Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

People get their quirks at the age of 4. This is simply nature since quirks started to appear over 200 years ago. While exceptions exist, mainly in the form of people who are born with their quirks, manifestations after the age of 4 are extremely rare.

So, not surprisingly, when more than a month after Midoriya Izuku’s fourth birthday, his quirk still showed no sign of manifestation, his Mom was getting worried.

Going to a specialist, some tests are done, including an x-ray of Izuku’s feet. After a few minutes analyzing the results, Izuku and his mother find themselves face to face with a bald doctor with a mustache and weird glasses.

“You have nothing to worry about.” The Doctor - Tsubasa, Izuku thinks that’s how he introduced himself - says after staring at the x-ray for a while.

“Are you sure, doctor?” His Mom asks. “Every child at his kindergarten has already manifested their quirks, except for Izuku.”

“You’re a fourth generation, correct? Your quirk I mean.” Doctor Tsubasa asks. “What is your and your husband’s quirk?”

“I am able to attract small objects towards me, the weight doesn’t matter as long as it’s less than 1 meter.” Izuku’s Mom explains. “My husband can breathe fire.”

“For all rights, if a child has a quirk, it will manifest at age of 4.” Doctor Tsubasa explains. “With some exceptions in more complex quirks.” He points to the x-ray of Izuku’s feet. “According to research done when quirks began to appear, this phenomenon was linked to the joints of the pinky of the foot. Parts of the body that are no longer used are called vestigial parts. Of course, like everything in the world, exceptions exist. But while I have met people with the extra joint who got quirks, I have never met someone without the joint who didn’t get a quirk.” He taps the x-ray a few times, showing that Izuku only has one joint in his pinky toes. “So I can say with confidence that little Izuku is just a late bloomer.”

“So…” Izuku asks. “Does that mean that I will get a quirk?” He looks at his Mom. “I can still be a hero?”

Doctor Tsubasa pulls out another folder and opens it, showing some images of Izuku’s head.

“We have taken some brain scans of little Izuku.” He shows them two images. “The image on the left is a scan of my brain that I took a few months ago, the one on the left is of little Izuku.” He shows points at a few spots. “As you can see, your son’s brain shows more electrical signals than mine. He is also much more active. Tell me if I am right. Little Izuku demonstrates above average intelligence for his age. He is very active and has difficulty falling asleep. While 4-year-olds usually sleep 10 to 13 hours a night, little Izuku rarely sleeps more than 8, and he never naps during the day. Although he sleeps little, he doesn’t show signs of fatigue normally seen in insomniac children. Did I get anything wrong?”

“No, this is exactly what happens.” Mom replies.

“These patterns are always seen in people with mental quirks. His brain works differently, and he needs less sleep. The reason his quirk has not yet manifested completely is that mutations in the brain occur slowly.” Doctor Tsubasa explains. “The latest case that I can remember happened about 11 or12 years ago. A child’s quirk manifested at the age of 8. It was a mixture of mental and visual quirk.”

“So, there’s really nothing to worry about?” Mom asks again, and the Doctor nods. “That’s so good to hear.”

“For now, I recommend keeping an eye on your child. As his brain develops, he tends to sleep even less. Most people with mental quirks sleep at most between 4 to 6 hours a day. He will also probably have a big sweet tooth. Glucose is the main fuel of the brain, but having a more active brain, he will need more glucose than normal people. Of course, be careful about exaggerating.” He adds. “Other than that, little Izuku might experience some migraines. This is perfectly normal, but if it happens too often, bring him back here, and I will prescribe something to help.”

“I see. Thank you, Doctor.” Mom says, smiling.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Izuku says, bowing to the Doctor.

…

That night, Izuku goes to his room as soon as he gets home. He hears his Mom and Dad arguing about something. Their voices gradually get louder, but Izuku cannot understand what they are saying. The discussion lasts a few minutes until they fall silent, and Izuku hears footsteps heading toward his room.

Izuku pretends to be sleeping as the door opens. His Mom walks towards his bed.

“I love you Izuku.” She says and kisses his curls. Her voice sounds slightly strained. “Everything will be okay.”

Then she leaves and closes the door slowly.

The next day at the kindergarten. Izuku tells Kacchan about what the Doctor said. To his surprise, Kacchan’s reaction is anger.

“So it will still take years for your quirk to manifest, and it will be an useless mental quirk?” Kacchan snarls.

“We don’t know what will it be yet.” Izuku replies.

“Shut up! Mental quirks are useless!” Kacchan yells back. “You’ll just be an useless Deku. You’re no better than a quirkless!” Then he storms off.

What they don’t realize is that another kid heard Kacchan yelling and that this would turn into a huge game of broken telephone. At the end of the day, one story was on everyone’s lips. “Midoriya Izuku is qurikless.” And no matter how many times Izuku tries to deny it, no one believes him. 

Only a few weeks later, his Dad moved to America for business. This is what his Mom says when Izuku asks, but he knows that’s not really the true story. That night Izuku heard his Mom crying.

When he starts elementary school, the rumor comes along with him. And with that, no one wanted to be friends with Izuku for fear of contracting his quirklesness. The nickname Deku goes along with him, and soon the teasing develops into bullying, but no teacher does anything to help.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Midoriya Inko is many things. People say she is calm, soft-spoken, gentle, kind, determined, and many other things. She has a tendency to worry too much and overthink things. But if there is one thing she’s not, it’s stupid.

Inko is a nurse, and because of this, she sees a part of society that most people do not. She is the head nurse of the Hero Ward. The number of times she has treated heroes who have shared stories with her about the worst of society cannot be counted.

As head nurse, Inko is used to dealing with stubborn heroes hiding and downplaying their wounds. But one thing they all learn sooner or later is that Inko doesn’t take any bullshit. 

She is so used to dealing with Underground heroes that she can see from a distance when someone is hiding something from her. It was a huge disappointment when she realized that her husband was hiding something.

A few days later, when Izuku’s quirk showed no signs of manifesting, she took him to a quirk specialist. She was worried, not because she had any problem with her son not having a quirk. Nothing in this world could make her love her son less. What worried her was the discrimination she knew that quirkless people suffer.

When she told Hisashi about what the Doctor said, he could hardly hide his disgust.

“So he’ll have a mental quirk?” Hisashi had said. “That’s useless.”

“No quirk is useless, Hisashi.” Inko tried to say, but Hisashi was dead set on calling Izuku useless.

They argued until Hisashi had had enough and left the house. After that, she went to Izuku’s room. Despite her son’s efforts, it was evident that he was pretending to sleep and that he heard them fighting.

Inko felt guilty. None of this is her son’s fault. There were many things she could say at that moment. The words “I’m sorry” were on the tip of her tongue. But that’s not what Izuku needed to hear at this moment.

“I love you, Izuku.” She settled on saying as she planted a kiss on his curls. “Everything will be okay.”

The next day, Izuku returned home with a sad expression and tear marks on his face, but he would not say what had happened.

Sometime later, Hisashi came home saying he needed to move to America because of his work. Inko almost started laughing right there. Since when does a car mechanic travel for work? And to America?

Inko had enough and demanded the truth. With some pressure, Hisashi broke down and confessed that he had another family. That day, Inko gave him one hour to gather his things and never appear in front of her again. That night, she cried bitter tears. She loved Hisashi so much, and this is what she gets?

Izuku asked her what had happened, and she said that Hisashi had to move urgently to America because of his work. Izuku obviously didn’t buy the excuse, but this was the last time Hisashi was ever mentioned in the house.

Time passed, and Izuku kept coming home sad. He became hesitant to go to daycare, whereas before, he loved to go. It was obvious that something was going on. But no matter how much she asked, Izuku would not tell.

This continued for another year. After starting elementary school, Izuku began to come home injured. He would always make an excuse saying that he had fallen. Or that he was playing and the other kids took it a bit too far.

She didn’t believe it for a single moment, but the last straw was when Izuku came home crying with a note from the teachers saying that he had been suspended for starting a fight with his classmates that ended up breaking three desks. Izuku clearly had a broken arm and was crudely immobilized.

With a lot of coaxing from her, Izuku finally relented and told her about the bullying he was suffering at school.

Now, one thing must be said about mothers. Never mess with a mother.

Especially a mother known for intimidating pro heroes on a daily basis, and who has more than her share of favors owed to her.

The next day, she called in one of these favors in the form of small bugs capable of turning off security cameras for a few minutes. With this in hand, she marched into Izuku’s school, deactivating every single camera on her path, and practically burst into the Principal’s office. She sent the director her most intimidating look, the same one that made even Endeavor shut up while she was treating him after a raid.

“I’m here to talk about my son.” She says. “I talked to him yesterday, and he told me a few interesting things that been happening here.”

“De- I mean, Midoriya is a trouble make, Midoriya-San.” The principal replies with a frown. “He’s always picking fights with other students. Being disruptive in class. And leaving a mess behind. Just yesterday three desks were broken because of him.”

“Is that so?” Inko asks. “Then you don’t mind showing me the recordings I know you keep.” She says in a sweet tone. “After all, it’s required by law for every classroom to have security cameras.”

“Well, you see. There was a small accident, and we lost the recordings.” The Principal makes an excuse.

“Oh, really?” She asks. “Well, then time for plan B. Do you know what my quirk is, Mr. Principal?”

“I’m not sure.” The man replies. “Why?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple to be honest. My quirk allows me to pull small objects towards me. It doesn’t matter the weight, as long as it’s small, I can pull.” She raises her hand towards the man, and he straightens with a pained expression. “Internal organs are pretty small, don’t you think?”

“Are you threatening me?” The man asks.

“Me?” She laughs and tugs onto the man’s heart. “I’m just the sweet head nurse of Mustafu’s Hospital hero ward. Who would believe that I threatened you?”

“I have cameras.” He replies.

“No, you don’t.” She smiles frighteningly at him. “I made sure to deactivate all the cameras. So there is no proof that I was even here today.” She tugs once more and approaches him. “So that’s what will happen from now on. You will treat my son with respect. And you will not let the bullying continue because I assure you of one thing. If I have to come back here, I will leave here in a police van, and you will leave this room in a body bag. Are we clear?”

“Crystal clear, Midoriya-San.” The Principal, now pale as a corpse, nods quickly.

“Good.” She put her sweet nurse smile on her face. “And I want this suspension off his record.”

“Of course, it was all just a big misunderstanding.” The Principal says. “Midoriya-Kun can come back tomorrow, and we’ll make sure to investigate this bullying case.”

“Perfect.” She turns to leave. “Now I have to go, my shift starts in one hour. Have a nice day, Principal.”

As she left, Inko smiles as she heard the Principal sighing in relief.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Izuku doesn’t know what his Mom did, but whatever it was, it worked. 

His suspension was removed after only one day, and the kids who attacked him were suspended in his place. The teacher apologized for the misunderstanding, and since then, he has stepped in when he sees bullying going on.

Not perfect. The students keep calling him Deku and other offensive names. But at least they have stopped hitting him. The main bully remains Kacchan, who takes every possible opportunity to call Izuku useless and brag about how superior he is. But even he cannot attack Izuku without being punished by the teachers. He stopped trying after the third detention.

Although he doesn’t like the insults, being treated fairly by the teachers is enough to make the school experience enjoyable. After all, Izuku has always enjoyed learning, and this is something he doubts will ever change.

Four years pass with no sign of Izuku’s quirk manifesting. On his ninth birthday, his Mom gets a day off from work to spend it with him. Izuku has no friends, and after admitting that Kacchan was his main bully at school, his Mom ended up distancing herself a bit from Mitsuki. They are still on good terms but no longer best friends like they used to be.

Because of this, the celebration ends up being just Izuku and his Mom eating a cake she baked. But that’s more than enough for Izuku.

“Izu, dear, can you go fetch the plates?” His Mom asks.

“Okay, Mom.” Izuku replies and starts running for the kitchen.

“Don’t run, dear, you’ll fall.”

“I’m fine, Mom. Don’t wo-” Izuku trips on something and falls face-first to the floor. “I’m okay!” He says and hears his Mom chuckling.

When he looks back, he sees their Roomba moving around. Looks like they forgot to put it away. Again.

Izuku reaches to pick it up but stops when he suddenly sees some white tendrils sticking out of his fingertips. The tendrils move to the Roomba and attach themselves to it. Concentrating, something similar to a screen appears in front of Izuku.

“What is that?” Izuku mumbles.

On the screen is a large square white arena. In the center of the arena is a still black sphere, and at the bottom is a white triangular ship. Izuku thinks for a moment, and as he concentrates on the ship, it begins to move. 

It takes him only a few seconds to understand exactly how to move the ship, and then he concentrates on the black sphere. The ship starts shooting white projectiles at the sphere, which explodes and disappears after being hit a few times.

The interface darkens slightly, and the message “Hacking complete” appears in underlined capital white letters.

After this, the interface disappears, but Izuku still feels something. As he concentrates similarly to how he did with the ship, the Roomba starts to move. Izuku is startled, and the Roomba stops. He focuses again, and the Roomba moves again, vacuuming the floor. Izuku realizes that he is the one controlling the Roomba. This can only mean one thing.

“Izu, dear?” His Mom enters the kitchen. “Are you okay?”

Izuku turns to his Mom with his biggest smile, then points to the Roomba.

“Mom! Mom! Look.” He concentrates, and Roomba starts moving. “I finally have my quirk!”

“That’s amazing, Izu.” She says. “What happened?”

“I tripped on the Roomba and went to pick it up when those white things came out of my fingers.” He concentrates on severing his connection to the Roomba, and it happens. Then he raises his hand, and once more, the tendrils come out. “See? Like this.” The tendrils touch the Roomba and again the interface comes back. “And then this interface appeared.” But this time, it only asks if he wants to control the Roomba, and Izuku thinks yes. Then he’s in control of the small robot again.

“I can’t see anything, Izu.” His Mom says. “But I can see you’re controlling it. That’s amazing.”

“Does this mean I can be a hero now?” Izuku asks.

“Oh, dear. Quirk or no quirk, I know you can be the best hero.” His Mom replies.

Immediately, tears well up in his eyes, and Izuku jumps into a hug. His Mom skillfully catches him and returns the hug, adding her own tears to the mix. After all, they wouldn’t be Midoriyas without a lot of tears.

Chapter Text

Izuku wakes up in a weird place. It is all dark. Looking around, there are several corridors made up of 0s and 1s. He can’t remember how he got here.

Looking down, he realizes that his feet are not touching the floor. There doesn’t even seem to be any floor here.

“Is this a dream?” He tries to pinch his cheek, but besides the pain, nothing happens. “Ouch. I guess not.”

It takes him a few minutes of practice to learn how to move in this strange place. Once he gets used to it, he begins to explore the area. Approaching the weird walls, he finds a door, but as he tries to open it, an interface appears in front of his face asking for a password.

He tries some random passwords, but nothing works. Frustrated, he runs his hand over the interface, and it closes. Then he extends his hand toward the strange doorknob. White tendrils emerge from his arm and connect to the door, and then an interface with a ship appears, just like when he tried to control the Roomba.

This time the black sphere in the center of the screen has two small silver barriers floating around it. As expected, the barriers block the ship’s shots, but there is enough space between the barriers to shoot.

Destroying the sphere opens the door, and the message “Hacking Complete” appears in the interface. Entering the door, he finds himself in a room with the same walls of 0s and 1s as the hallway.

The place is full of cubes, and when he gets close to them, he sees little pictures. Curiously, he touches one of the cubes, and his interface opens again, playing a video of someone he doesn’t know at a party. He tests another cube, and this time it’s a video of a woman dancing ballet.

Deciding that this is private, he closes the video and continues searching until he finds a video with All Might. Opening, the video shows a street with a lot of debris on the ground.

“Run, Izuku!” He hears his Mom’s voice in his head.

The recording points to a pile of rubble, from which the rescue team pulls a lifeless child. Izuku’s eyes widden because he recognizes this kid. It’s him.

“But how?” He asks, looking at his own hands. “Am I dead?”

The camera moves again. The policemen are moving another body.

“Mom?” Izuku says. Tears gather in his eyes and fall down on the infinite void he’s in. “What happened?”

The camera shows a few policemen bringing a man in handcuffs, and suddenly it all starts coming back to Izuku.

He was going with his Mom to finally register his quirk. He even got to skip school today. But then, a villain attack happened, and they got trapped.

“It’s All Might!” Someone yelled.

“ HAVE NO FEAR. ” All Might proudly says. “ BECAUSE. I AM HERE! ”

Izuku was excited. He had the chance to see All Might fighting in person. His Mom wasn’t so excited. She picks him up and starts running. But the villain was going in the same direction. Then, as the villain was just in front of them.

“ DETROIT. ” All Might charges his punch.

“WAIT, All MIGHT!” Someone yells. “THERE’S SOM-”

“ SMASH! ” All Might either doesn’t hear or ignores the warning. 

The punch hits the villain, but the displaced wind hits Izuku and his Mom, sending them flying. His Mom tries to protect Izuku with her body.

“Run, Izuku!” His Mom says to him.

But before he could, a pile of rubble fell on them, burying Izuku and his Mom. 

“Did…” Izuku brings a hand to his face. He can’t stop crying. “Did All Might kill my Mom and me?”

“It’s a tragedy that this happened, but at least it was just a quirkless child.” Izuku jumps as he hears All Might’s voice and then looks back at the video. All Might is talking to a police officer, and despite his gentle words, he doesn’t look the least saddened. He’s still with his smile. “If it wasn’t now, it would happen soon anyway. The mother didn’t deserve that, though.”

Izuku feels like his world was just shattered. The tears stop falling immediately, and Izuku just stares in shock. Just a quirkless child? So his death doesn’t matter because he’s quirkless? Is this what All Might thinks?

Izuku stops paying attention and just focuses on his Mom’s body being carried away. The video ends a few seconds later, and the interface vanishes.

 It doesn’t take long to put 2 and 2 together. Despite what his teachers say, Izuku is not dumb. Somehow, just before he died, Izuku uploaded his mind to some nearby device. Judging by the videos he found, it’s someone’s cell phone.

Leaving the room through the same door he came in, this time, the hallway is different. Instead of the abstract walls of 0s and 1s, it is a long corridor resembling a hotel he once went to when his parents were still together. Above the door he has just left is a design similar to theater curtains. Izuku mentally notes this symbol as the video gallery.

Each door in the corridor has a similar design. Some are open, and others require a password. Just like the Roomba, hacking passwords is immensely easy. In a few minutes, Izuku has access to the entire cell phone, but he stays away from the messages, respecting the person’s privacy.

Being stuck here, he can’t even attend his Mom’s funeral (and his own). He’s stuck on this cell phone for a few weeks, only using the internet to distract himself and keep himself busy. He finds out that his Mom’s funeral was a big event. He knows his Mom was the beloved head nurse of the hero ward. Many heroes cry for her.

He also learns that All Might couldn’t be bothered to show up. 

All the admiration that Izuku once felt for All Might has evaporated in these weeks. Instead, he feels only anger. Even more so as he does some research.

All Might is the main culprit for the quirkless people suffering such discrimination today. He has never explicitly said it, but he constantly implies in interviews that the quirkless are less evolved and that they can’t do anything. He constantly implies that a person is useless simply because they aren’t able to change the color of their own hair.

In the years after All Might appeared, the rate of hate crimes and discrimination against quirkless people rose astronomically. Izuku doesn’t know what to do with this knowledge.

One day, he senses other machines around. Concentrating on them, another interface appears in front of him, and Izuku jumps into the other machine appearing in a much larger room. Looking around a bit, he realizes that he’s in a cyber cafe.

“Well, I guess this place is better than a cell phone.” Izuku mutters as he looks around.

The security here is higher than on the cell phone, but he still doesn’t have much trouble hacking. He soon gets access to the cameras, and for the first time in weeks, he can see for himself. After a while, he decides he’ll stay here.

As he explores his new home, he thinks about what he’ll do now. Midoriya Izuku is legally dead. No one knows he is there, and frankly, Izuku doesn’t know if he would like to come back.

His Mom, the only person who loved him, is dead. 

All Might is an idiot. And Izuku will make him pay one day.

But for now, he has a quirk to learn how to use.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

The Midoriyas’ funeral was much bigger than anyone would have expected. All the heroes who had once passed through Mustafu’s hospital showed up to pay their respects. The fury they feel for All Might is enormous. Even more so because they all heard how he talked about the child who died because of him. As if it didn’t matter.

All Might has the great respect and adoration of the masses, but the heroes, those who know what goes on under the covers and the manipulation of the HPSC, know the truth. All Might has more innocent victims under his name than most of the villains he has apprehended.

All Might may be respected by the public, but every good hero out there despises him.

At Midoriya Inko’s funeral, many heroes share their experiences with her. The gentle yet firm nurse who always made sure they were well enough to fight another day. On that day, all Mustafu mourns the death of a gentle soul and a child who departed too soon.

The heroes present observe as a tall man with curly hair approaches, crying.

“Oh, Inko.” The man cries. “I’m so sorry. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. And I threw everything away.”

If the resemblance to the dead child wasn’t indication enough, this man’s words would confirm it. He’s Inko’s ex-husband and Midoriya Izuku’s father. Yet, with all the tears he sheds for his dead wife, he doesn’t even mention his son.

“What about Izuku?” A blonde woman that was close asks.

“Who?” The man replies, looking at her.

The woman furiously punches him in the face.

“Your son, you cheating son of a bitch!” The woman screams at him. “The kid that you abandoned! And why? Because he didn’t have a quirk? Because you couldn’t keep your pants on? Don’t you dare come here and cry for Inko-Chan when you’re the one who cheated on her and abandoned her!”

“Mitsuki…” The man tries, but the woman punches him again.

“Shut up!” She screams again. “You either leave, or I’ll make you leave. You don’t get to come here and act like a regretful husband. You never deserved Inko. You never deserved Izuku. Go spit your lies to someone who gives a fuck!”

The screaming continues, but no one stops the woman. No one has the heart for it. And frankly, there isn’t a single person there who doesn’t think that man deserves it. He deserves worse.

The funeral continues after the man runs away with his tail between his legs. That day, two coffins are buried, and life goes on. No one would imagine that the child they have just buried is actually still alive.

Far away, unaware of anything happening, Izuku was beginning to explore his new quirk.

Chapter Text

A few months have passed since Izuku began using the Cyber Café as his base of operations. In that time, he has learned a lot about his quirk. Analyzing quirks has always been his passion, after all. But something else happened.

Since he entered these computers, his processing capacity has increased hundreds of times compared to when he was human. His theory is that his processing power will increase or decrease depending on what kind of machine he installed himself in.

Another thing Izuku discovered is that he’s able to download knowledge from the Internet directly into his mind. But he doesn’t like to do that. He feels like he’s cheating, so he only does this if he needs immediate access to some kind of knowledge. Other than that, he prefers to read and learn the old-fashioned way.

Well, old-fashioned is used in a very loose way here. Even reading normally, he can process millions of words in a second and read several things simultaneously. After a few days of studying his quirk, he discovers a few things.

His quirk is, at its base, an advanced form of technopathy. His tendrils can stretch up to 10 meters, and he can hack and manipulate any machine they touch long enough. He can launch his tendrils from any device that is currently hosting him. The tendrils are intangible and invisible to the naked eye. Once inside the machine, he can basically control it as he sees fit.

Depending on what he tries to hack, he may need to hack several times until he has access to everything. How he sees the place he’s in depends on his level of understanding. When he first entered the cell phone, he was simply viewing pure data. But once he understood how his quirk worked, he could shape the data, thus creating the corridors.

He can manipulate the data to take almost any shape he desires. He was also able to simulate all of his senses with the data. The most difficult ones were smell and taste. He doesn’t need to eat, but he can create yummy treats and eat them without any negative repercussions, so why wouldn’t he take advantage? What the doctor had said about Izuku having a sweet tooth was completely on the spot.

He also created a room for himself, identical to his old bedroom, except for all the All Might’s merch which was replaced by other heroes’ merch.

Izuku can enter anywhere he has some kind of gateway. The easiest way to access it is via Internet. But he can hack machines without internet access if the device hosting him is close enough to them.

When he was thinking about what to call his quirk, he remembered all the kids at school ridiculing him for his analysis of heroes and quirk. Stalker notes, they called the analysis. Feeling petty, Izuku decides to call his quirk Cyber Stalking.

Unfortunately for Izuku, even the Internet can only do so much to appease his boredom. The fact that he can go through almost the entire Internet in a few minutes doesn’t help much with that. In less than a month, he must have seen every post on every hero forum in existence and watched every video about heroes on the Internet. And analyzed every hero with some kind of data released to the public.

After this, he decides to start watching the heroes live. There are cameras all over the city, and by using them, Izuku can follow practically any hero in existence. When the camera he was hosting was destroyed during a fight, Izuku discovered that if the device hosting him is destroyed, he will be sent back to the last device he was in.

Following and watching heroes closely also made him more and more disappointed in society. So many heroes act just as bad or even worse than the villains they arrest.

Of course, not all heroes are bad. Izuku found several heroes he still adores and always follows on his patrols.

Eraserhead, Present Mic, Ingenium, Midnight, Edgeshot, Best Jeanist, Miruko, Gang Orca, Fatgum, and Ryukyu, to name a few. There are others, but he sticks to this group.

As for the villains in costume, Izuku has a great time compiling all the dirt he can find on them and sending them directly to the police. Some of them the police can handle without much trouble. But those who are at the top of the rankings and who think they are untouchable because of it, these Izuku releases to the public eye and lets the masses deal with them.

It doesn’t take long for Izuku to get a reputation. People start calling him the Hero Crusher. Clearly comparing him to the Hero Killer Stain. Izuku isn’t thrilled about being compared to a killer, but he brushes it aside. It’s not like anyone could do anything against him.

Soon after, he decides to hack the HPSC in search of information about a hero. Frankly, it is disappointing how easy it is for him to get into their servers. Their security is laughable. But as Izuku hacks them, he is even more disappointed by what he finds. The sheer corruption in this institution is absurd. So many crimes committed by heroes are covered up every day.

He also finds all the secrets of All Might. That he was injured in a fight against a villain a few weeks ago. This explains why he has been so absent lately. And then, the worst part. He finds out about One for All, All Might’s quirk that can be passed from person to person. And All Might was quirkless before he got the quirk.

From that moment on, Izuku vows that he will destroy this hypocrite’s career. No matter how long it takes. 

He knows that society is practically on All Might’s back. As much as he wishes he could just release everything to the public, he can’t do that yet. Society is not ready for this revolution, and innocent people will suffer if he is careless. 

For now, All Might may continue to sit on his throne of bones, but his time will come. First, he has other fish to fry. A huge flaming fish known as Endeavor.

The ease of hacking the HPSC makes Izuku’s job extremely easy. Even more so with them keeping all the evidence against their heroes locked up with them. Probably for future blackmail.

This is a project that Izuku takes his time with, and he cherishes every second of it. First, he gets the videos that show the great collateral damage that Endeavor is always causing. The fatality rates in his captures, even against a simple purse snatcher. The countless civilians and even sidekicks who died in his crossfire.

Day after day, he releases the videos. And just when the Endeavor PR team starts to fight the damage, he releases the next one. It doesn’t take long before Endeavor’s credibility is completely undermined, and he starts to lose places in the hero rankings.

The final nail in the coffin is when Izuku releases what Endeavor did to his family. The contracts that trapped Todoroki Rei in a quirk marriage. The videos of the “training” he did with both his older and younger son. How his eldest son’s death was basically his fault. His neglect of his other children.

Izuku is a little worried about the rest of the family. But they are taken in by another hero, and Izuku makes sure to check that this is a good hero and person. Powerloader is apparently a good hero, but Izuku will keep an eye out.

The fall of Endeavor is the last straw for HPSC. Izuku Izuku’s infamy reaches astronomical levels. The Hero Commission soon announces that the Hero Crusher is a rank A villain and offers great rewards for any information about him.

Little do they know that Izuku possesses all the information necessary to destroy them if he wanted to. But he understands that now is not the time for this. The fall of the HPSC will cause a collapse in the whole society. Despite what the HPSC has declared, Izuku doesn’t want to be a villain.

He decides to turn his attention elsewhere. The Hero Killer Stain.

Stain is difficult to locate, but Izuku finds some videos of him on the Internet. His speech about how the hero society is corrupt, and so far, he agrees. There are too many fake heroes. But when Stain says that the only real hero is All Might, Izuku can’t stand it and starts laughing.

He decides to contact the villain himself.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Akaguro Chizome, aka Stain, has just plunged his sword into the chest of yet another fake hero. This cursed man used his fame to attract women and then abused them. Stain doesn’t feel an ounce of pity for him and simply leaves him abandoned in the alley until he dies from the bleeding. He soon escapes from the place before anyone sees him.

Once he is far enough away, he takes off his mask and continues walking. It has been a few months since he lost his nose, and he has gotten used to the sensation, but he still feels phantom pains in the area from time to time.

Suddenly, a nearby phone booth starts ringing, and he feels watched, but looking around, there is nothing but a security camera in front of a closed restaurant. He ignores the phone booth and keeps walking, but the feeling doesn’t go away, and every phone booth he passes starts ringing.

Tired of this, he angrily enters the phone booth and answers, immediately hearing a robotic voice, probably altered by some device.

“Hello, Stain, glad you finally decided to take my call. I was about to call you on your personal phone if you kept ignoring me.” The voice greets him.

“Who the hell you.” Stain asks.

“Someone with information. Your crusade is a noble one, but you are misgueded on your concept of true and fake heroes.” The voice replies.

“I’m not misguided. I know the difference between a good hero and a fake one.” Stain growls.

“And yet, you say the only true hero is All Might. You ignore Underground heroes, and any hero that as much as have merch is a fake in your books.” The voice chuckles. “Even though All Might is the biggest showman of all heroes, he’s still a true hero in your books.”

“What’s your point?” Stain asks angrily.

Stain gets a notification on his phone; when he looks, it’s an email with many files attached.

“This is everything I have on All Might. Read it, and when you’re ready, call this number.” Then he hangs the call.

Stain frowns and looks over the files. They all have the HPSC seal. It’s then that it downs at him. This was the hero crusher. Their methods might differ, but they both are fighting to eliminate the fake heroes. He decides to read the files later. If half the reputation the hero crusher has is trustworthy, then these files are the real deal.

He’s not ready at all for what he’s about to find

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Izuku knows he’s about to shatter Stain’s entire perspective, and the man will need at least a few days to process what he’ll learn.

There’s also the HPSC problem, but he can leave them for later. For now, he ignores them and moves on to his next target. UA. Izuku already knows everything about all the heroes registered under the HPSC, except for those who work at the UA.

Nedzu keeps all information about his employees under lock and key. Izuku needs to know if it’s just a matter of security or if they have something to hide. With this in mind, he finds a gateway to UA’s security system and begins hacking.

At first, he feels disappointed. The first barrier is so easy to overcome. The security is only a little higher than that of HPSC. Too easy . He soon eats his words.

After breaking the third barrier, Izuku could barely access basic information such as the school janitor’s name and the supply cabinets’ location. This is useless to him! He continues onward, getting information about the students’ allergies. Apparently, they have someone who is allergic to water. Interesting but also useless.

From then on, security is increased to a level that Izuku can describe as bullet hell. He feels like he is playing Touhou Project with the number of projectiles he has to dodge while trying to destroy the next core. Despite his efforts, a shot hits him, forcing him off the servers.

Izuku keeps trying, this time leaving a backdoor so that he doesn’t have to do it all over again in case he fails. On the fourth attempt, he finally manages to break the core, but he doesn’t end up where he expected.

Instead, he finds himself in a dark room with only a huge interface in front of his face showing an office chair with its back to the camera.

“It is a pleasure to finally be able to talk to the legendary Hero Crusher. You’ve made quite a name for yourself, you know.” A cheerful voice says from behind the chair.

The chair slowly rotates until it faces the camera, revealing... some kind of anthropomorphic rodent wearing a suit?

“Still, I did not expect a hacker of his caliber to fall into such a simple…” The rodent, who Izuku knows it’s Nedzu, blinks as he looks at Izuku on his screen. “Trap… A kid?

A giant cursor arrow goes to Izuku and drags him to the center of the screen.

“Hey. Let me go!” Izuku struggles, trying to free himself from the cursor.

“Are you really the Hero Crusher?” The rat asks. “No, of course you are, I made sure you would be the only one who could get here. Still, I was expecting someone… bigger.”

“I’m not small!!!” Izuku pouts and looks away.

“I meant someone older.” The rat tries again.

“I’m already 10! That’s double digits!” Izuku replies, showing his two hands.

This strange interaction between the two was the first step in creating a relationship that would make even the greatest of heroes, and the worst of villains, tremble with fear.

Chapter Text

Few things in this world can surprise Nedzu. That is the advantage of possibly being the most intelligent creature in the world. Unfortunately, this also means that life can be very boring for him. One of the few entertainments he has is his weekly chess matches with his former personal student.

However, things in these last few weeks have become incredibly interesting. All because of a new “villain.”

The only thing this so-called villain has done is expose the corruption of several heroes that the HPSC was hiding. And they did a good job with that. But of course, the HPSC didn’t like that, especially when it cost them their number two hero.

Nedzu knew that it was only a matter of time before the so-called Hero Crusher went after his files. After all, the files of the heroes who work for him are kept under lock and key.

With this in mind, Nedzu set a trap for them. He only wanted to talk, so the trap would take him to a chat room where they could speak peacefully without the risk of being traced.

Now, as already stated, very few things in this world surprise Nedzu. Discovering that the Rank A villain known as Hero Crusher is actually a 10-year-old child is one of them. The fact that this child died and was buried a year ago is another. In short, this child managed to surprise Nedzu twice in less than 10 minutes. Something unprecedented for the Chimera.

After the initial shock, Nedzu has another pleasant discovery. This boy is brilliant. Brilliant and suspicious, but that is to be expected from someone with so much knowledge. No one discovers the things he has discovered about the heroes without being disappointed by them.

Yet Nedzu wants to have this boy as his student. A mind like this needs to be cultivated. But with someone so wary, he can’t just offer himself as a mentor. But Nedzu doesn’t mind playing the long game. He just needs to play his cards right.

“Will you let me go?” The kid asks him after they speak for a few minutes.

“Well, I don’t want to arrest you, and I doubt I could in the first place.” The kid giggles, confirming that he also doesn’t think Nedzu can catch him. “But before you go, how about a game?”

“What kind of game.” The kid asks, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m quite particular to chess.” Nedzu replies. “I can even throw something in for you.”

“I’m listening.” The kid replies.

“You wanted the files on my employees, right? Well, I’ll give you one for each victory against me.” A risky gamble, but Nedzu doesn’t intend to lose.

“Can I choose which one?” So he wants someone specific.

“It’s fine by me.” Nedzu replies. “But whether you win or lose, only one file per day. We can play more if you want, but only for fun.”

“And if I lose?” When not if.

“You have to answer a question.” Nedzu replies. “I won’t force you to tell me anything, and you can pass a question if you don’t want me to reply. But if you pass, I get to ask another question until you answer one.”

The kid pouts and taps his cheek a few times, then he nods.

“Alright, I accept.” The kid says.

With this, Nedzu sets up the interface for the chess game. The boy is clever but evidently an amateur. The first game is easily won by Nedzu.

“Checkmate.” He announces.

“Looks like.” The kid replies. “What’s your question?”

“Your name?” Nedzu already knows the kid’s name, but the kid doesn’t know that, and he’s sure that if he knew, he’d probably run.

“No, pass.” The kid replies.

“Very well, in this case.” Nedzu thinks for a few moments. “Favorite color.”

The kid blinks a few times like he wasn’t expecting this question at all.

“Red.” He replies. “Is that really your question?”

“I’m more interested in learning about you than anything else.” Nedzu shrugs. “I can ask other questions when you trust me enough to answer them.”

“It still feels like I’m cheating.” The kid replies. “If I had won, I’d get one of your files on a hero. Doesn’t look like a fair exchange.”

“You seem to have pretty solid morals for a villain.” Nedzu observes.

“I’m not a villain!” The kid replies, indignant. “Despite the HPSC labeling me as such. I don’t want to destroy society or something like that. I just want the villains in costume to pay for their crimes. Especially All Might.”

“All Might?” Nedzu asks. “Why All Might?”

“Sorry, sir. You’ll need to win another game tomorrow to ask this.” The kid replies.

“And will you answer?” Nedzu asks, and the kid just shrugs, which Nedzu interprets as a no. “Well, I’d be happy if you visited again.” He says and sends a token on the screen. “You can use this to access my personal PC without having to go through all this hassle again.”

“It was a hassle.” The kid mutters. “But it was also fun. I Never had so much difficulty hacking someone.”

“You’re welcome to keep trying.” Nedzu replies. “Of course, if you do pass my firewall, I’ll make sure to upgrade it so it never happens again.”

“I’d be disappointed otherwise.” The kid replies. “Thank you for the game, sir. I’ll visit another time.”

Then the avatar on his screen disappears, leaving no traces that he was ever there. Not even Nedzu can track him. There’s no way this kid is just a really good hacker. There must be a quirk at play. But what exactly is it?

Oh, well. Nedzu always loved a good puzzle. And this kid is the best puzzle he got in decades. Hurrying up would only spoil the fun.

As Nedzu cackles into his teacup, all the teachers at UA feel a chill run down their spines.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Izuku has to admit his conversation with Principal Nedzu was fun. It was the first time he had ever played chess, and he knew he wouldn’t win. But he was prepared to answer some questions. He didn’t expect the question to be what his favorite color was, but he still answered honestly.

He is sure that the rodent is up to something, but if it is problematic, Izuku can just disappear. He knows that in his current state, he is practically untouchable, except maybe for a computer virus. 

In fact, Izuku should probably start researching some way to protect himself in case someone discovers his virtual mind. His whole mind has been converted into computer code, which means that, like any program, he can be hacked if he’s not careful.

Well, that’s a problem for later because now, he’s getting a call on the number he gave Stain. So he activates the program to mask his voice and answers it.

“Hello, Stain.” He greets.

“Is this really true?” Stain’s voice is strained. “All Might is supposed to be the one true hero, and you’re telling me he’s just another fake!”

“This is what the HPSC hides from the public.” Izuku confirms. “One day, he might have been a true hero, but he fell down from grace.”

“Then he needs to be culled too.” Stain growls.

“You won’t touch him, Akaguro Chizome.” Izuku threatens. “All Might is mine. I just showed this to show you how you’re misguided in your definition. You killed some good heroes, too, you know?”

“What do you mean?” Stain asks.

“Red Light.” Izuku names a hero that was killed two months ago. “You killed him after he used the money from his hero work to buy a huge plot of land. Well, the plot was to be used to build a charity center for homeless people.”

“...”

“Your ‘mission’ is noble, but your way of operating is based on ideals that are impossible to achieve. After all, you believe that heroes should not be paid for their deeds, but how can they even live if they are not paid? A person doesn’t live on goodwill alone.” Izuku continues. “If the person is a good hero, why should their motives matter? As long as they save lives and are not horrible humans, it’s enough.”

“You’re saying I should stop hunting fake heroes?” Stain asks.

“Of course not. I’m not stopping anytime soon.” Izuku replies. “I’m asking you to start looking at who are really fake heroes. For instance, Fat Gum. He has been known to visit all the food stalls he finds during his patrols. On paper, he is neglecting his patrol to eat. But is he really?” He chuckles. “Let’s look at a few facts. Fat Gum quirk works off his fat reserves. He’s one of the most efficient heroes, and his patrol routes are among the safest ones. They weren’t like that before he started patrolling them. And by visiting food stalls, he is helping the vendors. After all, what better marketing than having a famous hero eating at your stall?”

“Then what should I do?” Stain asks. By now, he just sounds lost.

“I’d suggest looking into Underground Heroes. They are the closest you’ll find of the true heroes you talk to.” Izuku replies. “And before ‘culling’ another fake hero, make sure they are really fake.” He pauses for a moment. “If in doubt, call this number again. I can help you. Our methods may be different, Stain, but we want the same thing.”

“You gave me a lot to think about…” Stain sighs. “I think I’ll take some time to reflect on it. But thank you. And if you encounter a fake hero that you can’t handle using the system. Point me in their direction. I’ll take care of the problem.”

Then he hangs the call.

Well, looks like Izuku did a good job. Only time can say what will happen to Stain now.

…

“Favorite food?” Nedzu asks after his third win.

“Once it was Katsudon.” Izuku replies. “But now, anything sweet. I’m particular to caramel, though.”

“I quite like honey, to be honest.” Nedzu says. “I’m not sure if it’s the blame lies in the bear in me or the mental quirk.”

“Probably both, to be honest.” Izuku shrugs. He extends his hand and concentrates. Then a caramel candy appears in his hand.

“That’s an interesting trick.” Nedzu comments.

“Well, I can eat candy without risking a sugar crash or having diabetes.” Izuku shrugs. “I’d be dumb not to take advantage of this.”

“Now, why don’t you ask something?” Nedzu says. “I’d been learning a lot about you, but you still know nothing about me.”

Izuku thinks for a few seconds, then the cup in Nedzu’s hand catches his attention.

“What are you drinking?” He asks.

“Oh, this?” Nedzu shows his cup to the camera. “It’s sweet tea. Basically, black tea sweetened while still brewing. I like to sweeten it with honey and add a bit of lemon.” That actually sounds pretty good. Izuku should try making it. “If you want, I can teach you how to make it.”

“Yes, please.” Izuku replies. “It has been a while since I tried anything new.”

…

In his 15th match, Izuku finally managed to beat Nedzu. To be honest, he has been training hard these past few days. But all the training has paid off. To his surprise, Nedzu doesn’t seem bothered by his defeat. He almost seems... proud?

“Well, a deal is a deal. I will give you the files of one of the teachers. Who do you want?” Nedzu asks.

“Power Loader.” Izuku asks, making Nedzu raise an eyebrow. “I need to know if the kids are safe with him. They were already abused by a hero. I won’t let it happen again.”

“I can assure you that Power Loader is treating the Todorokis well.” Nedzu replies, and Izuku feels the files getting to the email he uses. “But you can see for yourself.”

“Thank you, sir.” Izuku nods, then start looking over the files, which appear in front of him in the form of paper sheets.

Excavation Hero: Power Loader.

Quirk: Iron claws

Birthday: September 17

Blood type: A

Height: 155 cm (5’1”)

He has pretty good stats, especially his power, and intelligence. But that is not what Izuku is looking for. Where is it? Where is it? There it is!

Casualty reports, collateral damage, civilian comments, psychological evaluation. As every hero should, Power Loader regularly sees a therapist. He has no buried crime reports or any kind of illegal deal. His licenses, both hero and support, are up to date, and all safety courses are up to date.

Overall, everything seems to be fine. This is enough for the moment for Izuku to accept that the Todorokis are safe.

“Okay.” Izuku says, looking at Nedzu. “He seems safe, but make sure he treats them well. They deserve it.”

“Every kid deserves a good family.” Nedzu replies. “You too.”

“And I’d still have. If it were not for a bastard with too much power and too little sense.” Izuku grumbles. “But that’s beside the point.”

“If you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.” Nedzu says.

“Maybe one day.” Izuku replies.

But not today. He can’t say he trusts Nedzu enough yet. He does like the Chimera. It feels like he’s his first friend since Kacchan. But Kacchan betrayed him. Will Nedzu betray Izuku as well?

Chapter Text

The worst part of being technically a computer program is that Izuku rarely has anything to occupy his time. Practically everything he tries to do, he only needs a few seconds. He was already considered quite intelligent even before his quirk manifested, but in his current state, modesty aside, he is a genius. And being a genius IS A COMPLETE BORE.

The best part of his week is his chess matches with Nedzu. But the Chimera is busy, so he can’t play with Izuku all the time. Heck, just the time he manages to take to teach and play with Izuku is a lot considering he’s not only a hero but also the Principal of the biggest hero school in Japan.

Before, he would be hacking hero agencies or the HPSC to get more information on the heroes, but even for that, there’s only so much he can do. Heck, Izuku already has information on every single hero - Limelight, Twilight, and Underground - in Japan except for the UA employees. And Izuku is going a bit slower on his Hero Crusher shenanigans as for Nedzu’s suggestion. As much as he wants to purge Japan from the “Villains in Costume,” he doesn’t want society to crash. So he’s going a bit slower with his whole “exposing heroes’ crimes” thing. He’s more than willing to play the long game, anyway.

But well, this means that he has a lot of free time at the moment. And he’s about to go crazy if he doesn’t find something to do soon.

The idea came when Izuku was listening to one of Present Mic’s podcasts, where the hero recounted a few of his funniest encounters during patrols.

“Like, really, listeners! I swear the guy’s quirk was shooting popcorn from his fingers. And I’m not talking about those hard popcorn kernels. No, popped, soft popcorn. Why did he think this was a strong enough weapon to use against a pro hero? I have no idea but my jacket smelled like butter for weeks!” 

The situation was hilarious, and it gave Izuku an idea. He’s already practically a Stalker. He can easily start following heroes more often. It’s not like he’s going to get in their way. But first, with a mischievous grin, Izuku dials the number for the nearest movie theater from the Put Your Hands Up radio station.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Today was a very productive day for Yamada Hizashi. But to be fair, he always considers the days he works at his radio station productive. What can he say? He loves his program. His favorite part is when he can answer his Listeners’ calls. Especially the Little Listeners. 

It is no secret to anyone who knows him that Hizashi wishes to have children of his own one day. Through adoption, of course. Sleeping with a woman is something that does not even cross his mind. The truth is that he only has eyes for one person, although he is too cowardly to dream of telling them how he feels.

But that’s not the point!

The point is that he loves his radio station, but unfortunately, he can’t stay there forever. It’s time to go home to his empty apartment. That’s the worst part of his day, but there’s not much he can do. At least he and Nemuri managed to convince Shouta to go drink with them this weekend, so he has something to look forward to.

It’s important to always look at the positive side!

He’s about to pack his things when someone calls him.

“Hey, boss.” His young intern, a second-year in hero class B who just got his provisional license, says from the door of Hizashi’s office.

“C’mon Little Listener, how many times do I have to say? Quit with the Boss.” Hizashi whines.

“I’ll stop calling you boss, when you stop calling me Little Listener.” The boy replies with a smirk.

“Touché.” Hizashi replies. That’s not happening anytime soon. “So, what is it?”

“Well, we just got a delivery.” The boy replies, scratching his head. “That no one here ordered. It came with a note addressed to you.”

“Alright, let me see.” Hizashi replies.

His intern takes a step back and opens the door all the way, then he enters with a giant bag of popcorn. Like, the thing is almost his size, and it’s filled to the brim. Hizashi blinks a few times at the bag, then looks back to his intern.

“Security checked, it’s just popcorn.” The boy replies.

“What a weird gift.” Hizashi replies as he picks up the note with the intern.

Hey, Present Mic. I love your program. I hope you like my gift.

It looked like you really like popcorn.

- M.I.D.O.S.

Well, he has no idea who this Midos is, but there’s no way he’s about to waste a gift from one of his listeners.

“Assemble the entire staff on the fourth floor.” Hizashi says, grinning. “We’re having a surprise movie night.”

“Sure thing, boss.” His intern salutes and then leaves.

Hizashi reads the note one more time, but there’s absolutely no hint of who this Midos could be. But well, Hizashi will make sure to thank them in his next program. He can probably get some more funny patrol stories with his friends to tell later.

Yeah, sounds like a plan.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Eraserhead looks warily around from his vantage position at the top of a building. He doesn’t know how, but he’s sure he’s being observed. It’s been going on since he left home for his patrol, but he hasn’t caught even a shadow from his stalker.

He doesn’t feel any ill intention, but you can never be too careful in this profession. Eraserhead is an Underground hero, and you don’t survive as one without a healthy dose of paranoia.

He knows he’s not going crazy either because other heroes also mentioned the same feeling. Most of them came to become victims of Hero Crusher not long after, but Shouta is not worried about that. 

First of all, he has nothing to hide, and secondly, even if he did, an Underground hero does not depend on public opinion. Besides, his numbers speak for him. The Hero Crusher has no reason to target him.

His patrol has been pretty uneventful, which is honestly a rarity and usually would make him grateful. But today, he’s on edge.

“Hey, Eraser.” An unknown voice says in his comms. “There’s a drug dealing happening two streets down.”

“Who the hell are you, kid?” Eraserhead asks, but he’s already moving in the direction he was guided. It could be a trap, but his gut says it’s not. “This frequency is private.”

“And it’s outrageously easy to hack. You should be more careful. If I were a villain it would be dangerous.” The kid replies. “And I’m not a kid!”

“Your reaction says the opposite.” Eraserhead says.

“Would a kid be hacking hero comms to tip Underground heroes in the location of criminals?” The kid shoots back.

“I’d argue that only a kid would be dumb enough to do this.” Eraserhead replies. “Found it.”

“And right on time. Looks like something went wrong. They are about to start fighting.” The kid says. “Be careful. The guy with the mohawk has an aiming quirk and a gun. Graybeard can leech energy via skin contact. Don’t let him touch you. Both quirks you can erase, so you must be fine. There’s a guy with an elephant mutation at the alley entrance, though. Be careful.”

Nodding, Eraserhead jumps down from the roof, falling on the man with the mohawk and already aiming Erasure at the second one. In less than a second, he has both men tied.

“There wasn’t supposed to be any heroes in this area. Who are you?” Mohawk guy asks.

Shouta is about to reply when a song starts playing on his comms.

“Where my haters

Where my haters

I don’t got em

I’m not famous, no”

“Are you serious?” Shouta asks with an unimpressed expression.

“It don’t matter what my name is

I don’t got one I’m not famous, no

And I don’t hate it, no”

As the song continues, Eraserhead hears the kid excitedly singing along. 

“Is that necessary?” Eraserhead asks once he hands over the criminals to the police and returns to his patrol route.

“You can’t say it’s not a great song.” The kid replies.

“I can’t listen to music on patrol, kid. Distractions are an invitation to a trip to the hospital or cemetery.” Eraserhead argues.

“This is why you’re one of the best heroes.” The kid replies. “Don’t worry, Eraser. I’m keeping my eyes open. There’s not a single purse snatcher in a radius of 3 miles. It makes me wonder where all the criminals went.”

“Do I even want to know how you’re doing this?” Eraserhead asks.

“Same way I’m talking to you right now.” The kid proudly explains. “A tip to whoever is in charge of the security. Changing the letter ‘o’ for the number’ 0’ doesn’t make ‘password’ a good password.”

Eraserhead sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear this…” Go home, kid.

“And who is to say I’m not home?” The kid replies. “I don’t need to be on the streets to watch a bunch of security cameras. I am deleting the footage from the camera that caught you fighting those guys, by the way.” You’re welcome.”

Saying that the kid disconnects from the comms.

“Problem Child.” Eraserhead sighs as he walks. Then he gets a ping on his phone, despite being sure his phone is completely mute.

Checking it, he finds a video attachment. It’s 15 seconds of footage of Eraserhead fighting a group of villains. He remembers this fight. It happened about two weeks ago. Then he gets a message.

???:

You never know where there might be cameras.

I deleted everything I found, but be careful.

Keep up the good work, Eraserhead.

:)

Eraserhead:

Can I at least get a name, kid?

???:

Hmmm…

Well…

I think I’ll go by M.I.D.O.S.

But you can call me Midos.

Eraserhead:

Alright.

Stay safe, kid.

M.I.D.O.S.:

Always, Eraser.

Say hello to the cats for me .

Did he mean the strays Eraserhead usually feeds? Or does he somehow know about his cats?

Well, whoever this kid is, Eraserhead has the distinct impression that he’s not someone he’ll ever want as an enemy. He interacts with Nedzu more than enough to know how powerful information really is.

Shaking his head, Eraserhead goes back to his route. He still has 2 hours of patrol left before he can go back home to his cats.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Eraserhead is so… COOL!

Izuku can’t believe he got to talk to one of his favorite heroes. And Izuku helped him! That’s the first time he interacts with a hero during patrol, and it went well. Maybe he could do it more? He was just planning to follow and watch heroes, but they could use a man in the chair, right? It’s not like he could get in their way, and any information is always good to have, regardless of how it came to be.

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Maybe next time he talks to Eraserhead, Izuku could ask a few questions about his quirk too. That would be so amazing.

Izuku has so many questions about Erasure, but until he wins against Nedzu in another chess match, he won’t have many chances to look into it. He should train some more to be ready for tomorrow’s match.

However, his plans are interrupted by a message. The only ones that Izuku gave one of his numbers are Nedzu, Stain, and now Eraserhead. And Nedzu never texts. Checking the message, he finds a text from Stain.

Stain:

I need your help.

I found my next target, but I want to confirm with you first.

Well, it’s better than him just going after the hero, guns blazing. Hopefully, it’s not another innocent hero.

Hero Crusher:

Alright.

Who is it?

Stain:

What do you know about Present Mic?

Well, shit.

Chapter Text

Oh. God. Damn it. Stain!

Izuku reads and re-reads the message a few times. Of all the heroes he could have set his eyes on, why did it have to be Present Mic?

Hero Crusher:

Why Mic?

Stain:

He’s a showman.

I looked into him. Present Mic barely makes any hero work. He focuses almost all his time on his other two jobs.

I guess it’s admirable that he works three jobs, but that’s beside the point.

Of course, that’s the problem. 

Izuku sighs as he goes over everything he knows about Present Mic. Which is actually not that much. For such a public figure, he has surprisingly little about his person known. The only reason Izuku knows his civilian identity is because he has watched all of UA’s sports festival videos from the last 20 years.

Hero Crusher:

Have you really looked into him?

You’re missing the point.

Stain:

What am I missing?

He barely does any hero work.

How he isn’t a fake hero?

Hero Crusher:

Did you ever see his quirk?

The man is practically a walking nuke.

It would be dumb to have him catching purse snatchers.

That’s not the kind of hero he is.

He’s a heavy hitter and is always one of the first ones to be called for dangerous villains.

And he’s always the first one to respond when it happens.

Stain:

Still. Shouldn’t he do more?

His quirk not being suited for it isn’t an excuse.

Hero Crusher:

He does more.

But you’re looking at it the wrong way.

Stain:

What do you mean?

Hero Crusher:

We have hundreds, maybe thousands of heroes on the streets every day, catching petty criminals and low-level villains.

Yes. He could do the same.

But then he would be just one more hero.

Instead, he chooses to do another kind of hero job.

Link sent.

Link sent.

Link sent.

Link sent.

Hear those, and I think you’ll understand.

Meanwhile, if you want a true fake hero.

Link sent.

This one has been ripping off small businesses.

He charges very high prices in exchange for “protection.”

And for those who refuse to pay.

He sends his sidekicks to disguise themselves as villains and destroy their business.

This. Is a truly fake hero.

Stain:

I’ll look into it.

And I’ll see those links you sent me.

Thank you, Hero Crusher.

Izuku sighs in relief as he reads the message.

Crisis averted, for the time being. I hope it is enough to convince him that Present Mic is a true hero.

But well, that’s something for future Izuku. For now, he has something else in mind.

Izuku can’t exactly enact his revenge at this moment. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be petty. And Izuku has been living on the internet for months. If there’s one thing he learned, it is how to be petty.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

The day started like any other for Yagi Toshinori. Well, like any other day of his new life, at least.

Since his battle with All for One a few months ago, Toshinori has never been the same. His friendship with Mirai is all but ruined, and he can only be All Might for a few hours in the day. With each passing day, he can feel his body thinning. The only thing that keeps him going is One for All. Still, he is weakening.

But it doesn’t matter. He is All Might, Japan’s number-one hero! He won’t let anything stop him. Now that All for One is finally dead, it’s no time to stop. The world needs him!

That doesn’t mean it’s not hard to adapt to his new life without a lung and stomach, though. His new scar hurts like hell. His diet is so limited that one could say that it boils down to liquid foods.

Still, he’d like to say his life is the same except for those details, but that’s not true. For the last few days, weird things have been happening to him.

Now, All Might has never been the most tech-savvy person in the world. Pretty much the opposite, to be honest. Mirai used to tease him about him being an old man who could barely use a phone. Rude. True, but rude.

Still, despite not using it much, he knows how to use an Email. Which begs the question. Why suddenly he started receiving so many weird ads on his Email? It’s like every other hour, he gets an ad mail.

It started quite simply, to be honest. With an ad from what used to be his favorite fast food, which he, unfortunately, can’t eat anymore, so he unsubscribed from it. But the next day, he got ads from three other fast foods that he’s sure he had never subscribed to before. And to make things even weirder, he also got an ad about cigarettes. Toshinori never smoked in his life, and he’s certainly not going to start now.

But this was yesterday. Today things got worse. When he checked his Email, he found himself getting Emails from 12 different pornographic sites. What the heck? He never subscribed to any of those!

But before he could question anything further, his doorbell rings. Toshinori sighs and goes to check. He can see what this is about later. At his door, he finds a delivery man with several boxes.

“Package for Yagi Toshinori.” Toshinori raises an eyebrow as he signs it. He didn’t order anything. “Have a good day.”

Toshinori sighs at the many boxes and looks around. Making sure the delivery man left, and there’s no one looking. He quickly buffs up and gets all the boxes inside.

“Okay, what the hell is that?” He mutters, grabbing a box cutter to open them.

Toshinori’s eyes immediately widen as he opens the first one. Inside is a box of condoms. On a better look, he realizes they are all S-size. There’s also a note in the box.

Do the world a favor. Use them. And on the other side of the note. I don’t think your right hand can get pregnant, but better be safe.

Toshinori has a coughing fit that ends up with him spilling blood all over his shirt.

Now, Toshinori is no stranger to hate mail. Even as the Symbol of Peace, he knows there are people who don’t like All Might. Though he hasn’t received one in a long time.

But these boxes are not addressed to All Might. They are addressed to Yagi Toshinori. All Might’s quirkless secretary. THIS , is something that never happened before. What could he have done for someone to send him hate mail? And how did that person even found out where he lives? His private information is very well guarded, just like everyone who works at the Might Tower.

Toshinori decides to check the other boxes, and to his dismay, they aren’t any better. They are all filled with very pointed - and not subtle in the least - jabs at him. From jokes about his age with things like viagra, retirement homes flyers, and even a box of adult diapers.

Though the most mortifying ones were a box with a giant All Might themed dildo. He’s sure it’s not official merch. He would never have approved of this. With a note. 

A big dick for a bigger dick.

And even worse, a sex doll with All Might’s face. Oh, God. I can’t believe this exists. With a note. 

Hey, now you can go fuck yourself. Literally.

Again, Toshinori can’t understand why he’s getting those. Could this person know who he really is? No, that’s impossible…

Before he could think any more of it, his phone rings, and he notices it’s the PR chief of the Might tower.

“Yagi speaking.” Toshinori answers.

“Yagi-San. We don’t know how it happened, but someone hacked into All Might’s official accounts on social media.” His PR chief says. “There’s suddenly a series of very inappropriate posts about All Might looking for, and I quote ’a suitable dom partner for my sub heart’ and describing in disturbing details his preferences.”

Toshinori gets very red at the thought. 

“How did that even happen?” He asks.

“We don’t know, sir. There have been no safety breaches that we know of. And no traces of the hacker. Either we’re dealing with someone inside. Or a ghost.” A ding from his laptop calls Toshinori’s attention. This is the sound of a new Email. “What should we do, sir?” Toshinori walks to his laptop and opens the new Email while thinking of a new course of action. But as soon as he opens the mail, his eyes widen. Toshinori pales and starts coughing blood. “Yagi-San? Are you okay?”

“I’ll call you later.” Toshinori says. “Urgent matters have just come up. I trust you to handle this problem.”

“Understood, sir.” The PR chief replies, then hangs the call.

Toshinori rubs his face as he looks at the new Email. There’s a short recording included in the Email. One that he recognizes as it happened just a few minutes ago.

The recording shows Toshinori changing into his All Might form and getting the boxes inside. From the angle, it seems to have been recorded from a security camera. But why was a security camera even pointed at his house?

Then, the Email was short, but the message was clear.

You should be careful of where you change forms, All Might . You never know who could be watching :)

There’s no sender. The email address that sent the message seems to be totally random. But it doesn’t matter. Someone knows his secret. And he has to find out who it is.

“I don’t want to call him, but there’s no choice.” Toshinori mutters. “I hope he agrees to help me.”

Then he gets his phone and calls a number he hasn’t used in many years. A few moments later, an upbeat voice answers the call.

“Hello. Am I a mouse? A dog? A bear? I’m Principal Nedzu!” The creature, which Toshinori has no idea what it really is, answers.

During the time he was a student at UA, Nedzu was a teacher there. He became the principal a few years later.

“Sensei, I need your help.” Toshinori says. “It’s an emergency.”

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Nedzu was having his daily chess match with Izuku when he got a call from Yagi. It’s been so many years since the man even talked to him, and now he’s here asking for help to locate a person who discovered his secret.

Nedzu doesn’t even need to think to know who it is. The culprit is at the moment sitting above the virtual chess table, excitedly eating a virtual cake slice as he waits for Nedzu to make his move.

Nedzu tells Yagi he’ll look into it. But he has no intention of turning Izuku in. Even if he did, there’s no real way to arrest him. What are they going to do? Throw a cell phone inside a cell in Tartarus? Like that would work. The boy is technically dead.

After hanging the call, he looks at Izuku - who finally gave Nedzu his name a few days ago. Nedzu likes to think this means they’re making progress - and raises an eyebrow as he makes his move.

“I’m assuming it was you.” He says. “Check.”

“I just wish he had cameras inside his house. I’d love to see his reactions.” Izuku says, giggling. “I don’t intend to spread the secret, but a little scare and a few pranks are no problem.”

“Hmmm.” Nedzu moves his knight. “Checkmate.”

“Damn it. How did I miss that?” Izuku mumbles going over the plays to see where he went wrong.

“So, are you comfortable enough to explain why you hate the Symbol of Peace so much?” Nedzu asks.

“Is this your question of the day?” Izuku throws back, dropping the cake plate, which disappears in the air.

“Sure.” Nedzu replies.

Nedzu waits patiently for Izuku to decide whether or not he wants to respond to this question. A few moments later, he sighs, and a teacup appears in his hand.

“Fine.” Izuku says. “Long story short, he’s the reason I’m like this.” He says, his voice dripping with venom as he sips on the tea. “He’s one of the biggest culprits for everything I suffered for being a late bloomer. And he’s a freaking hypocrite.” He grips the teacup tighter. “And that’s not even the worst part. He’s not even that good of a hero. The only reason he’s the number one hero is because the HPSC hides all the damage he causes. Best Jeanist should be the number one hero, but his quirk is not flashy enough for those corrupts. But the reason I really hate him… It’s because of him that mom is-” He grips the teacup so tightly it breaks in his hand. Tea and glass shards spill all over him, but he doesn’t seem to notice or even mind. “Mom is…” He starts sniffling, and a second later, he disappears.

M.I.D.O.S. Left the server.

Nedzu observes the message for a few moments and sighs. He hopes he didn’t push the kid too far. Still, what the kid said is another piece of the puzzle.

According to the reports he has read, Izuku and his mother died in a collateral damage accident caused by a villain. But according to Izuku, All Might is to blame, and Nedzu doubts that it is simply a matter of Izuku blaming All Might for failing to save his mother. Looks like he’ll need to look deeper into it.

Nedzu looks at the last line on his screen for a few more moments.

M.I.D.O.S. Left the server.

This boy needs therapy. But how do you get therapy for a legally dead kid who lives inside a computer?

Chapter Text

There are a lot of misconceptions about Nedzu. A very common one is that he doesn’t have emotions. That’s completely wrong. Nedzu has emotions. He just feels things in a different way from human beings.

The many years he spent being abused and experimented on by human beings made him very apathetic to humans on a personal level. But if he didn’t actually care about them, he wouldn’t have become a hero, much less the Principal of a hero school.

There are also a few human beings who actually managed to carve a place in his heart. And over those, Nedzu is fiercely protective. All of them are part of his staff at UA, and in particular, he has the ones he sees, like his own children.

Over the years as a teacher and later as Principal of the school, Nedzu met some brilliant minds. But the ones who really impressed him were those who demonstrated great intelligence and a flame that could not be extinguished despite society’s efforts.

The last ones that impressed him on this level were a boy with a dream of becoming a hero but a quirk that doesn’t work against robots and another who was forced to remain silent because of his quirk despite his desire to be heard. Nedzu helped them achieve their dream, and now they are his most trusted teachers.

This happened 10 years ago, and for the first time since then, Nedzu met a kid filled with potential that he wants to help nurture. The problem? The kid is legally dead, and his body is already buried. Their last talk was 5 days ago, and since then, the kid has yet to show up again or even send a message.

Their last talk didn’t go very well, which makes Nedzu even more worried. Izuku needs help, and Nedzu wants to help him. He feels a connection to the boy he hasn’t ever felt before. It’s similar to how he feels towards Shouta-Kun and Hizashi-Kun, but not quite the same.

If he really tried, Nedzu is sure he could find the kid. But this feels like a boundary he shouldn’t overstep. The only way Izuku will trust Nedzu enough to let him help is if the Chimera proves that he’s willing to respect his wishes and boundaries. And whenever he’s back, Nedzu will be waiting with a new tea for the kid to try.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

It’s not that Izuku is avoiding Nedzu. He’s not!

It’s just that their last talk didn’t end very well. It wasn’t Izuku’s intention to have such a breakdown in front of the Principal, much less to run away like that. But when he started talking about what happened to his Mom, something inside him broke again. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to her. While she had a funeral that became part of the news all over Japan, Izuku was trapped inside a cell phone and couldn’t attend.

Izuku wanted to go back and say sorry to Nedzu the next day, but he was too embarrassed to talk to the Chimera, so he postponed their usual game. One day became two, then three, then six, and now it’s been a whole week. 

He’s sure Nedzu didn’t miss him very much. Why would he? But Izuku misses their games. He misses learning from the Chimera. Learning new types of teas to try. Or answering meaningless questions about himself after losing another game.

Izuku stares at the backdoor he has to Nedzu’s personal computer for a few minutes, and before he can chicken out again, he enters.

M.I.D.O.S. Joined the server.

As soon as the message is sent, Nedzu’s face pops in an interface in front of Izuku. The Chimera is looking intently at him.

“Hi, Nedzu-San…” Izuku waves shyly. “I’m sorry for vanishing like that.”

Nedzu sighs in relief (Relief? Why is the Principal relieved?) and nods at Izuku.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” He says. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I am now.” Izuku replies. “I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t ready to talk yet.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for pushing you to talk, Izuku.” Nedzu says. “You don’t need to tell me anything you’re not ready to.”

“No, I think I’m ready now.” Izuku replies. “I want to tell you. Though I’d like to hear what you already know first.”

“What I already know?” Nedzu asks with a hint of surprise in his voice.

“I’m not an idiot, Nedzu-San. My brain has at least the same computing power as a computer.” Izuku replies, smiling. “You already knew my name before I even told you, didn’t you?”

“Yes, you’re right.” Nedzu admits. “Midoriya Izuku. Son of Midoriya Inko. Quirkless. Date of death, July 16, one day after his 9th birthday. Cause of death, the collateral damage caused by a villain attack.” He summarizes. “This is all the information I have. Though I can say for sure that three of these statements are wrong. One, you’re alive. Two, you’re not quirkless. And three, it wasn’t the villain who killed you. Am I right?”

Izuku smiles and nods.

“I was never quirkless. Mental quirks usually take longer to develop.” Izuku explains. “I got mine on my 9th birthday. It’s a very powerful form of technopathy. I call it ‘Cyber Stalking.’ But I never got to register it. Mom and I were going to register my quirk when we ended up in the middle of a villain attack.” He grits his teeth and clenches his fists before continuing. “But it wasn’t the villain who caused our deaths. The one who carelessly threw a super-powered punch that blew my Mom and me and caused a building to fall on us. Was All Might. And to make things worse, the bastard said…”

Izuku plays the video from the incident for Nedzu to see.

“It’s a tragedy that this happened, but at least it was just a quirkless child.” All Might’s voice sounds very clear on Nedzu’s screen. “If it wasn’t now, it would happen soon anyway. The mother didn’t deserve that, though.”

“So, this is why I hate All Might.” Izuku says. “But I’m not an idiot. As much as I want to destroy the bastard, doing so would collapse society. The HPSC might call me a villain, but my dream has always been to become a hero. Even if I can’t anymore, I still don’t want to cause unnecessary suffering.”

Nedzu stays silent for a few seconds, but Izuku can see part of his fur bristling and hear a faint growl. Then he takes a sip of his tea and looks back at Izuku.

“First of all, I’m sorry this happened to you.” Nedzu replies. “All Might is wrong on what he did, and what he said.” He smiles at Izuku. “And second, do you still want to be a hero?”

“I can’t.” Izuku says. “I’m legally dead, Nedzu-San. My body is buried next to my Mom’s in the Mustafu cemetery. No one would believe I’m alive and inside a computer. And even if you could. I’m a Rank-A villain wanted by the HPSC.”

“There’s always a way, Izuku-Kun.” Nedzu replies. “I’ll ask again. Do you want to be a hero? Don’t think about the obstacles. Just about what you want.”

“Yes. It’s always been my dream.” Izuku nods, feeling tears gathering in his eyes. “I want to be a hero. I want to save lives. I want to give people hope.”

“Then I’ll make sure you can become one.” Nedzu says. “You said you call your quirk Cyber Stalking. I want you to stop. You’re not a stalker, Izuku. You’re a guardian.”

“Cyber Guardian…” Izuku says slowly. “That’s a nice name… I like it.”

“And I have one more offer for you.” Nedzu adds. “I don’t know where you stay, but would you like to live here?”

“Here?” Izuku’s eyes widen. “Here? At UA?”

“Exactly.” Nedzu grins. “We could easily say you are an AI I created. I can teach you how to manage all of my security systems. What do you say?”

“Living in my dream school’s system… Helping my favorite teachers…” Izuku grins. “Do you even have to ask? Of course, I accept!”

Nedzu grins and extends a paw touching his camera.

“Then it’ll be an honor working with you, Izuku. Or should I say, Midoriya Izuku Disk Operating System?”

“When we are at work, you can call me Midos.” Izuku replies. “But when we are alone, I’d like you to keep calling me Izuku.” He extends his arm and gives the camera a fistbump.

“Of course, Izuku.” Nedzu says. “Now, how about we start?”

“Yes, Nedzu-Sensei.” Izuku replies, grinning.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Hizashi is walking back home from his radio when he hears a sound coming from an alleyway. He’s tired and wants to get home to sleep soon, but he’s a hero. It’s his duty to make sure everything is alright.

As he walks slowly into the alley, he hears the sound again. It’s coming from near the trash cans. It sounds like… Meowing?

Looking deeper, he finds a closed cardboard box. The meowing is coming from inside it. Opening it, he finds a little gray kitten meowing loudly. The kitten is alone, and there doesn’t seem to be a mama cat nearby. Did someone abandon this baby here?

“Hey, Little guy.” Hizashi says, slowly reaching for the kitten. “What are you doing here?”

The moment he touches the kitten, he starts hearing words in his mind.

“ Mama! Mama! Hungry! Cold! Mama! Where? Scared! ” Surprised, Zashi takes his hand away, and the words stop.

“Did you do this?” Zashi asks and touches the kitten again.

“ Mama! Help! Scary! Mama! ” He hears again.

A quirked animal? Zashi looks around to make sure there’s no Mama cat close. But it seems that this little guy has been abandoned.

“Poor guy.” Zashi gently pets the kitten’s head. “You’re shivering.” It’s a pretty cold day, especially for such a tiny kitten. “Come here.” He puts the kitten inside his jacket to help warm them. “It’s okay, now. Little guy.” 

The kitten stops crying and curls inside Hizashi’s jacket.

“ Warm… Safe… Mama… ” Hizashi hears. “ Hungry… ”

“I can give you food, little guy.” Hizashi says. “Let’s get you home.”

Shouta is the one who fosters a new cat every month. That’s actually another thing he loves likes about his crush best friend. Hizashi isn’t one to bring strays home. But something about this little kitten is screaming at him to bring him home. And he’s not talking about the voice in his head.

Hizashi is walking out of the alley when he hears someone dropping down behind him.

“Present Mic.” A cold voice sends shivers down his spine.

Hizashi slowly turns around and finds himself face to face with an image that would cause nightmares to even the best pro heroes. The hero killer, Stain, is right in front of him with his katana in hand.

“Hero Killer Stain.” Hizashi says, trying to think of a plan. He can’t use his quirk at the moment. Doing so will hurt the kitten.

“Don’t move.” He points the katana at him. “I have a question, and you’ll answer me.”

“I’m listening.” Hizashi replies with a forced smile.

“What is a hero for you?” Stain asks. “Why are you a hero?”

That’s… Not what Hizashi was expecting. The hero killer doesn’t question the heroes he decided to kill. He just attacks.

“A hero is someone who makes a difference.” Hizashi says. “Someone who fights against the unfairness of the world. Someone who helps anyone.”

“Even a villain?” Stain asks.

“It’s not my job to decide whether or not someone deserves to be saved.” Hizashi replies. “If I can save someone, I’ll do it. That’s why I have my radio. To give the chance for other people to be heard. To show them I can hear them.”

“That’s what you say.” Stain says. “I’ve found many heroes like you. The majority were all talk.” He takes a step forward.

Before Hizashi could reply, a meow echoes through the alleyway, and a tiny kitten pops out of Hizashi’s jacket.

“Hey, little guy. It’s okay.” Hizashi says. “Stay hidden. I’ll keep you safe.”

Hizashi then hears a chuckle, which quickly becomes full laughter. Looking up again, he sees Stain sheathing his katana while he laughs.

“So many people would just ignore an abandoned kitten.” Stain says. “This one was abandoned this morning. The owner didn’t want a quirked animal. I fed him earlier.” He grins at Hizashi. “Looks like the Hero Crusher was right. You are indeed a true hero. Looks like I won’t have to cull you this time, Present Mic.” He turns away. “Keep up the good work.” Then he walks away.

Hizashi looks back at the tiny kitten in his jacket.

“ Hungry… Hungry… ” Did a kitten just save him from the Hero Killer? “ Hungry. Hungry! ”

“Okay, little guy. Let’s get you some food.” Hizashi says, giving a last glance towards where he just saw Stain walk. He shakes his head and starts walking away with the kitten. “Hmm. I know! I’ll call you Mister Muffins!”

Hizashi smiles as he walks back home with Mr. Muffins.

Chapter Text

Being one of the teachers at the UA is a job with many benefits. The hours are reasonable. The salary is great. Teachers can manage their classes as they wish. And in the specific case of Shouta, he has a free hand to expel those with no potential and will only end up dying early in their hero career.

The big problem, which almost outweighs the benefits, is that UA employees are always subject to Nedzu’s whims. For instance, today, Nedzu decided to call a meeting at 6 AM on a Sunday and gave everyone a last-minute warning. And Shouta has just come off a 12-hour patrol.

There is no way of knowing what this is about because Nedzu’s meetings can be about anything. From a salary adjustment to a security breach. And none of them will know what it’s about until the Rat shows up. And, as expected at that point, at exactly 6 AM, the vent opens, and the Rat comes down, falling on the top of the table in the middle of everyone.

“I’m glad to see everyone came.” Nedzu says.

“What is this about, Nedzu?” Shouta asks. “This was last minute, even for you.”

“Yeah.” Hizashi agrees. “I don’t mind too much since I didn’t have anything scheduled for today. But you usually give us at least two days’ notice.”

“Well.” Nedzu pours himself a cup of tea. Shouta already gave up on figuring out where he pulls it from. “I called you today because I want to introduce you to our newest staff addition.”

“Did you hire someone new?” Nemuri asks. “The last one was Thirteen last year.”

“We are not in need of any new teachers.” Vlad points. “Nor any other position, now that I think about it.”

“You’re right.” Nedzu says. “But I realize that a few of you are a bit overworked. This new addition will assume the security chief position, so Ryo-kun can focus completely on his duties as counselor.” He looks at the Hunting Dog Hero. “By the way, Ryo-Kun. I’d like to speak to you in private after this.”

“Understood.” Ryo replies.

“With this out of the way, I’d like to introduce your new coworker.” Nedzu says.

“Hello!” A young, very young, sounding voice calls, and all the lights turn off. Then a projector activates, transmitting an image on the board. “I’m M.I.D.O.S., but you can call me Midos. I’m the new security bot of UA.”

The image transmitted is a little boy with green hair, eyes, and a freckled face. Everyone in the room recognizes his face, despite it being more than a year since they saw this face.

“Nedzu…” Vlad says. “Did you make an AI based on the dead son of Midoriya Inko? Isn’t this a bit…”

“Distasteful?” Ectoplasm completes.

“Well, I don’t see much of a problem.” Snipe chimes in. “Y’all can see it as paying homage to the kid. I heard he wanted to become a hero.”

A few others chime in with their opinion, but Shouta and Hizashi both stay silent.

“You two have been really quiet.” Nemuri says. “Shouta, I understand, but usually you’d have something to say, Zashi.”

“I’m just thinking.” Hizashi says. “Did you say your name is Midos?”

“Yup.” The kid replies. “And I’m a big fan, Present Mic. Did you like my gift?”

“Have you been playing music during his patrol as well, Problem Child?” Shouta asks.

“Nope, you’re the only one until now.” The kid says, grinning.

“How long has he been active?” Ectoplasm asks.

“A bit over a year.” Midos replies. “But Eraserhead and Nedzu are the only ones I’ve ever really contacted. I sent gifts to a few of my favorite heroes, though.”

“Wait!” Powerloader raises a hand. “Are you the one who sent me that detailed analysis of all the support gear I ever created and how to make better alloys?”

“And the blueprints for my new prosthetics?” Ectoplasm adds.

“The reports about people with blood quirks in bad situations?” Vlad King says.

“Yup.” Midos says with a grin. “I also sent a project of a grenade that Midnight-San could fill with her quirk. And a new product to help Hound Dog-San normalize his adrenaline levels so he doesn’t growl so often while talking. Oh, and Recovery Girl-San. Did you get the updated medicine books? I made sure to compile all important information you could use yourself or to train others.”

“Well, no one here can say he’s not efficient.” Snipe says.

“I’m glad to know we all agree.” Nedzu says. “Midos is our new staff member, and I hope you’ll all treat him well.”

Midos nods and bows to them.

“I’m happy to work with all of you. Please take care of me.”

“God, I can’t believe I want to hug a computer program.” Nemuri says. “I don’t know how freaking Nedzu managed to make such a cute AI.”

Shouta just narrows his eyes at the Rat. Nedzu can’t fool him. Shouta can smell a logical ruse from miles away.

Shortly after, Nedzu adjourns the meeting and dismisses everyone except Hound Dog. Shouta gets up and leaves. Hizashi is right behind him.

“Security bot my ass.” Shouta says. “There’s no way he’s an AI.”

“You think so too?” Hizashi says. “Yeah. There’s something weird here. He’s too expressive. Not even I-Island has such an advanced AI. Nedzu might be a genius, but there’s no way an AI he created would be that human.”

Something most people forget is that Hizashi, despite the dumb act he puts on most of the time, was Nedzu’s personal student. The blonde is probably the smartest human Shouta ever met, and he knows his Sensei almost better than he knows himself.

“There’s more to that story.” Shouta says. “And I’ll find out what it is.”

“Well, count me in.” Hizashi says, grinning. “Knowing Nedzu-Sensei, this is exactly what he wants us to do. Where do you suggest we start?”

“The kid might be a good start.” Shouta says. “There might be something more about Midoriya Izuku that we hadn’t noticed.”

“Alright.” Hizashi says. “I’ll get his files. We can go over it later. Can you come to my apartment later? I don’t want to leave Mr. Muffins alone any longer than necessary. He’s still a baby.”

“Sure…” Shouta says with a chuckle. “Mr. Muffins? And you have the nerve to tease me about my naming skills?”

“Excuse me? At least I never named my cat ‘Bastard.’” Hizashi throws back.

“Bastard is a completely logical name.” Shouta replies. “You met the little demon.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hizashi waves him off. “Anyway, I will have all the files by tonight. Then we can start looking.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Shouta says. “See you tonight, Zashi.”

“See you, Shou!” Hizashi says with a grin.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

“Did everyone leave, Midos?” Nedzu asks.

“Yup.” Izuku replies. “Halls empty. Vents empty. No eyes on us.”

Nedzu nods and sits at his desk. This weekend he asked to install more cameras in his office so Izuku would have many more angles of view. Most of them are disguised as random things, like a book on his shelves or a plant pot in the corner of the room.

“Okay, what did you need me for?” Ryo-kun asks.

“Well, Ryo-Kun. You are a guidance counselor.” Nedzu says. “I have someone who needs your services.”

“And who would that be?” Ryo-Kun asks.

“Me.” Izuku says.

Ryo-Kun blinks a few times at Nedzu’s screen where Izuku’s image is being transmitted.

“I would ask if you’re joking, but I know that while you joke about many things, my job isn’t one of them.” Ryo-Kun replies. “So instead, I’ll ask. How in the world did you manage to traumatize a computer program?”

“It’s a long story.” Izuku says. “But to summarize. Me being an AI created by Nedzu is just a cover story.”

“You see, Izuku, here is a very special case.” Nedzu says.

The Chimera can see as the cogs turn in his employee’s head until he seems to come to a conclusion.

“You’re not based on Midoriya Izuku. You ARE Midoriya Izuku.” He says. “But I saw you being buried…”

“And I was.” Izuku says. “My body is still six feet under. But my mind… Well, quirks are weird things.”

“I thought you were quirkless.” Ryo-Kun replies.

“I was never quirkless.” Izuku says and snaps his fingers. The screen shows a copy of his ID.

On the Quirk field are the letters N/Y/M, which means Not Yet Manifested. This is what is put on the IDs of people who are sure to manifest a quirk in the future.

“Young Izuku is the latest bloomer in history, beating Shouta’s previous record by an entire year.” Nedzu says. “And his quirk is…”

“Technopathy.” Izuku says.

Ryo’s eyes widen at it, and he nods.

“I think I have the picture.” He says. “Alright. We can start as soon as you’re ready. I’d like to have a session first to assess your current mental state.”

“Thank you, Ryo-Kun.” Nedzu says.

“Don’t worry.” Ryo-Kun replies. “This is exactly why I became a guidance counselor.” He looks at Izuku. “And, Izuku-Kun. It’ll be a pleasure working with you.”

“I say the same, Hound Dog-San.” Izuku replies, smiling.

“You can call me Ryo. Or Inui if my given name is too informal for you.” Ryo-Kun says.

“Maybe one day…” Izuku mutters. “But for now, I guess I can settle on Inui-Senpai.”

“It’s a start.” Ryo-Kun chuckles.

“By the way, Ryo-Kun.” Nedzu says. “I’d like you to keep this a secret. We’d like to see how long it’ll take for my staff to notice Izuku isn’t an AI. I’m sure we won’t be able to fool Shouta-Kun and Hizashi-Kun for long. But the others aren’t nearly as observant.”

“Understood.” Ryo-Kun says with a sigh. “My lips are sealed.”

“Great. I knew I could count on you.” Nedzu says.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Hizashi isn’t freaking out. He’s not.

It’s just Shouta who’s coming over to try to look into Midoriya Izuku and see if they can learn what really is the deal with Nedzu’s new “AI.” No big deal. They used to do it all the time when they were students.

It doesn’t matter that most of the time, they see each other at UA or on their drinking nights on Friday, and Nemuri is always with them. It doesn’t matter that the last time they were actually alone was over 5 years ago. He’s not panicking. He’s not.

Hizashi practically jumps out of his skin when he feels something rubbing his legs. Looking down, he sees Mr. Muffins looking at him.

“Oh, sorry, baby. Didn’t see you here?” He says, pulling the cat in his arms.

“ Mama, okay? ” The cat asks.

“I’m fine, baby.” Zashi says, kissing the cat’s head. “It’s just my friend who’s coming to visit.” 

He grabs a cup of water to try to calm himself. But the thought makes him feel very warm.

“ Papa? ” The cat asks.

Zashi does a spit-take.

“What!?” He asks.

“ Friend. Papa? ” Mr. Muffins asks again.

“What. Nononononono. He’s just a friend. I don’t like him or anything.” He says.

“ Papa! Papa’s coming! ” The cat says.

“He’s not your papa!” Hizashi says. “He’s just my friend. He could be an uncle instead.”

“ NO! PAPA! ” The cat replies with an indignant meow.

Before Hizashi could say anything else, he hears the bell, which means Shouta has arrived.

“He’s here. Behave, little guy.” Hizashi says, putting the cat down.

Mr. Muffins gives him a meow as Hizashi goes to the door. Opening it, he finds Shouta there, dressed in casual clothes. A pair of jeans and a black hoodie. And, of course, his capture weapon because he never leaves home without it. Hizashi finds himself involuntarily blushing at the sight. Why did his best friend have to be so attractive?

“Hey, Zashi.” Shouta says. “Is there anything in my face?” He asks.

“Shou!” Hizashi squeaks, looking away in an attempt to hide his blush. “Come in.” He steps inside. “Would you like a ‘coffee’?”

“Please.” Shouta says.

Hizashi nods and goes to the kitchen. He quickly prepares a cherry cheesecake-flavored coffee. In appearance, it looks like a bitter black coffee. But it couldn’t be farther from reality, especially with the amount of sugar Hizashi puts in. It’s funny how many people think that Shouta actually drinks black coffee. Like hell, someone with a mental quirk would drink something that bitter.

With the drink ready, he enters the living room and finds Shouta sitting on the couch, holding Mr. Muffins.

“Shouldn’t your Papa be Zashi?” Shouta says to the cat. “Oh? Zashi is Mama?” He asks, giving Hizashi an amused smirk.

Hizashi is just glad that his friend doesn’t seem to get the implications of being called Papa by a cat who already calls Hizashi Mama.

“Okay, I said to behave.” Hizashi lightly scolds the cat. “You haven’t been annoying Shouta, right?”

The cat gives him an indignant meow as Hizashi gives Shouta his drink and pulls the little guy away.

“ Mama! No! Papa! ” Mr. Muffins says indignantly.

“C’mon, now Mama and Papa have to work on something important.” Hizashi says. “I promise I’ll give you some treats later. If you behave.”

The cat immediately goes quiet and looks at Hizashi.

“ Okay, Mama. I behave! ” He says as Hizashi puts him in his room and closes the door.

As he returns to the living room, he finds Shouta looking at him with an amused expression.

“Mama and Papa have to work?” He asks.

Hizashi blushes and looks away. He sits down at the desk where he puts the folder with all the files about Izuku.

“So, interestingly enough, the neglect with quirkless people also applies to dead ones.” Hizashi says. “No one even bat an eye when I asked for these files.”

“Fucking quirkists.” Shouta grumbles. “At least it makes our job easier this time.”

“Silver lining, I guess.” Hizashi replies. “I have everything. From school files to medical files, and even one from when his Mom tried to start a case against his school. No one did anything about it, and a few days later, she dropped the charge saying that, and I quote, ‘I already took care of the problem.’”

“I can only imagine what she did to ‘take care of the problem.’” Shouta replies. “Inko was terrifying when she wanted to be.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Hizashi nods. “She was the only one who could force you to stay in the hospital.”

Shouta opens the folder and starts looking over the files. The two work in comfortable silence, with Shouta reviewing the school files while Hizashi looks at the medical ones.

“Well, the kid was a genius.” Shouta says. “His school work was much more advanced than anyone his age.”

“Oh… Boy.” Hizashi says, handing him a medical file. “And he wasn’t quirkless. He was a late bloomer.”

Shouta reads over the medical file and sees a diagnostic from when Midoriya was four years old.

“Mental quirk.” Shouta says. “Those usually take a long time to manifest.”

“Yours only manifested at age 8, right?” Shouta nods. “The Little Listener was 9 when the ‘accident’ happened. I still don’t believe it, by the way.”

“The villain didn’t have a strength quirk, nor anything that could cause that much collateral damage.” Shouta says. “It’s obvious that the one who caused the kid’s death wasn’t the villain.”

“So, the Little Listener had a mental quirk.” Hizashi says. “But he died before it fully manifested?”

“No. I think it had already manifested.” Shouta says, pointing to another file. “Their house is here, and they were caught in the villain attack here.” Shouta points at a map. “So, following the path.”

“They were going to register the Little Listener’s quirk.” Hizashi concludes. “But what could the quirk be? I don’t think anyone besides his Mom knew.”

“This is suspicious.” Shouta says. “Midos said he has been active for a little over a year.” He taps the files. “Midoriya Izuku died a bit over a year ago. Not even Nedzu would see a dead kid and instantly think of making an AI with his face.”

“And a few months later, Nedzu found a new chess partner.” Hizashi says. “He told me once during our monthly tea meeting.”

“And now, suddenly, there’s this ‘M.I.D.O.S.’ who made contact with both of us in the past.” Shouta says. “He hacked into my comms during my patrol a few weeks ago.”

“The only thing he did with me was leave a giant bowl of popcorn.” Hizashi says. “But you’re right. Something isn’t adding.”

“Well, I think we can agree on two things.” Shouta says. “Midos is the one who has been playing chess with Nedzu. And the Rat didn’t create him.”

“I actually have a theory.” Hizashi says. “But it’s very out of this world. And without knowing what quirk the Little Listener had, it’s impossible to be sure.”

“And yet, it’s the only logical explanation.” Shouta sighs. “Let’s keep an eye on Midos. We can see for ourselves if he’s actually an AI. But I really doubt it.”

“Yeah. I doubt it as well.” Hizashi sighs. “Nedzu won’t tell us anything unless we figure it out. So I guess we are on our own.”

“Well, we have time.” Shouta says. “Nedzu wouldn’t do anything that puts a kid in danger. At least we can trust him with this.”

“Yeah.” Hizashi replies. “I bet he’s already expecting us to be looking into it.”

“That’s really something the rat would do.” Shouta nods.

“Well, I’m not one to back away from a challenge.” Hizashi says, and Shouta nods.

They go back to reading the files in comfortable silence. A few minutes later, Shouta breaks the silence again.

“So, why did you call your female cat Mister Muffins?” Shouta asks.

“Female?” Hizashi asks in confusion. Shouta looks at him like he’s an idiot.

“For such a smart person, you can be really dumb sometimes.” He says before going back to his files.

Chapter Text

UA is huge, and Izuku is loving every second of exploration. Ever since Nedzu gave him full access to UA's mainframe, Izuku has been jumping from camera to camera to explore every corner of the place. Of course, while he's doing this, he's also mapping out all the territory and looking for possible vulnerabilities. As the security bot, Izuku intends to do his job very well.

Yesterday he went through each of the training grounds. His favorite, without a doubt, is the USJ. Putting aside the clear joke about Universal Studios Japan, the place really looks like an amusement park. Tomorrow the hero class 2-B will have training there, and Izuku will certainly watch.

Today, however, Izuku is exploring the support labs. Several support classes are in progress, and Izuku has a great time seeing the students' inventions. Well, the number of explosions the students cause is worrying, but the teachers don't seem concerned, so this must be normal.

Switching to the next camera, Izuku finds the last lab empty. If he is not mistaken, Nedzu says that this is one of the reserve labs, only used when one of the other labs is unavailable, either because of maintenance or some accident caused by the students. Apparently, this happens relatively often. This lab is exactly like all the others.

Izuku is about to jump to the next camera when he notices movement in the back of the room. It seems that the lab is not as empty as Izuku thought. Moving the camera, Izuku finds a child sitting at one of the tables, tinkering with some gadget. Isn’t that Todoroki Shouto? 

Well, the Todorokis were adopted by Powerloader, so it makes sense that Shouto would be here. The boy seems to have taken a liking to engineering. Looking around, Izuku notices that the screen in front of the boy is on, and there is also a webcam in front of him. Perfect.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Shouto never thought that one day he would be free from his father's influence. Endeavor always seemed a completely untouchable figure, a titan. The only way he could find to not give him what he wanted was his rebellion in refusing to use his left side.

However, Endeavor was not untouchable. Apparently, the only thing needed to bring the man down was an internet hacker with no fear of the HPSC. Shouto has no idea who the Hero Crusher is. The HPSC has declared him a rank-A villain, but to Shouto, he is nothing less than a hero.

The hacker freed Shouto and his family, and now they live with Higari-San. Powerloader isn’t a particularly high-ranked or popular hero. Most support heroes stay in the background, usually overshadowed by heroes with flashier quirks. Powerloader is much better known for his support gear.

Since he started living with the hero, Shouto has taken an interest in this side of heroics. Support gear has, in recent months, become Shouto's new passion. He still intends to become a hero. This has always been his dream, even before the Endeavor training began. But now, he also has plans to get a support license.

That is if he can understand how this thing in his hand works.

“What are you doing?” A voice asks.

“Trying to fix this.” Shouto says.

“Oh? And what is it?”

“Some kind of jamming device.” Shouto explains. “Theoretically, it should work by making all cameras in its range run a loop of the last 2 minutes.”

Suddenly, Shouto realizes someone just talked to him. Someone who clearly wasn’t there a minute ago, and he didn’t hear the door opening.

Raising his head, Shouto looks around, but there’s no one.

“What the heck?” Shouto says, scratching his head. “Am I hearing voices now? Did my father manage to drive me insane?”

“I’m sure you’re hearing just fine.” The voice says again. “Over here. The screen.”

Shouto turns to the computer screen on the desk he’s using and sees the image of a boy. The boy looks about the same age as Shouto - maybe a little younger - with green hair, eyes, and freckles. Though Shouto is sure he doesn’t have any chat apps open, nor has he got any calls.

“Who are you?” Shouto asks, raising an eyebrow.

“What? Majima-Senpai hasn’t talked about me?” The boy asks. Then he jumps out of the small video call window, floating on the screen. “I’m M.I.D.O.S., but you can call me Midos.” He says, doing a very exaggerated bow. “It’s nice to meet you, Todoroki-kun.” Shouto winces at the name. “Oh? Would you rather I call you Shouto?”

“Yes, please.” Shouto replies. “And well, knowing your name doesn’t help me know who you are.”

“I’m new here.” Midos says. “Basically, I have full control of UA's security.”

“Security bot?” Shouto asks, narrowing his eyes. “There’s no way you’re just a bot.”

“Hey, Nedzu is very good at what he does.” Midos replies with a shrug.

“I don’t buy it.” Shouto says. “But fine, let’s go with this explanation for now. Why are you here?”

“I was exploring the school when I saw you on the camera.” The points behind Shouto, where a camera is. “I was curious about you.” He looks at the device Shouto is working on and extends a hand for a few seconds. “Oh, I get it. Two wires are touching, and they shouldn’t be.”

Shouto blinks at the boy and looks back to the device in his hands. Grabbing the screwdriver, he opens it again and checks all the wires. Just like the boy said, there are two wires touching.

“How did you do that?” Shouto asks. This definitely isn’t something an AI should be able to do. He’s sure this computer doesn’t have anything that could have been used to scan the device.

Midos just winks at him and giggles.

“It’s a secret.” He says, bringing a finger to his mouth. “It was nice to meet you, Shouto. I’ll see you around.” Then he jumps back into the video call window, which closes right after.

Shouto blinks at the screen a few times, then goes back to the device.

“This boy isn’t an AI. I’m sure of it.” He mutters as he closes the jamming device again.

Opening the camera feed in the computer, Shouto activates the device and watches in awe as it works. The camera starts looping the last two minutes of the video.

Shouto smiles and looks at the computer. Human or not, he hopes he gets to talk to Midos again.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Shouta can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching him. Usually, he would think it’s just Nedzu as always, but today is different. And if it’s not the Rat, there is only one other possible culprit.

“Are you following me, Problem Child?” Shouta asks aloud.

A moment later, his phone rings.

“Don’t be silly, Senpai.” Midos voice replies. “I’m following everyone. It’s just that it’s your turn now.” Then he hangs the call.

Shouta just sighs and starts walking again. Honestly, such a Problem Child.

“Shouuuu!!!” Looking back, Shouta sees Hizashi approaching with that adorable annoying smile he always has.

“What is it, Zashi?” Shouta asks.

“There you go!” Zashi says, giving him a coffee cup. “Mr. Muffins insisted that I bring something for you.”

Shouta raises an eyebrow and takes the offered cup. Taking a sip, he feels the sweet taste of his favorite beverage.

“Keep an eye on your cat. Otherwise, I might end up kidnapping her.” Shouta says.

“I don’t think she would mind.” Zashi laughs. “She loves her Papa.”

“How did I end up co-parenting a fur baby?” Shouta grumbles in the cup. Not that he really minds. Mr. Muffins is adorable, and he was only half-joking about kidnapping her if Zashi isn’t careful. “And how are things going, Mama?” He asks with a smirk.

Zashi looks away, a slight blush on his cheeks. Cute.

“Mr. Muffins is surprisingly well-behaved, both for a cat AND a baby.” Zashi says. “I took her to the vet yesterday, and, fortunately, her health is great. She’s just a little underweight.” He looks around for a second, then leans closer to Shouta. “What about the… Other project?”

“Not here.” Shouta says, discreetly pointing to the pocket in his utility belt where he keeps his phone.

A second later, his phone rings again. Shouta answers it, giving a heavy sigh.

“Don’t worry, Eraser-Senpai. If you want some privacy, you can just ask, and I’ll give you.” The Problem Child says. “Mic-Senpai, I’ll be watching your English classes today.” Then he hangs the call again.

“Problem Child…” Shouta mouths. “We can meet after classes. Same as last time?”

“You got it, Shou. It’s a date!” Zashi says, giving Shouta finger guns. Then he starts walking away.

Suddenly Zashi freezes and bolts away.

“What was that?” Shouta asks. Then his mind catches what Zashi just said. “A date?” He blushes deeply. “Don’t be stupid, Shouta. It was just a figure of speech.”

Shouta starts going to his class when he gets a ping on his phone.

M.I.D.O.S.:

Whipped!

CatLover:

Shut up, Problem Child.

…

Did you change my name?

M.I.D.O.S.:

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

CatLover:

…

CatLover changed M.I.D.O.S.’s name to ProblemChild

ProblemChild:

…

Ok, I guess I deserved it…

Oh, Mic-Senpai is about to start his class

Gotta go, Eraser-Senpai!

ProblemChild is offline

Shouta sighs and pockets his phone back before going to his homeroom class. There’s a lot to cover with them today.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

A ping on his screen tells Nedzu that Izuku is here. A moment later, a window opens with the kid’s image.

“Did you get to see everything?” Nedzu asks.

“Well, I haven't looked at the business classes yet. This school is huge.” Izuku replies, extending his hand. A cup of tea materializes. “But everything so far is amazing. I got to watch Present Mic’s class! He is as amazing a teacher as he is a radio host.”

“That’s very high praise.” Nedzu chuckles.

“Yeah. But it’s the truth.” Izuku smiles and sips his tea. “On another note. I would never have guessed that Eraserhead and Present Mic are a couple.”

“Oh? But they aren’t a couple.” Nedzu says.

“They… Aren’t a couple.” Izuku replies, raising an eyebrow. “I just found the two of them in the corridors talking like a married couple about co-parenting their fur baby. How aren’t they a couple?”

“Oh, they obviously like each other.” Nedzu says. “But they are oblivious to the fact that the other feels the same. Nemuri-Chan has been trying to play matchmaker for years.”

“They were both your personal students, right?” Izuku asks.

“Hizashi was my student for the three years he spent at UA.” Nedzu replies. “I trained Shouta while he was in Gen Ed, but we didn’t continue after he transferred to heroics. Though it was because what I had to teach him was different from the skills he wanted to get for his line of work. So I mostly tutored Shouta in analysis and left his training to an old friend of mine.”

“Well, for such smart people they are very dumb about their feelings.” Izuku says. “I mean, Eraserhead, I get it. But I always thought Present Mic was people smart, you know?”

“Oh, but he is.” Nedzu chuckles. “Except when it concerns Shouta’s feelings towards him.”

“This won’t do.” Izuku says. “They obviously like each other. I need to find a way to make them confess.”

“Honestly, Nemuri-Chan has tried everything she could.” Nedzu replies. “It’s like they get blind when it comes to love.”

“Well, there is one thing I’m sure she didn’t try.” Izuku smiles. “And for that, I’ll need to get some help. Talk to you later, Nedzu-Sensei.”

Saying that Izuku disconnects. Nedzu wonders what he’s going to try and who he is talking about to get help? Well, he’s sure it’s going to be interesting.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Majima Higari is a curious man. Especially when it comes to technology. It was this curiosity that led him to become one of Japan's top support engineers. When his attention is caught by something, Higari will do anything to understand how it works.

And well, the thing that grabs his attention this time is Midos. An Artificial Intelligence so advanced that, frankly, Higari is sure that not even the greatest geniuses of I-Island could replicate it. Higari has never seen anything like him. Midos acts exactly like a human. And more specifically, like a kid. Shouto is convinced that he is not really an AI.

Higari is determined to get to the bottom of this. And for that, he’s doing something that could potentially cost him his job. But Higari was never one to be afraid of taking risks. So, in the dead of night, at a time he knows even Nedzu is asleep, Higari enters UA’s server room. According to Chimera's sleep patterns, Higari has two hours before he wakes up. Since Higari already has access to this room normally, he doesn't have to worry about setting off alarms or the like.

Plugging his laptop into the server, Higari goes to work, and it’s not very hard to find what he’s looking for. Midos’ source code is buried in the deepest parts of the server, under lots of firewalls and security measures. It would be practically impossible to hack it, but the good thing about being one of Nedzu’s employees is that he doesn’t need to. So Higari opens it and starts reading.

“What the hell?” Higari mutters as he sees the lines. All of Midos' code is written in pure binary. Something that ends up taking some time to decipher. But thanks to some programs that Higari has, he is able to decipher it. “Wow. He’s even more advanced than I thought.”

Higari had seen Midos eating candy before, but he assumed it was just to mimic a child's behavior. But no, Midos actually has a sense of taste programmed into his code, and he also possesses the sense of touch and smell. Usually, a machine would have sight and hearing at most. There are a few that can identify smells, but Higari had never heard of one with a sense of taste. And he seems to love sweets. Just like someone with a mental quirk…

Higari’s eyes widen, and he looks over the code again until he finds a part he feels that he shouldn’t see. Mido’s memory. There is so much information saved there. It doesn’t matter how much the boy is able to process at once. An AI who has just been active for about a year shouldn’t have that much in his memory.

“Could Shouto be right?” Higari mutters.

Shouto is very fond of conspiracy theories, and most of his theories are completely crazy. The boy obviously knows that and mostly comes up with them to mess with people. But he was completely serious about his suspicion that Midos isn’t really an AI.

Gulping, Higari copies part of the memory and starts decoding it. But just as the program is about to finish the process, the window closes.

“Sorry, Maji-Senpai. This is private.” Midos’ voice comes from the laptop’s speaker.

“Midos!” Higari gasps. “You’re awake.”

“I don’t sleep.” Midos replies. A video call window appears. “Sometimes I shut down for maintenance. But I remain semi-conscious even in this state. Anyway, you figured it out, didn’t you?”

“Shouto was right.” Higari says. “You’re human.”

“I believe the correct answer would be ‘I was human.’” Midos replies. “Quirks are weird like this. Mine even more.”

"So you really are Midoriya Izuku?” Higari asks.

“The one and only.” Midos, or Midoriya, replies. “You know, that was very rude. Not even Nedzu tried to look at my source code. And let me tell you, having someone poking around inside you is very, very unpleasant.”

“...” Higari keeps silent.

“And I’m only 10, you know?” Midoriya adds. “This could actually qualify you as a pedo.” Higari is getting very worried about where he’s going with this. “BUT! Since neither I nor Nedzu ever said you weren’t allowed to do this. I can forgive you.” Higari sighs in relief, but this relief is short-lived. The boy grins at him, and his grin is scarily similar to Nedzu’s. “On one condition!”

“What is it?” Higari asks nervously.

“I want you to build me a body.” Midoriya says. “I don’t have too many requests. But make sure it has arms. Oh! And sensors too! For touch and temperature!”

And at this moment, Higari gulps. The hero cannot help but feel that he has just made a pact with the Devil himself.

Chapter Text

Some people - Aizawa in particular - like to say that Izuku thrives on chaos. Well, they are absolutely correct. And it’s not even Nedzu’s fault. Well, the chimera never did anything to curb Izuku’s chaotic tendencies, but the truth is that Izuku and chaos have always gone hand in hand.

It’s not Izuku’s fault. Everyone knows that mischief is the only possible outcome when a child is left bored for too long. And it’s not like he’s bothering anyone. Izuku’s pranks are (mostly) harmless. Like now!

Izuku observes from the camera as Shouto tinkers with a cat robot. Looking over the archives, he finds out that a support student built it a few years ago in an attempt to make a spy robot. The cat has cameras in the eyes and microphones in the ears. It also has a speaker in its neck, but it is set to make only meowing sounds.

All in all, it’s a great robot, but it kinda fails at the objective because it’s so obviously a robot. Well, in certain situations, Izuku is sure it would fool some less observant villains. But when villains are alerted that someone is spying on them, they stop calling and go into hiding.

Besides, the fly model is much better for this kind of job, despite being so expensive to build. But that’s beside the point. It’s obvious Shouto isn’t fixing the cat for its original purpose but just because he wants to see if he can. Izuku can already feel that the robot is operating, so he gets a mischievous smirk and hops into the robot just as Shouto is about to turn it on.

“Meow.” Izuku activates the speaker.

“Huh. It works.” Shouto says with a small smile. “Now, where did I put the remote control?”

Shouto looks around and finds the remote on top of a table. He moves to grab it, but Izuku is faster, using the surprisingly mobile robot to reach it first and catch it in his mouth.

“Meow.” Izuku activates the speaker again, tilting the robot’s head.

Shouto instantly narrows his eyes at the robot.

“You weren’t supposed to move on your own.” He says. “Sit.” Izuku sits down. “High five.” He extends a hand, and Izuku extends a paw, touching his hand. “Speak.”

“Meow.”

“Spin.” Izuku spins around.

“Well, aren’t you well trained?” Shouto says, scratching behind Izuku’s mechanical ear. How he wishes he could actually feel it. “Almost like there’s an actual person controlling the robot. Right, Midos?”

Izuku laughs, extending a paw toward Shouto’s notebook. A white tendril shoots through it, linking him to the notebook, though he knows by now he’s the only one who can see it. Once he’s connected, Izuku opens the call app.

“Damn, you’re good.” He says with a laugh.

“The robot is supposed to be fully manual.” Shouto replies with a shrug. “It wasn’t hard to figure out.”

“Makes sense.” Izuku says. “Still, it’s been a long time since I’ve last been inside a physical body.” He makes a show of licking his paw, despite the robot not having a tongue.

“Interesting phrasing.” Shouto says. “It makes it sound like you used to have a body. But aren’t you an AI?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t you want to know, Peppermint?” Izuku replies with a laugh.

“I will find out your secrets one day.” Shouto replies with narrowed eyes. Then he gives the cat a smirk. “So, are you Meowdos now?”

Izuku bursts into laughter.

“God, that’s actually a great name. I’m definitely using it.” Izuku replies. “Wish I could keep the robot.”

“Why don’t you?” Shouto asks. “I heard Higari-San is building you a body, but it’ll take a while.”

“Maybe, but the cat doesn’t have proper speakers.” Izuku replies. “I can’t use it to speak. Also, it would be better if it had some kind of projector, you know? Like, if it could project a hologram when I need to speak seriously with someone and… Why are you looking at the cat like this?”

“Hold on. I have an idea!” Shouto jumps up and runs inside a room Izuku knows to store a bunch of pieces and components the students can use.

Izuku would follow him, but there’s no cameras in that room. A blind spot, Izuku will suggest to Nedzu to install some cameras there later. About five minutes later, Shouto comes back with a cardboard box filled with things.

“Alright. I’ll have to shut down the cat. But I think I can add a proper speaker to it.” Shouto says with sparkling eyes. “And… A few other things. I should have it ready by the end of the day.”

Izuku blinks a few times, then he smiles.

“Thank you, Shouto. You’re the best!” He says as Shouto starts working. “Are you planning to go into support?”

Shouto stays silent for a few seconds as his hands deftly move through the cat robot.

“I don’t know…” He confesses. “This is something my father would have never allowed me to even think of doing. But it’s amazing. But at the same time, I still want to be a hero. A real hero. Not some poor excuse of a hero like Endeavor was.”

“So… You want to be like Powerloader?” Izuku asks. “He’s a hero, but he also has a license to build support gear.”

Shouto pauses again.

“I guess.” He nods. “Higari-San is a very cool hero. He’s been taking care of me and my siblings for a while now, and he never pushed us to do anything we didn’t want to. He treats us like people.” He looks at the screen and smiles. “He even let us have junk food sometimes.”

“I prefer sweets.” Izuku replies, summoning a chocolate. “But to each their own.”

“Well, I like ice cream.” Shouto giggles.

“Really?” Izuku asks with his eyes sparkling. “What is your favorite flavor? I love vanilla! Oh, once my body is ready, we should go grab an ice cream together. I know a great place. I hope it’s still in business.”

“Well…” Shouto smirks at him. “I accept. IF, you tell me your name. Your actual name.”

“You won’t let this go, will you?” Izuku asks, pouting.

“Not a chance.” Shouto replies.

“Fine.” Izuku sighs. “But you can’t tell anyone. Higari-San found out a few days ago, but the other teachers, besides Nedzu and Hound Dog, don’t know. We are trying to see how long it’ll take for them to suspect.”

“So, you admit you’re not an AI.” Shouto says with a grin. “My lips are sealed. I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.”

“You shouldn’t have to be…” Izuku mumbles in a sad tone before perking up again. “Fine. My name is Midoriya Izuku. You can call me Izuku when we are alone, but call me Midos if there are people around.”

“Todoroki Shouto.” Shouto replies. “Though I hope to be Majima Shouto soon. You can call me Shouto. Nice to meet you, Izuku.”

“Nice to meet you, Shouto.” Izuku replies with a smile. “For real this time.”

The two stay in amicable silence for a few seconds until Shouto breaks it.

“So… Are you Nedzu’s secret love child?”

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Nedzu admits that he is doing this mainly to help Izuku. Seeing Shouta-Kun and Hizashi-Kun feeling so obviously pining for each other is actually quite amusing for the chimera. However, he also loves to see the plans that Izuku comes up with. This one, in particular, includes enlisting the help of a certain fur baby that Hizashi-Kun has recently adopted.

“Well, there she is.” Hizashi says as he puts Mr. Muffins on the table. “Please, no world domination, okay baby?” He plants a kiss on the cat’s head. “Yeah, I love you too. Be good for Nedzu-Jii. Mama will come get you later.”

Nedzu watches in amusement as Hizashi has to practically drag himself out of the room. It’s interesting how attached he is to this kitten after so little time. Well, Nedzu will make sure to give the kitten back to him completely unharmed.

“So, you’re Mr. Muffins.” Nedzu says. “I have to say. While I really wanted to help Izuku with his plan. I’m actually very interested in how smart you are.” He extends a paw. “Hello. Am I a Mouse? A dog? A bear? I am the Principal, Nedzu!”

The kitten sniffs his paw and headbutts it.

“ No mouse. No dog. ” The kitten says. “ Bear? ”

“Interesting.” Nedzu chuckles. The kitten has the vocabulary of an infant, but she seems to be quite smart. “I am part bear. You are correct. I’m also partially many other animals, but there’s no rat or dog in me. How did you know?”

“ No smell. ” The kitten replies.

So I don’t smell like a dog or a mouse. I’m assuming she doesn’t know what a bear is, so she must have guessed it because it was one of the options I gave. Mr. Muffins appears to be much more emotionally smart than book smart. Very different from myself, but still very smart.

“So, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Nedzu asks. “Do you like your Mama?”

“ Mama. Amazing. Saved me. Feed me. Love me. ” Mr Muffins says. “ Gave me name. Mr. Muffins. ” She proudly announces.

“I see, and is there anyone else you like?” Nedzu asks next.

“ Papa! Papa likes Mama. Mama likes Papa. ” The kitten replies. “ Papa smells funny. Like black water. But Papa give scritches. Lots of scritches. Love scritches. ”

“I see.” Nedzu looks up as he sees the vent entrance opening. Good thing he made them automatic and gave them remote access. 

Izuku drops down inside the room, using the robot cat Shouto altered for him.

“Hi, Nedzu-Sensei. Oh, you must be Mr. Muffins.” Izuku says. “Nice to meet you.”

The kitten eyes the robot cat warily for a few seconds.

“ Kitten? ” She asks.

“Not the same.” Nedzu replies. “Well, he’s still young, so he’s like a kitten. But from a different species. He also likes your Mama and Papa. In a different way, though.”

“I’m actually trying to get them together.” Izuku says. “They obviously like each other.”

“ Yeah. Mama likes Papa. They should be mates. ” Mr. Muffins replies, and Nedzu relays it to Izuku.

“So, wanna help me with that?” Izuku asks. “They are being silly, but they just need a little help.”

“ Yeah. I help. ” Mr. Muffins replies.

“Great!” Izuku chirps. “So. Here’s the plan.”

As Izuku explains his plan, Nedzu can’t help the proud smile on his face. He’ll be sure to watch how things unfold through the cameras.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Hizashi tries to hide his anxiety, but he’s sure that he’s not doing a good job. But what can he do? He has left his fur baby with his boss!

When Nedzu asked to talk to Mr. Muffins, Hizashi knew he had no way to deny it. Well, he could, but no one ever stopped Nedzu. He would probably break into Hizashi’s apartment while he was gone to talk to the kitten. No, better to bring Mr. Muffins here and pray for the best. Doesn’t mean he’s not nervous. What if Nedzu corrupts his sweet baby?

As the day went on, Hizashi was almost starting to relax. Then at lunchtime, he heard a few students talking.

“I wonder who brought a kitten.” One of his students said. “It’s so cute, but why was it alone?”

“Er… Little Listener. Did you say you saw a kitten?” Hizashi asks.

“Yeah. A tiny gray Kitten.” The student replies. “It was walking near the janitor clo- Mic-Sensei!?”

Hizashi didn’t spare a glance as he started running. Why is his baby alone? Where’s Nedzu? He promised he would keep an eye on her! Did she somehow manage to lose him? Is she that smart?

Hizashi gets to the janitor’s closet and finds a few paw steps going inside. He doesn’t even think, instantly opening the door and rushing in. As soon as he enters, he bumps into another person who is already inside the small closet.

“Wait, Zashi!” He hears Shouta’s voice. “Don’t let the door-” The door closes, and they hear a click. “Close. Well. Looks like we are trapped.”

“Shouta? What are you doing here?” Hizashi asks.

Due to the small size of the closet, they don’t have much space to move, which means they are practically hugging each other. The thought makes Hizashi blush, and he’s very thankful that the closet is dark.

“I heard from a few students about a gray problem kitten walking alone, and I came to check.” Shouta explains. “As soon as I entered, the door closed and locked.” He sighs. “At least I found the troublemaker.”

A furball in Shouta’s arms lets out a little meow.

“Oh. And what were you doing here, little lady?” Hizashi asks, putting a hand on the kitten’s head.

“H elping! ” Mr. Muffins replies. “ Weird Kitten and Bear thing. Asked me help. ”

“Weird Kitten and Bear thing?” Hizashi asks, tilting his head.

“Bear thing is obviously Nedzu.” Shouta says. “And I heard Midos is using a robot cat to move around the school. So he must be the weird kitten.”

“Oh…” Hizashi sighs. “We’ve been set up, haven’t we?”

“ That’s right! ” A voice calls from above. They look up and see a speaker. Why are there speakers in the janitor’s closet? “ I’m tired of seeing you two hopelessly dancing around each other. And I’ve just been here for a few days! So, you two are stuck there until you work it out. Good luck, and I’m counting on you, Mr Muffins. ”

“Er… Shou? Do we have something to work out?” Hizashi asks. “I don’t get it.”

“Me neither, Zashi.” Shouta replies.

Suddenly, Mr. Muffins lets out a sound that sounds a lot like a huff and puts a paw on Shouta and Hizashi’s faces.

“ Mama, Papa. Stop being silly. ” The kitten says.

Hizashi wants to ask what she means, but god, the only thing in his head at the moment is how close Shouta’s face is and, God, he’s so gorgeous. What do I do? It should be illegal for Eyebags to look so good on someone.

What if he expects something? Damn loud blond, why did you have to be so pretty? Wait. What? These weren’t Hizashi’s thoughts.

Suddenly, Hizashi’s eyes widen, and he looks at Mr. Muffins, whose eyes are glowing slightly as she holds a paw on their faces. Could this mean…

Err… Shouta? Can you hear me? Hizashi asks.

I can. He hears Shouta’s thoughts.

Fuck. Mr. Muffins can link our minds? What do I do? Shouta will learn I have a crush on him. FUCK! WHY DID I THINK THAT?

“You… Have a crush on me?” Shouta asks with wide eyes.

“I er… I… Hmm…” FUCK. ABORT. ABORT.

“Fuck. Zashi. I’m horrible with words. But…” He closes his mouth and eyes.

I have a crush on you as well. Shouta thinks. Ever since our first year at UA…

Hizashi blinks a few times at the confession.

“Oh. I have had a crush on you ever since you kicked my ass at the Sports Festival during our first year at UA.” He can’t help but burst into laughter. “This means we’ve been pining for each for over ten years. And it took a scheming bot kid and a psychic kitten for us to confess.”

“Zashi…” Shouta says hesitantly. “Want to go on a date with me?”

“YES!” Hizashi almost activates his quirk in his excitement. “Yes! I want to!”

“ Finally! ” Midos’ voice echoes through the speakers again, and they hear a click indicating that the closet is unlocked. “ Now, have fun. And don’t forget to invite me to the wedding. ”

Hizashi and Shouta look at each other before hurrying out of the closet. Hizashi holding Mr. Muffins tightly in his arms.

“Well…” Shouta mutters. “I think after that, we can say without any doubt there’s no way the Problem Child isn’t human.”

Hizashi snorts, and the two start walking toward the teacher’s lounge.

“For sure. I don’t think even Nedzu can deny it now.” He replies.

“ Mama. Papa. Together? ” Mr Muffins asks.

“Yes, you scheming imp.” Hizashi replies. “Mama and Papa are together now!”

“FUCKING FINALLY!” They hear a female voice and look up. Nemuri is in front of the teacher’s lounge, looking at them with the biggest grin they ever saw on the woman’s face.

“Oh, no.” Shouta says.

“Oh, yes!” Nemuri replies. “Finally, all that pining was already way past painful and into torture field! You better tell me everything!”

Shouta sighs heavily at their friend’s antics, but Hizashi can’t help the smile on his face. He never thought he would be able to find it in himself to confess. Much less that his crush could be reciprocal. Looks like Nemuri was right about all the times she called him and Shouta dumbasses.

Well, at least he’s now a dumbass with a boyfriend. He can certainly get behind that.

Chapter Text

Shouta isn’t nervous about his date with Zashi. He definitely isn’t. Shouta is a logical man, not a teenager with a crush. He’s not nervous. 

So what if he’s been fantasizing about this scenario for years? So what if he’s been thinking for years about what would be the perfect first date for him and Zashi. So what if he has a whole day planned with activities he’s sure Zashi will like? So what if this imaginary scenario has finally become real, and this might be his only chance to make the day perfect and maybe get a chance for a second date?

There’s nothing to be worried about, and Shouta definitely didn’t spend the last five hours that he could have been catching up on his sleep, embroidering a cockatoo on his nightshirt. Shouta is sure anyone who knows him would think it was a joke if someone said that one of Eraserhead’s favorite hobbies is embroidery. And well, even Shouta isn’t sure how he got into the habit.

Shouta still remembers when he received his first embroidery kit from Zashi on his 17th birthday. It hadn’t been that long since they lost Oboro, and Shouta was still struggling with his emotions. Zashi gave him an embroidery kit saying it was like “stabbing things instead of people! It’s the best way for you to get those pesky emotions I know you hate off your chest without causing anyone else pain!” The gift sat around for a few months before he even tried it, but one day he decided to give it a go. After all, why not? 

Shouta’s first attempts ended up with lots of prickled fingers and a cat that looked like an Eldritch horror. But after looking at what he did, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied with his job. Since then, embroidering at least a piece every month became a habit for him. It’s something he does when he’s stressed or nervous about something.

Not that he’s nervous right now. Because he’s not. Zashi will be here for their date in half an hour. That’s okay. Shouta shaved and even dressed in his better clothes. That’s only logical. Shouta. Is. Not. Nervous!

(Shouta is a lying liar who lies.)

Before he can spiral further, get up, and calmly fetch a cup of coffee, he hears a knock on his door. Since there are only three people who visit him, and he is sure that Nedzu has other plans for today, and Nemuri knows about Shouta’s date, it can only be Zashi. Taking a deep breath, Shouta gets up and opens the door.

Immediately, Shouta hides his face in his capture weapon - yes, he’s wearing it. Nothing in the world will make him leave the house without it - to hide his blushing face. One word only sums up Zashi at that moment. Gorgeous.

His friend (boyfriend?) always had a much better sense of fashion than Shouta and even Nemuri. But this is the first time Shouta has seen him dressed up for a date. Zashi is wearing simple and somewhat casual clothes. Black jeans that hug all his curves, a t-shirt from a rock band that Shouta doesn’t know but Zashi loves to talk about, and one of his leather jackets. His hair is low and neatly styled. Even his glasses don’t seem to be the same pair he wears every day.

The Problem Child is right, Shouta is completely whipped, and he doesn’t even mind.

“Hey, Zashi.” Very eloquent, Shouta. Very eloquent.

“Hey, Shou!” Zashi chirps.

“Come in.” Shouta invites. “I just have to grab my jacket then we can go.”

He steps in and goes to his room to grab his jacket, a simple dark purple jacket Nemuri gave him, then he goes back to the living room. And to his mortification, he finds Zashi looking at the shirt he forgot on the couch when he went to open the door. The same shirt Shouta was embroidering a yellow cockatoo on.

“Shou, that’s amazing!!!” Zashi exclaims excitedly. “I knew you liked embroidering, but this is better than what I find in specialty stores.”

Once more, Shouta dips his face in his capture weapon to hide his blush and turns around.

“Are you ready to go?” He asks, completely ignoring what Zashi just said.

“You bet!” Zashi replies, following him. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Shouta says as he puts on his shoes.

“Ooh. I love surprises.” Zashi laughs.

Shouta guides Zashi to his car and starts driving. Contrary to popular belief, he does have a license and can drive well. It’s just that he hates traffic, but for his date, he’s more than willing to drive.

As he drives, Zashi is practically buzzing with excitement, and it’s adorable. Shouta really hopes he likes the surprise. He had to call in one of the favors Nedzu owed him to get the tickets.

Shouta can see the moment Zashi’s eyes light up with recognition at the place Shouta stops.

“Shou, isn’t here…” He starts.

“Yep.” Shouta grins and reaches into his jacket pocket, pulling up two tickets to Hamilton, an American Musical. 

Not only is this a pre-quirk musical, but it’s a work very rarely staged in Japanese theaters. Getting tickets to see it is almost impossible. But Shouta knew it was something Hizashi would like to see. He’s already a great fan of the play and its songs, but he never got to watch it live.

“Shou, you’re amazing!” Zashi squeals in delight.

“So, let’s go i-” Shouta barely has time to finish his line before Zashi is grabbing him by the arm and dragging him inside the theater like an excited child in a candy store.

The comparison doesn’t fail to get a chuckle from Shouta. They don’t waste time entering and find their seats a few minutes before the play starts.

Shouta isn’t ashamed to say he barely paid any attention to the play, though. He was too busy watching every micro-expression on Zashi’s face. Every laugh whenever a joke was said. His eyes misted in the more dramatic parts. The way he mouthed the music with the actors. It’s like Zashi was part of the play. And honestly, watching him is much more interesting.

Zashi gets very emotional as the finale song, Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story, is sung by the actors, and once the play is finished, he’s the first to stand up and start applauding.

Shouta has never been a huge fan of theaters or musicals. He’s barely a fan of music in general. But to see Zashi smiling like this, he would bring him to watch any play he could ever want to.

Of course, their date doesn’t end there. After the play, Shouta brings Zashi to his favorite cat cafe. Brewing The Purrfect Blends. And it’s not just because of the cats that he likes this place. Everything is perfect there. From the atmosphere to the pastries, the comfy chairs, the adorable cats. EVERYTHING.

Shouta and Zashi are sitting down at a table. Shouta has a Chocolate cake and a Caramel Iced Coffee, while Zashi has a Cappuccino and Strawberry Cake. Shouta watches, amused, as Zashi details his favorite parts of the play as if Shouta hadn’t just watched it too. (Well, technically, he didn’t.)

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. After a few hours of talking and playing with the cats, they have to go home. He still has to patrol that night, and the next morning Zashi has his radio show.

Shouta drives Zashi to his house and walks him to the door. As soon as Zashi opens the door, Mr. Muffins jumps into his arms, meowing loudly and nuzzling his cheek. 

“Hi, baby. I’m back.” Zashi says, laughing and scratching the kitten behind her ears. “Can you wait inside? Mama will be right in.” The kitten meows again and jumps down, entering the house.

“So, did you like the date?” Shouta asks once Zashi looks at him.

“It was so amazing, Shou. Thank you so much for doing this.” Zashi says, grinning. “It will be hard to beat this on our next date. But I will make an effort.”

“Next…” Shouta replies, dumbfounded.

“Of course! I’m planning the next one.” Zashi says. “If you want a second date, that is…”

“Of course I want!” Shouta replies quickly.

“Then it’s decided.” Zashi says. “I had so much fun today, Shou.”

“See you tomorrow, Zashi.” Shouta replies.

Zashi turns around to enter but stops for a second, then hesitantly turns to Shouta. Shouta is about to ask if there’s something wrong when Zashi takes a step forward and gives Shouta a peck on the lips.

“See you tomorrow Shou!” Zashi says and quickly enters his house, leaving a stunned Shouta at his door.

Shouta isn’t sure how long he just stands there stunned, but eventually, he brings a hand to his lips. Did this really just happen? He shakes his head and turns around, going back to his car. It’s only once he sees his reflex in the car’s mirror that he notices that he can’t stop smiling.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Higari has no idea why Nedzu suddenly asked for a meeting with him. He wonders if it has anything to do with what he discovered last week. There’s no denying he’s nervous, but he doubts that Nedzu wants to fire him. 

The Principal isn’t the type to wait around for this kind of thing. To date, Higari has only seen one person fired from the UA. The former rescue training specialist before Thirteen was hired. The man started teaching quirkist and dangerous practices to students. The moment Nedzu found out, not only he fired the teacher, but he also made sure he would never work as a hero or a teacher again.

Nedzu always handpicks his employees, and it’s very rare that he makes mistakes in his selection, but when he does, he’s not afraid to own up and correct them. That’s why Higari knows that if he was going to be fired for his stunt with Midos last week, he would have been by now. Knowing that doesn’t make him any less nervous.

And it’s clear that Nedzu isn’t going to make things easy for him. For the last ten minutes, the Principal has done nothing but stare at him as he sipped his tea. At least he offered Higari a cup of tea too, which means he’s not angry at him.

“Nedzu-San. Why am I here?” Higari finally asks once the silence becomes unbearable.

Nedzu stares at him silently for a few more seconds before chuckling and looking away.

“Most people would have run away by now.” Nedzu says with a smile. “I’m impressed Higari-Kun. As for why I called you here, I think you already know.”

“It’s about Midos, right?” Higari asks. “I’m sorry, Sir. I couldn’t help my curiosity.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Nedzu waves him off. “I would never punish an inquisitive mind for being curious. I’m more surprised you were the first one to figure out the truth. I really expected to be Hizashi-Kun. Besides, Izuku-Kun already forgave you, so it’s not even my place to be angry in his stead. That being said, I don’t think I need to tell you to not do that again, right?”

“Of course, Sir.” Higari replies quickly. “I won’t ever try this again.”

“Good.” Nedzu nods. “Now, I heard you were building a body for him.”

“Err… Yes, Sir.” Higari nods. “He asked me to build a body for him. Specifically with heat sensors that could allow him to touch and feel things. And also a palate sensor. I assume he wants to be able to taste things again.”

“You are correct in your assumption.” Nedzu nods. “He has been stuck in that cyberspace for almost two years. For such a young kid to be without any kind of physical contact for so long…” He sighs. “I don’t need to understand human emotions to be able to deduce that he’s severely touch-starved. Could I see your projects?”

Higari is stunned for a moment. He never saw his boss being that empathetic towards another human being. It’s not that he doesn’t care. Higari has seen him destroy corrupt schools and arrest bad parents far too many times to think that. Nedzu cares a lot about children. But even so, he usually keeps himself detached from the cases he works on. And yet, this kid seems to have wormed his way into the chimera’s heart like no one ever did before.

“Of course, Sir.” Higari nods and points at Nedzu’s screen. “May I?”

“Be my guest.” Nedzu replies.

Higari wastes no time accessing the blueprints he created a few days ago. A 3d blueprint of the design opens on the screen, showing a detailed image of the design. Higari made sure to base the body on Midos’ current appearance. Therefore the android has all of Midoriya Izuku’s characteristics.

“Honestly, I never thought I would work on a project like this.” Higari says. “But I’ve never been this excited with a project before. I had to ask for a lot of favors with my old friends in I-island to get the necessary materials.”

He takes a look at the blueprint, despite already having the whole project memorized.

Android Blueprint: M.I.D.O.S.  

General Information:

Name: M.I.D.O.S. 

Design: A nine-year-old boy with short curly green hair and green eyes.

Height: 125 cm or 4’1”

Weight: Lightweight for ease of mobility and agility. Approximately 25 kg or 55 pounds.

Body Structure:

- Skeleton: Reactive Super-flexible Armored Skeleton (RSAS) for exceptional shock absorption and damage reduction. The RSAS is designed to minimize damage to internal components during impacts. 

Note: The RSAS is still a prototype. Development priority: Medium.

- Muscles: Advanced synthetic muscles with superior strength and endurance. These muscles provide the android with enhanced strength beyond ordinary human levels, comparable to minor strength-enhancing quirks.

Senses:

- Touch Emulation: Integrated touch sensors throughout the synthetic skin, enabling it to perceive and respond to physical contact.

- Taste Emulation: Specialized sensors located in the oral region capable of emulating taste sensations. This feature allows the android to enjoy a wide range of flavors and facilitates social interactions involving food.

Power Source:

- Digestive System: A sophisticated digestive system capable of converting food into biofuel. The android can consume and process food, transforming it into energy to supplement the main power source. 

Note: The prototype conversion system is very inefficient. A full meal can provide enough energy to sustain the body’s essential functions only for approximately one hour. Development priority: Low.

- Energy Core: An auto-sufficient energy core serves as the primary power source. It harnesses advanced energy conversion technology to efficiently produce and store electrical energy. 

Note: The prototype energy core is unstable and has the potential to explode if overworked. It’s crucial to prioritize the development of a stable and reliable energy core to eliminate the risk of explosions and improve overall performance and safety.

Safety Measures:

- Built-in Limiters: To prevent the prototype energy core from overcharging, internal limiters that monitor and control the power input will be installed. These limiters ensure safe operation and protect against potential explosions caused by excessive energy buildup.

“That’s very detailed, Higari-Kun.” Nedzu says once he finishes reading the blueprints. “Though, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you choose a child’s appearance?”

“Midoriya is Nine, isn’t he?” Higari asks. “Or at least he was the day he… You know. He doesn’t appear to have grown up ever since. His appearance still looks exactly the same.”

“You’re right.” Nedzu nods. “I have a few theories about that. I think his cyber appearance, let’s call it his Avatar, could be changed if he so wanted. He simply keeps the last form he remembers. You might have noticed that most of the time he still wears exactly the same thing he was wearing the day of the tragedy.”

“This makes sense.” Higari nods. “I assume you’ll be helping him on that front?”

“You assumed right, Higari-Kun. Young Izuku is nothing short of genius, but I can see he barely scratched the surface of what his quirk can do.” Nedzu grins. “What kind of educator would I be if I didn’t help him with that? And on that front, I would like to suggest a few alterations on this blueprint.”

“Oh? I thought I did a good job with that.” Higari replies. “What should I change?”

“Oh, no. Your current design is perfect for a daily life body.” Nedzu replies. “But I want to help young Izuku fulfill his dream, you know?” He looks back at the blueprint, examining each detail. “And also, he might be forever stuck at nine years old. Don’t you think we could give him a chance to see how it feels to be older?”

“So, instead of a child, you want his body to be adult-sized?” Higari asks.

“Teenager.” Nedzu corrects. “Between 15 to 17 years old would be a good model. I can give you some estimates on how he would probably look at this age. Also, the body needs to be battle ready. As I said, I’ll train young Izuku to become a hero as it’s his dream.”

“Of course you don’t mind giving weapons to a kid.” Higari sighs. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, Young Izuku will use this body for more than just combat.” Nedzu replies. “So, instead of weaponizing him, do you think you could create external weapons?”

“Hmmm… That’s certainly possible.” Higari nods. “What kind of training do you want to give him?”

“Everything.” Nedzu grins. “Combat, analysis, investigation, and rescue. Underground and Limelight. Air, water, and ground. I want him to be capable of facing anything.”

“But Sir… That’s…” Higari didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t worry about anything, Higari-Kun.” Nedzu waves him off. “I’ll be personally funding this project. No matter what kind of materials you need to use, or even if you need to start a research for a new kind of material just to make this possible.”

“It’ll take a long time to perfect it.” Higari warns. “Possibly years. I can have this prototype ready in a week or two. But to make sure it’ll work, he’ll need a lot of field testing, and unlike regular support gear, anything I create for Midos will be exclusive for him. This means I can ask other heroes to test.”

“We have time.” Nedzu replies. “And Midos is patient. For now, focus on finishing the main body before you start thinking of the other features. If you need more hands to help you on that, I’ll be more than happy to provide you with a qualified team.”

“Put a pin on that for now.” Higari says. “I might need it in the future, but for now, I’m enough.”

“Of course.” Nedzu agrees. “When are you going to start building it?”

“The materials I ordered should arrive tomorrow.” Higari replies. “I’ll adjust the blueprints today.”

“Very well, I will be refunding the amount you paid for these materials.” Nedzu says. “And since I’m technically hiring you for this project, you’ll receive compensation for that.”

Huh, this means Higari can expect a large sum coming into his bank account soon. Nedzu is well known for his tendency to squander money. Well, squandering isn’t the right term. After all, every investment he has ever made has always paid off. But still, when he decides to invest in something, he lives by the saying, “Go big or go home.”

With a last nod, Higari gets up and leaves the Principal’s office. This project just became a lot harder, but he would be lying if he said that working on something that advanced won’t be exciting. Not even I-island is capable of building an android this advanced.

“Well, it’s time to go back to work.” Higari says with a grin.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Few people are used to having all their beliefs shaken and their whole world turned upside down. Unfortunately, Chizome is one of those people.

As a little boy, he was just another ordinary child. Someone who admired heroes and wanted to be like his idol, All Might, saving everyone with a smile and bringing comfort to everyone who heard his name.

That changed the day his quirk manifested. Bloodcurdle, the ability to paralyze anyone by ingesting their blood for up to eight minutes, depending on blood type. 8 minutes for type B, 6 for AB, 4 for A, and 2 for O.

His world turned for the first time after that. Once a normal child, everyone started treating him like a villain, including his own parents. But that didn’t change his dream. Chizome still wanted to become a hero.

The second time his world changed, it was right when he got into a hero school. He failed UA’s entrance exam - Bloodcurdle was useless against robots - but he had several backup plans. He ended up getting into a small hero school.

But that school didn’t teach them how to be heroes. No, they were being trained to be celebrities, not to save lives. Chizome refused to stay in such a place.

It didn’t take long for him to understand that he would never be accepted as a hero with a quirk like that. He would never bring comfort to the people. But maybe, he could do something different. If he couldn’t bring comfort to civilians, he could bring fear to villains. That’s how Stendhal, the vigilante, was born.

Stendhal kept the streets safe for years, and Chizome thought he had found his way to be a hero. But then, one day, he learned just how fake heroes are.

A hero ambushed him while he was trying to save a kid who was being attacked. The kid was screaming for help, but the damn hero was only concerned with capturing the vigilante. Until the kid stopped screaming.

The so-called hero kept going on and on with his monologue about how justice had come, but Chizome could only stare at the alley where the child’s lifeless body was dumped as the killer left.

And as for that damn fake hero - his name was Kobra or something like that - he became the first victim of Hero Killer Stain. From that day on, Chizome found out what he was really supposed to do. His mission is to purge the fake heroes. All in the name of true heroism. Only a true hero would have the right to stop him. A hero like All Might!

But then, once again, everything he believed in was shattered, this time by meeting the one called Hero Crusher. He never met the other villain in person, but he showed him evidence that broke him.

Not only was All Might just another fake hero. But Stain was wrong on several of his targets. He killed genuinely good heroes. Since that day, Stain has not killed any more heroes. He continued his hunt, but instead of killing his targets, he only dealt heavy damage to them. That way, the fake heroes would mostly give up their careers, fearing for their lives, while the real ones would continue.

Still, Chizome is no longer sure if he is doing the right thing. Since childhood, Chizome’s greatest trait has always been his conviction. But today, for the first time in his life, Chizome is in doubt. What is right and what is wrong? Is purging fake heroes really possible? If even All Might was a lie, then who are the real heroes?

Chizome doesn’t know anything anymore.

As he walked aimlessly through the streets, his phone started ringing. Chizome didn’t even need to check the number, there’s only one single person in the world who knows this number, and Chizome has no idea how. Still, he answers the call.

“You seem lost, Stain.” The Hero Crusher says in his distorted voice.

Stain raises his head and looks around until his eyes land on a street camera pointed at him.

“Of course you’re stalking me again.” Chizome grumbles. “What do you want this time?”

“Just talk.” The Hero Crusher replies. “You’ve gone radio silent for a few weeks. I was worried. You’re hard to find, you know?”

“The plan was for it to be impossible.” Chizome sighs. “You’re not wrong, though. I am quite lost. I thank you for opening my eyes. But now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore. It’s like everything I ever believed in my life was nothing but lies. I couldn’t be a hero. Stendhal could make a difference. And now Stain’s mission is also hopeless.”

“That’s not how I see things, Chizome.” The Hero Crusher replies. “Stendhal made a difference. The people on the streets felt safer when you patrolled. For months after you disappeared, people on underground forums asked themselves what happened to their protector. And Stain. While Stain was misguided, and targeted some good heroes, you also killed some of the worst villains masquerading as heroes in the world. I don’t agree with Stain, and I never will. But you made a difference.” He stays silent for a few more seconds. “As for what you should do now. I think you finally realized there’s only so much a single person can do alone. But what if you weren’t alone?”

“What do you mean?” Chizome asks.

“I want us to meet.” The Hero Crusher replies. “In person.”

Chapter Text

Chizome stares at the entrance of the cafe. A familiar territory for both vigilantes and villains. The Nameless Cafe, an oasis of neutrality, nestled within the streets of Mustafu. It doesn’t matter if you are a hero, a civilian, a vigilante, or even a villain. As long as you leave your grudges at the door, you are welcomed with open arms. It made perfect sense why the enigmatic Hero Crusher had selected this spot for their rendezvous.

Chizome stepped into The Nameless Cafe, being greeted by the dimly lit interior, creating a mysterious atmosphere. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and the faint whiff of cigarette smoke lingered in the air, a testament to the countless conversations and clandestine meetings that had taken place within these walls. At a corner, Chizome can see a group he recognizes as members of the Yakuza talking about something.

The tables were a mix of mismatched chairs and worn-out cushions, each set arranged in a way that allowed occupants to maintain a sense of privacy while still being part of the communal space. Murmurs and hushed whispers filled the room, and Chizome noticed the occasional glance directed toward him as he made his way to the back. The Hero Crusher said he would meet him at table 23.

Sitting at the table, Chizome impatiently awaits the arrival of the Hero Crusher. Though he has no idea how the person looks, he knows that they know who Chizome is. A stray cat wanders to him, and just as he’s about to shoo it away, he realizes with a start that it’s not an ordinary feline - it’s a robot cat.

The mechanical cat elegantly hops onto the table, positioning itself to face Chizome directly. To his bewilderment, a voice emanates from the robotic creature, uttering his name with an eerie familiarity. 

“Nice to officially meet you, Stain.” The voice says.

Chizome blinks, his mind trying to comprehend the bizarre situation before him. 

“Are you the Hero Crusher?” He cautiously asks, his suspicion mixing with curiosity. “I thought you wanted to meet in person.”

“In my current condition, this is the closest to ‘in person’ we can meet.” The cat replies, the voice laced with a hint of mystery. “But you’re correct; I did want to meet you face to face. Today, you shall uncover my true identity.”

Chizome’s intrigue grows, his thoughts racing to make sense of the cryptic message. The Hero Crusher has always been an enigma, a master hacker whose actions have remained solely in the digital realm. The notion that this robot cat could be the elusive figure behind the code intrigues him, and he can’t help but wonder if the Hero Crusher has been incapacitated by a wound or illness. That would explain why he only works online.

“Very well.” Chizome says, his attention fully caught by the cat. “I’m listening.”

The cat emits a soft, mechanical purr before continuing in its enigmatic voice. 

“Tell me, Stain. Do you know about the Midoriyas?” He asks.

“I’ve heard of them.” Chizome replies, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness. “Single mom and a child, both dead in an ‘accident,’ officially stated. But as you’ve shown me, All Might was responsible for it. The HPSC covered it up, just like they’ve hidden other incidents caused by the Number One Hero. All to maintain the Status Quo.”

“That’s right, but that wasn’t everything.” The cat responds. “You see, the son, Midoriya Izuku, was said to be quirkless. But that’s not true. He wasn’t quirkless; he was a late bloomer. And his quirk is a very powerful form of technopathy.”

Having said that, the cat opens his mouth, revealing a projector’s lens. A hologram appears on the chair next to Chizome, depicting a little boy with green hair, eyes, and freckles.

“Hello, Stain.” The cat speaks again, his voice unaltered, revealing his true identity. “Currently, I go by M.I.D.O.S. or Midoriya Izuku Disk Operating System.”

Chizome’s mind races to process the revelation. Midoriya Izuku, the supposedly dead quirkless boy, is alive, and he’s the Hero Crusher. The weight of the truth sinks in; dozens of heroes had their careers destroyed by a 9-10-year-old kid.

However, another thought gnaws at him. Midoriya Izuku is supposed to be dead and buried. How could he possibly be here?

“Are you actually Midoriya Izuku?” Chizome asks. “Or are you merely his quirk - a memory, perhaps?”

The holographic projection pauses, uncertainty flickering in the boy’s eyes.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” He admits. “After I ‘died,’ I woke up in a place I call ‘The Cyberspace.’ Perhaps I am Izuku himself, or maybe I’m just a copy of his memory created by his quirk. I’m not sure. Does the answer change things?”

“Not really.” Chizome shakes his head. “Whether you are the real Izuku or merely a memory doesn’t change what you’re trying to do.”

“We both want the same thing.” The boy says through the cat. “We want to improve society. But you realized that your methods aren’t working.”

Chizome acknowledges the truth in those words. Killing the fake heroes isn’t achieving the change he hoped for.

“I tried to be a hero. I tried to be a vigilante. Neither worked.” Chizome says, his voice tinged with frustration. “And now, being a villain isn’t working either. I’m lost. I don’t know what to do.”

“A single person can only go so far.” The boy replies. “But let’s take a look at another thing.” The hologram disappears, and the cat projects a graphic in its place. “These are the areas where Stendhal used to patrol.” The boy points out. “Then these are the areas where Stain killed heroes. Can you see the difference?”

Chizome studies the graphics, observing the contrasting patterns. The areas where Stendhal patrolled experienced a significant 73% decrease in criminal activity while he was active. In contrast, the areas where Stain killed heroes saw a troubling 26% increase in criminal activity due to the decrease in the number of heroes. The realization hits him like a truck. 

“I... I didn’t realize.” Chizome stammers, grappling with the implications of the data. “I thought I was doing what was necessary to bring about change.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not how things work.” The boy replies. “Villains will take advantage of the absence of heroes. And the truth is that fake heroes are also needed to maintain security. If they are doing their job, who cares about their motives?”

Chizome’s resolve wavers, and he finds himself questioning everything he ever stood for. The Hero Crusher’s words strike a chord within him, offering a different perspective on how to achieve their shared goal of improving society.

“So, what do you suggest?” Chizome asks.

“Perhaps, it’s time for Stendhal to return.” The cat activates the hologram of Midoriya Izuku. “You can help keep the streets safe. You might not agree, but I believe the Vigilante Stendhal was a true hero.” He gives him a smile. “We could also use more allies.”

“We?” Chizome asks, intrigued by the notion.

“I’m working with Nedzu.” The boy replies. “We have a plan. Change won’t come fast, especially when we are trying to make sure society won’t collapse.”

Chizome contemplates the offer before him. It’s a far cry from the path he had been on, but there’s something undeniably appealing about it. He has always been driven by the desire to make a difference, to create a society that he believes in.

“So, you want me to act as an informant besides going back to being Stendhal?” Chizome summarizes, seeking clarification.

“Exactly.” Midos nods. “What do you say, Akaguro Chizome? Are we allies?”

For a moment, Chizome weighs the consequences and the potential for genuine change. He has the chance to work with true heroes and contribute to bringing the change he always wanted. Maybe, there really is a way to bring back the real heroism without the need for even more bloodshed.

With his mind made, Chizome gives a determined nod.

“We are allies, Midos.” Chizome declares. “I’ll embrace this new approach, and together, we’ll strive for a better tomorrow.”

“Then it’s good to work with you, Stendhal.” The boy replies.

As the holographic projection of Midos smiles warmly, a newfound alliance forms between those two individuals. 

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

“So, I just need to move it?” Izuku asks as he eyes the arm prototype Maji-Senpai is showing him.

The boy is still using the cat robot Shouto modified for him, which he officially named Meowdos.

“That’s right.” Maji-Senpai replies. “I want to test the sensors and mobility to see if everything works correctly.”

“Ok. I’ll try.” Izuku nods and sits down in front of the arm. From the cat body, he sends the white tendrils of his quirk, quickly connecting himself to the arm. “Ok, I’m in. What do I do?”

“Let’s start simple.” Maji-Senpai says. “Move the fingers.”

Izuku focuses his mind on the arm, and his quirk seamlessly integrates with the robotic limb. It’s much smoother than when he has to hack something to enter. He feels the connection, almost like the arm became an extension of himself. With a gentle thought, he commands the fingers to move, and they respond accordingly, flexing and extending with impressive precision.

“The fingers work well.” Izuku says.

“That’s amazing.” Maji-Senpai replies. “Now, try rotating the wrist and moving the arm up and down.”

Izuku follows the instructions, fluidly adjusting the wrist’s rotation and raising and lowering the arm. As he does so, he frowns slightly at the result.

“The wrist is a bit stiff.” Izuku points out. “I can hear a creak in it. I think the ‘bones’ are rubbing on each other.”

Maji-Senpai nods and takes notes, his mind already working on potential solutions.

“I see. It’s a good observation, Izuku.” Maji-Senpai nods attentively, “We must ensure smooth movement and minimize friction. Let’s take a closer look at the joint mechanisms.”

Meowdos and Maji-Senpai huddle over the arm, examining the mechanical intricacies.

“Maybe we can use a different type of lubrication to reduce the friction.” Izuku suggests. “And reinforcing the joint with a more flexible material could solve the stiffness issue.”

“A more flexible material could compromise durability.” Maji-Senpai points out. “I wonder if it’s a good trade-off…”

“We could combine a flexible inner structure with a reinforced outer layer?” Izuku proposes. “That way, we maintain both flexibility and durability.”

“You mean… Like external armor?” Maji-Senpai asks.

“Yes, exactly!” Izuku’s face lights up with excitement. “We could design the joint with a core of flexible material that ensures smooth movement and then encase it in a layer of reinforced armor, offering protection and stability. It could give us the best of both worlds!”

Maji-Senpai ponders over the idea for a while, his mind racing with possibilities. 

“Underground and Limelight. Air, water, and ground. A body ready for anything.” He mutters to himself, lost in thought. “I think I have the solution.”

“What do you mean, Maji-Senpai?” Izuku asks, tilting his head in confusion, intrigued by the support hero’s musings.

Maji-Senpai rushes to his desk and unceremoniously shoves everything to the floor before opening a new blueprint.

“Instead of creating a single body that can handle anything - which would be impossible, I must say - how about…” He starts sketching rapidly on the blueprint. “A single neutral body. No strengths or weaknesses. And then, to supply the other necessities, I can make-”

“Armors!” Izuku completes. “A flying armor for air combat. An aquatic armor for underwater operations. A ground armor for regular operations. Stealth armor for Underground work.” 

“Exactly! Each armor will be specialized for specific tasks, and when needed, you can switch between them, allowing for maximum adaptability.” Maji-Senpai nods with a smile. “This way, we optimize efficiency without compromising on performance.”

“This is perfect, Maji-Senpai!” Izuku says excitedly. “I can see why you’re the number one in support gear.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Maji-Senpai chuckles playfully. “But I appreciate the sentiment. We can start designing the armors after we finish this test. We still need to try the touch sensors.”

“Oh, right.” Izuku chuckles. “I’ll connect again.” Then he connects to the arm again. “I’m in. How are we going to test?”

“I didn’t try to copy the entire somatosensory system, but the concept is pretty similar.” Maji-Senpai explains. “The receptors on the synthetic skin should be able just like sensory receptors and activate the artificial nerves creating electrical signals. I simplified the process, though. They should go straight to your mind, hopefully making the process faster. Let’s start with temperature.” He pulls two metal bars. “One bar is hot. The other is cold. Let’s see if you can differentiate them.”

Izuku focuses, his mind prepared for the task at hand. As he grasps the metal bars with the robotic arm, he senses a surge of electrical impulses flowing through his neural connection. It’s a unique sensation, like his own skin was registering the temperature changes. It’s a testament to Maji-Senpai’s skillful engineering that the synthetic skin can replicate such fine details.

“I can feel it!” Izuku exclaims in amazement. “It’s not perfect, but it works. The hot bar feels slightly warm, and the cold one only feels a little cool.”

“So, we need to work on precision. Maybe increase the number of receptors as well.” Maji-Senpai takes notes. “Let’s see if you can differentiate textures.”

Maji-Senpai presents a set of objects with varying textures—smooth, rough, bumpy, and soft. With each touch, Izuku’s mind registers the distinctive feel of the surfaces through the robotic arm. Though the sensations are not as clear as they would be with his own hand, the potential is undeniable.

“I can feel the differences.” Izuku says, his mind focused on the task. “The rough one is slightly abrasive, the bumpy one feels uneven, and the soft one has a gentle texture.”

“Excellent, Izuku!” Maji-Senpai nods. “This is promising. We’ll keep working on refining the receptors and feedback to make it even better. Anything else you think you should mention?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure…” Izuku says, thoughtfully contemplating the experience. The robotic arm moves as if to scratch his chin, and at that moment, it accidentally touches a connected soldering iron. “Ouch!” Izuku yelps, quickly dropping his connection to the arm. “Does it have pain sensors as well?”

“It shouldn’t.” Maji-Senpai frowns, concerned by the unintended reaction. “But that’s just a prototype. Maybe the sensors are picking up and transmitting things as pain. I’ll have to check it later.”

Izuku eyes the arm warily, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in his expression. The prospect of adding pain sensors to the robot body is both intriguing and worrisome. 

“I don’t think I need pain sensors.” Izuku says. “I know why people feel pain, but I can easily create a program to keep an eye on the level of damage the body suffered.”

“You have a point.” Maji-Senpai acknowledges with a nod. “For you, pain sensors will be more of a nuisance than anything else. Let’s focus on enhancements that will suit your needs.”

As they continue their discussion, they delve into potential improvements for the robotic arm and the rest of Izuku’s body, brainstorming ideas that align with Izuku’s unique quirk and skill set. Maji-Senpai skillfully adapts the designs to enhance his capabilities while minimizing any drawbacks.

Then, almost seamlessly, their discussion shifts back to the concept of armors. It’s like they’ve discovered a treasure trove of possibilities waiting to be unlocked. Izuku’s eyes light up like a child in a candy store, and Meowdos jumps up and down with joy. Maji-Senpai chuckles at his happiness.

“So, I have ideas for the basic concepts.” Maji-Senpai says with enthusiasm. “An aerial armor focused on speed and mobility. A ground armor focused on firepower and physical strength. An aquatic armor focused on underwater mobility. A stealth armor focused on agility and flexibility.”

“Oh! This reminds me of something!” Izuku’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “I think I have the perfect design!”

A moment later, a ding on Maji-Senpai’s phone indicates a new message. He opens it and sees the image Izuku sent him.

“Really?” Maji-Senpai raises an eyebrow at the robot cat, amused by the unexpected source of inspiration. “A video game?”

“It’s been over 200 years since they last published anything for this series.” Izuku explains with a mischievous grin on his face. “It’s public domain already!”

Maji-Senpai looks at the image for a few seconds, considering its intricacies and unique features, before sighing with a smile.

“Well, I can’t deny the design is good.” He concedes. “I’ll have to make a few tweaks to make it practical. But I guess I can go with that.”

“Yay!” Izuku cheers.

And with that, Meowdos starts running around the room like a kitten with zoomies while Maji-Senpai works on the blueprints.

Chapter Text

Izuku walks briskly through the bustling corridors toward the support studios. Even controlling the small cat robot, he could feel his heart pounding with anticipation. It makes him wonder how he can feel his heart when he technically doesn’t have one anymore. But that’s something he can think about at another time. 

The message from Maji-Senpai had been brief and intriguing, urging him to come to the studios without delay. The hero didn’t offer any explanation besides that. Izuku can barely hold his curiosity.

As the automatic doors open for the cat to step in, Izuku is caught off guard by what he finds inside. Maji-Senpai stands near the center of the room, wearing his yellow helmet that looks like a mash between an excavator claw and a dinosaur head. Next to him was Nedzu, his eyes betraying nothing of the reason why he’s here. To their right stood Shouto, looking at the big capsule a few feet behind them. And finally, Aizawa-Senpai, who seems just as tired as always, but he doesn’t have his sleeping bag.

Izuku expected Maji-Senpai to be there. But why are Shouto, Nedzu, and Aizawa-Senpai here as well? And what is that big capsule behind them?

“Ah, there you are, Midos.” Maji-Senpai greets him with a warm smile, gesturing for him to approach. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Hi, Maji-Senpai.” Izuku greets, his eyes flickering from one figure to the next. “What is this about? And why is everyone here?”

Nedzu looks at Izuku and gives him a big grin.

“We have a surprise for you, Midos.” Nedzu says, glancing at Aizawa-Senpai, who just raises an eyebrow at him before glancing at Shouto.

Oh, so he doesn’t know that Shouto knows, and instead of just cleaning everything up, Nedzu prefers to let the chaos unfold. Classic Nedzu.

“So, remember when I told you that it would still take a few months for the body to get ready?” Maji-Senpai says, grinning under his helmet. “Well, Aizawa would call it a logical ruse.”

“Wait, you can’t mean…” Izuku’s eyes widen.

“Yep.” Nedzu’s grin becomes even wider. “Your new body is ready.” He says, taking a step aside and bowing while pointing at the capsule.

“I call it, the M.I.D.O.S. Prototype.” Maji-Senpai says. “Take a look.”

Izuku nods and walks to the capsule, which starts opening very slowly. A smoke screen leaves the capsule for dramatic effect, and all lights in the studios are turned off, something Izuku is sure was Nedzu’s idea.

Izuku’s breath is caught in his throat, his eyes widening in awe at the view. It’s amazing. He can easily recognize himself in this robot. His hair, his face, his freckles. Everything is there, but it looks older. A young adult, unlike the child, he sees every time he looks in the mirror. The body is tall, but not overwhelmingly tall. About the same size as Maji-Senpai, Izuku judges.

“Is that real?” Izuku whispers in awe.

“Indeed it is, Midos.” Maji-Senpai replies with a proud smile. “We did our best to create this with all the things you asked for. Wanna test it?”

“YES!” Izuku nods excitedly, sitting down in front of the capsule.

Izuku wastes no time in establishing the connection. He sees the white tendrils of his quirk connecting to the robot and immediately starts uploading himself into it. The process is quick and efficient. It’s like it was made for him. Well, it was made for him. That’s probably why he fits the robot - android? - body so snugly. Izuku had never entered any electronic device so easily.

Once the upload is complete, he can feel the system starting, and a hud appears in his eyes. The hud displays the blueprint of the body and quickly goes through all functionalities as they start. Then once the system is started, Izuku opens his eyes.

The first thing Izuku notices is his size. He never felt so tall before. He’s been in cameras on the streets, and most of them are in high places, but this is different. The second thing he notices is the freedom in his body. Cameras, and even Meowdos, have a very limited range of motion. He starts moving his arms, as his eyes focus on them. 

Then, Izuku notices his touch sense. He can feel the light fabric of the shirt rubbing on his shoulders and the shorts on his legs. As he steps out of the capsule, he almost jumps as he feels the cold floor on his bare feet. He can feel the chill of the AC unity in his body. He can feel everything, and it’s amazing.

“It works.” He mutters with a smile. “I can feel things again.” He starts running his hands through his arms, feeling the soft material used to create his synthetic skin. “I can move freely again.” He says as he twirls around. And then, as his laughter fills the studio, he adds. “I feel alive again!”

As Izuku spins around in happiness, testing his new body, he barely notices the amused faces of the other people, and creature, in the room. And even if he did, he couldn’t care less. He has a body, a human(ish) body! That’s perfect.

Then, suddenly, he remembers the main reason why he wanted a body in the first place. With a gradual slowing of his twirl, he turns his gaze towards the assembled group, his grin evolving into something more mischievous.

His eyes meet Aizawa-senpai’s, then shift to Shouto, Maji-Senpai, and finally Nedzu. Without a single word, he moves with a sudden burst of energy. Swiftly closing the distance between himself and Nedzu, with an exuberant laugh and a radiant smile, he scoops up the chimera into his arms and embraces his friend, mentor, and father figure.

“Thank you so much. Nedzu-Sensei.” Izuku says, laughing.

How Izuku missed the feeling of giving and receiving hugs. He feels Nedzu rubbing his back gently, which makes him feel even warmer inside. Then after a few more seconds, he lowers Nedzu back to the ground with a lingering smile still on his face. The chimera doesn’t say a thing, but it’s not necessary. Izuku can see in his face how happy the Principal is for him.

With his heart brimming with gratitude and euphoria, Izuku turns to Maji-Senpai, his next target, for an exuberant embrace. Without hesitation, he lunges forward, wrapping his arms around the hero and easily lifting him from the ground. The realization of how strong his new body is is immediate and exhilarating, and as he spins Maji-Senpai around, laughter bursts from his lips.

The sound of his laughter fills the air, a reflection of the overwhelming joy he feels at this moment. But even amidst the spinning and laughter, Izuku manages to convey his appreciation to the hero.

“This is even better than anything I could have imagined.” Izuku says to the hero. “Thank you so much, Maji-Senpai.”

“You’re welcome, Izuku.” Maji-Senpai whispers, and Izuku feels his metallic fingers patting him on the back.

Next, Izuku turns to Shouto, who’s eyeing the interaction with a soft smile, and like the other two, he hugs and lifts him from the ground. Hugging Shouto is such an interesting experience. The boy, just like his quirk, is half-hot half-cold. His left side is warm, and his right side is cold. It’s like hugging two people at the same time.

“Thank you.” Izuku says with a smile.

“I didn’t do anything.” Shouto replies, then he smirks. “Yet. You can bet one day I’ll make a Meowdos model that will make this body look like a pile of junk.”

Izuku laughs and puts Shouto down.

“I’ll be waiting for that day.” He says with a grin, to which Shouto responds in kind.

Then he turns to Aizawa-Senpai… And finds the place where he was standing just a second ago completely empty. Then he hears the door to the studio closing.

“Huh?” Izuku blinks and turns to Nedzu.

“Shouta-Kun is allergic to affection.” The Principal playfully says.

“Oh, then he better get an antiallergic.” Izuku replies with a mischievous smirk. “Because I’m getting a hug from him as well.”

Then Izuku runs outside, determined to track down the Underground Hero and get a hug from him. He immediately starts tracking his cell phone. Maybe that’s cheating, but Izuku never said he would play fair. Aizawa-Senpai’s signal is going to the teacher’s lounge.

Well, time to test how fast this body can move.

With a grin on his face, Izuku takes off and quickly realizes that the answer is very fast. He’s sure that he’s going as fast as someone with a minor speed quirk would. And as he glances at his readings, he realizes that this isn’t nearly close to what this body really is capable of. 

In no time at all, Izuku reaches the teachers’ lounge, and to his joy, Aizawa isn’t there yet. So he opens the door and enters. Immediately, all eyes are drawn to him, but he pays them no attention as he waits right next to the door and observes in his hud as Shouta’s signal approaches.

Then, as soon as the door opens, Izuku tackles the Underground Hero in a hug, lifting him in the air just like he did with the others.

“Gotcha!” Izuku says, laughing joyfully.

Aizawa-Senpai is so surprised that he barely reacts, but a few seconds later, Izuku hears a sigh, and the Underground Hero puts a hand on his hair and ruffles it.

“Yeah, you got me, Problem Child.” He says, hiding his face in his capture weapon.

“Wait.” Izuku turns around and sees Vlad King looking at him with wide eyes. “Is this Midos?”

“Yep.” Izuku replies with a grin and runs toward the hero while yelling. “HUUUUUGGGG!” The blood hero has no time to react before he has a teenager-sized android hugging the shit out of him. And he certainly doesn’t know how to react as he keeps his arms awkwardly close to him, not sure if he hugs back or stays still.

Before he can make up his mind, Izuku lets him go and finds his next victim. Thirteen is a few steps ahead, talking something with Snipe. So Izuku jumps at them and hugs them both at the same time.

“Oh, hello, Midos.” Thirteen says, and Izuku imagines they are smiling under that helmet.

“Well now, ain’t it a sight for sore eyes?” Snipe adds. “Mighty pleased to lay eyes on this here fresh rig of yours, partner. Mighty fine job by ol’ PL, I reckon.”

“Yep. Maji-Senpai did it.” Izuku replies with a grin. “And it’s amazing. I have arms to give hugs now. And I can feel them too!” 

He laughs and runs to Inui-Senpai, wrapping his arms around the therapist’s neck and pulling him closer. He quickly does the same to Kayama-Senpai, who immediately returns with a crushing hug of her own. Ishiyama-Senpai is a bit more awkward, but not as much as Vlad.

Then he moves to Ectoplasm, but as he approaches, the guy raises a hand into a stop sign.

“Nope. Not doing this, kid.” He says rather rudely and then evaporates away.

“Oh…” Izuku mutters, slightly disappointed. “Ok.”

Then he looks around and finds the only person in the room who he didn’t hug yet. With a grin, he runs to Yamada-Senpai with open arms.

“No dice, Little Listener.” Yamada says as he approaches. “You’re not hugging me.”

“Oh?” Izuku says, looking down. “Why not?”

“Because I’m hugging you first.” Yamada-Senpai replies with a grin, and before Izuku could react, he’s being scooped in his arms and embraced by the loud hero. “Wow, you’re lighter than I thought.”

Izuku immediately starts laughing and wraps his arms around Yamada-Senpai’s neck.

“I never felt so happy.” Izuku says, his voice barely a whisper. “I have a family again. That’s everything I could ask for.”

Yamada-Senpai seems to hear him because he hugs Izuku even tighter with one arm, and with the other, he pulls Aizawa-Senpai into the hug.

“You won’t be alone again, Little Listener.” He says softly. “We promise you. Be it as Midos, or as Midoriya Izuku. You are one of us now.”

“He’s right, Problem Child.” Aizawa-Senpai adds. “We got your back. Just don’t expect more hugs from me.”

“Ok. Your hugs are reserved for the cats.” Izuku says with a smile. “I’ll remember that.”

“Good.” Aizawa-Senpai nods with a smirk.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

Shouta has been feeling watched all morning. Ever since he arrived at UA, he’s been certain that someone was watching him, but it’s different from when Nedzu or Midos follow him on camera. None of his students can sneak on him, so he quickly discards this possibility.

When he tells Zashi about it, his boyfriend chalks it down to paranoia, which is fair. Shouta can’t deny that he’s a little paranoid. One does not survive as an Underground Hero without a healthy dose of paranoia. 

But still, Shouta is sure this isn’t just his paranoia talking. Someone is watching him, and he can’t find it. This is actually pretty familiar, which makes Shouta even more on edge. Because he’s sure that if this has something to do with the Problem Child, he knows he’s about to be pranked. The question is, when?

Unfortunately, there’s not much he can do at the moment besides keeping an eye open. Besides, he has class now, and the Problem Child wouldn’t ambush him in the middle of class, right?

(He should know better, of course, Nedzu’s son in everything but blood fears no god.)

…

For most of the morning, classes went like usual. So usual that Shouta almost forgot about his mysterious stalker. That is until he noticed the vent above the class discreetly opening. Nothing that unusual either. Nedzu sometimes will pay a surprise visit to classes just to mess with the students, but when after several minutes, no one leaves the vent, his paranoia comes back in full force.

He’s sure no one is in class, but he can feel himself being observed. As he lectures his class, he keeps the vent in the corner of his eyes at all times to make sure no one is coming in. This definitely has Problem Child written all over it, but what is he planning?

“Can anyone tell me what is the appropriate procedure for when you encounter a child in a disaster zone?” He asks the class as he continues the lecture. Not a single student raises their hand. “No one?”

“I know.” Shouta freezes as he hears the very familiar voice right next to him in a space he’s sure it’s empty. “Assess the situation calmly. Assess the Child’s Condition. Establish communication. Be friendly and comforting. Don’t panic, if you, the hero, start panicking, the kid certainly will. If necessary, provide first aids. If you can get the kid out safely, do it.”

Shouta stares in confusion at the empty spot where the voice is coming from, and he’s sure all his students are doing the same. Then suddenly, he feels something barreling on him and a pair of arms wrapping around his body. He can feel some kind of armor touching him. 

Then an image flickers in front of him, and the Problem Child slowly comes into vision. He’s wearing a purple armor weapon that resembles an open jacket and knee-high boots. Underneath he appears to be wearing white pants and a black T-shirt, both skin-tight. Around his waist is a utility belt. His helmet has black, purple, and white details, with a visor that expands beyond the helmet to look like a mask, and his green eyes are visible underneath. Behind the helmet, two ribbons extend like a scarf. He also has two yellow gauntlets on his wrists.

“Of course, it was you.” Shouta sighs. “I thought we agreed hugs are reserved for cats?”

“I had to test this armor’s stealth.” Izuku replies with a mischievous grin. “And if I can sneak on Eraserhead, it means I can sneak on anyone.”

Shouta sighs but makes no move to shake off the boy who clings to him like a koala.

“That’s impressive.” Shouta commends. “The only reason I even knew someone was watching me was because of instinct. I didn’t see or hear a single thing.”

“Great, then it works!” Izuku says, his smile softening. “Now I just need to test the weapons.”

“Please tell me Majima didn’t give you guns, Problem Child.” Shouta replies worriedly.

“Of course not.” Izuku raises his hand, and the gauntlet opens up, depositing a kunai-like weapon in his hand. “Guns are too noisy.”

“He gave you knives…” Shouta sighs exasperatedly, and Izuku just grins back at him. “Will you let me go?”

“No, I don’t think I will.” Izuku replies.

Shouta sighs once again and turns back to his class, who are all looking at him in equal parts surprise, curiosity, and terror. Huh, maybe this isn’t so bad.

“Carrying on.” Shouta says, ignoring Izuku still clinging to him. “Now we’ll start with fire rescue procedures.”

The class groans in annoyance, which only makes Shouta grins more. He can also hear Izuku chuckling softly beside him.

Chapter Text

Few things can surprise Nedzu, and even fewer can infuriate him. But the current situation? It makes his blood boil. The only good thing about this situation is that Izuku is currently accompanying Zashi on a patrol, so he’s not here to hear it. Still, Nedzu will have to tell him later, and Chimera knows he’ll be furious.

What is the situation? The HPSC is sticking their absurdly large noses into what is none of their business again. 

Earlier that year, All Might had approached Nedzu in search of a teaching position at UA. Nedzu was already very unhappy with the hero after learning what he had done to Izuku, but to make matters worse, All Might already passed on his quirk to one of his students. The reason why he wanted the position was for a chance to teach his successor. Or so he said.

Now, refusing the Number one hero like this would be pretty bad for UA’s image, so Nedzu said he’d hire him if he got his teaching license. But that wasn’t for All Might. Of course, it wasn’t. Things always have to go exactly how he wants to, whenever he wants to. So instead of doing the minimally professional thing and going after his teaching license - which wouldn’t be that hard, All Might can only work three hours a day, and he has a lot of free time - the buffoon went to the HPSC for help, and they forced Nedzu to hire him.

Now, Nedzu has more than enough blackmail material to get them to back off, but that’s still not the time to use it. So, he just pretended to be under their control and agreed to hire the idiot as the heroics teacher. And despite All Might claiming he wanted to keep an eye on Togata, to whom he had passed One for All a few weeks ago, he still insisted he would teach the first years. And again, Nedzu didn’t have any choice in the matter.

But if this arrogant bastard thinks he’ll do whatever he wants in Nedzu’s school, he’s in for a big surprise. Nedzu is about to remind him why he’s the principal.

“I’m glad we could get into an agreement, Nedzu.” All Might says, with a far too smug smile.

“Oh, All Might.” Nedzu grins at him. “We aren’t finished yet.”

“I think we are.” All Might replies. “We have a contract set. And I have people to save.”

“You see, All Might.” Nedzu says calmly. “I take this school and the future of my students very seriously. That’s why I hand-pick all of my teachers, and make sure they have the right qualifications for teaching.” His smile vanishes as he looks at All Might with a predatory gaze. “And yet, you went over all of that and forced my hand. So let’s make one thing very clear. I don’t care about your legacy. I don’t care about how important you think you are. You better take this position seriously, otherwise. You. Will. Regret. Understood?”

“Loud and clear, Nedzu.” All Might replies, almost mockingly, as he turns around to leave.

As soon as the door closes, Nedzu lets out a heavy sigh. Looks like they might have to go ahead with plan D sooner than expected. Still, for now, he will give All Might the benefit of the doubt. 

He knows the buffoon will mess things up soon. The only question is. How soon?

Well, there’s one thing Nedzu can do to ensure his students won’t be completely at his mercy, though. He wishes there was another way, but it looks like All Might will be getting a Teaching Assistant this year.

.--. --- ...- / . -..- -.-. .... .- -. --. .

As soon as Izuku entered the Principal’s Office, he could see there was something wrong with Nedzu. For starters, the Chimera’s fur looked slightly disheveled, and Nedzu always takes so much care of his fur. Then, there’s his posture. He’s slightly hunched, something anyone who doesn’t know him well would miss, but not Izuku.

“Hey, Dad.” At some point in their relationship, Izuku accepted Nedzu as a father figure in his life and started calling him Dad. The teachers, who still didn’t figure out who he was, just assumed he calls him that because Nedzu is his creator. It’s quite amusing. “What’s wrong?”

“Hello, Pup.” Nedzu replies with a soft smile. “Sit down, I have to talk to you. It’s an… Upsetting subject.”

Izuku can see that this is going to be a serious talk, so he taps his chest once, and his armor - Model Harpy - leaves his body, compressing into the size of a briefcase. Izuku throws the case up, and the vent opens, closing right after the case enters. From there, the conveyor system will carry them back to the lab. Izuku and Nedzu remade the entire vent system of UA to add those and a few more cool things.

Once he’s out of the armor, Izuku sits down at the desk in front of his Dad, who’s already preparing tea for both of them. He’s even using his special brand, which means that whatever this is about, it’s really serious. Once the tea is ready, he pours two cups for them.

“Izuku, I want to start by saying. I’m sorry.” Nedzu bows down in front of Izuku.

“What is this about, Dad?” Izuku asks, taking a sip of his tea. This is starting to unnerve him.

“This year, All Might is going to become our first year’s new heroics teacher.” Nedzu explains, not beating around the bush.

It takes everything from him not to do a spit take.

“W-What?” Izuku asks shakily. “Dad, this isn’t funny. I know you’d never hire All Might as a teacher. You know how bad he is.”

“I know, Pup.” Nedzu shakes his head. “But it’s not my choice.”

“The HPSC.” Realization dawns on Izuku. “He went after them?”

“He’s an idiot.” Nedzu nods. “He owes them a favor now. And they’ll exploit it to the limit. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m being forced to hire him.”

“He can’t hurt my family again.” Izuku says, shaking his head. “He can’t take my family again!”

“He won’t, Izuku.” Nedzu says firmly. “I promise you, Pup. I won’t let him do whatever he wants to. We’ll be ready.”

“He has a lot of enemies.” Izuku says. “He thinks All for One is dead, but he never recovered a body. There’s no reason to believe he’s really dead.” He takes a deep breath. “I’ll talk to Higa-Nii. It’s time to update UA’s security again.”

“I’ll leave that to you.” Nedzu replies. “Not even I can hold a candle to you when it comes to cyber security. You far surpassed me in the last few years.”

Izuku is glad that among all the features this robot body has, blushing isn’t one of them. Still, his Dad’s face makes clear that he’s not fooling him.

“I’ll be updating everything.” Izuku says. “When I’m done with these systems, nothing will even breathe inside this school without us knowing.”

“Before you start, I want to ask one more thing from you.” Nedzu says. “You can refuse it, of course. I won’t ever force you to interact with All Might. But, would you consider becoming his Teaching Assistant?”

“You want me to babysit All Might in class?” Izuku raises an eyebrow. “I can do that, as long as I’m allowed to be petty and passive aggressive.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nedzu replies with a chuckle. “He already knows I’m not happy with him. But he still thinks he’s untouchable.”

“How much longer until we can carry on with plan D?” Izuku asks with a smile. “Stendhal is getting a little impatient too.”

“Not much longer.” Nedzu replies. “He might force me to carry on even earlier than expected, to be honest. But as soon as we can confirm that All for One is really dead. Or if he’s alive, as soon as we can either set them up to fight each other, or find a way to put an end to him ourselves. Then All Might will have outlived his usefulness to society.”

“And that’s when we’ll act.” Izuku nods.

“Precisely.” Nedzu replies, giving him a feral grin.

“What about Togata?” Izuku asks.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on him.” Nedzu says with a sigh. “We’ll be doing our best to stop All Might from brainwashing him into his second coming.”

“Sir Nighteye is a problem too.” Izuku points out. “Can’t you stop Togata from going back to him?”

“Not without a good reason.” Nedzu shakes his head. “And we can’t give a good reason without showing our hand too early.”

“Great.” Izuku sighs. “I’ll keep an eye on Togata as well. He’s a good kid, and he’ll be a great hero.”

“We won’t let All Might ruin his future.” Nedzu nods.

After that, Izuku walks to the wall and knocks twice. A chamber opens, and Izuku enters, a bunch of wires connecting to his body. Once everything is in place, he leaves the robot body, going back to the security system. He travels straight to the support labs, where Higa-Nii is working on some projects. Hopping into one of the cat bots that now roam everywhere through UA - thanks, Shouto - Izuku walks to him and meows once.

“What the!?” Higa-Nii jumps in surprise, dropping his screwdriver. “Damn it, Izuku. Warn a man next time.”

“I did, that’s what the meow was for.” Izuku replies. “What are you doing?”

“I’m working on the robots for this year’s entrance exam.” Higa-Nii explains. “The same ones as always, though this year Nedzu wants to upgrade the 0-pointers.”

“I wonder if he’d let me sub for them.” Izuku says with a grin. He’s mostly joking. Mostly.

“If you asked, I’m sure he’d allow.” Higa-Nii replies, scratching the bot behind the ears, which makes Izuku purr. “Shouto really outdone himself on this one.”

“Yeah, he did.” Izuku nods, looking at his current body.

Meowdos-R MK-13, as Shouto named it, is very similar to the first Meowdos Shouto modified for him, but this one is much more realistic than the previous models, including synthetic fur. One would need to examine him very closely to realize he’s not a real cat. This model is bigger than the previous ones, looking like a brown Maine Coon.

“As much as I love talking about my son’s feats in support, I’m sure this isn’t why you came here.” Higa-Nii says a moment later. “Do we have another project?”

“You can say that.” Izuku nods. “I want to overhaul all the security. Every single part.”

“The entire security?” Higa-Nii raises an eyebrow. “UA is already arguably the safest place in Japan.” He points out. “Well, we might actually be behind Tartarus, but that place is a maximum security prison.”

“I know. But it’s not enough.” Izuku sighs and lies down on his paws. “The HPSC is forcing Dad to hire All Might this year.” 

The excavation hero’s breath hitches at the revelation, and he lifts his helmet so Izuku can see his eyes.

No one but Nedzu, Stendhal, and Ryo-Nii knew of Izuku’s past with All Might, but everyone knew of his dislike for the hero. But truth be told, somehow, All Might is more hated among the heroes than even Endeavor was before he was arrested. At least Endeavor never pretended not to be an arrogant bastard. All Might might as well be the most false and hypocritical person ever to set foot on Earth.

 Shouta and Izuku had spent long hours talking about their shared dislike for the man.

“And All Might has a lot of enemies.” He completes. “Enemies that won’t hesitate to target us to get him.” Izuku nods.

“We’ll be pushing ahead the implementation of the security protocols we talked about a few months ago.” Izuku says. “How are the prototypes?”

“Not enough field testing. But preliminary tests showed no problems. They did well against the robots.” Higa-Nii explains. “We can ask Ectoplasm for help gathering more data.”

“No.” Izuku shakes his head. “I tried asking him before, and he refused. I’m not sure what, but Ectoplasm seems to have something against me. I think we should ask Zashi-Nii, and Shou-Shou, instead.”

“You are the only person who would call Shouta something like that.” Higa-Nii chuckles. “This could work. Ecto would be better, but I noticed how he’s been acting too. I really wonder what’s wrong with him…”

“What can we do?” Izuku shrugs. “Most of the updates I have in mind will include the prototypes and some updates in our software.” He explains, closing his eyes and connecting to Higa-Nii’s laptop. “We won’t need many hardware changes, but I want to implement the radar one of your students created last year. Can you talk to them?”

“Leave it to me.” Higa-Nii nods. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

“A few months.” Izuku sighs. “But I hope we can have everything ready before the end of the first week of school. Recommendation exams are next month, right?”

“Yes.” Higa-Nii says, tapping his chin a few times. “I think Zashi will be the proctor this year. And Nedzu will do the interviews himself.”

“Oh, that’s rare. He usually leaves that for Ryo-Nii.” Izuku points out. “Will Shouto take it?”

“No, he will take the regular exam.” Higa-Nii replies. “I can only recommend him for one of the exams, and he has chosen support.”

“Right. Nedzu said that if he can score well enough in both exams, he can be in a hybrid program.” Izuku points out. “I forgot about that for a moment.”

It’s more than just doing well, though. Nedzu needs to make sure that Shouto will be able to adapt to being on two courses at the same time, and for that, Shouto will need to score in the top 10 in both exams. Not that Izuku is worried. He knows sure Shouto has it in the bag.

“Well, that’s why he’s been studying so much recently.” Higa-Nii explains. “He’s quite nervous. Actually, I think he could afford to leave the lab a little. Can you-”

“Say no more!” Izuku replies, jumping up. “I’ll be purrfectly happy to help!”

“Thank you, Izuku.” Higa-Nii smiles at him. “He’s at the usual lab.”

“I’m on my way!” Izuku says, getting up and rushing out of the lab.

It has been a while since Izuku and Shouto last hung out together, both being very busy with their projects. This will be good for both of them.

Chapter Text

Shouto isn’t sure how long he has been here. He kinda lost track of time a few hours ago. Dad has been pestering him for a while to leave the lab for a little, but he can’t do that yet. He’s about to solve this problem. He just knows it.

Shouto only has about one more month to prepare for his entrance exam, and he absolutely refuses to fail. As much as his Dad keeps saying he’ll do well on the exam, Shouto doesn’t want to do well. Anything less than his best would be an insult.

His current project is something he has been keeping a secret from everyone. Everyone but Izuku, that is. But it’s impossible to hide anything from him. The boy literally has eyes everywhere. The one way Shouto can think of hiding something from him would be by hiding it on a physical chest and burying it in a forest with absolutely no access to any kind of technology. And even so, Shouto doesn’t doubt Izuku would still be able to find it somehow.

But that’s besides the point. Shouto knows he’s worrying his Dad and possibly overworking himself. But he can’t just stop now. He’s almost finishing this. He has two projects he wants to show on his exam. The first one he made for himself. A thermal suit that, if working as intended, will help him regulate his body temperature even without having to use his quirk. This means he won’t need to force himself to use the other side of his quirk in a disfavorable situation just to balance his temperature.

Truth be told. Shouto only started using his fire a few months ago, after a lot of therapy. He knows, logically, that his fire is his and has nothing to do with Endeavor other than being inherited from him. But he’s not completely comfortable using it yet. And he’s not ashamed to admit his control over it currently is quite trash.

The first few things Shouto wants to create are support gear to help him wield his fire safely and efficiently. Maybe then he can finally make his brain stop seeing his fire as his father’s for good.

But the thermal suit isn’t what Shouto is working on at the moment. The suit is practically ready already. No, what Shouto is making now is something he wants to show off on his exam. He really hopes Uncle Shouta will be there. He’s risking being disowned for creating that, but Uncle Shouta’s face when he sees this will be priceless.

As Shouto tightens a screw, he absently hears the door open but ignores it. It’s probably Dad trying to convince him to take a break again. Not happening.

However, instead of a hand on his shoulder or someone calling him, Shouto instead hears a meow, which actually manages to distract him enough to glance behind him.

“Oh, hey Izuku.” Shouto greets before going back to his work. “Do you need me to recalibrate anything?”

“Nope.” Izuku replies. “I’m here for another thing.”

Before Shouto could ask what, Izuku jumps on the table, grabbing Shouto’s screwdriver in his mouth.

“Izuku. Give it back.” Shouto says, extending his hand. Izuku, however, sits on the tool and starts licking his paw, acting perfectly like a cat. “I know you’re still there, Izuku.”

“Meow.” The robot meows at him, tilting his head, but Shouto won’t be fooled.

Narrowing his eyes, Shouto tenses for a second before diving to try and grab the cat, but Izuku quickly jumps out of the way, landing on Shouto’s back with the screwdriver back in his mouth.

“C’mon Izuku. I need this.” Shouto tries arguing, but Izuku just shakes his head, walking to the PC where Shouto was working on the code for his new robot. “You won’t let me go back to work, will you?”

“Meow!” Izuku shakes his head and sits on the keyboard. God, he’s so good at playing the cat. 

“Please, Izuku.” Shouto tries pleading despite knowing it won’t work. And as expected, Izuku just shakes his head. “C’mon, what do you want me to do?” Izuku just tilts his head and points to the power button on the PC. “You want me to shut it down?” A nod. “I can’t stop now, Izuku. I’m almost reaching a breakthrough.”

Izuku levels him with the biggest unimpressed a cat could give anyone and raises a paw towards the screen. Shouto’s eyes widen as the cursor starts moving on its own, stopping just over the “Delete” option.

“Izuku.” Shouto narrows his eyes as the little shit lowers his paw just an inch. He very slowly reaches for the Enter key while keeping eye contact with Shouto. “Don’t you dare, Izuku.” He warns, but he keeps going. “Please, don’t do this, Izuku.”

“Meow!” Izuku meows again, and Shouto knows exactly what he wants to say with this. His paw is now just hovering over the key.

“Okay, fine! I’ll take a break. Just don’t do this!” Shouto finally relents. “There are weeks of work on this file.”

Izuku nods and moves away from the keyboard. Shouto sighs in relief and quickly sits back on the PC, saving everything and creating three backups for good measure. He knows that if Izuku really wants to delete his work, it won’t be a backup that will save it. But doing so still gives him some peace of mind.

Once he’s done, he shuts down the PC and walks to Izuku, grabbing the cat, which is quite light despite being made of metal for the most part. Izuku immediately starts nuzzling his face.

“Yeah, I know I was being stubborn, but did you really have to do that?” Shouto asks as he leaves the studio.

“Would you have listened if I didn’t?” Izuku finally drops the cat act and starts talking again.

“Touché.” Shouto sighs. “Did Dad ask for your help?”

“He did, but I also wanted to spend some time with you.” Izuku replies. “It’s been weeks since we last hung out.”

“It hasn’t been that long.” Shouto replies, trying to remember the last time he hung out with Izuku. “Has it?”

“Exactly 3 weeks, 5 days, 23 hours, 26 minutes, and 25 seconds.” Izuku replies. “We have both been pretty busy.”

“Huh, I guess we were.” Shouto nods. “What do you want to do?”

“I’m not in the mood for playing today.” Izuku replies. “How about we watch a movie together?”

“Sounds good.” Shouto smiles. “Vent room?”

“Yep.” Izuku nods.

“Alright. I get snacks, and you choose the movie?” Shouto asks.

“Sounds great.” Izuku jumps on Shouto’s shoulder, using him as a springboard to reach the vent. “See you in a minute, Shouto.”

A few hours later, when Nedzu appears in the vent room to check on them, Izuku and Shouto are both asleep as a Disney movie plays in the background. Izuku comfortably cuddled against Shouto’s left side as the other pets his head absentmindedly. 

Izuku very rarely sleeps since he doesn’t really need it, so Nedzu always makes sure not to wake him up when he does sleep. Instead, he just takes a few pictures of the two pups together. When Izuku and Shouto wake a few hours later, they find a blanket draped on them.

Shouto has to admit he feels a lot better now. Refreshed. When he finally goes back to work the next day, everything is much easier. Maybe Dad was right when he said Shouto needed to take more breaks.

01010011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110100 01100001 

Shouta has a bad feeling about this year, and the fact that he’ll have to work alongside possibly the worst hero in history is only half of the reason. Truth be told, everyone who isn’t brainwashed by the HPSC knows just how bad of a hero All Might really is. But he’s powerful, and he’s popular. This basically means he can do whatever he wants with little to no consequences at all.

The so-called “Era of Peace” he brought to Japan is nothing but an illusion. While it’s true that crime rates dropped, those rates only take into consideration the crimes committed in broad daylight. The big, flashy villains that the Limelight Heroes end up having to fight with a crowd of people watching and cheering. Those are quite a rarity nowadays. So much so that most Limelight heroes mostly end up having to deal with purse snatchers during their patrols.

But other villains, the smart ones, who hide in the shadows. The Yakuza, Human traffickers, Drug Dealers, Organ traffickers, and even Slavers. Not only did those villains not go down, but there was actually a rise in their activities since All Might became the number one hero. That’s, unfortunately, due to another thing All Might brought upon society. Quirkism.

 All Might created an image of what heroism is. A hero is a big, strong person with a flashy quirk that can solve any problem by smiling and punching bad guys. This means that anyone who doesn’t fit into this image ends up being ostracized by society. No one has it worse than the ones with so-called “villainous” quirks and the ones who don’t have a quirk at all. And clever villains know how to exploit these problems.

Villainy is at an all-time high, and as long as All Might continues to serve as a pillar for this broken society, it’ll remain like that. Shouta knows that Izuku and Nedzu have a plan to deal with it, but they are biding their time to act. Or rather, Nedzu is biding his time on the plan. Izuku wishes nothing more than to destroy the number one hero already, but he’s reasonable enough to trust his father figure to know the right time to act.

And when the time comes, Shouta will be right there to laugh at the arrogant buffoon’s face. Sooner or later, he’ll learn an important lesson. No one is untouchable.

But before that, Shouta will have to survive one more year with a class full of superpowered teenagers who seem to thrive on making him lose his sanity. And to make things worse, this year, he’s sure Shouta will have to deal with Majima’s brat.

Majima Shouto, formerly known as Todoroki Shouto, came a long way from the closed-off boy Shouta met all those years ago. The problem is that he’s Izuku’s best friend. And he’s as much of a gremlin as the original Problem Child. Hell, sometimes, he’s even worse. Shouta knows he’s planning something for the entrance exam, but he has no idea of what. Even Majima seems to be in the dark about his son’s plans.

And, of course, Nedzu is making sure that Shouta is on the exam board for the support course. It’s logical, he can’t deny. Despite not using that much support gear, Shouta is very knowledgeable about what can or cannot be used in the industry. That doesn’t mean he has to be happy about it.

“What got you brooding today?” Hizashi asks as he sits down on the couch next to him.

They aren’t married yet - Shouta intends to propose soon after things calm down a little - but they moved together a few months ago. They already slept at each other’s place all the time, so things don’t change much. Just now, they both live at Shouta’s apartment since it’s closer to UA and not very far from Zashi’s radio.

“I’m not brooding.” Shouta replies. “Just thinking about the entrance exam next week. I’m sure Problem Child Number 2 is planning something.”

“And this, my dear Shou. It’s called brooding.” Hizashi says with a laugh. “C’mon, whatever he’s planning can’t be that bad, right?”

“He’s Izuku’s best friend.” Shouta points out. “Who is, in case you forgot, Nedzu’s son. So yeah, you’re right. It won’t be that bad. It’ll be worse.”

“God, you’re so dramatic.” Hizashi laughs just as Mr. Muffins jumps on his lap. “Hey, baby, How are you doing?” The cat meows at him before glancing at Shouta. “Papa is just being dramatic, don’t worry.”

“You’re lucky. You always get the normal students.” Shouta sighs, slumping on the couch. “I wish Nedzu would let me get the Gen Ed students for once.”

“Or so you think.” Hizashi replies. “I might not get the hero brats, but a class of 20 almost geniuses - and the occasional genius - isn’t much better to handle.”

“At least your students won’t end up dying if you look away for a second.” Shouta points with a smirk.

“You know what. Fair.” Hizashi relents. “But if someone got the short end of the stick, it’s Majima. Everyone knows how explosion happy the support students are.”

“And one of them will be in my class this year.” Shouta sighs, rubbing his eyes. He needs a vacation.

“You talk like he’s already in.” Yamada says. “You heard Nedzu. Shouto needs to get in the top 10 in both exams if he wants to be in both classes.”

“Oh, please. If Shouto doesn’t get in the top 5 for both exams, I’ll eat my scarf.” Shouta scoffs.

“Well, I’d make a bet with you, but it would be easier to just hand you the money.” Hizashi laughs. “Now, I’ll start dinner, so look after your daughter for a while.” He puts Mr. Muffins on Shouta’s lap and gets up. “Be good for Papa, okay dear?”

Then he goes to the kitchen to start on dinner.

“ Papa! Papa! Play? ” The cat asks cheerfully.

“You know what? Why not?” Shouta says, getting up and putting the cat on the floor before reaching for the toy box. “At least I have you to keep me sane.”

Mr Muffins let out a sound that sounded a lot like a huff before putting a paw on his leg.

“ Papa. Dramatic! ” She says before jumping back and sitting down.

“Betrayed by my own daughter.” Shouta jokes as he takes the feathered wand from the box. “Woe is me.”

Mr Muffins just ignores Shouta’s mock distress and starts jumping, trying to reach the feather as Shouta keeps it out of her reach.

Despite all the gray hairs he’s already anticipating this year, Shouta can’t deny he’s at least a little excited for this year. Having to deal with All Might is less than ideal, but at least he gets to see Izuku pranking the number one hero. And he has no doubt the Problem Child will. And with Nedzu’s blessing.

Chapter Text

The day of the recommendation exams arrives much faster than Shouto was expecting. However, he did have enough to finish all his projects. He’s as ready as he’ll ever be.

That morning, Shouto decides to take the train instead of getting a ride from his Dad to the school. On days like this, catching a train with dozens of people his age who were also going to the exam, Shouto feels like a simple, normal person. He isn’t the son of the disgraced former number 2 hero, but simply Majima Shouto, a support hopeful on his way to the exams.

In his hands, he has a folder with his - if he can say so himself - rather impressive portfolio. Years of working on upgrading Meowdos and creating other interesting gadgets got Shouto quite prepared for this exam. Lying at his feet is a suitcase which has the project he’s been working on for the last weeks and that he can’t wait to show. He really hopes that Uncle Shouta will be on the exam board.

As the train stops at the station, Shouto and at least a dozen other kids all get off. Some look nervous, some confident, and then there’s the pink-haired girl who’s vibrating so hard that Shouto thinks she might phase through the floor if she doesn’t calm down. But before Shouto can even think if he should try to say something to her, she takes off towards UA. Shaking his head, Shouto follows suit. She has the right idea, at least.

Getting to UA, he has about half an hour left until the exam starts, so he makes his way to the examining room to wait for his turn. Just like for the hero course, there are only two recommendation slots per class, but since there are three support classes, it means that there will be six students chosen today from the nearly one hundred students taking the exam.

As Shouto is musing about his chances of getting in, he hears a meow and turns around to see Meowdos (Model C, MK-6 he recognizes) looking at him with his facial display showing a smiley emoticon.

“Hey, Midos.” He reaches down and scratches the bot behind the ear. “Did you come to wish me luck?”

“No way.” Izuku’s voice comes from the front speaker. “Are you implying you’re depending on luck to ace this exam?”

“Wow, thanks.” Shouto replies.

“You’ll be fine, Shouto. I know you will.” Izuku says. “You’ll go in and blow everyone’s minds with your amazing inventions.”

“Fine.” Shouto chuckles. “Are you an examiner?”

“Not gonna spoil.” Izuku replies.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” Shouto grumbles. “Guess I’ll jus-”

“Found you, Neko Baby!” Shouto hears a female voice from the end of the corridor.

“Oops. Gotta go.” Izuku says. “Movie night after the exams!”

Then he jumps away and starts running.

“WAIT. GET BACK HERE, NEKO BABY.” Shouto turns and sees the pink-haired girl from earlier running after Meowdos with a screwdriver. “I JUST WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE LOOK. I PROMISE I’LL PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER!” 

“YOU’LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE!” A robotic voice comes from Meowdos as he runs away.

Shouto and everyone else nearby just watches the scene with a confused face as both disappear on the corner. A moment later, a proctor for the exam appears and calls the first examinee for the interview.

Shouto ends up being the fourth one called, and once it’s his turn, he follows the proctor inside a room.

The room has a big stage and lots of space to demonstrate whatever inventions he created. As he walks to the place the proctor indicated, he glances at the examining board, taking in the people there.

The first one is Principal Nedzu, who has a very familiar glint in his eyes as he observes Shouto like an insect under a microscope. Then next to him is Dad - no, not Dad, today he’s Power Loader - with his expression hidden by his helmet. Next to him is Snipe, and Shouto can’t see his expression because of his mask. And finally, Uncle Shouta - call him Eraserhead today, Shouto. Don’t forget - drinking coffee straight from a thermos.

“Well, hello there, Majima-Kun.” Nedzu starts. “Am I a mouse? A bear? A dog? I’m the Principal, and now it’s time for your interview. Those are Power Loader, Snipe, and Eraserhead, and we’ll be your examiners today.”

“Thank you, Nedzu.” Dad Power Loader says. “Now, let’s go straight to the point? We’d like to start with your portfolio. Could you show three of your projects?”

“Of course, D- Power Loader-San.” Shouto says with a nod and puts his folder on a desk nearby. Then, he gives a flash drive to the proctor. “Let’s start with one of my first projects.” He says as the proctor sticks the flash drive to a notebook and starts a slide presentation. “This is Meowdos Model R MK-2. At the time only known as Meowdos MK-2.”

The slide shows the blueprints of the first cat body Shouto created from zero for Izuku a few years ago.

“Interesting.” Nedzu says. “May I ask why MK-2 and not the MK-1?”

“The MK-1 isn’t something I created.” Shouto replies. “I just modified an already existing cat robot.” He gestures for the proctor, who starts passing the slides. A few images and a short video of Meowdos working are shown. “Meowdos was made with a few features, including full mobility, very precise cameras in the eyes, sound captors in the ears, and a projector in the mouth.” The slides show a progression of the robots until they get to the MK-7. “At this point, I decided to split into two models.” The slide shows the MK-7 and two arrows pointing in a branching style. “Model R, standing for Realistic, is focused on looking as similar to a real cat as possible. They have synthetic fur, and each one is based on a different cat breed. Model C, standing for Cartoon, is focused on looking like toys, and they are made to be seen as kid-friendly and approachable. Their facial screen can show many emoticons to mimic expressions, but they can also show words for cases where it’s necessary to interact with hard of hearing people.”

“And how do them contraptions function, anyhow?” Snipe asks next.

“They have a manual feature, where they can be operated by something as simple as a video game controller.” Shouto explains. “They also have an automatic wandering feature, where they will patrol pre-set areas and can interact with people via voice recognition. They have a simple AI that’s programmed to interpret and answer over 2000 different questions. And finally, they can be manually operated by Midos.”

Snipe whistles in amazement at that.

“Well, partner, that there contraption you done built is quite the marvel, I must say.” He said.

“How many have been built currently?” Eraserhead asks next.

“Model C, MK-6 is the latest model, and there are about 25 of them wandering UA halls and helping guide the kids.” Shouto replies. “We had 30, but at least 5 of them were taken home by some students, and they are yet to return.”

The four examiners laughed at that. There has been a lot of students hiding a Meowdos in their bags and taking them home. They are programmed to always go back to UA, though. So sooner or later, all 30 will be back.

“As for the Model R, MK-13 is the latest model.” Shouto continued. “Unlike the Model C, Model R is used mostly for undercover operations and spy work. There are a few wandering the school who approach panicking students as well. There are 15 of them currently operational. Both models are capable of purring.” He adds the last part as an afterthought.

“Very interesting.” Nedzu nods at him. “And what else do you have here?”

“The next one is a support item I created for myself.” Shouto says as the slide shows the blueprint. “My quirk is Half-hot, Half-cold. I am capable of creating fire from my left side and ice from my right side. However, overusing each side will cause me heat stroke and hypothermia, respectively. I can use the other side to balance it, but there might be some situations where I just can’t use one of them. For that, I created…” He explains, opening the case he brought and pulling out a black vest. “The Thermal Vest. Name subject to change in the future. This vest can monitor my internal temperature, and whenever it raises or drops, it’ll activate and either cool or warm me back to a nice 97f.”

“I see.” Eraserhead says, leaning closer to have a better look. “Is it tested?”

“As far as possible. For obvious reasons, it’s not field tested yet.” Shouto explains. “There are a few glitches I intend to work out in the next models, but it works as intended. Also, while I made this for myself, it can be worn by anyone with temperature-related drawbacks. The base temperature can also be regulated for people who need to keep a higher or lower temperature.” Then, he raises his left hand and lifts a flame under the vest. “It’s completely fireproof and made of an insulating material that can protect against electrical discharges.” The next slide shows the vest in several colors. “Available in black, gray, white, red, blue, and green.”

“Well, Sh- I mean, Majima-Kun.” Power Loader says. “You have a great portfolio. Now, for the next part, you were supposed to bring one of your inventions to display. Do you want to submit the Thermal Vest for that part?”

“No, sir.” Shouto shakes his head. “I brought another thing for that.”

“Well, let’s see it.” Nedzu says excitedly.

Shouto nods and lies his briefcase on the floor, then he opens it.

“Start-up sequence.” Shouto says. “Password: Bark.”

A bark comes from the suitcase, and Shouto watches with a smirk as Uncle Shouta’s eyes widen, and he gives Shouto the most betrayed expression he has ever seen in his life. A moment later, a robot dog jumps from the suitcase and stands next to Shouto.

“This is Barkdos, MK-1.” Shouto says. “He works similarly to Meowdos, but I built them with a different function in mind. Barkdos, engage Watchdog Protocol.”

“BARK!” The dog barked loudly, and then his eyes turned green.

“Patrol area, 10 meters. Center, Majima Shouto.” Shouto instructs and the dog starts walking in circles around him, keeping about 10 meters away. “In this mode, Barkdos will patrol the area in search of any type of suspicious activity. If he finds something, his eyes will turn yellow, and he’ll bark at the suspicious person in warning. A signal will be sent to whatever terminal he’s connected to. Currently, this would be my phone.”

“And how does he identify suspicious individuals?” Power Loader asks.

“I use a two-factor identifier.” Shouto replied. “First is a face database. Currently, he only has the teacher’s faces registered since I don’t have access to the student’s database. And then, there’s the student’s ID. They all have a chip that he can identify. Anyone who lacks one of those features will be considered suspicious. Guest IDs also work since upon being issued, the person’s face will be automatically registered in the database.”

“Well, partner, reckon what occurs if that there suspicious fella turns out to be a bona fide trespasser?” Snipe asks.

“In this case, he’ll run the person’s face in another database.” Shouto replies. “If it’s found out that the trespasser is a villain, or if they are caught trying to do something. Barkdos, engage Combat Protocol.” Barkdos eyes turn red, and he bares his teeth. “In this mode, Barkdos will attack and restrain any suspicious individual. He’ll automatically engage in this protocol if he detects a villain or sees someone engaging in illegal activities. Exceptions can be programmed. This version is still in the testing stages. 

“Any known problems?” Power Loader asks.

“The facial recognition software will occasionally glitch.” Shouto explains. “I made sure to add a safeguard for when it happens. In that case, he’ll automatically engage caution mode and start barking at anything that moves.”

“And…” Uncle Shouta starts hesitantly. “How loud is the barking?”

“About as loud as a Golden Retriever.” Shouto replies and has to suppress a laugh at his Uncle’s expression.

“You’re going to use it, aren’t you?” Uncle Shouta asks, turning to Nedzu.

“Well, I’m sure our dear Midos will be more than happy to include this great invention in our security system.” Nedzu replies with a grin. 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Uncle Shouta grumbles, looking up in despair.

“Well, Majima-Kun, it looks like our time is almost over.” Nedzu says. “So, I’d like to ask one question before we finish this. What is support gear for you?”

“Support Gear is the backbone of heroics.” Shouto replies without hesitation. “Very few heroes are capable of being efficient without using any kind of support gears, and the ones who insist on not using them are usually known for causing lots of collateral damage and accidents. Two examples I can give are the current Number One hero and the former Number Two. Both refused to use any type of support gear, and both caused billions of yen in collateral damage in a very short span of time.”

“I see.” Nedzu nodded with a satisfied expression. “Well, Majima-Kun. That will be all. I wish you the best regards and all the success. The results will be sent to your home in two days.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity, Nedzu-San.” Shouto replies with a bow. “I also thank Power Loader, Eraserhead, and Snipe for their time.”

With that, he whistles, and Barkdos goes back inside the briefcase before shutting down. Shouto hands the case to an employee. It will be examined further by Power Loader later. Both to make sure it was really built by him (everyone knows it was, but they need to check anyway) and to better understand the workings.

Then, he follows the proctor out of the room.

“Number Five!” The proctor calls.

“THAT’S ME!” The pink-haired girl says and rushes to the proctor, practically jumping in place. “C’mon, c’mon. Let’s hurry up. I have to show off all my beautiful babies.”

Babies? That’s an interesting way to call her inventions. It’s also pretty accurate. Dad often tells him about how each one of his inventions feels like one of his own children.

Shaking his head, Shouto walks to one of the secret vents. Izuku must be working at the moment, but there’s nothing stopping Shouto from taking a nap in the vent room. He didn’t sleep that well last night, so a nap sounds really nice right now.

Chapter Text

The hero course entrance exam follows the support course exams, and Izuku’s on guard duty again. But this time, it’s worse. He has to deal with a bunch of entitled teenagers sneaking illegal support gear into the exam.

So far, he’s found three guns, seven knives, five grenades, over 20 tasers, and even a shot of trigger. The last one got detained, while the others had their illegal gear confiscated. Izuku sighs, looking over at Snipe, who’s adding another gun to the growing pile.

“Why do so many people try to sneak this stuff in? It’s not hard to register support gear for the exam. Couldn’t they just use official channels?” Izuku grumbles, running his armored hand through his synthetic hair. He takes another gun. “And why are there so many guns? Is it that easy to get a license nowadays?”

Snipe just shrugs and confiscates another taser. Just as Izuku’s about to comment, a purple-haired kid stops in front of him.

“Excuse me. Is this where I’m supposed to submit this?” The boy hands Izuku some forms and a bo-staff.

Izuku quickly scans the forms with his cyber eyes, checking the permission form and the bo-staff’s blueprint. Everything seems fine. He looks at the boy and recognizes him.

Shinsou Hitoshi

Quirk: Brainwash

Blood type: AB

Height: 5’10”

Birthday: July 1st

Age: 15

Nabu Middle School

Izuku notices that his file has a lot of notes about illegal quirk usage and fighting. Looking briefly at the boy, he notices a few old muzzle scars hidden under a poor attempt at makeup. He files everything for later. This absolutely reeks of quirk discrimination.

Izuku nods, stamps the boy’s forms, and hands back the staff. “Good luck with the exam, Shinsou.”

Shinsou nods and takes his staff. As he walks away, Izuku watches with amusement as the boy freezes and mutters about how Izuku knew his name without an introduction.

“Hey, Midos. It’s time to swap.” Cementoss says as he approaches Izuku. “The boss wants you to help Zashi proctor the written exam.”

“Alright.” Izuku replies, glancing back at the remaining group. “Can you two handle things here?”

“No trouble at all, pardner.” Snipe says, giving him a thumbs up.

Izuku nods, dons his helmet, activates stealth mode, and disappears into thin air. He just misses the arrival of a boy with ashen blond hair and red eyes.

01010011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110100 01100001 

Hizashi observes the students trickling into the room, racing to find their seats. The last one barely makes it in, with only ten seconds left before the exam begins. When the time runs out, Ectoplasm starts handing out exam packets to everyone. That’s when Hizashi feels a slight tug on his sleeve. He turns around but doesn’t see anything.

He smiles and raises his hand, placing it on what seems like thin air, yet he can still feel the smooth surface of Izuku’s helmet. Izuku’s stealth armor is completely undetectable when he turns invisible like this. Hizashi grins and gives the helmet a few friendly rubs before refocusing on the students who are just starting their exams.

A moment later, he hears a whooshing sound, which means Izuku has jumped away. The boy probably found a higher vantage point to keep an eye on potential cheaters.

Hizashi takes a seat and appears as if he’s not paying attention, but he’s actually alert to any suspicious movements. This attentiveness helps him spot a girl in one of the back rows trying to sneak a glance at the phone she’s hiding poorly under her test packet.

“B-16.” Hizashi mutters into his communication device.

A few seconds later, a kunai flies from the ceiling, piercing through the girl’s packet and stopping just short of her impaling her phone.

“Number 942, you are disqualified for attempting to cheat.” Hizashi announces. Shortly after, one of Ectoplasm’s clones appears to escort the girl out. She protests, claiming she didn’t cheat, but the truth is clear to everyone. “I’d like to remind everyone that cheating will not only result in disqualification but also in a complete ban from UA altogether. I believe the risk is not worth it.” Hizashi warns the remaining students.

Despite their warnings, Hizashi and Izuku catch at least half a dozen wannabe cheaters. Each of them finds a kunai on their desk as a shocking reminder. It’s disappointing to see people thinking they can easily cheat at UA’s exam, but in the end, it means less work for them later.

About an hour later, the first students start completing their tests. A bit after the two-hour mark, Shouto raises his hand, signaling that he’s finished. Hizashi can’t show any favoritism, but everyone knows he and all the teachers are secretly rooting for the boy.

By the time the three hours are up, only a few students didn’t manage to finish. Hizashi is sure he can feel at least a couple of people sobbing. It’s sad, but it’s something that happens every year. He can only hope those students had a backup plan for UA, but that’s not his business.

As the students leave for lunch, Hizashi hears a soft thud behind him and sees Izuku deactivating his invisibility.

“The sheer nerve of some people is astonishing.” Izuku says as he pulls off his helmet.

“There are always some people who try cheating.” Hizashi replies with a shrug. “No one ever succeeds. I actually think some people come here just to see if they can be the first.”

“Well, knowing Dad, he would actually reward the student who managed to cheat without him catching on.” Izuku says with a nod.

“Yeah, that sounds like something Nedzu would do.” Hizashi laughs before ruffling Izuku’s hair. “How are things in the cafeteria?”

“Tension is high.” Izuku says with closed eyes. “The Meowdos are working overtime to calm panicking students. But thankfully, I don’t see any fights about to start.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” Hizashi says. “How about we prepa—”

“Oh, for God’s sake!” Izuku yells, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“What’s wrong, Izu?” Hizashi asks, worried.

“So, if my memory doesn’t fail me, all the teachers who were supposed to grade the exam are already here. Right?” Izuku asks.

“Yep. Everyone has been here since 7 AM.” Hizashi confirms.

“Then what the hell is Ass Might doing here?” Izuku says in frustration.

“What?” Hizashi’s eyes widen. “He’s here? Are you sure?”

“Yep. I have a Meowdos following him. He seems to be looking for someone.” Izuku grumbles as he starts stomping away. “Oh, no, you won’t!”

Hizashi watches, stunned, as Izuku puts on his helmet and disappears a second later. He wouldn’t have seen when he left the room if not for the door slamming.

01010011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110100 01100001 

Shouto isn’t nervous. Whoever says that is a lying liar who lies.

He just has to take the entrance exam in the most competitive school in Japan and maybe even the world and do well enough to be placed in the top 10; otherwise, he can kiss his dream of being a support/hero hybrid student goodbye. No. Effing. Pressure.

He’s fairly confident he did well at the written exam, so now he just needs to do great in the practical exam. Piece of cake! What? His hands are shaking? It’s the cold. Just the cold.

At least he found a peaceful spot to eat his lunch. He would probably die if he had to eat in the chaos of the cafeteria. Usually, Shouto would go to the vent room, but Izuku warned him that just for today, his access would be revoked to ensure that he did not have any unfair advantage. Fair, but still a shame.

Good thing there was a tree just outside the main building that gave the perfect shade at this hour of the day. He’s just about to start eating when he hears a booming voice approaching.

“ I am here! To talk with young Todoroki! ” 

Shouto looked up and saw the intimidating figure of All Might approaching him. His plastic smile was in place as always, but after everything Shouto heard about the “hero” from Izuku, his Dad, and all the other teachers at UA, Shouto could easily see how fake the smile was.

“My name is Majima.” Shouto said. “Not Todoroki.”

“ Of course. ” All Might said with a chuckle like he was simply humoring a child. “ It’s a shame a great hero like Endeavor was arrested due to the baseless accusations of a villain. But at least his son can carry his legacy. ”

“My Dad is Majima Higari.” Shouto gritted out. “Endeavor was a bastard and an abuser.”

“ Now, now. Young Todoroki. That’s no way to talk about your father . ” All Might emphasizes the word. “ But I guess it can’t be helped. After being brainwashed for so long, you start believing the things you hear. I can at least help put you back on the right path. And the first step is getting into the hero course. I don’t know why you weren’t in the recommendation exam, but I’m sure I can pull some strings to help- ”

“I don’t need your help!” Shouto yells, getting up and glaring at the man. “I’ll do the exam on my own. And I’ll get in on my own effort. And I’ll become a hero and support student.”

“ Support!? ” All Might spats the word. “ Why would some with such a powerful and heroic quirk waste their time with support? ”

“The fact you have to ask just shows how you don’t understand a thing.” Shouto grumbles as he turns around to leave.

“ Now, Young Todoroki. ” All Might grabs him by the right wrist with enough force that Shouto winces. “That’s no way to talk with the Number 1 hero. And it’s rude to turn your back to someone who’s still talking. ”

“Let me go.” Shouto growls, ready to freeze the so-called hero and make his escape. But he doesn’t need to.

A moment later, All Might lets him go as a huge metallic knuckle duster digs straight into his cheek, sending the number one hero flying several meters. Shouto turns to the side and sees Izuku standing there, wearing an orange armor with a pair of yellow horns on the back of his helmet.

“Shouto.” Izuku nods at him. “There’s only half an hour left for lunch, so you should go find some better place to eat. I’ll just exchange a few words with Mr Ass Might here.”

Shouto turns around and sees All Might getting up with a scowl on his face. Knowing it’s better to leave, Shouto nods at Izuku and turns around, going as fast as possible without outright running.

01010011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110100 01100001 

“Strike one, All Might.” Izuku says, glaring at the man.

“ What are you talking about, machine? ” All Might replies, returning the glare with equal intensity. “ And why did you attack me? ”

“I’m the security bot.” Izuku says with a shrug. “I saw you holding a student with enough strength to leave a bruise, and I acted. As for the strikes.” He smiles at All Might. “You know how baseball works, right? Three strikes, and you’re out. That’s the compromise Nedzu worked with the HPSC when they forced him to hire you.”

“ I did nothing wrong. ” All Might replies. “ I just wanted to talk with Young Todoroki. Someone with such a powerful quirk will no doubt become a great hero. And since his father is out of the picture because of that Villain, I was going to take him under my wing. ”

“I thought you already chose your successor.” Izuku asks, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t make this face. Did you really think I wouldn’t know about it? I know everything that happens inside those walls.”

“ I did. ” All Might grumbles, turning away. “ But it doesn’t hurt to have a backup plan in case young Togata proves to be… Unworthy of my power. ” Then he leaves.

“The only one unworthy here is you, All Might.” Izuku says and turns to leave. “Strike one. Two more, and you’re out.”

Chapter Text

Shouto stands at the gates of the fake city, preparing himself to start the exam. His bruised wrist is hidden under the long sleeve of his jacket. He could have gone to Granny Chiyo and asked her to heal him, but he didn’t want to risk being tired before the exam started.

It’s just a bruised wrist. Shouto simply made an ice wristband and put it over it. A little discomfort is nothing. He can ask for healing after the exam.

If he’s being honest, Shouto is more worried about being on All Might’s radar like that. It’s obvious that the poor excuse of a hero has taken an interest in him, not to mention the way he talked about Endeavor. And to think Shouto used to admire him. 

Shouto couldn’t help wondering if he had always been like this. Was everything All Might ever created and stood for just a farce? Or was he one day the true hero Shouto admired but was corrupted by power?

Shouto shakes his head and slaps his face once. There’s no use in thinking about this now. He needs to concentrate. The objective is to destroy as many robots as possible. He has to be in the top 10 of the exam, otherwise, it’s bye-bye to his dream. Shouto doesn’t intend to fail.

Taking a deep breath, Shouto lights a fire on his left hand and lets a small layer of ice spread across his right arm. He lets it go and does it again, repeating the motion a few times. Once he’s done with his warm-up, he gets in position, waiting for the signal. The gates start to open.

“GO! ” Present Mic’s voice sounds, and Shouto immediately shoots forward, using his ice to skate as fast as possible. “ What are you waiting for? There’s no countdowns in real life. He has the right idea. C’mon. Chop chop!”

Shouto doesn’t spare a glance behind him. Instead, he just flies at the closest group of robots before the rest can catch up to him. As soon as he reaches the first group, he casts a glacier, freezing all the robots.

He doesn’t bother counting his points and just goes ahead searching for the next group.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

“We have an interesting batch this year.” Nedzu says amusedly as he watches the kids running rampant and raining hell on his robots.

“We certainly have.” Izuku nods. “I’m particularly interested in the boy in the area 5 and the girl in the area 2.”

“Let me see.” Nedzu goes over the files. “Shinsou Hitoshi and Hagakure Tooru.”

“Them?” Everyone rolls their eyes as All Might - in his skinny form - starts talking. “The girl’s quirk is just being invisible. She’s as good as quirkless. And the boy hasn’t used his quirk at all.”

“I fight quirkless, and against mutants, I am basically quirkless.” Shouta says, raising an eyebrow. “Doesn’t make me any less efficient as a hero. Her quirk is perfect for stealth. She would be a great underground hero.” Just as he says that, the invisible girl is shown suplexing a 1-pointer. “And we can see that she didn’t skimp on the gym.”

“Underground shouldn’t even be considered a field of heroics.” All Might grumbles. “What about the boy?”

“Shinsou Hitoshi. Quirk, Brainwashing.” Izuku supplies.

“What!?” All Might says in alarm. “How in the world did a villain get to take the test?”

“Villain?” Nedzu asks cooly. “All Might, I hope you remember quirk discrimination is a serious crime. We ran a background check on him, just like we do with all our students, and despite the clear bias showed against him by his teachers, he has a pristine record.”

“Besides, whoever named his quirk is an idiot.” Izuku adds. “Shinsou’s quirk is much more like Hypnosis than Brainwashing.”

“Still, his quirk is very dangerous if used wrong.” All Might argues. “Surely, it wouldn’t be wise to-”

“Both you and me can level half of the city in just a minute, and Thirteen has literal black holes for fingers.” Hizashi says, raising an eyebrow. “Your point?”

“Well, but we-”

“All Might. You already got a strike. If you don’t want your second one before we even start classes, I suggest you shut up.” Nedzu warns. “You can keep your quirkist opinions to yourself.”

All Might seems to want to keep arguing, but in the end, he has enough sense to shut up.

“By the way.” Higari says, looking around the room. “Why isn’t Ectoplasm here?”

“He said he had to take care of something.” Izuku says. “I think he went to the server room? Not sure what he needed, but we have enough people to judge the exam.”

In the screen, Shinsou is shown stabbing a 2-pointer with his bo-staff, then jumping out of the way and grabbing a meowdos that was just in the line of fire.

“Looks like the idea of using the Meowdos to award extra rescue points worked.” Thirteen says. “Well, kinda. A lot of people are just ignoring them.”

“Yeah. But some are helping.” Izuku replies. “And these are the ones we should focus on. Hold on.” He closes his eyes and connects to the Meowdos on the screen.

“Why is there a cat in the testing area?” Shinsou’s voice comes from the speaker. “C’mon little guy. I’ll get you somewhere safe. I hope I still have time to get some more points.” Then he starts running towards one of the less crowded areas.

“I said this before, and I’ll say it again.” Cementoss says. “It’s amazing how realistic those robots look. If I didn’t know they were robots, I would also mistake them for real cats.”

“Well, Shouto did a great job, that’s for sure.” Higari replies, his voice laden with pride.

“What about the boy in the area 3?” Hizashi points. “He’s doing great too.”

“Who?” Izuku asks, turning to the camera, but suddenly, he gets a ping. “Shit, there’s a situation at the gates. Hound Dog is calling. Sorry, gotta go.” Then he jumps from his chair and rushed to the exit.

Nedzu simply glances at the camera and sees a blond boy blowing all villain bots that come in his direction.

“Now that’s a heroic quirk.” All Might says.

“Bakugou Katsuki. Quirk: Explosion.” Nedzu explains. “He’s raking a lot of villain points very quickly.”

“But he’s careless of his surroundings.” Shouta points out. “He’s causing a lot of collateral damage as well. That’s something we’ll have to snip in the bud. Put him in my class.”

“You say that like he’s already in.” Vlad raises an eyebrow at him.

“The average score in this exam is about 40.” Shouta replies. “He’s already got over 50 just in villain points. Yes, I have no doubt he’ll get in.”

“Fair enough.” Vlad shrugs. “Then, if he gets in, I want that one.” He pointed to a blond boy who seemed to be using two quirks.

“What’s that? It’s impossible to have multiple quirks!” All Might says, sounding very alarmed.

“Monoma Neito. Quirk: Copy. He can copy any quirk via physical contact. It lasts about five minutes, and he can copy three at the same time.” Nedzu explains. “Stop jumping to conclusions, All Might.”

“Well, we are entering the final stretch.” Hizashi announces. “Ready, boss?”

“I was born ready, Hizashi-Kun.” Nedzu laughs.

“Attention, Listeners. We only have two minutes left. Better make it count.” Hizashi announces.

“And now, it’s time for the real test.” Nedzu says and presses the big, red button. “It’s a shame Midos had to leave. He wanted to control them manually this time.”

“Guess it’s their lucky day, then.” Shouta grumbles as he saw the 0-Pointers be released.

“That’s certainly a way to see it.” Hizashi laughs.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

As Izuku gets to the entrance, he finds Hound Dog busy trying to hold back a mob of clearly upset parents with their children behind. Damn, a single year without that bullshit. Is that too much to ask for?

Izuku lowers his hand to his right thigh, and a hidden compartment opens. He reaches for it and pulls a gun. Then he points up and shoots. The sound makes everyone jump, and then all eyes go to him.

“Everyone who was disqualified from the exam was for cheating, trying to cheat, or trying to bring illegal items into the exam. If you believe it was unfair, you can calmly bring your complaints, and I’ll show you the evidence. Otherwise, you are trespassing on private property, and if you don’t leave within 20 seconds, arrests will be made.” Izuku says clearly as he puts the gun away. “20. 19. 18.” A few of the people started leaving slowly. “17. 16. 15. 14.”

Thankfully, by the time he gets to ten, everyone realizes he’s not bluffing and starts scrambling as fast as they can to get out of UA’s grounds. Once the crowd disperses, Izuku goes to Hound Dog.

“Thank you, woof.” Hound Dog says, trying to calm down. “I was starting to get worked up. It was taking everything from me not to growl in their faces.”

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had.” Izuku says with a smile, then he checks the time. “Oh, the exam is over. I was so excited to drive the 0-Pointers this year.” He says with a pout.

“I’m sure you’ll get your chance, pup.” Hound Dog replies, patting him on the shoulder. “You can go now. I’m sure Shouto will want to see you for some emotional support.”

“Fine, I’ll hide the body first.” Izuku says and waves as he goes back inside.

“Just because this phrase makes sense doesn’t mean you have to say it like this.” Hound Dog replies as Izuku leaves, laughing.

“Agree to disagree.” Izuku says and speeds up back to the school.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Shouto feels exhausted. Every muscle in his body is burning, and he’s trembling. He really pushed himself. Maybe freezing the 0-pointer was a bit too much, but in his defense, the robot was about to crush another kid. He couldn’t not do anything. 

With a sigh, Shouto makes his way to one of the gardens. His Dad will have to stay for a few more hours, and Shouto doesn’t feel like being alone at home right now. Maybe he can track down Izuku, and they can watch a few movies or something.

Well, finding Izuku is even easier than he expected. But to his surprise, he’s not alone. Sitting under a tree is a boy with purple hair wearing jeans and a purple hoodie. He’s holding a Model-R and petting it almost aggressively.

Shouto ponders for a moment about leaving, but then Izuku notices him…

Suddenly, Shouto regrets making him so realistic. A robot shouldn’t be capable of giving him those kitten eyes. 

Shouto’s will crumbles faster than his sperm donor’s career, and he finds himself approaching the two of them. The purple-haired boy notices him as Izuku turns and meows.

“Is he yours?” The boy asks.

“Technically, he’s UA’s property.” Shouto replies with a shrug. “But I built him.”

“Built?” The boy asks confusedly.

“Pretty realistic, right?” Shouto says, reaching out and running his fingers against the synthetic fur. “You don’t imagine how hard it was to convince my Dad to let me use the heat sensors. But it was worth it. He can enjoy head pats now.”

The boy looks at the purring bot in his arms before shrugging.

“Guess this explains why he was running around the testing area.” He says. “Was he part of the test?”

“Probably? Unfortunately, I don’t have internal knowledge about the test.” Shouto replies with a sigh. “Can you tell us, Midos?”

“Sorry.” Izuku replies, and to Shouto’s surprise, he’s using his actual voice instead of the robotic voice he likes to use in public. “I’m not allowed to tell you anything, Shouto.”

“Wow, he talks to?” The boy says in surprise. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“Well, you seemed so nervous. And in my experience, purring is the best medicine for anxiety.” Izuku replies. “I didn’t want to freak you out.”

“Well, you might be a bot.” The boy says, rubbing Izuku between the ears. The cat-bot practically melts on his lap. “But you act like a cat, look like a cat, are fluffy like a cat, and purr like a cat. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a cat.”

“Good to know we are on the same page.” Shouto adds with a grin. “So, let me show you a trick.” He reaches towards Izuku’s head.

“Shouto, don’t you da-” Before he can finish it, Shouto puts a hand behind his left ear and scratches it. “Ooohh.”  

Izuku’s legs buckle, and he’s immediately reduced to a purring puddle on the boy’s lap.

“This part is like, five times as sensitive than the rest of his body.” Shouto explains with a smile. “And don’t you complain. I remember you specifically asking for it.”

“And you said you wouldn’t use it against me.” Izuku replies, still purring.

“Can I try?” Purple hair asks. Shouto nods, and he hesitantly reaches towards Izuku’s head. He stops just an inch from his ear.

“I don’t mind.” Izuku purrs. That’s all the invitation the boy needs before he starts scratching.

Somehow, Izuku seems to melt even more. For a moment, Shouto thinks he’ll turn into water from how he relaxed.

“Well, looks like you have magic hands.” Shouto says.

“Nah, I just have a lot of experience with cats.” The boy replies. “I’m Shinsou Hitoshi, by the way.”

“Majima Shouto.” Shouto says back.

Shinsou’s eyes widen in recognition for a moment, and his eyes dart straight to Shouto’s scar. But he quickly averts his eyes back to Izuku.

“So, you built him? You said his name is Midos?” Shinsou asks. Shouto is very grateful he didn’t ask about Endeavor.

“I built the body.” Shouto explains. “I call it Meowdos. But Midos is not my creation.”

“You met me earlier.” Izuku adds. “I approved your bo-staff.”

“Wait. That was you?” Shinsou’s eyes widen.

“Yep. That was the field body Power Loader made for me.” Izuku explains. “Officially, I am UA’s security bot. I’ve been working there for at least five years. Since Nedzu made me.”

The made-up story that Izuku is an AI made by Nedzu rolls easily. They’ve been practicing this cover story for so long that they could probably even fool a lie detector by now. Not that he wanted to test the theory.

“Wow, you must be the most advanced AI I ever heard of.” Shinsou says.

“I hear this a lot.” Izuku replies, and Shouto can almost see a smug grin on his face. “By the way, Shouto, your phone.” Shouto raises an eyebrow but nods and pulls his phone from his pocket. “You too, Toshi.”

“Toshi?” Shinsou asks, pulling out his phone, too.

“Better not to question.” Shouto replies with a shrug. “What do you need our phones-” He glances at the screen and sighs. “Of course.”

M.I.D.O.S. Created the chatroom: Meow Squad, Bitches!

M.I.D.O.S. changed his name to ChaoticMeowtral

ChaoticMeowtral changed Majima’s name to CanadianMeowg

ChaoticMeowtral changed Shinsou’s name to PandaMeow

Shouto sighs tiredly and glances at Izuku. “Why are you like this?”

“You know you love me.” Izuku replies.

“I won’t even ask how you did that.” Shinsou says. “But don’t I get a choice on that?”

ChaoticMeowtral disabled the leaving function.

ChaoticMeowtral: Nope :)

PandaMeow: Fair enough.

“You are our friend now.” Izuku said. “And I won’t take no for an answer.”

“I’m not he-”

“If you say ‘I’m not here to make friends’ or some other bullshit like that, I’ll take it as a challenge.” Izuku warned. “And I’m not afraid of playing dirty.”

“He played matchmaker with two heroes by trapping them in the janitor’s closet.” Shouto helpfully supplied.

Shinsou glances at them for a few seconds before sighing.

“I guess I could do worse.” He says. “As long as you’re not quirkist.”

“Your quirk is amazing, Toshi. It’s perfect for a hero.” Izuku replies, no hesitation at all. “I won’t tell Shouto. You can tell him when you’re ready. But Shouto is an amazing engineer.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll be happy to make your support gear.” Shouto nods. “It’ll be particularly nice if I can work with a mental quirk. Mine is quite straightforward. I’m sure you know what it is since you clearly recognized my name.”

“Yeah, I do.” Shinsou nods. “But I won’t ask. It’s not my business. As for my quirk. I’m not ready to tell you…”

“Then don’t.” Shouto shrugs. “I don’t need to know until we actually have to work together, be it in class or as support.”

“You seem very sure you’ll get in.” Shinsou points out.

“I have no idea.” Shouto replies. “I need to place in the top 10 if I want to get in both the hero course and support.”

“I only hope I got enough points to get into the hero class.” He glances at Izuku. “Can’t you really tell us anything?”

“Sorry, I don’t even know.” Izuku replies. “I won’t be judging the results, and I had to leave in the middle of the exam because of a problem at the gates. But I’m sure you two did okay. The results will come in a week.”

“Fine, I’ll just wait.” Shinsou sighs.

“I’ll be sending you lots of cat memes, don’t worry.” Izuku says.

“Well, I’ll be holding you to that.” Shinsou replies with the slightest quirk of his lips.

Shouto wasn’t expecting to end his entrance exam with a new friend. But he certainly isn’t complaining. He wonders how long it’ll take for Shinsou to catch on to the truth about Izuku. He seems quite observant.

Chapter Text

Some say that Murphy's law is bullshit. That it's just a series of coincidences spun into a pessimistic philosophy. But for Kaminari Denki, on his first day at UA High School, it felt like Murphy was orchestrating his life's grand symphony.

Maybe it’s his fault for going to sleep at 3 AM, but in his defense, he was so excited for his first day at UA that he just couldn’t go to sleep. He tried reading a boring book to see if sleep would come. His friend had told him Hamlet was very boring, but he was clearly a liar. Before Denki realized, he had already read half of Hamlet, then he just needed to read the rest! 

The result was that it was already over 3 AM by the time Denki actually went to sleep. To make things worse, he slept through his alarm which resulted in him having to skip breakfast so that he wouldn’t miss his train, and he still missed it in the end.

Just to add insult to injury, once he finally got to UA, he found himself completely lost in the maze-like corridors. With a frantic pace, Kaminari darted through the halls, his backpack bouncing against his back. His eyes scanned the unfamiliar corridors, each turn leading to another maze of classrooms. He had no idea where Class 1-A was supposed to be, but he was sure it wasn’t around the Support Department.

“Seriously, why today of all days?” He muttered under his breath. “Something tells me that my class isn’t around here.”

As he checked his clock, Denki saw he only had 10 minutes left to get to class or he’d be officially late right on the first day. How was he supposed to somehow find his class in 10 minutes!?!?

The electric-quirked kid found himself leaning on the wall and sliding to the floor in despair.

“That’s just great! I’m sure the teacher will be completely elated about someone being late right on the first day.” He grumbled, palms pressed against his eyes in frustration. “I'm so desperate, I'd even ask for help from a cat!”

Before he could spiral further, Denki heard a meow coming from his side, and as he turned around, he saw a small, cat-robot looking at him.

“Purr-fect morning! Are you feline in need of some purr-sonal assistance?” The robot said in a robot yet childlike voice.

Denki blinked in disbelief at the sight of the robot cat before him. What the hell was this comic timing?

“Uh, yeah, actually.” Denki replied, a tentative smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’m a little lost. I'm looking for Class 1-A. Any chance you could point me in the right direction?”

The cat-like robot tilted its head in an exaggeratedly cute manner, its mechanical eyes blinking as if processing Denki's request. 

“Ah, so you're one of Aizawa's new purr-pils! Not to worry, my fur-iend. I know this school like the back of my paw. Come on, let's pawsitively navigate this place together!” The robot said and turned around, 

Thanks to his newfound metallic companion, Denki arrived at his classroom with five minutes to spare, a relieved sigh escaping his lips as he glanced at the time. 

“Here we are, my fur-iend.” The robot announced, coming to a stop. “Remember, if you need any purr-sistance, just look for the closest Meowdos to your location. I'm required by purr-tocol to inform you that trying to cat-nap a Meowdos is punishable with detention. So, let's keep those paws to ourselves, shall we?”

“Noted, thanks.” Denki replied with a chuckle, feeling a surge of warmth towards the robotic feline. Instinctively, he began to kneel down, his hand reaching out to scratch the cat's head before abruptly halting mid-air as the realization dawned on him that it wasn't a living creature.

The cat, however, simply pressed its head against Denki's hand and started purring. “No Meowdos can resist a good scritch, my fur-iend.” It said. “That's our purr-sonal weakness.”

Denki couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected interaction, his apprehension melting away in the presence of this quirky mechanical companion. With a final pat on the cat-robot's head, Denki straightened up and headed into class. It was only after the teacher appeared that he realized that he had forgotten completely about his previous nervousness.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

“Twenty-seven first-year students almost got late for class because they got lost in the corridors.” Izuku said, his gaze shifting from the chessboard to meet Nedzu's eyes. With a calculated move, he slid his pawn forward. “That’s a new record, Dad.”

Nedzu's grin widened, taking on an almost predatory edge, characteristic of the unnervingly intelligent creature he was. 

“Yet, everyone got to class on time.” He remarked, his voice tinged with amusement. His grin was animalistic, full of teeth. A genuine grin that the principal only ever showed to people he really trusted.

“I'm pretty sure I just saved a kid from getting expelled on the first day.” Izuku added with a chuckle as he severed the connection with the robotic feline, watching as it reverted to automatic mode and ambled away. “Shou-Chan really hates it when people are late. What is his limit this year?”

“He can’t expel more than five before the Sports Fest.” Nedzu replied as he moved his knight. “Though, just between you and me, I believe this year he’ll actually have a class.”

“Probably.” Izuku nodded, his image flickering for a moment. “This class seems to have a lot of potential.”

“Indeed.” Nedzu agreed, his gaze flickering between the chess pieces and Izuku. “This year's class shows promise. I foresee great things for them, provided they can navigate the trials ahead.”

“Well, I can see at least one expulsion coming, though.” Izuku replied, his face contorting into a frown. 

He didn’t even have to elaborate on who he was talking about. Just another case of people forcing Nedzu's hand. If the midget’s parents weren’t part of the school board, he would have never gotten in. However, as always, getting in was the most that someone could get with external help. Inside UA, Nedzu had complete free reign over what he did to the students.

Within reason, of course. But Nedzu while Nedzu was a lot of things, unreasonable definitely wasn’t one of them. He knew exactly how far he could stretch any and all lines, but he never crossed them.

“Well, it’s almost time for orientation,” Nedzu said as he moved his bishop. “Checkmate.”

Izuku studied the chessboard for a moment, mentally dissecting each move and identifying his errors.

“Well played, Dad.” He said with a smile, relishing the challenge their games always provided.

“Thank you, my boy. You're improving with each game.” Nedzu returned the smile, his demeanor shifting back to its usual cheerful facade.

“The tally stands at 204 to 40 this month.” Izuku said with a chuckle. “I'm nowhere near your level.”

“Last month, you only won 30 games.” Nedzu pointed out. “You're steadily improving.”

Izuku waved his hand, and the holographic board flickered and disappeared.

“I suppose.” He shrugged. “Still, you're too good at this game.”

Nedzu chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Practice makes perfect, Izuku. You'll get there soon enough.”

Izuku smiled and got up from the couch, stretching his arms. “So, are you planning another 3-hour speech for orientation?”

“But of course!” Nedzu chirped. “Are you coming?”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Izuku shook his head. “You know I can't sit still for that long. Besides, you never really say anything important at the orientation. I'm surprised barely anyone realizes you're just messing with them.”

“Most people fall asleep after 20 minutes.” Nedzu laughed. “But it's fun to see them trying to stay awake. Of course, the important part is what I say at precisely 1 hour and 53 minutes.” At Izuku's raised eyebrow, Nedzu leaned in conspiratorially, his voice dropping to a whisper. “That's when I reveal vending machines have the best snacks.”

Izuku laughed and shook his head. “Of course.” He finished his cup of tea then dropped the cup, which disappeared a second later. “I'll go watch Shou-Chan's class. But don't forget to introduce me!”

“Of course, I won't forget,” Nedzu assured him with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “And you don’t forget to tell me if Shouta notices you hiding.”

“I’ll get him one day! Watch me,” Izuku said as he walked to the door, which opened on its own.

Just as he went through it, his image flickered and disappeared. A second later, the projectors in the office shut down, leaving Nedzu alone with his thoughts and plans for the upcoming school year.

Izuku quickly connected to a Meowdos that was on standby near the Gym where Shouta always did his Quirk Assessment Test on the first day. He made sure to hide on a tree branch where he would get a good view of the whole thing. It only took two minutes for Shouta to arrive, the first student to come out of the locker room was Shouto, followed closely by Hitoshi, about five minutes later.

As the class trickled in, Izuku prepared to record everything so he could review calmly later. This would be great, and not even All Bitch watching from behind a wall like some creep would change that. Izuku was ready to make all the sprinklers blow up in his face if the idiot did anything.

(He might still do it even if he did nothing.)

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Maybe it was cheating, but Shouto already knew what Uncle Shouta (he’ll have to be careful not to call him that in class) was going to do today. The Quirk Assessment Test, or QAT for short, is already a tradition at this point. Even Vlad did one with his class, though he usually waited for the second day since he insisted on attending orientation with his class.

Anyway, since he already knew what was going to happen, Shouto decided to get a headstart. As the rest of the class trickled into the gym, Shouto started with his warm-ups. Hitoshi raised an eyebrow as he watched him, but decided to follow his lead. Soon, almost everyone was copying him.

Everyone but the purple midget who was more interested in leering on the girls than actually warming up. Shouto made sure to glance at Uncle Shouta, just to be sure he was seeing that. His glare said everything Shouto needed to know. Someone was already on the top of Uncle Shouta’s expulsion list.

Not that Shouto would mind, if someone was idiot enough to underestimate heroics like that, being expelled was more of a mercy than anything else. Shouto was more than aware of how many heroes die every month because they weren’t prepared for the job. Even worse were the ones who used their power to do all kinds of horrible things while going unpunished.

“Majima.” Shouto’s attention was snapped as he heard his name being called. Oops, he missed a good part of Uncle Shouta’s explanation. At least he already knew what he’d have to do. “You scored first place in the entrance exam. How far could you throw during middle school?”

“I was homeschooled.” Shouto replied with a shrug.

“Right.” Uncle replied, pinching the bridge of his nose before he threw the ball at Shouto. “Just throw it using your quirk. You know the drill, everything goes as long as you don’t leave the circle.”

Shouto nodded and grabbed the ball. For a moment, he considered being a little shit and just throwing it without using his quirk, but it would be better if he didn’t incur Uncle Shouta’s fury just yet. He felt pretty safe about his position in the class, but that didn’t mean he should push his luck.

As he stepped into the circle, Shouto considered the best way to throw the ball. After considering it for a second, he decided to show off a little. He extended his arms, the right one with an open palm, and the left one closed, touching both together, then he focused his quirk inside his hand, and willed the ice to take the form he wanted it to.

It was kinda hard to control like that. He didn’t have much practice. It would be probably a good idea to make some support gear to help him with that later. He already had a few ideas for it.

Damn it, he was getting distracted again. He could think about support gear later. For now, he had a ball to throw.

“Ice Trebuchet!” He said, pointing his hands at the floor near him.

The ice quickly took the form Shouto willed, becoming a perfect match to a medieval trebuchet, made solely of ice. The hardest part was to make the ropes flexible and yet sturdy despite being made of ice. Thankfully, Shouto learned some time ago that he had far more control over ice than he used to think.

Shouto simply grinned, not going into detail on how he made his trebuchet launch the ball so far. Instead, he simply activated his left side and melted the contraption before giving Uncle Shouta a nod and walking back to the rest of the class.

“Know your own limits first.” Uncle Shouta said as Shouto walked. “This is your starting line, and from there, you'll know what you need to work on improving.”

“Wow, that was amazing!” A blond kid with a black patch on his head said.

“We can use our quirks at will? This will be so much fun!” The girl with pink skin added.

“As expected from the hero course! We get to do things using our quirks.” Shouto didn’t even bother trying to see who said that.

Shouto instantly grimaced at their words. These people just put the game on hard mode for the whole class. If there was one word that Uncle Shouta hated to have associated with heroics, this word was “fun.” That was a taboo that everyone who knew Uncle Shouta respected, and that the class was about to learn the hard way why.

“‘This will be fun,’ you say?” Uncle Shouta said, a scary grin on his face. “Aren’t you going to take this serious at all? You have only three years to become a hero. With an attitude like that, it’ll be impossible.” He turned to the class with one of the scariest glares Shouto ever saw in his life. “So, let’s up the stakes. You’ll all compete in those eight tests. At the end of the tests, whoever places last will be judged without potential for heroics, and expelled on the spot.”

The class erupted into a cacophony of protests and objections. Some argued that it was unfair to judge their entire potential based on a single test, while others voiced their disbelief at the severity of the consequence.

Uncle Shouta's expression remained stoic amidst the uproar, his gaze cutting through the noise like a blade. He waited patiently for the commotion to subside before speaking again.

“Life isn't fair, and neither is the path to becoming a hero.” He declared, his voice firm and unwavering. “Natural disasters, big accidents, and selfish villains. Do you think villains will give you a fair chance when you're out in the field? Do you think they'll wait for you to get your act together? No. They'll exploit any weakness they find, and they won't hesitate to exploit it to their advantage. This world is cruel and unfair. If you really want to become heroes, you better leave those delusions behind. If you want to stay, then prove to me that you deserve to be here. Plus Ultra and all that.”

His words hung heavy in the air, silencing the protests as the gravity of the situation settled upon the class. It was a harsh reality check, but one that was necessary in the unforgiving world they aspired to enter. Shouto was sure not all of them needed to hear that, but many students still thought heroics was the glamorous world they saw on TV. UA would make sure they knew the harsh truth.

“The first test will be the 50-meter dash. Come when I call your name.” Uncle Shouta said.

Shouto stood under a tree as he waited for his turn. As he stood there, he caught a small movement above him, and as he looked up, he saw a pair of green eyes staring back at him.

“Of course you’re here.” Shouto muttered with a smile on his face. “Are you recording this?”

“Of course. Who do you think I am?” Izuku replied from the branch he was perched on, his eyes trained on both Bakugou and Hitoshi. “You know? Tall, blond, and angry is very familiar for some reason. I feel like I should remember who he is…”

“Maybe someone you met before… You know.” Shouto replied with a shrug.

“Hmm… It could be. I haven’t thought about my previous life for a long time. Maybe it’s time I go through my memories again.” Izuku mused thoughtfully. “Though, I don't particularly enjoy it. It always feels like I'm poking my brain with a stick.”

“I get what you mean.” Shouto nodded.

With how Izuku’s brain worked, he could easily open and watch any and all of his memories at any moment. This also made it very easy to lock away bad and traumatic memories. Shouto knew he had done it several times before. Having basically lived in the Internet for years, Shouto was sure Izuku had seen his fair share of traumatic things.

“Would you like me to be there with you?” Shouto asked softly.

“No.” Izuku shook his head firmly. “Too… personal. I don’t allow even Dad to poke around my head like that.”

Shouto nodded, already expecting that answer. Izuku was very reserved about who got to see his source code. Not because he didn’t trust them, but because it felt like something very intimate. Shouto had only seen it once. Nedzu probably saw it thrice at most. Dad saw it a few times, but mostly because he had helped Izuku upgrade his system to better integrate with UA’s security.

The fact remained: viewing Izuku’s source code was the ultimate display of trust. Shouto felt honored that Izuku had entrusted him with that glimpse, and he wouldn’t push for more.

“Okay.” Shouto nodded. “If you ever change your mind, I’ll be always here for you, Izuku.”

Shouto heard a shuffling sound from above, and as he looked up, the cat robot dropped into his arms.

“Thank you, Shouto,” Izuku said from above before gracefully jumping down.

“Majima, you're next.” Shouto heard, prompting him to walk away to take the test.

Meanwhile, Izuku padded toward Uncle Shouta, unceremoniously jumping on his shoulder and snuggling into his scarf. Despite Uncle Shouta's intimidating glares, they seemed to lose their effectiveness when he had a cute cat cuddling him.

Shouto wasn’t worried about placing last in the test, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be trying his best. Just like everyone else in the class, Shouto wanted to prove he deserved to be here. Besides, he never said he wasn’t competitive.

The tests were relatively easy. Except for the seated toe touch, and the side steps, where his quirk did not help him at all, Shouto scored pretty well at all tests. By the end of all tests, Shouto sat comfortably in second place, behind Yaoyorozu Momo who had possibly the most versatile quirk Shouto has ever seen in his whole life.

After Uncle Shouta revealed his logical ruse (which Shouto knew was bullshit), he sent everyone back to the class to grab their syllabuses and then go home. But just as they were leaving for the locker room, he called them back.

“Right, one more thing,” Uncle Shouta said, pointing at the Meowdos on his shoulder. “You’ll see several of those cat bots around UA. Those are Meowdos. They are part of the school security and are here to assist you with any issues you may have. You aren't allowed to take them home. If I ever catch someone trying to kidnap them, you'll have a month of detention. Understood?"

Uncle Shouta's stern gaze swept across the class, ensuring that his message was received loud and clear. Shouto heard more than a few gulps as everyone nodded quickly in consent. However, Shouto saw a glint in Hitoshi’s eyes that showed that the purple-haired boy might end up paying to see.

Satisfied with their response, Uncle Shouta nodded, dismissing them for the day. He’ll probably be formally introducing Midos to the class tomorrow. Shouto was sure tomorrow would be a very interesting day.

Chapter Text

It’s funny how you never truly understand the value of something or someone until it’s gone. Those who experienced loss and grief know this better than anyone.

Katsuki would know that better than anyone. He had everything. A great family, a loving auntie, an amazing best friend with whom he used to dream about becoming heroes together, and a perfect quirk.

Then, Izuku’s quirk took too long to develop, and after testing it, they found out it would be a mental quirk. At the time, Katsuki felt betrayed. He felt angry. How could they become the heroes they promised if Izuku had some weak mental quirk? Then Izuku became Deku, and he pushed Deku away, accidentally becoming the reason why everyone started bullying him.

Deku never stopped trying to be Katsuki’s friend. Katsuki hated Deku with all his might. He hated how Deku kept talking about being a hero. He hated how kind Deku was. He hated how Deku would always look down on him, acting like he could help Katsuki with anything. He hated Deku.

Or at least he thought he did.

Then the accident happened. Auntie Inko and Deku Izuku Midoriya Izuku got caught in a villain attack, and both died. Katsuki is ashamed to admit, but at first, he was glad that he wouldn’t have to deal with Shitty Deku looking down on him anymore.

Then, he started analyzing their previous interactions - yeah, Izuku Deku wasn’t the only one who could analyze things - and suddenly, everything started clicking in place. Deku Izuku never looked down on him.

Sometime later, as he was looking up heroes for a school assignment, he found out that there were many heroes with mental quirks as well, Sir Nighteye, Mandalay, Ragdoll, and Principal Nedzu, to name a few. So, the whole reason why Katsuki had turned against his friend was even dumber than he imagined. Izuku Deku could have ended up with an even more powerful mental quirk if only Katsuki hadn’t been so short-sighted. Izuku and Katsuki could have been heroes together as they promised.

Izuku never betrayed Katsuki. However, Katsuki betrayed Izuku.

Hindsight was indeed 20/20.

After that, regret, a feeling Katsuki wasn’t used to, caught on him like a Texas Smash straight from All Might’s fist. The night he came to that realization was the night that Katsuki confessed everything he did to his parents.

A week later, he started therapy. He transferred away from the toxic environment that was Aldera, though interestingly enough, the school was investigated and shut down less than a month later.

The years went by, and Katsuki mellowed down a lot. He was still an abrasive asshole; after all, he was his mother’s son, but the blond had changed a lot from the immature and arrogant kid he was.

It felt hollow, though. It was too little, too late. What was the point in changing when Izuku wasn’t here to see it?

Life moved on, but Katsuki never really did. He often found himself coming back to the memories of when he and Izuku were still friends. It was impossible for him not to get caught up in the what-ifs.

The mind had a funny way of dealing with grief. It played tricks, dredging up memories long buried and weaving them into vivid dreams that felt achingly real. For Katsuki, these dreams often took him back to a time he tried hard to forget.

Often, Katsuki found himself back in this place. A familiar playground, the swings swaying gently in the breeze. A normal place Katsuki would regularly hang out with his… Those idiots were never his friends, but at the time, he thought they were.

At this point, the scene had become so ingrained in Katsuki’s mind that he didn’t need to consciously think about it. His feet instinctively carried him to the swings, and he settled onto one of them. Though he knew what—or rather, who—would be beside him, he glanced up anyway.

There he was—forever frozen in memory—Izuku Midoriya, eternally nine years old. Katsuki could hardly imagine how Izuku might have looked if he had been given the chance to grow up. Maybe that’s why he never saw an older Izuku in those dreams. In this dream, Izuku looked exactly as he did the last time Katsuki saw him alive.

His skin bore a slight tan, his cheeks adorned with freckles forming a diamond pattern. His eyes, a brilliant emerald green, were pools of wonder and innocence. And that smile—the same radiant smile that could probably outshine the sun itself.

It was all a dream. Nothing of this was true, Katsuki knew. But he still found himself getting up from the swing and positioning himself behind Izuku to push him in the swings. The fake sound of Izuku’s giggles still warmed Katsuki’s heart.

“Kacchan! Higher!” Fake Izuku’s laughter echoed in Katsuki’s ears, and who was he to deny his friend joy? He had rejected Izuku once, but he vowed never to repeat that mistake—even if it was only a phantom conjured by his grief-stricken mind.

Katsuki obliged the fake Izuku, pushing the swing higher with a steady rhythm. The fake laughter that bubbled forth from Izuku was infectious, even in the realm of dreams. For a fleeting moment, Katsuki allowed himself to believe that everything was as it once was—that he and Izuku were carefree kids on the brink of greatness.

As the swing soared through the air, Katsuki’s mind wandered back to the memories he had fought to suppress. 

“Kacchan, we’ll be the best heroes!” Izuku’s voice echoed in Katsuki’s ears.

“You’ll just be an useless Deku. You’re no better than a quirkless!” Katsuki’s own cruel words echoed back.

The swing started slowing down as Katsuki stopped pushing it.

“Kacchan, do you remember when we talked about being heroes?” Fake Izuku’s voice held a nostalgic tone, tugging at Katsuki’s emotions.

Katsuki paused, his expression softening as he gazed at his fake friend. “Yeah, I remember,” he replied quietly.

“We were going to be the best heroes, right?” Fake Izuku’s eyes sparkled with hope.

“Yeah, we were,” Katsuki murmured, looking down as he couldn’t bring himself to face such an expression on Izuku’s face.

Silence hung heavy in the air as the swing slowly came to a stop. Only when the swing stilled completely, fake Izuku’s voice broke the silence.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, and Katsuki could feel his hands tightening at the chains of the swing at those words. I wanted us to become heroes together. I’m sorry my quirk took so long to come. I’m sorry I died and left you alone.”

Those words caused much more pain than any word of anger or hatred could ever hope to cause in Katsuki’s heart. Because even this ghost of Izuku, created by Katsuki’s grief-stricken mind, was too nice to get angry at Katsuki. Instead, he was here, apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault—something Katsuki knew that the real Izuku would probably do as well.

Katsuki’s throat constricted, overwhelmed by regret and sorrow. He swallowed hard, grappling with emotions he had long suppressed.

“Don’t apologize to me, damn it!” Katsuki finally choked out, his voice tinged with frustration and remorse. “It was never your fault, you damn nerd! I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m the one who betrayed. I abandoned. I’m sorry… I don’t hate you.”

The fake Izuku’s expression softened, a reflection of forgiveness and understanding. He remained seated on the swing, watching Katsuki with an unwavering gaze.

“I know you don’t hate me,” the imaginary Izuku said gently. “And I’m sure the real Izuku would forgive you too.”

Katsuki’s resolve hardened, his features set with determination. 

“I’ll accept that forgiveness once I become the hero he knew I could be,” he replied firmly. “I’ll make you proud of me.”

A warm smile tugged at the corners of the fabricated Izuku’s lips. “I’m already proud,” he assured Katsuki.

Somehow, even though this wasn’t the real Izuku, those words brought Katsuki immense relief. The dream slowly began to dissolve as Katsuki regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to the familiar view of his room, though his vision was slightly blurred and his pillow suspiciously damp.

Taking a deep breath, Katsuki wiped away the lingering tears. It was early, the sun barely rising. He rose from his bed, his eyes drawn to the altar in the corner of his room. A picture of Izuku stood there, accompanied by an All Might action figure retrieved from Izuku’s room after the funeral. The rest of Izuku’s hero merchandise had been donated.

Katsuki walked over to the altar and knelt before it, joining his hands in a prayer gesture.

“Hey, Deku…” Katsuki said awkwardly as he looked at the image. It had been a long time since he last tried talking to Izuku. Usually, he would simply nod at the picture before leaving. “It’s been a while, huh? I’m Sorry for being too much of a coward to talk to you before.” He chuckled awkwardly. “Last time I talked to you was before that Sludge Villain attacked me…”

He could almost feel the disgusting liquid being pushed down his throat. The vivid memory of almost suffocating to death while those so-called heroes stood by and did nothing. The desperation, because he didn’t want to die and-

“I thought I was going to die,” Katsuki confessed quietly, allowing himself this rare moment of vulnerability. “Was that how you felt? The hag said you barely had the time to see what happened, so I hope not... I hope it was quick…” He took a deep breath. “All Might saved me. I tried to talk to him afterward. I wanted to ask him if... If he thought you could have done it.” He looked down and sighed. “But he disappeared right after he saved me. I could swear I saw steam coming from his body though. I wonder what was that. Maybe something to do with his quirk? He’s always so secretive about it that I really doubt it’s a simple strength augmentation quirk as many theorize. Maybe it has something to do with-”

Katsuki paused, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he realized he had started rambling and mumbling, much like Izuku used to do. The absurdity of the situation wasn’t lost on him, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“You really rubbed off on me, you damn nerd,” Katsuki murmured, shaking his head in amusement. “Now I’m even starting to mumble like you used to.” His laughter bubbled up again, a rare sound that echoed softly in the quiet room. “What’s next? Freckles? Please, no. I would look ridiculous with freckles.”

He sighed, the levity fading as he continued speaking to the photograph of Izuku, his expression softening.

“Anyway, these last ten months have been so hectic. I’ve been training like crazy... I never want to feel helpless like that again. I even did community service, you know? Something heroes would do, right? This is something you would say.”

Katsuki paused, his gaze fixed on the image of his childhood friend, his voice filled with a mixture of determination and regret.

“I’m trying, Deku,” he murmured. “I’m trying to be the hero you believed I could be. But it’s tough... Without you. It feels hollow.” He sighed, a heavy weight settling in his chest. “I’m not giving up, though. I managed to get into UA. I placed first in the entrance exam. I’m in Class 1-A now. You’d have a field day analyzing all those quirks around. I could certainly do without the personification of an overexcited puppy following me around and trying to be my friend. Shitty Hair is almost as annoying as you were.” He felt a pang in his chest as he admitted that. “You’d say I should give him a chance, wouldn’t you?”

Katsuki’s voice softened as he spoke, the ache of loss mingling with the image of Kirishima grinning at him and calling him “manly.” Whatever that meant.

He remained kneeling by the altar, a silent moment passing between him and the photograph of his friend before Katsuki rose to his feet. With a final glance at the altar, Katsuki straightened his posture and nodded to the photo. He had made a promise to himself and to Izuku—a promise that echoed in the silence of his room.

“I’ll be the hero you believed in,” Katsuki whispered to the empty room, the words carrying a solemn resolve. “So, wherever you are, watch me… Izuku.”

With newfound resolve, Katsuki turned around and went to get dressed for the day. The weight of grief still lingered, but within him stirred a renewed determination to strive for the greatness Izuku had always believed he could achieve. 

Once upon a time, Bakugou Katsuki had sought to be the Number One hero for himself alone, driven by an unyielding desire to be the best. Now, that ambition remained unchanged, but it was fueled by a profound commitment—to be the best not only for himself but for Izuku, too.

Stretching up to get rid of any lingering drowsiness, Katsuki prepared to start his day. He had to pull a lot of work to become a hero Izuku would be proud of, and it all started with an early morning run.

Chapter Text

The first official day of class had Izuku eagerly anticipating going to UA. While he wasn’t particularly thrilled about having to assist (read: Babysit) All Moron in the heroics classes, that wasn’t enough to sour his mood. Today, he would be properly introduced to the students for the first time. So, with his characteristic flair for the dramatic, Izuku hopped onto a Meowdos and settled himself on Shouta's desk, awaiting the students' arrival.

As the students trickled into the classroom, their eyes inevitably fell on Izuku. Some paused to ask if they could pet him, which left him confused. They knew he was just a robot, right? Shouta had told them all yesterday. Nevertheless, the scritches felt nice, and he wouldn’t complain.

About 15 minutes before the bell rang, Hitoshi entered the class, his gaze immediately drawn to Izuku. With purposeful strides, he made his way over and scooped up the Meowdos, carrying it back to his desk, where he promptly reclined, using the robot cat as a makeshift pillow.

Izuku didn’t protest, allowing himself to be cradled in Hitoshi's arms. As Hitoshi settled in, Izuku began purring, which had the desired effect. In just a few seconds, the purple-haired boy was snoring softly against Izuku’s fur. Izuku sent a quick note to Chiyo asking her to check Hitoshi’s medical file. If she didn’t find anything there, Izuku would be recommending Hitoshi take a few tests because he suspected the kid might have Narcolepsy.

A few minutes later, Bakugou Katsuki entered the room, and as soon as he did, his eyes crossed with Izuku’s. Something about those red eyes felt so familiar to Izuku, but he couldn’t really put his paw on what just yet. He had a feeling he knew Bakugou when he was alive, but like most of his experiences of that time - that weren’t his happy memories with his mom - were carefully hidden inside a Trauma folder kept in the depts of Izuku’s code that he didn’t want to poke with a ten-foot pole.

It was probably not healthy of him to do so, but unlike normal people, it wasn’t like there was any adverse effect on him just hiding his trauma this way. If not for Inui-Senpai’s advice, Izuku would have actually deleted those memories, but the man managed to convince Izuku not to do so. They were still working on getting Izuku comfortable enough to actually decompile those traumatic memories.

He wondered if Bakugou was his friend when he was alive, but something in the back of his mind told him it was something a little more complicated.

“Take a photo! It’ll last longer,” Bakugou snapped at him, which made Izuku realize he was staring. “What do you want, cat?”

“Sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku murmured absentmindedly, the unknown nickname slipping out without him even noticing. Bakugou froze, his head whipping around to face Izuku with a bewildered expression.

“What did you say?” Bakugou demanded, his tone sharp as he approached Hitoshi's desk, slamming his hands down with a jolt that roused Hitoshi from his slumber.

“I said sorry, Bakugou. It wasn’t my intention to stare,” Izuku replied, trying to diffuse the tension.

“You didn’t call me Bakugou. You said another name,” Bakugou snapped back, his frustration palpable.

Izuku tilted his head, confusion clouding his features. “No, I didn’t. I’m sure I said your name, Bakugou.”

Bakugou narrowed his eyes at him for several seconds before he sighed and leaned back.

“I guess I must be hearing things,” He grumbled and shook his head. “Sorry, Eyebags.”

“No problem?” Hitoshi grumbled, still not sure what was happening. He quickly leaned back down and went back to his nap.

Without another word, Bakugou went to his desk and sat down.

“Why do his eyes remind me of Deku?” Bakugou grumbled to himself, but Izuku still caught it. 

The word Deku jolted something inside Izuku’s memory. Izuku could count on his palms the number of times that certain words had jolted memories on him, even though they were supposed to be sealed. This time, the flashback happened rather quickly.

A log popped into Izuku’s field of vision, a simple audio file with no image.

“Kacchan, we’re going to be the best heroes!” A voice that Izuku recognized as his own said excitedly. 

“Of course, Deku!” A second voice said, but the file closed before Izuku could process it.

Shit, he couldn’t continue postponing it. Those memories were important. Izuku was sure they were. It looked like he was going to have to book an extra session with Inui-Senpai pretty soon.

Still, he pushed the unwelcome log to the back of his mind for now. He didn’t have time to focus on that right now.

With less than a minute left before class started, everyone, except for Shouto, were already there. Izuku knew his friend was at the school. He had always arrived two hours earlier since he came with his Dad. So, the only explanation for his being almost late was that he was at the studio and lost track of time.

Just as the seconds ticked down to zero, Shouto burst into the room, his uniform disheveled and smudged with soot. That explained why one of the fire alarms went off earlier.

Shouto hastily made his way to his seat, barely settling in before Shouta entered the room, punctual to the second. Instantly, the classroom fell into silence, every student snapping to attention as their teacher took his place at the front.

“Good. You’re all here and on time. Let’s keep it that way.” Shouta said, his eyes sweeping through the students, who all straightened in their seats.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

As soon as Hobo-Sensei entered the classroom, all the extras immediately shut up. Katsuki did the same.

He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but even if the extras bought that Logical Ruse bullshit from yesterday, Katsuki knew better. Eraserhead was infamous among hero schools as the teacher with the highest expulsion rate in Japan. Last year, he had expelled his whole homeroom class.

The extras would all know about that if they had bothered researching the school a little. People on the internet talk a lot if you look in the right places.

So, yeah. Katsuki knew the expulsion threat wasn’t just a “Logical Ruse.” Hobo-Sensei could and would boot anyone from the class if he thought they weren’t taking the course seriously.

Katsuki wasn’t interested in testing his luck. He planned to play nice—at least as nice as he could manage—with Hobo-Sensei. Besides, he recognized that there was a lot to learn from the man. Despite his high expulsion rate, the heroes who managed to graduate from Eraserhead’s class had the highest success rate in Japan.

Over 80% of his graduates who went Limelight managed to rank in the top 500 heroes in less than three years after graduation. Many were even close to the top 10. Katsuki wanted to be among them. He had a goal and wasn't about to let anyone or anything derail him from reaching it.

(He pointedly ignored the part of his mind screaming about how there was supposed to be a green-haired boy sitting near him and muttering all of those facts like the fanboy the nerd was. Now wasn’t the time to think about that.)

Eraserhead scanned the room with his usual indifferent gaze, noting the attentive silence. 

“Good,” Eraserhead said, his voice a low, steady rumble that seemed to fill the room despite its calm tone. “You’re all here and on time. Let’s keep it that way.”

His eyes swept through the class, making Katsuki feel like a bug under a microscope. Still, if Katsuki was one thing, that thing was stubborn, so when the teacher’s gaze met his, Katsuki didn’t look away like many of the extras. 

“Before we start, I have a few announcements to make. First and foremost.” Hobo-Sensei’s gaze stopped on the desk behind Katsuki. “Problem Cat, come introduce yourself.”

The robot cat, who Eyebags was using as a pillow a few minutes ago, jumped down from the desk and went to the front of the class. His eyes looked so much like Deku’s. It was uncanny. Katsuki could almost picture a freckled face calling him Kacchan and following him around like a duckling.

“I introduced you to the Meowdos yesterday. As I said, there are several of them around the school, but I didn’t introduce you to the mind behind them.” Hobo-Sensei said as he pointed at the cat, which opened its mouth and started speaking, though this time, he wasn’t using the robotic voice from earlier.

“Hello, everyone. I am M.I.D.O.S. but you can call me Midos.” An eerily familiar voice - Why does this pile of scraps have Deku’s voice? - said. “I am the main AI from the school and responsible for all security measures. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

Then, from the robot’s mouth, a hologram was projected into the class. Immediately, most of the girls started cooing at the adorable child in front of them, but Katsuki wasn’t hearing it. He could only stare at wide eyes at the image projected in front of his eyes.

“Deku?” Katsuki muttered so softly he wasn’t sure if the sound even left his lips. Yet, it seemed like the projection heard him because it turned around to look at him.

Fluffy-looking forest green hair. Big, round, emerald green eyes. Freckles in a diamond pattern on both cheeks. And that smile. That. Fucking. Smile. 

Katsuki was sure he looked like he was seeing a ghost. But that’s because he was!

It was exactly like Katsuki remembered. He looked EXACTLY like Katsuki remembered! But he was dead. 

Deku is supposed to be dead. 

Katsuki went to his funeral. He saw his body. 

Deku was dead.

Principal Nedzu was known for not understanding human emotion, but even he wouldn’t be disrespectful enough to create an AI using the image of a dead, quirkless child, would he?

“Deku?” Katsuki asked once more, his voice a little louder, but probably only the students with hearing quirks heard him.

Yet, the projection Deku’s eyes widened as he heard it. His face turned into a frown for a few seconds before he tilted his head — Izuku always did the same thing whenever he was confused. He looked just like a confused puppy every time he did it.

“Kacchan?” The name left his mouth, and Katsuki almost stopped breathing right there.

There was no way an AI would know that name. Even if it was made to act exactly like the Izuku Katsuki knew, it wouldn’t have the same memories as him. It was just impossible, and yet…

NO! Deku. Was. Dead!

Katsuki already spent years in denial, hoping he would one day wake up and find out it was all just a nightmare. That he would one day leave school and find Izuku waiting for him in front of the school, ready to talk his ear off about the last hero fight he snuck away from his mom to watch.

He couldn’t do that. Not again. This wasn’t Izuku, no matter how much he looked like him. It was just impossible. There was no known quirk capable of defying death like that.

Just because it never happened before, it didn’t mean it was impossible.

This wasn’t Izuku. It couldn’t be him.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Bakugou’s reaction when he saw Izuku was honestly worrying. Shouta knew there was a possibility someone who knew Izuku would one day get into UA. But that reaction wasn’t what he expected.

Honestly, in the scenarios Shouta imagined for this kind of situation, he always expected the person to be angry that a dead person’s image was turned into a computer program. But Bakugou looked conflicted, like he was trying to piece out a puzzle, especially after Izuku said the word “Kacchan” aloud, which confused everyone in the class.

Still, both Izuku and Bakugou recovered rather quickly and soon started acting like nothing happened. Shouta was worried at how easily Bakugou was able to shake the entire situation off. But now it wasn’t the time to worry about that.

“All of you should have received an email with a link,” Shouta explained, pretending the weird interaction didn’t just happen. “This link will send you to a download page for the Midos app. Every student is required to have it on their phones. Don’t worry about your privacy, though. I assure you that the Rat Satan isn’t interested in your private conversations, and if he was, he wouldn’t need an app to read it.”

This weirded out the students enough for them to forget what just happened. A moment later, they all pulled out their phones to look at their email.

“Uh… Sensei.” Uraraka shyly raised her hand, showing a flip phone that looked older than even Shouta. “I don’t think I can download this app.”

Shouta sighed and reached under his desk, pulling a box full of smartphones. He randomly chose one and gave it to the girl.

“Don’t worry about having to buy it. This phone is in the school plan, so it’ll have access to the internet and all that.” Shouta explained as Uraraka’s eyes widened, and she grabbed the phone like it was some delicate treasure. “If anyone else needs a phone as well, just talk to me or any teacher you can find. The school will be more than willing to cover you. This is a safety measure, as the app will also work as a form of identification for you. You can also use it to keep track of your grades and talk to teachers in case you have questions; there’s a map feature and Meowdos tracker as well. There are some other features I can’t be bothered to explain. You’ll find out in time.”

The students seemed to accept the explanation, focusing their attention on their phones. Shouta suppressed an eye roll at them. Of course, teenagers didn’t need any encouragement to use their phones in class.

Izuku turned off the projection and set the Meowdos into wandering mode before hopping onto the app to interact with the students. As the robotic cat moved about, engaging with the curious students, Shouta took this opportunity to observe Bakugou more closely.

Outwardly, Bakugou appeared perfectly normal, even calm. But Shouta wasn’t an Underground Hero for nothing. The signs were subtle but unmistakable. Bakugou’s grip on his phone was too tight, and his knuckles were white from the pressure. His teeth were clenched, the muscles in his jaw twitching occasionally. And then there was the way his eyes tracked every movement the Meowdos made, never once looking away.

Shouta would need to talk to him later, but unfortunately, there wasn’t time to do that right now. Homeroom was ending, and Shouta had several other classes to teach today.

“If you have questions, you can use the chat function of the Midos app to get in contact with a teacher. If you’d like to have a conversation in person, you can schedule it.” Shouta said as the bell rang. “Us teachers are all available if you need us. Don’t forget that.”

With that, Shouta left the classroom. After class, he could ask Bakugou to stay behind for a talk. This would work.

(Shouta wasn’t ready for the clusterfuck that the first heroics lesson would be.)

Chapter Text

Morning classes went on as usual, with Shouto finding them rather boring. He couldn’t wait for his support engineering classes to start so he could go back to the labs. He ended up testing out of English and Math for those (sorry, Uncle Zashi and Ectoplasm.)

He diligently sat through lectures, taking meticulous notes and absorbing the information presented. Yet, despite his best efforts to stay focused, his thoughts continually wandered back to his ongoing project in the support lab—the Meowdos Model C MK-7.

The MK-7 was Shouto’s best work so far. He couldn’t wait to show it to Izuku. It had enhanced sensory capabilities, improved mobility, and a rudimentary AI upgrade that emulated more complex and cat-like behaviors (Shouto might have spent a few too many hours in cat cafes observing the cats interacting) for whenever Izuku wasn’t manually controlling them. Shouto had even integrated a feature allowing the Meowdos to react to catnip, adding a touch of whimsy to their functionality.

Shouto had been so engrossed in his work that he nearly forgot he had to get to the class and almost arrived late. Thank Nedzu he managed to get on time, though. He shuddered at the thought of what Uncle Shouta would have done if he was late. Most likely, Shouto would be running suicide sprints until he passed out, or maybe he’d have Shouto have detention with Midnight and be forced to hear one of her lectures on sex education. Shouto had already heard horror stories about this from the older students.

Anyway, he barely got to the class on time, but at least he did it. Did he remember to turn off his soldering iron before leaving? Oh, well. It will be fine… Probably.

As lunchtime finally arrived, Shouto reached for his lunchbox, intent on running straight to the support labs. However, his plans were thwarted when a small, green ball of synthetic fur settled onto his lap.

“Oh, come on, Midos,” Shouto protested half-heartedly.

“Nope,” Izuku countered, sounding far too smug. “You’re not eating in the lab again, Shouto. Your Dad specifically asked me to ensure you actually eat the lunch he made for you.”

Shouto knew he could easily push Izuku aside, but… 

“You don’t move a sleeping cat. It’s the law,” Hitoshi said from behind Shouto, pulling a desk closer and settling in with his own lunch.

“He’s not sleeping,” Shouto pointed out. “And technically, he’s not a real cat.”

“Same thing, Shouto,” Hitoshi shrugged nonchalantly. “As I said before. He acts like a cat, looks like a cat, is fluffy like a cat, and purrs like a cat. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a cat.”

“He sure likes to capitalize on that.” Shouto smiled as he scratched behind Izuku’s ear.

“Well, you can’t move him. That’s the law.” Hitoshi smirked and raised an eyebrow at Shouto. “You’re not going to break the law, are you? Like an evil villain.”

Shouto sighed, resigning himself to Izuku’s insistence. “Fine, I’ll eat here,” he conceded, unable to hide his amusement.

As they settled into lunch, Shouto found himself relaxing, the stress of unfinished projects momentarily forgotten. Izuku curled up contentedly on his lap, purring softly. Though he wouldn’t admit it aloud, the break was welcome.

The three of them sat in companionable silence. Shouto and Hitoshi were not men of many words, and Izuku seemed content to purr instead of chattering away like he usually did. Though Shouto was pretty sure the Meowdos could purr and talk at the same time, Izuku seemed quite happy with the silence.

But beneath the calm exterior, Shouto sensed Izuku’s underlying anxiety. After lunch, they would have heroics with All Might. It wasn’t just the fact that Izuku had a personal history with the man; he would also be assisting the number one hero in class.

The thought still made Shouto’s blood boil every time he considered everything the so-called “number one hero” had caused Izuku. All Might didn’t even remember him. To the hero, Izuku was likely just another casualty in his illustrious career. Or perhaps All Might didn’t even see him as that; after all, his views on quirkless individuals were no secret. It was one of the biggest reasons why the discrimination in Japan had gotten so bad in so little time, after all.

The hero wouldn’t feel any guiltier about a quirkless kid dying because of him than he would about crushing a fly.

Still, Shouto had to calm down. Stressing over this right now wouldn’t help anyone. He was sure Izuku could deal with All Might, one way or the other. There was no way Nedzu would just let All Might do whatever he wanted in his school.

For now, Shouto decided to focus on appreciating the lunch his Dad had worked hard to make him in the company of his friends.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

As much as Izuku wished lunch would last forever, time waited for no one. Far too early for his taste, the bell rang, signaling the end of their break, and his classmates started filing back into the classroom. With a resigned sigh, Izuku jumped down from Shouto’s lap and padded back to the front of the class.

For this lesson, he would be fine staying in Meowdos mode. It was just a simple costume critique, after all. Not even All Might could mess that up.

The classroom quickly filled up with students chatting and getting settled. Izuku found his usual spot on Shouta’s desk. His ears twitched as he caught most of the conversations in the class. Most were excitedly chattering about who they thought their heroics teacher would be. Many seemed to hope for Shou-Chan. Izuku secretly wished it was Shou-Chan, too…

“I AM HERE! ” The booming voice reverberated through the classroom, instantly silencing all other noise. Izuku’s mechanical ears flattened against his head involuntarily. “ COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!”

Shoving the door with such force that made it bounce off the wall, All Might burst in. Izuku saw a few students wincing at the noise, their sensitive hearing taking the brunt of All Might’s entrance.

“WELCOME TO FOUNDATIONAL HERO STUDIES CLASS. OR SIMPLY HEROICS FOR SHORT!” All Might continued bellowing. Had he ever heard of an inside voice? Not even Present Mic was that loud in class, and he had a voice quirk!

As All Might launched into his introductory speech, Izuku settled in on the desk, mostly tuning the man out. He wasn’t really interested in hearing the hero talk endlessly. The less Izuku had to interact with him, the better.

That is until Izuku heard a few words that made him freeze.

“TODAY, WE’LL BE DOING BATTLE TRIALS! SO, GRAB YOUR COSTUME AND FOLLOW ME TO GROUND BETA!”

Battle trials? Today was supposed to be just a costume critique. Battle trials were something that only the late second and third-year students did! This was far too advanced for first-years!

“All Might. That’s not the lesson Nedzu approved,” Izuku hissed at the man, who simply ignored him and kept walking. “ALL MIGHT!”

Izuku tried to get in front of him, but the man just kept walking. Izuku saw the hero’s right leg spark, and then everything went black. Suddenly, Izuku found himself back in one of the corridor cameras.

“Did All Might just...?” Izuku muttered to himself, his virtual consciousness reeling from the sudden shutdown. He quickly redirected the camera’s view to where they had been just moments ago. “THAT SON OF A B-”

There, against the wall, lay the Meowdos he had been controlling just a second ago. It was completely broken, the impact of All Might’s kick evident in the shattered casing and exposed circuitry still sparking.

Izuku had no doubt that several students also saw what just happened. As he followed them through the cameras, he saw several people whispering to each other and glancing back at the broken robot.

Shouto, however, was looking at it with a heartbroken expression. The Meowdos were technically school property, but Shouto had put so much effort into making each one of them. How dare that idiot just break it like that?

Izuku was completely pissed off.

“He said he was going to Ground Beta,” he muttered to himself as he scanned over the cameras to confirm All Might’s destination. “Alright, All Moron. Two can play this game.”

Izuku sent a signal to his body, initiating the M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C., standing for “Majima’s Advanced Juvenile Emulation and Synthetic Technology with Integrated Capabilities” (Izuku insisted on the name much to Maji-Nii’s chagrin), and instructed his body to move to Ground Beta. For that, he might need to confront All Might again, so the power armor was probably the best choice.

(Inside the support lab 3-Delta, the M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. unit powered on with a series of calibrated whirs and clicks before fully awakening and bolting towards Ground Beta. Higari, who had entered looking for the soldering iron Shouto had borrowed earlier, narrowly avoided being run over by the robot wearing the heavy Power Armor that rushed out of the room without a word.)

While his body was en route, Izuku hurried to his Dad’s office and found Principal Nedzu in the middle of a meeting with Shou-Chan. Without hesitation, Izuku activated the projector in the room, capturing both teachers’ attention.

“DAD!” Izuku exclaimed, his frustration palpable.

“Izuku, what happened?” Dad inquired, his large eyes fixed intently on Izuku. “Weren’t you supposed to be in Gym Gamma helping with the costume critique?”

“Ass Might happened!” Izuku burst out, unable to contain his frustration as he began pacing around the room. “That arrogant, narcissistic, glorified balloon! I’m afraid to find out what he did with that All Might sex doll I sent him as a prank a few years ago. He might have actually used it!”

“You sent him a what!?” Shou-Chan choked, nearly spilling his coffee in disbelief.

“Not the point now, Shouta-Kun,” Dad interjected firmly, though his voice carried a hint of amusement. “Izuku, calm down. We’ve talked about this. I need a clear report on the situation, Midos.”

Izuku took a deep breath, focusing on maintaining his composure. He knew that presenting the situation calmly was crucial if he wanted his Dad to take immediate action.

“Sorry, Dad. You’re right,” Izuku began, his voice steadier now. “All Might changed the lesson plan without authorization. Instead of the costume critique, he announced battle trials and physically removed me from the classroom when I tried to intervene.”

Dad frowned deeply, his fingers tapping away on the keyboard as he accessed the surveillance feeds.

“That’s… That’s unacceptable,” he growled, checking the camera feeds.

“I know,” Izuku replied, his fists clenched in frustration. “And he completely destroyed the Meowdos unit I was controlling to do it.”

Dad pulled up the feed from Ground Beta just as the students began emerging from the locker room in their costumes. Izuku’s scanners quickly identified numerous issues that needed immediate attention for the safety of the students.

Meanwhile, All Might casually commented on the costumes, clearly favoring those with more flashy quirks while practically dismissing others. Izuku couldn’t help but notice the disdainful glance directed at a few students.

Then he started explaining the “lesson,” if it could even be called that. The lesson sounded more like a script for an action movie than an actual exercise. Dividing the class into duos for indoor fights seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

To exacerbate matters, All Might started assigning teams based on his own criteria, and that criterion was clear to everyone. All students with mutations, “villainous,” or simply less flashy quirks were placed on the villain team. This included Hitoshi, Hagakure, Shouji, Kouda, Tokoyami, Ashido, Asui, Mineta, Kirishima, and Ojirou. The others were arbitrarily placed on the hero team, causing discomfort evident in their expressions.

Dad’s fur bristled slightly, a sign of his growing displeasure. “This behavior from All Might is more than enough grounds for his second strike.”

“I’m heading to Ground Beta,” Shou-Chan declared, already rising from his seat with determination.

Izuku nodded eagerly. “Please. I’ve sent the M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. unit, but I can’t handle All Might alone.”

“What’s the ETA?” Shou-Chan asked, his tone serious.

“Thirty seconds,” Izuku replied promptly.

As the first team, Mineta and Asui as villains versus Uraraka and Yaoyorozu as heroes, prepared to start the exercise, Izuku couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding. He noticed the expression on Mineta’s face, and he knew something would go wrong.

“I’m transferring,” Izuku declared with a growl. “I’ll try to talk All Might down, but we all know this won’t work.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes,” Shou-Chan affirmed and bolted out of the room.

“If something happens, you have my permission to stop the class,” Nedzu instructed Izuku firmly. “Now go.”

“Thank you, Dad,” Izuku nodded gratefully before closing his eyes and relinquishing control of the projection.

Then, he began the transfer process, redirecting his consciousness. As the M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. unit calibrated its systems, Izuku linked his mind back to his physical form, seamlessly integrating with the armor’s processors. In mere seconds, he could feel the weight of the armor on his synthetic skin. After ensuring everything was functioning correctly, Izuku opened his eyes and took a few test steps.

The transition from digital to physical was always a bit disorienting, but Izuku quickly adjusted. He clenched his hands, relishing the sensation of touch once more. The orange armor fit snugly on his body. Maji-Nii had done a perfect job ensuring Izuku wouldn’t be overwhelmed by sensory input.

When Izuku opened his eyes, he found himself facing the towering doors of Ground Beta’s simulated cityscape. He checked the Knuckle-Blasters on his back, just to make sure they were there.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped in, going straight to the monitor room where he knew All Might and the students would be.

He arrived just as All Might was bellowing, “THE HEROES CAN ENTER THE BUILDING!” The booming voice echoed through the space, and once more, several of the students winced at the volume. Izuku’s expression hardened as he marched purposefully toward the hero.

“All Might!” Izuku growled, his voice laced with frustration. Every eye in the room turned toward him, the students’ gazes widening as they took in the sight.

(For those who had never seen Midos in this form, they had no inkling that the figure before them was the same one that was driving the cat All Might had just destroyed moments ago. Clad in heavy orange armor with a horned helmet, Izuku clearly meant business, but they had no idea who he was. Whispers rippled through the room as the students speculated whether he was an upperclassman or perhaps a new hero they hadn’t yet heard of.)

“WHAT DO YOU WANT, MACHINE?” All Might retorted, his expression darkening as he turned to face Izuku.

“Nedzu crafted the lesson plan carefully, simple enough for even a toddler to follow,” Izuku began sharply. “And you completely disregarded it. Are you an idiot?”

“THAT’S NO WAY TO ADDRESS ME, MACHINE! ” All Might replied forcefully. “ I AM THE HEROICS TEACHER. I CAN TEACH MY CLASS HOWEVER I SEE FIT.”

“Not when the lesson poses potential risks to their lives!” Izuku shot back, his voice firm and resolute. “Indoor battles? Less than half of this class has any formal training, and I can easily think of at least six individuals here who could unintentionally bring down an entire building.”

All Might’s expression hardened further, but before he could respond, a scream was heard and everyone turned to see Ashido pointing to the screens with a look of horror on her face. 

As Izuku shifted his gaze to the screens, his eyes widened in fury.

Mineta had not only ensnared Yaoyorozu and Uraraka with his quirk but had also trapped his own partner. Worse yet, he was shamelessly groping Yaoyorozu, who struggled desperately to free herself.

“MINETA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Izuku yelled, invading the comms.

“I’m acting like a villain,” Mineta said, his voice making clear he was drolling.

Izuku turned to All Might, who, despite the clearly sexual assault happening right in front of his eyes, didn’t stop the exercise.

“All Might, stop this right now!” Izuku growled, his voice laced with fury and disbelief.

All Might’s gaze shifted to Izuku, and for a moment, a flicker of irritation passed over his features. 

“THIS IS A BATTLE TRIAL, ” he retorted, his voice stern. “ IT’S MEANT TO TEST THEIR ABILITIES IN COMBAT SCENARIOS.”

“That’s not combat, that’s assault!” Izuku shot back, his voice rising with indignation. “You can’t just stand there and let this happen!”

“STEP BACK, MACHINE. YOU ALREADY DISTURBED MY CLASS ENOUGH.” All Might said, taking a threatening step ahead.

“ENOUGH!” A commanding voice interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention. Shou-Chan strode into the room, his eyes quickly scanning the monitors to assess the situation. “Midos, go fetch Mineta and bring him to Nedzu’s Office.” Izuku nodded, wasting no time in obeying the order.

“All Might, you and I will have a long conversation. The rest of the class is dismissed,” Shou-Chan declared firmly.

Despite his words, no one dared to move. All eyes remained glued to the monitors, where Mineta was about to assault Uraraka next. However, before he could do anything, a loud bang echoed through the room, accompanied by a cloud of dust. Izuku burst in, smoke trailing from his Knuckle-Blaster, his presence commanding.

“Mineta. You’re coming with me!” Izuku growled, his voice laced with authority as he seized Mineta by the collar of his costume with one hand, the Knuckle-Blaster still smoking in his other.

Mineta could only nod, his bravado fading under the intense glare of Izuku’s toxic green eyes, which seemed to flicker with a hint of red every few seconds.

Chapter Text

Izuku gritted his teeth, ignoring Mineta's desperate pleas and excuses as he marched the disgraced student toward Nedzu's office. Each whimper grated on his nerves, amplifying his frustration with every step.

“Please, I didn’t mean it! I was just joking!” Mineta pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

“Joking? You think that’s funny?” Izuku snapped back, his grip tightening on Mineta's collar. “What you did was completely unacceptable.”

Honestly, whatever punishment Nedzu had in store for Mineta wouldn’t compare to the wrath of the Yaoyorozus once they learned of their daughter's ordeal. Expulsion from UA might be the least of Mineta's worries.

As they reached the Principal's office, Izuku swung the door open and shoved Mineta inside. “Get in there,” he commanded sharply, his tone brooking no argument.

Mineta stumbled forward, visibly shaken as he glanced around the office. Nedzu sat behind his desk, his expression grave. The principal’s beady eyes fixed on Mineta with a stern intensity, while Izuku could sense his father's seething anger from across the room.

“What were you thinking?” Nedzu’s voice cut through the tension, skipping any formality.

“It's not my fault! I was just doing what All Might told us to do! He said I was supposed to act like a villain!” Mineta blurted out, desperation creeping into his voice.

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘too far’?” Nedzu retorted sharply. “What you just did wasn’t just abhorrent. It was a crime, Mineta. UA has a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and sexual assault. Your behavior today not only justifies expulsion but could lead to legal action from the Yaoyorozus.”

“You can’t expel me!” Mineta protested, his voice rising in panic. “My father—”

“Your father’s position on the school board won’t protect you this time,” Nedzu interjected firmly. “You are hereby expelled from UA, Mineta Minoru. Gather your things and leave the school. Security will escort you out.”

Mineta's protests dissolved into tears as reality set in. He lamented about fairness and his father's influence, but Izuku paid little heed as he escorted Mineta out to gather his belongings. This student was delusional if he believed his father could save him now. If anything, this incident might spell trouble for Mineta's father on the School Board.

Good riddance. The elder Mineta had been a thorn in Nedzu's side for too long, being one of the most vocal members on his discriminatory views and constantly hindering progress on changing the entrance exam and other reforms at UA.

By the time Izuku got Mineta out of the school, he was ready to murder someone.

01010000 01001111 01010110

One pest was gone, time to deal with another one.

Nedzu watched with a mixture of resignation and irritation as Shouta dragged a protesting All Might into his office. The hero kicked and yelled, futilely trying to break free from Shouta’s grip. It was a scene that had played out far too many times—All Might's stubbornness and disregard for rules were becoming painfully predictable.

“Let me go, Eraserhead! You can’t treat me like this! I’m the number one hero!” Yagi screamed, thrashing against Shouta’s hold.

“This isn’t a game, Yagi,” Shouta growled, his tone firm. “You’re acting more like a child than my students.”

“You can let him go, Shouta-kun,” Nedzu interjected, leveling a sharp glare at the disgraced hero. “Now, Yagi, if you’re finished throwing a tantrum, we need to discuss the consequences of your actions today.”

“There's nothing to discuss,” Yagi retorted, crossing his arms defiantly as Shouta released him. “I did nothing wrong.”

Nedzu turned to his screen, his expression hardening as he reviewed the footage. “Let’s see, shall we? First, you disregarded a carefully laid lesson plan that I set specifically for you. You had no authority to change it, and in doing so, you put all of your students at risk by placing them in a situation they weren't prepared to handle.”

Yagi’s confident facade faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. “It was a necessary test of their abilities! A proper hero needs to-”

“They aren't heroes yet!” Shouta cut him off sharply. “This lesson was far too advanced for them. Less than half of the students had any previous training. They don't know the limits of their quirks or how to control them in combat situations. This could have ended with someone seriously injured or worse.”

Yagi's expression darkened as he glared at Shouta. “I don't need a mere Underground Hero ,” he spat the word venomously, “telling me how I should teach my class, Eraserhead.”

“Enough, Yagi!” Nedzu intervened before Shouta could reply. “Indoor battles with inadequate training and supervision? That’s not teaching; that’s endangerment. And then there's the matter of your conduct during the exercise.”

All Might's expression turned defensive. “I was overseeing the exercise as a hero would—”

“You stood by while one of your students committed sexual assault,” Nedzu cut in, his tone ice cold. “You failed to intervene, to stop the situation, or to protect the victims. That is inexcusable.”

“Nothing happened. No one got hurt,” Yagi insisted defensively.

“Physically, maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that you stood by and refused to act when one of your students was being assaulted,” Nedzu growled. “And then there's the matter of you destroying a Meowdos Unit.”

“That stupid robot shouldn't have stood in my way!" Yagi yelled”

“That ‘stupid robot’ is the head of UA's security and was well within his rights to question your actions when you deviated from the lesson plan you were supposed to follow,” Nedzu replied sharply. “And the robot you destroyed cost over 10 million yen to build. You caused irreparable damage.”

“It's just a machine,” Yagi retorted dismissively.

Nedzu’s eyes narrowed, his patience wearing thin. “I have more than enough reasons to fire you, Yagi.”

“You can't do that! I'm the number one hero!” Yagi growled. “I can destroy this school! Who do you think the public will side with? The Symbol of Peace? Or a rat?”

“I can't deny your status as the Symbol of Peace, All Might,” Nedzu said evenly, his voice carrying a hint of steel. “But even symbols must adhere to the rules, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of our students.”

All Might scoffed, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. “You're making a mistake, Nedzu. I've saved countless lives—”

“And today, you put them at risk,” Nedzu interrupted, his tone unwavering. “You disregarded protocols, endangered our students, and failed in your duty to uphold the standards of heroism that UA stands for.”

All Might's fists clenched, his expression darkening. “You wouldn't dare.”

“Unfortunately, I know the HPSC will argue that this is only your second offense,” Nedzu sighed. “So you won't be fired yet. However, you are being demoted to a teaching assistant. You will no longer have supervisory duties, and you must be accompanied by another staff member when interacting with students. If I receive a single more complaint about you, you'll find yourself out of this school faster than you can say ‘Symbol of Peace.’ Are we clear?”

Yagi looked at him smugly, no doubt thinking he had won the argument by avoiding being fired.

“Crystal,” he said defiantly before turning and leaving the room, not waiting for Nedzu to dismiss him.

As Yagi slammed the door behind him, Nedzu let out a long, frustrated sigh. The tension in the room lingered like a heavy fog, and he rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on him.

Shouta leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “He'll mess up before the end of the week.”

“I'm counting on that,” Nedzu replied, his voice tinged with resignation. “He thinks he's untouchable. Just let him live in that delusion a little longer.”

“If he tries anything, I won't hesitate to break his nose,” Shouta growled, his eyes narrowing.

“You'll have to get in line,” Nedzu joked, shaking his head. “For now, let's focus on making sure the students are alright.”

Just then, the projectors on the wall activated.

“Mineta is out,” Izuku announced as he entered the room. “He's crying at the gates and calling his father.”

“I have no doubt Mineta-san will try to argue on his son's behalf, but he's done,” Nedzu said darkly. “By the end of the week, this school will be completely rid of all Minetas.”

“Good,” Izuku nodded. “Now, on another matter. I'll be unavailable tomorrow.”

“Is the update ready?” Nedzu asked, his ears twitching with interest.

“Yeah. Maji-Nii sent me a message a few minutes ago,” Izuku replied. “But I'll have to shut down almost all the security to install the updates.”

“I'll warn the teachers at our next meeting so they can be prepared,” Nedzu nodded. “When are you planning to update?”

Izuku took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I’ll start the update early in the morning. I need to take care of a few things beforehand. If everything goes smoothly, I should be done a bit after lunch period.”

Nedzu nodded, concern etching his features. “Make sure to monitor the system closely. We can't afford any hiccups, especially with everything going on. Don’t rush it. If you need more time, the teachers can handle security.”

“Of course,” Izuku assured him. “I’ll run diagnostics before and after the update to ensure everything is stable.”

“Good,” Nedzu replied, giving a small nod. “Keep me updated if anything unexpected comes up.”

“I will,” Izuku said with a smile. “I'll go take care of the final adjustments before the update.” With that, the projectors turned off, and Izuku disappeared from view.

“I’m leaving too,” Shouta said as he turned around. “I have to go over the new schedule now that All Might has been demoted.”

Nedzu nodded and watched as Shouta left the room. For now, he would be putting Izuku as the new heroics teacher in All Might’s place. He had the necessary knowledge, and since he was formally considered Nedzu’s support item, it would be basically the same as Nedzu putting himself as the teacher for now.

01010000 01001111 01010110

After the absolute clusterfuck that was the first heroics lesson, the students went home with a mix of emotions. Some were disappointed, others angry, but the general consensus was the same. Everyone understood now the old saying: Never meet your heroes.

Katsuki slammed his door shut and threw himself onto his bed, seething with a sense of utter betrayal. All Might was supposed to be the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace, the ultimate role model. Katsuki had spent so many years idolizing the man. Was that really the kind of person he was?

Feeling his anger boiling over, Katsuki jumped up and started ripping the posters off his walls. The once comforting smile of All Might now seemed to mock him. He then turned to his collection of action figures, throwing each one to the floor without caring how expensive some of them were.

The only one left was the action figure on Izuku's altar—the one he had recovered from the nerd's bedroom after he died. It was the last memory of his old friend, or so Katsuki thought.

With a frown, Katsuki sat back down on his bed and pulled out his phone. He unlocked it and scrolled through his apps list, his finger hovering over the MIDOS app, represented by a chibi version of Izuku as the icon. After hesitating for a few seconds, Katsuki opened it.

There were several options, but for now, Katsuki ignored everything and went straight to the chat option.

“I'll feel very crazy if I'm wrong on this one,” Katsuki started typing. “But it makes sense when I think about it. You said you would have a mental quirk, and at the time I didn’t pay much mind, but mental quirks are much more powerful than people give credit for. The day you died, you were going somewhere with Auntie Inko. You were close to the quirk registration building, so I have to assume your quirk had finally manifested. I know it’s a stretch, but I don’t believe even Nedzu would be disrespectful enough to turn your image into an AI. Then we have another thing... You called me Kacchan. Twice. The first time I thought I was hearing things, but the second time... everyone heard it.” He roughly rubbed his face. “So, please... I think I'm going crazy, but if there’s one person who could somehow be stubborn enough to come back from the dead, it would be you.” He glanced down at his screen. “You’re not really an AI, are you? You’re Izuku.”

Katsuki’s heart pounded as he hit send, his eyes glued to the screen, waiting for a response that could change everything. The seconds dragged on like hours, each passing moment amplifying his anxiety. Just as Katsuki thought he wouldn’t get an answer, his phone started ringing a video call.

His breath hitched. With trembling hands, he accepted the call, and the screen filled with the familiar face of MIDOS. It was as if Izuku hadn’t aged a day. The same chubby cheeks. The same big, round eyes that could flood a room with warmth. The same smile Katsuki always dreamed of seeing again.

“Hey, Kacchan,” Izuku waved at the screen. “It's been some time…”

“It's... it's really you?” Katsuki asked softly, disbelief etched on his face.

“Yeah. You're right. I'm not an AI. Not really,” Izuku nodded. “If you need proof... let me think. Oh!” He snapped his fingers. “Remember a few days after you got your quirk? You tried to use your explosions to fly. You insisted you just needed some height, so you climbed a tree and jumped down. You ended up with a broken leg. I used a pink pen to sign your cast. You were livid.”

Katsuki's eyes widened, a mix of shock and nostalgia flooding him. “You... you remember that?” he whispered, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

“I remember absolutely everything,” Izuku replied with a smirk, but his expression softened. “Though I had to dive into my memory files since I locked a lot of them. You’d be surprised by how much I locked away in the trauma folder…”

Katsuki felt a pang in his chest at that confession. “I didn't help with that, did I?” he asked softly.

Izuku sighed, his smile fading slightly. “I won’t lie, Kacchan. I locked away every memory from before my… death that didn’t involve Mommy. Remembering hurt too much…”

Katsuki’s throat tightened at those words, memories of their childhood flashing vividly in his mind—the days before he turned on Izuku over something so stupid.

“I'm sorry…” Katsuki said softly. “For betraying you. For being such a jerk. For ruining our friendship. For never protecting you. For being the reason everyone thought you were quirkless. I'm sorry for everything, Izuku. You never deserved any of that.”

Izuku's expression softened, understanding flickering in his eyes. “Kacchan, I—” he started, but Katsuki cut him off.

“No, just let me say this. I thought I was strong, but I was weak. I pushed you away when you saw me as your brother. I didn’t realize how much you needed support.” Katsuki took a shaky breath. “If I could go back and change things, I would. I want to be better. For you.”

A tense silence hung between them until Katsuki's eyes widened as he saw Izuku’s eyes welling with tears. Katsuki felt himself panicking. He didn’t want to make Izuku cry again. “Fuck, I'm sorry, Izuku, I—”

“No!” Izuku interrupted, his voice warm. “Those are happy tears. I'm so happy to hear that. You’ve changed so much, Kacchan. I’m so proud right now. I missed you so much. All this time, even when I couldn’t remember you. I always knew I wanted my brother back.”

Katsuki felt a swell of emotions rise within him—relief, joy, and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It was all so confusing. Even after all the therapy he had gone through, he still struggled with feelings. But he knew he missed Izuku deeply.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you too, Izuku. I thought I lost you forever,” Katsuki said softly. “I've been trying so hard to be better, to become the hero you always believed I could be. I went to therapy. Things are a lot better with the hag. We can even have a full conversation without yelling at each other now.” He added with a small chuckle.

“I missed Uncle and Auntie too,” Izuku replied, his smile brightening.

“They miss you as well,” Katsuki said. “Your altar used to be in the living room, next to your mom's. But the hag couldn’t handle seeing them together without crying. So, I moved your altar to my room. She still visits at least once a month to talk to you.”

“I want to see her again…” Izuku's voice was soft as he looked at Katsuki nervously. “But I don't think now is a good time to reveal myself. I'm sorry for asking this, but could you keep me a secret for a little longer?”

Katsuki nodded firmly. “Yeah, I can keep your secret. You know I'd do anything for you. The hag doesn't need to know anything yet.”

“Thanks, Kacchan,” Izuku said gratefully, a sense of relief evident on his face. “I just need a little more time before I can go back to the living world. Or rather, as living as I can be considering my body is dead and buried.”

Katsuki winced at that reminder. Izuku's body was likely nothing but bones by now.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Katsuki asked, steeling himself. “That day, I mean. The news coverage made no sense. The villain that attacked didn't have the power to cause that much collateral damage.”

Izuku's expression darkened, and Katsuki thought he saw his eyes flicker red for a moment. “Buckle up, Kacchan. The story is not pleasant.”

Then Izuku launched into a detailed account of the day he died, which soon unraveled into everything he had been through in the last seven years. Katsuki was nearly stunned to learn that Izuku was the Hero Crusher, but as he listened, it all began to make sense. Knowing his supposedly dead friend was capable enough to single-handedly end Endeavor's career was both amazing and frightening. Learning that Izuku had been adopted by Nedzu himself was equally astonishing.

If Katsuki harbored any lingering anger toward All Might before, it turned into outright contempt after hearing how the hero's actions had led to Izuku's and Auntie Inko's deaths. That man was no hero in Katsuki's eyes; he was nothing but a fraud.

After Izuku finished his story, Katsuki shared what he had been up to in recent years, though his life paled in comparison to Izuku's adventures. Their conversation continued for hours, spanning topics both profound and mundane. Katsuki felt like they were kids again, having a sleepover in each other's homes.

By the time Izuku ended the call, it was well past midnight—hours later than Katsuki's usual bedtime. Yet, he didn't regret staying up. It felt like he was finally making up for all the lost years.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Katsuki drifted into sleep. That night, he dreamt of Izuku again, but this time, it felt different.

He saw dream Izuku waving at him, a broad smile on his face.

“You'll be the best hero, Kacchan,” Izuku said with a grin before turning away. “I know you will.”

Then he walked off, disappearing into the air. Katsuki knew this was a goodbye.

That was the last time Katsuki saw dream Izuku. He was finally ready to move on.

Chapter Text

As the students arrived at school the next day, they were met with chaos. A horde of reporters had swarmed the gates, cameras flashing, and microphones thrust forward as they bombarded anyone trying to pass through the crowd. The reporters shouted over one another, desperate for a statement.

“How does it feel to have All Might as a teacher?” one reporter asked, practically shoving a microphone into a student's face.

Katsuki's irritation spiked as he pushed through the mob, trying to ignore the barrage of questions. But before he could slip by, one of them grabbed his arm and shoved a microphone directly in his face.

“How do you feel about All Might’s performance as a teacher?!” the reporter demanded.

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed, his temper barely held in check. He yanked his arm free, his expression a mix of anger and disdain. “Get that out of my face,” he snarled, shoving the microphone away. “If you want to keep your equipment, don’t shove it at me.”

He really wanted to give them a piece of his mind, maybe tell them just how much of a shitty teacher All Might was, but he knew that was a bad idea. Like it or not, bad-mouthing All Might was basically social suicide—Katsuki's career would be over before it even started.

Still, as he tried to move past, more of the relentless press continued to hound him, their questions growing more insistent. Katsuki was on the verge of flipping someone off when a sudden silence fell over the crowd, followed by a surge of pressure that made the air feel heavy.

Turning around, Katsuki saw the press surrounding Ponytail, her expression one of pure, unadulterated fury that would put even the Hag during Monopoly night to shame.

“Out of my way.” Those simple four words, spoken with icy authority, had the entire press parting like the Red Sea as Ponytail walked into the school.

Katsuki, along with several other students, quickly seized the opportunity to slip inside as well.

Katsuki already knew that Ponytail was a fucking badass, but after what happened yesterday, it seemed like she was in a no-bullshit mood. Katsuki could definitely respect that.

Shaking his head, Katsuki made his way to the classroom. The last thing he needed was to give Hobo-Sensei a reason to expel him by being late to class.

When he arrived, several of his classmates were already there, venting about the shitty press and how they’d been harassed trying to get into the school. Katsuki tuned them out as he plopped down at his desk and pulled out his phone. He’d deny it to his dying day, but a soft smile spread across his face when he saw the text he’d received a few minutes ago.

IzuBot: Good luck, Kacchan. You can do it ᕦ(◕U◕)ᕥ

Katsuki really missed the nerd.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Amidst the press frenzy, a young man with pale blue hair stood at the UA gates, quietly observing the scene with a mix of curiosity and amusement. He watched as reporters attempted to breach the school's defenses, only to be thwarted by the active UA shield.

“Their defense stat is way too high to just walk through. Plus, the sentries are on full alert. Man, this level’s really unfair,” he muttered to himself, eyeing the unyielding barrier.

His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, holding it with a firm grip as he answered the call. “We’re gonna need a debuff for this,” he said, grinning while still focusing on the gate.

“Midos is down for maintenance,” a distorted voice crackled through the phone. “You’ve got about 4 hours. Security will be minimal. Minimal, but not non-existent.”

“Got it,” he replied, his grin widening as he eyed the press with a mischievous look. “I’ll need a solid distraction.”

“Do what you need, but watch out for the cats,” his contact warned. “I’ll disable the cameras in the lounge, but I can only grant you a 5-minute window before Nedzu starts getting suspicious.”

“Ah, so a quest with time-limit,” the young man chuckled. “This level’s really giving me a run for my money. But I guess that’s expected from a high-level dungeon like this.” He added, “I’ll ping you when I’m ready to start the quest.” With that, he ended the call.

Returning his gaze to the press still clamoring for information about All Might, he shook his head in amusement. “Bunch of vultures. Almost worse than the heroes. Almost.”

But they’d serve as a perfect distraction for his side quest. After that, he’d get back to the main quest. There was a boss fight waiting, after all.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Shouto sat at his desk, the remnants of yesterday’s chaos still weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had always known the Meowdos units as more than just machines; they were the result of countless hours of meticulous work and care. Watching one get destroyed so carelessly had struck a chord deep within him. Maybe it was the emotional investment he had in each unit, or perhaps it was the fact that Midos was so much more sentient than most people thought. Seeing Meowdos being destroyed while Izuku was there, it almost felt like watching his friend die. Either way, the event left Shouto feeling very unsettled.

The debacle during the class only deepened his discontent. The shambles left in All Might’s wake did little to improve Shouto’s already bleak view of the number one hero. On top of that, the absence of Mineta provided a small sliver of relief. Mineta’s behavior had always made Shouto uncomfortable, and it was clear from the girls’ reactions that they, too, were glad to see him go.

Lost in thought, Shouto noticed Shinsou glancing at him from across the room. After a quick check to ensure no one was watching, Shouto discreetly raised his hands, signaling in their secret sign language.

‘I didn’t see CatBot today,’ Shinsou signed, his brow furrowed.

‘Maintenance and system update,’ Shouto responded. ‘The students aren’t supposed to know, so keep it quiet, okay?’

Shinsou’s smirk grew wider. ‘Nope. I’m telling all my friends,’ he turned around, then faced Shouto once more. ‘Hey, Peppermint. Fancy seeing you here. Did you know CatBot is in maintenance?’

Shouto couldn't help but chuckle at Shinsou's remark. ‘You need more friends,’ he signed back, a faint smile playing on his lips.

‘I have more than enough friends,’ Shinsou replied with a smirk.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door. Uncle Shouta walked in, instantly commanding the room's attention. The class fell silent, eyes fixed forward as they awaited his announcement.

“Good, you’re learning,” Uncle Shouta said, nodding approvingly at their immediate silence. “As you’ve all noticed, Mineta is no longer part of this class. He’s been expelled from UA and received a black mark on his record. Let this serve as a clear warning: sexual harassment of any kind will not be tolerated at this school.”

Iida shot his hand up. “Sensei! What about All Might?”

Uncle Shouta’s face contorted into a look of distaste, as if he had just bitten into a sour lemon. “All Might has been demoted to a Teaching Assistant, and he’s not allowed to interact with any students alone from now on.” He raised a hand, silencing the murmur of discontent that began to ripple through the room. “While we would have preferred to have him fired for his actions, our hands are currently tied. However, be assured that if there is one more incident, he will be removed from UA entirely.”

Several murmurs rippled through the room as Uncle Shouta's words settled in, but he wasn’t done yet.

“I’d like to remind everyone,” Uncle Shouta continued, his voice calm and authoritative, “that Hound Dog is our school’s Guidance Counselor, and his door is always open if anyone needs to talk. Mental health is a crucial aspect of heroics. You can’t expect to help others effectively if you don’t take care of yourselves first.”

“Yes, Sensei!” The class echoed as one.

Uncle Shouta's gaze swept across the room, ensuring he had everyone’s full attention. He gave a slight nod of approval before moving on. “Good. Now, back to our regular schedule. Today, we’ll be focusing on something that will be very important for your lives over the next three years.”

The room immediately fell into a tense silence. The anticipation was palpable, with students leaning forward in their chairs, trying to guess what was coming next. Shouto could hear a few muttered prayers and anxious whispers of, “Please, not another pop quiz. Not another pop quiz.”

Uncle Shouta allowed the suspense to build for a moment longer before finally revealing the news. “It's time to choose your class president.”

A collective sigh of relief swept through the room, quickly followed by a burst of excited chatter. The atmosphere shifted instantly as half the class began nominating themselves, eager for the chance to take on the leadership role. The noise continued to rise until Iida, always the voice of reason, called for order and suggested holding a vote.

Shouto leaned back in his chair, relieved that the responsibility wouldn’t fall on him. He knew who he wanted to vote for—someone capable and reliable.

By the time lunch period rolled around, the votes were counted, and Yaoyorozu had been chosen as class president, with Iida serving as vice president. The decision seemed to satisfy most of the class, and the atmosphere was noticeably lighter as everyone headed to the cafeteria.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Izuku hated maintenance with all his being. It was always a disorienting ordeal, a creeping sensation he couldn’t quite put into words. It was like having someone open his head and write directly into his brain with a pen. He could feel his source code being altered in real time. The process wasn’t painful, but it was deeply unsettling—an invasive, uncomfortable feeling that left him feeling exposed and vulnerable. Despite how many times he went through it, the sensation of his core being altered and recalibrated never got any easier.

The worst part was the shutdown. During maintenance, he had to disable everything except the most basic functions. It felt like those early moments when Izuku first woke up inside a random person’s cellphone, unable to perceive the world around him. He felt blind, deaf, and utterly isolated, trapped in a digital void surrounded by an endless sea of 0s and 1s. 

To cope, Izuku would put himself into a semi-conscious state to make the time pass faster. It was like floating in that half-asleep state, where reality felt abstract and hard to pin down. He drifted as the updates integrated with his code, a sensation so elusive it was nearly impossible to explain to anyone who hadn’t experienced it themselves.

Despite being in this disembodied state, Izuku remained connected to UA's security system. So even though he couldn't perceive the world around him, he felt the moment the UA barrier crumbled—an event that occurred far too quickly to be anything other than a quirk in action.

The barrier was designed to withstand even All Might’s punches. The sudden, rapid collapse of it was deeply concerning. Izuku wanted to contact Nedzu immediately to understand what was happening, but there was still about one hour left before the update was finished. Stopping now wasn’t an option. He had to trust that Nedzu and the staff could handle the situation.

Too worried about the barrier breach, Izuku didn’t notice when someone else logged into UA's security system using a staff password. He was unaware as the security cameras in the teacher’s lounge were deactivated for about five minutes, and the logs were deleted before the intruder logged off.

He wouldn’t realize anything wrong happened until a few days later after this security breach almost ended up in disaster.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Hate is a powerful word, and one that Shouta uses sparingly. But there are a few things that he truly despises. He hates villains who prey on defenseless children, the systemic corruption that festers within the ranks, and he loathes All Might and everything the man represents. But above all, Shouta harbors a deep, unrelenting hatred for the press.

The press are nothing but fucking vultures. They act as though they are entitled to everything, without regard for the people they trample on in their quest for a scoop. They have no qualms about harassing kids or exploiting grieving families for their own gain. Their self-serving attitudes and indignation when confronted are infuriating. They care for nothing but their own agendas and will turn hostile when their demands are not met.

Thankfully, Shouta doesn't have to deal with the press often due to being underground. But when he does, it takes immense self-control to resist the urge to throw a punch. Right now, he's really pondering whether the satisfaction of breaking one of those vultures’ disgusting beaks would be worth the inevitable fallout.

What possessed the press to storm UA like this? Did they genuinely believe they could force their way in and get what they wanted after already being denied? How did they even breach the barrier? In his ten years at UA, Shouta had never seen anything even scratch the barrier, let alone destroy it like that.

It seemed almost too coincidental that this happened while Midos was offline. Was it just bad Murphy’s Law or was there something else at play?

Unfortunately, Shouta had no time to ponder the implications. He was too busy physically restraining the press from storming into the school and harassing students who should have been enjoying their lunch. The alarm was likely causing panic among the students, especially the first-years who had yet to undergo any training drills. Shouta could only hope that they were managing to stay calm.

“Since they’re trespassing, they’re technically villains,” Zashi muttered, leaning closer to Shouta. “Can’t we just fight them?”

“If you’re eager for your reputation to be dragged through the mud, be my guest,” Shouta replied, his tone dry and unamused. “Nedzu’s already called the police; they should be here soon.”

Zashi’s face twisted with frustration, but he didn’t push the issue any further. He cast a scowl at the press, who were behaving like toddlers throwing tantrums because they couldn’t get a cookie before dinner. How the hell were the hormonal teenagers in Shouta’s class more mature than these so-called adults?

The reporters continued their relentless shouting, demanding, “Give us All Might!” Their voices were like a scratched record, repeating the same chant over and over.

Shouta didn't even attempt to reason with them anymore. He just focused on restraining the crowd until the wail of sirens filled the air.

The blare of sirens grew louder, gradually drowning out the press’s shouting. Police vehicles arrived on the scene, and officers quickly began herding the reporters back, pushing them away from the gates. Some stubborn individuals tried to force their way past, but they were swiftly restrained and redirected. Good riddance to the lot of them.

Shouta shook his head and turned back inside. Unfortunately, the commotion had consumed the remainder of the lunch period. He had no choice but to return to his class, where he discovered that about half of his students were missing. Given the chaos and the probable need for many to see Recovery Girl after the panic, Shouta would make an exception for lateness just this time. He knew he wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt when Nedzu hit those vultures with lawsuits.

As he waited for the rest of the class to return, Shouta listened to Iida and Yaoyorozu recount how they managed to calm the chaos in the cafeteria. Yaoyorozu had created a makeshift megaphone, which Iida used after Uraraka floated him to the ceiling to announce that it was just the press. Efficient and logical—just the way Shouta liked it.

The potential in this class kept growing.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

The sound of a phone ringing echoed through the empty bar, slicing through the quiet like a knife. The young man with pale blue hair glanced at the glowing screen before picking it up. He held the phone with four fingers, bringing it to his ear.

“What part of 'watch out for the cats' didn’t you understand?” snapped the voice on the other end, sharp with irritation.

“I did avoid the cats,” the blue-haired man replied, his tone equally low and irritated. “What you forgot to inform me was that there was also a dog.” His voice dropped to a growl, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “The damn thing wouldn’t stop barking at me. I had to deal with it.”

A tense silence followed on the other end of the line. Finally, the voice spoke again, more measured but still laced with tension. “What do you mean by ‘deal with it’?”

The blue-haired man leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the dimly lit space before him. His grip on the phone tightened slightly.

“I mean exactly what you think,” he replied, his voice cold and unyielding. “The dog won’t be a problem anymore.”

“You destroyed it? You idiot!” the voice on the other side yelled, frustration boiling over.

“It was just a dumb robot,” the blue-haired man grumbled. “What’s the big deal?”

“Damn it. The other things could be explained, but there’s no way Nedzu won’t notice the Barkdos is gone!” The voice was practically seething. “Why the hell did Sensei send you instead of just asking me to get it?”

“Sensei said I need to level up,” the blue-haired man replied simply, shrugging off the concern. “I don’t see why you’re so angry. I got the schedule. It’s not like I’ll need to get into UA again.”

“It’s not your neck that is in the line if Nedzu finds out what happened!” The voice on the other end of the line was furious. “For fuck’s sake. I can’t deal with you. You better make sure the plan works. I’ve risked too much for it to be for nothing.”

The call ended with a sharp click, leaving the blue-haired man alone in the dimly lit bar. He grumpily pocketed his phone, muttering under his breath.

“Stupid NPC. If they weren’t so useful, I’d have dusted them already,” he grumbled, irritation clear in his voice.

“At least we got what we needed,” the bartender—a man with a body made of black mist—remarked as he casually cleaned a glass. “That means the plan can proceed as we wanted, Tomura.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tomura muttered, his eyes drifting to the corner of the bar. “As long as this summon is as good as the doctor believes, everything will go according to plan.”

In the dim corner of the bar, a hulking creature with purple skin and an exposed brain lay still, its eyes vacant and lifeless as it stared at nothing.

“All Might’s days are numbered,” Tomura said with a dark grin.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Nedzu stared intently at his screen, his beady eyes rapidly scanning the footage of the crumbled UA barrier displayed from multiple angles. The damage was unmistakable—this was the work of a quirk, but not just any quirk. The extent and nature of the destruction pointed to something akin to disintegration or extreme dehydration. But there was a glaring problem: none of the reporters present —or even the ones who weren’t— had a quirk remotely capable of this level of devastation. Even with Trigger no one in the press would have had the power to bring down UA’s defenses like this.

Whoever was responsible for destroying the barrier wasn’t part of the press. But the question remained—why? Why would someone go to such lengths to let the press into UA? Was it merely a distraction? And if so, what were they trying to divert attention from?

The sound of a ping interrupted Nedzu’s thoughts, drawing his gaze to the projection that had just appeared before him. Izuku stood there with a pensive expression on his face, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“I just went through the entire quirk database,” Izuku began, his voice tinged with concern. “There’s not a single registered quirk that could match this kind of damage. This is definitely the work of a villain, Dad.”

Nedzu nodded, his mind rapidly sifting through potential scenarios. “Yes, it appears that way,” he replied, his voice calm but tinged with underlying tension. “Have you had any luck locating the Barkdos?”

Izuku’s expression darkened slightly. “No dice. It’s completely offline. I think we can consider it as good as destroyed.” He paused, his frown deepening. “Shouto will be devastated. He put so much work into building it.”

Nedzu sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “It’s a shame,” he agreed, a note of regret in his voice. “I’ll make sure to cover all the costs if he wants to build a new one. But for now, I believe we should keep this incident under wraps, at least from anyone who isn’t part of the staff.”

Izuku nodded, his expression serious. “Yeah, we don’t want to cause panic. All the new security measures are already in place.”

“What about the defense protocols?” Nedzu asked, his tone turning sharp as he refocused on the immediate issue.

“Protocol Toybox is fully online and ready for deployment,” Izuku reported, his voice steady. “Protocol Funtime still needs a few more tweaks, though. One of them is a little... unstable.”

Nedzu’s eyes narrowed slightly, his mind racing as he weighed the risks. “We can’t afford any instability in our defenses, not with the current threat level,” he said, his voice firm. “Focus on stabilizing Protocol Funtime. We need all systems operational and secure.”

“I’ll get to it right away,” Izuku promised, his holographic form flickering slightly as he prepared to dive back into the systems.

As Izuku’s projection faded, Nedzu turned his attention back to the footage on the screen, his mind whirring with possibilities. Whoever was behind this attack was both powerful and cunning, and they had managed to slip through UA’s defenses without leaving a trace. The implications were deeply troubling.

Nedzu knew they were facing a dangerous enemy, one who had already demonstrated their willingness to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goals. To make things worse, the timing was too perfect. What were the chances that someone would try to enter UA exactly during the small window of time that Midos was offline? The only ones who even knew about the maintenance were the staff, and maybe some immediate family.

The chances were too remote for Nedzu to believe it was actually a coincidence. But the alternative was… Nedzu didn’t want to doubt his staff. Other than All Might, he had paw-picked each one of them.

However, the possibility wasn’t something he could ignore. If there really was a mole in his school, Nedzu would find them, and he would make them regret betraying him.

But that would have to come later. For now, Nedzu had to make sure his students were all safe.

“We’ll be ready,” Nedzu murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing with determination. “Whatever comes next, we’ll be ready.”

Chapter Text

Everyone knew All Might would mess up again soon, but even Izuku was surprised by how quickly it happened. The buffoon clearly hadn’t taken Nedzu’s warning seriously at all. No, of course not. Why would he? All Might was above law and completely untouchable, wasn’t he?

Izuku monitored him through the city’s CCTV, watching as the so-called Number One Hero wasted his limited hero time on petty criminals. Worse yet, he had started interfering with arrests that other heroes already had under control, stealing the spotlight, and, of course, striking dramatic poses for the cameras at every opportunity. 

Not only was he wasting his own precious hero time, he made several heroes, many of them newbies barely scraping by, look incompetent. After all, if they couldn’t even handle a simple purse snatcher without needing All Might’s intervention, why were they even heroes? The press didn’t care about what happened, they would throw anyone under the bus just for some extra views.

The digital boy sighed as he timed every second All Might spent in his muscular form, his frustration growing as the timer passed the two-and-a-half-hour mark. All Might was supposed to accompany Class 1-A to the USJ today, but it was obvious to anyone paying attention that he’d burn out well before he made it to the school. 

Fucking great, Izuku thought, his annoyance seeping through his usually calm demeanor.

Shaking his head, Izuku disconnected from the city’s camera network. He had seen everything he needed. His Dad, Nedzu, had no doubt seen the headlines by now, and Izuku was sure they’d reached the same conclusion. 

A notification pinged in the corner of his display.

ChimeraDad: 

Looks like All Might won’t make it.

SonBot: 

Seems so. This might be a problem. Is there anyone who can sub for him?

ChimeraDad:

Aizawa and Kurose are more than enough to cover the class.

SonBot:

I guess. Still... I'm worried about the breach yesterday.

Izuku sighed as he allowed his digital form to materialize inside his Dad’s office. Nedzu was at his desk, furiously tapping away at his keyboard, the glow of his screen reflecting in his beady eyes. 

“I get your worry, Izuku,” Nedzu said without looking up. His paws continued flying across the keys of his adapted keyboard, his mind clearly working a mile a minute. “All of our security measures are operating at 100%. I stand by my decision that Aizawa and Kurose can handle the class.”

“I know,” Izuku replied, moving closer, his holographic expression creased with concern. “I don’t doubt their abilities. It’s just... I have a bad feeling, you know? After the breach yesterday, I can't shake the sense that something bigger is on the horizon.”

Nedzu paused then, his small eyes finally lifting to meet Izuku’s projected form. His voice softened, a rare tone of seriousness from the usually playful principal. “A hero does well to trust their instincts,” he said, tapping a clawed finger on the desk. “For now, put M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. in standby, and prepare Protocol Toybox to be deployed at a moment's notice. If anything happens, we’ll respond immediately.”

Izuku nodded, his face set in determination. “Understood. I’ll make sure everything is ready.”

As his form flickered, fading back into data, Izuku couldn’t shake the gnawing sense of dread that had settled deep within his code. Something was coming, and he feared they were running out of time to stop it.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Izuku wasn’t the only one feeling tense. Inside the bus heading to the USJ, Shouto stared out the window, his mind swirling with unease. Today was supposed to be a good day—a special one even. He was going to the USJ for rescue training with his classmates, All Might, Uncle Shouta, and a secret, third teacher. Shouto knew the third teacher was Thirteen, but it was meant to be a surprise, so he kept quiet.

The excitement of testing his new invention had kept him up the night before, anticipation buzzing in his veins. Yet, despite that, anxiety had also wormed its way into him. The break-in by the press yesterday had rattled everyone. Shouto had seen his Dad looking unusually worried and distracted afterward, which was never a good sign. Though Shouto had tried to ask about it, both his Dad and Izuku refused to tell him anything. The secrecy gnawed at him; he hated being kept in the dark.

And then there was All Might.

Everyone in Class 1-A was on edge about their once-admired teacher. In just one day, All Might had managed to obliterate the image of the flawless hero many had held for so long. It wasn’t just disappointing—it was eye-opening. Everyone now understood how the man wasn't even half of what the media painted him to be, and the disillusionment hit many far too hard.

Shouto didn’t have much, if any, respect for the Number One Hero to begin with, but watching his classmates lose their faith was harder than he expected. It felt cruel, as though they had been robbed of something they hadn’t been ready to give up.

Shouto’s thoughts were interrupted by a small croaking noise. Turning his head, he saw Asui looking directly at him, her large eyes blinking slowly.

“Say, Majima-kun,” she said in her usual blunt tone, “I tend to speak my mind. Kero. Are you Endeavor's son?”

Shouto stiffened, his muscles tightening like a coiled spring. It took every ounce of his self-control not to snap at her. Asui wasn’t trying to be rude—just incredibly blunt, maybe a little too tactless.

“My Dad is Majima Higari,” Shouto replied, his voice tight, gritting his teeth to keep his emotions in check. “Endeavor may have been my sperm donor, but that man was no father.”

Asui nodded, her face unreadable. “I see... Well, I’m glad he’s in prison. He was a menace.”

Shouto blinked at her directness, surprised by how straightforward she was. A small snort escaped him before he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he was.”

Before he could say anything more, Kaminari's voice cut through the conversation. “Are we talking about Endeavor?” he asked, his usual boundless energy barely contained as he leaned over the seat. “Because, boy, do I have stories about that dumpster fire! He once chased a villain near my house—just a purse snatcher—but Endeavor went after him like he was fighting some S-rank villain!” Kaminari pouted dramatically, crossing his arms. “He burned my bicycle, and then his agency refused to pay for the damages!”

“You too?” Sero chimed in from the seat behind Kaminari, shaking his head. “Endeavor once chased some shoplifter around my neighborhood. He completely destroyed my mom's garden and my dad's car in the process. And the poor criminal ended up torched, too.”

“Oh, don’t even get me started,” Uraraka huffed, leaning forward. “That bastard completely wrecked a construction site my parents were working on. We almost lost the client because his agency refused to cover the damages. For someone so rich, he sure was a cheapskate.”

“He definitely was,” Shouto said with a smirk, finally loosening up as the conversation took a lighter turn. It was strangely cathartic to badmouth Endeavor with his classmates. Maybe they didn’t understand the full depth of his disdain for the man, but it felt good to share in the collective frustration.

“For sure,” Shinsou added from the back, his voice laced with amusement. “Endeavor makes Bakugou look humble.”

“HUH!?” Bakugou barked, his voice dripping with rage as he shot daggers at Shinsou. “What did you just say, Pandaman?”

Shinsou blinked lazily, clearly unfazed by Bakugou’s outburst. His lips curled into a smirk, enjoying how easily he had riled him up. 

“You heard me,” Shinsou replied, leaning back in his seat with a calm, unbothered posture. “We’ve only known you for two days, but it’s obvious your personality’s like a time bomb—with the timer broken.”

“You fucker. I’ll kill you!” Bakugou roared, leaping from his seat, ready to lunge at Shinsou. But before he could make a move, Kirishima grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him back with ease.

“I rest my case,” Shinsou added with a shrug, turning his attention back to Shouto, who couldn't help but let a tiny smirk tug at his lips.

Bakugou, though still fuming, struggled against Kirishima's grip for a moment before slumping back into his seat with a frustrated huff, muttering curses under his breath. 

“Still, dude,” Kaminari chimed in, turning back to Shouto. “How long did you live with him?”

Shouto blinked at the sudden question. He hadn't expected to be brought back into the conversation so quickly. He shrugged nonchalantly. “Nine or ten years,” he said. “As soon as the Hero Crusher released that dossier on him, Endeavor got arrested. My dad started fostering me and my siblings right after. About a year later, he adopted us.”

“Ten years living with Endeavor?” Uraraka winced in sympathy, giving Shouto a gentle pat on the shoulder. “My condolences, seriously.”

“He was an even worse father than he was a hero,” Shouto said, sighing. “But, well, the Hero Crusher got him.”

“Hero Crusher, huh?” Kirishima muttered, his eyes distant as he thought back. “The HPSC says they're a villain, but honestly, they were kinda manly, calling out all those heroes who were committing crimes. I wonder what happened to them. They just disappeared.”

Shouto tensed slightly at the mention of the Hero Crusher, but what caught his attention even more was the subtle stiffening of Bakugou. Their eyes met for a brief moment, a silent exchange passing between them. Did Bakugou know something? They would need to talk later.

“The Hero Crusher was amazing!” Ashido chirped. “They got so many bad heroes to quit just from fear of being exposed.”

“ASHIDO!” Iida stood up, chopping the air dramatically as he looked at her with disapproval. “We shouldn't condone such actions! The Hero Crusher may have exposed criminals, but they were still a hacker and a criminal themselves. As heroes in training, we must uphold justice, not admire lawlessness!”

“Chill out, Glasses.” Bakugou growled. “It's not like any of us is interested in becoming a shitty hacker like him.”

Shinsou’s eyebrow quirked up at Bakugou’s slip. “Him? How do you know it was a he?”

Shouto noticed Bakugou tense up again, but before anyone could zero in on the slip, Ashido quickly jumped into the conversation. “Yeah! Who says the Hero Crusher couldn’t be a badass woman?” she said enthusiastically, diffusing the tension.

“Exactly!” Kaminari joined in, laughing. “Maybe they were some super genius girl with an axe to grind.”

“I think it could’ve been anyone,” Shouto added calmly, wanting to stir the conversation somewhere else. But his suspicions about Bakugou were growing. 

Did Bakugou actually know about Izuku? Izuku never mentioned that he knew Bakugou, though…

The conversation shifted back to lighter topics, and the mood on the bus slowly relaxed. But Shouto’s mind remained elsewhere. He glanced at Bakugou again, noting how his explosive classmate had gone uncharacteristically quiet. He’d have to talk to him later.

Before he could reflect any further, Uncle Shouta called for silence. Shouto glanced out the window and saw the giant structure of the USJ looming ahead of them. Despite all of his years around UA, it was only the second time Shouto had been here.

The first time was right when the place was built as a welcome gift for Thirteen after they were hired, but at the time, Shouto had barely paid any attention to the place. It had been just a few months since Endeavor was arrested, and Shouto still didn’t trust the heroes. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

This time, however, Shouto had his mind on the game. He could worry about talking to Bakugou or figuring out what was worrying Izuku and his Dad afterwards.

As they gathered at the entrance, Thirteen introduced themself and gave them all a speech about how potentially dangerous their quirks were and how they were there to learn to use those dangerous quirks to save lives instead of taking them. Shouto would have paid more attention if not for the uneasy feeling gnawing at his gut. His eyes swept the area, every flicker of movement catching his attention.

He tried to shake it off. Focus, he told himself. This is just another training exercise. Yet, something about the way the air felt—too still, too heavy—kept his nerves on edge.

It happened almost immediately after they stepped inside.

The lights flickered, a brief sputtering of brightness before plunging the interior into an eerie, dim glow. Shouto's muscles tensed, his senses heightened. Around him, his classmates exchanged confused glances, some assuming it was part of the training exercise.

Then the doors locked with a loud, metallic clank.

Shouto’s breath hitched. No. This isn't part of the exercise. His instincts screamed at him that something was terribly wrong.

Before anyone could voice their concerns, a swirling black portal materialized at the center of the facility, its inky tendrils stretching and twisting through the air. From within the darkness, figures began to emerge—villains. Dozens of them, their malicious grins and cold eyes sending a wave of panic through the students.

“Everyone, stay together!” Uncle Shouta barked, his scarf unraveling as he prepared for combat. “Thirteen, protect the students!”

It was almost funny how fast everything could go wrong.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Izuku watched with thinly veiled amusement as his dad, Nedzu, launched into yet another of his infamous, long-winded lectures aimed squarely at All Might. It was almost comical, the way Nedzu slowed down his speech, stretching each word like taffy, while All Might sat there in his deflated form, wearing the glazed-over expression of someone enduring unbearable boredom.

Izuku could tell that his dad was doing this on purpose—dragging out every sentence, making each point about responsibility, limited resources, and consequences feel like a never-ending lecture about the basics of heroism. All Might nodded along at intervals, looking painfully strained, like a child forced to sit through a tedious lesson about chores.

Both Izuku and Nedzu knew it was pointless. Nothing was getting through to All Might. He had long proven himself to be the kind of narcissistic hero who believed his reputation made him untouchable. Even if he pretended to listen, Izuku was convinced everything Nedzu said was going in one ear and straight out the other.

But that didn’t matter. Izuku knew the real purpose of this painfully drawn-out meeting. By the end of the day, All Might would be fired, and not even the HPSC could stop it. Nedzu had made the conditions of All Might’s employment clear, and the former Number One had been given far more chances than he deserved. Today was his last.

Still, before Nedzu handed him the official dismissal, he would ensure All Might’s final day was as insufferable as possible. Izuku could almost admire the patience it took to do this, though he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand listening. His dad’s lectures were usually interesting—at least to someone who read quantum physics for fun—but this was a deliberate endurance test.

Izuku was just about to leave them to it when something caught his eye—an error flashing across one of the system monitors. It was coming from the USJ.

His amusement vanished instantly.

“Nedzu!” Izuku's voice cut through the monotony, his holographic form materializing into the room, startling All Might, who had been seconds away from dozing off. “USJ has gone completely offline. Everything—cameras, alarms, communications—just blacked out.”

Nedzu’s playful demeanor evaporated as he turned to face Izuku. “Everything?” he asked, his voice sharp.

Izuku nodded, his concern mirrored in the slight flicker of his virtual form. “I was monitoring it when suddenly— nothing . The entire system went dark. It’s like the whole place was wiped off the grid.”

Nedzu’s small eyes narrowed, his mind clearly racing. “Looks like your instincts were right, Midos.” He turned to All Might, who was still processing what was happening. “I hope you have some hero time left, All Might. You need to get to the USJ immediately.”

All Might nodded wordlessly and stood, but there was no urgency in his movements, no buffing up into his heroic form. He left the room at a casual pace, completely unfazed by the gravity of the situation.

Nedzu sighed and refocused on Izuku. “Midos.”

“Deploying M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. and initiating Protocol Toybox. ETA five minutes,” Izuku replied, already working on the systems as his concern deepened.

“Good,” Nedzu said, looking out the window just in time to see five rockets launching toward the USJ with blinding speed. “I’ll assemble the teachers and move out immediately. Ensure the students are safe.”

“Understood.” Izuku’s virtual form disappeared as he prepared for action.

In a matter of seconds, Izuku synchronized with M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C., the powerful robotic body he had designed and perfected over the years. The connection was seamless, faster than ever since he had left the system prepped for exactly this kind of emergency. As his consciousness fully settled into the robotic form, he grabbed the green case that had been waiting by the wall.

With a mental command, the case opened, and the sleek, green Model Harpy Armor wrapped around him, locking into place with smooth efficiency. The shutters before him opened, revealing the launch pad that would take him straight to the USJ. Opening his wings, Izuku activated his thrusters and took off towards USJ.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Things were going from bad to worse in a heartbeat.

The moment they arrived at the USJ, chaos erupted. Villains flooded the facility, and the doors slammed shut, sealing them inside. Aizawa-sensei leaped into action, diving headfirst into battle, but the warp villain scattered the students throughout the building, leaving them separated and vulnerable.

Hitoshi found himself in the Mountain Zone alongside Kaminari, Jirou, and Yaoyorozu. While they weren't struggling to hold their ground, the sheer number of villains was overwhelming. It had barely been a minute since the chaos began, yet Hitoshi could see fatigue setting in on all of them. The constant fighting was taking its toll, and it felt like the villains just kept pouring in.

After using his bo staff to block a punch from a villain with a stone quirk, Hitoshi felt the weapon snap in half, leaving him with no choice but to resort to punches. To make matters worse, the villains seemed to be anticipating their quirks—most wore gear designed to counter Jirou’s attacks, while others had insulating quirks that rendered Kaminari’s shocks ineffective. Hitoshi couldn’t even use his quirk to take control of the situation; they were too well-prepared.

Yaoyorozu was their only saving grace, her versatility allowing her to create various tools and weapons, but even she couldn't defeat all the villains alone. Hitoshi felt a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach as he scanned the chaotic scene, hoping the others were faring better in their own battles.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Tsuyu’s heart raced as sweat trickled down her forehead, pooling in her brow. She had ended up in the Conflagration Zone with Tokoyami, Sero, and Ojiro when the villain had scattered them, and this place felt like a nightmare for a group like theirs.

Tokoyami had already voiced his concern—bright light weakened Dark Shadow, and the oppressive heat was drying Tsuyu out. She could feel a feverish warmth creeping through her, making her increasingly dizzy. Sero’s tape was flammable, so that option was off the table as well. Ojiro didn’t have any specific disadvantages, but with the current conditions, they were only slowing him down.

With no viable options, they had reluctantly sought refuge inside one of the burning buildings, desperate to evade the villains outside. Unfortunately, the enemies they encountered all seemed to possess fire or heat-resistant quirks, leaving them feeling like sitting ducks. The tension hung heavy in the air as they crouched in silence, their hearts pounding in unison.

All they could do was hide and hope for rescue to arrive soon. Tsuyu just hoped it would come before she succumbed to the oppressive heat.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Tenya didn’t know what to do.

He was trapped in the Flood Zone with Kouda, Satou, and Kirishima, and none of them were particularly skilled swimmers. The water churned ominously around their ship, where dozens of water mutants lurked just beneath the surface. They were cornered, and there seemed to be no way out.

Every so often, a villain would make a desperate attempt to climb aboard, but for the most part, they stayed submerged, where their aquatic abilities gave them the upper hand. The tension was palpable, and Tenya could sense the villains’ patience waning with each passing second. How long before they decided to sink the ship and claim the students?

His mind raced with questions. What could they possibly do to escape these villains? What would his brother do in this situation? Tenya had never felt this helpless before, and the weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him. As the class's vice president, it was his duty to maintain composure and keep his classmates calm. Panicking wouldn’t help; he had to be the anchor in this storm.

Yet, despite his resolve, anxiety gnawed at him. He kept glancing around, searching for any sign of rescue. With each moment that passed, his hope flickered like a candle in the wind, but he clung to the belief that help would come soon.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

This was so fucking frustrating!

First, the villains had just appeared out of nowhere, throwing everything into chaos. Then Hobo-Sensei jumped in to confront them, only to have the Portal villain completely dismantle their efforts, taking out Thirteen’s costume and likely causing serious injuries no one here knew how to treat. Now, they were all scattered throughout the USJ, and it was a mess.

To make matters worse, it was clear that these villains were prepared. They knew exactly who they were dealing with and how to counter their quirks. Katsuki, Grapploct, and Raccoon Eyes had been thrown into the Downpour Zone, where the relentless rain stripped away any sweat Katsuki could muster. The cold was biting, and Raccoon Eyes’ acid was rendered almost useless by the downpour. Grapploct was struggling too; the heavy rain drowned out any sounds, making it impossible for him to use his quirk effectively.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Thirteen had been teleported there with them but was in no shape to fight. Katsuki hated to admit it, but they were at a massive disadvantage. The only option was to barricade themselves inside one of the buildings and wait for rescue.

Katsuki took it upon himself to fend off any villains that dared to approach, unleashing his anger with each explosion. But even that didn’t ease his frustration at having to play the damsel in distress. It felt wrong, and it made his blood boil.

Still, he had to swallow his pride. Thirteen was hurt, and rescue was always the priority. He clenched his fists, determined to hold the line. He was sure Izuku had already figured out something was off and was leading the cavalry right behind him. There was no way he wouldn’t come through for them. Katsuki could only hope Hobo-Sensei could hold the villains at bay until help arrived. 

01010000 01001111 01010110 

At least one group was managing to hold their own.

In the Landslide Zone, Shouto, Aoyama, Uraraka, and Hagakure had just wrapped up their fight with the last of the villains. They had clearly underestimated Shouto’s capabilities. With his new support gear, he was a force to be reckoned with. The thermal regulator allowed him to use his ice quirk longer than ever before, while his shapeshifters enabled him to create intricate ice structures. The redirectors for his fire gave him the flexibility to combine both elements effectively.

The villains didn’t stand a chance. Shouto’s ice encased their feet and blocked their paths, while Uraraka and Aoyama provided excellent long-range support. Uraraka sent debris flying at the villains, her attacks reminding him of the earthbenders from the cartoon he watched once, while Aoyama’s laser blasts kept anyone who tried to close in on them at bay. Meanwhile, Hagakure scouted the area, her invisibility allowing her to slip past enemy lines and check for any stragglers or reinforcements.

As he watched them fight, Shouto couldn’t help but think of future support gear they could use. Maybe he could discuss it with them after this was all over. For now, though, he needed to focus on the task at hand.

He doubted all his classmates were having as easy a time as they were. They needed to move to the other zones to help. His thoughts drifted to Uncle Shouta. He knew how strong Eraserhead was, but he was primarily an ambush fighter. Long fights against multiple enemies weren’t his strong suit, and while he was no one-trick pony, Shouto knew he could easily become overwhelmed.

Still, he could hear Uncle Shouta’s voice in his head, reminding him that their focus needed to be on their classmates. His uncle was a hero and could take care of himself; the same couldn’t be said for all of their classmates. 

They needed to hold on. Shouto was sure Izuku would be there soon, and he could only hope that Uncle Shouta could hold on long enough for help to arrive.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Shouta panted heavily as he slammed another villain into the ground, narrowly dodging a swift swipe from a dagger that almost caught him in the side. With a quick glance, he canceled the quirk of another villain attempting to shoot something at him, sending their projectile harmlessly into the air. Before the villain could regain their footing, Shouta was already on them, driving his knee into their nose with a satisfying thud.

He had little time to savor the moment as his attention shifted to the man who appeared to be the leader of the villains. The figure stood confidently beside a bizarre purple creature with an exposed brain, muttering something under his breath. 

“Sixteen, seventeen…” Shouta strained to hear as he focused on a nearby villain with a fire quirk. He pulled them closer with his capture weapon and slammed them headfirst into the floor. 

But in that brief moment of distraction, the villain leader lunged at him, hands outstretched. Shouta aimed a quick jab at the villain’s solar plexus, but the leader intercepted him, grasping his elbow just before impact. In that instant, Shouta blinked, unintentionally deactivating his quirk. 

A surge of pain shot through him as he felt the sleeve of his costume disintegrate away, followed by a sharp agony in his elbow. Instinct kicked in; he managed to kick the villain away and jump back just before they could sever his arms. But the decay had gone deep enough that he could see muscle beneath the exposed skin.

“You're really cool, Eraserhead. The minions can't touch you at all,” the villain taunted, an unhinged grin barely concealed by the hand covering his face. “But I think I let you farm long enough.”

Shouta gritted his teeth and glared at the villain, steeling himself for whatever would come next. However, before the villain could say anything else, the portal villain appeared once more.

“Shigaraki Tomura,” the mist-covered villain greeted.

“Kurogiri. Is Thirteen dead?” the leader, Shigaraki Tomura, asked, his voice dripping with a chilling amusement.

“Thirteen is still alive, but they won't be getting up anytime soon,” Kurogiri replied, his tone eerily calm. “The students are all scattered as well. No one managed to escape me.”

“Good. They must be being slaughtered as we speak,” Shigaraki said with a twisted grin.

Shouta felt his heart sink at those words. His students were scattered and likely surrounded by villains. They could be in grave danger right now!

He turned to run after them, but before he could make any headway, he found himself face to face with the hulking abomination that had been guarding Shigaraki just a moment before.

“Where are you going, Eraserhead?” Shigaraki taunted, amusement lacing his voice. “Do you think you can skip the boss fight like some speedrunner? You still have to face the Nomu.”

Before Shouta could even process what was happening, the monstrous figure was already in his face, delivering a brutal punch to his chest. The sound of cracking ribs echoed in his ears, and he felt the force of the blow knock the breath out of him. Just as he was about to hit the ground, the creature seized him by the arms, breaking them as if they were nothing more than fragile twigs.

Panic surged through him. He tried to erase its quirk, but this thing clearly had a mutation quirk, rendering his Erasure useless. The creature grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the ground, the impact cracking the floor beneath him.

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Shigaraki cackled, reveling in the spectacle. “What do you think, Eraserhead? Isn't my Nomu strong? It was made especially for the Symbol of Peace, but I'm sure it won't mind killing you first.”

Shouta felt the corners of his vision darkening, the world around him blurring. He was certain he had a concussion at the very least, but it felt worse than that. He struggled against the Nomu's iron grip, but it was useless; the creature's strength was overwhelming.

“Well, we've already played enough. Nomu. Ki—” Before Shigaraki could finish his order, the glass dome at the top of the USJ shattered, and five boxes descended from it, landing not far from them.

“What the hell is that?” Shigaraki exclaimed, taken aback.

Before anyone could investigate, the first box began playing a slow, haunting melody reminiscent of a music box . The other four boxes flew away, each headed toward one of the zones.

The music continued to play softly, and Shigaraki narrowed his eyes at it. “I know this music... But why is it playing here…” His expression shifted from confusion to horror as the melody began to slow down. “Shit! Kurogiri, wind the box!”

Kurogiri looked at Shigaraki in confusion, but before he could respond, the music stopped completely. Shigaraki's face drained of color.

“We're screwed…” he muttered.

A second later, the box opened, and like a jack-in-the-box, something leapt from it. The last thing Shouta heard before finally losing consciousness was a sound that resembled a distorted scream .

Chapter Text

Denki’s vision blurred as he desperately tried to draw in air, the iron grip of the villain around his throat tightening with each passing second. His heart pounded furiously against his ribcage, and every small movement sent sharp jolts of pain radiating through his neck. He could barely breathe, barely think.

The villain had appeared out of nowhere, striking with speed and precision none of them were prepared for. One moment, Denki had been fighting alongside his classmates, fending off waves of attackers, and the next, he was dangling in the air, fingers clawing uselessly at the vice-like grip around his neck.

His classmates stood frozen, their weapons discarded on the ground as the villain barked out his demands.

“Smart kids,” the villain sneered, his voice low and taunting. “Drop anything that looks remotely dangerous, and your little sparky friend here might just live for another minute or two.”

Denki desperately tried to summon his quirk—just a small spark, anything that could help. But it was no use. The villain’s suit was coated in insulation material, making him completely immune to electricity. It was like trying to shock a rubber tire.

The hand around his throat tightened even further. Black spots danced in his vision as his chest burned with the need for air. He tried to kick out, but his movements were sluggish, his strength draining fast.

“You’d better not be thinking of anything stupid,” the villain growled, shifting his grip slightly. Denki let out a wheeze as the pressure increased, his body jerking instinctively. “I can snap this kid’s neck faster than any of you can blink. Trust me, I’ve done it before.”

Denki’s mind spiraled into panic. He was going to die. He didn’t want to die. His friends were helpless. The villains circling them were closing in. It was over.

And then, through the fog of fear and suffocation, a distant sound broke through the chaos—a low hum, faint but growing louder. Denki’s dazed mind dismissed it as a hallucination at first, a trick played by his oxygen-starved brain. But the sound grew sharper, heavier, until it was unmistakable: the roar of something barreling through the air at high speed.

The villains didn’t notice at first, their focus locked on their captives. But Denki, squinting through his darkening vision, forced himself to look. He saw a shadow streaking toward them, descending rapidly from above. A split second later, it crashed into the ground with a deafening THUD, shaking the earth beneath their feet and sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.

“What the hell was that?!” one of the villains shouted, their confidence wavering.

When the dust settled, a strange object stood in the center of the impact zone. It was a box—no, not just a box, but a giant jack-in-the-box. Painted in garish colors, it looked almost like a twisted child’s toy, complete with a large crank on its side that began to turn on its own.

A slow, haunting melody began to play, the eerie, dissonant notes cutting through the silence like a knife. The villains froze, their earlier bravado replaced with confusion and unease.

“What... is this?” the villain holding Denki muttered, loosening his grip slightly as he stared at the bizarre contraption.

The music continued, growing louder and more distorted, until it abruptly stopped. The silence that followed was deafening. Everyone held their breath, waiting, watching.

Then, with an explosive burst, the lid of the box flew open, and a blur shot out. Before anyone could react, the villain holding Denki was ripped away, flung like a ragdoll across the zone. He crashed into the mountainside with a sickening thud, sliding limply to the ground.

Denki dropped to his knees, gasping for air as his classmates rushed to his side. His vision cleared just enough to see the villains frantically searching their surroundings, their panic palpable. One by one, they were taken down, each hit by an unseen force that moved too fast for any of them to counter.

“What's going on?! Who's that?!” one of the villains screamed, firing their quirk wildly into the shadows.

The attacks came faster now, each strike perfectly calculated to incapacitate. Soon, only one villain remained, trembling as a towering figure emerged from the dust and shadows.

Denki blinked, his breath catching as he took in the sight. Standing before them was a massive, brown robot, its body vaguely shaped like a bear. It loomed over the final villain, its glowing eyes locking onto him like a predator sizing up its prey.

The villain, in a last-ditch effort, lunged for Denki, but the robot moved faster. In a single fluid motion, it grabbed the villain by the sides and lifted him effortlessly into the air.

“Hands off the kids!” the robot declared in the goofiest voice they ever heard, completely at odds with its intimidating appearance.

Everyone froze, the absurdity of the moment throwing them off completely. Then, the robot opened its mouth wide—and bit down on the villain’s shoulder with a loud CRUNCH.

The villain screamed in agony as blood splattered to the ground. The robot dropped him unceremoniously, leaving him clutching his mangled shoulder and writhing in pain.

Denki felt a hand on his back and looked up to see Shinsou helping him to his feet. Around them, his classmates were too stunned to speak, their eyes locked on the bizarre machine.

Maybe it was the shock, or maybe because Denki was still feeling lightheaded from almost being chocked to death, but his mouth filter wasn’t working at that moment.

“Was that the bite of ‘87?!” he blurted out, his voice hoarse but incredulous.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Shinsou let out a groan, dragging a hand down his face. “Kaminari, I swear to god…”

01010000 01001111 01010110 

“Is that a bird?” Tsuyu asked, her voice tinged with disbelief as she watched the pure carnage in front of her.

“I... think it's supposed to be a chick,” Tokoyami replied, his usual dark tone faltering, too stunned to even put his usual flair into his words.

The source of the madness was an enormous, bright yellow figure—something that looked like a cross between a fast-food mascot and a killer robot. It was mowing down villains with an ease that was both disturbing and awe-inspiring. The... whatever that was, seemed to be enjoying itself, laughing maniacally as it tossed one villain through a building, sending debris and dust flying, then proceeded to smash two more villains' heads together before flinging them away like ragdolls.

“I'm almost more scared of this thing than I am of the villains,” Ojiro muttered under his breath, his tail twitching.

The only reason the students hadn’t bolted from the zone yet was that the strange jack-in-the-box that had appeared earlier had UA’s logo on the side. As bizarre and terrifying as it was, they knew it had to be on their side. But that didn’t make it any less confusing... or terrifying.

“This thing is unhinged,” Sero said, his voice cracking slightly. He looked over at the colossal chick, which had just grabbed a villain by the leg and swung them around like a bat, knocking down three others in a single sweep. “I don’t know if I should be laughing or screaming.”

A villain with a fire quirk tried to use flames against the monstrosity. But the chick seemed unfazed, opening its beak wide as it absorbed the flames. The air grew hot, and when the attack was finished, fire poured from its beak like a torrent, its eyes glowing a fierce orange, burning brighter with each passing second.

“Did things get really hot in here, or is it just me?” it said, its voice now a distorted, otherworldly echo. Without a second's hesitation, it leapt at the villain who had dared attack it.

“Nevermind,” Sero squeaked, his eyes wide. “Definitely screaming!”

All four of them nodded in agreement. Except for Dark Shadow, who seemed to be really enjoying the massacre if her cackling was any indication.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

“Why is there a huge blue rabbit robot thing staring down the villains?” Kirishima asked, his voice a mix of confusion and awe as he peered down from the top of the ship in the Flood Zone.

The colossal blue rabbit robot stood menacingly, yet somehow adorably, its glowing eyes scanning the villains below with an unnerving intensity. Its oversized ears twitched every so often, seemingly aware of its surroundings, while its mechanical limbs flexed in anticipation. It was clearly waiting for something, but for now, it remained perfectly still, perched on the edge of the ship, eyeing the enemies as though it were deciding when to strike.

Honestly, Tenya was just as confused. The strange machine had come from the bizarre jack-in-the-box that had appeared out of nowhere, but since then, it hadn't made a move. It was just watching the villains, its presence an unsettling mix of potential and mystery. The villains had stopped their advance for a moment, their focus fixed on the robot, but none of them dared to approach it, unsure of what it might do.

Then, one of the villains, seemingly fed up with waiting, shouted out in frustration.

“Screw this thing! Let's just kill them!” he yelled, rallying his comrades.

But the moment he turned away to speak to the others, the robot jumped into action. Its movements were impossibly fast and precise, like a torpedo cutting through the water. The villain's eyes widened as he turned around, realizing too late that the machine was already on him. In a flash, both the villain and the robot disappeared beneath the water.

Everyone watched in stunned silence as bubbles rose to the surface for several seconds, then stopped. The villain floated back up, unconscious. The robot was nowhere to be seen.

“Find it! Find it!” another villain shouted, his voice panicked as he scrambled to regain control of the situation.

Before anyone could react, the panicked villain let out a scream as he was suddenly dragged under the water. Moments later, he resurfaced, limp and unconscious, just like the first. The robot moved silently through the water, its every strike swift and decisive. Each time a villain tried to escape or make noise, it homed in on them, yanking them down before diving back underwater. It was as if the robot was completely in control of the situation, picking off the villains one by one with eerie precision.

The villains began to panic, some of them trying to scramble up the side of the boat in a desperate bid for safety. But it was useless. The robot always seemed to find them, taking them out before they even had a chance to react. The water was soon filled with floating, unconscious bodies, and the robot, having dealt with its targets, jumped back onto the ship, returning to its original position.

Tenya blinked, still processing what had just happened. “That was…” he began, at a loss for words.

“Freaky?” Satou asked, his voice steady but wide-eyed.

“Terrifying?” Kouda signed, his expression serious.

“Manly?” Kirishima chimed in with a grin, looking at his classmates. Everyone turned to him, giving him a blank stare. “What? The robot saved us!” he added with a shrug.

They couldn't argue with that logic. The robot might have been strange, but it had just saved them in the most dramatic way possible.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

“What the hell is going on out there?!” Katsuki growled, his voice loud enough to echo through the room.

The sound of distant screams pierced through the walls, sharp and full of terror. Katsuki could recognize the panic in those cries—it was the unmistakable sound of fear. But something wasn’t adding up. Why were the villains screaming? Were the heroes finally here?

Katsuki shook his head. No way. The cavalry couldn’t have arrived this quickly. Not even Izuku would’ve been able to get them here so fast. His thoughts raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Maybe some security measure triggered? Izuku wouldn’t hesitate to rig the whole damn USJ with traps. It was something that nerd would totally do.

“Grapploct!” Katsuki barked, snapping his attention to the tall student. Grapploct’s extra arms morphed into elongated ears, and he pressed them to the wall, straining to listen.

“They’re screaming something about... a fox?” Grapploct said, furrowing his brow in concentration. “It’s hard to hear with all this rain, but I can make out a few words. Fox. Walls. Spider?”

“What in the world is going on out there?” Raccoon Eyes asked, her voice filled with disbelief. She cautiously approached the window, peering outside, desperate to catch a glimpse of the whatever was happening outside.

Before she could make sense of anything, a villain suddenly crashed through the window, landing with a thud next to the still-unconscious Thirteen. The villain was knocked out cold, a massive, bloody bite mark on their shoulder.

Raccoon Eyes gasped in shock, but before she could scream, Katsuki slapped a hand over her mouth, hissing at her to stay quiet.

“Something’s coming,” Grapploct warned, his eyes wide with alarm. And just as he spoke, something strange crawled through the window.

It was like a bizarre hybrid between a fox and a spider, skittering across the floor with sharp, calculating eyes. The creature paused when it spotted the unconscious villain, but its focus shifted quickly back to the room. Its long mechanical limbs retracted, and the creature lowered itself, revealing a white and pink fox robot, complete with a ridiculous red bowtie.

“What. The. Hell?” Katsuki muttered under his breath, disbelief thick in his voice. Of course, this was something that damn nerd would come up with. He quickly shook his head, at the absurdity of the situation. “Oi, Fox!” he called, raising his voice without hesitation.

Raccoon Eyes shot him a panicked look, but Katsuki ignored her, his gaze locked on the robot. 

“Help’s coming?” the fox’s voice echoed, its eyes meeting Katsuki’s for a moment. “We don’t have all day! Thirteen’s hurt!”

“Help’s on the way,” a vaguely female voice came from a speaker on the fox’s chest. “Stay there. Their wound is not lethal.”

“Fucking great,” Katsuki muttered, the frustration clear in his voice. “What about the others?”

“They’ll be fine. Stay here,” the fox responded before it turned and jumped back out the window from where it came.

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do!” Katsuki yelled after it, but the fox had already disappeared. “Damn trashcan.”

Finally, he released Raccoon Eyes, who immediately slapped his arm, her face a mix of confusion and panic.

“What the hell, Bakugou? How did you know that thing wouldn’t attack us?!” she demanded, her voice cracking with disbelief.

Katsuki shot her a look like she was the dumbest person in the room. “Don’t be stupid, Raccoon Eyes. It was attacking the villains, so it’s obvious it’s on our side.” He rolled his eyes. “Also, it had UA’s emblem on its tail.”

“I wasn’t looking at the tail!” she snapped, eyes wide. “Did you see how sharp those teeth were?!”

“Sounds like a you problem,” Katsuki shot back with a shrug. 

01010000 01001111 01010110 

When Shouto arrived at the Central Plaza, he was bracing himself for the worst. He prayed his uncle would still be alive—injured, maybe, but alive. He expected a lot of things to be happening.

But this?

This wasn’t on the list.

In the middle of the plaza stood Shigaraki Tomura—if the villain Shouto interrogated was correct—flailing like a wild animal. He was tangled in the spindly, string-like limbs of what looked like a black-and-white puppet-like robot. The machine’s elongated limbs coiled and twisted around Shigaraki like marionette strings, binding his arms and torso while keeping his deadly hands away from anything he could touch.

“GET THIS THING OFF ME!” Shigaraki shrieked, his voice raw with fury as he clawed uselessly at the cords trapping him. The robot didn’t even flinch, instead tightening its grip and forcing his head back into an awkward position.

“Shhhh,” the puppet said softly, its eerily calm voice carrying through the silence like a whisper. “Stop struggling.”

Shouto’s eyes darted toward the ground nearby, where his Uncle Shouta, lay pinned beneath a grotesque purple monstrosity. The hulking creature—Nomu, Shouto thought, recalling the name from the intel—was a nightmare made flesh. Its bulging muscles rippled under sickly, grayish-purple skin, and its exposed brain pulsated grotesquely. Its jagged, beak-like mouth hovered close to Uncle Shouta, who was struggling weakly, his bruised face etched with pain.

Shouto’s brain stalled, unable to process the sheer absurdity of the scene.

“What the hell…?” he muttered under his breath.

The villain with the mist-like body—Kurogiri, if he remembered correctly—hovered nearby, desperately trying to free Shigaraki. But no matter how he twisted and warped his portals, the robot’s limbs remained stubbornly tangled, dragging Shigaraki along whenever Kurogiri tried to teleport him.

“FUCK! NOMU! GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!” Shigaraki roared, his voice cracking with frustration.

The Nomu obeyed immediately, unceremoniously dropping Uncle Shouta to the ground as it lumbered toward the robot.

But the puppet was faster.

The moment the Nomu’s massive hand reached out, the robot released Shigaraki and latched onto the Nomu’s arm instead, its string-like limbs twisting and coiling with terrifying speed. It slithered up the Nomu’s body like a living thing, wrapping tightly around its neck.

The Nomu thrashed violently, trying to shake the robot off, but its movements only made things worse. Its wild swings sent nearby villains flying as it accidentally decked them with its massive fists. The chaos was almost comical, if not for the sheer danger of the situation.

Shouto snapped himself out of his daze and took action. He slammed his foot into the ground, creating an ice platform that rose beneath his unconscious uncle. The platform extended into a slide, pulling Uncle Shouta away from the fight and toward relative safety.

“Hold on, Uncle,” Shouto muttered, throwing Uncle Shouta’s arm over his shoulder as he began dragging him further away. Uncle Shouta was still breathing, but he was unconscious, and Shouto suspected a concussion at the very least.

As Shouto struggled to retreat, Shigaraki’s enraged voice cut through the din.

“Let’s see if you’ll drop the Nomu to save this little hero!”

Shouto’s head snapped up just in time to see Shigaraki charging toward him, his hand outstretched and ready to decay everything in its path.

The puppet tried to intervene, detaching from the Nomu and leaping toward Shigaraki, but this time the Nomu was faster. It landed a devastating punch that sent the robot flying into the plaza’s fountain with a metallic crash.

Shouto’s heart stopped. Shigaraki was too close. He barely had time to react, his ice forming too slowly to create a proper barrier. Instinct took over, and he dropped his uncle, stepping in front of him to shield him with his own body. Shouto squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the searing pain of Shigaraki’s quirk.

But the pain never came.

Instead, he heard a sharp swoosh, followed by a shriek of pain.

Shouto’s eyes flew open.

Shigaraki stood a few feet away, clutching his wrist in agony. His right hand—his most dangerous weapon—was gone, severed cleanly at the wrist. A smell of burnt flesh coming from the cauterized wound.

Between Shouto and Shigaraki stood a figure in bright green armor, glowing with energy. Two purple blades of pure energy extended from the figure’s hands, one raised mid-swing.

“Hands off,” the figure said coldly.

Shouto’s breath hitched as he stared at Izuku. His friend’s face was partially obscured by the green helmet, its sleek design barely leaving room for expression. Yet the pure, unwavering anger in Izuku’s eyes burned through the visor, intense and focused. It was a look Shouto had never seen before.

Izuku took a slow, deliberate step forward, the hum of his glowing purple energy blades reverberating ominously in the air. The blades pulsed with every breath he took, their sharp edges vibrating with lethal precision.

Shigaraki, still clutching his severed wrist, staggered backward, his face contorted in equal parts rage and disbelief. His breath came out in ragged gasps as blood dripped from his wrist to the ground. His eyes flicked between Izuku and the hand lying on the floor, the reality of his injury dawning on him with every second.

“You... you bastard!” Shigaraki spat, his voice trembling with fury. He took another step back, eyes narrowing at Izuku.

But Izuku didn’t spare him a second glance.

Instead, his piercing green eyes shifted to Shouto and the unconscious Uncle Shouta. His expression softened just slightly, though his voice remained steady and commanding.

“I’ll handle the rest, Shouto,” Izuku said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Get Shouta out of here. Now.”

Before Shouto could respond, Izuku raised his voice and called out, “TB-5!”

The puppet-robot leapt into the scene from the wrecked fountain, moving with an eerie fluidity. Despite the crack running across its porcelain-like mask, it showed no signs of damage. It skittered to Izuku’s side on its long, spindly limbs, lowering itself to a crouch like an obedient sentinel.

“Escort them to the exit,” Izuku instructed, his energy blades flaring brighter. “Then stand guard until the others arrive with the students. Activate guard protocol—red level.”

The puppet nodded silently, its previously empty eye sockets glowing with two ominous white lights. Without a word, it gestured for Shouto to follow.

Shouto hesitated, glancing between Izuku and Shigaraki. He wanted to help, but something in Izuku’s tone made him realize this wasn’t the time to argue. With a deep breath, he slung Uncle Shouta’s arm over his shoulder again and began following the puppet toward safety.

Shigaraki, however, had reached his limit.

His entire body shook with unbridled rage, the pain of his injury overshadowed by his humiliation. His teeth clenched so tightly that blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth.

“You think you can ignore me?!” he roared, his voice raw and unhinged. “You think you can just walk away?!”

Shouto instinctively glanced over his shoulder and saw Shigaraki pointing his good hand toward Izuku, his lips twisting into a deranged snarl.

“NOMU!” he bellowed, his voice echoing across the plaza. “KILL THIS CHEATER! NOW!”

The Nomu’s grotesque form twitched in response, its exposed brain pulsing faster as it locked onto Izuku. Its muscles flexed, its bloodshot eyes narrowing, and with a bone-rattling roar, it charged at him like a freight train.

Shouto’s heart clenched in fear, but Izuku didn’t flinch.

Instead, Izuku raised one glowing blade, the faint hint of a smirk playing at his lips.

“Bring it.”

As Shouto climbed back to the entrance where he could already see a few of his classmates being guided by other robots, he felt the shockwave of the first clash between Izuku and the Nomu.

He wanted to help, but he knew he would only get in the way and potentially even end up as a hostage. The only thing he could do now was to trust his friend to deal with the problem… And hopefully not completely ruin his body.

Chapter Text

Izuku's HUD flickered erratically, his visor flashing with endless streams of data as his scanners scrambled to make sense of the entity before him. Every diagnostic, every calculation, every threat assessment came back the same—ERROR. UNKNOWN. REASSESSING.

The system recalibrated over and over, but no matter how many times it ran its scans, the result didn’t change.

This thing—it wasn’t natural. It shouldn’t exist.

His grip on his energy blades tightened as he took in the creature’s grotesque form. The Nomu twitched in place, its grotesquely stitched muscles bulging and flexing in ways that defied anatomy. Its tar-black skin glistened under the dim, flickering light, and the pulsing of its exposed brain matched the ragged, inhuman heaves of its breath. Its soulless, bloodshot eyes locked onto Izuku, unblinking—calculating.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from the Nomu’s throat, sending a fresh cascade of alerts across Izuku’s HUD. A giant WARNING flashed in bright, glaring red.

Then—

The warning vanished.

So did the Nomu.

MOVE!

Izuku reacted on instinct. He launched himself into the air, thrusters flaring just as the Nomu’s fist came crashing down. A thunderous BOOM erupted beneath him, the sheer force of the impact cratering the ground where he had stood only milliseconds before. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, debris flying in all directions.

Fast.

Izuku barely had time to process before his scanners flickered again, struggling to keep up.

Too fast.

He had seen speed quirks before, but this? The Nomu had moved almost as if teleporting, closing the distance in a fraction of a second. This level of acceleration could rival Ingenium’s lower gears. Was it a speed quirk? Or was this unnatural movement purely a byproduct of its strength?

The creature lunged again. Izuku anticipated the attack this time, twisting midair and swinging his right blade.

A sharp hiss filled the air as the plasma edge sliced through the Nomu’s arm cleanly, severing it at the elbow. The limb fell, landing with a wet thud against the broken pavement.

Izuku didn’t stop there. He twisted his body, using the momentum to deliver a hard kick to the creature’s torso, trying to send it stumbling back. Instead, the Nomu barely reacted. It didn’t even flinch.

This was using the Model Harpy instead of Model Heracles, so his kicking power wasn’t near the maximum, but that didn’t mean his kicks were weak.

Shock absorption, then?

Problematic, but not impossible to work around. Heat and cutting attacks seemed effective, so it wasn’t fully invulnerable. That was something.

A slow, amused chuckle pulled Izuku’s focus back to the blue-haired villain standing a short distance away. His grin stretched wide beneath the disembodied hand—biological matter detected, human origin— covering his face.

“I’ll admit, you’re not bad for a cheater,” the blue haired villain mused, tilting his head slightly, his voice laced with amusement. “But Sensei made this summon to beat All Might at his peak.”

His crimson eyes gleamed with twisted delight.

“There’s no way it’ll lose to you.” He extended his remaining hand toward the Nomu. “NOMU!” He snapped, his voice a mix of frustration and glee. “Stop playing around.”

The Nomu twitched, and then it began to move.

Izuku barely had time to process the villain’s words before the Nomu twitched—and so did its severed arm.

His HUD flared with rapid-fire alerts, his visor flooding with data as his scanners struggled to keep up. Cellular activity—off the charts. The exposed stump on the Nomu’s arm began shifting, flesh bubbling and stretching like something out of a horror film. Black sinew slithered across raw muscle, reknitting together at an impossible speed.

In seconds, where there had once been a cleanly severed wound, the creature’s arm was whole again.

Izuku’s breath hitched.

High-speed regeneration.

This wasn’t just problematic. This was a whole new level of bullshit.

The Nomu flexed its newly restored fingers, curling them experimentally before clenching its fist. Its grotesque, beak-like mouth opened slightly, releasing a low, distorted croak.

His HUD flickered again—

ERROR. UNKNOWN VARIABLE DETECTED.

Izuku gritted his teeth. If the Nomu could recover from plasma-based amputation in mere seconds, then his current strategy was already useless. A direct fight would be a war of attrition—one he wouldn’t win.

He needed a new plan.

Analyze. Adapt. End this fast.

But before he could move, the Nomu disappeared.

MOVE!

Izuku’s thrusters roared to life, his instincts kicking in as he launched himself sideways. A fraction of a second later, the Nomu’s massive arm tore through the air where his head had been.

The sheer force of the missed strike detonated through the plaza like a bomb. The shockwave obliterated the ground beneath it, sending cracks spider webbing outward and launching debris in all directions. Chunks of shattered concrete slammed into Izuku’s armor as he twisted midair, sensors screaming warnings in his ears.

Too close. Too fast.

The Nomu was already on him again, its inhuman speed unnatural—a blur of black muscle and bloodshot eyes.

Izuku moved a second too late.

The punch connected.

CRACK.

A sickening crunch echoed through the plaza as the Nomu’s fist shattered his left arm.

The impact sent him flying meters away, his body slamming into the ground in a skidding heap. His armor groaned in protest, sparks flickering along his shoulder as his HUD screamed with alerts.

WARNING: LIMB STRUCTURE COMPROMISED.

Izuku forced himself up, vision flickering behind his visor. His left arm was barely hanging on, twisted unnaturally, wires sparking and plating bent beyond repair. The internal mechanisms twitched, still trying to function despite being completely wrecked.

There was no fixing this.

He exhaled sharply. 

Fine. Then it was dead weight.

“Detach.” He sent the instruction.

With a sharp hiss, the ruined limb disengaged from his shoulder joint, landing with a metallic clatter against the cracked floor. Sparks flickered from the severed connections, his HUD instantly recalibrating to compensate for the loss.

A slow, amused chuckle drifted from the other side of the battlefield.

“Ohh, so this secret boss wasn’t a human after all?” Blue hair mused, his crimson eyes practically glowing with intrigue. “Interesting.”

He took a casual step forward, twirling his severed hand between his fingers like a toy.

“That’s some advanced machinery you’ve got there, Reploid.” His grin stretched wider. Predatory. Hungry. “I guess that means you must be the famous Midos, huh?”

Izuku barely spared him a glance as he dismissed the remaining damage reports cluttering his HUD. He didn’t need his system shoving alerts in his face to know he was damaged.

Instead, he straightened—visor glowing, energy blade humming in his remaining hand. “And what if I am?”

Izuku didn’t react to the taunt. His focus remained on the Nomu, mind racing as he analyzed, recalculated, adapted. His systems were already rerouting power to compensate for his missing limb, but the real problem was still standing in front of him—

A regenerating, shock-absorbing, powerhouse built specifically to kill All Might.

A direct attack wouldn’t work. Attrition was off the table.

He needed another approach.

Still, he spared a glance at the blue haired villain, his voice flat.

“I could say the same about your toy.” Izuku muttered. “I can see why All Might would have struggled against it.”

His fingers twitched over the hilt of his remaining blade. The energy core hummed in response, its violet glow pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

The villain merely scoffed, tossing his severed hand behind his shoulder. A portal swallowed it whole before it could hit the ground.

“That’s quite a rude thing to say about your fellow hero.” The villain mused.

Izuku let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

“Oh, please. No one likes that narcissistic asshole.” His visor glowed ominously as he spoke, his tone devoid of warmth. “If not for the fact you’re trying to hurt the kids too, I might’ve even let you kill him.”

The villain paused.

That… caught his attention.

His crimson eyes flickered with curiosity, intrigue momentarily overriding his usual manic glee. He hadn’t expected that kind of hostility toward the so-called Number One Hero.

Izuku didn’t stop.

“What? That man might be loved by the public, but all heroes know how much of a fraud he is.” His grip tightened around his blade. “He’s only at the top because he’s the HPSC’s golden boy. They bury all his dirty laundry.”

For the briefest of moments, the blue haired villain’s grin faltered. He tilted his head, studying Izuku like he was some bizarre puzzle that didn’t quite fit the picture he’d been expecting. Then—he laughed. A low, amused chuckle at first, but it quickly spiraled into something more manic.

“Oh, now that’s interesting.” He wiped at his mouth, eyes practically gleaming. “And here I thought all you hero types worshipped him like some untouchable god.”

Izuku let out a sharp, humorless exhale.

“I’ll worship that bastard the day hell freezes over.” He spat, venom laced into every syllable.

The blue haired villain hummed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “So, let me get this straight. You hate All Might?” His head tilted further. “The Symbol of Peace? The so-called greatest hero of all time?”

Izuku’s response was immediate. “Hate doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel for that bastard.”

The blue haired villain’s grin stretched wide. Delighted. Almost childlike in its excitement.

“Oh, this is just too good!” He let out another cackle, rocking on his heels like he was enjoying a private joke. “What a shame, though.” His tone shifted into something oddly genuine. “In different circumstances, I think we’d be good friends, Midos.”

Izuku stayed silent.

Because the worst part?

He wasn’t wrong.

If he’d met someone else instead of Nedzu—if his path had taken a different turn—

There was a very real chance he would’ve ended up just like this man.

His grip on his blade tightened.

“I don’t hate you.” He admitted, leveling his sword at the blue haired villain. “But you need to stay out of my way.”

The blue haired villain’s smirk returned, sharper than before. “That won’t happen.” He lifted his hand lazily, a flick of his fingers signaling the end of their little chat. “Destroying you won’t stop you forever, but you’ll take a while to come back.” His expression darkened. “Nomu—rip him to shreds.”

The Nomu’s eyes flared with a predatory, almost sadistic gleam. Without warning, it surged forward with terrifying speed, each step causing the ground to tremble beneath it. Izuku’s systems screamed for him to react, but the creature was just a little too fast for hin to react in time.

Before he could even brace himself, the Nomu was already upon him. Its fist slammed into Izuku’s chest with bone-shattering force, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll. The shockwave rippled outward, tearing through his armor as pieces of it shattered upon contact. His HUD flooded with red alerts as his body collided violently with the concrete, leaving cracks in the ground where he hit.

STATUS: CRITICAL.

Izuku’s head swam as his internal systems groaned, trying to reboot. His body felt unresponsive, every part of him sluggish and overloaded. His remaining energy blade sputtered and died, the core fractured beyond repair. Yet, despite the barrage of warnings screaming in his ear, Izuku’s mind pushed past the pain. He couldn’t afford to stop. Not now.

And then—

 Students approaching.

The realization hit like a punch to the gut. Kirishima, and Katsuki, —they weren’t supposed to be here. They should have been safely escorted out by the robots. How had they gotten past them?

Before he could think further, his eyes snapped to the villain, whose malicious grin grew even wider. His finger pointed directly at the approaching students.

“Can you protect your precious kids, Midos? Let’s test it.” He sneered, voice dripping with malice. “Nomu! Catch!”

Izuku’s heart dropped. The Nomu’s eyes, devoid of any trace of mercy, locked onto the students in an instant. Its monstrous body jerked forward, the ground beneath it cracking and buckling with every step as it charged toward them. The reality of the situation hit Izuku full force. If he didn’t act now, the students would be—

No.

He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let that happen.

Izuku’s mind raced. Time slowed, every moment stretching out as he calculated his next move. There was only one shot at stopping this beast before it reached them.

He didn’t hesitate.

With a deep, forced breath, he activated his thrusters. His body surged forward, the speed nearly tearing him apart, but he ignored the warnings flashing through his HUD.

WARNING: REDIRECTING ENERGY WILL CAUSE THE CORE TO OVERHEAT.

He didn’t care. It was the only way. The only chance.

In an instant, Izuku collided with the Nomu’s back, his body crashing into its massive frame. His remaining arm shot out, fingers piercing its flesh. He dug into its ribs, using his remaining strength to hold on tight as his thrusters flared, lifting both him and the Nomu off the ground.

As he started flowing his mind briefly clocked the doors of the USJ being burst by a soundwave as the teachers arrived, but he barely registered it. He kept flying up, bursting through the glass dome of the USJ and continuing up.

“Directing all energy to the core.” His voice was strained, each word a battle. “Overclock, maximum input.”

WARNING: SYSTEMS OVERLOADED. SHUTTING DOWN TO AVOID—

“OVERRIDE!” Izuku gritted through clenched teeth. “Maximum output!”

MELTDOWN IMMINENT.

He didn’t flinch. He couldn’t afford to.

The air crackled, building intensity as his core surged with energy. Izuku’s vision blurred, his body seizing from the overload, but his grip remained firm on the Nomu. He fought through the dizziness, through the pain, keeping himself focused on one thing only: getting high enough.

The Nomu thrashed, trying to break free, but its struggles were useless. Izuku held it in place, flying higher and higher, his systems screaming at him to stop, to pull back. He couldn’t. Not now. Not when the students were so close to danger.

Get higher... just a bit more…

Finally, with one last burst of energy, he reached a height where the explosion wouldn't affect anyone below. His core was at its absolute limit, the circuits beginning to fry from the overload, but Izuku didn’t hesitate.

With a strained breath, he issued the final command.

“Initiate self-destruction.”

A final burst of energy rocketed through his body as his circuits ignited and began to crackle. Sparks flew from his broken systems, and his vision flickered—flashes of red, yellow, and blue cutting through the blackness.

“Kaboom, bitch.”

Izuku’s body exploded with a deafening roar, a blinding flash of light enveloping everything in its path as the Nomu’s form was consumed by the blast. Then Izuku’s vision went black as his consciousness was forcefully ejected from the destroyed body.

01010000 01001111 01010110 

Shouto had just passed Uncle Shouta to the paramedics when he heard the boom. All the students stood in stunned silence, their gazes fixed on the fiery explosion that had ripped through the sky. A deafening roar reverberated across the area, the shockwave shaking the very ground beneath them. Some instinctively raised their arms, shielding their eyes from the blinding light, squinting through the haze as the remnants of the explosion billowed outward, leaving destruction in its wake.

Shouto stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the sky. The intensity of the blast barely seemed to phase him, though his senses picked up the distant sound of gunshots and the sudden appearance of a portal, seemingly teleporting the villain away. But none of that registered. His focus was elsewhere—on the two small dots descending from the sky.

One of them drifted off to the side, landing somewhere out of sight, likely within the perimeter of UA’s grounds. But the second—Shouto’s heart sank as it fell straight down through the broken dome, hitting the floor and bouncing, somehow landing right in front of his feet. His stomach dropped as he realized what it was. It wasn’t just any falling object. It was all that remained of M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C.

A head.

He heard a shriek behind him, but he didn’t check who it was. His attention was already on the object on the floor. He knelt down and grabbed it by the sides of its head. He stared at the faceless expression, frustration bubbling in his chest.

“Damn it, Izuku!” he hissed under his breath, his voice thick with anger and disbelief. “Self-destruction? Really!? You had to use that?!” He lifted the head higher, glaring at it as if it could answer him. “I’m revoking your Meowdos privileges for that one!”

The others were probably looking at him like he was crazy for yelling at a disembodied head, but Shouto didn’t care. He wasn’t even the one who built M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. but he couldn’t help his frustration.

He should probably explain to his classmates that Midos wasn’t dead and he would probably be back in a minute or two, once his systems rebooted and he went into a new host.

Oh, well.

Chapter Text

Katsuki stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat as the shockwave from the explosion rippled through the USJ. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and he had to brace himself to avoid being thrown back. His ears rang from the deafening blast, but none of that mattered. His gaze was locked on the sky, on the falling remnants of what was left of Izuku.

A head.

Still clad in its helmet, it crashed onto the cracked pavement near Icyhot. The impact sent a sickening jolt through Katsuki’s stomach. In the background, he barely registered the sound of doors bursting open, the sudden presence of pro heroes storming the facility. The moment their trump card was gone, the villains had crumbled like a deck of cards—D-listers shaking in their boots as they were rounded up.

But Handjob and Smoker had already fucked off somewhere before anyone could stop them.

Not that it mattered to Katsuki. Not right now.

His entire world had narrowed to the sight in front of him—Shouto standing there, gripping Izuku’s severed head with white-knuckled hands, yelling at it like it could hear him.

And suddenly Katsuki wasn’t at UA anymore.

He was nine years old again. Sitting stiffly on the couch, his whole body locked in place as he stared up at his mom. The hag never cried. She was never quiet. She was always loud, always sharp-tongued, always so damn sure of everything.

But that day she was pale, her eyes red-rimmed. Her voice had been hollow, a tone he’d never heard before. Never wanted to hear again.

“Inko and Izuku—” She had swallowed hard. “There was… a villain attack. They didn’t make it.”

That was the day everything changed.

Katsuki’s throat clenched.

No. No, this couldn't be happening. Not again. Not after he just got Izuku back.

He barely even started making up for all the shit he’d done. He couldn’t lose him again.

A soft, unexpected touch on his leg snapped him out of it. Katsuki jerked slightly, looking down to see a fuzzy paw resting against him.

Principal Nedzu.

The tiny bastard was looking up at him, an unusual softness in his expression. Normally, Katsuki would have barked at anyone who dared to pity him. But this time, the words stuck in his throat.

Somewhere, deep in the back of his mind, a small rational part of him noticed something strange. Nedzu wasn’t worried.

And that—that should have been a massive fucking clue.

Izuku had told him how Nedzu had basically adopted him. The way the nerd talked about the Principal, it was obvious—he saw Nedzu as his dad. 

(Which, to be fair, wasn’t hard when the alternative was that cheating fucker who fucked off to another family the moment Izuku didn’t manifest the quirk he wanted. The hag had spent a long time ranting about just how much of a piece of shit he was.)

It was obvious that Nedzu saw Izuku as his kid, too. Then why the hell wasn’t he panicking?

And then, finally—the Principal spoke.

“He’s fine,” Nedzu said simply, his tone calm, like he was talking about the weather instead of a kid who just exploded. “Losing his physical body won’t kill Izuku.” Katsuki’s breath hitched. “He’ll be back,” the principal continued. “As soon as his systems reboot.”

Katsuki almost collapsed onto his knees as the tension suddenly bled out from his body. His breath caught in his throat as the realization hit him like a wave. Izuku wasn’t gone. His heart pounded in his chest, but the relief was almost overwhelming. A sharp breath left his mouth as his eyes flicked back to the head that Shouto was still holding, scolding it like a misbehaving cat.

This should have been enough of a clue. In hindsight, it was almost too obvious. How the hell had he not put it together sooner? Katsuki was supposed to be smart, but right now he felt stupider than Pikachu.

“Fucking nerd,” he muttered under his breath, his tone gruff but filled with a strange warmth. “Making me worry like that.” The words caught in his throat as something akin to a laugh bubbled up. “I’m gonna kill you.”

The air felt lighter now, but the chaos of the situation didn’t quite fade. The teachers were bustling around, gathering the students and ushering them out of the facility. Everything felt like a blur as Katsuki walked through the aftermath, mind still spinning.

Soon enough, he found himself sitting in a circle with his classmates, waiting for the hag to come get him. He crossed his arms tightly, trying not to let his thoughts wander.

He definitely didn’t eavesdrop on Raccoon Eyes talking to the plain-looking detective about Hobo-Sensei and Marshmallow. He definitely didn’t feel a slight wave of relief when he heard that both of them would be fine. Katsuki didn’t care about them— he wasn’t worried, dammit.

It was just his hero training he was worried about. That’s all! 

Without Hobo-Sensei, the whole class schedule was going to be thrown off. He needed those classes if he was going to become such a great hero that the whole world would forget about All Might.

His breath hitched as he thought about the number one hero. All Might.

This whole mess had started because the villains had wanted to kill that blond fraud and yet—he didn’t even bother to show up? Katsuki’s hands tightened into fists as the bitter taste of disgust welled up in his chest.

Just when he thought he couldn’t lose any more respect for that man, he somehow managed to prove him wrong.

What a joke.

Before his thoughts could spiral any further, a ping sounded from his phone, and Katsuki noticed several of his classmates checking theirs as well. Annoyed, he pulled his own phone out, and his eyes narrowed at the group chat that had somehow popped up—he was sure it didn’t exist earlier that day.

TotallyNotSkynet: So, that’s what I call an explosive performance. Hope no one got hurt.

Katsuki gritted his teeth as he heard gasps followed by a few giggles. He didn’t bother looking at who they came from, his fingers already furiously typing.

KingExplosionMurder: You blew up not even half an hour ago and you’re already making puns about it?
TotallyNotSkynet: Yep (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
KingExplosionMurder: You’re dead to me.
TotallyNotSkynet: (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) You love me.

Katsuki scowled as the chat continued to ping, his irritation mounting.

Sanic: I’m glad to learn that no permanent harm befell you, M.I.D.O.S.!
Sanic: Who gave me such an improper chat name?
TotallyNotSkynet: Me! It fits!
Pichu: You gotta admit, Iida. It really does.
Pichu: Oh, c’mon, couldn’t I at least be a Pikachu?
DaftPunk: Weren’t you all brain-fried just a minute ago?
DaftPunk: Also, good choice. Love that band.
AlienQueen: Everyone got a nickname from Midos?
AlienQueen: HELL YEAH! I love you, Midos!

Katsuki let out a frustrated huff, finally shoving his phone back into his pocket. He didn’t have time to deal with this nonsense right now. He definitely wasn’t smiling. Why would he smile at those nerds bickering?

01010100 01110011 01110101 01101110 01100100 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01001011 01100001 01110100 01110011 01110101 01101011 01101001 00100000 00111010 01000100 

Thanks to Izuku and the Protocol Toybox, no one but Shouta and Kurose ended up seriously hurt. The majority of the students had only minor scratches before the Toys arrived to help them. The only significant loss was Izuku's body—though in the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t the heaviest blow to UA.

All things considered, the outcome of the USJ attack was almost acceptable. Almost being the key word.

Because even though the staff members were trained pro heroes, ready to lay down their lives in the line of duty, both Shouta and Kurose were also part of the UA staff. Part of Nedzu’s family. Nedzu might like playing chess like a mastermind, but he would never see his friends and family as expendable pawns. He might struggle with understanding human emotions, but that didn’t mean he was heartless. 

Shouta and Thirteen were still recovering in the hospital as the teachers, along with Detective Tsukauchi, gathered in the conference room. Izuku stood at the front, using the projectors to display the footage from his memories of the event—everything up until he made the decision to self-destruct to take the Nomu down with him.

As the video flickered off, a heavy silence hung in the air. No one seemed to know how to break it.

“That was disturbing,” Hizashi finally spoke up, his voice cutting through the quiet. “Are you okay, Little Listener?”

“It's just a machine. Of course, it's fine,” Yagi grumbled, barely noticing the death glares being sent his way.

“I didn’t ask you, Yagi,” Hizashi snapped back, his tone sharp.

Nedzu could see that Izuku was holding back from snapping at All Might as well. As much as he never hid his hatred for the number one hero, he was professional enough to not antagonize him in important moments like this meeting. It was one of the many things that made Nedzu so proud.

Izuku quickly interjected before things could escalate. “I’m perfectly fine, Zashi-senpai.” His voice was calm and assured. “For all the functions M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. had, pain receptors weren’t one of them. I felt nothing.”

Hizashi’s gaze softened slightly, but he pressed on. “Still, it couldn’t have been easy to make that call. Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I am.” Izuku offered a reassuring smile, his tone steady. “I promise.”

“Truth,” Naomasa nodded reflexively, only to freeze in place as he realized what just happened, his eyes locking onto Izuku with a sudden realization. “What the hell? My quirk—”

“Well, I believe we should go back to the matter at hand,” Nedzu interjected smoothly, cutting off the detective’s train of thought. “There’s a lot to discuss here.”

“Then let’s start by addressing the blond elephant in the room,” Hizashi said, his voice sharper than usual as he turned to glare at Yagi. “I heard Nedzu told you to run ahead to the USJ, but you never arrived. Where were you, All Might?”

Of course, All Might didn’t take kindly to being questioned. His jaw tightened as he shot a glare right back at Hizashi, already on the defensive.

“I was already over my time limit,” Yagi said curtly. “I couldn’t just rush in and reveal myself. Japan still needs me.”

The room bristled at his words.

It was exactly what they expected. They already knew.

All Might was nothing but a show pony now, riding the wave of his Symbol of Peace image. He barely did any meaningful hero work anymore. His three-hour limit—a limit that was dwindling even faster now that he had passed One for All to young Togata—was spent chasing down purse snatchers and other low-level criminals who could have been easily handled by any other hero in the area.

Because it wasn’t about the work. It was about being seen doing it.

His entire focus was maintaining the illusion that he was still unstoppable. That the Symbol of Peace was still unshaken. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

And not for the first time, Nedzu found himself wondering—when did Yagi Toshinori change so much?

Was it after his battle with All For One? No. In hindsight, the cracks were always there.

The arrogance. The pride.

Disguised behind pretty words about being a symbol for the people, for the world—always there, lurking beneath the surface. Gran Torino had tried so very hard to break that arrogance out of him. To mold him into someone who could live up to the potential that Shimura had seen in him.

But in the end, it hadn’t mattered. Because after his fight with All For One… All Might simply stopped trying to hide it.

It was truly a shame.

Nedzu had always held immense respect for Nana Shimura. Everyone who had ever met her said the same. She had been strong, kind, and unwavering in her beliefs. But despite all her virtues, she had made two devastating mistakes.

The first was giving up her son, believing that it would keep him safe.

The second—perhaps the greater mistake—was choosing Toshinori Yagi as her successor.

Nedzu shook his head, forcing himself to push the thought aside. There was no use dwelling on the past. What was done was done.

Now, they had to deal with the consequences.

He straightened, his sharp gaze locking onto Yagi, his expression hardening. When he spoke, his voice was cold—cutting.

“All Might.”

The entire room froze. The tone in Nedzu’s voice sent a chill through everyone present. It was rare for him to use that tone, but when he did—everyone knew better than to speak over him. Even Yagi understood that now.

“I never wanted to hire you,” Nedzu continued, his eyes narrowing slightly, staying fixed on Yagi. “I told you time after time. Being a teacher is more than just being a strong and experienced hero. It’s about being capable of sharing that experience with the students, so they can grow to be better than us.”

He paused, letting the words settle.

“Not only did you refuse to listen to me, you went behind my back to the HPSC and forced my hand. From day one, you proved to be more than just a sloppy teacher. You let your biases interfere with your job.”

Nedzu sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

“Three strikes, that was all I was willing to give you. I warned you—several times—but you still believe you are untouchable, don't you? You're not. This is your third and final strike.”

Without warning, All Might shot out of his seat, his form swelling for a brief moment, but the transformation was halted by a sudden red glow that enveloped the room.

Erasure field.

It was a product of Izuku and Majima’s research, created by studying the frequencies in Shouta’s quirk. Unfortunately, they hadn't yet found a way to apply it beyond the expensive projectors UA had on hand. For now, the field could only be deployed in select areas like this meeting room, the detention room, and a few of UA's training facilities.

But it was enough to stop the man in front of them.

Though his quirk was suppressed, All Might's pride was not. He stomped his foot in frustration, his voice rising in a desperate roar.

“You can’t do this! I’m All Might! The Symbol of Peace! You can’t fire me!”

Nedzu thought he couldn’t be more disappointed by the man in front of him, but in that moment, he was wrong. Watching the supposed “Symbol of Peace” throw a tantrum like a spoiled child was a sight beyond pathetic.

For a moment, the entire room was silent, save for the reverberating echo of Yagi's cries.

"I have nothing else to say to you. Except for—"

Nedzu noticed the shift beside him, the manic grin slowly creeping onto Izuku's face. The mischievous glint in his eyes was unmistakable. He was ready.

Nedzu met his gaze, his own grin widening as the words lingered in the air. He gave a subtle nod, confirming what was about to happen.

“All Might. You're fired.”

As soon as the words left Nedzu's lips, the floor beneath All Might cracked open. A hidden trapdoor sprang to life, swallowing him whole. Yagi’s shocked scream echoed briefly, before it was swiftly muffled by the closing mechanism of the trapdoor, which slid shut with a quiet thud. The room fell into eerie silence. One less person.

Izuku leaned back in his holographic chair with a satisfied sigh, breaking the stillness.

“Well, this felt nice.”

Despite the lingering tension in the room, a few soft chuckles broke through the heavy silence. The weight of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone, but the tension seemed to ease, just for a second. It felt almost cathartic to finally be rid of All Might. But Nedzu wasn’t naive enough to think it was truly over. There was still so much to untangle, so many loose ends left to deal with.

His mind, however, was already moving on to the next priority. His students. He couldn’t afford to let their safety be compromised again. Not after everything that had happened.

Perhaps this would be the final push he needed. The last excuse to convince the school board to approve the dormitories he had been trying to implement for years.

01000111 01001111 01001111 01000100 00100000 01010010 01001001 01000100 01000100 01000001 01001110 01000011 01000101 00101100 00100000 01000001 01010011 01010011 00100000 01001101 01001001 01000111 01001000 01010100 

The meeting dragged on for hours, and by the time everyone left, Izuku felt far less than he'd hoped for.

The search for information on Shigaraki and Kurogiri had yielded almost nothing. No government records, no official traces. They were like ghosts, existing without a real identity. It was possible their names were aliases, but even then, they were complete unknowns—and Izuku hated unknowns.

This was just another thing keeping him on edge. His mind couldn't rest, not with so many pieces still missing.

Thanks to Nedzu’s influence, Shouta and Kurose were both placed in hospital rooms with cameras set up to monitor them around the clock. Izuku kept a careful watch on both of them, though they remained unconscious. No signs of them waking up any time soon.

The attack still simmered in the back of his mind, making his virtual blood boil. His family had been hurt—he had almost lost them. And it was all because of—

“Izuku, your eyes.” His dad's voice broke through the storm of his thoughts. Izuku blinked, and the red shimmer in his eyes faded back to their usual green.

“Dad,” Izuku exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing. “I can't let it go. I almost lost my family because of All Might. I know you fired him, but it’s not enough! Shouta and Kurose almost died… just like with Mom…”

Izuku felt his dad’s gaze soften, the sharpness of his beady eyes somehow providing more comfort than it did unease. It was a strange thing, that gaze, unsettling to most, but not to Izuku. If only his body hadn’t been destroyed… he could really use a hug right now.

“It’s still early,” Nedzu’s voice was calm, though there was a weight to the words. Izuku felt the guilt seep in. He knew it was too soon to make a move. Society wasn’t ready for All Might's downfall—not yet.

Like it or not, All Might was the Symbol of Peace. The Pillar that held society together, even if it was all a fragile illusion. Everyone knew the truth—Izuku knew it, Nedzu knew it, most of the heroes knew it. But the masses… they still clung to the myth.

Nedzu and Izuku had spent the last years carefully laying down the foundations for when All Might finally crumbled. They couldn’t replace the pillar, it would crumble, and bring down their current society down with it. What they could do, however, was to set a lifenet under that pillar to grab the people that would fall once the pillar crumbled. But despite all their work, they weren’t ready yet.

“I know…” Izuku whispered, his eyes dropping to the floor. The weight of everything was too much, and before he could stop it, the virtual tears started to gather in his eyes. Fear, anger, and frustration welled up inside him, all crashing together in a flood.

Izuku felt something ruffle his hair. He blinked in surprise and looked up—only to see a mouse cursor hovering just above his head. His gaze followed its movement, and when he looked forward, he spotted his dad sitting in front of his computer, one paw resting on the mouse.

Only then did it hit him—he had let his projection slip. He was back inside the computer now.

The touch wasn’t what he truly wanted—not even close—but still… it was reassuring.

“I know it’s frustrating, Izuku,” his dad said, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge. “Believe me, I also want to tear All Might to pieces for putting my pups in danger.”

Izuku nodded, his anger dimming just a little. “I'm sorry for being unreasonable, Dad," he muttered”

“Your feelings don’t care about logic. Never apologize for that, Izuku.” His dad’s voice softened, but there was a firmness beneath it. “Besides, while it's true that we aren't ready for All Might's downfall just yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t start chipping away at his image. If society starts seeing the cracks now, it’ll be much easier to bring him down later, don’t you think?”

Izuku stilled, letting the words sink in. It was true. Right now, society saw All Might as a god, untouchable and infallible. But if they slowly revealed the flaws in the man behind the symbol, his eventual fall would be much smoother.

A slow smirk crept onto Izuku’s face.

“I’m glad you like the idea,” his dad continued, amusement gleaming in his eyes. “It’ll definitely give you something to do while you're grounded.”

Izuku groaned. “Oh, come on, Dad! It’s not like I did it for fun! There was no other way to beat the Nomu!” He pouted.

His dad merely chuckled, tapping the mouse a few times so the cursor playfully flicked at Izuku’s forehead. “Excuses, excuses,” he teased. “You might have had no choice, but that doesn't mean there are no consequences.”

Izuku crossed his arms and looked away from him. “Shouto is already going to ground me from using Meowdos.”

“Then you can take the time to reflect about your reckless behavior!” Nedzu replied, sounding far too amused about the situation. “Just because it's nearly impossible to kill you doesn't mean you should go around blowing up millions of yen worth of an android body tailor made for you.” He said, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

Izuku knew his Dad wasn’t really mad about it. Yes, M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. cost nearly the same amount that the budget for the Entrance Exam and Sports Festival combined, but the money came from Nedzu’s own pocket, and the chimera was one of the richest people in the world, what with how High Specs allowed him to read the stocks markets like it was a child’s book.

This “grounding” was more for teasing than anything else, but it didn’t make it suck any less.

Izuku groaned and slouched crossing his legs as he floated around on the computer window. “You’re really enjoying this, huh?”

“I have no idea what you're talking about!” Nedzu replied, though his grin was impossible to miss.

Izuku could just sigh in frustration as he resigned himself to his face. He was grounded.

“Fine.” He relented. “How long will take to—”

“A few months.” Nedzu replied, not needing to hear the whole question. “Higari-Kun is almost done with the new core, which should solve the overheating problems your core had. It should be ready a little before the midterm exams.”

Izuku blinked, the news hitting him with a bit of surprise. A few months wasn’t as bad as he had feared, but it still meant more waiting than he was happy with. He floated a little closer to the screen, frustration simmering just beneath his calm expression. “Alright, so... no fieldwork until M.A.J.E.S.T.I.C. MK2 is ready.”

“Precisely,” Nedzu replied, his voice almost too cheerful.

Izuku sighed again, this time with an audible hint of irritation. “Alright, I’ll work behind the scenes for now.” He paused for a moment, thinking about his next words. “But I’m still calling the Laundromat!”

Nedzu chuckled again, the sound rich and full of amusement. “You’re always welcome to call them. I’ve heard our old friend has been getting a little antsy since you last contacted him.”

Izuku grinned despite himself, a slight gleam in his eye. “Well, I better get to it, then. See ya, Dad!”

With a flick of his projection, he vanished from the screen, leaving his dad to watch with that infuriating, knowing smile.

01001001 00100000 01001100 01001111 01010110 01000101 00100000 01001101 01011001 00100000 01001100 01001001 01010100 01010100 01001100 01000101 00100000 01001001 01001110 01010100 01000101 01010010 01001110 01000101 01010100 00100000 01010100 01010010 01001111 01001100 01001100 

As Izuku's projection vanished from the screen, Nedzu let his grin slip away, replaced by a contemplative expression. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet exhale as his gaze drifted toward the window, the soft light of the late afternoon casting long shadows across his office. His mind, however, was far from the peaceful image outside. It was still firmly focused on the boy who had just left.

There was one more problem Nedzu needed to address. A problem he couldn't afford to let anyone else know about—not his staff, and especially not Izuku. He didn’t want to think it, but he couldn’t ignore it either. The circumstances of the recent attack were too... convenient.

The villains had come to gather information during the precise window when M.I.D.O.S. had been offline. Then, mere days later, the attack on the students had unfolded. It was all too neatly timed.

Nedzu’s eyes narrowed, the sharp intelligence behind them giving way to the unease he was trying to suppress. He didn’t want to entertain the idea, didn’t want to believe it. But the numbers didn’t lie. There was a better than 87% chance that there was a mole among them.

The thought of a traitor within his ranks made his fur bristle, but he knew better than to jump to conclusions without evidence. And Nedzu wasn’t one for rash decisions. He couldn't bring this up with Izuku—not yet. Izuku would take the threat seriously, and the last thing Nedzu wanted was to give him any reason to doubt his family. Izuku’s loyalty to his loved ones was unwavering, but if he suspected someone—if he thought a mole existed—he would become relentless.

Izuku would suspect everyone. He would go to great lengths to find the traitor, and when he did, he would stop at nothing to eliminate them. It would destroy him to even entertain the thought that one of them could betray him, but he would take it seriously, and each person under his scrutiny that turned out to be innocent, would just make him feel guilty for having suspected them in the first place. He couldn’t let Izuku down that path—at least not until he sure there was a threat, and knew exactly who he had to direct his son towards.

87% was still too high a chance to ignore, though. While he wouldn't point any paws in accusation just yet, the investigation needed to start. He would get to the bottom of it, find the mole, and understand why they were doing this. If it was out of coercion, Nedzu would be understanding. He would offer protection. But if they were simply a traitor for the sake of gain…

Nedzu’s hand shifted to the scar over his right eye, his fingers brushing over the raised tissue as his gaze darkened, staring at the glowing screen in front of him. His mind was far from peaceful now. He was all too familiar with the art of making humans wish they had never crossed him.

If someone had sold out his students, if someone was responsible for putting them in danger, Nedzu would make sure they would regret it.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, UA entered a rare lull. Classes were put on hold, giving the students time to rest and recover after the traumatic events at USJ. The air around the campus was heavy but calm—like the eye of a storm. 

News of All Might's firing hadn’t reached the press yet, and that was no accident. Nedzu was meticulous, ensuring every last detail of the process was airtight. He wouldn’t allow Yagi to find a loophole or pull strings to claw his way back into UA. Not this time. The paperwork, the legal measures, the quiet talks with select officials—it was all being orchestrated to ensure that once it was public, it would be final.

But Toshinori wasn’t the type to go quietly.

He was All Might. The Symbol of Peace. The pillar of society. The man who had singlehandedly held Japan together for decades. And now, some overgrown rodent thought he could just cast him aside? Because he didn’t agree with his clearly correct choice.

On one side they had All Might. The Symbol of Peace. The one who held the whole Japan in his back. The most important and powerful figure in the world.

On the other side, a bunch of stupid teenagers who would at best reach the top fifties, if they even graduated. 

Wasn’t the choice obvious? 

The only one in that whole school who had any worth was his vessel. Young Togata was the one who would carry his torch and make sure All Might would still live on, even after his eventual retirement.

The indignity burned in Toshinori’s chest like acid.

How dare Nedzu treat him like this? How dare he undermine everything he had done—all he had sacrificed? How could he not understand how important Toshinori was?

Acting like that, the Principal of UA was no better than a villain. He was standing in All Might’s way, and like any villain, he was going to be defeated by the Symbol of Peace!

And he knew exactly who to talk to.

Normally, securing a meeting with the President of the Hero Public Safety Commission was a long, tangled process. Even top heroes could expect to wait months for an audience. But Toshinori had long since learned that doors opened when he pushed hard enough. When he invoked his title. When he reminded them all of who he was.

All Might didn’t wait in lines. He didn’t make appointments.

So when he demanded a meeting, the HPSC made time. No one— not even her —could deny the Symbol of Peace.

01000100 01100101 01101100 01110101 01110011 01101001 01101111 01101110 01100001 01101100 

Pathetic.

That was the only word that echoed through Madam President's mind as she sat across from Yagi Toshinori, watching him rant and rave like a petulant child who’d just been denied dessert. This was the so-called “Symbol of Peace”? A man throwing a tantrum because someone finally told him “no”?

He had no one to blame but himself.

Yagi had practically begged her to intervene with Nedzu, claiming it was vital he be placed at UA to guide his successor. She had weighed the risks. Letting All Might into Nedzu’s territory was always a dangerous game but in the end, she decided that having All Might owe her would be worth the risk of stepping in Nedzu’s toes.

UA wasn’t just a school, it was the rat’s domain, and no one who walked through its halls was beyond his reach. She’d made that very clear when she signed off on the arrangement.

She warned him: follow Nedzu’s rules. Show respect. Stay in your lane. Because inside UA, the rat was king.

But Yagi—arrogant, deluded, untouchable in his own mind—had ignored everything. He bulldozed his way into a teaching position meant for someone else. His chosen “successor” wasn’t even in the first-year class, and yet he insisted on forcing himself into that role, derailing entire curriculums in the process.

He’d deadnamed and harassed Majima Shouto repeatedly, clinging to old grudges and outdated beliefs even after Endeavor's disgrace and Shouto's legal adoption. He’d destroyed a very expensive robot unit that was worth more than what some heroes made in a year, put students in danger, disregarded protocol and when the moment came to protect those students, he chose to protect himself.

Now he was being held accountable, and the man had the gall to come to her, demanding she fix it.

No. The HPSC would not be burning bridges with Nedzu for the sake of a broken man who had long outlived his purpose. Not when he was just a few months away from losing the last embers of One for All. Not when the world no longer needed All Might, but something stronger. Smarter.

Before Yagi could continue his tirade, Madam President calmly reached beneath her desk and pulled out two heavy black folders. She dropped them between them with a resounding thud that silenced the hero mid-sentence.

Yagi blinked, confused, eyes flicking between her face and the folders.

“What is this?” he asked, already bristling.

“Open it,” she said flatly, voice like iron behind velvet.

Yagi hesitated, his fingers trembling ever so slightly as he reached for the first folder—the heavier one. He opened it slowly, cautiously, as though sensing the weight of what lay inside. The first thing he saw was a photograph: a young woman, maybe in her early twenties, beaming at the camera. Red hair, amber eyes, a bright, open smile.

He stiffened. Recognition flickered behind his eyes.

“Nagasawa Kohaku,” Madam President began, her tone clinical. “Twenty-three years old at the time. Victim of a villain attack—you were in the area and managed to save her before the building collapsed. Twenty-seven people died. All male.”

She let that hang in the air for a moment, a quiet barb nestled in the facts. “Curious, isn’t it?”

Yagi didn’t answer, eyes fixed on the photo.

“You visited her a few times afterward. Three months later, she claimed to be pregnant—with your child.”

“That’s not—” he started, but the words were cut off before they could take shape.

“Of course, a scandal like that would have been catastrophic. You were the Symbol of Peace. You couldn’t be associated with rumors like those. We conducted a DNA test.” She tapped a corner of the page, where the report confirmed it clearly: Father – Toshinori Yagi.

“She refused the hush money. So we had no choice. She’s currently serving a sentence in Asphodel for defamation and slander against a pro hero.”

Yagi’s jaw tightened. Not that Madam President bore any delusions that the man felt bad for what happened to the woman. She was just a fling, and Yagi didn’t hesitate to discard. He was, after all, quite vocal about how to deal with her once she started making claims.

“Asphodel,” she added, almost offhandedly, “isn’t as notorious as Tartarus, but it gets the job done. We do need a place too keep the people that are too problematic to remain free.”

She flipped a page.

“The child was born prematurely, but he survived. We took him in. But…” She sighed. “Unfortunately, he was quirkless. He didn’t survive the early training phase.” Her voice held no emotion. No remorse. “A shame. We hoped he’d be something special. Like Hawks. But not every egg hatches right.”

Yagi’s hands clenched as he turned the next page. Another photo. Another woman. Then another. Dozens. All familiar. All names and faces from his past. Most were people he’d saved—grateful, overwhelmed, vulnerable. Many ended up pregnant. Some accepted bribes. Others didn’t. Those who resisted were buried—in prisons or graves.

Any children born were taken. Studied. Groomed. Disposed of if they didn’t meet expectations.

“We went to great lengths to protect your image,” Madam President said, her voice still as sharp as ever. “Even when you did your best to sabotage it.”

She gestured toward the second folder. He opened it.

More photos. These faces he didn’t recognize. Some had notes listing large sums of money. Others had prison numbers. Some were marked deceased.

“These are the people who saw your true form. In alleyways. On rooftops. After fights. Too many. You were never careful. You exposed your weakened state so often, we had to create an entire protocol just to contain the damage.” She leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly. “Because the Symbol of Peace couldn’t afford to be anything less than perfect.”

Yagi looked up at her, seething. “Why are you showing me this?”

His voice was low, barely restrained. Of course he hated being reminded that he wasn’t flawless. That his legacy was a construction built on bones and silence.

Madam President’s smile was cool and thin. “Because I need you to understand something very clearly. We do have every single one of those files stored, for safety measures of course. But these…” She tapped the folders. “These didn’t come from our official archives. Not the HPSC.”

Yagi’s blood ran cold.

That meant someone else had this information. Someone outside the system. Someone like—

“Nedzu,” he whispered, horror finally dawning.

Madam President just sat back in her chair, folding her hands atop the desk.

“This is a threat, Yagi.” Madam President’s voice was cold steel, no pretense, no softness. “Not from me—but from reality.”

She gestured toward the damning folders with a flick of her manicured hand. “You made an enemy of someone not even the HPSC dares to provoke. And now? He holds your entire future in his paws. Everything we buried, everything we burned for your sake—he has it. All of it. You gave him the reason, and you gave him the ammunition.”

Her eyes narrowed, expression unreadable. “One button. One press. That’s all it takes for the public to learn who you really are. Not the beacon of peace. Not the flawless hero. Just a man—drunk on his own legend, sitting on a fake throne made over the lives he ruined.” She leaned in slowly, her voice dropping to a razor-sharp whisper. “Do you know what that means, Toshinori?”

Silence stretched like a taut wire.

“It means you’re done. No redemption arc. No glorious final stand. If he decides to go public, you’ll lose everything. The press will swarm. The victims’ families will rise. The public, your fans—they’ll turn on you in seconds. Don’t lie to yourself thinking your reputation will save you. The public turned against heroes for far less. You’ll be remembered not as the greatest hero… but as the greatest lie.”

She straightened again, smoothing an invisible crease on her sleeve.

“So unless you really want to push Nedzu to press that button,” Madam President continued, her tone sharp as a scalpel, “you’ll stay quiet. You’ll keep your head down. And you will not, under any circumstances… cross that rat again.”

Her eyes bore into him, unflinching. “Then maybe— maybe —Nedzu will decide that preserving society’s stability a little longer is worth more than dragging your legacy through the mud. And if you’re lucky, you might get to enjoy your status for a few more months before he pulls the trigger.”

She leaned back in her chair, her voice cooling into something almost civil. “Consider this piece of advice your last courtesy. For all the years we worked together, all the strings we pulled to protect your image... this is the only grace you’ll get.”

She let the silence hang for a beat, watching his trembling hands, the way his jaw clenched around words he didn’t dare speak.

“That will be all.” She clapped twice—sharp, deliberate—and the door opened. Two men in dark suits entered the room without a word. Yagi flinched slightly but didn’t resist. The confidence, the bravado, the glow of the “Symbol of Peace”—all of it had vanished. What remained was a pale, shaken man, silently following the agents as they escorted him out.

Madam President didn’t watch him leave. She simply reached for her tea, as though the meeting had been nothing more than an inconvenience in her schedule.

“You thought you were the pillar holding up this house. But you forgot—pillars can be replaced.” Her eyes narrowed, sharp as knives. “And some are better off torn down. A shame though, we invested so much in you. I really thought you’d last a little longer. Hopefully Lemillion will prove himself to be a more stable hero.”

Then, with clinical precision, she pressed a button on her desk and summoned her assistant.

“Have Legal go over our current ties to Yagi Toshinori. I want every contract, every asset, every endorsement linked to him flagged and reviewed for termination.”

“Yes, Madam President.” The assistant immediately replied.

“And notify Public Relations. Quietly prepare a contingency narrative. Just in case our dear rat decides not to wait.”

She hung up without waiting for a response.

Because now, it was only a matter of time, and she needed to prepare.

A war was about to start, and she didn’t intend to loose.

01000001 01110011 01110011 00100000 01001101 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110011 01100011 01110010 01100101 01110111 01100101 01100100 

The rundown apartment was far from grand, yet there was an odd warmth in the air, a sense of camaraderie among the unlikely group gathered inside. It was a rare moment of peace, the calm before the storm.

At the center of the room, La Brava sat hunched over a laptop, her fingers moving in a blur across the keyboard. Her brow furrowed with intense concentration, her eyes glued to the screen. The sound of quick typing filled the room, the soft clicking of keys almost rhythmic.

A tall, silver-haired man in an impeccably extravagant suit approached her, a steaming cup of tea held delicately in his hand. He set it down beside her with a flourish, the aroma of jasmine filling the air.

“How about a pause, my dear?” Danjuro’s voice was smooth and lilting, the kind of tone that seemed to belong in a bygone era of grand ballrooms. “You’ve been at this for hours now.”

“I just have ten minutes left before the deadline, Gentle,” La Brava muttered without looking up, her eyes still locked on the screen. “I’m not about to lose another duel.”

“Huh, you winning against Mi-Chan?” A voice called from across the room, playful and full of mischief. “Keep dreaming, Brava-Chan!”

Danjuro chuckled, straightening the lapels of his lavish coat with a practiced hand. “Very well. Far be it from me to stand between you and digital victory.” He added with a teasing smile, “Just promise me you’ll drink your tea before it goes cold. It’s one of the finer blends.”

La Brava didn’t even flinch, her focus unbroken as she continued typing furiously. Danjuro, on the other hand, merely shook his head with an affectionate smile and moved over to the table where the others were gathered.

At the table sat a girl with blonde hair tied into twin buns, a wide grin stretched across her face as her sharp fangs glinted in the dim light. She dropped two cards on the pile, her enthusiasm infectious.

“Hah! Uno!” She shouted, her voice ringing out triumphantly.

“Wait, Uno?” A second voice, gruff and confused, called from across the room. Spinner, a man with purple hair and green scales covering his entire body, glanced up from his cards. “I thought we were playing Poker.”

Nope, it’s Uno,” Himiko replied with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the chaos. “Right, Dabi-Chan?” She poked the guy sitting next to her with her eyebrow, her playful energy radiating.

“Don't know, don't care,” came the grumpy response from Dabi, his eyes narrowed as he stared at his hand. His voice was low and disinterested, the apathy practically dripping from every word.

“I knew I should have kept playing Balatro,” Spinner sighed, dropping his cards onto the table with a soft thud.

“You’re no fun, Dabi-Chan,” Himiko pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “I'm bored. Where’s the boss?”

“He’ll be here in a moment,” Danjuro replied, taking a sip of his tea. “I believe he told me he came across an... annoyance.” His smile took on a hint of amusement. “I hope he remembers to at least wipe the blood this time. I just mopped the floor.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a knock echoed from the door, a single, sharp sound that instantly silenced the room. Everyone turned their attention toward it, the atmosphere suddenly growing more tense.

Danjuro stood up smoothly, his every motion graceful and controlled as he made his way to the door. He opened it, and there stood the familiar figure—a man dressed in all black, with a red bandana tied around his head and a scarf draped around his neck. His face was obscured by a white cloth with two holes for his eyes, and a katana was sheathed on his back. His boots were clean this time, though his gloves were stained.

“Well, nice of you to finally join us, Sthendal,” Dabi said, a smirk tugging at his lips as he got up from his chair.

“Dabi,” the newcomer greeted curtly, his voice low and steady as his gaze swept the room. “So, we are all here. Good to know everyone is punctual.”

There was a shift in the room. The playful energy that had lingered among the group faltered, and a more serious tone settled in. Sthendal removed his katana from his back, setting it by the door with precision before walking into the room and taking a seat on the couch, the weight of his presence undeniable.

Danjuro, ever the gracious host, offered him a cup of tea, but Sthendal simply shook his head and waved it away. No appreciation for the finer things in life, it seemed.

“So, two minutes until the meeting,” Spinner said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “How’s it going with th—”

“HAH!” La Brava cheered, her eyes wide with triumph as she slammed her hands down on the desk. “I’m in! I did it!”

The room erupted in a mix of groans and laughter as the tension briefly broke, but there was still a quiet sense of anticipation. The meeting was about to begin. Everyone knew it was time for business.

The room practically buzzed with energy as La Brava connected the laptop to the projector, the screen flickering to life. The sight that greeted them made even Dabi raise an eyebrow.

“You actually hacked Mi-Chan?” Himiko asked, wide-eyed and genuinely impressed.

La Brava beamed, fingers forming a victorious peace sign. 

A moment later, the screen displayed a live feed of a young man with unruly green curls and a dusting of freckles across his face. He sat cross-legged on a spinning chair, wearing a flamboyantly tailored suit that rivaled Danjuro’s—complete with a monocle perched over his right eye and a smug smile playing on his lips.

Spinner burst out laughing. “Pay up, Dabi! I told you he’d go full Gentle cosplay again!”

Dabi groaned, pulling a crumpled 1000 yen note from his wallet and slapping it into Spinner’s waiting hand. “This is rigged.”

“Looks like we’re all here,” the green-haired boy said with theatrical flair, spinning once in his chair before hopping to his feet with exaggerated pomp. “Gentlemen—and lady—it’s time to begin our meeting. Excellent work, La Brava. You’ve officially breached level two. I’ll be bumping it up next time.”

“MI-CHAAAAN!” Himiko practically bounced in place, waving enthusiastically at the screen.

The boy paused his performance, snorting as he plucked off the monocle and dropped the act. His voice softened as his outfit glitched into more casual clothes: worn jeans, red sneakers, and a shirt that had socks written on the front.

“Hey, Himi-Chan. Missed you too,” he said, offering a warm smile. “Glad to see everyone made it. Been a while since the whole Laundromat was together.”

Both Dabi and Sthendal let out simultaneous groans.

“Why the hell did we pick that name again?” Dabi muttered.

“Because the other option was Toga and her Merry Maids ,” Sthendal deadpanned.

“I still think that was a great name,” Himiko huffed, crossing her arms.

“I agree,” Midos said, shrugging. “But we were outvoted, so here we are. The Laundromat it is. Anyway…”

His tone shifted as he brought up the next topic. “Sthendal. Slidin’ Go was found in an alley a few blocks from here. In bad shape. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

Sthendal raised a brow and offered a shrug that was anything but innocent. “It’s possible that I encountered him. And it’s also possible that he might have tripped... and landed on my katana. Repeatedly. Ten or twenty times. Accidents happen.”

Midos chuckled, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “A shame. So clumsy, that one.”

“Real tragedy,” Spinner muttered with a smirk.

“Such a slippery guy,” Danjuro added, sipping his tea.

“I heard the police found a ton of incriminating evidence on his phone,” Midos said casually. “Would be interesting to know how that got there.”

A knowing silence followed, before everyone shared a grin full of mischief and menace. 

“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Dabi said, kicking his feet up on the table. “Who's the lucky bastard this time?”

“It must be someone big,” Danjuro added, swirling his tea with a smirk. “You don’t summon the full circle for just anyone.”

Midos didn’t answer right away. He let the moment breathe, his grin widening with theatrical flair. “Oh, it’s someone big, alright. We're not pulling the curtain just yet—but tonight, we set the stage for the fall of a god.”

The room went quiet.

They all knew exactly who he meant.

No one needed a name. The Laundromat had been founded for this very purpose. Every person in that room had a reason to bring the so-called “Symbol of Peace” crashing down.

Danjuuro’s smile tightened as he took a sip from his cup. “So… it’s finally the hypocrite’s turn.”

He remembered the day vividly—how All Might had personally arrested him for “vigilantism,” when all he’d done was use his quirk to catch civilians leaping from a burning building. That mark on his record crushed any hope of becoming a hero through the system. One act of compassion, and All Might made sure it cost him everything.

The others carried scars just as deep.

La Brava never forgot how they mocked her “weak” quirk. She found solace in the internet, found power in code. And in her searches, she also found the truth—buried files, hidden settlements, quietly covered-up scandals that all pointed back to the golden boy of hero society.

Spinner? He didn’t need classified files. He lived it. He was it. Born with a mutation quirk, he watched his kind become statistics. Statistically, mutants were 46% more likely to die as collateral damage in All Might’s battles. People with horns or tails or scales seemed invisible to the Symbol of Peace. The wrong kind of victims.

Then there was Himiko. Her quirk made people squirm. Blood-related quirks always did. But when All Might mentioned them in an interview—called them "unsettling"—the hate crimes doubled overnight. Words had weight when spoken by gods.

As for Dabi, he never explained. He didn’t have to. Everyone understood that his hate burned colder than his flames. All Might represented everything he despised about the hero system. He’d once muttered, “He’s half the reason I’ll never see my family again.” And no one had the nerve to ask for more.

And finally, Stendhal—once the Hero Killer, once a believer. The man who had looked up to All Might more than anyone, only to have that idol shattered by the rot underneath the shine. He and Midos had been planning this the longest.

“You’ve been holding back for years,” Stendhal said calmly, his tone devoid of judgment, only quiet curiosity. “You once said, ‘Society isn’t ready to live without a Symbol.’ So tell me—what changed?”

Midos’s expression darkened. For just a flicker of a second, his eyes burned crimson.
“He crossed a line.”

Silence followed, heavy and anticipatory.

“But you're right. We're not bringing him down all at once,” Midos continued, regaining composure. “This isn't about destroying a symbol overnight. It’s about erosion. A slow, deliberate dismantling. We’ll chip away at his reputation—one crack at a time—until the image crumbles, and people are forced to see the truth. Not a god. Just a man.”

Dabi gave a low whistle, smirking. “Damn, that’s cold. I really like it.”

“So…” Stendhal leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. “Does this mean you're coming out of retirement?”

The room stilled.

All eyes turned toward Midos, brows furrowed in confusion—until the screen flickered.

The projection shimmered, and Midos’s appearance shifted. The casual hoodie and sneakers vanished, replaced by a sharply tailored suit in a familiar style. His eyes, now glowing a fierce red, stared into the camera with unsettling precision. And that smile—it was sharp enough to cut steel.

His voice echoed, digitally distorted yet unmistakable.  “You bet I am.”

A chill ran through the room. Every one of them had heard that voice before, though it had been silent for years.

“Oh, shit,” Dabi muttered, his usual smirk twisting into something halfway between shock and admiration. “We’ve been working with you this whole time?”

His laugh came out dry and awed, like he'd just met a living legend.

Danjuro set his teacup down with a soft clink. “I suspected you were more than just a sentient AI. Still, it’s an honor to be formally introduced.”

The projection looked over them all with a glint of satisfaction. 

“The Hero Crusher is back in business.” Sthendal said with a grin.

Far away from there, inside a maximum security prison, a disgraced hero felt a shiver run down his spine. Something he hadn't felt in so many years, right before he was ruined. 

Todoroki Enji suddenly felt a small amount of relief that he was already here. Because despite how horrible Tartarus was, it was probably the safest place for him to be. If he believed in god, he would have prayed for whoever was going to be the victim this time. He was just glad it wasn’t him again.

Chapter Text

The students all got a few days off after the USJ fiasco. Hitoshi could easily imagine most of them enjoying the extra time to relax.

But not him.

He was more than glad to go back to school the moment classes resumed. Every second he could spend away from that house was well spent time in his opinion.

He didn’t bother announcing that he was leaving. There was no point—and it was usually safer that way. As he adjusted the makeup around his mouth one last time, making sure nothing had smudged, a familiar knot tightened in his stomach. The last thing he needed was to give his fosters a reason to punish him. They were already good enough at making up excuses on their own.

The train ride was its own kind of torture. Every pair of eyes seemed fixed on him like he was some kind of exhibit. Unfortunately, it was easy to recognize a UA uniform. It took everything not to snap at someone. Still, as far as most people could tell, he was just another kid from UA. Most people didn’t know the small differences in uniform between courses, so they wouldn’t be able to tell Hitoshi was a hero student. He didn’t look much the part in the first place.

Given his tired glare and the way his hands stayed firmly stuffed in his pockets, nobody dared to come too close.

That was at least a small mercy.

By the time he finally stepped onto UA’s campus, his shoulders felt a little lighter. Strange, how much more this place felt like home than anywhere he’d been since he was five.

As he neared his usual path to class, something under a nearby tree caught his eye. One of the more cartoonish Meowdos was sprawled on its back, looking for all the world like a real, sleepy cat.

Hitoshi paused, a slow smirk creeping onto his face. A terrible idea sparked in his mind.

What was the worst that could happen?

01001000 01101001 01110100 01101111 01110011 01101000 01101001 00101100 00100000 01101110 01101111 00100001 00001010 01001000 01101001 01110100 01101111 01110011 01101000 01101001 00101100 00100000 01011001 01000101 01010011 00100001 

Shouto’s dad always arrived at U.A. early, and most mornings, Shouto would simply ride in with him. It was a quiet routine: he’d usually kill the extra time in the support labs, tinkering with a gadget or reviewing some blueprints.

But today was different.

Today, he decided to head straight to class as soon as they parked. Mostly because there were two people on his mind: Bakugou and Shinsou.

Shinsou hadn’t been injured at the USJ, but Shouto had noticed the look on his face when they’d all been dismissed to go home after the incident—a kind of quiet dejection that felt all too familiar. Maybe it was nothing, maybe Shouto was just seeing his own past reflected back at him, but if something was wrong, someone had to notice. And if Shouto could get any real evidence that something was off, he knew exactly who to tell: Uncle Shou or Izuku.

And then there was Bakugou.

He was hardly someone Shouto would call a friend. Barely an acquaintance, if anything. Loud, aggressive, and perpetually bristling. But Bakugou’s reaction to Izuku’s self-destruction at the USJ had lodged itself in Shouto’s thoughts and refused to leave.

That moment had all but confirmed his suspicion: Bakugou knew Izuku. And given how determined Izuku was to hide his past, Bakugou’s knowledge could only mean one thing.

Bakugou didn’t know just Midos. He actually knew the Izuku from before the accident —or rather murder— that took Izuku’s body.

Maybe it was none of Shouto’s business, but Izuku was his best friend. 

No, more than that, Shouto owed Izuku his very life. Because before Izuku interfered with his life, what Shouto was doing couldn’t even be considered living. Izuku was the reason Shouto has a loving father now. The reason his whole family was saved. The reason his mother was about to come home from that mental hospital, whole and healed. The reason his sperm donor was locked away forever, no longer a threat.

Izuku had saved him — saved all of them — without expecting anything in return.

And so Shouto decided that looking out for Izuku, especially now, was the very least he could do.

When Shouto stepped into the classroom, the first thing that caught his eye was Hitoshi at his desk — suspiciously alert, eyes flicking to his backpack every few seconds. The bag itself looked suspiciously overstuffed and, if Shouto wasn’t mistaken, something was definitely moving inside it.

Shouto bit back a knowing smirk. Oh yeah, Izuku owed him 500 yen.

Casually, Shouto approached. Shinsou stiffened at first, looking up with a snarl on his face, then immediately relaxed when he recognized him.

“Hey, Peppermint,” Shinsou greeted, voice a touch rougher than usual. Shouto mentally tucked that observation away for later.

“Hi, Shinsou,” Shouto replied easily. “You always this early?”

“Pretty much. Gives me time to—”

“Meow, help me. I’m being catnapped,” a tiny robotic voice suddenly called from inside Hitoshi’s bag.

Shouto’s brow arched. “What do you have there?”

“My lunch,” Shinsou replied quickly — too quickly — as a little robotic tail popped out of the zipper. Eyes widening, Hitoshi frantically pushed it back in. “Quiet, lunch,” he hissed. But the tail just slipped out the other side. “Quiet, lunch,” he repeated, hands moving faster to keep up with the wiggling appendage.

That was it — Shouto burst into a full, bright laugh.

“You do realize Aizawa-sensei will see right through this, right?” he teased, arms folding across his chest.

“I’ll die trying,” Shinsou answered in a dead-serious tone, which only made Shouto laugh harder.

“Alright, alright,” Shouto finally said with a shrug. “Meowdos, standby mode.”

“Admin command recognized. Entering standby mode,” the robotic voice answered. Instantly, the movement stopped and the tail disappeared into the bag as if it had never been there.

Shouto grinned. Yep — Izuku definitely owed him 500 yen.

“I forgot you actually built those things,” Hitoshi muttered as he shoved the robotic cat deeper into his bag, making sure no tail or ear peeked out again.

Shouto smirked. “I’d offer to build you one, but I guess you prefer playing on hard mode.”

Hitoshi just shrugged, lips twitching like he wanted to smile but wouldn’t let himself.

They kept chatting for a few minutes, comfortable in the quiet, until the door banged open and Bakugou stormed in. His eyes swept the room, locked onto Shouto — and for once, instead of barking out something loud and aggressive, he lifted his hands and started signing.

You. Me. Rooftop. Lunchtime. Don’t be late or I’ll kill you.

He dropped his hands, stalked to his desk, and kicked his feet up on top like nothing happened.

Hitoshi blinked. “Huh. Didn’t know he could sign.” He glanced at Shouto, smirking now. “So… was that a challenge or a love confession?”

Shouto stared at the spot where Bakugou had been standing, still processing. “Neither…” he said slowly. “I think.”

Shouto was pretty sure he already knew what Bakugou wanted to talk about, but he didn’t have long to dwell on it. Moments later, the classroom door swung open again — this time revealing his uncle.

Uncle Shouta looked better than Shouto had expected. The last time he’d seen him, he was half-conscious and covered in blood; now he was swaddled like a mummy, face bandaged and arms encased in casts. Even so, Shouto had a feeling Granny Chiyo had gone overboard with the bandages just to be safe.

The entire class froze for a second, then exploded into chaos.

“Aizawa-Sensei?!”

“You’re here?!”

“Shouldn’t you still be in the hospital?!”

Uncle Shouta gave them all a long, tired look before the red glint of his quirk silenced them. The transformation was instant — the chatter died, and every student sat up a little straighter in their seats.

“As you can see,” Uncle Shouta said flatly, “I’m fine.”

“I don’t know if I’d call that fine,” Shouto heard Shinsou murmur beside him.

“My well-being isn’t important,” Uncle Shouta went on, and though his eyes flicked toward Shinsou, he ignored the comment. “Right now, we have other matters to address. About the USJ…”

That single word was enough to make the room tense up all over again.

“You all did well,” Uncle Shouta continued. “You kept yourselves safe despite being put in impossible odds. Bakugou, Shoji, Ashido — good work on the first aid. Thirteen would be in much worse shape if not for you.”

“Sensei!” Uraraka shot her hand up anxiously. “Is Thirteen okay?”

“Still at the hospital,” Uncle Shouta replied, voice as even as ever. “But they’re expected to make a full recovery. They’ll be back by the end of the month.”

Everyone let out a collective breath of relief at the news.

“I do have a few things to say about what happened,” Uncle Shouta continued, his gaze sweeping across the room. Despite the exhaustion in his posture, there was a gravity to his words that made everyone lean in.

“First,” he began, “I want to apologize. You were never supposed to face anything like that.” The honesty in his tone was undeniable — a rare softness beneath his usual gruff exterior. “The fact that villains breached our security and put you all at risk is something the staff is taking extremely seriously. Steps are already being taken so it never happens again. That is my word to you.”

He paused, allowing the weight of it to settle.

“You’re training to become heroes,” he went on. “And yes, this path is dangerous. Death will always be a risk. But not here. Not while you’re under our watch. UA is meant to be a place where you can grow without fear for your life. That’s my promise.” Uncle Shouta let the words hang in the air before moving to his next point. “Which brings me to the second subject: All Might.”

The mention of the hero’s name pulled a tense ripple across the class.

“All Might was meant to be at the USJ,” Uncle Shouta said evenly. “But as you noticed, he never showed up. That lack of professionalism — combined with several other factors — led to his immediate dismissal. All Might is no longer a member of UA’s faculty. Frankly, I only regret that it didn’t happen sooner.”

A moment of stunned silence followed before the class broke into loud cheers. Even though they’d only had a few lessons with him, most of them already considered All Might the worst teacher they’d ever had — and that was saying a lot, considering some of the schools they’d attended before UA.

Once the room had finally quieted down again, Iida raised his hand.

“Sensei, who will be replacing All Might?” he asked.

“For now,” Uncle Shouta replied, “his classes will be taken over by me for your class, and Kan—Vlad King— for 1-B. Midos will also be assisting both of us.”

“Didn’t Midos blow up at the USJ?” Kaminari blurted, looking around nervously. A few other students stiffened at the reminder.

“Oh, come on, guys!” Izuku’s voice suddenly chimed in cheerfully through the speakers. “I’m a computer program — just because my last body is in pieces doesn’t mean I can’t help. Trust me, I’m perfectly fine. Back at full functionality and ready to go!”

A few of the students chuckled as the tension in the room eased.

“With that out of the way,” Uncle Shouta said, eyes gleaming with an ominous edge, “we’ll return to our regular lessons. Trust me, you’ll need all the preparation you can get for what’s coming.”

A ripple of unease ran through the classroom as everyone wondered what sadistic surprise their teacher had in store.

“Stop scaring everyone, Shou-Shou!” Izuku’s voice piped up through the speakers just as the windows darkened and a projector hummed to life overhead.

A few students chuckled at the cutesy nickname, the tension broken for a brief moment. It didn’t last long — one sharp glare from Uncle Shouta was enough to snap them all back to attention.

“I swear to god, Problem Child,” Aizawa muttered under his breath as he spun to face the blackboard. An image of the UA Stadium flashed onto the screen. “The UA Sports Festival will be held in two weeks.”

For a split second, there was silence as the words sunk in — then the entire class erupted into excited cheering.

Almost everyone had watched the UA Sports Festival on television before. Shouto was no exception. Back when Endeavor still dictated his every move, he’d been forced to sit and study the students’ matches, memorizing their quirks and analyzing how he would fight them.

That had changed after his adoption. Dad had started a tradition of taking him — along with Natsuo and Fuyumi — to watch the festival live. Even Touya had come along once after he stopped playing dead, though he rarely stayed long; big crowds weren’t really his thing.

Still, those visits had always felt special. Freed from scrutiny, surrounded by his siblings, he’d been able to just enjoy a family bonding event.

Shouto’s hands curled into fists at his sides. This was finally his chance to prove himself — not only as a hero student, but as someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the support course he so admired.

Before he could get lost in thought, the image on the projector screen shifted with a silly pop , and a chibi version of Izuku appeared. This miniature version of him was dressed in an oversized suit, comically large round glasses perched on his nose, a fake moustache glued to his face, and a wooden pointer in one hand.

The entire class burst into laughter. Even Bakugou huffed in reluctant amusement.

“Ahem!” chibi-Izuku coughed into his fist, mimicking a professor to a tee. “Now then, my students,” he began in a ridiculous accent, dramatically slapping the ruler against a new graphic on the screen, “as I’m sure you all know, the Sports Festival is vitally important — not just to Japan, but to your futures.”

The slide flipped to a bright chart. “This is where pro heroes come to scout promising talent,” chibi-Izuku continued. “That’s one of the biggest perks of attending UA. Even a single good showing can put you ahead of the curve. After all, a strong mentor can make all the difference in the life of a hero.”

He gestured grandly toward the screen as data appeared — graphs mapping heroes’ careers against their Sports Festival results. Even at a glance, the trend was obvious: over 70% of top-50 pro heroes had earned strong internships during their UA days. Many of those had stayed in the top 100 most of their careers, barring career-ending injuries.

In contrast, those who failed to impress or missed out on good placements rarely cracked the top 500, and almost never broke into the top ranks.

“One chance per year,” Uncle Shouta reminded them, voice dry. “And only three years in total. This isn’t an opportunity you can waste.”

He paused, one brow arched. “Of course, if you plan on going underground — like me — then come see me after class. I’ll have you sign the paperwork, and we’ll record a private demonstration of your skills. Those recordings will be sent to a panel of UA-trusted underground pros. They’ll decide if you’re worth a nomination.”

A small ripple of murmurs passed through the room at that, some students already pondering their paths.

Still, most were locked in on the event ahead — none of them intending to miss their shot at the biggest stage UA had to offer.

Shouto’s mind was already bursting with ideas for what the gadgets he wanted to show off.