the wolf, who seemed increasingly interested in Izuku: "The result was these creatures." 

The child whitened, and the wolf began to growl. Salem put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't be afraid. The Grimms sense negative emotions and see them as a target." 

The mother swallowed, "Normally with similar quirks, summons can be controlled...Izuku can't do that?"

Salem shook her head, "I doubt it. Grimms are dangerous and unpredictable creatures...I've been working with them for millennia, and I've never controlled them, strictly speaking." Then she added, with a smile, "But they can be commanded." 

Izuku glanced at her, "Commanded?" 

The witch nodded, "Grimms do not naturally follow a master, they must be subdued. Come closer, I'll show you how." 

The child shook his head, which made the wolf growl even louder. Salem silenced him with a look before turning to the little boy, "Izuku, you don't have to be afraid. As long as you are afraid of them, they will see you as a target; you must be the one to instill fear in them." 

"But how can I do that! I'm just a kid!" 

Salem smiled, patting the greenie's shoulders, "I'll show you. I won't let you get hurt, okay?" The child looked for a second at the wolf, who stared at him with his teeth showing. A sudden burst of determination made his eyes sparkle and his fists clench, "All right." 

The witch smiled and beckoned the wolf closer with a wave of her hand. This one approached slowly, like it was ambushing its prey: Izuku swallowed but kept his teeth clenched. 

"You must convince it that you are more dangerous than it. Look into its eyes, hold its gaze." 

Izuku took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. The wolf in front of him stopped with a gasp, before lowering his head and sending a low growl. The two stood frozen looking at each other, with Salem and Inko next to them ready to intervene. 

"Good job Izuku. Come closer, let it know who is in charge." 

The child obeyed, but as soon as he stepped forward, the wolf's growl grew louder, and fear returned to full force. The greenie froze in cold sweats, and the wolf seemed to grow bigger, its mouth opened wider and wider, and it stood up on its hind legs- 

Salem grabbed it by the neck and, without batting an eyelid, turned it so sharply that it snapped. The wolf's red eyes went out, and the body fell dangling on the ground, beginning to turn into black smoke. 

Izuku fell back and immediately burst into tears as Inko picked him up and stroked his back. Salem heaved a sigh and watched the corpse disintegrate, "Well, I couldn't expect him to be able to control it on the first try. It's a difficult process for an adult, let alone a child." 

The woman cradled her sobbing son, "It's okay, Izu, it's gone now..." 

The child clutched his mother, "I was s-so s-scared..." 

Salem smiled, "It's only natural. But you've done a great job for someone your age, especially since you've never dealt with them before. With a little practice you will soon be able to command them at will." 

Izuku pulled on his nose and nodded, "You will continue to teach me...won't you?" 

Salem found herself at a loss for words, "Me?"

His mother nodded, "These past few weeks we've been going around to every counselor we could, but no one had any idea where to put their hands. You, on the other hand, have done more in half an hour than specialists have done in three-hour sessions." 

The witch looked at the two greenies in front of her and, for a moment, felt as if she were in a castle, sitting and watching three little girls ask her to teach them how to paint, or sing, or sew....

'I'm really getting soft. But, at this point, I can allow it' 

"Of course I will. After all, I'm the only one who knows what you're dealing with." 

The child raised his fist in the air before yawning and collapsing asleep on his mother's shoulder. The woman smiled and turned to Salem, "I'm going to take him to bed. Thank you so much for helping us." 

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm here now, might as well do something productive." 

The mother tilted her head, "Listen...how about if I teach you some jobs around here?" 

The witch raised an eyebrow, "You? I have lived ten thousand years, what could you possibly teach me?" 

The other answered her curtly, "Do you know how the laws of this place work?" 

"...okay, touché. But I don't want to abuse your hospitality." 

The woman chuckled, "Well, since you're teaching Izuku how to use his quirk, I don't call that abusing. Besides, as long as you stay here you will help me around the house, dear immortal." 

Salem blinked a couple of times, "Help you in...the house?" 

"You know, cooking, cleaning, things like that. Being a single mother is hard work, you know?" 

The witch swallowed, "Oh poor me. The last time I did housework was..."

The woman interrupted her, "Oh no, no flashbacks. Until you get the hang of it, just do what I show you." Then she added, much more quietly, "But seriously, thank you." 

Salem smiled, "No problem, um...what's your name again?" 

"Inko. Midoriya Inko." 

"Okay. No problem, Inko."

Chapter Text

Salem was amazed at how fulfilling the life of a simple housewife could be. After spending millennia in a castle plotting the destruction of a world, a mundane routine like Inko's was a breath of fresh air. 

The greenie taught her again how to cook, how to clean the house, how to run appliances, and, most importantly, how to approach a completely different culture than she was used to. 

In return, Salem kept helping Izuku keep the Grimm in check. In his favor, the little boy had a brilliant mind and enviable determination: he memorized everything the woman told him, kept a notebook with the Grimms' characteristics, and went on for hours at a time to train, stopping only when Salem ordered him to. The results showed quickly: after a week, for the first time, a Grimm lowered his head in front of Izuku and carried out one of his orders. That evening, the three went out to dinner to celebrate. 

Not everything was rosy, however, and one of the downsides was the child's school: despite his progress, he was still severely bullied, with the teachers even advising him to stop training for fear of his power. Salem was not happy to see the little boy come home with a new scratch or bruise day in and day out, and was seriously beginning to consider razing a school. 

The worst, however, was reached a couple of months after her arrival in the Midoriya household. 

It was Salem's turn to pick up Izuku from school, and the woman was going in a casual dress, courtesy of Inko. Her unusual appearance had attracted some attention, but much less than she had originally expected; her sunglasses and wide-brimmed hat had also helped. 

When she arrived at the front door, she was surprised to notice that the greenie was nowhere to be seen. She asked the teacher for information, but they did not seem too concerned by his absence (this angered the witch in no small part, but the faculty's incompetence could wait). 

Caught up in the worry she began to make her way around the building, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of the little boy; and indeed, a familiar voice was heard coming from the back of the building: 

"K-Kacchan, our m-moms are waiting for us-" 

"Shut up, you dirty villain! Don't think you can get away like this after today!" 

Salem looked over the fence: Izuku, with a black eye and his shirt askew, was being held pressed to the wall by a blond boy with red eyes, open in an angry expression. The blonde's hand began to crackle like a firecracker, and he was bringing it far too close to the greenie's face. 

"What were you planning? Why did you get so close to Kurei?" 

"K-Kacchan, I j-just wanted to ask him for a pencil..." 

The blonde gnashed his teeth, "Bullshit! You wanted to attack him, didn't you? You wanted to get him eaten by your monsters!" 

The greenie swallowed: "I-I don't-" 

"Shut up! Don't try to fool me! Whatever you're going to say anyway, it's definitely a lie! That's the only thing you Villains know how to do!"

The blond man's arm went back, and Izuku squinted, preparing for the blast on his face. 

"What is the meaning of this!" 

The voice made the blood chill in the two boys' veins. Bakugo turned, finding himself face to face with the most frightening woman he had ever seen: her white skin made her look like a ghost, her black and red eyes glowed as if possessed, and the red veins running through her clenched fists seemed to pulse with energy. Izuku felt a wave of relief pervade him, followed soon after by tears in his eyes, "Auntie!" 

The woman grabbed the blond boy by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up to her eyes, which sent angry flashes, "You have five seconds to explain what you were doing to Izuku, and pray that it's a good explanation." 

Bakugo flailed in her grip, sending small blasts left and right, "Let go of me! You stupid old hag! You're a villain, aren't you? You must be!" 

Salem sighed, "This heroes and villains thing is starting to get on my nerves. Okay, mister, you're coming with me: I'm sure your mother will be thrilled to know what you were doing." 

The blond tried to blow up her face, "Shut up! I'm not afraid of you, villain! I will overcome All Might, and blow you to smithereens!"

The witch ignored the blond midget's rants and turned to Izuku, "How are you? Does anything hurt?" 

The greenie clutched at the woman's leg and began to pull up with his nose; Salem gave a sigh and took him by the hand, "Come on, let's go. Inko will end up worrying if we're too late." 

The three walked out of the school, Salem and Izuku hand in hand and Bakugo dragged by his shirt. Salem looked around and, as expected, spotted a familiar blond hair in the crowd, attached to a woman with red eyes and an annoyed look. 

"Bakugo Mitsuki, I presume." 

The woman turned to hear her name, smiling as she saw the witch approaching, "Hey, you must be Salem, right? Inko told- uh, why is Katsuki there with you?" 

The witch laid the blond down in front of her mother and crossed her arms, "I caught him trying to raise his hands on Izuku behind the school...and I think I saw something pop." 

The blonde took a second to process the information, but when she did she turned to her son in an almost hysterical tone, "Katsuki, what on earth are you doing! Beating up Midoriya, are you crazy?" 

The child planted his foot on the ground, "I just wanted to make sure he didn't hurt anyone! He's a villain, he can't be trusted!" 

Mitsuki abruptly took his arm and looked at him gravely, "You and I have some serious talking to do, mister. I'm not going to let you go on with this attitude" Then she turned to the other two and made a deep bow, "My husband and I will give him a piece of our mind. I am sorry for his behavior; I will personally apologize to Inko."

Salem gave the other woman a blood-chilling look, "I hope you will. I would have preferred our first meeting to have taken place on more friendly terms, but whatever. I wish you a good day." And with that she took Izuku's hand and they headed home. 

That evening, Inko was inconsolable: she kept hugging her son, apologizing for being a bad mother, and a thousand other things. Salem, for her part, was already mentally calculating how many Grimms she would need to destroy the school and get rid of everyone in it, but she kept that fantasy to herself. 

When Izuku had gone to bed, the two women discussed with each other how they could improve the situation, and eventually reached the same conclusion: moving out. 

They were just talking about the new house and district when Salem came up with, "I think I want to open my own business." 

Inko almost stumbled on her way to the refrigerator at that sentence, "Where did that come from?" 

The witch sighed, "Well, it's already been a couple of months, and as much as I like being here I need a more stable position...plus, I want to see what the world is like outside this country. I might start a business here and then export it abroad." 

Inko gave a chuckle: "I thought two months was little time for an immortal." 

Salem rolled her eyes, "They are little time for an immortal who is used to making very long-term plans. So far I have lived day by day, and the passage of time is very different." 

"Don't worry, I was teasing you. Rather, are you sure you can do it? Business manager is a complicated job." 

The other grinned, "But it is also the closest thing to what I was doing in my world. I have many years of experience behind me, give me a year or two and you'll see billboards with my face on the side of the road...or maybe not, now that I think about it. I like the anonymity." 

Inko nodded, "Okay...what about Izuku? How are you going to help him?" 

"I'll keep training him as long as I can, but at some point he'll have to fend for himself. He's grasped the basics, soon he'll start experimenting on his own...and when I decide that he can manage without me, I'll give him the last of the tools and leave him free to do as he wishes. Although I already have a vague idea of what he wants to do..." 

Inko smiled, " Yeah, he's going to be one hell of a hero." 

Salem huffed, "I don't understand why everyone has this craze, especially since it does more harm than good. It did in my world, and it's even worse here."

"Please don't start with this. You become unbearable when you touch this subject." 

"You can't blame me!"

Inko rolled his eyes, "Ugh, I don't even want to try to continue this conversation."

Salem chuckled, "I will take it as a win." 

After another month, the family of two was emptying boxes in their new apartment in Tokyo. Izuku's new school was much better than Musutafu's (though it didn't take much), and the child fit in immediately. Salem, as promised, did her best to continue training him, but she spent more and more time on the computer and making phone calls; eventually, came the moment everyone knew would come. 

In the airport lobby, the witch mussed Izuku's hair, clutching tightly to her leg, "Good luck, kid. Remember to send me reports of your progress from time to time, okay? And don't drive your mother crazy." 

The greenie pulled up with his nose, "A-alright, Auntie. Y-you'll visit us from time to time, won't you?"

Salem smiled, "Of course, Izu. As soon as I have some free moments." 

Then she turned to his mother, "Thank you for everything, Inko. I don't know what I would have done without you." 

The woman shook her head, "Oh no, I'm the one who should thank you for helping me around the house. You will be greatly missed." 

Salem gave a smile, "Don't worry, we'll call each other often." 

The voice from the intercom resounded through the lounge: "Flight number 324598 to New York is now arriving at runway 3. Travelers please report to the chek-in."

The witch sighed, "This is my cue. Goodbye, and thank you for everything." 

The Midoriyas hugged her one last time, "Have a safe journey, and good luck with the company." "Bye-bye, Auntie Salem!" 

The witch smiled and, feeling more human than ever, picked up her suitcase and headed for her flight, ready to face the world. 

"Mrs. Hexe?" 

The man's voice roused Salem from her slumber: she was in a limousine, and in front of her sat Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu, who were watching her apprehensively. 

The woman covered her yawn with her mouth, "Excuse me, I must have dozed off..." 

The man gestured casually, "No problem, I understand that jet-lag must be taxing. I wanted to tell you that we have arrived." 

Salem looked out the window in time to see the car stop in the courtyard of a giant mansion. Just outside the door, a line of servants were waiting for the hosts, composed and at attention. As they exited the limousine, they all bowed in perfect synchrony, "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu." 

Salem raised an eyebrow: 'One butler would have sufficed, not the entire staff. I will never understand the Japanese elite'.

The consorts entered the house, and were greeted by a young girl who couldn't have been older than Izuku: "Mother, father, welcome back. I have great news!" 

The man turned a smile to the girl, "Hello, Momo. I assume this news is about the outcome of your exam?" 

The girl nodded, "That's right." 

The woman smiled, "We will have plenty of time to talk about it over dinner" Then she turned to Salem, "Mrs. Hexe, allow me to introduce you to our daughter Momo. She is aiming to enter UA, and she took the recommendation exam just a week ago." 

Salem had to restrain himself from making an annoyed sound: 'Another kid sold to this suicidal ideal. Aren't they ashamed to send her to her death? Paving her a golden path, to boot.'

She kept these thoughts to herself, focusing on other far more pleasant things, "UA, huh? You know, I have a nephew who took the exam for the hero course. He's a good boy, I'm sure you would get along very well." 

The little girl stiffened for a second, and the witch began to fear she had said something wrong, when the father gave a laugh: "Of course! We can't wait for Momo to make new friends at school! Why don't we talk more about it over some food?" 

The family headed for the kitchens, and Salem did not fail to notice how suddenly their daughter looked disheartened. The witch clenched her fists, recognizing such a situation all too well. 

"Mrs. Salem? Is something wrong?" 

The woman took a deep breath and looked at her bodyguard. She rubbed one temple, "I just remembered why I hate this country's society so much." 

Tsutsumi Kaina nodded slowly, "I understand. Japan has never treated the Japanese well." 

Salem sighed, "Well, we're not here to philosophize just yet. Come on, let's go eat: I don't know about you, but I would kill for something better than airplane food." 
 

Chapter Text

Yaoyorozu Momo had learned not to expect anything from any situation. 

As heir to the prestigious Yaoyorozu lineage, it was made clear to her from an early age that her image, her actions, her very existence is intrinsically linked to her family. Everything she does reflects the will of the Yaoyorozus, and will be treated accordingly. 

This means that, from an early age, she was burdened with the weight of expectations.

Her parents treated her more like a doll than a person: her clothes were chosen ad hoc to enhance her appearance, her schedule was filled with activities that she had to follow strictly; even her diet, the element around which her entire quirk revolves, was meticulously controlled to keep her figure perfect. 

Her existence was tied to her name. People did not see in her a fourteen-year-old girl who likes soul and would cross the street just to pet a stray puppy: they saw the heir to the Yaoyorozu name. Yet another addition to her family's long domino. 

No one cared what she wanted, or what she expected. She was a doll: she just had to be pretty. 

It had also happened the day before, just before dinner: her parents had brought a future business partner, Mrs. Salem Hexe of Remnant Industries, to dinner. The woman was menacing to say the least, with the ghostly appearance and cold eyes of a strategist. When her mother had introduced her, the lady made an expression like she had licked a lemon, and the girl felt a chill run down her spine, the familiar frost of disappointment. 

This lasted a moment, then the woman made a comment about her nephew. Momo felt her diaphragm get heavy: another tool for making contact. Of course. The girl had been a fool to think that UA would be anything other than a means for her family. She had lowered her head and nodded, doing her best not to look the adults in the face. 

At the dinner, Mrs. Hexe seemed to have softened-at least toward her. It was strange: she addressed her parents in a polite, professional, and at times cutting manner, taking the reins of the conversation and taking it where she wanted; but when it came to the girl, she spoke in a lower voice, used colloquial terms, let her talk about what she wanted. Momo did not know what to think, so she did exactly that: she did not think. She just nodded, answered questions and appeared polite. 

Alas, she did not notice the worried expression on Salem's face. 

Momo did not expect anything from any situation. Not even from UA. 

Sitting at her desk, she was warily watching the rest of her classmates begin to arrive and sit in their seats. Some of them seemed more interesting than others, but before she could judge, one had to wait. Jumping to conclusions would only have left her disappointed. 

Even so, she could already make some conjectures: first among them, that the blond boy with red eyes was one of the most unpleasant people she had ever met. 

"Get your feet off the desk immediately! This is disrespectful to the school and its values!" 

"Huh? What the fuck do you want, you four-eyed shithead? Keep this up and I'll redo your face!" 

The blond was already arguing with a classmate, a broad blue-haired boy. The tone and words used by the former were the stuff to make any decent person's skin crawl, and his attitude only made his image worse. Momo wrinkled her nose, vowing to interact with the blond as little as possible. 

The classroom door opened again, letting in a boy who immediately froze at the scene. Momo took a good look at him: relatively short, thin, and with a reserved bearing, he looked out of place in a class of heroes. The big green eyes were locked on the blond like a deer against headlights, and beneath them the cheeks were dotted with freckles. But what really caught the girl's attention was the hair: on the top of his head was an uncombed mass of forest-green curls, topping a snow-white undercut. The girl did not fail to notice how unusually pale he was.

'That must be Mrs. Hexe's nephew...I don't want to jump to conclusions, but he looks like-'

"DEKUUU!" 

The blonde's voice rang out like the roar of a chainsaw. Ignoring the scolding from the blue-haired boy, he got up from his desk and marched up to the newcomer, grabbing him by the tie of his uniform and-why was his hand popping! 

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, YOU FUCKING VILLAIN! THIS IS A HERO SCHOOL! MY HERO SCHOOL! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU OFFERED THE FACULTY TO GET YOU ADMITTED, BUT-" 

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a series of bandages that wrapped around his body, binding him like a mummy and gagging him. The entire class fell into stunned silence as, from behind the greenie, a man in a black jumpsuit stood watching the blond man with long hair float by, holding the wraps he used as a scarf. 

"Unauthorized use of quirk in class, inappropriate tone and vocabulary, threats to a fellow classmate...are you actively trying to get yourself expelled or what?" 

The blonde fidgeted for a few moments longer before being unceremoniously released, falling to the floor on his butt. The man looked at him for a few moments longer before blinking his eyes and letting his hair fall back into place. 

"I would have tested your environmental awareness, but whatever. I am Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher for the duration of your school term. Now, in a CIVIL manner" in saying this he shot a glance at the blond "Take the gym suits the school sent you and meet me outside. Don't keep me waiting," and with that he exited the classroom.

Momo swallowed. She had learned not to expect anything, but she could safely say that her school years were shaping up to be...lively. 

Izuku could not stop shaking. Bakugo's rant had brought back unpleasant memories of his elementary school days, and the greenie felt like a four-year-old again. 

A hand touched his shoulder, and it was like a glass shattered: he was at UA, he was fifteen years old, and his lungs could breathe properly again. Refocusing on his surroundings, he saw a boy with glasses and blue hair looking at him worriedly, "Are you okay? The way that boy grabbed you was completely unwarranted, I don't know what got into him." 

Ah, right. Kacchan. His eyes scanned the classroom, but of the blond no sign. A girl with a purple bob shook her head, "Don't worry, he's not here. He left right after the teacher gave him a piece of his mind. Speaking of which, we should go too." 

Izuku held his head with one hand, "W...where exactly should we go? I couldn't hear the professor properly..." 

The two boys exchanged a look, but whatever they were thinking they kept it to themselves. They summarized Aizawa's scolding as they walked the greenie toward the locker room. 

"And then he left...listen, how are you? Right now, I mean." 

Izuku smiled, "Oh, m-much better, thank you." 

The girl sighed, "That's good...oh, Jirou Kyoka by the way."

The other boy adjusted his glasses, "Iida Tenya. Are you sure you are comfortable changing together with that boy? I think you're justified in using the bathroom..." 

Izuku shook his head, "T-thanks for the concern, Iida, b-but I can do it. I j-just have to ignore him." 

The other two exchanged another glance, but said nothing. The three parted in front of the men's locker room, and Jirou waved them off. "If that asshole does anything again, tell us, okay? We'll handle it," Izuku blushed and scratched the back of his head, "T-thanks for your concern, Jirou."

The two boys entered the locker room. The rest of the male part of the class was just finishing putting on their suits, and many gave worried looks to the greenie; those who didn't were busy glaring at Bakugo or commenting among themselves. The blond, for his part, ignored all the other boys, focused solely on looking at Izuku as if he were planning his murder. 

Which was probably true.

The greenie began to change, doing his best to ignore Bakugo and his venomous gaze. He was about to put on his shirt when a red-haired boy sucked air from his teeth, "Man, have you ever thought about getting some sun? You're as pale as a corpse!" 

Izuku chuckled as he finished dressing, "Oh, t-this is a s-side effect of my q-quirk, as well as m-my hair: they're actually c-completely white, I-I have to d-dye them to keep them green." 

The boy gave a ninety-tooth smile: "You dye them too! My hair is naturally black, I use a lot of gel and red dye to keep them like this! I feel more like Crimson Riot, you know?" 

"Y-you're a fan of Crimson Riot? He's a hero of t-the old generations, t-there aren't m-many of his fans nowadays!" 

"I know! But he's too cool! You, rather, do you dye for some hero or...?" 

Izuku stroked his hair with a smile, "No. I k-keep it t-this way to remember m-my family: originally I had g-green hair, but as time p-passed m-my quirk completely bleached t-them. I w-wanted to keep f-feeling connected to my mother, s-so I d-dye them green on top, but-but I also keep t-the white part as a t-thank you f-for my aunt." 

The boy wiped his eyes, "So manly...oh, right, I'm Kirishima Eijiro!" 

Beside him, another blond turned a ninety-tooth smile on him, "Kaminari Denki! Quick question, why should you thank your aunt?" 

Izuku smiled, "Well, she's the one who taught me how to k-keep m-my q-quirk under control..." his expression fell, "It's... d-dangerous, you k-know." 

Bakugo, from his seat, shook his head, "Listen to him, making a scene. Manipulative bastard." 

Not far from him, a boy with a tail gave him a dirty look, "What's your problem, anyway? You've done nothing but lash out and glare at him, don't you have anything better to do?" 

Bakugo gritted his teeth, "Listen to me, monkey boy: I've known the bastard deku since we were four years old, and all my reactions are completely justified." 

A boy with a black bob huffed, "What did he do, killed your dog? Because otherwise I feel like you're overreacting." 

The blonde slammed a hand against the wall and lowered his voice, as if he was about to say something outrageous: "He tried to kill ME. At four years old. Imagine what he could do now." 

The two boys exchanged a glance, took one look at the greenie in question, who was walking out of the locker room with a big smile on his face, and raised an eyebrow, "Yuuup...and of course it was completely intentional. At four years old." 

The blond boy with the tail sighed, "When I was little, my tail would occasionally get out of control and I would end up giving black eyes to my classmates. Are you saying I'm a brawling delinquent?" 

Bakugo stood up with a cry of frustration, "If you don't believe me, that's your own damn business. But the day you find yourself facing that bastard villain's army of monsters, don't come and say I didn't warn you," and with that he left the room. 

He did not care if he found himself alone. He was going to keep fighting, to his last breath if necessary, to ensure that villain got what he deserved. 

Aizawa heaved a sigh. First day of school, and he was already feeling the need for a coffee. 

Bakugo Katsuki had already proved problematic, attacking one of his classmates the moment he entered the classroom. He had been tempted, seriously tempted, to expel him on the spot, but Nedzu had forced him to go easy on the expulsions, part of a series of measures that followed the scandal of the year before (if you ask him, all twenty students had deserved that expulsion, but whatever).

So he had merely given him a verbal warning, but was intent on making it a suspension at the first sign of trouble. Nedzu hadn't said anything about those. And a suspension does not reflect well on a student's profile, especially in the final behavioral grade. So Aizawa kept his eyes open, looking at the class that was gathering in front of him. 

"Okay kids, listen up. I guess you were expecting to go and listen to the principal's opening speech, but that won't be the case: there is a lot of work and little time, so we will start right away with a quirk assessment test." 

"This consists of several exercises similar to those for physical assessment that you will surely have already taken in middle school, but with the difference that you will have to use your quirks as much as possible. Before you ask, if your quirk doesn't help you with the exercises it's not a tragedy: this test is just to see what level you are at, you will not receive any grades." 

The professor took a ball from a pocket, "Let's demonstrate: Bakugo, what was your ball-throwing average?" 

The blonde raised an eyebrow: "Something like 67 meters." 

" Alright. Take this ball and do the test again, but this time use your quirk. As long as you stay in the circle, and don't attack your classmates, anything goes" The man's tone of voice was not one to leave room for argument. 

Bakugo picked up the ball and entered the circle; after a moment spent loosening up, he gave a feral grin and threw the ball with a blast that shot it into the sky, "DIE!" 

Aizawa heaved a deep sigh and showed the screen of his phone, which read 276 meters: "The tests will be something like this. As it stands right now, quirk exercises are only done in high school, and only in heroics: if you ask me, it's nonsense that doesn't allow you to become familiar with dangerous quirks, but who am I to talk."

The class, however, seemed more focused on the exercises, "So we can get into it? Yay!" 

"Sounds like fun!" 

Aizawa felt a vein of spite begin to boil in his gut. Fun, they called it. Fun. A profession where you wake up not knowing if you're going to sleep at night. Logically, he knew it was stupid to get angry at children whose only sin was being raised in an environment that glorifies a dangerous profession...but that was also why it was his duty to bring them out of their bubble. 

"Okay, which one of you said this is going to be fun? Hands up, I want to look at their face."

A girl with pink skin and horns raised her arm slowly. 

"You think being a hero is fun? Let's play a game, since you want to have fun: imagine you're standing among rubble, with civilians all around you screaming in despair or dead, with an out-of-control Villain who keeps creating chaos. Now, find me what's funny about that situation." 

The class had fallen silent. Aizawa ran his gaze over the kids' expressions, lingering for a second longer on Bakugo's, who was looking at his classmate (Midoriya, if he remembered correctly from the entrance exam) like he was talking about him. 

He was going to notify Inui. But first he had to finish his scolding.

"Do yourselves a favor and get everything the media, newspapers, or television have told you about heroes out of your heads. This is a business where you risk your neck on a daily basis, and I'm not going to bury you before you'll bury me. So make sure you take these tests seriously, understand? If I catch you slacking, I swear I will double your homework and study load for the next six months." 

Without being able to threaten them with expulsion, Aizawa was forced to be creative. However, the prospect of extra homework also seemed to do the trick, because the children paled and became much more serious. The professor chuckled under his scarf, 'I still got it.' 

The tests began, and all the kids were focused. During the running test, the pink-skinned girl used a layer of acid to skate on the track, finishing much faster than the blond with the belly laser. Aizawa nodded at the change in attitude, mentally marking notes and corrections on style or quirk usage. 

He shifted his gaze to Midoriya, curious to see his quirk in action again-his power was extremely peculiar, and he had shown good control over it. Plus, he could not hide the fact that it was quite metal. 

The boy took a breath and put his hands on the ground: a pitch-black liquid came out of his palms, which gathered in a pool and began to bubble. More than one kid let out a scream of surprise or fear when a black werewolf emerged from the puddle, with white claws and thorns sticking out of its body, a skull-like head with red markings, and blazing red and yellow eyes.  

The monster looked around for a moment before lowering its head and having Midoriya pet its skull. Many of the children around looked at him in disbelief, some were excited, and Bakugo ...

Bakugo had turned as pale as Midoriya and was looking at the monster with wide eyes. The wolf glanced at him before returning his attention to the greenie who climbed onto his back. 

Aizawa looked at the two boys for a few seconds. There was something more to their situation, and he would have to investigate, however, he had exercises to manage first. 

"Iida, take Bakugo's place beside Midoriya. He will run with Kaminari." 

The boys went to their places, and began the test. It was obvious that Iida would score well, but Midoriya's wolf was also fast: he crossed the hundred-meter mark in only 4.5 seconds, an objectively impressive result. The monster stopped shortly after the finish line, allowing the boy to dismount and stroke its head. 

Aizawa raised his voice, "Midoriya, are you going to use that wolf throughout the trials?" 

The greenie shook his head, "Ah, n-no sir... I was p-planning to u-use a different G-Grimm for each trial..." 

'So they're called Grimms. Good to know' "In that case you have to make it disappear, or it might distract your comrades." 

Actually his goal was to gauge how far the boy's control over his quirk extended, but he kept that to himself. The greenie nodded and took the wolf's head in his hands: under the horrified eyes of the entire class, he turned it 180 degrees, causing it to drop dead. 

Aizawa felt his mouth suddenly go dry. Midoriya swallowed and explained, "I-I'm sorry t-that you had to d-see it...b-but there's no other way. I can create and c-command the Grimm, but-but to make them disappear I have to k-kill them." 

The professor swallowed and regained the strength to speak, "You realize that doesn't make it go away, yes? The corpse is-" 

The professor shifted his gaze, only to see the black body dissolve in a cloud of smoke that soon dispersed into the air. The young boy explained, "G-Grimms d-disintegrate when they d-die. That's the r-reason why it's s-so d-difficult to study them." 

Aizawa began to feel a headache pounding in his temples. With a sigh, he asked, "I guess you'll have to do a similar thing for all the tests?" 

The greenie nodded, "That's right." 

'Okay, let's consider this well. Positive note: he has good control over these Grimms, and he creates them relatively quickly. Negative note: I don't know how good it does his psyche to kill them every single time.'

He needed an aspirin. Especially after seeing the raven-headed boy, Tokoyami Fumikage, approach the greenie with the most serious expression he had ever seen. 

"What is your name, denizen of obscurity?" 

"Um...M-Midoriya Izuku." 

Tokoyami put his hands on his shoulders, "Midoriya, in the name of the darkness we share, you and I will be best friends." 

"E-EEEEH????" 

Momo kept an eye on Midoriya throughout the tests. Something was not quite right with her. 

The greenie was a cheerful, good-hearted person who reserved advice for his classmates when he saw them struggling with some exercise and made sure that his Grimms did not make the rest of the class too uncomfortable. The girl had expected a very different person from the nephew of the infamous Salem Hexe, more objective and opportunistic...well, her own fault for expecting something. 

Still, the control over his quirk was admirable: Midoriya used a wide range of creatures, each specific to the exercise to be done. For the high jump he created a huge gorilla that launched him into the air, for the strength test he created a bear that bit the press with all the strength it had, for the long jump he created two colossal wasps (she would not admit it, but a shudder of disgust ran through her when she saw them) and got carried off into the air. Of course, there was not much she could do for stretching, side jumps or other such tests, but it mattered little. 

Momo did her best to pass the tests, but she did not have enough fat for everything she had in mind, so she had to ration: a high jump pole, a pair of skates for the speed test, and so on. The most complicated thing was a cannon to shoot the ball, and when she was done she was sure she had lost a pound; however, the result was good, so it had been worth it. 

No matter what her body thought. 

Midoriya's turn came, and the class stood watching with bated breath: everyone wanted to see what other creature she would use to throw the ball, and some were making predictions. The most popular one being the wasps. 

The greenie pondered for a few minutes before laying his hand on the ground and creating the black puddle: however, instead of the animals seen before, what came out was a spectre of sorts, with skeletal arms and a single yellow eye in the center of the white mask that served as its face. 

Midoriya stretched the ball out to him, and the specter went into it, possessing it and making it float farther and farther and higher until it disappeared from view. After a while the specter reappeared beside the boy, and the professor looked at his phone, "300 meters exactly. Okay Midoriya, you can go back to-" 

The professor's eyes widened when he looked at the boy, and the rest of the class was no different; the specter seemed to get agitated, so the greenie grabbed its head and smashed it to the ground. When he was sure it was disintegrating he sighed, "I know it will be difficult, but please try not to be afraid. Grimm are attracted to negative emotions." 

Aizawa swallowed, "Okay, that's good to know, but we were looking at your eye." 

Kaminari exclaimed, "And your hands! Dude, are you okay?" 

Midoriya tilted his head, before looking at his fingertips and brightening, "Oooh...don't worry, it's normal." 

The class swallowed: if it was normal for the boy to have one eye turning red with black sclera and red veins growing along his hands, they did not want to think what was not normal. 

The professor approached the boy, "What happened?" 

"It's a side effect of my quirk: the more I use it, the more grimm-like I become." 

Aizawa nodded, "And the effect goes away on its own?"

"Such things pass in an hour. The paleness and white hair, however, are permanent. I can still see, and the fingers don't hurt." 

Momo brought a finger to her chin, her mind working nonstop: `Same as Mrs. Hexe...and he said he becomes similar to a Grimm? So she also has this quirk, or at least a similar one...and, now that I think about it, he's stuttering a lot less.' 

The professor sighed, "Okay...at the end of the exercise go and have Recovery Girl see you, I don't want to risk it." 

Midoriya furrowed his brow, "With all due respect, there's no need. It's not a harmful process." 

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, "Maybe not, but one more checkup is better than one less. Go on, get back to your seat." 

The boy huffed, leaving more than one classmate confused, and obeyed. Momo wrinkled her forehead.

'He is becoming more hostile and confident...more like Hexe. Perhaps this process is having an effect on his personality.'

Her gaze fell on Bakugo, who was actually trembling with his gaze barred and fixed on Midoriya. She wasn't sure if it was fear or anger, but the blond clearly didn't have a good opinion of his classmate.

The girl looked at Midoriya, his arms crossed and his veins already beginning to recede. His expression was still hostile, but he had already softened. Momo smiled softly 

'Maybe it won't all be so bad'

Chapter Text

Aizawa sent the students off to change, looking at the test results on his phone. This year's class was promising, but some students had impressed him more than others, both positively and negatively. 

The most obvious problem were Midoriya and Bakugo. Taken individually, their preparation was excellent: they had shown great control over their quirks and creativity in applying and solving exercises; Midoriya was a tiny bit lacking on the physical side, but it could be fixed. However, their relationship was disastrous. The blond didn't stop glaring at the greenie for a second, making quite quirkist comments and insulting him in a way that reminded Aizawa too much of his UA days. However, he was also clearly terrified of him, trembling whenever he got too close and always remaining defensive

He should have warned Hound Dog and set up sessions for both of them. And maybe take a thorough look at their backgrounds. He was always tempted to suspend the blond, but he wanted to get to the bottom of it first. 

Another problematic student was Todoroki. His quirk was registered as "half cold, half hot," but so far he had only used the first part of that name. This piqued his curiosity: one would expect that the son of Endeavor, the fire hero, had been trained in its use to an above-average level. Instead, nothing. And it wasn't that he didn't know how to do it, for he had seen him give off streams of fire above his head, probably to warm himself up. Aizawa began to suspect that hero number two's family situation was not all sunshine and roses, if the scar on the boy's eye was any indication. 

Finally, there was Yaoyorozu. The girl was bright, observant, with an extremely versatile quirk and who knew how to use it. The professor was impressed with her problem solving skills, not to mention knowing the structure of a cannon in great detail by heart. However, something was wrong: at the end of the exercises the girl was pale and gaunt, but she did not seem to be overly concerned...which was concerning. The professor had a suspicion that she would become a regular presence in Recovery Girl's studio, and it was already starting to give him a headache. 

He put the phone in his pocket and headed for his classroom. He was walking down the hallway when he heard agitated voices coming from the locker room.

"Yaoyorozu!" 

"Is she okay?" 

"Call Professor Aizawa!" 

The aforementioned man threw off all norms of good manners and entered the women's locker room: the girls, some more and some less dressed in uniform, were around the figure of Yaoyorozu, inert on the floor and pale as death. Uraraka was holding her legs up to promote circulation, "Professor! Please take her to Recovery Girl!" 

The man silenced the chaos with a quirk-enhanced look and turned to the girls, "Okay, one at a time. What happened?" 

The girl with frog-like features, Asui Tsuyu, spoke as neutrally as possible: "Yaoyorozu was changing into her uniform when we pointed out that she seemed to have gone pale, kero. She said it was nothing, then turned around and...and collapsed." 

The professor took the girl in his arms, noting that she was too light for a 15-year-old, and turned to the rest of the girls, "You go back to class as planned. I'll take her to the nurse's office; if they ask you questions, say they can ask me when I get back." 

Without waiting for an answer, he ran toward Recovery Girl's office. In his arms, the girl seemed to have recovered a little, but she could barely form words. She was far, far too weak, and Aizawa went even faster, dodging students and professors until he reached the infirmary door, which he opened with a shove. 

The first thing that reached his ears was the nurse's hoarse, annoyed voice: "I mean Shota! Could you-" 

The rest of the sentence died in her throat when she saw the girl in his arms. The woman immediately rose from her chair, followed closely by Midoriya (right, he had sent him),

"What's going on?" 

The professor laid Yaoyorozu on a bed and sighed, "She fainted in the locker room. Chiyo, she is too light." 

The nurse took one look at her and shook her head, "I can see from here that the girl hasn't eaten enough. What's her quirk?" 

Aizawa shook his head, "I haven't yet-"

"She can create objects with her fats, I think." 

The two adults stared at Midoriya. Aizawa did not fail to notice that, while his eye and hands were still altered, his demeanor seemed to return to a more meek and peaceful state. 

"It's just a t-theory, but during the tests she pulled several items out of her body...and seeing her now in this state, I b-believe that the raw material is lipids. I don't think it's a storage quirk, she wouldn't be reduced like this in that case." 

The nurse took one look at the girl and sighed, "Until we take a look at her files I'll just give her an IV. But if indeed her quirk works as Midoriya says, I will have to draft her a specific diet."

As Recovery Girl took care of Yaoyorozu, Aizawa turned to Izuku, "How are you feeling?" 

"I already s-said that it's not harmful." 

"Don't think I haven't noticed your change in attitude. If you use your quirk too much do you become aggressive?" 

The greenie lowered his gaze: "...among other things." 

The professor nodded, "I understand. Take a few more moments to cool off, then go back to class. You will find the syllabus and the class schedule." 

Izuku nodded, then turned his gaze to the girl lying on the bed, "Will she be all right?" 

"She's in Recovery Girl's hands, she will be fine. But we'll have to find a way to keep her from being continually reduced to this state. I'll talk to the other teachers about it, don't worry." 

The boy sighed, "All right..." 

As he left the room, Aizawa took one last look at the boy, "Oh, Midoriya?" 

"Yes?" 

"One last thing, but you don't have to answer right now: what's going on with you and Bakugo?"

The greenie stiffened, and then sighed, massaging his arm, " Well...Kacchan and I knew each other as children. When my quirk awakened he was with me and...I put him in danger." 

Aizawa looked at the boy for a few seconds before nodding, "I see. Thank you for telling me, Midoriya. I'll see if I can talk to him about it, okay?" 

"All right. Thank you, professor."

Momo opened her eyes again, finding herself looking up at the ceiling of the infirmary. Next to her, Recovery Girl was checking Izuku's condition: his hands had returned to normal, but the eye sclera was still black. 

The girl tried to sit up on the bed, but the nurse's voice stopped her, "Don't make any sudden movements, young lady. How are you feeling?" 
Momo brought a hand to her temple, "Dazed..." 

"You've had a severe sugar crash. I took a look at the description of your quirk: do you realize that you are in serious danger of going into malnutrition if you use it too much without having eaten enough?" 

"...yes."

Recovery Girl nodded gravely, "Good. Make sure you eat enough at home and don't hesitate to ask for extra portions in the cafeteria, okay? If necessary, get an authorization from Aizawa." 

Momo furrowed her brow: her parents would never agree to let her eat like a pig...but she could not ignore direct orders from the nurse either. 

"Alright...I will try to eat more." 

The woman nodded again before handing the girl some cereal bars, "Stay here a moment longer, and eat these. They are high-calorie bars, they will give you some energy back." Then he turned again to Midoriya: "As for you, your situation is unique, and I honestly wouldn't know where to put my hands. I would have to talk to your counselor to get an idea of how to slow down this transformation." 

The boy sighed, "I don't think it will be p-possible...Aunt Salem is a v-very busy woman." 

Momo downed a bite of cereal bar before replying, "So you really are Mrs. Hexe's nephew." 

Midoriya widened her eyes, "Y-You know Auntie?" 

"Remnant Industries and Yaoyorozu Group are negotiating to go into partnership. Madam came to my house for dinner a few days ago. She mentioned you, you know." 

The boy swallowed, "And w-what did she say?" 

Without showing expression, Momo replied, "That you are a good boy." 

The greenie covered his face with his hands, making a teapot-like sound, "Aaaah, how embarrassing!" 

Recovery Girl brought attention back to the main topic, "Well, that simplifies things. Tell her to call the school, and then we'll take care of it." 

Izuku nodded, "All right..."

The nurse nodded, "Perfect. Stay here a few more minutes, then go back to class. Yaoyorozu, between tomorrow and the day after I'll draw up an ad hoc diet for your quirk, I'll have Aizawa give it to you."

The girl nodded, nibbling on the cereal bar: it was doughy, sugary to a fault, and probably with enough preservatives to last for two centuries. However, the only thing she could think was, 'It's good...unbelievably good.' 

Bakugo read the topic schedule for a few moments, then put it in his backpack with a huff. Deku wasn't back yet, thankfully, and he finally had a chance to take a look at the rest of the extras without pressure. 

The round-cheeked chick and the damned four-eyed one had been giving him dirty looks since the beginning of the day. The latter in particular was a pain in the ass, in every sense: from his perfectionist attitude to the way he spoke, he seemed to be there specifically to annoy the blond. The girl was no less: cheerful and chatty as hell, she looked like something out of an ad for some little girl's candy. At least until she gave him dirty looks that, while they were at best a nuisance to him, anyone else would find chilling. 

The candy-cane bastard was another who looked like he was actively trying to make fun of him. He looked down on everyone, conversations with him were limited to a couple of listless words at best, he did not seem intimidated or bothered by anything. He would have preferred the glares of the four-eyed rather than this unconcern: at least in the former case he was held in some kind of consideration. 

The rest was forgettable at best and a pain in the ass at worst: the monkey man and the tire elbows who had reprimanded him in the locker room were scarcely more interesting than the wallpaper in his house, the pigeon-head had proclaimed himself Deku's friend and that instantly made him an enemy, the odd-eared chick had made some comment about the blond's volume of voice, to which he had responded with a snort and an instinctive popping of his hands. 

In short, the only one who had a chance of being anything more than an office sidekick was him. As usual. Maybe half-and-half was worthy of some consideration, if he decided to get off his pedestal and show the rest of them mortals what he could do. 

"Hey!" 

Bakugo huffed, watching the redhead come at him with a colossal grin on his face-if it weren't for the sharp teeth, it would be nauseating.

"What the fuck do you want, shit hair?" 

The boy put his hands in the air, "Oh ho, grumpy are we? I wanted to ask you if you were okay, during the exercises you didn't look too good." 

The blond made a face like he had eaten a lemon: "I was in great shape, just so you know. I was just keeping an eye on the bastard deku." 

Those who were closer to the two pricked up their ears, while Kirishima raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think you're being a little harsh? I mean, this is already the second time you've called him that..." 

"He's a villain, it's not like I have to be nice to him." 

Shitty hair widened his eyes, taking half a step back, "Woah, okay, time out. What do you mean, a villain? What did he do?" 

Bakugo gave him an incredulous look, "Are you serious? Has your hairstyle somehow altered your brain as well? You saw it during the exercises didn't you?" 

The other wrinkled his eyebrows, "Yes...? I think I'm missing the point, what did he do wrong?" 

"The quirk, for fuck's sake, its bloody quirk, Christ! Did you see the filthy monsters or not?" 

The redhead suddenly took on an unreadable expression, very different from the cheerful smile used until then, "Wait a minute. You call him a villain and you refer to him in that abrasive manner because of his quirk? Seriously?" 

Bakugo rolled his eyes, "Don't make that face, it looks like someone kicked your puppy. What, are you telling me I'm wrong?" 

Kirishima lost control over his quirk for a second, making his head hard and spiky like a rock formation, "Of course you're wrong! You can't call people criminals without them having done anything, just because their quirk bothers you!" 

Bakugo began to crackle his hand, feeling his blood pressure begin to rise: "Fuck, don't you get involved too. You don't know deku, you don't know what he can do, you don't know what he's done, so don't get all self-righteous. And, dispassionate advice, don't trust what he says under any circumstances: he looks all innocent and cuddly, but he's a monster, worse than the ones he conjures up." 

A couple of desks away, the pink-skinned extra blurted out, "I'm liking you less and less with each passing second. I heard that UA has zero tolerance for bullies, but apparently they let one slip through their fingers." 

The blond man ranted, " ME, A BULLY? E.T, if I hadn't been there the population of this shit city would be half of what it is now!" 

The attention of the entire class was now on him, and it was not a positive one. The girl with the strange ears snorted, "Oh really? Then please enlighten us: how does half of Musutafu owe his life to you?" 

Bakugo clenched his fists, apparently lost in his memories, "When deku awakened his quirk he summoned one of those cursed wolves, and even at four years old one of those things would have been enough to kill not only me, but the rest of the extras around. For two months, TWO MONTHS, he kept summoning monster after monster, training himself to make them more and more deadly. At one point he attracted the attentions of a bastard hag, some villain far too similar to him to be trusted. "

"Anyway, all that time I had to keep him at bay, keep him from getting too close to the other kids, destroy his monsters, confront him when he got too confident, things like that. At some point I think he learned his lesson, because he finally left town and I never saw him again...until today." 

"Listen up, extras: Deku is a bloodthirsty, manipulative, ruthless bastard, and definitely not someone you can trust. If you have any sense of sanity, don't let your guard down and don't let him find allies, because otherwise he will become uncontrollable and we will all be in deep shit."

There was dead silence in the classroom; all the kids were looking at the blond with expressions ranging from disapproval, to fury, to horror. Kirishima's voice broke the silence, heavy and uncertain as if the boy was physically struggling to speak: 

"So...let me get this straight. You...bullied...Midoriya...for his quirk. Actually, no, what you said bordered on abuse. You ABUSED Midoriya for two months...pushing him to move...when you were four years old. You see him again after...what, eleven years? And your first reaction is to yell at him and hurl nonstop insults at him...AND YOU BRAG ABOUT IT?" 

Mina echoed him, in a tone that seemed about to explode, "And you ask us to do the same thing? Like it's the right thing to do?" 

Bakugo blurted out, "It IS the right thing to do! Oh, do you hear when I speak? If you let your guard down around that villain, he will become dangerous! The only wise thing to do is to keep him at bay, hammer him down when he raises his head to prevent him from growing and becoming strong enough to kill us all!" 

The blond's words were again met with silence. After a few seconds, a low, seemingly neutral voice rose: "Enough." 

Bakugo raised an eyebrow, "Huh? What, frog face?" 

The girl gave the blond a sharp look, despite her deadpan face, "I said enough, kero. Every word you said makes me want to punch you in the face more and more, so just. Shut. Up." 

Pigeon Face nodded gravely, his black feathers beginning to puff up, "What a mad banquet of darkness..." From his back emerged a black mass with two bright yellow eyes and a pointed head similar to his master, who blurted out, "I didn't think it was possible, but you're worse than Fumi's middle school classmates!" 

From behind the blond, a short boy with hair composed of purple orbs swallowed, "Um...I don't know...if Midoriya really is that dangerous, wouldn't it be better to listen to Bakugo? I mean, he seems to know him better than anyone...isn't it wiser not to take risks?" 

The six-armed boy glared at the dwarf, which, plus the mask over his mouth and nose, made him look terrifying: "Are you seriously saying that it is acceptable to be treated like villains, just because you have a certain quirk?" 

"W-well, no! C-certainly not, I'm just saying that, u-unlike B-Bakugo, w-we don't know M-Midoriya well enough t-to say that-" 

The electric blond's voice interrupted him, "What? That the stick of dynamite there is justified in abusing him? I thought this was a school for heroes, not villains." 

E.T clenched her fists, looking at Bakugo with something akin to hatred: "You know, I'm relieved that he only had to deal with you for two months. If he had been stuck in your school for all the years of elementary and middle school, I don't think I would have felt like blaming him if he had become a villain." 

Bakugo blurted out, "You say that as if he wasn't already." 

A pair of hands slammed hard on a desk; all gazes settled on round cheeks, "Cut it out! Villain this, villain that, do you hear yourself when you speak? You sound delusional, or obsessed with Midoriya. For your information, that villain, as you call him, saved my life during the entrance exam! With the quirk you like to hate so much!" 

Bakugo snorted a laugh, "Okay, good one. That damn quirk saving someone? You know, a joke comes good when it's believable." 

The girl clenched her fists tightly, "That's true. Toward the end of the exam, I got stuck with my legs under some rubble as the zero-point robot was approaching. Do you know what Midoriya did? He pulled out the ghost of the ball-throw and made it possess the boulder, allowing me to escape. Not only that! The possessed rubble formed a huge stone golem that distracted the zero point enough for the others to get to safety. Does that sound like Villain behavior to you?" 

The blond looked at her with narrowed eyes for a few moments before getting up and grabbing his bag, "Talking to you extras is the same as talking to rocks. Do whatever the fuck you want, at this point I don't care if you get yourselves killed or become villains on par with him. In fact, please try to actually become one: I can't wait to kick your asses when I go pro" And with these last, venomous words, he walked out of the classroom. 

The class was still in the chaos left by Bakugo's words when Midoriya and Yaoyorozu re-entered the room. The girl looked around confused, "Um...what's going on?" 

Iida took a few moments to compose himself and let out a sigh, "Just some...disagreements with one of our classmates."

The greenie's expression fell, "It was K-Kacchan, r-right? We s-saw him leaving the classroom, and he s-seemed p-pretty angry..." 

Kaminari shrugged, "Don't mind that Chihuahua, man! Rather, are you okay?" 

Uraraka echoed him, "And you too, Yaoyorozu! How are you feeling? You scared us all!" 

The girl gave a small smile, "Thanks for the concern, Uraraka, but I'm fine. I just didn't ate much before coming here, that's all." 

Jirou raised an eyebrow, "Girl, you fainted in the middle of the locker room! Are you sure it's just 'didn't ate much'?" 

Now even the boys were alarmed. Iida began waving his hands like a robot, "This is very serious! Does Professor Aizawa know about this? If it's a condition he needs to be warned right away!" 

Yaoyorozu put her hands out, "Iida, I'm flattered that you're concerned about me, I mean it, but there's no need. Aizawa knows what happened and Recovery Girl will make sure it doesn't happen again." 

'Assuming and not granting that my parents approve of the diet'

The boy nodded, albeit somewhat tensely, and turned to Midoriya, "How about you? Are you okay? You said the transformation is not harmful, but what is Recovery Girl's opinion?" 

The greenie rubbed the back of his head, "Well, m-mine is a u-unique case, so she doesn't k-know exactly where to p-put her hands...b-but I'll try to d-convince my aunt to t-talk to her. W-what I am sure of is that using t-too much of my q-quirk does no harm for me, b-but I can get aggressive and c-cruel...so...be warned?" 

There was more than one verse of understanding in the class; Kaminari gave a thumbs up, "Roger that, buddy! You know, it's still okay with you all things considered: if I use too high a voltage, my intelligence goes on par with that of a potato for a while." 

The greenie's eyes began to shine, "Y-you generate electricity, don't you? C-can you even m-manipulate it? Y-you could reduce the c-collateral effects if you r-run it all along the body, you know, r-reduce the blow t-that the brain receives..." 

The blond chuckled, "That's really great advice, but unfortunately I can only generate electricity. The idea of reduced voltage on the brain inspires me though, I'll work on it and let you know." 

Yaoyorozu looked at Midoriya with something akin to admiration, "I didn't know you liked doing analysis." 

The boy smiled, "I've been d-doing doing it for years, n-now it comes n-naturally to me. I started w-with my m-mother, t-then I switched to m-my grimms; they are incredibly c-complex and fascinating, I have whole b-books d-dedicated only to a t-type! And there are m-many t-types!" 

The ravenette returned the smile, "For me it's more of a hobby than a real passion, but I do enjoy occasionally reading a few pages of international analysts. I'm glad to find someone better versed in it than I am." 

As the greenie continued to lose himself in discussions of quirk and grimm analysis, Mineta Minoru muttered, "Damn you, Midoriya...aren't you ashamed to talk so casually to a knockout hottie like that?" 

Fortunately, no one heard him. Except for Jirou and Mezou, but the latter was quick to put the midget back in line with a slap on the face.

Chapter Text

Tobita Danjuro fixed his tie in front of the mirror, made sure his mustache and beard were in perfect order, and, with a smile, left the house to go to work. On the way he stopped at a café and, as was his custom, ordered two teas: one for him and the other for his friend, partner and, as of that day, colleague, who entered the place shortly after and sat down in front of him. 

"Good morning, Tobita! You seem to be in a good mood!" 

The man gave the girl sitting in front of him a smile.

"And how could I not? Today is your first day of work! Ah, it seems like yesterday you were submitting your internship application directly to the big boss..." 

Aiba Manami rolled her eyes with a sigh, "Tobita, please! You're acting like you're my father!" 

The man chuckled, "I have spent the last year watching you grow from a budding intern to an official employee of Remnant Industries! If you allow, I think I have the right to act as I please." 

The teas arrived, and the colleagues accepted them with thanks to the waitress. After taking a sip from the hot drink, Aiba chuckled, "I won't hide that I'm nervous...I mean, I'm press, social and IT worker for a multinational corporation."

Danjuro waved his hand in front of him, "You don't have to worry about anything! You will be under my supervision for a while, so if the work is too much, don't mind asking!" 

The girl rolled her eyes, "You can only help me with the press side, not the rest. But thanks anyway." 

The two finished their drinks, paid for by Danjuro, and left the venue, quickening their pace so as not to be late for the new press agent's first day of work. 

Aiba swallowed: no matter how many times she saw it, the Remnant Industries' offices never ceased to be ominous. The building was a modern urban-style skyscraper, tall and slender, designed to withstand earthquakes as well as hurricanes. The completely black exterior seemed to absorb the surrounding light, making the shadow it cast over the city even darker. Above the bulletproof glass doors, passersby were informed of the building's purpose by the bright red sign, "Remnant Industries Inc. legal offices and IT centers." The building was topped by the company's logo, an R growing from a vertically open eye, mounted on top of the building as if it should look out over the city. 

Those who had read The Lord of the Rings would have had no trouble drawing parallels between the skyscraper and Sauron's tower in Mordor. Some employees speculated that their boss had been inspired by exactly that. 

The girl swallowed and followed Danjuro inside the building, waving to the receptionist and taking the elevator to the 25th floor, where the IT stations were located. The hall they entered was a tangle of cables, screens and people, each with at least two computers in front of them and all busy typing nonstop. Aiba looked around in wonder before the man pointed to a chair and a computer. 

"This will be your station. The computer is connected to the company's wifi, if you want to connect your personal computer too, I can give you the password." 

The girl nodded, "Thank you, Tobita." 

The man made to leave, when the elevator door opened and the air seemed to thin. All the workers suddenly froze, standing at attention when they saw who had entered the office. Danjuro made a deep bow, followed by a terrified Aiba and all the other workers in the office. 

"Good morning, Ms. Hexe!" 

The woman glanced around the room before sighing and waving her hand, "No need for all these formalities. Go back to work." The employees obeyed almost immediately, concentrating on their tasks in an unnatural silence for an IT office. Their boss wandered among the workstations for a few moments before stopping at Manami's and giving her the shadow of a smile, "Oh, good morning Ms. Aiba. Is the station to your liking?" 

The girl tried as hard as she could not to appear nervous, with little success, "Y-yes ma'am! T-thanks again f-for hiring me!" The depth of the bow she gave her was not out of courtesy so much as to mask her anxious expression. 

The woman touched her chin with one hand and made her stand up, not ignoring how the girl had stopped trembling at her touch: "Please, keep the formalities to a minimum, I'm not the type for excessive displays of politeness. And the credit for the hiring is yours alone, I would not have taken you on board if you were not the best of the best." 

Aiba swallowed, trying to keep her voice neutral, "Y-yes ma'am!" 

Salem looked at her for a few seconds longer before turning to the man nearby, "Danjuro, when you have a free moment come by my office. I have just secured a partnership with the Yaoyorozus, you need to put their and their associates' contacts in the database." 

The man bowed, "With great pleasure, ma'am. Oh, while I'm on the subject, I was able to get in touch with Shoowaysha Publications...but I can't help but be perplexed." 

The woman nodded, "We will discuss this further in my office; I don't intend to take up any more of your time. Miss Aiba needs to set up her station and start getting to work, doesn't she?" He added, glancing at the aforementioned, who nodded vigorously. 

"Very well. See you later, Danjuro. And, Aiba? I hope you''ll be comfortable here with us," With these last words she disappeared into the elevator. 

Afterwards, Manami did not hide the fact that she almost fainted when Salem spoke to her. 

"Midoriya! Sit here!" 

The greenie smiled as he saw Iida and Uraraka nod to him to sit with them at lunch. Holding the tray full of food firmly in his hand, he went to sit at the table with the two kids and a conflicted-looking Yaoyorozu. 

"Yaoyorozu? Is something wrong?" 

The girl shook herself out of her thoughts with a blush in her cheeks, "Oh, n-it's nothing Iida. I was just thinking if maybe I didn't order too much food..." 

Izuku shook her head, "Yaoyorozu, you heard R-Recovery Girl yesterday. T-your quirk s-based on your f-fat mass, you have t-to eat a l-lot." 

Uraraka widened her eyes, "Wait, is that why you fainted yesterday?" 

The other girl nodded without looking up; Iida began to wave his arms mechanically, "This is extremely risky, not to mention irresponsible! You need to take better care of yourself!" 

Yaoyorozu said nothing, although she felt a streak of irritation begin to simmer under her skin: what did they know, after all, about what was best for her? Her diet was perfectly balanced to keep her figure intact but not to keep her healthy.

Midoriya's voice brought her back to the present: "Hey, Iida, how c-come you d-drink so much orange j-juice? T-This is the t-third carton you've f-finished in two m-minutes." 

The girl was enormously grateful to the greenie for the change of subject (unaware that he had sensed her stress). 

The boy in blue smiled, "Oh, juice is the fuel for my quirk. I don't want to run out of steam for today's class, you know."

The green guy brightened, "R-Really? W-what's the efficiency? D-does it have to be orange juice or will any c-citrus fruit do? Does the c-concentration have any effect o-on the quirk?" 

Iida chuckled, "So, in order: a carton of juice is enough for an hour; it has to be specifically orange juice, but my mother uses lemon juice; I've never tried diluting the juice, and I think you can see why. Yuck." 

Ochako tilted her head, downing a mouthful of rice, "Your mother? Does quirk run in the family?" 

The boy puffed out his chest, "It does. In fact, I come from a long tradition of heroes! You may have already figured it out by seeing my quirk, but the Iidas are the founders of the Iidaten Agency!" 

Midoriya widened his eyes so much that Momo feared they would pop out of their sockets; after a few seconds he muttered, "Iidaten? Wait...d-do you happen to k-know Ingenium?" 

Iida burst out laughing, "Do I know him? He is my older brother! I admire him a lot, and he's the kind of hero I aim to be!" 

The greenie looked at the other boy with wide eyes, which soon filled with tears; Ochako and Iida immediately panicked, while Momo was increasingly confused, "Midoriya... you don't like Ingenium?" 

The boy wiped his eyes, laughing shakily, "O-on the contrary! I-Ingenium is one of m-my p-personal heroes!" 

Iida's jaw dropped, "Are you serious?" 

"Y-yes! W-when m-my quirk m-manifested, I c-created a b-beowulf without k-knowing how to control it...w-were it not f-for your brother, I'd have l-lives on my c-conscience!"

Momo brought her hands in front of her mouth, "I had no idea...I'm sorry that your quirk brought you such a traumatic experience." 

Iida looked at his classmate in concern, then recomposed himself and spoke in a low tone: "Midoriya, I am honored to know that my brother helped you at such a crucial time, and I hope you can count on me in the same way. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out for me." 

Ochako nodded vehemently, "Yes! If you need help come to us, okay? Even if it's just to chat!" 

The greenie tried to keep his eyes dry, with little success, "T-thanks guys...you're a-awesome." 

Momo watched the boy smile with teary eyes, thanking his friends for their support. Without realizing it, she began to eat her food, her mind occupied by a question tangling her thoughts: 

'Is this what it means to have true friends?'

Bakugo crossed his arms, doing his best to ignore the bird shit behind him. He had been treated coldly all day by the rest of the extras in class, except for the purple midget, but he couldn't care less: if they wanted to look the other way, their loss. 

His mood improved dramatically when, through the giant door, walked into the classroom none other than All Might, wearing the Silver Age costume. And the day turned for the better when he announced that their first Fundamentals of Heroism class would be a practical test...and so they had to wear their costumes. Finally, something worth doing! 

The blonde grabbed his suitcase and darted into the locker room, trying to change as quickly as possible so as not to be late for practice (and to spend no more time than necessary in the same room with Deku). When he put on the gauntlets, the feeling of power sent a rush of tingles under his skin, and the desire to try them out on the field became almost intoxicating. The rest of the extras entered the room and began to change while he secured the mask over his face, and for a moment he caught out of the corner of his eye a piece of Deku's costume: it looked like some sort of helmet, white, with red markings... 

'Like the skulls of his monsters. You don't even try not to look like a villain, do you?'

This thought buzzed in his head until he saw Pigeonhead's costume: a black jumpsuit with a cape over it that masked his entire body...the blond walked out of the locker room without looking at anyone else. One would-be villain was enough for him; two were far too many.

He reached ground delta after a few minutes, finding All Might there waiting for them. Bakugo used his presence to calm himself down, reminding himself of his motivation and his goal: to become not only the No. 1 hero, but the most powerful hero who had ever lived, so strong that his presence alone would be enough to deter any villain from trying any funny business. Like All Might. 

Like an atomic bomb.

The rest of the class arrived shortly after, and the sight filled All Might with pride: a new generation of heroes, ready to take on the world and make it a better place! But first they would need a worthy education...which he was there to provide. 

He shook the thoughts of admiration from his head and focused on the teaching side (Courtesy of a crash course from Nedzu and Gran Torino): some of the costumes would need a couple of design changes. 

The first problem was young Todoroki's costume: even if one wanted to ignore the aesthetic side, covering half of his body in a layer of fake ice did not make the slightest sense. It was like wanting to suppress a side of him (the fire side, the scarred side, the Endeavor side...that wasn’t reassuring), and from a practical point of view it made it so much easier for hypothermia to work. Not to mention the ease of movement. Yes, it would have needed a complete overhaul. 

Kirishima's was way too exposed, even with his quirk: the moment the hardening failed, the kid was as good as dead. Same concept, but a worse situation for Yaoyorozu: what kind of lunatic had thought it a good idea to dress a 15-year-old girl like a stripper? The uncovered skin excuse he had read in his file could be executed in a thousand different, and better, ways: leave the back uncovered, use a sports bra and shorts, use DNA-infused material, prices be damned, between UA and Yaoyorozu they could more than afford it. The young Hagakure...let's drape a curtain over that. 

The rest were less serious things, such as designs a tad too simple or too threatening. In this sense, undisputed lord was young Midoriya: the boy was dressed like a knight of the apocalypse. The base, a dark green tunic, had red vein-like designs, and was topped with several pieces of white armor; around his neck, an asymmetrical cloak covered his shoulders and was secured by a demonic eye-like clasp. The whole thing was crowned by a helmet that completely covered his face, also white and red, with a black mane covering his hair and making the boy look like an MMO avatar. 

The hero failed to ignore how Tokoyami tried to sneak glances at Midoriya, each time with an expression that could be described as 'religious admiration.'

He shook his head from these considerations and gave a laugh, "Look at the spectacle you are! The dress may not make the man, but it sure makes the hero! Okay, students, it's time to start the lesson! Yesterday Professor Aizawa had you take tests to see your basic preparation, and today we're going to do something similar: we're going to test your self-control, your accuracy, and most importantly, you're going to start getting familiar with your costumes! And all this will be done through a combat simulation!"

The hero studied the reaction of the class: many seemed eager to begin, as was to be expected from teenagers, others more placid seemed puzzled or worried...and then there was young Bakugo. The ninety-toothed smile and wide eyes were alarming to say the least, not to mention the way he rubbed his hands together letting go a few small explosions. Aizawa had said that the boy had behavior problems, but perhaps he hadn't quite conveyed their magnitude.

Trying to control the enthusiasm, and bloodlust, of his students, All MIght raised a hand and his voice, "Okay, okay, everybody calm down. I know you are eager to begin, but first it is good to draw up the rules: the class will be divided into pairs and the pairs will face each other in Ground Delta. The goal of the attackers is to find the exit or catch their opponents; the goal of the defenders is to knock out the attackers before they can escape!"

"Both teams will be given a pair of handcuffs. To take out an opponent, just handcuff any part of his body. Now, I know I said you can use ground delta, but that's no excuse for demolishing it: a software is programmed to take into account the integral structure of every single building in the mock city, and it will calculate how much the cost of damage inflicted would amount to. The moment a student exceeds the 7 million yen threshold, they will be automatically eliminated!"

The students began to discuss among themselves, and immediately a hand went up in the crowd: All Might gave the floor to young Iida: "Sir, how will the teams be decided?"

The professor nodded, "It's very simple! In the field you will not always have the luxury of being able to choose your teammates, so the pairs will be drawn by lot!"

And so it was. The professor watched the boys divide into pairs, some more and some less perplexed. Young Uraraka seemed quite comfortable with young Iida, while Yaoyorozu was already discussing a strategy with young Midoriya. On the other hand, young Mineta's every attempt to socialize with Bakugo was ignored by the latter, who was properly securing the bracelets and harnesses of the costume.

All Might swallowed and picked up another batch, "Well, students! Teams made, it's time to find out your opponents! The first round will feature team...5 as attackers!"

Yaoyorozu and Midoriya nodded as the professor took the second sheet, "And team 3 as defenders!"

Bakugo glanced at the other team, and immediately his grin turned inhuman. Mineta's gaze, on the other hand, was swinging between ravenous when he stopped on Yaoyorozu's form, and frightened when he looked at Midoriya. The professor swallowed, but gave the city map to the two teams and watched the defenders disappear between the buildings. As he led the rest of the class into the monitor room, he could not help but think that perhaps he should have changed the pairings....

Nah, he was overreacting. Besides, he couldn't play favorites, right?

Izuku took a deep breath...then another. And one more. It wasn't enough to calm his nerves, but he was shaking a lot less now.

He was against Kacchan. All his nightmares of the last ten years were materializing before him, and this time he couldn't escape with a little analysis or a Herotube video: it was a school exercise, and there was no way out.

Actually, there was one, but hoping to make it out of ground delta without Kacchan finding him was like hoping for snow in August.

The greenie glanced at the city map: the central street connected the entrance to the exit in a direct way, while the rest of the city was a maze of alleys and tangled streets that made orientation a challenge. Its only advantage was the maximum damage limit-Kacchan would have to be careful what he blew up, and that gave him some breathing room. Perhaps he could have used some Grimms to keep him distracted as he ran....

"Midoriya? Is everything okay?"

The greenie shook himself out of his thoughts. Right, he was paired with Yaoyorozu. And Kacchan was paired with Mineta. In his anxiety, he had forgotten this detail.

"W-well...n-no. K-Kacchan hates me, and t-this exercise is a d-dream come true f-for him. D-I'm sure he'll ignore everything else to c-come after me...or he'll wait at the exit f-for me to c-come to him. One way or another, I'll s-s-still have to f-fight him..."

The girl wrinkled her brow, "That's hardly heroic behavior."

Izuku gave a bitter laugh: "Heroism f-for Kacchan m-means winning. Heroes win, v-villains l-lose. W-w-we both g-grew up admiring All Might, but he s-saw the s-strongest hero, n-not the s-symbol of p-peace. I believe that p-peace and p-power are the s-same for him."

Yaoyorozu snorted, "What a brute. But if he really has tunnel vision like this, we can exploit him, don't you think?"

The boy brought a finger to his chin, "It won't be easy...K-Kacchan has a natural t-talent f-for c-combat, n-not to mention that he's s-smart. It's p-possible to fool him, b-but it's a high stake g-gamble. If n-if we fail, p-he might d-decide t-that blowing us up is m-more important t-than winning."

The girl widened her eyes, "is he really that ill-tempered?"

Izuku sighed, "Y-you have no idea. L-our best p-possibility is to get him away f-from the exit far enough to allow us to escape...and th-that's s n-not taking M-Mineta into account."

Yaoyorozu nodded, "We could use your grimms as a distraction. How far can you control them?"

The boy shook his head, "I don't c-control them, I c-command them. They listen to m-my orders, b-but I d-don't always know what they do, and m-may d-decide to do their own thing if things go wrong. I c-create them, but they are not p-part of me."

The girl brought a finger to her chin, "I see...but it still remains our best option."

Izuku nodded and put away the map. With a deep breath, he placed his hands on the ground and created the black puddles: all sorts of beasts, bears, wolves, some wasps, even some boars and deformed-looking bipedal reptiles began to emerge from them. When he had created enough of them, the puddles disappeared and the boy stood up, "Spread around the city, look for the blond and urge him to chase you. Distract him as much as you can, but don't hurt him or destroy anything."

The grimms gave growls and groans of assent, and the boy pointed to two wolves, "You two, stay with Yaoyorozu" in saying this he pointed to the girl "Follow her orders and make sure she is not caught. Do not harm her or her opponents." The monsters approached the girl and, after staring and sniffing at her for a couple of seconds, went to her sides like two hounds behind their master.

The ravenette looked at the array of creatures in front of her for a second (trying not to be too startled), and then turned to Izuku: "Midoriya, how are you? You've stopped stuttering."

The boy opened his uncovered hand, showing how it was already full of red veins, "I'll be fine. Hopefully, I won't have to create any more Grimm, and the transformation will already begin to recede."

Yaoyorozu nodded, "Okay. Let's avoid the central road, then: I'll detour through the side streets, trying to avoid Mineta and Bakugo."

"And I will let the Grimms make a racket and attract Kacchan's attention as I head for the exit by passing across the rooftops."

A siren rang through ground delta, announcing the start of the exercise. The kids nodded to each other and went opposite ways, while the grimms scattered around the city letting out wild snarls and roars.

BOOM!

Bakugo perched himself above the lamppost, looking down the central street. Shortly after the siren sounded, it was like a portal to hell had opened: roars and monstrous cries had risen from the streets and alleys, continuing to ring out unperturbed, a cacophony that promised carnage.

The blond gritted his teeth and jumped down, using small explosions to speed up and move without touching the ground. He had to find Deku. He didn't give a shit about Ponytail, the purple dwarf could deal with her all he wanted, but Deku was his. He began to run through his mind at least a dozen different ways to tear him apart without having All Might intervene. What good would it do to destroy the villain if he was not going to win? The city damage clause was a nuisance, but he could work with it-there was no price for breaking Deku, after all.

It was only through sheer talent that she was able to sense and avoid the attack at his side. A black, round object darted down the road, curved, began to slow down and finally stopped, revealing its nature: one of the villain's monsters, a stocky, sturdy boar with four red eyes and two tusks more like sabers than teeth.

This let out a hoarse screech, then curled in on itself and started charging; Bakugo gritted his teeth and sprinted using explosions to accelerate, jumping on top of it at the last moment and creating two explosions on either side of its head, so strong that the boar tumbled to the ground and began disintegrating.

The blonde stood up and wiped the remains of the monster from his costume, sneering, "Filthy thing." A second growl caught his attention, and when he turned around his blood pressure reached dangerous levels: the street was infested with monsters, and they were all zeroing in on him with gnashing fangs.

Bakugo let his hands pop, his features distorted into a mask of fury and hatred, "Is this what the villain Deku can do? Tsk, and then they say I shouldn't hate him! But I'm the hero in this story! COME ON, LET ME KILL YOU!"

The explosion that rang through the city, for the blond, was a promise of war. To everyone else, it was a sign of instability.

Momo had one of the wolves (or Beowulf? She should have asked Midoriya for names) go ahead to make sure the road was safe. The grimm did not seem alarmed, so she ran up to it and continued to navigate the alleys.

Once you spent enough time with them, they weren't so bad. Sure, their appearance was not reassuring, but Midoriya had told them to listen to her, and in their favor was that they were obedient. They didn't even look too displeased when she had ordered one to allow itself to be ridden, continuing to move forward while she checked the layout of the town.

Suddenly, the Grimm froze, sniffing the air and beginning to growl. The girl dismounted from the back of one of them and flattened herself against the wall, starting to create a baton with which to defend herself; when she leaned out from the corner, she realized what had alarmed the Beowulf.

The street was covered with purple orbs. They were everywhere, on the pavement, on the walls, on the balconies. It was virtually impossible to cross it without tripping over them, and she definitely did not want to know what would happen in case she had to touch them. The two Grimms, behind her, kept growling and aiming in a specific direction, as if they smelled danger...or prey.

Momo took up the city map again: the blocked alley went directly in the direction of the exit; therefore, she would have to take another route...assuming those were not blocked as well. She could have taken the rooftops as well, but she was not sure if the Beowulf people could reach her, and she did not feel safe leaving them. So she decided to try her luck and take an alternative route.

Nodding to the two grimms, she resumed her way through the alleys, being careful to stay in the direction of the exit. She encountered other streets blocked in the same way, and each time she decided to take an alternative route. The wolves were increasingly agitated, and more than once the girl feared that they were about to abandon her or, worse, attack her. In the end, her fears proved to be justified.

Her path led her out of the alleys and into the main street. The girl did not like being so exposed, but Mineta had made the side streets unserviceable. Bakugo's blasts were getting louder and louder, so the girl gritted her teeth and raised her voice, "Grimm, let me get on your back and run for the exit."

Nothing happened. Momo looked at the two wolves, and saw them focused on the explosions, starting to growl louder and louder and moving away from her. The girl swallowed, "No, no, no, Grimm, listen to me! You can't go to him, we have to-"

The sentence died in her throat as the two Grimms howled and ran toward the source of the explosions. Momo felt a pang of fear grip her heart: she was out in the open, close to a danger zone, and she had just been left alone.

After a few seconds, spent wallowing in the frost of panic, the girl shook her head and ran for the exit, trying to stay as close to the buildings as possible. Her goal was to get out of ground delta, and she could not afford to stand still in one spot. She had to move and ignore the rest.

She had to trust Midoriya and his plan.

Midoriya was terrified. He was running from rooftop to rooftop, using the two Lancers buzzing around him to help with the longer jumps, struggling not to look in the direction of the explosions.

His plan to distract Kacchan had not taken into account the fact that the blonde's hatred would turn him into a Grimm magnet. It was hard to send him on a goose chase if it was the goose that came to him. Counting the fact that he had given orders not to hurt him, it was only a matter of time before the blond finished tearing the monsters apart and came after him.

Fortunately, he had managed to keep a couple of Lancers aside. The wasps were an invaluable aid in jumping between rooftops, and his only real hope for avoiding direct confrontation: if he could put enough distance between himself and Kacchan, he could get out before the blond could reach him. Ground Delta was huge, after all, and no matter how fast Kacchan was, he could not teleport; if Momo could reach the exit via the back routes, the exercise would be a resounding success.

Suddenly the explosions stopped, and Izuku felt a chill run down his spine. A myriad of different hypotheses began to dart through his mind, but all his thoughts were drowned out by a thundering voice

"DEEEEEEKUU!"

The greenie dared to look behind him and, as he feared, Kacchan was on his heels, using explosions to fly from rooftop to rooftop much faster than he was.

"THAT'S WHY I COULDN'T FIND YOU! DID YOU THINK YOU COULD GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU COWARD VILLAIN ASSHOLE?"

'Stupid Villain! I can't let you escape!'

For a second the two voices overlapped, and Izuku felt his body stop reacting. That moment of hesitation was more than enough for Bakugo to reach out and punch him in the stomach, which was followed by an explosion that threw him into a billboard.

The blonde gritted his teeth, popping his hand out with an expression more monstrous than any Grimm: "If it weren't for the stupid damage clause I'd send you to the ground floor of the building and bring it down on you, you bastard asshole. Instead I have to do it this way, up close and personal. You know, I almost prefer it this way: you don't know how much I've dreamed of tearing you apart!"

Izuku held his hand over his stomach, thanking his common sense for specifying that he wanted the tunic to be fireproof. The helmet had protected his head from the impact, but that did not remove the fact that he was stunned for a few seconds. The greenie scrambled back to his feet, in time to avoid a series of explosion-propelled swings. At a whistle, the Lancers began attacking Kacchan, firing harpoon stingers at him and trying to pin him down.

The blond got rid of the two wasps in less than a minute, catching them by the stingers, pulling them to himself and then blasting them: however, the time it took for this attack was enough for Izuku to get his hands on the ground and create two Ursas, which set off to charge the blond with all their immense bulk, while the greenie turned on his heels and resumed running.

Kacchan gritted his teeth, "Still running, you shitty Deku? How pathetic can you be?"

The blond managed to avoid the paw of one of the two monsters with a leap, then jumped on its back and released a series of explosions so powerful that they rattled the glass of the buildings. Once the first Ursa fell with its head mangled, the second quickly met the same end.

Izuku could sense the blonde's hatred. It was frightening: a red flame, dripping with blood, completely dominating his being. The greenie felt overwhelmed by the force of so much negativity...but, at the same time, it was beautiful. Warm and inviting, like a still-beating heart just waiting to be eaten-.

The greenie shook his head, banishing that line of thought before he could really consider it.

'The transformation is more advanced than I thought. I can't afford any more grimms, I must-'

His thought was interrupted by a hand grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, creating continuous explosions. Kacchan gave a growl: 'Are you really in such a hurry? All right then! I'LL SEND YOU TO THE MORGUE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO!"

What followed were the most painful five seconds the greenie had ever experienced: Kacchan began to spin around, using a continuous barrage of explosions to speed up and envelop himself in a tornado of fire and smoke. When he was fast enough, the blond shot Izuku into the main street with an explosion, so fast that he shattered a storefront window and smashed a wall, finding himself sore and slumped in a storeroom. The cardboard boxes had done little to cushion the impact, but it was better than hitting the wall with nothing. 

Izuku was seeing stars. He had hit the storefront window head-on, and he really had to thank his helmet that the impact against the wall had not killed him. But even so, his neck still felt the burn of the blast, while the impact taken to his rib cage made breathing a torture. His arms were full of cuts from the broken glass, and he was pretty sure one of his wrists had shattered. 

Somehow, Kacchan's voice managed to cut through the ringing in his ears, "How much will this damage be? 300,000 yen? 400.000? Bah, as long as I'm not eliminated it's just fine." 

He heard her footsteps approaching, followed by the characteristic crackle and a mocking laugh, "Well, Deku? Still think you can torment me? I'm not an idiot like the rest of the extras: I know you came here for me, to keep harassing me like you did as a kid. That's the only thing you know how to do, after all, isn't it? Fucking villain." 

The greenie felt something begin to pulse in his chest, a fire that spread through his veins and threatened to burn anyone in his path. He managed to get back on his feet and, albeit staggering, walked out of the warehouse and shouted, "WILL YOU LEAVE ME ALONE! I'm not the one who blows up anyone he doesn't like! I came to UA because I want to be a hero! I want to make people smile, even with this quirk! IS IT THAT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM MY LIFE?!" 

He removed his helmet, showing his furious expression and tear-streaked face, while his red and black eyes sent flashes: "I ALREADY APOLOGIZED FOR MY QUIRK AWAKENING! OVER AND OVER AGAIN! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE FOR ONCE???" 

Time seemed to freeze. Kacchan and Izuku looked into each other's eyes for several seconds as the whole world stood tense as a violin string. Finally, the blond opened his mouth, and everything went crashing down. 

"You? A hero? Don't make me laugh. You can't be a hero. You're a villain, don't you get it? You can't apologize. You don't deserve peace, you don't deserve forgiveness, you deserve absolutely nothing but a one-way ticket to Tartarus. I want you to go away and stop making fools of us all, because no sane hero will ever let a villain like you defile a school like UA!" 

Izuku felt his ears ringing. All his memories of elementary school, everything he thought he knew, all his nightmares, his dreams, his whole self was drowned by the venom in Ka-

No. That was not Kacchan. Kacchan had been dead for a long time, assuming he had ever lived. Kacchan was a grumpy but lively child who dreamed of being a hero, who stayed up late watching documentaries on All Might. 

Kacchan was a human. Bakugo was not. 

Bakugo was a concentrate of hatred and fear, left to grow over the years without anyone really understanding what was wrong with him. Izuku could see it clearly now, how those two feelings reinforced each other, a symbiotic union that gave birth to a monster. 

When he was a child, Aunt Salem taught him to use a mental image to activate his quirk: a large tree full of fruit and flowers, rotting and withering until it became a pile of dead wood. It was meant to visualize destruction. 

There, in that moment, he no longer saw the flourishing tree: he saw a blond man with red eyes and a cruel grin, being mauled by a series of fangs and claws, blood staining his snow-white clothes, his eyes dilated with terror. 

And he liked it. 

"BAKUGOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Chapter Text

All Might yanked off his earpiece with an expletive, turning to the class, "Young Iida, run to the school and bring Professor Aizawa here! The rest of you, stay here!" Without waiting for a response, he ran out of the monitor room and sprinted toward the battle zone. 

Throughout the exercise, cameras had kept an eye on the four students, allowing the professor to note their behaviors and mark what should be nurtured and what should be cut down. Young Yaoyorozu needed a little more confidence, but she was smart and analytical; young Mineta was bright with good planning skills, but would need to learn a healthy dose of respect; young Midoriya was resourceful, and would benefit from a program of intense physical training; as for Bakugo...

The blond was a natural when it came to fighting. He moved quickly and efficiently, his attacks were precise and brutal, he could make complex calculations on the fly, and he gave no quarter. All this, however, came at the price of a temper that would make Endeavor seem like a gentleman, and that was saying something. 

The class and the professor had stood by with a mixture of admiration and dread as the blond demolished a good dozen grimms, without any of them ever really managing to trouble him. One of the boys had commented, "He looks like a soldier from an action movie, during the last stand scene" and the professor had not been able to get that comparison out of his head: young Bakugo did not act like a hero, but he was an outstanding soldier. 

When he had gone after Midoriya, more than one cry of concern ran through the class. The professor was on the verge of breaking the pen in two when he saw the blond reach for the greenie and launch him into a store like a missile. The software scored 300,000 yen in damage for the first time since the exercise began, but more than one student called for its elimination anyway. All Might bit his tongue before announcing that if young Midoriya did not get up in a minute, he would stop the test to make sure he was okay. 

But he did get back up. Not only did he get back up, but he started yelling at the blond. Unfortunately, the cameras had a low range of audio capture, but even so, all the students could hear the desperate tone of his voice as he asked those questions, "I ALREADY APOLOGIZED FOR MY QUIRK AWAKENING! OVER AND OVER AGAIN! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE FOR ONCE???"

All Might swallowed. The situation was worse, infinitely worse than Aizawa had anticipated. Little did he know, however, that this was only the beginning. 

Bakugo replied. He spoke in a low pitch, too low for the cameras to catch him accurately, but one sentence, spoken in a toxic tone to say the least, was clear: "...of us all, because no sane hero would let a villain like you defile a school like UA!" 

Everyone in the monitor room was speechless. Some were horrified, some furious, some simply stunned by such hatred. The chaos did not have time to erupt in the classroom, however, because it erupted first in the street

"BAKUGOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The figure of the greenie disappeared, enveloped by an eruption of black liquid that forced the blond to back away. And that was the moment when All Might decided the exercise was over.

"Young Mineta, young Yaoyorozu, stay where you are and don't move! Young Bakugo, GET AWAY FROM THERE IMMEDIATELY! The exercise is over, and I don't want to see any attempts at aggression, UNDERSTAND?" 

Bakugo's voice squeaked in the earpiece, "W-what? B-but Deku-" 

"YOUNG BAKUGO-I'm about to come there to calm young MIDORIYA down, and you'd better not be nearby!" 

"...Alright. B-beat him up, All Might." 

The hero ignored the last comment and, after giving orders to the rest of the class, sprinted toward ground delta as fast as he could. 

His jumps made him soar through the air above the mock city, and he didn't stop until he heard a distinctive blasting sound that made him irritated in no small measure: "I thought I told him to get away!"

He got ready to take another leap, but a sharp screech paralyzed him on the spot: the hero slowly raised his head, finding himself looking at a monster far more terrifying than any he had seen so far. 

A pitch-black bird was flying through the skies of the ground delta, circling above one of the roads. Its body was skinny and emaciated, but still strong enough to keep it suspended in the air effortlessly; a pair of clawed fingers were sticking out of its wings, making it look like a dinosaur, while on its head, set in a white helmet, four red eyes were gazing at the area below. But it was none of this that frightened the hero. 

No, what scared him was the fact that it was as big as a building. 

The hero watched as the bird continued to circle above the city screeching and, with a flap of its wings, shoot out a volley of feathers in a manner not unlike the young hero Hawks. All Might gritted his teeth and took a leap toward the combat zone, cursing his stupidity for letting such a thing happen. 

'Save the self-pity for later: now I need to save my students!' 

Bakugo, despite what one might think, would have loved to run away. However, that was not an option at the moment. 

It was not out of some distorted sense of pride or duty, mind you: the boy had every intention of obeying All Might and getting his ass away from Deku as quickly as possible. But, as he quickly discovered, running from someone who can create monsters of all sorts and sizes can be difficult, especially when you give him a reason to commit. 

The blond was surrounded. And this time Deku brought out the big guns: a giant scorpion was in front of him, pointing at him with its golden stinger ready to skewer him; behind him was a snake as tall as a lamppost, its body colored half white and half black, with a second head where its tail should be. Dulcis in fundo, a crow as big as half the UA was attacking him with sharp feathers, like it was Hawks. 

Bakugo had tried to blast them to escape, but these monsters had much thicker skin than those used up to then, and any attempt to kill them only served to piss them off even more. 

The snake hissed hard, and the two heads curled in on themselves, like springs ready to lash out. The white one was first, aiming at the boy on the ground with gaping jaws; when he dodged the attack with an explosion, it found the black head ready to swallow him. Feeling panic amplifying his reflexes, Bakugo raised his hand and released the most powerful blast he could directly into the monster's mouth, which was thrown back from the impact and pain, falling on its own coils. 

The scorpion decided that this was the perfect moment and snapped its tail toward the blond. The golden stinger was perfectly aimed at his body, quick as a whip, and Bakugo felt that would be the end of him. 

'I knew you couldn't wait, damn Deku...I just hope you get arrested and die in jail.' 

"DETROIT SMASH!" 

An artillery-like bang resounded above the buildings, and a split second later the raven's inert body went crashing into the scorpion, with so much force that it opened a crater in the ground and blew the blond boy along the street with the air blast. 

When Bakugo looked up, he felt so happy that he almost came to tears: in the spot where he was trapped just before, there was now All Might, in all his power and glory, who was watching the monsters with a steel edge hidden behind his eternal smile. The snake raised both heads, preparing to strike, but the hero was quicker to pull a cross chop that separated them from the rest of the body: "Carolina Smash!" 

The hero turned to his student, "Young Bakugo! Get out of here immediately! I will take care of young Midoriya!" 

The boy nodded and immediately turned to run away, readying the explosions-. 

"Bakugo..." 

The two blondes felt their blood run cold at that inhuman voice. Their gaze shifted to the destroyed store, and what they saw gave them chills. 

A pair of red and black eyes were looking down the street with maniacal fervor, framed by red veins that reached the forehead and pulsed with energy. A white shell surrounded the mouth, opening and closing like a second pair of jaws with sharp teeth. The green tunic was tattered in several places, showing the white body traversed by pulsing red veins, which in certain places gave way to masses of black slurry dripping to the ground. On the boy's back these masses had exploded into a set of skeletal arms, which flailed like spider legs and kept oozing black slurry from which new Grimms were emerging. 

Bakugo saw the subject of his nightmares staring at him with murder written all over his face. It was only because of his almost religious devotion to All Might that he did not hear the fear in the hero's voice

"Young Midoriya...?" 

Yagi Toshinori had been through a lot in his life. Having spent his early years without quirk, meeting Nana and Gran Torino, receiving One for All, living in America, meeting David, killing All for One...it was safe to say that he had seen it all. 

In his long career, only two moments had filled him with genuine terror: the first had been the death of his teacher, crushed by All for One's fury and sadism; the second was coming face to face with the monster for the second time, feeling for a split second like he was about to meet the same end as Nana. Fortunately, things went differently that time. 

Five years had passed since then, full of hero work but all in all quiet. With each piece of All for One's empire collapsing, Toshinori regained some of his peace of mind. By now he was sure that the worst was over, and he was already thinking about his retirement. 

He would never have thought that a terror comparable to his past one could come back to assail him, not while he was teaching at UA, and especially not from one of his students. 

Midoriya looked like a demon out of hell. His gaze had lost all trace of humanity, and he was alternating between analyzing All Might and young Bakugo. Behind him, a blob of slurry was continuing to grow and take shape, its red eyes already glowing like embers. 

The hero gritted his teeth and barked, "Young Bakugo! Run!" 

The student seemed to shake himself out of a dream and immediately sprinted off down the road, giving himself a boost with explosions. This, however, did not please Midoriya. 

"Get back here, asshole!" 

The blob behind him became a grimm elephant twice the size of a normal one, which launched a roar at the sky and lowered its head in Bakugo's direction. Before it could start charging, however, All Might was on it and threw a punch at its head hard enough to shatter its white armor and send it crashing into the building, which collapsed on top of the beast and buried it. 

The hero turned to the boy, "Young Midoriya! Your quirk has taken over your mind! You must come to your senses!" 

The student sent up a furious shout, "SHUT THE HELL UP, ALL MIGHT! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT US, DON'T GET INVOLVED!" 

The blond had no time to reflect on the boy's words, because out of the ground came another Grimm who almost managed to bite his hand off his arm. He turned to face the monster, only to be stunned when he saw a lion snarling at him, its head topped by a pair of white horns and with two black wings swelling in defiance. Midoriya's voice rang out, "Manticore! Get Bakugo!" 

The grimm took flight, and All Might immediately jumped to go after him, but was blocked by a paw that threw him against a building. The hero managed to dodge a second paw from the lion grimm, but he was bitten by the snake that had instead of a tail and was thrown against the road a second time. 

The blond watched that sort of sphinx point at him like a lioness, but his mind was with the Manticore unleashed against young Bakugo. In a split second he made his decision: ignoring the monster in front of him, he grabbed a car nearby and, after making quick calculations, hurled it into the air with as much force as he had. The flying manticore was hit dead on, and the blond couldn't help but let out a satisfied laugh. The moment of triumph was short-lived, however, for the sphinx gave a roar and opened its mouth, showing a glow that was spreading from its throat. 

'They can breathe fire? These creatures are truly fearsome.'

The hero gave the monster no time to attack, hitting it with a Texas Smash to the throat that sent the fire out of control and made its head explode. Midoriya sent up a scream, "Why, All Might? Why do you only play the hero when I am the enemy? Do you hate me too?" 

The professor felt his heart break at the boy's broken voice; before he could actually register what he was saying, he yelled back, "Of course not, young Midoriya! You are my student, how could I hate you!" 

The boy planted all his grimm hands on the ground, creating a colossal black puddle: "No one ever tried to stop Bakugo! When we were kids, teachers used to reward him for beating me up! I had to run away to keep from going crazy, and now that I'm back, not only does he continue, but he's even worse! Why has no one ever done anything? WHY CAN HE DO WHATEVER HE WANTS, BUT WHEN I RAISE MY HEAD, EVERYONE TREATS ME LIKE A MONSTER!!!?" 

The black liquid erupted, raising a black, red and white column that twisted in on itself as a pair of wings held it suspended in the air.  

All Might felt himself faint. "Holy Shit..." 

Young Midoriya had perched on the head of an oriental dragon, which sent a roar to the street below so loud that it rattled the windows of the buildings. Its jaws began to coat itself with lightning, and before the blond man knew it, a beam of electricity shot out of its mouth and struck part of the city, leveling it to the ground with a blast that echoed throughout the campus. 

The hero looked at the landscape around him with a weight on his stomach. Such destruction brought back the fateful day five years earlier, when an entire city was wiped off the map by the fury of battle against the symbol of evil. But this time the cause was not an ancient and powerful villain: this was the result of a child who suppressed anger and pain for so long that he ended up exploding. 

The blond gritted his teeth and turned a glance upward, where the dragon was roaring and charging a new burst of electricity, this time aimed toward the gate entrance to the city. Above it, young Midoriya was clinging with all hands to the white armor, and he was looking at his target with a hysterical expression. 

"YOUNG MIDORIYA!" 

The boy shifted his gaze downward in time to see All Might approaching at full speed toward the dragon. His voice overpowered the roar of lightning: "LISTEN WELL! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY, TO SHOUT AND TO BE OUTRAGED AT THE INJUSTICES AROUND YOU!" 

'Izuku...it's natural to get angry. Everyone gets angry from time to time: you, me...even heroes. There's nothing wrong with that'

The greenie's eyes widened. The hero was getting closer and closer, his fist closed and pulled back ready to strike, his warm smile promising confidence
"HOWEVER, THIS FURY IS TAKING OVER YOUR BODY! THIS IS NOT YOU, THIS IS A PARODY OF YOURSELF, THAT DISTORTS YOUR NOBLE IDEALS AND MAKES THEM A MONSTROSITY!" 

'Bakugo is a concentrate of hatred and fear. That destroyed what was left of Kacchan'

Big tears wet the freckles and white armor. The Grimm closed his mouth, feeling his leader's hesitation, and All Might silently exulted. 
"SO, YOUNG MIDORIYA! PLEASE LEAVE IT TO US HEROES-NO, US TEACHERS-TO MAKE THINGS BETTER! THAT'S WHY..." 

The dragon looked down, locking his red eyes against the hero's blue ones. The boy's eyes regained their luster, and a sob escaped his lips 

"...WE ARE HERE!"

The hero's fist met the dragon's head; the impact was so strong that the clouds above the training ground cleared, while the monster's disintegrating body was flung into the air and disappeared before it could touch the ground. 

Midoriya lost consciousness the moment the grimm's head exploded and he was shot into the air. As the armor around his mouth fell apart and his skeletal arms disappeared, only one thought crossed his mind: 'To bring a smile even to those who are gripped by despair...is that what a true hero is, Auntie?' 

Chapter Text

Two days. 

It had barely been two days. 

And already he had an emergency on his hands. 

Aizawa felt like zipping himself into his sleeping bag and not coming out for the next century. 

In hindsight, he should have guessed that the first class of that buffoon All Might would have had problems. No matter how many courses one might take, if you've never taught in your life you can't expect things to go smoothly right away. But everything has its limits. 

Aizawa was in the teacher's lounge taking a nap, since he had no errands to run, when suddenly Iida barged into the room with his costume on and a terrified expression on his face

"Professor Aizawa! You must come to ground delta immediately! Something happened during an exercise, and Midoriya went out of control!" 

The man elicited a summarized version of what had happened: Bakugo and Midoriya had been pitted against each other in an exercise ('What the fuck Yagi, did I say the two of them had problems or not?'), and at one point the explosive blond had made a rather cruel comment to the greenie, who had completely lost it. 

Thus Aizawa found himself running toward Ground Delta, having sent Iida back to warn the class to stay where they were and not move until he arrived. The professor was already planning the grilling of the century for the blond blowhard, and if there was a god in heaven Yagi would have had to pray to him that none of the kids got hurt. 

When he came in sight of the mock city, the first thing he noticed was not the class that was looking out the monitor tent, nor a certain blond student who had just walked out the front door; no, the first thing he noticed was the giant fucking dragon in the air above the city. A dragon that, shortly after hovering in the sky, shot a golden beam from its mouth and hit a good chunk of the training ground, blasting it with a deafening roar. 

If he wasn't scared before, he certainly was now. 

With an expletive he approached the rest of the class, "Stand back! Stay in the monitor room!" 

The first to notice his presence was Uraraka, who immediately ran to him, "Professor Aizawa! All Might has gone to calm Midoriya down, but it doesn't seem to be working!" 

The man scanned the boys with his gaze, counting them in a low voice: "Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen...two are missing. Where are Yaoyorozu and Mineta?" 

Sero pointed to a screen inside the tent, "Here. They were teamed up with Midoriya and Bakugo, respectively, but when the mess broke out they ran away. They are on the other side of the exit gate." 

One look confirmed that the two kids were okay ('Thank God'), and with this information he felt much calmer and more rational. 

"Stay here, and don't go near the gate. I am going to assist All Might and retrieve your classmate. If you transgress any of these orders, I swear the price will be expulsion." 

Nedzu had told him not to threaten expulsion except for serious situations, and this one met the requirements in full. The students nodded more than a little intimidated, and the professor ran inside the mock city. 

(He did not miss the grin on Bakugo's face. That kid was well on his way to an expulsion.) 

All Might landed in the central street, clutching his student in his arms. Young Midoriya bore the marks of quirk overuse, but at least the grimm parts were gone. 

What he had heard during the rant was heartbreaking. The little boy had run away from his tormentor, only to find him in UA class and then against him. The hero brushed his green hair back from his forehead, cursing his naiveté and lack of sensitivity on the subject. 

A sound of footsteps resounded near him, and soon he found Aizawa standing next to him, who was looking at the two of them with a very unhappy expression. 

"Yagi. What happened?" 

The blond man heaved a sigh: "Young Bakugo said some...very harmful things to young Midoriya, and he-" 

"Stop. Iida briefed me on the way over here, that's not what I wanted to know." A pause, a deep breath "Let me rephrase the question: why did it happen?" 

All Might held the unconscious figure of young Midoriya close: "...I take full responsibility. I underestimated the extent of their quarrels, and I did not want to change the pairing of the teams. It happened because of my carelessness." 

The homeroom teacher squared the peace symbol for a few seconds before speaking in a low tone, "How much time do you have left?" 

"One more hour."

"Good. Take Midoriya to Recovery Girl immediately. I'll go retrieve Yaoyorozu and Mineta, get the class back to the classroom, and join you. After that, we'll go to Nedzu and you'll properly explain to him what happened. If you're lucky, he won't make you come to the meeting with the kids' parents." 

The blond man nodded. Before leaving, he turned to the other professor, "Aizawa." 

"What else do you want?" 

"Your prediction yesterday doesn't do justice to the situation. We may have to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of the two boys." 

The other sighed, "I thought so. But I don't think I'll like what I'll find." 

"Thank you very much, Danjuro. You may return to your duties." 

The man curtsied and left the room, leaving Salem alone with meeting reports and lots to think about. 

Remnant Industries had quickly become a mechanical and chemical giant, imposing itself on the world stage with new cosmetic brands and innovative automobile models for civilian use. But their workhorse, the one that had allowed them to ascend to corporate Olympus, was their war production: just three years after its corporate debut, Salem had found herself at the head of one of America's largest and most important arms lobbies, capable of ordering the deposition of a governor or the election of a senator. 

The Yaoyorozu Group, on the other hand, was an industrial conglomerate that sponsored a myriad of activities and businesses of all kinds, although their main field was the Asian heroic industry. From them came the funding that enabled the construction of such works as the Brahma Tower in India or the Gods' District in Hong Kong, not to mention all the activities and materials the UA employed to teach and train future heroes. Thanks to their contacts, Salem would be able to extend her influence into fields that until then she had always been wary of approaching. Like, for example, the support industry: as much as she disliked the heroic industry, she was also smart enough to recognize that it was a good business opportunity.  

On that side, things were looking good. Her people were working flat out to secure the funds and materials needed to extend their production.

However, there were also some dark points, and the biggest of these was called Shoowaysha Publications. 

Now this was not the first time Salem had dealt with a publishing group. After all, every self-respecting company needs its good publicity and especially the means by which it can reach consumers. She knew what kinds of people journalists and publishers are, and she was not afraid of them. 

However, this particular firm had something that put a flea in Salem's ear. Danjuro went to talk to the executive director, one Chitose Kizuki, and had reported that their encounter had been not so much a meeting to secure an advertising insert or article about the company, but rather fifty minutes straight of the woman trying to interview the poor man, stopping only when she was promised a second meeting with Salem herself. Not only that, Ms. Kizuki was oddly persistent in her questions for future plans for the supporting companies. At one point she had even suggested getting in touch with Detnerat, which she was apparently very fond of. 

Detnerat. Of course they were involved. 

Salem had no sympathy for that company. As much as it was the largest manufacturer of support systems in Japan and much of the Pacific region, they were not a true multinational corporation, something they learned the hard way when they tried to buy favors from American politicians to open subsidiaries on U.S. soil. 

Allegations of corruption cost the company far more time and money than they were willing to spend, so they settled for Australia.

It was through this incident that Salem first heard of Detnerat, piling the name in the back of her mind for future use. Once back in Japan, Salem had spent weeks researching possible partners and competitors, stumbling upon the name a second time and discovering how influential they really were in the Land of the Rising Sun: support systems, pharmaceuticals, home appliances...they had a hand in just about everything. 

And they were in the good graces of a publishing group. A big one, given their income. 

The only publishing group in all of Japan to publish "The Meta Liberation War," the biography of the notorious criminal Destro. 

Maybe she was just paranoid, but she couldn't help but see some sort of connection in all this. After all, she had spent millennia doing similar things in a far more subtle way.

In any case, that was no time to ponder possible plots and conspiracies, no matter how amusing she found it: she had calls to make, contracts to draw up, activities to- 

Ring!

Salem took a deep breath and rubbed one temple, trying to keep her composure. After two more rings, she pulled the phone out of her pocket and answered, "Hello, who is this?" 

"SALEEEM!" 

The woman had to pull the phone away from her ear to avoid being deafened. More than a little confused, she glanced at the screen, and her eyes widened.

Inko Midoriya. Uh oh. 

"Inko? What's going on, why are you yelling?" 

On the other end of the receiver was a choked sob, followed by the greenie's tearful voice: "UA c-called...s-something happened with-with Izuku!" 

Salem felt her body stop responding. Her ears whistled for a fraction of a second as the image of a destroyed castle and four small bodies made its way into her mind. 

"W-what do you mean?" 

"The p-principal just c-called, he d-did say that there has b-been an attack of some kind and he also a-asked for his c-counselor to come." 

The woman suddenly got up from her desk, forgetting all about contracts and phone calls and running to her car, "Okay, okay, I'm on my way. I'll meet you in front of the school gates, okay?" 

" O-okay. S-Salem, it's only the second d-day..." 

"I know Inko, I know. And unless they have a more than good explanation, it will also be their last," and with that she ended the call. 

On her way out, she was lucky enough to cross paths with her bodyguard, "Kaina, come with me. Let's go to the UA, something happened with Izuku." 

The woman abandoned her coffee and went behind her boss, pulling out her phone, "Shall I tell the secretary to postpone the meetings?" 

Salem nodded, striding across the lobby of the building in large strides, "At least until tomorrow. I don't know how long this will take me." 

The two women got out and got into the car, leaving immediately for Musutafu. Not a word was spoken the whole way, but Salem's thoughts were all but silent. 

'Izuku...what did they do to you?'

Momo sat in her seat, keeping her gaze down as Aizawa told the class that they had the rest of the hour free, with the condition that they not wreck the classroom or get hurt. 

As the man left the room, the girl thought back to the exercise. 

She had managed to walk most of the way down the main street, and was already in sight of the exit gate when, at some point, All Might's voice in the earphones alerted them that the exercise was over, followed by the order for her and Mineta to stay put, while Bakugo was ordered to flee the training area. The girl's anxiety peaked when the professor said he would calm Midoriya down.

'Calm him down? What happened?'

The girl did not have time to think about what was going on, because a cacophony of hissing, gurgling, and screeching rose up from the center of town: when she turned to look, she saw a giant bird rise up from the road and start flying over it, sending chilling screeches all the while. 

The professor's orders were to stay put, but Momo forgot about it at the sight of that monster and ran for the exit, followed shortly after by Mineta, who had decided it wiser to take cover than to stay on a rooftop in the open. Feeling much safer outside the fake city, the two students brought their gaze back to the street, where a fight was raging between Grimm and All MIght. 

Mineta brought his hands to his face, "Midoriya is out of control...Bakugo was right after all!"

The girl gave him a confused look, "Uh? Right about what?" 

The purple boy swallowed, "Y-you were in the infirmary, so you don't know, but-but apparently Midoriya and Bakugo knew each other when they were kids. A-apparently he's s- always been d-dangerous and manipulative!" 

Momo was silent for a few seconds, processing what she had heard. She found it hard to believe: in the two days at UA, the greenie had appeared to be a good person...but it was also possible that he was faking it. Or Bakugo had some sort of grudge and wanted to bring some comrades to his side. 

The girl took a deep breath, shushing her own tangled thoughts before speaking, "What is Midoriya's version?" 

Mineta tilted her head, "Wh-what?" 

"You were told that by Bakugo, no doubt. Did you hear what Midoriya had to say?" 

The boy went white in the face, "W-what? B-but...B-Bakugo-" 

"In any dispute both sides should always be heard. That's the basis of being a hero, after all." 

"A hero d-doesn't help v-villains...and we m-mustn't be tricked by them...right?" 

Momo looked at her teammate with an unimpressed face, "A hero helps those in need. And, until we have all the details, we cannot jump to conclusions. We risk doing more harm than good."  

The girl's tone was not one to leave room for argument, so the two remained silent, watching the chaos in Ground Delta. At one point the serpentine shape of a dragon rose up from the city and, with a kind of laser, destroyed most of the buildings, only to be struck down and defeated by All MIght.

Aizawa had come to retrieve them after a few minutes, and the class had been returned to the school. Not a word had been said the whole way, and everyone was looking at Bakugo with varying degrees of hostility. No one missed how the blond in question did not seem the least bit concerned about it. 

The girl shrank into herself. No matter how hard she was trying to remain neutral and impartial, she could not ignore the sense of anxiety in her stomach. Even if he had created chaos, she could not imagine that Midoriya, mister I-will-cry-as-soon-as-I-am-given-a-reason, could consciously decide to go off the deep end like that. Not to mention that, if he really wanted to create damage as Mineta insisted, there were a million far more discreet and effective ways. 

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She couldn't jump to conclusions. She had to wait until she knew everything. 

The first Izuku heard when he came back to himself was a very familiar and very emotional voice talking to Recovery Girl

"W-Will he be all right?" 

"The fracture in his wrist, his ribcage, and the cuts from the glass were treated without any problems. As for his Grimm contamination...well, I was hoping Ms. Hexe might be the expert here." 

A new voice, dry and sharp, replied in tone, "Ma'am, the school has proven to be incapable of managing its students and the progress of the exercises. Why should I trust you with the specifics of my nephew's power?" 

The boy opened his eyes with a grunt that silenced the rest of those present: he was in the school infirmary, lying on a hospital crib. Next to him, Recovery Girl, his mother and Salem hurried over. 

"Izuku! My baby boy!" Inko immediately hugged her son, turning on the waterworks and wetting his hospital gown with tears. 

The boy stroked the woman's shoulder, trying to calm her down enough to remove her, "Mom, I'm fine...come on, calm down..." 

Inko broke away from her son to wipe her eyes, and the nurse took the opportunity, "How are you feeling, son? Any pain?" 

"No ma'am, just a little exhaustion." 

The elderly woman nodded, "Yes, that's my quirk doing its job. The damage you sustained, thank goodness, was not serious and you should be able to recover by tonight. The most worrisome thing was the burn on your neck, but it should heal with minimal scarring" 

The three nodded, and Salem looked at Izuku clasping his hands, "Izu, what happened?" 

The boy lowered his gaze, the memory of Bakugo's words still burning in his chest, "I...had a bad encounter with...Bakugo." 

His mother brought her hands in front of her mouth, while Salem gritted her teeth, "That brat...what's he doing here?" 

Izuku shook his head, "He took the test like me and passed, Auntie. As much as I don't like being in the same room with him, I can't say he didn't deserve his place in this school." 

"But that's not enough to make him a hero." 

Everyone present flinched as they heard the high-pitched voice coming from who knows where. A second later, a small mammal, white-haired and fully dressed, fell from the ventilation system onto the bed: "Good morning, Midoriya family! Thank you for coming on such short notice!" 

Inko swallowed, "You...are you the principal?"

The mammal nodded, "In the flesh! Don't rack your brains trying to figure out if I am a mouse, a dog, or a bear: what matters is that my name is Nedzu and I have summoned you to discuss what happened during today's exercise." 

Salem raised an eyebrow, "What is there to understand? You have cameras, don't you? I'm sure an analysis of the recordings can give us all the answers we need." 

The principal's tone became much more sober: "Your assumption about the cameras is correct, Mrs. Hexe, and I can assure you that the recordings are being analyzed by the boys' homeroom teacher as well as by the professor who was following them. However, I find that by themselves, these things are not enough." 

The woman clenched her fist, "Explain."

"With pleasure. You see, the recordings allow us to see what happened in the moment, in the field, but in my teaching career I have found that such cases are often the result of a much longer and more complex story that deserves a proper approach. This is not something the cameras can tell us." 

Salem looked at the mammal for a few seconds longer before sighing and recomposing herself, "Hmm, whatever. I'm still not happy about this situation, but I agree that we cannot be rash." 

Nedzu nodded, "I understand your disappointment, ma'am, and I assure you that the school will take appropriate action. But to do so, we need to get a handle on the situation," after which he turned to the boy, "Midoriya Izuku, would you mind telling what happened during the exercise?" 

The boy lowered his gaze, bringing it to his hands crisscrossed with red veins. Bakugo's words kept buzzing in his mind, and the venomous tone of his voice was enough to take away his desire to speak. 

Inko's hand rested on his shoulder, stroking it gently, "Honey, take your time. We have all the time we want." 

His mother's voice and presence helped him greatly to relax. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and murmured, "Today we had our Foundations of Heroism class...and All Might had us do a combat simulation" From his position, he did not notice how the principal's hair seemed to puff up or how his aunt hardened her expression. 

"I was on Yaoyorozu's team and we ended up against Mineta and Bakugo. We did the exercise, everything was going...not quite right, but it was manageable. At least until Bakugo caught up with me and started attacking me. We...I won't say fought, I just released some Grimm at him to try to push him away from me. However, he managed to catch me and blast me inside a store. All Might had put a damage clause, so he couldn't smash too many things, but he still managed to send me through a glass window and into a wall." 

"At that point, after being insulted some more, I felt...I don't know, I got angry and yelled at him. I don't know why I did it, I couldn't think straight anymore. And he..." 

'You? A hero? Don't make me laugh. You can't be a hero. You're a villain, don't you get it?' 

'You can't apologize. You don't deserve peace, you don't deserve forgiveness, you deserve absolutely nothing but a one-way ticket to Tartarus.'

The greenie shook his head, doing his best to banish from his mind the blond man's voice that kept taunting him: '...he insulted me again. I don't know what came over me...but I lost my mind." 

The hall had plunged into silence. Inko had taken his son's hand and was stroking it with his thumb, Salem was staring at the boy with an intense gaze, Nedzu did not seem to betray any emotion. 

At one point, Salem leaned forward, "Izuku. You know you can tell us everything...right?" 

The boy looked at his aunt for a few seconds longer before nodding, "Yes. I'm fine now." 

The woman took a good look at her nephew's expression before sighing and becoming composed again. Nedzu nodded in assent, "Thank you for telling us these things,

Midoriya. Rest assured that action will be taken for Bakugo's behavior."

"That said...we cannot ignore what you did either."

If he had not already been pale, Izuku would have whitened. Inko looked at the principal without letting go of Izuku's hand, "W-what do you mean?" 

The mammal sighed, "Madam, your son attempted the use of lethal force on one of his classmates and a teacher. As much as we agree that there are considerable extenuating circumstances, such a thing cannot go unpunished."  

The boy squeezed his mother's hand tightly to mask his fear, "I won't...I won't be expelled, will I?" 

Nedzu waved his paw in front of his face, "Under normal circumstances, it would not even be a question. However, as I have already said, there are several mitigating factors to take into account. The final decision will be made at the faculty meeting we will hold between today and tomorrow, but I'm sure we can avoid not only expulsion but even suspension." 

Izuku felt a weight slip from his diaphragm. Salem, on the other hand, hardened her gaze even more, "It seems the least. It's only the second day of school, and already my nephew has found himself in the midst of a crisis situation, caused by one of his classmates, his old tormentor no less. It doesn't look good for the school...and, while I'm at it, whose idea was it to hire that incompetent All Might as a teacher?" 

Before the boy or his mother could stammer out any response to what Salem had called the Number One Hero, Nedzu replied, "I understand your concerns with our new teacher, and he will be sanctioned as well, of course. This was his first class, and I am convinced that in the future he will be extremely more careful about student safety and pairings." 

The woman placed both hands on her lap and straightened her back, "I am glad to hear that there will be consequences for what happened, don't get me wrong, but your statement does not answer my question." 

Nedzu looked at the woman for a few seconds, his smooth tail wagging to either side; a spark of intelligence shone in his black eyes, and his expression changed to an animalistic attempt to smile, "Please forgive my ambiguity, Mrs. Hexe, it was not my intention to deceive you. However, I'm afraid I cannot divulge the motives and manner of All Might's hiring, as it is confidential information." 

Salem squinted her eyes, then sighed and nodded, "I understand. Pardon the presumption." 

Nedzu replied in a cheerful tone, " No problem! I can't blame your doubts after what happened." Then he turned to the greenies: "On behalf of the entirety of UA, I am terribly embarrassed by what happened. I promise you that action will be taken about it, in the boys' best interest." 

Inko squeezed his son's hand, "So will he be able to return to class normally?" 

The principal made a so-so gesture: "I think it would be wiser to wait until at least the day after tomorrow: surely Bakugo and Midoriya will be separated, one way or another, and putting them in the same class together again would only be harmful." 

Izuku sighed, "I'll have Iida and Uraraka pass me the notes, then."

Salem turned to the principal in a neutral tone, "I want to trust you and leave Izuku in your hands. I sincerely hope that something like this will not happen again." 

"We will do our best to make sure of that. Well, as much as I would like to stay and talk with you, I have an appointment with Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo that I cannot miss. Mrs. Hexe, it was a real pleasure to meet you, although I wish it had been under more pleasant circumstances. I hope to be able to invite you for a cup of tea someday." 

The woman looked at the mammal, on her mouth the shadow of a smile, "My schedule is always very busy, but I'm sure I can set aside a few moments for some...discussions. Especially if it concerns my nephew's safety." 

Nedzu nodded and, with another salute to the Midoriyas, walked out of the infirmary through the vents. As the family discussed the situation and Izuku's health, Recovery Girl let go a sigh that she did not know she was holding

'It's been a while since I've seen someone be able to hold their own against Nedzu in a discussion...if the principal found someone who plays in the same league as him, we may all be doomed.' 

Chapter Text

Bakugo Mitsuki was many things: stubborn, hot-tempered, married, a first-rate designer. Most of all, however, she was the mother of a boy who took on her worst traits and with whom she quarreled every other day. As much as she loved him, and she loved him to death, she could not deny that she and her husband had not done a good job when it came to Katsuki's attitude: short-tempered, prone to violent outbursts, and with a dockworker's vocabulary, all of these things had not been a problem during middle school, given his high grades. But Mitsuki knew well that sooner or later his son's temper would get him into trouble. 

So it was no surprise that her reaction to the UA principal's call was to grab her husband, get in the car, and leave for school even before she answered. 
By the time they arrived, the woman was on the verge of having an aneurysm: there had been an accident during a lesson, and it had involved Katsuki...and Izuku. Inko's son. Again. 

Now, it was not news that there was bad blood between the two boys; she had known since her son was four years old and Mrs. Hexe had caught him raising his hands on Izuku. She and her husband had spent time and money trying to fix his behavior, believing they had succeeded at first. 

But it turns out they had been wrong. And that is why they had found themselves there, standing in front of what is probably the scariest being on the globe. 

Nedzu was drinking a cup of tea, apparently oblivious to the state of mind of the two adults sitting in front of him. Mitsuki was bouncing one leg with her arms crossed, while beside her Masaru had his back straight and his hands on his thighs.

After what seemed like an eternity, the mammal put down his cup and turned to the Bakugos: "Thank you for coming so quickly, and forgive me again for being late. I got tangled up talking with Midoriya's guardians." 

Masaru nodded slowly, "No worries. So what's this with Katsuki and Izuku?" 

"Ah, straight to the point I see. Very well then: this afternoon, more precisely two hours ago, your son participated in a practical heroism exercise under the care of All Might. During this exercise, Midoriya apparently lost control of himself and attacked everything within his reach with his quirk. Luckily no one was injured, except Midoriya himself who is currently at Recovery Girl's to, well, recover." 

Mitsuki raised an eyebrow, "So...it's okay, all things considered?" 

The mammal shook his head, "I didn't say that. I have already spoken to Midoriya, and he states that your son has been behaving aggressively and disrespectfully all the while, actively provoking and degrading his opponent. All Might is analyzing the camera recordings with Power loader, while Professor Aizawa, the homeroom teacher, is listening to your son's side of the story." 

Mitsuki ran a hand over her face, taking a deep breath, "The fact that I am not surprised is not a good sign, is it?" 

Nedzu pricked up her ears, "Oh? I take it this is not the first time something like this has happened?"

Masaru gestured so-so: "Our son has always been short-tempered, ever since he was little. He and Izuku are...let's say they were childhood friends. Unfortunately, when their quirks appeared there was a rift that separated them more and more until the Midoriyas moved out. After that Katsuki had calmed down, or so we thought." 

The principal nodded, "I see...and during middle school there were no such cases?" 

"No, or rather, the school never called us and Katsuki was never put in detention. In fact, teachers praised him during parent-teacher meetings, saying how smart and determined he was..." 

"Hmm...and did they ever say anything about his behavior or manners?" 

Silence. 

Mitsuki hunkered down even more, not finding the courage to look the principal in the face; Masaru, for his part, ran a hand over his face, and the gesture seemed to magically make him age ten years. 

Nedzu kept his face deadpan: "What is the name of the middle school your son went to?" 

"Aldera School District," Mitsuki's voice was miserable. 

One more thing to look at, the principal decided. Not before settling the matter with the students, however. 

"Between tonight and tomorrow we will hold a faculty meeting where we will discuss this. You are aware that depending on what All Might and Aizawa say, your son could be expelled, right?" 

The two adults nodded, so Nedzu continued, "Of course, measures will also be taken for Midoriya and All Might himself, who let all this happen. I want to warn you, however, that Bakugo's behavior these past two days has already put him in a risky position."

The Bakugos said nothing for a few seconds, merely nodding. The silence was broken by Masaru: "When...can we see our son?"

The principal glanced at the clock, "Aizawa should be finished by now. If you have no further questions or comments, I would say you are free to go." 

The two adults rose from their chairs and, with bows and farewells, exited the office.

Toshinori felt his stomach heavy. No matter that he only had half of it left, the feeling was always there.

It wasn't because he was hungry, even though it was almost nine o'clock at night and he hadn't touched food since noon. It was not because he was tired, even though he had been at work at UA since 8 a.m. No, his stomach was heavy with guilt about his lesson. 

The agenda of the faculty meeting had three issues: what to do with All Might, what to do with Midoriya, and what to do with Bakugo. And the first of these had been quick, but far from painless. 

"You can't keep your position" Aizawa's voice was drier than usual, and the nods of assent that followed were no less. 

"Sorry Yagi, but he's right. You clearly need a longer period to learn how to handle twenty teenagers." As much as Ishiyama was more diplomatic, it took nothing away from the sting of failing his new students. 

The blond nodded gravely, swinging the two plumes of hair in front of his eyes, "As I said, I take full responsibility for what happened. I should not have made them fight...in fact, I should not have given them a practical test as their first lesson." 

Nedzu nodded, "Well, that simplifies things. Firing you would lead to nothing substantial and would be unnecessary cruelty; therefore, we will just review your position, and always have another teacher during your hours" Toshinori nodded, never looking up. 

The principal put away a packet of papers to take another in his paw: "Well, the first problem is solved. The next one is...Midoriya Izuku. What do we do with him?" 

For a few seconds there was a soft murmur, interrupted by Sekijiro's voice asking, "Aizawa, Toshinori, what came up on the recordings?" 

The blond recovered some of his composure and spoke, "During the preparation phase, Midoriya's plan was to avoid young Bakugo completely and head straight for the exit. When he was intercepted, he preferred to use his quirk as a distraction to resume his escape, but he was caught up and thrown against the wall. It should also be mentioned that young Bakugo continued to use very...harsh insults and nicknames, shall we say." 

Aizawa nodded, "Not only that, but by the time Bakugo attacked him he was already suffering from the side effects of his quirk. For those of you who are not aware, the more grimm Midoriya churns out, the more like them he becomes; this results in, among other things, increased aggression and lowered inhibitory restraints." 

Kan cupped his chin with one hand, "So the kid was attacked with excessive force while being ridiculed and in an emotionally unstable condition? Did I get that right?"

"That is the general concept. In addition, it seems that Bakugo has been like this since he was four years old and got caught up in the awakening of Midoriya's quirk. Which makes me wonder why no one has ever said anything." 

Nedzu sighed, "The parents tried, but once Midoriya moved out the more aggressive tendencies were reduced. However, I have reason to believe that Bakugo Middle School has deliberately nurtured a simplified and demonized view of so-called 'villain' quirks, as well as inculcating an almost illogical fear of the less fortunate sections of the population." 

Aizawa furrowed his brow, "If this were true, Bakugo would have been molded into a walking time bomb." 

The principal nodded, "It certainly is, and I'll be sure to get to the bottom of it. However, let's stay on topic: what do we do about Midoriya?" 

Yamada stroked his mustache, "Well, he's basically a bullying victim who blew up because of one too many comments while he was not fully in control of his faculties. It seems cruel to punish him." 

Ishiyama huffed, trying to remain impartial: "Of course there is room for extensive concessions, but I also find it unfair to do nothing, especially to him. Not making him understand the consequences of his actions would be a hindrance to his growth, even if he was not completely himself in this case." 

Toshinori raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you just grumpy because you have to rebuild three districts of ground delta?" 

"...Irrelevant." 

Nedzu put his paws together, "I am of Ishiyama's opinion. We will have to be cautious, but it is only fair that he also receive disciplinary measures, especially if we steer them toward improving his self-control."

Aizawa nodded, "Very well." 

The principal took the last packet of papers and heaved a sigh, "And the last point...Bakugo Katsuki" 

"Expulsion." 

No one was too surprised when Aizawa blurted out that word, in a tone more irritated than usual

Nemuri drummed a finger on the table, "Sho, don't you think you're being a tad rash?" 

The man gave her a dry look, "Rash? He has to thank that the rat here kept me from expelling him on the spot, or he wouldn't have lasted half an hour." 

Sekijiro sighed, "We know you don't like him, and we don't blame you, but we need to remain professional." 

"I'm being professional as hell, Kan. Tell me, how would you judge a child who, even before class starts, stands up, grabs one of his classmates by the tie and yells in his face how he doesn't deserve to be at UA while creating explosions from his hand?" 

The silence in the room became almost tense. Sekijiro swallowed before nodding, "Oook...the kid has some serious problems. But we also know very well what happens when you expel someone in this rough manner. Need I remind you what happened three years ago with Matsui?" 

Aizawa tightened his grip around his arms, not happy to admit the other's point. In his defense came Ectoplasm: "Are you saying you want to keep him at UA?" 

Vlad King shrugged, "Do you have a better idea?" 

Toshinori raised his hand, "Um...pardon my ignorance, but who is this Matsui?" 

Hizashi sighed, "A former student of Aizawa, who managed to be admitted to the heroism class but was expelled after a week. A couple of months later, Shota ran into him on a patrol and...well, you noticed how he limps a little, didn't you?" 

The blond man widened his eyes, "How did he hurt a veteran like Aizawa? A powerful quirk?"

The man chuckled bitterly, "Fuck no, his quirk was anything but powerful or flashy: it allows him to switch the objects he holds in his hands, from the right to the left and vice versa. He grabbed my knee with one hand...and you can imagine the rest." 

The shudder confirmed that yes, Toshinori could easily imagine it. Nemuri sighed, "Shota, Kan is right. Matsui had managed to get in by the skin of his teeth, he had no talent for fighting, and his quirk was nothing too egregious, but he managed to inflict you an injury that would have cost a good 60 percent of heroes their careers. Imagine what someone like Bakugo could do." 

Aizawa sighed and hid his face in his scarf, "I'll steal Kan's phrase: do you have a better idea? We can't keep him at UA, not with that attitude of his." 

The professors began to argue among themselves, and it was shaping up to be a very long discussion when Toshinori's voice silenced them all: "Aizawa is right." 

Nemuri widened her eyes, "Yagi, what are you saying?" 

The blond man heaved a sigh, "Back when I was studying at UA, my homeroom teacher was Tora Sorahiko, aka Gran Torino. One of the things he used to repeat in class was: if you are nothing without your quirk, maybe you don't deserve to have it. I find that young Bakugo is in a very similar situation: if expelling him is tantamount to creating a villain, does he deserve his place in this school to begin with?" 

Power Loader tapped his fingers on the desk, "Isn't there another solution? I don't know, send him to Shiketsu, make him take an anger management class...?" 

Aizawa shook his head, "Higari, you are as much a hero as we are. You know that if someone doesn't want to be saved, there is little we can do. Our job is to educate future heroes, not rehabilitate delinquents. There are special facilities for that." 

One after another the professors nodded, some more and some less convinced; Nedzu glanced at everyone, "Are we agreed?" When he received several verses of assent, he nodded, "All right then. I will write an e-mail to Mr. and Mrs. Bakugo and explain the situation. It is a pity to lose a student for such a reason, but as I have already told the Midoriyas, passing the entrance exam does not mean we are obligated to help him."  

Snipe stroked the hat laid on the table, "Is there anything else to discuss?" 

Nedzu glanced at the papers, "Um...oh, yes. And I think Higari and Snipe will be quite happy." 

The two professors exchanged a glance, "What could it be? New equipment for the support class?"

The principal widened his mouth in a smile that made the entire faculty shudder, "Well, this afternoon I was lucky enough to get to meet Midoriya's aunt. An absolutely brilliant woman, let me tell you. Well, just before this meeting I was on the phone with her, and we raised the possibility of a new sponsor for UA." 

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, "As much as an extra sponsor would be helpful, I don't see how-" 

"Oh, did I mention that the lady is Salem Hexe?" 

The bomb dropped and the first to react was, unexpectedly, Toshinori, who spit out a liter of blood before widening his eyes, "Wait a minute, Hexe? The founder and CEO of Remnant Industries? THAT Hexe?" 

Mic swallowed, "Oh God...my car is a Remnant..." 

Aizawa smacked his hand on his forehead, "How did I not get that sooner? The eyes, the hands, the paleness...fuck, it was obvious." 

Higari seemed to vibrate on the spot, "And she wants to be our sponsor? Really??" 

The principal nodded, "Remnant Industries has become a partner of the Yaoyorozu Group, and they are aiming to expand their production tour to the support industry. Ms. Hexe, as well as myself, believes that sponsoring UA is the first step to gaining the respect of the heroic world." 

The faculty murmured words of assent and understanding among themselves, unaware of the real reason why Nedzu was so cheerful.

'That lady is truly a delightful woman: intelligent, manipulative and ruthless. Ah, I can't wait to invite her for tea!' 

Kagero Okuta returned to his house with a cigarette in his mouth and a suitcase full of money. Nothing put him in a better mood than a productive day's work. 

Being one of the top information brokers in Kanto had several advantages, not the least of which was the amount of clients from all walks of life. As much as he was most popular with criminals and villains, it was not uncommon for business leaders or private investigators with ambiguous moral compasses to also turn to him for a tip or two. Under compensation, of course. 

The man put his suitcase down on the couch in the large living room and headed for his bedroom, starting to undress and getting ready for a relaxing evening of martinis, smoking and some jazz...or maybe a movie on TV, who knows. 

Now dressed in sweatpants and a khaki T-shirt, he went to the kitchen to prepare a glass of liquor, still whistling to himself. It was just as he was putting the last ice cube in the glass that his breath caught in his throat. 

At first he did not understand what had gotten into him, why anxiety had gripped his stomach. Perhaps being too long associated with villains was making him paranoid, but it was like a sixth sense was warning him of great danger. 

After a few seconds, he heard it: a soft, low, continuous sound, a kind of whispered murmur coming from his living room. His mind finally connected the dots, and when it did, his face drained of blood. 

The man forgot about the liquor and walked toward the hall with slow steps, like he wanted to surprise a thief who had entered his house. In truth, he only hoped that he had heard wrong and that it was really paranoia and fatigue playing tricks on him. 

However, his hopes were in vain. 

In front of the sofa, suspended in midair like a balloon, was a being that would be difficult to determine as alive or not. Its body was composed of a black sphere studded with white spikes, within which swirled a yellowish smoke; red tentacles emerged from a kind of circular mouth, each ending in a white thorn. 

Kagero swallowed and went to sit in front of the demonic jellyfish, running a hand through his hair and trying to calm his breathing. That being had been a gift, made many years earlier, from a certain woman who had quickly become one of his most generous...but also most demanding customers. 

The man lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. The nicotine did its job, calming him enough to allow him to touch the black body without shaking. 

The smoke in the sphere cleared, showing a corpse-white woman sitting at a desk in a black and red study. She smiled, "Good evening, Giran. I hope I have not called you at an inopportune time." 

The man nodded, "Mrs. Hexe, what a pleasure! I was just about to call it a day, but I guess I can work overtime for a customer like you. But first, how do you feel about the latest additions?" 

Salem made a satisfied noise, "Danjuro has become head of our press agency, and I'm sure Manami will reach similar levels very soon. But I never doubted them: after all, if they impressed you, they must have been something special." 

Kagero would never say it to her face, but the two she was referring to were cannon fodder she kept among her contacts in case anyone needed manpower. In short, a failed student of heroism and a hikikomori neet? Who would have expected them to turn out to be a charisma to rival his own and a computer genius? Of course, when Salem had told him that she had hired them, he had merely nodded smugly, not showing his surprise. 

Assuming the lady didn't already know that. The woman had a natural talent for knowing when someone was trying to fool her. 

He distracted himself from these thoughts in time to reply, "Oh, you flatter me! So, what can I do for you? Do you need a new employee?" 

The woman shook her head, "Oh no, nothing like that. Tell me Giran..." Her gaze became sharp: "...what is going on in the underworld?" 

Kagero let out a small sigh, trying to stay relaxed. To Mrs. Hexe, such a request was like asking for an appetizer at a restaurant: a snack, but one that foreshadowed a far more substantial...and drastic order. Part of him couldn't help but feel guilty about what had happened to the CRC (then he remembered that one of the leaders had insulted the lady directly to her face, remembered the existence of natural selection, and immediately stopped feeling guilty)

"Madam, I must say that this question comes at the right time: just today I have been directing an exorbitant number of thugs and delinquents to a group calling itself the 'League of Villains.' The name is a bit childish if you ask me, but I'm not paid for that." 

Salem brought a hand to her temple, drumming her fingers on the desk, "League of Villains...the name doesn't ring a bell. What can you tell me about them?" 

"Oh, they don't look like much. Their frontman is a wimpy guy who plays too many video games and can't take no for an answer, and the only other member I've seen is a bartender with a body made of smoke. At least he is well-behaved. Oh, there is also one such 'sensei,' but he communicates with the rest of the group via a television set; if I had to guess, I would say he is the real leader." 

When he mentioned 'sensei,' the lady seemed to perk up her ears. Her gaze was lost in reflection for a few seconds, then relaxed again, "I see. We'll have to keep an eye on them; such a mass mobilization almost always heralds a massive attack." 

Kagero nodded, "I suspect that too, but as I said, I'm not paid to ask questions." 

Salem gave a small smile, "That's true. You are paid to seek contacts, arrange meetings, find the right person for the right job. And I feel like paying you, Giran." 

The man swallowed: here's the real order, the main course, "Oh? From the way you say it, it sounds like you have a special request." 

The smile on her face became sharper: "How about a difficult job? A challenge?" 

Kagero stood still for a few seconds, soothing the spike of anxiety before he was able to reply, "Well...I guess I can try. After all, what's the point of being the best if I don't prove it?" 

Salem chuckled, "That's the spirit. You see, the other day I chatted with a certain...individual, and I found him extremely inspiring. I was especially pleased with his point of view toward the way this country is run...and how it views these 'heroes.' And I thought it would be interesting to have someone else to debate these philosophies with." 

Her red eyes glowed like embers, and her voice became at once mellow and venomous: "Would you be able to arrange a meeting with the hero-killer?" 

Kagero blinked. Twice. Thrice. 

"Excuse me?" 

Salem laid both hands on the desk, "Recently, news of this `hero-killer' has been making the rounds in the country. Normally I wouldn't pay him any mind, but there's something about his way of doing things and his choice of victims that intrigues me. So, I want you to bring us together." 

The man put his hands together in front of his face, pondering the request, the lady, his life, how he had ended up there. Finally, he heaved a sigh, "Well, this is definitely a challenge. Stain is extremely elusive, those who have seen his face and survived can be counted on the fingers of one hand. If I were to succeed..." 

The woman smiled: "I will send you the standard fee for League information later, and if you accept this job you will receive the special fee as an upfront payment and twice as much as full price." 

This. This was a very good, a wonderful incentive. And it was also one of the reasons, though not the main reason, why it was so hard to say no to Ms. Hexe. 

"Deal. It won't be easy, nor will it be quick, but it's doable. I will contact you when I have a lead." 

The woman gave a much more reassuring smile than those used up to then, "Thank you Giran. You know, my venture would not be what it is without the input from you and people like you scattered around the globe. I will not forget everything you have done for me; do not forget everything I can do for you..." 

The smile fell, replaced by the harsh expression many had come to fear: "...and TO you." 

The image vanished in a swirl of smoke, and the monster began to float away, heading for the basement where Kagero used to keep it. The man felt the tension abandon him, leaving him motionless on the couch staring into space. 

Saying no to Mrs. Hexe was difficult. And that was the main reason.

Aizawa sighed, looking at the large classroom door as he waited for the bell to ring. 

It had been three days since the incident, and no matter how much the children were starting to unwind, the class was still worried. A class that, right now, needed a few moments of quiet and normalcy, which it was his job to ensure. 

The trill of the bell announced the start of class, and with it Aizawa opened the door. The kids had been quick to get into their seats and shut up, but the silence was a heavy one. He could not blame them: Bakugo's seat was empty, while Midoriya did not dare look up from his desk. 

The professor went to the desk, holding back a sigh. Well, it's showtime.

"Students, open your ears, I have announcements to make. As a result of the incident the other day during the Fundamentals of Heroism class, the faculty met and, after a long meeting and some investigation and analysis, made some decisions that you should know about." 

The students remained still in their seats, with more than one seeming to pale; Midoriya, in particular, had not yet raised his head.  

"Let's start with All Might. Despite knowing that there were...rifts between some students, he chose not to change the pairings, and we saw the result. Having taken responsibility for what happened, and given his contribution in diffusing the situation, he was not fired, but he will no longer be a teacher." 

A murmur ran through the students, and Aizawa let them talk for a few seconds before drawing attention back with a cough: "Heroics Foundationals will be taught by me, Mic and Midnight on a rotating basis, with All Might present as a teaching assistant. He will be able to resume his professorship only in two months and after passing a principal's test" Some of the students made sympathetic noises, but Midoriya seemed to close in even more. 

The professor held back a sigh and resumed speaking, "The next point...Midoriya." 

The greenie winced on the spot, then stood up without taking his eyes off the desk. Aizawa did not fail to notice how some classmates seemed to pity him, while others were watching Aizawa with circumspection. 

The professor sighed, "What happened during the exercise was a combination of several factors, in which you were caught in the middle. This is not to say that you are completely innocent; it means that you were not in the mental and physical condition to prevent it. For this reason, for the next three weeks, you will not be allowed to participate in the practical tests of fundamentals of heroism with the rest of the class. You will be allowed to watch, take notes and work on your costume, but you will not actively take part." 

The boy raised his head, looking at him with his eyes wide and starting to swell with tears. Before the situation could escalate, and the rest of the class had half a mind to lynch him, he added, "Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't be logical to have you fall behind with the physical portion of the program, especially given what happened. During these weeks, you will have three hours of quirk counseling and two hours of Hound Dog therapy added to your schedule, with mandatory participation. There you will get the practice you need, in a safe and monitored environment; also, to make sure we improve your control, we need to know if you agree to record the counseling sessions and send them to your aunt, the only person who seems capable of counseling you, to let her analyze them." 

At that moment Midoriya began to tear up, but his shoulders slumped as if he had lost a weight. Trying to wipe his cheeks, he nodded, "U-u-understood. T-thank you, p-professor." 

Aizawa breathed a small sigh of relief to see the greenie, and with him the whole class, relax. However, he still had an announcement to make. 

"And finally...you may have noticed that one of you is not present." 

All gazes stopped for a second on Bakugo's desk, before returning to the professor.

"As of today, Bakugo Katsuki is no longer a UA student. Sekijiro Kan, class B homeroom teacher, and I are discussing how to fill that empty seat; therefore, you may soon find yourself a new classmate." 

No matter how quiet they tried to remain, it was impossible for the students to hide their contentment: Tokoyami nodded, satisfaction visible in his eyes, while Kirishima let out a small sigh of relief. The only ones who had different reactions were Mineta, who paled a couple of shades, and Midoriya, who wrinkled his eyebrows and began muttering like a machine gun. 

The professor sighed, "Well, that's that. If anyone has further questions or requests, they can talk to me after class. As for today, you have a very difficult task...you have to choose a class representative."

Chapter Text

"Bakugo, you do realize that what happened is partly your fault, don't you?" 

"AAH? What the fuck are you saying, you junkie prof? You mean the fact that I almost died is my fault?" 

A sigh: "Midoriya lost control due to an extremely high amount of stress and fatigue, added to his quirk that had already made him more susceptible to such things. You don't seem to have done much to diffuse the situation." 

"I was just being honest. Deku should not stay at this school any longer, you' ve seen what he is capable of!" 

The professor stared a hole into his soul, "Bakugo, tell me: what dictates who is a hero and who is a villain?" 

"Of course, villains commit crimes with their quirks." 

"Hmm, textbook description. But is that really what you think? It doesn't seem to me that Midoriya has committed any crimes...or am I wrong?" 

"You' re very wrong. Even if he hadn't tried to kill me when he was four years old-" 

"-I still think it was an accident." 

A snarl, an annoyed snort: "-even if he hadn't tried to kill me, that quirk is a crime in and of itself. It is evil." 

"Ah, really. Then mine is also evil, as you put it: I mean, I take away from people a part of them, the part that many consider the most important" 

"Of course not! Your quirk is annoying, okay, but it is useful for catching criminals off guard. Not to mention that it can prevent a quirk from getting out of control in the classroom." 

The professor raised an eyebrow, "You know, you never stop confusing me: you're arrogant and loud, and at the same time intelligent and hardworking; your quirk is the definition of 'flashy,' but you see the usefulness of an obscure quirk like mine...and yet you persist in treating your classmate this way. It seems like you do it on purpose."

" You hobo asshole, do you think I'm one of those low-grade idiots who ignores silent quirks? I know that every quirk has its own utility. That is, except for Deku." 

"Okay, now you're bordering on delirious. Are you saying that every quirk has its own utility, that there are no heroic or villain quirks...except for Midoriya? That he is the only person who is inherently evil?" 

"Exactly. You are finally starting to understand." 

"...Do I really have to stand here and tell you how ridiculous this sounds?" 

"Free to not believe me. But it's true: if ever a quirk deserved the epithet 'villainous,' it is definitely that of the nerd. No one else I've seen in my life can even hope to approach that level of devilry." 

"............." 

"............" 

"You are afraid. You are afraid of Midoriya's quirk, and by extension of him." 

"...It doesn't matter. As soon as he leaves, everything will go back to the way it should be. And I will become stronger, so strong that no one will be able to stand in my way."

"...Bakugo, listen carefully. If I were you I would examine my conscience and review my attitude in general. You are on thin, very thin ice." 

The professor gave a sigh, looked at his watch, got up from his desk, "Well, I've kept you in here too long already. Before you leave, remember well: your position here, your future as a hero, the respect of your peers...none of this is a given. These are things you have to earn, and making noise with explosions and screams is not enough. What I see here before me is not a heroic student; is a villain in everything but name." 

Expelled. 

He had been expelled from UA. 

Katsuki at first thought he was in a nightmare. It was the only explanation why UA, the No. 1 hero school in all of fucking Japan, the one that pumped out the strongest heroes, had decided to send him away in favor of Deku, the villain. 

But that was not the case. He was wide awake when his mother called him into the kitchen, read aloud the principal's email to him, when she and his father looked at him with disappointment, sadness, and anger on their faces. 

"It's our fault," he had said, "we should have sent you to therapy, made you take an anger management class, been stricter. We didn't, and this was the result." 

His mother wiped her eyes, doing her best to keep her voice firm: "Rest assured that from today we will fix it. This attitude of yours will end, one way or another. In the meantime, you'd better come up with a new career plan, because being a hero is no longer an option." 

It was only at that moment that Bakugo recovered from his shock. The familiar fire he felt inside resumed burning with such intensity that it threatened to reduce him to ashes. 

"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN-" 

Slap!

The burning in his cheek silenced the fire in his chest. His eyes remained wide, watching his mother who was starting to tear up.

"Stop it. Stop yelling and screeching when things don't go your way. And, for once, accept the fact that the omelette is done. Let me say it again, Katsuki: You. Have. Been. Expelled. Because of YOUR arrogance, YOUR inability to accept that you are wrong, YOUR obsession with Midoriya. Because it's an obsession, from what I'm seeing." 

The woman lowered her hand, trying to keep her breathing calm: "As I said, from today we will change regimes. So, Katsuki, now you go off to your room and try to figure out what the fuck you're going to do now that your hero career is over. Without even having started, by the way." 

The boy felt empty. The world seemed to become cardboard for a second, a scene that pathetically imitated reality. Only one thought occupied his mind at that moment: 'This can't be true'

'Bakugo, you're so cool!' 

A high-pitched, childlike voice resounded in his mind. An extra, one of many, that couldn't help but adore him. Followed then by another, two, five, ten, a hundred, a thousand. 

'What a beautiful quirk! You will be a great hero'

'You'll save the day, anytime, anyhow!'

'How envious! I wish I were as strong as you!'

'Bakugo is an outstanding student, and a future hero of the highest order' 

'With those explosions he could become stronger even than Endeavor!' 

The echo of voices brought him back to his senses. His eyes returned to their glow, fueled by renewed fury and stronger than ever. 

"Do that again and I'll kill you." 

His mother took a step back like she had been punched in the stomach, "I beg your pardon?" 

"I said, hit me again and I'll blow your head off, you fucking hag. And don't you dare tell me I can't be a hero. I am Bakugo fucking Katsuki, the strongest student in Aldera. I'm destined to be the strongest hero in the country, and it's certainly not going to be a bald rat and that shitty Deku that will stop me!" 

Mituski had leaned against the table, dead white and wide-eyed; Masaru, on the other hand, rose from the table with tension visible in his shoulders, "Katsuki, maybe you haven't-" 

The boy created two bursts from his hands, silencing the man, "Shut up, you stupid old man! I understand perfectly well what's going on: somehow, the professors have gotten into cahoots with that villain-no, the witch! Yes, that shitty hag from eleven years ago. She must have been the one who convinced them to expel me." 

At that moment Mitsuki came back to herself, her face as red as her eyes, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU SAYING?! DO YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF WHEN YOU SPEAK??! Do you really believe that you are the victim of some conspiracy, that Midoriya, always him, has somehow plotted to throw you out?! TAKE THE BLINDFOLD OFF YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT REALITY IN THE FACE! YOU HAVE BEEN EXPELLED BECAUSE, SINCE YOU ARRIVED IN THAT FUCKING CLASS, YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT MISTREAT IZUKU AND EVERYONE NEAR HIM! PROFESSOR AIZAWA TOLD ME EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW? CHRIST ALMIGHTY, THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU!" 

"It. Does" 

The boy spat that last word like he was issuing a death sentence. His father sat back with his head spinning, "W-what?" 

Katsuki's expression darkened, now more akin to the manifestation of a demon: "In elementary and middle school I was the strongest, I was at the pinnacle of everything. I earned the right to rule the school as I wished. And I realized that I was the main character. I was born with a powerful quirk, a sharp brain and the determination to reach new heights: I, and only I, am capable of overcoming everything, taking on the world, defeating it and establishing myself as the strongest hero who ever lived. I will command the world, as- nay, I will be ABOVE All Might. All this, all these obstacles, are just stepping stones that will elevate me, anecdotes that will make my story more interesting!" 

Mitsuki turned white as a rag again, trying to deny that the one in front of him, that being of pure arrogance and fury, was his son: "K-Katsuki...t-that's not how the world works. What you d-described is not a hero...it's a t-tyrant." 

"Call it whatever the fuck you want. But that's what All Might is: the strongest being there is, ruling the world. And one day, soon, I'm going to rip the title out of his hands. Even if I have to tear them from his arms." 

The blond did not stand by and watch his parents' reaction: he turned on his heel and went straight to his room, pulled out the sandbag he kept in his closet, stuck Deku's picture on it, and began to hit him as hard as he could, focusing on his movements and carefully aiming each blow. As he hit with a knee strike where the rib should be, he thought. 

'I need new pictures. First and foremost, the shitty hobo.'

Izuku threw himself to the ground with heavy breath, feeling his muscles beg for mercy. Not far away, Vlad King picked up two bottles of water and drank one in one go, "Not bad, runt. Take a fifteen minute break." 

One week into his punishment period, and he was already feeling wrecked. Or rather, physically wrecked: psychologically, he was over the moon. 

The quirk counseling/special training sessions were exhilarating. Aizawa had managed to enlist the help of other professors, such as Vlad King for basic physical preparation or Present Mic and Midnight to assist him during practice with Grimm, which was recorded and sent to Salem for analysis. He was making progress, especially in his hand-to-hand skills. 

Hound Dog therapy was something he had not expected to enjoy so much. The hero, despite his intimidating appearance, had quite a bit of experience behind him, and Izuku found himself enjoying his company every time he went to his office, no matter how much the therapy itself was not easy. (Hound Dog had said after the first session that having moved and spent a decade away from Bakugo had saved him a lot of trauma. It was the first time anyone outside of his mother or aunt put it that way instead of "now the rest of the school children are safe.")

But the thing that was perhaps going better was his relationship with the rest of the class. Izuku had feared that his meltdown had intimidated his classmates enough to dissuade them from wanting to get to know him, but this expectation was shattered literally two hours after the announcement of the measures taken by the teachers: during lunchtime he was picked up by Iida and led to the table along with Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka. The fact that they were not only not afraid of him, but were even relieved to have him still in the class had brought him to tears. 

The chaos that broke out in the cafeteria with the warning siren had made his mood a little worse, but in the end everything turned out fine and Iida had become class representative. To him, it was a victory. 

With a grunt, he managed to sit up with crossed legs. Not far away, Vlad King finished wiping his forehead with a towel while Present Mic and Midnight talked among themselves. 

The gym door opened with a thud and a thunderous voice: "I AM HERE, TO CHECK ON YOUNG MIDORIYA!" 

Midnight recovered from the scare (with absolutely no screeching, shut up Mic) and shot a dirty look at the blond: "Yagi! I'd appreciate to make it to fifty without a heart attack!" 

The hero raised a hand, hunching in his shoulders a little, "Sorry, Kayama." 

Izuku held back a laugh at the exchange, managing to stand up and loosen his arms, "All M-Might sir, why are you here? Shouldn't you b-be with P-Professor Aizawa?" 

The blond man shook his head, "Oh no. Your class has a lesson at USJ today, and Aizawa will be accompanied by Thirteen. It was deemed wiser to have me here with you to supervise your counseling session." 

Izuku sighed. Part of his punishment included not being able to attend rescue training at USJ, instead using those hours for extra counseling and training. Don't get him wrong, he was happy to be able to improve his self-control, but that lesson was one he had been waiting for with all of his heart: the chance to be able to, at last, prove that Grimms can be more than just monsters and ravenous beasts. I mean, the ability to sense negative feelings makes them perfect hounds for finding survivors (once under proper control), and they are so varied that they can be used in any situation! Sure, they are hardly reassuring, but at least they do their job. Plus they are an excellent reconnaissance and vanguard system, can cover an emergency retreat or evacuation, allow the application of both guerrilla tactics and traditional warfare- 

"Earth to Midoriya!" 

The greenie clamped his mouth shut, feeling his cheeks begin to blush. Present Mic chuckled under his moustache as Midnight and Vlad King stood looking at him amused,

"Lost in your world again?" 

"Um...I-I'm sorry." 

All Might chuckled, "Don't apologize, but maybe it would be better if you learned to do analysis with your mouth shut. If some villain hears what you say, that could be a problem." 

Midnight nodded, "That, or you could put a voice filter in the mask. It's also a good way to facilitate communication, along with earphones." 

Izuku nodded, and Mic clapped his hands, "Well, as useful as it is to discuss your costume, for now it's Quirk time! Before we start, we sent your aunt the recordings from the other day, and just today we got her reply. I think you should read it." 

The professor handed him a paper, which the boy immediately began to read.

"Midoriya Izuku has made good progress since our last analysis session, now two years ago. The creation speed and output of the grimm liquid have increased dramatically, and his control over the creatures is also much firmer. Last week's incident was generated by the change in its behavior induced by the grimm form, which will need further research and data before it can be addressed head-on. So far, the safest approach in this regard is Hound Dog therapy and repeated calming exercises to enable him to cope more easily with stress even in compromised situations.

Regarding the Grimms themselves, I have one note to make: all the specimens used so far appear to be in the juvenile stage. While this makes the creation process cheaper, and therefore faster, the result are units that are weaker and more fragile than older ones. Along with this letter I have sent notes about this matter, with also memoirs and observations about more advanced and ancient grimm species. I strongly advise Izuku to study them, as well as to turn his training toward the creation of older, more performing grimm specimens. 

P.S: Izuku, if I find out that you have created another Sea Feilong without me deciding that you can handle it, I WILL inform your mother about the costume you drew for her." 

The greenie turned as red as a lobster, snatching a laugh from Mic: "Little listener, is something wrong?" 

"N-no! E-everything o-okay!!!" 

"Oh, really? So how about you give me the paper back so we can start practicing?" 

Izuku hid the paper behind his back the moment the professor extended his hand, causing Midnight to bend over in laughter. After the initial moment of embarrassment, the blond chuckled, "Okay, okay, I got it. Keep it." 

Izuku put the letter away in his pants pocket, shifting his mind from his aunt's threat and concentrating on the rest: "P-professor, the letter s-said s-something about n-notes..." 

The blond man clapped a hand on his forehead, "Right, I almost forgot! Nemuri, the notebooks?" 

The woman approached with a packet of notebooks in her hand, not unlike the ones Izuku used for his analysis. The greenie began flipping through them, marveling at the minuteness of the notes and the quality of the drawings, "Wow...this is i-incredible." 

Midnight smiled, "I take it they are interesting?" 

Izuku nodded enthusiastically, opening a notebook on the detailed description of a giant draconic grimm: "T-they're awesome! Auntie never t-told me about these g-grimms before...andit even shows the growth c-cycle!" 

All Might gave a laugh, "I'd say we're already on the right track! So, young Midoriya, ready to resume training?" 

The boy nodded again, clutching the notebook in his hand, "Of c-cou-" 

His throat closed up. Izuku fell to his knees, his eyes dilated and his breathing unsteady. 

The professors rushed to his side, their worried voices little more than a murmur compared to the screeching that filled his ears. 

The smell of iron and rot had hit him with so little warning that he had risked suffocation. It was not strong, but it was so intense that it stung his nostrils and made him salivate. 

Izuku recognized that feeling on the fly. It was easy, especially after the events of the week before. 

It was fear. Fear mixed with a huge, overwhelming amount of killing desire. 

The boy pointed a finger in the direction of the smell, holding his temple with his other hand, "S-something bad happened. In t-that d-direction. Much, t-too much fear...and k-killing intent."

All Might had already picked up the phone and was contacting Nedzu, while Midnight was stroking the boy's back: "Midoriya, breathe...take deep breaths. Very good, like this." 

The greenie shook his head, "It s-smells of fear...and blood. S-something happened." 

Vlad King wrinkled his forehead, "Are you sure?" 

Izuku nodded; at that moment All Might approached with concern written on his face and the phone in his hand, "Yamada, Nemuri, Kan, we have to go. We have lost all contact with the USJ." 

Aizawa sighed, watching the class board the bus with their costumes on. 

The lesson on rescue maneuvers had been enthusiastically received by the kids, especially people like Uraraka and Asui who planned to specialize in rescue heroism. The fact that they were to go to USJ was a bonus. 

The only one who was disappointed was Midoriya, and that was only because he would not be able to come along with the others. He was going to spend the hour with All Might and the other professors doing some additional counseling and training: nowhere near as much fun, but still useful if you ask him. 

Once on the bus, the students immediately began making conversation. Kirishima huffed, crossing his arms, "You know, I know it's not nice...but I'm relieved not to have that explosive guy in class anymore." 

Beside him, Mina nodded gravely, "If I had to spend just one more day with him, I probably would have been the one expelled. And he would have ended up in the hospital." 

Iida, from his seat, began to wave his arms mechanically, "Ashido, these intentions are decidedly unheroic!" 

"Are you saying he wouldn't have deserved it?" 

"No, I'm saying that we shouldn't stoop to his level." 

Kaminari burst out laughing, followed closely by Sero and Hagakure: " Dude, I didn't know you were a savage!" 

The other adjusted his glasses, trying to mask the blush in his cheeks, "What can I say, it's my brother's influence." 

Tokoyami let out a sigh, "My only disappointment is that Midoriya cannot be with us today. I would have been delighted to see him put the darkness at the service of the people." 

Mineta began to shake like a leaf: "Y-you're kidding? H-how c-could those monsters help in d-disaster z-zones?" 

Beside him, Satou rubbed his neck, "Well, I'd like to have at my disposal a eight-feet-tall gorilla that lifts the biggest rubble and doesn't force me to get stupid, you know?" 

Shouji glared at the dwarf, "Don't tell me you're still afraid of Midoriya." 

The one squealed, "Of course I'm still afraid!!! Y-you've all seen what he can do, haven't you? I-if he d-decided to go crazy again-" 

Momo's stern voice interrupted him, "We would know how to handle it. Not to mention that you can't 'decide' to have a nervous breakdown." 

Ochako added: "And look, he's not the only one who could be dangerous. I mean, would you like to float up to the stratosphere?" 

"Or be electrocuted." 

"Or have your flesh melt off your bones." 

Everyone glanced at Mina, who merely shrugged, "Hey, acid is scary." 

Iida nodded, "Ook...the point is that we can all be dangerous if we use our powers the wrong way. Midoriya found himself in an...unpleasant position...and all he did was remind us of that." 

Mineta did not seem convinced, and closed in on himself to mutter. Whatever it was, it earned him a dirty look from both Shouji and Jirou. 

The bus stopped and Aizawa turned to the class, "Okay, we're here. Get off quietly." 

The eighteen students were entranced by the huge dome looming before them. Waiting for them in front of the entrance was a hero in an astronaut suit, who opened their arms as soon as they were within earshot.

"The famous class 1-A! I finally meet you in person!" 

Iida managed to keep Uraraka from jumping on the professor in a fit of fangirling as she introduced herself, "I am space heroine Thirteen, and I will be your TA for today. Welcome to the USJ, a facility conceived and designed by me to simulate as faithfully as possible natural disasters of various kinds: floods, landslides, earthquakes, fires, this sort of thing." 

"Now, normally I would explain how the quirks we use every day can be dangerous and how it's a hero's job to put them in the service of the less fortunate...but from what I understand you've already had experience with that, haven't you?" All the students nodded with a tinge of sadness. 

Aizawa sighed, "Come on, let's go inside. Rescue maneuvers are an important and sensitive subject, we can't waste time." 

As the kids entered the facility, Thirteen turned to the man, "Wasn't All Might supposed to be with you?" 

"I sent him to supervise Midoriya. Since he can't come, he'll use this hour to do extra counseling." 

The heroine nodded and the two professors entered the facility, approaching the class, which, meanwhile, was busy admiring the various specialized areas. Ochako clapped her hands, overjoyed, "This is great! Aaah, I can't wait to get started!" 

Kirishima clapped his fist on one hand, "Hey, there's even a simulation for villain attacks! This place has just about everything!" 

"Wait, what?" 

Aizawa looked into the central square and, to his horror, there was indeed a lineup of all kinds of people, many of whom he recognized from the police cards, coming out of a black cloud. The professor put his glasses on his face, "Okay students, change of plans: stay behind Thirteen, don't let your guard down, and use your quirks if necessary." 

Yaoyorozu wrung her hands, "Professor?" 

"Class representatives, keep your classmates together and everyone get out of here. That is not a simulation, we are under attack!" 

Chapter Text

Aizawa was cursing literally everything that had brought him there at that moment, from switching to the hero course at UA to accepting the teaching position under Nedzu. Some things were more obvious than others, such as Ooboro's death or the alcoholism that followed.

As Thirteen led the class toward the exit, he had put his glasses on his face and thrown himself into the crowd of villains. One v everyone fights were not his forte, but he could still stall until reinforcements arrived...assuming he lasted long enough.

The man activated Erasure, watching the villains' expressions go from arrogant to confused as their quirks stopped working; with a leap, and a maneuver practiced countless times in alleyways at night, he threw his scarf at three villains, wrapping around their heads and bringing them close enough to fall on them.

He blinked, deactivating the quirk, and squared the crowd in front of him, which was now more cautious about trying to attack him. A man with four arms and granite skin cursed, "Oh, the hell with it! Hey, hero, how do you fare against mutants?" And with that he charged headlong like a bull.

Eraserhead did not flinch and, in less than a second, took a smoke grenade from his belt and threw it to the ground, covering the base of the stairs in a thick, dark cloud. The villain rushed into it, sounds of a struggle were heard, a metallic thud, and then nothing.

The villains swallowed, even more abashed than before, and began to back away. Before they could get around the cloud or think of attacking from a distance, the scarf bands sprang toward one of them, wrapped him like a mummy, and dragged him into the curtain of smoke, from which came sounds of fighting that ceased as fast as they had begun.

The cloud began to dissolve, and out of it sprang the black silhouette of the hero who, before they could really react, activated his quirk on two other villains and hit them in the throat with a double lariat that became chokeholds strong enough to knock them unconscious. The crowd had created a terror zone of sorts around Eraserhead, who was looking at them with his hair sagging again.

The hero muttered, "Alright, you bunch of idiots. Which one of you is next?"

Momo gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow, staying behind the class to make sure no one strayed too far. Although she tried not to show it, she was more scared than she had ever been in her life.

And given the incident of the week before, that was saying something.

As they headed for the exit, Thirteen swore, "Damn...guys, which one of you has radio equipment?"

Kaminari raised his hand, "Me, ma'am. I'm trying to contact someone, but I can' t seem to get a signal!"

The professor swallowed, "That means they have jamming systems. Until we are out of their range, we can't call for help."

Momo had no time to digest the gravity of the situation, for the black cloud that had carried the Villains there appeared before them, this time complete with two yellow eyes and an iron collar. From it came a deep voice: "Good morning, UA students. Let me introduce myself, my name is Kurogiri and I am a member of the League of Villains. The reason we have come here today is to show this society how useless and weak the heroes it has chosen as its symbol are. To do this we will have to kill you all; too bad All Might is not here, it would have made our message even stronger."

A myriad of black clouds began to appear around and in the middle of the class, startling the already alarmed students to no small degree; Thirteen threw out an expletive and shouted, "Everyone! Get down on the floor!" When all the kids had ducked, the heroine pointed her finger up and activated her quirk: the tip of her finger turned black and created a vacuum that began to suck in everything around it. It was not strong enough to catch the students, but it was more than enough to neutralize the black clouds, which disappeared in less than ten seconds.

The villain made a cry of surprise "You're more efficient than I thought. That means I'll have to take you out first."

The heroine activated the quirk again, trying to suck up the fog that made up the villain's body. The latter did not bat an eye, merely opening a portal behind the hero's back and letting her own suction begin to tear her apart. The students, at this, did not sit idle.

"Don't you dare hurt our teacher!"

Kirishima, Tokoyami and Todoroki immediately sprang to attack the villain, but this forced Thirteen to disable the black hole to avoid disintegrating them, giving Kurogiri the freedom to focus on other things.

In less than a second, the three boys disappeared within the black clouds, followed by several other kids. Momo, in a moment of panic, managed to grab Sero by the arm and pull him out of the way of one of the portals...getting caught instead. 

The last thing she heard before she fell was the teacher's distraught voice, "NO!"

She landed on her back on steep rocky ground, hearing beside her two familiar and very alarmed voices: 

"Yaoyorozu!"

"Damn, are you okay?" 

The girl sat up, massaging the back of her head and focusing on her surroundings: she was standing in what must have been the landslide area, and next to her were Jirou and Kaminari, who were looking at her with worried expressions. They seemed to be alone, at first glance, but the voices and taunting cries confirmed the presence of the villains. 

Momo stood up, helped by Jirou, and tried to assess the situation, "Is it just the three of us?" 

Jirou nodded, "In this area, yes. The others have been scattered around the USJ. And there are something like sixty, seventy villains in here." 

The ravenette swallowed, bringing a finger to her chin: "...our priority right now is to get back with the rest of the class and get out of here. If we could avoid the villains altogether-" 

She did not have time to finish her sentence, because Jirou pushed her away; a second later, a man with mole-like claws and nose jumped out of the ground flailing and trying to cut down anyone nearby. The girl was quick to hit him with her ear jacks and to stun him with a series of very high-frequency sound waves. 

The blond looked around, letting the electricity sizzle between his fingers, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we've got company!" 

Around them, a dozen or so sketchy-looking individuals began to approach, each of them activating quirks in a display of power. 

Momo cursed, creating from her hand an iron rod and from her thigh a baton that was wielded by Jirou. The three students stood on guard, while the criminals sneered under their lips. 

The girl could not say why, but her thoughts went to Midoriya, safely inside the UA. For a split second, she caught herself wishing fervently that the greenie was there with them. 

Thirteen had to call on all her willpower not to open a black hole to maximum power and disintegrate that villain before he could even open whatever he had instead of a mouth. 

It was no secret that the heroine adored her teaching profession, and more than anything else she adored her students. For her, it was a bit like being an older sister mentoring her younger siblings, and she was always thrilled at the idea of being able to help someone in need. 

This meant that she was also fiercely protective of those in her care. 

Thirteen shivered, clenching her fists so hard that she risked breaking her suit gloves. Behind her there were only a few left: Shouji, Uraraka, Sero, and Iida. The four kids were scared, understandably, while their teacher was enraged; the villain, for his part, was of a courtesy that made it all the more frightening/unnerving. 

"And the major part has been taken care of. As for you, I can take care of it with my own hands." 

The gaseous body grew larger, approaching the group like a demonic cloud; Thirteen reactivated the quirk trying to keep the black mist at bay, but when a portal began to disintegrate her arm she was forced to desist. Kurogiri chuckled, "Don't you know that trying the same tactic hoping to change something is the definition of insanity? I expected better from- WHOA!" 

He was so busy monologuing that he failed to react in time to Sero's tape, which wrapped itself around the iron collar and pulled forward, bringing out a denser, humanoid mass of fog. The student rejoiced, "Look at that! So you do have a physical body!" 

Kurogiri tried to open a portal under the boy, but his concentration was broken by an armored kick that caught him in the neck and slammed him violently to the ground. The impact was so hard that he felt something crack, but he did not have time to realize what had happened that he was grabbed and thrown into the air, where he floated toward the walls of the dome with no control of his body. 

Iida and Uraraka hurried back toward their professor, who was starting to suffer the blows of her own quirk. Shouji was forced to make an emergency sling with Sero's ribbon, while keeping an eye on the floating villain with a transformed limb; she wheezed, "You have all been amazing. Now let's hurry up and get out, before that villain-" 

A portal opened beneath her, and it was thanks to Iida and Sero's quick reflexes that she did not fall into it. Shouji threw out an expletive, dodging another portal that appeared below him, "He's trying to make us fall from the ceiling of the dome!" 

Uraraka looked up at the villain, who was opening one portal after another in an attempt to succeed in catching a student or the professor. The girl gritted her teeth, looking at her hands for a second: 'If he falls from that height...I'm a heroine, I can't-' 

"Uraraka, watch out!!!" 

Iida's voice, mixed with the feeling of the fog appearing below her, sent her into a panic, and before she could really register what she was doing, she put her hands together, "Release!" 

The first thing she registered was smoke dissolving from beneath her feet. Right afterwards a portal opened in front of the group and from it the villain fell, hitting the ground with a frightening CRACK. 

The boys looked horrified at the indistinct figure lying on the ground, fearing the worst had happened, when it began coughing and moving awkwardly, "Miss...what you did is v-very unheroic...I think you b-broke my s-sternum...and a l-leg." 

Hearing that the villain was still alive ironically took a weight off everyone's shoulders, followed by Thirteen's more than annoyed voice: "That'll teach you to try to kill us. Come on guys, let's see-" 

Crash! 

A thud rattled the walls of the dome, followed by a smash of shattered glass and bending metal. The heroine cursed loudly, "What now?" When she got up to look at what was going on, her jaw dropped: at the top of the dome, where the reinforced glass skylight used to be, there was now the head and body of a giant black bird, which was staring at the environment below with four red eyes. 

The heroine swallowed, feeling faint before that monster: "Students...now more than ever we must-" 

Now, the heroine was ready to handle teenagers who were scared, or ready to fight, even desperate. All these reactions she would have understood. What she did not expect was for the teens to smile brightly and shout in chorus:

"MIDORIYA!!!" 

A few minutes earlier

All Might darted through the school corridors, followed closely by Midnight, Mic, Vlad, and Midoriya. 

The student swallowed, "Are we u-under attack?" 

All Might gritted his teeth, "It's most likely. Nedzu has lost contact with the cameras, and any attempts to reach Aizawa or Thirteen have come to nothing. We have to go check it out." 

Mic cursed in English, "Shit. Class A is there right now..." 

Midnight bit her fingernail, "Are they the targets? The kids?" 

"What lunatic would attack a class of teenagers, in the heart of UA, in broad daylight? Especially with All Might as a teacher?" 

The four went out into the garden, while the blond man shook his head, "These theories are for later, when they are all safe. Young Midoriya, I know the principal has authorized you to come, but under no circumstances can you engage the enemy unless we give you permission or it's a situation of necessity, understood?" 

The greenie nodded, moving away onto the lawn, "I-if we had to use the b-bus it would take too long. S-stay back!" with these words he put his hands on the ground, focusing and creating a nevermore; the bird, the moment it was fully formed, immediately turned its gaze in a specific direction, ruffling its feathers and beginning to snarl. 

Midoriya swallowed, "He c-can feel it too...g-get on!" 

At the boy's command, the grimm lowered one wing, allowing the four of them to use it as a ramp to position themselves on its back; when everyone was settled, the monster let out a screech to the sky and soared into the air, heading straight for USJ. 

They arrived soon, much sooner than the professors expected. Mic pulled his phone out of his pocket and noted that there was a dead zone around the dome. 

"There's no signal. Looks like the work of a jamming system." 

All Might cursed, then turned to the student, "Young Midoriya, let us land above the dome, where the skylight is. I want to see the situation for myself before I dive in headfirst." 

The boy nodded, giving the order to the bird, which circled around the structure and then perched on top of it, looking at the iron walls like a crow looks at a nut shell. The teachers leaned out to look, and no one liked the scene 

"Oh dear, so many Villains..." 

"That's Shouta there!" 

"Hey, over there, in the landslide area! I think I saw some students!" 

Midoriya, for his part, was horrified. While he was at training, in what should have been a punishment, his classmates and friends were fighting for their lives, heavily outnumbered and separated. The greenie shook his head, banishing thoughts of self-pity and focusing on the situation, "Professor, p-permission to use the n-nevermore to help p-professor Aizawa." 

All Might looked at the boy, the scene below, brightened up and nodded, "Agreed! Get us down there, young man!" 

Izuku nodded and gave the grimm two taps, "N-Nevermore! Get in there!" 

The bird responded with a screech, then pulled back its head and went through the skylight as if it was made of paper. It stood still and stared at the environment below for a few seconds, then flapped and pushed, squeezing its wings and body through the hole and then falling unceremoniously into the middle of the central plaza. 

The villains hurried away, looking at the monster with terror and confusion painted on their faces. This recomposed itself after a few moments and let out a screech that made the faint-hearted villains pass out with terror. Mic jumped down with a laugh, "Well said, my feathered friend!" 

Midnight jumped down next, cracking her whip, "Hey Shouta, how are you? I hope I'm not late!" 

The hero in question managed to smile despite his breathlessness and aching knee, "Right on time. I really needed a hand." 

Vlad King pulled out a bag full of blood, using it to create a scarlet rotating blade; Midoriya immediately descended, shouting at the Nevermore, "N-Nonlethal force! Wreak havoc!" 

The last to dismount was All Might, who squared the crowd of villains with blue eyes blazing with fury: "Your dastardly operation has come to an end, evildoers. Do you know why?" 

As the student walked away, the heroes stood on guard, "BECAUSE WE ARE HERE!" 

The Nevermore sent a screech. And then it was chaos. 

As soon as the Nevermore popped from the ceiling of the dome, Kaminari burst out laughing with his fists in the air, "All right! The cavalry has arrived!" 

Jirou grinned, clutching the baton in her hand, while Momo felt a relief she had felt a few times before. The villains, for their part, were terrified by the monster that had broken in during their raid. 

Seeing them so distracted, Momo got an idea: "Kaminari, get ready!" 

Focusing hard, she pushed the speed of her quirk creation to its maximum, managing to pull a very heavy gray blanket out of her stomach. The girl used it to cover her and Jirou, nodding to the blond, "This is a rubber, hyper-insulating blanket. They're all yours!" 

The boy grinned and looked at the circle of villains, who in the process had remembered that there were also students. He opened his arms, coated with electricity like two tesla coils, and shouted, "Okay Midoriya, I'm trusting your idea! If it doesn't work, it's on you!" 

All the electricity focused on his hands, and Kaminari clapped them hard above his head, "1,000,000 volts! Thunderclap!" 

The moment the hands joined there was an explosion-like roar and a wave of electricity swept through the surrounding area, striking the villains and sending them convulsing to the ground. The blond collapsed to his knees, his gaze vacant and his head spinning, "Wooow...that...was...a...blast!" 

He began to giggle as the girls came out from under the insulating blanket. Jirou brought a hand to her temple, "Oh, damn it...hey Kaminari, are you still with us?" 

The blond tried to get back on his feet, but it was like he had forgotten how to walk. He ended up falling on the ground, without stop giggling, "Standing is too difficult...I think...I'll take a nap..." 

The girl blurted out, stepping closer to help him, "Oh no, Kaminari. We are still surrounded by villains, don't even think of-" 

The sentence died in her throat when one of the villains suddenly appeared behind the boy and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him like a sack of potatoes, "And who would have thought there would be another electric quirk in this rabble of brats? Color me impressed, kid." 

The girls put their hands back on their weapons, but the villain waved Kaminari like a shield: "Don't do anything weird, or we'll see what your friend's electrical resistance amounts to! But if I had to guess, I'd say it's not much." 

Yaoyorozu gritted her teeth, doing her best to analyze the situation and find a way out. 

'If I created a flashbang we could take him by surprise...I just have to remember the composition...' 

The moment her shoulder began to glow, however, Jirou elbowed her lightly in the side, "Stop right there, Yaomomo." 

"Jirou, what are you doing?" 

"You can't create any more things. That blanket has already made you too thin." 

The villain snickered, "Listen to your little friend, girlie. Why don't you be a good girl and put your hands where I can see them?" 

Yaoyorozu gritted her teeth, desperately searching for a solution, a distraction, anything that- 

Suddenly Jirou gave a wide smile. The girl lazily raised her arms, "Alright, we give up-" 

"Jirou! You can't be serious!" 

The villain snickered, "I like you kid. You have brains, unlike..." 

Yaoyorozu did not listen to the rest of the sentence: her gaze had fallen on something that was approaching at a fast pace...and she suddenly understood what Jirou's plan was.

Letting go of the iron bar, she raised her hands, "Okay, I get it, you win. Now let our friend go." 

The man tightened his grip on Kaminari's neck, "Oh, no, you don't think it's that easy, do you? I want you both to get down on your knees, with your hands behind your heads...and don't you dare play any tricks!" 

The two girls exchanged a glance, then looked at the man with a smug expression; he began to get nervous, "Didn't you hear me? I said on your knees!" 

Almost as if to answer him, a panting that had nothing human about it arose behind him, and the heat of its breath made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

"There's...something, behind me, isn't there?" 

In response, a paw the size of his head hit him with enough force to send him sprawling on the ground. The villain barely had time to see the monstrous black bear that this one was on him, pawing and shaking him around like a stuffed toy. 

Jirou immediately ran to pick up Kaminari and help him to his feet, "Let's go!!!" 

Momo nodded and turned to start running, but froze when she saw a huge two-headed snake looking at her. Kaminari, already more sober, widened his eyes, "It's one of Midoriya's grimm...what was its name already...King something..." 

Yaoyorozu approached, "King Taijitu..." The snake lowered its white head, bringing it down to the girl's level...and suddenly it was clear why it was there. 

"Jirou, Kaminari! Get on top of it!" 

The two kids widened their eyes, "WHAT?!" 

The ravenette proved her point by climbing on top of the grimm's head and clinging to the white armor; when the snake made no objection, the other two hurried to climb on top of the black head, also clinging to the armor. 

Once the students were retrieved, the grimm began to slither at full speed toward the entrance staircase, with the ursa coming after him once it lost interest in the villain. 

Tsuyu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Nevermore enter through the roof of the dome; she would have been in an even better mood if she were not stuck with Mineta 

"IIIIIIH!!! Midoriya is here too!!! We are dead, this is the end of us!" 

The frog girl considered herself a stoic person, but she was reaching the limit of her patience. Ever since she had managed to get on the boat in the shipwreck zone with Mineta, the midget had not stopped whining about his life, how he couldn't die, his choice to study heroism, and so on (and that's without counting stretching his hands in inappropriate areas). A less patient person than her would have already thrown him in the water and let the villains do what they came for. 

The girl shook off these thoughts and tried to keep her voice neutral: "Mineta, please, I beg of you, be quiet, kero. I'm pretty sure I saw All Might riding that grimm, so please try not to whine." 

The boy swallowed, "D-did he? Then it's all right...b-but there are still t-those monsters..." 

Tsuyu rubbed one temple, trying to ignore the voice beside her and focus on finding a way back to shore. The answer came when something landed on the roof of the ship with a screech, knocking the villains back into the water and tearing a scream from Mineta. 

The girl shifted her gaze to the quadrupedal, winged grimm, which was staring at the purple boy with something akin to appetite. She turned to Mineta, trying not to show the irritation in her voice, "Mineta, grimms are attracted to negative feelings. The more you fear him, the more it will see you as its dinner, kero." 

The purple boy was pressed against the balustrade of the boat, looking at the grimm with wide eyes, "H-how can I not be afraid of this thing!" 

Tsuyu looked at him for a second longer before muttering, "It's here for us." 

"WHAT!" 

"I mean Midoriya sent it for us, kero. Get him on his back, quick!"

Mineta squealed worse than the nevermore: "ARE YOU KIDDING?!" 

And that was the final straw. 

"MINETA, GET ON THAT FUCKING GRIMM!" To hell with negative feelings, they had to get a move on before the villains did. The boy finally decided to comply. Once they were on its back, the grimm shook its head a couple of times, took a leap and soared toward the exit. 

"How do you feel, Mina?" 

"You mean beyond fear and exhaustion? Fabulous." 

The two students stood back to back, stuck in the dilapidated room of the ruin area as around them the villains prepared to attack again. The girl was out of breath and her hands were swollen from having used too much acid, while Kirishima was starting to feel his hands go numb from all the hardened blows he was pulling. 

Mina gave a bitter laugh: "You know, this is the moment in action movies where the hero reveals their true feelings to the co-star."

The boy raised an eyebrow, "Do you have something to tell me?" 

The fact that the girl managed to blush despite the situation they were in was deeply ironic: "I meant you, not me!" 

"Me? The hero?" 

Mina huffed rolling her eyes, "If we survive I have to give you lessons in melodramatic etiquette..." 

Kirishima gritted his teeth, "IF we survive." 

The villains, obviously tired of the discussion, moved in to attack again, and the kids snapped back to guard, activating their quirks and preparing to respond. 

Crash! 

Everyone present recoiled as a claw the size of half the room broke through the wall and began flailing around trying to hit something. This retreated after a few moments, and in its place a scorpion tail began to dart into the room, targeting the crowd of villains with its golden sting. 

Mina and Kirishima stood gaping, "Kiri...that's-" 

The girl was interrupted by another wall being demolished, this time by a black manticore with red eyes, who looked at the two for a few seconds before approaching and lowering its head. 

Kirishima, once he got over the shock, laughed in elation, "Midoriya, you' re a savior!" 

Mina wasted no time and climbed onto the grimm, also laughing in disbelief, "I could kiss that boy!" 

Once they were both on the manticore, it turned and went out the way it had come in, soaring toward the exit. As they flew, Kirishima raised an eyebrow, "So...about those drama lessons..." 

Mina tapped him behind the ear, "Let's think about that when we get out of here!" 

Todoroki watched the Nevermore start fighting villains in the central plaza along with the teachers. 

'Why Midoriya...oh, right, he was in detention. It's a little strange that they let him come, but his quirk is proving extremely useful' 

The boy turned back to the villains...who had all been frozen as soon as they had tried to attack him. They weren't all that great in preparation, which had made it much easier. Even the questioning had been a matter of moments; it had been enough to remind him how bad hypothermia was. 

Which had brought to light the troubling information that this group of criminals bragged that they had something to rival All Might in terms of power; some sort of secret weapon kept especially for him, despite not being the main target. 

'So they came here for us...is it because we are students? Do they think we are weak?'

A sound of galloping and panting diverted him from these thoughts: a grimm with feline features had approached the area, whose head was covered with a skull-like armor. The most pronounced feature were the canines, long and sharp to the extreme. The grimm slowed its run when it saw the boy, apparently not at all bothered by the cold or icy ground. 

"Midoriya to the rescue! And look how handsome this grimm is, it's almost cute!" 

Yeah, Hagakure was there, too. He was so entangled in his own thoughts that he had forgotten about her. 

Todoroki sighed, starting to walk toward the central plaza, "I'm going to go help the teachers. If they really have something to match All Might-" 

His sentence was interrupted by a glove grabbing him by the scruff of his costume and yanking him on the grimm. Although he could not see her, the boy was certain that Hagakure was already comfortable in front of him.

She finished the sentence, "-you come with us and get out of here. If they really can deal with All Might, what do you expect us to be able to do?" 

Todoroki tried to protest, "Listen here-" 

The girl ignored him, choosing instead to smack the grimm on the shoulder and send him galloping toward the exit. And if by chance Todoroki, the recommendation student, the ice prince, ended up letting out a shriek...well, that would be their little secret. 

The Beowulf came out of the storm zone with two soaked students on its back. It shook a little to dry itself off (almost sending the two boys flying off) and ran for the exit, circling the central square that had become a war zone. 

Tokoyami was hanging on tight to the spikes on the grimm's back, while Dark Shadow was helping Koda stay on its back. Suddenly they heard beside them a shout, "Hey guys!" 

The two turned to look, feeling a wave of relief wash over them when they saw Ojiro and Satou safely clinging to the back of a grimm gorilla, who was running and jumping beside them. 

"Are you all right?" 

Tokoyami nodded, "The beast of darkness found us before the villains could. I'm grateful for that, the storm zone is very difficult to navigate."

Satou laughed, "Don't tell us! The fire zone is, literally, hell. Good thing this big guy can climb the burning buildings or we would still be there looking for the exit." 

The Beringel made no sign that he had heard the boy's praise, as it continued to run toward the staircase. Tokoyami smiled, stroking the beowulf's skull, "Well, I got my answer." 

"Huh?" 

"How Midoriya would put darkness at the service of the people...that's how." 

Izuku stood up, shaking his vein-covered hands a couple of times, and started running up the stairs. He needed a view from above...and maybe Thirteen was still there, who knows. 

As he reached the top, the first thing he heard were four voices.

"MIDORIYA!" 

Uraraka jumped on him, clutching him and jumping like a cricket, "You're here, you're here!" 

Sero tapped him on the shoulder, "You don't know how happy we are to see you and the teachers!" 

Mezou, still helping Thirteen stand, approached, "How did you know we were under attack?" 

The greenie turned serious: "I felt a very strong wave of fear and murderous intent coming from here. When I told the professors, they saw that we could not reach either Thirteen or Aizawa, and we came here." 

The professor nodded, "That might have been our salvation. Come on, let's get out of here! The farther we get from the conflict zone, the better." 

Izuku shook his head, "Professor, we have to wait a few moments." 

"What the heck does that mean!" 

The greenie showed his hands covered with red veins, "Before coming up here, I sent grimms to retrieve the other students. We can't leave them here!" 

Although her face was not uncovered, the change in her posture said a lot about the heroine's relief, "Midoriya, you are a godsend. As soon as we get out of here, be sure to get extra credit!" 

The talk was interrupted by a resounding screech; seconds later, the griffon landed above the stairs, followed closely by the manticore. 

Mina, like Uraraka, hugged the greenie tightly, "Mido!!! Thank you, thank you!" 

Kirishima patted him on the back, "Bro, you really saved our bacon!" 

Not far away, Tsuyu nodded, despite Mineta's trembling, "Ditto with us, kero. We owe you one." 

A snake head peeped out from above the trees, with Momo, Kaminari, and Jirou on it; the three jumped onto the catwalk, and Kaminari opened his arms, though still a bit groggy: "Give it up for Midoriya, the MVP of the day!"

Jirou patted the greenie's shoulder, "Thank you, huh." 

Momo, for her part, smiled in the most genuine way she did in years, "I'm glad you came. I really am." Izuku caught himself brightening up at the appreciation. 

The Sabertooth came climbing the stairs, letting down Hagakure and a pale, staggering Todoroki: "Midoriya...I thank you for your help...that said...I have no intention of ever doing anything like that again." 

The girl giggled, giving him a pat on the back that almost sent him face-first to the ground, "Oh, come on! That wasn't so bad!" 

The last to arrive were the Beowulf and the Beringel. Tokoyami gave the greenie a bow, "Thank you for coming in our time of need," while Koda behind him nodded his thumbs up. 

Ojiro gave a nod of thanks to Midoriya, before turning to the rest of the kids, "Is that everyone?" 

Thirteen did a quick count, "Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen! Yes, that's everyone!" 

From the central square came a bang, followed by an agonized screech. Midoriya ran to look, only to open his eyes wide at the scene: the Nevermore had just been taken down by a villain the size of All Might, with a beak full of sharp teeth and a bare brain. The professors had succeeded in neutralizing the crowd of petty criminals but were struggling with that beast, to the point that All Might himself looked tried. Not far away, there were two villains watching the fight, one skinny and covered with hands, the other with his body covered in black mist and, judging by his bearing, definitely in bad shape. 

Thirteen called out, "Midoriya! We have to go!" 

The greenie gritted his teeth, trying to decide what was the right thing to do; after a few seconds he turned around, put two fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle that caught the attention of all the grimms nearby. 

"Get down there and go help the teachers! Nonlethal force!"

The monsters responded with every kind of screech, roar, hiss, and grunt they could muster, then ran toward the battle zone and attacked the three villains en masse with a ferocity that, were it not for the order to restrain themselves, would have been alarming. 

Izuku nodded, "Okay, now we can go."

The class finally ran at full speed to the exit door of the facility, finding it closed, however. Iida and Kirishima tried to force it open, but it would not budge an inch. Thirteen stepped forward to disintegrate it, but the moment she raised her hand the wounds caused her to fall to her knees. 

Mineta shrieked, "We're trapped!" 

The students alternated their gaze between the central square and the closed door, and many already feared that they would be locked there for much longer when suddenly Yaoyorozu stepped forward

"Ashido! How much acid can you create?" 

The girl shook her head, "Not enough nor strong enough to melt it." 

"Never mind. Cover as much of the surface with acid as you can, you just need to weaken it." 

The other nodded and went to work, spreading a veil of acid liquid over the door while, from behind them, the sounds of battle became even more frantic. Sero swallowed,

"Let's hurry, before the villains have half a mind to return here to check!" 

The girl used her quirk as much as possible, struggling against the pain of the burns with clenched teeth and eyes that were starting to tear. At one point she pulled away, breathing heavily and with shaking hands, "Th-that's all I can do..." 

Momo nodded, "That's fine. Todoroki, freeze the door in the acid-covered area!" 

The boy stepped forward with a mumble, "I trust your plan, Yaoyorozu. I hope for everyone's sake it is good" Tapping a foot, he sent a streak of ice to the ground that reached the door and froze the corroded area in less than five seconds. 

The girl nodded, "Perfect! Iida, Kirishima, Satou, Tokoyami! Hit the frozen area, all at once and as hard as you can!" 

The four boys got into position, having now figured out what the girl's plan was: Iida began to warm up his engines, Kirishima hardened his entire body, Satou downed two sugar packets, and Tokoyami let out a Dark Shadow twice his size.

The girl made the rest of the class back away, "NOW!" 

Kirishima charged like a bull, head down and hands crossed in front of him, "Red Ram!" 

Satou took a run-up, only to leap and join his hands in a double fist from above: "Sweet Hammer!" 

Iida activated his quirk at half-power, running and gaining enough speed before cranking up the gears to the max and using the momentum to hit with a knee strike: "Recipro Burst: Double Ignition!" 

Dark Shadow brought herself back and then made a sweep with the full weight of her body, using the shadow beak as an ice axe: "Death Scythe!" 

The result was a foregone conclusion: the wall, already weakened by acid and the violent drop in temperature, could not withstand the impact of four quirks who specialized in direct combat. The icy zone shattered instantly, opening a hole that gave directly to the outside. 

Kaminari raised both fists in the air, "It worked! Yaoyozoru, you're a genius!" 

Thirteen waved her arm, "Everybody get out! Go, go, go!!!" 

The students obeyed and ran outside. The last thing heard inside the dome was All Might's voice thundering "PLUS ULTRA!" followed by the impact of a body against the USJ walls. 

Chapter Text

Nedzu lowered his cup of tea, his brow furrowed under his mandid fur. The situation was anything but good. 

The news of the attack on the USJ had been the front page of news reports across the country, and would remain so for at least another month. It was the first time that a group of villains had attempted such a reckless action against a heroic school, managing, moreover, to come out on top: the leader, identified as Shigaraki Tomura, and the teleporter Kurogiri had managed to escape, leaving behind seventy-two low-level criminals. The fact that no one had been injured was not so much an achievement as the minimum the country expected of UA. The school was receiving pressure and criticism from all sides, especially from the commission, for which this represented a golden opportunity to discredit UA and, consequently, Nedzu. 

Fortunately, news of the incident during the first heroics class was not public knowledge, or heads would have rolled. 

"I thought I made myself clear last week." 

Unfortunately, there was someone who knew exactly what had happened on the second day of school. 

Nedzu looked up, resting his gaze on the figure of Mrs. Hexe. The woman had just finished drinking her cup of tea, and if looks could kill the principal would be dead three times over. 

"I am extremely embarrassed by this situation, Mrs. Hexe. We have poorly organized the increase in our security, and this has been the result." 

Salem looked at the mammal with a stern expression, "You expected them to target All Might. So you increased the security of the perimeter, expecting a direct attack." It was not a question, Nedzu noted. 

"That' s how it is. We had no idea they would target students, nor that they had a teleportation quirk at their disposal. If not for your nephew, the outcome of the attack would have been tragedy."

The woman clasped her hands in her lap, "Sir, don't try to use praise to distract me" 'As proud as I am of him' "the fact that Izuku, a child, was the most helpful person in that situation is concerning." 

The principal lowered his head, "I realize that." 

Salem went to add something, but bit her tongue in the end. She was no longer the immortal witch who commanded her men using fear and awe: she was a CEO and an aunt, there as both a student relative and sponsor. She had hammered enough; it was time to be diplomatic. 

"...As disappointed, and frankly even angry, as I am with this institution...I must strike a blow in your favor and say that it was impossible to predict the presence of a teleporter. Rest assured, however, that I will be keeping a much closer eye on school security." 

Nedzu nodded, "As is your right." 

The woman nodded in return, not without a hint of satisfaction, and changed the subject, "Well, I guess it's only fair that I provide the school with Remnant Industries' most...valued products. If I'm not mistaken, one of your teachers is a hero with a supporting engineer's license, right?" 

"The excavating hero, Power Loader. I will inform him of this and we will see if we can arrange an afternoon where he can see and judge your instruments. Unfortunately, this is going to be a pretty busy month for us." 

"Mh, I can imagine that. However, the predictable canceling of the sports festival should clear a considerable time window for you." 

Silence fell in the office. Although Nedzu did not have the muscles to express the same range of human emotions, the awkwardness in his posture was evident, "Well...about that..." 

Salem looked at him as if she wanted to turn him into a handbag: " There will be no sports festival...I hope." 

The mammal shook his head, "I'm afraid I have no say in the matter. Following the attack, I immediately told the school board that the festival would be canceled for security reasons, but the commission representatives insisted that it would be held as scheduled." 

He sighed, "Normally I could comfortably stand up to them, but the events of the past few days have played against me, and the commission has gained the support of the ministers of education, entertainment and sports. No matter how influential I am, in the end I remain only a principal; I cannot go against the state organ of heroism and three government ministers." 

The woman hardened her features, masking the irritation boiling inside her, "What are the concessions on this matter?" 

Nedzu shook his head, "Almost none. I can't even postpone it for a day, the only thing I can do is to increase security tenfold and accelerate the schedule of the heroics courses to make them ready for a wave of criminals more daring and prepared than normal." 

Salem nodded, closing her eyes and summoning all the self-control she possessed to prevent herself from blurting out to the principal's face: 'The fact that they care more about the image of this stupid tradition than the safety of the kids is baffling. This pretentiousness, this arrogance...are what destroyed Beacon'

"I understand. I will be sure to select a satisfactory range of products for evaluation." 

Salem rose from his chair, "Mr. Principal, I wish I could say it was a pleasure. We should have tea once that we don't have to discuss situations like this."

Nedzu jumped up on the desk and extended a paw to the woman, "I agree. We can only hope that things will get better." 

The woman shook it, nodding, "Let's hope so. Expect to receive a gift from me by the end of the week," and with that she left the office. 

Walking down the corridors, she went over her schedule for the day: 'I have to notify the company to set aside the items to submit to UA, and this evening I have dinner with Inko and Izuku. But first...if Kagero has any self-preservation he'll get a move on with that meeting!'

"Remember, Shigaraki: every failure is a learning opportunity." 

Inside a bar in Kamino, the two survivors of the USJ attack were discussing with a voice coming from a television. The younger villain threw out an expletive as he adjusted the ice on his head, "I know, master, I know...but it's so frustrating! Everything was going well, All Might wasn't there, the munchkins were separated...and all of a sudden this secret superboss pops up and screws everything up! Which makes me wonder, how on earth did they know about the attack? Kurogiri, did one of the brats manage to escape by any chance?" 

The bartender shook his head, stopping mid-movement as his rib started to hurt again, "N-no, young Tomura. When the teachers came riding that bird- ouch! ...when they came riding the bird, I was at the entrance holding Thirteen and the kids with her." 

Shigaraki clapped a hand on the table with a resigned look (being careful to keep one finger up), "Then I can't explain it. It looks like a cutscene made for plot reasons more than gameplay reasons." 

The voice from the TV reassured, "We will have other opportunities. Now that we know UA has such an asset available, we will be more careful...which will make it even more important to keep an eye on this year's sports festival." 

"Alright...ngh, stupid bear..." 

The master chuckled, "Memorize the pain you felt, Shigaraki. It will be more coal that will fuel the fire of your fury. And soon, this fury will destroy this rotten civilization." And with that, the television set went off. 

Tomura waited a few seconds, looking at the TV as if it would turn on again at any moment; when he was sure it was really off, he went and threw himself on the couch with a grunt, "FINALLY! How I hate unskippable cutscenes, I thought he would never shut up." 

Kurogiri raised an eyebrow, "Sooner or later you will have to tell him your opinions about what you're doing, you know?" 

The villain took artist's gloves from a drawer and put them on his hands, "And give him an excuse to 'educate' me, as he says? Thanks, I value what little mental stability I have left. Hey, 'Giri, can you get me Uncle Nietzsche?" 

The bartender created a portal above the table, from which fell a heavy hardbound book; the cover read "The Twilight of the Idols; How to Philosophize with a Hammer." Tomura picked it up and began to leaf through it, stopping where the bookmark was and resuming reading. 

Kurogiri sighed, "If Sensei catches you with that..." 

"I know, I know, I'm as good as dead. Give me a break!" 

Shigaraki turned the page, tapping his finger on the table and starting to mumble, "I'm not even mad about them beating me up, I mean, we were trying to kill them, fair enough. What makes me angry is that they came out of nowhere like that." 

The bartender nodded, "Understandable. Although them breaking my bones like that was not very nice..." 

The villain shrugged, "Hey, I almost had a demonic bear smash my neck bone, don't whine" Then he sighed, "And of course, we just had to go looking for troubles at UA" 

"We are still Villains." 

Shigaraki rolled his eyes, "Kurogiri, villain is a label, not a job. We could do nothing and society would go to hell on its own. We're just speeding things up."

The bartender sighed, "Maybe..." 

"Anyway, I hope the attack scared the shit out of those at the top. They must have well understood that not even the number one school is above ruin." 

After a few moments spent reading, he added, "While we're at it, let's get back in touch with Giran. We can use the attack as an advertisement for the guild. But this time let's roll for Ultra Rare units, quality over quantity." 

'Sensei was right about one thing: we will have to keep an eye on the sports festival. I want the name and address of the minion spammer.'

Inko put the pot on the stove, smiling at the woman next to her, "I didn't think you still knew your way around a kitchen, Salem." 

The witch raised an eyebrow with a smile, "You should know that I have a good memory. Ten years is a short time for me." 

"Of course, ms. 'I spent two months in an unknown world and I must immediately become a corporate head.'" 

"Come on, are you still rubbing it in my face?" 

"And always will!" 

As the two women laughed, Izuku finished arranging his grimm notes in his room. He was busy studying the anatomy of a "Leviathan" when the doorbell rang. 

The boy rushed out of the room with a shout, "I'll get it!" 

When he opened the door, he was confronted by four teenagers in casual clothes. 

"Hey Midoriya! We're not disturbing, are we?" Uraraka was exuberant as usual, to the point that Iida had to restrain her from entering without the greenie's permission. 

Izuku brightened, "Guys! What are you doing here?" 

Iida adjusted his glasses, "We thought it was only right to come see you after what happened the other day." 

Tokoyami nodded, "It is befitting to express proper gratitude." 

Yaoyorozu made a small bow, "That is, if you don't have any plans. We wouldn't want to disturb..." 

The greenie moved from the entrance, "Of course not! Come on in!" 

The moment the kids walked through the door, they found two women staring at them from the end of the hallway: one was shorter and chubby, with the same green hair as Midoriya and a jovial expression; the other was tall and menacing, with black and red eyes and white hair. The first smiled, "Oh dear, we weren't expecting guests. Are you Izuku's friends?" 

Iida nodded, "Yes ma'am. Iida Tenya, at your service." 

When he turned to introduce the rest of the kids, he was somewhat taken aback by the expressions of Tokoyami and Uraraka, both open in reverential awe at the white figure. Yaoyorozu, for her part, was much more composed: "Mrs. Hexe! You here too?" 

The woman opened in a warm smile, "Oh, young Yaoyorozu. Well, how could I not visit my nephew after what happened at UA?" 

The other two kids took a few seconds to find the words, with Tokoyami swallowing, "Midoriya...is this queen of darkness your famous aunt?" 

Izuku nodded with a smile, "Yup! Guys, this is my Aunt Salem, who taught me how to keep my quirk under control." 

The boy bowed, "Tokoyami Fumikage. It is...it is a great honor to stand before you, ma'am." 

Finally, Uraraka shook herself, making a bow that would rival Iida's: "U-Uraraka Ochako, m-ma'am. And, s-same" Izuku was fairly certain he heard her murmur something like "rich lady," but he asked no questions.

The witch made a small bow in return, while Inko joined hands, "How well-mannered you are! I'm glad Izuku has found such delightful friends!" 

The greenie blushed, but Salem was not looking at him: her gaze was on a Yaoyorozu who was looking around with an increasingly confused look. The woman wrinkled her eyebrows and whispered something to Inko, who nodded and opened her arms, "Unfortunately, I didn't make dinner for everyone...but I can still offer you something to eat, especially since you have traveled so far for my son! Come on, come into the living room!" 

As the rest of the boys followed Inko, Salem held Yaoyorozu by the shoulder, "Can we talk for a bit?" 

The girl became suddenly serious, trying not to show her nervousness and confusion, "It's...fine." 

The woman sighed, "Yaoyorozu...is everything okay?" 

Momo nodded, trying to be as convincing as possible, "Yes ma'am. Don't worry." 

"I wasn't worried until you said that. What's wrong?" 

The girl blushed, trying to stammer an apology before giving up with a sigh, "It's just that...I don't understand." 

Salem raised an eyebrow, "You don't understand what?" 

Momo opened one arm, "All this. It's so...mundane. I can't understand, if Midoriya is really your nephew, why doesn't he live like you, or like me?" 

The woman sighed, "Yaoyorozu, try to understand that Inko is an independent woman. Everything you see here she has earned by her own strength, and she is proud of it. Of course, it wouldn't be a problem for me to offer her and Izuku every possible comfort...but she doesn't want that, and I have to respect her wishes. And the same goes for Izuku: I help him with his Quirk, but nothing more. He wants to become a hero on his own strength; it would be wrong of me to give him an advantage." 

The girl seemed to become even more confused, "But...it doesn't make sense. If he has no ties to Remnant Industries...if he's unrelated to your business...what would be the point of becoming my friend? I mean, when you came to my place for dinner, you wanted to set up a deal, didn't you? That's why you advised me to approach him." 

'Oh, this poor girl. I grew up in a tower, she grew up in a zoo.' 

Salem put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head with a smile, "Yaoyorozu, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. When I told you that you would get along with Izuku, I had no ulterior motive-I sincerely believe that my nephew is a wonderful boy, and I really thought you would become friends. Apparently, I was right." 

Momo ignored the blush in her cheeks, too busy untangling the chaos in her head, "But...if I am his friend...if he is my friend...there must be a point. A purpose, a goal, something to justify our relationship." 

"Is that really necessary?" 

The girl looked at Salem like she had grown a second head, "Huh?" 

The woman smiled, "Being friends with someone else does not necessarily require material motivation. Sometimes it is enough to appreciate the other person for who they are." 

Momo stared blankly, like a world opened before her. Salem patted her on the back, "Go on, go with your friends. We wouldn't want to worry them, would we?" 

The girl seemed at that moment to recover from her thoughts and, red-cheeked, ran to join her group, busy admiring Inko's photos and food. Salem leaned against the wall, looking at the kids with a smile on her face.

"Salem! Can you come and give me a hand?" 

The witch went to the kitchen, just in time to miss the look Momo gave Izuku. 

After a three-day break, classes resumed as usual. Aizawa entered the classroom exactly as the bell rang, stopping at the desk and looking around the class. 

"Students, welcome back. I want to start the day with an announcement: as you can see, one of you is not present." 

All the students had a strong sense of déjà vu when they noticed that Mineta's desk was empty. The professor resumed, "Two days after the attack on USJ, Mineta Minoru voluntarily chose to withdraw from this school. This means you will have not one, but two new classmates." 

The class mumbled for a few moments, digesting the news. No one missed how the girls seemed particularly relieved. 

Before Aizawa could continue speaking, a hand went up. "Yes, Mezou?" 

"Professor, did Mineta say why he wanted to leave?" 

The teacher maintained his impassive expression and neutral tone, "Mineta's motives are his personal business. I expect respect for his decision, understood?" 

Aizawa didn't know how to explain that the purple midget had entered the principal's office in tears with the resignation letter in his hand, confessing that he did not feel safe inside the school after USJ. So he did exactly that; he did not explain it.

(In truth, the verbatim words were "I came to UA because I thought I would pick up easy. If being a hero means facing criminals like that, I'd rather use tinder," with a lot of extra tears and stammering. How he had earned his place in the class in the first place was still a mystery.) 

The class, fortunately, asked no more questions and nodded. Aizawa resumed, "With this announcement out of the way, we can move on to the next point: in less than a month, there will be the UA sports festival." 

Reactions were varied: the more belligerent students like Kirishima and Satou were enthusiastic at the announcement, while the more reserved ones mumbled among themselves. One of these was Tsuyu, who raised a hand, "Professor, is it really a good idea to hold the sports festival right after such an attack, kero?"

The teacher shrugged, "The Hero Commission, together with the ministers of sports, entertainment and education, want to assert that UA was not intimidated by what happened. Regardless of whether it is a good idea or not, it is certainly an important opportunity for your careers: many professional heroes will watch the festival, and based on what they see they may choose to hire you after you graduate. It is imperative that you do your best." 

The students nodded, now sufficiently convinced. Aizawa continued, "Classes will continue as scheduled; therefore, it is up to you to train as much as possible. Midoriya, this means that your punishment is still valid." 

The greenie puffed but said nothing, while a couple of classmates (primarily Uraraka and Kaminari) had to restrain themselves from snickering at his adorable reaction. The professor yawned, "Okay, that's it. You have the hour free, as long as you don't destroy the classroom." 

Akaguro Chizome squatted on the ledge of the roof, gazing at the streets below. The night was shaping up to be long and frustrating.

Barely three days had passed since his arrival in Hosu, and the town's heroic presence had already been nearly halved. The situation was embarrassing: bribes to turn a blind eye, sexist comments, acting only in the main streets and not in the crime-ridden alleys...it sounded like the plot of some noir movie. Never before had he been so happy to have disciples with him. 

Speaking of which, one of them was sitting next to him, swinging her legs in the wind. 

"Heyyyy, master...I'm getting bored. Aren't we bleeding someone tonight?" 

Stain gave a sigh, "I don't know. The heroes of this city went on the run once they realized we were the ones acting...which makes them all the more fakes. They should at least try, damn it." 

The girl giggled, "Maybe they are smart and know they would be filleted." 

The man looked at her dryly, "Intelligence without courage is cowardice. If they know I'm in this town, why don't they ambush me? Organize with the police? Form alliances so they can catch me?" 

"Uh, I know, I know! Because the only thing they want is notoriety, catching the bad guy is almost a footnote. And allying means sharing the credit." 

Stain nodded, "Exactly. What society calls heroes are nothing more than bounty hunters, glorified soldiers with whom the system secures its hold over the population. A population that often finds itself in the middle of this puppet show, in the form of victims. A number that rises constantly, becoming a narrative tool to justify the perpetration of this charade." 

The other yawned, "I see what you mean but I'm still bored. The only heroes left are the few decent ones we don't have to kill...should we move out sooner than planned?" 

The man rubbed his pointed chin, "Hmm...at this point it is possible." 

"You would be doing me a great favor if you didn't." 

The two turned in a flash, weapons in hand and ready to be drawn. On the roof, with his hands raised, was a man with silver hair and beard, a cigarette in his mouth and the expression of someone who was trying not to tremble. 

"Woah, woah, oook. Can we put the knives down, please? I'm not a hero and I'm not the police." 

The girl did not move her hand an inch, but Stain loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword, "Then who are you?" 

The man bowed, "Giran, gentlemen, the best information broker this side of Kanto. I struggled quite a lot to be able to find you, do you know that Stain?" 

He raised an eyebrow, "How come you came looking for me of all people? I can do my own research, I don't need a consultant." 

"I don't doubt that, but in this case I'm coming on behalf of someone else. A client of mine is...interested in talking to you. They said they would like someone with whom to discuss the state of modern heroism in this country." 

This captured his interest. He completely released his grip on the sword and knife, but made no gesture to dissuade the girl at his side, "Ah really. Is there someone who wishes to parley with me? One of the most wanted criminals in the country?" 

The broker shrugged, "I'm not paid to ask questions."

Stain furrowed his brow, "And who wishes to see me? Is it by any chance this League of Villains that attacked UA recently?" 

The way Giran paled was visible even in the dim night light: "No, nononono. In fact, I'm pretty sure my client hates them with a passion." 

"Then who?"

"...I'm not sure I can divulge that information..."

The girl sent a growl, "If you care about your skin you'd better-" 

Stain raised a hand to shush her, "Himiko, relax." Then he turned back to Giran: "What my disciple meant is that it is very difficult for me to trust a meeting arranged by someone whose name I don't even know. For all I know, it could be a trap." 

The broker swallowed, looked away, pondered his options. Finally, he gave a sigh and replied, "I see. The person looking for you is Mrs. Salem Hexe...founder and CEO of Remnant Industries." 

And just like that, Stain's irritation reached proverbial levels. 

"I am not a mercenary or a hit man. No amount of money will ever buy my blade." 

Giran put his hands out, "I know, I know that, and I assure you the lady knows it too. I told you, she just wants to talk to you. She said, and I quote, she wishes to have someone to debate the philosophies of modern heroism with." 

The other squinted his eyes, scanning the broker's face for traces of lies or deception. Finally, he beckoned the girl to lower the knife: "I will trust your word. Don't make me regret it." 

Giran seemed to grow lighter all of a sudden: "Wonderful. I must ask you to stick around for a while longer, at least until I can arrange the meeting." 

Before leaving he added, "Oh, one last thing: I have been working with Mrs. Hexe for years now. I can assure you that she values the word above the sword." 

'And loyalty above all else'

Chapter Text

Izuku swallowed, looking at the wooden door of the principal's office. It was not the first time he had done something like this...but doing it himself was always unnerving. 

He reached out his hand to knock, but before his fingers could touch the wood the door opened by itself and a sharp voice called out to him, "Come in, Mr. Midoriya!"

The boy took a deep breath and entered the office: on the other side of the room, sitting at his desk, the principal had put down some papers and was looking at him, "You'll forgive me if I don't offer you tea, but you caught me in a bit of a busy moment."

The boy stammered, "Oh, i-if it helps I-I can come by l-later..." 

Nedzu waved a paw, "Please, I just needed an excuse to think of something else. So, what can I do for you?" 

Izuku wrinkled his hands for a moment before answering, " Well...you s-see, it's about m-my aunt. She told you s-she was going to s-send you a p-present, didn't she?" 

The mammal nodded, his black eyes alight with a curious sparkle: "Exactly. Do you happen to know what this is about?" 

The greenie nodded, "Actually, I'm-I'm here t-to deliver it to you." 

If Nedzu wasn't paying attention before, he sure was now: "Oohoho? Please proceed! I can't wait to see what it is."  

The boy swallowed, took a breath, and placed a hand on the ground: before the principal's watchful eyes, out of the black puddle emerged a grimm with the features of a jellyfish, with red, pointed tentacles. 

The mammal jumped onto the desk and approached, "Could you enlighten me as to the nature of this grimm, Mr. Midoriya?" 

Izuku got back up and untied one hand, "Its n-name is Seer. It is one o-of the most intelligent grimms there are, c-capable of understanding c-complex instructions and c-commanding other grimms. B-but most importantly, It's Aunt Salem's p-preferred m-method of communication." 

"Communication?" 

As if it heard him, the grimm began to emit a steady whisper as the smoke in the round body cleared. In its place appeared Salem's face, sitting at her office desk, "Good morning, Nedzu. I see you received my gift." 

The mammal opened his mouth in an animalistic grin, "Mrs. Hexe! Your choice in gifts is...peculiar, I must say. Wouldn't it be more convenient to use a computer for video calls?" 

The woman waved a hand, "Seers are infinitely faster, efficient and impossible to intercept or track. They are a little spoil of mine that earns Izuku a fortune." 

The greenie chuckled embarrassedly, "Y-you told me, Auntie: i-if you're good at s-something, n-never do it for free." 

The woman laughed, "I taught you well. Would you mind leaving us alone now?" 

The principal nodded to the boy, "Mrs. Hexe is not wrong. We don't want to take up any more of your time, especially since it's almost lunchtime." 

Izuku nodded, bowed, and left the office. As he left, he had the impression that he heard Nedzu start to snicker, but he was probably just imagining it. 

Once he entered the cafeteria and grabbed his food, it didn't take him long to spot his friends, seated at the table, holding his seat. He did not tear up at that kindness at all, no sir. 

Once seated, they began to make conversation; Uraraka was even more energetic than normal: "Are you also excited about the festival? I'm looking forward to it!"

Iida nodded, "Of course! To be able to participate in such an event is a huge honor and privilege!" 

Tokoyami downed a mouthful of rice before commenting, "We are threatened by the shadows all around us. In these weeks we should train hard not to be swallowed up by them." 

Izuku nodded, "It's t-true. The s-students who failed to e-e-enter the hero course c-can earn a p-place if they do g-good enough in the festival. And the two empty s-seats will push e-everyone to give their b-best." 

"Oh? So you're not as good as you thought, huh?" 

The five students turned around: next to the table stood a blond-haired boy with gray eyes and his face open in a sly grin

"The famous Class A found itself without two classmates just two weeks after school started? Aren't you supposed to be the best class?" 

Momo raised an eyebrow, "And you are...?" 

The blond threw his head back with a dramatic flare that could have played off Aoyama: "Monoma Neito! Proud member of the, modestly, superior class B! And rest assured that this sports festival will only prove our superiority!" 

Before anyone at the table could retort, a new voice rose from nearby: "If I were you, I would focus less on my 'superiority' and more on keeping my seat." 

The heroic students turned, seeing approaching a boy with purple hair and eyebags to rival Aizawa. 

"Those who couldn't get into the heroics class with the entrance exam can do so with the festival...likewise, if any heroic students especially suck, they can take them out of there and put them somewhere else. So before thinking about Class A, make sure you stay in your course." 

Iida tilted his head, "Are you in general education?" 

"That's right. I tried to take the entrance exam, but my quirk is useless against robots; therefore, my best chance is the festival. I hope you are not too fond of your seats, because one of them will be mine." 

Ochako replied, "Look you don't need to be so competitive...we have two vacancies in class, you could both pass!" 

This seemed to catch the purple boy by surprise: "Two vacancies? What happened?" 

Tokoyami shrugged: "One was expelled after an incident during All Might class." 

"-And he deserved every last bit of it." 

The boy ignored Uraraka's interlude and resumed, "I was saying, one was expelled, the other retired from UA after the attack on USJ." 

The grin on Monoma's face became so wide that it split his head in two, "OOOOOOOH? Are you serious? Who would be stupid enough to voluntarily throw away a position at UA? And what is this I hear? An expulsion? Ohoho, what a disgrace this must be for the class!" 

Throughout the spiel, the six students had been listening, some more and some less concerned by the blond man's tone; when he mentioned Bakugo, Izuku curled in on himself, again feeling the sensation of burns on his skin and the echo of insults in his ears. Fortunately, Yaoyorozu's voice brought him back to reality. 

"The only shame is that a despicable person like that was able to enter the class in the first place. I'll be honest, I don't miss either of them at all, especially that Bakugo guy." 

Both Monoma and the purple boy were taken aback by the girl's harsh tone; the latter raised an eyebrow, "Really? What did they do to deserve such a rant?" 

Ochako rolled her eyes before turning to Izuku, "Midoriya, are you going to tell them or am I?" 

The greenie put a hand forward, "I-I want to try. Hound Dog d-did say that talking about it c-could help me p-process it." 

The two non-class A students exchanged a look: "Okay, now I'm starting to worry. Is it that bad?" 

Izuku rubbed his neck, "Well...it's a l-long story. But it c-can be summarized w-with: a b-boy I knew in e-elementary school-" 

Momo interjected: "Your old bully." 

The greenie swallowed, "...that. W-well, he used to call me v-villain, d-deku and other n-non pretty things, let's say, l-I see him again in c-class after a d-decade since we haven't seen each other, d-discover that he's gotten worse and, d-during the All Might class, I...well...j-just exploded." 

The other two were silent for a few seconds; finally Monoma muttered, "Okay...wow. Um...yeah, sounds like enough of an asshole to me." 

The purple boy looked at Midoriya for a few seconds, "What did you say your name was?" 

"Um, M-Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku." 

The other nodded, "Shinso Hitoshi. Well, I hope you don't mind if that position is filled by another 'villain quirk'" The air quotes were laden with sarcasm. 

The blonde widened his eyes, "You too?" 

Shinso raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you-" 

Monoma nodded, "Yup. That or useless, pick whichever you prefer." 

Despite his constant nervousness, Izuku found himself laughing, "I-I don't think I'd mind having one o-of you two in c-class!" 

Iida glanced at the blond: "Well, as long as they behave..."

Monoma brought a hand to his chest, replacing the arrogance of just before with mock indignation: "Ah, the outrage! How dare you, you Class A infidels, doubt my good manners?" 

"They would have a point." 

Izuku leaned over to look: speaking had been a girl with reddish hair and a face that screamed 'I'm not paid enough for this'

The blond huffed, "Oh, hey Kendo."

The girl sighed with a small smile, "Monoma. You know, I was on the verge of coming to straighten you out but when I saw that you started, finally, to break the ice with the A kids I reconsidered." After that she turned to the others, "Kendo Itsuka, representative of Class B. I see that you have met Monoma." 

Momo nodded, "Yes, we were just talking about the festival and...the two empty seats."

Kendo took on a saddened expression, "Yes, I heard. I'm sorry about what happened." 

Izuku shrugged, "It's i-in the past now. And we have other t-things to w- worry about, don't we?" 

Monoma burst out laughing, "Indeed! But it's a foregone conclusion that Class B will come out on top!" No one missed the theatrical and, but only Kendo noticed this, much more relaxed tone of the boy.

Shinsou rolled his eyes, "Like I said, mind you don't get thrown out first. Well, I have to go eat...see you at the festival." 

The redhead nodded, "We have to eat, too. Enjoy!" 

As they walked away, Monoma turned to the A kids, "Oh, Midoriya?" 

"Y-yes?" 

The blond gave a smile that could have rivaled Aizawa's: "You know, spite is a very good motivator, under any circumstances." 

Akaguro glanced at the huge building in front of him. The red eye above the front doors watched the street like a demon judging the sinners. 

Giran had managed, in less than three days, to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Hexe. Stain had not been too pleased to find out that the location would be the central offices of Remnant Industries: it was like going to talk with a lion inside its den. Guarantees of security and non-aggression meant little in the face of such a risk, and he had been seriously tempted to blow it all off until they proposed a true neutral zone; however, a part of him, a part he thought forgotten, was pressing to accept the conditions, albeit with guarantees, and go and listen to what this strange lady had to say. 

Before Stain and Stendhal, there was Akaguro Chizome, professor of literature and philosophy at Tokyo University. And that professor was looking forward to putting down his sword, if only for an afternoon, and trying his hand in a symposium after so many years.

A sound of approaching footsteps distracted him from these thoughts. He returned his focus to his surroundings in time to see a woman dressed in black with blue and purple hair.

"Mr. Stain, I presume." 

"And you must be Hexe's bodyguard." 

"In the flesh. Follow me, the lady is waiting." 

The two entered the building, striding across the hall at a brisk pace. Stain took the opportunity to look around: the architectural and interior style drew on futurist industrialism, with plenty of glass and very smooth surfaces. The interior of the elevator also respected this style, spacious and very brightly lit.

Stain and the woman stood in silence for a while, the air filled only with the humming of cables and the elevator's engine. After what seemed like an eternity, the man scoffed, "So this is where you were, Lady Nagant. If I didn't know what happened, I would have accused you of selling out your ideals." 

Kaina sighed, "You don't have much room to talk Stendhal, given how you've turned out. Who was it, Crawler? Knuckleduster?" 

"...I don't want to talk about it." 

The woman sneered, "Right...is that why, since you became Stain, you've been avoiding Naruhata like the plague?" 

"I said I don't want to talk about it."  

Kaina chuckled, but did not add anything else. The doors opened after a few minutes, showing a hallway in a more classical style than the rest of the offices, with dark purple walls and garnet carpets. The two walked until they reached an ebony doorway, where Kaina paused, "This is the lady's office. She is waiting for you." 

Stain nodded and, taking one last look at the woman, opened the black door. 

The first thing that struck him was the dark tones: the floor was pitch black, the walls and ceiling were various shades of purple, and the desk and chairs alternated between red and black as dominant colors. Surprisingly good lighting was provided by an array of black and gold lamps hanging on the walls, which did not help diminish the gothic look of the office.

Truly, it was like being in the castle of some stereotypical demon king. 

Speaking of which, sitting at the desk was Ms. Hexe herself: her white hair had been styled into a braided bun while her face was framed by a series of red veins that ran down her neck and spread through the rest of her body. She was wearing a black and red dress, which brought out the unnatural pallor of her skin, and her eyes seemed to glow when she saw the man enter her office. 

"Ah, Mr. Stain, I finally meet you in person. Please have a seat, I have a feeling we'll have plenty to talk about." 

The man did as requested, nevertheless keeping his back straight and ready to get up if needed. Salem looked at him for a few seconds, then pulled out two glasses and a bottle of wine from the desk, "I hope you don't mind something to drink." 

As the glasses were filled, Stain studied the woman's expression, " I've heard that you have...interesting opinions about the hero system." 

Salem looked up, "Hmm, straight to the point. I see you don't trust me" Stain's shoulders rose a millimeter, hands tense and ready to reach for the knives; the woman gave the snort of a laugh: "I can't blame you. Only fools trust blindly, right?" 

She handed him the glass full of wine, taking the other and swirling the crimson liquid a couple of times, "As you wish. So...I find that Japanese society-that is, the heroic system in general, but more specifically the Japanese one-is based on concepts that have killed all forms of admiration and respect that the word 'hero' once evoked." 

Oh. 

Oh, he liked this woman already.

Akaguro took the wine glass with a grin, allowing himself to relax. He swirled the drink a couple of times before taking a sip (A Lacryma Christi. The lady must like strong drinks), "I share the sentiment, but I can't help but notice the way you said it...you refer to the pre-Quirk connotation of the word 'hero,' don't you?" 

Salem nodded, "One of my habits is the study of ancient history. Once I became intimate with the origin of the term, and the examples that made it the synonym for self-sacrificing virtue, I have found it difficult to reconcile what I see today with the word that defined Hercules, Lincoln and Schindler. It is as though they have become two different words." 

The man nodded in turn, "I understand, I understand...of course, the moment something becomes standardized it loses much of its symbolic significance. But even in its mundane connotation one can find examples of pure heroism, which coincide with the values the term conveys" 

"Oh, no doubt, but these are isolated cases. I don't doubt that amidst the mass of charlatans and mercenaries that the state produces, there are diamonds in the rough who, all too often, are ignored because of their self-sacrifice; however, I want to focus on the bigger picture, on the trend that is the basis of this society and its problems." 

Akaguro took a sip of wine, "You're talking about heroism itself, right?" 

"That's right." 

The man looked at the liquid for a few seconds before replying, "It is a difficult subject. The hero phenomenon is a byproduct of the advent of quirks, sort of a response to the chaos that characterized the transitional era. I do not find it fair to judge heroism in and of itself, as it embraces a number of sociopolitical factors that, by themselves, are neutral; what I can judge, however, is the spirit of selfishness that has become the basis of the modern mainstream. It is a flat, facade of heroism...a trend. It lacks real conviction." 

Salem took a sip of wine: "So the basis of heroism for you is conviction. The sentiment, the spirit of self-sacrifice." 

"Exactly. Conviction is necessary in every aspect of life, but in heroism it is sid quine pro non." 

The woman put down her glass, "Which figure do you think best represents such values?" 

Akaguro made to reply immediately, but froze. He was not in the streets, in hiding with his disciples, places where his ideals could run to extreme heights: he was in a symposium, in the company of a sharp, critical mind. He had to think carefully about what to say, and how the words would convey his ideas. 

After a few seconds, he said, "All Might." 

The woman did not hide the skepticism in her expression, "Really?" 

"Yes. Now, I know what you are thinking, and it is true that it is not correct to compare All Might with icons like Schindler or Ghandi. What I mean is that All Might is the person who best represents what modern heroism should be: putting one's life on the line for the good of others."

Salem's gaze recovered some of its seriousness. She took a sip of wine before sighing, "I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to like All Might."

Now it was Akaguro's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Well, I guess you can't be liked by everyone. How come you don't like him?" 

The woman stroked her arm, "Well...first of all, he's a buffoon. Yes, he is very socially active and has held many charities and campaigns to raise awareness about quirk discrimination, but he is also impulsive, naive, and way too much in love with himself. That certainly hasn't helped to dispel this cult of personality so present in modern heroism." 

The man stroked the glass, "Madam, All Might is a symbol. It is only natural that he uses his own image as a weapon. I agree, the idolization of heroes is what led society to become this nest of adders, but All Might became a hero first, the symbol of peace later." 

"Are you saying he is a victim of the system?" 

"In one sense. After all, it is much older than he is." 

Salem joined hands, locking himself in his thoughts. After a while he sighed, "I think I understand...but that doesn't save him." 

Akaguro caught himself smiling, swirling his wine glass. 'Accepting this lady's invitation might be the best decision I've ever made' 

Momo lowered her book, allowing herself a moment's distraction from her studies. Her gaze fell on the mirror hanging on the wall. 

As much as her parents did not even see Recovery Girl's diet (as the girl didn't have the heart to tell them about the accident), Luch Rush's meals were starting to plump her up. In just two weeks she had started to put on muscle, and her flat stomach was starting to disappear under a layer of abs...and fat. Soft, helpful fat. 

To her surprise, and enormous pleasure, since she had started the diet her mastery over quirk had increased by leaps and bounds. Not being forced to ration allowed her to indulge in complex, automated tools: during one exercise she had managed to supply her team with muskets loaded with rubber ammunition, which had proved decisive in their victory. 

Had it not been for her parents, it would have been a spectacular time for her self-esteem.

Momo heaved a sigh, stroking her arm and the muscles under her skin. As unremarkable as her development was, it was still visible, especially since her lean physique was what much of her wardrobe and home meals revolved around. Her mother was beginning to press for her to wear clothes with an increasingly narrow waist, while her father had commented, "I don't expect you to go very far in the tournament. After all, wouldn't you be better suited to be like Uwabami? To ruin your perfect image with demonstrations of brute violence would be a disgrace." 

The girl tightened her fingers around her arm, taking a deep breath. It was fine, it was normal for her parents to worry about her image her well-being. It wasn't a problem, she was fine. 

So why did she felt like suffocating?

She was distracted from her thoughts when a knock came from beyond the door, followed by her father's voice, "Momo? Are you there?" 

The girl composed herself again, covering the mark of her fingers with her sleeve, "Yes, father." 

The door opened, letting the man in. He glanced at his daughter, "I wanted to tell you that it's almost dinner time. Put your books away before you go downstairs." 

Momo nodded, keeping her best polite expression, "All right." 

She expected that once he had said what he had to say, her father would leave the room to return to his activities; instead, he lingered at the door, looking at the girl with his arms crossed. 

She swallowed, "Is something wrong?" 

The man nodded, "Actually, yes. Tell me, you're always careful about what you eat, aren't you?" 

'Oh, no'

"Of course, father." 

He approached the girl, stroking her arm and poking a couple of times. When he reached a finger to her stomach (earning a gasp from his daughter) he raised an eyebrow, "You're putting on a belly. My dear, you need to be stricter with your figure, it is one of your most important features."

Momo ignored the thorn that pierced her heart and replied, "Father, with all due respect, UA classes emphasize physical exercise. A hero cannot be-" 

"My dear, I sincerely hope you are not planning to become like that animal of Mirko or, for goodness sake, those sluts of Midnight or Mt.Lady!" The man's tone suddenly became hard as steel, to the point that the girl instinctively tried to make herself small. 

"N-no! Of course not, father. B-but, if I came face to face with a villain-" 

"Being a hero does not necessarily mean fighting villains. Uwabami is an excellent heroine, and her patrols are always quiet, minus the inevitable admirers, right?" 

Momo swallowed, with a now leaden stomach, "W-well, I guess so...however-" 

The man's gaze became hard and cold as a glacier: "Yaoyorozu Momo, this is extremely disrespectful of you. I understand that what happened at USJ was a shock, but that is no excuse to talk to your father like this. We kept you at UA so we wouldn't throw away that recommendation, don't make us regret it." 

The girl lowered her gaze, to hide her damp eyes if nothing else: "Yes, father." 

The man nodded and walked out the door. Before he left he addressed his daughter one last time, "Don't forget: before being a hero you are a Yaoyorozu, always and forever. Try not to mistake what your priorities are."

Momo stood alone in the room, the sound of footsteps getting farther and farther away. Tears ran down her cheeks, but no sound came from her mouth. 

Chapter Text

The time had come. The UA Sports Festival was about to begin.

The weeks had gone by in a flash, and everyone had trained as hard as they could. Sitting in the stadium changing room, Izuku put his hands together in front of his face and took a deep breath. Around him, the rest of the class was changing into their track suits, some more and some less nervous. In the background he could hear the buzz of the crowd, who were just waiting for the games to start. 

The greenie was just finishing doing some anxiety exercises when a voice called out to him, "Midoriya." 

When he looked up he saw Todoroki approaching with an indecipherable expression on his face. The tone in which he spoke was deadpan: "I am stronger than you." 

This made the locker room fall into silence. Despite his embarrassment at being the center of attention, Izuku managed to reply, "O...okay? And...?" 

"You don't understand. I am stronger than you."  

The greenie was increasingly confused, "O-okay...w-what does that mean?"

No matter how stoic the boy's expression was, it was still possible to tell that he was losing his patience: "Don't play dumb. First the incident on the second day of school, then the USJ. It is clear that you are strong, but I am stronger. And I will prove it to you during this festival. This is a declaration of war: I will defeat you, rest assured." 

An icy silence fell in the locker room, broken only by Kirishima's nervous voice: "Come on, Todoroki! No need to be so hostile, we're among friends!" 

Izuku looked into the other boy's eyes for a few seconds, emerald green versus gray and blue; finally he said, his tone firmer, "Todoroki. What makes you think I am as strong as you say?" 

This caught the double boy by surprise, "I beg your pardon?" 

"You heard me right. What makes you think I s-so strong that I deserve this attention? There are eighteen of us in the c-class, soon to be twenty, and each of us has every chance to w-win the tournament. So w-why did you declare war on me?" 

The boy furrowed his brow, "Do you seriously think you will lose?" 

Izuku shook his head, "That's not the p-problem. I have every i-intention of winning, b-but I'm not the only one. Look around: each of u-us intends to d-do our best in order to w-win. And every one of us has the p-possibility to do so. S-so, if you really want to declare w-war, you must d-declare it on everyone." 

A glance confirmed that none of the students seemed willing to give up or take it easy. Todoroki hardened his expression even more: "...honestly, I don't think anyone but you will prove to be a real obstacle. But if that's how you want to play it, very well. After all, I'm here to be a hero, not make friends." 

The discussion was interrupted by the locker room speakers, who croaked, "The opening ceremony is about to begin. The students are invited to get ready to enter the stadium." 

"Remind me again why we are here." 

The avenue leading to the UA stadium was packed with people, some running to go watch the opening ceremony, some looking at the stalls set up by Business and General Education classes (or rather, the students not aiming for heroism). Salem, for her part, was trying to ignore the stares and murmurs buzzing around her. Kaina, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort, replied while nibbling on a Takoyaki. 

"Well, you decided to sponsor UA. Coming to attend in person is the minimum for a good impression." 

The witch rubbed between her eyes, "That doesn't mean I have to like it. Let's hurry up, I don't want to be around the impromptu paparazzi for too long..." her gaze fell on a couple of heroes on patrol, and immediately her expression took on a hint of disgust: "...and the heroes." 

The bodyguard chuckled, "All right, all right. Fortunately we have seats reserved, and they're in the gallery, too. We shouldn't have a hard time settling down." 

The two set off down the avenue, dodging civilians and heroes in equal measure. They were about to enter the stadium when a blond hero with two huge red wings on his back stepped out, trying to take up as little space as possible: "Excuse me...pardon me..." 

Salem raised an eyebrow, pausing to look at him for half a second longer than normal. Of course she knew him: Hawks, the No. 3 hero in the national rankings. Immensely popular, especially among younger people, thanks to a very active social presence and a lighthearted, sardonic persona. As well as the holder of the all-time record for the shortest time between debut and reaching the top ten, beating All Might itself and Endeavor. 

The witch could smell the stench of corruption from there. That or a workaholism that would have put even Ozpin to shame. 

The man passed the two with a short bow, apparently unaware of who he had crossed paths with. Salem sighed, "I couldn't expect there weren't heroes in the top ten...come on, let's go Kaina." After a few seconds, she turned around, "Kaina?" 

The bodyguard had closed in on herself, her gaze low and her fists clenched. When her boss touched her on the shoulder she seemed to wake up from a dream, "Oh, y-yes? Are you all right?" 

"Actually I was going to ask you that. What happened?" 

The woman lowered her gaze: "...nothing. Come on, let's go." 

Salem was not convinced in the slightest, but made no argument. This was neither the time nor the place. She merely nodded and walked toward the galleries, reserving quick glances for the students who were trying to improve their marketing skills.

They arrived at the gallery after a couple of minutes. The opening ceremony had yet to begin, but already the audience was going wild; the witch sat in the lined chair, politely refusing Kaina's water bottle. 

"Oh! Mrs. Hexe, what a pleasure!" 

Salem turned, watching a familiar couple sit next to her. She quickly slipped into her professional affability, "Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu. I should have expected that you would be there as well." 

The man smiled, "It's only natural, ma'am. How could we miss the most anticipated event in all of Japan? Not to mention the fact that we are among its biggest sponsors."

Salem raised an eyebrow, looking at the man for a few seconds before replying, "I see. I won't hide that I'm a little skeptical at wanting to do this right after what happened at USJ, but I'm not here to lecture anyone." 

"I understand your doubts, but I can assure you that the risk is worth the reward. The revenue this event brings to UA is considerable, not to mention the national publicity and the presentation of students in the heroic market." 

The witch kept her expression affable but what she heard was raising red flags. 

'He's going on and on about emphasizing the economic benefits, but he didn't say anything about the students' wellbeing per se...and he didn't mention his daughter half a time.' 

Salem heaved a sigh and looked back at the field, "Well, we're here now, we might as well enjoy the show. Izuku has put a lot of effort into this event, I think he has a good chance of emerging victorious." 

Mrs. Yaoyorozu snorted a laugh, "My dear, don't worry too much about the podium. What matters are the first two events, the third is a brute test of violence that does not suit a dignified person like yourself." 

Salem and Kaina exchanged a glance, holding a silent conversation. They did not have time to reply, however, as Present Mic's voice flooded the stadium 

"Gooooood morning, listeners! Are you ready? Are you hyped up? I hope so, because the UA sports festival is about to begin! I am Present Mic, your commentator for this event! And next to me, as a special guest, is none other than Eraserhead himself! So Eraser, do you have anything to say before the opening ceremony?"

"...I am here against my will. But, ignoring my woes, the first years' festival will probably be the most special one the school remembers since its founding." 

Mic laughed at the comment, "Well said! So, without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to the stars of the show! The first class is the one everyone is talking about at the moment: less than a month ago they survived a villain attack as never seen in UA history, showing a mental fortitude that would make some pros envious! At the forefront, with their heads held high, Class A of the hero course!" 

The audience erupted in celebration as the students entered the field. Salem gave a small smile as she saw Izuku looking around with a straight back and a much more confident bearing than normal. Eraserhead, meanwhile, commented: 

"You may have noticed that there are eighteen students instead of the usual twenty. One student has decided to withdraw after what happened at USJ, which is all in all understandable, while the other has been expelled...on the decision of the entire faculty, I can already see you all ready to attack me." 

Mic echoed him, "I can confirm that! But that means there are two vacancies in the hero class, which I'm sure many will be eager to fill! And now, taking the field, are the 'lucky' kids, those who have been able to attend their classes regularly! Ready as they'll ever be and hungry for victory, Class B!" 

The twenty students entered the field, positioning themselves next to Class A in front of the referee's small stage. Next came a group consisting of...barely twenty students. Eraserhead this time was the first to comment. 

"The group that has just entered consists of students from classes C, D and E who are interested in competing to join the heroism class. Those who have no interest in participating, on the other hand, are around the school helping Business students run the stalls."

"Familiar topic, right Eraser? In any case, we now also welcome the F, G and H classes, from the support class! Armed to the teeth with their inventions, will they be able to compete with finely trained quirks? Spoiler: very likely!" 

The rest of the classes got themselves in order on the field next to the Hero classes. Once they were all settled, Midnight stepped onto the small stage and set up her microphone, "Good morning students! The referee for these matches will be me, your beloved Lady Midnight!" 

The audience went wild at the news, much to Salem's annoyance. The heroine let the audience cheer for a few moments before resuming, "Very well! It is time for the opening speech, brought for you by a representative of the hero class...Midoriya Izuku!" 

Izuku felt anxiety come back to assail him. 

Although Todoroki's statement had made him a little uneasy, the excitement of finally being at the most awaited event in the country had managed to lift his spirits in no small measure. Plus, there was something nice about knowing that those people might be cheering for you. 

In short, he was doing just fine. At least until Midnight called him to make a speech. 

In front of the whole nation. 

Improvised. 

Yes, the return of anxiety was understandable. 

Nevertheless, he made his way through his classmates (who were giving him looks somewhere between pity and "you can do it") and took the stage, straight and stiff as a pole. 

Utter silence fell in the stadium. Which made his trembling even more visible. He opened his mouth to try to say two sentences of encouragement, but what came out was a steady babble that forced him to bite his tongue to keep from making things worse. His class was starting to feel embarrassed for him, and the rest of the students were on the verge of a collective facepalm. 

His gaze began to dart from one side of the stadium to the other, desperately searching for some distraction that would allow him to spit out two sentences in a row. And, fortunately, his prayers were answered. 

When he looked at the gallery, he saw the pale figure of Auntie, next to Cousin Kaina who was making all sorts of gestures to urge him to speak.  

Despite his anxiety, Izuku caught himself smiling. His nerves began to settle down, his trembling returned to human levels; after a deep breath to finally calm down, he began: 

"Legends. Fairytales. Stories scattered through time, passed down from generation to generation. Mankind has always loved to celebrate the exploits of great men and women, who are given the epithets of heroes and villains depending on the front they belong to. With the advent of quirks, we have tried as much as possible to make reality like the stories we have heard for centuries, giving what was ordinary a semblance of the extraordinary, to the point that even that turned ordinary again." 

"The UA Sports Festival is a celebration of this uniqueness, a stage on which future heroes show the country their skills, their potential...their strength. The strength to create their place in the world, the strength to overcome the battles and challenges of this profession, the strength to protect those in need. However, there is one thing that needs to be said:" 

"Heroism does not mean strength." 

The entire stadium was hanging on his every word. Although he couldn't see it, he could feel his aunt's smile on him. 

"Heroism is, ironically, much more mundane. It resides in the actions we all take for granted: giving a hot meal to the hungry, helping a child find their parent, breaking up a fight. Pro heroes don their costumes and wield their quirks not only to protect, but also to inspire. And with that inspiration comes a new kind of heroism: more domestic and genuine. The heroism of a smaller, more honest soul."  

The speech had caught the stadium, no, the whole nation by surprise: sober, solemn, a message quite different from the UA's own exuberant motto. Once the boy finished speaking, there were a couple of seconds of silence. 

The first cheers were subdued, almost as if the audience didn't want to break the mystical atmosphere that had been created. Once they gained strength, however, the crowd erupted into cheers that rocked the stadium. Mic commented with laughter, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a speech destined to go down in the annals of history! I don't know about the audience at home, but the impact here in the stadium was nothing less than biblical!" 

"Oh, the audience at home is very interested now." 

Inside the Kamino bar, the two members of the League of Villains were watching the ceremony from an old television set. Kurogiri made a noise of interest, "It's...very different than what I expected from a UA student." 

Shigaraki scratched his neck, "The minion spawner has charisma in spades. And he raised some good points: if being a hero means being strong and beating up criminals, what makes them different from villains?" 

His gaze fell to his gloved hands. The memory of cold and despair clutched his heart. 

'The heroism of a smaller, more honest soul...could that have saved me before Sensei?'

Meanwhile, in an abandoned building in Hosu, three bloodthirsty executioners were nodding at the screen. 

"Bravo! Wonderful! Beautiful!" The girl was jumping like a cricket, while beside her a black-haired boy was clapping his hands with a grin on his disfigured face.

"Oh, I like him. That brat just gave the most elegant 'fuck the system' ever" 

Behind them, a man with sharp features joined hands in contemplation, "Strength does not mean heroism...that boy may have identified the core of this corrupt society. Violence does not bring justice, but example spurs men to action and shakes consciences. A domestic heroism...what interesting talk! Yes, he might have what it takes to be a real hero." 

The boy let out a snort, "'They might just be pretty words. Yes, I really like what he said, but it's not enough to make him a hero." 

The man nodded, "That's true, but those words are a discordant voice in society's chorus of exaltation. He had the courage to speak before the nation and, as you said, tell it to 'fuck off'. That's a merit in itself." 

The girl chuckled, "I don't think he's a blowhard. But if he is...can I bleed him?" 

The man gritted his teeth, "If he turns out to be a fake, there will be no place on earth or in heaven that can hide him from my wrath."

Inside the government offices in Tokyo, a woman was glaring ruefully at the screen. 

"Epithets given according to the front? Who does this kid think he is?" 

The UA Sports Festival was supposed to be one of the cornerstones of the state system, an occasion to reiterate the importance that heroes have in Japan...it was not the place to question what society is based on. But the best (or worst) came later

"Heroism does not mean strength." 

For the chairwoman of the Hero Public Safety Commission, everything that came after was scandalous at best and an incitement to crime at worst. 

'This brat...is actively discrediting the role of the hero in our society. You can't do whatever the hell you want as soon as you see something you don't like: let the heroes act, as is their job. What you propose is called vigilantism, and it is a crime. If Nedzu has any brains at all, this speech will be cut from the recordings...' 

A knock interrupted her musings: 'Mrs. Takibana? I have the reports on the new recruits." 

The woman distracted herself from the live feed and called, "Come on in."

The door opened, showing a dull, sleepy-looking man carrying a packet of papers under his arm. He laid them on the desk with a thud, "Here are the personnel files. They have all already started the basic training program, with only three struggling to keep up." 

The woman nodded, "Thank you very much Mera. You may go." 

The man bowed and walked out of the office. The president opened the first of the files, running her eyes over the personal data. 

'So...fifteen years old, expelled from UA, studied at Aldera...this one is very promising.' 

A well-known fact is that a good portion of middle and elementary schools in Japan are state-run; this means that the faculty and school board are chosen through calls for applications organized by the minister of education. 

A lesser known fact is that, during the time of the First Meta Liberation War, Destro used to send his loyalists to work as teachers or principals in schools scattered all over the country, preferably kindergartens, making them de facto indoctrination centers. When the Meta Liberation Army disbanded with the death of its leader, these demagogues were arrested and the schools closed, in some cases even demolished, only to be reopened under state direction. 

The president sighed, looking at the picture of the blond, scowling boy. 

'I gotta give it to the MLA: their methods work.' 

Cold. Everything was unbearably cold. 

The boy stood leaning against the wall of the room, feeling the tips of his fingers growing numb. Not even his quirk could warm him, not when he was barely able to activate it. 

Everything was cold. And dark. 

The room had no windows. Ventilation was provided by a fan system, but there were no lamps or LEDs. What little lighting there was consisted of the light that filtered under the heavy steel door. 

Everything was cold and dark. He did not have the strength to scream and shriek. 

But he would have endured. To be a hero. 

To be the strongest. 

Chapter Text

Izuku stepped down from the podium amid the cheers of the audience and the pats of his classmates. He had no idea how he had managed not to stutter a single time, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about it. Midnight nodded in satisfaction and called attention back with a snap of her riding crop, "Okay ladies and gentlemen, a moment of your attention! Time to see what the first challenge of this festival will be!" 

The screen behind her lit up, showing the image of a colorful wheel spinning; after a few seconds it stopped on "obstacle course"

"And the first event will be an obstacle course! Students are invited to start warming up while we prepare the track! It will be a matter of a few minutes, so don't get too relaxed!" 

The various classes (or courses, in the case of general education) instinctively came together, stretching and checking the status of their support systems. Izuku began doing breathing exercises to calm his nervousness when he felt Momo's hand on his shoulder, "You gave a beautiful speech, Midoriya." 

The greenie scratched the back of his neck with flushed cheeks, "T-thank you. I'm s-s-surprised that I d-didn't stutter at a-a-all." 

The girl smiled, watching Izuku begin stretching and muttering in a low voice; for some reason, she couldn't help but think that the festival would turn out to be more fun than expected. 

Salem had to call on all her willpower and good manners not to start howling and cheering like crazy. Her nephew, her dear Izuku, had just spoken to the entire nation with a fantastic speech! And without a stutter, to boot!

(And if anyone had said that the words used resembled those of a certain Queen of Darkness, it was just a coincidence. Nothing more.)

Beside her, Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu clapped with composure, "Mrs. Hexe, I must say that your nephew has...a certain charisma. I guess you taught him that." 

The witch covered a giggle with one hand, "Oh, much less than you imagine. We liked to talk about this and that, but I was just quirk counseling. This is all him, and I couldn't be prouder." 

The man nodded, a little more warily, "I see...well, now I'm curious to see what will happen. It would be a disappointment if Midoriya did not make it to the second round after such a speech." 

Salem glanced at him, being careful to keep her expression neutral: 'What the heck does that mean? Are you valuing him as a merchandise? And, again, shouldn't you care more about your daughter?' 

Midnight's voice brought her mind back to the event, "Thank you for your patience! Preparations have been completed, so please turn your eyes to the screen!" A few seconds later it showed a stylized view of the stadium and surrounding area, highlighting a route that had the field as its starting and ending point. 

"The students will start from the exit on my right and have to cross the entire path until they reach the finish, which is the entrance on my left! Be careful though, there are three big obstacles that will must be overcome! The first 42 students to arrive will be the ones who will be able to advance to the second round!" 

Kaina looked at the screen for a few seconds longer, shifted her gaze to the exit, and muttered, "Hmm, how sneaky." 

The Yaoyorozus tilted their heads, "Uh? What do you mean, miss?" 

Salem followed her bodyguard's gaze, then raised her eyebrows and nodded, "Oh. I see." 

The couple looked at each other, "Sorry, I'm afraid we're in the dark about something. What are you talking about?" 

The witch sighed, "Gentlemen, you have seen many sports festivals in your careers, I imagine. Tell me, what is the purpose of the first round?" 

Mrs. Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow, "Well, to thin out as many participants as possible, mainly with events where the individual competes against everyone else." 

"Hmm, of course. You see, what Kaina and I noticed is that Midnight gave false information...or shall we say, deliberately incomplete information." 

The man shook his head, "Oh dear. Are you saying that the referee is bullying the students?" 

Kaina had to clench her fists to avoid blurting out in the face of the couple; she managed to speak after a couple of calming breaths, "We are saying that this first challenge is not as easy as one might expect. In fact, the obstacles are not three, but four." 

Before the two could reply, Salem pointed to the exit: "That is a bottleneck. The moment the students are given the go-ahead, they will start pushing each other, creating a stampede and slowing each other down." 

Almost as if to prove her point, at the starting line students were already starting to crowd each other. Not far away, Midnight was brandishing a flare gun, "Alright! Are you all ready?" 

The atmosphere in the stadium became electric. Among the students, ready on the starting line, ran a thrill of excitement, while the audience stood with bated breath. Salem clasped her hands in her lap, keeping her face neutral. 

The pop of the flare resounded through the field, "GO!" 

And suddenly, it got cold. 

Mic began the commentary with a cry of amazement, "Damn, it started off with a bang! Todoroki Shoto, from Class A, jump started with a giant iceberg that blocked the way for the other competitors! And he is already gaining ground!" 

The situation with the rest of the students was...hectic, let's say. Monoma was cursing with a creativity that would put even Bakugo to shame, while Kirishima and two students from Class B were trying to break the ice with their fists. 

The redhead gritted his teeth, "It's too thick! At this rate, Todoroki will be halfway there by the time we can leave!" 

Shinsou cursed in a low voice, "You showoff, what the heck are the rest of us supposed to do?" 

Izuku looked at the ice wall for a few moments, then lowered his gaze to his hands

'I wanted to start with a small grimm, like a Beowulf or a Sabyr...but we can't be stuck here...oh, the hell with it!' 

Putting two fingers in his mouth, he caught the students' attention with a whistle: 'G-get away! And don't touch the black l-liquid for any r-reason!" 

The A class students understood on the fly what was about to happen and hurried to clear the area, dragging other students with them if necessary. The greenie then ran forward and placed his hands on the ground, creating a huge black puddle that soon began to swell, boiling and oozing out a mass of sludge that was increasing in size.

Izuku looked at the wall of ice with a grin, "Is this how you want to play, Todoroki? All right then, let's play!" 

Shoto ran down the track, not too worried about the possible competition: even if they were able to break the ice, it would take them too long and he would gain a considerable advantage. 

He began to slow down when he came in sight of the first obstacle: a plain filled with robots from the entrance exam, complete with five zero-pointers. The boy huffed, starting to cool his right hand, "That's it? I dunno what I was expecting." 

He was about to create a glacier when there was a thump that made the ground shake. Todoroki looked around, expecting some hidden robot, but saw nothing. 

"What the hell..." 

A second thump made him turn toward the stadium: the iceberg he had created to block the rest of the participants was starting to lose some of its tips, and it looked like it was beginning to crack. With the third bang, the cracks became actual rips, which ran along the ice, compromising its integrity. 

Todoroki's eyes widened 'Don't tell me...' 

His doubts were confirmed when the iceberg collapsed and a huge, black fur-covered elephant came out of the stadium with a monstrous barb. Perched on its head, predictably, was Midoriya with a huge grin on his face. 

"You've got to be kidding" 

He had no time to reflect on the situation, because the grimm began running at full speed toward him, followed closely by the rest of the student body. Swallowing an expletive, Shoto began running between the robots, sending a wave of ice that froze a good portion of them in place...and in precarious positions. 

The smaller robots fell to the side, resulting in detached limbs at best; however, the larger, unbalanced zero-pointers began to collapse, creating a literal shower of mechanical debris the size of boulders. 

Izuku cursed the moment he saw the wave of frost, and immediately took action: with a leap, he slid over the grimm's tusk, close enough to the ground to create a long puddle from which three specters emerged. These floated within the debris, possessing them and slowing their fall as they formed three huge golems. 

The whole thing was captured by the cameras and broadcast on the screens, with Mic's voice in the background: "Midoriya blows Todoroki's plan for a second time! However, I can see your doubts from here, dear audience: what are these dark monsters? Well, it's time to put an end to this confusion! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Midoriya Izuku's quirk, Creatures of Grimm!" 

A close-up of the boy showed his sneering expression as Mic continued to explain, "Midoriya is capable of creating a multitude of monsters from a black liquid that he secretes from his hands or mouth! They come in all shapes and sizes, a real demonic menagerie! But don't worry, Midoriya is more than capable of controlling them and making them a formidable asset for any situation, from captures to rescues!"

Eraserhead took the floor, "The grimm ridden by Midoriya is called Megoliath. Its resistance to frigid temperatures and powerful constitution make it suitable for operations in polar environments. The other three are Geists and are able to possess various inanimate objects and make them move at will. They have a tendency to create giant bodies from what they find nearby." 

Mic burst out laughing, commenting on what was happening, "And as we can see, they can turn out to be a bit of troublemakers!" 

That was putting it mildly: the three golems, albeit with orders to take it easy, were waving their huge arms around trying to knock out or at least slow down the rest of the participants. The more agile ones, such as Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu, had managed to slip past them and were running toward the next obstacle; the rest were beginning to find themselves in a difficult situation. 

Kirishima looked at one of the golems with a grin, "Not holding back, eh Midoriya? How manly! But I'm no less!" After dodging a swing from the golem, he hardened his arms and let out a shout, "Sero! Throw me toward the Geist!" 

The boy asked no questions but merely shot a tape at the redhead, catching him at the waist and throwing him like a slingshot at the golem. Kirishima managed to land right next to the white mask and, with a rock-hard fist, shattered it. The frozen golem, once the grimm holding it together was dead, collapsed to the ground in a landslide of mechanical parts. 

A boy from Class B clenched his fists with eyes shining, "That's so cool! I want to do that too! Hey Kendo! Throw me!" 

The girl heaved a sigh, but still enlarged her hand enough to support a person. The boy turned his body to steel and got caught by the redhead, who threw him like a baseball toward the second geist: the grimm's attempt to protect himself ended up with a person-shaped hole through the mechanical arm. As with the first, a hardened fist was enough to destroy the mask and collapse the mass of mechanical parts. 

The third geist charged the group of students with arms drawn back and ready to strike. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu hardened to respond, but were surprised when the grimm stopped short, the mask trembling and shrouded in a pale violet light. 

One of the B- class girls folded her hand, shrouded in the same violet light: "So the weak point is the mask...is it possible to exorcise these spirits by force?" 

Her theory was tested when, with a movement of her arm, the geist was forcibly jolted out of the golem it had created. The girl called, "Kamakiri! It's all yours!" 

A boy with insect-like features sneered, "With great pleasure!" 

Shouji approached him, turning three tentacles into muscular arms, "Need a push?" 

The two boys agreed with a nod, and the second after Kamakiri was thrown by the other boy like a javelin. Yanagi gave another tug with the quirk, lowering the grimm enough to allow his classmate to let out sharp blades from his arms and slice the monster to pieces. 

Despite the competitive spirit, a good portion of the students could not help but cheer when they saw the golems collapse never to rise again. The elation was short-lived, after which everyone resumed running as fast as they could. 

Izuku tapped the Megoliath twice, "Okay, stop!" 

The grimm obeyed, allowing the greenie to descend right at the second obstacle: a huge chasm from which pillars connected by ropes emerged. He could imagine that falling down wouldn't be fun, as well as most likely counting as a disqualification. 

The boy glanced at the mammoth and sighed, "You won't be much help to me here. Go slow the others down, non-lethal force, mind you."

The Megoliath launched a barb in the air, turned and went running toward the rest of the students. The fact that almost immediately it found itself stuck in a zero-pointer-size glacier, from which it broke free with ease, said a lot about how irked Todoroki was.

Izuku looked at his hands, considering his plan of action for a few moments. Finally, he clenched his fists and grabbed onto the rope with his arms and legs, slowly and carefully crossing the chasm. In the distance, the battle against the grimm raged, but it was clear that the mammoth would not last long. 

Meanwhile, in the stadium, Mic's reporting continued, "Midoriya is making his way across the chasm the old-fashioned way! How come he didn't use a grimm? I know at least three that would have made this obstacle a piece of cake!"

Aizawa replied, "I think I know why: the Megoliath and Geists probably made him use his quirk more than he planned, and he decided to conserve his strength. It's a long-term investment." 

Mic nodded, "Oh, that makes sense! But this decision could cost Midoriya the advantage! Todoroki is crossing the ropes with ease, and Iida is immediately behind him!" 

Shoto, in fact, had already arrived at the middle island, while Iida was crossing the ropes with the thrust of the engines. Izuku was hanging on to the rope connecting the last island to the rest of the path when he felt the cold wave send a chill down his spine, and immediately sped up the crossing. He managed to get safely to the other side just before he was surpassed by Todoroki, who gave him a look as cold as his quirk. 

The boys resumed running, with the rest of the students on their heels. Iida took a short time to catch up and outpace the two leading boys, Tsuyu was quickly gaining ground with long jumps, a B student was floating over her own horns as if they were a pair of skates. 

The students came to a halt when they saw the last obstacle: a wide, bumpy track, seemingly nothing special...if it weren't for the sign next to it, "Warning: minefield." 

Well, that explained why Iida had turned off the engines and was moving at a snail's pace. 

The rest of the students followed suit, walking slowly and paying close attention to where they put their feet. Todoroki considered for a moment simply icing the field and running forward, but that would pave the way for the others as well. 

Mic, from the commentators' seat, laughed, "And here we come to the last obstacle, ladies and gentlemen: the minefield! No use being fast here, it takes extreme caution!" 

Aizawa, next to him, added, "Before you protest for the safety of the students, these mines are completely harmless: they make a lot of noise and smoke, nothing more."

"But even so they can make those who were in the lead lose momentum! This is a golden opportunity to turn the tide of the race!" 

In the field, Izuku looked ahead: he had lost the lead, and the slow pace taken by the rest of the competitors was starting to clog the course. A couple of mines had already exploded simply because someone had been pushed over them. 

The boy clenched his hands, his fingers covered with red veins. At the rate he was going he would have ended up falling behind, but he couldn't speed up without running the risk of detonating mines. 

'Wait...detonating the mines! Of course!' 

The grin from just before returned as he created a black puddle in a safe spot in the field. It wasn't too big, but it didn't need to be: the grimm he needed was relatively small. 

The puddle bubbled up, a black-and-white body began to emerge, only to back up and immediately start digging like a drill, disappearing underground followed by two others like it. The greenie smiled, raising his voice enough to be heard even through the tunnels. 

"Get the mines! Slow them down!" 

The sentence plunged the area near him into silence. Uraraka, who was not far away, swallowed, "Um...Midoriya, what do you mean-" 

Boom! 

Mines spread along the field began to explode at random. Students who were unlucky enough to be close were thrown off, often on top of other mines that sent them flying through the air like confetti. 

Todoroki's eyes widened when he realized what was happening, and he immediately lifted his foot to ice the field and get away from there as fast as he could; before he could do so, however, a mine that was next to him exploded, breaking his concentration and sending him with his butt to the ground. 

The field had descended into chaos: the students had given up trying to avoid the mines and were running around haphazardly, disoriented by the smoke and noise of the explosions. Todoroki scrambled back to his feet, in time to hear a familiar screeching coming from somewhere amid the smoke; a second later, the griffon rose into the air above the camp with Midoriya on its back, heading swiftly toward the finish line. 

And with that, the recommendation student decided that holding back was no longer an option. 

With one hand slam, he covered the entire field with a layer of ice, then got back on his feet and sped toward the finish line on a glacier that rode like a surf. The layer of ice was thick enough to keep the blasts from being a real obstacle, so all the rest of the students suddenly ran as fast as they could, helping themselves to quirks, support gear, and other such things. 

Izuku looked back, seeing Todoroki chasing after him on a patch of ice; not far behind, Iida was gaining ground at an alarming pace, "I'm not going to lose a contest of speed!" Izuku gritted his teeth, spurring the griffon to speed up as much as possible, but the other two students were gaining ground 

The audience in the stadium was with bated breath. All eyes were turned toward the finish line, and Present Mic's voice fueled the anticipation, "And they're almost at the end of the race! Who will be the first to cross the finish line?"

Izuku gritted his teeth, continuing to spur the griffon. He could start to feel the cold air on his skin, the sound of approaching engines, but the light of the finish line was getting closer and closer. Just a few moments more...

"And they have arrived! Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto, and Iida Tenya are the first to finish the race! It's a photo finish, ladies and gentlemen! I haven't seen one in years!" The big screen lit up, "Okay, just a moment of patience...and there it is!" the shot froze at the frame showing the three crossing the finish line, the difference in their positions a mere matter of pixels, "Well, there is no longer any doubt! The first to finish is Midoriya Izuku, followed in second by Iida Tenya and in third by Todoroki Shouto!"  

The greenie laughed as the grimm settled on the ground, ducking low enough for him to get down. Not far away, Todoroki stepped off the ice block as Iida caught his breath and let his engines cool down. The audience was in ecstasy, and the uproar they were making was deafening.

Salem clapped with a wide grin on her face, while Kaina was cheering like a maniac: "Great Izuku! Way to go!" Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu were much more composed, but equally interested in the result. Before long, the court was filled with people, causing a siren to sound as the forty-two contenders arrived. 

Midnight cracked her whip, "And that's it! Forty-two people have crossed the finish line, and they will be allowed to proceed to the second round!" 

As the audience cheered the winners, Uraraka approached Izuku with a huff, "Midoriyaaa! What happened in the minefield? I heard you give that order, you know!" 

The greenie chuckled and gave a whistle: after a few moments, three grimms with centipede-like features emerged from the ground, each segment spinning independently of the other. The girl jumped back, trying (and failing) to hold back a shriek, "What the heck are those things?!" 

The boy smiled, patting one on the head, "Centinels! Grimm adapted to live in caves, they are exceptional diggers!" 

Uraraka made a face, "And I thought the Lancers were gross..." 

Now it was the greenie's turn to pout, "Hey, meanie! Lancers and centinels aren't gross, they're nice!" 

The girl swallowed, taking half a step back when one of the grimms turned its head toward her, "If that's what you call nice, I don't want to know what's a prick in your book." 

The two stood looking at each other for a few seconds longer before bursting out laughing. The crack of Midnight's whip called everyone back to attention, "Very well, time to move on to the next event! Which will be..." 

The wheel projected on the big screen stopped and the professor smiled, "...a turf war!" 

Chapter Text

"Here's how it's going to work: participants will have to divide into teams of up to four members, who will be given a base, marked by a flag. The goal of the game is to capture as many bases as possible, while preventing other teams from taking them. Each team will be entrusted with two remotes: to capture an opposing base, simply point it in the direction of the flag and press the button, as long as it is within three meters of it. The team that loses all bases will be automatically eliminated. When time runs out, the four teams that have won the most bases will advance to the final event!" 

The students listened intently, beginning to think about strategies. Izuku put his hand in front of his mouth and muttered like a machine gun, getting so lost in his thoughts that when Midnight spoke again he let out a yelp. 

"You have ten minutes of freedom while we prepare the field, but if you want my advice, I would already start thinking about team composition!" 

Ten minutes. He could work something out with that time; he just needed to find teammates. With any luck, coming in first place would have him-.

"Oh, before I forget! Whoever has the base of the first-place finisher will automatically move on to round three."

...why did the universe hate him?

All eyes turned toward him. It didn't take long to realize what they were thinking: he had just become the most valuable target, and surely everyone would target him first. 

The greenie swallowed. The whole thing was shaping up to be more difficult than expected. 

The students began to disperse, talking among themselves and starting to form teams. Todoroki Shouto glanced at the remaining class members, recalling their quirks and pondering how to employ them effectively. 

Kaminari was an obvious choice. His quirk was extremely powerful, and the progress the boy had made in its use made it even more valuable. Another one he would definitely have chosen was Iida; his speed would have been very useful. 

Having Yaoyorozu on the team would have been convenient, but not essential. Her quirk was versatile, but the girl lacked the confidence to be able to make it truly fearsome. Same story for Sero and Kirishima; it would have been nice to have them, but not a tragedy if they refused. 

The rest were of little interest: either he didn't know them well enough to estimate their usefulness or they were not what he was looking for. The general and support students, moreover, were forgettable. 

And then there was Midoriya. His nemesis (as proclaimed by Todoroki himself).

The incident during the heroism class and USJ had shown that the greenie could prove a fearsome opponent: in a matter of seconds he could pull off a pack of monsters of all shapes and sizes. A one-man army if ever there was one. And that's without considering the nightmare that is the "demon form," as the class had called it. With any luck, that would not have been a problem. 

The recommendation student cast his gaze over the stands, hardening his features as he caught the figure of a certain man with a burning beard. With a scowl he returned his gaze to the rest of the boys, heading toward Kaminari. 

No matter who he faced, he was going to be a hero by his own rules. He would show them, both Midoriya and Endeavor. 

Momo took a deep breath. She had made it through to the second round, but she had no time to get complacent. 

The second event was always a team game, in which students' ability to work as a team was tested. With ten minutes to spare, she would have to hurry to find teammates as soon as possible. 

With a hand on her chin, she reviewed the participants, trying to judge who had the best chance of passing. Todoroki was undoubtedly a very strong student, as well as having also passed through recommendation; he could have been a formidable asset. Ojiro and Ashido were also papable options, especially given their synergy with her quirk: creating acid ballons and supplying weapons to the best martial artist in the heroism course? The competition would have had a hard time. 

She was mulling over these considerations when her gaze fell on Midoriya. The greenie was busy talking to a student in the support class, judging by all the machines hanging from her body, and he was also looking around. The girl lowered her head, pondering whether it was a good idea to join his team. 

He had demonstrated over and over again a brilliant mind, quick thinking and great analytical ability, not to mention that his quirk was formidable. Of course, his base was the most coveted...but was it really such a great handicap, given what he could do? 

The girl clenched her fist and raised her head, heading toward her classmate; when he was within earshot she called out, "Midoriya."

The boy turned to look at her, the shadow of a blush on his freckles, "Oh, Yaoyorozu!" 

The heiress felt something jump in her gut when she saw that smile, but suppressed her reactions with a breath, "I'd like to join your team." 

The greenie's smile grew wider until it reached his eyes, which were positively shining, "Are you serious?" 

"Yes. I find that you have the best chance to advance to the next round, although we will start with a little more difficulty." 

Izuku nodded, turning to the other girl, "Oh, this is Hatsume Mei from the support class." 

She nodded with a manic grin, "Nice to meet you, fella! Tell me, what's your quirk?"

Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow, "Well...my name is Yaoyorozu Momo, for starters...and my quirk is Creation, I can create inorganic matter from my fats-" 

The next nanosecond, Mei's eyes were three millimeters from hers and had a crazy spark: "WAIT! Are there limits to what you can create?" 

The girl backtracked half a step: "Um...I-I need to know the chemical composition...and of course, the bigger or more complex an object is, the longer I take and the more fat I consume..." 

Incredibly, the smile on the other's face grew even wider: "I want you in my lab. With you by my side...oh, so many possibilities! So many babies!" 

Seeing, and feeling, her classmate's discomfort, Izuku pulled Mei back, "Okay, okay, I think that's enough. Don't worry, Yaoyorozu, Mei calls her inventions babies." 

This made the girl relax not a little, and she pulled herself together, "I-I see...Midoriya, do you have a plan?"

The greenie nodded, "I have an idea. Let's wait for Tokoyami to come back and then I'll explain it." 

Momo made a noise of surprise, "Is Tokoyami with us too? Where did he go?" 

Izuku shrugged, "To take care of the Griffin and Centinels." 

"...huh?" 

Salem relaxed in her seat, watching the kids gather in teams and strategize while Cementoss and the robots got the field ready. 

Apparently the second event emphasized teamwork and planning skills, where the former served to thin out the competition and the latter showcased the most promising students. In some ways it was not too dissimilar to the Vytal Festival, although the spirit behind this tradition was much more commercial.

Like much of Japanese society, come to think of it. 

Beside her, Mr. Yaoyorozu crossed his fingers on his lap, "I must say that your nephew is...quite peculiar. I thought I had him pegged, but his quirk forces me to reevaluate everything. It won't be easy to sell him." 

Salem froze, feeling her veins begin to throb. 

'Oh. Oh, he did NOT just say that'

"What do you mean?" 

Her tone of voice was calm, but an attentive ear would have easily recognized the cold note that pervaded her. Mrs. Yaoyorozu, having one such ear, replied, "Oh, don't misunderstand my husband, ma'am: we don't doubt that Midoriya has potential as a hero, but his quirk could prove...intimidating, to say the least. A big chunk of heroism is composed of public image, and these Grimms could negatively affect it, which is objectively a problem. Remember, ma'am, that in this business appearing matters more than being." 

Salem and Kaina remained perfectly silent throughout the speech, one with a disappointed expression and the other with her hand that was gripping the armrest of the chair like a press. Finally, the woman joined hands in front of her, "I see that...you know a lot about marketing." 

Mr. Yaoyorozu chuckled, "Oh, this is the result of decades of experience in the industry. There comes a point where you can judge the credibility and success of a future hero at a glance. For example, our Momo has the best chance at becoming an image heroine rather than an action one: her physical appearance is certainly her most important quality, and with a little practice she could occupy the same niche as Uwabami. Even assuming she can make it to the third round, we don't expect her to progress much; it wouldn't fit her image." 

Kaina had spent enough time with Salem to know when the lady was angry, and the throbbing in her veins was not a good sign. Without drawing too much of the couple's attention, she put a hand on her arm, reminding her where she was and encouraging her to calm down. The other, for her part, was on the verge of getting up, leaving, and telling the sports festival, the partnership with the Yaoyorozu, the UA sponsor, and the heroic industry in general to go to hell. 

'Calm down, calm down, calm down, I can't kill them, even if they said those things about Izuku and their own daughter, I can't snap...' 

Fortunately, the croak of the loudspeaker brought her attention back to the event, "Okay, thank you for waiting! We're ready to start!" 

Salem looked at the field, finding herself amazed at UA's efficiency: the grass area in the center of the stadium, previously flat and small, had become huge and made up of a series of hills of various sizes. The teams had already taken their places, the flags of a different color for each. No one failed to notice how Izuku's team, consisting of him, Momo, Hatsume and Tokoyami, had the central hill, the largest of all. 

Kaina commented, "The bigger they are, the more visible the target they paint on their backs..." 

Salem nodded but still found herself smiling as she saw the team making preparations. She was sure her nephew had this event in the bag.

Todoroki looked around, examining the rest of the teams: Midoriya's team had gathered around their flag and were tinkering with something unidentifiable. The team consisting of Kirishima, Sero, Ashido, and Uraraka were doing warm-up exercises, while the team of Asui, Hagakure, Ojiro, and Satou were discussing strategies to be adopted. Another team that could be problematic was that of Jirou, Mezou, and two other B kids: sneaking up on the students best suited for reconnaissance would be problematic, and the two B members could make people sink into the ground and manipulate thornbush-like hair. The rest did not seem too problematic...except perhaps one composed of two B students, one from the general class, and someone he was sure he had seen somewhere before.... 

Oh well. Nothing insurmountable.

Next to him, Iida was stretching while Kaminari was doing some meditation to get his quirk ready. The recommendation student turned to his teammates, "Okay, here's the plan: Iida will be our attacker, capturing bases before the enemies have time to react. I will be on the defense, blocking anyone who tries to take our flag. Kaminari will be the wild card, helping the offense or defense depending on the situation."

The blond sighed, "Are you sure we did the right thing by not looking for a fourth? It will be much harder to defend multiple bases just the three of us." 

"We're fine. Our quirks have a wide range, and Iida can go wherever we need in no time. If we conquer nearby bases it will be easy to defend them." 

Iida nodded, "I see. So we don't target Midoriya right away?" 

Todoroki sighed, "Not right away. Surely everyone will go after him first; therefore, we'd better go after the nearby bases left more exposed. Once the competition gets thinner, we can think about targeting Midoriya. Even if we don't conquer his base, we will still have loot as insurance."

The other two boys nodded and got ready as Midnight's voice rang out over the speakers, "Okay, is everyone ready? The turf war begins...NOW!" 

The chaos was almost immediate. As was to be expected, the central hill soon found itself attacked from all sides, with several students running to reach the coveted flag. 

A scenario for which Midoriya's team was ready. 

With monstrous cries, two grimms stepped forward to meet the attackers: the King Taijitu began flinging off and wrapping a group of students in its coils, while the Beowulf attacked with paws and headbutts anyone who managed to escape the snake. While the two monsters were dealing with one side, Tokoyami was giving a hard time to another group of attackers who were not prepared enough to face a Dark Shadow as big as the snake. This was crowned by the support of Mei's turrets and Yaoyorozu's bow. 

Present Mic enthusiastically took up the commentary again, "And we're off! As expected, the first act of this event is a mass attack on the central base, but the team...um, do these teams have a leader? Or is it a democracy? You know what, let's use some acronyms! Midoriya's team, which we will now call MYTH, is defending itself with nails, fangs, and rubber bullets! It looks like the central bastion will remain unconquerable!" 

(Salem had to make no small effort to keep from reacting very...enthusiastically to the teams' naming system.) 

Aizawa looked the situation for a while longer before adding, "I see that not everyone immediately aimed for the central hill, and are instead focusing on the more unguarded ones. This is a smart move." 

The teacher was referring to Todoroki's team, which had already eliminated three teams in less than two minutes. Iida looked at the chaos at the central hill for a moment longer before turning on the engines and running to the next base. 

Of course, the commentary pointed out to everyone that taking more bases was an option, and soon the central hill was empty of people. Which was exactly what team MYTH had been waiting for. 

With a whistle, Izuku called back both the Grimms and the rest of the team; when they were all together, the greenie addressed the monsters, "Taijitu, listen to Tokoyami, Beowulf, listen to Yaoyorozu, Centinels, listen to Hatsume." 

The two grimms (plus the other three who had remained hidden underground) made sounds of agreement, approaching their masters. Izuku continued, "You all know the plan: Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu, you two go and conquer the other bases, Hatsume, as soon as the two of them go start setting up the rest of the defenses. Remember, if your Grimm is killed retreat and help us defend: without those you will have to deal with numerical inferiority, and I'm already too proven from the first event to replace them." 

The kids nodded and sprang into action: the attackers climbed on the monsters and spurred them to head for the other bases, the inventor began to distribute metal discs to the centipedes, which immediately disappeared underground, Izuku began doing exercises to calm down and set back the transformation. 

The second phase had begun. With luck, it would've been enough.

Momo tightened her grip around the bow, holding with her other hand to the fur of the Beowulf that was running on the edge of the hills. At one point she pulled the fur to one side, prompting the grimm to curve and invade an opposing base. 

Defending it were Ojiro and Tsuyu, who visibly swallowed as soon as they noticed who had arrived; nevertheless, they stood guard: "Hey, Yaoyorozu! Don't you think that thing is a bit of an overkill?" 

The girl, in response, created a rubber-tipped arrow and nocked it, pointing at the boy, "Only if you think you can't defeat it." 

Ojiro's face broke into a warrior's smile and he went off on the attack, with Tsuyu not far behind. Yaoyorozu avoided her tongue with a leap, leaving the grimm free to face the boy. 

It was clear that it wouldn't have been an easy task for the defenders: the Beowulf was strong and relentless, and even with orders not to seriously injure it was a formidable opponent. But Ojiro was determined to do his best. 

The werewolf went on the attack with a variety of lunges and leaps aimed at crushing the boy, but this one had reflexes trained enough to be able to avoid the heaviest attacks and respond with kicks and punches aimed at sensitive spots: throat, stomach, joints, anything went. The grimm didn't look too tired yet, but neither did Ojiro, who resumed the attack after a brief moment's pause. 

Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, was holding Tsuyu at a distance with rubber-tipped arrows. Trying to get closer only made it more difficult to avoid the darts, and the one attempt to catch her with her tongue had risked earning her one in the mouth. The frog girl was constantly on guard, just waiting for a moment of distraction: after all, she was much faster than Yaoyorozu, and the moment she ran for the flag she would strike her. 

The two stood still and watched each other, keeping each other in sight. After a few moments, which seemed like an eternity, the heiress let out a whistle, "Beowulf! Aim for Tsuyu!" 

The frog girl widened her eyes, turning just in time to see and dodge the grimm that was trying to land on her. Taking advantage of the moment of distraction, Yaoyorozu ran for the flag, but Tsuyu was right behind her.

The frog girl gritted her teeth, jumping as fast as she could: 'I'm faster, I'm faster, I'm faster...' 

Only to be hit in the side by a paw as big as her head: 'Not fast enough, kero.'

The Grimm tossed her to one side like a rag doll, snatching a scream from Ojiro: "Tsuyu!"

She got up shaking her head, "I'm fine, Kero!  Think about-" 

A sharp sound interrupted her words. The two students turned to watch the heiress put the remote back in her pocket, their flag now the color of her team. 

With a whistle she called back the Grimm as Midnight announced the elimination of team OSHA. The two defeated students made noises of disappointment before congratulating Yaoyorozu and leaving the field. The girl remained for a few more moments looking at the base, then climbed onto the Beowulf's back and set off in search of the next target. 

Aoyama and Tsunotori Pony exchanged a worried glance: Tokoyami alone was one of class A's powerhouses, pairing him with a seven-meter-long, two-headed snake grimm was way too much. 

The three students were locked in a grueling fight for five minutes. Aoyama's laser was the perfect counter for Tokoyami, but the moment his stomach began to ache, he became easy prey for the King Taijitu; Pony, on the other hand, could have inflicted serious damage on the grimm using her horns, if only Dark Shadow didn't keep deflecting them every time they got too close. 

It was a constant hit-and-run: Tokoyami attacks with Dark Shadow, Aoyama fends him off with his laser, the blond collapses from a stomach ache, the Grimm tries to hit him, Pony uses his horns to get his partner out of the way, but fails to attack because the shadow quirk has meanwhile recovered. As was to be expected, this dance was starting to get on everyone's nerves. 

After yet another laser, Tokoyami lost his patience: "Grimm! Keep Aoyama busy!" 

The snake pointed at the boy, who realized very quickly what it felt like to be a mouse (no offense to Nedzu). In less than a minute the situation came down to a blond student running screaming from a seven-meter-long monster and another blond student trying to help her partner and keep Dark Shadow at bay at the same time. 

From there it was all resolved quickly: Aoyama tried to use a laser to give himself the boost but his stomach chose that moment to betray him, immobilizing him from pain enough to allow Grimm to wrap his colossal coils around him. Pony was neutralized immediately afterward when she distracted herself for a second to check on her partner's situation and Tokoyami took the opportunity to pull off an attack that left her lying on the ground. 

The student let out a sigh and was finally able to approach the flag and capture it. That done, he called out to the Grimm, "Taijitu! Let him go, that's enough!" 

The snake obeyed and let go of Aoyama, who crumpled to the ground; Tokoyami was immediately to him, "How do you feel?" 

The blond man replied stammeringly, "I w-watched m-my life f-flash before my eyes...it was trés deprimand."

Pony sighed, patting his teammate twice on the shoulder. As the loudspeakers announced the elimination of team KABP, Tokoyami made an apologetic bow, then climbed on King Taijitu's head and set off at full speed toward the next target. 

Todoroki, beside his flag, considered the overall situation: there were six teams left on the field, which kept intermittently stealing and taking back bases. The center base was still firmly in the hands of team MYTH...but it would remain so for a long time. 

"Kaminari, stay on defense. I'm going to attack the central hill." 

The blond boy stood up from his seat and approached the flag, "Whatever. Good luck, man!" 

The recommended student rolled his eyes and sprinted toward his target on a stretch of ice, leaving walls on the bases already occupied by his team. When he found himself at the edge of the central hill, he paused for a moment, looking toward the flag: he was well aware that one of Izuku's teammates, the Support student, had missiles with which to hit opponents even at long range. But they were similar to mines in the obstacle course: noisy but harmless, unable to scratch his ice. 

Hardening his expression, he put his foot into the base-.

And was shot into the air by an explosion of pink smoke. 

He landed on the grass with a thud as Mic's laughter could be heard from the speakers, "I see Team MYTH still has some tricks up its sleeve! If I had to guess, I'd say this is the work of Hatsume Mei from the Support class! Although I'm not exactly sure what it is exactly..." 

Eraserhead replied, "Those are mines similar to those used during the obstacle course. And as for their placement...look at what's beside her." 

The cameras zoomed in on the figure of the student, sneering, holding some sort of remote control and surrounded by the Centinels. The teacher explained, "Midoriya entrusted each member of his team with a Grimm to help them in their role. Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami, the two attackers, received a Beowulf and a King Taijitu respectively, but Hatsume was given three Centinels. I am fairly certain that the central hill has a complex system of tunnels running under it, and that a good portion of these are stuffed with mines." 

Todoroki got back on his feet, feeling his tolerance diminishing more and more. After a small run-up he created a particularly thick strip of ice, which headed straight for the central flag. The mine explosions this time were not strong enough to worry him, and with a quick movement he pulled the remote control out of his pocket before he even got off the ice. 

He was almost within capture range when he was caught by an object that wrapped itself around his body and knocked him off the iceberg. Luckily he was already out of the minefield, but he still found himself tied by a bola. Hatsume sneered, "Baby number 273 works wonderfully! Good luck getting free!" 

'Challenge accepted'

It took Todoroki just under a minute to freeze the ropes and make them brittle enough to shatter them simply by spreading his arms. As soon as he was free, however, he immediately had to defend himself against a new attack, this time from Midoriya himself; or rather, from the Sabyr who jumped on him and tried to knock him out with his paws. 

The student was already at the limit of his patience: he had no intention of wasting time fighting against some Grimm. That was why his response to the attack was to slam his right hand on the ground, creating a thorn of ice that impaled the monster like a skewer. 

There was a gasp through the stadium as the audience watched the feline get gouged and gradually lose its strength. As the red eyes faded and the body began to disintegrate, Mic's voice rang out over the loudspeakers, "Damn, that's cold! Todoroki Shouto got rid of the Grimm in an instant and with efficient brutality!" 

Eraserhead, beside him, sighed, "It's not a pretty picture, but when it comes to Midoriya's Grimm one can afford to be less delicate. As for the boy, I'm afraid he is in a difficult position." 

That was true: having lost his Grimm, Izuku had no means of defense other than hand-to-hand...which would not help much against one of the most powerful quirks in the class. Fortunately, they were in Hatsume's territory. 

A series of explosions put distance between the two students and raised a curtain of smoke that covered Todoroki's view. The support student was immediately beside her teammate, "So, first place! What do we do now?" 

Izuku gritted his teeth, "He's t-too much for us alone...call the others here, let's handle d-defense! We can't afford to lose this b-base!" 

The girl immediately took a gun from her belt and fired a flare into the air, which exploded in a red and white cloud. There was immediately an answering howl, but the two kids couldn't focus on that because Todoroki had dispelled the smoke with a gust of cold air and was aiming at the flag again. 

Hatsume blew a whistle, and immediately out of the ground came the three Centinels; as he saw them, Todoroki hardened his features and created a glacier that trapped them inside and then began to run toward the flag. 

He made the mistake, however, of forgetting that the Grimms he had just frozen were exceptional diggers: in a flash he was pinned against the ice wall by three crawling bodies that squeezed him like belts. 

At that moment there were several things going on: the Centinels were pressing him hard to the glacier, Hatsume was pointing a net gun at him, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami were returning to base riding their Grimms.

However, the only thing Todoroki could see was the determined expression on Midoriya's face. The expression of someone who intends to give his all for the cause. 
The expression of someone who does not want to lose. 

What happened next was an accident. The boy had not the slightest intention of losing his focus. But that was what happened. 

For just an instant, the left side of his body casted strands of fire. 

When he saw the Centinels flee in terror from the fire, Izuku realized he was in trouble. 

Until then he had created Grimms that could, for better or worse, withstand low temperatures and not be deterred by walls of ice. But Todoroki's quirk could also create flames, and that was a field in which he could do little.

He had no fireproof Grimms at his disposal. The best he could do were Goliaths, Dromeodons, desert and colossal Grimms, in short. But even then, fire would have been a problem. 

Fortunately, Todoroki himself seemed surprised at what had happened. Which gave his team a chance to reorganize their defenses. 

With a whistle he regained control of the Grimm around him, and immediately began barking orders, "Taijitu! Get Todoroki! Keep him out of the area!" 

The increase in speed was sudden, enough to knock Tokoyami off his feet: in less than a minute, the recommendation student was caught in the Grimm's mouth and thrown off the hill like an old toy. 

This, once he recovered from his little shock, created an ice ramp to keep momentum up and carry on attacking, but he was met by the Beowulf who threw a paw at his chest and sent him sprawling on the ground-on top of a mine. 

The explosion threw him against another hill. Above the roar of the audience Mic's voice rang out, "Only two minutes left until the end of the event! There are six teams left, fighting furiously to qualify for the finals, but the middle hill remains firmly in the hands of Team MYTH!" 

'Not for long' 

Todoroki sprinted as fast as he could toward the central flag, riding the ice wave as was his custom. Momo's arrows and Hatsume's missiles were being blocked by walls raised at just the right moment, but he was forced to stop and change course when Dark Shadow stood before him with a claw drawn back and ready to strike. That moment of hesitation, however, was enough to allow the Grimms to gain ground, with the Centinels in particular digging as fast as they could into the ice trail the student was leaving behind. 

They managed to catch up with him after another minute of furious running, tying themselves around his leg and knocking him down along the lawn. Present Mic shouted, "One minute to go!" 

Todoroki looked up, and immediately his eyes grew wide: he had managed to land less than two meters from the flag! This was also noticed by Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu, who immediately started running toward him. The boy paid no attention to them, putting his hands in his pockets to get the-. 

...

He checked in his pants pockets. In the back ones. Then in those of his jacket. 

Nothing. 

Todoroki looked at the flag, so close he could almost taste it.

But there was nothing he could do. Because he lost the remote.

At that moment, almost like he wanted to mock him, a siren resounded in the field, followed by Mic's voice: "And that's it, ladies and gentlemen! The second event has concluded, and we have the names of our finalists!" 

The groups that had passed appeared on the big screen, composed of the names of the people who made them up: "In first place, with an impressive five bases won, team TIK, consisting of Todoroki Shouto, Iida Tenya, and Kaminari Denki!" The recommendation student dropped his head to the ground as the Centinels let him go. 

"In second, with four bases to their name, team MYST, consisting of Monoma Neito, Yoarashi Inasa, Shinsou Hitoshi, and Kamakiri Togaru!" The four students were busy exchanging compliments or loosening their muscles after the effort. 

"In third position, with only three bases, we have team KUSA, namely Kirishima Eijiro, Uraraka Ochako, Sero Hanta and Ashido Mina!" the two girls were busy cheering embracing each other while the boys were fist-bumping. 

"And finally, with only the center base in their possession, team MYTH! Consisting of Midoriya Izuku, Yaoyorozu Momo, Tokoyami Fumikage, and Hatsume Mei!" The greenie looked up at the screen, watching his name projected next to that of the team. His face opened into a wide smile as the rest of the students relaxed. 

He actually passed. He made it to the tournament.

Chapter Text

The fifteen finalists huddled in front of the referee's station, letting Midnight take the floor: "Students, a moment's attention! Since one of the teams had only three members, to be admitted to the third event were fifteen students. However, for organizational convenience, we necessarily need sixteen: which means we can allow one student from the fifth-ranked team to advance to the tournament! Team MIJJ, who are you going to let proceed to the next event?" 

The four students began to discuss among themselves; after a few moments, the bramble-haired girl stepped forward: "I have been chosen to compete in the last challenge." 

The professor nodded, "Very well. And with Shiozaki Ibara we have our final sixteen contenders! The third event, as usual, will be the one-on-one fighting tournament!" 

The big screen displayed the word 'Tournament,' complete with special effects. 

"Students will compete in a series of one-on-one no-holds-barred duels! The rules are simple: anyone who is immobilized, rendered unconscious, or taken out of the combat zone is automatically eliminated. It is also possible to surrender at any time." 

The heroine clapped her hands, "Before we begin, we have a half-hour break to allow us to set up the field and set up the pairings. Students have this free period, but we have also organized activities for those who have not made it this far in the festival! For more information about these events, Ectoplasm is at your service." 

A stylized image of Nedzu appeared on the big screen accompanied by the words "Break Time," which everyone interpreted as the signal to go to the bathroom, restock on snacks, and relax in general (which, for a certain CEO, meant going for a walk to get as far away and for as long as possible from a rich married couple). The students began to spread out, some doing exercises for the tournament, some relaxing their nerves; among the latter was Izuku, who was doing his breathing exercises when he was approached by Todoroki: "Midoriya" 

The greenie turned his gaze to him, "Oh, Todoroki. Do you need anything?" 

"Can we talk?" 

Izuku tilted his head, "Certainly...does it have to do w-with what you told me in the locker room? " 

The other shook his head, "No, nothing like that. It's too crowded here, come with me." 

The two found an empty hallway in which to talk. After a few moments of silence, Todoroki raised his voice: "I must say that you never cease to surprise me: when I saw you I thought you weren't much of a big deal, but on the second day of school you showed us how fearsome you can be. At USJ I didn't think you could help us, but you ended up being crucial. And now here, where I decided not to underestimate you, to take you with the seriousness you deserve, you still managed to do something I thought impossible." 

The greenie tilted his head, "What...what are you t-talking about? Is it for coming f-first in the r-race? Well, G-Griffiths are among the most-" 

The other interrupted him, "No, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean in the turf war: I just looked at you for a second and lost control of myself...ending up using my flames." 

Izuku was even more confused: "Well...using the flames is what f-freed you from my C-Centinels; so, I wouldn't say it was a b-big mistake. Come t-to think of it, your q-quirk is 'Half cold, half hot,' isn't it? Why d-don't you use it entirely, you c-could do so many t-things!" 

Todoroki clenched his fist: "...I have no intention of using my flames. Ever." 

"T-Todoroki, what are you-" 

The recommendation student looked the other steadily into his eyes, "Midoriya...have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" 

Toshinori strolled in the direction of the bathroom, whistling to himself. He had a half hour before the tournament began, and he intended to spend it in peace. 

The first two events had been something to behold, where all the students had displayed an enviable competitive spirit, not to mention athleticism and, surprising in his opinion, the ability to improvise and cooperate on the fly. The blond knew full well how difficult it was to work with someone you had just met, so seeing his students succeed almost naturally was a huge satisfaction. 

He would have liked to give some credit for his lessons, but he knew his limits. 

He was about to turn the corner when a peculiar sound stopped him in place: heavy footsteps, coupled with the characteristic sizzle of flames. 

The signs were unmistakable. 

He took a breath and immediately switched to his muscular form; after a few seconds spent stabilizing himself he turned the corner, finding himself face to face with exactly the man he suspected he would meet.

Short red hair, piercing blue eyes, fiery beard and mustache, costume and mask lit with bright flames. Yes, he was unmistakable. 

All Might gave his typical laugh: "Endeavor! How long has it been since we could talk like this? Nine, ten years?" 

The number two hero crossed his arms, looking at the blonde in front of him with an expression of tolerance, "All Might. How come every time I see you, you manage to get even more loud and obnoxious? Shouldn't you calm down with age?" 

The other gave a thunderous laugh: "I would say so, but my old master would have something to say about that!" 

Endeavor sighed, "Yeah, that geezer...what did he call himself, Torino? Is he still alive?" 

The blond man shuddered at the thought of the elderly hero, but managed to retort, "O-oh, indeed. It takes a lot to kill old Gran Torino!" 

"Why do I get the impression that your feelings about him are more complicated than what you want to reveal?" 

"Nonsense, nonsense!" 

All Might took a breath, trying to change the subject, "Young Shoto is tremendously talented, I must say. You must be very proud of him!" 

Endeavor gave a small sigh, "Well, he could do much better. But I am convinced that this tournament will be a cakewalk for him." 

The blond stood looking at the other for a second longer before nodding, "This year's heroism class is full of dedicated kids ready to serve others! I'm sure this new generation of heroes will prove more than capable of sustaining the peace of this country!" 

The other raised an eyebrow, "Upholding peace? And why not improve it? Why shouldn't they be able to build a better future than we have been able to provide in our time?" 

Toshinori froze in place, looking at the hero as if he were someone else: "Enji, you amaze me! I didn't think you were so optimistic!" 

"I'm not optimistic, I'm objective. I know Shoto, I would be disappointed if he didn't live up to it, and the rest of the first years are promising. They have the potential to outperform us someday." 

The blond nodded, "Well said! Gee, if I had known you were so positive I would have invited you for a drink years ago!" 

The redhead made a very unhappy face, "Please don't. We don't hang out for a reason." 

All Might laughed, and Endeavor let him for a few seconds before replying, "I'm surprised Aizawa had the audacity to expel someone, given what happened last year. What is this all about?" 

The blond man's expression suddenly became serious: "This was not a lighthearted decision, I can assure you. We reached this conclusion after a long faculty meeting, where we decided it was the best solution. That boy simply needed help well before he even tried the UA exam." 

"Oh? Undisciplined?" 

"Worse, paranoid and without empathy. He was convinced that being a hero was a matter of sheer power, not to mention his...less than ideal attitude toward young Midoriya." 

Enji raised an eyebrow, "Midoriya? The boy from the opening speech?" 

All Might nodded, "The very same. The boy had problems with discrimination, given the threatening appearance of the Grimms, and the expelled student was a main tormentor. There was a...incident, during the first heroics class, where I had to intervene in person and by force to calm him down." 

Endeavor hardened his expression, crossing his arms in front of him, "Strange, it seemed to me that during the exercises the young man showed good control." 

"That's because he spent a month in detention doing three additional hours of quirk counseling per week, plus two more hours of psychological counseling. He finished just in time for the tournament." 

The redhead nodded, "I see. Well, too bad this troublemaker got expelled, it would have been a pleasure to straighten him out myself." 

All Might caught himself chuckling, "Maybe a little military training would have set him on the right track. You know, come to think of it, you and him had several things in common." 

"...I don't think that's a compliment." 

"Oh, just an observation. Young Midoriya said, and I quote, 'For Bakugo heroism means winning,' and 'I'm pretty sure for him peace and power are the same thing.' Didn't you also say something similar years ago?"

The expression on Endeavor's face hardened, accentuated by the flames that flared for a moment: "Don't give my words such extreme meanings. What you're thinking about is the press conference five years ago, right? The one in which I said, if I remember correctly, 'There is no greater honor than to use the power you were born with to provide for the peace and security of the country.'" 

"Yes, that's the one." 

"All Might, please don't confuse me with one of those nostalgics who still remember Destro. Heroism is serving one's country, no matter what. Of course, a certain factor of intimidation is indispensable to maintain a stable and lasting peace, it is the reason we have prisons after all, but that does not put those who possess these weapons in a position of superiority; on the contrary, the more destructive the weapon one possesses, the heavier the responsibilities becomes. We are first and foremost servants of our country, however much the media likes to say otherwise." 

The blond man heaved a sigh: in these moments one could see the true extent of Todoroki Enji's upbringing. Being born into that family was a source of stress alone, being a descendant of so many decorated generals and war heroes, adding six years of military school and service in the JSDF could only result in the number two hero: formal, uncompromising and willing to do anything for the good of Japan. 

The redhead looked at the other hero for a second longer before drawing a deep breath, "Well, I don't want to take any more of your time. Have a good day-" 

"Wait." 

Toshinori watched the hero stop in his tracks and scrutinize him with his blue eyes, "Yes?" 

The blond inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment: he certainly could not tell him everything, not there and not then...but he knew that if he didn't reveal anything he would regret it. So he opened his eyes again and looked at Endeavor: "Before long...I plan on retiring." 

The redhead took a couple of seconds to process the information, but when he did his eyes grew wide: "What?" 

Toshinori nodded, "The reason I accepted the teaching position here at UA...is to prepare for my retirement from the heroic scene. I can't stop working one day for the next, you understand..." 

Endeavor stood looking at him for a few seconds, then joined hands behind his back, "Does it have to do with...the Okkotsu incident?" 

The blond felt a twinge of terror seize him, "Ho-how-" 

"All Might, do you think I'm a fool? Five years ago you disappeared for two months, and during those two months, lo and behold, an entire city is wiped off the map. Do you think no one would have noticed?" 

Toshinori looked at the other hero with a mixture of terror and admiration, which soon disappeared to give way to a bitter laugh: "I should have guessed I couldn't fool everyone. Yes, it has something to do with what happened to Okkotsu. In fact...that's the main reason." 

He lifted up his yellow jacket and white shirt, watching Enji's face distort in horror as he saw the wound at his side: "A villain did this to me, the most fearsome in the history of this country, perhaps the world. I managed to end his existence, but I lost a lung and part of my digestive system. With this condition, I can only do three hours of hero work a day, and that number keeps decreasing." 

Endeavor watched hero number one rearrange his shirt as if nothing had happened. Swallowing, he replied, "You know, I'm forced to reconsider my opinion of you. I thought you were just a buffoon in love with himself, but apparently you've earned the right to sit at the pinnacle." His respectful tone quickly made way for the irritated one that defined him, "Although I still don't appreciate this cult of personality you've been feeding. I am a hero for my deeds, not my face."

All Might's laughter managed to lighten the mood: "I'm still a symbol, I have to make use of my image!" Immediately he returned somber: "And soon, you will be in the same situation. People need a model, someone to make them feel safe." 

Enji nodded, "Don't worry. When you retire, I will be there ready to take up the mantle. You'll see, with me things will change: I will give Japan the heroism it deserves to have, a heroism that can truly guarantee peace." 

The blond man raised an eyebrow, "Come on, the way you say it sounds like I haven't done much of anything." 

Endeavor's tone became harsh: "Because you didn't. You haven't done much in the grand scheme of things." 

"...Excuse me?" 

The number two hero joined hands behind his back, "Don't get me wrong, I respect your work as a hero, and after today I respect your dedication to service even more. But as a Symbol of Peace? Let me tell you, you did a horrible job." 

All Might put his hands on his hips, looking even bigger: "Watch your mouth, Todoroki. I didn't get where I am now through the paparazzi." 

Endeavor flicked the flames for a second: "I don't doubt that you struggled to become number one, but once you reached the top you went soft and sold yourself to marketing." 

The blond gnashed his teeth, "I'll have you know that since my debut, Japan's crime rate has steadily declined, and as of today is at its lowest since the dawn of the Quirks!"  

The redhead replied curtly, "Bravo, you want a medal? Let's stop being complacent about our history and focus on the now: as of today, the country's crime rate is one of the highest in the world! Worse than us are Congo, Chile and Azerbaijan! Which are known to be among the most dangerous countries in the world, by the way." 

"Oh, now you're exaggerating!" 

Endeavor's blue eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets, "Exaggerating? EXAGGERATING?! I'm sugarcoating it if anything! Do you watch the news, All Might? Do you have any idea how many villain attacks there are in a single day, in Tokyo alone? Let me tell you: too many. There are so many that they are now treated as a tourist attraction. Is this the peace you're the symbol of? A country where a state worker cannot leave home relaxed because he constantly risks getting caught up in a fight and arriving late or, worse, becoming a statistic? What kind of peace is that!" 

The redhead was panting, but he gave no respite: "I'll say it again: I respect you as a hero and colleague, I respect your dedication to duty and your years of service, but as a Symbol of Peace you have failed. And that is why with me things will change: I will set a new example for the heroes of Japan, an example based on deeds rather than image! I will establish a new kind of heroism that will focus on keeping civilians safe, on keeping the level of security in the cities high, that will strengthen support for the more rural and less urbanized centers. And once I've done all that, it will be Shoto's turn." 

Toshinori shook his head, "What the hell does he have to do with it?" 

"Once I set the peace and security of this country, it will be Shoto's turn to maintain and improve it. When he is ready surely it will be my turn to step aside and hand over the reins to him, and he will keep this country safe! With the quirk I gave him, with the means I will put at his disposal, he will become the greatest hero this country has ever seen, giving TRUE PEACE to the people of Japan!"

Endeavor was panting. The blond did not give an inch in front of the blue eyes that looked like they wanted to put a hole in his head: "Don't drag the students into your plans, Enji. What young Todoroki wants to do with his career is his business and no one else's." 

The redhead gritted his teeth for half a second, then took a deep breath and recomposed himself, "Just make sure you are the best teacher you can be. What happened at USJ is a wake-up call, not only for the school but for the whole country: criminals are becoming bolder, an ever-widening gap is opening between civilians, villains and heroes. And your retirement will certainly bring more chaos." 

Toshinori shook his head and snapped, "I agree on that point, but all this is none of the students' business!" 

Endeavor flared his flames, "You're even more childish than I thought! Do you really not get it? We are on the verge of a crime wave like never before, and in just three years it will be their job to face it! So, All Might, ask yourself this: are you sure, absolutely sure, that your teachings, that your heroism, will allow those children to win a war?" 

He didn't wait for an answer: with a grunt on his face, the fiery hero turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring All Might's figure behind him deflating in a cloud of vapor and his hoarse voice: 

"They are children, Enji...they're not supposed to." 

Izuku leaned back against the wall, not trusting his body to stand. In front of him, Todoroki was even more impassive than usual.

The greenie put his hands together in front of his face, "So, let me...let me see if I g-got this right. Your father, the number two hero Endeavor, persuaded your mother to marry him a-a-and have children w-with him...promising her economic stability and s-safety." 

"That's right." 

"From this, four s-sibilings were b-born: the eldest T-Touya, the twins Fuyumi and Natsuo, and y-you, a few years l-later." 

"Precisely."

"W-w-when your brother Touya's q-quirk appeared, your father started training him...but he c-couldn't take it. Which led to his d-d-death at...what did you say, t-thirteen years old?" 

"Yes, thirteen years old." 

"Okay, okay...t-then he started to train y-you...and y-your mother didn't l-like it?" 

"Well, it's obvious. In my memories she is always scared." 

"Okay...s-so at some point she had a n...nervous breakdown...and she...spilled on you..." 

"Yes. I overheard her talking to her mother, saying how much my left side reminded her of Touya...how she had wanted to do more to protect him...then the scorching water." 

Izuku looked at his classmate, who seemed completely neutral. Key word,  seemed: the greenie could see in his eyes a whirlwind of emotions that he was careful to keep in check. 

"Todoroki?" 

"Yes, Midoriya?" 

The boy drew a deep breath, "I don't...I don't even know how to r-respond to all this." 

The recommendation student shook his head, "There is no need. I just want you to know that I will defeat you, and I will do so using only my mother's quirk." 

Izuku looked up, locking on the other's heterochromatic eyes, "The...what?" 

"The ice. I'm not going to use the flames he gave me. I want to prove that I am not his pet." 

The greenie looked at his classmate for a few more seconds with a neutral expression, and then got back on his feet and replied, "Todoroki...a wise person once told me that what we do with our powers is our own business, and that no one can tell us anything about it...so I'm not going to d-dictate that what you want to do is wrong or that you n-need to change." 

"That said....that sounds very d-dumb to me." 

The recommendation student widened his eyes at Izuku's words, who continued, "Quirks don't work that way. However similar they may be, they never p-pass 1:1 from one generation to the next. There are m-many fire quirks, but only one Hellflame; there are many ice quirks, but your m-mother's is unique, you know what I mean?" 

Todoroki hardened his gaze, "You don't understand. The problem is not that, the problem is that Endeavor thinks he can use me and my family as his personal asset!" 

The other nodded, "And that's n-not good, we agree. But I d-don't think this is a smart way to rebel." 

"...It doesn't matter if it's stupid or not. I plan to win only with my ice, and that's what I'm going to do." 

Izuku looked into the other's face, studying his hard expression before sighing, "As I said, I won't try to convince you to change. I just hope you realize how much t-this is hurting you." 

The boy put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the exit; before leaving he called out to the other student, "You are free to do w-what you want with your quirk. But, likewise, I am free t-to use this to m-my advantage. Get ready, because I'm n-not going to hold back."

And with that he walked away, leaving Todoroki there to mull over in his resolve...and in his doubts. 

Izuku returned to the field, breathing deeply to calm himself. The quirk marks on his body were fading, with only his fingers covered in red veins. 

Cementoss and the robots had almost finished setting up the combat zone. Many students were still engaged in side activities, but by now they too were almost finished. He was watching the groups finish their games when he heard a thundering voice call out to him, "HEY!!! A-CLASS GUY!!!" 

The greenie flinched at the volume of the voice. When he turned around, he saw approaching a boy even bigger than Iida and with almost shaved hair. This one addressed him with a toothy grin: "KUDOS FOR THE QUALIFICATION! AND THE SPEECH! IT MADE MY BLOOD BOIL!" 

Izuku stared at him in silence for a good five seconds, stunned by the boy's exuberant personality; he finally managed to blurt out, "Oh, t-thank you...you...y-you're one o-of the two from G-General Education, aren't you? On the same team w-with Shinsou and M-Monoma..." 

"EXACTLY! I AM YOARASHI INASA! IT'S REALLY NICE TO MEET YOU!" The boy concluded it all with a bow so deep that it caused him to hit his head on the ground.

The greenie gasped, closing in on himself for a moment, "Excuse me...m-but is it really n-necessary to yell l-like that? N-not to mention the fact that it can't be healthy to s-smack your head in t-that way."

Yoarashi got back on his feet (ignoring the big bump on his forehead) and replied in a more down-to-earth tone, "Oh! Does it bother you? Sorry, I didn't know! I'll be more careful!" Then he hit his head on the ground again with a bow.

Izuku let out a disconsolate sigh as the boy got back up and took on a more sober expression, "Look...you talked to that Todoroki guy, right? I saw you two walking away together." 

This made the greenie's ears perk up, "D-do you know Todoroki?" 

Yoarashi nodded, "Yes...unfortunately. He is the reason I did not join heroics in the first place." 

Izuku turned around, giving the other boy his full attention: this one looked down and had lost all trace of boldness. "What...d-do you mean?" 

"You see...I love intense heroes. Those who throw themselves on the front lines, who give their all to the cause, who don't back down from anything...these kinds of heroes get my blood pumping! That's the kind of hero I want to be!" 

Yoarashi seemed to light up for a moment before returning with a downcast gaze, "When I was a child, I had the opportunity to see Endeavor in action. It was an experience I will never forget; he was a force of nature. At that time, he had become my idol. So once he was done, I approached him to ask for his autograph of course. But he -- he gave me an indifferent look, like he didn't care who was cheering him on. And he told me, and I quote, 'save the ink for your homework, I can't stand here wasting my time.' As if I wasn't worthy of his time." 

"That contrast...for the five-year-old me was like a slap in the face. I never understood how such a strong hero, so capable and indomitable, could be so cold and uncaring outside of battle." 

Izuku nodded slowly, "Okay...and you have a p-problem with T-Todoroki because he is his s-son?" 

Yoarashi shook his head, "No...or at least, not at first. You see, I was among those who took the recommendation exam for the hero course."

At this the greenie widened his eyes, "W-WHAT?! Y-You were recommended?" 

The other nodded, "That's right. I took the exam and, of course, I met Todoroki. I knew he was Endeavor's son...but I wanted to give him a chance. You know, I didn't want to judge him just because he was someone's son." 

Izuku nodded, "V-very noble." 

"Thank you! Anyway, I tried to get to know him, you know. But he..." 

His gaze darkened: "...he had not only the same look, but an even colder tone of voice. If Endeavor seemed uninterested in those around him, Todoroki appeared like he hated us all."

"I...I couldn't take it. I couldn't bear the thought of having such a person in my classroom for three years. But I couldn't leave UA, the school of my dreams. So I went to general education." 

Izuku tilted his head, "I-I don't understand. S-if you have abandoned the p-path of heroism, w-why are you p-participating in the tournament?"

Yoarashi shook his head, "Oh no, don't get me wrong! I want to be a hero all right! If I do well enough in the tournament, some pro might be interested in me and ask for my presence in the agency! I just don't want to be together with someone so...so...cold, that is."

The greenie stood looking at the other for a few seconds, his eyes slightly wide; once he recovered, he rubbed between his eyes, "Y-Yoarashi...can I be completely frank w-with you?" 

"Of course!" 

"...Look...I d-don't want to be r-rude...and I c-c-can't certainly tell you how to live y-your life. That said...this m-might be the s-stupidest reasoning I've ever heard." 

The boy half-jumped back, "What? Are you serious?" 

Izuku ran his hands over his face, "Yes. L-look, you know the two v-vacancies in m-my class?" 

The other tilted his head, "Yes. What do they have to do with it?" 

The greenie lowered his gaze: "One of them...was my childhood b-bully."

Yoarashi's jaw dropped as the other explained, "He used to t-torture me when we were l-little, he used to c-call me a v-villain...things like that. Q-here at UA n-he hadn't improved...and e-eventually that's the r-reason why he was e-expelled." 

The boy wrinkled his forehead, "Gee, man, I'm sorry..."

Izuku shook his head, "I-it doesn't matter now. W-what I mean is...even if he hadn't been expelled, I w-w-would have been w-willing to s-spend all my school years w-with him." 

Yoarashi widened his eyes, "WHAT?! Why?!" 

"B-because my d-dream is more important!" 

The boy widened his eyes, looking at the greenie like he was another person. This one took a breath and continued, "My p-purpose of becoming a hero is m-more important than t-that guy. I-It wouldn't have been pleasant, of course, but I-I wasn't going to let him come between m-m-me and my goal. I-I know T-Todoroki is...particular, don't get me wrong, and I'm n-not saying that you're forced to become his friend, b-but don't you t-think it's silly t-to throw away a place at the most p-prestigious hero course in the c-country for such a r-reason?" 

The boy opened his mouth, but froze before he could say anything. His gaze was lost in the void as his mind analyzed and processed what he had just heard. Izuku left him to his musings, turning his gaze to the rest of the camp: the various recreational activities had just ended, and Midnight had once again taken the stage, in front of a finished combat zone. The woman cracked her whip: 

"The break is almost over! Finalists please come up here in front of me, while the rest of the students can begin to make their way to their seats!" 

The greenie removed himself from the wall and approached the teacher with his best warlike expression. The rest of the contenders seemed equally determined, and Midnight enjoyed their resolve for a few moments longer before announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, the last act of this sports festival is about to begin! Please turn your gaze once more to the big screen to see who the contending pairs will be!" 

This one lit up, showing the list of names: 

"Midoriya Izuku vs. Shinsou Hitoshi.

Todoroki Shouto vs. Sero Hanta

Kaminari Denki vs. Monoma Neito

Iida Tenya vs. Mei Hatsume

Yaoyorozu Momo vs. Tokoyami Fumikage

Ashido Mina vs. Shiozaki Ibara

Kirishima Eijiro vs. Kamakiri Togaru

Uraraka Ochako vs. Yoarashi Inasa" 

Izuku looked at the name on the screen, clenching his fists at the sides of his body. His first round was against Shinsou, another so-called 'villain quirk.' A smile appeared on his face. 

Yes, this was going to be fun. 

Chapter Text

Salem strolled the corridors of the stadium, using the buzz of the crowd as white noise to soothe her nerves. The results were...good, all things considered. 

The thought of having gone into partnership with such people, who sold even their loved ones like a commodity based on something as superficial as looks, made her sick to her stomach. It was something she had seen countless times in her existence, but this time she was first of all in a position to really digest how wrong it was, and more importantly she could see how shameless they were in showing it. Which, in all likelihood, pointed to a widespread acceptance of it. 

The witch took a deep breath to calm herself. The temptation to stop all sorts of business relations with that company and defame it internationally was very, extremely strong; after all, it was what they deserved. 

But it was not that simple. The Yaoyorozu are very influential in the East, and such a drastic solution would have had unpleasant consequences for her as well. Not to mention young Momo, who probably would have received the worst of it. It was not strange to imagine that they would lash out at her or try to use her to save themselves...if not drag her along with them. 

The final words of a pre-Quirk era Italian tale came to her mind, and she could not manage to hold back a bitter chuckle, "'Roba mia, vientene con me...my things will be coming with me." 

The witch froze in place. Her eyes widened as her mind suggested an evil...but also excellent idea. 

'La Roba' was a short story about the plight of a farmer who had elevated himself to landowner by his own skill and cunning, wresting everything from his old master of noble origins and becoming so wealthy that anyone passing through the Sicilian countryside, when they asked whose trees, whose fields, whose vineyards where those, was always told the same thing: 'it's Mazzarò's stuff.' 

Salem brought a hand to her chin, a cruel smile spreading across her face

'Why shouldn't I do the same thing? I'm sure I could handle their stuff much better than they could'

Her thoughts immediately turned to how to do it, to the contracts, proposals, promises and favors needed to buy, piece by piece, the Yaoyorozu Group. It wasn't going to be quick, but it was far from impossible: first the rights for smaller companies and agencies, then latch on to the foreign contacts, the Chinese and Indian agencies...she might have been able to say a thing or two about them, undermining their image...

She was brought back to reality by the croak of the loudspeaker: "The break time is almost over. The sports festival will restart shortly." 

Salem set aside her plans for future destruction, focusing on getting back to her seat before the third event began. She disentangled herself through the corridors, dodging adults and students who were hurrying back to the stands, until she returned to her seat next to Kaina. The witch leaned toward her, "What did I miss?" 

The bodyguard shrugged, "Nothing noteworthy. The gentlemen have been talking among themselves the whole time about the students." 

This time Salem did not hide the tone of disgust in her voice, albeit lowering it so as not to be heard by the Yaoyorozus: "I don't want to know what they said, I value my good mood." 

Kaina widened her eyes for a moment, then replied with a smirk, "Wise choice." 

Midnight's voice called the attention of the audience to the field, "Ladies and gentlemen, the last act of this sports festival is about to begin! Please turn your gaze once again to the big screen to see who the contending pairs will be!"

Salem glanced at the entries: Izuku was against a guy named Shinsou Hitoshi, whom she remembered seeing in the General Education student huddle, while Momo was against Tokoyami, the same guy she had teamed up with less than an hour earlier. The matches were not shaping up to be easy, but she knew that the two students were anything but naive.

Mr. Yaoyorozu raised an eyebrow, "Well, I guess this is the end of the line for our Momo. I must say that her performance was very good, albeit with a few somewhat undignified moments during the turf war." 

The witch glanced at the man, "How can you be so sure of that?" 

He threw the glance back, "Well, all in all, she showed good planning skills and synergy with-" 

The woman shook her head, "No, I meant, how can you be so sure that your daughter will lose?" 

The couple looked at her for a second, two, three; finally they burst out laughing, as if they had just heard a joke. Mrs. Yaoyorozu had to take a deep breath before she could speak again, "Oh Mrs. Hexe, your sense of humor is subtle! It took me a while to get it." 

"I wasn't joking." 

This immediately silenced the two, "Huh?" 

"I said, I wasn't joking. Your daughter has demonstrated quick thinking, mastery over her quirk, and above-average analytical skills. I see no reason why she shouldn't aspire to the podium, if not first place." 

The couple looked at Salem like she was a child throwing a tantrum. Mr. Yaoyorozu shook his head softly, "Don't worry too much madam, I understand that for someone who is entering the world of heroism for the first time it must be curious. You see, the third event has no merit in itself, it only serves to entertain the cruder audience with displays of violence. Momo is far above such things: she is intelligent, refined and good-looking, not a brute like that Mirko" The man spat out the name like rotten food. 

Salem raised an eyebrow, "Mirko? The rabbit hero? The same heroine responsible for the highest number of captures of A rank or higher villains, who defeated Yamata-no-Orochi after five straight days of fighting and who is currently ranked twelfth in the national rankings, making her the first woman in over twenty years to come so close to the top ten? That Mirko?" 

Mrs. Yaoyorozu had a shudder of disgust, "That's the one. I can't understand how she managed to get so high in the rankings with such a career...I mean, I can try to understand Ryuku, when she doesn't turn into a dragon she's very refined and well-behaved, but Mirko is a crude barbarian! I mean, she doesn't even have her own agency, she roams the country like a mercenary!" 

Kaina, who had listened to the two talk for a good half hour, still managed to be dumbfounded at such snottiness. Salem, for her part, heaved a sigh, "Hmm, I see. Back to us, I'm sure your daughter will be able to pleasantly surprise you." 

The two Yaoyorozus raised an eyebrow, "Hmm...well, by the same logic, Midoriya could also surprise everyone and lose. I mean, the contenders are talented students, who can predict what will happen?" 

Even the most idiotic of men could have heard the confrontational tone in the man's voice, a response to what he perceived as an affront. However, Salem's response was a smile and a sharp look aimed at the field and the greenie who was coming up in the arena at that moment: "Of course, anything can happen. But I'm sure Izuku will do excellently." 

Izuku was not sure what he was supposed to do. 

For starters, he had no idea what Shinso's quirk was. His only clue was that it did not work against robots, which could mean a mental quirk, an emitter that only works on organic matter, a mutation that does not bring physical enhancements...the list was quite long. His best bet was to keep his guard up and create a Beowulf to begin with-. 

"Hey, are you still with us?" 

Shinso's voice brought his mind back to the event. The boy was looking at him with his hands in his pockets and his expression absolutely neutral. This was not a good sign. 

"S-sorry, I'm-" 

His mind clouded over the moment he registered Midnight's voice starting the fight. Everything was muffled, the sights, the sounds, the smells; the only thing he could register was his body stiff and straight as a pole.

'Great, a mental quirk. Stuck as I am he could do literally anything-' 

"Turn around and walk off the field." 

Shinso's voice was like a siren cutting through the fog in his mind. His body began to move, turning around and starting to walk toward the arena exit like a robot. Izuku's brain was working at full speed to find a solution

'Mental quirk, control, probably voice-activated...in such cases it takes some kind of external physical input to get free. I can't move, I can't make myself stumble on purpose, I-' 

If his face had not been frozen by mind control, the idea he got would have given him a toothy grin 

'I can still think!'

Izuku focused, deep in thought, deeper than he ever did. He imagined he was in a field-no, a house-no, a city! He imagined he was in a big country town, where the sun was shining and children were playing in the streets. The flowers hanging in the windows were a thousand different colors, the tree in the center of the square bore all kinds of fruit, the cattle in the stables were fat and healthy. 

Suddenly the dream changed, becoming a nightmare. The houses began to crumble into dusty ruins, the animals became dull and afflicted with every imaginable disease, the flowers had become a carpet of withered plants that served as beds for a crowd of dying or rotting men, women and children, their eyes empty or just plain missing. The tree in the center of the square became dry and sullen, a demonic hand reaching for the sky as if to steal the souls of the citizens. 

And in the midst of this nightmare, circling the streets feasting on the humans they found, were the new lords of the city. 

An army of Grimms. 

Shinsou watched Midoriya's figure walk toward the edge of the field. He couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for the boy. 

After the talk in the cafeteria the month before, he had begun to feel a little sympathy for the greenie, coming from a very similar background: his quirk, 'brainwashing,' had been feared by the majority of his elementary and middle school classmates, effectively making him the number one target of all the bullies in the neighborhood. Adding mockery to injury were his heroic aspirations, which certainly did not help his popularity. It was safe to say that he had been overjoyed to leave his old school behind and attempt the UA entrance exam. 

That soon turned out to be a disappointment.

The exam was clearly, blatantly made to favor kids with flashier, more destructive quirks. I mean, fighting robots in an urban environment? It didn't take much to figure out who the higher-ups wanted as students. Even with the addition of rescue points, someone like him could do very little: without a powerful quirk, he had had to use hand-to-hand and what he could find around, resulting in a measly total of nineteen rescue points, not enough to be eligible for heroism. 

So he had to proceed with Plan B: the sports festival. 

Those who showed good potential could be transferred to the heroic classes, provided, of course, that the individual did not refuse. This was a well-known thing; it was the way Eraserhead himself (his idol, but he would never admit it in front of him) had managed to graduate in Underground Heroism. And Shinsou had spent the months before the festival training relentlessly in all areas, from stamina, to martial arts, he had even managed to find classmates willing to help him train his quirk. To be fair, let it be said that UA's zero-bullying policy was not just pretty words, and his class was composed of altogether pleasant people. A little bland at times, but he wasn't much better.

In short, Shinsou knew what it meant to be the villain of the situation, and he could understand, and perhaps admire, that the greenie had earned his place in that class. But, for the sake of his dream, he had to defeat him. 

It wasn't that he wanted to see him out of the class, mind you, but it was a competition at the end of the day. Thank God there were two empty seats, with any luck he could have gotten in without kicking anyone out. 

The boy let out a sigh, watching Izuku's figure get closer and closer to the edge as Mic's voice commented on it all in an excited manner. The first round was over but he had lost the element of surprise, for the next one he would have to- 

Izuku stopped. 

Shinsou blinked. 

'Why did he stop?' 

"Hey, I said walk off the field. Go on." 

The greenie made no sign that he had heard him. His body began to tremble, then jerked violently and leaned forward. 

The violette wrinkled his forehead, "Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?" This time he did not think of his quirk when he asked the question, approaching toward the boy who had collapsed onto his knees. 

The answer was not what he had expected, but it was something he would not easily forget. 

Izuku pulled his head back for a moment, only to lean forward and vomit a black liquid with the intensity of a fountain. The cry of disgust that ran throughout the stadium was rivaled only by the look of horror on Shinsou's face, who had a much better view of the grotesque scene. 

The greenie calmed down after a few seconds with a puddle before him that, had one not seen it for himself, would have been hard to believe had all come out of his mouth. His breath was heavy but his gaze was again lucid and focused. The boy rose to his feet, giving Hitoshi a blood-chilling look as behind him the liquid began to boil and agglomerate, forming first a white skull, then a black body topped by two giant membranous wings.

Mic's voice boomed through the stadium, "Would you look at that! We thought this round was already decided, but Midoriya pulled an ace out of his sleeve, or should I say a Grimm! Eraser, do you have any idea what happened? Because I don't know what to say!" 

Aizawa gave the deepest sigh, "I do have one. Shinsou's situation perfectly represents one of the problems of heroism, namely its preference for flashy quirks rather than useful ones: the boy's quirk is called Brainwashing, and it allows him to control a person's body if that person responds to what he says. I don't think I need to sit here and describe how useful such a thing would be in the field." 

"Sure, sure! It is without a doubt a power that would come in very handy! But what happened with Midoriya?" 

"In the months that I had him as a student, I was able to observe the workings of Creatures of Grimm. In order for it to activate, Midoriya must first visualize the concept of 'destruction' and then channel it to his hands; if he skips this second step, the Grimm fluid comes out of his mouth. In all likelihood, Midoriya used the feeling of vomit as an impulse to sever the Brainwash." 

Mic made a strangled sound, "Are you saying that he almost choked himself to keep from being eliminated?" 

Although he was not visible, every person in the stadium could feel the hand massaging between his eyes, "Probably. Knowing the boy, I wouldn't put it outside the realm of possibility." 

Mic, for his part, burst out laughing, "What a selfless spirit! Back to the present, the Grimm you are seeing on the field is a Teryx! Fast and agile both on the ground and in the air and able to withstand polar temperatures!" 

This pointed at Shinsou with a huffing snarl, spreading its wings and showing the bright red membrane. The purple boy stepped back a step under the gaze of the monster and Midoriya, raising his hands with cold sweats on his forehead, "Okay...we started off on the wrong foot. What do you say we start over again? You know, let's make some jokes, exchange some punches..." 

The greenie looked at the other for a few seconds longer, then snapped his fingers and turned to the Grimm behind him, "Non-lethal force. T-take him out of the f-field." 

The Teryx turned his gaze toward Shinsou, who realized at that moment that he was pretty much screwed. He managed to start running before the monster rose into the air and swiftly swooped down toward him, slipping under sharp claws and aiming at Midoriya with clenched teeth. 

He managed to reach the greenie before the Grimm could turn around, and immediately pulled back his fist, planning to at least knock the student out before he was torn to shreds by the monster. Before the blow could connect, however, the greenie blocked him with his palm and opened his guard to throw a punch to his face, which was avoided at the last second. 

Shinsou prepared to respond, but a pair of claws caught him at the waist and dragged him away before he could do anything. From there the rest was a foregone conclusion: the Teryx rose into the air, descended quickly over the field, and threw the violet boy well away from the ring. 

Izuku took a deep breath and called the Grimm back with a whistle as the crack of Midnight's whip sanctioned the end of the match: "Shinsou Hitoshi is out of the ring! The winner is Midoriya Izuku!" 

The purple boy spat out an expletive as he stood up with a sore back. 

He had lost. Despite his training, determination, and strategy, he had failed to overcome Midoriya. The thought frustrated him to no end, but there was no use crying over spilled milk. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the greenie himself, who approached with the Grimm in tow. His expression was back to the concerned and friendly one that was his trademark: "Shinsou! Are you all right? Teryx didn't d-do it too hard, r-right?" 

The boy looked baffled for a few seconds by the sudden change in attitude but finally decided to reply, "Don't worry, nothing serious. Just a couple of bruises." 

Izuku nodded, visibly more relieved, but Shinsou was not in the same mood: "I guess my plans to join the hero class will have to wait until next year..." 

"N-not necessarily! We have t-two vacancies, may I remind you!" 

The purple boy caught himself huffing out a laugh: "Eh, I guess you're right. It's still a disappointment." 

The green guy smiled, "I t-think y-you did g-good. The pros in the audience will be impressed!" 

Shinsou nodded, massaging his neck; a short distance away, the Teryx was staring at him with expressionless red eyes, sniffing the air like a hunting hound and letting out a low growl. Izuku tapped him on the muzzle, "No, b-bad boy. No fighting now." 

The other watched with widened eyes as the grimm ducked like a beaten puppy and uttered a low guttural squeal. The greenie did not seem to give him much thought, for he quickly returned to smiling, "S-sorry about it, he's d-disappointed because he doesn't sense negativity from y-you." 

Shinsou took a step back, "If he keeps looking at me like that I might indulge him." 

Izuku shook his head vigorously, "Oh n-no, you d-don't really want THAT to happen! T-they get aggressive with lots of n-negativity around them!"

Hitoshi nodded slowly, watching the grimm raise his head toward him. Izuku flicked it again before continuing, "W-we have to go now. G-good luck with the t-transfer!" 

The other waved at him, "And you with the tournament...though I doubt you'll need it." 

Sitting in the stands, the Class A students watched their classmate leave the field amidst the cheers of the audience, obviously putting in some of their own. When Mic announced the pair that were to fight next, Sero stood up stretching his back

"That's my cue! Wish me luck guys, I'm going to need it!" 

While the boy was receiving good wishes and reassurance from his friends, particularly Kaminari and Ojiro, Momo's attention was turned to Todoroki: the boy didn't even seem to register the comment of his classmate and future opponent, choosing to focus on his hands with a distant gaze. 

It was Tokoyami who shook him from his thoughts, "Todoroki? The next match is yours, you should go get ready." 

The boy let out a small sigh, then stood up and looked at Sero indifferently, "Hmm. I see," with that he left, without deigning the class a second glance. 

Sero shrugged and walked toward the arena as well. The rest of the class exchanged a glance before collectively shrugging. Kirishima sighed, "What I wouldn't give to know what's going on in Todoroki's head..." 

Mina waved a hand, "Leave our ice prince to his angst. We have our own fights to worry about! Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do against that Ibara girl..." 

Momo closed her eyes for a moment, "Shiozaki has a vegetable component to her quirk, which will suffer greatly from your acid. I'm sure your match will go very well, Ashido." 

The pinkette chuckled, patting the other's shoulder, "Aaaw, thank you Yaomomo! And please don't call me that, it's too formal! Call me Mina!" 

The heiress caught herself blushing, "Y-Yaomomo?" 

"Yes! Your last name is a little difficult to pronounce, so I took the liberty of giving you a nickname! I hope that's not a problem." 

Momo stood still looking at her classmate for a few minutes, processing everything before nodding slowly, "No...no, it's fine. It's...cute." 

Mina giggled giving her thumbs up, "Yay, Yaomomo approved!" 

The heiress smiled at the other girl's enthusiastic reaction. For a moment, as Izuku walked back up to the stands and Sero and Todoroki descended toward the arena, she forgot about her parents, expectations, and the company-the only thing she thought about was her class, the festival, and herself.

The fight between Sero and Todoroki went...exactly as one might have expected. But even more spectacular. 

The black-haired boy had started the match by catching his opponent in his tape and then pulling him to the edge of the field. Straight to the point, quick, efficient, his goal was not to give Todoroki a chance to create large amounts of ice. 

As Aizawa himself said, the idea was good. But he could not know the true extent of the quirk he was up against.

One second, Todoroki was being thrown toward the edge of the field; the next, an iceberg taller than the stadium itself had trapped his opponent and covered the view of a good portion of the stands. Not even Midnight herself had been spared, finding herself with one foot and half her body stuck in the ice. 

The bout ended after 45.8 seconds, making it effectively one of the fastest duels in UA's Sports Festival history. 

The clash between Kaminari and Monoma went very differently from the previous one: it was hard fought, with neither side willing to give quarter. 

The B's blond had five minutes at his disposal to make the best use of the five quirks chosen from those of his classmates: now he was holding Kaminari at a distance with air walls, now he was hitting him with a giant, steel-covered slam. The electricity was neutralized by lightning rods made of brambles while the purple aura continued to push and unbalance his opponent. 

This one, for his part, was certainly not backing down. For ranged combat he could rely on electric blanket discharges and his Thunderclap move; for close combat he had electricity-laden punches and kicks, as well as his Human Stun Gun, which was useful for forcing Monoma away. Sure, all that electricity could risk short-circuiting him, but he was generally careful to avoid charging his head and staying below a certain voltage. 

Monoma's five minutes were running out, and without the quirks of his classmates his match was as good as over. So he gritted his teeth, wrapped himself in Reiko's quirk, turned his right fist into steel, and charged Kaminari headfirst, ready to finish it all off in one blow. The electric blond was not intimidated, and he enveloped himself in electricity ready to respond to the offensive. 

What happened was a sublime display of ingenuity: Monoma's metallic fist met Kaminari's open, electrified palm, and the latter grinned when he saw the golden discharges run down his opponent's arm. His smugness, however, quickly disappeared when he received an enlarged fist to the base of his diaphragm, hitting him with so much force that he felt the contents of his stomach rise up into his throat. The blond collapsed on the ground, straining not to vomit in front of the cameras, so he could not avoid the brambles that bound him like a sausage. 

Monoma gave a grin as wide as his entire face when Midnight proclaimed him the winner. As he untied Kaminari, the latter asked him coughing, "Dude, h-how did you withstand the shock?" 

His response was to raise his uniform shirt, showing that not only his arm but his entire right side had turned to steel: "I sent it where I wanted it." 

The battle between Iida and Hatsume was...peculiar, let's say. Specifically, it was not a battle. 

When Midnight gave the go-ahead, the girl took a microphone, placed two audio speakers on the floor, and began an in-depth presentation of her inventions, making sure to explain everything she could and even more for each of her babies before moving on to the next one. Throughout all this Iida was her (unwilling) lab rat, being tossed around by every kind of rocket, trampoline, explosion and mechanical arm possible. 

Those were twenty minutes of sheer madness. There came a time when rumors ran through the stands that the match was staged by the school, because they did not find it possible that a support student was not only using the time of the match to do her own business, but was also humiliating a student from the hero course. 

(The only exception was Salem herself, who was impressed by the girl's engineering talent, not to mention her marketing skills.) 

Once she ran out of inventions to present, Hatsume...left. She walked off the field, giving Iida a walk-off victory. Which he really could not enjoy. 

Salem sighed, massaging her temple with one hand. The last round of the sports festival was...chaotic. Much more chaotic than she expected. The Vytal festival had not prepared her at all for this tournament. 

Beside her, Kaina put the phone away, "Danjuro just called. He says his meeting with Feel Good Inc. went well, but he didn't sound too convinced." 

The witch nodded, "I see. I'll get a report as soon as we finish here. In the meantime, let's keep an eye on that pink-haired student. I don't recall the support class scheduling internship periods like the hero course, but if it does let's send out a request for...Hatsume Mei, right?" 

Kaina nodded, starting to send messages and mails to the various executives. All the while, Mic's voice flooded the stadium, "Very well listeners, the next match is about to begin! Budding and seasoned writers, don't change the channel or get distracted, because the next contenders deserve a place in the finest novels! On one side we have the second recommended student from Class A! Elegant, sophisticated, intelligent beyond measure, and with a quirk more powerful than it might seem at first glance, I give you the princess of Class A, Yaoyorozu Momo!" 

Immediately Salem perked up in her chair, paying attention to the girl who was stepping onto the field with a hard expression on her face. Mic's commentary did not stop: "And on the other side, from the same class, we have one of the great shadows of the first-years! He has proven to be a tank in the turf war, and his quirk allows him to think with two brains instead of one! Let's hear it for Tokoyami Fumikage!" 

The crowd went wild for the boy, who looked at his opponent with a grim expression (or it could have been simple seriousness; the avian head did not make it easy to understand). Salem rested her head on her clasped hands, making assessments of the situation and Yaoyorozu's chances. It was going to be complicated. Doable, but complicated. 

Mr. Yaoyorozu was of a different opinion: "What a set-up. Momo shouldn't even be there, she should be studying or exchanging contacts with the pros. Why go through all this drama when she will be eliminated? After all, she's not a fighter..." His gaze shifted to Salem "...Mrs. Hexe."

The witch waved her hand, "You should know that in this job there is no such thing as mathematical certainty. I think it would be wiser if, instead of dragging your feet on your worldview, you observe what will happen. After all..." her gaze shifted to the man: "...if I had behaved the same way, I would not be here." 

The husband and wife stiffened for a moment, then looked back at the field. Salem drummed her fingers on the armrest of the chair, her red eyes locked on the girl. 

'Show us what you can really do, Yaoyorozu Momo.'

Chapter Text

Momo swallowed, looking at his opponent on the other side of the field.

Tokoyami was very strong, without a doubt, one of the strongest students in Class A. Dark Shadow is an extremely versatile quirk, able to strike at almost any distance and with frightening strength. He had not told any member of the team if he had any weaknesses, which gave him a considerable advantage. The only strategy she could think of was to ignore the quirk and threaten the boy directly, but that was not going to be an easy task either.

She knew that trying to reason with him or upset him with a few catchphrases would not work. Although they had been on a team together, on this field they were adversaries. Rivals, in a sense. One against the other.

As so many times before, she was alone.

The girl took a deep breath, pushing the cold feeling away from her bones to replace it with the image of Ashido, Uraraka, Midoriya, the rest of the class.

She was alone. But no longer lonely.

Steeling her expression, she began to activate Creation behind her back. The quirk light was covered by her clothes, so no one noticed that she was getting ready as Midnight raised the hand with the whip, "All right! Ready...on your marks..."

The crack rang in the girl's ears like thunder, " BEGIN!"

As soon as the signal was given, Dark Shadow emerged from Tokoyami's body like a snake hiding in a lair and immediately aimed at the girl with a roar, "Sorry Yaoyorozu, but I've gotta punch you!"

She managed to dodge the quirk's fist with a sideways leap, before putting her hand behind her back and pulling out the sword she had been preparing. She stood on guard, looking at the quirk as a knight looks at the dragon, "Bring it on, Dark Shadow!"

This gave another roar and dashed toward the girl, starting to throw punches in a flurry; she circled around the quirk, dodging the blows and being careful to keep herself as much in the center of the field as possible. A surprise hit could have thrown her several feet away.

As she danced around the shadow creature, she began to deliver slashes and jabs, which, however, seemed to have no effect: the monster laughed when the blade penetrated her hand, taking advantage of the moment to swing a at the girl. The latter managed to dodge the attack by a whisker, backing away quickly and clutching the sword in her fist. Dark Shadow chuckled, "Unless you have something better, this battle is as good as over!"

Yaoyorozu gritted her teeth, putting her head up and back straight. That was all the answer the quirk needed, and the fight resumed immediately. The two began circling, dodging and attacking each other: now a hit, now a punch, Dark Shadow blocked the sword with her hands, Momo avoided the shadow claws with pirouettes and quick steps.

Suddenly, the situation changed: the quirk delivered a faster lunge than the one used up to that point, and Momo was unable to avoid it completely, getting caught in the shoulder. It didn't do much damage, but it managed to unbalance her enough for Dark Shadow to connect a second punch to the chest, which hit her with so much force that it threw her toward the edge of the field like a beated rag.

The shadow gave a grin and immediately sprinted toward the girl's still inert form, hoping to end the encounter with a second blow, but before she could do so something flew toward her.

The yellow eyes widened. It was a flashbang.

The sudden flash made her scream and crumple in on herself as if she had been burned by acid. Tokoyami stiffened for a moment as his now significantly smaller quirk lowered her head like a whipped dog.

Momo, for her part, had pains all over her body, not to mention burning lungs that made breathing a problem. Her hand was still clenched around the sword, and she was certain that this had caused her a couple of cuts here and there.

However, that was not what she was focusing on at the moment. In truth, she could barely register all the pain and cuts.

The only thing she could feel was the beating of her heart, the flexing of her muscles, the slight heat of her quirk, the warmth of her breath. And, most of all, the adrenaline that was making her ears ring.

Pointing her sword at the ground, she got to her feet and looked Dark Shadow in the eye. The quirk seemed to have recovered from the scare and had returned to its guarded position, albeit maintaining its small size; Yaoyorozu activated creation and pulled a second sword out of her side, then wielded both with her eyes shining with exhilaration.

There was an extra second of waiting. Then, with a fury that would have impressed Mirko herself, the two contenders ran at each other and began trading attack after attack after attack. Dark Shadow, though immune to physical damage, was still recoiling under the pressure of the blows, while Momo could feel her body begin to suffer from the scratches and bruises scattered all over her body.

The quirk gave a grin as the girl knelt down after a particularly nasty blow to her side, "HA! You're starting to give out! Last chance to surrender without me having to force you!"

Momo gasped, feeling the pain numb her legs and arms. She knew well that she could not win in a face-off, not against Dark Shadow....

Her eyes widened in a moment of clarity.

Her opponent wasn't Dark Shadow. Her opponent was Tokoyami.

The girl gave a grin as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her mind busy doing quick physics calculations. Shakily, she scrambled back to her feet and looked at the quirk for a few seconds longer, then pulled back her arm, twisted her body, and, with a shriek, threw one of her two swords upward with all the strength she had.

The shadow burst out laughing, "Hey, I'm down here!"

The girl silenced her with a sentence that was brimming with satisfaction, "Who said I was aiming at you?"

It took Dark Shadow half a second to realize what was going on, but when she did she darted back toward the boy, "FUMI!!!"

The latter looked up, finally realizing that the sword's trajectory had him as its target. In a moment of panic, he stepped back with a shout, "Dark Shadow!"

His quirk sped up, going higher and higher, aiming for the silvery glow that was heading toward the boy at breakneck speed....

With one last effort, Dark Shadow extended both claws. The sword stabbed the right one, piercing it through like a skewer.

Tokoyami breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his quirk stop the sword. He returned his gaze to the girl-

And he was caught by a knee to the diaphragm, followed by a hand that caught him in the throat and a sweep to his legs that sent him to the ground in a chokeslam.

The hand removed itself from his neck, replaced immediately by the sensation of something cold and sharp. When he was able to focus again, he saw the figure of Yaoyorozu leaning over him with the sword held with the edge against his throat, her eyes glowing with fury and her mouth open to show her teeth like a wolf with prey.

Dark Shadow, as soon as she saw the struggling boy, threw herself toward Momo with shadow claws ready to strike, but was stopped by a bright light that caught her in the face. With bellowing and grunting, the quirk curled in on itself and became little bigger than a soccer ball under the beam of the girl's flashlight.

Tokoyami looked at her with wide eyes, "How..."

She shifted her gaze from the quirk to him, still being careful not to move the flash beam and sword, "The flashbang. It was pretty obvious." 

The boy looked at her for a second longer, shifted his gaze to Dark Shadow, assessed the situation; finally, he threw his head back with a sigh, "I give up."

Momo stood still for a few seconds, still high on adrenaline; the thrill and tension left her body when Midnight's voice flooded the stadium: "Tokoyami Fumikage surrenders! The winner is Yaoyorozu Momo!"

Slowly she rose to her feet, dropping her sword and flashlight to one side. Her muscles ached all over, her breathing was labored, and her legs shook like they were made of jelly. She looked around, trying to process what had happened, "I...have..."

Tokoyami caught her before she could fall forward, supporting her on one shoulder, "Be careful. Maybe it would be best to take you to Recovery Girl."

Momo nodded absentmindedly, looking at the boy with dazed eyes, "Did I...really win?"

The other nodded, walking her off the field, "Yes. And deservedly so, might I add."

The girl stared blankly, limping toward the infirmary as she came to terms with the fact that she had won. Despite her parents, despite everything, she had won.

It...felt good.

As the stadium erupted in applause and cheers for the winner, Izuku was still gaping. Beside him, Uraraka was clapping her hands so hard she could skin them, "WAY TO GO YAOMOMO!!! FANTASTIC JOB!!!"

Next to her, Mina was no less: "GREAT GOING, GIRL!"

The greenie slowly began to recover: "Wow...that was...that was..."

Kaminari burst out laughing, "That was badass is what it was!"

Kirishima echoed him, "The flashbang, the dual sword, the finisher...I wish I had at least one-tenth of Yaoyorozu's manliness! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time."

Izuku finally shook himself out of his stupor and began muttering at lightning speed, "Dark Shadow is one of the strongest and most versatile quirks in the class, but apparently it has a revulsion toward bright lights. Maybe using the flashbang like that was by accident, but Yaoyorozu noticed what happened and guessed Dark Shadow's weakness in an instant. Plus she calculated perfectly at what angle and with how much force she would have to throw the sword to give it the perfect trajectory to go toward Tokoyami. And she did all this while creating a very few items...the flashbang and the flashlight though are quite complicated, how much fat will she have spent?"

A tap behind his ear brought his head back to the present: "Midoriya? You still with us?"

The greenie's face became so red that his head looked like a strawberry: "AAH! Y-yeah! Y-y-yeah, I'm fine!"

Iida shook his head with a smile, "It's not nice to insinuate a girl's weight, you know?"

Strawberry be damned, Izuku's face was on the verge of becoming a dwarf star from how red he was: "I-I-I-IIDA! TH-THAT WASN'T C-C-CERTAINLY WHAT I WAS-"

The boy broke out laughing, "I know, I know, don't worry. I was just teasing you a little."

Mina smacked him on the shoulder, "Look our class president, stooping down to make such jokes! You almost gave poor Midoriya a heart attack!"

Half the class laughed as the aforementioned greenie calmed his breathing and returned his face to its natural pallor. Even so, he couldn't help but join in the round of laughter.

If she were a petty person, Salem would have started laughing and giving Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu a very meaningful look. The kind of look that is, ninety percent of the time, the cause of sudden brawls after a losing bet.

Salem, however, was not a petty person.

She was very, VERY petty. To the point of bordering on sadism (one of immortality's drawbacks).

The woman spread her mouth in a slight smile, turning to the couple with all the ease of this world: "Congratulations on your daughter's victory. It was a magnificent match."

The two were still stunned, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. A swirl of emotions was visible in their eyes, but horror, disgust and disbelief were quite evident.

Mrs. Yaoyorozu was the first to shake herself from her state and give a smile so tugged on that it looked like a wax mask: "T...thank you, ma'am. It was...well...a show, for sure."

The man, on the other hand, had slumped in his seat and was muttering to himself. After a few seconds, he recomposed himself, "Momo has...suffered a lot of damage. I do hope the school nurse can help her before the next round..."

Salem snorted a laugh: "Recovery Girl's skills are legendary, and there is time before her next fight. She will be in top shape."

The comment, for some reason, seemed to give a shiver to the man, who clutched the armrest of the chair. Salem, however, had stopped thinking about him, choosing instead to think back to Momo's match. Her gaze was lost in the void.

'Those movements...that planning ability...oh, it takes me back.'

She shook her head after a moment, focusing back on the tournament. After all, it was just an impression.

Probably.

The rest of the fights resumed after a short while. Mina and Ibara engaged in a battle of agility and endurance where one created thornbeds to trap her opponent and the other avoided them with leaps and sprays of acid that paved the way for her to attack directly. No matter how many vines one pulled out, the other always managed to make her way through the green walls.

The bout ended when Ibara began to run out of brambles: Mina seized the opportunity to start skating across the field toward her opponent, dodging barbed whips to throw a double dropkick straight into the B-girl's gut. The latter doubled over, collapsing to the ground with a dry heave and without the strength to get up, while the other celebrated her victory with leaps of joy.

Kirishima snapped another one of Kamakiri's blades, who still made no sign of letting up. The two boys were facing each other face to face, armor against sword: the redhead was stronger, tougher and his quirk allowed him to cash in slashes without flinching; the greenhead, on the other hand, was lightning fast and extremely accurate, aiming at the wrists and knees to debilitate his opponent.

It was shaping up to be a long and grueling fight. At least, until Kirishima decided it was time to end it.

He bided his time, staying on the defensive to protect the most vulnerable areas of his body. At one point, Kamakiri took a leap and aimed a slash toward the inside of his elbow, confident that he could catch the redhead unprepared and take the advantage.

The one taken by surprise was him: Kirishima hardened his arm at the last second, locking the blade between arm and forearm and stopping the green enough to allow him to first throw a hardened elbow to his chest, then finish the bout with a chokeslam made easy enough by the considerable size of the boy's neck.

As Midnight proclaimed him the winner, the redhead helped the other up, complimenting his style; Kamakiri shook his head, "Bah, I don't need compliments from the victors. Rather, keep on training: one of these days we'll have the second round, and I won't lose again."

He didn't admit it out loud, but Kirishima was looking forward to it.

The duel between Uraraka Ochako and Yoarashi Inasa was gaining attention long before it began.

On one side was a girl capable of nullifying gravity by touching something with five fingers; on the other side was a boy capable of manipulating wind and air currents with such precision and strength that he could keep himself and three other teammates suspended in the air without effort.

According to the audience, that duel wouldn't even have been worth doing. I mean, what could a sweet, pudgy girl like Uraraka do?

The answer was 'her best.'

The strategy adopted by the girl was risky: she began by charging headlong toward the boy who, predictably, responded by raising a gust of wind strong enough to push her back. At first she steadied herself, trying not to be thrown off by the gales; when Yoarashi created a whirlwind around her, the second phase began.

She began by taking off her suit shirt, holding it tightly around her arm and then using her quirk on herself to erase the gravity of her body; as she began to float, she found herself at the mercy of the whirlwind, swirling like an autumn leaf. Before Yoarashi could redirect the wind to throw her out of the way, Uraraka grabbed the shirt from the ends, using it like a sail to give herself the momentum she needed to escape the vortex, shooting like a missile at the boy.

He tried to stop her with a headwind blast, but she chose that as the moment to deactivate the quirk, returning her weight and sending her tumbling full speed toward the ground. The girl landed with a somersault, then reached out trying to catch Yoarashi.

She came within half an inch before being blasted off the field by a blast of wind strong enough to throw even Midnight off and uproot patches of grass from the ground.

The comments that started rolling through the stands was enough to make Salem sick to her stomach and would have brought Ochako to the brink of tears, if a certain teacher hadn't brought the silence down with, "Whoever is saying that Uraraka was lucky and didn't have a chance from the start would do well to take a hard look at themselves. The girl used her head, adopting a risky strategy but one that allowed her to go on the offensive, and had she been able to touch Yoarashi she would have gained an advantage. Regardless of her quirk or appearance, she fought better than what I have seen some pros do on the field."

This time Ochako was really brought to tears. Especially after Inasa's enthusiastic reaction and compliments.

"And the first bracket has ended, ladies and gentlemen! The contenders gave their best, giving us some breathtaking duels and, I'm sure, giving the pros in the stands plenty to think about! But it's time to get ready for the quarterfinals, which are shaping up to be explosive! We now have a short break to allow the winners to prepare for the upcoming challenges, but we'll be back shortly!"

The students were very happy with the break, using the moment to go to the bathroom or refuel with snacks. Izuku, for his part, went for a walk to clear his mind and calm his nerves.

His next fight would be against Todoroki. Who had declared war on him. Who had dumped on him a backstory that would have made the year of any scandal reporter. Who didn't seem to have quite clear in his head the difference between rivalry and enmity.

The stress was understandable.

It was not going to be easy. Even with the handicap Todoroki had imposed on himself, his quirk was one of the strongest in the class, and he seemed more than willing to use it without restraint. His fighting style, ironically, was very similar to his father's: throwing large amounts of his own quirk at the target, manipulating its shape and method of release as needed (as in the case of Gugnir or Hell Spider)

Luckily, he had very cold-resistant Grimms on his side. For speed he could use Sabyrs and Teryxes, for power Megoliaths and Sphinxes, Centinels would clear the walls he would try to erect, with any luck it would not force him to churn out too many Grimm in a row, he would want to avoid losing control on live television-.

"Kid, is there something wrong?"

Izuku recovered from his muttering when he heard someone call out to him. He looked up, feeling like he was going to faint when he came face to face with Endeavor; the hero, for his part, had an unreadable look on his face, "Wait...you're the boy who gave the opening speech. Midoriya, right?"

The greenie swallowed, "Y-yes, sir."

Endeavor nodded: "What you said was...very interesting. Especially that bit about the meaning of heroism. I don't agree with everything, but some of the points made me think. And I must say you have shown potential in the arena. I will eagerly await the moment when you receive your provisional license."

Izuku felt his head spin. Endeavor was complimenting him. Endeavor. The country's No. 2 hero. The same Endeavor who had caused so much pain to Todoroki and his family. The difference between the personality he had expected and the one he was seeing was staggering.

The hero continued to speak, oblivious to the boy's thoughts, "Your next match will be against Shoto, won't it? Honestly, I doubt you will be able to win, although I may be biased in this case. Nevertheless, do try to do your best: a display of spirit can impress even more than a victory, in the right cases."

The greenie looked at him for another moment, before he glanced at the watch on his wrist, "Hmm. I'd better be going. Have a good day, Midoriya Izuku."

With that, he passed the boy and headed toward the hallway. Before he could leave, Izuku raised his voice, "Endeavor."

"Yes?"

"Sh-Shouto has...a f-fantastic quirk."

The hero chuckled, "I know. If only he would make up his mind and use his fire too..."

"...I-I was taught t-that no one can t-tell us how to l-live our l-lives. Or t-tell us how to use our q-quirks."

Izuku's tone had become neutral. Endeavor raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, maybe...but you'll also realize that it's not healthy for him. Not to mention how much this limits his potential."

"I-I know. But I don't have the r-right to meddle in t-those things. The only one wh-who can d-decide how to use his q-quirk is him."

The hero hardened his features, "Where are you going with this?"

Izuku looked at the hero from over his shoulder, and maybe it was just a trick of the light but Enji had the impression that his eyes had turned red for a moment: "The quirk is his. The life is his. He owes you nothing."

With that he walked off down the hallway, leaving behind a very confused Endeavor. The boy headed for the locker room as fast as he could, trying to calm his nerves after telling off the number 2 hero what the heck was he thinking!

Izuku locked himself in the room, finally being able to let go of that squeal that had been simmering inside him since he had seen the hero turn around the corner. He sat down on the bench, taking his head in his hands, looking into the void as if reevaluating his life choices.

Which he was in fact doing.

What saved him from his anxiety spiral was the ringing of the phone. When he saw who the number was that was calling him, he felt a wave of relaxation wash over him; he stood up, took a deep breath, and answered the call, "Hello, m-mom."

"Izuku! My baby boy! Oh dear, how are you? Nervous about the match?"

"Very much so. I mean, I-I'm against T-Todoroki! One of the r-recommended students! If what he did to S-Sero is of any i-indication..."

"Izuku, you're going to do great. You were great during the first two events and the first round, just keep it up. And even if you lose, I'll still be proud of you."

The boy smiled. His mother always knew what to say, "Thanks mom. I n-needed to hear that."

"Anytime, Izu."

"Hmm...hey mom?"

"Yes dear?"

The boy took a deep breath, "Have you...has there been any word about w-what happened to B-B-Bakugo?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, followed by Inko's tense tone, "What's with that question?"

Izuku ran a hand through his hair, "I...I...I don't know. But...would it make me f-feel better? I t-think? K-knowing that he is at least...well...alive."

There was a huffy laugh, which quickly became a sigh: "If he was dead I'm pretty sure we would have gone to a funeral, but okay. A few weeks ago I talked to Mitsuki on the phone...he said they sent Katsuki to a reform school after a...particularly bad rant."

The greenie nodded, surprising himself by breathing a sigh of relief, "G-Good. A-at least he's r-receiving help."

"I guess so...but you have other things to think about now."

"Haha, t-true. Well, I'd better get r-ready, then."

"Okay, I'll leave you to your match. Give it your all, okay?"

"Of course m-mom. Cheer f-for me!"

"All right. Good luck, Izu."

The boy ended the call with a small smile on his lips. As Mic's voice boomed from the loudspeakers, he began to make his way toward the field.

He had a duel to win.

Chapter Text

Salem drummed her fingers on the armrest of the chair. The next match would probably be the most significant...and the most chaotic of the tournament, of course excluding the finals.

Izuku was up against none other than Todoroki Shouto, the son of Endeavor, the media and public's favorite for the first place. The witch loved her nephew in a way she had not felt in millennia, but even so she had to acknowledge a bitter truth: the Grimms were inherently scary. And in a work like Modern Heroism, that was no small drawback.

Especially when it comes to a system as flawed as Japan's.

Next to her, the Yaoyorozus were looking at the screen with an unhappy face, "Oh dear, what an unfortunate pairing. Young Todoroki is the favorite for first place in this tournament, and to face Midoriya so early means to greatly eclipse him. If they had faced each other during the semifinals or the finals, your nephew would have got a good chance to prove himself and could have approached the match with a light heart...but now it's too early."

Salem hated to admit it, but she understood the woman's logic. The students who received the most attention were, logically, the top three; facing Todoroki so early meant that two things could have happened:

-If Todoroki had been the winner, Izuku would not have been able to take the podium but everything would have turned out as the media, the public and the market expected: a recommended student with a flashy quirk, the son of a hero in the top ten, would have defeated an "ordinary" student with a quirk that many were already perceiving as 'unpleasant' or 'unfit for heroism'

-Izuku's victory, on the other hand, would have been kind of a revolution, an affront to the stereotypes on which heroism is based on. It would have sent a very powerful message, validating even more of the opening speech and inconveniencing several people at the top, those who benefit from the status quo. He would have become a symbol, with all the pros and cons.

Salem sighed. Althoughs she understood the logic, it didn't mean that she had a hard time deciding which of the two options she preferred.

"Yes, it is certainly a...less than ideal arrangement. Still, I'm sure Izuku will come out on top."

Mr. Yaoyorozu gave a snort, "I don't think it will be so easy to predict the outcome of the match. Todoroki is an immensely talented student, after all."

The witch nodded, "I certainly don't want to belittle Todoroki's abilities; I have seen that he has excellent potential. But I still believe that Izuku will be the one to win. Although I admit to being biased in this case."

The last sentence seemed to placate the couple enough for them to return their focus to the field. Kaina turned a glance to her boss, who watched her nephew walk onto the field under the cheers of the audience.

"Welcome to the second bracket of the sports festival, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you are excited, because I know I am!"

"Joy."

"Shush Eraser. Okay then, without further ado let's welcome our two contenders! And what contenders are these! On one side we have the ice prince of Class A, the recommendation student, the terror of all the Titanics in the world! Bringing with him the fury of winter, let's hear it fooooor Todoroki Shouto!"

The boy stepped into the ring, his face a mask of ice. The audience cheered him wildly, but he did not seem to pay attention, focused as he was on watching his opponent.

"And on the other side, still from Class A, we have the demon king of the first year! He managed to be the center of attention during both the obstacle course and the turf war, will he be able to impose his rule or will he be stopped, like Napoleon, by the cold and frost? Give it up foooor Midoriya Izuku!"

The greenie clenched his fists, feeling the red veins begin to pulse. Across the field, he could see Todoroki's breath begin to form vapor as his hand started to get coated with frost.

Midnight raised a hand, "Okay, are you ready?"

Shoto put one foot forward. Black ooze began to leak from Izuku's hands.

The crack of the whip resounded in the camp, "BEGIN!"

Todoroki wasted no time and immediately created an ice line toward the greenie, hoping to catch him and end the encounter quickly. A small hope, but perhaps it would work.

Predictably, it did not work.

Izuku dodged with a somersault, keeping his hand attached to the ground the whole time. When he got back up, he had already created a black puddle of considerable size from which a Manticore emerged; it gave a roar before lowering its head and charging the recommendation student like a bull. He raised a wall of ice, but the Grimm simply spread its wings and flew over it, shooting a fireball that was promptly blocked by another wall.

While Todoroki was distracted, Izuku created another black pool from which many more creatures emerged: two Sabyrs, three Centinels, a Teryx, and a Geist, who stayed behind while the rest of the monsters jumped in to attack. The recommendation student created an iceberg aimed at the greenie, but all it took was a whistle from the boy and immediately all the Grimms focused on destroying the ice: the Centinels dug intricate tunnels, the manticore started shooting fireballs, and the Sabyr and the Teryx threw themselves repeatedly against the ice, ultimately managing to shatter it.

Todoroki took advantage of the moment of distraction to head quickly toward his opponent, but the Geist intercepted him halfway, forcing the boy to dodge not to be possessed (the fact that it could not possess humans was something Izuku had kept to himself the whole time). He was about to jump in again, but a fireball forced him to back away and raise spikes of ice to impale the monsters: the Teryx and one of the Sabyr were pierced through like skewers, the second saber-toothed tiger was wounded in the side, the manticore lost a wing, and the Centinels were not harmed in any way and went to work cracking the ice.

Suddenly there was a series of heavy sounds, of wails, of dragging. Todoroki looked over the thorns, widening his eyes as he saw a giant Ice Golem approaching toward him, waving its arms to clear the obstacles. The student dodged a sweep of the colossal arm, throwing one hand to the ground and creating an iceberg whose tip was aimed at the Geist's mask.

The attack missed the face, but he managed to disassemble one of the arms, which fell to the ground and shattered into a myriad of smaller shards. Todoroki prepared to attack a second time, but a fireball grazing the back of his head reminded him that the Geist was not alone. The boy gritted his teeth and raised a wall when he saw the two Grimms start charging again; this time they did not react fast enough and slammed into it face-first, with the Manticore getting stuck with its horns in the ice. Before he could counterattack, however, the boy was interrupted a second time by the Geist, who had rebuilt its arm with the debris and spikes of ice left lying around.

As Todoroki created more ice with which to deal with the Grimm, Izuku created more Grimm with which to smash the ice. Another Teryx soon found himself airborne as the Manticore got frozen and smashed to bits by a blow from the golem, the Sabyr was replaced by a swarm of five Lancers that began buzzing over the boy. Veins were beginning to rise to his elbow, and he was certain his eyes had turned from green to red, though he was not certain about the sclera.

The recommended student jumped back when he saw the centinels leaping out of the ice to catch him, creating stalagmites to impale the three centipedes: two were killed, the third turned back and went to digging in the ice. He could not rejoice for long, however, as the new Teryx swooped down toward him, followed a short distance by the Lancers. A suddenly raised wall of ice sent the Grimms crashing to the ground, stunning them long enough for the boy to freeze them in place.

The whole thing was followed by Mic's commentary, "And Todoroki neutralizes Midoriya's new offensive! But other Grimms are already ready to attack: from here I see a pair of Beowulf and...uh? Is that a Boarbatusk I see? Todoroki better watch out; the boar Grimm hits like a freight train!" From the arena came a sound of shattering crystals "Case in point! The wall of ice did not hold the blow this time and opened the way for the rest of the bunch! Could this be the end of the line for our ice prince?"

'Not a chance!’

Slamming a hand on the ground, Todoroki started to create a glacier in front of him, raising spike after spike in an attempt to impale the monsters. The two Beowulfs were the first to fall, the Boarbatusk managing to break through the maze before derailing due to a bump and being impaled; only the Geist managed to reach the student and threaten him with an arm sweep before the limb got destroyed by a spike created in less than a second. The giant body fell to the ground unable to move, surrounded by a polar landscape and with Todoroki in front of him, his body covered in frost and shivering.

As the boy caught his breath, however, out of the ice body came tendrils of black liquid that grasped the destroyed spikes, drawing them to itself and aligning them; before Todoroki's stunned eyes, the golem stood up again with new limbs at his disposal, behind him a King Taijitu and a Sphinx. And, still further back, Midoriya was looking at him with black and red eyes, his hands covered with veins up to well above the elbow.

'I can't lose here!’

The boy roared before raising another iceberg in front of him, which was demolished by the three Grimms before it could be a threat. The sphinx began raining down fireballs as King Taijitu and Geist charged at him with all their enormous bulk. The boy, for the first time, was forced to run away and throw ice spears in the hope that they might wound the monsters. The only one who took any damage was the Taijitu; the other two were either too tough or too agile for the javelins to impede them.

'I can't lose like this!’

He sprinted toward Midoriya with part of his face and arm covered in frost, raising a hand to prepare a direct attack. His plan was foiled by the Sphinx, who fired a fireball under the boy's feet, flinging him away down the field as the Geist moved between him and the greenie. The latter was watching him unflinching.

'I must prove to Endeavor that I do not need him...I have to beat him!'

The boy stood up again. His legs were shaking, but it was unclear whether it was from fatigue or hypothermia.

'I have to beat him'

He looked at the boy in front of him, shielded by the three Grimms. On the stands behind him, a man in a flaming costume was shaking his head with his lips pressed into a line.

'I have to beat...'

'...who is it I’m trying to beat?'

The boy froze. His thoughts began to swirl uncontrollably, his concentration broke, his gaze lost in the void. A mistake that the Geist did not hesitate to exploit to hit the boy with a swing, throwing him toward the end of the court. He lay still for a few seconds, so still that the audience thought for a second that he was out of the game; when he got back on his knees there was a roar in the stands, thrilled that their favorite was still in the game. But his head was somewhere else.

'Is it Endeavor, up in the stands...or Midoriya here in front of me?'

The boy raised even more spikes to stop the King Taijitu. Only then did he truly realize how cold he was.

'How many...how many people did I pass by without deigning them a glance? Focusing only on Endeavor? Letting him dominate my thoughts?'

His expression changed. In the stands, Inasa leaned over to get a better look, confused by the change in attitude. Midoriya's face remained focused.

'Why is he different? Why does Midoriya force me to look at him instead of that good-for-nothing?'

The Grimms continued to attack relentlessly. Todoroki raised wall after wall, but it was like each was more fragile than the last. The boy found himself forced to create a series of walls very close together, like waves in a pond.

'What does he have that the others don't?'

"You are free to do w-what you want with your quirk. But, likewise, I am free t-to use this to m-my advantage. Get ready, because I'm n-not going to hold back."

Todoroki widened his unscarred eye. Time seemed to stand still around him, the only thing clear were his thoughts...and the figure of Midoriya, standing on the field with a determined expression on his face.

He had not told him that he had to use fire. He had not reminded him whose son he was or told him he was ungrateful. He had accepted his reasoning. And he was showing him that it doesn't work.

'He respected me'

His eyes began to shine.

'He's giving it his all to win'

His face opened in a grin that tasted of elation.

'So, it's my job...'

His scar lit up like volcanic rock

'...to show him the same respect! 

Izuku gritted his teeth. The situation suddenly became a lot more complicated.

His quirk was already reaching its limits. The red veins had already reached his shoulders, and he was sure they were beginning to appear under his eyes as well; the King Taijitu and the Sphinx had cost him more effort than he had expected. Thank goodness the Geist and Centinels were hard counters to Todoroki's style: it's hard to defeat a golem if you keep giving it material to restore its body, and as long as he refused to use fire there wasn't much he could do about it. His idea was to have the Geist and the Sphinx manage to survive and throw Todoroki out of bounds.

That plan literally went up in smoke when the left side of the recommendation student's body ignited in a fiery blaze.

The Grimm flinched back, startled by such violent and sudden fire. Todoroki had a grin never before seen on his face, aimed at a Midoriya who, for his part, was starting to feel the quiver of adrenaline in his body.

The recommendation student looked at his hands for a moment before creating another glacier toward the Sphinx. It dodged by rising into the air, but before it could respond it got hit by a jet of flame that sent it crashing to the ground charred and already disintegrating. The King Taijitu slithered toward the boy to take advantage of the distraction, but was blocked by a series of spikes that lifted him high into the air, only to end up as a skewer at the barbecue.

Todoroki burst out laughing. No matter how much he felt like he was breaking a taboo, he could not deny the reality of the facts: using his fire was exhilarating. It was completely different from the ice he was used to, but at the same time so similar; his body had stopped shaking and he felt better than ever, able to do anything. When he laid eyes on the Geist, running toward him and ready to strike, he did not see his opponent's obstacle or Midoriya's monster: he saw a challenge.

With a wave of his hand, he raised a huge glacier that immobilized the golem's arm; tapping his foot on the ground, he raised a pillar beneath him that launched him into the air, above the monster's second swing. He pulled back his arm, which was enveloped in flames; as he fell, he could feel the heat rise under his skin, praying to be released in all its glory. And this time he did not deny it.

With a scream he landed on the Grimm's head and slammed his fist against the mask: in an instant all the accumulated heat burst out in one colossal blaze that enveloped the ice body in an instant, instantly sublimating it with a bang that shot the boy to the ground and tore the Grimm to pieces even before he could disintegrate completely.

Izuku widened his eyes. Todoroki had just defeated three giant Grimms in an instant with a big smile on his face. Part of him was getting worried, fearing that he would not win, and cursing that the boy had changed his mind about his vote. However, there was another part that was of a different opinion-a part that was spreading a huge grin on his face, no less terrifying than Todoroki's. 

A part of him that took control when he saw the recommendation student stand up and approach with a smile, opening his frosted and fiery arms, "IS THIS ALL YOU CAN DO, MIDORIYA? C’MON, GIVE ME A REAL CHALLENGE!!!"

The greenie widened his eyes, and the smile on his face became feral. Everything else disappeared: the stadium, the audience, his class, the heroes, his aunt, his mother. There was only Todoroki before him, who declared war on him, who told him his story, who broke his vow for him, who was openly challenging him.

His classmate. His opponent. His rival.

"BET!"

His body started pouring black liquid with an intensity never seen before, to the point that he disappeared under the sudden stream. Along the stands ran cries of surprise and alarm, even Class A had never seen such a thing; white patches began to emerge from the continuous jet, then a crest, then six red eyes.

The jet became a sort of geyser, an inverted waterfall from which emerged a monster no one would ever forget: the armored head was long and similar to the skulls of ancient sea dinosaurs, the mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth; the thick neck had gills that emitted a faint red glow, while on its back ran a fin surrounded by white thorns. The muscular arms ended in a bizarre mix between hands and fins, the fingers connected by a red membrane but equipped with sharp claws. The body was interrupted at waist height, like it had not been fully formed: inside a cavity in the abdomen, Midoriya was connected to the monster by a web of black tendrils sticking out of his back, while white armor covered his jaws, arms and formed two twisted horns on his head.

The thing that really alarmed the whole stadium-no, the whole nation-was that this monster reached in height of the third ring of the stands. With only half its body.

Izuku's breath was heavy, the veins throbbed on his body, and the connection to the colossal body was an indescribable effort; but he still gave Todoroki an animalistic grin, to which he replied in kind.

The monster sent a roar that shook the foundations of the stadium, but Todoroki responded by freezing the ground in front of him, raising pillars of ice that blocked its long, finned arms. The frost failed to reach the black chest, however, and the Grimm sent a second roar, looking at the boy in front of it with glowing red eyes. Its chest began to vibrate, its gills expanded and began to glow orange, then gold as the giant head went back and the throat began to glow.

Todoroki smiled and put his left arm back, radiating off as much flame as he could: soon there was a true curtain of fire behind him that kept on heating up, changing from red to orange as his arm began to take on white accents. The boy knew that, logically, his left arm should’ve been burned already, but his right side was creating ice to keep the temperature steady. It was ironic, in a way, it was as if the quirk itself was programmed to use both sides together.

The two boys looked at each other with expressions of determination that bordered on madness, a sweet madness in which only they existed, in which Midnight had not ripped her sleeve and Cementoss was not manipulating the field to stop them before they killed each other. No, there was only Midoriya, Todoroki, and their competing quirks.

"LEVIATHAN, FIRE!"

"TAKE THIS!"

Cementoss’s rose up, shattering the ice layer, interposing itself between Todoroki's blaze and the Leviathan's beam of fire. But it was too thin for it to really stop them, shattering as soon as the change in pressure hit it from two sides. The two jets of flame collided for a few seconds, melting what was left of the wall and then creating an explosion that lit up the stadium like a second sun.

The shockwave hit the two boys and the spectators violently, shattering the Leviathan's icy body and causing it to collapse in on itself before disintegrating. The bang echoed through the stadium, making the spectators' ears ring and causing problems with the sound systems of the TV troupes that were broadcasting.

When the last remaining sparks died out, only silence and a dense cloud of dust remained, hiding the two contenders from the sight of the stadium. Present Mic, recovering from his surprise and fright, braced himself and resumed commenting, "I...I don't know what to add to something like that, gentlemen! Midoriya and Todoroki collided their flames in an explosion that shook the very foundation of UA! And now, the verdict! Could this be the end of the match? And if so, who came out on top?"

Class A held their breath, looking the field for signs of their classmates.

The two students in the general course were still processing what had happened, reconsidering in the process their opinions of the contenders.

Salem wrung her hands, praying wholeheartedly for her nephew's safety.

The two members of the League of Villains were looking at the television set with wide eyes, not daring to interrupt the moment.

Hosu's executioners were hoping to see triumphant the boy who accused the nation.

The chairwoman of the Heroic Commission was praying, pleading, begging whatever higher entity existed for the victory of the son of Endeavor.

The dust began to settle...and although both contenders were lying on the ground, the winner was clear. Midnight's voice put an end to it:

"Todoroki Shouto is out of bounds! The winner is Midoriya Izuku!"

When the boy opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a white ceiling. After a few seconds, he registered the smell of sterility and the feeling of the pillow under his head.

He brought his hand to his temple with a grunt, trying to make order in his head. Sports festival, match...

Oh. Right. He lost.

Todoroki slowly sat up, looking around: he was in the infirmary, lying on one of the beds. Nowhere did he see Recovery Girl, but in return he saw unmistakable green and white hair attached to a very bored-looking head. His face still had the marks of quirk overuse, his eyes black and red, his hands covered with veins. His arms and part of his face had patches and gauze. 

Izuku turned his head toward him, "Oh, you're awake."

The boy rubbed the back of his head, noticing only then how he was also bandaged, "Midoriya...how long has it been?"

The greenie rolled up the sleeve of his sweatshirt, showing the red veins going above the elbow and checking them like a watch: "Hmm...between thirty and forty minutes."

Todoroki nodded, lowering the gaze to his lap. His hands had been covered with bandages and he could feel a cold ointment on his left arm. Izuku stood looking at him for a few seconds before sighing, "I thought you weren't going to use fire. Changed your mind?"

The other shrugged, "In...a way. I realized that I couldn't beat you and spite my father at the same time. I had to choose between the fight and my rebellion...and I chose. But even so, I still lost."

The greenie sighed, "If it makes you feel any better, when you used your flames I seriously thought I’d lose. I didn't--no, I DON’T have many Grimms who can handle intense heat, and even fewer who could have survived a blaze like that. Auntie will probably kill me for bringing up a Leviathan, but that was the first thing that came to mind."

"At least you won."

"I guess so."

Silence fell again between the two. Izuku looked at his own hand, stroking the red marks on his palm and arm with a faraway look. Suddenly he sighed, "I made a mistake."

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

"I went too far. The Leviathan was too much, I ended up being worse than the Bakugo incident...I don't know if the pros will want my presence in their agencies. I mean, they saw the monster."

The recommendation student wrinkled his eyebrows for a second, then wacked the other's shoulder, "Shut up."

The greenie gripped his shoulder with a squeal, "Hey! Todoroki, that-"

"Midoriya, listen up. The reason I used my fire is because I saw you give it your all. You listened to me, you didn't judge me, you left me free to do what I wanted, and you fought to win. Maybe you didn't mean it, but you showed me that I can't be a hero if I don't give it my all. You gave me respect, and I gave you respect in return; so, don't be a hypocrite and go saying you should have held back."

Izuku stood looking at his classmate for a few seconds, then rubbed the back of his head with a small smile, "I guess...I guess you're right" After a few seconds, he looked back at him, "Tell me something. If you really wanted to rebel against your father...why are you here at UA? Wouldn't you have had a bigger impact if you had followed a different path?"

The student went back to looking at his hands, "...it's something I had thought about many times, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I knew that the best way to deny my father would be to refuse to follow the path he had set down for me and devote myself to something else entirely...I dunno, becoming a lawyer or a baker."

The greenie burst out laughing as he imagined Todoroki, serious and deadpan, behind a pastry counter with a pink apron on. The boy, surprisingly, chuckled with him, "I know, pretty ridiculous. That was also why I knew it would be a good idea. But..." His gaze got serious again: "...whenever I imagined myself outside UA, away from the hero world...I couldn't, it was like imagining All Might without his smile. Wrong, in a way. Not natural."

Izuku listened, tilting his head and resting it on one hand. Todoroki clenched his fists with a sigh, "I...I want to be a hero. I really do. I can't imagine myself in any other context, it feels wrong. But...I don't want to be an Endeavor 2.0. I want to be Shouto, the half-hot-half-cold, with the scar and everything. I want to be a hero my own way."

He felt a light grip settle on his shoulder: it was Izuku, who was addressing him with a smile, "I look forward to seeing you on the field."

Todoroki returned the smile, only to turn it slightly more sarcastic: "And I'm looking forward to the rematch."

"Oh, is that so huh? After this touching heart-to-heart, you’re back declaring war on me?"

"I said I would surpass you; I didn't say when."

Izuku could not hold back laughter in his response, "Oh no, you little shit, you can't get away with this ruse, you're not Aizawa! I heard you loud and clear: 'I'm stronger than you, and I'll prove it to you during this festival.' Well, look how that turned out!" It did not escape him how Todoroki held back a snort upon hearing his impression.

"I've been holding back the whole time, it doesn't count. Give me a year and I'll make you eat your Grimms" The absolutely deadpan tone made it very difficult to tell whether he was joking or not, but Izuku liked to think he was.

Greenie tilted his head, "So you're going to use it for real. This wasn’t an accident...you want to devote yourself to your fire as well."

Todoroki shrugged again, "Well, it would be pointless to turn back now, wouldn't it? I just blew up a concrete wall in national television, might as well go through with it."

He turned to the greenie again, holding out his fist with a small but genuine smile, "And next time I will use it to beat you."

Izuku watched the outstretched fist for a few seconds, feeling something stir in his chest, a more childlike part of him that wanted nothing more than to play heroes with Ka his best friend. That wanted nothing more than for someone to hold out that fist, that hand.

With moist eyes and a big smile on his face, he bumped it back, "I’d like to see you try!"

The infirmary door opened suddenly, startling the two boys and letting Recovery Girl in: "Ah, you're both awake. Good."

The nurse approached the two beds with a file in her hand and a stern look on her face, "You two don't have a vague, slightest, faintest idea of how lucky you are. Todoroki, the explosion sent you flying five meters, if you had landed wrong you could have dislocated your shoulder or worse. Midoriya, I have no idea how that thing didn't crush you when it collapsed but be thankful the Grimms disintegrate, or we'd still be busy digging you out."

The two students had the decency to look embarrassed during the lecture. Todoroki raised his head slowly, "But...we don't have anything serious...do we?"

The elderly woman gave a deep sigh, "Fortunately not. In truth you would already be free to go, I have taken care of your wounds and they have recovered perfectly."

The two students got up from their beds, but before they could give their thanks and leave, the nurse put a hand forward, "Todoroki is free to go. You must stay here a moment longer, Midoriya."

The greenie wrinkled his forehead, "What? Why? Does it have to do with my quirk, by any chance?"

"Precisely."

Izuku could swear that the temperature in the room plummeted. With the forehead beaded with cold sweats, he turned slowly and praying that he had heard wrong. He had not: standing in the doorway, hands crossed in front of her, was Salem herself. Her face was open in a smile, but it was a smile that every boy who grew up with a mother had learned to fear.

"Midoriya. Izuku. Would you please be so kind as to walk me through the reasoning that led you to the conclusion that, after already taking yourself to the limit with Manticores, Teryxes, Sphinx and a King Taijitu, the best idea was to summon HALF A LEVIATAN? Especially since I believe I told you that you can only summon a Sea Feilong, which is nowhere near as big as a Leviathan, if the veins do not go beyond your wrist?" 

The greenie swallowed. Beside him, Todoroki remained perfectly neutral: "Well, I see you have family business to attend to. I'll keep your place in the stands." And with that he ran out of the infirmary with astonishing speed.

Izuku squealed, "Shouto! You traitor!!!" But it was enough for Salem to clear her throat to make the boy back down. Although he had won the match, in the end it was Shoto who had the last laugh.

Chapter Text

The robots and Cementoss took ten minutes to get the field rearranged before they could go on with the matches. When everything was set up again, Mic took the floor, "Thank you for your patience, listeners! The repairs are finished, and we are ready to begin the tournament again! It will be difficult to top the last match in terms of spectacularity, but anything is possible! So don't change the channel and stay in your seats, because we are getting into the heat of the competition!"

The next match was between Monoma and Iida. The two began a battle of speed versus endurance, the former defending himself with combinations of three or four quirks at a time against the violent, lightning-fast attacks of the latter, who then ran away before he could suffer a counterattack.

The blond gritted his teeth, blocking another kick with his scaly arms and then watching his opponent back away again. Going on like this would eventually exhaust his five minutes before he could do anything, so he needed a plan. By chance his gaze fell on Iida's legs...and he got inspired.

Monoma planted his feet and raised his arms in front of him, protecting them with a layer of scales and sharp blades. His opponent studied his posture for a moment longer, then crouched down and warmed the engines; after a fraction of a second he took off again at full speed, aiming straight for the blond...only to widen his eyes when this one suddenly lowered his arms, throwing a veil of whitish, odorless liquid to the ground. Iida had no time to dodge it and soon found himself slamming his face into the ground so hard that he smashed his glasses, finding himself stuck to the ground with very, very quick-drying glue.

Iida flailed around some more before sighing and admitting that he could not move. As Midnight announced the winner, Monoma spent a good half minute teasing and ridiculing him...and then helped him free himself and walked him to the exit. Still going on nonstop babbling. Iida came out very confused.

Momo took a deep breath, rotating her shoulders and loosening her wrists. Mic was introducing the contenders with his usual energy:

"On one side we have the girl who triumphed over the great shadow of class A with the power of light, ingenuity, and two swords created from her body! Will her wits be able to carry her through? Ladies and gentlemen, Yaoyorozu Momo!"

The audience went ecstatic for a few moments, calming down when the voice hero resumed speaking, "And on the other side, the alien dancer who fought her way through the dark forest to the tune of pirouettes and acid splashes! The ball of energy that slid into the second round! Let's hear it for Ashido Mina!"

The pink student was getting warmed up with spot hops and some leg stretching, with a big smile on her face. The black and gold eyes squared Momo for a second before squinting in a chuckle. Midnight raised her hand, "Are you ready?"

The two girls stood on guard, squaring each other with quirks at the ready.

"START!"

Mina immediately went on the attack, gliding on a layer of acid like she was on skates. Momo had just enough time to create an iron staff that she immediately had to use it to defend herself from a series of kicks and punches in rapid succession. With a thrust she put distance between her and her opponent, and then went on the counterattack with strikes aimed at the legs and body. The pink girl's athleticism made everything much more difficult: backward cartwheels, jumping, bending over, it was like trying to hit an eel.

Mina smirked and threw a splash of acid at the other girl: the latter dodged with a backward leap that gave the rosette a chance to go on the attack again with a series of spinning kicks. Momo found herself forced to avoid the attacks by backing away, holding her staff in front of her to block the more violent attacks. She managed to keep herself from being put against the edge with a shove that interrupted Mina's offensive, which was then followed by a Spartan kick that caught her in the stomach and sent her sliding on acid to the center of the field.          

The pink girl scrambled back to her feet in time to dodge a swing of the staff, followed by a jab and a kick. The student smiled, ducking under a second swing and then reaching up and aiming an uppercut straight for Momo's chin. She dodged, but was caught off guard by a double dropkick that caught her in the chest and threw her to the ground.

Immediately she rolled to the side and got back to her feet, raising her guard with the staff in front of her. Mina raised her fists and went on the attack again, still skating on acid.

Mic's commentary, in the meantime, was alight: "And Ashido Mina goes on the attack again! Yaoyorozu can't catch a break against this opponent, who seems to be attacking her with dance moves!"

Aizawa replied dryly, "Don't say that like Yaoyorozu is some kind of shounen protagonist. They are both excellent students who have what it takes to win this match."

"Oh? Geez Eraser, that's the highest praise I've heard you say in years! Don't tell me you're going soft!"

"I'm only being objective. Yaoyorozu is one of the smartest students in her class, with a quirk of endless potential and slowly gaining the confidence to make the most of it; on the other hand, Ashido is much more versed on the side of physicality and flexibility, has the creativity to make her style unpredictable, and, most importantly, has a natural inclination toward heroism. You only need to see the expression on her face to understand that."

The giant screen showed a close-up of Mina's face, open in a huge smile as she threw acid splashes with a series of spinning kicks; Mic chuckled, "What I'm getting is that she's having the time of her life. And, knowing you, I doubt that's what you meant, Mr. 'heroism-can't-be-fun'"

Aizawa heaved a sigh, "I wasn't, in fact, talking about the fun. This is something I explained in class, a few weeks ago, under Ashido's very input..."

"And with that, today’s topics are over. You have five minutes to tidy up before the next class."

Kaminari leaned back on the backrest and cracked his back, "Boy, this is tough. I think Hero Laws is the most boring subject in school, and it takes a lot to beat literature."

In the seat immediately in front, Ojiro sighed, "Too bad it's also one of the most important subjects..."

Mina huffed with her head resting on her hand, "Constant danger, media ready to criticize you at the slightest opportunity, paperwork left, right and center...I'm starting to wonder if it's really possible to like this profession."

Aizawa lifted his head from his papers, looking the student in the face, "I understand the annoyance, trust me, I do, but I can assure you that taking pleasure in the hero business is not only possible, but even encouraged. This is not a profession in which you survive if you tackle it without an ounce of passion."

Mina raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't sound like what you said on the first day. After all, heroism is not a fun profession, is it?"

Silence fell in the classroom. The gazes of all the students alternated between the girl and the professor, the former who was looking out the window and the latter who had squinted his eyes in thought.

The first to speak was Aizawa: "That's right, and I stand by my idea. Nothing about heroism is fun. However, the best heroes are those who enjoy their work."

The student suddenly snapped, throwing a hand in the air and giving the man a dry look, "Professor, don't try to mess with me! You said heroism is not fun, right? Then stop contradicting yourself by saying we can enjoy it."

Only when she took a couple of breaths did she realize what she had said and done; her hands darted in front of her mouth as she lowered her head, "Oh God, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me-"

"Ashido."

Aizawa's gaze was neutral, with calculating tones concealed beneath the indifference. With slow steps he walked around the desk and sat on it, watching the girl look up.

"I think we're not on the same page, so let's take a step back. As I said, heroism is not a fun profession: it's risky, tough, violent on both a physical and psychological level, and with more paperwork than I'm willing to admit. Trust me, I'd rather work a patrol shift in dark alleys than spend an hour signing papers."

This managed to elicit a laugh from most of the class, Mina included. With the tension somewhat dissipated, he continued, "I hold this opinion, and there's no force that can convince me otherwise. However, I have been a hero for years, and I can assure you that if I didn't like my job I would have hung up my scarf long ago."

"The point I'm getting at is: having fun and taking pleasure in your work are two very different things."

A murmur ran through the desks. Mina furrowed her brow for a couple of seconds, then shook her head, "It doesn't make sense. How can you enjoy something that you don't find fun?"

The professor joined hands, "This is a question only you can answer. Everyone has a different motivation for being a hero, and if it can convince you to keep striving, each one is equally valid. For example, I'm a hero because I want to make the darkest parts of our country a little safer; that's also why I'm underground, because I feel I can do more in the poorest and most deprived neighborhoods than in front of the cameras."

His gaze locked on his student's black and gold eyes, "Ashido, be careful not to mistake fun for gratification. As important as they both are, they are two different things: the former is something you indulge in when you are off duty and is used to relieve stress; the latter is what comes at the end of a job well done and entices you to keep going. Heroism isn't fun but it can be some of the most gratifying work there is: that's provided you really believe in what you're doing."

The girl lowered her gaze onto the desk, without saying a word; after a few moments she raised her voice, "I'll...think about it."

Aizawa nodded, "That's all I ask. And it also applies to the rest of you: ask yourself why you want to be heroes, keep that reason firmly in front of you and do not lose sight of it. There will be times when you will be tempted to give up or times when you will want to just forget about everything: in those moments, your reason may be a lifeline."

The chorus of "Yes, professor," drew a small smile from him, which he quickly hid in his scarf.

Aizawa sighed, "Ashido possesses a keen sense of justice and an idealism that should make some pros jealous. I've seen her fend off three cameramen because they were starting to make one of her classmates uncomfortable, then stand by them until they entered the school. She struggles academically, that's true, but the prerequisites for heroics are all there and in spades."

On the field, the girl stood up after receiving a particularly solid blow to the base of her stomach, without losing her grin: "I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Ashido Mina was born to be a hero."

Yaoyorozu, meanwhile, was in quite a tricky situation. It was difficult to aim a blow when her opponent refused to stand still and was throwing acid everywhere. More than once she had been forced to create a basic salt from her skin to cancel out the acidity of the liquid, but even so the danger of slipping was high. Mina, for her part, was running circles around her, attacking her with swift kicks and punches, impossible to block all of them because of how random they were in their targeting.

However, all this was nothing compared to the greatest obstacle the pinkette presented.

Now, Yaoyorozu is a student who takes pride in her analytical and strategic reasoning skills. Her quirk allowed her to always have the right tool for the right situation, and with a minimum of preparation and planning she was perfectly capable of making the most of any situation. In open-face combat like that she had to fall back on her physical training and use her head to study the enemy style. Not her specialty, but doable.

However, this strategy had a flaw: Yaoyorozu had to focus and keep a cool head. And Mina made this very difficult by virtue of the fact that she wouldn't shut up.

"Hey, hey, Yaomomo! Why don't you show me a special move? I already have one! Here it comes!"

The girl ran toward Yaoyorozu, giving herself the push and then slipping on the acid and pirouetting from squatting like an ice skater, her leg outstretched, "Acid Windmill!"

Momo ducked to the side, then created a boomerang from her arm and threw it up. The weapon drew a wide arc in the air and then came back toward Mina, who meanwhile was kept busy by a series of swings and hits from the iron staff. A blow to the shoulder and leg unbalanced the pinkette, who was hit in the back by the boomerang and then received a kick to the stomach that sent her sprawling to the ground.

Momo ran to block the girl but she got back up and stepped back again, holding the base of her stomach with one hand. The grin did not disappear, although signs of exhaustion started to be visible on her face, "Hey, nice shot! I should have guessed you had a plan for everything!"

Momo kept her face impassive, raising her guard in front of her. Internally, however, she was almost hysterical.

'Ashido, I assure you I have no idea what I just did. Will you please shut up for three seconds and let me devise a strategy? Is that too much to ask? Even Dark Shadow didn't talk that much!'

The two stood looking at each other for a few seconds, then Mina gave a grin and resumed skating, "Well, I guess it's my turn now!"

The pinkette charged the other girl head-on, who tried to defend herself with a baseball bat-like swing. Mina dodged the blow, surprisingly, with a perfect split followed by a breakdance move that knocked Momo to the ground, in the perfect position to receive a somersaulting kick to the chest. The class representative let out a grunt of pain and then grabbed her opponent's leg, unbalanced her to the side, got back up, and landed a blow with her staff, all in one motion.

Mina tumbled down the field and then got up, albeit awkwardly, and stood her guard again. Momo massaged her chest with one hand, supporting herself on the staff and looking at her opponent with heavy breath. This one gave her a big smile, "Woah, what a move! Yaomomo, you have a natural talent for these things! You are making me jealous!"

Yaoyorozu's patience had already been tried throughout the match, she was tired and sore, Mina's style was almost impossible to analyze, and, to top it all off, her voice was starting to sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. For all these reasons, her response was, "Ashido, I have no idea what you are talking about so please shut up. I haven't been able to come up with a decent strategy yet and I'm just winging it and improvising, so don't say you're jealous!"

Mina caught her breath for a second, looking at the other girl like a confused puppy. Momo, for her part, took the opportunity to try to put her thoughts in order.

'Okay, okay, one thing at a time. Her quirk is acid, so I have to use bases to neutralize it, and that's fine. She moves erratically, the staff is fine, but maybe I should also make traps- but her acid would dissolve them- but I can neutralize it- but it would be too late-.

No- no, calm, order. Erratic, dance-like movements. I should create bolas- yes, those could help me. So, I need rope and stones- no, steel balls- no, too heavy, aluminum- no, no, not acid resistant enough-'

The girl shook her head, putting a hand through her hair in frustration.

'AAAAAAAAAAH! YAOYOROZU, PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! What the heck is going on? Normally I'm better than this, I shouldn't panic...or whatever this is! Stupid Momo, stupid, stupid, stupid-'

"But isn't that better?"

Mina's voice cut through the uproar in her mind like a siren. Momo looked at her opponent, who had an expression between confused and worried.

"What..."

"Aizawa and All Might said that no plan ever survives contact with the enemy...so improvising is a merit. I mean, look at me! Do you really think I have a plan against you? Honestly, I went with 'make something up and do your best' and so far it's working."

Momo opened her mouth to dispute, to deny the other's reasoning, to state how crucial it is to always have a plan, but nothing came to her. Her thoughts froze on her battle with Tokoyami and how the blood had begun to boil in her veins, the feeling of adrenaline...how she had pulled that flashbang reflexively, without thinking about it.

How she had pulled out her sword in the spur of a moment.

How she had succeeded in winning even though she had no real plan.

Momo looked again at Mina, who had her guard up even with her confused expression. Part of her wanted to analyze her posture, her attitude, her possible moves...but she couldn't.

The truth was that she was tired. Of the fight, of Mina's erratic style, of how she seemed to deny all her attempts at planning; of her own analytical style, composure, lofty mannerism; she was tired, fed up, and just wanted a moment of freedom.

With a deep breath she made up her mind, feeling a weight slip off her and adrenaline begin to pump through her veins once again. Her face hardened into a composed but wide grin.

"Oh, to hell with the planning! Bring it on, Mina!"

The two girls started fighting again soon after, resulting in a dance of blows, dodges, slides, and throwing weapons. Momo was fighting like a fury, her blows more accurate, her reflexes more ready; Mina, for her part, was starting to suffer from the many blows she had received but was making up for them with a frightening determination.

It was like someone had flipped a switch: moves that had previously made the pink student look uncatchable were now countered with blows to the waist and thighs, spinning kicks that struck the chest, or sudden baking soda bombs that neutralized the acid.

Yaoyorozu pushed Mina further and further back, fighting with more and more vigor as Mina began to slow from exhaustion. Eventually, after a hit to the chest that opened the pinkette guard, the bout was ended by a shoulder strike that flung her out of bounds.

"Ashido Mina is off the field! Yaoyorozu Momo wins!"

The audience in the stands erupted in celebration, while on the field the students caught their breath. Momo looked around bewildered, clutching her staff tightly, "I...can't believe I won this way."

 Behind her, Mina gave a laugh, "Why not? You were great!"

The girl lowered her gaze, "But...in this way...without a plan, without a strategy..."

A pink hand rested on her shoulder, "It's called 'going with your gut.' It's not so bad, you know? I've been going along with it for years and so far it's always gone well!"

Momo looked at her classmate for a few seconds longer before the latter chuckled, "What are you doing there frozen like a cod? You're the winner, enjoy it!"

The audience was still cheering at the two contenders. Momo looked at them; somewhere there were her parents, watching her. Examining her. Judging her. Her grip around the staff loosened for a second, imagining what they would have to say about her performance.

Her gaze fell to the student's ring, where her classmates were cheering her on. Where Ochako, Hagakure, Tokoyami, and Midoriya were probably celebrating her victory.

'Oh, to hell with it'

The girl allowed herself to be enthusiastic and, with a big smile on her face, she raised a fist in the air, the iron staff firmly in her hand. Needless to say, the audience went into raptures, unlike a certain married couple.

The match between Kirishima and Yoarashi was brief...but very intense.

The A-boy immediately started charging by hardening his body and, predictably, Yoarashi responded by creating gusts of wind that pushed him back. The redhead responded by hardening his fingers and using them as stakes to stay rooted to the ground, moving toward his opponent like he was climbing a mountain.

The General Course boy began to blow the wind in every possible direction, but there was no way to budge the other. The redhead gritted his teeth, as he kept crawling slowly toward his opponent. He was only a few meters from him when the latter grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and began to pull, trying to dislodge him together with a full-fledged tornado; the redhead kept himself pinned to the ground, trying to rip the other off...until his quirk failed in a moment of fury and he lost his grip, being hurled up and then against the grass by the gusts of wind.

The two students later spent another five minutes, first on the field and then in the hallways, complimenting each other and talking about their favorite heroes. Always with a voice volume well above acceptable.

Aizawa heaved a sigh, taking a walk through the corridors. He had some time before the semifinals, and he planned to use it to go for coffee. Assuming Snipe hadn't broken the machine again.

He was walking toward the food court when he happened to pass a man with an unmistakable blond hairdo, dull and emaciated. This one seemed to perk up a little when he saw him, "Oh, Aizawa."

The professor sighed, "Yagi."

"If you are trying to make coffee, I must inform you that the machine is broken. Again."

Aizawa heaved a sigh, massaging himself between the eyes, "Of course. Thank you for telling me."

Toshinori nodded, "You're welcome. Oh, while I'm at it, I was impressed by what you said about young Ashido. That was high praise."

"I was just being honest. Kirishima told me that in junior high school she had instituted some sort of 'anti-bully watch,' she has the right spirit if nothing else. She could improve academically, though."

The blond man nodded, turning his gaze downward. Aizawa raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong with you? It's not like you to be so dull, even in this form."

Toshinori gave a bitter laugh, "I'm so predictable, huh?" A sigh: "You are right, however. Something is nagging at me."

"Shoot."

The blond tightened his jaw: "You see...about an hour ago, before the last event started, I had a chance to talk with Endeavor. Among other things, we talked about my retirement and my teaching method."

Aizawa hardened his features, "You didn't tell him about the second day, did you?"

"I only mentioned it, I didn't go into detail. However...one sentence he said has stuck with me: he asked me if my teachings...would enable students to win a war."

...well, ain't that ominous.

The professor raised an eyebrow, "With Endeavor it's always about cheerful things, huh?"

Toshinori chuckled, "Yeah, no kidding," his expression turned sullen again, "However...I can't help but ponder. I mean, it's true that hero's is a tough, unforgiving profession...and these kids still have no idea what's in store for them. I know saying 'winning a war' is an exaggeration but...I can't help but wonder, have I been too soft? Did UA get too soft? Could we have avoided the USJ if we had done things differently?"

Aizawa remained silent the whole time, studying his colleague's expression. When the latter had finished, he heaved a sigh and replied, "I understand where these doubts come from. What happened at the USJ is unprecedented and a sign that crime is evolving; therefore, we heroes must evolve accordingly. Endeavor has...particular ideas about heroism, ideas that I don't agree with one hundred percent, especially regarding education. As much as hero education must adapt to the state of national crime, it is also true that we are dealing with kids, teenagers at that. One day they will be heroes, but for now they are individuals in the most irrational and important stage of their lives. We must not forget this."

Toshinori nodded slowly, "I understand...but even so, couldn't we have done more? Pushed more on our self-defense? Improved the security?"

"'Hindsight is always 20/20, and if wishes were horses even beggars would ride. We cannot change what has been, but we can prepare for the future...always putting the welfare of students first."

Aizawa turned to return to the commentators' position; before leaving, he added, "Toshinori, I agree that we need to prepare them for a world that is becoming ever more cruel...but don't forget that they are still children. So let them play the part. After all, it's not a role they'll have forever...or one that can come back."

With these words he walked away, leaving behind an All Might who was intent on reflecting on his way of being both hero and teacher.

Chapter Text

Izuku ran his vein-covered hands over his face, taking deep breaths. Sitting on the locker room bench, he could hear the crowd above him cheering the next contenders. The final contenders. 

The time had finally come. Izuku made it to the finals. He managed to win his bout with Monoma without creating a single Grimm (the blond had taken care of that for him) and so the signs of transformation had subsided, but he was still too exhausted from his match with Todoroki to be able to create Grimm comfortably. No, the most he could allow himself was one...two at most. His aunt had been very clear about that. 

The problem was that his opponent was a brilliant, extremely strong student who could hold her own against both him and his Grimm. One of the few people who was not only not intimidated by them, but who saw them as an asset and allies. 

His opponent was Yaoyorozu Momo. 

The tournament had done wonders for the girl's self-esteem, as she had shown during the battle against Yoarashi: she had used her own quirk against him, first creating colored smoke to make his attacks visible and then neutralizing him by creating tear gas and letting the wind itself blow it at the boy. The audience, already imagining a situation similar to Uraraka's, was left speechless and had officially named her as the favorite to victory...or rather, the part of the audience that wasn't rooting for Izuku. 

The boy took a deep breath. His options were very limited: with a maximum of two Grimms at his disposal and such an opponent, he would have to give it his best shot. 

His gaze fell on his hands. He could feel, just beneath his skin, liquid destruction boiling softly, waiting for his command to come out and create a powerful Grimm. 

A single Grimm. 

Izuku sighed. It was still an experiment...but it was worth a try. 

If it worked, one Grimm would be all he would need.

Salem took a deep breath. The tension was palpable, not only in the stadium but also in the immediate vicinity. 

Izuku versus young Momo. Salem's nephew against the Yaoyorozus' daughter. The situation had become quite awkward, but not for the reasons one might expect: the truth was that Salem could clearly sense the horror, disapproval, and, above all, disappointment of the couple toward their daughter. Throughout the tournament they kept making comments toward the girl's form, her style, her "worrying" use of various weapons, her "barbaric" conduct. The witch had managed to remain generally calm, but even she could not manage to hold back some snarky replies that had not helped to soothe tempers. 

For Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu, this tournament was an image and marketing disaster; for Salem, it was the debut of a more straightforward and sincere generation of heroes, less bound by fame and more by substance. 

And now, this tournament was at its peak.

She could hear the voices of the audience and Business students about predictions for the careers of the finalists and who would cheer for whom. The situation was, all things considered, stable: Yaoyorozu had won the sympathies of the part of the audience most attached to limelight heroism, who saw in her the classic example of a fearless leader, with some comparing her to the legendary Tomoe Gozen. Not to mention the enthusiasm of the female heroes. 

On the other hand, Izuku's fans were those who had taken his speech most to heart, those who could sympathize with a "villainous" quirk, those who felt the need for a new hero trend. Although a good chunk were fanboys and chuunibyous who simply swooned over Izuku's "grim" style. Not all pros were positively impressed with him, but those who were were were eager to request his presence in the agency. Salem found this distinction a good way to judge the priorities of individuals. 

(It was absolutely not because she couldn't stand anyone speaking ill of her nephew, no sir.) 

And then there was a third slice, the hardcore who were attached to the heroism of facade and image, who shared the Yaoyorozus' opinion. There were not many of them, but they were vocal. At least, those who had stayed and not left when Momo won. 

Salem joined hands in front of her. Beside her, Kaina muttered, "Predictions?" 

"Honestly, I'm not sure of anything. Izuku would be able to overpower Yaoyorozu, but he is too proven to use hordes. I also forbade him to use more than two Grimm until he would fully recover...he will have to make them count if he wants to win. Momo has proven to be formidable after all." 

The last sentence snatched a grunt from Mr. Yaoyorozu, but he said nothing. The witch let out a small sigh, then recomposed herself, "Well, there's nothing left to do but watch. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about something." 

Kaina merely nodded, taking one last glance at the Yaoyorozus before watching the students step onto the field. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for has arrived! The climax of the UA sports festival! The final battle that will determine who is the strongest student in the first-year classes! Competing for this title are two members of the same class, but who couldn't be more different!" 

"On one side we have the lord of darkness, the demon king, the warlord of destruction! He shook the whole country with his speech, and proved that he can put his money where his mouth is! With an army behind him he conquered the obstacle course, defended his base during the turf war, defeated hypnotists, heirs of heroes and pretenders until he got here! Now he finds himself one step away from total victory, but will he be able to overcome even the last obstacle? Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest shadow of Class A! Midoriya Izuku!" 

The audience went into raptures as the boy was doing his best not to give in to nervousness and stay focused on his match. 

"And on the other side! One of the four recommended students of the hero course, she unsheathed her mind and her weapons, cleaving her way through the countless adversities of the tournament! Midoriya's ally in the second event, she now finds herself as his opponent in this final encounter! Her sword has conquered the shadows, her staff has won hearts, her grenades and mind have tamed the storm...and now it is time to test herself against the legions of hell! Will she be able to overcome the fearsome Creatures of Grimm? The guiding light of Class A, is Yaoyorozu Momo!" 

The girl took a deep breath, doing exercises to warm up. Izuku loosened his wrist and fingers, readying the quirk: the Grimm he planned to summon was a particularly complex one. 

The two squared off, preparing to strike. The sound of Midnight's whip rang out like a war horn: "BEGIN!" 

As the encounter began, the two kids set to work with their quirks: Momo's flank glowed, while a black puddle formed on the ground beneath Izuku's palm and began to bubble. The girl, after a few seconds, pulled out a spear and took up a defensive stance, studying her opponent. 

'He will probably start with a Beowulf or a Sabyr, so I need to be on the lookout for very agile opponents. I doubt he can create too many, however...he will probably fight directly and use them as satellites to overwhelm me. I'd better focus on the Grimm first then: a hit in the throat or mouth and-'

The girl's train of thought derailed as soon as she saw the puddle bubbling up, only to condense into a creature...bizarre to say the least. 

The body was a sort of black mass with a vaguely humanoid shape, whose texture was a mixture of a fabric and a liquid, with folds that dripped and were then reabsorbed. At times small spines or bits of white armor could be seen emerging and then disappearing back into the ghostly body, which on such occasions vibrated for an instant, creating concentric waves. The face consisted of a perfectly circular white mask with three red eyes arranged in a triangle; the armor would occasionally turn, making it even more difficult to tell which part was the top and which was the bottom, assuming there was any. The whole thing was topped by erratic movements, now as fluid as a cobra's dance now as stiff as a rusty puppet. 

Izuku stood on guard, with the Grimm behind him not taking its eyes off the girl. This one, for her part, raised her guard and gritted her teeth, pointing her spear at the monster, "What is that?" 

The greenie clenched his fists, "A Grimm I was saving for a special occasion. This is the first time I've used it in a fight, you know?" 

The two students began to circle each other, keeping their guard up and studying their opponent. The first move was made by Momo, who sprinted forward aiming a strike at the boy's shoulder, targeting both him and Grimm; Izuku avoided the blow by moving to the side, only to whistle and throw a straight right immediately afterward. The Grimm latched onto the boy's arm and used its whole body to strike the girl, which blocked with the pole but was knocked back by the violence of the blow. She did not have time to process what had happened, however, because a second punch caught her in the side and threw her a few meters away, landing with a somersault and getting back on her feet immediately afterward.

Momo clenched her teeth and the handle of the spear. Immediately she went on the attack again, aiming a swing over the boy's shoulder; he dodged one more time, but was unable to counterattack because he was hit by a knee strike to the diaphragm that caused him to bend in two, which was followed by a slam aimed at his back. 

The blow, however, did not land. 

The spear stopped before it could connect with the boy. Momo's eyes widened: out of the Grimm's body, still placed behind Izuku like a bodyguard, had come thorns similar to insect legs that had blocked the spear. The monster made a low gurgling sound before deflecting the spear and driving the girl away with a series of blows that she was forced to back away from. 

The greenie, meanwhile, had recovered from the knee strike and raised his guard again. The Grimm behind him withdrew his claws inside his body, swaying like a snake. He looked at the girl for a few seconds, then sighed, "Okay. Now it's my turn." 

He set off on the attack with Grimm at his back, starting to unleash a series of straights and hooks like he was a boxer: each punch was followed by a jab of the insect's legs, which forced Momo to fall back on the defensive and retreat. The boy was relentless, and the girl was forced to retaliate: after another dodge, she created a large circular shield from her arm, which she used to finally block the boy's attack and be able to respond with a thrust. 

Izuku dodged by jumping back, still keeping his guard up. A small grin broke out on his face, "All right then...let's see what you can do." 

He ran toward the girl, who raised her shield in front of her and pointed the spear at the boy, ready to respond to the offensive. But the greenie surprised her again when he shouted, "Mimic! Spear!" 

The Grimm began to vibrate, his body flailing like a flag in the wind, the insect legs erupting out for an instant before reentering and rearranging themselves around the white mask, with the black body holding them together like a rope. Before she could realize it, the white legs had formed a rod, while the more pointed and curved parts were just above the mask in the shape of a blade.The boy gripped the Grimm and delivered a swing, which clashed against the girl's shield and knocked her back. 

Momo's eyes widened, watching the Grimm continue to move even as it was being wielded by Izuku. It made her a little bit repulsed, but the thought that occupied her mind was another. 

'It can alter the form of its body to imitate the shape of weapons. Does that mean it can imitate my shield? My weapons? Does it have to first see what it wants to imitate or does it instinctively know the general shape? Is there a size limit?' 

Izuku's new attack forced her focus back on the fight. As she made the greenie back off with a shield bash, she made up her mind.

'This is not the time to get lost in such thoughts. I must fight now!' 

The girl went on the attack again, alternating spear strikes with shield swings, aiming now at Izuku now at Grimm, trying to break his defense as soon as possible. Suddenly the greenie lurched backward, giving Momo the perfect opportunity to gain the advantage; so she swung her arm back, preparing to strike the whole boy with the- 

"Mimic! Shield!" 

Dammit.

Momo's blow collided with the Grimm's white armor, which had rearranged itself into a disk similar to that used by the girl herself. Izuku planted his feet on the ground and pushed the girl backward, then threw a second strike and opened her guard, sending her backward. While she was still disoriented by the impact, the boy gritted his teeth and opened his hand. 

"Hammer!" 

This made the girl recover in record time, but she barely had time to raise her shield that it received a frightful impact, so strong that it sent her flying backward and dented the metal disc. 

Izuku slung the warhammer over his shoulder, preparing to strike again as Momo stood up with her arm numb. The girl panted for a few seconds, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and set off on the attack again, a grin on her face.

Salem's eyes had been wide for half an hour, watching the fight without even blinking. She made no effort to hide the giant grin on her face.

Her nephew was a genius. That was all she had been able to think of when she saw the Grimm in action. The boy had mentioned the possibility, a couple of times, of being able to devise Grimms himself instead of using the ones from the old world (whose stories he loved to hear); the witch had always given this idea some thought, only to conclude that it was something to be done only when he would become sufficiently experienced with the already tested designs. 

Apparently, the greenie had decided that the restriction on using more than one Grimm during the match was the perfect excuse to test his first own design. The witch couldn't even get mad about it, not when the result was THAT. 

A Mimic. A Grimm capable of changing its shape to emulate that of traditional objects, that could hide virtually anywhere to attack by surprise...this had been one of Salem's first ideas when she had assumed her identity as the Grimm Queen. And it was also one of her most egregious design failures: she had never been able to find a worthy compromise between resistance, so as not to be killed so much as accidentally, and malleability to disguise itself convincingly. After several unsuccessful attempts, she had given up and moved on to other far more fruitful projects, such as possession and fusion between different Grimms (whose most satisfactory results included the Geist, the Nuckeleavee and her masterpiece, the Chill) 

Her nephew had succeeded in solving the problem that had won her over: a malleable but durable body hiding strong limbs jointed together, capable of reassembling into a thousand different forms. It was, to put it mildly, a stroke of genius. 

And, to top it all off, Izuku was handling it masterfully. Surprise strikes from over the shoulder, disassembling the staff into a whip mid-strike, rearranging the shield into a spring that put distance between him and his opponent...it was a sight for sore eyes. 

(And a remarkable sleight of hand, too, Salem realized when she saw an attack succeed despite a slip by the boy. The weapon was alive, after all; it made sense that it made his life easier.)

Beside her, Kaina nodded with a grin, "Madam, your nephew knows his stuff." The witch found no answer except nodding without taking her eyes off the fight. 

Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu were not as enthusiastic as much as they were confused, "Wouldn't it have been smarter to create a monster that can fight independently from the boy? What is the point of putting oneself in the front line like this?" 

Salem took a deep breath, summoning all her patience before answering, "The way I see it, there are two reasons. The first is the element of surprise: everyone has seen Izuku's Grimm and what they are capable of, opponent included. Changing style in this way has an advantage, due to the unpredictability of Grimm. The second reason...is an image one." 

This made the Yaoyorozu's ears perk up and they looked at the witch with an indecipherable expression; she let out a sigh, "So far Izuku has always used the same tactic, which is to let the Grimm take care of the opponent while he remains safe. While useful, this might make the pros think that his hand-to-hand skills are lacking. With this style, however, he can show that he is not completely helpless." 

Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded with a hand on his chin, "I see...it's a wise choice." 

He did not add more, but the way he looked at his daughter spoke volumes. Salem rolled her eyes: as far as she was concerned, Momo was fighting like a true heroine of ancient tales. She was giving Izuku no respite, attacking furiously with spear and shield with the clear goal of neutralizing the Mimic before finishing the fight. Even at times when she was forced to defend, she often managed to redirect the attack and then go on the counteroffensive. She had not yet created anything beyond her spear and shield, but Salem suspected that her quirk was also at its limit. 

With a sigh, she returned her focus to the fight: Izuku was forced to defend against the relentless attacks of the spear, with the Grimm in its original form blocking the attacks with insect legs. Momo tried to break through the defense with a shield blow, forcing the boy to dodge with a leap to the side; before he could attack, however, he was caught hard by a second blow that stunned him enough for the girl to kick him in the chest, sending him to the ground on top of his Grimm. 

The boy rolled to the side, avoiding a kick from the girl, putting one hand back and calling, "Mimic! Scythe!"

The Grimm quivered, opened and reassembled a split second later, creating a black, red and white scythe that sent the "edgier" part of the audience wild. The two contenders stood looking at each other for a few seconds longer before they went on the attack again, clashing their weapons in a dance of blades and steel. 

Salem clenched her fist in excitement, watching the two students face each other with all the ardor in their hearts, hearing the weapons screech whenever they clashed. Izuku took one too many steps backward, and- 

The invincible girl charged with her shield high in front of her, her red hair dancing in the wind- 

The witch's heart leaped into her throat. Clutching the chest of her dress tightly, she shook her head to banish the visions and bring her head back to the present: Momo had dealt a shield bash to Izuku, who had tumbled backward to get back up immediately and attack- 

Becoming a whirlwind of petals that crashed into her opponent, readying her scythe as her silver eyes gleamed-

Salem reacted as if she had been slapped in the face. With her eyes closed and her head down she took deep breaths as beside her Kaina started to worry, "Ma'am? Are you not feeling well? Do you want to go out to-" 

"No! N-no, don't worry Kaina, I'm fine." 

The bodyguard wrinkled his eyebrows but said nothing. Salem returned her focus to the match, her head starting to spin. 

'It's not possible. I can't think about these things. I've left them behind. I don't-' 

On the court, Izuku stood with his scythe planted on the ground after a swing. Momo tried to use it in her favor, but the boy vaulted over his weapon with a leap that ended in a straight kick to the girl's shield. 

'She leapt over her weapon and landed a straight kick to the witch's chest.' 

Salem brought a hand to her mouth, feeling her throat begin to close. Momo stepped back a couple of steps, only to raise her shield in front of her as the boy began to swing; the girl repelled the last one, only to counterattack with a dash that crashed the shield into her opponent with the full weight of her body. 

'She struck the robotic girl with the full weight of her body, using the golden shield for protection.' 

The witch ran a hand over her eyes before they could shed tears. She did not understand why she felt that way, why she was seeing people she left behind, why the stadium began to look like a floating arena that was the result of the best technology in the world.

Her gaze fell back to the fight. The two kids were facing each other relentlessly, no holds barred...and the witch kept seeing in them two girls who had, willingly or unwillingly, offered their lives and happiness to oppose her. 

Two heroines, if any ever lived. 

Salem gave a sad smile, wiping her damp eyes. 

'How pathetic I am. I spent my existence trying to destroy a planet...and now here I am missing it, along with the people whose lives I ruined.' 

She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help it. Seeing two kids so determined, so different to what she had been used to over the past decade and more like the 'heroes' she had fought against...it was a dive into the past that she was not prepared for. 

The woman smiled, watching the two kids face each other with wide smiles on their faces. 

'In another time and place...they would have been outstanding huntsmen.'

Momo gasped, holding her shield high in front of her. Both she and Midoriya were at their wits' end, but it was clear that they would not give in easily. If she was going to win, she would have to do it now. 

With a grunt she set off to charge, only to throw the shield and suddenly move to the side: Izuku was forced to block the iron disc with the scythe, leaving his flank exposed and giving Momo the perfect opportunity to attack.

She sprinted to the boy's side, lined up the tip of the spear with the white mask on the scythe, and delivered the stab.

Which hit nothing. 

The girl widened her eyes, watching the Grimm break down his form and become an amorphous mass of slurry and white limbs. Her astonishment made her vulnerable to an elbow from Izuku in the face, which was followed by a sweep with his foot that knocked her to the ground. The next second she found herself with the scythe blade pressed against the back of her neck, Izuku's green eyes staring down at her.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, emerald against onyx. The girl made a move to get up, but one word from Izuku was enough to convince her to stand still: "Close."

The next second the scythe blade snapped like a scissor, catching Momo's neck in a hold that made her breath stop in her throat. The greenie's features were impassive, but it was possible to see the swirl of emotions behind his eyes; the girl looked at the Grimm for a few seconds longer before sighing, "I guess...this is it."

With her voice thick with emotion, she proclaimed, "I give up." 

And Midnight cemented the result of the match: "Yaoyorozu Momo surrenders! Midoriya Izuku is the winner of the Sports Festival!" 

Izuku did not quite realize what happened in the minutes immediately following the match. He remembered helping Yaoyorozu up, her congratulation on his victory...and then collapsing. When he came back to his senses, having dealth with what was left of his adrenaline and nervousness, he was in the locker room with Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Tokoyami next to him. Dark Shadow was cleaning her claws from black dust, which hinted at what had become of the Mimic. 

The double boy was the first to speak, "Midoriya? Back with us?" 

The greenie nodded, collapsing onto the bench, "Yes...at least I think so." 

Tokoyami furrowed his brow, or at least the area immediately above his eyes, "Iida went to get something to drink. He should be back soon." 

Ironically, Iida entered the room moments later with three bottles of juice in his hand. Behind him were Ochako and, more surprisingly, Inasa, Shinsou and Monoma, who had worried expressions. 

The class representative passed a bottle to the greenie, letting out a sigh, "Feeling better?"

"Yes, t-thank you." As he downed sips of grape juice, he turned a glance to the rest of the students, "Wha...what are y-you all doing here?" 

Monoma gave a grin, albeit keeping a furrowed brow, "Are you kidding? You collapsed on your knees in the middle of the field, Yaoyorozu had to pratically carry you away on her shoulder! What happened?" 

Izuku ignored the fact that he had managed to embarrass himself in front of national television (and also the fact that Momo helped him that way) and replied with a nervous chuckle, "I guess...adrenaline and nerves played b-bad tricks." 

Ochako shook her head, "Mido, one of these days you're going to give us a collective heart attack. First that whole thing with Todoroki, now this!" 

The boy sighed, "Come on Uraraka, I wasn't in danger this time. It was just the nervousness, I s-swear! Besides, you're one to talk, Mrs. 'using-my-jacket-to-ride-a-tornado'" 

The girl gave him a dry look, "Still less dangerous than summoning Godzilla or fighting hand-to-hand with sharp weapons! If that grimm didn't had quick reflexes you would have become a Kebab on live nation!"

Yaomomo lowered her head between her shoulders at the comment. Uraraka, noticing this, quickly backpedaled, "N-no Yaomomo, I-I didn't mean you would kill him, I know you never would!" 

Shinsou shook his head, "Dude, the rest of you are no less chaotic than the Green Gremlin here. Oi blondie, is your class like that too?" 

Monoma smoothed back his hair with his typical smile, "Of course not! Class B is way less undisciplined than this disaster gang!" 

Todoroki, with his characteristic deadpan tone, replied, "So, you're the boring ones." 

The blond turned red as a stove, starting to babble incoherently at the recommendation student. Tokoyami doubled down: "Out of our shadows came frightening and wonderful monsters, while from your lair there have only been specters. I think it is clear who is the most fearsome." 

Now Monoma seemed on the verge of an aneurysm. As he exploded into insults and lengthy explanations of why Class A was full of unruly kids (using terms that were always more joking than truly offensive), Yaoyorozu caught herself laughing along with the rest of her classmates. 

If this was the result, she didn't mind settling for second place.

Chapter Text

Izuku swallowed, feeling more anxious than he had ever been in his life. Yes, even more than the opening speech. Beside him, Momo took a deep breath, "Nervous?"

"You could say t-that. It's even worse t-than the opening speech."

On the other side, Monoma gave a snort, "You know, this festival has been pretty much all about you. The speech, the turf war, this...how does it feel to be the main character?"

The greenie sighed, "I don't want t-to look at it t-that way. I just g-got lucky."

Beside the blond, Inasa gave a thunderous laugh: "I wouldn't call it luck, so much as awesome performance! You were the BOMB!"

Momo chuckled at the other boy's oddity before replying, "In simpler terms, you deserved it. Honestly, the lucky one was me: if you had created the Grimms like you did against Todoroki, I wouldn't have had a chance."

Izuku shook his head, "Your v-victory against Inasa p-proves otherwise."

The boy in question nodded, "It's true! Girl, you are simply amazing!"

Yaoyorozu caught himself blushing; before she could retort with denials or other deflections, Monoma rolled his eyes, "Okay, okay, we get it, we all did well, hooray hooray, pat on the back everyone. Can we focus on making a good impression in front of the audience?"

Izuku lowered his head with a sigh, "Why d-did you remind m-me?"

Inasa burst out laughing. At that moment Midnight's voice was heard from the speakers in the corners, "Okay, the ceremony is about to begin! Keep your backs straight and smile!"

The ceiling above them opened, letting in the roar of the crowd. Izuku swallowed, straining not to tremble as the podium was lifted up to the field. Midnight's voice introduced the kids.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over! Let's give a warm greeting to the winners of this sports festival!"

Sitting at the Kamino bar table, Shigaraki looked at the three teens on the podium with furrowed brows. Behind it, Kurogiri was intent on polishing the wineglasses, "Well, it was a very fiery event. Not to mention that we can finally point out a culprit for what happened at USJ."

"I guess so..."

The bartender raised an invisible eyebrow, "What's going on? You look like your head is somewhere else."

Shigaraki sighed, "I was just thinking. That minion spawner...why are they praising him like this? At the beginning of the tournament, he insulted the heroes and their way of being, I saw the audience turn their noses up at the fights...so why are they cheering his victory now? Look at that, All Might himself is giving him the medal!"

Kurogiri shrugged his shoulders, "I really wouldn't know what to say. Unfortunately, my thoughts are more practical in nature than these kinds of talk. If I had to guess at a theory, I would say that they are celebrating his victory more than his accusation."

The villain huffed, "But now that he won, his accusation will carry even more weight. Everyone can complain about this and that, but only those at the top are heard. Like All Might. Ugh, I really don't understand."

"As interesting as these conversations undoubtedly are, it would be time to work on our agenda. Do you have a plan in mind?"

Shigaraki drummed his fingers on the bar counter, looking at the smiling kids on the screen. With a grimace he replied, "We have too few units right now. We need to focus on banners, events, rolling the gacha. Did Giran say anyhing?"

Kurogiri shook his head, "According to him, the outcome of the USJ has painted us as amateurs who bit off more than we could chew, and that doesn't entice many people to join. Seventy-two arrests are not a few."

The villain nodded, "If so we need more publicity...one that shows we have the means to attack big targets. Um..." He ran his gloved hand over his face with a sigh, "I was hoping not to have to do this...hey, Master?"

The television suddenly changed channels, showing a black one from which a rough voice came out, "Yes, young Tomura?"

Shigaraki took a deep breath, slipping into his most unstable facade, "You said I can take as many Nomu as I want, right?"

The voice chuckled, "Yes, I did say that. But that was before your trip to USJ...maybe you should learn the benefits of frugality."

The villain pounded a fist on the table, whining, "That's not fair! You can't take back your word!"

"I'm sorry, but it's necessary. If you didn't do that, you would end up using all the Nomu at our disposal."

Shigaraki huffed, "I'm getting itchy to kill you."

The voice chuckled a second time before taking a deep breath and replying, "Just imagine that your next targets are me, okay? Anyway, the most I can offer you is four low-end and two completed."

'Much better than I expected' "Ugh, I'll make those work."

The voice took on a tone of complacency, "'Good, Tomura. I expect great things from you, but don't be afraid to make mistakes. Act according to the contents of your heart and destroy what you want. I will take care of the rest."

The television went off, and Shigaraki gave a snort. Smoothing his hair over his head he muttered, "That went better than I thought it would."

Kurogiri raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yes. I have an idea in mind, and I need imposing...and, most importantly, loud units. Oh, I also need a taunter."

"...a what?"

The villain rolled his eyes, "An editor, a hacker, someone who can edit a video decently. If we're going to advertise, we might as well do it right."

He tightened his fingers around the glass of liquor, losing himself in the reflection of his scars. He would burn this society to the ground, with all the heroes in it. Sure, it was a society doomed to fall on its own...but he would teach a lesson that those who came after would never forget.

In the apartment in Hosu, meanwhile, three figures were celebrating their favorite's victory...in their own way.

The blond-haired girl was jumping like a cricket in all directions, laughing and cheering, "Yes! Yes! He won! He won! Oh, how beautiful!"

The disfigured boy, meanwhile, had a lazy grin on his face, "Okay, okay, relax, Himi. We're all happy that the threat to society won but keep from smashing a wall."

Himiko huffed, "Ugh, you're no fun. Show a little more enthusiasm, come on! You too, master! You're always with that scowl on your face, it wouldn't kill you to smile once in a while!"

Dabi passed a hand in front of his mouth, "I'm smiling, as you can see. But Stain and I have a thing called composure, unlike you."

"Be thankful your blood tastes like crap, or I'd have the perfect excuse to slice you up."

The boy burst out laughing at the girl's pout, to which she responded by flipping him off. Through it all, Stain was rubbing his temple with his eyes closed and a sigh that said a lot about the degree of his patience.

"Dabi, Himiko, be quiet. Let's not ruin the award ceremony with these childish discussions."

This succeeded in calming the two down enough for them to follow the award ceremony without further hiccups. Himiko giggled at the screen, "Aaaaw, look at him! He's so nervous, he's adorable!"

Dabi sneered, " It sure is a big change from the opening speech."

Stain shrugged, "Meh, nerves get stronger with practice. But seeing him in the first place after hearing him speak to the nation will still have a significant impact."

The girl nodded, "Maybe it will prompt the fakes to take a hard look at themselves! Wouldn't that be great?"

Dabi puffed out a laugh, "If it were that simple this society would not be the cesspool it is."

The vigilante brought a finger to his chin, "Himiko might have a point, you know? Maybe this victory could really be the seed of change, of a tree that will bear healthier fruit. Of course, it's nowhere near enough to convince the fakes and thieves in power to turn over a new leaf and get on the right track, but it's a starting point. We'll see where it leads."

The two disciples nodded, returning to look at the screen. The moment was interrupted, however, by the ringing of a telephone, to which Dabi answered, "Hello? Oh, it's you...where are you? You missed the sports festival, man...a problem? What happened?"

The other two stood around listening to the boy's tone getting more and more worried, giving him questioning looks. He stood up, "Fuck. How are you doing? Nothing broken? Okay, good. Shall we pick you up? Are you sure? Hmm...okay, if you say so. We are at the usual place, hurry back. And avoid getting killed or arrested."

The boy closed the call and dropped to his seat with a sigh as the other two gave him confused looks, "What happened?"

Dabi huffed, "The geek got caught by a patrolling hero. He says nothing's broken, but he didn't sound in the best shape."

Himiko put a hand in front of her mouth, "Does he need help?"

"No, he said he's on his way back. I'd keep the first aid kit ready though, just in case."

The girl nodded and went to get the box, while Stain let out a sigh. Having disciples could sometimes be a pain...but it was worth it. For himself and for a more just society.

Sitting on the hospital bed, a pro hero was watching the results of the UA sports festival. Beside him, his mother heaved a sigh, "How are you feeling?"

The man turned her a smile, "I can't say I'm really okay...but it's much better than I expected. I'll need a month's rest and then I can go back to work."

The woman shook her head, "Tensei, I think you're taking this too lightly. The doctor said your quirk will never be what it used to be; even if you went back to work, you would have to do a lot less patrolling and a lot more office work..."

The eldest of the Iida brothers pounded his fist on his chest, "But I could still work. As long as I am not physically debilitated, I will continue to strive to fulfill my duty. Isn't that one of the mottos of our family? To commit till the very end?"

His mother gave a sigh with a small smile on her face, "You're so much like your father. Stubborn as a mule."

Tensei burst out laughing, "I wouldn't be Ingenium if I weren't stubborn! Rather, how did Tenya do at the festival? I didn't get to see it all."

"Oh, he did great. Unfortunately, he lost in the quarterfinals, but he certainly didn't back down. Speaking of which, I called him earlier and told him about the injury and your hospitalization. He's on his way."

The boy let out a sigh, "Mom, don't make it more tragic than it is. Tenya already worries so much on his own, if you add any stress to him his blood pressure will be affected."

The woman made to answer, but the door swung open at that moment, letting in a glasses-wearing boy with an anxious expression, "Tensei!"

The older of the brothers smiled, opening an arm to welcome the younger one's impetuous hug, "Ten! Did you use your quirk to get here so quickly? Musutafu is not around the corner!"

The boy shook his head, analyzing the other with a worried eye, "Who cares about that! What happened to you? Are you okay? Are you in danger?"

Tensei burst out laughing, laying a hand on his brother's head and tousling his perfectly neat hair, "Woah, slow down! It's not good for you to worry like that, you know. Damn, you're more scared than me, and I was the one sliced up!"

Tenya shot her brother a half-concerned, half-exasperated look, "That's because, between the two of us, I'm the one with common sense! How can you be so calm? A villain sent you to the hospital, for God's sake! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

The older boy shook his head softly, patting the younger one, "Ten, I'm a hero. Risking my life is part of the job. You can't win all the time, and sometimes losing has a price."

With this last sentence, her gaze shifted to his arm, wrapped in numerous bandages and held in place by splints and casts. Tenya swallowed, without looking away from the outcome of the encounter, "How bad is it?"

Tensei sighed, stroking the bandages, "The cut fortunately missed the bone and tendons. The problem is that it managed to pierce the combustion chamber, which has...caused a chain reaction. Even if I could maintain all function in my arm, and it's not at all a given that it will happen, I will no longer be able to use the quirk from my right arm."

The younger man turned a couple of shades whiter. His trembling hand brushed over the bandages as if wanting confirmation that it was a dream and not reality. His mother put a hand on his shoulder, "Tenya...sit down, dear. You look like you are going to collapse."

In a way he was. The boy dropped into the chair beside the bed, letting go a shaky breath and running his hands over his face; he was shaken from his thoughts by his brother's voice, "Hey Ten, cheer up! It's not so terrible! Give me a month and I'll be back in the agency!"

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?!"

The two older Iidas were taken aback by the scream of the younger one, who accentuated the point by pounding his fists on his knees; when he looked up, his eyes were swollen with unshed tears, "T-Tensei, do you realize what happened? Your quirk...your job, your position at the Iidaten Agency! All thrown into turmoil b-because of this villain, this...this criminal! H-how can you act like nothing happened?"

Silence fell in the hall. Mother and son exchanged a look as Iida desperately tried to wipe his eyes before tears could fall, holding back sobs as best he could. There was a low sigh, then Tensei's soft voice, "Tenya...can you look at me, please?"

The boy complied, looking up to see the faint smile on his brother's face, "Don't get me wrong. What happened is...upsetting to say the least. It won't be an easy month for me: surgery, physical rehabilitation, moments of uncertainty lie ahead. And that's without counting the complete overhaul of my schedule and workload in the agency. It's going to be tough. And it will suck. But, at the same time, it's what I signed up for. I chose to be a hero, knowing that I would risk my neck every day, and I don't regret my choice."

He pointed to the bandaged and casted arm with his head, "This? This is part of the job. We can't win them all, and as I said, losing has a price. It is something I became aware of years ago and live with daily-what all heroes live with daily. Even so, though, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and do my part, even if it's behind a desk."

Tenya stood looking at his brother's serene expression, closing his hands into tight fists and feeling tears line his cheeks, "That villain...who was it? T-they must be caught as soon as possible!"

Tensei brought his gaze back to his brother, in his eyes a hard shadow: "The police and heroes of Hosu have been alerted to the individual. With any luck they will find him."

The boy gritted his teeth, his voice low and hoarse: "They must find him...that criminal cannot remain at large. He has to pay for what he did."

The older man put a hand forward, "Oi, oi, Tenya. What's with that tone of voice? You sound like you want to kill him."

"I just want him to be brought to justice...nothing more."

Neither of the two elders seemed too convinced. The woman moved next to her son, putting an arm around his shoulders and holding him close, while the older brother let out a sigh, "Ten...I understand how you feel. Trust me, I do. As calm as I am and have a smile on my face, I was not pleased to have my arm imploded" His chuckle was not shared.

A second sigh, "I was saying, I know how you feel. And before you tell me, I know you well enough to guess what you're thinking. Ten, whenever a hero puts on a costume, he has to forget all his personal problems and focus on his duty. This means two things: first, you must always apply the appropriate degree of force for the threat you are facing; second, that you never act out of personal vendettas, no matter what you may have been through."

Tenya gave a bitter laugh: "You sound like Professor Aizawa."

Tensei chuckled, "Old Shouta may be as cranky as a sailor and as nice as a piece of sandpaper, but he knows how to do his job. Listen to him when he teaches a class, okay? He's not the first idiot found in the street."

This comment managed to distract the boy from his gloomy thoughts, "Shouta? Are you friends with Professor Aizawa?"

"More than a friend. During our days at UA, he, Hizashi, Nemuri, me, and...one other, we were practically inseparable! We were 'The Rooftop Agency,' as we always met on the rooftop of the academy to eat or chat."

Tenya widened his eyes, "Really? You, Mic, Midnight, and Aizawa were all friends with each other? Why am I only learning about this now?"

His brother shrugged, "Eh, we never had a chance to really meet again in recent times. Especially after...the incident" His gaze grew sullen, closing in on himself in a way that made the rest of the family members realize that the topic was a sensitive one.

Tensei spent another second in silence before shaking his head and smiling, "But now let's talk about you. You did a spectacular job at the festival."

His brother could not help but blush at the praise, starting to stammer excuses about losing during the tournament and not trying hard enough as his mother reassured and complimented him.

Tensei smiled, relaxing on the hospital bed. His brother may be stiff, short-tempered, and naive...but he would have been an exemplary hero.

The flat screen went silent, showing in the blackness of the pane the reflection of a grimace. The woman leaned back in the chair, massaging her temple with a sigh

'Well...this festival was...something. Surely the media will feast on the opening speech, taking the opportunity to criticize us even more; we need to run for cover with new grand debuts, heroes closer to the lower classes of the population, fights with very high stakes...I refuse to think that this brat is the beginning of the end. We must remind the country that we are heroism.'

Without changing her expression, she picked up the envelope with the profiles of the new recruits and walked out of her office, heading briskly for the basement floors. On the way, she dialed a number on the phone, "Get them ready for a surprise inspection. I want to see their potential with my own eyes."

She slipped into an elevator more concealed than those used by the rest of the employees, and pressed a button hidden under a metal plate. The machinery operated with a low hum, sending her down the building for nearly a minute before stopping and opening with a chime.

The president walked down a black concrete hallway lit by LED lamps arranged along the ceiling, which reeked of moisture, iron, and sweat. Waiting for her in front of a reinforced doorway were her assistant Mera and a couple of sharply dressed individuals with cold expressions. One of these nodded, "Ma'am."

She returned the gesture, "Are they ready for inspection?"

"As requested. Please come this way."

Mera typed a code into the keypad near the door, which opened with a buzzing sound. The four entered a second hallway, even darker than the previous one, filled with heavy reinforced doors each marked with numbers and letters. The woman began flipping through the file, checking the details of each recruit before arriving in front of the first door: '3G-R03'

Mera yawned, "This is an orphan found in a shelter for disaster victims in Satsuma. Her quirk allows her to absorb electricity in the environment and convert it into strength. Codename 'Valkyrie'"

The two men opened the steel door, letting the president into the cell. Inside, huddled in a corner, was a young girl who barely looked like a teenager, with a pale, thin complex. Her red hair had faded almost to the point of pink, while her large blue eyes were squaring the men in the room like a mouse in a trap.

The president turned to the men, "I thought I said I wanted them ready for examination."

To this the two men replied by grabbing the little girl and forcing her to stand up, hitting her hard on the back and legs whenever she tried to make herself small. Once she was standing in front of her, the chairwoman grabbed her face and began to examine it for cuts destined to leave scars or bruises that were too severe. Once she was satisfied, she reached into one of the men's belts, pulled out a Taser and electrocuted the girl: she began to writhe with screams of pain, opening and closing her eyes, which were starting to glow and emit sparks. After another minute, the president turned off the weapon, leaving the child free to collapse to the ground with heavy breathing and some residual spasms.

The woman gave the weapon back to the guard, turning to Mera: "We need to work on pain tolerance."

As the assistant marked the notes on an ipad, one of the men pulled out a baton from his belt, raising it to strike the girl; this time, however, she did not sit idly by and took the weapon in her hand just before it could impact against her head. With a grunt of effort, she managed to get up and push the man back, then snapped the baton with a yell.

The president watched the scene without showing the slightest emotion. When the guard struck the girl at the base of her stomach, causing her to collapse with a dry heave, she turned to Mera again, "Heroes of Tomorrow. We must work on physical fitness and endurance."

With that, the four exited the cell, closing the door behind them without dignifying the little girl with a last glance. Mera walked to the next door '3G-R07'

"Another orphan, this time found working illegally at a spring house in Hokkaido. Her quirk allows her to manipulate materials at extreme temperatures such as lava or molten metal. Code name 'Cinders'"

The four of them entered the cell, but as soon as the president crossed the threshold something bright and very hot shot a few millimeters from her face, hitting the opposite side of the corridor. The next second, a little girl jumped out of the shadows with her hands outstretched and ready to grab her neck. One of the guards grabbed her in midair and slammed her violently against the cell wall, only to back away when something flashed in front of his hands threatening to amputate them. The girl's golden eyes glowed like smoldering embers as she grabbed the improvised knife and charged the president, aiming for the stomach with the red-hot steel weapon.

The woman did not flinch. With a glance and a whisper, she focused her quirk on the girl, collapsing her to the ground like a stringless puppet as the weapon began to cool.

The guard was quick to seize the knife, noting that the ventilation system grating was missing some bars. The president adjusted her shirt collar, "Rashomon program. Make sure she does not get demoralized but keep the hatred for heroes high."

The four continued like this for the next few cells, noting the physique, quirk, and attitude of the recruits and then sorting them into the specific growth programs. Some stayed quiet and allowed themselves to be examined, others tried to make themselves small or begged to get out of the place, a smaller proportion responded with aggression and tried to attack the four men. All these reactions were equally important in determining what kind of career the recruit would undertake.

Eventually they arrived in front of the '3G-R28' cell, to which Mera seemed to be most hesitant.

"This...is one of the boys found by the Shibuya Selection and Correction Center. His quirk allows him to sweat out a nitroglycerin-like substance and detonate it whenever he wants. Code name...'Conflagration'"

When the door opened, waiting for them was the boy who had caught the president's eye: tousled blond hair, piercing red eyes, face distorted into a perpetual scowl. His posture was relaxed but the stance of his hands, with fingers flexed like claws, showed his tension and wariness.

The woman approached and began the routine analysis, which proceeded smoothly at least until it came time to test the quirk: with a nod, one of the guards approached and created a rocklike armor on his fist, making a big show of wanting to hit the boy. The latter, however, did not react immediately; instead, he remained relaxed until the last second, until the stone fist flew toward him.

The situation escalated in a matter of seconds: the boy raised his hand and reached forward, blocking the blow only to deliver an explosion that shattered the rock armor, followed by a second, more violent one that stripped off his hand's skin. The man fell back against the wall, holding his bloody hand with bated breath. Mera immediately ducked behind the second man whose chest had swelled and begun to glow; the president had to raise her voice to call everyone to order: "That's enough!"

The boy returned to a relaxed position, albeit with his hands still ready to strike. The woman crossed her arms in front of her, wearing her best authoritative look: "There will be consequences for what you did...you know that, right?"

The blond huffed, "Of course I know. That's why you're here, isn't it? To test me."

The woman raised an eyebrow, "To test you?"

"Of course. Only the strongest can be heroes; the weak must be weeded out. You are here to see if I have what it takes to be a hero, right? Well, here's your answer: I'm going to be the strongest fucking hero that ever lived in this shit country, so you might as well rest easy and take me for whatever lousy program you have."

The woman sank her gaze into the boy's eyes, which didn't back down an inch. After what seemed like an eternity, the president huffed, "Tomorrow your exercises will be tripled in intensity. That'll teach you to attack your superiors."

The boy huffed, completely unapologetic, "Great. I was afraid I was falling behind with the exercises." 

The president gave him one last look before leaving, followed by the rest of the men. Once the cell was closed she blurted out, "Go get medicated. To have a kid beat you up like that, I should fire you on the spot."

The man sprinted down the corridor without a word; Mera, for his part, took the tablet with a sigh, "Well...I guess this one will end up in-"

"Heroes of Tomorrow."

The assistant blinked a couple of times, his fingers stilled just above the screen; his gaze shifted to the chairwoman: "Excuse me ma'am, I'm afraid I misheard. You didn't say-"

"You got that right, Mera. I want this one in Heroes of Tomorrow."

The man swallowed, his hand beginning to shake, "Ma'am, are you sure? This boy has no respect for authority, and his attitude makes it difficult to discipline him properly. What makes him different from the rest of the unruly boys?"

The woman gave the assistant an icy stare: "Haven't you heard? That boy sees strength as synonymous with valor, and he believes he is destined for heroism. If we put him in the Rashomon Program he will end up becoming a vigilante, which is the last thing we want. What we want instead is a hero we can keep on a leash, and his ego is the perfect collar."

The man paused for a second to think, then tapped on the tablet, "I think I understand...however, we will have to increase the severity of disciplinary punishment with him anyway. Filling him with praise would only make him uncontrollable."

"Of course. We have to find the right balance that makes him both loyal and subservient. If we play our cards right, we may end up with a much less independent All Might in our hands."

The president smiled, looking at the number on the steel door. Nedzu would have regretted leaving behind such a jewel.

Chapter Text

"First place! My baby finished first place in the sports festival! Aaaah, my baby boy!" 

Izuku had to make no small effort to calm his mother down, who was holding him like a teddy bear

"M-mom, please..." 

"'Zuku, this is probably in the top ten happiest moments of my life, so shut up and let me hug you!" 

Sitting on the opposite side of the table, Salem chuckled, "'Let her, Izu. It's not every day a woman can say that her son won the most important sports event in Japan." 

The boy chuckled, "I-I guess so. But I-I wasn't sure I would win." 

Kaina downed a mouthful of katsudon before replying, "Good, it means you didn't underestimate your opponents. Honestly, you had some pretty tough competition, you should be proud of what you did." 

"I-I am! I am, d-don't get me wrong...but right now I'm more t-tired than anything else. I feel like s-sleeping f-for the next three days..." 

Salem gave a chuckle, "Understandable, especially given how much you used your quirk. Which reminds me, nice trick in the semifinal against the blond, very clever." 

Izuku chuckled at the memory: Monoma had started with a mix of quirks from his class, as he had done for the other rounds, to which the greenie had responded with a Beringel; the Grimm and the student had battled it out for a few minutes, and in the end the blond had managed to triumph, disintegrating the monster and sprinting toward the greenie, confident that he had victory in his grasp...at least until the minutes at his disposal to use the quirks ran out. Suddenly finding himself without his advantage, Monoma had decided to improvise and copy the greenie's power: once he tried to use it to create Grimms of his own, however, he found that their loyalty was by no means a given. Izuku, for his part, discovered that he did not need to create Grimm himself in order to control them.

The greenie shook his head, "I i-improvised, I d-didn't know it would work. In fact, I-I didn't think it was p-possible at all." 

Kaina shrugged, "Well, I guess we can't complain about the results."

The little family chuckled for a moment before returning to eat their dinner, prepared especially by Inko to celebrate the outcome. The woman turned to her son, "Oh, before I forget, Mitsuki and Masaru congratulate you on your victory. So do your grandparents. And Mrs. Misaru. And Professor Otsuba." 

The boy rubbed the back of his head more than a little nervously, "Oh, t-thank everyone for me. I-I didn't think Professor Otsuba c-could still recognize me." 

Kaina raised an eyebrow, to which Salem replied with a wave of her hand, "Middle school teacher." After which she turned to Izuku, "Get used to it, my boy. In many ways, this was your first, real debut to the general public, and I'm sure things won't get any easier from here. Especially given the show you've made yourself the star of." 

The boy swallowed, "U-uhm...w-well, Auntie...c-couldn't you..." 

"No." 

Izuku threw his head back, "Come on! You haven't even heard wh-what I want to ask you!" 

The woman did not look up from her food, "I don't need to. I told you I would help you grow with your quirk, and that's true, but the problems with popularity are yours alone. This is your first contact with fame; it will teach you important lessons." 

"Like...?" 

Salem looked at her nephew for a few moments, then back at her food, "No spoilers."

"Auntie!!!" 

His mother laughed, mussing her son's hair as Kaina made comments about the boy's fanbase and celebrity. Salem, for her part, watched the scene with a small smile on her face, feeling in her chest the warmth with which she had become familiar over the past decade. For a moment, her mind wandered to the rest of the kids who had made it to the podium...and her smile widened even more. 

'I hope Yaoyorozu appreciates my gift. That is, assuming it was properly made'

Classes resumed three days later, just enough time to finish the second and third-year festivals and give everyone a break. In their classroom, the kids were having a heartfelt discussion about the reactions they had received on their way to school. 

"Man, you should have seen them! These three kids, barely five years old, come up to me with notebooks and markers and they're like, 'Sorry, electric mister! Can you give us an autograph?' They were adorable!" Kaminari seemed over the moon, while Sero was not in the same mood.

"Ugh, lucky you! A lady put her hand on my shoulder and said, 'No worries, you did your best.' You have no idea the embarrassment I felt! Especially when I was recognized by the rest of the wagon as well!" 

Tsuyu nodded sagely, "You did your best." 

The black-haired boy gave her a dirty look, "Thanks, fuck you too." 

Tsuyu did not look apologetic in the slightest. Meanwhile, Uraraka and Momo were chatting, "I don't know how to feel...I mean, on the one hand there are those who compliment me, who say I did well, that I used a good strategy...but on the other that those who say it was all luck and that I'm not cut out for heroism..." 

Momo sighed, "I understand how you feel. If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure there are only people in this class in the first category. I sure do know that you are definitely cut out to be a hero." 

The girl smiled, rubbing the base of her neck with a nervous giggle, "Thank you Yaomomo. And by the way, you will be a spectacular heroine." 

In a corner of the room, meanwhile, Tokoyami, Shouji, Todoroki, and Izuku were having a very different discussion, "I-I'm starting to u-understand what it feels like to be on the other side of my fanboy t-tendencies. Suddenly I v-want to apologize to all the heroes I've p-pulled over in my life." 

The greenie had his head in his hands, apparently upset; Todoroki tilted his head, "Did someone ask for your autograph?" 

"I wish it had been just an a-autograph! A boy on the t-train asked me to recite the ENTIRE opening s-speech. I-I mean, what are you thinking?!"

Tokoyami shook his head with a sigh, "The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts. And embodying both light and shadows can give birth to monsters." 

Shouji looked at the other boy with a raised eyebrow, "Translation?" 

Dark Shadow came out of the boy's back with a chirp, "He says that coming in first place with an edgy style like Midoriya's has made him kind of a messiah for chuunibyos, especially the more...enthusiastic ones, you know." 

Izuku threw out a sigh, "I noticed. Ugh, how do the pros c-cope with f-fans like that?" 

Shouji shrugged, "Another reason why I'm planning to go underground."

The moment the classroom door opened, students sprang to their seats with a speed that had something extraordinary about it. Aizawa went behind the desk with a large packet of papers in his hand and looking slightly less tired than usual: "Students, welcome back. First of all, I want to congratulate you on your performance during the sports festival: you did all in all a good job, each of you, and I expect this to become your standard from now on. Now, before I begin, I have an important announcement: as a result of the sports festival, changes have been made to the hero classes composition. In simple terms, we were able to fill the two empty seats."

It was only because of the discipline ingrained by Aizawa's educational method that the class did not explode in celebration at the news. The excitement, however, was clearly visible from the murmurs that snaked among the desks and the bright glances. The professor let them murmur a few seconds longer before clearing his throat and calling their attention, "I expect you to be on your best behavior with the new students, understand? The last thing we want is for them to be ostracized." 

Once he received confirmation, with an exuberant chorus of "Yes, sir!" the man called out, "Okay you two, you can come in." 

The door opened and two boys walked confidently into the classroom, stopping in front of the blackboard and looking at the rest of the class; this one, for its part, was wide-eyed and more than a little slack-jawed when they recognized the two new classmates. The first to shake off his astonishment was Izuku, followed closely by Kirishima: 

"MONOMA!" 

"Kamakiri?"

The third greenie from Class A gave a huff at the redhead's reaction, where the blond replied with a wide grin, "Good morning, Class A! My name is Monoma Neito, and I have come to make this rabble a class worthy of UA! However, for the immediate future, I will be in your care" The bow he addressed to the students was small but heartfelt; Kamakiri, for his part, was much less theatrical.

"I am Kamakiri Togaru, and I live for combat. Know that I will never give less than my best, regardless of who stands against or with me; therefore, I expect nothing less than the best from you." 

The reactions of the class were varied, but generally composed: some seemed pleased with the new additions, others were doubtful, and others still seemed to have no strong opinion or did not yet want to give judgment. Iida and Momo stood up, bowing to the two boys.

"We are honored to have you as our classmates! My name is Iida Tenya, and I am the class representative." 

"And I am the vice representative Yaoyorozu Momo. Should you have any problems, requests or concerns, please feel free to come to us." 

Aizawa nodded at the show of good manners and then turned to the newcomers, "The vacant seats are those immediately in front and behind Midoriya. You may leave your bags behind the desk with the cos-" his speech was interrupted by a raised hand, "Yes, Uraraka?" 

The girl stood up before speaking, "Well, I have a question. I understand why Monoma is here, but what about Kamakiri?" As the words left her lips, her face turned red and she began to wave her arms, "W-well, n-not that there's anything wrong with having you with us! It's just that I t-thought those on the podium would have passed...again, I don't want to offend anyone at all-" 

The boy huffed, "Relax, it's not a problem. In fact, it's a legitimate question." 

Aizawa nodded, "Yes, I can understand the perplexity. There are two reasons why Kamakiri is here and not Yoarashi: the first is a matter of fairness. Although the general education students did very well during the sports festival, it is also appropriate to respect the effort that the heroism students made to be admitted. That is why the top two students in class B were passed on to class A, while the top two general education students were admitted to the second hero class. Understand?" 

The girl nodded, "Oh, I see. And the second reason?" 

Aizawa sighed, "The second reason is that Yoarashi himself specifically requested to go to Class B rather than Class A. Don't ask me why, because I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't say." 

Izuku had a pretty good idea of the reason. His gaze shifted to Todoroki, whose expression was absolutely neutral; Uraraka, for her part, nodded, "Oh! I see. Then it's all clear. Sorry again, Kamakiri!" 

The boy rolled his eyes, "You don't have to apologize a thousand times for something so stupid. I already said it's a legitimate question." 

Monoma chuckled, "Well, at least they are not rude." 

Once the two newcomers were in their seats, Aizawa resumed speaking, "Good. With that matter settled, we can move on to the next matter: following the sports festival, the school customarily arranges a week-long internship for hero classes, following the requests that the various agencies send for individual students." 

As he spoke, he pressed a button below the desk: a projector came down from the ceiling, which turned on and displayed a list of class names, with numbers beside them. "The number you see next to your name is the amount of agencies that requested your presence. What you are to do today is to choose where you want to go for the next week." 

The class began murmuring among themselves, commenting on the chart. Kaminari let out a whistle, "Dude, 578 agencies asked for me? I didn't think I would do so well!" 

From the seat next to him, Jirou shot him a look, "Don't get too big of a head, Kam-high-nari. They probably just took pity on you." 

The blond replied with a sardonic smile, "Sorry, I'm having a hard time seeing: how many agencies do you have? Less than half of mine?"

The girl gave him a jab with the Jacks: "Shut up! And learn to count, 285 is more than half!" 

Izuku leaned from his seat toward the girl, "Hey, J-Jirou? S-sorry to disappoint you, but half of 578 is 289. S-so..." 

Kaminari burst out laughing with delight as the girl turned red as a bell pepper and growled at the greenie, "Think of your own agencies, Mr. 'gold medalist'! I feel like you have a lot of choice with..." 

When she checked the list again, the sentence died in her throat. From the seat next to him, Sero furrowed his brow, "Hey, how come you have fewer applications than Yaoyorozu and Todoroki? Shouldn't the first runner-up be more successful?" 

Monoma snorted, "I wish it were that easy. The 'villain quirks' are not very popular, you know?" 

Kamakiri nodded with a snarl, "Fucking bastards. I got fewer requests than the guy with the tail, even though I made it to the tournament!" 

Ojiro made to protest, but a glance at the numbers put him off: "Oh...okay, yeah, that's a little unfair. I mean, I'm happy with my 170 applications, but Kamakiri's number is ridiculous." 

Aizawa heaved a sigh, glancing at the 32 next to the new student's name. Being in last place in terms of the number of requests was not a good way to start his time in Class A. 

Tokoyami turned a glance behind him, "Your light must have touched hearts to be in such demand despite the result."

Todoroki shook his head, looking at the 1234 requests like they had wronged him, "I'm pretty sure a good chunk of them are because of my father, not because of my abilities."

Momo looked away from the projection, bringing it toward the desk. She knew that she should have been happy, even thrilled, that as many as 1008 agencies wanted her presence...but she also knew that that was an empty number. That her choice was a sham, practically nonexistent. Her parents had been very clear about it. 

"Momo, I don't even know how to put into words the disappointment and horror I am feeling toward you. Your form, your outcome, your image-it was all wrong! Swords? Grenades? Tear gas?! We raised you to be a decent girl, a bourgeois, a noble! Not a soldier who stoops to the level of the rabble!" 

The hand tightened around the medal, "B-but father...I came in second place-" 

"That medal is worthless! Knowing how to beat up other people does not make you a proper girl or a proper heroine!" 

"B-but-when I become a professional-" 

"You will be making contracts, photo shoots, policies! You'll be at the head of the Yaoyorozu Group! You will become the heroine who will take the reins of the company, using your image to make it even more popular! We didn't sign you up for heroism so that you will fight villains or get your hands dirty with trooper activities!" 

Tears lined her cheeks, while her voice was little more than a whimper: "...huh?" 

"You heard me right. Now you listen to me: if, during your internship week, you go to ANY agency that is not strictly an image one, rest assured that you will come back from that week as a Business student! Do I make myself clear?" 

"..."

"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" 

"Y-yes!" 

"Good. Now scram to your room. And give me that!" 

The medal was snatched from her hand. Before her eyes, the man threw it into the lit fireplace.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Aizawa's voice: "Okay, okay, you've chatted enough. Before you choose which agency you want to go to, there is one important thing to do first: during the next week you will be treated as wannabe heroes, and you will most likely do patrols. Which means you will have your first, real contact with the public while in costume. Ergo, it's time to start building your persona." 

The classroom door opened suddenly, letting in a Lady Midnight who seemed to be in a particularly good mood: "And the first step in building your persona is to choose your Hero Name!" 

The class, some more and some less, erupted in celebration at the news. Aizawa shushed the students with a look before continuing, "Midnight specializes in public relations and marketing; therefore, she will be running the class for this hour. As you may have guessed, you will have to choose a hero name; since that is the name by which you will be known to the general public, my advice is to think about it very carefully, especially those of you who plan to engage in spotlight heroics." 

Midnight chuckled, "In short, don't be like Shouta here, who took the first advice given to him by Mic." 

The class had to make a collective effort not to burst out laughing, which was made easier by the dirty look Aizawa was sending her colleague: "This was supposed to stay between us." 

"Well, too late. But now, dear students, let's get down to business! You have half an hour to think of your hero names, and then present them to the class and to my judgment! Know that I reserve the right to make changes if I find your proposal too ridiculous or unmarketable. Get to work!"

Izuku looked at the board on his desk with a furrowed brow and the marker firm in his hand. The task was proving more difficult than expected. 

No matter how much time he had spent imagining being a hero and practicing to succeed in becoming one, he had never put too much thought into his alias. Or rather, he had thought about it, but all the alternatives were either too threatening or too childish: there was no chance in this or any other universe that he would use 'Black Wolf Boy.' No, just no. 

The main question was the one Aizawa had already asked: what kind of persona does he want to build? The obvious choice would be a dark hero, creating demons to terrorize criminals...but such a thing didn't convince him too much. His purpose was to bring reassurance to anyone who needed it, making his Grimms a symbol of safety; he wanted people to feel peaceful around him, like some kind of black knight with a heart of gold. (He knew very well that his aesthetic would go in a certain direction, he wasn't stupid. His intention was to capitalize on the gap moe).

He put his hand in front of his mouth, starting to mutter to himself, "So...inspiring confidence but with a threatening appearance...Guardian Demon? No, too lame. Black...no, no go, too edgy. Maybe Abaddon? No, I can't give myself the name of a Christian devil! Um...what if-" 

Midnight's voice interrupted his reasoning, "Okay, who wants to start showing their names? Come on, don't be shy!" 

Izuku swallowed, looking up at the rest of the class: the amount of students who seemed absolutely sure of their names was very small, with some who were still scribbling on the boards. Among those sure of their name was Mina, who got up from her seat to go to the desk, "Okay, here's mine! The Acidic Hero: Alien Queen!" 

The students exchanged murmurs and comments about the girl's name, while Midnight wrinkled her eyebrows, "Um...are you absolutely sure?" 

Mina nodded, "Absolutely! My aesthetic is very alien, my power is acid, and the title Queen is the icing on the cake! It's perfect!" 

The teacher sighed, "I personally have my doubts, but if you are convinced...see how it works during the week, if you have second thoughts after that come to me and we'll talk about it." 

The student nodded vigorously and returned to her seat with a big smile on her face. The next was Aoyama, who seemed all too pleased with his choice: "Madame and Monsieurs, I present to you I Can Not Stop Twinkiling! The Dazzling Hero!" 

Silence. The entire class was torn between bursting out laughing or making a facepalm for the ages. Midnight, for her part, was all for the second option: "Aoyama...a hero's name must be, first of all, concise. That's not a name, it's a sentence. But I like the title of Dazzling Hero, you can keep that one." 

The blond man tilted his head without changing his expression (which, the class began to notice, was starting to make him creepy), "But, Madam, don't you think this name is the one that best suits my personnalité?" 

The professor rubbed one temple, "I'm not saying it's not apt, I'm saying it's too long. Besides, you seem to be doing well with French: why don't you try using that language instead of English? It would help identify you as a French-Japanese hero." 

The student stood looking at the professor for several, very long seconds, in which it was possible to see the cogs of his brain at work; finally he took the board back with a bow, "Oui, Oui, Madam Midnight! I'll be back soon with a new name!" 

He returned to his seat and immediately set about thinking up a new name as the rest of the students began to go to the desk and lay out their ideas: 

Tsuyu had chosen Froppy, the Rainy Season Hero. Simple, cute, straight to the point, the name was immediately approved by Midnight and acclaimed by the class. 

Kirishima, staying in theme with his aesthetic and his idol, had chosen The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot. Midnight had commented, "Like Crimson Riot? You're putting a lot of expectations on yourself if you want to sell yourself as a spiritual successor." The boy did not seem worried so much as excited. 

Ojiro was sure about the title, which was Martial Hero, but he was undecided whether to use more boring but simple Tailman or the more daring Seiten Taisei. After input from Midnight and the class unanimously, the boy became the Martial Hero: Seiten Taisei. 

Jirou played it safe with the Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack, which met no resistance. Same for the Taping Hero: Cellophane, the Electric Hero: Chargebolt, and the Gravity Hero: Uravity. 

Iida seemed uncertain when he submitted the Quick Foot Hero: Talaria. Midnight, for her part, was over the moon when she recognized the reference, "Like Hermes' winged shoes! That's a spectacular name! It even pairs well with your quirk!" The boy returned to his seat with an expression of such pure joy that it blinded most of the class.

Momo came up with the Everything Hero: Creati, which was approved in a heartbeat. The class did not fail to notice how the girl did not look too cheerful despite the teacher's positive reaction. 

The two new students went with Mimicry Hero: Phantom Thief and Sharp Hero: Jack Mantis. Both names caused some back-and-forth with the teacher, but were eventually approved, albeit under the same condition as Mina's. 

Aoyama's second attempt, namely the Dazzling Hero: Chevalier Blanc, was a huge success with both Midnight and the rest of the class. The boy's expression did not change too much, but the twinkle in his eyes showed his contentment.

The Clear Heroine: Invisigirl, the Tentacle Hero: Tentacole, and the Sweets Hero: Sugarman received the green light, albeit with some comments about their simplicity. None of the students seemed to mind this, however. 

Todoroki's first attempt was comical: on the board he had written his name and nothing more. Midnight made a facepalm before replying, "Todoroki, your hero name cannot be your real name. It's a matter of safety as well as image, you know? You're already famous in your own right, let's not make it easier for villains." 

The boy nodded, then looked around the class with an expression between impassive and lost; after a few seconds he turned to the teacher again, "I have a new one." She handed him a marker and after a few seconds the old name had been erased, replaced by the Temperature Hero: Freezerburn. Midnight was quick to approve this name, if a little confused as to why he didn't choose it right away. 

Tokoyami chose for himself the Jet Black Hero: Tsukuyomi, and the teacher, always weak on references to mythology and folklore, enthusiastically approved it. As the boy returned to his seat, he gave Midoriya a look somewhere between challenging and expectant. 

Izuku swallowed, clutching the board tightly. The rest of the class had chosen great, apt names that already built the image of a hero...and then there was him. Who barely knew what he wanted to be. He had scribbled down his name in a hurry shortly after Monoma and Kamakiri's presentation, but insecurity never stopped poking holes in his conviction and asking him questions: is he too edgy? Too unoriginal? Is there any heroes already named that? Would it end up clashing with his personality? 

"Midoriya! You're the only one left! Come on, what are you waiting for?" 

The boy jumped when Midnight called out to him. Swallowing softly, he got up from his seat and went to the desk, rereading what he had written with a drop of cold sweat running down his forehead. With a deep breath he turned the board over, "Here...I chose t-this in a m-moment of p-panic. I hope it's not too d-dark..." 

The first to respond, much to the boy's surprise, was Todoroki: "Well, your aesthetic is already edgy enough; so, I'd say this name fits." 

Tokoyami, for his part, thumped his fist on the table, "Damn, now I'm jealous." 

Midnight nodded with a satisfied smile, "Yes, I'd say it fits! It's edgy, as young people say, but not mindlessly so. I approve!" 

The rest of the class gave murmurs and nods of assent, which painted a huge smile on the boy's face. When he looked at his name again, he finally began to feel it as his own. 

'The Grimm Hero: Evernight.'

Chapter Text

Aizawa glanced at the class intent on discussing their new aliases, then gave a nod of thanks to Midnight and went back to the lesson, "Okay, okay, order now. From what I understand, all of you have a hero name that satisfies you, right?" when he received the students' nods of assent, he continued, "Great. Then the next part of the lesson is choosing which agency you want to go to from those that requested you; you will also need to name two alternatives in case your first choice changes their mind or is unable to take you."

The class representatives went on to distribute the folders with the various lists to each student, along with the document on which to enter their choices. Aizawa continued, "You have till the end of the hour to decide, but no more than that. I want at least one main choice and one backup choice by the end of class. Think about it very carefully, many students get disappointed with their first internship and because of that they are more reluctant to look for contacts for work study in the future. Think about what you want to do during this week, what goals you want to achieve, how the internship might affect your career. First impressions are important, and this will be your first contact with the professional hero world, don't forget that. Come on, get to it."

The students immediately started reading the list of agencies, commenting and exchanging thoughts with each other. Satou put his hand on his chin, "Man, some of these don't look half bad...Death Arms sounds interesting..."

A desk away, Iida tapped his lips with his pencil, "Um...where should I go...the first impulse would be to choose the Iidaten Agency, but I want to try other kinds of heroism..."

Kaminari, for his part, leaned back with a snort, "Um...have you guys decided?"

Kirishima chuckled, "I have! I plan to go to Fourth Kind, the Chivalrous Hero!"

From his seat, Izuku chimed in, "Oh! F-Fourth Kind is a c-civi hero, his a-area of expertise is s-civic service and organizing v-volunteer activities. If you go w-with him you could see c-what the situation of the lower c-classes of the population is like!"

The redhead gave him a thumbs-up: "Roger that! Then I'm positive I want to go to his agency!"

Monoma raised an eyebrow, "Are you a Fourth Kind fan?"

The greenie rubbed the back of his head with a giggle: "Oh, n-not really. I'm a hero f-fan, I-I know a little bit of e-everyone. Oh, w-w-where are you going to go, Monoma?"

The blond glanced at the list, "Um...I'm not sure. I'm tempted by Majestic...but there are other options that are interesting as well. Also, I admit I would like to try to see what underground heroism looks like."

Izuku put his finger on his chin, "Um...if that's s-so, check to see if you have any offers f-from Nopperaboo or Madam Mirror. T-they're two underground heroes that r-rely on imitations."

Monoma whistled, "'Gee, off the top of your head. I'd be impressed if it wasn't borderline insanity."

The greenie scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, while Kamakiri huffed, "I plan to go to Shishido. It's fitting with my style."

Jirou raised an eyebrow "You and Shishido together? Woe is us."

The boy gave her a dirty look, "Hey, you got a problem?"

"...no, none."

Meanwhile, Momo looked with sadness at the seemingly endless list contained in her file: the names she read out featured such notable personalities as Ryuku, Majestic, Edgeshot, Wash, Crust, and if we want to move up from the top 20 there were heroes such as Morrigan, known for her efforts against gender violence and her establishment of a prevention line against domestic abuse, and Mononoke Hime, a mountain heroine in charge of numerous wildlife and biodiversity preservation centers.

She knew, however, that these names were just writing on a blank sheet of paper. They didn't represent real choices.

Her gaze wandered until she read a specific name. One of the few real choices she had.

With a sigh she set about writing the name on the document, along with a couple of other image agencies she red almost by accident. Each stroke of the pen was one more disappointment, but her father had been clear: either that, or goodbye hero course.

She was shaken from her sad thoughts by Mina's feisty voice: "Heyyy, Yaomomo! What did you choose?"

The girl lowered her gaze, rereading the name one more time before taking a deep breath and wearing her polite expression, "Uwabami."

Mina tilted her head, "Uwabami? The one who appears in shampoo commercials? I mean, don't get me wrong, I guess she's a good choice...but wouldn't it have made more sense...I don't know, someone like Ryuku? Or Yoroi Muusha?"

Momo lowered her gaze, watching the name like it was a steel vise around her neck. Her father's threat kept ringing in her ears, to the point that the breath she took to calm herself came out shakily.

"Y-Yoroi Muusha has not sent me any requests. And that's okay...knowing how to deal with the public is an important part of heroism."

The other girl furrowed her brow, "If you say so...I chose Morrigan! I've been a fan of hers since I was little!"

Yaoyorozu listened to Mina begin speaking with a smile on her lips, firm and rigid as she tried to mask the hole of disappointment in her stomach.

Todoroki, for his part, was still considering his options. He brought a finger to his chin, thinking back to the festival and his progress since starting school as he read the list of agencies. Finally, he sighed, scribbling the name on the paper.

'If I really want to start growing, this is the best option I have...'

"Todoroki?"

Izuku's voice distracted him from his thoughts, "uh, yes?"

"Where d-do you plan to go?"

The boy lowered his gaze to his paper, then sighed, "...the Endeavor agency."

Tokoyami raised an eyebrow, "Wouldn't it be more productive to venture into the darkness of the unknown rather than walk the beaten and lighted paths?"

Todoroki had to spend a good ten seconds translating the sentence, then replied with a sigh, "It's not that. Until now I've always used my ice, and I consider myself pretty good at it, but I've ignored my fire. If I want to catch up with the program and really start to grow, I have to work on that aspect of my quirk as well, and of all the heroes in Japan, no one is an expert on that like Endeavor."

The avian boy nodded, "I see. Wise."

Izuku said nothing, but looked at Todoroki like he was trying to read his thoughts; after a few unending moments, he went back to focus on his list, scribbling down the names in silence.

Aizawa called the class back to order after another few minutes of chattering and confrontation, "Okay, the hour is almost over. When you exit, leave the sheets on the desk; you will receive confirmation regarding the agencies that will receive you by the end of the week. Before I forget, those of you who have submitted requests for a costume update prior to the festival are strongly advised to stop by the support courses lab to see if they are finished or if you will have to intern with previous versions. Likewise, if anyone has any requests for updates that they would like to see done before the internships, please let the support course know BY TODAY. Updating a costume is complicated, and you won't be getting it done in less than a week."

The bell marked the end of his announcements, with the students starting to leave the classroom, leaving their papers and files on his desk. Nemuri stretched, "I'm going to get something to eat. Are you coming with me?"

The man stood up, taking the stuff in his hand, "Go without me, I have to stop by the teachers' lounge to put the files in order, and then I guess I'll start seeing where the hellions want to go."

The woman huffed, "Workaholic. Well, see you later!" And with that she exited the classroom. Aizawa left shortly thereafter, heading for the teacher's lounge with the papers under his arm and a jelly pouch in his hand, which he drank before entering the room. Once he put the files down in his drawers, he set about reading the papers and marking all the agencies he would have to call, while also commenting to himself.

"Kamakiri with Shishido...mh, it certainly fits. Koda wants to go with Mononoke Hime, of course...Uraraka with Gunhead? Huh, I wasn't expecting that. And Tokoyami with Hawks...mh, I'm not sure about that one. Can that man even teach?"

When he reached Midoriya, he raised an eyebrow: 'Huh? Of all the possible ones...'

He let out a sigh: 'Well, I can see why he chose him. It's still a bit of a surprise.'

Momo sighed, downing another mouthful of rice with a disheartened look. In the back of her mind, a harsh voice was repeating that it was only a week, no need to make a big deal out of it, she was being difficult, she should be ashamed-.

"Yaomomo?"

Her train of thought was, fortunately, derailed by Uraraka, who was looking at her with a furrowed brow, "Is everything all right?"

The girl shook her head slightly, putting on her best reassuring expression, "Yes, fine, I was just thinking about the internships. You were saying?"

The other did not seem convinced but still decided to return to the original speech, "We were going to go over to the support lab after lunch. Do you want to come with us?"

Momo was immensely grateful for the request because it gave her something else to think about, "Oh, yes! Before the festival I had applied for a costume overhaul, I have to go see if they have finished it!"

Uraraka smiled, "Great! I also requested a change to the boots and suit, with any luck I'll be able to bring the new version to the internships!"

Beside her, Ojiro sighed, "Lucky you who had the foresight to ask before the festival. With my new hero name I need to adjust my costume accordingly...make it red and gold, put tiger motifs...maybe I'll be able to ask for a telescopic staff, who knows..."

Izuku turned to Todoroki, "W-Will you come too?"

"Yes. Since I want to train my fire, a costume made specifically to suppress it is only counterproductive. I'll probably go to the internship with a temporary design while waiting for them to finish the actual one."

The greenie nodded, returning his focus to his food. Once they were all finished, the group headed for their support classrooms, discussing among themselves about agencies and resolutions for the week. At one point Mina joined in as well, for the same reasons as Ojiro.

"My costume is cute, but it doesn't scream 'Alien Queen,' you know? I could add...I don't know, an astronaut jacket? Or change the mask, maybe."

With these talks they came in sight of the support classroom, from within which sounds of machinery at work and a fairly busy Power Loader could be heard

"Ushi, don't go overboard with the drill...I'd say it's okay, Horimoto, just give it one last wipe down and it's fine...HATSUME, NO-"

He clearly didn't have time to stop the student in question, as the next second an explosion blew the classroom door off its hinges, filling the hallway with thick black smoke. The hero students had to thank their lucky stars that they had not been knocked off their feet by the impact, while from the lab the voices kept coming

"DAMN IT HATSUME! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TRYING TO BLOW UP THE MACHINERY?"

"Cheer up, teach! Failure is the mother of progress, as they say! Besides, how can I improve the thermal resistance of the internal circuits if I don't know their limit?"

"The thermal resistance is high enough! Unless you are building that drone for Endeavor himself, I doubt it will ever have to experience solar temperatures!"

Izuku chose that as the moment to peep into the classroom, clearing his throat, "Um...s-sorry? is this a bad m-moment?"

The next nanosecond, Mei materialized within an inch of his nose, smiling from ear to ear, "Hey, First Place! Good to see you here! What can I do for you? Need some new support items?"

Power Loader stepped in to pull the girl away from the greenie: "Damn it Hatsume, get a hold of yourself! Phew, forgive her, she's been on a high ever since she got that order."

The rest of the group, once it was established that it was safe to enter, crossed the threshold of the classroom with amazed eyes, looking at all the inventions scattered around like children at a toy store. Izuku, for his part, was still focused on the conversation, "Order?"

The professor sighed, "Support students don't do internships like hero students do; instead, they receive commissions from big industries to make items or costume pieces for the given heroes. These items are then presented to a specialized jury that decides how much extra credit to give the student in question. Hatsume received a commission the day after the festival and liked it so much that she made three different versions in two days. The final version has yet to be judged, but I suspect it will do more than well."

Izuku nodded, watching the girl pitch ideas to Ojiro and Mina with an enthusiastic sparkle in her eyes. Uraraka and Momo, meanwhile, approached the teacher, "Excuse me...we requested a costume update before the festival. Are they ready?"

Power Loader put his hand to a folder, "Um, let me see...you are?"

"Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, sir."

"Uraraka, Yaoyorozu...oh, there you are! One had asked for different boots and a padded suit, while the other wanted a completely different design, right?"

" Exactly. I mean, if it's not a problem?"

The professor chuckled, "And why should it be? It's our job to take care of your costumes!" With a whistle he turned to his students, "Furaishi! Hatsume! The costumes you have been working on, bring them here!"

The pink-haired girl immediately distracted herself from her discussion, jumping up like a cricket and sprinting toward her desk. From under it she pulled out a chrome suitcase, clutching it to herself and giggling in a manner far too similar to Nedzu for the professor's taste; a second student, with red hair and freckles resembling a lava lamp, approached the group with a similar suitcase, "Here's mine, sir. For one Uraraka Ochako, right?"

The girl smiled, "Oh, that's me! Thank you so much!"

Momo barely had time to smile at her classmate's delighted expression that Mei was immediately at her, holding herself even closer than with Izuku: "You! Living factory! You are Yaoyorozu Momo, right?"

The girl took a couple of steps back, taking a few seconds to readjust herself before answering, "Um...y-yes. I guess it was you who took care of my costume?"

The smile on Mei's face became so wide it was almost blinding: "YES! Come on, come on, try it on! I have to see if it works properly!"

Momo suddenly became as red as a bell pepper as Mina jumped in to defend her, "Hey, hold it! You can't ask her to undress and put on her costume here and now!"

Mei tilted her head, "Why not?"

The pink girl replied by pointing to the rest of the class plus the hero students, who looked quite uncomfortable. Mei shrugged, "Bah, who cares? Come on, we don't have all day!"

Mina made to retort in kind, but Power Loader interjected, "We have dressing rooms specifically for this. As much as her way of asking was...not very tactful, Mei is right: we have to see if there's anything to be fixed or if it's okay as it is. Come, I'll show you."

The girls exchanged a glance before following the teacher, who pointed to two curtain-covered rooms, similar to those used for photos. As they went to change and Todoroki discussed with the hero about his new costume, Izuku began to ponder:

'Maybe I should ask for an upgrade too? Something to help me in close combat, maybe...something like a staff? Or a whip? Now that I think about it, the mimic is basically a multipurpose weapon that I can summon whenever I want, so I'd be okay in that sense...but what if I'm at my limit? If I could no longer summon Grimms? What would I do then?'

Her mind began to wander, drawing on all the videos imprinted in her memory and the sources available to her for inspiration...with meager results other than relying on support tools or weapons.

"Woow! You look awesome!"

His train of thought was derailed by Mina's enthusiastic voice. When he focused back on his surroundings, he was met with a sight both lovely and badass: Uraraka and Momo were wearing their new costumes, and they seemed to be quite comfortable in them.

Uraraka's pink and black jumpsuit was now more padded, especially around the stomach and chest, providing real protection and making it look even more like an astronaut's suit; the most notable detail was the circular pattern on the chest, with motifs reminiscent of the Voyager disk. The big shoes had been replaced by a pair of boots with padded, spring-loaded soles, capable of cushioning hard landings or giving an extra boost during jumps.

Momo's costume had undergone a total overhaul. Gone was the red leotard with an open chest, replaced by an armored sports bra resembling Spartan armor, featuring an exposed back and reinforced shoulder straps. Instead of the yellow belt was a skirt of white leather bands, over a pair of armored shorts, of course. On her feet she wore a pair of black boots, coupled with ankle guards fastened at knee level with laces that left the calf exposed. The right arm had similar protection, leaving the inside of the arm exposed and covering the outside, while the left arm had nothing. Finally, as a finishing touch, her book of chemical formulas was hanging on her belt with a golden holster.

Izuku did not realize the blush that filled his cheeks when he saw the girls move and try on their costumes, although his eyes followed the shapes of their bodies and their new figure. Momo's look in particular had changed so much, and the boy had to actively force himself not to stop his gaze too long on her bare back, legs, or midriff, focusing instead on the girl as a whole. Which wasn't much better.

Mina hopped around clapping her hands, "You both look lovely! Aaah, with looks like that, I have a lot of pressure for my costume!"

Power Loader, for his part, judged the two with a critical eye, "It's looking good.... anything wrong with them? Too tight, too loose...?"

Uraraka opened up her arms with a grunt, "Um...the padded areas are pulling a bit. Otherwise, it's perfect."

The professor nodded, turning his head toward his student, "Hear that, Furaishi?"

The redhead nodded, "Yes, sir. I will take care of fixing it before next week."

The hero nodded in satisfaction as Yaoyorozu did some stretching, "Um...my costume fits like a glove. Although I can't help but ask, how come I only have an arm guard?"

To this it was Mei who replied, jumping like a cricket, "It's because the centerpiece is missing! Stay here, I'll go get it!"

With that she darted toward her desk, while Power Loader shook his head. Uraraka tilted her head, " She seems...particularly enthusiastic."

The professor sighed, "Oh, she is. She put her heart and soul into that costume, especially after receiving that order. After all, it is meant for you, Yaoyorozu."

When she heard the sentence, the girl froze like a pillar of salt. She slowly turned toward the teacher, confusion written across her face, "...I beg your pardon?"

Her tone seemed to catch the man by surprise, and he tilted his head, "You didn't know about this?"

"Sir, I have no idea what you are talking about. I know for a fact that my parents didn't leave any order for a support item at UA, much less one intended for me!"

In her confusion and mental chaos, the girl did not realize how concerning that last sentence was to everyone present. The hero sucked air through his teeth, "Ooook...if it makes you feel any better, the order did not come from the Yaoyorozu Group."

The longer time passed, the less Momo understood: "Then who left it?"

"The Remnant Industries."

Momo's eyes widened almost comically. For a moment she forgot how to speak as she processed what she had heard, only managing to find her words again after several long seconds: "...wha...what? Are you sure?"

The professor nodded, "If the email address that sent me the blueprints is correct, yes. They specified that it was for you, even providing videos and photos of the festival. Like we're not your teachers."

The girl was too stunned to really get the joke, busy as she was trying to understand what was going on. The confusion on her face must have been evident, for she felt a hand brush her arm; when she pulled herself together, she noticed that Midoriya had approached her, his brow furrowed, "Y-Yaoyorozu...? Is everything all r-right?"

The girl shook off her astonishment (pointedly ignoring the shadow of blush on her cheeks) and replied, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear, "Y-Yes...I'm just confused. I can't understand what could have convinced the Remnant Industries executives to send an order for me."

Todoroki crossed his arms, "You did an excellent performance during the festival, you are a recommendation student, and your family has ties to that company. Honestly, it doesn't seem like such an incomprehensible choice; in fact, it would have been odd if they chose someone else."

Momo made to answer, but in that moment Mei returned. She was holding a golden brace that was more complex than the one worn by the girl, on her face a big smile, "Here I am! Okay, let me start by saying that this baby is one of the most beautiful I have ever made, and if you happen to know who designed it, please kiss them for me. The first piece is this one here, 765-A: give me your arm!"

The other wrinkled her brow but complied: once the armor was in place, Mei stepped back, "There you go! It's not too loose or too tight, is it?"

"No, it's fine. So...?"

"Easy, I'm getting there. So, to activate this baby you have to flick your wrist inward. Advice, keep your arm slack when you do it."

Momo was understanding less and less, but found it silly to argue now, so she stretched her arm out in front of her and, being careful not to be too stiff, gave a quick flick of her wrist. The effect was practically immediate: the golden armor on the arm opened like a fan, creating a golden disk large enough to cover a good part of her body and startling the rest of the hero students, who jumped back with gasps of surprise.

Ojiro, once he recovered, whistled, "A folding shield!"

Mei gave a wide grin, looking at the result from different angles, "It works perfectly! Okay, how is it? It shouldn't have gotten any tighter, right?"

Momo, for her part, almost didn't hear her, too busy coming to terms with the fact that Remnant Industries really gave her such a gift. With her free hand she caressed the golden disk, feeling the cold metal against her skin and finally convincing herself that it was real; with hardly a whisper she murmured, "It's...incredible. Really..."

Mei chuckled, "You think this is incredible? You haven't seen the best part yet!"

With these words she pulled out a new object: at first glance it looked like something between a dagger and the tip of a spear, colored gold and red. The handle had no grooves or rubber, just metal. As soon as she saw the weapon, Momo's eyes widened, "It's...for me? Are you sure?"

"Yup! The blueprint is quite clear! This is my pride and joy, baby 765-B! Come on, what are you waiting for?"

After a few moments of hesitation, Momo took the weapon in her hand; she weighed it for a few moments, ran a hand over the blade, made a few routine movements and then commented, "It's heavier than it looks..."

Mei chuckled, "Of course it's heavy! With all it can do, the weight is an unfortunate but natural consequence!"

Ojiro looked suspicious: "And what exactly is it that it can do?"

"Glad you asked! So, let's start with the simple things: press the button immediately below the blade!"

The girl had to spend a few seconds looking for said button, but when she pressed it, the effects were immediate: the handle stretched to the height of Momo herself, who found herself at a loss for words to describe what she was seeing. His classmates, on the other hand, were quite vocal.

"A retractable spear?!"

"That's so cool!"

"Whoever came up with this idea is a genius!"

"..."

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze in Izuku's direction, "Midoriya? Are you alright?"

The greenie didn't listen to him; the big green eyes were frozen on the weapon in an expression of astonishment that was gradually widening. He came back to himself after a few moments, with a smile going from ear to ear.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

The gazes of all the students shifted to him, not that he cared. Momo tilted her head, "Um...I understand it's an...unconventional support iteam, but don't you think this reaction is-"

Her sentence was interrupted by the greenie rushing toward her, looking at the spear and shield in turn like a child in a toy store: "I know this weapon! Auntie used to tell me a lot of stories about it!"

Ochako tilted her head, "Well, your aunt is the owner of Remnant Industries...however, it sounds strange that she would tell you stories about a spear."

Izuku shook his head, "You don't understand! These are Milo and Akouo!"

Power Loader raised an eyebrow, not that it showed: "They have names of their own?"

The greenie nodded, "These weapons belonged to a hero s-student from my aunt's...native country. She was considered the strongest in her course, practically at the level of the pros, like our Big Three! She had won four regional tournaments in a row, was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and had never lost a duel with this weapon! She was so strong that she was nicknamed 'the invincible girl'!"

Everyone widened their eyes, digesting the tsunami of information as Izuku kept gushing, "It's even better than I imagined! OH! Mei! Please tell me it can do it!"

The girl giggled, "Of course it can!"

The way the two began to snicker gave Power Loader flashbacks of his meetings with Nedzu, which was not a good thing. The rest of the kids, on the other hand, were scared in a more normal way; Mina swallowed, "Um...what are you talking about?"

The support student grinned, "Glad you asked! Living factory, would you mind activating the lever located on the handle?"

Momo swallowed, looking at the weapon like it was radioactive but deciding to get to the bottom of it; after a few moments spent looking for the lever, she pulled it...and immediately let go of the weapon, dropping it to the ground as it changed shape again.

Power Loader heaved a deep sigh, shaking his head. Mei gave a satisfied nod. Izuku looked like a coke about to explode. Todoroki raised his eyebrows in his version of a surprised expression. Ojiro, Mina, and Uraraka had their mouths hanging open.

Momo, for her part, looked like she was on the verge of an aneurysm: "IS THAT A GUN?!"

Mei burst out laughing, picking up the weapon from the ground and dusting it off: "Yup! Baby 765-B-"

"Milo!"

"'Yeah, that, whatever, it has three forms: short sword, spear, and semi-automatic rifle! It can be loaded with sleeping and restraining rounds, all strictly .39 caliber. Oh, if you want, I can give you the blueprints for the ammunition, so you can make them on the fly!"

Momo shook her head, "That's not the problem! Why can it become a rifle! I don't think it was in the blueprint!"

Mei, Izuku, and Power Loader gave her a look.

"...Don't tell me it actually was in the blueprint."

The professor sighed, "Unfortunately for my sanity, yes. Hatsume made the shield retractable but didn't change the spear one iota. If you want my advice, this week try to train to improve your aim; you could also ask Snipe for tips."

The girl shook her head, "Wha- no! I'm a heroine, a student to boot! I couldn't even have a firearm, let alone use it! What would the public think of me?"

Todoroki replied, "That you use all the resources at your disposal. Aren't you the Everything Hero, after all?"

Mina nodded, "He has a point. I mean, even Snipe uses firearms!"

"But he needs them for his quirk! And he based his whole personality around it! I'm just-"

To everyone's surprise, Midoriya interrupted her, "A brilliant girl, the second runner-up of the sports festival and a great heroine. Don't put yourself down like this, okay? You're great, and I'm sure the whole class agrees with me!"

The rest of the group nodded, making Yaoyorozu's eyes widen. Her eyes were starting to water, but she did her best to ignore it, "Everyone..."

Her gaze fell on the weapon, still transformed in Mei's hand. She knew that it was the exact opposite of what her father told her to be, that it would make him go ballistic...but in that moment she couldn't bring herself to care. It was like she had forgotten even his voice.

With trembling hand she took the rifle in her hands, weighing it and checking the sight: "It's...comfortable, all things considered."

The support student smiled, "I know, right? And the recoil is practically nonexistent! Oh, and the trigger doesn't disappear completely in spear mode, so you can shoot even then! And-"

Power Loader interrupted the girl's monologue by taking the weapon from Momo's hands, "Okay, okay, we get it. Unfortunately, since it's also a firearm, I can't let you keep the spear until you get a proper certification from Snipe."

Mina huffed, "During class exercises, though, she created muskets and firearms, and Aizawa didn't say anything!"

The professor replied curtly, "Knowing Aizawa, he must have let her do it so she could practice her quirk and start getting familiar with weapons like that, but if we're going to be picky, he shouldn't have because she doesn't have permission. I know it's annoying, but that's how the law works."

Yaoyorozu nodded, "I understand. It means I will wait."

Power Loader gave a small sigh, "If it makes you feel better, you can keep the shield. Oh, and while I'm at it, I have something to give you."

After handing the rifle to Mei, who turned it back into a spear and then a sword, he pulled a letter out of his pocket, "I received this along with the blueprint. It is addressed to you."

The girl took the envelope from the professor's hands, widening her eyes when she saw the Remnant Industries logo in the corner. After taking a deep breath, she opened it and began to read the note inside:

"Dear Yaoyorozu

I hope you like the gift I commissioned to young Hatsume. That weapon belonged to a very talented student, whom I see a lot of in you. I hope it can help you reach your full potential.

Congratulations on the silver medal.

-S.H"

Momo did not realize the tears on her face until they fell on the paper. Her alarmed classmates approached her with furrowed brows and concerned voices, "Yaomomo?"

"Hey, are you okay?"

"What's written on that?"

The girl could not contain herself: first a giggle as she tried to wipe her eyes, which then devolved into tearful laughter. Under the eyes of her classmates, she laughed in delight with tears running down her cheeks.

"I-I’m fine don't worry. In fact, I'm more than fine."

Chapter Text

"Did you get everything?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Even the necessary toiletries and spare clothes?"

"Yes, sensei"

"And the tickets are close at hand, aren't they?"

"Yes, sensei..."

Aizawa nodded, chuckling internally at his students' increasingly exasperated reaction. He might be the gruffest in the faculty, but that didn't mean he couldn't have fun. In his own way.

The Musutafu station was relatively quiet at this time of day, which made the departures for the internship week much smoother. The students were packed with luggage, including the one containing their costumes, and were going through the last check before boarding the trains and leaving. Aizawa enjoyed their reactions for another second before turning serious again: "Final instructions before you leave: the pro heroes will be with you the whole time, don't be afraid to rely on them. Don't do stupid things while on patrol, the responsibility for your actions lies with your host agencies and the school. And lastly, I expect impeccable behaviour: the agencies have the right to send you back if something happens, and whoever is in class this week will be lectured by Nedzu himself, as well as by me. I hope I made myself clear."

The kids nodded collectively, some more frightened than others. Good, at least they were self-aware.

As the first trains began to arrive at the tracks, the class slowly dispersed until the last student (i.e. Uraraka) was gone as well. Aizawa took a deep breath, enjoying the moment of peace before returning to UA.

Before he could actually make his way back, however, he was joined by one of his colleague heroes, AKA Vlad King: "'Your kids left already?"

"Yup. With any luck I shouldn't see them again until this Friday."

"Eh, same. Say, what do you think of Monoma and Kamakiri?"

Aizawa thought about it for a few seconds before answering, "They have potential, and most importantly, a firm head on their shoulders. After the Bakugo and Mineta fiasco, I honestly didn't count on it."

"Wow, harsh. But I understand the sentiment."

"Hmm. Rather, how are Yoarashi and Shinsou?"

Kan ran a hand over his face, "They are...something. One hit his head on the floor three times during his introduction to the class, and the other looks like a younger version of you with a lot less fucks to give. Which is surprising."

The other gave a grin, "Good luck. You're going to need it."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. So, shall we head back?"

Aizawa was happy to accept, looking forward to a week of relative peace and a lighter workload.

Momo let out a sigh, looking at herself in the mirror one last time. The costume fit like a glove, with Milo and Akouo perfectly complementing the warrior look; however, she couldn't be completely satisfied with herself. It was probably because she was at the Uwabami agency, with the knowledge that her tasks for the week would be photoshoots at best and carrying coffee at worst.

The only positive note in all this was that she was not alone: Itsuka Kendo was in the changing room with her and had just finished putting on her costume, a simple blue qipao with a blue mask around the eyes. She glanced at her: "Are you ready?"

Momo sighed, straightening her ponytail before replying, "Yes. Let's go."

The two walked out of the dressing room and down the corridors towards the heroine's office. On the way, Itsuka gave the other a confused look, "Hey, are you alright? You look gloomy."

Yoayorozu lowered her gaze, stroking her golden bracelet with one hand. She would be lying if she said the prospect of testing the new support tools (she wouldn't call them weapons even under compensation) didn't excite her, but she knew that would be unlikely.

"Just...immersed in my thoughts, that's all. Don't worry."

Itsuka furrowed her brow, "Are you sure? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Momo was forced to bite her tongue in order not to answer outright with a "Yes". After a few seconds, spent choosing her words, she replied, "I'm...I'm just thinking about what we're going to do this week. Uwabami is an image heroine, so we'll be doing...ads? Commercials?"

The other shook her head, "I really hope not. It would be a shame to have come all this way just to model, wouldn't it?"

Her gaze darkened even more, "Yes. It would be a shame."

The redhead broke into a small smile, patting the other's shoulder, "Cheer up. It won't be so bad, you'll see. And, just in case it is, I think we can always call Nedzu and explain things to him. Extra lessons at school are preferable to a lousy internship."

This managed to crack a smile, however small, on Momo's face. She nodded, running a hand over her face, "Yes...yes, you're right."

Itsuka smiled, but could say no more as they had finally arrived in front of Uwabami's office door, through which the heroine's voice could be heard. The two students took a deep breath and straightened their costumes before knocking. A shout was heard from inside the room: "It's open!"

The two entered the office, looking impressed by the light colours of the décor and the stacks of newspapers and magazines piled in the numerous bookshelves on the walls. The heroine was standing in front of her desk, busy talking on the phone and writing something on a sheet of paper; the three snakes twisted in the middle of her blond hair were checking a computer screen while she spoke in a dry tone: 'No, the shampoo advertisement has to be launched before the shoe one...yes it has to be, damn it! We have a schedule to keep, it's too late to make changes now. And I want the name of the dimwit who wrote the ad for the fashion event, one of my interns could have written it better!"

In her fervour she turned towards the door, seeing who had just entered. Her expression brightened for a moment before she returned to the call, "Speak of the devil. I'm busy, talk to you later. And make sure you fix the catering for...no, Mirko would break my bones, ask Mt.Lady or Ryuku. OK, talk to you later."

The heroine ended the call, turning her full attention to the two students. With a smile she motioned for them to approach, "Please, please come in. Sorry for the scene, the press agency is getting a bit tangled up."

Momo called upon all her good manners to keep her expression cordial, making a small bow with clasped hands, "It is an honour to be here, Miss Uwabami. Thank you very much for requesting us at your agency."

If anyone had ever asked Yaoyorozu in the future when she began to believe she could be a hero, a hero she could be proud of, she would have laughed and remembered the day she visited the Uwabami agency. When, at the introduction practised so many times in her family, the eroine replied with: "Oh no, thank you for choosing to come here. Honestly, I wasn't hoping for that."

The two students were stunned for a moment. The first one who managed to recover was Itsuka: "What? Sorry, I don't think I understand: you didn't think we would come to you?"

The heroine shrugged, "Nope. Don't get me wrong, I didn't request you here because I had nothing better to do, but I figured you would choose someone else, someone more...you know, heroic. Especially you, Yaoyorozu."

The girl didn't know how to answer that. She did not have time to process the confusion that reigned supreme in her head, however, as the woman spoke again: "Before we begin, your hero names and what you want to specialise in."

The two girls straightened up, looking at the heroine in front of them with their most professional faces, "The Pummeling Hero: Battle Fist! I want to be a battle heroine!"

"The Everything Hero: Creati. I...I'm not sure yet."

Uwabami nodded, tapping a finger on the desk, "OK, that's fine. So girls, I want to start with a little game we used to do in evening classes." With that she took a large rolled up sheet of cardboard and hung it on the wall, displaying the words 'learning contract'. Momo was surprised to find that the sheet was blank.

Uwabami gave a chuckle at the faces of the two girls: "Don't be intimidated by that 'contract', it has absolutely no legal or binding value, it's just to give the idea," as she took out some markers, she continued to explain: "it's very simple: on that sheet you two, right now, will write down what you expect to receive from this week and what you intend to bring out. They don't have to be physical things or anything too demanding, but they must be things that you are sure you want to honour".

The two girls exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say, do or even think. Momo, in particular, was completely at a loss for words. All that talk was completely outside of what she might have expected, no matter how much she had tried to go there with an open mind.

Itsuka, being the less confused of the two, shrugged internally and picked up the sharpie, pondering for a few seconds; in the end, she wrote in large letters "See the professional heroism" and "Attention"

Uwabami read the two points with a nod, "OK. Would you like to explain them?"

The redhead blushed a little at finding herself the centre of attention, but did not flinch, "Well, I expect to be introduced to the world of professional heroism. Learning how agencies work, the different types of heroism, sidekicks, this stuff right here. And...seriously, what else can I offer but my attention?"

The heroine nodded with a smile on her lips, "Yes, that sounds about right. Creati? What about you?"

The girl looked at the billboard like it was mocking her, which she actually felt. Her response was to shake her head, "I'm...I'm afraid I don't understand what this is all for. What's the point of making us write these things down?"

Uwabami replied, "It's a matter of honesty. Establishing from the beginning what you want to achieve and the means you intend to deploy helps to avoid disappointment or misunderstanding, as well as allowing me to calibrate the activities for this week. It would be a shame if you walked out of here without having done what you hoped to do, wouldn't it? That is, if it is feasible'.

Momo was speechless. Never in a million years had she expected such...honesty? Openness? Transparency? In short, she hadn't thought that Uwabami would take their expectations into account. And maybe that was the problem.

“I...don't know what I want to get out of this internship. If I'm honest, I came here expecting nothing, just ready to absorb whatever bits of information you would throw at me. I'm not even sure what I can offer..."

Uwabami furrowed her brow, watching the girl in front of her lower her head as Itsuka moved closer, extending a hand with a worried expression. The heroine tapped her finger against the desk a couple of times before picking up the marker, "OK, that means I'll go first."

The two students watched her write on the large sheet of paper, then move away and display the large writing "Showing the behind-the-scenes of female heroism/helping you decide what heroes you want to be" and "Professional experience/ various contacts". After putting down the marker, Uwabami started to explain: "So, I actually have two goals I want to achieve: the first is to show you how different the heroism that the media shows you is from the reality of the professional world, especially regarding female heroes. The second objective is to help you develop your own identity, to find the niche you want to occupy. To do this I can offer you first of all my experience as a professional hero, and secondly my contacts in the hero world. I think I can arrange mini-lessons with Ryuku, Mirko or Majestic, assuming they are not busy with internships as well."

Momo widened her eyes, looking at the heroine as if she were someone else. A myriad of questions swirled in her head, following one another so forcefully that she finally couldn't keep them to herself any longer, condensing all her doubts into a single word: "Why?"

"Hmm? Why what?"

"Why are you doing all this for us? You don't have to know what we want to achieve or what our aspirations are, it would have been enough to show us the agency, let us do some patrols or have us model in some advertisements. Why are you putting so much effort into it instead?"

Uwabami looked at the girl in front of him with something sad and distant in her gaze, like she was looking at a picture of someone long lost. After taking a deep breath she replied, "Let me answer you with a question: why do you think I called you to my agency?"

Itsuka tilted her head, "Well...because you were impressed with us during the sports festival, right? You saw what we were capable of doing and believed we had potential."

The heroine nodded: "Yes, certainly that is an important factor. But there is also-"

"Our appearance."

Uwabami laid her gaze on Momo, who was looking at her as if that was the most obvious answer in the world: "You are an image heroine. Your speciality is shooting testimonials, appearing on talk shows, presenting events or programs. You called us here because you think we look good and you want to teach us how to make use of it."

There was a bitter note in the girl's voice, a sign that something in her private life was not quite right. Nedzu would learn of that, no doubt, but for now the heroine had another job to do.

"Well...yes and no. Both of what you said is right: during the sports festival you showed the potential to do great things and you are both very pretty. But what you have just told me is only a part, additions to the real reason why I wanted you in my agency. You see..."

The blonde put her hands together in front of her face, resting her gaze on the two students in front of her: "...the problem is that you are both young and naive."

Momo widened her eyes, looking at the heroine with a confused expression not unlike Itsuka's. Uwabami heaved a sigh before continuing, "The sad truth of this job is that it's, at its core, very unfair. The media tends to favour those who meet the description of 'classic superhero' the most, which these days has become a contest of who looks most like All Might: hence sculpted physiques, ninety-toothed smiles, flashy quirks. Those who don't meet these criteria fall by the wayside, and for female heroes the situation is exacerbated."

Itsuka shook her head, "Surely it can't be that bad..."

The heroine gave her a dry look, "No, it's worse. Could you tell me, from memory, how many female heroes have been in the top ten in the last fifty years?"

Momo understood where the talk was going, and watched with a hint of resignation as the redhead shook her head, "Not off the top of my head..."

To her enormous surprise, Uwabami began counting on her fingers: "Silver Skull, fifth place in the national ranking of 2123. Amethist Eyes, seventh place in 2141. Aetheria, third place in 2154 and, to date, the female hero with the record for the highest ranking ever. That's it. In fifty years, the top ten has seen only three heroines in its ranks. Mirko has a good chance of being next, but more than twenty years after the last runner-up."

The news hit Itsuka like a ton of bricks. Uwabami sighed softly: "Sexism still exists and is, sadly, widespread. They always say that 'anyone can be a hero', but what they don't say is what it takes for a hero to become known. For us girls, that means having a pretty face and making gooey eyes at the cameras" The way the heroine spat out the last sentence took Momo by surprise.

The girl tilted her head, "And...what does all this have to do with our internship?"

The heroine rubbed her temple, letting the snakes caress the back of her hand: "From a traditional point of view, you two have all the characteristics needed to become successful heroines: you are smart, you are strong, you are determined. But what many agents and investors see are two pretty faces full of hope for the future, willing to do whatever they are told because 'that's what heroes do'. I have dealt with my fair share of snakes in my career, and there are entrepreneurs who still hate me for refusing some contracts. If possible, I would like you not to have to experience what I went through."

The two students widened their eyes, finally realising where the whole thing was going. The blonde smiled again, crossing her arms in front of her chest: "I like my job. I like modelling, giving interviews and posing in front of cameras. But I'm sure that you two can be much more than just a couple of good-lookers. That's why I want to show you how to find your way in the world of female heroism and help you understand what kind of heroes you want to be; above all, I want to show you how to be considered more than just a pretty face in a costume."

Momo stood looking at the heroine with wide eyes, still feeling her words echoing in her mind. She brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart swell and her eyes begin to water, to the point where Itsuka put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, Yaoyorozu? Are you alright?"

The girl nodded, feeling a laugh escape her lips. She tried to wipe her eyes with dignity, but it was a titanic feat: all the worry and desolation that had weighed on her chest until then was evaporating into laughter of relief and elation, bubbling in her chest like a fizzy drink. After a few moments she managed to reply, "S-sorry, sorry...I'm just so...so...I don't even know how to describe it. Relieved, I guess?"

Uwabami chuckled, "Don't tell me you were expecting to be a coffee girl."

"Um...a little bit? That or to be a model for some advertisement."

The heroine's expression became one of terror: "Are you kidding? You're a minor, posing in front of cameras without your guardians' permission is kind of illegal! And I'm pretty sure that if I did something like that and Nedzu found out about it, he'd have my head on a platter."

Any remnants of worry vanished in that moment, replaced by a lightness of heart he had felt a few times before. In that moment, for the first time, she thought that her future as a heroine was yet to be written.

In the central office of the Endeavor agency, father and son were talking face to face. The boy had a frown on his face, while the hero was perfectly calm.

'I'm glad to see you're finally stopping hindering yourself. I guess you've realised that not using all the resources at your disposal is an unwise, not to mention harmful, move."

Shouto clenched his fists, looking at the man in front of him with a sharp glint in his eyes. As much as he refused to give Endeavor any satisfaction, it was still true that he was peerless when it came to fire quirks, not to mention frighteningly efficient in the field. Interning at his agency would've benefited him...that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Don't get your hopes up, old man. The only reason I'm here is because you're one of the best when it comes to handling fire; don't think I'm going to be whatever you want me to be. I will be the hero I decide, and I will do it with my own strength."

Endeavor did not seem too shaken by those words, merely nodding, "I see. Putting aside these feelings of independence, which might even be admirable in some respects, for this week you will have the means of the Endeavor agency at your disposal. My advice is to use them while you can with no hesitation: after all, we're not the number two agency in the country for nothing."

Shoto furrowed his brow. The discussion was not going as he had planned, and it made him suspicious. In a flat voice he replied: "You seem unnaturally calm. In the week between the festival and now we met something like three times and even then, you were calm. Spit it out, what's going on? Aren't you disappointed because your future 'number one hero' lost the festival?"

The hero looked at his son for a few seconds, peering at him with his blue eyes. After what seemed like an eternity he replied, "Not exactly. Yes, the fact that you were eliminated is a shame, no doubt, but I'm more relieved that you started using your quirk the way it should be used. Seriously boy, frostbite is no joke."

Shoto instinctively looked away, not wanting to admit the point in the hero's words. The latter looked at the boy for a few seconds longer before clapping his hands, "But that's all in the past now. Now we must think about your internships." He then added, turning his gaze to the other student in the room: "Both of them".

At that moment Shoto remembered Midoriya. He turned his gaze to the greenie who, predictably, was a nervous wreck, probably due to the fact that he was standing in front of the number two hero in the country, inside his personal office in his agency.

(What Todoroki could not know was that a good part of Izuku's nervousness was due to the memory of his encounter with the hero during the festival. When he cussed him. Yes, being scared was understandable)

He made a ninety-degree bow, with an intensity that would’ve made Iida proud: "T-thanks again for requesting me, E-Endeavor sir! I-I will not disappoint you!"

The hero raised an eyebrow at the boy's behaviour, leaning back in his chair: "I'll be honest, I didn't expect to see you here this week, especially after our little talk during the sports festival. How come you specifically chose my agency?"

The greenie swallowed, raising his head but keeping his gaze down, "W-well...you're the number two hero in the country...and you have the r-record for the most arrests ever made...I t-thought you could introduce me to the more...practical side of heroism."

Shoto squinted his eyes. For all his merits, Midoriya was no good as a liar and it didn't take a genius to realise that there was an ulterior motive he didn't want to tell. Endeavor must have realised it too, for he looked at the boy with a furrowed brow for several seconds before standing up.

"Well, if that's the case we'd better start getting to work. Burnin'!" Endeavor's main sidekick, who had been standing by the door the entire time, stood at attention as the hero gave his orders, "Show the two interns where the locker rooms are and make sure they're ready in five minutes tops. They will follow me on patrol, while I am gone you are in charge. Do I make myself clear?"

The sidekick nodded curtly, "Yes sir! OK you two, move your asses!"

The boys instinctively stiffened, obeying the woman who waited for them with hard eyes and crossed arms. Before they could leave, however, they were stopped by Endeavor's voice: "Oh, I almost forgot: your hero names?"

The boys turned their gazes towards the hero, standing there with an attentive expression on his face. After a few seconds, they answered: "The Temperature Hero: Freezerburn".

"The Grimm Hero: Evernight"

Endeavor nodded, "Very well. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance in ten minutes, I don't tolerate latecomers."

Izuku took a deep breath, calming his nerves enough to be able to put the bracers on with steady hands. The anxiety didn't disappear, true, but at least it became bearable.

In retrospect, perhaps that had not been the most thought-out decision ever. Scratch that, it hadn't been thought out at all: the boy had acted on instinct, following the whim of a moment. And the result was a week together with Endeavor and Todoroki, amidst a colossal amount of family drama that was just waiting for an excuse to happen.

At that moment he wished there was a grimm capable of going back in time, just so he could smack his past self in the back of the head.

As he adjusted his tunic, he turned to look at Todoroki, also intent on putting on his temporary costume: his gaze was neutral, as always, but with something unusual in his movements. His hands paused at times as he adjusted his belt or secured the heat compensation system, and he seemed to cast furtive glances over his shoulder when he thought he wasn't being seen. The greenie was beginning to feel intimidated, which was accentuated by the awkward silence that reigned in the empty room.

The moment was broken by Todoroki, who raised his voice as he put on his red wrist cuffs: "Midoriya."

"Uh, y-yeah?"

"Tell me the truth: why did you come to this agency? I know you didn't tell Endeavor the real reason."

Izuku froze, feeling his nerves turn to glass. For several long seconds he tried to come up with a decent excuse, which was made impossible by his constant stammering that turned his words into a tangle of sounds. He stopped when he saw Todoroki looking at him with the eyebrow of his good eye raised. He heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck: "...I'm not convincing, am I?"

"Definitely not."

The greenie lowered his gaze, stroking the white helmet with one hand. After a few moments he replied, "There...it's stupid, actually..."

The other shrugged, "Never mind that. So?"

Izuku sighed again, giving his classmate a glance: "The truth is...I didn't want to leave you alone with Endeavor. Not after everything you told me at the festival."

Todoroki widened his eyes, watching Izuku put on his helmet. The greenie, for his part, continued, "I know you can take care of yourself, but I felt safer coming along. You know, just in case he tried...I don't know..."

"Midoriya"

The boy immediately closed his mouth. When he brought his gaze to his classmate, he saw a small smile on his face, one he had seen only a few times before: "I appreciate the sentiment. Truly."

All the anxiety in Izuku's stomach disappeared, leaving him free to breathe again. Despite having his face covered, it wasn't hard to imagine the ninety-tooth smile he must have been wearing.

"Oi! Rookies! Hurry up in there!"

The two students rushed out of the locker room, only to be squared off by Burnin' and escorted towards the exit. As they followed the sidekick, their fears and anxieties disappeared: the only thing on their minds was getting the most out of this internship.

Chapter Text

The April sunlight pouring through the window gave the white room an ethereal glow, aided by the silence that reigned in the hospital. Sitting in the bed of her room, the woman enjoyed the peace of the day, although it was not enough to erase the bit of frustration that brooded in her chest. She would have liked to go out for a walk but, alas, it was still not possible.

The door to the room opened, letting in a nurse. This one addressed her, "Ma'am? How are you feeling today?"

The woman looked at her, folding her hands in her lap, "Very well, thank you."

The nurse nodded, suddenly sounding more cautious: " There's a ... visit for you. That is, if you feel up to it! You do not have to-"

The woman interrupted her with a slight smile, "Hey, that's okay. In fact, I could use someone to talk to."

The nurse heaved a deep sigh, "All right...can I send him here then?"

"Yes, send him along."

With that the nurse left the room, leaving the woman free to enjoy a few more moments in solitude. Her thoughts went to her children, whom she had failed so many years ago: what she would not have given to see them again in person...if conditions had allowed, she might perhaps be able to meet them. She had had several good days recently, her psychologist was optimistic: if the situation remained stable in this way, he had said, she could be discharged. Oh, that would have been such a happy day.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound of heavy footsteps, followed by a rough, soft voice: "Rei"

The smile on the woman's face disappeared. When she turned to look at the man, a neutrality of pure courtesy remained on her face: "Enji"

The hero walked over to the woman's bed, removing his hat from his head and placing it on the bedside table, then sat down near the bedside. She kept her gaze on him the whole time, studying his neutral expression and mannerisms practiced so many times. With a sigh she muttered, "Is it that time of the month already?"

Enji nodded, "Yes. How are you feeling?"

She replied, "Mh, fine. The doctors say we can start thinking about discharging me."

The man nodded, "I see. That's good news."

"I guess so."

Enji looked at Rei with a wistful wrinkle on his forehead, guessing what the woman was thinking, "Rei, you know that, even assuming you do get discharged, it will be some time before you are given the chance to return home-"

"-unless the kids decide to come and visit me officially and the whole thing is transposed, I know." This irritated the woman to no end: even in the chance that she was judged medically stable, the police would have to judge her socially stable to allow her to see her children without restrictions. It was infuriating.

The man sighed, "As they say: dura lex, sed lex. The law is harsh, but it's the law. There's not much we can do about it."

Rei rolled her eyes, massaging her temple, "That doesn't make it any less frustrating." After a deep sigh she changed the subject, "I saw the sports festival. It looked like Shoto was having a great time during the fight with the green boy."

Enji nodded with a grunt, "That he was. Maybe, just maybe, he finally started to feel his fire as his own. That would be a good step forward."

The woman sighed, "Of course. I take it you've already requested to have him in the agency during the internship period?"

"Yes, along with a couple of other kids. UA has been lucky with the newbies this year."

"...Are you really sure that Shoto will go to the Endeavor agency?"

Enji shrugged, "Maybe yes, maybe no. All I can do is hope."

Rei clenched her fists, lowering her gaze to her lap. She could feel a familiar feeling bubbling up in her, the mixture of anger, fear and incredible worry that had dominated her long ago. The man must have noticed her mood, for he raised an eyebrow, "You have something on your mind."

She gave a bitter laugh, "Nothing gets by you, huh?" After a few more moments, spent breathing deeply, she continued, "It's just...it's been almost ten years since I've been able to meet my children face to face. The last time I saw Shoto we were taking him to the emergency room, and now I see him again on television with that scar..." She hunched into herself, closing her eyes to chase away memories of the past: "...it's like my life is going on without me."

Enji watched the woman's figure gloom with a furrowed brow. After a few moments she heaved a sigh, "The situation in these ten years has been...unfortunate, it's true. There have been difficulties and misfortunes, on many fronts, but now more than ever we must pull through, now that we are finally starting to see improvements."

Rei hissed, "I learned long ago to hate those goddamn words. Pull through? You mean like Touya did on that mountain?"

The man froze with something grim in his gaze at the mention of that name. Whatever was simmering behind his eyes was quickly hidden by a steel mask that blocked his features. When he spoke, his tone of voice was neutral: "What happened to Touya was...a tragedy. I wouldn't even dream of suggesting otherwise. Do you think I don't see him, at night in my dreams? Do you really think I don't curse what happened that day?"

A sigh, his hand passed over his face before massaging between his eyes. After a few seconds he resumed, "Even for this...no, especially for this, I cannot afford to stop. I cannot accept that Touya's sacrifice was in vain: in honor and memory of him, I will improve this country...I will win this war on crime."

Rei at this point snapped violently, feeling her blood begin to boil, "And that's the cause of all our problems! You are so focused on going forward, on this 'righteous mission' of yours, that you did not stop to check how those around you felt! You didn't give Shoto, Natsuo or Fuyumi a moment to process the death of their older brother! You didn't give me time to mourn his memory! You just told us to move on in spite of everything! Is it too much to ask for a little closure?"

Enji shook his head with a sigh, "The best way to honor the dead is to take responsibility for their will and look forward to the future. Nothing is solved by getting stuck watching the past."

Rei clenched her jaw, feeling her patience begin to wear dangerously thin. In a harsh voice she replied, "Go away. I've had a lot of good days lately, I don't want to ruin the streak."

The man made no argument, nor did he attempt to discuss any further: without uttering any more words, he got up from his chair and picked up his hat again, putting it on his head before heading for the door. Before he could leave, however, the woman's voice stopped him again.

"This is probably a pointless question, but I want to be sure: you never really loved me, did you?"

Enji lowered his gaze for a moment, a whirlwind of thoughts behind his eyes; turning his head just over his shoulder, he replied, "I loved and love you in the same way as I love all the citizens of this country. Nothing less...and nothing more."

With that he opened the door and left the room, leaving behind a sad but far from surprised Rei Himura.    

Endeavor reopened his eyes, bringing his attention back to the present. In the agency gym, the interns were training under his and Burnin's supervision, who was giving directions and orders in a tone and mannerism similar to Mirko's, which was saying something. Shoto was using his fire intensively, trying to bring himself up to the same level of performance with which he used the ice; Midoriya, for his part, was more focused on hand-to-hand combat and nonlethal takedowns, fighting against the sidekick and getting his ass kicked.

The woman, after punting the greenie on the ground for the umpteenth time, clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Okay, that's enough for now! Take a break and go rinse off!"

The boys were more than happy with the news. Todoroki leaned on his knees with bated breath, loosening his hand and wrist, while Midoriya stayed lying on the ground for several seconds. Eventually he managed to regain the strength he needed to sit up, despite the audible protest of his muscles, "Phew...they're really pushing us to the limit, huh?"

Todoroki leaned back, stretching his back, "Yes, Burnin' can be a bit...intense. Especially when she doesn't have to be professional all the time."

The greenie turned a raised eyebrow to his companion, "What do you know about that?"

"She came to my house for dinner once or twice. You have no idea about the fights with my older brother, especially when they were drinking."

"...the more I find out about your family, the less I know what to make of it."

As the boys caught their breath, Endeavor called to the sidekick, "How's it going?"

The woman sneered, "Eh, they're quick learners if nothing else. Todoroki is getting more and more familiar with his fire, just a little more training and we'll be golden; the other one has a top-notch brain, he's learning with baffling speed and is starting to put on muscle. Although he is still a stick with legs."

The man nodded, "Very good. I'd say that's enough training for today, send them to change and tell them to join me in the office."

Burnin' nodded, "Yes, sir" Before doing what he told, however, she replied, "Sir, if I may...how come you are not training them? By no means do I want to accuse you of nepotism, let me be clear, but I thought if there was anyone willing to teach your son how to use his fire it would be you."

Endeavor watched the two boys talk among themselves about this and that, noting the calm look and slight smile on Shoto's face. Remembering how, so many years ago, in the same situation, the boy's expression was one of emotional exhaustion and scorn.

‘You are so focused on going forward, on this 'righteous mission' of yours, that you didn’t stop to check how those around you felt!’

"After the USJ and the sports festival, our workload has increased exponentially. I would like to be a more active figure in their internship, but unfortunately I cannot afford it."

Burnin' nodded, "I see, I see...very well sir, I will send them to you in a few moments."

The hero nodded, watching his sidekick approach the boys and give them the new directions. He did not linger too long to watch their reactions and walked out of the gym toward his office. As he walked, he pulled out his phone and contacted a couple of heroes in the Hosu area: just because the situation was apparently stable did not mean that precautions shouldn't be taken.

ImpinkandIknowit: Hey, babes! How is it going there with you?

MCRstan: I long for the sweet embrace of death.

MCRstan: my soul yearns for liberation from this earthly suffering.

MCRstan: nothing makes sense but the infinite human stupidity and malignity.

Flymetothemoon: Oh, how melodramatic! How terrible can it be?

MCRstan: Hawks seems to constantly forget that the rest of us sidekicks exist. He flies from one side of town to the other and we are forced to chase him.

MCRstan: Chasing one of the fastest men in Japan is not fun.

Outletlicker: rip

Outletlicker: I'm having the time of my life! I don't know if it's me being on a roll or it's Perfect Score that actually teaches well, but I feel more focused here than in the classroom!

Bassestbitch: That's sad.

Outletlicker: ouch ☹

Zemuffinfactory: Death Arms is...peculiar. I'm busting my back running around and lifting concrete slabs, but at least I'm keeping busy.

ImpinkandIknowit: Aw, now I'm jealous! So far I've only seen how to answer calls....

Prezgovrrroooom: Ashido, knowing how to respond to a distress call is very important! You have to keep a cool head and steady nerves!

Edgycinnamonroll: What hero are you with?

ImpinkandIknowit: The Morrigan, why?

Edgycinnamonroll: Because those calls are likely to be on her abuse prevention line. Every caller is a possible victim trying to get away from an abusive relationship.

ImpinkandIknowit: oh. OH.

ImpinkandIknowit: all of a sudden her way of talking makes a lot more sense.

Humanbatteringram: Honestly, out of all of us you might be the one doing the most heroic internship!

ImpinkandIknowit: Noooooo, stop it! It's not that great...

Bassestbitch: Are you saying that what the Morrigan does is not heroic?

ImpinkandIknowit: Absolutely not, WTF.

ImpinkandIknowit: meaning, yes, it's heroic.

ImpinkandIknowit: I mean, you get the picture!

Bassestbitch: Then you're doing a heroic thing too. Shut up and accept the compliment.

ImpinkandIknowit: Jirou you meanie ☹

Outletlicker: Right?!

Bassestbitch: :P

1008gadgets: Uwabami surprised me. I thought I would spend my time handing coffee around, but she's teaching me and Kendo very useful things. She's even organizing patrols with other heroes to keep us on our toes.

Edgycinnamonroll: So you intern with more than one hero? That's so cool! I'm starting to feel jealous!

1008gadgets: Yes, I've been lucky.

1008gadgets: You and Todoroki, rather? What is Endeavor like?

Edgycinnamonroll: ...severe. Distant. And quite uncompromising.

Edgycinnamonroll: But he always keeps us busy in a thousand different ways: showing us how to fill out all the different paperworks, training us with Burnin', taking us along on patrols. Honestly, I barely have time to think.

Edgycinnamonroll: Speaking of which, I gotta go. I have a patrol in five minutes!

1008gadgets: stay safe.

ImpinkandIknowit: oooh? You seemed quite concerned there, yaomomo....

1008gadgets: it was a simple good luck wish....

ImpinkandIknowit: suuuuuure.

ImpinkandIknowit: let's pretend I believe that.

ImpinkandIknowit: Rather, how's your super-tactical-sword-spear-rifle going? Have you shot anyone or anything?

Prezgovrooom: Sorry, the WHAT?!

1008gadgets: Mina!

1008gadgets: She means my new support item Iida, don't worry.

Monkeyman: Seriously, have you had a chance to use it?

1008gadgets: well...yes and no.

1008gadgets: I use the shield more, logically. There aren't many occasions when I need to pull Milo out, especially since I can't transform it.

Monkeyman: In the sense that it's always in the short form?

1008gasgets: Oh no, I can turn it into a spear, but not into a rifle. Actually I couldn't even have it with me since I don't have a firearms license, but Mei was so insistent with Power Loader that he finally relented. He blocked the mechanism that activates the transformation, though, so I can't use the rifle.

Prezgovrooom: God bless Power Loader's common sense.

ImpinkandIknowit: Phew, that would have been fun.

Monkeyman: There are two kinds of people.

1008gadgets: Oh, I have to go. Good luck everybody.

ImpinkandIknowit: Ditto.

Prezgovroom: Please don't get into trouble!

...

...

Men_fear_me_Fishes_loves_me: ...is it too late to share photos of the animals in Mononoke-Hime's sanctuary?

Shroedingercutie: Absolutely not, gimmie!

The sun was starting to dip over the city of Hosu, tinging the sky with the warm colors of sunset. The streets were coming alive with the streams of cars and workers heading for their homes after another hard day's work, an anthill of humans getting ready to rest. In their midst, various heroes were making sure the flows were orderly and organized, directing traffic and making sure no one got trampled by the crowd.

Shigaraki looked at the streets with a mixture of disgust and resignation. Sitting on the rooftop of the building, everything appeared so insignificant it was ridiculous: so many people breaking their backs for a meager salary, returning to bare houses, eating tasteless food, and repeating this routine again and again, ad infinitum. Assuming they had jobs and were not forced to resort to delinquency to make a living, thus exposing themselves to the stigma of the rest of the population and the wrath of the "heroes."

Insanity. Pure insanity.

With a sigh he stretched out to look at the sky, relaxing at the sight of the infinity and the peace it promised. He stretched a hand upward, trying to reach out and caress that nothingness he longed for, intangible and liberating. His own symbol of peace.

"Tomura?"

The moment ended when Kurogiri's voice brought him back to reality. With a grunt, the villain brought himself back to his feet, popping his back for a few moments, "What is it, 'Giri?"

The bartender replied mechanical and stiff as an automaton: "The nomus are ready to act, and I have the coordinates in mind. One word and we will begin the attack."

Shigaraki nodded, "Very well. Are the cameras in place?"

"I have personally placed the bugs in various places in the city, and the drones are in the air. They are already recording."

"Excellent. Is there anything missing...?"

The villain mentally recapped the rundown:

First- open portals in the train station, in front of the offices of two large corporations and in the streets during rush hour and release the Nomus.

Second- let the pandemonium unfold until midnight or until the heroes take back control of the situation, ideally after the casualties have exceeded triple digits.

Third- record the attack and edit the whole thing into a promotional video to be released on the web.

Fourth-

Fifth- profit!

"...No, I'd say that's it." The villain gave his colleague a sneer: "'Giri, bring our units here. It's time to start the event."

The bartender curtsied as the other turned back to the streets, where confusion, horror, and finally panic followed in rapid succession. As screams echoed in the evening air and columns of smoke rose among the buildings, the expression on the villain's face fell to a resigned sigh.

'Look at the bright side: at least now your existences will gain meaning. The memory of them, at least'

Chapter Text

Izuku and Shoto got out of the car together with Endeavor, a few minutes before the start of the evening rush hour. The three of them were in their costumes, offering a rather impressive view to passersby walking around; Midoriya tried to ignore the civilians' hushed comments and turned to the hero: "Mr. Endeavor, sir...how come we came all the way to Hosu? We normally do patrols in the area around the agency, occasionally pushing into the surrounding neighborhoods..."

As he answered, the hero set off down the streets, forcing the two boys to quicken their pace to keep up: "True, but Hosu is in a bit of a tricky situation. I think you know about the news concerning the Hero Killer and his presence in the city, don't you?"

Hard not to know, since it was one of the media's favorite topics. There had recently been a series of murders of various pro heroes in the city of Hosu, all with severe cut or actual amputations. On top of that, after each murder files and videos were posted online about illicit activities carried out by the victims, things ranging from vandalism and money laundering to cases of domestic violence or collaboration with organized criminal activities. The result was, in the vast majority of cases, the funeral of a hero who, if he was ever liked, stopped being so very quickly.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible for this.

When the two boys nodded, Endeavor continued, "Then you can imagine how the hero activity in the city has suffered. Many heroes have decided to move their patrol routes elsewhere, some have decided to move to a different city altogether until the situation settles down. The few remaining heroes have to deal with a greatly increased workload, which leads to an increase in the success rate of criminal operations."

Shoto lowered his gaze in thought, "That makes sense...so we are here to help the local heroes?"

"Precisely. Manual and Mr.Blue Sky will patrol the northernmost neighborhoods while the southern areas are covered by M.I.M.E. and his sidekicks. We have to patrol the station area, especially since it's almost rush hour. You never know who might take advantage of the crowd to pull off some hit or worse."

Izuku nodded with a determined expression, though it was impossible to see it because of the helmet. Endeavor led the two boys to the front of the train station, just in time for rush hour: a mass of people crowded at the doors, resembling a stream of ants coming and going according to paths preset by those who came before them.

The man addressed the students with his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face: "Burnin' and Onima are posted inside to check boardings and arrivals, Kido and Blue Hare are patrolling the perimeter; we are in charge of supervising the main entrance. The two of you will stay with me at all times unless I give you explicit orders about it. If you see anything unusual, notify me and let me handle it. You may intervene with verbal warnings, but you may not take hostile action without my permission. Above all, always follow my directions. All clear?"

Todoroki nodded almost grudgingly, while Izuku gave a deep nod and an enthusiastic, "Yes, sir!"

Endeavor nodded in return, "Very well then. Remember to keep your eyes open, it only takes a second of distraction to- Shoto, are you listening?"

Halfway through the speech the boy had clearly become distracted, looking at a point in the distance with his eyes widening in alarm. With a choked expletive he stood on guard, "We have a problem."

Endeavor turned around, and he didn't like what he saw at all: a black cloud had appeared in front of the entrance to the station, and it was rapidly widening until it was almost twice as tall as he was and just as wide. Passersby had already backed away with alarmed murmurs that soon became screams of panic when out of the cloud emerged a being that could barely be called human, its skin whitish and limbs too long to be comfortable to look at. Its open skull left its brain exposed, and from its mouth came wails and growls similar to those of a rabid old dog.

Todoroki gritted his teeth, "I recognize that cloud, it's the same one that brought the villains to the USJ!"

And Endeavor recognized such a monster: the one defeated by All Might during the attack on the UA was very similar. Which meant, if the medical tests were correct and if they were really the same thing, that it had more than one quirk.

In that moment they heard screams coming from various parts of the city, followed by explosions and columns of smoke among the buildings. The heroes realized, perhaps too late, that they were caught in the center of a new, far more terrifying attack.

When the Nomu roared, a harsh, guttural sound that seemed to be scraping its throat, the civilians panicked and fled in all directions. The monster crouched down, aiming at the herd in front of him like a hungry wolf, but before he could do anything a blue and red figure crashed into it with all the force he had, emitting a blaze that left a large burn on its shoulder and side. Endeavor turned to the students behind him without moving his gaze from the monster: "Freezerburn, use your ice and create a perimeter around me and the monster! Evernight, alert the rest of the sidekicks and tell them to come here!"

The hero's tone did not allow for argument, not that the students were going to protest, and they immediately sprang into action: Todoroki stamped a foot on the ground and created an ice arena around Endeavor and the nomu, while Izuku put his hand to the radio hanging from his belt and gave the alert.

Hero and monster initiated a fierce fight, where one attacked with beast-like moves and strength while the other responded with flames as violent as they were precise and sudden. The Nomu's cadaveric skin was constantly lashed by blazes resembling whiplashes or explosions, but whenever the flesh was burned it would begin to regenerate after a few moments; however, this healing was anything but fast, and it was not long before the hero managed to corner the villain. This one found itself covered with colossal cuts and burns covering large chunks of its body, pinned between the wall of ice and an Endeavor that was looking at him with a stark expression; in a last, desperate attempt to save itself, the monster took a leap to try to break through the perimeter and run away...

The only thing it achieved was to bring itself a millimeter away from Burnin's nose, whose first instinct as soon as he saw that vile face was to shoot a blaze straight ahead, hitting the exposed brain full on and reducing it to a pile of charcoal.

The body fell to the ground like a puppet without strings, the head now reduced to a blackish mass with green flames giving off an indescribable stench. Fortunately, the ice walls had spared the scene for the civilians still present, who were soon driven away by Izuku and the rest of the sidekicks. Endeavor allowed himself to let his guard down, though he couldn't relax, and turned to Burnin'.

"Well done. Are Okima and the others here?"

The woman nodded, "They are clearing out the civilians. What's going on?"

The man gave a hard look at the inert body on the ground, "The city is under attack, that's what. By the same people who attacked the USJ, apparently."

His line of thought was interrupted by Izuku, whose voice under his helmet sounded quite panicked: "Endeavor sir! I just received a call for help from both M.I.M.E and Manual! They seemed to be in a lot of trouble!"

At the same time, Shoto pointed to the columns of smoke in the distance: "The attacks are scattered all over the city. Many areas are completely uncovered."

Endeavor gritted its teeth, gauging how dire the situation really was. A multi-pronged attack was problematic enough on its own, but the crowded location, rush hour and scarcity of available manpower turned the whole thing into a nightmare. The chance of being able to resolve the situation with zero casualties was, realistically, none.

Even so, he held his head high.

"Burnin', you and Onima will secure the eastern quarter. Kido, Blue Hare, you two will go and take care of the west quarter. I will notify the police to secure this area" His tone was dry and harsh, the kind that doesn't allow arguments, "Freezerburn, you'll come with me. The city center seems to be the one where the most attacks are concentrated, so we'll take care of that."

When he turned to Izuku, his tone took on a more solemn inflection, "Evernight, I have a task of the utmost importance for you."

The boy quickly stood to attention, "I'm all ears, sir!"

The hero pointed to the columns of smoke to the north and south: " You'll send reinforcements to M.I.M.E. and Manual. Which Grimms are your fastest?"

Izuku gave a barely perceptible flinch. In a more uncertain voice he tried to reply, "S-sir, I don't know how good an idea it is to use Grimms in such a situation. With all the fear around-"

Endeavor's reply was immediate and quite harsh: "Evernight, this is not the time to hesitate or to be afraid of yourself! Human lives, both of heroes and civilians, are in our hands, and any moment of hesitation could be the moment when someone dies! So, again: what are the fastest Grimms you have?"

Izuku stood perfectly still for a few but endless seconds, locked in a conflict between his personal fears and Endeavor's words; the moment ended when, hearing the cries of people in the distance, the boy hardened his will and focused all of himself on the present.

"The Griffons in the air, the Sabyrs on the ground. I don't think using giant Grimms is an option in this situation."

The hero nodded, "Very well. Make ten Griffons and send them to help the rest of the heroes, then come with me and Freezerburn. While you're at it, make four more to help Burnin' and the others."

The boy immediately went to work, creating in less than a minute fourteen Grimms who immediately began to screech and squirm, intoxicated by so much fear and negativity all around them; they were brought back to order by a smack Izuku threw on the beak of one of them, and then spoke in a dry tone, "Quiet you. Four of you, go with Onima, Burnin', Kido and Blue Hare. The rest go north and south, following the panic until you meet monsters with exposed brains. Don't hurt people. Non..."

The words died in his throat. His gaze fell on the charred body, the result of the actions of Endeavor himself and his sidekicks, and something in him stirred. Something deep and primal, whose voice resembled the pull of his quirk. Although his expression was not visible because of his helmet, more than one person shuddered when the boy turned and asked, "What degree of force should I hold with those monsters?"

All gazes shifted to Endeavor, whose expression turned grave. His answer had something solemn and absolute in it: "The priority is the safety of heroes and civilians. The Nomus are to be considered biological weapons."

It was enough of an answer. Izuku turned again to the Griffons, and gave an order as necessary as it was terrible, spoken with a finality worthy of a demon warlord: "Tear to pieces every Nomu you meet!"

The Griffons seemed to come alive at those words, giving high-pitched squeals and flapping their wings in a clear expression of enthusiasm. The present heroes seemed slightly worried by that scene, but they did not have time to stand and think about it: Burnin' stepped forward toward the Grimms, putting her hands on her hips with a grin, "So, which one of these is coming with me? We don't have all day!"

Izuku let out a whistle, and immediately one of the griffins approached the woman and lowered its neck and wing, clearly inviting her to climb on its back. She made no pleasantries and immediately climbed onto the Grimm's back, patting its neck, "Okay then! Come on, let's go!"

This gave a high-pitched squeal, and then took a run-up and soared into the air toward the columns of smoke. The rest of the sidekicks exchanged a glance and then followed the woman's example, climbing onto the backs of the Grimms and using them to fly toward the conflict zones; Izuku sent the rest of the pack to the northern and southern quarters with a gesture, then returned to Endeavor: "All done, sir!"

The man nodded, "Very well. Let's go, we've wasted far too much time already!"

With that, the three heroes sprinted toward the nearest columns of smoke, one propelling himself with jets of flame, one surfing on glaciers, and one riding a Teryx. As fast as they were, each second felt like one too many.

Sitting on the rooftop of the building, Shigaraki scrolled through the various footage on a tablet with a delighted smile on his face and his lips parted in laughter, "Aaaah, this is prime material! All the people running away, the heroes making a fool of themselves...oh, I can already taste the views the ad will get!"

Not far away, Kurogiri was looking at the city below with his yellow eyes half-closed in what must have been contemplation, "It seems there are a lot fewer heroes than usual around...I guess we have the Hero Killer to thank for that."

The boy nodded, waving a hand, "Why do you think I chose Hosu specifically? After the fiasco at UA we have to show potential units that we're not a bunch of fools, and look who was around these parts making the heroes shit themselves." After a snicker he added, "Too bad Giran couldn't find him, I would have liked to add him to the party."

The butler sighed, "It really is a pity. But there's a certain poignancy to this situation, isn't there? Albeit unwittingly, he's still helping us show what a farce heroes are."

"Yup. I'd say I can't call myself disapp-"

The rest of the sentence died in his throat when, looking at the camera connected to the southernmost neighborhood, he saw something he didn't expect to see and really, REALLY didn't like.

"Kurogiri."

"Yes, young Tomura?"

The expression on the villain's face was only seemingly neutral, as a keen eye might have noticed how the jaw was tense and the nostrils flared for a moment, "Remind me again: when did the spy say the internship period was?"

The butler thought about it for a moment, "Um...if I'm not mistaken it was this very week. How come?"

Shigaraki carried on like he hadn't heard the question, "And...did he say which brat would go with which hero?"

An invisible brow rose under the smoky head, "Well, no. Why the sudden concern?"

The villain said nothing and signaled his butler to come closer. The latter obeyed, still with a raised eyebrow, but when he saw the video he realized what the boy was talking about: the Pantomime Hero M.I.M.E. had been locked in combat against a low-end Nomu for several minutes, whereas his sidekicks were busy evacuating civilians. His ability to turn invisible whatever object he touched made him a very fearsome Underground hero if you faced him unprepared...unless you were a ten-foot-tall, pain-resistant monster with three times the strength of a normal man. For all intents and purposes, the hero was doomed.

Or rather, he would have been if reinforcements had not arrived, namely a group (the villain counted five) of black and white griffins with bright red eyes. Griffons who, as soon as they arrived on the scene, began to attack the Nomu with a speed and fury that would make any decent person's skin crawl. Griffons he had already seen, several weeks back.

"Those monsters...!"

Shigaraki tapped a few times on the screen, scrolling through the various feeds until he found what he was looking for: a camera placed roughly in the center of town, showing Endeavor himself fighting a high-end Nomu. Just behind him was the red-and-white-haired brat seen at the festival, who had put up walls of ice to keep out civilians...and a little boy covered in a black costume, with a white helmet on, who was creating more monsters to help the hero.

From the villain's mouth came a choked grimace: "There are six heroic classes at UA, through all three years. Each class has twenty students. Which means there are a hundred and twenty heroic brats around the country, literally the whole fucking country. And who do I find here today, right during the marketing operation?"

It was lucky he had gloves on his hands, otherwise the facepalm he pulled would have resulted in the stupidest suicide in history. Shigaraki made another exasperated grumble before continuing, "Who scripted this goddamn event? Who is the sadistic bastard who thought it would be a nice touch to put as a surprise encounter the fucking minion spawner? Fuck, why is it that every time, every fucking time I have to do something big, this guy pops out of nowhere?"

Kurogiri took the tablet in one hand, watching the video of the battle between Endeavor and the Nomu, which the latter was losing, "There's...certainly some degree of irony in all this. However, this new development sends the whole plan into turmoil: the boy can create an army without too much trouble, the Nomu won't hold up for long."

With a finger he changed feeds and, as if to prove a point, the villains witnessed one of their Nomu being picked up by five Griffons together, lifted into the air and torn to pieces like a rag doll, only to be devoured until only bones remained. The two villains exchanged a very eloquent look (which could roughly be translated as "BLOODY HELL"), and then began quickly scrolling through the various feeds.

"Which Nomu do we still have viable?"

"We have already lost two low-ends and the other two are busy against the Flaming Sidekicks. The two high-ends are busy with Endeavor and the tag team of Manual and Mr.Blue Sky, not to mention the Grimm mob. 'Giri, I need you to retrieve that flying one and send it to the central area."

"What's the plan?"

"If we could get rid of the minion spawner, we could get ourselves some breathing room, and that Nomu is the fastest we have. If we teleport him above the brat, it should be able to grab him and take him away before the other mobs have time to react."

"Very good. What do we do with it once we get it?"

"That's a problem for later, now let's try to incapacitate him!"

The butler nodded and created a portal of black mist: out of it flew a whitish-skinned Nomu, with membranous wings coming out of its back and a breathing system where its mouth should be. The portal was immediately closed again, just in time to prevent a pack of enraged Grimm from continuing to pursue their prey, giving the two villains a moment to calm the Nomu down and give it their new orders, waving the tablet before its eyes.

"Do you see this brat? You have to catch him and separate him from the group. Take him up high, leave him on top of a building, it doesn't matter, but get rid of him!"

The Nomu gave a shriek of assent and hovered in the air, immediately being teleported away above the battlefield. Shigaraki returned his gaze to the tablet, biting his knuckle in nervousness, where Kurogiri gave a sigh, "Do you think that will be enough?"

"I have no idea, 'Giri. To be honest, I'm going in completely blind. Fuck, of all possible brats..."

The butler looked at his master with a furrowed brow (As much as it was not possible to see it) and replied, "Well, look on the bright side: we should have gathered enough material to give us a fair amount of publicity, especially if we launch it in the wake of the media coverage."

The other sighed, "At least we have that." But his attention was all on the images of the young boy, his face hidden by a menacing red and white mask. The grip around the tablet tightened.

'What class of enemy are you, minion spawner?'

Izuku gritted his teeth, watching the Nomu get hit by a full-powered Jet Kindling that dug a hole in its chest. As serious as the situation was, and it should have required his full attention, he couldn't help but turn his thoughts back to the rest of the Grimm he had unleashed on the city.

The truth was that he was terrified. All that fear was intoxicating, he himself was struggling not to start drooling, and he knew full well that his Grimms had far less self-control than he did. Sending so many of them out unsupervised....

Fortunately he had warned the rest of the heroes, giving them permission to destroy them if they started acting strangely, but it was meager comfort; in fact, now his fear was that they might lose control and attack the heroes themselves. He would end up endangering countless people. As the Nomu were doing at that very moment.

As a villain.

'Stupid villain Deku!'

"Evernight!"

Shoto's voice stopped his thoughts before they could spiral. With a gasp he brought his head back to the present: "Uh, y-yes! I'm coming!"

Endeavor's orders were simple: Shoto would create a perimeter, Izuku would create reinforcements, and both would evacuate the civilians while the hero took care of the Nomu. The whole thing would have allowed the hero to fight the villain safely and with a considerable advantage, while keeping the boys away from the front line. It was supposed to be...not easy, definitely not easy, but manageable. And, for a while, it had been.

The Nomu that Endeavor was fighting with was much stronger than the one that had appeared at the station, with more powerful regeneration and the ability to launch bony thorns from its body at high speed. Supported by Cenitaurs, Dromeodons and Manticores, the hero had opted for a purely offensive strategy that aimed to overwhelm the monster with continuous attacks devastating enough to melt surrounding cars, taking advantage of the acid spewed by the Grimms to bring regeneration to the limit. (This last idea, in truth, had been Izuku's. Endeavor was increasingly impressed by that boy's smarts.)

Meanwhile, the two boys had helped the stream of people move away as quickly as possible, keeping their eyes open to avoid trampling. They soon learned that four eyes were scarcely enough to handle a completely panicked stream of people.

"I-I know it's a lot to ask, but please try to remain calm! Endeavor has the situation under control!"

"Don't push each other around, you only risk getting hurt!"

"Hey, be careful! There's a little girl there, don't step on her!"

"Sir, are you okay? I can carry you to the safe zone."

The arrival of the police took a great weight off the boys' shoulders, allowing them to take a moment to breathe, which was necessary to keep their nerves steady; when they heard the flames of the Fiery Hero becoming more frequent and more violent, however, they realized that it was necessary to go and give him a hand.

They ran away from the crowd, being escorted away by policemen, heading toward the battle site as fast as they could. As they ran, Izuku noticed that the screaming around the city had begun to quiet down somewhat, especially in the southern and northern areas. A hint of relief began to bloom in his chest, mixed with a faint pride born from the knowledge that his Grimms, his monsters, proved helpful.

Once they were back in view of the fight, they could notice three things: first, the ice wall had completely collapsed; second, the Grimms seemed to have disappeared; and third, the Nomu had a cauterized stump in place of an arm and several acid burns on his body, where Endeavor had a labored breath and a few nasty scrapes.

As he saw the two trainees, the hero raised his voice, "Don't come any closer! If you want to help reinforce the perimeter and get me more reinforcements, but do not attack directly."

The fighting resumed soon after in a burst of flames and brute force. The boys exchanged a look of understanding and went to work: Shoto put up high walls of ice around the monster and the hero, who began to go to town when he saw himself back inside the ring; Izuku, for his part, created another Dromeodon and Cenitaur within seconds, who were thrown into the ring by a pylon of ice from Shoto. The greenie began to pant, feeling his fingers start to get covered with pulsing red veins, but he still held his head high and stayed on guard for more directives. Beyond the ice wall came the sounds of violent battle, coupled with sudden flames that lit up the ring like a deep cave crystal.

While this was going on, the greenie put his hand to the little radio: "How is it going? Are the grimms under control?"

Burnin's voice, though crackling, was boisterous as usual: "Relax, runt! The situation here is under control, the Nomu is a goner, and the Grimm are still behaving."

The boy gave a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. Kido, What about-"

"MIDORIYA, LOOK OUT!"

The warning came too late. The two boys didn't notice the winged nomu coming swooping down from above until it was within a meter of Midoriya, its claws open and pointed at the greenie. Shoto sprinted with an outstretched hand, trying to push his friend away from danger, but he was not fast enough: the monster swiftly descended, grabbed the boy by the shoulders and carried him away, flying higher and higher into the night sky.

Endeavor, having heard the screams, looked up in time to see his trainee being kidnapped by that horrific villain, and immediately aimed his arm, preparing to shoot a fire bullet at the monster; however, the second Nomu, the one who had been busy fighting until a minute before, took advantage of the moment of distraction to try to attack the hero, who was forced to fall back on the defensive. Seeing the situation he was in, he could do nothing but rely on the second student.

"Freezerburn! Go after that flying Nomu and try to knock him down! We can't let Evernight get caught like this!"

Shoto would never admit it, but he found himself in full agreement with his father. A thump of his foot on the ground and he was immediately at their heels, pushing his quirk to its fullest to make the glacier go as fast as possible, while at the same time throwing big blazes in an attempt to stop the Nomu.

The latter, for its part, did not seem inclined to get toasted and began to fly in zig-zags, making sudden turns, staying as much as possible above the buildings and narrow alleys where the ice runway would not be able to pass. This did not seem to deter Shoto, who did his best to aim his shots and stay as far behind the monster as possible. But despite his attempts and efforts, he soon found himself having to circumnavigate buildings or entire blocks, always watching out for civilians and cars as the Nomu simply flew farther and farther away. The boy did not stop running, but his heart was becoming heavier and heavier with fear.

As scared as he was, however, Midoriya was a hundred times more so. Caught in a steel grip by a winged monster serving a group of villains, flying several dozen meters above the ground, he felt like a mouse at the mercy of a hawk. His hands were clasped around the monster's ankles, but at the same time he flailed to try to free himself; the claws took hold in his shoulders, tearing off parts of the costume and making large gashes that stained the black fabric red. The boy grunted at the sudden spike of pain, but the adrenaline helped him flail even more, so much so that he eventually managed to slip out of the monster's grasp...and hang by the ankles for dear life.

The Nomu did not accept this willingly and immediately worked to catch the boy firmly between its claws again, screeching horribly all the while. Izuku wriggled as much as he could, aiming blows at elbows and knees as taught by Vlad King, but the monster was not willing to let him go and kept grabbing him every time he managed to break free. Like a predatory bird trying to stop a fox from escaping, the two were locked in a clumsy struggle above the rooftops of the buildings, one that managed to destabilize the Nomu's flight enough to keep him hovering in one spot, too focused on not dropping his prey and keeping himself in the air to escape.

Izuku was certain he could feel his strength start to leave him. His force was not even comparable to that of a biological weapon made for wreaking havoc, and the grip of the claws was getting stronger and stronger; his blows had become rougher, his lungs were on fire, his whole body was covered with scratches and claw holes. His costume was torn in several places, leaving the black suit underneath exposed, and even his helmet had fallen off in the fight. The boy was alone, tired and at the mercy of an enemy far beyond his strength. He had no chance to escape.

His gaze fell on his hand, on the veins pulsing along his fingers and palm. On the feeling under his skin, the whisper of destruction that wanted to come out and incarnate itself.

An idea took shape in his mind. A terrible, gruesome, utterly repulsive idea. But, at the same time, the only one he had left.

With newfound vigor, the boy began flailing like a madman and striked the nomu's limbs; this time, however, instead of trying to pull away he kept his grip firmly on the monster's body. The latter, as before, tightened its grip on the boy's arms and body, but the latter did not mind the scraping, the blood oozing from the wounds, or the searing burning that followed each cut: with the force of desperation he clung to the monster and pushed himself up, finally managing to grasp its head in his hands and look it squarely into its bulging eyes. The slimy feeling of the brain under his fingers was something absolutely disgusting, but the boy ignored it and summoned all his mental strength. With a deep breath and a desperate fire in his eyes, Izuku did something that, under normal circumstances, he would never have even dreamed of doing.

He violated the first and most important rule about his quirk.

"Okay Izuku, listen very carefully. What I'm about to tell you is extremely important."

The greenie looked at the nice and mysterious lady with all the attention and enthusiasm an excited four-year-old could give. The two were sitting in the living room of Musutafu's apartment, with Inko keeping an eye on them in the kitchenette, and the boy had a notebook open in front of him.

Salem asked, "You remember what Grimms are made of, don't you?"

The boy nodded, "Des...destu...Des-tru-ction!"

The woman nodded, "That's right. They are the embodiment of animosity and have no desire other than destroying anything related to humanity. That's why you have to be extra careful when dealing with them, because even if they seem under control all it takes is a sudden surge of fear or anger to send them into a berserk frenzy. If you really want to use them to save people, you also have to be ready to get rid of them on the spot."

Izuku wrote it all down in his notebook, furrowing his brow in concentration and deep thought. Salem let him finish before resuming speaking, "But before we go through all that, there is one thing you need to know. As we said, grimms are sworn enemies of life in all its senses; the same thing applies to the substance from which they are born."

The little boy tilted his head, "The black thing?"

The woman nodded, "That is liquid destruction, the purest form there is. As soon as it comes out of your body, that substance is literally anti-life: more powerful than any poison or acid in existence, it kills and sticks to every living substance that comes in contact with it. If a person were to touch it...the results wouldn't be pretty. Trust me, I know a thing or two about that."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on her hand and her forehead furrowed with a sigh. The gesture meant nothing to Izuku, still busy processing the lady's ominous words, but Inko was far more perceptive: "Salem?"

The other sighed, "It's...a long story. Which I will tell you, someday, but not now." After this brief digression, which left the greenie's mother somewhat concerned, her attention turned back to the boy: "Izuku. Before I show you how to create Grimms and command them, I need you to promise me something."

The woman placed a white hand on the boy's green hair, gently lifting his head and looking into his large emerald eyes, "You must promise me that you will be very careful when you create the grimms, and make sure the area is clear. And most importantly, never, ever, throw the Grimm liquid at anyone else. It would mean doing very serious and almost certainly irreparable damage. Do you understand?"

Izuku nodded, his face tightened into an expression of childlike determination, "All right, Mrs. Salem! I promise!"

'I'm sorry, Auntie.'

Izuku pulled his head back, took a deep breath, and, keeping his grip tightly around the Nomu's head, vomited the black liquid all over it.

The monster screeched fiercely, convulsing and scratching its body in an attempt to get the cursed substance off of itself, but all it got were large wounds from which the liquid could more easily enter its veins. Soon a sizzling sound was heard, a cross between the sound of fat burning and acid corroding flesh, the monster's wingbeat became weaker, its movements more lethargic; finally, with no more strength and overcome by indescribable pain, it stopped beating its wings and fell down like a rock with the boy clinging firmly to its body.

"MIDORIYA!!!"

A ramp of ice rose up from the ground in a matter of seconds, exactly beneath the two. Izuku used the Nomu's body both to cushion the impact of the landing and as a sled to slide down the ramp relatively safely; after a few seconds the ice made way for asphalt and the monster's body came to a violent halt, sending the boy tumbling down the road.

For several seconds Izuku laid along the road, not really wanting to get up after all that. He felt as if his body was one giant bruise: he ached almost everywhere, his limbs were heavy as hell, and his head was spinning and throbbing as if he had been on a roller coaster for too long. It was the sound of running footsteps and a worried voice that shook him out of his daze: "Midoriya! Are you all right? Can you hear me?"

The boy turned his head, looking at his classmate with an exhausted expression, "Hey Todoroki...thanks for the save."

Shoto breathed a deep sigh of relief when he heard the greenie speak. With a grunt he helped him to his feet, supporting him on his shoulders, "What happened?"

Izuku lowered his head, refusing to look in the direction of Nomu...or the skeletal carcass that was left, "I...didn't mean to. But I ran out of options." When he noticed the other boy's confused look, he sighed, "I covered it with Grimm liquid."

Todoroki wrinkled his forehead, turning his gaze to the monster's half-burnt body covered in bubbling ooze: "The black sludge coming out of your hands?"

The greenie nodded without looking up: "Grimms are the exact opposite of life. And the liquid they are born from...kills whatever comes in contact with it."

There were a couple of seconds of silence in which Todoroki contemplated the mass of bones and slime that had been the Nomu, after which he focused on his companion: "You need medical attention, as soon as possible. Endeavor should be finished with-"

"SHKREEEEEE!"

An inhuman screech tore through the air, interrupting Todoroki and making the two boys' hearts jump into their throats. As they brought their gazes toward the source of the sound, they were presented with a scene that would reappear in their nightmares.

Apparently the Nomu had some regenerative factor at its disposal, one that was interacting with the liquid Grimm in a very...interesting way.

The carcass, which had remained stationary until then, began to move. At first slowly, making low groans, then stronger and stronger, screeching louder and louder, until it began to shake as prey to the most atrocious torments, screeching all the while in tones that had nothing human about them. The black slime that had melted and burned its flesh began to climb the bones, growing and swelling, forming black muscles, tough scales, red veins pulsing rhythmically. The breathing system broke away from the skull as it split in two and filled with sharp fangs, covering itself with white armor and horns, hiding the bones under a black and white cover. The bat-like wings moved again, opening and closing as a bright red semitransparent membrane formed between the fingers; the limbs became more and more solid and strong, to the point that they were again able to support the weight of the new, monstrous body; a new set of bones grew from the backside, stretching and hardening, covering itself with flesh until it became a scaly tail.

The two boys stood watching, petrified with horror, as the Nomu changed physiognomy and became a Grimm like never before seen. The hunched body topped by a pair of huge black and red wings, an armored tail that lashed the air as it regained its strength, a white armor topped by a pair of curved horns where the exposed brain used to be. It had no eyes but, nevertheless, turned exactly toward the two boys, giving a snarl that showed the rows of sharp fangs.

The...Grimm? Nomu? The being reared up on its hind legs, giving the two students a good view of its new form before crouching down again and approaching like a hyena approaches a lion. From the mouth came hisses and whimpers that made the scene even more nightmarish.

Izuku stood watching in a mixture of horror, confusion, and morbid fascination. Shoto lacked that last feeling.

But these were not meant to last, as the beast emitted another sound from its mouth. A sound that left the two boys speechless...and removed any feeling in the greenie that was not deep and utter horror.

"D....Deeek...k....kuuuu......"

Chapter Text

Deku.

'Hey Deku, what were you doing? Were you trying to steal my notebook?'

A name he hoped he would never have to hear again.

'You can't sit here, Deku! Villains have to sit by themselves!'

An insult that had haunted him once he had received his quirk.

'Stupid villain Deku!’

If Izuku hadn't been pale of his own, his face would have turned as white as marble. It was fortunate that Todoroki was supporting him, for he wasn't sure he would have been able to stand otherwise. His classmate, for that matter, wore an expression of horror so intense that he looked almost nauseated.

The Grimm-Nomu crawled closer and closer to the two boys, stirred by the whirlwind of feelings that was gripping them, snarling and hissing like the monster of a horror movie. The red-and-white boy swallowed, "Deku...wasn't that how Bakugo used to call you?"

The greenie did not answer, busy as he was trying to figure out what it all meant.

'N-no way...it can't know that name. Only my old classmates and teachers know what it means. Why did this...this thing call me that? What's going on!’

The monster, meanwhile, kept creeping closer and closer, hissing and gurgling all the while. Its wings slowly opened with each step, making the black figure seem even bigger than it was as its claws scratched the asphalt below. Todoroki tightened his grip around the greenie's arm, alternating his gaze between him and the Grimm: "Midoriya? You have control over that thing, don't you?"

Izuku swallowed, unable to take his eyes off it, "I-I..."

The Grimm growled louder, egged on by his supposed master's whirlwind of emotions, and stood up on his hind legs again, opening his mouth in grotesque imitation of a grin.

"Deee....kuuu...pathetic..."

Todoroki furrowed his brow, confused by what he was hearing. Even so, however, he had the presence of mind to start cooling the right side of his body in case of an attack.

Izuku...was increasingly bewildered and terrified. That new word, "pathetic," did nothing but make everything more absurd and potentially horrifying. It was as if that monster had known him for years, as if he had been one of his classmates, his bullies; and, worst of all, he could not shake a distinct and uneasy feeling of...familiarity. There was something he knew he was forgetting, something that might have made sense of it all, but he couldn't say what.

The monster opened its wings and made a low, guttural, laugh-like sound. A hoarse, grunting laugh, akin to-.

'Are you sure your quirk is not pig-like instead of bat-like? Listen to how you laugh!'

The world froze. Izuku's mind began working at three thousand an hour, putting the pieces together to form a terrible, abominable image, one worthy of the plot of a horror movie. The worst part was how much sense it made. And he didn't want it to make sense. But the facts were right there in front of him.

All he needed was one last confirmation.

With bated breath, without taking his eyes off the abominable figure, he picked up the radio with a trembling hand and brought it next to his mouth, "E-Endeavor?"

A deep croak came out of the little device: "Evernight! Thank goodness, we haven't lost you. What's the situation?"

The boy ignored the question and asked one of his own: "Sir...you wouldn't happen to know w-what exactly the Nomu are?"

"Wha- what kind of question is that? What does it have to do with anything right now?"

"S-sir, please just answer."

There were several, interminable seconds of silence, during which Izuku could not even breathe. Finally, a sigh was heard, "...people. They are people who have had numerous quirks artificially implanted, resulting in a distortion of their physical features. Why?"

Izuku hung up. The monster was still there, turning an eyeless gaze on him. Opening its wings and beating them, as if it were trying to support itself in the air. As if it wanted to flutter around Izuku, laughing at him.

The boy's voice was little more than a whisper, but the tone of pure horror was deafening.

"T...Tsubasa?"

The...Izuku wasn't even sure what to call it anymore, but of one thing he was now certain: those bat wings were the same as his childhood bully's. Who had apparently been turned into a Nomu.

Whom he had then turned into a Grimm.

...

He was about to vomit.

Todoroki felt like a fish out of water. The whole situation was so alien and absurd that he could do nothing but watch events unfold. And try to support Midoriya, who seemed on the verge of collapse.

The quick discussion with Endeavor had shaken Shoto quite a bit ('The nomus are genetically modified people, how sick can some people be?'), but for Midoriya it was even worse, if his reaction was anything to go by.

"T...Tsubasa?"

His green eyes were as big as tea saucers, his whole body was shaking violently, his face took on an unnatural green tint. It was clear that the boy was on the verge of either vomiting or fainting, Todoroki's support the only reason he was still standing; that one word, whispered but shouted at the same time, spoke of some sort of past between the greenie and...whoever the monster in front of him had once been.

The nickname given to the greenie made Todoroki doubt that this past was a pleasant one.

The Grimm-Nomu made that harsh sound again, that parody of a laugh as it approached with uncertain steps, "Dekuuu...pathetic..."

This time the greenie couldn't stop himself: he doubled over and, under the horrified eyes of his classmate, threw up what was left of his lunch. The monster, on the other hand, laughed one more time, approaching at a slow pace and flapping its wings every now and then, rivulets of drool pouring from its jaws and falling to the ground-

Todoroki had to double-check the monster's figure to realize that he hadn't seen wrong. The monster was starting to drool, its breath becoming more and more worked up, like it was getting excited. Like it was sniffing out prey.

The boy looked at his classmate, doubled over with big tears streaming down his cheeks. His brain quickly connected the dots, and his expression became one of utter alarm. Not really knowing what to do really, he put the greenie to the side, placing himself between him and the monster, "Stay there! Don't come any closer!"

This one bared its pointed teeth, growling in a low tone and abandoning any pretense of humanity it might have had. The wings opened in all their grim glory as the body crouched like a beast ready to attack, its tail thrashing to either side. Todoroki began to freeze the right side of his body, creating small ice crystals on his arm and letting out his breath in clouds of steam.

The monster kept growling, scratching the ground with its sharp claws. The student raised his hand, preparing to trap that creature in a glacier at the slightest sign of attack. The two remained in this standoff for several seconds, which stretched until it seemed like an eternity, no one intent on backing down a single step.

From behind him, Midoriya was still teary-eyed and breathless, lost in a black pit of horror and deep sense of wrong. His thoughts were a tangled mass of doubts, fears and uncertainties, held together by a large amount of horror.

'How is this possible? How did they do it? Did he agree to it? Did he know what they were going to do to him? Did they kidnap him? Did they kill him before and this is some kind of zombie? Oh my God, is he now? I mean, I killed him-oh my god, I killed Tsubasa. I killed Tsubasa. I'm a monster, I'm a villain- no, no! Endeavor said they're biological weapons- but they're still human! Or rather, they were-they're not anymore, are they? But that's Tsubasa, he remembers me, he called me Deku, he keeps making fun of me-'

"Dek-kuuu...pathetic."

The monster's distorted voice brought him back to reality. Shoto had stepped between the two and seemed ready for combat, while Tsubasa was stalking him like a hunting dog; growls and hisses came from the monster's mouth, alternating with guttural words.

"Deeeekuu...bad."

Izuku felt something stir within him. Something low, hot, that normally he would have tried to keep at bay but, due to all the stress of the past few hours, he was no longer able to filter out.

Anger.

"Tsubasa...better."

The pulsing sensation spread through his chest, warm and vibrant, pumping adrenaline through his veins. All the doubts and fears of just before disappeared, replaced by a burning anger at this goddamn attitude! I'm bad? I'm not the one who became a Nomu first and a Grimm later! I'm not the one who has been a biological weapon for the Villains!

"Tsubasa...normal."

Izuku's breathing began to become heavy, his gaze hardened as his eyes turned red with black sclera and red veins formed around his temples. His hands closed into tight fists, his lips parted to show teeth gnashed like those of a wild animal.

"Tsubasa...defeats...Deku."

Izuku felt the familiar pulsing under his skin, the Grimm's nature responsive to his anger.

It had been a long afternoon. The crisis had not yet truly returned. He ached almost everywhere. And this...thing had the nerve to mock him.

This was too much.

"Tsubasa...become...hero!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The shout rang out in the dusk air, the voice distorted and vibrating like the crackling of hellfire. Both Todoroki and the monster froze and turned their gazes toward the greenie: all traces of fear had vanished, replaced by an iron expression of fury and weariness, the veins on the temples and hands pulsed rhythmically, the red eyes glowed like two burning embers.

"How on earth dare you address me in this way? I didn't spend the afternoon creating Grimm, fighting Nomu and helping civilians just to be called this by one of my own creations!"

Todoroki took a step back, not daring to stand too close to his classmate who seemed one step away from completely transforming. The monster, for its part, had crouched down and lowered its wings in an attitude similar to that of a beaten dog.

"De...kuu..."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

The new shout made the creature wince, and it closed in on itself even more. Izuku limped closer, never taking off his eyes pervaded by the red glow, his teeth gritted and his hands clenched into fists. Once he was close enough, he grabbed the monster by a horn and pulled him to the side like he was pulling on an unruly child's ear.

"Now open your ears wide and listen: I am the Grimm Hero, Evernight, a student at UA. You must forget that nickname, do you understand? I'm sick of being called 'useless'!"

The monster had lost all desire to fight or dominate the boys in front of him, its boldness crushed and reduced to a reverential awe. From its mouth no longer came snarls but puffed gasps resembling pleas.

"Ev...Eveer...niight..."

Izuku tightened his grip on the horn, but at least he stopped pulling the head to the side, "Good. Now you better listen to me, because I have a job for you: fly around town, call all the scattered Grimms to order and bring them back to me. Make sure they don't hurt people. And don't. Attack. Anyone."

He finally let go, and the Grimm stepped back a step, still keeping his head down in reverence. The greenie's expression remained hard for a few seconds, staring at the cowering, panting monster, then softened with a sigh: "Do what I told you...and I'll give you a new name."

This seemed to shake the monster, which raised its head toward the boy like a dog that heard that food is coming; its posture relaxed, it made a low squeal, and, with a mighty beat of its wings, it rose into the air between the buildings, moving away in the direction of the combat zones.

Izuku stood still where he was, his breath heavy and the throbbing sensation through his veins. His gaze fell toward Todoroki, still stuck with an expression of astonishment on his face.

There was a brief sigh. And the greenie collapsed to the ground.

Shigaraki stood dumbfounded with the tablet in his hand, looking at the screen without actually seeing anything. He was too busy repeating in his mind what he had just seen, on a loop. Trying to process it.

"Young Tomura? What's going on?"

Kurogiri's concerned tone brought him back down to earth, forcing him to acknowledge that everything he saw really happened. Which led him to do the only reasonable thing: he put down the tablet, walked a few meters away, raised his head to the sky, and shouted.

"HOLY CHRIST! HOW IS THIS FAIR!?!? IT IS NOT, THAT'S HOW! HE'S JUST THERE TO MAKE ME ANGRY! HOLY FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK IS HIS KIT? NOW HE CAN EVEN CONVERT MY UNITS? FUCK, WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO AGAINST SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

The butler stood by and watched his boss vent his frustration, putting his hands in his hair with screams of pure venom. The scene lasted less than a minute, after which the Villain completely drained his energy and took the tablet back into his hand. One golden eye enlarged to mimic a raised eyebrow, "I guess something unnerving happened?"

Shigaraki grumbled, "You have no idea. That fucking minion spawner is going to be the death of me, I can feel it."

"Didn't the nomu put him out of business?"

The villain put his hands to his face, sending a mutter of exasperation; before he could respond in any way, however, an inhuman screech rose between the buildings, loud and high-pitched enough to send shivers running down the backs of the two.

Kurogiri turned to look, gaping at the sight before him: a Grimm like none he had ever seen was flying over the city streets, sending terrible screams every other moment. It had large membranous wings, a pointed armored tail, curved horns on its head, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. He could not see the characteristic red eyes, but that only served to make the figure even more terrifying.

"What...what is that thing?"

Shigaraki gave a cross between a disconsolate sigh and an angry snort, "That, 'Giri, is our nomu. Or rather, IT WAS our nomu, before a certain minion spawner made it one of his units."

Oh.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. Holy shit, 'this fucking brat....forget about a regular mob, that's a fucking miniboss! With a gimmick more annoying than truly dangerous, for that matter."

With more grumbling he checked the tablet, "At least we have enough material...we should be able to put together an ad of decent length. The only question now is where and how to post it so it won't be taken down right away-"

"Shigaraki?"

The villain replied with a huff, "What is it now?"

"I think you need to see this."

The man distracted himself from his work and turned his gaze to his butler, then to the city skyline...and his jaw dropped.

The Grimm Nomu was still flying over the city, sending screeches loud enough to echo through the streets and buildings; the cries of civilians had died down to the sound of those demonic screams, leaving the sirens of police and ambulances as the only accompaniment. But this silence did not last long: other shrieks rose from different parts of the city, different from those that had filled the air during the fighting, more...expressive.

Answers a call, people soon realized.

Under the eyes of civilians, heroes, and villains alike, the griffins who, just a moment before, had been fighting the villains' monsters with unparalleled ferocity, grew tame and soared toward the source of those screams. Shigaraki and Kurogiri, from their place atop the roof, could see a flock of monsters gathering that, despite its modest size, instilled in them a terror rarely experienced before.

That turned out to be a problem.

The sudden rush of fear was a beacon for the grimms' sixth sense. The flock turned suddenly toward the two, targeting them like hounds and letting go rasps and puffs that showed their growing aggression. Shigaraki took half a step back, clutching the tablet and turning to the butler without taking his eyes off the monsters.

"'Giri. 'Giri. Take us away. Now, 'Giri."

A portal of black smoke opened behind the two, allowing them to disappear a second before the flock could have a chance to attack. This one was confused when they sensed the spike of fear mysteriously disappear, but the screeches of the new Grimm reminded everyone what the orders were; without further distraction, the group of monsters headed toward their maker, casting long shadows on the streets filled with people.

Endeavor was alarmed.

In truth, it was very difficult not to be after all that had happened. In less than an afternoon, the city of Hosu had turned into the scene of a terrorist attack carried out, in all likelihood, by the same criminal group that had attacked the UA; on top of that, the months of the Hero Killer activity put the city's heroes in shambles and paved the way for a crisis of frightening proportions.

He was not at all looking forward to reading the death toll.

Even so, however, the hero had kept his cool and his head on his shoulders. Twenty years of honored service had honed his alertness, making him able to act quickly and decisively; under his leadership, the Flaming Sidekicks delimited the areas of the attacks and secured as many civilians as possible, aided by intern Evernight's Grimms. After barely an hour, things seemed to start turning for the better....

And it was at that moment, of course, that one of the Nomus swooped down from the sky and grabbed the intern right under the hero's nose.

It is one thing to be thrown into the middle of a crisis without warning, with only a few men, in an unguarded and extremely vulnerable area; but to have a student under your responsibility get kidnapped while only a few meters away from you? Unacceptable. 

"Freezerburn! Go after that flying Nomu and try to knock him down! We cannot allow Evernight to be taken like this!"

Shouto had sprinted off without making too much of an argument, which was unusual given the boy's attitude, but the situation was far from usual. He wished he could have gone with him, in fact, he had even tried to resolve the situation himself, but unfortunately the Nomu he was busy with was much tougher than expected; it was at times like that that he wished he could just say "fuck it" and launch a Hellfire Storm at full power without having to worry about collateral damage. It would have made things so much easier.

Luckily, the two grimms were a godsend against the Nomu: the constant acid splashes had put a strain on the monster's super regeneration, which was why it could not fully heal the burns left by the hero. There was a moment of concern when bony thorns managed to hit the two grimms, killing one immediately and leaving the other on the ground incapacitated, but the Nomu was by then too beaten up to keep being a threat and was eliminated by a point-blank Jet Kindling on the brain.

Endeavor, at this point, was fairly confident that the general situation was back under control, especially since the general screaming had subsided and no more columns of smoke were rising; a call to his sidekicks confirmed this, which left him free to go after his intern, not before putting the wounded dromeodon out of its misery.

The trail of ice left by Shoto provided a good indication of where to go. The hero sprinted through the streets aided by his flames, gliding over the ice both to avoid having to worry about injuring civilians with his fire and to have some extra speed. He was in fact sprinting this way along the roads when the radio on his belt turned on:

"E-Endeavor?"

The hero let go a breath he did not know he was holding, putting his hand to the little radio and replying, "Evernight! Thank goodness, we haven't lost you. What's the situation?"

Instead of the answer he expected, he received another question, "Sir...you wouldn't happen to know w-what exactly the Nomus are?"

"Wha- what kind of question is that? What does it have to do with anything right now?"

The boy's tone became even more shaky: "S-sir, please just answer."

The hero wrinkled his brow. It was all too clear that something must have happened, something terrible that deeply shook the student; for a second, he entertained the idea of saying nothing, of ordering the boy to stay where he was and wait for his arrival...but he couldn't. He could not keep quiet in that situation, where any shred of information, no matter how seemingly inconsistent, could be decisive.

"...people. These are people who have had numerous quirks artificially implanted, resulting in a distortion of their physical features. Why?"

The boy, in response, hung up on him. And that was the moment when Endeavor threw whatever composure he had left to the wind, activating his quirk under his feet and behind his back with enough force to launch him over the roof of a building. In this manner he traveled the rest of the way, using jets of flame to propel himself from building to building and thus saving several precious minutes.

Following the trail of ice, he soon came in sight of two figures huddled in the middle of a (thankfully) deserted street, one appearing to be in the midst of a panic attack and the other trying to help him. With a leap he plummeted into the street and stood beside the two students, "Shoto! Midoriya!"

His son gave him a look that clearly showed just how out of his element he was: "Endeavor! Midoriya’s not responding!"

The hero gritted his teeth and approached the two boys. The weight he had taken off when he saw the interns alive returned once he noticed the state Midoriya was in: several deep cuts and puncture holes over most of his body, probably one step away from fainting from lack of blood, signs of extensive quirk overuse, and in a clear state of shock. First aid would not have been enough.

Throwing down an expletive he turned to the other student, "Shoto, I need whatever you have with you to do first aid. And while you're at it, let the rest of the sidekicks know our location and Midoriya's condition-the boy needs an ambulance."

To his credit, the boy had a good deal of cold blood and a good head on his shoulders. In less than a minute, Endeavor found itself with several rolls of aseptic bandages, some gauze and band-aids, not enough to stabilize the boy's condition but enough to slow the bleeding until help arrived. As reinforcements were alerted, the hero began treating the student's worst wounds, not saying a word the whole time. In the silence of the street, which contrasted sharply with the chaos of the rest of the city where police and ambulance sirens filled the air, the boy's constant muttering didn't go unheard.

"What did I do, what did I do, he was Tsubasa, he was a person, I made him a monster, I killed him and resurrected him, what did I do..."

Endeavor wrinkled his brow, not quite knowing what to do. For all his merits, he was not great at comforting victims of disasters or neurotic episodes, a task he normally left to his sidekicks; at that moment, the normally skilled, precise and competent hero felt clumsy and inept. Even so, however, he tried to distract the boy from those thoughts, "Don't move too much. If you can, keep pressure on the gauze, at least until help arrives."

It was only at that moment that Midoriya seemed to realize the hero's presence, looking at him with dazed eyes, "E...Endeavor?"

The man stood up, "Stay there, boy, and hold on. Help should be here any minute."

The kid obeyed, though still a little out of it. In a slurred voice he replied, "T...the nomus?"

Endeavor had to suppress an expletive, approaching the student and shaking him by the shoulder, "No, no, don't fall asleep. And don't worry about the attack, the situation is under control."

This brought a smile to the boy's face, "Thank good-"

SHKREEEEEE!

The screech made the hero spring to his feet and removed all traces of drowsiness from Midoriya's face. The trio's gazes shifted upward, giving them a vision straight out of a depiction of the apocalypse.

A flock of a dozen Grimms descended on the road like a legion of demons, headed by a being that Endeavor didn't remember seeing Midoriya make; this one, shorter than the Griffins but with large wings, sharp teeth, and curved horns, led the flock toward the student, snarling and screeching whenever one of the monsters strayed too far, acting much like a sheepdog. The hero furrowed his brow, alternating his gaze to the pack, to Midoriya, to Shoto, and then back to the pack; when he spoke, his voice was low and guarded: "What happened here?"

His son, who had brought himself next to the greenie and was helping him sit up and awake, answered, "Midoriya managed to free himself from the Nomu by covering it with that black liquid...which is, apparently, pure destruction, killing and corroding any living substance that comes in contact with it...he managed to free himself, but in doing so he turned the flying Nomu into...that."

The man widened his eyes, looking at the monster before him under a new, terrifying light. Suddenly the questions the boy asked made sense, and he wasn't sure he liked the picture that was being painted. The former nomu, meanwhile, was continuing to hold off the pack of grimms, who were still reeling from all the residual negativity in the city and in front of them. A particularly bold griffon pointed at Shoto with a raucous huff, opening its wings and folding its paws as if it were about to snap: before he or Endeavor could do anything, however, a clawed hand struck the grimm above its head and a high-pitched screech caused it to step back until it was back in its place.

The hero stood watching the scene with his eyes wide, starting very slowly to let his guard down. All his attention was focused on the former nomu, who had become a grimm serving Midoriya and capable of not only commanding but, more importantly, keeping the other grimms in check. His earlier thoughts, of suspicion, revulsion, and almost existential horror, were replaced by more pragmatic intentions, plans and theories that could be summed up in a single question:

'Does this process work with other nomus as well?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an ambulance turning the corner and stopping just ahead of the pack of grimms, which was held at bay by the former nomu. Out of it came paramedics and a worried-looking Burnin', "Sir! Is everyone okay?"

Endeavor redirected all attention to Midoriya: "The boy is seriously injured and has lost far too much blood. He needs to be rushed to the hospital."

The greenie was loaded onto a stretcher in no time, with doctors around trying their best to stabilize his situation. Just before he was loaded into the ambulance, however, he managed to wave his hand, inviting the grimm to come closer.

The latter obeyed without a sound, literally gliding to his side and startling the medical staff in no small part; they were immediately reassured by Shoto and Endeavor (who, while he was at it, ordered Burnin' to keep an eye on the rest of the grimms in case they did anything weird), assuring them that the monster was no danger. The men stood by as the boy whispered something to the grimm, which in response swelled and sent out a few low, raucous trills; a moment later the boy lost consciousness, forcing the doctors to fight their fears and ignore the monster to load the boy into the ambulance.

The vehicle left shortly after, leaving behind the two heroes, the student and the still restless pack of Grimms. Todoroki approached their leader, asking in the loudest, firmest tone possible, "What did he say to you?"

Endeavor and Burnin' exchanged a confused look, not understanding what the student wanted to do; confusion gave way to amazement when they heard hoarse, articulate, and, above all, comprehensible sounds coming from Grimm's mouth.

"Gaaaa...rgoyle! Me...Gargoyle!" 

The two heroes stood frozen at the scene, exchanging incredulous and bewildered glances. Todoroki, for his part, nodded as if he had witnessed the most normal scene in the world, "Oh, right. Midoriya said he was going to give him a new name."

Endeavor turned toward the boy, trying to keep his expression composed despite the fact that he could feel his sanity starting to erode. In a neutral tone he said, "Shoto? We need a more detailed explanation than the one you gave me earlier."

The boy, in response, replied with a deadpan expression, "How about taking me to the hospital first? I think I need a checkup."

"... Are you hurt anywhere?"

"After an experience like this, I'd rather have one more checkup than one less."

Well, can't really fault him.

Chapter Text

Sitting in her office, looking out the large window and at the city below, Salem finished drinking her coffee. Behind her, stacked on the desk, were the monthly reports on the company's performance across all its branches; she had just finished reading them, which had helped regain her good spirits after a day of traffic jams, unnerving calls and a broken fax machine.

The situation was, all in all, growing steadily. Overseas things were going as well as usual, albeit with a slight decline in the weapon line in Oceania that was, however, largely balanced by American sales. In Japan things were more eventful: thanks to support from the UA and the Yaoyorozu Group, several heroic agencies had begun sending out bids for support items. At first these had been small agencies, without long-standing partnerships with domestic companies and therefore more open to the idea of trying foreign products; after a while word about their quality had spread and the support branch of Remnant Industries managed to gain a foothold and establish itself on the Japanese heroic scene.

Of course, there was no shortage of criticism from some of the more conservative factions who complained, above all, about the "overly menacing appearance" and "inherently militaristic nature" of their products. But the witch did not care too much for these opinions, not when their profit margins were increasing by the day.

Her...little personal project was also making progress. Now, as much as she loathed the Yaoyorozu couple and especially their treatment of their daughter (Salem caught herself wishing fervently that she had been appointed her godmother, if only to have the right to get her out of that house and handle the situation more directly), it was also true that she needed the Yaoyorozu Group for a while longer: their reputation and contacts were too valuable to justify bringing everything down immediately. However, thanks in part to the work of her external relations department, some of these contacts had decided to establish full-time partnerships with Remnant Industries, making her less dependent on the Yaoyorozu. She still needed them, but this was a sign that it was possible to disengage from them; and, once her position was secure enough, she could take immense pleasure in taking everything from them, piece by piece.

Here the good news ended. For Danjuro's reports were giving her a bad sense of déjà vu.

Feel Good inc. is one of the leading telecommunications companies in Japan, the largest that is not a multinational corporation. Whether it was television programs, radio talk shows, or corporate e-mail, the vast majority of the country's communications went through them; at the same time, they also offered specialized packages to help growing companies establish themselves in the market, such as time-limited Internet access, landline and mobile telephony, things like that.

Now, up to that point Remnant Industries had been taking advantage of one of these offerings, a monthly subscription to the internet and mobile phone network for all company computers and phones, but the increase in production rounds and the rapid rise of the brand in Japan had prompted Salem to seek to arrange a new tailored offering, something that would grant her a little more freedom from this company. In addition, the possibility of earning a sponsor would have helped her be more appealing to both the heroic and civilian markets.

However, the situation ticked her off. At first glance, the result of the conversation between Salem's representative and CEO Chikazoku Tomoyasu had turned out to be a success: instead of the old standardized package, the company had drafted a customized offer for an annual fee, making communications between the various factories and stores much smoother. But in the delivered report, Danjuro had pointed out how some of the manager's mannerisms and general bearing had put him on edge; he also reported hearing the man talking on the phone about a server problem on the Detnerat site, using a particularly conversational tone. Like he was on intimate terms with that company.

Salem was starting to find that name annoying. No matter where she went, she would somehow end up stumbling upon them. And the worst part was that she could begin to see a pattern: first a publishing group, now a telecommunications agency...what's next, a political party?

The witch shook her head as soon as she had that thought, an amused snort on her lips.

'I'm getting carried away with excitement. But I can't deny that it would be fun to come across such a conspiracy, if only for the irony of it all. And, depending on their intent, it would be quite the pastime to demolish them.'

With a sigh she moved the stack of papers to a corner of her desk and opened her business laptop, logging into her account and starting to check the various mailing lists. Now that the company's position was a little more secure, she had to try to set down solid roots in Japanese heroism, solid enough that she would no longer have to worry about competition, solid enough that she would be able to get the new branch to foreign markets as well, perhaps setting aside enough money and contacts to attack the Yaoyoro-

Ring!

A faint sigh followed the ringing of her personal phone. Still typing on the computer, she took her cell phone out of her bag and answered the call without ever taking her eyes off the screen, "Hello?"

"Good morning, am I speaking with Midoriya Izuku's quirk counselor?"

Of all the things she expected to hear that one was not on the list, and the fact that she did not recognize that voice made her even more confused. With a furrowed brow she glanced at the screen, noticing that the number was not saved in her contacts.

Three red flags at once, a new record.

"Excuse me, who am I talking to? And how did you get my personal number?"

The tone of voice did not lose its professional edge, something Salem would have appreciated had the situation been different: "You're right, forgive me. This is Endeavor, the Flaming Hero, and I'm calling about some...events concerning the boy."

Salem closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled slowly through her nose once, twice, thrice...and the initial irritation passed. But the exasperation still lingered there.

'Izuku, I love you, but what the fuck. Can you go one month, one, without something happening?'

"What happened this time?"

On the other end of the line she could hear the hero clear his throat in what she judged to be an attempt to state what happened in a coherent manner, "Did you happen to watch the news recently?"

A stone settled on the woman's diaphragm: "No, but I have the computer on, give me a minute. I hope, however, that you realize how all this..."

The sentence died in her throat when she typed "breaking news" into the search engine, flooding the first page with images of fire, destruction and casualties. The headlines were always reporting the same news:

'Massive Villain Attack in Hosu! Heroes caught off guard!'

'Villain attacks in Hosu bring city to its knees'

'Terrorist attack in Hosu. Police chief: 'Never seen anything like this''

Salem said nothing for several seconds, reading the headlines and short passages of the articles with her eyebrows furrowing higher and higher. She was brought back to reality when she heard the hero's voice on the phone, "Ma'am?"

The woman gritted her teeth and replied in a dry tone, "What the hell happened to Izuku?"

Endeavor took a breath: "The interns and I were in Hosu at the time of the attack, and in the midst of operations, the boy was...captured by one of the Nomu, the biological weapons employed by the villains."

The stone on Salem's diaphragm quickly became a boulder: "...what?"

"He's all right now, it didn't manage to get far. Forgive me for the long preamble, but it was necessary to give context."

Salem furrowed her brow, shaking her head with a snarl: "Get to the point!"

There was a sigh, "Ma'am, try to stay calm, I'm getting there. What happened is that, out of necessity, the boy had to destroy the Nomu by covering it with that black liquid from which he creates Grimm..."

The woman took a long, deep breath, rubbing between her eyes with two fingers. That was the first rule she had given him as a child, a rule she had drilled into him over and over again until it was burned into his brain...and he did-no, he had been forced to break it. She still didn't quite know what these Nomu were, she wasn't even sure she wanted to know (a blatant lie, she wanted to know plenty), but they had to be pretty dangerous to cause such a crisis. And to force Izuku to, at the end of the day, fight to kill.

There was no sugarcoating it, that's what it was. Which, knowing the boy, must have devastated him.

Salem muttered, "I see...yes, I guess Izuku is not doing okay. However, while I appreciate you calling me, don't you think you should notify his mother instead of me?"

The hero replied after half a second of silence, "Ma'am, I wasn't finished. As much as we agree that the boy has been psychologically affected, and that it is something that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, that is not why I called you."

The witch felt the last remnants of her good mood go up in smoke. As much as she could feel it would earn her headaches, she replied, "Which then would be...?"

Endeavor this time spent half a second coming up with the appropriate words, speaking slowly and cautiously, "Well...you see, the Grimm liquid has not completely destroyed the Nomu, so much as...transformed it is the only term I find correct. The result is a... unique grimm. At least I think so."

...

Salem froze like she was looking Medusa in the eye.

"WHAT."

The hero replied, "You heard correctly, ma'am. The grimm right now is in our custody, I must ask you if it is possible to arrange a time for-"

"Where are you?"

There was a half-second silence, probably long enough for Endeavor to recover from his surprise before answering, "At Hosu General Hospital. The grimm is -"

Salem immediately closed the computer and stood up abruptly, heading full speed toward the car, "I'm on my way." And with that she closed the call without even waiting for an answer.

As the elevator took her to the parking lot where her personal car was, her thoughts raced ten thousand miles per hour: 'He's okay, he says, he's not in any danger...If he was, he wouldn't be in the hospital! And that grimm...no, it can't be that. The Hound is the most complicated grimm to create and needs a silver-eyed warrior as a base, it can't be that. But even if it wasn't precisely that one, the similarity far outweighs what I'm comfortable with. Blessed brothers, what a mess'

The doors opened and the witch immediately headed for the car, climbing into it and setting off at full speed toward the city of Hosu; all the radio stations were passing on the news of the attack, some accusing the heroes of ineptitude, some pointing the finger at the Hero Killer for weakening the city so much (and Salem would have words with him about it), and some calling for justice against the...League of Villains. Them again.

The witch gave a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel so hard she almost broke it. The only thing that could match her worry at that moment was her irritation.

Endeavor pushed the phone away from his ear with a furrowed brow. Beside him, Burnin' shot him a look, "Sir? Is something wrong?"

The man shook his head with a sigh, "No, it's nothing. Midoriya's quirk counselor, on another matter, will be here shortly. How are the boys?"

The sidekick sighed, "Shouto is fine, all things considered. He didn't suffer overly serious injuries, just some signs of quirk overuse due to the ice, but they passed quickly. The same cannot be said of Midoriya: cuts all over his body, some of them worryingly deep, patches of skin torn away, bruises just about everywhere, a couple of fractures in his hip, probably from tumbling when he fell in the street, and a lot of blood loss. Even with the doctors' regenerative quirks, he won't be out until tomorrow."

The two were outside the hospital room where Midoriya and Todoroki were resting; or at least, where Midoriya was resting, and Todoroki was keeping him company. The greenie had been rushed to the pro heroes’ ward of Hosu Hospital, where they had had to stitch up a remarkably bad wound, fix his fractured hip bone, and give him a transfusion to replace all the blood he lost. Despite his situation, however, the fact that he had managed to be treated immediately was impressive, since the attack had clogged the hospital with casualties.

The hero nodded, "I see. The other sidekicks?"

"Kido is giving his report to the police, Blue Hare and Onima are helping with the victims' transports. The good news is that the structural damage was minimal, so we won't need to pay compensation."

Endeavor replied in a dry tone, "But that means the villains were targeting civilians. This was a full-blown terrorist attack, one that succeeded in its purpose: Eighty-five deaths and three hundred twenty-one injured are too many to consider tonight a victory."

Burnin' gritted her teeth, "The media will eat us alive. And the worst part is that this outcome is the best we could have hoped for: few heroes available, in the middle of rush hour, in distant parts of the city, the attack was well planned. If not for Midoriya's quirk, the death toll would be much higher."

The hero nodded gravely, hardening his gaze, "The League of Villains has proven to be a threat we can no longer afford to ignore. I will make a formal request to the Commission to have this group registered as a villain organization of A or, hopefully, S rank. In the meantime, I want the agency's investigative efforts redirected toward capturing these new criminals."

The woman nodded, "Yes, sir."

Their discussion was interrupted when the door behind them opened, showing Todoroki wearing his costume and a deadpan expression, "Midoriya is waking up."

The two heroes nodded. As Burnin' went off to call a nurse for the boy, Endeavor entered the room: the intern was lying on the bed, dressed in a hospital gown and bandages in several places on his body. His costume, or at least the pieces that had not been torn, had been placed in a bag at the side of the bed; his personal belongings, so his phone, wallet and little else, were on the bedside table. The boy muttered something to himself, blinking a few times to bring his surroundings into focus.

"En...deavor? Todoroki?"

He tried to raise himself up on his elbows, but the other two immediately stopped him.

"Midoriya, hold still, you just underwent surgery."

"Stay there boy, don't reopen the wounds."

Izuku, though he went back to lying down, brought a hand to his head, "Ugh...what are you doing here? Shouldn't you..."

The way his eyes widened as he remembered everything that happened that night had something impressive and deeply wrong about it: "The city! The nomu! The grimm!"

Todoroki and Endeavor had to hold him from his shoulders to keep him from jumping up and reopening some wounds. His classmate replied, "Midoriya, calm down. It's all over."

The hero nodded, "The villains have all been neutralized, the emergency is over."

Even as the greenie returned to lie on the bed, his expression did not relax, "S-sir...my grimms...?"

It was all too clear what he wanted to ask. Endeavor heaved a sigh, "They are in custody. The Griffons are a bit restless, but the Gargoyle is keeping them in line. Unfortunately, even with that, we were forced to terminate two that were in danger of going berserk."

Izuku breathed a microscopic sigh of relief, but instead of relaxing his expression fell into a...different kind of stressed. Less tense, but much deeper. Todoroki and Endeavor exchanged a glance, then the hero resumed, "I...called your quirk counselor. She's on her way here right now to analyze what happened."

The greenie, in response, brought his hands to his face with a mumbling, "I'm dead...Auntie's gonna kill me..."

Todoroki furrowed his brow, "Midoriya, you had no other options. What could you have known that things would turn out that way? In fact, I feel like you did well to-"

The boy's reaction was immediate and very worrying: "No! I didn't do right at all! W-What I did is repulsive!"

"Midoriya, what are you saying? That nomu was attacking civilians, probably wounded dozens of them or even killed someone, but when you took control of it your first order was to keep the Grimm in check and prevent them from attacking others. Does that seem repulsive to you? What else should you have done?"

The greenie's breath began to become erratic: "I-I don't know! Something else, a-anything else! Even letting him take me away would have been better t-than that!"

The expressions on the faces of the two Todorokis fully conveyed their confusion and concern: "Midoriya...I know this is probably a stupid question, but... are you alright?"

The boy gave a bitter laugh, "You're right, that's a pretty stupid question. Do I look like I'm alright? I killed a nomu...and turned him into a Grimm. I-in the closest thing there is to...a, a-a demon. I t-took a person and m-made him a monster, killed him, he suffered so much-"

"Midoriya."

Endeavor's voice was firm and dry, like a judge's gavel calling the courtroom to order. Izuku's voice died in his throat, but his eyes still filled with tears when he looked up and met the hero's stern expression, "What you did was the best course of action you could have taken."

"S-sir, I don't-"

The hero continued, "The situation we found ourselves in was lost from the start. Fighting to capture, in this context, was not only not possible but not even the wisest move, especially since the villains were all Nomu. Those beings...are no longer alive, not in a way that mattered. Any shred of consciousness they might have possessed was destroyed by whatever process the League of Villains used to make them those monsters; counting our numerical inferiority, their destruction is a completely understandable reaction. As I told you at the station, they are nothing more than biological weapons and should be considered as such."

The hero hoped he could hearten the boy a little with his words, giving him a justification for what, in any other context, would have been murder; but Izuku reacted by clutching the blankets so tightly that his knuckles whitened.

"B-but...they were still people...and...T-Tsubasa can talk and r-remember...w-when he was alive..."

Endeavor wrinkled his forehead, "Tsubasa?"

The greenie brought his hands in front of his face again, probably not to show his distraught expression and tears; Shouto's eyes widened as he began to connect the dots, "Wait...that grimm had called you Deku, right? And before now, only Bakugo had called you that."

When Izuku began to mumble, the two Todoroki gave each other a confused, wary look; although they were muffled, the greenie's words were still comprehensible: "T-that...is another way r-reading the characters of my name.... B-Bakugo used to c-call me that when we were little and he still c-couldn't read well...t-then he kept going, the other children started as well...and w-when my quirk activated f-for the first time, the nickname stuck."

Shouto wrinkled his forehead with the feeling of discomfort at the base of his stomach starting to become a chasm: "Wait...you mean that the nomu-"

Izuku curled into himself, ignoring how the stitches began to pull and the bandages rubbed against his wounds, "What have I done...what have I done..."

Endeavor gave a faint sigh, looking at the boy on the bed with a mournful expression and his arms crossed in thought; Shouto's expression, on the other hand, was completely open in horror. The boy stretched out a hand toward his friend, searching within himself for something to say, anything to lift his spirits...but nothing came out. And the opportunity vanished when Burnin' returned with the nurse in tow, who had the boy rearranged on the bed and began routine tests.

The two heroes left the room to let the doctor do his duty; once they were back in the hallway, Endeavor wrinkled his brow, "You said he won't be discharged until tomorrow?"

Burnin' nodded, "That's what the nurses said. Why?"

The man rubbed his chin, "I was... pondering. The internships end the day after tomorrow, so they will still have a day of activities to do. I was considering whether it wouldn't be better to keep Midoriya in the agency tomorrow and have him do physical training and paperwork."

The sidekick wrinkled her brow, "Huh? What happened?"

"Apparently, the nomu he turned was...an acquaintance of his. Specifically, a classmate from elementary school...or a bully, come to think of it. The discovery led him to a psychological breakdown."

As he recounted what he had learned, the hero maintained a neutral tone, as if he were making a report; it was only when he cast his gaze toward Burnin' and saw the horrified expression on her face that he realized how sick that sentence was.

"O...oh. I-I see."

The man crossed his arms and took a deep breath, "I will probably have to draw up reports and have interviews with the committee about what happened and so I will not be able to be there for their activities. Keep Midoriya in the agency, have him do light training and paperwork to distract him; as for Shoto, send him to accompany the other sidekicks on patrols, at least he can have a little more experience-"

"Sir."

Burnin''s voice quite abruptly interrupted her boss's speech. The man glanced at her with a raised brow, watching her in silence for an eternal second before replying, "Yes?"

When she spoke, the sidekick's tone of voice was serious in a way never heard before: "With all due respect, I don't find this program feasible."

The hero's expression hardened. Flames surged for a second as he turned fully toward the woman like a drill sergeant before a recruit: "Would you mind telling me the reasons?"

The woman did not back down an inch: "Sir, a person with a broken leg and a victim of such deep psychological trauma are not the same thing. Honestly, I'm not sure Nedzu won't have him called right back to UA, assuming his mother doesn't handle it first."

Endeavor hardened his gaze, "He can still learn a lot from us."

Burnin' replied curtly, "With all due respect, not in this state. And, even on the chance that both Nedzu and his parents agree to leave him with us until the day after tomorrow, having him do activities at the same pace as the previous days would probably be detrimental, especially if we have him do them alone."

The man crossed his arms with a hum as he considered his sidekick's words; he finally nodded slowly, "I guess there is merit in those words...as inconsiderate as I find them. Tsk, very well, we will wait for the reaction of the school and his family before deciding."

The other seemed to relax, breathing an imperceptible sigh of relief, "Yes, sir."

The two heroes, at that point, turned their conversation toward the League of Villains, the Nomu and the Hero Killer. Without knowing that someone far scarier and in a much worse mood was coming to the hospital.

Approximately an hour passed, during which time the nurse came out of the room and gave his report of the situation: the wounds Midoriya had sustained were healing, although some had needed stitches, and the fractures in his hip bone had been fixed by the head doctor's quirk. He would still have needed an overnight rest at the hospital and some antibiotics to ward off the risk of infection, but otherwise he would have been fine. Shouto, in theory, would have been free to go by now but had wanted to stay and keep the greenie company. This did not seem to cheer Endeavor too much, but more than anything it made him ponder Burnin''s words.

The situation at the hospital was slowly starting to stabilize, especially once Onima and Blue Hare were back with the news that the last of the wounded had also been settled and that medical personnel from Mr.Blue Sky and Manual's agencies were being employed in the hospital. It was about that time that a nurse approached Endeavor, who was busy getting coffee from the machine, and called his attention.

"Um, sir? There's a woman in the lobby demanding to speak to you, she mentioned a call..."

The hero raised both eyebrows, "Oh, she must be Midoriya's quirk counselor. She made it relatively quickly."

With that he walked off down the hall toward the lobby, drinking his coffee all in one gulp and charring the paper cup in his grip. In the process he went over the rundown of things to do: talk to the quirk counselor, show her the Gargoyle, get her first opinion and her opinion on what to do. Simple, painless, a routine task.

Once he arrived at the hall, however, his expectations were shattered: instead of a nondescriptive woman, at best with mutations that might make her stand out in a crowd like antennae or abnormally colored skin, waiting for him was a figure that looked like something out of some shounen manga. Her skin and hair were as white as snow, disrupted only by red veins on her hands and temples and black jewels that held her chignon in place; she was wearing a black and silver dress with red patterns that looked like an extension of the veins; but the most striking part were her eyes, ruby-red with black sclera, that were staring at him like they wanted to disintegrate him on the spot.

The woman approached with a quick step, her hands clenched into fists and her mouth distorted into a scowl. Endeavor caught himself shrinking before her gaze, but he quickly composed himself. Even so, he could not shake the feeling that he had seen that woman somewhere before.

"Endeavor. I'd like to say it's a pleasure, but I'm not in the mood to lie."

Oh. Now he remembered where he had heard that voice before.

"Ma'am, aren't you the CEO of a car company? The one that started making support items?"

The woman's frown worsened, and her look became even more intense: "That's irrelevant right now. I'd rather focus on the problems at hand."

The man furrowed his brow but found nothing to rebut with; then, he put his hands together behind his back, "Right. The grimm is in the truck-"

"Stop."

It was only a word, but the way it escaped from the woman's lips paralyzed the hero on the spot. At that moment Endeavor wondered if there was some persuasion or intimidation quirk at work, for the atmosphere around the woman was one he had felt only a handful of times in his life and only with the worst criminals he had ever faced. The feeling faded as she rubbed between her eyes, "The grimm can wait. The priority right now is Izuku's safety."

Endeavor wrinkled his brow, "Madam, the boy is-"

The moment that came next was very instructive for Endeavor. In a matter of seconds he learned that the woman had a volatile temperament, that her presence alone would be enough to subdue most of the weaker-willed villains, and, most importantly, he learned from whom Midoriya had gotten the dirty look he gave him at the sports festival, complete with glowing red eyes.

"Mr. Endeavor, I must warn you that I am this close to ignoring you and going after the boy on my own, and any new attempt to stop me will be met with plenty of resistance. I will only ask you once more: where's. My. Nephew?"

And suddenly it all made sense.

"...I understand. Please follow me." And with that the hero set off down the corridor from which he had come with an already more composed Salem in tow. Unaware, or perhaps willfully ignoring, the looks the rest of the hall were giving them.

The two walked down the hallway without saying a single word, attracting the intimidated stares of the medical staff and patients who happened to cross their paths. The murmuring of the doctors, the squeaking of hospital beds and the moans of the wounded made for white noise that helped the woman's anger dissipate, but also made her realize the true toll of the attack. She was not as horrified as some would be inclined to imagine (she had seen and done far worse in her day), but she could not help but be equally intrigued and supremely irked at the whole situation.

Salem's thoughts were interrupted when they heard a couple of voices coming from the end of the hallway in a very...animated conversation, for lack of better terms.

"Miss, I really don't understand what all the fuss is about, woof. The whole thing will take five minutes at most."

"You of all people should know that I can't let you in without the boys' legal guardians being there. You have to wait a few minutes."

"I just need to talk to them! It's one of the duties of my position, you understand!"

The two adults quickened their pace, soon finding themselves in front of the boys' room door where Burnin' was arguing with a dog-headed man. What struck Salem most was his uniform, that of a high-ranking police officer.

The hero approached at a brisk pace with Salem in tow, raising his voice once he was within earshot: "What's going on here?"

Burnin' turned to his boss with her shoulders relaxing if imperceptibly; the dog-headed man, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows, "Oh, Endeavor. Your sidekick and I were just having an...argument, woof."

She replied with a snort, doing nothing to change the glare she had on the man. Endeavor raised an eyebrow, "You are?"

The other bowed, "Tsuragamae Kenji, chief of the police force of the Hosu Province. I'm here to hear the two interns' version of what happened, woof. And, while I'm at it, to talk about what will happen."

Salem furrowed her brow and clasped her hands in front of her, not too convinced by the man's tone. Endeavor, for his part, remained professionally impassive: "Hmm, I see. I must warn you, however, that one of the boys has suffered particularly from the events of this evening and is not in the best psychological condition. His reports may not be...accurate."

The man nodded, "I understand, woof. I will try to be...tactful." Once he lowered his gaze, he realized he was in the presence of another person: "Oh! Sorry, I didn't notice you. Are you one of the children's legal guardians?"

Salem put her hands together in front of her, holding her head high and putting on her professional courtesy, "I guess you could say that. Hexe Salem, I am here as Midoriya's aunt and quirk counselor."

Tsuragamae bowed again, "Very pleased. I am terribly sorry about what happened, this must be quite a shock for you..."

The woman hardened her features, replying in a sharp tone, "As much as I appreciate the spirit, it is not me you have to worry about."

Was it unfair to be so dry with a man who was having probably the worst night of his life? Yes, probably. Was she in the mood to feel the empathy necessary to care? No, definitely not.

The man quickly took the hint and looked away with a cough (or was it a bark? Hard to tell), turning to Burnin', "Miss, are we allowed in now?"

The sidekick snorted through her nose, but this time she agreed to open the door and let the men into the room. 

Shouto was...if he had to be completely honest, he wouldn't have been sure what to even think about that evening. So many things had happened, one after another, that he had barely had time to process them.

Obviously, something, the most important moments, were seared into his mind: the moment of the attack, Izuku being kidnapped, the Grimm-Nomu being first created and then subdued by a particularly enraged greenie, the hint about the past between the two of them. Those were moments he would never forget, even if a hundred years were to pass.

Everything else, on the other hand, was...a blur, at best. He remembered the heat, the screams, the cold of his quirk, the Grimm's breath beside him, the heart pounding in his ears. But nothing definite. And, at some point, he had found himself in the hospital, getting a cautionary checkup while Midoriya was being treated urgently because of blood loss and all the injuries. He was pretty sure he had heard something about the "head doctor's quirk" somewhere, but he hadn't listened.

He lowered his gaze to his juice box. The situation was calming down; the noises of the hospital were becoming gradually less chaotic; and, at last, the gravity of what had happened was finally beginning to settle in.

They got caught up in another villain attack. Again, they had been forced to fight for their lives. But this time, unlike USJ, there was no All Might or teachers to save the day; no one came riding in on a white horse (or a black crow) to bring reinforcements; the villains were not low-level workforce that even a student like him could easily neutralize.

There had been panic. People had died. Many people had died.

Izuku had almost been one of them.

...

It was a good thing he was already sitting down, or he would have ended up falling to the floor. The grip around the cardboard tightened marginally as the boy digested the evening he had spent. His first encounter with the reality of hero work.

His gaze fell on the bed next to his: Midoriya was lying with his gaze turned toward the ceiling and his expression... dull. His eyes had no light, no focus on anything, showing a sadness so deep that it was in danger of infecting him. It reminded him, in a way, of his mother's in his childhood memories. He didn't like it.

"Midoriya-"

Whatever he was about to say (and he wasn't sure he knew what he was supposed to say) he was interrupted when the door opened, letting in Endeavor and Burnin' along with a man in a police uniform and a woman in a dark dress with a grave expression that Todoroki was sure he had seen somewhere before.

He remembered who it was when he heard Izuku murmur, "Auntie?"

The woman's whole mannerism changed the second she saw the greenie and heard her voice. The hardness in her gaze and posture vanished, her body relaxed, and her voice became terse as she ran up to the boy and held him close, "Izuku! Oh, blessed brothers..."

The boy clutched the woman like he was afraid of losing her, sinking his face into her shoulder and sobbing softly; the woman gave a low sigh, running her fingers through his hair and murmuring, "What am I to do with you, my boy..."

Todoroki furrowed his brow, watching the scene before him with something twisting in his soul that he wouldn't know how to name. The rest of the adults in the room remained silent, either to give the two of them a moment or because they felt they were intruding into that picture. Salem spent a few more seconds that way before deciding she needed answers, and patted the boy's shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

The greenie took a shuddering breath and murmured, "Honestly...like shit."

The woman pulled away completely, letting the boy sit back down but holding a hand on his back, "I can imagine. Endeavor called me just an hour ago, telling me that you, and your friend I see, were involved in the attack."

Todoroki failed to hide his surprise when the woman mentioned him with a nod, which he reciprocated as soon as he recovered. The moment was interrupted when the dog-headed man cleared his throat, reminding the trio that they were not alone in the room.

Midoriya seemed to realize the other adults at that moment, changing his expression to a more wary one, "O-oh, sorry, I didn't notice you."

The man replied, "Don't worry, I'm not offended. So, you two are the two interns from Endeavor's agency, right? The ones who got caught up in this whole mess, woof."

The two students nodded. Todoroki furrowed his brow, looking at the man warily, "And you are...?"

"Tsuragamae Kenji, chief of the Hosu district police force. I am here to ask you some questions about what happened tonight."

As soon as he heard "police force," Izuku's whole body stiffened to the point that Salem had to stroke his back in circles to keep the boy calm. The police chief exchanged a glance with Endeavor and Burnin', after which he sat down on a stool in front of the two beds and took a deep breath: "Guys, I understand that this experience has been very...tough, especially for two young boys like you, woof. What happened is a big misfortune in which no one should have had any part, you least of all. If you feel uncomfortable at any point in the questioning, you can tell us and we will move on to the next question. You don't have to answer, woof, especially since there is no shortage of witnesses."

For some reason, this did not seem to appease Midoriya, who, however, nodded anyway. Once Todoroki also signaled his understanding, Tsuragame took a pen and notepad from his uniform pocket, "Very well. So, let's start with the simple things: where were you when the attack started?"

Todoroki glanced at his classmate; when he saw how tense he was, he answered for both of them, "We were together with Endeavor in front of the train station. It was rush hour, there were a lot of people, and suddenly a blackish cloud appeared in front of the entrance, bringing out one of those Nomu."

Endeavor nodded as Tsuragamae marked everything on the notebook, "Woof, I see...only one Nomu came out of that cloud?"

The boy nodded, "Yes, one with whitish skin and very long limbs. Endeavor neutralized it pretty quickly, it must not have been very strong."

Again the pen moved across the paper, "What were you kids doing?"

"When the Nomu arrived, Endeavor ordered us to set up a perimeter and alert the rest of the sidekicks, so we did. When distress calls came in from the other heroes, he ordered Midoriya to send some of his Grimm as reinforcements for the heroes and a few others to assist the Burnin' and others."

"Endeavor, can you confirm what the boy said?"

The man nodded, "That's right. Besides, the boys have been with me the whole time since then."

Tsuragame marked everything in the notebook. Todoroki echoed the hero's words, "Yes, I confirm. The only times we got separated were when we had to get the civilians away...and when Midoriya was taken away."

The greenie flinched slightly when his name was mentioned. Salem stroked his back with a furrowed brow, but the police chief's expression became attentive, "When did this happen?"

"In the middle of the attack. Endeavor was fighting a Nomu, we had just finished escorting the civilians to safety and were debriefing the sidekicks...when a flying Nomu swooped down and took Midoriya with him. Endeavor immediately gave me the order to go after them...not that I wouldn't have done it anyway...and I ran after them until they fell down."

Tsuragamae jotted down the account and then turned toward Midoriya: "Young man? Could you confirm what your friend said?"

Izuku kept his gaze down, as if he dared not look anyone else in the eye; however, he nodded in response anyway. The police chief marked everything in the notebook and continued, "Very good, woof...and, after you were taken away, what happened?"

The boy remained silent for several seconds, keeping his gaze fixed on his clasped hands resting in his lap; just as Tsuragamae seemed about to change his question, a murmur came from his lips, "I...fought. I tried to break free, but Ts...the nomu was much stronger than me. I didn't...I didn't know what he wanted to do to me, I didn't know where he was taking me and...and I was afraid. I saw no other way out...so...so..."

His tone of voice gradually became more and more subdued until it was little more than a whisper, like he was afraid to admit that he really did what he did. Salem stroked small circles on his back, but instead of calming him the gesture seemed to put him even more on edge. When he spoke again, his voice was broken with sobs, "I-I...I can't..."

Salem drew in a deep breath, stroking the boy's back and murmuring, "Izuku, it's okay. Endeavor has already...given me a summary of what happened." 

Izuku instantly stiffened under the hand of the woman, who immediately replied, "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're not in trouble."

The boy's head immediately snapped toward the woman, giving her a look so large it seemed spirited, "W-what? B-but-"

The woman interrupted him by putting a hand forward, "Izuku. It's. Fine. I don't blame you for defending yourself, especially in such a situation. In fact, I'm happier that you disobeyed my order and came out..well...as well as you could've, instead of ending up in an even more dire condition because of an instruction I gave you when you were four years old."

The greenie was paralyzed for a moment, like he had been struck by lightning; when the first sob escaped his lips, everything else about him collapsed soon after like a house of cards. With tear-filled eyes he threw himself against his aunt, burying his face in her neck and holding her as tightly as he could while she stroked his head with a sigh.

Todoroki watched the scene with the mysterious feeling in his chest only getting worse. Endeavor gave a slight snort but said nothing, Burnin' widened her mouth in a slight smile, and Tsuragame stood for a few moments longer looking at the scene before drawing attention again, "Um...can you continue or...?"

Izuku pulled up with his nose, taking a couple more seconds to calm down and find his voice again, "Y-yes, sorry. When I saw that I wouldn't be able to escape normally I...used my quirk...on the nomu."

The police chief wrinkled his canine brow, "So you...created a monster to free yourself?"

The boy shook his head, "I...vomited grimm liquid on him. The black puddles. That substance is...the only way I can call it is 'the opposite of life.' If organic matter comes in contact with it, it is immediately destroyed. The nomu died, but...I don't know, something strange must have happened, maybe one of his quirks acted in tandem with mine, I have no idea...what I do know is that the liquid, instead of just destroying, turned the nomu into...a grimm."

The man froze with his pen on the paper for a few seconds, then resumed writing more slowly, "I see, woof...and this...er, new grimm, did it show any signs of aggression or hostility?"

Izuku cringed, trying to contain the weight on his stomach that was starting to result in nausea: "...y-yes. At first...he taunted me. And...he looked like he was going to attack...no, I'm s-sure he was going to attack me. But, at that moment, I...lost my temper and...y...yelled at him. I think it worked, b-because he immediately calmed down and obeyed my order."

The pen wrote on the paper for a few seconds longer, then stopped and gave way to the detective's voice: "And then?"

The boy's voice was now exhausted: "I sent him to retrieve the other grimms...Endeavor and Todoroki stayed with me until the ambulance arrived and... that's it, I guess."

Tsuragamae finished writing his final notes, then put the notebook away and clapped both hands on his knees, "I'd say that's enough. Thank you again for your time." Before the boy could respond, he resumed speaking in a much more serious tone: "Now, before I let you rest, I have a few things to tell you. Or rather, a couple of dispassionate pieces of advice."

The boys immediately pricked up their ears, and not only them: even Salem seemed to become more alert all of a sudden, her shoulders tense as two springs and her eyes focused on the police chief. This one began to speak again almost immediately.

"You see, what happened has attracted the attention of the whole country. The newspapers are already starting to talk and-"

His speech was abruptly interrupted by Salem: "Don't tell me you want to worry about the popularity of the boys right now. After what happened, your thought is what will those vultures in the press say?"

Todoroki's and Izuku's eyes widened so much that they looked about to pop out of their sockets, Endeavor raised his eyebrows in a sign of surprise, Burnin' managed to hold back the laughter but not the colossal grin on his face; Tsuragamae, for his part, merely sighed, "I understand your...irritation, but it's not a simple matter of popularity, as much as that is something that can make or break a career. No, I want to talk about the possible legal repercussions."

This immediately brought the atmosphere back to a much more sober level. Seeing that he had their attention, the man continued, "When I said that the newspapers are starting to talk, I meant that the images of the attack are already circulating. And that includes the, pardon the term, brutal treatment of the Grimm toward the Nomu."

Burnin' gave an exasperated snort, "Don't tell me there are people who empathize with those things?"

"Madam, you should know that the fool's mother is always pregnant. And, above all, that in assuming the worst, you're always right. I've only seen a couple of pages, and some people are already starting to bring up words like 'excessive force,' 'gratuitous brutality,' and...other comments that I won't dignify with a quote, woof."

Todoroki gave a rather annoyed snort, which was echoed by Burnin' and Salem's grunts. Midoriya, for her part, lowered the gaze to his lap: "...they're calling me a villain, aren't they?"

The adults in the room exchanged very telling glances; Tsuragamae cleared his throat before replying, "Um...not really a villain, but the adjective 'villainous' has been brought up. Not many times, but still."

At least for Salem, those were times too many, and her glare did a good job of conveying how she felt. Endeavor, for his part, brought a hand to his chin, "I think I see where you're going with this. Excessive force, right?"

The man nodded, "Excessive force is the charge that heroes, but also serving police officers, have thrown at them most often, and sometimes it can lead to long and tedious trials. Normally it ends in nothing, but media attention alone can kill a career."

Salem gritted her teeth, finding herself forced to acknowledge the man's point. She had heard several times about such cases, and more often than not the individual in question came out of the whole mess with his life considerably worse. For a student like Izuku, such a thing would have been professional suicide, especially given his high profile and...aesthetic. Beside her, the boy came to the same conclusion and lowered his gaze with a sigh.

"So...what should I do?"

Tsuragamae sighed, taking on an expression that showed full resignation; before he could speak, however, Endeavor beat him to the punch: "You, nothing. I will take care of this problem."

All gazes froze on the hero, each with varying degrees of surprise in them. In this, none beat Shoto's: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Endeavor gave a snort, "Exactly what I said. You were an intern in my agency, so it's natural that the responsibility for what happened falls on me. The media likes to create scandals for ratings, it's not the first time I've seen something like this, and I know how to deal with them."

The two boys were stunned at the man's words, unable to process what they were hearing or even feeling. Salem, for her part, remained far more composed: "And what are you going to do? Convincing a journalist to walk away from a potential scandal is frighteningly difficult."

The hero replied, " I will certainly be interviewed about what happened and the actions of the two boys, and I plan to tell nothing but the truth: that given the scale and danger of the terrorist attack, I judged the health of the civilians more important than that of the Nomus, whom I would hardly consider persons or living beings. In fact, Midoriya asked me, explicitly, what to do with those things, and I told him to consider those creatures nothing more than biological weapons; the boy did nothing but obey orders, neutralizing weapons that threatened the health of numerous people."

The witch squinted her eyes for a second, "Um...that might work. It would certainly take a lot of pressure off Izuku."

Burnin' wrinkled her brow, "It would be a hard blow to us, though..."

Endeavor huffed, "Irrelevant. And even if it were, I'm sure that the recognition of the League of Villains as a rank S criminal organization will limit the damage to our credibility. Of course we will lose support, but I doubt we will fall in the rankings."

The adults nodded at the plan, some more and some less convinced. The two boys, for their part, were still stunned, albeit for different reasons. The first to recover and speak was Shouto: "Are...are you sure?"

The man nodded, "Your friend has enormous potential and has shown that he's on the right track to develop it. To prevent him from continuing on this path would be not only stupid but also a huge disservice to the future of this country."

Salem gave a slight snort but said nothing, while Burnin' and Tsuragamae nodded with varying degrees of conviction. Izuku, for his part, was trembling with eyes swollen with tears, "Sir...I-I don't know what to say..."

Endeavor replied, "There is no need to say anything. If you want to thank me, try to recover from this experience and come out of it stronger." After that he shifted his attention to Shoto: "That goes for you, too."

The boy lowered his head with a furrowed brow but nodded anyway; Midoriya, on the other hand, could barely speak through tears and sobs, managing to get out only a stammer, "T-thank you...t-thank you sir..."

Tsuragamae decided he had seen enough and chose that as the moment to stand up, "I see you have the situation relatively under control. I think I should take my leave, however, and start cataloging and making sense of what we have gathered so far. I'll leave you kids to your recovery."

Endeavor took advantage of the moment to address Salem: "Madam, I think it is also time to show you that special grimm. I would like to know your opinion before deciding what to do with it."

The witch nodded with a slight sigh and then turned to her nephew, "I will be back shortly. Try to get as much rest as you can."

The boy nodded, though he did not seem enthusiastic about the situation. Before leaving the room, however, Tsuragame said one last thing: "Boys, I am very sorry that your first field experience was this. However, on behalf of the Hosu police force, there is something I want to tell you."

Under the astonished eyes of the two boys, the man made a perfect ninety-degree bow; when he spoke, his voice was much more emotional: "Thank you. For being here, for saving people, for helping to the best of your ability. I know there are often tensions between the police force and heroes, but I still want you to have my gratitude and praise for what you did tonight. It will be an honor to cooperate with you once you turn pro."

If everything that had happened wasn't enough for Izuku's emotional state (and it had been, indeed), this was what gave the greenie the final blow. Salem was sincerely starting to worry that the boy might go into dehydration because of all the tears he was pouring out.

"T-t-thank you s-s-siiiir...we'll d-d-do our beh-eh-est..."

When he could no longer even make himself understood, Todoroki started patting the greenie on the back to try to comfort him. The adults decided to use that as a time to leave, heading to the courtyard outside and giving the boys a moment to themselves. Salem could not completely hold back a smile at seeing her nephew supported by so many people; it was a nice change from the past.

The witch sighed and brought her head back to the present. She had things to do, not the least of which was to make sure that a particularly unsavory piece of her own past had not followed her. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain a Hound without spilling the beans about her background...and making her whole family hate her.

Chapter Text

Momo furrowed her brow, looking at the tablet screen with a worried expression. Beside her, Itsuka sucked air through her teeth, "My, what a disaster..."

The two of them were currently in Uwabami's office, with the heroine sitting at her desk typing away at her computer. Her expression was no less worried: "These numbers are bone-chilling...I don't think stuff like this has happened since the days before All Might debuted."

The article they were checking was the same: an account of the terrorist attack on Hosu by the League of Villains (Momo had a shudder reading that name), complete with videos of the survivors and interviews with the heroes and the police. And that article was not the only one covering the event, one that soon found itself on the front page of newspapers all over the country. The things said were largely the same: the attack began around 6 p.m., during rush hour, there were few heroes in town at the time of the attack, the presence of Endeavor and his sidekicks and interns proved crucial to the resolution of the crisis. Momo's attention, however, was largely focused on the images of the Grimms on the streets.

Todoroki and Midoriya were with Endeavor at the time of the attack. They had fought to defend civilians. They had found themselves on the front lines against the villains. Again. And, again, Midoriya had proved decisive.

Her opinion about the boy had changed quite a bit since the beginning of school. At first she believed he was just a tool to strengthen the position of two companies, not too dissimilar from her; however, the course of events had revealed that Midoriya was much more than that-he was shy, well-behaved, somewhat naïve but with heart and bravery to spare. During the events at USJ he had willingly chosen to throw himself into danger to help his class, during the festival he had shown the determination to redefine the very concept of heroism...and now this.

Momo lowered her gaze, bringing it to the golden arm guard in which Akouo was folded. That was what a hero was supposed to do. To help people at the cost of their own safety, to be the first person to enter the place of crisis and the last to leave, to dedicate themselves to others. Midoriya had proven over and over again that he was born for the job...but what about her? When had she shown true heroism? At the USJ she had merely come up with a couple of trivial ideas ('that ended up saving me, Jirou and Kaminari and allowed us to get out'), at the sports festival she had acted like a barbarian ('it's only father who thinks like that, I still came in second place'), her internship had been just lessons, patrolling and training with Kendo ('I'm learning so much, I've patrolled with Majestic, Best Jeanist and Fat Gum, training with Milo and Akouo is so much fun').

A sigh escaped her lips, as she returned her gaze to the article. Oh, how she wished she had an ounce of Midoriya's spirit.

"Uh, Yaoyorozu? Are you okay?"

Kendo's voice tore her from her considerations, forcing her back into the present. Shaking her head slightly, she replied, "Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was just..." 'in awe' "...worried" (Why didn't she feel like she was telling a lie?).

The redhead nodded, "Yes, understandable...how come your class is always in the middle of these things?"

Momo, despite her whirlwind of emotions, could not hold back a snicker, "I wish I knew. Especially Midoriya, I don't know what it is with him but...he's always at the center of something. The first heroics class, the USJ, the festival, this...that boy can't catch a break." She didn't notice the sigh that escaped her lips or the way her gaze softened, "What are we supposed to do with him..."

Just because Momo did not notice them, however, it didn't mean that Itsuka and Uwabami didn't either. The two exchanged a very eloquent look, which prompted the redhead to comment, "What's with the disconsolate tone? Don't tell me he's troublesome..."

Momo recoiled as if she had just heard an insult, "Wha- no, of course not! He's a very diligent student and he doesn't bother in any way!" Before the redhead could reply, she heaved a new sigh, "It's not his fault, for goodness’ sake...but I think that boy is the single unluckiest person I've ever met. Every time something happens, he's in the middle of it, one way or another. He's a good boy, by all means...but I'm wondering how he made it this far alive, especially knowing what I know about him. And I know that's not even the whole story!"

Uwabami chuckled, resting her head on one hand, "It looks to me like you are quite fond of him..."

Momo blushed slightly but still maintained her composure, "It's nothing, just honesty. I'm sure anyone in our class would agree with me."

The heroine tapped the computer a couple of times before replying, "Are you sure? It's okay to have a...soft spot for your classmate, you see. Especially at your age."

The faint blush on her cheeks became such a deep shade of red across her face that for a second the girl seemed to turn into a second Midoriya. Kendo couldn't hold back laughter as Momo's voice rose several octaves: "W-what?! You're not insinuating-!"

Uwabami put a hand forward, "Hey, relax. What's wrong with that? We're people, we all have feelings. God knows how much I loved back in my day!"

Momo replied with a furrowed brow and dry tone, "But you had to stop, eventually..."

The heroine's gaze changed. The teasing undertone was gone, giving way to a different seriousness from the one shown in the rest of the internship, a much deeper one: "No, I didn't stop. And neither should you. Yaoyorozu, people are complicated, much more than you might think. And they should be. You cannot expect to simplify an entire personality into a single trait: the result would not only be inaccurate, but also very offensive. It is the same process by which prejudices and stereotypes are born, after all. Just because we are heroes does not mean that we cannot afford to have feelings like any other person. We may not show them as openly, but they are always there."

The girl wrinkled her brow, "But...don't they damage our image? I mean, we are still symbols...and a symbol cannot be as fallible as a normal person."

The blonde replied without missing a beat, "That is a very dangerous line of thought, Yaoyorozu, because it implies that heroes are not people. Even All Might, the number one hero in the world, is still a person. Extremely strong, for goodness sake, and capable of feats that I couldn't even imagine, but that doesn't make him any less human. He eats, sleeps, goes to the bathroom and, one day, will die, as we all do. Which means he, too, has feelings. I think you know this better than I do, don't you?"

Momo lowered her gaze, not finding the strength to concede the point. Uwabami continued, "Never forget that what we show on camera is a mask, nothing more. Beneath that, we are normal people. With doubts, insecurities and affections. Being a hero doesn't mean that you have to prevent yourself from having all that, on the contrary. Those are the things that keeps you sane doing this work; so, make sure you have fun and make friends while you have the chance." Her expression softened, "And that also means you are allowed to have crushes. Especially at your age."

Aaaand the blush was back. Itsuka burst out laughing at her colleague's supremely embarrassed expression, at least until the heroine continued, "This applies to you too, Kendo, I only spared you because I don't have faces, but that could change at any time."

Now it was her turn to turn red, and it was Momo's turn to burst out laughing. Uwabami looked at the two girls with a smile on her lips, glancing at the clock on the desk. They still had five minutes to their break; they deserved to have some fun.

Hawks threw himself down on his office's couch, scrolling through the news feed on his phone with his characteristic carefree look. A short distance away, Tokoyami was catching his breath after spending another day trying to keep up with the hero. The rest of the sidekicks went about their chores, so paperwork and reports, leaving the two alone.

Breaking the ice was Hawks, with an almost uninterested comment, "Did you hear what happened to Hosu?"

The student raised his head, "Huh? No, I can't say I know."

The hero scrolled through the news, hardening his gaze by a fraction: " An ugly thing, let me tell you...a criminal organization launched a terrorist attack on the streets during rush hour. There were eighty-five dead and three hundred twenty-one wounded in total."

All the weariness on the student's feathered face vanished, replaced by astonishment mixed with a certain amount of concern: "What a gruesome count...how was this possible?"

"Eh, a lot of reasons: like I said, it was rush hour and there were a lot of civilians on the streets, the hero killer cut down the number of heroes in the city, the villains were some kind of monsters...I'm not really sure what they are, actually. Hey, how about taking a look at it? Maybe you know more about them than I do."

Tokoyami gave his boss a dry look to say the least: "Sir, I'm the student here. How could I enlighten you on something that even you are in the dark about?"

Hawks shrugged, "Well, I was just asking. I mean, you've dealt with these people before, so..."

As much as the expressiveness of the boy's face was not the same as a human's, the astonishment was clearly visible: "What?"

"Oh, yeah, I didn't tell you: the attack has League of Villains written all over it. At least, according to Endeavor and the rest of the heroes who were on the scene..."

In less than a fraction of a second, the boy was next to the hero with his eyes wide and pinned to the article. Even Dark Shadow had come out and was reading with a dark claw next to his head: "Fumi...Todo and Mido were with Endeavor..."

The student wrinkled his brow, "I know...I'm afraid they couldn't avoid being caught up in it." When he saw the images of the Grimms, a bitter sigh escaped his beak, "There, exactly. What a cruel fate, to be once again in the midst of a battle far above what we ought to be doing. And with the same enemy, to boot!"

Hawks gave his intern a look: "So, anything you know about the League? I mean, among us, you're the one who's had to deal with them."

Tokoyami gave a sigh, "I'm sorry, I can't say I know much. During the attack on the USJ I had been transported into the storm zone along with one of my classmates, left alone to fight for our lives against a mob of thugs. It was only with Midoriya's support that we managed to get out before they could overpower us."

The hero nodded, taking one last look at the newscast before getting up from the couch and stretching his back, "Oh well, it's no big deal. It's not like I could expect you to know the address of these people, could I?"

Tokoyami watched his boss head for the door with a furrowed brow; before he left, however, he heard him speak again, "Say...are you friends with that Midoriya guy?"

The boy nodded, "Yes. We are brethren in darkness, bound by dark forces."

Hawks gave a whistle at his intern's serious tone, unable to hold back a laugh, "Really? Well, I must say I notice the aesthetic theme, if nothing else."

Tokoyami blushed slightly under his feathers, earning him an affectionate nudge from Dark Shadow; his embarrassment, however, disappeared when the hero's voice rose again, "You know, I have to say that kid is...weird. With that speech at the festival's opening, the scene with Endeavor's son...and now this. I'm not getting the impression that he wants to be a 'proper' hero."

The feathers on the boy's head puffed up for an instant. For a couple of seconds he was silent, too busy processing his emotions to be able to formulate a thoughtful response; finally, after carefully choosing his words, he replied, "What...what do you mean?"

The blond shrugged, not noticing (or perhaps deliberately ignoring) the boy's sharp gaze, "Well, it looks to me like that boy's got a bit of a "screw the system" attitude. And, you know, heroes are the ones who have to defend the system, regardless of whether they like it or not...isn't it a little strange that the attack happened just as he was in Hosu? I mean-"

"Enough."

This time Hawks turned to fully face his intern. He would never have admitted it, least of all in front of the president, but for a split second he was startled by the boy's figure, straight up and facing him completely, wearing an expression that was nothing short of ominous; the effect was accentuated by the look Dark Shadow was giving him, in an attitude not unlike a cat puffing its fur: "I don't like what you're implying, tweety. One more word about Mido and-"

Tokoyami interrupted his quirk with a nod of his head, "Dark Shadow, that's enough. This attitude of yours is quite disrespectful." After which he addressed the hero with a bow (much less deep than that suitable for an apology): "Forgive her behavior, she is much more temperamental than I am."

The quirk made no move to apologize, even turning an annoyed look at the boy; Hawks, for his part, replied with a smile, "Nah, it's okay. It's nothing to-"

"That said..."

For the second time in less than two minutes, the boy interrupted the hero. His gaze looked like that of a hunter watching a wolf in the distance, deciding whether or not it was prey: "I would be immensely grateful if you would stop making such insinuations about my friend. Midoriya is one of the most gracious people I have met in recent years, with a pure soul and a natural inclination toward heroism. The mere thought that he might be in cahoots with villains is so ludicrous that it's not even funny, it's a poorly thought joke."

Hawks hardened his gaze, choosing to keep pushing his intern's buttons, "Who said anything about collaborating with villains? I just said it was odd that the attack happened in Hosu while he was actually in Hosu."

The hero expected an astonished, embarrassed, even frustrated reaction; what he did not expect was that the boy hardened his features even more and replied in kind: "I hope you will forgive me, but it is very difficult for me not to see a veiled accusation in between your statements. I have found myself in similar situations enough times to be used to assuming the worst from sentences like that. However, I am also aware of how the whole situation must seem viewed from the outside, especially given the stigma that Midoriya's quirk carries, and I am sure that your statement is not a product of true malice so much as innocent ignorance. That is why I tell you that, knowing what kind of person my partner is, I find the idea that he might be in contact with villains nothing short of ludicrous."

Hawks looked at his intern. He looked deep into him, his golden eyes so similar to the animal from which he took his name. Tokoyami neither flinched nor shrank under that gaze, holding it up with one no less harsh. Finally, the hero chuckled, "Damn, real BFFs, huh? I'm almost jealous."

The student's expression did not change as he watched the hero open the door and throw a lazy salute behind him, "Relax fledging, it was friendly banter. I really don't think your classmate phoned the villains and said 'hey, look I'm here today, can you come and make a mess?' That's too ridiculous an idea even for me, and there's no shortage of alternative reasons for the choice of place. Come on, take a breath and enjoy the break, you've earned it."

With that he walked out of the office, heading for the agency's private KFC. His thoughts, however, were still on the conversation; specifically, they were focused on the protective mannerism Tokoyami had taken as soon as he smelled an accusation.

'That kid has his classmates wrapped around his fingers...good to know, good to know.'

Uraraka crumpled up the empty bottle, tossing it into the dojo trash can with a deep sigh. Her muscles were burning, but at least she had a few minutes' break before resuming training. As she was loosening up a bit, however, Gunhead approached her with the phone in his hands, "Um, Uraraka? You are classmate of the kid who won the festival, right?"

The girl brightened, though she did not stop loosening her muscles, "Oh, Midoriya! Yes, we're friends, why?"

The hero scratched the back of his head with a nervous demeanor that didn't quite match his image, "Well...apparently he was involved in a villain attack on Hosu, it's all over the newspapers..."

Immediately her expression wrinkled in concern, "What! Gosh, is he all right? He wasn't injured, was he?"

The man shrugged, "I can't tell you that, though...here, maybe you'd better take a look for yourself."

With that said, he handed her the phone. The girl started reading the article with one eyebrow raised, holding the device with three fingers in each hand so it would not float. It was not long before her brow furrowed and her mouth bent in confusion

"Wha..."

Brown eyes ran from one side of the screen to the other faster and faster, her finger scrolling the page with increasing insistence.

"What?"

Her whole body shook. Gunhead began to fear for his phone, given the strength the girl was putting into it.

"What!"

It did not take long for the girl to lose control over her pronunciation, slipping into the Kansai dialect with an expression of such deep anger that the hero and some sidekicks found themselves intimidated.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Gunhead was quick to take the phone back, both so as not to further stoke his intern's irritation and to prevent her from snapping it in two. Holding back a nervous laugh, he replied, "I guess you didn't like what you read?"

Uraraka stamped a foot on the ground, clenching her fists hard enough to whiten her knuckles, "I'll say! I've never red such bullcrap 'n my entire life! Delinquent with no control? Thirst fer' brutality? Why, they should shove their impressions where the sun don't shine! How on earth do they dare treat Midoriya like this, 'specially after what happened!"

Gunhead tilted his head, "Oh? Are they wrong?"

"YOU CAN BET YER ASS THEY ARE! Midoriya's the single kindest and gentlest person I know! I mean, he saved me during the 'ntrance exam! During the shitshow at the USJ, instead of staying at school where he was, he came to help us! How on earth can they call him that? If I get my hands on the dimwit who wrote this article- argh!"

"Uh? Midoriya? Yeah, he's a cool guy, kero. Shy, a little weird at times, but a good guy."

Sirius watched Tsuyu finish the day's warm-up: "So, those articles about him-"

"I read them, and they're a load of nonsense, kero. Niche newspapers wanting to make views with an alarmist headline attacking the public's favorite. I mean, you saw how the sports festival went, right? Stuff like this was to be expected, kero. People like that aren't worth my day's time, especially if they feed such quirkist stereotypes."

The sidekick chuckled, "I guess you're right. You're his classmate, you must know him better than we do."

"Exactly."

"You and modesty aren't friends, huh?"

"I'm just being honest, kero."

"Midoriya is hyper-manly! Do you know that he dyes his hair green for his mother?"

Tetsutetsu widened his eyes, "Really?"

"Yes! Apparently, his quirk bleached them when he was little, but he doesn't want to feel cut off from his mother, so he dyes it green. I can't say I don't understand it, but in a way he has a more...sentimental motivation, that is! How can I not be amazed?"

The iron boy raised an eyebrow at the indestructible one, "I don't know...did you hear about what happened to Hosu? About the attack?"

"Yes! Boy, he and Todoroki must have had a tough time...but they're strong! I'm sure we have nothing to worry about!"

"Um, I was talking about the fact that he tore villains to pieces..."

Kirishima almost spit out his water, "WHAT?!"

"Yup. Pictures are spreading, nasty stuff. Not that the villains looked good, with exposed brains and all..."

"Wait, exposed brains? And did they have black skin?"

"Um...some did, I think..."

The redhead shuddered, "That sounds a lot like the thing that came to attack us at the USJ. Ugly thing, believe me. You know, I heard Professor Aizawa comment on that thing, saying it was some kind of biological weapon..."

"Yikes, really?"

"Yeah! If they really are the same thing, I can't say I blame Midoriya. I mean, better them than civilians, don't you think?"

"I can't argue with that!"

"Excessive brutality? Midoriya? Yeah, sure. See how I'm convinced?"

Hitoshi laughed at Monoma's sarcastic tone, "I'm shaking. Midoriya Izuku, the next millennium serial killer. Modus operandi: unleashes a grimm, stops it before it can eat you, and then kills you with an overdose of apology chocolates."

The blond chuckled, "I can see it! I mean, the guy spent five minutes just apologizing for stealing my thunder at the sports festival!" A sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head, "I'm telling you, it's because of his quirk. Everyone sees his monsters and they go 'oh no, that's scary, they're ugly and evil! The guy must be a villain, a hero can't have such a scary quirk, weh, weh'. Tsk, assholes."

The other rolled his eyes, "They have it on a silver platter. A big villain attack, famous student in the middle, 'villain-like' quirk and boom! You get the scandal of the day. They don't even have to try so hard."

Monoma nodded, stretching his arms, "How long do you think it will last?"

Hitoshi shrugged, "Meh, I'd say a week, maybe a little longer. Just long enough for people with common sense and the people of Hosu to point out that the broccoli saved them from a massacre."

"I wonder how Midoriya is doing in all this..."

"Not so well, I think. Did you see the pictures?"

"I don't even want to think about it."

*Queen's Voice* Weeee are the champions, of UA... - 6:35 pm.

Prezgovroom: @Edgycinnamonroll, @Sobamybeloved! I heard about what happened in Hosu! Are you guys okay?

ImpinkandIknowit: I saw the pictures! That's some creepy stuff!

Outletlicker: Hey hey I just finished my patrol what happened?

MCRstan: Apparently Hosu was victim of a particularly serious villain attack. The casualty count is tragic, and unfortunately our comrades got caught in the middle.

Outletlicker: WOW okay wait, before I say stupid things: how tragic are we talking?

Bassestbitch: He's learning.

Outletlicker: I'm not that bad come on.

Monkeyman: |Answer to @Outletlicker| we're talking about something like 80 dead and 200 injured.

Shroedingercutie: how many dead?!

Humanbatteringram: good god...

Thecroakofreason: Those are natural disaster numbers, kero.

Sobamybeloved: I'm okay.

Sobamybeloved: Midoriya...not as much, but he's recovered.

Swingin'leftandright: TODOROKI! MY MAN!

Sobamybeloved: Hello Sero.

Humanbatteringram: come on Sero, that's my line.

Humanbatteringram: but back to us, TODO ARE YOU OK?

Sobamybeloved: I thought I already said yes.

1008gadgets: I think it's understandable to be concerned. The pictures are something straight from hell.

 Sobamybeloved: Nono, I understand well. And I'm flattered by the concern. But seriously, I'm fine.

Sobamybeloved: Shaken, I admit, but fine.

Iamthou: If you hadn't been shaken up at the end of all that shitshow I would've been worried.

Scytherisbetter: Say, what exactly happened? I've heard a couple of rumors here and there but haven't read any articles yet.

Sobamybeloved: It was the league of villains.

ImpinkandIknowit: wait a minute you mean the ones who attacked us at USJ?

Sobamybeloved: yuuuuup.

Prezgovroom: Those ruffians! Wasn't it enough for them to attack a school?

Bassestbitch: clearly not. Sick bastards.

1008gadgets: I feel like I should dissuade you from using such language...but I would feel pretty hypocritical.

Bassestbitch: I have received Yaomomo's blessing on cussing. I can die happy.

Monkeyman: Please don't die. We still need you.

Bassestbitch: okay, but only because you asked nicely.

Flymetothemoon: Todoroki, how is Midoriya?

Sobamybeloved: ...not great.

Prezgovroom: What happened? You said he's recovered, but specifically?

1008gadgets: Iida, don't push it. I understand your concern, trust me, I do, but it's not his story to tell.

Sobamybeloved: Thank you Yaomomo.

Prezgovroom: You're right! I apologize for the insistence, my concern got the better of me.

Sobamybeloved: ...look, I can't say everything. I doubt Midoriya would appreciate it if I went blabbing his business to the whole world.

Iamthou: Look at you, you're not that emotionally stunted.

Outletlicker: Monoma not the time.

Bassestbitch: and if kaminari tells you that, you know something's wrong.

Outletlicker: okay, now you're just being mean.

Bassestbitch: read my name.

Sobamybeloved: What I can say, though, is that he came out of the evening...well, he had to be rushed to the hospital. He pulled through, don't worry, but he had a bad fight.

Swingin'leftandright: Todo. Dude. Compadre.

Swingin'leftandright: You can't say "oh, yes, Midoriya was involved in a villains attack that did 80 dead and 200 injured and he was taken to the hospital" and expect us not to worry!

Flymetothemoon: What happened?!?!

Schyterisbetter: 'yikes. Respect.

Humanbatteringram: Kamakiri, not now.

Edgycinnamonroll: It doesn't matter Kirishima. Honestly, I don't mind the encouragement.

Humanbatteringram: Oh, okay then.

Humanbatteringram: ...

Humanbatteringram: *Brock_Samson_waitaminute.gif*

ImpinkandIknowit: MIDO!!!!!

Outletlicker: HE'S ALIVE!!!

Edgycinnamonroll: Hey guys...I hope I didn't worry you too much.

Flymetothemoon: A little late for that.

Flymetothemoon: Rather how are you?

Edgycinnamonroll: ...let's say fine.

MCRstan: Don't keep your suffering in the shadows, you're only feeding it.

Octodad: ^what he said.

Edgycinnamonroll: really, guys. I'm fine. The medics fixed me up nicely...I'll have a couple more scars, but it could have been a lot worse.

1008gadgets: Midoriya, that's very good, don't get me wrong, and I'm glad you've recovered physically; but we were more concerned about your psychological well-being.

Edgycinnamonroll: Uh? Why should you? I mean, Todoroki came out all right, didn't he?

Sobamybeloved: Debatable. And I had it easy compared to you

Edgycinnamonroll: You didn't.

Sobamybeloved: Midoriya, I know you went home early, but know that if you minimize what happened to you I will find you and have you wake up in an ice bath.

Sobamybeloved: Don't test me.

Edgycinnamonroll: um...thank you....?

Iamthou: ah yes, the true proof of friendship: threatening your friends into taking care of themselves.

MCRstan: a necessity, on certain times.

Flymetothemoon: can we go back to the point where Midoroya had to go home earlier? Was it that bad?

Edgycinnamonroll: Guys, really, you don't have to worry. I'm fine now.

Edgycinnamonroll: ...let's say, as good as I can be. But those are not your problems. My problems are not worth the time of your internship

Swingin'leftandright: Oh, you did not just say that.

ImpinkandIknowit: He did, sadly.

Edgycinnamonroll: ??? What, it's true.

1008gadgets: Midoriya Izuku.

Thecroakofreason: uh-oh, full name, kero.

Humanbatteringram: rip, my friend.

1008gadgets: You are a valuable member of this class. I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that we are happy to have you as a classmate and that, without you, this group just wouldn't be the same.

Edgycinnamonroll: But that can be said for everyone

1008gadgets: Don't interrupt me. Not now, at least.

1008gadgets: I was saying, we're glad that you're part of our class. And everyone, some more and some less, had a chance to see for themselves what kind of person you really are. A person who, when a crisis breaks out, is the first to jump headfirst into danger to try to help. At the USJ you could have stayed in school, as common sense and protocol dictated, but instead you came to help. And because of that, no one was hurt too badly. Ironically, I did more damage than you did by asking Ashido to go that far with her Quirk.

ImpinkandIknowit: hey no biggie Yaomomo. I'd do it again.

1008gadgets: Thank you Mina.

ImpinkandIknowit: Back to us, what you and Todoroki experienced must have been traumatic to say the least. You were up against an enemy who attacked civilians indiscriminately, who had tried once before to kill us, and who plunged the city into chaos. From what I've read, the situation would have been difficult even for a pro.

Sobamybeloved: It was.

1008gadgets: Thank you Todoroki, but I would appreciate more not being interrupted.

Shroedingercutie: you broke Yaomomo˜

1008gadgets: I WAS SAYING.

1008gadgets: ...okay, good.

1008gadgets: I was saying, we understand that what happened must have been difficult to say the least. And we want you to know that among us there will always be an ear willing to listen. For whatever you may need.

1008gadgets: You don't have to feel like you have to talk, but I also don't want you to feel like you have to keep it all in, because you don't.

1008gadgets: And, while I'm at it, I also want you to know that anyone who accuses you of excessive force during the attack clearly doesn't know what they're saying.

MCRstan: I'm not in the habit of using this kind of language, but preach.

MCRstan: Just today I had a...discussion with Hawks ab tevfewvfscdvwefvecqd

MCRstan: NO ONE INSULTS MIDO LIKE THATojdcwodkncxpiwqddcw

MCRstan: My apologies, Dark Shadow went awry for a second.

Zemuffinfactory: Oh, tell me about it. If I wasn't at an internship I would have punched Death Arms for what he said about Mido.

Octodad: If it makes you feel any better, you have all Gang Orca's sympathy and understanding.

Scytherisbetter: Okay, I just finished getting informed.

Scytherisbetter: And the first one who comes to me and says that the broccoli didn't do well dismembering those things I'll turn him into a rug.

Sobamybeloved: Honestly, I'm impressed. The Nomus were cornering the pro heroes (and there were already a small number of them), but the Grimms made them look like cannon fodder pieces. At least, the white ones.

Monkeyman: Uh, mido? Are you all right? You've been quiet for a while....

Edgycinnamonroll: Yes, yes, no worries. I just had to step away from the phone for a moment to keep it from short-circuiting with my tears.

Flymetothemoon: Aaaaw Mido! There, there!

Iamthou: imagine being sentimental. Couldn't be me, lol. I like the hyperbole, though.

Edgycinnamonroll: Hyperbole?

Iamthou: ...midoriya, that was hyperbole, right?

Humanbatteringram: We're here for you, Mido!

ImpinkandIknowit: YES! If you need anything just give us a whistle!

MCRstan: As you support us in our time of need, so we will be shelter against the scorching light.

Iamthou: Hey, I asked a question.

Thecroakofreason: |answer to @Iamthou| suffer.

Thecroakofreason: But yes, if you need anything come to us, our door is open, kero.

Edgycinnamonroll: I love you all, guys.

Shroedingercutie: We love you too Mido!

Men_fear_me_fishes_love_me: Yup! (＾v＾)ｂ

Yaomomo - 6:37 pm

Yaomomo: Midoriya, you there?

Izuku: Um, yes? Do you need anything?

Yaomomo: I wanted to ask you if you would like to talk about what happened. You know, get it off your chest.

Yaomomo: I mean, if it's not a problem, of course.

Izuku: ...no.

Izuku: Sorry, the thing is...I don't think I'm in any condition to talk about it. I don't think I've properly processed...everything yet.

Izuku: In the future, maybe. But right now, no.

Yaomomo: I understand. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.

Izuku: No, no, on the contrary! It was a nice thought of you, and I appreciate the offer.

Izuku: It's just that...it's still too early.

Yaomomo: All right then. Know that I'm willing to listen to you, okay?

Izuku: Alright.

Izuku: Yaomomo.

Yaomomo: Yes?

Izuku: Thank you. Really.

Yaomomo: It's no problem. If our positions were reversed, I know you would do the same.

Chapter Text

The end of the week came all too slowly. After what had happened to Hosu, the normal activities in the agency were far too mundane. Todoroki hadn't even registered the hours that passed during the last two days; he simply found himself lying on the futon in his room one cloudy Friday afternoon.

His gaze was on the ceiling, staring, unmoving. His thoughts were an inextricable knot.

How was he supposed to feel? He didn't know. Hosu's attack had been terrible, but that was normal, wasn't it? In the future, he was supposed to find himself in the midst of such situations all the time. He was so shaken only because it was the first time. Or maybe this attack was an anomaly? That was what Endeavor and the pros kept saying for two days, after all, this attack was very serious. Did it mean that the rest of his future would be more peaceful? No, definitely not. His future would never be peaceful. Not as long as they would continue to be heroes. He and his class. That was what they wanted, after all, wasn't it? To be in the middle of the crisis. No, that wasn't true, Koda would never be okay in the chaos...but he would end up there, sooner or later. And he was supposed to be the one to make a difference. All of them were supposed to. God, that was a terrifying prospect for a 14-year-old.

From the next room, he could hear the television on. Endeavor was holding a press conference. He was defending Midoriya.

Would he have defended Todoroki if things had turned out differently?

Maybe. He wouldn't have called the man a good father ... but neither would he have called him a bad person.

...Or maybe he really was a bad person. A good person wouldn't have pushed his son to train until he could no longer move. A good person wouldn't have kept quiet at his first-born son's funeral.

...But a bad person wouldn't have gone out of his way to defend the reputation of an intern.

God, what a mess.

He rolled onto his side, trying to find a comfortable position, with little success.

His mind drifted back to the hospital. When he saw Midoriya walking away with a dull look on his face. When he saw him get into his mother's car, a short, stocky woman with an anxious expression who had greeted Endeavor with a bow.

Todoroki clutched the base of his stomach.

'I want something like that, too.'

For a second, the boy felt ashamed of the childish thought. However, he couldn't even find the strength to deny that it was true: he too wanted a mother to pick him up when he was sick, to comfort him when he felt down. The closest thing he had was Fuyumi, but it wasn't the same. He had few memories of when his mother could still smile, making the house a little warmer; since she had left, everything was silent and cold. His body, his behavior, his whole being had been trained to perfection, to be worthy of a hero: no frivolities, very few distractions, rigorous lessons and strict physical training. Endeavor had even tried to teach him sociology and politics, but he never really learned them.

He was missing something. And he knew exactly what.

'Do I have the strength to do it, though?'

...

Todoroki got up from the futon and fixed himself up to leave. At that moment his sister came into the room, probably to ask him something that was quickly forgotten.

"Uh? Shoto? Where are you going at this time?"

"...I'm going to visit Mom."

"...EH?"

The train ride was faster than he expected. Too fast. He didn't want to be there. He didn't know what demon had possessed him to do such a thing. But at the same time, he didn't want to leave either; he couldn't look himself in the face if he did.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Himura Rei's room."

The hallway was aseptic, like the hospital in Hosu. Like every damn hospital in the world. Shoto would never understand how patients could stay in such an environment for months or even years at a time. Wouldn't they end up going crazy?

'I hope Mom didn't go crazy. That would be...bad.'

The room was at the end of a hallway too long for the boy's taste. A few more steps and his anxiety would win out.

Everything was white, of course. The floor tiles, the paint on the walls, the tables, even the flowers in the vases. Wasn't that a form of torture? Shaking his head, he brought his attention back to the present. The door to the hospital room seemed to be daring him to enter.

Todoroki took a deep breath.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come on, it's open."

His heart skipped a beat. The voice was deeper than he remembered, but there was no mistaking it.

He didn't even register opening the door. Suddenly he found himself inside a white, aseptic, chilly, bare room. In one corner were shelves with a microwave, on the dresser next to the bed was a vase with blue flowers. Sitting on the bed was a woman.

Her white hair was longer than he remembered. There were more wrinkles on her pale face than before. The blue eyes were deeper, marked by stress and years. The expression, however, was unmistakable; it was the same one he remembered from that time Natsuo and Fuyumi had surprised her with a card for her birthday.

The boy wanted to cry.

"Shoto?"

For a good couple of seconds, Rei was convinced she was dreaming. That was all her tired mind could come up with as an explanation for her son's sudden and definitely unplanned visit.

He had grown tall. The hair was short, two-tone exactly as she remembered it, parted in the middle; it matched the heterochromatic eyes, one of which was embedded in the rough, red scar, similar to the mask of the Phantom of the Opera. The shape of the face had lost the roundness of childhood and had become sharper, in the way she knew her face and her mother's face to be sharp. It was a Himura trait.

His expression was open in... surprise? Commotion? Sorrow? She couldn't have said for sure. What she did know was that it was filled with emotion.

"M-mom."

She saw a tear drop from his good eye. For a second longer she convinced herself that she was in a dream. Even so, or perhaps because of that, she managed to find the strength to open her arms and murmur, "Come here, let me hug you."

It was at that moment that she realized that she wasn't dreaming, that her son was really flesh and blood in front of her; when the boy threw himself against her, sinking his head into her shoulder and holding her as if he was afraid of losing her. When she heard his voice, choked with tears, murmur, "I missed you so much."

Rei was sure she could feel her own tears streaking her cheeks. But she had other things to think about.

Her arms tightened around the boy's back as a laugh bubbled up in the back of her throat, "I-I missed you so much too, my babies. How, how I missed you..."

After a few seconds more (or minutes...or hours, neither of them was too conscious of time), the woman pulled away from the embrace and took her son's face in her hands, "Let me look at you...oh my boy, you've grown so handsome. You must be one of the most popular boys in school."

How long she waited, how she dreamed of finally being able to say that sentence! Shoto blushed violently for a few seconds, causing a gentle laugh from his mother. When her thumb brushed his scar, however, a veil fell over the woman's gaze and the boy's embarrassment changed to shame. The moment lasted little more than a second, then Rei quickly regained her smile and stroked her son's hair, "I'm so glad to see you, Shoto...I was starting to think I would see you again when I would get discharged."

The boy leaned into his mother's hand, like a cat in need of attention. A low whisper escaped his lips, "I wanted...no, I needed to see you again. Especially after what happened."

The woman's brow furrowed, "Uh? What happened?"

Shoto wilted like a flower in the shade. Sitting down on the chair next to the nightstand, he muttered, "Villain attack on Hosu...I was with Endeavor and one of my classmates...it went bad."

Rei brought a hand to her mouth, "Oh, sweety...how bad?"

"...Didn't you read about it in the news? Everyone is talking about it."

The reply did not improve the woman's mood at all: "No, I didn't see...Shoto, were you hurt? Did something bad happen?"

He, in response, pulled out his phone and tapped a few times before showing his mother a page of news. The woman began reading with furrowed brows, which almost immediately shot up as her eyes grew as big as tea saucers, "Oh...oh Lord...this is terrible..."

Shoto nodded, "I know. I was with Endeavor when it happened."

Rei continued to read the article, shaking her head with a sigh, "Oh dear...I'm so sorry, Shoto. You shouldn't have been in the middle of something so big, not this soon. How are you feeling?"

The boy lowered his gaze, bringing it to his interlaced fingers. It took him a while to choose the right words for his answer, "Not...not well."

His mother's hand entered his field of vision, slowly caressing his own. She was cold, but he never wanted to let her go, "I can believe it. It couldn't have been easy."

Shoto nodded slowly, squeezing the woman's hand, "Can we...talk about something else?"

She nodded, "Of course. Do you want to talk about something, about school, about your classmates...?"

These were all very inviting topics, the boy had to acknowledge. However, there was something else that took priority. Something he needed to know. Something he hadn't even planned to ask.

"Mom...when are you coming home?"

Rei was taken aback by that question. Her expression remained frozen for a couple of seconds, during which Shoto didn't dare to look at her; it was only when he heard pulling up with her nose that he decided to look up, coming face to face with the tears in his mother's eyes, "...soon, Shoto. I don't know exactly how soon that is...but I won't be here much longer. And the fact that you are here is huge. You can't even imagine how important it is."

In truth he could get an idea, but he kept that thought to himself. "Fuyumi and Natsuo will be happy..."

The boy's tone was off, his head held low; Rei couldn't help but notice it, "Shoto...honey, is everything okay?"

He was silent for several seconds, hands clenched and shoulders tense; a swirl of emotions reflected in his eyes, dragging the rest of his body with them. His mouth opened and closed several times, trying to say something but holding back at the last second. His mother wrinkled her forehead, "Is there anything you want to say? It's okay, baby, you can say it."

Shoto squeezed his hands tightly. His expression was tightened, his brow furrowed and his lips pressed into a line. When he opened his mouth, the words struggled to roll out.

"Mom...when you...um...did that..."

Immediately Rei's expression fell. Despite the years that had passed and the therapy, that topic was still tough for her.

"Was it because...I reminded you of Dad? Because you couldn't bear to see me?"

A chasm opened in the woman's stomach. Her eyes widened in shock, a gasp stuck in her throat; her hands took her son's face, raising it just enough to look into his eyes, "No...Shoto, of course not- is that what you thought all this time? That I hated you?"

The boy pressed his lips into a line. His eyes began to water, "I-I...I don't know. It was just a...an idea. The most plausible one I could think of."

Rei shook her head, stroking her son's face in an attempt both to console him and to keep her composure: "Shoto...I can never hate you. Never. No matter what you do, no matter what happens, you are my son. I will always love you, with all my heart." Her expression fell even further, to the point where she seemed to be struggling to hold back tears, "Which is why I will never be able to forgive myself for what I did to you."

The boy shook his head slowly, his brow furrowed and his voice starting to crack, "B-but...why, then?"

The woman took a deep breath, softening her expression into a low smile. Her thumb stroked the left side of his face, grazing the scar.

"Honey, that night I didn't see your father in you...I saw Touya."

Rei put the phone away with a deep breath, rubbing her temple with two fingers. On the stove, the water for her chamomile tea was just finishing boiling.

It had been years now since Touya's funeral, but the pain hadn't lessened at all. Every second was like the one that followed the dreadful news, which she could still hear in her ears when the house was too quiet.

"Mr. and Mrs. Todoroki, I'm sorry to have to tell you that...the DNA tests speak for themselves. That charred tissue belongs to Touya. I don't like having to give you such tragic news...but it's clear that he didn't make it."

Just thinking about it made her want to cry. She had already cried over the past few years, but it still didn't feel like enough. She felt like no amount of tears could fully express her pain. Or her regrets.

For not trying to rein Enji in. For not helping Touya as she should have. For letting him go into that mountain. For not asking him, not begging him to open up to her, to tell him what was wrong. For not trying to prevent that tragedy.

Guilt was eating her alive from the moment the empty coffin was lowered into the grave. She could no longer look at herself in the mirror, no dish she ate seemed tasty enough, every action she took seemed a parody of what it should have been. She was drifting around the house like a ghost, repeating actions mechanically and putting on insincere smiles. She couldn't do anything more.

And that was before she started to see Touya.

In the reflection of the mirror. In the dark corners of the house. At the side of the bed at night. He was always there, his blue eyes peering into her soul, standing there watching her. Sometimes his hair was red, sometimes white, sometimes his skin was smooth, sometimes scarred by burns; however, his dull, judicious expression never changed.

Rei rubbed between her eyes. The whistle of hot water brought her back down to earth, thankfully. With a sigh, she took the teapot in her hand and-

"Mom?"

A familiar voice froze her in place. The blood in her veins froze and, for a moment, she wasn't sure she hadn't lost control over her quirk. Her grip on the teapot was so strong that her knuckles were as white as her face, open in an expression of horror.

Slowly she turned around. Her breathing was shaky, her hands even more so. She knew it couldn't be him. It couldn't. She would turn around and see-

"Is everything all right?"

Touya.

Standing in front of her. Wearing the T-shirt he had on that day, his shoes torn, his pants dirty. His blue eyes were open in concern, his hair was white and blue, his skin was carved by the flames that-

The woman's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The little boy's were calm and boiling in the burning skull.

The child put one hand forward. The woman saw it being consumed by the blue flames until only the charred bones remained.

Touya took a step forward, the flames intensifying with each movement. Rei took a step back, feeling nausea reaching proverbial levels.

Touya was standing there in front of her.

Touya was burning.

Touya was BURNING.

HER BABY WAS BURNING-

SPLASH!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Shoto held his eye, bending over himself with a horrible scream-.

Wait a second.

"Shoto?"

Rei felt the world around her come back into focus so violently that her head spun. All the information she had been unable to process in those moments became painfully clear. And thus, she could finally realize what she had done.

"Shoto...SHOTO! No, no, nononononono!!!"

The teapot fell to the ground forgotten. Her hands darted toward the child on the ground, trying to bring relief to the burning with cold.

When Enji arrived on the scene, he was greeted by the sight of a weeping Shoto, with the skin around his eye red and contracted, clasped in the arms of a disheveled-haired and broken-looking Rei.

"What have I done, what have I done, what have I done...."

Rei stroked his son's face, looking at him with a furrowed brow, "Shoto, you are one of the best things to ever happen to me, you and your siblings. And I will always love you, as long as I draw breath."

The boy felt something break inside him. Or maybe it was something putting itself back together. Whatever it was, the result was that he clung to his mother and burst into tears, sinking his face into her shoulder. The woman held him close, stroking his head with a low smile, feeling tears roll down her cheeks.

"I-I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Shoto."

Izuku looked at the stone slab in front of him. Simple, solid, fit for a straightforward, crass person. A few words were engraved on it.

"Tsubasa Akairo. Parted from us far too soon."

The boy had come alone on Friday evening. A cool breeze tousled his already disheveled hair, longer than it normally was; his mother had offered to take him to the barbershop over the weekend to fix it up. He hadn't brought flowers or other offerings, but he at least had been polite enough to clean the grave of fallen leaves and petals.

A sigh escaped his lips. Try as he might, he could not recall a single moment when Tsubasa addressed him in any way other than mocking him. And, now that he thought about it, the moments when they had actually interacted weren't many. He was a bully, one of many. Just another cruel kid.

But even so, he hadn't been able to help but weep for him and his terrible fate. No matter what he did, no one deserved to end up that way.

Not even a bully like him.

Izuku stood with his eyes on the grave. His hands were in his jacket pockets.

"Hey Tsubasa. Did you miss me?"

A bitter laugh escaped his mouth, "Okay, maybe this is a stupid question. Of all the people who could have visited you, I had to be right at the bottom of the list, huh?"

His expression fell, "After the funeral, I didn't think I would ever come back to see you. Why would I? You were one of my bullies, after all; all the memories I have of the two of us together have as their core you dropping stuff on me or dropping me outright. And, deep down, I don't think anyone really expected this. Not even you, am I right?"

No answer. Not that Izuku expected it.

"But...well...things happened. Good things...and bad things. Can you believe I got into UA? In the hero course, by the way! I think this is proof that I was right." His expression fell, "...you know, I think you could have been an...alright hero as well. Maybe you wouldn't have made the top 50, or even the top 100, but I could see you doing that. You just would have needed to get your act together, take care of your appearance a little bit more...and, of course, grow up. I think the kids would have loved you." 

The greenie ran a hand through his hair. The green forest was starting to show white roots.

"...I found your body. In Hosu, during a villain attack. Some mad scientist used it to create some kind of super zombie with wings...I'm so sorry, Tsubasa. I'm sorry you were kidnapped, I'm sorry I had to fight you...and I'm sorry I execrated your body even more. I am truly sorry."

A deep breath escaped his lips. Sometimes he wondered if, at the rate he was taking these sighs, his soul wouldn't end up slipping away from him.

"You know, these past two days I've been thinking a lot about what happened, and I haven't come to a final opinion yet. But as much as I feel guilty about turning you into...well...a grimm, I'm also forced to acknowledge that your body provided tremendous help. And, if I'm honest....it seems happier to me now than before. At least it can talk now."

The irony of that last sentence was so strong that he wanted to laugh. The fact that a Grimm, a being of pure animosity and destructive instinct, could be happier than a Nomu was both extremely comical and depressing.

The greenie looked at the grave. The wind blew away the peach blossom petals.

"Tsubasa...I know I may not have much right to ask you for a favor, but...will you be offended if I keep using your body for a while? Despite everything that happened...I don't want to part with Gargoyle yet. I think it can do some good."

Izuku was silent, as if waiting for an answer. For a second, he had the impression that he heard a laugh in the wind. A snorting laughter.

"...I'll take that as a yes."

"Izuku?"

The boy looked away, bringing his gaze to one side. His mother was approaching with a furrowed brow, her green hair reflecting the sunset light.

"We have to go home. Salem is waiting for us."

He nodded and took one last look at the grave.

"Take care."

With that he approached his mother and, together, they left the cemetery. Leaving behind the memory of a winged child.

The first thing they noticed when they came in sight of their house was Salem's car parked out front. As soon as they were close enough, the doors opened, and the two women hurried to meet the greenies.

"Hello Izuku, hello Inko. Thanks for having us." Salem's voice was more tired than usual. Izuku was confused by it.

Inko, for her part, replied with her characteristic friendliness, "Come on, since when is there a need to thank us for having dinner together? In fact, after what happened we needed a family night."

The witch gave a tired smile; Kaina, for her part, thought of the more practical things, "Come on, shall we go inside? It's been long few days, and I would kill for Inko's food."

The two greenies could not hold back their giggles; in less than ten minutes the group was in the house, with Inko and Salem preparing food, Kaina checking the news, and Izuku watching from behind the sofa. The news of the moment, as was to be expected, was Endeavor's press conference about Hosu.

The bodyguard made a noise of interest, "Endeavor is handling it spectacularly. I didn't think he had such a good grasp on the media, given his gruff attitude."

The greenie heaved a sigh: "I feel kind of bad for putting him through this, though...not only will he have to answer for the attack itself, but also for my behavior."

Kaina turned a raised eyebrow, "Which was exemplary, from what I've heard. Seriously, stop blaming yourself so much, it's not good for you."

"Hmm...I can try...but that doesn't mean I'm not anxious anyway."

"I can understand that. Want some advice, as obvious as it sounds? Relax, take a breath and put this behind you. You've survived, you've done all you could do and more; now it's time to move on. I'm not saying forget about it, but don't drag it along. It gets heavy."

Izuku huffed a smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "...I'll try. Thank you, Kaina."

The woman, in response, tousled his hair with a grin, "See? You're already doing it! Relax, brat, it will be fine."

At that moment Inko's voice called the attention of the two, "Well said, Kaina. Come on, sit down at the table, dinner is ready."

They didn't need to be told twice. Soon the family was around the table eating Inko's katsudon and trying to keep the atmosphere light.

Of course, it couldn't last.

"Inko, Izuku...we need to talk."

The greenies exchanged a glance; it was Izuku who took the floor, "Is it about T...Gargoyle?"

Salem nodded, the red irises almost invisible in the black sclera. A sigh, the white hand passed over her face; after a few moments, she spoke, "First, we have to decide what to do with it. Whether to keep it or...terminate it. Izuku, have you decided yet?"

The boy nodded, hardening his gaze, "I want to keep it."

Salem's expression appeared to be made of steel: "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Despite what happened, it can do good. I know it can."

A small smile spread across the witch's face. After a few moments she let go an inaudible breath, relaxing her shoulders, "Very well. This, however, begs the question of where we're going to make it stay..."

Inko waved a hand, "Oh, we should have enough room for one of Izuku's Grimm. Honestly, I won't hide that I've wanted one as a pet for a while."

The boy looked at his mother with wide eyes, "Mom!"

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Seriously, though, I can keep it in the house. It should be smart enough to understand not to litter, right?"

Izuku furrowed his brow, unsure how to feel about those words, "You're taking it...well..."

Inko's gaze softened, "Honey, I've been dealing with Grimms since you were four. Do you seriously think I haven't learned how to deal with them? Gargoyle may be...special...but, at the end of the day, it's a Grimm. I'll manage."

The boy couldn't help but smile at his mother's confident tone, "...okay mom. Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me Izu. This is really nothing."

Salem looked at the scene with a low smile and something distant in her gaze; however, she soon had to draw attention back to herself, "Well, this matter went better than I thought. Now..." Her expression fell. "...I think I owe you some explanations."

The two greenies exchanged a glance; Kaina herself seemed to be confused.

"This situation is not new to me. I have dealt, in the past, with a special kind of Grimm created using a person as a base."

The Midoriya's eyes widened, where Kaina furrowed her brow. Inko said what everyone was thinking, "Salem...didn't you say that...you once worked with Grimms?"

She kept her gaze on her hands, gently stroking the veins along her palms. When she nodded, Inko covered her mouth as Kaina looked at her with the gears in her head working, "Madam, are you saying that..."

The woman gave a deep sigh, "I have always mentioned my old life, even telling stories and anecdotes, but I have never told you the whole truth. The main reason is that...I didn't know how you would take it. I have done many things in my past, and I have a lot of blood on my hands. So I decided to keep it to myself, hoping I would never have to reveal it. At first I came here with the intention of just talking about Gargoyle, saying my theories and what I know; however...I realized that I couldn't explain it without bringing up a particularly thorny point in my past. And I realized that you, of all people, deserve to know how things are. As they say, secrets ruin relationships, don't they?"

The fact that she was the one to say that sentence was deeply ironic. The rest of the group seemed busy digesting what they had just heard, with Inko holding Izuku's hand with a worried expression on her face and Kaina finally connecting the dots. It was Izuku, however, who first came to a conclusion: "...you know the Grimms like the back of your hand...you've always been skeptical of heroes...you've called yourself a 'queen' a couple of times..."

The emerald eyes grew as big as two teacups, "Auntie...were you a villain in your world?"

Salem clenched her hands, trying to ignore the boy's shocked tone. She didn't succeed too well.

"...Yes. I think it's not an exaggeration to call myself the greatest villain in the history of Remnant. I should know, I was there for most of it."

Immediately the woman's figure seemed to become startlingly ancient, like a relic untethered by time carrying the weight of millennia. The worst part, Izuku and Inko realized almost immediately, was that that was exactly the case. Suddenly all the jokes about Salem's age gained new weight.

Inko swallowed, "Are you...are you serious?"

The witch nodded, "Yes. I only ask you to hold back your questions until I am finished. And I must warn you that it will be quite a long story."

The three exchanged glances and nods, reaffirming their resolve; Salem nodded in turn, taking a deep breath, "Okay...all right then."

"It all started with two people: an adventurer named Ozma...and a girl imprisoned in a tower. Named Salem."

The longer the story went on, the more Izuku could feel the ground crumbling beneath his feet. All the theories he'd made, all the stories he'd imagined when he was a child, all that paled in the face of what was being presented to him.

It was something that sounded like something out of a fantasy tale: a mysterious adventurer saving a girl that, when he died, went to ask the gods to resurrect him, only to be rejected and punished with immortality. The start of the descent into deepest darkness, the rebellion against the creators, the extinction of humanity, the centuries of loneliness...the despair that led her to throw herself into the pool of destruction. Izuku felt sick as he realized what his aunt's appearance meant, and the feeling got worse when he realized what this meant for him whenever he used his quirk too much.

And this was only the beginning.

When she told of her marriage to Ozma, of her life, of her daughters, Inko turned as pale as a washed rag; then, when she told of the fight with her husband and the death of the girls, she couldn't hold back the tears. Kaina was speechless, which was rare for the normally stoic bodyguard.

"From there I spent the remainder of the ages stuck in an eternal game of chess with Ozma, perpetually reincarnated as a mirror of my immortality. Our chessboard were the kingdoms, our pawns the people who lived there. This game went on for centuries, millennias, so long that I lost count of the number of incarnations I faced. It made no difference to me anyway. With one face or another, it was always Ozma."

Salem heaved a sigh, running a hand over her face.

"But I lost. Incredibly, against what I thought...what we thought was possible, I lost. The entity of knowledge had said that destroying me was not possible, so they decided to do the second-best option: chain me to the bottom of the pool of destruction. Barbaric, in some respects, but also efficient. Honestly, how Ozma didn't think of this sooner is something I've never understood."

Eventually, she found the strength to raise her head and look the rest of the people in the room in the face. Their expressions stirred something in the witch's heart.

"From there...you know the rest."

For several seconds, there wasn't a single sound in the room. Izuku, Inko, and Kaina were watching Salem with their voices stuck in their throats, their minds busy digesting the whole thing. The first to recover was the boy, who took a deep breath with his hands in front of his face, "Auntie...Salem, I...I don't know what to say..."

The woman sighed, "I know. I don't expect you to accept it right away...or forgive me."

Everyone gave her strange looks; this time it was Kaina who spoke, "Forgive you? Madam, what is there to forgive?"

Salem wrinkled her brow, "I thought it was clear. I have spent millennia ordering terrible acts, maneuvering people and events to wipe out humanity-"

Izuku interrupted her, "We know, we know that, Auntie. And, honestly, it's going to take me a while to digest it, especially after...everything." The witch winced slightly, realizing too late how bad her timing was: "But, at the same time...we have no proof of what you said."

This caught Salem off guard: "I beg your pardon?"

Kaina nodded, "Ma'am, I have been working with you for, what? Five? Seven years? And I've never seen you planning the destruction of a city or assassinations through goons. Of course, what you do to rival companies could be considered an act of war, and I'm aware of your contacts-"

A glare from Salem was enough to stop that sentence, with the bodyguard giving a little cough to cover her embarrassment, "I was saying, I'm aware that you're not exactly a saint. But, and this I can assure you, I have known and worked for far worse people than you."

The witch sighed, "I doubt it. I get that you don't believe me, but-"

Izuku shook his head, "Auntie, the point is not that we don't believe you. The point is that we've never seen you act like that."

Now Salem was officially confused: "...I think you need to explain your line of thinking in a little more detail."

Izuku and Kaina opened their mouths to explain, but a third voice beat them to the punch: "What they're trying to say is that...you were never a monster to us."

All eyes were on Inko. The plump woman had a look far deeper than her appearance might suggest: "When you first appeared in the middle of our living room, you were confused and scared. You could have done a million things, but you decided to stay with us and help Izuku control his quirk. You defended him against bullies, you helped me at home, you helped Kaina make a new life for herself. In ten years, you have created a great company known by millions of people. I know you're not completely clean, it would be stupid to think you are, but from that to being a monster it's a long shot."

Salem widened her eyes. Izuku nodded, "Mom is right. Auntie, you told me so many things about Remnant, and every time you talked about it you had a wistful smile on your face. It doesn't look like you hate that place...on the contrary, I feel like you miss it."

The witch did not show it openly, but those words struck a nerve. After all, the name she had chosen to give her company was anything but coincidental.

'How pathetic I am. I spent my existence trying to destroy a planet...and now here I am missing it.'

Her hands clenched tightly. For a second, she felt as if her breath was cracking, but it did not last.

Inko took the floor again and, for a split second, Salem was teleported back to the apartment in Musutafu ten years earlier: "I'm sure you've done many...bad things in your life. But everything you were, everything you did...it all stayed in your old world. And it can't follow you unless you let it." A soft smile spread across her face, "Since you got here, you have been what you yourself decided to be: Salem Hexe. Auntie Salem. Nothing more, nothing less."

The witch's eyes widened. Her breathing was slow and measured thanks to centuries of practice in self-control, but she could feel her diaphragm begin to ache and something melt at the base of her stomach. It was only when Kaina and Izuku began to fret that she noticed that she had tears streaking down her cheeks.

This left her even more stunned. How long had it been since she had cried?

A hand rested on her shoulder. It was Izuku, who was looking at her with a furrowed brow, "Are you alright, Auntie?"

Salem felt a lump forming in her throat. With a deep breath she wiped away her tears, regaining control of herself enough to reply, "Y-yeah...yeah, it's okay. I'm fine."

The witch gave the most convincing smile she could muster, which seemed to placate the rest of the room. It wasn't enough to stop Izuku from holding her hand on her shoulder, Inko from giving her an extra serving of Katsudon, or Kaina from giving her worried glances, but it was enough for the moment.

Honestly, it was even more than she could have wished for.

Chapter Text

Once the weekend passed, giving the kids time to rest after the internships, it was time to return to school. Class A was coming into the classroom, exchanging tales of their experiences and bragging about their achievements.

"Yes, I got to assist during a hostage situation. I had to resort to my cool head to not panic." Monoma's voice was as humanly smug as possible, his expression like that of a cat that ate the canary.

Beside him, Sero rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, rub it in our faces. I did routine patrols and that's it, aside from when I put on a performance for a small group of children. Finally, my redemption after the festival!"

Tsuyu brought a finger to her chin, "Good for you. I came face to face with a smuggler."

"...Let me have my moment."

Nearby, Kamakiri was chatting with Kirishima and Tokoyami, "I made a really good decision to go with Shishido. That man knows his stuff."

The redhead opened his mouth in a grin, "I can imagine! Fourth Kind is manly, too, though! All that civil service is enlightening, you know?"

Tokoyami nodded, "I see, I see. I admit it would have been comforting if Hawks, too, had stepped out of the limelight a bit to get closer to the shadows below."

The other two exchanged a confused look, clearly not understanding what the young man was saying; to their rescue came Dark Shadow: "He's saying that we would have liked it if Hawks would've slowed down a bit and spent less time giving autographs."

They immediately nodded, "Oh, got it."

"Hmm, yeah, that makes sense."

Elsewhere, Mina was sprawled along Momo's desk, "Wooo, that a handful...handling all those calls is tough..."

The heiress chuckled, "I can easily believe it. But I guess you didn't have any real problems, knowing you."

The other gave a snort, "That's not quite so true, I was on edge the whole time. I hope it wasn't too noticeable..."

"Relax, I'm sure you were great."

Mina glanced at the other girl, regaining some of her vitality as a smile spread across her face, "Hey, look at you, so peppy and everything. I guess it went well for you, huh?"

Momo couldn't hold back the contentment in her voice, "Oh yes, much better than I thought. Uwabami is an excellent teacher and I was able to do patrols with Kamui Woods! I even helped him with a capture!"

The pinkette widened her eyes, "Waaa, that's so cool! You have to tell me everything, girl!"

Yaoyorozu began to narrate with a big smile, but that anecdote hadn't been the peak of her experience; that, ironically, had happened once she got home.

"Momo. We need to talk."

"Um...F-father?"

"We are...very disappointed in you."

"W-what? Why?"

"We thought we told you, specifically, that you should go with an image heroine."

"I did. I went to the Ebi agency, to Uwabami."

"Oh, did you? Then would you like to explain this?"

A newspaper was thrown on the table. On the front page was a picture of Momo, with her shield up, blocking debris before it could hit nearby civilians.

"I'm reading Kamui Woods there. Not Uwabami. Did the newspaper misspell it? Did the reporters see wrong?"

"...no."

"Then you didn't go to Uwabami."

"...yes."

SLAM!

"Girl, I'm really not in the mood for these games. Honestly, if we had known that UA was going to turn you into this, we wouldn't-"

"It was Uwabami's idea."

...

"Excuse me?"

"Uwabami organized patrols with...different heroes. In this week I also did activities with Yoroi Muusha, Ryuku, and Mirko. But I was always in her agency."

...

"Momo, do you take me for a fool?"

"Absolutely not, Father."

"Oh, really? Because I think you are taking me for a fool."

"Father, I promise you it's the truth."

"You little brat- all right. I'll play along. If you're really so sure, I guess it's okay if I call Uwabami and ask her, right?"

...

The keys were pressed. The man had to wait a short time.

"Hello, Miss Uwabami? Good morning, I hope I'm not bothering ... no, it's okay ... look, I'm calling you about the students who came for internship. You didn't have a girl named Yaoyorozu Momo, did you?"

...

The man's eyes widened wide.

"Wha...really?"

...

"No, wait, excuse me for a moment. If you were with her, how come there is an article showing her with Kamui Woods?"

...

"Huh?"

...The man's face turned red.

"Madam! I really didn't expect this from you! Such a distinguished and upper-class heroine sending a Yaoyorozu among the common rabble-"

...

"...well, yes! You understand that I cannot agree with this decision-"

...

"...I beg your pardon?"

...

...

"No, but I am the girl's father. I decide what is best for her. And we cannot allow a name like ours to be tainted by acts of vulgarity. Our family is descended from highborn people, almost nobility! You cannot-"

...

"...wha..."

...

"Listen well-"

"NO, YOU LISTEN! You may be the head of the Yaoyorozu group, but you can't come and tell me how I should do my job. I take full responsibility for my educational method and the actions of my trainees, and I am ready to defend their credibility. Therefore, I'm telling you: I'm confident that young Momo is a wonderful girl, a very promising hero and should be a source of pride for the Yaoyorozu family."

"...Uwabami..."

...

"You know there will be consequences for this...right?"

...The man clenched his teeth and fist. The girl's eyes were wet.

"...have a good day."

Click.

"..."

"...father?"

"... go to your room."

And so she did. With a small smile on her face.

"Midoriya!"

Todoroki's voice shook the girl out of her story. All glances shifted to the door and to the figure of the greenie who was coming in. His bearing was particularly nervous, his shoulders tense and his gaze downcast. For a second, Momo was lost in looking at his hair, noticing that it seemed shorter, more vivid, highlighting his green eyes-

"Um...hey guys."

Momo could feel her cheeks blush as the boy's voice brought her, again, back down to earth. As she took a deep breath, Uraraka and Iida approached, "Midoriya! Hey, how are you?"

The boy rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh, all in all good. My mother has been inconsolable for a while..."

Uraraka wrinkled her brow, "I believe that. What happened was terrible."

Iida nodded, waving his arms, "Nevertheless, you and Todoroki behaved in the best of ways! The fact that Endeavor himself stood up for you is a testament to your merit!"

Izuku couldn't hold back a small sigh, "...I suppose that's right. But, rather, how did your internships go?"

Momo stood by and watched as the three began to chat, telling each other anecdotes and experiences. His gaze stopped on Midoriya's expression, on his smile that was regaining strength with each second, on his eyes as bright as emeralds-

"Earth to Yaomomo!"

The girl jolted with a shriek, bringing her attention back to a Mina who was giving her a toothy smile: "S-sorry, I got distracted for a second..."

The other rested her face on her hands, "I saw it. Did you get lost in the gaze of a certain edgy broccoli?"

Immediately Yaoyorozu's cheeks turned red: "I-I don't know what you're implying..."

To her surprise, Mina's attitude seemed to change in an instant: her smile was replaced by a pout, her eyebrows furrowed, and her hands thumped against the counter. Despite this, the tone remained gentle: "Okay, no, I can't take it anymore. Girl, I've tried to give you little nudges, to be subtle, but, apparently, you're dense and my patience has a limit. Let me tell you plain and simple: I can tell from a mile away that you like Midoriya and I think, honestly, that you should do something about it."

As annoyed as she was with her friend, Mina made no secret of the fact that she was amused by the way she seemed to be short-circuiting motionless, eyes wide, blush that was slowly taking up most of her face, sounds that tried to be words but always came out jumbled. When her gaze settled on Midoriya again, however, her whole posture relaxed; her expression softened, a faint sigh escaped her lips, her thoughts swimming placidly behind her eyes.

('You are allowed to have crushes. Especially at your age.')

"...I think...you're right, Mina."

This time it was the pink girl's turn to freeze, "Huh?"

Yaoyorozu clenched her hands, looking at them with what seemed to be...what is the positive equivalent of resignation? Acceptance? Something like that, right?

"I think...I really have a crush on Midoriya."

The rest of the class seemed to disappear. There was only Momo, sitting on her desk with her hands on her lap and a growing realization of what her feelings were. For a second she felt light-hearted, as if she had confessed an unbearable secret.

"I have a crush on Midoriya."

Gradually she felt more confident, more in control of herself. She knew how she felt, she could name that feeling, and it was there with her permission. She felt complete-

"...oh my God, I have a crush on Midoriya."

-then almost immediately fell into a panic. She had precisely ZERO experience with handling such feelings, let alone doing anything about them. What was she supposed to do? Ask him out? No, no way, not in this sudden way. Ignore it completely? Absolutely not, all the books she had read on the subject agreed that bottling it all up only leads to problems (If Tsukiyo had used her head she would have realized on her own that trying to make the student body president jealous by dating the nurse was a bad idea).

In short, she was completely panicked. Mina, on the other hand, was having the time of her life.

"Oh my God, your face! You should see yourself, girl!"

Momo quickly came back down to earth, turning to her classmate with a hysterical whisper, "Mina, what the heck am I going to do now? I don't have the faintest idea what I should do in situations like this! Do I tell him? Do I put this aside? Do I leave him clues or something?"

The pink girl had to make a superhuman effort not to burst out laughing, taking deep breaths to keep herself in control enough to give coherent answers, "Wooo, that's some good shit. Okay, first of all: take a deep breath and relax, Yaomomo. We don't want you to pass out like this."

The other obeyed, bringing a hand to her chest and forcing herself to relax. Once she was out of her fit of panic, Mina went back to talking, "Now: how do you feel, really? Do you like the way he looks, do you find him cute, cool, funny...?"

Momo went back to look at the greenie, standing in front of Iida's desk with him and Uraraka beside her, all three of them busy laughing at some story the girl had told. Her onyx eyes softened, a small smile spread across her lips.

"Midoriya...I don't know, he's so many things at once that it's hard to put him in a single role. He's certainly good looking...very good looking...he's also quite adorable when he gets embarrassed, I have to admit. Plus, it's a pleasure to listen to him mumble and do analysis. But, if I'm honest..."

A sigh escaped her lips, "...the truth is, I admire his spirit. I admire his determination to be what he chooses to be, despite the opposition around him. And, most of all, I'm charmed by his good heart and how he manages to be a genuinely good person despite everything that happens." Her gaze softened "I don't know when exactly these feelings became...what they are...but I'm sure it was during USJ that I began to see him as someone truly special."

The smile on her face widened for a second. It was only when Mina sucked air from her teeth that she snapped out of her thoughts, noticing the astonished expression and the blush on the pinkette's face, "Oh honey, you're smitten. You were looking at him like he was the solution to all the world's problems!"

Immediately Momo's cheeks turned as red as her costume. She sank her face into her hands, letting go a stifled groan, "What should I do now?"

"Mh...well, if it were up to me, I would arrange a super romantic moment under a sakura tree, with petals falling while you give him your declaration in the sunset light..." The dreamy tone in Mina's voice disappeared with a sigh, "But I have a feeling it wouldn't work with you. It means we'll have to find another way to tell the little broccoli how you feel!"

The raven-head glanced at her classmate, peeking her eyes out from behind her hands, "You seem to have quite a bit of experience in this regard..."

Mina, surprisingly, shrugged her shoulders, "Nah, not really. I read a lot of romantic manga, but I've never really dated anyone. Although..." Her gaze lowered, a blush appearing on her cheeks; this time it was Momo's turn to have some fun.

"Oh? Did someone catch your eye?"

Mina giggled, nudging her friend, "Yaomomo! I thought you were better than that!"

"Normally I would be, but I'm in a good mood. So, who is it?"

The pink face turned fuchsia: "Well...oh, this is embarrassing..."

Yaoyorozu poked her head with an amused grin, "I told you my crush, now you have to tell me yours!"

Mina raised her hands, "Okay, okay, I get it, I give up!" After checking that no one was hearing her, she leaned closer to the other and whispered, "...Kirishima."

Momo widened her eyes, covering her mouth with her hands, "Really?"

The other nodded, trying to sink her head into her arms to cover her blush, "We've known each other since middle school...he's always been in the background, he was shy and insecure but he looked like sunshine made flesh. He always tried to be 'manly,' to be brave and worthy of admiration, and...I think that's also why I like him so much. He always tries his hardest to be the best possible version of himself, despite everything. He even started coloring his hair and styling it that way!"

"Wait, they're not naturally red?"

"No, they're black! Occasionally you can see the roots growing back if you pay attention!" A dreamy sigh escaped her lips, "He's a bit dumb sometimes, but he's just too adorable. Within this year I plan to ask him out."

Momo had to make an effort not to squeal like a dog toy. Her eyes were positively shining, "That's so cute. You would look great together."

Mina giggled, "Aww, tha- hey, that's not me we were talking about!"

The two girls burst out laughing, one trying to cover her mouth and the other giving jabs on her friend's shoulder. It wasn't dignified or regal or anything like that...but Momo couldn't bring herself to care.

The moment ended when the classroom door opened, letting Aizawa in. All the students had sprinted to their seats with a speed beyond incredible, managing to be in perfect order before the professor could even get his nose into the room.

He walked to the desk, made a quick check of the classroom, and then addressed the class, "Students, welcome back. Since the school has received no complaints from agencies and the only early returns were due to...extraordinary circumstances..." In saying this he glanced at Midoriya, who lowered his gaze slightly. "...I guess everything went relatively well. However, just to be on the safe side, if you feel that something isn't right you are strongly encouraged to talk to me and/or Hound Dog about it."

The kids nodded, which the teacher took as a signal to move on: "If you want some dispassionate advice, keep the contacts you made during this week, they will come in extremely handy in the future. With the professional side of your curriculum momentarily out of the way, it's time to focus on the academic side: around the end of next month there will be the trimester's finals. I don't think I need to tell you why they're important, but just to give you a little extra motivation: if you fail that exam, you won't be able to participate in the summer camp organized by the school, so make sure you study."

A collective shudder ran down a good chunk of the class, mainly those furthest behind academically (Momo was pretty sure she could see Mina swallowing nervously). Aizawa ignored the general nervousness and continued, "While I'm at it, those of you who made requests for costume changes before internships are invited to stop by the support department to check how they're going. Also, feel free to point out any flaws or improvements you thought of while you were in the field. Give the support students something to do."

The final comment managed to draw out a couple of chuckles. The teacher gave a final sigh, "Well, these are all the announcements I had to give you. The first subject of the morning is Hero Law, so grab your books at page 45, today we will look at the regulations regarding the use of quirks in professional environment."

"...for the rest, I didn't do much. Exercises and paperwork, that's all."

Todoroki finished telling Midoriya about his experience, taking another mouthful of Soba. Around the cafeteria table, along with the two of them, were Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu, and Tokoyami, each with food in front of them.

The greenie replied, "So, I didn't miss anything."

"Nah, don't worry. After what happened to Hosu, I guess they wanted to cut me some slack."

The other nodded, taking a sip from the can of soda; across the table, Uraraka slumped back: "Whooo, it's good to be back. Although having hero law as the first subject is tough..." 

Tsuyu patted her back: "Look on the bright side, this afternoon we have heroics foundationals."

Yaoyorozu downed the mouthful of food before replying, "Speaking of which, has All Might regained the position? It's already been two months, almost three, since the incident."

Iida and Tokoyami exchanged a glance, then shrugged simultaneously, "I have no idea. I guess we'll just have to see..."

Midoriya took another bite of rice, looking up in thought, "Um...honestly, I hope so. Being taught by the number one hero is a dream come true! Besides, what happened that time wasn't completely his fault; he couldn't have known how bad things truly were."

Tsuyu brought a finger to her chin, "I guess you're right...I hope he picks up that class on rescue maneuvers."

Uraraka nodded vigorously, "Oh yes! Gee, I almost forgot! Which is quite embarrassing, since I want to be a rescue heroine..."

Todoroki finished his portion of Soba, then wiped his mouth and replied, "Be that as it may, I have to stop by the support department. They should have finished the new version of my costume...at least I hope so."

Izuku nodded, "Oh yeah. No offense, the costume you used during the internship was a little...um..."

"Bland? Ugly? Uninspired?"

Iida raised his eyebrows, "Todoroki, don't say that! Even if it was a temporary design, I'm sure it was worthy of the hero you are!"

He and the greenie exchanged a very eloquent look; the tone in which Izuku replied was as dry as humanly possible: "He looked like an industrial warehouse worker. His first costume, the one with half his body frozen, was a better design than that."

This time it was Tokoyami's turn to raise his invisible eyebrows, "Seriously?"

Todoroki nodded, "Yup. It was a temporary design, they didn't put much effort into it. Just a blue jumpsuit, red cuffs and cooling system on the back. It didn't scream 'invincible hero'..."

"Nor 'Freezerburn'"

"...But it got the job done. But yeah, I need a serious costume."

Tokoyami crossed his arms, deep in thought; finally he replied, "I think I will accompany you on this task."

All eyes rested on him, "Uh? How come?"

"During my internship with Hawks, I realized how dreadful are the chains that-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Dark Shadow came out of his body, "Fumi, too much. I'm not your personal translator, give it a rest."

The way the boy blushed was visible even beyond the black feathers, "Dark Shadow! You're embarrassing me!"

Dark Shadow rolled her eyes (which was impressive, given the lack of eyeballs), "You should be embarrassed by the way you talk. You're not 12 years old anymore, you can speak comprehensibly and don't make me have to explain what you mean every time."

Uraraka was making an incredible effort not to burst out laughing. The feathered boy, for his part, stammered for a couple of seconds, then finally gave up and started again, "Being forced to chase Hawks for days on end made me realize how much my costume reduces my mobility. I need something that allows me to put my hands forward without having to pull up my cape every time."

The entire table nodded, giving the boy the courtesy of not bursting out laughing and focusing on the technical side of the conversation, "Yeah, you're not wrong. I think I'll come too, my costume has been a bit messed up from what happened to Hosu."

Yaoyorozu let out a sigh, watching the greenie return his focus to his food. She could guess that that was not a topic Izuku wanted to focus on, so she tried to veer the course of the conversation, "So, worried about the exams?"

Immediately the table devolved into grunts, excited and nervous comments, and propositions to study all at once. Along with a single grateful look near her.

President Takibana rubbed her temple with two fingers, fervently wishing she had an aspirin in hand. The reports she was reading were putting her in a foul mood.

Since All Might had become the Symbol of Peace, the population's trust in heroes had remained steadily at an all-time high; everyone admired them, many wanted to be one, children looked at them in awe, adults with respect. The figure of the hero was what kept the country on its feet, both socially, economically, and politically. Japan was experiencing a golden age where heroes, and especially All Might, represented the ideal that every person should aspire to.

At least, that had been the case up to that point.

The chairwoman of the Hero Public Safety Commission was aware that there was a portion of the population dissatisfied with current policies, as was natural in all governments. This opposition consisted of the possessors of complex mutations, quirks who alter the physiology of the body so much that they stopped looking human, and so-called "villain" quirks, meaning all those deemed dangerous or 'unsightly' and thus exposed to social stigma. Up to that point she hadn't worried too much about these dissenting voices: they were an expected and, in some ways, planned phenomenon, the magnitude and tone of which fell within the parameters she imagined. So, she had continued with her agenda, with the Rashomon Program and Heroes of Tomorrow, with agency administration and rankings management.

However, this year things were very different. And at the center of it all was UA.

The president hated Nedzu with a passion that had few equals. That malformed rat was the closest thing she had to a serious threat, and the worst part was that he knew it well: more than once she had found herself watching as that school altered or completely negated institutional orders to push through whatever schedule it had. The fact that that school was the number one in the country made it all the more difficult because it reduced the Commission's room for maneuver even more while increasing Nedzu's. And having All Might himself as a teacher had only made the situation worse.

When the League of Villains had attacked the school, the first thing the woman thought was, 'Finally, serious ammunition against that rat'. She had waited for years for the AU to slip up, and finally it happened: the Commission fiercely attacked Nedzu and his authority, managing to sway part of the government to its side. Thanks to this, they were able to prevent the Sports Festival from being canceled, despite the principal's concerns. The woman didn't care much: the only thing that mattered was keeping the event going, making sure that the people got their annual dose of entertainment and action.

In hindsight, it would have been better to let the rat cancel the festival.

A. Single. Brat. A single brat had taken everything the festival meant and turned it upside down. Instead of showing everyone why heroes were something special that not everyone could be ("Look what that little kid managed to do...what hope do I have, with my measly quirk?"), he had asserted that anyone could perform heroic acts in their own way ("Maybe I'm not as strong as they are, but even I can be a hero in my own little corner!"). He was starting to paint grey shades onto heroics, when it should have been black and white.

It was necessary for the population to forget about that brat, quickly.

To discredit such a prominent figure, there are two ways: either ridicule him or demonize him. The first option would have been the easiest to implement; it would have been sufficient for him to lose the festival. A defeat would have been enough to take all the weight off his words, shifting the focus to the winner. But the universe must've hated her, because that brat had ended up dominating the festival. The attention remained on him all the time, in one way or another, until the very last moment. All the way to the podium, where he ended up in first place. Damn him, damn Nedzu, damn All Might, and damn every single teacher in that damn school.

(Digging into the brat's past didn't help, on the contrary: bullied, forced to move, father absent from his life, he had the perfect backstory for the narrative of a revolutionary hero. Not to mention that he had among his emergency contacts Salem Hexe, CEO of the multinational corporation that was emerging as a giant in the national market. Seeing that name had taken a few years off the president's lifespan).

Since he couldn't be ridiculed, she ought to demonize him. Show him as uncontrollable, dangerous, unworthy of being a hero...as a villain in disguise.

But even that plan had gone up in smoke. The reason? Hosu.

Jesus Christ, Hosu.

For three days, the president had been doing nothing but managing the biggest shitshow since the beginning of the All Might era. A large-scale terrorist attack that had claimed nearly a hundred lives and wounded four times as many, orchestrated by a criminal organization previously unknown but that had managed to earn the S rank within a few months of its debut, initiated in tandem with the presence of the hero killer...had Endeavor not been on the scene, probably a quarter of the city would have become a statistic.

Which brought her to the supreme mockery, the icing on the cake of irritation: the festival brat, of course, had decided to do his internship with Endeavor. Of course, he had been caught up in the attack. And, of course, he had proven to be anything but a villain.

The reports spoke volumes: the Grimms had been a godsend against the Nomus used by the league, allowing a situation that could have gone on for hours to be sorted in less than thirty minutes. The people of Hosu were doing nothing but singing the kid's praises, and Endeavor added to it with that damn press conference.

'Sweet Jesus Endeavor, think for a second before you speak!'

Articles that, while sensationalist, might have represented the seed of doubt toward the kid and what he stood for had been branded as badmouthing the second they came out. The amount of negative reception those headlines received was almost comical.

The president put her hands in her hair. The voices she had hitherto ignored, those too disjointed and weak to be a threat, had just found two equally problematic catalysts:

On the one hand, the League of Villains and their mission of indiscriminate destruction, in whose name they claimed the responability for Hosu attack.

On the other, Midoriya Izuku and his prospect of a new system where heroes are no longer the sole arbiters of morality.

Two thorns in her side that, if left unchecked, could have become the nails that would have hammered the Commission to the cross.

Mera chose that as the moment to enter the office, with a file in hand and looking even more tired than usual. The chairwoman glanced at him, "Mera. I hope whatever you have in your hand is good news."

The man gave a sigh so deep it sounded like his last breath, "Well...nyes. These are the training reports of the new recruits." Laying the file on the desk, he picked up a few sheets of paper and began to explain, "For the most part, they are pliable kids who learn quickly. There are a few who are falling behind, but the margin of delay is acceptable. Their growth should proceed as planned... with one exception."

The woman raised an eyebrow, "Are you talking about R28? Conflagration?"

The man ran a hand over his face, "Madam, I want to be honest with you: I'm starting to understand why Nedzu expelled that boy. Plainly speaking, he is not hero material."

The president hardened her gaze, tapping her finger against the table, "I don't care what Nedzu thinks, I care that you conform him. We have broken far harder wills."

The man shook his head and pulled out a usb drive: "I think you need to take a look at this. I hope it will make you understand my concerns."

The woman raised an eyebrow but decided to humor her employee: she took the flash drive, inserted it into the computer, and opened the related file, which contained several video files. The last of these was probably the one Mera was referring to, so she opened it.

The video had been taken from one of the surveillance cameras in the training rooms. In it, she could see a training session, a match between R28 and another recruit with dark skin and a short dog tail (the papers said this was R10, codenamed 'Guard Dog'). The two squared off for a second before sprinting, one forward and the other backward; R10 pointed his finger forward, said a single word, and immediately R28 found himself motionless in the air like a statue.

For something like five seconds.

A violent explosion broke R10's concentration, who instinctively stepped back with his hands in front of his face; as soon as the quirk was gone, R28 sprang forward and began pelting the other with explosions, one after the other, one stronger and more precise than the other. The final blast threw R10 against the wall, still standing but with shaking legs and a bleeding torso.

Then the situation worsened.

When the handler decreed the end of the bout, R28 seemed not to hear him and instead sprang forward with explosions, delivering a knee to R10's diaphragm followed by an explosion that threw him violently against the corner. The man in black had to intervene with his quirk, slamming his hand on the ground and creating threads of stone that bound the blond. The microphones managed to record the dialogue that followed.

"R28! I said the match is over!"

"It's not! The bastard is still standing, he could have tried something!"

"That's not important. What you have to do is obey what you are told, and I told you to stop."

"I only stop when I'm sure I've won, and I hadn't won yet. He could have tried to block me at the last second or hit me while my back was turned. I had to be sure."

"It's not up to you to decide when the fight is over."

"Of course it is! I'm the hero here, I'm the one who will be on the battlefield!"

"That's enough! You will now go back to your room and wait to receive your punishment for disobeying orders and talking back to your superior. Do I make myself clear?"

"...Fuck off."

The stone ropes tightened, digging into the flesh of his arms and shoulders. The boy gave a hiss of pain.

"Am. I. Clear?"

"...Fuck. Off."

The boy was slammed violently on the ground.

"R28, our patience has a limit. We're not going to waste our time with a kid who can't do what he's told, so you better behave yourself."

"...I said...FUCK OFF!"

The situation escalated frighteningly fast: the boy cupped his hands and, after half a second of charging, released a very bright explosion, with lots of smoke and extremely loud. The man had to cover his face with his hands, but in doing so he failed to notice that the impact of the explosion had shattered the stone strings. Before the man could realize what was happening, a pair of hands landed on his chest and stomach, releasing two explosions so violent that, were it not for the special material of the suit, it would have ended up opening two holes in his body. The man flew backwards, tumbling on the floor until he hit the opposite wall; before the boy could do anything else, however, the door to the room opened, letting in five or six other employees who managed to pin the boy to the ground and put on him some quirk-suppressing handcuffs.

The president stopped the video and rubbed between her eyes; after a few seconds, she turned to the employee in front of her, "Mera. With all the professionalism I am capable of: what the fuck did I just see?"

The man ran a hand over his face, "The source of all my headaches in recent weeks. That damn brat is simply unmanageable; every employee who has to deal with him ends up having to go to the infirmary, sometimes even two or three at once! Every time, every single time, that we start to put his head down and make him comply, he responds violently. The worst part is that it's not blind violence: R28 has fighting talent to spare, in that respect his progress is nothing short of incredible. But his will seems to be made out of steel."

The president stood for a second looking at the man, trying to figure out whether or not he was exaggerating; when she realized that no, R28 was THAT problematic, she took a deep breath: "...find a way to break him. Use quirk-canceling handcuffs for training, put him against our best agents, let him know he's not in control."

Mera nodded, marking everything on a notebook. After a few seconds of thought, he replied, "If I may ask...are we sure we want to keep him in Heroes of Tomorrow? It would be so much easier in the Rashomon Program..."

Takibana gave him a look so dry it bordered on the scandalized, "You're kidding, I hope. If there's one kid we have to keep on a leash, that's R28. He has the potential to surpass even Hawks and he knows it; to put him in the Rashomon Program is to practically give him free rein when he gets out of here. This can end in two ways, neither of which is an option we can afford: the first is that he becomes a vigilante, which would mean having a Stain 2.0 on the streets targeting villains; the second, and God help us all if it happens, is that his faith in heroes is completely shattered, making him prime material for organized villain groups...like the League of Villains."

Mera immediately turned as pale as a washed rag, and the president could not blame him: giving a group like the League their dirty laundry would be suicide.

She ran a hand over her face, "We need to keep him here as long as possible, breaking him down to make him malleable. Our safety and way of life depend on it. I hope I made myself clear."

The man nodded, taking the file with him and leaving the office. Takibana slumped in her chair, taking a deep breath with her eyes closed.

'I can do this. I have always made it, we always survived, we will survive this too. We are heroism, after all.'

Chapter Text

Inko shook her head with a smile, watching her son clean the house with a rush that bordered on worrying.

"'Tidy up, tidy up, I have to tidy everything up...especially my room...'"

The woman enjoyed the scene (and the free chores) for a few more moments before deciding she had her fun enough, approaching the boy and putting a hand on his shoulder, "Izuku, hey, relax. As much as I appreciate seeing you clean with such enthusiasm, there's no need to be nervous."

The greenie threw his arms in the air, "Easy for you to say! Yaoyorozu and the others will be here soon to study, and I can't let them see the house in this state! How would that look?"

Perched above the stairs, in a manner worthy of his name, Gargoyle gave hoarse whispers, "Everniiight...troubled..."

Izuku had to shake off the eerie feeling that rose every time he heard the grimm speak, along with the temptation to call him by his old name: "Thank you, T...Gargoyle, I can see that for myself."

The grimm gave a low snicker-like sound (how freaking smart was he?) and curled up in his own wings; Inko, on the other hand, shook her head and said, "What he meant is that you're too worked up. We're not being visited by the prime minister or All Might, are we? They're your classmates, people who have already come here, by the way. No need to be so anxious!"

The boy sighed, rubbing his arm, "Hmm...you're right, I guess...it's just that a lot more people will be visiting this time, more than I've ever had at home before. And many of them have never been here before, so it will be their first impression. And I don't want to make them think I'm being rude by making them see the house as a mess. And I also need to keep them from getting too scared with Gargoyle-"

"Izuku!"

His mother's voice pulled the boy out of his thoughts. With a sigh, the woman replied, "You're worrying too much about things that mean little. I don't think they'll care if the house has papers scattered on the table or a speck of dust in the wrong place; in fact, I'm willing to bet that some of your classmates are much more messy than you are."

He opened his mouth to retort...and closed it again when he remembered that among the people who would be coming were Mina and Kaminari. Not finding anything to refute the point, he nodded.

"See, relax, it's nothing serious. Besides, after these months in class I think your classmates are well beyond making any judgments about your room."

The boy sighed, lowering his gaze. Inko tilted her head, letting her son ponder what she had said, his brow furrowed and his mouth twisted into a grimace; after a few seconds of thought, he gave a sigh, "Yeah, you're right..."

The woman chuckled, "Come on, cheer up. Everything will be fine."

The boy scratched the back of his head with an expression that didn't seem to relax much. Well, Inko couldn't allow that.

"So...any cute girls in the class you have your eye on?"

With impressive speed, Izuku's entire face turned as red as a strawberry: "M-M-MOM!"

The woman tilted her head with mock naiveté, "Oh? What's the matter Izuku? Do you like boys? I don't judge."

The boy crumpled in on himself in an attempt to hide from his mother's sight, "N-No- that is, sort of- I mean, kinda- but it's not- AAAARGH!"

The woman could no longer hold her demeanor and burst out laughing, followed closely by Gargoyle. Izuku shot a dirty look at the grimm, "Shut up you! Honestly, how can you laugh? Aren't you supposed to be pure negativity?"

Gargoyle replied with what was probably meant to be a sneer, "Evernight...embarrassed...funny..."

The boy felt one eye starting to twitch. He wasn't sure how to take the news that Gargoyle, and thus probably other grimm-nomu like him (for whom he would find an official name sooner or later), was capable of humor as long as it was at someone's expense. It was...apt, in a way. 

Inko, deciding she had had enough fun, took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, okay, I got it. Seriously Izu, is there anyone you like? Girl, boy, anyone?"

The greenie lowered his gaze, feeling his cheeks begin to blush. His mother gave a wide smile, "Ooh? Is there really someone?"

Izuku replied with a red face, "Come on mom, you're embarrassing me..."

"Hey, I'm your mother, it's part of my job! Come on, spill the beans, who is it? Uraraka? Iida? Oh, Yaoyorozu maybe?"

As soon as she said the last name, the boy flinched, which he tried to cover up by closing in even more. The woman's face broke into a colossal smile.

"Wait, is it really Yaoyorozu? Aaaaw!"

Izuku covered his face with a bellow, "Mooooooom!"

Inko chuckled, "Hey, what's with that face? You two would be adorable together!"

The boy gave her a dry look, made much less threatening by the strawberry-like color of his face: "Mom, please, it's not like that."

The woman raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

"No! I mean, okay, Yaoyorozu is...beautiful, but the whole class knows that. And she's smart. And talented. And full of enthusiasm. And the way her eyes light up when she talks about things she likes is lovely. And I could fall asleep to the sound of her voice when she hums soul songs. And when she lets her hair down she looks like she belongs in a Renaissance portrait. And..."

His voice faded as his eye fell on his mother and the wide grin on her face, "And? Go on, I want to hear!"

The blush returned with a vengeance, coupled with a snort and a stammer that Inko hadn't heard in months, "N-never mind! It doesn't matter, because it won't go anywhere anyway."

The woman tilted her head, "Hey, come on, why do you have to say that? Did you have a fight?"

Izuku shook his head, "N-no...but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't have a shred of a chance with her anyway."

"That's not true!"

"But it is! I mean, it's still Yaoyorozu Momo we're talking about! A recommendation student! She has more money than my entire class and their families combined! If she wanted she could have boys and girls three times better than me at her feet!" A sigh escaped his lips, "What chance do I have? I'm just...Izuku."

For a second he almost said "Deku," but managed to catch himself. From his position above the stairs, Gargoyle gave a low snort, leaning forward slightly as if he were watching the greenie carefully; Inko, for her part, put her hands on her hips with a huff.

"Midoriya Izuku, don't you feel that you are doing Yaoyorozu and yourself a great disservice by thinking this way?"

The greenie looked at his mother with a furrowed brow, "Uh? What do you mean?"

The woman began counting on her fingers, "Point one: I am aware that she's very rich, I know who her parents are, but that doesn't mean anything. Money doesn't buy love, no matter what greedy old hags or stupid vain little girls say." The comment managed to elicit a chuckle from the boy, who listened to his mother as she continued speaking.

"Second, you are a UA student, the first runner-up in the first-year sports festival, the intern who rescued Hosu; does that sound like minor stuff? Being 'just Izuku,' as you said, entails a lot of interesting and special things." 

Izuku blushed for the umpteenth time, but before he could retort in any way his mother resumed, "Third, don't you think your chances are something Yaoyorozu has to decide? After all, if you really want to ask her out, which I think you should, it's her judgment that matters; likewise, if she were the one to ask you out you would be the one who would have the final say."

Her expression softened, in the manner that the boy and his aunt had come to associate with love and safety: "You don't know in advance how she feels about you. Before you say you have no chance, try asking her out. You know what they say, you miss every shot you don't take!"

The greenie rubbed his arm with a furrowed brow and a low gaze; a whisper escaped his lips, "What if...she rejects me?"

Inko laid a hand on his cheek, "Then you would know for sure instead of agonizing over 'what ifs' and 'maybes.' And you'd still be able to tell yourself 'at least I tried.'"

The boy heaved a sigh, finally opening into a small smile, "Eh...I guess you're right. Thanks, Mom."

The woman patted him on the cheek, "Oh, that's my job."

Knock knock knock!

The moment ended when someone knocked on the door. Izuku immediately went to open it, finding Yaoyorozu's face in front of him.

"O-oh, Yaomomo! Y-you're here!"

The girl took a step back, a veil of blush covering her cheeks, "Yes, we're all here. I hope we're not late..."

As she said this she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, a simple gesture that seemed to turn the scene into a shot from a romantic anime: a shy look turned sideways, her posture awkward with her hands clasped around her bag, a slight veil of blush on her cheeks-

"Hey, mido? Everything okay?"

Kaminari's voice violently brought the greenie back down to earth. He shook his head to clear the violent blush from his face (it didn't work), stepped away from the door, and said aloud, "O-oh, yes, it's okay! Please , come in, come in!"

Momo walked in with a nod of thanks and a greeting to Inko, Mina and Kaminari exchanged a smug glance as they crossed the threshold, Tsuyu ran her gaze over the house and interiors, Tokoyami didn't do too much fanfare but perked up in Inko's presence. He was also the first to notice Gargoyle's presence, which he made known by jumping backward coupled with a loud gasp.

"ACK-! What the heck?!"

The Grimm gave a hoarse huff, which was immediately silenced by a glance from Midoriya: "Don't try it, they're guests." Once he was assured that the monster wouldn't try any funny business, he turned to the rest of the kids, "Um, please keep calm...Gargoyle isn't aggressive...by Grimm standards..."

It was lucky that the class had gotten used to the presence and appearance of the grimms, because the sight of Gargoyle perched on the stairs was, admittedly, quite scary. Tokoyami, paradoxically, was the first to recover: "My apologies, I was taken by surprise."

The boy waved a hand, "No, no, it's okay. I can't say I don't understand you."

Mina approached the grimm, placing a hand on his armored head and petting him like a dog: "Waaaa, that's cool! Who is the most awesome grimm in the house? Who is the most beautiful, the strongest, the coolest? Is it you? Yes it's you!"

Izuku and Inko giggled at the scene, especially at the way Gargoyle seemed to grumble to himself but did nothing to deflect the attention. Tsuyu tilted her head, bringing a finger to her chin as her usual, "You know, I was actually wondering if you had a pet grimm, kero...but I thought it would be a beowulf or ursa pup, little things like those."

The boy sighed, "Gargoyle is...a special case. He's not something I can pull out like a normal grimm, and if he was destroyed I couldn't recreate him."

Kaminari raised his eyebrows, "Eh, really? What's so special about it?"

Izuku took a breath, taking a moment to gather his thoughts and find the right words. The rest of the group exchanged confused looks, but before they could ask questions the boy sighed, "Um...suffice to say that I created it in Hosu...during the attack. It is the product of a moment of panic."

Inko sighed, looking at his son with a furrowed brow and a hand on Gargoyle's skull, caressing it as he basked in the general melancholy; the rest of the kids, for their part, made noises of understanding or sadness, "Ooooh, I see...sorry I brought it up, man."

The greenie shook his head, "Nah, no worries, it doesn't matter...anymore." After a moment he clapped his hands with a smile, "But rather, are you hungry? We should have snacks somewhere."

Murmurs of assent and thanks ran among the group, which were answered by Inko: "All right then. You guys go study, I'll bring you the food...and I'll also keep Gargoyle at bay."

The grimm grumbled for a second, then holed up in his wings. Whether he had fallen asleep or not, it was impossible to tell.

"...and around 2119, with the Edict of Tokyo, the dark age of Quirks ended and the modern period began...oooof, okay, can we take a break? Two more minutes like this and the brain will end up dripping from my ears."

Tsuyu stretched, rubbing a shoulder, "I wouldn't mind, kero. We've been going nonstop for three hours..."

Momo glanced at the rest of the kids arranged around the room, all more or less exhausted, closed her book and clapped her hands, "Okay then, let's take a fifteen-minute break."

At that announcement, the whole room seemed to collapse in on itself: Denki and Mina sprawled on the floor with exhausted sighs, Izuku leaned back leaning on his hands, Tsuyu did the same but leaned on her elbows, Tokoyami chose to lie down completely, his face turned toward the ceiling.

Mina put her hands on her head, rubbing her temples as if she had a migraine, "Uuuugh, I can't take it anymore...my head is pounding..."

Kaminari moaned with his face to the ground, "Ditto...the only thing worse than this are the times when I fry my brain..."

Izuku looked at the blond, tilting his head: "Speaking of which, does that keep happening to you? I haven't seen you short-circuited anymore, but still..."

The other shrugged, "Occasionally, yes. I mean, don't get me wrong, it no longer happens every time I use my quirk, but that's only because I've stopped using indiscriminate discharges so often. Which is great, for goodness’ sake! However...I don't know, it seems a bit of a waste to have a quirk like mine and not be able to do big ranged attacks, you know?"

Tsuyu tilted her head, "Don't you have the Thunderclap?"

Kaminari managed to push himself up on his elbows, "Yes, but it's not perfect...the blast of electricity ends up hitting me too, which makes me dizzy and knocks me out. It's not as bad as my short circuits, but it still feels like I'm smoking a joint."

Izuku nodded, crossing his arms, "I see...normally problems like that are solved by support items. You might try asking Power Loader."

"Do you think I would have time to have the costume modified before the exam?"

Momo laid a hand on her cheek, "I don't think so...the support class has its own exams to take. The students are not there just to look after our costumes."

Tokoyami nodded with his arms crossed, where Mina furrowed her brow, "But Todoroki and Midoriya went to get their costumes revised after their internships...?"

Izuku sighed, "Todoroki used a placeholder while they were working on the final version...and then, Hosu happened. Let's say ours are special cases."

The girl nodded with a small sigh, resting her head on her arms. Her gaze ran all over the room, looking at the various pieces of heroic merchandise, the notebooks on the shelves, the posters on the walls...until one in particular caught her eye.

"Uh? Hey Mido, who's that?"

All gazes shifted to a specific drawing hanging on the wall, depicting a girl in combat pose, dressed in armor with long red hair falling over her shoulders and sharp green eyes. The thing that most interested Mina, however, was what she was holding.

"Yaomomo, she's holding your spear!"

The girl approached, looking at the drawing carefully: indeed, the red-haired girl was holding Milo in one hand and protecting her body with Akoùo. Her expression was furrowed, her focus on an imaginary enemy off-screen. Izuku sat up, "Oh, that one! I'm especially proud of that drawing."

Tsuyu stood up, looking at the drawing with her head tilted, "I don't recognize it..."

The greenie waved a hand, "Oh, she's not a hero...technically. That's the invincible girl, a hero student famous in the country my aunt's from. She used to tell me stories of the various heroes who lived in her time, and I like to draw them."

Momo widened her eyes, " She's the girl to whom Milo and Akoùo belonged?"

Izuku nodded, "Yup. She was the equivalent of the Big Three, an undefeated champion. Unfortunately, she died before she could finish her studies when her school got under attack." A sigh escaped his lips, "Every time Auntie talks about it, she sounds sad..."

He decided that his classmates didn't need to hear the details of the story. Like, who ordered the attack on the academy.

Kaminari let out a whistle, "Gee...I mean, full respect for her, absolutely, however...to die before graduating..."

Tokoyami sat down, crossing his arms gravely, "The possibility is real for us, too. I mean...some of us risked it during our internships."

Izuku nodded, lowering his gaze to mask the flinch. Tsuyu, however, noticed him anyway and gave the bird boy a slap, "Too soon, kero."

"O-oh, um...my apologies."

The greenie shook his head, "N-no, it doesn't matter, really. After all, you're right, the possibility is real. We are studying to do a dangerous job." A sigh escaped his lips as he brought his gaze to the drawing, "And she knew it."

All gazes stopped on that image, giving it a semblance of mysticism not too similar to that of a memoir; Yaoyorozu looked at the face, the sharp eyes, the red hair...then wrinkled her brow, noticing something strange.

"She looks...familiar..."

Izuku wrinkled his forehead, moving closer to get a better look, "Uh? What do you mean?"

Mina, too, finally found the strength to stand up and approach the drawing, "What's strange about it?"

Momo brought a finger to her lip, looking at the drawing like an art critic, "I don't know...I feel like I've seen this girl before..."

The teens crowded around to look at the drawing, with Tsuyu having to jump on Tokoyami's back to see. Kaminari muttered, "Hmm...now that you mention it..."

Izuku looked at the blond, "Huh? You too?"

Tokoyami rubbed his chin, "I'm noticing it too, now that I look at it closely..."

The greenie threw his hands in the air, "Is there anything you want to tell me that I don't know? Do you know who she is? Have you seen her on television and no one told me anything?"

Kaminari took half a step back, raising his hands with a nervous grin, "Hey man, relax! It's just an impression, it's nothing to-"

"Doesn't she look a little like Yaomomo?"

All eyes settled on Mina, still busy observing the drawing. All the room's attention focused on the image, the eyes, the expression. Tsuyu tilted her head, "Well, the shape of the eyes is similar..."

Momo blushed. Izuku as well.

Kaminari ran his gaze between the girl and the drawing several times, his smile growing wider and wider: "Oh my God, it's true! If Yaomomo had her hair down or the one in the drawing had it in a tail, they would be the spitting image of each other!"

The blush became more intense.

The expression on Mina's face became similar to the cat that ate the canary, "Mido, you said you drew that?"

The greenie swallowed, stammering in a manner not too dissimilar to the beginning of the year, "W-well......I-I didn't have pictures o-of the girl...and I-I kind of imagined her..."

Tsuyu retorted, managing to convey the teasing despite her impassive face: "And your imagination led you to use Yaomomo as a model?"

Izuku sank into himself. Yaoyorozu was as red as a bell pepper, her gaze focused on the drawing that, she now recognized, was so similar to her. After a few seconds, she managed to find her voice again, "I...am flattered, but...why me?"

The greenie's arms knotted around his head in an instinctive attempt to hide; even so, however, he replied, "...I...didn't...do it consciously...I simply drew the description Auntie gave me and...this was the result."

Kaminari threw an arm around the boy's neck, giving him a knowing grin, "Eeeeh Mido, you sly fox! Are you trying to be romantic?"

Izuku's face turned so red that he looked like he was about to become a dwarf star. With a grunt he shoved the blond: "Kaminari, I'm not above creating a cockroach grimm and sticking it in your pants! Don't test me!"

The two quickly devolved into a squabble, which Mina joined for the sheer sake of creating chaos while Tokoyami stood by and watched, him sighing and Dark Shadow snickering. Momo, for her part, didn't register the mess around her, focused as she was on the drawing and what she heard.

"It's a nice drawing, isn't it?"

Momo nodded, hardly registering Tsuyu's presence beside her.

"It's...beautiful. Very beautiful."

She didn't notice the smile that spread across her face.

Sitting on the couch in his house, laptop open in front of him, Kagero crossed his fingers with a furrowed brow. A sigh escaped from his lips, his fingers took the cigarette he held in his mouth and crushed it in the case; after which, he started the video again.

"Heroes...they're really cool, aren't they?"

Shigaraki's unmistakable scraped voice rose from the screen against a black background, dripping with sarcasm.

"After all, heroes are the best there is. They are the answer to every evil. A bank gets robbed? The heroes will take care of it. A husband beats his wife and daughter? Let the heroes take care of that. A starving child wanders the streets, alone, cold and scared? That's a perfect job for the heroes!"

A slideshow began to roll across the screen, providing a visual representation of what the villain was saying. Suddenly, it went back to black.

"What a load of crap."

When the video resumed, it showed a series of clips taken from different news articles, all depicting heroes busy patrolling, greeting their fans, speaking at press conferences.

"This society treats heroes as if they were gods come down to earth, gracing us mortals with their presence. But the truth is quite different: heroes are nothing but blowhards, walking around in their nauseatingly colorful costumes, smiling as if the world were a perfect place made of candy and pink unicorns. Us, though, we know what the world is really like, don't we?"

More images began to scroll across the screen. Images of families in poverty, of abandoned houses, of rundown neighborhoods. The voice had become venomous.

"The world is a cesspool where rivers of shit and blood flow, where rats kill each other for a little extra food. There is no justice, no chivalry: there is only cruelty and survival. Heroes pretend to fight for a better world, but all they do is fill their bellies at the expense of the last, the desperate. Of the so-called villains."

Shigaraki's voice gave a snicker that sounded anything but amused.

"Now, I suppose you're thinking that I resent heroes. That I detest them from the bottom of my heart. That I want nothing more than to see them all burn, screaming in agony...but I don't."

The worst thing about the last sentence was the fact that it wasn't clear whether it was ironic or not.

"You see, I like to consider myself an understanding person. If I really have to destroy something, I'd better destroy the right thing, you know? So, I asked myself, killing heroes indiscriminately would be...cathartic, it's true...but would it be useful? The answer I gave myself is no. No, killing heroes, per se, wouldn't do any good. What is it they say in Europe? 'When one pope dies, another one is made'? Well, the same is true of heroes: there are so many of them that killing one or two doesn't change anything, in the grand scheme of things."

The screen showed images of a city seen from above, probably from a drone. Kagero immediately recognized Hosu.

"The solution to this dilemma is simple: we have to aim higher. Where the important decisions are made. Where all the injustice, the inequality that forms the basis of this rot is born and proliferates. Where heroes are declared as such."

"To clean up this society....we need to raze it to the ground."

Fire.

As soon as Shigaraki finished saying the last sentence, Hosu fell into chaos. A montage showed images of death and destruction, of heroes fighting and civilians fleeing in panic. Shigaraki's snickering matched that terrible reel.

"A sight, isn't it? This, dear players, is what happens when society ignores its foundations for too long: they rot...and the first bricks start coming down. And the best part of all this? This is just the beginning. Society is unsalvageable, but why should we just watch it collapse? Wouldn't it be better to speed up the process? If the answer for you is yes, then you're in luck, because there is a demolition company that's currently hiring."

The image changed. Shigaraki's face appeared in the frame, in the foreground and covered by his hand mask. The sneer was audible in his voice.

"We are the League of Villains. For the few who don't know us yet, we are a group of...volunteers, shall we say, who decided to roll up our sleeves and demolish this society of lies and hypocrisies. We've already made moves in that direction, with the attack on UA that you've surely heard about. And today we are proud to put our signature on Hosu's attack."

From behind the hand came a hoarse snicker: "Yes, we did that. And, as I said, this is just the beginning of the end for this society. You have seen what we have done; you can imagine what we might do in the future."

"Consider this message an invitation to pick a side: either with society or with us. Know that we will show no mercy to anyone, enemy or observer. Idleness is worse than active malice, after all."

The villain leaned forward, cracking his fingers in a manner that had nothing natural about it, "Don’t worry about contacting us, if you are truly interested the way will be opened to you. Know, however, that this offer will not last forever."

"Your time is coming, heroes. Tick, tock. Tick. Tock."

With these words, the video ended. Kagero threw his head back, taking a deep breath and analyzing the situation as professionally as he could.

The League of Villains was definitely smarter than what he gave them credit for. When he heard that they had caused the attack, he had expected some whim of their leader or an order from their mysterious Sensei, a five-dimensional chess move that Kagero was not qualified even to imagine. Imagine his surprise when he had found out that it was Shigaraki who had devised the plan, with the aim of boosting the League's reputation after the USJ fiasco and, at the same time, dealing a blow to the heroes' credibility. The idea of exploiting the effects of the Hero Killer's work was, in his humble opinion, a stroke of genius.

The video itself, then, was of far higher quality than one might expect from a group like that. The editing was almost at a professional level, which showed Shigaraki's computer skills, the amount of money that group must have had, or both; the script, then, was well written and the execution was even better. Many things could be said about that weirdo of their leader, but not that he couldn't leave an impression. Giran was pretty sure that the video would have some success, in the criminal world and beyond.

"So Giran, what do you think?"

The man lit another cigarette, taking a deep breath. After puffing out a cloud of smoke, he replied, "I want to be honest, ma'am: it's well done. Very well done. I think this video will bring the League a lot of people and me a lot of money."

The seer was floating next to the couch, tentacles grazing the armrest and the low whisper of smoke in the black body filling the silence in the room; on the other side of the transmission, Salem tightened her jaw, "Hold your celebrations, at least as long as you're talking to me. This group is really starting to get on my nerves."

The man chuckled to mask the surge of panic that seized him, "I get it, I get it. However, my verdict doesn't change: Hosu's attack was nothing less than incredible, the video looks like it was made by a team of professionals, and Shigaraki is convincing. I expect that I will receive several calls asking me to direct thugs, criminals or entire gangs to the League. And I'm not the only one who thinks so."

The woman straightened up, "What do you mean?"

"Shortly after this video was posted, I received a call from Shigaraki. He asked me to be much more careful with screening possible recruits, discarding anyone who does not have at least a three-star rating. He's aiming for quality instead of quantity this time."

Salem drummed her fingernails on the desk, her eyes on nothing in particular as she muttered, "He learned from the USJ. Which isn't good. I want you, in the future, to forward me a list of everyone who will be made a full-fledged member of the League."

Kagero furrowed his brow, "Ma'am, Shigaraki has the final say. I do the first screening, but I cannot know who will be accepted and who won't."

"The fact that they released this video with those intentions suggests that they are short-staffed and cannot afford to be overly picky. But what you said isn't wrong, so you'll just give me the list of those who'll pass your judgment."

The man nodded curtly, returning his gaze to the computer. After a few seconds, he asked, "Ma'am, if I may ask...how come all this animosity toward the League? In the years I have worked with you, I have seen that you don't dislike chaos."

Salem gave a snort, "First of all, they have endangered someone very dear to me twice, which makes my problems with them personal."

Oh.

Oh, they were so dead.

Getting on Hexe's shit list could be considered its own circle of hell. The Creature Rejection Clan had been demolished piece by piece, its subsidiaries bought out or bankrupted by rival companies that had seen sudden spikes in production, its officers forced to expatriate only to be arrested and thrown into various prisons around the world; their offense had been the insult that Purity, their leader, spat in Salem's face.

Attacking for two times someone the lady cares about? To the point where she referred to it as 'personal'?

There was no saint in heaven to save them.

Ignoring Giran's moment of panic (which he was sure she could see), Salem went on, "Putting aside my personal problems, they're an obstacle to my goals. If I want Remnant Industries to thrive in the heroic market, I need stability...or chaos that I can exploit. Their variety of chaos is outside my expectations and benefit. It has no use for me, which makes it an inconvenience."

Giran drew a deep breath, nodding slowly, "I see...I will let you know if any noteworthy names apply for contact with the League."

The woman nodded, "Great, thank you. Oh, while you're at it, I need you to reschedule a meeting with Stain. I need to talk to him."

The man glanced at her, "I guess it has something to do with what happened in Hosu."

"Also, but I mainly want to make sure whose side he's on. The USJ, Hosu, the sports festival...this country is on the verge of a cultural paradigm shift that is likely to fuel existing problems and turn them into real crises. At best, we will see a revamp of the hero system and a more or less peaceful transition; at worst, we will fall back into the dark ages of vigilantism. We need to take cover, which means making sure who we can trust and putting down stakes to curb any possible crises."

Kagero nodded, looking at the comments to the video on the computer. If there was one thing that could be said about Ms. Hexe, it was that she was a genius when it came to reading people: from manipulating individuals to predicting socioeconomic developments, there was no human situation that could truly surprise her. This made her simultaneously extremely efficient in her work and absolutely terrifying in dealing with criminals. There were times when Giran could have sworn she had a quirk of telepathy or vision of the future, she was just that accurate.

"Very well. I must warn you that it will take me a while, however, given how elusive he and his disciples are. Even now I have no clear idea where they are, only guesses."

A grimace appeared on the woman's face, which sent a chill down Kagero's spine; after a second, it disappeared in a sigh: "I don't think I can expect much more, given the way things are going. Well, I think I've bothered you too much. You have a lot to do, after all, and every second is precious. Have a good evening, Giran, and don't worry about the payment. It will come."

Salem's image faded with whispers from the grimm, who drifted away when its task was finished. Kagero rubbed one temple, casting his eye to the computer and imagining the number of contact requests he must already be receiving. For a second, he pondered whether or not he should down a glass of liquor...but in the end he decided against it.

'I'd better be sober for this job. We don't want any names to slip through my fingers, do we?'

The end of the month came quickly. Too quickly, in the opinion of the students and Aizawa. The weeks had been a whirlwind of classes, study periods, grueling training and, for the teachers, meetings to decide the structure of exams. It all came to a head during the fateful days of the exams.

Class A exited the classroom looking more like zombies than students: Tsuyu was even more hunched over than normal, Mina's dark circles blended with her black sclera, Tokoyami was losing feathers from the stress, Kaminari seemed to be in an almost perpetual state of short-circuit. Only Yaoyorozu, Midoriya and Iida seemed to be relaxed. Key word, seemed to be.

Satou rubbed his temples with a grunt, "Ugh, I can't feel my brain..."

Ojiro sighed, dragging his tail behind him, "But at least the writing part is over..."

Hagakure stretched her back very dramatically, "Which means it's time to move on to the practical part! Finally, some action!"

Jirou coiled a jack around her finger, "So, it's confirmed that there will be robots like in the entrance exam?"

Momo sighed, "I don't know. Kendo is convinced of it, and apparently the second-year students are too...however, it seems a bit too trivial to me..."

Todoroki shrugged, "Does it matter in the end? If you have practiced enough, you'll still pass."

Mina and Sero gave him dirty looks, "I have no idea if you're trolling us or if you're serious, but it's not that easy. Not all of us are powerhouses, you know."

Shouji sighed, "Well, we'll only find out by living."

Thus chatting, they went to the locker rooms to change into their costumes. Izuku clutched the suitcase with a big smile, feeling a tingling in his hands at the anticipation of being able to put on his fixed costume again, instead of a stopgap or school jumpsuit as he had done for the weeks following the internship.

As he donned the green tunic and adjusted his armor, however, he couldn't help but think of possible alterations or improvements: first, he would need a little more protection, perhaps with a padded suit to put under the tunic and stronger armor; then, he wouldn't mind veering his appearance toward a more 'street' style suited to practicality, still with tunics and armor but in a manner more akin to the costume of underground heroes like Aizawa. Not too much, just enough to make it more comfortable to move around in. Finally, the helmet would need an upgrade. It was useful, for goodness sake, and very durable...but Hosu and the sports festival had taught him that, with a quirk like his, it's always best to have his mouth exposed.

"Wow! Ojiro, looking fresh!"

Kaminari's comment distracted the greenie from his thoughts. When he turned his head to look, he saw that the tailed blond's costume had been completely overhauled in a manner worthy of the name 'Seiten Taisei': the white obi was gone, replaced by a crimson jacket over a padded golden shirt, all decorated with cloud motifs and, on the back of the jacket, the kanji for "discipline." The black pants were loose and soft, and the black and gold boots were reinforced at the toes and ankles; the whole thing was held in place by a belt decorated like a tiger hide, which went over the tail that came out of an opening in the pants. Around his hands he wore black and red fingerless gloves, reinforced around the knuckles with padded knuckledusters. To top it off, a tiara made in the shape of his tail kept his (short) hair from accidentally ending up in his eyes.

The boy chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with a snicker, "Thank you. I must admit they did a great job, I already feel more...unique. Oh, look what they gave me!"

Bringing a hand to his belt, he pulled out a short red staff, no longer than his forearm; with a quick flick of his wrist, it stretched until it was as long as his height.

Midoriya lit up, “A telescoping staff! That's so cool! And it's on brand, too!”

Kouda smiled, “All you need is a cloud and you'd be all set!”

Ojiro chuckled, putting the stick away, “That's good enough for me, for now. I can't wait to move around some!”

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, “Not bad...but you're not the only one with a new style.”

The boy had every right to gloat, given how drastic an improvement the new design was over the old one: instead of the blue jumpsuit there was one split in half, the right side light blue and the left side red, with a double thermometer symbol on the chest; over it, a long gray short-sleeved jacket, decorated like that of European nobility, streamlined his figure and contained a thermal regulation system that worked in tandem with his quirk to keep his temperature constant. The dark blue pants were held in place by a burgundy belt to which several multifunctional pockets were attached. The final touches were the white boots and iron bracelets, one decorated with patterns resembling ice crystals and the other with patterns resembling streams of fire.

Iida chopped his hands with a big smile on his face, “It fits you like a glove! It's certainly a nice change from your previous costumes!”

The boy shrugged, “What can I say, I like the style.”

Tokoyami nodded sagely, “ Excellent, excellent. I'm proud of the change in my costume, too, though it wasn't as radical as yours.”

Izuku found that statement questionable: although the boy had only changed his cloak, the result was a very different look from before. What before was just a black drape around the body now featured a central slit that allowed it to be easily uncovered, not to mention minor decorations such as the “torn” flaps and the Dark Shadow's head-like clasp that held the whole thing in place.

Monoma sneered, “You're all pretty extra. Look how flashy your costumes are!”

Kamakiri snorted, while Sero commented flatly, “Dude, you're in no position to call anyone else ‘extra’.”

His costume, indeed, perfectly reflected the wearer's theatricality: a smart suit with a blue tie, complete with a gold chain at the belt and white cuffs. No obvious support gear, but with Monoma's quirk, that was to be expected. Kamakiri's costume, on the other hand, was extremely simple, just a black cloak with torn flaps over a tight black jumpsuit; however, the unkempt effect it created made the boy look even more menacing.

Izuku put on his helmet with a snicker, “Honestly, I like these new designs. They look very good on you!”

Satou glanced at his costume, letting out a sigh after a few seconds, “You're making me jealous...mine is literally just a yellow jumpsuit!”

Koda muttered, “Ditto.”

Sero shrugged, “I don't know, I don't mind mine too much. Sometimes less is more, you know?”

Aoyama seemed offended by the very concept, but managed to rein himself in. Shouji glanced at his costume and then muttered, “Hmm, I could ask for a little more protection...Kevlar padding, maybe...”

Kaminari gave a big grin, “Once the exam is over, let's all go to the support department and ask for modifications, what do you say?”

The whole group nodded enthusiastically. Tokoyami muttered, “Revelry in the dark..”

Izuku glanced at him, “Toko, I've been meaning to ask you for a while: what does that phrase mean?”

“Oh...um...it's a simple exclamation. It doesn't...mean anything specific.”

“...uh.”

The boys exited the locker room shortly after, heading toward ground beta while still chatting. When they were in sight of the gates of the fake city, the rest of the girls joined them.

“Here we are! Sorry for the delay, we had some problems with the costumes!”

Despite the apology, Mina had a toothy grin on her face. The reason was what she was wearing: her costume had seen a major makeover intended to emphasize its space theme. The tight jumpsuit remained, but the pattern had changed: it was darker, combining the “acid trip” theme with starry skies and designs that resembled the glowing patterns of abyssal fish. The boots with holes in the soles had remained, albeit in a color more tending toward dark blue and violet; the aviator jacket had been padded, was darker, and featured a ufo symbol on the back. On her hands was a pair of gloves with holes in the palms, probably a support item to help her shoot acid. The final touch was the pair of aviator glasses placed on her forehead, similar in design to the classic black, oval eyes of aliens.

Even Hagakure, at last, had a better costume than her previous one...which wasn't difficult, since all she had to do was have one. It was nothing too complicated, a simple pink and blue jumpsuit that covered almost the entire body except the head, which was always invisible. Probably the most noteworthy detail was the technological-looking belt.

A good portion of the boys expressed their opinions about the new looks very enthusiastically. Specifically, Kirishima and Ojiro were very vocal.

“Hagakure! This is a really nice costume, congratulations!”

“How manly! This is a look worthy of an 'Alien Queen'!”

The girls giggled at the compliments, with a veil of fuchsia blush spreading across the pinkette's cheeks. Izuku crossed his arms with a smile, invisible under his helmet; next to him, Tokoyami said what he was thinking, “With each new challenge we grow, our appearance changes accordingly. It's a strange notion to see.”

The greenie sighed, “Yeah, I see what you mean. They normally say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but our costumes reflect who we want to be as heroes...in a way, it's what will make us famous.”

The other nodded, “That's true...but it's far from being all there is, isn't it?”

Izuku chuckled, “Of course. If I wanted to wear a costume without saving anyone, I would wait for carnival.”

Tokoyami couldn't completely hold back a laugh, which came out as an amused snort; the full laugh came from Dark Shadow, who patted the other boy on the back, “Good one!”

Izuku smiled, rubbing his back as Tokoyami regained control of his quirk. His gaze raced across the class, stopping for a second longer on Momo and her amused expression.

“Are you done wasting your time, problem children?”

Aizawa's voice called the whole class to attention. In less than a minute they all stood in order in front of the gate, which had opened and let out not only their homeroom teacher but also all the rest of the faculty. Present Mic, exuberant as usual, opened his arms like he was at a talk show: “Hey there, little listeners! Are you ready to tackle the practical part of the end-of-term exam? Let me hear a YEAAAH!”

If all the teachers hadn't been in front of them, one or two of the kids would have indulged him. Ignoring the blond's disappointed reaction, Aizawa took the floor, “The purpose of this part of the exam is to test your problem-solving ability in desperate situations, your physical skills, and your tactical and strategic thinking. The result of this test will significantly affect your final grade, so make sure you do your best.”

The whole class nodded with a chorus of “yes, sensei”; before the adults could continue to explain, however, Iida raised his hand.

“Excuse me, sir, one question: can you confirm that the practical test will consist of a fight against the robots used during the entrance exam?”

Aizawa raised an eyebrow with a hum, “Hmm, I see you have done your research, not bad; however, no, the final test will not include the use of robots.”

The general feeling of panic that ran through the class was so strong that Izuku had to swallow twice to keep the drooling at bay. Kaminari stammered, “W-what? But the second years-”

“Oh, this was a last-minute change!”

A shrill voice rose up from somewhere in the midst of the faculty body, causing a shiver to run down the kids' backs; this shivering became a sense of dread when Aizawa's scarf twitched for a second, finally letting out a white, furry muzzle.

“P-Principal Nedzu?”

The animal jumped off the hero's shoulder, raising a paw in greeting, “Good morning Class A! Am I a mouse, a dog, or a bear? Well, what matters now is that I am the principal, here to administer the practical part of your exam!”

This time Izuku couldn't stop his mouth from watering, too busy trying to keep his nervousness at bay. Sero murmured, his voice little more than a whimper, “Please don't tell me we have to face the teachers...”

Nedzu replied in a squeaky voice, the smile on his snout too wide to be reassuring, “That's exactly what you'll have to do, young Sero!”

Izuku swallowed, feeling the desperation around him reach a staggering peak. Although he had no telepathic abilities, it wasn't difficult for him to figure out what his classmates were thinking...since it was the same thing he too was thinking.

'We're screwed.'

Unconcerned about the discomfort of the students in front of him, the principal resumed speaking, “Because of the events of the past few months, the school has decided to arrange for a stricter examination that is personally monitored by the teachers, so as to ensure a higher quality of results than in other years. The villains are becoming bolder,  and we have to act accordingly. That is why the final exam will be a 'fight or flight' scenario, in which you must succeed in neutralizing your opponent or escape from the battlefield!” 

Aizawa continued from where Nedzu left off, “Here's how it will work: you will be divided into pairs and pitted against a teacher within a specific training ground. Once the exam begins, you will have ten minutes to find your way out or to catch the teacher by using special handcuffs given to you. If time runs out before you are out and without the teacher being neutralized, the exam will be considered a failure.”

Kaminari couldn't hold back the comment, “Man, how the heck are we supposed to do that? We are first-year students, and those are pros!”

The response to the comment came from Cementoss: “We realize that the situation, as it is, would be unfair to you. Therefore, all teachers will be equipped with hyper-dense weights, which will limit our speed of movement. In addition, the weights also serve as quirk dampeners, which will weaken our total firepower.”

Midnight commented with a sly smile, “Remember, though, that there is no way to dampen the experience of years! Even if we are weakened, we still remain...dangerous.”

The message came loud and clear. Aizawa gave a sigh, pulling a paper out of his pocket, “Come on, we are wasting far too much time. I'm about to announce the pairs, get ready to split up as soon as I call you.”

“Uraraka and Aoyama, you two will be against Thirteen.” The students swallowed, while the teacher gave a snicker from under the helmet.

“Kirishima and Satou, versus Cementoss.” The boys pounded their fists and flexed their arms, where the man did not seem to react.

“Ashido and Kaminari, you will face Principal Nedzu.” The mammal snickered; the two teens, on the other hand, started saying their prayers.

“Todoroki and Monoma, you'll be against me.” Aizawa said these words with a malevolent grin on his face, which met the blond's arrogant one and the other's hard gaze.

“Kamakiri and Yaoyorozu, you two will be taken care of by Ectoplasm.” The two kids looked at the teacher, unable to decipher his mannerisms.

“Shouji, Hagakure, you will face Hound Dog.” The hero gave low growls; the students' reactions were indecipherable.

“Jirou, Kouda, you will face Present Mic.” The two kids wrinkled their foreheads, breaking a cold sweat at the teacher's exuberant gestures.

“Ojiro, Iida, your opponent will be Power Loader.” From under the teacher's helmet, it was possible to see a manic grin, to which the boys responded with grunts and snorts.

“Sero, Asui, you will be against Midnight.” The boy swallowed, red under his helmet at the teacher's predatory expression; the girl, for her part, was impassive.

“And last, Midoriya and Tokoyami.” The two boys instinctively stiffened as they looked at their class coordinator, getting nervous when he seemed unwilling to continue the sentence.

“YOUR OPPONENT...”

A thundering voice rang through the air. The gazes of all the students widened, excited murmurs ran among the class. Izuku and Tokoyami felt their hearts leap into their throats.

“...IS HERE!”

With a bang and a cloud of dust, the colossal figure of All Might landed in front of the class in all his glory; his golden age costume seemed to glow in the sunlight, his blond tufts looked like a pair of golden flames, the smile on his face was the symbol of peace and power. The entire class went into raptures at the sight of the number one hero, to which he responded with a mighty laugh, “That's right! After months of grueling studies, crash courses and tests, I have finally earned back my position as your teacher! Which means I will be the opponent of young Midoriya and young Tokoyami!”

Immediately the two boys felt like ants before a giant. An enormous weight, the pressure that could only be felt knowing that they had the world's strongest hero as their opponent, weightened down on their shoulders with such force that it almost crushed them. The hero's blue eyes glowed from the sunken sockets, two fiery, cold embers.

“I expect you to do your best, young heroes. Go Plus Ultra, or you won't pass!”

Chapter Text

The practical part of the final exam had been designed by the teachers with the specific purpose of putting the students through the ringer, presenting them with situations that were as disadvantageous as possible for their quirks, fighting styles and/or personalities. The meeting they had to decide on all the pairs had been long and full of arguments, but in the end they ended up with pairings that promised a tough fight for the class. 

After all, Aizawa had personally taken care of it.

“So let's go over the whole thing one last time so we're sure we're on the same page.” 

At a nod from all the teachers, Nedzu began: 

“The practical test will consist of a series of two-on-one scenarios in which students will be matched against a teacher who will try to neutralize them. The kids will have to escape from the testing ground or capture the teacher with special handcuffs within the time limit. Higari, are those ready?” 

Power Loader nodded, “They're pretty much the same ones we used for the sports festival two years ago, I just gave them a makeover.” 

The principal nodded, “Great. Aizawa, Kan, are the student pairs for your classes set?” 

The two teachers nodded, “I have the list with me now.” 

“All that remains is to decide who their opponents will be.” 

Nedzu seemed satisfied, “Excellent. I would say we give them an hour at most to finish the exam. Objections?” 

No one seemed to disagree, so the principal marked it on a sheet of paper before continuing, “Excellent. Then, without further ado, I think we should start with the pairings for Class A.” 

Aizawa took the floor, “The first pair will consist of Uraraka and Aoyama. Given the nature of their quirks, the best enemy to pit against them is Thirteen: the black hole cancels out light rays with no problem, and no zero-gravity object would be useful. So are you okay with that?” 

The space heroine nodded, “Sure! I won't hide that I'm a little bit nervous, combat is not my forte, but I can still give them a run for their money.”

Aizawa gave a slight sigh, “Try not to go easy on them. I know you have a soft spot for kids, but remember you have to make them work hard, understand?” 

“What do you take me for? I'm not going to give them an easy time, you know.” 

It was clear that the sentiment was shared by the entire faculty. 

Uraraka was...to call her nervous would have been a kind understatement. 

All in all, it was understandable: it was the last test of the semester's finals, the test itself was tough, she didn't feel she had much of a chemistry with Aoyama (no offense to him)...and, as a minor detail, her opponent was THIRTEEN. Her idol since she had learned about heroes. The woman who got her passionate about rescue heroism. Yes, it was safe to say that the girl's nerves were on edge. 

Aoyama, for his part, looked...well, the boy was among the contenders for the title of “best poker face in the class,” along with Tsuyu and Todoroki, so figuring out what he was thinking wasn't easy. The way his foot was tapping on the bus floor, however, was a good indicator of his nervousness. 

Thirteen, then, was even more indecipherable, sitting in front with her entire costume on, showing nothing of her expression. The only clue could have been had from her movements and tics, but she was motionless in an almost eerie way. 

(What the students didn't know was that she was nervous too, terrified of overdoing it with her quirk and hurting them. But she was good at keeping herself under control.) 

Uraraka took a deep breath, clasping her hands together with a furrowed brow (and pinkies raised). 

'I can do it. I've trained hard for this exam, I've learned Gunhead martial arts, and I have Aoyama with me. Everything will work out for the best, I know it.'

Things were not going well. 

The exam had been going on for approximately ten minutes and already the students had found themselves in a critical situation: clinging to a railing with all their might, trying to resist Thirteen's black hole as the heroine approached, snickering under her helmet, “Make sure you don't do anything funny and no one will get hurt.” 

Ochako was clinging with both arms, trying desperately both not to slip and not to accidentally levitate the railing. Beside her, Aoyama was fluttering like a flag, “Madamoiselle, I hope you have a plan because I'm in a bit of a pickle!” 

The girl shouted back, “I assure you I'm no better off!” 

It was true: despite her best efforts, Uraraka had no idea how to get out of that situation. Thirteen's quirk was simply too overwhelming, especially for the two of them, the area they were in was practically devoid of cover (not that it would have done much against the black hole), their quirks were useless.  They were cornered, and their opponent was getting closer and closer. 

Uraraka gritted her teeth, watching as their teacher walked with all the calm in the world, the black hole sucking in objects of all sizes, disintegrating them into a spiral that- 

Ochako's eyes widened, 'Wait a second.'

With her gaze she followed a stone that was caught in the vacuum, watching its trajectory curve as it was disintegrated. At that moment a light flashed through the girl's mind, a thought that filled her with adrenaline and prompted her to scream. 

“Aoyama! I have a plan!” 

The blond seemed to (literally) brighten, “Really?” 

“Yes! When I tell you, shoot a laser at me!” 

“Oui, mad...wait a second. Quoi?” 

Uraraka no longer listened to him, choosing to focus on her plan: first she looked around, making a mental note of everything around her. Her gaze lit up when she saw a garbage can still not uprooted from the black hole, a short distance away from her. She had to make no small effort to reach it, touching it with all five fingers, and it was even worse to prevent it from being sucked into the black hole immediately, holding it on the opposite side of the railing. Thirteen snickered, “You know that throwing objects at me won't work, right Uravity?” 

The girl replied with a grin of her own, “Maybe. But let's try it anyway!” 

With these words, she lifted the bin high and threw it toward the teacher with all her might. Thirteen didn't think much of that attempt; she didn't even move her finger to relocate the black hole; a few seconds later, she realized her mistake. 

“AOYAMA! NOW!” 

Despite his doubts, despite the apparent folly of that plan, the blond didn't hesitate and, with no small effort, managed to turn around enough to shoot a laser straight at his classmate. 

Now, Ochako's whole plan was based on how the gravitational attraction of a black hole works: when something gets sucked in, it does so in an elliptical trajectory not too dissimilar to that of a vortex, then gets thinned out and disintegrated the closer you get to the center. This argument applies to both physical objects--and, especially, to light. 

Ochako, however, was not Yaoyorozu: she couldn't calculate the trajectories of objects and their collision times on the fly, especially in such a situation. It was a gamble, a big one. 

A gamble that ended up paying off. 

Aoyama's laser, distorted by the black hole, missed Ochako and began to head toward Thirteen; instead of being completely sucked in, however, it ended up hitting the bin, which was thrown out of its normal orbit of attraction and shot straight toward the teacher. 

Had it been any other hero, they would have simply dodged the blow and continued the assault; but Thirteen was a rescue heroine, combat was not her forte, her instincts weren't properly honed. Therefore, she panicked, deactivating her quirk to raise her arms over her head. From here, the exam was as good as over. 

The bin ended up missing the heroine, who breathed a small sigh of relief; that was not the case for Aoyama's armored butt, which hit Thirteen in the chest at high speed, shot forward by his laser. And when Ochako grabbed the heroine by the ankle, nullified her gravity and slammed her hard to the ground, then pinned her with her arm behind her back and a knee on her shoulder, the match was decided. 

Even after Aoyama put the handcuffs on the teacher's wrist and the siren announced the end of the test, it took five solid minutes for Uraraka to work off the leftover adrenaline. 

“Next are Shouji and Hagakure. Their strengths are stealth actions and long-range reconnaissance, together they have good synergy; therefore, their opponent will have to be someone who can counter them on their grounds.” 

Snipe raised a hand, “Do you want me to take care of it?” 

Aizawa gave his colleague a stare: “No.” 

“Huh? But my quirk-”

“It's based on your field of vision. You're terrifying at long range, I'll give you that, but you need to know where your target is for it to be truly effective. And pitting you against the two stealth experts in the class wouldn't be putting them at a disadvantage.” 

The cowboy hero raised his hands, “Okay, okay, I get it. So who did you have in mind?” 

Aizawa replied, “Hound Dog. That pairing is strong as long as their opponent doesn't know where they are, but I dare them to hide from Inui's nose.” 

Inui, if he had to be honest, was having the time of his life. He had found Aizawa's request to participate in the Class A exam strange, since he wasn't strictly speaking a teacher, but now that he had agreed he wasn't regretting it. 

He hadn't had such an entertaining chase in ages. Hagakure and Shouj were running across the training ground, trying to hide in the ruined buildings or moving erratically to throw him off, but against his senses it was all useless. The weights prevented him from reaching his top speed, but even so he was far faster than the two students, who were trying to outrun him by sneaking through dust-filled halls and dirt roads. 

They, on the other hand, didn't quite know what to do. Hagakure's invisibility was useless, and while Shouji could, in theory, try to fight him, he had no desire to waste time against an opponent clearly superior to him in skill and experience. So far he had used additional eyes and ears to find a way out, but the teacher was constantly on their heels. 

The two of them were currently catching their breath in a hallway, one leaning against the wall with heavy breathing and the other with two additional ears surveying the environment.  The girl ran both hands over her face, letting go a sigh so deep that Shouji glanced toward her with his real eyes, “Are you okay?” 

The girl muttered, “Physically, yes. Mentally, though...” 

The boy wrinkled his forehead, watching as the now visible costume glove clutched her arm, “I feel useless. All I've done so far is running, running, running, without being able to do anything.” 

Shouji wrinkled his brow, “That's kind of the whole point of the exam, to put us in complicated situations.” 

She pounded a fist on the wall, “But at least you did something! You're practically the reason Hound Dog hasn't caught us yet! I...what have I done? What can I do? My invisibility is useless against him! I'm practically dead weight...”

Hagakure pressed her lips into a line, closing in even more. Beside her, Shouji remained impassive, straining his ears to check that the teacher wasn't approaching; feeling that they were safe for the moment (' Finally '), he approached the girl. 

“Judging someone a dead weight just because their quirk doesn't fit the situation is something a certain explosive boy would do, don't you think?” 

The gasp told the boy that he hit the nail on the head. Hagakure raised her head with a hiss, “I am not like him!” 

He replied without missing a beat, “I know you're not. Trust me, I know. That's why it sounds strange to hear you talk like that, especially about yourself.” 

The girl froze for a second, her suit still then sagged like a wilted flower, “It's hard not to see your quirk first when you're...like this.” 

Shouji huffed out a snicker, “I understand the feeling. I really do.” Hagakure froze for a second, fearing that she had said something insensitive; the boy, however, kept talking, “That's why I prefer to look beyond the physical appearance and beyond the quirk. To the person in and of itself.” 

He leaned forward, placing himself in front of the costume's collar, close to what must have been the girl's face: “So, tell me: are you really just your quirk?”  

The girl didn't answer. Her costume stayed hunched downward, her glove tight around her arm. Shouji couldn't see it, but her expression was open in a mixture of realization and deprecation. It didn't last long: with a deep breath, the costume straightened, removing itself from the wall and clenching its fists. When the girl spoke, her voice was back as determined as at the start of the exercise. 

“Let's bring this exam home!” 

Shouji nodded, the mask covering the grin on his face, “If we keep running like this, we're always going to be cornered. We have to change something.” 

Hagakure thought about it for a second, then replied, “I think I have an idea. But it's risky-” 

“Well, better than nothing.” 

Hound Dog was able to find them after a few minutes, entering the ruin they had slipped into. He had to give them credit, this time they had sneaked away pretty good; but their scent was still strong enough to make it easy to track them down. 

Breaking through the wooden door, he entered a large, windowless, ruined hall supported by rows of columns. What little light there was was provided by holes in the ceiling that let the sun shine through, but it wasn't enough to fully brighten the general gloom. The only communication with the outside was the door through which he had just entered. 

Inui glanced around, sniffing the air for good measure. Despite the dust that covered practically everything, he could smell the two students in the room. His brow furrowed for a split second. 

'Are they hiding or is this an ambush? Be that as it may, Hagakure must be their ace in the hole; I'd better strike her first.' 

A grin made its way across his muzzle: "OK pups, end of the line. I don't know exactly what you're trying to do...” 

Suddenly he sprinted toward a column, where the smell of Hagakure was strongest: “BUT AGAINST ME IT'S STILL USELESS!” 

He pulled his fist back, the smell paralyzed in the same spot, the sound of footsteps and a gasp reaching his ears; the fist flew forward....

And hit the column, creating a web of cracks from the point of impact. 

“Hmm?” 

Before he could realize what had happened, something invisible hit him hard on the chin, making him wince and opening him up to a second invisible blow that landed on his side. However, this was the best the girl could do. 

Before she could back away, Hound Dog grabbed the ankle with which she had been kicking and, thus held still, managed to throw a direct punch to her body, so hard that it sent her crashing into the pillar and short-circuited the costume's camouflage system, revealing the pink jumpsuit. The girl was out of breath and coughing on the floor as the hero rubbed his rib. 

“Excellent use of your invisibility, Invisigirl. However, fighting alone an opponent larger than you is very risky.” 

The girl staggered back to her feet, one hand on her chest and the other against the column. When she spoke, the grin in her voice was evident, “I know...good thing I'm not alone, huh?” 

Inui furrowed his brow but before he had time to realize what was happening, a large, heavy body fell on him from a dark spot in the ceiling. Immediately he felt three pairs of arms wrap around his own and pull them back, while a pair of legs tightened around his waist, pinning the human straitjacket to his back. 

“HAGAKURE, NOW!” 

Hound Dog had no time to force Shouji away from him, nor to charge headlong at the girl in front of him; in a split second, the handcuffs were in Hagakure's hand, and she was quick to close them around his muzzle. 

“Down, doggy.” 

The siren rang. The loudspeaker announced the end of the exam. And Hound Dog's expression said a lot about what he thought of the final catchphrase.  

“Seriously?” 

“The next pair are Ashido and Kaminari. The kids excel in mid-range combat, with Ashido being more than capable of pulling her weight in hand-to-hand combat as well. However, their strategic and decision-making skills are lacking to say the least; that's why I thought of having the principal as their opponent.” 

Silence fell in the room. 

“Sho, are you sure?” 

Answering was Nedzu himself, “Oh, there's no need to worry, Kayama! Don't forget that I am still a hero: I can assure you that my more...threatening impulses will not prevent me from giving the students a fair chance to pass.” 

His grin turned fierce: “I think, however, that I can indulge in a bit of theatrics.” 

Mina gasped, hiding in an alleyway with a not-so-better-looking Kaminari beside her. Above them, she could hear the debris as it stopped falling. 

Facing Nedzu was, in her opinion, a circle of hell. It had been almost fifty minutes of running around like madmen for the two students, dodging the buildings that the principal was bringing down on them in a series of chain reactions, triggered by the wrecking ball hidden on the other side of the testing ground. Worst of all, all this debris was blocking their escape routes, and Mina couldn't melt mountains of concrete in the time it took to finish the exam. The kids could do nothing but run, squeezing through empty alleys and buildings in an attempt to reach the exit before time ran out.

Mina cast an eye toward the roofs of the buildings, trying to catch sight of the wrecking ball in the distance, “Do you think he's done?” 

Denki swallowed, “For now. But I don't know how long it will be before the next attack, we should hurry.” 

The girl looked at the alleys, biting a thumb to hold back an expletive: “But if we keep this up, we'll run out of time before we can find the exit...” There was a second of silence, then a snort, “Damn, we need a plan. But I'm not good at that!” 

Denki sighed, “Ditto. Besides, pitting us against the principal? The smartest being on the planet? I mean, what do they expect us to...” 

The sentence died in his throat. Mina turned to him with a furrowed brow, “Denki?” 

The blond didn't answer. His gaze was focused on a specific spot in the alley; when she followed it, the girl saw that that spot was an electrical panel. 

“Denki? What are you thinking about?” 

The boy stood, his eyebrows knit together and his mouth tight: “About doing something desperate and probably very stupid.” 

Mina took a step forward, reaching out a hand as if to block him; however, a second thought stopped her, causing her to back away instead, “I'd like to tell you not to do that...but we're running out of options. Just try not to hurt yourself, okay?” 

The blond gave a grin, “Hey, come on, what's with the sadness? Doesn't All Might always say to face any challenge with a smile?” 

Despite the situation and the risk Kaminari wanted to subject himself to, Mina couldn't hold back a laugh: “You're not wrong. Do your best then!” 

Bolstered by her classmate's encouragement, Kaminari walked over to the electrical panel and opened it with the help of a metal bar nearby. He didn't bother worrying about which wires to unplug, what was connected to what, or which lines were dangerous: with a tug, he ripped the wires from their places and took a deep breath.

“This is going to hurt, I already know.” 

The blond put a hand inside the cable sockets and, squinting, generated the most powerful shock he could muster. 

Nedzu was dumbfounded when, after a powerful light informed him of the students' location, the crane controls stopped working. And not only those: judging by the way the cables were smoking, it was safe to assume that Kaminari had literally fried the electrical system of the testing ground. The reaction to this realization was a snicker so loud that his cup of tea (which, of course, he had brought with him) ended up spilling onto his vest. 

“Excellent! Excellent, Mister Kaminari! But don't think the battle is already won...you still have the exit to find!” 

With these words, he sat back and watched as robot helpers began to enter the area. His grin widened, “Let's hope Miss Ashido can make use of this opportunity.” 

The girl, for her part, was running through the alleys with a knocked-out Kaminari on her shoulder. Debris made the environment a maze, but at least Nedzu had stopped. Her gaze was hard, her teeth gritted as she carried the blond along. 

'Come on, come on, where's the exit...I can't waste the chance Denki gave me!'

After a few minutes she managed to reach the main street; her face lit up with a big smile...which fell soon after as she saw robots coming out of the side streets and approaching them like it was the entrance exam.

The girl gritted her teeth, clutching a still shorted Kaminari to herself. Under the glove she felt the familiar tingling of its quirk, felt the pressurization system activate, and pointed her palm toward the robot; with a flex of her fingers, a ball of high-pressure acid was shot out of the glove hole like a bullet, hitting the head of one of the robots and melting it, causing it to collapse to the ground. This shot was followed by a second, a third, a fourth: Mina looked like the protagonist in a war movie, a soldier carrying his wounded comrade through enemy lines. Heaps of scrap metal fell to the ground one after another, allowing the students to make their way toward the exit. 

“Come on, we're almost there, just a little more...” 

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy: other robots were approaching from all directions, and Mina was forced to put Kaminari down on the ground to keep them all at bay. She couldn't use overly acrobatic moves, not with her teammate so close, so she was forced to use projectiles and jets of high-pressure acid to thin the mass of steel barring their passage. 

At one point, a shadow descended on her. She turned just in time to see the three-pointer raise its large mechanical arm, ready to drop it on her...

Only to stiffen and collapse after an electric shock fried its circuits. 

Mina widened her eyes, watching Kaminari lower his hand still sizzling with electricity, “Denki! What the hell are you doing, you can't use your quirk in this condition!” 

The blonde's breath was unsteady, his gaze vacant and his hand trembling; when he spoke, his voice was weak but his tone was one of total urgency and supreme focus: “Run...to the exit...don't...waste time...” 

The girl widened her eyes, watching the boy try to get up despite the short circuit. That sight, that show of desperate determination, lit a fire inside her that she couldn't remember ever feeling before, something far stronger than her usual indignation against bullies; a feeling that drove her to move without thinking. 

Before she could realize it, Mina grabbed Kaminari, slung him over her shoulder and sprinted full speed toward the exit, skating on her acid and dodging the robots that kept approaching. With goggles on her face, she darted down the street holding Kaminari firmly on her shoulder with one arm while spraying jets of acid with the other to neutralize the more troublesome robots. 

The exit was getting closer and closer. Mina skated faster and faster. 

'Come on, come on, come on...!' 

The siren sounded. 

Mina collapsed on the grass, leaving the testing ground behind. Kaminari tumbled a short distance from her. The girl allowed herself a second to catch her breath, then sputtered as she sat with her ears straight and focused on the speakers. Her every nerve was as tense as a violin string, rivulets of cold sweat ran down her temples....

“Kaminari and Ashido made it through the exit. The exam is over.” 

Everything collapsed in an instant. All the tension, the fear, the adrenaline, all of it melted away in a second and in a scream that came out of the depths of her heart. 

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH! WOO-HOO!!! WE PASSED!!!” 

From beside her came a mumbled response, “Wheeey...” 

The girl laughed uncontrollably, getting to her feet and helping the boy onto his legs. With a deep breath, she moved her glasses to her forehead and shook her head to wipe off the sweat, “You said it, man. Come on, let's get you to Recovery Girl.” 

“Next are Monoma and Todoroki. I decided to put them together since they are both very selective about the people they choose to open up to: Todoroki needs to learn to communicate with people outside his group and Monoma needs to start breaking away from Kamakiri. As for the fighting side, both of them have very powerful or versatile quirs on which they base their whole style.” 

Mic snickered, “Let me guess...you'll take care of them?” 

Aizawa's smile became terrifying: “Of course.” 

Monoma ran around the corner, trying to break the line of sight with Aizawa as much as possible. A second later Todoroki caught up with him, then raised a wall of ice at least ten meters high on the road. 

Facing Professor Aizawa in an urban environment was terrifying. The man moved like a specter, leaping over rooftops and light poles to keep them under pressure, striking with speed and tremendous efficiency. The two students could do nothing but flee, using the architecture to get out of his line of sight and then counterattacking with flames and glaciers that managed to make the man retreat...for a couple of minutes at most. Then it was back to square one. 

Ground Alpha was becoming a Frozen revival: huge glaciers were rising from streets, buildings, and alleys, covering entire streets or uprooting houses, making the fake city even more of a maze than it already was. The boys were keeping warm with the left side of their bodies, holding lit flames on their hands or around their faces, also using them as an indicator of Aizawa's presence. The two slumped to the ground, taking advantage of the quiet moment to catch their breath. 

Monoma ran a hand through his hair, “We're not going anywhere this way. We have to change strategy.” 

Todoroki gasped for a second, then shifted his gaze to the blond: “You know, I'm starting to think the best solution is to run for the exit. How do we capture an underground hero? Especially one like Aizawa?” 

Monoma gave a sneer, “Come on, what's with this resignation? Shouldn't you be a proud member of Class A?” 

The grimace he received in response told him that his humor was not appreciated. Before he could try to backtrack, Todoroki replied, “It has nothing to do with being of one class or another. I'm just acknowledging the situation: Aizawa is a bad match-up for us, facing him head-on is impossible and taking him by surprise is equally so. The only solution left for us is to run away.” 

Monoma looked at the other for a second, then took a breath and replied, “I see your point, but I think running away is, ironically, the wrong solution. Forget about pride and honor and such for a second, have you seen how Aizawa moves? We can't run away from that. Catching him is the most feasible option.” 

Todoroki gave a snort, “And you would have an idea how to do that?” 

The blond opened his mouth to answer...but the voice the two heard was not his. 

“It's not logical to plan in plain sight, where the enemy can hear you.” 

Immediately the two jumped to the side, just in time to avoid the capture weapon that darted toward them. Perched on top of the glacier, Aizawa jumped down with his scarf in his hands, using the irregularities in the ice as footholds to slow his descent and make his trajectory erratic, keeping his gaze focused on the two boys. They tried to escape, but the man gave himself the push off the icy wall, threw the scarf against a pole and used it as a sling to launch himself down the road and land on Todoroki, driving a knee into his back. Monoma rolled to the side, getting far enough away to have room to shoot a blaze...which disappeared under a glance from their teacher. This, however, gave Todoroki a chance to slam a hand on the ground and create an explosion of ice that closed like a hut above him, forcing Aizawa to jump away lest he be frozen. 

'I have to keep both of them in my field of vision, otherwise I'll be in trouble...okay, let's try it this way then.'

With a quick flick of his wrist, he snapped his capture weapon toward the blond, focusing the quirk on a Todoroki who had just emerged from the ice hut. Monoma could not get out of the way this time and was caught at the waist by the cloth, his arms pinned to his body; the other boy, on the other hand, found himself pinned in place as Aizawa stared at him, unable to call his quirk and counterattack. Monoma tried to raise a glacier to distract the professor, but his concentration was broken when, with a yank, he found himself thrown to one side, in front of his partner and under Erasure.

Todoroki stepped back, clenching his fists and teeth. In front of him, Aizawa was staring at him from behind his glasses, one hand on one end of the capture weapon and the other holding Monoma down. The professor was tense as a spring, ready to lash out at the slightest movement. 

“So? What are you going to do, Freezerburn?” 

The boy's back was against the wall. Fighting under those circumstances would have been madness, but if he had run he would have lost the numerical advantage, which was extremely important in that situation (not to mention the fact that turning his back on Aizawa at that moment would have been tantamount to surrendering). Cold sweats began to run down his forehead, his teeth were clenched, his gaze fixed firmly on Aizawa; he couldn't move, couldn't attack, couldn't- 

“MOVE!” 

Monoma's shout shook him from his thoughts. The blond had a furious grimace on his face, his voice was hard and dry: “DON'T STAND THERE THINKING ABOUT ME, JUST MOVE! I CAN HANDLE IT!” 

Aizawa gave him a yank, still keeping him in his field of vision, “Are you sure it's a good idea to yell in this situation?” 

Monoma turned a punchable grin on him, “Well, it's certainly better than being a sitting duck, don't you think?” 

'Please Todoroki, do something!

Todoroki did something. 

It wasn't voluntary, he didn't have a plan or even an idea: the only thing he realized was the opportunity Monoma was giving him. A single moment of distraction, a second to allow him to do something, anything. And his body was faster than his mind in seizing the opportunity. 

Todoroki sprinted toward Aizawa. The teacher brought his attention back to him, sending the capture weapon forward and keeping his quirk on him; Todoroki, as soon as he caught sight of the movement of the teacher's wrist, jumped forward, feeling the hiss of the wind a millimeter from his hair. Aizawa clicked his tongue, stepping back and bringing his hand toward his belt...but at that moment, he felt something he had not expected. 

He felt his capture weapon pull. 

His eyes widened, turning off the quirk in amazement: Todoroki had grabbed the capture weapon, holding it out with an animalistic grin on his face, “Gotcha.” 

Aizawa immediately stiffened, grabbing that flap of the scarf with both hands and keeping a firm grip; however, this was a mistake, as he stopped focusing on Monoma. That still had one more minute of Half-cold Half-hot at his disposal. 

“HA!” 

Before Aizawa could realize his mistake, a blaze of fire rose from the boy and struck him full force. It was not powerful enough to do more damage than his suit and the tips of his scorched hair, but it was more than enough to push him to cover his face with his hands and close his eyes. 

Todoroki didn't miss his chance: with a scream born from the depths of his gut, he pulled at the scarf with all his might, choking Aizawa for a second and unbalancing him forward, no longer in control of himself. A second later, a wave of frost violently swept over him, pinning the left side of his body into a wall of ice. 

Once he was free of the capture weapon, Monoma gave the other boy a grin, “Not bad. Another win for Class A, huh?” 

Todoroki rolled his eyes, handcuffing Aizawa and finally ending the exam, “Say, what's with the attitude? Class A this, class A that, it's not good for you to be so obsessive.” Then he added, after a second pause, “Trust me, I know what it's like to be obsessive.” 

The blond man snickered, “I didn't take you for a stalker.” At a glare from the other boy, he backtracked, “Okay, okay, I get it, forget it.” There was a sigh. His voice became more neutral: “It's just...I don't know, I want to prove that I'm among the best. That having a 'useless' quirk doesn't make me useless as a result.” 

Todoroki raised an eyebrow, “Your quirk being useless is quite debatable. But, leaving that argument aside...look, you're already among the best. You're a UA student, that's relevant already.”

Monoma gave a sigh, rubbing his shoulder; before he could say anything, however, Todoroki added, “Oh, and for the record: stop talking about Class A as if you're an outsider. You're part of it now, as well.” 

The smile on the blond's face was the most sincere expression he had taken since the beginning of the year. And if by chance his throat closed with emotion, it was no one's business but his own. 

Chapter Text

"The next pair consists of Sato and Kirishima. The two of them are among the hand-to-hand specialists of the class and often play the role of the vanguard on the front lines. To challenge them, they need their opponent to be able to fight at a distance and manipulate the environment to prevent them from taking the battle where they want it." 

All eyes settled on Cementoss. The teacher raised an invisible eyebrow, "I have the impression that I am the candidate." 

Aizawa reacted with a similar look, "You don't want to?" 

"You're kidding, leave it to me." 

Kirishima gasped, looking ahead at the concrete sea rising in increasingly intense waves. Beside him, Sato wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead, "How much longer do we have?" 

"I don't know for sure, but I think we're over half an hour."  

The fight was exhausting. Cementoss had positioned himself at the back of the exam ground, using his quirk to attack relentlessly, barely giving the two examinees time to breathe. Sato had already thrown down a packet of sugar but it was clear that it would not be enough, not at the rate the teacher was attacking them. 

Kirishima hardened again, starting to charge and smashing part of the wave of concrete before it could sweep them away; behind him, Sato sprinted toward the professor, opening a path for himself with punches and shoulder strikes. Cementoss, for his part, didn't seem too impressed. 

'They don't get it. They keep running forward, banging their heads against the wall in the hope that it will break before their skulls do. Aren't they familiar with the definition of insanity?' 

His quirk activated again, altering the terrain of the street in front of him into a flood of concrete columns barreling toward the students; they charged forward, smashing through that moving mass of stone with punches, headbutts, shoulders and kicks, both hardened and powered up. But they proceeded slowly, gaining every meter of distance with a struggle too great to be excusable. Kirishima realized this, he wasn't stupid, but he didn't know how else to proceed: how could one sneak around someone in perfect control of their surroundings? If they stopped, then, they would lose what little progress they had made. The only option was to grit their teeth and keep going-.

"We can't go on like this." 

Sato's voice was all the warning the redhead had before he was grabbed by the arm and hoisted above the boy's head. A new wave of concrete was almost on top of them, almost as high as a house; Kirishima flailed, "Hey, no, wait-!" 

Sato ignored what the redhead was about to say and, with a mighty grunt, threw him high above the road and over the stormy sea of concrete. For several, interminable seconds Kirishima felt completely out of his element, flailing his arms and legs like a child trying to swim for the first time; turning his head, however, he finally saw what his classmate did...and a big smile spread across his lips. 

"Sato, bro, you're a genius!"

With renewed fervor, the boy adjusted his stance and hardened his entire body; beneath him, the concrete flowed like a river only to be smashed against a yellow-suited reef. But what the redhead was interested in was the source of this river, the teacher at the end of the street who was looking at him with an astonished expression. 

Kirishima crossed his arms in front of his head and stood straight as a pole, becoming a human missile headed at full speed toward his target. The latter, for its part, responded by changing the direction of its attacks, up toward the redhead instead of down toward the road: large concrete pillars rose from the ground, writhing like snakes and rising to block the boy's advance...

CRASH! 

The sound of a crash forced the professor's attention back to the road, where a Sato much bulkier than before and with an almost catatonic expression had broken through the concrete wall aimed at Kirishima and was running toward him. This was problematic enough in itself, since he was gaining much too ground much too fast, but the worst part was that that blow collapsed the entire structure raised just before, allowing passage to a free-falling Kirishima. 

Cementoss gritted his teeth, finding himself increasingly cornered. Pulling out his best effort, he created a thick concrete wall, twisted and angled to try to break as much of the impact of the two students as possible. 

It wasn't enough. Not against a Kirishima at terminal velocity and a Sato boosted by three sugar cubes. 

"RED TORPEDO!" 

"CROISSANT...LARIAT...!" 

The wall was breached by two simultaneous high-speed impacts, one from above and one from below. Cementoss tried to back away, but before he could reactivate his quirk he was tackled by Sato and handcuffed by a still-hardened Kirishima. 

The redhead heaved a sigh, deactivating his quirk and turning a smile to his partner, "Hey bro, good job! High five!" 

The boy didn't respond. Kirishima furrowed his brow, waving his hand in front of his face a couple of times; when he noticed the catatonic expression and the trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth, his expression changed to one of concern, "Oh man..." 

As the siren announced the end of the exercise, Cementoss approached the two and placed a hand on Sato's back, "Maybe it would be better to take him to Recovery Girl, what do you say?" 

Kirishima nodded, grabbing his partner by the arm, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." 

"The next pair consists of Jirou and Koda. The two of them fill the same niche, namely long-distance reconnaissance, and their hand-to-hand combat skills are...well, not stellar. However, what interests us here is the fact that both of their quirks are sound-based. Mic?" 

The blond hero gave a grin so big it bordered on delirious, "Say no more, Sho! I'll take care of the little listeners!" 

Recovery Girl gave an exhausted sigh, "Just try not to deafen them..." 

Jirou covered her ears, leaning over the ground behind a rock with Koda crouched behind a tree. After a few seconds, Present Mic's sonic wave passed, allowing the two students to put their heads back in the open. 

Fighting Present Mic, for her, was hell. Not only were the sonic waves messing with her sonar and Heartbeat attacks, but her hypersensitive hearing made the whole thing especially unbearable. To make matters worse, all that noise was frightening the forest animals, so Koda couldn't sic foxes, deer, or anything else on him. They couldn't get close, they couldn't run, they couldn't fight back: unless something changed, they were as good as finished.

The boy next to her must have been thinking something similar, judging by his worried expression. Jirou clenched her fists, looking in the direction of the exit, "Do you have a plan?" 

The boy shook his head, moving his hands to speak, "All the animals in the area ran away with the first scream." Then he added, more slowly, "Almost all of them." 

That last sentence caught the girl's attention, "Wait, is there anything else we can use?" 

Kouda did not seem too enthusiastic when he replied, "Yes. Under that boulder." 

Jirou glanced at the rock she was using for cover. With a grunt she lifted it up...and then almost dropped it on her fingers: a colony of insects of all kinds squirmed in the sunlight, crawling and burrowing into the soft ground. A cry of disgust escaped her lips, but when she turned around she was surprised to see that Koda's reaction was a shiver from head to toe. 

"Um, Koda? Are you okay?"

The boy shook his head violently, taking half a step back. Jirou looked at him, then at the bugs, then at him again; her face opened in understanding, "Wait, you don't like bugs?" 

The boy nodded, his expression saddened. The girl furrowed her brow, but before she could say anything Mic's voice hit her like a freight train. 

"HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY! I'M GETTING BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORED! COME OUT AND FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"  

Her whole body was shaken from within; her ears were pierced by a sharp pain, so sharp that, when she plugged them with her hands, Jirou was sure she could feel the warm, sticky sensation of her blood; her head whirled from the vibrations and the pain, a feeling of nausea making its way through her bowels. It was with a tremendous effort that she managed to stretch her Jacks toward the stereos of her boots and launch a Heartbeat wave that managed, if not to block, at least to cushion the impact of Mic's attack. 

The scream didn't last long, stopping as fast as it had started. Jirou gasped, her hands still around the still-ringing ears. A large hand rested on her back: looking up, she found herself face to face with Koda's angled face and his panicked expression. 

The situation was getting worse and worse, her ears were hurting excruciatingly, she could feel the contents of her stomach threatening to come out violently; however, she was a hero. More than that, she was Earphone Jack, the Hearing Hero, the heroine who would carry forward punk rock's spirit of freedom and rebellion. She couldn't afford to show herself disheartened, even in the most desperate situations. 

That's why, despite the weakness of her limbs and muffled hearing, Jirou turned a grin to her classmate: "Hey, this is nothing. Chin up big guy, we can still make it!" 

Those words, nay, that tone of voice seemed to trigger something in Koda. His expression opened in astonishment, watching his classmate as she smiled with bleeding ears. Koda blinked a couple of times, his hands trembling and his gaze low on the ground, deep in thought; when he noticed the dislodged boulder and the insects on the ground, his gaze changed, his fists clenched, his teeth gritted. The boy took a deep breath, closed his eyes...and then took action, throwing himself to the ground with his hands cupped around his mouth, muttering almost faster than Midoriya did on a good day. 

Jirou watched for a few seconds, her eyes widened at that scene; after a minute, the boy stood up and helped the girl to her feet, turning one of his sunny smiles on her. 

"Koda...what have you done?" 

The boy put a single finger up, "Wait for it..."

The girl didn't understand what was going on, not even when the smile on Koda's face grew even wider; it was only when, on her way to the exit, she saw Present Mic's figure on the ground with his leg covered in bugs that she realized what happened. 

"Oh. Well, I guess that works." 

"Next are Iida and Ojiro. The pair are formidable in close combat and are much more agile than Kirishima and Sato; however, their affinity for open-face battles make them vulnerable to an enemy attacking by surprise, not to mention how dependent on their surroundings they both are. Higari, do you want to take care of that?" 

Power Loader rubbed the back of his head, "Normally I don't handle the exams of the hero kids...however, the support class' exams are held before the others, if I'm free count me in." 

Aizawa nodded, "All right, then." 

Iida and Ojiro disentangled themselves through the testing ground, using pipes and beams to avoid the sudden holes that opened up in the ground or the chunks of solid ground that suddently became soft. Even then it wasn't easy, as they couldn't know if a pipe was stable or if the ground below it had been compromised in turn. 

Power Loader had decided to do the smart thing and stay hidden underground, attacking when students least expected it and turning the ground into a death trap. For Iida, this meant being forced to go much slower than normal, keeping the gears lower to be ready to jump or turn if needed; Ojiro, on the other hand, was forced to move much more than he was used to, trying not to stay in the same spot for too long. 

After much running, the two finally came within sight of the exit...but also to the last bastion of the teacher, who decided to drop the niceties. 

The final stretch was a clearing with no pipes, beams or metal constructions, not even rocks or other natural elevations. The only thing separating them from victory was about ten meters in the open field, without bumps or footholds, served to Power Loader on a silver platter. 

Iida clenched his teeth under his helmet. He could already see it, the hero coming out of the ground to catch them as soon as they stepped where they shouldn't have. However, they couldn't stand still there either, not against such an opponent. 

So, Iida did the first thing that crossed his mind. 

"Ojiro! Get on my shoulders!" 

The blond was briefly surprised by the request, but he made no argument and obeyed. Thus settled, Iida took a deep breath and kicked into full gear, relying on his special technique.

"RECIPRO BURST!" 

Fortunately, Ojiro had strong legs and quick reflexes, otherwise the sudden change in speed would have sent him flying to the ground. With one hand on his partner's shoulder and the other on his belt, he relied on Iida's speed, watching the exit get bigger and bigger, getting closer and closer- 

A cloud of dust rose before them. The boys' eyes widened. Iida felt panic block his movements. 

'It's too close! I can't avoid it!' 

He was certain that the test for him ended there...but it was at that moment that Ojiro, following his instincts and the heat of the moment, put his hand to the staff attached to his belt and stretched it out as far as he could, planting it in the hole and using it as a pole to make both boys jump. 

Iida felt the ground disappear from under his feet, Ojiro's legs and tail tight around him, the force of his burst sending him forward: for a brief second, the two boys found themselves flying, over the field and across the finish line. 

The pair lay on the grass for several seconds, even after the siren announced the end of the test. Breaking the silence was a snicker from Ojiro. 

"You know...the only thing you were missing was the golden costume, otherwise you would have been a perfect cloud." 

Interrupting the two students' laughter was Power Loader, not too happy about being used as a pole vault platform. Although he was pleased to see the students using their support items.

"Now we have Sero and Asui. This pairing has stupendous maneuverability and acrobatic capabilities, bases its style on speed, and performs better in urban and marine environments. Honestly, to get them in trouble we will have to put all our eggs in Sero's basket, as Asui is an all-rounder capable of pulling her weight in a wide range of situations; to do this, it would be best to pit them against a long-distance capture and takedown specialist." 

Midnight licked her lips, "That sounds like a job for me." 

Mic wrinkled his forehead, "Are you sure? Among your opponents there's also a girl." 

The smile on the woman's face became predatory: "That doesn't mean my gas is useless, just a little slower to act. I just wonder if the kids know that." 

Sero and Tsuyu huddled behind a boulder, trying to hide from the sight of their teacher. Given the morphology of the terrain they were in, this was a bit difficult. 

In the rocky plain that was the test area, there were very few places to grab on or set up ambushes, which wasn't good news for two mobile students like them. This was coupled with the fact that their opponent was Lady Midnight, a hero against whom they absolutely could not afford to attack without a plan: they had managed to escape one of her ambushes by the skin of their teeth, thanks to Tsuyu who grabbed Sero with her tongue and pulled him away before the teacher could open his helmet and knock him out, but they couldn't spend all their time hiding and running away. 

Sero leaned his head slightly out of hiding, trying to see Midnight's figure, "What should we do? Do we make a run for it?"

Tsuyu leaned the other way: "That might be the best option. We are more mobile than Midnight and in such an open environment her gas disperses more easily. If we can keep our distance we might be able to avoid her, kero." 

The boy nodded and took a deep breath, loosening his wrists and elbows; the girl crouched on the floor, tense as a spring; a couple of seconds passed, filled with tension...then the students began to jump and sling themselves toward the exit at full speed. 

Sero was clearly struggling the most in an open field, with no walls or pillars to keep his momentum going, and he proceeded now running now using the tape as a sling. Tsuyu was helping him out as much as she could, using her tongue to throw him up and giving him an extra boost, aided by the fact that she was naturally faster than him. 

The two were proceeding this way toward the exit, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of their teacher. The fact that she seemed to have vanished into an open field like that was worrying, but they couldn't get cold feet at that moment: they just had to run and hope.

Their luck ran out when, with a snap, a leather whip coiled around Sero's ankle, stopping him abruptly and crashing him to the ground. The two kids felt the blood freeze in their veins when they saw Midnight's figure rise from where she was crouched, the whip clutched in her hand and a predatory grin on her face. The most troubling part, however, were the places where her costume had torn, showing abundant portions of skin...from which a pinkish gas was leaking. 

"Don't you know it's not nice to keep a lady waiting? Look what you've made me do, crouching among the rocks and tearing my dress..." 

It was lucky that Sero had his helmet on, both because it gave some kind of protection against the gas and because it covered the blush on his cheeks. The boy tried to untie the whip from his ankle, but it was strapped tightly and his nervousness didn't help; fortunately Tsuyu decided to help the boy by attacking the teacher from a safe distance to try to get her to let go of the whip. Even so, however, the situation was complicated: even with a busy hand, Midnight was a fearsome opponent who could avoid Tsuyu's attacks with relative ease; moreover, the girl's only means of attacking was her tongue, which still absorbed some of the gas whenever it shot toward the woman. 

Midnight smiled, the whip clutched in one hand while she blew pink clouds toward Tsuyu with the other. The girl gasped, letting her numb tongue hang out, "Kero...that gas is more effective than I thought..." 

The teacher chuckled, slyly patting her chest, "You have no idea how many people think it only works on males. No, honey, it works on everyone...it's just faster on some rather than others. So..." 

The hand grabbed the costume and, with a sudden motion, tore off a large piece of material on the chest: "...let's send you to bed, yes?" 

Tsuyu crouched down, muscles tense and forehead furrowed, watching as a pink cloud emerged from his teacher's chest, growing thicker and thicker...

At least until strips of tape snapped forward, tying Midnight to her waist and covering her chest. Behind her, Sero gave a grin under his helmet, "Come on lady, don't you know what public indecency is?" 

Midnight gave a grin, fidgeting in the boy's grip, "Mmmmh, tying a girl up like this...you're a-"

She couldn't finish the sentence, as Tsuyu chose that as the moment to sprint forward, running through the pink clouds and hitting her teacher in the side with a kick that sent her tumbling to the ground. 

When she came out of it, her eyelids were heavy and her voice slurred; even that, however, was not enough to stop her sarcasm: "Please cut it out, kero. Have some dignity." 

Despite the pain in her ribs, despite the duct tape that gave her trouble breathing, despite the handcuffs that were clamped on her wrists, the teacher gave a smile: "Hey, if it works, it works."  

"...How did you ever become a teacher?" 

"Next are Kamakiri and Yaoyorozu. This pairing has tremendous potential that, however, is held back by the students' characters: Kamakiri is an excellent hand-to-hand fighter, as he amply demonstrated in the sports festival, yet his belligerent personality leads him to disregard the environment around him or the condition of potential allies. This needs to change." 

Mic snickered, "Déjà vu?" 

Aizawa ignored the comment and continued, "Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, has a first-rate mind, one of the most versatile quirks in the class, and the skills to use both to the fullest; unfortunately, however, she's also hesitant, introverted, and prefers to keep herself in the background. She has the potential to be an excellent commander, but she needs to be pushed in that direction." 

Nedzu glanced at the student files, "I see...and who would you suggest as an opponent?" 

"Ectoplasm. The idea is to pit them against an overpowering enemy that will corner them, exposing the weaknesses of Kamakiri's aggression and forcing Yaoyorozu to take the reins." 

Said teacher nodded, "I see. Well then, count me in." 

Momo furrowed her brow, watching her partner go forward with drawn blades, cutting through everything in front of him. Unfortunately, this 'everything' consisted of an almost endless stream of Ectoplasm clones that kept entering the hallway, barely giving the two of them time to breathe. 

This exam was getting worse and worse. As soon as it had begun, Kamakiri had made a statement that made it immediately clear to the girl what direction it would take: 

"Let's get this straight: I'm not going to babysit you. Either keep up with me or stay behind." 

With that, he had set off running toward the (in his opinion) direction of the exit, forcing the girl to keep up with him; when they met Ectoplasm's first resistance, the boy had jumped into the fray with his blades drawn, and the girl had had no choice but to support him with Milo and Akouo. Unfortunately, it hadn't taken long before the situation escalated to one student enthusiastically slashing bodies of smoke upon bodies of smoke while the other could not find the courage or strength to tell him that perhaps they should have focused on actually passing the exam. 

Kamakiri, oblivious to his partner's concerns, was merrily fighting an avalanche of bodies, enjoying the feeling of power given by adrenaline. He wasn't worrying at all about the time, the exam, even his fatigue: he was in the zone and didn't want to get out of it. Unfortunately, he was also not realizing that Ectoplasm was still far from being tired and that, at this rate, he would end up giving in before the teacher did. Yaoyorozu, however, realized it all too well. 

"Kamakiri!"

The boy grunted, "Not now, I'm a little busy!" 

The girl took a breath: 'Relax, getting angry won't accomplish anything.’

"Look, I-" 

"Ghk! Tell me later!" 

Her teeth clenched: ' I have to stay calm, even if he's abrasive. I have to be able to cooperate' 

 "It's important!" 

"You know what's really important? Fighting!" 

The girl's eye twitched: 'It's not worth it... focus on the exam...'  

This time Kamakiri didn't wait for her input to start talking again, "Stop standing there and do something!" 

That was the moment when something in Momo snapped; specifically, her patience. 

'I'M TRYING TO-okay. Okay. Do you want me to do something? ALRIGHT THEN!' 

The girl folded her shield and spear and activated the creation from her side, pulling out a pair of bolas tied to a cable. With gritted teeth she threw them, but not at the teacher's clones: in less than a minute, Kamakiri found himself restrained and yanked back with so much force that he ended up being thrown off. 

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?!"

Any sort of courtesy and professionalism had vanished from Momo's mannerisms, leaving behind only adrenaline and irritation, "Shut your eyes!" 

The boy was confused for exactly half a second, the time it took him to notice the flashbang in the girl's hand. The clones noticed it too, but did so when the grenade was within half a meter of them; the flash was blinding, the high-pitched sound unbearable, and the nearest clones were undone by the initial power of the detonation. Once they could open their eyes again, they found the corridor in front of them empty. 

Yaoyorozu dragged Kamakiri behind her for a couple of minutes, slipping through the corridors until she was sure she wasn't being followed. The boy couldn't find the presence of mind to speak, still stunned by the abrupt transport and the sound of the flashbang, but recovered when he felt the ropes being cut; at that moment his expression turned sour: "What the fuck were you thinking? We could have broken through the line if you had given me a hand-"

Momo knew she should have cooperated. Try to be mature. But this was the final part of the final exam of the semester, her nerves were already tense, and everything the boy said earlier didn't help. Therefore, her reaction was to backhand the boy in the face with her armored hand. 

She immediately realized that she went too far, but the apology would have to wait for now. She really wasn't in the right headspace.

"Kamakiri, knock it off. Since the exam started, you've done nothing but fight left, right and center and yell about 'making myself useful.' For once in your life, stop and use your head: do you really think you can get past Ectoplasm just by waving your blades around?" 

The boy snorted, "Duh. We are heroes, fighting is who we are." 

Momo threw her hands in the air, "HELPING PEOPLE is who we are! Fighting is not an end, but a mean! And not all problems can be solved by fighting, like in this case!" 

Kamakiri widened his eyes, "Are you kidding? How do you want to pass the exam without fighting?" 

"By using your head, maybe? You really don't get it? The whole purpose of this test is to pit us against seemingly impossible situations to push us to either surpass ourselves or to rethink our strategies. Why do you think our opponent is Ectoplasm, a hero who can go on fighting for hours at a time without having to expose himself to the front line?" 

The boy widened his eyes, finally starting to see the big picture. Momo, for her part, didn't give him a moment's pause: "You really just want to fight? Fine. But if you do that, I'll leave you here to be the bait while I head for the exit." 

"Now tell me: do you just want to fight or do you want to win?"  

Kamakiri stood still for a couple of seconds, looking at his teammate's hard expression with an open one in amazement; finally he gave a sigh and raised his hands, "Okay, okay, you win. Do you have a plan?" 

Yaoyorozu took a deep breath, clearing her mind and calming down enough to face the situation with cold blood. 

"Yes, I do."  

Ectoplasm stood in front of the exit, checking the corridors ahead of him with his expression covered by his mask. Although it wasn't possible to see him, he was starting to get worried.

For the first ten minutes, the situation had been stable: first he had scattered his clones around the grounds to look for the kids, then he focused them in one area when he heard the first sounds of fighting, increasing their numbers as the fight went on. It was clear that Kamakiri was doing his own thing, charging the enemy head-on, and his hope was to make him realize how futile it was. 

In a way, it worked. 

At one point he had seen a flash and heard a ringing coming from the corridor, a clear sign of a flash bang, most likely the work of Yaoyorozu. Then, silence. No sound of a struggle, no sign that the kids were approaching, nothing. His clones had again scattered through the corridors, searching for the two, but with little result so far. 

This on the one hand was good news, because it meant Yaoyorozu had finally taken charge of the situation; on the other hand, he now had no clear idea where the two might be. Which was quite worrisome, especially if Yaoyorozu was in charge. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't see out of his clones' eyes, so he was forced to use his own hearing and intuition to try to figure out where they were. He could command them manually, though, which he had extensively used to cover as much ground as possible. Now all he could do was wait. 

"Come on, come on out...."

With every second he waited, the tension in his shoulders increased: what could they be planning? The exam had a maximum time limit; they couldn't afford to take their time....

His thinking was interrupted when he heard something roll toward him. Immediately he became alert, looking around and-

His attention focused on a spot not far from him; specifically, on the ball of apparent cloth that was rolling in his direction-

No, that wasn't it. It wasn't cloth, it was paper. 

'Wait a second' 

Unfortunately, he didn't have that second. 

Not even an instant after he became aware of the firework, it exploded in a ball of multicolored sparks and thick smoke that hit the teacher full force, causing him to lose his direction, his spatial awareness, and his sense of hearing. Kamakiri and Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, were protected by ski goggles and earplugs, which allowed them to easily step through the blanket of smoke and aim straight at the teacher. 

Following Yaoyorozu's directions, Kamakiri darted like a missile toward Ectoplasm, posture low and arms outstretched to grab the prosthetic legs and drop the teacher. The latter was still dazed and hadn't recovered; therefore, he failed to dodge the boy, being tackled and knocked to the ground like a Rugby player.

The blow managed to wake him up a little, but by then it was too late; Yaoyorozu, seeing what the situation was like, was immediately behind Kamakiri with handcuffs in his hand, closing them around the teacher's prosthetics.

The siren announced the end of the exam and, consequently, also of the tension and adrenaline in Momo. With a deep breath she ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to relax her nerves, while Kamakiri loosened his wrists a short distance away. In all this Ectoplasm, who had finally fully recovered, stood up and approached the two, "Good job students. However, if you don't mind me asking ... how did you manage to get here undetected?"

The girl froze for a moment, and then gave a cough, "O-oh, it was no big deal, just being stealthy, keeping out of sight..."

Kamakiri, in response, pulled a gas mask from his cloak: "She gassed every corridor we passed through. If any clones tried to be smart and call for help, I would take care of them before they could make any noise."

Immediately, the girl's face turned red; under the teacher's judgemental gaze, she hurried to justify herself, "'It was just sleeping gas! I didn't intend to kill anyone, for goodness sake!"

Ectoplasm sighed, "I'm starting to understand Aizawa...don't worry, it's okay. Honestly, I'm quite impressed."

Yaoyorozu nodded, the blush on his face not yet completely gone; trying to think of something else, she turned to her classmate, "Kamakiri, I think I owe you an apology. The way I snapped earlier was wrong, especially my recourse to physical violence, and-" 

The boy put a hand forward, "Okay, I'll stop you right there. That speech is what got us the win, so save the apology. Maybe you had a point about my...impulsiveness."

The girl furrowed her brow, "But that doesn't mean I was-" 

Again she was interrupted, "Seriously, it's okay. If I'm being honest, I'm more impressed that you showed some backbone."

Momo stood looking at the boy with an expression somewhere between flattered and annoyed. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she should have been offended or not...but, in the end, it didn't matter. 

What mattered was that they had managed to pass. Thanks to her.

Chapter Text

“And finally...” Aizawa heaved a deep sigh “...Tokoyami and Midoriya.”

Midnight chuckled at her coworker's reaction, “Oh boy, this is going to be fun.”

More than one teacher snickered along with the woman or sighed along with the man: after all, Midoriya gained a certain reputation among the faculty.

Aizawa rubbed between his eyes for a second before continuing, “Okay, I won't beat it around the bush: All Might, you have to take care of it.”

Yagi straightened up in his chair, “Me?”

“Yes, you. You're literally the only one who can give these two even the slightest difficulty.”

Mic furrowed his brow, “Come on Sho, don't you think that's a little over the top? Even with the weights, you're asking ALL MIGHT to fight first-year high schoolers.”

The blond raised a hand, “Young Yamada, I can promise that I will do my best not to cause permanent damage to the two.”

(Only Nedzu and Ectoplasm heard Recovery Girl's mumbling, “It seems the least.”)

Aizawa interrupted the two with a grunt, “Mic, I swear, if I could ask someone else, I would. But we can't.”

Cementoss raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

The man gave a heavy sigh, “I didn't think there was a need but okay, I'll explain my reasoning. Midoriya and Tokoyami are two of the class powehouses as far as their quirks are concerned: they're powerful, they're versatile, and they know well how to use them. Moreover, Midoriya's brain is one of the brightest in the class, inferior only to Yaoyorozu in academic average; there is no doubt that, no matter what strategy they use, it will be something at least good. However, the two students share a weakness: they're not frontline fighters. The Creatures of Grimm allow Midoriya to stay in the rear, while Dark Shadow is better suited for mid-range combat.”

Kan crossed his arms, “So you want to pit them against the strongest melee fighter in the faculty...makes sense.”

Cementoss rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, I guess so...but it still seems excessive. I mean, I could give them both a run for their money with my cement manipulation.”

Aizawa immediately replied, “Possible, but counter-argument: Lancers. Griffins. Nevermores. Teryxes. Chimeras. Manticores. At least Yagi has some chance against a flying target, you don't. And Mic” The blond froze with his finger raised and his mouth open ”before you ask, imagine coming face to face with a Deathstalker.”

Behind the mask, Snipe wrinkled his brow, “Wait a minute, I'm lost: what are those already?”

“The giant scorpions.”

“Oh.”

The way Mic's face paled made everyone realize that the blond had gotten the message loud and clear. Aizawa ran his hands over his face before continuing, “Do you see the problem? Midoriya's quirk is one of the, pardon my french, biggest bullshit I've ever seen in any of my classes. It's the unholy offspring of a summoning quirk and a multiplication quirk, which are two notoriously powerful kinds of quirk. And I haven't even touched Dark Shadow, another monster of a quirk!”

Midnight sighed, “So your solution would be to force them to fight without relying on their quirks...why don't you take care of that?”

The man gave the woman a look somewhere between “don't be stupid” and “You've got to be kidding": “If the exam started with me standing next to the students, directly in my field of vision, we could talk about it. But it won't, which means that before I can find those two, the grimms will find me. I think I could handle a group of Lancers, Beowulfs, maybe an Ursa...but against multiple groups? Plus who knows how many Sphinxes, Taijitu, Geists, you name it? No. Just, no.”

Midnight clicked her tongue with a hiss. Yagi nodded, “Yes, young Midoriya is a force to be reckoned with. I know something about it, I've experienced it firsthand.”

Aizawa nodded, “Plus there will also be Tokoyami, who is tremendous of his own. You are the only one among all of us who has a chance to make their exam hard-fought.”

The blond nodded, opening his gaunt face in a wide grin, “Very well then, I'll take care of those two. Plus Ultra, as always.”

“So... we're against All Might.”

The two students stood in front of the entrance to Ground Beta, decked out in their costumes and worried beyond belief. Understandable, given the task that lay before them.

Tokoyami, eternally stoic, commented in a gravelly voice, “The enemy before us is formidable. The battle promises to be exhausting.”

Izuku sighed, “Honestly, it's like they want us to fail.”

Tokoyami crossed his arms, barely visible from the cut of his cloak; from beneath them, Dark Shadow emerged, fiddling with her claws, “Um...what do we do? Do we have a plan?”

Izuku heaved a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his head, “Honestly, I'm not sure that whatever plan we'll make will work. I mean, it's ALL MIGHT we're talking about! The strongest hero in the world! What can we do against...that?”

Dark Shadow wrung her claws even more fervently, looking down like a child who can't answer a teacher's question. It was Tokoyami, with a sigh and a low tone, who replied, “The one thing we've always done: give our all.”

The greenie shook his head, “Toko, I appreciate the optimism but-”

The other didn't let him finish: “I know very well how serious the situation before us is. I know that All Might is an enemy far beyond what we would be ready to face. But, at the same time, it is an obstacle that we MUST face. As you all have been to me during the sports festival...and as the villains who attacked the USJ have been.”

Izuku muttered, “I don't think it's fair to compare these three events...”

The boy, to the greenette's surprise, snickered, “Okay, you have a point. But the point is still the same: this exam is another stone in our path to the future, whether brilliant or dark it may be. And the best way to deal with a problem like this is to have a plan. It may not work, but it's undoubtedly better than going in blind.”

The greenie looked at his classmate's bird-like face, his expression austere with his arms folded as he spoke earnestly; a snort, much like laughter, was heard from under his helmet: “You're right. Facing All Might without a plan would be...not literal suicide, but the exam would be as good as over.”

Tokoyami nodded with a shadow of a smile on his beak, while Dark Shadow was much more enthusiastic in showing her emotions, “Now we're talking, Mido! Come on, what's the plan? We're all ears!”

The boy brought a hand to his chin, muttering to himself, “So...All Might is the ultimate hand-to-hand fighter: his speed, power and stamina are out of this world. Even with the weights, facing him head-on is not an option.”

Tokoyami nodded, “Of course. Which means we'll have to avoid combat and rely on stealth. The shadows will be our friends here.”

Izuku nodded back, “Yes, that's the best move...but I don't think we'll be able to go unnoticed the whole time. It would be nice, but...”

The boy and his quirk sighed in chorus, “It's All Might.”

The greenie gave a nervous chuckle, “Sorry, I know I sound like a parrot, no offense, but that's the problem at the end of the day! All Might is...well...All Might! He could easily raze the whole city to the ground to give us no place to hide!”

Tokoyami furrowed his brow, “Do you think he will?”

“'It's possible. The teachers' whole job is to make the exam difficult, and I don't think there's a damage clause this time.”

Tokoyami rubbed his chin, “It's like facing a force of nature...but even so, there must be a way to overcome this obstacle.”

The two students thought for a while, taking advantage of the few minutes of preparation offered before the exam began. Finally, Izuku sighed, “Okay, I think I have...let's say an idea. It's not exactly a plan, but...”

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow quickly became attentive, “It's something we can work with. So, what is it?”

Izuku took a deep breath, looking at his classmate from under the red and white mask.

“I think we can use my special move.”

The sound of the siren echoed through the fake city, announcing the start of the exam. Ironically, it was also the moment when the whole plan seriously risked falling apart.

A handful of seconds had passed since the start, and the two boys were standing in the middle of the main street at a manhole cover. Dark Shadow had removed the cover, allowing Izuku to squeeze into it and Tokoyami to watch from above.

“Are you sure you don't want to go down, Toko?”

The boy shook his head, “I don't think I could keep Dark Shadow under control in such a dark environment. How long will it take for everything to be ready?”

Midoriya's voice rose from the sewers, “Um, I don't know exactly...it's the first time I've tried to do it this big...”

Tokoyami nodded, furrowing his brow under his feathers; before he could voice any more doubts, however, Dark Shadow, who had remained outside as a lookout, chimed in, “Something's coming!”

The boy snapped his gaze along the road, suddenly tense as a spring and ready to move at the first hint of violence. The moment he raised his head, a wind similar to that caused by the departure of a plane hit him in the face, strong and sudden; he was about to wonder what was going on, but the air pressure increased. And it increased. And increased. In less than a second.

It was only thanks to Dark Shadow that Tokoyami wasn't tossed through the air like a tin can in a cyclone, clinging to the manhole steps and holding the boy by a thread of shadow like a kite in a tornado. Soon Midoriya ran to help, grabbing the quirk's body, propping his feet against the steps and pulling with all the strength he could muster, dragging Tokoyami safely inside the sewer.

The tunnel was damp and dirty, with stains scattered along the walls and a putrid stream of water running through the center of it all. Beyond the light offered by the manhole, only darkness filled the air, along with a terrible stench that made even breathing no small feat. Tokoyami crumpled against the wall, aided by Midoriya: “Are you alright?”

“...I am now, thank you.”

The greenette looked up, seeing clouds of dust swirling in the street above them, “What happened?”

The other boy got to his feet with a grunt: “All Might must have done something. I was hit by a jet of air so strong that it knocked me off the ground and damaged nearby buildings.”

Izuku furrowed his brow under his mask: “An opening statement, perhaps...to intimidate us.”

Tokoyami swallowed, “Well, I can't say it completely failed.” Trying to keep control of his nerves, he cast a glance at the tunnel, “How are we doing?”

Izuku replied, “The technique is practically ready, it just needs to be activated.” Then he added, glancing toward the darkness, “We could use the sewers to avoid being out in the open...”

The other sighed, “I don't think I would be able to control Dark Shadow in all that darkness. We would be discovered right away.”

Midoriya gave a sigh in return, “Alright then. Let's go, if we are quick we can try to use dust clouds to go unnoticed!”

With that, the two students climbed up the ladder and out of the manhole, taking advantage of the chaos left by All Might's attack to run toward the side alleys without being detected. Not paying too much attention to the soft footsteps that were following them.

Toshinori took a deep breath, looking at the now ruined street ahead of him. Perhaps it was a little extra, but it was also a good way to celebrate his return to teaching. Honestly, he had kind of missed it, even though he'd only taught one actual lesson.

His plan was relatively simple: use an initial ranged attack to destabilize the students, then get close before they had time to attempt anything and strike to knock them out. Simple, effective, it was guaranteed to keep them on their toes.

'Phase one...!'

As soon as the siren kicked off the test, the hero opened the dance with a Texas Smash straight ahead, strong enough to create a shockwave that ran over the entire fake city and ruined the central street. It didn't demolish it completely, but it still made it look like a battlefield.

'Okay, that should have broken the ranks of whatever Grimm was coming my way and scared the students enough. Now, phase two...!'

All Might bent his legs and leapt with such force that he lifted a cloud of dust behind him, launching himself into the air above the buildings and the destroyed street. From his position, he could see the dust raised by his attack beginning to settle, could see the deserted street below him, could-

'Wait a second.'

The hero furrowed his brow, shifting his gaze from one side of the mock city to the other: he could see no movement in the main street, nothing galloping toward him or crawling through the alleys immediately nearby. Landing on top of a building, he detected nothing reacting to his presence, not even a growl or a gasp.

'Where is everyone?'

It was clear that the students had opted for a stealth approach, which was perfectly logical; however, they didn't even send grimms to distract him as he expected. No pack of beowulfs, or deathstalkers...he couldn't even see the holes made by centinels or a couple of miserable creeps. In the street there was only silence.

Weird. But, in the end, it played more in his favor than in the students'.

The hero looked around: the alleyways below him were unnaturally quiet, in a way that didn't sit well with the nature of that exam and those who were taking it. But things would soon change.

All Might took a new leap, this time focusing only on going up; once he had reached a satisfactory height he turned his gaze downward, scanning the web of alleys and lanes until he saw something move. He focused on that spot and...

Black costumes, feathers, a white mask. The smile on the hero's face became a sneer.

“HA! FOUND YOU!”

The boisterous exclamation rang out in the city below him, echoing through the walls of the buildings; the two students get frozen in place by that scream, looking up with terror in their eyes. From their position, they saw the figure of All Might hovering above them, a red and golden blur against the blue sky; this blur twisted for a second, adjusting its position, and finally thundered, “NEW HAMPSHIRE...”

The first to react was Izuku, even though the terror on his face wasn't visible through his helmet: as soon as those words clicked in his mind, his limbs moved of their own accord, grabbing his teammate by the cloak and pulling him along as he hurriedly stepped back: “Tokoyami, watch out!”

“...SMASH!”

A bang rang in the air above the city. The students had perhaps a second to back away before the hero's burly body crashed into the alley with an impact strong enough to force Tokoyami to cover his face against the debris. When the dust had settled, the two boys could see the figure of All Might standing before them, hands on his hips and a terrible smile carved on his face.

“Here you are! Sneaking through the alleys was a smart move...but now that this plan has gone up in smoke, what are you going to do?”

The answer came quickly.

“Dark Shadow!”

With an unearthly shriek, the living shadow emerged from Tokoyami's body like a moray eel from the rock, darting toward the hero with its dark jaws wide open and its yellow eyes glowing. All Might didn't lose his grin and drew back his fist, getting ready to break through the quirk's offensive and strike the two students...but, to his surprise, Dark Shadow kept growing even after she was out of the boy's body.

(He realized only a second later that the alley they were in was poorly lit.)

When she arrived in front of the hero, the shadow had grown so large that parts of her body were scraping against the walls, peeling off pieces of plaster and knocking over dumpsters. All Might barely had time to raise his arms in front of his body and face that the huge mass of the quirk hit him like a speeding train. It wasn't enough to do any serious damage to him, but all that momentum was more than enough to knock his feet off the ground and propel him out of the alley with so much force that he ended up being thrown all the way across the main road, crashing into a store window.

The shadow burst into a sharp laugh that was anything but benevolent: “HA! How's that, Mr. Symbol of Peace?”

Tokoyami's voice came from the alley, interrupting his quirk: “Dark Shadow, stop gloating and get back here!”

The quirk snorted, “All right, all right... always ruining my fun, huh...”

The boy didn't respond to his quirk's attitude, watching her disappear back into his body. Beside him, Izuku cast a glance at the road, “That won't stop him for long, if at all. We have to move.”

He didn't even have time to finish his sentence that All Might, as if to prove his point, leapt out of the store and into the middle of the road, cracking his back with a grunt, “I knew young Tokoyami's quirk was strong, but to this extent...consider me pleasantly surprised.”

When he looked up, the two boys were nailed to the spot by the blue glow that shone in the sunken eyes, two stars of power and heroism that seemed bent on incinerating all evil before them.

“But if that's all your plan, I'm afraid you won't pass.”

Tokoyami gritted his teeth, not daring to take his eyes off the titanic figure of the hero for a second: “What is our next move?”

Izuku swallowed, trying to think of a plan despite the pressure emanating from All Might's mere presence before him.

'I was hoping to sneak around longer...the technique hasn't quite spread out yet...'

All Might leaned forward, altering the air pressure with the gesture alone. Izuku immediately went into panic mode.

'Nope, nope, NOPE!'

“I'll activate it now!”

The feathered boy got the message loud and clear: as soon as he heard that sentence, he grabbed Izuku by the waist and called his quirk: “Dark Shadow! Take us to the roof!”

Despite the dimness, the quirk obeyed the student's order (albeit grumbling about how running away was no fun) and sprinted up, grabbing the building's ledge and then pulling up Tokoyami and Midoriya like the world's grumpiest grappling hook. All Might, seeing that move, widened his grin, “You decided to run away? Is that your tactic?”

Responding to that provocation was Tokoyami, with an unusual grin in his voice, “Sir, this is only half the tactic. And you are in the perfect spot to make the other half work!”

The hero's eyes widened; Izuku clapped his hands and focused, feeling the veins climb along his hands and arms, quickly reaching his elbows.

“Grimmonogatari: Kuroyuri, Act One!”

When All Might tried to leap toward the students, the ground at his feet exploded.

“A special move?”

Izuku nodded, “I called it Grimmonogatari, the Epic of Grimm. If I had to describe it, I'd call it 'delayed grimm creation'.”

Tokoyami hummed, “How does it work?”

Greenie gave a sigh, “Well, during this month of training I realized that...I spent a lot of time analyzing grimms, but not my quirk itself. So I set out to study exactly how the creation process works, and I discovered something interesting: when I create a grimm, the process is divided into two stages, the production of the liquid destruction and its condensation into an actual creature. Normally these two processes happen immediately one after the other, but they are still two separate impulses.”

The feathered boy widened his eyes, starting to understand where the other was going with this. From over his shoulder, Dark Shadow was coming to the same conclusion: “That means...!”

Izuku nodded, “That I can create a pool of black liquid somewhere, anywhere, leave it there, and at a later time turn it into a grimm. If I create several puddles, then, I can activate them all at the same time!”

Tokoyami brought a hand to his beak, “That sounds useful...but how would it help us? From the way you described it, it sounds like something that needs a rather long preparation time and keen environmental awareness. In short, a technique that excels in defensive scenarios.”

Izuku replied, “Well, yes, it's not something I can do on the spot...but this technique has an advantage over my normal creation: once the liquid has been placed, the generation is almost instantaneous. Which is extremely useful against All Might.”

Tokoyami widened his eyes, understanding the other's point: “He'll never give you time to create enough grimm to be an actual threat. This way, on the other hand, we can have reinforcements at the snap of a finger.”

The greenie nodded, “Exactly. The only problem is that I would force the grimms to come out somewhere different from where we'll be. I've considered carrying the liquid in a container, but the support class doesn't make costume changes this close to exams...and I don't trust myself to use a container that I'm not sure can't be accidentally broken.”

The bird boy furrowed his brow, acknowledging the other's reasoning. Before he could make any suggestions, Dark Shadow came up with, “We could use the sewers.”

The two boys turned to the quirk with expressions of astonishment and confusion (although only one of them could show that), “I beg your pardon?”

The shadow carried on as if she were saying the most obvious thing in the world: “Well, if Mido uses that technique in the sewers, the grimm liquid could be carried by the sewage water to any point in the fake city.”

The look Tokoyami gave his quirk was a mixture of confusion, interest, and a hint of horror: “Dark Shadow, no-I think what you just said is classifiable as a war crime.”

Dark Shadow had the gall to shrug, “It's not like I suggested poisoning the well, just using the sewers. Besides, we're not at war, we're at school.”

The feathered boy could feel the aneurysm approaching, “That's not the-”

“It might work.”

Izuku's voice interrupted the bickering, to Tokoyami's horror and Dark Shadow's elation, “Are you serious?”

“Midoriya, are you sure of what you're saying?”

The greenie sighed, “Honestly, I'm not sure of anything. But Dark Shadow's idea might actually be a good one. I think it's worth at least trying.”

The feathered boy, despite his numerical disadvantage, made one last attempt to be the voice of reason: “We're not even sure if there really are sewers.”